20 Secre (1/2)

Zhang Yuanshan's mind was a mess. All he could think of was how on the ”samsara square” Qi Xia cheerfully introduced Tang's Flower to them and talked about traps and secret weapons. Originally, he believed that if there was someone who would take risks and reveal the ”samsara world”, it would be Jiang Zhiwei or him. He never imagined that it would be Qi Xia, who had finally gotten into contact with what she had always dreamed of and who could have fulfilled her wish very soon!

How could he know that while he was still hesitating, she had already made up her mind? No, it seemed like she had made the decision a long time ago!

”Was she just pretending to be extremely happy during the exchange?”

”No, her reaction didn't seem fake. Maybe even her happiness couldn't win over her will to escape from danger!”

Immediately after Qi Xia finished her sentence, Kong Wen looked to her and said after an ”Amitābha”, ”Please go on, benefactor Qi.”

”What do you know?”

Outraged by the true murderer, Taoist Shou Zhuo looked to Qi Xia and waited for her to provide some clues.

At the same time, Su Wuming, Xuan Yuanzi, Qi Xia's father Qi Yuan, and many others all had their eyes on Qi Xia. They didn't know how she, who lived several yards away from Xuan Tian Sect's yard, could have discovered something about Qing Jing's death.

If it was something she had noticed when she went to the toilet at night, masters like them would have also sensed it even in their sleep. In other words, since it was something that could outsmart their senses, there was no way that a young girl who hadn't even attained Enlightenment could have discovered it coincidentally.

Zhang Yuanshan subconsciously hid behind Xuan Yuanzi, and his left hand clenched into a fist. His right hand felt the hilt of his sword, and the coldness of it slightly alleviated his nervousness and worry. He quietly glanced at Jiang Zhiwei, and saw that her right hand was pressed to the hilt of her sword as well.

After Qi Xia blurted out the first sentence, there was no chance for her to regret. She looked around at the seniors in the hall and Kong Wen, the ”Dragon-subduing Arhat”, and hoped that this Dharmakaya-level master could stop the ”Owner of Samsara”.

Even if His Abbotship Kong Wen himself was the villain behind this, he would protect her to protect his own secret. He would even escort her back to the Dajiang Gang. After she returned to Dajiang Gang, her father and the other seniors, who by now would be very alarmed, would definitely bring out the ultimate weapon of their faction, the ”Staff of Dancing Sea and Somersaulting River”, and then her safety would be guaranteed for sure.

”His Abbotship, both Qing Jing and I met the 'Own…”

Qi Xia formulated her words and attempted to raise everyone's vigilance by speaking as quickly as possible.

As she tried to pronounce the word ”owner”, she suddenly felt her heart begin to beat faster and faster and faster, until it reached an almost unattainable speed. A huge amount of blood upwelled through her vessels. Her brain swelled, her throat became blocked, and she could no longer take a single breath.

Bang!

With a blurry consciousness, Qi Xia thought she heard a crisp crack, and her sight became flooded with red. Though unclearly, she saw a large hand stretch out to her, trying to save her; it glittered with a solemn Buddha shine and carried a gentle and calming atmosphere. At the same time, a sword shine emerged like a swift eagle diving from the sky, and in a blink of the eye, it pointed at the space three inches behind her.

”I didn't expect that the ”Owner of Samsara” would really dare to attack in front of a Dharmakaya-level master…”

”Unfortunately, everyone is a bit late…”

With bitterness, regret, shock, and an unwillingness to reconcile, Qi Xia fell into the rimless darkness. Losing support, her body fell to the ground.

”Daughter!”

Qi Yuantong yelled mournfully, rushing towards Qi Xia's body very quickly and catching her in his arms. Genuine Qi flowed out from the center of his palms and poured into Qi Xia's body, but she did not move again.

Jiang Zhiwei was still confused and shocked when Su Wuming retrieved his long sword. His left hand gently stroked his sword, and his eyes, which had always been half-closed, opened. With a very serious expression, he seemed to be pondering deeply what had just happened.

”Amitābha, I was too late.”

His palms together pressed together, Kong Wen no longer had a sacred Buddha shine flashing around him. For the first time, shock and astonishment appeared on his calm face.

”Pretend to be unprepared and late… Pretend to be unprepared and late…”

Zhang Yuanshan was both startled and frightened, and his mind was a chaos. Fear, regret, self-accusation, and a guilty joy that the corpse lying on the ground was not his mingled together and deprived him of his ability to think.

Suddenly, an insight popped into his head.

”No, His Abbotship Kong Wen didn't even show his Golden Body of Arhat. If he indeed was pretending to be unprepared, then he should have tried his very best to prove his innocence! Maybe he was really unprepared? Even I, who know what's behind all this, didn't expect that the 'Owner of Samsara' would act so quickly, so mercilessly, and so mysteriously…”

Looking at Qi Xia, who had lost her vigor and lay in Qi Yuantong's arms, Zhang Yuanshan felt like his heart was grasped by an enormous hand. It felt so heavy that he could barely breathe.

Taoist Shou Zhuo also hadn't come to rescue on time. At first, he glared at Kong Wen, as if he was going to blame him for not doing his best and accuse him of being involved with the true murderer. However, his expression suddenly changed a few times, as if he had recalled something important, and he gradually calmed down. In addition, Xuan Yuanzi, Qi Yuantong, and the others also didn't blame Kong Wen.

”Benefactors, what has just happened to benefactor Qi reminded me of several similar events,” Kong Wen slowly began to say. ”It's my oversight that I didn't link what had happened to benefactor Qing Jing to those events. Otherwise, I could have saved benefactor Qi.”

”Several similar events?”

Zhang Yuanshan felt that there had been too many shocking events tonight, which kind of exceeded his limit. He looked at Kong Wen with nervousness and alarm, only to find that Jiang Zhiwei behaved exactly the same as he did.

Fortunately, other people had similar reactions, so they didn't seem weird.

”I'm willing to listen to the details.”

Xuan Yuanzi made a salute. Qi Yuantong also looked to Kong Wen with his red eyes.

Kong Wen sighed. ”Have any benefactors heard of a mysterious organization called 'The Immortals'? Their members would die mysteriously, just like how benefactor Qi just did, if they wanted to leak the organization's secrets. I suspect that their bodies have some kind of curse hidden inside, which will bring a mysterious force if it is triggered.”

”'The Immortals'? I've once fought with one of their members, 'Doumu Progenitor'. You know what, I nearly lost my life,” Xuan Yuanzi said self-mockingly, ”but I've never caught a member of theirs, and never saw a similarly mysterious death either.”

”What? You nearly lost your life? And what is that 'Doumu Progenitor'?” Taoist Shou Zhuo, who had a bad temper, asked with disbelief.