TFOD Chapter 115

If this sword had succeeded, even if it couldn’t subdue Nie Mingjue, it could have bought some time. However, because of Su She’s sudden outburst, the sword was infused with too much spiritual power, exceeding its limit. Halfway through the swing, it snapped into several pieces with a “clang”. Nie Mingjue’s palm, however, struck his chest directly.

Su She’s brilliance was fleeting. He didn’t even have time to spit out a mouthful of blood or utter a dignified or vicious last word. The light in his eyes instantly extinguished.

Jin Guangyao, slumped next to Lan Xichen, also witnessed this scene. Whether it was from the increasing flow of blood from his severed hand and abdomen, or for another reason, there was a faint glint of tears in his eyes. But there was no time for him to catch his breath or lick his wounds. After withdrawing his hand, Nie Mingjue turned back, glaring fiercely in his direction.

The cold, stern scrutiny on that rigid face was exactly the same as when he was alive, the very look Jin Guangyao feared the most. Even the tears were scared back, and Jin Guangyao’s voice trembled as he pleaded for help, “Second brother…”

Lan Xichen turned his sword, while Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji also urged their melodies to a faster pace. However, the whistle had been broken, and it was much more difficult to make it work again than before. At this moment, a voice suddenly called out, “Wei Wuxian!”

Wei Wuxian immediately responded, “What?”

Only after answering did he realize that it was Jiang Cheng who had called him, and Wei Wuxian was slightly surprised. Jiang Cheng didn’t answer directly, but took something from his sleeve, and tossed it. Wei Wuxian subconsciously reached out and caught it. Looking down, he saw a black, glossy flute body with a bright red tassel.

The Ghost Flute, Chenqing!

The moment his hand touched the flute he was so familiar with, Wei Wuxian couldn’t even be bothered with surprise. Without thinking, he raised it to his lips and called out, “Lan Zhan!”

Lan Wangji nodded slightly. No more words were needed. The sounds of the guqin and the flute began to play together. The guqin was like an icy spring, the flute like a soaring bird. One was suppressing, the other was guiding. Under the harmonious combination of the two, Nie Mingjue’s body swayed. Finally, he was half-forced to move his feet away from in front of Jin Guangyao.

Step by step, under the control of the combined guqin and flute melodies, he stiffly walked a second time towards the empty coffin. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji followed him step by step. As soon as he tumbled into the coffin, they simultaneously kicked the ends of the coffin lid, sending the heavy lid flying up and then down. Wei Wuxian nimbly flipped onto the coffin head, tucked Chenqing back into his waist, swiftly bit his right finger, and with the fluidity of flowing clouds and water, painted a series of wild, bloody runes on the coffin lid, without pause, completing it in one stroke!

At this point, the beastly howling sounds inside the coffin gradually ceased. Lan Wangji held down the trembling seven strings, halting the notes of the guqin. Wei Wuxian lightly exhaled, cautiously sensing the situation for a moment. Confirming that there was no power beneath the coffin lid, he then stood up and said, “He’s really bad-tempered, isn’t he?”

He stood on top of the coffin, towering high above. Lan Wangji put away his guqin, and with his light-colored eyes, looked up at him. Wei Wuxian lowered his head, his right hand unconsciously scratching that fair and clean face, and whether it was accidental or intentional, he left several red bloody streaks on it. Lan Wangji didn’t seem to mind, saying, “Come down.”

Wei Wuxian smiled and jumped down, and was caught by him.

The situation here had quieted down somewhat. Over there, Nie Huaisang started to cry out in pain.

He said, “Xichen-ge! Come and help me! See if my leg is still connected to my body!”

Lan Xichen went over and, after examining him, said, “Huaisang, it’s alright. Don’t be so scared, your leg isn’t broken. It’s just a puncture wound.”

Nie Huaisang said, terrified, “Punctured! How can I not be scared when I’ve been punctured! Was I pierced all the way through? Xichen-ge, help me!”

Lan Xichen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and said, “It’s not that serious.”

Nie Huaisang was still rolling around on the ground, holding his leg. Lan Xichen, knowing that he was most afraid of pain, took out a medicine bottle from his robes and placed it in Nie Huaisang’s hand, saying, “For pain relief.”

Nie Huaisang quickly took the medicine to eat, saying as he did so, “Why am I so unlucky? I was inexplicably grabbed halfway by that Su Minshan. He was already running away and still stabbed me with a sword! Couldn’t he just have pushed me away? Did he have to use a sword…”

Lan Xichen rose and turned around. Jin Guangyao was slumped on the ground, his face as pale as paper, his hair slightly disheveled, his forehead covered in cold sweat, a pitiable sight. Perhaps the pain from his severed hand was too much, and he couldn’t help but groan softly twice. He raised his eyes to look at Lan Xichen. Although he didn’t say anything, just his posture of clutching his severed wrist and his utterly miserable expression, it was hard not to feel pity.

Lan Xichen watched him for a moment, sighed, and still took out his own medicine.

Wei Wuxian said, “Sect Leader Lan.”

Lan Xichen said, “Young Master Wei, he is… in this state, he shouldn’t be able to do anything more. If we don’t treat him now, I’m afraid he’ll die on the spot. There are still many things we haven’t asked him.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Sect Leader Lan, I understand. I’m not saying you can’t save him, I’m just reminding you to be careful of him. It’s best to silence him, don’t let him speak again.”

Lan Xichen nodded slightly and said to Jin Guangyao, “Sect Leader Jin, you’ve heard it. Please don’t do any more pointless actions. Otherwise, just in case, if you make any move, I won’t show any mercy…” He took a deep breath and said, “I’ll take your life.”

Jin Guangyao nodded and said softly, “Thank you, Zewu-Jun…”

Lan Xichen leaned over, carefully treating the wound on his severed wrist. Jin Guangyao was shaking all over. Seeing his once illustrious sworn brother reduced to such a state, Lan Xichen didn’t know what to say, and could only sigh in his heart.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji walked together to the corner. Wen Ning was still half-collapsed in an awkward position on top of Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling. Wei Wuxian laid him flat on the ground and examined the black hole in his chest, becoming very worried, “Look at you… what should we use to plug that.”

Wen Ning said, “Young Master, am I very serious…”

Wei Wuxian said, “Not serious. You don’t need the organs there anyway. But it’s ugly.”

Wen Ning said, “I don’t need to be pretty…”

Jiang Cheng was silent, while Jin Ling hesitated to say anything.

Over there, Lan Xichen was treating Jin Guangyao’s wound. Seeing that Jin Guangyao was about to faint from the pain, Lan Xichen, who had originally wanted to take this opportunity to punish him, couldn’t bear it in the end, and turned back, saying, “Huaisang, give me that medicine bottle from earlier.”

Nie Huaisang, having eaten two pills to relieve the pain, had put the medicine bottle back in his robes. He quickly replied, “Oh, okay.” He lowered his head, rummaging for a while, and just as he was about to hand it to Lan Xichen, his pupils suddenly contracted and he said in utter terror, “Xichen-ge, behind you!”

Lan Xichen had not let his guard down against Jin Guangyao, and his mind had been tense the whole time. Upon seeing Nie Huaisang’s expression, and hearing his cry of alarm, his heart went cold. Without thinking, he drew his sword and thrust it behind him.

Jin Guangyao was pierced squarely through the chest by the sword, his face full of shock.

Everyone else was also taken aback by this sudden turn of events. Wei Wuxian suddenly stood up, saying, “What happened?!”

Nie Huaisang said, “I, I, I… just saw Third Brother… no, saw Sect Leader Jin reach behind himself. I don’t know if he was…”

Jin Guangyao looked down at the sword piercing through his chest, his lips moving, wanting to speak, but because he was under a silencing spell, he was unable to defend himself. Wei Wuxian felt that something was not right. Before he could ask any questions, Jin Guangyao coughed up a large mouthful of blood and said in a hoarse voice, “Lan Xichen!”

He had actually forcibly broken through the silencing technique himself.

Jin Guangyao was now covered in wounds, his left hand burned by the poisonous smoke, his right wrist severed, a chunk missing from his abdomen, his whole body stained with blood. He had struggled to even sit, but now, perhaps it was a last flare of energy, he had actually managed to stand up on his own and shouted again, hatefully, “Lan Xichen!”

Lan Xichen looked extremely disappointed, and also deeply saddened, saying, “Sect Leader Jin, I told you. If you were to make another move, I would show no mercy.”

Jin Guangyao spat out a mouthful of blood, saying, “Yes! You did say that. But did I?! ”

He, who had always presented a gentle and refined, graceful appearance before others, now revealed such a crude and savage side. Seeing his greatly abnormal appearance, Lan Xichen also realized something was wrong, and immediately turned to look at Nie Huaisang. Jin Guangyao laughed, saying, “Enough! What are you looking at him for? Don’t look! What can you see? Even after all these years, I didn’t see through it either. Huaisang, you’re really something.”

Nie Huaisang was dumbfounded, seemingly too scared to speak by his sudden accusation. Jin Guangyao said hatefully, “I actually fell into your hands like this…”

He tried to walk towards Nie Huaisang, but the sword was still piercing his heart. He had only taken one step before his face showed pain. Lan Xichen could neither give him a fatal blow nor rashly pull the sword out, and blurted, “Don’t move!”

Jin Guangyao couldn’t move anymore. He grabbed the blade in front of his chest to stabilize himself, spat out a mouthful of blood, and said, “Well then, ‘I know nothing’ ! No wonder… hiding for so many years, you’ve really worked hard!”

Nie Huaisang trembled, saying, “Xichen-ge, believe me. I really did see him just now…”

Jin Guangyao’s face twisted in fury, and he shouted, “You!”

He tried to pounce at Nie Huaisang again. The sword pierced another inch into his chest. Lan Xichen also shouted, “Don’t move!”

Before, he had suffered countless losses from Jin Guangyao and been fooled countless times by him. This time, he was also inevitably wary, suspecting that Jin Guangyao was only deliberately counter-attacking because Nie Huaisang had exposed his actions, in order to distract him again. Jin Guangyao easily read the meaning in his eyes, and laughed with rage, saying, “Lan Xichen! In my life, I have lied countless times and hurt countless people. As you said, I’ve killed my father, my brother, my wife, my son, my teacher, my friend. I’ve done all the bad things in the world!”

He took a breath, and said in a hoarse voice, “…But I never even thought of hurting you!”

Lan Xichen was stunned.

Jin Guangyao took a few more breaths, and gripping his sword, gritted his teeth, saying, “…Back then, when your Cloud Recesses was burnt down and you were fleeing, who saved you from disaster? Later, when the Gusu Lan Sect was rebuilding Cloud Recesses, who was it that gave their full support? Over all these years, when have I ever suppressed the Gusu Lan Sect? Every time, wasn’t I always offering all kinds of support! Besides temporarily suppressing your spiritual power this time, when have I ever wronged you and your family? When have I ever asked you for gratitude!”

Listening to these questions, Lan Xichen couldn’t persuade himself to use the silencing spell on him again. Jin Guangyao said, “Su Minshan treated me that way, just because I remembered his name back then. And you, Zewu-Jun, Sect Leader Lan, you are also just like Nie Mingjue, unable to tolerate me, not even willing to leave me a way out!”

After saying this, Jin Guangyao suddenly retreated quickly, and Shuoyue was pulled from his chest. Jiang Cheng shouted, “Don’t let him escape!”

Lan Xichen stepped forward and, without any effort, captured him again. Jin Guangyao in his current state, could not run quickly no matter how hard he tried. Even Jin Ling with his eyes closed could catch him. What’s more, he was injured in many places and had taken a fatal sword strike, so there was no need for any further precaution. However, Wei Wuxian suddenly reacted and shouted, “He’s not trying to escape!!! Zewu-Jun, get away from him!”

It was too late. Blood from Jin Guangyao’s severed limb dripped onto the coffin. The pattering blood crawled over the places where Wei Wuxian had drawn the runes, destroying the symbols and flowing through the cracks into the coffin.

Nie Mingjue, who had been sealed up, suddenly burst out of the coffin!

The coffin lid shattered into pieces. A pale, large hand grabbed Jin Guangyao by the throat, while the other reached for Lan Xichen’s throat.

Jin Guangyao wasn’t trying to escape, but was willing to risk his last breath to lure Lan Xichen over to Nie Mingjue so they could die together!

Lan Wangji drew Bichen, and like a lightning bolt, he pierced towards the other side, but Nie Mingjue was almost completely unafraid of such spiritual weapons. Even if Bichen struck him, it probably wouldn’t stop him from further closing the short distance between himself and Lan Xichen’s throat.

However, just when that hand was mere millimeters from gripping Lan Xichen’s throat, Jin Guangyao used his remaining left hand to forcefully push on his chest, shoving Lan Xichen away.

He himself was dragged into the coffin by Nie Mingjue, gripping his neck, lifted high like he was holding a doll. The scene was extremely horrific. Jin Guangyao struggled desperately, his hair disheveled, his eyes radiating a fierce light, and he screamed, “Nie Mingjue, I fuck your mother! Do you think I’m really scared of you?! I…”

He choked out a mouthful of blood, and everyone present heard an exceptionally cruel and clear sound of “crack.”

A dying gasp escaped from Jin Guangyao’s throat. Jin Ling’s shoulders trembled, he closed his eyes and covered his ears, unable to bear seeing or hearing any more.