Li Chenyuan had been pacing his makeshift cell on the perimeter of Heixi Gorge for hours.
It was two days after the abrupt end of the tournament. Upon capturing him, the situation hadn't been clear, and Lei Ruolan had still been unconscious. Thus, the two of them had been placed in separate "cells" (tents) guarded by tournament officials.
He felt sick to the base of his stomach. He hadn't been able to eat a single bite since then.
Every hour or so, he stuck his head outside the tent and asked the people on guard duty:
"Will you go and check on the search effort for my shixiong?"
Sometimes, they ignored him. Sometimes, they pitied him and sent out a message to see what was going on. Sometimes, they snapped at him, and he would retreat back into the tent, biting his nails, unable to get a wink of sleep.
Qiu Yunru was alive. He was sure of it. They hadn't found any trace of his body--not even of his spiritual qi.
He had to be alive. If he wasn't...
Considering the idea of his shixiong really being dead caused his mind to take sharp, dark turns. If Qiu Yunru really ever died, the best thing to do would probably be to get a sword and just...
Li Chenyuan swallowed dryly, sitting down on his cot and pulling at his hair.
No. He was alive. He had proof!
From under his pillow, he retrieved his hairpin, which he always wore. It was wooden, embellished with gold leaf and accessorized with an amethyst chunk at the end. It was very similar to that one he had given Qiu Yunru long ago.
Ever since he'd made a fuss about Qiu Yunru not wearing it, it seemed Qiu Yunru had felt very bad. He had worn it almost every day since then in his belt. Since it was a blunt pin and a simple accessory, he hadn't been asked to remove it the day of the competition.
Thus, he had fallen off the cliff with the hairpin on his person.
Li Chenyuan rolled the hairpin in the palm of his hand. The amethyst glowed and pulsed faintly. It was difficult to see, but if you knew what you were looking for, you would notice it. This was his proof that Qiu Yunru was alive!
You see, he'd put a tracking spell on it!
Or rather, a safety-checking spell. Li Chenyuan, having been completely obssesed with Qiu Yunru back then, had actually gotten a cultivator to put a tracking spell on that hairpin. It was connected strongly to his own. As long as the hairpin glowed, it meant that the other hairpin was safe and unbroken.
Li Chenyuan had told Fang Hai, who was visiting his tent-cell one day, about this.
"Shixiong," He had said quickly. His voice was almost manic. "Don't you see? Since my pin's glowing, Qiu-shixiong's must still be intact! If he was crushed his hairpin would have shattered. He must be alive!"
Fang Hai had looked at him with a skeptical expression. "Shidi," He had said slowly, with an uncomfortable expression. "I don't mean to alarm you, but...isn't it possible that the hairpin is intact, but Qiu-shidi...?"
His implication was clear. Qiu Yunru could be a pile of bones with an intact hairpin next to it, and Li Chenyuan's hairpin wouldn't be able to sense the difference.
"You have to believe me!" Li Chenyuan begged, grabbing Fang Hai's shoulders. "It can't be that he's--listen, don't say that! We have to find him!"
Fang Hai was filled with a sense of deep pity upon looking at this kid. His face was gaunt and pale with desperation. Even though they were saying he had turned into a monster the other night, it was difficult to belief. Still, he had to be realistic, didn't he?
"Li-shidi...where would he have gone? How will we look for him if we don't know where he is? What's more...you won't be able to go looking for a while. You'll still have to sit for trial with Lei-shimei next week."
"I know, I know!" Li Chenyuan snapped, holding his head. He lowered his voice, eyes wide. "Can't you get me out of here? I can start looking right now if someone will just help me get out of here!"
"Li-shidi, you killed two people! Can't you understand that you need to sit for trial? How will they get justice?"
Li Chenyuan paled. He stepped back and sat on his cot, looking down at his hands. "You don't understand. What if he needs me right now? What if there isn't time?"
Fang Hai was truly flabbergasted. This kid wasn't denying killing those two people, so had he really done it? If he had, this was a bit horrifying. He wasn't showing an ounce of remorse, just thinking about finding Qiu Yunru, who was probably...!
Fang Hai didn't want to think about it. That kid with such a kind smile and a hard-working attitude...he also couldn't bear the thought of him being dead.
"Listen, Li-shidi," he said. "Sit for trial. Shizun will definitely try to lower your punishment, and it's not as if they'll sentence you to death. Didn't you say it was involuntary? The worst you'll face is a banishment from the cultivation world. After the verdict comes out, I'm sure Shizun won't hesitate to lend you some resources to go looking. He likes you a lot." Fang Hai sighed, rubbing his face. "He's really distraught. He also doesn't think it's your fault."