Vindicated After a Wrongful Death - Chapter 29

One Qu Weixian was enough to give Xiang Zhongjing a headache, and now there was a True Dragon who knew nothing of the world. Xiang Zhongjing clutched his head, feeling a profound sense of agony.

Xiang Zhongjing couldn’t be bothered to explain things to Qu Weixian; explaining would only make it more confusing.

“Let’s not talk about that for now. Who was it that told you to go to the Sandu Secret Realm and steal the Nether Fire all those years ago?”

At the mention of the past, Qu Weixian’s brow furrowed slightly, as if he were reluctant to remember. But since it was Xiang Zhongjing asking, he still answered obediently, “My father.”

Qu Weixian coughed a few times. After just a few sentences, fatigue had already begun to show on his face, but he forced himself to stay awake.

Xiang Zhongjing originally had so many more questions, but seeing him like this, he stepped forward with concern and touched Qu Weixian’s forehead. The moment he made contact, he recoiled from the heat.

Xiang Zhongjing said in surprise, “The fire poison in your body…”

Qu Weixian shook his head listlessly. “It’s nothing. I’ve been taking Water-Calamity Grass.”

Water-Calamity Grass grew in the deepest, dampest marshes where yin energy was strongest. It was worth a fortune, and while consuming it directly could freeze a Nascent Soul cultivator’s core into ice, it was the perfect remedy for suppressing fire poison.

Xiang Zhongjing said, “I’ll take you to find Man Qiuxia.”

Qu Weixian shook his head. “It was he who gave me the prescription for the Water-Calamity Grass back then.”

Xiang Zhongjing’s brow furrowed even tighter.

Qu Weixian couldn’t stay long. He pulled a white flower from his sleeve and handed it to Xiang Zhongjing. “This is what I knew back then. See if it’s of any use.”

Xiang Zhongjing took it. “You are now the Sect Leader of the Quyi Sect. Have you seen any of the sect’s elders?”

“Never,” Qu Weixian said. He suddenly tilted his head and said blankly, “But I once heard someone speaking to my father. They said I was already useless and that they needed to find a new… new fish?”

Xiang Zhongjing was surprised. “Fish? What fish?”

Qu Weixian hadn’t heard clearly either and repeated dully, “A new fish.”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Looking at him, Xiang Zhongjing knew he must have misheard.

However, those words were already quite intriguing.

Qu Weixian was useless, and they were looking for a new… candidate?

If the three Great Gates were really up to something, it was very likely that Su Cansheng was being controlled just like Qu Weixian.

No matter how clever Xiang Zhongjing was, he couldn’t figure out what was going on for a moment.

Qu Weixian didn’t stay long. After finishing, he stood up, looked at Xiang Zhongjing blankly, and whispered, “Zhongjing, Zhongjing, give me a hug.”

Xiang Zhongjing didn’t think much of it and opened his arms to hug him. But Gu Congxu, who had been watching like a hawk, suddenly grabbed his wrist and gave it a forceful yank, pulling Xiang Zhongjing straight into his own arms.

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Gu Congxu looked at Qu Weixian coldly. “One day, I will kill you.”

Qu Weixian didn’t even look at him; he was still looking at Xiang Zhongjing expectantly, waiting for his hug.

Xiang Zhongjing was sprawled in Gu Congxu’s arms, not knowing where to put his hands. He was so flustered he didn’t have the energy to pay attention to Qu Weixian.

Finally, Qu Weixian tilted his head slightly, watched the two for a while, and then nodded blankly.

He said, “I understand.”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

What do you understand now?

Qu Weixian didn’t say what he understood, turned, and left the Wujin Building.

Only then did Gu Congxu release Xiang Zhongjing, crossing his arms and saying coldly, “Stupid ant.”

Xiang Zhongjing, who was desperately trying to calm his chaotic emotions, was suddenly taken aback. He grabbed Gu Congxu and asked, “What did you just say?”

Gu Congxu glared at him. “What’s wrong with me insulting him? Why are you protecting him so much?! For all we know, he was involved in what happened back then. He just uses that pitiful face to lead you in circles. How can you be so…”

“No!” Xiang Zhongjing interrupted him sharply. “Did you say ‘stupid’?”

Seeing that he didn’t seem to be picking a fight, Gu Congxu hesitated before saying, “So what if I said stupid?”

Xiang Zhongjing’s eyes were dark and clear, and his words were strangely chilling. “The word Weixian heard just now, could it have been ‘stupid’—as in ‘Stupidity’?”

Gu Congxu froze.

After Xiang Zhongjing finished speaking, he seemed to have completely figured something out, murmuring to himself, “Why did they design a way to trap me in the Sandu Secret Realm back then? That’s right, one of the ‘Three Poisons’ is Stupidity. The other two are Greed and Hatred. But Jin Chuling isn’t from the three Great Gates… and why did Linjiang Peak suddenly rise to join them? Linjiang Peak… Yi Junting?”

Gu Congxu couldn’t understand a word Xiang Zhongjing was saying. Seeing him murmuring incoherently for a long time, he couldn’t help but interrupt.

“Xiang Zhongjing.”

Xiang Zhongjing answered absentmindedly, “What?”

Gu Congxu’s expression was strangely grim. “When my master pass… passed away, I was still young. I vaguely remember someone seemed to be attacking him because of the ‘Three Poisons’.”

Xiang Zhongjing snapped back to reality and looked at him in surprise.

The two looked at each other.

After a long silence, Xiang Zhongjing asked, “What was your master’s name?”

Gu Congxu shook his head. “I don’t know. Everyone called him ‘Immortal Lord’.”

Xiang Zhongjing looked down at the white flower in his palm, lost in thought.

Because of Qu Weixian’s mention of “Stupidity,” Xiang Zhongjing felt he finally had a direction.

As long as they found those elders of the three Great Gates, they could find not only the truth behind his frame-up but also the traces of Gu Congxu’s master.

Seeing Gu Congxu looking devastated, Xiang Zhongjing reached out and patted his shoulder, comforting the little dragon. “Don’t worry. Once we get to the Quyi Sect, we might be able to find your master’s tracks.”

It was a rare moment of conscience for the man named Xiang. But just as he finished comforting him, Gu Congxu fiercely shook off his hand and snarled, “Don’t think I can’t see through you! You just want to trick me into entering an array!”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Gu Congxu had a confident “I’ve already seen through you, cunning human” expression on his face.

Xiang Zhongjing suppressed the urge to curse at him with great effort. Otherwise, this stupid dragon would surely be embarrassed and angry because his “insight” was actually wrong.

“Right,” Xiang Zhongjing said expressionlessly. “I just want to trick you so you’ll bow down to me. It would be best if you could give me your dragon head to use as a footstool.”

Gu Congxu: “…”

With Xiang Zhongjing being so blunt, Gu Congxu actually became a bit hesitant.

Xiang Zhongjing… while he had a lot of schemes, he shouldn’t be using such underhanded methods.

Gu Congxu thought for a long time before asking tentatively, “You… really won’t?”

Xiang Zhongjing shot him a look and said slowly, “What do you think?”

Only then did Gu Congxu drop his guard.

***

It was already late at night. Xiang Zhongjing returned to his room and crushed the white flower Qu Weixian had given him. A white light flowed like water into Xiang Zhongjing’s brow.

In an instant, Xiang Zhongjing felt as if he had returned to the Sandu Secret Realm where he had been imprisoned for sixty years.

Everything was pitch black, with only the sound of the wind howling.

Xiang Zhongjing hadn’t been fully prepared, and his legs immediately went weak. He nearly fell straight to the ground.

A pair of hands reached out from the side, grabbing Xiang Zhongjing’s waist and preventing him from falling embarrassingly.

Still shaken, Xiang Zhongjing turned his head and met a pair of golden vertical pupils.

“Sange?”

Gu Congxu’s voice came from the darkness, just as it had during those sixty years of imprisonment. As long as Xiang Zhongjing teased him a bit, the dragon would indignantly argue back.

“I told you not to call me Sange, or I’ll drop you.”

Normally, Xiang Zhongjing wouldn’t have cared, but right now he was truly terrified. He grabbed Gu Congxu’s neck like a lifeline, standing on his tiptoes and whispering urgently, “True Dragon, Congxu.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt the body he was holding become burning hot.

Then, Gu Congxu’s voice came, full of suppressed irritation. “Say what you have to say, but can you stop being so touchy-feely?!”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Once he realized their posture, the terror of the darkness vanished, and his usual composure returned.

Feeling Gu Congxu’s body tensing up, Xiang Zhongjing laughed. “Didn’t you hug me first?”

Gu Congxu: “…”

Gu Congxu cursed, “You ungrateful wretch!”

Xiang Zhongjing burst out laughing.

With Gu Congxu by his side, Xiang Zhongjing didn’t seem to fear even the darkest places.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from nearby, followed by a burst of Xizhao Nether Fire that faintly illuminated the surroundings.

Xiang Zhongjing knew Qu Weixian’s memory was about to begin, so he released Gu Congxu and looked toward the light.

Sure enough, not far away, Qu Weixian was walking forward slowly, holding the Nether Fire. A peacock stood on his shoulder, its beautiful feathers shimmering slightly under the light of the fire.

The Qu Weixian of sixty years ago was still a naive youth, his gaze vacant and looking quite easy to fool.

“Is the Nether Fire really here?” Qu Weixian used the light to look around.

The peacock’s voice came eerily: “It is.”

A rare smile appeared on Qu Weixian’s vacant face. He quickened his pace and soon found a coffin.

Seeing this, the peacock said immediately, “The fire is inside the coffin. Open it.”

Qu Weixian walked around the Soul-Stabilizing Coffin twice, asking in confusion, “How do I open it?”

The peacock urged, “The Sect Leader gave you a piece of jade. Use that.”

Qu Weixian obediently pulled out the jade.

Xiang Zhongjing and Gu Congxu, watching from the side, were both surprised.

The “jade” in Qu Weixian’s palm was actually a piece of dragon bone!

Following the peacock’s instructions, Qu Weixian successfully opened the coffin.

The moment the lid hit the ground, Xiang Zhongjing stepped forward. Using Qu Weixian’s line of sight, he saw the person lying at the bottom of the coffin.

It was Gu Congxu’s master, dressed in exquisite red robes, his dark hair spread across the silk. A veil completely covered his face.

Two bursts of Nether Fire were nestled obediently on his shoulders, their faint glow illuminating the man’s veil.

With just one look, one could tell this person must have been a brilliant figure in life.

Very soon, because the coffin had been opened, air rushed in. The once lifelike body turned to ash almost instantly.

At the same time, a massive black dragon appeared beside the coffin. Gu Congxu coiled himself around it, protecting the Soul-Stabilizing Coffin in the center.

Because the peacock’s invisibility had prevented him from noticing someone opening his master’s coffin, the dragon was more furious than ever. With one swipe of his tail, he sent Qu Weixian (who was holding the Nether Fire) and the peacock flying.

The dragon instantly transformed into a youth in black robes, lunging into the coffin like a madman, trying to use all his spiritual energy to preserve his master’s body.

But all his arms embraced was an empty red robe.

The youth in black knelt in the coffin, staring blankly at the red clothes, before suddenly bursting into uncontrollable sobs.

Watching from the side, Gu Congxu gave a dry cough. Embarrassed, he reached out to cover Xiang Zhongjing’s eyes, muttering, “D-Don’t look.”

Xiang Zhongjing had seen this scene in his own memories, but since he hadn’t known it was Gu Congxu then, he felt a bit of pity for him now.

After all, they had been the ones to break into the secret realm and disturb him, destroying his master’s remains. Anyone would have been furious.

Xiang Zhongjing pulled Gu Congxu’s hand away and patted his shoulder affectionately, comforting him. “Our Sange was so wronged. I’ll take care of you from now on.”

Gu Congxu: “…”

The embarrassment and shyness of seeing his younger self’s failure vanished instantly. He said expressionlessly, “If you stop teasing me, that would be taking care of me.”

Xiang Zhongjing gave him a wink. “I don’t tease just anyone. This is my way of showing I care.”

Gu Congxu snapped, “Then I’d rather you didn’t!”

Xiang Zhongjing wore an “I know” expression, smiling as he said, “Don’t be shy.”

Gu Congxu was so annoyed he went back to watching the memory, ignoring him.

The young Qu Weixian had already scrambled up from the ground, clutching the thrashing Nether Fire. He grabbed his light and prepared to run out.

The dragon was still crying over the red robes and didn’t notice him.

Because of the dragon’s commotion, the Xiang Lian of back then—whose Xizhao Nether Fire wasn’t very sensitive—was late to arrive. Just as he came over, he was grabbed by the fleeing Qu Weixian.

“Zhongjing! I’ve got the fire! Let’s go!”

Xiang Lian said in surprise, “What?”

Just then, the youth in the coffin stood up, his face cold and tear-stained. He stared at Qu Weixian and said word by word, “I want you all to be buried with him!”

With that, the dragon transformed. The Nether Fire in Qu Weixian’s hand, drawn by Gu Congxu, suddenly exploded in a burst of light, engulfing Qu Weixian’s body.

Qu Weixian let out a scream and pushed Xiang Lian away to save him from being caught in the flames.

Xiang Lian’s expression changed drastically: “Weixian!”

Qu Weixian was being burned by the Nether Fire, and Xiang Lian couldn’t get close. No matter how cold his sword intent was, he couldn’t make the fire stop.

For the first time, Xiang Lian felt the agony of being powerless.

Just then, other disciples from the three Great Gates arrived quickly following the peacock’s instructions. They were stunned by the sight of the massive dragon and the fire, not knowing what to do.

Xiang Lian shouted almost desperately, “Save him, quickly!”

“Weixian!”

Watching his past self’s panicked and stupid appearance from the sidelines, the current Xiang Zhongjing expressionlessly covered Gu Congxu’s eyes. “Don’t look.”

Gu Congxu said with a half-smile, “Don’t be shy.”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”