Chapter 32

What could be more despairing than failure?

It is betrayal.

Because betrayal itself is a complete failure.

Just as you would never think the sun would silently set at noon, just as you would never imagine the mighty city of Jericho collapsing after a seven-day siege, just as you would never expect or imagine that the world you are constantly familiar with and take for granted would, on some night, be turned upside down and completely changed.

If that is the case, then shouldn't everything you've grown accustomed to over this long period be completely discarded? And as the accumulation of those habits, shouldn't you also need a thorough overhaul? If so, you are no longer the person you were a second ago—so, are you still you now?

Infinite despair and sorrow surged into Luo Shan's heart in an instant. At the moment his body was immobilized by restraints, he had not yet reacted; before him stood the viscount who had long appeared as his protector—Qin Yan's father, an enemy of the Spirit God Temple yet his ally—who had now turned on him. And all of this before, it seemed, had merely been a façade he'd constructed to obtain Luo Shan's power, a deception.

If that's true, what in the world is still worth trusting?

Perhaps it was that blonde-haired woman. Luo Shan's heart clenched suddenly. Pei'er, Pei'er Andrea Awenxi—the girl who always lent him a hand in danger. Perhaps, aside from his parents, she was the only one who had truly been selflessly kind to him. Yet his foolish judgment clouded his mind. Pei'er had clearly told him that Viscount Luo Fu Gu De harbored a scheme meant to harm him, but he not only refused to believe her, he harshly rebuked her and even drove her away.

How many lifetimes would it take to repay the debt of affection I owe Pei'er in this life?

Yet Luo Shan clearly knows that what Pei'er truly wants is something he cannot give.

His heart had long belonged to Qin Yan; from their first meeting, it was already hers. Even if all this might be merely a grand conspiracy, even if their meeting was nothing more than a carefully laid trap, even so, he still loved her.

Luo Shan felt an overwhelming weakness engulf his whole body. The so-called Blood Demon Grand Formation had been activated; the row of blood-red candles seemed truly congealed from fresh blood, exuding a bloody stench that made one want to vomit. The black-robed mages chanted incantations; the light emanating from the tips of their staffs merged with the candlelight into a single entity, thread by thread, like an invisible vast net pressing down on him, as if it were drawing out his soul bit by bit.

His body… felt as if it had lost consciousness.

So painful. So painful.

But no matter how agonizing, how could it compare to even a fraction of the wound inflicted on his heart by betrayal?

But… even if this is the case, even after enduring so much suffering, and even though he must eventually die at another's hand, at least before death he could catch a glimpse of that white-clad girl, even hold her hand as they entered the splendid hall together and shared a final meal at the table.

That would be enough, wouldn't it.

Let those deep loves, youthful foolish loves, and the affection that grows stronger after long separation fade away with the end of life, as if they had never existed in this world.

Qin Yan, do you know all of this?

Are you also secretly mocking my foolishness? Are your attitude and feelings toward me genuine, or merely a game fabricated for your father's sake?

Even if all of this were false, even if your words and deeds, and everything we share between us, were fake, it wouldn't matter. As Pei'er said, liking you is my own concern, unrelated to you. Perhaps feelings are like that: it's nice if they're reciprocated, but if things don't go as smoothly as imagined, that's understandable—after all, expecting everything to go exactly as wished is a luxurious notion.

Luo Shan closed his eyes, gave a faint smile, and stopped heeding the roar-like chants and the net-like bindings; his power was draining rapidly, so let it fade away. It doesn't matter. After all, that power was merely external. Death? Having already endured endless darkness, what is there to fear about death?

"Break!" the mages, at the peak of their chanting, suddenly shouted in unison, pointing their staffs at Luo Shan; the scarlet candlelight flared, and the net hanging in the air, after a long buildup, finally tightened in an instant.

At that instant, Luo Shan felt his soul being torn apart in agony, while Viscount Luo Fu Gu De seated nearby smirked. The intertwined spells seemed to come alive in a moment, roaring as they pierced his body, ripping his flesh to shreds.

Yet just as Luo Shan closed his eyes, awaiting death, a flash of cold light suddenly appeared in everyone's eyes!

This strike came so suddenly that even the mighty Viscount Luo Fu Gu De had not noticed it earlier. The mages gathered at the gate were hit by that blade of light; in an instant several were severed head from body, dying in a gruesome manner. The viscount reacted faster than the others by a few moments, instantly recognizing the attacker as a first-rate swordsman. Yet at that moment he had gathered dozens of mages to lay a powerful Blood Demon Grand Formation, intending to absorb Luo Shan's bloodthirsty soul, leaving no room for error. In such a confined space he dared not use magic. But he himself was a first-rate swordsman, swift of hand; before those mages' corpses even hit the ground, he had already swung his sword and lunged forward. However the attacker seemed to know his skill, avoiding direct confrontation, merely flashing behind the black-robed mages, swinging his sword, and instantly felling several more. The black-robed mages, unskilled in swordplay and occupied with the crucial phase of their spell, could not defend against attacks from behind, and chaos erupted instantly.

Unable to use magic, the viscount's sword strikes lost much of their power, and his footwork was also lacking. He launched several consecutive attacks, none of which landed; instead he was calmly countered by his opponent, making things somewhat difficult for him. Meanwhile the mages maintaining the Blood Demon Grand Formation suffered heavy casualties, with less than thirty percent still able to stand. Seeing the formation shattered in an instant, the plan to absorb Luo Shan's soul could no longer proceed; the viscount flared with anger and anxiety, suddenly realizing who the attacker was. "Pei'er!" he sneered coldly. "Again you ruin my schemes—this time I'll bury you here!" With the Blood Demon Grand Formation broken, he held nothing back; each swing of his sword now carried magical force, and the splendid hall instantly fell into disarray. The attacker could not withstand it, forced to retreat toward the door. The viscount leapt forward, raised his hand, and thrust his sword straight at the attacker's throat.

Luo Shan felt that in an instant the intangible pressure vanished. He instinctively opened his eyes to see the hall filled with intersecting swordlight, black-robed mages collapsing amid sprays of blood, and Viscount Luo Fu Gu De having drawn his sword, raging madly.

In the next instant he saw clearly the face of the swordsman who had suddenly burst in.

"Pei'er."

His heart suddenly surged with boundless emotion and warmth. That blonde-haired woman always appeared at his weakest moments, bringing hope and light to the whole world.

It's still the same thing: he owes her far, far too much.

Luo Shan let out a sudden long cry, rose with his sword in hand; as the Blood Demon Grand Formation shattered, magical power returned to his palms, warmly suffusing his whole body. The few remaining black-robed mages, panicking and trying to flee, were struck down by a sweep of his right hand—dark light like a blade pierced their protective wards and plunged straight into their hearts.

Viscount Luo Fu Gu De now employed magical power, gaining the upper hand in his duel with Pei'er. He was a Human Emperor–level battle mage, wielding power second to none on the continent; had Pei'er not inherited the Sword God's personal swordsmanship, he would have felled her in a single strike. Even so, within three exchanges she was already outmatched; the viscount's longsword pointed at her throat, and in the blink of an eye he could run her through.

Yet in the instant of lightning and thunder, Viscount Luo Fu Gu De suddenly felt a surge of magical power strike from behind. If he did not turn to block it, he could indeed end Pei'er's life in an instant, but he himself would also be injured by that fierce, unrefined force. The viscount weighed the matter in a heartbeat: although Pei'er had twice disrupted his plans with sudden attacks, she lacked magic and could not become a major threat, whereas this strike from behind was extremely fierce and clearly came from Luo Shan's hand. If he did not deflect it, his own defensive barrier would surely fail, inevitably causing him serious injury. In that case, would he not become Luo Shan's prey? Thus he advanced his sword half a step further—enough to take Pei'er's life—but had no choice but to abruptly change his move, turning to sweep behind himself with a glint of power, where it collided heavily with Luo Shan's strike.

A thunderous boom rang out; the viscount was staggered back a step, while Luo Shan felt numbness in both hands and a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. After all, Luo Shan's power was still far inferior to the viscount's; although this sudden strike was fierce and enjoyed the advantage of a rear ambush, it still gained no edge over the viscount's hastily altered counterstrike. Instead Luo Shan was rebounded by that great force, suffering a light injury and momentarily disrupted breath; he could not unleash a second move for a while. Pei'er escaped death, instinctively retreating several steps. Upon seeing Luo Shan's figure, her heart leapt with joy and tears spilled unbidden.

It turned out that although Pei'er had been rebuked by Luo Shan and, helpless, had turned to leave, she still worried about his safety. Knowing that Viscount Luo Fu Gu De harbored a plot to harm Luo Shan, she could not stand idly by; after Luo Shan and the viscount departed, she likewise sneaked into the Luo Fu Gu De Manor. Finding she could not simply storm in, she recalled her prior infiltration experience, patiently searched for a long time, and finally discovered the secret passage she had once stumbled upon; through it she entered the manor's main building. She carefully crawled in through a window, seeing a group of mages lying in ambush outside the hall, while faint voices drifted from within. Pei'er sensed that Luo Shan was somewhere inside, but with the crowd thick around her she dared not act rashly. Only when the Blood Demon Grand Formation was triggered and the mages flung the doors open and swarmed in did she draw her longsword and force her way through the gate. She bore the Sword God's secret art, the Genesis Sword Technique; aside from high‑level mages, hardly anyone could match her, and this strike was like a tiger among sheep—she instantly slew over a dozen. Only when the viscount moved did someone finally manage to block her blow.

At this moment, even facing the mighty Viscount Luo Fu Gu De, even if she had to join a battle with no chance of victory, she felt not the slightest fear.

Because that person was now within arm's reach, gazing at her with eyes full of tenderness.

She knew he did not love her, yet all it took was that gentle smile for her to be willing to die for him.

Luo Shan, look—when it all comes down to it, the one who will stand beside you to face the ending is still me.