Chapter 1885: Delusion

"Sister Yue!"

Yu Zhiwen had been standing by silently. At this moment, she finally couldn't help but interject. She stepped past Liu Fuyu, took a step forward, and pulled on Yue Gongnu's sleeve, her voice soft but incredibly serious:

"You cannot go."

Whether it was returning to the Hanhong Emperor Realm from the River of Time, or going to Lingyu Mountain to see Bazun’an for a so-called last time, neither was permissible! Yu Zhiwen knew her Martial Uncle’s terrifying schemes too well. All the knowledge and principles she had learned throughout her life, apart from those from Grandpa Yu and Dao Xuanji, were primarily derived from the Dao Division.

After all, she had spent the longest time in the Dao Division. The subtle teachings and influence of the elders in the Dao Division were what she felt most deeply. And the so-called "elders of the Dao Division" were, in fact, just Dao Qiongcang alone. Such a teaching method, if used by anyone else, would surely produce students with limited perspectives, who would inevitably be narrow-minded and one-sided when considering the overall situation.

But he was Dao Qiongcang! Dao Qiongcang knew everything from astronomy to geography, embracing all knowledge. He split into the "elders of the Dao Division" to teach Yu Zhiwen, who consequently became proficient in various fields and excelled in all of them. Although the Dao Division was a shadow, and the elders of the Dao Division were the source of her midnight nightmares, on the other hand, if one considered the elders of the Dao Division as different "selves" of Dao Qiongcang, then piecing them all together would reveal the true Dao Qiongcang.

Yu Zhiwen clutched Sister Yue's sleeve tightly, refusing to let her leave. At this moment, a phrase often uttered by the elders of the Dao Division flashed through her mind, and she could almost perfectly replicate it:

"The process is not important."

"The process can be obscure; we only need to deduce backward from the result to see who benefits in the end, and that will suffice."

After a pause, Yu Zhiwen’s tone became extremely firm: "Dao Qiongcang is winding around, either actively or by making Sister Yue actively speak, ultimately forcing a choice between this 'last meeting' and 'a fight to the death'."

"I don't know what the outcome of these two developments will be, but the only thing I'm sure of is that neither will have a good result."

"No matter what you choose, the one who benefits in the end will not be Sister Yue and Bazun’an, but only… him!"

Behind them, Dao Qiongcang listened to these words, his face showing surprise. He stopped vomiting blood and looked at the little fish whose eyes were covered with black silk and who seemed to have grown, complex emotions flickering in his eyes. There was mockery, but also satisfaction, a profound contradiction.

"But, little fish..." he began.

"Don't call me little fish!"

"Alright, Miss Yu Zhiwen." Dao Qiongcang was interrupted. He solemnly grabbed his lower body, and while piecing himself back together, he said, "I'd like to ask Miss Zhiwen, besides 'this' and 'that,' what is the third option?"

"If you have lost your eyes, but can now see the situation clearly, yet still cannot offer a better choice to others..."

He sneered, "I should have taught you that self-preservation is sometimes the best choice—and by withdrawing and staying silent now, you won't be drawn into the vortex, nor will you bring trouble upon yourself."

"But what if I have a third option?" Yu Zhiwen said coldly, turning her head. Under the moonlight, she stood across the River of Time, confronting the blood-stained Dao Qiongcang crouching on the opposite bank.

Liu Fuyu stood with her sword, clearly feeling the chill of the night by the sea. Her killing intent surged. To be shattered like jade rather than remain intact like a tile, that was her choice as well. Unlike the others present, she had no second or third option—if everything was predestined, she would perish here tonight. She would be buried in Nanming, but her sword would open up wonders, protect the Gui Lou, and reshape the seal. This process might have flaws. But whether Dao Qiongcang or the Demonic Ancestor made their move, at least this variable might disrupt their plans.

Yue Gongnu also stood before the River of Time, looking at the young girl in front of her, then glancing at Dao Qiongcang on the ground. One junior, one senior. One student, one teacher. Before the "Dao," under the "grand trend" of the River of Time flowing eastward, those who should have walked side by side now stood in opposition. How similar was this scene to their youth?

At that time, geniuses from the five great Sacred Emperor Secret Realms gathered, practicing swordsmanship and cultivating the Dao, enjoying themselves. In a blink of an eye, each grew to prominence, and each went their separate ways.

"Then I am truly all ears, awaiting Miss Zhiwen's profound insights." Dao Qiongcang on the ground stood up, his gaze penetrating the River of Time.

"No need to pay attention to this person." Yu Zhiwen didn't want to argue with Dao Qiongcang. She turned her head and said seriously, "Sister Yue, let's go to the Xing Realm."

"In the Crystal Palace of the Xing Realm, there is a poisonous pool, and there are fish in the pool."

"Xu Xiaoshou has made arrangements; once all the fish in the pool die, no matter where he is, he will return immediately..." She took a deep breath: "I may not be able to see through the situation or provide a feasible third option, but if Xu Xiaoshou knows what happened here tonight, he can!"

Yue Gongnu had not yet responded. Dao Qiongcang, on the other side of the River of Time, listened and then threw back his head and laughed, "Xu Xiaoshou, can he?"

Yu Zhiwen clenched her fists, almost tearing Sister Yue’s sleeve, but she ignored him and made no reply.

"Xu Xiaoshou cannot!" Dao Qiongcang said with absolute certainty, seemingly knowing Xu Xiaoshou better than Xu Xiaoshou himself. "Miss Zhiwen, even today, do you still think Xu Xiaoshou will be a variable in my scheme?"

Yu Zhiwen couldn't help but turn back, "Isn't he?"

"Hahaha..."

"Love blinds one's eyes!"

"Yu Zhiwen, you trust Xu Xiaoshou too much, and the longer you stay with this person, the more you become a liar."

Dao Qiongcang rose and walked over. Except for his torn and blood-stained clothes, his injuries had healed as before, and he carried a chilling, eerie aura under the moonlight. There was a mix of lament and disdain on his face. He stopped near the three women and said with a chuckle, "Those fish in the pond, they've been gone for a long time, haven't they?"

Yu Zhiwen's face was calm, without any emotion. She knew Dao Qiongcang could foresee subtle changes, so she had to be careful. Dao Qiongcang swept his sleeve and sneered, "You can tell me so openly, aren't you afraid I'll destroy those fish in the pond right now? All those ponds and fish are fake."

"Of course, even if you have other means to forcibly summon Xu Xiaoshou from the Gujin Wangyou Building, do you think I would care?"

As he spoke, his lips curved into a half-smile, his expression becoming incredibly subtle. He looked up at the moonlight, recalling, "That day in the Four Symbols Secret Realm, I spared no effort to invite a fragment of Bei Huai's consciousness to possess the Sacred Emperor Qilin, just to severely wound Xu Xiaoshou."

"Then, in Yujing City, I captured Xiang Yaoyao, just to force Xu Xiaoshou to appear after his injury, to reveal his true form."

"You were involved in this 'herding pigs into a pen' scheme from beginning to end."

Yu Zhiwen's heart tightened, not knowing Dao Qiongcang's hidden meaning in mentioning these things, when she heard him continue: "And from Yujing City to Qingyuan Mountain, you experienced most of it, and even the Thirty-three Heavenly Textile Star Array that almost trapped Xu Xiaoshou was your handiwork."

"But there was one place you didn't go. Do you know where it was?"

Yu Zhiwen had no idea what Dao Qiongcang was talking about, but she inexplicably tensed up. Suddenly, her palm warmed, and she realized Sister Yue had grasped her hand, bringing a sense of comfort.

"There's a small town beneath Qingyuan Mountain called Changde Town."

"In the town, there's a Cao Family Blacksmith Shop, and inside lives Cao Yihan, also known as Kui Leihan of the Ten Revered Seats."

Dao Qiongcang said, spreading his hands, a wanton expression on his face: "Of course you couldn't go there. Even if you went, your memory would be blank, because you are a Heavenly Mystery Diviner. If you went there, you might discover clues, a slight chance to see that the entire town was filled with fake people, like the Dao Division, all serving as my eyes and hands to guard Kui Leihan."

Yu Zhiwen's delicate body trembled. The Dao Division was her scar. But Dao Qiongcang never had any thought of cherishing and protecting her, his words were all about rubbing salt into her wounds.

"Returning to the 'herding pigs into a pen,' by the time it reached Qingyuan Mountain, this scheme was already in its netting stage. Did I fail?"

"Yes, I failed. I didn't capture Xu Xiaoshou."

"Xu Xiaoshou mixed the fake with the real. Even at the last moment when I forcibly entered the Xing Realm, it was too late. His true body had already shed its skin like a Longxing Golden Cicada, leaving the Xing Realm and my sight."

"And I had to feed the Greedy God with flesh and blood, forcing it into madness, rampant in Yujing, attempting to add fuel to the fire to force him to appear again, after all, becoming one and becoming a ghost beast host was the only solution."

Even now, recalling that scheme, Yu Zhiwen still felt a lingering fear, but she knew the outcome. After Xu Xiaoshou returned, his severe injuries had healed, and even though he became a ghost beast host, Dao Qiongcang had no room for maneuver. She tightly held Sister Yue's hand and murmured, "He tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice."

Dao Qiongcang seemed pleased by the scolding, his expression becoming extremely radiant. He then changed the subject: "But did Xu Xiaoshou win?"

The cold wind howled, and the waves roared. The three women all turned their heads, only to hear Dao Qiongcang snort:

"He didn't win!"

"Do you know, after he shed his skin with the Longxing Golden Cicada, in his panic, who was the only savior in his heart?"

"Where was the first place he would go, and where did they actually end up going?"

Yu Zhiwen's thoughts suddenly churned. Lightning seemed to strike Liu Fuyu's mind as well. Yue Gongnu, after leaving the Cold Prison, had heard many things about the Five Domains from Dao Qiongcang over the past half-year, and even though her knowledge was shallow, she didn't know much about the inside story of this particular scheme. Now, after hearing all this, she also had an answer in her heart and softly murmured aloud:

"Kui Leihan..."

Dao Qiongcang retracted his smile, his face returning to calm. He picked up the Heavenly Mystery Compass, which had fallen somewhere earlier, and regained his sagely composure: "Indeed, Kui Leihan."

"The place he went to was precisely the Heavenly Mystery Town that you, Yu Zhiwen, never visited."

Dao Qiongcang looked at the River of Time, at the night sky of Nanming. Everything vast was within his sight, as if he controlled all. He sighed deeply: "The true memory imprint is not a clear 'marker,' a 'pattern' that can be replaced. Instead, it's a psychological suggestion I gave him beforehand. When he reached his wit's end, he also believed he had found the 'only' salvation."

"The result of 'herding pigs into a pen' was precisely Xu Xiaoshou, with his injured body and will, willingly entering my encirclement, and even wanting to give me a Longxing as a bonus."

Dao Qiongcang turned his head, looking at Yu Zhiwen with utmost calmness, and said faintly, "Xu Xiaoshou won."

"But it wasn't that he won; it was that I decided it was enough, so I let him off."

He held the Heavenly Mystery Compass in one hand and cupped the void with the other, his face glowing with a morning enlightenment, evening immortality aura: "What is Heavenly Mystery?"

"Heavenly Mystery is not ethereal, nor does it have absolute variables."

"When I verified what I thought, the moment someone felt they had won, they were no longer a variable in my chess game—Xu Xiaoshou was a foregone conclusion!"

Dao Qiongcang stood behind the River of Time, his figure indistinct, flickering in and out of the temporal bubbles, both close at hand and infinitely distant. His gaze traversed the long river, calm and unperturbed: "This is the last lesson I will teach you."

"And with that, Miss Zhiwen, do you understand?"

"Your so-called third option, in my eyes, never even qualified as a 'choice'; it was merely your self-deceiving delusion."

After he finished speaking, only dead silence remained in Nanming. Yu Zhiwen's face was bloodless, ashen as paper, and her hands were incredibly cold. Countless times, she had felt she had escaped the "Dao Hall Master's" grasp and could begin to try and break free from the torment brought by the Dao Division's shadow—both in terms of physical distance and mental state.

But Dao Qiongcang overshadowed everything. He would emerge again, with that calm, instructive tone, to tell her:

Ginger, the older the spicier.

"Dao Qiongcang, I think you're looking for death!"

Even though Yue Gongnu didn't know the full picture, she could feel the trembling in the little girl's hands at this moment, sensing the weight of fear and shadow that the three words "Dao Qiongcang" brought. Had this guy truly gone mad from cultivating the Dao, to be so inhumane? She was just a child; what kind of teaching method was this? Whether it was the "Dao Division" or his current words, how was this any different from pulling up seedlings to help them grow?

"Shut up for this Empress!"

Yue Gongnu turned and struck, summoning the Furious Immortal Buddha Sword with a wave of her sleeve. She instantly leaped across the River of Time, aiming directly for Dao Qiongcang’s obnoxious mouth, and fiercely cleaved down. This time, she couldn't have her way. From his blood-stained sleeve, Dao Qiongcang extended a hand, pure white and flawless, as translucent as jade. He simply formed two fingers and blocked it mid-air.

"Clang—"

The Furious Immortal Buddha Sword struck as if it hit iron, emitting a clanging explosion that rattled the eardrums. Yue Gongnu was thrown back, the Furious Immortal Buddha Sword slipping from her grasp and flying far away. Dao Qiongcang reached out and grabbed the Buddha Sword Furious Immortal, then pointed it at Yue Gongnu from a distance. He shed all pretense of playfulness, withdrawing from his self-directed, boring drama. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression became incredibly icy:

"Yue Gongnu, I gave you choices, and I gave you dignity."

"Since there are choices and dignity, whether there is only one choice or only one, you should have just gone to Lingyu Mountain obediently."

"Do the three of you think that going to war, or going to the Xing Realm, or returning to the Hanhong Emperor Realm, are these paths truly existent?"

As he spoke, he slashed through the air. The River of Time instantly shattered with a booming sound, and the power of the golden talisman in Yue Gongnu's hand vanished into thin air. He turned the tip of the Furious Immortal Buddha Sword, pointing it north, and said disdainfully:

"The path is under your feet."

"There is only one."

"Go to Lingyu Mountain, I said!"

The night wind was bleak, and Nanming was chilling. Yue Gongnu stared intently at Dao Qiongcang, whose eyes held murderous intent, but in her heart, only helplessness remained. Yes, from the very beginning, none of these choices existed. His willingness to talk nicely was merely his desire to talk nicely. When he no longer wanted to pretend...

Just as Xiao Ba had evaluated him back then:

If Dao Qiongcang truly shed his disguise and truly exerted his power to drive the situation, no one could see or influence it, no one had a second choice, and no one had the time or right to speak. The only thing they could do was like a blindfolded donkey, only knowing to blindly move forward, not knowing whether they were going straight toward the Dao or just helping someone go in circles around a millstone.

"Ahahaha! So serious, everyone, you're not scared of me, are you?"

The dead silence was suddenly broken. Dao Qiongcang put down the Buddha Sword Furious Immortal, hunched his shoulders, and voluntarily retreated a few steps: "Sister Yue, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously. Actually, A'li and I are both terribly afraid of your whip."

"And little fish... well, I'll still call you that. It makes our relationship seem closer."

Dao Qiongcang scratched the back of his head, speaking awkwardly, completely unlike an elder, yet still maintaining some of an elder's tone: "My sister occasionally has episodes. Her strength is insufficient, and divining heavenly secrets consumes her lifespan. I feel she doesn't have much lifespan left."

"Xu Xiaoshou is also my friend, and you, little fish, are my martial niece. On your wedding day, I'm going to sit at the main table and be your witness."

He waved his hand downwards, making continuous "hoh" sounds, his tone benevolent: "Relax, everyone, just relax."

The three women all remained tense, none able to relax. How could anyone relax? Dao Qiongcang knew he had indeed put too much pressure on them. He could only sigh silently, then, after a twitch of his face, he squeezed out a forced smile and stared at Liu Fuyu:

"Sword Immortal Liu, you relax too."

"Although you bowed to me just now, I don't hold grudges. You won't die in this scheme."

Yue Gongnu's face changed dramatically. Yu Zhiwen even looked up abruptly, as if to pierce through the disguise and see what was truly hidden in Dao Qiongcang's utterly black heart—she saw nothing.

"That's right!"

Dao Qiongcang took a few more steps back, clapping his hands as he spoke: "Having some emotions, some anger, makes you seem like real people. Otherwise, one might not know, and think the three of you were Heavenly Mystery puppets just now!"

He bypassed the murderous Yue Gongnu, the intent-filled Liu Fuyu, and after passing these two insignificant women, he looked kindly at Yu Zhiwen: "Little fish..."

After waiting a moment, seeing no reaction from little fish, he sighed, "We told you, didn't we? Once you have a choice, then stick to what you think, and don't be influenced by outsiders or external things!"

"I think Xu Xiaoshou is not a variable, but a constant. That's what I think, and it has nothing to do with you." Dao Qiongcang spread his hand, "If you think he is, then he is, and that's enough!"

Yu Zhiwen lowered her head deeply. In a trance, she felt as if she had returned to the Dao Division's schoolroom in her childhood, where the teacher held a cane and lectured from the platform. At that time, she had many companions around her, each either respectful and awed, or playful and smiling. They were so vividly alive...

"Then I won't say much more, just two heartfelt words." Dao Qiongcang sighed helplessly, rubbing his forehead at her state. Indeed, among the younger generation, besides Xu Xiaoshou, everyone else was mediocre, even Yu Zhiwen whom he personally nurtured.

"Look up!"

He barked sharply. Yu Zhiwen trembled with fright. When she looked up, all she saw was darkness. Fortunately, though Xu Xiaoshou wasn't beside her, Sister Yue and Sister Liu both held her hands, giving her some comfort. Dao Qiongcang didn't bother with pleasantries: "After you go to Lingyu Mountain, you will see Hua Changdeng. Hua Changdeng used cruel methods to kill Yu Kunpeng in Wurao Emperor Realm..."

"Beast!" Yue Gongnu cursed furiously.

"Uh, I'm just stating a fact." Dao Qiongcang opened his mouth, then changed the subject and pointed at the two women: "If Bazun’an wants to kill Hua Changdeng, or if he can't kill him but Xu Xiaoshou wants to kill Hua Changdeng after leaving the tower."

"And I say, Hua Changdeng cannot die. Will you stop your little Ba, little Shou?"

Yue Gongnu and Yu Zhiwen were stunned. What did it mean that Hua Changdeng couldn't die? Dao Qiongcang waved his hand, signaling the two women not to answer: "Just a reminder, it doesn't matter if you take it to heart or not, and you don't need to answer or make a choice, after all, you probably won't listen to me anyway..."

He set that aside, then forced out a kindly smile, pulling out a wooden box wrapped in black cloth from his bosom. No one could glimpse what was inside. He solemnly handed the black cloth box to Yu Zhiwen and said, "Your Sister Yue said I bet on three parties. You believe Xu Xiaoshou is still a variable. Actually, I think you're right, and I also hope I'm wrong."

"If after this battle, Bazun’an dies, Xu Xiaoshou dies, this black cloth wooden box will be meaningless. You can open it or throw it away, whichever you wish."

The two women reacted differently, but Dao Qiongcang ignored them. He never cared about the reactions, choices, or answers of outsiders, nor did he want to hear the replies of common people: "But if Bazun’an is out, Xu Xiaoshou survives, and all ancestral gods are destroyed, then everything is perfect."

"This box, please pass it to Xu Xiaoshou for me. Thank you."

Dao Qiongcang bowed sincerely; his attitude and transformation were truly frightening. Yu Zhiwen weakly accepted the black cloth box. She was completely confused, having no idea which of Dao Qiongcang’s words were true, which were false, which were useful, and which were simply idle chatter. In front of the Dao Hall Master, she was as dull as a Heavenly Mystery puppet.

Yue Gongnu watched everything silently. After Dao Qiongcang retreated, she didn't speak again, only continuously gestured north, towards Lingyu Mountain. Of course, she was the guide. But the thought that even in the "perfect ending," according to this damned Dao Qiongcang, Bazun’an would be out of the picture... Yue Gongnu couldn't help but want to speak.

Dao Qiongcang happened to raise a hand, signaling silence: "I know what you want to ask. Don't ask."

"Dao Qiongcang!" Yue Gongnu was both exasperated and enraged, truly wanting to chop someone.

Dao Qiongcang still gave them a channel for emotional release. He pulled out a copper coin, tossed it up, then clutched the coin in his palm, looking at Yue Gongnu: "Old game, guess heads or tails, no prize if you guess correctly."

He slightly curved his lips, glancing at Yu Zhiwen, "She believes in variables, you should also believe in variables. Being a little naive is quite good."

Yue Gongnu met his gaze with a cold stare. This was indeed an old game; when Dao Qiongcang first started acting like a charlatan in their childhood, he often played this trick. She parted her red lips and decided to play along: "Heads."

Dao Qiongcang opened his hand, the coin was tails. A smile appeared on his face. With a crisp sound, he tossed the coin up again, "Third time's the charm, one last chance, seize it, Sister Yue."

"Heads!"

Dao Qiongcang opened his hand, the coin was tails. With a smack, he crushed the coin directly, clasped his hands behind his head, swayed his body, turned around, and left the place with a long laugh:

"It's fate! It's destiny!"

"Come back!" Yue Gongnu called out, her voice suppressing anger, "The third time, the last time!"

Dao Qiongcang stopped, standing on the seawater, half of his body submerged. He didn't turn back: "Gamblers always lose."

"The third time, the last time!" Yue Gongnu repeated.

Dao Qiongcang turned, pulled out another copper coin, and showed the three women both sides, indicating no trickery: "Heads? Tails?"

Yue Gongnu hesitated for a long time, then spoke heavily:

"Tails!"

Clink—

Dao Qiongcang flicked the coin high forward, smiling, "You're not firm anymore."

Before the coin landed, his figure turned into starlight and vanished into the Nanming Sea. Buzz buzz buzz... The fate that was tossed high up landed perfectly on a small stone slab the size of a thumbnail in front of the three women. It spun upright for a long time, not stopping. It was as if fate was like this, the coin could spin for a century, representing that eternity was always a variable.

"Whoosh!"

But there was no century. After only a few breaths, a wave crashed, drops hitting the coin. With a 'thwack', the coin lay still on the small stone slab. The world was utterly silent. Yue Gongnu looked down. Dao Qiongcang’s copper coin had an 'eight' engraved on the front, and the emblem of the Sacred Slave on the back—a naked slave, hugging their knees and weeping softly. She had seen both sides of "Sacred Slave." This last side, the yellow copper coin lying still on the small stone slab, bore the seal character 'eight'!

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