Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation

157. Can't Escape (Start of Volume 4)



After the question-and-answer session during the elder council, Jin Shu had been whisked away by Liu Hua, only realizing later—too late—that he'd completely forgotten to ask about the library pass. Fortunately, Liu Hua's master—the Grand Elder—was the one who oversaw the sect's library. Unfortunately, she had retreated to her room and hadn't stirred once in the twenty-four hours since the council meeting ended.

Still, she had to wake up sometime during the week he was being held hostage as Liu Hua's so-called prize. He hadn't forgotten to ask his mother about that, but he hadn't been thrilled with her answer.

She'd said, simply: "Cause it's funny."

That was it. Not because she thought he could learn something from Liu Hua, or that he might benefit from growing closer to the sect's number one power. No. Just because she found it amusing to toss him into Liu Hua's orbit. He suspected there was more to it than that, but he doubted his mother would ever spell it out. She was the kind to throw him into the deep end and expect him to swim—literally, in fact. That was how she'd taught him to swim as a baby.

Jin Shu shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside, and turned back to the meal in front of him. He was in the middle of lunch, a feast prepared by Liu Ying. Despite being blind, the girl was an incredible cook—so skilled, in fact, that Jin Shu would wager her dishes rivaled imperial chefs. Possibly even surpassed them.

Gold had once said she could give "Michelin-starred chefs" a run for their money… whatever those were.

He placed a tender cut of beef into his mouth, and it practically melted on his tongue, releasing rich, savory juices. It was delicious, and he felt compelled to tell her—again.

"Ying, this is seriously the best meal I've ever eaten," he said, giving her a thumbs-up.

Liu Ying giggled, her cheeks pink. "Big Sis—I mean, Big Brother Shu, that's the fourth time you've said that. Just focus on eating, please." She leaned forward, her bangs falling to shield more of her face.

"I can't help it," he laughed between bites. "It's just that good."

"If you marry us, you could eat Ying's cooking every day," Liu Hua said, casually, lifting her gaze from her own meal.

"Big Sis!" Liu Ying protested.

"What? Are you against it?" Liu Hua asked curiously.

"Well… n—yes… I don't know!" Liu Ying shouted, shaking her head in a fluster.

For a brief moment, Jin Shu was tempted. Liu Hua's words were persuasive. But after everything he'd endured during the tournament—despite it being non-lethal, there had been more than a few moments that felt too close to death—he'd decided to take Long Jinshu's advice seriously.

No more drifting.

He would marry Biyu, Li Xue, and Tian Li. It was a sudden decision, but he was sure they loved him—and he loved them. Tian Li's situation was a little more complicated, sure, but at least until that was resolved, he definitely didn't have the energy—or the courage—to take on Liu Hua and her antics.

Falling into deep thought, Jin Shu began to wonder—when had he fallen in love with each of them? And how?

With Biyu, it had begun during her treatment. He'd liked her well enough when they first met, but it wasn't until they spent day and night together—over long, quiet stretches of time—that his feelings began to deepen. There was a calm intimacy in those moments, a slow unfurling of something more. Then came the journey they shared. When he was spiraling—desperately searching for his mother and barely holding himself together—Biyu had been a steady presence. Traveling with her brought him a sense of security he hadn't realized he was missing.

Li Xue, though—that was a different story entirely.

Their first meeting had been anything but pleasant. She'd thrown him in a dungeon, after all. He'd had no affection for her then, just wariness and frustration. But as time passed, she revealed a part of herself that was hard to ignore: her boundless joy. She was playful, lighthearted, never too serious. Always joking. Always laughing. In her, he found a kind of carefreeness that the rest of his life lacked. What had started as a sense of obligation—believing it was his fault she was in danger—evolved. Slowly, he'd grown dependent on that joyful energy of hers. Eventually, he realized he didn't want to let her go.

And then… there was Tian Li.

He had fallen for her at first sight.

That moment when she leapt from the window chasing after Yin'er—he'd been stunned. Everything about her had felt perfect. Her fashion sense, so distinctly modern it made Gold nostalgic for Earth. Her eyes, a piercing turquoise that felt deep enough to drown in. Even her figure—as shallow as it sounded—seemed sculpted by divine hands. She was beautiful in every way that made his heart stumble.

Their beginning hadn't been smooth. He'd frightened her when he snapped, and she carried traumas he hadn't understood at first. But in time, they found common ground. Her love of fashion and Gold's knowledge of an entirely different world's styles had bridged the gap between them. A connection formed—tentative at first, then stronger.

Only… her heart leaned toward women.

Which he, very much, was not.

Still, when they'd been accidentally trapped in that secret realm, something had shifted. He was sure of it. Their relationship had taken a step forward. Not much—but enough. Enough to hope. Enough to believe that, in time, he could show her that he wasn't pretending to be someone else. That the person he was, truly could be someone she loved.

Screech!

Jin Shu jolted as a loud scraping sound tore through the air—his chopsticks dragging against an empty plate. He stared down, puzzled. He didn't remember finishing the meal… but the plate was bare. Either he'd eaten it all in a trance, or someone had stolen it while he was lost in thought. But, he definitely would have noticed that, so, it was more likely the former.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Looking up, he saw Liu Hua calmly dabbing her lips with a cloth while Liu Ying giggled behind her hand. Their behavior struck him as… odd. He blinked, trying to place what was off about it, but nothing came to mind.

"Uh… sorry, I zoned out. Did I miss something?"

Liu Hua shook her head, serene as ever. Except, when was she ever serene? Liu Ying glanced at him, then turned away with another giggle.

They were hiding something. He could tell. But rather than press, he chose to let it go. It probably wasn't important. Right now, there was something else he needed to know.

"When will Elder Feng Lian wake up?"

"Dunno," Liu Hua replied with a shrug.

"She can sleep for weeks at a time," Liu Ying added helpfully.

Jin Shu blinked. "Weeks? Seriously?"

Both sisters shrugged again, as if that explained everything.

He sighed. Hopefully the Grand Elder wouldn't hibernate for that long. He had less than a month until everyone left for the southern region, and he needed to access the sect's library to fix his cultivation technique before then. There was no way he was staying behind. Even if his mother's map looked questionable at best, he was confident it was at least safe enough to follow.

"Well then," he said, pushing his empty plate aside. "What exactly are we doing during the week you have me for?"

Liu Hua tilted her head slightly. "Sex?"

Jin Shu froze.

Silently, deliberately, he placed his chopsticks on the table, stood up, and turned toward the front door. He was leaving. Now. And he wasn't coming back.

"Wait, wait!" Liu Hua appeared behind him, reaching out to stop him. "It was just a joke!"

But Jin Shu was ready this time. He ducked under her arm and bolted for the door. No way was he sticking around. He didn't trust her, not one bit.

She appeared in front of him, blocking the exit.

No matter. He didn't slow down. He opened a ripple between them and dove into it without hesitation. Unlike last time, he knew the way—no more wandering aimlessly in the slipspace until he nearly died. Not today.

As the ripple closed behind him, he let out a long sigh of relief. He was safe here. No one could follow him—not without the right elements. Especially not her.

"Seriously, it was just a joke. You didn't have to run away."

His blood ran cold.

No.

Slowly, Jin Shu turned, inch by inch, dread creeping up his spine. His eyes widened in disbelief. He rubbed at them until they turned red, but the sight before him didn't vanish.

Liu Hua was standing right there inside the slipspace, glancing around curiously.

"You? How? Where? When—what?" His brain gave up on forming a proper question.

"Huh?" she said, head tilting innocently.

"How are you here?!"

"I followed you?" she replied, as if that explained everything.

"That's impossible! You need both wind and water elements just to stand here—" he trailed off. "Which… you have… Wait. No. I closed the ripple!"

"Ripple?" she repeated, then her face lit up. "Oh! You mean the watery door-thingy?"

She clapped her hands. "Yeah, you closed it, but I just opened a new one!"

She beamed at him, proud as a child expecting praise.

Jin Shu sank to the floor, head in his hands, as despair settled over him. He couldn't escape. Not only could Liu Hua follow him outside the slipspace—now she could follow him inside too.

"How?" he asked again, voice hollow. "How did you open a ripple?"

"Well, you've been using the technique all throughout the tournament," she said cheerfully, "so I just copied you, and it worked!"

Right. I forgot she's some kind of super genius.

He sighed and slowly stood back up. "Alright, we need to set some ground rules. First off: I am not spending the night with you again. Morning and afternoon are fine, but when evening comes, I'm heading home. Deal?"

"That's fine," she said easily. "After I told Master I slept with a man, she said I wasn't allowed to do it again until we're married anyway."

"Of course you did…" he muttered, rubbing his forehead.

"Hm?"

"Nothing. Let's just head back."

He opened an exit ripple and stepped through, Liu Hua following behind him.

Liu Ying looked up as they reappeared. "What was that? Where did you two go?"

"I tried escaping…" Jin Shu sighed, shoulders slumping. "But escape is impossible from your sister."


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