Chapter 33 I am not her
The conversation with Su Zhenzhen cleared up many of Mu Yao's doubts. Just as she was about to leave, Su Zhenzhen suddenly called out to her:
"Yao'er, wait!"
"What's wrong?"
Mu Yao turned around and saw Su Zhenzhen leaning closer, examining the back of her ear closely. "Yao'er, why did you draw a flower behind your ear?"
"What flower? I've never drawn one!" Mu Yao asked, puzzled.
"See for yourself."
Su Zhenzhen pulled her to sit down in front of a bronze mirror, and then placed a small mirror behind her head. When the two mirrors reflected each other, Mu Yao saw a small red flower-shaped mark on the skin behind her right ear.
The shape of the petals was actually that of the red spider lily.
Mu Yao asked in surprise, "What's going on? I didn't have this mark before."
Su Zhenzhen said, "I've never seen you have this before. I thought you had someone draw it on yourself."
Mu Yao said, "I didn't, that's so strange."
Su Zhenzhen looked at it again and again, then suddenly said, "To me, this looks like a mark left by some kind of curse. Have you encountered any danger recently, or are you feeling unwell?"
Mu Yao shook her head: "No, it's just that a few days ago when I went out with my master, Zhang Xiaofan scratched my arm and left a few marks. But they're all healed now."
"What about in the last few months? Have you encountered any strange people?"
"No. I've barely left Fox Hill."
“That’s strange…” Su Zhenzhen was really deep in thought, but Mu Yao said, “Okay, I think maybe I was bitten by some kind of insect, it’s not some kind of curse.”
Su Zhenzhen sighed softly, "I hope it's not true, but just in case, you should still ask the sect leader."
Mu Yao nodded, then left Qixia Mountain and headed towards Langdou Ridge.
Upon arriving at the dungeon entrance, Mu Yao was stopped by a dozen or so disciples guarding the gate. The one in the lead was Jiang Li, the deputy hall master of the Blazing Fire Hall. He bowed and said, "Deputy sect master, the sect master said that no one is allowed to enter without his permission!"
Mu Yao said, "I have already spoken to my master, and he has allowed me to go in."
Jiang Li said, "But I have not received any secret orders from the sect leader."
Mu Yao glanced at him and frowned: "You all saw me win the Heavenly Fox Tournament. If you're confident you can beat me, then fight me. If you can't, then get out of the way."
Having said that, her hand had already touched the flower of sorrow.
Jiang Li pleaded, "Vice Sect Master, please don't make things difficult for us."
Mu Yao's tone was cold and sharp: "Get out of the way!"
Jiang Li sighed, but did not back down, still insisting, "Vice Sect Master, we only obey the Sect Master's orders, please forgive us!"
As soon as he finished speaking, more than ten guards simultaneously drew their long swords from their waists, their blades gleaming coldly.
Mu Yao angrily cursed, "What a bunch of stubborn mules!"
As she spoke, she activated the Heartbreak Flower, which instantly shone brightly and transformed into a sword shadow that flew towards the disciples. However, since they were disciples of the sect, Mu Yao was unwilling to use her full strength, so she only used 30% of her spiritual power. The disciples who were hit cried out in pain and fell down, but the five disciples with the same cultivation level as Jiang Li easily dodged her attack and remained blocking the doorway.
Mu Yao advised again, "I don't want to hurt you. If you're afraid my master will blame you, tell him that I forced my way in."
Jiang Li was extremely stubborn: "We will only obey the sect leader's orders and ignore everything else."
These men were not only from the Blazing Fire Hall, but also among Qin Wuyan's most loyal followers, so they refused to yield to Mu Yao. Mu Yao had no choice but to use her magic again to fight them.
Jiang Li dared not harm her, so he only led his men to defend and block her path. Although Mu Yao had won the championship and her cultivation had improved considerably, she was still struggling to fight five people alone.
Seeing that they were still entangled with her, Mu Yao became anxious and simply stopped casting spells. With a flash, she quickly threw a bag of poison powder from her body and activated the petals of the Heartbreak Flower. The dazzling light flashed, and Jiang Li and the others had to turn their heads and close their eyes. However, a strange fragrance had already filled the air. They knew something was wrong and hurriedly covered their mouths and noses, but it was too late. Their whole bodies suddenly felt weak and powerless, and they could not stand up. They could only support themselves with their swords.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Mu Yao quickly opened the dungeon door and rushed inside.
Oil lamps burned on the dungeon walls. Hearing footsteps, Zhang Xiaofan assumed Qin Wuyan had returned and sneered without even looking at him, "Qin Wuyan, if you have the guts, kill me!"
In the dim light, Mu Yao approached him and finally saw that Zhang Xiaofan, whose limbs were bound to the rack, was covered in blood and wounds, his face a bloody mess, his features unrecognizable...
She was deeply shocked. She had witnessed Qin Wuyan's ruthless punishment of his disciples, but those punishments at most resulted in cuts and bruises or torture from poison. She had never seen Qin Wuyan torture someone to this extent.
She couldn't help but be even more suspicious: if there was no deep-seated hatred, why would Qin Wuyan treat Zhang Xiaofan like this?
"You really want to die?"
Hearing a woman's voice, Zhang Xiaofan raised his head and struggled to open his eyes. When he saw the person in front of him, his eyes immediately lit up, and he excitedly shouted, "Biyao..."
Hearing him call her Biyao again, Muyao said impatiently, "I've already said, I'm not Biyao."
Zhang Xiaofan's voice was weak: "You...you said you're not Biyao, then who are you?"
Mu Yao said, "Tell me first, what are you doing here at Fox Hill? Why did you provoke my master to treat you so cruelly?"
"I...I came here just to find you."
"Looking for me?" Mu Yao asked, puzzled. "Why are you looking for me?"
"Ah!..." Zhang Xiaofan opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but the Seven Mysteries Formation activated on its own again. He was in so much pain that his face was contorted, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Seeing him tortured beyond recognition, Mu Yao's heart softened. She thought that if he died, she wouldn't be able to get anything out of him. So, she stopped the Seven Profound Formation and slowly gathered her spiritual power, injecting it into Zhang Xiaofan's body. Over the years, she had cultivated diligently and was extremely talented, so her wood-elemental spiritual power had become strong enough to heal people.
However, healing also consumes a lot of spiritual energy, so she dared not use too much. Besides, she and Zhang Xiaofan were strangers, and she just didn't want him to die in front of her.
After losing about 20% of his spiritual energy, Zhang Xiaofan's chapped wounds had healed, leaving only the purplish discoloration. He also noticed that the pain in his body was gradually lessening, and asked in surprise, "You...you're healing me?"
Seeing that his injuries had improved and his eyes had regained their spirit, Mu Yao stopped what she was doing and said, "Don't flatter yourself. I'm just afraid that if you die, no one will answer my questions."
Little did Zhang Xiaofan know, he felt that her stubborn yet soft-hearted demeanor was exactly the same as Biyao's in the past. He couldn't help but say, "You still say you're not Biyao? Do you know that you've always been like this? Sharp tongue, soft heart. You say you want to kill people, but in reality you're always doing things to save people."
Upon hearing this, Mu Yao became even angrier and said seriously, "Zhang Xiaofan, I solemnly tell you, I am really not Bi Yao. If you don't believe me, then let me ask you, I heard that after Bi Yao died, her physical body was still preserved for ten years?"
Zhang Xiaofan nodded. "That's right, but twelve years ago... during the war between the righteous and the demonic forces, her physical body disappeared..." He remembered what Qin Wuyan had said, that Biyao's physical body was destroyed because he killed the Beast God and destroyed the magic array, and he felt a pang of pain in his heart.
Mu Yao continued, "That's it. Her physical body was destroyed twelve years ago, and I'm fifteen this year. So when I was born, wasn't Bi Yao's physical body still there? How could she and I be the same person?"
Zhang Xiaofan was stunned. Mu Yao's calculations were indeed reasonable and well-founded; he had guarded Bi Yao's body for ten years. If Mu Yao was indeed born fifteen years ago, and this girl was already three years old when Bi Yao's body disappeared, then it certainly couldn't be Bi Yao.
But looking at that familiar face, he still had doubts: "You really aren't?"
Mu Yao was speechless: "What do I have to say for you to believe me? Besides, my mother is still alive and well. Half a month ago, when I turned 18, she even brought me a special coming-of-age gift. Bi Yao's parents have been gone for a long time. I couldn't possibly have been adopted by my mother, could I?"
Zhang Xiaofan opened his mouth, but couldn't refute her words. Yes, she only resembled Biyao in appearance and personality, but her age... didn't match. Even if she really was Biyao reincarnated, the age still wouldn't match.
His eyes dimmed, and for a moment he didn't know whether to feel joy or sorrow. He wanted her to live, but he was also afraid. If Biyao was really still alive, how could he face her?
Seeing him in a daze, Mu Yao knew he had probably figured it out, so she asked, "Do I really look a lot like that Bi Yao?"
Zhang Xiaofan looked up and stared at her intently: "It's not just similar, it's exactly the same."
Although she was mentally prepared, Mu Yao was still shocked when she heard the words "exactly the same".
“But I could never be her.” She said with absolute certainty, as if she were speaking to Zhang Xiaofan, or perhaps to herself.
Zhang Xiaofan sighed and finally said, "I was confused. You are indeed not Biyao."
Mu Yao said, "I don't understand. Judging from your current state, you clearly still care about Bi Yao, yet you married another woman. What are you thinking?"
The dungeon was completely silent.
Zhang Xiaofan remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "After Biyao died, I spent ten whole years searching for a way to save her, but..."
He choked up, then remembered Qin Wuyan's words, and his eyes welled up with tears:
"The Ghost King once told me that the Beast God's resurrection could also revive Biyao. I tried my best, but she never woke up... Later, her physical body suddenly disappeared, and I searched for a very long time but couldn't find it. The Ghost King was eventually possessed by the Beast God, and for the sake of all living beings, I had to kill him... But I really didn't expect..."
The pain he had hidden for years now spread like thorny vines. He barely managed to hold back his tears as he continued in a low voice, "I had no idea that killing the Beast God would destroy her physical body. I really didn't know..."
His voice was filled with deep pain, which saddened Mu Yao greatly. She couldn't help but ask, "If you had known, would you still have killed the Beast God?"
Silence fell again in the dungeon, so quiet that it seemed one could hear even the flickering of the flames.
Seeing that he remained silent, Mu Yao simply said, "If you don't want to answer, then forget it. I already know the answer. And then? Bi Yao's physical body was destroyed, and you returned to Qingyun Sect and married Lu Xueqi?"
Zhang Xiaofan shook his head and said, "I returned to my sect only because I was seriously injured at the time, and my master took me back. As for Xueqi..."
He closed his eyes briefly and continued, "The Blood-Devouring Bead has been with me for many years, and its malevolent energy has invaded my heart. In the twelve years since the Beast God's death, I have been fighting against the malevolent energy within me, and Xueqi has helped me so much..."
He sighed softly, "The vast landscape only evokes distant longings, fallen flowers and wind and rain only deepen the sorrow of spring; better to cherish the person before me." These were her words to me a month ago. At that time, I only thought, I have already hurt one woman, why should I let another woman continue to grieve for me...
"Sigh!" Mu Yao also sighed suddenly. She looked at Zhang Xiaofan and said, "Actually, I feel quite sorry for Bi Yao and think it's not worth it. But... this is between you two, I don't want to interfere. Do whatever you want. I just want to know, what's going on between my master and Bi Yao?"
Zhang Xiaofan said, "Qin Wuyan was a disciple of the Poison God of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect back then, and once represented the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect in an alliance with the Ghost King Sect." He was about to continue speaking, but he sighed and swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
He knew about Qin Wuyan's proposal to Biyao back then, even after he became Gui Li. But when faced with this person who looked exactly like Biyao, he suddenly didn't want to tell her.
"Is that all? You only mentioned the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect and the Ghost King Sect, but what does that have to do with my master and that Biyao?" Mu Yao continued to press.
"Why don't you ask Qin Wuyan?" Zhang Xiaofan countered.
"I..." Mu Yao was a little annoyed. Why hadn't she asked? But Qin Wuyan kept avoiding her question. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Of course I asked my master, but I also want to hear what you have to say."
Seeing that she seemed hesitant to speak, Zhang Xiaofan simply said, "I don't know anything about the matter between Qin Wuyan and Biyao either."
"You..." Mu Yao stomped her foot in anger, but after dawdling for a long time, she still couldn't get anything out of her.
But she never gave up until she got what she wanted. Her beautiful eyes darted around, and she suddenly laughed, "If you don't tell me the truth, then your Lu Xueqi probably won't survive either."
Zhang Xiaofan was shocked: "You captured Xueqi?"
Mu Yao blinked and laughed, "It's not that I want to capture her, it's that she came to rescue you. She can't beat me and my master, so she's being held somewhere else right now. If you don't answer my questions honestly, I'm afraid you'll become a widower right after your wedding."
Zhang Xiaofan frowned: "If you kill her, I will commit suicide."
Mu Yao laughed: "Go ahead and kill yourself. If you die, I'll make her suffer a fate worse than death. She'll live on as your widow forever!"
"You!..." Zhang Xiaofan looked at her face, which was exactly the same as Biyao's, and couldn't believe that she would say such cruel words to him so casually.
Seeing his speechless expression, Mu Yao laughed even harder: "So? Are you going to tell me or not?"
Zhang Xiaofan said, "If I tell you, will you release Xueqi?"
Mu Yao nodded: "If you tell me the truth, I will not only let her go, but I will also let you go. But if you lie to me, then Lu Xueqi may suffer the same torment as you."
"good!"
Zhang Xiaofan said, "Qin Wuyan must have liked Biyao. Back then, he asked the Ghost King to marry Biyao. Later, Biyao died for me, and he and I searched for all sorts of ways to revive her. The most hopeful chance was at the Star Gazing Cliff, where we could have obtained the spirit stone, but Yu Yangzi destroyed it."
Ten years later, Qin Wuyan met Yu Yangzi again in the Death Swamp. For Biyao's sake, he shattered all of Yu Yangzi's meridians, crippled his limbs, and poisoned him with a worm, torturing him to death. Later, upon hearing that resurrecting the Beast God could also resurrect Biyao, he infiltrated the Incense Valley...
Mu Yao had no interest in listening to what was to come. Her face slowly paled. All she knew was that the methods used to torture Yu Yangzi to death were indeed something Qin Wuyan was capable of doing…
It turned out that Qin Wuyan had indeed lied to her. The alliance with the Ghost King Sect and the claim that he was acting on the Ghost King's orders were all false; they were all lies to deceive her...
Her fingers involuntarily clenched her clothes tightly, and a deep sorrow filled her heart.
"What's wrong with you?" Zhang Xiaofan asked, seeing her blank expression and dazed look for a long time. He was a little worried.
Mu Yao took a deep breath: "Is what you just said true?"
Zhang Xiaofan answered earnestly, "Every word is true."
Now Mu Yao fell silent. After a long while, she suddenly activated the Heartbreak Flower, and the iron chains binding Zhang Xiaofan's limbs snapped. He was released and fell to the ground.
Mu Yao then walked to the other side of the dungeon, cast a spell to activate the Heartbreak Flower, and chanted a series of incantations.
Suddenly, with a loud "boom," the seemingly crack-free wall of the dungeon rose up from the bottom, revealing a tunnel.
She turned to Zhang Xiaofan and said, "You'd better hurry up and leave! Otherwise, once my master arrives, you won't be able to leave."
Zhang Xiaofan was stunned for a moment, then slowly got up from the ground: "If you let me go, aren't you afraid Qin Wuyan will blame you?"
Mu Yao said, "That's not something you should worry about."
Zhang Xiaofan still hesitated: "What about Xueqi..."
Mu Yao laughed: "I was lying to you just now, she's not in Fox Hill."
Zhang Xiaofan was completely stunned.
"Alright, stop dawdling and come with me."
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