#651 - Thirty Years Like a Dream (V)
Indeed, as Wei Changtian said, although Su Xiu had chosen to hand over Yang Liu Shi, there was still one thing she hadn't done.
That was to say what she was doing all of this for.
...
In the distance, thousands of demon beasts were still crowded at the border of the Dragon Locking Formation, confused and aimlessly searching for a way out that didn't exist.
Closer, hundreds of demon corpses lay scattered, a ground covered in severed limbs and minced flesh.
Even closer, the air in the dilapidated house was almost solidified, and several gazes fell upon the ragged Su Xiu.
Now, as long as she told the truth, everything could end here.
Wei Changtian would take Yang Liu Shi back to Liangzhou, and White Spirit Mountain would be able to survive.
As for the conflict between Wei Changtian and Yan Huanwen, or rather, the conflict between Da Ning and Da Jue, that would be a matter for later, and the outcome would most likely be decided on the battlefield.
So...
Slowly turning her head, Su Xiu looked at Wei Changtian with a lost expression, her eyes dim and lifeless.
She was like a small animal that had been repeatedly tortured to the point of finally giving up struggling, or a pitiful person driven to the point of utter despair.
She trembled and lowered her head little by little, her long hair brushing past her fair shoulders and falling to the ground, and a gust of bloody wind revealed her tear-stained face.
In everyone's surprised gaze, Su Xiu knelt down at Wei Changtian's feet.
"Young Master Wei, I beg you, please spare White Spirit Mountain."
"All the mistakes are mine, if you still can't vent your anger, then kill me."
"If you're afraid of dirtying your hands, I, I can do it myself..."
"..."
There was no forced compromise, no disguise of hidden anger and resentment, not even the sorrow of enduring humiliation to survive.
At this moment, in Su Xiu's intermittent pleas, everyone could only hear one emotion.
That was a plea that was humble to the extreme.
Perhaps in terms of cultivation, intelligence, courage, ability, and so on, she couldn't be considered a good demon clan leader, at least not even close compared to Qing Xian.
But based on her current willingness to use her own life to plead for a way out for the demons of White Spirit Mountain, Su Xiu could be considered qualified.
For a time, the way everyone looked at her underwent subtle changes.
Especially Zuo Huiyu, the only woman on Wei Changtian's side, even showed a hint of unbearable expression.
Only Wei Changtian saw through the phenomenon to the essence, and with one word, he exposed Su Xiu's true purpose.
"So you still refuse to say, don't you?"
"..."
Su Xiu didn't raise her head, nor did she defend herself, she just remained kneeling on the ground, her body trembling slightly.
"Alas."
On the other side, Wei Changtian sighed softly.
"Demon King, you and I have no grudges, so I really can't figure out what you're doing this for, that you can even give up your own life."
"Since that's the case..."
Narrowing his eyes, Wei Changtian was just about to say something, but his gaze suddenly turned to the outside of the house.
A plain dress swayed in the wind, it was Yang Liu Shi.
Without any surprises, Wei Zhaohai brought Yang Liu Shi back in less than a hundred breaths, indicating that the latter had been hidden nearby all along.
Yang Liu Shi had always been in the secret room, so naturally she didn't know what was happening outside.
However, she could read some clues from the eyes of the guards watching her.
And when Wei Zhaohai followed the green-clothed maid to take her out of the secret room and came here through the chaotic beast horde, Yang Liu Shi finally understood everything.
Tears instantly filled her eyes, everything around her became blurred, and the only thing left in her vision was the man who was smiling at her.
Running all the way through the bloodbath, the splashed beast blood stained her cloth shoes red, stained the corners of her skirt red.
Yang Liu Shi ignored all of this hellish scene, and ran quickly towards Wei Changtian, even the drops of tears were thrown behind her.
She knew why this hell was born.
She knew that this was all for herself.
"Husband!!"
A shout echoed in the wind, this was one of the few times Yang Liu Shi called Wei Changtian "Husband".
She rushed forward without regard for anything, ran across the small lake, ran across the bluestone path, and plunged into Wei Changtian's arms, clutching the latter's clothes tightly, never letting go.
As for Wei Changtian... he finally released the palm he had been clenching in his sleeve, and smiled as he gently patted Yang Liu Shi's back.
"It's okay now."
"Just don't run around next time."
Completely different from his devilish performance just now, although Wei Changtian's tone was still calm at this time, anyone could hear the tenderness in it.
And when these words entered Su Xiu's ears, the latter also raised her head blankly.
She stared blankly at this scene, and finally slowly realized...
It turned out that just now, she was only a little bit away from winning the bet.
...
Slowly closing her eyes, Su Xiu's mood at this time was probably extremely complicated.
But no one cared what she was thinking at the moment.
Especially Yang Liu Shi, after crying for a while, she seemed to suddenly remember something, and hurriedly raised her face, her eyes blurred with tears, but exceptionally serious, she said urgently:
"Husband, there is a high-ranking official from the Da Jue court on this White Spirit Mountain!"
"I even saw him last night..."
"..."
Why did Su Xiu lie that Yang Liu Shi lived far away?
Why did she pretend to cooperate with him?
Why did she know his name?
Why was she unwilling to say why she did these things even if it meant death...
After Yang Liu Shi finished telling all the information she had found out since coming to White Spirit Mountain, and the fact that she had seen a "Da Jue court official" last night, Wei Changtian was finally able to connect all the clues together and come to a guess.
And when he saw Su Xiu's face becoming paler and paler, he knew that his guess was most likely the truth.
"Husband, that's all."
In his arms, Yang Liu Shi knew that Wei Changtian was going to take care of important matters when she saw the look in the latter's eyes.
Therefore, after she finished speaking, she took the initiative to leave Wei Changtian's embrace, wiped away the tears on her face, and stepped aside.
"Grandpa, take care of Liu Shi."
Turning his head and smiling at Yang Liu Shi, and instructing Wei Zhaohai, Wei Changtian turned his head to look at Su Xiu again, his eyes already becoming gloomy and piercing.
"Demon King, I finally understand."
"It turns out that someone from the Da Jue court happened to be on White Spirit Mountain, recognized me, wanted to kill me, but was afraid that they wouldn't be able to deliver a fatal blow, so they sent a message back to find reinforcements."
“And your task is to hold me back until reinforcements arrive, right?”
“.”
As he spoke, Wei Changtian approached Su Xiu step by step, while the latter supported herself on the ground, inching backward.
Trapped by the Dragon Locking Formation, she was quickly forced into a corner, unable to move an inch further, and could only watch in fear as Wei Changtian stopped in front of her.
“What? Are you scared already?”
“Don't worry, I haven't finished yet.”
Looking down at Su Xiu at his feet, Wei Changtian narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Demon Queen, what kind of conditions would make you agree to this, and not regret it even after learning that I brought so many experts?”
“This official, I'm afraid, is that Yan Huanwen who holds such a deep hatred for you, right?”
“Tsk tsk, I originally thought you just didn't hate him, but I didn't expect you to be so infatuated.”
“But just like this, you shouldn't be so stubborn.”
“After all, once you handed Liu Shi over to me, you knew you couldn't keep me, so you might as well tell me in exchange for protecting White Spirit Mountain.”
“So, why are you still hiding it now?”
This last sentence was more of a mockery than a question.
Wei Changtian smiled and squatted down, looking Su Xiu in the eyes, as if looking at a prey that had fallen into a trap.
The latter could only tremble and shake her head, as if doing so would prevent Wei Changtian from saying the words she feared the most.
However, after a few breaths, no matter how she struggled, she still heard a sentence in her ear.
“Yan Huanwen is on White Spirit Mountain right now, isn't he?”
“.”
“Boom!!!”
Like a muffled thunderclap, when Wei Changtian's light sentence entered everyone's ears, everyone widened their eyes in astonishment.
Su Xiu's body stiffened suddenly, and then she scrambled to Wei Changtian's feet in panic, raising her head and pleading in a flustered and desperate manner:
“Young Master Wei, it's all my fault!”
“Please, please let Yan Lang go, please, won't you?!”
“You can make me do anything!”
“I, I have some beauty, I can be your maid! Your slave!”
“Anything! Anything!”
“Just please, please let Yan Lang go…”
“.”
Just now, Su Xiu was willing to exchange her life for a way out for the demons of White Spirit Mountain.
Now, she is willing to use her body and personality to save Yan Huanwen's life.
Which has greater value in comparison? The answer is self-evident.
After all, in this world, slave contracts contain the transfer of the "right to life".
Therefore, Su Xiu is undoubtedly willing to give up everything for Yan Huanwen.
However, her actions no longer aroused sympathy from Wei Zhaohai and others.
Because after Wei Changtian exposed the conspiracy behind it, Su Xiu and White Spirit Mountain completely stood on the opposite side of them.
If you sympathize with an enemy who wants to kill you, it is not kindness, but stupidity.
“Demon Queen, what are you talking about?”
With a smile on his lips, Wei Changtian's tone became even more playful.
“I don't even know where Yan Huanwen is hiding, so how can I talk about letting him go?”
“Why don't you tell me where he is hiding first, and then I will spare his life.”
“How about it?”
“.”
The desperate plea stopped abruptly.
Although Su Xiu was desperate, she had not lost her mind, so how could she tell where Yan Huanwen was hiding?
She just stared wide-eyed and kept shaking her head, with a few strands of hair hanging messily on the side of her face, creating a morbid beauty.
If it were an ordinary person, they probably wouldn't have the heart to say no after just one look at her.
However, Wei Changtian didn't have the slightest intention of showing pity, and as he slowly stood up, the smile on his face gradually disappeared.
“Demon Queen, no matter what, you have now completed my two previous conditions.”
“So the matter of killing a demon every three breaths will end here.”
“.”
As soon as Wei Changtian finished speaking, Li Huaizhong immediately stopped his actions, and indeed stopped killing demons.
However, his actions made everyone a little puzzled.
Now is clearly a good time to continue to exert pressure and force Su Xiu to tell where Yan Huanwen is hiding.
As long as they know where Yan Huanwen is, and then kill him before the reinforcements from Da Jue arrive, it would undoubtedly be a great benefit to the war in Liangzhou.
But why did Wei Changtian stop at this time?
It shouldn't be.
After all, he didn't have a trace of soft-heartedness just now, let alone now that the two sides have become mortal enemies.
For a time, the atmosphere in the room instantly became strange, and everyone frowned and looked at Wei Changtian, wondering what he was thinking.
Not only Wei Zhaohai and others couldn't understand, but even Su Xiu was stunned.
Her first reaction was that Wei Changtian had decided to let her go, but…
“Demon Queen, I taught you something just now.”
“The more a person wants to prove something, the more fake it is.”
“I think you should remember this principle.”
“Now, I will teach you another principle…”
Looking at Su Xiu expressionlessly, Wei Changtian said lightly.
“If you want to kill someone, then you must be prepared to be killed by someone.”
“.”
In an instant, Su Xiu's eyes became desolate, but at the same time, she felt a sense of relief.
She knew that she could not avoid death.
But it would be better to die, at least she would not have to suffer such a life-and-death torment, and she would not have to worry about revealing Yan Huanwen's hiding place.
Therefore, when Su Xiu slowly closed her eyes, preparing to welcome death, she felt a strange sense of relief in her heart.
It's just that, as before, she still thought Wei Changtian's methods were too simple.
“Demon Queen, you don't need to look like you are ready to die.”
“Don't worry, I won't let you die before you tell me where Yan Huanwen is hiding.”
“As for what I just said about being killed…”
Smiling, Wei Changtian turned his head to look at Wei Zhaohai and the other four, his voice clear.
“Grandpa, you go to East Mountain.”
“Sect Leader Zuo, you go to South Mountain.”
“Lord Yu, you go to West Mountain.”
“Eunuch Li, you go to North Mountain.”
“I'll give you two hours…”
“Slaughter White Spirit Mountain.”
