When Chu Hanjin arrived at the cave entrance, the disciples from the Far Mountain Sect and the Yin-Yang Sect knelt in grief before the bodies of Liuming and Xue Dao, their eyes filled with hatred and hands gripping their sword hilts, ready to draw at any moment.

Mu Lianchun sighed deeply, “Everyone, please calm down, this tragedy is truly…”

“How can we be calm!?” a disciple from the Far Mountain Sect burst out in anger. 

“Look at our Sect Master before he died; he was knelt, back to the Yin-Yang Sect Master, his hand on the wrist of a disciple, with antidote scattered beside him, clearly treating someone from the Yin-Yang Sect, yet he was backstabbed. How ruthless!”

“And what about the deadly poison in my revered master’s body? It’s your sect master’s unique creation. Wasn’t it your sect that poisoned him first?”

“The audacity…”

Chu Hanjin hurried over and upon seeing the scene, he thought: I’m too late.

He glanced at Mu Lianchun, who stood somberly aside yet with an oddly detached demeanor, no longer the respectful figure he once knew, now almost unrecognizable.

Chu Hanjin felt an uncontrollable rage building. With a swift movement, he summoned his spiritual chain, flinging it forward with both grief and wrath. The chain, like a sword, tore through the air, splitting everything in its path, accompanied by a thunderous roar as it directly targeted the back.

Mu Lianchun, sensing the imminent threat, swiftly turned around.

His eyes met Chu Hanjin’s furious, red-tinted gaze.

He dodged by retreating several meters, a look of shock on his face, as an angry shout filled the air, “Mu Lianchun!”

Chu Hanjin halted his chain and stood firm, his robes fluttering wildly in the tumultuous air, his noble face marred by the dust of battle, anger evident.

Mu Lianchun’s face turned pale for a moment, his eyes dazed as if he saw something unimaginable, then he spat out a begrudging acknowledgment of his teacher. For a moment, Chu Hanjin’s imposing presence reminded him of their old master, authoritative and unyielding.

Mu Lianchun regained his composure, the pallor fading from his face. He began to pace slowly, “Chu Hanjin, you still dare to show your face before me?”

Chu Hanjin retorted, “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Colluding with demons, practicing puppet curses, manipulating the souls of heroes in the Celestial Burial Pit, slaughtering innocents in Wind Willow City, instigating conflicts in Encounter Water City…” Mu Lianchun listed gravely, “Any of these accusations could ruin you, paint you as a villain of the demonic path.”

Chu Hanjin responded coldly, “After all these years, I didn’t know you could accuse someone so blatantly without blushing.”

“Deny it all you want,” Mu Lianchun pointed at the bodies of Liuming and Xue Dao, “Two sects perished in this cave trying to capture you, yet here you stand denying everything in front of their cold bodies!”

The mention of the uncooled bodies shifted the attention of the Yin-Yang Sect and Far Mountain Sect disciples, their hands drawing their swords with a whoosh, their blades gleaming menacingly.

Yue Lin drew his sword in response, aura murderous.

Chu Hanjin placed Yue Lin’s sword back in its sheath, “You speak of the two sects’ uncooled bodies. I’d like to ask you, why did they die in this cave?”

Mu Lianchun challenged, “Are you suggesting I killed them?”

Before Chu Hanjin could speak, Mu Lianchun threw his head back and laughed mockingly, turning to the Yin-Yang Sect Master, “I’ve been with Lan Sect Master the whole time, never leaving his sight. To accuse me of murder is utterly ridiculous.”

A lady in white beside him nodded in agreement, “After we split paths, Sect Master Mu has been with me. It wasn’t until we received the message about Liuming and Xue Dao that we went together to find them, just pulling their bodies out.”

Chu Hanjin countered, “Not you, but what about Bai Gu?”

Mu Lianchun scoffed, “Bai Gu, the current Demon Lord? I don’t know him. You collude with demons, should everyone else be guilty of the same?”

The ugliness of his accusations stripped away any pretense of past affection.

Chu Hanjin no longer wasted words, moving to examine Xue Dao’s body, but was blocked by a disciple, “What are you doing?”

Chu Hanjin replied, “Neither sect leader was killed by us, Lord Bao Yang can attest to that.”

Mu Lianchun looked unexpectedly at Lord Bao Yang.

He had just arrived with Lord Bao Yang, both shaking their heads in denial.

Chu Hanjin inspected the bodies again, turning to the Far Mountain Sect disciple, “How can you be sure it was mutual killing?”

The disciple hesitated but seeing Chu Hanjin’s calm demeanor, began to explain reluctantly, “The sword wound on Sect Master Xue Dao is indeed from our sect master, but the poison in our sect master’s body is also exactly the type that Sect Master Xue Dao had recently developed.”

“But as you said, Sect Master Xue Dao’s posture suggested he was helping someone, facing away from Liuming when he was stabbed. If he intended to poison someone, why would he be treating them and leave his back exposed without any guard?”

The disciple glanced uncertainly, “Are you suggesting the poison wasn’t placed by Sect Master Xue Dao? But he himself said that he had only made three of those poison pills; one was used at the cave entrance, another…”

Chu Hanjin lifted the white jade bottle, “There were three pills. Why is this bottle empty now?”

Lan Sect Master from the Yin-Yang Sect interjected, “We saw Mu Sect Master asking Sect Master Xue Dao for one earlier, hence the empty bottle, that’s correct.”

“Is it? Just so happens that one of them was requested by Sect Master Mu?”

Chu Hanjin crushed the remnants in his fingertips, approached Mu Lianchun, and lifted his palm, “The pill you were given, can you produce it now?”

Mu Lianchun with a mocking smile that looked more pained than amused, “Chu Hanjin, I never thought you’d stoop so low to frame me. A poison pill? It just so happens, I can actually produce it.”

He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a pearl-like pill, shaking it for emphasis before handing it back to the disciples of the Far Mountain Sect, “I didn’t use it; here it is, now what do you have to say?”

Chu Hanjin merely snorted, expressionless, “Lan Sect Master, was he always with you, never out of your sight?”

Lan Sect Master looked puzzled, “To say never left my sight is impossible, but he was only gone briefly, merely moments.”

Mu Lianchun added, “See, just moments. I couldn’t have gone to poison anyone. Your accusations are baseless, what else do you have?”

Instead of clearing up suspicions, this exchange only seemed to absolve Mu Lianchun further. Chu Hanjin’s face remained impassive, not showing defeat, but he knelt down abruptly, slamming his palm against the ground.

Onlookers showed expressions of surprise as golden runes emanated from the ground, the mountain tremored ominously, “creak-creak” continuously, a subtle ripple covering the surroundings. It turned out Chu Hanjin had set several barriers within the mountain.

People were startled, swords drawn again.

Chu Hanjin raised his hand to calm them, “No need to panic. This formation isn’t meant for killing but to find the murderer. Now that the area is sealed by the formation, not even a mosquito can escape, let alone the murderer. We can take our time to search.”

Mu Lianchun’s expression darkened, “What are you trying to do!!”

Chu Hanjin replied, “A person can’t just vanish into thin air. Since it wasn’t you who killed them, nor was it me or Yue Lin, there must be a murderer, right here among us, or at least—” he pointed, “within this cave.”

“This…”

People exchanged glances, unsure what to do.

It made sense, yet it didn’t.

Trapping everyone within the formation, not allowing anyone to leave, seemed overly domineering and hurtful to one’s pride.

Mu Lianchun seized on this, turning to Lan Sect Master and Lord Bao Yang, “Are you going to stand by and watch this farce? He’s treating us like animals, playing house with us, isn’t this ridiculous?”

Chu Hanjin shot back, “Are you panicking?”

Mu Lianchun retorted, “Why would I panic?”

“You want the deaths of Xue Dao and Liuming to be ruled as mutual killing, and you never expected that I would suspect it to be murder. The real murderer is here in the cave, and even if not, the evidence of murder still exists!”

Mu Lianchun’s face soured, “What are you even talking about?”

“I’m saying, let’s go into the cave and see for ourselves.”

Now, no one could stop Chu Hanjin from what he wanted to do.

After a moment of silence, Lord Bao Yang spoke, “Then let’s go into the cave and find the real killer.”

Mu Lianchun exploded, “What if it really was mutual killing between the two sects?”

People exchanged looks, “…Well.”

Mu Lianchun challenged again, “What if they’re just using this as an excuse to lure us into the cave and massacre us all?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

People nodded in realization.

“Scaremongering,” Chu Hanjin scoffed, “You don’t want me to enter the cave because you’re afraid I’ll find Bai Gu, right?”

Mu Lianchun argued, “What do I have to be afraid of? Chu Hanjin, your heart is truly vicious. You’re trying to frame me, but instead, you’re framing yourself.”

Chu Hanjin retorted, “I learned it from you, brother.”

As they accused each other, the others were utterly confused, really unsure of who to believe. But the truth lay right before them; Chu Hanjin and Yue Lin were too strong, their resistance futile. Not cooperating would only mean being trapped in the formation forever.

Lord Bao Yang repeated, “Let’s first clarify the truth about the deaths of Xue Dao and Liuming.”

After speaking, he sat down, laying down Lord Bao Yang on the ground and began to channel spiritual energy into him for healing, closing his eyes to the chaos around him.

From the twin soul curse obtained earlier, the murderer was either Mu Lianchun or Chu Hanjin. Everyone was exhausted, it might be better to let the two of them sort out right from wrong.

As everyone saw Lord Bao Yang sitting down calmly, knowing they weren’t a match for Chu Hanjin, they too sat down.

Chu Hanjin, seeing people’s acquiescence, began organizing the entrance into the cave, first asking the Far Mountain Sect disciple, “Where did you find the bodies of the two sect leaders? Can you lead the way?”

The disciple nodded, “Please follow me.”

Chu Hanjin then turned to the sect leaders, “For transparency, I ask each sect to send two representatives to accompany us, to witness and prevent any manipulation of the truth later on.”

Though still doubtful, people gradually stood up, forming a line, saying, “Let’s go!”

Chu Hanjin politely gestured, “Brother, please.”

Mu Lianchun, however, stood still, unmoved, “You want to find the real killer in this cave, but finding him won’t clear you of the crimes at the Celestial Burial Pit, Wind Willow City, or Encounter Water City. If you don’t find anything, you lose nothing. So why must you insist on entering this cave? Malicious intent is obvious to all, how can you not see it? And yet you dare to follow him inside!”

“Yeah, right…”

Hearing this, the crowd hesitated again, their steps halting at the cave entrance, clustering together in confusion.

Chu Hanjin laughed, “I only want to clarify the truth of the deaths of the two sect leaders. Yet you keep making excuses not to let me in. Could it be that there are still traces inside that you haven’t had time to destroy? Are you in a hurry to erase all evidence of murder?”

Hearing this, they agreed again, “Right, if we don’t hurry, all signs of the murder will be erased!”

Mu Lianchun watched the crowd’s shifting loyalties, feeling like they were a fickle mob, useless and irritating, “Aren’t you afraid of being killed by him once inside?”

“Yeah, that’s true…” Some nodded in agreement.

The obstacles to merely entering a cave seemed endless. Yue Lin, impatient, fingered his sword hilt, “If I wanted to kill you, could I not just do it here with a raise of my hand? Why would I need to lure you into a cave???”

His arrogant words made everyone’s faces show indignation, but it seemed to be true, making it hard for anyone to retort. Finally, someone said, “Either way, it’s a death sentence, let’s go in together and see what tricks are being played.”

The situation was settled, Chu Hanjin spoke, “Brother, any more excuses?”

Mu Lianchun’s face was stormy, and falling into a disadvantage in this verbal duel, he slapped his hands together in realization, a look of epiphany, “Ah, I understand now, you two just want to kill me, right?”

The fierce argument led the Yin-Yang Sect Master to stand up, “Then I will accompany Mu Sect Master to provide support. I will witness everything inside the cave and report truthfully to everyone.”

“Thank you, then, Lan Sect Master.” Chu Hanjin bowed to her.

After bowing, he asked, “Brother, can we enter now?”

Mu Lianchun’s expression darkened, and he turned and walked into the cavern.

As he stepped inside, the chill enveloped him. The sound of water dripping continuously within the cave, they walked along the narrow passage for about fifteen minutes until they reached a large stone. The Far Mountain Sect disciple said, “This is where we found the bodies of the two sect leaders.”

Bloodstains marked the ground, not yet dry, dampened by water, a harrowing sight.

Chu Hanjin nodded, “Understood.” He continued forward, walked about a hundred steps, and saw a very thin natural stone bridge spanning a crevice with a pool on the other side, formed by mountain springs. The Far Mountain Sect disciple examined the water and said, “The poison dissolves in water and evaporates upon contact with water. This water retains a faint trace of poison; it must have been where the poison was activated.”

Chu Hanjin then walked further from the pool, similarly about a hundred steps, then returned and reported, “The footprints from the pool outward are chaotic, as if many people had panicked and trampled the area, but going inward, they are neat and few, proving that people had lingered here after discovering the poisoning.”

People nodded, “Makes sense.”

Chu Hanjin looked up, the cave was very spacious here, tens of meters high, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling, dark but illuminated by torchlight, you could see huge cracks in the rock walls.

Chu Hanjin suggested, “These crevices could hide someone. If we search, we can’t easily overlook this area.”

Yue Lin spoke, “I’ll go up and check.”

He leapt up, stepping on the rock protrusions to ascend, and turned on a protruding platform, announcing, “There are footprints here.”

The high platform was covered in fine dust, and the pressure from stepping down made footprints easier to spot. Moreover, the ground was moist, but the platform was dry, making the footprints from wet shoe soles more pronounced.

Chu Hanjin said, “It seems they went up to search.”

Though puzzled, the others nodded.

Mu Lianchun watched coldly, “With such conclusions, what can you actually discover?”

As he finished speaking, Yue Lin called out, “There are cracks in the stone platform, and footprints go into the cracks.”

Chu Hanjin’s gaze lifted slightly.

He wanted to know exactly this.

According to Mu Lianchun’s scheme, which aimed to make the six sects slaughter each other or at least make it appear they were, he must have used Xue Dao’s poison to kill Liuming, and Liuming’s sword to pierce Xue Dao. Chu Hanjin had guessed earlier that it was Mu Lianchun’s intention to take the poison, hand it to an accomplice to poison Xue Dao, wait until both were unconscious from shock, then take the remaining pill back, giving it to Mu Lianchun. This way, he could kill and clean his hands of the crime.

And how did that poison work? There must be other paths within this cave that allowed movement back and forth.

Chu Hanjin also climbed onto the platform, saying, “Let’s go in and see.”

At this point, the cultivators stepped forward, entering the dark, narrow path.

The entrance was tight, and they smelled the damp rock. Only a few hundred steps in, they encountered a fork; turning left, they appeared atop the large stone where the bodies of Liuming and Xue Dao were found; turning right, they came out a few steps later at a crevice in the high platform of the fork. Both paths were highly concealed, hard to detect.

Chu Hanjin faced Mu Lianchun, “Do you have anything to explain?”

Mu Lianchun retorted, “Condemned if you have to, there is no shortage of excuses.”

“You!”

Chu Hanjin, overwhelmed with anger, “After all this, you still won’t admit it. Why are you so determined to see me dead?”

The cave was only lit by the torches they brought, the flickering fire casting complex shadows across Mu Lianchun’s face, making his features shift subtly as his gaze lingered on Chu Hanjin for a moment before drifting away, “You don’t understand, and neither do I. Why are you so determined to see Far Mountain Sect destroyed?”

“I have never sought Far Mountain Sect’s destruction!”

Mu Lianchun spelled out each word, “You colluded with the demon lord, fathered a child, committed wrongdoings and should admit and accept punishment. Yet now, you’re desperately framing me, trying to drag me down with you. Far Mountain Sect can survive without you, but without me, Far Mountain Sect is nothing.”

These words left everyone else confused, assuming it was just another quarrel between the two sect brothers. But to Chu Hanjin, the meaning behind them was crystal clear and more poignant.

Mu Lianchun resented him.

Resented him for not taking the fall, at least to preserve Far Mountain Sect’s reputation. At the root of it, if Mu Lianchun were also ruined, his own name couldn’t be cleared, and with the pillar of Far Mountain Sect gone, the sect would truly be doomed, without a single good day ahead.

Chu Hanjin, holding his sword, closed his eyes, “The sins you’ve mentioned, I’ve never committed. Being with Yue Lin and having a child is not a crime. On the contrary, you inciting the six sects, attempting to reignite warfare, that is the real unforgivable sin.”

“What?”

Everyone widened their eyes in shock, staring in disbelief.

Mu Lianchun hummed a questioning tone, feigning ignorance, “How so?”

Chu Hanjin’s voice was chillingly cold, “Stop denying it.”

“Denying what?” Mu Lianchun pressed, “I want to know what you are desperately trying to pin on me. To salvage your so-called pure reputation? To continue your life with Yue Lin? Or for your child?”

His voice lowered, his demeanor calm, but Chu Hanjin could hear the questioning behind these words.

Is your pure reputation more important than the future of Far Mountain Sect?

Is your life with Yue Lin more important than the future of Far Mountain Sect?

Is Chu Zhaoyang more important than the future of Far Mountain Sect?

No, that’s not right at all.

Chu Hanjin stated, “You think I’m doing all this for myself? Wrong. I’m not just proving my innocence; I’m stopping your deadly schemes, preventing the upcoming massacre, the rivers of blood. The first plaque in the main hall of Far Mountain Sect reads ‘Justice’. It has illuminated the sect for four hundred years, the lamp there never extinguished. Father once said, ‘As long as the light doesn’t go out, Far Mountain Sect will endure.’ Up to now, you and I are the ones who kept the lamp burning. It hasn’t gone out for centuries, and now, I won’t let it extinguish in your hands.”

His voice was steady, flowing slowly in the cave.

There was a brief silence before Mu Lianchun replied lightly, “Is that so?”

“Brother.” Chu Hanjin called him.

Mu Lianchun looked up.

Chu Hanjin, in that one word, held decades of comradeship, and endless regret, “You’re wrong this time.”

Mu Lianchun remained silent, hands clasped behind his back, scanning around.

Chu Hanjin couldn’t help but add, “The cave won’t go any deeper, the person hiding inside will soon be dragged out. Are you going to keep resisting?”

It was a deadlock. Mu Lianchun had no way out.

Yet Mu Lianchun didn’t speak, instead pacing back and forth, tapping his forehead lightly, repeating, “The master once said: ‘As long as the light doesn’t go out, Far Mountain Sect will endure.’ It hasn’t gone out for centuries, and I won’t let it extinguish in my hands.”

“As long as the light doesn’t go out, Far Mountain Sect will endure.”

“The light…”

Pacing and tapping his forehead, Mu Lianchun suddenly stopped and raised his head, smiling slightly, his brows raising, giving him a handsome, yet somewhat tragic look, “Ah, little brother, little brother…”

Chu Hanjin stepped forward, “Brother.”

“What exactly is this fire, then?” Mu Lianchun asked, “What is this fire that the master asked us to tend to?”

Chu Hanjin’s eyes widened slightly, while Lan Sect Master and the twelve disciples from the six sects sensed something, backing away to stand behind Chu Hanjin.

Mu Lianchun, hands still behind his back, appeared reflective, “It’s always been like this since we were young. Although you don’t talk much, when it comes to arguments, it’s hard to out-talk you.”

Chu Hanjin knew he was yielding, “Brother…”

“Back when you swung that chain at me, it was with such force, it reminded me of the times we were punished by the master, a chill on my back.” Mu Lianchun spoke, “You’ve always called me brother, showing you still have feelings for me.”

Lan Sect Master, already aware of the right and wrong, glanced at the other cultivators before departing, “I’ll go report to the other sect masters.”

As they left slowly, Mu Lianchun watched them go, hands still behind him, speaking to Chu Hanjin, “And I, how could I not feel the same? Decades of being brothers, every time I thought of harming you, my heart couldn’t bear it, it was extremely painful.”

Inside the cave, voices echoed, drops of water breaking faster.

Mu Lianchun closed his eyes, gazing at Chu Hanjin with a smile, almost like the lively and bright blue-robed boy from ten years ago, “Little brother, call me brother one more time.”

Chu Hanjin sensed something amiss, “Brother…”

Before he could finish, light footsteps came from the end of the cave, a figure in a long green robe, with gentle eyes.

Mu Lianchun spoke, “About three years ago, I met Bai Gu while traveling in the North Realm, and we hit it off instantly, finding a kindred spirit. We shared many similar thoughts, drank together, toured mountains and waters, cursed the Immortal and Demon paths together, and studied forbidden and evil arts, living quite happily!”

“We devised this plan together, wanting to kill all the greedy people in the world. For this plan, I waited three years, and he waited over a decade…”

“We have no way back,” Mu Lianchun’s dark eyes fixed on Chu Hanjin, “Little brother…”

His lips moved slightly, forming two words.

One up, one down, the lower jaw slightly drooping.

But the words were incredibly hoarse, barely audible before his eyes were enveloped by a gray-white color, veins crawling up from behind his ears, blood vessels creeping into his eyes, his vision overtaken, only managing a hoarse “grrr…”

What he wanted to say, no one knew anymore.

The speed of the puppet curse entering his spirit was so fast, it took over all his senses in an instant, turning him into a cold, indifferent puppet, the cheerful smile on his lips frozen. Bai Gu stepped forward, finishing his sentence for him, “Ah Wan always hesitated to kill you, so he asked me to curse him. If he ever faced you again and began to waver, unwilling to kill you, he wanted me to control his mind and kill you for him.”

“Brother!”

Chu Hanjin cried out hoarsely, his mind a blank, reaching out desperately for Mu Lianchun’s arm but was deftly avoided, retreating several meters away, his hands suddenly rising like those controlling a puppet, his fingers rapidly lifting.

The cavern was actually a grotto, now suddenly shaking as if something enormous was furiously rattling it, the stream of mountain springs abruptly speeding up, trickling down incessantly. Shadows emerged from the dark crevices in the rock walls, growing into large, bizarre shapes, the summoned endless puppets.

The puppets moved quickly, opening up the earth’s cracks, threatening to block Chu Hanjin’s path as they struggled to escape. As they grabbed at the fleeing cultivators, their limbs broke but they didn’t stop; as long as they could grab a cultivator, they would tear them into pieces like rag dolls, inserting the limbs into their own bodies to form new components.

Chu Hanjin was trapped by the puppets, fighting his way toward Mu Lianchun, dodging the chaotic wind and rain of falling rocks, about to reach him when suddenly a “clang” plunged everything into darkness—

Something huge had rapidly fallen, too large, bending Mu Lianchun’s back as it smashed into his shoulders, sinking his legs into the mud.

Mu Lianchun’s left arm was broken, but his right still controlled hundreds of puppets, continuously emerging from the cracks in the soil, aiming to stop Chu Hanjin’s escape.

Chu Hanjin, blood in his voice, shouted, “Brother—”

The storm and noise of falling rocks made all speech sound insignificant, Yue Lin knew Bai Gu must die for this situation to resolve, stepping over the rocks, heading straight for the figure in green on the high platform.

The puppets grabbed at his ankles, trying to pull him down, but were instantly sliced by his sword energy, dropping like heavy stones.

Bai Gu looked at him, surprisingly not fleeing, “Nine.”

“Puh-ch—”

No reply, no words.

Yue Lin, expressionless, thrust his sword into his waist.

It was quick and clean.

Without pause, Yue Lin jumped down from the high platform, hearing Bai Gu’s faint voice behind him, “Killing me, what’s the use? I’ve won.”

Yue Lin turned back, “You lost.”

Bai Gu chuckled weakly, “You and your beloved are my funeral offerings, still proud?”

His tone suddenly became strange, as if something was stuck.

A bloodied hole.

In his slightly widened eyes, Yue Lin withdrew his dagger,

No more words, he hurried towards Chu Hanjin.

The narrow bridge was cut off, a huge rock blocked the path for Mu Lianchun and Chu Hanjin to come out, only showing two figures faintly visible in the storm. Chu Hanjin gathered energy, his long sword howling, gathering a silver-white light, fiercely striking at the huge rock.

“Boom!” The rock exploded, sharp stones cutting through his clothes and arms. His eyes were attacked by countless stones, Chu Hanjin went dark, held by an arm around his waist, the skin on his body didn’t feel the expected pain.

In the dust, Yue Lin shielded him from the flying rocks, blood in his eyes, he leaned in and kissed beside Chu Hanjin’s lips, “Does it hurt?”

Chu Hanjin, “Yue Lin—”

“You’ve done enough, let him and his puppets be buried in the mountains forever, never to emerge.”

Yue Lin pressed his forehead against Chu Hanjin’s, kissed heavily, “Now, let’s face everything outside together.”

Chu Hanjin’s eyes dripped with blood, looked back at the chaotic stones.

Stones rained like dust, the cave echoed with chaos, Mu Lianchun lost control, standing dazedly, no longer ferocious, his body battered, rather like a lost child.

Chu Hanjin recalled the lip shape Mu Lianchun made before regaining consciousness, the two words he didn’t say out loud, were—

“Quickly—”

Chu Hanjin, his white robes fluttering wildly, seemed to split with a certain memory, gripping Yue Lin’s hand tightly, “We, we…”

They climbed over the chaotic stones.

The stalactites crashed down behind them, the earth shook, this path of theirs Yue Lin’s sword was extremely sharp, breaking through the blocking puppets and rocks, his agile leaps, hearing the roar of the breaking mountain ridge behind them.

Closer and closer, as if a fierce beast was chasing.

If caught by this roar, they would be consumed.

The path narrowed, cutting required more and more spiritual energy, the dust clogged their noses, hearts pounding as if a massive mountain was collapsing within.

Light appeared faintly ahead, as the darkness of the collapsing hills fell suddenly, Yue Lin raised his sword, a purple-red lightning “zzzt” streaked out, almost like a long rainbow piercing the day, carrying the weight of half a collapsed mountain, the lightning crackling, leaving a line of light.

Chu Hanjin gripped Yue Lin’s hand, was kissed by him among the bloody scent, “I love you.”

Chu Hanjin smelled the intense blood, not knowing where Yue Lin was injured, his eyes dripping blood tears, breathing hard, “Yue Lin…”

Before him, something collapsed, swaying.

Swaying into several images, overlapping, then parting.

Chu Hanjin’s mind blanked, as if turned to a rigid corpse, gripping Yue Lin’s wrist, with all his might, climbing towards that faint light—

•

“Have the people been rescued?”

“Do not panic, Your Majesty, Moonlit Lord and… his partner have both been brought out. Moonlit Lord dragged him out bit by bit, desperately holding onto him, although Moonlit Lord is seriously injured, his partner is even more battered and barely intact, but the people from Far Mountain Sect are urgently treating them, there should be no danger to their lives.”

“What about the others?”

“Of the twelve who followed Moonlit Lord into the cave, along with Lan Sect Master, six came out, the rest died in the cave.”

“Sigh…”

There was a moment of silence before asking, “And Mu Lianchun?”

“He and the Demon Lord Bai Gu, both died in the mountains.”

In the slightly clear weather, Lord Bao Yang stood in the woods, hearing this, he put down Lord Bao Yang in his arms, “I’ll go over and take a look.”

“Alright.”

Lord Bao Yang walked with his hands behind his back towards a collapsed mountain range, where the cultivators waiting outside had heard the roars from inside the mountain, guessing that the mountain was likely to collapse, and had quickly retreated dozens of meters. Indeed, the mountain range, which had a sharp arch at the top, now looked like it had been snapped in half.

Passing by the side of the mountain, you could still see a long sword lodged in it, blood-red, somehow holding up, preventing the collapsed mountain from falling further.

Lord Bao Yang walked for a while until he reached the temporary wooden shelter set up by the Far Mountain Sect. They had cut down trees and bamboo, making several simple beds, with several severely injured cultivators lying on them.

Before he got close, he asked, “How is Moonlit Lord?”

The cultivator checked his pulse, “His wounds aren’t deep, but his soul has somewhat dissipated, and he’s suffered a great shock.”

Lord Bao Yang nodded, “Please take good care of them.”

The other responded. Lord Bao Yang intended to leave, then remembered, “And his partner?”

Far Mountain Sect cultivator gestured to the same bed.

Lord Bao Yang, “Hmm?”

He only saw half a head of black hair, a bulge that looked like a box, assuming something was stored inside. When he realized it was a person, his expression turned solemn, “He…”

Far Mountain Sect cultivator solemnly nodded, “Yes, his legs were crushed by the rocks, his right arm is also broken, only his left arm remains—”

Far Mountain Sect cultivator gently lifted the white cloth, Lord Bao Yang saw two hands clasped together, one pale and bloodied, the other thin and bloodied, fingers tightly locked.

“They’ve been like this since they were brought out of the mountain, hands always holding on, impossible to pull apart.”

Lord Bao Yang frowned, his gaze continued upward, glimpsing Moonlit Lord’s partner, almost smashed to pieces, feeling a complex mix of sorrow.

He had always known Chu Hanjin practiced a path of detachment, devoid of desires. He had never expected him to find a partner, and now seeing how deep their bond was, added to his sadness.

But what saddened him more…

His partner, after this ordeal, had been crushed terribly, most likely crippled. How would Chu Hanjin spend the rest of his life?

He understood the hardships of having a partner, heavily sighed, and walked to Yin-Yang Sect’s Lan Sect Master’s sickbed, looking at her, “How do you feel, Lan Sect Master?”

Lan Sect Master shook her head, “I’m fine, but Moonlit Lord is seriously injured.”

They sat in silence for a while, then Lord Bao Yang before leaving said, “If you have time this afternoon, come over, Lan Sect Master. We need to discuss the gains and losses of this operation.”

Lan Sect Master nodded, “Okay.”

The voice gradually faded, only the cool breeze blew through this small building.

In the afternoon, people from the six sects all left, sitting under the bamboo grove in a circle, discussing the losses from this operation.

Intermittent voices were carried by the wind, the sickbed’s white sheets occasionally lifted by the breeze, revealing two pairs of tightly held hands.

Not sure how long the wind blew.

Gradually, the pale fingers slowly moved, as if infused with spiritual energy, awakening.

Then the fingers twitched twice, sensing another set of fingers in their palm, they suddenly gripped the distinct knuckles tightly.