WJ Chapter 79

Jiang Youxi (4)

At this moment, all the surrounding symbols of celebration had become mockery cast down by the heavens.

Guan Wujue gazed in panic at Yun Changliu, who had silently fallen into unconsciousness, looking at his pale cheeks, scattered black hair, and the bright red wedding quilt beneath him, suddenly feeling dizzy and disoriented.

Too fast. He still felt it was too fast.

The Sect Leader’s Fengchun Sheng poison was deteriorating too quickly, his body weakening too rapidly. He dared not delay any longer. He had to leave. If he didn’t leave now… he feared it would truly be too late.

The time for parting had arrived.

Guan Wujue smiled bitterly in silence. He hadn’t expected that the kneel before the wedding hall would be the last time he stood side by side with the Sect Leader.

There was no time to work out other methods. He could only use that method Guan Muyan had mentioned—the one that wasn’t really a method at all. At the cost of destroying several of his own meridians, he would shatter the twelve Meridian-Sealing Origin-Suppressing Needles in his body and, while the Sect Leader was still unconscious, force his way out of the city.

Then he would race without stopping to Wanci Manor, use Gu Jinxi according to the original plan to steal that sacred medicine, then rush back to Xifeng City to retrieve the blood.

The time was truly too tight. Guan Wujue had never known before that when a person wanted to die, they still had to calculate every second so painstakingly, fearing that dying too late would mean missing the chance.

He really should leave.

Leave now, leave right now.

The flame of the wedding candles on the table gradually began to flicker, bright and dim. The Protector simply extinguished the candles, slowly laid Yun Changliu down, and tucked him in.

The next moment, as Guan Wujue gazed at the Sect Leader, a desolate pain suddenly surged in his eyes, as if he wanted to engrave this person before him forever into the depths of his blood and bones and the very end of his soul.

He stepped back two paces, drew a small knife from his robes, and quietly pressed it against his own wrist.

——If only Yun Changliu could be awake at this moment, he would surely taste suffering a thousand times, ten thousand times more painful than when the Fengchun Sheng poison attacked; if only Yun Changliu could witness this scene with his own eyes, just one look from Guan Wujue would let him taste the flavor of a shattered heart and carved liver.

Unfortunately, the Sect Leader was not awake now.

And when the Sect Leader was awake, the Protector would absolutely never allow himself to so freely reveal such a fragile and desolate appearance.

“…Sect Leader.”

Guan Wujue spoke softly, his gaze tracing Yun Changliu’s features sunken in sleep, his voice gentle and low. “Wujue will leave you a final gift. Consider this a wedding present—you’re not allowed to refuse it.”

As he spoke, the blood vessels beneath his skin pulsed with his heartbeat, striking against the cold blade.

……

The dark clouds began to disperse.

It was now the hour of sunset. As the sun descended in the west, the crimson and dusky yellow light pried open the heavy cloud layers, penetrating through beam by beam, plating the eternally frozen snow atop Mount Shenlie with a layer of golden-red luster.

Anxious footsteps shattered the silence before Yangxin Hall. Right Envoy Hua Wan, who had rushed all the way here, was stopped at the hall entrance by Wen Feng. Her beautiful face had rarely lost its color as she said through clenched teeth, “Attendant Wen, this envoy truly has urgent matters to report to the Sect Leader. Any further delay might lead to great disaster, you…”

“It’s not that I refuse to report for you, Right Envoy Hua.”

Behind the two layers of sword-bearing Zhuhuo Guards, the white-robed attendant stood with his hands behind his back. Wen Feng kept his face stern, speaking coldly, “You also saw the Sect Leader’s condition before the wedding hall just now. Honestly, even if the Sect Leader were still conscious now, he could not bear any exertion, let alone when the Sect Leader is still unconscious—how could he receive you?”

“Whatever the Right Envoy has to say, once the Sect Leader awakens, Wen Feng will certainly relay it. Please remain calm and patient.”

Hua Wan’s expression darkened slightly, her elegant brows furrowed tightly. “This concerns Archives Hall secrets. This envoy cannot and dares not speak of it.”

Don’t be fooled by her usual playful manner, being called “Sister Wan” by this group of people; when it came to important matters, this Right Envoy of Zhuyin Sect always had a very clear head.

Moreover, the news just reported from Archives Hall had simply terrified Hua Wan. She couldn’t understand it, but the more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, which was why she rushed here without daring to delay for even a moment.

This was the most critical time, so the Right Envoy didn’t yield to Wen Feng at all, instead intensifying her tone:

“Please ask the attendant to try reporting once. If the Sect Leader can awaken, Hua Wan will request an audience; if the Sect Leader hasn’t awakened, I will wait here until the Sect Leader does awaken——”

Suddenly, a faint voice came from within the bedchamber:

“Wen Feng.”

This voice was clear, cold, and penetrating, like ice and jade striking together—who else could it be but the Sect Leader?

Wen Feng was both shocked and delighted. For a moment he couldn’t even attend to Hua Wan, turning to rush into the bedchamber. “Sect Leader, you’ve awakened?”

Hua Wan didn’t dare trespass, hastily kneeling outside the hall and calling out loudly, “Sect Leader, Right Envoy Hua Wan has urgent matters and requests an audience!”

Neither of them expected that before Wen Feng could rush into the chamber, Yun Changliu himself walked out, dressed in white robes with his dragon-patterned ceremonial robe loosely draped over his shoulders.

Strangely, in less than an hour, Yun Changliu’s complexion had improved considerably. One could even faintly see traces of that transcendent, exquisite radiance from his former days.

The Sect Leader’s eyes swept lightly around the surroundings, and he asked Wen Feng with seeming casualness, “Where is the Protector?”

“He’s gone back.”

“……”

Hearing this, Yun Changliu silently lowered his lashes and said nothing.

The Sect Leader pressed his thin lips together lightly, appearing somewhat dejected. He casually waved his long sleeve at Hua Wan. “Enter.”

Hua Wan couldn’t be bothered with etiquette now. She hastily followed Yun Changliu into the hall and immediately knelt on the ground, speaking anxiously and rapidly, “Sect Leader! Hua Wan knows she shouldn’t disturb the Sect Leader’s rest, but this matter is truly…”

Yun Changliu waved his hand and slowly sat down on the bedside with Wen Feng’s support. “This lord is fine now. Right Envoy, report.”

Hua Wan glanced at Wen Feng with difficulty but didn’t speak.

However, she believed… for the Sect Leader, one glance would be enough to understand her meaning.

Yun Changliu’s expression shifted slightly.

Wen Feng’s loyalty had never been doubted, and since the attendant held no real power, Yun Changliu rarely deliberately avoided him when discussing sect matters with his subordinates.

But judging by Hua Wan’s meaning… she wanted Wen Feng to step aside?

The Sect Leader only pondered for the blink of an eye before saying calmly to Wen Feng, “This lord drank wine earlier and has a terrible headache… Attendant, go have some sobering soup brought over.”

Wen Feng understood, draped a soft blanket over Yun Changliu’s waist, then bowed and withdrew. Only then did the Sect Leader’s gaze turn to Hua Wan, indicating she could speak.

The Right Envoy let out a light breath. “Sect Leader, the records you instructed your subordinate to investigate some time ago… there’s a problem.”

“What?”

Yun Changliu’s face immediately became cold and grave, his fingers tightening on his sleeve. “Some time ago… does the Right Envoy mean Ah Ku? Are there errors in his records?”

“Yes, and major ones at that.”

At this moment, a large number of files and documents flashed through Hua Wan’s mind, once again piecing together that heart-stopping conclusion.

This was the truth she had ferreted out from various minute discrepancies using her experience and intuition as weapons. A truth that didn’t match the “facts” recorded in Archives Hall!

Hua Wan had managed Archives Hall for so many years and had never made such a significant error. She was both furious and deeply ashamed. “Hua Wan deserves ten thousand deaths and begs the Sect Leader for punishment!”

Yun Changliu closed his eyes and shook his head.

His fingers gripped even tighter, his heart inexplicably feeling hollow—this was an ominous premonition. “Speak first. Exactly where was the error?”

“Please don’t be shocked, Sect Leader.”

Hua Wan suddenly raised her head, speaking in a resolute tone. “Young Master Ah Ku… no, Favored Attendant Ah Ku—he entered the sect nineteen years ago, not eighteen years ago when Duanmu Lin disappeared!”

“What…”

Hua Wan continued coldly:

“Favored Attendant Ah Ku—is not Duanmu Lin!”

Yun Changliu was suddenly shaken to his core!

He stood up in shock, the words “impossible” nearly escaping his lips.

——Impossible. How could Ah Ku not be Duanmu Lin!?

If he wasn’t Duanmu Lin, then from Guan Wujue to Wen Feng to even his father Yun Guyan, and even that Gu Jinxi of Wanci Manor—why had everyone been tacitly accepting this fact?

If he wasn’t Duanmu Lin, then where was the real young master of Wanci Manor, Duanmu Lin—dead or alive!?

If he wasn’t Duanmu Lin, then why exactly had Wujue——

Yun Changliu was utterly bewildered, stumbling a step.

For some reason, an extremely strange feeling crawled up his spine like a venomous snake—eerie, ice-cold, and carrying a suffocating malevolence.

Two enormous words suddenly surfaced in his mind:

It’s over.

Even though he had no idea what was “over” or who was “over.” But at this moment, Yun Changliu’s mind was filled only with the scene of the Protector personally bringing Ah Ku back to the sect and delivering him into his hands. He immediately felt his spirit collapsing, something crashing down.

His heart ached desperately. Both alarmed and confused, he thought helplessly: Ah, it’s over, it’s over. This time he’s probably been deceived by Wujue—deceived utterly.

But Yun Changliu still didn’t know what exactly his Protector had deceived him about, how he’d deceived him, or why.

And it was precisely at this moment.

Without warning, a black-clothed, black-armored Yin Ghost rushed into the hall from outside, crashing to its knees before Yun Changliu. The pair of eyes exposed outside the black armor were full of self-reproach:

“Report to Sect Leader! This subordinate is incompetent. The Protector, he——”

……

“Relay the Sect Leader’s urgent order—immediately close the city gates!!”

“The Sect Leader’s urgent order—close the city gates!!”

“Close the city gates!!”

Atop the city tower of Xifeng City, sharp shouts rang out like gongs and drums, layer upon layer, with urgency and anxiety transmitted through each repetition.

The Zhuhuo Guards shouted and rushed about as if facing a great enemy. Every person’s eyes were opened wide, every person staring intently at that streak of blazing red now galloping toward them from within the city!

A fiery red steed, fiery red robes.

Guan Wujue gripped the reins and spurred his horse, as if he hadn’t heard. That eye-catching ink plum-blossom red robe flew in the wind, and the paired swords Pixing and Daiyue were strapped to his back.

He had lost a great deal of blood, all fed to the Sect Leader while Yun Changliu was unconscious.

The twelve Meridian-Sealing Origin-Suppressing Needles had been forcibly shattered within his body. Now his internal energy had just begun to circulate again, and he couldn’t sense how many needles had injured his meridians.

What was more critical was that he had just fought with the Yin Ghosts who came to stop him. In the end, he’d used a life-for-life technique that forced the Yin Ghosts not to dare move, allowing him to break free—but his severely damaged heart meridian was already nearing its limit.

Yet Guan Wujue felt he was fine. He seemed to have never been this fine before, never been so filled with such scorching vitality throughout his entire body.

In this world, there was nothing left that could stop him.

“The Sect Leader orders that the Protector is not permitted to leave the city!!”

“The Sect Leader orders that the Protector is not permitted to leave the city!!”

The shouts atop the city wall grew more urgent. The Zhuhuo Guard commander’s face was grave as water as he raised his arm and shouted down, “Protector Guan! The Sect Leader orders you to return immediately—you cannot leave the city!!”

Guan Wujue gave a clear shout. “Hya!”

However, before his eyes, that massive lacquered black city gate was creaking shut.

At this moment, no matter how fast Liuhuo was, it absolutely couldn’t match the speed of the closing gate!

Guan Wujue reached back, and his right sword Daiyue fell into his hand.

The red-robed Protector weighed the sword lightly, his eyes flashing with sharpness for an instant, like cold light glinting off an iron blade.

The city gate was about to close—it seemed too late!

In a split second, Guan Wujue suddenly swung his arm, and the treasured sword Daiyue that had followed the Protector for many years was hurled out by him.

The long sword whistled as it spun at high speed. The Zhuhuo Guards atop the city tower only saw a flash of light before their eyes, immediately followed by a tremendous bang in their ears——

The city gate about to close was actually jammed by the Daiyue sword, leaving a gap just wide enough for one person and one horse to pass through!

The Zhuhuo Guards all shuddered in unison.

This… how was this possible!?

To throw the sword at precisely the moment the city gate closed to the most appropriate gap. A moment earlier, the sword would have passed between the two doors; a moment later, the sword couldn’t have jammed the gate! What kind of vision and skill would be required to accomplish such a thing?

This shouldn’t be something a human could do!

Yet someone had indeed done it.

The next moment.

Liuhuo neighed loudly and leaped forward with its master, hooves flying.