“Why’re you so upset?” Guai Zuoren asked half-heartedly. “You’re acting like a pregnant lady.” He teased.

  Shen ZhaoChun stayed quiet, then, all of a sudden, he summoned his whip from the ring he wore, striking it at Guai Zuoren. As fast as always, Guai Zuoren dodged, but it caught him on his ankle. The strike pained him, but he brushed it away with his playful smile.

  “Aiya, no need to be so aggressive, I just wanted to accompany you,” Guai Zuoren said. “Truth is, I was planning on going to Bailing Pond tomorrow, but since you’re on your way there anyway, I figured that I could hang around.”

  Shen ZhaoChun retrieved his whip, he departed from the current route and took a detour.

  “Gee... “ At this point, Guai Zuoren felt horrible, but he respected the other’s decision. And he also deserved that whip. Both of them parted ways.

  The night soon rose, engulfing the once bright sky into a pitch black, only the moon was the light to guide the lost. Guai Zuoren could feel fatigue kicking in. His throat dried out, and his eyes could barely open themselves. His legs felt numb, yet whenever his heels hit the ground, it would hurt like needles stabbing on his feet. But when he saw the sign Bailing, he felt a strange surge of energy, well, at least enough energy to get him to an inn for the night. After checking in with the inn, he finally got a room. As he settled in for the night, he heard a loud thump right next to his room. He ignored it the first time, but then it happened again for another four times. Concerned, he went over to check, and surprisingly, the door wasn’t closed properly either. It seemed that fate wanted them both to meet again. It was Shen ZhaoChun, laying on the ground on his stomach, as if he fell unconscious from banging his head against the floor. And Guai Zuoren could tell that he’s drunk from the bottles of liquor on the table. But then Guai Zuoren freaked out, Guai Zuoren suddenly realized that cultivators aren’t supposed to drink liquor, it’s a rule to every disciples since the day they stepped on the Heavenly Pavilion’s sacred concrete.

  “Oi! Wake up! Wake up! You can’t just sleep like that, drink some water before you sleep!” Guai Zuoren didn’t know what else to say in a situation like this, however, it seemed a bit strange that Guai Zuoren knew the rules of the Heavenly Pavilion and worried on behalf of Shen ZhaoChun. Guai Zuoren lifted Shen ZhaoChun up, and helped him get up on the bed.

  “He’s gone,” Guai Zuoren can barely hear Shen ZhaoChun under his heavy breathing, so he leaned in closer, just to hear the words.

   “Ten years, it’s been ten years now. Today, this day…” but it was muffled out by the breathing. Puzzled, he thought Shen ZhaoChun felt uncomfortable because he was sweating, so he took off a layer of Shen ZhaoChun’s clothes.

  “You’re so calm when you’re like this.” Guai Zuoren chuckled, but still worried about the consequences Shen ZhaoChun might have to face for drinking liquor.

  There’s something else that Guai Zuoren had been concerned about since his first encounter with Shen ZhaoChun. Yet something is holding him back from telling Shen ZhaoChun something. A few moments later, he decided to just get it over with, and gamble with luck.

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  “I know where Ying Jiyu is.” Guai Zuoren softly spoke, his voice was hesitant, as if he regretted it instantly.

  Shen ZhaoChun immediately sat up, and looked at Guai Zuoren with his eyes full of doubt. And confusion as he forgot how Guai Zuoren found him.

  “I’m looking for the Nine Heavenly Stones, and I need your help. In return, I shall lead you to Ying Jiyu.”

  “Lies!” Shen ZhaoChun loudly said. “If cultivators can’t even find a single piece of the amulet, how’re we going to find the Stones? And I spent ten years searching for Ying Jiyu, with countless cultivators searching for the Stones. How can you--” Shen ZhaoChun stopped. “No, how did you know about the Huanglong Prince?”

  Guai Zuoren looked away for a few seconds, as if he was worried about something. “So straightforward, I guess this is the ‘you’ who will literally spill out anything he thought of when he’s tipsy.”

  Guai Zuoren continued. “Let’s just say I’m very close with Ying Jiyu, and I wanted to take advantage of you. Those cultivators can’t find the Stones because they think it’ll appear in front of them if they just visit the site and wait for the stones. No, sometimes, all it takes is a spell, leading to other clues to finally discover the Stones hidden under layers and layers of camouflage. In most cases, the Stones could be hidden in a riddle. Or even inside the Ignition Core of a terrifying beast! And about who the Stones benefit, I don’t intend to become the next evil lord with them, as Ying Jiyu requests for the Stones. Until we found the Stones, I’m afraid I can no longer disclose any further information on this matter.”

  Shen ZhaoChun was disappointed, yet relieved at the same time, knowing that the Huanglong Prince is alive. Yet he still doubts Guai Zuoren, after all, the difference between lies and truth had been blurred since years ago. “And if it turns out that Ying Jiyu is dead, and you used the Stones for your own self-benefits--”

  “You may cut out my tongue and feed it to your dog.” Guai Zuoren finished the sentence for Shen ZhaoChun.

  “I don’t trust you.” Shen ZhaoChun muttered.

  “Look, it’s already been too late to find the Stones now, if I already know this much about the possible ways to find the Stones, I’m sure the Lords may have figured it out too. They might’ve found two Stones already, I don’t know, but I needed your help.

  Where have you been living? Under a brick? Because you sure do know a lot about anything other than Ying Jiyu.” Guai Zuoren rolled his eyes sarcastically.

  “The Stones are none of my concern, I do what people paid me for, I have no desire to get the lifetime compensation rewards for finding the Stones. Besides, why me out of other high-ranking cultivators?” Shen ZhaoChun began to feel tired as he listened to Guai Zuoren, too much information spilled, like a slap to the ten years of his waiting for Ying Jiyu’s return.

  “You think others are concerned about Ying Jiyu when there are prizes higher than his own head?” Guai Zuoren chuckled, full of pity. “And I can take advantage of your skills and abilities, after all, I’m just a poor, lonely, feeble man doing a favor for someone you’re overly obsessed with.” As he finished talking, he tugged Shen ZhaoChun in, knowing that he’s going to faint from exhaustion, and tipsiness.

  “I’m not… obsessed. I just wanted to…” Shen ZhaoChun’s voice trailed off, his eyelids began to feel heavier, and then they closed at last. Silence filled the room.

  After leaving Shen ZhaoChun’s room, Guai Zuoren groaned loudly, the groan that indicates when someone forgot something important.

  “I forgot to get him water before he passed out!”