After Becoming a High-Risk Master, I Flipped the Script Chapter 73

“Uh…”

Gu Baiqing found himself stared at by a pair of deep, pitch-black eyes, and for no reason at all, he felt a heavy pressure from that gaze.

“Brother!” Another “Brother” rang out, but this one came from Baili Jingzhan. “Mo Xuanli, since when do you have an older brother?”

At that, Mo Xuanli seemed to snap back to normal. “It’s you, Baili Jingzhan?”

“Hey, hey, hey, man, you only just noticed me?” Jingzhan said speechlessly.

Gu Baiqing hurriedly seized the chance to cut in: “I just heard some commotion outside and came to take a look, that’s all. Besides… I could have avoided it.”

Mo Xuanli froze, then nodded.

“You… you all…” Young Master Zhou, realizing he was being ignored, finally couldn’t hold back.

“This young master, just now you nearly injured me by mistake. My younger brother destroyed your weapon—let’s call it even. I’ll ask you to leave now, but before you go, you’ll need to compensate the shop here for the damages,” Gu Baiqing said slowly.

“No way, I—” Young Master Zhou started, but Gu Baiqing cut him off: “If you make another move, my younger brother won’t stand by. Do you really want to face both of them at once?”

The two men beside him both froze. Neither had expected Gu Baiqing to say such a thing.

Mo Xuanli had always thought his master wouldn’t meddle in others’ affairs. Jingzhan, meanwhile, felt this “older brother” was a little too warm-hearted. He hadn’t needed Mo Xuanli’s help, but the way things were phrased made him feel as though he owed a debt of favor.

With one from Zixiao Sect—Mo Xuanli—who had crushed his magic weapon, and one from Tianyuan Sect—Baili Jingzhan—who had toyed with him, even Young Master Zhou’s temper had to cool.

Just then, Miss Zhou caught up and, calmer than her brother, said, “Brother, don’t fight. I only have one thing to say to Young Master Baili.”

She stepped forward and faced Jingzhan. Jingzhan clearly disliked such a scene, his face turning awkward. “Miss Zhou, I…”

“Young Master Baili, I am willing to wait for you. No matter what you say or do, I will wait. If one day you come to like someone else and decide to form a dao companion bond with them, only then will I give you up.”

“Sister, you…” Young Master Zhou clearly thought his sister was being taken advantage of and glared angrily at Jingzhan.

Jingzhan’s composure nearly broke. At last he said, “Miss Zhou, thank you for your feelings, but don’t wait for me. There will be no outcome between us. Please seek the Dao companion who truly belongs to you.”

“No, I won’t give up so easily,” Miss Zhou said firmly, clearly resolute.

Jingzhan was not the type to shoulder the burden of deep affection. Flustered, his mind raced, and suddenly he thought of an escape. He grabbed Mo Xuanli beside him and threw an arm over his shoulder.

“What I mean by telling you not to wait is—I’ve changed my tastes. I don’t like women anymore. I like men. I like him. I’ve been chasing after him.”

The words dropped like thunder, and the room fell utterly silent.

Mo Xuanli instinctively tried to push Jingzhan away, but Jingzhan clamped down tightly and secretly transmitted a voice: “Help me out here, brother!”

In the end, the chaotic situation concluded with Miss Zhou running off in tears, unable to believe it but surely ready to give up—after all, even his orientation had changed.

Young Master Zhou spat in disgust, clearly scornful, but he admitted defeat, paid compensation, and chased after his sister.

As soon as the siblings turned away, Mo Xuanli shoved off the shameless culprit, his gaze a little flustered as it darted toward Gu Baiqing.

Gu Baiqing, however, was only giving Jingzhan a look of pure exasperation.

“Don’t misunderstand. This brother has no interest in men. Just a stopgap measure.”

Gu Baiqing gave a dry chuckle. “Sure, but if word gets out, the two of you… your reputations…”

“Ah, don’t worry. There are already too many rumors about me. A new one will soon be replaced by another, so no need to be concerned.”

Seeing the two men glaring at him with unfriendly eyes, Jingzhan could only put on a smile.

“Sorry for the trouble. Didn’t expect to run into you here—did I disturb your rest? Since that’s the case, I’ll treat you.”

Since the brothel needed cleaning up, they naturally moved to another restaurant for breakfast.

Once seated, Jingzhan curiously sized up Gu Baiqing. “Didn’t expect you really have an older brother. Strange, strange.” Then he cupped his hands to Gu Baiqing. “Just now I almost injured Big Brother Mo by mistake. I owe him an apology. Here, let me give this as a token to calm your nerves.”

Jingzhan was generous, immediately taking out a spirit pill. But though Gu Baiqing concealed his identity, he still felt embarrassed to accept something from a junior.

“No need. It was my fault for crowding in to watch.”

Jingzhan gave an awkward laugh. Catching Mo Xuanli’s glance, he could only sigh helplessly. “I really was wronged. Back then, it was she who said she liked me and insisted on accompanying me on my training. It wasn’t that I asked her, and certainly not that I tricked her. I told her clearly—I’m not someone who can be entrusted with a lifetime. But she insisted on following. I couldn’t just forcefully drive her away. And yes, during that time, it was pleasant enough. But later, I had my own business, so we parted ways. Then she decided I betrayed her, felt wronged, and even brought her brother to confront me. I really…”

Gu Baiqing’s mouth twitched. He couldn’t judge this sort of thing. Jingzhan did sometimes act a bit flirtatiously—he was a wanderer. But who knew whether the girl had been drawn in first?

And then Mo Xuanli spoke: “You weren’t wronged.”

Jingzhan choked, speechless. “Why do you sound just like Xie Qingrong? I think I don’t like you anymore.”

Mo Xuanli seemed unused to Jingzhan’s way of speaking. After a brief awkward pause, he said, “You dangled her feelings, enjoying the sense of achievement. If you hadn’t left her even a shred of hope, she wouldn’t have persisted until now.”

Jingzhan was struck hard. “I… I just have a habit of being gentle to all women, can’t really blame me, right? And besides, some women are told directly there’s no hope, yet they still persist. That part…” Jingzhan suddenly grinned. “You should understand, right? Didn’t your master once meet someone like that?”

Both Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli looked at him in surprise. They hadn’t expected he hadn’t yet heard about Ruiyao. They thought news of such a major event would have spread all over the cultivation world by now.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Can’t I mention Elder Luofeng?” Jingzhan asked blankly.

Mo Xuanli gave a brief account of what happened in Star-Stepping City. Jingzhan was stunned. “Heavens! Elder Luofeng dragged into such a thing for no reason? From now on… I’d better restrain myself.”

“You’ve been staying in the mortal realm all this time?” Gu Baiqing asked.

“Yes, so I’m out of the loop. By the way, along the way, have you run into Xie Qingrong?”

Mo Xuanli’s mind flashed with the image of Xie Qingrong, his brows twitching, as if something stirred faintly.

“You’re looking for him?”

“Of course. I went to Rufeng Sect to find him—well, not play, I mean to train. But they told me he’d already gone down the mountain. Then one of the junior sisters secretly said he’d actually been missing for nearly two months. Their sect master forbade them from searching, only saying Senior Brother had important business. But come on—he’s blind, and in this place with no spiritual energy, he really is blind. How’s he supposed to handle important matters? I just happened to be training down the mountain, so I came along to see if I could help. I heard he was last seen in this region. But I’ve searched halfway through already and not even a shadow.”

“This region? How big?” Mo Xuanli asked.

“Covers about five prefectures,” Jingzhan said. “Actually, back when we were fooling around, we set up a contract. If we’re close, we can sense each other. But the range is too small, so I can only search on my own. Last night I ran around this town, no response. I planned to rest one night before leaving, but ended up blocked by the Zhou siblings. Lucky, though—otherwise we wouldn’t have met. By the way, what are you here for?”

Mo Xuanli briefly explained. “You haven’t even gone to the Immortal Temple?”

Jingzhan laughed. “This Linxun Town has no demonic aura at all. Why would I go see some mortal idol? But what you said does sound interesting. Why don’t I stay a few more days and help you investigate?”

Gu Baiqing hadn’t yet figured out how to invite him, when Jingzhan volunteered himself.

In the original story, just because of an acquaintance in a secret realm half a year before, Jingzhan had shown some interest in Mo Xuanli. But since Xie Qingrong was wary of Mo Xuanli, they only exchanged greetings before Jingzhan went on his way searching for Xie Qingrong. He had never intended to stay and help.

This time though—was it because their interactions in the secret realm had been closer, so Xie Qingrong thought better of Mo Xuanli and made Jingzhan more willing to engage? Or was it because of helping earlier at the brothel? Or perhaps he noticed the person at Mo Xuanli’s side wasn’t a top expert and worried for his friend, so he used it as an excuse to stay?

In any case, Gu Baiqing’s wish was fulfilled.

With Baili Jingzhan as a witness, just like in Star-Stepping City, even if things developed to the worst, no one could dump the blame on Mo Xuanli.

Moreover, Gu Baiqing thought that if Baili Jingzhan knew the truth, he would surely be grateful for having stayed this time—because once he left now, it might well be life or death with Xie Qingrong.

In the original story, what came after was Jingzhan’s collapse, his struggle and torment, the fall of a favored child of heaven who lost his brilliant smile overnight, hating Mo Xuanli, yet unable to ever again join any battle against him. And it had all begun with Xie Qingrong’s death.

But now, whether Xie Qingrong could be saved—Gu Baiqing had no absolute confidence.

Because in this place, when Xie Qingrong appeared in the story, he was already dead. All Gu Baiqing knew was that finding the Puppeteer as soon as possible might change everything. But the Puppeteer would not appear until the key plot demanded it.

After the three discussed for a while, they decided to go find Wu Hongxi.

On the way, Jingzhan was still relaxed, joking about why they stayed in a pleasure house. Clearly, it was Jingzhan who chose to stay there in the first place, completely unaware that the inns outside had no vacant rooms. Mo Xuanli did not forget to bring up changing lodgings, but the inns they passed still had no space. Jingzhan just laughed, saying his room was big enough to share.

Gu Baiqing’s eyes lit up at once—he hadn’t expected keeping Jingzhan around to have this kind of benefit.

Mo Xuanli, however, cast Jingzhan a quiet look.

When they arrived at the Wen residence and Wu Hongxi came out, Lu Sulan also followed.

Lu Sulan gave a simple salute, then turned with her basket and left alone.

“Is Madam Wen going to the Immortal Temple again?” Mo Xuanli asked.

“Should be. I saw her carrying many offerings, she must still be hoping to borrow the power of that so-called ghostly immortal to help her find someone.” After Wu Hongxi spoke, she grew curious when she noticed they had another person with them. “You’ve brought another helper? Why do all of you who practice spells look so good? If one day I learn cultivation, will I also become pretty?”

Wu Hongxi couldn’t resist asking.

Gu Baiqing very much wanted to tell her: that’s just your luck, girl—you happened to run into the very top of the cultivation world.

“Miss Wu is already very pretty, with such a good nature. Do you really need to be even prettier? Wouldn’t that just spell disaster for ordinary folk?” Jingzhan joked with his usual easy familiarity.

Mo Xuanli and Gu Baiqing were speechless, when Wu Hongxi suddenly frowned: “Such glib words—don’t tell me you trick mortal girls and then vanish without a trace, shirking responsibility?!”

Jingzhan was struck as if by a blow, the corner of his mouth twitching. “I… did not. Young lady, have you been reading too many storybooks?”

Mo Xuanli and Gu Baiqing burst out laughing.

Clearly, Wu Hongxi wasn’t taken in by Jingzhan’s ways. Along the way, she actually liked talking most with Gu Baiqing.

From behind, Jingzhan muttered gloomily: “Looks like the young lady likes your elder-brother type—serious with a touch of gentleness. The two of us, though so brilliant, she doesn’t even see.”

Mo Xuanli’s gaze lingered on the two walking in front, feeling that his master always seemed to talk more with Wu Hongxi than with him.

By late morning, the four had visited three households, and the situations they saw were truly bizarre.

With Wu Hongxi’s explanations alongside what they themselves saw, it was as if they were looking at two completely different people.

The first household was the first to have their wish fulfilled. The husband at home doted on his wife and cared for the children—a perfect model husband. But the longer you looked, the stranger it seemed. For example, while he was cooking, the wife in the room suddenly called out: the water jar is empty, remember to fill it.

The husband immediately dropped the half-cooked food and rushed out to fetch water. When the wife smelled burning and came running, she lashed into him with a torrent of scolding. He didn’t talk back, simply endured it obediently, mouthing sweet words of loyalty to placate her—but his expression was stiff to the extreme.

If he had truly become a good husband and father, it would be a blessing. But in this uncanny form, it only made one’s back go cold.

The second household was an old mother clashing with her daughter-in-law. She meddled in every matter big and small, and the daughter-in-law, being strong-willed, refused to accept interference. The son loved his wife, siding with her in all decisions, though he tried to appease his mother with kind words.

When they arrived, a crowd had already gathered outside. Inside, it wasn’t the usual quarrel but the old mother demanding her son divorce his wife and remarry. Shockingly, the son wrote out the divorce letter on the spot and prepared to drive his wife out. The mother, seeing her daughter-in-law protest, smugly declared her son’s obedience as proof of his filial piety.

Onlookers pitied the wife—though she hadn’t always yielded to her mother-in-law, her marriage was otherwise affectionate. Now, with her husband so “obedient,” she had utterly lost her support.

Looking closer at the son, his behavior was just as mechanical as the first man’s.

The third case was of a poor, powerless scholar seeking to marry a wealthy young lady.

When they found him, the scholar was in a gambling den, losing money, then seized by the boss for debt. At that moment, a finely dressed young lady rushed in, anxiously fussing over him, and handed over her purse.

Onlookers muttered jealously, “Don’t know what kind of dogsh*t luck this pauper had to catch the eye of the Zhou family’s young miss. She insists on marrying him, even after bailing him out from debts time and again.”

“Didn’t the Zhou family almost smash the Immortal Statue once, if not for the town mayor stopping them?”

“Of course they wanted to smash it! Their good daughter was meant to marry into a great family of Tianxian Prefecture. This wretched scholar only copied books at their house for a time, then pestered the young lady with sappy poems like some storybook dream. She was so frightened she hid at a relative’s, and he was beaten and driven out. If not for the statue’s manifestation, how could the young lady suddenly become so shamelessly insistent on marrying him, ruining her reputation?”

Listening to the gossip and looking at Miss Zhou, she truly seemed to have lost her senses, doting wholeheartedly on the bedraggled scholar—so eerie it made one’s skin crawl.

“Go home and fetch more money. Once we’re married, your dowry will be mine anyway, makes no difference. If your parents won’t agree, threaten your life.” The scholar shoved the young lady and ordered.

She instantly obeyed, rising to leave, as if truly prepared to use her life as leverage. By the time the four followed, the Zhou household had already tied her up.

“How is it? Can you tell what’s happening?” Wu Hongxi asked anxiously.

“Their life force is gradually weakening—it’s definitely a kind of control, but not by evil spirits,” Mo Xuanli said. “Either they’ve already fallen under some kind of technique, with the result now fixed, so we sense no lingering energy… or else it’s a method entirely unknown to us.”

Jingzhan stroked his chin, looking a little puzzled. He felt as though he had seen this situation somewhere before, but for the moment couldn’t recall it. “Truly interesting… Seems we’re at a dead end like this. Find an opportunity to tie someone up so we can investigate carefully. Daytime isn’t good, let’s come back at night.”

All this while, Gu Baiqing had remained silent. Mo Xuanli noticed. “Elder brother? What’s wrong? Do you have any thoughts?”

Gu Baiqing certainly had many thoughts—but none he could say aloud. “Just worried we may be too late to save people.”

Mo Xuanli quickly said, “Brother, don’t worry. We’ll be as quick as possible.”

Jingzhan found Mo Xuanli’s attitude toward his elder brother exceedingly strange—overly concerned, overly deferential. Still, he didn’t dwell on it, and instead said, “This Immortal Temple you mentioned, I’m quite interested. How about taking me to see it now?”

Even as he spoke, a crowd of Zhou family members surged out, each holding sticks, fierce and imposing, clearly heading to smash the Immortal Temple.