Chapter 483 - 236: Illusory Dream Celestial Crystal

Chapter 483: Chapter 236: Illusory Dream Celestial Crystal

With that, Qin Zhenyang, carrying Xie Yuan on his back, walked ashore unimpeded.

Yao Yuzhi quietly watched Qin Zhenyang—or rather, the Xie Yuan on his back—when a great roar, filled with grief and fury, suddenly erupted from behind him:

"Peng’er!"

Everyone turned to look and saw the Cold Mountain Elder on the lake, cradling the corpse of a young man as he threw his head back and howled at the sky.

His howl contained a vast amount of inner energy. The whirlpools on the lake’s surface had just vanished and the water was beginning to calm, but his cry made it erupt once more. Columns of water shot into the air as a fierce wind kicked up, sending massive waves crashing against the shore.

After his long howl, the Cold Mountain Elder abruptly lowered his head. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Yao Yuzhi.

In a flash, he was directly in front of Yao Yuzhi, their faces almost touching. He ground out through clenched teeth:

"Yao Yuzhi, I demand an explanation!"

They were so close they could feel each other’s breath. Spittle flew from the Cold Mountain Elder’s mouth, spraying directly onto Yao Yuzhi’s face.

Yao Yuzhi remained expressionless and motionless, quietly watching the Cold Mountain Elder. He waited until the bloodshot rage in the elder’s eyes faded slightly and the man took a step back. Only then did he slowly say:

"Brother Cold Mountain, and everyone else, this incident was a complete accident. I will get to the bottom of it. Once I have answers, I will give you all a proper accounting."

His voice carried across Jianzhen Lake, and everyone silently turned their attention toward the confrontation, including the other Grandmaster whose disciple had also died.

The Cold Mountain Elder’s voice was ice-cold:

"Can an accounting bring my disciple back to life?"

Yao Yuzhi looked at him and said flatly:

"It cannot, but the truth must still be uncovered."

He said no more, simply facing the Cold Mountain Elder in a silent standoff. A heavy silence fell over the lake.

The Cold Mountain Elder stared at Yao Yuzhi, a dark glint flashing in his eyes as his lips curled downward.

He snorted. Cradling his disciple’s body, he transformed into a streak of light and shot away into the distance.

Seeing that no one had anything more to say, Qin Zhenyang turned and headed away from Purple-Gold Mountain.

As he left, he glanced to the side and saw that Qian Yangsheng’s body had been pulled from the water. The bloodless corpse lay on the shore, surrounded by several silent members of the Qian family.

He watched for a moment before turning away, quickly returning to the Sword Sect’s courtyard in Jinling City.

More than a month had passed since Qin Zhenyang and Xie Yuan entered Jianzhen Lake. In that time, their junior brothers and sisters had grown tired of sightseeing. They had seen the sights, sparred several times with local Martial Artists, and gained valuable experience.

Yet the pair had still not emerged. The others had heard rumors that something had happened at Jianzhen Lake and were growing terribly anxious. They were just about to report the matter to their sect elders when Qin Zhenyang returned with Xie Yuan on his back.

"Senior Brother Qin, you’re finally back! What’s wrong with Junior Brother Zhang?"

Ning Zi came rushing out at the news. Her eyes lit up when she saw Qin Zhenyang, and she practically bounded over to him.

But her expression quickly turned to one of anxiety when she saw the motionless Xie Yuan on his back, and she blurted out her question.

Qin Zhenyang shook his head.

"He’s fine. His condition is stable; he just can’t wake up for now."

"But... he looks like he isn’t breathing," Ning Zi said hesitantly.

"Don’t say such things."

Qin Zhenyang waved his hand dismissively.

He carried Xie Yuan into a room. Huang Zifeng and Lin Zhen rushed over as well, their faces filled with anxiety when they saw Xie Yuan’s condition.

"Senior Brother Qin, how is Junior Brother Zhang?"

"Senior Brother Qin, Junior Brother Zhang..."

Qin Zhenyang laid Xie Yuan down inside the room and stood at the doorway.

"Don’t worry, Junior Brother Zhang is perfectly fine. He just needs to rest. All of you, go back to your rooms for now and don’t disturb him. I’ll stay here and watch over him."

Lin Zhen looked like he wanted to say something but held his tongue, while Ning Zi asked directly,

"Senior Brother Qin, why not take him to his own room? Why leave him here?"

This was just an ordinary guest room. Xie Yuan hadn’t been staying here, and the accommodations were not as good as in his own quarters.

Qin Zhenyang paused for a moment before saying,

"I still need to treat his injuries. This place will do."

With that, he shut the door, leaving the other three to look at each other, their hearts filled with worry.

「In Jinling City, at the Qian family estate.」

Wails of grief filled the air, and white funeral banners and paper money drifted through the courtyard.

Inside the mourning hall, a large rosewood coffin sat in the center. In it lay the ashen-faced Qian Yangsheng.

Mr. Qian, along with the other Qian family members in Jinling, gathered around the coffin, their expressions grim as they looked upon Qian Yangsheng’s body.

’Mr. Qian could never have imagined how Qian Yangsheng—a man of considerable skill who also possessed the Water-Stabilizing Pearl—could have died in Jianzhen Lake.’

’That Zhang Mountain was undoubtedly Xie Yuan... but even so, how could he possibly have defeated Qian Yangsheng?’

’Even without using the Water-Stabilizing Pearl, the vast gap in their cultivation levels and overall strength meant Xie Yuan shouldn’t have stood a chance.’

’And that was to say nothing of the treasure Qian Yangsheng had in his possession!’

’Xie Yuan’s past victories had always been achieved with the help of others. Without Situ Qin, Huie Jue, and Zhang Junyi, Mr. Qian was confident that even he himself could have dealt with him.’

’This time, the Yao family had deliberately stirred the lake’s waters to ensure no one else was near "Zhang Mountain." Only Qian Yangsheng, with the aid of his Water-Stabilizing Pearl, was able to reach him quickly.’

’How could a Xie Yuan like that be difficult to deal with?’

’With the Water-Stabilizing Pearl, Qian Yangsheng should have been nigh-invincible in Jianzhen Lake; he could have even held his own against a Grandmaster for a few moves.’

’He thought it would be an easy kill, but instead... Qian Yangsheng, a man in whom the family had placed such high hopes, was dead.’

"Sixth Uncle is already on his way," someone next to him said in a low voice.

Mr. Qian nodded silently. ’Once the Qian family’s Grandmaster arrives,’ he thought, ’this matter certainly won’t end so simply.’

He took one last look at Qian Yangsheng’s body and departed in silence.

In the dead of night, the mourning hall was empty save for the servants keeping watch.

The two servants stared at the ever-burning lamp before them, taking turns making sure the other didn’t doze off. They dared not let the flame be extinguished.

’If the ever-burning lamp went out on their watch, they’d likely be sent down to keep the Seventh Young Master company.’

A gust of night wind blew past, causing the candle flame to flicker. The two servants quickly shielded it before refilling the oil and lighting more incense.

Just as one of them finished bowing and looked up, he froze, his face going slack with shock.

His face contorted in terror, and he let out a shout that startled his companion, who snapped,

"What are you yelling for? If you wake the masters, do you have a death wish?"

"B-b-but... the master is already awake!"

"What? Which master..." the other servant asked nervously, already preparing to drop to his knees and apologize.

"The S-Seventh Young Master!"

The second servant froze. Then, with a sudden jolt, he slapped his companion across the face.

"Who the fuck are you trying to scare in the middle of the night!"

"I-It’s true! I just saw him... he sat up! Holy shit!"

Seeing how convinced his companion was, the second servant felt a sudden chill. Goosebumps erupted on his skin as he slowly, jerkily, turned his head to look.

The coffin lid was ajar, but the coffin itself was still and silent. Nothing seemed out of place.

The servant crept forward, torn between wanting to look and being too afraid. Squinting, he peeked inside.

Qian Yangsheng was lying inside, just as he should be.

He breathed a sigh of relief and punched his companion again.

"Idiot! If someone heard you making a joke like that, you’d be signing your death warrant!"

"I wasn’t joking... But... I swear I just saw him get out..."

The first servant, seeing that everything inside was normal, was completely bewildered.

The two bickered for a while before lowering their voices. They resumed their post by the side of the hall, not daring to disturb anyone else.

Just behind them, Xie Yuan stood silently, dressed in Qian Yangsheng’s clothes.

’The Celestial Concealment Skill combined with the Celestial Illusion Skill... a rather useful combination.’

[Celestial Illusion Skill - Mastery: (3/3000)]

[Illusions of heaven and earth, refining falsehood into truth.]

But that wasn’t all he had gained this time.

Glancing at the text that appeared before him, Xie Yuan mused to himself:

’Golden Bell Shield, Black Celestial Book, and... Buddhist Charm?’

[Buddhist Charm: (3/9)]

He frowned slightly and shook his head. Not dwelling on it for the moment, he quickly departed from the Qian family estate.