Chapter Seventy-Four: Courting Disaster

Twelve hours passed in the blink of an eye, which was exactly why Zhou Qi insisted that Jiu’er return to her original form. Time always seemed to fly by in the company of a beautiful woman; but if he had to spend it with Jiu’er’s ordinary disguise, every moment would drag unbearably.

Zhou Qi had also made himself look a bit uglier. The two posed as a pair of cultivator companions and stepped onto the formation bound for Quanan City.

Quanan City was under the control of a branch of the Huangfu clan, a human city not as grand as Suiye City, yet bustling and lively in its own right. Both cultivators and ordinary folk filled its streets, each busy with their own lives. Most of the cultivators in the city were at the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stage; Golden Core cultivators were rare sights, underscoring Quanan City’s subordinate status in the region.

Jiu’er followed Zhou Qi, her curiosity unabated, skipping along like a child, though her appearance and figure were utterly unremarkable.

“Brother, I want to eat that one,” Jiu’er said, pointing at a nearby stall, tugging at Zhou Qi’s sleeve and coaxing him with a spoiled tone.

Some cultivators nearby glanced over, puzzled and faintly disgusted that such an ordinary woman would act cutesy with her equally plain-looking companion. For those who had long since abstained from food, the sight was almost nauseating.

Zhou Qi hadn’t expected their disguises to have this kind of unintended effect, but he had no choice—when Jiu’er wanted to act spoiled, he could only indulge her and buy whatever she fancied.

They wandered along, stopping here and there, until at last they arrived at the City Lord’s manor. The servants at the gate eyed them with skepticism when they asked to see Huangfu Xiu. No matter how Zhou Qi tried to explain, saying he was a friend of Huangfu Xiu, the servants simply didn’t believe that their young master would be acquainted with such ordinary folk.

Left with no other option, Zhou Qi produced the jade transmission token left by Huangfu Xiu. The servant, seeing the Huangfu clan’s sigil, finally went off to report, though still half in doubt.

After a long wait, a Qi Refining cultivator came to escort Zhou Qi and Jiu’er into the manor. The estate was vast, its halls resplendent and imposing—though only a branch of the Huangfu clan, it was still far beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators’ imaginations.

Their guide led them through twists and turns, finally stopping at a dilapidated palace at the rear of the manor. Pointing at the building, the guide turned and left without another word.

Zhou Qi felt a swirl of conflicting emotions. It was hard to believe that the illustrious Huangfu clan could treat one of their own so coldly—banished from Suiye City, relegated to a crumbling hall in the City Lord’s manor, not even a servant in attendance.

He hesitated at the threshold, hoping to find Huangfu Xiu the same proud, self-assured, handsome youth he remembered—not a young man worn down by suffering and despair.

He stepped inside. The palace was drafty and thick with cobwebs, clearly long neglected. In one corner, a single bed stood.

On it lay a man, hair already streaked with white, his eyes dull, sockets sunken. At the sight of Zhou Qi and Jiu’er entering, he stirred but lacked the strength to rise.

“Xiu’er, is that you?” Zhou Qi called softly, barely able to believe that this was really Huangfu Xiu.

“Qiqi?” Huangfu Xiu was incredulous. He didn’t recognize this face—Zhou Qi, his old comrade in arms, had never looked so homely. But only Zhou Qi ever called him Xiu’er.

“It’s me. I changed my appearance. I heard something happened to you and came to see you,” Zhou Qi said, stepping forward and taking that bony hand in his own.

Huangfu Xiu’s voice caught. “I never thought you’d come. And this beside you, is she the peerless Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox?” His eyes lit up as he tried to sit up.

“She’s called Jiu’er now. Save your strength—you’re not well. Tell me what happened. Maybe I can help,” Zhou Qi said, gently pressing him back.

“It’s a long story,” Huangfu Xiu sighed. “That day, I met a woman of astounding beauty, the equal of your Jiu’er—her eyes alone told of hidden sorrows. She seemed fond of me, and we quickly grew close, our conversations effortless and deep.” A nostalgic smile flickered across his face.

“But just as things were about to go further between us, her master appeared—a beautiful, imposing woman. Without a word, she tried to kill me. The woman I knew begged for my life, promising to return and serve as the Holy Maiden of the Immortal Mist Sect. The master sighed at last and struck me with a gentle palm strike.”

“It was then I learned she was the Holy Maiden of the Immortal Mist Sect. Their Holy Maiden must remain absolutely pure—and I had nearly ruined her. I can’t say I didn’t deserve that blow,” Huangfu Xiu finished with a sigh.

Zhou Qi didn’t know what to say. Huangfu Xiu truly lived up to his name, always getting into such situations. “And then?”

“Then my Golden Core cracked. I felt nothing at the time, but when I returned, I discovered it was covered in fissures. I sought help from my clan, but they found no cure. So they sent me here,” Huangfu Xiu said quietly.

“You’re a scion of the Huangfu clan. Won’t they demand justice for you?”

“There are countless so-called young masters in the Huangfu clan. Only the outstanding ones matter; the rest are nothing. Why would they risk antagonizing the Immortal Mist Sect for my sake? Besides, I was at fault. I have no face left to beg for help,” Huangfu Xiu said with a bitter laugh.

“That Holy Maiden’s master is truly vicious. I killed someone named Huangfu Man—do you know him?” Zhou Qi asked.

“A petty clown, nothing more. Killed or not, the clan can’t be bothered to chase after you,” Huangfu Xiu replied dismissively.

Zhou Qi then asked what Huangfu Xiu planned to do. Huangfu Xiu said he was simply waiting for his Golden Core to shatter completely, after which he’d live out his days as a mortal.

Hearing this, Zhou Qi’s heart ached. “True Lord, is there any way to heal a shattered Golden Core?”

“It’s difficult. In his state, he can last at most another six months. If nothing is done, the Golden Core will break beyond repair. If his cultivation were intact, he might stabilize it by force with celestial power. Now, there’s nothing to be done,” True Lord Tianxuan said with a sigh.

If even True Lord Tianxuan was helpless, Zhou Qi felt a wave of despair—but he refused to give up. He still possessed the inheritance of the Immortal Apothecary’s Sanctuary; perhaps within its ancient texts, there was a way to heal a fractured Golden Core.

He sank his spiritual sense within, delving into the Sanctuary’s lore in search of a cure.

Seeing Zhou Qi fall silent, Huangfu Xiu thought he was overcome with grief and couldn’t resist his old habit of teasing the nearby Jiu’er. “Jiu’er, does your Qiqi treat you well?”

“Yes,” Jiu’er replied honestly. Huangfu Xiu was her brother’s friend—though she disliked him, she dared not be rude.

“Has he ever done anything strange to you?”

“What do you mean, strange?”

“You know, like making you take off your clothes, or sleep together and such?” Huangfu Xiu grinned mischievously.

“Oh, take off my clothes? Yes, I have. I did it myself. Why do you ask?” Jiu’er asked curiously.

What a beast, pretending to be so proper, Huangfu Xiu silently grumbled to himself.