Chapter Thirty-Four: The Wine Cellar

Yue Qi and Bai Lian burst out through the door, dashing madly toward the way they had come in. The area swarmed with people, all of whom looked at them in confusion, clearly unaware of what had just transpired. Yet, the thunderous roar of Wang Jian’s fury from earlier had obviously reached all their ears.

Suddenly, Yue Qi coughed up a mouthful of blood as they ran, splattering his chest with a dark, crimson stain that looked especially sinister.

“Are you all right?” Bai Lian halted, her voice filled with concern. The poison afflicting Yue Qi seemed dire indeed—even the spiritual energy coursing through his body could not suppress it.

“I’m fine. Let’s keep moving. If you really can’t go on, then leave me and take the medicine home! You must save Mother!” Yue Qi forced a grin, the blood coating his lips lending him a ghastly appearance.

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Bai Lian bit her lip, yet still used her slender frame to support him. “Come on! We’re almost out—once we’re outside, we’ll be safe!”

Behind them, the shadows of their pursuers flickered, drawing ever closer. Yue Qi still did not know why these people acted as they did—poisoning him but leaving Bai Lian unharmed. He suspected they had their eyes on her.

He sighed. “It’s as the saying goes—beauty brings ruin. If they catch up, promise me you’ll go on ahead. I’ll hold them off as long as I can…” After a brief pause, he added, “You’re a woman. You can’t fall into their hands…”

Bai Lian gritted her teeth but said nothing. Her eyes, however, burned with determination—she would not abandon Yue Qi, no matter what he said.

By now, the sun had already set. Their pursuers did not arrive as quickly as Yue Qi and Bai Lian had feared, and the two managed to escape from the encampment. But the exertion made Yue Qi’s blood surge violently; he spat up blood again as they fled.

“We can’t let them catch us! Hurry!” Before they knew it, they found themselves outside the house where they had first encountered Wang Jian and his men. Yue Qi could no longer move; he stayed where he was, gasping for breath.

“No… I can’t go on. You go!” he panted, then suddenly spewed a mouthful of black blood that congealed on the ground, a chilling testament to the poison’s potency.

“No! This is all my fault. I have to get you back, no matter what!” Bai Lian was on the verge of tears, her heart aching at the sight of his suffering. After all, Yue Qi had been poisoned trying to save her.

“So that’s what she’s thinking…” Yue Qi mused, finding it almost amusing. Women—once they set their minds to something, they saw it through to the end.

“It’s not your fault. But if you truly want my forgiveness, go home and save my mother…” Yue Qi’s eyes flickered with a trace of nostalgia. “Tell them we ran into a horde of zombies. Say I was caught trying to save your life…” Yue Qi smiled wryly. “At least let me die with some dignity…”

“But remember this!” He suddenly grew solemn. “Don’t let anyone seek revenge. These people are far too dangerous.”

“Idiot!” Bai Lian kicked him sharply, but seeing him wince in pain, her heart softened. She went to his side, massaging him as she spoke: “It hasn’t come to that yet. You can still be saved! Trust me! If we can just find somewhere safe, I’ll find a way to cure you!”

“Hah? There’s no need to comfort me, Lian. I know my own body—” A glimmer of hope flashed in Yue Qi’s eyes, only to fade just as quickly. “The poison is almost at my heart, and I used up my spiritual power. I can’t suppress it any longer. I probably won’t last much longer…” Yue Qi gave a self-mocking smile.

“You… Will you just trust me?” Bai Lian stamped her foot in frustration, glancing anxiously over her shoulder for any sign of pursuit. Suddenly, she caught sight of an inn not far away.

“Listen to me. Let’s go to that inn and find a safe place. I’ll detoxify you there!” Hope still burned in Bai Lian’s heart as she spoke to Yue Qi.

“I can never win against you… Fine, let’s go.” Yue Qi shook his head and managed a smile, but the pain inside him intensified, distorting his expression further the more he tried to smile.

They made for the inn, but Yue Qi suddenly thought of something. He turned in a different direction and spat out another mouthful of blood. The blood slowly congealed on the ground, leaving a mark. Then he swept some dirt over it to obscure the stain.

“Just giving them a false lead. Let’s hurry…” His face paler than ever, Yue Qi followed Bai Lian into the inn.

“Boss, we can’t find them anywhere!” Soon after, Wang Jian and his men arrived where Yue Qi had been, halting their pursuit.

“Useless! Absolutely useless! A bunch of grown men letting a wounded boy and a girl escape?! What use are you to me?” Wang Jian fumed, but there was nothing he could do.

“Second… Second Young Master, what do we tell the Eldest Young Master?” asked a short man, who seemed to have come to Qinghe Town with Liu Caifu, judging by how he addressed Yue Qi.

“What else? Tell it like it is. Send a rider to Qingzhou to inform my brother! Have him send more men. Search every inch of ground if you must, but find those two!” Wang Jian’s veins bulged with fury.

The short man nodded, about to head back to camp and then ride through the night to Qingzhou. As he turned with his torch, he noticed the spot where Yue Qi had spat blood.

“Second Young Master, look here…” He brought the torch closer for all to see.

“Boss, this blood is fresh. That boy must’ve spat it up just now and tried to cover it with dirt,” said an older man, touching the ground.

“Cunning brat!” Wang Jian cursed. “Someone get back and inform my brother. The rest of you, follow me—he went this way!” He pointed east, the direction opposite to where Yue Qi and Bai Lian had gone.

By now, Yue Qi and Bai Lian had reached the inn, but they remained on their guard. The inn was large, with many rooms, but each was too exposed—if anyone searched, they would surely be found.

“Inns like this usually have a wine cellar. Let’s check the back courtyard,” said Yue Qi, surveying the area. Bai Lian, unfazed, helped him toward the rear.

The entrance to the wine cellar was inconspicuous, but sharp-eyed Bai Lian found it even in the darkness. The door was unlocked—perhaps everyone had fled in panic when disaster struck.

“Let’s go down…” Staring into the blackness, neither of them had a torch, nor could they tell if zombies lurked below, but they had no other choice. Yue Qi decided to take the risk.

The cellar, which should have been packed with wine jars, was empty. Yue Qi realized that Wang Jian’s men must have already plundered it for their own camp.

Gradually adjusting to the darkness, Yue Qi could make out his surroundings. As they went deeper, they found another door, this one secured with a heavy lock.

“This should be where the good wine is kept. Wang Jian probably couldn’t break the lock, so he left it for now…” Yue Qi surmised. He turned to Bai Lian, “Break it open. It should be safer inside.”

Bai Lian nodded, carefully propping Yue Qi against the wall before drawing her sword. With a single stroke, her enchanted blade—far sharper than any ordinary weapon—cleaved the sturdy lock in two.

“Let’s go in,” she said, supporting Yue Qi as they stepped through the door.

Just as Yue Qi had guessed, the room was filled with enormous wine jars, the rich aroma far more intoxicating than any he’d tasted at Wang Jian’s camp.

“Cough… For now, we’re safe…” Yue Qi finally found a stone step, sat down, and exhaled in relief.

“They won’t find us here anytime soon, don’t worry…” Bai Lian lingered by the door, intent on barricading it with a wine jar, but they were too heavy for her to move. Yue Qi smiled and tried to reassure her.

She nodded and began searching the room. Soon, she produced a fire-striker and lit a candle on the wall, its flickering flame bringing a measure of warmth and light.

“I saw this during dinner and took it out of curiosity!” Bai Lian blushed, seeing Yue Qi’s odd look. She had never encountered a fire-striker during her cultivation in the mountains.

Yue Qi smiled but was suddenly wracked with pain in his chest.

“Ahh!” Unable to bear it, Yue Qi cried out.

“Are you all right? Quick! Take this!” Bai Lian hurried to pull a small bottle from her clothing and shook out a vermillion pill…

ps: These chapters haven’t come out quite right, no matter how I revise them. If you spot any issues, feel free to raise them in the comments! And please remember to bookmark and recommend!