Chapter 108#
Qi Xun’s pupils shook, and after a long silence, he spoke in a hoarse voice: “…No, my parents and the sect elders wouldn’t have foolishly trusted a villain. If the killer was young Immortal Master Qu, the identity of the Qu Young Master alone wouldn’t have been enough.”
Xie Zhefeng said: “Old Sect Master Qi was indeed a cautious man.”
It was because of this that, after a millennium and seeing the mastermind’s style revealed in Zhaoshui and North Abyss, they could connect the events and arrive at this point.
An Wuxue gave a bitter smile: “If there really was such a person who went to the Li Huo Sect in my name after I left, then that person had already won half the battle—because they knew about the Heavenly Pillar.”
No one had seen the fifth Heavenly Pillar before or after his death; even Xie Zhefeng hadn’t found a trace of it after his ascension.
Back then, he had no proof and relied entirely on his words to gain Old Sect Master Qi’s trust. His ability to extract the Li Huo Sect’s spiritual vein had been based on his position as the First Seat of Falling Moon Peak and his private friendship with the sect.
“Before the siege, I had only told the Li Huo Sect about the pillar. If the killer could mention the fifth Heavenly Pillar, they would have already gained more than half of Old Sect Master Qi’s trust. If that person also had a token or identity that made them seem close to me in his eyes, then…”
The result was what they saw now.
Qu Jizhi said ethereally: “What I’ve said is just the method I would use if I were the killer. You don’t necessarily have to believe it. And…”
He paused.
He glanced at An Wuxue, who was deep in thought. “Although I didn’t live through the Immortal Calamity, some things are common knowledge. I’ve thought through all the renowned Tribulation-Transcending experts—and even Long-Life Immortals—of a thousand years ago, and I can’t find anyone who fits this description.”
An Wuxue said frankly: “Young Immortal Master Qu is so brilliant; why be so indirect? Having come this far, there are really only three people who could even vaguely fit the criteria—my Master, Sword Venerable Nan He, who had already fallen by then. But even if he hadn’t, given his strength and heart for saving the world, he had neither the reason nor the need to do such a thing. Another is…”
He glanced at Xie Zhefeng. “The Immortal Venerable had even less reason, and he was in seclusion for his ascension at the time. That leaves only one person—myself, right?”
After all that talk, it had somehow returned to him.
An Wuxue’s gaze drifted as he lowered his head, staring at the snow beneath his feet.
He could feel the eyes of Qi Xun, Qin Wei, and the others upon him.
Qi Xun seemed ready to speak.
An Wuxue beat him to it: “I truly knew nothing.”
Having spoken, he began to think of how to prove his innocence, thinking aloud: “That person has been planning for a millennium, yet I died at the gates of Falling Moon Peak after the Li Huo Sect was destroyed and only woke up less than a year ago. Yet that person was able to start planning the Zhaoshui matter two or three hundred years ago. Furthermore, when the North Abyss crisis began, I was at Falling Moon Peak; it would have been impossible for me to set up a massive ominous array thousands of miles away right under the Immortal Venerable’s nose—”
“Senior Brother!”
Xie Zhefeng interrupted him, a rare occurrence.
An Wuxue looked up to see his junior brother’s eyes reflecting his figure, his rims actually a bit red.
It was An Wuxue who was defending himself, but it was Xie Zhefeng whose chest was filled with heartache.
He knew the person beside him was his Senior Brother, the person the world called the ruthless First Seat of Falling Moon Peak, yet his tone sounded as if he were holding the most precious and fragile thing in the world: “Why must you prove your innocence for something you didn’t do?”
An Wuxue was stunned.
The expressions of Qi Xun and the others grew even more rigid.
“A-Xue…” Qi Xun murmured his name.
An Wuxue’s gaze shifted, and he actually gave a small smile amidst their stares.
“I just feel that the killer has been free for a millennium and has committed so many evils before and after my death. If more time is wasted on me, it will only hinder the main task. It’s better if I clarify things beforehand.”
He wasn’t feeling particularly aggrieved.
He was truly worried about the others wasting their time on him to no avail.
But the more calmly he spoke these words, the more it indicated that he truly believed everyone before him would question and doubt him.
The more frank An Wuxue was, the more Xie Zhefeng’s heart ached.
His Senior Brother was still so gentle to those around him, yet he could no longer place his trust in others, having carved self-preservation and wariness into his very bones.
Xie Zhefeng felt his words were too hollow. No matter what he said, An Wuxue would likely not let down his guard.
Only the long years ahead could serve as proof.
But the future was always in the unreachable next moment, infinite and unending.
His lips moved, a thousand words in his heart, yet not a single one could be spoken.
If even he felt this way, Qi Xun and the others felt even more powerless.
An Wuxue couldn’t understand them.
Seeing their silence, he thought that since they didn’t suspect him, he had indeed said all he could. Further talk would be pointless.
He said: “It’s late; let’s rest. I intend to see Qu Wenxin in two days. Junior Brother, do you have a passage token?”
The puppet seal, the divination technique, the Heartless Curse.
They were all related to the Qu family.
He still had to find a way to pry something out of Qu Wenxin’s mouth.
Xie Zhefeng snapped out of his daze, suppressing his sorrow, and handed him something he was exceptionally familiar with from his previous life.
A Falling Moon Peak disciple jade plate.
He had one before, with the name “An Wuxue” carved on it. It had been carved by Sword Venerable Nan He himself and had been with him since his childhood.
When he died, the jade plate had naturally shattered.
The one Xie Zhefeng was handing him now had the name…
“Su Xue” carved on it.
“Qu Wenxin is being guarded by sect disciples in the place where the City Lord’s manor keeps demon cultivators; the location hasn’t changed, Senior Brother should remember it. Holding this token will allow you free passage.”
An Wuxue took it, curious: “You carved this? When?”
He recognized Xie Zhefeng’s handwriting at a glance.
“In the last two days…”
An Wuxue: “…”
In these past two days, Immortal Venerable Chu Han had been eliminating demons, picking flowers, traveling back and forth between Langfeng and North Abyss, learning a craft to make the lanterns hanging beneath the plum tree—and he had actually carved a jade plate too.
He truly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Pei Qian, who had been quiet for a long time, finally gathered his courage to speak: “Why wait two days?”
An Wuxue raised an eyebrow: “Has Fellow Daoist Jiang’s injury healed?”
Pei Qian was stunned: “No, probably needs another two days—wait, you’re going to take Mr. Jiang with you?”
An Wuxue nodded but didn’t say why, only stating: “Since there’s nothing else to say, I’ll be heading inside to rest. Thank you, City Lord, for the temporary lodging, and thank you all for discussing these matters here so late into the night.”
Every word was a polite formality.
So polite that there was no room for anything else.
Qi Xun and the others simply couldn’t find anything more to say.
Only Pei Qian suddenly grabbed An Wuxue.
The matter of him placing Qu Jizhi under an illusion hadn’t been settled yet!!
Qu Jizhi was a very vengeful person!
“What do you mean? You’re going to sleep? Then what about me?”
Qu Jizhi’s gaze focused.
An Wuxue: “…”
Shangguan Liaoliao spoke up at the right time: “I still have sword array matters to entrust to you. Follow me.”
Pei Qian said gratefully: “The City Lord is truly a good person!”
The two of them gathered their spiritual energy and left, one after the other. Without a word, Qu Jizhi followed them out with a sour face.
Xie Zhefeng then said: “Something has happened in both Zhaoshui and North Abyss. I need someone to keep an eye on Mingri City.”
The Four Seas Ten Thousand Swords Array was established in Zhaoshui City by the East Cang Sea, Langfeng City by the Sea of Guxu, North Abyss City bordering the Far North and the vast Black Sea, and Mingri City adjacent to the endless Star River Ancient Path.
The mastermind might be related to the Li Huo Sect’s extermination. Qi Xun would stay to investigate with An Wuxue and Xie Zhefeng, leaving only Qin Wei.
Qin Wei understood the implication: “I will depart for Mingri City immediately.”
He summoned his spiritual sword. Before departing, he produced a talisman and handed it to An Wuxue.
“I know you might not want to see me, nor would you want anything of mine. I had intended to stay outside and spend your birthday with you tonight, then leave it on the soul bell at your gate before departing. But now… I have to go to Mingri. I’ll give this birthday gift to you in person instead.”
An Wuxue looked down—it was an ancient-looking teleportation talisman.
An ancient treasure.
“This is a lost method of teleportation. Crushing the talisman can send you anywhere in the two realms. It’s the last one in existence.”
Teleportation arrays generally had restrictions; even those between the North Abyss sword arrays consumed a massive amount of energy, had limited range, and were fixed-point.
The ability to travel to any location at will was equivalent to a life-saving talisman.
Qin Wei specifically found an excuse: “Zhaoshui is weak now, with only Buwang as a Tribulation-Transcending expert. If something happens and you’re worried about him, you can use this talisman to go see him.”
An Wuxue blinked.
“…Alright.”
He accepted it.
Qin Wei finally set his mind at ease and left.
Before leaving, he also pulled away Qi Xun, who was just as reluctant to go.
In the blink of an eye, beneath the night sky, only the brilliant lanterns in the courtyard remained with An Wuxue and Xie Zhefeng.
Only then did Kun Kun poke its head out from the house: “Whine?”
An Wuxue put away the Falling Moon disciple plate with the name “Su Xue” and the talisman from Qin Wei. Without a word, he walked slowly back into the house, picked up Kun Kun, and closed the door.
Xie Zhefeng stood in a daze.
…His Senior Brother hadn’t driven him away, nor had he settled scores for his staying in the afternoon.
Did that mean… An Wuxue didn’t mind him being by his side?
Xie Zhefeng realized his own greed.
After An Wuxue died, he only wanted his Senior Brother to live.
Now that he was back, he wanted to see him often, to protect his peace and joy.
Since An Wuxue hadn’t left and hadn’t driven him away, he began to want to be by his side every day. Even if he didn’t receive a kind look, he would be satisfied.
As long as the person was there, an immortal’s life was long; he could eventually wait for his Senior Brother to change his mind.
It seemed that even an immortal could not escape the greed, anger, and obsession of this world.
Xie Zhefeng eventually couldn’t bring himself to leave.
Using his spiritual energy to maintain the lanterns all night, he chose another room next to the master bedroom in the courtyard to stay in.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Xie Zhefeng continued to stay there. The Falling Moon disciples coming to report all passed through the plum courtyard. But because he had given specific orders, although they were exceptionally curious about the resurrected First Seat, no one dared disturb An Wuxue.
Those “old acquaintances” of An Wuxue’s were kept outside the plum grove by Xuan Fang, and couldn’t even catch a glimpse of his shadow.
The spiritual pouches An Wuxue had sent Pei Qian to deliver also had an “effect,” throwing the North Abyss families into a state of chaos.
Qu Jizhi had already purged the Qu clan, and all the puppets in the city had been destroyed. But Qu Wenxin remained in custody, and the mastermind had made no move.
On the third day, An Wuxue sent a sound transmission to Jiang Qing. Learning his injuries had improved significantly, he sent another message: “I’m going to the City Lord’s manor’s secret prison to interrogate Qu Wenxin. Fellow Daoist Jiang is skilled in the way of karma and might hear things I cannot. Could you accompany me?”
Jiang Qing’s response was quick.
In less than forty-five minutes, the two had appeared before the gates of the secret prison.
The whole world knew An Wuxue wasn’t dead, but few knew that An Wuxue was Su Xue.
The guarding disciples didn’t recognize him; they merely looked at the jade plate and let him and Jiang Qing in.
An Wuxue and Jiang Qing walked together to Qu Wenxin’s cell. An Wuxue stopped and turned back: “Fellow Daoist Jiang doesn’t seem to have anything to ask about my identity?”
Others didn’t recognize “Su Xue,” but Jiang Qing had dealt with him and knew he had entered the sword array that day; there was no way he couldn’t have guessed his true identity.
Jiang Qing squinted with a smile: “Oh? Why should I have questions? I know Su Xue, not An Wuxue. What is there to ask?”
An Wuxue gave a light laugh.
The man’s answer was so direct that it left him with nothing to say.
He shook his head, his expression suddenly turning serious.
“Then I have something to say to you.”
Jiang Qing was all ears.
An Wuxue said: “After all these days, the wounds Fellow Daoist Jiang received from Qu Wenxin have mostly healed. As for Qu Wenxin, Falling Moon Peak has naturally found a way to pry some things out of her.”
In truth, they had found nothing. They hadn’t even used soul-searching yet, and hadn’t gotten a single word from Qu Wenxin.
An Wuxue hadn’t even seen Qu Wenxin until now.
But he was saying the exact opposite.
“The person who collaborated with Qu Wenxin was far too cunning, constantly misleading her into believing her collaborator was me. That person never showed their true self and pinned everything on me, clearly not fearing Qu Wenxin being captured. But that person didn’t know that over these centuries, Qu Wenxin also suspected the truth and had been investigating in secret.”
Jiang Qing listened carefully, frowning: “She has other clues?”
None.
—Qu Wenxin had said nothing.
But An Wuxue continued his lie: “Yes. She said she had always suspected another person. Now that she knows the collaborator wasn’t me, there is only one other candidate left.”
He gave a small smile, as if just chatting. “The guarding disciples are outside, Qu Wenxin is in the cell, and now it’s just the two of us. Fellow Daoist Jiang, I truly felt an affinity with you from the start, so I’m stopping here to ask you one last time—do you have anything else you want to tell me?”
“Once I take you inside and see Qu Wenxin, and she points her finger at you, it will be too late for words.”