Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Jiang Ce lifted his head slowly to look at her, as if he hadn't caught her words. "What...?"

He Liangyan bent down to look at him, a terrifying smile curling at the corner of her lips—cold and eerie. She seemed utterly foreign to him. He staggered to his feet. "No... you're not..."

His A'yan would never say such things.

"She certainly is not."

A voice, cold and sinister, cut through the air. Behind He Liangyan, a mass of black mist coalesced, solidifying into human form in the blink of an eye. He slowly stepped out from behind He Liangyan, revealing a savage face, his eyes alive with boundless cunning.

Qi Wuyu's ears twitched, and he looked up at him.

He remembered that voice.

Jiang Ce demanded, glaring, "What do you mean?"

Wu Lan replied, "What do I mean? Exactly what I said."

"You deceived me!" Jiang Ce roared, furious.

Wu Lan put on an aggrieved air. He spread his hands. "I only told you I'd let you see her. I didn't promise anything else. And have you not seen her?"

Overwhelmed with rage, Jiang Ce lunged to grab He Liangyan. However, the moment he touched her, He Liangyan suddenly vanished into thin air. "A'yan!"

In that instant, the Heart Demon mark between Jiang Ce's brows flashed, and his eyes instantly flooded with red.

Tension spiked as everyone went on guard. Qi Wuyu hung back—with so many here, the best he could do was stay out of the way.

"Jiang Ce, have you lost your mind from all that seclusion? You'd actually trust a demon?" Feng Cong thought he was utterly foolish.

But Jiang Ce ignored him, glaring furiously at Wu Lan instead. Wu Lan let out a low chuckle, then gave Jiang Ce a respectful, mocking nod, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I really must thank City Lord Jiang for 'opening the door' for me."

Before anyone else could react, the Fourfold Array suddenly began spinning rapidly. Thick black mist overflowed like boiling water, and numerous demons poured in!

These demons seemed well-prepared, wasting no time. As soon as they emerged, they attacked the nearest cultivators.

"Damn it!" Si Muyun, in the front row, was the first to react. She grabbed a nearby disciple by the collar and hauled him back. The disciple, momentarily stunned, turned pale with fright as the demon's attack barely grazed his hair.

Inside the array, Jiang Ce was almost completely engulfed in demonic energy. Enraged, he charged at Wu Lan. Wu Lan tilted his head to dodge, and the two began fighting within the array. However, Jiang Ce had already expended much of his spiritual power to set up the array. Moreover, being at the epicenter of the densest demonic energy, his Heart Demon was already affected, practically rebelling in his mind. A tide of negative emotions surged, instead becoming an advantage for Wu Lan. Fighting Wu Lan now was a struggle.

Zhou Xun rushed over, wanting to help, but Jiang Ce stopped him outside the array. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of Jiang Ce's mouth as he said, "Don't come in." He let out a self-mocking laugh. "This is my fault. This is my retribution."

Zhou Xun stood frozen in place. Even with the facts laid bare before him, he found it incredibly difficult to connect his usually silent and reserved master with acts like "killing fellow sect members and colluding with demons." It sounded like a tall tale. He couldn't understand why.

But there was no time for him to figure it out now. More and more demons were pouring out of the Fourfold Array. Jiang Ce pushed him away forcefully, his hands swiftly forming seals. A pulse of light erupted as he slammed his palm onto the array. He had intended to destroy it, but perhaps due to insufficient spiritual power, the array wasn't damaged. Instead, it felt like the array was draining his strength. He was already trembling slightly.

Wu Lan appeared from nowhere, suddenly grabbing Jiang Ce by the throat. "City Lord Jiang, since you've already helped me this much, help me one last time. After all, they won't let you off either."

Jiang Ce was lifted almost off his feet by the grip. A silver sword shot through the air with formidable force, forcing Wu Lan to release his hold. The next moment, Yang Zhen appeared before Jiang Ce, sword in hand. Her expression was cold and impassive as she said icily, "How Jiang Ce should be dealt with is our business. It's not your place to interfere."

As she spoke, she swung her sword at Wu Lan. Wu Lan, somewhat surprised, swiftly dodged, his figure becoming a blur.

Amidst the crowd of demons emerging from the Fourfold Array, Liu Nanzhou vaguely spotted a familiar figure. The person was wrapped up tightly, revealing only a pair of narrow, deep-set eyes. He didn't seem highly skilled, not even holding an advantage against ordinary disciples, appearing somewhat disheveled. He carried a bow and arrows on his back but wasn't using them.

Sensing Liu Nanzhou's gaze, he met his eyes for a moment. Instead of attacking Liu Nanzhou, he turned and plunged into the already chaotic battlefield.

Qi Wuyu noticed him too, unsurprised.

That person was Mo Chen.

Qi Wuyu said to Liu Nanzhou beside him, "Let's destroy the array first. Otherwise, these demons will keep coming endlessly."

Liu Nanzhou nodded. He gathered power into his longsword, a brilliant spiritual light flashing. A sharp sword aura slashed at the array with a *crack* sound, leaving a fissure on the Fourfold Array. Wu Lan looked up at him, then followed his line of sight to spot Qi Wuyu not far away.

Wu Lan's lips curled into a smile. He swiftly flew into the air, supported by demonic mist beneath his feet, looking down at Qi Wuyu from above. "Well, well, if it isn't your great hero, Qi Zhuo. My apologies, my apologies. How come you're only hiding behind others now?"

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone present heard it clearly.

Some experienced elders and sect leaders knew about this matter, so they weren't surprised. However, almost none of the younger generation disciples knew. Some who had often spoken ill of Qi Wuyu—like Zheng Linghao—were momentarily stunned, all looking at Qi Wuyu in shock.

Liu Nanzhou also stiffened but quickly stepped in front of Qi Wuyu. He had some vague suspicions, but suspicion was one thing; hearing it confirmed was another.

Qi Wuyu looked at Wu Lan with a faint, ambiguous smile, neither admitting nor denying. He simply said, "I remember you."

Wu Lan raised an eyebrow, though inwardly panicking. He had never met Qi Zhuo face-to-face. How could Qi Wuyu remember?

Qi Wuyu seemed to sense his confusion and helped him recall. "You said we'd meet soon. I remember your voice. I've been waiting for you for a long time, but you never came to find me." He pretended to scrutinize Wu Lan's appearance. "You really are a bit ugly, no wonder you're always reluctant to show your face."

Wu Lan clenched his fist. He wasn't someone who cared much about appearance and didn't think he was ugly, but anyone would get angry being constantly insulted like this. "Do you still think you're number one? With no spiritual power, what are you being so arrogant about?"

Qi Wuyu shook his head calmly. "You misunderstand. I'm merely stating a fact."

His hands were clasped behind his back, clutching his "simplified Spiritual Core." The bead seeped into his palm, merging into his body, shattering the weak command within.

Wu Lan glared at him, gnashing his teeth. "What? Looking at their expressions, they actually didn't know?"

Qi Wuyu waved a hand dismissively. "I'm no hero. Everyone is busy living their lives, not revolving around anyone. Unlike you lot, always eyeing other people's turf, busy with scams everywhere, from underwater to land."

Wu Lan sneered. "There are just too many fools among you." Having said that, he didn't give anyone time for gossip and shouted, "Kill them all!"

The demons moved in response. The mist beneath his feet surged downward like a black tide. Wu Lan fed the corpses of already dead demons to the Fourfold Array. Qi Wuyu already had his Frostwind Sword in hand, its blade gleaming coldly. Just as he was about to step forward, Liu Nanzhou pressed his hand. Qi Wuyu met his gaze, feeling somewhat guilty. He rubbed the back of Liu Nanzhou's hand with his own and gave him a smile. "I didn't mean to hide it from you. Now's not the time for this."

Liu Nanzhou understood priorities. The two raised their swords and headed for Wu Lan.

Stimulated by the demonic energy, Jiang Ce's Heart Demon flared wildly. Inside the array, he frantically searched for any trace of He Liangyan. Yang Zhen couldn't hold him back. At that moment, a demonic arrow shot from an unknown direction, piercing straight through Jiang Ce's chest. Blood sprayed onto the edge of the Fourfold Array like a withered flower.

Whether from the pain or something else, the moment he fell, Jiang Ce suddenly regained some clarity. A flash of lucidity passed through his eyes. He pulled out his own Spiritual Core and, with his blood-stained hand, smashed it toward the array's core. The Fourfold Array completely shattered. The gushing demonic energy and the invading demons were forced back, yet the sky remained pitch black.

Perhaps it was Jiang Ce's hallucination, but he seemed to see He Liangyan walking toward him, her eyes filled with disappointment.

Disappointed about what? That he couldn't take her home? That he couldn't save her?

Or... that he had abandoned the principles he had upheld for years, collaborating with demons for a sliver of hope?

He must have been wrong... but he couldn't remember how he had agreed to it.

He had betrayed himself, and he had betrayed A'yan.

With great difficulty, he crawled forward, wanting to touch He Liangyan. Then he saw his own filthy hands and wiped them on his sleeve. When he looked up again, there was no one there.

A'yan didn't want to see him, he thought.

That's fine. If she doesn't want to see me, then she doesn't have to.

It's just that with one wrong step, he had ruined so many people's paths. He probably couldn't repay it even in his next life.

By the time Yang Zhen found him, he had already stopped breathing, his face still etched with unresolved regret and pain.

"Clang—" The screech of steel on steel rang in his ears. "The Fourfold Array is destroyed," Qi Wuyu taunted. "Do you think these demons can escape?"

Wu Lan staggered back two steps under their combined assault. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he curled his lips into a dangerous smile. "Qi Zhuo. For our first meeting, a gift for you."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers, then his entire figure vanished into the black mist.

"Enough with the spooky act." Qi Wuyu sheathed his sword, temporarily letting him go. "Xiao Zhou, go help your senior brother."

Liu Nanzhou didn't move. Qi Wuyu was slightly taken aback, a pang of panic rising in his heart. Just as he was about to grab him, Liu Nanzhou suddenly attacked without any warning. Qi Wuyu instinctively dodged, the tip of the sword missing his neck by a hair's breadth. He looked up and met Liu Nanzhou's dark red, vacant eyes.

Liu Nanzhou stared at him expressionlessly, then suddenly shifted to surprise, calling out in confusion, "Shizun?"

But his lucidity didn't last long enough to finish the thought. He seemed to struggle in his mind, his expression flickering through a series of changes, before finally lifting his head with a calm expression, a flash of red light in his eyes. Black mist began to swirl around him, to the shock of everyone present.

He raised his sword and pointed it at Qi Wuyu. The hilt of the Shejiang Sword glowed with a flowing red light, already growing scalding hot. Oblivious, Liu Nanzhou uttered a single word: "Die."

At his command, some disciples stiffened and turned their blades toward their own comrades, as if obeying Liu Nanzhou's order.

Qi Wuyu swiftly scanned those disciples—almost all of them had been poisoned. But Liu Nanzhou...

"Well? Do you like this gift?" Wu Lan crowed, enjoying the spectacle.

Qi Wuyu had no time for him. Liu Nanzhou's sword strikes were fierce and relentless, yet Qi Wuyu dared not fight back fully, afraid of hurting him. He had never been so hamstrung in a fight.

Just then, a deafening "buzz—" exploded inside Qi Wuyu's skull. His movements faltered, nearly colliding with Liu Nanzhou's blade. The Shejiang Sword forcibly deviated from its master's trajectory, only grazing Qi Wuyu's arm. He didn't have a spare thought to thank the sword, his face pale as he urgently sought out Si Muyun, who was closest to him. "The Demon-Subduing Formation has been activated."

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Author's Note: Seems like everyone guessed the identity thing already [dog head]. Lately, I've been indulging in other authors' works, got a bit carried away, sorry about that (kneels).