Chapter 62: Demons and Ghosts Defeat the Gods
Cang Ming pointed his sword at the Guardian God, but he couldn't stab him. Wei Ci stood in front of her, at the same height as the Guardian God, staring into his eyes. The Guardian God glanced at Wei Ci and said, "You like her and hope that she can find her parents again and live the life of a jewel in the palm of your hand, right?"
Cang Ming's voice was no longer calm: "Where are my parents?"
The guardian deity said in a gentle and charming voice, "Exchange their lives for someone else's, and your family will be reunited. My dear girl, don't you want to be touched by your mother's hand once more? Don't you want to talk to your father again?"
The ultimate temptation was like a dangerous whirlpool on the sea, seemingly drawing one involuntarily. Cang Ming was lost in thought. Those outside the circle either fled for their lives or craned their necks to inquire why the thanksgiving performance had stopped, urging the three to resume their duel.
The guardian deity gently raised a finger, and a circle of golden light once again blocked out the noise from the outside world. The living and dead believers disappeared, and only three people were left confronting each other in the north wind.
Wei Ci looked at Cang Ming, his eyes flashing with pity and heartache. Cang Ming closed his eyes and said, "Who will be used to exchange their lives?"
The guardian deity said gently, "Li Chongshan and his wife killed your parents, right? Your husband once placed the pair of pottery figurines in Xuejie Weiyang's tomb, apparently to bury them with him as an atonement. When I took out the Weiyang crown, I took the pair of figurines with me."
Wei Ci took a step forward, his eyes filled with a sense of oppression. "Today I know that only those who steal can be crowned as gods. What a wonder of the Three Realms." The Guardian God smiled and extended a hand to stop him. "The Weiyang Crown was placed with Shiqiyan, guarded by my servant Lao Guilian. Later, you took it away. Did I ever pursue the matter? And the pair of pottery figures were originally placed with Shiqiyan as well, but unexpectedly, they were stolen by Tian Xinshu and ended up in Li Xianzhen's hands. How unexpected."
Wei Ci sneered, "Your servant is rather useless. Like servant, like master." Cang Ming's eyes flashed with bloodshot. Still pointing his sword at the Guardian God, he asked bluntly, "What do you want to say?"
"Old Ghost Lian was once my loyal servant, but he was unworthy of my position. I cherished his talent so much that I asked him to lure you out. However, he used the Pearl Crown to instigate conflict between the four sects and repeatedly harmed you, completely contradicting my original intention." The Guardian God shook his head in annoyance, hand on his left chest, expressing his regret heartily. "Later, I led Tian Xinshu to ambush that so-called dog official, and then led you to subdue Old Ghost Lian, all because of this incident."
"Do you think I'll believe your hypocrisy?" Cang Ming asked hoarsely. "You sound so nice, trying to trick me into surrendering Old Ghost Lotus. How did you do that? By placing a curse on Seventeen Mists and sending floods and plagues to Fengyan City?"
"No way. The Seventeen Smoke has accumulated countless corpses of young men. That's the work of Old Ghost Lotus. How could I have done that?" The Guardian God replied tactfully. "I'm a priest of the Heavenly Realm. How could I have cast such a despicable curse?"
Cang Ming remained unmoved. "If it wasn't you who set it up, how would you know everything about Shiqi Yan? Do you count the bodies of your servants every day?" Wei Ci sneered. "After all that, he's just worried that Old Gui Lian might become too powerful and use someone else's knife to kill someone."
The Guardian's expression changed. "General Wu, don't assume I'll always be so polite when discussing matters with you. I just mentioned that Li Chongshan and his wife's pottery figures were once in my possession, and I was planning to offer them as a generous gift to show my sincerity. I urge you, General Wu, not to be stubborn and accept this toast."
Cang Ming's throat moved, but he still asked: "You said you wanted to bring my parents back... But no one can resurrect people. Besides, my parents' souls have already been scattered..." Wei Ci whispered: "General."
The guardian deity flicked his sleeves and smiled mysteriously. "Do you see the believers in this Buddha's hand? They make all sorts of strange wishes. In exchange, I want a small offering. Some make unscrupulous wishes, like wishing for a seriously ill son to become a good person again... I'll have no choice but to take their lives as compensation. I only need to find two such people and shatter their souls. Every fragment of their soul, every wisp of smoke, will be exchanged for the fragments of your parents."
Cang Ming looked at him bleakly, without saying a word. She remembered her parents' faces, and the winter nights when she listened to her mother's stories of ghosts and strange things, and the summer nights when she and her father lay in the rocking chair to enjoy the cool breeze... The guardian deity said, "You are moved, aren't you?"
Heavy snow fell from the sky. Cang Ming stretched out a hand to hold the snowflakes, and the petals melted as soon as they touched him. The winter in Beiyuan was cold and familiar. Wei Ci said softly, "Cang Cang, no matter what you choose, I support you."
Cang Ming raised her head and looked at him with moist eyes, like a cold pond after the snow melted. Then, she turned to the guardian deity and said word by word, "I will not trade the lives of others for the lives of my parents."
The Guardian God was so stunned that he even forgot to pretend to be profound. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "What did you say? Did I hear correctly? General Wu doesn't even want his parents anymore?" As he spoke, he put a hand to his ear, pretending to lean over and listen attentively, which made Cang Ming feel a chill.
Wei Ci looked deeply at Cang Ming, a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes were misty. Cang Ming sheathed his sword, slung it behind his back, and took Wei Ci's hand. The two looked at each other, then looked at the Guardian God together.
The guardian deity drew his sword, slowly held it before him, and swung it violently. The blade-like energy slammed into Cang Ming's face, tearing his flesh apart. Countless snowflakes were also sent flying by the blast, whizzing like darts, only to be shattered into icy powder by Cang Ming's sword.
"Unfilial son." The Guardian God grinned sinisterly. "Do you know? The Heavenly Book says that when General Wu encounters the Supreme Being of the Three Realms, changes will occur. These changes can be good or bad, and no one can predict which direction... If you don't help me unify the world, then this change will only mean your death."
Cang Ming thrust at his throat, while Wei Ci punched his solar plexus. The Guardian God retaliated with his sword, his technique truly novel and unparalleled, featuring a variety of profound and mysterious sword techniques, moves Cang Ming had never seen before. The two of them attacked him alone, not yet losing ground, yet unable to find a single flaw.
With a clang, the guardian deity struck the stone ground beneath his feet with the tip of his sword, and the magic circle suddenly erupted in flames. The Buddha's palm seemed to hold an evil spark. Wei Ci pulled Cang Ming over and protected her face with his hands to prevent the heat from rushing towards her. Cang Ming had no magical power and knew that she could not resist the enemy with just sword dance. She took the opportunity to whisper to Wei Ci, "Brother, break the fingers of the Buddha's palm."
Wei Ci hummed, glanced at him briefly, his eyes filled with worry and reluctance, and then leaped out of the flames. The Guardian God was fully focused, engaging in a one-on-one duel with Cang Ming, mocking him, "Your pretty boy has abandoned you. Now, when disaster strikes, each of you is on your own..."
The stone palm suddenly shook violently, nearly unsteadying the Guardian. Cang Ming, prepared, leaped into the air, his sword tip snaking his wrist, sending the opposing sword careening sideways. The Guardian, startled and enraged, lunged back, but Cang Ming feinted, swerving out of the way, and the ice blade pierced his back.
A roar echoed across the northern plains, the metallic sound of weapons clashing resonating in his voice. The Guardian God knelt on the ground, leaning on his sword. He suddenly turned around and stared at Cang Ming with hatred, his eyes bloodshot.
At the same instant, the surrounding flames extinguished, and a massive stone pillar slowly fell from the sky. A silver-white figure in the air suddenly stretched out both hands to hold the stone pillar, pushing it upwards. Then, with a graceful spinning kick, it sent the carved stone finger careening down the mountain.
The Buddha's hand barrier was broken. The chaotic figures of the believers reappeared. Xisheng hurriedly pushed through the heavy crowd and moved towards Cang Ming.
Cang Ming saw a hint of fear in the guardian deity's eyes. The ice blade longsword glowed with a brilliant blue light. Cang Ming leaped into the air and swung the sword downward at an angle, sending snowflakes flying across the ground like smoke. Magical power flowed through his body, bringing a warm feeling.
Soon, Xisheng also discovered that the barrier was broken, and his magic power returned to his body. He immediately threw yellow talismans in all directions: "Quiet!" Everyone moved slowly and finally stopped clamoring to go to the king's inner hall.
The Guardian God had already stood up, the divine golden light healing the wound on his back. He and Cang Ming pointed their swords at each other, but they didn't dare to act rashly. A whistle was heard from mid-air, and Wei Ci landed lightly beside Cang Ming, saying, "I didn't expect this Buddha's hand to be broken once, and it hasn't been strengthened yet."
"Brother Weici, does your hand hurt?" Cang Ming reached out and grasped his strong hand, smiling faintly. "I guess, he and I are both from the immortal sect, so I can't break his barrier. And Weici, you are from the demon sect, which can restrain the immortal's barrier." Weici said casually, "Perhaps all things in the world are interdependent and mutually exclusive."
The guardian deity suddenly laughed. "What are you so proud of? I can trap all the mortals in this temple on stone statues. Do you think they will end up killing each other and eating each other's corpses? I can also make the emperor increase taxes and levies, fool the untouchables, and make it impossible for them to rise up for generations..."
Xisheng raised an eyebrow beside him: "If Cang Ming surrendered to him, wouldn't he still end up like this?" Cang Ming almost laughed out loud: "That's right, you see it clearly."
Amidst the heavy snow, the clouds suddenly shone with a faint golden halo. The guardian deity glanced up warily, then soared into the air on auspicious clouds, flying out of the Buddha's hand, his figure quickly melting into the snow. Cang Ming pursued him relentlessly, stabbing him with his sword. Just as the hexagonal snowflake formation took shape, he was gone.
Wei Ci crossed his arms and shook his head, saying, "General, rashly assassinating a celestial being would bring disaster. After all, we lack evidence. The Celestial Palace won't believe you subdued a rebel." Cang Ming said with a look of loss, "You're right."
Xisheng suddenly said, "The Buddha statue is moving. Wulu is still holding a signal on the Buddha's arm. I wonder if it has fallen off."
Cang Ming quickly leaped onto the long sword and soared into the air. He saw the Buddha statue, its two giant feet in red embroidered shoes, moving step by step towards the north. Each step took him across a vast plain or a river bend.
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