Chapter 52: Xiao Qi's Crush

"You're horrible!" Xiao Qi scolded Gu Qingyu again. Gu Qingyu laughed at her reaction.

"That's right!" An idea popped into Gu Qingyu's head. "You can get up early tomorrow and ask Qi Wan to catch the sunrise with you!"

I caught the sunrise with him this morning and it was pretty good. If it's Xiao Qi and Qi Wan, then it must be very romantic!

"I-Is that ok?" Xiao Qi became a little excited.

"Of course! And, if the mood feels right, you can confess and ask him out!" Gu Qingyu patted Xiao Qi's back. "I'll stand by you!"

"Thank you, Xiao Yu" Xiao Qi smiled slightly.

"Don't thank me! Who are we, we're friends!" Gu Qingyu smiled.

After coming here, I seem to have everything I wanted.Close friends, friends, family. Well, for family, I guess it would be the mother who loves me?

Gu Qingyu nodded. "Then I'll go first?"

"Okay." Xiao Qi was still immersed in a daydream.

"Goodness." Gu Qingyu shook her head, opened the door and went out.

Is this the legendary butterflies and rose-tinted glasses? Why don't I feel a thing?

"Sigh!" She shook her head again.

For once, nothing happened in the afternoon. Gu Qingyu decided tonight would be a good time to visit Yan Zun and check his recovery. In the evening, Gu Qingyu ate early and returned to her room. She dived under the blankets and entered the spiritual world.

The sky and the earth were scorched red. Yan Zun stood in that wide, open, empty world, he gently closed his eyes. Pale red light surrounded him like a halo as he condensed red energy in his palms. The red light baptised him from inside out. Gu Qingyu watched him from a distance, the scene in front of her was incredible. The heavens and earth seemed to shift as his mood changed. Looking at it from afar, she felt that his light could eclipse the spectacle of the world around them. It was as if he was Lucifer himself, right before he was banished from the heavens, never to return.

With light steps, Gu Qingyu approached Yan Zun. Yan Zun released the air hanging around him and slowly opened his long and narrow eyes.

"What? Something's wrong?" He exhaled slowly.

"Nothing's wrong, I just came to visit you... Sorry, have I disturbed you, Master?" Gu Qingyu asked cautiously. Yan Zun stood up, and a large bed soon appeared behind him. Gu Qingyu looked around and found that she was now in a gilded palace.

You egotistical rock.

Yan Zun shook his head and leaned halfway on the bed. "No, you're just about a hundred years late."

...about a hundred years late?

Gu Qingyu shook her head and dismissed her retort. "Master, I want to ask you to teach me more magic!"

"Aren't you quite powerful now?" Yan Zun's eyes were full of curiosity when he looked at Gu Qingyu. "And, if things really get difficult, I'm still here. And I'm always around."

"Well, yeah, but that's not my true strength, is it?" Gu Qingyu frowned, worried. "Everyone around me is so strong, and every day I feel further and further away from them."

Yan Zun reached out and ruffled her hair. "Stupid apprentice, your master is here. With me around, do you still have to worry about not being able to improve?"

"Thank you, Master!" Gu Qingyu smiled. "Master, what will you teach me next?"

"Come." Yan Zun stood up and steadied himself. The illusion around them faded, and the red world was revealed. "Look closely, I will only do this once."

He suddenly extended his hand forward, and then, the air in front of him twisted and turned. A red lotus slowly bloomed in his hand. At the same time, a deafening explosion echoed from a distance.

"Yo, dude." Gu Qingyu stared blankly at the red lotus in Yan Zun's hand.

Yan Zun smiled. "Master, not dude."

"Master!" Gu Qingyu yelled immediately.

"Well done." Yan Zun nodded with satisfaction. "Want to try?"

"Of course!" Gu Qingyu nodded eagerly.

Yan Zun slowly walked to Gu Qingyu and held out the red lotus. "Hold it."

"What?" Gu Qingyu didn't respond.

Yan Zun narrowed his eyes slightly. Boy, did he look good doing that. "Hold it, it's yours now."

"Mine?" Gu Qingyu hesitated. After a while, she reached out and gently picked up the red lotus, cupping it in her hands. The moment the red lotus touched her hand, it burst into flames and burned her.

"You can hold it, or if you can't stand the pain, you can discard it. " Yan Zun's voice drifted into her mind. "This is one of my weapons, Devouring Lotus. If you want to summon it, Then you have to endure such pain every time. "

Pain? If you want to become strong, you must endure such pain?

Gu Qingyu gritted her teeth and clung to the red lotus. "I won't give up!"

A wave of heat swept over her and she closed her eyes.

Who's whispering? Why does it sound so sad?

"Brother Yan, why are there small drops of water in their eyes?"

"Because they are sad."

"Brother Yan, can you play the Guqin for me?"

"Okay."

"Brother Yan, let's go home ..."

"Alright."

"Brother Yan, look, how beautiful the red lotus is! Let it accompany us forever and burn in our hearts for all eternity. Wouldn't that be lovely!"

“……”

Gu Qingyu opened her eyes. The red lotus in her hands no longer burned. At this moment, it bloomed quietly in her palm.

"It seems that you tamed it." Yan Zun clicked his tongue as he deduced, then he realised that Gu Qingyu had remained quiet. "What's wrong?"

It looks like he doesn't know that I heard that conversation. I guess I'll bring it up another time then. Who's Brother Yan?

"Nothing." Gu Qingyu shook her head. "So, now I can do what you just did? The explosion?"

"In essence, yes, but you still have to practice slowly." Yan Zun patted Gu Qingyu's head. "Now, you can change how Devouring Lotus looks."

"Change its looks? Is it for convenience?" Gu Qingyu looked at the red lotus, "So like a mobile phone? Keys? Wallet?"

"Are those the only things you could think of?" Yan Zun shook his head silently and took the red lotus.

As soon as Yan Zun's fingers brushed against its petals, the lotus flower immediately turned into a red necklace with a small red lotus pendant.

Yan Zun walked behind Gu Qingyu, gently pushed her hair away and placed the necklace on Gu Qingyu’s neck.

"Thank you." Gu Qingyu looked at the pendant, the flower had turned into a crystal.

Gu Qingyu opened her eyes, it was already late in the morning. It ’s so peaceful to sleep on the days when there is no Qi Wan around to disturb me. I wonder how things have gone with Xiao Qi...

Gu Qingyu got dressed and went to Xiao Qi's room with a skip in her steps. She gently knocked on the door, it opened with a light push. Xiao Qi was sitting with her back facing the door.

"Xiao Qi?" Gu Qingyu came in with a smile and closed the door. "How did it go?"

Xiao Qi did not respond.

"Ah, don't keep me in.... Xiao Qi? What's wrong?" Xiao Qi had turned around and her face was covered in tears.

"Xiao Yu ..." Xiao Qi dabbed her tears with her sleeve.

Gu Qingyu immediately panicked. "What's wrong? Did that guy Qi Wan bully you? I'll settle it, don't cry!"

"Don't!" Xiao Qi grabbed Gu Qingyu by the sleeve and shook her head frantically. "He told me that he already has someone in his heart..."

"He has someone else?" Gu Qingyu scoffed angrily. "Let me go take a look at just who that person is!"

"Uh ... Xiao Yu, that person is... Nevermind, telling you won't change things." Xiao Qi shook her head.

"So you're just gonna give up?" Gu Qingyu flipped. "Come here, let's discuss a countermeasure! I'll go to Mo Bai to get a few bottles of poison, and we'll send that person to an early grave!"

Xiao Qi stiffened instantly.

"What's wrong?" Gu Qingyu looked at her in confusion.

"This kind of thing... I can't do it ... And I promise you can't do it either, Xiao Yu." Xiao Qi looked conflicted, she seemed to be keeping something to herself.

"Argh, fine." Gu Qingyu slowly took out the sleeve arrow from his sleeve. "Worse comes to worst, I'll ask Qi Wan myself."

"Don't do it! Calm down!" Xiao Qi tightened her grip on Gu Qingyu. "Xiao Yu, we still have our lives ahead of us! T-there's still other fish in the sea! Just let it go!"

How did she end up comforting me instead?

Gu Qingyu pursed her lips, then nodded. "Yeah, let him go!"

Xiao Qi wiped away her tears and wrapped her fingers around Gu Qingyu's hand. "Xiao Yu, let's go eat, I'm so hungry!"

"Okay, let's go!" Gu Qingyu held Xiao Qi's hand in the same way, tears welled up in her eyes. "Xiao Qi, oh, poor you!"

They arrived at the dining hall, and found that everyone had already settled in their seats.

"Brother Zhu, thank you for your medicine." Murong Zuoyu nodded slightly.

"Don't thank me, thank Mo Bai!" Gu Qingyu smiled. Mo Bai slightly raised his lips.

Qi Wan looked at Gu Qingyu and greeted her casually. "Morning, boss~"

"Well, morning." Gu Qingyu was at least courteous, she greeted Qi Wan while holding onto Xiao Qi's hand.

Gu Qingyu and Xiao Qi sat down together. Gu Qingyu picked up a pair of chopsticks and her rice bowl was piled with food as usual...

Gu Qingyu smiled at Jia Qizhe and nodded. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Jia Qizhe ate his meal as if there was nothing out of the ordinary. Xiao Qi ate in silence. The atmosphere at the dinner table soon turned awkward.

Finally, Qi Yichen said. "Brother Zhu, what's that flower on your neck? Can you tell us?"

Flower?

Gu Qingyu was shocked and looked down at her neck, only to realise that this was what Yan Zun gave her last night.

"Oh, this is my weapon." Gu Qingyu swallowed her food and answered vaguely.

Jia Qizhe looked at her doubtfully. "Weapon?"

"From the Lifeblood Jewel." Gu Qingyu explained, without giving too many details. "In short, it should be pretty powerful."

On the third and fourth day, nothing unexpected happened. Finally, the ship docked at noon on the fifth day. Gu Qingyu stepped onto the shore, and the ground almost felt too solid. All of a sudden, her legs gave out and she nearly tripped.

Murong Zuoyu caught her. "Be careful."

"Thank you." Gu Qingzu held onto him and regained her balance. Then she looked at him in surprise. "Brother Murong, I thought you would be the one to collapse instead!"