At the inn.
After the long journey of rushing about, Dong Gua had also been bombarded by the motor-mouth Cui Hao's endless questions the whole way. Worse still, there were some questions she genuinely wished she could answer with her fist.
What kind of nonsense was "a blood qi demonic cultivator manipulating blood qi to attack her" — did that mean her own blood had fused with the demonic cultivator's blood?
If that were the case, wouldn't they count as "blood from the same source"?
Calling the blood qi demonic cultivator "Big Brother" wouldn't be too much of a stretch then, would it?
And if the blood qi demonic cultivator had absorbed pig blood before attacking people, would that count as fusing with pig blood too?
The sheer freakishness of his questions made her want to pry open his skull and check whether his brain had been swapped for a pig's.
Was this man simply incapable of speech unless he was taking jabs at people?
Did he really have to keep hammering at someone's sore spots like that?
With a mouth like that, how on earth had he managed to live this long?
When they stopped to lodge for the night, Dong Gua saw Cui Hao still wearing an expression that said he hadn't had enough — and let out a long breath of relief. At least she wouldn't have to listen to his noise for now.
Dong Gua decisively paid for three rooms: one each for Cui Hao and Lin Luoyu, while she booked only one for herself, citing the excuse of needing to observe Xi Gua's condition.
Since the place was somewhat remote, the lodgings weren't particularly good — barely habitable, really.
But to Dong Gua at this moment, anywhere without Cui Hao's endless chatter was paradise on earth.
Dong Gua shut the door, took out a talisman and stuck it on the door, then turned her gaze toward the half-Xi Gua who was about to lie back down on the bed.
"You're really planning to sleep?" Dong Gua mocked coldly. "We were one step away from being cursed out the entire way today."
The young man sat on the bed and let out a soft sigh.
"It wasn't really cursing — I listened and there was actually some sense in it. Sigh, fighting a blood qi demonic cultivator is such a loss. Your body takes a loss, then your heart takes a loss too."
"If I'd known, I'd have cultivated blood qi myself."
Dong Gua sneered.
"Aren't you the carefree one. Whether we've actually escaped the Dark Raven Bishop's hunt, you still don't know. And you've forgotten the consequences of losing contact with our superiors?"
"What, you think you're safe now?"
The young man yawned, chuckled softly, and said:
"Right now, every extra day I live is a gain. How would I dare hope for anything more in the future?"
Dong Gua's brow furrowed, her voice tinged with mild anger.
"If I'd known you didn't want to live, I shouldn't have saved you. I should've just left you somewhere to die!"
The young man waved his one remaining hand. "If you have a use for this half a body of mine, just say so."
Dong Gua gave a cold snort and pushed down the slight anger in her heart.
"Whether we escape the hunt is up to fate, but whether our superiors abandon us depends on what we do. At the very least, we need to make some noise so they notice us."
The young man's gaze shifted. "So you're planning to have me split off from the group alone to carry out a mission?"
"You're down to half a Xi Gua — not getting eaten is the best you can hope for." Dong Gua narrowed her eyes. "Lin Luoyu's Haoran qi overflows from her body, and her mind is deep and calculating. She's not easy to get to."
"But that Cui Hao is a one-track-minded fool. Manipulating him into doing our work for us — wouldn't that be fine?"
"It's just that Lin Luoyu can't keep watching my every move. You need to find a way to draw her attention away."
Hearing this, the young man first lay lazily back on the bed.
"Leave that to me. But are you sure you can handle Cui Hao?"
"Anyone who can ask so many bizarrely-angled questions probably isn't an easy mark either. Don't end up getting played by him."
"Where do you see Cui Hao being capable?" Dong Gua's expression was disdainful. "Don't tell me your brain got addled by his stupid questions?"
The young man said nothing. He just shifted his half-body and found a comfortable position to lie down.
Dong Gua had a proud nature — the more you said, the more contrary she became. That was a racial trait.
One reminder was enough.
————————
Cui Hao raised an eyebrow slightly. "Senior Sister, how was your junior brother's performance?"
Lin Luoyu sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed, calmly replying:
"Excellent performance. Now I don't even need to look at you — just hearing your voice makes me want to punch you twice."
Cui Hao rubbed his chin and spoke as if sighing in admiration.
"I never imagined my acting had already reached such perfection. All thanks to Master's careful cultivation."
"Don't insult Master with that." Lin Luoyu opened her eyes. "What's your plan?"
Cui Hao shook his head with a sorrowful expression, his voice slightly wronged as he said:
"The way that Dong Gua looks at me, your junior brother — it's like she wants to swallow me alive. She's thirsting for me. At this point, I can only sell my junior brother's good looks and let her fall hard for the trap."
Lin Luoyu hesitated to speak, then couldn't hold back any longer and hurled the pillow from the head of the bed at him, saying coldly:
"That look didn't seem like thirst to me. It looked more like she wanted to turn you into half a person too."
Cui Hao reached out and caught the thrown pillow, his tone turning serious.
"I think that woman is going to make a move on your junior brother. But Senior Sister, your righteous aura is too overpowering — half-Xi Gua will probably come to block your view. The reason we use our real names in public — Senior Sister, you know it, right?"
Lin Luoyu exhaled. "You're afraid I won't react in time when someone calls me by another name, and we'll show a flaw."
"Exactly." Cui Hao clapped lightly. "I asked so many questions. Dong Gua's expressions were well hidden, but her answers were mostly perfunctory."
"Only half-Xi Gua seriously listened to my questions and even answered for Dong Gua when she occasionally didn't know how to respond."
"The one missing half his body is Xi Gua, but his mindset is far steadier than Dong Gua's."
"In cultivation, the least trustworthy thing is appearance. I think half-Xi Gua is far more threatening than Dong Gua."
Cui Hao's face turned serious, his tone grave as he continued. "Senior Sister, your task next is far more important than mine."
Lin Luoyu looked at the now-serious Cui Hao, fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Don't worry. Don't underestimate your Senior Sister."
Cui Hao stood up. "Then I won't keep bothering Senior Sister."
Lin Luoyu nodded gently.
Cui Hao bowed and took his leave, casually removing the soundproofing talisman he had earlier stuck on the door, then pulled the door shut.
Standing in the corridor, Cui Hao cast a sideways glance at Dong Gua's tightly closed door.
Today, he would let them sleep well one more time.
He couldn't let them have it too comfortable, though — couldn't give them time to think things through carefully. He needed to force them to act quickly so they wouldn't show too many flaws.
It was also about time for Second Senior Brother to come give them a taste of real pressure.
Thinking this far, Cui Hao stretched lazily and walked toward his own room.
Fourth Senior Sister had her uses — though not entirely proper, the Fourth Senior Sister in pure-and-innocent mode would have an unexpected effect.
He had spun too many lies. Even he couldn't keep them all straight.
But suddenly, the sound of a door opening came from behind him.
Cui Hao stopped and looked back, only to see Dong Gua stepping out.
Their eyes met, and both their minds churned.
Cui Hao spoke first. "Daoist Xi Gua is unharmed, I trust?"
"Unharmed." Dong Gua responded with a gentle smile.
Cui Hao raised an eyebrow slightly at this. "In that case, I trust Daoist Dong Gua has no business tonight?"
"Daoist Cui means what?"
"I haven't admired the moon in a long time. Would you care to join me?"
"Since Daoist Cui has such a mood, I shall naturally attend."
"Shall we?"
"After you."
The outer corridor of the inn.
Cui Hao and Dong Gua lifted their gazes to a sky full of dark clouds that hadn't revealed a single sliver of moonlight.
From time to time, a somewhat howling cold wind swept past, startling crows into crying in the night.
The word "ill-omened" summed up the moment perfectly.
Cui Hao pursed his lips. "How about… we just go back to sleep?"
"Alright." Dong Gua nodded, agreeing remarkably fast.
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