Chapter 314: Wan Jianyi: Just a Breeze and Frost

Behind Kongzang Mountain.

Gu Qing and Lu Xueqi flashed out amid a trembling earth and shaking mountains, turned back, and saw the entrance to the Blood-Dripping Cave slam shut, burying all its secrets within the mountain.

Lu Xueqi tilted her face slightly, gazing at the clear blue sky, filled with a boundless, unattached freedom.

Gu Qing stood aside, silently watching until Lu Xueqi's gaze fell, and their eyes met—on her frosty face, a faint blush appeared.

"Xueqi…"

Gu Qing suddenly called her name.

Lu Xueqi fixed her gaze on Gu Qing and spoke softly: "I don't demand you say anything, nor can I bear your burdens—but one day, I hope you will open your heart, shed your chains, and tell me everything without reservation…"

Lu Xueqi's voice grew softer, yet Gu Qing, a seasoned flirt, felt his blood boil.

In that instant, Gu Qing decided to tell Lu Xueqi the excuse he had long prepared.

"Actually, my master is not Cang Song."

Gu Qing looked at Lu Xueqi and said firmly: "He was the former Master of the Zhanlong Sword, who once shone brilliantly within the Qingyun Sect—but…"

Before Cang Song, Gu Qing had already shifted all blame onto Wan Jianyi; now he was merely repeating it, since "the dead" cannot speak, and he trusted Wan Jianyi could shoulder it.

This time returning to Qingyun Mountain, Gu Qing planned to visit the Ancestral Hall and make Wan Jianyi take the blame.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xueqi's eyes cleared with understanding.

"The Dafan Borena and the Blood-Sucking Pearl both came from Pu Zhi of the Tianyin Temple."

Gu Qing said: "The Blood-Sucking Pearl is a demonic treasure, imbued with ferocious malevolence that subtly alters one's nature. Master Pu Zhi sought to exchange Dafan Borena for Taiji Xuanqing Dao within Qingyun Sect; after being refused, my master, concerned for his mental state, ordered me to descend and monitor him…"

Gu Qing recounted how he had accidentally glimpsed Dafan Borena and picked up the Blood-Sucking Pearl.

As a Qingyun disciple, Lu Xueqi was no naive fool; she knew some disciples within Qingyun carried secret duties. After hearing Gu Qing's explanation, she nodded, and without words, the two grew closer.

"Then you sealed the Blood-Sucking Pearl, accidentally stirring the Tianya Sword—I descended from Xiao Zhu Peak…"

Lu Xueqi added, but saw Gu Qing's eyes fixed intently on her.

"Not by accident."

Gu Qing said firmly.

Not by accident…

Lu Xueqi was startled, recalling how Gu Qing had suddenly taken Cang Song as master and assumed his identity, how he had suddenly spread Dafan Borena, how he had mastered the Bi'an Sword Art—her lips parted, then she panicked, realizing it had all been Gu Qing's deliberate scheme.

"You… you…"

Lu Xueqi's slender, jade-like fingers pointed at Gu Qing, flustered and angry, her neck and cheeks flushed red; finally, she spun away and said: "I came down the mountain only because I was worried for your safety."

Gu Qing smiled, stepped beside Lu Xueqi, and said: "Actually, my master quite likes your master."

?

This sudden gossip made Lu Xueqi turn her head, recalling how Master Shuiyue had spoken of the Master of the Zhanlong Sword on the Moon-Watching Terrace of Xiao Zhu Peak.

Were they fond of each other?

Gu Qing nodded gently and told Lu Xueqi: "So your master won't oppose you."

Master Shuiyue's feelings were pure unspoken longing; Wan Jianyi loved Su Ru, wife of Tian Budi. Now Gu Qing was invoking Wan Jianyi's name merely to ease Lu Xueqi's mind and remove obstacles to their romance—Wan Jianyi himself? To him, it was but a passing breeze and frost.

Within Kongzang Mountain, after this heartfelt exchange, their distance drew near. Lu Xueqi glanced at Gu Qing, finding him refined and pure, clean and refreshing, with a faint, sweet fragrance clinging to him—all deeply pleasing. Even in close proximity, she felt no resistance.

Under the bright blue sky, Gu Qing and Lu Xueqi did not ride their swords but walked down the mountain, chatting casually about their insights from the Book of Heaven.

"Ah, so you're here!"

A voice came from above; Gu Qing and Lu Xueqi looked up to see a tall man riding a demonic weapon. Seeing them, he did not descend to block them but circled in midair, sending a signal—immediately, demonic lights responded from all directions, converging toward them.

"Still seen."

Gu Qing said calmly to Lu Xueqi.

Lu Xueqi gripped her sword hilt, Tianya Sword ready to draw.

Amid the swirling demonic lights, one figure stepped forward, floating down slowly—his face was that of a pale scholar, yet his bearing was extraordinary.

"Senior Qinglong!"

"Holy Envoy Qinglong!"

The demonic cultivators around them cried out in unison—those calling him "Senior Qinglong" were from the Blood Refining Hall; those calling him "Holy Envoy Qinglong" were from the Ghost King Sect. Green flames and crimson bloodlights swirled chaotically, blinding the eye.

"Is he important?"

Gu Qing called out loudly, but his gaze fixed on two women behind Qinglong—one in purple robes with a veil, the other in emerald-green attire, gentle and beautiful, with a soft grace distinct from Lu Xueqi's.

Bi Yao!

As Gu Qing asked, his eyes were fixed on Bi Yao.

In Zhuxian, this woman once vied with Lu Xueqi for the female lead; in the TV adaptation, Bi Yao outright overshadowed Lu Xueqi—but absurdly, in the revised novel, the author explicitly demoted her to second female lead.

Bi Yao's gaze burned with anger; though estranged from the Ghost King, she could not remain calm toward Gu Qing, who had harmed him, and coldly said: "You're despicable and vile—no wonder you've never heard of Uncle Qinglong's name."

Qinglong gazed silently at the sky and muttered: "Three hundred years—my reputation has faded."

"But today, seizing the Tianya Sword and the Zhanlong Sword, I'm sure the righteous sects will remember my name forever."

At that moment, Qinglong's gaze sharpened—and for an instant, all creation seemed to freeze.

Gu Qing nodded. A fierce battle was now inevitable. He and Lu Xueqi exchanged glances—and in that instant, their spirits aligned.

"Draw!"

Gu Qing raised his hand, commanding his sword—the Zhanlong Sword erupted into the clear sky, blossoming into ten thousand sword blossoms, darting east and west, twisting like flying dragons. Many demonic cultivators in the air activated their demonic weapons, but when they clashed with the Zhanlong Sword, they felt it slip through like a fish, slipping through gaps—every defensive technique they used proved useless.

"Crack… crack… crack…"

The demonic cultivators in midair were pierced into a single line of blood—some still struggled, others tumbled from their weapons to the ground, life or death unknown.

"Excellent sword technique!"

Qinglong stepped forward, arriving at Gu Qing's side, his fist striking toward him—the rings on his fingers revealed his extraordinary nature.

His fist struck Gu Qing's chest!

But Qinglong felt it land on empty air; when he looked again, Gu Qing's form had dissolved into a Taiji vortex, scattering in all directions.

"Immortal Seal Technique!"

Gu Qing clasped his hands in a seal—the immortal version of the Immortal Seal made its debut.

(End of Chapter)