Chapter 81 A Little Bit of Anger is Good for the Soul

"What did you say?!" Gu Zhinan grabbed Lu Yanci's collar, his eyes instantly turning bloodshot. "What do you mean by 'not much time left'?! Wen Zhuo was perfectly fine just now! He just overexerted his spiritual energy, how could he—"

Lu Yanci did not struggle, but looked at him calmly with a hint of pity in his eyes: "Peak Master Gu, please calm down. Sect Master Song's situation is very complicated. I will explain it all when Immortal Venerable Huaiwei returns. Now... take a look at him first."

"How could I possibly stay calm!"

Gu Zhinan released his grip and stumbled to the bedside. Song Wenzhuo's face was as pale as a sheet of paper, her breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible, and even her lips had lost all color.

He reached out with trembling hands to check his pulse, only to find it weak and disordered. The spiritual energy within his body was like a flood that had been released, flowing out uncontrollably and rapidly, and his life force was also gradually fading away.

"No...it's impossible..." Gu Zhinan's voice trembled. He immediately helped Song Wenzhuo up, placed his hands on Song Wenzhuo's back, and, disregarding his own unhealed injuries, continuously channeled his pure spiritual energy into Song Wenzhuo's body.

Spiritual energy entering the body is like a clay ox entering the sea; it can only slightly slow down the rate of loss, but cannot fundamentally stop it. Song Wenzhuo's body is like a container full of holes; no matter how much spiritual energy is poured in, it will quickly leak out.

"It's no use, Peak Master Gu," Lu Yanci said softly from the side.

Gu Zhinan ignored him and continued to channel his spiritual energy into his body.

This is the scene that Fu Yunshu saw when he returned—

Song Wenzhuo lay on the bed, his hair scattered on the pale pillow. His once gentle eyes were tightly closed, and his lips were so pale they were almost transparent. The candlelight inside the bedchamber flickered, making his thin profile appear even more fragile, as if he might vanish along with the shadow of the candlelight at any moment.

Gu Zhinan stood with his back to the door, his black robe stained with undried blood. He was hunched over, his palm pressed against Song Wenzhuo's chest. His spiritual energy surged violently, but the pure spiritual energy he was desperately pouring in seemed to be swallowed by an invisible vortex, unable to even make Song Wenzhuo twitch his eyebrows.

"What happened?" Fu Yunshu stepped forward quickly.

Gu Zhinan looked at Lu Yanci, who explained, "Immortal Venerable, Peak Master Gu, Yan Ji has taken the Nine-Turn Condensation Pill. You all know its effects. Helping Yan Nanqiu regain his body is not that simple."

"So, what did Wen Zhuo do?" Fu Yunshu seemed to have a feeling.

"Yan Nanqiu has two bloodlines in his body, and the half of his bloodline is the key to Yan Ji's successful possession."

"In this world, Song Wenzhuo is the only person who is related to Yan Nanqiu by blood. He used a hundred years of his lifespan as a catalyst, combined with the secret techniques of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, to trigger the backlash of the other half of the human bloodline in Yan Nanqiu's body, which is why he was able to defeat Yan Ji."

"You told him this method?" Fu Yunshu asked unhappily.

Lu Yanci shrugged: "Yes, but this was Song Zongzhu's own choice. I didn't force him."

Fu Yunshu took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. "With Wen Zhuo's cultivation level, he still has at least several hundred years of lifespan left. Even if he paid off a hundred years, it couldn't have gotten to this point."

“I’ve thought for a long time that Song Wenzhuo is a fool,” Lu Yanci chuckled softly. “As it turns out, that’s indeed the case.”

“Gu Zhinan, every time you go to find Jingyuehua, Song Wenzhuo comes to me to ask for divination, asking for your safety and the whereabouts of Jingyuehua.”

"Heavenly secrets are not so easily revealed. Every time he seeks a divination, he loses a portion of his lifespan. After hundreds of years of seeking them, he only has a hundred years left to live. Now that he has used it all up at once, shouldn't he start preparing for his funeral?"

Gu Zhinan felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his blood freezing instantly. He remained frozen in place, maintaining the posture of channeling spiritual energy. His wounds were torn open by the sudden tightening of his muscles, and blood seeped out, staining his robes red. But he was completely unaware of it, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Lu Yanci.

"What did you say?" His voice was hoarse, each word trembling. "Seeking divination? To shorten one's lifespan?"

Memory is like a flood bursting its banks, bursting through the dam. Those details he had ignored now feel like poisoned needles, piercing his heart with a pain so intense he could barely breathe.

"Why didn't he tell me?" Gu Zhinan suddenly turned to look at Song Wenzhuo on the bed, his voice filled with disbelief, confusion, and overwhelming regret.

Gu Zhinan's spiritual power suddenly spiraled out of control, the surging air around him causing the candlelight inside the tent to flicker violently, almost extinguishing it. Fu Yunshu reached out and pressed down on his shoulder, saying in a deep voice, "Calm down!"

"Calm down?" Gu Zhinan's eyes were frighteningly red. "Grandmaster Uncle, how can you expect me to calm down? I know I've wronged him a lot, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life making it up to him. I never expected Wen Zhuo to not even give me that chance. He protected me so well, but he was secretly draining his lifespan little by little. Now he's almost out of breath, I..."

He choked up halfway through his sentence and couldn't continue. He slapped himself hard a few times, then rushed back to the bedside and carefully took Song Wenzhuo's cold hand.

"Wen Zhuo... wake up and look at me, okay..."

Song Wenzhuo showed no reaction; only his eyelashes cast faint shadows in the dim light.

Gu Zhinan felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly, causing him to tremble with pain. He lowered his head, his forehead pressed against Song Wenzhuo's hand, and hot tears fell onto the pale hand, quickly spreading into a small wet patch.

"You idiot..." he choked up, repeating over and over, "How could you be so stupid..."

Seeing the two of them like this, Fu Yunshu felt bad too. He asked Lu Yanci, "Isn't there any way to salvage this?"

He knew in his heart that there was probably no way to help, but he still held onto a sliver of hope.

“The Nine-Turn Essence Pill is the best solution,” Lu Yanci said.

Fu Yunshu remained silent; Lu Yanci was indeed a very infuriating person.

“There is another way,” Lu Yanci said with a half-smile, turning to Yin Lisheng. “The demon race has a secret technique called ‘Heart-to-Heart Pact,’ which can bind one person to share lifespan. It should still be in the demon race’s palace now.”

After Lu Yanci finished speaking, he left gracefully, saying, "I've already told you the method, I'm leaving now."

The tent fell into a deathly silence.

Fu Yunshu frowned: "The demon race is sealed in the northern border, and there is an array set up by True Person Chi Du. How can we get in? Even if we do get in, the demon royal palace is heavily guarded. How can we obtain the secret techniques?"

Yin Lisheng, who had been standing silently beside Fu Yunshu, suddenly spoke up: "Master, I want to go into seclusion."

Fu Yunshu looked at him: "Li Sheng?"

“I can break the seal,” he said, looking up with a determined gaze, “as long as my cultivation reaches the Tribulation Transcending stage.”

"Are you crazy? I don't agree!" Fu Yunshu immediately refused. "You just broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, and you want to skip several major realms to break through to the Tribulation Transcendence stage? Yin Lisheng, can't you care about yourself?"

“In this world, I am the only one who can break the seal of the Northern Border,” Yin Lisheng said with burning eyes. “Sect Master Song is a junior whom Master loves and has taken good care of Master. I also want to repay him.”

"No matter what you say, I will not agree to this!" Fu Yunshu was unwilling to say more. "I will find a way to deal with Wen Zhuo's matter. You are tired today, so go back and rest early."

Fu Yunshu then stuffed all the rare and precious materials in her space that might be useful into Gu Zhinan's possession, and then left in a huff.

A few days later, everyone returned to the sect, and the atmosphere in Qingyuan Sect was unusually heavy.

Song Wenzhuo was placed in a quiet room on the main peak, personally cared for by Ning Xuexi. Various rare spiritual herbs and life-extending methods were continuously poured in as if they were free, but this only barely kept Song Wenzhuo's faint life force afloat. He remained unconscious, his face so pale it was almost transparent, as if he would shatter at the slightest touch.

The position of sect leader is temporarily being held by his eldest disciple, Yu Jiangheng. Yu Jiangheng is calm and composed, and his cultivation is among the best of his generation. With Yin Simiao assisting him, the sect's daily affairs are running smoothly. The two of them have stopped joking around, and their faces are filled with worry. When handling official business, they can't help but look towards the direction of the meditation room.

Wen Xun, Ye Xiuzhu, Du Zhun, and Ning Xuexi were extremely anxious. They had grown up with Song Wenzhuo and Gu Zhinan since childhood, and were as close as brothers. Now, one was in critical condition, and the other was staying by his bedside day and night, emaciated and frail, which broke their hearts.

Aside from handling necessary sect affairs, the group spent the rest of their time searching through ancient books, contacting old friends, and exploring various possible ways to save Song Wenzhuo, but unfortunately, all of these efforts yielded little result.

Gu Zhinan stayed by Song Wenzhuo's bedside almost every step of the way, channeling spiritual energy into him. He was no longer as out of control as before, but had become unusually silent. He carefully wiped Song Wenzhuo's body, tidied his hair, and whispered words that only the two of them could hear.

Occasionally, Gu Zhinan would pick up the jade pen that Song Wenzhuo often used and write a few lines on a piece of paper, or he would simply gaze quietly at that sleeping face, the pain in his eyes almost overflowing. In just a few days, he had lost a lot of weight, and stubble had appeared on his chin.

Fu Yunshu also returned to Tingxue Peak. Unlike the others who traveled around, he locked himself in the top floor of the library, where some of the oldest and most obscure books and manuscripts of the Qingyuan Sect were kept. He sifted through them day and night, trying to find a glimmer of hope different from the "Concentric Pact" among those old papers, or at least a way to safely enter the Northern Border Seal.

Yin Lisheng also stayed quietly at Tingxue Peak. As usual, he would come to greet Fu Yunshu every morning, and then either practice his sword in the courtyard or meditate in the quiet room. Occasionally, he would go to Dan Peak to help Ning Xuexi process some medicinal herbs, go to Qi Peak to ask Du Zhun for advice on weapon refining, and even go to the main peak to help Yu Jiangheng process some simple documents.

He acted as usual, his expression calm, and he showed appropriate concern for Song Wenzhuo's injuries, but he did not mention the Northern Border or the seal in much detail.

Fu Yunshu was initially on edge, wary that Yin Lisheng might bring up that crazy idea again. But after observing his disciple for a few days, seeing that he was acting steadily and cultivating diligently, and seemed to have accepted reality, he gradually lowered his guard and devoted more energy to searching for ancient books. However, deep in his heart, there was always a faint unease that he couldn't shake off.

That morning, Fu Yunshu rubbed his eyes, which were a little sore from studying late into the night. The morning light was faint, and the snow-capped peaks were serene, save for the rustling of the wind through the bamboo grove.

Suddenly, a series of slightly hurried footsteps broke the silence.

Fu Yunshu opened his eyes and saw Yan Shuangwan walking quickly towards him. Her face was somewhat pale, her eyes were slightly red, and she was tightly clutching a long, black wooden box in her hand.

"Junior Nephew Yan?" Fu Yunshu was somewhat surprised. He had a good impression of Yan Shuangwan, but she rarely came to Tingxuefeng alone unless there was something important to do.

“Immortal Venerable Huaiwei…” Yan Shuangwan stopped in front of Fu Yunshu, her voice trembling slightly. She presented the black wooden box with both hands, “This… was given to you by Li Sheng.”

Fu Yunshu's unease suddenly intensified. He took the wooden box, which felt slightly heavy in his hand.

"Where is Li Sheng? Why doesn't he come himself?" Fu Yunshu asked, his voice unconsciously taking on a stern tone.

Yan Shuangwan lowered her head, avoiding Fu Yunshu's gaze, her shoulders trembling slightly. She took a few deep breaths before saying in a tearful voice, "Li Sheng... he went to the Sword Inquiry Cliff in the back mountain to cultivate in seclusion last night."

"Seclusion?" Fu Yunshu stood up abruptly, nearly crushing the wooden box in his hand. "He went to Sword Inquiry Cliff for seclusion? When did that happen? Why is it only being reported now?!"

“Li Sheng told me not to say it,” Yan Shuangwan’s tears finally fell. “He said he would give this to you when it was light. Inside are some letters he had written before and a gift he made himself. He also asked me to tell you a message.”

"What are you saying?" Fu Yunshu's voice was as cold as ice.

Yan Shuangwan looked up at Fu Yunshu and repeated, word by word, "Li Sheng said, 'Master, this disciple is unfilial, but this time, please let this disciple make his own decision. Wait for me to return.'"

"Nonsense!" Fu Yunshu was furious, and his aura exploded uncontrollably, causing the stone tables and benches in the courtyard to shift.

He never expected that Yin Lisheng's "well-behaved" behavior these past few days was all a pretense! This child had actually kept it from him and chosen the most dangerous and incomprehensible path.

He forcibly broke through to the Tribulation Realm? Did he think Tribulation was child's play?! There are several major realms between the Nascent Soul stage and the Tribulation Realm, which many people cannot cross in their entire lives. Even if Yin Lisheng is the male protagonist, even if he has high talent and a solid foundation, it is still fraught with danger if he wants to break through continuously in a short period of time. Once he fails, at best his cultivation will be completely destroyed, and at worst his body and soul will be annihilated.

He only has this one disciple, and only this one person he loves. Fu Yunshu doesn't want to lose Yin Lisheng.

That brat! Does he even know what he's doing?!

Fu Yunshu could no longer care about anything else. In a flash, he sped off towards the Sword Inquiry Cliff on the back mountain! His speed was so fast that he left afterimages in the air!

Sword Inquiry Cliff is located deep within the back mountains of the Qingyuan Sect. It is a solitary, sheer cliff, shrouded year-round by fierce winds and chaotic sword energy. Normally, only disciples with special permission are allowed to approach it.

When Fu Yunshu arrived, he could see from afar that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth above the Sword Inquiry Cliff was gathering and rotating at an astonishing speed, forming a huge, visible vortex of spiritual energy! At the center of the vortex, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and one could vaguely see sharp sword energies crisscrossing and raging, colliding fiercely with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, producing bursts of booming sounds!

The entrance at the bottom of the cliff was sealed off by a powerful spiritual energy barrier infused with Yin Lisheng's sword intent. This barrier was clearly set up before his seclusion. Although it couldn't stop Fu Yunshu, forcibly breaking through it would cause a disturbance in the internal spiritual energy, potentially harming Yin Lisheng inside.

Fu Yunshu was even angrier; this kid was completely oblivious to his injuries.

"Yin Lisheng! Come out here!" Fu Yunshu stood outside the barrier and shouted sharply, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger and worry.

There was no response from within the cliff; only the vortex of spiritual energy spun more rapidly, and the thunder grew louder. Clearly, the seclusion had begun, and Yin Lisheng was completely unable to concentrate, perhaps even unable to hear the sounds outside.

Fu Yunshu knew that the die was cast and there was no turning back, so he slid down to the ground against the rock wall.

Fu Yunshu clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. There was nothing he could do now but wait here. If he forcibly interrupted, Yin Lisheng would surely suffer a backlash; if he let it go, he might just watch helplessly as something bad happened to him…

This feeling of helplessness made Fu Yunshu's chest feel tight, more uncomfortable than facing any powerful enemy.

He now understood how Yin Lisheng had spent those twenty years. Watching your loved one face danger while being powerless to intervene was incredibly painful.

Fu Yunshu remembered the wooden box Yin Lisheng had given to Yan Shuangwan and took it out of his pocket. The box had a simple seal, but it was useless to him. He unlocked the seal and opened the lid.

At the very top is a warm, white jade safety buckle, tied with a simple red cord, made by Yin Lisheng himself.

Below, dozens of letters were pressed down.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Just a little heads-up, Master's reply is already written and will be included in the bonus chapter later [covering face and peeking].