Chapter 236 Though Dead, Still Alive (A New Beginning) Perhaps like me...

Qingqiu, the fox clan.

As dusk approached, a solemn atmosphere settled over the clan. Many reclusive elders chose to emerge from the mountains, resulting in shimmering light in the air, and the fox clan members passing by also seemed to be in a hurry.

Qiu Tong, carrying a guqin, mingled among them, and seeing this, she couldn't help but feel a little worried.

It is said that not long ago, the human realm was shaken, and the snow mist of the Northern Plains was burned open by a great fire, revealing a towering ice pillar that was constantly spiraling downwards, which shocked everyone.

According to Qingyao, it seems to be related to Xueyun's invasion of the demon realm, so all the tribes have sent people to investigate. Mother and several elders have already set off, leaving only a few people to stay here.

She looked at the lone goose in the distance and couldn't help but sigh, hoping that nothing had happened.

A moment later, carrying her guqin, she slipped back into the small jade gate where the clan's criminals were being held, unnoticed by the others.

Having come and gone so many times, she almost considered this place her home, so she was very skilled. She quickly lifted the restraints and walked towards one of the places of confinement, plucking the strings of her instrument as she walked, occasionally producing a few clear notes.

She had been studying the musical score in her room recently, trying to find a way to break the spell. Unfortunately, her cultivation level was different from Zhang Chunhe's. After looking around, she could only use sound as a supplement and use the method of harmony to temporarily break the spell.

This is not easy either.

As a fox princess, Qiu Tong was also good at music from a young age and was already familiar with playing the zither, so it shouldn't have been difficult for her.

However, the books written by the Grandmaster are all unusual, not because they are obscure, but because they are too unconventional. You have to read the whole book to truly understand the meaning of a single sentence.

She studied it for several days and finally mastered the soul-stirring melody.

Walking along the familiar path, Qiu Tong was still a little uneasy. The sword spirit floated out from it and jumped up to pat her shoulder as if to comfort her.

"Don't panic. You've barely slept these past few days, you've been practicing non-stop, so you're already very familiar with it."

Qiu Tong glanced sideways. In terms of age, the sword spirit was indeed much older than her, but her size was limited, and she looked like a little girl. When she said this, she had the air of a precocious child. She couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"The Resurrection Song is really important. The book says there is only one chance. If we can't wake up Uncle Three this time, then we will really be at our wits' end."

The sword spirit floated beside her, resting its chin on its hand as it looked at her: "Is it really that important whether your father is your father or not? What if... the result isn't what you want?"

Qiu Tong paused, her expression turning somewhat somber: "At least in my memory, he was a very good father. Perhaps there's some misunderstanding. If he treated us this way, it truly was his true nature..."

Qiu Tong didn't know how to describe her feelings at that moment, so she just bit her lip and continued to carry her zither forward.

She wanted to know what exactly happened when her father and third uncle confronted each other.

Upon reaching one of the restrictions, amidst the crisscrossing array patterns, lay an old man with disheveled hair and tattered clothes, curled up in a contorted position, fast asleep, just as before.

But upon hearing the footsteps stop ahead, he seemed to be awake, suddenly raising his head to reveal a pair of slightly upturned eyes beneath his stubble.

It has fox-like eyes similar to hers.

Even though Qiu Tong had been here many times, the man still charged wildly the moment he saw her. The array patterns suddenly lit up, illuminating the dark cell and revealing Qiu Tong's calm expression.

She hugged the long zither tightly, exhaled a breath of stale air, and amidst the man's ambiguous roar, she sat cross-legged in front of the formation, secretly encouraging herself. Then, she placed the zither across her lap, plucked the strings twice with her fingers, and lowered her head to tune them.

The sword spirit stayed quietly to the side, no longer disturbing her.

"Third Uncle, just bear with it."

Qiu Tong muttered to herself twice, tuned the strings, looked straight ahead, and then played the first note.

Grandmaster was indeed an unparalleled genius among humankind. Entering the Nightmare realm was practically the end for all cultivators, but he managed to devise a method of harmonizing sounds, matching the five tones with the five elements, and the five elements with the five internal organs.

By integrating the meridians, internal organs, and the sound of the zither in this way, one can dispel illusions using such an extremely simple method.

Although it has no therapeutic effect on someone like Langqiu who has been under a nightmare for a long time, it can be considered a life-or-death remedy for someone who is about to fall under a nightmare.

This piece of music is extremely long, taking almost a quarter of an hour to complete.

After Qiu Tong finished playing the first section, the man who had been somewhat frantic suddenly calmed down and began to meditate in a daze, muttering something incoherently. However, spiritual energy had already begun to circulate between his meridians.

That is the difficulty.

Qiu Tong had to keep a close eye on that wandering spiritual energy, calculate the location of the meridians and internal organs, play each note correctly, and then make it resonate with her own music to temporarily cleanse the meridians and internal organs.

Normally, a quarter of an hour is just enough time to eat a few pastries and read a couple of pages of a storybook, not even enough for her afternoon nap. But at this moment, she finally felt how long time could be.

There are so many things you can do in fifteen minutes.

The spiritual light first rose from his right arm, flowed to his lungs, and then transitioned to his left chest. Gradually, more and more spiritual light surged out, one after another, and began to circulate throughout his body.

Qiu Tong was already panting and even sweating slightly, but her hands did not stop. The resounding sound of the zither burst forth, like a mountain stream rushing into the water, or a boulder falling into a deep pool. The five elements turned, and when a certain sharp sound rang out, the person who was originally drowsy began to tremble.

The trembling was so intense, it was as if his unfocused pupils were being shaken in a sieve. His dazed eyes would focus for a moment, then quickly lose focus again, but as the music flowed out, the focus time gradually lengthened.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Qiu Tong was already drenched in sweat. Practice and reality are ultimately different. Seeing that she was struggling, the sword spirit immediately formed a hand seal and channeled a ray of spiritual light into her. Together, the two of them managed to complete the piece.

The moment the last note fell, Langqiu suddenly raised his head. Beneath his disheveled long hair, his dark eyes finally focused, and his gaze settled heavily on Qiu Tong's face.

Between breaths, clutching her chest, Langqiu looked around, recalling fragmented memories, and figured out why she was imprisoned and why she was in a nightmare.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Qiu Tong, your father still underestimates you. The child he values ​​most is your eldest sister."

Qiu Tong had no time to care about the meaning behind his words. This method doesn't keep one conscious for long. Since he was already aware of it, there was no need to explain further.

She immediately asked, "Third Uncle, what exactly happened between you and Father that led you to this state?"

Langqiu squinted at her, her gaze as gloomy as ever: "What, did your father send you to sound him out?"

Seeing his wariness, Qiu Tong sighed and briefly explained the capture of Prince Qingping. Then she asked urgently, "Third Uncle, you and Father have always been on good terms. Why is this happening?"

He said he imprisoned you here because you committed a grave error by stealing the Fox King's Palace's most precious treasure, and this was your punishment.

Third Uncle, what exactly happened?

What followed was completely fabricated; King Qingping had never said any of these things. These were words that Qiu Tong had planned long ago to trick him into saying.

Having experienced so much in her past life, she knew this third uncle all too well and knew exactly what words would provoke him.

As expected, Langqiu burst into laughter upon hearing this, his face contorted with rage. All his initial wariness vanished, replaced by fury: "Committed a grave mistake? Punishment? He actually said that?! Does he even deserve it? You old bastard, do you really think I'm dead?!"

Qiu Tong secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but her face still held a hint of suspicion and disrespect: "Third Uncle, why did you steal the treasure? Do you want to harm the fox clan?"

"Bullshit! How could I harm the fox clan!"

Langqiu suddenly stood up, his sharp nails digging fiercely into the array patterns, but he couldn't budge them an inch. He roared in frustration.

"He clearly lied to me, it was your father who lied to me!"

"When the Demon Lord ascended the throne, all the tribes came to pay homage. He said that the Demon Lord specifically asked us to offer our most precious treasures to show our sincerity. But how could we offer up the relics of our ancestors?"

He then instructed me to steal the most precious treasure, using this as an excuse to refuse payment, and then offered other treasures in return.

His voice was hoarse, filled with deep resentment and anger.

"This was originally just a play, a play known only to him and me. In order to create a false impression, he transferred the guards who were guarding the area to cooperate with me."

But who knew that just as I was stealing the treasure, I was ambushed by the elders and beaten down as a thief!

"When I was covered in wounds, your father appeared and delivered the final blow, breaking my bones and rendering me speechless. I could only endure his baseless accusations, becoming the true thief who coveted our ancestors' treasures!"

His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Qiu Tong with hatred, but his gaze quickly shifted, revealing a scrutinizing and suspicious look.

"Later, the clansmen discussed and locked me in a secret room to reflect on my actions. Your father came, and do you know what the first thing he said to me was?"

Qiu Tong was shocked. She had never imagined that there would be such a cause and effect. She fiddled with the strings and it took her a long time to hear her own voice.

"What did you say?"

He said, "This is what I deserve. I have rebellious intentions. I'm plotting to wipe out your whole family!"

At this point, Langqiu had become somewhat deranged, placing his hand on his neck.

He grabbed my neck and warned me sternly that since I dared to have such wicked thoughts, I should be willing to bear the consequences.

I was beaten black and blue, my bones were broken—it was all retribution I deserved. He still wanted to torture me slowly, saying I owed them all!

With a snap, one of the strings was broken by Qiu Tong, and the broken strands bounced past her eyes, but she did not blink.

Langqiu laughed loudly: "What do I owe you?! Just because of this baseless rumor about a seed, he framed me to this extent! I can't understand it, I still can't understand it to this day! We've been brothers for hundreds of years, and he actually hates me because of such nonsense!"

Qiu Tong felt a ringing in her ears, and even the miserable laughter of the person in front of her lessened a lot. All she could hear was the sound of a violent heartbeat!

She gripped the instrument tightly, and it took her a long time to find her voice. She supported herself on the ground and said in a daze, "Third Uncle, do you dare to swear to our ancestors that you have no disloyal intentions?"

Only she, because she went to the human realm and entered the Dao and Palace, was able to escape the disaster.

Langqiu laughed maniacally, his eyes darting around, and his steps began to falter, but he remained lucid.

"Of course! Your father has ruled the fox clan for long enough. The demon lord has been replaced. Can't the fox king make some changes? But I haven't done anything. I've only had a thought. How can he be so sure that I will rebel!"

“I always thought that your father, a kind-hearted man, was not worthy of being the Fox King. If it weren’t for his nature and his reputation as a great benefactor, how could I have listened to him and fallen for his treacherous scheme?”

So he was despicable and ruthless too!

He tormented me day after day, forcing me to beg for mercy and atone for my sins. He even forced me into a nightmare, severing all my cultivation and turning me into a mentally challenged cripple!

At this point, he cheered up again: "I never thought he would have this day. I coveted his position, but he crippled my cultivation. He coveted someone else's position, but that person crippled his cultivation!"

Retribution! Retribution is inevitable; such is the way of Heaven!

Qiu Tong was terrified. She picked up the zither, not even caring about her third uncle who was still laughing wildly, and quickly turned and left, her steps even more unsteady than Lang Qiu's.

She wandered aimlessly through the path, when she suddenly bumped into a group of people. She looked over in a daze and met Qingyao's slightly furrowed brows.

She looked at her youngest sister with concern: "Qiu Tong, what's wrong? You look so flustered?"

Qiu Tong's eyes were unfocused. She seemed to want to say something, but only swallowed and replied curtly, "Nothing..."

Qingyao looked behind her and sighed slowly: "What's wrong with you lately? You keep going to see Third Uncle. He's too deeply afflicted by the nightmare; it's too late to save him now."

"I didn't go to see him." Qiu Tong was very confused and didn't know how to explain.

Qingyao wiped the sweat from her forehead and was about to say something when the person behind her couldn't help but urge, "Princess, the elders are waiting for you to go to the Fox King's Palace for a meeting."

Qingyao sighed. Recently, the snow clouds in the demon realm have been rampant and will soon drift to Qingqiu. She has been so busy with this that she can't take care of her younger brothers and sisters. She could only put the handkerchief in Qiutong's hand and call two people to follow her to give her some instructions.

"Take her back first. Qiu Tong, if you need anything, just send someone to call me. I'll come find you after I've rested."

Qiu Tong could only shake her head: "Big sister, I'm really fine. I just overdid it while practicing the piano and I'm a little tired. You can go ahead and do your work."

Qingyao nodded, glanced at her a couple more times, and then had no choice but to leave with her people.

Qiu Tong walked back to her residence in a daze, dismissed the two people, and went into her room alone. After taking only two steps, she collapsed onto the carpet as if her body had gone limp, staring blankly ahead.

How could my father know about these things that haven't happened yet? Did he divine or foretell them, or...?

Is he like her?

In a daze, she had already lit the incense burner beside her, and Lin Feiran's serene face gradually emerged from the light smoke.

"Qiu Tong, what's wrong?"

Qiu Tong finally let out a sigh of relief. She threw the zither aside, which emitted a few chaotic clanging sounds. Then she moved closer to the smoke screen, her voice also becoming somewhat erratic.

“Lin Feiran, my father may have gone through it all again, just like me.”

Author's Note: [Heart emoji]