Chapter 34: Making Up
With Ling Yiyao blocking the way, and this being the Ling family’s territory, Zong Sheng, although carrying Xie Bailu and running fast, was not in such a hurry. He even had the leisure to ask, “How did you provoke my brother? He didn’t seem to be playing around just now. He didn’t even have that much killing intent when he wanted to kill me.”
Xie Bailu said casually, “Maybe he found out about our affair.”
Zong Sheng was speechless. “…?”
He was puzzled. “Didn’t he have that big of a reaction when he heard you talking nonsense before?”
Xie Bailu looked at him with a deep gaze. “Really? Are you sure?”
Zong Sheng fell silent. He remembered the last time Xie Bailu had said she was his woman, and the consequence was that Ling Song had beaten him up badly.
He had almost been fooled by Xie Bailu, but then he thought of a key point and immediately came to his senses. “If he really thought we had something going on, he would have killed me, not you. How could he possibly kill you?”
Seeing him slow down as he considered the problem, Xie Bailu said anxiously, “Using your brain doesn’t affect your body! Fly faster, don’t let Ling Song catch us!”
Zong Sheng still had a deep-seated fear of Ling Song, so he immediately sped up.
Xie Bailu asked, “Where are you planning to take me? Let me state beforehand that Ling Song has left a spiritual sense imprint on me. You can’t erase it. He can find me wherever I go.”
She could indeed escape with the Divine Movement Art, but she had a spiritual sense imprint on her, and she couldn’t use the Divine Movement Art indefinitely. Therefore, her first choice was to see if Zong Sheng had a way.
Zong Sheng frowned. After thinking for a while, he suddenly said excitedly, “I remember there’s a forbidden area in the Ling family. If you go in, he won’t be able to find you.”
Xie Bailu was speechless. “…?”
What a forbidden area. If I don’t go in, I’ll be hunted by Ling Song. If I go in, I’ll be hunted by the entire Ling family, is that it?!
Xie Bailu said, “Think again!”
But Zong Sheng thought it was a good idea and said with a grin, “I’ve always wanted to see the forbidden area. This is a good opportunity!”
Good grief, saving her is just a side benefit, is that it?!
Zong Sheng’s legs were his own. Even if Xie Bailu protested, it was useless. Zong Sheng carried Xie Bailu and flew out of the Ling family’s mansion, then flew straight ahead, flying for dozens of li before stopping.
In front of them was a stone forest that was rather abrupt in the mountain forest. There were cultivators guarding it. When they saw Zong Sheng, they surrounded him.
“Young Master Zong, this is a restricted area.”
Zong Sheng threw out a stone tablet, his expression naturally arrogant. “My mother sent me.”
The guarding cultivator confirmed that the stone tablet was correct. Although he looked at Xie Bailu beside Zong Sheng with some curiosity, he still pressed a certain stone on the side, made a few hand seals, and returned the stone tablet to Zong Sheng, bowing. “Please, Young Master Zong.”
Zong Sheng took Xie Bailu and swaggered in.
Inside were two rows of tall stones, guarding the stone path in the center. Further in was a forest of stone tablets. Xie Bailu took a look. A stone tablet recorded the deeds of a Ling family ancestor.
After they were far from the entrance, Xie Bailu said, “Zong Sheng, can’t you just come in on your own?”
Zong Sheng’s eyes roamed around, and he said casually, “I stole the stone tablet from my mother. I can’t just come here without a good reason!”
Xie Bailu was speechless. “…” Opportunity is for those who are prepared, right? You’ve been holding onto that stone tablet for a long time, and you finally found a chance to come!
She was also curious about what was in the Ling family’s forbidden area. The entire Ling family’s attitude towards Ling Song was puzzling. The matter of Ling Song’s father was definitely not just Ling Yiyao’s business. Maybe she could find something in this forbidden area.
She said as if making small talk, “Didn’t you always call your brother a bastard before? Your mother also mentioned Ling Song’s father to me today. Have you ever seen him in person?”
She paid attention to Zong Sheng’s expression. He pouted with disdain. “I heard he died before my mother and father got married. How could I have seen him? He was just a rogue cultivator. I don’t know how my brother could have that kind of talent.”
His last sentence sounded a little sour.
It seemed that Zong Sheng probably didn’t know what Ling Yiyao and the others were hiding. It made sense. With such a reckless son, if she were Ling Yiyao, she wouldn’t dare to tell him the truth either.
Xie Bailu retorted, “What’s wrong with a rogue cultivator? Can’t a rogue cultivator also have heaven-defying talent? Maybe Ling Song’s father had it, so he could pass it on to Ling Song.”
Zong Sheng said, “So what if he’s heaven-defying? A rogue cultivator has no power and no influence. He still died just like that.”
Zong Sheng was a very typical scion of a major family, raised with the resources of the family, and was used to it. He looked down on rogue cultivators. Xie Bailu knew that he probably didn’t think much of her either, and was only approaching her because of Ling Song and his mother.
This made Ling Yiyao’s attitude towards her even stranger.
Xie Bailu said, “So Ling Song’s father died a long time ago. I thought he was abandoned by his father.”
Zong Sheng both hated and feared Ling Song. Hearing Xie Bailu say this, he did not hesitate to speak ill of Ling Song. “It would have been better if his father had abandoned him. Back then, his father killed many Ling family members before he was killed. The Ling family is also soft-hearted. Aren’t they afraid that my brother will take revenge on the Ling family?”
Xie Bailu thought, If Ling Song’s father was really killed by the Ling family, Ling Song shouldn’t have no intention of taking revenge on the Ling family. Now he’s just not close to the Ling family, which means he probably knows the inside story of what happened back then and agrees with his father’s death.
She remembered that in the evil array, Ling Song’s eyes were open when he was in his red-eyed state, but afterwards he didn’t remember and thought she hadn’t tried to kill her. It seemed that when his eyes were red, he was in a state of loss of control and memory.
Was Ling Song’s father killed when he was in a red-eyed, out-of-control state? Did Ling Song know what would happen when he lost control, so he didn’t think his father’s death was unjust?
At that time, when she had asked Ling Song about continuing his bloodline, he had said that if she knew, she would have to die. It seemed that he was indeed aware of the situation.
Xie Bailu then thought of the look in Ling Song’s eyes when he was about to kill her just now. She suddenly thought, If Ling Song really wanted to kill her, did he have to do it in the Ling family, in front of Ling Yiyao? Wasn’t that giving Ling Yiyao a chance to stop him?
So, Ling Song had done it on purpose, to show Ling Yiyao and let her stop him for some reason.
Then what about her coming to the forbidden area now? Zong Sheng and Ling Yiyao’s cultivation were both lower than Ling Song’s. They couldn’t beat him and couldn’t get reinforcements in time, so they could only take her and run. She had a spiritual sense imprint on her, and they couldn’t get rid of it. And Ling Song knew her past behavior. He knew she would suggest that Zong Sheng find a place that could block the spiritual sense imprint, and the closest was here, the Ling family’s forbidden area.
Xie Bailu was amazed. Could Ling Song have calculated all this? Or was she just overthinking it?
After she entered the forbidden area, the spiritual sense imprint was blocked, and Ling Song could also find her based on the last sense of the spiritual sense imprint before it disappeared. Whatever the reason, he would definitely come.
The Ling family was a large family, and there were many stone tablets. Xie Bailu walked as she thought. The two of them walked for a long time before they reached the end. Zong Sheng pouted. “I thought there would be something good. It’s just some stones.”
Xie Bailu said, “When Ling Song catches up later, don’t make a move first.”
Zong Sheng frowned and looked at her, then seemed to have thought of something, his expression disgusted. “With the way my brother was just now, you can’t possibly think you can make up with him, can you? Don’t be stupid. You don’t think he’ll remember you for the rest of his life if you die at his hands, do you!”
Xie Bailu said, “Then do as you please. If you want to fight, then fight.”
Zong Sheng shut up. His magical treasures had not been fully replenished yet. If he fought with Ling Song now, he might really die.
Ling Song arrived faster than Xie Bailu had expected. After shaking off Ling Yiyao, he chased to the forbidden area.
The guards came up to stop him. Ling Song said, “Zong Sheng has taken my Daoist companion hostage and fled into the forbidden area.”
A short sentence was full of suggestive meaning, but what really made the guarding cultivator open the forbidden area was the sword that was at his throat.
When Xie Bailu saw Ling Song’s red figure, she immediately hid behind a stone tablet. Under the cover of the stone tablet, she secretly performed hand seals with her hands. She was betting on whether she had guessed correctly, but she also had to have a backup plan in case she was wrong. The forbidden area was not small, enough for her to use the Divine Movement Art to move around.
Zong Sheng was shocked when he saw Ling Song. “How did you get in? Mother only has one stone tablet!”
Ling Song didn’t bother to answer such a stupid question. He dared to kill Ling family members, but Zong Sheng didn’t. The same threat, if Zong Sheng made it, others wouldn’t believe it. But if Ling Song made it, everyone would believe that he would definitely do it. Therefore, Zong Sheng needed a stone tablet to enter, but Ling Song only needed to give the guards a reason to report to their superiors afterwards.
Ling Song raised his sword and pointed it at Zong Sheng, his eyes and tone as cold as ice. “Do you want to die, or leave?”
Zong Sheng froze for a moment and looked at Xie Bailu.
Xie Bailu’s face was innocent. “Why are you looking at me? Fight! Didn’t you say you were going to beat your brother to a pulp?”
Feeling Ling Song’s suddenly cold and sharp gaze, Zong Sheng cried out in grievance, “I didn’t! Stop slandering me!”
Thinking of the beating he had gotten from Xie Bailu’s words earlier, after shouting in grievance, Zong Sheng actually ran away immediately.
As soon as Zong Sheng left, Ling Song’s gaze also fell on Xie Bailu.
She spoke before him. “I understand everything. You don’t have to say it. Go do what you want to do. I’ll cover for you.”
Ling Song paused and looked at her intently. “You understand everything?”
Xie Bailu said, “It was all your calculation, right! Don’t waste time. It won’t be good for you to do things when your mother comes!”
Ling Song’s deep eyes fell on Xie Bailu. The hand holding the sword tightened, then his lips curved into a smile. He didn’t say anything more and disappeared with a flash.
Xie Bailu felt a cold sweat all over her body. She leaned against the stone tablet and took a deep breath.
Xiao Xing popped its head out and whispered, “Master! What’s going on? Why did that madman suddenly want to kill you, and then suddenly not kill you!”
Xie Bailu touched its body to comfort it and also to comfort herself. “It’s fine. Don’t be afraid.”
She had been very close to death today.
She knew that this was most likely Ling Song’s calculation, but his killing intent in the Ling family’s mansion was also real. If Ling Yiyao hadn’t stopped him, he might have really killed her.
And just now, he had still come after her with a killing intent. He might have had the idea of checking the forbidden area, but to not arouse suspicion, it was also possible that he would have just killed her.
Because Ling Yiyao, who had been indifferent to him for many years, had suddenly made a move, which gave Ling Song something new to do. He might have gotten tired of the previous hunting game, so it was only natural to kill her and end the game.
Xie Bailu quickly calmed down. She was grateful for Ling Song’s sudden killing intent this time, which had tightened her strings and made her realize Ling Song’s danger again.
He could smile and “flirt” with her, but he would not be soft-hearted when he wanted to kill her.
She was either interesting or useful.
She had to think about which of the things she had guessed she could let Ling Song know she had guessed, and which she couldn’t. His current set of calculations was probably because he had doubts about his father’s death, but he didn’t want to fall out with the Ling family for the time being.
Ling Song quickly locked onto the place he was looking for. It was a long-abandoned underground prison. The prison had only one room, and the walls were embedded with thick iron chains made of spiritual iron ore. Each one was as thick as a person’s waist, and they were now hanging lazily on the ground, covered in decades of dust.
His gaze swept over and noticed a piece of debris in the corner. It was only the size of a fingernail and looked like a dried piece of skin from some kind of creature. He put it away, scanned the area again, and saw nothing else before leaving without a trace.
He knew that someone, or something non-human, had been imprisoned here.
He still remembered clearly what his mother had told him that year. She had said that his father had gone mad, had cruelly killed and injured many Ling family disciples, and had been killed on the spot by the crowd.
If he had died on the spot, then what had been imprisoned here?
Ling Song didn’t take long to find Xie Bailu based on the spiritual sense imprint. She was still in the same old place. When she saw him, she raised a smiling face. “You’re back! Don’t worry, they haven’t come yet!”
Ling Song’s steps faltered, and then a faint smile appeared on his expressionless face as he slowly walked towards her.
Zong Sheng had met Ling Yiyao and Qingke shortly after fleeing the forbidden area in a panic. Ling Yiyao frowned. “Why are you alone? Where’s Bailu?”
Zong Sheng said, “She’s probably dead.”
Ling Yiyao’s face immediately darkened. It had been so hard to get her. How could… if this dragged on, it might be too late!
She stared at Zong Sheng. “Why didn’t you stop him?”
Zong Sheng shrugged and said nonchalantly, “Mother, brother is so strong. Even you couldn’t stop him, let alone me. Besides, Xie Bailu herself told me not to make a move when I met my brother. I think she just wanted to die at my brother’s hands. I just fulfilled her wish.”
Ling Yiyao glared at Zong Sheng and rushed past him to the forbidden area. What if she was still alive?
Zong Sheng quickly followed behind Ling Yiyao, but she suddenly stopped, and then they saw an incredible scene.
At the entrance of the forbidden area in front of them, Ling Song, in red, was slowly walking out. He was not alone. He was carrying Xie Bailu on his back, and she was alive!
A cultivator’s hearing and vision were sharp. They clearly heard the conversation between the two.
Xie Bailu wrapped her arms around Ling Song’s neck and said coquettishly, “You can’t scare me like this again in the future! As a punishment, you have to carry me home!”
Ling Song smiled with a good temper. “Alright, whatever you say.”
Xie Bailu snorted. “That’s more like it.”
As if she had finally noticed the few of them, Xie Bailu looked up and waved at Zong Sheng and the others, smiling like a naive girl. “Mother-in-law, brother-in-law, don’t worry. Big Brother Ling Song and I have… made… up!”
Zong Sheng, with a look of disbelief on his face, was speechless. “…?” Are you crazy! How could you make up after all that?! Ling Song wanted to kill her! Does she love him that much?!