Love & Redemption
Chapter 132: Volume 3 Heartless Xuanji - 39 Injury (Part 1)

Chapter 132: Volume 3 Heartless Xuanji Chapter 39 Injury (Part 1)

Zhong Minyan stared blankly as Xuanji’s body turned into thousands of points of light and disappeared before his eyes, the tears on his face cold, running down his chin to his chest. He didn’t reach out to wipe them away; he seemed to have turned into a wooden statue, not moving an inch.

Suddenly, he felt a pat on his shoulder. It was Ruo Yu. He whispered, "Let’s go."

Zhong Minyan was silent for a long time before he softly said, "Ruo Yu... you..."

Ruo Yu gave a bitter smile, hooked his shoulder, and led him forward, whispering, "It’s too dangerous for you to be here alone."

Zhong Minyan bit his lip hard and said with a trembling voice, "You... are you..."

Ruo Yu said indifferently, "He’s fine. The people of Lize Palace won’t die so easily. I avoided the vital parts, don’t worry."

Zhong Minyan couldn’t hold back any longer, and tears gushed out once again. He covered his face with his hands, not uttering a sound.

Ruo Yu stopped and quietly stood beside him, listening to his rapid breathing and choking. After a long, long time, he suddenly spoke, "That night... I heard everything."

Zhong Minyan quickly looked up as Ruo Yu added, "Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But the matter was of great importance, and you are reckless; any small mistake could have ruined everything. That’s why I decided to help you. Two are better than one at enduring—or so it’s said."

Zhong Minyan finally stopped his tears, wiped his face dry with his sleeve, his eyes still red. He spoke with a thick nasal voice, "But you are from Lize Palace, won’t your master hold you accountable?"

Ruo Yu shook his head, "At times like these, what does blame matter? Ruo Yu is not the kind of person who abandons friends in danger!"

Zhong Minyan looked at him gratefully. He had played with Yu Sifeng since he was a child, been through dangers together, and they had a life-or-death friendship. Therefore, although Ruo Yu had taken great care of him along the way, he hadn’t taken it to heart until this moment. He now realized that this man was indeed a true hero with a noble spirit, and his fondness and trust in him suddenly soared.

"Fortunately, we managed to retrieve Linglong’s soul, so it wasn’t all for nothing."

Hearing Ruo Yu say this, Zhong Minyan felt a bit more at ease, but thinking about how Chen Minjue was left behind with a severed right arm, his fate uncertain, a wave of bitterness rose in his throat.

Ruo Yu sighed, "There was no choice given the circumstances. Luckily, we are still here. We’ll take extra care to watch over him, and after it’s all done, we can still save him just the same."

Seeing Zhong Minyan’s lost expression, Ruo Yu patted his arm and whispered, "Let’s go. The main task is more important."

Zhong Minyan stood in stunned silence for a long while before he finally heaved a sigh and turned to follow him back to the side hall. Wu Tong was still sitting in the chair, filing his nails, with Xuanyuan Sect disciples lying injured or unconscious on the ground, their cries never ceasing, yet his brow never quivered.

Seeing the two of them coming over, he smiled faintly and spoke softly, "Did you kill him?"

Ruo Yu declared loudly, "I stabbed him right in the chest with my sword. That guy escaped quickly, so I’m not sure if he will die. But even if he doesn’t, with such a serious injury, he will need at least half a year to recuperate, making him unable to stir up trouble for the time being."

Wu Tong hummed in response but said nothing. Zhong Minyan saw Chen Minjue lying in a corner, with his severed arm beside him, his fate unclear, and again he felt a wave of sadness, though he managed to keep it from showing on his face, just clenching his teeth hard enough to creak.

Wu Tong suddenly clapped his hands, and in an instant, more than a dozen demons surged out from behind the hall, including the one that had led them in earlier. Both of them were shocked and relieved, grateful that they had not chosen to fight back then, for if he had called out these demons guarding the back, all of them would have perished.

"Bandage that man’s wound and send him back as before," Wu Tong ordered calmly. "As for the people in this hall... those who are dead, drag them out to feed the Heavenly Dog; those who are still alive can roll out and tend to their wounds themselves. A bunch of useless creatures!"

The demons promptly obeyed the orders, and quickly, the side hall was tidied up spick and span. They didn’t care if the Xuanyuan Sect disciples were truly dead or just unconscious—anyone who couldn’t walk out on their own was treated as a corpse and thrown to the Heavenly Dog.

Zhong Minyan felt a chill in his heart watching his ruthless actions, but then heard Wu Tong laugh and say, "You must be curious why you can’t return from Buzhou Mountain after entering with the Xuanyun Technique and the incense nearly burnt out, while others can."

Ruo Yu and Zhong Minyan looked at each other and said in unison, "Please enlighten us, Deputy Hall Master."

Wu Tong said leisurely, "Take a look at the ring on your hand."

They had each been given a black iron ring when they entered, not knowing what it was for. Only after his explanation did they understand that by wearing this ring, one could stay in Buzhou Mountain unnoticed by the gods.

"This is a piece of unfinished black iron left from when the Eastern White Emperor forged the Evil Slayer and Demon Exorcism swords. It was taken by our Hall Master in passing and infused with spirit energy. Wearing it allows one to traverse freely between the realms of Yin and Yang... However, it’s useless to go to Heaven, so it doesn’t really count as anything valuable."

He toyed with the ring in his hand, his words brimming with arrogance.

Ruo Yu forced a smile and said, "With such skill, Deputy Hall Master, you are bound to achieve great things in the future. Traveling among the Six Realms will make Heaven seem insignificant."

Wu Tong chuckled, then suddenly lifted his hand lazily, and with a crisp slap, Ruo Yu covered his cheek, stricken silent. His lip had likely split, as blood trickled down finely.

"Spare me the pointless chatter," he said indifferently.

Truly a capricious man, Zhong Minyan felt even more alarmed. Ruo Yu whispered an acknowledgment, then looking up and seeing Zhong Minyan’s worried gaze, he slightly curled his lips into a smile, signaling that he was not hurt.

"As for me," Wu Tong drawled, "I’m just a deputy, and the Right Deputy Hall Master at that. Above me, there’s a Left Deputy Hall Master and the Main Hall Master. It’s just that they don’t come back often, so I temporarily handle matters here. When you see the other two Hall Masters, you must show respect and not offend them, understand?"

Both said yes in unison.

Wu Tong suddenly smiled and beckoned, "Come here, I’m quite interested in Lize Palace and Shaoyang Sect. Tell me about them."

He wanted to extract the secrets of the Cultivation Sects from their mouths. Zhong Minyan and his counterpart did not dare to disobey and stepped forward, resolving to only share what was commonly known, pretending ignorance on any other matters he inquired about.

*****

When Xuanji came to, she found herself in a soft, warm, and fragrant place. Her eyes slowly opened, and she stared blankly at the green gauze curtains hanging down before her, and the strangely beautiful carvings on the ceiling, taking a moment to grasp where she actually was.

There seemed to be people talking softly outside the room. She moved slightly and felt a numbness in her chest, followed by a dull pain. This pain jolted her memory, and she recognized that she was in Germu Town. However, she couldn’t understand how she had returned here from the Sacrificial Altar. Struggling to sit up, stars danced before her eyes, and her chest felt stuffy and painful. Unable to help it, she opened her mouth as if to vomit.

The people outside the room immediately stopped talking and rushed in through the door; it was Chu Lei and the other two.

"Xuanji!" Chu Yinghong, seeing her awake, couldn’t help but be moved and hurriedly sat by the bed, gently pressing her back down, "You’ve sustained an inner injury, don’t move around!"

Twisting the blanket with her fingers, Xuanji recalled the tragic events that had taken place at Buzhou Mountain, and tears immediately streamed down her cheeks.

"Where’s Si Feng?" she asked, her voice hoarse and gruff, hardly recognizable as her own.

Chu Lei sighed heavily, "His condition is very critical; he’s been pierced near the heart, and it’s uncertain whether he’ll survive the next few days."

Xuanji’s face turned pale, and after a long daze, she murmured, "If he... if he dies... I, I..."

Chu Yinghong, fearing that she might consider self-destructive thoughts out of grief, quickly held her hand and said, "The sword was struck with precision, it didn’t hit the vital organs, but there was excessive bleeding. As long as he survives tonight, he will surely be fine! You also have many wounds, don’t worry about these things for now."

Xuanji didn’t know if she had absorbed what was said but just nodded blankly.

Seeing her in such a state, Chu Yinghong’s heart ached greatly, yet she couldn’t think of any comforting words and could only lower her head to wipe away her tears. Chu Lei came over and looked at her. The three of them had gone to the Sacrificial Altar early in the morning to wait, originally thinking that as long as everyone returned safely, whether the mission to rescue was successful or not, everything would be fine. He had even thought about how to take back the words of banishment from the Sect to Zhong Minyan; but who would have guessed that of the five who went to Buzhou Mountain, only two returned, both in critical condition.

He knew in his heart that a catastrophe must have occurred, but his lips trembled slightly, and he could not bring himself to ask.

After fumbling over her chest for a long time, Xuanji’s face suddenly changed dramatically and she cried out, "Where is the bottle?!" Having been seriously injured, her complexion was already poor; at this shock, her face turned completely ashen, indistinguishable from that of a dead person.

Chu Yinghong quickly took out the little crystal bottle from under the pillow, "It’s here."

Xuanji took it over, relieved to see the colorful soul inside, then looked up at Chu Lei and said in a low voice, "This is... Linglong’s soul. And... Sixth Brother told me to tell father... he said: ’Zhong Minyan has not failed his mission!’"

The three of them were shocked, pleased, yet sorrowful to hear that they had actually brought back Linglong’s soul. They were shocked that these juniors had truly accomplished such a feat, despite being covered in wounds; pleased that Linglong could finally be saved; and saddened that Zhong Minyan had not returned, perhaps dead at Buzhou Mountain, without even a handful of earth to cover his remains.

Chu Lei’s voice trembled as he said, "What... what did Min Yan mean by his words? What happened to him?"

Xuanji closed her eyes wearily and said softly, "Sixth Brother... he stayed at Buzhou Mountain, now serving under Wu Tong... Wu Tong is still alive, now a Deputy Hall Master for those demons... Father, did you ask Sixth Brother to do something? He... has been acting very strange these past days, he even... cut off Second Senior Brother’s arm..."

Chu Lei abruptly stood up from in front of the bed, his face a mixture of complex emotions: doubt, pain, and also anger.

"The dismissal from the Sect... did he take it seriously?"

Xuanji said softly, "I don’t know... but he was acting very strange ever since the night he saw you... When I left, he was crying very sadly... so I think, someone must have forced him to do this..."

She opened her eyes and stared fixedly at Chu Lei, her eyes fiercely bright even in sickness, causing a chill.

Chu Lei had nothing to say, his heart filled with extreme doubt. Naturally, he would not explain to his younger daughter that he had never actually sent Zhong Minyan to infiltrate the demons. In fact, from the look in her eyes, he could tell that she no longer trusted him, so any further words would be pointless.

He Yang, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke up in a soft voice, "Little Xuanji, what about the other disciple from Lize Palace? Has he not returned either?"

He should not have mentioned Ruo Yu, for as soon as he did, Xuanji immediately thought of the scene where he thrust his sword through Yu Sifeng’s chest. Behind his mask, his eyes were dark as the night sky, void of any light. This image made her shiver all over, her chest aching with sharp pain, as she grasped the edge of the bed and vomited, though nothing came out.

Chu Yinghong was extremely distressed and, with reproach in her eyes, she glanced at her husband before gently rubbing Xuanji’s back, whispering, "Don’t rush... Take your time. It’s all over now..."

After some time, Xuanji, exhausted, slumped back onto the bed. Her voice trembling, she said, "He... Ruo Yu stayed behind! He killed Si Feng... He killed him!"

The three of them were at a loss for words. They had never imagined that the situation would turn out like this. Why would those two young disciples betray their Sect and join the demons? Was it as Xuanji said, that they had been coerced? But they had rushed here from Shaoyang Sect without stopping and had not seen them along the way.

So, who could it be? What exactly had happened?

Seeing Xuanji with bloodshot eyes and an exceedingly pale face, Chu Yinghong knew she could not ask any more questions. She spoke softly, "It’s all in the past. Si Feng is fine... You’ve been injured, don’t move about, get some good sleep, and when you wake up in the morning, Si Feng will be all right."

Xuanji always listened to her closely, so she nodded her head and closed her eyes. Chu Yinghong turned to signal the other two, about to quietly rise and leave, but Xuanji gripped her hand tightly.

"Aunt Hong, I’m scared..." she said softly, with a petulant tone she had not used since arriving at Little Yang Peak. Chu Yinghong’s heart softened, and she sat down again, holding her hand, whispering, "Aunt Hong won’t leave; I’ll stay here with you."

He Yang and Chu Lei quietly closed the bedroom door and stepped outside. Chu Lei, with a grim expression, went back to his guest room without a word. Knowing how distressed he must feel, and that he was a proud man who would not even let others see him in the agony of having his limbs severed, He Yang didn’t disturb him and went to check on Yu Sifeng instead.

The young man lay on the bed with a bandage wrapped around his chest, stained with blood. He seemed to be without breath, his chest barely rising after long intervals. His condition was actually very dangerous; his pulse was erratic, and he could lose his life at any moment.

He Yang sat beside the bed, holding his pulse and slowly infusing True Qi into him, hoping to protect his heart meridian. Out of the three of them, he was the most knowledgeable in medicine. He had not mentioned to anyone that the sword strike had hit a vital spot. An ordinary person would have died on the spot. Because he was a cultivator, with a body much stronger than the average person, he had managed to hold on until now.

Moreover, he had discovered something very strange. He Yang slowly lifted Sifeng’s arm, and the beads under his ribs became clearly discernible. There were three black beads on either side, neither gold nor jade, densely engraved with text that did not budge when touched.

What were these? Even with his extensive knowledge, he had no clue.

After watching for a while, He Yang lowered the arm and continued to channel True Qi into Sifeng.

He could only hope he would survive the night. He shook his head in silence.

Chu Yinghong sat beside the bed, the surroundings gradually dimming. On the bed, Xuanji lay still, her hand gripping tightly, as if Chu Yinghong was the only pillar in a storm. Time passed, and Chu Yinghong thought Xuanji had fallen asleep, so she leaned over to check gently.

Under the starlight, Xuanji’s eyes were tightly shut, tears streaming down her face.

Chu Yinghong sighed inwardly, sat back down, and remained silent for a long time. (To be continued... To find out what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)