Chapter 84: Endurance

Gu Qingyu laid flat against the ground on all fours and sniffed the ground. Xiao Qi wiped the dust off the wall with a handkerchief, Murong Zuoyu struck the floor with a sword, and Mo Bai gently knocked on the walls, while Jia Qizhe violently kicked the walls. That was the scene Qi Wan and Qi Yichen arrived at, when they stepped out from the dining room. Qi Wan knocked on Qi Yichen's skull in a daze. "Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt." Qi Yichen was also stunned. "Brother Zhu, what are you doing?"

"We are looking for a switch." Jia Qizhe answered on her behalf. "She is trying to pick up the smell from the outside world, don't disturb her."

"The smell of the outside world?" Qi Wan looked at Gu Qingyu with an amazed look. "Are you sure that this dog scouting technique is not for detecting landmines?"

"Landmine? What do you mean?" Qi Yichen looked at Qi Wan with a puzzled expression.

Qi Wan coughed. "It's a very powerful weapon! If set off, it can blow humans into bits."

"So it's similar to Brother Zhu." Qi Yichen mused as he nodded.

Qi Wan agreed with him. "Brother Qi! You're smart!"

"Finally found it." Gu Qingyu, who had been lying on the ground for a long time, looked up coldly. "You two, down. Now."

"Ah?" Qi Wan froze.

Gu Qingyu slowly stood up, she patted the dust on her body. "Hurry up!"

"Don't you find it? What do you want us to do?" Qi Yichen said for a moment.

Gu Qingyu showed a perfect smile. "Have you heard of 'push-ups'?"

Qi Yichen shook his head. Meanwhile, beads of cold sweat had formed on Qi Wan's forehead. "Boss, have mercy!"

"Mercy is a waste on the two of you." Gu Qingyu replied lazily. She then explained to Qi Yichen, "Push-ups are actually a very good exercise! It can train your body and your mind. Simply put, it is to exercise your physical and psychological endurance~ "

"Brother Zhu, m-my injuries had just healed..." Qi Yichen stammered as he watched Gu Qingyu. "Can you..."

"No way." Gu Qingyu said with a hmph. Then she sighed seriously. "Brother Qi, it's because of your injury that you need to exercise more! A kind, clever, beautiful, thoughtful person once said, exercise is beneficial to physical and mental health!"

Qi Yichen was not a bit convinced by her flawed logic.

"Brother Qi, let's get started." Qi Wan patted Qi Yichen's back with sympathy.

Qi Yichen shot him a glare. Watch out, I will remember this!

Gu Qingyu nodded. "Qi Wan, demonstration!"

"Alright!" Qi Wan immediately lay down with his hands on the ground and did a handstand instead.

Gu Qingyu looked at Qi Wan in surprise. "One!" Qi Wan's hand crumpled, and he fell flat against the ground. Gu Qingyu laughed. "I thought you were so powerful!"

Qi Yichen's face turned a pale shade, and he looked at Gu Qingyu and said. "B-brother Zhu, do I have to do that?"

Gu Qingyu shook her head and looked at Qi Wan sympathetically. It was clear that he tried to prank Qi Yichen, but it backfired.

"Push-ups, as the name suggests, is to lie on your belly and push up from the floor." Gu Qingyu smiled and Qi Yichen immediately followed suit.

"As for Qi Wan, just repeat whatever you did ten times. And don't fall, or you'll restart." Gu Qingyu said with a smirk. Qi Wan had a face of despair, his prank had backfired horribly.

Gu Qingyu pressed a brick on the floor, and the ground beneath them shook. Qi Wan leaned against the wall breathlessly, Qi Yichen fanning the wind beside him, looking at Qi Wan sympathetically. Then he laughed, "Hehehe, that would teach you!"

Qi Wan just glanced at Qi Yichen, he did not even have the strength to glare at the scholar.

Gu Qingyu felt that the ground that they were standing on was slowly rising. She raised her head and looked up at the clear blue sky, the sun was warm against her skin, and her eyes fluttered closed as she basked in the sun. Someone stood next to her, his large hand was wrapped around hers. Everything faded to white.

Gu Qingyu opened her eyes. They were in a bamboo forest, although it felt oddly familiar. Upon closer inspection, Gu Qingyu realised that they were at the entrance to the castle, the wasteland they initially saw was just an illusion. She looked around, everyone stood around her, no one was missing.

"Let's go, let's get out of this forest first." She closed her eyes as she tried to plan their next step.

Yan Zun can't give me any hints about the next Spirit Gem, so I'll have to try myself. Maybe I'll sense something once we get out, if not we would just wait till Yan Zun wakes up.

The others nodded, and at this moment, Jia Qizhe pulled Gu Qingyu into his arms! At the same time, a sharp sword flew from the place where Gu Qingyu originally stood, and inserted straight into a tree and left a deep mark. Gu Qingyu was shocked. She looked up to Jia Qizhe, he was looking at something deep in the woods.

"Incoming hostiles." Murong Zuoyu pulled out his sword, a purple glow enveloped the blade as his hand swept over it.

Jia Qizhe also gathered blue light in his hands, forming his sword. Gu Qingyu's Soul Chain appeared around her and Mo Bai pulled out the jade flute around his waist. Gu Qingyu turned his head to look at Qi Yichen and found that he slowly put away the fan in his hand. Gu Qingyu froze at that sight. It turns out Qi Yichen had known for a long time. Of course, he's so sharp, there was no way they could have kept it from him. Qi Yichen smiled at Gu Qingyu, the smile was a comforting albeit apologetic smile. "Brother Zhu, I'm fine, I have the ability to protect myself. Just, sorry, I can't help you this time."

"Qi Wan." Gu Qingyu's eyes sank. "You are responsible for protecting Qi Yichen and Xiao Qi, take them away first."

"Xiao Yu..." Xiao Qi bit her lip, "I can..."

"No, I won't let you get hurt." Gu Qingyu had already made up her mind. A dart flew past her, right before her eyes. The chain around her activated, it grabbed the dart and sent it back.

"This scholar would not leave." Qi Yichen opened his fan. "I may not have enough power to attack, but I can still defend. Let me protect Miss Xiao Qi."

"... Forget it, protect yourself." Gu Qingyu watched several assassins sprint towards them. Her chains came to life and went after those men.

All of them were soon engaged in battle. Jia Qizhe was surrounded by a group of assassins. Blue light shot out from his blade as he cut down the enemies one by one. Meanwhile, the purple light on Murong Zuoyu's sword lit up his cold features, blood spilled on the ground after each strike. Mo Bai waved his flute gracefully and with great precision. Wherever his flute reached, the assassins would clutch to their necks in pain and fall to the ground. A green light surrounded him and medicinal herbs swirled in the light. Qi Wan's ribbon flew across the battlefield and zipped through the assassins. His ribbons impaled those assassins mercilessly.

Qi Yichen formed a shield with his fan, but all he could was sustain the shield. On the other hand, Xiao Qi fended off a small group with her own powers.

Gu Qingyu had been contemplating on using the Soul Nails. Activating the Soul Nails alone consumed a large portion of her power. The last time she used it, against the piranha plant, it had completely drained her. So she stuck to the Soul Chain. The number of assassins gradually dwindled, she heaved a sigh of relief internally.

Mo Bai took out a few small porcelain vials from his sleeve and threw them to Gu Qingyu. "Yu'er, take these. It would restore your strength and give your powers a boost."

"Thank you!" Gu Qingyu caught the vials gleefully. "Are there any more?" Mo Bai saw the expectant look in her eyes, he reluctantly took out a few more vials from his sleeves and threw them to everyone. In this case, we would be fine if the enemies turn this into an endurance match!

The battle finally ended when Jia Qizhe ruthlessly drove his sword into the last assassin and pierced his chest. Gu Qingyu caught her breath as she wiped away the blood on her face. The morning sun sprinkled through the sparse leaves, and in front of Gu Qingyu, she saw Jia Qizhe slowly turned around to face her. There was a smile on his face, bloodthirsty and cruel. Corpses piled around him, and yet, not a single drop of blood was on his face, his robes, or even his sword. Gu Qingyu couldn't help but tremble at the sight, but she saw Jia Qizhe frowned. "Xiao Yu'er, are you afraid of me?"

Gu Qingyu shook her head immediately "No, I can't explain it. I just, I have a bad feeling."

"Boss, don't talk nonsense." Qi Wan walked over from the distance with a pout, the hem of his clothes stained bright red with blood, but his ribbon was still dark green. Gu Qingyu then turned around to check on Qi Yichen and Xiao Qi, both of them were safe and sound.

Suddenly, her ear picked a noise from deep within the woods. She warned everyone with a hushed voice. "The enemy is still there."

"More?" Qi Yichen frowned, and the fan in his hand activated again. Gu Qingyu gave Qi Yichen and Xiao Qi her portion of the vials, she had not found time to take them. "Be careful."

Qi Yichen unfolded his fan and smiled. "Miss Xiao Qi is more skillful that she appears, I am honoured to have her protection." Xiao Qi flushed at the compliment and looked at Qi Wan. When she noticed that Qi Wan had been looking at her with a smile, she immediately lowered her head.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingyu stared at the shadows of the woods with a heavy heart.

Qi Yichen lost his powers, Yan Zun is still asleep, and Xie Zang is still not back yet. The attack is too well-timed, it can't be just a coincidence. All of this seemed arranged, someone has specifically chosen this moment, our most vulnerable moment, to give us a fatal blow. Either they had been following us, tracing each step we took. Or that, the enemy had intel on their every move. No, this can't be. There's no way...

But she had run out of time. Assassins appeared from the woods again. They were amazingly fast.