The Handsome, Powerful, and Tragic Master Has Been Reborn [Transmigration] - Chapter 8

Jun Lianyi and Qingji both stiffened simultaneously. Jun Lianyi remained suppressed and unable to move, while Qingji’s hand, which had been reaching for his robes, suddenly veered off course. A sphere of water coalesced instantly in her palm as she spun around and thrust her hand forward.

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion rocked the cavern. Before Jun Lianyi could even process the situation, he was sent hurtling backward by a massive shockwave.

“Ugh…” He hit the ground hard. Ignoring the ache in his limbs, he scrambled to look back at where he had just been lying.

The once-lavish grotto was now unrecognizable. Shards of coral and shredded silk drifted through the water like debris after a storm. The large shell-shaped bed where he had been pinned was reduced to fine powder, swirling into the murky currents.

His eyes widened in shock as he scanned the wreckage, eventually settling on the perpetrator standing thirty feet in front of Qingji.

It was a youth clad in vibrant red robes. His features were cold and strikingly beautiful, his red lips pressed into a thin line. A pair of dark eyes, steady as still water, was locked onto Qingji. He held a crimson longsword pointed at the ground; though he didn’t move an inch, he exuded an overwhelming pressure. Even Qingji, a powerful demon, had beads of cold sweat rolling down her forehead.

Qingji’s playful smile had vanished. She summoned her Natal Weapon—a length of Green Silk and gripped it tight. “I have no grievance with you, Excellency,” she said, her voice low and tight. “Why have you barged into my home to attack me?”

The youth curled his lips into a cold sneer but offered no explanation. He raised his sword and lunged at her again.

Qingji whipped her silk forward, attempting to entwine and trap the youth’s blade, but with a slight twist of his wrist, the silk binding the sword snapped into fragments.

BOOM!

Another explosion. Another shockwave. Jun Lianyi, watching the exchange with bated breath, felt his head ring with a dull, persistent buzz. He clutched his forehead, trying to shake off the vertigo, but a wave of nausea washed over him instead.

Neither the youth nor Qingji spared him a glance. They were locked in a fierce dance of sword and silk, each strike more lethal than the last.

*****

It felt like an eternity before the surroundings finally grew quiet. As the dizziness in Jun Lianyi’s head receded, he looked up just as the battle reached its conclusion.

Qingji was half-kneeling on the ground, clutching her shoulder. Blood seeped through her fingers. She looked up at the youth, gasping out a single question: “Why?”

“You,” the youth said, his voice as frigid as ice, “should not have touched him.”

He thrust his sword forward. With a sickening squelch, the blade buried itself in Qingji’s chest. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at him, her form beginning to crumble into fine dust until she vanished completely.

Just like that… she’s dead? Jun Lianyi watched blankly as the red-robed youth calmly wiped the blood from his blade and sheathed it.

Sensing his gaze, the youth turned around. His expression remained cold and unreadable. Jun Lianyi’s chest tightened; he couldn’t tell if this person was a savior or another threat. “You…”

“You are Jun Lianyi, aren’t you?” the youth cut in, his voice as sharp as his sword. “Someone asked me to come save you.”

At the mention of “someone,” Jun Lianyi’s mind immediately flew to his master. “Is it my Shizun?”

The youth glanced at him, a flicker of shadow passing through his eyes before they returned to a calm neutrality. He didn’t answer.

“Was it my Shizun, Yue Wuji, who sent you?” Jun Lianyi pressed, his heart hammering. He was much more polite this time, asking with careful hope, but the youth ignored him. He walked over and extended a hand. “Can you walk?”

Jun Lianyi had been bound for far too long and shaken by the explosions; his legs felt like jelly. But since he didn’t know this person, he was too embarrassed to be a burden. He nodded and took the youth’s hand. “I can.”

He tried to stand, but the world tilted sharply. Before he could react, he was swept up into the youth’s arms.

“Don’t push yourself,” the youth muttered, looking slightly annoyed.

Jun Lianyi’s urge to struggle died instantly. He went still, letting the stranger carry him. After whispering a thank you, he asked one more time, “Was it Yue Wuji who sent you?”

The youth finally snapped, his patience worn thin. “No.”

Jun Lianyi choked on his next words. It took him a while to find his voice again. “Then… can you tell me who sent you?”

“Rong Yu,” the youth spat out.

Jun Lianyi’s heart squeezed. “Is Rong Yu alright? Is his injury serious?”

During these past ten days, aside from Shizun, he had worried most about Rong Yu. Even though he didn’t share the original owner’s romantic feelings, the boy had been hurt trying to save him. He couldn’t just ignore that.

“He is fine,” the youth replied curtly. “No need to worry.”

Despite the reassurance, Jun Lianyi couldn’t settle his heart. “Can you… take me to him?”

The youth looked down at him, nodded once, and said no more. He carried him out of the cave in silence. Neither of them noticed a tiny green snake flickering its tongue among the ruins before sliding into a small crevice.

******

“Um…” Halfway there, Jun Lianyi couldn’t help himself.

“If you’re asking about Rong Yu, we’re almost there. You can see for yourself,” the youth said, his pace never faltering.

Rebuffed again, Jun Lianyi shut his mouth and remained quiet for the rest of the journey. Shortly after, a sea cave appeared before them. The youth stopped, set Jun Lianyi down, and stepped aside. “Rong Yu is inside. Go.”

Jun Lianyi stumbled a bit as he found his footing. Looking at the pitch-black entrance of the cave, a sudden sense of dread washed over him. He turned back. “You—”

The words died in his throat. Behind him, there wasn’t a soul in sight. A living, breathing person had vanished right before the eyes of a Nascent Soul cultivator without a sound.

Unease gnawed at him. After a fruitless search, he took a deep breath and stepped into the dark cavern.

It was black as ink inside. Jun Lianyi pulled a night-luminescent pearl, one he had intended as a gift for Yue Wuji—from his storage space to act as a lantern. The light revealed a small, cramped cave. The water was murky and stagnant, and there, lying on a grimy stone platform, was Rong Yu.

“Rong Yu!” Jun Lianyi rushed over. The boy was as pale as paper, his eyes shut tight, looking like a corpse. Jun Lianyi knelt by the platform, his hand trembling as he checked for a pulse.

It was weak—threadlike as a silk string—but he was alive.

Jun Lianyi didn’t waste another second. He grasped Rong Yu’s hand and began funneling his spiritual energy into the boy’s body. Because Rong Yu was so frail, he had to be careful, giving him small bursts at a time.

During a break in the healing, Jun Lianyi remembered the strike Qingji had landed on the boy. He looked at the beautiful youth with a conflicted expression. After a long mental struggle, he whispered, “Forgive me,” and reached out to loosen Rong Yu’s belt.

Under the layers of robes lay a massive, deep purple bruise. Jun Lianyi hissed through his teeth at the sight. He focused his energy into his palm and placed it over the boy’s chest. The warmth of the skin met his hand, but he was focused only on the healing.

The pain of regenerating cells must have been intense, as Rong Yu let out a low groan and slowly opened his eyes.

“Rong Yu!” Jun Lianyi cried out in relief.

Rong Yu forced a faint, ghostly smile, but the effort seemed to drain him. He closed his eyes again, his head lolling to the side as he fell back into unconsciousness.

Jun Lianyi’s heart sank. He ignored the risks of over-nourishing and surged more spiritual power into his hand, forcing the internal injuries to knit back together. By the time the wound was stabilized, Jun Lianyi was drenched in sweat. He wiped his brow and took Rong Yu’s hand again, continuing to stabilize him.

Suddenly, the cave began to shudder violently.

Jun Lianyi looked up to see boulders groaning under the ceiling, threatening to collapse. He didn’t think; he shielded Rong Yu with his own body, scooped him up, and dashed for the exit. He was fast, and they cleared the entrance just as the ceiling caved in.

But before he could even catch his breath, a massive, venomous scorpion tail lunged toward him.

Jun Lianyi gasped and tried to summon his Natal Sword, taking a sharp breath to steady himself.

To his horror, he sucked a lungful of seawater directly into his chest.

His Fish Pill had suddenly expired.

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