Chapter 39

The cavern walls were pockmarked and scarred by the time Luo Binghe finally vented his rage.

He turned to find Shen Qingqiu still sitting there, an idle spectator to the destruction.

A vein throbbed at Luo Binghe’s temple. “...I’ll be watching,” he ground out between clenched teeth, “to see how thoroughly your reputation is destroyed a month from now.”

With that final threat, he swept out of the cavern. At the entrance, he slammed his palm against a mechanism with a crash that shook the stone. The waterfall barrier thundered back into place. Alone again, Shen Qingqiu glanced upward.

Why such anger? Surely he didn’t feel wronged.

This segment in Jinlan City didn’t exist in the original timeline—the protagonist should have been underground, grinding levels—so his omniscient reader perspective was useless. But one thing the original novel made clear: every scheme and massacre after Luo Binghe’s return to the surface was tied to him.

So, logically, the prime suspect was obvious.

Yet, the Luo Binghe of the books only bothered with pretense when it served a purpose. For ants he could crush with one hand, he had no patience for sweet talk.

And right now, Shen Qingqiu = ant.

Shen Qingqiu gave up on figuring it out.

He was never much for deduction anyway. In a month or less, he’d be sprinting toward a brand-new world. No point overthinking it.

A chilly draft swept through the cavern. His damp robes clung to his skin, and a full-body shiver wracked him.

Luo Binghe’s black outer robe still lay discarded beside him.

That furious, sleeve-flinging exit had, strangely, held a faint shadow of the fluffy white sheep from years past.

Not that the Luo Binghe of Qing Jing Peak ever lost his temper—and certainly not with the volatile unpredictability he showed now—but the feeling was… vaguely similar.

After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Qingqiu used two fingers to pinch the edge of the black garment, dragging it over with some effort before shrugging it onto his shoulders.

It couldn’t be helped. His earlier refusal wasn’t some tsundere act—he just couldn’t bring himself to put it on in front of Luo Binghe.

Wasn’t this the very robe the protagonist draped over his female conquests after each encounter?

How was he supposed to touch the thing with the man right there!

Shen Qingqiu was beginning to suspect that any attempt at meditation or seated cultivation would inevitably be interrupted. The Lingxi Caves incident, and now this water prison—the pattern was clear.

Two days, three visitors. This deluxe solitary cell was undoubtedly the most popular chamber in the history of the Phantom Flower Palace’s water prison!

The stone pathway rose, cutting off the flow of filthy water. Gongyi Xiao hurried across, took one look at Shen Qingqiu, and nearly slipped.

“S-Senior Shen, you…” he stammered.

Shen Qingqiu blinked. “What about me?”

Gongyi Xiao’s expression was peculiar. He seemed frozen in indecision just off the platform, unsure whether to advance or turn away. Following his gaze downward, Shen Qingqiu looked at himself.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

He’d been wearing Luo Binghe’s robe since yesterday’s wardrobe malfunction!

“That garment appears to be…” Gongyi Xiao ventured hesitantly.

Shen Qingqiu coughed.

Gongyi Xiao coughed in response, a belated attempt at propriety. “How has Senior been these past two days?”

“Adequate.” Would be better with fewer visitors.

“This Junior heard that Senior Brother Luo… left in quite a rage yesterday. I was concerned he might have… done something to Senior Shen.” Even as he spoke, his eyes drifted back to the outer robe.

Under that stare, Shen Qingqiu instinctively pulled the robe tighter across his chest.

Done what? Threw a tantrum and beat up the cave walls until half the cavern collapsed. What’s with that look? Your imagination is running wild, kid!

“What exactly is Luo Binghe’s status within the Phantom Flower Palace?” Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but ask.

Why could he throw fits on someone else’s turf without consequence?

Gongyi Xiao was taken aback, then offered a bitter smile. “This Junior isn’t entirely certain. But one thing is clear: had he been willing to formally take a master, the position of head disciple would never have fallen to me.”

Ouch.

Shen Qingqiu felt a wave of profound sympathy and immediate guilt for poking the wound.

Gongyi Xiao composed himself. “This Junior came on urgent business. Peak Lord Shang applied for a pass this morning, but it was delayed. Uncertain when it will be approved. He seemed in a hurry, so he asked me to deliver a letter.” He reached into his robe.

A letter.

And not even properly sealed—just folded twice, no wax seal or protective charm in sight.

Shang Qinghua, you magnificent bastard.

“Senior need not worry,” Gongyi Xiao added. “I’ve read it.”

That does the opposite of instill confidence!

“But I didn’t understand it.”

Shen Qingqiu secretly exhaled. Okay, maybe he’d misjudged. Shang Qinghua wasn’t that careless—it must be written in code, safe even if intercepted.

Shen Qingqiu shook the paper open with two fingers. One glance turned his face green. Two lines in, it went white. A vibrant palette of emotions played across his features.

“…”

The letter was in English.

Or rather, in gloriously butchered Chinglish.

Full-on Chinese grammar, with pinyin standing in for any unknown vocabulary.

Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky, you absolute broccoli, did it ever occur to you that I might not understand your toilet-grade English?!

After painstakingly deciphering the general meaning, Shen Qingqiu channeled a sliver of spiritual energy into his hand. The paper disintegrated into flakes, drifting down like snow in midsummer—a perfect reflection of his utterly weathered soul.

He had, it seemed, underestimated the great Airplane Bro.

"To the peerless Cucumber:

All set, ready to go. Location unchanged. Minor time issue. To speed up the Sun-Moon Dew Herb's growth, I used a little something as fertilizer. Accidentally overdid it. It's now ripe beyond ripe. Will rot in a week max. Suggest you exit Phantom Flower water prison ASAP. Don't worry, just a bit of chemical fertilizer. Should work the same. Probably."

Unreliable? Does the concept of 'reliable' even exist in his world?!

He’d just gotten locked up and already needed an escape plan! He should have let Liu Qingge and Yue Qingyuan bargain it down to five days! And he used chemical fertilizer on a pure, natural spiritual plant! Chemical! That "should work the same" guarantee was about as trustworthy as promises from melamine milk powder manufacturers!

Gongyi Xiao glanced around nervously. “Senior, have you finished? If so, please drop the fragments into the lake to destroy them. Senior Brother Luo gave orders yesterday—no one but him is to enter. I must leave quickly to avoid complications.”

Shen Qingqiu grabbed his sleeve. “Help me.”

“Of course, Senior, if it is within my—”

“Get me out of here,” Shen Qingqiu cut in, sincerity etched on his face.

Gongyi Xiao stared. “…”

“I’m serious.”

“Senior… that’s truly impossible.”

“I have a reason I must leave. It’s not to escape the four-sect trial. Once it’s done, I’ll return to this cell and await judgment. If you don’t believe me, we can swear a blood oath.”

A blood oath was unbreakable. Of course, whether Shen Qingqiu returned to the Phantom Flower Palace water prison after obtaining the Dew Herb was irrelevant.

Gongyi Xiao wavered. “I believe you, Senior. But didn’t you request to be imprisoned here? What could be so urgent?”

Shen Qingqiu opened his mouth, then stopped. He couldn’t ask this of him.

Gongyi Xiao was a disciple of Phantom Flower Palace. Aiding a prisoner’s escape was no small crime. Besides, the young man was decent. With seven days left, other opportunities would arise. He couldn’t drag him into this. The request had been a moment of rashness.

“Never mind,” Shen Qingqiu said quickly. “Forget I asked. It’s not important.” He awkwardly tried to gather the paper scraps to toss into the lake, evidence disposed of.

With the Immortal-Binding Cables restricting most of his body, the motion was clumsy. A few shifts, and the black robe slid from his shoulders.

Gongyi Xiao, who had been looking down to help, saw the robe pool on the ground. His eyes lifted inadvertently, and his entire body locked up.

Shen Qingqiu: “…?”

His white inner robe was torn cleanly from the shoulder—clearly ripped apart by brute force. Shreds of fabric hung loose elsewhere, resembling whip strikes. Pale skin showed through the tears, dotted with faint, reddish abrasions. Upon closer inspection, even his throat bore the slight, lingering shadow of a bruise.

Gongyi Xiao’s worldview shattered.

“Senior…” His voice trembled. “Are… are you truly alright?”

So this was why Luo Binghe forbade anyone else from entering, even with a pass. Why he delayed Peak Lord Shang’s request.

So this was it!

An utter disgrace of a disciple!

Devoid of conscience!

Worse than a beast!

In his heart, Gongyi Xiao wept bloody tears for Senior Shen. Senior Shen, however, only looked back, baffled. “I’m fine?”

Gongyi Xiao’s soul shook. How… how can Senior still wear such a calm expression at a time like this!

Shen Qingqiu tossed all the paper fragments into the lake. "You can forget what I said just now. You—"

Gongyi Xiao shot to his feet and turned to leave.

Shen Qingqiu’s face went blank. I say don’t worry about it and you just walk away? That’s… efficient.

Yet, before half an hour had passed, Gongyi Xiao returned. In his hand was a long object wrapped in cloth and sealed with talisman paper. He strode to Shen Qingqiu, ripped away the wrappings, drew the blade, and swept it down in a slanting arc.

A flash of white light. Shen Qingqiu felt his entire body go suddenly slack, as if a circuit had been violently connected. He flexed his fingers. Spiritual power flowed through him, answering his call without hindrance. The strange, incurable poison that had flared up last time seemed suppressed after two days bound by the Immortal-Binding Cables. Was that some twisted logic of fighting poison with poison? Negative plus negative equals positive?

The cables fell to the ground in severed segments. Gongyi Xiao tossed the object in his hand forward. Shen Qingqiu caught it.

Xiūyǎ Sword!

He gripped the familiar hilt, overjoyed and bewildered. He looked at Gongyi Xiao. "I thought it would have been confiscated by the Old Palace Master."

Gongyi Xiao’s eyes blazed with conviction. "Even if I must face my Master’s punishment, this Junior cannot stand by and watch a Senior be dishonored without acting. I believe you, Senior Shen. Please, follow me!"

A profound sense of exhaustion washed over Shen Qingqiu.

Uh… I really think… he’s misunderstood something critically important here…

But… whatever… fine…

Shen Qingqiu said decisively, "Alright!"

Even if the demon blood within him still lay dormant, Luo Binghe would always know where he was.

But knowing his location didn’t matter. He just had to make sure Luo Binghe couldn’t catch him!