Chapter 25 Standoff [Villain's Favorability -2%]
Outside Longtan Fanrang City, several people lined up in a long queue.
That was the orderly entry of Longtan residents into Longtan.
Zhou Fuling, wearing a pink cloak and walking through the snow, walked to the outside of the city wall with a deep gaze.
This was the most secluded entrance to the city. She gazed at the golden light shining through the city walls.
Once she obtains the cultivator's token and steps onto the Heavenly Array, she will be able to ascend to the Immortal Abode in the clouds.
Zhou Fuling walked over coldly, but suddenly heard a loud shout.
"Hey!" an old man pointed at her forehead and said angrily, "You can't cut in line!"
Zhou Fuling glared at him coldly.
That gaze sent a chill down the old man's spine.
“I don’t call you ‘Hey’,” she said.
A flash of blood caused the Dragon Pool guards to momentarily lose their senses.
They were as if in a dream... Zhou Fuling walked into the Dragon Pool as if it were her own backyard.
The old man was left alone, as if possessed, lying on the ground, gagging and retching.
...
Xu Qingning was sinking into a nightmare.
Ten years ago, he escaped from a wrongful prison.
In the frosty, frozen ground, a hand gently patted his face: "Are you still alive? Wake up."
Zhou Fuling's voice was gentle and melodious.
He had no strength and could not see the light, but when he woke up again, a warm hand was holding his.
"Wake up."
"Wake up."
"You have to hold on. My family has all gone. I don't want to see anyone die anymore..."
Spring flowers and autumn moon, summer comes and autumn goes. He walked on the mountain, and Zhou Fuling, dressed in a green pleated skirt and boots stepping on the stones, nimbly skipped across the stream ahead of him.
"Family, yes, from now on, my 'brother' and I are family!"
Ice Mirror Peak.
Her eyes crinkled into a smile:
“From now on, I will be your disciple, brother and mother. I will no longer call you brother, but ‘senior brother’…”
Warm memories, now stained with blood, gradually lose their warmth.
Xu Qingning felt as if she had been dragged into an abyss.
They've all disappeared.
Xu Qingning also felt a tearing sensation in her heart.
He didn't know why.
-
"..."
Xu Qingning slowly opened her eyes.
He woke up.
His heart ached slightly, but he felt completely lost and shook his head.
This is how it is when a person first wakes up; they feel a brief sense of unfamiliarity with their surroundings and are unaware of what has happened.
Beneath his hand lay the turquoise, diamond-shaped amulet. His fingertips touched the amulet, which emitted a faint blue light and a sense of warmth.
However, a chilling aura appeared, tearing through the darkness.
He looked up, and his body suddenly froze.
Zhou Fuling was sitting on a high stool beside him, wearing pink clothes, which was unusual for her.
Her pink dress made her look even more beautiful.
But she remained calm, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him, her dark eyes gazing intently at him.
She sat somewhat casually, her free hand holding Xu Qingning's pulse.
Xu Qingning frowned and said gently, "Fuling, what are you doing here..."
He said it almost instinctively, but the words stopped abruptly.
Some memories are gradually returning.
The memories before she fell into a coma were like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, gradually squeezing out the warmth in Xu Qingning's mind.
He looked at Zhou Fuling, recalling what he had seen and heard before he lost consciousness. His blood froze again, and his face gradually lost its color.
Zhou Fuling probably sensed his silence, and coldly lifted her eyelids, staring at him without blinking.
System: [Host, wake up! Aren't you awake yet?!]
This is the villain!
Xu Qingning was in a daze again, and her hand trembled.
Zhou Fuling's inquisitive gaze swept over.
[Host, please try to fool the villain. That's all... For now, the system will only automatically report data and won't affect you. But please complete the mission "Slip Through," and don't let the villain seriously injure you.]
Fu Ling...the villain...
How could that be...
Xu Qingning saw double images before her eyes.
But Zhou Fuling's eyes are indeed very different now than before.
Instead, it reminded him of many years ago, of the deep pool at the bottom and the person standing behind the giant snake.
Her fingertips were icy cold, just like Zhou Fuling's current gaze.
Xu Qingning's heart convulsed as if struck by lightning.
Zhou Fuling suddenly gave him a slight smile.
"Why did my senior brother faint?"
"That's really worrying," she said softly.
“…” Xu Qingning gritted her teeth.
He turned his head away sharply and shook off her hand.
He was sitting on the edge of the couch with his black hair disheveled, and somehow his outer garment had been taken off.
His black hair was loose down his back and over the back of his hands, his snow-white robe was disheveled, and his snow-white socks were on the blue satin rug.
He was still handsome and refined, but his eyes were red-rimmed and he kept his gaze down, as if he dared not look up for some reason.
His fingertips, gripping the quilt, were white; his chest heaved. He looked rather disheveled.
Zhou Fuling:
"Senior brother, you don't look well. It's like you've encountered some trouble. Tell me, what happened, okay?"
Her tone was very gentle, just like the "Fu Ling" of the past.
But her actions did not reflect this.
Her index finger tapped the table, one tap after another.
Dull and cold, as if issuing a warning.
Xu Qingning lowered her eyes, closed them, her fingers were taut as iron, and her arms were stiff.
Xu Qingning was also aware of her own appearance: mischievous, pathetic...
But indeed, he couldn't figure out what had happened.
His heart was filled with turbulent waves, almost swallowing him whole.
He bit his lip.
He seemed to want to bleed, to let the pain bring him to his senses.
[Villain's favorability +1%]
Xu Qingning looked up in disbelief.
Zhou Fuling stopped tapping her fingers on the table.
She tilted her head slightly, her eyes fixed on his lips, as if she were thinking about something, scrutinizing something, or even admiring something, her gaze unfathomable.
Xu Qingning: "…………"
If what I just experienced was a daze, shock, and an inability to react...
Now, amidst the shock and pain, a surge of anger has swept through.
...He couldn't bear the truth.
...and she couldn't stand Zhou Fuling's gaze even more.
It seemed as if it were confirmed; he could only be deceived in a disheveled manner, scrutinized in a disheveled manner, and observed in a disheveled manner.
Xu Qingning wouldn't listen to anything the system said.
Xu Qingning suddenly sat back, putting distance between herself and Zhou Fuling.
In the ensuing silence, he didn't even glance at Zhou Fuling.
He slowly tied the ends of his hair with a silk ribbon, simply tied his hair up, put on his outer robe, tidied his clothes, stretched out his feet, and put on his boots.
Zhou Fuling remained silent throughout the process, watching him complete everything.
Just as Xu Qingning finished dressing, turned her cold gaze away, and prepared to leave, her hand was suddenly grabbed.
His wrist was held by Zhou Fuling's icy hand.
She asked, "Where does Senior Brother plan to go?"
"..." Xu Qingning's hand trembled, and she remained silent, not responding to her.
As he lowered his eyes and was about to pull his hand away to leave, Zhou Fuling grabbed him.
She pulled him away and flung him back onto the bed.
Xu Qingning was completely caught off guard and was suddenly thrown back onto the soft mattress. He lay there, his mind still buzzing, and he was still a little dazed.
Zhou Fuling is incredibly strong... she wasn't faking it at all.
Beneath his fingertips was the quilt. Zhou Fuling sat on the edge of the couch, leisurely staring at his wrist.
Pulled back onto the couch, Xu Qingning's Taoist robe, which he had been wearing, became disheveled again, and a few strands of his hair fell down. His handsome face showed a mixture of embarrassment and shock.
[Villain's favorability +3%]
Xu Qingning: "…………"
He suddenly trembled.
...Although I'm still in shock, and although I haven't fully figured out or accepted what happened yet.
But Xu Qingning felt like she was about to die of anger.
Moved by Zhou Fuling's actions, moved by Zhou Fuling's gaze.
"Let go," Xu Qingning said coldly.
Zhou Fuling released her hand.
Xu Qingning sat up from the couch and said in a low voice, "Why are you here? Weren't you at Yinzhai?"
He didn't walk any further, and lowered his eyes.
This surprised Zhou Fuling.
Because Xu Qingning's tone was no different from that of his former senior brother, as if he was completely unaware of any clues about Zhou Fuling's identity.
There was a hint of coldness in his voice, but his tone was gentle, like that of an old friend asking a question.
She tilted her head slightly, scrutinizing Xu Qingning with unwavering eyes.
She seemed to be observing what trick Xu Qingning was playing, but still answered:
“When my senior brother left, his face looked very pale. Fu Ling was a little worried, so she went to ask him where he had gone and followed him.”
"After I came to the Immortal Sect, I learned that something terrible had happened—Sect Master Ning Tingyue and Immortal Supervisor Zou Tianmo had both been brutally murdered."
"Fu Ling has also heard that her senior brother was ordered by the immortals to investigate this case, which makes her even more worried. The person who committed this crime is truly ruthless."
As she spoke, she actually sighed with genuine emotion.
Xu Qingning: "..."
Zhou Fuling raised her eyes again and asked softly, "Senior brother is unconscious... did he encounter something with that person? Or was he injured after encountering him?"
Zhou Fuling tilted her head slightly, and when she gazed at him, her dark eyes were like black pearls, as if they could absorb a person's soul.
Xu Qingning stared at her coldly and said in a low voice, "I didn't see anything."
"Oh, really? You didn't run into them?" Zhou Fuling's voice was as melodious as a nightingale's song. "That's for the best."
A delicate fragrance wafted over, and Xu Qingning froze.
Zhou Fuling suddenly moved closer to him, just like the gentle junior sister she used to be, and took his arm. "Otherwise, Fuling will worry about senior brother, worry that senior brother will be hurt."
Xu Qingning's arm was grabbed, and she closed her eyes.
[Villain's favorability -2%]
Xu Qingning suddenly opened her eyes, but still did not look at Zhou Fuling. Her mind was in turmoil and she could not calm down.
He concealed everything with cold silence.
After a long while, Xu Qingning slowly raised his eyes. Due to the pain in his mind, he coughed a few times and ordered, "Fuling, I need to calm my mind. Bring me some calming powder."
The place is beautifully decorated, with layers of beaded curtains and misty clouds outside the window; it is still the Dragon Pool Immortal Abode.
Zhou Fuling frowned, seemingly puzzled: "You ordered me to get the medicine?"
"...I'm not ordering you around, I'm asking you, is that alright?"
[Villain's favorability -1%]
"..."
The two stared at each other, the atmosphere in the room as cold as an icebox.
Zhou Fuling hesitated for a moment before asking, "Where is it?"
Xu Qingning raised her chin and pointed her gaze to a corner of the house.
Beneath the carved beams stood a mustard seed cabinet. This mustard seed cabinet, imbued with the magic of transforming a small space into a vast universe, was used for storage.
Zhou Fuling was silent for a moment, then noticed that Xu Qingning's wrists were red, and she was coughing with her head down, covering her mouth. She looked very fragile.
His consciousness was indeed injured.
She hesitated to move, but when she caught sight of a corner next to the mustard seed cabinet, her eyes lit up and she got up.
Xu Qingning pressed the quilt tightly against her back and breathed a sigh of relief.
Next to Zhou Fuling's mustard seed cabinet, there was a jade tablet.
This jade tablet, engraved with gold and wrapped in silver, is carved with the sun and a dragon. It is the celestial book from beneath the Dragon Pool, specially used to transmit messages from the Dragon Pool.
Xu Qingning guessed...
Zhou Fuling would be interested in this.
Zhou Fuling stood there, her back to Xu Qingning, secretly untying the jade tablet and scanning the secret messages on it:
[Xu Lechuan: It is said that Ning Tingyue's jade tablet has been lost. However, the Guardian's Platform has received news that the Hidden Dragon Guards of the Dragon Pavilion have obtained the jade tablet. Three second-rank Hidden Dragon Guards have taken the jade tablet to the Wasteland Fire Platform of the Dragon Pavilion, presumably to destroy it.]
Zhou Fuling remained silent.
Ning Tingyue, Yu Die... Who did he contact before? And who else knows her identity?
Why was Dragon Pool destroyed?
"..."
She stood there silently.
Xu Qingning turned over, her hand already on the Changming Sword. She observed her surroundings, the golden light on her fingers flickering faintly.
But Zhou Fuling returned quickly, and Xu Qingning immediately hid the Changming Sword under the quilt.
He lowered his hand, sat upright, and the spiritual energy on his fingers disappeared.
"Senior brother." When Zhou Fuling returned, she was carrying a celadon bowl filled with calming medicine.
“…” Xu Qingning coughed twice and nodded, “Thank you.”
As a result, he put the medicine aside and didn't touch it at all.
Aren't you going to drink?
"...Drink it later."
Xu Qingning glanced at the eye drops, her gaze freezing.
The calming powder was originally a miraculous medicine for regulating breathing, but now there was an eerie purple light on it.
Xu Qingning curled her fingers.
...Purple spinning top poison.
If a cultivator drinks this poison, they will fall into a coma and become unable to move. Even if they only smell it, their spiritual meridians will gradually become sluggish and stiff.
Zhou Fuling may have foreseen that he wouldn't drink it, which is why she used this medicine.
The person's approach sent a chill down Xu Qingning's spine once again.
[Villain's favorability -1%]
"Why won't you drink it, Senior Brother? Are you afraid to drink the medicine I gave you? This makes me very sad." Zhou Fuling suddenly knelt on one knee on his bed, pulled back the quilt with one hand, and Xu Qingning gripped the quilt, gritting his teeth.
"what you do?"
Zhou Fuling said in a low voice, "Why don't you help your senior brother keep the magical artifacts under the covers, and then he can drink his medicine first?"
Xu Qingning coldly pried her fingers apart, but her fingers did not budge.
But then Zhou Fuling's hands moved like lightning as she reached out to snatch "Changming".
However, a whistling sound was heard—
The "Eternal Sword" was suddenly drawn, unleashing a violent sword formation.
However, the sword formation did not hit Zhou Fuling.
After the blinding light and oppressive force, Xu Qingning reappeared, protected by several sword energies that formed an impenetrable protective barrier, and his figure disappeared.
Several more sword energies tried to force Zhou Fuling away.
Zhou Fuling dodged.
Her gaze was shrouded in gloom.
Despite being considered by everyone to be incapable of martial arts, she leaped lightly and landed silently on the beam like a dancer, precisely avoiding all of Xu Qingning's sword energy, and stood gracefully.
Light flickers like a lone bolt of lightning, and energy surges to the eight directions.
Bang--
Blood and sword energy clashed together.
She lowered her head and met Xu Qingning's gaze through the dazzling light of the sword formation.
Their gazes were both icy, and tensions were palpable.
...
Xu Qingning's heart trembled, yet his magic was superb. He gritted his teeth and stared at Zhou Fuling.
A sharp gust of sword wind whipped up Zhou Fuling's robe sleeves.
However, in the blink of an eye, Zhou Fuling's aura changed drastically, soaring from nothing to something—
First-class!
Zhou Fuling's eyes turned cold and sinister, completely unlike her former self, and a bloodthirsty light rushed forth.
The two forces collided.
From the snow-white, gold-tinged walls of the immortal abode, white light in the shape of a crane flew out again.
It was incorporated into Xu Qingning's sword formation.
Zhou Fuling clung to the eaves, seemingly realizing something, and her expression was not good.
Xu Qingning gathered his sleeves, his gaze fixed on the other side of the sword formation, the light illuminating his face.
...This is a thousand-year-old illusion array set up by the immortal cultivators of Longtan Prefecture.
The art of divination and escape can disrupt a person's formation.
Zhou Fuling was unfamiliar with it and therefore could not immediately break through it.
Xu Qingning had just asked Zhou Fuling to get the medicine, which was a delay in observing and consolidating the formation, so that he could take the opportunity to ambush Zhou Fuling.
However, a crimson, serpentine light, like lightning, pierced through the illusion array.
Zhou Fuling broke through the formation.
Xu Qingning was secretly taken aback.
A blue light rushed towards him, and his divine sense pressed down. Just as Xu Qingning was about to be struck, he coldly turned his face away, raised his sword, and fled.
Wherever the sword wind reached, lightning swept across, splitting the wind and cleaving the flow.
The giant wall totem is moving again.
Zhou Fuling looked at Xiao Ning who had run away, but suddenly gritted her teeth: "...Damn it!"
The totems on the giant wall turned out to be a divine talisman array.
If she insists on going against it, the magic array of this divine talisman can shine directly to the Heavenly Ascension Platform. At that time, even the nine Immortal Ministers and the Immortal Sovereigns will be alarmed, and it will probably attract the attention of everyone in the entire Immortal Palace!
This was definitely not part of her plan!
A burst of lightning appeared, and Xu Qingning's sword light was fierce, carrying a divine talisman array as it hurtled towards Zhou Fuling.
Just as the blood-red light in her palm was about to collide with the giant array connecting the entire Dragon Pool, Zhou Fuling turned around, her figure turning into a black shadow. She suddenly jumped down from the Cloud Mansion, gliding on the clouds, and escaped.
Zhou Fuling's figure was swallowed by the clouds.
Looking again, she had vanished into the misty clouds.
Xu Qingning abruptly sheathed his sword, staring blankly at the clouds, speechless.
Then, he collapsed to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his chest wracked with pain.
Fine, it'll be a lose-lose situation.
Just now, the poison gas set up by Zhou Fuling affected him, aggravating the old wounds in his soul.
Because his thoughts were scattered and his mind was in turmoil, his face was as white as paper. The poison pierced him like a knife. Xu Qingning's chest heaved, and he recovered after a while.
After a while, Xu Qingning opened her eyes, her eyes clear and bright, like ice.
He summoned the jade tablet, closed his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and finally sent a message:
Zhou Fuling was the guardian of Zishijian, and she killed Ning Tingyue and Zou Tianmo.
A message...
This is about to cause an earthquake throughout the entire sect and the entire Eastern Continent.
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