Chapter 484: 484. Go home!

Translator: 549690339

The sun shone brightly, as Gu Ling stood outside the mountain cave, looking up at the sky.

At this point, Sheng Yue had already neared the deepest part of the cave. His steps grew lighter and slower, as he listened intently to the sounds within.

The white poisonous smoke still filled the air, but it had no effect on Sheng Yue. The truth-telling drug he had used earlier had confirmed that Mo Yan was not immune to all poisons. However, Sheng Yue couldn’t be sure if the poisonous smoke could bring him down.

Standing at the corner, Sheng Yue tentatively called out,”Master?”

Receiving no response, Sheng Yue’s eyes flickered, and he continued, “Master, are you there? I can’t use the magic treasure, and Gu Ling’s people are watching the boat, so I can’t leave either. The earlier incident was all my fault. Please forgive me, Master. Now, if you need the magic treasure and I need your support, only by working together can we resolve the current situation and defeat Gu Ling. What do you think, Master?”

After waiting for a while, still without any response, Sheng Yue moved forward. After a few more steps, he saw the familiar pool of water.

The white smoke filled the air, Sheng Yue scanned the surroundings with a vigilant gaze, but he didn’t see Mo Yan or Lao Mu’s shadow.

Sheng Yue frowned. Could it be that he misjudged? Did Mo Yan actually leave this place?

The next moment, the calm water surface suddenly rippled, and a long sword pierced through the water, aiming for Sheng Yue.

Sheng Yue’s eyes narrowed, as he dodged and drew his sword to fight back. He hadn’t guessed wrong, Mo Yan was still unwilling to give up the Transmigration Road after losing the magic treasure and did not leave. After discovering the poisonous smoke in the cave, Mo Yan hid in the water.

Sheng Yue wasn’t worried that Mo Yan could kill him. The poisonous smoke in the cave was hard to disperse, and it was now almost filling every corner. It had no effect on Sheng Yue, but there were no safe places for Mo Yan.

Whether Mo Yan had heard Sheng Yue’s words earlier or not, there was no possibility for any reconciliation between master and apprentice, not even a superficial one for mutual benefit.

That was because Sheng Yue saw the murderous intent in Mo Yan’s eyes, his anger like a volcano ready to erupt, eager to swallow him whole.

Sheng Yue moved toward the exit, trying to buy time and wait for Mo Yan to inhale more of the cave’s air before succumbing to it.

However, Mo Yan’s sanity suddenly returned the next moment, and he turned and rushed to the other side of the pool!

Sheng Yue’s eyes narrowed, and he immediately charged up to block Mo Yan. He knew exactly what Mo Yan was looking for. Lao Mu, Gu Ling’s master, must be behind the stone screen and still alive. But when Mo Yan discovered the poisonous smoke, he went into the water himself, barely making it back alive, let alone bringing Lao Mu with him.

Mo Yan’s anger towards Sheng Yue prevented him from immediately seizing Lao Mu as a hostage. The window of opportunity was fleeting.

Sheng Yue entangled Mo Yan’s footsteps, while Mo Yan tried to hold his breath. However, after holding his breath to the limit under the water, Mo Yan inevitably inhaled the poisonous smoke when he came ashore, and his breathing became uncontrollable as their fight ensued.

Sheng Yue was well aware of all this. All he needed to do was to prevent Mo Yan from seizing any more chances of turning the tables. Though disappointed that he couldn’t obtain the magic treasure, Sheng Yue wasn’t resigned to his fate. He was indeed worried that Gu Ling would later kill him due to his dark past and possible loss of freedom in the future. But Sheng Yue had always been someone who either didn’t do things, or did them to the best of his ability. Hence, he desperately needed this opportunity to subdue Mo Yan, protect Lao Mu, and score a merit in front of Gu Ling.

Driven mad, Mo Yan spent his last ounce of strength on his killing move, intending to kill Sheng Yue.

Sheng Yue was slightly injured, but it wasn’t severe.

In fact, not long after, Mo Yan finally collapsed into the water due to the effects of the poisonous smoke.

Sheng Yue stood by the pool with his sword, watching Mo Yan, who was struggling in the water, soon losing his strength and about to sink. Sheng Yue said indifferently, “Perhaps this time you’ll get what you want and return to your so-called real home. Would you like to try it?”

After saying that, Sheng Yue didn’t bother with Mo Yan anymore and went around the pool to the other side of the stone screen, where he indeed found Lao Mu unconscious on the ground.

Sheng Yue sheathed his sword and hoisted Lao Mu onto his back with one hand, carrying him out of the cave. During this process, blood seeped from the wound on his arm.

Upon hearing footsteps, Gu Ling gripped his sword hilt, and the next moment, he saw Sheng Yue rushing out of the smoke-filled cave with a person on his back.

“Your master.” Sheng Yue exited the cave and set Lao Mu down. “Mo Yan is inside, poisoned by you and fell into the water. You better go check on him; he might drown soon.”

Gu Ling’s expression was cold. “Bring Mo Yan out alive, or you’ll accompany him in death,” he commanded.

Sheng Yue’s face stiffened. Indeed, when he rushed out of the cave earlier, he had the idea of taking advantage of Gu Ling’s entrance to escape. After all, being by Gu Ling’s side posed risks, and his freedom might be compromised in the future.

However, it was apparent that Gu Ling was well aware of Sheng Yue’s thoughts and didn’t give him any chance at all.

Sheng Yue didn’t have much to say, knowing that Gu Ling would definitely keep his word. If Mo Yan died, it might mean that the people trapped in the space would disappear forever, and some of the blame would fall on Sheng Yue. Killing him would only be more satisfying for Gu Ling…

So, Sheng Yue immediately turned around and rushed back into the cave.

The pool had returned to calm once again. Sheng Yue frowned and jumped right in.

It wasn’t Sheng Yue’s first time in the pool, so he was familiar with the environment. He quickly found Mo Yan, and dragged him back to the shore.

First, he pushed Mo Yan up, then Sheng Yue climbed up, wiped his face, and immediately checked Mo Yan’s breath. His face changed: Mo Yan wasn’t breathing!

“Gu Ling! Damn it, Gu Ling! Get over here!” Sheng Yue yelled towards the entrance of the cave, while turning Mo Yan over and patting his back.

At this time, Gu Ling had given the antidote to Old Mu. Once assured that Old Mu would be fine, he entered the cave in response to Sheng Yue’s shouting. Having taken the antidote himself, the poisonous smoke wouldn’t affect him for a while.

Old Mu had initially fought against Mo Yan and suffered serious internal injuries. Worried about Sheng Yue’s deceptiveness, his pale face stood up from the ground and hurried into the cave.

When Old Mu arrived at the depths of the cave, Gu Ling was performing CPR on Mo Yan, as taught by Su Liang.

Sheng Yue frowned as he sat on the ground, soaking wet. Gu Ling’s movements seemed both unfamiliar and familiar to him. Many years ago, he had seen his mother perform CPR to save a drowning child. Later, his mother taught him how to do it as well, saying that it could save lives at crucial moments. Sheng Yue still remembered the techniques, but he had never used them.

Sheng Yue didn’t suspect that Gu Ling was a Transmigrator because of this. He knew that it must have been taught by Su Liang. It wasn’t strange for Gu Ling to know special skills and knowledge.

At the moment, Old Mu didn’t know what happened after he was captured. He had thought that the magic treasure was still with Mo Yan, and Gu Ling saved him to make Mo Yan release the people. However, he soon realized it didn’t make sense. If Mo Yan still had the magic treasure, capturing Old Mu would have been too easy and there would have been no need to fight or even injure him before leaving him in the cave.

Old Mu immediately realized that the magic treasure must have been taken by Sheng Yue, who had deceived him at that time!

Sheng Yue looked up and saw Old Mu’s angry gaze. He took the initiative to explain, “I was wrong. However, Senior Mu, you don’t need to worry. Cheng Yun now has the magic treasure and nobody can harm your apprentice.”

Old Mu snorted coldly, “I’ll settle the score with you later!”

Mo Yan hadn’t regained consciousness, but he was alive. The reason he wasn’t awake was because of the poisonous smoke.

Gu Ling dragged Mo Yan out of the cave by his arm, with Old Mu following behind. Sheng Yue walked in the rear, glancing back at the pool before shaking his head and refocusing.

The outside air was fresh, the sun warm, and the greenery abundant. Birds sang and flowers bloomed – a stark contrast to the dark, gloomy cave.

When Sheng Yue came outside, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Looking up at the sky, he saw several birds flying overhead. A strange feeling arose in his heart – as if something had changed…

Gu Ling made sure that Mo Yan’s breathing had stabilized. He hadn’t given Mo Yan the antidote, but he left him there and went to check on Old Mu’s injuries.

Old Mu shook his head, “It’s fine. I won’t die. Just need to rest. Focus on more urgent matters, don’t worry about me.”

Gu Ling’s expression didn’t change. “There’s nothing particularly urgent right now.” He insisted on making Old Mu sit on a nearby rock and checked his pulse.

Sheng Yue stood to one side, quietly watching the scene, suddenly thinking of his father, Pu Cheng. But all his memories of Pu Cheng lacked warmth.

Gu Ling spoke again, this time to Sheng Yue, “Go check on the others in the forbidden area to ensure no more chaos ensues.” There was still a mute servant and a cook, who might be skilled fighters for all they knew.

“Kill them?” Sheng Yue asked.

Gu Ling didn’t reply, and Sheng Yue left without getting an answer. He knew what would please Gu Ling, and at this point, he had given up on the idea of running away. With only one boat left, Sheng Yue wasn’t confident he could escape successfully.

After checking Old Mu’s pulse and giving him some medicine to treat his injuries, Gu Ling told him everything that had happened since his capture.

Old Mu frowned as he listened, “What the hell! How can a scumbag like Mo Yan control the magic treasure and you can’t? What’s wrong with the world?” He couldn’t help but complain, just like Qiao Cong used to do.

Gu Ling shook his head. “There’s no logic to that thing.”

Just as Old Mu was about to ask what to do next, Sheng Yue brought the mute servant and the cook over. Both had their heads lowered and silently followed him.

“These two were mentioned by Mo Yan. Many years ago, when he travelled around Qian Country, he found a small shop serving a dish that resembled the taste of his lover’s cooking from his previous life. He captured the couple who ran the shop and brought them back to serve him.” Sheng Yue said.

The cook standing behind Sheng Yue, hearing the words, shed tears and knelt down with the mute servant, knocking their heads on the ground. “Please, let us go… We still have a son, we don’t know if he’s alive or dead…”

Old Mu sighed deeply and kicked Mo Yan in the chest, “How much evil has he done?!”

Cheng Yun and Feng Ming waited and waited, but Gu Ling didn’t return.

“Could there be any problems?” Cheng Yun was a bit worried.

Feng Ming shook his head, “No, it’s not meant to be. The prince is very cautious, and Sheng Yue can’t stir up any trouble now.”

“Why hasn’t he come back yet?” Cheng Yun looked outside and suddenly brightened up, “Elder Mu!”

Old Mu entered the courtyard. Feng Ming saw that his face was wrong and quickly came forward to support him.

“I’m fine, I can walk on my own.” Old Mu shook his head, “Xiaogu has already captured Mo Yan. He said for safety reasons, don’t let the magic treasure get close to Mo Yan. We should just stay here.”

The cook and her husband also followed Old Mu. Old Mu helped them pack some simple luggage, telling them that they would be able to leave soon, and someone would escort them back to their original home and help them find their child. They tearfully thanked Old Mu, sobbing uncontrollably.

In order to calm the cook and her husband, Old Mu asked them to prepare food before leaving. The couple nodded their heads and went to find the kitchen after putting down their luggage.

“Elder Mu, you’d better lie down and rest for a while.” Feng Ming said to Old Mu.

Old Mu lay down and took a deep breath, “Xiaogu and the others are in the pavilion in the City Lord Mansion’s garden. If any of you want to go there, just don’t take the magic treasure.”

Cheng Yun and Feng Ming let Old Mu rest, and the two in the courtyard decided that Feng Ming would go and check the situation.

The curtains on all sides of the Bajiao Pavilion on the third floor were drawn up. There was no need to hide now.

Mo Yan, who was in a coma, lay on the ground. Sheng Yue again asked Gu Ling what her plans were.

Gu Ling ignored Sheng Yue, took out the antidote for the poisonous smoke and stuffed it into Mo Yan’s mouth, and then took out another pill.

Sheng Yue recognized it as a truth-telling drug.

When Gu Ling put the truth-telling drug into Mo Yan’s mouth, Sheng Yue voluntarily confessed, “Actually, when you gave me the truth-telling drug, I secretly ate a small half of it first, then gave the rest to Mo Yan. Because I wasn’t sure if the drug would work on me, I was afraid you would easily see through my disguise afterwards with this drug.” As a result, the truth-telling drug had no effect on Sheng Yue, and he had no reaction after eating it.

Soon, Mo Yan on the ground opened his eyes.

Gu Ling asked the first question, “How many people are in the space?”

Mo Yan unconsciously replied, “Eighteen…”

“Who are they?” Gu Ling asked.

Mo Yan answered, “Su Liang… and those I encountered when I went out last time… those who displeased me…”

Sheng Yue frowned: Just because he didn’t like them, he made them disappear? This was Mo Yan’s style indeed. Although he had acted secretly that time, he would have to eat and dress in the process, so he would inevitably come into contact with people.

“Is there any food and drinkable water inside?” Gu Ling asked.

Sheng Yue raised his eyebrows slightly, realizing what Gu Ling was going to do next.

Mo Yan nodded slightly, “Yes… lots of food… water.”

Gu Ling was not surprised that there was a lot of food inside. It was still left over from the previous war.

“Without sending food to them, the people inside can still survive for a long time, they won’t starve to death, right?” Gu Ling asked the key question she really wanted to know.

Under the influence of the truth drug, Mo Yan nodded again, “Yes… they won’t die…”

“What treasures are on Xingluo Island?” Gu Ling asked.

Mo Yan replied, “All in… the space…”

Sheng Yue sighed regretfully, “It’s a pity, we can’t open that space.”

Mo Yan fell unconscious again. Gu Ling stood up, and Sheng Yue said, “If I’m not mistaken, you plan to take Mo Yan and the magic treasures back home, let your wife try? Maybe she can successfully own that space, and then you can kill Mo Yan. If not, find a way to control Mo Yan to release the people.”

Gu Ling neither confirmed nor denied, looking again towards the direction of the forbidden area.

Sheng Yue walked up to Gu Ling, “Are you planning to blow up the forbidden area? In fact, I went in there once before and saw a white light. Does this represent the possibility of me time-travelling?”

Gu Ling nodded, “You reminded me, you should give it a try.”

Sheng Yue’s face stiffened, “Are you trying to be like Mo Yan?”

Gu Ling countered, “Isn’t it what you want to do? You still have the idea.”

Sheng Yue shook his head, “I was just saying casually. White light, black light, I was just trying to show my loyalty to Mo Yan. If time travel was so casual, there would be transmigrators all over Xingluo Island by now. What Transmigration Road? Haven’t seen anyone come out of it in so many years. Going in is just stupid and courting death. I said I once wanted to see a new and different world, and I didn’t make a mistake, but I wasn’t talking about traversing time, I was talking about Mo Yan’s spatial magical treasure. From beginning to end, I wanted it. As for that pool, if you decide to blow it up, I can do it for you.”

“No need.”&Gu Ling said, “There’s another task for you to do.”

Sheng Yue asked what it was, and Gu Ling told him to cut trees, “We don’t have enough boats to leave.”

Sheng Yue raised his broken arm, “You already did this to me, and you still want me to do hard labor?”

“Otherwise, I’ll blow you up along with the forbidden area.” Gu Ling said calmly.

Feng Ming arrived and heard this and saw Sheng Yue’s face look bad, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll run away?”

“If you can swim to another shore on your own, I’ll be impressed.”&Gu Ling said.

Sheng Yue: Without a boat, we can’t go anywhere. We are all mortal, and once we’re in the water, we’ll be exhausted in no time.

Gu Ling saw Feng Ming come over, told him to lock up Mo Yan in the dungeon, and then went to cut trees and build a boat with Sheng Yue.

When Sheng Yue was about to leave, he turned back and asked Gu Ling, “Will you really let me go?”

Gu Ling countered, “What do you think?”

Sheng Yue glared and followed Feng Ming out.

At dusk, the magnificent sunset painted the entire sky of Xingluo Island red.

Cheng Yun saw Gu Ling appear in his sight and immediately came forward, “How is it?”

Gu Ling stretched out her hand and knocked on Cheng Yun’s forehead. A faint smile appeared on the corner of her lips. It was her first smile since leaving home.

Then, Cheng Yun heard two words that made him instantly happy, “Go home.”