After Faking My Death, I Became My Rival’s "White Moonlight" - Chapter 7

Things on Shi Qing’s side were not nearly as swift and decisive as on the other. With his broken body, he was barely relying on his pupil arts to manipulate an ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivator to hold off dozens of Nascent Souls; and worse, several Great Completion cultivators were among them.

The black shadow, Shen Liu, was at the Great Completion stage. Although he was caught off guard by Chen Shi’s sudden betrayal, the strike did not land. In the next instant, Chen Shi was sent flying by a gust of wind from Shen Liu’s palm, slamming into a tree. Shen Liu then hooked his hand into a claw and lunged straight for Shi Qing’s throat.

Shi Qing’s left hand instantly formed a protection barrier. He barked a low command, “Come here!”

Chen Shi’s body flickered uncontrollably to Shi Qing’s side.

Shi Qing had no intention of letting Chen Shi die for him. Instead, he raised his hand and struck Chen Shi’s palm. “Go get reinforcements.”

With a wave of his hand, Chen Shi rose on his sword, only to be surrounded by the other black-clad men leaping into the air. Immediately, they became locked in a fierce melee.

He wanted them to gather together!

Shi Qing gritted his teeth. The moment the light shield before him was shattered by the black shadow, both his hands formed a seal. The shadows in the air, along with Chen Shi, were ensnared by the Soul-Binding Array and slammed into the ground. The array constricted, leaving them tangled in a heap, unable to move.

But at the same time, the barrier in front of Shi Qing was smashed by Shen Liu. Another palm strike followed, carrying a powerful gale that slammed into Shi Qing’s chest. The blow sent him flying like a broken kite, hurtling high before crashing violently into the earth, creating a deep pit filled with swirling dust.

As the dust settled, Shen Liu cautiously flew to the edge of the pit to confirm the kill.

Shi Qing lay at the bottom, a large pool of crimson spreading beneath him. The person in the pit seemed to have stopped breathing, motionless.

Shen Liu paused. Had he hit him too hard? The master’s order was to kill him after confirming his identity; soul-searching was the most agonizing and direct method. Now, it seemed he had accidentally killed the boy.

Besides the three bound by the Soul-Binding Array, there were seven other shadows behind Shen Liu who had not made a move yet.

Shen Liu picked up the Immortal-Binding Rope and cautiously approached the silent, fallen figure. No matter how powerful the formations were, he did not believe a Qi Refinement stage cultivator could survive a direct, full-force blow from a Great Completion practitioner.

Sure enough, the person in the pool of blood looked like a tattered rag soaked in red, unmoving. His open eyes were vacant and unfocused, and fresh blood welled from the corners of his mouth, merging with the puddle on the ground.

Shen Liu let out a sigh of relief. It did not matter; the master’s priority was to kill the target. He had been puzzled when he received the mission. Now that East Sea City had been raided by the Chaowu Gallery, secret guards were not to be activated unless absolutely necessary. What kind of identity warranted ten Nascent Souls and ten Great Completion guards?

It seemed he was nothing special after all.

Shen Liu crouched down, preparing to take the corpse back to report. Just as he knelt, a chill ran down his spine.

Wait! Based on a killer’s instinct, he moved to stand, but the boy with the vacant eyes suddenly constricted his pupils. An eerie golden light flared in his eyes as he abruptly leapt from the ground.

The shadows behind him saw the anomaly and swung their swords at the suddenly violent youth.

The roar of sword qi dissipated. The youth, who should have been sliced into mincemeat, had vanished. In his place stood Shen Liu, who had taken several sword strikes directly. His flesh was a mangled mess, with wounds deep enough to show bone.

The youth stepped out from behind Shen Liu, his face pale to the point of being translucent. He glanced at the shadow he had controlled with his pupil art to use as a shield.

If he saw correctly, this shadow was a body cultivator. Even a body cultivator was cut like this; if that had hit him, he would be dead.

Shi Qing raised a hand to wipe the blood from his mouth, his entire body aching as if it were falling apart, his head throbbing.

The moment he met Chen Shi at the mountain gate, he had secretly plastered himself with protection talismans. These were the top-grade items Sect Leader Bai Ye had given him as an apology after the interrogation.

The Sect Leader’s apology was naturally of the highest quality; otherwise, that palm strike truly would have ended him.

He was not doing well now either. His cultivation was too low, and his narrow meridians could not handle too much spiritual power. Even with the Spirit-Gathering Array, his dantian could only hold so much external energy. If he continued, his body would explode.

Beads of blood dripped from his forehead like a red thread. In the distance, the shadows did not dare move, seeing Shen Liu being used as a puppet.

“Who are you?” Blood choked Shen Liu’s throat, his raspy voice gurgling.

“Who am I?” Shi Qing repeated the words, suddenly letting out a soft laugh.

“Why does everyone have to ask who I am?”

Shi Qing tilted his head, seemingly puzzled. He had just used his pupil art to seize control of the shadow’s body; now his eyes were stinging, and his sockets were filled with blood. With that tilt of his head, the blood slid down his pale cheek to the corner of his mouth, looking eerie and terrifying.

“If you know the answer,” Shi Qing said unhurriedly, a trace of youthful playfulness on his handsome face, “you will die, you know.”

A chill climbed up their spines.

“Kill him!”

Shen Liu’s roar broke the silence. The distant shadows vanished from their spots. Shi Qing, his eyes crimson, snapped his gaze upward. Several shadows descended toward him with sword qi that could shake the heavens.

He spoke, black-red blood foaming between his teeth, his voice chillingly sharp, “Did I not tell you not to gather together?”

Shi Qing formed a protective array around himself. Several shadows carrying sharp sword qi crashed down from the sky. Upon contact, the light shield was instantly covered in dense cracks.

His face was as white as a corpse. Crimson lines of blood flowed continuously from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, winding across his face like venomous snakes.

Golden light exploded in his pupils as he pushed his pupil art to its limit. The six shadows close to him froze for a split second. Shi Qing abruptly vomited a large amount of blood.

One second was enough!

He formed a seal, and golden light erupted from beneath his feet toward the sky. Using Shen Liu as the eye of the array, several golden bolts of light wrapped around Shen Liu like lightning. The weakened Shen Liu let out a soul-tearing scream.

Countless golden threads erupted from Shen Liu, seizing the six shadows in the air. Like bloodthirsty vines, they dragged them into the glowing golden array on the ground.

Everything happened in a flash. Shen Liu was instantly swallowed by the array, and the others were entangled in golden light, emitting piercing screams as the light, like a beast with a gaping maw, devoured the shadows whole.

Shi Qing stumbled out of the array and collapsed to the ground.

He had succeeded. The Demon-Suppressing Array. Or rather, a mini-imitation of it.

Shi Qing had died by this very array years ago.

Except today, the sacrifice was not him; it was Shen Liu. A Great Completion cultivator was enough of a sacrifice to suppress this much demonic energy.

His body was lifeless, his chest burning. Every breath felt like swallowing hot coals, and his frame would not stop shaking.

He had to find a way to make enough noise for someone to come. He did not know how Xia Chan was doing. He thought with difficulty, but his mind was growing heavier.

A footstep hit the ground. Shi Qing looked toward the source. A blood-red figure stepped toward him. He realized then that it was not the visitor who was blurred, but his own eyes.

He gasped for air, fixing his gaze on the silhouette.

Another one? Is he really going to fall here today?

It was all Xia Chan’s fault. All Xie Ciyou’s fault! Why did he send such an unreliable person?

As he thought this, the blurred figure reached him. He narrowed his eyes, but the blood flowing from them made it impossible to see clearly. He did not even have the strength to wipe it away.

There was no killing intent.

“Xia Chan?” he asked tentatively, his voice raspy and tasting of rust. There was no answer.

If he had to die, so be it. Shi Qing gritted his teeth, preparing to use his pupil art once more, but suddenly his vision went dark. A pair of cool hands covered his eyes. A chilling scent of plum blossoms drifted into his nose as a sleeve brushed past. Spiritual energy flowed into his eyes like a trickling stream, slowly soothing the stinging pain.

A voice rang out in his ear, “Stop using your pupil art. Rest for a while.”

The voice seemed to carry an almost imperceptible tremble. Was it Xia Chan? Had he been scared by this sight?

Shi Qing let out a sigh of relief. His exhausted body relaxed completely, and he pitched forward, falling into an embrace that felt like a snowbank covered in plum blossoms in winter.

Xia Chan knelt half-down, holding the unconscious Shi Qing in his left arm. He removed his right hand from the boy’s closed eyes and grasped his wrist, cautiously sending a thin thread of spiritual energy into his damaged, narrow meridians.

He glanced at the still-running array, his eyes deep and dark.

Even if it were turned to ash, he would recognize it: the Demon-Suppressing Array.

Xie Ciyou had initially only intended to use Xia Chan’s identity to investigate this person. Inheriting a legacy in a dream? He did not believe a word of it. If today’s interception had not given him the chance to observe in secret, he would not have minded using the Immortal Sect Order again once the boy’s soul stabilized.

The demonic energy was being pulled from the shadows in the array. The energy, which should have been suppressed, began to flee in panic. Xie Ciyou was about to move, but he felt the person in his arms shudder. Several golden threads extended from Shi Qing’s body, lunging eagerly toward the demonic energy in the array. As soon as the threads touched the energy, they devoured it completely.

A cold light flashed in Xie Ciyou’s eyes. He quickly acted to seal several of Shi Qing’s meridians to stop the demonic energy from entering his body. However, the boy in his arms furrowed his brow, his body shaking uncontrollably as if in unbearable pain.

Looking at the golden threads extending from Shi Qing, Xie Ciyou hesitated for a moment before releasing the acupoints. The trembling in the boy’s body slowly calmed. He held Shi Qing’s wrist and found that the previously damaged heart meridian was actually healing, and his soul was more stable than before.

His gaze remained fixed on the boy’s face, and he did not let go of his wrist. Only when the demonic energy had completely vanished within him did Xie Ciyou’s brow slowly furrow.

The night was thick, and the insects resumed their chirping.

Xie Ciyou stood up, cradling the boy. After a few steps, he felt the person in his arms struggle. He looked down, and their eyes met.

Perhaps because of the demonic energy or the spiritual energy Xie Ciyou had carefully channeled to repair his body, the boy woke up earlier than expected.

“Put me down,” Shi Qing’s voice was weak, “Brother Xia.”

“Not going back?” Xie Ciyou’s disguise was still active; he still wore the face of Xia Chan.

“No.”

Shi Qing struggled to get down, his steps unsteady as he walked toward Chen Shi.

Chen Shi had regained consciousness while Shi Qing was out. He stared blankly at Shi Qing, clear tears streaming from his vacant eyes. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and let out a muffled sob, whether from genuine guilt or an act. He apologized to Shi Qing repeatedly.

“Was the sachet really embroidered by your sister?” Shi Qing pulled the sachet out from his robe.

Chen Shi lifted his tear-stained face and said woodenly, “Yes. They kidnapped her to blackmail me. Every month they would send something she made to prove she was safe. She is the best embroiderer in town; she always sends me her work.”

Shi Qing asked, “When did this happen?”

“What?” Chen Shi was still dazed. After a pause, he said, “My sister went missing three months ago. Then they contacted me. The sachet was given to me last month.”

Shi Qing asked, “If the sachet is so important, why did you use it as a tool and give it to me?”

“The sachet had a peace charm she put inside. Using you, my conscience was uneasy, so,” Chen Shi lowered his head.

Scheming to kill a fellow disciple while sending him a peace charm out of a guilty conscience. How contradictory.

“In the forest that day, I saw you hesitate,” Shi Qing said coldly. “Tell me, what did they tell you about that array?”

At this, a flicker of light crossed Chen Shi’s ash-like face. His lip twitched. “They did not tell me the specific plan. But what does it matter? I nearly killed you twice, and tonight I truly decided to trade your life for my sister’s. Every single one of my actions deserves death.”

Shi Qing arched an eyebrow. “Indeed, you deserve death.” He emphasized the last few words.

Chen Shi closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

“But thanks to your sister’s blessing, I turned the danger into a windfall,” Shi Qing grinned. “It is not like I cannot help you find your sister.”

Chen Shi snapped his head up, a glimmer of hope appearing in his dull eyes, his voice trembling. “My sins are heavy, but my sister is innocent. If you can save her, I will repay you in the next life.”

The silent Xia Chan standing aside swept a cold glance over Chen Shi, his gaze returning to Shi Qing. He spoke, “He tried to kill you, and yet you help him.”

Shi Qing had already noticed that Xia Chan had been following his every move since he woke up, staring in a way that made him uncomfortable. Hearing this, Shi Qing turned and blinked. “After all, I believe that sowing good seeds leads to good fruit.”

Xia Chan said icily, “I knew someone who said the same thing. In the end, he did not get good fruit.”

Shi Qing turned back, surprised that this young man seemed to have experienced so much. He asked instinctively, “What kind of bad fruit did he get?”

“No body left intact.”

Support After Faking My Death, I Became My Rival’s “White Moonlight”