Mingyi's voice came from behind: "What are you mumbling about?"
Shi Qingxuan's body stiffened. He said, "I... I... I..."
Xie Lian tried to speak up for him, but his tongue wouldn't obey him. There was nothing he could do. The friend he trusted most was actually the one he feared the most, lurking right beside him. With no one around, he wondered what he was up to. Who wouldn't be terrified?
Suddenly, Mingyi tightened his five fingers, and Shi Qingxuan felt a pain in his shoulder as he pressed it down.
At the same time, a pair of pale hands suddenly stretched out from the stream and grabbed Shi Qingxuan's throat.
Water ghost!
Mingyi pressed, but his hand caught nothing. He thrust out another blow, and a scream echoed from the water, perhaps the object being shattered. Shi Qingxuan fell to the ground. Mingyi pulled him up, saying, "Are you mentally ill? You're just washing your face in a random stream in this dark den of ghosts."
“…”
Shi Qingxuan had just used the stream water that had been used to soak the water ghost's corpse to sober himself up, so he should have felt a little nauseous. However, he was in no mood to pay attention to these things. Water was dripping from his cheeks and hair, and he was as wet as a drowned chicken. He was in a daze and just let "Ming Yi" pull him up and follow him blankly.
In fact, if you think about it carefully, everything about this "Brother Ming" reveals a sense of weirdness.
He was a geomancer, so naturally, all the formations along the way that could shrink the earth by a thousand miles were drawn by him. However, this should have been his specialty, but he frequently encountered problems.
The four of them were inexplicably teleported from Puqi Temple to Bogu Town. The Wind Master and the Water Master's teleportation on Blackwater Island had malfunctioned again. Was the teleportation hall in disrepair? Was something else at work? Was the mastermind behind this simply too powerful?
Why overthink it? The simplest answer is that Ming Yi was the one who did it all!
It was he who saw Wind Master lost when he was taken away by "Baihua Zhenxian" for the first time; it was also he who first discovered Wind Master who had lost his magic power; it was he who had always been by Shi Qingxuan's side and knew his fears and actions well; it was also he who knew Wind Master's password and could drive "Baihua Zhenxian" to threaten him to open the door of the wine-drinking platform's protective formation with his own hands.
At that time, he smashed the Feng Shui Temple signboard with his own hands, but remained calm. Perhaps it was because he was eccentric, or perhaps it was because he did it on purpose.
He used this as an excuse to openly smash his enemy's sign in front of his enemy, and his enemy even had to thank him. How arrogant and bold he was.
Xie Lian hadn't been unconvinced by these subtle oddities; he'd personally explored those three questions. But he'd never imagined something so audacious and unbelievable could happen: a ghost, disguised as a priest for years, lurking among them!
The dark waters are sinking, always keeping a low profile?
He has been existing in another identity for many years, and of course he is low-key.
Ming Yi's response at the time was indeed flawless. That was because he had devoured the Baihua True Immortal and possessed its abilities, allowing him to command it as a minion. The Desperate Ghost King was undoubtedly superior to it, and certainly not restricted by that characteristic. He could speak the truth when he wanted to, and lie when he wanted to.
The corpse's limbs were deft, befitting a geomancer. Why was it enshrined in the Netherworld Water Palace? It was necessary. After all, it was the remains of a priest. If it were carelessly buried, without proper care, the coffin would surely not hold down. Therefore, it had to be treated with the utmost respect and enshrined within his own hall.
However, what made Xie Lian guess his identity was not just this, but its pounce.
When the water master asked why the corpse had returned to life, Ming Yi quickly replied, "As long as something stands up and blocks our path, it's all that matters." But in reality, it wasn't that sentence that truly irritated Ming Yi, but the four words that followed—"Master Geomancer"! Because he was the true Geomancer!
The person who pretended to be him was standing right in front of them, and he nonchalantly and deliberately led them in the wrong direction.
Sometimes, Ming Yi deliberately goes against the grain, nudging things in the right direction to dispel suspicion. For example, he tells Hua Cheng, "You really do have spies in the Heavenly Palace." But isn't that spy himself? That's why Hua Cheng sarcastically replies, "Didn't you already know that?" The underlying meaning is, "Why bother pretending?"
However, the term "spy" is probably inaccurate. There must have been an agreement between the two, perhaps an exchange of intelligence.
Isn't it a win-win situation for these two desperate ghost kings to collaborate? Blackwater has infiltrated the Upper Heavens, gaining control of the celestial realm's movements, while Huacheng has taken root in the mortal realm, garnering followers everywhere. Whether there's more to this collaboration remains to be seen. Junwu's dispatch of a "geomancer" to the Ghost Market as an undercover agent is like floodwaters flushing out the Dragon King Temple and sending thieves into a den of thieves.
Since Ming Yi's lurking existence, there have only been two accidents. The first was the Fire Dragon's Roaring Sky technique.
The impostor naturally wouldn't have the time to do something like this. Xie Lian was more inclined to believe that the Fire Dragon's Roaring Sky technique was unleashed by the real Ming Yi when she escaped one time.
To completely disguise oneself and infiltrate the Heavenly Court, one must have a thorough understanding of that person. Therefore, the person being impersonated must be kept alive so that details can be extracted from them bit by bit, including their experiences, skills, and the use of magical weapons. The fake Mingyi must have abducted and imprisoned the real Mingyi shortly after his tribulation and before he could ascend to heaven. Otherwise, if the real Mingyi had already come into contact with other priests, the impersonation would be more easily exposed.
It was an accident, so Huacheng received the news and had to go back to help his partners deal with the aftermath. Coincidentally, Xie Lian also accepted the mission given by Jun Wu: the Ghost Market rescue.
I didn't think so at the time, but looking back, I realize that the operation was too smooth. Xie Lian did rescue the "geomancer" from the dungeon of Ji Le Fang, but how did he find the dungeon of Ji Le Fang?
It was because he first saw the ghost-faced man wearing a cursed shackle under Hua Cheng's command, and later saw this man sneaking around in Ji Le Fang.
The cursed shackle was a humiliating thing. Most demoted priests would have tried to hide it, so why did the ghost-faced man wear it directly on his hand? Why did he hide it again later? Besides "accident," another explanation is that he did it intentionally, aiming to attract Xie Lian's attention and lead him to discover the "imprisoned" fake geomancer. In reality, Zhen Mingyi, who sent the distress signal, was likely killed only after this. Since the body couldn't be destroyed, and since leaving a physical body behind would leave many clues, he was reduced to bones.
The second surprise was that after being threatened by Baihua Zhenxian, Shi Qingxuan sought help from Xie Lian.
Hua Cheng clearly didn't want Xie Lian to be dragged into the incident, hence Ming Yi's statement that "I didn't come here on purpose." Later, at the wine table, when Hua Cheng left, he was probably there to meet Ming Yi and question him about what was going on.
Xie Lian didn't have the chance to explain all of this to Shi Qingxuan, but Shi Qingxuan must have thought of it all slowly on his own, his hands trembling slightly beneath his sleeves.
The two walked side by side, and Xie Lian was wondering where Shi Wudu had gone.
The first person to leave through the gate was Shi Wudu, and the last one was "Mingyi". He should not be able to do anything to Shi Wudu without Shi Qingxuan, so there are three possibilities: first, Shi Wudu was teleported to another place; second, something else was waiting for him at Shi Wudu's destination, and he had been killed; third, Shi Wudu left on his own.
If it was one or two, there was no reason why Mingyi would continue to act in front of Shi Qingxuan and search for him together. Thinking of this, Xie Lian suddenly heard "Mingyi" say, "Where's your longevity lock?"
Shi Qingxuan didn't react, but Xie Lian's heart skipped a beat. Mingyi asked several times before Shi Qingxuan finally said, "Huh?"
Ming Yi said unhappily, "Didn't you say that your two longevity golden locks were made from the gold essence of brothers, and that they would resonate when their masters were injured?"
“…”
Shi Qingxuan told Mingyi everything, so he naturally knew the purpose of this treasure. His intention was to use this golden lock to find Shi Wudu's whereabouts!
Shi Qingxuan said: "But...but, my injury has healed!"
Ming Yi said coldly, "That's easy, isn't it?" He raised his hand slightly. Xie Lian thought, "Is he planning to give Master Feng a couple of slashes?" Just as he was concentrating on his guard, Ming Yi pressed on the wound on his own arm.
The wound that had been healed suddenly began to bleed profusely. He said, "You put the lock on me."
“…”
Seeing this, Xie Lian couldn’t help but admire it.
Even if it was just an act, to do it to this extent was truly astonishing. He could completely understand why Shi Qingxuan valued Mingyi so much as a friend.
If this action did not contain murderous intent and ill intentions, such a person would be a friend worth making!
Shi Qingxuan hesitated and dared not move. He only needed to hand over the Longevity Lock, and the two golden locks would resonate. Shi Wudu would sense this and would definitely come looking for him. Mingyi frowned and said, "Are you scared silly?"
Shi Qingxuan said, "...No! Actually, this lock, didn't I tell you? It only works when I wear it."
Ming Yi asked doubtfully, "Is there such a thing?"
Shi Qingxuan tightly grasped the longevity lock and nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
Ming Yi stared at him for a moment, then seemed to give up the idea. She lowered her head to look at the wound on her arm and said nothing. Unexpectedly, at this moment, the longevity lock on Shi Qingxuan's neck began to vibrate.
Shi Qingxuan's expression changed instantly, and Mingyi reacted very quickly. He immediately walked towards the direction of the longevity lock and said, "Master Shuishi is over there."
The resonance of the golden lock indicated that Shi Wudu was injured. But he was unharmed when he entered the gate array. What could have injured him now?
Xie Lian could sense that Shi Qingxuan was both anxious to go and unwilling to go. They were trapped within the Black Water Lake fantasy world, with no one else on the island. Pei Ming was painstakingly cutting wood and building a coffin boat outside the realm to await their return. Shi Qingxuan was now a mere mortal. If Shi Wudu were injured again, he would be helpless, with nothing to show for it. How could he escape now that he had been delivered to his doorstep?
After walking for a while, Shi Qingxuan said, "Brother Ming..., I think there's something fishy going on here. It's best not to go!"
Ming Yi asked, "What's the trick?"
Shi Qingxuan said stubbornly, "How could my brother be injured? The one over there might not be him."
Ming Yi, however, was much more reasonable and well-founded than him, saying, "We are currently in the territory of the Desperate Ghost King. Master Shuishi may not be able to protect himself. Whatever it is, let's go over and take a look first."
Shi Qingxuan couldn't think of a reason not to go. Neither could Xie Lian, but he waited patiently. As the Longevity Lock's vibrations intensified, the two approached, only to find Shi Wudu lying on the ground, huddled in a heap, clutching his abdomen in agony. Shi Qingxuan, startled, shouted, "Brother!" and rushed forward, followed by Mingyi.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Shi Qingxuan approached Shi Wudu, Shi Wudu suddenly jumped up, hugged him, and laughed wildly. Shi Qingxuan was hugged tightly, and was extremely shocked. Only then did he realize that this man had a crooked nose and slanted eyes. He was not Shi Wudu at all, but just a crazy weirdo wearing Shi Wudu's clothes and wearing the gold locket!
Before he could say anything, he heard a loud bang. Ming Yi suddenly fell to the ground beside him, a black hole the size of a hydrangea appearing in his chest. Blood covered the ground. A figure in white jumped down from the tree, grabbed him, and ran away, shouting, "Go!"
Xie Lian took a closer look and saw that this person was Shi Wudu!
Shi Qingxuan said: "Brother?!"
Shi Wudu growled, "Don't talk and follow me! He's not a good person!"
In a flash, Xie Lian understood. It turned out that Shi Wudu was no pushover either. As soon as he emerged from the gate array and found himself still in the Nether Water Palace, he sensed something was amiss. His thoughts were much simpler and sharper than Xie Lian's. He first suspected Ming Yi was behind this, so he hid himself so that he couldn't find him, and then lurked in the shadows to see what he would do. He and Shi Qingxuan were probably teleported to different places, otherwise he would have taken Shi Qingxuan with him. After discovering that Ming Yi and Shi Qingxuan were acting together, he pulled a crazy weirdo over, dressed him in his own coat, put a golden lock on him, and slapped him with a palm, first attracting Ming Yi's attention, and then attacking from the side. He was indeed ruthless, and in fact, there was no strong evidence to prove that Ming Yi had done much, but when he attacked, he was going straight for his life!
Shi Qingxuan couldn't help but look back, and when he did, he saw "Ming Yi", whose heart was pierced by a blow, lying on the ground for a while, then sat up, looked down at the bloody hole with an expressionless face, and slowly stood up.
Instantly, Xie Lian felt a chill run through his heart, radiating from Master Qingxuan. Even a priest couldn't possibly be beaten like this and still function normally? It had to be something inhuman!
The two brothers ran for a while, and suddenly, Xie Lian's hair stood on end. He shouted, "Watch out!" and pulled the water master. There was a sharp sound of breaking wind in the air ahead, and a flash of cold light. If Xie Lian hadn't pulled him, the water master would have been killed.
Those invisible people whose figures can only be seen in the reflection in the water!
Shi Wudu cursed, then took out his Water Master Fan and swung it back. Seven or eight slender water arrows shot out from the ripples, encircling the two men and forming a protective circle. Now, the invisible men could do nothing to them. The two continued to flee, and Shi Qingxuan couldn't help but look back. This time, he was horrified and said, "He... is following us!"
Sure enough, Ming Yi was about twenty feet behind them, slowly advancing. Although it looked like he was "slowly walking," with each step he took, the distance between him and the two in front of him instantly closed significantly, as if with just seven or eight more steps, he would be able to catch the hems of their clothes!
Without turning back, Shi Wudu simply fanned his fan, and twenty or thirty more piercing dragon-shaped water arrows erupted from its surface. Clearly condensed from water, they rang like steel blades piercing the air. With another fan, the number doubled. After several more, over a hundred water arrows flew simultaneously toward Ming Yi, encircling her from all sides. If even one escaped, a transparent hole would surely pierce her heart. However, Ming Yi unexpectedly grasped the first incoming water arrow with her bare hands and tugged at it like a rope. The Water Master's Fan had been yanked free!
As soon as the fan left his hand, the dancing water dragon arrows in the air instantly transformed into a drizzling rain, falling down. Shi Wudu abruptly stopped, staring at his hand in disbelief. In over a hundred years, this was the first time someone had ripped the Water Master Fan from his grasp. Knowing he couldn't escape, he turned around and saw "Ming Yi" also walking steadily towards them, his hands behind his back.
He seemed to be undergoing a subtle transformation. With every step, the change deepened. His already snow-white face grew even paler, as bloodless as Huacheng's. His brows grew sharper, his eyes more deeply defined, and, of course, more gloomy. The hem of his once plain black robe, inconspicuously, was now embroidered with subtle ripple patterns, shimmering with an eerie silver light. By the time he reached the second Feng Shui master, his face remained largely the same, but he was a completely different person.
The Earth Master was not a martial god, but he was weak in martial arts and magic power. However, the one before him clearly did not meet these two requirements. Shi Wudu asked cautiously, "Who on earth are you?"
Ming Yi seemed to find it funny and squinted her eyes and said, "You are on my territory, and you still ask me what I am?"
"..." Shi Wudu said: "Black Water Mysterious Ghost?"
Ming Yi looked at Shi Qingxuan, but Shi Qingxuan didn't react. Shi Wudu asked, "Have you always been a geomancer? Or..." Before he finished speaking, he realized what was happening and said, "I see."
But all he realized was that the Black Ghost had been lurking in the Upper Heaven. Shi Wudu said, "You and I have always kept our distance, governing our own territories. This time, I'm not interested in coming to your territory. Why don't we both take a step back?"
Ming Yi said, "Even if water crosses the sky, there are times when it dares not cross it."
Shi Wudu was naturally arrogant and proud, and upon hearing this, a flicker of displeasure crossed his face. Although he had to bow his head under the eaves and with his younger brother by his side, he was unwilling to lose face and said, "If it weren't for the wrong timing and location, I wouldn't necessarily be afraid of you."
Ming Yi took another step forward and said coldly, "Shi Wu Du, look at who I am."
Shi Wudu frowned slightly at him. He had seen the Earth Master's face several times before, and didn't understand what he meant. He asked, "Who do you want me to say?" He paused, thinking he was hinting that he shouldn't reveal his identity. "It doesn't matter who you are. I swear on the name of my water master, as long as it doesn't affect my two brothers, whatever you do is none of my business..."
Before he finished speaking, Ming Yi said coldly, "Shui Hengtian is indeed a noble man who forgets things easily. Back then, you looked through the birth charts and names of countless people in the mortal world, and went through untold hardships to find someone as unique as me. How come, after just a few hundred years, you've forgotten what I look like?"
Hearing these words, Shi Wudu's face twisted little by little.
This "screaming" expression, which usually appears on mortals' faces, was the first time it appeared on his face. Shi Wudu's pupils shrank to a tiny size, and he blurted out, "You're still alive?!"
He Xuan said coldly: "I'm dead!"
After he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand, put his four fingers together, and lifted it upwards. Xie Lian felt a sharp pain shoot up his head. It turned out to be Shi Qingxuan, who had fainted under the influence of his execution.
It was unknown how long it took before Xie Lian slowly regained consciousness, along with Shi Qingxuan. Before he even opened his eyes, he felt something rubbing against him.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw seven or eight hairy, smelly heads. A group of crazy weirdos surrounded him, grinning foolishly and scratching him with their hands. Xie Lian remained calm because he knew his life was not in danger and that these weirdos, while a bit dirty, were not a threat. Shi Qingxuan was shocked and tried to push them away, but he heard the rattling of iron chains. His hands and feet were cold and he could not move. He looked up and saw that he was handcuffed to a mottled wall with several large iron chains as thick as wooden sticks, his arms hanging high in the air.
Judging from the floor and ceiling, he must have returned to the Netherworld Water Palace. Xie Lian felt the same way, a splitting headache. He was about to say, "Master Wind Master, calm down. I'll teach you how to break free from these shackles..." but suddenly realized that he couldn't make a sound!
Surprised, Xie Lian quickly examined himself. A significant portion of his magical power had indeed been lost. Although his spirit could still remain within Shi Qingxuan's body, he was unable to use Shi Qingxuan's body, not even able to speak a word to offer any instructions. Could it be that the magical power borrowed from Huacheng had been used up?
Impossible. He knew exactly how much mana was needed to perform the Soul Transfer Technique. The mana Huacheng lent him would only increase, never decrease. Furthermore, he felt his mana was constantly draining away, which made him feel strange and anxious. At this moment, a hoarse voice from the other side said, "Qingxuan!"
Shi Qingxuan's eyes were blurry. He looked up intently and saw that the person who called him was actually Shi Wudu.
He wasn't chained, but his white clothes were filthy. He was kneeling on the ground. Seeing Shi Qingxuan awake, he was delighted and seemed to want to come over, but was immediately kicked down by the person next to him and knelt again. The person stood with his hands behind his back, his expression cold and gloomy, and his skin was so pale that it chilled people to the core. It was the Black Water Mysterious Ghost, or rather, He Xuan.
Behind him stood an altar, four smooth, black urns standing calmly atop it. Two torn fans lay on the ground: the Wind Master's Fan and the Water Master's Fan.
Father, mother, sister, fiancée.
He Xuan said: "Kowtow."
Shi Wudu stared at Shi Qingxuan and said, "Okay."
He actually knelt before the altar and kowtowed dozens of times to the four urns. He stood up slightly after kowtow, but He Xuan stepped heavily on his head and said coldly, "Did I ask you to get up?"
Shi Wudu was immediately kicked so hard that several orifices of his body bled. He gritted his teeth and said, "...No."
His brother, who used to be so proud that he wouldn't even bow his head, was now face-stomped on the ground. Although he knew that the retribution he deserved for what he did was ten times heavier than this, blood is thicker than water, and he couldn't bear it. Shi Qingxuan said, "Brother..."
Hearing the sound, He Xuanshen glanced over. Even though he couldn't raise his head, Shi Wudu knew that this was bad news and immediately shouted, "Shut up!"
After thinking for a moment, He Xuan took the boot off his head. Shi Wudu was terrified, but he couldn't get up. He whispered: "Qing Xuan!"
He Xuan slowly approached. The group of crazy people were terrified of him and fled screaming, but they still kept stealing glances at Shi Qingxuan, as if they were eyeing something from him. Chained to the wall, Shi Qingxuan watched the face slowly approaching, a face he should have known so well, yet it felt strange.
He Xuan squatted down in front of him, paused, and asked, "Is Baihua Zhenxian scary?"
He asked calmly, but Shi Qingxuan's eyes were wide open, his lips were trembling, and he was speechless.
The White Words Immortal of yesteryear was already terrifying, but the man who had swallowed the White Words Immortal was now ten or a hundred times more terrifying than the nightmares of his youth. And this fear was something he should have endured long ago.
Shi Wudu said: "He Xuan, everyone has their own responsibility. It was my idea to use you to avoid the disaster. This matter has nothing to do with my brother."
He Xuan sneered: "Irrelevant?"
He stared at Shi Qingxuan intently, speaking word for word, "Your brother, a mediocre mortal with ordinary talent, was able to ascend to heaven and enjoy unlimited glory. He occupied my destiny and enjoyed my godhood. Tell me, this has nothing to do with him?"
Every word was like a knife, piercing the heart. It was meant for Shi Qingxuan. Even though he knew the whole story, he couldn't help but lower his head, feeling like he'd never be able to lift it again. Shi Wudu forced himself to remain calm and said, "You... since you've always been by his side, you should know I'm not lying. He can't keep secrets. He really didn't know anything from the beginning to the end!"
He Xuan sternly said, "That's why he's even more hateful! Why doesn't he know anything?!"
Shi Qingxuan lowered his head even more.
Why can I ascend to heaven by sucking the blood of others and stepping on the corpses of others, while I can enjoy all this with peace of mind and without any burden?
He Xuan added: "You didn't know it at first, and you didn't know it later?!"
Shi Qingxuan raised his head and said in a trembling voice, "Brother Ming, I..."
He Xuan shouted, "Shut up!"
His expression was almost ferocious. Shi Qingxuan took one look at him, shuddered, and fell silent. He Xuan suddenly stood up and walked around the Nether Water Palace, growling in a low voice, "I gave you a chance!"
Shi Qingxuan closed his eyes and clenched his fists. Xie Lian recalled that furious "Okay, okay!" in Bogu Town, and the moment "Ming Yi" stopped Shi Qingxuan from following Pei Ming to the East China Sea.
However, every time, Shi Qingxuan chose to help Shi Wudu.
He whispered, "...I'm sorry."
He Xuan stopped and asked, "What does your apology mean?"
The row of four urns stood directly across from Shi Qingxuan, as if mocking his lighthearted apology. It made him feel even more miserable, his heart aching, as if anything he said would be shattered. Shi Qingxuan said, "...I know it's useless, but I..."
He Xuan said indifferently: "But you what? You know it's useless, but you still try to show your sincerity, hoping to move me, hoping that I can let go of the hatred and resolve the grudge."
Shi Qingxuan hurriedly said, "No! No! I didn't mean that! I just... I just, I, I really feel sorry for you. Really. Ming... He... He Gongzi. I know that my brother and I were wrong, and at this point, there's no way to make amends, so..."
He Xuan listened and said, "So?"
At this moment, no amount of words would be effective. Shi Qingxuan tried hard, but couldn't continue. He Xuan said coldly, "Go on, why don't you continue? Are you willing to die as an apology?"
Shi Qingxuan was stunned. Shi Wudu couldn't bear to listen any longer and said, "He Xuan!!! The culprit is me, Baihua Zhenxian, but Qingxuan himself is not guilty of capital punishment. You..."
He Xuan asked, "Then who among my family of five is guilty? Who caused the death?"
Shi Wudu choked. He Xuan continued, "Tell me. Are you willing?"
"..." Shi Qingxuan whispered, "I do."
He Xuan sneered at this. Because Shi Qingxuan was looking down, Xie Lian couldn't see his expression. Even if he could, he probably wouldn't be able to fathom his thoughts.
In a moment, He Xuan walked away, his hands behind his back. Seeing him leave, the group of crazy people surrounded him again. Some grabbed Shi Qingxuan's thighs and arms and refused to let go, some pulled his hair, and some hooked his neck. Their eyes gleamed green, as if they wanted to eat him alive. Even Xie Lian, who had lived among beggars, felt the chills. He wondered, "Who are these people? Why did Xuan Gui bring all these crazy people here?"
Shi Qingxuan silently endured the shoving and pulling of these crazy people, not daring to make a sound. He Xuan watched coldly for a while and said, "Do you know who these people are?"
Several skinny claws groped Shi Qingxuan's face and body. He didn't even dare to breathe, let alone think about who these people were. He shook his head. He Xuan said, "What a miserable life! A worthless life! A life worse than pigs and dogs! A life that drives people crazy."
“…”
A chill ran through Xie Lian's heart, and he vaguely guessed what he was up to. Shi Wudu also understood immediately, his eyes widening as he asked, "...You?!"
He Xuan stood between Shi Wudu and Shi Qingxuan and said coldly: "Now, I give you two choices."
He pointed at Shi Wudu and said, "The first choice. You, choose one of these people, and exchange your brother's life with him. Then, go back to the mortal world."
Bloodshot crawled up Shi Wudu's eyes, and his shoulders began to tremble. He Xuan said, "Since you enjoy exchanging lives so much, I guess you're very skilled at it and don't need my instruction."
This move, if one ignores the underlying circumstances, is truly sinister. While Shi Qingxuan's original fate wasn't enough to qualify for ascension, it still allowed him to enjoy a comfortable and comfortable life of wealth and leisure. Then look at these people: each one is plagued by ulcers and illnesses, or driven mad by torture. Clearly, each has been beset by great misfortune, calamity, and calamity. If Shi Qingxuan were to switch places with them, wouldn't he be condemned to the same miserable plight? This is a fate that could drive a person mad, and from now on, he will suffer endless pain and torment.
This time, Shi Wudu had clearly failed to survive the tribulation, and with his true identity as Baihua Zhenxian exposed, he was inevitably demoted. Demoted to a mortal, he could no longer redeem Shi Qingxuan's life. How could a common man, stripped of his magical powers, and a destitute human life rotten to the core of the earth, possibly survive?
Shi Wudu took a breath and gritted his teeth, "What about the second one?"
He Xuan continued: "The second one is you."
This time, he was targeting Shi Qingxuan.
He said word by word, "I won't kill you. You, right here, cut off your brother's head for me!"
With a clang, he dropped a rusty knife onto the ground. Shi Qingxuan stared at it, eyes wide. He Xuan said, "Then, never show up in front of me again. That way, I can pretend you don't exist in this world."
The hatred that had simmered in his bones for centuries finally reached its peak. Everyone could see the madness burning in his eyes, and everyone understood that he was not just talking. After a moment's silence, Shi Wudu said in a hoarse voice, "...I will kill myself. I will kill myself, okay?"
He Xuan said: "You are not qualified to bargain with me."
Shi Wudu looked at Shi Qingxuan and murmured, "You are trying to kill us..."
Shi Qingxuan, however, was not as desperate as him and hurriedly said, "Brother! Brother! Let's, let's choose the first one. The first one."
After a while, Shi Wudu calmed down and said, "No. I choose the second one."
"..." Shi Qingxuan was confused and said, "Why choose the second one? Isn't it good for us to all be alive? Brother, let's go with the first one. The second one won't work. I really can't do it."
Shi Wudu said angrily: "Shut up! Don't you know me? I want to lose everything and then watch you become something like that in the mud. Do you think I can do that?! You might as well make me die of anger!"
Shi Qingxuan said: "Brother! Forget it... It's better to live a miserable life than to die. Besides, actually, think about it, we... we have lived well for hundreds of years, it's time... it's time..." As he spoke, he seemed to think of how he had lived well for hundreds of years, and he was too ashamed to say anything more.
He Xuan watched them coldly from the side. Shi Wudu finally got up, grabbed the rusty knife, and stumbled to the wall. He grabbed his brother's shoulder and said, "Come!" He then whispered briefly, "...Go find General Pei and ask him to take care of you."
The knife was incredibly heavy and covered in rust. It would be difficult to even kill a chicken, let alone a person. If such a knife were used to chop off someone's head, both the person cutting and the one being cut would be in excruciating pain. Shi Qingxuan was so frightened that he couldn't hold it anymore and dropped it to the ground, saying, "Forget it, brother, forget it! Didn't you tell me that everyone in this world takes care of themselves? How could others take care of us? We have always taken care of ourselves. Don't give me this thing, don't give it to me!"
Shi Wudu shouted, "Qingxuan! Don't be so useless!"
Then, he smiled bitterly and said, "...You know your brother's nickname is Shui Hengtian. Over the years, he has turned the world upside down and stirred up waves. If there is no thousand, there must be eight hundred. He is our enemy. If I die, it will be fine. If I die, it will be over and it will have nothing to do with you. But if I don't die, but lose everything, that would be worse than death. If I weren't the Water Priest, I wouldn't be able to take care of you at all, and I wouldn't be able to protect myself. I'm afraid that in two days, our brothers will... You take it!"
Shi Qingxuan was almost frightened and cried out in panic, "No! No, no, no, no, brother, I really have no choice! Don't force me, don't force it on me!!! Help, help, help!!!"
At this moment, he actually screamed for help at the top of his lungs. Shi Wudu said, "It's okay! Don't be afraid of Qingxuan. It's better to exchange your life for his mana..."
He Xuan watched this patiently, then suddenly kicked out. Caught off guard, Shi Wudu spat out several mouthfuls of blood and rolled over on the ground, unable to stand up. Shi Qingxuan hung on the wall and shouted, "Brother!"
He Xuan said coldly, "Shut up! Stop showing off your disgusting brotherhood in front of me. No one here will be moved by you!"
Unexpectedly, Shi Wudu vomited blood, then suddenly turned over, leaped up, and grabbed Shi Qingxuan by the neck. Xie Lian was startled, feeling suffocated, and blood rushed to his face. Shi Qingxuan said with difficulty, "...Brother?"
Shi Wudu bit the blood between his teeth and said, "Qingxuan! I'm worried about you in this state! If I die, you will definitely not be able to survive in this world. Why don't you go with your brother!"
As he spoke, his hands suddenly exerted force. Shi Qingxuan's vision went dark, and a dying groan escaped his throat. Xie Lian was horrified: "Is the Water Master really going to strangle the Wind Master to death?!"
After a while, the pressure in his throat suddenly eased, and a large amount of air rushed in, choking Shi Qingxuan and causing him to cough repeatedly. Finally, he finally caught his breath. It was He Xuan who was standing beside them. He broke Shi Wudu's hands that were strangling his neck with his forearms and said coldly, "Did I give you a third way?"
Shi Wudu's arms were severed, blood gushing out like a fountain, but he burst into laughter. He Xuan threw his arms aside like discarded items and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Shi Wudu waved his bloodstained, empty sleeves and said, "I'm laughing at you, thinking you have the upper hand! Do you feel happy that you've finally gotten your revenge after enduring for so many years?"
He Xuan said: "Looking at you lingering on like this, it really feels good!"
Shi Wudu said: "Really? Then let me tell you, I am also very happy!"
He grabbed He Xuan's collar with his broken arms that were bleeding like a fountain, and said, "Because I see you are so angry, so painful, and so hateful that I am biting my teeth with hatred, but you still can't save me.
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