Chapter 112 - The Harem Rescue Project

As soon as his voice fell, seven figures emerged above Penglai Immortal Sect's underground palace. These were renowned figures from various sects, accompanied by a throng of curious cultivators. The who's who of the entire cultivation world had gathered, all with the singular goal of capturing the master of the Tianxu City. Amidst this clamor, Lin Qianshuang listened intently, her spiritual sense extending to catch every word of the heated discussions. The most commonly heard accusations included: The master of Tianxu City colluded with the demonic realm, conspiring to unite and betray the orthodox path of cultivation. The master secretly persecuted the four major cultivation families and infiltrated the five sects with sinister intent. The master knew the whereabouts of the long-lost immortal artifact, the Glass of the Buddha from Penglai Immortal Sect, and claimed it for themselves. Listening to these fervent outcries for justice, Lin Qianshuang found it amusing how peaceful times left these righteous cultivators overly idle, quick to act on unverified rumors and self-assuredly bringing a horde to capture someone. Chen Shangqing clearly spread embellished tales of the intelligence he gathered while undercover over the years, deliberately timing it to coincide with Xiao Lanle's birthday, setting up a trap to lure Mu Weiyin. To his surprise, she and Mu Weiyin had sneaked in through a side entrance of Penglai Immortal Sect, intending to surprise Xiao Lanle, rather than the expected grand entrance of the proud Tianxu City Master through Penglai's front gate. Lin Qianshuang reckoned Chen Shangqing, trying not to raise suspicion, followed Zheng Mingxia's foolish suggestion, leading them into the underground palace of Penglai Immortal Sect. Thus, what they saw now was the crowd of righteously indignant heroes, who had originally lain in wait at Penglai's main gate, unable to stop Mu Weiyin from being captured and now trapped outside the peril-laden underground palace. Outwardly composed, Lin Qianshuang’s mind raced frantically. Oh no! The male supporting character has been reborn for revenge on the female villain! Oh no! Another mastermind with golden fingers! From reading so many rebirth novels, she knew revenge rebirth plots were the most merciless! She found herself grudgingly agreeing with some of the male supporting character’s logic, realizing that in his position, she might make similar choices. But the life of Tianxu City's master was her own life, Mu Weiyin and her fates were intertwined; if anything happened to Mu Weiyin, she’d meet the same end. Concerned, Lin Qianshuang glanced at the masked girl in purple, watching Mu Weiyin standing there calmly, projecting an air of "I know, but I can't be bothered with it," which calmed her own racing heart. With Mu Weiyin's high cultivation level, she had already comprehended every detail of the outside happenings. Her calm demeanor showed her confidence in the situation. Their cultivations weren't weak, so unless there were an overwhelming number of opponents, they should be able to evade capture smoothly. Just as Lin Qianshuang relaxed, a radiant green bead emerged in Chen Shangqing's hand, its pure energy and inherited power left her utterly astonished. She couldn't believe it; this was precisely the bead of inheritance from the first sect master she was seeking! Lin Qianshuang clicked her tongue; Chen Shangqing acted too fast. He had already visited the main tomb once and taken the bead of inheritance, no wonder he seemed so self-assured. Mu Weiyin was momentarily surprised, her gaze toward Chen Shangqing becoming intricate, "Traitor, where did you get this bead of inheritance?" "Mr. Chen had no intention of using the souls of predecessors, but for a devil such as you, he must breach his principles to strike you down! Don't think hiding within the palace leaves us helpless." Chen Shangqing inhaled deeply; the bead of inheritance turned into a red light that entered his brow. Without hesitation, wielding his spirit sword, he launched a series of ferocious attacks towards Mu Weiyin, his aggressive sword field glowing faintly with a cyan-white spirit light. Positioned close to Mu Weiyin, Lin Qianshuang seemed unwilling to back down, tirelessly thwarting his attacks. One careless swing severed half of a few strands of her floating hair. Chen Shangqing's eyes narrowed, and he paused, "Sister Lin, step aside. I don’t wish to harm an innocent." However, if he harmed the city master, it would be jeopardizing her life. The demon baby inside Lin Qianshuang's dantian surged, her eyes returning to a deep blue. She spread her arms resolutely, "Brother Chen, if you insist on harming the city master, you'll have to step over my body first." She shot Chen Shangqing a look, urging him to leave. Even if he acquired all the power of the first sect master's inheritance, he couldn't possibly defeat the ultimate expert Mu Weiyin, her swordsmanship far surpassing his own. Yet Chen Shangqing ignored her glance, coldly stating, "Devil, do you deem it honorable to drag an unrelated person into this fight?" Mu Weiyin flicked her sleeve, sending Lin Qianshuang aside. Her veiled voice remained aloof, "This city master doesn’t need you to fight on my behalf, especially against such an opponent." Lin Qianshuang hit the ground, her arm sore. She rubbed her aching wrist, standing up to anxiously watch the two clash fiercely in the narrow, trap-filled tomb passageway. Though unfamiliar with the layout, every time she came close to triggering a hidden mechanism, Mu Weiyin maneuvered gracefully around it, leaving Lin Qianshuang in a cold sweat with nervous exhaustion. Their swords clashed several times, Chen Shangqing's blade gleaming with a lethal aura. "Devil, is it that you look down on me?" he demanded coldly. Mu Weiyin stood with one hand behind her back, holding her sword scabbard, and remarked calmly, "Those incompetent mortals you directed have successfully restrained the spiritual locking array I set up. If my sword leaves its sheath, it would be as ineffective as not having one at all." Chen Shangqing laughed coldly as he nursed his left hand injured by Mu Weiyin's sword aura, saying nothing more. He knew very well that, with her spiritual energy half sealed and stuck in a child-sized body, Mu Weiyin wouldn’t endure for long without unsheathing her sword. Lin Qianshuang, standing to the side, racked her brain trying to find a way to separate the two without either getting harmed. Amidst this, a screeching sound echoed from the stone wall as Xu Zheng unexpectedly appeared in the passageway, rotating a disk embedded in the wall. “What are you doing?” Just as Lin Qianshuang tried to stop Xu Zheng, it was already too late. The stone bricks beneath the passageway split apart. Mu Weiyin, sensing the shift, adjusted her stance to evade an incoming soft blow directed from below, causing Chen Shangqing to seize the opportunity to strike at her throat. She shifted just in time, causing the blade to graze her shoulder instead. Witnessing the scene, Lin Qianshuang hastily summoned a sword, preparing to intervene in their fight. Seemingly unfazed by the pain, Mu Weiyin pulled out the sword now soaked in blood, moving with ghost-like agility as she spun around to attack Chen Shangqing from behind with a graceful throw of her sleeve. Chen Shangqing turned to see Xu Zheng standing by the mechanism on the wall, narrowing his eyes and shouting a warning before rushing towards him. Suddenly, another trap opened beneath Mu Weiyin, and despite her cool demeanor, her voice shifted as she glanced icily at Chen Shangqing and disappeared into the trap. Lin Qianshuang, shocked by the sudden turn of events, had been close to Mu Weiyin. She aimed to grab Mu Weiyin's hand before the trap closed, but missed her chance at the last moment. She leaned in to peer into the dark hole below, feeling a chill wind suggesting there might be an exit! Looking at the closing trapdoor, Lin Qianshuang acted on impulse. Without time to weigh consequences, she clenched her sword and leaped in after Mu Weiyin. Meanwhile, Xu Zheng, pinned to the rock wall by a sword through his heart, let out his last breath. Mercury poured from his gradually cooling body, cracking the tomb's painted walls, unleashing toxins into the collapsing passageway. The main tomb passage began to fill with silvery liquid, starting to collapse with falling debris overhead. Silently watching Xu Zheng's last moments, Chen Shangqing said, "I can't save you, Shang Ying." Xu Zheng, spitting blood, blurred his vision towards Chen Shangqing, smiling brightly, "Big brother, you are the hope of our Chen family. You mustn't die. I've no regrets. I deserve this for all my wrongdoings. But you, you did nothing wrong, except falling for the wrong woman." Chen Shangqing remained silent, his fists clenching as they pounded against the stone door, causing his knuckles to bleed. Coughing blood with his last strength, Xu Zheng spoke, "The Tianxu City master surely erred, but in your heart, you know the real culprit. If you wish to restore the Chen family, abandon all personal feelings and forget Xiao Lanle; she is merely a stumbling block." Chen Shangqing grabbed Xu Zheng's falling hand, tears gathering in his sword-like eyes as he spoke painfully, "I promise you, Shang Ying, go now. You loved Sister Lin the most in life. I'll find a way for her to be with you, so you're not lonely on your path through the afterlife." With the main tomb passage collapsing, Chen Shangqing knew he couldn't stay. He cast one last look at Xu Zheng's lifeless body, summoned his spirit sword, and flew out by navigating through the falling debris. Back in Penglai Immortal Sect, unknown to all, Xiao Lanle meditated in her cave abode, clueless of the chaos unfolding. She awaited Lin Qianshuang's promised surprise. Her anticipation masked the acute awareness starting to form in her mind. As she meditated, Xiao Lanle felt herself suddenly being carried. Initially, she thought it was Sister Lin taking her, until she heard the unfamiliar clinking of jade plaques. Penglai's jade slips were wooden; this sound was different. Realizing the abnormality, Xiao Lanle jolted awake, finding herself transported to the secret realm for the sect master’s trial, with the entrance firmly closed behind her. The secret realm was a one-way path. Having entered, her only exit was passing the numerous challenging trials to become the sect master. There was no turning back.