Chapter 10: I Am Late

Ling Yun had learned three things from their chat.

Firstly, he learnt that there exists a sect that wishes to destroy the Whistling Thorn Sect for reasons unknown.

Secondly, he learnt that Gu Luofan was sent here to die, the reason why he was chosen also remains unknown.

Lastly, he learnt that there were a hundred more questions he had than he realised. For example, who, what and where were the Blood Moon Cult? Or why they don't simply just attack since they were probably an Unorthodox Sect? Or how did the ladies look in such a sect in comparison to this sect and whether or not he should shift allegiances…

Except for the last one, these were all questions that Ling Yun had also made sure to ask. The answer he received was as such:

The Blood Moon Cult was the name all Unorthodox Sects called them. In fact, on the surface the Blood Moon Cult were a kind and just sect known as the Golden Sun Monastery. They pretend to be a strange offshoot of buddhism and even go as far as to wear the traditional brown kasaya and pray to a god they do not believe in.

This means that they are often showered in praise and can deal with both orthodox and unorthodox sects. This strength was also a weakness, since they cannot just attack another sect for no reason. In fact, their reasoning as to how Gu Xuebing's first disciple died was simply that they could not handle the harsh training of a monk and thus died beaten and bruised...

As to why the Whistling Thorn Sect was afraid of them? It wasn't necessarily because they were weaker; in fact they were stronger. However, although they were a bunch of unruly killers, that didn't mean they were crazy enough to fight against an orthodox sect. The explanation of which can be shown in a single scene.

Blood Moon Cult: "You dare fight back when I'm trying to kill you!?"

Whistling Thorn Sect: "I dare!"

Random Orthodox Sect 1: "Insolent! I must help my fellow Golden Sun Monastery get revenge!"

Whistling Thorn Sect: "Roll!"

Random Orthodox Sect 2: "This is truly a sad sight to see! Junior, you have eyes yet you failed to see Mt. Tai! Come Orthodox Sect 3, 4 and 5! Let us seek revenge for our fellow brethren!

Whistling Thorn Sect: "...6 on 1, where is your shame!"

Blood Moon Cult: "What is shame? Can it be eaten?"

Whistling Thorn Sect: "..."

As the clouds drift by, and as the avalanche of questions melted, Ling Yun took a sip of his cup only to realise there was no more tea. With a start, he looked at the wrist only to realise that watches did not exist in this world.

"Do you want me to refill your cup?" Gu Luofan asked politely.

"No, ah, it's just that I promised one of my friends I'd return by afternoon."

"Then I'll do the washing up. I don't want to keep them waiting, but I hope you still come visiting."

"For sure!"

"Thank you." A smile touched his lips. This was different from the other restrained smiles or laughters he often gave. This one came from genuine heartfelt respect and gratefulness. It made his face seem just a bit lighter.

Ling Yun stood up, and was escorted out by Gu Luofan. They passed by Gu Xuebing who was still basking in the sun on her wooden chair. "Men and women shouldn't be in the same room together, else rumours might spread." Gu Xuebing remarked.

"Doesn't that include you too?" Ling Yun retorted. "And I'm a man, in case you didn't realise."

Gu Xuebing had a mischievous twinkle in her eye before replying. "I didn't say you weren't."

"Didn't you think I was a girl when I first arrived?" Ling Yun wondered out loud.

"He and she are pronounced the same way, no?"

"Well, yeah but you said..."

Gu Luofan gently pushed Ling Yun away. "Please leave before my master confuses you."

"That I will do." Ling Yun nodded and waved goodbye.

He hurried back home. Since he was unsure of how time is measured here, he did not allow himself to be distracted, thus arriving back just before the sun reached its zenith. Somehow, the people he passed by did not seem to be alarmed by his appearance.

This made Ling Yun confused as to whether he was really lucky, or whether he wasn't as wanted by Feng Tian as he thought he was. Little did Ling Yun know that everyone who saw him just mistook him for a random female disciple…

Sneaking back into his room using the Turtle Breathing Meditation Method, Ling Yun opened the door only to see Niang Er and Ma Wanfu kneeling on the ground in repentance. His heart sunk at this scene before proceeding to dive off a cliff when he noticed a voluptuous figure dressed in black-and-white robes sitting on his bed.

"Welcome back, master! What a coincidence, I had just returned from the toilet and--"

Qian Mei gestured for Ling Yun to stop his excuses. Her hands were dipped in red, scaring Ling Yun into thinking one of the maids were harmed because of him. Luckily, neither of the two were currently bleeding to death.

"I took you in because I thought you had talent. However, talent is just unrealised potential." Qian Mei pupils sharpened to a point as she lectured. "And if such potential cannot be tamed by me… then I have no choice but to snuff this danger out in the bud.." She then added. "-for the safety of this sect."

A terrifyingly immense amount of bloodlust was unleashed by Qian Mei. It was so powerful that Ling Yun actually had delusions of standing in a battlefield built atop countless corpses and at its peak stood a certain black-and-white robed woman.

It was enough to paralyze a 4 Star Pugilist with fear. Unfortunately, this did not work on Ling Yun since he had long been rid of his fear of death. Thus, after that brief scene, Ling Yun simply scratched the back of his head in confusion while he awaited something awesome to happen.

Thump! The two maids suddenly slammed their heads. They kept kowtowing while pleading mercy for different things.

Ma Wanfu: "Master, please do not dirty your pure, pristine and beautiful hands and allow this lowly maid to cut off this unruly disciple's head! Of course, this maid will need to remain alive to do so.."

Niang Er: "Big Sister Qian Mei, please do not blame Ling Yun! I was too naive and allowed myself to be tricked. Please give us one more chance, we won't disappoint you again!"

"Enough!" Qian Mei drew back her killing intent. "I've done enough killing for today." Disgust and disdain filled her expression as she remembered what she had done earlier this morning. She stopped the kowtowing maids before sending off a smiling Ma Wanfu and a reluctant Niang Er.

Left alone with Ling Yun, Qian Mei softened her features before slumping onto the bed. "Ling Yun, you really don't understand how much danger you're in."

"I do understand. The sect leader's son is searching for me, how could I not?"

"Those words are enough for me to repeat once more: you really don't understand how much danger you're in. You are sorely mistaken if you think even I can save you once Feng Tian has his claws on you."

Ling Yun said nothing. Why would he be afraid when he literally can't die? In fact, it can be said that in this world, nothing can truly ever scare Ling Yun through the threat of death.

Qian Mei continued. "Feng Tian is evil. Even comparing him to every member of this sect combined, and the many devils and demons I've met in the years I've travelled through the jianghu, I can safely and confidently say: Feng Tian is a true monster. A monster with no remorse; a killer who kills for the sake of killing."

She watched Ling Yun attempt to put on a mask of horror before failing miserably. Sighing aloud, she revolved the qi in her dantian, swept a piece of her memory and then concentrated that qi into her fingers. "I don't know why I expected you to be scared when you didn't even flinch at my killing intent, however, seeing is always better than hearing. Let me show you.. Feng Tian, the Unrepentant."

And she tapped the centre of Ling Yun's forehead, sending his vision haywire and putting him in her point-of-view two hours earlier. Although this experience was both surreal and shocking, Ling Yun could not even praise the existence of such a method in this world before vomiting.

Or at least he tried to vomit. After all, he was currently in Qian Mei's body, so he could only follow according to what she did previously. As for the scene that caused him to puke?

It was Feng Tian sitting on the body of a beheaded old man, while cutting off the hand of another young man. Ling Yun recognised the two as both his mentor and friend back when he was a cleaner.