You dare reprimand the emperor of Chu!
Chu Yuan frowned upon hearing this: “Plague?”
“That could be the only reason.” Duan Baiyue said, “The property on the ship was not damaged, so it was not a massacred by pirates. But an ordinary disease cannot kill so many people at the same time. If this would have been found out by fishermen on the Lijing Island after a few more days, the consequences might be unimaginable.”
Chu Yuan asked, “What about you?”
“After practicing the Bodhi Heart Sutra, I am immune to all diseases.” Duan Baiyue said, “Hurry up and take that pill in your hand. Then go back and take a good bath. Leave everything else here to me.”
Chu Yuan was still worried: “Are you really okay?”
“I’m actually afraid that something will happen to you.” Duan Baiyue said helplessly, “I told you to wait below, why did you run on the boat by yourself?”
Chu Yuan was a little angry: “Because you have been up there for half an hour.” There was no movement from his side at all, and he thought he had been swallowed by a female ghost!
Duan Baiyue paused and replied: “Because the ship is big.” It took time to check every corner of the ship.
Chu Yuan took the pill and watched Duan Baiyue return to the merchant ship. A moment later, the ship burst into flames, almost lighting up half of the sky.
The two returned to the boat and soon sailed away from the deserted island. After returning to the small courtyard, Nan Moxie and Jin Niang had already gone to bed. Sixi had a bit cold in the past few days, and Chu Yuan did not ask him to wait on him. So, Duan Baiyue boiled several buckets of hot water in the kitchen, sent them to the room and told him, “Wash yourself up thoroughly.”
Chu Yuan: “…”
Duan Baiyue said again: “Give me the clothes too, I’ll burn them. Don’t be careless.”
Chu Yuan said: “Go out.”
Duan Baiyue nodded: “I’ll be outside.”
The door of the room closed. Chu Yuan soaked in the water and took a deep breath.
Duan Baiyue leaned against the door and waited outside the whole time. He didn’t knock on the door until he heard footsteps coming from inside the house: “Give me the clothes.”
The door of the room was opened by a small crack, and Chu Yuan stretched out an arm to hand over his clothes.
Duan Baiyue smiled, took it and found a wasteland to burn it. When he went back, the candles in the room were already extinguished, presumably someone had gone to rest.
Nan Moxie asked quietly from behind: “Where did you go?”
Duan Baiyue got startled.
Nan Moxie yawned with his mouth open.
Duan Baiyue had a headache: “Master was sleeping peacefully. Why did you get up again?”
Nan Moxie said: “I heard you were tossing around outside. Are you trying to catch ghosts?”
Duan Baiyue said: “A merchant ship belonging to Chu Kingdom drifted to a deserted island. I just went to check it. It must have been infected with the plague during the voyage. None of the people onboard survived. In order to prevent the people on Lijing Island from watching a good show and letting the epidemic spread, I set the ship on fire.”
“Since that boat is taken care of, why are you still running here and there?” Nan Moxie still didn’t understand.
Duan Baiyue said: “I went with Xiao Yuan.”
Nan Moxie suddenly became interested: “Let’s talk about it.”
Duan Baiyue explained: “I have practiced the Bodhi Heart Sutra, so I’m fine. But the plague looked fierce. So when we came back, I boiled some hot water for him to bathe, and burned the clothes he was wearing at that time.”
Nan Moxie was dissatisfied: “Thats all?”
Duan Baiyue said: “I also gave him the Ivy Pill.”
Nan Moxie asked again: “Did you feed him with your own hands?”
Duan Baiyue: “…”
Nan Moxie insisted: “You can feed him just well while wearing the gloves.”
Duan Baiyue walked around him and left the courtyard.
Nan Moxie followed after him, hating that iron cannot be made into steel1.
Chu Yuan lay on the bed, listening to the two people outside walking further and further away. Then he covered his head with the quilt and went to sleep.
Early the next morning, Duan Baiyue got up and went out, only to see Jin Niang walking his way in a hurry.
“What happened?” Duan Baiyue asked.
“Your Highness,” Jin Niang said, “His Majesty has had a fever since he woke up this morning, and Master Nan is treating him.”
Duan Baiyue panicked when he heard this and hurried over. He saw Nan Moxie writing prescriptions at the table, and Sixi was also standing by the bed, holding a basin of cold water in his hands.
“How is it?” Duan Baiyue sat by the bed.
Chu Yuan’s cheeks were a little red and his voice was a little hoarse: “Its no big issue. I just caught cold.”
“Yes.” Eunuch Sixi also said, “My lord, there is no need to worry.”
Duan Baiyue turned his head and asked Nan Moxie: “Master?”
“It’s just common cold.” Nan Moxie said, “Don’t worry, it has nothing to do with the plague last night.”
“Plague?” Sixi didn’t know about it. After hearing this, his hands softened and he almost dropped the basin on the ground.
“Are you sure?” Duan Baiyue frowned.
“How can I joke about such a thing?” Nan Moxie shook his head, “It’s really cold. I’m going to make some medicine right away. I’d like to ask the Eunuch to help me.”
Sixi repeatedly said ‘yes’, handed over the basin to Duan Baiyue, and followed him out.
Chu Yuan sat up and coughed for a while.
Duan Baiyue poured him a glass of water.
Chu Yuan’s cheeks were red and his body was sweating. Duan Baiyue instinctively stretched out his hand to test the temperature of his forehead, but stopped midway. Looking at the black gloves, his heart ached.
Chu Yuan asked: “Can’t you take it off?”
Duan Baiyue forced a smile and said: “My hands are ugly and poisonous.”
Chu Yuan reached out and touched his forehead, and said, “It’s not hot.”
Duan Baiyue took the empty cup from him, and raised the quilt a little higher: “Master is famous in the Jianghu for using poison, but he is also an expert in medical treatment. Since he said you caught a cold, just sweat it out. It will be more comfortable.”
Chu Yuan sniffed and asked, “What if it’s really a plague?”
Duan Baiyue frowned: “Don’t talk nonsense!”
Chu Yuan said: “You dare reprimand the emperor of Chu.”
Duan Baiyue: “…”
Chu Yuan leaned back on the bed and said, “Duan Baiyue.”
“Um?”
Chu Yuan asked: “Does your heart ache for me?”
Duan Baiyue froze, then said: “Of course.”
Chu Yuan said: “You deserve it.”
Duan Baiyue couldn’t laugh or cry: “I deserve it?”
Chu Yuan said: “I’ve felt heartbroken because of you for three years.”
Duan Baiyue: “…”
Chu Yuan continued: “But I don’t feel that heartache now.”
Duan Baiyue said: “I…”
Chu Yuan waved his hand: “Alright, step down2.”
Duan Baiyue said: “I…”
“Sixi!” Chu Yuan shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Your Majesty!” Sixi hurriedly ran in.
Chu Yuan lay back and said, “See off the guests.”
Eunuch Sixi looked at the Southwest King with a smile on his face: “Your Highness?”
Duan Baiyue had no choice but to stand up and said, “Have a good rest and call me if you need anything.”
Chu Yuan slowly pulled up the quilt and firmly covered his head.
Eunuch Sixi sent Duan Baiyue out, and said in a low voice, “All well?”
Duan Baiyue shook his head.
Eunuch Sixi was dissatisfied: “Soon, it will be!”
Duan Baiyue smiled: “Thank you so much, Eunuch.”
Eunuch Sixi was very happy. He tucked his hands in, and went to the kitchen to continue to cook the medicine.
Duan Baiyue looked back at the closed bedroom door.
It’s not fine yet.
But it will be fine in the future.
In the afternoon, Nan Moxie went to the small courtyard and said that the medicine for the next two days had been prepared. He would recover within three days at most.
Duan Baiyue put down the Xuanming Hantie in his hand, and said, “Thank you, Master.”
Nan Moxie sat opposite him: “His Majesty has been ill recently and is weak. You should try not to get close to him as much as possible. After all, you have practiced the Bodhi Heart Sutra, so you still have to be careful.”
Duan Baiyue nodded: “I understand.”
“One more thing.” Nan Moxie said, “That Qiu Ji you had brought back, finally woke up half an hour ago. I have given him some medicine, and I guess he can talk now.”
Duan Baiyue got up: “Let’s go and have a look.”
In the bedroom, Chu Yuan finished a bowl of porridge and asked, “Why does it sound so lively outside?”
“Replying to the emperor, there is a temple fair today.” Sixi said, “It is setup once every three months, so it becomes quite lively.”
“I see.” Chu Yuan leaned back on the bed, “I thought the next door aunt finally let go of Yao’er, and found a new person to marry off her daughter.”
Sixi said fairly: “Please don’t say this, Your Majesty. This morning that aunt was still asking me when will prince Duan return. She sounded like she was quite missing him.”
Chu Yuan smiled and said: “Yes, it seems that she will be able to remember him for a long time.”
“Your Majesty, please rest for a while longer.” Sixi said, “Master Nan has also instructed that you should rest more after taking this medicine, only then will it be more effective.”
Chu Yuan nodded: “Go and help the Senior, don’t make him too tired.”
Sixi left in response and searched the bedroom and kitchen. But no one was there. So he went to take a look in the backyard. But as soon as he took a step forward, he heard a scream, and became startled.
Duan Baiyue opened the door and said, “I’m surprised to see the eunuch here.”
Sixi was still in shock and asked: “Is the Southwest King also here?”
Duan Baiyue replied: “Just extracting some confession through torture.”
Qiu Ji, who was inside the room, spat out another mouthful of blood.
Nan Moxie squatted in front of him and said, “Your situation is already like this and you still don’t want to say anything?”
Qiu Ji was dying: “I don’t know anything.”
Duan Baiyue said: “You know a lot of things. If you can’t remember them, I will help you remember them one by one. Decades ago, what kind of grudge did you have with Lan Yizhan, and why did you firmly believe that he can come back from the dead? Even traveling to the royal city to set up a chess game, just to lure him out to appear. What is the secret of the Fenxing Jue, and what is your relationship with Chaoya? Was it you who brought Lan Ji back from the dead, and why did you became close with Chu Xiang in the end? Let’s talk about Chu Xiang’s ambitions and plans, the military deployment and control in the South China Sea, and the Wilderness Cloud Summit you mentioned that day. After hearing all this, do you still dare to say you don’t know anything?”
“So what if I know?” Qiu Ji’s chest heaved violently, “I won’t tell you anything.”
“Tsk, tsk.” Nan Moxie said, “He’s still a tough guy.”
Qiu Ji said: “Kill me.”
“Why would I kill you?” Duan Baiyue said, “I haven’t gotten the answers I want yet. If you want to die, I’m afraid it won’t be that easy.”
Qiu Ji stiffened his neck and remained silent.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll just have to guess. It just so happened that I found something during this period.” Duan Baiyue sat on a chair, “You and Lan Yizhan were from the same village. According to the people in his hometown, he had a very upright and good character, and extraordinary talent. Since the time you guys were young, he was many times stronger than you, is that correct?”
Qiu Ji’s eyes widened suddenly: “Shut up!”
“Later, you both joined Qingshan Sect at the same time. But he was very much favoured by the sect leader, while you were often left ignored.” Duan Baiyue smiled, “You were so angry that you simply dragged him to establish his own sect, and then went to sea to learn martial arts. If I guess correctly, you should have gone to Chaoya Island.”
Qiu Ji struggled and roared, but Nan Moxie stuffed a rag into his mouth.
Duan Baiyue said: “Later, although you and Lan Yizhan learned martial arts, he unfortunately fell into the devil’s way. From then on, your mission was to only hunt and kill him. And after winning the battle with him, you finally became the warrior praised by the people in the jianghu, and for the first time, you tasted the taste of being a top expert.”
Qiu Ji’s eyes were red, and his eyeballs were almost bursting out.
Duan Baiyue said: “I really don’t know why you refused to cremate Lan Yizhan back then, but placed him in a trap made of thousands of rings. But I do know that you have been staying in fear for so many years, worried that he would come back from the dead. You even later developed a mania thinking that Lan Yizhan has come back from the dead.”
Qiu Ji struggled to spit out the piece of cloth and said: “Lan Yizhan is not dead at all!”
“He is already dead.” Duan Baiyue said, “If you are saying this on the basis of that mysteriously stolen Fenxing in the Jiu Xuanji tower, then it’s me who took it.”
Qiu Ji’s expression suddenly changed: “You?”
“That’s right, me.” Duan Baiyue said, “My beloved wanted to play with it for a few days, but I didn’t expect that it would drive you crazy. I’m really sorry.”
Qiu Ji was stunned for a moment, then spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Did you really kill Lan Yizhan?” Duan Baiyue squatted beside him and said softly, “A person with such a clear mind and extraordinary talent, even if he falls into the devil’s path, as long as he still retains some of his original nature, I am afraid that he will be in pain and couldn’t bear to hurt innocent people. You have been chasing him for so many years, however I think that Lan Yizhan’s pain became so much that he took the bargain and killed himself. Has anyone ever examined the bones on Jade Coffin Mountain? There were countless stab wounds, but the fatal wound was on the chest, and it didn’t look like it was caused by an external force.”
Qiu Ji said angrily: “Shut up! I killed him! I killed him with my own hands!”
Duan Baiyue sneered: “You have always wanted to be a master and hero all your life, and be praised by others. Later, when you found that your appearance is completely ruined and the poison has begun to take effect, you even changed your identity, just to keep Qiu Ji’s name in the world forever. In this case, if I just tell the entire world what you did back then, your life will go in vain.”
“What on earth do you want to do!” Qiu Ji roared wildly.
“I want to make a deal.” Duan Baiyue said, “As long as you are willing to cooperate in answering the questions, I will keep all your doings to myself.”
Qiu Ji almost wanted to cut him into pieces with his eyes.
Duan Baiyue said: “From now on, whether you want the world to know Qiu Ji as an upright and peerless master, or as a villain who dare not show his true colors to others, and does not hesitate to use poisonous worms to extend his life in order to enhance his internal strength, it all depends on how you choose at this time.”
Qiu Ji struggled to sit up and looked directly at him.
“I don’t have much patience.” Duan Baiyue reminded, “The longer you delay, the greater the possibility that I’ may change my mind. It’s best to make a decision quickly.”
After a long time, Qiu Ji finally said with difficulty: “What do you want to know?”
Duan Baiyue smiled: “Why do you know Chu Xiang?”
“Decades ago, I went to Chaoya Island, and I had a good relationship with the people there.” Qiu Ji said, “I went there a few times later, and found that there were many black-robed wizards there, who are said to be from the Nanyang island country.”
Duan Baiyue nodded: “Continue.”
“Later, I went to sea with the black-robed wizard and went to the Feimian Kingdom.” Qiu Ji said, “I also met Chu Xiang there and was taken under his command.”
You dare reprimand the emperor of Chu!
Chu Yuan frowned upon hearing this: “Plague?”
“That could be the only reason.” Duan Baiyue said, “The property on the ship was not damaged, so it was not a massacred by pirates. But an ordinary disease cannot kill so many people at the same time. If this would have been found out by fishermen on the Lijing Island after a few more days, the consequences might be unimaginable.”
Chu Yuan asked, “What about you?”
“After practicing the Bodhi Heart Sutra, I am immune to all diseases.” Duan Baiyue said, “Hurry up and take that pill in your hand. Then go back and take a good bath. Leave everything else here to me.”
Chu Yuan was still worried: “Are you really okay?”
“I’m actually afraid that something will happen to you.” Duan Baiyue said helplessly, “I told you to wait below, why did you run on the boat by yourself?”
Chu Yuan was a little angry: “Because you have been up there for half an hour.” There was no movement from his side at all, and he thought he had been swallowed by a female ghost!
Duan Baiyue paused and replied: “Because the ship is big.” It took time to check every corner of the ship.
Chu Yuan took the pill and watched Duan Baiyue return to the merchant ship. A moment later, the ship burst into flames, almost lighting up half of the sky.
The two returned to the boat and soon sailed away from the deserted island. After returning to the small courtyard, Nan Moxie and Jin Niang had already gone to bed. Sixi had a bit cold in the past few days, and Chu Yuan did not ask him to wait on him. So, Duan Baiyue boiled several buckets of hot water in the kitchen, sent them to the room and told him, “Wash yourself up thoroughly.”
Chu Yuan: “…”
Duan Baiyue said again: “Give me the clothes too, I’ll burn them. Don’t be careless.”
Chu Yuan said: “Go out.”
Duan Baiyue nodded: “I’ll be outside.”
The door of the room closed. Chu Yuan soaked in the water and took a deep breath.
Duan Baiyue leaned against the door and waited outside the whole time. He didn’t knock on the door until he heard footsteps coming from inside the house: “Give me the clothes.”
The door of the room was opened by a small crack, and Chu Yuan stretched out an arm to hand over his clothes.
Duan Baiyue smiled, took it and found a wasteland to burn it. When he went back, the candles in the room were already extinguished, presumably someone had gone to rest.
Nan Moxie asked quietly from behind: “Where did you go?”
Duan Baiyue got startled.
Nan Moxie yawned with his mouth open.
Duan Baiyue had a headache: “Master was sleeping peacefully. Why did you get up again?”
Nan Moxie said: “I heard you were tossing around outside. Are you trying to catch ghosts?”
Duan Baiyue said: “A merchant ship belonging to Chu Kingdom drifted to a deserted island. I just went to check it. It must have been infected with the plague during the voyage. None of the people onboard survived. In order to prevent the people on Lijing Island from watching a good show and letting the epidemic spread, I set the ship on fire.”
“Since that boat is taken care of, why are you still running here and there?” Nan Moxie still didn’t understand.
Duan Baiyue said: “I went with Xiao Yuan.”
Nan Moxie suddenly became interested: “Let’s talk about it.”
Duan Baiyue explained: “I have practiced the Bodhi Heart Sutra, so I’m fine. But the plague looked fierce. So when we came back, I boiled some hot water for him to bathe, and burned the clothes he was wearing at that time.”
Nan Moxie was dissatisfied: “Thats all?”
Duan Baiyue said: “I also gave him the Ivy Pill.”
Nan Moxie asked again: “Did you feed him with your own hands?”
Duan Baiyue: “…”
Nan Moxie insisted: “You can feed him just well while wearing the gloves.”
Duan Baiyue walked around him and left the courtyard.
Nan Moxie followed after him, hating that iron cannot be made into steel1.
Chu Yuan lay on the bed, listening to the two people outside walking further and further away. Then he covered his head with the quilt and went to sleep.
Early the next morning, Duan Baiyue got up and went out, only to see Jin Niang walking his way in a hurry.
“What happened?” Duan Baiyue asked.
“Your Highness,” Jin Niang said, “His Majesty has had a fever since he woke up this morning, and Master Nan is treating him.”
Duan Baiyue panicked when he heard this and hurried over. He saw Nan Moxie writing prescriptions at the table, and Sixi was also standing by the bed, holding a basin of cold water in his hands.
“How is it?” Duan Baiyue sat by the bed.
Chu Yuan’s cheeks were a little red and his voice was a little hoarse: “Its no big issue. I just caught cold.”
“Yes.” Eunuch Sixi also said, “My lord, there is no need to worry.”
Duan Baiyue turned his head and asked Nan Moxie: “Master?”
“It’s just common cold.” Nan Moxie said, “Don’t worry, it has nothing to do with the plague last night.”
“Plague?” Sixi didn’t know about it. After hearing this, his hands softened and he almost dropped the basin on the ground.
“Are you sure?” Duan Baiyue frowned.
“How can I joke about such a thing?” Nan Moxie shook his head, “It’s really cold. I’m going to make some medicine right away. I’d like to ask the Eunuch to help me.”
Sixi repeatedly said ‘yes’, handed over the basin to Duan Baiyue, and followed him out.
Chu Yuan sat up and coughed for a while.
Duan Baiyue poured him a glass of water.
Chu Yuan’s cheeks were red and his body was sweating. Duan Baiyue instinctively stretched out his hand to test the temperature of his forehead, but stopped midway. Looking at the black gloves, his heart ached.
Chu Yuan asked: “Can’t you take it off?”
Duan Baiyue forced a smile and said: “My hands are ugly and poisonous.”
Chu Yuan reached out and touched his forehead, and said, “It’s not hot.”
Duan Baiyue took the empty cup from him, and raised the quilt a little higher: “Master is famous in the Jianghu for using poison, but he is also an expert in medical treatment. Since he said you caught a cold, just sweat it out. It will be more comfortable.”
Chu Yuan sniffed and asked, “What if it’s really a plague?”
Duan Baiyue frowned: “Don’t talk nonsense!”
Chu Yuan said: “You dare reprimand the emperor of Chu.”
Duan Baiyue: “…”
Chu Yuan leaned back on the bed and said, “Duan Baiyue.”
“Um?”
Chu Yuan asked: “Does your heart ache for me?”
Duan Baiyue froze, then said: “Of course.”
Chu Yuan said: “You deserve it.”
Duan Baiyue couldn’t laugh or cry: “I deserve it?”
Chu Yuan said: “I’ve felt heartbroken because of you for three years.”
Duan Baiyue: “…”
Chu Yuan continued: “But I don’t feel that heartache now.”
Duan Baiyue said: “I…”
Chu Yuan waved his hand: “Alright, step down2.”
Duan Baiyue said: “I…”
“Sixi!” Chu Yuan shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Your Majesty!” Sixi hurriedly ran in.
Chu Yuan lay back and said, “See off the guests.”
Eunuch Sixi looked at the Southwest King with a smile on his face: “Your Highness?”
Duan Baiyue had no choice but to stand up and said, “Have a good rest and call me if you need anything.”
Chu Yuan slowly pulled up the quilt and firmly covered his head.
Eunuch Sixi sent Duan Baiyue out, and said in a low voice, “All well?”
Duan Baiyue shook his head.
Eunuch Sixi was dissatisfied: “Soon, it will be!”
Duan Baiyue smiled: “Thank you so much, Eunuch.”
Eunuch Sixi was very happy. He tucked his hands in, and went to the kitchen to continue to cook the medicine.
Duan Baiyue looked back at the closed bedroom door.
It’s not fine yet.
But it will be fine in the future.
In the afternoon, Nan Moxie went to the small courtyard and said that the medicine for the next two days had been prepared. He would recover within three days at most.
Duan Baiyue put down the Xuanming Hantie in his hand, and said, “Thank you, Master.”
Nan Moxie sat opposite him: “His Majesty has been ill recently and is weak. You should try not to get close to him as much as possible. After all, you have practiced the Bodhi Heart Sutra, so you still have to be careful.”
Duan Baiyue nodded: “I understand.”
“One more thing.” Nan Moxie said, “That Qiu Ji you had brought back, finally woke up half an hour ago. I have given him some medicine, and I guess he can talk now.”
Duan Baiyue got up: “Let’s go and have a look.”
In the bedroom, Chu Yuan finished a bowl of porridge and asked, “Why does it sound so lively outside?”
“Replying to the emperor, there is a temple fair today.” Sixi said, “It is setup once every three months, so it becomes quite lively.”
“I see.” Chu Yuan leaned back on the bed, “I thought the next door aunt finally let go of Yao’er, and found a new person to marry off her daughter.”
Sixi said fairly: “Please don’t say this, Your Majesty. This morning that aunt was still asking me when will prince Duan return. She sounded like she was quite missing him.”
Chu Yuan smiled and said: “Yes, it seems that she will be able to remember him for a long time.”
“Your Majesty, please rest for a while longer.” Sixi said, “Master Nan has also instructed that you should rest more after taking this medicine, only then will it be more effective.”
Chu Yuan nodded: “Go and help the Senior, don’t make him too tired.”
Sixi left in response and searched the bedroom and kitchen. But no one was there. So he went to take a look in the backyard. But as soon as he took a step forward, he heard a scream, and became startled.
Duan Baiyue opened the door and said, “I’m surprised to see the eunuch here.”
Sixi was still in shock and asked: “Is the Southwest King also here?”
Duan Baiyue replied: “Just extracting some confession through torture.”
Qiu Ji, who was inside the room, spat out another mouthful of blood.
Nan Moxie squatted in front of him and said, “Your situation is already like this and you still don’t want to say anything?”
Qiu Ji was dying: “I don’t know anything.”
Duan Baiyue said: “You know a lot of things. If you can’t remember them, I will help you remember them one by one. Decades ago, what kind of grudge did you have with Lan Yizhan, and why did you firmly believe that he can come back from the dead? Even traveling to the royal city to set up a chess game, just to lure him out to appear. What is the secret of the Fenxing Jue, and what is your relationship with Chaoya? Was it you who brought Lan Ji back from the dead, and why did you became close with Chu Xiang in the end? Let’s talk about Chu Xiang’s ambitions and plans, the military deployment and control in the South China Sea, and the Wilderness Cloud Summit you mentioned that day. After hearing all this, do you still dare to say you don’t know anything?”
“So what if I know?” Qiu Ji’s chest heaved violently, “I won’t tell you anything.”
“Tsk, tsk.” Nan Moxie said, “He’s still a tough guy.”
Qiu Ji said: “Kill me.”
“Why would I kill you?” Duan Baiyue said, “I haven’t gotten the answers I want yet. If you want to die, I’m afraid it won’t be that easy.”
Qiu Ji stiffened his neck and remained silent.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll just have to guess. It just so happened that I found something during this period.” Duan Baiyue sat on a chair, “You and Lan Yizhan were from the same village. According to the people in his hometown, he had a very upright and good character, and extraordinary talent. Since the time you guys were young, he was many times stronger than you, is that correct?”
Qiu Ji’s eyes widened suddenly: “Shut up!”
“Later, you both joined Qingshan Sect at the same time. But he was very much favoured by the sect leader, while you were often left ignored.” Duan Baiyue smiled, “You were so angry that you simply dragged him to establish his own sect, and then went to sea to learn martial arts. If I guess correctly, you should have gone to Chaoya Island.”
Qiu Ji struggled and roared, but Nan Moxie stuffed a rag into his mouth.
Duan Baiyue said: “Later, although you and Lan Yizhan learned martial arts, he unfortunately fell into the devil’s way. From then on, your mission was to only hunt and kill him. And after winning the battle with him, you finally became the warrior praised by the people in the jianghu, and for the first time, you tasted the taste of being a top expert.”
Qiu Ji’s eyes were red, and his eyeballs were almost bursting out.
Duan Baiyue said: “I really don’t know why you refused to cremate Lan Yizhan back then, but placed him in a trap made of thousands of rings. But I do know that you have been staying in fear for so many years, worried that he would come back from the dead. You even later developed a mania thinking that Lan Yizhan has come back from the dead.”
Qiu Ji struggled to spit out the piece of cloth and said: “Lan Yizhan is not dead at all!”
“He is already dead.” Duan Baiyue said, “If you are saying this on the basis of that mysteriously stolen Fenxing in the Jiu Xuanji tower, then it’s me who took it.”
Qiu Ji’s expression suddenly changed: “You?”
“That’s right, me.” Duan Baiyue said, “My beloved wanted to play with it for a few days, but I didn’t expect that it would drive you crazy. I’m really sorry.”
Qiu Ji was stunned for a moment, then spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Did you really kill Lan Yizhan?” Duan Baiyue squatted beside him and said softly, “A person with such a clear mind and extraordinary talent, even if he falls into the devil’s path, as long as he still retains some of his original nature, I am afraid that he will be in pain and couldn’t bear to hurt innocent people. You have been chasing him for so many years, however I think that Lan Yizhan’s pain became so much that he took the bargain and killed himself. Has anyone ever examined the bones on Jade Coffin Mountain? There were countless stab wounds, but the fatal wound was on the chest, and it didn’t look like it was caused by an external force.”
Qiu Ji said angrily: “Shut up! I killed him! I killed him with my own hands!”
Duan Baiyue sneered: “You have always wanted to be a master and hero all your life, and be praised by others. Later, when you found that your appearance is completely ruined and the poison has begun to take effect, you even changed your identity, just to keep Qiu Ji’s name in the world forever. In this case, if I just tell the entire world what you did back then, your life will go in vain.”
“What on earth do you want to do!” Qiu Ji roared wildly.
“I want to make a deal.” Duan Baiyue said, “As long as you are willing to cooperate in answering the questions, I will keep all your doings to myself.”
Qiu Ji almost wanted to cut him into pieces with his eyes.
Duan Baiyue said: “From now on, whether you want the world to know Qiu Ji as an upright and peerless master, or as a villain who dare not show his true colors to others, and does not hesitate to use poisonous worms to extend his life in order to enhance his internal strength, it all depends on how you choose at this time.”
Qiu Ji struggled to sit up and looked directly at him.
“I don’t have much patience.” Duan Baiyue reminded, “The longer you delay, the greater the possibility that I’ may change my mind. It’s best to make a decision quickly.”
After a long time, Qiu Ji finally said with difficulty: “What do you want to know?”
Duan Baiyue smiled: “Why do you know Chu Xiang?”
“Decades ago, I went to Chaoya Island, and I had a good relationship with the people there.” Qiu Ji said, “I went there a few times later, and found that there were many black-robed wizards there, who are said to be from the Nanyang island country.”
Duan Baiyue nodded: “Continue.”
“Later, I went to sea with the black-robed wizard and went to the Feimian Kingdom.” Qiu Ji said, “I also met Chu Xiang there and was taken under his command.”
