Chapter 388: Why Am I the Scapegoat Again!

Late into the night, Ye Wenxin remained seated, listening to the well-off merchant share anecdotes from around the area. After three rounds of wine, his words became increasingly carefree. Everyone else listened quietly, as the merchant’s stories seemed to transport them back in time.

“Ah, if only Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng hadn’t left, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.” In the midst of his storytelling, the merchant suddenly mentioned Ye Wenxin’s name. Her heart jolted, as she sensed the familiar pattern of blame being shifted her way.

“How is this related to the Demon Lord? After all, even if the Demon Lord is the strongest in the world, she’s still just a person. She couldn’t possibly sacrifice her own life just to protect the Wind and Moon Palace forever,” a nearby man interjected, clearly a Demon Lord supporter.

Much like idols on Earth, no matter who they were, they would always have a few fans. Ye Wenxin felt a wave of gratification, and couldn’t help but glance at the young master who spoke up in her defense.

However, he looked a little ugly, so Ye Wenxin quickly averted her gaze. Meanwhile, the merchant continued, “Not quite. The Martial World is incomparably muddy, and nothing is in black and white. It’s not uncommon for scoundrels to emerge from the immortal sects, and heroes from the demon sects. What this old man is referring to are the changes that occurred, after the Demon Lord’s departure.”

The merchant took another swig of wine, clearly so drunk that he even dared to discuss the Demon Lord. Ye Wenxin didn’t mind it at all; everyone feared Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng, and even within the Wind and Moon Palace, Ye Wenxin was isolated.

She had to be ruthless, perched high above others, unreachable, ensuring that none of her subordinates dared to harbor rebellious thoughts. Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng had to be powerful; she was a symbol, much like Fairy Fengya.

One represented absolute justice, while Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng embodied darkness.

As the young man’s fervor influenced him, the merchant grew even more animated. Hee stood up and declared, “It was the Demon Lord’s departure that broke the three-way balance.”

The young man was visibly disgruntled, and clenched his fists as he argued, “The balance was bound to be broken sooner or later. It couldn’t have lasted forever.”

Before the merchant could counter, the young man quickly added, “Besides, the new Palace Master, Liu Churan, shares a deep familial bond with the Demon Lord. She’s even willing to offer up the Wind and Moon Palace to search for her whereabouts.”

Upon mention of Liu Churan, Ye Wenxin felt a wave of discomfort wash over her. She instinctively reached for her neck, as if she could still feel the Immortal Sealing Ring that had once controlled her. However, after confirming there was nothing around her neck, she allowed herself a small measure of relief.

Just as she thought the tedious debate would end, the merchant grew even more agitated. “Liu Churan’s actions are nothing but a smokescreen. She’s using the Demon Lord’s name as a facade, pretending to search for her while actually consolidating power by swallowing up various factions. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have to leave my home in such dire straits!”

At this point, the others finally understood the true reason behind the merchant’s frustration with the Demon Lord leaving, so they merely smiled and let the conversation drift.

“Master, the Liu Churan they’re talking about—is she Ah Ran?” Ghost Mother, having caught the familiar name, couldn’t help but ask. Ye Wenxin nodded slightly, and considering that the time would soon come for the two to meet again, she should to clarify some things with Ghost Mother.

Even though Ghost Mother was good friends with Liu Churan, they were surely not so amicable that Ghost Mother would stay by Liu Churan’s side. Yet, the thought of these two malevolent forces coming together was too horrible to contemplate.

But Ye Wenxin wasn’t sure how to keep Ghost Mother’s focus on herself. So she said, “Gui Gui, we haven’t played for a few days. How about—”

Before she could even finish her sentence, Ghost Mother immediately dove back into the umbrella sword, not uttering another word. As expected, actions spoke louder than any sweet words.

Ye Wenxin sighed to herself, when she suddenly felt something lean against her shoulder. She turned and saw that Gu Xiangsi’s head was resting on her shoulder, asleep. Seeing this, Ye Wenxin informed Wang Cuihua before gently lifting Gu Xiangsi. She carried her to their cabin, and laid her down on the bed.

Gu Xiangsi slept peacefully, seemingly unaware of the changes in her surroundings. Despite being a clingy tag-along, Ye Wenxin didn’t find her annoying—as long as Gu Xiangsi didn’t interrupt her sleep, she didn’t mind what the girl did during the day.

However, seeing the sleeping Gu Xiangsi now, Ye Wenxin couldn’t help but think that she looked rather beautiful when she wasn’t talking. It was a pity that Gu Xiangsi was always chattering away like a little sparrow in front of her.

“Sleep well; we should reach the shore by tomorrow,” Ye Wenxin softly whispered as she gently tucked the blanket around Gu Xiangsi, and quickly left the cabin…

Outside, the ship grew quieter. Ye Wenxin suddenly sensed an unusual aura in the air. She moved forward along the corridor, following the source of that disturbance. The umbrella sword, picking up on the change in Ye Wenxin’s demeanor, instinctively unsheathed itself, ready to strike at any threat that might appear.

As Ye Wenxin continued down the corridor, she caught sight of the merchant from earlier, stumbling and swaying as he walked. He seemed to have had far too much to drink, drunkenly meandering in an S-shaped pattern. He was humming a tune, likely picked up from some brothel, sounding very absurd.

Ye Wenxin relaxed a bit and was about to head up to the deck when she suddenly saw another figure emerge, lunging directly at the merchant.

“Sword Ghost!” Ye Wenxin called out immediately. The umbrella sword, now fully unsheathed, launched itself toward the figure.

“Don’t kill him; leave him alive,” Ye Wenxin instructed. Despite Sword Ghost’s inclination to cleave the attacker in two, it obediently followed the command and merely knocked the man unconscious.

The merchant, scared half to death, sat on the floor helplessly, seemingly unable to comprehend what had just occurred. Ye Wenxin was already approaching, using her foot to turn the unconscious man over. To her surprise, the man’s face looked somewhat familiar.

Upon closer inspection, she realized that this was the same individual who had defended Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng on the deck earlier. Now, his complexion was ashen, almost like one of the jiangshi from Yangzhou City.

Ye Wenxin sensed something amiss. She crouched down to check for any obvious external injuries on the man, and discovered a distinct mark on his neck, like a teeth imprint.

Ye Wenxin measured the situation, and immediately concluded that this was a bite from a jiangshi.

The merchant crawled over and inquired, “What’s going on, Cultivator Ye?”

Ye Wenxin offered a wry smile and responded, “It seems that jiangshi are not only capable of flying now, but they can also swim. Old man, you need to alert everyone that there are jiangshi on board.”