Chapter 2855 — Familiar Words 2

Yet all of this had become the deepest memory of Wei Zhao's past, a memory that would remain forever. His master had left, gone no one knew where, and Wei Zhao had never again laid out fish bones one by one. First, because he no longer needed such methods to train his memory and observation; second, because he had gradually set foot on the path of a cultivator, leaving behind the days of being an assassin...

Seeing this now filled Wei Zhao with a flood of emotion. He stared blankly at Yang Qiqi, as though he had returned once more to his childhood...

That Yang Qiqi would amuse herself by piecing together fish bones did not surprise Wei Zhao. After all, she too came from that assassin organization, and such training methods were likely universal. It was just that Yang Qiqi was somewhat out of practice, and it seemed she had not pieced fish bones together for many years.

Yang Qiqi pieced the fish bones together with utter concentration. In truth, it was not only Wei Zhao; Yang Qiqi too seemed to have returned to her childhood. When people are in despair, they always look back on the past—a perfectly normal phenomenon, and Yang Qiqi was no exception.

Before she knew it, half an hour had passed. In the past, Yang Qiqi had needed only a few minutes at most to assemble a set of fish bones, but now it was different—sometimes she would ponder a single bone for a long while.

Yang Qiqi picked up a fish bone, set it down, then picked it up again, hesitant. It was a bone that resembled another: there was one on a fish's back and one on its belly, nearly identical in length and thickness. So Yang Qiqi frowned and began to think.

After a while, Yang Qiqi finally lowered her hand and placed the bone in the position of the fish's belly.

"That's a spine from the fish's back. I've told you the difference many times—why do you never remember?" Watching Yang Qiqi's movement, Wei Zhao spoke, half amused and half exasperated. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly realized something was wrong!

The person before him was Yang Qiqi. Not his childhood playmate and squad member, Yang Xiaoxiao... Once, his master's daughter, Yang Xiaoxiao, had also often mixed up this very bone, and every time Wei Zhao would correct her, half amused and half exasperated.

"Ah?" Yang Qiqi was startled, her gaze somewhat distant. Only when she raised her head did she realize that the person before her was Wei Zhao! For that moment just now, she had even taken Wei Zhao for that person: "What did you just say?"

"Nothing. I said you placed it wrong—this bone should go here." Wei Zhao pointed at the fish's back.

"How do you know?" Yang Qiqi was a little puzzled. But just now she had been lost in memory and had not clearly heard Wei Zhao's words—or perhaps she thought she had misheard, that she was hallucinating.

"I've pieced them together too," Wei Zhao said.

"Oh... thank you..." Yang Qiqi put the bone back in the position of the fish's back. "I never thought you'd do something so pointless too."

"Pointless..." Wei Zhao considered whether to reveal that he too came from that assassin organization. In the past he and Yang Qiqi had not been close, but after so many encounters—and this time, having shared hardships—he could be considered a friend in adversity. As for Yang Qiqi's character, Wei Zhao was at ease. Though the girl had a bit of a habit of repaying kindness with ingratitude, she was no gossip and would not go spreading things around.

Besides, Wei Zhao planned, once this trial was over, to make a trip to the island where he had once received his training, to visit Little Seven (Yang Xiaoxiao) and Little Nine (the Ninth Princess).

It was just that, thinking of this trial and not knowing whether they could even get out, Wei Zhao felt rather gloomy and for the moment had no heart to speak of such things. He only said: "Piecing fish bones together can train a person's memory and observation."

"Eh? You were an assassin too?" Yang Qiqi was taken aback.

"Every cultivator is, in fact, an assassin. In the world of cultivation, today's friend may be tomorrow's enemy. If you don't have keen instincts, you likely won't even know how you died!" Wei Zhao said this, then laughed. "Just like how sometimes you kindly save someone, and then that person turns around and wants to kill you."

"You... Wei Zhao, you're bringing that up again—I already said I won't kill you!" Yang Qiqi's face flushed red with embarrassment.

"I was just giving an example. I wasn't talking about you!" Wei Zhao said innocently.

"Well, I didn't say anything either," Yang Qiqi denied.

"Heh." Wei Zhao laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Yang Qiqi asked.

"Nothing. You just remind me of a friend I once had." Wei Zhao was in fact telling the truth. In that moment just now, he'd had the illusion that Yang Qiqi was his childhood playmate Yang Xiaoxiao—though it was only a fleeting intuition.

After all, so many years had passed that Wei Zhao no longer remembered what Yang Xiaoxiao looked like, and the Yang Xiaoxiao of this moment was probably training hard, preparing to inherit her father's former title as King of Assassins! She could not possibly risk her life stepping into the world of cultivation to join some trial.

Although both shared the surname Yang, many disciples of this generation were orphans who, upon completing their training, took their master's surname—Yang. So it was hardly surprising.

"Your excuse for striking up a conversation is truly clumsy," Yang Qiqi shot Wei Zhao a look and said listlessly.

"How is this striking up a conversation? I've known you all along, haven't I?" Wei Zhao was somewhat speechless. "What I said is the truth. Don't tell me you think I'm trying to court you?"

"That's hard to say. There are only the two of us left here. If we really can't get out, who else would you chase but me? There aren't even spirit beasts here!" Yang Qiqi was actually joking too—after all, it was far too boring here, and she had already accepted Wei Zhao in her heart, so her former hostility toward him was gone as well.

"Heh. If we really can't get out, I'll consider it," Wei Zhao said.

"No way. I already have a prince charming in my heart. I'd rather die than submit," Yang Qiqi said.

"Then haven't you heard of forcing the issue?" Wei Zhao asked.

"If you're not afraid I'll sneak up and kill you, then do as you please," Yang Qiqi said.

"Heh..." Wei Zhao chuckled, glanced at the sky—it was already night—and said: "Let's rest. It's time for me to cultivate."

"Mm..." Yang Qiqi was not coy either; she simply lay down on the ground, ready to sleep. She was not on guard against Wei Zhao. With his strength, if he truly wanted to do something to her, there would be no stopping him—just as Wei Zhao had said, he could force the issue.

Fifteen days—truly the optimal time to leave the trial. This was the dividing line!