IMMFBCG Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Waters of the Yellow Springs

The sky was beginning to darken as Ye Xue and Yu Qi decided not to linger at Bao Wenxuan’s place any longer. They took the two swords and headed back.

On their way, a villager noticed them and stared at Yu Qi in confusion, asking, “What happened?”

Ye Xue looked fine, but Yu Qi’s clothes were tattered, and his right hand was visibly injured—like he’d just been in a fight. No wonder the villager was puzzled.

Ye Xue quickly replied, “We went hiking and had a little fall.”

Yu Qi, looking pale, gave a helpless smile. “Yes, that’s…right.”

The villager, carrying a hoe on his shoulder, looked at them with a mixture of surprise and amusement. His expression seemed to say, “City folks are something else.”

He chuckled. “Hiking in the middle of winter, huh?”

Ye Xue smiled slightly and continued to play along. “Hiking is good exercise; it’s beneficial for both body and mind.”

They had indeed gone to the western mountains earlier, so it wasn’t entirely untrue.

The villager laughed. “Alright then, I won’t keep you. Go clean that wound, young man. Looks pretty bad…”

Ye Xue supported Yu Qi, smiling as she said, “Goodbye, sir.”

By nightfall, Fengyang Village was quiet, with each household illuminated by warm lights as families prepared their dinners. Despite being remote, the village had a certain natural charm.

Yu Qi looked around at the serene surroundings, and something suddenly struck him. Since arriving, he hadn’t encountered any wandering spirits in Fengyang Village. The one that did appear was an exception, brought over by Deng Fei. Yu Qi voiced his curiosity.

Ye Xue chuckled, “Maybe they’re scared of me. When I was a kid, they’d pop out and try to spook me, but once I got a little older, no spirit dared mess with me. Everyone that showed up got a beating, and now they avoid me.”

Ye Xue spoke lightly, but Yu Qi, having been haunted by malevolent spirits before, knew all too well how much danger lay behind her words. He gently tightened his grip on her hand.

Seeing Yu Qi’s expression change, Ye Xue assumed his wound was hurting and asked, “Is it hurting again?”

Yu Qi shook his head and added, “I’m fine no need to worry.”

The pain had started to subside, and he could manage.

Ye Xue glanced at the darkening sky. “It’s getting late. Let’s head back.”

Yu Qi nodded, holding her hand. “Alright.”

…

Looking at the ingredients they’d bought earlier, Ye Xue hesitated. They’d intended to prepare a nice dinner, but with Yu Qi’s injury, she didn’t feel right asking him to cook. Fortunately, she could manage some simple dishes, so at least they wouldn’t go hungry.

Ye Xue gathered some things from the fridge and was about to head to the kitchen when she heard sounds from inside. She walked over to find Yu Qi, one hand holding a spatula, about to turn on the gas stove.

Putting down the ingredients, she asked in exasperation, “Yu Qi, weren’t you supposed to be resting? Why are you here?”

Yu Qi reassured her gently, “Don’t worry. I can manage some simple dishes; it shouldn’t be too hard.”

His tone was calm and confident, but his pale face told another story, and Ye Xue couldn’t shake the feeling that he might pass out at any moment. She pulled him aside, scolding, “Are you trying to end up with one arm?”

Yu Qi looked at her softly, lowering his gaze with a mild expression. He listened to her patiently, though he showed no signs of leaving.

Before Ye Xue could continue her lecture, they heard Bao Wenxuan’s voice from outside. “Master Ye, Mr. Yu, I brought you something to eat!”

Ye Xue’s face relaxed as she turned to Yu Qi. “Well, problem solved. Nobody has to cook now.”

She led him back to the living room.

Bao Wenxuan entered with three metal lunchboxes, but Ye Xue didn’t immediately take them. Instead, she asked, “Do you remember what you said to me during that fortune-telling session?”

Bao Wenxuan blinked in surprise and hesitantly answered, “Full forehead, clear eyes?”

Ye Xue nodded, “Correct. Now, hand it over.”

Realizing her caution, Bao Wenxuan chuckled. “Oh, I get it—you’re worried that person might come back for another attack, right?”

Ye Xue gave a simple “Mm,” nodding. “Better safe than sorry.”

She opened one of the lunchboxes to find it packed with food, and warmth filled her heart. “Thank you for the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Having delivered the meal, Bao Wenxuan added, “Well, I’ll be heading back. My sister and the others are waiting for me to join them for dinner.”

Ye Xue smiled. “Go on, then.”

After dinner, Yu Qi tried to help with the dishes, but Ye Xue firmly pressed him into a chair, taking care of the dishes herself.

Just as Ye Xue finished up, she heard a familiar voice call out, “A-Xue, look what Master brought you!”

Ye Xue quickly put things away, ran out, and called, “Master!”

Ye Yangyun stood there, looking every bit the wise Taoist in his blue robe. He set down what he was carrying and welcomed his disciple into a warm embrace. Smiling, he said, “It’s been half a year, and you’ve gotten skinnier, haven’t you?”

Ye Xue looked down at herself and instinctively denied it, “No way!”

She hugged her master tightly before pulling back and introducing him. “Master, this is Yu Qi, the owner of the Seven Stars Sword.”

Yu Qi maintained a calm, composed expression despite his nervousness. He greeted respectfully, “Mr. Ye.”

Ye Yangyun gave a slight nod. “It’s a pleasure, Mr. Yu. I’ve heard of you.”

His gaze shifted to Yu Qi’s injuries, and he asked with mild surprise, “How did you get hurt?”

He turned to Ye Xue. “A-Xue, have you been fighting spirits again?”

“What do you mean again?” Ye Xue protested, “Master, can’t you think the best of me for once?”

Yu Qi explained, “Sir, I was injured by the man in black who stole the female sword. He possessed a friend of ours and ambushed me.”

Ye Yangyun’s smile faded, and his brows furrowed in concern. “What happened?”

Ye Xue told Ye Yangyun everything that had happened.

“That’s how it went,” Ye Xue concluded, still full of confusion. “I still don’t get why he stole the Yin Sword in the first place and then returned it now.”

Ye Yangyun’s face grew serious. “Let the Dao Association handle this matter. But since the Yin Sword has been recovered, you and Yu Qi should go to the Ghost Pit soon to retrieve the full Seven-Star Sword.”

Ye Xue nodded, then added, “By the way, Master…”

Ye Yangyun asked patiently, “Yes? What is it?”

Ye Xue replied, “The man in black attacked a ghost official and released a malevolent spirit, catching the attention of the Underworld. Later, though, Bai Liu told me they couldn’t trace his whereabouts at all. Is it even possible for someone like that to exist?”

After a moment’s thought, Ye Yangyun said, “If he exists beyond the Three Realms and Five Elements, it’s possible the Underworld might not detect his movements.”

Ye Xue blurted out, “Like Sun Wukong?”

Ye Yangyun looked at her and tapped her forehead with a helpless smile. “What are you thinking?”

Ye Xue dropped the topic and instead handed him a bottle of mineral water she’d brought back from Bao Wenxuan’s place. “This is the water he gave us. Can you check if there’s anything strange in it? Yu Qi drank some and had chest pain—could it cause lasting effects?”

Ye Yangyun opened one of the bottles and sniffed it. “This one smells ordinary.”

“Oh, that’s probably the one I drank,” Ye Xue said. “Try the other one.”

He opened the second bottle, and sniffed it, and his expression turned odd as he sniffed again carefully. “It’s water from the Road to the Underworld…”

“Road to the Underworld?” Ye Xue looked at Yu Qi in surprise and quickly asked, “Yu Qi, do you remember my name? Do you still remember your bank card PIN?”

Yu Qi replied, “I remember. You’re Ye Xue.”

He thought for a moment, then said, “The PIN is…”

Ye Xue stopped him before he could tell her. “Okay, okay, it’s good you haven’t lost your memory.”

Ye Yangyun, listening beside her, shook his head, exasperated. “Ah Xue, Underworld water is not like Meng Po’s soup; it won’t make you forget everything.”

“Underworld water. Got it,” Ye Xue said.

He went on, “Underworld water, when consumed by the living, causes their souls to instinctively resist the yin energy in their organs, which brings a pain like being pierced by a thousand arrows. Yu Qi is fine for now because his yang energy is still strong. But at night, when the yin energy rises, that’s when it will start to take effect.”

“Master, you’re so skilled. You must know how to counter this, right?” Ye Xue asked.

Ye Yangyun gave her a look. “Of course I do. Bring me some cinnabar and a brush.”

Ye Xue quickly rummaged through the bag he’d brought.

He had brought back a lot of food—most of it probably gifts from the local villagers in gratitude for his services. Since he didn’t charge for exorcisms, the villagers would offer food in thanks.

Finding the cinnabar and brush, Ye Xue asked, “Do we need chicken blood?”

Ye Yangyun replied, “There’s only one chicken left; let it be for now. Cinnabar alone will do.” He then turned to Yu Qi, “Come with me to the guest room.”

The three of them walked to Yu Qi’s room, but Ye Yangyun stopped Ye Xue at the door. “Ah Xue, there’s plenty of food waiting for you outside—why don’t you go have some?”

Ye Xue, curious, asked, “Can’t I stay and watch? If I watch, I’ll learn how to do it, right?”

Ye Yangyun chuckled. “I’m drawing talismans directly on him. Are you sure you want to watch?”

He patted her on the head. “Go on. I’ll teach you once I’m done here.”

When the clock struck two, Ye Yangyun came out, rolled down his sleeves, and said to Ye Xue, “It should be fine by morning.”

Ye Xue nodded, although she was drowsy, and ran to Yu Qi’s room.

Inside, the room was filled with the scent of blood. By the bed sat a wooden bucket holding some darkened blood, exuding a strong yin energy—the Underworld water had been fully extracted.

Yu Qi was fully dressed, though traces of cinnabar talismans were still faintly visible on his neck.

He had been deep in thought, but hearing her approach, he looked up and gave her a slightly weakened but warm smile. “Ye Xue.”

She sat down beside him. “How are you feeling?”

Yu Qi curled his fingers slightly and spoke softly, “Much better now.”

Ye Xue asked a few more questions about his health, and Yu Qi answered each one.

Finally, she relaxed.

After a while, Yu Qi noticed the room growing quieter, and he glanced over to find Ye Xue already asleep, slumped by the bed.

He let out a quiet, rueful laugh, then stood, carefully lifting her to the bed. He sat in the spot she’d occupied and looked down at her peaceful face. He reached out to brush back a stray lock of hair, but stopped just short, withdrawing his hand.

Seeing the fresh blood on his fingers, he wiped them clean with a cloth. When his hands were clean, he finally reached out, gently tucking in the blanket around her.

Watching her sleep, Yu Qi murmured, “Goodnight.”