Chapter 81: Loyalty—Part Three

Wei WuXian immediately folded the two pieces of paper and stuffed them back into his collar, exclaiming, “Did I see correctly? I can’t believe you still have your spiritual power! Congratulations, congratulations. But let me ask you—if you had no ill intentions, why did you hide the fact that you hadn’t lost your spiritual power?”

Of course, those two pieces of paper weren’t torn pages from  the Collection of Chaos  , but rather a strange melody played by Jin GuangYao, which Lan WangJi had recorded in the Chamber of Forbidden Books. Back then, Lan WangJi had left one copy for Lan XiChen to compare and examine, while Wei WuXian had kept both his and Lan WangJi’s copies, carrying them with him. He had coincidentally managed to use it to trick Su She into becoming suspicious and annoyed. Coupled with his deliberate taunting of Su She earlier, provoking him again and again, he had grown impatient as expected. In the end, without Wei WuXian having to say anything, Lan WangJi simply launched a surprise attack, and Su She revealed himself.

Everyone hurriedly stepped aside. However, there was no need for that. When Lan WangJi attacked, it was just like when Wei WuXian spoke, pressing down mercilessly. Su She had to use all his might to keep from being defeated. He staggered up the stairs. Looking down, he happened to see a red array beneath his feet. Lan WangJi’s brows furrowed. 

Wei WuXian thought to himself,  Oh no, he’s going to destroy the newly repaired array!

While thinking, Su She bit his tongue, holding back the blood in his mouth, and spat it out onto the ground. The blood splattered onto the darkening red lines. Lan WangJi no longer cared about fighting him. Slicing his left hand against Bichen’s sharp gaze, he tried to repaint the formation. Su She took the opportunity to take out a talisman and throw it onto the ground. Blue smoke and flames erupted.

Transport savings!

The foggy-faced man from the YueyangChang Sect cemetery was familiar with the GusuLan Sect’s sword techniques, while Su MinShan was a foreign disciple of the GusuLan Sect, fitting this condition. The foggy-faced man who had appeared many times was none other than Su She!

Wei WuXian sat down beside Lan WangJi, “How is it?”

Lan WangJi drew on the ground for a moment with his bloody finger, then shook his head. The new blood had covered and ruined the original arrangement. It was impossible to repair. Wei WuXian took his hand and wiped the dirt and blood off it with his own sleeve, “Stop trying if it’s useless.”

The formation was almost completely destroyed. The disciples of the MolingSu Sect wore blank expressions. It seemed Su She hadn’t told them that he’d played the wrong melody or any other way to prevent their spiritual power from being drained. This meant that in the original plan, the MolingSu Sect disciples, like the others, were supposed to die. They were afraid that others would take revenge on them out of hatred, and had gathered in a small group. However, everyone was already panicking inside the Demon-Slaying Cave. No one had the energy left to seek revenge. 

Several sect leaders grabbed their sons, warning them, “When the corpses rush in all at once, protect yourselves and try to get out. Stay alive no matter what! Do you understand?!”

Hearing this, Jin Ling felt horrified, but deep down, he hoped his uncle would say something similar. He waited a while, but Jiang Cheng didn’t answer, so he could only glare at him. He glared for a moment longer, and Jiang Cheng finally turned to look at him. 

He didn’t seem too gloomy, but he frowned, “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“…” Jin Ling was quite annoyed, “Nothing!”

Wei WuXian tore off a clean piece of his sleeve and began to treat Lan WangJi’s wound. Suddenly, a figure shot out from behind him and attacked him with its sword. Lan WangJi snapped his right fingers. With a loud snap, he managed to deflect the sharp blade. 

Wei WuXian turned around, “Why are you here again?”

The force of the flick caused the person to stagger back several steps before finally falling to the ground. It was Yi Weichun. He held his sword, his eyes bloodshot, “Wei WuXian, what you just said—I don’t believe a single word of it!”

Wei WuXian, “Everything has been revealed. Su She attacked and fled. Why do you still not believe me?”

Yi WeiChun charged again, “I don’t believe it! I won’t believe a word you say!”

Hatred can blind a person’s eyes, making him unable to recognize anything that benefits his enemy.

At that moment, many terrified screams came from in front of them, “It’s broken!”

“The arrangement is broken!”

“They are coming!”

With his bare hands, Wen Ning flung a row of tattered corpses into the air. However, no matter what, he was just one. Without the barrier formed by the blood, the Demon-Slaying Cave was finally unable to withstand the wave of corpses that crashed down. A foul roar instantly filled the empty cave!

Jin Ling had never seen such ferocious corpses before, let alone at such close range. He could feel his scalp throbbing, gripping the hilt of the Suihua sword. But suddenly, his fist unclenched, and a cold object was lodged within. He looked down in surprise, “Uncle?”

Jiang Cheng supported himself with Sandu, who had lost his spiritual energy. His body swayed slightly, “Try releasing Zidian and see what happens!”

Lan SiZhui, Lan JingYi, and several others charged with their swords, “Ghost General! We can come to your aid!”

Sect Leader OuYang could neither stop his son nor stand up, shouting, “ZiZhen, come back!”

OuYang ZiZhen drew his sword fiercely as he turned around, “Don’t worry, Father! I will protect you!”

However, just as he turned around, a withered hand reached out for his throat. The OuYang Sect Leader nearly died of fright as he wailed, “ZiZhen!!!”

Just then, a sword blade sliced ​​through his arm. Lan QiRen grabbed OuYang ZiZhen and threw him back into the crowd. He himself, leading a group of swordsmen from the GusuLan Sect, charged into the battlefield. He had rested for quite some time, so his stamina had recovered. Many were amazed by the power of his sword. Lan SiZhui was swinging his sword rapidly when he heard a loud clang from behind him. Someone had blocked an attack from behind him. 

Lan SiZhui exclaimed, “Young Master Jin, why are you here too?”

When Jin Ling saw everyone his age rushing towards him, he couldn’t help himself. Without realizing it, Jiang Cheng put the Zidian ring back on his hand and ran through the crowd, all the way to the most dangerous area in front of the cave entrance. Jiang Cheng was about to chase after him when he managed to slice through several corpses and staggered. He felt Sandu weigh no more than a hundred pounds. Two female corpses were strewn toward him from both directions. 

Jiang Cheng cursed. As he raised his sword again, another pair of hands tore the two corpses apart, “Sect Leader…”

Jiang Cheng immediately lost his temper upon hearing that voice. He kicked Wen Ning and cursed, “Go away!” He immediately roared, “Jin Ling!!!”

Lan JingYi felt a chill run down his spine, “I think you should go back! Your uncle is going to eat someone.”

Jin Ling ignored Jiang Cheng’s roar, which was even more terrifying than the corpses in front of him, ”  You  can go back!”

OuYang ZiZhen had disappeared after being caught by his father, but he still rushed over, “Wow, this is the first time I know that Lord Lan QiRen is a sword expert and his sword skills are so great!”

Lan JingYi’s voice was as loud as ever, “Of course, who do you think HanGuang-Jun and ZeWu-Jun’s swordsmanship teacher was before they turned sixteen?!”

The Sect Leader brandished his sword with all the courage he could muster, shouting at the rest of the Cave, who still had blank faces, “What are you waiting for?! Death awaits if you don’t kill them. Even these juniors are fighting—why are you still sitting around?”

Under the influence of the young men who were energetically slashing here and there, more and more people drew their swords, joining the fight with their barely existing stamina and spiritual strength. 

When Lan WangJi sliced ​​the last fallen corpse in two, a mountain of corpses and a river of blood had formed within the Demon-Slaying Cave.

Everyone was covered in hardened black blood, their chests filled with the pungent scent of blood. After a long and fierce battle, many had collapsed to the ground, unable to stand like scattered corpses. Only a few sect leaders and young men remained strong, leaning on their swords.

Lan Jingyi’s pupils were dilated, his face pale, “I… I have never killed so many corpses before… I, alone, killed at least thirty, no, forty of them…”

OuYang ZiZhen, “Me… too…”

After that, as if the children had made a prior agreement, they fell to the ground with a plop, and refused to get up again.

Jiang Cheng forced himself to walk towards Jin Ling, then immediately caught him, “Are you hurt?!”

Jin Ling’s breath even smelled like rust, “I didn’t. I…”

Jiang Cheng immediately slapped him to the ground while cursing, “You didn’t do it?! Then I’ll make you hurt and teach you a lesson! You damn brat who turned a deaf ear to my words?!”

However, after that slap, he couldn’t stand any longer. He sat down, caught his breath, and stared at the two people sitting on the side of the Demon-Slaying Cave closest to the outside.

Both Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi looked disheveled. Wei WuXian was dressed in black, so he didn’t look as bad, but Lan WangJi’s white robes had been dyed various shades of black and red, making him look almost hideous. Of his entire body, only his forehead ribbon could be considered clean, considering how important it was. Bichen was clutched in his hand, still circulating its spiritual energy.

It was the first time anyone had seen HanGuang-Jun with such a messed-up face, but no one cared about anyone else but themselves. One of them said, “Is it… finished…?”

Hearing this voice, the crowd silently commented. That Nie HuaiSang had managed to survive such a battle and speak with such energy was indeed a mystery. No one had the strength to respond. Nie HuaiSang looked so overjoyed he almost cried, “Thank goodness, these corpses are finally all killed! Looks like we’ve escaped death this time—our ancestors really did protect us, didn’t they?”

Influenced by their emotions, several boys joined in the cheering. One by one, more and more people joined in. Amidst the cheers, someone from the GusuLan Sect called out in a low voice, “Master!”

Lan QiRen’s voice immediately rang out, “No need to help me.”

Lan WangJi turned his head and saw Lan QiRen coughing up a few more mouthfuls of blood. He waved his hand, crossed his legs, and began to meditate.

Lan WangJi immediately stepped forward to sense Lan QiRen’s pause. Just as he was about to channel his spiritual energy, Lan QiRen stopped him, “No need! Our spiritual power hasn’t recovered yet. Doing so would be completely futile.”

Lan WangJi pulled his hand back. Some of the visiting cultivators asked as usual, “HanGuang-Jun, what should we do now?”

They only realized after asking that their actions were somewhat inappropriate. However, Lan QiRen continued to rest, showing no signs of concern. Lan WangJi replied, “Rest for a while and check on the casualties. There must be no delay in helping the injured.”

He had always been quite an imposing figure in the GusuLan Sect. The disciples seemed as if their hearts had finally calmed down a bit, answering in unison, “Yes!” Even their voices seemed to have calmed down a bit. 

However, before they could do anything, Wei WuXian interrupted, “Shut up.”

His expression was serious, and everyone immediately fell silent. The few people who had been cheering also quieted down, one by one. Everyone stared at him anxiously. Inside the Demon-Slaying Cave, all was silent, except for the faint gasps of the crowd.

Compared to the silence, other sounds could be heard more clearly.

It was the sound of footsteps trampling dry leaves, coming from outside the cave. And it wasn’t just one person’s footsteps. It was a dense, endless mass of footsteps.

This time, the people inside the Demon-Slaying Cave didn’t even dare to breathe. Countless petrified eyes stared outside the cave. They could see that within the dark forest, something was slowly moving and writhing. It was a faint, indistinguishable dark mist, but as the slow footsteps became clearer, so did the moving objects, until their pale cheeks, bony hands, and sharp fangs could be clearly seen.

It was a new wave of corpses.

And it’s even better than before!

The people in the Demon-Slaying Cave had just seen a glimmer of hope when suddenly, a suffocating fear enveloped the entire Cave, looming over everyone. Even Jin Ling, Lan SiZhui, and the other boys felt as if they were drowning in bone-chilling fear, their limbs numb. Some seemed unable to bear the fear that followed hope and simply fainted. Others also sobbed, whimpering weakly. Despite this, not a single one was able to raise their swords and continue fighting.

Even if Wen Ning, once again, blocked the cave mouth, how long could one person last?

Suddenly, Wei WuXian spoke up, “HanGuang-Jun!” Lan WangJi turned to look at him. Wei WuXian took a breath, “I want to do something.”

The others’ gazes were drawn to the conversation. Wei WuXian, “Will you do it with me?”

Lan WangJi looked at him. He answered firmly and clearly, “I will.”

Wei WuXian grinned before taking off his black robe.

Beneath his black robe was a white lining, already half-stained red. However, that didn’t stop him from taking his blood-stained palm and drawing a few lines on it.

As the lines became clearer, the disbelief in the eyes of those watching grew stronger, as if they were looking at some kind of monster. Fang MengCheng immediately stood up, his face full of shock, “What are you doing?”

Wei WuXian didn’t pay attention to him. He continued to paint.

When he stopped, he was no longer wearing a white robe, but a flag.

A flag that can attract all dark creatures to one person—a spirit-attracting flag!

Wei WuXian stood beside Lan WangJi, waving at Lan SiZhui and the others. The juniors crowded around them. Jin Ling wanted to join in as well, but was pushed back by Jiang Cheng.

Wei WuXian, “Later, when the second wave of corpses comes, I will take them to the pool of blood, and HanGuang-Jun will be responsible for killing them. Here,” he patted his chest, “is the target. They won’t pay attention to all of you. Don’t engage in combat, run out as quickly as possible.”

Lan SiZhui’s voice was extremely loud, “How is that possible?! You can’t do it!”

Sect Leader OuYang had given up on stopping his son. OuYang ZiZhen, “Senior Wei, we also want to kill corpses! I can kill a hundred more!”

Lan JingYi even started to take off his own clothes, “I will also draw a flag on myself!”

Wei WuXian was at a loss whether to laugh or frown, and quickly stopped him, “Enough, stop messing around. One target is enough. HanGuang-Jun is all I need to help me kill those corpses. The others can stop making things difficult for me.”

Inside the Demon Slaying Cave, no one knows what happened.

No one knew what the spirit-attracting flag did. However, even if there was one person here right now who was willing to use their own physical body to pull away the crowd of corpses that were about to break through the barrier for the sake of everyone’s safety, it shouldn’t be Wei WuXian!

Lan SiZhui and the others looked like they wanted to say something more, but Lan WangJi stopped them, “Listen to him.”

Immediately after that, he turned towards Lan QiRen and paid a high salute. Lan QiRen opened her eyes, but said nothing. 

Lan SiZhui, “Tuan Lan! HanGuang-Jun, he… he…”

Lan QiRen’s voice was calm, “Of course.”

Lan SiZhui wanted to continue, “But…!!” 

Wei WuXian ordered, “Wen Ning! Clear the way!”

The black lines along Wen Ning’s neck widened, almost covering his cheeks. He stopped holding the corpses. With a long roar from his throat, he carved a trail of blood among the pile of corpses.

And the second wave of corpses, having lost their barrier, finally stepped into the Demon Slaying Cave as well.

Wei WuXian pushed Lan SiZhui hard, “Come on!”