Chapter 317 I like good-looking and powerful demonic sorcerers
The little girl who had captured Gongsun Qi's attention was still wandering around the Taiyi family compound. Yu Sui had been chased all night, and although she and Wan Qi and Ling Jian had helped her find the Xiaoyao Pool, it took them some time to successfully enter the compound.
There were simply too many people coming to participate in the Ming Family Cult's sacrificial ceremony, and with the change in terrain, entering the Ming Family Cult was no longer so easy. Even Ling Jian, a disciple of the Ming Family Cult, had not chosen the correct path.
If you encounter a group of people attacking you on the road, you may be forced to change lanes for defense.
Ling Jian followed her all night, occasionally having to lend a hand. What exhausted him the most was that Yu Sui sometimes attacked indiscriminately, as if she had forgotten that she was with her.
Every time Ling Jian was hit by the blazing sun array, thrown off balance by the shockwave, and then tumbled back up, he couldn't help but yell, "Aren't I your ally?!"
Yu Sui looked over as if surprised: "Oh dear! I just advanced to the next realm, and I can't yet control my power or its range."
Ling Jian flicked his hand and pointed to Wan Qi, who was unharmed beside him: "Then why didn't he even once?"
Before the question could be finished, Yu Sui answered, "He dodged quickly!"
Ling Jian was speechless, and could only angrily curse: "If you were back to your previous eighth realm state, you would have to hide even faster, and you wouldn't be able to see a single person."
Yu Sui then asked about Wan Qi's past: "How did he become a sixth-realm cultivator?"
Wan Qi: "That's not the point."
He tried to stop Ling Jian, but Ling Jian was already annoyed with him, so he said, "It's all because he stuck his neck out and messed with the wrong people, and got beaten up."
A white mist shrouded the road ahead, and the small stone lanterns on the ground were dim. Yu Sui, who was walking ahead, turned around and asked, "Who lit that?"
Wan Qi gave a weak twitch of her lips, and half-heartedly tried to stop her again: "There's no need to dwell on the past..."
Ling Jian blurted out, "Mu Shiyan of the Yin Yang School, he's the young marquis of Taiyuan. Even if he doesn't mess with you in the academy, once you leave Taiyi, whether he kills or punishes you depends entirely on his mood. You'd be lucky if he only gave you a beating and demoted; the others might not even survive..."
"Shut up." Wan Qi changed his previous cowardly and dejected appearance, his expression was calm and his words were indifferent. Ling Jian subconsciously shut up, but still stared at him with wide eyes.
The two faced off in silence. After a short while, Yu Sui exclaimed in surprise, "Is someone outside Taiyi settling personal scores and targeting us?"
Ling Jian immediately replied, "Of course! In Taiyi, everyone is equal, but outside of Taiyi, there is no such rule."
The dean and instructors don't concern themselves with anything outside of Taiyi, nor is it their place to interfere.
At Taiyi Academy, Mu Shiyan is their student and disciple. Outside of Taiyi, he is the young marquis of Taiyuan.
Yu Sui nodded and said, "That's true! I would have done the same."
Ling Jian: "..."
I almost forgot that this person is the noble Princess Qingyang.
He told the other party that this kind of thing wouldn't resonate with anyone, after all, Nangong Sui was just like Mu Shiyan.
Ling Jian wiped her face, took a step back and walked alongside Wan Qi, leaned closer to him and whispered, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have blurted it out just now."
Wanqi didn't say anything, but his previously straight back hunched over again, and he drooped his head to look at his feet.
Ling Jian continued, "You shouldn't have bothered with Nangong Sui. Zuoqiu Shan and the others misunderstood Nangong Sui. Let them fight like dogs with Nangong Sui. Why are you interfering? She is Princess Qingyang, and who are you?"
“Even if she suffers in the academy, she can always get her revenge outside. There’s no need to worry about her. I’m just trying to steal the golden key. If I succeed, I’ll run; if I fail, I fail.” Ling Jian glanced at Yu Sui walking ahead and continued, “Don’t stand up for her. The president isn’t paying attention to you anymore… If something really happens, I can’t help you. If you get injured and drop in cultivation level, what will happen to your sister and brother?”
Wan Qi glanced at him and said dryly, "I didn't want to show off either."
Ling Jian said, "Then why should we follow her?"
Run!
Wan Qi slightly curled the corner of her mouth: "This isn't..."
"Hey," the person walking in front suddenly turned around and said, "I can hear you."
Wan Qi swallowed back the words that were about to come out, while Ling Jian stared at Yu Sui with a look of utter disbelief. How could this be? How could she hear him at this distance?!
"You...you heard that?" Ling Jian still didn't believe it.
Yu Sui nodded: "You asked him why he's still following me, what do you think?"
Ling Jian's expression immediately became quite interesting. He turned his face away guiltily, not daring to look Yu Sui in the eye.
Yu Sui said, "Wan Qi is going to help me solve Zuo Qiushan's problem. As for you, you are a defeated opponent. You clearly promised to help me find Xiaoyao Pool, but you went back on your word and even tricked Wan Qi into leaving with you. You are a liar who cannot be trusted."
Ling Jian felt a little wronged to be called a liar, but considering that Yu Sui had overheard her words, she was too ashamed to argue. So she raised her hands in surrender and pleaded, "Okay, okay! It was my fault. I promise I won't do it again..."
Yu Sui replied, "You swear using the method of testimonies from famous figures."
Ling Jian: "..."
He turned to look at Wan Qi, who looked up at the sky and said, "Why are you looking at me? I can't beat her either."
Ling Jian had no choice but to use the Testimony Technique to guarantee that he would be struck by lightning if he did not send her to the Free and Unfettered Pool.
Yu Sui then smiled and said, "Now do you know why you came with me?"
Ling Jian felt that her smile was malicious: "Of course! We haven't even reached the Leisure Pool yet, have we?"
Yu Sui then continued walking forward: "The sooner we get here, the sooner the vow will end."
Ling Jian sighed and pointed the way: "Wrong way, go this way."
"Oh!" Yu Sui nodded obediently.
Ling Jian found it strange. How could he have been manipulated by a girl who seemed so well-behaved, kind, and harmless? After thinking it over, he could only sigh that none of those people from aristocratic families were stupid.
Because of the constraints of the Testimony Technique, Ling Jian became serious and proactive in finding her way. Yu Sui was responsible for shaking off her pursuers, but the closer they got to the famous families, the more people they encountered. However, not everyone wanted to compete with Yu Sui; quite a few people helped her out of respect for her brother, Sheng Fei.
After dodging wave after wave of pursuit and encirclement, Ling Jian was exhausted and suggested taking a break.
Yu Sui turned to look at him: "When do I have time to rest?"
"Okay, you run first, I'll rest for a bit and then I'll be right back!" Ling Jian leaned against the tree trunk, bending over. "With the Testimony spell on, there's no way I can run away!"
Yu Sui said, "I'm afraid you won't be able to keep up."
Ling Jian couldn't help but glare at her: "Aren't you tired? You've been fighting from morning till night, you must have used up a lot of energy! How come you're still perfectly fine, while I'm already exhausted? This doesn't make sense! Haven't you overused your five elements energy?"
“Yes,” Yu Sui said. “I’m also very tired, but I just didn’t say it out loud.”
Ling Jian didn't believe it and kept staring at Yu Sui, saying, "You don't look tired at all. You've been playing for so long and you're not out of breath."
Wanqi couldn't help but say from the side, "You're panting because you're weak."
Silence.
Ling Jian then glared at Wan Qi with a dark expression: "Then why are you panting? Aren't you also..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wan Qi cut him off: "I'm panting because I'm tired. I'm the lowest level among the three of us. It's no wonder I'm tired after running with you for so long."
Ling Jian forced himself to stay alert, not wanting to appear the weakest of the three. He was anything but weak!
"Let's go, let's keep going!" As soon as Ling Jian uttered the words, the three of them started buzzing with their wind-listening rulers.
Yu Sui took out the Wind Listening Ruler and saw that Pu Heng had made a move.
Su Xingchao went to the Discipline Department, captured Mu Mengbai and the unconscious Sheng Fei, and saw the character runes that had not disappeared in the stone house, which were consistent with the information Pu Heng obtained from the Listening Wind Ruler.
So Su Xingchao ordered his men to destroy the evidence in the stone house and quickly spread the news that he had deciphered the inscription and disseminated its meaning.
Soon, the students of Taiyi learned that the bet between the two disciples of the Ming family had ended. The eldest son, Sheng Fei, lost the bet, and Su Xingchao was the first to decipher the inscription. The fragments of the Floating Pagoda were in the Boundless Abyss of the Ghost Dao family.
This is going to be quite lively.
However, the news of the fragments of the Floating Pagoda made her feel a little better. Those who were chasing after the golden key turned around and went to the Ghost Path Academy to grab the fragments.
"Is this...is this real?" Ling Jian stared at the Listening Wind Ruler in her hand, lost in a daze. "Sheng Fei actually lost? How could he lose? Impossible, absolutely impossible! He's worlds apart from Su Xingchao, how could he lose to Su Xingchao in literacy!"
He suddenly looked up, meeting the surprised eyes of Yu Sui and Wan Qi, who stared thoughtfully at Ling Jian's loss of composure.
Ling Jian said indignantly, "Sheng Fei could never lose to Su Xingchao!"
Yu Sui tilted her head to look at Wan Qi, raised her hand and made a gesture, pointing to her own head and turning it around, silently asking a question.
Wan Qi whispered, "He probably... greatly admires Sheng Fei."
Yu Sui nodded, understanding; Ling Jian was Sheng Fei's biggest fan.
Although Sheng Fei has a bad temper, he is not lacking in other aspects. It is not surprising that a disciple of a famous family like Ling Jian would admire and respect Sheng Fei's strength.
Ling Jian muttered "impossible" under her breath, lost in her own world for a while before realizing that the two people next to her had stopped talking. Only then did she realize her lapse in composure, her face turning from white to red as she reached out to scratch her cheek.
"I...I just can't believe it," Ling Jian said, glancing at Yu Sui, her voice growing softer and softer, "You're his sister, you must know better than anyone..."
Yu Sui interrupted him: "I don't know. Third Brother hasn't been home for several years and hasn't told me anything about Taiyi."
Ling Jian was taken aback by Yu Sui's answer. Others who had seen Sheng Fei's attitude towards Yu Sui in Taiyi would have assumed that the siblings had a very good relationship.
Yu Sui continued to feign ignorance and asked, "Are you saying that my third brother lost to Su Xingchao?"
Ling Jian reached out and poked the screen of the Listening Wind Ruler: "It seems so... but Su Xingchao's interpretation of the inscription may not be correct, unless they really found the fragment of the Floating Pagoda in the Abyss of No Return."
That's a fragment of the Floating Pagoda, something capable of breaking the oath of non-aggression between the six kingdoms. Ling Jian felt that this kind of thing was a hot potato.
Yu Sui whispered, "Their bet is about who deciphers the inscription first, not who finds the Pagoda first. As long as the meaning of the inscription is correct, that means..."
Ling Jian repeated, "Impossible!"
He glared at Yu Sui and said, "You're his sister, you should believe him!"
Yu Sui stared at him silently without speaking. Ling Jian paced back and forth, gritting his teeth as he said, "Why don't we go find Sheng Fei first and see what's going on!"
Wan Qi scoffed, "Are you crazy?" He pointed at Yu Sui and said, "The princess still has the golden key of a famous family. Sheng Fei lost, so what? Su Xingchao is just as good as him in terms of literacy. Sheng Fei was punished by the Legalists with confinement for causing trouble, while Su Xingchao got there first..."
Ling Jian glared at him: "You don't understand! Su Xingchao may seem impressive to you, but when it comes to literacy, he's really not as good as Sheng Fei!"
"Alright, you're a renowned expert, so you get to decide." Wan Qi wasn't interested in arguing with him about this and directly asked Yu Sui, "Then tell me, where do we go next?"
Yu Sui said, "Let's go to Xiaoyao Pool."
Ling Jian couldn't believe it: "Aren't you going to take care of your brother? Su Xingchao announced the inscription, and he didn't say a word. Something must have happened to him!"
"Is the inscription on the monument real or fake? Has any instructor or dean confirmed it?" Yu Sui shook the Wind-Listening Ruler in her hand. "No, then we can't say that Su Xingchao won and my third brother lost. Besides, my position is now publicly known. It's faster for my third brother to come to me than for me to go to him."
After listening, Ling Jian felt that it made some sense and was gradually persuaded, following Yu Sui forward. Wan Qi looked at him: "You care about Sheng Fei so much?"
"I just find it strange that Su Xingchao won." Ling Jian turned her face away, somewhat embarrassed.
Wan Qi said, "It's not surprising that Su Xingchao won; he's not alone."
Ling Jian then remembered, her brows furrowed, and she became somewhat hesitant.
Yu Sui walked quietly ahead. Wan Qi was right, but Su Xingchao's backing wasn't just Pu Heng offering advice; she was also pushing things along.
Su Xingchao revealed the meaning of the inscription, told everyone about the fragments of the Floating Pagoda, and guided them to the Abyss of No Return to search for treasure. He told them to fight each other to the death first, while Pu Heng would wait until the fragments of the Floating Pagoda appeared before making his move.
Yu Sui is also waiting for the fragments of the Floating Pagoda to appear. As long as the fragments don't fall into the hands of a saint, she has a way to snatch them.
All the treasures from this Hundred Families Night Parade combined cannot compare to the fragment of the Floating Pagoda. That thing is something that can influence the situation of the six kingdoms. Whether it is the ambitious pro-war faction or the moderate faction that wants to maintain the status quo, they all have to find a way to control this fragment in their own hands in order to feel at ease.
As for Pu Heng
For Yu Sui, the more he does at this moment, the more mistakes he will make.
Mu Mengbai never imagined that he would one day fall into Su Xingchao's hands.
As soon as Xia Feichen and Fang Tianchen left, Mu Mengbai set up a divination array on the spot as a precaution. Logically, this move was to guard against the sudden arrival of Su Xingchao. Unfortunately, despite all his calculations, he did not expect that Pu Heng would also anticipate that Su Xingchao would be with Sheng Fei, so he had called Fang Ji's helpers in advance.
Mu Mengbai's divination array was disrupted from the outside as soon as it was set up.
The opponent's divine wooden divination stick flew straight in, landing precisely in the center of the divination array and finding the breaking point. Before Mu Mengbai could even stop it, the divination array patterns that had already appeared vibrated and broke.
Then Su Xingchao and his group came in and easily subdued him, tying up the still unconscious Sheng Fei.
Mu Mengbai was furious. As he struggled, he punched and kicked them, yelling, "Trying to pull a dirty trick, huh! Aren't you afraid the instructors will find out?"
He was speaking when he saw the woman in white walking at the back. Her black hair was tied with a blue ribbon, and she had a cool and aloof temperament. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes looked at Mu Mengbai without any emotion.
Yingzhu gently waved her hand, and the divine wooden token that had landed in the formation flew back into her hand.
"No way, Senior Sister Ying! How come you're with them too?!" Mu Mengbai stared at her, unable to believe it.
Yingzhu stood there silently, offering no reply.
Mu Mengbai turned to Su Xingchao and grabbed his neck, asking fiercely, "What kind of bewitching trick did you use to get my senior sister Ying, who is indifferent to worldly affairs and focused on cultivation, involved in such a dirty thing!"
Su Xingchao was caught off guard when Mu Mengbai grabbed his neck. His face turned red, and he kicked Mu Mengbai away in annoyance, looking at him speechlessly: "Everyone has their own ambitions. Why do you always say that Yingzhu is out of touch with the world? She is different from you, a good-for-nothing who just loafs around in Fangji's house. She has great ambitions!"
Yingzhu: "..."
Mu Mengbai wanted to say something, but Xu Dian, who was standing next to him, silenced him. Then he looked up and asked Su Xingchao, "What about him?"
Su Xingchao glanced at Sheng Fei and Mu Mengbai, and sneered: "Separate them and lock them up. Just don't let Sheng Fei wake up before you get the stuff."
As the heir of the Qingyang Prince's Mansion, even during the Hundred Families Night Parade, they wouldn't kill Sheng Fei. But Mu Mengbai is different; he'll die if necessary.
Ying Zhu stood to the side, listening quietly to their arrangements without offering any advice. After a while, her Wind-Listening Ruler rang. Ying Zhu looked down and then said, "Mei Liangyu and Gu Gan have already entered the Reverse Ancient Tower."
"So fast?" Xu Dian asked in surprise.
Su Xingchao was not surprised: "Although the True Spirit Chain sealed their Five Elements Qi, don't forget that Gu Gan has the Divine Mechanism Heavenly Official, and Xiang Feifei can use Shadow Swallowing to help. Mei Liangyu also has a lot of things. The reason they only arrived at the Ming family now is entirely because the terrain changed during the night and they didn't recognize the way."
He sighed as he spoke, "We shouldn't have tied Mei Liangyu to him, otherwise Gu Gan wouldn't have been able to untie her so quickly."
Mu Mengbai, bound tightly by Xu Dian, writhed on the ground. After hearing Su Xingchao's words, he cursed inwardly. Everyone said that Su Xingchao was brave but reckless, impulsive, and stupid, but that was clearly all an act! He was not stupid at all!
“Now that we’ve entered the Ancient Reversal Tower, they’ll be able to break the True Spirit Chain soon,” Ying Zhu said. “Let’s finish this quickly and head to the Boundless Abyss.”
Su Xingchao clicked his tongue lightly, glanced at Sheng Fei, and said, "It's a real pity to let Nangong Sui go."
Ying Zhu looked up at him: "You think the fragments are more important than the golden key?"
Su Xingchao shrugged: "I didn't say that."
He turned to face the unconscious Sheng Fei and said to Xu Dian, "You and Shen Liu take these two to the Lake of the Dead. Submerge one in the lake and hang the other from a tree. If Sheng Fei wakes up, knock him unconscious."
Xu Diangang nodded, and Su Xingchao added, "Take Mu Mengbai to fish for the Yin-Yang fish in the Lake of the Dead. It would be best if we could catch one."
“Okay,” Xu Dian said. “Leave this to me and Shen Liu.”
Su Xingchao patted his shoulder before turning and leaving with Ying Zhu. A moment later, Xu Dian and Shen Liu also left the Discipline Department with the unconscious Mu Mengbai and Sheng Fei.
The Lake of the Underworld is a top-level forbidden area for the Yin-Yang School, and even patrol personnel are not allowed there.
Su Xingchao didn't know how Pu Heng knew how to enter the Lake of the Dead, but he wouldn't question it. He would just do whatever the chairman said.
Dawn was approaching, and Yu Sui was still wandering around in the woods looking for a way out. Perhaps because the terrain was too complicated, there were far fewer pursuers.
Ling Jian became somewhat nonchalant, and as they walked, he suddenly blurted out, "Could it be Pu Heng?"
He regretted it as soon as he finished speaking, and when Yu Sui and Wan Qi turned to look at him, he covered his mouth with both hands and shook his head frantically.
Yu Sui sighed and said, "Alright, since you're so worried about my third brother, then go find him."
"I wasn't that worried about him! Why would I be worried about him!" Ling Jian stubbornly insisted. "I just found it strange!"
Wan Qi ignored him completely and continued walking forward with his head down. He heard Yu Sui ask Ling Jian from behind, "What does this have to do with Chairman Pu?"
"It's okay, I was just guessing," Ling Jian said.
Yu Sui didn't believe it: "Su Xingchao is a member of the Qingyun Society, so it's only right that Chairman Pu helps him, but Chairman Pu wouldn't do something like kidnapping my third brother."
Ling Jian: "Why is it impossible?"
Yu Sui affirmed, "President Pu is not that kind of person."
"You're so confident in him?" Ling Jian said, annoyed. "You don't believe your own brother can win, but you believe in Pu Heng instead."
Yu Sui asked him, "Then tell me why you suspect Chairman Pu?"
"I..." Ling Jian was about to speak when Wan Qi turned around and interrupted him, "Which way are we going?"
When Ling Jian saw Wan Qi, she swallowed the words she was about to say and quickly followed Wan Qi, saying, "Left, left."
Yu Sui followed slowly behind. The two of them were very secretive about Pu Heng's affairs, probably because they came from the same village and then parted ways because of some things.
Pu Heng, on the other hand, remained calm and didn't mention her friendship with Wan Qi at all. He even allowed Zuo Qiushan to cause trouble for Wan Qi.
Ling Jian and Wan Qi stopped after taking only a few steps, their expressions changing instantly. It was an unexpected twist of fate. Zuo Qiushan and his group were looking around with their wind-listening rulers, clearly searching for Yu Sui, whose position had been compromised, but they hadn't expected to run into these two first.
"Hurry up!" Ling Jian turned around and signaled to Yu Sui, reaching out to grab Wan Qi, only to find that the man was standing still.
When Zuoqiu Shan saw Wan Qi, he was taken aback at first, and then noticed Yu Sui coming out from behind. He sneered, "Still saying you two aren't together!"
This is a huge misunderstanding!
Wan Qi sighed inwardly and couldn't help but raise his hand to press his throbbing temples.
Yu Sui didn't care. She stepped forward and said to Zuo Qiushan, "You're quite the chaser, just like a dog."
Just as Zuoqiu Shan was about to get angry, Wan Qi stopped him: "Since we've already run into each other, let's take this opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding." He took a deep breath and said to Zuoqiu Shan, "Shall we talk somewhere else?"
"Why should I?" After Zuoqiu Shan finished speaking, Wan Qi added, "There are some things you don't want others to know, right?"
Zuoqiu Shan wasn't sure how much Wan Qi knew, but he did have concerns. After weighing his options, he snorted and walked away, signaling the others to take Wan Qi with them.
"Hey." Yu Sui looked at Wan Qi. "You two aren't from the same village, are you? What can't you talk about in front of me?"
Ling Jian also asked, "Yeah, if she can't do it, then neither can I?"
Wan Qi said to Yu Sui with some helplessness, "Didn't you want me to explain things to Zuo Qiushan? I'm going to explain to him so he won't misunderstand that you're on my side."
Yu Sui looked at him for a while, and finally smiled and said, "Then it's up to you."
Wan Qi turned around and followed Zuo Qiushan, walking deeper into the forest.
Zuoqiu Shan brought four people with him, making a total of five including himself. Some were disciples of physicians, while others were disciples of famous masters. With their superior numbers, they surrounded Wan Qi, making the already slumped-over boy appear even more vulnerable and easily defeated.
Before Wan Qi could speak, Zuo Qiushan asked coldly, "It was you, wasn't it? Because you're jealous of Chen Jie, you deliberately framed him."
"You should know whether he did that kind of thing or not." Wan Qi looked around. "Or is it that you don't trust any of these people, so you're just pretending with me?"
Zuoqiu Shan's face darkened, and he stepped forward and kicked Wan Qi to the ground.
Wan Qi groaned and tumbled into the nearby stream, splashing water everywhere. He lay there, refusing to get up. Zuo Qiushan walked to the bank and squatted down. The shadows cast by the stream were like a net covering the fish in the water, creating a suffocating feeling of having nowhere to escape.
"You haven't suffered enough yet, and you still dare to stand up for others. Isn't falling from the eighth realm to the sixth realm enough to teach you a lesson?" Zuoqiu Shan held a curved knife in his hand, the tip of the knife lightly touching Wan Qi's throat.
Zuoqiu Shan said, "If you hadn't come out and caused trouble that night, Chen Jie wouldn't have been driven out of Taiyi, and we would have lost a capable helper."
"Why do you suspect Nangong Sui?" Wan Qi retorted. "When Chen Jie does something like this, he always chooses someone with a lower cultivation level than himself, someone who would be impossible to detect. How can you be so sure that Nangong Sui conspired with me?"
Who told Zuoqiu Shan to specifically mention Nangong Sui by name?
"Many people have met with me since that incident, so why are you so sure it's Nangong Sui?"
Zuoqiu Shan looked at him with a forced smile: "Not only are you willing to stand up for her, but you're also desperately trying to exonerate her. Isn't that proof enough?"
"I'm trying my best to clear up the misunderstanding and prove that I have nothing to do with Nangong Sui." Wan Qi said seriously, "Why do you think I'm with her? It's because you caused trouble for her at the dormitory, which made her angry with me and insist on grabbing me to explain things to you."
"An explanation?" Zuoqiu Shan asked inscrutablely. "What explanation do you have?"
"The truth is you're overthinking it. I didn't conspire with Nangong Sui. It was just that Chen Jie was unlucky enough to do something dirty and I found out about it." Wan Qi showed no fear of the knife pointed at his throat and continued, "I did want to show off and remind Nangong Sui, but unfortunately my senior sister found out, so I had no choice but to implicate Chen Jie to get away with it. That's the answer you're looking for. It's very simple and not as complicated as you think."
After hearing Wan Qi's explanation, Zuo Qiushan's face showed a hint of anger: "You really have no shame, how could you do such a thing to someone you grew up with!"
“Chen Jie did something worse than an animal, how could I be worse than him?” Wan Qi asked, looking surprised.
Zuoqiu Shan truly treated Chen Jie as his good brother. Upon hearing Wan Qi's words, he couldn't help himself and slashed down with his curved knife. Wan Qi scrambled to his feet in the water to dodge, but was grabbed by the collar and pulled back, where he was slapped across the face.
Wan Qi didn't dodge, nor did he have time to dodge. He tasted a metallic flavor in his mouth, and his face burned with pain. His face immediately swelled up.
He blinked and said to Zuoqiu Shan, "I've explained, and you've done it, so is that alright?"
"You really want to stand up for Nangong Sui?" Zuoqiu Shan stared at Wan Qi with anger burning in his eyes.
Wan Qi replied, "Compared to you, I would rather not offend Nangong Sui."
Zuoqiu Shanzhen didn't understand why Pu Heng would keep such an unstable person as Wan Qi. He knew too much, yet he didn't join the Qingyun Society or participate in their plans. Whenever Wan Qi said anything to the outside world, it would affect the Qingyun Society and Pu Heng himself.
Could it be because of the bond they shared growing up together that they were too soft-hearted to kill him?
In other words, Wan Qi never said a word about Pu Heng to anyone, otherwise he would have died long ago.
Besides testing Yu Sui, Zuo Qiushan also secretly wanted to get rid of Wan Qi, a potential threat to Pu Heng.
Ever since Wan Qi suffered at Mu Shiyan's hands and his Light Core Realm was damaged, he retreated into his shell, becoming a cowardly and lazy person. What did other people's suffering have to do with him? In this world, some people can only be saved temporarily, not forever, and he couldn't afford the price of saving them anyway.
"Alright, if you lower your cultivation to the third realm again today, I'll believe you." Zuoqiu Shan, who was squatting by the stream, raised his body slightly, looking down at Wan Qi, who had fallen into the water and was soaking wet and in a sorry state. "Will you do it yourself, or will you let me do it?"
Wan Qi twitched the corner of his mouth: "Isn't it a bit too harsh?"
"You're not willing again?" Zuoqiu Shan mocked him. "That's just how you are. You always play the hero and stand up for others, but you can't bear the consequences. The person you saved last time wasn't exactly grateful to you. Now he's avoiding you, isn't he? Do you think Nangong Sui won't? Someone like Nangong Sui wouldn't care whether you live or die."
Wan Qi didn't answer; at that moment, he suddenly felt a little tired.
He had come to Taiyi after going through many hardships, thinking that he could make a name for himself here. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and many things were not as he had imagined.
Friends who used to talk about everything have become worse than strangers, and they have tacitly stopped mentioning each other's names.
What he once thought was a heroic act resulted in damage to his own core and even caused his family to suffer. Was he wrong to stop the aristocratic scions from bullying others? Wan Qi felt he hadn't done anything wrong, but when he saw his older sister and younger brother kneeling and begging for mercy, he knew he was wrong.
Perhaps he shouldn't have come to Taiyi.
The idea of a medical saint or a master of the thirteen realms was just a childhood dream. He could give it up and return to his carefree days.
Wan Qi slowly raised his head and looked calmly at Zuo Qiushan: "Go ahead and do it."
Zuoqiu Shan was stunned upon hearing this, and for a moment he could hardly believe it.
After seeing this through the Five Elements Light Core, Yu Sui stepped forward. Ling Jian asked, "Where are you going? Are you really going there?"
"Fine, you've got guts. I'll see how long you can keep up this act." Zuo Qiushan quickly regained his composure, gathered energy in the curved blade in his palm, and took a step forward, hovering it above Wan Qi's head.
Before Zuoqiu Shan could make a move, Yu Sui's unhurried voice came from behind: "He's lying to you."
Wan Qi was stunned, and Zuo Qiushan was also taken aback, frowning as he turned around to look: "What do you mean?"
“Wanqi’s explanation to you was all a lie, because I’m the one who blinded Chen Jie.” Yu Sui smiled and looked at Zuo Qiushan, walking forward as she spoke amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd. “I had already sensed that Chen Jie was outside, and I threatened Wanqi to expose Chen Jie to others, because I assured Wanqi that Chen Jie would definitely die this time.”
Zuo Qiushan and the others were stunned, completely unable to believe it. They had always accused her of conspiring with Wan Qi to plot against Chen Jie, but when Yu Sui actually admitted it, word by word, they found it absurd and unbelievable, and could not believe it at all.
Wan Qi's originally calm heart was also disturbed, and his expression gradually became strange.
She actually said it?
Yu Sui walked step by step toward Zuoqiu Shan, still smiling innocently: "I deliberately made Chen Jie go crazy and threatened him to confess his crimes, otherwise I would kill him immediately. As long as he confesses, he can leave Taiyi with his life."
Upon hearing this, Zuoqiu Shan instinctively denied it: "Impossible!"
How could she possibly do such a thing! There were so many people present at the time, including the instructors. How could Nangong Sui have the means to threaten Chen Jie without anyone noticing?
Before Chen Jie was discovered, he had always been with him. Who could possibly threaten Chen Jie? Zuo Qiushan simply didn't believe it!
“You insisted that I conspired with Wan Qi, and now that I’ve admitted it and told you everything, you still don’t believe me,” Yu Sui said, spreading her hands. “So what exactly do you want to hear? Like, is Chen Jie really dead?”
Zuoqiu Shan's expression changed: "Don't talk nonsense here."
“I’m not lying to you, he really is dead, otherwise he would have contacted you already, wouldn’t he?” Yu Suichao tilted his head at Wan Qi. “I’m not like him, a liar. I answer every question and tell the truth. If you want to find Chen Jie’s body, I can tell you too.”
"You think I'd believe you?" Zuoqiu Shan steadied himself, refusing to fall for it. "You're trying to distract me so you can save Wanqi from my grasp, aren't you!"
Zuoqiu Shan grabbed Wan Qi, who was still in a daze, and pressed the gleaming curved knife against his throat.
Ling Jian's heart trembled at the sight. The knife had already cut bloody marks on Wan Qi's neck, and he was truly afraid that Zuo Qiushan might accidentally sever Wan Qi's head.
Yu Sui chuckled, then put on a serious expression and said, "Yes, I want to save him. Tell me, what do I need to do to save him from you?"
Her frankness in stating her purpose left Zuoqiu Shan somewhat at a loss.
Wan Qi never expected things to develop this way. This strange Princess Qingyang had caused him to make many mistakes in his judgments.
Zuo Qiushan suddenly felt that the girl in front of him had become troublesome. Although she looked innocent and had no aggression, he subconsciously became wary.
"You want to save Wan Qi? Fine, hand over the golden key to the master craftsman in your hand," Zuo Qiushan probed.
Yu Sui readily agreed: "Okay."
Wan Qi couldn't help but speak up to stop her: "Are you crazy? Do you think I'm worthy?!"
Yu Sui looked at Zuo Qiushan and said, "The golden key is inanimate, but you are alive, so of course you deserve it."
Wanqi felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow; his soul trembled, his ears were ringing, and his consciousness was suddenly stretched out.
Yu Sui held the golden key in her hand and waved it at Zuo Qiushan: "Do you want it?"
Zuoqiu Shan asked suspiciously, "You really want it?"
“Give it to me,” Yu Sui said, “but you also have to release Wan Qi.”
Zuoqiu Shan couldn't help but sneer, "Could it be that you've taken a liking to this kid?"
Otherwise, why would they be willing to exchange the golden key they had guarded all night for Wan Qi's worthless life?
"Don't talk nonsense." Yu Sui glanced at the stunned Wan Qi and said seriously, "Don't misunderstand me, I didn't mean that at all. I like good-looking and powerful Taoist sorcerers."
A handsome and powerful sorcerer from the Ghost Daoist sect? You might as well just say your senior brother's name.
Wan Qi instantly snapped back to reality, feeling as if he had just overheard a shocking secret.
“Alright, hand over the golden key, and I'll give you the chess set.” Zuoqiu Shan made his decision quickly.
If he can exchange the chess pieces for the golden key, then he will definitely make a profit.
Zuoqiu Shan had more people on his side, and he was confident that he could control Wan Qi, so he wasn't afraid of Yu Sui using tricks.
Yu Sui didn't play any tricks; he simply tossed the golden key into the air and completed the transaction with Zuo Qiushan.
Zuoqiu Shan reached out to grab the golden key, but was knocked back by a wave of energy, putting distance between himself and Wan Qi in the water.
Yu Sui took two steps forward and stood beside Wan Qi, then slightly raised her head to look at the people around Zuo Qiushan.
Soon after Zuoqiu Shan obtained the golden key, the Listening Wind Ruler issued a new notification: the owner of the famous family's golden key had changed from Nangong Sui, a disciple of the Ghost Daoist School, to Zuoqiu Shan, a disciple of the Medical School.
"Let's go." Zuoqiu Shan made the decision immediately.
He ran first, while the others kept watch on Yu Sui to prevent him from making a move. Only when they saw that Yu Sui had no intention of attacking did they finally leave.
Ling Jian stayed far away, and only dared to come over after Zuo Qiushan and his group had all left. She shook the Listening Wind Ruler in her hand and asked Yu Sui in shock, "You didn't really give it to me?"
Wan Qi, who was kneeling in the water, was about to get up when she stopped because of the cramping pain in her abdomen. She could only look up at Yu Sui on the shore and ask, "Are you really going to let him take the things?"
Didn't they leave any backup plan?
Yu Sui glanced at him slowly and said, "Yeah, aren't you grateful to me?"
"I'm so grateful! I'll serve you like a slave from now on to repay this life-saving grace. If you say south, I'll never go north. Tell me the truth, are you really just going to watch Zuoqiu Shan take the golden key? You fought countless top-level disciples to protect this thing, and you just... gave it away like that?"
Wan Qi's voice trailed off towards the end.
He even felt it was unreal; how could anyone be willing to exchange a golden key for him?
Yu Sui stared into his hesitant eyes: "You said you'd repay me by doing anything for me, you swore it."
Wan Qi looked around, signaling Ling Jian to turn around and not look, then gently raised his hand: "I swear."
The moment Yu Sui nodded, the Five Elements Light Cores attached to the necks of Zuo Qiushan and his group suddenly exploded, spraying out large amounts of blood, causing the people who were using the Wind Riding Technique to scream and fall to the ground.
Xue Mushi, who was hiding in the tree and was about to stop them, was startled. He watched as Zuo Qiushan and his group fell one after another in the bloody spray of the explosion before he landed and went to find Zuo Qiushan.
When Yu Sui arrived with Wan Qi and Ling Jian, they saw a scene of blood everywhere. Zuo Qiushan was lying on the ground, bleeding profusely, his face deathly pale, while a mysterious man in black robes stood beside him.
Ling Jian was terrified by what she saw and didn't dare to move forward, stammering, "Dead...dead?"
"You're a disciple of the medical family, go save them! Don't let them really die!" Yu Sui urged the stunned Wan Qi.
Wan Qi pointed at Xue Mushi: "Who is he?"
Yu Sui said, "I have a backup plan."
Wan Qi trembled as she peered at the figure hidden beneath the black robe, but couldn't make out anything. She asked softly, "So, all these people here..."
Yu Sui immediately said, "Yes, he killed him."
Xue Mushi: "..."
He didn't say anything.
Be a mute.
Yu Sui ignored it and bent down to pick up the gold key that had fallen to the ground.
Soon after, Tingfengchi sent a new notification: the owner of the famous family's golden key had once again become Nangong Sui.
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