Chapter 35: When the Sword Heart Shatters

 

Hua Xiangwan slept soundly in Xie Changji's arms all night. When she woke the next morning, she found him already up, sitting by the window carefully grooming Xiaobai.

She sat up with a yawn, noticing her clothes were loose and carrying Xie Changji's distinctive cool pine fragrance. She must have been restless during the night, perhaps nestling into his arms and refusing to let go.

Feeling slightly guilty, she looked up at him. He wore white robes and a jade crown, with Xiaobai basking contentedly in the sunlight on his lap as he combed through the tiger's fur. His skin was exceptionally pale, and in the morning light, he resembled a sculpture of ice and jade—untouched by the mundane world.

Hearing her stir, he slowly raised his eyes. "Wen Shaoqing and Ming Huo left early this morning without informing us."

"It's alright." Hua Xiangwan slipped off the bed and moved to his side, crouching down to poke Xiaobai's head. The tiger opened its eyes in irritation, and she reached out to rub its face. "He probably used the Dragon-Seeking Compass to find the Blood Token."

"Ming Huo doesn't want you to get the Blood Token," Xie Changji reminded her quietly.

Hua Xiangwan smiled. "Of course. Ming Huo can't wait for Wen Shaoqing and me to part ways immediately."

"You have considerable confidence in Wen Shaoqing."

Xie Changji's tone was measured, his gaze steady. Hua Xiangwan paused, and he looked down at her. "Why?"

"Shall we give Xiaobai a bath?" Hua Xiangwan looked up with a bright smile.

Upon hearing this suggestion, Xiaobai's fur stood on end. The tiger instinctively lunged sideways, but Hua Xiangwan was quicker, catching it mid-leap. She stood, holding the struggling animal. "Come on, you've been rolling around for so long. I'll give you a proper bath."

With that, she walked out.

Xie Changji stared after her silently for a long moment before finally standing and following.

As they emerged from the room, they found Jiang Rong feeding chickens in the courtyard. Seeing them, she smiled. "We need to hurry and find the Blood Token. Those two who came with you seem determined to obtain it."

"It's alright." Hua Xiangwan settled on the veranda, watching Jiang Rong work.

The former goddess was remarkably tall, with particularly long legs. Hua Xiangwan's gaze drifted around the courtyard—there was a small pond, its water carrying a faint briny scent on the wind, with blue lotus flowers floating on its surface.

Hua Xiangwan propped her chin on her hand, observing with growing interest. "Is this pool filled with seawater?"

"Yes." Jiang Rong replied casually. "The previous goddess brought it from the Dingli Sea."

"And you even planted sea flowers?"

At this, Jiang Rong turned around, genuine surprise in her eyes. "You actually know about sea flowers?"

"The clan flower of the merfolk. It grows year-round on the seabed—a vibrant red when underwater, but if grown on the surface, it turns blue. It's said that after a merfolk dies, they store their memories in the sea flower."

Jiang Rong listened quietly. After a moment, she smiled and looked down. "There aren't many people in the world who understand merfolk so well."

After all, merfolk lived in the deep sea and rarely interacted with land-dwellers.

Just as Hua Xiangwan was about to continue, someone suddenly shoved a bowl of noodles toward her mouth. Startled, she turned to find Xie Changji's serious expression as he reminded her, "You need to eat."

Unlike them, if she didn't eat, although she wouldn't die, her body would lack both spiritual energy and sustenance, causing her to suffer malnutrition like ordinary mortals.

She was somewhat stunned that Xie Changji had prepared food for her. Jiang Rong, standing nearby, laughed. "I've been imprisoned for so long—all I have left are some noodles made from spiritual wheat. Daoist Master, your cooking is quite good. Would you make me a bowl?"

Xie Changji didn't respond, his gaze fixed on Hua Xiangwan. She recovered from her surprise, accepted the noodles with thanks, and began eating while chatting with Jiang Rong.

Xie Changji took Xiaobai from her lap and sat beside her, quietly observing their conversation.

The three people and one tiger rested in the courtyard through half the day. As afternoon turned to evening and the temperature dropped, Xie Changji glanced at the darkening sky. "Let's go back inside."

"I'll wait here a while longer." Hua Xiangwan replied casually. "Wen Shaoqing hasn't returned yet."

Xie Changji paused, then sat down without further comment. He took her hand and sent his spiritual energy flowing into her to ward off the cold.

At dusk, Wen Shaoqing and Ming Huo finally returned, travel-worn and dusty. Upon seeing Wen Shaoqing, Hua Xiangwan quickly stood and rushed forward excitedly. "Shaoqing, you're finally back! Are you alright?"

She grabbed his sleeve urgently, her eyes full of concern. "Are you injured?"

"Don't worry." Wen Shaoqing suppressed a smile, glancing briefly at Xie Changji. He gently pulled her hand away. "I'll go rest inside first. We'll talk tomorrow."

The instant he pulled away, Hua Xiangwan felt him quickly trace the word "backyard" in her palm. She immediately slipped a communication talisman into his hand.

The exchange lasted only seconds before they parted.

Wen Shaoqing and Ming Huo entered the house together. As they passed Xie Changji, the scent of ambergris—a perfume worn by women—drifted past. Xie Changji's gaze followed Wen Shaoqing silently before he walked up to Hua Xiangwan.

He took her hand and gently wiped it with a white handkerchief. "Shall we go back to the room?"

"I'm a little hungry." Hua Xiangwan turned to look at him. "Why don't you go catch a pheasant?"

Xie Changji methodically wiped her hand clean, his expression unreadable. "Mm."

He put away the handkerchief, withdrew a fox fur coat from his qiankun bag, and draped it over her shoulders. "It's cold at night. Don't catch a chill."

With that, he turned and walked toward the dense forest.

Once Hua Xiangwan was certain he'd gone far enough, she turned back to look at the guest rooms on the second floor.

Ming Huo and Wen Shaoqing had already entered their respective chambers. After considering for a moment, she returned to her own room. She took out a talisman and inscribed four characters: "Detailed Account of the Backyard." The words quickly vanished into the paper. Hua Xiangwan cut the seemingly blank talisman into a small paper figure, wiped it with her hand, and tossed it out the window.

The little paper figure immediately stood up, climbed the window to the eaves, and silently scurried toward Wen Shaoqing's room.

However, it had only climbed halfway when someone suddenly opened a window and snatched it mid-stride.

Ming Huo held the little paper figure in his palm, wiped it with his hand, and saw the four characters appear: "Detailed Account of the Backyard."

He pondered for a moment, glanced at the adjacent room, considered briefly, then placed the paper figure back on the eaves.

The little figure tumbled and crawled toward Wen Shaoqing's window, squeezing through a crack.

What Ming Huo didn't know was that the paper figure vanished into dust the instant it crossed the threshold.

Sensing the figure's disappearance, Hua Xiangwan glanced toward the next room. After a while, she rose, wrapped herself in the fox fur, and headed to the backyard.

She waited in the freezing cold, wondering when Wen Shaoqing would arrive. Before she could react, someone covered her mouth from behind.

"Ah Wan!" Wen Shaoqing exclaimed excitedly. "I've found the array's core!"

"Where is it?" Hua Xiangwan asked immediately.

Wen Shaoqing didn't suspect anything and explained directly. "Ten miles southwest is the Qian position, and ten miles northwest is the Kun position. The Qian position is where the eyes open—all the spiritual energy within the array flows into it. The Kun position is the most dangerous part. Once activated, even if someone in the Kun position is a Great Luo Golden Immortal, their cultivation will be entirely transferred to the Qian position."

He continued urgently, "Tonight at the hour of the pig, I'll activate the array at the core. Before that, place Xie Changji in the Kun position and wait for me."

"Alright." Hua Xiangwan nodded. "Once you've obtained Xie Changji's spiritual power, I'll immediately inform the Heavenly Sword Sect. Then you can directly capture Ming Huo and send him to the Joyful Union Palace. I'll explain everything to the Heavenly Sword Sect."

She laughed as she spoke. "At that point, Xie Changji will die, Ming Huo will die to atone for his crime, and Qin Yunyi will also perish. Then you'll be the Demon Lord, and I..." She looked at him, her eyes filled with devotion. "Then I won't owe you anything anymore."

Footsteps sounded from outside. Hua Xiangwan said urgently, "Xie Changji is back. I need to go."

She turned and quickly departed. Wen Shaoqing also hurried off in another direction.

At the corner, Ming Huo emerged from the shadows. He looked at where the two had stood conspiring, and after a long moment, sneered.

---

Hua Xiangwan rushed out of the backyard. The moment she stepped through the gate, she saw Xie Changji returning with a pheasant in his arms.

His gaze fell on her fox fur coat while hers locked onto the bird in his hands. "I want stewed chicken."

Xie Changji nodded, watching her hurry back to her room. He called after her, "I put hot spring beads in the bathroom. You can take a bath."

Hua Xiangwan was startled, sensing him staring at her. She touched her face self-consciously, then nodded blankly. "Okay."

Xie Changji watched her retreat to her room, then went to the kitchen and began efficiently preparing the chicken.

Night fell early in the snowy mountains. He'd just placed the chicken in the pot when darkness descended completely.

Footsteps sounded outside. Xie Changji's expression remained unchanged as he began preparing the other ingredients he'd brought back from the mountains.

Ming Huo stood at the door, his voice cold. "Your wife is having an affair, and you, Daoist Xie, are still cooking here? What a fine mood you're in."

Xie Changji didn't speak. He simply placed a fish on the cutting board. The blade scraped against scales, making a crisp sound.

"Tonight, Young Master Hua plans to poison you, place you in a magic array, let Wen Shaoqing absorb your cultivation, then frame me for everything."

Xie Changji seemed not to hear. The blade cut into the fish meat, creating crystal-clear slices. The fish appeared to still be alive—it struggled frantically. Xie Changji held it down steadily, continuing to listen to Ming Huo's words.

"You don't believe me? Do you know what Hua Xiangwan's feelings for Wen Shaoqing truly are? She was only seven years old when they met. At that time, I was just a servant of the Yin-Yang Sect, following our young master to study at the Hehuan Palace. I saw her from afar, fighting with Young Master Qin over Wen Shaoqing."

"Wen Shaoqing, that pathetic wretch, only knew how to cry. But he was fortunate. Later, when the Hehuan Palace fell into disaster, Hua Xiangwan suffered as well. After the incident, she became paralyzed, unable to walk. I even heard she couldn't speak anymore. Wen Shaoqing seized this opportunity to care for her meticulously—teaching her to speak word by word, feeding her, helping her stand. So later, she became utterly devoted to Wen Shaoqing, deeply in love."

Xie Changji's knife moved faster. The fish struggled more fiercely. He gripped its head and scraped one side down to the bone.

"It's said that when Wen Shaoqing fell ill, she refused food and drink to tend to him at his bedside, fearing someone might poison him. She personally tasted every bowl of medicine, damaging her own health. That's why she suffers from chronic stomach pain now."

"When Wen Shaoqing desired a snow lotus, she traveled thousands of miles, risking her life to obtain it."

"Palace Master Wen dislikes Hua Xiangwan and has humiliated her publicly many times. Hua Xiangwan endured it all to maintain her position as Wen Shaoqing's fiancée."

"Daojun Xie, I don't know why you came to the Western Region with Hua Xiangwan, but you should know—for Wen Shaoqing, she's capable of anything."

"You want me to kill Wen Shaoqing?" After cleaning the fish, Xie Changji arranged the fillets on a plate, spread seasoning herbs on top, placed it in the pot, and covered it with a lid.

Seeing him finally react, Ming Huo simply said, "I'm just reminding you to be careful."

"I know." Xie Changji spoke calmly. "Go."

Hearing this, Ming Huo breathed easier, confident that Xie Changji had taken his advice. Even if he didn't kill Wen Shaoqing tonight, he would at least ensure nothing happened to himself.

He bowed and turned to leave.

Xie Changji stood alone in the kitchen, staring silently at the shaved fish skeleton on the cutting board.

---

Using his spiritual power to control the fire, Xie Changji completed the cooking in less than half an hour. He carried the dishes upstairs.

Hua Xiangwan had already bathed and brought out wine. Wearing a light shirt, she sat at the table sipping her drink.

Xie Changji brought in the dishes. Seeing three plates on the table, Hua Xiangwan couldn't help but laugh. "If you ever have nowhere to go in the future, you could become a cook."

Xie Changji knelt opposite her, arranging the dishes carefully. "Ming Huo came to see me."

Hua Xiangwan paused—expected—and simply nodded. "Don't pay him any attention."

"He said you planned to drug me and give my cultivation to Wen Shaoqing."

Hearing this, Hua Xiangwan suppressed a laugh, holding her wine cup. "You believe that?"

"He said that when you were initially unable to move, Wen Shaoqing stayed with you. You couldn't even speak, and he taught you word by word."

Hua Xiangwan took a sip of wine, smiling. "How could it be so exaggerated? It was only a few days of distress. How could I not even be able to speak?"

"I remember that every time you were truly injured before, you would hide so I wouldn't see you." Xie Changji ladled soup into a bowl. "So every time you told me you were badly injured, I knew it wasn't serious. But if you didn't speak, or if I couldn't find you, I knew something had really happened."

He pushed the soup toward her. "Ming Huo might kill Wen Shaoqing."

"How do you know?"

Hua Xiangwan picked up the soup bowl. Xie Changji lowered his eyes. "He brought killing intent."

Hua Xiangwan didn't respond. She slowly drank the soup, then reminded him, "Xie Changji, you came to the Western Region to find the Demon Spirit. Other matters are none of your concern. You don't need to investigate."

"An outsider," she looked up at him steadily, "should remain an outsider forever."

Xie Changji met her gaze, seeing his own reflection in her eyes. "Am I an outsider?"

Hua Xiangwan didn't answer. She lowered her head to finish the last sip of soup, tasted the fish and vegetables, then poured him wine. She raised her hand, holding the cup before him with a smile. "Have a drink?"

Xie Changji looked at the wine cup in her hand. Seeing his hesitation, Hua Xiangwan reminded him, "I urge you to drink this cup."

Xie Changji was silent. After a moment, he took the wine, concealed the motion of drinking with his sleeve, and slowly drank it down.

Hua Xiangwan seemed to know he would agree. She ate fish while resting her chin on her hand, watching him.

Xie Changji set down the cup and looked up at her. Hua Xiangwan smiled. "Find the demon, repay your debt, untie the knot in your heart. Then go back to Yunlai alone."

Xie Changji didn't speak. His eyes began to glaze over.

Hua Xiangwan raised the wine she'd poured for herself, took a small sip, and watched the person before her collapse onto the table with a heavy thud. The smile faded from her face.

"Why come to this filthy human world when you should be staying in the Realm of Life and Death?" she murmured, draining the cup in one gulp. She set it down and stood.

It was cold outside, and it seemed to be snowing. She put on her fox fur coat, took an umbrella from beside the door, and walked out without looking back.

The moment she left, the person slumped over the table opened his eyes. He glanced at the falling snow outside and straightened up.

---

While Hua Xiangwan and Xie Changji had been talking, Wen Shaoqing had already set off.

He carried his zither and hurried toward the array's core. Halfway there, he suddenly heard a call from behind. "Young Master, where are you going?"

Wen Shaoqing turned nervously to find Ming Huo. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's you?"

He looked around, frowning slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw Young Master come out." Ming Huo stepped forward with an explanation. "I was afraid something might happen to you."

"What could happen to me?" Wen Shaoqing's face hardened. "I just wanted to take a walk alone. You should go back first. I—"

Before he could finish, a sharp blade suddenly plunged into his abdomen!

The blade was inscribed with a talisman restricting spiritual power. Wen Shaoqing's eyes widened. He immediately pushed Ming Huo away, staggered backward, and looked at him in disbelief. "You... you..."

He couldn't use his spiritual power, and Ming Huo couldn't either.

Ming Huo looked at Wen Shaoqing, who was retreating while clutching his wound, and smiled. "How am I?"

"You actually..." Wen Shaoqing gasped. "You actually betrayed me!"

"I betrayed you?" Ming Huo seemed amused. "Have I ever been loyal to you? Besides, in terms of betrayal, shouldn't you have been the one to betray first? You are Young Master Qin's fiancé!"

Ming Huo reminded him, advancing as Wen Shaoqing retreated.

"Who is Young Master Qin? You obtained her—why don't you cherish her? What is Hua Xiangwan? You actually wanted to humiliate Young Master Qin like this for a bitch? And you even wanted to frame me?"

Ming Huo shook his head and laughed aloud. "Fool."

Wen Shaoqing didn't speak. He was panting, feeling something spreading through his wound.

The Yin-Yang Sect was skilled in sinister magic. His body grew colder and colder. He glanced around, silently crushed the communication talisman Hua Xiangwan had given him, and coldly reminded Ming Huo, "My mother lit my life lamp. If you kill me, she will definitely kill you."

"I'll kill you?" Ming Huo laughed. "In the Goddess Mountain, you coveted the wife of a Tribulation Transcending stage expert. Who do you think killed you? Why should I kill you? Drowning is your destiny."

With that, Ming Huo lunged forward, raising his knife to strike!

Wen Shaoqing instantly activated a teleportation array, crying out, "A-Wan, save me! Ming Huo is going to kill me!"

The array's light shot into the sky, and Wen Shaoqing vanished from sight.

Ming Huo's expression darkened, surprised Wen Shaoqing possessed such an artifact. He immediately activated his divine sense, searching the forest.

Even a teleportation array powered by spirit stones couldn't travel far. As soon as Wen Shaoqing landed, he clutched his wound and staggered toward the array's core.

He didn't know if Hua Xiangwan had heard his cry for help, or if she was safe. His only hope was to reach the array's core quickly. If he could activate it, he would have a chance to survive.

Ming Huo... he had underestimated him. He actually dared to kill him for a woman!

Wen Shaoqing endured the pain, gritting his teeth as he stumbled forward, blood splattering on the ground.

As he ran, he sensed something wrong.

The surrounding snow was getting heavier, and the dense forest seemed to have vanished, transforming into an endless ice plain.

Realizing something was amiss, he suddenly stopped and began looking around frantically.

Where was he?

He clutched his wound, panting, and drew his sword from his zither.

Only the rustling of falling snow filled the air. This silence intensified his unease. After a long while, he finally heard footsteps slowly approaching across the snow.

Wen Shaoqing turned abruptly and saw Xie Changji dressed in white, wearing a jade crown, and carrying a long sword.

It was a sword forged from white jade, engraved with the words "Question the Heart."

The man walked through wind and snow, his expression seemingly calm, but from the moment he appeared, every muscle in Wen Shaoqing's body tensed.

He stared intently at Xie Changji as he approached.

He knew where he was now.

Wen Shaoqing suppressed the urge to panic and tried to remain calm.

This was Xie Changji's domain.

It was rumored that powerful cultivators at the Tribulation Transcending stage could create their own unique space. Within it, those who entered were like fish on a chopping block—completely at their mercy.

He had been silently pulled into Xie Changji's domain.

This time, Xie Changji was determined to kill him.

Realizing this, terror surged through him.

The two stared at each other in silence. Wen Shaoqing forced a smile. "You dragged me into your domain because you don't want anyone to know you killed me, right?"

Xie Changji remained silent.

Wen Shaoqing tried to reason with him. "If you kill me, my mother won't let you off."

"Yes," Xie Changji replied simply.

Wen Shaoqing knew these words wouldn't intimidate him. His teeth chattered as he tried again. "If I die like this, Awan will mourn me for the rest of her life!"

Hearing this, Xie Changji finally looked up.

He regarded the person before him, his voice steady. "I don't like you calling her that."

"Is that why?" Wen Shaoqing forced himself to stay composed. "Then how about this—let me out. I promise I'll never have anything to do with her again."

"It's too late."

Xie Changji spoke, and Wen Shaoqing felt an immense force slam him into the snow.

He struggled desperately, but the more he fought, the more blood flowed from his body.

Xie Changji slowly drew his sword. The Heart-Questioning Sword came to rest on Wen Shaoqing's spine.

He was like a live fish on a chopping block—struggling fiercely, but utterly helpless.

"I cultivate the Heart-Questioning Sword path. In my life, I have never killed for personal gain. My path seeks the Heavenly Dao, striving to cast aside personal feelings and love, using the eyes of the Heavenly Dao to perceive the laws of the human world."

"Let me go!" Wen Shaoqing cried out frantically. "Let me go! If you kill me, Awan will never forgive you!"

"But now, my sword heart is shattered." Xie Changji's sword tip sliced through Wen Shaoqing's skin, his expression perfectly calm. "Wanwan indulges my desires for my path, seeks my path, experiences human emotions she has never known—for my enlightenment."

Blood splattered. The person beneath the sword screamed in agony.

Slicing across the spine. Severing tendons. Cutting away piece by piece.

Humiliating her.

Harming her.

Deceiving her.

Lying to her.

All the hatred and resentment spread through the blood-red stain as Wen Shaoqing wailed for mercy.

"Let me go! I was wrong, Xie Changji! Let me go!"

"I was wrong—I lied to her! She doesn't love me! She doesn't actually love me! Please let me go, let me go..."

But Xie Changji didn't stop.

The wind and snow grew stronger, snowflakes falling and landing on the struggling figure on the ground.

He calmly watched the flesh and blood flying beneath his sword, as if watching a fish struggle on tonight's chopping board.

Until finally, Wen Shaoqing lay on the ground, only a skeleton remaining. The face that had once attracted countless women's admiration was now reduced to blood-red bones.

Xie Changji looked down at the gasping man and finally sheathed his sword.

Wen Shaoqing was numb with pain. He laughed bitterly. "Xie Changji... you're insane..."

"You'll be punished by heaven for this... You think she'll fall in love with you because of this? Cough cough..."

Wen Shaoqing's voice mixed laughter and tears. He propped himself up and raised his head. "Do you know why she became the Demon Lord? Do you know that in the Hehuan Palace, there's a frozen river with someone buried beneath it? Who is it?"

He laughed harshly. "Do you know who she's fighting so desperately for? Hahahaha, she doesn't love you! She doesn't love me either! You'll never have her! You can die for her and still not have her!"

Xie Changji didn't speak. He lowered his head, his voice steady. "I don't care about the dead."

With that, he wiped the blood from his sword with a handkerchief.

He sheathed the Heart-Questioning Sword and walked away calmly.

Hearing this, Wen Shaoqing seemed instantly enraged. He braced himself, pounding the ground and roaring, "You'll never be as good as a dead man! You'll spend your whole life guarding her, being her dog! One day, he'll come back—he's the one she loved most! Then... I'll be waiting for you! Xie Changji, I'll be waiting for you!"

Xie Changji didn't turn back. He walked calmly across the ice plain, just as he had come.

As he disappeared, the fierce wind and snow unique to the realm of life and death vanished silently.

Wen Shaoqing couldn't see him anymore. His strength instantly evaporated.

He lay on the ground, his consciousness fading.

His entire body ached. He couldn't think of anything, only able to use all his remaining strength to find his only hope.

Ah Wan...

He thought of the first time he saw her in the Hehuan Palace when he was young.

He'd been starving and in pain. He'd secretly taken a steamed bun, only to be discovered.

He cried and tried to escape, but he was too fat and too slow. Just as he was about to be caught, he tripped and fell to the ground. At that moment, a girl's shout rang out: "What are you doing!"

Wen Shaoqing looked up blankly and saw a girl in red clothes and short boots, with a sword at her waist.

She looked about seven or eight years old, more beautiful than anyone he'd ever seen. He stared at her blankly as she turned to look at him.

He lay on the ground clutching a steamed bun, tears and snot still on his face, staring up at Hua Xiangwan in wonder.

"Oh," Hua Xiangwan laughed, "where did this little fatty come from?"

She squatted down and held out her hand to him. "He's quite cute."

A-Wan... he called her name in his heart.

Save me just once.

No matter what I've done, no matter how despicable I am, I just want to have you.

Save me...

He crawled forward, blood forming a winding trail on the ground. He stretched forward with all his might, and suddenly felt the soil beneath him unnaturally soft.

Before he could react, he felt sudden emptiness below. His eyes widened as he plummeted.

Corrosive water surged up, and he struggled frantically.

But drowning gave him no chance. It quickly submerged his head.

His struggle lasted only a moment before the sound of falling snow filled the world once more.

The snow covered the bloodstains, as if nothing had happened.

---

Hua Xiangwan held the jade tablet recording Wen Shaoqing's cries for help, listening to him repeat over and over: "Awan, save me! Ming Huo wants to kill me!"

"Save me!"

"Save me!"

Holding her umbrella, she listened intently as she walked toward the core of the magic array.

Amidst the cries for help, memories flooded back—she saw her former senior brothers and sisters fighting desperately. Hu Mian grabbed her, demanding, "Did you send the message for help?!"

She nodded hurriedly. "Yes, senior sister, I sent it so many times."

"Where are they?" Hu Mian shouted urgently. "Where are they?!"

"I don't know..." Hua Xiangwan shook her head. "I don't know, senior sister. I'll send it again."

She looked up, speaking earnestly. "I sent a message to Qingle Palace. Shaoqing will definitely come with reinforcements!"

Wen Shaoqing...

She smiled as she silently murmured his name, looking ahead.

In the center of the formation, a woman in blue smiled at Hua Xiangwan.

"Oh," Jiang Rong said with a smile, "you've arrived?"

Thoughts on Chap 35:

Xie Changji has always walked the path of Heart-Questioning—a sword cultivator who seeks enlightenment by casting aside personal desires and viewing the world through the eyes of the Heavenly Dao. But Hua Xiangwan, the woman he loves, is in love with someone else. Wen Shaoqing, the man who saved her when she couldn't speak, who she's willing to betray anyone for—including Xie Changji himself. Tonight, she plans to drug him and steal his cultivation for Wen Shaoqing's benefit. Ming Huo wants to kill Wen Shaoqing to eliminate his rival. And Xie Changji? He knows everything. He cooks dinner anyway. Drinks the poisoned wine anyway. And then, in the realm of life and death he controls absolutely, teaches Wen Shaoqing exactly what happens when you humiliate the woman a Tribulation Transcending cultivator loves.