Book 3 Chapter 39 – Bai Ze’s Spell

　　'c.r.a.p, I totally forgot about that… Zeng Qian's relations.h.i.+p with Xiao Hei.' Li Yiming knew that this was a terrible development.

　　"Yes, I killed him." Li Yiming took a deep breath an answered calmly. After all Zeng Qian had done to help him search for Liu Meng, he could not bring himself to lie to her.

　　"Why?" Zeng Qian roared. The bugs around her danced around violently while the buzzing noise gained more and more volume.

　　"He found me after what happened in Ning Village and wanted the Fruit of Nirvana to save you. After I told him that I didn't have it, he tried to kill me to get Mr. Kong to show up." Li Yiming retold his encounter with Xiao Hei rather straightforwardly.

　　"So you killed him?" Fang Shui'er asked with a voice that suggested at some hesitation about laying the blame on Li Yiming.

　　"Yes, I had no choice." Li Yiming sighed. 'Bai Ze was punished by Heaven's Laws for unleas.h.i.+ng her strength and killing Xiao Hei, and I almost died along with her. But there's no point in saying that now, the fact is that Xiao Hei is dead, and I'm the one who killed him.'

　　Li Yiming's answer made the rest of the group frown. The spite between Zeng Qian and Li Yiming was now as clear as day. Qing Linglong stood still, expressionless, while lowering her crescent blades to ready for a strike. Big Beard took a step back when no one was looking and turned toward Fang Shui'er. Qing Qiaoqiao had disbelief written all over her face; she refused to believe that Li Yiming could be a killer.

　　After a long silence, the bugs dispersed and flew away. Zeng Qian's anger slowly died down, and with it, she felt that she no longer wanted Li Yiming's life, at least for now. She turned away and walked away silently.

　　"We paid back the favor. We're done now." Fang Shui'er followed her sister and left these last words without even turning around to look at Li Yiming, although shock and ambivalence were apparent in her voice.

　　"Who's Xiao Hei?" Qing Qiaoqiao came close to Li Yiming and asked cautiously. Her sister wanted to stop her, but the question jumped out of Qiaoqiao's mouth before she could.

　　"He's Zeng Qian's lover. They were really in love with each other." Li Yiming said bitterly. He had nothing but fate to blame for such a twist of events.

　　"I'll look for a way to return to you the favor, I promise." Big Beard walked toward Li Yiming and said earnestly. He was ready to intervene should Zeng Qian and Fang Shui'er attack Li Yiming on the spot, since the latter had saved his life after all. But to stay here right now meant that he would abandon his teammates, and he held himself to higher principles than that. After all, he was the captain of the team that the Fang sisters chose to join.

　　"Alright, thanks." Li Yiming expressed his sincere thanks,

　　"We'll meet again then." Big Beard did not linger any longer and chased after Fang Shui'er.

　　"We should go now. It's not safe here." Qing Linglong looked at Big Beard's back. 'An abrupt end to a temporary and circ.u.mstantial alliance.'

　　* * *

　　"We're reporting the latest news report about the incident at the munic.i.p.al Binshui park. An explosion has caused large-scale damage to the infrastructure within the park, as well as causing at least five deaths. The concerned departments are investigating the matter…"

　　The television was broadcasting the news with a volume that was nearly inaudible. Qing Qiaoqiao sat on the sofa with her lips puckered and turned around to look at the door of Li Yiming's room from time to time. He had brought Liu Meng inside ever since returning from the park and had yet to come out. On several instances, she wanted to knock on the door, but her sister stopped her every time.

　　Qing Linglong was busy finis.h.i.+ng a meal brought by the hotel staff and looked at her sister disapprovingly. Li Yiming was no longer the naive boy she had thought him to be a while earlier. The more she learned about Li Yiming, the more mysterious he seemed to her.

　　Inside the room, Li Yiming was standing next to the bed. His eyes wandering to every corner and nook of the room. "Are you sure you can save her that way? If it's just charming, wouldn't it be better to ask Qiaoqiao for help? She's the expert for that, after all." Li Yiming hesitantly proposed.