Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 84

Huo Fenghua told Gu Guangji everything he’d been through at Wuhetan—how he’d run into Wen Heyi and what happened after.

Gu Guangji kept his brows knitted the whole time. When Huo Fenghua finished, Gu Guangji lifted a hand and knocked him on the head. “Your Martial Uncle’s gone stupid, and all you can think about is taking advantage of him!”

Huo Fenghua protested at once, “When did I ever! If I hadn’t saved him, he’d either be dead by now, or he’d already be a guinea pig for that Bald Scholar. He should be thanking me if anything.”

Wen Heyi hid behind Huo Fenghua and muttered, “Don’t hit my dad.”

Gu Guangji walked over and sat down at the table. He said to Wen Heyi, “Come here. Let me check your pulse.”

Wen Heyi didn’t dare go over. He clung tightly to Huo Fenghua’s arm, so Huo Fenghua led him over, pressed him onto the stool by the table, took one of his hands, and offered it to Gu Guangji for the pulse check.

Gu Guangji’s learning was broad and messy, and his medical skills were half-baked at best. He felt Wen Heyi’s pulse for a long time and still couldn’t make sense of it. He just kept sighing. “When Master brought my Junior Brother back to the sect, he was still very young. He grew up at my side, just like Zeyang. I knew his heart was restless, that he couldn’t stay obediently on the mountain. I let him go out into the world. I never expected he’d end up like this.”

Huo Fenghua muttered, “Martial Uncle didn’t exactly go easy on me.”

Gu Guangji shot him a glare. “No respect, no sense of hierarchy. Believe it or not, I’ll kick you out of the sect.”

Huo Fenghua wasn’t having it. “Master, did you forget? I’m the sect leader now. The sect leader token is still on me.”

The Xianyuan Sect only had four people in total. Gu Guangji had passed the position to Huo Fenghua and then walked away without a second thought. By now he’d practically forgotten about it himself. Hearing that, he was momentarily speechless, then turned to Su Zeyang. “This is all your fault. I told you to be sect leader and you refused!”

Su Zeyang said, “You were the one who insisted on passing it to him. What does that have to do with me?”

Seeing master and disciples locked in a stalemate, Feng Tianzong stepped in to smooth things over. “Senior, why are you here?”

Gu Guangji looked at him. “I haven’t even asked why you’re here.”

Feng Tianzong replied, “We’re here chasing someone. After daybreak, we’re going into Luofeng Ridge.”

“Hm?” Gu Guangji looked surprised. “I’m chasing someone too. That person should’ve gone into Luofeng Ridge as well.”

Huo Fenghua asked, “Who?”

Gu Guangji rubbed his messy beard. “You still remember you came to ask me about that curse formation at Luofeng Ridge, the one aimed at the Feng family? I found the one who set it.”

“Bai Huan?” Su Zeyang said.

Gu Guangji looked over at him. “You found him too? I’ve been chasing Bai Huan for quite a while. That kid’s formidable. All kinds of curses and formations come as naturally to him as breathing. I got curious, so I kept following him in secret.”

Huo Fenghua asked, “Why follow him? You got your eye on him or something?”

Gu Guangji raised a hand to pinch his cheek. Huo Fenghua tried to dodge, but Gu Guangji was so fast he couldn’t avoid it. Gu Guangji still caught a piece of cheek and gave it a hard pinch.

When Gu Guangji finally let go, Huo Fenghua threw himself into Su Zeyang’s arms, aggrieved. “Senior Brother—”

Gu Guangji looked a little surprised instead. “Haven’t seen you in a long time. Your internal energy has improved quite a bit. Was it that Qi-gathering Golden Pill from that old demon Zixi?”

Su Zeyang hugged Huo Fenghua and lifted a hand to rub his cheek. “Master, stop bullying your disciple.”

Su Zeyang’s hand was cool against his face, and it felt so nice that Huo Fenghua hooked both arms around Su Zeyang’s waist and refused to let go.

Gu Guangji didn’t bother with Huo Fenghua anymore. He continued, “I saw how capable Bai Huan is and wanted to spar with him a little. But the whole way he stayed on guard, so I never found the right moment. Then, before I knew it, I’d followed him into this area. I asked around—turns out Luofeng Ridge is up ahead. Thinking of what you said before, that Bai Huan set up that curse formation at Luofeng Ridge, I figured he had to be heading there.”

Feng Tianzong walked to the table and sat down. “Senior, you’ve been following Bai Huan. Where is he now?”

Gu Guangji said, “He never stopped. He passed through this village and already left. He didn’t notice you either, don’t worry. I was just thirsty and came looking for well water, and that’s how I ran into my youngest disciple.”

Su Zeyang frowned slightly. “Then Bai Huan will reach Luofeng Ridge before we do. I don’t know what he intends to do. Before, he went to Yujing City to meet Wang Chu and his son. I’m afraid they’ll try to harm Eldest Brother and Tianzong again.”

Huo Fenghua asked Gu Guangji, “Why didn’t you kill him?”

Gu Guangji blinked, caught off guard. “Why would I kill him?”

Huo Fenghua said, “If you still remember Bai Huan is the one who set the formation to curse the General and the Left Prime Minister, then you also said killing him would break the formation. So why didn’t you kill him?”

Gu Guangji said, “I also remember saying that killing the owner of those birth data would break it too. Isn’t that even simpler than killing Bai Huan? That kid, Bai Huan, is interesting. Leave him to me. I want to ask him about curse arts. I’ll go help you kill the owner of those birth characters. You tell me who it is.”

The moment he said that, the room fell silent.

Wen Heyi had been sitting at the table, dozing as he listened. But the sudden quiet startled him awake.

Gu Guangji found it odd. “Why isn’t anyone talking?”

Huo Fenghua let go of Su Zeyang and walked up to Gu Guangji. “Because that person is me.”

Gu Guangji froze for a moment. Then, as if he’d suddenly understood everything, he rubbed his head. “So that’s how it is.” He fell silent for a bit, then said awkwardly, “So Bai Huan has to die?”

Feng Tianzong nodded. “He has to die.”

Gu Guangji let out a long sigh, slumped forward over the table, and hugged his head.

At that point, Feng Tianzong said, “Since Bai Huan has already gone into Luofeng Ridge, we won’t rest anymore. Let’s set out early.” He was worried Bai Huan’s purpose for entering Luofeng Ridge wasn’t simple.

Su Zeyang nodded. “Let’s go.”

Huo Fenghua pulled Wen Heyi up from the table. “Come on, Yi’er.”

Wen Heyi still hadn’t slept enough. He said, “Dad, Yi’er wants to sleep a little more.”

“No more sleeping,” Huo Fenghua said. “We’ll sleep after we get to Luofeng Ridge, okay? Be good.”

Wen Heyi yawned, glanced back at Gu Guangji, thought the old man looked strange and unsettling, and hurried after Huo Fenghua, running out of the room.

This time, with Gu Guangji with them, they traveled through the night toward Luofeng Ridge.

To Huo Fenghua, Luofeng Ridge carried plenty of memories. He couldn’t call them good, but he couldn’t call them bad either. The one that stood out the most was still that fleeting, stunning first glimpse of Feng Tianzong.

As they drew closer to Luofeng Ridge, they slowed their horses.

Feng Tianzong lifted his head and looked out at the rolling mountains under the moonlight. Then he turned back to Huo Fenghua. “Remember anything?”

Huo Fenghua said, “I remember you on horseback, dragging me along the ground with a whip until I was rolling and crawling.”

After he said that, Feng Tianzong smiled faintly. “Still angry?”

Thinking back, Huo Fenghua knew he’d been in the wrong then. He couldn’t really call it anger anymore, but facing Feng Tianzong now still made him feel a little wronged. He didn’t answer, only turned to glance at Su Zeyang.

Su Zeyang also remembered the scene. Now there was no strong emotion left; he simply smiled lightly.

Huo Fenghua said, “I’m not mad anymore. You’re mine now. I should be tolerant of you.”

Feng Tianzong couldn’t help laughing. “Then I should thank Young Master Huo for being so magnanimous.”

Huo Fenghua waved a hand. “Alright, alright.”

Gu Guangji shared a horse with Wen Heyi. He spurred the horse up to Feng Tianzong’s side and said, “Feng boy, tell me—how did you get both my disciples so thoroughly in hand, willing to follow you without complaint?”

Feng Tianzong said, “Senior, you’ve misunderstood. It’s clearly your two disciples who got me thoroughly in hand and made me willing to follow them.”

Gu Guangji chuckled. “Feng boy’s not bad. My disciples have good taste. You’d better treat them well, and don’t go taking concubines again.”

Feng Tianzong looked at Gu Guangji, his tone sincere. “This is enough for this life.”

With Su Zeyang and Huo Fenghua, his feelings were already completely filled. There was no space left for anyone extra. Even between the three of them, Feng Tianzong often felt uneasy, afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold on to what he had; afraid someone would be taken from his side again, like that fire in the side courtyard of the General’s Manor.

Even if there were better people in this world, he wouldn’t be able to see them, and his heart wouldn’t be able to hold them anymore.

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