Chapter 536: For the Sake of a Friend!

"Lu Yao?" Lu Qian's pupils shrank, her face twisting into an odd expression as she gazed at the youth before her. His face seemed harmless, and painfully handsome at that, but... she noticed the bloodstains on his clothing.

In Splinter Mountain, there was nothing but blood—almost always human blood. And tonight, besides herself, the place was swarming with Arbiters!

"What did you just ask me?" Lu Qian furrowed her brow, her eyes settling on Yun Xiao with growing unease and irritation. She had heard him mention the True Immortal Jade Mine.

That was her biggest secret!

"I said I heard you own a True Immortal Jade Mine." Yun Xiao stepped towards her, his celestial power growing more formidable with each step. Though he was only at the Early True Immortal Realm, the volume of his primordial celestial power was nearing that of the Essence Manifestation Realm.

"You!" Confusion and suspicion whirled within Lu Qian. Her gaze drifted past Yun Xiao, casting a cold glance behind him, "Where’s the young master? Where’s Jiang Lanyue?"

Weren't they supposed to feed Yun Xiao the Heartburn Gu to lure out the people behind him?

"Dead!" Yun Xiao’s reply was curt, and with a sword in hand, he crossed ten yards in a blink, arriving right in front of Lu Qian.

"This explosive power…" With just one glance, Lu Qian realized the terrifying truth. "There was no one behind him at all; this boy was a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

In that critical moment, Lu Qian suddenly raised her compass. The green compass spun, transforming into a wall that blocked Yun Xiao.

"Behind you." In the next instant, a white shadow flashed, and Yun Xiao, along with his sword, emerged from the void.

By the time Lu Qian realized, Yun Xiao’s Heaven Burial Sword Soul was already pressed against her back, the shadow of death looming over her.

A sensation of decaying, corroding pain spread from the spot on her back.

She was weaker than Lu Changfeng; it was natural she couldn’t withstand Yun Xiao’s murderous blow.

"Ah!" Lu Qian’s body stiffened instantly, her face turning deathly pale as cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

"Tomorrow, the gates of Sangju City will display thirteen bodies, and you will be the last," Yun Xiao’s voice rose coldly behind her.

"Lu Yao!" Lu Qian exclaimed in horror. She understood everything now. A seemingly harmless little lamb had bared its devil-like fangs in Splinter Mountain!

Before her terror could subside, Lu Qian's voice trembled, "The mine! I have a mine of True Immortal Jade. It's untouched, but you don't know the location!"

"If I knew where it was, you'd be dead by now," Yun Xiao replied.

"Right, right. I can take you there... and more!" Lu Qian raised her hand, her delicate body quivering, slowly turning around, her red lips trembling as she spoke, "You've killed so many Arbiters, you'll need to clear your name, right? I can help you!"

"You've thought this through, huh?" Yun Xiao lifted his chin slightly, his gaze cold as he watched her.

Lu Qian's eyes widened at the sight of the Heaven Burial Sword Soul’s tip. Barely daring to breathe, she slowly knelt down, tears brimming in her eyes, her voice pitiful, "I, I want to live, I don't want to die, as long as I'm alive, I'll do everything to clear your name."

"Why should I trust you? What if you meet a higher-ranking Arbiter and report me?" Yun Xiao sneered.

"I, I..." In her panic, Lu Qian's mind raced, desperate to offer something that would convince Yun Xiao.

"You don’t need to think anymore, I have a way to trust you," Yun Xiao suddenly said.

"Okay, okay, let's do it your way," Lu Qian agreed quickly without a second word.

"That decisive? Seems you really are afraid of dying," Yun Xiao said.

Lu Qian, tears falling, replied, "Everyone has only one life, who wouldn't cherish it? Even if there is an afterlife, what if I'm reborn in a mortal realm, or worse, as a pig or a bug, a life of suffering."

"Aren’t you going to check? What if I lied and Lu Changfeng and the others aren’t really dead?" Yun Xiao said calmly.

"N-no! I believe you!" Lu Qian, frightened, shook her head. Her intuition told her that those two were indeed gone, dying in despair and disbelief. She refused to follow in their footsteps!

So, she quickly said, "Lu Yao, whatever you want to do, just do it. Don’t be polite with me, just spare my life."

Death wasn't as simple as closing one’s eyes. Everyone’s life was full of long-held wishes, memories, and loved ones. Her unconditional submission to survive showed her intelligence. Some, clearly powerless to negotiate, insisted on it, only to meet a more tragic end.

"Fine." Yun Xiao didn't want to waste time, as the mine was still out of reach. Seeing Lu Qian kneeling, he sat on a green stone and gestured for her to come over.

He had sat down, and Lu Qian, not daring to rise, crawled over to him. Then, with a bite of her red lip and a weak glance at Yun Xiao, she skillfully reached out to undo his armor.

"What are you doing?" Yun Xiao held her hand, his voice cold.

"You said you had a way to make you trust me. I thought that meant offering you my body…" Lu Qian lowered her head and asked.

"You wish." Yun Xiao laughed. What he wanted was true trust! The Prison Warden Sigil on his forehead lit up, then cracked open and birthed a violet eye! With three eyes, he coldly stared at Lu Qian, saying, "I'm going to cleanse your mind. Relax your spirit. If you dare resist even slightly, I'll pop your eyes with one stroke of my sword."

"Yes! Quickly, do it!" Lu Qian trembled in fright, tears welling up in her eyes.

She didn't dare resist; instead, she complied with Yun Xiao, fearful that any dissatisfaction during the spell could lead to her demise.

In the darkness, the controlling soul power of the Soulfire Eye instantly invaded her brain, her will, and even permeated her spirit.

"The Prison Warden Sigil is so subtle and potent that no one else could detect its presence."

Although Lu Qian's spiritual essence was strong, controlling her was not difficult as long as she did not resist. Afterward, a flash of violet light crossed her beautiful eyes, quickly fading away.

"Master." She felt a headache coming on and shook her head, Yun Xiao’s divine features gradually becoming clear in her eyes. After seeing him clearly, she immediately fell to her knees.

"Let’s go," Yun Xiao stood and said.

"Yes." Lu Qian had knelt for too long and staggered as she stood up. She steadied herself and, with an infatuated gaze, quickly followed him.

The soul capturing of the Soulfire Eye was straightforward; it only needed to gain the spiritual dominance over someone, making her utterly devoted to him. Then, all her actions would be aimed at protecting him.

Apart from this, Lu Qian was no different than usual.

In the Celestial Court, Yun Xiao could not freely reveal his murderous intent, so he needed the Soulfire Eye to cover his tracks.

There was another person to

clean up

after.

When Yun Xiao and Lu Qian emerged from the darkness into the valley, Sun Xiaoqi, who had been pacing in place, dared not move and burst into tears.

Seeing Lu Qian, she collapsed, saying, "It’s true, I'm the thirteenth body."

"Don’t panic, I’ve changed my mind. Tonight, only 12 will hang," Yun Xiao said.

It couldn’t be helped, Yun Xiao thought the True Immortal Jade Mine was already in his possession, but it turned out it was still unmined.

Since Lu Qian was sensible enough, he spared her.

"You’re not killing me?" Sun Xiaoqi's face was pale, pointing at the corpses of the Arbiters around her, "B-but aren’t you afraid I'll leak your secret if you don’t silence me?"

Yun Xiao looked at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, "No need to fear."

"Why not?" Sun Xiaoqi asked, bewildered.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Because you are a good person, and we are friends," Yun Xiao paused. "I don't kill good people, nor do I betray friends."

"Friends..." Sun Xiaoqi pouted, a touch of sadness in her voice, "I'm too lazy, I don't understand the ways of the world, I can't speak with convincing words. Can someone like me really have friends?"

"People like you are the best friends." Yun Xiao sighed. "In a world that is restless, materialistic, and cruelly hierarchical, genuine people like you are rare."

"Really? Am I that good?" Sun Xiaoqi could hardly believe her ears.

"Yes," Yun Xiao affirmed earnestly, "The Celestial Court needs people who are true and pure like you. If not killing you is a risk for me, then for the sake of our true friendship, I'm willing to take that risk."

"Lu Yao..." Sun Xiaoqi burst into tears then and there. Her tears flowed freely as she reached up to wipe them away, her lips quivering. "No one has ever said such things to me, I'm so touched."

"So, what will you do now?" Yun Xiao asked.

"I've decided!" Sun Xiaoqi bit her lip. "To repay your trust, I want to devote myself to you!"

"Pfft!" Yun Xiao's vision darkened. "Is that your repayment? That’s more like revenge."

"Hmph." Sun Xiaoqi pouted.

"Enough jokes." Yun Xiao became serious. "I need you to help me clear my name."

Hearing this, Sun Xiaoqi glanced at the bodies of Arbiters scattered around, a shiver running through her. She took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and said to Yun Xiao, "Alright."

"Are you sure? If you ever lie for me, and I get exposed, you will be implicated too," Yun Xiao said sternly.

"I'm sure!" Sun Xiaoqi looked earnestly at Yun Xiao. "I know you could just kill me easily and avoid all risks, but you respect me, and you take risks for the sake of friendship... Although I, Sun Xiaoqi, am useless, I'm also willing to go through fire and water for my friends."

"Good." Yun Xiao smiled in relief.

In the path of Immortals, it was easy for people to lose their original heart and turn cold and calculating.

Along this vast journey, meeting people who brought joy like Cai Maomao, Mu Xiaolong, and others—whose humanity blossomed like flowers on the path of immortality—convinced Yun Xiao that the world wasn't just full of darkness.

When met with people like this, Yun Xiao wouldn't care about losses or gains. If he was truly betrayed, he was prepared to accept it. He didn't want to become a utilitarian killing machine; he still wanted to hold onto the most beautiful hopes in his heart.

So much so that he even refrained from using the Soulfire Eye to control Sun Xiaoqi, for that too would desecrate the word

friend

.

And so, Yun Xiao dealt with Sun Xiaoqi and Lu Qian in a different way.

"Lu Yao..." Sun Xiaoqi scratched her head, asking, "Is she a friend too?"

Yun Xiao shook his head. "No, she's a puppet."

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