21. The Situation Becomes a Mess
“Ling Yuan Chi!”
They immediately recognized the sword. It belonged to Gong Muzhi, the Palace Master of the Pear Blossom Blood Orchid Palace, one of the top-ranked villains.
No wonder there was such a powerful explosion and surge of demonic energy.
Only a cultivator at the peak of their power could achieve such a feat.
“So it’s you again!” The lead elder roared, “Why aren’t you staying in your Pear Blossom Blood Orchid Palace? Have you not learned your lesson from last time?”
Gong Muzhi sneered. “Old fool, last time you were the one who didn’t dare to fight me. Now you’re acting all high and mighty? You’re not worthy.”
“You!”
“I’m not in the mood to waste my breath on you fools.”
Faced with powerful enemies, Gong Muzhi seemed completely unfazed.
She just stared at the man before her, her anger rising. “You’re not leaving? Are you betting I won’t kill you?”
“Zhi’er, I…” Qin Huaiqiu was at a loss for words, a mixture of guilt, pain, joy, and nostalgia swirling within him.
“Do you think you can still call me that?” Gong Muzhi glared at him. “Where were you when I was being chased for three days and three nights? Where were you when Ling’er was being humiliated?”
“You weren’t even dead. In all these years, you never once tried to find us. Qin Huaiqiu, you really think highly of yourself.”
Hearing this, Qin Huaiqiu finally managed to stammer out a coherent sentence. “I didn’t know Ling’er was still alive. They told me our daughter died in her infancy. I thought I had indirectly caused her death, and you would never want to see me again.”
“You!”
“Gong Muzhi—”
The academy elders had had enough.
This was too outrageous. Gong Muzhi was surrounded, a trapped rat. They wouldn’t let this opportunity to eliminate her slip through their fingers.
“You should pay for your crimes with your life!”
The masters were about to join forces and attack Gong Muzhi.
But just then, Qin Huaiqiu stepped back, allowing the sword to be pulled from his chest, and turned, unleashing the ultimate Sword Control technique, the Myriad Swords Art.
Of course, his target wasn’t Gong Muzhi, but the academy elders who were about to attack her.
“Qin Huaiqiu, you?”
“I was late back then. No amount of explanation will suffice.” Qin Huaiqiu, ignoring his own injuries, said calmly, “Your earth puppet won’t last long. Take our daughter and leave.”
Gong Muzhi’s eyes flashed with surprise, then she gritted her teeth. “Qin Huaiqiu, are you underestimating me, or do you think this will make me forgive you?”
“Zhi’er, this is not the time to be stubborn.”
“I’m not kidding!”
The two strong-willed individuals clashed, unable to agree on a solution.
In a way, this could be considered flirting, right?
As the standoff continued, the one who was most easily overlooked finally spoke. “Um, Dad, Mom.”
Qin Huaiqiu couldn’t believe Gong Yiling had just called him that.
And Gong Muzhi said angrily, “Don’t call him that! He’s not your father!”
“Let’s talk about this later.”
Gong Yiling stood up and, supported by someone, limped to her parents’ side.
“Come here, I have something to tell you.”
Her daughter’s words were law.
Not just Gong Muzhi, but even Qin Huaiqiu, while continuing to use his Myriad Sword Intent to ward off the others, retreated to her side.
And as they reached her, a white light flashed, and the three of them vanished from the elders’ sight.
“What happened? Where are they!?”
“Could it be a dimensional leap talisman… but who’s helping them?”
“If it’s a dimensional leap, the range isn’t far. They must still be nearby! After them!”
“After them!”
“Wait,” one of the elders said. “That man is probably Qin Huaiqiu. The Returning Heaven Sect said they executed him years ago, but he’s not dead. Send two people to inform them. The rest, follow me!”
After a brief discussion, they agreed, and the group quickly departed.
Long after they had gone, the three reappeared in the same spot.
No.
There were four of them.
The fourth person was—”Miss Yan?”
Yes, while they were arguing, Yan Chuyue had already sneaked to Gong Yiling’s side.
—A few minutes earlier—
Miss Gong looked at her, puzzled. “How did you find me here?”
Yan Chuyue gently patted her head. “Did you forget you have a disciple skilled in talisman arts? Chun Lian spent a lot of effort drawing a talisman to find you. Auntie Mu arrived before me.”
Hearing Chun Lian’s name, Gong Yiling couldn’t help but ask, “Are Qiu Shui and the others alright?”
“Auntie Mu is chasing those guys. They’ve all run away. After that, we woke up those fools from Shuhua Daoist Mountain. Qiu Shui and the others are with Miss Lan now.”
“That’s good…”
“They’re fine, but you’re not.”
At that moment, as the academy elders arrived, Yan Chuyue used an Invisibility Talisman on herself and began discussing a plan with Gong Yiling.
They couldn’t face the elders directly, so they needed a proper strategy.
They finally agreed: they would pretend to use a group dimensional leap to escape, but actually use a group invisibility talisman, luring the elders away.
And it was the best plan.
“So much has happened at the academy today. Even they are overwhelmed. The search, even if they put their minds to it, probably won’t yield any results.”
Gong Yiling nodded at Yan Chuyue, then focused on her parents.
“Dad, Mom, what’s going on between you two? Why don’t you just talk it out?”
However, Qin Huaiqiu just looked at them with extreme guilt. As he was about to speak, he suddenly vanished in a flash of white light.
