Chapter 37

Song Buwang was dumbfounded.

Facing such blunt, straightforward words for the first time, he was instantly at a loss: "M-Master Su..."

An Wuxue let out a chuckle.

He still remembered that when the incident at Zhaoshui occurred, Song Buwang had been stern-faced, calm, and composed, issuing orderly commands for the Luoyue disciples to scatter and protect the mortals, showing no fear in the face of danger.

If he were to gain another hundred years of experience, this child would indeed be capable of standing on his own. He had not expected him to be like this in private.

He was quite similar to Lou Shuiming—

At this thought, the smile on his face faltered.

He looked at the young man’s features, which bore a striking resemblance to both Lou Shuiming and Song Wu, and recalled Lou Wushang in his childhood. Perhaps, had Lou Wushang grown up safely, he would have looked just like this. But Song Buwang’s birth was the direct result of Lou Wushang’s premature death; he was destined never to meet the brother with whom he shared a bloodline.

What a pity.

Thinking of the past at Zhaoshui, he suddenly remembered the turbid energy that had shaken the Zhaoshui Sword Array more than half a month ago. At that time, he had been unable to hold on and had fainted; upon waking, he found himself back at the Burial Frost Sea, and due to the need to stabilize his spiritual power, he had been in seclusion for half a month, never having the heart to concern himself with other matters.

Now that he thought about it, the incident of the turbid energy striking the Zhaoshui Sword Array was exceptionally suspicious. If he were to ask Xie Zhefeng, it would be equivalent to handing over another lead. It would be better to ask Song Buwang, who was right in front of him.

"Young Master Song," he said, after weighing his words, "I was caught in the danger of the Zhaoshui Sword Array that day, but my cultivation was too low, and I fainted from my injuries. I don't know what happened afterward. Does Young Master Song happen to know if the culprit who brought disaster to Zhaoshui was brought to justice after the sword array calmed down?"

Hearing this, Song Buwang’s expression darkened, revealing a look of worry.

He said, "After the sword array calmed down that day, the Luoyue Peak searched the entire city, but found no further traces."

An Wuxue frowned. "There must have been a mastermind, right?"

"Perhaps it was that Tribulation-stage cultivator named Yun Zhou and the Mirror Demon who slaughtered the Yun Sword Sect. After destroying the Yun Sword Sect, they felt it wasn't enough and secretly channeled the turbid energy into the sword array, fearing the world wouldn't be in chaos. As it turned out, they accidentally released a great demon, suppressed under the sword, who was at the threshold of Ascension, nearly causing a catastrophe."

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Song Buwang also said, "It is all too coincidental, but if I don't think of it that way, I truly cannot fathom another explanation. The fact that a great demon was suppressed under the Zhaoshui Sword was unknown even to my master; those who knew are long dead. Where else could one find another person with such calculated intent?"

Listening to this, An Wuxue suddenly realized that he himself was quite like that "person with intent."

If the incident at Zhaoshui was truly calculated by someone, that person would have to know that Song Wu was suppressed under the Zhaoshui Sword and also understand the details of the sword array. The only ones who could have done this were he and Lou Shuiming.

He couldn't help but feel relieved that "An Wuxue" was already dead. Otherwise, he feared he would have another crime added to his name.

He asked, "So, is that the end of it?"

Song Buwang shook his head. "The Immortal Venerable left experts from the sect in Zhaoshui City; he must have other plans. That is not something I can interfere with."

"Thank you for the information, Young Master Song."

Song Buwang could see that he did not want to get involved in Qin Wei's affairs, so he cupped his sword and said, "I apologize for the intrusion, Master Su. Farewell."

An Wuxue nodded.

But just as Song Buwang turned and walked a few steps away, he suddenly paused. He hesitated for a moment, turning his head back as if wanting to say something, then turning away again as if intending to leave.

An Wuxue watched his hesitation with patience, waiting for a while before saying, "If Young Master Song has something to say, just say it. Since you cleared up my doubts just now, I am more than happy to return the favor."

Song Buwang said with embarrassment, "I apologize for my indecision. But... can you keep what I am about to say a secret? Please, do not tell my master."

"Naturally." He didn't have much to say to Qin Wei anyway.

"I want to ask Master Su, what exactly happened when that great demon broke the seal?"

An Wuxue was startled.

The young man's expression grew increasingly serious. "At the time, I was ordered by my master to guard the southeast side of the sword array. From beginning to end, I saw nothing unusual until the sword array shook violently. I couldn't stay away and rushed back, but I only arrived after everything had settled.

"Master Su, you may not know this, but my biological father had a connection to the Zhaoshui Sword Array. I was inside the formation at the time; although I could not see what was happening between my master and the great demon at the very center of the barrier, I felt a deep sense of unease. Even though I knew nothing, I felt as if my heart were filled with something, stifled..."

Song Buwang stared straight at him. An Wuxue could only lower his gaze, feigning a lazy indifference to hide his inner thoughts.

"...I guessed that my master had specifically sent me away. There was no flaw in the southeast side of the sword array; my master was hiding something from me. These past few days, whenever I asked my master, he would brush me off."

An Wuxue said softly, "So you want to ask me?"

It was he who had asked Qin Wei to send Song Buwang away back then.

Qin Wei didn't say anything... perhaps it was because he had chosen to let Song Buwang leave at the time. Since he, as someone involved in the matter, hadn't spoken, Qin Wei hadn't either. Now that Song Buwang couldn't help but ask him, could Qin Wei truly not have guessed? Or was it intentional?

As he pondered, the young man held his sword and bowed to him, performing a solemn salute.

Song Buwang’s voice was clear and his tone steady. "I know Master Su has a special identity. If it is inconvenient for you to tell me, I will not hold any resentment."

An Wuxue sighed silently.

He thought that Qin Wei, that guy, would go down a single path once he had set his mind on something; the disciple he raised was just as stubborn, equally obstinate.

He stepped forward and gently helped the young man, who was still bowing, to stand up.

He said, "I did indeed see some things within the sword array."

Song Buwang’s face lit up with joy, and he opened his mouth to say something, but An Wuxue stopped him and continued, "However..."

He looked at the clear, unknowing eyes of the youth before him, and his words faltered.

Yet, the youth looked at him with longing, feeling both anxious and expectant as he waited for the next sentence.

Only then did he say, "If you are asking out of curiosity, you should understand that if there are things being kept from you, they may not be for your benefit."

"Young Master, you have lived in a world of peace for hundreds of years since you were born, and you were raised on Luoyue Peak, the greatest sect in the cultivation world. Your parents were cultivators who guarded the land during the Immortal Calamity, and your master is a Tribulation-stage expert who ranks among the best even on Luoyue Peak. Your talent is enough to surpass your peers. Perhaps, in your position, you might underestimate the weight you are able to bear.

"Some past events—if you choose not to listen, you can live in peace for a lifetime. But if you do listen..."

"If I had not considered this, why would I have come to beg Master Su?" Song Buwang’s tone was firm. "It is precisely because it may be something I would want to avoid that I want to know. To be a fool who shuts his eyes and ears just for a lifetime of peace is not my way."

An Wuxue was stunned.

He listened carefully to every word, suddenly feeling a sense of melancholy.

This child was as gentle and steady as his father, as talented as his mother, yet possessed his own virtues: an inner light, resolute and courageous.

He said, "Then go back."

Song Buwang said anxiously, "Didn't you say you would tell me?"

"Those who know about this matter, besides the Immortal Venerable and your master, are no longer among the living."

An Wuxue was already dead. He did not know how many times he had repeated this phrase in his heart.

"Su Xue is just a passerby who happened to stumble upon these matters. If you want to know, it is better to have the people from those days tell you. Rest assured, since Elder Qin knows you came here, if you go back and tell him that you asked me, he will know of your thirst for the truth and will tell you everything. You need not fear him knowing."

Song Buwang looked confused. He understood what An Wuxue was telling him to do, yet he didn't seem to fully grasp the meaning behind it.

In the end, he left in that bewildered state.

An Wuxue watched him depart, and the surroundings returned to silence, leaving only him and Yun Wan in the courtyard.

He directed Yun Wan in sword practice, thinking that since Xie Zhefeng was still in seclusion suppressing his inner demon, this was the perfect opportunity to quietly use the Soul Bell... Should he take this chance to leave?

But Xie Zhefeng had taken all the clues from Yun Zhou. Regarding the Cauldron Seal, he still wanted to see if Yun Zhou had left any other solutions. Right now, not only could he not leave, he had to wait for Xie Zhefeng to come out of seclusion and find a way to pry something out of him.

He started to get a headache again.

Just as he was about to take out those few Spirit-Nurturing Tree leaves—

"Wuwu..."

A fluffy white ball flew into his arms with its wings spread.

He instinctively caught it and hugged it, stroking it.

Yun Wan, seeing this from the side, said in surprise, "Is that a Barrier Beast? The Immortal Venerable actually keeps a spiritual pet? Master Su, it seems to like you very much."

An Wuxue held Kunkun up.

"Wuwu."

Kunkun blinked its eyes.

An Wuxue hadn't seen Kunkun since he returned; he could probably guess that Kunkun had been helping Xie Zhefeng suppress his inner demon.

So...

He asked in a low voice, "...Has he come out of seclusion?"

"Wuwu!"

-

Not far away, in the middle of the pine forest.

Xie Zhefeng knew he had slept for a long time.

But he was "awake" in his dreams. He had been accustomed to the words his inner demon used to attack him; the methods of mutual torture between them over the past thousand years were already long familiar, and it shouldn't have taken such great effort to withstand them.

But there was the addition of Su Xue.

He seemed to have dreamed of his senior brother telling him to "forget it," and then saw Su Xue asking him, "Who is the Immortal Venerable looking at?"

Su Xue...

Within this name, there seemed to be something he wanted to peel away and see, yet it felt as if it were invisible and intangible.

After the inner demon had lingered for many days, Xie Zhefeng finally woke up again.

The barrier fell.

Qin Wei, who had been waiting outside, immediately said, "Qi Xun learned of the turmoil at Zhaoshui and sent a message asking about your inner demon."

He paused, trying to keep his tone normal, "Also, he is still wandering the Thorns River, having not found a single trace of A-Xue's remnant soul."

He knew now why it couldn't be found.

The complete soul was now right under Xie Zhefeng’s nose; how could one find a single shard of soul in the Thorns River?

He was clear on this matter, but A-Xue was unwilling to speak of it, even worrying that he would use it as leverage...

How dared he leak even a single word?

Opposite him was Xie Zhefeng. Qin Wei was on high alert, nervous, when he heard Xie Zhefeng ask in a deep voice, "A-Xue? You are calling Senior Brother that again now?"

Qin Wei gave a bitter smile. "Lou Shuiming and Song Wu in the Zhaoshui Sword Array—didn't you see them too? Xie Chuhan, you were right in what you scolded me for that day; what I saw was not necessarily the whole picture, yet I stubbornly believed it until now."

He mocked himself, "When I wanted to strike his name from the records back then, why didn't you kill me with one strike of your sword?"

Xie Zhefeng said coldly, "Death would have been a relief."

Qin Wei’s face turned pale.

That was true.

He was already in such a state of chaos and agony now; how did An Wuxue survive the days and nights of his cold words and harsh treatment a thousand years ago?