Chapter 127: You Might Blame Yourself

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“You?!”

The same word is spoken at the same time by two very different people. One says it with outrage, the other with surprise. One is a rising star, the other a forgotten tool.

Well, not completely forgotten.

“Pan Qiu?” Liu Jin says incredulously.

Pan Qiu, the disciple who tried to impress Lu Mei by fighting him. The disciple who took part in the plot to steal the herbs Liu Jin and Huang Shing were transporting to Ember City. The disciple who fought them in the Summer Forest and was punished in the Medical Pavilion.

Looking back on it, it is hard to believe one person can be so closely tied to so many events.

“You have been hiding in the Apothecary all this time?”

Liu Jin had been on his way to the isolation chamber prepared for him when he found Pan Qiu deep in the bowels of the Apothecary, wandering around like a restless spirit. It has been weeks since they last saw each other. Though such a short amount of time is not enough to alter the body of a cultivator in the Spirit Realm, Pan Qiu has definitely changed.

When they first met, Pan Qiu walked with his head held high. Arrogance bordering on confidence marked his every step. Now, Pan Qiu’s shoulders are hunched, and his muscles are taut, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble. No longer a predator but prey.

“Where else could I have gone?” Pan Qiu yells. His voice echoes across the empty, narrow corridors of the Apothecary. “I am no longer of any use to Lord Feng Gui’s faction, yet there is no way I’d ever be welcomed by Lord Feng Shang’s faction. What else is there for me to do but hide?”

Pan Qiu’s existence had been crucial for taking control of the Medical Pavilion. However, that uniqueness hadn’t lasted long. As they discovered more disciples who had been experimented on, Pan Qiu became less and less special.

Now that the trial is over and done with, Lord Feng Gui’s faction doesn’t need Pan Qiu anymore. There is no merit in protecting him. That they went out of their way to restore Pan Qiu’s dantian and saved him from becoming a pill is more than enough recompense for his services.

In other words, nothing is stopping Lord Feng Shang’s faction from killing Pan Qiu should they get their hands on him.

In that regard, staying inside the Apothecary is probably the most sensible thing he can do.

However…

“Can you even enter most of the rooms here?” Liu Jin asks, knowing full well most rooms in the Apothecary are locked for those without the proper permissions.

The glare Pan Qiu shoots at him is venomous and, as most venoms are against Liu Jin, futile.

“Of course, I can’t!” Pan Qiu shouts, throwing one arm to the side. “I walk and walk and walk, yet most of these doors won’t open for me! Sometimes, I’ll switch floors without even realizing it, and I’m certain there are wild beasts kept somewhere around here!”

Carnivorous plants, actually. Though with how animated some of them can be, the difference is merely academic.

“However, it’s too late for me to pretend to be neutral. If I try to leave the compound on a long-term mission, I’m certain someone will try to kill me out of spite. Shameful though it may be, I’d rather keep wandering this dark place than face the harsh judgment of the outside world.”

“Ho, that is rather wise of you.” Seeing Pan Qiu’s nostrils flare up, Liu Jin quickly raises his hands and adds, “I mean no jest. I truly do believe Brother Pan is being prudent right now. The Eternal Flame Clan would be far more peaceful if everyone could follow your example.”

Of course, if Elder Xue didn’t want Pan Qiu here, he’d probably have been thrown out a long time ago.

Liu Jin supposes this is her way of showing sympathy.

“So, I was right?” Pan Qiu asks with obvious eagerness, almost taking a step towards Liu Jin before he catches himself. “Is the outside as horrible as I imagine it to be?”

“Most of the violence is happening under the guise of guaranteed challenges,” Liu Jin says. “It still hasn’t reached the point of open warfare.”

It would be good if things stay like this, but that’s probably just wishful thinking on his part.

“Those fools.” Pan Qiu clicks his tongue and spits on the floor. “To think Bei Duyi kept pestering us to join Lord Feng Gui’s cause.”

Liu Jin blinks thrice as his mind supplies a face for the name.

Just like Pan Qiu, Bei Duyi was one of the disciples who had not been happy with their quick rise to Inner Disciples. He also did not seem to get along with Bei Hong for reasons Liu Jin had never inquired about.

However, if Bei Duyi wished them to join Lord Feng Gui’s faction…

“If Bei Duyi wished that, why did you steal from the Apothecary?”

The plan may have been for Liu Jin and Huang Shing to be blamed for it, but they should have realized what would happen if they failed.

Right?

“Bei Duyi was not part of that plan,” Pan Qiu replies, making both of Liu Jin’s eyebrows rise on his forehead.

“Is that so?” Liu Jin asks with no small amount of doubt. “I thought he simply wasn’t directly involved with the theft?”

Pan Qiu shakes his head. “No, Bei Duyi kept discouraging us from using those sorts of tactics. He wanted things kept firmly within the rules. That, combined with the way he would not challenge his cousin, made us doubtful of his leadership, which led to our poor attempt to incriminate you.” Pan Qiu smiles bitterly. “Looking back on it, he probably just wanted to keep out of trouble to make a good impression on Elder Ju. It seems even back then everything revolved around this foolish feud.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Liu Jin hums and crosses his arms.

“I’d advise against that sort of talk.”

It is not as if he doesn’t understand Pan Qiu’s frustration, but there are some things one shouldn’t say so brazenly.

“What else is there for me to do but talk? Who will care enough about me to be offended by my words? Do you know you are the first one to stop and talk to me in all this time?” Pan Qiu laughs with his head hung low. “How pitiable of me.”

“Then stop being pitiable.”

“What?”

“Stop being pitiable,” Liu Jin repeats. “If you wish to hide, then hide. However, if you cannot bear your condition, do something about it.”

“Have you not listened to me?” Pan Qiu yells, trembling with rage. “If I leave this place, I’ll be killed.”

“True, you have quite thoroughly burned your bridges with Lord Feng Shang’s faction,” Liu Jin admits. Before Pan Qiu can say more, he adds, “However, the same cannot be said for your relationship with Lord Feng Gui’s faction. If you have been left forgotten here, it is because you have chosen to be. If you were to make yourself useful, that would change.”

“You… you are trying to recruit me?” Pan Qiu backs away several steps, trying to retreat into the shadows. “Are you telling me to take a side in this?”

“I am simply making a suggestion.” Liu Jin shrugs. “Whether you choose to heed it or not is up to you and no one else. If you wish to stay as you are, by all means, do so. I will not blame you, though perhaps you might blame yourself.”

Pan Qiu has nothing to say to that. Soon enough, Liu Jin’s footsteps echo across the corridors.

Pan Qiu is left in the shadows.

Liu Jin heads deeper into the depths.