Heilong Realm.
After secretly curiously looking around, Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan chose an inconspicuous inn to dine in, and later rent two rooms for them to stay.
"What do you think?" Cheng Sheng asked after they ordered food. Fortunately, the menu is normal dishes.
"Too normal." Fei Yin said.
"En." Wu Yuan nodded in agreement.
Cheng Sheng also nodded and he rested his elbow on the table and propped up his chin while his other hand, his fingers drummed the table. He secretly observed the people inside the inn – from the customers to the staff, and the people going in and out of the inn. "If there's nothing out of ordinary happening, then definitely, there's a certain condition to be met." He said.
"Huh?" Wu Yuan muttered. He clearly didn't grasp what Cheng Sheng meant.
Fei Yin has been with Cheng Sheng through many worlds and so it took for him a short time to understood what his lover said. "We have to be patient." He said.
Wu Yuan looked at him.
"We didn't see anything unusual during daytime, so let's wait for the nighttime to come." Fei Yin told him.
Wu Yuan nodded. He glanced at Cheng Sheng, whose words he couldn't fathom, then turned back to Fei Yin. His gaze is filled with admiration, and he even patted his shoulder.
Fei Yin. "?" what happened to him? He looked puzzled. He then looked at his lover.
"Senior Wu." Cheng Sheng called. "Do you… miss senior Sun?" he asked.
Wu Yuan immediately nodded. In fact, he's just suppressing his desire to see Sun Yi. Even a glimpse. He knows that the moment he left Sun Yi, he might not be able to return. "En." He answered.
Cheng Sheng looked at Wu Yuan. Fei Yin felt Wu Yuan is pitiful. Wu Yuan can't see Sun Yi, and he is even being fed dog food every day. It was his turn to pat Wu Yuan's shoulder. He knows Wu Yuan is tough thus he doesn't show his emotions on his face.
"I can let you see him." Cheng Sheng spoke.
Wu Yuan sharply turned to Cheng Sheng. Even Fei Yin is shocked. "Sheng, you… you can…?" he asked.
Cheng Sheng nodded before he placed his hand inside his qiankun sleeve. Then, after some time and he took out an object.
"A… mirror?" Wu Yuan said.
Cheng Sheng handed it to Wu Yuan. "Mirror of Yearning." He said. "I bought it in a shop…" his voice suddenly trailed off when he noticed something. His gaze on the mirror suddenly burned.
"Sheng…?" Fei Yin called.
Cheng Sheng suddenly started. He then handed the mirror to Wu Yuan whose eyes brightened in hope and excitement. "Rub the surface of the mirror, and you can see what senior Sun is currently doing." He said. "Of course, you can only see, but he can't see you. You also can't hear him, and he can't hear you." He explained.
Wu Yuan nodded and casted a grateful look to Cheng Sheng before he immediately hid the Yearning Mirror.
Fei Yin was surprised. "You won't look?" he asked.
Cheng Sheng patted his hand. "Ignorant people create trouble for themselves." He told him.
Fei Yin immediately understood. He looked around and, as expected, saw some people eyeing them, especially Cheng Sheng's and Wu Yuan's sleeves where the Yearning Mirror came from, and went to, respectively. "One courts misfortune by flaunting his wealth." he sighed. "Let's not stay here tonight." He said.
Wu Yuan nodded. It was at this time that their food arrived. Wu Yuan saw the waiter kept glancing at his sleeve. But, after he served their food, the waiter didn't do anything and just left.
"They are waiting for us to leave, so they can ambush us." Cheng Sheng said as he started to dig in his bowl.
Fei Yin looked around and saw some people left the inn. "En." He said and also started eating. He doesn't think they will be poisoned, since there are many demonic cultivators who are waiting to ambush them.
"Oh, right." Cheng Sheng said in the middle of their lunch. "I remembered something after seeing the Yearning Mirror." He said.
"Hm?" Fei Yin muttered while Wu Yuan glanced at him while his hands continued to move to pick some dishes.
"Da shixiong, do you remember where I bought it?" Cheng Sheng asked Fei Yin.
"Hm?" Fei Yin muttered as he paused to ponder. "I remember… you bought it in a run-down antique shop we passed by on our way back to the Xinfaxian after we finished a mission shifu gave us?" he said.
"That's correct." Cheng Sheng said.
"What's wrong?" Fei Yin asked when he saw the disturbed expression on Cheng Sheng's face.
Cheng Sheng didn't immediately answer. "What about my other stuff?" he asked and named some of the treasures he owned.
"Right… you also bought them from antique shops." Fei Yin said when he suddenly froze. His eyes widened as he realized something. He looked at Cheng Sheng, a horrified expression is on his face.
Wu Yuan's brows knit. "What happened?" he asked.
Cheng Sheng bitterly smiled. "The treasures I owned… some of them… I bought in antique shops." He said.
"Is there something wrong with that?" Wu Yuan asked.
"There is." Cheng Sheng answered. "Not only did I buy them with a low price, nor they looked ordinary at first and I mistaken them as ordinary and bizarre treasures, but surprisingly found out they are rare treasures later…" he said and took a deep breath. "But, I bought them from the same person." He said.
"Huh? Who?" Wu Yuan asked.
"You know him." Fei Yin answered for Cheng Sheng. His face is dark.
"Huh?" Wu Yuan turned to him.
"We met him several times… he's wearing beggar clothes, and conical hat." Fei Yin said.
It took a while for Wu Yuan to realize. "You mean, that beggar?!" he exclaimed.
Fei Yin nodded. "Yes." He answered.
"How can that be?!" Wu Yuan was shocked.
"How can it not be?" Cheng Sheng said. "My Shapeshifting Blanket and Recollection Bell also are from him."
Huilong Continent, Southmost Region.
Xie Lan took a deep breath and took a step. But, he almost tumbled down and collapsed after he felt his knees are weak. He had overexerted himself. Even after he ate the magic pills earlier and drank the potions to increase his strength, but this is his limit. It has to be acknowledged that he and Fan Wen has surpassed their limit after killing the demonic cultivators by themselves. Fan Wen even has to give Li Tian qi to save Li Tian's life.
Xie Lan thought he could still fight. But, his shaking knees and trembling body along with his muscles aching and bones that are almost breaking exposed himself. He's going to collapse. However, there is still the peak-level Nascent Soul demonic cultivator. This new enemy that is arriving is stronger than those pesky demonic cultivators earlier that only relied on their number.
They will die. If Xie Lan won't do something, not only he, but also Fan Wen and Li Tian are definitely going to die. But, what should he do? His body is about to break. "Wen…" he called as he slowly looked back and saw that, like him, Fan Wen is on his knees as he poured out all his qi to Li Tian.
He closed his eyes and, gathering all his strength on his feet, ran back to Fan Wen and Li Tian. The three of them are battered and sorry-looking.
Fan Wen heard someone running towards them and he turned. "Lan…?" he called. Then, his eyes widened when he saw a big ball of black mass flying towards them. "Lan, watch out!" he cried as his pupils constricted.
"Wen!" Xie Lan jumped towards them and covered them with his body. Even if they'd die, at least he could protect Fan Wen and Li Tian. He closed his eyes tight and waited for the attack to hit them. But, after waiting for some time, the attack didn't hit.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw Fan Wen's stunned expression as he looked at his back. He turned and saw a familiar figure.
"Whew. Fortunately, I arrived in time." Zuo Zhe said as his eyes narrowed while looking at the demonic cultivator.
"Young master Zuo…" Xie Lan called and his eyes widened when he saw that the big black mass is in front of Zuo Zhe. But, it wasn't touching Zuo Zhe and even struggling. It was being held by a barrier in front of Zuo Zhe.
"Time for you to go back to your maker!" Zuo Zhe cursed as he pushed a palm to the barrier. A strong force came out of Zuo Zhe's hand and went to the barrier. Using the force, the barrier, imitating Zuo Zhe's action, pushed the big black mass back to the demonic cultivator.
The demonic cultivator didn't expect the sudden reversal and couldn't react with the changes in the event. He was about to fly away when he was hit by his won attack! "AAAAAARRRHHH!!" he miserably screamed before his voice was swallowed by the black mass, along with his body.
Zuo Zhe sighed in relief before he turned to Xie Lan and Fan Wen. He glanced at Li Tian before he turned to the other two. "Let's go back." He told them. He didn't wait for the two to react before he teleported them with him back to the Millennium Ship.