Unparalleled Evildoer

Chapter 21: Broken Willow and Rising Smoke

The two looked in the direction of the sound, only to see two people flying on the river. One of them looked like a ghost, and it was He Biliu, the 'Thousand Miles Chasing Soul', and the other was Taoist Qingyang who was wearing a Taoist robe. The two must have discovered Tian Buming and chased him here.

Wuzhan said to Wanjiao, "Run away quickly, I can't escape."

Wan Jiao said: "No, I will never run away this time, I will fight them!"

"Run away quickly, you are no match for these two people, don't make a meaningless sacrifice." Wanjiao refused to leave and stood in front of Wuzhan.

The two of them jumped to the shore in an instant and landed in front of Wuzhan. It was too late to leave now. Hebi stayed and laughed strangely, "The little demon looks good, but it's a pity that he's dying soon!"

Without saying a word, Wanjiao leaped up in a flash of white shadow. Her pair of jade hands grew half a foot long sharp claws, and she grabbed He Biliu with one claw. He Biliu did not move, and was still laughing strangely. When he was about to be stabbed, his body dodged like a ghost. Seeing that He Biliu had dodged the attack, Wanjiao took advantage of the situation and stabbed in the direction where He Biliu dodged. With a strange laugh, Wanjiao's wrist was grabbed by He Biliu. Wanjiao thought something was wrong, and blew out a breath with a strong fragrance. If inhaled into the nose, the person would immediately faint. How could He Biliu not see it? He immediately loosened his wrist, held his breath, and his body flashed. He jumped several feet away, waiting for the strong fragrance to dissipate.

Wuzhan said to Wanjiao, "Go quickly, they won't kill me."

Wanjiao jumped to Wuzhan's side and said, "I won't run away this time!"

He Biliu laughed and said, "Interesting, this little demon is also loyal and righteous, much better than this man. But if I don't kill one of them today, my 'Thousand Miles Chasing Souls' will be laughed at."

Wuzhan slowly drew out his master's sword, gently placed it on his neck, and said calmly: "This is not something you can decide. You can't kill anyone today!"

Qingyang asked coldly: "What are you going to do?"

Wuzhan said: "I'm betting, whether you will let me die or let her go."

Qingyang asked: "Do you know why I am looking for you?"

"If you want to talk, let her go first!"

After a moment of silence, Qing Yang said in a deep voice: "Okay, put down the sword first, and I will let her go. But if you play tricks and don't have what I want, she will die no matter where she escapes!"

Wuzhan looked at Wanjiao and advised, "You should leave quickly. You have seen that he is persistent in pursuing me. He just wants to prevent me from dying. They will not kill me. If you stay here, you will only be a hindrance."

Wanjiao knew that she was no match for those two men, and if she stayed here, they would use her as a threat. Not only would she fail to save Wuzhan, but she would make things difficult for Wuzhan, which would be really a hindrance. Her heart was hurt once again, and she was persuaded by Wuzhan once again. Her beautiful eyes became moist, and she left once again, without looking back this time.

After Wanjiao left, Wuzhan sat down, with the sword still on his neck. Seeing this, Qingyang smiled slightly and sat opposite him, "Can you tell me what you know?"

Wuzhan said: "Ask me again after an hour!"

"Since I promised to let her go, I won't break my promise. Don't worry, if you can provide something important, I will let you go too."

Seeing that Wuzhan didn't answer and just looked at Qingyang indifferently, Qingyang thought to himself: "Where have I seen this look before? It makes me so uncomfortable. If I find the 'Soul Requiem Stone', I will definitely not keep him." His face darkened and he said no more, waiting for an hour to pass.

He Biliu said impatiently: "How boring, Qingyang, now that the person has been found, my mission is completed, I'm leaving!" He was about to fly away, but at this moment, he heard Wuzhan's cold voice: "No one is allowed to leave!"

He laughed strangely, "Why should I stay and listen to your orders? If you don't allow me to leave, then I won't leave."

"Go ahead and give it a try!"

Qingyang hurriedly said: "Brother He, please be patient for a while. It won't be too late to leave after an hour."

He Biliu said, "Qingyang, we spent so much effort to find him, just to sit with him on the shore and enjoy the breeze. After an hour, he threatened to die again, and we have to enjoy the breeze for another hour?"

"He can't run away, and that one hour won't matter. If he doesn't tell me after one hour, I'll make him live a life worse than death!"

Wuzhan said, “I can’t.” Wuzhan could only hold on for an hour at most. He felt his body was in great pain and he kept trying hard not to cough, for he was afraid that if he coughed he would bleed.

……

The evening breeze was moist as it blew through the willows, bringing with it the coolness of autumn. An hour was almost up, Wuzhan's hands were already numb, but his eyes were still calm. He looked at the two powerful cultivators who were patiently waiting in front of him. One of them was the enemy who had killed his father, brother, and master. However, facing such a person, he could only hold the powerless sword against his neck.

Wuzhan gently put down the sword and sheathed it. Qingyang stared at Wuzhan and said coldly: "You must keep your word. It seems that you don't want to die. Tell me, do you know where the 'Requiem Stone' is hidden?"

With a "puff" sound, Wuzhan finally spat out a mouthful of blood. The two men couldn't help but tremble. They wanted to step forward to control Wuzhan, but seeing his physical condition, there was no need. Wuzhan gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. There seemed to be a hint of smile in his eyes. He cleared his throat and said, "I know."

"So where do you think it's hidden?"

"On Cangyan Mountain."

"How is that possible? I've searched for it countless times!"

"Without me, you won't be able to find it even if you go ten thousand times."

When Qingyang heard this, a hint of joy appeared on his face, and he asked, "Did you hide it?"

"Exactly."

"Why would Zi Tan give it to you? Why did he give it to you?"

"Then go ask my master."

"If you lie to me, I won't forgive you!"

Wuzhan snorted coldly, "What else can you do to me?"

He Biliu stood up and said, "Now that we have caught him, the rest is your business. I don't want to listen to your nagging. Let's go!" His figure flashed and then disappeared.

Qingyang also stood up and said to Wuzhan in a deep voice: "That's good, let's go!"

Wuzhan used his sword to support himself and stood up. Qingyang walked in front of Wuzhan and quickly pressed Wuzhan's acupoints. Wuzhan snorted coldly and said, "Are you afraid that I will run away?"

"Only in this way can I feel completely at ease. I will naturally untie you when I get the thing." After searching Wuzhan's body, he did not find the 'Soul Requiem Stone'. He grabbed the collar of Wuzhan's shirt on his back, lifted him up, and stepped quickly towards the water. He actually ran on the water with Wuzhan in his arms. The splashes of water he made were like a water dragon moving across the water.

After crossing the Yellow River, Qingyang called a carriage, and kept changing horses along the way, eating and drinking on time, and also unblocking acupuncture points, fearing that Wuzhan would die before returning to Cangyan Mountain. ...

Two days later, Wuzhan looked up at Cangyan Mountain, coughed several times, and followed Qingyang up the mountain. Passing by a banyan tree, he stopped and stared for a moment. He saw the incense burner under the banyan tree, adding more incense ash. He broke off a yellow willow branch and inserted it into the incense burner. Qingyang stood in front of him, turned around and asked, "Why are you doing this?"

Wuzhan said softly: "Pray to yourself in advance."

Arriving at the cave, Qingyang turned around and said in a deep voice: "Go find it!"

Wuzhan said calmly: "You believe what a dying person says?"

Qingyang's face instantly turned cold, his eyebrows slanted, and he slowly walked in front of Wuzhan, pinched Wuzhan's neck, gritted his teeth, and said fiercely: "How dare you play tricks on me!"

Wuzhan was not afraid at all, "So what!"

"Okay, I'll make you live a life worse than death!" He quickly pressed Wuzhan's ticklish spot, thinking that Wuzhan would laugh and kneel down to beg for mercy. However, Wuzhan was trembling all over, and there was no trace of a smile on his face. He sat on the ground, looking at Qingyang coldly.

Qingyang was furious and pressed Wuzhan's painful points again, waiting for Wuzhan to roll on the ground in pain. However, Wuzhan said, "I am numb to pain. This can't torture me."

He gave Wuzhan poison and waited for him to ask for the antidote, but Wuzhan remained silent.

Throughout the day and night, Wuzhan fainted several times and was awakened countless times. Qingyang tortured him continuously.

Qingyang was on the verge of collapse, shattering several stalagmites. He wanted to kill Wuzhan with a single blow several times.

By the next day, Qingyang was tired of torturing others. He leaned against the wall of the cave, looking at Wuzhan, who was lying unconscious on the ground in white clothes and bright red. He had tried everything he could.

……

A strong fragrance drifted into the cave. After a moment, a white shadow flew into the cave, and its sharp claws pierced Qingyang's throat. Qingyang was already alert. He turned over on the spot and dodged the sharp claws. Before he could steady himself, the sharp claws pounced on his face again. Qingyang turned his body to the side, grabbed the white shadow's wrist with one hand, and quickly pressed the white shadow's acupoints with the other hand.

Qingyang laughed coldly and said, "Come on!"

Wanjiao's eyes were filled with tears. He had been suffering outside the cave for a day and a night, looking for an opportunity to deal a fatal blow to Qingyang. He never thought that the chance was still too great and he could not save Wuzhan.

……

Wuzhan slowly opened his wandering eyes, and a beautiful face, covered with tears, appeared before him. Wuzhan let out an "ah", let out a long breath, closed his eyes again, and murmured, "You...how...are you back again."

Wan Jiao cried, "I want to come back to save you."

"You...are so stupid. I...will die...sooner or later."

"Hand over the Requiem Stone quickly. He promised me that he would let you go if you hand it over."

"You...are still...naive. If I...hand it over...neither of us...will survive."

"Then let's die together!"

……

Wuzhan opened his tired eyes again, "I won't... let you... die with me, help... help me up."

Qingyang untied Wanjiao's acupuncture points, but the sword was still against Wanjiao's back. Wanjiao went forward and slowly helped Wuzhan up. Wuzhan sat on the ground unsteadily and said to Qingyang, "Put down... the sword...."

Qingyang retracted his sword and said with a smile: "You should hand it over!"

Wuzhan ignored her and looked at Wanjiao and said weakly: "People who are with me will not have a good ending. You can live a long time, but I am only a moment to you. Didn't you see the willow branch I inserted?"

"Duan Liu Sheng Yan, you want me to forget you, how can I?"

Wuzhan said word by word: "As time goes by, everything will be forgotten. This time, it is the last time I let you go. Even if I die, you don't have to come back to collect my body. I don't want to see you again. You always cause me trouble. Do you know why you are not important in my heart? Because we are not the same kind. Humans and monsters can never be together. In my heart, I will never regard you as a human."

Wanjiao was crying uncontrollably. She knew Wuzhan was making her sad and forgetting about him. She didn't know what love was, but her heart was hurting.

Qingyang said in a deep voice: "That's enough!"

Wuzhan turned his eyes to Qingyang and said, "Let her help me out. I'll tell you where it is."

……

Wanjiao supported Wuzhan and walked slowly out of the cave. Wuzhan panted and said, "You wait here and let her get it."

Qingyang said: "No, you go and get it. If you can't get it, I will kill her immediately!"

Wuzhan said: "I have no strength left, I can't take it."

Qingyang put the sword against Wanjiao's back again and said, "Do you have any choice?"

Wuzhan was silent for a long time and said, "Put down your sword, I'll go." Then he left Wanjiao's support, leaned against the cave entrance, and after a long while, he began to climb up the ancient tree above the cave entrance with difficulty. He didn't know how long it took, but Qingyang felt his legs aching badly.

When Wuzhan climbed under the tree, he turned around and rested for a long time. He put his hands behind his back into the gap, took out the 'Requiem Stone' and put it behind his back. He said to Qingyang: "The 'Requiem Stone' is in my hand now. Ask her to go away and I will take it out and show it to you."

Qingyang thought to himself, "If it's fake, I can kill her within ten feet and will never let her escape." He said to Wanjiao, "Step back five feet."

Wanjiao slowly retreated six feet and looked at Wuzhan with tears in her eyes, knowing that this was Wuzhan's last chance to give her to escape, and from then on, she would never see him again.

Wuzhan's chest rose and fell violently, and he trembled as he took out the dark 'Requiem Stone' from behind. Suddenly, he shouted with all his might, "Run!", and threw the 'Requiem Stone' out with all his might. The magic stone flew at an extremely fast speed, far away from Qingyang, drew a curve in the air, and fell down...

(End of this chapter)