Liu Bao Ru looked at Zhi Guan who was now crouching beside her. She had always known him as a righteous person, someone who almost embodied the virtues of the righteous faction. He stood for justice, for protecting the weak, and for helping those in need. Apparently, this even counted if the person in trouble was someone like Mu Qing whose reputation was less than stellar. But then, she probably should have expected that. Hadn’t he also always stood behind Mei Chao Bing, even when others already wrote him off as another lost cause?
She turned back toward the building and narrowed her eyes. “He should still be in the hall with those three. Maybe the rest of the disciples have also been called over. And in the worst case, Feng Bai Xiao will be there with them. We … might not stand a chance.”
“So should we go?”
Liu Bao Ru couldn’t help but smile. It was as if she had said nothing or if she did, then he had heard but thought nothing of it. Yes, so what if they couldn’t make it? Soon enough, they would be at war, and apart from the elite of the demonic faction they’d have to face with way too few people … there would be a cultivator in the demigod stage. So what if they went in to die a little early?
She opened her spatial bag and pulled out a traditional paper crane. “Let’s send one back so your Master and Elder Xing will know what has happened. No matter what happens to us, they should at least get this bit of closure.”
She had seen what it had done to Xi Ju Hai to not find out what had happened to Mu Qing for all those years. And sure, if they died, the sect would be aware. But with the demonic faction, could you ever be sure that they wouldn’t pull something different? In that case, it was better to let their own people know what the last thing they did was. And at this point, she didn’t think that the demonic faction was paying any attention to lone paper cranes fluttering about. They had bigger things to worry about now that the implementation of their plan was imminent.
She unfolded the item and then used some spiritual energy to write a few lines. Her own Master wasn’t there and neither were her senior or junior martial siblings studying under the same Master. As such, she only described the situation they had encountered and then only added for senior martial sister Xi that Mu Qing had given them the chance to escape.
If none of them made it back, she wanted her to know that the fiance she had just reunited with had done as he had promised, standing on their side until the very end. She wanted her to know that he had done his best to protect them and hadn’t gone back on his word. She wanted her to know that he was the same brave and kind man she had once known him as. In the best of cases, she hoped that his name could be cleared thanks to what Xi Ju Hai reported back and also thanks to this paper crane.
Adding the last stroke, she handed the item to Zhi Guan. “Anything you want to add for your Master or your junior martial brothers?” Zhi Guan wasn’t like her. Don’t even mention Elder Baili who had taught him for all those years, his third and fourth junior martial brother were in the small town here in the border region. Those four disciples of Elder Baili had always been close so she could imagine that he’d have a few words of wisdom to impart or a heartfelt farewell he wanted to give.
Zhi Guan stared at the paper crane for a moment and finally added a single line: ‘If I don’t make it back, have Shen Lei and Mei Chao Bing protect you from now on.’
Anyway, if he did make it back, all the words he wrote would be for naught. If he didn’t … well, this was the only thing he wanted to stress. Everything else had been said whenever it needed to be said. As for any outpour of emotions … he had never been that type and his juniors wouldn’t expect him to be now either. This would be enough.
Having done this, Zhi Guan nodded, and folded the paper crane back up, imbuing some more spiritual energy to the array that was part of it, and then had it take off in the direction of the town. After that, he looked at Liu Bao Ru. “Ready?”
“Mn.” Liu Bao Ru inclined her head and got to her feet. They shouldn’t waste any more time. If they waited any longer, who knew how Mu Qing would be doing? She’d rather not risk anything.
Zhi Guan didn’t hesitate either and followed after her, spreading out his spiritual sense so they wouldn’t be surprised behind the door. Right now, there was no one directly ahead but … he could sense the group on patrol not that far away.
Zhi Guan’s eyes widened and he patted Liu Bao Ru’s arm, pointing in the direction. He didn’t dare to say too much. Otherwise, they might be discovered ahead of time and give something away. Right now, the only question was whether they should try to evade this group and go to try and save Mu Qing immediately or … take on these four and then head over to the hall to deal with Song Yu Zheng and the others.
Liu Bao Ru furrowed her brows. She understood Zhi Guan’s meaning. It was just … this wasn’t what she had expected. She wanted to save Mu Qing but she also knew it would be best to deal with those four first. Otherwise, they might be in a fight with that trio and then be attacked from behind, possibly with more backup coming soon. In this case … did they have a choice?
In the end, she could only grit her teeth and motion toward the group of disciples who were currently on patrol. Whatever. They just had to be as fast as possible so Mu Qing would hopefully be able to hold on until they were done.
Liu Bao Ru looked at Zhi Guan who was now crouching beside her. She had always known him as a righteous person, someone who almost embodied the virtues of the righteous faction. He stood for justice, for protecting the weak, and for helping those in need. Apparently, this even counted if the person in trouble was someone like Mu Qing whose reputation was less than stellar. But then, she probably should have expected that. Hadn’t he also always stood behind Mei Chao Bing, even when others already wrote him off as another lost cause?
She turned back toward the building and narrowed her eyes. “He should still be in the hall with those three. Maybe the rest of the disciples have also been called over. And in the worst case, Feng Bai Xiao will be there with them. We … might not stand a chance.”
“So should we go?”
Liu Bao Ru couldn’t help but smile. It was as if she had said nothing or if she did, then he had heard but thought nothing of it. Yes, so what if they couldn’t make it? Soon enough, they would be at war, and apart from the elite of the demonic faction they’d have to face with way too few people … there would be a cultivator in the demigod stage. So what if they went in to die a little early?
She opened her spatial bag and pulled out a traditional paper crane. “Let’s send one back so your Master and Elder Xing will know what has happened. No matter what happens to us, they should at least get this bit of closure.”
She had seen what it had done to Xi Ju Hai to not find out what had happened to Mu Qing for all those years. And sure, if they died, the sect would be aware. But with the demonic faction, could you ever be sure that they wouldn’t pull something different? In that case, it was better to let their own people know what the last thing they did was. And at this point, she didn’t think that the demonic faction was paying any attention to lone paper cranes fluttering about. They had bigger things to worry about now that the implementation of their plan was imminent.
She unfolded the item and then used some spiritual energy to write a few lines. Her own Master wasn’t there and neither were her senior or junior martial siblings studying under the same Master. As such, she only described the situation they had encountered and then only added for senior martial sister Xi that Mu Qing had given them the chance to escape.
If none of them made it back, she wanted her to know that the fiance she had just reunited with had done as he had promised, standing on their side until the very end. She wanted her to know that he had done his best to protect them and hadn’t gone back on his word. She wanted her to know that he was the same brave and kind man she had once known him as. In the best of cases, she hoped that his name could be cleared thanks to what Xi Ju Hai reported back and also thanks to this paper crane.
Adding the last stroke, she handed the item to Zhi Guan. “Anything you want to add for your Master or your junior martial brothers?” Zhi Guan wasn’t like her. Don’t even mention Elder Baili who had taught him for all those years, his third and fourth junior martial brother were in the small town here in the border region. Those four disciples of Elder Baili had always been close so she could imagine that he’d have a few words of wisdom to impart or a heartfelt farewell he wanted to give.
Zhi Guan stared at the paper crane for a moment and finally added a single line: ‘If I don’t make it back, have Shen Lei and Mei Chao Bing protect you from now on.’
Anyway, if he did make it back, all the words he wrote would be for naught. If he didn’t … well, this was the only thing he wanted to stress. Everything else had been said whenever it needed to be said. As for any outpour of emotions … he had never been that type and his juniors wouldn’t expect him to be now either. This would be enough.
Having done this, Zhi Guan nodded, and folded the paper crane back up, imbuing some more spiritual energy to the array that was part of it, and then had it take off in the direction of the town. After that, he looked at Liu Bao Ru. “Ready?”
“Mn.” Liu Bao Ru inclined her head and got to her feet. They shouldn’t waste any more time. If they waited any longer, who knew how Mu Qing would be doing? She’d rather not risk anything.
Zhi Guan didn’t hesitate either and followed after her, spreading out his spiritual sense so they wouldn’t be surprised behind the door. Right now, there was no one directly ahead but … he could sense the group on patrol not that far away.
Zhi Guan’s eyes widened and he patted Liu Bao Ru’s arm, pointing in the direction. He didn’t dare to say too much. Otherwise, they might be discovered ahead of time and give something away. Right now, the only question was whether they should try to evade this group and go to try and save Mu Qing immediately or … take on these four and then head over to the hall to deal with Song Yu Zheng and the others.
Liu Bao Ru furrowed her brows. She understood Zhi Guan’s meaning. It was just … this wasn’t what she had expected. She wanted to save Mu Qing but she also knew it would be best to deal with those four first. Otherwise, they might be in a fight with that trio and then be attacked from behind, possibly with more backup coming soon. In this case … did they have a choice?
In the end, she could only grit her teeth and motion toward the group of disciples who were currently on patrol. Whatever. They just had to be as fast as possible so Mu Qing would hopefully be able to hold on until they were done.
