Chapter 425: Seeing Myself in the Mirror

Pei Ye was about to look further down, but the scene suddenly cut off, and everything shattered into pitch black. Pei Ye knew this was the consequence of the damage to 【Seeing Body】. He frowned and dragged the time forward, and finally, about a day later, the scene returned.

The time was near dusk, and the snow seemed to have been falling for a day and a night; at this moment, it was especially heavy. It was clear the caravan could not move forward.

The previously planned route would likely have to be changed. A whistle came from the front: "The Lord has ordered! Temporarily find an open space to set up camp and rest!"

'Pei Ye' was lying on an open-air ox cart at this time. He tilted his head. Beside him, Qu Zhu was looking up at the sky, so he also looked up at the sky. A black eagle shadow was circling there.

Pei Ye paid attention to the man beside him; he had never spent time with him at this age like this.

Pei Ye knew that at this time he had already colluded with the Joyous Huan Si Lou, and several ghost-like opera masks were lingering in the dark wind and snow around them.

This assassination ultimately led Qiao Changyue to occupy the position of Junior Minister of the Ministry of Works. In exchange, he helped the Joyous Huan Si Lou complete the supply of Heart Amber to Kongdong for twenty years from the Golden Jade Studio. This was a key link in the 【Mirror Dragon Sword Sea】 plan.

And two months later, the surviving Sui Zaihua climbed back from the jaws of death, causing Qiao Changyue to fall from power and be brought to justice. The two people lying side by side on the ox cart today would henceforth go their separate ways and become enemies.

Qu Zhu turned his head back at this time, smiled, and rolled off the cart: "Starving to death, I'm going to help tidy up the stove fire."

'Pei Ye' nodded: "Go ahead, I'll handle this side by myself."

As he set up the camp layer by layer, the porridge was cooked over there, but someone called him urgently from the side: "The Junior Minister is calling for you urgently!"

After a burst of fragmented and messy scenes, the distorted words became clear in his ears: "... Several young heroes said they had whistled before, but the two leading disciples in front have not been found. They suspect they are lost and are about to go pick them up together. I want you to go with them, just in case there are any difficulties, everyone can coordinate together."

"Oh, easy to say." 'Pei Ye' cupped his hands.

Pei Ye understood by now that the words and deeds of the wearer of the pendant were recorded deeply when the heart and spirit were leaping, while the time spent sleeping, chatting, and being distracted was recorded shallowly, and thus was more worn away.

But it didn't matter; Pei Ye knew what was happening now.

The new snow was slippery and dangerous, and the safety was uncertain, so the two Kongdong disciples who were more familiar with the terrain went ahead to scout the path and leave directions for the carriages and horses.

And then they never came back.

Sui Zaihua and several Kongdong disciples went forward to look and indeed saw the carvings they left behind; it turned out they had gone further ahead to scout the path. Several people walked back laughing and talking. Sui Zaihua returned to the ox cart and sat down beside Qu Zhu again.

This caravan was full of strangers, and the two friends leaned against each other almost the whole time.

"I thought about the prefecture city, we still have to be careful about that Qiao Changyue." 'Pei Ye' knocked the snow off the soles of his boots and leaned on the cart, exhaling a puff of white steam, "Some things can't be said to the Lord; his ears are too hard. But I heard that this person has deep prestige, a sinister and dark heart, and looks down on officials from outside. Our Lord took his official hat, who knows if he'll go crazy."

"Go crazy?" Qu Zhu seemed to smile, lying still, "We are protecting the Lord, can we still be poisoned by him?"

'Pei Ye' laughed, then fell silent for a moment: "Don't say that, having been an official for so long, I'm still nervous and sensitive. I often wake up inexplicably in the middle of the night, always feeling that swords are by my side... This kind of thing, although it sounds extreme, if you think about it carefully, our Lord has no backing. If he really kills us, as long as it can't be investigated for a year or a half, when new cases suppress old cases, will anyone still remember?"

"..."

'Pei Ye' sighed lightly: "Justice depends on people to seek it."

Qu Zhu was silent for a while, but said softly: "Without backing, the official path in the prefecture city is difficult to move an inch."

"Yeah." 'Pei Ye' sighed, "I just mentioned your 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea' and so on to the Lord. The Lord said the description was accurate, but I haven't heard you talk about your 'magic weapon'?"

"..."

"Hmm? Didn't the Lord chat with you?"

"... Chatted, but," Qu Zhu was silent for a moment, "sometimes to get the 'magic weapon'... have to abandon many things."

"... What?"

"Nothing, just, have to cross the sea."

Pei Ye stared at this man. Sui Zaihua indeed personally experienced this nightmare. His account was still seamless twenty years later, but at this time he obviously did not put a vigilant gaze on this colleague beside him.

And Pei Ye knew Qu Zhu's heavy burden, so he was also clear about his determination to move upward at this time.

Then has the Joyous Huan Si Lou already paved the way for you in the prefecture office? You have already lost your master and junior brother, and now you are willing to betray the elder you have been with for seven years? Just like this, alone, climbing to the peak?

This is very like him, but not quite like Pei Ye trying hard to see through this man. He knew Sui Zaihua ultimately broke this plot, making the other party only able to hide in the dark for twenty years, but the words and deeds at this time obviously indicated his future choices.

Pei Ye thought silently, the scene in front of him shattered again, and when it gathered again, another day had passed.

The team was already in the "Great Tianlan".

And had already stopped vigilantly.

A tense atmosphere shrouded the entire team. Everyone in the field of vision was in a posture of holding their swords vigilantly. Pei Ye immediately found the current node and heard his own stern voice: "We have to know what happened."

Beside him, Su Xuchun was dumbfounded, Ji Changcun nodded, and 'Pei Ye' flew up from his horse with his sword, having already disappeared into the wind and snow behind him.

Yes, this was when all four disciples who went forward lost contact. Everyone in the team realized something was wrong, but they were already deep in the "Great Tianlan". Sui Zaihua remembered those strange footprints, realizing that the path the scouting disciples indicated for them might be another road.

When skimming over the caravan, Pei Ye quickly searched for that figure in the team.

He indeed appeared in the field of vision, but this body did not pay any attention at all—Qu Zhu was lowering his head, holding his sword and walking toward Yu Chaocai.

'Pei Ye' passed through the wind and snow alone, his cheeks were cut painfully. Even with Qi, his vision was still limited to within five feet. He struggled to break out of this canyon and ran toward the direction of his memory.

Pei Ye did not fully adapt to the sudden transition of this scene, but the vigorous heartbeat of this body had been completely transmitted to him, instantly grabbing Pei Ye's throat.

Just because he was too familiar with this physical state.

Fenghuai wine cellar, Xincang deep mountains, Xiangzhou wilderness... This life-threatening tension, the extreme calmness in anxiety, the cold blood surging and running in the body completely made him feel the same.

Yes, he was watching this long-sealed tragedy from twenty years later, but at that time Sui Zaihua was truly in a desperate situation alone. He did not know who the enemy was, nor did he know where they would come from. The enemy was almost certainly the Mystic Gate, and he had never faced such a powerful opponent.

Heavy snow in the deep mountains, he was now risking leaving the caravan, not knowing if he could go back, and not daring to think about what scene he would see after going back.

Only when holding the sword and moving forward in the wind and snow, when the other road just turned around the mountain col, that bloody scene hit his field of vision.

No amount of unknown fear was as direct and eye-piercing as death. The two scouting disciples had already been half-buried by the snow, the spilled blood seeped into the snow and was frozen into ice crystals, and the cracks opened at their necks were already covered with frost.

The body suddenly became cold, and 'Pei Ye' slowly gripped the sword hilt at his waist.

A black robe appeared silently in front, like a ghost in the chaotic white. Half a face was revealed under the cloak, which was a brightly colored opera mask.

"That was the first time I saw someone from the Joyous Huan Si Lou."

Pei Ye remembered this sentence from the old man, but at this time he felt the shock of this body, his gaze fixed on the opera mask—this was not a state of facing strange things with obvious danger.

Sui Zaihua seemed... to have understood them before?

Without any pause, the ghost in the field of vision flashed away. Pei Ye could not catch up with this speed at all, but this body had already drawn its sword with a clang. The sound of metal clashing came against his ears, and his neck already felt a sharp chill.

An intense and rapid fight broke out suddenly, the perspective changed drastically, and the bursting sword shadows filled everything within sight.

Pei Ye did not analyze this battle. Although he felt the same as Sui Zaihua, this was after all an old shadow from twenty years ago. He already knew the result.

He was still thinking about Qu Zhu's figure holding his sword and walking toward the front of the caravan, gradually frowning. Although he saw these things he had not seen before, an inexplicable sense of contradiction became heavier, only feeling that the answer was moving further and further away from him...

But he suddenly felt blank for a moment, and a keen sword sense pulled him back to the present.

The chaotic sword shadows were still intersecting, but a strange feeling could not be suppressed and surged up... Sui Zaihua, how could he use his sword like this?

Pei Ye had only seen Sui Zaihua use his sword once.

It was in the mountain rain of Great Kongdong, the stunning sword light that nailed Sima to the ground.

Sui Zaihua was the supervisor of the Sword Academy. This was of course not a position anyone could sit in. He had humbly said in Bowang that his talent was not high, but that sword that nailed the audience almost made Pei Ye look sideways and yearn.

So he could of course hold the Sword Selection Meeting, precisely because he was one of the few sword masters in the entire Shao Long. What he said at the Book Compilation Meeting often had the final say.

But the sword fight in front of him now...

It was by no means not intense, nor was it of low level. In fact, every move was terrifyingly solid. This body's understanding of sword fighting was also incomparably profound, at least exceeding the likes of Shang Huaitong. The game between the two was thrilling.

But the sword in his own hand seemed to be locked in an invisible cage. It was a weapon, not a "sword". There was no sudden flash of light, no miraculous drifting, only making Pei Ye feel constrained everywhere.

He looked at this sword fight in a daze, only feeling that the sense of contradiction became more obvious, vaguely realizing that something seemed wrong.

However, what was more imminent was that such a sword was simply not enough to win this victory.

This eight-life opera mask was terrifyingly strong. Pei Ye suspected that he was enough to be ranked in the top five hundred of the Fu List. As time passed, Sui Zaihua's disadvantage in the sword was almost unable to be supported. Several cracks had already been opened on his body, and the sword momentum was pressed to the edge of collapse.

And the next moment, a roaring sea of fire rose from the surrounding void.

This was precisely the moment before the sword momentum was about to collapse. Pei Ye knew better than anyone that the sword in his hand had no more room. The overturning sea of fire at this moment was a means that the Pulse Tree Realm could almost not deal with.

Pei Ye could not imagine how the old man won the victory in such a desperate situation, but this body, even though its whole body was tense, really did not reach a certain hysterical limit.

He was almost calm and composed. The sea of fire pressed down, and the sword tip pointed directly at his throat. At this moment, time seemed to stand still. Sui Zaihua twisted his body and crossed his sword, stepping seven steps on the straight pine tree behind him. The exploded sword Qi instantly broke the sea of fire.

He reached his hand behind his back, and Pei Ye realized that another handle had been hanging under his robe all along.

Flowers of fire clung to his clothes and cheeks. Sui Zaihua, who broke through the fire curtain, looked coldly at this opera mask. The other party's ghostly sword light had already stuck to his neck faster.

And in an instant, the sword broke and the throat cracked, and a stunning blade light that was hard to reach in the world cut off everything.

The handles of the knife and the sword were very obviously different.

Under the quiet moonlit night, Qu Zhu gently rubbed the straight handle under his robe, and the big river flowed by thickly in front of him.

This was the season when all things were killed, but the seeds behind him were growing silently, and the tentacle-like mysterious Qi was slowly spreading toward the surroundings.

Qu Zhu turned around, and in front of him was a beautiful and fairy-like scene.

Sima indeed could not live anymore. He had completely offered his body, and the already broken limbs and torso were completely dissociated at this time, and the flesh and blood were molded into exquisite flowers.

That fairy fire projection fell to the ground. The moment it communicated to the distance, the transparent fire had already walked out of the core, turning the whole flame flower into colorless.

Now these flames spread into a pure holy spirit realm. It burned quietly, and the grass and moonlight seemed to be covered with a layer of crystal glaze, already twenty feet in radius, but still extending outward—this process required a large amount of spiritual mystery.

A gorgeous and crystal tree grew in the center of the flames.

That was Sima's entire meridians, all wrapped by this kind of fire. Another "star fire" resided in the center. It grew, gradually slender, towering, and beautiful. Bones clung to it, and flesh and blood bloomed into soft and gorgeous flowers at the ends.

This process did not seem painful. Sima closed his eyes peacefully, and the flames slowly soaked every inch of tendons and bones and every flower of flesh and blood from the meridians, like turning a strange tree into glaze bit by bit.

Qu Zhu watched quietly. He had heard of this kind of thing.

——"Where is 【Opera Lord】?"

"Wherever the fairy fire reaches, 【Opera Lord】 is everywhere."

This was a question and answer from seventeen years ago, but Qu Zhu remembered this sentence clearly every day.

A strange will had already begun to be conceived from this pure-colored flame.

"Faceless" first made this body spiritual and pure. Every piece of flesh and blood it tempered could be reached by the will. And then "Fairy Fire" would trace back to the main body from the projection. When the real fairy fire surged from its depths, it brought the will contained within it.

Qu Zhu watched this scene quietly, and the crystal fire shone on the opera mask.

"Is the formation ready?" Sima suddenly opened his eyes and said hoarsely.

"Transition three hundred and seventy-eight miles. After landing, go south for eighty miles. Ming Qitian is right there." Qu Zhu said softly, "Half a quarter of an hour has passed, the Fairy Platform has already begun to close the net."

"It's in time."

Sima slowly closed his eyes.

On the gorgeous tree more than a zhang high, the transparent flames covered every branch and soaked every red flower, ready to penetrate into it. Everything seemed quiet at this moment.

The distant will that was about to enter had already completed its conception from the flames, but it was still contained in the fire and could only gain perception of the outside world after truly controlling the body.

Sima bowed his head to this formed "embryo" and respectfully withdrew from his body slowly.

Qu Zhu watched this scene and could almost foresee what would happen next—Sima's will was replaced by flames, and the first moment the legendary 【Opera Lord】 entered... this body would begin to communicate with heaven and earth and move toward the Heavenly Tower.

This was almost the highest secret of the Joyous Huan Si Lou, which had never appeared in front of people for twenty years. If it were not for such an opportunity, Sima would rather die with two projections.

But now... no matter how many defenses the Fairy Platform had made, the supreme power belonging to the Fairy Lord was after all no longer by that woman's side.

The spread flames finally stopped, and the mysterious Qi began to return to the flames burning in this body. Sima's will was about to completely detach from this body.

Four hundred and sixty miles away, under the stars and moon, the wide and stable carriage was galloping on the road. In the carriage, Ming Qitian was leaning under the candlelight, quietly reading the Sword Scripture.

To escort this young lord, the Fairy Platform dispatched two audience members, one bright and one dark. At this time, the four fields were quiet and peaceful, not like anything would come.

On the holy spirit tree by the river, the tendons, bones, and flesh had begun to re-aggregate. Before detaching from the body, Sima issued the last hoarse voice: "Qu Zhu, start the formation."

Qu Zhu watched this fairy-like scene quietly, and the body after serious injury was still internally empty.

He clearly felt the powerful will behind the flames, and it had been a long time since he had such uncontrollable heart and lung contraction. That was not a high and distant pressure, almost quiet and flat, like an ancient and long life.

How many years had he existed, eight hundred or a thousand? What kind of power did he master, enough to subvert how many things? Why did he throw the Joyous Huan Si Lou into the world?

No matter what, he had already come here.

Qu Zhu slowly raised his hand, and on the river behind him, the formation just outlined floated mysteriously.

Thousands of fine and beautiful water currents surged toward this holy spirit fire tree, starting to outline from the edge of the fairy fire thirty zhang away, achieving the appearance of 【Other Shore Treasure Raft】. It shrouded everything about the flames, without a single leak.

This was a formation technique already outlined in the river, and it had long been prepared for activation.

"I think, it's also in time." Qu Zhu said softly.

He looked quietly at the head on the top of the tree... and suddenly clenched his fist!

【Sima】's pupils shrank, and he stared at him in disbelief, twisting his head abruptly.

Thousands of fine currents turned into water mist, thirty zhang in radius, instantly turning into a mist realm.

Formation within formation, 【Clouds Lock Zhu Building】.

All mysteries are me.

The mysterious Qi returning to the fire tree suddenly stagnated and disappeared. Everything within thirty zhang turned into clouds and mist, only subject to the formation master's mobilization.

Astonished rage appeared on Sima's face, and the spreading flames suddenly became intense, instantly steaming away all the water mist, but the next moment, continuous fine currents surged into this area again.

Next to it was the wide big river. This was the place Qu Zhu had chosen long ago.

The opera mask looked indifferently at this fairy-like holy tree and walked toward it slowly with his sword.

But this had alarmed the will in the flames.

He could not perceive the outside world accurately yet, but with just one look, Qu Zhu stiffened his steps, and his heart and spirit realm seemed to be smashed, and a mouthful of blood dripped on the ground.

Like a lion or tiger looking at an ant, just one will set a ban. Before the Fairy Saint Realm, mortals are forbidden to walk.

This was an iron law issued directly in the heart and spirit realm. Qu Zhu stood stiffly three zhang away and could not move forward at all.

But the next moment he took a step lightly again, still looking directly at the crystal and spiritual flames. In his palm, a misty pearl emitted a faint light.

The next moment, all the flames rolled toward him like poisonous dragons. Without mysterious Qi, these spiritual fires themselves were lethal weapons enough. And behind them, Sima had completely withdrawn from his body, and the fairy fire wrapped around the tree of bones and flesh, slowly taking off its outer coat.

As long as 【Opera Lord】 entered this body and truly contacted this world, all problems would no longer be problems.

For this moment, all thirty zhang of fairy fire surged over. They were the only projection in Sima's body, the fairy fire true seeds that came with the Opera Lord's will. Mysterious Qi could not resist, and true Qi was easily penetrated... It was indeed difficult enough to deal with.

Qu Zhu still walked forward silently, and the fairy fire all over the sky surged toward him. He slowly raised his hand—a bit of crimson appeared from it.

As if a red flag appeared among thousands of white robes, and also like a crack appeared in perfection... That was the fire seed he returned to Sima.

Something that could kill him at any time had been entrenched in his Dantian for twenty years... Many times he thought about it longer than he thought about the West Court Heart.

The fire curtain exploded with a gap, and Qu Zhu walked out of the sea of fire. He looked at this body wrapped in fairy fire, and the will inside was about to slowly contact it.

Qu Zhu pressed his hand on it.

And so the whole tree of bones and flesh disappeared.

Completely disappeared, as if it had never existed, leaving only the fairy fire still floating in the air... It could of course no longer descend on anything.

The powerful will inside was quiet. He knew he had been interrupted, but all feedback from the outside world was too abstract.

Until across the fire curtain, he felt the indifferent gaze looking down from outside.

Two wills collided at one point at the same time, and in an instant they touched vaguely—one side was a broken and strange opera mask, and the other side was an old, withered finger tapping on a book cover, with ink stains on the sleeve.

It was just a flash.

This consciousness was quiet. The descended spiritual body was erased, the return path was also blocked by the abnormal fire seed, and in silence... he annihilated himself.

Leaving only this pure white flame.

Qu Zhu watched it quietly for a while and collected it into his sleeve.

The clouds and mist around slowly dissipated. Water was originally so formless in coming and going. Qu Zhu tidied his sleeves, and no traces were left around.

Only then did the tree of bones and flesh reveal itself again, but it was no longer crystal, only strange and gorgeous. Sima, whose body and mind were forcibly integrated, now had broken bones and body. He looked at the quiet black robe in front of him in disbelief: "Why did you..."

Pei Ye looked at this blade light blankly. He never knew Sui Zaihua had such attainments in sword art.

Especially at such an age.

Everything was a bit chaotic, and countless threads in his mind began to dance messily. Pei Ye did not know which one to grab—did Qu Zhu teach him? After all, they had been together for seven years.

Or was Sui Zaihua naturally gifted?

Something must be wrong. Pei Ye suddenly felt some inexplicable panic, so he discovered... this body was also in panic.

He gripped the hilt tightly, trying hard to adjust his breathing, and organizing the true Qi after the bloody battle... but the tension of emotion could not be suppressed.

Almost panic.

He tried his best to rush back. When leaving the valley, he held his sword vigilantly around, but now it was a full-speed flight regardless of everything, and the snowy trees passed by rustlingly.

Pei Ye soon understood why.

The sword art of that black robe just now was too vicious, and the means were too strange, almost a weapon cultivated specifically for killing.

And there was only one person in this team worth killing.

Pei Ye felt some sadness genuinely in his daze. He had never thought that this high-ranking, calm, and indifferent Lord had also had such a panicked moment. Watching such a desperate situation really made people feel powerless.

He must have respected, trusted, and been close to that upright Inspector. He saved him from distress, and the day before yesterday they were still discussing the vision after arriving at the prefecture city in the carriage.

Pei Ye suddenly remembered the morning of climbing the building after winning the Autumn Champion, the old man with black clothes and gray hair standing quietly in front of that ink trace in the Han Pavilion.

"Recognize it?"

"Ancient"

"Ancient scholars, poor first then worried; life in the world, hitting the oar in mid-stream." He finished reading and turned to move forward, Pei Ye did not see his expression, "Later, this person was harmed by treacherous officials."

Sui Zaihua also went to the prefecture city with sincerity back then. He believed in the Inspector's teaching of "only walking the right path" but experienced such a tragedy.

Pei Ye thought in a daze, suddenly paused, but this body had already returned to Great Tianlan.

The description of language could never reach the impact of the scene.

Dozens of living lives turned into corpses, terrifying wounds, spilled blood, frightened cattle and horses, in the wind and snow, three black robes drifted horizontally like bats and owls, and wherever they passed, people fell like cutting wheat.

Su Xuchun supported with difficulty, Ji Changcun relied on the official seal to fight one-on-one, and both had fallen into an obvious desperate situation.

'Pei Ye' instantly clenched the hilt and rushed up, killed the person in front of Su Xuchun with a knife, the fishy hot blood splashed on his cheeks, he had no time to listen to anyone's call, and ran desperately toward the head carriage.

Qu Zhu, stained with blood, was holding his sword with one hand, flipping over a tilted carriage, revealing the Yu Lord hidden underneath.

The old man was not injured, but the wind and snow alone made his face blue and white.

This body suddenly pounced over and knelt on the ground, injecting true Qi into Yu Chaocai, his fingers trembling as he quickly untied his robe, wanting to wrap the old man up and take him away.

Yu Chaocai held a dagger, his face pale and muttered: "No, no, you guys run quickly... separate, don't worry about me... Wu Hui, go quickly."

The man kneeling in front of him trembled his lips, but said nothing. At this time, he looked up and only saw Ji Changcun in the field of vision suddenly covering his abdomen with cold sweat.

The man's heart and lungs contracted violently, and he suddenly gripped the hilt, but a cold sword had already pierced his chest from behind, and with blood flowers, it pierced into the old man's throat in front of him.

Two pairs of unbelievable eyes met, and the pair opposite, like a dead tree and an old pool, dimmed faster.

The man slowly turned his head, looking at the person holding the sword. In the dark night, blood slowly flowed down from this colleague's forehead. He suddenly discovered that this face was so strange.

The person twisted the sword, completely crushing the left chest and throat of the two.

The injury, anger, and pain of this body erupted at the same time. He fought back with his sword, and two friends of similar age and similar paths fought to the death at this moment.

Pei Ye truly felt sad for Sui Zaihua, but at this time he stared even harder at this man with a blurred face. The sword shadows intersected, but he only felt that the sense of confusion became heavier.

He tried hard to grab a smooth line, but it didn't make sense at all, until the keen sword sense pulled him into the present again, but this time it was not the sword in his own hand, but from the other party's hand.

So Pei Ye was completely stunned.

——In such a life-and-death fight, why would Qu Zhu use a sword?

Pei Ye's thinking stagnated here, because what happened later made him completely blank.

This story should have ended here.

Sui Zaihua would be pierced through the chest by a sword again four rounds later, and then broken through the chest by a palm from the Mystic Gate coming from behind, and henceforth buried in the ice and snow.

Qu Zhu naturally went with the Joyous Huan Si Lou, and Sui Zaihua would also return from the jaws of death and return to the prefecture city.

But this battle did not develop like this at all.

The power of this body was unimaginable. After two battles and being pierced through the chest, he still maintained amazing combat power. He fought to the death with the person in front of him. In his rage, he almost made the other party completely unable to parry. Exchanging injury for injury, it only took ten rounds, he broke the sword with a knife, and drew his sword to nail the person to the carriage wall.

And the Mystic Gate behind had already killed Ji Changcun.

'Pei Ye', stained with blood, slowly turned around. He was seriously injured, his true Qi was exhausted, there was not a single standing companion around, and the valley where the wind and snow roared was filled with fresh blood.

He looked at the black robe in front of him, not relying on feigned death to escape a disaster as later said, because at this time a huge power between heaven and earth began to penetrate in his body.

He was right in front of this powerful enemy, leaning on his seriously injured body, and stepped into the Mystic Gate without dodging or avoiding.

This power was obviously too strange, and his physical state was obviously too reluctant. Even if he had stepped into the same realm as the enemy, even if the other party was also injured, this battle was too tragic.

The knife art ultimately failed to make up for such a gap. Two people who were also dying fought to the death on the cliff, fighting for the last power with cold blades against each other. The black robe was obviously better. The opera mask stared at him with murderous intent, but at this moment, 'Pei Ye' suddenly abandoned the knife and raised his hand to firmly strangle the black robe's shoulder.

He pointed his fingers, and a sharp sound of breaking through the air sounded in the wind and snow behind him. The black robe's pupils shrank, but a cold, bright blade had already pierced his back neck, and the sword tip stopped at 'Pei Ye's' throat with blood.

Pei Ye watched this scene quietly.

The black robe slid down from in front of him. He staggered and supported himself with his sword, coming to the friend who had just fought to the death.

The sword in his chest was pulled out, and the person sat on the ground powerlessly, already at the end of his life.

Pei Ye watched himself cross the sword blade silently. The confusion in his mind slowly calmed down at this time. He felt his body cold, as one with this body in the wind and snow.

He suddenly understood countless things.

Why the shadow mask saw through everything in Bowang; why his investigation in the first half of Kongdong was never obstructed by Qu Zhu; why he could crack 【Mirror Dragon Sword Sea】; why... Lord Wu wanted to die hiding it from him.

Pei Ye watched himself hold the sword blade against this friend's throat. This dying betrayer was no longer ruthless, nor was he pretending anymore. He tilted his head and looked at him sadly: "Qu Zhu... the terrain makes it so, it has never been a single morning."

The sword blade paused, and then pulled horizontally with force, and the faceless head rolled to the ground.

In the Great Tianlan twenty years ago, only one person ever survived.

Qu Zhu leaned quietly under the snow wall. He could hardly move, nor did he want to move anymore, letting the wind and snow cover him quietly. He raised the sword body to reflect it, and only then did Pei Ye discover that this face had never been blurred.

So clear and familiar, the pride before thirty and the coldness after thirty appeared on this face at the same time.

Only about a quarter of an hour passed, and more black robes descended here, the leader with a purple gold face, and the silent shadow pressed toward him.

"Joyous Huan Si Lou," the seriously injured man said hoarsely, looking up at these strange enemies, "Do you want the nail in the prefecture office?"

"You have already obtained the West Court Heart, we are helping you obtain 【Great Liang】!!" Sima roared hoarsely. This opera master who seemed to be calm forever was almost hysterical at this time, "Do you know what you are doing?!"

Qu Zhu slowly tidied his clothes and boots, patted the dust, and straightened the folds, until the roar of the residual bones finally stopped, panting heavily, staring at him with red eyes, only then did he slowly turn his head and say softly: "I never wanted 【Great Liang】."

Sima's expression froze suddenly.

"What does Great Liang have to do with the Hushan Jianmen?" Qu Zhu said lightly, "From the moment you told me to plot to seize the 【West Court Heart】, what I wanted to do was to hoe you out."

Sima seemed to hear the most absurd thing in the world: "... You want to hoe us out? To protect the West Court Heart?! —Hahahahahahahaha!"

He laughed crazily: "What a joke! You personally cracked the Star Burial Mound! Personally broke the Star Worm! Because you stole into the temple and caused the death of your master, and were expelled from the sect—all this was long before meeting us!! The one who has always wanted the West Court Heart the most, isn't it you?!"

"Now we have given it to you!!" He roared again.

"We spent twenty years for 【Great Liang】! Soul-stealing Bead! Mirror Dragon Sword Sea! Which one is not your twenty years of hard work?! Now we are about to enter the West Court! And it will be led by you!!" Sima roared and glared at him, "You tell me now, you want to destroy everything of your own twenty years with your own hands?!"

"Yes." Qu Zhu said lightly.

Sima looked at him absurdly: "... Just because you don't want to be the Opera Lord of the Joyous Huan Si Lou?!"

Qu Zhu looked at the river in front of him quietly. If it weren't for the four words "caused the death of master", he would have rarely recalled the old man's distant face.

In the corridor outside the bronze hall, the bloody, cold, and resolute rage.

He broke into the temple, and his master saved him with his life. When he came out, he was already seriously injured and dying. Since he had memories, that was almost the first time he bit his lip and shed tears.

Facing the furious old man, he gritted his teeth, trembling and slowly drew the sword at his waist... and knelt on the ground with both hands holding the sword.

"... Master." He gritted his teeth and choked, "I will never give up on it in my life... I must take it down and leave it for the Hushan Jianmen, regardless of any ancestral system! Kill me... otherwise, I will definitely come a second time, a third time..."

He knocked his head on the ground and wept, holding the sword above his head for a long time, but only got a withered hand gently stroking his head.

"... Of course." He said lightly, "Because I am the sixty-ninth generation disciple of the Hushan Jianmen, Qu Wu Hui."

He raised his hand lightly, and Sima's whole body froze. This opera master who lost his true mystery was erased of his consciousness, the tree of bones and flesh collapsed to the ground, no longer seeing any divinity, just like the residue scattered everywhere.

Then he threw a small black bead and a colorless flame at will, making it disappear on this pile of residue.

He raised his hand to take off the broken opera mask on his face, and then twisted it into dust with a light touch, which dissipated with the river water.

He clapped the residue on his hands, and the roaring sound of breaking through the air had already sounded in the wilderness. In an instant, streaks of mysterious Qi flew over.

From the moment Sima left the Prisoner Demon Land, it had just been a quarter of an hour, and the Fairy Platform had completed the encirclement of the place where he landed.

"Lord Sui, are you okay?"

The old man in black clothes and gray hair shook his head.

"... Sure enough, didn't take the bait." Xiao Changgong frowned and turned his head, "Record: Sima as expected, knew he was trapped and committed suicide; Qu Zhu did not reveal any traces."

"In reason." Sui Zaihua responded casually. He lowered his head to wipe the mud on his boots on the stone, looking quietly at the clear face reflected on the river.

Familiar yet strange.

The big river was wide and silent, and it flowed like this thirty years ago.

Cannot speculate on the past, often see the old face at night.

The lamp is lonely and the person sleeps, fearing the autumn wind, shaking down a branch of sad dreams.

Who believes in the whereabouts that have not been met? Now the name is shown.

Traveling all over the world and meeting in the mirror, looking back, the ice heart does not move.

The scene shattered again, and when it gathered again, it was the rainy night in Bowang.

Yu Chaocai had been buried thickly in his hometown. Before his grave, a lonely shadow stood in the rain in the middle of the night.

This was the last scene of this bead. Pei Ye watched quietly, watching himself throw the 【Seeing Body】 with the ring into the tomb hole.

"Years of getting along, all in the bead," he said hoarsely, "Lord Yu, for the rest of my life... I will definitely destroy the Joyous Huan Si Lou."

"... Pei Ye, did you see anything?"

The moonlit night was still quiet. Pei Ye seemed to have been separated from the bead for a while, but only then did he come back to his senses.

"Pei Ye, if you see anything important, you can discuss it with me." Li Piaoqing looked at him with some anxiety and worry, trying hard to hide her nervousness, seemingly hoping he could see some key from it, but not wanting that information to be read by the young man.

"... No." Pei Ye raised his hand to rub his eyebrows for a while, stretched, and smiled, "Where did you find this thing that looks like a running account, it's more boring than Yang Yan practicing sword."

(End of chapter)

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xs007zhuikereadw23zw ===== CHAPTER 426 =====

Yu Chaocai had already been buried in his hometown, and before his grave, a lonely shadow stood in the rain in the dead of night.

This was the final scene of this bead, and Pei Ye watched it quietly, watching himself cast the 【Body-Seeing】 ring from his hand into the grave.

"Years of companionship, all within this bead," he said in a low, hoarse voice, "Lord Yu, for the rest of my life... I will surely destroy the Joy-Huan Si Lou."

"... Pei Ye, did you see anything?"

The moonlit night remained tranquil; it seemed Pei Ye had been detached from the bead for a while, but only now had he just come to his senses.

"Pei Ye, if you saw anything important, you can discuss it with me." Li Piaoqing looked at him with some trepidation and worry, trying hard to conceal her nervousness, seemingly hoping he could see some key information within it, yet not wishing for that information to be read by the young man.

"... No." Pei Ye raised his hand to rub his brow for a moment, then stretched and smiled, "Where did you find such a bookkeeping-like thing? It's even more boring than Yang Yan practicing sword arts."

(End of chapter)

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shuyueepzwqqwxwxsguan

xs007zhuikereadw23zw