Chapter 39
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The hall fell into a dead silence, and after a while, Changsun Chengfeng stared at Xu Shuangce in disbelief and asked, “….What did you say?”
“You chased to the Northern Frontier from Cangyang Mountain?” Ying Kai turned his entire upper body towards Xu Shuangce.
“Yes,” Xu Shuangce said.
“And you killed Du Kaixun?” Ying Kai continued.
“Killed.”
“…”
The distance from Cangyang Mountain to the Northern Frontier was not just thousands of miles; it was almost as far as a journey of ten thousand miles. Everyone stared at Xu Shuangce in disbelief, unable to imagine how seventeen years ago, he had single-handedly pursued and killed someone in a place thousands of miles away, on the pinnacle of a glacier in the extreme cold, piercing through the heart and lungs with a sword, taking off someone’s head. What kind of profound and strong killing intent was this?
Ying Kai exclaimed in shock, “What?”
Changsun Chengfeng opened and closed his mouth several times before tremblingly asking, “….Do you still remember that he was from the Changsun family?”
Xu Shuangce did not respond to Ying Kai but leaned slightly towards Iron Sect. His face had not changed a bit over the centuries, and when he cast his gaze from above, there was a chilling sharpness:
“So what?”
“…”
Changsun Chengfeng didn’t say a word. Mu Duozhu picked up his teacup and cleared his throat, changing the subject, “So after Du Kaixun’s death, the only one who can control the soldier thread is Iron Sect, right?”
The matter circled back to the starting point.
Changsun Chengfeng was easygoing and had no airs, often getting along well with the younger generation, enjoying a good reputation among the various schools of Xuanmen. It was hard to believe he was a behind-the-scenes manipulator; nobody, not even Ying Kai, believed that this so-called “public trial” in the hall would have any real outcome. But the current situation left no room for a second explanation; it was more than just a bit strange.
Ying Kai frowned and said, “Chengfeng, the route inside the Ding Xian Ling is complex, especially the deepest underground ninth level. Few people in the world have stepped into it through the golden tomb gate. And you, the one who designed the entire tomb, happen to be among the few names…”
Changsun Chengfeng had never expected that his younger brother had died seventeen years ago. He was truly at a loss for words: “Do you all really think I’m such a deranged person?”
No one spoke, and they all avoided eye contact.
“…,” Changsun Chengfeng seemed to curse the families of all the “fellow immortals” in his heart, helplessly changing the subject: “Law Flower Immortal has passed for sixteen years, and the completion and sealing of the Ding Xian Ling have also been fifteen years ago. Even if someone wanted to take action, why wait until now? Furthermore, why would I go to such lengths to steal his body? You should know how dangerous the immortal’s remains are…”
“The blood-red pupils,” Xu Shuangce interrupted.
Since everyone took their seats and it started, whenever Sect Master Xu spoke, he could turn the situation around in just a few words. So now, whenever he speaks, everyone instinctively shuddered. Changsun Chengfeng said, ‘What?!'”
“Law Flower Immortal died with his golden core intact and his spiritual power still present. The inherently strange blood-red pupils should still be usable. Even if his magical power was diminished after death, his right eye is still an extraordinary weapon, ‘capable of crafting the most perfect mechanical soldiers.'”
Xu Shuangce paused and continued, “Your little brother told me this before he died.”
Changsun Chengfeng’s chest heaved, his expression indescribable as he stared at him. Ying Kai leaned over and lowered his voice to ask, “Not only did you kill him, but you also specifically interrogated him?!”
“…”
“Did his little brother say anything before he died?”
Xu Shuangce still didn’t answer, leaning back against the armchair, his face calm as the roaring wind from afar outside the window swept over his unchanging expression.
Just like the bone-chilling wind seventeen years ago on the glacier, it intermittently carried the dying voice of Du Kaixun, “You… don’t you hate Gong Zhiyu? Everyone says that the majestic Cangyang Sect Master looks down on Grand Elder Gong. Do they know….. Do they know you came all the way to this icy wasteland… do they know what face you wear in private?!”
The second son of the Changsun family was only nineteen at the time, handsome like his brother, but with a naturally crazed, sinister look in his eyes, like a desperate beast trapped in a cage, full of murderous intent waiting to burst out from under his skin.
Standing in front of him, Xu Shuangce held No Way Out, drops of blood falling from the tip of the sword onto the snow.
“You’re not a good person either, Xu Shuangce.” The young man covered the bleeding wound on his neck, panting maliciously on the snowy ground. “Your true desires are trapped under your skin, and you’ll never be able to break free, never…”
The wind and snow submerged Xu Shuangce’s expression in the shadows. After a while, he raised his right hand, and a blood-red light soared into the sky as a head flew from the top of the ten-thousand-foot ice peak towards the cliff.
…
Everyone in the hall had different expressions. Yuchi Rui had stopped eating peanuts and leaned forward to ask Iron Sect seriously, “Was it you who did it?”
Changsun Chengfeng helplessly asked, “Can you stop causing trouble here?”
Ying Kai raised his chin towards the icy plate beside him and said, “You must figure out a way to prove yourself now, Chengfeng. Either you prove that you can’t control the soldier thread extracted from Law Flower Immortal’s remains, or you prove that this thread is related to your brother…”
Changsun Chengfeng was stunned, “Brother Ying, aren’t you making things difficult for me? I can only prove that I can control my own soldier thread. But how can I prove that I can’t control someone else’s? Should I call it and see if it responds?”
Ying Kai said lightly, “I can only invite you to stay temporarily at Dai Mountain’s Chengshu Palace until Sect Master Xu and I ascertain the truth, and then I will clear your name.”
Changsun Chengfeng couldn’t believe his ears. He immediately turned to Xu Shuangce and asked incredulously, “He wants to clear my name? How come I feel like he just wants to pin me down as the mastermind behind the scenes?”
Mu Duozhu glanced at Xu Shuangce’s unresponsive face and couldn’t help but cough, “Fellow immortals, fighting is strictly prohibited on the Golden Ship. If Sect Master Xu draws his sword against Iron Sect later, please be sure to stop him.”
…
“Report!” Just as the conversation was heating up, a disciple of the Medical Sect in a light purple robe hurriedly arrived at the door. First, he bowed to Ying Kai, Mu Duozhu, and Xu Shuangce in succession, then to Yuchi Rui and Changsun Chengfeng, and finally bowed his head, saying, “Elder Bai Xian of the Changsun family’s ‘Buqi’ Sword is outside, asking to meet the Alliance Leader and Sect Master Xu on board the Golden Ship!”
“What?” Changsun Chengfeng suddenly exclaimed, “Don’t let him come up!”
This sounded particularly stern, and everyone looked at him in surprise. Mu Duozhu hesitated and said, “Iron Sect Master, he’s not here to see you…”
Changsun Chengfeng interrupted, “I am his Dao companion. Why can’t I stop him? Bai Xian has nothing to do with this. Why create unnecessary complications!”
A calm voice came from Xu Shuangce’s head seat, “You’re not his Dao companion yet.”
“…”
Mu Duozhu glanced at the expression on Iron Sect Master’s face and couldn’t help but say, “Fellow immortals, fighting is strictly prohibited on the Golden Ship. If Iron Sect Master turns against Sect Master Xu and draws his sword later, please stop him.”
“And Bai Xian is not unrelated to this matter. He was your little brother’s servant and the reason he was sent to the Punishment Hall was because of you.” Xu Shuangce paused, indifferent to Iron Sect Master’s increasingly ugly expression, and continued, “He was the closest person to your brother before he died.”
There was silence all around.
Ying Kai took a deep breath and leaned towards Mu Duozhu, whispering, “Have someone invite Bai Daoist Spiritual Master in.”
***
The disciple of the Medical Sect immediately obeyed, and after a short wait, the tall flower-screened door was pushed open.
A tall figure walked in steadily, wearing a dark-colored Changsun family school uniform with a white satin inner lining. His long black hair was tied with a white silk ribbon at the neck, with only a small golden thread embroidered at the end of the hairband, representing a laurel leaf. His brows and eyes were calm and gentle.
It was Bai Xian.
Ying Kai wasn’t particularly fond of seeing others bow to him, so he waved his hand to indicate that it wasn’t necessary for Bai Xian to bow. He got straight to the point and said, “Bai Daoist Spiritual Master, you’ve come at the right time. Let me tell you something first. Seventeen years ago, Sect Master Xu killed Du Kaixun on the ice fields in the North, and I already knew and agreed to this. Do you have anything else to say to me?”
Bai Xian seemed to hesitate for a moment.
But it was just a moment. Then he softly exclaimed, “Is it really so?”
Everyone thought he had nothing more to say, but the next moment, Bai Xian turned to Xu Shuangce and bowed deeply, “The Second Young Master’s evil deeds are numerous, and the punishment is justified. Sect Master traveled thousands of miles to the ice field and killed him with his sword, which is a righteous act, and I am deeply grateful.”
His bow was decisive, going all the way down, and immediately he changed his tone:
“But Du Kaixun, I’m afraid, is not dead.”
Xu Shuangce squinted slightly, “—Oh?”
Ying Kai couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Xu Shuangce, then turned to Bai Xian and asked, “Do you have any evidence?”
“I do.”
“Where is it?”
Bai Xian took a deep breath, stood up straight, and faced all the Grandmasters in the hall. “Right here.”
His voice was not loud, but it had a kind of resounding quality, as if striking gold and breaking jade. Suddenly, Changsun Chengfeng seemed to anticipate something and abruptly stood up to stop him, “You don’t—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Bai Xian’s left fingertip moved, and a flash of cold light appeared, chopping down towards his right hand!
It was lightning-fast decisiveness. Even Mu Duozhu, who was closest to him, couldn’t react in time. He saw his right wrist being chopped off at the root, and the severed hand fell to the ground with a thud!
The scene suddenly froze, and it became deathly silent.
Everyone stared at his wrist, seeing that there was not a drop of blood on the severed wrist, only emitting a faint white light. A thin thread of light, shining with spiritual brilliance, connected from the severed end to his pale hand on the ground—it was a soldier thread!
Changsun Chengfeng closed his eyes and fell silent, sinking back into his armchair.
“I am soldier Bai Xian. My master’s name is Du Kaixun, not Iron Sect Master.”
Although the pain was not as intense as that of an ordinary person, the damage to his body still caused Bai Xian’s face to turn slightly pale. He gritted his teeth tightly, and his other hand pointed to the cold ice plate on the table—suddenly, the dark red soldier thread frozen in the plate began to struggle and move, as if it had been infused with life. The severe cold frost cracked inch by inch, clearly audible to everyone present.
“The soldier thread used to make me, together with the soldier thread causing trouble in Ding Xian Ling, serves the same master, so they can respond to each other.”
Bai Xian tried his best to stand straight, panting from between his teeth, “This is the evidence that Du Kaixun is still alive.”
***
On the sickbed, Gong Wei slowly opened his eyes.
The severe pain after the rupture of his spiritual veins had now turned into a dull ache and soreness. A strange spiritual power circulated through his limbs and hundred bones, silently soothing his severely injured spirit, but he didn’t remember what had happened.
Did someone save me?
Gong Wei sat up with a dizzy sensation, suddenly feeling that something was wrong with the touch on his body. Lowering his head to look, he saw the familiar silk outer robe with ivory-white texture, golden inlays, and black edges.
“!”
Gong Wei’s first reaction was: Did I strip Xu Shuangce’s clothes?
Am I still alive?
He suddenly became fully awake, quickly checking to make sure his hands and feet were intact. Then, the memories of his last moments before fainting slowly resurfaced from the depths of his mind. The excruciating pain of the soldier thread winding through his spiritual veins, the anger of being manipulated as a puppet, the fear and confusion when he was taken hostage… Until the critical moment, a familiar surge of spiritual power descended from the sky, disintegrating the deadly soldier thread that was strangling his throat, and the sense of falling rapidly stopped as he was caught in someone’s arms.
“Don’t be afraid,” he felt Xu Shuangce’s hand pressing firmly against the bleeding side of his neck, his voice calm and powerful.
He said, “Just sleep, it’s all right now.”
…..
What happened next?
Gong Wei involuntarily touched his lips.
He felt like he had forgotten some important details. Trembling, subtle ripples once again washed over his heart, but he couldn’t recall where this strangeness came from.
The heavy injuries and exhaustion made his head throb like a seesaw, as if he had had many dreams, but upon waking up, besides sadness, he couldn’t remember anything else.
Gong Wei pursed his lips in confusion, as if doing so could dispel the strange feeling on his lips. After a long while, he sluggishly opened the bed curtains and looked around, staring blankly for a moment before recognizing where he was—on the Golden Ship.
Medical Sect’s Mu Duozhu, known for his medical skills and personality, examined him, but the most famous thing was always this huge golden ship that soared through the sky and traveled the world.
When Gong Wei was first picked up by Ying Kai from the Peach Forest and presented to the Immortal Alliance, the Golden Ship passed by Dai Mountain. Ying Kai took him aboard to have his body examined by the Medical Sect to determine whether his mental deficiency was congenital or acquired. Mu Duozhu had never seen such a miraculous case, and personally gave him a head full of needles, making Gong Wei cry out in pain, leaving him with a deep psychological shadow ever since.
Later, one summer, when he dragged Xu Shuangce to play in the Xuanbing Pool of the Chengshu Palace, he was so young and ignorant that he sought coolness recklessly, and in the middle of the night, he developed a fever. Xu Shuangce had no choice but to carry him with one hand and seek medical treatment from the Medical Sect with the other. However, when Gong Wei saw the Golden Ship, he was so frightened on the spot that he struggled in vain, kicking and struggling to no avail. He even bit Xu Shuangce’s neck fiercely.
Gong Wei remembered vividly the places where he was afraid, and even in the most remote areas, he could smell the unique medicinal scent from the Golden Ship.
When the soldier thread entered his spiritual veins, the injuries were severe, and it must have been Xu Shuangce who sent him here.
So is Xu Shuangce also on this Golden Ship now? What about the enchanted Yuchi Rui and the injured Ying Kai?
Are his previous bones also preserved in the burial chamber of this Golden Ship?
Gong Wei thought of something hidden in the bones, and his heart couldn’t help but stir.
The giant ship sailed smoothly, the furnishings in the room remained motionless, only the carved jade curtain swayed slightly in the breeze from the window, and it was very quiet outside the corridor, with no sound of people.
Gong Wei took a deep breath and finally got out of bed lightly, stepping barefoot on the floor, opening the door and looking outside.
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