☆, Chapter 43: The protagonist dies; the story ends.
At first glance, the disciple seemed quite ordinary. He blended in with a group of Illusion Flower Palace disciples, appearing timid and shifty with his eyes darting around.
Shen Qingqiu noticed him because his face was one color, his neck was another, and his left and right hands were two different colors. Moreover, he neither drew his sword nor glared at her; he simply kept rubbing and bumping into the disciples of the Illusion Flower Palace, looking like a pickpocket waiting for an opportunity to steal.
In Shen Qingqiu's mind, there was only one type of person who would behave this way.
Mingfan asked anxiously, "Junior Sister! What's wrong, Junior Sister?"
Ning Yingying was stunned for a long time, as if she had been hit dumb, before she finally reacted and drew her sword to fight back. Shen Qingqiu saw an old cat lazily curling its tail, sunbathing and licking its fur, picked it up and threw it into the tavern.
The old cat, startled, let out a shriek and darted between the two groups of people. Shen Qingqiu, head bowed, called out, "Hei Zi, don't run!" and stepped in. Both sides were momentarily stunned by the unexpected appearance of a person. Ning Yingying, fearing harm to innocent bystanders, hesitated slightly in her attack. The young palace mistress, however, didn't care and picked up her whip, continuing to beat the cat as before. Shen Qingqiu chased the old cat around the room, calling out random names like "Little Flower" and "Grey Grey" to the cat. In the chaos, Ning Yingying, though clearly restrained and afraid to make any rash moves, constantly felt someone supporting her elbow or shoving her shoulder. Her longsword swung with dazzling light almost without her control. Suddenly, two loud "slaps" rang out. The young palace mistress covered her face, frozen in shock.
Both groups saw Ning Yingying swing her arms and slap her twice, and they stopped fighting at the same time.
Mingfan cheered, "Junior Sister, well done!"
Ning Yingying said weakly, "...No, actually...it wasn't me..."
Mingfan encouraged, "Don't be afraid, so what if she fought? Everyone knows she attacked first. Do you think our Qingjing Peak of the Cangqiong Mountain Sect is afraid of a mere Huanhua Palace?"
Ning Yingying: "No, it really wasn't me..."
Ming Fan: "The disciples of Qingjing Peak were beaten, and they must repay the favor twofold!"
Shen Qingqiu cheered inwardly: Mingfan is such a promising child! Yes, yes, that's exactly what I meant!
Tears welled in the young palace master's eyes. Shen Qingqiu slipped into the crowd of Huanhua Palace disciples and finally caught the old cat that was howling in pain. He stroked its fur and comforted it, "Good boy, I caught you. Don't be afraid."
Even the dumbest person should have noticed something was wrong.
The young palace mistress cupped her face in her hands, glaring at him with intense resentment: "Hey! Who exactly are you? How dare you to toy with me like this?"
The disciples of Huanhua Palace surrounded him and shouted, "The Palace Master is asking you a question!"
Shen Qingqiu bent down to release the cat, straightened up, pointed at the disciple who was cowering at the back and acting suspiciously, and said, "Why don't you ask who he is?"
Everyone's eyes immediately focused on that person.
The young palace mistress had initially only glanced at Shen Qingqiu out of the corner of her eye, but the more she looked, the more uneasy she became. Forgetting about Shen Qingqiu for the moment, she turned her head and asked suspiciously, "...Who are you? Why have I never seen you before?" She then turned to her subordinates: "And you? Does anyone know him?"
Seeing the situation was bad, the disciple shouted, and everyone turned their attention to him. Shen Qingqiu shouted, "Don't get close to him!" He picked up another green leaf and flicked it away.
This time, not only Ning Yingying, but Ming Fan was also stunned by the trajectory of the leaf. The green leaf, carrying spiritual light and sword energy, tore through the air, ripping open the disciple's outer garment and revealing the skin and flesh underneath.
Now, everyone looked as if they had seen a ghost, and they retreated one after another, some even jumping out of the tavern.
Scarlet skin!
This perfectly matched Shen Qingqiu's earlier guess; in his understanding, there was only one type of person who would behave this way.
A sower disguised as an ordinary person.
He had only painted the exposed parts of his body to resemble normal skin color; the rest remained untreated. Now exposed, he seemed reckless, his eyes bloodshot, charging forward as if ready to grab anyone in sight. Most of the disciples were young; they had only heard of such monsters, never seen one before. Seeing it actually before their eyes, they were all terrified. Seeing the seed-sowing man about to pounce on a disciple of Qingjing Peak, Shen Qingqiu flashed forward and kicked him in the chest, sending the creature crashing through two tables and spitting out a torrent of blood.
Shen Qingqiu turned around and shouted, "Aren't you leaving yet!"
Ning Yingying, however, clung to him, crying and laughing at the same time: "Master, is it Master?"
Seriously? You still recognized me with my beard all over my face? Although I was a little touched, the fact that I stayed instead of leaving and even called out his identity at a time like this shows I'm a bit slow on the uptake!
Seeing the sower charging forward again with unwavering determination, Shen Qingqiu gently sent Ning Yingying away with one hand, as warm as spring, and with the other hand, as cold as winter, flicked a fire spell at the enemy.
Missed.
No, it didn't pop up!
Shen Qingqiu felt the Lingxiao blood that had been dormant in his body for many years stirring in his throat again.
This poison is hopeless; it just keeps failing at crucial moments!
He snapped his fingers several times, but not a single spark came out. It was like a lighter that had run out of fuel; he kept snapping and clicking, but couldn't get a single spark out.
Just as Shen Qingqiu was getting angry, the sower pounced on him and grabbed his leg.
Shen Qingqiu: "..."
He instinctively raised his long-suffering right hand. Sure enough, three red spots were happily taking root and sprouting.
That's unfair! Why does he get infected so quickly every time?!
Perhaps fueled by grief and anger, the final snap of his fingers ignited a burst of flames. Shen Qingqiu kicked away the sower who was clinging to his leg, and unleashed a blazing palm strike!
The sower's body was engulfed in flames and screams. Ning Yingying and Ming Fan, tears welling in their eyes, flanked him on either side: "Master!"
There's no point in pretending now. Shen Qingqiu ran his hands through his face, scratching and rubbing to restore his original appearance, and asked, "Has anyone been infected?" Then, with a heavy heart, he uttered the line he had always wanted to say to others: "Take your medicine right away, don't stop taking it!"
A man and a woman cried in his ear, one high-pitched and the other low-pitched: "Master, we've finally found you! What happened...?"
Before Shen Qingqiu could reply, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He pushed aside his two disciples, and his Xiuya sword shot out from his clothes. With a clang, it blocked the little palace master's fine iron whip.
If the young palace mistress's argument with Qingjing Peak earlier was merely a momentary outburst of anger, this attack showed she truly intended to kill. She wielded a short whip with the ferocity of a knife or axe.
Shen Qingqiu asked another question he had wanted to ask for a long time: "What's wrong with you?"
The young palace mistress, her face streaked with tears, cried out, "You treacherous villain, give me your life! Give me back the lives of my senior brothers and sisters!"
Shen Qingqiu initially thought it was another lament about the dead and injured disciples of the Illusion Flower Palace at the Immortal Alliance Assembly, but then the Little Palace Master screamed, "You killed Senior Brother Gongyi, I'll kill you!"
Shen Qingqiu's spiritual energy spun at her fingertips, and she held the tip of her whip between two fingers.
He was utterly astonished: "What did you say? Gongyi Xiao is dead? When did this happen? Who did it?"
Even in the original work, the worst thing Gongyi Xiao could do was be relegated to a remote branch of the Illusionary Flower Palace to do menial tasks!
The young palace master said, "Who did it? You'll have to ask them!"
The disciples of Huanhua Palace swarmed around them in a flash: "You thief! Avenge our senior brothers and sisters who guarded the water prison!"
Shen Qingqiu felt a chill run down his spine. There were probably nearly a hundred disciples guarding the water prison; had they all been killed without exception?
Ning Yingying angrily said, "I can't reason with you, you brat. Didn't you see that Master didn't know about this?" The disciples of Qingjing Peak immediately joined the melee.
Shen Qingqiu saw that swords and spears had no eyes, and there was no point in letting them fight like this any longer. Without having time to think, he flipped over and leaped out of the tavern, casually tossing out a sentence: "Come out!"
Sure enough, neither side had time to fight each other, and they rushed to squeeze out after him.
Upon stepping onto the street, Shen Qingqiu was speechless. Along the entire street, a long line of cultivators in various attire stood ready for battle.
After all, there was such a commotion in the tavern just now, it wouldn't make sense if they weren't attracted, right...?
Shen Qingqiu lightly touched the ground with his feet, leaped onto the roof tile, and landed steadily on the eaves. He took a deep breath and spoke from his diaphragm: "Liu—Qing—Ge!"
Someone took to the air on a sword and angrily rebuked, "Shen Qingqiu, how vicious you are! You deliberately fled to this place and lured all the people from various sects here, just to collude with the demons and wipe them all out here, repeating the tragedy of the Immortal Alliance Conference?"
Anyway, now they can't think of any label they can throw at him, right?! Shen Qingqiu looked closely and realized that this was the... leader of the Overlord Sect, the one he had just ordered to tear clothes off? Just as he was about to communicate with him, a sharp whistling of sword energy came from the east, and a person in white robes rode a sword at lightning speed. The momentum was so fierce that it inexplicably brought up a gust of wind, directly throwing the person off his sword.
Liu Qingge stood steadily on the Phoenix-Riding Sword and asked, "What is it?"
Liu is so reliable!
Shen Qingqiu said sincerely, "Take me with you."
Liu Qingge: "..."
Shen Qingqiu said, "My poison has flared up again, and I can't muster the energy to control the sword. If I try to control the sword, I'll just fall from the sky."
Liu Qingge sighed and said, "Come up."
The onlookers below continued to berate them, saying things like "the Cangqiong Mountain Sect is a den of iniquity" and "the Baizhan Peak and Qingjing Peak are in cahoots," but the two pretended not to hear. Riding their phoenix swords, they soared into the sky, the wind whistling past their ears, leaving the dozens of sword-wielding figures behind them far behind.
Liu Qingge asked, "Where to?"
Shen Qingqiu said, "I need to get to the roof of the tallest building in the city. I'll have to trouble you to hold off these people for me later."
Liu Qingge said, "What exactly happened to you? You were the one who went to the water dungeon, and you were the one who escaped from it."
Shen Qingqiu said, "...Nothing, I'm just bored."
Suddenly, Liu Qingge shouted, "Jump!"
Shen Qingqiu: "What? We haven't arrived yet."
Liu Qingge: "Something is coming this way."
Without a word, Shen Qingqiu immediately jumped and landed on a rooftop. Liu Qingge, riding his sword, performed a dazzling series of flips in mid-air, halting the powerful momentum of the flying phoenix, and focused his gaze on a certain spot. Shen Qingqiu followed him to look.
But then a sneer came from behind: "What are you looking at?"
Shen Qingqiu nearly stumbled on the spot.
That "You just wait!" wasn't just empty talk.
That's true. When has Luo Binghe ever been someone who "just talks the talk"?
They actually risked being devoured by the Demon Sword to capture him... What deep resentment that must be!
Luo Binghe looked like an ice sculpture with raging fire inside, ready to explode at the slightest touch and freeze instantly upon contact.
He stared intently at the two of them, then slowly extended a hand towards Shen Qingqiu, saying, "Come with me."
Shen Qingqiu said softly, "Gongyi Xiao is dead."
Luo Binghe's body stiffened.
Shen Qingqiu continued, "The disciples guarding the water prison of the Illusion Flower Palace are also dead."
A flash of crimson seemed to appear in Luo Binghe's pupils.
He said coldly, "Anyway, you won't believe anything I say. Enough with the nonsense, I'll ask you one more time: are you coming or not?"
He stubbornly refused to retract his hand. Before Shen Qingqiu could answer, more than ten people suddenly appeared from all sides, surrounding them on the eaves with their swords. Leading them was once again the man from the Overlord Sect. This time, he slightly lowered his stance, as if taking a horse stance on his sword to prevent being thrown off again, and shouted, "Shen Qingqiu is ours! No one else can touch him. Leave him to the Overlord Sect..."
Luo Binghe suddenly turned his head and shouted, "Get out!"
He didn't even draw his sword from its sheath, yet a powerful spiritual energy surged from his body. Everyone present seemed to hear a whistling sound. This time, without exception, dozens of people, sword and all, were thrown several feet away.
The disciples of the Overbearing Sect encountered a truly domineering and tyrannical aura, and were completely wiped out. The remaining onlookers were all terrified.
This young man in black is so skilled, why have we rarely heard of him before?
Liu Qingge shoved Shen Qingqiu: "Let's go! Do what you need to do!"
Shen Qingqiu said, "No need. I can handle him!" 5:2, 5:2, he hadn't forgotten that score. He only called Liu Qingge over to help him deal with some minor enemies, and just in case, he didn't want him to die!
Neither of them were the type to listen attentively when their fighting spirit was at its peak. Without a word, or rather, without uttering a single utterance, they launched into a fierce attack. The Phoenix Sword blazed like a rainbow, but Luo Binghe didn't draw it. Instead, he channeled his spiritual energy into his palm, using it as a blade to meet the attack head-on!
Shen Qingqiu knew why he couldn't draw his sword. A duel between masters allows no room for complacency; such moments are the easiest for an opponent to exploit. Under the watchful eyes of many, demonic energy could invade his mind, unleashing his murderous intent—the consequences could be dire. Luo Binghe actually possessed two cultivation systems within his body: one of spiritual energy and one of demonic energy. Because his hybridization was successful, the two systems operated independently, functioning well on their own, and could even combine their different attack methods when necessary. However, firstly, he couldn't draw his sword; secondly, he couldn't use demonic energy, which would inevitably reduce his destructive power. Therefore, he had actually managed to fight Liu Qingge to a draw.
A deafening roar erupted from the eaves, as white rainbows and spiritual light exploded simultaneously. The battle was so fierce that cultivators from various sects below dared not intervene rashly.
Even the most clueless and clueless newbie could see that being even slightly grazed by the murderous aura emanating from these two would be no laughing matter!
Their fight was so intense that Shen Qingqiu was actually quite itching to join in. If it weren't for the fact that this little brat's outburst was so ill-timed, he really wanted to go up and fight too. Unfortunately, the timing was terrible. He squinted at the sky, calculating that the time was approaching, and leaped onto the highest level. A fierce wind howled high above, as if it could blow him away.
Luo Binghe watched from afar, and suddenly felt a surge of anxiety. He lost his will to fight, and a fierce look rose in his eyes. He then reached behind him and covered the hilt of the longsword.
He actually dared to draw his sword here?!
Shen Qingqiu said, "Luo Binghe, don't be impulsive!"
Luo Binghe shouted sharply, "Too late!" With a flick of his wrist, the Heart Demon Sword was unleashed, accompanied by a visible surge of black energy!
As the Phoenix Sword thrust straight at him, Luo Binghe lightly flicked the Heart Demon Sword's thin, cicada-wing-like blade. Waves of trembling seemed to emanate from it, and the Phoenix Sword actually stopped in mid-air.
Liu Qingge had never encountered a situation where the phoenix was so unruly, and she was momentarily stunned. Shen Qingqiu, however, knew that the situation was serious.
If Luo Binghe were to be consumed by his inner demons right now, none of them would survive, and he wouldn't be able to be the male lead anymore!
He drew his Xiuya sword and said, "Luo Binghe, come here. It's time to settle things today."
Luo Binghe looked up and gave him a gloomy look. The next moment, he appeared less than three feet in front of him. With a wave of his hand, he created a barrier that covered the entire rooftop, isolating everyone else.
Seeing Shen Qingqiu take a step back, Luo Binghe smiled with a twisted expression: "Settle things off? How do you intend to settle things off? Do you think we can still sever ties now?"
Why can't I make a judgment?
Shen Qingqiu took a light breath. Although he held the sword in his hand, he had no intention of engaging in combat. In fact, there was nothing he could do with the sword in his hand right now.
He said, "Now that things have come to this, I have nothing to say except that fate is indeed hard to defy."
Destiny = System, System → Male protagonist.
Luo Binghe scoffed: "Fate? What is fate? Is it letting a four-year-old child be bullied without anyone offering help? Letting an innocent old woman be driven to her death by anger and starvation?"
He said, taking a step closer, his tone aggressive: "Do you want me to fight a dog for food? Do you want the people I've truly given my heart to deceive me, abandon me, betray me, and personally push me into a hellish place?!"
He said, "Master, you see me like this now, but do you know how I spent those three years underground?"
“In the Abyss of No Return, for three years, every single moment, all I could think about was my Master.”
"After thinking about it for so long, I've finally figured it out."
There was a sinister glint in Luo Binghe's smile.
"Destiny either doesn't exist at all, or it's something that should be trampled underfoot!"
Under the blazing sun, the last wisp of cloud had vanished, and the sunlight bathed the entire city in a dazzling, radiant glow, as if scattering pure gold across the land.
Shen Qingqiu turned her gaze away from the sky. Because she was looking directly at the sun, her eyes appeared to be glistening with tears.
In truth, Luo Binghe bears a great deal of responsibility for getting to where he is today, even though it was a last resort.
Luo Binghe was taken aback when he saw his expression suddenly soften. But at the same time, a sharp headache suddenly intensified. He gritted his teeth and gripped the Heart Demon Sword, which was threatening to break free.
No. At least not here, lest it turn on us!
Shen Qingqiu suddenly said softly, "Don't let it suppress you."
Hearing this sound, it was as if I were still on Qingjing Peak back then.
Luo Binghe's mind became increasingly unstable, as if sharp blades were churning within him, and the Demon Sword suddenly blazed with intense black flames. This time, the attack was fierce, and Luo Binghe was in excruciating pain when he suddenly felt someone gently embracing him.
A surge of spiritual energy, like a thousand-mile dike collapsing, swept into Luo Binghe's body, instantly extinguishing the inner demons and resentment he had forcibly suppressed, like a torrential rain after a long drought.
Luo Binghe's breathing was smooth and his movements were flawless, but his heart instantly turned cold.
Self-destruct!
Some of the crowd cried out in horror, "Shen Qingqiu has self-destructed!"
Shen Qingqiu released Luo Binghe and slowly backed away, stumbling slightly along the way.
Xiuya Sword fell first. Its master had already detonated his spiritual power; the sword, though still attached to the sword, broke into several pieces in mid-air.
Shen Qingqiu always had the habit of swallowing his blood, but at this moment he let the blood gush out.
After unleashing his spiritual power, he was now a cripple, even less capable than an ordinary person. His voice was faint and almost entirely carried away by the wind. Yet, Luo Binghe could still hear it clearly.
He said, "I'm returning everything to you today."
Consider this the last good deed I can do.
Then, he fell backward and plummeted from the building.
Luo Binghe had been staring blankly, everything appearing to slow down countless times in his eyes. Even the moment Shen Qingqiu fell was incredibly slow and clear. His body, plummeting through the air, resembled a blood-stained kite. Only when Luo Binghe moved on his own and caught him before he hit the ground did he realize that Shen Qingqiu's body was light and thin, empty without a trace of spiritual power, truly like a kite that would tear at the slightest touch.
It didn't even need to be torn; it was already falling apart.
He still couldn't believe it.
Didn't Master despise his bloodline?
Why would you risk self-destruction to help him suppress the backlash of the Heart Demon Sword?
There seemed to be people around shouting things like "The demon has been brought to justice" and "Sacrificing one's own family for the greater good."
Luo Binghe's mind was in a daze; he could only hold Shen Qingqiu and murmur, "Master?"
The disciples of Qingjing Peak finally arrived. Ning Yingying had already heard that Luo Binghe was still alive, and was both surprised and delighted to see him. But then she saw Shen Qingqiu, who was now calmly closing his eyes. The words caught in her throat, and she asked tremblingly, "A-Luo... Master... what happened to him?"
Liu Qingge walked over, blood still on her lips, and said with a grim face, "He's dead!"
The disciples were stunned into silence.
Suddenly, Mingfan shouted, "Who killed him?!"
All eyes were on Luo Binghe.
Although strictly speaking, it cannot be said that Luo Binghe killed him, Shen Qingqiu did indeed self-destruct and die in front of him, that is the truth.
Mingfan and his disciples drew their swords, ready to die, but Liu Qingge said, "You can't beat him."
Mingfan's eyes were bloodshot: "Uncle-Master Liu, surely you can kill him and avenge Master?!"
Liu Qingge said calmly, "I can't beat him either."
Mingfan choked.
Liu Qingge wiped away the blood and said, "He didn't kill Shen Qingqiu either."
"However, though I wasn't killed by him, I died for him." Liu Qingge spoke each word like a sharp sword being drawn from its sheath: "This revenge will be taken!"
Luo Binghe ignored him, completely flustered and at a loss. He was still holding Shen Qingqiu's rapidly cooling body, as if he wanted to shout or shake him awake, but dared not, for fear of being scolded. He stammered, "Master?"
Mingfan shouted, "Stop calling him Master! Qingjing Peak can't take that responsibility! Junior brothers, let's go! So what if we can't beat him? At worst, we'll be beaten to death!"
Ning Yingying raised her hand to stop him. Ming Fan was furious, thinking that Ning Yingying was still thinking about their past relationship, and scolded, "Junior Sister, how can you still be so clueless at a time like this?!"
Ning Yingying said, "Shut up. Do you know that you're so eager to die? What will your master say if he does? Your master would rather suffer himself than let us be taken advantage of or bullied. Are you really so reckless with your life?"
She suddenly hardened her stance, and Mingfan was stunned. After a long while, tears streamed down his face.
Tears streamed down his face as he pleaded pitifully, "But... if that's the case, then Master has been wronged so much..."
“He didn’t do it, but everyone says he colluded with the demons and locked him in the water dungeon… He didn’t even have a chance to clear his name.”
He choked up and said, "He clearly liked this kid so much... After the Immortal Alliance Conference, he refused to return the Zhengyang Sword to Wanjian Peak, insisting on keeping it for himself and building a sword tomb on the back mountain... He was heartbroken for a long time... and in the end, he ended up like this!"
Luo Binghe listened in a daze, as if it were a dream.
is that so?
Master was actually... very sad?
Ning Yingying stepped forward, her eyes red-rimmed, but her tone was steady. She said, "A Luo, although we weren't there when Jinlan City happened, we've heard about it. I don't know why you didn't return to Cangqiong Mountain or Qingjing Peak after you survived, nor do I know why you didn't speak up for Master, and I don't know what happened at the Immortal Alliance Conference. But Master's years of nurturing and cultivation are not untrue."
She paused, then continued, "If you feel that Master has treated you badly in the past, think about the day you lost your jade pendant. Your senior brothers were inexplicably defeated; you should have thought that something was amiss. Using leaves and flying flowers as weapons, a small punishment, will ensure that no one else on Qingjing Peak will ever do it again."
Plucking leaves and letting them fall? Plucking leaves and letting them fall?
Luo Binghe involuntarily hugged Shen Qingqiu tighter.
He whispered, "I was wrong, Master, I really... know I was wrong."
"I...I didn't mean to kill you..."
Ning Yingying said loudly, "That's all I have to say. Even if Master has wronged you in the past, and you really can't get over that hurdle in your heart, today can be considered as repaying you all at once, right? From now on, you..."
She couldn't bear it any longer and turned away, saying, "Please... you don't need to call him Master anymore."
"return"?
Yes. Master seemed to have just said "I'll give it back to you."
Could it mean... that he was thrown into the abyss in the past, and now he has fallen from the high building for him?
Luo Binghe panicked.
“I don’t want you to pay me back. I… I’m just angry,” he muttered to himself, “I’m just angry that you act like you’ve seen a ghost whenever you see me, chatting and laughing freely with others, but you won’t even talk to me, and you’re always suspicious of me… I was wrong.” He stammered as he wiped the blood from Shen Qingqiu’s face.
"You don't like that I'm a demon, and you're a righteous person from the human realm. I'm just afraid that if I go back to Azure Sky Mountain, you'll kick me out. I want to take over the Illusion Flower Palace, maybe that will make you happy..."
Luo Binghe said in a trembling voice, "Master... I really..."
Author's Note: Thank you MinasueGn for the rocket launcher and to Baomibai, Sancun Riguang, 16287268, Shuimuzi, Guoxiaoyuan, Buzaodiaodezhu, and 16291906Gn for the landmines.
I apologize for the slow updates. It's because I type slowly and make a lot of typos; the text is practically unreadable without editing, and I'm also worried about the quality. As for the plot, I absolutely didn't mean to drag it out. If any readers feel the development is too slow, it's because I haven't managed the pacing well. If any readers find it too tedious… how about… we let it accumulate a bit more?
Anyway, thank you everyone! I tried my best to make it thicker and longer today.
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