TFOD Chapter 88

Wei Wuxian immediately folded the two pieces of paper and put them back in his chest, surprised, “I didn’t see it wrong, did I? You actually still have spiritual power! Congratulations, congratulations. But, may I ask, if you don’t have ulterior motives, why would you hide the fact that you haven’t lost your spiritual power?”

These two pieces of paper were naturally not the remnants of the “Chaos Soul Script” searched from Golden Carp Tower, but the strange melody Jin Guangyao had played, handwritten by Lan Wangji in the forbidden book room. At that time, Lan Wangji had left a copy for Lan Xichen to check, while Wei Wuxian had casually collected his and Lan Wangji’s copies and kept them on his person. Just now, he had pulled them out to deceive people, making Su She suspicious and anxious. In addition, he had deliberately mocked and repeatedly provoked Su She, which indeed made him agitated. Finally, without Wei Wuxian’s verbal reminder, Lan Wangji suddenly tested him, and Su She was exposed.

The crowd scattered in all directions. Actually, there was no need to, because when Lan Wangji took action, it was like when Wei Wuxian started talking—pressuring every step of the way, leaving no room for negotiation. Su She had to use all his strength to cope just to avoid falling into a disadvantageous position. He stumbled back to the steps, and when he looked down, he saw that he was standing directly in front of the red curse array. Lan Wangji’s expression tightened, and Wei Wuxian thought, “This is bad! He’s going to destroy the array that was just repaired!”

Sure enough, Su She bit the tip of his tongue, took a mouthful of blood, and sprayed it onto the ground, the dense bloodstains covering the dim red traces. Lan Wangji couldn’t bother to continue fighting him, and with his left hand, he slashed across Bichen’s blade, attempting to redraw the array. Su She seized the opportunity to pull out a talisman, throw it to the ground, and a burst of blue flames and smoke billowed up.

A teleportation talisman!

The grave robber in the Chang clan cemetery in Yiyang was familiar with the sword techniques of the Gusu Lan Sect, and Su She was a disciple of the Lan family with an outside surname, which fit the criteria. The misty-faced person who had appeared multiple times was Su She!

Wei Wuxian squatted down beside Lan Wangji and said, “How is it?”

Lan Wangji used his bleeding finger to draw on the ground for a while, then shook his head. The new blood had completely covered and destroyed the original curse seal, and it couldn’t be repaired. Wei Wuxian took his hand, wiped away the blood and ash with his sleeve, and said, “If it’s useless, don’t draw anymore.”

The array was about to break, teetering on the verge of collapse. The Mo Ling Su sect disciples looked bewildered. It seemed that Su She hadn’t told them that they were playing the wrong tune, nor had he told them how to avoid losing their spiritual power. In other words, in the original plan, these Mo Ling Su sect disciples, like everyone else, were meant to die. They were afraid that people would harbor resentment and seek revenge, so they huddled together. However, the Demonic Subjugation Cave was already in a state of panic, and few people cared about taking revenge on them. Several clan leaders grabbed their sons and instructed, “When the mass of corpses rush in, protect yourselves and find a way to escape. You must live no matter what! Do you understand?!”

Jin Ling felt a pang of discomfort listening to this, but deep down, he was also a little hopeful that his uncle would say those words. After waiting for a long time without seeing any indication from him, he couldn’t help but stare hard at him. He stared so intently that Jiang Cheng finally turned his gaze back, his gloom slightly fading, but he frowned and said, “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“…” Jin Ling said rather unhappily, “Nothing!”

Wei Wuxian tore off a clean edge of his sleeve to clean and bandage the wound on Lan Wangji’s hand. Suddenly, a figure rushed out from behind, slashing a sword. Lan Wangji extended his right finger and flicked it. With a clanging sound, he parried the reckless blade with his bare hand. Wei Wuxian took a closer look and said, “Why is it you again?”

The man was shaken back several steps by the force of the flick, falling to the ground. It was Yi Weichun. His eyes were bloodshot as he said, sword in hand, “Wei Wuxian, I don’t believe a single word you said earlier!”

Wei Wuxian said, “The truth has been exposed, Su She has drawn his sword and run away. What else don’t you believe?”

Yi Weichun swung his sword again, shouting, “I don’t believe it! Anything you say, I don’t believe!”

Hatred can blind a person’s eyes, making them refuse to acknowledge anything that benefits their enemies.

At this moment, several terrified screams came from the front, “It’s broken!”

“The array is broken!”

“They’re rushing in!”

Wen Ning single-handedly flung aside a row of ragged fierce corpses, but in the end, he was only one person. Without the barrier of the blood array, the Demonic Subjugation Cave could not withstand the tide-like surge of corpses. The stench and roars instantly filled the entire empty cave!

Jin Ling had never seen so many fierce corpses, and so close at that. He couldn’t help but feel his skin crawl. He gripped the hilt of his Suìhua sword tightly, but suddenly, his palm was pried open, and something cold was placed inside. He lowered his head to look, and said in astonishment, “Uncle?”

Jiang Cheng, supporting himself with the powerless Sandu, stood up, his figure swaying slightly, and said, “You dare try to lose the Zidian and see what happens!”

Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi and others stepped forward with their swords, saying, “Ghost General! We’ll help you!”

Sect Leader Ouyang couldn’t hold back his son and couldn’t stand up. He roared, “Zizhen, come back!”

Ouyang Zizhen, while fiercely wielding his sword, turned his head and said, “Dad, don’t be afraid! I’ll protect you!”

But as soon as he turned his head, a withered claw reached out towards his throat. Sect Leader Ouyang’s heart shattered, and he screamed, “Zizhen!!!”

At the critical moment, a sword blade severed the withered claw. Lan Qiren grabbed Ouyang Zizhen, threw him back into the crowd, and led a group of Gusu Lan disciples forward to fight. He had rested for a long time, and his physical strength had recovered better, his swordsmanship was fierce, and many people were stunned. Lan Sizhui wielded his sword like the wind, when suddenly he heard a metallic sound behind him, and someone blocked an attack from behind for him. Lan Sizhui exclaimed, “Young Master Jin, why are you here too?”

It turned out that Jin Ling, seeing that other people of his age had rushed forward, couldn’t hold back either. Taking advantage of Jiang Cheng’s lapse in attention, he stuffed the Zidian ring back onto his finger, darted out of the crowd, and rushed to the most dangerous area at the mouth of the cave. Jiang Cheng tried to chase him, staggered a few steps while barely managing to swing his sword a few times. He felt like the Sandu in his hand weighed a ton. Two female corpses rushed at him from the left and right. Jiang Cheng cursed, raised his sword to fight again, but another pair of hands tore the two female corpses into pieces, saying, “Sect Leader Jiang…”

As soon as Jiang Cheng heard that voice, he flew into a rage and kicked Wen Ning away, cursing, “You get the hell away from me!” Then he roared, “Jin Ling!!!”

Lan Jingyi shivered, saying, “You should go back! Your uncle is going to eat someone.”

Jin Ling ignored Jiang Cheng’s roars, which were more terrifying than those of the fierce corpse, and said, “You go back!”

Ouyang Zizhen, after being grabbed by his father for a while, rushed up with his sword again, saying, “Wow, this is the first time I’ve realized that Mr. Lan Qiren can wield a sword, and his swordsmanship is so amazing!”

Lan Jingyi said loudly, “Of course! Who do you think the swordplay instructors of Hanguang-Jun and Ze Wu-Jun were before they turned sixteen!”

Sect Leader Ouyang, with a grim face, waved his sword, and yelled at the other people in the Demonic Subjugation Cave who were still dazed, “What are you waiting for! Not fighting is a dead end! These young people are fighting, what are you still sitting there for!”

Inspired by this group of young people fighting bravely, more and more people drew their swords, joining the battle with their meager remaining spiritual power and physical strength. Gradually, the corpses blocking the entrance of the cave were pushed back. From being a completely solid wall, they were pushed back to a line, and after about half an hour, they were reduced to twos and threes. The situation had actually begun to reverse!

When Lan Wangji cut the last fierce corpse that rushed towards him into two pieces, the Demonic Subjugation Cave was already filled with mountains of corpses, and the blood flowed like a river.

Everyone was covered in a crust of black blood, and their chests were filled with a strong, choking smell of blood. After a fierce battle, many people had already collapsed to the ground, unable to even crawl, as indistinguishable from the corpses. Only a few clan leaders and those physically strong teenagers could barely stand with their swords.

Lan Jingyi’s eyes were staring blankly, his face was pale. He said, “I… I’ve never killed so many walking corpses… I, alone, have killed at least thirty, no, forty or more…”

Ouyang Zizhen said, “I… too… am…”

After saying that, the teenagers fell to the ground as if they had agreed to do so, and didn’t want to get up again.

Jiang Cheng, with a great effort, walked to Jin Ling, grabbed him and said, “Are you injured?!”

Jin Ling’s ragged breaths smelled like iron. He said, “No, I…”

Jiang Cheng immediately slapped him to the ground, scolding, “No?! If you have no injuries then I will injure you to teach you a lesson! You brat, are you treating my words like the wind in your ears?!”

However, after slapping him, he couldn’t stand either. He sat down heavily, sucking in his breath, while his gaze drifted over to the two people standing closest to the outside of the Demonic Subjugation Cave.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were in a complete mess. Because Wei Wuxian was wearing black, he looked relatively okay, but Lan Wangji’s white robes were stained with varying shades of black and red, a horrifying sight. The only thing that was still considered clean was the forehead ribbon, which held such special meaning. Bichen was in his hand, still steadily maintaining the flow of spiritual energy.

Everyone was seeing Hanguang-Jun in such a disheveled state for the first time, but they were already too busy taking care of themselves. One person said, “Is it… over?”

Upon hearing this voice, the crowd thought that it was a miracle that Nie Huaisang hadn’t died in such a battle, and his voice was even full of vitality. Indeed, it was a strange thing. No one had the strength to respond to him. Nie Huaisang was almost weeping with joy, “Thank heavens! These walking corpses have finally been killed! It’s a miracle, escaping a disaster. Truly, my ancestors must be protecting me!”

Infected by his solo enthusiasm, several teenagers also cheered, and gradually, more and more people joined in. Amid the cheering, someone from the Gusu Lan side exclaimed in a low voice, “Mr.!”

Lan Qiren’s voice followed immediately, “There’s no need to help me!”

Lan Wangji looked over there, and saw Lan Qiren coughing up a few mouthfuls of blood, then waving his hand, sitting cross-legged on the ground, and starting to adjust his breath.

He quickly stepped forward, took Lan Qiren’s pulse for a moment, and was about to channel spiritual energy when Lan Qiren said again, “No need! The spiritual power hasn’t recovered. This action is like throwing a stone into the sea – futile.”

Lan Wangji withdrew his hand and stood up. Several guest disciples habitually asked, “Hanguang-Jun, what should we do now?”

After asking, they realized their mistake. However, Lan Qiren closed his eyes to rest, seemingly ignoring them. Lan Wangji said, “Take a moment to calm yourselves, then assess the casualties. Treat the injured, don’t delay.”

He was always very intimidating within the Gusu Lan Sect, and the several disciples seemed to have been given a reassuring pill. They responded in unison, “Yes!” Even their breathing sounded stronger. However, they had not even started to move when Wei Wuxian suddenly said, “Quiet.”

His expression was serious, and the crowd immediately fell silent. The several people who were originally cheering and celebrating also quieted down one by one, gazing at him uneasily. In the entire Demonic Subjugation Cave, apart from the faint sound of breathing, there was absolute silence.

Against the backdrop of this silence, another sound became more and more obvious.

It was coming from outside the Demonic Subjugation Cave, the sound of footsteps trampling on dry branches and fallen leaves.

Moreover, it wasn’t just one person’s footsteps, but a dense, endless sea of footsteps.

This time, the people in the Demonic Subjugation Cave didn’t even dare to breathe, and countless terrified gazes were cast towards the outside of the cave. In the black forest, something was slowly swaying and wriggling. The grey and black mass was blurry and indistinct, but as the dragging footsteps continued, the swaying things became clearer and clearer, until even their pale cheeks, skinny hands, and mismatched yellow and red fangs were in full view.

A new wave of corpses.

And, even more than the last one!

The people in the Demonic Subjugation Cave had just seemed to see a glimmer of hope, but in the next moment, a massive wave of despair swept through the entire cave, and a shadow covered everyone. Even Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui and other teenagers were completely enveloped by this terrifying sense of despair, their limbs stiff. Some people seemed unable to accept this despair after hope, and fainted directly. Others cried, their voices weak, but no one had the strength to pick up their sword and fight again.

Even if Wen Ning once again stood in front of the cave entrance, how long could he hold out alone?

Suddenly, Wei Wuxian said, “Hanguang-Jun!”

Lan Wangji turned back to look at him, and Wei Wuxian took a breath, “I want to do something.”

Others were also drawn to his words. Wei Wuxian said, “Will you accompany me?”

Lan Wangji gazed at him steadily, and said clearly and decisively, “Yes.”

Wei Wuxian smiled, and took off his black robe.

Under the black robe was a layer of white clothes, already stained half-red, but it didn’t hinder him from lifting his bloodied hand and tracing a few lines on it.

As the lines became clearer, the people watching his movements were filled with more and more disbelief, as if they were watching some kind of monster. Fang Mengchen stood up directly, his face full of astonishment, “What are you doing?”

Wei Wuxian ignored him, and continued to draw.

By the time he stopped, what he was wearing was no longer a white robe, but a flag.

A flag that would attract all fierce and evil things, onto one person – a Summoning Flag!

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji stood together, and beckoned to Lan Sizhui and the others. The younger generation gathered around, and Jin Ling also wanted to get up, but was pressed back down by Jiang Cheng.

Wei Wuxian said, “When the second wave of corpses comes in later, I will lead them towards the blood pool, and Hanguang-Jun will be responsible for killing them. Here,” he patted his chest, “There’s a target, they won’t pay attention to you. Don’t get caught up in the battle, just rush out.”

Lan Sizhui rarely raised his voice, saying, “How can this do! This absolutely won’t do!”

Sect Leader Ouyang had already given up on trying to hold back his son. Ouyang Zizhen said, “Senior Wei, we also want to kill the walking corpses! I can still kill a hundred!”

Lan Jingyi had already started to take off his clothes, “I also want to draw a flag on my body!”

Wei Wuxian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and hurriedly stopped him, saying, “Alright, don’t mess around. One target is enough, and only Hanguang-Jun needs to coordinate with me in killing the corpses. The rest of you should stop causing trouble.”

In the Demonic Subjugation Cave, no one knew how to face this situation.

Everyone knew what the Summoning Flag was used for. But even if someone was willing to use their own flesh and blood to attract the corpses that were about to break through the array in order to exchange it for the safety of others, that person should definitely not be Wei Wuxian!

Lan Sizhui and the others were about to speak when Lan Wangji said, “Listen to him.”

Immediately, he turned to Lan Qiren, giving him a deep bow. Lan Qiren opened his eyes, and didn’t speak. Lan Sizhui said, “Mr. Lan! Hanguang-Jun, he… he…”

Lan Qiren said calmly, “It should be so.”

Lan Sizhui was still about to speak, “But…!!” Wei Wuxian shouted, “Wen Ning! Clear a path!”

The black lines extending from Wen Ning’s neck suddenly grew longer, almost covering most of his cheek. He no longer intercepted the corpse horde, and let out a long howl from his throat, forcefully clearing a path in the layers of corpses.

And the second wave of corpses that had lost their obstruction, finally stepped into the Demonic Subjugation Cave.

Wei Wuxian pushed Lan Sizhui, “Go!”