They had left the angry mobs to a safer junction where not many people that looked angry to them were. They had stopped to take a breath and after all had at least had enough breath, began to rant, Xing Yue began.
"What's wrong with you? Why would you act like that?" She scolded.
"They were just shouting and talking over my head, what did you think that I should have done, agreed to it? Think again." Guo N'Yang shouted back.
"This was why Emperor Tian Zhao refused you of any mission till now. I'm sure he's still having second thoughts about his decision." Xing Yue argued back.
As angry as Guo N'Yang was, she bit her lips, while her borrows were furrowed deeply. "And this is why all your friends want you dead. Selfish and stupid. You think the world revolves around you, because you are popular?"
"What did you just say?" Xing Yue for a moment seems like she wasn't herself.
"You heard me right."
And that was it. Xing Yue groaned so loudly that Chufeng who was still holding her injured hand, felt that the sky was about to darken. She has never seen that kind of power, yet it would be disasterous, if she should witness it.
Though she had only been born two hundred years ago, she had been an admirer of knowledge. That was why when she was of age, she had volunteered to be under the mean looking Guo N'Yang, despite knowing the fact that it could be her nightmare. It was after spending much time with her, did Chufeng realize just how wrong people were. And how fast, they are to judge others just by their face alone without actually knowing them.
And while in the library collecting knowledge and making sure she was not in Guo N'Yang's bad side. She read about the famous Star god. The only female who was given the title of a god. Others were either called immortals just like her and other younger immortals, or goddesses just like her master Guo N'Yang who was also called the goddess of knowledge because there was nothing that was recorded she didn't know. Because of Xing Yue's unparallel beauty, and all the attributes she had collected, she was able to be compared to man's ability. Though she was called a god, she still address herself to her mates and those who don't actually know her as the Star goddess.
Chufeng thought if it was possible that she could actually change the weather from night to day. It was supposed to be one of the things she could do and the only time it was recorded was during the Great war, hundreds thousand years ago. And it wasn't a good thing to remember. Of course it was never good.
"I'm regretting bringing you to tag along with us. You're nothing but a disaster."
"For once Xing Yue, I agree that I have the same thought about you too."
Jiang Yunxian on the other hand, was supporting himself on a wall, while listening to them argue. For once in a long time, he somewhat felt accomplished. Like what can man do? Two beauties arguing. Anyone watching or seeing the situation without knowing the reason, might think that these two beauties, were fighting for a very handsome man like him.
He shouldn't have that thought?
If there's another thing Jiang Yunxian knows how to do other than being carefree was believing that without him, the word 'handsome' shouldn't have been created. And the worst part, he wasn't wrong about being handsome. But....that's just his brain.
But his thoughts were short-lived before Chufeng, still holding her injured hand walked over.
"Aren't we going to stop them?" She asked.
"Why should we? It's such a beautiful sight. Beauties fighting, men would pay fortunes to see this drama unfold." He sighed, then added. "Fortunately for me, I'm watching it free of charge. Isn't that great?"
Chufeng "..."
"What? Do you want to join? I'm sorry, I don't court ancestors."
Chufeng "..."
Wow! This was unbelievable. Never in her life has she encountered such a person. Though the things she sees were mostly books and relics. Either way, this man wasn't to be trusted with ladies.
Chufeng smacked his head. "And I'm not interested in you either. They are fighting."
"So?"
"Have you ever seen them fight before?"
"They are just ladies. What's there to fight about? Besides, we men don't fight stupid like you women." He stated as a matter of fact.
Chufeng sighed in exasperation. "If it was up there, the situation wouldn't be so dire because of the constant flow of spiritual energy. But imagine two powerful being taking their petty fights here, in the mortal realm....what do you think would happen?" Chufeng when she said 'up there' she raised her index finger towards the heavens to emphasize which up 'there' she meant, likewise the same when she said 'here at the mortal realm.'
That made sense.
"Who are you calling petty?" Xing Yue and Guo N'Yang both yelled towards their direction.
Jiang Yunxian. "..."
Chufeng. "..."
Weren't they just fighting each other? Are they (Jiang Yunxian and Chufeng) now the target?
"Chufeng, I can see you have lived enough and don't value yourself anymore, right?" Guo N'Yang said.
"Why? You are going to chop off her body bit by bit in order to satisfy your monstrous anger building self huh?" Xing Yue bit back.
"That would be a great idea. But not before mutilating you first, that would be a wonderful sight."
"It's okay!!! Are you kids or killers? I can't believe that man up there really proclaimed you goddesses! I can't really...with you." Finally Jiang Yunxian decided that his voice should be heard.
In as much as he liked seeing chaos, he isn't into destroying things. So, when they started going off his original 'kind of argument' he felt that if he didn't interfere, this place would be in doom. Trust him, he doesn't want people having the thought that the beauties were too obsessed with him, thus labeling him a 'killer'.
'Because they loved him too much, this place is now in ruins.' This isn't his kind of thing.
"You ladies shouldn't argue. As much as I love the fact that I am the only handsome man here, and two beauties, I still value the lands and everything in it. So, please tune it down."
"Are you crazy? Even if I'm as angry as I know I am, I'm not crazy to start a fight with her. I don't know for her though." Xing Yue said taking deep breaths to calm herself down.
"Likewise." Guo N'Yang scoffed. And like some dramatic children unable to stand each other, they both scoffed and turned their faces the other side not wanting to see each other's faces.
And it was then, that Jiang Yunxian realized that these two were kids. Maybe they left their maturity back in heaven. Or they both lost their sense of reasoning after seeing each other.
A full whole minute passed before Chufeng had the daring guts to speak. "What about what happened at the brothel? Things were alright the whole way. How could such a thing happen at such time?" She asked.
"I have no idea. In all my life, I've never seen such. That's confusing." Guo N'Yang said.
Of course she wouldn't because she's rarely out of the library. Many things she knew were all from the scrolls and chronicles. Nothing else. Xing Yue wanted to desperately say that, but considering the fact that she had let her composure slip, she bit back her retort, saying instead. "He, I and Rong Qi had encountered this first at an inn. We followed the trace and found an old couple who owns a farmhouse and eventually, we saw first hand, how they turned to that kind of corpse."
Jiang Yunxian nodded.
"Master, she seemed as though you were about to find out something. Do you happen..."
"I didn't. I was thinking to know if I had. But that girl's wailing kept distracting me. Damn! I could have slapped her senses back." Guo N'Yang said, her face contorting to different angry facial expressions.
Jiang Yunxian looked at her. "Then, you could've been poisoned."
Both looked at him.
"Poisoned?" The three of them asked in unison.
"Yes, poisoned!"
"I don't get poisoned easily. Why would they poison me?" Guo N'Yang asked.
"Because of your temper. You have a very sour temper." Jiang Yunxian said.
"Finally." Xing Yue muttered.
"Are you trying to test my patience, right now?" Guo N'Yang was already as angry as she tried to let it cool.
"I'm not trying anything. I'm telling you that was what almost got you poisoned on your first day here."
"Master, I think I understand what he's trying to say." Chufeng tried to soothe the tension.
"You do?"
Chufeng nodded. "I remember when you were looking at the corpse with furrowed brows, the girl seemed to cry louder, making you more angry. And the more angry you become, the more agitated you are."
"So, you are saying she intentionally cried louder? She should, it's her sister after all."
"That we don't know for sure." Xing Yue said. Everyone looked at her. "She said she went to fetch her sister, and it turned out that she's like this. We only heard her say it, but it wasn't confirmed."
"I'm not following." Guo N'Yang said still trying to understand what they were saying.
Xing Yue sighed.
"For people to actually recommend her to that brothel, it means that people know her and her sister. When she said her 'sister', many people there, could have confirmed this. But none did. As famous as that brothel is, it isn't possible that no one recognized them as siblings. Just like me calling you my sister doesn't mean we are both sisters." Said Xing Yue finding a spot to sit.
"You are right, them calling us twins doesn't actually mean we are twins. Which means that they did either, or neither know each other." Guo N'Yang seems to understand something said.
"Jiang Yunxian, what do you know?" Xing Yue asked. Seeing that Jiang Yunxian wasn't actually listening to them.
"Huh? Aiya! Why are you looking at me like that? Am I that irresistible?"
At this time, he still has the nerve to joke around. Looks like Guo N'Yang underestimated this young fella.
"Let's be serious." He said after joking.
Wow! That's rich coming out of his mouth. He deserves to be called a hypocrite.
"Remember back then, the first time we encountered such events. The two men we saw? The Hu customers? What was their temperament?" He asked Xing Yue.
Xing Yue thought for a bit. Trying to remember. Her face farrowed deeply like someone thinking about the last good thing they could do before death.
"I remember now. One was stoic, expressionless. Indifferent, even to your theatrics. While the other was fun and easy going. He even responded to you with a scorn."
Jiang Yunxian nodded in agreement. "Don't you think that it was the same with those instrumentalists? One was fun and easy going, the other looked like the world was beneath her?"
"Well, no one would believe that..." Chufeng said.
"We know. But I'm guessing that the Hu customers disguised themselves. First as cut sleeves we saw at the inn, second as the black cloaked guy we saw at the farmhouse. And now, as the instrumentalists." Jiang Yunxian said.
"So, you are saying that..."
"What he's saying is that, the one that died was the real one. The fake was the one that played that night." Guo N'Yang interrupted smoothly.
"Wow, those people are amazing. To be able to pull such a trick." Chufeng couldn't help but compliment.
After another moment of silence, Xing Yue spoke. "So, that means that the easy going Hu, knows the temperament of Guo N'Yang and used it against her. Meaning that if she had ever fought against those people, using her spiritual energy, she would have been poisoned?"
"That is my guess. And remember the fragrance we perceived. If you had noticed, you'd realized that it was more intense than the last ones."
Guo N'Yang could hrkp but sigh.
Just then, the bracelet inside Jiang Yunxian's lapel lept out from where it sat.
"And what's that?" Chufeng asked.
"If I'm not wrong, this is what leads us to the deaths happening here. Am I right?" Guo N'Yang asked.
Xing Yue nodded. "I'm glad your title isn't for fancy."
Guo N'Yang ignored the jab and continued voicing out her thoughts. "This is a bracelet crafted from a blue spirit rock. Though it's rare there's only one place these rocks are popular in. Qing Shi village. And because it is often found in the river or around it, it became famous. Then, fishermen found themselves a home. And that's where the ordinary plain filled with nothing but water, found residences who later named it Qing Shi."
"But shouldn't it be rough? This is pure crystal." Chufeng asked.
"Yes, it should be rough. Chufeng..." Guo N'Yang suddenly called.
"Mn?"
"How can you explain your knowledge?" Guo N'Yang asked.
Chufeng knowing that this might be a test to show whether she has been a good disciple decided to think it thoroughly before answering. Then, after thinking, she said:
"Before I became your apprentice, I could say I know nothing of the world. Even things that infants knew was hard for me. But after becoming your apprentice, my intellect has become sharper than it was way back." She replied, then suddenly understood what Guo N'Yang was actually trying to let her know. Guo N'Yang wasn't testing her, she was actually answering her question with question.
"When one tries harder to achieve their goals, it either flops or shines. Even rough patches has soft spots in them, why can't stones?"
"So, you are meaning to tell us that, the person who created these bracelets have tried long enough before reaching perfection?" Jiang Yunxian asked this time.
"Considering the fact that this bracelet moves like the ocean, this person is one who either has little or no knowledge of how the fishing business works, so, that person is a cultivator. After creating the design with his hands, he beautifies it using his spiritual energy. And because it drains the body both physically and consumes energy, the crafter, was only able to make it into five pieces. As there now two missing pieces. Although you all might have already figured that I'm about to say next, but I will still say it." She said like it was the most obvious thing to say. "So, my guess is that, the bracelet is connecting with the others who holds it. And the murderer might have planned it all out, purposefully letting you collect it all."
After she had said her deduction, even Jiang Yunxian couldn't help but admire her.
"Wow! No wonder you are so knowledgeable, by just seeing the bracelet, you have already given us a lot of things to hold onto. Master you are really too great." Chufeng said. Infact, she never regretted choosing to be her apprentice. She was just so proud.
"Qing Shi village has been wiped out by the tsunami, we just need to follow the bracelet to the North." Jiang Yunxian said tearing himself off the wall. "That's where it's pointing at. Let's hurry. A lot of many innocent souls are crying to be justified. Let's not let their death be in vain." Said Jiang Yunxian, looking at the bracelet in it's ever brightness pointing towards North.
And they all nodded. And North they are headed, to seek the next piece that could lead them to the answers they seek.