Chapter 95#
Qu Wenxin hadn’t originally spared a look for any of the other cultivators; even Jiang Qing had been ignored. But at Pei Qian’s shout, she followed his gaze and looked over.
An Wuxue’s brow moved slightly; he was already prepared to strike.
But Qu Wenxin was momentarily stunned.
She looked at An Wuxue’s face, then at the Chun Hua sword in his hand, and back to his face once more.
They had met a thousand years ago. An Wuxue knew she might recognize this face.
But his official identity was a visitor from Falling Moon who happened to look like An Wuxue, and his aura was completely different from his previous life. No matter how Qu Wenxin reacted, he could deny it.
But Qu Wenxin’s reaction was very strange.
“You… didn’t you tell me that since Immortal Venerable Xie was personally coming, your appearance would be easily detected by him, and that I should find a way to hinder Shangguan Liaoliao?”
An Wuxue was startled.
Jiang Qing said in confusion: “Su Xue, what’s going on? She seems to know you? And—”
He paused.
He didn’t dare speak the rest of his suspicion.
Qu Jizhi and Pei Qian also looked shocked.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t understand Qu Wenxin’s meaning, but rather they understood it only too well.
Everyone knew Qu Wenxin couldn’t have pulled off such a massive scheme alone. There was surely someone behind her; she was merely a pawn.
Now, she showed no surprise at An Wuxue’s “resurrection,” but instead spoke these ambiguous words to him. Combined with what Jiang Qing had just said—that Qu Wenxin had received a sound transmission from the suspected mastermind, which led her to seize Pei Qian and come to the sword array to force Qu Jizhi to help destroy it.
By speaking like that, was she not identifying An Wuxue as the mastermind?
Even An Wuxue himself felt an absurd sense of “could it be that I am the one who instructed her?” when he heard those words.
Could it be…
The person instructing Qu Wenxin had likely never revealed their true self from the beginning!
Perhaps the mastermind, regardless of whom they spoke with, directly implied or stated that they were “An Wuxue.”
Just as he had seen in Zhao Duan’s memories before his death, if Zhao Duan hadn’t been a playboy with little knowledge of the two realms, he would have likely guessed the person was “An Wuxue” upon hearing the sound transmission.
Qu Wenxin was the same.
Qu Wenxin had always believed the mastermind was him!
So in the current Qu Wenxin’s eyes, it was An Wuxue who had returned from the dead and contacted her at some point. Perhaps he had exchanged some profit or cultivation for her cooperation in leading the North Abyss crisis, triggering the Turbid Immortal’s lightning tribulation. At this moment, as An Wuxue was hiding from Immortal Venerable Chu Han and didn’t dare reveal himself, he had instructed Qu Wenxin to find a way to hinder Shangguan Liaoliao…
But upon arriving at the sword array, Qu Wenxin instead saw An Wuxue.
So her reaction wasn’t “It’s actually An Wuxue,” but “Why are you here?”
The more An Wuxue thought about it, the colder he felt.
He suddenly understood the plan of the true mastermind hidden in the shadows.
That person had intentionally sent Qu Wenxin here to recognize him.
Because Pei Qian was in Qu Wenxin’s hands.
Xie Zhefeng could not act against the lightning tribulation and was currently outside the First City destroying Shangguan Ran’s remains.
Shangguan Liaoliao was attempting to consolidate the power of the cultivators and the sword array.
The lightning tribulation was imminent, the situation of the forty-nine branch arrays was unclear, and the North Abyss sword array might not be able to form a sufficient barrier before the first bolt fell.
Time was short.
The souls of the First City were gradually waking from their deep slumber. Some were unaware of what was happening, while others had already noticed the strange sky and were panicking.
But none of them could escape before the tribulation cloud descended.
If the North Abyss sword array were destroyed by the lightning tribulation, it would be a disaster affecting both realms!
At such a time, having to spend time dealing with Qu Wenxin and saving Pei Qian…
It was too difficult.
If he wanted to save Pei Qian, the easiest and most bloodless method right now would be to go along with Qu Wenxin’s misunderstanding, agree with her words, and pretend he indeed was the mastermind. This would get her to release Pei Qian, and he could make further plans later.
But there were people everywhere near the sword array.
If he were truly just an ordinary cultivator being mistaken by Qu Wenxin, it would be a good thing; he could just go along with it and explain later.
But he was An Wuxue—the very An Wuxue who fit all the mastermind’s characteristics.
If he agreed… that’s exactly what that person wanted!
That person wanted him to admit his identity as the mastermind behind the North Abyss crisis before everyone’s eyes!
“Su Xue…?” Jiang Qing called out to him again since he hadn’t spoken. “Is there some misunderstanding? Do not worry, I naturally believe in you.”
Qu Wenxin’s expression had already turned searching because of his silence. She watched him warily, the sword at Pei Qian’s throat moving even closer.
Qu Jizhi’s expression was even more tense. Staring at the blade, he said sharply: “Qu Wenxin!!”
Pei Qian hurriedly tried to pull his neck back again.
An Wuxue suppressed all his expressions, keeping his face steady and appearing extremely calm.
But his lips were tightly pursed, and his fists were clenched beneath his sleeves, showing his extreme tension.
Pei Qian had just called out to him for help. If he delayed any longer, Qu Wenxin would realize something was wrong on her own.
He needed to respond quickly and fool her with a few words. He could easily save Pei Qian that way, and with their combined strength, they couldn’t possibly lose to Qu Wenxin…
But the immortal cultivators from all directions were watching.
Just as he was about to open his mouth, the events and words of the past flashed through his mind and ears once more.
Back then at Thorn Stream, he had been accused and condemned by the experts of the ten thousand sects.
He said he didn’t do it, but others said: “The evidence is solid,” “First Seat An has always been ruthless,” “Having done so much, how could you be missing this one deed?”…
He said he didn’t know, but others said: “Only Chun Hua sword marks are on the Li Huo Sect’s spiritual veins,” “Sophistry,” “If you don’t know, who does?”…
If I admit now that I am the one who worked with Qu Wenxin, and then try to explain later, will they still believe me?
His breathing hitched, but then another muffled roar came from the horizon.
Looking out, the tribulation cloud was almost touching the barrier on the North Abyss Sword—a barrier not yet strong enough to withstand the lightning. The cloud was pressing down completely.
Time had run out.
Steeling his heart, he opened his mouth, intending to admit it first: “I—”
Just then—
A folding fan flew out from within the sword array. Imbued with spiritual power and whipping up a violent wind, it headed straight for An Wuxue.
It appeared to carry a sharp killing intent.
But An Wuxue was so familiar with the aura of the fan’s owner that his instinct told him immediately—there was no killing intent in the attack.
He turned, pushing off the ground to retreat, and in an instant, raised his sword sheath to parry.
A soft clack.
The sheath collided with the fan. The fan spun around and came back toward An Wuxue once more!
But because of his parrying movement, An Wuxue was now closer to Qu Wenxin.
Qu Wenxin still thought An Wuxue was the mastermind. She couldn’t read the situation and was still considering whether to step in and help.
An Wuxue lowered his gaze, glancing at the distance between himself and Qu Wenxin…
He then used the fan’s attacks as an excuse to appear as if he were dealing with it.
In the space of a few exchanges, less than ten seconds, An Wuxue had retreated to within ten feet of Qu Wenxin!
Qu Jizhi tilted his head slightly, his spiritual sword already poised to strike.
But as he watched An Wuxue’s back-and-forth with the fan, he was the first to understand something. He simply stood there, no longer in the same rush to save Pei Qian as before.
Qu Wenxin’s brow was tightly knit. She murmured: “Something’s not right…”
She suddenly snapped out of it: “Pei Qian was calling out to you for help just now?”
She had noticed the anomaly!
But she was too late to react.
At that very moment, An Wuxue and the folding fan’s attacks suddenly took a turn. Simultaneously, they both headed for Qu Wenxin from front and back!
They were already only ten feet apart. Caught in a pincer attack, the fan reached for Qu Wenxin’s brow in an instant.
She had no choice but to let go of Pei Qian, withdrawing her sword to dodge.
An Wuxue immediately drew Chun Hua and cut the chains!
—The folding fan was here to help him.
He had intentionally fought the fan to silently draw closer to Qu Wenxin, allowing him to take her by surprise and save Pei Qian in one move!
Qu Jizhi had been waiting for this moment and hurried forward to pull Pei Qian behind him.
Only then did An Wuxue say: “Family head Qu, you’ve mistaken me for someone else. But I should thank you for that mistake, as it gave me that opportunity just now.”
In the brief moment it took Qu Wenxin to dodge, her hostage had been taken. She was furious: “You—!”
She waved her sleeve, throwing out some dharma tool that released the aura of a massive array.
Qu Jizhi warned: “Master Su, that is a secret treasure of my Qu clan. It contains over a hundred killing arrays. Do not be caught by it!”
An Wuxue only retreated, saying: “She won’t be able to use it.”
A flash of spiritual light came from the folding fan that had just been feigning combat with An Wuxue. It transformed directly into a man in red robes.
Qu Jizhi recognized the fan’s incarnation: “Sect Master Qi?”
Qi Xun gave a light laugh, saying to Qu Wenxin: “Playing with arrays in front of me? Then you truly are unlucky.”
He crossed his hands, instantly forming several hand seals and sending them out in succession.
The North Abyss Sword released a sword energy, which he instantly captured and infused into his hand seals.
The seals struck down toward Qu Wenxin. Before the dharma tool’s radiance could spill out, Qu Wenxin was struck by the seals carrying the North Abyss sword energy. Every array method within her dharma tool was shattered.
Qu Wenxin’s eyes were bloodshot. She was about to speak, but Qi Xun, not wanting her to utter a word, cast another spiritual spell to seal her tongue.
Seeing Qu Wenxin silenced by Qi Xun, the cultivators of the City Lord’s manor hurried forward and seized her.
Only then did Qi Xun land and walk over to An Wuxue.
An Wuxue had recognized the folding fan just a moment ago.
But now that he was suddenly face-to-face with the man, his mind flickered, and he felt an indescribable discomfort. He wanted to avoid the other’s gaze.
But before he could look away, he noticed Qi Xun’s body had suddenly grown a bit fainter.
—This wasn’t Qi Xun’s original body!
“To keep it short,” Qi Xun said quickly, “I am in the Twenty-Seventh City. I intended to transport myself to the First City, but something happened here. Shangguan Liaoliao has blocked transportation and is doing her utmost to mobilize the power of the other forty-eight branch sword arrays. I could only send a sliver of my divine sense through my natal dharma tool. I didn’t expect to run into this the moment I arrived.”
The person before them was not the real Qi Xun, but merely a sliver of his divine sense incarnated upon his natal dharma tool.
“Though I don’t know exactly what happened in the First City, we drew the North Abyss sword array patterns together. I understand the situation better than Shangguan Liaoliao.”
When he said “we,” he meant An Wuxue and the Li Huo Sect.
But the Li Huo Sect had been wiped out. That “we” could now only mean An Wuxue and Qi Xun.
Qi Xun spoke very fast: “The sword array has forty-nine nodes of spiritual energy flow. To unleash all its power, the flow through the array patterns must be completely unobstructed. All forty-nine swords are indispensable.”
“Most of the branch arrays are fine, but the one in the Fifteenth City seems to have been completely destroyed. It cannot be re-established in a short time. Stop making futile attempts.”
An Wuxue listened intently. Hearing this, his expression suddenly darkened—if the North Abyss Sword couldn’t unleash its full power, how could it withstand two full bolts of ascension lightning!?
Qi Xun’s body grew fainter and fainter.
He looked at An Wuxue: “The forty-nine sword arrays are all necessary, but we actually prepared a total of fifty swords back then…”
His voice also grew fainter until it vanished completely.
Having lost its spiritual energy support, the incarnation completely dissipated, leaving only a folding fan that fell to the ground with a clack.
Anxious, Pei Qian instinctively tried to grab him but caught only air. He hurriedly knelt before the fan, calling out: “Sect Master Qi? Sect Master Qi?”
“No way. Only in mortal novels does someone die before they can finish their last words!”
Qu Jizhi said: “Those weren’t his last words.”
“Then why did he only say half of it!”
“…”