Chapter 238 Elegy: His origin is his destination.

"Wushuang!" Guan Ye cried out in a deathly voice, "Wushuang..."

A meteor streaked across the sky, its blade flashing like light, but it failed to pierce Wushuang's flesh. Mu You's sword remained suspended in mid-air, neither thrusting out nor withdrawing, as if its pressure points had been sealed, leaving it motionless like a stone statue.

Meteor... Sword... Guan Ye realized, it was the Meteor Sword.

This is the Meteor Sword, fused with Jiang Muyun's flesh and blood. Even when it was still just liquid, it was captivating and mesmerizing, surrounded by a myriad of colors and imbued with spiritual energy. Guan Ye forged the sword under the moon, and when it was completed, its blood-red hue seemed to leap out, possessing the power to devour the heavens and the earth. Even someone as powerful as A Jiu lost her soul when she held this sword, almost falling into a demonic daze.

"Jiang Muyun!" Guan Ye suddenly shouted to Mu You in the hall, "Jiang Muyun, you're back."

When Guan Ye suddenly called out the name of a dead person, everyone looked at each other in horror.

"Guan Ye, you..." Feng Shisan paused, "Are you crazy?"

Ajiu immediately understood and shouted towards the Meteor Sword, "Jiang Muyun, I see you! Everyone is thinking about you, come out!"

"Where...where is it?" Feng Shisan asked, his teeth chattering as he followed Ajiu's gaze, but he couldn't see anything.

"Right next to the Meteor Sword," Guan Ye pointed at Mu You. "Did you see it?"

As they spoke, the Eagle Guards and the assassins also stopped fighting. In the hall, Mu You drew his sword and pointed it at a girl in green. Where was anyone else? Could it be... a ghost?

“I saw it,” Mei Shiyu replied. “Jiang Muyun was wearing a yellow robe, with an unparalleled face and delicate features, wasn’t that right?”

“It’s her.” Guan Ye smiled. “Jiang Muyun, trapped in the Meteor Sword, has finally returned.”

"Sister..." Wushuang sobbed, reaching out her hand towards the Meteor Sword, "I'm sorry..."

Jiang Muyun. Mu You stared blankly at the Meteor Sword. The bloodstains on the blade resembled the trailing tail of a serpent, as if something alive was trapped inside. He touched it with his fingertip, and the bloodstains flowed and swirled, drawing people deeper and deeper. Mu You seemed to see something, and brandished the Meteor Sword as if to force something out of it. "Come out, come out! What are you doing, playing tricks? Come out and fight me."

Everyone watched as Mu You, seemingly possessed, swung his sword at the air, and they all retreated, no longer daring to move. Mu You swung for a while, then stopped and took a deep sniff of the Meteor Sword. The stench was like human blood seeping out, and Mu You felt slightly relieved; he had finally killed this evil spirit.

"Jiang Muyun!" Guan Ye called again, "What are you doing hiding inside? Come out and see your father. He misses you terribly. Come out now!"

Is the evil spirit still there? Mu You looked at the blade again. The sword gleamed coldly but there was no trace of blood. If there was no blood, where did the stench from just now come from? The more Mu You thought about it, the more frightened he became. He stared intently at the sword, but the trace of blood was hard to follow. It flickered and swirled around the blade, pulling Mu You deeper into its depths.

"Don't touch me!" Mu You recoiled in alarm, as if pulled back by something. "Don't touch me!" Mu You seemed to be haunted by a ghost, waving his arms wildly in the empty space, his mouth twitching, his expression almost contorted. "Go away, go away, don't touch me..."

Wushuang pushed himself up, wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, and flicked it at the Meteor Sword. The blood droplet splattered, congealed, and did not fall, revealing the bloodstains on the blade. Mu You roared and his breathing suddenly became rapid. He wanted to throw down the Meteor Sword, but the hilt seemed to be stuck to his palm, and he could not put it down no matter what.

Mu Chenbi opened his mouth as if to shout, but hesitated and closed his lips, as if he had anticipated something. He turned his back with difficulty, not daring to look anymore.

"I will kill you all!" Mu You mustered all his strength and pointed the Meteor Sword at Wushuang again. "I'll kill you first, then they."

Wushuang showed no fear as she stepped closer to the sword's edge, saying, "Sister...we will never be apart again."

"Ah, ah!" Mu You was on the verge of collapse. Everyone said they saw it, he saw it, but it was as if he didn't see it. Why? He clearly liked this sword very much, but why didn't the sword obey his commands? He couldn't stab it, he couldn't shake it off, he couldn't throw it away, and he couldn't keep it.

The sword thrust out, then stopped at Wushuang's neck. Mu You gritted his teeth and tried to break free, but the Meteor Sword remained motionless. Mu You raised his left arm and angrily pounded his right wrist. The sword spirit was bewitching him, and he felt his mind being devoured little by little. His right wrist was bruised and purple from the blows, but Mu You still couldn't break free. He could only let himself be controlled to the point of near madness.

--"Father…"

Mu You faintly heard someone calling his name. Who was it? Who was it? Mu You glared at everything, but couldn't see anything clearly.

"Father...I've come to see you."

"Get out! I don't want to see you!" Mu You covered his ears. "Don't call me father."

"Don't you recognize me?" The voice seemed to come from somewhere, sometimes near, sometimes far. "My mother and I are waiting for you..."

"Get out of here, get out of here!" Mu You's face turned pale, and he kept his eyes tightly shut, not daring to open them.

—When you return in triumph, I will lead the five major neighborhoods of Rongdu to welcome you at the gate of Chengdu.

—I have returned in triumph, why don't you come to welcome me?

—I've come, with our daughter. Can you see me?

—Sister, you're so beautiful…

—My younger brother, Lu Xiaojun, is the precious darling of the Lu family.

—Isn't the Lu family's most precious treasure yours, Lu Chaoge?

He is my most beloved younger brother, and he is my only younger brother.

Mu You opened his eyes, and Lu Xiaojun was still the same child he had been back then. He was eating lychees with gusto when suddenly blood started flowing from his mouth, dripping all over his body. Lu Xiaojun cried out to Mu You, "Brother-in-law, I ate too much, and my tooth hurts."

"Ah, ah..." Mu You cried out in terror, "Go away, don't touch me!"

"Little Jun is naughty, please don't take offense." Lu Chaoge took her younger brother's hand and greeted Mu You.

—Your younger brother is just as talented and beautiful as you, a rare find in this world.

"Sister, let's go back." Lu Xiaojun shook Lu Chaoge's hand, then suddenly turned to Mu You and made a face at him. The face was bloody and terrifying. He said, "Brother-in-law, come with us."

"Yes." Lu Chaoge invited Mu You to come with us.

"Where to go..." Mu You murmured.

"Go..." Lu Chaoge smiled and looked at the young swordsman carrying a sword not far away. His face was cold and his eyes were bright. He stared at Lu Chaoge as if he were looking up at the rising sun in the sky. "A-Jing, where do you think we should go?"

—Wherever Miss goes, Ah Jing will never say no.

—Then let's go...go see Muyun. I really miss her.

"Great!" Lu Xiaojun exclaimed happily. "I miss her too! Let's go, brother-in-law, let's go together!"

"I'm not going!" Mu You wildly brandished his Meteor Sword. The faces of his old friends flashed before his eyes, but they were all people he didn't want to see. They were all already dead, or about to die, so why were they still haunting him like ghosts? "I'm not going. I don't want to be with you. Get out of here!"

"Your Majesty..." Chang Lu stepped forward and called out cautiously in a low voice, "Are you... alright?"

"I said I won't go!" Mu You angrily swung his meteor blade in the direction of the voice. Blood splattered as the blade passed, and before Chang Lu could even whimper, blood gushed from his neck, and he fell stiffly to the ground.

Blood stained the meteor, and a crimson serpent coiled and twisted until it reached the sword's edge. The blood-red light rushed towards Mu You's face, startling him so much that he screamed repeatedly and nearly fell to the ground.

"Who are you...who exactly are you?" Mu You opened his palm and swung it wildly, but the Meteor Sword seemed to be connected to his flesh and skin. To shake it off, he would probably have to sever his own wrist. Mu You picked up the Eagle Guard's sword at his feet, roaring as he was about to cut off his right hand. He raised the sword high, but still lacked the courage to sever his own wrist. Mu You lowered the sword and howled, "You...go back to where you came from, spare me, forgive me, please..."

"I came from you, and I should return to you, Father, please don't send me away..." The voice was mournful and plaintive, and all who heard it were heartbroken. Mu You searched in terror, wondering where the voice came from, who it was, who it was.

Mu You covered his ears, but the girl's low moans still lingered in his ears, growing more and more plaintive and melodious, like daggers cutting into Mu You's flesh and tormenting his already dwindling mental capacity.

"Chaoge!" Mu You hissed and roared, "Take me away, take me away, Chaoge... Tell her to let me go, let me go!"

"Where the meteor strikes, there lies the path home." Lu Chaoge, dressed in red, smiled at Mu You. "I cannot take you with me, but the Meteor Sword can. Let her take you away."

"Chaoge...Chaoge..." Mu You looked down at the Meteor Sword, and when he looked up again, the red-clad Chaoge had vanished without a trace.

Cui Jin unfurled his blood-soaked black robe, revealing a terrifying ghost face, and murmured the ancient runes tattooed on his face: "Where the beauty walks, each step is slow; I now wield my sword, and you shall turn back."

—With a single sword strike, you shall turn back.

With just one meteor sword, everything could be accomplished. Mu You held the meteor sword at an angle, and as he looked up, he saw himself lying in ambush on Eagle Ridge Road. When his life hung by a thread, he was in deep danger, yet also facing hidden opportunities. He watched the three thousand archers of the Crossbow Battalion die tragically on the battlefield, and watched Mei Changfeng die from exhaustion, bleeding to the last drop of blood. He saw himself in the future, destined to turn the tide, but he couldn't see Lu Chaoge waiting for him at the city gate. He knew that Lu Chaoge would not appear at the city gate to greet him.

With the sword held across his neck, memories flooded back, only to vanish in an instant. Mu You tensed his arm, cutting into the sharp blade, feeling the gushing of scalding blood. His vision began to blur, and all the people and events gradually became indistinct. In the blink of an eye, everything was covered in blood.

He finally escaped the sword he feared.

"Father..." Mu Chenbi's knees buckled and he knelt on the ground.

A sharp weapon rammed open the tightly closed doors of Zetian Palace, and the remaining dozen or so Black Eagle Guards squeezed into the palace. Led by Luo Yichen, they used their bodies as shields in front of Mu Chenbi, each gripping the golden sword forged by Guan Ye, their faces showing a willingness to die.

"Protect His Highness, we swear to never...never retreat..." Luo Yichen stared in shock at Mu You, who was drawing his sword and committing suicide. "Your Highness...the Emperor...he..."

The swarming imperial guards also saw the emperor who had committed suicide. He stood with his sword in hand, and after the gushing blood, blood flowed like a spring from his neck. His calm, pale eyes gradually lost focus as he looked down at the corpses scattered on the ground of Zetian Palace and the soldiers rushing in. He wanted to say something, and in this dying moment, his mind finally cleared, but he was powerless to change anything.

"Sink...sink..." Mu You squeezed out the words in a low voice, "Sinking jade..." Mu You sobbed indistinctly, and finally fell straight to the ground, swallowing his last breath unwillingly.

"What did the Emperor say..." The Imperial Guards whispered among themselves, none daring to step forward.

"His Majesty says," Cui Jin suddenly turned around, "that Crown Prince Shen Bi is capable of inheriting the imperial throne." Seeing everyone stunned and motionless, Cui Jin raised his voice, "The eunuch Chang Lu colluded with the Eagle Guards, secretly harbored assassins, and plotted to assassinate the emperor. Fortunately, the righteous men who presented the sword helped resist him. His Majesty risked his life to protect the Crown Prince. You were all deceived by treacherous people and almost made a terrible mistake. Why don't you quickly kill the remaining villains in the hall and make amends!"

Luo Yichen instantly understood, and pierced the heart of the nearest black-clad assassin with his sword. The other Imperial Guards, seeing this, stepped forward angrily and quickly killed the remaining remnants. They then hurriedly threw down their weapons and knelt on the throne, saying, "We are late in coming to your aid, and we beg Your Highness's forgiveness."

The Crown Prince? The Crown Prince they were kneeling before was... A-Jiu, dressed in the Eastern Palace court robes. At this moment, there was no point in clarifying anything. Who was A-Jiu and who was Mu Chenbi was no longer important. Having turned the tide today, what did it matter if he knelt before A-Jiu? Luo Yichen felt a surge of satisfaction and knelt before A-Jiu with a thud, willingly lowering his head.

Wushuang picked up the Meteor Sword from the ground and carefully wiped away the bloodstains on the blade. Where the bloodstains were, the blade became even brighter. Upon closer inspection, the bloodstains on the blade seemed to have disappeared into the depths and were difficult to find again.

Exhausted after dropping his weapon, Feng Shisan slumped against a pillar, his mind blank. He had no more reason to think; all he knew was that everyone was still alive and no one else would die.

"Ma Lin, did you see that?" Feng Shisan thought, tears mixed with blood flowing into his chapped lips.

Guan Ye approached Mu Chenbi, who was kneeling on the ground, and reached out her hand to him. Mu Chenbi looked up in a daze and grasped Guan Ye's hand. They looked at each other, hesitant to speak. This was the ending that Mu Chenbi dared not think of, but it was also the ending he had to face. Holding Guan Ye's hand tightly, Mu Chenbi suddenly had a reckless thought. He was willing to be A Jiu. If he really was A Jiu, how wonderful that would be.

Ajiu stood beside the dead emperor, the dragon throne just an arm's length away from which everyone looked up. He didn't even glance at the throne; a mere glimpse out of the corner of his eye was enough to make him feel nauseous. He feared that looking at it any longer would make him vomit. Guan Ye said that from the moment she set foot on Rongdu's soil, she had an indescribable, strange feeling. Ajiu hadn't understood before, but now he finally understood Guan Ye's description. Rongdu was the imperial city, and every inch of its land was stained with blood. Just as Cui Jin had said, the path of an emperor was never without blood. He stood at the end of this blood-soaked path, yet felt no thrill of ruling the world. He only wanted to escape as quickly as possible and leave this mess to Mu Chenbi.

Ajiu once told Luo Yichen that Luo Yichen's philosophy is to die for one who understands him. His own philosophy is to find his origin, and his origin is his destination.