Chapter 410: Unyielding Until Death

The sun filled the valley, dispelling the night's chill.

Chen Ji stopped in the forest and looked back, watching dozens of Wuchang soldiers stand calmly in the sunlight, turning into wisps of ash that scattered with the wind.

Now that the Wildfire had returned to its original owner, Chen Ji only felt a sense of melancholy. The people beneath those white bone masks seemed like they should have been the most familiar voices and faces to him, yet he couldn't remember a single one of their names.

He should have remembered.

He wondered if, after these people dissipated, they would be re-summoned to the human world by blood sacrifice. Where did they live before coming to the human world, and would they return to that place after dissipating?

Chen Ji didn't know. He would have to ask Zhang Xia about these things later, but he couldn't go back yet!

Chen Ji looked down at the blood in the soil and decaying leaves, dripping and extending deep into the forest. He followed the trail of blood northward. Along the way, the bloodstains became fewer but never completely disappeared.

Heading north from Incense Burner Peak, after some time, he suddenly stopped.

Chen Ji stood still in the forest, gazing at the crown of a large tree about ten zhang away, neither moving closer nor farther away.

The tree's crown was dense. From a distance, shadows gathered within it, as if someone was hidden there, yet it also seemed empty.

A full half-hour passed.

Mr. Liao slowly leaped down from the tree's crown. He was missing his right arm, and his face was pale.

The wound on his arm seemed to have been treated with medicine and tightly bound with a belt, but blood still dripped down the fabric. He hadn't expected Chen Ji to have such patience!

Mr. Liao leaned against the tree, looking dishevelled, and gazed at Chen Ji from a distance: "Young Master Chen, have you come to rescue me?"

Chen Ji remained calm and replied: "I just saw those specters chasing you, Mr. Liao, so I came to help!"

Mr. Liao's voice was weak as he slowly sat down under the tree: "I also fought and got injured by those specters trying to save you..."

Chen Ji said earnestly: "Mr. Liao, your righteousness is something I will keep in my heart!"

Mr. Liao raised his remaining left arm and beckoned to Chen Ji: "Young Master Chen, please come over and help me up. I'm severely injured and need to return to the capital quickly for treatment!"

Chen Ji again said earnestly: "Mr. Liao, I'm not coming over!"

His sword seeds moved close to the ground in the forest, like three venomous snakes, lurking around Mr. Liao, waiting for an opportunity. However, this man, though seemingly weak, was impeccably guarded, showing no weaknesses.

Nurturing swords with swords, the third sword seed!

When the Mountain Suppressing Sword, nurtured by Incense Burner Peak for ten thousand years, turned to sword ash, the third sword seed condensed within Chen Ji's third streak, and together with the other two black iron sword seeds, it transformed into a brass color!

He wanted to use the sword seeds to deliver a fatal blow!

Chen Ji observed carefully, but even after a long time, he wasn't confident he could deliver a fatal blow.

If he revealed the sword seeds and Mr. Liao still escaped, he would have to face not only the Crown Prince but Mr. Liao as well!

Silence returned to the forest. Wind blew leaves across the ground between them. Mr. Liao's face gradually darkened.

Mr. Liao said in a deep voice: "How did you survive? And why did those specters turn to attack me?"

Chen Ji stared at him intently: "I don't know!"

Mr. Liao snarled: "Did you instigate those specters to attack me?"

Chen Ji had been standing for a long time, so he found a place to sit down. He gently advised: "If I had instigated them, none of you would have survived! Mr. Liao, don't think too much. If you're tired, just sleep."

The two sat facing each other from a distance, in silence.

Blood slowly seeped from Mr. Liao's arm wound, while Chen Ji remained unharmed.

Mr. Liao suddenly stood up, and Chen Ji also stood up at the same time.

Mr. Liao took two steps towards Chen Ji, and Chen Ji took two steps back. The atmosphere was eerie, with both harboring ulterior motives.

Mr. Liao finally decided not to let his injuries linger. He turned and walked north, saying: "Youngster Chen, do not follow me anymore, or I will kill you!"

But Chen Ji seemed not to have heard him, slowly following behind Mr. Liao.

Mr. Liao suddenly began to run wildly. Chen Ji followed him, running wildly for over ten li, literally running out of the Xiangshan territory.

Mr. Liao turned back, glaring angrily: "What enmity do I have with you that you pursue me so relentlessly?"

Chen Ji calmly replied: "Mr. Liao, there's no need to feign ignorance. We both know why you appeared at Incense Burner Peak!"

Mr. Liao softened his tone: "This was originally a misunderstanding..."

Chen Ji interrupted: "For Miss Zhang Er?"

Mr. Liao fell silent.

Chen Ji looked at Mr. Liao from a distance: "I did save the Crown Prince's life back in Guyuan. For him to want to kill me for Miss Zhang Er is a bit too malicious!"

Mr. Liao, wincing from the pain in his shoulder, frowned and said: "After His Highness returned to the capital, he repeatedly invited Master Zhang Zhuo, and even enlisted respected dignitaries as intermediaries. But Master Zhang possesses a keen intellect, and guessing His Highness's intentions, he consistently avoided him! I found out later that Master Zhang actually favored you!"

He then changed his tone: "However, His Highness's mind has changed. After returning to the capital, I will send someone to petition, requesting His Majesty to bestow a marriage between him and the Qi family's second daughter!"

Chen Ji smiled: "Miss Qi Er favors Scholar Huang Que, so I doubt she will agree!"

Mr. Liao said nonchalantly: "How can a woman decide such matters?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "Mr. Liao, you and the Crown Prince are essentially the same kind of people. You don't really care about the lives of others! If you are alive, I won't be able to sleep!"

While Chen Ji was speaking, Mr. Liao transformed into a cloud of black smoke and surged towards Chen Ji. But Chen Ji, standing ten zhang away, didn't move, calmly watching the black smoke without changing his expression.

The black smoke drifted for six zhang before it had to descend, revealing Mr. Liao's form. Mr. Liao was panting heavily, staring intently at the young man Chen Ji, as if he had calculated that he could only fly this far at once and couldn't kill someone from ten zhang away!

He silently calculated the distance between himself and Chen Ji. Only four zhang remained!

With a deep breath, he might be able to reach Chen Ji, but if Chen Ji retreated again, he would miss once more!

If he landed having exhausted his move, he would have to face Chen Ji's counterattack. This four-zhang distance... seemed to be bait left by Chen Ji!

Mr. Liao silently calculated for a while, looking at the composed Chen Ji, he hesitated to make a move.

The next moment, he actually turned and continued fleeing northward!

In a confrontation between a Way-Seeking Realm and a Xiantian Realm official, it was the Way-Seeking Realm who fled in disarray!

Mr. Liao ran in front, and Chen Ji followed behind. Mr. Liao suddenly recalled how wild wolves hunt: they would drive their prey for days and nights, only beginning to close in when the prey was utterly exhausted and had nowhere left to run!

Now, he was the prey, and Chen Ji wanted to be the wolf!

But a plan suddenly formed in Mr. Liao's mind!

He identified his direction and circled eastward. After running just five more li, he heard the hurried sound of splashing water!

A few hundred steps further, a rushing river cut through the valley.

The stone banks had a huge drop to the water, like a cliff, with the two banks separated by over ten zhang!

This river was called Sword Spring River!

It was said that the spring water in the river came from Incense Burner Peak, and the river, carrying a wisp of sword intent, carved the flat land into a valley, as if a sword had cut a fissure in the earth!

Some people had meditated on sword intent by the river, gaining a little insight and entering the Xiantian realm!

Others had followed the spring water to Incense Burner Peak, searching for the source of that wisp of sword intent, but without success!

When Mr. Liao heard the sound of water, he ran faster and faster. He reached the edge of the cliff and leaped, covering several zhang in the air, but it was difficult to cross this river, which was over ten zhang wide!

He suddenly transformed into black smoke. Just as he was about to fall into the river, a cloud of black smoke flew towards the opposite bank!

The black smoke billowed. When Mr. Liao flew to the opposite bank, he was still a step short, but had to dissipate.

Mr. Liao revealed his form, barely managing to grab a slanted willow on the cliff with his left hand, using his momentum.

When the wound was pulled, he was in so much pain that he broke out in a cold sweat!

He looked down at the rushing river below his feet, then pulled hard with his single arm, leaping up, and ungracefully tumbling onto the riverbank.

Mr. Liao lay on the bank, panting heavily, not getting up for a long time.

Chen Ji watched from the opposite bank, silent. This gap of over ten zhang was a chasm he couldn't cross!

Mr. Liao slowly got up, dusted himself off, and calmly looked at the opposite bank: "Young Master Chen, please go back. I will certainly repay today's matter later!"

Chen Ji smiled: "Mr. Liao, the Crown Prince is still in Xiangshan. I'm going to kill him now. Do you want to come back and save him?"

Mr. Liao was startled!

The Crown Prince still had twenty personal guards, but if Chen Ji truly intended to keep the Crown Prince in Xiangshan forever, he couldn't be certain of the outcome!

Mr. Liao sneered: "Does that audacious boy dare to kill a nation's heir?"

Chen Ji said calmly: "Mr. Liao, do you think I dare?"

Mr. Liao fell silent. He knew Chen Ji dared. He only needed to look into Chen Ji's eyes to know that the young man truly dared!

Chen Ji burst out laughing: "Mr. Liao, you probably don't possess a single trait of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, or righteousness!"

Mr. Liao was enraged. He retorted across the river: "What do you know about loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness? I have assisted His Highness for over ten years; how could you know how much I've done for him?"

Chen Ji asked: "Does that include poisoning thirty-four members of the Chen family?"

Mr. Liao narrowed his eyes: "Are you seeking revenge for those thirty-four lowly lives?"

"I have no intention of seeking revenge. I have my own reasons for wanting to kill you! But I also want to correct you on one point, Mr. Liao: their lives were not lowly!"

Chen Ji cupped his hands and bowed to Mr. Liao, saying: "Please come back, Mr. Liao, and continue assisting the Crown Prince!"

Mr. Liao's expression changed repeatedly, but he never returned to the opposite bank.

Chen Ji came to the edge of the cliff, gazing at Mr. Liao: "Mr. Liao, I told you that you and the Crown Prince are the same kind of people. The 'righteousness' you speak of is merely a beautiful facade you create for yourselves after committing all sorts of evil deeds, nothing more!"

Mr. Liao sneered and retreated: "Say what you will. We shall never meet again!"

He couldn't go back to the capital!

There were too many unexpected incidents in Xiangshan, and the implications were too great. He had too many things he couldn't explain clearly!

If the Jie Fan Guard wanted to imprison him in the imperial prison for interrogation by Meng Ji, the things in his mind were enough to get him killed a hundred times over!

He had to leave the Ning Dynasty!

But at this moment, Chen Ji suddenly leaped, plunging into the rushing Sword Spring River: "Mr. Liao, don't be in such a hurry to leave. We'll see each other again soon!"

Chen Ji's words were swallowed by the turbulent current, carried away by the white foam!

Mr. Liao was startled and quickly went to the riverbank to look into the water, just as he saw Chen Ji's head emerge from the surface, swimming strenuously towards him!

"Madman, madman," he muttered. He turned and fled northward!