劍問蒼天 - 第244章 星盤 - 翰墨軒

Bi Li lay quietly before him, her face still bearing its serene expression, the faintest smile at the corners of her lips. Though she gave no response, perhaps she was answering him all the same.

Ming Li's eyes suddenly grew moist. He turned sharply, tilted his head back, and drew a deep breath. Only after that slight trace of moisture had dissipated did he slowly walk out.

The heavy stone door closed slowly behind him, and Ming Li's mood sank gradually to its lowest point. Standing there for a long time, he silently shook his head, as if trying to fling something from his mind, then turned to leave—when suddenly he froze and stopped in his tracks.

Outside the Cold Ice Stone Chamber, ahead in the passage, Mr. Ghost stood silently in his black robes, like a specter devoid of any vitality. Watching Ming Li, his eyes behind the black veil gazed deeply at him for a moment, then fell upon the Qiankun Reincarnation Plate in Ming Li's hand and did not leave it again.

Only then did Ming Li realize that, in his low spirits, he had forgotten to put away the Qiankun Reincarnation Plate upon coming out. He promptly took out a black cloth, gently wrapped the plate, and placed it back into his robes. Mr. Ghost watched his movements without any intent to stop him, but a strange light flickered in his eyes—what he was thinking, no one could tell.

Though Ming Li found it somewhat odd that Mr. Ghost should stand there saying nothing, first, Mr. Ghost was ordinarily eccentric and mysterious in his ways; second, Ming Li's mood at the moment truly left him no inclination to inquire into other trivial matters, and he was even less inclined to wonder why Mr. Ghost was standing there. Having put away the Qiankun Reincarnation Plate, he could not even be bothered to greet Mr. Ghost; he strode forward, and as he passed by Mr. Ghost's side, he did not so much as turn his head, walking straight on.

But though he had no wish to engage, Mr. Ghost apparently did not think the same way. After he had gone about ten paces, Mr. Ghost's voice suddenly came from behind him—cold, low, yet very clear: "Please wait."

Ming Li frowned, turned around, glanced at Mr. Ghost, and said, "What is it?"

A flickering light came into Mr. Ghost's eyes as he said slowly, "Is Miss Bi Li well?"

A flash of anger suddenly crossed Ming Li's face. Everyone in the Nether King Sect knew of Bi Li's condition—for Mr. Ghost to ask such a thing was surely to ask while already knowing the answer. With anyone else it might have been overlooked, but Ming Li had always been most sensitive about matters concerning Bi Li, which was why almost no disciple in the entire Nether King Sect dared speak to him in such a manner. In all these years, Mr. Ghost was the first.

Ming Li's expression turned cold, his gaze sharp as he fixed it on Mr. Ghost and said icily, "What are you trying to say?"

Mr. Ghost seemed utterly unaware of the faint killing intent radiating from Ming Li, yet he did not answer directly either; instead he asked another question: "I hear you have found a new magic treasure to heal Miss Bi Li—is this true?"

Ming Li said coldly, "That's right. But what business is it of yours?" As he spoke, he took a step toward Mr. Ghost, his gaze growing even sharper, an invisible killing intent already stirring.

Mr. Ghost remained oblivious to the danger bearing down on him, as though he could not even perceive that Ming Li had been provoked to anger. His nerves seemed utterly ice-cold, and he merely said indifferently, "Would you lend me that treasure to look at? Could you?"

Rage surged across Ming Li's face; his robes stirred though there was no wind, clearly showing he had been truly angered. He took a second step forward—a step that seemed small, yet as his figure blurred, he was already within three feet of Mr. Ghost, close enough that a single movement of hand or foot could envelop Mr. Ghost within his true-art killing strike.