Ein Reisender, der alle Himmel und unzählige Welten durchquert

Kapitel 63

Lan Qi drew her jade fan, and Ming Er gently pushed it away. The dark figure floated to the ground, and a life vanished silently.

"Quick! We can't stay here any longer." Ming Er's lips moved slightly, and a faint whisper reached Lan Qi's ears.

Lan Qi nodded, and the two of them quickly took flight and landed silently on the roof. They leaned out and peeked down from the eaves. All they could see were gray stone walls with no doors or windows. If they hadn't heard someone breathing softly, they would never have thought that there were people in these tightly sealed stone houses.

Point your two fingers to the left and raise all five fingers, then point your two fingers to the right and raise all five fingers.

Lan Qi smiled, leaped to the left, and disappeared into the darkness in the blink of an eye.

Ming Er moved swiftly and disappeared into the darkness to the right.

The night remained silent, and the wind was still cold and sharp.

After a while, the two returned to their original spot. In the hazy, dark blue night, there was a dark mark on the back of Lan Qi's jade-like fan and a few dark plum blossoms on the hem of Ming Er's clothes.

The two exchanged a glance and smiled slightly, their eyes filled with icy indifference.

Lan Qi leaped down from the roof and tapped Ming Er's shoulder with her jade fan, "Open the door."

Ming Er glanced at her, lowered his eyes, and said nothing. He walked towards the row of seemingly seamless stone walls, stared at them intently for a moment, looked around, and then moved his feet.

Lan Qi watched him walk on the stone corridor from a distance of ten feet. His clothes fluttered, and his steps were light and leisurely. However, Lan Qi could see his caution from his slightly lowered eyes. His seemingly unpredictable movements were actually a mysterious way of walking.

A moment later, Ming Er suddenly and lightly struck the left stone wall with his palm. Then, the stone wall made a cracking sound and slowly turned open, revealing a doorway about ten feet wide. It was pitch black inside.

"This Dongming Island is so stingy, they won't even light a lamp," Lan Qi sighed softly.

Her words at this moment were intentional. Although she and Ming Er had just dealt with the experts hidden within five zhang of them, the sound of the stone door opening would surely alert them, not to mention the people inside. If the people hidden inside were from Dongming Island, they would not respond but would quietly wait to attack from the shadows. However, if the people inside were her companions, they would surely ask her a question regardless of whether they knew her or not.

Sure enough, as soon as Lan Qi finished speaking, a voice filled with great joy came from the stone house: "Seventh Young Master!"

Upon hearing the voice, the two raised their eyebrows. They recognized the person as an old acquaintance—Yuwen Luo, the fifth young master of the Yuwen family.

"Seventh Young Master! Is that you, Seventh Young Master?" Yuwen Luo shouted even louder, his voice filled with surprise and disbelief.

"Hehe, it's rare to see Brother Yuwen so concerned about me."

Lan Qi tugged at Ming Er's sleeve, and the two walked side by side into the stone gate. They were on guard, but instead of being attacked, they were met with an indescribable, foul, and pungent odor that made their chests churn. They both instinctively raised their hands to cover their noses. Ming Er then held up his left palm, and a luminous pearl in his palm emitted a soft, moonlit glow, illuminating the room.

The moment the room was illuminated, even Lan Qi and Ming Er were taken aback.

The stone house was originally very large, but it felt crowded because the ground was covered with people lying on it. Some were leaning against the walls, their hair disheveled, their clothes tattered, and their bodies stained with blood, making them unrecognizable. Near the door, there was a long stone trough on the ground, containing some cold, rancid-smelling, unidentifiable stuff. Next to the trough was a stone vat filled with yellowish-black...excrement that was about to overflow!

Ming Er suddenly closed his eyes and opened them again. A surge of energy welled up in his chest, almost bursting out of his mouth. He immediately channeled his inner strength to suppress it at his throat, but the air he was choking on made his throat sting painfully.

"Seventh Young Master! Brother Ming! It really is you!"

Before the two could react, a dirty figure rushed towards them. Ming Er, quick-witted and agile, blocked... well, rather, supported the person from a distance of a foot. However, a sour, fishy, and foul smell still rushed into his chest through his nostrils. The Second Young Master suddenly trembled and quickly turned his face towards Lan Qi. What he saw was a snow-white and exquisitely beautiful face. Instantly, the churning in his chest calmed down, and the urge to his throat slowly flowed back down. Then, taking advantage of the force of the person's charge, he stepped back to Lan Qi's side, lowered his head slightly, and inhaled a breath of cool, fragrant air, finally suppressing all discomfort.

In fact, if Lan Qi were the only one by his side, and since they already knew what kind of person the other was, Young Master Ming wouldn't mind vomiting to his heart's content to feel better. But if he vomited in front of so many people in the imperial martial arts world, his image as an immortal would be ruined, something the flawless Young Master Ming would never want to do, even if it meant death.

These actions of the Second Young Master Ming happened in the blink of an eye. Lan Qi was still wondering why the Second Young Master Ming had been knocked back by Yuwen Luo when she saw the Second Young Master gently and kindly supporting Yuwen Luo through his sleeve and asking, "Brother Yuwen, are you alright?"

Seeing the slight twitching at the corner of Ming Er's mouth and the bulging veins behind his ears, Lan Qi smiled knowingly and gleefully, muttering to himself, "Serves him right!"

"Brother Ming..." Yuwen Luo was so excited to see the two of them that he was like someone who had been imprisoned for decades but was suddenly granted amnesty and allowed to see the light of day again. He choked up and could not say anything more.

Those who were lying or leaning on the ground also got up. Although their faces were so dirty that their features were not visible, the joy in their eyes was clear and the same.

"It's Seventh Young Master and Second Young Master!" many people exclaimed in surprise.

Months of inhuman suffering had dulled the minds of these once-skilled martial arts masters. For a moment, they just stared blankly at Ming Er and Lan Qi, who had suddenly appeared, and had no other reaction.

Lan Qi's green eyes flashed, and she said, "There's no time."

Ming Er also heard the commotion and immediately said, "Let's get out of here quickly." He then looked at the others in the room, "Is everyone alright on their own?"

"His internal energy was sealed, but his limbs were not broken," a cold, arrogant voice replied, and slowly stood up.

"Big brother." Yuwen Luo hurriedly ran over to help him. Needless to say, this must be the arrogant and overbearing eldest son of the Yuwen family, Yuwen Feng.

"Oh dear, is this Young Master Yuwen?" Lan Qi sighed and shook his head as he looked at Yuwen Feng, who was covered in wounds and walked unsteadily. "If I hadn't spoken, I wouldn't have recognized you, Young Master."

"Hmph!" Yuwen Feng immediately pushed away Yuwen Luo's support and strode out.

"Brother, your injury..." Yuwen Luo hurriedly chased after him to help him up.

Yuwen Feng forcefully shook off his brother's outstretched hand, but he used too much force and was also injured and unable to move easily. He lost his balance and fell forward, unfortunately, right in front of Lan Qi.

"Big brother!" Yuwen Luo cried out anxiously when he saw his brother lose his balance. "If your wounds reopen..." Before he could finish speaking, Lan Qi stretched out her hands and caught Yuwen Feng, who was falling towards her.

"Oh dear, young master, even if you are interested in me and want to throw yourself into my arms, although I don't care about sharing peaches or homosexuality, I will still feel embarrassed in front of so many people."

The typical words of the Seventh Young Master Lan made the grieving people in the room forget the imminent danger and burst into laughter.

At that moment, the two were very close. Yuwen Feng could even feel Lan Qi's gentle breathing. In that instant, his whole body stiffened like a stone. Then he suddenly broke free from Lan Qi's hand and retreated. He retreated too quickly, aggravating his injuries. In the pain, he fell backward again. Fortunately, Yuwen Luo arrived in time.

"Big brother, are you alright?" Yuwen Luo hugged his brother who had fallen over, and when his hands touched his brother's body, he felt that his brother's body temperature was unusually high.

"It's nothing." This time, Yuwen Feng didn't push Yuwen Luo away again, but let him help him walk out, without glancing at Lan Qi from beginning to end.

Ming Er glanced at Lan Qi with a half-smile, and said gently, "Everyone, please hurry, the people of Dongming Island will soon find out."

Having said this, he held his breath, stepped forward to help one person up, and quickly walked out of the stone house. Then he quickly returned to help the one who was more severely injured and unable to move, repeating this process repeatedly, deeply moving everyone present. The Second Young Master Ming truly lived up to his reputation as a banished immortal; his compassion was indeed that of a celestial being. In contrast, that Bi Yao…

"Young Master, judging from your appearance, your injuries are quite serious. Who dared to hurt you? Tell me quickly, and I'll stand up for you next time." Lan Qi was teasing Yuwen Feng with great interest. She always enjoyed provoking the arrogant and haughty Young Master Yuwen. She felt a great sense of accomplishment when she made him furious and stomp his feet.

Supported by Yuwen Luo, Yuwen Feng was the first to emerge from the stone house. The crisp, cool air instantly refreshed him, making Lan Qi's provocation seem insignificant. Since he had never gained the upper hand, he maintained his usual strategy: silence was golden.

Those who were free to move around walked out of the stone house on their own, and in no time, more than half of the people inside had left.

"Brother Qinghe! Brother Mei! Master Jin! Sect Leader Tang! Young Master Sheng..."

Hearing Ming Er's repeated, low exclamations of joy at reuniting with an old friend, Lan Qi curled her lip. "A fake immortal like him," she thought, "he's clearly not that happy." Suddenly, a thought struck her. She looked at Yuwen Luo and asked, "Brother Luo, where is my fiancé?"

At this moment, the thick clouds dispersed, the moonlight was like frost, and the stone house and people were all bathed in silvery light.

Yuwen Luo, who had just stepped out of the stone house and was seeing the sky again, was initially beaming with joy, but at Lan Qi's question, a look of sorrow suddenly appeared on his face, "Ning Lang, he..."

"How is it?" Lan Qi's green eyes flashed for a moment, her voice cool and indifferent without any inflection.

Yuwen Luo stared at her intently and said, "Ning Lang is dead..."

A night breeze swept by, its chill penetrating to the bone.

Lan Qi remained silent and motionless, maintaining her usual indifferent demeanor.

"If Ning Lang dies, what will Seventh Young Master do?" Yuwen Luo stared directly at Lan Qi. That simple, carefree, and somewhat foolish boy had already tasted the bitterness of life because of this person, so how would this person treat him? Did he care even a little? He felt sorry for that foolish boy, and he couldn't help but probe.

"Hmm?" Lan Qi raised an eyebrow, then smiled.

It was still that bewitching smile, but this smile made Yuwen Luo feel the chill of winter for the first time since leaving the stone house—a bone-chilling cold and a piercing pain.

"Boy, how dare you test me?" Lan Qiyi said calmly, tapping her palm with her jade fan. "So, is he dead or alive?"

Those emerald eyes were as deep and unfathomable as a soul-devouring pool, and as cold as an ice sword that could sever a throat. Yuwen Luo couldn't help but clench his fist, and Yuwen Feng's arm ached from his grip, but he was oblivious, and just stubbornly asked, "What will happen to Seventh Young Master?"

Lan Qi smiled again, a smile that made Yuwen Luo feel as if she were in an ice cellar.

"If he's dead, he's dead; if he's alive, he's alive. That's his own fate."

Yuwen Luo shuddered. "Seventh Young Master doesn't care at all?"

"Oh," Lan Qi responded vaguely.

“How could you…” A fire suddenly ignited in Yuwen Luo’s heart.

“Ning Lang is here.” A deep voice came. Then two people walked out of the stone house, also covered in bloodstains. One of them was carrying a person in his arms. They slowly walked out of the shadows into the moonlight and revealed their figures and faces. They were Xie Mo and Song Gen from the Qianbi Sect. The person who was being held in Song Gen’s arms and who was so quiet that he seemed to have no breath at all was Ning Lang.

Xie Mo and Song Gen stared coldly at Lan Qi, but Lan Qi only looked at Ning Lang.

The tattered clothes were covered in brown bloodstains, the limbs hung limply with open wounds, and the face was not visible, only brown bloodstains could be seen winding down from the corner of the lips.

Lan Qi watched quietly, her face expressionless.

Suddenly, Ming Er moved swiftly, flashing towards the rooftop. The faint sound of sword energy could be heard, and a moment later, a dark figure fell silently to the ground.

"The people of Dongming Island have been discovered." Ming Er floated down gently, landing between Lan Qi, Xie Mo, and Song Gen. "Are you two senior brothers able to move around freely? Is Ning Lang's injury serious?"

Two simple, understated words, yet they seemed like an invisible hand lifting a layer of stiffness.

"Although Yun Wuyai is ruthless, my senior brother and I still have 20% of our strength remaining. We will definitely bring our junior brother back to Qianbi Mountain." Song Gen stared coldly at Lan Qi.

“That’s very good.” Ming Er glanced at Ning Lang, then turned to look at Lan Qi.

When Ming Er's gaze fell on Lan Qi's face, she suddenly woke up as if from a dream. Her green eyes blinked, and what she saw was Ming Er's calm and composed face.

"The stone houses here are all built according to the formation. Please follow me out." Ming Er looked at Lan Qi, but spoke to the others. After speaking, he turned and led the way.

By this time, almost everyone in the stone house had come out. The seriously injured were being helped by the less seriously injured. Seeing the clear moonlight, they were still in a dream. Hearing Ming Er's words, they didn't have time to think and hurriedly followed behind.

"Wait!" Yuwen Luo suddenly called out again.

Ming Er stopped and turned around, and everyone looked at him.

"Miss Qiu and the others are also locked up here." Yuwen Luo looked around, but all he could see were rows of stone walls, and he couldn't tell where the door was.

Everyone immediately remembered that their other companions were also imprisoned, and they all looked at Ming Er, hoping that only the Second Young Master could rescue them.

Upon hearing this, Lan Qi also looked at Ming Er, her green eyes blinking with a half-smile.

At that moment, a chill ran through them, sword light flashed, and four black figures descended from the sky. Ming Er and Lan Qi leaped up in the air to meet the black figures. Their bamboo flutes and jade fans were drawn simultaneously. Several screams rang out, and blood rained down. The people below who were looking up suddenly felt a warm sensation on their faces and smelled a strong stench. They realized that it was blood that had been spilled. They were stunned and frightened, not knowing whether to be shocked or afraid.

Four corpses landed with a thud, and then two figures floated down lightly.

"This is troublesome," Lan Qi sighed.

The noise must have startled the experts guarding this group of stone houses. These people have all lost their internal energy, making escape difficult enough, and now, with the added traps and mechanisms, it seems...

He turned to look at Ming Er, their eyes met, and they nodded to each other.

You broke through the formation.

I opened the door.

Lan Qi leaped back the way he came and disappeared in the blink of an eye, while Ming Er circled in front of the stone wall, then moved in front of another stone wall using the same footwork as before. He then raised his palm and swung it at the stone wall. After a moment, the stone wall slowly moved, and a soft voice came from inside: "Is that the Second Young Master?"

Clearly, the people inside the wall also heard what they just said.

A doorway, about ten feet wide, opened in the stone wall, and a slender figure darted out swiftly. "Is that the Second Young Master?"

“It’s me.” Ming Er greeted the slender figure. “Miss Yokobo, you’ve suffered.”

Her slender figure was exposed under the moonlight, her hair disheveled, her beauty unchanged, like autumn waves rippling across the water.

"Second Young Master!" Qiu Hengbo looked at Ming Er with delight.

"Is Miss Yokomura alright?" Ming Er smiled gently. "How are the others? Are they able to move around freely?"