Chapter 184 Confession... Confession?
...At least, there is room for rebuttal.
It is an undeniable fact that she has fallen into demonic possession, but she was not the spy for the demons—this is enough to draw attention back from the sidelines.
During the few hours he was imprisoned in the tower, Qiao Yanshen had already guessed Luo You's intentions.
She wanted to use this to divert the attention of the immortals.
It's likely that Tang Huairou's earlier problems had already achieved her desired effect, but Luo You probably didn't expect that she would still insist on playing instead of resting alone. She probably wanted to leave some room for Qiao Yanshen, at least so that he wouldn't have to expose his secret in public.
However, the more chaotic the scene, the more advantageous it is.
But why did the demons infiltrate the Taihui Sect? Even in war, they shouldn't have such formidable strength to overthrow the entire sect after breaking through the formation.
Ultimately, it will only result in a lose-lose situation...
Thinking of this, a chill ran through Qiao Yanshen. She realized that the last war was a century ago; what if they had truly accumulated enough power in the past hundred years?
Those seven realms—no, nine realms—will all be thrown into turmoil because of this.
The sound of flapping wings ripped through the sky as Shen Lixia suddenly swooped forward. The wind ruffled their hair and rattled the chains on Qiao Yanshen's hands. The shackles sealed all her spiritual power, making it difficult for someone below the Nascent Soul Realm to break free... Tracking down Luo You was now the only way to break the deadlock. Lin Yuxian, supporting the barrier, withdrew her hand only after seeing them finally emerge, her face slightly pale.
In an instant, an arrow shot from the direction of the tower. The young man slightly shifted his body, calmly dodging the arrow, his brow furrowed with the exhilaration of seeing the sun after the clouds had parted.
Almost there.
Given a little more time, she could deduce the principle behind this formation. It was likely a precaution; the aura within the formation was unfamiliar, clearly not the work of Chi Yueying. Although dispelling the formation was still a long way off, given enough time, it wasn't impossible.
With a swift turn of her sword, Lin Yuxian chased after Shen Lixia and the others. Mid-air, Shen Lixia showed no sign of stopping: "Let's leave this place and find Luo You!"
Luo You?
Lin Yuxian was no stranger to those who had harmed their fellow disciples. However, she couldn't immediately grasp the implications, so she asked, "Why go to Luo You? Shouldn't she have left the sect long ago?"
Shen Lixia frowned and said seriously, "She is a spy from the Demon Clan!"
Upon getting closer, Lin Yuxian's gaze fell on Qiao Yanshen. Seeing that she was unharmed, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on her face.
Qiao Yanshen explained at the right moment: "She was doing something with her accomplices on Bailu Peak earlier... Perhaps it's because I also have some demonic energy, but I seem to be able to sense their presence."
She hesitated for a moment, but continued only when she saw that Lin Yuxian's expression remained unchanged.
"I chased after them immediately, but I was ambushed and my memories were altered. Just now, I finally remembered."
"I wonder what their purpose is..." Lin Yuxian bit her lip. "It's truly a storm brewing. So, is she still in the sect?"
“Yes.” Qiao Yanshen nodded. “However, I can only sense some things, but…” She didn’t finish her sentence, and fell silent. Now was not the time to speak; they should wait until they escaped the pursuit of the other disciples. They didn’t have much time left. Once they discovered that the top floor of the tower was empty, the guards would definitely inform Yan Xueya, and then a Nascent Soul Realm Immortal Venerable would come looking for them.
They had reached the other side of the cliff. When they reached the mountainside, Shen Lixia and Lin Yuxian exchanged a glance and nodded. Then, a strong and brilliant spiritual energy surged from their fingertips.
A talisman shattered into dust, its dark gold spiritual energy surging and forming a simple array. The young man took a deep breath, and spiritual energy burst forth from his fingertips, passing through the array patterns. In an instant, like a stream flowing through a river, it was magnified into a dazzling beam of golden-red light, which exploded in the sky like fireworks.
This was the signal they had agreed upon, just like the flash of the swords earlier.
This commotion threw everyone into disarray. Seeing this, Wu Zhuyue and Lu Changqing on the other side immediately turned and fled into the secluded, narrow mountain path, abandoning the fight. At the foot of the mountain, the thick fog seemed to be illuminated and gradually dissipated. Some thought the strange phenomenon had disappeared and the matter was resolved; others, however, knew it was just another trick to mislead them and were furious.
Amidst the commotion, the group reunited at the spot they had just been in using communication talismans.
Qiao Yanshen briefly explained the cause and effect of the matter, and everyone fell into silence. Until Xi Mengsi stroked her chin and said, "So, you first instigated internal strife, and then used the opportunity to do something shady?"
"But if they want to start a war, why not just attack directly instead of infiltrating Taihui? What do they want in Taihui?" Tang Huairou frowned. "They have no use for the many spiritual treasures they possess."
Qiao Yanshen shook her head. "The demons are elusive and we don't know what they're thinking, but it's unlikely to be anything good." As she spoke, a slight sense of unease welled up in her heart, and she couldn't help but frown slightly, suppressing it for the moment.
Lin Yuxian leaned against a tree, her eyes lowered in thought.
As they were talking, Shen Lixia noticed that Wu Zhuyue had moved a little further away. Lu Changqing realized this even faster than she did, and was standing beside Wu Zhuyue with a worried expression.
She heard the boy ask softly, "Xiao Wu, what's wrong?"
Her hair, like a tangled vine, obscured most of Wu Zhuyue's features, leaving only her lips pressed tightly into a downward curve. Wu Zhuyue remained silent, so Lu Changqing waited patiently, not urging her to speak. After a while, still no one spoke, but then a commotion could be heard from the mountainside.
At this moment, Qiao Yanshen called to Shen Lixia, "Junior Sister, come here." Shen Lixia uneasily withdrew her gaze, feeling that Wu Zhuyue was still hiding something from them. She walked over and immediately felt Qiao Yanshen lean down slightly, raising his hand to cup her cheek. The young man blinked, his eyes flashing, reminding her of that scene on Frostblade Peak.
“The chains can’t be opened yet, and I can’t use my spiritual power. I can only sense that Luo You is still in the sect through some kind of intuition,” Qiao Yanshen said in a low voice. “But you have divine fire… Do you remember the spiritual power I taught you to see things?”
"Remember."
Tang Huairou and Xi Mengsi, who were standing nearby, took a few steps away to keep watch, lest anyone suddenly discover the place.
Qiao Yanshen smiled slightly, "Very good." She gently pressed her forehead against his, letting their foreheads touch.
"Extend your spiritual power to the fullest extent. You have now reached the Nascent Soul stage, so you should be able to see very far. Be more precise in your movements, so that even if someone notices, they won't care."
“But there are too many targets…” Shen Lixia lowered her voice, slightly uneasy. At this moment, the eyes in front of her, which were staring at her, were like a deep pool, firm and calm. Her words caused ripples to spread, creating an indescribable complexity.
Qiao Yan sighed deeply and said, "Her aura... her soul, empty and dark, filled with malice and hatred. Ordinary people would never have such an aura. Anyone who finds it can confirm it."
A filthy soul, from beginning to end.
They're even... somewhat pitiful.
She didn't know why she felt this pity. There were many familiar aspects to Luo You, but it was as if a crucial piece of a puzzle was missing, always just that one bit.
Mingjing and Canghe are special demons, but the other demons seem to be emotionless and mindless beings. What about Luoyou? Is she the same kind of being as the former?
The entire demon race seemed to be connected to her, but if Luo Yang had faced such a group of people back then, how could she have allowed them to exist?
She tried to understand everything, including Luo You's feelings, but she had no clue.
There are too many problems.
Qiao Yan closed his eyes and focused on guiding Shen Lixia, temporarily putting these thoughts aside.
The spiritual energy, carrying divine sense, spread silently, sweeping across all the sect's territories within reach. However, this time, her keen senses failed her. Shen Lixia checked again in disbelief, only to find that the chaotic aura contained none of the malevolent intent described by Qiao Yanshen, ultimately finding nothing.
Her lips, which had just healed, were now being bitten until they bled again due to anxiety. Overusing her spiritual sense would have a backlash, and she tried three or four times in a short period of time, her complexion gradually looking off. Qiao Yanshen heard her breathing become slightly rapid, opened his eyes, and found that Shen Lixia was indeed forcing herself to concentrate again, cold sweat already seeping from her forehead.
She raised her hand and tapped the boy's forehead. "Stop." Shen Lixia looked up and met Qiao Yanshen's gaze unwillingly—she had been tense the whole time and was now somewhat numb, with a burning sensation in her nose.
In the blink of an eye, a line of bitter, wet tears slowly trickled down her cheeks. Qiao Yanshen pursed his lips, then simply grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently.
"Leave Xia!"
Shen Lixia finally came to her senses, hastily wiping away the blood that had trickled down her lips, a sharp buzzing ringing in her ears. The young man's slightly cold palm touched her cheek, making her feel a little better.
Suddenly, Lin Yuxian's voice came from the side.
The boy finally looked up from his reverie, cleared his throat, and his next words were not a conclusion, but rather a turn to Wu Zhuyue.
"I think Junior Sister Wu has something to say."
Wu Zhuyue, who was called upon, was taken aback, like a rusty and dull ancient bell, and it took her a while to respond: "I... have nothing to say. I will follow whatever my senior sisters decide."
Lin Yuqian strode up to her. The sound of her military boots on the ground, usually blending into the noise of the crowd and rarely noticed, was all the more oppressive in the awkward silence. She already possessed the arrogance of a young noblewoman, though she usually concealed her sharpness. Now, it poured out along with the sharpness in her lowered brows, causing Wu Zhuyue to silently take a few steps back.
Lu Changqing was unaware of how things had suddenly developed this way. Just as he was about to say something, Tang Huairou, who had come over, cut him off.
“I heard you muttering to yourself just now.”
It turns out she wasn't lost in her own thoughts at all...
Wu Zhuyue bit her lower lip, avoiding Lin Yuxian's gaze. She loosened her grip, feeling the crescent-shaped pinch marks on her palm soaked with sweat, throbbing slightly. The moonlight didn't reach her side, the shadow seemed to completely obscure her, which should have been reassuring.
But why is she so anxious and restless?
This caused them to lose their composure and make others realize that something was wrong.
Lin Yuxian sighed, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Wu Zhuyue's collar, forcing her against the tree trunk, rendering her unable to move. Hearing the commotion, Xi Mengsi turned around and saw that the sky was about to collapse. She felt as if she had woken from a long dream to find the house burned down, leaving only her two undershirts.
However, Lin Yuxian did not allow anyone else to interrupt, and said in a deep voice, "You seem to know something, don't you? Why don't you say it?"
"Everyone is anxious about this, but Junior Sister Wu seems to be more afraid. People only feel fear, rather than confusion or anxiety, when they know more than they know nothing, and understand what they are facing but do not understand what they are facing."
She was clearly also shrouded in cold shadows, yet her eyes, like gleaming knives, flashed with a chilling coldness even more terrifying than Minghong's. In an instant, she reverted to the aloof and gloomy boy she had always been.
In that instant, the others finally saw clearly the hint of fear that flashed across Wu Zhuyue's face.
Shen Lixia thought to herself, even so, this is still too much.
Wu Shimei was perhaps just more afraid than them... After all, her life was hard-won, and sometimes she was too anxious about gains and losses, so she would worry about any slight movement, and unconsciously swayed in a hidden fear.
Ultimately, she understood this fear of losing everything.
But the next moment, Wu Zhuyue's words sent chills down her spine, and that of everyone else.
The boy remained silent for a long time, then finally began to tremble, his voice tinged with the frustration of impending tears:
"Their goal... was not just something within Emperor Taihui's palace."
Wu Zhuyue took a deep breath, as if revealing the truth caused her immense pain.
"And also, the lives of all the cultivators gathered here."
Now that the demons have come in person, and have been lying in wait for so long...
"The sect's protective formation... is now mostly broken. Once it's completely dismantled..."
She stopped making a sound, her whole body was completely drained, as if all her bones had been removed, and she just let Lin Yuqian clutch her clothes.
It seemed as if it would lose its support at any moment and become a messy pool of mud.
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