Chapter 210

Dark clouds filled the sky, making it gloomy. A few raindrops pierced through the clouds and fell, landing on Yin Qiu's brow.

Man Jiangxue remained expressionless, silently enduring the pain without replying. The searing pain, like a lingering infection, not only failed to subside with time but intensified. Yin Qiu pulled aside her sleeve and saw that the flesh on her right arm was so badly ulcerated that the bone was clearly visible. Visible golden light swirled on it, like silver dragons and lightning clinging to the flesh. Yin Qiu could even hear faint crackling sounds.

Ji Wanshu's expression changed. She hadn't expected Man Jiangxue to actually be injured by the Holy Sword. She knew that Man Jiangxue must have intended to capture Xie Yijun alive, which was why she hadn't killed her, and instead allowed Xie Yijun to injure her. Ji Wanshu looked at Wen Chaoyu and said, "You said earlier that if someone's hand is injured, their hand should be cut off... Is that true?"

Wen Chaoyu glanced at Nangong Min opposite her with mixed feelings, and said in a deep voice, "If Nangong Min were willing to lend a hand, it wouldn't be necessary to cut off his hand, but..."

But she might not be willing.

“I applied medicine to my martial uncle before, but it didn’t help much,” Meng Jing said apologetically, covered in sweat. “It wasn’t this bad before, but it’s all my fault for using medicine haphazardly, which made my martial uncle’s injury worse.”

Wen Chaoyu sighed, patted Meng Jing's head, and said, "You did it unintentionally, so don't blame yourself. The Holy Sword carries its own fire poison, which cannot be healed by ordinary medicine and may even have the opposite effect. Let's wrap it with gauze first."

Meng Jing immediately rummaged through her medicine box and pulled out a lot of gauze. Yin Qiu took it from her and personally wrapped it around Man Jiangxue's arm. Yin Qiu's eyes were slightly red, but she didn't shed any tears. Man Jiangxue looked at her for a moment, and Yin Qiu understood her silent comfort before finally looking at Xie Yijun on the other side.

Meeting Yin Qiu's gaze, Xie Yijun's throat bobbed, and she choked back a sob, saying in a hoarse voice, "Yin Qiu..."

Yin Qiu bit her lip, trying not to cry, but the moment she opened her mouth, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Yin Qiu cried out in anguish, "You killed my mother... didn't you?"

Xie Yijun felt a bitter taste in her mouth and said, "I..."

"You bitch!" Meng Wugui sneered, interrupting Xie Yijun, "You killed Sister Dong, and you killed my parents. Now that all the parties involved have gathered here, let's see how you escape!"

Xie Yijun did feel guilty towards Yin Qiu, but when facing Meng Wugui, she gave her a cold laugh and accused her: "It was indeed wrong of me to kill Man Dong, but your parents were no better! Back then, our Xie family transported your Ruyi Sect's underground mechanisms from Weicheng to Liucang Mountain through great hardships, but that old dog Shen discarded them after using them, poisoning my father, brothers, and everyone in the escort team with a meal and wine. Although your parents were not involved, they knew about it and were accomplices! I killed them to avenge them, just as you want to kill me today!"

Meng Wugui had already uncovered the truth about the underground mechanism after entering the Nine Immortals Hall. She knew why the Yin and Xie families were brutally murdered, and she also understood the reasons behind Yin Xuan and Xie Yijun's various actions.

"But what does that have to do with my parents!" Meng Wugui's eyes were filled with a raging storm, as if he wanted to swallow someone whole. "It's only natural for you to want revenge. After I learned the truth, I also felt that my uncle and aunt deserved to die. They did evil and should pay the price. But my parents were innocent! Uncle Shen is the sect leader. He can say whatever he wants, and my father has no choice but to obey. Besides, you yourself know that my parents were not involved in this matter, but you still killed them!"

"So what if I killed them!" Xie Yijun said. "What difference is there between me killing them and you killing so many Yunhua disciples today! What, are you going to use that 'the grievance must be settled' nonsense to restrain me? But when it comes to your own case, didn't you also commit the same indiscriminate killing of innocent people! You are so angry, so judgmental of me, you're right! But after hearing the commotion in Shangyuan City, why didn't you come directly to me for revenge? Why did you insist on attacking Yunhua Palace? And why did you have to kill my Yunhua disciples and disregard the people in the city? If you, Shen Manzhen, want revenge now, then come! But don't spout those high-sounding nonsense. If you hadn't attacked Yunhua Palace today, I would still have some respect for you. Since you did the exact same thing as me, don't put on that lecturing face and criticize me!"

"If you can do it, why can't I!" Xie Yijun's words completely enraged Meng Wugui. "Admittedly, I'm not a good person either. As you said, I killed them, so what? What can you do to me? The Yunhua disciples I killed had no blood relation to you, but you killed my own parents. How can you conflate the two? No matter how eloquent you are, you can't change the fact that my parents died at your hands!"

After saying this, she suddenly stepped forward, intending to end Xie Yijun's life with a single sword strike. Nangong Min, who had been watching the two arguing, was already prepared. Seeing Meng Wugui move, he stopped her in time. The two exchanged a few blows in haste, and Meng Wugui angrily said, "Get out of my way! After I kill this bitch, the grudges between us will naturally be settled!"

Nangong Min glanced at Xie Yijun and smiled calmly: "That won't do. You can kill her if you want, but not now."

After she finished speaking, she waved her sleeve, and a large number of Ziwei Sect followers came from the forest, forming an impenetrable wall that protected Nangong Min and Xie Yijun in the center.

"Sect Leader Xie, let me remind you," Nangong Min patted the fallen leaves on his shoulder and said slowly, "Your life is now in my hands. As soon as I leave, they can tear you apart. Even if I don't retrieve the Holy Sword, you are already severely injured and outnumbered. Anyone can kill you now. Your death is only a matter of time. Do you understand?"

Xie Yijun propped herself up to sit up, still a little unsteady on her feet. She stared at Nangong Min's back and said, "I understand, but you also need to understand that I'm not that stupid."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Min glanced at her sideways and said, "Have you thought it through? I advise you to reconsider."

"You just want me to return the Holy Sword to you, but you are a cunning person, and I can't trust you. Who knows if you will kill me with one sword after you get the Holy Sword?" Xie Yijun said nonchalantly. "It is really not good for you to get involved in this mess today, but you can't just watch the Holy Sword fall into their hands after I die, so you have to come whether you want to or not, and right now you can only protect me."

"Who said that?" Nangong Min smiled slightly. "I could kill you before they do."

“Then I will hand the Holy Sword over to them,” Xie Yijun said, raising her hand. “I just need to toss it into the air like this, and everyone will have to rush to grab it. So why don’t you guess who will be the first to grab the Holy Sword? Will it be Man Jiangxue, Meng Wugui, or you?”

Nangong Min's eyes flickered, but he didn't reply.

“Even if you possess a unique internal skill that makes you immune to the fire poison, this sword is still a fine sword,” Xie Yijun spat out a mouthful of blood. “It even cleaved Man Jiangxue’s Frost Condensation Sword in two. What is your flesh and blood compared to that? Our situations are the same. If they fight with all their might, they can still join forces to kill you. I used to think that with the Holy Sword in my hand, I would be invincible. But now I realize that even divine weapons are useless if you can’t win. Do you think that just because you have the Holy Sword, no one can do anything to you?”

Upon hearing this, Nangong Min chuckled softly, "That's true, but you're far too presumptuous. Do you really think I, Nangong Min, would willingly protect you?" She shifted her feet slightly, facing Meng Wugui, and said, "This person is truly stubborn even when facing death. Since she refuses to take a perfectly good path to life and insists on courting death, then, Hall Master Meng, how about we make a deal?"

Seeing that the two were unable to reach an agreement due to their own hidden agendas, Meng Wugui let out a cold laugh: "What deal?"

Nangong Min said, “A very fair deal. I won’t stop you from killing her anymore, but you can’t take my holy sword. You avenge the murder of your family by finding her, and then you can duel me to avenge the annihilation of your entire family. What do you think of this deal?”

"Do you take me for a three-year-old?" Meng Wugui said. "What kind of fair trade is this?"

"How is it unfair?" Nangong Min said, "If you don't agree, I can kill her as soon as I turn my back. Haven't you always wanted to kill your enemy with your own hands? You've been working hard for years, and now you want me to do it for you? Can you swallow this?"

Meng Wugui couldn't stand it; she dreamed of killing Xie Yijun with her own hands.

"But you might not be able to move faster than me. You killed her and now you want to seize the Holy Sword. Do you think I won't stop you?"

“But you also said it’s not certain, and who knows if you can stop me? So, we don’t have many choices,” Nangong Min said. “Either agree to my proposal, or we’ll see who kills her first, how about it?”

He pondered silently, his dream unfulfilled.

Now that Xie Yijun is injured, wielding the Holy Sword is useless to her. No matter who makes the first move between Nangong Min and Meng Wugui, the other will stop them in time. Xie Yijun's death is no longer the big problem; the real issue is who will get their hands on the Holy Sword. That is the key concern for both of them right now.

Seeing that she couldn't give an answer, Nangong Min said again, "If you're really worried, then I have another suggestion. How about letting our little niece do it?"

Upon hearing this, everyone present turned their attention to Yin Qiu.

“Shen Mandong is her mother, so it’s fine for her to kill Xie Yijun,” Nangong Min said. “As long as she succeeds, let her take the Holy Sword and step aside, and then we can begin our duel. You are Yin Qiu’s aunt, and I am Yin Qiu’s uncle. Neither of us will lay a hand on her. Is that alright?”

"Nonsense!" Meng Wugui shouted. "Who do you think you are, her aunt? Yin Xuan is just your sworn brother. There is no blood relation between you and Yin Qiu. What right do you have to compare yourself to me?"

“But Yin Qiu acknowledges me as her aunt,” Nangong Min looked at Yin Qiu with a kind smile, “Isn’t that right?”

Yin Qiu frowned, not wanting to get involved in this untimely argument.

"Today's situation is truly unfavorable to me. Xie Yijun is dead, so you have to deal with me next. Logically speaking, I should stay away from this conflict and continue to stand in the shadows as an observer," Nangong Min said. "But I still came, both to retrieve the Holy Sword and to settle what happened back then. When I said I wanted to duel you, I wasn't joking. If you're confident you can kill me, just accept the challenge. What are you hesitating about? Besides, if I may be frank, you people are truly shameless. My Nangong family heirloom—I myself haven't even risked my life for it, and I've patiently waited for it for so many years, yet you want to snatch it the moment you meet? What kind of logic is that?"

Meng Wugui scoffed, dismissing her next few words with disdain: "How do I know if what you say is true or false?"

Nangong Min immediately said, "No problem." He then led the group of followers to the side, leaving Xie Yijun alone in the woods.

"Is this sincere enough?" Nangong Min said. "If you win, you will kill me to avenge the Ruyi Sect. If I win, I will leave with the Holy Sword and never be an enemy of you again. I, Nangong Min, mean what I say."

Seeing her actions, Meng Wugui sneered again: "I can agree, but whether you can leave safely after obtaining the Holy Sword is not up to me."

Nangong Min then looked past her and at Man Jiangxue: "And what about you?"

Before Man Jiangxue could speak, Ji Wanshu said, "Uncle-Master, this person cannot be trusted. She may have some other wicked scheme. The Ziwei Sect has been a menace to the martial world for a long time. If we can eliminate her today, we will be rid of a great scourge. After she obtains the Holy Sword, the Ziwei Sect will only become stronger. Uncle-Master, you should be cautious about letting a tiger return to the mountain."

Wen Chaoyu hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Wan Shu... actually, you can't say that. The struggle between the forces of the martial world is never just the fault of one side. Back then, when the old leader wielded the Holy Sword, he did many good deeds for the people. Besides, in the years before the Holy Sword was stolen, Nangong Min didn't use it to kill any innocent people." She paused and then added, "Of course, if she really wanted to do something bad, she wouldn't necessarily need the Holy Sword."

Ji Wanshu said, "How could I not understand what you're saying? But who can guarantee that she won't go back on her word after taking the Holy Sword? I'm not trying to speculate about her, but the impression she gives to outsiders is ultimately her own doing. Now that there's no sect leader in the palace, I have to consider the sect's interests. That's for the public good, and for private reasons, I have no past relationship with her. I should be rational about this."

As soon as she finished speaking, Nangong Min clapped his hands twice on the other side: "Well said, but don't forget, only I can heal Man Jiangxue's injuries. It's best to put aside any grudges or personal feuds for now. Besides, even if I leave now, you might not be able to catch up with me and kill me. This deal isn't a loss for you, but a loss for me. So don't waste any more time and make a decision as soon as possible."

The previously wrapped gauze was now soaked with blood, so Yin Qiu changed it into new gauze and asked softly, "Uncle-Master not only has external injuries, but also internal injuries... How did you get those internal injuries?"

Manjiangxue remained silent.

It wasn't that she didn't want to speak, but the fire poison was spreading throughout her body, causing unbearable pain. Anyone else would have been crying out in agony, wishing they were dead. The fact that Man Jiangxue could stand there unharmed was already more endurance than most people.

“…It was to protect us,” Meng Jing sighed. “Before the sect leader escaped from the underground passage, he unleashed a deadly attack. My martial aunt could have dodged it, but those of us behind her were too busy protecting ourselves, so she took the hit alone. We were all unharmed, but my martial aunt…”

Yin Qiu's fingertips curled slightly, a hint of pity flashing across her face. She looked up at Man Jiangxue and asked, "What does Uncle-Master think of Nangong Min's words?"

Man Jiangxue coughed twice, her breath slightly short, and said, "If she truly wants to settle all old scores, it's not impossible."

Yin Qiu's lips moved slightly, then she fell silent.

"You can't bring yourself to do it?" Man Jiangxue asked.

Yin Qiu stared blankly at the ice-eating sword in her hand, and said, "I don't know." After a moment of confusion, she asked in return, "If it were my martial uncle, could you bring yourself to do it?"

Man Jiangxue neither confirmed nor denied, but replied, "If I hadn't thought that you and Meng Wugui needed to talk to her face to face, I would have been able to kill her without fear of the Holy Sword earlier." She added, "She not only harmed my senior sister, but also killed my master."

Yin Qiu was taken aback.

Upon hearing this, Ji Wanshu's expression changed, and he said, "What? Even Grandmaster is..."

She didn't finish her sentence, and Wen Chaoyu was stunned for a moment, asking incredulously, "Master was also killed by her?"

Man Jiangxue hummed in agreement.

"This..." Wen Chaoyu suddenly realized what was happening, and was so angry that she was breathless. She looked at Xie Yijun and said, "So that's why she died of illness not long after I returned to the Ziwei Sect. It turns out it was your doing! You really want to be the sect leader that much? Don't you know that none of the three of us will compete with you? Who cares about this bullshit sect leader! If you wanted to kill Mandong, I could still consider that she was a descendant of Sect Master Shen, and you had a family feud with her. But you actually killed Master! Are you crazy?!"

Xie Yijun had always been at odds with her, and at this moment, she retorted as always, "I am the scoundrel who murdered my master, and you are the traitor who deceived your master! Do you think you are any better than me?"

"You're the only one in the world who has so many twisted arguments!" Wen Chaoyu was furious. "Everyone here is no better than you. You slaughtered your fellow disciples and plotted against your master. Everything you did is justifiable! You're the most pitiful and innocent person in the world! How can we compare to you!"

"Stop arguing with her!" Meng Wugui's patience had run out. She turned to look at Yin Qiu. "Even though I've wanted to kill this bitch countless times in my midnight dreams, your mother also died at her hands. It's not unreasonable for you to be the one to execute her." She then gave Nangong Min a meaningful look. "Since you, this imposter aunt, are also willing to settle things from back then and have backed down, then I'm not afraid to have a duel with her. Now it's up to you to choose. What do you say?"

Yin Qiu remained silent, raising her eyes to look at Xie Yijun.

The sword, Zhu Bing, trembled in his hand, its radiance increasing. Yin Qiu's heart was filled with complex emotions. Holding the sword, he slowly walked to the center of the arena and stood opposite Xie Yijun. The words he spoke were directed at Nangong Min: "If I kill the sect leader and obtain the Holy Sword, are you really willing to fight your aunt one-on-one to determine the winner?"

“That’s natural,” Nangong Min said.

"Why?" Yin Qiu said, "You... don't seem like such a kind person."

"Then how many of you so-called righteous sects are truly kind-hearted?" Nangong Min said. "I destroyed the Ruyi Sect to protect myself. You weren't even born then, so you don't know the whole story, but those behind you know it very well. After my father died, who didn't want the Ziwei Sect to disappear? They called it fighting against the demonic sect and upholding justice, but in reality, they were just coveting the holy sword of my Nangong family. Among them, Yunhua Palace and Ruyi Sect were the most eager. I was still young then, and how many times did I almost lose my life to those righteous sects? Even if I hadn't attacked Liucang Mountain, they would have broken through my headquarters sooner or later. Conflicts in the martial world are unavoidable. The winner takes all, and the loser is condemned. The Ruyi Sect lost, so it should accept this defeat."

As she spoke, a smile played on her lips: "However, Meng Wugui is currently seeking revenge against me for the Shen family, which I can accept. I risked coming here to let you know that the so-called demonic sect and the so-called witch are not much worse than you hypocritical people. At least I, Nangong Min, always confront things head-on, without resorting to disgusting tricks. If Meng Wugui can kill me, it's because I'm outmatched, and I can't blame anyone else. Look at Ye Zhilan and Xie Yijun, do they have the guts?" She then laughed three times, "But who wins and who loses is still uncertain!"

Yin Qiu looked at her for a while and said, "You have confidence, which is a good thing and I admire you, but what if you lose..." What will happen to Man Jiangxue?

Nangong Min saw through her thoughts and said, "You want me to save her first?"

Yin Qiu nodded: "Can you promise that? I can assure you that I will not hand over the Holy Sword to anyone before you and Auntie have settled your score."

As dusk settled, scattered raindrops pattered through the trees, creating a desolate scene. Nangong Min's red dress billowed in the cold wind. She looked thoughtful, fell silent, and did not immediately give an answer.

Man Jiangxue, who had been able to remain conscious, was now feeling dizzy and unable to control herself. Ji Wanshu helped her up, and Man Jiangxue asked Nangong Min, "How do you plan to cure this fire poison?"

Nangong Min glanced at her and teased, "Why are you asking such nonsense now? Of course, I'll use my internal energy to answer your questions."

Man Jiangxue sized her up: "You will be dueling with Meng Wugui later. It would be disadvantageous for you to expend your inner strength now."

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” Nangong Min said. “But I’ve eaten for so many more years and practiced martial arts for so many more years than her. When I became the leader, she was still a pampered young lady in Ruyi Sect. It’s unlikely that she could really beat me.”

These words were both confident and arrogant. Upon hearing them, Meng Wugui snorted and said, "I would never take advantage of someone in distress. If you want to save someone, that's a righteous act. Giving you time to meditate and regulate your breathing is not out of the question!"

Nangong Min then laughed again: "That's good, why not take advantage of a good deal?"

After saying that, she gestured with her chin towards Jiang Xue. Just as the two were about to sit cross-legged on the ground, they suddenly heard Xie Yijun laughing loudly from the woods: "How strange! Since ancient times, the righteous and the wicked have been irreconcilable enemies, but today you two are putting on a show of friendly coexistence. Jiang Xue! How do you know she genuinely wants to save you? This person has committed many evil deeds and is wicked. She changed your opinion of her with just a few words and even offered to duel with Meng Wugui. You actually believe her?"

“But who else can we trust besides her now? She’s the only one who can save our martial uncle right now,” Yin Qiu said. “Are we supposed to trust you? Our martial uncle was injured like that, wasn’t it all because of you?”

Having suffered heavy injuries at the hands of Man Jiangxue and Nangong Min, Xie Yijun was still unable to stand up. She tried several times, but her legs felt like lead. Seeing Yin Qiu approaching her, Xie Yijun couldn't help but call out to her, "Yin Qiu! We've been together for so many years, and I've always treated you like a daughter! It's true that I killed Man Dong, but you also heard it. I didn't kill her without reason. Your grandfather wanted to kill me, so I followed his example. What's wrong with that?"

Yin Qiu shook her head and said, "You did love me, but you also killed me, didn't you? Speaking of which, I really have to thank Senior Sister Ye. If it weren't for her, I would have been burned to death by you long ago. Now, it's hard to argue who was right and who was wrong, and it's no longer important." She walked forward step by step and asked, "Did my mother leave any last words before she died?"

Xie Yijun gritted her teeth, leaned on her sword to stand up unsteadily, and said weakly, "No," and after a moment she added, "She didn't have time to say any last words."

Yin Qiu asked, "Do you regret it?"

Xie Yijun looked at her, tears welling in her eyes, but didn't answer. She glanced at the figures behind Yin Qiu, then suddenly composed herself, letting out a self-deprecating laugh: "I do regret it, but it's too late. But it's laughable that you so brazenly plan who will kill me. Do you really think Nangong Min is the kind of person who keeps his promises?" With that, she abruptly took two steps back, forcefully thrusting the holy sword behind her. "Then let's see whether Jiang Xue's life is more important, or this sword!"

Yin Qiu's brows furrowed. Seeing Xie Yijun throw away the holy sword and turn to flee, she quickly leaped after her. However, Meng Wugui, who had been watching closely, saw this and rushed towards Xie Yijun before Yin Qiu could react. The moment the two met in mid-air, Meng Wugui gave her a cold look. Yin Qiu understood her meaning, involuntarily withdrew her hand, and immediately abandoned the pursuit of Xie Yijun, instead running into the depths of the forest.

A moment later, a scream rang out from behind.

Yin Qiu's heart trembled, and she slowly landed on the ground. The Holy Sword was embedded in the trunk of a tree in front of her. She listened to the movement behind her, pulled out the Holy Sword, and when she turned around, Meng Wugui's sword had already pierced through Xie Yijun's chest.

Nangong Min stood still, witnessing the change without moving an inch.

“You could have cooperated with Nangong Min and returned the Holy Sword to her. She might have actually saved your life,” Meng Wugui said, gripping the hilt of his sword and looking down at Xie Yijun, who was spitting blood. “Unfortunately, you are such a suspicious person. You trust no one. You have schemed for half your life, but in the end, you still died at my hands.”

Blood splattered, soaking Xie Yijun's chest like ink stains. She looked down at the sword in her chest, seemingly caught off guard, yet also as if it were expected.

She originally thought that Nangong Min was just spreading rumors, and that seeing her throw the holy sword, Nangong Min would inevitably try to snatch it. She also thought that if she made a move, Meng Wugui would definitely stop her. She thought that when the two of them started fighting, Xie Yijun could take advantage of the chaos to escape. But what she didn't expect was that both of them kept their word and neither of them rushed to snatch the holy sword.

The cold rain began to fall.

"Is there anything else you want to say?" Meng Wugui's expression was cold, but his tone was surprisingly gentle.

Xie Yijun's lips parted as if she was about to speak, but before she could utter a sound, Meng Wugui suddenly drew his sword and swiftly slit her throat with the tip of the blade.

Blood rained down on her face, and Xie Yijun's eyes widened, but she still couldn't utter a word.

Meng Wugui sheathed his sword and burst into laughter: "You thought I'd give you a chance to leave your last words? Dream on!"

After she finished speaking, she turned around and looked at Nangong Min.

"Next, it's your turn."