Chapter 43 043[VIP]

As soon as these words left her mouth, the wrist beneath her hand suddenly tensed.

Martial artists possess far superior night vision, but they were able to stop only because they heard the intermittent chimes of the bells above, not because they saw any sign.

Therefore, Shi Qingruo couldn't see Su Mengzhen's face, and naturally, he couldn't see her. This sudden action brought a flush to his face.

His nervousness at this moment wasn't just due to Shi Qingruo's words.

"Master Su."

"I'm fine." Su Mengzhen had just begun to speak when a flash of fire suddenly lit up, interrupting his attempt at a concealed reply.

Qi Shaoshang raised the quickly lit tinder in his hand and looked at Su Mengzhen with a serious expression: "Master Su doesn't seem to be fine."

The firelight illuminated everyone present, clearly revealing an arrow wound in the upper back of Su Mengzhen.

The arrow's pattern was remarkably recognizable: it was Yuan Shisanxian's Sad Arrow!

His Sad Arrow could transform from qi and flesh, but since it was a bow and arrow, it naturally couldn't escape its physical form.

The quiver hanging at his waist held six arrows, and it was one of them that struck Su Mengzhen.

Even Shi Qingruo had assumed that the initial shot, launched into the air after being provoked, was merely the whimsical act of a half-demon-possessed individual. She had never anticipated that the Sad Arrow, fueled by the Divine Art of Forbearance and the Mountain Sutra, could actually remain under control even after it had escaped his grasp, pursuing his opponent with such terrifying force.

Su Mengzhen already had a history of injuries, including a palm strike to his lungs in childhood. These complex wounds maintained an exceptionally delicate balance. Now, this seemingly ordinary arrow, imbued with Yuan Shisanxian's uncanny internal energy, evoked the unknown impact of his own inner strength.

Su Mengzhen's endurance was astonishing; even under the sudden flicker of candlelight, he couldn't detect much of a clue.

"You shouldn't have blocked that arrow," Shi Qingruo felt like sighing.

She possessed the inner strength of the Taixuan Sutra, so even if she were struck by the arrow, the impact of the injury would be much less severe than Su Mengzhen's.

But he blocked the arrow so decisively that no matter how much she wanted to say, she shouldn't have said it now.

Su Mengzhen, as if sensing her emotions, smiled and replied, "Whether it's for the public good or for personal gain, I have to block this arrow."

What did he mean by public good? They were using the pretense of "Tian Ji's Horse Racing" as a means to delay Yuan Shisanxian's arrival in Beijing, but in reality, it was a trap, already maximizing their manpower and resources.

Yuan Shisanxian's inner strength held numerous hidden dangers; perhaps they would find an opportunity to capture him.

According to information previously gathered at Fengyu Tower, the Shan Zi Jing he had received from the Three Whips Taoist was a garbled version with the word order reversed. But Yuan Xian, while not a good man, was a supreme martial arts genius, having mastered a remarkable skill.

If anyone could find this crucial point, Su Mengzhen would inevitably trust Shi Qingruo.

It was precisely because of her planning tonight that Yuan Shisanxian's initial attack had crippled the Liuhe Azure Dragon Formation.

She couldn't be harmed!

As for selfish motives...

"Yuan Xian's arrow, which struck me, was only a damaging iron and air arrow. If it had struck you, it would have been a truly heartbreaking arrow," he added softly.

Lu Xiaofeng's eyes widened, and he stared at Su Mengzhen with a look of astonishment, as if he hadn't expected the usually tough-minded owner of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower to utter such a sweet remark at this moment.

Yet, he remained impassive as he spoke, completely unaware of the devastating impact of his words.

"It's inconvenient to pull out the arrow now." The tip of his brow trembled slightly in the area unlit by the firelight, but his tone remained calm. "We don't have that much time to waste. We must quickly establish our next location."

Shi Qingruo knew that now was not the time to dwell on his injuries.

Yuan Shisanxian had lost Zhao Huasi, one of the Six Harmonies Azure Dragons, and had missed the opportunity to trap and kill Zhuge Shenhou with a grand formation. He was at his most furious and irrational.

If he wanted to plot against him and identify his weaknesses, there was no time to lose.

The previous encounter had already given Shi Qingruo a glimmer of hope.

She lifted Su Mengzhen to her feet and leaped up, following the exit illuminated by the tinderbox. Together with Qi Shaoshang and Lu Xiaofeng, they quickly disappeared into the night.

As Yuan Shisanxian followed the trail of blood, he came upon a Bodhi Temple.

The long-dilapidated temple was silent, and in the clear moonlight, an indescribable chill permeated it. Only the lingering heat on the night breeze reminded the visitor that it was still midsummer.

Yuan Shisanxian pushed open the door without hesitation. Even though he had already left Lu Shuyi and several other disciples behind in his quest to catch up with Master Qingruo and the others, this did not hinder his decisiveness.

With his martial arts prowess, he considered himself indistinguishable from a demigod.

As a "God of War," he should no longer be bound by the rules of the Zizai Sect. Even if he repeated his explosive tactics here, they would be fruitless.

Only Zhuge Xiaohua's personal presence might bring him to his knees.

But that person, arrogating his superiority, hadn't come before, allowing the younger generation to play tricks. So, he wouldn't show up now.

He strode swiftly through the dusty front yard and into the main courtyard of the Bodhi Temple.

Strangely, he tore down the prayer flags hanging overhead and, following the bloody path, burst inside. He saw that the statue enshrined within the Bodhi Temple was not a statue of Sakyamuni, but a white jade Guanyin.

The surroundings were shrouded in dust and mud, yet not a trace of it had been left on the jade statue.

She stood with her eyes lowered, holding a pure jar, a stark contrast to her surroundings.

If it weren't for the white glaze-like coating on her face, if it weren't for Yuan Shisanxian's martial arts, which prevented him from detecting the Guanyin statue's breathing, and if it weren't for the fact that the jade Guanyin's clothing didn't flutter in the night breeze, Yuan Shisanxian would have suspected that this exceptionally exquisite Guanyin wasn't a clay sculpture, but a real person.

But a second glance and his pupils shrank.

Through the cracks in the crumbling roof, scattered rays of moonlight shone onto the jade statue, illuminating her features with increasing clarity.

Though her eyes were closed and she smiled, that face, in its contours and spirit, exuded an indescribable gentleness beyond divinity, like a white flower untouched by dust, blooming between the altars on the table.

This face… this face Yuan Shisanxian had seen before! He had even seen it countless times in his dreams, but it had long since been buried in the earth. So much so that when he recognized who it belonged to, he uttered a broken voice: "Xiao Jing…"

Zhi Xiao Jing.

His wife, the sweetheart of him and Zhuge Shenhou, Zhi Xiao Jing.

But when he looked up at the white jade Guanyin statue before him, he felt an inexplicable sense of unfamiliarity. The shocking events of the past had transformed the individuals involved beyond recognition. When Zhi Xiaojing died, he hadn't seen such a serene and gentle expression in ages, as if that expression existed only for the moment she was freed by the Sad Little Arrow.

Yet, the statues in this mountain temple could remain untouched.

Yuan Shisanxian was about to step forward and smash the white jade Guanyin statue to pieces. Just

as he was about to do so, a sigh echoed from the empty hall.

"Who?" Yuan Shisanxian shouted angrily, but he could only sense that the thread of blood drawn by the Sad Little Arrow was still quite far away from him, and even moving further away. It was clearly not the work of those people.

Then the only one who could make that sound was...

White Jade Guanyin, still smiling with closed eyes, spoke: "Thumb finger to the sky, head finger to the wind, middle finger to the fire, nameless water, little finger to the earth. Have you learned them all?" Those

few dozen words, like a bucket of cold water on a freezing cold day, poured down on Yuan Shisanxian's head, freezing him in place.

For a moment, he even forgot that he should have quickly and decisively destroyed the Guanyin statue and continued chasing those hit-and-run villains. He simply stared blankly at the White Jade Guanyin before him.

Thumb finger to the sky, head finger to the wind, middle finger to the fire, nameless water, little finger to the earth.

The words seemed to come from the Mountain Character Scripture, yet they didn't. The order was completely reversed from what he remembered.

But if he was only asking about the Mountain Character Scripture, how could he not have learned them? Back

then, Xiao Jing had cultivated the Heartbroken Arrow to avenge her father, even risking her own life in a bargain with the Three Whips Taoist, in order for him to obtain the Mountain Character Scripture. Yet, acquiring this martial art, far from bringing hardship upon Zhuge Xiaohua, only served to warp his mind further, leading him to kill Xiaojing and scare away their only son.

Having abandoned his wife and children, and nearly betrayed his master, there was no way he could have learned the wrong thing.

He shouted back, "Of course I've learned it."

Yuan Shisanxian stared intently at the white jade Guanyin statue before him, hoping to once again see the returned face of his old friend beneath the glazed sheen. Instead, he seemed to see only a hazy moonlike shadow, a vague resemblance, a half-resembler. Even the voice that reached his ears was drastically different from Xiaojing's voice back then.

Only those words, so gentle, seemed to have come from Zhi Xiaojing's lips. "But you have changed. You didn't become the hero you wanted to be."

"Hero?" Yuan Shisanxian sneered, "If I were still a young man in my twenties or thirties, I could certainly continue to be a hero, but I have white hair now, and I am no longer young. What's the point of being a hero!"

"I see through it, I recognize it clearly! It is not my place to be a hero now, so don't blame me. I can only be a devil happily."

The beautiful figure in the moon was so indifferent that there was no smile, but the voice of reply still had a sense of generosity and compassion, "Are you happy? I only see your jealousy."

Yuan Shisanxian pulled up a crazy smile: "I can comprehend the 'Mountain Sutra' and shoot the 'Heartbreak Arrow', why should I be jealous of him!"

But in front of the White Jade Guanyin, there was clearly another voice in his body clamoring -

yes, he was jealous of Zhuge Shenhou, jealous of his third senior brother, jealous of him...

Why could he become the Zhuge Shenhou admired by the world, while he only hunted a few young men in the suburbs of Bianjing!

Even at this moment, only a cold moonlight shone on him, and a voice mingled with it: "You have no Buddhist thoughts, no Buddhist heart, no Buddhist conduct. The whole world is your enemy. Without the Buddha's help, how can you possibly master the Mountain Sutra?"

Yuan Shisanxian suppressed the turbulent flow in his meridians and shouted in shock, "What did you say?"

...

"We must hurry."

Fu Zongshu dragged the Prince of the Southern Prince towards the Imperial Study, saying, "Yuanxian may not be able to hold off Zhuge Xiaohua for long, but as long as you replace the Emperor, even if he notices something, we will have the upper hand."

Dozens of black-clad men followed Fu Zongshu, and their footsteps revealed they were no ordinary men.

If Wenrou were here, she would surely recognize them: among them was the Black Light Master she had met earlier in the Prime Minister's Residence, and the other six swords of the Seven Absolute Swords.

In the turmoil of tonight, they had indeed appeared beside Fu Zongshu as accomplices.

Leading the way ahead of Fu Zongshu and the Prince of the Southern Prince was none other than Wang An, the young emperor's chief eunuch.

With him at their helm, the group skillfully evaded the palace patrols and advanced directly into the inner palace.

With the assistance of Master Heiguang and others, even if His Majesty were surrounded by experts, such a scheme would be impossible to resist.

It's fair to say that the Prince of the Southern Prince had a perfectly fitting face.

However, it was a face brimming with excitement at the prospect of success, or perhaps more accurately, the expression of a triumphant villain.

This made him look anything but the impending emperor.

He was oblivious to this, instead questioning Fu Zongshu, "Is Yuan Shisanxian so incompetent?"

This... this seemed somewhat different from what Fu Zongshu had previously told him.

Seeing Fu Zongshu's expression of complete confidence, he quickly forgot his momentary nervousness.

"If he truly possessed this ability, he should have accepted my invitation two years ago, taking advantage of the Four Great Constables' absence from the capital to build their reputation and eliminate Zhuge Xiaohua. Even Lei Sun had the courage to risk his own life against Zhuge Xiaohua, so why didn't he?"

This in itself was a sign of cowardice.

Fu Zongshu's martial arts skills weren't as good as Yuan Shisanxian's, and he had learned from him, but as a high-ranking official, his understanding of human nature was far more profound than Yuan Shisanxian's.

Fortunately, he hadn't originally expected Yuan Shisanxian to truly kill Zhuge Shenhou. He only needed to eliminate a few of the Four Great Constables and delay his return to the capital.

Fu Zongshu couldn't help but chuckle as he pondered this. If Yuan Shisanxian couldn't return, while it would certainly mean he had one less thug on his side, it might also be a good thing for him.

If Yuan Xian truly achieved the feat of capturing and killing Zhuge, he didn't know what reward he would offer.

Zhuge Xiaohua can be restrained by moral laws, but Yuan Shisanxian is getting crazier with each passing year. Who knows if he'll ever lose control?

Today's move will not only cause a quarrel between the two brothers in the Zizai Sect, but also place this simple, easy-to-understand fool on the throne. How could this not be a double blessing for him?

"If that's the case..."

"You don't have to worry about so much," Fu Zongshu interrupted the Prince of the Southern Prince. "You only need to do one thing today: watch the battle with me, put on your dragon robe, and then take up the imperial seal that commands the world."

These few words, in the ears of the Prince of the Southern Prince, painted a very tempting dream for him.

He praised repeatedly, "Yes, yes... This is all thanks to the Prime Minister's contribution."

At this moment, experts from both within and outside the imperial city were still gathered in front of the Jinshui Bridge, watching the clash between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuxue. Fang Geyin, the great hero who had once saved the emperor, had been killed by the combined forces of Yuan Shisanxian and Gongzi Yu. Zhuge Shenhou had also left the capital due to Yuan Shisanxian's actions, leaving the young emperor without a protective shield.

If this wasn't a godsend, what else could it be?

Since he was so fortunate to share the same face as the current emperor, he deserved this chance to ascend to the throne. Why should he be limited to being the Prince of the Southern Prince, who constantly hid his features?

He was now a mere step away from the throne.

But at this moment, a voice echoed from the distant stone steps, as if carried to their ears by the wind: "Really?"

The Prince of the Southern Prince replied instinctively, "Of course not. The Prime Minister is far-sighted..."

He couldn't continue.

The dozens of experts accompanying him and Fu Zongshu had already moved side by side, shielding them from view. Startled by this cry, they immediately assumed a battle-ready stance, especially the most accomplished of them, Master Black Light, whose hands were clenched at his sides. This

moment finally dawned on the foolish and arrogant Prince of the Southern Kingdom that the man who had questioned them was not an accomplice, but an adversary!

He gasped, barely recovering from the devastating news of his whereabouts being exposed when he realized something even more terrifying.

The hall ahead was dimly lit, yet it still clearly illuminated the figure.

Before he arrived in the capital, his father had presented him with scrolls depicting important figures in the capital, instructing him to memorize the images and prepare for the upcoming events.

This included the man before him.

His short stature, compared to the spear he wielded, made it difficult for him to project a heroic presence. However, this did not hinder his presence; as he stood there, he seemed like an invisible barrier, a barrier that had fallen before the hall.

He approached slowly, exuding the imposing demeanor of a master.

Fu Zongshu, feeling composed, couldn't help but exclaim, "Why are you here?"

The man before him was none other than the one he'd assumed would have already clashed with Yuan Xian—

Zhuge Shenhou!

He didn't intervene against his junior fellow apprentice, and Yuan Xian hadn't arrived either. What was going on?

"I think you should be asking why they're here, and not just Zhuge Shenhou alone."

Fu Zongshu's expression changed as someone suddenly pushed open the door of the hall behind him.

As palace lanterns lit up, the speaker's face remained hazy in the shadows, but his dragon robes came into view.

The four men surrounding him formed a wall, tightly shielding him.

Zhu Tang, unwilling to risk his life, stood guarded by Zhuge Shenhou and the Four Master Constables, observing Fu Zongshu with interest.

Zhuge Shenhou's sudden appearance was a risky yet brilliant chess move, throwing the opponent's previously advantageous position into complete disarray. Even Fu Zongshu's face, tinged with purple and black, showed a flurry of expression.

However, it was so unattractive that he quickly turned his gaze to the Prince of the Southern Prince standing beside Fu Zongshu, raising an eyebrow.

It seemed impossible that someone in the world could have a face nearly identical to his, yet the fear etched on it made it appear utterly unsightly and unpleasant.

After a brief silence between the two sides, the first to be questioned by the Emperor were the two thugs surrounding Fu Zongshu.

"Mr. Yuanmiao, Master Heiguang, if I remember correctly, the late emperor showed you kindness during his lifetime, a gift far beyond the small favors Fu Zongshu and the Southern Prince have bestowed upon you. You broke into the Forbidden Palace tonight, intending treason and assassination. What are your intentions?"

Lin Lingsu, known as "Mr. Yuanmiao," and Zhan Bieye, known as "Master Heiguang," exchanged a glance.

His Majesty's unexpected arrival tonight, accompanied by Zhuge Shenhou and his men, meant that their plan to replace the emperor with minimal losses was now impossible.

The four-character charge of "treason and assassination" made them realize that if they were apprehended today, they would face certain death.

They had no chance to bow their heads and apologize to the young emperor, leaving them with no choice but to continue their path.

Lin Lingsu, reflecting on this, immediately raised his voice and replied, "During the reign of the late emperor, we enjoyed the protection of the Shangqing Baolu Palace, boasting thousands of disciples and apprentices, and were revered as imperial preceptors. Since ascending the throne, the current emperor has successively abolished several of these old laws. Compared to the Prime Minister's continued sincerity, the difference is a hundredfold. How dare Your Majesty speak of the late emperor's legacy!"

"Did you hear that?" Zhu Tang turned to the side. "Write it all down for me."

Lin Lingsu: "..."

His thoughts had been distracted by the presence of His Majesty, Zhuge Shenhou, and the Four Famous Constables, so he hadn't noticed a historian standing in the shadows in the corner.

Now, upon hearing His Majesty's command, he hurriedly wrote down everything Lin Lingsu had said.

Most historians are incredibly courageous, and even in the midst of a dangerous standoff, he still managed to make his writing clearer by leaning closer to one of the lanterns, allowing his movements to be more clearly seen.

Zhu Tang bowed to Zhuge Shenhou. "The treacherous minister, Fu Zongshu, has betrayed the late emperor's trust in his son. He has joined forces with Master Yuanmiao, Master Heiguang, and others to invade the palace, intending to rebuild the Shangqing Treasure Scroll Palace and enjoy the wealth and prosperity of the world. I beg Zhuge Shenhou to assist in apprehending these individuals and bringing them to justice!"

Zhuge Shenhou replied, "I will faithfully follow your majesty's instructions."

Without further delay, he flicked the spear in his hand, and it seemed to come alive, thrusting directly at Fu Zongshu and his men.

His determination for a quick victory was evident in this action.

Almost the moment Zhuge Shenhou launched his spear, with the exception of Wuqing, who remained before Zhu Tang, closely guarding him along with Yin Xian, the other three, along with the imperial guards, had already joined the imperial guards in attacking Fu Zongshu and his men.

They gave the two sides no time to "reminisce."

Yuan Shisanxian had not yet been defeated, but was being delayed by Shi Qingruo, Su Mengzhen, and the others.

If Fu Zongshu were executed for his crimes, the Southern Prince and the others would be apprehended, but the lives of the Seven Saints of the Misty Heaven Alliance and the Master of Fengyu Tower would be sacrificed. This would be equally disastrous!

Naturally, they had to capture him as quickly as possible, and then—

out of the city to provide support!

"Are you nervous?" Zhu Tang keenly noticed that Chief Constable Wuqing's grip on the wheelchair was slightly strained, not as if he was about to unleash a hidden weapon, but rather because he was nervous about the situation.

Wuqing's eyes were clear, a hint of worry hidden beneath the stark blackness of his eyes. "Your Majesty, don't worry. Others are more nervous right now."

For example, the Southern Prince.

He was pulled aside by a swordsman, narrowly missing a cold-blooded, direct, killing move. He nearly screamed, but all the sounds were choked in his throat.

Regardless of whether he was Ye Gucheng's nominal disciple or not, he had at least consulted him for a few words. In a melee of this level, he was completely insignificant.

But what frightened him even more was not the failure of their plan, but what the little emperor had just said.

The charge he was accusing him of wasn't that Fu Zongshu and the Southern Prince had colluded to replace him with a prince who bore a resemblance to him, but that Lin Lingsu and other Taoist masters revered by the previous emperor had joined forces with Fu Zongshu to once again elevate religion above imperial power, without mentioning him at all.

What was the point?

The Southern Prince's usually slow-witted mind inevitably became more flexible in the face of this matter of life and death.

He could only think of one answer: that in the young emperor's mind, the Southern Prince was already a dead man.

Rather than letting others know that a powerful minister, in league with a prince who bore a resemblance to the emperor, had the opportunity to overthrow the government and sow more hidden dangers, it would be better to seize the opportunity to maximize the benefits of today's coup, eliminating the regent and resolving the problems left by the previous emperor at the same time!

As for the Southern Prince...

he had come to the capital in secret anyway. The people of Bianjing didn't need to know what he looked like; he just needed to die here.

The historian had indeed recorded the events faithfully, because the person opposite him hadn't even asked who he was.

He immediately shouted, "I am—"

Before he could finish his words, a sharp arrow pierced his throat.

He collapsed, clutching his neck, and tried to explain his origins, but no sound emanated. The glimmer of light in his eyes dimmed.

Fu Zongshu quickly retreated behind Master Heiguang and turned to witness this scene.

He had no time to mourn the death of the Southern Prince, nor to consider why Wuqing, clearly protecting His Majesty, had the energy to fire an arrow in this moment.

Master Heiguang's martial arts were extremely strange. When he activated his energy, it was as if he were a black hole, blocking any light and swallowing all other moves by his omnipresent energy.

But when Zhuge Shenhou thrust his spear towards the red flower, the dazzling flower was not consumed. Instead, it resembled a ray of light, shattering the darkness before him.

Master Heiguang's face paled.

Almost instantly, the whisk in Lin Lingsu's hand shattered into pieces.

Fu Zongshu had no doubt that even if he had mastered his tortoise-shell Pipa magic, he would never have stood a chance against Zhuge Shenhou's attack.

If that rich spear were to strike him, he would have no chance of evading it. He

seemed to have only two options left.

One was to take advantage of Zhuge Shenhou's struggle with the others and immediately retreat from the palace, as far away as possible. But with Zhuge Shenhou's deadly, one-step-at-a-time approach, this was simply impossible. If he turned and ran, he would only die.

The other was to exert all his might, hoping to capture His Majesty and buy himself a moment's respite.

However, before Fu Zongshu could act, he was shocked to see, from the rooftops on the other side, a dark figure, moving at an extremely fast speed, heading straight for Zhu Tang's position.

He dodged Wuqing's numerous hidden weapons with uncanny agility, seemingly reaching the young emperor in the next moment.

But a flash of sword, even faster than his own, struck first, intercepting him.

Only when the two men stopped did Fu Zongshu see clearly that the black-clad man who had attacked earlier had striking white hair, and the bronze mask he wore added a touch of eeriness.

It was Gongzi Yu, the young man tasked with containing the Mi Tian League and the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower today.

Standing before him was a man in his early thirties, dressed in linen. The

weapon he wielded in that devastating blow was nothing more than a short staff.

Yet, witnessing this scene, no one could deny that this man's swordsmanship was among the world's finest.

Ah Fei glared coldly at the man before him, his short staff still lingering, as if pointing at Gongzi Yu's throat. "Shen Lang, who once squandered his family fortune and earned a reputation for chivalry, has only taught you to break the rules and assassinate the Emperor?"

The day Gongzi Yu infiltrated the Misty Heaven Alliance, Shi Qingruo had entrusted him with a task. If Gongzi Yu were to take any action, please stop him.

Though he had been tricked into Bian Jing, Shi Qingruo hadn't lied to him about Gongzi Yu's background, and she hadn't been wrong. This guy was simply an unreasonable lunatic.

Just like now, despite having previously committed such a shocking act, he dared to remove the bronze mask, holding it in his hand, and cast a mocking glance at Zhu Tang. "So what if he's the Emperor? I never care about the status or life and death of others."

He didn't answer Ah Fei's question about Shen Lang, but upon seeing his attire, a moment of realization crossed his face. "You know the story of Zijin and me, so why are you trying to stop me?"

Ah Fei frowned.

He didn't know if he was out of touch with the times, or if there was a significant age gap between him and Gongzi Yu. Otherwise, why couldn't he understand what this guy was thinking...

He angrily said, "She wants to protect His Majesty, but you want to assassinate him. You and she are on different paths."

Gongzi Yu laughed. "Yes, she and I are on different paths. She knows this, and I know it too. But the world is boring and hypocritical. I only care about her, so—"

A flash of purple light flashed from his fingertips, and his gaze towards the young emperor became increasingly sharp like a knife. "Where is Zijin?"

He pushed Ah Fei's short stick away, as if he wasn't worried that he would kill with his sword energy at this moment, and faced Zhu Tang and Wuqing who blocked his way.

"Zhuge Shenhou is renowned in the martial arts world, but he's nothing more than a fame-seeker. He could have dealt with Yuan Shisanxian sooner rather than later, but he chose to allow him to grow. The so-called "Splendid Spear" shaped by longing for his lover is a complete joke. If he were a man, he would have personally confronted Yuan Shisanxian and taken his life, not had others do it for him."

Even if Shi Qingruo's plot today was a deliberate act, he still cursed.

Or perhaps his rage was merely a mask for his panic at seeing Zhuge Shenhou appear in the Forbidden Palace instead of Shi Qingruo at the Jinshui River.

He'd said it all those years ago: without the power to conquer the world, how could he possibly protect his beloved in this hypocritical and filthy world? But Zijin continued to watch the world with a smile, treating him like a madman gone astray.

So, even if he got even crazier, what was the harm?

"I ask again, where is Zijin?"

He gazed intently at the people before him. His face, beneath his white hair, was handsome as a fairy, yet it shone with an indescribable sinisterness and stubbornness.

Wuqing was silent for a moment, then replied, "You don't have to act so presumptuously. I'll tell you something."

If Gongzi Yu had been on Shi Qingruo's side, he shouldn't have assisted Yuan Shisanxian in killing Fang Geyin. But if he had been on Fu Zongshu's side, he shouldn't have watched Master Heiguang die at the hands of Zhuge Shenhou while he inquired about another person's whereabouts.

But Wuqing could see one thing: a concern in Gongzi Yu's obsessive gaze that made him look like he was looking in a mirror.

"If we calculate the time, she should be..."

Wuqing muttered a few words, but Gongzi Yu didn't even say thank you before turning and walking away.

Yin Xian was about to stop this offender, but Zhu Tang waved him off.

Gongzi Yu came like the wind and left like a breeze.

Ah Fei didn't have time to think about it, he had already caught up with Gongzi Yu's footsteps and chased after him.

Gongzi Yu didn't bother to care about it, and fled the imperial city like a ghost in the dark night.

He was eager to find someone, and didn't have time to explain to anyone for the time being. Only when he crossed the Jinshui River and saw a sword light that could not be ignored on the arena on the other side, did he pay attention for a moment.

There was also a cry of surprise from the crowd, "It's a fairy from the sky!"

No, it seemed to be a fairy from the sky, but it also seemed not to be.

Ye Gucheng's sword had broken free from the constraints of the future, leaving only a shocking sword intent, intending to stand tall under the sky, tearing apart the human calculations in the mortal world, and became a sword pointing from the sky.

Despite the irrelevance of romance

, within that dazzling, fierce sword wind, a glimmer of tenderness remained, reflected in the moonlight. This didn't cause the sword to fall to earth, but instead soared upward, adding to its splendor.

What a breathtakingly brilliant strike!

Unseen by those holding their breath...

Almost instantly, the White Jade Guanyin of the Bodhi Temple had unsheathed her soft sword from her sleeve and slashed through the air, her strike like a mighty, celestial being.

But her strike still carried unfinished Buddhist verses, shone against the cold, porcelain-white hue. Like a sword slaying evil from death to life, it shattered the illusion before Yuan Shisanxian.

It felt like a sword, yet also like a knife.

Yuan Shisanxian stood there, dazed.

Before him, it seemed, was the very blade that Zhi Xiaojing had hurled at him in anger, disfiguring him!