Chapter 144: Xie Li Returns

Chapter 144: Xie Li Returns

Translated by: iris.knight

"Brother Leng, go to bed, get up early tomorrow~" She yawned lazily.

"Brother Zhu, have you really decided to stay here?" He still sounded worried.

"Yeah." She narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Brother Leng, this is not like your usual style."

"Oh?" He leaned gently on the handrail. "What is my usual style?"

"Calm and decisive, with compassion for his people, but not fettered by personal emotions." She shrugged.

He smiled, and a smile bloomed from his icy face, like the brightest winter sun. "Then you should account for occasional willfulness."

The contrast between his usual cold demeanor and the willfulness he just displayed stunned her, and then she replied with a laugh, "I'll account for that in the future. Brother Leng, it's late, go and rest."

"Good." Murong Zuoyu nodded and walked upstairs, "See you tomorrow."

"Well, see you tomorrow." She walked into her room and closed the door, but she was still thinking about how to let Murong Zuoyu leave Yan Yang City. She could leave, but Murong Zuoyu would follow her. And he would worry over the townspeople no matter where they went. If the city had fallen, the guilt would eat him away. For his sake, she needed to get him out of here.

Gu Qingyu stared at the Lifeblood Jewel of Destiny in her hand and ran her fingers along the facets of the jewel as she thought about countermeasures. They would need to find the others as soon as possible. There's just too much to be split between her and Murong Zuoyu, it would be difficult to find the Spirit Gem as well. She sighed, stood up, walked to the window, and gently opened the window. The breeze of the night was mixed with a little coolness. She closed her eyes gently and took a deep breath, savouring the night air. When she opened her eyes again, a red dress greeted her.

Gu Qingyu raised her head in surprise. "Xie..."?

No, it was not Xie Zang. It was a woman, she watched her with curious eyes and a faint smirk.

"Xie Li?" Gu Qingyu whispered in surprise. Her room was on the second floor, and Xie Li was crouched on the edge of her window, as she balanced herself with one hand on the wooden railing around the window.

"Yeah." Xie Li lowered her head slightly, entered the room with a hop and clapped her hands. "Long time no see, Yu." She spoke as if she were talking to an acquaintance.

Gu Qingyu thought she might have mistaken her as Rain, so she explained, "No, I am..."

"I know, you're Gu Qingyu." Xie Li snapped her fingers. "Long time no see."

"Ah, long time no see..." Gu Qingyu looked at Xie Li in surprise. "You..."

"I knew you would be surprised." Xie Li smiled slightly, pulled out a chair and poured herself a cup of tea. "Yes, I’m Xie Li, Xie Zang's older sister."

Gu Qingyu opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish. "Xie Zang's older sister?"

"Yes. If I can, I want to be his younger sister instead." Xie Li sipped her tea. "Relax, I'm here to help."

"Help? How can you help me?"

"In your impression, what kind of person is Xie Li?" Xie Li asked rhetorically.

Gu Qingyu hesitated for a moment, and answered truthfully. "Very kind, very innocent. She had very clear eyes."

"Really." Xie Li's gaze shifted away from Gu Qingyu's eyes. "I will help you get the Spirit Gem."

"Why?" Gu Qingyu looked at her strangely, "Why would you do this for no reason at all?"

"It's not for no reason. You saved Xie Li." She laughed lightly. "Ah. Not 'saved', I should say 'will save'."

Putting aside the many doubts in her heart for a while, Gu Qingyu chose one of the most important questions to her. "And how are you going to do that?"

Xie Li seemed to have expected her question. "That Spirit Gem is right here."

"It's here?" Gu Qingyu was shocked. Her suggestion was to just encourage Murong Zuoyu to stay, she never thought that it would be so convenient that it was actually in Yan Yang City.

"Yes, that Spirit Gem is this city." Xie Li sighed softly, "If the city falls, the gem will break."

"What? It's connected to the city?"

Xie Li didn't speak, she motioned for Gu Qingyu to sit down, and when Gu Qingyu was seated, she held out her hand with her palm facing up. A clear red light gathered in her palm, the colour reminded Gu Qingyu of a bloodstone. Soon the light dissipated and a red crystal ball appeared in her hand. "My specialty is divination." She said, her crisp voice stood out against the quiet night. "Divining the past, and predicting the future."

"Yeah." Gu Qingyu nodded, indicating that she was listening.

"Look." Xie Li placed her hand in front of Gu Qingyu, and Gu Qingyu watched as the image inside the crystal ball slowly shifted and morphed. Millions of soldiers charged into Yan Yang City as the city was razed to the ground in a sea of fire. As the city walls crumbled, a purple gem shattered. She was hit with a pang of realisation and she stood up. "Thank you, Xie Li. I will guard this city."

Xie Li ignored her and sighed again, "My predictions are always correct."

"You've never made a mistake before? I don't doubt your prediction, but in any case, I have to at least try my best."

"Ah, that's more like you." Xie Li laughed, a sweet smile blooming from the corner of her mouth. "Yu."

Gu Qingyu asked another question. "But why are you here?"

"Me?" Xie Li's smile deepened, and her dimples accompanied her sweet smile. "I'm from here."

Gu Qingyu said in a daze, "Then, that means Xie Zang is also..."

Xie Li didn't answer, but instead asked. "Hadn't you figured this out already?"

Gu Qingyu went silent. Yes, she had a hunch for a long time. Xie Zang, Yan Zun and Xian Di were all connected in some way, as though something tethered them together.

"Yu, you are very smart." Xie Li stood up, "There are some things, even if I don't say them, you can figure it out." She paused. "Oh, aside from this Spirit Gem, you'll still have to find another."

"Can you tell me where it is?" Gu Qingyu asked.

Xie Li shook her head. "I don't know. The last Spirit Gem is beyond the range of my ability."

"Alright." Gu Qingyu nodded, and looked at the capable and charming woman in front of her. The image of the sweet little girl she met resurfaced, and she asked, "Do you know..."

"No, I can't predict my own future. This is the greatest sorrow of divination." Xie Li interrupted her and sighed softly, "Yu, don't tell me, or we will all be condemned by heaven."

"Condemnation from heaven..." Although Gu Qingyu didn't believe it, she knew that this is very important to Xie Li, so she relented, "Okay, I won't say anything."

Xie Li smiled at her. "Then I will go first. Help will show up soon."

"Okay, thank you." Gu Qingyu nodded and watched Xie Li jump out of the window, her red dress fluttered behind her.

As soon as Xie Li left, there was an urgent knocking at Gu Qingyu's door. She opened the door, it was Murong Zuoyu in a purple robe.

"What's the matter, Brother Leng? You're still awake after this?" Gu Qingyu was a little puzzled.

"Brother Zhu, I just felt someone else, so I came to have a look. Are you alright?" Murong Zuoyu looked at her and asked tentatively after making sure that she was fine. "Has anyone been here?"

Gu Qingyu nodded and stepped aside from him to enter the room. "Come in, I need to talk to you."

Murong Zuoyu walked in, she closed the door and informed him with a stoic face. “Xie Li was here.”

"Xie Li?" Murong Zuoyu stood aside, somewhat puzzled. "I have only heard of Xieli Castle. Is that related to Xie Zang?"

"Yes." She nodded. "Xie Li, Xie Zang's younger...no, older sister." She looked out the window. "They were from here."

Murong Zuoyu looked slightly surprised, but he soon reacted, "Then what is she doing here?"

"Help us find the Spirit Gem. She said, this city is a Spirit Gem." Gu Qingyu sank into her chair. That visit from Xie Li still felt like a dream. "I think she's right. Brother Leng, the Spirit Gem is here.”

Murong Zuoyu nodded as if none of what she said had surprised him. "I know, then we'll just have to protect this city."

Gu Qingyu also nodded, but did not dare to tell the vision that she saw in Xie Li's crystal ball. She predicted that the city would fall, and that she has never been wrong before. They would need to change fate itself to protect the city.

"What's the matter, Brother Zhu? You seem unhappy." He sat beside her. "Isn't it good to learn where the Spirit Gem is?"

"Yes, it's very good." Gu Qingyu answered, suddenly remembering a very important question. "I was just thinking since this city is a Spirit Gem, how do we get it?"

"Didn't Xie Li tell you?"

Gu Qingyu answered with a wry smile, and he shook his head. "Okay, I know. Let's defend the city first."

"Well, that's right." She picked up a teacup, but he gently held her hand and stopped her.

"Don't drink tea at night, you would have trouble sleeping." He let go of her hand and stood up. "Call me if anything happens, I'll be next door."