Chapter 11 — Bowls and Basins Overflowing

"This girl's watched too many gambling movies!" Zhou Xuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "This isn't a psychic power—it's an ancient Chinese art called Daoist sorcery. As long as you have the cultivation method, anyone can do what I'm doing." The fireball drifted through the air, following Zhou Xuan's gaze. "Well? Want to learn? I can teach you!" Zhou Xuan's eyes suddenly turned cold, a profound killing intent flashing through them.

"Why would you teach me? What are you plotting?" Ling Yan abruptly seemed to become a different person—her pure, lovely face turned cold as frost. Her sharp gaze met Zhou Xuan's killing intent without the slightest flinch. A faint current of air stirred Zhou Xuan's lapels. Zhou Xuan suddenly withdrew his killing intent and said slowly, "Miss Ling, your cultivation runs deep—deeper than my disciple's by a notch or two." Ling Yan said coldly, "How did you find out? I didn't show any flaw!" "If I hadn't noticed the faint flow of true essence in your dantian while expelling the puppet worm from your brain, you really would have fooled me. But then, anyone worth abducting by the likes of Japan's Nine Chrysanthemums and Shadowflow—how could they be a simple character? Miss Ling, your acting skills could absolutely win an Oscar." Zhou Xuan teased. Seeing Ling Yan's face flush slightly, he asked, "What? Shadowflow's people have come out too?" Zhou Xuan did not wait for an answer and continued: "With your cultivation, if Mitsui Taro hadn't used the puppet worm to ambush you, you really would have been more than a match for him. You concealed your identity—no doubt you have your own difficulties. I can overlook that; after all, I saved you by pure chance. But you put on a naive, adorable face to use us, hoping we'd deal with those Japanese devils for you. Dragging us into the water—that's repaying kindness with enmity! Miss Ling, your scheming runs rather deep, doesn't it?" Zhou Xuan was still smiling as he spoke.

"Since you've seen through me, what do you plan to do with me now?" A faint smile suddenly appeared on Ling Yan's face as she answered with a question of her own. "The waters you're in run too deep—I don't want to wade in any further!" Zhou Xuan said.

"You killed the young master of the Nine Chrysanthemums Sect—whether you want to or not, you're already in the water!" A naive, innocent smile appeared on Ling Yan's face once more. Watching her, Zhou Xuan could only shake his head.

"True, I killed the Nine Chrysanthemums Sect's young master, and I also happened to slaughter Shadowflow's Grand Elder Iga! But who's to know?" Zhou Xuan still wore that half-dead, insincere smile. It made Ling Yan's teeth itch.

"Oh! What a pity! Yesterday I already told our people that you killed Mitsui Taro—it's probably reached the ears of the Nine Chrysanthemums Sect by now!" Hearing Zhou Xuan say he had also killed Shadowflow's Grand Elder Iga, Ling Yan's face remained composed, but inwardly she was secretly shocked: "This man is so young, yet his cultivation is truly unfathomable! Even I only reached this level because my master fed me who knows how many spirit medicines since childhood. The Shuyao Sect? Never heard of such a sect!"

"Haha! I never imagined Miss Ruoshui would be as first-rate a liar as she is an actress! Spouting barefaced lies with such a radiant smile!" Zhou Xuan genuinely laughed this time. He casually formed a hand seal, and a faint talisman script suddenly appeared on Ling Yan's wrist. "What a pity! That day I placed this talisman on your hand—every move you make can't escape me. If you really had sent word, I would have acted long ago."

Ling Yan stared blankly at the tiny talisman script on her wrist, an indescribable feeling in her heart. She had always prided herself on her cleverness, believing she could use Zhou Xuan and his companion—yet in the end she had been played round and round by Zhou Xuan. A rare blush suddenly flickered across Ling Yan's face, and she cursed Zhou Xuan: "Shameless!"

Zhou Xuan was startled and hastily said, "Don't misunderstand—when you changed clothes, bathed, and slept, I didn't look!" The moment those words—which only made things worse—left his mouth, Ling Yan's face went scarlet. She was just about to stamp her foot and curse when Zhou Xuan shouted: "Five Elements Maze, swift as the law commands!" Instantly a mist enveloped the entire room, and from within the fog came Zhou Xuan's faint voice: "Miss Ruoshui, forgive me for the inconvenience. You won't be able to walk out of this Five Elements Maze Formation in this room. Stay put and behave! I still have business to attend to. There are snacks on the bed that you bought the other day—if you're bored, you can watch TV. Eat, drink, and answer nature's call, all in the room. Once I've finished my business, I'll let you out."

With that, the mist in the room vanished without a trace. By the time Ling Yan came to her senses, there was no sign of Zhou Xuan anywhere in the room. Ling Yan rushed toward the door, but before she was even three chi away from it, the thick fog that had already disappeared suddenly reappeared, plunging the room into pitch darkness. A tremendous, gentle force bounced Ling Yan back three chi, and the fog vanished once more. She tried repeatedly, always with the same result. Finally, at her wit's end, Ling Yan stamped her foot in fury and cursed: "Zhou Xuan, you dead man, I'll never let you off!"

"Brother Liao, please, have a heart and let me out!" Ling Yan pleaded softly. She had no idea where Zhou Xuan had gone—he hadn't shown himself since that day—and Liao Yanqiao's comings and goings were equally mysterious. Apart from bringing her food every two days, she had no idea what he was busy with. He didn't even come back at night, and Ling Yan was bored to death. Though Ling Yan's scheming ran deep, she was still young at heart, and her girlish nature had not been worn away. Being cooped up in the room day after day with no way out—a day or two would have been fine, but nearly twenty days had passed, and at last she could bear it no longer. From sulking and ignoring Liao Yanqiao at first, she had now taken to pleading with him in soft, sweet tones.

"Heh heh! Miss Ruoshui, who told us to be so good to you, and you still tried to use us? Right now the Japanese devils are practically turning Las Vegas upside down! Even if I took you out, you'd just fall into their hands. Better to stay here safe and sound. Besides!" Liao Yanqiao paused, and seeing Ling Yan's anxious face gave him the feeling of a poor oppressed people rising up to become masters of their own house. "Besides, I can't get out of this formation either—it all depends on this talisman Master gave me!" Liao Yanqiao pulled a yellow talisman from his bosom and waved it in front of Ling Yan. Ling Yan snatched at it, but Liao Yanqiao's speed was beyond comparison with hers—he vanished in a flash, leaving only his voice echoing in the room: "My master will be back in a few days. When he is, you can go wherever you like—and you won't find us then!" Ling Yan was nearly mad with rage, her pearly teeth clenched tight.

It was not until five days later that Zhou Xuan finally appeared before Ling Yan. Seeing her face livid, staring fixedly at him without a word, nothing like the lively girl she had been, Zhou Xuan knew there was no point saying anything more. He shot a glance at Liao Yanqiao. "Those who kill shall be killed; those who scheme shall be schemed against. No matter how great one's divine powers, none can withstand the karmic force of cause and effect. Disciple, let's go!" With that, Zhou Xuan vanished in a flash. On the surrounding walls, faint talisman scripts flickered and faded—Zhou Xuan had withdrawn the Five Elements Maze Formation on his way out.