"The antidote is the one you need, right?" Shang He asked and glanced at Cheng Sheng lying on the couch behind Fei Yin.
Fei Yin and Wu Yuan didn't speak since the answer is obvious.
Shang He just smiled. "How about I give you another one?" he asked.
ng Gui looked at him, surprised. But, Shang He didn't turn to ng Gui and just looked at Fei Yin and Wu Yuan.
"What does boss Shang want?" Fei Yin asked.
"You're not that generous, right?" Wu Yuan asked.
"Of course not." Shang He spoke. "I am sending my subordinates who are currently with to Ma Wen's territory – the Heavenly Eye City, and thrash his place." He said.
ng Gui froze, while Fei Yin's and Wu Yuan's expressions didn't change.
"Only to thrash, and not occupy it?" Wu Yuan asked.
"No." Shang He answered.
Wu Yuan didn't speak. He doesn't care what happened to these demonic cultivators.
"How about you?" Fei Yin asked Shang He.
"Stay here in the Drunken Moon City and wait for my subordinate's report of victory." Shang He carelessly answered as he sipped his drink.
ng Gui can't hold back anymore. "So, you really plan to stay here?!" he asked.
"Yes." Shang He nodded.
"You – " ng Gui pressed his lips tight.
Suddenly, Fei Yin spoke. "Boss Shang and leader ng are close?" he asked.
ng Gui turned to him.
"Boss Shang will give us another antidote in exchange of us to make up for the numbers of your people who should be helping leader ng's people fight against Ma Wen's people that are still hiding in the Drunken Moon City…" Fei Yin said. "Am I wrong?" he asked.
ng Gui's jaw dropped.
Shang He shook his head. "No. You are correct." He answered.
ng Gui's eyes widened, shocked. He looked at Shang He, stunned.
Shang He finally turned to him. "What's with that expression?" he asked as he ate a snack.
"No, you…" ng Gui stamred. "You're really serious in helping deal with ng Gui's people that snuck in my territory?" he asked, staring at Shang He with his eyes filled with disbelief.
Shang He's brows knitted. He looked at ng Gui, his face filled with confusion. "You don't believe ?" he asked.
"No." ng Gui bluntly answered.
Shang He's eyes had a flash of pain. "You don't trust ." He said.
ng Gui nodded. "I don't." he honestly answered.
The corners of Shang He's lips were pulled down. "Ah Yan…" he called ng Gui's nickna.
ng Gui's expression changed, as well as Fei Yin's and Wu Yuan's. ng Gui wore a complicated expression. Fei Yin sported a thoughtful expression as his gaze flitted between Shang He and ng Gui. anwhile, Wu Yuan's expression changed from expressionless to a strange expression. Like he wanted to sothing, but, in the end, decided to keep it. Instead, he secretly glanced at Shang He, then at ng Gui, then back to Shang He, and back to ng Gui, before he lowered his gaze and concentrated on his drink and snacks. His thoughts are unknown.
Shang He's address and intimate way of addressing ng Gui answered Fei Yin's question, that's actually not really a question. And, although Fei Yin asked such a question, in which the answer to it is very obvious, but he didn't speak after that since, from Shang He's and ng Gui's expressions right now, it made his, Wu Yuan's and the comatose Cheng Sheng's presence seem redundant.
ng Gui, who is pondering after his conversation with Shang He, the longer the ti he ponders, the stranger his expression beco. anwhile, Shang He, who fell silent after hearing ng Gui's honest answer earlier, fell into his own thoughts. But, it can be seen that both are imrsed in recalling their past. However, one's face is becoming darker as they reminisce, while the other one look somber.
It is ng Gui who is sporting a dark face, while Shang He has the somber one, which is unusual. Fei Yin and Wu Yuan, who are bystanders, remained silent.
"Ah Yan." Shang He broke the silence.
Hearing the na addressed to him, ng Gui's face can't be any darker than the bottom of the pot. He looked disgusted, and there's hatred in his eyes. But, Shang He didn't see it since he's still in the process of reminiscing.
"Why do you hate ?" Shang He asked.
"No reason." ng Gui finally answered.
"'no reason'?" Shang He asked, then he lowered his head. "'no reason'…" he muttered, as if in a daze. "'no reason'." He repeated, and his shoulders slumped.
ng Gui, after successfully calming his emotions and exchanged a few words with Shang He, his expression eased and he breathed a sigh of relief. On the other hand, Shang He continued to be silent. His expression, though, now beca confused, as if he is entangled with sothing inexplicable and he couldn't extricate himself.
"Yin Jun. Qiu Yuan." ng Gui called.
Fei Yin and Wu Yuan almost failed to respond when the fake nas they gave to ng Gui were called. ng Gui must also know that they are fake. But, what they have between all of them is just an interest-driven relationship.
"I am tired. Let's talk about our business tomorrow." ng Gui spoke.
"En." Fei Yin answered.
ng Gui, although he is itching to leave, nodded and forced a smile. "Thank you for understanding." He spoke, then walked towards the door, opened it, and left without looking back. He is more like escaping.
And the one he wanted to escape from is the man that was left sitting on the couch across Fei Yin and Wu Yuan. ng Gui has already left, but Shang He still sits there.
"Boss?" Shang He's subordinates called to their boss who has fallen in a daze.
Shang He woke with a start from his daze. He lifted his head and t Fei Yin's and Wu Yuan's gazes. From his conversation with ng Gui earlier, he knows Fei Yin and Wu Yuan – who obviously are smart people, must have already figured out that he and ng Gui have a past. It can be seen from Fei Yin's question earlier.
But, not only Fei Yin stopped with that one question, but he and Wu Yuan didn't look gossipy, nor did they try to pry more information from him. Shang He knows that it's not just because Fei Yin and Wu Yuan are righteous cultivators who are always paying attention to their manners and etiquette. Shang He knows that it is out of respect.
How generous. Shang He thought and felt a little better now. If Fei Yin and Wu Yuan just looked at him with scrutinizing gazes earlier, he would fall deeper in his mories. And he doesn't want that. There are many things that he doesn't want to rember. And, most of them are concerning ng Gui. But, the main reason why he wants to forget everything in the past is because –
"Ah Si? I hate him. So, don't speak his na before again, you hear ?"
He closed his eyes tight. These ruthless words were spoken by none other than ng Gui – or Ah Yan. He could never forget his voice that was always calling him full of affection spoke those words filled with irritation, loathing, and disgust.
He shook his head. They were so close, very close before. They grew up together, relied on each other, and even saved each other from the fangs of death that are about to bite them, taking their lives. So, how did they beco like this? So estranged… stranger to each other than a pair of strangers.
But, unlike a pair of strangers who can beco closer to each other, he and ng Gui actually are drifting farther from each other, until to the point that they can't see even just the other's silhouette. It was like the other has gone beyond the horizon, and never ca back.
However, ng Gui ca back. But, not on Shang He's life. Since ng Gui ca back with a new na, and as a new person. Shang He almost didn't recognize him, had it not been for ng Gui's subordinates whom are also Shang He's friends in the past, like ng Gui. They were also shocked when they saw him. It was then that Shang He realized, the past doesn't matter anymore. Since everyone has changed, and they can never co back to it, nor they can change it.
All they can do now is live in the present, and move forward. As for the future? Who knows? Or, who cares? They all are bad people, and can die at any ti. Why bother themselves with the future? They'll just waste more of their ti that they could spend to have fun, to live their life to the fullest.
ng Gui… to return (gui) to the dream (ng). But, since the past that seed like a dream to them was now gone, he can only beco a demon (gui) that will either grant you a dream, or crush it.
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