Chapter 127 - When the Sun Shines

Time passed quickly.Before one knew it, the winter month had ended, and half of the twelfth lunar month had also gone by.

Chinese New Year’s Eve was getting closer and closer.

On this day, the sky was clear, and everything was bright and beautiful.

However, Shen Nanqi’s mood was quite gloomy.

The place where he stood now was to the east of Tangshe Town, probably on the West Mountain.

It should also be very close to the abandoned Xiaolin Town.

But he couldn’t be sure.

He had lost his direction.

Clearly, he could see north, south, east, and west, but after walking in circles a few times, he ended up back here.

Shen Nanqi didn’t dare to take any more risks, especially since several of his junior brothers and sisters were seriously injured and unable to move on their own.

He keenly sensed that this was a conspiracy against the disciples of the Daoist school!

There were five fellow travelers in total, and now, the only ones who could still move were him and another junior brother.

As for those who could still fight, it was just him alone.

Considering the entire Maple Forest City Region, the West Mountain was located to the northeast, and he wondered how the name “West Mountain” had come to be.

Before, a group of bandits had occupied the area, but after Jiang Wang, who was then an external disciple, eradicated them with his longsword, the region had been peaceful for quite some time.

Shen Nanqi led a team into the Qi Chang Mountain Range to hunt demonic beasts, a routine mission for tempering themselves, but they were ambushed just outside of Tangshe Town.

They had fought while on the move, and judging by the distance, they should have reached West Mountain since they had been heading eastward all along.

However, after arriving here, directions had lost their meaning.

He didn’t know much about formations, nor could he afford to leave his brothers and sisters behind to take risks.

Those hidden in the dark seemed to want to slowly drain his life away.

They only launched attacks from time to time and didn’t press on with all their strength.

Now, all he could do was wait.

He had seized an opportunity to light the rescue signal incense a long time ago.

Now it remained to be seen whether the reinforcements would arrive first or if he would first run out of strength and collapse.

He couldn’t count how many times they had been attacked; their Dao Essence was almost depleted.

The last standing comrade had also fallen, and he had luckily survived because of that comrade’s outburst.

But he knew it was only a matter of time unless they received timely treatment…

Inside Tongtian Palace, the Dao circle was rotating, brewing the rebirth of Dao Essence.

But Shen Nanqi didn’t know if he could last until that moment.

No, he definitely could.

Shen Nanqi didn’t look back; he knew who was behind him.

They were his comrades.

And he, Shen Nanqi, would never give up on his comrades.

Never!

He snatched a sword at will and faced the oncoming opponent head-on.

With not much Dao Essence left to use, he tried his best to conserve it.

Although he had never practiced any Transcendent sword techniques, his mastery of the Tongtian Environment allowed him to leverage his body enough to display considerable combat power.

Of course, this couldn’t compare to the Dao Technique system he had immersed himself in for many years.

After a few exchanges of swordplay, Shen Nanqi retreated with swift movements as his opponent crashed to the ground, a hole in his heart gushing blood.

It was caused by a golden light arrow.

He had been forced to use Dao Technique again.

Finally, he was completely exhausted.

Is this the end?

he wondered.

In his field of vision, more and more members of the sinister path emerged.

These people did not conceal their faces, as they did not intend to spare anyone.

The sunlight filled the mountains.

Among the bright woods, a figure raced by swiftly.

A long knife flashed.

The light of the blade reflected the sunlight, and the silhouette passed through other shadows.

Blood splattered, and heads flew.

The Quick Snow knife arrived…

Wei Yan appeared.

The sinister path deviants, who were just beginning to gather, scattered all at once, disappearing after a few turns.

In such a formation, they could attack or defend at will.

“I didn’t expect you to be the one to rescue me,” Shen Nanqi said.

Wei Yan glanced behind him and spoke indifferently, “You’re still the same.

If one person had fled, they would have escaped long ago.”

“Stop wasting words.

When will the rest of the people arrive?

Just the two of us can’t break through this encirclement,” Shen Nanqi gasped for breath, trying to recover as much strength as possible in the short time they had.

“It’s only us two,” Wei Yan said.

“No one else is coming.”

“What?”

“They couldn’t make it, so I came alone.”

Shen Nanqi took a deep breath, “Then call for reinforcements now, and together, we can hold out for a while.”

“Don’t you understand yet?

These heretics want to besiege us and strike at the rescuers; we can’t add fuel to the fire.

They’ve made it this complicated; there must be a grand scheme.

If the City Guard Army loses too many men, Fenglin City will likely be in danger,” Wei Yan said resolutely, turning around with his sword in hand.

“Follow me, the two of us still have a chance to break out.”

“What about them?” Shen Nanqi asked angrily.

Wei Yan glanced back and, with a flick of his hand, summoned four longswords, accurately throwing them beside the four Dao Technique Institute Disciples who were seriously injured.

Clang!

These four disciples were decisive, regardless of gender, they simultaneously drew their swords.

They had waited for a long time and had watched Shen Nanqi holding out on his own for what seemed like an eternity.

Wei Yan’s words left them with no illusions; there was no hope.

Not burdening Shen Nanqi was the best ending they could hope for.

“No!”

Shen Nanqi stepped forward to intervene, but Wei Yan grabbed him tightly.

How could his exhausted body break free from Wei Yan’s restraint?

Watching his four junior brothers and sisters fall in suicide right before his eyes, Shen Nanqi’s eyes turned red, “Wei Yan!

Did you come to rescue people or to kill them?”

It was as if he saw that night again.

That bloody night.

He and Wei Yan were both present then too.

It was also Wei Yan who made such a decision.

That night, their mutual good friend died miserably in front of them, burned to ashes.

Not even his bones were left.

“Save if you can, but why waste time if you can’t?” Wei Yan said coldly, turning away.

“If you want to avenge them, then follow me.”

“Wei Yan!” Shen Nanqi’s voice was more of a wail than a roar.

“You have the strength to yell; use it to kill a few more heretics and let them die with their eyes closed,” Wei Yan said as he reversed his grip on Quick Snow and hacked at a tree.

After examining the tree rings, he continued straight on.

“The formation may deceive our eyes, but it can’t fool the trees.

Because trees don’t have eyes, only the instincts of life.”

With tears in his eyes, Shen Nanqi silently followed Wei Yan.

He knew in his heart that the suicides of his junior brothers and sisters were a choice.

At least it spared them from a more painful fate.

However, emotionally, he couldn’t accept such an outcome.

He had tried so hard for so long, yet he hadn’t managed to save anyone.

Not a single one.

He was on the verge of madness.

Along the way, they faced two massive attacks orchestrated by the heretics, but both were repelled by Wei Yan and an almost berserk Shen Nanqi.

However, by the time they descended to the foot of the mountain, the masters that Wei Yan had expected to appear never showed up.

Shen Nanqi, lost in a daze, took steps westward towards Town Tang.

“To the south,” Wei Yan said.

Shen Nanqi followed the new direction without a word.

But Wei Yan still explained, “On the way here to help, I ran into a group of Disciples from the Dao Technique Institute who were also on their way to assist.

They haven’t shown up yet, which means they are probably trapped somewhere.

We need to go check it out.”

Shen Nanqi turned to look at him, his eyes slowly regained their sharpness, but it was filled with anger, “Didn’t you say no more reinforcements were coming?”

“There’s no time,” Wei Yan responded indifferently.

“If we stayed there and slowly bled to death, you would die, and I might not survive either.”

He added, “Besides, look, the group that came to help is already trapped.”

“That’s always how you make choices,” Shen Nanqi said through gritted teeth.

“I hope one day, when you’re faced with such a choice, you’ll take it just as well!”

Wei Yan simply leaped forward, leaving all the sunlight behind him.

“You needn’t wish me well.

I was faced with such a choice when I was five years old.”