Reborn As The Short-Lived White Moonlight of the Tragic, Powerful Male Lead - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

It Seems We Are in Trouble

Gu Jingping felt that the attacks he faced were the fiercest, so he retaliated with even greater vigor, not daring to slacken for a second.

Gu An felt the attacks he faced were the most intense, so he didn’t forget to rally those willing to follow him, concentrating their counterattacks to strike back hard.

During this time, Xie Lanting finished a bag of almonds, a bag of peanut crisps, and a bag of cloud-slice cakes. If he weren’t afraid of being too obvious, he would have loved to gnaw on a bag of spicy duck necks.

Alas, the aroma of duck necks was too strong and easily detectable, so he regretfully gave up on the idea.

The scene was already stimulating enough, but it turned out it could get even wilder. Someone was eager to add fuel to the fire Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi had started; new groups appeared on both sides.

After the shell of the Seven-Star Lake was opened, new cultivators continued to approach the lakeside and were indiscriminately sucked in. The Gu family disciples had been wandering inside for a long while, and it just so happened they ran into other factions at this exact moment.

When the Qiu family saw Gu Jingping and then the Water Spirit, rage rose in their hearts. “Fine! The Water Spirit really is in the hands of the Gu family!”

Gu Jingping had fought them before; seeing them now, his eyes turned red with enmity. “Qiu Shuilian!”

On Gu An’s side, they ran into the Bai family. The leading Bai disciple, carrying twin blades, peeked over with great interest. “Yo, having a fight?”

Gu An felt a headache coming on the moment he saw him. “Bai Zilan.”

Influenced by their Patriarch, Bai Qianye, the younger generation of the Bai family all had the tendency to become battle maniacs. For other families, entering a secret realm was about finding opportunities and treasures, avoiding fights whenever possible. For the Bai family, it was different: if they couldn’t find treasures, a good fight was just as good.

Fighting is a form of tempering, after all—honing one’s bloody nature between life and death.

It wasn’t just Gu An; many people in the secret realm got a headache upon seeing the Bai family. This group of lunatics would literally chase people down just to pick a fight.

Bai Zilan and the disciples behind him looked at the people they had finally encountered after wandering for half a day, and their eyes lit up.

“Brother Bai,” Gu An tried to communicate, “we are currently trapped by the secret realm’s mechanisms and truly cannot spare the energy to spar with you.”

“No matter,” Bai Zilan said, clearly noticing the attacks jumping out from under the water. He was quite easygoing in his own way. “I’ll just beat up both the mechanisms and you all together.”

Gu An: “…” What kind of person is this?!

Gu Yunqi chose this moment to speak: “There might be an opportunity beneath the water.”

Gu An was startled. “Yunqi!” Why did you blurt that out too!

“Senior Brother, it seems we can’t suppress the attacks from below on our own. Even if we are to compete, we might as well wait until the treasure fully reveals itself,” Gu Yunqi said. “I know everyone enjoys a good spar, but surely you wouldn’t want to miss out when a treasure is right before your eyes?”

Bai Zilan frowned. Gu Yunqi was right. They were bellicose, but not brainless. If a treasure was right there, they wouldn’t waste energy on a meaningless fight.

Seeing him hesitate, Gu An quickly changed his tune: “Why don’t we cooperate temporarily?”

Bai Zilan toyed with his blades and finally made a decision. “Fine. We’ll have to fight when we’re grabbing the loot anyway. Since we’ve run into people, we won’t lack for a fight later.”

Gu An breathed a sigh of relief. Even if there was a conflict later, it was better than being squeezed from both sides right now.

Gu Yunqi sent a mental transmission to Xie Lanting through the water curtain: “We ran into the Bai family.”

Xie Lanting replied: “We ran into the Qiu family.”

The Qiu family specialized in poisons and medicine. Gu Jingping had already suffered at their hands once before. Qiu Shuilian saw the Water Spirit and noticed the Gu disciples attacking the water surface. He smiled. “A treasure at the bottom?”

Before Gu Jingping could speak, Xie Lanting spoke up: “Indeed. So don’t go throwing all your little jars and bottles into the water, because you might have to go in yourselves later.”

Don’t pollute the water and hurt Gu Yunqi.

Qiu Shuilian shifted his gaze from Gu Jingping to Xie Lanting. “Immortal Lord Lanyue, Xie Lanting. I have long heard of your great name.”

Xie Lanting: “I’m flattered, but my name doesn’t carry much weight these days.”

As they spoke, the attacks from the bottom of the water pit suddenly grew more fierce. A Warding Talisman shot out of the water and exploded. Everyone recognized it: “The Bai family’s Warding Talisman!”

Each family usually had its trademark. For example, the Gu family and the Sword Sect had sword formations and techniques, while the Bai family had their specially made Warding Talismans.

Across the water curtain, swords couldn’t go down and techniques couldn’t be fully unleashed, so they couldn’t recognize the people on the other side. But the Bai family’s unique talismans were different—they weren’t for sale and were marked with the silver-leaf gingko totem of the Bai family. The symbol was very distinct.

The Gu disciples were furious. “The ones attacking us were the Bai family all along!”

“The Bai family got in first and is now obstructing us!”

Hearing that someone might have reached the goal first, Qiu Shuilian couldn’t sit still. He immediately took action. Two silk ribbons flew from his sleeves—one struck at Gu Jingping, and the other smashed into the water.

Since he was afraid of polluting the water, he didn’t use poison.

Gu Jingping managed to dodge the attack from the water pit but couldn’t entirely evade Qiu Shuilian’s white ribbon. He was struck right in the shoulder and coughed up a mouthful of blood on the spot.

“Qiu Shuilian!” Gu Jingping spat out blood. “I’ll see your ancestors in hell!”

Qiu Shuilian: “Heh, if my ancestors were really here, would you even have a mouth to speak? Qiu disciples, move out! The water surface must be broken, and don’t let the Gu family off either!”

He thought for a moment and said to Xie Lanting, “If the Immortal Lord does not interfere now, we will not trouble you.”

Xie Lanting was surprised. “What, does my name actually still work?”

Qiu Shuilian: “I once had the honor of seeing the Immortal Lord’s ‘Sword of the Abyss.’ It was breathtaking. This junior does not dare to be arrogant.”

He said this with genuine sincerity. Back then, Qiu Shuilian was even weaker than he was now, while Xie Lanting was already in the Daluo/Soul Transformation stage. He had profoundly experienced the difference between heaven and earth. Though that sword strike wasn’t aimed at him, its power and the fear it instilled were branded into his bones. Even though Xie Lanting was now “crippled,” that shivering sensation remained.

Regardless of why Qiu Shuilian said it, Xie Lanting was happy to take it easy. “I’ll be responsible for helping break the water surface. Your personal grudges are, of course, for you to settle yourselves.”

Qiu Shuilian breathed a sigh of relief. Since they couldn’t use poison, the Qiu disciples’ methods were much more limited. The fewer helpers the Gu family had, the better.

When Qiu Shuilian’s white ribbon passed through the water surface, the people on the other side saw it clearly. Gu An recognized it immediately: “The ones attacking us were the Qiu family all along?”

Bai Zilan: “Don’t tell me they’ve already gotten the treasure? Don’t just stand there, smash it! Can this water and ground be broken or not?!”

As the saying goes, “the bystander sees clearly.” Everyone else was exhausted from dealing with the attacks, only Xie Lanting was at leisure. According to his observations, the frequency of the ground’s vibrations had clearly changed. It was very likely this “water-land” could actually be shattered.

At this moment, more new cultivators were drawn by the noise of the fighting. The true grand melee was about to begin.

Xie Lanting pondered for a moment, then beckoned to the Water Spirit. He used his sleeve to cover it, and the Water Spirit took the opportunity to shrink down in front of him.

Xie Lanting pointed at the distant Gu Jingping. “Do you hate him?”

The Water Spirit hopped up and down: Hate! He was mean to me and yelled at me!

“More and more people are coming. You’re going to be fought over again. I have a way to make him protect you with his life, while you get to prank him.”

The Water Spirit: … A bit tempted.

“Pretend you were caught by him and just stick to him. All the attacks will be directed at him, while everyone else will be afraid to hurt you.”

Forget hurting it; they would be treating it like a precious treasure.

The Water Spirit remembered when it flew toward Gu Yunqi in front of everyone—the focus of the entire field had indeed shifted to Gu Yunqi.

So that’s how it works!

Xie Lanting patiently coached it: “In acting, you have to be thorough. You’re only pretending to be caught, not actually caught. Find the right moment and slip away. You need to achieve the effect where everyone thinks you’re still on him, but you’ve actually already escaped. Understand?”

The Water Spirit understood, frantically using its body to simulate a human nodding: IT! WANTS! TO! PLAY!

Xie Lanting was very gratified. “A teachable child.”

It could already keep up with his way of thinking.

He pulled out a small string and tied it loosely around the Water Spirit. Chen Zhushu asked curiously, “Immortal Lord, what kind of dharma treasure is that?”

Xie Lanting: “It’s the string that was just tied around the bag of dried fruit.”

Chen Zhushu: “Pfft!”

The Water Spirit even actively adjusted its shape to ensure the string wouldn’t slip off.

Once the other cultivators drawn by the commotion were fully close, Xie Lanting held the “captured” Water Spirit and rushed in front of Gu Jingping. He shoved the spirit at him and said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear:

“The situation is bad! Without the Water Spirit, they won’t get the opportunity anyway. Take it and go! Go find other opportunities first!”

The people around caught the key information: The Water Spirit is necessary for the opportunity, and he’s trying to run.

Xie Lanting’s eyes were brimming with tears, his voice filled with sincerity. Gu Jingping, caught off guard by being handed the treasure, felt something was wrong. Xie Lanting had always treated him coldly—what was this?

Xie Lanting said earnestly, “I have only one request.”

Gu Jingping: Oh, so he wants something. That explains it.

Xie Lanting: “After we get out safely, stop making trouble for Yunqi.”

Gu Yunqi! Gu Jingping’s jealousy exploded for a second. Even at a time like this, Xie Lanting was thinking of him. Gu Yunqi sure found himself a good partner!

Xie Lanting resolutely drew his sword and shouted, “Go!”

Gu Jingping shoved the Water Spirit into his sleeve, turned around, and fled, maliciously thinking: Xie Lanting handed this to me himself. I never said I agreed to treat Gu Yunqi better. Hahaha, fool! I’d be an idiot not to take advantage of this!

Xie Lanting had spoken with such passion and drew his sword with such a fierce stance that not only Gu Jingping, but everyone else thought he was going to cover the retreat. However, the moment Gu Jingping turned around, Xie Lanting held his sword, flicked his tail, and returned to his spot to watch the show.

All the attacks brushed past him, chasing after Gu Jingping.

The pursuers: “…”

So you’re not covering the retreat? Then what was that look of heroic sacrifice for?!

Gu Jingping didn’t expect the attacks to come straight for his back. Strange, wasn’t anyone covering him?!

The others weren’t about to let Gu Jingping leave; they blocked his path directly. The Water Spirit poked its head out piteously from his cuff and immediately shrank back. Everyone saw the string on it and assumed it was being held by a dharma treasure.

“Don’t hurt his left hand! The Water Spirit is there!”

Gu Jingping: “Where are the Gu family members? Are you stupid? Don’t you know to block them!”

Xie Lanting’s sword-drawing wasn’t just for show. He signaled Chen Zhushu to take out his treasure and join him. Using their full strength, they struck at a crack on the ground.

That crack extended all the way to the water’s edge; it was a result of everyone’s tireless efforts just now. Spiritual energy was leaking from it—it was very likely the breakthrough point between the two spaces.

While the people on this side were prioritized blocking Gu Jingping, the attacks from the other side didn’t stop. With Xie Lanting and Chen Zhushu joining in, the crack quickly widened. The sound of the ground shattering rang out clearly. By the time everyone else heard it, with a “BOOM,” the ground finally gave way and shattered completely.

The two spaces overlapped, and the world reorganized itself.

Unable to fly, everyone could only hop between ground fragments, trying to stabilize themselves. Unfortunately, the forces of the divergent spaces were different, and no one escaped the fate of falling. Xie Lanting tried to reduce the force of his fall, and just as he was wondering if he would be smashed into fish paste, he fell into an embrace—

Gu Yunqi caught Xie Lanting. The two fell to the ground together and then rolled… and rolled away.

They rolled across the ground, past a puddle, and into a pitch-black hole.

Unluckily, the hole faced downward—it was a slope.

Thus, unable to stop, the two were forced to keep rolling. Gu Yunqi held Xie Lanting, his hand cushioning the back of the other’s head. They were truly “rolled into a ball.”

The hole they fell into was in a tricky position and was quickly blocked by falling debris. No one else saw it.

The rest of the people fell onto the ground; many stopped after hitting rocks. Everyone was tossed around, their bones aching.

Gu Jingping cursed under his breath, endured the pain, and crawled up. As he did, he saw everyone around him staring at him like tigers watching their prey.

Gu Jingping: “…”

Qiu Shuilian pulled out a venomous insect, smiling cruelly. “Hand over the Water Spirit.”

And the Water Spirit… having listened carefully to Xie Lanting’s teachings and grasped the essence, it had already escaped with the string during the chaos of the earth-shattering collapse.

So Gu Jingping actually had nothing in his hands right now.

But even when he discovered his sleeve was empty and said so, would anyone believe him? The Gu family had already played everyone once regarding the Water Spirit—the others wouldn’t believe them a second time!

Xie Lanting played them, and the Gu family took the blame. Perfect.

Meanwhile, Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi rolled until they were dizzy before finally stopping, falling from the downward tunnel into the water.

The cave passage was too long and the momentum was great; the two fell directly into deep water. Xie Lanting instinctively coughed, only to discover in surprise that he could breathe freely underwater!

Was it because of the fish transformation?

He quickly adjusted his posture. Gu Yunqi, who had been separated when they fell into the water, swam over. He pulled out a Water-Repelling Bead and tried it, but it still didn’t work.

Xie Lanting was about to speak when his pupils suddenly shrank. He yanked Gu Yunqi over and held his sword horizontally in front of him.

A massive fish, a hundred meters long, appeared before them. Its head alone took up two-thirds of its body. On its head were two eyes like copper bells. It opened its massive maw, revealing rows of snow-white, sharp teeth.

Each tooth was three meters long—chewing things would surely be effortless and crunchy.

A Saber-Toothed Demon Tiger Fish. Judging by its size and build, it was likely centuries old. Human figures seemed tiny and insignificant before it, like ants before a towering tree.

Xie Lanting made a split-second decision, grabbing Gu Yunqi to leave. However, when they turned around, a massive shadow loomed over them—a second one had appeared!

The way back was gone.

Gu Yunqi could only hold his breath underwater. His eyes didn’t waver; Cangyue was already held in his hand.

The two stood back-to-back, their starting stances already prepared. Facing such monstrous creatures, neither showed fear.

Xie Lanting said: “It seems we are in trouble.”