43: He Misjudged People
“Who are you? Without invitations, how dare you trespass into the Wang manor!” The guards at the gate attempted to block them but couldn’t withstand Mo Qingchen’s fierce sword strike, being sent flying.
He strode into the courtyard, his features as if covered in frost, his sword tip pointing directly at Lord Wang on the high platform, speaking coldly and concisely, “Guardian of the formation, release the formation eye and open the next layer.”
Qin Xixue’s eyes also showed determination. With the help of that mysterious elder and the protection of Mo Qingchen, who had broken through to mid Golden Core stage, this small illusion couldn’t stop her!
“If you’re here to make a request, such arrogance is hardly the attitude of a supplicant.”
Lord Wang’s face darkened as he waved his sleeve and snorted coldly, addressing the Daoist priests, high monks, and cultivators invited to the banquet below, “Everyone has seen that today is the joyous occasion of my daughter and son’s wedding. This Wang has specially prepared this banquet, yet these outsiders have barged in to cause trouble, clearly not putting my Wang family in their eyes! They’re not even showing respect to all of you!”
“My daughter and son’s joyous day must not be disturbed by anyone. As long as everyone present can help this Wang successfully hold the wedding, whatever you want, this old man will fulfill.” Though this statement seemed directed at the guests below, the Wang family head’s eyes, like those of a hawk, were fixed on the uninvited guests at the door, his gaze containing an inscrutable smile.
Hearing this, the Tianyan Sect group’s expressions changed, realizing the implications. The atmosphere became somewhat strange.
The underlying meaning of Lord Wang’s words was clearly to have them kill each other. As long as they could push others into the grave, the ceremony would naturally be complete.
“We are righteous cultivators. How can we turn against each other and kill each other just because of your words?”
Mo Qingchen spoke impatiently. As a qualified righteous protagonist, he couldn’t stand such instigation from evil cultivators. He immediately drew his sword and charged directly at the Wang family head, his sword qi as sharp as cold light.
Qin Xixue bit her lip, a dark look flashing in her eyes. She saw that most of the hundred or so guests at the banquet were cultivators, with over a dozen at Golden Core stage or above. The Tianyan Sect had rashly entered without understanding the situation. Even with Mo Qingchen fighting ten opponents alone, they were undoubtedly at a disadvantage.
“We’re here to help!”
Over a dozen cultivators rushed out from the crowd—people from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and the Beast Taming Sect!
Lord Wang laughed coldly, “Perfect, everyone’s out now.”
He waved his hand, casting a spell. Surprisingly, a high-level formation appeared on the ground, encompassing the entire group. It was clearly a trap set in advance, just waiting for them to walk into it.
Shen Rufei and the others had initially concealed their auras, planning to investigate cautiously. Halfway through, they saw the Tianyan Sect group charging in directly.
This move was tantamount to startling the snake in the grass, forcing the opponent into a corner. Not only was it disadvantageous to them, but it also disrupted their original plan. Seeing the Tianyan Sect group at a disadvantage, as fellow disciples of the Eight Great Sects, they naturally felt compelled to step forward…… Before Chu Sang could stop them, this group had rushed out. The next second, all three groups were trapped in the formation, allowing the Wang family head to perfectly catch them like fish in a barrel.
“This person is a Nascent Soul stage cultivator!” Lin Qi’s sword strike landed on the formation but was instantly repelled. He stared in shock, wide-eyed. Wasn’t this person just an ordinary mortal?
In the crowd, Tantai Ming’s hand was on the hilt of his sword at his waist, barely able to contain himself. Chu Sang put her hand on his, shaking her head and making a gesture for him to keep quiet.
“This Lord Wang has hidden his true nature deeply, actually being a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.” Mu Chihuai held a meeting in their shared consciousness. This was a bit trickier than they had planned.
Chu Sang lowered her head in thought, “This person is indeed just a mortal without a spirit root. There’s no need for neighborhood rumors to be false, but there are many unorthodox paths in this world. If he wants to seek longevity through cultivation, he can find other ways.”
Within the formation, the ground began to crack ominously.
Below was actually a tomb that had been excavated in advance! It was like a vicious beast opening its bloody maw, just waiting for them to jump in.
Qin Xixue had never encountered such a dire situation before. She hid behind Mo Qingchen with nowhere to retreat, nervously clutching his sleeve, “Senior Brother, we……”
“Don’t be afraid. The sect has ordered me to bring you all back safely. I will not fail in my mission.”
Mo Qingchen released her hand and stood in front of the Tianyan Sect disciples. Spiritual energy rippled in his palm, and his sword qi, far surpassing others, struck the formation like a silvery-white moonlight.
The formation shook slightly, seemingly developing a small spider web-like crack.
It was working!
But the ground was cracking too quickly. To break through all techniques with one sword strike, who knew how long it would take.
If only someone was outside the formation.
Breaking the binding formation from the inside had minimal effect. If someone could assist from the outside, they might have a glimmer of hope.
Unfortunately, they had been too rash earlier and were caught in one fell swoop. Now it was too late for anything.
Unless……
Qin Xixue pursed her lips, about to speak but hesitating, when she saw Ge Xiang retreating towards them…… The ground they could stand on was getting smaller and smaller, unable to accommodate so many people. If the formation didn’t close quickly, she would be sacrificed.
Qin Xixue’s eyes flickered. She silently took a few steps in that direction. The ground of the formation shook violently, causing many disciples with weaker cultivation to stagger.
“Ah, be careful!” Qin Xixue cried out, her body leaning forward, pushing Ge Xiang in front of her.
Ge Xiang was already unsteady on her feet and completely unprepared. Suddenly pushed, she couldn’t react at all and was instantly swallowed by the bottomless tomb that was like an abyss.
“Junior Sister!”
Shen Rufei and another senior sister’s faces changed drastically when they saw this. They wanted to rush to help, but the distance was too great. It all happened too quickly in an instant, and it was already too late.
“What are you Tianyan Sect trying to do? What’s the meaning of pushing our junior sister down? If you want to fight, just say so!” The second senior sister of the Beast Taming Sect was furious and about to start a fight with them.
Even Shen Rufei, who was usually gentle and easy-going, now wore an expression of barely concealed anger. He spoke in a deep voice, “The Eight Great Sects have always prioritized unity. The elders of our two sects are often friends, and our two great sects have cooperated many times before. I thought we were already allies, which is why we came to help regardless of the danger, even disrupting our previous plans.”
“But this behavior from our neighboring sect has truly opened my eyes!” The corner of his mouth curled into a sneer, without a trace of smile.
Mo Qingchen heard the commotion and turned back, just in time to see this scene. He wanted to reach out to save the person but was too late.
“What are you doing?!” He looked coldly at Qin Xixue.
Qin Xixue seemed to have never been scolded like this by him before. Her eyes reddened, and she said tearfully, “I-I didn’t mean to. The situation was too urgent just now, I couldn’t control myself and accidentally lurched forward. Ge Xiang happened to be in front of me, so……”
“A person at late Foundation Establishment, half-step to Golden Core, can’t even stand steady? Is your left leg lame or your right leg lame?” Lu Yue, the second senior sister of the Beast Taming Sect, boldly spoke up, “Isn’t it rumored outside that you’re a one-in-ten-thousand genius? Already half-step to Golden Core at just sixteen, yet you can’t even stand steady. It’s really laughable. So this is what they call a genius?”
No one was foolish enough to believe her words at face value— How could a cultivator at half-step to Golden Core make such a low-level mistake?
It was clearly intentional!
The corner of Qin Xixue’s eye reddened slightly. She bit her lip, looking sad and wronged, “How can you slander me like this? I-I really didn’t mean to……”
She wanted to gently tug on Mo Qingchen’s sleeve, asking him to defend her.
But Mo Qingchen lowered his eyes coldly, stepping back to avoid her, his gaze somewhat detached as he pressed his lips together and rebuked, “Apologize to them!”
He also couldn’t understand how Qin Xixue, with her abilities, could possibly make such a low-level mistake. Even though he was unwilling to judge her with ill intent, he… he couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation rising in his heart.
He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt more and more that the Qin Xixue before him seemed somewhat different from the gentle and understanding junior sister he remembered.
Previously at the Tianyan Sect, after Chu Sang’s spirit root was damaged, she had gradually grown distant from him. During that time, he was also preoccupied with seeking revenge and had no time to care for others. It was Qin Xixue who had stayed by his side during that period, even saving him from danger several times. Moreover, the aura around her made him feel very close, so he had always harbored good feelings towards this new junior sister in the sect.
But thinking about it now, he felt something was strange. Why was it that every time he was seriously injured, she happened to arrive? And she had appeared in such dangerous places like the Demon Realm multiple times. It seemed too… coincidental, even, one might say, deliberate.
Qin Xixue’s face instantly paled. She bit her lip hard, unable to imagine why he would treat her like this, why he wouldn’t stand on her side but defend the other sects instead.
She really had just lost her balance, it was just an accident……
“I’m sorry.”
She could only say reluctantly, nearly biting her lip to the point of bleeding.
“Stop pretending. If anything happens to our junior sister, I’ll be the first to kill you!” Lu Yue didn’t accept the apology at all.
Qin Xixue’s face turned ashen, as if frightened by these words. She took several steps back, lowering her head as a flash of hatred crossed her eyes. Her fingertips scratched at the tender flesh of her palm.
Seeing his goddess threatened by people from other sects, Qiu Xiude stepped forward without hesitation, “Junior Sister, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you. I won’t let those people hurt you!” After comforting her, he turned to sneer at the Beast Taming Sect group, “The cultivation world is all about the strong preying on the weak, it’s either you die or I live. She was just pushed down because of her own lack of strength. Who can be blamed for that?”
“Besides, didn’t you see? The ground stopped cracking. Although one person from your sect was sacrificed, it saved so many of us. Even if she died, it was worth it!”
These words were like adding fuel to the fire, completely exacerbating the conflict between the two sects. After this, the two sects would probably see red whenever they met.
Qin Xixue was inwardly cursing this person for being so brainless. She didn’t want to be truly harmed by him!
Lu Yue and the others were itching to start a war with the Tianyan Sect right then and there. Just at that moment, a female voice suddenly came from behind them, “You’re right, so—”
“You can go down.”
After a cry of pain, there was one less person in the crowd, one less Qiu Xiude.
Chu Sang withdrew her foot, standing right behind where he had just been. She dusted off her hands, “Finally stopped yapping. So noisy.”
“Chu Sang! You, how did you get in?”
Lin Qi had been thinking they hadn’t been completely wiped out, but he hadn’t expected that their group had also come in.
Mo Qingchen’s expression changed slightly, seemingly not expecting to encounter her here. He was about to say something when he looked up at their surroundings, “The formation……”
The formation was broken.
The others also sensed the change in the surrounding aura. It turned out that Chu Sang had been working on breaking the formation from the outside this whole time. Taking advantage of Lord Wang’s attention being fully on them, she had successfully broken the formation.
Mo Qingchen’s emotions were complex, and he was momentarily speechless, not expecting that it would be her who saved them.
After successfully swallowing two cultivators, one male and one female, the cracking ground eerily stopped moving, reverting to normal in the blink of an eye, without even a single crack remaining.
“I didn’t expect a few fish would slip through,” Lord Wang said, looking down from above. “Today is the joyous occasion of my daughter and son’s wedding. Why do you all insist on interfering again and again! This old man, as a lonely elder who has lost his children, has only one wish, which is simply to complete tonight’s wedding ceremony.”
“If you wish to leave, you may leave now. This old man will not stop you.” He made a gesture of invitation.
Mu Chihuai crossed his arms disdainfully, “You speak so grandly, but why don’t you give us a way back?”
“If I’m not mistaken, if the ceremony is completed tonight, I’m afraid we’ll be the ones who truly can’t go back,” Chu Sang said, looking directly at Lord Wang, whose expression had slightly changed. “Spending a fortune to hold a grand ghost wedding for a pair of deceased children, Lord Wang has truly gone to great lengths. You must truly love your children dearly.”
She smiled, saying slowly,
“If that’s the case, why did you kill them with your own hands?”
The entire hall was in an uproar. Lord Wang could no longer maintain his composure. He slammed the table and shouted angrily, “How dare you! What nonsense are you spouting!”
“Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, I believe Lord Wang knows better than I do,” Chu Sang said, looking straight at him with a smile. “The young master and miss of the Wang family didn’t die accidentally. You killed them with your own hands.”
“Even your six previous wives who died were all killed by you.”
“The evil technique you practice involves consuming others’ essence and blood to extend your own lifespan, with the blood of those closest and dearest being the most potent.”
“Your own children naturally became your best targets.”
“But when they died, their resentment was too strong, greatly reducing their quality. Someone must have told you about using a wrong to right a wrong, attempting to appease the resentment of that pair of children through a ghost marriage.”
“……Haha, you’ve guessed quite well, indeed showing some cleverness,” Lord Wang’s expression was surprisingly calm. He curled his lips into an eerie smile. “However, knowing too much isn’t necessarily a good thing.”
“Mo Qingchen, if you want to take your junior brothers and sisters out together, then cooperate with us,” Chu Sang transmitted softly. She was unwilling to have too much entanglement with the Tianyan Sect people, but Mo Qingchen was after all configured as the male protagonist, with combat power incomparable to ordinary cultivators. His strength at mid Golden Core stage was already faintly able to catch up to the pressure of late Golden Core stage.
“At the same time, keep an eye on your little junior sister. Don’t let her pull any tricks.”
She looked meaningfully at Qin Xixue.
Qin Xixue was displeased, “Second Senior Sister, what do you mean by that?”
“What do I mean? You know very well in your heart.”
Chu Sang’s initial thought was to stay away from the male and female protagonists and live quietly, but she had accidentally entered the Lingqing Sect. Her senior brothers and sisters would all die tragically at the hands of this little junior sister in the future.
She couldn’t avoid it, nor did she want to. Her attitude towards Qin Xixue was no longer indifferent, but rather tinged with annoyance.
If possible, she didn’t want to see her.
Time is eternal.