This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable

Lu Qingshan was at a loss for words temporarily.

During the collapse of the Mo Family, he couldn't judge who was right or wrong.

Was Xue Zhuyong at fault?

The Mo Family had killed his mother and his wife, the two women he loved most in this life. Was there anything wrong with him seeking revenge for that?

Was Xue Zhuyong not at fault?

That couldn't be said either, since Xue Zhuyong's revenge was undoubtedly too extreme. There were still many innocent people within the Mo Family.

But no matter what, Lu Qingshan had no right to judge the correctness of Xue Zhuyong's actions, because he was well aware of one thing.

Don't preach benevolence to others if you haven't seen their suffering.

You haven't experienced the hardship Xue Zhuyong has endured, so what right do you have to stand as a bystander and pity others?

However, what wrong had Mo Zhizhi done?

Seeing Mo Zhizhi's face full of tears yet still bright as the moon, Lu Qingshan sighed deeply.

If she had married someone else, a woman like Mo Zhizhi should have led a worry-free life.

But even without doing anything wrong, just because she was Mo Guang's daughter, she had to endure such suffering.

The husband she loved most had pushed her father and all her clan members to their deaths. With such a heavy burden to bear, who could understand the pain in Mo Zhizhi's heart?

"Madam Mo..." Zang Xiaojian, who knew all the details of the story, felt deep sympathy for Mo Zhizhi and wanted to step forward to comfort her.

However, before Zang Xiaojian could approach, Mo Zhizhi swept away the tears from her face in an instant. A resolute expression crossed her face as she continued, "Back then, Zhuyong led the Jiao Clan to besiege the island, destroying the Mo Family. He had prepared an escape route for himself long before.

In the days before that, he deceived me, saying he would take me out for a change of scenery, having me leave the Mo Family to wait for him on Jiaolong Island. It was after the destruction of the Mo Family that he rushed to Jiaolong Island to tell me the truth.

He told me he felt everyone in the Mo Family deserved to die, except me, for whom he felt sorry. He apologized to me.

At that time, I hated him for being heartless and cruel and refused to pay him any more attention. Zhuyong left behind a large portion of assets he had brought out from the Mo Family for me, as well as the complete Artifact Refining legacy of the Mo Family, and then he quietly left.

It was also because of the assets he left that I was able to raise Yan'er to become a Cultivator."

"Does the Family Head of the Xue Family know of Mo Yan's existence?" Lu Qingshan grasped the key point.

Mo Zhizhi shook her head with a bitter smile and said, "He doesn't know. At that time, I had just discovered that I was pregnant with Yan'er. I wanted to find a good opportunity to tell Zhuyong, thinking of giving him a surprise. But then, all this happened, so naturally, I couldn't possibly discuss it with him anymore."

Lu Qingshan nodded, roughly understanding the situation now.

Clearly, Mo Yan was the key to persuading Xue Zhuyong to take action.

However, it remains to be seen whether Xue Zhuyong, who once valued loyalty and righteousness twenty years ago, would still be willing to risk his life and make a move for this son he had never known about.

"Madam Mo, we plan to find the Xue Family Head again. Would you like to join us?" Lu Qingshan paused before adding, "If the lady personally spoke out, it would be very difficult for the Family Head to refuse your request, regardless of the circumstances."

Mo Zhizhi's face showed a great struggle, but she finally made up her mind and said, "Alright, I'll go with you."

Moo moo moo moo～

Quite abruptly, the continuous roars of Jiao Beasts, getting closer and louder, gradually reached everyone's ears.

Lu Qingshan's gaze sharpened and, looking up, he saw hundreds of small black shadows in the distance growing continuously larger, their outlines becoming discernible.

"It's the Jiao Clan, the Jiaolong Demon King has brought hundreds of Jiao Clan members with him!" Zang Xiaojian said.

"We need to hurry," Lu Qingshan spoke with a grave tone, "Since the Jiao Clan has arrived, then the final battle between the Dragon Slaying Saber Cultivator and the Jiaolong Demon King is sure to be imminent."

Qin Yitian nodded, "Then let's set out immediately."

Lu Qingshan, leading Mo Zhizhi, quickly made their way back to the woodcarving shop.

...

Moo! Moo! Moo!

The roars of Jiao Beasts, which had been faintly audible just moments ago, were now thundering right at their ears, mingled with the panicked cries of the city's populace.

Hundreds of Jiao Beasts flew over Dragon City, heading toward the Sea God Sect, with the imposing Jiaolong Demon King at the forefront.

The terrifying pressure of a Fourth Grade Demon Beast, the furious Jiaolong Demon King, released without restraint; where he passed, all mortals felt as if a thousand pounds were pressing on them, and in an instant, their legs gave way, making them collapse to the ground.

It wasn't until the Jiaolong Demon King had gone far that these civilians managed to shakily stand up.

They didn't know what had happened, but their survival instincts told them that such a large mobilization of Jiao Beasts meant that something extremely serious must be happening. They all began closing their stalls and rushing home to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

The once bustling Dragon City had turned into a city of death with the arrival of the Jiaolong Demon King.

Lu Qingshan and the group of four had also arrived at the woodcarving shop.

However, just as Mo Zhizhi was about to enter the wood carving shop, her steps suddenly halted.

This was a feeling akin to being homesick or cowardly.

Even though Mo Zhizhi had mentally prepared herself for the encounter with Xue Zhuyong on the way here, when the moment actually arrived, she instinctively felt intimidated.

Knowing that time was pressing, Lu Qingshan didn't urge Mo Zhizhi.

Some psychological barriers can only be overcome by the individual themselves.

After hesitating for a moment, Mo Zhizhi's voice trembled slightly as she said, "Let's go."

Yet her position was subconsciously half a step behind Lu Qingshan.

Lu Qingshan, unconcerned, stepped into the wood carving shop.

This time, as his gaze swept over the wooden carvings on the shelves, he understood that these were not simple carvings, but a miniature of all the experiences in Xue Zhuyong's life.

The carving at the very center of the shelf, the one of a woman with a warm face and a bright smile, was Xue Zhuyong's first wife, Liu Zijun.

To the right of Liu Zijun, the carving of an elderly couple snuggled together must represent the jailer Liu and his wife, whom Xue Zhuyong regarded as his own.

And the carving of a middle-aged woman to the left of Liu Zijun was Xue Zhuyong's mother, who had "committed suicide" to death.

With so many carvings in the entire shop, the ones that were casually for sale were all the rest, except for these four carvings in the most prominent position, as well as the one of Mo Zhizhi in the corner, which though seemingly neglected by Xue Zhuyong, was actually well-cared for and dust-free. These carvings were not for sale.

Because, to Xue Zhuyong, all other life segments were insignificant; only these five people were the most cherished in his life, the memories he couldn't and didn't want to cut away.

Xue Zhuyong, as usual, casually glanced at the customers who entered, and upon seeing Lu Qingshan leading the way, his expression darkened, his impatience prepping to shoo them away.

But then his gaze suddenly froze, and his right hand holding the wine pot trembled slightly.

"Zhizhi, why have you come..." Xue Zhuyong's voice was very hoarse.

The woman standing half a step behind Lu Qingshan was none other than his second Dao companion, Mo Zhizhi.

Mo Zhizhi, who had been timid outside, now that she was facing Xue Zhuyong and didn't want him to see her frailty, actually hardened her stance, pursed her lips, and said firmly, "I've encountered a trouble that I cannot resolve on my own, and I need you... to lend a hand."

"Alright," Xue Zhuyong answered without asking what the trouble was, nor how to help, and readily agreed.

Mo Zhizhi's eyes glistened with tears, and Xue Zhuyong's simple and decisive affirmation shattered her feigned strength, "Years ago, you lured the Jiaolong Demon King to Dragon Spring Island, leading to the downfall of the Mo Family.

Over the years, I have never mentioned the past to our child, but he still ended up facing the Jiaolong Demon King, as if by destiny."

"You've seen the Jiao Clan outside, their imposing force. How could I rest easy letting Yan'er face this situation alone?"

"Our... child?" Xue Zhuyong's voice trembled slightly, disbelieving.

Mo Zhizhi nodded gently, "When the Mo Family was destroyed, I was already pregnant, but before I could tell you, it was..."

Xue Zhuyong was momentarily speechless, silent for a long while, then asked shakily, "What is our son like...?"

"His name is Mo Yan." Pride shone on Mo Zhizhi's face. "He is excellent. Though he is not yet of age, whether it be in cultivation or artifact refining skills, he is outstanding!"

"Good! Good!" Xue Zhuyong struggled to contain his excitement.

"You've seen him before, the young cultivator who came to the wood carving shop the other day to look for us, that was Mo Yan." Zang Xiaojian interjected with a smirk.

Xue Zhuyong was taken aback, recalling the image of that day, hesitantly saying, "That was my son...?"

His eyes gradually brightened, but his expression quickly became serious because he had felt the pressure from the Jiao beast fading, indicating that the Jiao beast was about to leave Jiaolong City.

"What exactly is the situation?" Xue Zhuyong asked, "Tell me about it."

Xue Zhuyong, who could devise a plan over a century to bring down the Mo Family, was naturally a cautious person and immediately inquired about the detailed intelligence.

Lu Qingshan spoke concisely, explaining all the key points to Xue Zhuyong.

"One-on-one, I am no match for the Jiaolong Demon King, but neither can the Jiaolong Demon King kill me," Xue Zhuyong confidently said, "If, as you've said, the Dragon Slaying Saber has been planning this for decades, then with my help, I think we should have at least a fifty percent chance of taking down the Jiaolong Demon King." Stay connected via empire

"Where does the Dragon Slaying Saber plan to slay the dragon?" The usually unkempt and listless Xue Zhuyong now showed his sharp edge, with a burst of cold light in his eyes.

"I'll ask Master Mo now where they plan to slay the dragon!" Seeing that Xue Zhuyong was persuaded, Zang Xiaojian, excited, clenched his fist and quickly took out the Communication Token left by Mo Yan to send a Spirit Message inquiring about the specifics.

But all messages were like stones dropped into the sea without any response.

Zang Xiaojian became somewhat panicked.

"It must be that the area he is currently in has been sealed by a formation, blocking all communication," Lu Qingshan said.

"So what do we do?" The fact that Xue Zhuyong was willing to act clashed with this obstacle, greatly vexing Zang Xiaojian. "We should have asked Master Mo where they intended to act when we parted."

A glint of light crossed Lu Qingshan's eyes as he softly said, "The place for the final battle does not necessarily have to be revealed by Master Mo himself for us to know.

Because... it's not hard to guess."