After Saving the Immortal Sect, I Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 17

At the moment he saw Gu Cong Xing, Lan Jue’s heart skipped a beat.

Beside him, Mei Ci let out a sharp scream it was he who had accidentally seen Gu Cong Xing being led toward the Cold Palace by Tao Xueting. He informed Lan Jue, and upon seeing Lan Jue’s expression change drastically, the two of them raced all the way here in pursuit.

But why has it come to this!

The Gu Cong Xing before them was not only drenched from head to toe, but had a hideous blade wound on his left abdomen, with a shocking amount of blood staining his clothes! His face was as pale as paper, and there was already a faint aura of death about him!

“Gu Cong Xing!”

Mei Ci tapped Gu Cong Xing’s cheek forcefully, but it did nothing to wake him. His expression shifted suddenly, and he tremblingly reached out to check for breath.

“…There is still a breath! He’s alive!”

A spark of light returned to Mei Ci’s dull eyes. But the man opposite him paid no heed; he simply gripped Gu Cong Xing’s jaw with a steady hand and said, “Help him stop the bleeding.”

“Eh?”

Before Mei Ci could react, he saw Lan Jue press his lips against Gu Cong Xing’s!

“You…!”

Blood rushed to Mei Ci’s head. He instinctively moved to pull Lan Jue away, but noticing Lan Jue’s solemn and reverent expression as he meticulously transferred qi to Gu Cong Xing, Mei Ci forced himself to stop. He didn’t waste a second, immediately pulling out hemostatic medicine from his medical chest and carefully applying it to the wound.

As he rummaged through his chest for the best medicine, he pulled out a brilliant, golden spirit pill. What’s this? Mei Ci looked at it, and Gu Cong Xing’s familiar voice surfaced in his memory: Shut up. If you don’t want it, give it back.

Right, this is a top-grade spirit pill!

Mei Ci made an immediate decision to place the pill in Gu Cong Xing’s mouth, but Lan Jue stopped him. “He is unconscious and cannot swallow. I will do it.”

Without waiting for a response, Lan Jue took the pill into his own mouth and leaned down close to Gu Cong Xing. As their lips met, Lan Jue used his tongue to push the pill into Gu Cong Xing’s mouth. But as he tried to withdraw, his tongue was caught by the other’s soft tongue and licked very lightly.

Lan Jue trembled slightly, his eyelids lowering as a dark shade filled his eyes. The breath-transferring that should have ended continued; his skillful tongue explored every part of Gu Cong Xing’s lips as if claiming territory, breaking past the defense of his teeth to entwine with that moist, hot softness.

“Ugh…”

The person beneath him let out a low moan. Lan Jue’s dark eyes blinked, and he slowly pulled away, a silver thread of saliva trailing between them.

“Hey! Gu Cong Xing! How are you?!” Mei Ci immediately lunged forward, shouting his name.

“…” Gu Cong Xing struggled to open his eyes. His vision gradually cleared, revealing the faces of two men one as striking as a winter plum, the other as refined as deep, flowing water.

“Cong Xing?”

It was “Water” who spoke. Gu Cong Xing’s consciousness hadn’t fully returned, but the moment he met those amber eyes, a name escaped his lips.

“…First Senior Brother?”

At those words, Lan Jue’s eyes widened, and a shimmer of light flowed through his amber pupils.

The next day, Imperial Dungeon.

Huo Chen and Deng Zhao sat back-to-back, both grimacing as they rubbed their injuries. “Dammit! How did the Commander-in-Chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard know our escape route!”

Not long after they had fled last night, they encountered the Guard waiting in ambush. A route that should have been unguarded was sealed tight; their attempt to break through only resulted in their capture. Deng Zhao cursed loudly and looked toward Tao Xueting, who sat motionless in the corner of the opposite cell.

“Hey! Tao Xueting, it was you who snitched, wasn’t it?!”

The silent woman only rolled her eyes. Though she didn’t speak, the meaning was clear: You’re delusional.

“You!” Deng Zhao’s anger flared.

Huo Chen spoke in a heavy voice: “It wasn’t her. If she had snitched, we wouldn’t be alive. Look at her back—it’s covered in blood.” He glanced at her back, which she kept pressed against the wall. “Furthermore, she is the most heavily injured.”

“…Hmph.” Convinced, Deng Zhao muttered, “Then who was it?”

All three fell into silence. The damp, oppressive air of the dungeon filled their lungs, and their hearts grew heavier. A terrifying thought began to emerge from the depths of their minds…

“Naturally, it was your master, His Highness the Prince Consort.”

A gentle voice, like a poison-tipped blade, pierced the silence of the dungeon. The three looked up in shock to see a tall figure in moon-white robes standing there like a god from the heavens, looking down with a cold gaze.

“Lan Jue?!” Tao Xueting cried out his name in shock.

“What are you doing here?” Huo Chen asked with a frown.

Lan Jue curled his lips into a flawless smile. “Naturally… I am here to take your lives.”

The room went cold. Deng Zhao felt a chill through his body, but he still shouted defiantly, “You?! By what right?!”

the Chief Jailer following Lan Jue stepped forward and barked, “Presumptuous!”

Lan Jue didn’t stop him, but said slowly: “Tao Xueting, Deng Zhao, Huo Chen—all three are descendants of criminal officials. You should have been exiled, yet you fled back to the capital and lived under false names. On the surface, you are scholars loyal to the Prince Consort, but in reality, you harbor malicious intent and seek to overthrow the Xiang Dynasty. Furthermore, yesterday you forged a royal decree to lure the Heir Apparent and drown him in the lake. For your crimes, you deserve ten thousand deaths.”

The three in the cell were silent, as if their throats had been gripped. Only after a long silence did Tao Xueting ask softly, “…Is he really dead?”

Lan Jue’s face was like frost; he ignored her question and took the blood-stained executioner’s blade from the jailer. “The pawns you planted on the outskirts of the capital were executed at noon today. Next, it is your turn.”

The cell door before Tao Xueting was opened. She bit her lip and backed away silently—but her back was already against the wall; she had nowhere to run.

“No!” “Stop!”

Huo Chen and Deng Zhao lunged against the wooden bars, shouting desperately. But Lan Jue did not stop. He walked to Tao Xueting and raised the blade high—

Squelch!

Where the blade passed, blood sprayed like a fountain. The ground was covered in a shocking crimson.

“What, does this hawthorn berry wine not suit your taste?”

The Emperor and Prince Consort sat opposite each other in Fengqi Palace. Seeing him pour the bright red liquid onto the floor, the Emperor asked in confusion. The Prince Consort didn’t answer but chuckled instead—a sound of pure delight. Even his silken veil was slightly askew.

“No, it suits my taste perfectly.” He gazed at the red stain on the floor with a smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met such a”

“Fool.”

He curled his lips mockingly, swirled the luminous cup in his hand, and turned to the Emperor. “Your Majesty, why is it that this world is always full of good dramas? Why do people always repeat their mistakes without realizing it?”

Xiao Chujun gazed at him for a moment and said softly, “But you do not look happy.”

The smile on the Prince Consort’s face stiffened. Just then, Eunuch Zhang hurried in and reported to the Emperor: “Your Majesty, the rebels of the Guo family and the others have all been executed. A group of refugees has been found outside the capital, suspected of carrying weapons. The Prime Minister and the Grand Tutor are already discussing a strategy in the cabinet.”

“Mm. I will go now.” The Emperor rose and looked back at the Prince Consort. “If there is anything else, we will discuss it tonight.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The Prince Consort bid him farewell with a smile, then rose elegantly and looked out the window at the century-old mulberry tree. He tilted his head back, his black hair and veil fluttering in the wind, listening to the rustling of the leaves.

Before long, he got the young man he was waiting for. The Prince Consort waved his hand, dismissing the attendants and leaving only the two of them.

“It seems you have finished your task.”

The newcomer’s jade-white face was splattered with blood, and his white robes were stained with gore. “Lan Jue has successfully completed the mission.” He held a black wooden box with both hands and presented it respectfully. “The head of the rebel Tao Xueting is inside. I hope Your Highness will honor your promise and cancel my marriage contract with the Princess.”

“Mm, I never break a promise. Since it has come to this, you no longer need to marry the Princess.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

The Prince Consort looked at the respectful Lan Jue; his heart, which should have been joyful, felt no ripple of emotion. He felt only bored. He casually opened the wooden box and said offhandedly, “Cong Xing is dead; you can live as a widower, Wait?!”

At that moment, ten thousand blue lights erupted! The moment the box was opened, spikes condensed from water droplets shot out, lunging violently toward the Prince Consort!

His pupils contracted, and he immediately unleashed a spiritual energy shield to deflect them. But he suddenly heard a loud crash from behind five people had already smashed through the windows!

“Flowing Clouds · Myriad Forms!”

A loud shout rang out, and a golden sword light carrying immense pressure arrived with a boom! The Prince Consort was shocked; he spun around, a chain-snake soft sword already in his hand, and struck back at the golden light!

The sword light shattered, and the Prince Consort cried out in shock at the youth standing with the sword: “Gu Cong Xing?!”

Before he could react, a lava-fire talisman lunged toward his heart. He swung his sword at the talisman, his fierce gaze sweeping over Tao Xueting—who had made the move—only to feel two figures rapidly approaching from behind!

Clang!

The soft sword met two black iron blades, producing a series of ringing sounds! The Prince Consort snorted, and with a flick of his wrist, the snake-like sword wrapped around the iron blades, shattering them inch by inch!

But at that moment, Huo Chen and Deng Zhao decisively let go. Their move had been a trap; they immediately formed hand seals, their spiritual energy fluctuating.

“Wujian Decisive Strike!”

They shouted, and their spiritual energy condensed into a massive, blood-stained battle-axe, which swung violently toward the Prince Consort!

“Tch”

The Prince Consort immediately withdrew his sword, preparing to leap away. But the ground beneath his feet suddenly shattered. He stumbled, looking back to see that Ruan Wei, with his earth-element root, was behind the trick!

The Prince Consort was furious; he immediately stood up, but how could the others give him a chance to escape? In a breath, the battle-axe had already swung down heavily! Following it was a long sword carrying ten thousand rays of water-light and a golden sword intent!

BOOM!

The palace walls collapsed with a groan, bricks tumbled, and dust rose everywhere. The Qingxuan Sword Sect disciples formed a circle; every one of them had changed back into their own gear, their eyes clear and ready for battle.

As the dust settled, a hand reached out and shot a black iron flying leaf toward Gu Cong Xing! Gu Cong Xing was already alert; in an instant, he raised his Whale-Slaying Sword and sliced the leaf in half.

“Hehehehe…”

A pleasant laugh rang out, echoing in everyone’s ears. The Prince Consort stood up from the wreckage; though his clothes were torn and his hair was messy, his aura was not weakened in the slightest it was even sharper. He reached up to wipe away the blood seeping from his cheek, a wide grin on his lips.

“Interesting, interesting! It’s been a hundred years, and you are the only ones to wake up from the dream on your own…” He flicked his sleeve, and the silver soft sword trailed on the ground like a cold snake’s tail. “But according to my ‘eyes,’ you should have been dead or injured. Why are you standing here completely whole?”

He asked the question, his veiled eyes turning to settle on Lan Jue. “It was your doing.” His tone was not a guess, but a certainty.

Lan Jue met his gaze, his voice still gentle and calm. “Your Highness overestimates me.”

Yesterday, after Gu Cong Xing’s call of “First Senior Brother,” Lan Jue who had already sensed something was wrong successfully broke through the final mental shackle and regained his memories. He focused his senses and quickly detected traces of eerie spiritual energy fluctuations the mulberry trees that were everywhere in the Forbidden City. And in the rooms without mulberry trees, the attendants and servants carried the same fluctuations.

These were the Prince Consort’s “eyes.”

And the reason he was certain the final target was the Prince Consort was because he was the source of all this spiritual energy.

So, how to fool the ‘eyes’? Those with a water-element root are naturally skilled in illusions. Though Lan Jue had not studied them deeply, he was able to create a massive water mirror—on which was displayed the scene the Prince Consort expected to see. A real person would have noticed something wrong immediately, but for the “eyes” that lacked self-awareness, the trick was perfectly sufficient.

And within the water mirror, Lan Jue told everyone the truth, causing the five disciples to wake from the dream! Thanks to the high-grade Spirit-Gathering Pills Gu Cong Xing had given them, everyone’s injuries were suppressed. After some treatment from Mei Ci, the four injured people were restored.

They had turned the tide and transformed defeat into victory!

“Hmph! You damnable thing, to trick us into killing each other how malicious!” Huo Chen’s face had turned pale the moment his memories returned, realizing he had nearly killed his fellow disciple. He, Deng Zhao, and Tao Xueting all bowed to Gu Cong Xing in apology. Though Gu Cong Xing did not hold it against them, their guilt didn’t fade.

Tao Xueting added, “You toy with people’s hearts and harm cultivators. Prepare to die today!”

At these words, the Prince Consort broke into another fit of laughter—a laugh so intense his whole body shook.

“What are you laughing at!”

“Hahaha…” The Prince Consort wiped a tear from his eye and whispered, “I really have regressed. A hundred-year-old thing like me is being surrounded by a group of brats shouting about killing me.”

“It really is… laughable.”

As his words fell, the temperature in the air plummeted. Everyone tensed. The Prince Consort reached for his veil and ripped it down!

His closed eyes opened, revealing black pupils with silver slits! And the moment he opened his eyes, his spiritual energy which had been at the late Golden Core stage vanished. A moment later, a massive surge of demonic power erupted!

Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing…!

He was actually at the late Spirit Severing stage halfway to the Spirit Transformation stage!

Everyone was terrified, and they all took a step back in disbelief. A late Spirit Severing cultivation this was clearly a “Five Great Demon” level entity! But the Five Great Demons were supposed to be sealed in the Western Wilderness; how could one be here!

Lan Jue stood with his sword, his gaze somber. “Weaving illusions, black eyes with silver pupils… I see. You are the third of the Five Great Demons Zhiluo, the Dream Demon!”

Zhiluo gave a frigid smile. “I wove a beautiful dream of high status and success for you, yet you were ungrateful and wanted to take my life. Especially the most beautiful one, I wanted to spare your life, but unfortunately…”

Zhiluo’s gaze shifted, his silver slits fixed on Gu Cong Xing. “You brat always have to look for trouble and ruin my plans! Since you didn’t die before”

The soft sword in his hand lunged out like lightning, heading straight for Gu Cong Xing’s heart! “Then I will finish you off myself!”

Gu Cong Xing saw the cold light approaching like lightning. He immediately raised his sword to resist, but the soft sword carried the authority of the Spirit Severing stage; his resistance was like an ant trying to shake a tree! In a breath, the Whale-Slaying Sword’s defense was broken, and the silver tip of the blade was thrust toward his chest!

“Cong Xing!”