Ch61 - Act out a play

This turn of events was very sudden but Xie Yan wasn’t surprised.

Shen Qiuli was merely a tool for Zuo Lan’s benefit. When he tried to kill Xie Yan, both Xie Yan and Shen Qiuli understood that he had no intention of helping Shen Qiuli. Therefore, this outcome had been predestined.

Shen Qiuli looked at Zuo Lan’s corpse with contempt and turned to face Xie Yan. “The person in the way has been dealt with. Next, your choice.”

Xie Yan didn’t say anything but looked at Ji Qinghuai, who was standing indifferently beside Shen Qiuli, oblivious to Xie Yan’s gaze.

After a while, Xie Yan made a decision in his heart. He asked Shen Qiuli, “How are you going to detoxify him?”

“You don’t have to be worried about this.” Shen Qiuli said, “As long as Lin Shuye is in my hands, the poison in his body can be removed.”

However, Xie Yan didn’t believe him easily and said, “I want to see Lin Shuye.”

“Mr Xie, my patience is limited.” Shen Qiuli’s expression hardened.

Xie Yan wasn’t fazed by his words even a little, “You know that if I refuse to cooperate, we can both die during the integration.”

Shen Qiuli looked down at Xie Yan, “Are you threatening me?”

Xie Yan also stared directly at Shen Qiuli, “You can try too.”

The smell of gunpowder began to spread silently. The two pairs of eyes bore into each other, neither yielding. Shen Qiuli’s eyes were full of menace while Xie Yan’s were unfazed and tenacious.

The situation was at a stalemate.

After a long time, Shen Qiuli was the first to open his mouth.

“I promise you.”

Even though Shen Qiuli was unwilling, Xie Yan’s threat was lethal to him. If he didn’t concede, he was certain that Xie Yan would fulfil his words.

“Let’s do it this way. This is my last condition. If you delay for even a moment longer, I’ll feed the bottle of poison to Ji Qinghuai, I can guarantee that he won’t live past the next year.”

After he said that, Shen Qiuli walked to the left wall, kicked Zuo Lan’s body away, and stood in the middle of the wall.

His hands formed a seal and spiritual energy rapidly flowed from his fingertips and struck the empty wall. Immediately, a boundary appeared on the wall, dividing it in the middle and extending to the adjacent sides.

The boundary lifted and the wall disappeared, revealing an empty space in front of Shen Qiuli. Xie Yan then realized that the room they were standing in had been split into two parts by Shen Qiuli using a boundary. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would never have thought of this possibility.

When Xie Yan raised his eyes and looked over, he saw a man shrinking by the corner not far away with his hands and feet chained together. It was late winter, but he was only wearing a coat and the torn sleeves made him look a bit sorry.

Hearing the movement, the person raised his head and instinctively shrunk into the wall when he saw Shen Qiuli, his eyes full of vigilance. Although the light in the basement was a little dim, Xie Yan could still recognise the person.

It was Lin Shuye.

Shen Qiuli smiled lightly at Lin Shuye, “Don’t be afraid, I won’t make things difficult for you today.”

Hearing this, the vigilance in Lin Shuye’s eyes didn’t relax even one bit. Shen Qiuli wasn’t bothered about him and turned back to Xie Yan. “You’ve seen the person you wanted to see, do you have any last words?”

Xie Yan glanced at Lin Shuye and looked at Shen Qiuli. “He probably didn’t give you the antidote.”

“Yes, because he doesn’t dare to.” Shen Qiuli continued, “He knows that once the antidote is handed over, he’s completely worthless and can only die.”

“However, it’s not difficult to get the antidote.” Shen Qiuli lifted his foot and walked toward Xie Yan step by step. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely save Ji Qinghuai. Otherwise, I won’t be able to explain myself to Mr Ji.”

Shen Qiuli stopped in front of Xie Yan, his eyes firmly fixed on the person who looked exactly like him. “So Mr Xie, can we start?”

“Can.” The corner of Xie Yan’s mouth suddenly curved into a smile, and his eyes sharpened, “Can send you off!”

As soon his words fell, the iron chain binding him shattered and his domineering demonic energy surged towards Shen Qiuli like a tsunami.

Shen Qiuli was very close to Xie Yan and it was too late for him to dodge. He could only lift his palm to face the attack head-on.

The strength of the two was equal. Neither could gain the upper hand but Xie Yan was injured and unsurprisingly put Shen Qiuli in the more advantageous position. The two were barely on equal footing because of this.

The two palms met each other and the powerful demonic energy swirled in the narrow basement. In the small underground room. Lin Shuye was exhausted and shrank into the corner, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

His body stiffened and he didn’t dare move.

Shen Qiuli frowned. He now understood that Xie Yan had been putting on a show to fool him. He couldn’t help but feel angry and lightly shook the bell in his hand.

Immediately, the third wave of demonic energy was released in the basement. Thinking that victory was in his hands, he couldn’t help but smile.

Suddenly, he discovered that something was off and immediately raised his hand to receive the blow from behind.

Three demonic forces collided and the entire basement, together with the small building, instantly crumbled into ashes. At the same time, Shen Qiuli and Xie Yan were flung away from each other. One fell out directly, and the other was caught by the waist and pulled into someone’s arms.

Ji Qinghuai put his arms around Xie Yan and questioned worriedly, “Yanyan, are you okay?”

Xie Yan’s face didn’t look good but he shook his head, “I’m fine.”

Shen Qiuli staggered to his feet and seeing Ji Qinghuai looking at Xie Yan with gentle and worried eyes, he realised that he had been deceived.

“You…”

“You? What you?” Ji Qinghuai bent down and picked up the silver bell that was left alone on the ground, “I’m just letting you watch a show.”

Ji Qinghuai blinked at Shen Qiuli, “You don’t have to pay for it.”

Shen Qiuli clutched his chest and endured the pain in his body. His body was already riddled with holes and the heavy blow just now had further aggravated his injuries. He wouldn’t be able to last any longer.

But there were some things he hadn’t yet figured out. “You don’t understand how the bell works, how did you escape its control?”

“I just shook my head, who knew that you would really believe it.” Ji Qinghuai shrugged. “Should I call you naïve or stupid?”

Shen Qiuli coughed twice and struggled to breathe. “So from the moment Xie Yan was captured, I fell into your trap.”

“Yes.” Ji Qinghuai admitted generously, “No one said that only you were allowed to plot against us. The so-called courtesy, we’re just returning a gift to you.”

And the beginning and end of this matter started last night.

At that time, Xie Yan had told him, “I may have seen the person impersonating me. He and the fugitive I’m trying to catch might be working together.”

“Fugitive?” As Ji Qinghuai listened more, he became even more confused.

“My Master’s former subordinate. Later, he betrayed my Master and escaped from prison. I’ve been looking for him.”

“Oh…” Ji Qinghuai finally understood. His words reminded him of something and he asked, “Yanyan, I have something I want to ask you.”

“En?”

“Do you remember running into each other on the road after my filming?” Fearing that he couldn’t remember the exact time, Ji Qinghuai added, “It was the day you invited me to dinner at home.”

Xie Yan remembered that day clearly.

At that time, because Ji Qinghuai didn’t send him a message for a whole day, Xie Yan, who was used to being disturbed by Ji Qinghuai for trivial things, felt uncomfortable for the first time. Even though he couldn’t remember exactly which month and day it was, the events of that day were imprinted in his mind.

“I didn’t go out that day.”

“Sure enough.” The doubts that had been hidden for several months were finally resolved and Ji Qinghuai suddenly realized, “So the person I met at that time was not you.”

“Strangely enough, the man I met the other day looked exactly like you. I was so close to him yet I didn’t even notice the abnormality.” Ji Qinghuai pouted and felt aggrieved, “At that time, I didn’t understand why you were so indifferent to me and I was worried for the whole day.”

Xie Yan listened to him and fell into contemplation.

Before that, Xie Yan and Ji Qinghuai had shared a bed together. It was reasonable to say that Ji Qinghuai should be very familiar with his breath, but if even he couldn’t distinguish…

“It seems that this opponent is a bit troublesome.”

Ji Qinghuai thought for a moment and said, “Yanyan, we’re too passive like this, we have to think of some countermeasures.”

However, Xie Yan replied, “Since he has gone this far, he will have a plan for the next step. It’s just that the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light, so we can’t guard against him.”

Ji Qinghuai was very disgusted with this behaviour of doing things behind his back. If he came to make trouble in public and lost, Ji Qinghuai would admit defeat. What ability did that person have to scheme against others in secret?

He asked bitterly, “What should we do?”

He didn’t want to be used anymore. This time, he was a blood-thirsty man, what if the other person wanted him to kill Xie Yan next time?

Xie Yan thought for a moment, “Come put on a play with me.”

“A play?”

“En.” Xie Yan asked Ji Qinghuai, “When you harbour animosity towards someone and want to plot against them, when would you choose to do it?”

Ji Qinghuai immediately understood what Yan meant.

Xie Yan wasn’t a normal demon. No one would be stupid enough to target him alone. If they were to strike, Xie Yan’s current weakened state was the best time!

“I guess that person will show up soon.” Xie Yan said, “Whatever he wants to do, let’s go along with it and when we find Lin Shuye, we’ll immediately counterattack and wipe them out.”

Ji Qinghuai nodded to show his understanding, “Acting, I’m good at it.”

Xie Yan smiled, but there was another concern in his heart, “If that person appears in front of you again, can you tell us apart?”

His dark eyes flitted and Ji Qinghuai thought to himself, “I should be…able to do it.”

“Then from tomorrow onwards, put on the bell I gave you.” Xie Yan said, “Destroying it in a moment of crisis will save your life.”

“En.” Ji Qinghuai carefully took note of it.

“After that…Be flexible and adapt to the changes.”

“So…” Ji Qinghuai said to Shen Qiuli, “My performance had already begun the moment you came to our house and pretended to be Mr Xie.”

After listening to the whole sequence of events, Shen Qiuli understood that he had underestimated Ji Qinghuai. After hearing this, he couldn’t support himself and collapsed bitterly, half-kneeling with a palm on the floor.

“Last question.” Shen Qiuli spoke with difficulty, “How did you know that I’m not him?”

“This ah…” Ji Qinghuai smiled mysteriously, “It’s a secret.”

Although the answer was not what he wanted to hear, nothing mattered anymore. Shen Qiuli sat on the ground and said, “Somehow I understand why Xie Yan would like you.”

He sighed lightly, “It’s me who lost, you can do whatever you want.”

At that moment, Xie Yan walked up to Shen Qiuli, “For the sake of your sacrifice and the fact that you saved me, come back with me. Maybe there is still a way to live.”

Shen Qiuli laughed softly and coughed twice. “Don’t bother, this time, I’ll decide for myself.”

After speaking, Shen Qiuli raised his hand, twisted his fingers lightly, and a wisp of flame sprang from his fingertips. Upon contact with the flame, the wooden body burned immediately and the fire spread all over his body, igniting a blazing fire.

“Hey!”

Ji Qinghuai was stunned and tried to stop Shen Qiuli but was pulled back by Xie Yan. Ji Qinghuai looked at him in confusion, but Xie Yan shook his head and didn’t say anything.

With this short delay, Shen Qiuli’s body had already burnt out and when the fire extinguished itself, the original living person had disappeared, leaving behind only a pile of ashes on the ground.

For a while, Ji Qinghuai had mixed feelings in his heart.

Xie Yan patted his head soothingly and walked aside to check on Lin Shuye’s situation. The three demonic forces had collided together just now and Lin Shuye had been too close to them and was flung aside from the impact. Now, he was lying on the ground, unable to tell if he was dead or alive.

He crouched down and reached out to check Lin Shuye’s breathing. His hand suddenly stopped and Ji Qinghuai looked at him with a heavy heart.

The outcome was about to be determined.

Xie Yan slowly turned his head, “Dead.”

Just now, he had already been prepared. When he heard the result, it didn’t seem so hard to accept. Ji Qinghuai squeezed out a smile and was about to comfort Xie Yan when Xie Yan quickly walked over and pulled him into his arms.

“We still have time, we can think of other ways and your poison will definitely be solved.”

Over the years, he had become accustomed to looking at everything with a calm mind. Although his emotions didn’t have too many ups and downs, it didn’t mean that he didn’t care about anything.

Just like now, although Xie Yan’s voice was calm, the tightened arms embracing Ji Qinghuai already revealed his emotional state.

This embrace made Ji Qinghuai’s empty heart gradually become more at ease.

“En.” Ji Qinghuai hugged Xie Yan back, “I haven’t loved you enough yet, so I’ll be fine.”

As he said this, Ji Qinghuai’s eyes inadvertently glanced at the ashes on the ground. A red wisp rose from the ashes and slowly floated out like light smoke.

Ji Qinghuai hurriedly said, “Yanyan, what is that?”

Xie Yan looked back and saw that the wisp of red smoke seemed to be guided by something, drifting towards the east.

“Don’t worry about it.” Xie Yan grabbed Ji Qinghuai’s hand and said, “Let’s go home.”

“En, go home.”

In the distance, Shen Xie leaned against a big tree with his arms folded, and beside him sat Shen Lian who was in deep thought with one hand on his cheek. A fox was lying at his feet and the faint wisp of red smoke slowly drifted to Shen Xie.

“Ma Zhishan’s sins in the past will be repaid by his son.”

Shen Xie raised his hand and the red smoke flew over his fingertips. He sighed helplessly. “I owe you in the end.”

When he finished his sentence, scarlet spiritual energy emanated from Shen Xie’s fingertips and wrapped the red wisp. He looked at the fox on the ground and crouched down. He pointed his fingertips to the fox’s eyebrows and patiently sent in the red wisp.

When it was completed, Shen Xie retracted his hand but didn’t rush to stand up. He waited quietly for a while and the fox on the ground moved and opened its eyes slowly.

Shen Xie said to him, “Today, you reincarnated. You can transform into an adult if you start cultivating.”

He flicked the fox’s head, “Come on, little one.”

The little fox was in pain. He wondered if this person was sick. He looked at Shen Lian, then at Shen Xie, and then he got up and ran away.

Shen Xie watched it run away and didn’t stand up until the figure of the fox disappeared. He remembered the past events and asked Shen Lian, “Tell me, are all the people with the surname Shen sick?”

Shen Lian pointed to himself and then to him, “You’re scolding us too?”

“You didn’t believe in the Shen family at first.” Shen Xie stretched out his hand to hold Shen Lian. “You are the husband who sings and the wife follows.”

After joking a bit, Shen Xie said, “I’m serious.”

He lamented a bit, “It’s obvious that I hate the Shen family more than anyone, yet I have to clean up that mess for them and raise their children.”

“Besides, this Shen Qiuli, even until death, still didn’t want to find a path for himself. He was going to die already but still couldn’t do anything. If I were him, I would torture Xie Yan, at least his plan would work out.”

“And that kid, Xie Yan.” Shen Xie said, “Since he was young, I told him that if I was unhappy one day, I would quit my job and leave all the mess to him. That little brat has been dead-eyed since he was a child, learning and training. I’m not his father, so what is he doing being so obedient? Isn’t he sick?”

Shen Lian rolled his eyes at Shen Xie, “So why are you running out in the middle of the night when you despise them?”

“Taking a walk.” Shen Xie kept a straight face, never intending to admit that he was here to help. “The matter has been solved, let’s go.”

“Leaving now?”

“Otherwise?” Shen Xie took Shen Lian’s hand and walked forward, “It’s very laborious to revive the soul using a corpse, go home and sleep.”

“Where is Young Master Ji?” Shen Lian couldn’t help worrying, “Lin Shuye is dead, and the antidote has not been obtained, what about Young Master Ji’s poison?”

“I don’t know…” Shen Xie raised his eyes and looked at the sky. The morning light was already on the horizon. “As of now, there’s no way. Let’s see what luck he has.”

Shen Lian still wanted to ask more questions but Shen Xie didn’t want to hear them. He leaned into Shen Lian’s ear and said something, causing Shen Lian to glare at him before turning his head and leaving.

“Ai? I’m talking to you about business, give me some face.” Shen Xie quickly caught up with him.

“I don’t want to listen.”

“Then change it?”

“Shut up and go home.”

“Okay.”

The morning light was faint and with a gentle breeze, the only traces on the ground were blown away.

The way Shen Qiuli died was kinda sad but at least he gets another chance to live the life he wanted