Bloodkiller - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Ji Yun

Yao Chuan paused to think. “If this is the place,” he finally said, “then there must be some kind of mechanism we haven’t uncovered yet.”

Lin Yi agreed silently. “When I was flipping through the books earlier, I checked the shelves thoroughly. Didn’t find anything that looked like a switch. If it’s not on the shelves…”

He reached for the luminous Night Pearl in Yao Chuan’s hand and lifted it toward the roof beams, scanning carefully. Nothing. He let out a disappointed breath.

But Yao Chuan suddenly pulled him back and pointed the light at the floor. “Look there!”

The two examined the stone floor. The bluestone tiles were perfectly laid, and at first glance seemed ordinary. But the precise layout and orientation caught their attention.

Lin Yi gasped. “Kanzhongman, Lizhongxu, Zhenyangyu, Duishangque… These twenty-seven tiles match the Zhengsi Palaces in the Bagua diagram from the Book of Changes!”

The library sat in the western compound, entrance on the east side. Bookshelves lined all four directions, with a slightly wider area in the center—where they now stood. Lin Yi tapped his cheek in frustration. “It was too dark earlier, and I completely missed it. What a fool I am.”

Yao Chuan studied the tiles with some confusion. “But where are the Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun palaces? If this is meant to be a Bagua formation, shouldn’t all eight be present?”

Lin Yi didn’t answer right away. Instead, he covered Yao Chuan’s mouth, closed his eyes, and whispered, “Let me think…”

Yao Chuan was a little exasperated but remained quiet. His knowledge of the I Ching was limited, so for now, he had no choice but to trust Lin Yi’s expertise.

A few moments passed. Lin Yi suddenly opened his eyes, a grin spreading across his face. “Brother Chuan, do you know how many hexagrams there are in the I Ching?”

“Sixty-four,” Yao Chuan replied after a beat.

“Exactly. Now think: this room has three columns of bookshelves on the left and right, one in front and one in the back. But the rear one is split by the main door, forming two smaller columns. Each column has seven shelves.”

Yao Chuan caught on. “So… if each column had eight shelves instead of seven, that would match eight times eight—sixty-four hexagrams! And the knife manual is hidden on that missing eighth level?”

“Precisely. The room’s layout mirrors the Zhengsi Palaces, and the missing shelf holds the key.”

Excited by their discovery, Yao Chuan pointed to the tiles. “Could the mechanism be hidden in these bricks?”

Lin Yi stroked his chin. “Most likely. There’s no other place it could be. We don’t have much time, let’s try.”

Yao Chuan stepped forward. “Don’t act rashly. Let me go first.”

Lin Yi caught his arm. “Wait. If stepping on the tiles triggered the mechanism, others would’ve found it long ago. It must require a specific order. This isn’t a complex hexagram, but how do we find the life gate and death gate?”

Yao Chuan hesitated. “Maybe… the life gate is to the south?”

“Why?”

Yao Chuan frowned. “Before he passed, Master sent me south to Lingnan, likely to escape danger. Could it be that the south represents safety in this formation?”

Lin Yi jolted. “The south corresponds to Li Gua—Fire, Sun… Yes! That must be it. Start from the east at Zhen Gua, move north to Kan Gua—careful to avoid the middle tiles—then circle through Dui Gua and end at Li Gua in the south. The final step should land at the outer sun!”

Yao Chuan followed the path as Lin Yi instructed. As his last step touched the final tile, a soft click echoed beneath their feet—one of the floor tiles sank slightly. Around them, the bottom of each bookshelf began to rumble and shift, revealing an unseen eighth shelf.

But before they could celebrate, a sharp whoosh pierced the air—an arrow flew toward Lin Yi.

Without thinking, Yao Chuan lunged and tackled Lin Yi to the ground, narrowly dodging the shot. More arrows fired from every direction. He shielded Lin Yi with his body, ducking and weaving through the chaos.

“What happened?” he gasped. “Wasn’t Li Gua the safe route?”

Lin Yi’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know. The trap wasn’t triggered by you…”

Another arrow grazed his leg, and he stumbled, leaning into Yao Chuan’s arms. Yao Chuan caught him immediately, shifting into a protective stance, using only one arm to fend off the flying arrows.

Suddenly, the hidden weapons stopped.

They both glanced down—somehow, they had ended up standing on the same tile.

Yao Chuan looked grim. “So the formation only allows one person in? That’s why the mechanism reacted when you stepped in.”

Lin Yi chuckled, despite the pain. Wrapping his arms around Yao Chuan’s neck, he whispered, “Seems like I’ll be depending on you now. Since it only recognizes one person… you’ll have to carry me.”

Yao Chuan didn’t hesitate. He scooped Lin Yi into his arms, careful not to jostle the injured leg, and stepped forward. The mechanism stayed silent.

He sighed in relief. “There are eight layers. Should we check each one?”

Lin Yi rested his cheek against Yao Chuan’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. “No. Go south—toward those three shelves. That’s where it’ll be.”

Yao Chuan moved swiftly, kicked away the books on the bottom layer, and began searching. Lin Yi reminded him to set him down once they left the hexagram’s boundary.

They found it: the Bl00d-Drinking Blade Manual, hidden deep within the third column.

Yao Chuan quickly flipped through its pages. The techniques matched his own training. He let out a breath. “We’ve got it. Let’s get you back and treat your injury.”

But Lin Yi wasn’t satisfied. He looked over the southern bookshelves again. “We should take all the books from the lower levels—there might be more hidden.”

Without argument, Yao Chuan tied up the books, tore some cloth to bundle them, then looked at Lin Yi. “Can you walk? Or should I carry you again?”

Lin Yi hesitated, then smiled. “I suppose I’ll take the ride.”

Yao Chuan beamed, lifting him easily. “Don’t worry. I brought medicine. You’ll be healed in no time.”

Lin Yi couldn’t help but laugh. He whispered in Yao Chuan’s ear, “This place was originally chosen by Master Li Wu, but the Qingzhou headquarters was built later under Mou Yunhai. So tell me—who do you think designed this trap?”

Yao Chuan didn’t answer, but the seed of doubt had been planted. Maybe it wasn’t Master who hid the manual at all… maybe it had been here all along.

He carried Lin Yi back, full of questions, but with a blade manual now in hand—a start.

Back in the room, Yao Chuan gently set Lin Yi down, rummaged through his belongings, and applied the strong herbal powder. Lin Yi bit down on a quilt, trembling through the pain.

“This stuff’s worse than a sword wound!” he gasped.

Yao Chuan only smiled, wiping the sweat from Lin Yi’s brow. “It’ll work fast. You’ll feel better after a good sleep.”

Lin Yi narrowed his eyes. “Everyone fears pain. Don’t act like you’re above it.”

Yao Chuan laughed. “Just rest. I’ll study the manual. If I learn anything, I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Lin Yi soon fell asleep, while Yao Chuan sat at the bedside, flipping through the book by moonlight. The Bl00d-Drinking Blade Manual—its name alone hinted at madness. The internal cultivation method was written in prose, but the movements were shown through illustrations.

He noticed something strange: the drawings were subtly marked, tiny characters engraved into the robes of each depicted figure—only visible under the glow of the Night Pearl. They weren’t in any familiar script.

Intrigued, he copied the strange writing down.

By morning, he had filled a page. Just as he was preparing to wake Lin Yi, a knock came.

“Senior Brother?” It was Ruyun’s voice. “I brought you some breakfast…”

Yao Chuan panicked, shoving loose clothes under the bed and drawing the curtain closed.

When he opened the door, Ruyun’s eyes flickered with doubt. She glanced past him and saw something—a shirt by the bed. Her face paled. “Senior Brother… do you have someone?”

Yao Chuan stumbled over his words. “You’ll always be my junior sister, no matter what.”

Ruyun smiled weakly, bowed her head, and left.

Inside, Lin Yi was already awake, amused by the drama. “So, Yao Daxia spent the night chatting up girls, not reading sword manuals?”

Yao Chuan chuckled. “I studied plenty. Come, I’ll teach you.”