Chapter no.38 The Seven Branch Prison Sword

[ Dreamland - Lighthouse]

The five women stood in a tight huddle, their faces twisted in horror as they stared down at the lifeless body on the floor.

Xiao Wen'an, a tall and statuesque, with long, dark hair that cascaded down her back in loose waves. With features sharp and angular, her eyes widened and haunted as she gazed at the corpse of Ling Ling. Her hands were clenched tightly at her sides as if she were trying to hold herself together.

Zi Yung; was a short yet curvaceous woman with hair a fiery red that seemed to glow in the dim light of the room. Her face; was round and full, her eyes filled with tears as she stared at the corpse with her hands clutched tightly to her chest as if she were trying to protect her heart from the horror before her.

Feng Danying; small and delicate, with delicate features and a petite frame. Her hair was a pale blonde, and it was styled in a sleek bob that framed her face. Her eyes were large and blue, and they were filled with a hint of deep sadness as she looked at the corpse. Her hands were clasped tightly together as if in prayer.

Lan Yue, a woman that stood next to Feng Danying with a medium height and builds, her hair was dark brown and was styled in a tight bun. Her face was strong and determined, but her eyes were filled with deep sadness. Her hands were balled into fists as if she were ready to fight against the injustice that had occurred.

Zheng Ating stood out of sight as she bit her thumb's nail. Sweat dripped down her face as she told herself.

' This isn't my fault, it's that demon male's fault for killing Ling Ling. Oh, Great Nuwa, show your divine protection for your creation and exile that demon ( Zhongli) from this world.'

The five women stood in silence, their eyes fixed on the lifeless body on the floor. Each one of them was lost in their thoughts and emotions, while some still hadn't registered the shock of seeing their friend die.

Lan Yue glanced at everyone before suddenly she saw that she was the closest to the only weapon they had.

The Seven Branch Prison Sword.

Lan Yue stood in the center of the dimly lit room, her eyes fixed on the ancient sword that lay before her. The sword was covered in intricate talismans, each one glowing with a soft, ethereal light. The sword was said to be a parasitic weapon, that had been created by an ancient sect that aimed to create a path to the Hell world but the sword wasn't completed by the ancients resulting in a dangerously defective weapon that leeched off its wielder's spiritual Qi in return for a massive boost in power.

This sword belonged to Ling Ling and with its power, they were able to survive. As Lan Yue reached out and picked it up, she could feel the power coursing through her veins.

She held the sword in her hands, its weight surprisingly light. She pointed it toward the other women in the room, who were staring at her with a mixture of fear and awe. Her face was set in determination, her eyes burning with a fierce intensity.

" If I see anyone move! I will attack. One of you poisoned the stew !"

Xiao Wen'an suddenly looked at Lan Yue in shock.

" What are you doing ?! Put that sword down; it's us, you can't seriously think one of us did it after all the hell we have been through !"

" The hell I can't, don't you see it; Ling Ling is dead and someone here tried to poison all of us."

" Who, Lan Yue, Who? We don't even know if it was poisonous, it could also be because of that cursed sword; don't you remember what Ling Ling told us; that sword is dangerous not only for the opponent but also for the victim."

" Oh, don't give me that crap; Ling Ling died due to eating that stew, you have to be blind at this point to not see that it was poisoned, Xiao, someone tried to poison us and she had succeeded in taking out the strongest one, who will be next? You ?! ..... Me ?! Right now, any one of us could have ended up like Ling Ling if we ate the soup."

The room was deathly silent as the echoes of the Lan Yue'$ words slowly dissipated into the air. The tension was palpable as if the very atmosphere had thickened and congealed around them. Every breath, every movement, felt exaggerated and loud in the stillness. The only movement was the gentle sway of a chandelier as it caught the light. No one dared to break the silence as if doing so would shatter the fragile moment and send them all tumbling down into the unknown.

Lan Yue pointed the sword toward Feng Danying who had tears streaming down her face.

" You cooked the stew and could have added the poison so tell me, Lan Yue, what's your alibi?"

With tears running down her face, Feng Danying immediately exclaimed," I, I tasted the stew while cooking and it was fine."

" You think that explanation is going to remove you as the prime suspect !"

A sense of panic erupted from Feng Danying's heart as she pointed at Zi Yung.

" It wasn't me! Zi Yung! She was adding all sorts of ....."

As if Zi Yung saw Feng Danying's scheme, she spoke up.

" Feng, you know I didn't! How can you say that ?!"

Seeing all eyes on her, Feng Danying had tears streaming down her face, and a never-ending river of despair began to flow through her body as she felt the hands of death grab onto her neck.

Suddenly feeling the warmth of arms wrapping around her, Feng Danying opened her eyes to see that she was in Xiao Wen'an's arms.

Xiao Wen'an shouted at Lan Yue.

" Is this the trust we had ?! Is this what being a sister meant ?! Tell me, is this the way? "

" .... "

Zi Yung suddenly stepped into the conversation as she asked.

" Tell me, why shouldn't we be suspicious of you? Aren't you from the fire feather Sect, Feng Danying?"

" What does that have to do with anything?"

" Fire Feather Sect is quite famous for espionage so you should have been trained in their ways. Playing it a little over the top; aren't we, the raving paranoid? Quite a good way to divert any suspicion from you and blame it on others. Truth be told, aren't any one of us guilty; what about Zheng Ating?"

" .... "

" Zi Yung?!" Xiao Wen'an shouted as she wanted them to stop blaming each other.

A shiver went down Zheng Ating's spine as she saw everyone looking at her.

With no words to be said Zheng Ating, silence enveloped the room.

" Zi Yung, does that make a good point ?" Feng Danying said to herself causing Zheng Ating's stomach to drop.

' They know that I am the killer !'

Zheng Ating thought as Zi Yung pointed at Feng Danying.

" Oh, let's talk about suspicion, you have the sword in your hand right, so who the hell made you the judge, jury, and executioner, huh, Feng ?!"

" Stop it, you two; Feng Danying, please just drop the sword; are you going to kill your sisters ?!" Xiao Wen'an tried to reason with Feng Danying as hope formed in Zheng Ating's heart.

' Xiao will convince them, right ?!'

" Huh, try me and see what happens ?! This is a game of kill or is killed!"

Zheng Ating's eyes moved frantically trying to see something that could help before they stopped on a knife on the table.

Zheng Ating stared at the glinting blade on the table, her heart pounding in her chest...

As Feng Danying turned her back to her for a moment, Ating saw her opportunity. She lunged towards the table, grabbed the knife, and launched herself at Feng Danying with all of her might.

" I didn't do it !"

Zheng Ating in her panic forgot two things; what she grabbed were a normal weapon and two, Feng Danying was much stronger than her.

In a moment of instinct, Feng Danying's instincts kicked in and she turned, slicing through the air with the sword.

As the sword connected with Zheng Ating's body, a wave of spiritual Qi tore through her flesh, spraying blood and guts everywhere.

The objects in the room were quickly caught up in the wave's destructive path, as tables, chairs, and other debris was lifted into the air and smashed against the walls. The energy was so intense that it felt as though the very fabric of space and time were being torn apart.

As the wave of Qi reached the wall of the lighthouse, it began to tear through the bricks and mortar as if they were made of paper. The sound of the wall being destroyed was deafening, like a thousand thunderbolts striking at once.

....

[ A Few Minutes Ago ]

[ Lighthouse - Rooftop ]

Zhongli opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the sunlight streaming on him.

He blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust to the brightness, as he took in the cool air of the late hours of the morning.

He took in the scene before him. The sky was painted in hues of pink and orange as the sun began to rise over the horizon. The ocean was calm, with small waves lapping against the shore. The lighthouse was the only man-made structure in sight, and it stood tall and proud against the natural beauty of the landscape.

Zhongli took a deep breath and let out a sigh, feeling a sense of peace and tranquility wash over him.

" Congratulations,"

Hearing the feminine voice, Zhongli glanced and saw Lin Lai lying on the ground gazing at the sky.

" And don't worry, I used my cultivation prize so that your breakthrough wouldn't be detected." Lin Lai lied straight to Zhongli's face whose eyes widened as he realized that unlike him and his cheat method of cultivation, others had many obstacles to overcome.

Out of Courtesy, Zhongli bowed.

" Thank you."

" Don't worry about it, I guess you were near a breakthrough. Do you have some kind of artifact to mask your power ?" Lin Lai asked.

" Yes, it's a family heirloom," Zhongli replied with another lie as he didn't want Lin Lai to be suspicious of his Beast Blood Martial Skeleton.

" Well, congratulations on purifying your body."

" Huh ?"

" Oh, didn't you just complete the Earthly Yuan Realm and purify your body." Lin Lai exclaimed as she got closer to Zhongli who looked down.

" Do you sense that ?"

" Oh, don't worry it's just my friends."

" No, that dark aura."

" Oh, that must be from the Seven Branch Prison Sword."

" The Seven Branch Prison Sword?"

" Exactly, it's an ancient artifact that the Heaven Blade Sect protected. A friend of mine was given the sword by her master."

Zhongli contemplated Lin Lai's words before he felt her fingers touch his hand.

Looking up, Zhongli saw a smiling Lin Lai under the morning sun, her beauty made Zhongli's heart skip a beat.

" Is something wrong ?" Lin Lai asked while tilting her heart.

The cute gesture made Zhongli gulp before his paranoia kicked in.

' What is this woman doing? Why is her attitude so much different from before ?'

Seeing Zhongli's hesitation and suspicion, Lin Lai couldn't but grit her teeth.

Why is this man so frustrating to manipulate?

If only he wasn't as paranoid as he is.

Damnit, if only I knew his potential before.