Chapter 41: Phoenix Tail Flower (XI)

The sword light whistled and collided with the killing formation, and a powerful spiritual energy wave opened up.

Xie Changzhou stood tall and stood firmly in front of Sui Ning, the barrier enveloping her and a few others.

The killing formation was shattered, and Xie Changzhou retracted his sword. At this point, the blue bricks on the ground had already been blasted open, and a strong smell of blood mixed with a foul odor rushed out.

Sui Ning exclaimed, “Why is there such a strong smell of corpses inside?”

Could it be that all those captured children…

Her face instantly turned cold, and her eyebrows were tightly furrowed.

“Follow me and stay safe.”

As Xie Changzhou’s voice fell, he stepped into the secret passage, and Sui Ning and the other three quickly followed.

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Xie Changzhou looked at him calmly and said, “No more pretending?”

“You Changqing.”

“You Changqing?” 

Sui Ning was surprised and asked the system, “Who is You Changqing?”

The system went offline to check for a moment before coming back online and responding, “[You Changqing is the younger brother of You Ruoming and the second head of the Yougu family.]”

Wasn’t the Yougu family completely wiped out? Why is their second head still alive?

You Changqing was taken aback, his lips curling into a more sinister smile. He said, “You are indeed Xie Changzhou. If you hadn’t shown that limitless sword technique just now, I wouldn’t have known who you were.”

You Changqing’s murky black eyes grew colder, and his aged face looked like that of an evil demon from hell. “I just don’t know why the White Jade Sword Saint came here in the first place?”

Xie Changzhou spoke lightly: “When the beasts emerged, both the Yougu and the Mo Ling families were completely wiped out, and not even one outer disciple survived. However, when the bodies were counted, one person was missing.”

His calm eyes looked at You Changqing with a deep and profound gaze. “The second head of the Yougu family, You Changqing.”

Ah Yan, who had been hiding behind Sui Ning, peered out quietly and said disdainfully, “Running away during battle, coward,”

You Changqing’s eyes, which were usually dark green but had now turned red, suddenly narrowed. His aged face became ferocious as he said, “You don’t understand anything. The beast holds the greatest power, and I will tame it. With its help, I can obtain the most powerful strength!”

“You all don’t understand! You Ruoming is a weak and cowardly man; how can he be the head of the Yougu family?”

“The head of the family should be me! What makes him better than me? Why did the old man choose him?”

You Changqing walked forward, his eyes widened, wrinkles on his face piling up, and a foul smell emanating from his body, causing Ah Yan to wrinkle his small face and cover his nose.

Ah Yan poked Sui Ning’s waist and lifted his wrinkled little face, saying, “Sui Ning, he really stinks.”

The entire stone chamber was filled with a foul smell. He had been here all day, and the odor on his body was difficult for Ah Yan, who had a sensitive sense of smell, to endure.

You Changqing was taken aback, and his expression became even more ferocious.

He looked at Ah Yan with an especially cold gaze and said, “I wanted that idiot to take care of you all, but I didn’t expect there would be someone among you who had crossed the tribulation.”

Ah Yan glared back fearlessly and said in a childish voice, “You old man. You want that fool to suck up my essence; don’t you see how insignificant you are?”

“I am a tiger, and one that you can only dream of catching.”

“A dead old monster and a coward who runs away during battle, a nest of snakes and rats, dirtying my face.”

Tang Tang couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

You Changqing’s  face became even more gloomy and dull, with a pair of eyes as deep as a cold pool and a twisted expression, and his spiritual energy surged all over his body as he rushed towards Ah Yan. 

Sui Ning quickly summoned Ba Tian, but faster than her was a sword’s intent. 

It was clear and bright, with dominating momentum and a decisive killing intent as it slashed towards You Changqing. 

You Changqing’s skinny figure collided with the sword’s intent and was immediately thrown out, crashing heavily into the wall. 

The candles on the stone wall were knocked over, setting his clothes on fire. The flames almost instantly ignited, causing You Changqing to scream in pain as he hurriedly recited a spell to extinguish the flames on his body. 

As the thick smoke dissipated, a large portion of his black clothes had been burned away, revealing his blistered skin and making him look extremely disheveled. 

Xie Changzhou slowly walked forward with his sword aimed directly at You Changqing, who was glaring at him fiercely on the ground. 

His elegant brows furrowed as he softly spoke, “Five hundred years ago, you released a beast, but you couldn’t control it during the chaos and ended up fleeing, causing the entire Yougu and Moling families to suffer heavy casualties.” 

“One year ago, you killed the Green-Faced Ghost and took its place, deceiving the village chief to capture children for you to cultivate. What is your intention?” 

Xie Changzhou looked towards the stone wall that You Changqing was leaning against, his gaze suddenly turning cold. 

“You changqing, are you planning to sacrifice children?” 

His clear voice was filled with anger as it echoed in the quiet stone chamber. Sui Ning’s heart sank.

The village chief said that a year ago, You Changqing went up the mountain to chop wood and was injured, and his body has not been well since. However, going up the mountain to chop wood was just an excuse, because a year ago, You Changqing was seriously injured when he confronted the Green-Faced Ghost.

The first time the beast went berserk was a year ago, and then it calmed down for half a year, until the past half year, when it became more and more restless. And during this past half-year, the number of missing children in the city has become more frequent.

Everything is connected to what You Changqing has done, so it turns out that You Changqing caught the children for the beast!

Sui Ning followed Xie Changzhou’s gaze and saw You Changqing looking at them vigilantly and fiercely against the stone wall behind him.

But that stone wall was no different from the others.

No, wait!

Sui Ning’s eyes fell on a semicircular scratch on the grayish-blue floor under that stone wall.

That stone wall could move!

You Changqing, did not answer Xie Changzhou’s question. His murky, old eyes still stared at them with a savage smile on his lips and provocation in his eyes.

Xie Changzhou used his spiritual energy and violently threw him away, revealing the entire stone wall behind him.

The stone wall was neat and smooth, covered with patches of green moss, and appeared flawless.

Youchangqing seemed to know that his death was imminent and became even more arrogant: “Xie Changzhou, I don’t feel unjustified losing to you. Anyway, there are still people who will accompany me in death.”

Sui Ning was stunned, her face full of shock: “Jianzun, quickly break open that stone wall!”

As soon as she finished speaking, a sharp sword intent slashed out, and the entire stone wall shattered in an instant. The smoke and dust dispersed, revealing the scene behind the wall.

A torrent of blood and stench rushed toward them, and cracks covered the wall in front of them, revealing strange and complex patterns.

On the ground in front of them were piles of bones, with three children lying in front of the bones: Sanwa, Ah Niu, and… Hu Wa.

You Changqing stared in disbelief.

What about his formation? He had worked so hard for a year, using all his efforts, and killed so many children to form the formation!

Xie Changzhou’s expression remained unchanged, his eyes full of coldness as he looked at him. “I broke it.”

He paused and continued, “But it was just a formation. I broke it.”

“Yeah, I broke it before we entered the stone chamber. It’s just that your cultivation level was too low to notice.”

Xie Changzhou looked at him with a hint of confusion on his face and said, “Otherwise, why do you think I was talking to you for so long?”

Sui Ning and Tang Tang… they understand his intent to kill.

Xie Changzhou’s calm demeanor seemed effortless in breaking the formation that You Changqing had worked so hard on for so many years. This calmness became the final straw that broke You Changqing’s back.

You Changqing was like he had been hit by a devastating blow, his face frozen in despair, shaking his head repeatedly and muttering, “Impossible, impossible.”

“It can’t be; how is this possible!”

“Xie Changzhou, you deserve to die! Go die!”

You Changqing roared and pounced towards Xie Changzhou; his elderly face twisted with hatred, and his spiritual energy surged throughout his body.

Tang Tang shouted, ‘Jianzun!’

Xie Changzhou remained calm, standing quietly in place as You Changqing approached him slowly.

As You Changqing’s spiritual energy was about to collide with him, a dark bronze ancient sword blocked in front of him, with vivid runes carved on the blade.

The chilling sword’s intent carried a killing intent and attacked You Changqing, bringing up a silver light.

You Changqing was fiercely knocked away, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Before he could stand up, another chilling sword intent came at him.

Whenever You Changqing struggled to get up, a more fierce sword move would strike him.

One after another, sword movements with killing intent struck him. When Sui Ning stopped, You Changqing didn’t even have the strength to curse.

He lay gasping on the ground, and drops of blood slid along his wounds, staining the green tiles beneath him.

Sui Ning withdrew the Ba tian sword and looked back at Xie Changzhou, her beautiful face filled with pride.

Xie Changzhou understood and smiled gently. “Ningning is amazing.”

Content and satisfied, Sui Ning turned back and looked down at You Changqing, who was panting heavily, with a sneer. ‘With such cultivation, it’s rare that you were able to kill the Green-Faced Ghost.’

You Changqing’s eyes widened in anger at Sui Ning’s words, but as he opened his mouth to retort, blood began to gush out.

Sui Ning continued with contempt, ‘Wasn’t it you who spread the rumor that the Green-Faced Ghost was hunting during the dog days, just so it would be easier for the village chief to catch children? After all, the village chief has no cultivation and relies entirely on the artifacts that you provided.’

Silent, You Changqing, just stared at her with hatred.

Sui Ning was unfazed and continued, “No wonder the You family is heading for destruction with someone like you in charge, relying on the village chief to catch children with your meager intelligence and cultivation.”

You Changqing, struggled to speak but only managed to say, ‘Shut up!’

“You know why your father didn’t choose you as the head of the family? Your pig brain and useless cultivation, compared to your intelligent and highly cultivated brother…”

“Shut up… Cough, cough, cough!”

“Tsk, if I were your father, I would have chosen him too.”

“You shut up! Shut up… Cough, cough, cough!”

You Changqing suddenly coughed up a large amount of blood, and he held his chest, writhing in agony. The veins in his neck were bulging, and his skin was tense.

Having achieved her goal, Sui Ning’s smile disappeared completely, and her black eyes became dark and cold.

She said it word for word: “You released the beasts and caused the deaths of the entire families of the Yougu and Mo ling.”

Sui Ning’s gaze glanced aside, and piles of corpses were stacked together, where smaller bones were visible, some not yet completely decayed, and small faces were bluish-grey.

Those were countless children.

They were still young and innocent children, the apple of their parents’ eyes.

Her voice suddenly became heavy: “You killed so many children just to release the beasts, for your own selfishness. What gives you the right to think that you can control it?”

Sui Ning turned her head and looked at him with a deep gaze. “You, You who instigated this, do not have such a brain.”

You Changqing held his chest and gasped heavily, his voice broken like the broken string of an organ: “Do you want to know? Hahaha -“

His crazy laughter abruptly stopped, his old pupils dilated, and his face was full of fear.

Small splatters of blood sprinkled on Sui Ning’s face, and the pungent smell of blood filled her nose. Sui Ning’s beautiful eyes shrank, her face full of disbelief.

A deep and narrow crack appeared, which caused a burst of airwaves. Faintly visible within the crack were a pair of blood-red vertical pupils and a blurry figure standing beside it.

You Changqing’s tall and slender body was folded into an unimaginable angle, and powerful suction pulled him in, followed by an explosion of blood mist. You Changqing’s body completely disappeared.

“Ningning!”

As Sui Ning recited her incantation, she erected a protective barrier around her body. However, the barrier was shattered in an instant by a powerful suction force, leaving her defenseless and pulled towards the crack.

Xie Changzhou and Tang Tang both instinctively reached out towards her, and Sui Ning struggled to grab onto them. But as their fingertips made contact, darkness descended upon her, and she was swept into the crack.

***

Sui Ning was woken up by the bustling noise outside. Her head was heavy, and she groaned in pain, holding her head as she sat up.

Her consciousness was still hazy when someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Sui Ning said subconsciously, holding her head.

A group of people came rushing in, led by a tall and sturdy man with a dignified face.

The man walked towards Sui Ning with a look of anger and spoke in a forceful voice, “Huai’an killed Ji Qiu, and Changming Sword Sect demands justice. Throw them out; my Moling Clan is not afraid of them!”

Sui Ning: “?”

Who is he?

What is he talking about?

Although she understood every word he said, the combination of words made no sense to her.

The man continued, “Don’t be afraid, my sister-in-law. Zhao Zhao is the future daughter-in-law of my Moling Clan. If Ji Qiu dared to behave improperly towards her, it was right for Huai’an to kill him.”

Sui Ning looked puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

Who are you calling your sister-in-law? She was still an unmarried woman.

“Are you scared by the Changming Sword Sect, my sister? Don’t worry, my Moling Clan will take responsibility for this matter.”

The crowded crowd surged forward, echoing the person at the front.

“We, the Yougu and Mo Ling families, are not afraid of them. We vow to seek justice for the young lady!”

“Yes, that beast, Ji Qiu, deserves to die! It’s a mercy!”

“Don’t worry, Madam. With your command, our two great families will fight the Changming Sword Sect to the death!”

Sui Ning: “…”

She became even more confused!

How did she become a Madam?

No way… Sui Ning quickly looked at herself.

Her slender, fair, and delicate hands were exceptionally beautiful.

These were her hands!

But clearly, it was her body, so why did these people call her Madam?

At the thought of a certain possibility, Sui Ning’s black pupils suddenly shrank. In an instant, her hair stood on end, her scalp tingled, and her heartbeat accelerated.

“System, are you there, system?” Sui Ning’s voice was panicked as she called out to the system in her mind.

[Host, I’m here.]

The mechanical voice came quickly, and Sui Ning breathed a sigh of relief.

“System, do you know what’s going on?”

The system’s mechanical voice was a bit low: [Host, your current identity is Lady Wanwan, the wife of the head of the Yougu family. The tall and sturdy person in front of you is Mo He, the head of the Mo Ling family.]

Sui Ning’s heart sank suddenly, and her guess was indeed correct. She was mistaken for someone else, the wife of the Yougu family head.

The system comforted her: ‘[Host, don’t worry, I’m researching and trying to find a solution.]’

“Hmm,” Sui Ning nodded dully.

She felt a bit panicked, especially as unfamiliar shouts kept ringing out.

Sui Ning looked up and met the black eyes of Mo He. His eyes were full of worry. ‘What happened to the young sister? Don’t worry, our Moling family will stand with the Yougu family.’

Sui Ning didn’t understand what he was talking about and forced a smile: ‘Thank you…brother.’ Mo He laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying indifferently, “What are you talking about? Siblings shouldn’t thank each other.”

Sui Ning’s heart, which had been held high, relaxed slightly, and her guess was indeed correct. She hadn’t revealed her true identity yet, but if these people continued to ask questions.

Sui Ning couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed and quickly thought of a reason to send them away. She hadn’t thought of a reason yet when a familiar voice came. “Wanwan has just recovered from her injuries.”

“Brother He, please go back for now.” The voice was gentle and refreshing, making people feel joyful just listening to it. Sui Ning’s heart leaped with joy, and she quickly looked up. The person who came was wearing a white robe with silver-threaded embroidery of lifelike bamboo on the hem. He was tall and slender, with a gentle and handsome face, and his slightly upturned eyes contained endless kindness and gentleness. It was Xie Changzhou!”

In a foreign place, she met an old acquaintance. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she almost couldn’t help but cry out in surprise, but her rationality told her that it was not the time.

Xie Changzhou’s gaze fell lightly on Sui Ning, and when he saw her excited face, he slightly nodded at her.

Sui Ning understood; her black eyes curled, and two dimples appeared on her cheeks.

Xie Changzhou turned to Mo He, and his expression remained calm. “Brother He, that matter can be discussed later since Wanwan is not fully recovered yet.”

Mo He frowned, feeling guilty. “Look at me. I was so anxious that I forgot about the little sister’s health.”

He then apologized to Sui Ning, saying, “Little sister, I’m really sorry.”

Sui Ning quickly put away her smile and shook her head in response, saying, “It’s okay, elder brother need not apologize; I’m still feeling a little unwell… Let’s discuss the matter later.”

“Alright, I’ll go deal with those people from Changming Sword Sect first. Little sister, don’t worry, Brother He is here for you!”

He patted his chest and laughed heartily.

Sui Ning was infected by his mood and couldn’t help but smile.

After watching Mo He and those people leave, until she was sure that they were far away and wouldn’t hear any sound, Sui Ning quickly got up from the bed and ran towards Xie Changzhou.

“Jianzun, what’s going on? How did we suddenly end up here? Where are Tang Tang and Ah Yan?”

Sui Ning looked anxious and asked several questions in one breath. Xie Changzhou couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. His distant gaze gathered, and he looked at Sui Ning’s bare feet.

She got up from the bed too quickly and didn’t even put on her socks. Her fair feet stood on the dark brown floor tiles, making her whole foot look as white as jade.

Xie Changzhou’s slender and jade-like hand grasped her shoulder and pushed her onto the nearby chair, then walked slowly to the bed and picked up her scattered shoes and socks.

His gaze was gentle, with a hint of helplessness: “Ningning, put on your shoes first; the ground is cold.”

Ningning stared as Xie Changzhou bent down to pick up her feet, his cold, white hands holding her small feet and his other hand gently putting on her socks.

Xie Changzhou’s movements were too gentle, as if he were treating a treasure.

His expression was focused, his long black lashes drooping, and his gaze fell on her feet, but it did not offend her. Instead, she felt a sense of being cherished.

Ningning’s heartbeat suddenly sped up, and she sat up straight, wanting to pull her feet back from Xie Changzhou’s palm.

As soon as she moved, a slightly heavy force on her foot pulled her back.

Ningning was a little surprised: “Jianzun?”

“Ningning, you were hurt by the void; let me do it.” Xie Changzhou didn’t even look up, lowering his head to put on her shoes and socks.

His voice was still clear and sweet, with a hint of huskiness, and it sounded like it was pouring into her ears.

Her ears suddenly became hot, and she couldn’t help but avoid his gaze.

Although it only took a few moments, Ningning felt like it had been a century, sitting uncomfortably.

Finally, after putting on her shoes and socks, Ningning quickly pulled her feet back. Her panicked gaze happened to meet Xie Changzhou’s deep and clear eyes.

Not sure if it was her imagination, but there seemed to be a hint of regret in Xie Changzhou’s eyes.

“Jianzun…” Sui Ning hesitantly spoke.

“Hmm, Ningning?” Xie Changzhou’s features softened, and his glass-like eyes carried a hint of a smile.

Sui Ning’s heart started racing, so fast that she could almost hear her own deafening heartbeat. Her gaze fell on his well-defined brows, glass-like eyes, prominent nose, and then, his sharply defined thin lips. He was truly blessed with good looks, handsome and refined.

Her throat inexplicably felt dry, and her clear gaze fell on his lips, her heartbeat accelerating in her chest.

Xie Changzhou’s distinctively white Adam’s apple rolled up and down under her gaze. Sui Ning met his eyes and clearly saw the affection in them.

This time she saw it clearly—it was desire.