Jiaohua

Chapter 1683 Another Goddess Statue

Xie Huaichu was skilled, far surpassing Lü Wuwei. Among Tang Xiangsi's many subordinates, he was the only one who could fight Fang Xiyu one-on-one without a clear winner.

After confirming that the other party was a human and not a ghost, Xie Huaichu's courage returned.

He twirled the longsword between his fingers and looked coldly at Xia Zhaoyi: "Things have come to this, draw your weapons!"

Xia Zhaoyi took down the Thousand Silk Jade hanging from her waist. Before she could put away the small oil lamp, a deep, familiar voice sounded behind her: "Ali, I'm here."

Xia Zhaoyi paused and turned her head away.

Shen Lie had arrived early and remained silent, afraid of disturbing her attempts to probe, but he quickly realized that she didn't have the patience to stay there any longer.

Upon hearing the name "Ah Li" and seeing Shen Lie, Xie Huaichu felt a chill run down her spine. She took a step back, still holding her starting stance, her gaze becoming even more ferocious.

Shen Lie approached, holding a short knife. He glanced at the mask on Xia Zhaoyi's face, a doting smile appearing on his lips. However, he didn't stop and looked at Xie Huaichu: "How do you compare to Fang Xiyu?"

Xie Huaichu said coldly, "You killed Fang Xiyu?"

"Well, he's dead."

"Fine, then come and kill me again, I'm not afraid of death!"

Shen Lie stopped ten steps away from Xie Huaichu, looking at him and saying, "You so readily believe what Tang Xiangsi said, that he truly achieved immortality because of the bronze bell? Tang Xiangsi has changed his identity countless times throughout his life, and with each new identity comes a new story. Not to mention that deceiving people is as easy for him as drinking water or sleeping. Just look at how my maternal grandfather treated him with utmost sincerity, but when my maternal grandfather was imprisoned, did he lift a finger?"

Xie Huaichu sneered, "Your maternal grandfather watched his juniors being imprisoned, but he didn't do anything about it, did he?"

"Therefore, they are the same kind of people."

Xie Huaichu frowned, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Shen Lie continued, "You and Lü Wuwei are both afraid of me, but you used yourself as bait to lure me away, trying to give Lü Wuwei a way out. This shows that you are not a hypocrite. Can you tolerate someone like Tang Xiangsi who is treacherous, disloyal, and a traitor to her friends and country?"

Xie Huaichu said solemnly, "Whether I can tolerate it or not is my business. Are you trying to recruit me or find out where Tang Xiangsi is? Save your breath, I won't tell you!"

Xia Zhaoyi spoke up: "Lu Wuwei is dead. I killed him. Before he died, he didn't want to die here and begged me to take him away. I agreed, but then he ambushed me. Xie Huaichu, are you happy to let me die in this underground palace?"

Xie Huaichu felt his deepest pain exposed and glanced at the four walls out of the corner of his eye.

Xia Zhaoyi continued, "Since you believe in Tang Xiangsi's theories, what does dying here mean? Don't you think about that?"

Xie Huaichu gripped the sword tightly, his heart churning with conflicting emotions.

Xia Zhaoyi said, "Lu Wuwei ambushed me, cutting off his own path to survival, and also yours. I originally wanted you dead, but now that Shen Lie is willing to give you this opportunity, why don't you seize it?"

Xie Huaichu glared at her, his lips pressed tightly together.

"How annoying," Xia Zhaoyi snorted. "Letting him live is like begging him. Shen Lie, let's not wait any longer. Let's kill him and leave him in this bone-strewn underground palace to keep his good brother company."

She mentioned the skeletons, and Xie Huaichu thought of the cave full of bones that he and Lü Wuwei had visited not long ago.

Xie Huaichu was truly afraid.

He didn't want to become one of those many skeletons!
Shen Lie said, "Alright, as you command." Shen Lie stepped forward with his knife, but Xie Huaichu suddenly said, "I'll go with you! If you want to kill me, take me up there first... I'm not afraid to die, I'm really not afraid to die!!"

Shen Lie stopped and looked at him, then turned his head slightly to ask Xia Zhaoyi, "Ali, should we still kill him?"

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said, "I'm giving you face, so I won't kill you."

The altar square was brightly lit, as bright as day.

Ye Zheng led six men to catch up with Shen Lie, while Xie Huaichu was kidnapped by Yan Jun soldiers.

Afterwards, Shen Lie and Xia Zhaoyi went to find the old man and the Half-Nine Immortal Master.

After exchanging information on the way, the two speculated that there should be other people in the underground palace, at least Fang Xiyu's family members were still there.

Xia Zhaoyi said, "Even if I hadn't stopped them, those two women would probably not have gotten anything out of Feng Qingang if they had actually put on the princess's mask to scare him. Feng Qingang isn't afraid of Princess Wulan. The reason he's willing to talk is because he's giving me face. He seems to have a sense of kinship with me, regarding me as one of his own, both hating and loving me."

As she spoke, Xia Zhaoyi removed the mask from her face: "It was a sudden idea that led to Madam Qu helping to create momentum. I never imagined it would lead to so many consequences."

Looking at the face he had been longing for, Shen Lie said softly, "Your sudden idea is a brilliant one that others would never be able to come up with, and you have stirred up Wei Xingchuan and Tang Xiangsi."

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said, "That's a good compliment, I like hearing it."

But let's get back to the main point: "Could Xie Zhonghe and Fang Yi also be hiding in this underground palace to escape?"

Shen Lie said, "I don't know. Xie Zhong is a venomous snake; he'll slip away at the slightest sign of trouble. But as long as Fang Yinai is alive, he will definitely go back to find Fang Yiping."

"He is Fang Yiping's elder brother. How will Fang Yiping treat him?"

Shen Lie's voice was slightly deep as he said calmly, "It's not about how Fang Yiping treated him, it's about me. I won't let him get away with this."

Shen Lie could forgive and forget the past, but now, the six Taoist disciples who went to survey the water quality were captured and brutally murdered by Fang Yinai and Xie Zhong, who mistook them for villagers. Fang Yinai must take responsibility for this. After all, these Taoist disciples were all summoned by the old man through his letter.

Half-Nine Immortals and Liu Jia did not stay with the old man. After Shen Lie and Xia Zhaoyi returned, they separated and went directly to the altar square after finding each other.

All the lights in the altar square were lit up, and only then could one see that a tall stone statue of a goddess stood above the main gate of the Cold Palace.

Shen Lie and Xia Zhaoyi were both familiar with this goddess statue; they had seen it at Yuxianbei in Leigong Mountain in Guizhou and at the White Bone Cave in Hengxiangruan's house.

There is only one Yu Xian Pond, and the White Bone Cave contains the Nine-Linked Goddess Statue. This is also a single statue.

However, due to space limitations, although the goddess statue in front of us is also tall, it is far less impressive than the two other statues we saw.

Xia Zhaoyi raised her eyebrows and looked at the stone statue, wondering what the origin of these statues was, whether they represented some ancient ritual or symbol.

While in Hejing, she had entrusted the stone statue on Leigong Mountain to Mr. Zou Xiabu of Qingque Pavilion to investigate, but so much time has passed and Mr. Zou has still not found any useful clues.

My fingers were suddenly enveloped by a hot palm.

Xia Zhaoyi turned her gaze and saw Shen Lie looking down at her, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

“…I’m fine,” Xia Zhaoyi said, holding his hand in return. “I’m not afraid of anything anymore, don’t worry.”