White-Robed Chief
Chapter 174: Deep Slumber

"Chu Li!" Xiao Qi hurriedly reached out a hand towards him.

Before Chu Li could hit the ground, Xiao Qi was quick enough to catch him. She lowered him down slowly.

Everyone was astonished.

The crowd from a distance away exclaimed in shock. They wanted to swarm in towards him to see what was going on, but Xiao Tieying shouted and stopped them in time. Everyone stared at Chu Li's limp body.

Chu Li laid on the ground, his body stiff. His eyes were shut, and he remained there, still.

Guo Mulin recovered his senses in time and rushed to grab Chu Li's wrist. He felt at it. Xiao Qi grabbed his other wrist, trying to feel for a pulse.

The two creased their eyebrows, then looked at each other.

Xiao Tieying asked anxiously, "Is he alright?"

"Try using the Spirit Blessing Pill!" Guo Mulin suggested as he took out a small white jade porcelain. He poured out a pill, then shoved it into Chu Li's mouth.

But Chu Li's jaws were shut tight. It would not open even after Guo Mulin had hit his cheek's acupuncture point.

"Come over, help me pry open his mouth!" Guo Mulin sounded very concerned.

Xiao Tieying ordered, "Linquan!"

Linquan nodded, then went towards Chu Li with Xiao Tieying.

They feared that they would injure Chu Li's lips, hence they controlled the amount of force they were using, opening them cautiously.

Guo Mulin grew annoyed. "We don't have time to play around like that! Just force them open, I don't care if you break his lips!"

"Brother, stop wasting time. Chu Li's heart has stopped beating," said Xiao Qi.

Upon hearing that, Xiao Tieying increased his strength and forced open a small opening.

Guo Mulin quickly squeezed in the pill, then injected some of his inner energy into Chu Li. But it dissipated quickly, as Chu Li's body had lost all signs of life. He looked completely lifeless.

Guo Mulin let loose of his grip, his face looking dreadful. In a fit of rage, he threw the small porcelain bottle, breaking it into pieces.

Xiao Qi started cultivating and circulated her inner energy onto him, but Chu Li's body did not give out any response. It seemed that the small bolt of lightning that zapped onto Chu Li had really taken his life away.

"Sister?" Xiao Shi saw the dejected look on Xiao Qi's face and asked, "Chu Li, he's------?"

Xiao Qi shook her head. "He's dead."

"Sister!" Xiao Shi said, "So many lightning strikes occurred earlier and he didn't die. How could he have died now?"

It was truly ironic. The consecutive, ferocious strikes of the lightning bolts could not even get to him. But now, Chu Li had succumbed to his death because of a single tiny hit of lightning. How puzzling!

Xiao Tieying felt on Chu Li's chest for any signs of breath or a heartbeat. He repeated the action again after cultivating his inner energy. In the end, he shook his head in the direction of Xiao Shi, "Second Sister, I'm afraid he's really dead."

"No way!" Xiao Shi yelled.

Xiao Tieying sighed. "He had performed the Eclipse Purloin and knew what his fate was going to be. I'm sorry!"

"You cannot bring a dead man back to life." Guo Mulin scoffed coldly. "Young Chu had defied the laws of nature; hence he must be punished. Nobody can bring him back now!"

"Second Sister, your body is still weak. Don't be too upset."

"I just feel that life isn't fair." Xiao Shi looked at Chu Li, and she sighed. "He shouldn't have died!"

"As long as it was not in vain." Xiao Qi replied flatly.

Xiao Shi sighed. "He was a smart and capable man. If Chu Li was still alive, he could've contributed a lot more to the Public House. Why did he have to sacrifice himself for a useless person like me…"

"Who said you're useless?!" Xiao Tieying stopped her angrily. "Second Sister, stop uttering nonsense!... Chu Li gave away his life to save yours. All we could offer him now is a grandiose burial. Stop ranting about everything else. Go back and have some rest!"

The crowd around them was plunged into a heated discussion. They all seemed to agree on how unbelievable that was.

Chu Li shot to fame like a shooting star. Of recent times, he had become the household name in the Yi Public House. But now, he had died such a strange death. He managed to survive through the massive thunder that rocked both heaven and earth, but fell at the very last moment, under the hands of a single tiny lightning bolt.

Xiao Tieying looked at the unusually calm Xiao Qi and consoled her. "My condolences, Third Sister!"

He knew very well that of all the people present, the most heartbroken one would be none other than his Third Sister. She might seem calm about what happened, but Xiao Tieying knew that it was a big blow for her. She was merely containing her emotions with her heart technique.

Xiao Qi replied coolly, "I wish to send him on his final journey personally."

"Sure." Xiao Tieying nodded gently.

Xiao Qi bent down to pick Chu Li up, then walked outwards slowly. The crowd automatically parted, providing her a way through. They watched them silently, feeling sorry for the two.

Xiao Qi hopped onto the small boat. Soon, she reached the Jade Guardian Island. She made her way straight to the Glory's Will Courtyard.

Xue Ling answered the door. When she saw what laid in front of her, her eyes widened. She cried out, "Master!"

Xiao Qi entered without saying a word. She put Chu Li down under the Glory's Will Tree.

She still had a glimmer of hope left in her. The Glory's Will Tree had always been mysterious, and Chu Li had always enjoyed relaxing under the tree. Maybe the Glory's Will Tree could save him.

"Master he's… ?" Xue Ling's face was awfully pale, her voice trembling.

Xiao Qi lifted her head and looked at her. "He's dead."

"But… How…" Xue Ling could not believe it. "Master was incredibly skilled at Light-body Technique."

"No matter how good he was, he still could not avoid his fate." Xiao Qi shook her head and said flatly. "Don't cry… Can you bring out a cushion for me please?"

"Sure." Xue Ling gritted hard on her teeth, trying to hold back her sobs.

She went inside the house and took out several cushions, laying them under the tree. She then helped Xiao Qi place Chu Li on top of the cushions. Xue Ling stared blankly at Chu Li's peaceful looking face. Then, the floodgates of sorrows flung open, as tears started streaming uncontrollably down her face.

Xiao Qi sat beside Chu Li, but she remained silent. Memories from the past started flooding into her mind. She continued cultivating the heart technique to oppress her overwhelming sadness.

After a brief while, Su Ru suddenly opened the door and walked in. "Lady Xiao, Chu Li he------?"

Xiao Qi did not mutter a single word. She sat still like a statue.

Su Ru then glanced at the teary-eyed Xue Ling. She walked towards Chu Li and felt his wrist for a pulse. Then, her face turned glum.

"Lady Xiao…"

"Don't speak, be quiet!"

Su Ru sighed. She stood aside, fixing her stare on Chu Li, anticipating that he would suddenly open his eyes and smile back at her.

Time passed slowly. Soon it was sunset, the landscape was showered in twilight. It would soon be nightfall.

It seemed as though the atmosphere in the Glory's Will Courtyard froze. The three ladies stood still, not making a single movement.

A bright moon hung high up in the sky, its gentle moonlight bathing them softly.

The moonlight gradually shifted, and soon it was the break of dawn. The Sun slowly crept up from behind the hills. Unknowingly, one night had passed. The morning dews dripped down onto their clothes.

Su Ru used her hand to wipe away the dewdrops. She suppressed her grief and finally spoke. "Lady Xiao, go back and have some rest. A dead man will not come back to life."

After a night long's wait, she had finally accepted the harsh reality.

Chu Li had indeed left the world. But her days were not over yet. Xiao Qi could not bear to let the grief consume herself. She needed to cheer up and recover her emotions.

Xue Ling slowly asked, "Lady, who killed Chu Li?"

Xiao Qi turned around and looked at her, answering flatly, "No, he had no enemies."

"No enemies?" Su Ru frowned. "Don't tell me he died because of a disease?"

Xiao Qi waved at her lazily. "You'll get to know the full story in the near future."

She found it hard to pick herself up. Even with the heart technique, she still could not get rid of the immense despair. Xiao Qi did not feel like talking or moving.

Xue Ling took out her handkerchief. She bent down to help Chu Li wipe his face clean. Suddenly, she lifted her head and exclaimed, "Lady, his body is still warm!"

Xiao Qi jolted up and went forth to look at Chu Li. His face indeed felt as warm as a living man.

Her eyes turned bright, and she proceeded to check his wrist for a pulse, his chest for a heartbeat, and then under his nose for signs of breath.

There were no signs of a heartbeat or breath. But chances are, Chu Li was not dead yet. Because if he was, his body would be a lot stiffer.

"Master Chu Li is not dead yet, right?" Xue Ling gave Xiao Qi a hopeful look.

Xiao Qi calmly replied, "Nope, not yet!"

Xue Ling let out a long sigh of relief. For a moment then, her body went limp, she sat onto the ground beside Chu Li.

Xiao Qi started cultivating and circulated her inner energy, injecting some of it into Chu Li's body. However, Chu Li did not give out any sort of response, he still looked lifeless.

But his body was far from stiff, so she remained hopeful. It was very likely that Chu Li was not dead yet, but only out cold, in a very mysterious way that she had not seen before.

Su Ru's eyes gleamed brightly when she asked, "Lady, when would he be awake?"

"I don't know." Xiao Qi shook her head. "But don't disturb him, let him stay as he is right now."

"Alright." Xue Ling nodded quickly.

Xiao Qi added, "You must count on him alone to awaken himself."

Suddenly, she sensed a strong intuition inside her, telling her that Chu Li would wake up! After that, Xiao Qi picked herself up from the ground. "Please, take good care of Chu Li!"

When she returned to Stargazing Tower, she saw Xiao Tieying waiting for her on the first floor.

"Third Sister." Xiao Tieying raised his arm and waved at her. "Let's discuss Chu Li's funeral."

"He's not dead," Xiao Qi replied.

Xiao Tieying was taken aback by what she had said. He sighed and shook his head, looking at Xiao Qi sympathetically.