There is no Redemption for A Scum Villain

Chapter 68

Searching the Abyss with Yue Qingyuan was like letting a bloodhound off its leash and trying not to lose it in the forest. From the moment he landed in the place, he was gone. Even Tianlang-jun had trouble following him. They had not the tiniest lead on where to go. The Endless Abyss was also not exactly small and searching a person in the place was like trying to locate a needle in a bag of rice.

But Yue Qingyuan did not let himself be discouraged. If he had to run in circles until he found his husband, he would do so readily. And run he did, without cease. At some point Zhuzhi-lang was forced to feed his blood to one of the snakes living in his robes and smuggle the animal on Yue Qingyuan's person, so they could track him.

It happened not unoften that they stumbled upon him being passed out somewhere or fighting a horde of beasts that fled the moment Tianlang-jun came out of the fog. Apart from these 'breaks' the man took when passing out, he never stopped running. Tianlang-jun almost thought the man's endurance impressive, but after some months it really did get tiring and stressful.

"At this rate it will take ages to find them," Tianlang-jun had muttered one day as they sat around a fire. It was only the three of them there. Yue Qingyuan had run off again. "The Endless Abyss isn't called endless for no reason."

"I'm sure we will find them. Or they find us," Shen Wannian said, "The Xin Mo sword is down here. Binghe is the one who has to find it. And once he does, he will be able to get out with Shishu and take us along."

"Alright, I still don't quite get it. How is it you know all this again?" Tianlang-jun asked.

Shen Wannian sighed. Since Shang Qinghua had told him that he had slipped up, he had believed that he could easily just say such things, but obviously it was hard to accept for these people that they were in the world of a book. And even though it was quite annoying, Shen Wannian still explained it again.

"Shizun knows about Shishu's current state," he informed after his explanation, "It's been half a year and things don't look good. His qi is very unstable and he is likely in pain every day. For Shizun, knowing this is like he was the one suffering. But it was still better to give him the option to know about Shishu's condition than to leave him in the blue."

"So that's why he just jumps up without a warning and runs away so often," Tianlang-jun noted.

"It's every time Shishu's status changes to 'in pain' or 'distressed'. I think he feels unable to just sit around and do nothing while Shishu is suffering. I understand him. At least the person I like is not poisoned..." Shen Wannian muttered.

Tianlang-jun didn't say anything for a while, then he probed. "I heard that old coot talk of a lover boy. Am I right to assume that I can expect a son-in-law?"

"I... Why are you being so nosy?! That's none of your business!" Shen Wannian snapped at the man. He was quite easily flustered and with Tianlang-jun being the way that he was, he did not want the man to make any comments. Not when he had had hardly anything of his boyfriend before he had gone to the Abyss but the sweet kiss they had shared before.

"Ah, why are children so difficult?" Tianlang-jun sighed.

"Many people honor their private lives, Uncle. They tend to be displeased when someone impedes on it, especially in difficult times," Zhuzhi-lang explained.

Tianlang-jun just made an upset noise. He had not asked to get an answer. And how come Zhuzhi-lang was suddenly such an expert at understanding people's feelings?

"Perhaps we should get going, Zhangmen-shibo is very far away already," Zhuzhi-lang offered, ignoring the annoyed sigh from his uncle as he got up.

Yue Qingyuan truly was far away already, but he had the feeling that Shen Qingiqu wasn't going to be where he was. He had surely run into the completely wrong direction and gotten even further away... Angrily he cut off the heads of two beasts that thought they could make him into an easy meal before turning and running into a whole different direction.