Chapter 39: The Contract

Qi Yichen got more confused as he listened on and his eyes became clouded with doubt. Gu Qingyu listened from the side and had a hearty laugh, Jia Qizhe turned to her and smiled too. This scared Gu Qingyu and she looked at him strangely but Jia Qizhe just gave a ’humph’ and turned away.

Bro, does your family know that you’re this moody?

Meanwhile, Mo Bai smiled. “What, Young brother Qi seems to know a lot about herbs?”

Qi Wan rubbed his neck sheepishly. “Haha, not really.”

They walked on and reached a cliff. Gu Qingyu said, “Looks like we have to fly up there.” She then spread her beautiful, golden, butterfly wings.

Qi Yichen and the others were all in disbelief. “What are those wings?”

“Sigh, are all of you short-sighted or something?” Gu Qingyu sighed, then flew circles around Jia Qizhe’s head with her light wings.

“I suddenly have the urge to swat some files.” Jia Qizhe shot a cool look at her and Gu Qingyu caught his meaning and stopped. After that, Jia Qizhe, Qi Yichen, Mo Bai and Murong Zuoyu flew into the air too. But Xiao Qi and Qi Wan looked onto them, unable to fly themselves. Gu Qingyu immediately flew back, grabbed Xiao Qi and waved at Qi Wan. “See you!”

“Hey!” Qi Wan rolled his tired eyes. “I hurt my wings when I saved you!”

Mo Bai flapped his pure white wings, he stopped near Qi Wan and stretched out his hand.

“Um...If it is Brother Mo, I would rather walk on my own…” Qi Wan was about to run away. Ignoring his objection, Mo Bai grabbed Qi Wan by the collar and pulled him to the skies.

“Aaaahhhh! Brother Zhu, save me!” Qi Wan started screaming like a pig in a slaughterhouse.

Gu Qingyu nodded and smiled sweetly. “Don’t worry, it will be fine.” Qi Wan cursed internally.

Soon, the whole team was soaring through the sky.

Qi Wan’s experience could be made into a horror film. ‘The scream in the valley’, perfect in teaching its audience to persevere and survive in the hardest adversities! Once in a while, Mo Bai would ‘accidentally’ knock Qi Wan into the cliff, or his hand would slip and Qi Wan would fall right before Mo Bai caught him again. Qi Wan was not harmed per se, he was mostly traumatised, he kept pleading for the sweet embrace of death instead!

Gu Qingyu, who watched all these, laughing and tumbling along the way, the Xiao Qi in her arms still felt scared stiff and worried for her life, “Hubby, be careful, please don’t let go…”

Finally, they flew past the valley. Once they reached back on the ground, Qi Wan laid on the floor as he lamented the woes of life and rearranged his extremely messed up hair. Xiao Qi congratulated herself for surviving the ordeal and silently swore to live on, no matter how hard life gets. All while Mo Bai, the culprit, smiled seemingly unaware of his transgressions. Culprit number two, Gu Qingyu, grinned ear to ear without a sign of guilt on her face. Someone really should have given her a good slap.

Gu Qingyu looked at Mo Bai gleefully. “Brother Mo, I actually think we’re a good duo!”

Mo Bai smiled warmly, seemingly in a great mood. “I think so too.”

Blood-soaked roses, water-like crystals, everyone said that the people in Xieli Castle are both kind and evil. In the legends, they slaughtered their enemies, saved the masses. In other tales and stories, they are free and unbound, neither good nor evil. Those words were from her conversations with Yan Zun. Gu Qingyu couldn’t help but exclaimed, “The legendary Xieli Castle is truly majestic. ”

“Brother Zhu, you need to go out more.” Qi Yichen pouted. “An otherworldly paradise is one more deserving of such praise.”

“To each their own, ok?” Gu Qingyu shook her head. “Let’s go.”

Jia Qizhe silently gathered blue air within his hand and led the walk into the castle. Gu Qingyu fell in step beside him. The others followed along.

The castle town’s interior was mostly burgundy in colour, sinister-looking scarlet flowers could be seen everywhere. They resembled the red spider lilies she saw in pictures before travelling here. Along the way, the surrounding people shot strange looks at them, and there were even more unfriendly glares.

“This path will lead straight to the main castle.” Jia Qizhe looked at Gu Qingyu, as if he was checking things with her.

Gu Qingyu caught his eyes, “How about we leave a few people in the castle town, while the rest head inside the castle?”

Qi Yichen agreed first. “Sure, but who?”

At that, everyone’s gazes converged on Gu Qingyu once more. Gu Qingyu spoke, albeit slightly awkwardly, “Um...Actually Brother Jia is really powerful…”

Come on, who is not powerful among everyone here? Even Xiao Qi had some powers!

“Um...Actually, Brother Jia…” Gu Qingyu said awkwardly again.

“It’s fine, I’ll go.” Jia Qizhe glanced at her and walked straight forward.

Is that cocky attitude really good? Jeez, no wonder nobody else is friends with you!

Gu Qingyu turned to Qi Wan and continued, “You and the others find someplace to rest, leave a sign so we can find you!”

“Alright.” Qi Wan chewed his bottom lip, reluctance was evident in his voice. “Make it quick, run as soon as you get the Spirit Jewel.” He added the last line worriedly.

Run? Do you not trust my powers?

Mo Bai stepped forward and reminded Gu Qingyu, “If there’s danger, blow the Hundred Spiral Leaf.”

Gu Qingyu nodded. “I will.”

When she turned back, Jia Qizhe had already disappeared. Gu Qingyu stomped her foot, gritted her teeth and gave chase. “Jia Qizhe!”

A massive palace stood before them, what looked like red spider lilies covered the walls of the palace, layers of fiery-red glass crystal shingles formed the roof. Gu Qingyu exclaimed again, “Wow! Xieli Castle indeed! Even the roof looks like it’s made out of blood crystals.”

Jia Qizhe rolled his eyes and stepped forward. Suddenly, the flowers on the castle walls came alive. Their vines reached out and wrapped around Jia Qizhe, trapping him.

“Jia Qizhe!” Gu Qingyu cried out and the flowers quickly trapped her too. If the vines tightened any further, she would be engulfed. The flowers had already blocked her vision completely.

What to do?Just then, she heard a muffled crash. Then a strong hand grabbed Gu Qingyu’s hand.

“Hold on.” It was Jia Qizhe. Gu Qingyu only felt a blue light enveloping her, then her whole body was sucked out of the vines by a powerful force.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in mid-air and lying in Jia Qizhe’s… arms? Jia Qizhe smiled and spoke with his charming voice, “What, you thought you will never see me again?''

Gu Qingyu went silent. Actually, in that instant, she really felt that she would suddenly lose something, or someone very important to her. Jia Qizhe flapped his wings and they landed. Crimson petals fluttered in the air as they rained on them. He looked as though he was a demon from hell and a fallen angel at the same time.

Gu Qingyu hopped back on the ground using Jia Qizhe as support. She took a look at the castle gates, walked over and pushed it open. Creak. The old gates groaned from its age and lack of use.

A voice echoed from within the castle. “You dare break into Xieli Castle? You’ve got guts…” The voice was gleeful but tinged with murderous intent.

Gu Qingyu bolstered her courage but her voice still came out weaker than she expected, “Um...You must be the Lord of Xieli Castle? We’re here to borrow the Blood Spirit Gem, if we can do this peacefully, we’ll leave once we get the Jewel.”

“And if I don’t cooperate?” The misty voice rang out. Wait, why does that voice sound familiar? He sounds an awful lot like Xie Zang.

Gu Qingyu’s lips twitched, “Then, we would take it by force!”

The voice actually laughed in a low voice, “I would like to see you all try!”

The door behind them closed with a bang and a strong eerie smell wafted out. Jia Qizhe charged forward, the blue light in his hand solidifying into a sword. “Hold your breath.”

Gu Qingyu held her breath as told. It’s frustrating that she had no weapon to call her own.

You think it’s easy for me!

Jia Qizhe sliced open the mist with a few gusts of air that enveloped both him and Gu Qingyu then nodded towards Gu Qingyu.

Gu Qingyu took a breath of relief but saw Jia Qizhe’s face turn pale. “Idiot! Who told you to breathe?!”

“You did…” Gu Qingyu immediately felt her body and head getting lighter.

“I was asking you to come over!” Jia Qizhe looked at her desperately, then flashed next to her and carried the sleepy her with one hand, the other hand summoned his sword, “Ghost Howl!” So his blue sword was called Ghost Howl.

Yan Zun floated in the air and sighed at Gu Qingyu, he seemed to be looking at the world’s biggest idiot.

“Save me, Master…” Gu Qingyu whispered weakly via telepathy. Everything spun before her eyes, Jia Qizhe was moving at top speed as he carried her, but someone slowed him down.

Yan Zun said hesitantly, “This is the scent of the Xieli flower...You cannot overcome it with your current powers.”

“Then what?” Gu Qingyu was physically unconscious, but her mind was still conscious.

Yan Zun yawned. He still looked cool and unconcerned, as if they were discussing the weather. “I do have a way, but it depends whether you can afford it.”

Afford it? What does that mean?

Yan Zun continued, “Give your body completely to me.”

...Hold it, why does it sound so weird?

Gu Qingyu’s face turned dark. “What do you mean?”

“Not in the way that you’re thinking of,” Yan Zun smiled teasingly.

“I’m really out of time, just help me, Master!” Gu Qingyu’s attitude softened.

Yan Zun stopped teasing her and said solemnly, “You can form a contract with me.”

“A contract?” Gu Qingyu repeated.

“If you sign it, I can use your body for myself but you would gain my powerful strength.” Yan Zun toyed with his long hair, his fiery red robes danced in the air. “Think hard about it well.”

“Sure, no problem.” Gu Qingyu answered without hesitation, “Let’s sign that contract, we’ll discuss the details later!”