Futile Devices Scans

The climate in northern Dongyu was similar to that of Longsha. In early spring, the trees were only beginning to cast shade, mountain flowers blanketed the wilderness, and the wind was neither cold nor the sun too hot—perfect weather for an outing among the fresh greenery.

Three riders galloped along the official road. From afar, they could already see the towering city gates and walls. Ying Yue raised his voice and called out, “Up ahead is the county town of Lu County!”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye slowed his horse and lifted the brim of his bamboo hat with one finger. Mountain wind slipped beneath it, stirring the loose strands he had hastily tied back that morning, leaving them hanging untidily around his brows and temples.

After so many days of hard travel, the faint softness he had regained while resting in Bihan City had quickly been worn away by wind and sun. Only a thin layer of skin remained stretched over sharply defined bones, like sheer silk draped across jagged mountain rock. It made his features appear even deeper and more cutting, his eyes bright as cold stars. He looked like a handsome yet weathered wandering martial artist, without the slightest trace of princely nobility.

Turning to the person beside him, he asked for his opinion. “Brother Xie, I arranged to meet our guide outside the city. There’s still time, so we won’t go into town to rest. Let’s head straight for Yun Lake.”

Although Xie You Lan really was older than Yu Gong Zhao Ye, and although he had already been addressed that way the entire journey, hearing the words “Brother Xie” still made him instinctively frown. It always sounded like a debt collector had arrived—and worse, this man actually did have a thing with his debt-collecting younger brother. So he answered irritably, “Whatever. The sooner we get there, the sooner this ends. We’ve been rushing like there’s a ghost chasing us from behind anyway. What difference does another moment make?”

Though Xie You Lan lived far from court in the jianghu, he ruled like a local emperor within Beizhu Palace. Fine clothes and lavish food went without saying. Whenever he traveled, experts escorted him and servants attended him. Aside from practicing martial arts, there was barely anything he needed to do personally.

Yet this time, he had brought none of his subordinates. Traveling light with Yu Gong Zhao Ye, he left food and lodging entirely to chance. Every morning he opened his eyes only to leap onto a horse and race onward. Surprisingly, he never once demanded they slow down or improve their accommodations. At most, he picked faults here and there and tossed out a few sarcastic remarks when displeased.

Because of having been deceived before—and because the two had once fought each other to mutual ruin—Yu Gong Zhao Ye initially disliked Xie You Lan. But after spending several days with him, his opinion had somewhat improved. If the man didn’t have that mouth of his, he thought, then like his younger brother, he would probably be very easy to get along with.

The moment Wei Fu came to mind, Yu Gong Zhao Ye felt a faint unease stir in his chest. He unconsciously glanced back. Catching the movement, Xie You Lan sneered coldly. “What are you looking for? You’ve been looking around nonstop this whole trip. Did a ghost steal your tail?”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye: “……”

Looking into those peach blossom eyes so similar to Wei Fu’s, he said darkly, “The day we left Yinhe Tower, your brother said he wanted to come too.”

Xie You Lan choked.

But he refused to believe Yu Gong Zhao Ye would let Wei Fu do whatever whim entered his head. “You didn’t stop him?”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye replied blandly, “You know what kind of person he is, don’t you?”

Years ago, Wei Fu had escaped death at the Ten Aspects Sect, yet instead of returning home, he had brazenly wandered off to Linghua Sect alone and ended up falling into the hands of Beizhu Palace spies. If Xie You Lan had not arrived in time to save him, he would probably be old enough to attend private school by now.

That debt collector had catastrophically bad luck, yet absurdly great courage. He specialized in causing disasters without saying a word and also possessed a stubborn streak that made him insist on doing things his own way. Heaven knew which parent he inherited that from…

Seeing Xie You Lan rendered speechless, Yu Gong Zhao Ye pressed on mercilessly. “This involves the parents he’s been separated from for many years, and you’re also his biological brother. You think I didn’t try to persuade him? I nearly talked my lips thin. Brother Xie—if it were you, and he promised obediently to stay home, would you dare believe him?”

Xie You Lan: “……”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye continued calmly stabbing the knife deeper. “Is being overly suspicious really my problem? Do you think I enjoy traveling nonstop without rest?”

As Yu Gong Zhao Ye narrated in that calm yet inexplicably forceful tone, Xie You Lan suddenly seemed to see the gigantic shadow called “Wei Fu” slowly rising over the horizon behind them, dragging endless trouble and endless chatter along with it as it rolled toward them with bared fangs and claws.

“You can’t even keep track of one grown man? Yeguang is finished!” he barked at Yu Gong Zhao Ye with hollow ferocity. Then he cracked his whip against his horse’s rump. “Enough nonsense. Pick up your guide and move!”

The moment he finished speaking, he spurred ahead.

Ying Yue stared blankly at the dust kicked up by the galloping horse, then turned toward Yu Gong Zhao Ye, whose face remained solemn. Hesitantly, he asked, “Is Chancellor Wei really… that frightening? Besides, he has to show his face before the Sovereign every day. If he so much as sneezes, the entire court knows about it. He definitely wouldn’t secretly slip away.”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye raised a brow at him in surprise. “I thought you’d understand Xie You Lan best. Isn’t your sister even harder to handle than Wei Fu?”

Ying Yue: “……”

In an instant, scenes seemed to flash before his eyes like a revolving lantern. Countless echoes of Kui Yue yelling “Brother—!” rang through his ears layer upon layer.

Ying Yue shuddered violently. Deeply moved by shared suffering, he hurriedly whipped his horse forward after Xie You Lan.

What did it mean to tremble at mere rumors? What did it mean to see danger in every rustling blade of grass? This was exactly that.

A faint chuckle drifted out from beneath the bamboo hat, scattering into the gentle spring breeze. Yu Gong Zhao Ye leisurely flicked the reins and urged his horse onward.

From Fengdu to Bihan City, from late autumn to early spring, he and Wei Fu had already spent nearly half a year together. He had grown accustomed to constantly seeing him day and night, so now that they were suddenly separated, he found himself feeling oddly unaccustomed to it.

Throughout the journey over mountains and rivers, Yu Gong Zhao Ye found himself thinking of him for no reason at all. Even spotting a fluttering moth would make him wonder what Xiao Guan was doing right now. Surely he wasn’t secretly causing trouble behind his back again?

That trivial unease had been exaggerated and projected onto Xie You Lan, frightening him badly. Yet within Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s own heart, it only drifted aimlessly, never quite scratching the itch, while bringing with it countless soft and fragmented emotions. Truthfully, he was not especially worried about Wei Fu causing trouble. Since Wei Fu had agreed to him that day, he would not act recklessly.

First, Wei Fu now oversaw the Cabinet and held immense authority. It truly would not be appropriate for him to move rashly. Second, Yeguang was Longsha’s greatest secret. Wei Fu was ultimately an official of Xiling. Knowing the secret was one thing, but he absolutely could not interfere freely. Otherwise, not only Yu Gong Zhao Ye, but even Yeguang’s loyalty would come under suspicion.

Although Wei Fu was persistent, he rarely stubbornly charged ahead blindly. He was extremely good at reading situations. Outside, he carried himself with perfect dignity, so much so that outsiders even considered him part of the “steady and composed” type. Only at home, around those close to him, did he reveal his true form—full of unreasonable clinginess.

Riding neither too near nor too far behind Xie You Lan, Yu Gong Zhao Ye watched his back and pondered silently. The two brothers had complicated pasts and quarreled whenever they met. On the surface, they seemed completely incompatible. Yet Xie You Lan had clearly long ago placed Wei Fu within the category of “his own people.” Though he acted disdainful outwardly, he genuinely cared about Wei Fu’s safety.

How exactly had this unreliable brotherly bond formed? Was it because Xie You Lan had arrived in time to save him back then? With Xie You Lan’s personality, one would think he would be fortunate enough not to stab the son born from the mother who abandoned him. So why had he suddenly decided to lay down his butcher knife and become a bodhisattva?

And there was also Wei Fu’s muteness, which had healed after this incident. According to Wei Fu himself, he achieved sudden enlightenment after walking through the gates of death. But if that were true, he should have learned to speak immediately after falling off the cliff. He would not have remained unable to utter a word until the moment they parted. Clearly, the true turning point had something to do with Xie You Lan.

Most importantly, over the past two days Yu Gong Zhao Ye had suddenly realized a crucial issue he had overlooked for far too long: every time he asked how Wei Fu injured his throat, Wei Fu either dodged the topic or claimed he had been too young to remember.

That bastard possessed a photographic memory. He could even redraw a map he had seen years ago from memory. And yet he claimed to have forgotten something this important?!

Yu Gong Zhao Ye narrowed his eyes slightly. Out of habit, he aimed his gaze at the center of Xie You Lan’s back while thinking: most things Wei Fu refused to tell him directly were connected to his parents, and his parents in turn had countless ties to Beizhu Palace—which meant Xie You Lan almost certainly knew something.

Palace Master Xie suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine, as though a predator hidden in the grass had fixed its gaze upon him. He abruptly turned around, only to see Yu Gong Zhao Ye ride past him and head directly toward a tea stall by the roadside outside the city.

Xie You Lan: “?”

“Hyaaah—”

The horse neighed and pawed the ground to a halt. Yu Gong Zhao Ye leapt down and strode toward a table in the corner.

Seated there was a guest dressed in black robes and wearing a bamboo hat. On the table sat only a bowl of coarse tea and a sword. The scabbard looked extremely old and worn, though it had been cleaned carefully.

Walking over, Yu Gong Zhao Ye greeted him familiarly. “Brother, sitting here alone—are you resting your feet, or waiting for someone?”

The man glanced at him. “Fishing.”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye asked, “Where are you going fishing?”

The man answered, “Into the clouds and mist.”

He lifted his face beneath the wide brim of the hat. His eyes were large and bright, naturally downturned at the corners. When he looked at people, his double eyelids folded softly downward, giving him an innocent, pure sort of clarity.

In truth, his brow bones were high and his eye sockets deep, his nose straight and sharp. Had his eyes been even slightly narrower or fiercer, he would have looked exactly like an ambitious traitor plotting rebellion. Yet those drooping eyes softened the force of his features, making people instinctively lower their guard the moment they saw him. One almost wanted to pinch his cheeks—or make coaxing noises at him like calling over a puppy.

“What fish are you catching?”

Just as Yu Gong Zhao Ye was about to recognize him, Xie You Lan’s icy voice suddenly drifted over from behind.

He stood slightly taller than Yu Gong Zhao Ye, nearly the same height as Wei Fu, looming there like a tree blotting out the sky. Looking down coldly at the guest opposite him, he asked in a distinctly hostile tone tinged with inexplicable gritted teeth, “Who exactly are you trying to catch?”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye: “?”

“Wait, Brother Xie…”

The guest smiled faintly—looking even more like a puppy when he did. Politely inclining his head toward Xie You Lan, he said, “It has been a long time, Palace Master Xie. I trust you’ve been well?”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye blinked. “You two know each other?”

Xie You Lan’s gaze swept back and forth between them. Ignoring Yu Gong Zhao Ye completely, he fixed his eyes on the man in black. “So you’re the guide he found? Cheng Yu, has your broken-down sect gone so poor you’ve lost your minds?”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye: “…… What kind of thing is that to say, Brother Xie? We’re not dragging him off to rob tombs. He’s just helping out. Don’t make it sound so awful.”

A sinister laugh escaped Xie You Lan’s throat. “Helping? Sounds like you two are awfully close.”

Cheng Yu nodded openly instead. “There are many reasons. I volunteered willingly. Thank you for your concern.”

“Many reasons?” Xie You Lan sneered again. “You really are good at inventing excuses for yourself.”

Cheng Yu did not get angry. Calmly and frankly, he replied, “I wanted to help Yu Gong Zhao Ye, my sect really has gone poor, and I knew you would be here.”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye: “Hm?”

Xie You Lan: “……Oh.”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye: “Hm???”

Yu Gong Zhao Ye had no idea why Xie You Lan was suddenly so upset. Yet he watched helplessly as, the moment Cheng Yu finished that sentence, the cold hostility around Xie You Lan visibly vanished at once.

The scene felt strangely familiar.

Like a pufferfish deflating.

Like a bird folding its wings.

Like… Wei Fu changing expressions.

Was this whole “changing moods faster than flipping a page” thing hereditary in your family too?

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