Chapter 276 A Lonely Heart (Revised) He forgot many things, but at least...
276
There are many cultivators from the Canxing Domain patrolling the vicinity of Luoyang City. Compared to other places, this place can be considered a relatively peaceful place to live for the time being.
Surprisingly, Luoyang City was not closed. The refugees who had gathered there were taken to shelters by soldiers, where they were given food and shelter, and were not driven away.
As long as you can come here, everyone can find a place to stay, even if it's just a small corner.
After resting, Lin Feiran and the other two entered the city that night. The city was not as prosperous and luxurious as before. In the slightly empty spaces on the streets, medical tents were set up and spiritual herbs were added for medical practitioners who came here to receive treatment.
Lin Feiran's heart was filled with complex emotions as he watched all this.
She thought, people are always so multifaceted.
These were clearly Ding Yi's doing. He was able to accommodate every refugee to the best of his ability, not for show, but at the same time, he was able to cooperate with the esoteric sects without any remorse.
Ru Xian had changed her appearance early on, or rather, it's not quite accurate to say she changed; her snow-white hair turned black, and she looked completely different.
It was colder when the snow fell before, but now it has a vibrant color.
After learning that Ruxian was practicing medicine and intended to consult a doctor, Bingwei immediately arranged better lodging for the three of them.
The next day, the sky was still dark, with only a sliver of dawn in the east indicating that daylight had arrived.
Lin Feiran and Gu Buhui drew their swords and headed out of the city. Ru Xian chose an unattended medical shed, sat down, and soon, mortals suffering from cold-related illnesses began to approach.
He glanced at Lin Feiran, and after the two of them had gone far away, he looked at the person in front of him, and with a golden thread in his sleeve, he gently placed his hand on the person's wrist to examine his pulse, and began to examine him carefully.
His face was so unfamiliar that the doctors who had been treating patients there for a long time couldn't help but look at him. Several of them scrutinized him and couldn't help but say something.
"He looks somewhat familiar."
"I also feel like I've seen it before at Langhuan Gate."
...
Gu Buhui had been here for several days. After searching around, he found a hidden spot and quickly took Lin Feiran there.
During the journey, Lin Feiran couldn't help but ask, "Senior, you said you had come up with a solution. May I ask what it is?"
Gu Buhui paused for a moment before remembering, "You mean what they're going to dig up? You'll see when we get there. The palace has many array formations, so you can't be distracted when you go in."
The two walked to the foot of a palace wall. Gu Buhui shushed her and then fiddled with the hilt of his sword. He wasn't going to take the usual test stone, but rather to pry off a thin, transparent crystal from the hilt.
He looked at Lin Feiran and touched his chin.
"When I was on good terms with the Emperor, I often walked around the palace. Once, I accidentally stepped into a magic array and bumped into a woman who was as beautiful as a fairy. She blindfolded me and quietly led me out without disturbing any of the magic arrays."
I've memorized this route.
Lin Feiran immediately thought of Bai Lu; she was the only one in the palace who could come and go freely.
She remained somewhat cautious: "The magic arrays here are constantly changing; could they be altered?"
Gu Buhui shook his head, very certain: "Absolutely not, because I have gone back along this road to look for her many times."
Lin Feiran, who was stretching her muscles, stopped stretching upon hearing this and immediately turned to look at him, quite surprised: "Why? This must be some noble lady in the palace. Aren't you afraid she'll report you?"
"She won't."
Gu Buhui's usually playful expression suddenly fell silent, and her gaze fell on a certain spot on the palace wall, but did not focus.
"The moment I saw her, I knew she wouldn't."
Lin Feiran thought back to the past. Because Gu Buhui defeated the cultivator with his mortal body, the Human Emperor specially summoned him to the palace. However, he left the palace not long after. It was rumored that the two had different plans. But now it seems that there might be other hidden reasons.
As she was still pondering, Gu Buhui's hand holding the thin slice gradually tightened, and she spoke to herself again.
"The first time I saw her, she was sitting in the pavilion, gazing at the sky and watching the flocks of birds passing by, but she didn't say a word."
She secretly escorted me, who had mistakenly entered the palace, out of the palace, saying, "Go now, don't come back, and don't say you've seen me."
I've never met anyone like her.
Later, I went back along that road to find her, many times. I asked her if she wanted to leave the palace, and I said I could take her away, but she just shook her head.
She said that this was a gap she left behind, and if she wanted to leave and could leave, she would go down this path.
Therefore, this road will not be changed.
"So there was this cause and effect..."
Lin Feiran's hand, which was rubbing her shoulder, gradually relaxed. She looked curiously at the thin piece of paper and was immediately shocked. It was covered with densely drawn magic arrays that operated within the palace, and there was indeed a horizontal gap in it.
"Senior, you are truly a hidden master!"
This is practically a prelude to storming the palace!
Gu Buhui rubbed his nose and said in a deep voice, "I've saved so many people, what's wrong with saving one more?"
He looked at Lin Feiran, who was doing lunges and stretching, and couldn't help but say, "You're a cultivator now, do you really have to warm up so carefully?"
"Who knows what's in the palace? This is called sharpening the axe before chopping wood."
Gu Buhui waved his hand and began to recall: "The Emperor is dead, but I have inquired and found that at least this upheaval has not affected the harem, and many concubines have not been punished. Now that the Emperor is dead, there is no longer a Holy Palace Consort, so I think she can leave."
"We might be able to see her again this time and take her away."
Lin Feiran: "..."
Gu Buhui looked at her movements and asked curiously, "Did you hurt your back?"
Lin Feiran hesitated, as the entanglement between herself and Bai Lu was too complicated to explain in a few words, but the truth was that Bai Lu was dead.
She still said, "Senior, I know the person you are talking about. The book 'The Great Sound is Silent' was written by her and her master, and I am the one who distributed it... Don't be happy yet, she has passed away."
Gu Buhui held the thin slice in both hands, stunned on the spot.
Lin Feiran stopped what she was doing and said with a sigh, "The whole thing is complicated and can't be explained in a few words. I'll tell you after it's all over."
Gu Buhui paused for a few breaths before looking down, flicking the thin piece into the air, catching it steadily, and slowly smiling: "Then we'll talk about it later. I'll tell you secretly, I've only seen her three times in total, and she's only said three sentences to me."
However, this map has been with me for a long time. Whenever faced with a choice, I would toss it aside, and now it allows me to continue planning.
"Are you ready to enter the palace?"
Lin Feiran watched him retract the thin slice, pursed her lips, and nodded, saying, "Ready."
"Walk!"
With nightfall for days, they took the opportunity to sneak into the palace. Now that chaos reigned everywhere, many cultivators from the Star Domain had been sent out of Luoyang City. Apart from the palace servants, there were not many cultivators left in the palace. The two of them went against the grain and used the palace's magic array to move and search. For a time, they were quite successful.
After searching through many palaces, Gu Buhui's mood had improved considerably, and he even felt like chatting with her.
"You haven't been to Luoyang for a long time, so you probably don't know that the imperial palace is actually quite lively now."
He was very familiar with the layout of the place. Lin Feiran followed him, turning left and right, until they reached the southeast corner. They looked at the brightest palace in the center, where many cultivators stood outside, with only a few palace servants.
Lin Feiran has excellent eyesight; from a distance, she recognized quite a few familiar faces.
Who is that little girl who isolates everyone?
Gu Buhui was, after all, just a mortal. At such a distance, he could only see a vague outline and could not make out the specific appearance.
He spotted the black-clad monk at a glance; he was tall and elegant, his hair blowing in the wind, looking like a young girl.
Lin Feiran paused: "That's not a young girl, she's a disciple of Daohe Palace, Wei Changzai."
She continued, "Since he's here, it means Zhang Chunhe must also be here. I guess this is the secret sect's base. Ding Yi's profile is also visible through the window, so it looks like a three-way meeting."
Gu Buhui suddenly realized and explained, "So it was them. The Secret Sect arrived here half a month ago. They probably sent a letter to Daohe Palace a long time ago. Chief Zhang just got away and entered the palace two days ago. They seem to be arguing about something, but they haven't come to a conclusion yet."
Lin Feiran, crouching on the eaves, asked in confusion, "Escape?"
Gu Buhui nodded: "You don't know? During that battle in the canyon, many sects fought against the Secret Sect, but Zhang Chunhe stood on the side of the Secret Sect. It is rumored that Daohe Palace is colluding with the Secret Sect. Taiji Immortal Sect and a group of other sects went to their door. I don't know what the situation is now."
I heard that the Esoteric School also has a falling out with the Daohe Palace, and they just had a fight the day before yesterday. I even saw the battle taking place in the city.
Daohe Palace is now caught in the middle, caught between two opposing forces.
Lin Feiran was even more puzzled. The Secret Sect and Zhang Chunhe had already maintained close relations, so what could have caused them to turn against each other?
"That person is Wei Changzai?" Gu Buhui pointed to the small outline in his eyes and continued to click his tongue. "No wonder he's here. I heard that this little mute wanted to become a disciple who went down the mountain, but Zhang Chunhe wouldn't allow it and took him everywhere he went."
Lin Feiran paused, pulling herself out of her thoughts: "A mute?"
"What have you been doing these past few months? I really don't know anything about it."
Gu Buhui leaned closer and whispered.
"Everyone in the neighborhood is saying that he lost his voice a few months ago and can no longer speak."
Many people speculated that he broke his throat bone in the battle in the canyon, which is really strange. Cultivators are not ordinary people; even if their throat bones are broken, they can heal. How could he lose his voice? I guess he suffered some kind of shock.”
Lin Feiran paused for a moment, then looked again at the figure standing alone in the corner, and stared at him for a while.
Gu Buhui stopped gossiping and turned to look west: "There are only a few places left now, but I estimate there are quite a few guards. Take this, let's go to the high place first to see the guards. As soon as they leave, we'll move over there immediately."
A thin piece of paper was stuffed into Lin Feiran's hand. When the two of them were on a high place and concealed themselves, she rubbed the object in her hand and said, "Don't you want to know what they're discussing?"
Gu Buhui glanced at the brightly lit palace and said in a low voice, "Of course, it's not just me; many people want to know. But are you confident you can sneak in?"
Lin Feiran shook his head, looked at the thin piece of paper, and said with a stern gaze: "There's no need to sneak in. We can use the magic array, but we need to get closer and modify a few of the array patterns."
"really?"
Gu Buhui didn't think for too long. Shen Qi must be heavily guarded. Their main purpose in coming here was to investigate. They might not be able to take Shen Qi away, but if they could find out what they were arguing about, then their trip wouldn't be in vain.
He nodded and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
Lin Feiran looked at the thin piece of jade, pondered for a while, then turned around and put the jade token and two pieces of spirit jade back into his hand.
She pointed in the direction and then drew the rune shape.
"If the spiritual energy fluctuations in the two places are balanced, they will not be disturbed."
"Okay. Be careful when you get close."
Gu Buhui did not question her suggestion. After discussing it, the two went their separate ways.
Lin Feiran calculated the distance in his mind, flashed across the rooftop like an invisible shadow, then flipped and landed in a side room near the palace. He took out the test array stone in his hand and quietly waited for the several wandering magic arrays to converge.
...
Somewhere in front of the palace, Wei Changzai was gazing intently at the night sky when, at a certain moment, he seemed to sense something and turned his gaze to look. On the distant rooftops, there was nothing but the night wind.
He paused slightly, his hand that had been on his chest fell down, and he thought that he was having that illusion again, as if he could see Lin Feiran if he turned around at some point, but in fact there was nothing there.
He couldn't remember how long it had been since the Battle of the Canyon; he only felt that every day was equally long, so long that it felt like eternity.
Since he woke up, he seemed to have forgotten many things: how to make a sound, how to drink water when thirsty, and all the joys and sorrows. He seemed to have truly become a puppet, an ignorant and emotionless puppet, neither happy nor sad.
He even began to forget the appearances of his fellow disciples; everyone looked the same to him. His clearest memory was of the arrow that pierced through her chest—silver-white and blinding.
She fell from the sky and emerged from the water, quietly and silently closing her eyes, all the light in them vanishing, and she never woke up again.
Although the scene in his memory was clear, it was not real. Everything was very hazy, so hazy that when he recalled it, the hidden pain in his heart began to dissipate.
He has even forgotten the pain.
Master said he has broken through to the Free and Unfettered Realm and will soon achieve the Path of Ruthlessness; all of this is a sign.
He wanted to speak in rebuttal, but nothing came out when he spoke, and eventually even the desire to refute disappeared.
In the desolate world, he was all alone; how could he not be carefree?
Not far away, Fuyin and Acheng were talking. Their cultivation levels were not as high as his, so their joking and teasing words flooded into his ears, but like a stone thrown into stagnant water, they did not cause a ripple in his heart.
He just wanted to know when he could kill Bi Sheng.
He tried, but failed ten times. So he stopped resisting the ruthless path. As long as he could continue cultivating, whether it was ruthless or compassionate, as long as he could deliver that sword strike and pierce Bi Sheng's heart.
Then, nothing else matters.
He at least still remembers hatred.
Master knew all this. He said that when that bit of hatred dissipated, that would be the day he achieved mastery of the Path of Ruthlessness. He said he would help him kill Bi Sheng.
He didn't say anything at the time, turned around and left, but when he heard that Ru Xian was looking for a way to revive, he quietly sent the herbs that Ru Xian needed to the Demon Capital.
He thought that if one person killed and the other saved, working together, she would be happy.
His memory is becoming increasingly hazy, but his past memories are becoming clearer. He remembers the first time he saw Lin Feiran, she was squatting under the wall, in the drizzle, using a leaf to hold up a few ants.
In a daze, he seemed to see such a figure as well.
He was crouching under the wall, extremely well hidden; if he hadn't been standing alone at a distance, he might not have been seen at all.
"..."
In an instant, his pupils contracted sharply, his eyes fixed on that spot, and the next moment, his body had already outpaced his mind and disappeared from the spot.
Fu Yin glanced at him from a distance and couldn't help but ask, "What's gotten into him now?"
The esoteric monk beside him said, "I don't know. He's probably having some kind of hallucination again. He's been like this for the past few days. He'll go and check on this guy in black, and he'll stop that guy with a sword. He disappears eight hundred times a day."
Acheng, however, suddenly spoke up: "The Holy Maiden said that Zhang Chunhe wants him to join the Secret Sect and become one of the Nine Swords."
Fu Yin didn't speak, but Fu Xia was very puzzled and asked him three questions in a row: "What's wrong with this old man now? And isn't there already a Pei Yu? What did the Holy Maiden say?"
When Acheng saw it was her, she silently took half a step back and shook her head, saying, "I haven't agreed yet, but with Aoxue killed, we do need a stronger cultivator now. He has already reached the Free and Unfettered Realm, and the Holy Maiden is considering it."
Fu Xia gave a sullen hum and said nothing more.
Meanwhile, Lin Feiran used the jade token to transmit her voice and together with Gu Buhui changed the array patterns, leveling the spiritual power that had been used to change the array. Just as they were about to get up and meet, they suddenly sensed a swift gust of wind behind them.
She glanced to the side and saw Wei Changzai coming this way. Thinking she had been discovered, she immediately turned and fled. However, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that the cultivators in front of the palace were not moving. In a flash, she realized that only he was chasing after her.
Lin Feiran immediately had an idea: they must not know about the faked death.
On the other side, Wei Changzai's gaze became increasingly fixed on that figure. His heart, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly pounded for a moment. He watched the figure leap off the roof, disappear for a moment, but then quickly reappear and keep running forward.
His pupils trembled from constriction, and the figure in front of him began to blur, but he kept staring intently.
Her movements were swift and agile, and she was adept at dodging, always maintaining a respectful distance from him through twists and turns.
He chased her westward, almost reaching the palace walls, when, just as she was about to leap over one, she suddenly lost her strength and stumbled, falling from the top of the wall into the withered flowerbed below. Then, a gasp was heard.
Wei Changzai stopped not far away, his forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat, but not from exhaustion. He watched the movement in the flower bushes, his heart seemingly unmoved, yet he couldn't take his eyes off them.
The dark figure sat up and brushed the grass off its body.
Knock knock.
The figure stood up, dressed in black, wearing a veil, with a long sword hanging at his waist, but with bulging muscles and a deep voice. He took off the veil, revealing a head full of sweat, and while fanning himself, he threw out the jingling treasures.
With a sudden thud, he heard everything fall back into the stagnant water, and the flickering light in his eyes went out silently.
"Brother, I just came to the palace to steal some things and try to survive in this world. Is it necessary to chase me to death? I'll return it all to you!"
Gu Buhui, panting heavily, put his hands on his hips and said, "What are you looking at? I'm just a mortal. Do you really want to kill me?"
Wei Changzai stared at him with a deathly gaze, then raised his hand and made a few gestures.
"You ask me how I can outrun you?" Gu Buhui sized him up, paused for a moment, and then laughed, "Haven't you heard of my name? The villain Gu Buhui, kicking cultivators and punching immortals, how could I fight you without some real skills?"
He looked at the back of his hand and then around, feeling a sense of familiarity. Wasn't this the place where the Holy Palace lived?
The flowerbeds were once lush and beautiful, but now no one has taken care of them. The thorns on the stems are dry and hard, leaving several bloody marks on his hands.
He stared silently for a moment before turning his gaze to Wei Changzai.
The boy raised his hand, moved his finger to his lips, pointed at him, and made several hand gestures.
Gu Buhui pretended not to understand and scratched his head, saying, "I only know a little sign language. I really can't understand this. You can take all these treasures and let me go, how about that?"
The two remained locked in a standoff, one begging for mercy, the other remaining silent.
After a long while, Consort Wei finally left. Gu Buhui rested for three quarters of an hour as Lin Feiran had instructed, before using the spirit jade to activate the magic array and instantly appearing in the cold palace in the southeast corner.
Lin Feiran was already waiting there. As soon as they met, she covered his lips and then gestured for him to look at his palm.
A palm-sized magic circle lit up in his palm, and a sharp voice came from it: "Zhang Chunhe, you've been silent for so long, aren't you going to talk? What else are you hiding from us?"
Lin Feiran recognized it immediately; it was Bi Sheng's voice.
A moment later, Zhang Chunhe's voice rang out, but it sounded calm and indifferent in comparison: "They've started interrogating me. I said that I only found out later that Changzai was in love with Lin Feiran. The fact that the Heart-Questioning Stone is lit up means that I didn't lie. I wonder what the Holy Maiden wants me to say?"
"You!" Bi Sheng was furious.
Zhang Chunhe retorted, "I admit that I did use your plan to lure and kill Lin Feiran to achieve my goal of severing Changzai's emotional ties, but didn't you also use me? I'd really like to know, why was that wedding banquet so important?"
Bi Sheng did not speak. Just then, another aged and clear voice suddenly appeared.
"Bi Sheng, I also want to know, why is this wedding banquet being held?"
That's Ding Yi's voice.
He didn't stop, but continued to ask: "Besides that, there is an even more important question that you still haven't answered. Now that everything is laid bare today, I won't remain silent any longer."
Why did we never know that the icicle was manipulated by a secret cult?
Bi Sheng sneered: "When did it become your place to question the affairs of the Secret Sect? Just accumulate merits and take care of yourselves."
Zhang Chunhe, I've always respected you, but you've only taken advantage of me! I'm giving you three days to explain what you've done, or not only will all your achievements be erased, but I'll also take your life!
The magic circle fell silent for a moment. Everything began with the argument between the three and ended in silence, after which everyone dispersed.
Neither Lin Feiran nor the other spoke, each lost in thought, until the light faded. Only then did she pull herself together and ask, "Senior, are you alright?"
Gu Buhui waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. As you said, he had no intention of killing me, nor did he have any intention of capturing me. He stared at me for a long time for no reason, said a few words, and then left."
Lin Feiran paused, then said, "Isn't he mute?"
Lin Feiran nodded, and with the help of the magic array, the two of them finally arrived at a certain place. They climbed onto the roof and saw Chen Qi writing at his desk through the window.
Strangely, there was no one guarding the place.
Lin Feiran and his companion watched from afar, not daring to approach rashly.
After a long while, Shen Qi put down his pen, sighed, walked to the window and looked out. Suddenly he spoke, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness and a hint of mockery.
Lin Feiran: "..."
Author's Note: [Heart emoji]
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