Chapter 64 - Arc 6: Pinglan County Wang Family | Chapter 64: Surrounded
Translator: Lynn
Last bonus chapter! Once again, thanks to Clairificus for the ko-fi <3!
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Xu Ziqing instinctively took cover, and suddenly he heard a “Puchi” sound as a sharp object pierced through flesh. A wave of intense pain shot through his ribs, causing him to feel cold. Just as he was dealing with the pain, the Vajra Giant Ape’s punch was about to land. Ignoring his injuries, Xu Ziqing rolled in mid-air and managed to evade the attack. However, he was then faced with a sword thrust from the side, forcing him to forcefully deflect it with a Mu Hua Zhi technique.
With a crisp “Qiang” sound, Xu Ziqing narrowly avoided the multi-directional attack with the help of the finger technique. He landed in front of a giant tree, clutching his ribs as blood seeped through his fingers. The pain caused him to break out in a cold sweat.
Raising his head, Xu Ziqing saw Nian Hongzhi and Wang Jun standing with swords, revealing their earlier betrayal. His heart turned cold, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Why both of you…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the Vajra Giant Ape once again closed in on him without giving him a chance to inquire further.
At that moment, a long iron stick suddenly appeared in the hand of the Vajra Giant Ape. It emitted a black light and had an eerie aura. The ape’s other hand held the millennium steel wood, which Xu Ziqing had previously let go of in order to avoid an attack.
The Vajra Giant Ape had decided that Xu Ziqing was its enemy, disregarding the internal conflicts among the cultivators. It hurled the steel wood aside and swung the long iron stick toward Xu Ziqing’s head.
Xu Ziqing hastily dodged the attack and, using his right hand, summoned the steel wood back. He raised his arms in a vigorous attempt to defend against the powerful strike of the stick.
“Ping Ping Ping Ping——”
Despite the strength of the Vajra Giant Ape, the millennium steel wood remained unbroken. However, the overwhelming force of the ape’s attack gradually overwhelmed Xu Ziqing, causing him to sink into the ground.
Desperate to find a way to counter, Xu Ziqing tried to find an opening to retaliate. But the Vajra Giant Ape’s relentless momentum and the continuous strikes from the stick tightly trapped him.
Although the Millennium steel wood was incredibly resilient, it was not invincible. Under the relentless assault, it would eventually break, and Xu Ziqing would meet his end under the ape’s stick.
Nian Hongzhi and Wang Jun watched with great satisfaction. The Vajra Giant Ape was solely focused on killing Xu Ziqing, paying no attention to them. As long as Xu Ziqing died, they could reap the benefits. They were not afraid of the ape’s cultivation level, which was comparable to the ninth level of Qi Refining. The two brothers had been at the eighth level of Qi Refining for a long time and were confident in their abilities.
Wang Jun sneered and said, “Xu Ziqing, you are doomed to die. You might as well accept your fate.”
Nian Hongzhi shared the same sentiment, his voice filled with smugness. “My brother deliberately approached you just for this moment.”
Struggling against the onslaught of the ape’s stick, Xu Ziqing mustered his strength and said, “We should be on the same side… We have no grievances or enmity…”
Nian Hongzhi interrupted, “You simply can’t remember it for now. But if you do, you become a hidden danger.”
Jun Ye added, “To eliminate a threat, it’s best to remove it completely. You merely witnessed us abandoning E Jiaoran at sea, and coincidentally, you managed to escape from Ying Yu!” As soon as they finished speaking, Xu Ziqing’s eyes widened, and memories flooded back.
He remembered!
At sea, the fishing competition, Li Jiaoran fell into the water…
They were among the twelve monks who abandoned LiJiaoran and fled!
Xu Ziqing recalled that E Jiaoran had mentioned being the daughter of the Ziguang Sect’s suzerain. Could it be that these people were afraid he would expose them, so they wanted her dead?
The reasoning behind it seemed unreasonable!
During that chaotic moment at sea, Xu Ziqing never got a clear look at the monks’ faces, making it difficult to remember them after subsequent encounters.
In such circumstances, how could he reveal the truth? Moreover, although he believed the monks had acted wrongly, they had paid with their lives. How could he have the heart to bring about their deaths?
But he had no intention of causing harm, yet others sought to harm him.
This one-sided relationship had given rise to such malicious intentions!
Even though Xu Ziqing had always been gentle and kind, he couldn’t help but feel anger rising within him.
Xu Ziqing paid no attention to the two men; there was no room for negotiation with them.
He had never known that such a person existed in the world, someone adept at disguises who would go to any lengths to kill him. The kindness and warmth he had shown were all just a front, waiting for the right moment to strike covertly. Such hypocrisy was truly repulsive!
Blood continued to flow from his injured ribs as Xu Ziqing tightened his grip on the millennium steel wood, using it to withstand the relentless barrage of the Vajra Giant Ape’s attacks.
After enduring for some time, his shoulders and arms grew sore, and his body turned cold from excessive blood loss. Dizziness clouded his mind, and his thoughts began to fade.
No, he couldn’t afford to lose consciousness!
Biting his tongue, Xu Ziqing endured the heightened pain, managing to regain a bit of clarity.
In his current situation, if someone could just divert the attention of the Vajra Giant Ape for a moment, he could escape from the relentless strikes. But he was alone and helpless, with only Chonghua hovering in the sky. He could whistle to call it down for assistance, but Chonghua’s cultivation was still in its early stages. It was immature and hadn’t formed a demon core, so although it possessed some talent and supernatural power, how could it be a match for such a malevolent beast?
It was better not to involve Chonghua and think of another solution…
The Vajra Giant Ape seethed with hatred and anger, seeing only the one it deemed the murderer before its eyes.
Yet, this immortal cultivator was only half a step behind in terms of cultivation, unable to break free immediately.
His young, immature child…
With this thought in mind, the Vajra Giant Ape groaned inwardly and swung its long stick with even greater desperation, using all its strength to pummel the immortal cultivator mercilessly!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Xu Ziqing’s chest throbbed with pain as blood formed a crimson line, flowing from his lips and staining his blue shirt. Panic filled his mind.
At that moment, Xu Ziqing felt a clamor in his heart, a mixture of anger and an overwhelming desire to survive. He had done nothing wrong, yet he was being deceived by villains. How could he accept this fate?
A sudden realization sparked in his mind, bringing forth a glimmer of inspiration.
Why did the Vajra Giant Ape consider him a mortal enemy? It couldn’t be solely because of the Iron Giant Ape; otherwise, last night wouldn’t have been so safe. Then what could be the reason?
Xu Ziqing pondered again, contemplating Nian Hongzhi and Wang Jun’s betrayal. Could there be only one reason for their betrayal? The two of them were so narrow-minded, and their previous kindness was all for the sake of Wang Yingwu. Could they have truly done such a thing?
Suddenly, numerous thoughts flooded his mind, helping him understand many things in an instant.
He realized that the Vajra Giant Ape’s anger must… have something to do with those two people!
But what was the connection? The Vajra Giant Ape was so furious that it would never listen to him, an immortal cultivator.
So… so…
At that moment, Xu Ziqing’s dantian experienced an intense, bloodthirsty sensation.
Something churned within his dantian, something desperate to break free!
His mind filled with an anger he had never felt before, and a strange and terrifying bloody aura emanated from his entire body.
This aura didn’t belong to Xu Ziqing, as it was anything but gentle—it was utterly horrifying.
On Xu Ziqing’s blood-stained palm, a tiny sprout suddenly emerged, quickly sprouting and extending into a slender, snow-white vine with complete stems and leaves. It was as clear as jade and exuded a lovely brilliance.
Carried by the wind, the vine rapidly grew longer, spiraling up the millennium steel wood and entwining the long stick once again. Then, in a sudden movement, it thrust its head forward and pierced!
The vine’s tip plunged directly into the heart of the Vajra Giant Ape, and instantly, a spot of bright red appeared, quickly spreading backward and extending to the root of the vine.
The eyes of the Vajra Giant Ape widened as the fury and hatred in its blood-red gaze gradually faded. Its enormous body froze, and the stick fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Nian Hongzhi and Wang Jun watched with astonishment, not expecting such an abrupt change.
They saw the vine emerge from Xu Ziqing’s palm and penetrate the body of the Vajra Giant Ape. The once mighty and robust ape, which had been plump, rapidly withered before their eyes… that thing was sucking its blood!
What a bizarre sight!
Nian Hongzhi and Wang Jun felt a click in their hearts. At this moment, they had formed an irreconcilable enmity with Xu Ziqing. If they couldn’t kill him here, their lives would be in jeopardy in the future!
Xu Ziqing possessed exceptional talent and was far superior to them in cultivation. If he were to cultivate the same techniques, they would undoubtedly be overshadowed
Moreover, he possessed this peculiar thing, which ignited feelings of envy within them.
There was no time to waste—action had to be taken!
Without hesitation, the two of them flew out and aimed their sword and knife directly at Xu Ziqing’s head.
Just then, two distinct voices rang out.
“So shameless!”
“So despicable!”
Two transparent ropes surged forward, one entwining the knife and the other wrapping around the sword, forcefully preventing them from attacking Xu Ziqing.
Nian Hongzhi and Wang Jun turned their heads and saw that it was the Gui Yin-Yang sisters who had arrived.
Wang Jun exclaimed, “Gui Yin-Yang, why do you complicate matters for us?”
Nian Hongzhi wore an unpleasant expression. At this critical moment, why did these ill-omened twins show up?
Knowing they hadn’t offended anyone, they reluctantly held back and said, “As long as you two don’t interfere in this matter, my brother will surely repay you in the future.”
Guiyang smiled mischievously, “It’s fine if my sisters don’t meddle, but if you let me bite your spider, we’ll comply. How about it?”
“Let it bite!”
Wang Jun had no other choice. Who knew when Xu Ziqing would wake up? Suddenly, another figure arrived from a distance, bringing joy to Wang Jun’s face. “Third brother! Go and kill Xu Ziqing!”
It was Ruan Yuanliang who had come.
As it turned out, when Wang Yingwu departed, he encountered several concubines and their entourages on his way out of the valley. The Gui Yin-Yang sisters were the first, and upon hearing what Wang Yingwu said, they were moved and joined forces. Ruan Yuanliang followed behind and, after hearing the conversation, he understood the brothers’ intentions, following closely without hesitation.
Thus, the two groups converged from different directions and arrived at this scene.
When Ruan Yuanliang heard the command, he immediately lunged at Xu Ziqing.
The expressions of the Gui Yin-Yang sisters changed, and they wanted to rush to Xu Ziqing’s aid, but this time they were stopped by Nian Hongzhi and Wang Jun, brandishing their swords.
In an instant, the situation was reversed. Ruan Yuanliang also raised his flying sword, its sharp edge gleaming as it emitted a piercing sword light aimed directly at Xu Ziqing’s heart!1Right. It’s a cliff. But I’m sure it’s quite predictable what happens next, no?
Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
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1Right. It’s a cliff. But I’m sure it’s quite predictable what happens next, no?