Chapter 58 Blocking the Blade: It Turns Out Mu Qingheng is the Son of the Celestial Clan
The Heavenly Emperor was surprised that Mu Meng would suddenly ask this question. He slowly lowered his hand from the table, placed it on his lap, and subconsciously grabbed the piece of cloth.
"Mengmeng, why are you suddenly asking about this?"
Mu Meng looked the Heavenly Emperor up and down, his gaze sweeping from his tightly pursed lips to his restless hands. “Actually, it’s nothing. I just suddenly saw his jade pendant and realized that it was a gift from the Heavenly Blessing Person when we were born. That reminded me that besides the jade pendant, there was also a Forty-Nine Ansi Cup.”
She smiled and said, "You just didn't say so back then. Let's not keep you in suspense today."
The Heavenly Emperor was silent for a while, then smiled bitterly and said, "Father knows that over the years, you and Luo Luo... you two have both suffered injustices and are unwilling to forgive him. Father understands, but actually he... he has also had a very hard life."
After he finished speaking, he stretched out his hand and conjured a 49 Ansi lamp from his palm, placing it quietly on the table. "See for yourself."
Mu Meng was surprised that her father still kept Mu Qingheng's Ansi Lamp. Logically speaking, since the man was dead, the lamp should have been useless. However, he not only did not put it away, but also kept it with him at all times.
I didn't know until I looked into it that my father's longing for Mu Qingheng was actually deeper than I had imagined.
Mu Meng said nothing, and took the lamp with both hands. It still retained a faint, clean scent, which Mu Meng detected, but said nothing.
Upon closer inspection, its appearance was no different from the one I had seen my sister before, except that the light was off, everything else was intact.
But Mu Qingheng died, and the lamp went out naturally. Mu Meng couldn't figure it out: "Father, what is the mystery behind this?"
The Heavenly Emperor sighed softly, staring at the lamp, his expression lost in reminiscence: "This Forty-Nine Ansi Lamp was originally a gift from my parents. Besides being able to warn of the dangers their child might encounter, its greater significance was simply the hope that it would always be lit and never go out."
“Mengmeng, you don’t know, your and Luoluo’s Ansi lamps, except for the one that went out when Luoluo led the troops away in secret that year, have always been burning brightly. But Heng’er’s Sijiu Ansi lamp… has been out since he was very young. The few times it has lit up over the years only mean that he can still have a few days of peace. The rest of the time, he has been living in endless danger and suffering.”
The Heavenly Emperor shook his head, picked up the broken lamp and examined it closely for a while, then slowly withdrew it from his palm, sighing with melancholy, "The men of the Heavenly Clan conquer all directions, following the Great Dao. It's common for their Four-Nine Ansi Lamps to sometimes go out. But in all my years, I've never seen anyone's lamp like Heng'er's, almost never lit..."
“Until now,” he leaned back gently in his chair, his gaze wistful, “this lamp will never be lit again.”
So that's how it is.
For some reason, Mu Meng felt that her father's statement matched Mu Qingheng's behavior of replacing his heart with a stone and cutting off his own flesh several times.
But... Mu Meng's heart stirred, and she slowly raised her eyelids: "Father, I remember you said that the Four-Nine Ansi Lamp was made by taking the blood and qi of a child when he was born, but Mu Qingheng was a son of the Demon Clan who was switched with my Heavenly Clan. So, was his lamp made before the switch, or did you make it after the switch?"
If it's the former, then according to the old story, it's absolutely impossible that the demons swapped their demon child and killed her own brother—if this Four-Nine Ansi Lamp was made with her brother's blood and qi, then how could his lamp still occasionally light up after his death? Isn't that a contradiction?
Conversely, if it were the latter, then it would be even more absurd for Father to have taken Mu Qingheng's blood and qi to make a lamp—Father is a peerless genius among the Heavenly Clan for thousands of years. His spiritual power is so strong and his mind so meticulous that no one in the clan dares to disobey him. How could he not know that the blood of the demon race flows in the body of the baby in his hands?
Both are contradictory and neither holds water.
There is only one possibility—Mu Meng stared at the Heavenly Emperor. Although her gaze was not urgent, there was a subtle sense of pressure.
She didn't want to ask back, she just waited to see how her father would answer.
The Heavenly Emperor bit his lip, his withered and aged hands slowly twisting together. He lowered his eyes and remained silent for a long time before raising them.
His gaze was calmer and more serene than Mu Meng's, meeting in the air as if inviting her to reach a silent understanding.
He said gently, “Mengmeng, all of this is in the past. You always advise your father to look forward and not dwell on the past, and you do the same. You are doing well now, and Luoluo is doing well too. The dead are dead, but the living must live on. Why bring up the past again? Don’t ask anymore. Your father is tired and wants to rest for a while.”
He looked really tired; even his voice was weak.
Seeing his expression, Mu Meng considerately refrained from asking further questions and nodded obediently as before: "Okay, I won't ask anymore. Father, please rest well. I'll go out now."
*
Stepping out the door, Mu Meng descended the stone steps one by one. After only three steps, she stopped and suddenly turned around to look back.
Before me stood a thick, heavy door, its doors tightly shut, standing there indifferently, as if concealing a secret that remained unspoken.
Mu Meng closed his eyes, but although he concealed the emotions in his eyes, his brows gradually furrowed.
Father had no way to explain, so he chose to run away and tried to blindfold her and cover her ears, not allowing her to know anything at all.
However, a single 49 Ansi Zhan is enough to prove that the claim that the demons swapped offspring is simply unfounded.
Therefore, there has never been any exchange between the children of the demon race and the children of the celestial race—her father only had two children, her sister and herself, and she never had any older brother.
She remembered that when she was first reborn, she had talked to her father about changing her name—what did her father say back then?
“We met on Luoxiang Mountain in the human realm. We originally agreed that our children’s names would be in memory of this place. However, your mother died in childbirth, so I changed the character ‘Xiang’ that was originally meant for you to ‘Meng’ to express my remembrance.”
One fell, the other rose. When Father said this, his tone was entirely from the perspective of his two daughters.
He let it slip at the time; although she had raised questions, her father had brushed her off with a plausible excuse. At the time, she was filled with hatred and didn't think much of it.
How could a person not know how many children they have? He had known all along that Mu Qingheng was not his biological child, not because she revealed it. Moreover, not only did he know, he also treated Mu Qingheng as his own.
In addition, Mu Qingheng does indeed have his own Forty-Nine Ansi Lamp—it was made by his parents when he was born.
He was definitely not a born monster.
He became a demon later in life.
more than.
Mu Meng slowly licked his lips.
He was also a Celestial.
After suppressing it for a long time, when this thought surfaced in her mind, Mu Meng gritted her teeth, stepped onto the three steps again, and took a few steps forward, but suddenly stopped when she was still a few steps away from the door.
She slowly clenched her fist and let out a long sigh.
Father has made it very clear that he won't tell. And as he said, even if she knew his secret, Mu Qingheng's secret, and asked her about everything she didn't know before, what difference would it make?
The person is gone; what is the point of asking further?
Mu Meng slowly bit her lip, the light in her clear black and white eyes dimming slightly, and glanced again at the tightly closed door—as if silently telling its owner of rejection.
Mu Meng turned around slowly, walked down the steps, and gradually disappeared into the distance.
She eventually arrived at Mu Qingheng's Changjin Palace.
She had always felt that the name of his palace carried an ominous connotation, and now, upon reading it, she realized it was indeed so—"Life is like a raging fire, leaving only embers."
The place was dilapidated, with a layer of fine cobwebs growing on the door knocker and a lot of messy weeds growing in the cracks in the ground.
When others die, they fall forever into the abyss of an endless cliff, carrying with them secrets, untold grievances, and indelible stains.
He made mistakes, and he made amends for them all.
Activate the Rebirth Array to repay those debts of life one by one.
He paid the ultimate price for the harm he caused to his sister by colluding with the demons.
Mu Meng sighed softly. She had always believed that one should love wholeheartedly and hate clearly. But as for Mu Qingheng, she no longer knew how to feel about him.
After standing silently for a long time, Mu Meng squatted down with his knees drawn up and took out a magnolia flower he had picked on the way. Originally, there were many magnolia flowers in Mu Qingheng's courtyard, but they had been neglected for so many years and the withered flowers had long since fallen into the mud.
There's nothing left here.
She gently placed the pure white, soft flower on the top step of Mu Qingheng's palace. Then she slowly closed her eyes.
A moment later, Mu Meng opened her eyes. Her clear, bright eyes seemed to dispel the mist, leaving only a pure and serene gaze. She took one last look at the place, then turned and left without looking back.
He had wronged her.
Then she also owed him one.
She would no longer ask her father, nor would she investigate the matter further; she would no longer think of him, nor would she ever visit him again.
It's even now.
...
After that, Mu Meng never dreamed of Mu Qingheng again. She stayed in the Celestial Clan for a few more days before returning to Kunlun Realm.
The Celestial Clan has many people and many things to deal with, so it can't compare to the tranquility and freedom of the Kunlun Realm.
Feng Xixue naturally followed her back. He lived on the edge of Kunlun Mirror, several miles away from her. Just like when she wasn't in seclusion, Feng Xixue would never disturb her. The quietness often made people forget that he even existed.
That evening, Mu Meng moved a rattan chair to the courtyard, took half a pot of osmanthus wine, and on a whim, began to admire the moon.
Under the hazy moonlight and amidst the twinkling stars, Mu Meng squinted and took a sip of wine, a smile playing on his lips and a relaxed expression on his face.
"Mengmeng, you drink alone and have no friends. Why didn't you tell me before drinking?" After only three cups, a burst of laughter came from outside the door, and Yue Liutian walked in under the moonlight.
Mu Meng's eyes lit up, and she waved, saying, "Brother Yue, come sit here. I haven't seen you in so long."
Yue Liutian strolled over with an air of nonchalance, lifted his robe and sat down opposite Mu Meng, poured himself a cup of wine, and slowly drank it.
"How did you suddenly end up in Kunlun Realm? Did you come here specifically to see me?"
Yue Liutian laughed and said, "I'm busy with worldly affairs, and I really wanted to see you, but I didn't have the time. I was going to make a trip to Zhoushan this time, and I just happened to pass by your place, so I came in to see you."
He took another sip, chuckled, and put down his glass: "Mengmeng, you did a good job in dealing with the snake-gu chaos in the Northern Frontier this time."
Mu Meng glanced at him sideways. He smiled, his demeanor exuding a dashing and charming air, his eyes full of approval.
Mu Meng blinked and said gently, "Brother Yue, have I made things difficult for you? You have always advocated for good relations between the demon race and the celestial race, but I wiped out all those snake gu with a single move. You must have had a very hard time these past few days."
"How could that be?" Yue Liutian immediately shook his head, leaned back gracefully, and stretched out his arm on the armrest. "I should thank you. You did me a great favor. Those snake gu are rampant in the human realm, committing countless heinous crimes and disgracing the demon race. I wish I could kill them as soon as possible. But I am ashamed to say that I am constrained by many factors and have no power to do so."
He raised his glass, "Luckily, we had Mengmeng, who was incredibly brave and helped Brother Yue solve his biggest worry."
He finished speaking with a smile, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
Mu Meng smiled and poured herself a full glass. "Brother Yue, I have failed you. I am so sorry."
It would have been one thing before, but this time she practically severed all possibilities between herself and Yue Liutian. Standing on that land in the Northern Frontier, all she could think about was how to quickly and safely kill all the snake worms. Even Lu Zhaoxin thought of this and reminded her that this approach would destroy her fate with Yue Liutian.
But she did it anyway, not only because of her sense of justice, but also because she really didn't want to give Yue Liutian any illusions and waste his time.
Yue Liutian smiled helplessly, and finally couldn't help but reach out and gently tap Mu Meng's head: "I knew you would think this way, which is why I came here to talk to you. Mengmeng, I know you have always regarded me as an older brother and a friend, so when you decide to kill those snake gu, you won't be conflicted or saddened because of me. This is a good thing for me."
He was all smiles and laughter. Mu Meng felt both guilty and warm, and said nothing more, but drank the whole glass of wine in her hand.
"Actually, I've known for a long time that we're not meant to be. This is something that can't be forced, Mengmeng. You don't need to feel burdened by this. As long as you find your true soulmate in the future, that will be the happiest thing for me." Yue Liutian put down his wine glass and smiled slightly.
Mu Meng knew he was carefree and easygoing, so this meant he was easygoing. She felt relieved and was about to speak when suddenly, a blood-red firework exploded in the distance of the dark night sky.
Mu Meng's expression hardened, and he immediately put down his wine glass, stood up, and stared in that direction.
"It's a distress signal from Yunze Realm. Something's happened there." Yue Liutian stood up as well, his expression serious. "Mengmeng, I'll go with you—"
“No, don’t go,” Mu Meng immediately shook his head. “This is a delicate time for the relationship between our two clans. If you help Yun Zejing, you might be criticized when you return to your clan. Don’t worry, I can handle it.”
Yunze Realm was once a scar on her heart, but now the scar has faded and the wound has long been healed. She will never let it tear open again.
After Mu Meng finished speaking, his spiritual power gradually increased. He made a teleportation spell, bid a hasty farewell to Yue Liutian, and disappeared in an instant.
...
Within the territory of Yunze.
"What kind of monster is this? Why is his all-out killing formation so powerful?! Lord, we can't hold on much longer!"
"Quick! We can tear a hole in the southeast so that Jiu Yan can escape with the young master!"
"No! This is a formation within a formation! Escaping is certain death! We must hold on and wait for rescue!"
In mid-air, there was a strange and evil black mist that seemed to have a human form, but its entire body was surrounded and enveloped by black mist, completely obscuring its appearance, making it impossible to tell what kind of monster it was.
He floated in mid-air with an eerie lightness, and a transparent aura formed around him, enveloping everyone in the Cloud Marsh Realm.
The black energy within the shroud surged wildly, each gust a deadly attack.
Gradually, people were unable to resist the black energy. Their arms, thighs, chests, and backs were scratched by the black energy, and many people fell down with serious injuries.
"Jiuyan... Jiuyan," in the chaos of battle, Yun Qing stumbled to Yun Jiuyan's side, slashing his longsword to disperse two streams of black energy. He whispered in a confused voice, "Jiuyan, you must get Ze'er out of here. Ze'er absolutely cannot be harmed... In a little while, Father and Second Uncle will sacrifice themselves to break through the barrier in the southeast, and they will escort you to break through these two all-killing formations. You must not let everyone down!"
Yun Jiuyan held Mu Zeyu tightly with one arm, while still brandishing his sword with the other: "Father, don't worry, I will protect Ze'er even if it costs me my life!"
He knew that with the situation extremely urgent, the entire Yunze region had to fight tooth and nail to protect Ze'er's life; everything else could be disregarded. Without uttering a single unnecessary word, he instantly approved Yun Qing's plan.
Yun Qing and his second uncle exchanged a glance and nodded silently. They raised their left hands, about to form a hand seal, when suddenly a sharp sound pierced the air—
A bamboo stick flew through the sky with tremendous force, piercing through a magic array. After breaking the first magic array, its power was greatly reduced, and it was bounced back by the barrier within the array.
The newcomer caught the rebounding bamboo stick with one hand and threw it again with all his might. With a flick of his right hand, a continuous stream of powerful spiritual energy rushed out along with the bamboo stick—the bamboo stick pierced straight into the ground, and with a loud bang, the barrier was broken. The black energy immediately flowed out, and everyone finally got a moment to catch their breath.
Yun Qing stared in shock at the swordsman who had descended from the sky. Dressed in green, he moved with graceful and agile movements, landing steadily beside the bamboo staff. He pulled the staff from the ground with one hand and stared coldly at the black mist that was slowly falling to the ground opposite him.
He wore a silver mask that covered half of his face, revealing faint scars on the exposed half. His clothes fluttered in the wind, making his physical deformities clear.
"Young master, be careful!" Yun Qing vaguely understood that this person must be the legendary chivalrous master who had been circulating in the world recently.
Seeing that he had saved everyone in Yunze with a single act, Yun Qing was extremely grateful and quickly warned loudly, "This demon's spiritual power is strange and cunning, and its spiritual power should not be underestimated—"
Before he could finish speaking, he coughed heavily a few times. He had been fighting for too long and had damaged his lungs and internal organs.
"You all step back." Zhe Qing stood in front of everyone, his clear, low, and slightly hoarse voice rang out.
Mu Zeyu, who had been tightly held in Yun Jiuyan's arms, suddenly looked up when he heard the voice, his eyes sparkling: "Uncle!"
Zhe Qing tilted his head slightly, but didn't turn around completely. He pursed his lips, his expression becoming even more resolute, and raised his bamboo stick, striking at the thing with lightning speed—
His speed was already extremely fast; everyone only saw a blur before their eyes, but the black mist seemed to have anticipated it and nimbly flashed past.
Although he dodged it, he seemed to know he couldn't underestimate his opponent, and unlike before when he was so at ease, he suddenly unleashed a whip-like stream of air from the black mist. The weapon was extremely agile and instantly became entangled in battle with Zhe Qing.
In a battle between experts, the situation changes in an instant. In just three breaths, they had already exchanged dozens of blows. Yun Qing could see clearly that although this wandering swordsman had extremely high spiritual power, the monster was not to be underestimated either. If the fight continued like this, he would definitely gradually lose ground.
This was their savior who had saved Yunze Realm from its dire straits; how could they allow him to die protecting them? Yun Qing gritted his teeth, drew his sword, and charged forward.
Yun Jiuyan immediately understood what his father was thinking. He handed the child in his arms to the attendant beside him and nodded to him with a resolute expression. The attendant understood and quietly retreated while holding Mu Zeyu tightly.
Immediately, Yun Jiuyan drew his sword and rushed forward to help.
With the addition of the father and son, Zhe Qing was noticeably calmer. He quickly pressed his right ring finger together and made a hand seal, intending to form a spiritual net to trap the monster within it.
Just as they were about to capture him, suddenly a long, whip-like stream of energy shot out from the black mist, unexpectedly striking Yun Jiuyan directly—
He was going all out, and his speed was so fast that Yun Jiuyan could only watch helplessly as the airflow approached him in an instant. Even if he knew it, he had no time to dodge!
Just as he was about to die a horrible death on the spot, a figure in blue suddenly rushed out from the side. He disregarded the danger and stood right in front of him. In an instant, the gust of air arrived and pierced through his chest with a "bang"!
"Young Master—!" Yun Jiuyan was shocked. From the threat of death to watching someone else block a heavy blow for him, everything happened in the blink of an eye. He opened his eyes wide in disbelief.
The man was struck by the airflow and instantly fell to one knee, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His momentum did not diminish as he slid backward for more than ten meters.
His left leg was bare below the knee, and after such friction, a long trail of blood appeared on the ground.
When Mu Meng arrived, this was the scene that greeted him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
