Entering the Spirit Void 145. Preparing to Set Off

Gongsun Qi nodded nonchalantly and said, "Indeed, my younger sibling has been sickly since birth. Following local customs, the old man, fearing the child was too delicate and would never grow up, gave her a girl's name, which supposedly makes raising a child easier."

Xiaomei puffed up her cheeks and glared fiercely at Gongsun Qi. Seeing this, Ma Qianli wanted to laugh but forced it back, holding a most comical expression on his face.

Catching this out of the corner of her eye, Yin Tianlan felt a trace of suspicion flash through her heart. Gongsun Qi simply burst into hearty laughter and said, "Don't be angry, Brother Xiao. Now you have grown up and even surpassed me, your older brother. Just look at the formidable reputation you earned in Bayan; it proves you are entirely worthy of it. Bringing up childhood matters in casual conversation does no harm—it is hardly worth getting angry over."

Hearing this, Xiaomei grew even angrier. However, Gongsun Qi's words completely dispersed the lingering trace of doubt in Yin Tianlan's mind, banishing it without a trace. She even covered her mouth and smiled.

Ma Qianli could no longer hold it in and burst into loud laughter. Xiaomei pointed a finger at Gongsun Qi and opened her mouth to retort, but Gongsun Qi cut her off, saying, "Let us end the idle talk here. Brother Xiao, people have come to sincerely invite you. Whether you go or not, you should at least give them an answer."

Irritated, Xiaomei tossed her head and said, "I'm not going!"

Yin Tianlan was momentarily stunned, but Gongsun Qi said, "In my view, you ought to go."

Having finally found a rare opportunity to put Gongsun Qi in a difficult spot, how could Xiaomei let it slip by? She retorted, "If you want to go, you go!"

Gongsun Qi smiled and replied, "How can I go? First, they are extending this invitation specifically to you. In both reason and etiquette, an older brother cannot stand in for his younger sibling. Second, I am utterly frail and lack even the strength to bind a chicken. Should the old proverb prove true—that 'no banquet is hosted with good intentions, and no gathering is held for pure motives'—wouldn't I be walking straight to my death? Can you bear to be so heartless?"

Panicking, Yin Tianlan corrected him with a serious tone, "What kind of talk is that, Young Master Gongsun? Although I, Yin Tianlan, am a woman, I have always treated people openly and honorably."

Before she could finish, Gongsun Qi let out a sigh and said, "Field Master Yin, you are truly foolish. I was merely using a reverse psychology tactic on my younger sibling. By stating it so plainly, you've ruined everything—all our efforts are wasted!"

Yin Tianlan blushed, turned to Xiaomei, and asked, "Are you truly rejecting my sincere invitation?"

Xiaomei glanced at Gongsun Qi, formed a plan, and asked, "Did the Field Master also invite my older brother?"

Not understanding the hidden meaning, Yin Tianlan replied, "Of course I extended the invitation to both of you."

Tossing her head, Xiaomei said, "If he goes, I am not going!"

Gongsun Qi immediately waved his hand and said, "No, Field Master Yin. I have always followed my younger sibling's commands. Since he says I am not to go, I have no choice but to stay behind. Let us consider the matter settled at that."

Accustomed to never yielding to Gongsun Qi, Xiaomei immediately chimed in, "I doubt you'll obey!"

Yin Tianlan smiled again and asked, "Surely my plea for you to come carries no weight at all?"

Gongsun Qi replied, "To be frank, I have not yet fully recovered my health, and the climate on the mountain is bitterly cold. I fear my frail body cannot withstand it. My younger sibling is only acting out of kindness; Field Master Yin ought to understand."

Things having reached this point, further discussion was futile, and the matter was decided. Yin Tianlan immediately rose to take her leave. Out of courtesy, Xiaomei and Ma Qianli escorted her out, while Gongsun Qi remained behind, using his poor health as an excuse.

As Xiaomei and Yin Tianlan stepped out the door, Gongsun Qi happened to see a young woman carrying a cloth bundle walk into one of the inner guest rooms. The young woman was exceptionally pretty, and her demeanor and behavior immediately marked her as a lady of good breeding.

This woman was none other than Yang Yifei. The moment Gongsun Qi laid eyes on Yang Yifei, he was struck by her celestial beauty, and he immediately asked Ma Qianli to discreetly inquire about her identity.

Ma Qianli acknowledged the request and went to find out who Yang Yifei was. Meanwhile, Mo Dao's divine sense had already detected the conversation between Ma Qianli and Gongsun Qi, prompting him to step out directly.

"Are you attempting to gather information about my female companion?" Mo Dao asked, his brow furrowing as he confronted Gongsun Qi.

Gongsun Qi was slightly startled, wondering how Mo Dao could possibly have known.

"How did Your Excellency come to know of this?" Gongsun Qi asked with a frown.

Mo Dao glanced at him and replied, "If you do not want others to know, you should not have done it in the first place."

"Ah, please do not misunderstand, Your Excellency. I was unaware that the young lady had a male companion. It was truly a presumption on my part, and I hope you will be magnanimous and forgive me." Seeing that Gongsun Qi was courteous and bore no resemblance to a villain, Mo Dao relaxed his furrowed brow.

"I am Mo Dao. May I ask your esteemed surname and full name?"

"Ah, my compound surname is Gongsun, and my given name is simply Qi. Shall we go inside to talk?" Gongsun Qi made an inviting gesture.

Once inside the room, Gongsun Qi explained his reasons for coming to Bayan, causing Mo Dao's brow to furrow deeply. "There is such a matter?"

Just as Gongsun Qi was about to reply, Xiaomei returned.

Ma Qianli tactfully remained in the reception area as Xiaomei stepped into the room. "This is Young Master Mo Dao, who is also staying at this inn," Gongsun Qi introduced, turning to Xiaomei.

"And this is... Brother Xiao," Gongsun Qi said after a brief hesitation.

"I suspect it is Sister Xiao, rather," Mo Dao said with a light chuckle.

Xiaomei instantly grew alert.

Seeing her reaction, Mo Dao quickly added, "The two of you, please do not misunderstand. A man ought to have an Adam's apple, but I noticed our friend here does not, which led me to this deduction."

Hearing this, Xiaomei put away her murderous intent. "Haha, I never imagined Young Master Mo would be so observant," Gongsun Qi suddenly laughed heartily.

After a moment of hesitation, Xiaomei said, "Tomorrow I am going to Mount Changbai with Yin Tianlan. What about you?"

Gongsun Qi replied, "You resolutely refuse to let me go, yet you ask me what I will do?"

Xiaomei smiled and asked, "By acting this way, what are you trying to prove?"

Gongsun Qi lowered his head in silence. Xiaomei continued, "You simply stand by and watch brutal villains slaughter the innocent day after day, remaining completely indifferent! I refuse to believe this was the wish of 'Elder Yun' when he imparted his teachings to you!"

Gongsun Qi let out a long sigh. "A master-killer..."

Xiaomei interrupted in a deep, stern voice, "Stop! You are not the one who killed your master; you were merely tricked!"

Gongsun Qi gave a bitter smile. "It amounts to the same thing. If not for my rashness, how could his vital energy have reversed, leading to such a miserable death? My hands are still stained with blood, and I once took a solemn vow, unless—"

Xiaomei picked up his sentence. "—unless you can prove that the mastermind who secretly plotted against the old man with bizarre poison, tricking you and leading to his tragic death, is not the very villain currently hiding behind the scenes?"

Humming coldly, Xiaomei added, "Ma Fengyang owns a lavish mansion, and I believe there are quite a few things inside worth seeing. For the sake of those innocent victims who suffered such unfilial tragedies, I must go take a look!"

Gongsun Qi let out a soft sigh. "Xiaomei, aren't you deliberately making things difficult for me?"

Xiaomei asked earnestly, "What, you aren't coming?"

With another long sigh, Gongsun Qi said, "Besides, you still cannot prove that he is indeed the one."

Xiaomei said solemnly, "True, which is why I must search—to find the evidence!"

Gongsun Qi replied, "Very well. Once the evidence is complete and proves beyond a doubt that this person is indeed the culprit, you won't need to urge me; I will capture him alive myself and exact revenge for my honored master!"

Xiaomei said in a deep voice, "Who is going to look for this evidence for you? Me? Hmph! What are you going to do yourself? You ought to think more deeply about this."

Gongsun Qi casually replied, "I am thinking about it right now."

Xiaomei gently pressed her delicate hand against Gongsun Qi's knee, shaking it slightly as she said, "Brother Qi, I am not trying to force you to break your own oath, nor am I doing this solely because of the mining accident. To be honest, you have always trusted my 'special' intuition."

Lowering his head in shame, Gongsun Qi answered, "Perhaps your intuition is entirely correct. The ultimate culprit hiding behind the scenes is indeed the enemy who plotted to trick me. However, I also have a thought of my own."

Xiaomei cut in, "I understand your thoughts. You wish to wait until certain clues or pieces of evidence are confirmed before you are willing to investigate personally, because your master's dying words still echo in your ears, even though you admit those instructions were overly rigid."

Gongsun Qi suddenly raised his head and said sternly, "Xiaomei, from beginning to end, I believe that oath was not mistaken in the slightest!"

Xiaomei retorted, "Fine, let us assume that is true! What of it?"

Gongsun Qi said, "I have already agreed to let you investigate these matters. However, I will proceed with the utmost caution. I will take action only after ensuring I do not violate my oath and after careful consideration of every step. I believe my late master's spirit in heaven will bless and protect me."

Xiaomei could not help asking, "Are you telling me that your coming to Bayan this time was not the result of careful consideration?"

Knowing what Xiaomei was referring to, Gongsun Qi replied, "This time was an entirely unforeseen accident."

A gaze swept across Gongsun Qi's face as Xiaomei said, "You must realize that throughout a person's life, there is no telling how many unexpected accidents one will encounter. If another such incident happens, what will you do then?"

Gongsun Qi was struck dumb. He lowered his head without a word. Feeling a mixture of sorrow and frustration, Xiaomei said coldly, "I will not compel you."

Gongsun Qi replied, "Xiaomei, these past three or four years, I know you have suffered. I cannot risk my life to investigate the mastermind, nor can I break my oath to use even the slightest bit of martial arts. If not for you, I would have died countless times already. I cannot simply say that your sacrifices are only to be expected, but neither can I deny that the very moment I took that oath, it was because I knew I had you to lean upon."

At this, he let out another desolate sigh and murmured, "Of course, I am far too selfish."

Sensing that any further words were redundant, Xiaomei could only let out a soft sigh.

Lifting his head to look at her, Gongsun Qi placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Xiaomei, I will think of a way to investigate Ma Fengyang's mansion here, and I promise there will be no danger."

Xiaomei forced a smile. "Never mind. Consider that last thing unsaid. Let us keep things as they were before—whenever you take any action, just give me a heads-up beforehand so I am aware of it."

"What riddles are the two of you whispering to each other?" Mo Dao suddenly asked.

Gongsun Qi smiled faintly. "It is nothing."

"You are heading to some mine, aren't you? If you don't mind, I can accompany you. Perhaps I can be of some help," Mo Dao offered with a smile.

"That would be even better," Xiaomei said cheerfully.

Once settled, Mo Dao returned to his room and informed Yang Yifei about the trip to the mine the following day.

Being a chivalrous heroine by nature, Yang Yifei readily agreed. After finishing their evening meal, the two blew out the lanterns and retired for the night.

Early the next morning, Yin Tianlan and her men arrived. Using his frail health once again as an excuse, Gongsun Qi declined the invitation. Thus, accompanied by Ma Qianli and Gongsun Qi's farewells, Xiaomei, Yin Tianlan, and Mo Dao set off on their journey.

Whether by design or intent, Yin Tianlan's entourage did not travel alongside them, but instead departed ahead of time to serve as an advance party.

Watching this unfold, the departing Gongsun Qi could not help finding it somewhat amusing. In the front courtyard of the eastern wing, Ma Qianli earnestly said to Gongsun Qi, "Brother, I am a blunt and rough man, and I don't understand why you swore an oath never to use your martial arts again. However, I do know that the young lady is walking straight into danger by going on this trip."

Knowing that explanations were futile, Gongsun Qi smiled and replied, "She travels ahead as a guest, while I shall investigate covertly and follow behind. Still, with Young Master Mo accompanying them, I can set my mind at ease."