Chapter 27- Mass suicide in the east (pt.1)

Wei Xiao was sitting by Qin Zuijia's bed, reading another book. This time it was a novel about a world without cultivation. It was a funny story for most people in their world, but Wei Xiao found that such a world that isn't as bad. A place where there is peace and his family could live without the fear of being killed by others who want to fight for power.

Wei Xiao was waiting for Qin Zuijia to wake up. He doesn't know how to take care of someone who collapses because of fear. Many people would take advantage of him while he's like this, but Wei Xiao couldn't. He didn't have the heart to kill Qin Zuijia like this, nor does he have the heart to kill him. The longer he's with Qin Zuijia, the more he understands his uncle's reasons. Qin Zuijia has the same weaknesses as the Qin Clan. He sucks at naming, awkward in most situations, caring, honest, and has the smile that could melt the coldest heart.

Wei Xiao grew up as a member of the Qin Clan, even if he doesn't have the bloodline, he also shows some of their traits and beliefs. The Qin clan believes that no one is irredeemable. They made the Qin family journals in order to assess which type of treatment they could give their heirs. They never put any label that said 'irredeemable'. The Qin Clan did try to find Qin Zuijia, but most of them gave up halfway, they knew that Qin Zuijia would return to them himself, and he did.

Many elders from the Qin clan that time were scratching their head while giving him a kind greeting. Their first meeting was awkward and it took them several minutes to choose a place to put Qin Zuijia in. At first they invited him for a cup of tea, but Qin Zuijia declined and said that he's going to be a prisoner. One elder said that he could stay at his own pavilion until the day of his punishment, but Qin Zuijia reminded them of what he did.

Most of the conversation exchanged by them involves an awkward silence and scratching of head. The elder really didn't want Qin Zuijia to stay in the dungeon. They have a record that said that although Qin Zuijia is a very powerful mage, his body was very weak, even after cultivation his body would get sick with just a little draft.

Wei Xiao wasn't really there when it happened, but he saw some elders trying to persuade Qin Zuijia to stay in his old pavilion, but Qin Zuijia walked on his own to the dungeon.

Wei Xiao at that time was confused. 'Wasn't he the villain? He doesn't look as evil as the news says. And why do the elders look like they are coaxing a young master not to be stubborn?"

Now, Wei Xiao found that they aren't wrong in doing so. Qin Zuijia would do what he wanted to do. Most of his desires are for other people. He became an artisan to make helpful things for Wei Xiao and Xiao Ling once he grows up, he would choose what other people wants even if he doesn't want it, for example that time when they were choosing an inn in Willow city- He obviously knew that he was their target, but he still stayed because Xiao Ling likes it there, but he regrets doing so because he almost had Xiao Ling killed.

He asked the elders to lock him in the dungeon because he might harm other people, he endured his fever because he doesn't want to bother others, it could also be because he's too embarrassed or awkward around people that he doesn't want to speak up. What he wanted was what was best for most people, even if it didn't agree with what he wanted. He's weak that way, the Qin clan was the same.

Wei Xiao watched as Qin Zuijia furrowed his brow and groaned. His body shot and his breathing was abnormal. He already asked others what he should do to help, but all he got was to watch and never let Qin Zuijia be alone at this moment. It was also a plus if he could embrace him in his arms, but Wei Xiao found that it might make Qin Zuijia uncomfortable, he doesn't know how to hug people unlike Xiao Ling, all he could do was watch and wait.

After an hour, Qin Zuijia finally stopped shaking. His head was still covered with beads of sweat, but other than that he was fine. He opened his eyes and found Wei Xiao sitting beside the bed.

Qin Zuijia felt awkward waking up to someone looking at them, especially if it was an ice cold boulder that made him feel like he was frozen. He scratched his head and uttered a greeting.

"Are you feeling better?" Wei Xiao asked. His brows were still knitted together.

Qin Zuijia gulped and puffed out an anxious laugh. "I'm. Fine." He could feel his entire body freezing. Wei Xiao's worried looks makes him look more like he's going to kill him.

Wei Xiao silently sighed in relief. He doesn't know how to take care of a person who's experiencing a panic attack after being exposed to something they fear. He was relieved to know that Qin Zuijia wasn't in a lot of danger.

"You collapsed back at the restaurant." Wei Xiao uttered slowly. "What happened?"

Qin Zuijia smiled stiffly, he couldn't remember what happened, but by the looks of it, he somehow managed to meet his great enemy again. He didn't want to tell Wei Xiao about his ludicrous fear, but he also doesn't want him to think that he's been hiding dirty secrets from him. In order for Qin Zuijia to win the acknowledgement of Wei Xiao, he has to put his pride down and tell him his everything, but would Wei Xiao think that he's a joke?

Qin Zuijia thought about it for a whole day, but by the time he had made a decision, Wei Xiao spoke.

"Do you have any relationship with that man?" Wei Xiao was afraid of seeing Qin Zuijia collapse like that again.

Qin Zuijia stares innocently at Wei Xiao. He didn't know what man he was talking about, the moment the cat landed on his lap, his entire system crashed and his mind went blank, He didn't even realize that he collapsed and had a panic attack in his sleep. He smiled at Wei Xiao, unable to say anything.

Wei Xiao, this innocent baby that has yet to face the wrath of the heavens, took his smile as his fear of telling him about this person. He felt his head burn in anger. He didn't know what that man did to Qin Zuijia, but he swore that he's going ti murder him.

Qin Zuijia, this demon spawn who acts innocent to those he likes but has a casket prepared to those he didn't, didn't know that he had been misunderstood by his family's Wei Xiao. He couldn't speak at the moment. He could clarify things, but he couldn't speak.

Qin Zuijia wanted to laugh.

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Wei Xiao went to get his panic stricken nephew from Bai Chenle. Xiao Ling was asking him about Qin Zuijia and was apologizing that he couldn't fight those bad dreams. Wei Xiao couldn't explain that Qin Zuijia weren't having nightmares, but the child was really sure that Qin Zuijia was, he couldn't force the child to believe what he knows.

When the two returned to their little house, Qin Zuijia had already prepared a mountain of food. Wei Xiao frowned and asked. "Why are you working already? You should rest."

Qin Zuijia shook his head. "My body would feel sluggish if I rest now." Qin Zuijia hugged the baby who ran towards him with tears in his eyes. "Was Xiao Ling good when Pretty Uncle was asleep?"

Xiao Ling nodded then shook his head. His snot was already dripping into Qin Zuijia's top. "Xiao Ling bad! didn't fight bad guys in the dream to save a pretty uncle!" The child cried and held onto Qin Zuijia tightly, he was afraid that Qin Zuijia would dream about those things again.

Qin Zuijia hugged Xiao Ling and patted his back. Xiao Ling must have seen him shaking when he was asleep and thought that he was having a nightmare. He smiled and kissed the child's cheeks. "Pretty uncle is okay now. Xiao Ling has been good!"

Xiao Ling still clutched Qin Zuijia's clothes and refused to let go.

After they've eaten their dinner, Wei Xiao went out to see the Bakunawa who was crying in the back mountains, asking for him to return. On the way, Wei Xiao heard the news that he heard back in the south.

"Did you hear? Just this morning in the butterfly restaurant, the people started strangling themselves until they turned blue." a disciple from the fifth peak said.

"I heard some of them jumped out an open window. The blood was still fresh, but they wouldn't allow people to see." A female disciple frowned. She really wanted to check.

"Master was there this morning. He's been called to investigate."

Wei Xiao blinked. He was with Aoki Enyo back at the restaurant but he didn't hear anything after leaving.

According to those disciples, the suicides happened after they left. Wei Xiao couldn't help but associate the person who made Qin Zuijia collapse at that time. He doesn't have to have an evidence to hate him, knowing waa able to put fear in the great villain, he should be someone who had done worse things. On top of that, that person didn't leave after they did, it's possible that he must have bee one of those who has something to do with the mass suicide.

Although it was called a mass suicide, many people knew that someone had something to do with it. It was called 'suicide' because the victims were the ones who killed themselves. Sure it is possible that one or two could be written off as suicide and be let off without further investigation, but the thing is, there were more than fifty people inside the restaurant, and most of them were cultivators from other sects in the east.

Wei Xiao did know what to do with this information he had gathered, but he believed that this conjecture of his was correct.

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Back at the inn, Aoki Enyo was looking at the room he was once in with the other people. The room was now covered with blood splatter and brain-matter as well as some internal organs. If Enyo wasn't used to seeing dead people, he would have already vomited his guts out.

On the walls were symbols. Everyone knew these symbols. But what he couldn't understand was why these people would come here? What's their purpose? Revenge? Or something else.

The symbol on the walls were two tigers forming a circle and an X mark in the middle. Each stroke of the X marks has several characters on them, those characters were the sutras made by the demon beast god on their clan. Enyo couldn't help but remember the circulating talks from the people he had encountered.

Could it be that when the Qin Clan died, their demon beast enacted revenge to everyone who destroys their name?

Aoki Enyo bit his lip and went outside.

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The Bakunawa cried for help as Wei Xiao chased after it with his sword. The Bakunawa can't hurt this little human, but he also doesn't want to die.

At first, he only asked this human to give him his master and that he shouldn't steal away the child from him, but the human refused. He then told him that the demon beasts are more important to the child than ang other humans, this made the human fuming, but he didn't attack. What made Wei Xiao attack this annoying beast was what he said after.

"I am better at taking care of my master than you."

Of course Wei Xiao wasn't really angry at him, he just doesn't want the Bakunawa to sprout nonsense in front of other people. Wei Xiao may not be much help in taking care of Xiao Ling, bit Qin Zuijia was there, he knew how to make the baby smile. Of course there were times where he wouldn't be able to handle Xiao Ling because he's inexperienced in the field, but he was still able to do many things for Xiao Ling, that was enough to say that he's capable.

"Aaaaahhhhhh!" The Bakunawa screamed. He just felt the cold piercing blade behind him. He didn't know how this human was able to make him feel his sword in his back, but he knew that it wasn't good. "Please don't kill me, I'm sorry!!!"

Wei Xiao stopped and sheaths his sword. He walked leisurely towards the Bakunawa and stopped right in front of it.

The Bakunawa could still feel the cold, sharp, and ever so ruthless sword, but now, he felt it in his neck.

"Don't say nonsense that nonsense again. I may not be as good at taking care of children, but you're no better." Wei Xiao folded his arms.

The Bakunawa continued to sob and nod as if pounding garlic.

The whole mountain was silent, and the sounds of sobs were accompanied by the rustling of branches and the wind blowing. It was a peaceful night for most people, but Wei Xiao could see a feline's eyes hiding from behind a tree.

He blinked and the eyes disappeared.