Qin Wuya's So-Called Scheme — Otherwise, She Would Never Find Peace of Mind
Qin Wuya’s So-Called Scheme — Otherwise, She Would Never Find Peace of Mind
The moment he thought of the scene he had glimpsed when he used the Foreseeing Eye back then...
How desperate and helpless Gu Xianer had been at that time.
Someone as cold and proud as her — how could she have fallen to such a state?
It was all Gu Changge’s scheme!
Gu Changge had won her trust, and then, when she was completely off guard, he suddenly struck, imprisoned Gu Xianer, and plundered and devoured her Source.
“How could I ever allow something like that to happen?”
“How could I allow her to suffer such torment? My little junior sister was destined to become an immortal above the Nine Heavens...”
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s fists clenched tight, his body trembling, hatred and raging fire burning in his eyes.
But after the anger, he found himself becoming strangely calm. The panic, unease, and fear from before were gone.
Dao Xian-shimei’s existence was the greatest courage supporting him in his defiance of Gu Changge!
Hearing Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s resolute words, Qin Wuya fell silent for a moment.
He could understand Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s feelings for Gu Xianer.
Even knowing that doing this would very likely expose Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s whereabouts, draw Gu Changge and his people to them, and put his life in danger...
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang was willing to risk it all regardless.
“Shidi, you need to think this through carefully.”
“This isn’t something that can be solved on impulse. Whether in background or cultivation, Gu Changge is far beyond what you can contend with. And besides, at a time like this, Gu Xianer may not believe your words.”
“She trusts Gu Changge immensely. Right now, she’ll surely think you’re trying to drive a wedge between her and Gu Changge.”
“It will only push the two of you further apart — more loss than gain.”
Qin Wuya sighed softly, still intending to talk him out of it.
“Shixiong, there’s no need to persuade me further. I’ve already made up my mind.”
Hearing this, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang insisted stubbornly, his fists still clenched, his knuckles white from the force.
Ever since learning Gu Changge’s true identity...
Every extra breath Gu Xianer spent by Gu Changge’s side felt like torture to him, filling him with boundless worry.
He was terrified — “eight-nine-zero” — terrified that the fragment of a shattered future he had glimpsed would become reality, unfolding before his eyes in blood-soaked detail.
Although the Gu Xianer of the past had never spared him a glance, her heart free of all distractions, devoted only to the Great Dao...
He didn’t mind.
To him, enduring ten million cycles of reincarnation just to earn a single backward glance from her — Heavenly Monarch Ziyang felt it was all worth it.
This had become his obsession.
In his previous life, Gu Xianer had been called Dao Xian, the most outstandingly talented disciple their Borderless Sect had produced in ten thousand ages.
She possessed near-immortal aptitude, and there was even a great chance she could have joined the Immortal Palace that overlooked the myriad heavens across the ages.
In their epoch, the immortal and mortal realms interacted freely.
It was not like today, where the Immortal World’s traces were elusive and impossible to find, and even Immortals had become beings of legend.
Back then, Immortals often appeared in the world, visiting friends and discussing the Dao, while the Immortal Palace stood high above, ruling over all eight directions.
Within each Immortal Palace sat a being who surpassed even Immortals.
If not for that terrifying catastrophe that caused the Immortal Palace to collapse and turned ten thousand ages to ash...
He probably wouldn’t even have the qualifications to stand before Dao Xian-shimei now, let alone do anything for her.
After all, Dao Xian-shimei was someone destined to become an Immortal.
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang had once resented her — why, in her eyes, was there no room for anyone besides the Dao?
But now, he had let it go.
Because that kind of Dao Xian was the real her.
Her heart wholly set on the Dao, destined only to become an Immortal, undisturbed by worldly things, never pausing for anyone, never sparing anyone an extra glance.
That was the little shimei he had always admired.
“Isn’t there still a way? Da-shixiong, didn’t you already obtain the water of the Lake of Reincarnation? As long as we can make Dao Xian-shimei recover her past-life memories, she’ll definitely believe us. I must rescue her from Gu Changge’s demonic claws!”
Then, divine light gleaming in his eyes, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang spoke in a deep voice, feeling that the situation wasn’t so hopeless after all — there was still a chance.
“You mean... we make a direct move against Dao Xian-shimei and force her to drink the water of the Lake of Reincarnation?”
Qin Wuya asked with a frown.
Other than this method, he truly couldn’t think of any other option Heavenly Monarch Ziyang might have.
But if they did this, and Gu Xianer resisted, the suspicion hanging over them would become even harder to clear.
Worse, it would cement that accusation firmly upon their heads.
“I don’t want to do this either, but if Dao Xian-shimei refuses to believe us when the time comes, we’ll have no choice but to resort to this last measure.”
“We’re doing this for her own good. I believe she’ll choose to forgive us in the end.”
“Only by burning one’s boats can one glimpse the dawn moon.”
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang said, a trace of gloom and the viciousness of a lone wolf crossing his face.
Qin Wuya glanced at him and stopped trying to dissuade him. He nodded. “Fine then. We’ll do as you say. Next, I’ll deliberately expose my whereabouts to lure Dao Xian-shimei here. You make sure the concealment Array Patterns around this place are properly laid out — best not to let Gu Changge notice anything amiss.”
With that, his figure moved, transforming directly into a divine rainbow as he left the area, heading out of the ruins.
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang nodded, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, purple robes flapping, his face cold and stern — as if he had suddenly become a completely different person from before.
Then, he took out a Jade Talisman to inform the Purple Mansion behind him of his current situation.
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang was born of the Purple Mansion, and the family behind him was one of the ruling lineages within it.
Though it had declined somewhat over the generations, its voice within the Purple Mansion remained unshakable.
Heavenly Monarch Ziyang believed the family behind him still stood by his side.
Meanwhile.
On the other side.
In the distance, mountain ranges stretched on, towering and ancient, like terrifying beasts crouched upon the earth.
Mists flowed and fog swirled, with no border in sight.
Miasma and venomous creatures abounded, branches towered into the sky, blotting out the heavens, making the place seem all the more dark and damp.
Qin Wuya’s figure appeared within one of the mountain ranges, runes flickering in his eyes, strands of golden light sweeping over the distant scenery.
It was here that he had encountered Gu Xianer a few days ago.
Judging by Gu Xianer’s searching speed, she couldn’t have gone far during this time.
So Qin Wuya planned to reveal his traces here, draw Gu Xianer over, and then lead her to where Heavenly Monarch Ziyang was currently hiding.
“The best way is to let her notice me ‘accidentally.’ Otherwise, with how cautious she is, she’ll very likely grow suspicious...”
Thinking this, Qin Wuya deliberately headed toward a plain below, finding a spot that was open yet hidden.
Then, he laid down some simple concealment Array Patterns, sat cross-legged, and put on the appearance of someone grievously wounded and healing.
A subtle fluctuation of mana spread out — unless one was very close to him, it was absolutely impossible to sense.
This way, even if Gu Xianer suspected something strange about the matter, she wouldn’t think too deeply into it.
At most, she would assume he had been severely injured after fighting Gu Changge, unable to flee far, and had no choice but to find some random hidden spot to heal.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side, a beautiful young girl with a Big Red Bird perched on her shoulder was weaving through the mountain ranges.
The girl’s figure was slender, her skin fair and delicate as porcelain, her features exquisite and stunning, her temperament otherworldly — like the most flawless work of art crafted by the heavens themselves.
Every glance and movement radiated icy coldness. Her dress fluttered, carrying an immortal air, transcendent and unearthly.
It was none other than Gu Xianer.
However, her expression at this moment was not good.
Just as Qin Wuya had predicted, after searching through every mountain range these past days, she had found no trace of Heavenly Monarch Ziyang.
This couldn’t help but breed anxiety and unease in Gu Xianer’s heart.
Qing Xiaoyi had been kidnapped for quite some time now.
Although Qing Xiaoyi’s Soul Lamp still burned bright at this moment, showing no sign of dimming, Gu Xianer’s heart remained uneasy, filled with guilt and self-blame.
And to make matters worse, Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s methods of concealment were simply too good.
Even with all the means at her disposal, she couldn’t find the slightest clue.
Just as Gu Changge had mocked when he learned she was going to search for Heavenly Monarch Ziyang — right now, she was wasting her effort, wasting her time.
“I wonder what Gu Changge plans to do now?”
Gu Xianer’s brows furrowed tightly.
Naturally, she had heard about the attack on Gu Changge these past few days. With Gu Changge’s strength, nothing could possibly have happened to him.
What she wanted to know most now was what Gu Changge intended to do — continue waiting for Heavenly Monarch Ziyang to reveal himself, or did he have some other plan?
At this moment, Gu Xianer still didn’t know that Gu Changge had already made his move and was rushing toward Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s location.
“Forget it. Never mind Gu Changge. He has his methods, and I have mine. I can’t rely on him too much, running to him to solve every problem the moment I run into trouble.”
Gu Xianer thought to herself as her figure flashed, heading toward another mountain range.
Although her method was stupid, requiring her to search inch by inch, it had the advantage of being thorough and leaving no gaps — she would miss almost nothing.
“Hm?”
“What’s this?”
Suddenly, Gu Xianer’s delicate brows knit together. She looked over and noticed a faint fluctuation of mana rippling through the void.
Though it was well hidden, it couldn’t escape her powerful senses.
Gu Xianer was now on the verge of breaking through to the Half-Saint Realm.
Her Primordial Spirit was even more formidable — since childhood she had consumed all manner of divine-sense-type heavenly treasures, tempered herself with various secret arts, and cultivated a Primordial Spirit visualization method. Her perception far surpassed that of her peers.
So at this moment, she was the first to detect that unusual aura in the void.
“Could there be someone here?”
Thinking this, Gu Xianer’s figure flashed. Quietly concealing her aura, she headed toward the source of the mana fluctuation.
Soon, she noticed a hidden plain.
A man with an ordinary face and average build sat cross-legged there, divine radiance flowing around him, runes flickering across his body, multicolored divine light rising — clearly grievously wounded and in the midst of healing.
“This person is... Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s shixiong, that mysterious man who was cut out of the Wondrous Stone of the Nine Heavens.”
Gu Xianer quickly recognized him. Her pupils shrank slightly, and she reflexively readied a talisman treasure hidden in her sleeve.
She was well aware of the recent rumors — it was this very man who had gone to assassinate Gu Changge, only to self-detonate an ancient treasure and flee.
But no one had expected that he was actually severely wounded, healing here.
It seemed that in his battle with Gu Changge, his injuries truly weren’t light.
Thinking of this, Gu Xianer didn’t startle the snake in the grass. Instead, she carefully concealed her own aura.
She had her own calculations.
This man before her was definitely connected to Heavenly Monarch Ziyang.
As long as she quietly followed behind him, wouldn’t she be able to find Heavenly Monarch Ziyang?
And just as Gu Xianer was pondering, the figure ahead suddenly opened his eyes. A long dragon formed of qi and blood burst forth with a rumbling thunderous roar...
His brows furrowed as he slowly rose to his feet, muttering to himself.
“These injuries will take a while longer to heal.”
“Gu Changge really is the true Successor of Demonic Arts...”
“Does he really think that just because he can deceive the world, he can deceive me? Kidnapping Qing Xiaoyi, framing Ziyang-shidi, and now he even plans to kill with a borrowed knife.”
“What a ruthless heart.”
“If he’s not eliminated, he’ll truly become a terrifying calamity.”
Qin Wuya’s brows were tightly knit, his expression heavy, unable to help murmuring softly.
“The priority now is to rendezvous with Ziyang-shidi and discuss how to handle what comes next. Dao Xian-shimei trusts him far too much — she has no idea of Gu Changge’s treacherous intentions. Sooner or later, she may fall victim to his poisonous hand...”
With that, his figure darted forward, vanishing from the spot in a flash, quickly disappearing without a trace.
“What...”
“What does he mean by those words? Gu Changge is the true Successor of Demonic Arts?”
However, Gu Xianer, hiding behind, stood frozen in place at this moment, stunned, her face full of disbelief. She never expected to overhear such words.
She felt her head buzzing, as if struck by a great bell, her mind going completely blank.
She didn’t know what she was feeling at this moment.
Gu Changge was the true Successor of Demonic Arts?
The mastermind behind everything? The most terrifying calamity in this world?
Gu Xianer simply couldn’t believe any of it.
But... if Qin Wuya was deliberately framing him, how would he have known she would be here? Deliberately saying all of this?
Shouldn’t he have hurried to hide his tracks upon seeing her, afraid she would contact Gu Changge to come hunt him down?
Was all of this merely a coincidence?
Or... was everything Qin Wuya said not nonsense after all?
“Impossible. If Gu Changge were the Successor of Demonic Arts, how could there not be the slightest sign of it?”
“If he were the Successor of Demonic Arts, how could he have been injured time and again because of the Successor of Demonic Arts?”
“This Qin Wuya must have misunderstood something. Or else he said those words deliberately, knowing I’d come here, wanting to drive a wedge between me and Gu Changge...”
Gu Xianer’s mind was in chaos. Her heart suddenly panicked, deeply unsettled.
She didn’t know why she felt so lost and worried, or why there was a fear whose source even she couldn’t identify.
She didn’t even notice that her face had gone somewhat pale.
At this moment, she even wished she had never heard such words.
Before this, she had never once suspected that Gu Changge could be the Successor of Demonic Arts.
And now, having heard of this possibility, she couldn’t help but dwell on it with suspicion.
Quickly coming back to her senses, Gu Xianer didn’t linger. She hurriedly gave chase, hoping to follow Qin Wuya’s trail to find where Heavenly Monarch Ziyang was.
Whether or not this was Qin Wuya deliberately setting a trap to lure her in didn’t matter right now.
She only wanted to know whether all of this was true or false.
Otherwise, she would never find peace of mind.
...
Weng!!
At the same time, on the other side.
The void trembled, waves of light emerged, and spatial fluctuations spread out.
Immediately after, a brilliantly shining portal opened, and numerous figures stepped out from within, arriving in the outside world.
The person at the front had a tall, upright figure, his white robes purer than snow, untouched by a speck of dust. His gaze was calm and profound, his hair crystalline and dark as ink, exuding an otherworldly air — like a young god who had walked down from the Nine Heavens.
Behind him were prodigies of various clans and Young Prodigies, their cultivations formidable, their qi and blood astonishing, shrouded in precious radiance.
A Yaksha-like creature stood respectfully at the front, pointing toward the mountain ranges ahead as it spoke.
“Master, ahead lies the Hengyue Mountain Range outside the Black Tortoise Empire.”
Gu Changge nodded, his gaze sweeping over the land below as he said indifferently,
“Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s hiding place is here. Search inch by inch — don’t overlook a single corner.”
“The rest of you, seal off every direction of this area. No living being or Cultivator is permitted to take a single step out. Anyone who defies this order will be treated as Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s accomplice and executed on the spot. Show no mercy.”
“Yes, Master.”
Hearing this, the followers’ expressions immediately turned solemn. They answered in unison with a thunderous shout, their momentum astonishing, killing intent surging — enough to make the many prodigies who had followed along change color, their backs going cold.
This truly was Gu Changge’s style — directly sealing off this entire stretch of mountains, allowing no one to escape.
They smiled bitterly in their hearts, not daring to approach carelessly at this time, fearing Gu Changge would lump them in with Heavenly Monarch Ziyang and the Successor of Demonic Arts.
Then, Gu Changge glanced toward the mountain range ahead. His foot moved, stepping forward, robes fluttering — a thousand li in a single step, as if distance meant nothing.
The Phoenix Lady, Jin Chan the Chosen Monk, the King of Six Crowns, Ying Yu, and the others followed behind.
However, they didn’t advance, instead standing high in the sky, their gazes sweeping down as they waited for Gu Changge to find Heavenly Monarch Ziyang’s trail.
After all, since Gu Changge was so certain Heavenly Monarch Ziyang would be here, he must have confidence in it.
Otherwise, this would be slapping his own face.