Boundless – Chapter 36

2333: “Get up. How long are you going to lie there?”

Wen Qianshu was sprawled on the bed, listless: “I don’t know. Are you going to give me some spoilers?”

2333: “Why don’t you just ascend to the heavens?”

Wen Qianshu: “I’ve already been up to the heavens. Can you give me spoilers now?”

2333: “…”

It couldn’t understand: “You went and made a bold promise without even thinking of a plan?”

Wen Qianshu: “Yeah.”

She sighed, rolled over and sat up, staring at the book chest in front of her, then sighed again.

Wen Qianshu made a fist and lightly tapped her forehead: “Wasn’t I just acting on impulse?”

She couldn’t forget the way Yun Cai’s eyes lit up. For a moment, it was as if the entire starry sky had fallen into them.

Wen Qianshu was just that spineless. A beauty’s smile was worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.

The bold promise she made couldn’t be taken back; she could only brace herself and see it through.

Wen Qianshu: “Let’s look on the bright side. If I fail, I’ll be directly transported away, and then I won’t know what happens afterward. As long as I don’t know, it didn’t happen.”

2333: “You call that looking on the bright side?”

Wen Qianshu sighed for the third time, stood up, and squatted down to look at the book chest.

2333: “You’ve been looking at it for days. Have you figured anything out yet?”

Wen Qianshu: “I have.”

2333: “What?”

Wen Qianshu brushed her fingers over the character for “Shuang” on the book chest: “Didn’t Yun Cai say that few people keep their introductory books? But Yan Chengshuang kept all of hers, and I’ve checked with my fellow disciples—not a single one is missing.”

“She treasured this book chest and took great care of it, but she kept it out here and never used it. It must have been kept as a memento.”

“Perhaps in this entire room, the thing she treasured most was this book chest.”

Thinking of this, Wen Qianshu couldn’t help but marvel at her good luck. If her chaotic flight had smashed into the book chest, it would have been a completely different story.

2333: “So?”

Wen Qianshu: “The character ‘Shuang’ was carved by her master, and the book chest was issued by Five Spirits Mountain. What she treasured most must be her master and her sect.”

“Yan Chengshuang didn’t like to go out or interact with people. We’ve been here for so long, yet no one has noticed my disguise or that something is off with Yan Chengshuang—she probably didn’t have many close friends. But this shouldn’t be Yan Chengshuang’s inner demon. With her status, if she truly wanted friends, plenty of people would flock to her, but she only ever focused on cultivation—”

“Why is that?” Wen Qianshu said, “Yan Chengshuang shouldn’t be so single-mindedly focused on cultivation, right? If she were truly obsessed with immortal cultivation, severing all worldly desires and emotions, she would never have gone to such lengths to keep every single textbook from her childhood.”

“What’s more,” Wen Qianshu’s fingertips traced the character ‘Shuang’, “her calligraphy for this character later became identical to Yan Chengquan’s. But their handwriting styles are different, which shows that Yan Chengshuang deliberately imitated it.”

Wen Qianshu smiled: “Tell me, what if there was a person whose master was obsessed with cultivation, valued strength above all, and eventually passed the position of head to her; whose junior brother is obsessed with cultivation, known for his strictness, yet never gives her any pointers on her practice; whose disciple reveres her, imitates her, and is also obsessed with cultivation, remaining in seclusion year-round—”

“Could this person possibly be weak?” Wen Qianshu continued, “Or rather, what kind of code of conduct would she herself revere?”

Wen Qianshu: “It must also be that the strong are revered.”

“But she acts very gentle. No, she appears strong on the outside but is weak on the inside.” Wen Qianshu said, “You see, even the head of Yanyun Sky thinks the head of Canglan Courtyard is all form and no substance, entirely propped up by Yan Qingxi. But in my view, the true person in power at Canglan Courtyard has always been Yan Chengquan.”

2333 was already dumbfounded: “Are you saying?”

“A bunch of shrewd people.” After saying this, Wen Qianshu suddenly put away the book chest and said, “Let’s go. We’re going to save Yan Han.”

2333: “What? Are you confident you can save her now?”

“How could I be?” Wen Qianshu said, “I’m just taking a gamble.”

2333: “How are you going to gamble?”

Wen Qianshu pushed open the door and walked towards the disciples’ quarters: “I’m betting that Yun Cai didn’t lie to me; betting that the flower demon really wasn’t arranged by Yanyun Sky; and I’m also betting that in this internal struggle of Five Spirits Mountain, the final winner will be Yan Chengquan.”

2333: “Taking a gamble? More like a billion gambles, right?”

It suspected that after staying here for so long, Wen Qianshu’s math skills were also regressing.

The winds and clouds surged over Five Spirits Mountain. The seawater swirled, then disappeared back into the sea.

Wave after wave rose and fell.

The waves crashed against the shore, shattering into white foam.

Although Yan Han had now taken Yan Qingxi as her master, the first year was not yet over, so she still had to live in the disciples’ quarters, sharing a room with Yan Yan.

When Wen Qianshu arrived, Yan Yan happened to be at the schoolhouse, leaving Yan Han alone in the room.

When Wen Qianshu stepped into the room, Yan Han was reading. Seeing her, she stood up and bowed calmly and properly: “Senior Sister.”

Wen Qianshu: “Come with me.”

Yan Han didn’t understand why, but she put down her book and followed.

Most of the new disciples were children, at an age where they loved to play. They were inevitably a bit restrained in front of Yan Qingxi, but once free, they would still play. Canglan Courtyard was quite plain and didn’t have many people, but children could always find ways to have fun.

At that moment, a few of them were squatting on the ground, watching the fish in the sea and chanting incantations in a serious manner, hoping the fish would be pushed over to them.

Seeing Wen Qianshu approach, they scattered with a whoosh, each one bowing. Wen Qianshu nodded and led Yan Han past them. They immediately stood up straight, peering down the corridor. Someone asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.”

They walked through the long corridor.

The quiet, deep blue sea lay dormant outside, as if they were walking through an endless night.

Wen Qianshu led Yan Han into the courtyard and, step by step, walked to Yan Chengquan’s door. Wen Qianshu closed her eyes for a moment, then knocked: “Master.”

Yan Chengquan’s voice came from within: “Enter.”

Wen Qianshu pushed the door open and stepped over the threshold. Yan Han followed her in without the slightest hesitation—a point that made Wen Qianshu marvel—her composure was so remarkably steady, she didn’t seem like a child.

Inside the room, the candlelight was faint. There was a small table with two cattail cushions. The Yan siblings were sitting opposite each other. Seeing Wen Qianshu, Yan Chengquan smiled, “What brings you here?”

With that, she bent down, pulled out two more cushions, and said, “Sit.”

Yan Qingxi: “Have you finished reading the two books I gave you?”

Yan Chengquan didn’t speak, just smiled and shook her head.

While Wen Qianshu was feeling relieved that Yan Qingxi was present, she dropped to her knees with a thud. The kneel was so heavy that Wen Qianshu almost hissed in pain, and 2333 hurriedly adjusted her facial expression.

Yan Qingxi shot to his feet, while Yan Chengquan had already reached out to help her up: “What is the meaning of this?”

Wen Qianshu: “Master, do you find this disciple’s abilities lacking?”

Yan Chengquan’s elegant brows furrowed slightly: “Of course not. Why would you think such a thing?”

Wen Qianshu: “Then why have a flower demon guide this disciple?”

As soon as the words were out, Wen Qianshu wanted to sigh. Yan Chengquan’s elegant brows remained slightly furrowed, like a mask pressed into her skin. Yan Qingxi, however, pursed his lips and said nothing.

He knew.

Yan Qingxi knew Yan Chengquan’s plan.

Otherwise, with his personality, he would have either criticized Wen Qianshu or rebuked Yan Chengquan.

On this step, Wen Qianshu had lost the gamble.

She had originally thought that Yan Qingxi clearly treated his martial niece well. If he didn’t know about this matter, he could have helped them if they truly came into conflict with Yan Chengquan, at least to get Yan Han out.

Yan Han said nothing.

No one spoke.

The candlelight flickered slowly. For a moment, the room was utterly silent.

Wen Qianshu suddenly heard a muffled grunt. She whipped her head around to see Yan Han clutching her neck with both hands, gasping for breath.

A terrifying pressure descended. The spiritual energy was so dense it condensed into water, yet only two drops materialized, one on the left and one on the right, pinning Yan Han’s neck.

Wen Qianshu: “Master, what are you doing—”

Yan Han’s eyes were already rolling back.

Wen Qianshu stopped and said instead, “This disciple has a use for this snake demon.”

With a “pa” sound, Yan Han went limp.

Wen Qianshu quickly reached out and caught her. Yan Han gasped for air, her eyes now snake pupils, scarlet and vertical, staring at Yan Chengquan.

Yan Qingxi kept his eyes downcast and didn’t move. Yan Chengquan, however, interlaced her fingers and said gently and slowly, “What’s this? Has my good disciple finally seen the light?”

The wick of the lamp flared, the light flickered, and then it grew quiet again.

That faint glimmer of light seemed to wipe away all the dignified peace from her face, leaving only indifference.

An indifference tinged with contempt.

For the first time, Wen Qianshu felt fear.

Extreme fear.

Endless Moon was pressed to the ground. A chilling, sea-like spiritual energy flowed through the room, like countless invisible snakes coiling around her body, their tongues flicking, brushing against the nape of her neck.

Yan Han’s eyes were motionless, the pupils at their centers narrowed into thin, vertical slits.

Yan Chengquan’s phoenix eyes tilted up, her elegant brows like a painting. She gave a slight smile, her tongue licking the corner of her lips, and her usually dignified and gentle face instantly took on a myriad of charms. She turned to the side, lifted herself with spiritual energy, then extended her foot. Her long skirt was caught, covering the top of her shoe, leaving only the very tip to lift Yan Han’s chin.

Yan Chengquan leaned down and asked unhurriedly, “What use?”

Wen Qianshu braced herself and looked directly at her, saying, “She can help Master obtain the true teachings of Fuliu Boat.”

Since the flower demon was sent by Yan Chengquan, her goal must be to drive a wedge between Yanyun Sky and Fuliu Boat.

Yan Chengquan most likely wants to isolate Fuliu Boat and make a move against it.

Yan Chengquan tilted her head: “How?”

Wen Qianshu: “The demon poison of the snake clan—she is the illegitimate daughter of the snake clan’s demon queen. Her poison is more potent than that of other snake demons.”

Yan Han’s pupils contracted. She almost turned her head to look at her, but her jaw was held in place by Yan Chengquan, unable to move.

Yan Chengquan: “Little snake, are you willing?”

What an interesting thing to say, asking someone if they’re willing while holding them by the throat.

But Yan Han didn’t nod. Instead, she said, “What are you planning to do?”

Yan Chengquan: “Explain it to her.”

Wen Qianshu: “We want you to cooperate with Canglan Courtyard.”

This world, compared to the last one, was more than just a little bit difficult, wasn’t it?

This was almost a dead end.

The five sects of Five Spirits Mountain were fighting internally. It wasn’t that Yan Chengquan didn’t know Yan Han’s identity; she was just keeping Yan Han as a pawn, using the information Yan Han revealed to the demon clan to fuel the conflicts between the five sects and stir up a bloody storm on Five Spirits Mountain.

This person was strong enough, ruthless enough, and skilled enough at disguising herself, and even more skilled at bewitching people’s hearts—the flower demon was used by her, and Yan Qingxi was willing to be her public target.

In the original book, Yan Han succeeded in heavily damaging Five Spirits Mountain in the end, was exposed by Yun Cai, and watched helplessly as Yan Qingxi committed suicide—did Yan Qingxi really commit suicide out of anger, or was he silenced by Yan Chengquan?

Wen Qianshu soberly realized that Yan Han was no match for her.

Even with her added to the mix, they were still no match.

The politics of Five Spirits Mountain were as deep as the vast sea of Canglan Courtyard. What Yun Cai knew was merely scratching the surface, let alone them. Canglan Courtyard had always been sparsely populated and had no contention for the head position, yet Yan Chengquan had already reached such a state. How could the other four sects be any simpler?

So Wen Qianshu was gambling, making her biggest bet yet.

She wanted to pull Yan Han onto Yan Chengquan’s ship, she wanted—

Yan Han’s vertical pupils shifted, and she hissed like a snake, “You want me to betray my mother’s clan?”

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