40: Chapter 40 Two Choices

Hun Feng stood before him, the pink halo of the Purification Lotus Demon Flame slowly swirling around his fingertips. Behind him, Gu Xun'er, Xiao Yi Xian, and Zi Yan were pinned in place by the icy aura of Hun Qinger. The golden flames of the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame had been frozen into ice crystals that shattered across the ground. Zi Yan's phantom dragon claw was blocked by a layer of ice-blue light mere inches from Hun Qinger's face, unable to advance any further, and the poison pills in Xiao Yi Xian's sleeves had been frozen solid into ice beads. All three were still alive, but none could take another step forward.

"Xiao Yan, I give you two choices." Hun Feng retracted his right hand and stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the ruins, his bright red ceremonial robe snapping in the residual hot wind. "First, today you forced your way into my Hun Clan, disrupted the grand wedding, and attacked me—according to the rules of the Hun Clan, you and your female companions will all be sent on your way together. Rest assured, I will leave your corpse intact, after all, you are the biological father of Mu Xiao."

Xiao Yan abruptly raised his head, the joints of his fingers gripping the xuan heavy ruler cracking audibly.

"Second," Hun Feng held up two fingers, "I can let you go, and I can let your father go. But them—" His gaze passed over Xiao Yan and landed on the women behind him, his fingertips pointing at them one by one, "Gu Xun'er, Xiao Yi Xian, Zi Yan, Qing Lin, and Yao Ming. All of them stay. You trespassed into the Hun Clan today and disrupted my grand wedding; it is impossible for you to walk out unscathed. Two paths, choose for yourself."

As his voice fell, the entire plaza fell into a dead silence. Soul Yuan Tian lifted his eerie green old eyes to glance at Hun Feng, his withered mouth twitching imperceptibly. The black flame at the tip of Void Swallowing Flame's finger flickered gently, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes that burned with black flames. Hun Qinger remained expressionless as she suppressed the three women, her moon-white robe motionless in the wind. Hun Qian stood by the side of the main hall door, moving half a step forward without a sound, perfectly sealing off all possible retreat routes for Yao Ming.

"In your dreams!" Xiao Yan roared. With a surge of strength from nowhere, he struggled to his feet, the xuan heavy ruler wrapped in the last faint wisp of Green Lotus Core Flame slashing towards Hun Feng. However, his Dou Qi was exhausted, and the speed and force of this strike were less than a tenth of his usual power. Hun Feng did not even dodge, simply raising two fingers to flick the edge of the ruler—the xuan heavy ruler flew out of his hand, tumbled a few times in the air, and slammed into the ruins several yards away. Xiao Yan was also sent staggering back by the force of the flick, caught by Gu Xun'er behind him.

"Brother Xiao Yan!" Xun'er steadied Xiao Yan, her slender fingers gripping his arm tightly. She raised her eyes, clear as an ancient well, to look at Hun Feng. The Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame had been shattered by Hun Qinger, and fine ice crystals still remained on her cuffs, but there was no trace of fear on her elegant, lotus-like face. She looked into Hun Feng's eyes, was silent for a few moments, and then released her hand from Xiao Yan.

"I will stay." Xun'er's voice was very soft, yet every word sounded like a nail driven into ice, "You let Brother Xiao Yan and Uncle Xiao go, and I will remain in the Soul Realm."

"Xun'er!" Xiao Yan grabbed her wrist violently, the force almost crushing her bones. Xun'er did not pull away; she merely turned her head to look at him, a faint smile appearing on her lips. The smile was quiet and determined, as if she were comforting a child about to embark on a long journey. "Brother Xiao Yan, you are injured; if you keep fighting, you will die. The Gu Clan owes the Hun Clan an explanation, and after today, it will be settled. It is just that I will not be by your side in the future, so you must take care of yourself." Her fingertips brushed lightly against the back of his hand, carrying a trace of cool trembling—the only flaw left after she had tried her best to suppress all her fear.

"I will also stay." Xiao Yi Xian's voice came from the other side, still calm, as if she were speaking of a trivial matter unrelated to herself. She took out the few poison pills that had been frozen into ice beads from her sleeve and casually crushed them, ice shavings falling rustlingly from between her fingers. Her snow-white hair was particularly striking in the dim void, and the hem of her plain white dress was stained with charred dust. She lowered her head and gently brushed the remaining ice crystals from her fingertips, her movements as calm as when she had brewed antidotes for him in the Qingshan Town years ago. "I am the Calamity Poison Body; I am trouble wherever I go. The Soul Realm has heavy yin energy, suitable for growing poisonous herbs. You do not need to worry about me." She raised her eyes to look at Xiao Yan; there were no tears or resentment in those cold, clear eyes, only a very faint sense of relief, worn thin by time.

"Xiao Yi Xian..." Xiao Yan turned to look at her, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he could not say a single word. He owed her too much; from the Izumo Empire to the Central Plains, every time it was she who stood silently behind him, never asking for anything in return. Now that she was choosing to stay, she was using her life to fight for his last chance at survival. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he could say nothing. Xiao Yi Xian averted her gaze, not looking at him again, as if afraid that if she looked for one more second, she would regret it.

Zi Yan was still struggling within Hun Qinger's ice screen, her golden dragon pupils nearly spitting fire: "You two are crazy! Why stay! If we die, we die together!" Her phantom dragon claw struck frantically against the ice-blue light screen, causing ripples to spread across its surface, but no matter what, she could not tear through that barrier, thin as a cicada's wing. Hun Qinger tilted her head slightly to look at her, pressing her fingertip down lightly, and Zi Yan's voice was sealed in her throat, leaving her only able to glare at Xiao Yan with unwilling dragon pupils.

"There is one more." Hun Feng suddenly spoke, his gaze passing over the crowd to land on a silent figure at the edge of the plaza. Yao Ming stood in the shadows; he had not made a move from start to finish—not because he didn't dare, but because he had been personally watched by Hun Qian the moment he wanted to move. Hun Feng looked at him, his tone flat but allowing no room for argument, "Clan Leader Yao Ming, the Nine Serenities Deep Ground Python Clan previously betrayed the Hall of Souls; let us settle this old debt today. If you stay, I can overlook the little actions of your clansmen."

Yao Ming walked slowly out of the shadows, his snake pupils sweeping between Hun Qian and Hun Feng, finally resting on Xiao Yan. There was no panic or anger on his face, only a calmness that was exceptionally tranquil after being forced into a desperate situation. He cupped his fists towards Xiao Yan: "Brother Xiao, you and I have known each other for a while; it is already a stroke of luck that we could get here today. No need to say more, I will stay."

Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth—not a new wound, but an old one he had bitten open himself. He stood in the ruins; before him were two women and an ally who had blocked the death blow for him, behind him was the Clan Leader of the Nine Serenities Deep Ground Python Clan, and in the distance was his father, who had been locked in a dungeon waiting for him for years. He could risk his life, but after risking it, he would not be able to take anyone away. He had no right to refuse for Xun'er, no right to refuse for Xiao Yi Xian, and no right to refuse for Yao Ming. The only thing he could do was to take Xiao Zhan back, and then return alive to retrieve them.

Qing Lin stepped forward from the shadows, her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils glowing with a faint, eerie light in the sunlight. She did not say much, simply nodding gently at Xiao Yan. She had always been the quietest one, following him all the way from Qingshan Town to Starfall Pavilion, and at this moment, she also quietly chose to stand with her sisters.

"Sister Cai Lin! Say something!" Zi Yan used all her strength to break through the seal on her throat, her hoarse cry echoing over the plaza. Medusa stood before the viewing gallery, her wedding dress like glowing clouds, her hair ornaments silent, her purple eyes watching this scene. Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian had offered to stay—these two women, one with the God-Grade Bloodline of the Gu Clan, the other the master of the Calamity Poison Body, were standing side by side in the ruins, with no trace of fear on their faces. She had lived for over three hundred years and had seen countless women, but only these two were willing to give their lives for the same person. She closed her eyes slightly. She did not speak. Because she knew that the condition Hun Feng proposed was the only path for Xiao Yan to leave alive. And she had no standing to plead for Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian—they were doing this voluntarily.

Hun Feng withdrew his gaze and turned to lift a finger towards Hun Qian. Two Hall of Souls guards brought out a disheveled, unkempt middle-aged man from the side door. Xiao Zhan's prison clothes were covered in dried bloodstains, his limbs still locked by soul-devouring iron chains, his hair and beard long since matted, but those eyes, identical to Xiao Yan's, lit up the moment he saw his son. Hun Feng flicked his hand casually, and the soul-devouring iron chains on Xiao Zhan's wrists snapped in response. Xiao Yan rushed forward to support his swaying father. Xiao Zhan looked at his son's face, covered in burns and blood, then glanced at Medusa in the distance, dressed in her bright red wedding gown, and the little girl beside her who called Hun Feng "Daddy." A hint of extremely complex realization flashed in his aged, murky eyes. He asked nothing, simply patting his son's shoulder with the hand that had been shackled for so long. The force was light, yet it made Xiao Yan clench his teeth even tighter.

Xiao Yan supported his father, walking step by step towards the main gate. From the main hall to the edge of the plaza, he did not look back. Xun'er called out softly behind him, "Brother Xiao Yan." His footsteps paused for a moment, then he continued walking forward. It was not that he did not want to look back, but that he did not dare. He was afraid that if he turned his head, he would never be able to walk out of this plaza. Yao Yao leaned against a pillar, watching Xiao Yan's back disappear into the void rift outside the main gate, then glanced at the two women standing side by side in the ruins. There was no playfulness in her peach-blossom eyes, only a very faint complexity.

Hun Feng stood in the center of the ruins, watching as Gu Xun'er, Xiao Yi Xian, Zi Yan, Qing Lin, and Yao Ming were surrounded by Hun Clan guards from different directions. His gaze shifted from Xun'er's face to Xiao Yi Xian's, then swept over Zi Yan's pouting baby face, finally landing on Qing Lin's pair of emerald-green snake pupils. He said nothing more, simply giving a few instructions to Hun Qian, then turned and walked towards the East Courtyard. He did not stop as he passed by Medusa, only whispering, "You return to the East Courtyard first; I will go see Mu Xiao tonight."