Chapter 379: Finale (3)
Mo Li had been waiting for this moment for so many years. Finally, Jiang Shuxuan had woken up. She expected him to be as excited as herself at this point.
To her horror, Jiang Shuxuan reacted as if he had not even seen her!
“My brother has already woken up.” Mo Li peered at Gu Xiqiao, whose expression was stone cold. She could sense hints of mockery with a dash of sympathy on her face.
She was so fixated on Gu Xiqiao that she failed to notice how hostile Jiang Shuxuan’s expression had transformed!
Silently, he leapt past her. His attention was on a thin figure who stood behind her. Underneath his cold exterior, she could sense something warm flowing around.
Mo Li stood there, frozen in her tracks as she continued being ignored by the very person whom she looked forward to meeting for the past couple of years.
It wasn’t Mo Li alone who was shocked beyond words. The 81-man formation who stood guard behind her were baffled by the turn of events.
According to popular hearsay, as high and mighty their master was, they did not expect him to outright ignore someone whom he knew, let alone a person like Mo Li.
Gu Xiqiao did not walk forwards. She merely glanced at Jiang Shuxuan with a light smile on her face.
Her smile, although gentle, glowed underneath the sunlight. As a light breeze blew past them, her dark hair fluttered around, making the whole scene seem almost as if it had been taken from a painting.
Mo Li glared at Gu Xiqiao, then at Jiang Shuxuan. She was in a state of pure disbelief!
“Brother…”
Jiang Shuxuan got visibly annoyed when he heard her voice. His brows were furrowed instantly.
Gu Xiqiao quickly took notice of this. With a cheeky grin on her face, she said to Jiang Shuxuan, “Brother Jiang, you deal with this whole situation here. I’m going off to Zhuge Yan’s place.”
Jiang Shuxuan didn’t seem like he particularly enjoyed staying around here. He was noticeably disgusted upon hearing Gu Xiqiao mention Zhuge Yan’s name. Still, seeing her smile made him defenseless.
“Fine, I’ll come over as soon as I can.” He tried his best but in the end, he couldn’t help but cave in to his desire to embrace her. He marched forwards and slowly bent down with his arms wide open, ready to wrap themselves around her.
Standing there, he watched as she slowly walked off into the distance until she could no longer be seen. It was after he was sure that she left that he turned around to deal with Mo Li.
Mo Li’s facial expression was still the same—disbelief.
No one knew Jiang Shuxuan better than her. Back then, it was him that pulled her back from the deepest pits of hell, shielding her from harm the entire way. Although he rarely spoke to her, he was the only source of warmth in her life.
Mo Li did not doubt that she knew him better than anyone else here, even the parts of him which were so cold and unlikable!
She thought he would start ignoring Gu Xiqiao once he recovered his memory. Never in a million years could she have foreseen him reacting with such a merciless attitude. Had he really regained his old memories?
“Brother… you…” Mo Li’s mouth opened and closed but she was interrupted by Jiang Shuxuan before she even started asking her question.
“Do you want to know the reason why I took you under my wing back then?” asked Jiang Shuxuan. Now that Gu Xiqiao was no longer here, the wall of ice returned to his eyes. Judging by how the ground was starting to freeze underneath his feet, he was being dead serious.
Mo Li was stunned. She had never thought about this matter seriously. The Dragon Clan was annihilated, leaving her as the sole surviving member of their clan. Back then, she had already accepted her fate but at the final moment, she suddenly felt a wave of warmth wrap around her. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of Jiang Shuxuan’s eyes.
Although she did not manage to see his face clearly, she was fairly certain that he was defending her.
Jiang Shuxuan did not wait around to hear her reply. “That time, she was visiting the Dragon Clan, whose ancestors she was good friends with. That was when she decoded the secrets behind the elusive charmspeak ability you are so proud of. Upon hearing news of your clan’s demise, she set off for your clan’s base immediately. You were the only person left when she arrived, and I was given the task of protecting you. And do you know what she did after that? She went off on a one-man mission to destroy the clan that destroyed yours.”
His expression was calm, but his words impacted Mo Li’s heart like exploding bombs.
Just who was this Jiang Shuxuan person? Back then, he was the most powerful person in China!
Possessing the world’s most mysterious magical powers, he engaged in a final battle with the devil. Halfway into the battle, he and his enemy had vanished into thin air. No one knew if he was alive or dead. The Almighty Ones of the ancient martial arts world assumed that he had fallen in battle. Leaving only a torn branch of himself behind, Mo Li had entered hibernation. A century had passed when she finally woke up, after which she had successfully tracked down Jiang Shuxuan.
And just when she had the chance to see him, she was informed that her actual savior was Gu Xiqiao?!
Mo Li found this a little hard to believe. Still, memories of Gu Xiqiao using the charmspeak ability suddenly flashed through her mind. All of a sudden, the truth was becoming clearer to her by the moment.
Jiang Shuxuan did not want to waste his time any further. He turned around, prepared to leave Mo Li behind for good.
From the beginning till the end of their brief interaction, never once did he spare a glance at the Ghost Legion.
A black eagle flew over after he left.
It’s dark feathers reflected the cold sunlight as it slowly landed onto the ground. With a razor-sharp glare, it peered at the 81 men. “The first thing you people do when you come back is offend the mistress. Prepare to be locked in the darkrooms.”
Mo Li turned around with a furious expression right after she heard the eagle speak. The Ghost Legion stood there frozen, as the dreadful feeling of regret slowly engulfed their heart!
How would they know that things would turn out like this? They thought that this was just an opportunity for them to see Jiang Shuxuan in person. And so, they did what they had to do in order to curry favor with Mo Li, even if it meant offending Gu Xiqiao in the process!
They then realized another thing. Miss Gu was their mistress?!
They were shocked beyond words. Cold sweat started gushing from their pores.
The leader of the Ghost Legion grabbed a random passerby from the street and asked, “I have a single question. Is there any way we can make up for accidentally offending Miss Gu?
The person, who was a native dweller of the ancient martial arts world spared him a look of sympathy when he heard that these people had offended Gu Xiqiao. Still, in the next second, he hurriedly ran off into the distance, in an attempt to not be associated with these unfortunate souls.
“…”
“Young Master, drink this medicine,” said Wei Xi, who brought a bowl filled with a dark liquid to Zhuge Yan.
Wanqi Jue, Baili Bin, Tang Qinghong and the rest were all gathered here. They were discussing their plan to investigate the desert wastelands. The Peacekeepers had detected a bizarre fluctuation of energy in that location, and naturally, they too could sense this strange phenomenon.
Zhuge Yan drank a mouthful of this medicinal brew before giving the girl an instruction. “Wei Xi, bring me the divining tool.”
In his current physical state, his body could not withstand the stress that making divination would bring. However, considering how dire the situation here has become, even Wei Xi had refrained from refusing his request. Obediently, she did as told, bringing the divining tool over to her master.
Zhuge Yan placed the tool on his palm and shut his eyes. A moment later, he placed it within the hexagram pan, which moved for six separate times. He then looked at the imagery that was subsequently produced.
“In the north, a white tiger has awoken. This is a bad omen,” A pair of pale white hands picked the copper coin up from the hexagram plate, which was followed by the familiar crystal-clear voice of Gu Xiqiao. “Looks like blood will be split in my next mission.”
Everyone’s facial expression changed right after hearing her say that.
Baili Bin stood up immediately. “Qiao Qiao, you can’t go!”
Gu Xiqiao’s lips were pursed. She did not respond to Baili Bin’s protest.
“So you really wish to go there?” asked Zhuge Yan, who peered up at Gu Xiqiao’s face, then down at her belly. A frown appeared on his face. “You…”
“I must go,” replied Gu Xiqiao as she set the copper coin down.
What followed was a tense silence, which felt so heavy that it made them suffocate.
Zhuge Yan deliberated in silence before finally telling her, “The head of the Demon Tribe should be found in the desert wastelands. I have read about this in the records of the Zhuge family archives. In the past, there was a person who set out on a one-man crusade to wipe out their tribe.”
“A one-man crusade?” Wanqi Jue’s eyes widened. “Are you sure who you are referring to is a human and not a god?”
“That is correct. However, amidst the fighting, the leader of their tribe slipped away. He absorbed the evil aura of the entire Demon Tribe, making him unstoppable. However, the records stopped here.” Zhuge Yan blinked. “What I’m trying to say is, they are not undefeatable. Otherwise, this world would have ended a long time ago.”
“Then how are you sure that what you just told us is real? Wiped out the entire Demon Tribe? Preposterous!” said Tang Qinghong angrily.
“If we take what you just said as the truth, considering how strong the leader of their tribe is, I don’t think we can even offer any resistance against it, let alone taking it down,” said Baili Bin while shaking his head.
Zhuge Yan sighed. “If only that person was still around.”
“Well, judging from your story, what’s left of that person should probably be only a pile of bones now.”
Varying opinions suddenly sprung up out of nowhere, like mushrooms after a rainstorm.
Gu Xiqiao sipped on the tea Wei Xi brought her. Carefreely, she thought about her plans. The almighty person whom you guys are calling a ‘pile of bones’ was thinking about playing poker.
She set her teacup down onto the table and peered at Wanqi Jue and her friends who were caught up in a fiery debate. “Guys, I don’t know if there’s any better way to say this but, the almighty person who you’re all talking about might be me.”
Bang! That was the sound of a stool falling over.
Smash! That was the sound of a teacup shattering.
Thud! That was the sound of a person falling onto the ground.
“You’re saying that you are that person?” Zhuge Yan looked at Gu Xiqiao with a sceptical look.
But, as powerful as Gu Xiqiao was, annihilating their entire tribe was simply hard to believe!
That should only be the work of an Almighty One from ancient times!
“So what Zhuge Yan said was true? It was you who wiped out the entire Demon Tribe?” asked Wanqi Jue who wore a stupefied expression.
No one doubted her words. She was already plenty powerful herself. If what Zhuge Yan said was true, then Gu Xiqiao’s rapid rise to power within the ancient martial arts world could finally be explained.
“A one-man crusade? That’s more of a speculation than anything else,” said Gu Xiqiao while laughing.
As expected, that part of the story was just a myth. Wanqi Jue let out a sigh upon hearing her say that.
Seeing them in such a relaxed state created an odd smile which cracked across Tengen’s face. “The only ones that my master had massacred were the senior figures within their tribe. The remaining fledgelings were all rounded up and handed over to the gods.”
Tengen himself started choking up out of awe for Gu Xiqiao when he reached this part of his sentence.
How was that any different from wiping out their entire tribe?!
They all looked at Gu Xiqiao the same way one looked at a monster right after that.
Gu Xiqiao ignored their gazes. Instead, she picked up the divining tool. After deploying it, she looked at the imagery within the plate. She laughed. “Seems like three days later would be our best chance to strike.”
“If we go by what you told us, the entire world would be encapsulated by evil aura by then.” Zhuge Yan massaged his temple. “The evil aura from the Demon Tribe that is.”
“Brother Jiang has 81 men and an eagle under his command. That bird has always been keeping an eye on the Demon Tribe, so naturally, it knows where their weak points are. And as for his men, they know how to cast a type of formation that could block off any evil aura trying to invade our territory. You guys have exactly three days left to learn how to use this technique.”
Three days later.
At the Gu family in N City.
Luo Wenlin had already been staying here for a couple of days after being sent here by Luo Wenlang himself. The Gu family home was a gift from Gu Xiqiao to the boy. He appeared to be interested in digits so Luo Wenlang immediately sent him back here.
Gu Xijin stood nearby, watching Luo Wenlin and Gu Xiqiao around which people flocked, with his eyes filled with regret.
She had been rejected by Jiang Shuxuan back in the States, which was also why she was sent back to the Gu family straightaway.
She, however, refused to return home as her family members had decided to remove her from their family. And so, she lived like a bum around the exteriors of their family home. No one was willing to call her “Young Mistress” anymore. Her existence was pathetic, like that of a dog who had lost its owner.
“That’s my sister, it’s her alright!” Gu Xijin struggled against the crowd, trying to slide in conveniently beside Gu Xiqiao.
“Your sister? The audacity of this b*tch! How dare you call a person like her your sister?!” A homeless man threw away the thing he was holding and slapped Gu Xijin across her face. “If she’s your sister, then it shouldn’t be too preposterous for me to claim that I am God himself!”
Another homeless man pointed in Luo Wenlin’d direction. “See that? That’s Miss Gu’s little brother, Luo Wenlin. The entire Gu family belongs to him now. Even the big boss of our city listens to his command. Take a look at yourself. How dare you say that she’s your sister! Have you lost your marbles?!”
Gu Xijin saw stars above her head after receiving the painful slap from a bum. She glared at Luo Wenlin, who was donning a set of fresh, clean clothes. Her nails dug into the flesh of her palm as the feeling of regret overwhelmed her.
She would’ve been envied by the world to have such a powerful person as her sister.
If only she had treated Gu Xiqiao right back then, just like Luo Wenlin, she wondered where she would have been today. Perhaps there would not have been the need for her to be exiled by her family? In fact, there might be a chance that commoners would start admiring her like a celebrity?
Gu Xiqiao turned towards the noisy group of homeless bums.
“Darling, are you hiding something from me?” asked Jiang Shuxuan who was standing next to her.
In the past three days, Gu Xiqiao had visited Hua Youlin, who was at Mingzhou and she had come here to N City, for a purpose which felt unsettling to Jiang Shuxuan.
There was a long pause before Gu Xiqiao responded to his question with a smile. “No.”
Jiang Shuxuan walked forwards and wrapped his fingers around Gu Xiqiao’s hand. “Don’t leave my side later.”
“Alright,” she replied.
In an abyss located within the desert wastelands, a dark cloud of energy formed into a black dragon which flew circles in the sky.
“Congratulations, brother!”
“Big brother, you’ve succeeded!”
“…”
There were three people who stood at the edge of the abyss. One had transformed into a massive fox, and the other, a white tiger. The last transformed into a gargantuan skeleton.
“Big boss, please avenge our seventh sister!” said the white fox with a murderous look in its eyes.
“Our seventh sister’s death shall not be in vain.” announced the black dragon which morphed back into its human form. The human had a beautiful face, which, if Gu Xiqiao was present, would’ve recognized the person as Chu Ziheng!
Chu Ziheng peered at the horizon as a black-colored evil aura expanded from where he stood.
Though his smile was gentle, every single living thing within a hundred-mile radius was killed with just the wave of his arm.
Clank–
The evil aura which was emanating off of Chu Ziheng’s body flickered. He took a step back as he raised his head to look at the horizon.
Two human figures started materializing out of thin air!
Gu Xiqiao plucked a handful of notes on the guitar she was holding. She watched as half of the total evil aura dissipate before she sang praise for the person who looked seemingly like Chu Ziheng. “The effect looks pretty convincing.”
“You two don’t seem to fear death do you?” Chu Ziheng paused and took a good look at his opponents.
The aura which he was emitting grew even stronger.
“And aren’t you the one who fears it more than anyone else?” Gu Xiqiao’s attitude was the same old. She wagged her finger and laughed in the face of Chu Ziheng.
A smile broke across his face. He looked at Xixi and Dog Feed, who were perched on either side of her shoulders. An ominous red glow began appearing in his eyes. “Little Ba, Little Jiu, I’ll spare you two if you come back to our side.”
Xixi’s only response was a fireball. “Don’t even think about that!”
“Good! Very well!” Chu Ziheng no longer wished to negotiate any further. Raising his arms, he started brawling against his two opponents.
Rumble–
Darkness descended upon the desert wasteland, as a sandstorm was stirred up!
After the two forces clashed, each side retreated back. Gu Xiqiao and Jiang Shuxuan’s facial expressions changed right after making the initial contact.
“You stole the lifeblood of our planet?!” Gu Xiqiao took in a deep breath. A somber expression appeared on her face as realization started to set in.
The evil aura continued to pour out from Chu Ziheng’s palms. His dark eyes were now glowing bright red. “You two can never take me down. My life is now so closely connected with that of this world that killing me would ultimately mean killing this planet! There is nothing you people can do now! Nothing!”
He started cackling maniacally upon saying that.
Long before this, his true body had already been sent deep into the core of the earth, merging and acquiring the energy of the Earth!
Finally, he had succeeded. At this point, there was virtually no one who could kill him!
Tweet– The sound of a bird echoed through the skies.
Gu Xiqiao gradually calmed herself down. Her brain was processing the information in an effort to create a plan to end this whole situation. A never-seen-before type of calmness could be seen in her eyes despite the intense fight that was occurring in front of her between Jiang Shuxuan and Chu Ziheng.
It was at this moment that a fiery red glow lit up the whole scene!
Xixi had expanded into its largest form!
Its entire body was covered in flames, highlighting the vermillion sheen of its feathers.
“No! Xixi, don’t—” Gu Xiqiao’s eyes were wide open in horror!
Jiang Shuxuan’s heart seized up upon hearing her scream. Turning around, he saw the flames on Xixi’s body as it dove towards Chu Ziheng.
“See you later, Beauty Qiao,” was the final message said to Gu Xiqiao telepathically by Xixi.
The flames gradually shrunk, until its body disappeared from view. What’s left in the air was a single red feather.
Dog Feed picked up the single feather and stood there, dumbfounded.
Gu Xiqiao too had frozen up. She silently observed the scene. Although Xixi’s time by her side was not very long, three times, it had willingly laid its life down for her. This time, however, was different. This time… it had truly disappeared.
Ding! A familiar bell rang in her mind.
Jiji! Jiji had finally woken up!
“Beauty Qiao, see that dark crack next to Chu Ziheng? That’s the portal that directly connects to the lifeblood of the earth! Xixi has used its life in exchange for giving us this opportunity! Hurry up and sever our connection, let me go in!” Jiji’s blue body finally appeared before her.
“I’m guessing you can’t come back out once you go in?” asked Gu Xiqiao.
Jiji paused for a moment before giving its answer. “I am naught but a string of zeros and ones. Beauty Qiao, I thank you for everything you have done for me.”
“Alright,” Gu Xiqiao severed the link between herself and Jiji. She turned towards Jiang Shuxuan. “Brother Jiang, back then, you entered into a slumber for my sake, in order to bring me back to life. The time has finally come for me to repay the debt.”
“Beauty Qiao!” Jiji finally realized what was going to happen. Gu Xiqiao was planning to dive into the crack herself!
“Master Jiang! Hurry up and hold her back!” yelled Jiji with a horrified voice.
Jiang Shuxuan had been so distracted by Gu Xiqiao that he was not able to dodge a blow from Chu Ziheng. He was stumbling backward when he heard Jiji’s voice. Instinctively, he turned back, only to find that it was all too late–Gu Xiqiao had already been swallowed up by the dark orifice!
The crack then disappeared from view immediately!
Gu Xiqiao’s aura was…gone.
Jiang Shuxuan froze up. His mind had stopped functioning. His fingers were trembling and his face was pale white!
Boom!
A purple-colored pillar of lightning shot down from the heavens, lighting up his panicked face. He seemed to be suffering a momentary loss of memory. His facial expressions were gone and the look in his eyes was hollow.
Seeing Chu Ziheng who had gone mad, and Dog Feed, who was already on its last limbs, Jiji hastily turned towards Jiang Shuxuan for help. “Master Jiang! Wake up! Beauty Qiao has departed in order to save our lives! Don’t waste this opportunity she has bought for us!”
Chu Ziheng’s connection with the Earth’s lifeblood started fluctuating. He too started panicking. A wave of evil aura poured out relentlessly from his body, rapidly enveloping the whole world!
Jiang Shuxuan was unfazed by this. He merely stood still. A wave of energy swept towards him. After withstanding the blow, fresh red blood started dripping from the corner of his mouth.
“Beauty Qiao is not dead yet! She will return!” Jiji’s eyes were bloodshot at this point.
Jiang Shuxuan finally came back to his senses when he heard that. Looking at Jiji, he murmured, “So you’re saying she’s still alive?”
“That’s right! I’m her system! The fact that I’m still here is a clear indication that she is very much alive!” Jiji nodded its head furiously. “She has now severed the connection that tethers Chu Ziheng and the Earth! Hurry up and finish him off!
Jiang Shuxuan finally lifted his chin and stared in Chu Ziheng’s direction. His eyes were stone-cold as he yelled out, “Time for you to die!”
Chapter 380: Finale (Final)
At the same time, the whole world was plunged into darkness.
Every single person from the ancient martial arts world and the various power worlds were gathered together. They stood together with the eighty one men from the Ghost Legion, trying their best to maintain the barrier, and there were some of them who were also fighting against the mutated beasts!
Fresh blood, torn limbs… the entire power world was shrouded in this atmosphere.
Ordinary people couldn’t feel it, they could only see that the sky had turned dark, darker than night, until a live broadcast was launched by the official website of Nine Heavens.
All of them could see that every single person from the ancient martial arts world and the power worlds fight for their sake!
Li Yu directly posted the link to the video on his social media. “All of us know clearly, these people, they are the ones who have been silently protecting us.”
On this day, Nine Heaven’s website completely exploded with traffic!
Countless people were watching the live broadcast on this scene!
They watched the video, which seemed like some fantasy blockbuster!
The scene was even more shocking than the last time when Gu Xiqiao directly hacked into the live broadcast of the national website!
But now they knew the truth, these people were fighting for them! For their sake!
The comments on the bullet screen of the video was going nuts, and it wasn’t any different on Weibo either.
“I don’t know what I can do for you all, all I can do now is pray. You guys can do it!”
“You guys are everyone’s heroes!”
“I wish I could be there and fight alongside you guys!”
***
In the ancient martial arts world, everyone had gathered together. Shu Chen could feel her eyelid twitching, and she took Jiang Han’s hand. “I have a bad feeling.”
“Don’t worry, Qiao Qiao and Shuxuan will both be fine.” Jiang Han shoved down the anxiety that he felt inside as he comforted his wife.
Baili Bin looked at Zhuge Yan. “Mr. Zhuge, what’s the situation with the hexagram last time?”
“Everything will turn from danger to safety.” Zhuge Yan seemed to snap out of his daze, then panic flashed across his face suddenly, his body trembling. “No!”
“What’s wrong?” Baili Bin and the others were agitated and worried when they saw him in this state.
Zhuge Yan was their only way of determining how Gu Xiqiao and Jiang Shuxuan were currently faring.
“The calamity will come to an end, but, what she didn’t tell us…” Zhuge Yan closed his eyes tightly, hiding the pain that was in them. “The price… the price is her life.”
Baili Bin pursed his lips tightly, not having any words to say. He immediately turned and left the place.
The Peacekeepers too left the place, one by one.
Nobody moved to stop any of them. Everyone knew where they were heading, the desert.
If it wasn’t for the fact that they needed to maintain the barrier, they would have also followed along!
After going through everything today, the experience of receiving prayers, blessings and encouragements from countless people, they were not afraid of death, and would die with no regrets!
Shu Chen’s body shook uncontrollably when she heard Zhuge Yan’s words, and her legs nearly gave way. She gripped Jiang Han’s hands tightly, her knuckles turning white. Her voice also trembled when she spoke, “Qiao Qiao will be fine, they’ll both be fine, right?”
Regardless of who Jiang Shuxuan and Gu Xiqiao were, in her eyes, one was her son, the son that had given up his freedom since he was a child for the sake of so-called destiny, for the Jiang family, for the ancient martial arts world… He never lived a day in his life for his own sake! Even she, his mother, had once been one of the people who persecuted him.
The other was her daughter-in-law, one that she had come to love as her own flesh and blood. The first half of her life had already been rough, and it wasn’t easy for her to achieve happiness, but all that, only to end up like this?!
Shu Chen could feel as though her heart was being cut to pieces by a knife at the thought! It hurt, the pain was excruciating!
The two of them, one no less distressing than the other. Shu Chen clutched her chest, feeling as though she couldn’t get enough air into her lungs.
“The children will be fine!” Jiang Han looked her in the eyes as he said, his gaze steady.
He didn’t know then, that his eyes were already bleeding red.
***
On the live broadcast online, the atmosphere was violent and heavy. Another video came in, and everyone was once again shocked! The slender figure on screen disappeared into the crack, and the man in the video had a heart-wrenching expression on his face. He swung the blue glowing sword in his hand, and all that was on the screen was the shadow of the blade.
The anguish in his cold eyes could clearly be felt by everyone who witnessed this scene!
“Miss Gu, the one that disappeared was Miss Gu!” A netizen cried out, posting the comment.
“No, I don’t believe it! It has to be fake! How could my Beauty Gu disappear?!” These were Gu Xiqiao’s fans.
“There’s even such a thing as the ancient martial arts world. If there really is a god, please, tell me it’s not true!”
“Young Master Jiang, you have to hold on and stay strong!”
“I hope it’s not real, if it is, I hope that the person who disappeared was me instead!”
“It shouldn’t be like this”
“Mr. Jiang, Miss Gu is waiting for you!”
“Come back, Beauty Gu!”
Pure white snowflakes suddenly fell from the sky, passing the barrier and falling to the ground.
At this moment, it was as though everyone could feel the sky crying.
***
Deep in the desert.
Boom!
All of Jiang Shuxuan’s attacks were blocked by Chu Ziheng!
Chu Ziheng arrogantly stood in the same spot, looking at Jiang Shuxuan, he laughed loudly. “It’s useless. Without her, you alone are not a match for me! Back then, you managed to successfully seal me, but you won’t be able to do it now! I am one with the world!”
Jiang Shuxuan looked at Chu Ziheng, who had a frenzied expression on his face. He recalled every frown and every smile this man had made in his memories, from the first time he had met him, till the present.
He closed his eyes tightly, finally understanding how Gu Xiqiao felt when he had chosen to go into a deep sleep before this.
The bottom of his heart was empty. He couldn’t let his heart be moved, no matter what the situation on the outside world was like.
But now!
Jiang Shuxuan’s eyes were still closed, Jiji was using its mental power to transmit everything on the internet to him.
For a while, he could feel himself receiving the prayers and blessings of countless people.
“Mr. Jiang, I don’t know what the heck you’re doing now, but you and Miss Gu have to be fine.”
“Miss Gu, Mr. Jiang, we’re always going to be supporting you!”
“Haha’s still waiting for you to come home, Mr. Jiang!”
“Beauty Gu, you haven’t sent over the nine selfies that you promised you would!”
Jiang Shuxuan’s eyes snapped open. He had always been cold and merciless, and if this was in the past, he would have chased after Gu Xiqiao without hesitation. But now, this was the world that Gu Xiqiao wanted to protect, even—at the cost of her own life.
There were also the people on the internet, they had never met before, but Gu Xiqiao had always loved her fans, and these fans also loved her.
The people from the ancient martial arts world, Shu Chen, Jiang Han, Baili Bin, Luo Wenlang, Xiao Yun…
Each and every one of them was still alive, and these were the people she was desperately trying her best to protect!
And these people were also desperately praying and trying to protect her.
“You miscalculated one thing.” He raised his head, looking straight at Chu Ziheng. “The power of humans is limitless.”
Boom!
The jade piece on Jiang Shuxuan’s neck emitted a strong, glaring light!
Purple thunder crackled and struck downwards, a huge surge of power flowing into his body as it did. The long sword in his hand seemed to feel the surge of power in his body, letting out a wailing sound!
This was the jade pendant that Gu Xiqiao had given him, and the familiar aura spread around him, as though she was still by his side.
Chu Zhiheng stared at Jiang Shuxuan, whose power was rising as the second ticked by, and the expression on his face changed!
He had always known that the biggest obstacle and opponent to him was Gu Xiqiao. As long as she was gone, no one would be able to stop him. As long as she was around, everything he planned for would not come to fruition.
This was a fact. From the beginning till now, she had been the biggest thorn in his side, the one to ruin most of his chances.
The power that should have flowed into his body had also been destroyed by her, but fortunately, he had managed to steal the power of an entire lifeline. Though the process was different, he still achieved his goal in the end.
The heavens were surely also on his side and helping him, because Gu Xiqiao had disappeared!
The moment she vanished, Jiang Shuxuan would definitely follow her and leave. At that time, no one would be able to stop him!
But what he didn’t expect was that just before Gu Xiqiao left, she would still manage to play one more trick on him, taking him for a fool. She actually left her strongest power, the power of thunder, and gave it all to Jiang Shuxuan!
“Impossible?! That’s impossible! How could she do that?!” Chu Ziheng took a step back. Why, Why?! Gu Xiqiao was obviously gone, but the power that belonged to her still lingered? Not only that, but it merged together with Jiang Shuxuan’s?!
Jiang Shuxuan looked at the purple lightning crackling on his palm, merging with his Seven-Frosted Blade. “I will make you watch with your own eyes as you disappeared little by little, without being able to do a single thing about it!”
Blue and purple mingled, the different color lights entangled together. The light shone across the land, and a spatial crack appeared in the air.
At the same time, the entire world was engulfed in a blue light!
The black mist that surrounded Chu Ziheng to serve as his shield was shattered, and he could feel his strength being seeped away bit by bit. “Jiang Shuxuan, Gu Xiqiao is dead. She’s dead, do you know that? She has dissipated into the world little by little, do you think there’s a need for this world at this rate? Don’t you want to destroy the world?”
Jiang Shuxuan knew what Chu Ziheng was trying to do, but he ignored him, quietly watching the scene in front of him unfold.
Seeing that, Chu Ziheng felt some relief. He used his mental powers to instruct White Tiger and the others to destroy the world. The powers in his body had been sealed by Jiang Shuxuan. It would come back slowly only if White Tiger and the others killed more people.
However, the smile on Chu Ziheng’s face slid off quickly. He saw the hundred Peacekeepers going up against his big army.
One hundred people, against an army of tens of thousands!
The drone that Yu Ning was controlling transmitted this scene live, and netizens on the internet fell into a new round of panic.
“That’s the Peacekeepers!”
“What are they going up against? Ten thousand soldiers?”
“Oh my god, hurry up and run!”
“They don’t intend to fight against these ten thousand people, right?!”
The netizens weren’t present on the scene, but even they could clearly feel the terrifying strength of these ten thousand people. They didn’t dare to believe that the Peace Squad could beat these people. The oldest of the Peacekeepers were only in their 20s after all!
The ancient martial arts world’s community could also feel the force behind the ten thousand troops, but they were well aware that no one could from their community could possibly stand against them. If anyone could, it would be the Peacekeepers that had been trained by Gu Xiqiao.
“Look, the Peace Squad made it!”
“Wuwuwu they are all the same age as my brother, my heart hurts when I see them injured…”
“Thank you, all of you!”
The Peace Squad had made a perfect stand against this ten thousand man army!
Seeing this, everyone in front of the computer watching it should be jumping up and down, cheering in victory, but no one did!
They watched the video quietly, their eyes fixed on the screen. The hundred Peacekeepers stood in their spot, staring blankly in the air. The purple lightning was slowly dissipating in the sky, and after a while, they suddenly knelt down to the ground, tears falling from their eyes, their mouth opening to say a few words.
The people watching the broadcast couldn’t hear anything from their lips, but they could clearly see the way their mouth moved. They were clearly saying the words, ‘Miss Gu’!
“So Miss Gu really…”
“I don’t believe it!”
“Didn’t you say you’d agree to any request we make, Beauty Gu? Can you post a Weibo now?”
***
In the desert, Chu Ziheng was looking at everything happening with a look of disbelief on his face. He had done all that he could, putting in so much effort, killing so many people in order to create his army of ten thousand, but they had been destroyed? Just like that?
Why?!
Gu Xiqiao was obviously dead, and she was no longer around, but there were traces of her everywhere! As though every single step had been calculated and accounted for!
Everything he had planned and arranged for had been destroyed!
It was her every single time, and even in her death she still controlled everything!
The blow of shocks hit him one after another, and Chu Ziheng was going out of his mind at this point. “Impossible, it’s impossible!”
“Why is it impossible?” Jiang Shuxuan finally spoke. He hadn’t moved since then, waiting for this moment to utterly crush Chu Ziheng’s beliefs. He raised a finger, the purple and blue energies merging into a ball, flicking it towards Chu Ziheng which exploded upon impact.
Everything happened as though in slow motion.
Chu Ziheng’s body disintegrated slowly, but his consciousness was still there. He tried to resist by keeping his eyes wide open, but he couldn’t do anything!
Boom!
The black mist that had shrouded the air finally scattered and the golden rays of sunlight once again shining down on the earth.
The Peacekeepers had finally managed to reach the desert after their hard, bloodied fight at this moment. Baili Bin, Wanqi Jue, the great elder… all of them had rushed over.
When they arrived, they only saw a thin figure standing in the empty place.
He raised his head slightly, not saying a word. A teardrop slid down from the corner of his eyes, down his face.
His face held an indifferent expression, and his face was as handsome as ever, but everyone could feel the anguish in his heart!
The great elder opened his mouth, the sentence ‘Where is Miss Gu’ stuck in his throat. He couldn’t even form any words at this moment.
How was this possible? It was Gu Xiqiao, the one who was omnipotent, all-knowing and all-powerful Gu Xiqiao!
The battle was over, and they were victorious. However, not a single person in the ancient martial arts or the secular world could muster up the energy to feel excited and happy over it. There was only sorrow in the air.
***
Three days later, Shu Chen was being held by Jiang Han as they made their way over to the place. Haha was in her arms, and the snowy dog in the same depressed state as the woman who was holding it.
“When are you coming back, Qiao Qiao?” Shu Chen tried to smile, but no matter how hard she tried, she failed miserably.
She raised her head, forcing back the tears in her eyes. “Haha hasn’t eaten in the three days that it hasn’t seen you.”
Haha struggled in Shu Chen’s arms, and she put it down on the ground immediately when she saw that.
Haha was in a bad state after not eating for three days.
Those bright, beady eyes that used to sparkle in the past had also lost their light. It took a few steps, before sitting down in the spot it had reached.
Jiang Shuxuan looked towards where Haha was, a flash of an unknown emotion crossing his face for a moment. He could see the place that Haha was sitting at, it was the same spot where Gu Xiqiao had disappeared.
“Mom, leave Haha to me.” He opened his mouth to speak for the first time in three days.
Shu Chen covered her mouth, the tears now flowing out uncontrollably as she choked out, “Alright.”
She knew then, that Jiang Shuxuan had no intention of ever leaving this place.
Dog Feed didn’t move either. Seeing Haha here, it placed the feather that Xixi had left behind in front of the dog. “Haha, this is the last thing that Xixi left behind.”
Haha stared at the flaming red feather for a long time, before finally letting out a soft bark.
Jiang Shuxuan didn’t say anything, but he leaned down to pick Haha up into his arms, hugging it to his chest. “You also believe that she’s still alive, right?”
***
On Weibo, the last Weibo that Gu Xiqiao had posted had broken tens of millions of comments already.
“Please, I’m begging you! Post something on Weibo to prove that you’re still here!”
“Beauty Gu, I know you’re still here. You just went off to a quiet place with Young Master Jiang to make some babies. I hope to see you post some pictures of the three of you next year.”
“Come out!”
“The movie theaters are still showing your movies, Beauty Gu. I used to really love ‘Divergent Paths’, but now I don’t anymore. Every movie you act in has triggered my tear ducts, but now without you here, you’re also activating my tear ducts.”
“When I went to watch ‘Divergent Paths’ today, everyone in the theater left before the ending was played. All of us were of the same mind, we didn’t want to watch the ending.”
“Even though it’s just a movie, I didn’t want to see the scene where you disappear. That’s why, please hurry and come back, Beauty Gu.”
***
Every day, Gu Xiqiao’s Weibo would have millions of comments. The days passed into weeks, then into years. There was not a day where the comments stopped.
In a blink of an eye, three years had passed.
The place in the desert where Gu Xiqiao had disappeared became a tourist spot, but only a hundred people were allowed to visit it every day.
They would never forget everything Gu Xiqiao, Jiang Shuxuan, and everyone else had done for them.
Today was the third New Year’s Eve since her disappearance, and everyone who visited wasn’t leaving, wanting to spend the new years with Gu Xiqiao. After the management of the place had gotten Jiang Shuxuan’s opinion on it, they agreed to the request.
“Mom, is Auntie Gu really here?” A bubbly little girl stood in the place, her eyes wide. Her legs were trembling slightly, as though she had just recently learned to walk.
The girl’s mother bent down, her face slightly faraway as she quietly said, “That’s right. Sisi, don’t leave this place. Mommy is just going up for a bit to see, then I’ll be right back.”
The little girl nodded her head obediently.
She watched her mother leave, then turned to look around the area. There was an abyss not far from her, surrounded by fences.
She moved towards it slowly, step by step. Suddenly, her foot slipped. “Mom-” She exclaimed in surprised and slight fear.
Her palm touched a layer of warmth, and her falling body was suddenly upright once again.
She raised her head, looking up to find a boy that was around her age who had caught her.
“Seriously, we’re finally out.” The boy muttered, then looked at the girl, a mature look on his face that you usually wouldn’t see on a child’s face. “Children shouldn’t run around without adults here, it’s dangerous. Where’s your family?”
“Mommy went up to see Auntie Gu,” The girl said hesitantly.
“Auntie Gu?” The boy asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
The little girl nodded her head, taking out a photo as she did. “This is Auntie Gu, isn’t she really pretty? But I’ve never seen her in person before.”
The boy looked at the girl in the picture who was smiling, and his mouth turned downward. Wasn’t this his beauty mom?
His eyes furrowed tightly, then he took out the piece of jade that hung around his neck. “I see that you’ll have a big problem in the future, this is for you.”
The girl took the jade, examining it with interest. When she looked up, the boy had disappeared, as though it was all a dream.
“Oh, that’s right. His eyes…” The girl looked at the photo in her hands again. “It looked a lot like Auntie Gu’s…”
***
There was a wooden house on the edge of the desert, and it was decorated with simple furnishings. Jiang Shuxuan poured a glass of water for Haha, before leaving the house, walking towards the place where Gu Xiqiao had last been.
On the TV screen behind the closed door, the Spring Festival Gala was being shown on screen.
“We will once again be ushering in a new year. In this prosperous world, we wish everyone a happy new year, and good fortune to you and your family!”
“The Spring Festival Gala is now over, and it’s time to say goodbye to everyone.”
“Let’s usher in the new year with a song!”
“Let’s count down till the last second, and raise a glass for the new year!”
Jiang Shuxuan stopped in his steps when he reached, looking out blankly. The place was well lit, as he was afraid that Gu Xiqiao would be met with darkness when she returned, and had made sure to set up a lot of lights, making sure the area was well lit and bright all the time.
It had been three years, and she had yet to return.
Thinking about it, the phone in his hand slipped out and fell to the ground while he was lost in thought.
He blinked, snapping out of his daze. He bent down to pick up his phone, intending to send good blessings to Gu Xiqiao’s fans on her behalf.
Just as his fingers were about to touch the phone, a smaller hand was there faster than him.
When his fingers touched the smaller ones, he could feel shock course through him.
He stood, looking in disbelief at the little boy who was holding his phone. The pair of eyes on the boy’s face was so very familiar, resembling someone so very familiar in his memories.
“What is your name?” His voice was trembling slightly even as he tried to maintain his composure.
The little boy tilted his head to the side, saying brightly, “Hello, mister! My name is Fatty Egg Jiang!”
“Fatty Egg Jiang… ” Jiang Shuxuan’s hands were trembling as he slowly reached out to gently rub the little boy’s head. Finally, he could only choke out, “You… Are you alone here?”
The little boy smiled widely, his eyes lighting up as he did. “My beauty mom is right over there!”
Jiang Shuxuan was startled, feeling the shock once again course through his entire body as he slowly raised his head, watching a figure that was slowly making her way to him.
It was still the same delicate face, the beautiful arch of her eyebrows, and she was still wearing that white fox fur coat.
His eyes were fixed on her, letting out a shaky breath as he remembered to breathe. The fear that it was just a dream was all too real. She was walking towards him, step by step, at an unhurried pace. Her flawless, pale white was even more ethereal until the lights that lit up the area.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, she stood in front of him with a smile on her pink lips. “Hello, Mr. Jiang.”
At the same time, the countdown to the new year on the TV was done!
Boom!
Fireworks burst in the sky around them, and you could hear the cheers of countless people in the desert.
Jiang Shuxuan took her hands in his, holding it tightly. “You’re finally back, Miss Gu.”