Chapter 42
The second time Qin Lingxiao saw Prince Can, this prince had become the regent, entering the capital to assist his young son’s ascension to the throne.
At that time, Wei Jie’s demonic sect was growing increasingly powerful, having already crushed the Four Great Sects.
To seek revenge, Qin Lingxiao had gone undercover, lurking by the Demon Lord’s side using an alias.
It was during this period that he accompanied Wei Jie to the capital, only to discover Wei Jie intended to negotiate with Prince Can. However, Qin Lingxiao did not know the content of their private meeting.
Qin Lingxiao was very tense upon seeing Prince Can again, fearing the prince might recognize him and expose his identity as the Young Master of Soaring Cloud Pavilion before Wei Jie.
Unexpectedly, although Prince Can did recognize him, he chose to provide cover instead.
Afterward, Prince Can explained it was to make amends for his previous lapse in judgment that led to the righteous path’s tragedy – the demise of the Heavenly Heart Sect Master.
As for the reason behind Wei Jie’s meeting with Prince Can, the prince explained it was due to Wei Jie’s extortion, forcing him to privately open the national treasury to fund the construction of Wei Jie’s demonic palace.
Such audacious and insolent demands did seem like something Wei Jie would make.
Their final encounter was after Qin Lingxiao slew Wei Jie and founded the Nine Primordial Sword Sect.
Prince Can sent an inscribed plaque bearing the four words “Subdue Demons, Promote Virtue” personally written by the reigning emperor at the time.
This plaque was later hung in the main hall of the Nine Primordial Sword Sect.
Overall, although Qin Lingxiao looked down on this prince’s mild and indulgent nature, his impression of Prince Can was not entirely negative.
After all, he walked the path of immortality, never to cross paths with a mundane prince again.
However, he later heard this Prince Can had also achieved immortality and ascension? At the time, his former senior brother Tang Youshu, who had long lost contact, came asking his opinion on this matter.
Qin Lingxiao had always disdained such baseless rumors spread among commoners.
How could he believe it? Throughout history, tales of imperial scions achieving immortality were plentiful, mostly deifications by later descendants to dupe the populace.
Yet now, Cui Xiao Xiao was speaking with firm conviction, asserting that this Prince Can harbored malicious intentions, using his subordinate experts to instigate incidents everywhere. Qin Lingxiao’s first reaction was to scoff.
He no longer believed a single word from this deceitful girl!
So he coldly said to Cui Xiao Xiao, “What puppet worms? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Now that you’ve appeared, you conveniently bring up these demonic matters – it’s probably related to you, isn’t it!”
Seeing his disbelief, Cui Xiao Xiao ordered the unburied fox youths to be brought forth, showing him that these foxes had indeed died from voodoo worm infliction.
Initially dismissive of Cui Xiao Xiao’s actions as unnecessary, Qin Lingxiao was taken aback upon seeing the foxes’ condition.
At first glance, their bleeding from all orifices seemed to match the effects of a femme fatale’s deadly song rupturing their meridians. But upon closer inspection, the blood from their mouths was pitch black…
At that moment, the mangy old vixen instructed her tribesmen to cut open the chest of one of the fox youths.
Its heart was riddled with holes, as if bored through by some unknown entity – a horrific sight!
Noticing Qin Lingxiao’s change in expression, as if he had realized something, Cui Xiao Xiao probed, “How about it? Did you notice anything?”
Qin Lingxiao’s handsome eyes were fixated on the black blood as he muttered to himself, “They…their manner of death is so similar to the former Heavenly Heart Sect Master…”
He had witnessed such a death before, an indelible memory.
When the former Heavenly Heart Sect Master tragically perished in the forest by Autumn Water Pond, he too had died coughing up black blood. Upon examining the bodies afterward, it was said the Sect Master and several elders seemed to have had their heart meridians ruptured.
At the time, the Four Great Sects had concluded it was the demonic mother and son’s doing – the femme fatale’s deadly song had shattered their heart meridians, her signature killing move!
The femme fatale had also perished under the siege of the Heavenly Heart Sect and the other three sects’ disciples. Witnessing his mother’s death, Wei Jie had gone berserk, demonically slaughtering countless pursuing disciples from the four sects.
After committing such a bloody massacre, Wei Jie had fled with the fox tribe and his followers.
Now that Wei Jie was gone, the tragic scene was being replayed.
If the femme fatale had killed these fox youths, would the fox tribe so easily forgive her?
Could it be, as Cui Xiao Xiao claimed, that there were hidden circumstances behind the events of that year?
No matter how much Xiao Xiao probed further, Qin Lingxiao fell silent, only studying the fox youths’ corpses intently once more.
Finally, Qin Lingxiao seemed to realize something, his expression abruptly changing before swiftly dashing away, with the Soaring Cloud disciples naturally following suit.
Cui Xiao Xiao pondered the phrase Qin Lingxiao had uttered.
He said the Heavenly Heart Sect Master’s death that year was identical to these fox youths?
In other words, the Sect Master had not actually died by Wei Jie’s hands, but had already been inflicted by the puppet worm, coincidentally perishing when the voodoo penetrated his heart!
If this was true, then regardless of whether Si Ling had died in Luoyi City, Wei Jie was destined to shoulder this unjust blame?
At that moment, the veiled Si Ling standing behind them spoke up, “Sect Master Cui, if you leave the city, won’t that leave Jielang alone in Luoyi? I cannot rest assured leaving him, so I will not accompany you all. We shall meet again – please take care!”
Without waiting for Xiao Xiao to respond, she too swiftly dashed away.
Seeing no way to call the femme fatale back, Xiao Xiao plopped down on a roadside boulder.
She needed a moment to catch her breath, lest she choke on her own regrets two hundred years in the past.
After all her painstaking efforts, why did it seem like events had suddenly reverted back to their original trajectory?
If Si Ling returned to Luoyi City, it was highly likely she would meet her demise there.
Of course, that had nothing to do with Xiao Xiao now. All she needed was to lead the fox tribe away, find Lingshan Mountain, and live in seclusion.
As for the fates of Wei Jie and his mother, those were not under her control.
Yu Ling’er gazed wistfully at Qin Lingxiao’s retreating figure until he disappeared from sight before snapping out of her daze, muttering to herself, “Strange, where is Young Master Qin going? Isn’t Soaring Cloud Pavilion in the western mountain valley? Why is he heading east?”
Hearing her words, Xiao Xiao looked up.
Indeed, the directions Qin Lingxiao and Si Ling had departed seemed to be the same eastward path they had traveled from.
Luoyi City lay in that direction…
Yu Ling’er noticed Xiao Xiao’s prolonged silence and asked, “Are we going to Lingshan Mountain? But I just checked our tribe’s maps, and there is no ‘Lingshan Mountain’ in the Central Plains region you mentioned.”
Finally catching her breath, Xiao Xiao rose and patted her skirt before pointing east. “Never mind Lingshan for now… We’re returning to Luoyi City!”
She had no choice – she could not restrain Si Ling from going to rescue her son.
Now that all parties seemed to be converging on Luoyi City, how could she, the catalyst behind these events, remain uninvolved?
As the Buddha said: “If I do not enter hell, I will eventually be led there regardless.”
Since that was the case, she might as well dive in willingly to see if she could help open a path to life for the mother and son.
The fox tribe had no objections to Xiao Xiao’s proposal, especially upon hearing that Prince Can was also in Luoyi City – they all bared their fangs, gnashing incessantly.
The fox tribe etched grudges spanning a thousand years. If they could find the root culprit this time, they would tear him to shreds!
Although Xiao Xiao had dawdled on her journey here, their return was hurried.
The foxes all revealed their true forms, the largest a five-tailed beast the size of a mule. Riding it, Xiao Xiao felt the wind rushing past, unable to clearly make out the scenery as they covered the distance to Luoyi City’s outskirts in a single night.
Luoyi City was a prosperous metropolis, constantly bustling with merchants coming and going.
When Cui Xiao Xiao arrived outside the city gates again, the sun was setting in the west.
The gates had long since been tightly shut, and whether due to the reflection of the crimson sunset clouds, the entire city appeared bathed in a reddish hue.
With her extraordinary eyesight, Xiao Xiao felt the sky above Luoyi City seemed saturated with demonic energy, staring too long even caused a stinging sensation.
It was at this moment that Qin Lingxiao finally arrived, leading the Soaring Cloud disciples.
Upon seeing Cui Xiao Xiao and the fox tribe outside the city, he expressed surprise, “Why have you returned?”
Xiao Xiao could not clearly explain her reasons for coming back, so she deflected, “Weren’t you also in a hurry to return? Is there some urgent matter?”
Of course Qin Lingxiao was anxious.
Back at the foot of Mount Tuyun, he had suddenly realized the Heavenly Heart Sect Master’s death that year was highly suspicious, recalling a crucial fact – in the original timeline two hundred years ago, he and his father had arrived after the other three major sects.
So by the time they reached Luoyi City, Prince Can’s birthday celebration had already been disrupted, and the Soaring Cloud disciples naturally did not attend, avoiding any infliction.
However, this time, in his haste to intercept Cui Xiao Xiao, he had parted ways with his father Qin He, who had already joined up with the Heavenly Heart Sect and the other three major sects much earlier.
When Qin Lingxiao had left, his father had just received Prince Can’s invitation.
If nothing went awry, his father would undoubtedly have attended the birthday banquet alongside the Heavenly Heart Sect Master!
If the Sect Master had truly been plotted against by Prince Can that year, then his father was in peril!
This was why Qin Lingxiao’s expression had changed so abruptly before rushing back.
Too many anomalies were occurring that had never manifested in the original two hundred years past.
This could not help but cause Qin Lingxiao’s heart to race with the sense that events were slipping beyond his control. He only wished to enter the city as soon as possible to investigate the truth.
However, Xiao Xiao barred his path, pointing towards the city gates. “No! Can’t you see? The entire city has been sealed off. If Prince Can has treachery afoot, entering now may alert him. It’s better to first check Autumn Water Pond.”
But Qin Lingxiao pointed at the gates, “What are you talking about? Can’t you see the city gates are wide open?”
Xiao Xiao turned to look again – indeed, the previously shut gates were now flung open, with even a few pedestrians passing through.
Qin Lingxiao took a step forward, but Xiao Xiao pulled him back. “No, it’s not right!”
Her gaze was fixed unblinkingly on the open gates ahead, not even noticing that she had overstepped in grabbing Qin Lingxiao’s hand.
The ever-aloof Young Master Qin unexpectedly did not shake her off. Instead, he paused to look at the delicate hand grasping his before asking with furrowed brows, “What’s wrong?”
It was only then that Xiao Xiao realized her impropriety and hastily released his hand, saying urgently, “I remember Luoyi City closes its gates at sunset, which has long passed the second quarter after dusk hour. How could the gates still be open? There must be some trick to this!”
Hearing her words, Qin Lingxiao studied the city gates intently once more.
However, they appeared just like the ordinary gates of Luoyi City, with visible pedestrian movement inside. There were indeed precedents of delaying the closing time for major events like the city lord’s birthday celebrations, allowing the entire city to revel together before shutting the gates later.
Qin Lingxiao felt Xiao Xiao was being overly cautious.
Moreover, he had already visited Autumn Water Pond earlier, only to find it littered with corpses and shattered tableware.
The small island in the lake’s heart appeared stained crimson with blood, yet there was not a single living soul.
After thoroughly searching the area without finding his father, he had rushed back to Luoyi City.
Regardless, he was determined to enter this city!
With this thought, he brushed past Xiao Xiao to lead his disciples through the gates.
On their hurried journey, Xiao Xiao had not seen any sign of Si Ling, making her suspect the femme fatale had already entered the city.
Seeing Qin Lingxiao and the Soaring Cloud disciples proceed inside, Xiao Xiao bit her lip before retrieving a bundle of blank talisman papers from her pack. Biting her finger to draw blood, she swiftly inscribed over a dozen talismans.
She distributed the talismans among the fox tribesmen following her into the city before instructing Yu Ling’er, “Since you harbor the spirit stone within, it’s best you remain outside and wait for us.”
Seeing Yu Ling’er nod, Xiao Xiao took a deep breath, gripping the “Defying the Heavens” sword at her waist as she led a few deeply cultivated fox youths towards the open gates.
Once inside the city gates, the scene resembled an ordinary city at dusk. Some shops were still open, with pedestrians on the streets.
Yet Xiao Xiao felt an indescribable sense of eeriness. After walking a few more steps, she noticed stone steles inscribed with the names of various streets and alleys.
Initially just casually glancing at them, she suddenly did a double-take, her wandering gaze refocusing…
These characters… why were they reversed?
Xiao Xiao abruptly realized what had felt amiss from the beginning. With this thought, she quickly backtracked a few steps.
She clearly remembered that on the main street leading into the city, there had been a delicious noodle shop on the left side. The amiable owner served noodles with flavorful marinated eggs, the broth richly savory yet with a runny yolk inside.
During her stay in Luoyi City, whenever she did not know what to eat, she would bring Wei Jie and the others there for noodles.
As she looked down that street, Xiao Xiao’s eyes slowly widened in disbelief.
The shop that should have been on the left was now on the right!
Not only this one shop, but the entire street seemed to have undergone a cosmic shift, with trees, shops, and buildings all swapped in position!
It was at this moment that Qin Lingxiao, noticing she had stopped following, turned back to ask, “Why have you stopped?”
Xiao Xiao scanned their surroundings before declaring in realization, “We have not…entered Luoyi City at all!”
What? Qin Lingxiao did not believe her. On their way here, he had not seen any other city. So if not Luoyi City, where else could this be?
Xiao Xiao pointed at the surrounding streets and buildings. “The layout of these shops and residences is completely reversed from the true Luoyi City
