Xi Ju Hai could see that Mu Qing was doubting himself. She hesitated for a moment but then stepped closer and reached out, grabbing his arms. “Ah Qing, I know you well. Even if it has been many years, even if you haven’t been in the Teng Yong Sect but here, I know you. And because of that, I know that you believe we are in the right. You want us to find a solution and stop him because you can also see what would happen if we don’t. Since this is the case, why not help us?”
Mu Qing lowered his head and gazed at the hand on his arm. Xi Ju Hai’s touch felt so familiar even after all these years. It was hard not to think more about that.
Looking back up, he could only sigh though. “I don’t see what I could do. Sure, I can help you and the other two escape. I could even follow you. But what then? Losing another set of helping hands isn’t going to stop my Master. Especially not when it is me since he never relied on me much and also not when it is only a few more days until the plan is supposed to be put in motion. I just … I can’t see any way to win.”
Xi Ju Hai nodded. “I know but wouldn’t you rather stand on our side when everything goes down? Even if we can’t win … we’ll at least go down together. I believe that is what couples usually promise each other in the cultivation world, isn’t it?”
Mu Qing laughed lightly. “Is it? And does it … does it matter to us?” He looked at her questioningly. Clearly, they hadn’t been a couple for years and he had no right to ask her to take him back. Saying this now, he wasn’t sure if she meant it for real or if she was just trying to mollify him.
Xi Ju Hai smiled as well. “If you want to, I suppose it’s not impossible. Although … frankly, it’ll have to depend on the time left to us. There is … a lot to work through.”
Mu Qing gave a hum and finally leaned down, hugging her tightly. “I would like that.” He hadn’t dared to bring it up but if she was willing to take that step herself, he would never say no. Of course, that didn’t mean that their issues suddenly vanished.
Mu Qing thought of his Master and this whole plan, his heart sinking further the longer he did. He had often thought about how it could be stopped but … he couldn’t find a breakthrough point.
Part of that was certainly that his Master didn’t trust him enough and thus wouldn’t reveal everything. But even if he had known everything, he couldn’t believe he would have found a way to stop him. Things had gone on much too long for that.
Mu Qing sighed and pulled back, finally shaking his head. “My Master was always brilliant. No matter what I can think of to stop him, he’d have thought of it as well and long since implemented countermeasures. Unless we’re able to ensure that he can’t get his hands on Mei Chao Bing and force him or stop the array from failing somehow, it’s not going to be prevented.”
Xi Ju Hai nodded. “Yes, I figured as much. Do you know what exactly he has planned for the day he wants to do this? Why is it a specific day anyway?” This was something she still wasn’t able to figure out. After waiting for so long, it wasn’t like it was suddenly urgent. Why do it now? Wouldn’t it be better to put less pressure on them so they’d move slower in their investigation? Or could it be that they had gotten so close that Feng Bai Xiao was too anxious and wanted to stop them? If the latter was the case, there had to be something they could do.
Mu Qing furrowed his brows. “I suppose that should be related to the array in some way. Otherwise, I can’t see a reason that makes sense. He never said it though. I only know it will happen three days from now on. Maybe you can figure something out on your side with that.”
“Three days …” Xi Ju Hai sighed. That really wasn’t much time. It wasn’t like they hadn’t known it would be soon but this was hardly any time at all. Even knowing what was to happen, it would be difficult to make any preparations in time. “Do you know anything else? Any specifics of his plan like how he wants to rope in your junior or where this is supposed to happen or anything of the sort?”
Mu Qing didn’t answer immediately and instead took a moment to organize his thoughts. It wasn’t like he had ever been told his Master’s plan in detail. No, he had simply been around long enough to hear bits and pieces and put them together. There were few things he had been directly involved in.
“I’m afraid in regard to Ah Bing, he wants to use Elder Baili’s youngest disciple as bait. They’ll bring him here into the palace and then leave a message for Ah Bing to come and get him.”
“And they’re sure they’ll be able to do it in time?”
Mu Qing could only smile wryly. “They have their ways. Don’t you know that there are arrays pretty much everywhere in the border region? They’ll be close no matter where he goes and … well, you should also know that they managed to copy some parts of the abilities the guardians of the four great sects hold. One of those should be a spatial ability that allows one to move to a certain point.
“I’d assume they’re trying to make use of that to grab him. As long as they get their hands on him, just a moment will be enough. There is hardly any way to prevent it from happening.”
Xi Ju Hai could see that Mu Qing was doubting himself. She hesitated for a moment but then stepped closer and reached out, grabbing his arms. “Ah Qing, I know you well. Even if it has been many years, even if you haven’t been in the Teng Yong Sect but here, I know you. And because of that, I know that you believe we are in the right. You want us to find a solution and stop him because you can also see what would happen if we don’t. Since this is the case, why not help us?”
Mu Qing lowered his head and gazed at the hand on his arm. Xi Ju Hai’s touch felt so familiar even after all these years. It was hard not to think more about that.
Looking back up, he could only sigh though. “I don’t see what I could do. Sure, I can help you and the other two escape. I could even follow you. But what then? Losing another set of helping hands isn’t going to stop my Master. Especially not when it is me since he never relied on me much and also not when it is only a few more days until the plan is supposed to be put in motion. I just … I can’t see any way to win.”
Xi Ju Hai nodded. “I know but wouldn’t you rather stand on our side when everything goes down? Even if we can’t win … we’ll at least go down together. I believe that is what couples usually promise each other in the cultivation world, isn’t it?”
Mu Qing laughed lightly. “Is it? And does it … does it matter to us?” He looked at her questioningly. Clearly, they hadn’t been a couple for years and he had no right to ask her to take him back. Saying this now, he wasn’t sure if she meant it for real or if she was just trying to mollify him.
Xi Ju Hai smiled as well. “If you want to, I suppose it’s not impossible. Although … frankly, it’ll have to depend on the time left to us. There is … a lot to work through.”
Mu Qing gave a hum and finally leaned down, hugging her tightly. “I would like that.” He hadn’t dared to bring it up but if she was willing to take that step herself, he would never say no. Of course, that didn’t mean that their issues suddenly vanished.
Mu Qing thought of his Master and this whole plan, his heart sinking further the longer he did. He had often thought about how it could be stopped but … he couldn’t find a breakthrough point.
Part of that was certainly that his Master didn’t trust him enough and thus wouldn’t reveal everything. But even if he had known everything, he couldn’t believe he would have found a way to stop him. Things had gone on much too long for that.
Mu Qing sighed and pulled back, finally shaking his head. “My Master was always brilliant. No matter what I can think of to stop him, he’d have thought of it as well and long since implemented countermeasures. Unless we’re able to ensure that he can’t get his hands on Mei Chao Bing and force him or stop the array from failing somehow, it’s not going to be prevented.”
Xi Ju Hai nodded. “Yes, I figured as much. Do you know what exactly he has planned for the day he wants to do this? Why is it a specific day anyway?” This was something she still wasn’t able to figure out. After waiting for so long, it wasn’t like it was suddenly urgent. Why do it now? Wouldn’t it be better to put less pressure on them so they’d move slower in their investigation? Or could it be that they had gotten so close that Feng Bai Xiao was too anxious and wanted to stop them? If the latter was the case, there had to be something they could do.
Mu Qing furrowed his brows. “I suppose that should be related to the array in some way. Otherwise, I can’t see a reason that makes sense. He never said it though. I only know it will happen three days from now on. Maybe you can figure something out on your side with that.”
“Three days …” Xi Ju Hai sighed. That really wasn’t much time. It wasn’t like they hadn’t known it would be soon but this was hardly any time at all. Even knowing what was to happen, it would be difficult to make any preparations in time. “Do you know anything else? Any specifics of his plan like how he wants to rope in your junior or where this is supposed to happen or anything of the sort?”
Mu Qing didn’t answer immediately and instead took a moment to organize his thoughts. It wasn’t like he had ever been told his Master’s plan in detail. No, he had simply been around long enough to hear bits and pieces and put them together. There were few things he had been directly involved in.
“I’m afraid in regard to Ah Bing, he wants to use Elder Baili’s youngest disciple as bait. They’ll bring him here into the palace and then leave a message for Ah Bing to come and get him.”
“And they’re sure they’ll be able to do it in time?”
Mu Qing could only smile wryly. “They have their ways. Don’t you know that there are arrays pretty much everywhere in the border region? They’ll be close no matter where he goes and … well, you should also know that they managed to copy some parts of the abilities the guardians of the four great sects hold. One of those should be a spatial ability that allows one to move to a certain point.
“I’d assume they’re trying to make use of that to grab him. As long as they get their hands on him, just a moment will be enough. There is hardly any way to prevent it from happening.”
