Mu Qing inhaled deeply and admitted, “…That’s right, I was the one who hurt Feng Xin.”
Feng Xin was outraged, “I just knew it was definitely you!”
Mu Qing turned to Xie Lian, “But that was because the Heavenly Capital was done for! At the
time, all the heavenly officials were trying to find ways to escape, but he still stayed there
refusing to leave, and he wouldn’t listen when called either. If he continued to remain he
would’ve been burnt to death by the flames of karma sooner or later, which was why I planned
on knocking him out before tossing him to you!”
“But, you didn’t hand him to me. Feng Xin went missing and ended up here instead.” Xie Lian
said.
“Because a little accident happened on the way.” Mu Qing said.
“What accident?”
“That fetus spirit.” Mu Qing said, “It suddenly ambushed me from behind, biting me not letting
go, refusing to let me take him. I hadn’t had the chance to pull him up before the Heavenly
Capital started reshaping, so…”
So, Feng Xin was somehow moved here along with the piece of land beneath him.
If that was the truth, then it meant Mu Qing had the intention to do a good deed, but accidentally
made things worse and screwed Feng Xin over. A very awkward situation.
Xie Lian said, “Why didn’t you say so sooner earlier…” Feng Xin was also dubious, “Are you
sure you didn’t plan on letting me burn to death at the Heavenly Capital? To just knock me out
and leave me there?”
Mu Qing’s face stiffened and turned to Xie Lian, “The fetus spirit was crouching on his chest the
entire time, and later that female ghost Jian Lan came too, so I figured she would wake or move
Feng Xin instead of watching him get burnt.”
Xie Lian thus understood too. Mu Qing had come out to rescue him out of guilt, after all, he was
the one who knocked Feng Xin out. Out of a sense of responsibility, naturally he had to put in
some effort. No wonder he was so nervous and on edge the entire way, he was probably scared
wondering whether if Feng Xin might have died…
Yet, this set of excuses was hard to believe. Feng Xin pulled at his hair madly, “WHAT A MESS
YOU’VE MADE OF THINGS! DON’T YOU KNOW I WAS LOOKING FOR THEM? IF YOU
DIDN’T KNOCK ME OUT MAYBE I WOULD’VE FOUND THEM!”
Mu Qing said calmly, “That fetus spirit is White No-Face’s subordinate, White No-Face wouldn’t
do anything malicious to them. And they didn’t want to go with you, so you staying behind is just
a waste of time. You can call for them for a thousand times and it’d be pointless, so why not
leave the Heavenly Capital to save your life first then find opportunities later to look for them?
Why must you force something like recognizing sons during such a dire situation? I only made
the best possible decision for all parties at that moment.”
Feng Xin wasn’t as calm as he was, “Best possible decision my ass! You can only say that
because it’s not your family! Wait, so what you mean to say is, you were trying to save me, and
make me leave?”
However, Hua Cheng cut in, “That’s enough rubbish, just answer my question: what did Jun Wu
say to you?”
Mu Qing shut up and was somewhat hesitant.
Hua Cheng stared at him, “Are you currently under his command?”
Mu Qing instantly replied, “Nothing of the sort!”
“Then please explain this cursed shackle.” Hua Cheng said.
Mu Qing had been arguing for so long, his mouth dry, and a moment later, he said with a hoarse
voice, “I already said… you guys might not believe me.”
“Earlier when we asked you, you denied everything to death, and only now do you admit it, so of
course it’s going to be hard to believe you.” Feng Xin said.
Mu Qing was slightly indignant, “Why didn’t I admit to it? If I told you earlier what had happened,
you would definitely not have believed me anyway! With this attitude, who’d admit to anything?
The moment I admit to anything I wouldn’t be able to explain myself at all, so I might as well not
have admitted to anything!” Besides, obviously having nothing happen to Feng Xin was
fortunate, but the whole incident was rather embarrassing, and by his personality, not wanting to
admit to it was also normal.
Xie Lian had been listening to him patiently the whole time, and said, “Just let him finish.”
Mu Qing glanced at Xie Lian, and it took a moment before he said staggeringly with difficulty,
“This is… Because, he wanted me to, do detrimental things to His Highness, I, refused, so…”
At this point, even he himself felt uncomfortable and couldn’t continue any longer. Hua Cheng
continued for him, “So, in a fit of anger, he put a cursed shackle on you?”
Mu Qing didn’t speak.
“Nothing else?” Feng Xin demanded.
There was nothing particularly notable on Hua Cheng’s expression, “From the bottom of your
heart, do you believe the words you just said?”
“…”
It was as if Mu Qing suffered a great humiliation and he said coldly, “Believe if you will. There’s a
misunderstanding in me knocking Feng Xin out, but I’m not under anyone’s command.”
Feng Xin responded, “Mu Qing… you best just tell the truth.”
When Mu Qing saw his expression his knuckles cracked, “What I said was the truth! What did
you want to hear? That I surrendered to Jun Wu and am out to hurt you all? Is that the person I
am in your minds? Your Highness??”
He gazed to Xie Lian, his eyes emotional. Xie Lian stared at him for a long time, pensive the
whole time, but just as he was about to speak. Hua Cheng crossed his arms and shielded in
front him, meeting Mu Qing’s eyes, speaking quietly, “There’s no need to look at His Highness
like this. After all, you’ve got a track record.”
“I didn’t ask you!” Mu Qing countered, “What track record?”
Hua Cheng smiled, “What track record? How did cultivation go for you after stealing a piece of
auspicious land from His Highness’ hands?”
His smile was laced with chilling air, and his tone was even nastier. Mu Qing was taken aback,
his face paling, and he involuntarily staggered back a few steps, “YOU!…”
Mu Qing himself knew that that incident with fighting Xie Lian over auspicious land wasn’t the
ethical thing to do, thus, he was the most fearful of people bringing it out in the open to point
their fingers at it. While Hua Cheng’s tone was light, his tone was forceful and vicious.
Mu Qing was surprised, but Xie Lian was too. What he was surprised about was, how did Hua
Cheng know about this incident?
Neither Xie Lian nor Feng Xin were the gossipy type, and never enjoyed debating right or
wrongs behind people’s back or spreading anything. While at the time, Mu Qing’s departure was
a huge shock to them, but they never said anything or complained to anyone over it. As for the
fight over that piece of auspicious land, afterwards Xie Lian never mentioned it again, and had
never spoken of it to anyone either. He was sure Feng Xin was the same.
Those thirty some heavenly officials naturally wouldn’t have voluntarily told anyone they stole
another’s spiritual land for cultivation, so they would’ve either kept everything a complete secret
or twisted the truth. Thus, afterwards, Xie Lian had never heard talk of that incident again.
So if that was the case, then how had Hua Cheng learned of it?
Even if he had planted many spies in the Heavenly Court, that affair really was much too long
ago, it’s been some eight hundred years, and most of those involved never said a single word,
so was it really possible for Hua Cheng to have dug out this aged mess?
Mu Qing questioned, “And how did you know about it? Who told you?” He looked at Feng Xin,
then looked at Xie Lian, and in the end the one he peered at was still Xie Lian. Hua Cheng
jeered, “There’s no need to look at His Highness, His Highness never tells me these things. This
was something you both yelled about at the top of the snowy mountain, did you forget?”
Mu Qing’s face was turning paler. Xie Lian’s confusion was somewhat lessened, and he couldn’t
help but sweat drop.
When Feng Xin and Mu Qing started going at each other’s throats, they’d often revive old
quarrels like mad, and crazily pull rugs from each other’s feet, so they would’ve definitely
bundled aged old messes like dynamite and hurled them at each other. No wonder Hua Cheng
was that angry at the time. But, Xie Lian still vaguely felt there was something deeper than that.
Since, Xie Lian remembered another thing – the Red Clad Ghost and the Burning of the Civil
and Martial Temples. Hua Cheng became famous overnight, after the one battle where he
defeated thirty-three heavenly officials, and one blazing fire scorched all the temples and
shrines they had in the mortal realm.
Xie Lian had long forgotten how many heavenly officials there were who fought him over the
auspicious land, and even their titles, faces, and the words they said were lost to him. He only
vaguely recall there were maybe thirty of them.
Then, what was the count exactly?
Could it be the thirty some heavenly officials of back then?
If it was, then, didn’t this mean Hua Cheng had long since known about the incident?
It was a moment before Mu Qing gritted out, “That time is that time, this time is this time! In any
case, I had never thought of…”
They were just arguing when suddenly, one of Xie Lian’s legs kicked out, and he shouted,
“WATCH OUT!”
Mu Qing wasn’t expecting this at all and was instantly kicked down. Whoosh, whoosh, and two
sharp, chilling air brushed over him, nailing onto the wall. Mu Qing leapt to his feet, and dusted
off the footprint on his chest, “ARE YOU DOING THIS ON PURPOSE?? ATTACKING FIRST?”
Xie Lian replied while his mind was occupied, “Sorry sorry, that really wasn’t intentional!” If it had
been intentional, Mu Qing would’ve crashed into a human shaped hole in the wall by now.
Everyone turned their heads to look, and upon the wall were two sharp swords impaled, and the
blades were still vibrating. Feng Xin shouted, “WHO’S THERE??”
“There’s no one there.” Xie Lian said, “They moved on their own!”
Clink clank, chlink chlunk. From all around them the murderous aura exploded. Those weapons
hung on the walls became aggravated, violently shaking, so much so that the entire chamber
was clamouring from the quaking.
“Let’s get out of here, quick!” Xie Lian exclaimed.
Yet unexpectedly, when he dashed to where the entrance used to be, Feng Xin shouted, “WHY
ARE YOU RUNNING THERE? THERE’S NO PATH OVER THERE! Where’s the door? This
chamber couldn’t not have a door?? HOW DO WE GET OUT?”
“There used to be a door!” Xie Lian exclaimed, “But it’s gone! What’s going on with those arms?
Why did killing intent suddenly explode?”
Hua Cheng used two fingers and caught a long sword that came flying at him, and without
exerting much force that sword snapped, crackling as the pieces fell to the ground. He spoke
up, “It’s been too long since anyone’s used them, and they’ve gotten lonely. When they sense
people come in, they wanted to kill, that’s all.”
The other two subconsciously turned their heads to look at Mu Qing. Mu Qing instantly
exclaimed, “IT’S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH ME!”
“But,” Hua Cheng said, “You’re the one who led us here.”
“I only pointed this path out because I saw the fetus spirit!” Mu Qing countered.
Hua Cheng countered back, “Only you saw it.”
Mu Qing had nothing to say to that, and clenched his fists. Feng Xin spoke up, “Well what do we
do now? Can’t those weapons calm themselves?”
Before Hua Cheng had answered, Xie Lian suddenly remembered how he used to face similar
monsters and demons, and mumbled, “It’s possible! But… we must let them kill.”
“But there’s no exit to this place right now,” Feng Xin said, “And there’s only the four of us locked
up in here. How do we let them kill? What can they kill?”
Just as Xie Lian was about to speak, Hua Cheng suddenly said, “Three of us.”
“What, three?” Feng Xin questioned.
“Just correcting you, that’s all.” Hua Cheng said, “The ones locked up here are only the three of
us.”
Xie Lian whipped his head around. Sure enough, within the armoury, Mu Qing who used to be
the fourth person had vanished!
It was the truth! Where Mu Qing used to stand, there was now nothing but empty air. Feng Xin
was dumbfounded, “How can this be?? He was standing there just now!”
Hua Cheng wasn’t surprised at all, since he had already run into something like this himself
earlier, and only said, “We’re in White No-Face’s territory right now. Everyone follows his
command, he has nothing to fear, so of course he can take people away as he will.”
“…”
Earlier, when Feng Xin didn’t wholly believe, the sharp words he exchanged with Mu Qing were
uttered mostly out of anger, but now, he really didn’t know what to say. It was a good moment
before he finally said, “Your Highness, Mu Qing, he, could he really have…?”
Xie Lian quickly replied, “Let’s not talk about this right now. These weapons are about to go
violent, we have to think of a way to calm them down first, otherwise we’ll be chopped to mush!”
Then, he pulled out Fang Xin that was carried on his back. However, Hua Cheng resolutely
pressed down on his hand.
Xie Lian was taken aback and looked over, and saw Hua Cheng staring at him intently, red
slowly spreading around the rims of his eyes.
He said darkly, “Gege, what are you planning, pulling out the sword?”
———-