THWLA: Chapter 49 (Part 1)

After the two of them came out of the tent, Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi got into the carriage and saw that Jun Shu was already sitting inside. His face looked haggard, seemingly very weak. He forced a smile at Qin Wanwan and then at Jian Xingzhi: “Good morning, both of you.”

Jian Xingzhi nodded, not before standing between Qin Wanwan and Jun Shu as if blocking his view of her and then asked: “Have you sent a message to your family?”

“It’s been sent,” Jun Shu nodded. “However, the messenger bird is not like a cultivator. From here to Lecheng, the bird will probably take over ten days to deliver the message. By the time my father arrives…”

“As long as it’s been sent, that’s fine.” Jian Xingzhi didn’t want to listen to his pointless talk. He nodded, interrupted him, and then leaned against the carriage to rest with his eyes closed.

Qin Wanwan sat on the side, observed Jun Shu’s expression for a moment, and then said with some concern, “Fellow Daoist Wuming, are you feeling unwell?”

Jun Shu felt somewhat grateful hearing her question.

After passing the night safely, he had let his guard down, and the injuries that had been tightly restrained before immediately flared up. After all, this was a mortal body. Even though the spiritual medicine his mother gave him barely kept him alive, it couldn’t withstand the discomfort caused by such severe injuries. But now he was relying on others, he could tell from Cuilu’s attitude from last night that she was already annoyed at him. If he asked for more, he feared being abandoned by these people, so he dared not speak up. However, when Qin Wanwan asked him this question, suddenly showing her concern, it was like timely help in the snowstorm, which deeply moved Jun Shu.

“Nothing…” Jun Shu smiled, but as soon as he opened his mouth, his voice sounded hoarse.

Jian Xingzhi opened his eyes and saw that the Favorability score above Jun Shu’s head had increased by another 5 points. He couldn’t help but frown.

What’s wrong with this person? His favorability increases too frivolously!

“If you’re not feeling well, just lie down.” Jian Xingzhi was worried that if Qin Wanwan spoke, Jun Shu’s favorability would increase again. He stood up from his seat and made room for Jun Shu, then instructed Qin Wanwan, “Go get him some medicine, don’t let him die halfway.”

Qin Wanwan nodded, stood up and went out, leaving Jun Shu and Jian Xingzhi staring at each other in the carriage. Jun Shu didn’t dare to look at Jian Xingzhi. After saying a quick “thank you,” he lay down.

The carriage wasn’t particularly bumpy. He lay on his side, his head feeling heavy and dazed, and he also felt a little cold.

When a tiger falls to the plains, it is bullied by dogs. He had never imagined that one day, even he, the Young Master Jun, would end up like this.

[T/N: The phrase “When a tiger falls to the plains, it is bullied by dogs” is a Chinese idiom that means when a powerful or influential person loses their strength or status, they become vulnerable to being mistreated or taken advantage of by those who were once beneath them.]

When life is disappointing, one begins to reminisce about the past successes. He began thinking about how he was cared for when he fell sick in the past.

In fact, he rarely got sick; most of the time, it was just injuries. But every time he was hurt, there was always someone taking care of him. Even when he was accidentally injured in the secret realm, Qin Wan was always by his side. Qin Wan had always been clingy, but in the past, he was impatient with her, thinking she only wanted to get close to him because of his status as the Young Master of Lecheng. A lowly orphan like her, if not for the engagement, how could she have been so close to him? But now, in his fallen state, he found himself thinking that even if she had coveted his power and status, at least there had been someone by his side. Now that Qin Wan was nowhere to be found, he feared that she might not even care about power and status anymore…

In his dazed state, he vaguely sensed that Qin Wanwan had entered. When he opened his eyes, he saw Qin Wanwan holding a quilt and a medicine bowl, dressed in red. Her figure seemed to be overlapping with the person from his memories.

“Qin Wan…”

He murmured vaguely, and Qin Wanwan couldn’t hear what he was saying. She covered him with the quilt, vaguely hearing him seem to be calling someone. She turned to Jian Xingzhi and asked: “He’s shaking so badly, is he okay?”

“A cultivator,” Jian Xingzhi said nonchalantly, “If he dies, let him.”

Qin Wanwan: “…..”

“By the way,” Jian Xingzhi frowned, somewhat displeased, “Why are you being so nice to this old man?”

“Master,” Qin Wanwan said helplessly. She put the medicine bowl down and sat beside Jian Xingzhi. Glancing at Jun Shu, who was still trembling, she leaned in to whisper with her voice lowered, “Have you forgotten how he ended up like this?”

Her breath softly brushed against Jian Xingzhi’s ear as she spoke. Jian Xingzhi felt a slight itch and couldn’t help but twitch his ear, secretly feeling an inexplicable liking. He wanted her to do it again, but then felt the request was somewhat strange.

This unprecedented feeling made him move his hips to the side involuntarily, shifting slightly away from her. He stared at Qin Wanwan vigilantly: “Just talk if you want to, why are you getting so close to me?”

Qin Wanwan: “……”

You say, the reason I’m whispering, isn’t it because I’m afraid that the person next to you can hear it?

Seeing her looking at him with an expression as if he were a fool, Jian Xingzhi realized that his outburst was somewhat unreasonable. He coughed lightly and said, “Fine, I’ll take care of him. It’s inconvenient for you to do it anyway.”

Qin Wanwan’s reminder made Jian Xingzhi recall what happened last night. After all, it was because of them that the person ended up like this. Thinking of that, he immediately had no objections to Qin Wanwan taking care of Jun Shu.

He pushed Qin Wanwan aside, took the medicine bowl from her, and grabbed Jun Shu’s chin, forcing the medicine into his mouth as he poured them in.

Qin Wanwan quickly grabbed the medicine bowl and stopped him. “He’s a mortal now. If you keep doing this, he won’t die from the illness, but you’ll choke him to death!”

As she spoke, Jun Shu coughed and struggled to open his eyes. He saw Qin Wanwan holding the medicine bowl, and turned to look at him. After a brief moment of confusion, her eyes were filled with panic and concern: “Fellow Daoist Wuming? Are you okay?”

Did he realize Jian Xingzhi was forcing him to eat medicine?

“You…” Jun Shu coughed, and a bitter taste filled his throat. Realizing he had just been fed the medicine, he looked at Qin Wanwan’s expression and immediately understood what had happened.

Just now, it must have been this female immortal who had carefully taken care of him, covering him with a quilt and feeding him the medicine.

While everyone else was adding insult to injury, only this person was so kind, so gentle!

Jun Shu was deeply moved. He looked at Qin Wanwan’s worried expression, and smiled with difficulty. Fearing that she might be too concerned, he reassured her, “Immortal, there’s no need to worry. I’m fine.”

Seeing that Jun Shu seemed unaware of anything, Qin Wanwan felt relieved. She gently pulled the quilt up over him, her manner as kind as if she were caring for an elderly widow: “You should rest well. When you’re injured, you need to sleep more.”

After comforting Jun Shu and getting him to sleep, Qin Wanwan set up a soundproof barrier around him to ensure that her conversation with Jian Xingzhi wouldn’t disturb him. Once that was done, she returned to her seat.

Jian Xingzhi was already meditating. When he saw her return, he spoke without any mercy: “Meditate and cultivate, focus your mind and clear your thoughts.”

“Mm.”

Qin Wanwan sat cross-legged on the futon and closed her eyes. However, after just a moment of meditation, the figure she had seen in her Sea of Consciousness last night began to appear in her mind again.

She couldn’t help but think more, unable to calm her mind for a long time and enter the meditative state. Jian Xingzhi, hearing her uneven breathing with his eyes closed, spoke up, “What are you thinking about?”

“Master,” Qin Wanwan hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed, but still decided to speak up about what happened last night. “Last night, I used a method to try to find out who I like.”

Jian Xingzhi opened his eyes and asked curiously: “What method?”

“It’s… it’s a meditation technique my mother taught me.” Qin Wanwan was a bit worried about revealing her identity, but knowing that Jian Xingzhi typically wouldn’t think too much into things, she gathered her courage: “This technique helps clear the mind of distractions. If there’s someone you like in your heart, you’ll be able to see them.”

“Who did you see?” Jian Xingzhi frowned, feeling a subconscious reluctance to hear it, yet at the same time, he was very eager to know.

Qin Wanwan recalled carefully and said, “I couldn’t see clearly. When I tried to focus on the idea of the ‘person I like,’ there was mist all around me. I searched for a long time before I finally saw a silhouette.”

“Silhouette?”

“Mm.” Qin Wanwan nodded, looking quite serious. “From what I could see, the silhouette was of a man.”

Jian Xingzhi nodded: “Any other clues?”

“And he’s a sword cultivator.”

Jian Xingzhi continued to nod: “What else?”

“Well…” Qin Wanwan thought for a moment. “He’s quite thin, but not in a scrawny way.”

“Sword cultivators can refine their bodies,” Jian Xingzhi reminded her, “With that description, nine out of ten sword cultivators would fit.”

Qin Wanwan couldn’t say anything more. That silhouette in her Sea of Consciousness really had no distinct features. She thought for a while, feeling rather discouraged: “Then I can’t think of any other characteristics to describe.”

“Your feelings for this person seem normal.”

He pondered for a moment. “And the surrounding mist, with the silhouette only appearing after a long search… it seems like you’re just starting to develop feelings. It might just be a vague sense, maybe even just a possibility of liking someone.”

As Jian Xingzhi spoke, he didn’t know why, but he felt somewhat at ease. Seeing Qin Wanwan frowning, he tried to comfort her, “Don’t overthink it, it’s not a big deal. Just focus on practicing the method to clear your mind. With your kind of cultivation, if not done properly, it could backfire. If you don’t remove your distractions, they might just grow even stronger.”

“I understand.”

Qin Wanwan nodded, thinking that what Jian Xingzhi said makes sense.

Jian Xingzhi thought for a moment, seeing his little disciple troubled by her feelings for the first time, he suggested, “How about I teach you the Way of Ruthlessness? It’s especially effective for severing emotional ties quickly, and that way, you won’t have these messy thoughts anymore. You’re already afraid of pain and fighting, so cultivating through battle isn’t suitable for you. Why not cultivate the Way of Ruthlessness instead? If you can’t comprehend it in a critical moment, you can just kill your husband to attain enlightenment. It wouldn’t harm you, and it’s a win-win. What do you think?”

“No need.”

Qin Wanwan immediately rejected: “Master, you can practice it yourself. I have my own way.”

In novels, those who practice the Way of Ruthlessness, which one of them didn’t end up in a crematorium?

She refused, she absolutely refused.

Qin Wanwan refused so decisively that Jian Xingzhi felt a little regretful. After thinking for a moment, he could only sigh. “Since you’ve seen that silhouette using the meditation method, then go ahead and search for him. If you can’t find him, your heart won’t be at peace. Anyway, you’ve already confirmed that he’s a sword cultivator, so just look in that direction.”

Qin Wanwan nodded, feeling that Jian Xingzhi’s words made sense. She seriously tried to recall all the sword cultivators she knew, even thinking of Shen Zhiming. But it seemed like everyone resembled the silhouette in her mind in some way, yet also seemed a little different.

As she thought about it for several days, they finally arrived at the territory of the Ning family’s main city.

“Up ahead is a cliff with a narrow path, a road specifically built by the Ning family. Within the Ning family’s domain, no one below the Nascent Soul stage is allowed to fly with a sword. This path is isolated and perilous, and it’s the only way to reach the Ning family’s main city. If Wuming truly has any enemies seeking revenge, this would be the time.”

Looking at the mist-covered mountains ahead, Xie Gutang spoke with evident concern.

The mountain was barren, connected to the mountain they were on by an iron suspension bridge. On the other side of the bridge was a narrow mountain path built along the slopes. The path was extremely narrow, just wide enough to allow a single carriage to pass through.

A cultivator consumes spiritual energy when riding on a sword. If not in a hurry, most cultivators would prefer to use spiritual beasts or certain magical tools for assistance over long distances.

The Ning family does not allow those below the Nascent Soul stage to ride swords, so the last stretch of the journey meant that they had no choice but to walk along this narrow mountain road.

“Then let’s put Wuming at the back of the group.”

Jian Xingzhi observed the terrain, deep in thought. Qin Wanwan looked at Jian Xingzhi and said, “The rear? What if he gets discovered…”

“You stay inside and protect him with Xie Gutang,” Jian Xingzhi said as a matter-of-fact: “If you can fight, then fight. If you can’t, then look ahead closely. The mountain road has a slope.”

“I’m looking at it.” Qin Wanwan nodded, “Then what?”

“When the time comes, you just need to cut the rope of the horse carriage, and the carriage will roll down on its own. That old man’s enemies would definitely prioritize chasing him, and we can take the opportunity to escape in the opposite direction.”

Jian Xingzhi analyzed it seriously: “This plan is called ‘severing the tail to survive’.”

“This…” Qin Wanwan listened, looking somewhat conflicted. “He’s just a mortal. Is it really right to treat him like this?”

“He has come this far and still refuses to speak a single truth, and he still wants us to risk our lives for him. Is that okay?”

Jian Xingzhi sneered, “He doesn’t look like a good person. I don’t know what kind of dog-eat-dog situation this is, but even if it’s for points, there’s no need for me to risk my life for him.”

Qin Wanwan thought about it and nodded: “Master is right.”

“Alright.” Jian Xingzhi flicked his fingers, leaping onto his flying sword and taking off. “I’ll go ahead to scout the path. You guys take your time.”

As he spoke, Jian Xingzhi’s figure disappeared into the distance.

Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang exchanged a glance. She quickly said, “I’ll go into the carriage to guard him.”

Xie Gutang nodded: “Then I’ll stay outside with Nan Feng.”

Qin Wanwan nodded, instructed the convoy to move to the front, and after making sure Jun Shu was at the rear, she trotted back to the carriage.

Jun Shu was sitting in the carriage, his gaze melancholic as he looked into the distance. When he saw Qin Wanwan entering, he gave a bitter smile: “Miss Qin.”

“We’ll soon be arriving at the Ning family’s main city. I came in to protect you.”

Qin Wanwan explained as the carriage started moving, climbing onto the iron cableway. Jun Shu was quite grateful when he heard it: “We only met by chance, but I didn’t expect that you would take care of me like this…”

“It’s nothing. Everything in this world happens for a reason.”

Qin Wanwan waved her hand. “Fellow Daoist, are you feeling better now?”

“My body has recovered quite well,” Jun Shu smiled. “Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist.”

Qin Wanwan nodded, said nothing more, and turned her head to look out the window, observing the surroundings.

Jun Shu followed her line of sight and looked outside, only to find that their carriages seemed to have switched positions. He couldn’t help but frown: “Why has our carriage been moved?”

“That,” Qin Wanwan said, a hint of nervousness hidden in her tone as she lied with a straight face. “Considering your special identity, the last stretch of the road is quite dangerous. Normally, people would definitely place those who need protection in the middle, but by putting you at the back, we can catch them off guard and protect you more easily.”

As she spoke, Qin Wanwan was afraid that he would be suspicious, so she quickly added: “My Master has gone to scout the path. Daoist Monarch Xie and I will protect you together. Don’t be afraid.”

Hearing that both Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang were protecting him, Jun Shu felt relieved. He then felt deeply moved: “We have never met before. I never expected you to treat me like this. I really…”

“Well… it’s just that our meeting is destined,” Qin Wanwan forced herself to put on an expression of righteous solemnity. “You don’t need to take it to heart.”

“How could I not take it to heart?”

Jun Shu looked saddened, lifting his gaze to meet Qin Wanwan’s eyes, his face full of sincerity: “Those I once trusted in the past have all betrayed me. I thought true love was nothing more than a fleeting dream. I believed the world was full of deceit, but I never expected to find someone as kind-hearted as you, someone willing to stand by me.”

“You are….. flattering me.” Qin Wanwan couldn’t help but shift back in her seat, observing Jun Shu’s feeble, old-fashioned attempts at flirting.

Seeing Qin Wanwan’s wariness, Jun Shu couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss as he thought about his current appearance. After a moment, he couldn’t resist speaking up: “Miss, the truth is, I’ve lost all my cultivation. If I still had my powers… I… I used to look quite decent.”

Qin Wanwan didn’t doubt it. After all, the system scored his appearance 90 points. She nodded: “I believe you.”

“Miss, you really remind me of someone I used to know. She, like you, loved wearing red clothes. Although her temper was colder and more violent, she was devoted to me and took great care of me. I once thought she was only after wealth and status. I wanted pure love, so I hurt her for another woman. But I never expected that the other woman was also deceiving me…”

Jun Shu, thinking of the past, deeply regretted his actions.

Qin Wanwan understood now. Wasn’t this just like the Jun Shu from before? A scumbag

Moreover, apart from wearing red clothes, how was she even similar to that woman? Self-conceited.

She suddenly felt no guilt for Jian Xingzhi’s plan to sever this unnecessary tail.

At this moment, the carriage had already reached the narrow mountain path. After making a turn, they finally saw the Ning family’s main city.

The city at the end of the vision was covered in ice and snow. As the convoy on the mountain road saw the city, many of the maids couldn’t help but let out an exclamation, “Wow!”

Shen Zhiming looked from a distance and asked the crow on his shoulder, “Is everything ready?”

The crow nodded, and Shen Zhiming chuckled softly: “Now he’s just a mortal. A few explosive talismans would be enough to kill him. Since they saved Jun Shu, they’ll definitely protect him well, and place him in the middle of the convoy. Once that carriage passes, we’ll ignite the explosive talismans. Even if the carriage can’t be blown to the smithereens, as long as it falls off the cliff—below is a molten lava gorge. Even most cultivators can hardly survive. A mortal… how could he not die?”

As Shen Zhiming spoke, he watched the convoy passing the locations where he had already placed the explosive talismans. With a loud explosion, the mountain road instantly collapsed. The maids screamed and rushed to the sides, but the carriage adorned with gold and jade remained firmly in the center, unmoved.

“Is there another expert inside?”

Shen Zhiming sneered. “I’m curious to see, how many explosive talismans can you withstand?”

The explosion happened in an instant, and it didn’t take long for everyone to react. The maid hurriedly rushed into the carriage and urgently called out: “Lord Cuilu!”

Cuilu didn’t respond, she sat in the carriage unmoved. Her hair had been blown apart from the explosion, and the bird-feather embellishments on her clothes were now scorched black. Everyone stared at her blankly. Her expression was cold as she raised her hand and slapped the floor. Instantly, the mountain road beneath them was repaired. In a frosty tone, she commanded, “Don’t let this get out. Let’s go.”

The fact that she had been blown to this state by an explosive talisman could not be allowed to get out.

With the mountain road repaired, the convoy continued moving forward. Qin Wanwan and Jun Shu watched in shock at what had just happened. Jun Shu looked at Qin Wanwan with newfound admiration. “Miss, you really didn’t deceive me. The front is the most dangerous!”

Qin Wanwan nodded blankly, and suddenly heard Jian Xingzhi’s voice in her ears.

“Beicheng, there are explosive talismans hidden along the mountain road ahead. These talismans are concealed within the road itself, and they can’t be removed without detonating them. You must not wander around.”

Qin Wanwan was a bit stunned as she heard him: “Then what about Lord Cuilu…”

“With her cultivation, the explosion will only mess up her bird feathers at most. There’s no need to worry,”

Qin Wanwan remained silent, when suddenly there was a loud ‘boom!’ ahead, as if another explosion had gone off.

With lingering fear, she poked her head out to take a look. She saw the carriage at the front stopped for a moment, the ground quickly repaired, and then it continued moving forward.

The sound of explosions became the accompaniment of this journey, with a ‘boom’ one after another. Jun Shu and Qin Wanwan were so frightened by this scene that they did not dare to speak. Seeing that they were about to reach the top of the mountain and were about to leave the area through the teleportation array, Shen Zhiming finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

In the final explosion, not only did he use his own explosive talismans, but he also decided to take matters into his own hands.

The majestic spiritual power and the explosive talisman exploded together. Hidden in the shadows, Jian Xingzhi and Xie Gutang sensed the surge of spiritual power and struck at the same time. A deafening explosion followed, as though the very ground was shaking.

Qin Wanwan used a barrier to protect the carriage, stammering as she tried to reassure Jun Shu. “Y-You… don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid.”

Jun Shu was accustomed to big events, so this kind of situation couldn’t scare him. However, seeing someone put their life on the line for him, a special emotion began to well up in his heart.

Jian Xingzhi and Xie Gutang formed a formation together to block Shen Zhiming’s spiritual energy. Moments later, a bird’s cry erupted from the carriage. And a green phoenix shot towards Shen Zhiming’s hiding place in the shadows. The carriage, adorned with green feathers, suddenly exploded, revealing Cuilu, whose body was already charred from the earlier blast.

She clenched her fists, flames swirling around her.

“I’ve been waiting for you for so long,” Cuilu stood up, and gritted her teeth as she spoke. “You’ve finally come out!”

The green phoenix relentlessly pecked at Shen Zhiming. He raised his sword to block, but the bird’s claws scraped across his face. Shen Zhiming paused for a moment, then, enraged, shouted, “You’re seeking death!”

As he said that, he glanced at the convoy and was suddenly flooded with a murderous intent.

Originally, he just wanted to kill Jun Shu. But since he couldn’t find him, he would just kill them all.

Once he thought of this, he no longer hesitated. He summoned his natal sword and appeared directly from the shadows, striking towards the convoy with his sword!

In the instant the sword came charging, Cuilu’s face changed drastically: “Tribulation stage!”

Jian Xingzhi raised his hand and struck with his sword, causing a formation to explode at the tip of the sword. Xie Gutang quickly followed with another sword, and together with the green phoenix of Cuilu, they blocked it at the front, barely managing to withstand Shen Zhiming’s strike.

Qin Wanwan witnessed the immense power of the sword strike, and quickly turned around and stared at Jun Shu: “Who exactly is your enemy?!”

Seeing Qin Wanwan’s expression, Jun Shu hid the dagger his mother had given him in his sleeve and pretended to be scared, “It’s… the Head of Wen Xin Sect… Shen Zhiming.”

Qin Wanwan suddenly understood what was happening as she heard those words. Jun Shu was nervously watching her, and if she decided to abandon him, he would immediately use the magical artifact his mother gave him to injure her and then take her hostage. In that case, even if they wanted to leave him behind, they would never be able to abandon Qin Wanwan.

Jun Shu made his plan and prepared the magical artifact his mother had given him. After thinking for a moment, Qin Wanwan looked up at Jun Shu with a serious expression and said, “Don’t worry, even if it’s Shen Zhiming, we won’t abandon you.”

Hearing this, Jun Shu was stunned for a moment. Qin Wanwan raised her hand and patted his shoulder: “You stay in the carriage and don’t go outside. I’ll guard the door.”

With that, Qin Wanwan lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out, blocking her body from the person inside and crouching down.

The horse, pulling the carriage, stood on the slope. Qin Wanwan looked up at Jian Xingzhi, Cuilu, and Xie Gutang surrounding Shen Zhiming, who was dressed in black robes. She shouted aloud, “Master, he is Shen Zhiming! Shen Zhiming in the Tribulation stage!”

Upon hearing these words, Shen Zhiming’s expression changed drastically. He immediately turned and attacked Qin Wanwan.

Xie Gutang and Jian Xingzhi blocked Shen Zhiming’s path. Jian Xingzhi immediately shouted, “Cut the tail! Cut the tail now!”