The night sky was silent, and the moonlight shone hazily on the earth.
Whether it was because Xie Shuci felt desolate, or because his last glance at Xie An before leaving left a deep impression on him, looking at the moon draped in a thin veil of mist on the horizon, he always felt that the light falling down was mixed with a faint trace of blood.
It was like a faint trace left by blood splattering into the air.
On the way to Jiyue City, Xie Shuci learned from Chu Guiyi the whole story of Xie An's demonic possession, including the surging killing intent he felt towards himself and the reason for his recent physical weakness.
After listening, Xie Shuci remained silent for a long time. He recalled the devastating pain he had felt on Xie An. In just a moment, it was unbearable for Xie Shuci. He could hardly imagine that the little blind man who had been by his side all the way from Tianzhu City to here was enduring pain that felt like it was tearing him apart every moment.
The closer he got to Xie Shuci, the more pain he felt; the more Xie Shuci liked him, the more he wanted to kill him. Even so, he still endured the physical pain and loved Xie Shuci. If it weren't for the influence of the Demon-Subduing Array today, which made Xie Shuci suspicious, he would never have let himself know from beginning to end.
Thinking back on his inconsistent behavior towards her lately, and how she had left him alone in the cabin after their argument, what was he thinking? Was he in pain? Was he glad she left, or did he wish she had stayed by his side?
Whenever Xie Shuci and Xie An had a disagreement, Xie Shuci would resentfully think that she liked him so much, but his feelings for her couldn't compare to hers. So Xie Shuci would often do childish things to test Xie An's feelings for her. Xie An would always go along with him, enduring immense pain himself without saying a word, giving Xie Shuci whatever feedback he wanted.
His affection for Xie Shuci was no less than Xie Shuci's affection for him. In fact, if it were Xie Shuci who felt pain when she got close to him, Xie Shuci couldn't guarantee that she could still stay firmly by his side and give him the sense of security he wanted.
Xie Shuci's heart ached terribly. He longed to return to Xie An's side immediately, to hold him, and to talk to him.
But when they arrived at the city gate, all that remained were blood-stained ruins. Several silent corpses lay on the ground, their clothes stained with blood beyond recognition. Xie Shuci staggered forward, hesitant to approach, not out of fear of death, but out of fear that he would see a face he knew all too well.
What if it were Xie An? What if something happened to Xie An? Xie Shuci couldn't even imagine what he would do if something happened to Xie An.
"Aww!"
The king ran to a patch of dried blood and called out twice to Xie Shuci.
Xie Shuci took a deep breath, walked to the king's side, and looked at the shocking bloodstains on the ground. The blood seeped into the sand and turned dark brown after drying.
At the same time, Chu Wenfeng examined the surrounding corpses and said, "It's not Xie An; he should still be alive."
Xie Shuci stared intently at the bloodstains on the ground, as if needles were pricking his eyes, but he did not look away. He wanted to feel the pain, to remember the pain. The pain he felt now was not even one-thousandth of what Xie An had felt.
He couldn't help but recall the words the Water God had said to him before he fell unconscious.
Destiny.
Screw destiny, screw rules, screw the path of slaughter! I'm not even afraid of death, so what's there to fear about destiny?
“Book of words”.
Chu Guiyi walked to the city gate and looked back at Xie Shuci.
Xie Shuci rubbed the king's head. "Let's go."
"Aww!"
Upon reaching Chu Guiyi's side, Xie Shuci noticed a barrier surrounding the city wall. He placed his hand on it, and red ripple-like marks immediately appeared on the barrier.
A faint spiritual energy touched Xie Shuci's palm, and he felt an unusual familiarity with it.
Chu Guiyi said, "Young Master Xie has set up a barrier here."
Xie Shuci stared blankly at the barrier in front of him, a piercing pain shattering in his heart.
He had shed so much blood, suffered such severe injuries, gone so far as to sever his own feet and seal his own sword, and faced Deng Xingsen and numerous cultivators alone. How could he possibly still have the strength to set up a barrier for the entire Jiyue City?
Why did he do that? Was he worried that once he regained his strength, he would catch up with Xie Shuci? Was that it?
Xie Shuci could not find a better reason.
Xie Shuci didn't know what to say, but he rarely felt this way. In every moment, Xie Shuci's heart was tormented by a burning flame. He wanted to see Xie An immediately, he wanted to be by Xie An's side right away. To hell with the rules, there's always a way, there must be a way.
Xie Shuci released a wisp of spiritual power and merged it into the barrier, attempting to open it. Unfortunately, the barrier was more solid than Xie Shuci had imagined, and he was unable to budge it at all.
"Xie An is still alive," Xie Shuci said through gritted teeth. At least, he was still alive.
Chu Guiyi turned her head to look at Xie Shuci. Shuci had really changed. Every little thing he had experienced had unconsciously contributed to his transformation.
He never felt that writing lacked courage; what he lacked was inner self-acceptance.
"Your Majesty, can you tear it open?" Xie Shuci asked, bowing his head.
"Roar!" the Great King responded, and just as it was about to muster all its strength to crash into the barrier, Chu Guiyi called out to it.
"No need," Chu Guiyi said. "You can't open it."
Xie Shuci gritted his teeth, "I'll smash it open with the bronze cauldron."
“No, this is a barrier set up by Young Master Xie at the cost of his own life force. If the barrier is severely damaged, it will affect his body.”
Xie Shuci's eyes stung, but he knew that crying was useless, and tears were useless; they could not bring Xie Shuci back to Xie An's side immediately.
"Aww..." The king looked at Xie Shuci and let out a soft sob.
Chu Guiyi sighed, "I have a way."
Xie Shuci's eyes welled up with tears. She looked at Chu Guiyi and said in a trembling voice, "I want to go in... I'm afraid he'll die..."
Chu Guiyi couldn't help but reach out and wipe away his tears. "Shuci, listen to me. I can only help you and the King go in without hurting Young Master Xie. As for the others, I can't help you. Young Master Xie might still hurt you, so you have to protect yourself."
"Mmm..." Xie Shuci trembled all over, knowing that crying and tears were useless, but he couldn't control himself. "Thank you."
The king transformed back into a puppy and was held in Xie Shuci's arms.
Chu Guiyi stood coldly before the barrier, his hands forming a simple hand seal in front of his chest. Thousands of strands of spiritual energy surged from his fingertips, slowly adhering to the barrier like silk threads.
A gentle breeze blew by, softly caressing Xie Shuci's eyes.
"Senior Brother cultivates the Qingfeng Dao," Chu Wenfeng said with a complicated expression.
Qingfengdao...
The spiritual energy left a trace on the barrier, and a gentle breeze blew in.
The wind blew up Chu Guiyi's robes, carrying his spiritual power into the barrier, leaving a gap wide enough for one person to pass through.
But the reality was not so easy; even just this small gap had left Chu Guiyi sweating profusely.
“Shu Ci, let’s go,” Chu Guiyi said.
Xie Shuci pursed his lips, hugged the king tightly in his arms, nodded to him, and gradually approached the gap.
A gentle breeze is something that can only be felt, not seen.
Whether it's a wind blowing from the sky or a wind that was blown unintentionally.
Its nature is like a gentle breeze; it comes like a gentle breeze and goes like a gentle breeze.
A gentle breeze supported Xie Shuci's back, like a warm hand, gently and firmly pushing Xie Shuci into the crevice.
The moment Xie Shuci landed, the cracks in the barrier healed.
The city was eerily quiet, the moon in the sky had a reddish glow, and the surroundings were filled with chilling darkness.
The nauseating smell of blood filled the air, like a dull thud on Xie Shuci's head.
Xie Shuci didn't dare to delay for a moment and put the king down. The king immediately returned to its original form, and its wounds had completely healed. Xie Shuci jumped onto its back, wiped away her tears, and said, "Take me to Xie An."
"Aww!!"
——
Perhaps today's events have left a huge impact on him.
He kept recalling what Xie Shuci's expression would be when he saw the injured dog while kneeling on the ground with his back to him.
Will he hate himself?
She had promised him she wouldn't hurt anyone else, yet she still managed to hurt something he liked right in front of him.
What was he thinking as the Crimson Sky Sword pierced his chest?
His silhouette remained etched in Xie An's mind.
—Pei Xie, will you break your promise?
"I never break my word."
I never break my promise.
Does this mean that even if he dies here today, Xie Shuci will still be able to live on the day the Book of Reincarnation appears in the future?
What happens today will happen again in the future.
As long as he is alive, Xie Shuci will die by his own hand sooner or later.
If Xie Shuci survives today because of a mark left to him by Ban Xiayin, what about the future? In the future, who will be able to save Xie Shuci?
Only one of him and Xie Shuci can survive.
Then let Xie Shuci live on.
Xie Shuci will remember him, she will never be able to let him go, and she will never be able to fall in love with anyone else again.
Xie An chuckled softly as he propped himself up on his knees and stood up.
He was so selfish. Even if he died, even if he disappeared, Xie Shuci would still be his, forever his, and he would always love him and never let him go.
"Sikong Ye! Have you gone mad?!"
A roar rang out from not far away.
"I'm sorry, Xiao Xun cannot die today," Sikong Ye said with a light laugh.
"You're insane! You're completely insane! He's gone mad! He's killed so many cultivators, and you still dare to stop us? Aren't you afraid of being punished by the Fate Pavilion?!"
"If you die here, how will the Fate Pavilion know about this?"
"you……"
Xie An stood up, a sword piercing his waist and abdomen, the blood almost congealed and welded to the wound.
Xie An, however, seemed oblivious to the pain. He gripped the hilt of the sword and abruptly pulled the blade from the wound, causing blood to splatter everywhere. The dried scabs revealed a trail of flesh and blood.
What kind of memorable gift should I give Xie Shuci? If I can't make him like me forever, then I'll make him so afraid that he'll never like anyone else again.
Perhaps he remembered something Xie Shuci had once said, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Xie Shuci was right; he wasn't a normal person, and his thinking was different from that of normal people.
He didn't care about the life and death of people. Everyone was like an ant in his eyes. If crushing a bunch of ants could leave an indelible shadow on Xie Shuci, why wouldn't he do it?
The tip of the sword scraped against the ground, making a piercing sound.
The people in the city had already been alarmed and hid in their rooms, not daring to make a sound.
But their presence was so clear, how could Xie An not notice it?
Would Xie Shuci be afraid if they were killed?
How scared would he be? Would he even dream about himself in his sleep? Would it be a nightmare? And then, as usual, he would have a nightmare and curl up in his arms, like to press his forehead against his neck. When he woke up and saw him right beside him, he would snuggle into his arms with great dependence.
Xie An's steps gradually came to a stop.
He closed his eyes and realized he couldn't do it.
Even though he was prepared to die, in this final moment, he still held onto a sliver of hope. If his hands were stained with the blood of innocent people again, would Xie Shuci still be willing to be touched by him?
I really want to see him.
If only I hadn't cultivated the path of slaughter.
It doesn't matter if I'm controlled by others, it doesn't matter if I become a tool in the hands of Heaven, it doesn't matter if my duty is to save all living beings.
As long as I can be with him...
Why couldn't I have met him sooner?
Why couldn't it have appeared sooner?
Xie Shuci... Xie Shuci...
The blood-stained blade fell from his hand and clattered to the ground at his feet.
He leaned against a pile of rubble and slowly slid down.
Swords clashed and flashed in the distance, but he seemed unconcerned.
He lowered his eyes to look at the bell and peach branch hanging at his waist, a soft look flashing in his eyes. He took the peach branch down and rubbed it between his fingertips. The blood-stained peach petals shimmered with a faint light.
It drank too much of his blood and is almost fully formed.
"Xiao Xun is already at his limit. If I can hold off Sikong Ye, I will definitely be able to kill him here!"
"yes!"
Upon hearing this, everyone rushed to shield Sikong Ye with their own bodies.
Even with his high level of cultivation, Sikong Ye could not withstand a hundred punches with his bare hands. He was covered in injuries, his body was tense, and his eyes were deep. This man, who was usually frivolous, now had cold eyes that were full of exoticism, and his whole person had undergone a tremendous change.
Xiao Xun is a secret realm, and it will never allow him to disappear until he discovers the treasure he desires.
"You can't kill him."
The strongest in the Path of Slaughter is at the Great Completion stage, which is almost comparable to a cultivator in the Ascension stage. Xiao Xun would never die so easily at the hands of others, even though he is currently seriously injured.
However, Sikong Ye could sense that Xiao Xun's aura had become calm, peaceful, and indifferent to life and death.
If he doesn't want to die, no one can kill him.
However, they all knew very well that Xiao Xun didn't care about life or death at all. Since he could cultivate the Path of Slaughter, what he sought was definitely not immortality.
What's frightening is that he's indifferent to life and death.
Between Xie Shuci and him, one of them had to die.
When Deng Xingsen dragged his battered body to Xie An, Xie An looked down at the peach branch between his fingers, his expression calm and undisturbed.
Deng Xingsen looked at him suspiciously, not daring to approach rashly.
Xie An seemed unwilling to spare any more attention for anyone else, and said indifferently, "If you want to kill me, today is the only day."
Deng Xingsen's body trembled.
A long wind blew from afar, carrying with it a clear and melodious bell sound.
Xie An's breath hitched, and he stopped kneading the peach branch. He looked up in disbelief, his eyes staring blankly in one direction.
The wind howled through the ruins, creating a ghostly sound.
Amidst the sounds of wind and clashing swords, the clear ringing of a bell grew louder as it approached.
Xie An's lips trembled slightly, and his dark eyes seemed to be ignited with a flame, becoming exceptionally bright.
He lowered his head and gradually let out a low laugh, a laugh that was unrestrained and wild, revealing a hint of pleasure.
From the moment he was born, he has never laughed so freely as he does now.
A feeling of joy spread from his chest throughout his body, covering his fatigue and pain.
The joy in his heart was like wild grass in spring, growing wildly in his heart and spreading to every inch of his flesh and blood in a short time.
A wisp of spiritual energy overflowed from his fingertips and merged into the peach branch. The peach branch in his palm shone brightly, but he remained calm and unhurried, and put the peach branch back on his waist.
After finishing everything, he raised his head, looked at Deng Xingsen who was watching him warily, and said with a smile, "What are you hesitating for? Aren't you afraid I'll change my mind? Let's do it."
Deng Xingsen gripped his sword tightly, his whole body stiff. He didn't know what Xiao Xun was up to, but he knew one thing for sure: today, one of them, Xiao Xun, would die.
Moreover, from today onwards, the Xiaoyao Sect will probably never find a better opportunity.
Xiao Xun had already gone mad with his cultivation, but he had suppressed his true nature and not let it erupt. If he could not be killed today, the entire Xiaoyao Sect would die tomorrow!
He had to kill Xiao Xun! Whether his current compromise was intentional or not, he had to play along!
"Die!" Deng Xingsen roared, thrusting his longsword at Xie An.
Unexpectedly, at this critical moment of life and death, Xie An's smile grew even wider.
"Xie An—!!!"
Xie Shuci's heart-wrenching screams tore through the sky, echoing in the quiet night air. The pain and unease in his voice almost sent chills down one's spine.
Xie Shuci saw his little blind boy sitting on the ground, powerless to resist, while Deng Xingsen had already raised his long sword and stabbed it towards his heart.
In that instant, Xie Shuci's eyes widened in fury, his voice pierced his throat, and his heart felt as if it were being ripped open by a hand.
"Pfft—"
The longsword pierced into flesh and blood, blood mingling with blood, the crimson sky burning Xie Shuci's eyes. His legs went weak, and he tumbled straight off the wolf's back.
"Xie An..."
Bitter tears streamed into his mouth as Xie Shuci stared wide-eyed in that direction, his limbs momentarily losing all strength.
"ah!!!"
Xie Shuci shouted. A corpse lay in front of him, holding a bloodstained sword in its hand. Xie Shuci used his spiritual power to propel the blade, and it slashed through the dim sky. A streak of sword light passed through the fighting crowd and flew swiftly, decisively, and resolutely towards Deng Xingsen, piercing his heart fiercely.
As if that wasn't enough, the blade that had pierced his heart began to twist and turn around his flesh, tearing it apart and causing the wound to rapidly widen.
Deng Xingsen's body trembled, his longsword flew from his hand, and he fell backward, instantly killed by Xie Shuci's sword!
"Your Majesty!" Xie Shuci sat up abruptly.
"Awooo!" The wolf's howl was deafening. It lowered its head, and Xie Shuci grabbed its neck and used the momentum to flip onto its back.
"Walk!"
"Aww!"
Like an arrow released from a bow, the Crimson Snow Wolf leaped over the heads of the crowd and charged toward Xie An with unstoppable momentum.
The longsword was still not in his chest. He closed his eyes slightly, watching Xie Shuci's figure get closer and closer.
"Thank you for your help!"
Xie Shuci's anxious voice rang out, and Xie An smiled.
He slowly closed his eyes. Would Xie Shuci forgive him? He was always so soft-hearted, so foolish.
"Xie An... Xie An..."
Upon getting closer, Xie Shuci jumped off the king's back, rushed to Xie An's side, cupped his face, and wiped the blood from his lips with her fingers, asking, "How are you? How are you?"
Xie An opened his eyes a crack, "Medicine..."
"medicine……"
Xie Shuci hurriedly rummaged through his small pouch for a bottle. His hands trembled, and it took him several attempts to finally manage to take out a Soul-Returning Pill and feed it to Xie An.
When Xie Shuci's gaze fell on the long sword in his chest, he tightened his lips, covered it with his hands, and used his spiritual power to heal him.
The king then used his towering figure to block the two of them.
At the same time, Xie Shuci noticed that Deng Xingsen's corpse lying beside him was emitting a faint blue light. A familiar aura surged from his body, and wisps of blue spiritual energy broke free from his body, gradually flying into the sky and disappearing into the vast moonlight.
As if sensing something, the king let out a puzzled "Aww".
It smells just like the Water God.
Xie Shuci's heart sank, but he dared not spare any energy. He concentrated on drawing the long sword out of Xie An's wound and using his spiritual power to heal it.
"How...you're back..." Xie An had little strength left, but he stubbornly refused to close his eyes and asked weakly.
Xie Shuci's tears dried on his face. "I'll come back to collect your body."
Aren't you afraid I... might hurt you?
"Screw your injury! You've already been stabbed through, so save your breath and shut up!"
Xie Shuci tightened his lips and said, "Xie An, you shut your mouth and get some rest. I still have a score to settle with you later."
Xie An pursed his lips, feeling somewhat overwhelmed, "Just don't leave me..."
Xie Shuci's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears. "Idiot."
"Xie Shuci! Take him away first!" Sikong Ye noticed the situation from afar and shouted to Xie Shuci.
Xie Shuci had no choice. Xie An's wounds were too numerous and severe, and he himself didn't have much spiritual power. He couldn't heal him in a short time, so he had to stop for the time being. Finally, he took out the Divine Boat and carried Xie An into the cabin.
The moment Xie An lost consciousness, the barrier surrounding Jiyue City also disappeared.
After settling Xie An in the cabin, Xie Shuci immediately put away the Divine Boat and approached Sikong Ye with the King.
As Xie Shuci passed by Deng Xingsen's corpse, he felt no guilt whatsoever; in fact, he even wanted to kick him a few more times.
"Sikong Ye, go first!" Xie Shuci shouted from the king's back.
The Great King stepped on the shoulders of several cultivators and jumped to Sikong Ye's side. Xie Shuci bent down and extended his hand. Sikong Ye didn't waste any words, directly grasped Xie Shuci's hand, and flipped himself onto the wolf's back.
"Your Majesty, let's go!"
"Awooo!" In everyone's sight, the king carried the two people across a pile of ruins and ran towards the city gate.
"It's a spirit beast!"
Leaping into the quiet street, several cultivators pointed at Xie Shuci and his companions, exclaiming in surprise.
"Senior Brother Xiaohu! It's a spirit beast! Your golden core can be restored!"
Xie Shuci's heart sank as he realized that it was Sun Xiaohu and his group, whose golden cores had been destroyed by Chu Wenfeng in the Dragon Fang Secret Realm. He never expected that they would actually be in Luofang City.
In just a few hours, Xie Shuci had experienced so much that his spirit was on the verge of collapse. He never expected that after finally bringing Xie An out, he would run into Sun Xiaohu and his group.
"An enemy?" Sikong Ye asked.
"Mm." Xie Shuci nodded.
Sikong Ye didn't speak. The green snake in his sleeve flew out and instantly transformed into a giant python several meters long upon landing. With a flick of its tail, it sent them flying. Their bodies crashed heavily into the stone wall, and they immediately bled from all seven orifices and lost their breath.
After doing all that, the green snake flew back into Sikong Ye's palm.
Xie Shuci was stunned for a moment, but perhaps because he had seen so much life and death, and because he, Xie An, and the King had all almost lost their lives tonight, the last bit of fear of death in Xie Shuci's heart had disappeared. He said to Sikong Ye, "Thank you."
Let's go.
The Crimson Snow Wolf carried the two of them as they continued toward the city gate. Along the way, various cultivators, having heard rumors of their presence, began to pursue them.
"The person next to Xie Shuci is Xiao Xun!"
"They actually dared to go on a killing spree in Jiyue City? They don't take us seriously at all!"
"We must capture them tonight and hand them over to the Hundred Gates for punishment!"
"Thank you, Brother Xie..."
Du Pingsheng shouted as the Crimson Snow Wolf leaped over the heads of Chu Guiyi and the other three.
Xie Shuci's eyes narrowed. "Your Majesty."
He and Xie An had already become the target of public criticism, and they couldn't afford to implicate Gui Yi and the others as well.
The king accepted the order and turned around to grab Chu Guiyi and the other three with a palm strike.
Chu Guiyi blocked the palm strike with his Nine-Section Flying Bird Whip. Upon seeing this, the group of cultivators behind him shouted, "Young Master Chu! Seize them!"
Chu Guiyi sighed, swung the Flying Bird Nine-Section Whip forward, and the King used the force to push forward, his body landing several feet away.
Xie Shuci turned around and looked at him, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Brother Xie..." Du Pingsheng said in confusion.
Chu Wenfeng covered his mouth and said in a deep voice, "Shut up, he doesn't want us to get involved."
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