Chapter 48: Finding Gu Xiaoyao!

“Senior Shu Le, we’ve searched everywhere in front of the Technique Pavilion, even the main martial field, but there’s no sign of Gu Xiaoyao!”

The elegant young woman from the morning sat by the stream, handling a page of spirit talisman, while three students stood at her side, reporting their findings.

Shu Le was about to reply when two more figures landed lightly on the treetops in the distance and hurried over.

“Qingshan, Qingshui, did you find anything?” she asked, reading their expressions.

Qingshan stepped forward and saluted. “We found him. On the Returning Immortal Bridge, on the way from the Technique Pavilion to the Talisman Path. It was Hexian, the attendant of the Dao Master, who took Gu Xiaoyao away. We gave chase, but…”

He lowered his head. “But Qingshui and I weren’t his match. That fellow was too cunning. He called out that he was heading for the Talisman Path, but when we searched the whole way, there was no trace of them. The people of Talisman Path said Hexian hadn’t returned.”

A muffled sound came from Shu Le’s nose. She instantly understood the situation, a faint smile playing at her lips. “You were all deceived. Why would he announce his real direction? He called it out on purpose, then took another route. That boy is rather clever.”

Ashamed, Qingshan and Qingshui lowered their heads. How humiliating. They were supposed to be the pride of Luyang Academy, yet they’d been tricked so easily.

Fortunately, Shu Le was of a generous nature and did not reproach them.

“It’s not your fault. In tense moments, it’s hard to see through such tricks. But now you know—Gu Xiaoyao is sly, thick-skinned, and, most importantly, he has strength surpassing the Talent Master. If he confronts you, be very careful.”

“Yes!” all five answered in unison.

Shu Le rose, lost in thought.

“The border at Xingyuan is tense. The Vice Dean has taken the Pavilion Master, Sword Master, and Talisman Master to support them. The Talent Master was left to oversee us, but ended up bested by Gu Xiaoyao. The Pavilion Master ignores people, the Sword Master ignores affairs, and the Dao Master…”

She frowned. “Why would Hexian help Gu Xiaoyao? That child is pure-hearted. Could she have been deceived?”

“Shall we request the intervention of the Seventeenth Tower Lord?”

Shu Le shot a glance at the girl who spoke, making her quite flustered.

A single Initiate Realm had broken in—he may have bested the Talent Master, but it was clear to all that it was only by borrowing external power.

Besides, their academy had seventy-two students across three years.

To bother the Tower Lord over this—where would Luyang Academy’s pride be?

Shu Le made her decision. “Gather all students. First-years, guard the road to the Talisman Path. Second-years, search along the right fork toward Sunset Wall. Third-years, search the left fork. If you find him, don’t start a fight—first pass the message along, understood?”

“Yes!” they responded.

Qingshan asked, “Should we focus only on the Talisman Path? What about the Sword and Blade Path?”

“The Sword Master is not one to be trifled with. If he provokes him, he’ll come to no good end. And Hexian knows the way—she wouldn’t take him there.”

“But Hexian wouldn’t take him back to the Talisman Path either, right? She knows we’ve figured out she’s helping Gu Xiaoyao.”

“There’s some logic to that,” Shu Le responded with a faint smile, dimples appearing. “But we must think with Gu Xiaoyao’s cunning mind. From his perspective, since we’ve already searched the Talisman Path, wouldn’t it be the safest place to hide? I bet he’ll do the unexpected, so we must counter him in turn.”

“No matter, we have numbers on our side, and there aren’t many places in the Academy he can hide. Once the Talisman Path is locked down, even if he’s not found immediately, he’ll have to show himself soon.”

The others understood and respected Shu Le even more.

“Where will you go, Senior Shu?”

Shu Le recalled Gu Yi’s motive—what was he so determined to do, ignoring all warnings? To enter the Technique Pavilion.

So she stood up. “I’ll wait for him at the Technique Pavilion.”

…

…

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Gu Yi lay prone at the mouth of a cave, peering out. The sounds were faint, but he could sense many people moving swiftly outside.

“Those two must have gone back to report to Shu Le. Now that they know you’re helping me, they’ve sent a lot of people.”

Gu Yi pressed his index fingers together in thought.

“Hexian, how long will it take to get to the place you mentioned?”

“About the time it takes a stick of incense to burn,” Hexian replied, imitating his position as the two of them played their own game of hide-and-seek.

He had never burned incense, so who knew how long that was—probably a little while.

“What should we do now?” Hexian asked, nervous yet excited.

“Heh, fun, isn’t it?” Gu Yi teased, then grew serious. “Looking at the situation, soon a lot of people will be passing this way. We have to get out, but if we do now, we’ll run right into them. So we need to wait for a bit.”

“Also, cultivators are different from ordinary people—if we make a sound, it’ll be easily detected… unless…”

“Unless what?” Hexian asked eagerly.

“Unless there’s another sound to mask ours,” Gu Yi said, looking at the sky. “It’s going to rain.”

A clap of thunder rumbled, as if echoing his words.

Hexian wasn’t sure what to do, but she felt Gu Yi was clever and worth trusting.

“Rain can cover our sounds, and the water will disrupt the flow of spiritual energy. The only problem… it’ll leave footprints…”

Gu Yi couldn’t fly yet, and though Hexian had some cultivation, it wasn’t by much.

But compared to the uncertainty of whether the route Hexian remembered actually led to the Technique Pavilion, such things were minor concerns.

“Don’t worry about getting wet—I’ll cast a talisman to keep you dry. Just focus on recalling the details of that path.”

Hexian tried to keep still, as she said, but it was hard to stay motionless for long. She wasn’t some specially trained operative, after all, so her little feet swayed restlessly.

“Hmm…” Hexian pouted. “It was years ago, and I only happened upon the Pavilion Master meeting someone in secret. She’s so strict, I was terrified—so I don’t remember too well.”

Gu Yi said, “Don’t worry about the meeting—just think, which part of the lake did the Pavilion Master come out of? I saw the lake earlier—it’s huge. We can’t go searching underwater at random, so recall where she entered. What was at the shore?”

“The shore?” Hexian’s eyes lit up. “There was a peach tree!”

“Meeting a lover under the peach blossoms,” Gu Yi grinned. “She knows how to create atmosphere. So, the Pavilion Master came up from underwater, met her lover, and slipped back into the Pavilion unseen. Very discreet.”

“If not for your beloved, I would never tell you such a secret,” Hexian said, eyes wide. “You must keep this absolutely secret. If the Pavilion Master finds out, she’ll be furious. Then you’ll never be able to return, nor see your beloved again!”

Gu Yi turned his head. She looked so adorable, with dust on her brow and her cheeks flushed red.

He couldn’t help reaching out to brush the dust away, but Hexian shrank back from the gesture.

Just then, the sound of swift footsteps approached; someone was leaping down the path below them.

Hexian gave a little cry and pressed her face to the ground.

That tiny sound was enough for the four people below to stop and begin to retrace their steps.

“Gu Xiaoyao passed this way—he might be hiding somewhere along here.”

Splash! Splash!

Hexian heard their words, her heart pounding with anxiety.

Oh no—what should they do now?!

---------------------------

So many people want me to update faster. Honestly, I’d like to (and I have some chapters in reserve), but during the new book period, I can’t update too quickly. Just wait for the book to be officially launched!