Chapter 125: The Mercurial Woman

For Gu Yi, the issue at this moment was likely not whether he could leave, but whether the Mistress of the Palace of Great Rain would allow him to return to the side of the Eighteenth Floor Master.

Although the Mistress might truly be beautiful, Gu Yi had kept his vision blocked, seeing nothing at all. By comparison, he still preferred to return to Bo Pavilion.

Perhaps the Eighteenth Floor Master would unexpectedly say things that left him feeling quite cold, and that was indeed a headache, but it was still better than staying in this place with this madwoman.

Calling her mad was not Gu Yi’s intention. Due to special reasons, the people of the Mo Clan had a particularly fragile sense of trust in others, especially men, and the situation as it stood today could be considered tragic.

Last time, Shu Yu had also said that even though Gu Baici was already the exalted Mistress of the Palace of Great Rain, she still could not seek out her kin scattered across the lands to protect them. To others, this seemed incomprehensible; at the very least, she possessed the power to do so. Yet, as Shu Yu rightly noted, perhaps the Mistress still had the power now, but the moment she showed the slightest sign of decline, gathering her kin together would only bring disaster upon them.

Caught in a dilemma, there was no longer a place in this world for the Mo people to stand.

Gu Yi chose not to open his eyes out of respect for them. He was not a man with a heart as pure as Kakarot’s; he could hardly guarantee that his gaze wouldn't hurt them once again.

Before him, the piece of cloth in Gu Baici’s hand slipped and fell silently to the ground. Gu Yi’s choice did indeed surprise her. After a slight, mocking "Heh," she emphasized, "I said I would not kill you, and you cannot see my face, so what are you afraid of?"

"I am not afraid of the Mistress. Perhaps I was a little afraid when I first arrived, because I had heard that the Mistress of the Palace of Great Rain killed every prince of our Xu Kingdom, but now I am not afraid."

"Why are you not afraid?"

Judging by her voice, Gu Yi sensed she had drawn closer. Gu Baici’s tone was never majestic or cold; it was as soft as flowing water, just as it had been when they first met.

"Perhaps it is because people say the Mo people love and hate with clarity, and I chose to believe it. Therefore, I have not offended the Mistress, and the Mistress will not kill me. If I had already offended you, I would have been dead long ago."

"Since you are not afraid, open your eyes and let me see if what you just said is true."

Gu Yi’s heart sank. What kind of talk was this? If she happened to be a fickle person and wasn't happy after seeing him, what if she went back on her word?

He shook his head, continuing to shake it. "What I say is certainly true."

"Then why do you dare not open your eyes?"

Gu Yi coaxed her as if she were a child, "Mistress, actually... many times we realize things, but we simply cannot do them."

Gu Baici did not understand. "What do you mean?"

"It means that I know in my heart I must respect the Mistress, and I should not have any thoughts about you, but I cannot necessarily achieve that. It’s like... like knowing there are some people you should not fall in love with, but you always lose control."

"I am a common man who would want to take a few extra looks at the Mistress. Even though I know in my heart that this is a shameless desecration, I cannot control myself."

These simple words lingered in the palace, finally settling into silence. Gu Yi could only capture her emotions from her tone; when she fell silent, there was nothing left. So, after finishing these words, Gu Yi could only wait.

Until she said, "If that is the case, then you can never leave the Palace of Great Rain."

Gu Yi frowned. This was a matter he still wanted to strive for. Perhaps it was because he had heard before that the Mistress of the Palace of Great Rain was actually quite reasonable—Shu Le had left successfully; she was simply very sensitive in certain specific aspects.

*Rustle.*

Gu Yi tore off a piece of his own sleeve to cover his eyes again, but he was scolded halfway through the action.

"Don't move. Who gave you permission to cover yourself again?"

Gu Yi sighed helplessly, "Mistress Gu, I believe there is no great value in keeping me. I am just an ordinary man among the masses. Since you aren't planning to kill me, why not let me go?"

"Fine, then beg me."

Gu Yi: ???

This was a joke.

"...So, what exactly does Mistress Gu want me to do?"

"You are merely a practitioner at the 'Returning to Simplicity' stage; what could you possibly do for me?" Gu Baici asked with a hint of disdain. "I just want to see if what you said is true."

She was testing the nature of a man. Impossible. Didn't Gu Yi know himself? Although people called him the Immortal of Xiaoyuan Mountain and he sometimes looked like a master beyond the world, that was merely an increase in strength.

Gu Yi ignored her and continued to tie the cloth strip around his eyes.

Under her mask, Gu Baici’s eyes narrowed; Gu Yi dared to defy her orders. With a wave of her sleeve, a flash of white light shot out.

*Bang!*

"Why do you always defy my orders?!"

A wave of pain shot through Gu Yi’s hand, and the cloth strip had been shattered into pieces, rendering it unusable.

"Sigh, Mistress, I said if I won't open them, I won't. Hasn't the Eighteenth Floor Master also not seen you for twenty years?"

"The Eighteenth has not seen me for twenty years? Is that what he told you?"

"Are there hidden secrets?"

"Do you know why I killed all of Emperor Xu’s sons?"

Gu Yi did not know, but it must have been a past story.

"If the Mistress doesn't mind, you could tell me. After all, I am a man who can never leave anyway."

"Who do you think you are, daring to ask about my affairs?!" Gu Baici asked with a touch of provocation. "Hasn't the Luyang Academy always been loyal to the Emperor of Xu? I am the great enemy of your Xu Kingdom. Instead of thinking about killing me, you are here talking about respecting our Mo Clan? When has the world ever truly respected us?!"

Gu Yi didn't want to talk to her anymore. He wanted to slap himself—why was he discussing anything with a madwoman?

"I sympathize with the plight of the Mo Clan, but I have never harmed any of you, so there is no point in venting such heavy resentment toward me. Mistress Gu, the world may be infatuated with your appearance, but I am not a lecherous scoundrel who would die under a pomegranate skirt. I may sympathize with you, but I do not wish to associate with you. Either kill me now to save us both this trouble, or let me go back. From then on, I won't disturb you, and you won't disturb me. That would be for the best."

These words were a bit harsh and expressed a hint of impatience.

The Mistress of the Palace of Great Rain naturally flared up, "Do you believe I won't kill you?!"

"You just said that even if I opened my eyes and offended you, you wouldn't kill me. Are a few words really that serious?"

Gu Baici scolded, "I can say I won't kill you, and I can also say I will."

Gu Yi laughed, "That is why I said I don't wish to associate with the Mo people."

*Bang!!*

Gu Baici, in a fit of rage, struck Gu Yi with a blast of spiritual energy from her palm. Gu Yi could not see, and her attack was silent and swift; he was caught completely off guard and took the blow.

He was usually good-tempered, but sometimes he was very stubborn—the type who would yield to soft words but not to force. He let out a muffled grunt and crawled up from the floor.

He turned around.

And walked away.

*Whoosh!*

Gu Baici’s figure flickered, and in the blink of an eye, she moved in front of Gu Yi. "Where are you going? Who gave you permission to leave?"

Gu Yi ignored her and continued forward.

"One more step, and I will kill you!"

Gu Yi truly had a temper; he simply kept walking.

*Bang!*

Gu Baici struck him again. His body took flight instantly, then fell like a kite with a broken string.

"Only by listening to me can you live well in the Palace of Great Rain."

"Ah... it hurts. How can there be such a madwoman?" Gu Yi propped himself up with his palms, the pain in his chest real and burning. "If I am destined to die today, I will not simply accept it."

His palms rotated slightly, and a shimmering light appeared.

Gu Baici was surprised again. "How can there be a man like you? Are you intending to fight me?"

It seemed that was exactly what Gu Yi wanted to do. And since he didn't want to suffer this humiliation and was ready to risk his life...

"Weren't you always asking me to open my eyes?"

Gu Baici’s aura gradually receded slightly. "Correct, open them."

This was not an easy moment. The Eighteenth Floor Master had managed to live for twenty years, which was no small feat. Gu Yi had originally thought he would follow in his footsteps, but he didn't know how he had ended up in this situation. He had no intention of repeating the Eighteenth's path.

With his head lowered, his eyelids slowly opened. A sliver of light entered his vision—not sunlight, but candlelight. Outside the light, there was even some darkness. Gu Yi understood now; this was not the brightly lit main hall, but some interior room.

Gu Baici’s aura continued to recede. She seemed truly fickle; she had been angry just a moment ago, but now she wasn't as fierce. "Lift your head."

Gu Yi was nervous; no one could be calm in this situation. But, if she wanted him to lift his head, he would! Who was afraid of whom!

Mistress Gu was also approaching him, so the first thing to enter his vision was a pair of plain shoes.

At this critical moment, the door was burst open with a *crash*. A strong gust of wind blew in, and the Eighteenth Floor Master stood directly in Gu Yi’s line of sight, blocking Gu Baici behind him. With a wave of his hand, a strip of cloth flew up and covered Gu Yi’s eyes.

"Baici, Gu Yi is right. Killing him will not lessen the suffering of the Mo Clan."

The Eighteenth Floor Master turned around leisurely, his movements quite dashing.

"That is because of hypocrites like you! You actually told him that you haven't seen my face in twenty years? You must have snuck in to look, haven't you?"

Gu Yi’s heart skipped a beat. How was the Eighteenth Floor Master still alive?! His first reaction was that Gu Baici was talking nonsense, but to his surprise, the Eighteenth did not dare to refute her, instead saying apologetically, "I did indeed act wrongly; that is my sin."

"Is it true? Then why didn't the Mistress kill you?"

Speaking of which, the Eighteenth felt quite sentimental. He softly answered Gu Yi’s question, "She tried. She couldn't kill me."

*Damn.*

Impressive.

So, was the Eighteenth Floor Master even more powerful?

*Whoosh!* Gu Baici waved her long sleeves, unwilling to discuss the failed murder attempts. "Eighteenth! I warn you! If you take him away from here today, I cannot stop you, but I guarantee that the next time someone from Luyang Academy is caught, regardless of gender, I will not let a single one leave. Even him—he shall never dream of leaving for the rest of his life!" She pointed at Gu Yi as she spoke.

"Women are fickle by nature. If someone wants to leave, I won't test them; if they mean nothing to me, I let them come and go as they please. If someone makes me unhappy, that means they have passed the test, and I won't let them go. So what of it?"

Gu Yi was furious, "Can you even beat her? You are both Sages of the Profound, why are you afraid? Just fight her!"

The Eighteenth Floor Master: "How can one hit a woman?"

Gu Yi: ????

"What kind of cold joke are you telling me at a time like this! Look at what she did to me!"

"That still doesn't mean I can hit a woman." The Eighteenth Floor Master suddenly started talking about principles. No wonder the Long-Legged Cat called him an 'old pervert'—everything had a reason. He said to Gu Baici, "I can leave him behind, but you must promise me you will not kill him."

*Huh?*

Gu Yi truly felt the Eighteenth Floor Master was a bit crazy. Just seconds ago, she had admitted herself that she was very fickle! And you were asking her for a promise now!

"Fine! I promise." Gu Baici agreed with almost no hesitation.

Gu Yi felt it was unreliable, "No, Eighteenth, you have to think about it—she changes her mind very easily."

"Eighteenth! Are you not leaving yet?"

"Hey, hey," Gu Yi heard the sound, and it seemed the Eighteenth was really leaving. He felt a bit foolish, but the Eighteenth only turned back to comfort him, "Behave yourself. Don't provoke Baici. Also, no matter what she says, do not open your eyes."

"Leave quickly." Gu Baici turned away, refusing to look at the Eighteenth.

*Snap!*

The door closed, and Gu Yi felt despair. The stubbornness brought on by his earlier cerebral hemorrhage had faded quite a bit. He felt that his "protagonist mode" was gone. It had existed before—Little Yiyi was his strongest cheat code—but now, he felt it was gone.

Not to mention anything else, every time a protagonist encountered danger, someone should appear. The appearance of the Eighteenth Floor Master was a classic script, but that guy had been sweet-talked away by a woman who admitted to being fickle, using a promise with no binding power. What kind of protagonist mode was this?!

"Now, no one can save you."

Gu Yi backed away, "You promised the Eighteenth Floor Master; don't forget. No other meaning, just a reminder."

The person behind the mask continued to press toward him, "You were quite courageous just now, wanting to fight me."

"No, I am just like the Eighteenth Floor Master; I don't hit women."

"Don't back up any further; there is a pond behind you."

*Huh?*

Gu Yi had already stepped into thin air before he heard these words. With a *splash*, he fell in, his whole body instantly turning cold.

"Wow, so cold, so cold!"

Gu Yi couldn't see anything, so he scrambled out of the pool in a fluster. The water dripping from his body was truly bone-chilling.

Gu Baici was quite speechless, though she suppressed a bit of laughter.

"I am truly unlucky. Mistress Gu, what exactly do you want to keep me for?"

"I am not that angry anymore. Don't keep asking that question. Come with me."

"Where to?" Gu Yi tried to say, "Since you are in a good mood, why not let me out? I would like to go back and see my friends."

The anger that had just dissipated from Gu Baici began to rise again. "What did you just say?"

Gu Yi: "..."

"...I mean, where are we going?"

She shot him a cold look and said softly, "Just follow. You can't see anyway, what's the use of me telling you?"