Xu Wanci guessed correctly that there were indeed many people who wanted to cause trouble for her.
Duan Ziwei was one of them.
Duan Ziwei came from a wealthy and prominent family. As the only son of the head of the Duan family, he had been doted on since childhood and had everything he wanted.
All his food, clothing, and daily necessities were of rare and top - notch quality.
With such a family background, it was inevitable that his character was arrogant and overbearing. When facing others, he would unconsciously show a bit of condescension.
However, Master Duan had another hobby, which was to scatter spirit stones.
When he was happy, he scattered them; when he was unhappy, he also scattered them.
After scolding someone, he would scatter a few; after ordering someone around, he would scatter a few more.
So although he was not easy to get along with, he still had countless followers.
Today, Liu Qiang had outrun numerous competitors to stand in front of Duan Ziwei.
Duan Ziwei looked at the disheveled and gasping man in front of him and frowned in disgust.
He took a step back and deliberately threw a few spirit stones far away, signaling him to stay away:
"What are you in such a hurry for?"
Liu Qiang jumped back two steps and happily pocketed the spirit stones: "Thank you, Master Duan!"
Remembering what he had to report, he quickly put on a look of indignation:
"Master Duan, you don't know. Xu Wanci just came out of the Law Enforcement Hall!"
Duan Ziwei suddenly stopped the action of throwing spirit stones. He opened his eyes in disbelief, and his peach - blossom eyes were widened into an oval shape:
"What did you say?!"
"Xu Wanci came out of the Law Enforcement Hall alive?"
Liu Qiang nodded vigorously and exaggeratedly said, "Not only that."
"Brother Duan, you didn't see it. It wasn't just that Xu Wanci came out alive. She walked out of the Law Enforcement Hall safe and sound!"
"There wasn't a single scratch on her. People who didn't know better would think she went to the Law Enforcement Hall for a meal!"
Hearing this, Duan Ziwei angrily threw the spirit stones in his hand to the ground and gritted his teeth:
"What on earth are the elders of the Law Enforcement Hall thinking?!"
"How could they let that insidious villain Xu Wanci go?!"
Liu Qiang glanced at the top - grade spirit stones on the ground with a pained look and subconsciously echoed, "Exactly!"
"And Chu Qingchuan!" Duan Ziwei clenched the green jade fan in his hand and said angrily, "What is he doing? Just watching Xu Wanci being released?"
Hearing this, Liu Qiang reluctantly shifted his gaze from the spirit stones.
He took a small step forward and said mysteriously, "If it weren't for Brother Chu, Xu Wanci wouldn't have had the ability to come out!"
Duan Ziwei's expression turned solemn. "What do you mean?"
"Did Chu Qingchuan persuade the elders to spare Xu Wanci?"
Liu Qiang quickly shook his head. "I wouldn't dare to say that."
"All I know is that after Brother Chu came out of the Law Enforcement Hall, he didn't even go to see Young Master Jiang. Instead, he rushed non - stop to the place where Xu Wanci lived."
"Who would believe that Xu Wanci's release has nothing to do with him?"
Liu Qiang remembered what he had just heard and suddenly became energetic. He danced with excitement and said,
"Moreover, it seems that two elders of the Law Enforcement Hall noticed something wrong and went to Wan Jian Peak right after.
"The two elders caused quite a stir. No one knows what they saw, but you can still feel the spiritual energy fluctuations of the Tribulation Transcendence Venerable at Wan Jian Peak now!"
"Even the sect master was alerted!"
"It's a pity that no one knows what Chu Qingchuan said. Now Xu Wanci is still safely staying at Wan Jian Peak without any trouble."
Listening to Liu Qiang's words, Duan Ziwei easily guessed most of the "truth".
His face turned extremely ugly:
"Good for you, Chu Qingchuan. It's okay that you're always flirtatious on weekdays, but today you actually dared to save the culprit who hurt Qiuning!"
"Yes, exactly," Liu Qiang nodded vigorously. "People like Chu Qingchuan don't deserve Young Master Jiang at all."
Knowing that Duan Ziwei had feelings for Jiang Qiuning, he flattered him sincerely,
"In terms of character, family background, and loyalty -"
"You and Young Master Jiang are a perfect match!"
Under normal circumstances, such words might have made Duan Ziwei happy, but today he just snorted. He took out a jade bottle from his storage jade pendant without even looking at what was inside and casually threw it to Liu Qiang.
Then he turned around and strode off to settle accounts with Chu Qingchuan.
Compared with the culprit Xu Wanci, it was obviously Chu Qingchuan, who had saved Xu Wanci, who was even more detestable.
*
After leaving Wan Jian Peak, Chu Qingchuan didn't even have time to go and see the still - unconscious Jiang Qiuning when he was blocked by a hasty figure.
Duan Ziwei looked at the seemingly decent - looking Chu Qingchuan. Thinking of the news he had just learned, he angrily clenched a stack of seventh - grade thunder talismans in his hand.
Today, he wouldn't scatter spirit stones!
He was going to scatter thunder talismans to his heart's content!
He would strike dead this hypocritical scumbag to avenge Qiuning!
As soon as Chu Qingchuan stood still, he saw Duan Ziwei's all - too - familiar action of scattering spirit stones... no, it was scattering thunder talismans.
He quickly took a step back, protected his body with spiritual energy, and a fire lotus suddenly appeared in his right hand:
"Duan Ziwei, are you crazy?"
Hearing this, Duan Ziwei's movements became even faster. "I'm striking you!"
"For your philandering ways!"
"For your lack of loyalty!"
He threw the thunder talismans at the opposite side like a storm: "And on top of that, you even dared to save Xu Wanci!"
"Are you worthy of Qiuning, who is still unconscious?"
At first, Chu Qingchuan was dodging the thunder talismans with ease. But hearing Duan Ziwei's accusations, he was stunned for a moment, and several black thunder marks instantly appeared on his cuffs.
He raised his hand, and the fire lotus in his hand rushed into the air. The red fire rain melted all the surrounding thunder talismans:
"What are you talking nonsense about?"
"Am I talking nonsense?" Duan Ziwei sneered. Without stopping his actions, he took out a stack of upgraded eighth - grade thunder talismans. "If it weren't for you, how could Xu Wanci have come out of the Law Enforcement Hall alive?!"
"You even left Qiuning aside and rushed to Wan Jian Peak to curry favor with Xu Wanci!"
The angrier he got, the more he stuffed the eighth - grade thunder talismans in his hand into his storage jade pendant. He rolled up his sleeves and was about to look for more powerful magical tools.
Hearing the name Xu Wanci, Chu Qingchuan's eyes showed a moment of complexity.
He quickly came back to his senses, waved his sleeve, and the spiritual energy like silver needles interrupted Duan Ziwei's actions:
"The matter of Xu Wanci was a joint decision of the Great Elder and the Second Elder. It has nothing to do with me."
"As for the rest, I don't need to explain it to you."
Duan Ziwei looked at the glimmer of the defensive magical tool on his wrist and shook his hand.
He snorted and said mockingly, "Has nothing to do with you?"
"The evidence of Xu Wanci hurting Qiuning is conclusive. If it weren't for you, how could the elders have let her go?"
Saying this, he raised his head. There was a bone - chilling coldness in his peach - blossom eyes. He lowered his voice as if he could feel the pain himself,
"Yes, Xu Wanci loves you so much. She serves you tea, takes care of you, and uses all her precious treasures on you without reservation.
"It's only natural that you can't bear to part with her."
Hearing his words, Chu Qingchuan suddenly stopped in his tracks, about to leave.
Not knowing what he was thinking about, his voice was hoarse. "You're wrong."
"Xu Wanci... doesn't have any feelings of love for me."
The coldness in Duan Ziwei's eyes paused. He widened his eyes in surprise and said in disbelief:
"Chu Qingchuan, are you crazy?!"
"Xu Wanci doesn't love you?!"
"If you want to excuse yourself, you should come up with a better reason." The angrier he got as he spoke, his face flushing red. "Do you think you can fool me like a fool?!"
Listening to Duan Ziwei's irate voice, there was no longer the previous confidence on Chu Qingchuan's face.
Once, he also thought so.
Thought that Xu Wanci loved him deeply, thought that she was deeply affectionate and would never change, and that she couldn't live without him.
But—
He subconsciously recalled everything that had happened on the Ten - Thousand Sword Peak.
Recalled the serene smile on her face before she faced death, and the desolation in her eyes when she woke up.
Recalled that after she woke up, there was no longer any trace of him in her eyes.
He slightly lowered his eyes, covering all the emotions in them, and said calmly: "Xu Wanci just mistook me for the reincarnation of her lover."
"Now that the truth is out, naturally..."
There was no longer any reason for her to love him.
Before Chu Qingchuan could finish his words, he was interrupted by Duan Ziwei's impatient voice:
"So, she used this reason to deceive you into letting her go?"
"Loving the wrong person, reincarnation?" He raised his head, his eyes full of mockery. "You surely don't really believe it, do you?"
He had seen with his own eyes how obsessed Xu Wanci was with Chu Qingchuan.
As long as Chu Qingchuan was around, Xu Wanci would definitely appear nearby, and her eyes would never leave him for a moment.
As long as Chu Qingchuan needed something, Xu Wanci would offer all her spiritual treasures without hesitation.
Moreover, because of Chu Qingchuan, she had attacked Jiang Qiuning.
Now, could someone really believe the lie she casually made up to escape punishment?
Chu Qingchuan glanced at him indifferently and didn't excuse himself. He just said in a flat voice:
"After knowing... that that person's soul was completely destroyed and there was no possibility of reincarnation."
He calmly walked past Duan Ziwei, and his voice drifted in the air:
"She used the Soul - Breaking Bone on herself."
Duan Ziwei stood there stunned, not even noticing when Chu Qingchuan left.
As a member of a noble family, he had been familiar with all magical artifacts since childhood, so he was especially aware of the horror of the Soul - Breaking Bone.
It could directly act on the soul. Most defensive magical artifacts couldn't stop it. Even if he encountered the Soul - Breaking Bone, he would have to weigh whether the brand of the ancestor on his soul could protect him.
So, was the spiritual energy fluctuation of the two Tribulation - Crossing Elders on the Ten - Thousand Sword Peak because they were trying to save Xu Wanci?
At this moment, Duan Ziwei didn't have the slightest thought about why Xu Wanci was still alive after using the Soul - Breaking Bone and why the two elders had appeared so timely.
There was only one thought in his mind: How could it be?
How could a sneaky and treacherous person like Xu Wanci commit suicide because of someone?
He wouldn't even believe that she committed suicide for Chu Qingchuan, let alone for someone else.
As if remembering something, Duan Ziwei suddenly clapped his hands:
Xu Wanci must have committed suicide out of fear of punishment!
She knew that even if she walked out of the Law Enforcement Hall alive, once Chu Qingchuan and the elders realized what was going on, she would still be doomed.
Rather than suffering the punishment in the Law Enforcement Hall, it was better to commit suicide and end it all!
Duan Ziwei nodded in sudden realization:
Yes, it must be like this.
He turned around and strode off to find Xu Wanci, wanting to expose her true face.
On the other side, Xu Wanci, whom Duan Ziwei was thinking about, was carefully examining the original owner's spiritual sword in the yard.
The original owner hadn't obtained her natal sword yet. The sword she usually used was made by a weapon - refining master, and the connection between it and the original owner wasn't very close.
After knowing that she was safe from immediate danger, there was a hint of curiosity in Xu Wanci's eyes as she looked at the spiritual sword.
There was still the residual spiritual energy of the Tribulation - Crossing Venerables around her yard. Those who wanted to cause trouble for her probably wouldn't dare to come for a while...
Thinking of this, she stood up and waved the spiritual sword in her hand according to the original owner's memory.
Stab, slash, parry, hook, swirl, point.
Although they were just the most basic sword moves, Xu Wanci's movements were as stiff as if they were rusted. Every step was extremely awkward.
Xu Wanci felt the intermittent spiritual energy around her and frowned imperceptibly:
After all, she and the original owner had different souls, and their understandings of swordsmanship were completely different.
She always advocated a clean - cut swordsmanship, using the sword mainly to defeat the enemy.
While the original owner liked a gorgeous and elegant swordsmanship, using the sword mainly to intimidate with etiquette.
Xu Wanci really didn't understand why one had to create sword flowers when making a move. Why couldn't one just give the opponent a direct sword strike?
Why did one have to use spiritual energy to create illusions of several swords in sword moves? What use did these obviously fake illusions have other than looking good?
She wanted to practice swordsmanship in her own way, but at this time, the century - old instinct of the body was working against her. Her movements were like those of a child who had just started learning swordsmanship, stumbling and without the slightest trace of sword intent.
Just then, Duan Ziwei, who came to settle the score with Xu Wanci, finally arrived in front of the small courtyard.
Through the half - open wooden door, he clearly saw Xu Wanci's sword - waving movements.
He had once seen Xu Wanci when she was fighting with others. At that time, she already had a budding sword intent, and every move carried her own understanding of swordsmanship.
Even if she was seriously injured and her cultivation was crippled, the understanding of sword intent would never disappear.
But now...
Watching Xu Wanci struggle to even hold the sword steadily in the end, he stood there blankly, stunned:
Xu Wanci's sword heart... was broken?
