Grudge Breaker

Chapter 344: Attacking the Heart
The more angry Gu Cangyue became, the calmer Mo Tingfeng became. He knew very well that the time had come.

"Lord Cangyue, I will only ask these questions once. It is up to you to decide whether to tell me now or to confess in public in court."

"Are you threatening me?"

Gu Cangyue's face was full of sullenness and he glared angrily.

In fact, he knew very well that even if he kept the secret strictly guarded to the end, with Mo Tingfeng's ability, it was only a matter of time for him to find out the truth.

Knowing that he was in a passive position, Gu Cangyue took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

"Mo Tingfeng, how about a deal?"

"I can tell you the truth, but there are two conditions: first, help me find the remaining accomplices behind the evil obstacle Shu Tinglong; second, cast a 'false words and life-eating talisman' on yourself. If you reveal even a single word of today's secret, you will die immediately."

Mo Tingfeng raised his eyebrows, half sarcasm and half indifference, "Such harsh conditions, why do you think I will agree? After all, we only need to wait until the trial, and all the truth will be revealed."

"Because you don't want to wait."

This time it was Gu Cangyue's turn to speak mockingly.
"Whether it's the threat brought by the death curse or the mystery of Ruan Mianmian's disappearance, they are urgent matters that can determine life and death overnight. You don't have time to waste with me."

"Furthermore, once the trial is involved, Yuheng Jun and Weiwei will have to attend as witnesses of the injuries inflicted by me. If Tianzun is present at the time, what if he discovers something wrong with Weiwei, or if he brings up the secret that the current white-robed person in Sichen Mansion is a woman... In that situation, I'm afraid even if Qin Huan sincerely wants to protect me, he will be powerless, let alone you."

"So unless it's absolutely necessary, you will do everything you can to avoid a trial. All you want is the truth from this gentleman's mouth."

When two tigers fight, the best way is to attack their hearts.

They looked at each other for a long time without saying a word, and suddenly burst into laughter at the same time.

"Lao Zhuang, please take Weiwei to the side hall and take good care of her. I have something personal to discuss with Master Cangyue."

Mo Tingfeng glanced at Song Weichen who was still unconscious with reluctance. Time was indeed running out. Even if he was reluctant for her to leave his sight, he had to make a choice at this moment.

Zhuang Yuheng couldn't wait to leave. He hadn't been so embarrassed for hundreds of years. The dignified Medicine King actually pretended to be dead in his own territory and was exposed on the spot because of his poor acting skills. If this news got out, it would probably be the source of laughter in the upper realm for several days.

Zhuang Yuheng was about to run away with Song Weichen in a sneaky manner when he was stopped by Gu Cangyue. He could only stop there awkwardly but politely.

"... Could you please take a look at her? Just one look would be enough."

Zhuang Yuheng looked at Mo Tingfeng with some embarrassment, and only when he saw the latter nod did he carry Song Weichen in front of the bound Gu Cangyue - such an arrogant and conceited man, after seeing Song Weichen, it seemed as if all the arrogance and thorns were drawn away in an instant.

After staring at her blankly for a while, he closed his eyes tightly.
"Let's go."
.
The Marrow Washing Hall was silent for a moment, with only the gurgling water in the pool.

Gu Cangyue still had his eyes closed, and Mo Tingfeng did not urge him. He just called the maid in to set up wine and food on the terrace. After everyone left, he set up layers of sound and visual barriers again to ensure that what they said and did could not be detected by a third party. Then he untied the rope that bound Gu Cangyue.

"All right."

"If Master Cangyue wants to leave, I cannot stop you with my current magical power. But I believe in you, so please believe in me too."

Gu Cangyue did not respond, but walked to the terrace with an expressionless face, sat down, and poured himself a drink.

Mo Tingfeng naturally followed him, and began to cast a spell in front of Gu Cangyue, injecting a "Random Words Devouring Life Talisman" into his internal organs as promised. Afterwards, he did not ask any more questions, but just drank quietly without saying a word, because he knew he would definitely tell him.

……

After a few drinks, Gu Cangyue spoke coldly,
"Shu Takaki, this name was not chosen by me."

"After all, the auxiliary spirit will always be by your side, so it doesn't need a name at all."

"Later he told me that 'Shu Ting Long' read backwards is 'Dragon Blood Tree'. It's such a strange name. Obviously he had no intention of hiding his identity from the beginning. I only realized it later."

"As a secondary spirit, Shu Tinglong is indeed an exception. Not only can he act alone, but after returning to the cage, I can be completely unaware of his actions. Thinking about it carefully, this change has only occurred in the past ten years - most likely he met someone at that time and agreed to certain conditions from the other party in exchange for his collusion against me."

"The worst thing is that as he gradually stripped me of myself, my sanity and self-control became weaker and weaker. That time at Yushan Yaotai with Weiwei... was the critical point of losing control. After that, I began to lose my sanity from time to time, and after regaining consciousness, I had no memory of what I had done. That's why I was forced to leave Weiwei. On the one hand, I was afraid of hurting her when I lost my sanity, and on the other hand, I planned to return to the upper realm to find a solution."

"I have no choice but to seek a solution. I have decided to take the risk of cultivating the third soul to get rid of Shu Tinglong's restraint."

"Of course I knew this was extremely dangerous, and I should have stayed in the Undead Temple and practiced hard, but... I missed her so much that I went crazy, so I returned to the Sleeping Realm regardless of everything. You know what happened afterwards."

Gu Cangyue said this with a calm expression and started drinking again.

……

"Shu Tinglong is one of Gu Cangyue's souls" was already within Mo Tingfeng's expectations, he just needed to hear him confirm his guess in person. So, of course, he knew that Gu Cangyue was not lying - but obviously he didn't say everything.

He hadn't said a word about what he really wanted to know.

"Thank you, Lord Cangyue, for your honesty. However, if you really want to uncover the forces behind Boss Shu, please be sure to answer a few questions from me, Mo."

"First, why is your feather in Boss Shu's hands? Has he made a request to you with this item? Have you agreed?"

The wine glass that Gu Cangyue had originally brought to his mouth stopped in mid-air, and his cheeks visibly tightened. It was obvious that Mo Tingfeng's question had touched his sore spot.

“You ask questions.”

He simply put down his glass.
"Well, since I've decided to be frank with you, it doesn't hurt to be more transparent."

Gu Cangyue began to narrate calmly that this feather was originally lost in the Well of Time. It was extremely thrilling to rescue Song Weichen that time. When they reached the exit, they were suddenly attacked by dozens of giant soul-devouring beasts. Although these things were brainless, they had amazing brute force, and each of them had at least Class C to Class B combat power.

Even for Gu Cangyue in his true form, it was extremely difficult to deal with such a large number of soul-devouring beasts. Moreover, he was carrying Song Weichen's consciousness at that time and could not make any mistakes.

Although he finally escaped successfully, he also lost a feather - a feather is equivalent to ten thousand years of cultivation. After escaping danger, he still felt fortunate every time he thought about it. It was worth it to exchange a feather for Song Weichen's consciousness.

Unexpectedly, the feather did not actually disappear, but fell into Shu Tinglong's hands.

As the auxiliary soul, Shu Tinglong did put in a lot of effort when looking for Song Weichen that day, and entered the Well of Time with him. Now it seems that Shu Tinglong at that time already had the ability to act alone and make him, the main soul, ignore his actions.

Thinking about it now, Gu Cangyue couldn't help but wonder, why did so many soul-devouring beasts gather together at that time?
Could it be that the so-called "sudden danger" was actually caused by Shu Xinglong in secret?

It’s a pity that it can’t be verified now.

……

"It is indeed as you expected. Shu Tinglong has already made a request."

Gu Cangyue drank the wine in the glass and looked at Mo Tingfeng steadily. A scene appeared in his pupils - it was the day when Shu Tinglong led him to the Temple of the Immortal.

The two stood in a floating pavilion. The emerald green buds on a brocade tree beside the pavilion were broken into pieces like spring rain, reflecting the lonely moon which was also scattered into countless floating lights.
.
"I want the position of the main spirit."

There was a warm expression on Shu Xilong's face, with a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, as gentle as a banished immortal who has descended to earth.

"As an ancient god, Luan Bird should be revered by all, but because of your willful behavior, you have both good and bad reputations. My request for Ling Yu is very simple. I don't want your life or your magic power, but one thing: from now on, you will be the auxiliary spirit, and let me restore the reputation of Luan Bird!"

Gu Cangyue almost laughed to tears, as if he had heard a great joke. It was true that merchants' habits were hard to change, and the abacus beads made a loud noise.

"How do you think I will agree?"

Even if he sacrificed the feather, what would happen? He shouldn't ask for anything unreasonable.

"You will agree." Shu Xinglong smiled warmly, but for some reason, that smile made Gu Cangyue feel cold in his heart.

"It is inevitable that your mind and character will become out of control. Even if you don't agree, it is only a matter of time before you and I completely exchange identities."

"Twenty years at the fastest, fifty years at the slowest, it's just that little time. Even if I become a mortal after my soul is severed from yours, even if my life is as insignificant as a mayfly, I can afford to wait."

"In fifty years at most, you will completely lose control, go mad and self-destruct, and I will naturally become the main spirit!"

"When my mortal body transforms into an immortal body, I will not only possess your main soul, but will also inherit all your magical powers. Hahaha! Just thinking about it makes me happy!"

"Compared to this, for me, these moments are just an opportunity to enjoy the world, so why not?"

With every word Shu Xinglong said, Gu Cangyue's eyes became colder. In the end, the emerald green buds around him seemed to be suspended in the air as if the pause button was pressed. Upon closer inspection, every piece of emerald was growing cracks from the inside, and finally exploded into dust.

"Shu Takaki, have you forgotten something?"

"I can kill you right now. You won't even have a chance to live to the next hour, let alone fifty years!"

Shu Tinglong smiled faintly, not panicking at all.

"You will not."

"Even if you are not afraid of losing your mind and wits after losing me, you will definitely not kill me - because your weak spot is in my hand."

"You are now incapable of protecting that girl. Not to mention that the dangers around her were all planned long ago. After all, you have no idea what kind of vortex she is involved in. As for you, once you completely lose your mind, you yourself will become a huge danger to her. If you really want to protect her, you have no choice but to rely on me."

"I can promise you that if you agree to the exchange, I will protect her."

"Let me tell you the truth. Today's Shu Tinglong is no longer an unknown person that you can shake."

"How is it? 'Once the feather is out, the request will be granted'. This action of Shu can be regarded as letting Lord Cangyue's words come true, and what he asked for was granted."

……

The scene in Gu Cangyue's pupils gradually faded, and finally turned back into a deep pool.

"Did you see everything clearly?" Gu Cangyue lowered his eyes and continued to drink glass after glass.

Mo Tingfeng frowned. Even if Gu Cangyue didn't bring it up, he would insist on digging out the forces behind Shu Tinglong - what did he mean by "the dangers around her were all planned for a long time"?
Considering the previous mask of the ghost market owner, and the various information he provided intentionally or unintentionally related to the mask of the Ghost King and the curse of death... it is obvious that Shu Tinglong is closer to the secret behind Song Weichen!
"Gu Cangyue, did you promise him?"

"Why, are you concerned about me? I just said I would consider it..."

Gu Cangyue's words were interrupted by Mo Tingfeng who grabbed his hand reaching for the wine jug.

"Don't ever agree to him!"

"Shu Tinglong is good at playing tricks on your mind. Don't be fooled by him. Think about it carefully. If he really has the ability to control your mind as he said, why would he go to so much trouble to openly display his feathers at the night banquet of the Territory Lord's Mansion, intending to force you to submit with the gossip of the crowd?"

"you……?"

Gu Cangyue was a little surprised, and didn't understand why Mo Tingfeng was so anxious? If he went crazy and lost control, it would be a great benefit to him. After all, no one would compete with him for Song Weichen, so he should be happy.

"I know what you're thinking."

Mo Tingfeng's eyes were solemn, and he still held Gu Cangyue's hand tightly, even increasing the strength a little.

"If Weiwei and I are firmly in love, it will be useless even if you use all your tricks. On the contrary, if her feelings for me can change because of you, then even if there is no 'Gu Cangyue', there will be the next 'you'."

"Gu Cangyue, you are the supreme god of Luan Bird. You must not lose to Shu Xilong. Do you hear me?"

"You should concentrate on cultivating the third soul. If necessary, I will personally protect you."

These words surprised Gu Cangyue somewhat - obviously, he didn't know Mo Tingfeng.

He took a deep breath, turned his head and looked outside the Marrow Washing Hall through the huge crystal window. It was the most gorgeous season of spring, with wisteria flowers blooming all over the yard. For the first time, Gu Cangyue truly felt that winter was gone. Since returning to Cangyue Mansion from the upper realm, he had been living in seclusion in the cloud cocoon all day long and had long forgotten what warm spring was like.

With a thought, a magical power was released and entered his internal organs along Mo Tingfeng's hand, which was still tightly held.

"You are talking about the Life-Eating Talisman. I will remove it for you."

The two men smiled at each other, raised their glasses and toasted each other, apparently reaching some kind of unspoken agreement.

Looking at Mo Tingfeng again, there was a hint of barely perceptible trust in Gu Cangyue's eyes.

"Master Si Chen is good at making plans. Tell me... where is that evil creature Shu Xilong now?"
.
“A-choo!!”

"A-Taki, did you catch a cold? Why are you sneezing so much for no reason today?"

Li Qingshui was very caring. He put a thin Arctic snow fox fur coat on Shu Xinglong who was writing at the table, and gently rubbed his temples.

"It's okay, maybe someone is thinking about me."

Shu Xinglong closed his eyes and pinched the Qingming acupoint, then put the brush back into the pen holder and tapped the dry corner of the desk twice. The whole table folded and tidied itself like a living thing or a mechanism. The brush, ink, inkstone and the unfinished paper he had written were all "swallowed" by the wooden table and hidden away. There was no trace of documents on the table anymore, but another thing rose from the belly of the table - the Heart-Confusing Harp.

That day at the Spring Banquet in the back mountain of Si Chen Mansion, the zither had been split into two halves by Mo Tingfeng. Even though it has been carefully repaired now, obvious signs of fracture can still be seen on the zither. After all, the deer antler ash base layer has been damaged, and the paint surface is difficult to restore without any marks.

"Can you play it?"

Shu Tinglong pulled over the soft hand that was concentrating on soothing his forehead and kneaded it at will.

"Brother Taki, you are joking again."

Li Qingshui took advantage of the situation and sat in Shu Xinglong's arms, half acting coquettishly and half scolding him.
"I see you don't want to listen to the music, you want that little slut who can play the music."

Shu Xinglong smiled faintly, stretched out his hand and lightly touched the Huoxinqin, but deliberately avoided touching the strings.

"Shui'er is right. This piano piece is indeed unbearable to listen to."

"You know that the part that was cut off by Mo Tingfeng is the core middle section of the guqin's force bearing and resonance. Although the surface has been repaired, the parts of 'Chenglu', 'Longchi' and 'Shankou' have actually been damaged, and the timbre has been seriously affected."

"If I play this harp again now, it won't have the effect of clearing my mind and clearing my doubts - it will have the effect of confusing my mind and bewildering my soul."

Li Qingshui was a little frightened after hearing these words. He deliberately moved his body and tried to avoid the piano.

"If that's the case, why did you bother to find an old Taoist priest who is good at Wu Music to repair it? It's just a waste of effort."

Shu Xinglong pulled the corner of his mouth slightly, but did not answer. He just held the beautiful woman in his arms tighter, kneading Li Qingshui's slender waist with brute force, and his breathing became increasingly turbid.

He stomped twice lightly with his right foot under the table, and the wooden wall in the distance, which was originally empty, suddenly began to move like the desk. In the blink of an eye, a phoenix bed appeared in the room, with warm hibiscus tents and fragrant brocade quilts, which was very different from the simple appearance just now.

This is not the Moon-Watching Tower. They seem to be in a wooden building with mortise and tenon structure, full of all kinds of strange mechanisms. There are no windows or doors, but it does not feel dark and closed. It is really amazing.

Shu Tinglong picked up Li Qingshui and walked towards the Luanfeng bed.
"Little woman, your most urgent task is to please me. You won't understand anything else if I tell you too much."

"I will be taking the Warlock Classification Trial at Goddess Peak soon. As a white robed girl, she will definitely take the test with me this year. You said it's such a good opportunity, how can I not prepare some 'gift' for Lord Mo?"