t
Faced with Long Feiye’s apology, Han Yunxi was deeply touched. She looked at him dumbly, uncertain of what to say. She knew Qimen Dunjia wasn’t for just anyone, much less something that could be mastered in a year or half.
How much time had pa.s.sed since she’d been kidnapped? He not only grasped the pinnacle of skill, but all the little details too! Han Yunxi stood on tiptoes and gave Long Feiye a small peck on his check.
“You’re cleared of all charges,” she murmured at him.
Long Feiye smiled as the weight in his heart finally eased.
“Let’s go look for an exit,” Han Yunxi said.
Gu Beiyue then spoke up. “Princess, since it was the direct descendant’s bloodline that unsealed the s.p.a.ce, perhaps only that can get us out?”
Last time, they ran into a man-made illusionary world after entering through the wordless stele at the Poison Sect’s sacrificial altar. But this seemed different. Moreover, it was created to protect the resting grounds of the snow wolves, so it was probably impossible to break. They could only leave via an official exit.
Leaving Gu Qishao to guard Bai Yanqing, Han Yunxi’s group went back to their landing spot, where she dripped a drop of blood on the ground. Unfortunately, the drop vanished before it ever touched the earth. They thought an exit would show up after that, but nothing stirred.
How can this be?
The blood vanished in thin air, which means the dimension sucked it away. So why isn’t there an exit?
Han Yunxi couldn’t believe it and tried a few more times, all without success.
“Will we need to use Bai Yanqing’s blood?” Gu Beiyue asked hastily.
Han Yunxi had long collected Poison Gu human blood before her kidnapping, although she had gotten a bit more during the fight in the cliff. She now withdrew a few drops and saw the dimension absorb them, but there was still no reaction.
“Why is it like this?” Gu Beiyue grew uneasy. Long Feiye realized it was a big problem as well. If they couldn’t get out, then they’d be stuck with Bai Yanqing here forever.
“Does Bai Yanqing know a way?” Han Yunxi wondered.
They returned to the woods. By now, Bai Yanqing had realized Long Feiye screwed him over. He was gasping for breath, too exhausted to keep running between the two doors. Instead, he simply stood still to rest. Han Yunxi knew if she asked him directly, Bai Yanqing would use the intel against them as a threat.
“Long Feiye, we need to hide our intentions,” she muttered.
Long Feiye whispered a few words to Han Yunxi and Gu Beiyue, who instantly understood. Soon enough, Gu Beiyue silently entered the array formation to track down Gu Qishao. By the time he came back, Gu Qishao had begun the plan.
Vines flew soundlessly from the Death Door to capture Bai Yanqing, but he sensed it and grinned, knowing a chance had arrived. As long as there was hope of capturing Gu Qishao and dragging him away from the Death Door, a crack would appear in the array formation. Then he’d find a way to get out of here.
Although Bai Yanqing detested Gu Qishao’s mouth, he much preferred to fight him over Long Feiye or Gu Beiyue! After all, a short-tempered guy like Gu Qishao was much easier to deal with than some old foxes. If Gu Qishao was fighting him outright, it might be hard to avoid the vines, but an ambush like this meant they could fight on equal grounds!
Bai Yanqing allowed the vines to get close before suddenly grabbing them with his bare hands. He withdrew quickly while dragging the plants with him, successfully pulling Gu Qishao out of his station at the Death door. Actually, Gu Qishao had predicted as much. He could have snapped the vines himself, but feigned anger and roared, “Bai Yanqing, you tricked me!”
Bai Yanqing had no time to argue with him. As soon as Gu Qishao left his spot, the entire array formation would change. Bai Yanqing only glanced at his new surroundings before fleeing!
Upon his exit, he didn’t see Han Yunxi or the others, only Gu Qishao chasing after him with more vines. With no time to care, Bai Yanqing ran back to the place where he landed and dripped some more blood from his finger.
But he was stunned. Obviously, his blood had opened up this sealed dimension, so it should work again! Why was his blood absorbed before it even hit the ground with no reaction?
He tried again, but failed again.
Now Han Yunxi’s group emerged from the trees. They were also stunned by Bai Yanqing’s actions.
“Bai Yanqing, you have no way to get out either?” Han Yunxi asked.
Bai Yanqing immediately backed away as he realized what was going on. Gu Qishao had let him out on purpose. All of these people were s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g with him! His fury soon gave way to laughter as he chuckled, “Hahah, looks like you’re all stuck too! Perfect!”
He stopped retreating to simply laugh. “Long Feiye, Han Yunxi, in the end it was this old man who won! I won! You two can wait until the dual cultivation deadline is here! This old man will wait! Wait! Hahahaha….”
Han Yunxi’s group stood very quietly as Bai Yanqing chortled in front of them. Hadn’t his very goal been to plot against Han Yunxi and Long Feiye so their dual cultivation could fail and lead them into insanity until they killed each other?
After fighting all these rounds and losing to a point of no return, he’d actually won!
“Hahah, this old man won! I won!”
“Long Feiye, Han Yunxi, I’m telling you now, I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time! A very long time!”
How happy was Bai Yanqing? Or rather, how insane had he grown? Why was he doing this? Why did he hate them so much? Han Yunxi creased her brows at him before feeling he was both pitiful and hateful. Long Feiye simply gripped his whip as his eyes filled with contempt. After all, the black-cloth package resting on his back wasn’t some zither, but swords! Moreover, it included both the Ganjiang sword and his gift to Han Yunxi--a newly forged blade body for the Moye sword spirit.
Where did Bai Yanqing get the confidence to say their dual cultivation would fail?
While Han Yunxi found the man pathetic, Long Feiye only saw him as a clown!
He stared at him expressionlessly while handing Profound Frost Sword to Gu Beiyue. Then he undid the knot on his back and took off the black-cloth package.
“Ganjiang?” Bai Yanqing wasn’t surprised. He’d long guessed the one being guarded at Celestial Mountain was only a fake.
Ignoring him, Long Feiye lifted the black cloth to reveal the Ganjiang sword and Moye replacement. Bai Yanqing recognized the former and was instantly riveted by the sight of the new, unfamiliar blade. Uneasiness suddenly rose in his chest. As a swordsman, he could tell the second blade was an extraordinary specimen.
Fear crept onto his features as he began to back away. “No...it can’t be…”
“What can’t be?” Long Feiye asked.
“I don’t believe it! It’s impossible!” Bai Yanqing howled.
If this blade had been sharpened and edged, he could believe that Long Feiye’s ground had found a sword to house the Moye sword spirit, but this was clearly a brand-new forged sword! When did they make such a treasure blade within this short timeframe? It didn’t look inferior even next to Ganjiang, the king of swords!
Long Feiye would never waste time explaining such details to Bai Yanqing. He kept his gaze on the man while handing the new blade to Han Yunxi. “It’s for you, so you should sharpen the blade. We don’t have any tools here, but you could always try an undying body.”
What?
Even Gu Qishao and Gu Beiyue gaped at his words! So this fellow chose not to sharpen the blade at Medicine Requesting Cave just so Han Yunxi could have her fun?
Isn’t this gift overly aggressive? He wanted her to sharpen the blade on Bai Yanqing’s body? This...this….
“Hahahahahaha!” Gu Qishao burst into laughter. “Long Feiye, this old man acknowledges you! I submit! Hahaha!”
Gu Beiyue smiled wordless, but Han Yunxi remained cold as she gripped the sword with her Nirvana Heart energy. “Long Feiye, I really like this gift!”
Even if they couldn’t kill Bai Yanqing, they could toy with him until he died! Bai Yuqiao, Ning Jing, and little Yu’er’s revenge, the civilians caught up in the chaos of war, and all of the suffering borne by innocents would be paid back personally by Bai Yanqing today!
Han Yunxi held the sword in one hand and Long Feiye in the other as she let him carry them into the air. Coldly she said, “Bai Yanqing, today this princess will use you to sharpen my sword!”
In a flash, her inner energy filled the blade as it cleaved down. It didn’t hit Bai Yanqing, but struck right past him! The friction of the Nirvana Heart Arts energy and Bai Yanqing’s own internal energy was enough to sharpen a sword, but how many strikes would it take to wear down the metal?
Bai Yanqing was in so much pain he almost staggered and fell. He never thought things would end up like this. Mind blank, he turned to flee. Long Feiye immediately helped Han Yunxi give chase and she soon slashed him again.
Gu Beiyue and Gu Qishao watched from a distance without joining in.
“Qishao, let’s check out the forest,” Gu Beiyue smiled. With His Highness and the princess in this confined s.p.a.ce, he could wait without worries for her to sharpen her sword.
Gu Qishao headed for the woods while summoning the Moye sword spirit, muttering to himself, “I’m actually a little reluctant, ah! Without this, will my martial arts be too weak?”
“Yes,” Gu Beiyue was very honest.
Gu Qishao knitted his bows. “Gu Beiyue, humans shouldn’t be as blunt as Long Feiye.”
This easygoing doctor’s learned nothing but bad habits after following Long Feiye for so long!
Gu Beiyue carefully examined the snow wolf graves while Gu Qishao sat down with crossed legs. From a distance, he could see Long Feiye and Han Yunxi still playing tag with Bai Yanqing. It made him restless, so he wanted to ask Poison la.s.s to let him have a go too.
But the looming threat of Long Feiye kept him waiting obediently…