Chapter 221: Chapter 220: Fate
A moment later, the woman looked at Wen Qingye, feigning composure. She asked in a grave voice, "What’s your name?"
Wen Qingye calmly looked at the people from Tang Country before him, lifted his head, and said, "Wen Qingye."
Wen Qingye?
The people from Tang Country exchanged glances, but none had ever heard the name.
The woman looked into Wen Qingye’s calm eyes, the thought of retreating already forming in her mind. But she had just spoken such harsh words, and with her countrymen from Tang Country behind her, wouldn’t leaving now mean fleeing in disarray? How utterly shameful that would be.
At this thought, the woman clenched her jaw and stared at Wen Qingye. "You’re very strong, but we of Tang Country are not afraid of you."
After she spoke, she pinched her right index and middle fingers together. A golden light appeared between them, shimmering brightly.
WHOOSH!
A golden stream of qi, about fifty feet long, shot out from between the woman’s fingers, streaking toward Wen Qingye. It was exceptionally dazzling under the moonlight.
The fallen leaves on the ground were kicked up over twenty feet high, making it seem as if a rain of leaves was falling from the sky.
’A sword finger technique?’ Wen Qingye smiled faintly, not a trace of panic on his face.
With a flick of his wrist, Wen Qingye’s sword seemed to issue several flashes of light, meeting the golden stream head-on.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The golden stream instantly dissipated into Primordial Qi, scattering in the air. The falling leaves were also pulverized by the explosion from the colliding Primordial Qi.
Wen Qingye’s wrist also jolted. He had been able to kill that man so quickly before due to three things: the man’s carelessness, the power of the weapon in his hand, and the might of his Four Symbols Sword Technique.
Now, after clashing for a single move—a straightforward one from Wen Qingye—he immediately felt that this was no easy fight.
The woman was extremely surprised. She had naturally seen how miraculous Wen Qingye’s Swordsmanship was before, but now he hadn’t even used a sword technique. He had relied solely on his Primordial Qi, which was enough to prove that the density of his Primordial Qi was no weaker than her own.
’How is this possible? Isn’t his cultivation only at the Refining Spirit Fourth Layer?’
Before the woman could recover from her shock, Wen Qingye was already upon her, his sword aiming straight for her throat. The woman hadn’t expected him to be so merciless toward a beautiful woman; this was downright cruel and ruthless.
The woman took a slight step back, crossing the fingers of her left and right hands. Two golden sword-fingers shot out, their power more than double that of the single one from before.
It had to be said, this woman was quite talented. With this move alone, Wen Qingye believed that an ordinary Martial Artist at the Refining Spirit Sixth Layer Heaven would be no match for her.
Although Wen Qingye’s cultivation was only at the peak of the Refining Spirit Fourth Layer, seemingly two realms below the woman, he had solidified his foundation through the compression of the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer Heaven and the Refining Essence Tenth Layer of Heaven. His current cultivation was now no weaker than that of a typical Martial Artist at the Refining Spirit Sixth Layer Heaven.
Wen Qingye held his sword close to his waist. A silvery-white light pulsed from the One Thought Sword, complementing the moonlight from the sky above, making it even more beautifully captivating.
"Silver Moon Wushang!"
With each step, Wen Qingye delivered a sword strike, as if he were taking a light stroll under the moonlight.
PUFF!
PUFF!
Wen Qingye’s sword met the two golden sword-fingers. Two strikes shattered the golden streams of qi, sending a violent shockwave up his arm. At that moment, his own strength was exhausted.
Wen Qingye tightened his grip, taking a deep breath. Even though his body was somewhat numb, he had to keep swinging his sword.
A Sword Aura erupted, tearing toward the woman with an irresistible momentum.
The woman retreated step after step. She never expected Wen Qingye to be so ferociously powerful, but now, it was too late.
"Don’t kill—" The woman’s face was filled with terror. Her mouth had just opened, but before she could finish her words, the light in her eyes had already vanished.
With a THUD, the woman’s body collapsed to the ground.
Under the moonlit night, only the sound of Wen Qingye’s heavy panting remained.
"Run!"
"Run, quick!"
The people from Tang Country exchanged a look and quickly fled into the distance.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
Watching the figures disappear in the distance, Wen Qingye slowly walked over to Wang Chong and Wang Jie.
At this time, Wang Chong was still transferring his qi to Wang Jie. Wang Chong’s face grew paler and paler, but Wang Jie’s aura remained unstable.
BLECH!
After an unknown amount of time, Wang Jie spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Wang Chong quickly got up. "Brother, how are you? Brother, are you okay?"
Wang Jie’s body swayed precariously, the light in his eyes all but gone.
Wen Qingye narrowed his eyes, a divine glint flashing through them. His gaze penetrated Wang Jie’s body, revealing that his internal organs had been shattered. If Wang Chong hadn’t been transferring his own Primordial Qi to him, Wang Jie would likely already be dead.
Wang Jie shook his head, his voice barely a whisper. "I don’t think I’m going to make it..."
Panicked, Wang Chong’s tears started to flow. "No, that’s not true."
Wang Jie forced a laugh and looked at Wen Qingye, who stood under the moonlight. "Your talent is the greatest I have ever seen."
Wen Qingye remained silent.
"This Thousand Rivers Secret Land is fraught with danger. You must be careful. Your life is what’s most important," Wang Jie sighed softly.
Wen Qingye nodded. He had never been a man of many words.
In the beginning, the grudge between them hadn’t been significant. It all started because of Wang Chong’s arrogance and domineering behavior.
And this time, the reckless Wang Chong had finally paid the price. It was all because he had overestimated his own strength and tried to fight for the Talisman Seal, leading to his brother—the one who had always sheltered him—dying tragically at the hands of those from Tang Country.
Seeing the fading light in Wang Jie’s face, Wang Chong began to wail. If he could, he would have wished for it to be him who was dying.
"What are you crying for? You’re pathetic," Wang Jie said softly.
Both Wen Qingye and Wang Chong knew this was a final flicker of life before death; Wang Jie was not long for this world. Wen Qingye had nothing on him that could help; he couldn’t save him even if he wanted to.
Wang Jie looked at the moon above and murmured softly, "Chong, you have to live on... live on..."
After he spoke, Wang Jie’s eyes gently closed.
"Brother!"
Wang Chong buried his face and began to weep uncontrollably. He had always lived under Wang Jie’s protection, but now, Wang Jie was dead.
Wen Qingye shook his head and sighed softly. "Wang Jie was right. As long as you’re alive, there’s still hope."
After an unknown amount of time, Wang Chong seemed to have cried himself out.
"Thank you, Wen Qingye," Wang Chong said, his head bowed, his vacant eyes staring at Wang Jie’s body on the ground.
"No need," Wen Qingye shook his head. "What do you plan to do now?"
Wen Qingye had acted for two reasons. First, to settle his debt to Qig Mountain Academy. Second, because of the humiliation from the people of Tang Country. As for the minor grudges of the past, Wen Qingye didn’t want to dwell on them any longer.
Wang Chong’s eyes suddenly hardened with determination. "I’ll stay here and wait for the Thousand Rivers Secret Land to open. I have to bring my brother’s ashes home."
Wen Qingye nodded and said no more.
Looking at Wang Jie’s body, and at Wang Chong, it seemed as if their fates had already been sealed. Their outcome had been set in stone long ago.
For some reason, a shiver ran through Wen Qingye’s heart. He raised his head to look at the cold moonlight.
Those words echoed in his mind.
’We are all but fish in the long river of fate. The stronger among us can leap up to gaze at the path ahead, but when we leap, we find that we are still just fish, destined to swim along the river’s current. In this river of fate, it seems everyone is on the same path, one that leads to the same end for all.’
For some reason, these words always lingered in Wen Qingye’s ears. They felt familiar, as if he had said them himself, but he couldn’t quite remember.
"Fate?" Wen Qingye suddenly chuckled. "My fate is my own, not decided by heaven! One day, the fish will transform into a dragon!"
