Chapter 261 Misguided Path is called murdering one's wife and severing ties with one's family, to prove the ruthless path of the Dao. ...

Wei Changzai didn't seem to be troubled by anyone. His movements were much smoother than Qiu Tong's, and he arrived at the foot of the mountain with the help of his servants.

He first looked at the mountain in front of him, his expression half unfamiliar and half calm, as if he were looking at any mountain in the world, seemingly not seeing anything new in it. His gaze darted away and then met her eyes.

"Qiu Tong." He spoke, and slowly stepped forward.

Their wedding attire wasn't the usual bright red, but a very clear peach pink, a color she had carefully chosen in her previous life, which actually suited his skin tone very well.

Her pink and white attire was complemented by a pair of dark eyes that shone with a cold, snowy quality. Her black hair was half-tied up with an extremely long blood-red jade hairpin, and the stray hairs that fell across her forehead moved in the wind, making her appear even more aloof and peerless.

But his eyes were filled with only stillness.

In his past life, he really liked this Fangcao Mountain. He said that the red maple leaves on the mountain were like fire, very passionate, and that a wedding should have such colors.

He was simply looking at her now, his dark eyes like two pools of mercury, subtly shining, seemingly clear but unfathomable, showing neither resistance nor dissatisfaction towards the marriage, nor anger or resentment at being forced into a union with someone he didn't love.

He nodded slightly to her, called her name, then slowly walked to her side and stopped, falling silent as if lost in thought, though certainly not about the wedding banquet.

Getting married was really nothing to him.

At this moment, Qiu Tong really wanted to ask, what exactly could possibly stir even the slightest ripple in his eyes?

She didn't want to say much, but the whole thing was too bizarre from beginning to end. She was completely kept in the dark, and inexplicably found herself here, inexplicably reliving her wedding banquet from her previous life...

She inexplicably married Wei Changzai, who didn't like her at all.

She really didn't want to, and dared not, continue. Since Wei Changzai was not currently restrained, she could only try to provoke him and get him to take action.

Ignoring the fact that Su Dan and the others were still behind her, she quietly approached Wei Changzai and whispered, "Hey, are you getting married willingly?"

Wei Changzai glanced at her sideways, paused, and said, "I didn't call you 'Hey'."

"..."

Qiu Tong looked up and glared at him. She now knew Wei Changzai's feelings. For various reasons, she was unwilling to call him by his name, but now, with their eyes locked, she gave in.

"Wei Changzai, don't you like Lin Feiran? How can you be willing to get married?"

Wei Chang stared at her for a moment, then said only, "This is Master's order."

Qiu Tong remained silent: "You just listen to whatever he says! You don't like me at all, and I'm sure you can see how strange this wedding banquet is. Aren't you afraid? Or do you know something inside?"

Wei Changzai said, "Yes. I will listen to whatever he says."

When he begged his master to save him, to save... to save his parents, he swore that he would do whatever Zhang Chunhe asked him to do without hesitation.

Seeing his submissive and seemingly indifferent demeanor, Qiu Tong grew anxious and raised her voice considerably: "If you've been married, do you think there's still a possibility between you and Lin Feiran?"

She could never want someone who's been married before!

The man's gaze finally flickered slightly. He seemed somewhat surprised and puzzled, but after a few moments of hesitation, everything settled down again.

“She will understand me; she is not an unreasonable person.”

He even nodded secretly.

If Qiu Tong still couldn't figure it out by now, she would truly be a fool.

"Do you know anything about this? Why exactly is Zhang Chunhe holding this wedding banquet? Tell me!"

Wei Changzai still said, "I swore an oath not to tell you."

This man is truly impervious to both soft and hard approaches. If it were the old him, she would have only needed to say some nice words and soften her tone to get anything out of him. But right now, she doesn't know how to deal with this Consort Wei in front of her.

Qiu Tong was already filled with fear and unease. Even if she was slow to react, she could sense the danger from the identical setting. She even had a feeling that the danger was coming directly at her. But at this moment, she couldn't even summon the Tai'a Sword. She was like a fish on a chopping board!

She hadn't felt it when she was in the side hall, but now that she was here, at the starting point of their wedding banquet, the scene stirred up emotions within her. She felt a sense of loss at the change of things and a sense of panic at being isolated and helpless.

"Su Dan" seemed unwilling to let the two of them say more, and forcefully pressed her back to her original position. Qiu Tong felt a dull pain on her shoulder, and her already surging emotions immediately burst forth, but because they were too complicated, only a few tears came out.

She secretly encouraged herself and was about to raise her hand to wipe it away when someone else made the first move.

Wei Changzai seemed to want to say something to her. As he raised his hand, he caught a drop of water. He stared at it quietly for a moment, then looked up at her again.

These are tears, I've shed them too.

Are you feeling very unwell right now? Does your heart feel like it's being tightly bound, aching and painful?

Qiu Tong stared blankly, a second tear still clinging to her cheek, somewhat confused yet filled with other emotions.

The next moment, Wei Chang continued his actions. He took Qiu Tong's hand, and under her surprised gaze, placed his fingertips in her palm, lowered his eyelashes, and began to write stroke by stroke.

Qiu Tong disregarded her other emotions and immediately began to carefully examine the area.

He wrote: Wait a little longer, and I will return your sword to you.

Qiu Tong was taken aback, her hand, which he was holding, tightened instinctively, and her gaze towards him changed again.

Wei Changzai paused, as if remembering something, then opened her palm and added: "Don't worry too much, don't treat it like a wedding banquet. This is just a setup. If Lin Feiran asks, you should tell her the same thing."

He wrote very slowly, and you could even feel the sharpness of his pen strokes. Qiu Tong watched with pursed lips and a slight movement in her eyes.

But he didn't stop: "The heartache will pass soon, just like mine."

Qiu Tong looked up and saw Wei Changzai gently tapping his chest and taking a few breaths. Then, unusually, he joked with her, "It's not really useful, but it makes you feel a little better."

It's astonishing that someone like him could feel heartache, and it's self-evident who he feels it for.

Qiu Tong looked at him, at her lover from her past life, at their magnificent robes, at this familiar wedding place. She wasn't thinking about anything at the moment, but tears were already silently streaming down her face.

Sometimes, loss isn't a slow process, but rather the instant you realize it, the instant you realize it will never come back.

It might have been on a fine afternoon, or it might have been during a time of great chaos and turmoil.

If he were to be reborn, Wei Changzai might not fall into the five signs of decay again, but he would also not fall in love with her again.

Why was she given a second chance at life? Was she simply too late?

With a bang, fireworks shot into the sky and exploded in broad daylight. They weren't particularly dazzling, but countless petals fell from them—gardenias, small and white, drifting down one after another.

These were the flowers chosen by Wei Changzai in her previous life, and they were also her favorite flowers.

She didn't love pink peaches; she loved these delicate, boneless flowers.

"Qiu Tong, the wedding banquet has begun!"

Su Dan’s voice was gentle and excited, but her subordinates pushed her forward without giving her a chance to refuse, making her step onto the red satin carpet.

Tiny petals fell, brushing against her forehead and the back of her hand. Qiu Tong couldn't resist walking up to them. Holding a piece of red silk that she had shared with Wei Changzai, she walked on the familiar stone steps and slowly closed her eyes.

In his past life, Wei Changzai appeared cold, but he actually had the kindest heart, and he loved to smile in private.

On their wedding day, they carried red silk up the mountain together. He smiled broadly, nodded to the relatives and friends along the mountain path, put his arm around her shoulder, and walked with her step by step to their new home.

As Qiu Tong stepped onto the stone steps, she closed her eyes and recalled that day. A slight smile appeared on her lips, and she felt relaxed.

She opened her eyes amidst the pleasant memories and saw relatives and friends offering their congratulations by the mountain road.

She saw her parents, who were standing embraced under the maple tree, smiling at her. She saw her siblings, each with a blessing on their face. Also present were the elders who had watched her grow up, and her childhood friends...

Qiu Tong's expression grew increasingly frozen.

They shouldn't be here, they shouldn't be wearing such fake smiles. Are they really the ones? If they are, why would they be willing to attend this wedding banquet?

The scene before her was exactly the same as in her memory. The mountain road was too long, and the fragrance of gardenias was so strong and intoxicating that Qiu Tong felt dizzy. She could hardly tell what was real and what was not.

He staggered a few steps, but Wei Changzai reached out to support him.

"The misty flowers contain hallucinogenic drugs. Hold your breath and focus. They are not your familiar relatives."

Like a clear, sweet spring flowing in, Qiu Tong came to her senses and found herself still at the foot of the mountain. Fireworks were still blooming in the air, and gardenias were falling in a flurry. There were no relatives or friends, only Zhang Chunhe.

Qiu Tong subconsciously took a step back, her eyes showing vigilance.

Zhang Chunhe glanced at her, then raised his hand and handed the Kunwu sword to Wei Changzai, saying, "Changzai, you forgot your sword."

Qiu Tong's gaze involuntarily fell on the sword.

Why are they carrying swords? What do they need them for? Who are they going to kill?!

As Zhang Chunhe turned to leave, Qiu Tong, emboldened by some unknown source, actually reached out and grabbed him, her eyes slightly red as she looked at him: "What exactly is the purpose of this wedding banquet you're holding?!"

Su Dan immediately raised his hand to pull her back, but Qiu Tong still clung to him tightly. Zhang Chunhe raised his eyes slightly, and Su Dan let go and took a half step back.

He said calmly, "Why? Can't you see it now?"

He slightly raised his hand, and Qiu Tong was forced back three steps. The jewels on her wedding dress jingled as she stared intently at the person in front of her.

Zhang Chunhe looked at her and said, "The unity of heaven and man is called the Supreme Being Without Emotion. Cultivators must sever all thoughts and desires, and be without emotion, without things, and without self."

As he spoke the last sentence, Zhang Chunhe's gaze shifted to Wei Changzai's face.

"This is called killing one's wife and severing ties with one's relatives, to prove the great path of ruth

Qiu Tong stood there, stunned, unable to recover for a long time.

Her eyes stung with tears, and she looked at Zhang Chunhe, her voice already hoarse.

“Zhang Chunhe, in my previous life, after I married Wei Changzai, I never treated you badly. Even though I was no longer a disciple of Daohe Palace, he still recognized you as his master. Whenever there was something to do for the sect, he never refused. I also dared not show the slightest disrespect.”

Later, during holidays and festivals, you would still drink and chat with us, and I thought you had let go of everything.

She suddenly laughed, clenching her fists, and shook her head as if remembering something. "So, this is what you wanted in this second life! To force him back onto his original path! He always thought you accepted his abandonment of the path, he always thought you accepted it!"

Zhang Chunhe remained unmoved by the question. He continued to look at her, neither sad nor happy, and said, "I once accepted it. But things in this world will never change just because someone accepts them."

He once wanted to draw his sword for Dao and Gong, but he ended up losing miserably. The one you saw was Qiu Tong.

A sword that is not solitary enough, not powerful enough, and not unstoppable enough cannot bear the weight of being the leader of all sects.

Qiu Tong recalled the past and was speechless for a moment.

He turned and walked up the mountain, his voice carrying far away: "Cherish your last moments, I will leave you with a whole body."

Qiu Tong could barely stand, her expression dazed. Her lips parted, but she still couldn't refute the words "utter defeat." Of course, she remembered that sword strike; it was the first time Wei Changzai had been defeated in a sword fight.

Wei Changzai, standing to the side, naturally overheard their conversation.

He finally understood, and the strange looks they were giving him became clear.

It turns out that they had all seen another "Wei Changzai," a better and more unforgettable Wei Changzai than him.

At this moment, however, he was not as calm as he had imagined; he even felt a sense of disorientation.

His gaze remained fixed on Zhang Chunhe's retreating figure, on the man who had pulled him out of his pain. His dark eyes flickered, like embers glowing faintly in the night, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.

Amidst the turmoil of his thoughts, he closed his eyes slightly, suppressing all the emotions, both known and unknown, back into his heart.

He turned to look at Qiu Tong, and was about to speak when he saw her looking at him with red eyes, her gaze filled with a kind of incomprehension.

"Wei Changzai, when did you find out?"

Wei Changzai paused, lowered his eyes for a moment, and then replied, "I already knew this when my master told me that I would meet two people in the future."

Zhang Chunhe told him that he would meet two people in the future, one named Lin Feiran and the other named Qiu Tong.

He will be engaged to Lin Feiran, but in the end he will marry Qiu Tong, because he and Qiu Tong are destined for each other.

Therefore, on the day their love is sealed and they are married, he must sever their ties with his sword in order to achieve the Great Way.

Later, he met Lin Feiran. One afternoon, he asked his master, "If I'm destined to be with Qiu Tong, what about Lin Feiran? What will she do? She's all alone."

At that time, his master looked at him with an inquisitive gaze and then asked, "What, have you fallen for Lin Feiran?"

With just that one look, he suddenly understood something. Although he didn't understand what love was, he knew the intent to kill.

He understood the unspoken meaning in his master's words: whoever had feelings for him was the one who should be severed from his life by a sword.

Qiu Tong slowly closed her eyes, almost tearing the side of her skirt: "So, you chose me?"

Even before he understood love and knew his own heart, he had already developed a fondness for and a desire to protect Lin Feiran, so he chose her without hesitation.

"Qiu Tong can die, but Lin Feiran can't, right?"

Wei Changzai remained silent for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."

Zhang Chunhe had tested him many times. For example, when Lin Feiran went down the mountain, he did not stop him, but secretly observed him and handed the choice over to him.

For his master, breaking through the Dao was a thousand times more important than the sword bone. He could let her go because of the sword bone, but he could never let her go because of killing the Dao.

Qiu Tong's eyes were already bloodshot: "Don't you feel uneasy?"

Wei Changzai looked at the Kunwu sword in his hand and said the same thing again: "Qiu Tong, I have no grudges or affections with you, we are complete strangers. Between you and Manman, I will naturally choose her."

Even now, if only one of us could live, I would still choose her.

Qiu Tong could no longer stand. Her legs gave way and she was about to fall when Su Dan caught her with lightning speed.

"Qiu Tong, the wedding banquet is about to begin." She still only knows how to say this one sentence.

Qiu Tong felt her heart pounding wildly, the throbbing sound reverberating in her eardrums. She felt as if veins on her forehead were throbbing, and the spiritual light on the altar flickered. The Tai'a Sword seemed to sense her unwillingness and anger and was gradually responding, but there was always something separating them.

“You…” she managed to say.

“Qiu Tong, this is not what I wanted.” Wei Changzai spoke first. “We’ve talked about this slowly. Things you don’t want to do can be stopped, and mistakes must be made up for.”

I rarely think about what I really want to do; at least for now, I don't want to do this.

I believe that resolving this matter is also a way of doing good.

This is my fault; you will not die here.

Qiu Tong stared at him without blinking.

Wei Changzai raised the Kunwu sword in his hand and slowly drew it from its sheath. The sharp blade reflected the two men's completely different eyes.

He said softly, "Your sword has been sealed by him. I know his methods very well. He is not a careless person. Even if you are connected to the spirit sword, it is still difficult to call it back."

Therefore, I deliberately left the sword in the room and used some methods to retrieve it for you.

Qiu Tong asked in a hoarse voice, "How do you intend to retrieve the sword?"

Wei Changzai slowly raised his eyes.

"In the records of the Hundred Weapons Manual, they are jokingly referred to as a pair of swords, also called husband and wife swords, but this is not the case. It is just that they were forged with the same materials, and due to some other reasons, they were jokingly called that."

Few people in the world know that they can actually leverage each other's strengths.

Although Daohe Palace has declined, its research on swordsmanship remains unparalleled.

"When Master obtained the Kunwu Sword, he had already fallen into my trap; it contained a sword incantation to activate and connect the two swords."

The Kunwu sword was finally fully drawn, reflecting a dazzling light amidst the fireworks. The falling gardenias landed on the blade and were unexpectedly cleaved in two.

However, it was too late.

Wei Changzai had already taken flight on his sword, the sharp, narrow blade piercing deep into his chest like a streak of light.

In an instant, vibrant colors were scattered everywhere, and the gardenias on the ground were dyed a soft pink. When everyone looked over, they saw that the original sword hilt had changed its appearance, turning from silver to blue.

Wei Changzai drew his sword with a light breath. The sword flashed with a blue light and was none other than the Tai'a Sword!

The spirit sword would never kill its master, so just as it was about to pierce her, the sword technique was activated, switching from Kunwu's forceful attack to Tai'a, thus displacing her sword. Although it was a risky move, it was very effective.

Wei Changzai closed his eyes slightly and then opened them again. His gaze remained calm, but a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Now that our grudges are settled, I've done what I wanted to do, and I can go find her."

"You may leave."

Before Zhang Chunhe arrived, he covered his wound and sent Qiu Tong to the horizon.

Qiu Tong took the sword, biting her lip in silence. She raised the Tai'a sword, a faint firelight flickering in her eyes. She formed a hand seal with her fingers together, exhaled, and the next moment, the sword shone with purple light. A fire phoenix appeared out of thin air, its cry echoing throughout the secret realm.

With its autumn eyes, it flew towards a certain place with an unstoppable momentum.

...

On the snow-capped peak, Lin Feiran and Gu Yu were staring at the entrance with considerable urgency.

The golden needle that had been left behind like hailstones has now become visible. The invisible barrier of the secret realm has been marked by the needle, but it has never been able to completely crack. It always heals itself the moment it breaks.

Gu Yu slapped his forehead and immediately said, "This secret realm might be controlled by some powerful figure, which is why it was repaired faster than ordinary secret realms! Ru Xian must not have expected this when she entered, which is why this mistake happened!"

Lin Feiran couldn't wait any longer, so she drew her sword and used it in conjunction with the golden needles. However, the secret realm was not broken, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not damage it in the slightest!

Just as they were getting anxious, a cry suddenly came from behind them. The two immediately turned around and saw that a narrow crack had suddenly opened in the sky in the distance, and then a golden-red light shone out from it.

A long flame suddenly burst into flames above the silent and desolate city of Yingzhou.

As if the sun were rising in the dark sky, a phoenix with flames soared up from it, more dazzling than the morning glow, illuminating half the sky. It flapped its wings and swept across the almost dried-up river, outlining the city of Yingzhou in the firelight.

The crack, like a drilled eggshell, gradually widened from its original narrowness, and a figure emerged from the phoenix behind it.

Lin Feiran looked closely and was shocked to see that the person was none other than Qiu Tong.

Qiu Tong had obviously seen her too, and was raising her hand to say something, but before she could speak, another, even larger black shadow swept past and instantly engulfed Qiu Tong!

Lin Feiran's pupils contracted.

Gu Yu exclaimed in surprise, "This..."

"Leave now! The entrance to the secret realm has opened. Let's go before it's repaired!"

Lin Feiran, carrying Gu Yu, leaped up and rushed forward like lightning, squeezing into the crevice before it closed.

The author notes: Zhang Chunhe actually did more than just this...