Chapter 209 - A Guilty Pleasure (1/2)
Jing Yi stood at the bottom of the chasm with Qiu Ling and looked at the tree in front of them. He had to squint to actually spot it, even though they were just standing a couple of meters away. Never before had he seen such a tree: Above the black trunk grew leaves of such a dark green color that they seemed just as black as the bark. The only thing he could see a bit better were the purple fruits because their smooth surface reflected a hint of light.
”What kind of tree is this?”
”Beguiling Night Tree.” Qiu Ling looked at it with mixed feelings.
Jing Yi looked up at him to ask for more information but Qiu Ling seemed deep in thought. ”Is something wrong with the tree?”
”Mn? Why?”
”It looks so strange and you … you seemed a little absent-minded right now.” After one year of traveling together, he had a pretty good grasp on Qiu Ling's moods. His temper was still quite erratic but it had gotten better and most of the time he could predict when he would have another mood swing. This seemed like one of those times where it could actually happen, though he was still quite serious right now.
”Mn, it's always looking like that. There's nothing to worry about. I just remembered something.”
Jing Yi gently rubbed his arm, afraid that this might be another unpleasant memory of Qiu Ling's past. ”Do you want to talk about it?”
”The fruit of the Beguiling Night Tree is one of the ingredients for the Amethyst Lightning Pill so I came here last year already. Mn, it's nice, though. This time I'm not alone.” He looked at Jing Yi, bent down and lightly kissed his cheek. ”Let's go, alright?”
”Mn.” Jing Yi nodded and followed him past the tree. He was relieved that this didn't seem to be something Qiu Ling would rather forget.
Qiu Ling still thought back to his trip last year, though. He had completely forgotten about it afterward because he still had to go to the sea but he had seen that servant girl here. If she was still there and met him and his beloved, would that cause any problems? It shouldn't be, right? After all, they should have erased her memories. But if she really had to do with the demons like he had predicted back then …
Ah, it seemed he would have to be cautious. It would be for the best if his beloved didn't meet her but if that couldn't be prevented, then he'd need to make sure it wouldn't have any serious consequences. He had to stay alert!
In front of them, an opening appeared in the wall of the chasm. Two grim-looking disciples of the Hei Dian Sect stood at the sides, weapons in their hands. Qiu Ling just wanted to go over but Jing Yi held him back.
”Qiu Ling, we … we can't divulge our identities.”
”I know.” Qiu Ling blinked. He didn't understand what Jing Yi was being worried about.
”We … We're still wearing the robes of the Yun Zou Sect.” Jing Yi tugged at the white fabric that stood out like a sore thumb in the darkness around them. He hadn't known what the demonic sect would be like so he hadn't thought of it before but now he finally realized that he had to pay attention to all details. Being a spy really wasn't easy.