Chapter 218 Life and Death Without Blame (Fifteen)

——

Half an hour later, the pool returned to stillness.

"Wei Feng, what exactly happened?" Xuan Zhiyan looked at Wei Feng, his face filled with anger, but his eyes were also filled with anxiety.

Wei Feng looked at him calmly and said, "This is the Floating Spring Ancient Temple. I was suppressed here a thousand years ago."

Xuan Zhiyan asked in surprise, "Do you know what you're saying?"

“I know, I not only know, but I understand it better than ever before.” Wei Feng explained to him as meticulously as possible, “A thousand years ago, I met Jiang Gu in a dream. He taught me many things, but he disappeared two years later. So I searched all the way from Pingze to Wangyue. All I had with me was a bone sword, a cat, and a little black shark. Later, I met a good friend named A Zhuo.”

Xuan Zhiyan slowly frowned.

#VALUE! "Later, I misjudged people and was imprisoned in the Tower of Life and Death. My sword was gone, as were my cat and the mermaid. I survived having my throat slit and became a ghost cultivator. By a twist of fate, Xiao Dan discovered my identity as Jie Yu. He wanted to use me to lure out the Jade Steps and help him build a path to heaven, but unfortunately, he never succeeded. A Zhuo was also implicated and perished because of me. I was almost suppressed in the Wind and Moon Secret Realm by a group of Buddhist cultivators, but in the end, I couldn't escape Wang Yue. My heart was ripped out, and Xiao Dan didn't hesitate to use the two major water veins of Chen Yao and Ping Ze, along with the divine artifact Mirror Flower Scroll, to suppress me in this temple... Later, Wu Hezhi and Xie Fuxue were ordered to take me to Yanghua Sect. Hundreds of years later, I was reborn in the body of Wei Feng, the son of Qu Qing and Wei Mingzhou, and by a twist of fate, I devoured the Divine Kite Mermaid in Mermaid Bay. After that, I grew up with you, met Jiang Gu, and became his disciple."

Xuan Zhiyan looked at him and shook his head: "These things are too... outrageous."

At this point, Wei Feng quickened his pace: "Five years ago, Song Suilou and I were taken back to Wangyue by Lu Liyu. Subsequently, the Eight Pavilions Rebellion occurred. The traitors left the border town and established the Burning Platform Hall. However, they found that they still could not get rid of the control of the Misty Rain Platform. Five years later, they had no choice but to intercept the Pingze cultivators who came to Wangyue to obtain the Misty Rain Token and enter the Trial Realm to break the life-and-death contract."

"My primordial spirit was shattered by Chu Guanshan, and I have already merged with the Trial Realm. Therefore, the Trial Realm is essentially an enlarged version of the Tribulation Jade. Whether it's a cultivator from Pingze, a cultivator from the Burning Platform Hall, or a local cultivator from the Moon Gazing and Reversing Tower, everyone will enter the Trial Realm for trials. In this way, it's immediately clear who is at the Jade Rank."

"So Jiang Gu has been discovered?" Qu Fengyu interjected.

“That’s right,” Wei Feng said. “But Jiang Gu is outnumbered and outmatched, and is being relentlessly pursued by Wang Yue. So he has to find a way out of this predicament. The Jiang family of Pingze and the Linglong Sect have each been ordered to eliminate the other. It’s basically Wang Yue’s way of making Pingze fight amongst themselves. The Jiang family was first robbed of their divine artifact, and then dragged into this battle. They’ve become Wang Yue’s pawns. So Jiang Xiangyun and the Jiang family behind him are the best people for Jiang Gu to win over…”

“Since we’re going to rebel, why don’t we all rebel together? So they simply pulled the Burning Platform Hall into the fray.” Wei Feng gritted his teeth. “But opening the Boundary Realm under Xiao Dan’s nose is a pipe dream. The three divine artifacts, the Eighteen Cages, the Mirror Flower Scroll, and the Golden Spirit Pagoda, all have their own owners, and one of them is Xiao Dan. So Jiang Gu and the others decided to play along, putting on a show of going all out. They had Jiang Xiangyun take Xiao Qingyan to the edge of the Boundary Realm to distract the enemy, while Jiang Gu deliberately stayed at the Golden Spirit Pagoda. He’s a Jade Rank cultivator, so wherever he is, the Tenth Floor, Eighth Pavilion, and Misty Rain Pavilion will be the focus. Especially since Jiang Gu had taken Xiao Qingyan away in a big way before, and later Jiang Xiangyun released the paper dolls and cultivator spirit beasts from the Life and Death Pavilion, everyone will think that they really want to open the Boundary Realm at any cost.”

Qu Fengyu stroked his chin thoughtfully, while Xuan Zhiyan frowned: "This is simply—"

“That’s simply impossible,” Wei Feng replied, his face showing a hint of gritted-teeth excitement. “From beginning to end, Jiang Gu and Jiang Xiangyun weren’t trying to let the oppressed cultivators of Wangyue out, but rather to let the people of Pingze in.”

“I guess Jiang Gu must have realized it when he saw the mermaid statue and the mermaid-scale ball at the Floating Spring Temple. The statue and ball that should have been in Pingze a few years ago appeared in the ancient temple of Wangyue instead.” Wei Feng pointed to the pool of water and said, “This was originally the core of the array where the Mirror Flower Scroll was placed.”

"Is it that water vein that was brought from Pingze?" Qu Fengyu's eyes lit up.

“Exactly,” Wei Feng said. “The mermaid statue and the ball both came from the water veins to Wangyue, and the Daojie Township did not hinder them at all.”

Qu Fengyu clenched his fist, "If it can transport objects, then this waterway can transport people too!"

“That’s right. They want to use this waterway to bring all the cultivators from Pingze in. But the waterway has its limitations, so Jiang Gu contacted Qingdu—although I don’t know exactly how he did it—and Jiang Gu previously dug up a part of the Mermaid Bay ruins and refined it into his sea of ​​consciousness. He can control the vengeful spirits of those mermaids. These vengeful spirits are perfect for guiding the cultivators from Pingze. And the Ink Jade Bracelet, as a spatial artifact, is perfect for replacing the Mirror Flower Scroll as the array’s core.” Wei Feng clenched his fist. “Jiang Gu and Jiang Xiangyun are both feared, and the people from the Burning Platform Palace are too conspicuous. The only person who can open the entrance here is me.”

"Why?" Qu Fengyu asked, puzzled.

“He controls the vengeful spirits of the mermaids, and the Jade Bracelet is also his divine artifact. He wouldn’t trust anyone else with it, but he trusts me.” Wei Feng couldn’t help but curl the corners of his mouth. “So he placed the Jade Bracelet on me early on to eliminate his aura. He also knows that I am the Divine Mermaid, so I can communicate with the vengeful spirits of the mermaids. And importantly, no one would expect me to return to this place that can suppress me. Of course, the most important thing is that Jiang Gu only trusts me.”

"..." Qu Fengyu smiled politely, but thought to himself, "Jiang Gu, that black-hearted bastard, is already being kind by not killing you to prove his Dao, let alone trusting you."

"So what should we do next?" Wu Tuo asked, lying on the now calm surface of the lake. "Didn't that big black shark just say that all the major sects have arrived? Can this entrance really hold so many people?"

Wei Feng frowned, pondering for a long time: "I'm thinking, Master must have given me a hint."

*

Half an hour ago.

Looking at Qingdu and the merfolk behind him who were indistinguishable from living people, Wei Feng immediately realized that their bodies were the wooden puppet shells made by Jiang Gu, and that they exuded an undeniable resentment, clearly indicating that they were merfolk who had died long ago in Merfolk Bay.

"How could it be you?" Wei Feng asked in surprise. Qing Du had been missing for a long time, and he had almost thought that the other party had perished.

“Young Master, I have been healing my injuries in the secret realm, but I would often come out to see you, until I completely lost contact with you five years ago,” Qingdu replied. “During that time, I went to the Jiang family to look for you many times, but Jiang Gu refused to let me in. However, he did not hurt me, probably because he was also injured. I could sense that his primordial spirit was very weak. The last time, he promised me that he would let me see you, but on the condition that I help him raise this group of merman vengeful spirits. He also gave me many merman puppet shells. I stopped going to the Jiang family and have been waiting for news from him ever since.”

At this point, Qingdu smiled and said, "He really kept his word, young master. He has raised you very well, and you have grown up a lot."

He would naturally be weak, because he had been traversing the Song Sui Illusion, searching for his whereabouts. Wei Feng was stunned for a long time before saying, "...He didn't kill you."

“He said I am one of your people, and it should be up to you to make the decision.” Qingdu stepped aside, revealing the merfolk behind him. “Their resentment has lessened considerably. I also found other surviving merfolk in other places. After I agreed to help raise these vengeful spirits, Jiang Gu provided us with a secret realm and an island. Young Master, our clan now has thirteen merfolk, five cubs, and two eggs that are about to hatch. So when he said I could see you, I couldn’t wait to come find you. I also wanted to help guide those human cultivators from Pingze… Although I hate them, Jiang Gu said they can save your life, Young Master. Is that true?”

“…It’s true.” Wei Feng murmured, “I thought he wouldn’t care about these things.”

Qingdu stared at him with her grayish-white eyes, then suddenly remembered something and said happily, "Oh right, young master, we have some of your friends on our ship."

Wei Feng glanced at Xuan Zhiyan beside him and asked in confusion, "My friend?"

Qingdu waved towards the mist, and after the footsteps, a familiar yet distant voice rang out: "Young Master!"

"Xia Ling?!" Wei Feng stared in shock, looking at the young man in front of him with some anxiety. "Why are you here? Why are you, a mere mortal, not staying in Longyun City, but instead coming to a place like Wangyue?"

Xia Ling, being a mortal, had always served as his servant at Lianyun Peak. However, long before the incident at Yanghua Sect, he had sent Xia Ling to the residence he had purchased in Longyun City—the residence was originally intended for him to live with Jiang Gu. Although this did not come to fruition, it was still a place for him to settle down.

"Young Master, I've had a stroke of luck and can now cultivate!" Xia Ling said with a smile. "Master Jiang has come to see me several times. Many of the Yanghua Sect's disciples who were previously scattered have been found and are almost back to normal. But don't worry, Young Master, Master Jiang didn't spare any of the elders who bullied you. This time, the Yanghua Sect has also sent many disciples. Look, Senior Brother Mo and Senior Sister Yu are here."

As the fog dissipated, Mo Daojin leaned against the railing with a cold expression. Yu Qianning greeted him with a smile, "Wei Feng, long time no see."

Wei Feng almost thought he was dreaming. "You...you're all still alive?"

"Don't worry, I won't die before you," Mo Daojin said. "You should thank Elder Jiang. If it weren't for his protection, Yanghua Sect would have fallen apart long ago, and your Lianyun Peak would still be empty."

"But nothing is missing, and the main hall of Qingping Peak has been repaired," Xia Ling said. "We're just waiting for you and Master Jiang to return."

Wei Feng twitched the corners of his mouth, wanting to cry and laugh at the same time. He still found it unbelievable that his master had never mentioned these things to him.

“Young Master, we have been traveling through the water veins for over a month. There are more than 30,000 cultivators here, and we estimate that we will reach the end of the water veins in five or six days. Jiang Gu said that you will arrange everything properly.” Qing Du looked at him with admiration. “We will leave everything to you, Young Master.”

...

*

When the memory ended, Wei Feng couldn't clear his mind at all; all that remained in his mind was Jiang Gu.

Just how much did Jiang Gu do for him?

Why not tell him?

Jiang Gu was doing these trivial and meaningless things all by himself. What was he thinking?

What would he feel looking at Wu Tuo, who had successfully transformed, Qing Du, who had gathered the merfolk, Xia Ling in the mansion in Longyun City, and the rebuilt Yanghua Sect?

Wei Feng couldn't imagine Jiang Gu's disheveled state, dragging his severely injured primordial spirit from the illusionary vortex and soaking in the Heavenly Pool day and night for him. He couldn't imagine Jiang Gu doing these unnecessary things for him, and he couldn't imagine what he felt when he was being unreasonable, throwing a tantrum, and deliberately stabbing Jiang Gu when they reunited.

But his empty chest ached with a soreness. He wished he could run to Jiang Gu right now and question him loudly, one thing at a time, asking him why he did all these things and why he wouldn't mention a single word about them to him, leaving him to be unaware of everything.

He looked at the calm surface of the pool in front of him and suddenly felt like crying.

It turns out that what he thought were just self-deception were actually true.

His master liked him the most, his master cared about him the most, his master loved him the most.

But he never believed it.