âLi Muyang.â Lu Qiji cried out in a voice of suppressed rage. âA gentlemanâs promise is worth a thousand gold. Since I promised to bring you out of here, I will definitely bring you out safely. I never break a promise.â
âYou said it yourself, a gentlemanâs promise is worth thousands. Iâm a gentleman, if I said that I wouldnât kill you, then that means I definitely wonât kill you. But youâre a girl, even if you say you would help me out of here, you still might not bring me out of hereââWhy donât you swear a blood oath? Iâll feel more at ease.â
ââââ
âIn fact, even if you violated your oath, there wonât be much harm. Right? Many people have sworn that they would be struck by lightning if they violated their oath, but every year how many people are actually killed by lightningâââ
âI wonât do it.â Lu Qiji said through clenched teeth. A scholar prefers death to humiliation. She absolutely will not make such an oath.
What sort of person is she? Would she prove her commitment through such a stupid way?
She is someone who does what she says; if she canât do something she will not say it.
If the other party does not believe herââthat is their problem. It has nothing to do with her.
She wonât fall to their level.
This is her bottom line; she has too much pride.
âLook, you have to make our relationship so difficult.â Li Muyang said in a very dissatisfied tone.
His palm pressed on Lu Qijiâs âQi Palace pressure pointâ while two of his fingers stretched out from his other hand and jabbed at Lu Qijiâs âHeavenly Mountain Pressure Pointâ at the back of her neck.
Lu Qiji felt her body weakening, the body of defending Qi she held within her body suddenly all leaked away, just like all the essential qi had been consumed after a fierce fight.
Boiling with fury, Lu Qiji hissed: âLi Muyang, do you know what you are doing?â
âI know.â Li Muyang gave a serious nod. âThis âBig Spirit Handâ is specially used to drain qi, block the flow of blood and cause people to lose the ability to fight. This is what I learned from a sacred manualââIâm still not that good, so please bear with me.â
âIn this unknown place, you sealed off my body of qi and consequently made me lose the ability to fight; thatâs the same as sending me to my death. Li Muyang, this is your attitude in negotiating with me?â Lu Qiji said in a cold voice. âIf thatâs the case, our deal is cancelled. If Iâm not leaving here, you also donât have a chance of leaving this place.â
Li Muyang shook his head, saying: âYou wonât.â
âWhat?â
âI was a little silly when I was a kid. I like to sit at the entrance to the courtyard and stare at the people passing in the streets, where I often see some interesting stories. Once, I saw a small, thin beggar stopping a big-bellied, rich landlord to beg for money. The fat man was very angry, loudly shouted at the small beggar and started to hit him. After being slapped twice in the face, the little beggar turned crazy. His eyes went red as he glared at the fat man, and then made threatening gestures like a small dog pouncing overââIn the end, the fat man tossed a few coins in panic and fledâââ
âWhat are you trying to say?â
âBare feet are not afraid of shoes.â Li Muyang said. âIâm the little beggar with nothing, youâre the fat landlord. From your manners and the way you speak, itâs obvious that not only are you from an extraordinary background, but one of the noble families of the nine countries. Also, youâre so beautiful; there must a lot of boys chasing after you. You have what you want, how would you let yourself die here?â
Lu Qiji laughed grimly. âLi Muyang, did you know? If it were someone else, I will definitely not die here with them. But if that person is youââI donât mind dying her with you at all.â
Li Muyang carefully studied Lu Qijiâs face, trying to pierce her serious face before a puzzled expression crossed his face as he asked: âYouâre serious?â
âWhat do you think?â
âI really donât understand, weâve only met a few times, how can you have such a deepââfeeling towards me?â Li Muyang asked, a perplexed look upon his face. âIâve read stories of so-called love at first sight before and I was absolutely reluctant to believe in those story. In this world, how could there be love at first sight? But, if not, when we saw each other for the first time at the foot of Nameless Mountain, why did you take the initiative toââstart a conversation with me?â
âBecause I want you to die.â
âBecause you love me?â
âBecause I hate you.â
âWhere did this hatred come from?â Li Muyang stared questioningly at her as he tried to comprehend her behaviour. âLu Qiji, Iâve been wanting to ask you a question. Why do you hate me? You tried to kill me repeatedly. What was it for?ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âYou donât know anything?â A mocking smile was playing around the corners of Lu Qijiâs mouth. âThat feeling of having countless questions inside but not knowing how to find the answer must be painful, right? You donât know who you are. You donât even know what you can do. Youâre like a trash, bullied and insultedââLi Muyang, the formerly high and mighty you, would never had thought you would fall into such a miserable situation right?â
âFormerly high and mighty?â Li Muyang wrinkled his brows. âLu classmate, youâre not mistaking me for someone else, right? I donât know you and have never seen you beforeââMoreover, you say I used to be like a trash, bullied and insulted, how would that trash feel superior?â
âCurious? Do you want to know the answer?â Lu Qijiâs eyes grew fiercer. âI wonât tell you. I want you to be tortured to death by this pain.â
Li Muyang handsomely shrugged his shoulders. âYou donât want to tell me, then I also donât want to ask. How I was like before, I know more than anybody. Youâre right, Iâve been insulted like a trash before, but itâs not going to happen anymore. After I entered into Starry Sky Academy, my life has changed.â
Li Muyang lifted his head, gazing at the broad square and standing straight and alert, as he said in a raised and overbearing tone that he suddenly adopted: âFrom now on, no one can bully me.â
ââââ Lu Qiji stood dumbfounded looking at Li Muyang, like sheâs looking at that handsome, fluttering white-robed youngster.
Arrogant, confident and almighty. As though he ruled both the sky and earth.
The him at that time is also the Li Muyang now.
Li Muyang, this idiot, he really is his successorââeven when he knows nothing, he is still unconsciously influenced by his presence.
The aggressiveness and power that he revealed in that split second was enough to fill the heart of anyone with fear and timidity.
âExcept for my little sister.â Li Muyang added after a long silence.
ââââ
Lu Qiji felt she thought too highly of this idiot.
He is still an idiot, a trash, an insignificant person from Jiangnan city. His body possess something that is hard to defeat and she canât help but fear, howeverââ
He still disappeared in the end.
Li Muyang is Li Muyang; he will never become the supreme king that occupies the thorny throne and was worshipped by millions.
As she thought of this, Lu Qiji suddenly felt somewhat futile.
âWhat is the point of my persistence? My sacrificeââ-how many people will know of it?â
Lu Qiji composed her emotions and organised her thoughts before turning her attention back to Li Muyang, emotionless like before, when she said aloud: âWe have to find the next boundary point.â
âWhat is a boundary point?â Li Muyang asked aloud.
The fact that this guy did not even know about such a simple problem, intensified Lu Qijiâs anger and frustration.
âYou fell from the cold pond to here because you broke through the prohibition spell at the bottom of the lake that was setup by someone powerful.â Lu Qiji impatiently explained: âThe same with any prohibition, you canât return to the original place. You must find a boundary entry point, another doorââOnce we break that door, we can return to the original place.â
âI see.â Li Muyang exclaimed as if a thought had flashed into her mind: âYou must know where the boundary point is, right?â
âI donât know.â Lu Qiji said. âä¸ç¥éãâé¸å¥æ©èªªéã
Li Muyang cried anxiously: âLu Qiji, donât you dare trick me. You promised me just now that you will bring me safely back to Broken MountainââBut you donât even know where the boundary point is. If you donât know, how can you bring me back?â
âIdiot.â Lu Qiji snapped. âI said I donât know where the boundary point is, it doesnât mean I wonât find it.â
Although scolded, Li Muyang was not the slightest bit angry, instead his lips curved into a smile. âI knew there is nothing you canât doââthen weâll start now. Your Chu Xun boy must be anxiously trying to save you, if we donât return soon, Iâm afraid heâll be eaten by the toad.â
A scarlet flame flashed in Lu Qijiâs eyes, before she took the lead, bringing Li Muyang deeper into the palace.
The white jade floor emitted a wondrous light, the green-brown walls were covered with all sorts of marks and symbols.
The symbols were coated with a thick layer of dust and grime, and some corners were either hung with cobwebs or had formed the home of bloodthirsty bats.
Li Muyang looked puzzled. In this empty and spacious hall, where no living creatures are found, what does the bats rely on to survive?
At the end of the long corridor was a huge wall inlaid with a double-sided arhat.
Lu Qiji carefully studied the wall, before stretching out her hand to brush her fingers against the Arhatâs eyes, until a loud boom flung the giant door up.
Clangââ
The moment the stone gate stabilizes, Lu Qiji took the lead again and walked ahead.
Li Muyang hesitantly followed behind.
A winding stone path led down a steep slope but because of the many corners, there was no way to see where it leads.
Lu Qiji walked in front, while Li Muyang closely trailed behind.
The farther they went, the deeper it was.
As though this stone path could lead to hell.
On either side of the stone path, it was illuminated by jewels embedded in the wall. Walking behind, no matter how much Li Muyang furtively tried, he could not pull out the jewels on the wallââ
The lower they went, the gloomier and more humid it was.
The lower they went, the stronger the disgusting and nauseating bloody smell.
âIt wonât be a place of slaughter below us, right?â Li Muyang tried to enliven the atmosphere, and hopefully improve his relationship with Lu Qiji. At this moment, he really needed this woman to lead the way.
Lu Qiji did not respond, her eyebrows already tightly scrunched up and her eyes shifting warily around their surroundings
She felt danger.
After they twisted around another corner, they finally reached the bottom of the stone steps.
Then, they stood there agape at the sight that lay in front of them.
âDragons.â Li Muyang murmured. âThere reallyââare dragons.â