bookbashuk Chapter 84 You're not running anywhere tonight.
Chapter 84 You're not running anywhere tonight.
Should we tell Xiyue about this?
Li Qingyi's heart was in turmoil. He was unwilling to drag Qin Xiyue into this mess and involve her in his life-and-death feud with Lu Zhenxuan.
Seeing his silence and the shifting expression in his eyes, Qin Xiyue's cold voice rang out again:
"We've both survived the near-death experience at Qingxin Peak. Is there anything between us that needs to be hidden? Tell me, and I'll help you."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingyi's expression froze for a moment, then she shook her head and smiled bitterly.
"Yes, on Qingxin Peak, we shared life and death."
He suddenly realized that he knew Qin Xiyue's personality well.
Since she has spoken up, she has made up her mind to get involved. If I continue to hide it, she will definitely investigate to the end.
Rather than being interrogated, I might as well just confess now.
"I have received word that Lu Zhenxuan will come to Xuan Ce City tomorrow to kill me."
Lu Zhenxuan...
Qin Xiyue silently recited the name in her heart, a sense of familiarity passing through her mind.
She quickly searched through her memories of her past life and suddenly remembered that this seemed to be a cultivator whose family had been destroyed by the Listening Rain Pavilion.
Connecting this to Li Qingyi's current apparent identity, she gradually understood:
"So, you really were accepted as a disciple by the Pavilion Master of Listening Rain?"
Li Qingyi shook her head and briefly explained how she became involved with Tingyu Pavilion and the truth behind the so-called "Sword Dao True Monarch Inheritance".
Qin Xiyue frowned slightly upon hearing this.
In my past life memories, there was no such Sword Dao True Lord. I only knew that there was an unfathomable Golden Core True Lord in Youyue Kingdom, who was revered as "Emperor Yuan".
"Was it my rebirth that triggered such a huge change? How exactly did Li Qingyi cultivate to the Purple Mansion realm in her previous life?"
She was filled with doubts.
Given Li Qingyi's personality, if he hadn't been left in the Qin clan by Qin Xiyue, he would likely have found a safe place, relied on his special abilities, and quietly developed to the Purple Mansion Realm before emerging to become famous throughout the world.
Qin Xiyue composed herself and asked directly, "What are your plans now?"
Recalling the horrific torture Li Qingyi endured at Lu Zhenxuan's hands in the simulation, a cold glint flashed in her eyes, her killing intent palpable.
"I'm going to kill him."
"Okay." Qin Xiyue said calmly, "What do you plan to do? I'll help you."
She knew that Li Qingyi would not do anything without certainty, and since she dared to speak of killing, she must have something to rely on, so she did not ask any further questions.
"The biggest problem right now is that my disguise may not be able to fool the spiritual sense of a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"It's alright. I have a secret technique for concealing one's aura. As long as I don't use my magic power, no one below the Purple Mansion can see through it."
"This technique requires a foundation in array formations, which I cannot teach you, but I can accompany you."
Li Qingyi had some concerns: "It's too dangerous for you to be with me."
"No matter how dangerous it is, can it be more perilous than snatching food from the jaws of a tiger right under the noses of a group of Purple Mansion True Immortals on Qingxin Peak?"
Qin Xiyue spoke calmly, recalling the countless hardships and dangers she had endured in both her past and present lives.
Hearing her say that, Li Qingyi stopped insisting.
He immediately revealed his true intentions and briefly explained his plan to trap and kill Lu Zhenxuan.
"You should know about my clone in the small courtyard in the south of the city, right?"
Qin Xiyue's eyes revealed approval as she praised:
"Apart from being slightly inferior in cultivation, he is no different from your original self, truly extraordinary."
Even from her perspective as a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator from her previous life, that clone was truly profound.
"This clone will lose contact with my main body if it is more than ten miles away."
Previously, I was worried that if I hid too close, a cultivator from the Purple Mansion realm would use their divine sense to find my true form. Now, with your secret technique protecting me, this worry is gone.
Yes, Li Qingyi had previously planned to take advantage of the few days of free time to work hard and obtain that fake human skin.
Now, because of practicing "True Explanation of Swordsmanship", three days have been wasted for nothing.
With a formidable enemy approaching, he lost the time to prepare.
Fortunately, Qin Xiyue arrived.
Qin Xiyue listened silently, looking at him calmly, waiting for him to continue.
"I still have a Netherworld God-Slaying Talisman, which can unleash the full power of a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator."
"The Purple Mansion Strike... must have originated from that Purple Mansion inheritance site."
Qin Xiyue's mind raced, and she reminded him:
"The power of a cultivator at the Purple Mansion Realm can influence subtle changes in the laws of heaven and earth. Once used, it will surely alarm a true Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. This talisman should not be used unless absolutely necessary."
Li Qingyi nodded. In the simulation, he had been killed by the Purple Mansion True Person several times because of using this thing. How could he not know?
He continued, "In addition, I also have a low-grade magic weapon."
As he spoke, he took out the resentment crystal that was surrounded by an ominous aura and casually tossed it to Qin Xiyue.
Qin Xiyue took it and stared at the alluring purple crystal.
He felt a chilling and eerie aura rush into his consciousness, and illusions began to appear before his eyes, causing his gaze to become somewhat unfocused.
Li Qingyi's heart skipped a beat: 'Oh no! I forgot this stuff can bewitch the mind!'
He was about to step forward to wake her when he saw the cloudiness in Qin Xiyue's eyes quickly recede, and her eyes regain their clarity.
She ran her fingertips across the crystal's surface, feeling the immense resentment it contained, and sighed softly:
"What an evil magic weapon, it can directly affect a cultivator's mind."
Li Qingyi: "???"
"That's... all right?" He was secretly surprised.
She and Ling'er had been tricked back then, yet Qin Xiyue was able to break free so quickly with her own willpower; her determination was simply too strong.
She played with the crystal, her tone full of envy:
"This item is no ordinary thing. If we can slaughter the inhabitants of two or three more cities and infuse it with the overwhelming resentment they generated at the moment of their deaths, its quality will surely be improved, and it may even be promoted to the ranks of mid-grade magic treasures."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingyi felt a slight sense of pride, thinking, "A product of the system is bound to be of high quality," but she was immediately stunned by the second half of Li Qingyi's words.
"Wait... what did you just say?" He wondered if he had misheard.
Qin Xiyue looked up at him, her tone calm and even:
"Slaughtering the people of two or three more cities and absorbing their resentment at the time of their destruction would be enough to upgrade it to a mid-grade magic weapon."
Li Qingyi: "???"
"Do you want to listen to what you're saying?"
He suppressed the urge to complain and swallowed his words.
"You intend to use this to deal with Lu Zhenxuan?"
Li Qingyi nodded:
"However, this treasure will take time to take effect, during which time Lu Zhenxuan will lose his mind and go on a killing spree."
Qin Xiyue immediately understood: "You want to lure him outside the city."
"Indeed. In your opinion, how far away from the city should we go to ensure that the mortals within it are not affected?"
"What a pity..." Qin Xiyue sighed softly, and based on her experience in the Foundation Establishment stage of her previous life, she gave a precise distance.
"At least twenty li."
Li Qingyi's lips twitched; he knew perfectly well what Qin Xiyue meant by "pity."
She may very well be trying to use Lu Zhenxuan to gather resentment.
Just in case, Li Qingyi said:
"Xuan Ce City may hold secrets related to the Daoist Master Zi Fu."
After all, Genmi came to both cities that were destroyed, making it hard not to make the connection.
She wasn't annoyed that Li Qingyi had seen through her thoughts; cultivation was inherently against the will of Heaven.
It's nothing more than the normal course of struggles against nature and against humankind, often relying on the power of ordinary beings.
With some reluctance, she handed the crystallized resentment back to Li Qingyi.
Li Qingyi quickly took it and put it away.
It wasn't that I was afraid she would covet the treasure, but rather that I was worried Qin Xiyue might actually do something horrifying in order to upgrade the magic weapon's grade.
Seeing her current expression, Li Qingyi felt that she had already planned to start the slaughter from there.
"You want to keep that clone, right?" Qin Xiyue suddenly asked.
Li Qingyi nodded. "Yes, it was hard-won, I can't bear to part with it."
"In that case, we need to leave the city in advance to make arrangements. I happen to be proficient in several formations, which may be of assistance to you when you are dealing with that Foundation Establishment cultivator."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingyi was somewhat taken aback: "Is there anything you can't do?"
He suddenly remembered a reward from a simulation: a wisp of luck.
He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Why do I have this feeling that she's the one who's got a cheat code? And a bigger one than mine..."
"I won't, there are many more." Qin Xiyue's tone remained calm.
Li Qingyi sighed inwardly. If she had known this would happen, she should have chosen "A Wisp of Luck" as the simulation reward.
If I had chosen that path back then, I could have truly lived a life of ease, like a main character.
"Time is of the essence, let's set off immediately. The situation is still unclear, and if that Foundation Establishment cultivator has already infiltrated Xuan Ce City, things could go wrong."
Qin Xiyue acted decisively and urged them on immediately. At the same time, she made a hand seal, and an invisible aura of spiritual light enveloped the two of them.
Li Qingyi was about to change out of his blood-stained robes when he saw Qin Xiyue's gaze fall on him with a deep, unsettling look.
He felt a little uncomfortable and decided to go to the quiet room next door to change.
Seeing him lift his foot to leave, a playful glint flashed in Qin Xiyue's eyes:
"When we were practicing the 'Two Elements Harmony Ode' that day, you were much bolder than you are now."
Li Qingyi froze, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face:
"At that time... the situation forced us to do it."
"Oh? You didn't look like you were forced into it at the time."
Seeing this, Li Qingyi made a move to rush into the quiet room.
Qin Xiyue moved slightly and blocked his way, a barely perceptible smile curving her lips.
"You're not going anywhere tonight. You're changing right here in front of me."
Li Qingyi's lips twitched slightly; she hadn't expected Qin Xiyue to have such a mischievous side.
For some reason, Qin Xiyue just liked seeing him in this awkward and helpless state.
The more he tried to dodge, the more determined she was to prevent him from getting his way.
After exchanging glances several times, seeing that Qin Xiyue showed no sign of backing down, Li Qingyi had no choice but to accept her fate.
He turned his back and quickly took off his tattered robes.
Just as he took out a brand new garment from his storage ring and was about to put it on, a cool, soft hand reached out from behind and quietly pressed against his well-defined chest.
I even pressed it lightly twice.
"It's more sturdy than I imagined..."
Her voice was close to my ear, carrying a faint warmth.
Li Qingyi glanced back and muttered in a low voice, "Vulgar!"
Instead of being annoyed by his rebuke, Qin Xiyue surprisingly chuckled.
The moment she smiled, it was as if the ice and snow were melting and the moonlight was shining, causing Li Qingyi to be stunned for a moment and her heart skipped a beat.
Seeing Li Qingyi's expression freeze, Qin Xiyue asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Li Qingyi smiled and said, "You look really good when you smile."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiyue's heart stirred. She suddenly realized that she hadn't smiled in a long time.
Seeing her shifty eyes, and recalling how she had been tricked earlier, Li Qingyi was filled with malice.
He turned around abruptly and pressed Qin Xiyue, who had not yet come to her senses, onto the soft couch.
"I see it's still dark, so perhaps... we could take this opportunity to further explore the mysteries of the 'Ode to the Harmony of Yin and Yang'?"