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墨書 Inktalez
"Um? Why did you bring them all here?"
Xu Xiaofei stepped into the room and saw the person looking at him with a raised eyebrow, asking.
Before he could respond, the "child" who had brought them exclaimed loudly, "These three insisted on coming together, and I couldn't stop them!"
"Is that so?" The person smiled upon hearing this.
The smile carried a hint of mockery and an unexpected sense of disappointment: "I thought you... wouldn't be so eager."
He had been watching Xu Xiaofei the entire time.
As the last word fell, a chilling killing intent emanated from his frail body concealed beneath the wide robe.
What?
—Didn’t you specifically ask us to come together?
Xu Xiaofei quickly glanced at the "child," a flash of astonishment crossing his mind, but he had no time to think further.
Wei Xuanfeng suddenly struck out with a palm, and a sword light burst forth like a blazing tongue of fire from the edge of his hand, shattering the chains binding him.
This strike exhausted all of Wei Xuanfeng's strength; his legs went weak, and he was about to kneel. Rong Han caught him, shifting his footing just in time to narrowly avoid three flying shurikens.
Xu Xiaofei formed a virtual blade and took up his sword to meet the attack.
As he swung his sword, he couldn't help but recall the events of these past days. He had actually gotten along quite well with this enemy across from him.
Could this be considered some kind of friendship? He wasn't sure.
All he knew was that every morning when he came to practice, the other party would leave some fresh fruits and pastries for him. This breakfast was certainly much better than the plain steamed buns in prison.
If it were just the two of them here, Xu Xiaofei would take a step back, hoping to sit down and have a good talk. But now, the lives of his two friends are in his hands; he cannot afford to retreat even half a step, nor can he hesitate for a moment when taking action!
If they are to talk, it can only be after he knocks the opponent down first.
The Defensive Barrier once again coalesced in front of him, its light flickering twice before collapsing into nothingness.
Rong Han spat out a mouthful of blood, his face growing even paler.
Both he and Wei Xuanfeng were covered in wounds, their spiritual energy nearly depleted.
Fortunately, Xu Xiaofei's sword intent grew increasingly fierce, making it harder for his opponent to deal with him, gradually preventing them from launching attacks against his friends.
The battle between the two was reaching a critical moment.
At this moment, everything outside had vanished.
In Xu Xiaofei's eyes and heart, there was only the sword.
His own sword and his opponent's sword!
His opponent had also drawn a weapon: a pair of exquisite Peach Blossom Twin Swords.
He could tell that the sword technique used by the other party was quite sophisticated, but their mastery was still not fully refined.
His eyes danced with the sword light as they moved rapidly.
A flaw.
A flaw.
Flaw!
If it weren't for that person's much deeper cultivation and stronger protective energy, the next strike would have secured victory!
This is... the final blow.
The dazzling sword light suddenly fell into silence.
Two swords faced each other, each aimed at the other's chest. This time, neither could evade.
The pure white virtual blade and the pale red sword body crossed at an angle, passing through their respective ribs.
"Brother Xu!"
"Xu Xiong!"
Wei Rong exclaimed in surprise.
It was all too fast; even if they wanted to help, it was too late.
Xu Xiaofei stared at the opponent right in front of him.
This person actually knew swordsmanship; during their last encounter, he had held back his strength.
If they ended up in a mutually destructive outcome, the three of them would still have a chance to escape from this place!
The virtual blade formed by sword energy dissipated in Xu Xiaofei's hand. He staggered back two steps, and at the same time, the Peach Blossom Sword slipped out from his chest.
The opponent also clutched their chest and weakly collapsed to the ground.
He weakly asked Xu Xiaofei, "Your sword was clearly aimed at my heart, why did it... shift just an inch at the last moment?"
Xu Xiaofei started to cough, spitting out blood as he did.
His lungs had been injured by the sword energy.
After hearing the question, he replied, "Because you are not as vicious as I initially thought. To let us go, it shouldn't require a fight to the death. Your sword didn't also avoid my heart, did it?"
The other person's lips moved. His voice was low, vaguely saying, "Is that really the only reason...?" but it was hard to make out clearly.
He then smiled again, a rather charming smile.
"I won't kill you because I tend to go easy on handsome men."
Suddenly, a voice intruded into the settled atmosphere of the room.
"I used to look quite good too; why didn't I see you going easy on me?"
This line came from the "child" with very large, dark eyes.
His voice had changed; it no longer sounded like that of a tender child but rather like a frivolous young man who played around in flower gardens.
Upon hearing this voice, the person sitting across from Xu Xiaofei turned pale.
His face became ghostly white, and his expression turned terrifying.
It was as if he had seen a malevolent spirit crawling up from the underworld to choke him to death.
"You... you are not Yan, you are..." he stammered.
"That's right, it's me." The "child" smiled at him.
The more afraid he became, the more pleased this "child" seemed.
The "child" continued, "Although the Kite is your trusted aide, he has been by my side for quite some time. Of course, I can imitate his words and actions perfectly. Back in the day, I escaped the pursuit of various sects thanks to this skill of disguise; you should know that, shouldn't you? You never considered that this 'Kite' was fake, simply because you refuse to believe that I am still alive in this world."
He smiled with great delight, revealing two dimples.
Unfortunately, on this smiling face, there was not a hint of childlike innocence; instead, it sent a chill down one's spine.
"Y-You why are you not dead? I clearly pierced your Dantian with a sword..."
The "child" replied, "Of course, it was thanks to some secret technique you don't know about."
As he spoke, he leisurely walked diagonally across the room and emerged from the corner.
From the moment he first spoke, ropes made of black mist silently fell upon the four people in the room, binding them all.
Among the four, two were severely injured, and the other two had exhausted their spiritual energy, reaching a state of complete depletion.
This black mist may not have been a particularly profound Curse, but it left them utterly helpless.
"You... you are not Du Feiqing?" Xu Xiaofei suddenly asked.
"He is not," the "child" laughed. "I am. He was merely one of my favorites. When he came here, he called himself Frost Lian; I don't even know what his real name is. When he tried to assassinate me, I realized he came for revenge—seems like it was for his sister? I forgot what her name was."
This "child," or rather Du Feiqing, lifted the chin of the person in front of him.
"You must regret killing me very much," he said softly and sweetly, as if whispering sweet nothings. "I know you must miss me dearly. Our cultivation methods complement each other; only I can satisfy your overwhelming needs. The people you've captured are all too useless, aren't they? I also know that without me, deep down you actually want to die with me; you just don't dare to take action yourself. The three young people I've brought here have considerable cultivation; you know very well that you can't provoke them yet you still kept them around—hoping their backing would come knocking on your door to kill you, right? I initially just wanted to test them, and they certainly did not disappoint my expectations."
It turned out... Xu Xiaofei gritted his teeth. Their actions were all part of Du Feiqing's scheme!
Frost Lian remained silent.
The dark energy surrounding him suddenly weakened, and he managed to break free from the restraints, raising his hand to attack Du Feiqing.
Du Feiqing was already prepared; he kicked out, knocking Frost Lian to the ground, kneeling on him while still smiling and stroking his face.
The restraining dark energy thickened once more.
Frost Lian knew he could not escape now, his expression grim, extreme hatred evident in his eyes.
He rasped, "Take your hands off me, don’t touch me! You make me sick!"
"Oh?" Du Feiqing said, "We have been husband and wife for many years. I have not only touched your face; what part of you have I not touched? Why pretend at this moment?"
He laughed again as he reached to pull at Frost Lian's robe.
Frost Lian closed his eyes, his eyelashes trembling slightly. Clear tears silently spilled from the corners of his eyes.
At that moment, another voice rang out.
"Let him be! Don't touch him!" Xu Xiaofei shouted angrily.
He had also broken free from the dark energy's restraints and swung his sword, charging forward.
Du Feiqing did not turn back; with a flick of his sleeve, an invisible force surged forth, causing Xu Xiaofei to involuntarily fly backward and crash heavily against the wall.
The dark energy wrapping around him also thickened once more.
Du Feiqing continued to gaze at Frost Lian.
He sighed regretfully, "Do you know what I just remembered? Those were truly heavenly days. While the proud and stubborn righteous disciples have their own charm, what I truly crave is your body. No one compares to you in matters of the bed. I find it hard to part with you, but unfortunately... even the most beautiful flower must be broken if it pricks the hand."
He tightened his grip around Frost Lian's throat.
Suddenly, a fierce sword wind swept from behind.
He had thought he had subdued Xu Xiaofei, yet another sword thrust came at him. The dark energy enveloping him had already dissipated by more than half.
Du Feiqing was slightly taken aback and swiftly dodged aside.
"So you don't consume Curse?"
Xu Xiaofei fell silent.
He focused all his attention back on the sword techniques. But this time, he felt somewhat powerless.
His injuries were too severe; every swing of the sword sent a wave of excruciating pain through his body.
His stamina was rapidly depleting along with the blood gushing from his wounds.
If only he had a bottle of Elder Yang's potent healing medicine right now—regardless of whether it would turn him into a squirrel or a mallard, he would gladly accept!
But he had no healing medicine at all. His Cosmic Bag had long been taken by Frost Lian.
After several dozen exchanges, Xu Xiaofei found himself grasped by the neck by Du Feiqing and pressed against the cold wall.
In his heavily injured state, his movements had slowed considerably.
"Since you are so impatient, I'll start with you," Du Feiqing said. "Your face is quite nice, and since Frost Lian hasn't touched you, it seems I've gotten lucky..."
He smiled and continued, "Although my power has greatly diminished after the Soul Possession, by absorbing the cultivation of a few of you, I should be able to restore myself to my original state. Come, all of you watch closely as I demonstrate my prowess on this child."
Xu Xiaofei was sitting on the ground. In his childlike body, even when standing, he was only at eye level with Xu Xiaofei.
This was somewhat comical, but no one could laugh.
Xu Xiaofei couldn't laugh either.
No matter how difficult the situation was, he could usually manage a smile.
Wei Rong and the others struggled desperately but could not break free from the confinement of the dark energy.
At that moment, it seemed no one could save Xu Xiaofei.
Yet a voice coldly remarked, "It's a pity that the dead cannot showcase their talents. You might as well go to the underworld and dream!"
What?
Du Feiqing was taken aback to find there was a sixth person present.
Just as the thought of fleeing crossed his mind, a cold glint flashed, piercing through his chest from the side.
The speed was so fast that few below could evade it.
The ice blade instantly exploded within him, and amidst the dispersing mist, a translucent soul emerged, vaguely resembling Du Shaoqing... With a wave of his sleeve, this soul frozen in frost shattered into powder.
The newcomer walked over gracefully in white clothing, like a feathered crane.
No one knew where he had come from or when he had arrived.
He glanced around and with a wave of his sleeve, the dark mist that had trapped everyone instantly dissipated.
Lying on the ground, unable to rise, Frost Lian looked up at him and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Have you come as promised... Lin Gongzi?"
"It is I," Spirit Sword Destiny replied, "It's been many years... Yin Yunshen."
... It was actually him who saved himself?
Xu Xiaofei also recognized him. It was that person from the Evil Sect!
But the newcomer didn't even glance at him.
He walked straight to Frost Lian, whose real name was Yin Yunshen, and looked down at him.
In his deep eyes, no emotion could be discerned.
Then, he pointed a finger, and an Ice Spike of Azure Light hovered above Yin Yunshen's throat.
This left everyone stunned.
Wasn't he here to save people?
Yin Yunshen also lowered his gaze to the Ice Spike pressed against his throat.
He suddenly smiled bitterly: "Have you received the message? Actually, I... I regretted it the moment I released the pigeon. Sometimes, I think that living like this is worse than dying, sinking day by day into despair without seeing an end... but many times, I want to live."
He said sorrowfully: "My sister has long since passed away; I've always been alone... Even amidst the revelry of the night, there is no one who truly cares for me. After I die, nothing will remain in this world. Nothing at all, as if I... I had never lived. Every time I think of this, I want to survive no matter how dirty my life may be."
"So," Spirit Sword Destiny said quietly as he looked at him, "you don't want to die now?"
"Yes, I... I don't want to die."
A light shone in his eyes. It was a strong will to survive.
Spirit Sword Destiny's expression was somewhat strange. It resembled pity, yet he concealed that pity beneath a facade of indifference.
He said lightly, "Regardless of whether you want to die or not, I am here to fulfill the promise made back then."
Both fell into silence.
It seemed they were both reminiscing about the past.
Many years ago, Spirit Sword Destiny first met Yin Yunshen at the Supreme Teachings Headquarters located in Youzhou.
The person kneeling below was frail and covered in wounds. He had just come from the Central Continent to seek refuge with the Evil Sect.
He was no longer a youth, yet he still had a delicate and timid face, with large eyes set against his pale complexion. The hardships of life had left no marks in his eyes.
He knelt with his head bowed and softly made his request.
He was willing to serve the Evil Sect, only asking that the Evil Sect kill Flower Thief Du Feiqing for him.
Shen Jinglan, who sat in the main seat above, remained silent for a moment. He suddenly sighed softly, "It's been twenty years; do you still only know how to kneel and beg?"
The kneeling man looked up in surprise upon hearing this.
His eyes widened instantly, and his mouth slightly opened.
Confusion, surprise, and shock flooded his face, yet he dared not express it too openly. A myriad of complex emotions surged within him.
He had been keeping his head down, afraid to look at Shen Jinglan in the main seat, but it seemed he finally saw the appearance of this leader clearly.
"It’s actually you..." he murmured. "I practiced that Sword Manual diligently, but my talent is too poor. After years of effort, I still couldn't grasp the essence of the sword techniques... This time entering Youzhou, I nearly died in the swamp just to reach your Guiding Altar. Even if I practiced for a lifetime, I still couldn't avenge my sister. So, I can only ask others for help..."
Shen Jinglan shook his head, showing no particular reaction.
He seemed somewhat weary and glanced at Spirit Sword Destiny standing beside him.
In the past, if he had the strength to take on such a task, he would have drawn his sword to assist without hesitation. But now, he was no longer the person he once was.
Spirit Sword Destiny understood his reluctance to speak and took over for him.
"This is the demonic sect mentioned by Upright Path, not some charitable hall offering alms. Countless people come here with their own grievances seeking refuge in This Sect. If we were to help each one individually, we wouldn't be able to manage. If you stay within the sect, your safety won't be an issue. As for your personal vendetta, that is your own matter."
He seemed to realize his words were a bit harsh and softened his tone. "Even if you lack talent in swordsmanship, you might possess other gifts. If you want revenge, there are many methods available. Perhaps you could learn about mechanisms and formations or explore Spatial Technique."
Yin Yunshen paused for a moment, his eyes misty like rain.
Suddenly, he spoke softly yet firmly, "I understand."
He settled down in the Evil Sect.
Ten years later, he had learned the entire technique of the He Huan Charm from the Succubus in the sect. He tried many things and ultimately found the cultivation method that suited him best.
In that grand hall from earlier, he bid farewell to leader Shen Jinglan.
When he first arrived, he was a simple and innocent person; when he left, he had become an extraordinarily beautiful individual.
Every smile and frown carried an enchanting charm that captivated the heart.
He said, "May I ask you for one thing? Regarding revenge, I have not asked you for anything before, but for this matter... The cultivation method I practice will gradually make me lose control over my desires. If I become a slave to my beastly instincts and wish to die but cannot bring myself to do it, can you help me end it?"
"Alright," Shen Jinglan agreed.
As Yin Yunshen left, the Chilly Autumn Wind blew, dropping the first red leaf.
Years passed again, and a pure white dove delivered a fatal message from the ground.
Yin Yunshen's eyes momentarily glazed over as he said, "Is... is the Sect Leader still well?"
"For now, yes," Spirit Sword Destiny replied.
"Good. You... you can kill me now," Yin Yunshen said.
Spirit Sword Destiny slowly raised his hand.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind: "Stop!"
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