Vindicated After a Wrongful Death - Chapter 24

Gu Congxu saw it too. “Is that golden bell the same as yours?”

Xiang Zhongjing strode forward to take a closer look, but the man in black lowered his hand, his wide sleeve concealing his wrist.

Xiang Zhongjing’s brow furrowed deeply. He shifted his gaze to the bathing fire phoenix on the man’s shoulder and asked Gu Congxu, “Is that a real phoenix?”

As far as he knew, phoenixes, like true dragons, had been extinct in the Nine States for many years.

Gu Congxu’s expression was uncharacteristically solemn. “Yes.”

Xiang Zhongjing stopped focusing on the golden bell on the man’s wrist, his expression turning colder. “Can you beat it?”

The fight on the stage had already begun. The mountain of a man opposite them hadn’t even summoned his spirit beast before he was sent flying by a casual strike from the man in black, slamming into the hard wall so hard he nearly left a human-shaped crater.

The cultivators in the stands gasped in unison.

Gu Congxu sensed the phoenix’s spiritual power and said, “If I weren’t sealed, it would definitely be no match for me.”

Xiang Zhongjing seemed lost in thought, his gaze indifferent as he stared at the man in black. “If I’m not mistaken, the patterns on the golden bell on his wrist are extremely similar to mine.”

Gu Congxu was stunned. “Doesn’t that mean he’s of your kin?”

“Who knows?” Xiang Zhongjing lowered his eyes, slowly tracing the golden bell on his wrist. “When the Sect Master of the Qu Yi Sect took me in, I had been sealed in a spiritual tool box, drifting on the Luochuan River for a long time. I don’t easily acknowledge kin from a clan that would seal a child in a box and toss them into an ice river.”

Gu Congxu hadn’t realized Xiang Zhongjing had been abandoned like that. Looking into Xiang Zhongjing’s frost-like eyes, he suddenly remembered the first time Xiang Zhongjing had woken up after being sealed.

At that time, the Netherfire had already recognized its master, lighting up the massive Soul-Settling Coffin. But Xiang Zhongjing’s pupils were dilated, and he had pushed against the dead-bolted lid like a madman until the entire coffin was covered in the bloody streaks of his fingernails, a truly harrowing sight.

Though Gu Congxu hated him for sealing him within his spiritual body, for a true dragon trapped in the Three Poisons Secret Realm for years, being in the secret realm or in Xiang Zhongjing’s body was just a matter of the size of the cage.

Seeing Xiang Zhongjing covered in blood and on the verge of death, the true dragon, whose conscience hadn’t yet been poisoned by Xiang Zhongjing’s constant flirting, felt a shred of sympathy. He hesitated before speaking.

“You… can’t get out.”

He said only that one sentence. The dying Xiang Zhongjing shuddered, his gaze vacant for a long time before he suddenly laughed, as if he had found a sliver of hope.

He wept as he laughed, saying something Gu Congxu didn’t understand.

“Someone is here this time.”

Since then, whenever Xiang Zhongjing was bored, he would start teasing him, talking to himself with a mouth full of suggestive nonsense that made Gu Congxu’s life a living hell, making him wish he could strangle the version of himself that had reached out first.

Gu Congxu hadn’t understood that cryptic sentence before, but now that he knew his background, he finally understood.

Xiang Zhongjing unfastened the golden bell from his wrist and tucked it into his sleeve. His empty right hand gripped the spiritual sword at his waist, his fingers rhythmically tapping the hilt in an almost clumsy manner.

He watched expressionlessly as the fight on the stage drew to a close. The mountain-like man was no match for the man in black, being beaten back step by step. If not for his incredibly sturdy physique, he would have coughed up a liter of blood long ago.

The man in black barely needed the phoenix to act. With just a flick of his finger, he could move a person like a stringed puppet, making them dance to his whim.

The spectators had never seen anything like this at the Great Spirit-Beast Ceremony. They looked at each other with faces that said, “This is the Spirit-Beast Ceremony, right? Not a death match between cultivators?”

The final two matches of the ceremony usually featured rare spirit beasts in spectacular battles. In all their years, these cultivators were seeing such a bizarre pair of matches for the first time.

One was a small pet rolling around in circles;

The other was a one-sided slaughter where the spirit beast acted as a mere mascot.

The appearance of a phoenix, extinct for thousands of years, had initially thrilled every cultivator in the stands. But after waiting in feverish anticipation, all they saw was the man in black beating someone with a flick of his fingers while the phoenix stood there nonchalantly preening its feathers, occasionally letting out a long cry and coughing up a small tuft of flame.

Everyone: “…”

Where was the logic in this?

Soon, the man in black grew bored and casually waved his opponent off the stage.

With a loud boom, the man could not get up again.

The man in black swept his sleeves arrogantly, saying coldly, “Pathetic.”

Zhizheng of Shangyao Peak felt his lips twitch. He was about to use his jade plaque to announce the winner when he saw the man in black, as if he hadn’t mocked them enough, add another sentence.

“Are all you people of the Nine States such trash? Is there not a single one who can fight?!”

Zhizheng: “…”

The crowd: “…”

This sentence was like poking a hornet’s nest. Immediately, people started hurling spiritual tools onto the stage as if they cost nothing.

“Presumptuous! How dare you! Are you not a person of the Nine States yourself?!”

“This man is too arrogant! Who will go and teach him a lesson?”

“Get out!”

Spiritual tools and sword intent crashed onto the stage, kicking up a cloud of dust. The provocative man remained expressionless, surrounded by a barrier of protective spiritual power that the attacks couldn’t even scratch.

He coldly swept his sleeve and frowned. “People can’t even speak the truth? It seems the Nine States have indeed declined.”

As soon as he finished speaking, another wave of spiritual power came crashing down.

Zhizheng was sweating profusely, unable to control the situation. He had no choice but to run off and find Su Cansheng.

The man in black ignored the attacks that couldn’t harm him, and even had the leisure to tease his bird.

Once the dust settled, Xiang Zhongjing had somehow emerged from the Sumeru space. He stood opposite the man, hand on his sword, and said with a faint smile, “How about I exchange a few moves with you?”

The man in black seemed to look down on everything in the world. Glancing at the veil on Xiang Zhongjing’s face, he sneered, “If you want to spar, why hide your face? Are you afraid of the embarrassment of losing?”

Xiang Zhongjing laughed and said, “You are wearing a mask as well. Are you also afraid of the embarrassment of losing?”

The man: “…”

Gu Congxu had always feared Xiang Zhongjing’s tongue. Every sentence he spoke was unexpected, often leaving Gu Congxu speechless and unable to vent his anger.

Seeing him retort against someone else this time felt surprisingly satisfying.

The man said coldly, “Ants like you are not worthy of seeing my face.”

Xiang Zhongjing nodded. “In that case, why does Your Excellency insist I show my true face?”

The man froze, and it took him a moment to process. He looked at Xiang Zhongjing in disbelief.

This person was calling him an ant in a roundabout way?!

The man in black roared, “Presumptuous!”

Xiang Zhongjing said, “My apologies, I misspoke.”

Xiang Zhongjing admitted his mistake as soon as he was told, his attitude so sincere that no fault could be found. The man’s impending explosion of rage was forced back by this attitude, making him feel incredibly stifled.

The man in black remained silent for a long time before saying through gritted teeth, “I will remember you. What is your name?”

This was a clear declaration of a future vendetta.

Xiang Zhongjing wasn’t afraid of him, saying with a smile, “I don’t change my name or my surname. Gu Sangeng.”

Gu Congxu: “…”

You changed both your name and surname to the ends of the earth!

The man repeated the name several times and said, “Fine. Just you wait.”

Xiang Zhongjing asked, “And Your Excellency’s name?”

The man said haughtily, “An ant is not worthy of.”

Before he could finish, Xiang Zhongjing said considerately, “Oh, it’s fine if you don’t want to say. I’m not interested in knowing anyway.”

The man: “…”

Gu Congxu: “…”

When Xiang Zhongjing used that hateful mouth of his to provoke others, why did it sound so pleasing to the ear now?

Before the fight even started, the arrogant man seemed like he was going to be sick from anger. He practically hissed out a few words.

“Yun, Yan, Li.”

Gu Congxu sensed Yun Yanli’s rage and asked, “Why are you intentionally provoking him?”

Xiang Zhongjing said in surprise, “I didn’t intentionally provoke him. Isn’t this how I usually talk to you? Who would have thought he’d be less fun to tease than you, Sangeng. I’ll never call you boring again.”

Gu Congxu: “…”

Yun Yanli’s words suggested he held an extremely high status. He likely had never been humiliated like this. Furious, he didn’t want to say another word to Xiang Zhongjing. He immediately summoned the mascot… summoned the phoenix. Pointing two fingers like a sword, he unleashed a fierce blast of spiritual power at Xiang Zhongjing.

Xiang Zhongjing seemed not to notice, slowly summoning the snow wolf.

Gu Congxu had been sulking, but seeing the spiritual power right in front of them while Xiang Zhongjing didn’t dodge, he angrily took control of the left hand. He gathered a strike at the last second to meet the incoming energy, blocking the lethal blow for Xiang Zhongjing.

Yun Yanli’s spiritual power was indeed completely different from that of the Nine States. After Gu Congxu blocked it, he closed his fingers, snatching the dispersing energy. Half a dragon’s head poked out from the sleeve, and with an “aw-wu,” he swallowed the energy whole.

After swallowing it, he felt the seal on Xiang Zhongjing’s Nascent Soul loosen for a brief moment.

Before Gu Congxu could think further, he heard Xiang Zhongjing say with a smile, “I knew you would save me, Sangeng. You are so good to me, how shall I repay you?”

Gu Congxu: “…”

Gu Congxu’s face flushed. He immediately retracted his head and hid the left hand behind Xiang Zhongjing’s waist, signaling that he wouldn’t help anymore!

Xiang Zhongjing said, “Don’t touch my waist.”

Gu Congxu: “…”

Gu Congxu practically roared, “Don’t twist the truth! I didn’t”

The words had just left his mouth when Xiang Zhongjing cleanly drew his sword with his right hand. Qiongnian’er was incredibly powerful. Even though Xiang Zhongjing had no spiritual power, he used the blade to knock the spiritual strike aside. It slammed into the ground with a boom, creating a massive crater in the stone floor.

One could only imagine how angry Yun Yanli was.

Xiang Zhongjing couldn’t go head-to-head with Yun Yanli. After blocking twice, he dodged to the side. In the rush, a smudge of gray appeared on his cheek, and the hem of his robe got a bit dirty.

Man Qiuxia in the Sumeru Elegant Pavilion was nearly going insane. His cursing was almost loud enough to pierce through the space to the outside.

“Bastard!”

“I’m going to kill that man!”

“Don’t stop me—”

Xiang Zhongjing didn’t strike back, nor did he summon a spirit beast. He seemed like a useless person with no spiritual power.

This realization calmed Yun Yanli’s anger. He stopped aiming for a killing blow and instead began to watch Xiang Zhongjing dodge with interest, like a cat playing with a mouse.

Gu Congxu, who was still angry, couldn’t help but remind him, “Where is the snow wolf?”

“The phoenix on his shoulder is suppressing it. The snow wolf can’t come out.”

Gu Congxu froze.

Yun Yanli was still in relentless pursuit. Seeing Xiang Zhongjing’s lack of stamina, he intentionally used countless thin threads of spiritual power to entwine his right hand, seemingly wanting to turn him into a stringed puppet as well.

Xiang Zhongjing gripped his sword, looking at Yun Yanli with an indifferent gaze. The Netherfire on his earlobe suddenly flashed, slowly crawling out from the gemstone and burning through the spiritual threads about to wrap around him.

At that moment, Gu Congxu, who had been deliberating for a long time, grit his teeth and said, “Remember this. After you get the Dragon Bone, give it to me to reconstruct my body. Don’t go back on your word.”

Xiang Zhongjing’s eyes were filled with killing intent. He was about to wait for an opening to strike when he heard Gu Congxu’s words and frowned slightly.

“What do you mean?”

Gu Congxu remained silent.

Xiang Zhongjing was still confused, but in the next heartbeat, he felt his parched meridians feel as if ice and snow were melting. Suddenly, power flowed from his Nascent Soul through his entire body.

Xiang Zhongjing was shocked. He immediately checked his Nascent Soul and found that the soul once entwined by the dragon was now free, glowing with a warm golden light.

This was the first time in sixty years he felt spiritual power flowing through his whole body. The sensation left Xiang Zhongjing stunned on the spot.

Sixty years ago, after being sealed in the Three Poisons Secret Realm by his most trusted person, Xiang Zhongjing had stopped trusting anyone.

In his view, anyone who was good to him had an ulterior motive. If he accepted a kindness, he would have to pay an even greater price.

He was afraid of the dark, afraid of pain, and didn’t want to let himself live in agony ever again.

Gu Congxu was sealed to Xiang Zhongjing’s spiritual body by a strange formation. For him to leave the Nascent Soul even for a moment, he must have used some strange secret technique or paid an immense price to give Xiang Zhongjing’s spiritual power a moment of freedom.

Xiang Zhongjing was momentarily lost, unable to understand why Gu Congxu would do this.

Shouldn’t he have negotiated the price of the trade before doing it?

Suddenly, Gu Congxu’s previous words echoed in his ears.

“Do you humans have to calculate everything so clearly?”

Xiang Zhongjing’s eyes suddenly widened, his very breathing trembling.

As that returning spiritual power flowed, his blood, which had been as cold as an ice river, slowly began to warm up.

Yun Yanli soon grew bored again. Seeing Xiang Zhongjing seemingly giving up and freezing on the spot, he gave an impatient click of his tongue. He lunged in front of Xiang Zhongjing and said indifferently, “Ants should stay crawling on the ground, don’t you agree?”

As he spoke, the spiritual power in his hand slashed down toward Xiang Zhongjing’s face without hesitation.

The cultivators in the stands seemed to have expected this ending, all letting out a cry of alarm. Some couldn’t bear to watch any longer.

A split second before Yun Yanli’s spiritual power arrived, Xiang Zhongjing, who had been looking down, suddenly opened his eyes.

His eyes seemed to hold a brilliant flame. One look made one feel as if they were seeing the morning sun drenching young leaves after a dead tree met spring—warm like a spring breeze.

Xiang Zhongjing’s smile held warmth for the first time. He said softly, “Your Excellency is right…”

Before he finished speaking, Yun Yanli saw only a flash of sword light. The Xiang Zhongjing right in front of him seemed to vanish like a ray of light. Before he could even see where Xiang Zhongjing had gone, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.

The phoenix shrieked.

Xiang Zhongjing was surrounded by red and blue Netherfire, his left hand’s spiritual sword having pierced through Yun Yanli’s shoulder. While everyone was still dazed, his other hand pressed down on Yun Yanli’s shoulder, slamming him heavily into the ground.

The blade of Qiongnian’er was sharp, piercing Yun Yanli’s shoulder and pinning him firmly to the floor.

Xiang Zhongjing stood amidst the flames, his dark hair and red robes fluttering, his face beneath the veil as stunning as a demon’s.

He said tenderly, “…Ants should stay crawling on the ground.”

Yun Yanli’s pupils constricted.