How many years will she love Liuying? How many years will Liuying love her? Once the offspring Gu changes its mind, the mother Gu will surely die. One of the two must bear the risk. Perhaps the two will live together for a hundred years, or perhaps one of them will pass away first. Xue Qing hopes that Liuying will be the one who is safe and sound, and that she will bear the risk of dying at any time.
Liu Ying brought back the voice-changing medicine. Xue Qing told him about the sword gu, but concealed the part about the mother-child gu causing sudden death, not wanting to burden him. Leaving everything to fate was the best way.
"You make the decision, I'll be there for you." Liu Ying said the same thing, with a faint smile on his face, which warmed Xue Qing's heart. He never made a passionate declaration like Xuri. He always gently stayed by her side. He didn't talk often, but just feeling his gaze made Xue Qing feel strong again.
Yes, she has never lived alone, so why should she fear dying at any moment? She has entrusted him with her trust, love, gratitude, and reliance. In this world, how many people are fortunate enough to share life and death? Meeting him is already a blessing beyond measure.
In the small room of the Underworld, the two planted the sword gu together. Sure enough, his heart for her was recognized even by the sword gu. Otherwise, why would he have accompanied her to this dangerous place? Xue Qing hugged Liu Ying: "You look so beautiful in women's clothes."
"..." Liu Ying didn't seem happy.
Xue Qing quickly added, "You look beautiful even in men's clothes!"
The firefly seemed a little happier.
"I'd definitely look prettier without it," Xue Qing thought to herself. Would she say that out loud? Of course not!
That night, the corridors of the Underworld were lit with bright red lanterns; it was the wedding night of the Lord of the Underworld.
Nangong Luoluo never imagined that she would actually marry Yan Ming, which meant that she would spend her whole life with him. She sat on the bed, feeling both joy and nervousness.
A maid knocked on the door and entered: "Miss Nangong, this is your wedding dress."
"Mm." Nangong Luoluo nodded shyly.
On the maid's tray was a brand-new red bridal gown. The maid put the tray aside and came over with a box of rouge: "Miss Nangong, let me do your makeup."
The maid dabbed some rouge on a handkerchief and then covered Nangong Luoluo's face with the entire handkerchief. Nangong Luoluo whimpered twice, gradually losing her senses, and collapsed limply onto the bed. The maid was none other than Xihuan. She hid the unconscious Nangong Luoluo under the bed, put on the wedding dress she had brought, and because of her similar build, she covered her face with a red veil so no one could tell.
Yan Ming was always vigilant, and tonight was a rare opportunity to get close to him. Whether she could avenge the destruction of her family depended entirely on tonight. She touched the dagger hidden in her sleeve. When the groom came to be intimate with the bride, it would be the best time for her to assassinate him.
When the auspicious hour arrived, Yan Ming's two strange twin maids came to lead the bride. Xi Huan, with her head covered by a veil, held the twin maids' hands and was led to the bridal chamber. Once inside, Xi Huan was led to sit down on the bed, where a small table was placed to hold the nuptial wine.
Inside the room, there were still the steady footsteps of a man; without a doubt, it must be Yan Ming. Xi Huan's hands clenched tightly together in nervousness, making her appear as if she were nervous because of her wedding.
"Thank you for your hard work." Yan Ming walked to Xi Huan's side and whispered gently in her ear.
Fortunately, the bride's red veil concealed the cold sweat on Xi Huan's forehead. She gripped the dagger and stabbed it towards Yan Ming's chest. The dagger struck Yan Ming's heart, but with a thud, like metal hitting stone, the dagger did not pierce Yan Ming's body. Instead, the tip of the dagger bent.
While Xi Huan was in a state of terror, Yan Ming lifted her veil and slapped her to the ground. Xi Huan felt a dull pain in her chest and vomited a mouthful of blood.
Yan Ming's expression was already terrifyingly murderous as he roared, "Drag him out and chop off his hands and feet to feed the wolves."
Xi Huan closed her eyes, never expecting that his evil divine skill had reached such a level. Could it be that Heaven wanted to prevent her from avenging her great grudge? She wondered what would happen to the woman from the Lingyu Sect who gave her the sword gu. No matter what the outcome, she could no longer see it.
Xi Huan closed her eyes, awaiting her fate of having her hands and feet chopped off, when she heard the sound of the door being kicked open.
"No one is allowed to touch her," a woman's voice said.
Xi Huan opened her eyes and saw a strange woman. She had never seen this woman before and didn't know why she had saved her.
"You've been spared again? You're really lucky. Are you just here to die now?" Yan Ming said, narrowing his eyes.
"I've delivered myself to your doorstep; whether I'll die or not is another matter," the woman said coldly.
"Throw this out to feed the wolves first," Yan Ming said, glancing contemptuously at Xi Huan on the ground.
The two twin maids obeyed the order and were about to drag Xihuan away when the woman spoke up: "Wait, who gave you permission to touch her? In the Underworld, only the Lord of the Underworld can give orders."
"What do you mean by that?" Yan Ming's eyes were already filled with murderous intent.
"What I mean is, today, the Lord of the Underworld will be replaced." The woman drew her sword, its blade so clear and translucent it was almost transparent. It was the peerless Spirit Pivot, a sword that there would never be another like it in the world.
"You're Xue Qing?!" Xi Huan exclaimed in surprise at the woman.
Xue Qing smiled at Xi Huan, raised her sword, and pointed the tip at Yan Ming's neck: "In the Underworld, the strong rule. Your throne should be given to someone else."
Trading a secret for a life
"Ling Shu! Trying to scare me with this? Do you even know how to use your body?" Yan Ming laughed contemptuously.
"Try it and you'll see," Xue Qing said with a smile. She wasn't afraid. How could she be afraid? In her heart, there was not only the Ling Shu sword manual, but also the affirmation of her and Liu Ying's journey together. "You think I've been living in your shadow since we came from the Central Plains to the desert? You're wrong. I've been very happy. What, you're not happy that I can be happy without you?"
Yan Ming's mood was indeed not good. A woman who had betrayed him, a woman who was no longer under his control, a woman who had been sentenced to death by him but had still survived to this day—all he felt for her was annoyance and irritation. He had become accustomed to controlling everything. He now controlled the Desert Wasteland, and he planned to take the Central Plains into his possession in the future. How could anyone be out of his control? This unease made him want to kill.
"You're living happily? You'll be happy even when you die," Yan Ming said coldly. Xue Qing could feel the sinister internal energy within him expanding as he mobilized it, rapidly concentrating in his right hand. Yan Ming never used weapons because the Evil Charm Divine Skill was the supreme internal energy cultivation method in the martial arts world. His body was as hard as iron and stone, capable of breaking gold with his bare hands, making it the strongest weapon.
The Ling Shu sword is extremely soft; even a child could bend it into a semi-circle. Could such a sword penetrate Yan Ming's armor-like body? The answer is, of course, no. Xue Qing finally realized that this sword, almost as soft as a whip, was actually usable. Without the Ling Shu sword manual, no one could imagine how this strange sword was truly used. Unlike ordinary swords that aim to sever the opponent's tendons and blood vessels or strike vital points, the Ling Shu targets acupoints. That's why it's so soft, allowing it to reach speeds unimaginable to hard swords. Its translucent blade makes its movements even harder to discern with the naked eye. The Ling Shu is indeed the only nemesis of the Evil Charm Divine Skill. Even if muscles are impervious to blades and spears, acupoints remain an undeniable weakness of the human body.
"Master!" Anluo rushed over anxiously upon hearing the voice from Yanming's room. Qi came with her. Protecting the city lord was the duty of the Six Paths. The others didn't intervene because they lacked a sense of responsibility. These two were different. One was eager to protect her master, and the other was conscientious in his duty. They would definitely not stand idly by. Xue Qing was facing Yanming, with Anluo and Qi behind her. Even if she had learned the Ling Shu Sword Manual, she was under great pressure being attacked from both sides.
"You two, your opponent is here." Liu Ying walked over, sword in hand.
When Xue Qing saw Liu Ying, a look of joy unconsciously appeared on her face. Her expression did not escape Yan Ming's eyes. Yan Ming said sarcastically, "Because I neglected you, you turned to him for comfort? Or should I have cut off his head on Qilin Mountain earlier for you to behave?"
Yan Ming's casual mention of Qilin Mountain ignited Xue Qing's fury. When she was held hostage, Liu Ying was willing to lay down her weapon for her, enduring twelve sword wounds. How could others dare to criticize such a sentiment? Ling Shu's sword flashed, attacking Yan Ming without hesitation. Her swordsmanship flowed smoothly like clouds and water, her anger and killing intent transforming into a sharp edge.
On the other side, Liu Ying faced off against An Luo and Qi. Although Yan Ming did not pass on the secrets of the Evil Charm Divine Skill to An Luo, An Luo was his only disciple, and his strength should not be underestimated. Qi, on the other hand, had risen to the position of the Hungry Ghost Path Master entirely on his own strength. Xue Qing was initially worried about Liu Ying's safety, and her gaze kept wandering towards him. Liu Ying responded to Xue Qing with a serene face and warm eyes, as if reassuring her that there was nothing to worry about.
When is one plus one greater than two? In love, it's greater than two! Sun Wukong plus Tang Sanzang retrieved the sacred scriptures! Blue Cat plus Naughty Cat has three thousand questions! Brother Haier plus Brother Haier has no unsolvable mystery! Xue Qing entrusted her back entirely to Liu Ying, and Liu Ying also entrusted her back to Xue Qing, which was not only a trust in their relationship but also a trust in their abilities.
Although Yan Ming had never seen the true form of the Ling Shu Sword Manual, he could tell that the limp Ling Shu sword was completely under Xue Qing's control. The mocking expression on his face disappeared, and he had to face Xue Qing seriously. Just half a year ago, this woman was serving him like a dog wagging its tail. He never expected that half a year later, she would point a sword at him. No one had ever dared to treat him like this, and no woman had ever dared to fall out of love with him! How could such a woman continue to live in this world!
Yan Ming was serious about killing Xue Qing, but he couldn't kill her no matter what he did. Instead, he became the weaker party under Xue Qing's unpredictable swordsmanship. He had never been under such pressure since he mastered the Evil Charm Divine Skill, and fine beads of sweat had seeped from his forehead.
The Ling Shu Sword Technique was the only nemesis of the evil and bewitching divine arts. Yan Ming was ultimately no match for Xue Qing. Xue Qing's sword was pressed against Yan Ming's neck, and the outcome was already decided. Yan Ming's head was slightly raised by Xue Qing's sword, a shameful posture, the one he loved to do to women. Now, the tables had turned, and Xue Qing was the one doing it to him, just as the old saying goes, "fortune's wheel turns."
Anluo and Qi were no match for Liuying. Qi's specialty was stealth attacks, and fair fighting deprived him of his talent. Not only could Qi and Anluo not protect each other, but they also became a burden to each other, restraining one another and being suppressed by Liuying.