After the Death Ceremony, I was Entangled by My Two Wives - Chapter 18

“I will save you, whether you believe it or not.”

Ying Buran refused to even look at her.

Seeing Ying Buran’s reaction, Zhao Qingxun understood the full weight of her past actions. She stood outside the prison cell, head bowed, unsure where to place her hands.

She wanted to offer a thousand explanations, but in the end, only one sentence escaped her lips: “I’m so sorry for keeping all this from you.”

“Hmph.” Ying Buran curled her lip, lowering her head to ignore her.

So she really did know everything. A simple bluff had shattered her last shred of hope.

Was Zhao Qingxun too good at acting, or too bad at it?

The woman stood there stiffly, like a wooden statue, silent and unmoving. Yun Xiangwan shook her head at the sight.

This is their affair, not mine to interfere with.

Ying Buran closed her eyes to rest, waiting for Zhao Qingxun to leave. But the woman’s presence lingered. When she glanced up, Zhao Qingxun was still there, looking utterly helpless.

You’d think she was the one who’d been deceived. Ying Buran’s patience began to fray. “If you’re just here to say that, you can leave,” she said coldly. “I need to rest. Or do you think a single apology can fix everything?”

“Do you know? Despair only numbs people, while hope is what truly causes pain.”

If she could, Ying Buran would rather have been killed by the Ghost Soldiers or Heaven’s Wrath. At least her heart wouldn’t ache so terribly.

If her fate was to die, why had hope been given to her in the first place?

“I’m sorry… You can curse me however you want.” Zhao Qingxun looked away, her heart overflowing with guilt. Only now did she realize that her previous attempts at making amends had been nothing more than self-consolation.

She was an accomplice—a shameful accomplice who had cruelly deceived Ying Buran.

“Just get out of my sight. There’s nothing more to say between us.” Ying Buran remained with her eyes closed. At this point, she couldn’t even be bothered to curse Zhao Qingxun.

Curse her for betraying her? Demand why she had lied and betrayed her? Seek an answer to whether she had ever truly loved her?

She wouldn’t do any of that. From the moment she learned the truth, they had become strangers bound by hatred.

She had no interest in exploring Zhao Qingxun’s hidden motives or whether her feelings had ever been genuine. For her, knowing they were enemies was enough.

What good would knowing the truth do? It wouldn’t change anything, and it would only add another layer of bitterness to her heart.

Zhao Qingxun would have preferred Ying Buran to unleash a torrent of angry words. This cold indifference meant she had completely given up.

It was as if there was no connection left between them.

“I didn’t mean to deceive you. I…” Zhao Qingxun stepped forward and gripped the prison bars, speaking urgently, only to be repelled by the defensive spiritual energy.

Ying Buran looked up, her gaze flat and emotionless. “So, what do you want now? Do you expect me to forgive you? Do you think I’m that pathetic?”

Zhao Qingxun’s heart jolted. “Of course not! That’s not what I meant! I just owe you an apology, both morally and logically. I hid so much from you—it was my fault.”

“I don’t need your apology. Is there any truth in your words? That day under the fireworks, you promised to stay by my side. I never imagined this was how you’d keep your promise. Ha!”

Ying Buran stared into her eyes, each word deliberate. “Zhao Qingxun, has a single truthful word ever passed your lips?”

In that moment, Zhao Qingxun lost all ability to defend herself. She didn’t know what to say, or if she even had the right to say anything at all.

She had been lying all along—to Ying Buran, and to herself.

Another long silence fell. The earlier outburst had left Ying Buran feeling even more drained than before. She issued another dismissal: “You can leave now. I need to rest.”

“I will save you, whether you believe me or not,” Zhao Qingxun said through gritted teeth, finally making a decision. She raised her head and spoke with unwavering resolve.

Ying Buran arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Whatever. Do as you please.”

“Cheng Banxia… does she know?” Just when Zhao Qingxun thought she would fall silent again, Ying Buran suddenly asked.

Zhao Qingxun paused, then shook her head. “She doesn’t know. That’s why she was sent away.” Remembering her current reputation, she added, “I swear to the Heavenly Dao, she’s completely unaware. Very few people know about your true identity.”

Ying Buran let out a cold laugh. “So that explains why it was a classified mission. One last question: Did you know about the attack on the village all those years ago?”

Even as the words left her lips, she wanted to laugh. Why was she asking this now? Perhaps she still clung to a sliver of hope. If Zhao Qingxun had truly been involved, what would she do then?

Zhao Qingxun froze at the mention of the village, momentarily stunned. “What village? The one near where we first met? I would never conspire with the Ghost Clan.”

Ying Buran stared at Zhao Qingxun, the fleeting surprise on her face seeming genuine. Having spent so much time together, Ying Buran could easily discern the nuances of Zhao Qingxun’s expressions.

After a long moment, Ying Buran shook her head and said indifferently, “It’s nothing. You can leave now. Goodbye.”

Zhao Qingxun nodded, cast one last glance at her, clenched her fists, and turned to leave. As she passed Yun Xiangwan, she seemed to catch a hint of amusement and scrutiny in the woman’s eyes.

Perhaps she’s a turning point.

Only after Zhao Qingxun had left did Yun Xiangwan turn toward Ying Buran and ask, “Hey, kid, want to learn the lost parts of the Senluo Art?”

Startled by Yun Xiangwan’s words, Ying Buran instinctively looked up, only to see the tightly shut prison door.

“My foundation has been destroyed. I can’t even circulate spiritual energy anymore,” Ying Buran said, attempting to mobilize her spiritual energy. Not a trace of it stirred; the mere attempt sent a searing pain through her soul.

Yun Xiangwan chuckled softly. “How convenient. This part doesn’t require spiritual energy. It’s based on your life force. Besides, we’re stuck here with nothing else to do. We have plenty of time.”

After a moment’s thought, Ying Buran nodded in agreement. “Alright.”

Perhaps this could be a way to save myself?

Zhao Qingxun emerged from the dungeon and headed straight for her residence. As she passed disciples who were unaware of what had transpired, she merely nodded in greeting.

The disciples didn’t sense anything amiss or feel slighted; this had always been her customary way of acknowledging them.

Upon entering her residence, Zhao Qingxun immediately noticed a figure in the room that had been empty for days: Luo Wangqing.

“Master,” Zhao Qingxun said, bowing respectfully while concealing her emotions behind an impassive expression.

Luo Wangqing nodded. Seeing no visible emotional disturbance in Zhao Qingxun’s demeanor, she relaxed and casually asked, “Did you go see her?”

Zhao Qingxun didn’t deny it, though she had deliberately evaded Luo Wangqing’s surveillance. Completely avoiding her notice, however, was impossible. “Yes, Master.”

“Don’t visit her again. You are not of the same path. Remember your Dao Path,” Luo Wangqing said coldly, all the while subtly observing Zhao Qingxun.

Zhao Qingxun paused, as if wrestling with inner conflict, before finally nodding in agreement. “…This disciple understands.”

Luo Wangqing was completely reassured. She patted Zhao Qingxun’s shoulder and left. Zhao Qingxun remained motionless in her original posture until she was certain Luo Wangqing had departed.

She wondered if it was her imagination, but for a fleeting moment, she had felt an unusual surge within her, as if something had suppressed her emotions.

I should sneak into the Myriad Phenomena Sect when I get the chance, she thought. But the Heavenly Sacrifice Ritual is the priority.

She had promised to save A’Ran—no, that wasn’t right. If she rescued A’Ran, who would lead Heaven’s Wrath?

No, that’s wrong. Zhao Qingxun rubbed her temples. I promised Ying Buran, and I will keep my word.

There were two potential breakthroughs: the Chasing Wind City prisoner in the dungeon and the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Evolution Sect. As for the third…

The Ghost King.

Zhao Qingxun murmured, “This is getting a bit insane.” She rubbed her temples. Even if I could find the Ghost King, how could a Ghost Clan member ever truly coexist peacefully with humans?

With a rough plan in mind, Zhao Qingxun turned her attention to other matters.

Like the village Ying Buran had mentioned earlier.

Judging by Ying Buran’s demeanor, it couldn’t have been a village near where the Ghost Clan first appeared. Since she hadn’t mentioned any other villages, that left only one possibility:

The secluded village where Ying Buran had lived for six years, which Zhao Qingxun had read about in the records.

“A’Ran, do you mean the people who attacked the village were from the Profound Gate? Why?” Zhao Qingxun pulled out the records again. Rereading Luo Wangqing’s earlier statements, she found them increasingly untenable.

What exactly had her Master done? Beyond what was about to happen, how much innocent bl00d stained her hands?

Was this truly the right thing to do? Was it really for the greater good? Could the greater good justify killing innocent people?

What kind of greater good was this?

Zhao Qingxun retrieved her Heavenly Spirit Mirror. The latest message was from Qi Yiwen, containing only three words: “You will regret this.”

Her finger hovered over the message, but she ultimately didn’t press it. Instead, she tapped on another name.

A week later, on the day of the Heavenly Sacrifice Ritual, Luo Wangqing led two guards to the deepest part of the dungeon. She gazed at Ying Buran, who was barely clinging to life, and nodded to the dark guard beside her. “Today is the final day. Let’s go.”

Ying Buran raised an eyebrow and was immediately lifted and carried away. As they passed Yun Xiangwan’s cell, she glanced inside—it was empty.

Senior Yun is gone. Am I safe now? Was she rescued, or executed?

She had been unconscious for a while due to her cultivation, so she genuinely didn’t know.

Before she could figure out the answer, Luo Wangqing used her spiritual energy to teleport them to the altar. Ying Buran was bound to the center of the altar and forced to kneel.

Luo Wangqing donned a mask, raised her arms, and proclaimed, “We come from different sects, but we gather here united by a common purpose…”

As Ying Buran listened to Luo Wangqing’s mystical chanting, she scanned the crowd below. Everyone wore masks, and except for a few, they all cheered along with Luo Wangqing.

“…This world has long suffered under Heaven’s Wrath. Heaven is angered by our Human Race’s defiance of its ordained path through cultivation, but we have a way to resist.” Luo Wangqing pointed her sword at Ying Buran’s throat, then used the blade to lift her chin. “Here, I offer Heaven’s Mandate as a sacrifice to Heaven, in exchange for peace in this world.”

“Let the Heavenly Sacrifice Ritual begin!”