Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Title

Only three figures occupied the main hall.

By Mu Huaiyun’s arrival, Qiu Huayi’s aura had already vanished. Ye Qingshang lay impaled by Longyin, collapsed in a spreading pool of blood.

The crimson tide seemed to drag him instantly into the deepest hell. Mu Huaiyun felt his blood freeze solid, as though plunged into an abyss of eternal ice.

"Ye Qingshang…"

Grief stripped him to numbness. He stumbled forward, blind to all but her form, each step a flaying agony.

"What are you doing here?" Mu Rongyan leveled Longyin’s bloodied tip at Mu Huaiyun. The sword’s gleam hooked like barbs in Mu Huaiyun’s vision as Mu Rongyan snarled, "You! You hurt her!"

"So what if I did?" Mu Rongyan retorted. "Young Master Mu trespasses into our sect’s sanctum. Did you ponder the consequences?"

Spiritual power surged along Longyin, lashing toward Mu Huaiyun—only to be deflected by Qianyu. The blades shrieked, their clash whipping a gale through the hall. When the chaos settled, Mu Huaiyun and Ye Qingshang were gone.

Behind them, Mu Rongyan’s enraged roar echoed: "Mu Huaiyun!!"

Trespassing and abducting a Frostbite Sect member would bring dire repercussions, but Mu Huaiyun no longer cared. He only begged the figure in his arms to wake, to look at him—even with her former icy disdain.

"Ye Qingshang…"

"Ye Qingshang, wake up…"

"I beg you…"

"Ye Qingshang…"

In the cave, Mu Huaiyun clutched her desperately, channeling endless spiritual power. Yet the fading warmth in her body slipped further from his grasp. He tried transferring Heart Vein Power, but even heart-carving proved futile—the energy recoiled upon touching her, useless.

“Ye Qingshang… don’t sleep, don’t sleep… I came too late. Please don’t sleep…” He pressed his forehead against hers, tears fell uncontrollably, mixing with blood, one drop at a time soaking into her robe.

He didn’t dare to say that word, nor would he accept it.

Today was supposed to be her master’s crowning ceremony. After her quiet cultivation, she would make her name in history, admired by many. At such a moment, how could she possibly die? How could she…

Impossible…

“I have so much more to say to you. Wake up, and I will tell you everything… okay?”

“Ye Qingshang, didn’t you hate me? Didn’t you despise me? I’m right here beside you. Just wake up… even if you want to kill me… Ye Qingshang, look at me…”

“Ye Qingshang…”

His painful cries lasted for a long, long time, until dusk turned to night, the light fading away.

In the cave, with no sun or moon, Mu Huaiyun could not recall how much time had passed, nor did he know what time it was now. He only knew that she had completely passed away, her warmth fading little by little. Even though he used spiritual power to preserve her body so it wouldn’t decay, there was nothing he could do—he couldn’t save her.

He felt his heart die along with hers.

“But… before I die, I will make the one who killed you pay the price!”

He took one last look at Ye Qingshang, wrapped in spiritual power, lifeless, and reluctantly turned away, setting up a barrier outside the cave. Then, he went alone to the Frostbite Sect.

“Where is Mu Rongyan? Bring him out.” In front of the Frostbite Sect, Mu Huaiyun’s voice was unusually calm.

“What…?” The guarding disciples exchanged glances, a flicker of sharpness flashed in their eyes. “Young Master Mu, wait a moment. I will notify my senior brother.”

Mu Huaiyun was unaware of the upheaval in the outside world during his days in the cave. By the time the guarding disciple returned with the news, it was already too late.

In just a moment, several elite disciples from the Frostbite Sect surrounded him.

At the top of the steps stood two figures. One was Mu Rongyan, the one Mu Huaiyun wished to see reduced to ashes, and the other was Ning Jiwei.

Mu Rongyan spoke first, “Young Master Mu, three days ago you trespassed into our main hall and killed two of my junior sisters. Now, you dare come here with impunity? Do you think the Frostbite Sect is dead?!”

“What are you saying?! You’re slandering her! Ye Qingshang was clearly killed by you…”

“Mu Huaiyun.” Ning Jiwei said each word deliberately, slowly descending the steps, a powerful pressure of spiritual power emanating from him. Mu Huaiyun had already used up most of his spiritual power to save Ye Qingshang, and with the drain of the Heart Vein Power, he was in no shape to withstand this, feeling pain so severe he could hardly speak.

Ning Jiwei looked at him, his spiritual power condensing at his fingertips, pressing against Mu Huaiyun’s chest. “Where is Qingshang’s body?”

“I don’t know.”

Ning Jiwei’s gaze turned icy. Instantly, that spiritual power transformed into a short blade and violently pierced Mu Huaiyun’s body. He gasped in pain as cold sweat appeared on his forehead. A hint of madness crept into Ning Jiwei’s expression. “Good, Young Master Mu, you have a strong will! In that case, you will accompany her in death!”

“Take him away! Execute him in three days!”

At that time, news spread throughout the cultivation world that the young master of Yunshan Sect would face forty-nine lightning strikes for killing disciples from the Frostbite Sect.

During the execution, members of ten sects surrounded the scene. When he looked around, he saw his father’s grief-stricken expression, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

Elder Shen, the executioner, asked from a distance, “Mu Huaiyun of Yunshan Sect, three days ago you trespassed into my sect’s main hall and killed disciples Qiu Huayi and Ye Qingshang. Do you admit this crime?”

Mu Huaiyun replied, “I do not.”

“You had deep grievances with our disciple Ye Qingshang. She declared that she would cut ties with you, so you harbored resentment and took advantage of her master’s crowning ceremony to kill her, and afterwards took her body, which is still missing. Is this true?”

Mu Huaiyun gritted his teeth and replied, “No.”

“Ha…” Mu Rongyan sneered. “I personally witnessed you trespass into the main hall. My disciples saw you carry away my junior sister’s body—this is solid evidence! What excuse do you have?”

“Yes, I was there that day! I can testify!”

“You killed Senior Sister Ye! Heaven will not tolerate this!”

“Stop listening to his nonsense! Execute him!”

Discussions erupted instantly, the crowd’s fury impossible to quell.

One was the senior brother Ye Qingshang had deeply trusted and revered; the other was the Yunshan Sect’s young master, whom she had avoided like a plague. No one would side with the latter. No matter how Mu Huaiyun explained, no one would believe him.

He scanned the faces in the crowd, feeling only regret—regret that he hadn’t yet avenged Ye Qingshang, regret that no one believed the truth he spoke.

He couldn’t accept this!

If only… if everything could start anew…

If time could reverse, his beloved would still be there.

He gathered his last shreds of spiritual power, summoned Qianyu, then turned the blade and plunged it fiercely into his inner core. In that instant, the world darkened, seas and mountains reversed, and heavy snow blanketed the earth.

In his final moments, he paid with half his inner core to cast Yunshan Sect’s forbidden ancient art, trading it for a chance at Ye Qingshang’s rebirth.

“Ye Qingshang… if we begin again… you must live well…”