Chapter 37#
Song Buwang was dumbfounded.
It was his first time facing such blunt speech, and he was immediately at a loss: “Mr., Mr. Su…”
An Wuxue gave a laugh.
He still remembered when Zhaoshui was in trouble, Song Buwang had a stern face, calmly and methodically ordering the Luoyue disciples to disperse and protect the mortals, undaunted by the crisis.
If he experienced another hundred years, this child could indeed stand on his own.
He hadn’t expected him to be like this in private.
Quite like Lou Shuiming—
At this thought, the smile on his face paused slightly.
He looked at the youth’s features, which were exceptionally similar to Lou Shuiming’s and Song Wu’s, and thought of Lou Wushang’s childhood.
Perhaps if Lou Wushang had grown up safely, he would look like this.
But Song Buwang’s birth was due to Lou Wushang’s early death; he was destined never to see the brother linked to him by blood.
A pity.
Thinking of the past of Zhaoshui, he suddenly remembered the turbid energy that had shaken the Zhaoshui Sword Array half a month or so ago.
At that time, he couldn’t hold on and fainted, waking up back at the Frost-Burial Sea. Then, because he had to stabilize his spiritual energy, he went into seclusion for half a month and hadn’t had the mind to attend to other matters.
Recalling it now, the turbid energy impacting the Zhaoshui Sword Array was exceptionally suspicious.
If he went to ask Xie Zhefeng, it would be equivalent to handing over another suspicious point with both hands.
Better to ask the Song Buwang before him.
“Young Immortal Song,” he phrased it carefully, “I was caught in the danger of the Zhaoshui Sword Array that day, but my cultivation was too low, and I fainted from injuries. I don’t know what happened afterward. Does Young Immortal Song know if the person who caused the chaos in Zhaoshui was executed after the sword array calmed down?”
Hearing this, Song Buwang’s eyes darkened, and he showed a look of worry.
He said: “After the sword array calmed down that day, Luoyue Peak searched the entire city but didn’t find any extra clues.”
An Wuxue frowned: “There must be a culprit, right?”
“Perhaps it was that Tribulation cultivator named Yun Zhou and the Mirror Demon who massacred the Yunjian Sect. After they wiped out the Yunjian Sect, they weren’t satisfied and secretly drew turbid energy into the sword array, fearing the world wouldn’t be in chaos. As a result, they accidentally released the Great Demon half a step into immortality suppressed under the sword, almost causing a disaster.”
Could it be such a coincidence?
Song Buwang was also saying: “It’s too much of a coincidence, but if I don’t think of it that way, I really can’t figure it out. The matter of the Great Demon being suppressed under the Zhaoshui Sword—even my Master didn’t know about it, and those who did have long since passed away. Where else could a person with ill intentions be found?”
Listening, An Wuxue suddenly realized he was quite like this person with ill intentions.
If the Zhaoshui matter truly was calculated by someone with ill intentions, that person would have to know Song Wu was suppressed under the Zhaoshui Sword and also understand the details of the sword array.
The only ones who could do that were himself and Lou Shuiming.
He couldn’t help but start to feel glad that “An Wuxue” was already dead.
Otherwise, he’d probably have to carry another crime on his back.
He asked: “So, is the matter just going to be left at that?”
Song Buwang shook his head: “The Immortal Venerable left masters from the sect in Zhaoshui City, so there should be other plans. That’s not something I can intervene in.”
“Thank you, Young Immortal Song, for informing me.”
Song Buwang also saw that he didn’t want to get involved in Qin Wei’s business, so he held his sword and said: “I’ve disturbed Mr. Su; I’ll take my leave.”
An Wuxue nodded.
But just as Song Buwang turned and walked a few steps, he suddenly paused.
He hesitated for a moment, turning his head back, wanting to speak but stopping himself, then turning back as if wanting to leave.
An Wuxue just watched him hesitate before him, waiting patiently for a while before saying: “If Young Immortal Song has something to say, just say it. Since you just cleared my doubts, I’m naturally happy to return the favor.”
Song Buwang said bashfully: “I’ve made Mr. Su laugh. But… but what I say next, could Mr. Su keep it a secret for me and not tell Master?”
“Of course.” He didn’t have much to say to Qin Wei anyway.
“I want to ask Mr. Su what exactly happened when that Great Demon broke the seal.”
An Wuxue was startled.
The youth’s expression gradually became serious: “At that time, I was ordered by my Master to guard the southeast of the sword array and didn’t see anything unusual from start to finish. It wasn’t until the sword array shook violently that I couldn’t rest easy and rushed back, only to see everything settled.
“Mr. Su might not know, but my biological father has an entanglement with the Zhaoshui Sword Array. Being in the array at that time, I clearly couldn’t see what happened between Master and that Great Demon deep within the barrier, yet I constantly felt uneasy. I clearly knew nothing, yet felt my heart was full of things, blocked up…”
Song Buwang stared straight at him, and An Wuxue could only lower his gaze, pretending to be lazy to hide his thoughts.
“…I guessed Master purposely sent me away. There was no omission in the southeast of the sword array; Master was hiding something from me. These past few days, every time I’ve asked Master, he’s brushed me off.”
An Wuxue said softly: “So you want to ask me?”
He was the one who told Qin Wei to send Song Buwang away back then.
Qin Wei didn’t say… perhaps because he had chosen to have Song Buwang leave at that time. Since he, as a participant, hadn’t spoken, Qin Wei hadn’t spoken either. Now that Song Buwang couldn’t help coming to ask him, can Qin Wei truly not guess?
Or is it intentional?
As he was pondering, the youth held his sword and bowed, giving him a solemn salute.
Song Buwang’s voice was clear, his tone steady: “I know Mr. Su’s status is special. If it’s inconvenient to tell me, Buwang will not feel resentment.”
An Wuxue gave a silent sigh.
He thought, this guy Qin Wei goes all the way on whatever path he’s convinced is right, and the disciple he’s taught is also extremely stubborn, a chip off the old block.
He walked forward and gently helped up the youth who was still bowing.
He said: “I did indeed see some things in the sword array.”
Song Buwang showed a look of joy, opening his mouth as if to say something, but he stopped him and continued: “But…”
He looked at the clear gaze of the youth who knew nothing, and his words paused.
But the youth looked eager, anxiously and expectantly waiting for his next sentence.
Only then did he say: “If you’re asking out of curiosity, you should understand that things being hidden from you might not be good for you.
“Young Immortal, for as long as you’ve been sentient, this world has been at peace for hundreds of years. You’ve grown up at Luoyue Peak, the number one sect in the cultivation world. Your parents were immortal cultivators who guarded a region during the immortal disaster. Your Master is a Tribulation-stage master who ranks among the best at Luoyue Peak. Your talent is enough to overpower your peers. Perhaps you might overestimate the weight you can bear.
“There are some things from the past that you can choose not to hear and live a life of peace and comfort, but if you hear them—”
“If I hadn’t considered that, why would I have come to plead with Mr. Su?” Song Buwang’s tone was firm. “Precisely because it might be something I would avoid, I want to know. To be a fool who turns a blind eye and a deaf ear for the sake of a comfortable life is not my way.”
An Wuxue was dazed.
He listened seriously to every word and suddenly felt a bit of melancholy.
This child was as gentle and steady as his father and as gifted as his mother, yet had his own strengths: an inner light, and a bold, resolute nature.
He said: “Then you should go back.”
Song Buwang was anxious: “Didn’t Mr. Su say he would tell me?”
“Among those who know of this matter, except for the Immortal Venerable and your Master, the others are no longer in this world.”
An Wuxue is already dead. He didn’t know how many times he had repeated that in his heart.
“Su Xue is just a passerby who happened to run into these things. If you want to know, it’s better if the people from back then tell you. Don’t worry, since Elder Qin knows you’ve come over, go back and tell him you’ve asked me. He will know your desire for the truth and will tell you everything. You don’t need to fear him knowing.”
Song Buwang looked confused.
He could understand what An Wuxue was telling him to do, but he seemed not to have understood the meaning within it.
In the end, he left in a daze like that.
An Wuxue watched him leave, and silence returned to the surroundings. Only he and Yun Wan were in the courtyard.
He was giving Yun Wan pointers on her swordplay, thinking that Xie Zhefeng was still in seclusion suppressing his heart-demon, so now was a good chance to secretly use the soul bell… Should he take this chance to leave?
But back then Xie Zhefeng had taken all the clues from Yun Zhou. Regarding the furnace mark, he still wanted to see if Yun Zhou had left any other solutions. Right now, not only could he not leave, he also had to wait for Xie Zhefeng to come out of seclusion and find a way to pry something from him.
He was starting to get a bit of a headache again.
He was just about to take out those few Soul-Nurturing Tree leaves.
“Woo woo…”
A fluffy white ball with wings rushed into his embrace.
He instinctively caught it and held it in his arms, giving it a rub.
Yun Wan saw this and said in surprise: “Is this a Barrier Beast? The Immortal Venerable actually keeps a spiritual pet? Mr. Su, it seems to like you very much.”
An Wuxue held Kun-kun up.
“Woo woo.”
Kun-kun blinked its eyes.
An Wuxue hadn’t seen Kun-kun since he returned; he could roughly guess Kun-kun was helping Xie Zhefeng suppress his heart-demon.
Then…
He asked in a low voice: “…Has he come out of seclusion?”
“Woo woo!”
Not far away, in the middle of the pine forest.
Xie Zhefeng knew he had slept for a long time.
But he was “awake” in his dreams. He was originally used to the words the heart-demon attacked him with. He had long been familiar with the means of tormenting each other with this thing over the past thousand years, so it shouldn’t have taken such great effort.
But it just so happened that there was Su Xue.
He seemed to dream of his senior brother telling him to “forget it,” and saw Su Xue asking him “who the Immortal Venerable is looking at.”
Su Xue…
Within this name, there seemed to be something he wanted to open and see, yet it seemed invisible and untouchable.
After the heart-demon lingered for many days, Xie Zhefeng finally woke up again.
The barrier fell.
Qin Wei, who was waiting outside, immediately said: “Qi Xun learned of the turmoil in Zhaoshui and sent a voice transmission to ask how your heart-demon situation is.”
He paused, trying to make his tone as normal as possible: “Also, he’s still wandering at the Thorny River and hasn’t found a single trace of Ah Xue’s remnant soul.”
He now knew why it couldn’t be found.
The complete soul was right under Xie Zhefeng’s nose; where could any part of a soul be found at the Thorny River?
He knew this perfectly well, yet Ah Xue was unwilling to speak, and even worried he would use it to threaten…
How would he dare disclose even a single word?
The one opposite him was Xie Zhefeng. Qin Wei was on high alert, getting nervous, when he heard Xie Zhefeng ask him in a deep voice: “Ah Xue? You’re calling Senior Brother that way again?”
Qin Wei gave a bitter smile: “Didn’t you also see Lou Shuiming and Lady Lou in the Zhaoshui Sword Array? Xie Chuhan, what you scolded me for that day was right. What I see might not be the whole picture, yet I’ve stubbornly believed it until now.”
He mocked himself: “Why didn’t you kill me with a single sword stroke back then when I wanted to remove his name?”
Xie Zhefeng said coldly: “Ending it all is the only relief.”
Qin Wei’s face turned white.
Indeed.
He himself is now in a mess of pain like a knife twisting; how did An Wuxue get through those days and nights back then when he was gradually receiving his cold words?
“Qin Wei.” Xie Zhefeng suddenly frowned.
“Hmm?”
“Do you really not have a feeling?”
“Feeling what?”
“Su Xue isn’t quite right.”
Qin Wei’s heart sank.
Finished, finished, has he been seen through by the one surnamed Xie?
He almost couldn’t resist flying away on his sword, but his expression remained unchanged: “What’s not right? The person the Immortal Venerable kept himself—now you’re asking me? I’m the one who’s surprised; over all these years it’s not like there haven’t been people similar to Ah Xue, yet I haven’t seen you act this way.”
Xie Zhefeng was silent.
He naturally understood what Qin Wei said, which was why he felt Su Xue was not quite right.
Over all these years, with so many people similar to his senior brother in various aspects, let alone keeping them, even looking a few extra times would only feel like a waste of mental energy. Merely similar; there are so many similar people in the world, what does it have to do with his senior brother?
Su Xue was different.
Only Su Xue could disturb his state of mind and trigger his heart-demon.
But no matter what he suspected, Su Xue always had an explanation.
Xie Zhefeng’s brow furrowed more and more, and with a flick of his finger, he summoned a Heavens and Seas Talisman.
Qin Wei asked: “What are you doing?”
“He always has an excuse in front of me. I’ll have Xuan Fang go and test him a bit.”
Qin Wei suddenly stepped forward quickly and grabbed that Heavens and Seas Talisman.
Seeing Xie Zhefeng’s gaze narrow and the eternal immortal’s spiritual energy surge, about to sweep him out of the Frost-Burial Sea, he hurriedly volunteered: “Xuan Fang has only seen Ah Xue a few times and doesn’t even know Su Xue. Do you think he understands them better than I do? If you really want to test, it’s better if I do it.”