Into The Sea

As the silence of the night deepened, footsteps echoed outside the door. Lan Yuan closed her eyes, silently counting. When the footsteps faded away, she flipped over and quietly crept towards the door.

She pulled open the latch, looked left and right, and, seeing no one, relaxed. Just as she was about to step out, her robe was tugged from behind. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Lan Yuan yanked at her robe but couldn’t free it. She lowered her voice. “None of your business.”

Meng Changge frowned. “I already assured everyone that you wouldn’t cause any trouble. How is this not my business?”

Lan Yuan said irritably, “Haven’t you noticed? For days now, they’ve been secretly reinforcing the seals. They never intended to let me talk to the Nightmare Beasts.”

Meng Changge hesitated. “They need the approval of the elder in charge. Maybe we just have to wait a few more days.”

“You can wait here all you want,” Lan Yuan said angrily. “I came here with Lan Wu. We agreed we’d be back quickly. But it’s been days, and not only has there been no progress, I’m stuck here being watched like a prisoner.”

Meng Changge argued weakly, “It’s not like that. They’re just worried you might cause trouble, so they’ve increased patrols…”

Lan Yuan glared at her. “Isn’t that being watched?”

Meng Changge fell silent.

Lan Yuan tugged at her robe again. “Let go. I’m going into the Nightmare Forest right now. Come if you want, stay if you don’t.”

“How are you going to get in?” Meng Changge frowned. “Are you going to force your way in?”

“What else?” Lan Yuan said, as if it was obvious.

Meng Changge was shocked. “We’re supposed to be helping them! If you force your way in, we’ll just be causing trouble!”

“You’re so annoying.” Lan Yuan didn’t want to argue anymore. With a poof, she transformed into a small silver fish, her voice sharp. “I’ve never seen a cultivator as cowardly as you!”

“How many cultivators do you even know?” Meng Changge muttered. But when she caught sight of Lan Yuan’s plump little fish body and big round eyes, she couldn’t help blurting, “You’re actually… kinda cute like this.”

“…”

Lan Yuan flicked her tail, slapping Meng Changge across the face. “How dare you!” she roared. “I am a princess of the Merfolk!”

Meng Changge snapped out of it, covering her reddened cheek in shock. “Don’t be unreasonable! I call Lan Wu cute all the time and she doesn’t get mad!”

“That’s because she’s shameless!” Lan Yuan glared at her. “Don’t insult me with such words again.”

She turned, swishing her tail, and swam into the darkness without looking back. Meng Changge pursed her lips and reluctantly followed.

Half an hour later, Meng Changge was catching disciples sent flying by Lan Yuan while frantically apologizing, “I’m sorry, really sorry! She didn’t mean it!”

“Wh-what?”

“I’m really sorry,” Meng Changge said, setting her down and rushing to catch another figure flying towards her.

It was the middle of the night, and the patrolling disciples hadn’t expected someone to force their way in. They were quickly knocked to the ground by Lan Yuan, watching helplessly as she created a hole in a weak spot in the barrier and jumped through.

The woman’s figure vanished in an instant. Meng Changge stepped forward, drawing two red blades and standing before the breach. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think I’d ever say this…” She took a breath, saying seriously, “Until she comes back, I can’t let you reseal the barrier.”

Meanwhile, Lan Yuan ventured deep into the thick fog. The ground beneath her feet crunched with every step. She paused, a blue glow forming in her palm as she turned to look around. “Hey, Nightmare Beasts, are you there?”

“Hey!”

After a long silence, rustling footsteps came from the depths of the fog. Lan Yuan tensed, instinctively forming a sword in her hand as she stared in that direction.

A shadowy figure gradually emerged from the mist, drawing closer. Lan Yuan’s body stiffened, her voice wary. “A human?”

Humans weren’t supposed to be in the Nightmare Forest.

The figure finally emerged from the fog, stopping a few feet away, staring at her.

After a long pause, a hoarse voice said hesitantly, “Lan Wu?”

***

“Lan Wu,” Ye Qingjun scanned the disheveled group before her, her gaze landing on the unconscious Qing Zibai. She sighed, rubbing her temples. “You really are… I don’t know what to say about you.”

Just earlier, someone had pounded on her door. When she opened it, she saw Danbai’s pale face. Though it was still dark outside, the main hall behind her was brightly lit. In the middle stood Lan Wu, who turned and called, “Master.”

Ye Qingjun frowned. “Lan Wu? Weren’t you supposed to be elsewhere?”

Lan Wu nodded, hesitating before dragging Qing Zibai out from behind her. “We did go there, but… there was an unexpected complication.”

Now, the other two sect leaders had also hurried over. The small room was crowded with nearly ten people, all looking grave.

Qi Jun, having heard the whole story from her daughter, had lost his usual sternness. “You’re telling me that the formation at Wangliang City was destroyed from the inside?”

“Yes. We all saw it happen with our own eyes.” Qi Yueyao turned her head, calling out, “Lan Wu, didn’t you collect that jade talisman? Show it to the sect leaders.”

Lan Wu nodded, handing the jade talisman fragments to Ye Qingjun.

Ye Qingjun examined them for a moment, then asked softly, “Was it already broken when you found it?”

“Yes.”

“And what about Qing Zibai?”

Qi Yueyao interjected, “That’s a long story. We had just arrived in Wangliang City when a group of masked cultivators came to kill us. Turns out, Qing Zibai was one of them.”

Qi Jun was shocked. “Qing Zibai? Cultivators? Are you sure it wasn’t demons?”

“They were definitely cultivators. The demons only showed up after hearing the commotion.”

“Did you see who they were?”

“Besides Qing Zibai, the others had their faces destroyed. The scene was too chaotic, we couldn’t keep track of them. They’re probably… in the hands of the demons now.”

Lan Wu asked, “There aren’t many cultivators who can go there, could you check if anyone is missing?”

“I’m afraid not,” Ye Qingjun said. “The cultivators headed to Wuwang City usually travel hidden through the desert. It’s common for them to disappear for weeks, or be killed by demons. Checking one by one would be useless.”

Lan Wu was silent for a moment. “What if I told you… I already know who it was?”

Qi Yueyao was stunned. “You knew and didn’t say anything? Was it Qing Zibai who told you? I saw you talking to him for a while…”

Lan Wu nodded. “He did reveal some things to me.”

“Then tell us! Who sent them?”

Lan Wu looked up, saying softly, “Penglai.”

As the word fell, everyone froze. After a long while, Ye Qingjun said, “Penglai? Penglai Island?”

“Yes,” Lan Wu bit her lip. “And Qing Zibai told me that Chu Chen is still alive.”

“What? Chu Chen is still alive?” Qi Jun exclaimed. “He’s been dead for over a hundred years!”

Xuan Rulin couldn’t help but speak, “That’s absurd! Penglai is a reclusive sect, their disciples are known for their righteousness, and they’re well-respected in the cultivation world. Why would they want to kill you? And if Chu Chen is still alive, why would he hide?”

Ye Qingjun said, “Did Qing Zibai tell you all of this?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any other evidence?”

Lan Wu shook her head, her voice bitter. “No. Only Danbai, Danqing, and I were there to hear it.”

“That’s not enough,” Ye Qingjun frowned. “The three of you are close. Even if your stories match, it’s not enough to accuse Penglai.”

Qi Jun was shocked. “Accuse? Ye Qingjun, do you know what you’re saying? You’re willing to believe Penglai is behind this based solely on your disciple’s word?”

“Don’t you find it strange? Wangliang City was destroyed overnight, and it was because it was so sudden that we suffered such heavy losses. If I remember correctly… Penglai did send dozens of disciples and elders to stay in Wangliang City.”

“But Penglai wasn’t the only sect there. Other sects were present as well.”’

“Then how do you explain that almost all of the Penglai people escaped? What do you make of that?”

“Maybe they were just lucky?”

Seeing their endless arguing, Lan Wu pursed her lips and suddenly asked, “Among the Penglai cultivators, are there any sound cultivators?”

The room fell silent as everyone turned to her. After a moment, Ye Qingjun, “Among the Penglai cultivators, there are about ten sound cultivators.”

“And how many of them are skilled in Gu?”

Ye Qingjun frowned. “There are two or three who are skilled in Gu, but if we’re talking about the ones who are here now, it’s only Chu Jiao.”

Lan Wu was stunned. “Isn’t she…”

“Qing Zibai’s wife,” Ji Lingyue said, entering the room. “The attacker was cloaked, but based on her movements, it was definitely a woman.”

She looked at Lan Wu, adding, “I went back earlier. The masked figures who were left behind were all captured by demons, and I found this.”

She opened her hand, revealing a jade flute broken in half, stained with blood. “I don’t know if it was Chu Jiao or not, but she was injured when she escaped.”

There was a heavy silence.

Finally, Qi Jun shook her head and sighed. “Even if Chu Jiao was injured, that doesn’t prove that it was her. Besides, I really don’t understand why Penglai would do this?”

“I don’t understand why they would destroy Wangliang City’s formation core,” Lan Wu said again, but her expression was much calmer. “But if you ask why Chu Chen would fake his death and hide, I might know the reason.”

“What reason?”

Lan Wu was silent for a moment, then looked up, meeting their curious gazes. “It’s simple. He sowed the seeds of his own downfall back then. Now, he’s afraid the consequences will come back to haunt him and seek revenge.”