《Estranged》


 Prologue

    The Sacred Mountain Wan.


    The wind carried sand and drove stones, blotting out the sky and covering the sun.


    A tremendous cyclone was spreading from an abyss so deep one couldn¡¯t see its bottom. It was like the large bloody mouth of a beast, ready to devour all living things.


    Everyone had to use spiritual power or divine weapons to steady themselves. Those with weaker cultivation were immediately blown away by howling winds, leaving no trace. The survivors did their best to see the scene in the chaos.


    The sandstorm covered the sky and the earth with dust, and a black mist was rising from the bottom of the abyss like a fountain.


    But that fierce black mist, like a beast locked in a cage, could only hit against the bars.


    A number of dots and lines formed glowing red circles around the black mist, making it impossible to step over those boundaries.


    The red light was weaker than the mist. One moment it was bright, but another moment it seemed dimmer.


    However, it never went out completely.


    Six people split up the scarlet circle into six sections.


    Some of these people made seals with both hands, others used weapons to support the seal. The formation was engulfed in white light and was locked in a stalemate with the black mist.


    These six people were all the top masters of the world, the best of the best. Ordinary people could only admire them but could never match their power.


    All of the masters were talented enough to ascend and become immortal.


    But at that moment, some of them were frowning and some had sweat on their foreheads.


    The light hanging in the air in front of them was flickering and flashing.


    Several people outside of the circle that were helping to maintain the formation were nervous as well.


    ¡°This Liuhe Zhutian Formation can¡¯t have any problems, right? How come the light in the southeast corner is a bit weak?¡±


    Liuhe Zhutian: ¡°six compatible ones that brighten the sky¡±.


    ¡°It is probably fine. That is Ren Haishan, the Head of the Kunlun Jian Sect. If he is unable to resist it further, we all are of no use!¡±


    ¡°I hope they will seal the abyss completely, otherwise I am afraid to even imagine the consequences¡­¡±


    It was a battle for the entire world.


    If the barrier around the abyss was shattered, all the demons would  break the seal and come out. The human world would no longer be peaceful.


    Only this formation could prevent this from happening, and no one was allowed to make a mistake.


    Boom!


    Rumble!


    The ground trembled; cliffs toppled.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Master Ren! On Ren Haishan¡¯s side!¡±


    Those who were struggling to support the barrier saw Ren Haishan¡¯s body suddenly burst into flames and then quickly darken.


    In the next moment, he was swallowed by the black mist too quickly for anyone to react.


    The Liuhe Zhutian Formation had lost a corner and was on the verge of collapsing.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad! Master Dugu can¡¯t support that side either!¡±


    ¡°Sect Master Qi Zhenren¡¯s formation has collapsed!¡±


    The six lights went out one by one.


    The red light was also getting weaker.


    Finally, there was only one light left, its flames strong and vigorous!


    The red light suddenly brightened.


    ¡°That is Lord Jiufang¡¯s light!¡±


    ¡°Can he support it?!¡±


    ¡°Quick, let¡¯s go there and help!¡±


    ¡°Secure six positions!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late¡­ Ah!!!¡±


    In an instant the shouts were dispersed by strong gusts of wind!


    The black mist suddenly exploded and filled the surroundings, as if countless tentacles quickly spread on the ground. Restraints were lifted, and frightening demons rushed out in disorder.


    The sun and the moon became dimmer, and the world lost its colors.


    In the black mist, one person still stood, and his light trembled, being the only hope of countless people.


    Only one person held the array, using all of his will to withstand the pain and pressure.


    It was the longest quarter of an hour in the world.


    No one knows how much pressure the man had to endure, who alone supported the barrier meant for six guardians to hold.


    No one knows whether he was still sane at that moment.


    Jiufang, who was considered to be the strongest cultivator of all, always behaved in bizarre ways. Confucians, Buddhists, Daoists and even demonic sects denounced and criticized him. Many crises and disputes in the world had something to do with him.


    But at that moment, no one wanted him dead, they even wished him well.


    In the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, only this one was left¡ª


    That light suddenly went out!


    The darkness blotted out the sky and covered the earth, swallowing everything.


    The world was plunged into silence.


    Piles of bodies and skeletons disappeared in a flash.


    At the battle of the Sacred Mountain Wan, cultivators suffered a disastrous defeat.


    The gates of the abyss have been wide open since then. All the demons flew out and spread across the world. The Sacred Mountain Wan became a passage between two realms.


    People call this place the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Fifty years later.


    Zhang Mu.


    His name and aptitude were just as unremarkable as his sect.


    He entered a Daoist sect at the age of ten, and it has been more than twenty years since then. To put it nicely, he always followed the prescribed order and had his feet firmly planted on the ground. Said downright ugly¡ª


    he accomplished next to nothing.


    His sect¡¯s disciples cultivated Dao and used long spears and double-edged swords as weapons. Zhang Mu chose long spears when he started, but his skills would not evolve past the fifth level, while other disciples with powerful innate talent in his sect had already broken through the eighth level and could sweep away all obstacles with spears and qi.


    Zhang Mu knew his weak points, but he was unable to change anything.


    Talent is innate, and that is the greatest despair.


    If he was satisfied with things as they were,  he would have got married and had a son in two or three years, bought a few mu of farmland close to the sect and passed it through the generations. If his children turned out to be gifted, he would have used the benefits of a favorable position and sent them to the sect, so that they would formally become disciples.


    Mu: 1/15 of a hectare


    But deep in his heart Zhang Mu knew this wasn¡¯t enough for him.


    If one was gifted, how would he willingly live like everyone else, burying this talent?


    While he was thinking about it, hesitant, two or three years passed.


    When his dashixiong broke through the ninth level, Zhang Mu finally decided to go for it.


    Dashixiong: eldest martial brother.


    He bid farewell to his teacher, saying that he wanted to gain experience, left his sect and went to the Yellow Springs.


    Yellow Springs: one of the three realms in the xianxia genre, the land of the dead.


    The world of life and the world of death are boundless, and Yin capital ferries the souls of the deceased.


    The Yellow Springs are not the final destination of dead souls, but being there is even more dreadful than being dead.


    Legend has it that yin and yang are in chaos there, souls of the deceased are aplenty, and the day cannot be told from the night. People who enter this place by mistake face only two options.


    They either come and never return, or break through their heart obstructions right on the verge of death and scale new heights.


    However, the latter are only a few, and there have not been many in the past hundreds of years, while the former appear one after another.


    Some cultivators and ordinary people entered the place by mistake; others, like Zhang Mu, cut off their means of retreat.


    Most of them never left the Yellow Springs.


    The Ash River flows on the far southwest of the Human realm.


    Ashes float on the surface of the river, and no one knows what drifts underwater. The mist does not disperse throughout the year. As a person goes upstream along the river, the fog gets more and more dense, disorienting travellers until they are lost forever.


    According to rumors, the source of this river is located in the Yellow Springs.


    Zhang Mu was determined to face death and survive. He walked along the river and entered the world of the mist.


    Strange dense fog was like a barrier that isolated sunshine and all living things.


    When he ran into the first danger, he regretted his decision.


    Fortunately, his survival instinct helped him break through the sixth level of his skill at a crucial point, and he managed to save his life.


    If one can¡¯t get out, they can only continue to walk ahead.


    He himself didn¡¯t know how long he wandered around in the world of primal chaos. From the beginning, he was careful and mindful of the route and threats, which helped him escape mortal dangers. He could only rely on his strong will to survive.


    Zhang Mu and his companions were hiding behind a boulder, seeking a short break.


    He met his companions in the Yellow Springs. They came from different small sects and were experienced as well.


    Some people died midway, some new members joined. Now there were about seven or eight of them.


    Half an hour ago, countless demons and vicious spirits started chasing them. Perhaps those creatures coveted human bodies and wanted to seize the opportunity to take control of them. Or maybe they had not tasted the sweetness of human flesh for a long time, and now wanted to eat fine food till they were full. Zhang Mu and the others worked tirelessly, but only managed to drive them away a little bit.


    ¡°What should we do? Those things will catch up to us again soon! I don¡¯t want to die here!¡±


    Whispered in Zhang Mu¡¯s ear a female disciple, sobbing.


    None of them were highly gifted, and they didn¡¯t draw the attention of the elders in their sects. They could only accept this fate, but they still wanted to survive.


    The female disciple didn¡¯t lack good looks, and her admirers from the group immediately tried to console her.


    Others were discussing countermeasures in whispers.


    Only one person in the group was always silent.


    Zhang Mu couldn¡¯t help but look at that person a few more times.


    That person was riddled with wounds, hair disheveled, clothes shabby; his face was barely recognizable and his age was unclear.


    The travellers avoided him, so Zhang Mu was sitting closer to him than the others.


    Zhang Mu didn¡¯t even know his name. He only knew that once they lost their way in a forest of illusions and their group was almost wiped out, it was this person who got them out of danger.


    However, this person was only clear-headed from time to time, and not sober most of the time. He didn¡¯t know his name or origin, and had no idea of what was going on. Apart from his knowledge of the place, it could be said he had no skills at all.


    Time passed. No one else wanted to associate with him, and they called him mute behind his back.


    Only Zhang Mu helped him heal his wounds, and sometimes would say a word or two.


    ¡°Daoyou, do you know whether there is another escape route?¡± Zhang Mu asked.


    Daoyou: daoist friend, fellow daoist; fig. friends sharing the same hobby.


    He was so messy and dirty that Zhang Mu couldn¡¯t even tell whether the person was a man or a woman, so he called him ¡°daoyou¡±.


    The mute held a graver and a chunk of wood in his hands. He lowered his head and concentrated. He didn¡¯t even hear Zhang Mu.


    Zhang Mu waited for a second, didn¡¯t get a response, and helplessly averted his gaze, trying to think of another plan.


    Escape: they won¡¯t be able to escape, their group has long since exhausted themselves.


    Fight: very likely, they will get rid of a fierce tiger only to attract new predators. In the end, everyone will become a meal for the evil spirits.


    Hide: only the winds surround the place, there is no place to hide, where to go?


    The vast barren desert in the Yellow Springs seems to be no different from deserts in the human realm, but, in fact, the cold yin wind, that is blowing through caves, is like a sharp blade for lingchi. The wailings of ghosts and howling of beasts are a hundred times more terrifying than the ones in the Human realm. Even his companions, who have seen a lot, were gritting their teeth, trying to resist the fear.


    Lingchi: the death of a thousand cuts, ancient Chinese death penalty.


    The ice-cold wind brought wailings of evil spirits.


    They were gradually getting closer, quietly following the smell of humans.


    ¡°Maybe he is attracting these evil spirits?¡±


    Said someone suddenly.


    Zhang Mu raised his head and couldn¡¯t help being stunned: everyone was looking at the person next to him.


    ¡°I am just saying, but we have been wandering through the Yellow Springs for so long, and have never seen such ferocious spirits and demons. And only after we took him did these strange things begin to happen!¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, these creatures may not be hunting us! Maybe if he leaves, we will be safer!¡±


    Everyone spoke their mind, and so the destiny of the mute was arranged.


    The reason they didn¡¯t draw the final conclusion was that they were waiting for Zhang Mu¡¯s decision, because he had the highest cultivation level among them.


    Without Zhang Mu¡¯s command, they still had a trace of doubt.


    As though the mute didn¡¯t hear them, he lowered his head to look at his small wooden board, and scratched it with his knife.


    The carving resembled a bird.


    A thought crossed Zhang Mu¡¯s mind, but he didn¡¯t stop to think about it.


    These people were strangers coming together by chance. Although the mute saved their lives, they repaid his kindness by bringing him together with themselves for this long.


    Besides, acquaintances in the Yellow Springs were fleeting, and they have long gotten used to separations in their journeys.


    Throwing the mute out as bait may allow them to get away unscratched.


    Even if they won¡¯t, they can buy more time to run away.


    Anyway, they are neither relatives nor friends, so they won¡¯t lose anything.


    But¡ª


    After all, it is a human life.


    The howls, brought by the wind, were getting more and more hideous. Everyone had gone through horrifying fights with evil spirits, and their faces revealed fear.


    They had to retreat step by step.


    Zhang Mu swallowed unwillingly.


    His palms began to sweat, and the place where he held his long spear became slippery.


    Zhang Mu looked at the mute.


    ¡°Daoyou, you¡ª¡±


    The mute suddenly raised his head.


    ¡°I want to go with you.¡±


    He actually spoke.


    Zhang Mu wanted to say something, but hesitated. They had no time to speak. He gathered everyone and left, covering the retreat.


    The danger came quickly and violently!


    Stinking of raw meat qi swept in with whistling ice-cold wind. The vicious spirits and demons rushed in with gray fog and yellow sand, baring fangs and brandishing claws. The first rays of the morning sun flickered in the sky, revealing their sinister figures; at first, they were only faintly visible, but then became clearer and seemed even more dreadful.


    As luck would have it, their group could not see clearly through the dim light and dense ghostly fog, and they could only run in the opposite direction of the qi.


    Suddenly, a whirlwind gathered in the mist, and fingers stretched out from it like withered claws, grabbing Zhang Mu by his collar from behind.


    Zhang Mu felt it, suddenly turned around, and attacked with his spear.


    The long spear rotated and advanced forward. Suddenly, a blue light flashed, condensed into a lump, and bloomed in the air.


    The blue lotus was tender and beautiful; it bewitched humans¡¯ hearts. But, if you lose yourself admiring its beauty, you will be unknowingly strangled by it!


    This was the seventh level of Zhang Mu¡¯s newly comprehended skill.


    He has defeated many powerful enemies in the Yellow Springs with this skill.


    But he seemed to have forgotten that his enemy was not a living creature, so a beautiful scenery is not enough to distract it.


    The barrier formed by the blue lotus was easily broken, and the ferocious demons swooped in. Their bloody mouths were wide open, and a stench filled the whole place.


    Zhang Mu had seen his companion being swallowed by such a ghost with his own eyes. After the black qi had engulfed him, there was no skin and flesh left, only a pile of broken bones in disorder. That made his blood freeze.


    And at this moment, he was also about to become one of these countless skeletons in the Yellow Springs. Probably even a few years later his soul won¡¯t disperse, unable to ascend to the Heavens or enter the Earth. It will have to stay in the Yellow Springs day after day, becoming a vicious spirit or a demon that devours travelers.


    No!


    He didn¡¯t want to die!


    It was so difficult for him to come here! He will be rewarded for all these trials and tribulations, and eventually escape his fate and stand out among his peers!


    He can¡¯t fall here, fail to succeed for lack of a final effort!


    Zhang Mu unconsciously opened his eyes, and his body moved by instinct.


    At that moment, all his hesitation turned into a selfish desire to survive.


    He tightly grabbed the mute by his wrist, immediately turned him around with force, jumped back, using his energy to fly, and let himself fall a few zhangs away.


    Zhang: 3.3 m.


    Don¡¯t blame me, I also want to survive!


    That feeling of guilt disappeared in a flash. Zhang Mu gritted his teeth and prepared to retreat.


    According to his experience, when these evil spirits devour flesh, they temporarily indulge in the delicious meal and have no time to care about other things. His group can take advantage of this to escape.


    However, not long after everyone rushed out, they heard a loud noise behind them. When they turned their heads, they saw flames soaring into the sky; that fire dispersed the dense fog.


    In the middle of the flames, a few black humanoid figures rolled and wailed, but Zhang Mu knew that they were definitely not the mute!


    Those twisted, weird and tall black mists of human appearance were all evil spirits and demons that had been chasing after them.


    And now all these ghosts, demons and evil creatures have been burned to ashes by fire?!


    No, this was no ordinary fire!


    Zhang Mu and the others behind him were all stunned. They watched the burning golden phoenix rise into the air puffing up its chest, and raising its head high up. It bowled its head and spat fire, drowning all the ghosts in a sea of flames. It was so bright that everyone¡¯s eyes stung at the same moment. Suddenly, bright rays of light flashed, and blazing flames engulfed the sky. Spreading rapidly, not only did they rush to Zhang Mu, but they also caught up to everyone behind him.


    Some people who were sharp-sighted and deft wanted to defend themselves with swords, but as soon as someone raised his sword, it was burned to ashes. The strange thing was that although they were inside a raging inferno, they felt no pain. But it was difficult to control limbs, their minds gradually blurred, and finally they sank into deep darkness.


    Before Zhang Mu lost his consciousness, he faintly saw a person walking towards them slowly from the flames.


    The phoenix landed, and its wings were shining with brilliant lights and vibrant colors, so dazzling they were difficult to describe.


    This sight was burning inside everyone¡¯s souls.


    He Xiyun was unconscious for a long time, and even thought she had died until she woke up. But she still remembered very well the figure that slowly walked out of the fire. That person was like a returning king or descending god.


    Wherever the raging flames went, all demons and monsters would be destroyed, not leaving even a single piece behind.


    Am I still alive?


    He Xiyun grabbed the ice-cold yellow sand with her hand, let it slip away from her fingers, looked up at the sky and stars, and finally landed her gaze on the stranger sitting not far away. He was obviously bothered by something.


    She recalled the last moment before she lost consciousness. She and her companions couldn¡¯t run away, groups of evil spirits and demons attacked them, Zhang Mu brought up the rear, and then¡ª


    She lost consciousness.


    There was nothing weird in the place she was now, it was not like the Yellow Springs. It seemed to be somewhere in the Human realm.


    The sky had pity on her. For how long has she not breathed the air of this world?


    ¡°Excuse me, daoyou, may I know your name? Where are we?¡±


    Under the starlight, she looked at him carefully, and felt that even though he was a stranger, he seemed somehow familiar.


    ¡°My name is Changming,¡± said the man slowly, as if he hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time. ¡°As for where we are, I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    He Xiyun immediately remembered this familiar voice and manner of speaking.


    ¡°Are you that mute?!¡±


    She accidentally said that nickname aloud.


    It turned out that the mute¡¯s name was Changming.


    Changming said that those evil spirits are both the end and the beginning.


    If they had been swallowed by evil spirits, their remnants would have been scattered, and their souls would have lingered in the Yellow Springs. That was what awaited them.


    But they were saved.


    Those evil spirits were burned to ashes.  Together with the raging flames, they broke through the barrier surrounding the Yellow Springs. That made it possible for them to survive.


    They narrowly escaped by managing to catch this opportunity.


    He Xiyun and Changming fled and ended up on the edge of a desert in the Human realm.


    And for the other companions, perhaps they escaped by chance and were scattered all over the place like them, or may have missed the moment when the barrier was lifted, and were still staying in that barren world, looking for the next opportunity.


    He Xiyun blankly listened to him.


    ¡°It seemed like a phoenix rescued us¡­¡±


    Changming took out a charred chunk of wood, and she could vaguely recognise its original appearance.


    He Xiyun was shocked: ¡°Daoyou actually knows the technique of object divinization?!¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t answer, and put aside the charred carving of a phoenix.


    Only then did He Xiyun gather her thoughts and cautiously look at him up and down.


    He had changed into plain white clothes, and his hair was brushed back.


    He had washed his face clean, and his appearance was no longer bad; he was unexpectedly graceful and handsome. Only, the wrinkles between his eyebrows were too deep, as if some former matters pressured his heart; that made He Xiyun¡¯s heart feel heavy too.


    But his eyes were completely different from these slanted brows.


    Wide and clear, bright and bottomless, as though they could contain the whole world.


    He Xiyun looked at him once, but couldn¡¯t help it and took another look.


    ¡°Daoxiong Changming¡¯s name comes from ¡®always harbor justice¡¯?¡±


    Daoxiong: elder brother-daoist.


    Always harbor justice: ¡®³£»³¹âÃ÷¡¯, the first character together with the last one form ¡®³£Ã÷¡¯, which is also pronounced ¡®Changming¡¯, but has a slightly different meaning (his name is actually ¡®³¤Ã÷¡¯, though both essentially mean ¡®bright for eternity¡¯).


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®changming¡¯ from ¡®long nights under a splendid moon¡¯.¡±


    Long nights under a splendid moon: ³¤Ò¹»ÔÃ÷, a better translation is ¡®bright lights of long nights¡¯, but there is an idiom ¡®³¤Ò¹ÄÑÃ÷¡¯, ¡®many nights under a harsh moon¡¯, meaning ¡®long years of oppression¡¯, hence we got ¡®moon¡¯. Again, the first and the last characters form his name.


    ¡°If there is no light from the stars and moon during a long night, how can it be ¡®always bright¡¯?¡±


    Always bright: lit. how can it be Changming?


    ¡°It is always bright in hearts.¡±


    One question, one answer, comprising much matter in a few words.


    He Xiyun seemed to have understood something, but this feeling was fleeting, and she couldn¡¯t catch that thought.


    But, on the contrary, Changming slowly regained his ability to speak and began asking questions.


    He Xiyun discovered that he seemed to have spent so much time in the Yellow Springs that he had lost the trail of changes in the mortal world.


    She recalled how she had thrown Changming out in order to save her life, and couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous.


    ¡°Sorry, back then we¡­¡±


    He Xiyun couldn¡¯t get a single excuse out of her mouth. Her cheeks were burning from panic.


    After pondering about this painful experience, she got up and three times kowtowed to him.


    ¡°Daoyou saved me twice, and I honestly feel ashamed for biting the hand that feeds me!¡±


    Changming glanced at her indifferently and asked a totally unrelated question.


    ¡°Nowadays, is the ruling dynasty in the human world still Hong?¡±


    ¡°Hong?¡±


    He Xiyun froze for a second, ¡°Does daoyou mean the Xinghong dynasty? That changed decades ago. Nowadays the whole world is divided into three states: country You, country Luo and Zhaoyue dynasty. Each state holds a territory, balancing each other. In the past few decades, demons have run amok, and the human world is not peaceful and secure. Naturally, the great waves are continuously arising, and people¡¯s minds are in turmoil.¡±


    Changming frowned slightly: ¡°What about the major sects?¡±


    He Xiyun: ¡°Large and small sects stand in great numbers. Sects like the Celestial Abode Shenxiao and the Wanjian Immortal Sect have stood for hundreds of years, daoyou must have heard of them; but some of the sects have recently changed their masters.¡±


    Changming gave a sound of agreement.


    He Xiyun: ¡°There are also some sects that have emerged recently, such as the Penglai Island, the Liuyi Sect, the Qingyun School, and the Jianxue Clan. They can probably be regarded as the most influential sects; their masters are powerful. Especially the Jianxue Clan, its master is very moody. When he is unhappy with a person, he simply kills him. But his cultivation level is so high that no one can stop him.¡±


    Changming tilted his head, and his face betrayed his doubts.


    ¡°A lot of new masters have appeared recently?¡±


    He Xiyun thought for a while and said: ¡°In the past twenty years, there have indeed been quite a few. Such are the head of the Jianxue Clan, Zhou Keyi, Immortal Master Buku from the Qingyun School, Yi Yezhou from the Penglai Island, Jun Zilan from the Twenty four Mountain Slopes, and the Master of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, Yun Weisi. All of them are outstanding and well-known masters of high level¡­ daoyou Changming, why is your expression so weird?¡±


    ¡°These people you are talking about¡ª¡±


    Several of them seemed to be his disciples.


    His rebellious disciples that fell out with him and left him.

 CH 1

    He used to have four disciples.


    All four of them were talented and had their own strengths.


    Whatever happened, he was sure they would become masters of great learning and integrity. Given a chance, they might have been able to break through their limitations and ascend.


    Now it seems that they didn¡¯t join the sea of sameness, proving that he wasn¡¯t mistaken back then.


    Unfortunately¡ª


    When he thought of the past, Changming heard a sound of buzzing in his ears, as if hundreds of mosquitoes were pouring into his skull, causing confusion and turmoil, disturbing and speeding up the flow of blood and qi in his head.


    At the same time, all blood in his body rushed from his limbs, fingertips and soles of his foot to his heart, increasing his heart rate and almost making him vomit blood.


    ¡°Daoyou? Brother Changming?¡±


    Seeing that his expression was not right, He Xiyun stopped talking and stepped forward to take a look.


    He frowned. His face was cold and white, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead, as if he was enduring great pain.


    He Xiyun subconsciously grasped Changming¡¯s wrist, trying to regulate his internal breath. But when she transferred her spiritual energy to him, she was startled.


    As if there was a whirlpool inside Changming¡¯s body, her spiritual power, like mud and rocks sinking into a sea, disappeared without a trace.


    He Xiyun subconsciously wanted to withdraw her energy, but realised that although he had no spiritual power at all, there was a force that inexplicably attracted her spiritual power, making her unable to retreat at will.


    Changming suddenly grabbed He Xiyun with his other hand and pushed her away.


    She fell on the ground.


    ¡°There is no need to waste your spiritual powers¡­¡± said Changming hoarsely. His voice was trembling, as if his sufferings were not alleviated at the slightest.


    He Xiyun gasped for breath, not yet recovered from the shock. She didn¡¯t know how to help the other party, and was feeling a bit lost.


    ¡°It will get better later.¡± Changming propped his head, slowly uttering every word.


    He Xiyun nodded, not daring to speak. She even forgot to get up and just continued to sit on the ground.


    After some time, he seemed to be feeling better, so He Xiyun asked a question.


    ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    Changming hummed: ¡°Old wounds that haven¡¯t healed until now, it happens from time to time, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    He Xiyun cautiously said, ¡°Did you also enter the Yellow Springs to gain experience?¡±


    Changming frowned, and it took awhile for him to answer: ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    He Xiyun thought that he was either reluctant to answer, or it was a sore subject for him. But the pondering and bewildered expression on Changming¡¯s face did not seem to be fake.


    ¡°I only remember that before I entered the Yellow Springs, the emperor of the Hong dynasty was Hong Can, who had ruled over the empire for twenty years.¡±


    He Xiyun was surprised: ¡°That was the second to last emperor of the Xinghong dynasty. He died in the twenty-fifth year of his reign. The last emperor was overthrown after three years of reign. Then the country was fragmented by rivaling feudal lords, and small states emerged in large numbers, and little by little lands were divided into more than three factions. That said, you, daoyou, have been in the Yellow Springs for at least fifty years!¡±


    The more she spoke, the more surprised she became.


    ¡°As far as I know, the monsters in the Yellow Springs are rampant, and the evil spirits are causing trouble. No one can live there for more than ten years. We went in knowing we would most certainly die, and you could stay there for fifty years?! You, who on earth are you? I just checked, and your spiritual power is gone, don¡¯t tell me you only rely on the art of conferring spirit?¡±


    He Xiyun was a bit stunned.


    Because there are fatal dangers everywhere in the Yellow Springs, the shixiong who went in with her, although he had a higher cultivation level, lost his life nevertheless, not even leaving behind bones. He Xiyun managed to survive until that moment not only because of her sharp mind, delicate character and vigilance: she also was quite lucky.


    After being stunned for a moment, she quickly calmed down.


    Many cultivators have unspeakable secrets. Knowing too much is not a good thing.


    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t ask so many questions.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that Changming didn¡¯t want to answer, he just really didn¡¯t remember.


    His memory was confused, and even though he still had the overall picture, most of the details were chaotic, like a torn map. Some parts of it were in the right places, and some parts were fused together ¨C how could he connect all these pieces to complete the whole picture?


    Under a flickering candlelight, fragments lost in nooks can occasionally be found.


    If he picked up those fragments, the map, slowly, little by little, would return to its original form.


    But it was unknown how long it would take.


    Changming remembered that he was wandering through the Yellow Springs to kill someone.


    But why kill and whether this person was dead now, he couldn¡¯t remember.


    He also remembered that he had a sword named Sifei.


    Sifei: four ¡®no¡¯s.


    No to Daoism, no to Buddhism, no to Demonic ways, no to Confucianism.


    The sword had the essence of the first snow of the top of Kunlun Mountain, was forged with black crystals of the shores of the Donghai Sea, from places poles apart. It exhausted his life force, and gained consciousness. It could fuse the stars with the moon, break through brambles and thorns, and cut a way through the mountains and seas, helping him reach a high level of swordsmanship and become one of the mightiest cultivators in his generation.


    But that sword¡­


    Where was it now?


    But he couldn¡¯t think about it for too long.


    When he started thinking about it, his head hurt even more.


    His temples throbbed with pain suddenly, as if there were rusty chains completely shackling his ability to reason.


    ¡°I want to retrieve my sword.¡± He said.


    Retrieving the Sifei Sword could possibly help him recover his memories.


    There was even a chance it could aid him in rebuilding his cultivation, though he was not sure.


    ¡°Sword?¡± He Xiyun asked, ¡°Which sword? I have seen a lot of swords, maybe I can help.¡±


    Changming: ¡°The blade is black, thin and smooth. At first glance, it looks simple and unadorned, but if you find a suitable person to infuse it with spiritual powers, the golden lines on the blade will become visible.¡±


    He Xiyun was frustrated: ¡°Sorry, I have never heard of it.¡±


    Changming had no hope since the beginning, so he just shook his head when he heard this, indicating that he didn¡¯t care.


    He Xiyun: ¡°My shixiong and I entered the Yellow Springs to gain experience. We secretly went down the mountain without notifying our teacher. But we got into trouble, and only I survived. I have to return to my sect, report to shifu and receive my punishment. If you don¡¯t remember the location of your sect, it¡¯s better for you to go to the Qingbei Mountain with me. When my shifu learns you saved my life, he will definitely invite you to be our guest. You can settle down on the Qingbei Mountain until your health recovers.¡±


    Changming pondered for a moment, and said: ¡°I want to find my first disciple.¡±


    He Xiyun was amazed: ¡°What is your disciple¡¯s name?¡±


    Changming: ¡°It seems to be Yun Weisi.¡±


    He Xiyun was stunned for a while: ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, it is Yun Weisi, the lord of the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I only remember that his name is Yun Weisi. Whether he really is the person you mentioned, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He Xiyun: ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± to every question¡ªhis blackouts were widespread indeed.


    Changming: ¡°Where are the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡±


    He Xiyun was speechless for a while.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the location of the Nine Layers of the Abyss either. I only overheard elders of my sect mentioning it a few times. If you want to go there, you must follow me to my sect.¡±


    The two of them had a long conversation that night, and when they raised their eyes again, the sky in the east had brightened and the stars and the moon were already faint.


    They were in the Gobi Desert, but the lands were not barren. Trees and villages were faintly visible not far away. As the sky was getting brighter, it got warmer. He Xiyun suggested walking to the village; first to find water, and then to ask someone for directions.


    Naturally, Changming had no objections.


    ¡­


    Qingshui Village was an unremarkable small village.


    But that day, it not only had two uninvited visitors, Changming and He Xiyun, but also a group of distinguished guests.


    They were the Qixian Sect¡¯s disciples.


    Qingshui Village was located at the foot of Weiqing Mountain, the Qixian Sect¡¯s territory. The lands around the Qixian Sect have been cultivated for generations. Among the villagers, those with outstanding qualifications had an opportunity to enter the Qixian Sect, be selected as outer or even inner disciples and tread the path of seeking immortality.


    When the villagers heard that the people from the Qixian Sect came looking for new disciples, they didn¡¯t bother to entertain He Xiyun and her companion. In high spirits, they all pushed forward their clever and quick-witted children, hoping that they would be favored by the distinguished guests and escape the hardships of commoners.


    He Xiyun and Changming watched them with cold eyes, knowing that the road of cultivation was not at all what these villagers imagined, not an ¡°enter the sect and be free of worries¡± kind of life.


    The world is great and wide, there are many people with outstanding talents. If a person has no extraordinary ambitions, no determination to endure the unbearable, or is not ready to risk his life, it is difficult for him to survive through the long years of deadly challenges.


    Even if his character is suitable for cultivation, he might still not get the last laugh: luck and wisdom are also crucial.


    And the Qixian Sect is no famous sect, at best it¡¯s just¡ª


    At this point He Xiyun couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°It turns out that this place is the territory of the Jianxue Clan! So that¡¯s why the Qixian Sect sounds so familiar. There are seven small vassal sects under the Jianxue Clan, the Qixian Sect is one of them!¡±


    Changming: ¡°Did you mention before that the Jianxue Clan¡¯s head is Zhou Keyi?¡±


    He Xiyun: ¡°Right.¡±


    Changming: ¡­


    His first disciple is nowhere to be found, so he first stumbles upon the third one?


    He Xiyun was looking at the Qixian Sect¡¯s disciples, not paying attention to his weird expression.


    ¡°This person is very moody, cruel and bloodthirsty, it¡¯s not good to mention his name on their territory. Let¡¯s go quickly, it¡¯s bad to stay here for long!¡±


    When her voice fell, a disciple of the Qixian Sect, who was looking around, stretched out his hand to stop them.


    ¡°You two, come here!¡±


    Translator¡¯s notes:


    [1] At the end of the sky, at the edge of the sea, Changming returns there: reference to Chinese folklore song ¡°Pavilion Farewell¡±. You can read the English translation here. In short, the song is about a person bidding farewell to his friends; on the contrary, MXS turned it into something quite optimistic.


    Sentences in [brackets] are sentences where I don¡¯t believe in my translation.

 CH 2

    He Xiyun was displeased.


    The Qixian Sect is just a small sect backed by the Jianxue Clan, far inferior to her own sect.


    But, being on foreign soil, act not for the monk¡¯s sake, but for the Buddha¡¯s. She dared to offend the Qixian Sect, but she wouldn¡¯t dare to offend the Jianxue Clan behind the Qixian Sect.


    Not for the monk¡¯s sake, but for the Buddha¡¯s: do sth. out of consideration for sb. else. In this case, they are in the Qixian Sect¡¯s territory, but should be amenable for the sake of the Jianxue Clan.


    While He Xiyun was hesitating, Changming took a step forward.


    The leader of the Qixian Sect¡¯s disciples looked at them from head to toe.


    Obviously, the two of them were not just ordinary villagers or faraway wanderers. Although they looked travel-worn and weary, the sword in He Xiyun¡¯s hand gave away her identity.


    ¡°I am Lin Han. I would like to ask, what are the two daoyous¡¯ honorable names? Who do you study under? This place is under the protection of the Qixian Sect. If you have time, you might follow us up the mountain and have a cup of hot tea.¡±


    His attitude was not enthusiastic, but it was a lot more polite than before.


    He Xiyun: ¡°Thank you, daoyou. I am He Xiyun, from the Qingbei Mountain. I am just passing by, and I had no intention to disturb you.¡±


    When she saluted by cupping one hand in the other before her chest, she deliberately showed the sheath of her sword so that the other party could see the symbol of her sect, indicating that she was not lying.


    The Jianxue Clan had many enemies, but Qingbei Mountain was not one of them.


    Lin Han nodded, let down his guard, and took the initiative to explain further.


    ¡°We went to Qingshui Village today to select new disciples. We were not as polite as we should have been, daoyou, please forgive us. There will be no harm if you come to our sect and wait for a bit. I will talk to you when I¡¯m done here.¡±


    He Xiyun politely declined: ¡°I have an important matter to report to my sect, so I am rushing back to my teacher. Please forgive me for not being able to stay here. I will pay you a visit another day.¡±


    Her shixiong was dead, so her expression was still full of sorrow. Lin Han looked in her eyes and felt that her words seemed to be true.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Your sect is recruiting disciples, do you think I am qualified enough?¡±


    Changming spoke suddenly, stunning Lin Han.


    He Xiyun explained his situation: ¡°Brother Changming is a daoyou I met on my way. He saved my life, so I wanted to invite him to Qingbei Mountain as a guest.¡±


    Changming: ¡°I was severely injured, lost my skills, and my head is dizzy all the time, so my thoughts are in disorder. I¡¯m afraid that it will be harmful for me to make such a long and difficult journey. I wonder if your school has any vacant positions for outer disciples?¡±


    First Lin Han looked at the group of seven to eight year old children waiting to be selected, and then at Changming.  The meaning was clear: our Qixian Sect is looking for disciples, it is not a nursing home.


    Besides, the origin of this person was unknown. Lin Han couldn¡¯t be sure that he was not a spy or an enemy. How can the Qixian Sect just accept anyone?


    ¡°Daoyou Lin, we are talking so much, but you¡¯ve got your own situation to deal with.¡±


    He Xiyun tugged at the corner of Changming¡¯s sleeve, pulling him aside.


    ¡°Brother Changming, the Qixian sect is supported by the Jianxue Clan, they are really nothing special. It¡¯s better for you to go to the Qingbei Mountain with me. There, verdant hills and limpid water will heal your injuries.¡±


    Changming: ¡°I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t even be able to get there. Even if I can¡¯t become an outer disciple, I can still find a place at the foot of the mountain to settle down and heal my injuries.¡±


    He Xiyun hesitated for a moment: ¡°Then I¡­¡±


    ¡°When my wounds will be fully healed, I will go to the Qingbei Mountain to see you.¡± Changming gave her a soothing smile.


    He Xiyun kept in mind the death of her shixiong, so she couldn¡¯t say that she wanted to stay with him.


    They met by chance, like patches of drifting duckweed, but they weren¡¯t helpless travelers in dire straits as they were before.


    For the past two or three days wiped the melancholy off his face, perhaps because his memories were slowly recovering, and now he seemed more distant and lively, bright as the moon. And this smile¡ª


    Cultivators should not be fooled by appearance, because it is the most unreliable thing in the world. But, except for immortals and Buddhas, who can take their mind off of things and free themselves from worldly desires?


    He Xiyun seemed to have understood something, hurriedly averted her gaze, and smiled reluctantly.


    ¡°Well, since you have already decided, I will help you persuade daoyou Lin. The Qingbei Mountain is not a large sect, but we are still worth something. When I report to the teacher about what happened, I will return here to meet you.¡±


    She went back to find Lin Han, took out from her sleeve a green jade hairpin, and handed it over.


    ¡°Daoyou Lin, Changming is seriously injured and really can¡¯t travel long distances. Can you let him settle down in your school for a while? After some time, I will return for him.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Lin Han¡¯s gaze fell on the hairpin.


    He Xiyun smiled and said: ¡°This hairpin is made by my shishu Lingfei, who is well-known for designing weapons. It is not a famous weapon, but it is suitable for a woman¡¯s self-defense. Daoyou Lin can give it to his sweetheart or a female elder. Take it as a present on our first meeting.¡±


    Shishu: teacher¡¯s younger brother, aka martial uncle


    Lin Han couldn¡¯t take his eyes off that hairpin.


    To be honest, the Qixian Sect was not a wealthy sect.


    He was not a core disciple, so Lin Han got even fewer resources.


    It was not easy for him to win the right to carry out the mission of assisting in selecting disciples outside the sect. He thought it would be a lucrative mission, but the villagers he was assigned to all had mediocre earnings and couldn¡¯t bring out anything worthy to show their respect.


    Just now, Lin Han dropped several hints, indicating that those who meet certain conditions would be prioritised in the selection and have higher chances of becoming disciples, but none of those foolish children got it.


    And now there was He Xiyun, the first person to give him something after he went down the mountain.


    Lin Han hesitated, but had to decline her offer.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it goes against the rules¡­¡±


    He Xiyun smiled and said: ¡°Daoyou Changming is not a child, so he cannot start training from scratch. If there is some kind of unskilled work, you can let him do it without wasting places for disciples.¡±


    Lin Han yielded: ¡°The kitchen of the outer circle lacks a cook¡­¡±


    He beckoned Changming to come closer.


    ¡°Can you cook?¡±


    Changming: ¡°A little bit.¡±


    Lin Han: ¡°What can you cook?¡±


    Changming thought for a while: ¡°Do scrambled eggs with cedrela count?¡±


    The corners of Lin Han¡¯s mouth twitched. He asked in his heart, you just heard the smell of someone making scrambled eggs with cedrela coming from a house behind, right?


    Changming seemed to be honest: ¡°I am very smart, so I can learn.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t require any cultivation skills to run errands for the kitchen, and it didn¡¯t even matter whether the food he makes is good or not¡ªit¡¯s not for Lin Han to eat anyway, since the teachers and shixiongs from the inner circle don¡¯t go to the outer circle to eat.


    Lin Han felt the hairpin in his sleeve and agreed without hesitation.


    But He Xiyun was not at ease. She was reluctant to part with him and kept advising him.


    ¡°Although the Qixian Sect doesn¡¯t have a bad record, they are supported by the Jianxue Clan. You should be very careful, and never make rushed decisions.¡±


    Changming said: ¡°Thank you for the hairpin, I will find a better one for you before the next time we meet.¡±


    He Xiyun only regarded this as simple courtesy, but now the two of them were bound by this promise, so she was also satisfied.


    Having said goodbye to He Xiyun, Changming, a person with amnesia, has officially become a member of the kitchen staff in the outer circle of the Qixian Sect.


    Three months passed.


    For the Qixian Sect, offering shelter to Changming was just an episode not worth mentioning.


    At that moment, apart from selecting new disciples, there was another important event going on in the Qixian Sect. That was the wedding of the most beloved disciple under the Sect Master, Liu Xiyu, who was getting married to the daughter of the Xiao family.


    For many generations people from the Xiao family were officials, and this generation¡¯s talented genius Xiao Cangfeng was no exception. Although he himself was still unmarried, his niece has reached the age of marriage, and an endless flow of people came to their gates to propose. In the end, it was the Qixian Sect that was chosen.


    The reason was not only because Liu Xiyu, as the most valued direct disciple of the Master of the Qixian Sect, was likely to take over it in the future, but also because his talent made him famous as the prodigy of the century. He was very young, but could already play the Qixing guqin, a treasure of the Qixian Sect. One day he broke through to the next cultivation level, and his spiritual power soared, attracting dragons and phoenixes.


    Guqin: seven-stringed zither or guqin. Qixing means ¡®seven stars¡¯, Qixian means ¡®seven strings¡¯.


    Attracting dragons and phoenixes: fig. wishing the newlyweds a hundred years of reconciliation, here it¡¯s either a bealutiful exaggeration, or real dragons, who knows, it¡¯s xianxia.


    If nothing out of the ordinary happened, Liu Xiyu was very likely to become the Qixian Sect¡¯s master and make it famous.


    Such an unusually lucky person, even if he came from a small sect, was worthy enough to be a perfect match for the daughter of the Xiao family, they were a string of pearls and jade indeed.


    String of pearls and jade: perfect pair


    The day of the marriage was approaching, and dozens of new disciples were accepted into the sect¡ªtwo happy events came one after the other. Everything was decorated with lanterns and coloured ribbons, and the sect was bursting with joy.


    But for Chef He, who was in charge of the kitchen in the outer circle, these things were not the best-case scenario.


    Large sects were divided into the inner and the outer circle.


    The so-called outer circle consisted of candidates for becoming disciples in the inner circle, and their qualifications were mediocre. There were dozens or even hundreds of people sitting together in one class, which is not nearly as good as the one-on-one training for the inner disciple.


    To put it simply, their position was similar to that of ¡®Dad doesn¡¯t dote on, and mother doesn¡¯t love¡¯.


    Dad doesn¡¯t dote on, and mother doesn¡¯t love: in this case, to lack resources.


    Chef He had a bad temper. All the outer disciples agreed on this point.


    However, he had a relative in the inner sect who held a high position. The chef had a bad temper, but still retained his position as chef. Regardless of what the outer disciples thought, they had to be polite in front of him.


    But there were times when even Chef He was pleased.


    At the moment he was chatting with a steward of the inner circle.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know it, but since Changming started to work here, I got rid of a lot of trouble. Chopping wood, picking up beans¡ªI don¡¯t even have to say half a sentence, and everything is already done. He¡¯s much better than those lazy and crafty assistants from before. I have everything prepared. If after some time he will still have the disposition, I will take him as a disciple, let him take over the mantle!¡±


    The steward smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you boasting about someone! Is he that good?¡±


    Chef He: ¡°Can¡¯t he be? Oh, say the person¡¯s name, and he appears, Changming, come, come, come here!¡±


    When Changming put down firewood and got closer, Chef He introduced him.


    ¡°This is Steward Zhang. He is responsible for organizing the celebrations in the inner circle. This time, shishu Liu¡¯s marriage was planned by Steward Zhang inside out.¡±


    Liu Xiyu was young, but a head disciple, so his position in the sect was high. It was not wrong for Chef He to call him shishu.


    Steward Zhang looked at Changming.


    Unlike those young disciples who started cultivating in their teens, this person was at least in his twenties or thirties.


    He looked energetic and reliable, but was really way too elegant, even more than Liu Xiyu, who was known as the ¡®jade gentleman¡¯.


    Given his appearance, shouldn¡¯t the female disciples of the outer circle fight for his favor?


    This ridiculous thought flashed in his mind, making Steward Zhang smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to cultivate? Do you agree to be a cook like Chef He?¡±


    Changming said: ¡°I am not in good health and I am not suitable for cultivation. Chef He was willing to take me in, and helping him with work is fine.¡±


    Steward Zhang knew some things about medicine, so he took his wrist to check his pulse, and confirmed Changming¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity.¡±


    Steward Zhang casually expressed regret.


    If he could cultivate, and his talent was fine, given time, he might have become another ¡®jade gentleman¡¯.


    Changming didn¡¯t care for cultivation. He said to Chef He: ¡°I¡¯ll go and chop the firewood first.¡±


    Now there was a person to help him, so Chef He could devote himself to making the dishes. His temper has improved a lot. He laughed.


    ¡°Go, go.¡±


    Changming cupped his arms in front of him and left. The two people continued chatting.


    ¡°Do you think shishu Liu can break through as smoothly this time? If so, he will become the first person in history to break through the eighth level of Pixia Scripture at the age of twenty five!¡±


    ¡°Even if he makes a breakthrough, he will be the second.¡±


    ¡°No way, there was someone who was faster? Which senior of our sect is the first?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not a member of this sect, it¡¯s Jiufang from a demonic sect.¡±


    ¡°Jiufang? That very Jiufang who first entered the Daoist sect, then entered the Buddhist sect, rebelled against Buddhism and Daoism and became a demonic cultivator, finally turning even against Confucianism?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is him.¡±


    ¡°He actually had something to do with this sect? Pixia Scripture is a secret method of this sect that is not passed on to unrelated people, and the Sect Head lended it to him?!¡±


    ¡°It was not that he lended it, it was stolen! He took it for three days and three nights without asking and then returned it again, saying that there were flaws in Pixia Scripture that cannot be mended, and it is impossible for people to cultivate it to the ninth level. The former Sect Master Song was so angry. This is not a glorious thing, why would we go spreading it around? I suspect that Sect Master Song died early because he didn¡¯t want to admit it. He forcibly tried to break through the eighth level of Pixia Scripture but failed and perished. I heard that his death was horrible. The disciples who went in to collect his bones were all terrified¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s enough, stop describing it! Let¡¯s talk about something else on this day of great joy. Have you seen shishu Liu¡¯s fiancee?¡±


    ¡°I saw her from afar¡­¡±


    The voices sounded behind his back, becoming more and more faint.


    Changming walked past the kitchen, picked up a bamboo basket from the wall foundation and walked down the slope of the mountain. He was going to dig up some bamboo shoots in the forest halfway up the mountain. Chef He said he was going to cook bamboo shoots and roasted meat that evening.


    Most of the food of the outer circle is given to disciples, but a small part is naturally left for the chef. However, the size of the portion was determined by Chef He, who had the final say. That¡¯s why he became the person most disciples of the outer circle couldn¡¯t offend.


    Halfway through, the strength he used to lean on the ground with the bamboo stick suddenly increased¡ªChangming slightly bent down and gasped.


    He couldn¡¯t move, as if frozen by a thousand-year frost. Blood rushed to his heart, like a surging wave that could almost drown him.


    The pain came suddenly, but it was not surprising.


    Ever since he had come out of the Yellow Springs, Changming has had such bursts of pain from time to time. Although his memory was damaged, he still remembered some of his previous cultivating experience. Every night he tried to guide his spiritual power to correct his breath and regulate his qi.


    After a few months, this proved to be somewhat effective. The time between those bursts of pain has extended a lot, and the half-worn spiritual essence seemed to be faintly moving. But each time the pain flared, he was still suffering a lot.


    He could only stand still, slowly waiting for the pain to ebb away.


    Something moved in the bamboo forest to the right.


    Changming was not a nosy person, but at that moment he couldn¡¯t control himself.


    Someone was pushed towards Changming, staggered back, and fell right in front of him.


    This person raised his eyes, Changming lowered his gaze.


    They looked at each other.


    Changming¡¯s face betrayed his astonishment.


    He was shocked to the core.


    This person?!

 CH 3

    At the age of twenty-eight, Changming, who was already the Yuhuang Temple¡¯s master, accepted his first disciple.


    The Yuhuang Temple was not a big sect, but after Changming was in charge of it for a few years, this Daoist temple became famous. It was well-known in Jianghu. Many people were attracted to this place by its reputation and wanted to enter the sect, but Changming didn¡¯t even give them a glance. Occasionally he would encounter people with good aptitude and roots and send them to be apprenticed to his shidis. He himself set his heart on cultivation and was determined to spend his whole life studying mysterious principles of Dao.


    Jianghu: lit. ¡°rivers and lakes¡±: the world of Martial arts and everyone who is connected with it.


    Shidi: aka ¡°younger martial brother¡±.


    At that time, Yun Weisi was just a fifteen year old boy.


    A misfortune befell his family, and everyone but him was killed; he was thrown out of his clan, became destitute and homeless, and had to roam the world unconstrained. All the brocade garments, jade meals, poetry, books, and etiquette were gone, disappearing like fleeting clouds. Many sects refused to accept him because of his delicate situation. Some sects, seeing that his bones were just ordinary and his internal organs were injured, didn¡¯t want to make a great effort to rebuild a stranger¡¯s bones.


    Only the Yuhuang Temple accepted him.


    At first, Changming also didn¡¯t notice this mediocre disciple who was just an errand boy.


    Until one day, when the steward arranged morning lessons for all disciples and asked them to carve characters on cooked rice grains.


    Engraving on rice grains is a test of martial arts. Cooked rice is fluffy and soft, and it is almost impossible to complete this task. Many students gave up halfway and complained about making things difficult for them on purpose, and some had submitted barely satisfactory works after working on them for two or three days. Even the completion of simplest patterns was quite surprising.


    Only Yun Weisi carved on rice grains every night for three months under the moonlight.


    By chance, Changming discovered that he had put the carved rice in a bowl, where it was well preserved with the Ice technique. The engraving on the grains, which was not complete in the beginning, actually appeared three months later¡ªa bamboo forest behind the mountain.


    The carving was ordinary and even crude, but his determination was rare.


    Changming decided to accept a disciple, and Yun Weisi lived up to his expectations. He completed several tests one after another and eventually became Changming¡¯s first disciple.


    Except for Yun Weisi, Changming did not accept any disciples during the years he spent with Yuhuang Temple, until he left it and established another sect, becoming the first master in the world. As his first disciple, Yun Weisi also rose to fame, especially after he killed the Snow Mountain Demonic Dragon alone and defeated the Ghost King. Then Yun Weisi finally moved out of his teacher¡¯s shadow, and his name reverberated through the world like thunder, shocking everyone.


    Later, the master and his apprentice turned against each other.


    The old friendship disappeared, like scattered ashes and dispersed smoke, and ceased to exist.


    Yun Weisi openly declared that he would pursue and kill his teacher. He led dozens of famous monks from Daoist sects to encircle and suppress Changming. Although he returned crestfallen in the end, everyone in the world knew that this discord between the teacher and his disciple reached the point where the disciple finally rebelled.


    At that time, Changming was known as the strongest person in the world, and his reputation was not flawless. Many people gloated in secret, waiting to see him die tragically under the sword of his disciple, but they didn¡¯t dare to say it to his face. Changming always did everything his own way no matter what other people were saying.


    Even if it¡¯s been many years, even if his memory was incomplete, Changming still remembered Yun Weisi¡¯s appearance as a fifteen year old boy¡ª


    There was no doubt it was the same with that helpless boy who was chased and fled in embarrassment.


    Was it a coincidence?


    Or was there something else after this?


    He Xiyun said that Yun Weisi was still alive, and had already become the lord of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, so highly placed that common people could not reach him. He could never turn back to his fifteen year old self and be chased down here.


    Could it be that this boy is related to Yun Weisi?


    Changming frowned.


    Before he could ask anything, three or four people jumped out of the bamboo forest.


    They were carrying wooden sticks in their hands, and the way they were dressed suggested that they were outer disciples.


    They were quite intimidating and did not seem to have any good intentions.


    ¡°Drag him away!¡±


    They didn¡¯t even look at Changming, obviously not putting him in their eyes.


    The boy was completely exhausted. They forcibly picked him up from a puddle of mud and dragged him into the depths of the bamboo forest.


    The leading disciple sneered while walking.


    ¡°If you stare at shimei Bixin again, I will definitely gouge out your eyes!¡±


    Shimei: aka younger martial sister.


    ¡°No, this guy steals something every day, we should have kicked him away a long time ago! The steward is too kind, let¡¯s help him and teach this guy a lesson!¡±


    They left quickly.


    Changming didn¡¯t hinder them.


    He was silent for a moment, then took out a piece of paper out of his sleeve, and gently threw it.


    The paper flew with the wind and slipped into the bamboo forest silently.


    After a while, a scream was heard from that direction.


    Anguished wailings and cries for help came one after another, but Changming turned a deaf ear to it. He bent down and used a knife to cut off some bamboo shoots and throw them into the basket. The young boy quickly ran out from the forest, stopped in front of him, suddenly knelt down, kowtowed three times, immediately got up and hurried away, quickly disappearing in the evening twilight.


    Changming didn¡¯t take it seriously. The disciples had been long ago chased away by the paper tiger and ran in the opposite direction. Even if they returned, they couldn¡¯t have proved he was the one behind this.


    Changming slowly filled the basket with bamboo shoots and returned to the outer circle¡¯s kitchen to assist Chef He in making dinner.


    It turned out that Chef He had already finished it a long time ago and didn¡¯t need help. Changming returned just in time for four steaming hot dishes and a soup.


    It was really too wasteful for the two of them to eat these dishes, but no one could say a word against his boss, Chef He.


    ¡°Come, try my new dish, fresh bamboo shoots and fish fillets!¡± Chef He invited him to sit down, ¡°I received some wine, tut, tonight is going to be just fine!¡±


    Changming sat down and picked up his chopsticks to taste the dishes, readily accepting the good advice.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Chef He craned his neck.


    ¡°The bamboo shoots are crispy and the fish is tender. The seasoning is most important for this dish. Without the seasoning, these two are not enough,¡± commented Changming.


    ¡°I knew you would understand me!¡± Chef He patted his thigh. ¡°Yeah, this seasoning is my own secret recipe. I spent a whole month thinking about it before I had it figured out. I dare to guarantee that a second one like mine doesn¡¯t exist in this world!¡±


    Changming also thought it was good, and picked up bites of food with his chopsticks one after another.


    ¡°If there were chefs competitions in the cultivation world, you would have undeniably reached the top three with it.¡±


    Chef He laughed: ¡°Not just the top three, I must be the best!¡±


    After that, he sighed: ¡°It¡¯s a pity ah, the world only cares about fame, fortune, and martial arts cultivation, why would they pay attention to cooking? In their opinion, this is just something despicable.¡±


    Changming waved his chopsticks, as if ordering a new plate: ¡°If you continue grieving over the passing of spring or feeling sad with the advent of autumn, I will eat it all alone.¡±


    Grieving over the passing of spring or feeling sad with the advent of autumn: being sentimental.


    There were half a bowl of rice and a few other dishes, and he swept up most of it in an instant.


    Chef He finally realised this, and the two of them cleaned out the bowls as fast as the wind.


    Chef He got along with Changming pretty well, which never happened with his previous assistants.


    Changming worked hard, was willing to listen to him gossiping, and could also make useful suggestions for his new dishes. He was also a good friend to Chef He, and a way better person than those outer disciples who talked a lot and were fastidious but incompetent.


    ¡°Old He, I heard that the Jianxue Clan has a long history with this sect. Will their master also come here for the wedding?¡±


    Chef He shook his head: ¡°Don¡¯t talk about him with anyone else, it¡¯s a taboo.¡±


    Changming: ¡°I noticed it, so I haven¡¯t mentioned him before.¡±


    He had been in the Qixian Sect for so many days, but no one even breathed a word about the Jianxue Clan.


    ¡°During those years the Jianxue Clan was strong, while the Qixian Sect was weak, so it had to become their vassal. But the Sect Master really feels humiliated about this matter, so no one is allowed to mention it in the sect. Of course, shishu Liu sent an invitation. But the Sect Master himself definitely will not come. It should be his trusted follower.¡±


    At this point, Chef He started to look worried.


    ¡°What I am afraid of is that the Jianxue Clan can cause troubles on the day of shishu Liu¡¯s happy event.¡±


    Changming raised his eyebrow: ¡°How can that happen, doesn¡¯t he want to win over his subordinates¡¯ hearts?¡±


    Chef He smiled bitterly: ¡°Why would he want to win over people¡¯s hearts? As long as the Jianxue Clan is in power, and the Qixian Sect does not have a master greater than Zhou Keyi, this sect won¡¯t be able to escape from the Jianxue Clan. Although shishu Liu is a talented person, he only has a few more than ten years of cultivation. How can he compete against this tyrant Zhou Keyi?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Hasn¡¯t the Qixian Sect already surrendered to the Jianxue Clan?¡±


    Chef He: ¡°There are rumors that Zhou Keyi practices a vicious technique and needs to suck human blood and energy every few months. But ordinary people are not enough for him, they have to look dignified and beautiful. Several vassal sects take turns paying the tributes. Last time when it was our turn, a traitor who had killed his shidi or shixiong was offered to Zhou Keyi by our Sect Master. I don¡¯t know who it will be this time¡­ Hey, these things are not for us to worry about, honestly, the food is ready!¡±


    After a few cups of wine, Chef He was finally satisfied and went to take a rest.


    Changming took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen and cleaned up.


    In the dead of night, there was only a lonely moon.


    He was absent-mindedly washing the dishes, while pondering about his Sifei Sword.


    If he had this sword, he might have been able to find an opportunity to recover his health and cultivation very soon. But where the sword was, whether it was in Yun Weisi¡¯s hands or whether Zhou Keyi took it, Changming couldn¡¯t remember.


    Maybe he should visit the Jianxue Clan to look for it?


    Zhou Keyi used to have a habit of collecting famous artifacts. If he saw Sifei, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have let it go. Maybe it was with him.


    Click.


    There was a small sound from the pile of firewood, so small it was hard to notice it.


    Changming¡¯s five senses were now a lot worse than before, but it didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t even hear this sound.


    Not turning around, he threw a chopstick over, hitting the wood pile accurately.


    There was a crashing sound, and an uninvited guest had to get out of the pile of firewood.


    Changming turned his head and saw that it was the boy he had met earlier that day.


    The other party did not rush to escape, he just stood still.


    This made Changming suddenly remember a little bit of the past¡ª


    For a long time, even though Yun Weisi was the leader of the Daoist sect, he was nicknamed ¡®the Cold Demon Lord¡¯ behind his back because of his fierce and merciless style, which, however, did not prevent young female cultivators from vying to be the first one to confess their undying love to him.


    However, at that moment, the person who had the face of young Yun Weisi was still holding half of a roasted sweet potato in his hand, and there were greasy stains all over his face. It is unknown what the ones who admired him would have thought upon seeing this picture.


    Changming was amused, and the corners of his mouth curled into a teasing smile.


    The young man looked at him from afar, as if waiting for him to let himself go.


    The author has something to say:


    Changming: So, the you I saw is really you?


    Yun Weisi: Do you think the me you saw is me?

 CH 4

    ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡±


    Changming looked at the baked sweet potato in the boy¡¯s hand.


    No one knows how long it has been since this sweet potato was cooked, but it didn¡¯t seem to be very fresh.


    The boy silently put his hand behind his back.


    Changming took out a plate of fresh bamboo shoots and fish fillets from the kitchen, scooped up some leftovers, and put them on the table.


    The food was cold, but in order to warm it, he would have had to light the fire again. Changming didn¡¯t feel like going through such a troublesome task.


    If you want to embark on the cultivation road, you will have to go through all kinds of hardships and obstacles. Besides, it is better to eat leftovers than roasted sweet potatoes that have been left for a long time.


    As expected, the young boy stared at the food, stuffed the roasted sweet potato into his pocket, and rushed to the table. Not even using chopsticks, he reached for the food with his hands and wolfed down the food. It is unknown how long has he been hungry.


    When he raised his head after he finished eating, he realized that Changming was already gone.


    The boy wiped his mouth with his sleeve, hesitated for a moment, got up, took the dishes and chopsticks away and cleaned them. He opened the door to leave, but couldn¡¯t help staying for a while.


    Under the moonlight, two little paper men were taking turns chopping and collecting firewood, moving very quickly; another one, with his back turned to him, was squatting on the ground peeling peanuts.


    But Changming, who was supposed to be working, sat near the table, drinking tea and looking at the moon, languid and careless, satisfied with everything.


    The boy was dumbfounded.


    He has also heard that there was a newcomer under Chef He who was diligent and handy, and could do anything quickly and well. Chef He liked that person and intended to accept him as an apprentice. The boy did not expect him to be such a character.


    Anyone who has others work for him can be fast and capable, ah!


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Changming suddenly spoke, distracting the boy from staring at the puppets.


    The boy whispered: ¡°Xiao Yun.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Which ¡®yun¡¯?¡±


    Boy: ¡°Yun from ¡®blue sky, white cloud¡¯.¡±


    Cloud: Yun ¨C ¡®cloud¡¯, Weisi ¨C ¡®not thinking¡¯.


    Not only did they look alike, but he also had a ¡®cloud¡¯ in his name.


    Changming really started to suspect that this boy was Yun Weisi¡¯s illegitimate child.


    ¡°Who are your father and mother? Your father¡¯s surname is Yun?¡±


    The boy: ¡°My parents were hunters in the mountains, but they both died. The steward of the outer sect is my distant cousin. Seeing that I am poor, he is letting me come here and run some errands.¡±


    Changming frowned: ¡°Then have you ever heard about Yun Weisi?¡±


    The young man shook his head without hesitation, and he didn¡¯t seem to be lying.


    He helplessly stood there for a long time. Seeing that Changming didn¡¯t intend to ask anything else, he couldn¡¯t help but look at him quietly, only to feel that no matter what the other person did, even if he held his forehead while thinking, he was still the most beautiful person Xiao Yun has ever seen.


    But the young man didn¡¯t dare to stay for too long for fear of disgusting the other. He paused for a while and irresolutely said in a low voice.


    ¡°If the senior has nothing to order, I will go back first. Tha¡­ thank you for helping me today¡­¡±


    ¡°Where do you live?¡± Changming got himself together.


    ¡°Halfway up the back of the mountain.¡±


    It was not far away.


    Changming: ¡°I remember the forest halfway up the mountain, the mushrooms there are delicious.¡±


    The boy: ¡°There are some, but you have to get up early to pick them. There grows a ¡®morning dew¡¯ mushroom, which only appears before sunrise and will always disappear right after it.¡±


    Changming: ¡°I heard old He mentioning mushrooms that are hard to pick but delicious. It¡¯s late, go and take a rest.¡±


    Hearing his words, the boy left.


    He walked far away and couldn¡¯t help but look back.


    Covered with leaves, the other¡¯s figure under the moonlight was a little vague, but he could see Changming clearly nevertheless.


    The boy himself didn¡¯t understand why he was so obsessed with Changming.


    Maybe deep in his heart he felt as if he met someone after a long separation.


    Or maybe he was the mysterious figure that kept lingering in his dream.


    That night was destined to change his boring life and start an adventure.


    Early the next morning, as soon as Changming opened the door, he saw a basket full of ¡®morning dew¡¯ mushrooms on the table in the yard.


    The dew on the mushroom caps had not yet evaporated, they were still fragrant. It was obvious that it hadn¡¯t been long since they were picked.


    There was only one person who could bring this basket of mushrooms.


    There was no one outside the yard, which showed that the other party had no intention of waiting to ask for compensation.


    Changming snapped his fingers and instructed the two paper puppets to stay and clean up the room, while he carried the basket to Chef He.


    This kind of mushroom is common but difficult to gather. Chef He mentioned he wanted it for cooking several times, so he would definitely be pleased to see this basket.


    As for the two puppets, as long as someone gets close, they will automatically return to their original shape, so he wouldn¡¯t be discovered.


    It¡¯s not wrong to say that this Art of transforming appearances is not difficult, but there were not many who could really master this technique, and those who could were all great masters, sects¡¯ founders. Unless a person saw it with his own eyes like Xiao Yun, he could not guess such a brilliant Art of transforming appearances was actually performed by a cook¡¯s helper.


    When he approached Chef He¡¯s residence, Changming heard important news that made the whole Qixian Sect worried¡ª


    A subordinate of the Jianxue Sect¡¯s head, lord of the Lingbo Peak Xu Jingxian came to congratulate Liu Xiyu on his wedding, and asked for a person of the Qixian Sect.


    ¡°We are a poor humble sect, who do they want?¡±


    Changming heard Chef He¡¯s question when he came close enough.


    ¡°I heard that they want shishu Liu himself!¡±


    The other person lowered his voice, but didn¡¯t pay attention to Changming beside them.


    Chef He jumped for surprise.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s rare for our Qixian Sect to receive such a talented disciple, and they dare to ask for shishu Liu?! Wha, what do they want from shishu Liu?¡±


    ¡°Are you really stupid or just pretending? The Jianxue Sect¡¯s head, this devil, eats both men and women, who of those he wanted have actually returned back? Either they were used as cultivation furnaces and lost their skills completely, or they became pets under his feet! Do you think something good will happen if our shishu Liu goes there?¡±


    ¡°But, but shishu Liu is the best candidate for taking over the sect in the future! Also, he is about to get married, how could they¡­ Is the Jianxue Sect¡¯s head really devoid of all humanity?!¡±


    ¡°We can only blame shishu Liu¡¯s ¡®jade gentleman¡¯ reputation, which attracted the attention of this devil, ai! I heard that some time ago, there was a horrible scandal because of his ¡®next Sect Master¡¯ title.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I know about it?¡±


    ¡°Is that something you should know? I also heard it from the close maid of the Sect Master¡¯s wife. She said that Hua Qingming, the worry-free shidi of shishu Liu, was dissatisfied with shishu Liu being appointed as the next head. He ran to the Sect Master, made a big scene in front of him, and left the sect right after that incident. On departure he said something about shishu Liu¡¯s good looks. I think he ran to the Jianxue Clan and said something, otherwise how could such a coincidence happen? Hua Qingming just left the sect, and now people from the Jianxue Clan are coming!¡±


    ¡°Then what about shishu Liu¡¯s marriage?¡±


    ¡°The people from the Jianxue Clan said that he should get married first, and then take his new wife to the Jianxue Clan as a guest. The people of the Xiao family were so terrified when they heard about it that they wanted to break off the engagement. Right now, they are arguing with the Sect Master and shishu Liu in the main hall!¡±


    ¡°Then tomorrow¡¯s wedding¡­¡±


    ¡°Everything is messed up. I¡¯m afraid the wedding will not be held. If it¡¯s the Jianxue Clan, who would dare to give his daughter?¡±


    Even when the man saw Changming, he didn¡¯t bother to lower his voice. Sooner or later, everyone in the sect would know what happened.


    If the Jianxue Clan¡¯s messenger insisted on having the man, then the leader would have to face a dilemma.


    If he doesn¡¯t surrender the man, he will offend the Jianxue Clan¡¯s head.


    With the strength and style of the Jianxue Clan, it was an easy task for them to massacre the whole Qixian Sect.


    But if they give up on Liu Xiyu, the Qixian Sect will completely lose its face, and will have no hope of rising to power.


    Changming didn¡¯t interrupt from beginning to end and just listened silently.


    He was thinking about his foolish disciples, who were all living so well, scaring everyone, and only he was in a tight corner, lodging under someone else¡¯s roof.


    He thought again about how eccentric and unreasonable Zhou Keyi was during those years, tending to extremes at the slightest pretext. It¡¯s been so many years, but, indeed, one¡¯s nature can hardly be altered¡ªhe has made a lot of ¡°progress¡±.


    The person who was gossiping with Chef He quickly left. Chef He sighed.


    ¡°Have you heard that too?¡±


    He glanced at Changming.


    ¡°Even though it looks like this sect has a lot of disciples, it really is worth close to nothing in the eyes of others. Unless the Sect Master can change the Jianxue Clan envoy¡¯s mind¡­ Ai, say, if he really sends the man there, can we still hold our heads high outside the Qixian Sect in the future?¡±


    Chef He didn¡¯t expect Changming to come up with any ideas, he was just looking for someone to talk to.


    Changming said: ¡°Can Liu Xiyu win the fight against the Jianxue Clan¡¯s envoy?¡±


    Just as Chef He wanted to say he doesn¡¯t know either, they heard a loud noise coming from the direction of the main peak.


    The two followed the sound, and saw the dazzling and clear sky above the Sanqing hall of the main peak, bright as the rising sun.


    A sword broke through the sky with a loud noise, and at the same time bells rang, crisply and clear, like small colluding jades; but these two sounds mixed at the moment, becoming a grating noise. It made their eardrums hurt, and they couldn¡¯t help covering their ears.


    Chef He gasped. It was obvious he felt uneasy.


    The two figures fighting in the air were faintly discernible, they vaguely saw a man and a woman.


    The man was holding the sword, and the woman was using a thin silk.


    ¡°It¡¯s shishu Liu!¡±


    Not waiting for Changming to question, Chef He revealed the man¡¯s identity.


    ¡°The other one seems to be the Jianxue Clan¡¯s demonic cultivator. Did they hand him over?¡±


    From a large distance the whole picture can be seen more clearly.


    Although Changming was in poor health and his cultivation had not yet recovered, his eyesight was still sharp.


    Very quickly he concluded that Liu Xiyu was about to lose.


    Just as expected, in a time enough to burn an incense stick, the light of the sword became dimmer, and the thin silk took advantage of the sword¡¯s weakness to grip it firmly. The true qi seized the opportunity to turn the sword into dust.


    Liu Xiyu shrank back and fell to the ground, disappearing from their sight. In all likelihood, he was badly injured.


    Chef He let out a sigh, obviously losing all hope.


    But this outcome came as no surprise to Changming.


    Among the Qixian Sect disciples, he was a genius, but only among them.


    What¡¯s more, this envoy of the Jianxue Clan was not ordinary indeed.


    Changming didn¡¯t care whether Liu Xiyu would succeed or fail in this battle, but it is crucial for the Qixian Sect.


    Not only Chef He sighed in despair, almost everyone Changming saw was upset and frowned.


    They all knew very well that Liu Xiyu might not have been able to avoid the fate of entering the Jianxue Clan.


    When outsiders would see that even the Qixian Sect¡¯s head disciple was thrown away, perhaps the Qixain Sect would lose all its prospects.


    Seeing that Chef He was not in the mood to check whether the ¡®morning dew¡¯ mushrooms were fresh, Changming put down the basket, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. Knowing that his old wound was about to cause troubles, he quickly found an excuse to leave and returned to his residence.


    At that moment, his body was like a candle flickering in the wind. He was suffering heavily even from taking a single breath. Although his health has improved slightly, and he looked like an ordinary person on the surface, the pain was still excruciatingly sharp, and sometimes he couldn¡¯t control himself.


    He endured it all the way until he opened the door, and only then Changming staggered, and fell to the floor, losing consciousness.


    If it was another place, he would definitely not dare to faint like this, he would have struggled to the last to keep his soul sober. But residing in the Qixian Sect had an advantage. This place was hidden from the world, deserted and quiet; normally even Chef He rarely came over. It was an excellent place to recuperate, much safer than elsewhere.


    Some time passed.


    Changming felt that as if there was someone beating a drum, causing pain in his heart and ears. He suddenly woke up because of a fierce violent commotion nearby.


    Someone was screaming!


    This voice was so familiar!


    It sounded not far away!


    Changming opened his eyes abruptly. His face was pale, and his body hadn¡¯t recovered from the twinge of pain just now.


    But he already remembered who it was.


    It was Xiao Yun, that boy!


    The author has something to say:


    Xiao Yun and Yun Weisi have a very, very, very, very close relationship.


    But it is neither son-father nor rejuvenation.


    Guess hahahaha~~

 CH 5

    As soon as Changming left the yard, he saw tart fruits scattered on the ground.


    The wicker basket that was lying nearby seemed very familiar, just like the one with the ¡®morning dew¡¯ mushrooms delivered in the morning.


    No one sent anything here except for Xiao Yun.


    Changming frowned slightly and followed the trace.


    Although the Qixian Sect was not big, it had several peaks.


    They were on the Linde Peak located on the periphery of the outer circle. They were only responsible for providing the daily supplies for the outer disciples. There were not many people, and the residences were far apart. When he went to Chef He, he usually had to spend on the road time enough to burn an incense stick.


    Under such circumstances, even if someone heard the screams, it would be difficult for them to arrive in time. After all, the stewards and the attendants of the outer circle were at most pretty agile, but the Art of flying was something only high-level disciples from the inner circle could learn.


    Changming was getting closer to the source of the scream.


    He followed the trail. The trampled grass on the ground showed the other¡¯s whereabouts, and so did the frost on leaves edges.


    Passing by, he touched these frosty leaves.


    The weather was not cold at all; this seemed to be a cultivation technique of solidifying the true qi.


    As for which faction it belonged to, whether it was Daoist, Demonic or Buddhist, he couldn¡¯t be sure.


    Changming didn¡¯t stay there for too long and hurried to the source of the sound.


    ¡°Ah!¡ª¡±


    The scream stopped abruptly.


    It was so close!


    ¡°Where is¡­?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    The night breeze brought a conversation to him.


    One voice was fierce, and the other terrified.


    The latter was indeed Xiao Yun¡¯s voice.


    Changming quickly caught up to them. His fingers moved slightly, and two white symbols appeared on his palm.


    These white symbols flew away, grew rapidly in the wind, and turned into two little foxes that ran into the bushes in a blink of an eye.


    The next moment, someone shrieked!


    But it was not like a human voice and rather resembled a scream of a fox grabbed by its throat.


    Changming didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately shot a few more paper arrows.


    The silent paper arrows never returned, as if engulfed by darkness.


    That night was dark, the situation and the direction were unclear.


    The trees long for peace but the wind will never cease.


    The trees long for peace but the wind will never cease: fig. man proposes but Heaven disposes.


    Clouds and mists rose, and the moonlight was flickering.


    The wind picked up and raised his long robes. Changming sensed that whatever was going on ahead of him was not simple.


    It was possible that Xiao Yun was abducted by robbers or even encountered something worse. But who would suddenly break into the Qixian Sect in the middle of the night and abduct an insignificant young attendant?


    Was it someone from the Jianxue Clan?


    Or did Xiao Yun accidentally learn some secret affairs and was chased by the Qixian Sect?


    Those chaotic thoughts crossed his mind quickly, and Changming¡¯s footsteps stopped abruptly.


    No one was around.


    He was in the desolate outskirts overgrown with weeds.


    This was a relatively flat slope halfway up the mountain.


    In spring, there were flowers in full bloom, and female disciples of the outside circle liked to come to enjoy the scenery.


    But now¡ª


    There was a man lying in front of him.


    He was facing the ground, motionless.


    That person was dressed in white, and the gold threads on his sleeves were faintly glowing in the moonlight.


    He wasn¡¯t Xiao Yun.


    Changming did not rush forward. He raised his eyes and looked around, but could not find a trace of the culprit.


    But at that moment, a whole crowd of people came there from all directions, one by one.


    They barely gave him any time to react, and glowing blades surrounded him!


    Changming¡¯s heart sank.


    All those ominous premonitions turned out to be prophecies.


    He had left this world for too long and become careless.


    ¡°It¡¯s shishu Liu!¡±


    ¡°Shishu Liu is there!¡±


    Someone rushed forward and raised the man in white.


    Changming has never seen Liu Xiyu, but judging from the appearance of this person and the reactions of the people around him, this was indeed the ¡®jade gentleman¡¯ of the Qixian Sect, with boundless prospects.


    The once daring and energetic head disciple, the hope of the Qixian Sect, was now lying helplessly on the ground.


    His face was like joss paper, silent.


    His face was like joss paper: frightened, angered or ill, bloodless.


    ¡°Shifu, shishu Liu, he, he¡¯s not breathing!¡±


    Shifu: master, teacher. ¡°Martial father¡± by analogy with shixiong, shimei, etc.


    Everyone turned their eyes on Changming.


    He never thought about running away¡ªit was too late to escape at this point¡ªand his ways of retreat had already been tightly sealed anyways, leaving no gaps.


    Their guard and hostility against him were like a forest of needles, piercing Changming.


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    The Qixian Sect¡¯s master shoved everyone aside and went closer to Liu Xiyu, with a heavy expression.


    He bent down and checked his breath, but didn¡¯t want to give up and placed his hand on Liu Xiyu¡¯s forehead.


    A feeble blue light began to flow from his palm into Liu Xiyu¡¯s body.


    Changming knew that this was a soul-seeking technique.


    When a person dies, his soul doesn¡¯t leave his body immediately. If someone manages to summon it, they can learn about the circumstances of his death.


    He kept trying for a long time, but found nothing, like a fisher returning with an empty basin.


    Which meant that Liu Xiyu had died for good.


    Nothing can be said about the whereabouts of a soul that was separated from the body for a long time. Maybe someone had caught it, or maybe it had already dissipated.


    The disciples scattered around, searching for abnormalities.


    Changming stood surrounded in the middle, as if in an inescapable net, and had nowhere to hide.


    He knew very well that if the other party didn¡¯t have questions for him, he would have been torn to pieces by the angry disciples of the Qixian Sect.


    ¡°I am not the murderer.¡±


    Without waiting for questions, Changming spoke first.


    ¡°I¡¯m an attendant in the outer circle, I work under Chef He. I heard something outside the door, so I decided to follow that sound.¡±


    ¡°My meridians are damaged. A person without cultivation can¡¯t kill shishu Liu. You can check it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    He took the initiative and stretched out his hand.


    The Sect Master glanced to the side with a cold face, and someone came out immediately to check his pulse.


    That person was acting rudely, but Changming didn¡¯t care. He closed his eyes, and let him check it carefully.


    ¡°Shifu.¡±


    That person shook his head, looking at the Sect Master.


    The meaning was obvious. He thought that Changming was indeed incapable of doing such a thing.


    After all, who was Liu Xiyu? Even if he was not well-known outside the sect and had not yet attained a high cultivation level, he still was a second-rate master.


    Being able to kill a second-rate cultivator is obviously not something that the sick man in front of him could do.


    Sect Master Zhang Qin¡¯s face sank.


    He had high hopes for Liu Xiyu, and was very sad at that moment.


    First, the Jianxue Clan came for him, and Liu Xiyu was defeated by the envoy of the Jianxue Clan; now he was killed.


    If news about their people being killed on their own grounds spread out, how could the Qixian Sect save its face?


    Hundreds of years since its foundation, everything was ruined overnight!


    He resisted the urge to strangle Changming.


    This person can¡¯t die, he probably saw something.


    Zhang Qin gritted his teeth, trying to control his emotions.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Changming, I work under Chef He.¡±


    ¡°Go and bring old He here.¡± Said Zhang Qin to his disciples and continued interrogating him personally. ¡°What did you see just now?¡±


    Changming: ¡°A child named Xiao Yun from the outer circle came over to give me some things. I heard noises outside, but when I went out I only saw those things the boy brought, not Xiao Yun himself. I heard movements from a distance, so I followed the sound and came all the way here.¡±


    It seemed strange for Zhang Qin that a cook¡¯s helper from the outer circle could remain so composed in front of a high-level cultivator and even answer so consistently.


    Changming also understood that very well.


    But he could hardly pretend to be nervous and frightened.


    He needed time to figure out this whole matter.


    Some outer disciples and Chef He were soon brought over.


    When they saw Liu Xiyu¡¯s body, they were stunned.


    When Chef He noticed Changming, he blurted out: ¡°Why are you here!¡±


    Zhang Qin: ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    Chef He hurriedly said: ¡°Yes, yes! He is my new helper, he works under me. He is diligent and has a talent for cooking!¡±


    That was a right time to deny their relationship, but he was still willing to speak for Changming.


    The disciple had already completed making inquiries and reported.


    ¡°Shifu, I have asked everyone here, there is no one named Xiao Yun among the attendants of the outer sect!¡±


    Changming saw a few outer disciples who had bullied Xiao Yun that day among the people being questioned, so he pointed at these people and said: ¡°A day ago I saw Xiao Yun being bullied by them, they know this child. ¡°


    These people were immediately pushed over. When they heard the name Xiao Yun, they all seemed to be puzzled, indicating that they had never seen anyone with this name.


    ¡°I have asked around. At the age you mentioned, there are only two children of the outer circle¡¯s attendant and an outer disciple accepted this year, but their names have no ¡®yun¡¯s.¡±


    The disciple in charge of questioning was very meticulous and brought all three of them.


    Seeing the looks of those three, Changming completely understood.


    He fell into a trap.


    Xiao Yun may have never existed, or maybe he was an illusion that only Changming could see.


    Regardless of what happened, when Xiao Yun appeared in front of him looking like a young Yun Weisi, this trap was set for him.


    Who had set up this trap and what was its purpose?


    Among those four disciples who rebelled against their master, some fell out with him and became his enemies, and the others hated him. It was not impossible for them to do such a thing.


    But they all thought that Jiufang Changming had already died, how could they find him here?


    Even if such a trap was set up, what is the culprit¡¯s goal?


    Just to frame Changming and let him fall into this embarrassing situation?


    ¡°What else do you have to say!¡±


    Zhang Qin was full of anger and stretched out his hand to grasp Changming¡¯s neck.


    His fingers faintly emitted thunder and fire qi, and a scorching hot air blew in his face.


    Although Zhang Qin may not have been ranked among the top hundred in grand masters of the world, he was the leader of a sect after all, so his skills shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. And this Thunderous Palm technique is better than anything Changming has seen since he returned to this world.


    In the blink of an eye, those fingertips burned several red marks on his skin.


    Changming was able to see through his opponent¡¯s movements clearly and understand them, but at that moment he had no spiritual power and could not react in time, so he could only calmly watch Zhang Qin¡¯s hand getting closer.


    Death wasn¡¯t inevitable, but he was sure to be injured.


    Changming frowned slightly. He could dodge this attack, but that would expose his expertise in cultivation, and then, even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he could never wash himself clean.


    Even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he could never wash himself clean: to find it hard to clear oneself.


    And at that moment, a soft satin silently stretched out to him.


    Appearing to be soft and feeble, a woman¡¯s hand firmly grabbed Zhang Qin¡¯s arm.


    The sound of a bell accompanied a beautiful female voice, which sounded far yet close.


    ¡°Such a good-looking gentleman, and you are willing to hurt him, have you lost your humanity?¡±


    The author has something to say:


    If I said it is a detective novel, would you believe me? ¡ú_¡ú

 CH 6

    Zhang Qin¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he had to let Changming go, but the soft satin was still tightly wrapped around his hand.


    The silk had a peculiar luster; it was faintly shining in the moonlight. Even though Changming¡¯s knowledge was vast, he could not recognize this material.


    Zhang Qin¡¯s face turned red, and he muttered,


    ¡°The Jianxue Clan and our sect are not enemies, why must daoyou Xu humiliate us again and again!¡±


    ¡°Sect Master Zhang is mistaken! I can¡¯t bear seeing this gentleman being ruined by you, how can you call it humiliation? It should be called ¡®drawing a sword at the sight of injustice¡¯, or ¡®a hero pities a tender beauty and saves her¡¯¡ªyou can choose the one you find the most pleasant to your ears!¡±


    A slender figure appeared from the layers of the soft satin like a descending fairy, attracting countless stunned eyes.


    Even though they understood that there was a frightening person who could easily kill them behind this breathtaking appearance, they still couldn¡¯t retract their gazes from her.


    The purple-clothed girl walked towards them with dainty steps, landing silently. She was clearly a few zhangs away just a second ago, but in the blink of an eye she had already reached them.


    Zhang: 3.33 m.


    ¡°Fine, I will let you go, Sect Master Zhang doesn¡¯t have to be so agitated. If you have something to say, I won¡¯t interrupt you.¡±


    Her voice was mild and gentle, as soft as cotton. Accompanied by the crisp ringing of the bell, it could almost bewitch human hearts.


    She wasn¡¯t wearing the bell on her body, but tied it to one edge of the soft satin. The girl retracted the fabric, and it turned into a belt wrapped around her thin waist. The bell was also tied to her body; she was beautiful and lovely, gentle and refined.


    ¡°Aiya, isn¡¯t this daoyou Liu Xiyu? Why is he here?¡±


    Zhang Qin said in a deep voice: ¡°I just wanted to ask you the same question, daoyou Xu. Xiyu had an accident very recently, how do you already know about it and why did you rush here right away? Is there something to this story I don¡¯t know about?¡±


    He was furious to the core, but his voice was now calm.


    Xu Jingxian said innocently: ¡°How can you say that? Shixiong Liu and I only exchanged pointers earlier that day, that¡¯s all. There is always a winner in a competition. Shixiong Liu was inferior to me in skill. Did you want this young lady to cut him some slack?¡±


    She appeared to be small and tender, and looked so innocent that no one could bear to find fault with her words.


    ¡°I have every reason to suspect that you caused a commotion and killed shixiong Liu in order to prevent him from entering the Jianxue Clan. It cannot be that shixiong Liu felt so bad about losing that he couldn¡¯t accept it?¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Zhang Qin couldn¡¯t hold it inside anymore. He almost exploded from anger.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just asked to investigate this person. He is of unknown origin. When he met our recruiting disciples at the foot of the mountain, he took the initiative to join them. Not only is he full of lies, but he was also the first to come to the crime scene, how can we be sure that he is not a spy from the Jianxue Clan!¡±


    Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t get angry but laughed instead: ¡°Sect Master Zhang venomously slanders us and continues this farce on purpose. He even went back on his word and didn¡¯t give the person over to the Jianxue Clan, isn¡¯t this right? Fine then. The delicate and pretty girl, me, is hopelessly outnumbered. I suffered losses in everything, so I have to go back to the Clan Master and explain the ins and outs of this matter to him. As for the Clan Master¡¯s reaction ¡ª it is really not under my control!


    After she said that, she turned to leave.


    ¡°Daoyou Xu, wait!¡±


    Said Zhang Qin. His expression changed, and only after a long time did he start speaking.


    ¡°There is still room for discussion on this matter. Let me arrange the funeral for Xiyu first, and then we will give it further thought.¡±


    Xu Jingxian looked back and smiled, as if she could understand him well.


    ¡°Now this is better. Sect Master Zhang needs time to restrain his grief, accept his fate. I will stay in the Qixian Sect for a few more days.¡±


    She stopped speaking up for Changming, so Zhang Qin waved his hand to order people to take him away.


    The death of Liu Xiyu shook the whole Qixian Sect.


    Naturally, the marriage with the Xiao family was cancelled. The Xiao family took the bride and left the Qixian Sect overnight without saying a word. Zhang Qin had to write a letter to Xiao Cangfeng in order to apologize and explain the matter.


    But this was not over yet.


    The Qixian Sect was now in a situation of ¡®the rising wind forebodes the coming storm¡¯.


    The rising wind forebodes the coming storm: a difficult situation, omen.


    Zhang Qin actually knew that Xu Jingxian had no need to kill Liu Xiyu.


    Even if she wanted to kill him, with Xu Jingxian¡¯s strength, even though she might have really been able to do so, it would inevitably be a vigorous fight, and both sides would have been hurt. Even if Liu Xiyu was not a worthy opponent for her, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten killed before he could even cry for help.


    What¡¯s more, the strange thing was that Liu Xiyu went to the outer circle¡¯s Linde Peak in the middle of the night.


    Zhang Qin asked all the disciples who shared good relationships with Liu Xiyu, but no one had heard about him having friendship with people from the outer circle. Zhang Qin¡¯s wife also told him many disciples affirmed that Liu Xiyu was arrogant and especially valued strength, so it was unlikely that he could have taken a fancy to someone of the outer circle, and the outer sect had always looked up to this dashixiong.


    If there actually was a person who could kill the Sect Master¡¯s favorite disciple in his own sect unnoticed, did it mean that he could go in and out as he pleased, meeting no obstacles? Were those people whose cultivation was not as good as Liu Xiyu¡¯s in mortal danger all the time?


    Everyone in the Qixian Sect was in a panic.


    Unlike the turmoil outside, there was a dead silence in the dungeon.


    Changming thought they would try to force a confession from him by tortures. He even made a puppet to replace him in those tortures. But a few days passed, and the breeze was still, the waves were quiet. Not only did he not suffer tortures, but no one even came to interrogate him.


    The breeze was still, the waves were quiet: nothing happened.


    Naturally, no one brought him food either.


    It seemed like he was completely forgotten, and no one was concerned about him.


    This quiet environment gave him time to think and cultivate.


    Changming still remembered that in the past when his cultivation reached a bottleneck and he was searching for a breakthrough, he noted a practice called Zhiyu Nianyue.


    This was a scripture created by two people, Zhiyu and Nianyue, hundreds of years ago. The most important was its ability to help a practitioner reshape their meridians, cleanse their marrow, and [purify their veins], even if this person¡¯s spiritual powers have been depleted for a certain period of time.


    Zhiyu and Nianyue were ordinary people with no spiritual power, but because they were not content with being ordinary, they traveled all over the world, flipped through every ancient book, searched for secluded masters, and finally devised a demonic technique.


    The world agrees that Demonic sects have no connection with the real demons and evil spirits released from the abyss.


    People from Demonic sects are eccentric, unreasonable and tend to the extremes, advance in cultivation using drastic methods, do not hesitate to kill people to achieve their goals, and cross every traditional ethical line. Followers of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism hold them in contempt.


    The reason why Zhiyu Nianyue is called a demonic scripture is also because of this unusual skill which could help to achieve something unattainable by general cultivation practices.


    Everything in the world has its price. If you want to get one thing, you have to give up another. Zhiyu Nianyue was not an exception. If you don¡¯t turn others¡¯ spiritual power into your own, you must sacrifice your own lifespan.


    Zhiyu was unwilling to use other people¡¯s cultivation to succeed. In the end, when he reached the eighth level, he lost his powers, his hair turned white overnight, and he died of exhaustion.


    Nianyue didn¡¯t want to repeat her friend¡¯s mistakes. She resorted to every conceivable means to take over the spiritual power of other cultivators. In a short time, her cultivation skills improved rapidly, and she became one of the best masters of Demonic sects. But because she targeted anyone regardless of their sect and faction, she quickly made a lot of enemies and caused cultivators to join forces to annihilate her.


    Although those two, Zhiyu and Nianyue, died, this demonic technique has survived through their manuscripts. It was never a secret. Later, many people began practicing it, wishing to reach the heavens in a single leap, but they all met a tragic end because of the technique¡¯s backlash.


    Changming learned it a long time ago, and had already memorized it. Now, even though he had been staying in the Yellow Springs and narrowly escaped a calamity, he had not forgotten this scripture.


    His spiritual powers were exhausted, and his meridians and bones were almost destroyed. If nothing out of the ordinary happened, he would have almost no chances of becoming a cultivator again in this life. That¡¯s why the Qixian Sect did not kill him immediately¡ªthey also thought that an ordinary person like Changming couldn¡¯t kill Liu Xiyu.


    But they didn¡¯t know that in a body that was weaker than one of a regular person resided the soul of a great master who almost achieved immortality.


    He was accused of being a murderer after Liu Xiyu¡¯s death, and this reminded him that he needed to speed up his cultivation.


    But taking a shortcut through the backdoor, although it takes far less time, comes at a higher expense.


    When a person who used Zhiyu Nianyue to reshape the meridians and absorb qi reached the eighth level, they encountered a fatal flaw in this technique. The only solution was to forcibly break through it and absorb external power, overcoming the shortfalls of the technique.


    In other words, he could quickly regain his cultivation, become a second-rate or even high-level cultivator, and perhaps could even reach the level of a first-class master.


    But when his skills in this exercise would reach the eighth level, he would have to face the test of life and death, and the chance of success would be very low. If he were to fail, his body might decay and his soul might disperse.


    Returning to the mortal realm and starting over is not necessarily a good thing.


    He was surrounded by a dense fog, and the road ahead of him was chaotic and unclear.


    He was surrounded by a dense fog, and the road ahead of him was chaotic and unclear: He was completely misled, and his future was uncertain.


    First Xiao Yun, then Liu Xiyu.


    Changming was suspicious of Xiao Yun¡¯s sudden appearance and mysterious evanescence from the very beginning. No one had ever seen him before, as if someone had sent him there especially for Changming.


    Then what was the purpose of luring him out, killing Liu Xiyu and shifting the blame onto him?


    It couldn¡¯t be just to let the Qixian Sect lock him in a dungeon or kill him.


    Since the murderer managed to kill Liu Xiyu, he definitely had the ability to kill Changming. The whole scheme would have been just going through lots of troubles to do an arduous and thankless task.


    Since he couldn¡¯t do anything to get out of this situation, he might as well sit back and enjoy it.


    Changming closed his eyes and began reciting the Zhiyu Nianyue Scripture silently.


    All the demons of this world are born from people¡¯s hearts, a simple principle that one should keep in mind.


    When a place where a spirit resides is confined and a cerebral spirit is in chaos, one should use foreign objects as a furnace, gather spiritual essence and refine it. The foreign objects can be: first, grass and trees, secondly, domesticated animals, and thirdly, the souls of people and demons. Any sentient being can use this method¡­


    Cerebral spirit: from Baidu: ¡°The niwan, also called the cerebral spirit. Taoists see the human body as a small world. Every part of it is given a ¡®spiritual¡¯ name. The spirit of the brain is called the cerebral spirit or niwan (¡­)¡±


    ¡°The gentleman is so concentrated. You were locked up here, and can still meditate nonchalantly and calm your mind. And such a talent is helping the cook in the outer circle of a third-rate sect, isn¡¯t it a pity how wronged you are?¡±


    A charming voice sounded nearby, interrupting his meditation.


    Xu Jingxian floated to him, her feet not touching the ground.


    ¡°No one has come to visit you for so many days; I am the first one. Aren¡¯t you touched?¡±


    She was standing outside the bars, smiling, with a basket in her hand.


    A fragrance filled the air.


    Changming didn¡¯t need it to be opened to know it was made by Chef He¡¯s hands.


    ¡°You must be full of questions. Just ask, I will answer everything.¡±


    She put the basket on the ground, opened the lid, and got all sorts of dishes out, thoughtfully placing them so that he could take them easily.


    Changming didn¡¯t act shy either. He stretched out his arm to take the food and immediately started eating.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I could have poisoned it?¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t even raise his head: ¡°This lady is so beautiful, she certainly wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡±


    Lady: she calls him ¡°langjun¡±, a gentleman, he calls her ¡°xianzi¡±, a fairy, a celestial being.


    Xu Jingxian raised her eyebrows and squatted to watch him eat with keen interest.


    ¡°A lot of people from the Qixian Sect want to kill you. They think you are related to Liu Xiyu¡¯s death.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Thank you for bringing this meal. These roasted pine mushrooms are one of old He¡¯s best dishes. I was able to eat them before my death, so I have no regrets.¡±


    Xu Jingxian pouted, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you curious at all, are you sure they won¡¯t dare kill you?¡±


    Changming said sincerely: ¡°I was wronged, naturally they won¡¯t kill the innocent.¡±


    Xu Jingxian couldn¡¯t keep up this conversation, so she had to switch the topic.


    ¡°I heard that your name is Changming, ¡®long nights under a splendid moon¡¯. How can a mediocre person have such a lovely name?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Has the lady heard of Wang Jiuyou?¡±


    W¨¢ng Ji¨³y¨­u, lit. King of the Netherworld


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°No, who is he?¡±


    Changming: ¡°He is the uncle Wang from our village. When his mother was pregnant with him, she dreamed of a stale pomelo, so she named him Old Pomelo. Later, because of the local accent, it turned into Jiuyou. It can be seen that names have nothing to do with skills.¡±


    Old Pomelo: Ji¨´y¨°u


    Xu Jingxian stared at him for a long time, and then suddenly smiled: ¡°To tell you the truth, I am also disgusted with this Liu Xiyu. He treats others with contempt, he is arrogant and haughty. A little sect like the Qixian Sect is willing to support him, but send him elsewhere, and he will just die for some unknown reason! Even if it was you who killed him, I could only applaud you.¡±


    She took out half of a burned fox puppet and put it down on the ground.


    Changming didn¡¯t react.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°I picked this up near the bushes where Liu Xiyu died. I also found puppets like this one under a pillow in your residence. But you can rest assured that I took them all away, so Zhang Qin and others won¡¯t know you mastered the art of control over matters. Shouldn¡¯t you thank me?¡±


    The art of control: there are two main categories in the art of swordsmanship in cultivation. The first one is ¡°control over matters¡±, the second one is ¡°control over qi¡±. The first one depends on your level (realm), the second one depends on your skill (training). When a technique is discussed, I usually drop this ¡°control over matters¡± part in its name.


    Changming slowly uttered an innocent monosyllabic word: ¡°Eh?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°I have already asked around. You entered the Qixian Sect through the Qingbei Mountain disciple¡¯s recommendation, but no one knows your origins. Only a small sect like the Qixian Sect can casually accept someone like you. You know the art of controlling matters, yet you wish to quietly stay here. How does it make any sense?¡±


    They looked at each other.


    Xu Jingxian tried to find the slightest changes in his expression, but didn¡¯t manage to.


    He really knows how to hide his emotions, she thought.


    ¡°Good brother, it doesn¡¯t matter if you killed Liu Xiyu, but if I return empty-handed, the Clan Master won¡¯t spare me. So I told Zhang Qin to replace Liu Xiyu with you. You will return to the Jianxue Clan with me and serve as a cultivation furnace for the lord. Isn¡¯t it an honor that many people wish for?¡±


    Changming pretended to be confused: ¡°What is a cultivation furnace?¡±


    Xu Jingxian smiled and said, ¡°It means being a very close attendant.¡±


    Changming hesitated: ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything, I only know how to help Chef He with his work, isn¡¯t this position too high for me?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You were born so good-looking, the Sect Master will definitely like you very much.¡±


    Changming thought, I¡¯m afraid that when your Clan Master sees his teacher¡¯s reanimated corpse, he will be so scared that he will chop your head off.


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre not related to the main text:


    Xu Jingxian: Are you pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger?


    Pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger: Acting foolish to mislead the enemy.


    Changming: I have never seen a tiger, can this lady show it to me?


    Xu Jingxian: Ha-ha, I can deliver you to its mouth.

 CH 7

    Changming never thought that someone would offer him a pillow when he started feeling sleepy.


    Someone would offer him a pillow when he started feeling sleepy: to get precisely what you wanted.


    If a person wants to practice the Zhiyu Nianyue Scripture, he must have something to absorb spiritual powers from: either a cultivator, or a spiritual being with abundant spiritual powers, or a blessed land where the essence of the sun and the moon gather, or a spiritual weapon that has already gained consciousness, and so on.


    A blessed land is hard to find as all famous mountains and rivers with spiritual powers are already taken. The ones still available are either steep and dangerous places full of evil spirits, or already drained lands, and it is too hard to find even their traces ¡ª one can only rely on his luck when looking for them.


    As for spiritual weapons, Changming knew one thing for sure.


    Back then, he never left his sword Sifei.


    The Sifei Sword went through fire and water for him. It was full of spiritual qi, had gained consciousness long ago, and was always connected with Changming¡¯s heart. Later, when Changming had an incident and fell into the Yellow Springs, the Sifei Sword disappeared, and he couldn¡¯t remember where it was now. It was most likely with Yun Weisi.


    It was also possible that Zhou Keyi had it, because he often used dishonest practices in cultivation. This sword had been infused with spiritual powers for many years, and its spiritual power was not inferior to that of a master; it could have easily become a coveted object for demonic cultivators.


    There was also his fourth disciple, Song Nanyan. After he had gained fame and fortune, he developed a new habit of collecting treasures and antiques, even spiritual weapons and techniques. For this reason he befriended all kinds of people. The year people heard of Changming¡¯s death, Song Nanyan might have managed to lay his hands on his sword after an unexpected turn of events.


    And his second disciple¡ªit¡¯s best not to mention him.


    In conclusion, the Sifei Sword could assist him in cultivation, but because its whereabouts were unknown, Changming was afraid he would have to visit all his disciples one by one to find it.


    Earlier he chose to stay at the Qixian Sect to look for a chance to join the Jianxue Clan to wait for an opportunity to find the sword there. Who would have expected that now, after he had been framed for killing a person and all these unexpected events had occurred, Xu Jingxian would be willing to take him to Zhou Keyi. Wasn¡¯t this giving a pillow to a person falling asleep?


    The only problem was that his third disciple was not easy to deal with.


    Frankly, not a single one of his four disciples was easy to deal with.


    Xu Jingxian noticed that he was silent and thought that he was frightened. She couldn¡¯t help but smile proudly and tried to reach Changming¡¯s face with her hand.


    ¡°You¡¯ve also heard about my Sect Master¡¯s high reputation? Don¡¯t worry, I can put in a good word for you. Not only will you not suffer without need, but you will even be put in an important position. Who knows, maybe I will even be looking for your support in the future!¡±


    Changming smiled and took a step back to avoid her hand.


    ¡°I would have already been indebted forever if this lady allowed me to leave this place and stay by her side as a cook, let alone go to her honorable Sect Master.¡±


    Xu Jingxian pouted: ¡°Enough with this ¡®lady¡¯ talk, this ¡®xian¡¯ character is a part of my name, people would think you gave me a diminutive name! I am Xu Jingxian, you should call me Miss Xian!¡±


    This ¡®xian¡¯ character in my name: he calls her ¡®xianzi¡¯, ¡®immortal maiden¡¯. Her name, Jingxian, has the same ¡®xian¡¯.


    A diminutive name:  ¡®xian¡¯¡ª¡®immortal¡¯, ¡®zi¡¯¡ªas a suffix means ¡®small¡¯, so it is like calling her ¡®little Xian¡¯.


    Changming: ¡°Lady Xu, this ¡®cultivation furnace¡¯ thing sounds a bit odd. Why does it not seem like a decent job for an attendant?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°It couldn¡¯t be more decent. Look at how beautiful I am, do I seem like someone who deceives people?¡±


    Changming hesitated: ¡°Can I say you do?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t touch him, withdrew her hand back, but suddenly changed her movement halfway, pinched his chin and moved her hand away, perfectly satisfied.


    Changming: ¡­


    He has lived for so many years and has seen so many various aspects of the world, but this was the first time he encountered such aggressive molesting. His reactions were not as good as they were before, so he couldn¡¯t avoid it and was taken advantage of.


    If this happened in the past, the molester would have been killed eight or ten times.


    For a short time, Changming was left speechless.


    Xu Jingxian even laughed: ¡°Ming-lang, if the Sect Master doesn¡¯t take you, you should follow me!¡±


    -lang: as a suffix means ¡®my dear¡¯.


    Changming thought he would be left in the prison for a few days and didn¡¯t expect Xu Jingxian to act quickly, but the next day people from the Qixian Sect brought him to Xu Jingxian.


    Sect Master Zhang Qin was also there. When he was looking at Changming, his gaze was full of loathing, unwillingness to accept the truth, melancholy and other feelings all at the same time, as if Changming had stolen his wife.


    Zhang Qin was reluctant to let him go, but under the pressure of Xu Jingxian and the Jianxue Clan, he had no other options. Liu Xiyu was already dead, and the Qixian Sect couldn¡¯t afford to lose another talented disciple, and a randomly chosen disciple with mediocre qualifications wouldn¡¯t have satisfied the Jianxue Clan.


    Xu Jingxian said that she intended to leave, and she really meant it. She pulled Changming closer by his sleeve and laughed: ¡°Sect Master Zhang knows where his loyalty belongs. I will report it to my Clan Master and mention your hard work.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±


    Zhang Qin noticed that she took out the golden bell and quickly shouted, ¡°Daoyou Xu, we have discussed it previously, and you agreed to assist us in finding Xiyu¡¯s murderer¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sect Master Zhang. As soon as I return to my sect and report to the Clan Master, I will ask him to dispatch someone to help you with the investigation. They will definitely find the truth for you.¡±


    Somehow, Changming felt this sentence was said in a half-hearted way.


    Before she even finished speaking, Xu Jingxian rang the golden bell in her hand. A sound hit their eardrums, making everyone dizzy; the golden bell shone with boundless radiance that hurt their eyes, making them unable to refrain from closing their eyes.


    Zhang Qin and Xu Jingxian¡¯s voices gradually became quieter.


    When Changming opened his eyes again, it wasn¡¯t the Qixian Sect in front of him, but a round white marble platform [1] and a crowd of delicate and graceful maidens in pale mauve clothes.


    ¡°Peak Master, welcome back!¡±


    Xu Jingxian saw that he was looking at the golden bell in her hand rather than the beautiful maidens, and said proudly: ¡°This is my spiritual treasure used for teleportation, it is called the Yulin Bell. There are only three such spiritual treasures in the world, and even famous sects and big clans like the Kunlun Jian Sect want to have a treasure for teleportation like this one!¡±


    Bell Yulin: Bell Ringing in the Rain


    Changming praised sincerely: ¡°It really is a good thing.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was in a good mood. She walked towards a maidservant to order someone to arrange a room for Changming, but when she decided to take a good rest and continue working after that, she saw her favourite female disciple hurriedly step forward with a worried expression. Xu Jingxian couldn¡¯t help but stop.


    ¡°Has something happened? Is this shameless Xiangji Peak picking a quarrel again?¡±


    ¡°Peak master, the Clan Master has come out from his seclusion, and he is in a terrible mood. He asked why you have already returned but still haven¡¯t brought him the person several times!¡± said the maidservant in a low voice. She glanced at Changming, ¡°Is he the person you have to offer to the Clan Master?¡±


    Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t want to hand Changming over so fast.


    She found him very interesting, moreover, he was full of mysteries. All this time she believed that those paper foxes were his creation, it¡¯s just that he stubbornly refused to admit it. Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t manage to find evidence in that short period of time, and wanted to get more secrets out of him before handing him over to the Clan Master.


    Who knew the Clan Master would come out of his retreat so suddenly?


    There was certainly an issue in his cultivation. He failed to break through to the next level and urgently needed a furnace to absorb qi.


    Xu Jingxian felt some regret but didn¡¯t express it, only showing Changming a smile.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go see the Clan Master. You are very lucky to meet our honorable elder.¡±


    Changming lowered his head to see the mingmen [2] on his wrist completely sealed.


    ¡°If Lady Xu didn¡¯t act this way, I would believe your words.¡±


    Xu Jingxian grinned: ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that the Clan Master is so handsome you will have your head turned because of him, so I am supporting you before you¡¯ve lost yourself!¡±


    This time she didn¡¯t use the Yulin Bell to teleport but modestly took a palanquin with Changming. First, she ordered servants to take them down the mountain, where they changed their palanquin to go to another peak; then, when they were carried halfway up the mountain, she changed the palanquin again to reach the top.


    Seeing her arrangements, Changming could tell that Xu Jingxian really didn¡¯t want to meet Zhou Keyi.


    Even though she never showed it on her face.


    ¡°Lady Xu is so talented, why do you agree to obey your Clan Master instead of establishing a new clan like the Qixian Sect?¡± Changming asked.


    Xu Jingxian sneered: ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s better to live like people from the Qixian Sect than like me? Even if Zhang Qin resents the idea to the core, he still has to give me the person I ask for. Isn¡¯t this one example enough for you?¡±


    Changming said: ¡°Although he is just a vassal, the mountain is high, the emperor far away. He doesn¡¯t feel the uneasiness of a person who is right in front of his lord¡¯s eyes.¡±


    The mountain is high, the emperor far away: to get unfair justice beyond reach of the government. In this case, CM implies that ZQ has more freedom than XJX.


    Xu Jingxian, who was touched in a raw spot, fell silent for a moment, but then retorted, refusing to admit defeat: ¡°When the Clan Master calls for me, of course I come immediately. He is a master of great skills, and I admire him with all my heart.¡±


    If you really admire him with all your heart, why do you hesitate?


    Changming didn¡¯t expose her lies and started asking about the local customs and practices. Xu Jingxian was eager to answer.


    She has always been responsible for bringing furnaces to Zhou Keyi, but Changming was different from the rest. Maybe she felt this way because Changming was to her taste, or maybe because he didn¡¯t wail and weep in terrified confusion like the other prey.


    ¡°There are nine peaks and thirteen valleys in the Jianxue Clan altogether. Six peaks surround the Longding Peak, where the clan head lives. I live on Lingbo Peak. Don¡¯t forget to visit me there in your free time!¡±


    ¡°After I have met the clan head, will there actually be a day I might visit you?¡±


    Xu Jingxian winked: ¡°If you behave yourself and win over his affection, then who knows, maybe he will even teach you some secret techniques. Even if you have no trace of spiritual powers in your meridians and no foundation, the Clan Master can help you turn into a high-level cultivator in one go! Look at how the Qixian Sect treated you, sending you right to the prison and making no distinction between the right and the wrong! If you decide to settle the score, I will give you my full support!¡±


    This woman was eager to watch a bustling scene and enjoyed stirring up troubles. She was obviously cold-blooded, but demonstrated an enthusiastic behaviour. That wasn¡¯t too strange, since she could remain Zhou Keyi¡¯s subordinate.


    Chatting all the way, they arrived at the top of the mountain.


    Changming raised his eyes and saw two words: Longdong Peak.


    This familiar handwriting reminded him of the past.


    When Changming had just accepted Zhou Keyi into his sect, the boy was still illiterate. Every day Zhou Keyi practiced calligraphy by copying his letters, and his handwriting became almost impeccable.


    At that time Zhou Keyi was only a gloomy child with low self-esteem, not as imposing as Xu Jingxian described him to be, not the terrifying Jianxue Clan Master who could do whatever he wanted with the Qixian Sect.


    Indeed one day in Heaven equals one thousand years on Earth, and his most unpromising third disciple grew up so capable in the blink of an eye, ah.


    One day in Heaven equals one thousand years on Earth: the world changes quickly and unpredictably.


    A disciple came closer to Xu Jingxian at the gates and saluted her first. His attitude was remarkably polite, especially compared to what he showed towards some middle-aged cultivators who were shouted at and driven out, and could only run away in tears. Xu Jingxian was clearly worth more in the Clan Master¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Peak master Xu is faring well, you returned from the Qixian Sect so fast.¡±


    Xu Jingxian softly smiled: ¡°Of course, the Clan Master needs a man, so I rushed back to bring him one.¡±


    The other person sized Changming up: ¡°Is he that genius disciple Liu Xiyu from the Qixian Sect?¡±


    Xu Jingxian said: ¡°Liu Xiyu died, this person is the one suspected of the murder.¡±


    The disciple showed a bewildered expression, not understanding Xu Jingxian¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Peak master Xu, this¡­ Do you intend to ask the Clan Master to solve this case?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°How could I? After Liu Xiyu¡¯s death, there is no one in the Qixian Sect¡ªno one but a bunch of ugly crooked melons and split date trees, unlike this suspect. Although he has no cultivation, his looks are pretty good. Even if he can¡¯t be used as a human vessel, he can still satisfy the clan head¡¯s rage, right?¡±


    Crooked melons and split date trees: ugly, repulsive.


    The other person forced a smile: ¡°Good sister, the Clan Master has had troubles in his retreat; he is in urgent need of a human vessel; he is on a rampage now! He has just killed several people and sucked their qi, but it is still not enough. Why send him a person without spiritual powers? I can¡¯t help you with it, you will go and explain it to him yourself!¡±


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s expression changed a bit, but then she suddenly smiled: ¡°If the Clan Master is so angry now, I won¡¯t pay my respects right away. I will return when the honorable elder calms down. Please help me send this person to the Clan Master, this sister will remember you well and welcome you at her Lingbo Peak!¡±


    After she finished speaking, she gave an alluring smile to the disciple and rang the golden bell in her hand. She escaped without leaving a trace, and there was no time for anyone to stop her.


    Changming and the gate disciple, who were left alone, looked at each other in blank dismay.


    The disciple said: ¡°It¡¯s a shame! You really have bad luck. Peak Lord Xu ran away, and the Clan Master will definitely take his rage out on you. Follow me.¡±


    Although he expressed his pity towards Changming, he had no intentions of showing mercy. He firmly grasped his arm, not giving him a single chance to escape.


    If Changming started screaming at this moment, this disciple would have muted him with a talisman.


    But not only did Changming not shout, he even showed an amused expression.


    This one has no idea of death and danger, I¡¯m afraid he knows nothing about demonic cultivators of this world, the disciple thought.


    ¡°The Clan Master¡¯s temper is not so good, wait a bit and start kissing up to him. Behave yourself submissively. Who knows, maybe you can save your life.¡±


    The disciple saw that he was quite cooperative, so he gave Changming a warning.


    Changming said: ¡°I¡¯ve been admiring the Clan Master for a long time, I can¡¯t wait to meet him in person.¡±


    The disciple understood, this one is sick in his head, of course he is seeking death.


    He already started betting on how soon this person¡¯s remnants will be sent out, and how much of his body will be left.


    Translator¡¯s notes:


    [1] Marble platform: like this one, I suppose:


    The Temple of Heaven


    [2] Mingmen: an acupuncture point, ¡®gates of vitality¡¯. These ¡®gates of vitality¡¯ are actually located at the lower back, somewhere between the kidneys. The point on the wrist responsible for it is the lowest one on the right hand in the picture below:


    (if you are interested, the others are: heart, carotid, liver, kidneys, lungs, ¡°location on wrist over the radial artery where pulse is taken¡±, and spleen (from the top down, from left to right))

 CH 8

    He Yingyuan was a disciple who had just been reassigned to the position of the guard there at the beginning of the month.


    He entered the Jianxue Clan not long ago. His talent was not exceptional, but he carried out missions calmly, modestly and without talking too much, so he was assigned to watch over the doors to the Clan Master¡¯s residence.


    This was not a good position.


    Everyone knew how bad-tempered and moody the Clan Master was. Those who were around him could hardly get any profits, but rather could easily lose their lives; that¡¯s why He Yingyuan¡¯s position was risky. Although his allowance was higher than what others had, what use is money to an almost dead person?


    As the years went by, the disciples close to the clan head were influenced by their surroundings; their hearts turned hard like iron, and they wouldn¡¯t even lift a finger to save someone.


    But He Yingyuan¡¯s conscience had not yet been eaten by dogs completely, and a half of it was still left. He saw that Changming had no idea about the destiny that awaited him, and he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little compassion for him.


    ¡°The Clan Master¡¯s retreat didn¡¯t go smoothly. I am afraid you may suffer if you enter now.¡±


    It seemed that his tactful hint had no effect at all.


    Because not only did the other person not become frightened, but was even more eager.


    ¡°Who knows, maybe when the Clan Master sees me, he will calm down in an instant.¡±


    He Yingyuan: ¡­


    Wasting his words like this, he felt like a person playing the lute to a cow. If anyone else heard his words, they would have already started crying and calling for father and mother, but this man not only had a pit in his brain, but also wasn¡¯t afraid of death.


    A person playing the lute to a cow: to preach to deaf ears.


    He Yingyuan stopped talking. He firmly closed his mouth, pushed the gates lightly and gave Changming a sign to go in.


    Changming joyfully took a step forward and walked through the doors.


    As He Yingyuan saw it, Changming entered the gates to hell without knowing.


    He couldn¡¯t help but prick up his ears and straighten his waist, almost glueing his head to the doors. He attentively listened to the sounds inside, silently waiting for Changming¡¯s screams to come.


    Fortunately, everyone knew about the Clan Master¡¯s temperament, and except for the disciples on duty, there was no one unsensible enough to come here frequently. Naturally, no one saw He Yingyuan¡¯s indecent posture.


    He Yingyuan was nervous and anticipating at the same time. He was still a little aggrieved because Changming ignored his advice, so there is no need to describe how complex the thoughts deep in his heart were. He was waiting for that miserable shriek to clear his conscience and prove to himself that his words were not empty.


    But no matter how long he had been waiting, he heard no terrified shrieks.


    Forget about terrified shrieks, there were also no moans, no screams of agony, no begs for mercy or cries.


    He Yingyuan¡¯s legs hurt, so he groaned, moved a little, kept his weight on another leg, and continued to eavesdrop.


    Some time passed, and this leg also started to ache slightly.


    He Yingyuan sighed in his heart. His body was exhausted, but his curiosity was piqued. He was vexed at not being able to open the doors and take a glance at what was actually going on inside.


    But at this moment!


    Bang!


    The doors were blown away from the inside together with He Yingyuan, who was hit by them on his head.


    That was a flight experience he would never forget.


    Others fly on swords, use spiritual bells or teleporting formations.


    And only he flew on a door.


    The man and the door fell on the ground, the one on the other, the man under the door. He Yingyuan felt a lump forming in his throat, but didn¡¯t start crying yet, and only had a nosebleed.


    But let us go back half an hour.


    Changming entered the room.


    The person outside the doors was afraid he would change his mind and quickly closed them.


    The room was quite big, more like an assembly hall.


    There was nothing in there, not even a chair, except for a veil between the pillars that was swinging even though there was no wind.


    There were a few praying mats made of woven cattail scattered on the floor and some traces of blood that had already darkened. Changming lowered his gaze to a marble platform in the centre of the room.


    A person with dishevelled hair was sitting on the platform cross-legged with his back turned to Changming. One of his legs was propped up, and he placed his arm on his knee, holding a cup of wine in his hand.


    The wine he was holding was dripping from the cup to the floor, drop by drop. But the man seemed not to notice it, as if he was in a slumber.


    When Changming made his fifty first step, the man finally made a sound.


    ¡°This venerable one ordered Xu Jingxian to find a human vessel, and she sent me a waste with no spiritual powers?¡±


    Grim, ice-cold, emotionless, as if all the other creatures in the world meant nothing.


    The so-called techniques of human vessels and cultivation furnaces used different approaches to achieve equal results¡ªit¡¯s just that human vessels met more tragic ends than furnaces. A human vessel was completely drained of blood and qi, became a waste and soon passed away, leaving but desiccated remains.


    Zhou Keyi was Changming¡¯s third disciple.


    There were times when Changming tried treading every possible path. First he entered a Daoist sect, then he joined a Buddhist sect, and later turned to Demonic cultivation. That was when he accepted this disciple, Zhou Keyi.


    He still remembered Zhou Keyi who echoed others and was an introvert with low self-esteem. Although his talent was higher than that of the other two disciples he had had, there was a vast difference in their skills. He only succeeded in being persistent and focused. If he believed in something, he continued walking ahead without turning his head back.


    Of course, it was what caused Zhou Keyi to be so paranoid starting from that time and until now.


    Before Changming could reflect upon the reasons that caused his disciple to grow up like this, the man who had his back turned to him moved.


    His long sleeves waved in the ash air, and the next moment his figure became vague. In the blink of an eye, he was already near Changming.


    An ice-cold hand touched his neck.


    Anyone else would have started shivering from fear and kneeled, begging for forgiveness.


    But the person in front of Zhou Keyi didn¡¯t begin to shiver and scream, and even showed an apologetic and affable smile.


    ¡°My disciple, haven¡¯t seen you for years, how have you been?¡±


    Many people knew about the reputation of Zhou Keyi, the Head of the Jianxue Clan. Even if they had never seen him in person, they would avoid him at all cost, keeping as far from him as it was possible. If this devil¡¯s eyes fell on a person, he could immediately kill them. It was very possible that those people who acted so close with him could be counted on fingers.


    And nine out of ten of those people were badly injured, if not dead.


    Only this one was left¡ª


    If Xu Jingxian and He Yingyuan were there, they wouldn¡¯t have believed their eyes.


    Because Zhou Keyi, the Head of the Jianxue Clan, from whom others fled in fear, not only didn¡¯t break Changming¡¯s neck, but even took a step back, which had never happened before. His expression almost cracked, as if his face could shatter into pieces any moment.


    He feasted his eyes on Changming, and his expression was wavering, first showing doubt, then astonishment, and finally disbelief.


    Zhou Keyi suspected he was dreaming.


    His shifu had been dead for decades, how could he suddenly show up in front of him?


    Was it an illusion from his inner demons, or was it a bait from his enemies?


    He desperately needed a human vessel to calm the surging blood in his body, but when he saw Changming, he sobered up, as if his past uneasiness alleviated a lot.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Zhou Keyi was watching him with a cold gaze, as if he was going to stab Changming with his bare hand and take out his heart.


    ¡°This skin is not bad. Although there is no cultivation, I can smash the bones, make a hole in the top of the head, pour in mercury, and then hang the body at the gates to admire it from time to time¡­¡±


    While speaking, he slowly started to laugh. Even though he was handsome, he was so gloomy that he gave no warmth at all.


    But these words were like a cool breeze soothing Changming¡¯s cheeks. He unhurriedly began to speak.


    ¡°You entered your teacher¡¯s sect at the age of eight, were very timid, had low self-esteem, and was even afraid of thunder. There was a thunderous night one summer. I wanted to check whether you were already sleeping as you should have been, but found you lying on the floor. I thought you just rolled off your bed in your sleep, but I touched your bamboo mat and realized you had wet your bed¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    The terrifying Clan Master Zhou¡¯s face finally cracked.


    His expression became even more sinister.


    Although he wasn¡¯t very cute when he was little either, he was still a bit pretty.


    Changming thought.


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre not related to the main text:


    A: Special edition, special edition! The Jianxue Clan¡¯s head Zhou Keyi has gone mad!


    B: What a joke, that devil fell ill?


    A: The news is as real as pearls! My aunt¡¯s nephew¡¯s maternal uncle¡¯s second brother is helping the cook in the Jianxue Clan, there is no mistake!


    As real as pearls: honest truth


    B: How crazy, speak faster!


    A: I also don¡¯t know what happened, but heard that clan head Zhou has been repeating the same words for days.


    B: Which words?


    A: Why is he alive again? Why is he alive again? Why is he alive again?

 CH 9

    ¡°Let me go.¡±


    Changming tapped him on his arm, hinting that he should loosen his grip.


    Zhou Keyi released him at once and took a few steps back.


    This felt wrong again.


    He has already rebelled against his teacher many years ago, why should he obey his damn shifu now?


    Damn: lit. ¡®dead ghost¡¯, used to curse someone in different situations from usual scolding to a nickname for a husband, also a ¡®devil¡¯, or used to describe a dead person.


    Zhou Keyi laughed grimly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just checked, you have no cultivation, your dantian is destroyed. Aren¡¯t you a useless person now? Old thief, that serves you just right. And you still dare to show up in front of me? Do you really believe I wouldn¡¯t kill my teacher?¡±


    Dantian: the region in a person¡¯s body where qi is concentrated.


    Old thief: old wicked man; sometimes used in a conversation between friends.


    After he finished speaking, he raised his hand slightly, and dense red flames of surging qi appeared on his palm. He could just throw one attack on Changming to smash all his bones in one moment and make him die in agony.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know where I¡¯ve been all these years, why I am still alive, and what has happened to me?¡±


    Changming was calm and unruffled in the midst of the chaos. He took a look around, trying to find a clean praying mat to sit on, but they were all soaked in blood, so he could only choose the cleanest one and sit on it cross-legged.


    Zhou Keyi looked down at him only to see that his shifu¡¯s hair was as thick as it was before.


    He really wanted to know how this ghost was still alive.


    The whole world believed Changming to be dead. It¡¯s been so many years, and now he turned out to be fine and was standing right in front of him. When Changming called him ¡®my disciple¡¯, he really thought he was seeing a dream.


    Better to say a nightmare.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know.¡± Zhou Keyi said in a cold voice.


    ¡°You were always like this. You say you don¡¯t want to know, yet you actually do. If I had really lost my cultivation completely, would I have come here to find you? In truth, I spent these years in the Yellow Springs.¡±


    Zhou Keyi was bewildered for a moment and said with some doubt: ¡°Those lands of the Yellow Springs that have an entrance but no exit?¡±


    Changming nodded: ¡°I¡¯d had a fortunate adventure there and started cultivating anew. You thought you saw that my cultivation is gone, but actually it¡¯s reached a higher level that you can¡¯t detect. After I had broken through to the next realm, I managed to reach the state of ¡®regaining the natural state¡¯. In other words, you think I am a waste, but in reality I¡¯ve reached a level where you can¡¯t see my realm.¡±


    Regaining the natural state: also returning to the void; comprehending the Dao. Everything started with nothingness and should return to it again.


    Zhou Keyi: ¡°Are you implying that you have already reached immortality?¡±


    Reached immortality: became a dixian, an Earth immortal.


    Changming: ¡°I don¡¯t know whether this is immortality or not, but I did advance to the next level.¡±


    His expression was carefree, without a shred of deception.


    Although cultivators don¡¯t age fast, even the ones that break through to the Immortal Realm only achieve a lifespan of a few hundred or thousand years, but they still grow old and perish eventually, while Changming¡ª


    Zhou Keyi looked at him carefully. His hair was just as shiny and black as the day when he accepted Zhou Keyi as a disciple; only his expression was not as strict anymore, it was almost gentle instead. Zhou Keyi saw no hints of him getting older.


    But he was always mistrustful, and a couple of Changming¡¯s words could not dispel his doubts. He thought he should put Changming¡¯s claims to the test.


    And just as this thought crossed his mind, a white ray of light suddenly flew out of Changming¡¯s sleeve, aiming right at Zhou Keyi!


    The latter¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he leaned to the side to avoid it, but the white light brushed his face. His cheek was pierced by the ice-cold light ray. Zhou Keyi felt it with his hand, and realized that it was frost.


    He turned around and saw the light transform into a fierce white tiger that angrily fluffed its fur and roared at him, ready to pounce any second. Zhou Keyi struck without even thinking, and the red flames met the white tiger in the air. The radiant fire suddenly burst, and a loud noise almost shook the ground; the flames fell to the ground in a cluster of shining sparks, and the ice tiger was ripped to shreds.


    The people outside heard the noise and rushed towards the room. But because of how harsh Zhou Keyi usually behaved, no one dared to barge in without his permission.


    ¡°Everyone get out!¡±


    As soon as this one sentence from Zhou Keyi reached the ears of the people outside the room, the footsteps went down and disappeared into the distance.


    He turned back to Changming.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after all these years you would master the technique of turning the void into substance and reach this level in the art of control!¡±


    You: fun fact: ZKY switched to polite speech


    Changming only smiled, his expression unfathomable.


    Zhou Keyi was starting to believe his words. Just as Changming expected, Zhou Keyi didn¡¯t dare to act blindly without thinking first.


    ¡°I thought that if you were to ever return to this world, you would surely look for my dashixiong first.¡±


    Zhou Keyi also found a praying mat to sit on and started probing him.


    Changming: ¡°Why can¡¯t I come to see you first? Do you have no faith in yourself?¡±


    Zhou Keyi: What does it have to do with my self-confidence? I earnestly wish you had died in the Yellow Springs and never appeared in front of me again!


    He put on a fake smile: ¡°If I had known you were coming, I would have definitely decorated this place with lanterns and colored banners, and the beating of gongs and drums would have resounded to the skies upon your arrival; my people would have greeted you outside the sect and escorted you here!¡±


    Changming: ¡°That would be a waste of money and manpower. We haven¡¯t seen each other for years. I see that you have managed to achieve success and win recognition through your hard work, rising your head and shoulders above others.¡±


    Zhou Keyi sneered: ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve heard about how ruthless and bloodthirsty I am and climbed up this mountain just to punish the evildoer, eliminate the traitor. So you visited the Yellow Springs once and became all tolerant and tender?¡±


    Changming nodded: ¡°Indeed. I have encountered a lot of deadly adventures and realized that there is nothing insoluble in this world, you just need to find the right approach. And this is true for things and people alike.¡±


    Zhou Keyi: ¡°Ah, that sounds great, looks like you intend to use the same words to resolve your conflicts with my dashixiong. Had you been that broad-minded decades ago, would your disciples have left you one after another? This venerable one should really give you the joy of speaking with my dashixiong first, congratulate you two on a refreshing rain after a long drought, a spring coming to an old tree. I must send him a note and free him from his ignorance of your survival.¡±


    He was deliberately speaking in an ambiguous way, gloating and looking forward to seeing his dashixiong¡¯s wrath. Even though he was polite in every word, anyone who heard him would understand that their discord only lacked a violent fight.


    Changming was indifferent about this: ¡°It is not correct to use either of the sayings ¡®a refreshing rain after a long drought¡¯ or ¡®a spring coming to an old tree¡¯ here. You clearly didn¡¯t study enough when you were young. Since you have founded a clan now, you should read a lot in your free time and broaden your horizons.¡±


    Zhou Keyi: ¡­


    The corners of his mouth twitched. He was struggling to control his murderous intentions.


    ¡°You are the one who should be reflecting upon yourself! You carelessly gave me this name! Do you know how many people laughed at me after I had left your sect? They all said I was your disciple that you picked up randomly, my foundation was not worth mentioning, so of course the name was chosen thoughtlessly! Would I have received all this humiliation if it weren¡¯t for you?¡±


    This name: ZKY¡¯s name, ¡®keyi¡¯, literally means ¡®can¡¯ (as in ¡®I can do smth¡¯) or ¡®passable¡¯.


    ¡­and ZKY gave up on being polite.


    Zhou Keyi¡¯s intonation was deep and low, he was stressing each word. The longer he was talking, the slower his speech became; his strong resentment and desire to kill were almost revealed in his eyes.


    Changming didn¡¯t take it seriously: ¡°Greatness lies in simplicity. The simpler the name of a person is, the more profound his inner qualities are. If someone laughs at your name, their heads are empty, minds pitiful. You should keep going even more vigorously to let them know how ridiculous they are themselves.¡±


    Zhou Keyi gloomily said: ¡°There is no use for them to know it. Those who dared laugh at me and haven¡¯t yet reincarnated are already on their way to reincarnation.¡±


    Changming: ¡°If you thought this name was bad, why didn¡¯t you change it?¡±


    Zhou Keyi coldly laughed: ¡°Because I want everyone in this world to get used to my name, rather than yield to them myself!¡±


    Changming clapped his hands: ¡°Good, so aggressive, you really deserve to be a disciple of Jiufang Changming!¡±


    Zhou Keyi was happy for a moment, but then quickly came to his senses.


    Why was he happy? What was there to be happy about? This old thief treated him as a three-year old child and lied as soon as he opened his mouth. Did he still see him as that punching bag that didn¡¯t strike back when attacked, a spineless coward who couldn¡¯t utter a sound when scolded?


    ¡°Why on earth did you come here? To restore our master-disciple relationship from the past?¡±


    Changming said: ¡°I came to reclaim my Sifei Sword.¡±


    Zhou Keyi raised his eyebrows: ¡°Must I give it to you because you want me to? What if I don¡¯t return it?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. This sword¡¯s path is not for you, so you can¡¯t control it.¡±


    ¡°Here we go again!¡±


    Zhou Keyi violently interrupted him all of a sudden.


    ¡°You are always talking in this tone, looking down on me, but what is the truth now? I am the head of a clan, thousands of people worship me on bended knees, and there are lots and lots of other sects that dream of having my support, but you? You¡¯ve lost all your standing and reputation. If you just enter the land of the Jianxue Clan, anyone can attack you. If I say that you are wicked beyond redemption, that you are the main cause of the disaster that led to evil spirits appearing in this world, everyone will hate you hundreds of times more than they hate me! Jiufang Changming, hahaha, do you still believe that you are that first talent under the Heaven, the one no one would dare torture?¡±


    Changming was a bit puzzled: ¡°How can I lose my standing and reputation? Wasn¡¯t my reputation already disastrous? As long as I am strong and the others either respect or fear me, why should I care about it? My disciple, you are delusional.¡±


    Zhou Keyi laughed. He was ready to kill Changming and was looking at him as if he was already dead.


    ¡°Jiufang, I am no longer that disciple you could roll into a ball or squash into jelly.¡±


    Roll into a ball or squash into jelly: beat heavily.


    Changming didn¡¯t object: ¡°I apologize, Clan Master Zhou.¡±


    Zhou Keyi: ¡­


    He felt that this Jiufang Changming who appeared now was a totally different person.


    He has changed so much that now all the comments Zhou Keyi was making were in vain, like he was hitting cotton.


    Zhou Keyi has never felt so helpless.


    In the past, Jiufang Changming was discreet in his speech and manners, and his demands for his disciples were especially high. During those years, Zhou Keyi was half dead because of Changming¡¯s guidance, and his heart was full of concealed bitterness. He was determined to get his revenge and make Changming pay twice as much as he had received one day. But soon after he had left his master¡¯s sect, when he yet had no power to match Changming¡¯s strength, he heard about his master¡¯s death.


    Zhou Keyi never knew that deep in his heart he could not reconcile with this fact, not until he met his damn shifu again.


    It seemed that Changming had guessed his thoughts.


    ¡°You want to kill me, yet you don¡¯t; you want to defeat me, but you don¡¯t, because of the circumstances.¡±


    Zhou Keyi had a gloomy expression: ¡°Do you think you can manipulate my thoughts the way you did before?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I never wanted to manipulate you, those are your own ideas. You¡¯ve progressed in cultivation, and your level now is as different from how it was before as the sky is far from the earth. If you want to kill me, this is the right time. You may not get a chance like this in the future.¡±


    He looked calm, as if there were pale clouds and a light breeze around. Changming appeared to be completely defenceless.


    Pale clouds and a light breeze around: a peaceful situation.


    But the more his opponent behaved in this way, the more Zhou Keyi felt that the whole matter was not that simple.


    Changming was like a sly wily old fox, scheming and calculating, no doubt he had an escape route and some secret conspiracies and hidden traps on him, and was only waiting for him to make the first move.


    Zhou Keyi sized him up with suspicion, and Changming gave him a calm smile.


    He was even more sure in his guesses.


    Zhou Keyi suddenly retracted his ready-to-attack hands into his sleeves and couldn¡¯t help but laugh thinking about his new good decision.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you, but there is another person who definitely will; he is just itching to cut you into a thousand pieces as soon as possible. You want to retrieve the Sifei Sword, right? It is not here with me, but it is very likely in Yun Weisi¡¯s hands. This venerable one will send you there and let you see that dashixiong!¡±

 CH 10

    As Zhou Keyi was saying these words, he was closely observing the changes in Changming¡¯s expression.


    And his expression indeed became a bit more complicated.


    Zhou Keyi knew he had guessed it right, but now it was hard for him not to remember some old grievances¡ªafter all, this old thief still thought no one could be compared to Yun Weisi.


    Zhou Keyi remembered how he was trembling from fear those years, practicing diligently days and nights in order to please his shifu. But Jiufang Changming not only didn¡¯t have a high opinion of him, but even made excessive demands all around. In the end, because Zhou Keyi started practicing demonic techniques, Changming drove him out of his sect. Zhou Keyi couldn¡¯t help feeling murderous intentions again.


    A good chance indeed: this old thief is close at hand, so Zhou Keyi could easily raise his arm and destroy him. One death would end so many troubles.


    This would make his inner demons disappear and maybe even help him progress in his cultivation.


    Changming only needed to take a glance at him to understand his thoughts became dangerous once again.


    Those who practice demonic ways always had their minds affected by demons. At best, they lost their tempers quickly, at worst, their characters changed a lot.


    For instance, Zhou Keyi tended to extremes from birth, and the higher his cultivation rose, the harder it was for him to control himself; now it came to the point where he needed to drain human vessels to advance in his skills and suppress his madness.


    ¡°If you keep behaving this way, your body will break one day. Even if you have an infinite supply of human vessels, you won¡¯t be able to drain them completely, because after all it is not your own cultivation.¡±


    Bearing in his mind their history, Changming tried to point him to the shore that was just behind his back.


    The shore is just behind you: repent and be saved.


    ¡°There is only one way to save you now, and that is to disperse your cultivation completely and let you start anew. Even if it is hard to build your cultivation layer upon layer, it is still better than clinging to your ways.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! If it wasn¡¯t for your selfishness, why would I go as far as to start demonic cultivation!¡±


    Zhou Keyi¡¯s eyes turned bright red.


    This was a sign of him being possessed by his demons.


    He couldn¡¯t control himself anymore, ferociously grabbed Changming by his chin with one hand and pressed him against a pillar, almost crushing his chin.


    They stood face to face, their noses almost coming in contact; Changming could even feel his breath.


    Stinking of blood breath.


    This was one of a kind feeling.


    The smell of fresh blood filled the room, assaulting his nostrils at once.


    This was the smell of blood and essence of those ¡°human vessels¡± that Zhou Keyi had devoured over the years, mostly the souls of those who had died unjustly and bore grudges. Of course, his cultivation had an unparalleled growth, but the terrible backlashes flared up over and over again, and he was sure to have an ending in line with Changming¡¯s words.


    Changming saw Zhou Keyi¡¯s mad bloodthirsty expression and his soul concealed in the depth of his eyes.


    That timid and introverted soul from the past that now became paranoid and fierce.


    ¡°You were¡­¡±


    His chin hurt badly, his throat was also grabbed; it was hard for him to talk, yet Changming opened his mouth.


    ¡°I admit I was too stern with you, but I treated my disciples equally without discrimination. Be it Yun Weisi or Sun Buku, I never treated them with leniency. Your aptitude is higher, so you should be even more hardworking. If you followed the path I paved for you, you could have become a first class master¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need this first class!¡±


    Zhou Keyi interrupted him and exerted even more force.


    Changming couldn¡¯t stand the pain and frowned.


    ¡°I want to get above the others, be unrivalled, extraordinary; everything Yun Weisi accomplished, I can accomplish too! Jiufang Changming, why are you pretending to be righteous in front of me? When you rebelled against Daoism and Buddhism, didn¡¯t you start demonic cultivation as well, and didn¡¯t you advance in it? Yet you value the broom because it¡¯s your own and refuse to pass your techniques to me! I¡­¡±


    To value the broom because it¡¯s your own: to value something insignificant that you invented/made.


    Hate you to the very marrow of my bones, but I couldn¡¯t defeat you, so I could only admire you from afar for so many years.


    Back then, just when he had thought he would defeat Jiufang Changming soon with his own strength to prove the other was wrong, Changming took away this hope.


    But now¡ª


    His soft and fragile neck was just under Zhou Keyi¡¯s hand, he could even feel Changming¡¯s pulse with his fingertips.


    He only needed to use a bit of force to accomplish this long-cherished wish!


    His inner demons were on a rampage, his thoughts contradicted each other. When he was almost ready to make a move, a ray of white light suddenly broke out from his opponent¡¯s sleeve, so dazzling that it made him close his eyes for a moment.


    But in this moment of hesitation, the white light abruptly turned into a giant dragon, soaring up with a roar. It opened its ferocious large mouth and jumped at Zhou Keyi at once!


    Zhou Keyi was taken by surprise and subconsciously recoiled from it. Even though the giant dragon was not corporeal, it unexpectedly managed to shake the whole room; when it raised its head, pieces of tile on the rooftop were broken, a tremendous noise filled the place, and the floor tiles were shattered into small pieces. He Yingyuan who was guarding the room outside the doors had long since disappeared without a trace, and no one dared to come closer to observe the scene.


    Zhou Keyi grabbed the air, and a long black sword appeared in his hand. He swung it toward the dragon that pounced at him, and the black glowing sword met the roaring dragon. When the black and the white rays fused, it didn¡¯t resemble the primal chaos at all, it was like a clash of incompatible surging waves!


    Boom!


    The roar of the giant dragon shook the earth and swayed the mountain, making the whole peak tremble.


    The brilliant rays gradually waned. Zhou Keyi slowly landed on the floor, dropping his long sword. Blood was dripping from the corners of his mouth. The giant dragon turned into ice crystal fog, broke into bits and pieces and dispersed in the air.


    In the dense mist, two people that were once a master and his disciple were looking at each other, and there was no need to say much to let anyone guess these two had both gratitudes and grudges from their past.


    Changming had blood dripping from the corners of his mouth as well, but stood up straight, and Zhou Keyi couldn¡¯t measure how injured he was.


    Could it be that this old thief was actually speaking the truth, that he has already ¡®returned to the void¡¯, and now could turn the void into substance?


    When he thought about all the things that had ever happened with Changming, Zhou Keyi, even if he refused to voice it, admired his shifu almost to the point where this feeling was engraved in his bones and imprinted on his heart.


    He used to believe that he had grown stronger, so this admiration had changed completely, even turning into disdain. But at this moment he realised with astonishment that this admiration, awe and reverence still existed, but hidden so deep in his heart that they had almost deceived him.


    Zhou Keyi gasped for breath, finding his state of mind completely clear all of a sudden.


    It has been a long time since he had thought about a problem so calmly and deeply.


    Every time when he was possessed by demons, he was ignorant of his actions, as if drunk or entranced. This fast recovery might have had something to do with their battle.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± he whispered.


    Changming indifferently clasped his hands behind his back.


    ¡°There was just a simple clearing heart mantra hidden in the ice dragon. I have already explained it to you a long time ago, balance is the way of Heavens. If you take something you don¡¯t own, you will eventually be punished. I entered demonic cultivation to take the cream while discarding the dross. In my opinion, draining human vessels is exactly that dross of demonic cultivation. You, on the other hand, took this wrong shortcut to achieve quick success.¡±


    To take the cream while discarding the dross: to be selective when studying.


    ¡°You took the wrong road by mistake and should turn round now, mend the fold after a sheep is lost, it is not too late yet. Although we don¡¯t share a master-disciple relationship now, I still root for your success.¡±


    Mend the fold after a sheep is lost: better late than never.


    Zhou Keyi had been staring at him for half a day, and then suddenly burst into laughter.


    ¡°I would have never thought that the formidable Jiufang Changming could say such words to a disciple!¡±


    He remembered very well what Changming said back then. You took the wrong road by mistake, but refuse to repent and mend your ways. From now on, don¡¯t call me your teacher. After all, even if we share a master-disciple relationship, we are still strangers. You¡¯re on your own.


    Zhou Keyi was dissatisfied. He didn¡¯t want to hear such words from Changming, so he just turned around and went away without looking back.


    As he was looking back, scenes of the past were leaping before his eyes. The harsh words and stern looks of that old thief from his memories, the wrinkles between his brows¡ªhe could never forget them.


    Changming looked calm. He even raised the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°I am a human, not a god, so I was too violent and stern those years. Do I really look like a flawless person who makes no mistakes in your eyes? Keyi, you are really still too infatuated with your teacher. It¡¯s been so many years, yet you still look up to me as if I am a god.¡±


    Zhou Keyi almost became possessed by his demons again because of those shameless words.


    ¡°Clan Master!¡±


    Seeing that the sounds coming from there had stopped long ago, some people finally dared come closer.


    Xu Jingxian walked unhurriedly behind a few other Peak Masters. She didn¡¯t want to confront the troubles ahead of her at all.


    Everybody knew that the Jianxue Clan¡¯s head had an unstable character and was extremely moody. She didn¡¯t want to repeat the unfortunate fate of that person.


    Much to her surprise, that ¡°human vessel¡± from the Qixian Sect who was supposed to be dead was actually standing in front of the Clan Master, almost unharmed, safe and sound¡ªhe only had some blood on the corners of his mouth.


    The huge building was heavily damaged, and broken tiles were chaotically scattered on the ground around. This was the source of the noise that drew their attention.


    But there was no doubt that person had no trace of cultivation, she had checked it herself; he could hardly even capture a chicken, how could he oppose Zhou Keyi?


    Let alone oppose, Zhou Keyi could probably take him down to the ground with one finger.


    Could it be that the Clan Master was possessed? That sounded even less possible, since all the others who met him in this state were drained of their blood and essence, leaving behind nothing but corpses. How could this one remain unharmed?


    In Zhou Keyi¡¯s eyes, all the bystanders were only empty shells.


    He could only see Changming.


    His gaze was ice cold, like the one of a statue.


    His expression was blank, not moved by the eight winds.


    The eight winds: Bud. eight forces that move people: profit, loss, shame, reputation, praise, ridicule, suffering, happiness.


    Without Zhou Keyi¡¯s orders, no one dared come and capture Changming.


    They were stuck in this situation for a while.


    Zhou Keyi was suddenly reminded of the past.


    One year, when his skills were not yet high, he was training on a ground covered with snow, and he couldn¡¯t bear the cold. He fainted after three days and three nights. When he woke up, he was lying on Jiufang Changming¡¯s bed. The latter dispersed the cold air around Zhou Keyi.


    When he felt some warmth coming from his strict teacher, he wanted to express his gratitude, but his teacher poured a basin of cold water on his head before Zhou Keyi could do that. Jiufang Changming told him that Zhou Keyi¡¯s endurance was awful, he was far behind his two shixiongs; it was very possible that he could have trained for three months and gained no results, and that he would have to cultivate more than a year or two to accomplish what his shixiongs could accomplish in one month.


    Zhou Keyi from that time was really just a lonely and helpless fledgling under the eyes of a powerful eagle. But this eagle not only didn¡¯t encourage and comfort him, but even pushed him off a cliff.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t advance in a year, stop following me as your teacher.¡±


    Why was Changming heartless to the point that he didn¡¯t even resemble a human?


    Was he also so ruthless towards Yun Weisi and Sun Buku?


    If Jiufang Changming had been more patient in the past, instructed him earnestly, would he still have chosen this demonic cultivation path of no return?


    Zhou Keyi was thinking over these questions again and again.


    To no avail.


    The events from the past have no answers.


    A history cannot be repeated.


    The waters that had flowed to the east can never return back.


    East: Chinese rivers mosty flow from the west to the east.


    ¡°Xu Jingxian.¡±


    When he opened his mouth, unexpectedly, Zhou Keyi¡¯s voice was calm.


    Ice cold, without a trace of rage.


    In her heart, Xu Jingxian was crying because of her bad luck¡ªshe came last, but was still singled out by him. She could only brace herself and come out, forcing a smile beautiful as the autumn moon.


    ¡°Does Clan Master have any instructions?¡±


    ¡°Take him to the Nine Layers of the Abyss.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expressions changed slightly.


    Xu Jingxian gasped.


    ¡°This¡­ Clan Master, Jingxian is afraid that she won¡¯t be able to complete this task!¡±


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre not related to the main text:


    Changming: My disciple, you still look up to your teacher.


    Zhou Keyi: Aaah total rubbish! (getting possessed by demons)


    Changming: Yun Weisi and Sun Buku are both more outstanding than you, why have you been cultivating for many years and still have so little progress?


    Zhou Keyi: Aaah that can¡¯t be! (getting possessed by demons)

 CH 11

    What kind of place is the Nine Layers of the Abyss?


    Rumor has it that place is an abyss, but also a gate and a fence.


    A fence that separates the Human World from the Demon World.


    After the catastrophe that happened decades ago, the Nine Layers of the Abyss turned into a passage full of evil spirits, demons and monsters of all kinds.


    Almost everyone agreed that it was the most perilous place in the world.


    Of course, if you were strong enough or felt strong enough, you could go there looking for pleasant surprises and reap a bumper harvest.


    Spiritual stones, fine weapons, and even fortunate meetings.


    Zhou Keyi tilted his head slightly, and stared at her with his bloodshot eyes.


    Xu Jingxian felt goosebumps on her back and forced a smile: ¡°Clan Master, this subordinate is not trying to avoid her responsibilities, but that place¡­ For this subordinate that place might be a bit too much to stay in even for a moment without getting in trouble. Then this subordinate¡­ Then she will never be able to see the Clan Master again, to serve you!¡±


    She looked delicate and touching, and any other man wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore her frailty. Even if the other Peak Masters knew that she was hard to deal with, they couldn¡¯t help but be a bit moved in their hearts. Someone cursed the evil beauty in secret without raising their eyes to look at her.


    Zhou Keyi was observing her closely, not taking his eyes off of her for a moment.


    Xu Jingxian, on the contrary, gave up and lowered her gaze.


    Zhou Keyi hummed: ¡°You can¡¯t feel secure there, but he can. Stop talking rubbish and do as I say. When you accomplish the mission and return here, I will give you some muslin from the Donghai sea.¡±


    Muslin: lit. ¡°shark silk¡±, silk made (traditionally) by mermaids.


    Not only Xu Jingxian, but everyone present had their faces lit up.


    That muslin was not just a weapon, it could also be used as a fabric for making clothes. The muslin from the Donghai Sea was a special type of fabric. There were rumors about it being made from mermaid skin. It was extremely rare, and even the imperial family considered it the jewel of their treasure collection. It was also valuable clothing for cultivators that could protect one¡¯s life at a crucial point. Many people longed for it but could never obtain it.


    Mermaids: Chinese mermaids resemble ones from Western tales, but are also craftsmen; they weave waterproof fabrics, and even have their tears turn into pearls. Mermaid fat (..?) is a good fuel.


    But if one went to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, they could easily lose their life. So this promise was just a pavilion in the air, flowers but no fruits.


    A pavilion in the air: an illusion.


    Flowers but no fruits: flashy and without substance.


    Xu Jingxian weighed the advantages and disadvantages and hesitated for half a day. She still wanted to refuse, but saw black qi flash in Zhou Keyi¡¯s palms out of the corner of her eye¡ªif she were to refuse, he would kill the chicken to warn the monkeys. She shivered with fear in her heart and quickly started speaking.


    Killing the chicken to warn the monkey: punishing one person as an example to others


    ¡°Clan Master gave his order, this subordinate can¡¯t disobey!¡±


    Zhou Keyi retracted his hand. His expression improved a bit, but just as he looked at Changming, his face darkened again, as if he could become possessed by his inner demons any moment now.


    Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t like the way things were going and immediately took a step forward to pull Changming closer.


    ¡°Then we will get going, Clan Master doesn¡¯t have to see us off, this subordinate bids farewell!¡±


    Zhou Keyi who was left behind didn¡¯t stop her.


    Xu Jingxian breathed a sigh of relief secretly.


    She waved the golden bells in her hand and returned to Lingbo Peak with Changming, not stopping for a moment. When she saw familiar landscapes and servants, she felt her legs go weak. If just now Zhou Keyi flew into a rage and started killing everyone around, the consequences would be too horrible to imagine. She didn¡¯t want to die such an indecent death.


    ¡°I¡¯m really curious, why, even though our Clan Master¡¯s cultivation is so high, you managed to survive facing him?¡±


    Changming put his hand to his mouth and started coughing.


    Xu Jingxian was dissatisfied: ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t play coy with me! If I hadn¡¯t dragged you away right now, our Clan Master would have demonstrated his skills. Even if you have a couple of secret moves, I suppose both sides would have suffered losses!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Changming coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    Red trickles ran through his fingers. He bent down, and some blood spilled on Xu Jingxian, immediately getting her new lilac dress dirty.


    Xu Jingxian gasped in surprise. She was about to get angry, but got a hold of herself. Zhou Keyi ordered her to bring the man to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, not to kill him; furthermore, this person was full of secrets she was yet to discover, so she couldn¡¯t bear to lay her hands on him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Changming spat out quite a few mouthfuls of blood, and his entire hand was dyed red. He got back on his feet and shook his head.


    When he battled against Zhou Keyi just now, he seemed not to be inferior in any aspects, but what he actually used were not his spiritual powers, but his soul consciousness.


    His spiritual powers were all gone, let alone the fact that he began practising anew¡ªeven if he had raised his powers up by three points out of ten, he still wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat Zhou Keyi.


    But the Art of conferring spirit was an exception.


    This technique relied on using the soul consciousness exclusively, turning the void into substance, intertwining them. Its effectiveness depends on the strength of the soul consciousness.


    Changming had been wandering through the Yellow Springs for all these years, and was accustomed to seeing dangers that put his life on the line; his soul consciousness was profound and could be compared to the one of an outstanding master. That is why he caught Zhou Keyi off guard with the Art of conferring spirit and could battle him without obvious concessions.


    That was part of the reason, and the rest could be attributed to Zhou Keyi¡¯s deeply rooted fear of his former shizun.


    Even if Zhou Keyi has become a formidable person, he still couldn¡¯t doubt Changming¡¯s words.


    Changming only needed to stand there, and Zhou Keyi was already intimidated.


    Of course, this method couldn¡¯t be used for too long, and Zhou Keyi was also not a fool; sooner or later, he would have noticed that Changming acts tough but is brittle inside, and then his death wouldn¡¯t have been a nice one.


    That¡¯s why he pushed the boat with the current, returning here with Xu Jingxian.


    Pushed the boat with the current: seized an opportunity, went with the flow.


    Xu Jingxian was uncertain about his situation and actually believed that he had a way of dealing with Zhou Keyi. She didn¡¯t dare to attack him seeing him bleeding, and even took out a handkerchief and gave it to him, pouting.


    ¡°And yet you deceived me about the Art of controlling spirit. Those two fox puppets from the Qixian Sect were yours in truth!¡±


    Changming¡¯s bloody hands left [plum blossom prints] on the bright, clean-as-the-moon handkerchief, staining it through and through.


    Xu Jingxian was not displeased at all, she didn¡¯t even give her people an order to help him to his room, and did it personally.


    Since he was with the Peak Master, naturally he received the best yard on Lingbo Peak, excluding the Peak Master¡¯s one.


    Surrounded by mountains, waters, and misty clouds, a cool breeze brushing against their faces¡ªthis place might as well be called a blessed spot.


    People from Lingbo Peak saw their master bustling around, serving this man of dubious background with her own hands, and were all just staring in bewilderment.


    ¡°Get out, all of you!¡±


    Xu Jingxian lost her patience with them standing still as trees at her side, so she drove everyone out.


    Her interest towards Changming was growing bigger.


    ¡°What exactly is your relationship with the Clan Master, why did he order me to bring you to the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡±


    ¡°Good brother, good gentleman, tell me quickly, we must go to the Nine Layers of the Abyss; if you want me to go, you have to give me some courage!¡±


    Xu Jingxian could soften countless hearts with her attitude, but Changming was badly injured and didn¡¯t pay attention to her. She remained by his side from the very beginning to the point when he stopped vomiting blood and gathered enough strength to speak to her.


    ¡°Are the Nine Layers of the Abyss really so frightening?¡±


    ¡°Quite so.¡±


    Xu Jingxian rolled her eyes, gave him a cup of tea and began talking with assurance.


    ¡°On that day, the world¡¯s best masters gathered on the Sacred Mountain Wan, created a Liuhe Zhutian Formation, trying to seal the passage to the Demon Realm. Have you heard about this?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I have, but very little. What happened next?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Then, while they were supporting the formation, one person colluded with demons, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Most of those who were protecting the formation sacrificed their lives, but the passage was opened wide nevertheless; demons came out to the human world in swarms. After that, nine walls were gradually created around the Sacred Mountain Wan. Although they can¡¯t seal the passage completely, demons can¡¯t go in and out as they wish, so it is a barrier that slows them down.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Who colluded with demons?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the one who colluded with demons back then was the outstanding number one master in the world, Immortal Jiufang.¡±


    Changming: ¡­


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre that is not related to the main text:


    Changming: Did I do such a thing?


    Zhou Keyi: Didn¡¯t you? I don¡¯t believe you, ha-ha.


    Changming: I should have called you Zhou ¡®Don¡¯t Believe¡¯.


    Zhou ¡®Can¡¯: ¡­


    The author has something to say:


    Time to answer some questions:


    1. Da Yun will probably appear in the 13th chapter.


    Da Yun: lit. ¡®Big Cloud¡¯, opposed to Xiao Yun; the male lead.


    2. These four disciples had their own reasons to fall out with Changming, and their reasons will be slowly disclosed in the future. This text is not only a ¡®master-disciple¡¯ story, but also a story of Changming restoring his glory.


    3. Rest assured, this novel has a happy ending.


    4. Other answers would be spoilers ah, spoilers are no fun ah.


    Tn:


    I had a long argument over existence of ¡°ºÚ¹â¡±, ¡°black light¡±, with my friend; in the end, I had to make it ¡°black qi¡±, because if not this, then ultraviolet rays¡­ Kind of too hardcore even for ZKY.

 CH 12

    Xu Jingxian carefully watched the changes in his facial expression.


    When Changming frowned, she noticed it at once.


    ¡°You know Immortal Jiufang too?¡±


    Changming asked her in reply: ¡°How do you know that he colluded with demons?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°I was still inexperienced at that time, so I haven¡¯t seen it with my own eyes. But everyone who had survived by sheer luck and returned said the same thing.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Haven¡¯t you just told me that almost all of those who were there had to sacrifice themselves?¡±


    Xu Jingxian laughed: ¡°And of course, there are people who managed to escape, like the Head of the Dugu Family, the Master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, the Head of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, and others. They have all either secluded themselves from society, or became famous and hold a great power.¡±


    Changming thought of what Zhou Keyi said about Changming losing all standing and reputation. It seemed that he was not exaggerating.


    Since Changming had left the Yellow Springs, he had begun to recall his past little by little, but still couldn¡¯t remember what actually happened in the catastrophe that day; these memories were still too vague. But now, having heard Zhou Keyi¡¯s and Xu Jingxian¡¯s points of view, he got a better understanding.


    Given his cultivation of the strongest person of the world, colluding with demons was impossible if he didn¡¯t gain from it some kind of extraordinary profit.


    But what on earth could that extraordinary profit be?


    Besides, Xiao Yun¡¯s sudden appearance and evanescence had something to do with Yun Weisi for sure.


    Even if these Nine Layers of the Abyss were a trap, he still had no choice but to go.


    And if there were indeed some ulterior motives behind this, and someone was trying to make it seem mysterious on purpose, the whole matter only became more interesting.


    Not giving him much time to sort things out, Xu Jingxian leaned to him coquettishly.


    ¡°Ming-lang, you still haven¡¯t told me what your relationship with the Clan Master is! Furthermore ah, didn¡¯t you want to see him from the very beginning, and only allowed me to bring you here? You deceived me so badly! If the Clan Master decides to investigate it now, I will surely be dragged into troubles by you!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you already dragged into troubles?¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t push her away, but didn¡¯t use this chance to take liberties with her, only watching her performance.


    Xu Jingxian couldn¡¯t keep the act under this look in his eyes, and her smile became reluctant.


    She felt herself a fool unable to escape his gaze.


    ¡°Then will you discuss the trip to the Nine Layers of the Abyss with me? Even if my Clan Master told me to go, I still don¡¯t want to be sent to my death.¡±


    Xu Jingxian raised her hand with difficulty and made her posture a bit more decent, remaining a delicate and fragile beauty in the eyes of others.


    But the next moment her calm expression changed.


    Because of one line that Changming uttered.


    ¡°Did you want to enter a Daoist sect when you were little, but were told that your natural charming bones are not suited for the Daoist practises, so you had to enter a Demonic sect to cultivate?¡±


    §³harming bones: to put it bluntly, she is a natural seducer


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Your face has already answered the question, my theory is right. It seems that you not only wanted to enter a Daoist sect¡ªit even turned into your obsession.¡±


    Xu Jingxian fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°When I was little, I saw Daoist cultivators flying on their swords through the sky one day. I was very fascinated and made a scene to make my dad bring me to the largest Daoist sect to find a master there. I still remember that it happened to be the preaching day of Sanqing. There were crowds of people, and many little children like me lined up to have masters examine their roots and bones and tell whether they are qualified enough to cultivate. Luckily, my father knew a servant who helped me bypass the lines.¡±


    Sanqing: three Immortal Residences or three Supreme deities in Daoism.


    These events took place a long time ago, but the memories were still vivid in Xu Jingxian¡¯s mind, remaining fresh for all this time.


    ¡°When my turn finally came, I took a step forward, waiting with anticipation for that Daoist to tell me that I can cultivate, and assign me to a teacher. Who would have thought that he would take my wrist, frown for a long time silently with a grave expression, and then tell my father that I have charming bones, so, if I marry into the imperial family¡¯s descendants, I will destroy a whole country with my beauty, and if I start cultivating, I might go astray.¡±


    ¡°I started crying and created a rumpus immediately, cursing the Daoist who was reading my fortune for being a malicious ox muzzle, but my father stopped me and even made me apologise to that stinky Daoist. Only later did I learn that that stinky Daoist¡¯s name is Xie Chunxi, and he is the mentor of the Jinque Temple.¡±


    An ox muzzle: derog. old Daoist.


    Changming nodded: ¡°Back then, Xie Chunxi defeated Buddhist Sect Master Zun Miaodu. He is quite capable.¡±


    Xu Jingxian smirked: ¡°I was only seven that year, how could a seven-year-old girl be called a beauty that can bring disaster to a whole country? But, precisely because he was famous and capable, those words were dangerous. After that, my father took me to other Daoists, but they didn¡¯t dare to refute Xie Chunxi¡¯s notion. It didn¡¯t matter which sect I tried to enter, in the end, they all shut their doors in front of me. Since I couldn¡¯t cultivate Dao, I turned to demonic cultivation. They said I am a beauty that can destroy countries, so I had to behave this way. How can I betray old Xie Chunxi¡¯s expectations!¡±


    She gave this speech in one go, calmed down a bit, and smiled again very soon, softly pouting.


    ¡°It is all your fault, why did you make me remember my past? It made me so angry that my heart is still fluttering!¡±


    ¡°You do have charming bones. Xie Chunxi was not mistaken.¡±


    When he finished this sentence, he suddenly saw a murderous look igniting in her eyes.


    But this murderous look was quickly hidden behind a delicate smile. Xu Jingxian said with affection: ¡°Ming-lang, why are you telling this to me! I grew up to be pretty, so I must have charming bones and no root of wisdom? Why don¡¯t you just say that men can¡¯t control themselves around me and are all seduced at the first sight?¡±


    Root of wisdom: cognition organ that can lead one to truth; Budd. innate talent for enlightenment, in this case, enlightenment in righteous cultivation.


    Changming was not affected by her words, still speaking calmly.


    ¡°But people with charming bones are not obligated to practice demonic cultivation, just like people with righteous thoughts and pure souls don¡¯t necessarily follow the Dao. Furthermore, the fire in your soul is not yet extinguished. Even if your body cultivates in demonic ways, and you can¡¯t relax for a moment while serving Zhou Keyi, you practice every day to make a breakthrough without taking shortcuts like many other demonic cultivators. I observed your facial features¡ªyou have charming bones, but you don¡¯t have charming qi; it is obvious you didn¡¯t choose the path of gathering yang to replenish yin. If you entered a Daoist or a Buddhist sect back then, you could have become a great master today.¡±


    The fire in your soul: in a sense of ¡®the beacon in one¡¯s heart lighting up the righteous way¡¯.


    To observe facial features: to tell fortune by one¡¯s facial features.


    The path of gathering yang to replenish yin: (of a woman) dual cultivation in a¡­ bad way.


    Xu Jingxian laughed: ¡°What¡¯s the point of telling me this now? Just to win over my favor?¡±


    Changming: ¡°You still have a chance.¡±


    Xu Jingxian frowned, unable to ignore his words.


    Changming didn¡¯t keep her in suspense.


    ¡°There is the Yangzhen Grass in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, growing where people can¡¯t reach it. If you manage to gather it, it will take your cultivation to a new level, cleanse your marrow without destroying your roots. Didn¡¯t Zhou Keyi promise you the muslin of the Donghai Sea upon your return? As I see it, using other things to advance is not as good as cultivating on your own. Since Zhou Keyi ordered you to send me to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, you should use this fortunate once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gather some Yangzhen Grass.¡±


    Yangzhen: lit. fostering temperament.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°I¡¯ve never heard about this Yangzhen Grass, how can I be sure you are not talking nonsense?¡±


    Changming: ¡°You can go and ask Zhou Keyi to find out whether I am telling the truth.¡±


    Xu Jingxian thought, Am I tired of life? I¡¯ve just ¡°escaped¡± from the Clan Master, why would I return there to my certain death?


    Undeniably, his last words swayed her and brightened her thoughts.


    Originally, she planned to drop Changming somewhere near the Nine Layers of the Abyss and return to her sect, letting him find the way himself. Everyone knew how slim the chances of survival there were, so, even if Changming died there, no one would be surprised.


    But the Clan Master was a moody person, and another moment he might have wished to see Changming return unscratched.


    If she left the man in the Nine Layers of the Abyss and displeased the Clan Master so much that he would decide to settle scores with her, would she still be able to save her own life?


    He was the first human vessel sent to the Clan Master who had returned unscathed, so Changming was an exception among exceptions. When she was looking at them just now, she could clearly see they had a history together. Who knows, he might have been the person who the Clan Master used to love, but came to hate later, the one who enraged Zhou Keyi and made his practice go astray from sword cultivation to using human vessels¡­


    Before she knew it, Xu Jingxian had already imagined a story of a love-hate and passion-killing relationship of unattainable love between them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand, why did you battle with him so gravely if you are familiar with each other?¡± Xu Jingxian tried to test the waters, half in jest.


    ¡°Sometimes, the deeper the bond between two people is, the more turbulent their reunion is.¡± Changming answered in the same manner, half in jest.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°So you really are old acquaintances.¡±


    Changming: ¡°He grew up on a riverside. His family was poor, and he usually went to the river to catch some fish himself. After some time, the financial situation of his family improved, but he was fed up with fish and wanted to vomit upon smelling fish odour. I suppose this hasn¡¯t changed even now.¡±


    If he said something else, Xu Jingxian might not have believed him, but, in order to please Zhou Keyi, she intentionally inquired about his habits; it was not a secret that Zhou Keyi hated fish, but no one knew the reason.


    Xu Jingxian was finally convinced that he was actually the Clan Master¡¯s old acquaintance, and even assumed they could have had an affair.


    ¡°Since the Clan Master gave her the order, Xu Jingxian must obey. It is already late, so I will order servants to take the gentleman to his bed, and tomorrow we will leave for the Nine Layers of the Abyss, how about it?¡±


    Changming had no objections.


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble, lady.¡±


    This night went especially peacefully for Changming.


    More peaceful than those he had spent at the back of the mountain in the Qixian Sect.


    Not because he reunited with his third disciple after a long separation, but because he knew Zhou Keyi and Xu Jingxian had troubles falling asleep.


    As for Zhou Keyi, it was because he was frightened after meeting Changming all of a sudden, and still had not returned to his senses.


    He fought with Changming earlier that day. Considering Zhou Keyi¡¯s paranoid tendencies, at night he would mull over the fact that his nasty shifu actually increased his cultivation level so quickly, where he got a chance like this, and whether he had really attained earth immortality.


    And the harder it was to tell whether these matters were real or just a sham, the less Zhou Keyi would dare to act recklessly; in the end, he would only be able to pull his own hair out in uncertainty.


    And Xu Jingxian¡¯s mind was definitely perturbed by the Yangzhen Grass that Changming had mentioned. She would try to find information about its existence everywhere, spend the whole night in search, taking no rest, and look through all kinds of ancient books, records, and sutras to discover the truth.


    Since the others slept badly, Changming slept well.


    When he woke up after ten hours of sleep, he felt fresh and energetic.


    On the contrary, Xu Jingxian looked very tired.


    A cultivator couldn¡¯t get so tired after one sleepless night. Since Xu Jingxian was so exhausted, she must have spent the night looking everywhere for a trace of the Yangzhen grass with her golden bell.


    When she saw Changming in glowing spirits, her face turned even blacker.


    ¡°Ming-lang seems so happy, you must have had sweet dreams last night?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think so, Lady Xu?¡±


    ¡°Your face is glowing with health, as if surrounded by propitious clouds, so you should have encountered something pleasant. Can¡¯t you share it with me?¡± Xu Jingxian uttered every word loud and clear.


    ¡°I am delighted because it looks like Lady Xu took a great load off her mind, solved a hard question. I am happy for you.¡± Changming said genuinely.


    Xu Jingxian smiled exhaustedly, wishing she could bite him.


    She was a Peak Master, so others resented and feared her, calling her an ¡®immortal lady¡¯ in her eyes and an ¡®evil beauty¡¯ behind her back. It was always her who made others acknowledge defeat, and no one could make her go running around in circles.


    This Changming was really a peerlessly capable person.


    ¡°I did find a legend about the Yangzhen Grass in an ancient book text indeed.¡±


    Changming raised his eyebrows: ¡°My congratulations, Lady Xu.¡±


    Xu Jingxian wanted to bite him again, ¡°What else do you know about the Yangzhen Grass?¡±


    Changming: ¡°It doesn¡¯t touch soil, stones or dew; it can¡¯t be found on branches or on cliffs. Those who saw it say it doesn¡¯t follow karma or enter Samsara. It is hard to find its trace in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and it can only be seen in a short period of time under the full moon. All these things you couldn¡¯t have found in those ancient texts.¡±


    Xu Jingxian doubted his words: ¡°Then how can you be so sure? Have you been to the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡±


    Changming: ¡°My memories are damaged. Presumably, I have, but I can¡¯t remember the way. I must have seen the Yangzhen Grass with my own eyes, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t have left such a deep impression on me. Your cultivation is nearing a bottleneck now, and you can¡¯t progress further. The Yangzhen Grass is your best opportunity.¡±


    Xu Jingxian hummed tenderly: ¡°I won¡¯t give up on my life for an imaginary opportunity. The Clan Master ordered me to bring you to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, so I will send you to the entrance, see you enter it, and then return to report on the mission immediately. You are not allowed to seduce me into wrongdoing!¡±


    Changming smiled: ¡°When are we setting on our journey?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Right now!¡±


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre not related to the main text:


    Xu Jingxian: Clan Master, I am bold enough to ask, after all, what is your relationship with Changming?


    Zhou Keyi: How is it your business?


    Xu Jingxian: I¡¯m deciding on my approach towards him. If he is important to you, I will be more respectful.


    Zhou Keyi: No need, torture him ruthlessly!


    Xu Jingxian: Oh.


    Zhou Keyi: But don¡¯t kill him.


    Xu Jingxian: Oh¡ª


    Zhou Keyi (gnashing his teeth): He owes me much!


    Xu Jingxian: O-oh?


    Zhou Keyi: But I don¡¯t want him to be killed by anyone else.


    Xu Jingxian: O-oh, I got it, it¡¯s a hopeless love!


    Zhou Keyi: ???

 CH 13

    Although the Yulin bell was a rare treasure that one could carry anywhere instead of a teleportation formation, it had the same flaw formations did¡ªit could only send people to the places they have already visited. Xu Jingxian has never set foot on the Sacred Mountain Wan, much less the Nine Layers of the Abyss. The Yulin Bell could only send them to the Stone Forest not far from the Nine Layers of the Abyss, but the rest of the distance they had to cover themselves.


    After the battle that had taken place there a few decades ago, the signs of habitation, people, and animals had all vanished. Forget about villages or towns, not even a single bird flew over the place.


    The rugged ground was covered with gravel. Changming was leaning on a bamboo stick, but grazed his feet nevertheless. Xu Jingxian simply wrapped withered trees and boulders with thin silk, flew over, stopped, and waited for Changming to catch up with her, resting on rocks.


    Even so, she never stopped complaining and whining.


    ¡°Why is it so hot here? Is there fire underground? When I step with my feet, I feel like they will start to burn any second!¡±


    ¡°This road is full of stones; if I step on it, my embroidered shoes will wear out soon! If I knew it earlier, I would have asked for a palanquin!¡±


    ¡°Can you walk faster, ya, I have sweat on my forehead! Why are you still so irritatingly slow!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thirsty to death, is there any water around here?¡±


    Changming¡¯s ears hurt from her whining, and he had no choice but to raise his head.


    ¡°Madam, you are a cultivator, not a daughter of a wealthy family, these stones won¡¯t damage your shoes. Your thirstiness is just an illusion. Being a cultivator, you won¡¯t die even if you don¡¯t drink water for three days and three nights.¡±


    Madam: he used an ¡°accusing a woman of putting on airs¡± form of addressing.


    Xu Jingxian pouted: ¡°Then what should I do? I loathe this devilish place, how long is it going to take, I want to go back!¡±


    Changming stopped and surveyed the vicinity.


    ¡°Probably, around several lis. We will be lucky if we reach the destination before sunset.¡±


    Li: 0.5 km.


    ¡°Sunset?!¡± Xu Jingxian raised her voice at once, ¡°Look at the sun, it¡¯s hot and ruthless, and still in the middle of the sky, when will it go down! If you can fight to a draw with the Clan Master, why can¡¯t you use the Art of flying? Go faster, or else I will beat you up!¡±


    Changming was still calm and composed: ¡°I was injured in the battle with your Clan Master yesterday, you saw it too. It is already good that I am still able to walk now. But it would be great if you wound me, because then I won¡¯t need to go anymore, and we would rest for a few days.¡±


    He left Xu Jingxian no choice. She gritted her teeth, landed on the ground, and lifted him. The thin silk flew out from her belt, fell on a somehow flat and smooth boulder, freezed there, and brought the two of them over.


    Changming passed his judgment: ¡°Why don¡¯t you directly fly over there? Given your cultivation level, you can fly over the Stone Forest in one go without troubles.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Say one more word, and I will drop you down!¡±


    Changming actually closed his mouth.


    Naturally, Xu Jingxian could fly over the Stone Forest in one fell swoop, but she wanted to spare her energy, and was also afraid of this strange, unfathomable place where an accident could happen any moment with no warning. Flying and stopping like this, they finally reached the edge of the Stone Forest, only to face a chilly fog that filled the entire sky and covered the earth, making the path ahead of them unclear.


    For fear that the mist could be poisonous, Xu Jingxian, paying no attention to her embroidered shoes that could get dirty, landed on the ground with Changming, and took half a step back. Her intention was obvious¡ªto let him go ahead to check the path.


    Changming didn¡¯t mind this and took a step forward. The two of them, one following the other, were walking for time enough to burn about half an incense stick, and then stopped almost at the same time.


    Although the fog was dense, they could see the path in both directions within a step.


    And within about half a step, there were no boulders and stones that made the road hard to walk¡ªthey were abruptly replaced with a steep cliff. The fog hid dangers from the eyesight of a traveller, making them believe one step could let them mount the clouds and ride the mist, let them fly to the land of immortals.


    ¡°How should we go further?¡±


    Xu Jingxian had never been there before. The closest she had come to the Nine Layers of the Abyss was exactly the Stone Forest where the Yulin Bell took them. At that time, she had felt that this place was so unbearably hot she couldn¡¯t linger there for a moment; now, the thick mist made it even worse. Her forehead was sweaty, and the scorching feeling in her heart became even heavier.


    ¡°Jump down. That place should be the Nine Layers of the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°Should be?¡± Xu Jingxian was suspicious of his words, ¡°After all, have you been there or not?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, my memories are not clear. But except for jumping down, we have no other way.¡±


    Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t dare to jump down without careful consideration.


    No one knew what was behind the thick mist, whether there were thorns filled with poison, or if it hid evil spirits within itself; maybe these two things were mixed there, gaping their blood-thirsty mouths and waiting for them to walk right into the trap. Every matter concerning the Nine Layers of the Abyss was mysterious, and Xu Jingxian could not be sure of anything.


    While she was hesitating, she heard Changming¡¯s ¡°I will leave first¡±. Unexpectedly, he actually did leap down and disappeared in the dense mist.


    Xu Jingxian was stunned.


    Should she follow or not?


    In the end, the Yangzhen Grass was just a legend that could have nothing to do with reality, while the Master of Lingbo Peak was surely a profitable position. She had been working hard for a long time to get where she was, but this one jump could make her lose everything.


    Everyone knew that the Nine Layers of the Abyss was a place of no return, with the chances of a visitor¡¯s survival close to zero. On the other hand, she could return to her clan and tell the Clan Master any convenient story; presumably, he would never be able to hold her responsible. After all, it was him who told her to bring the man there.


    Changming didn¡¯t fall into a bottomless abyss that would have torn his body and smashed his bones. The moment he entered the fog, his movements slowed down, as if he was supported by cotton. His body became light as a feather, just like he was treading on clouds, stepping into the primal chaos.


    He stretched out his hand, but didn¡¯t find the cliff. Space around him was vast and chaotic, as if he was left completely alone, drifting in the boundless space with no aim. Changming even felt that his eyelids became heavier. The fog brought a sweet fragrance that filled all five senses, making him drowsy.


    But he knew that he couldn¡¯t fall asleep, as this dream would have had no end.


    Changming took out a thin needle and placed it in an acupoint on his hand. The stabbing pain made him quiver, and he regained his consciousness.


    At the same time, a white crane flew out from his sleeve, caught Changming with its back, leaned down and rushed forward.


    The dense fog confused minds, and if he didn¡¯t have the paper puppet of wisdom, he would have been affected by it.


    Changming closed his eyes, letting the white crane carry him out of the sea of mist. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself on the shore of a blue sea. Far away, a sunset brightened the sky with vivid colors. The scenery was truly picturesque.


    Those who had never been there didn¡¯t expect the Nine Layers of the Abyss, a place plagued by dangers, to be so peaceful.


    The still-thick fog was left behind. A partially decomposed giant whale was stranded on the coast; it turned out that the white fog was coming out from its blowhole, and the billowing smoke was turning into the phantom world. Only bones were scattered around the whale, and some talismans and weapons were lying among them. Obviously, many people took the risk to come here, but lost their lives fruitlessly here before they got to see the real Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Changming lightly tapped the crane on its head.


    ¡°Lady Xu says yes but means no. Surely, she would hate to part with me. Go and meet her.¡±


    The white crane spread its wings and soared to the sky, quickly entering the fog.


    Changming sat cross-legged and closed his eyes to rest his mind.


    Very soon the white crane returned with Xu Jingxian.


    Of course, Xu Jingxian had realized there was something wrong with the mist, and held her breath after she fell down. But she lost her way, and could only go around in circles. If it was not for Changming¡¯s white crane, she would have ended up like those whose bones were scattered on the ground.


    ¡°Lady Xu, we meet again! How have you been since we parted?¡± Changming teased her.


    Xu Jingxian realized that he had long since guessed her intention to jump down and follow him, so he sent her the white crane. But she was quite thick-skinned, and didn¡¯t blush a bit.


    ¡°I can¡¯t express all my gratitude, should I pay you with my body?¡±


    ¡°Fine, how about right here?¡±


    Xu Jingxian choked, outplayed by him, but quickly changed the subject as if nothing happened.


    ¡°Ming-lang, look, there is a town over there!¡±


    On the shore not far away, they saw a village with a town rising impressively, surrounded by high and steady city walls of black stone. They were way more stunning than the ones people could see in the Human Realm.


    Changming: ¡°You said it yourself, the Nine Layers of the Abyss has nine threshholds and nine strongholds. Is it strange to see a town here?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect to see signs of human habitation and buildings here. I thought, even if there are city walls, they would be abandoned and dilapidated. Who knew it would be so, so¡­¡±


    Changming: ¡°Majestic.¡±


    Xu Jingxian nodded.


    Only this word, ¡®majestic¡¯, could describe her feelings about what she saw.


    Changming: ¡°People and demons are mixed together here; monsters are running amok. Those who are able to survive here are sometimes even more frightening than the evil spirits. I suggest not to enter this town tonight, and rather wait here, discuss our options, and then return to this point in the morning. I know very little about the Nine Layers of the Abyss, so I need your help.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°I don¡¯t know much either, only hearsays.¡±


    Changming smiled: ¡°Then I will ask the lady to tell me these hearsays.¡±


    Since she had been saved by his white crane just now, Xu Jingxian¡¯s attitude towards him improved greatly, so she couldn¡¯t decline his request. The two of them quickly found a place to rest at a distance from the mist, and Xu Jingxian lighted a fire there. Seeing Changming sit quietly in front of the fire, she couldn¡¯t help but complain.


    ¡°You are a grown man, yet you make this little girl work!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well. Gathering wood consumes energy. If I lose too much strength, I won¡¯t be able to control the puppets. And, Lady Xu, able people should do more work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a person who is not afraid of losing their face at all and shows themself weak all day long like you do.¡±


    Xu Jingxian laughed at him and sat down.


    When the rays of the setting sun faded down, the surface of the sea turned into a pitch-black world.


    The dark night held countless dangers, but Xu Jingxian suddenly understood that Changming¡¯s decision to stay out of the town was the right one.


    They could easily fall into a trap in the town, being strangers in a strange place, but territory outside the walls was at least open, and if anything burst out suddenly, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for them to notice it.


    ¡°The Master of Kuye Peak in the Jianxue Clan is one of those few people who have returned from the Nine Layers of the Abyss. He told us that the Owner of the First Layer of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, known as Bo Ye, is of mixed human-demon blood. His appearance is unusual, and he holds great power. There are seven winding and intertwining rivers inside the city walls altogether, so the city is also called Seven Star Rivers¡­¡±


    Xu Jingxian told him everything she knew about the Nine Layers of the Abyss in whispers.


    But she quickly noticed that Changming¡¯s thoughts were wandering. Instead of listening to her, he was looking into the distance attentively.


    Xu Jingxian stopped talking and followed his gaze.


    The night was pitch-black, the mist was pure white.


    No one knew when this person had approached them.


    His clothes were fluttering in the wind, his figure faintly discernible, as if he was an immortal.


    But Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t admire it.


    She hissed and got up instead, taking out the thin silk from her belt swiftly.


    At such time, in such a place, how could the man who appeared out of nowhere be an ordinary person?


    The more out-of-this-world and refined his appearance, the more mysterious and dangerous he was.


    But Changming didn¡¯t move.


    He was still sitting near the fire the same way, looking at the man.


    Every step that this person took towards them reminded Changming of how familiar they used to be.


    Yun Weisi.


    This name resurfaced in Changming¡¯s memories, rolled through his throat, reached the tip of his tongue, and he mouthed it silently.


    This night under the stars catching breezes of bedtime [1], after being separated by the red dust of worldly affairs and ice of lofty mountains, by boundless and indistinct chaos, and by life and death¡ªthey met again after all.


    Indeed, events repeat each other in cycles.


    Tn:


    [1] Last night under the stars catching breezes of bedtime: the first line from Li Shangyin¡¯s poem. This poem really describes their reunion well; it¡¯s about two friends meeting and spending a night together (playing games and drinking wine!). If you are interested, here is the link.

 CH 14

    This man walked up to them slowly, and stopped at the right distance for them to see his appearance clearly.


    ¡°Greetings. A chance encounter is fate; I wonder if you can let me warm by your fire. I intend to spend this night here and enter the town during the daytime as well.¡±


    His manners corresponded to the ones in Changming¡¯s memories, and this voice was just as in his memories, without the slightest deviation.


    But his smile and bearing were not what they should have been.


    Changming maintained his composure and did not answer.


    Xu Jingxian was first to speak: ¡°Of course you can, gentleman, please, sit where you wish. But I would ask you to provide us your name and origins.¡±


    Changming couldn¡¯t help but look at her, You¡¯ve just been on guard with all your heart, why are you taking the initiative with such enthusiasm now?


    Xu Jingxian raised her sleeve and quietly whispered in his ear.


    ¡°He is so handsome, he really doesn¡¯t look like an evil spirit.¡±


    Changming: ¡­


    No matter good or bad, you are also a famous cultivator, can you not voice such ridiculous thoughts?


    Changming: ¡°I am good-looking too, why don¡¯t you have such implicit faith in me?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°It¡¯s not the same. You look like a man, he looks like an immortal.¡±


    Changming: And you look like a dog?


    Dog: is an all-purpose curse in Chinese. In this case, it¡¯s roughly ¡®a flatterer¡¯, I suppose.


    The man saw them talking in whispers, but didn¡¯t pay attention, nodding and cupping his hands in greeting.


    ¡°Your humble servant¡¯s surname is Yun, name is Hai, I am a roaming cultivator. I¡¯ve heard about an unusual treasure that has appeared in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, so I came here to take a look. Is it the same for you two?¡±


    He was talking with ease, but a cultivator who could get through that dense mist must surely have had some skills. Although he gave Xu Jingxian a good impression of himself, she didn¡¯t dare take him lightly either.


    ¡°What unusual treasure?¡±


    ¡°One day in the first third of the month, purple rays of light soared to the sky on the Sacred Mountain Wan, and they didn¡¯t disperse in a month. Some people say that an impressive spiritual weapon appeared here, which caused this reaction from the heavens. Others say that something has happened in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and evil spirits are wreaking havoc. This led to a controversy, and many people used the chance to enter the Nine Layers of the Abyss, looking for fortunate opportunities.¡±


    Yun Hai finished speaking and felt Changming¡¯s gaze on himself. He turned towards him and nodded lightly.


    ¡°May I know your honorable names, daoyous?¡±


    Xu Jingxian smiled: ¡°My surname is Xu, name is Jingjing, it¡¯s fine if you call me Jing-er. He is a daoyou who happened to travel with me, his name is Changming. But we are not really close.¡±


    Jingjing: she¡¯s lying, and this name sounds more cute.


    -er: a non-syllabic diminutive suffix.


    Changming: ¡­


    Yun Hai: ¡°Daoyou Changming seems a bit familiar, have we met before?¡±


    Changming said profoundly: ¡°Maybe, in our dreams.¡±


    Yun Hai laughed: ¡°We¡¯ve seen thousands and hundreds of dreams, who knows, maybe we actually did.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ???


    These two have only just met, why was this dialogue so odd?!


    In order not to become the third wheel, she forcibly changed the topic.


    ¡°We entered this place by a mistake, and now can¡¯t think of a way out, so we just keep going forward. Maybe daoyou Yun is acquainted with this area?¡±


    Yun Hai said: ¡°I only know that although people call the Nine Layers of the Abyss unfathomable, it is not barren, and people live in towns here just like in the human world; it¡¯s only that there are less ordinary people here. Those who live here either have nowhere to go outside the Nine Layers of the Abyss, or are very strong and skilled cultivators. In short, whatever you see or hear here, shouldn¡¯t surprise you as it is perfectly normal.¡±


    His words were limited to generalities, and Xu Jingxian was bored. She managed to endure it without interrupting him through a great effort.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun talks with ease and confidence, he must have a card up his sleeves. We both have just finished our apprenticeship, and are just novices. Can we travel together with you tomorrow so that we can take care of each other?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Of course we can.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Daoyou Yun is a good person indeed! When we get out of here, I will certainly invite you to my family¡¯s residence as a guest!¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Where does daoyou Xu live?¡±


    Xu Jingxian answered in a blink: ¡°My family lives on a mountain in the east. You can see clouds tinged with sunset hues, and a sea stretching away to meet the sky from there. My home is much more beautiful than this gloomy place. There is also¡­¡±


    She opened her mouth and started talking right away, without her face blushing or her heart beating faster, so Changming had almost believed her words.


    But Yun Hai was obviously more interested in Changming.


    ¡°And what about daoyou Changming? Do you also live there?¡±


    ¡°I feel at home anywhere and have no definite residence.¡± Changming said.


    ¡°Have daoyous really never been to the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡± Yun Hai asked.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t for sure. Why does daoyou Yun ask?¡±


    ¡°I saw how calm and composed the two daoyous are, and felt that you don¡¯t look like those who enter this place for the first time, so I thought that I would feel more secure under your protection.¡± Yun Hai smiled, his bearing so casual and elegant that others were unable to avert their gazes. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Xu Fenglin also came here a few days ago.¡±


    Xu Jingxian focused her attention on his last words: ¡°Xu Fenglin from the Donghai Sect? That genius in sword cultivation?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ve heard that he is traveling with a young woman, so I believed it was you two.¡±


    Xu Jingxian gasped: ¡°We are just venturing from our thatched hut for the first time, and have no knowledge or skills, how can we be compared to Xu Fenglin? But everyone says that he is formidable like a great master. Although I¡¯ve never seen him, I am a bit unwilling to accept this. There are many capable people in the world, but you can¡¯t become a great master just because you want to. I can¡¯t imagine his abilities to surpass those of the greatest well-known masters.¡±


    Venturing from our thatched hut for the first time: young and inexperienced.


    Yun Hai: ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure about it. However, Xu Fenglin was able to match evenly with the Master of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao in the hundred rounds at the Qianlin Assembly. He was praised by a few masters, so he should have some skills.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Xu Fenglin already has such a terrifying spiritual weapon as the Fuyun Sword, why would he come to the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡±


    Fuyun: touching clouds, Yun Hai¡¯s ¡®yun¡¯.


    Yun Hai laughed: ¡°When it comes to outstanding spiritual weapons and cultivation techniques, who would hate to have too many of them? Didn¡¯t you come here looking for such an opportunity as well?¡±


    Xu Jingxian used this chance to start a conversation with Yun Hai, partly because she drooled over his good looks, partly because she wanted to learn the details of his background. But, even though they were chatting for half a day, Yun Hai controlled his speech perfectly, but the fact that Xu Jingxian was a demonic cultivator was soon uncovered.


    When it came to understanding this ¡®Yun Hai¡¯, Changming dared to claim the first place, and there might not have existed a person to take the second place.


    Changming only needed to take one glance to figure out that this person¡¯s name was never ¡®Yun Hai¡¯.


    His real name was Yun Weisi.


    This person who used to ascend to heaven or descend to earth with him, but later fell out with him and became his enemy; his first disciple that pledged to kill him, Yun Weisi.


    Ascend to heaven or descend to earth: to go everywhere.


    Under the bright fire, he could clearly see Yun Hai¡¯s appearance, his every frown and smile¡ªhe was that person, but at the same time didn¡¯t look like him.


    Yun Weisi smiled rarely. If he started doing something, he would even immediately forget about himself, neglect his sleep and food, until he would bring that issue to its successful close. It could be said that Changming had strict demands towards him back then, but the most strict demands came from Yun Weisi himself. He used to accomplish every matter successfully¡ªeven if later it was his dedication to chase and kill Changming.


    He was really a person of outstanding ability, and even though Changming accepted three more disciples, he always felt that they were lacking compared to Yun Weisi.


    But, unless Yun Weisi had been possessed by a demon, there was no way for this cheerfully and wittily talking Yun Hai who was feeling at ease in front of his eyes to be him.


    Was someone deliberately creating an illusion, or did Yun Weisi encounter an unforeseen event that had changed his character so much?


    Since he had met Xiao Yun at the back of the mountain in the Qixian Sect, and till he met this Yun Hai, Changming always felt like his every movement was under someone else¡¯s control.


    That was a feeling that a bug glued to a spider web felt¡ªevery little movement could let the hunter notice him.


    ¡°Daoyou Changming, you are looking at me all the time. Are you thinking of that person who visits your dreams?¡±


    Yun Hai¡¯s words interrupted Changming¡¯s pondering.


    ¡°I do actually have this old friend. But, although he resembles you, at the same time there is nothing in common between you.¡±


    The sea breeze raised Changming¡¯s hair and quickly carried away his words.


    The Nine Layers of the Abyss was like the human world, and the sea here was not much different from seas outside.


    But Changming didn¡¯t expect that he would be able to meet a person looking exactly like Yun Weisi one day, and peacefully talk to him near a fire at night.


    Yun Hai: ¡°If I resemble him, how can there be nothing in common?¡±


    Changming: ¡°The resemblance is appearance, and what is different is character.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°These words are even more confusing. We are strangers coming together by chance, how can daoyou understand my character with one glance?¡±


    Changming: ¡°When you walked out from the mist just now, water was dripping from your hands; that means, you¡¯ve just washed them. Your clothes have red stains, they must be blood and water that haven¡¯t been washed away. You¡¯ve just killed someone, yet you didn¡¯t want to stain your attire. From time to time, your hand pulls at your dirty sleeve awkwardly. This is not like that friend¡¯s behaviour at all.¡±


    Yun Hai heard Changming¡¯s words about him killing someone, yet he didn¡¯t retort and even smiled happily.


    ¡°That old friend of yours has never killed people?¡±


    Changming: ¡°He did as well.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Oh?¡±


    Changming: ¡°But when he killed, he just killed, and didn¡¯t mind all these insignificant details.¡±


    Yun Hai laughed: ¡°Who doesn¡¯t bother about trifles will accomplish much. Sounds like your old friend is an important person.¡±


    Changming: ¡°He was homeless and miserable in his childhood. He had faced both luxuries with fame and all kinds of hardships, so he paid no attention to mere worldly possessions. Friends, enemies¡ªhe really didn¡¯t care. Many people thought he was heartless and ruthless, but in fact he just understood there are too many things that are too easy to lose, while a person¡¯s powers are limited. That¡¯s why he always gripped his attention on one thing and didn¡¯t notice others.¡±


    Yun Hai sighed: ¡°He was born to be a cultivator, to pursue immortality. So to say, did he become an immortal?¡±


    Changming: ¡°He didn¡¯t. But I believe that if he continues to insist on advancing in cultivation, that day will come sooner or later.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Daoyou Changming, your friend possesses the power to ascend, then why are you in dire straits?¡±


    Changming asked in reply: ¡°Am I in dire straits?¡±


    Yun Hai nodded: ¡°In dire straits to the point that I¡­¡±


    Before he could finish talking, a loud noise came from afar!


    The three of them turned their heads in the direction of the sound. Above the First Layer of the Abyss, flames soared to the sky, lighting it up in an instant.


    In the midst of this gleaming light, purple flames intertwined with the energy of a powerful spiritual sword. It was an impressive scene.


    Tn:


    Just in case, Xu Jingxian and Xu Fenglin have different surnames.


    ¡®X¨²¡¯ & ¡®F¨¨ngl¨ªn¡¯ are lit. ¡®gentle¡¯ & ¡®forest where phoenixes live ¡ª fairyland¡¯;


    ¡®X¨³¡¯ & ¡®J¨¬ngxi¨¡n¡¯ are lit. ¡®promise¡¯ & ¡®calm immortal¡¯. As you can see, names have nothing to do with personalities.

 CH 15

    Obviously, Yun Hai stopped talking.


    The thunderous noise drew the attention of the three of them, including Yun Hai.


    The more vigorous the flames got, the bigger they grew; explosions sounded in the distance, and the noise inside the city walls was getting louder.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°What on earth is going on!¡±


    Of course, no one answered this question. Xu Jingxian herself felt that she would not receive an answer, but couldn¡¯t resist asking anyway.


    In the world of cultivation, a crisis is also an opportunity. Even if a person was highly gifted, that didn¡¯t mean that they would sail with the wind up to the sky in their cultivation; it was still required for them to pull chestnuts out of the fire, risking their life on each step to raise their level. Although Xu Jingxian occupied the position of Peak Master, the Jianxue Clan was never a peaceful place where people were ready to compromise, so she also had to fight her way through up to the top.


    Sail with the wind up to the sky: smooth sailing¡ªeverything is going smoothly; reach clouds light on one¡¯s feet¡ªmeteoric rise (of a career).


    Pulling chestnuts out of the fire, risking their life on each step: to pull chestnuts out of the fire¡ªto be a cat¡¯s paw; nine deaths and one life¡ªa slim chance of surviving.


    But the situation ahead of them was unclear, and to rush there without understanding the circumstances would be a reckless decision.


    Having received no answer, she cursed silently, but suddenly heard Changming¡¯s words: ¡°It looks like we have to enter Seven Star Rivers City.¡±


    Xu Jingxian turned her head, puzzled, and couldn¡¯t help but take half a step back.


    From the depths of the thick fog, a vague grey air mass was crawling towards them slowly, as if the grey mists were a living creature, shadows that were gaining a corporeal form.


    The creature had no ears, eyes, lips, nose or tongue, and its limbs were just hollow shapes. It was walking slowly, but the distance to the creature was short, and soon it was only a couple of zhangs away.


    Zhang: 3.33 m.


    Xu Jingxian bent down, picked up a piece of burning firewood, and threw it in the direction of this gray qi mass. The fire drew an arch in the air, and the log fell right on the grey anthropomorphic shadow.


    They heard a rustling sound, and the gray mist was dispersed by the fire. But just when Xu Jingxian thought she had vanquished these strange creatures, the grey fog, swarming like insects, reassembled again, turned back into a human shape and continued moving towards them, even faster than before.


    ¡°What is this!¡±


    Xu Jingxian believed that she had seen and experienced a lot in her life, but she had never seen such a bizarre monster.


    Like a human yet not, like a ghost yet not, and not like the usual evil spirit at all.


    ¡°This is a firefly maggot. It is said that this is the soul of a person who died tragically,  possessed by a parasite; others say that grievances of cultivators who died unjustly coagulate and gain a shape. They are not afraid of water or fire and can devour anything. They are seldom seen in the Nine Layers of the Abyss.¡±


    A firefly maggot: the ¡®maggot¡¯ part actually has two meanings: 1. a cadaveric worm; 2. (in Daoism) a demon that dwells in the human body and waits for the person to make a mistake, and then every 60 years goes to the Heaven Emperor to speak maliciously of people.


    Yun Hai¡¯s voice sounded, now a bit more serious.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Seldom seen, yet we run into one!¡±


    The three of them were retreating while speaking. Changming¡¯s steps were heavy and a bit slow; he couldn¡¯t keep up with his companions and risked being caught by the grey mist any second. Xu Jingxian sent her thin silk to wrap itself around his waist to carry him.


    This was not a sudden act of benevolence. She was a stranger in the unfamiliar Nine Layers of the Abyss, and only Changming knew something about this place. Although he was frail, he had a basic understanding of the situation, so naturally Xu Jingxian couldn¡¯t just leave him behind calmly and watch him die in this place.


    ¡°Why are you so useless!¡±


    Even though she chose to help him, she still had to complain.


    If this continued, they would really be forced to enter Seven Star Rivers.


    There was an abnormal monster in front of them and chaotic flames behind. Xu Jingxian couldn¡¯t believe such bad luck and didn¡¯t want to succumb to the circumstances. She grabbed Changming and threw him to the side with one hand, raising the other; the long thin silk fabric flew from her hand towards the grey mist!


    The thin silk was light as a feather, almost weightless. But at that moment, it was straight and sharp like a sword, and they even heard the sound of it piercing the air; vigorous purple rays accompanied the silk. This attack might be able to stop even some skilled masters.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Changming wanted to stop her, but he was too late.


    The next moment the violet rays crashed together with the grey fog. Just like before, the latter scattered around and quickly assembled back, ¡°devouring¡± the thin silk!


    Xu Jingxian was astonished. She wanted to command the thin silk to return to her sleeve, but realized that a part of it was ¡°devoured¡±, while the grey mists were getting closer, following the remaining half of the silk.


    Yun Hai moved in the twinkling of an eye.


    He didn¡¯t catch Xu Jingxian, but raised his hand to cut the thin silk half an inch away from her fingertips, shouting,


    ¡°Retreat!¡±


    Just when this word sounded, Xu Jingxian, having no time to mourn her treasured silk, grabbed Changming and rushed towards Seven Star Rivers. Changming felt that his wrist was gripped tightly, and he didn¡¯t even need to make any efforts as his body flew forwards beyond his control. The scenery was quickly left behind. Xu Jingxian¡¯s speed of fleeing for her life was impressive, showing that she might have used her secret escape techniques.


    Changming understood why she was so frightened. Although her thin silk could not be compared to the muslin from the Donghai Sea, it was still a valuable and rare material. The grey mist could easily ¡°devour¡± the thin silk shrouded in her spiritual powers, and Xu Jingxian felt that her body was not at all as sturdy as the silk.


    Only then did she realize that Yun Hai¡¯s words were not an exaggeration.


    After all, many demons like these lurked in the Nine Layers of the Abyss!


    They were getting closer to the clamour and rays of light.


    They saw the towering majestic city walls in the bright light.


    The town gates were closed tightly, but this did not pose a problem for Xu Jingxian. Carrying Changming, she flew into the town and landed on the southeast corner of a building¡¯s roof. She turned back, saw that the grey fog wasn¡¯t following them, and only then let out a sigh.


    ¡°Are you still a man? So useless! If I knew earlier, I would have left you to yourself!¡±


    Changming¡¯s mouth twitched.


    It was ¡°Ming-lang¡± and ¡°Ming-lang¡± all the time earlier as she followed him around, inquiring about everything, and now it turned into ¡°are you still a man¡±.


    He knew very well that since he had matched his powers with Zhou Keyi a few days before, although he had tricked his third disciple, he nevertheless suffered severe internal injuries. If he could spare his nerves, he tried to do so as much as possible.


    Besides, just a few words wouldn¡¯t hurt him anyway.


    Therefore, he didn¡¯t take it seriously, let Xu Jingxian complain about the same thing again, waited for her to finish, and only then asked: ¡°What about daoyou Yun Hai?¡±


    Xu Jingxian looked left and right, but didn¡¯t see Yun Hai. Just when she thought he was either unable to escape or was running late, she heard a voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    Yun Hai appeared in front of them out of nowhere.


    ¡°Yun-lang has a very profound knowledge in cultivation, yet I was unable to measure your skills; to have eyes but fail to recognize Mount Tai indeed!¡±


    To have eyes but fail to recognize Mount Tai: to fail to recognize sb¡¯s great talent.


    Xu Jingxian was startled in her heart, and was partly flattering, partly probing him.


    Yun Hai didn¡¯t answer and only smiled.


    This person is even more slippery than Changming, and doesn¡¯t speak a word, Xu Jingxian thought.


    She suddenly exclaimed: ¡°Those demonic creatures didn¡¯t follow us here!¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Probably because of Seven Star Rivers.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Seven Star Rivers is the first layer of the Nine Layers of the Abyss. Entering it actually means entering the first layer of the formation, so there must be something formidable about it that can keep the maggots at bay. Otherwise, they would have devastated the city a long time ago.¡±


    While the two of them were talking, Changming was looking around.


    The roof was a good position to overlook the ground below, and he was observing the town from a height.


    Although the houses inside the city had grey walls and black tiles, the architecture resembled that in the Human Realm. Fires broke out all over the town, sounds of fights were coming one after another, and figures of cultivators engaged in battles could be seen everywhere.


    Sure enough, the chaos in Seven Star Rivers had already reached the point where it was impossible to ignore.


    Even though Xu Jingxian had long since prepared herself, she couldn¡¯t help but stare blankly at this.


    She saw two cultivators fighting not far away. Their silhouettes moved up and down in flashes, and their skills were already on the same level as those of great masters. Though it is said that only remarkable people can enter the Nine Layers of the Abyss, the power of these cultivators made Xu Jingxian uneasy.


    If the cultivators in the First Layer of the Abyss were so formidable, how powerful were the people from the second and other layers?


    ¡°We should find a more secure position, this place¡­¡±


    Is too dangerous, as it¡¯s easy to become a target while occupying the high grounds.


    But before she could finish her words, the two figures in the distance suddenly flew up to engage in a hand-to-hand fight. The spiritual powers that followed them shook the ground. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, attracting the attention of everyone in the town at once.


    One person was holding a long thin staff, the tip of which had golden glass-like pearls with eight-petal lotuses engraved on them. It was so dazzlingly bright that it could outshine the sun and the moon.


    The other person was holding a short thick whip with distinct scales on it. Dark red lights were floating around it like ominous scarlet stars.


    The two of them were ready to start a fight in the air.


    When the first bolt of lightning struck, they moved.


    The short whip was not as a disadvantage as some might think. The whip owner could actually move faster than the person with the staff. In the blink of an eye, the red lights of the whip flew towards the head of the staff owner, and the bald head of the latter reflected the light; if one was not looking closely, they might think that his head was faintly glowing.


    Xu Jingxian was surprised.


    ¡°This bald head seems to be quite familiar, could I have seen it before?¡±


    ¡°His name is Bei Shu.¡± Yun Hai said.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°That disciple abandoned by the Qingyun School?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Right. Years ago, he lost a battle against the School Master. People say he suddenly turned hostile to the Qingyun School right after that and left it beneath the gaze of many eyes. A lot of people waited for the Qingyun School to chase and kill him, but he disappeared many years ago unexpectedly. It turns out he has come here.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Who is the Master of the Qingyun School now?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Buddhist monk Buku. His lay name is Sun Buku.¡±


    Changming: ¡­


    Yun Hai: ¡°Does Daoyou Changming know him?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot.¡±


    Yun Hai laughed and continued talking: ¡°When this Buku had just taken the position of Master of the Qingyun School, he immediately ordered people to kill Bei Shu. Bei Shu is rather fortunate to be here. Even if the Qingyun School wants him dead, they won¡¯t be able to kill him easily.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°What about the other person?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°The other person¡¯s ears are a bit longer than a common person should have, so he must be of demon blood.¡±


    The fighting people were moving extremely fast, but Xu Jingxian, after having watched them with rapt attention, noticed that the ears of the whip wielder were indeed different, a bit more pointed. It seemed that the man wanted to hide this fact by letting his hair down. Only when he moved could she see the truth.


    Xu Jingxian had once heard about cultivators with demonic blood, but it was her first time seeing one with her own eyes. Upon hearing these words, she couldn¡¯t help but linger her gaze on the owner of the short whip for a long time. His attacks were quick and forceful, as powerful as Bei Shu¡¯s. Except for the fact that his features were a little deep and his hair was not black, he looked like a usual cultivator. If Yun Hai hadn¡¯t drawn her attention to his ears, she wouldn¡¯t have noticed these small details.


    The owner of the whip did not only have abundant spiritual powers, but also was a very strong person physically. Bei Shu used all his strength to swing his staff, but the other stopped him with his short whip and unexpectedly did not yield an inch; in the end, it was Bei Shu who had to retreat several dozens of meters.


    The two of them had a world-shaking battle near the central spire of Seven Star Rivers, and their surging spiritual powers formed a cyclone that spread around, turning everything on its way into broken pieces.


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre not related to the main text:


    Xu Jingxian: Are you even a man?


    Changming: When you want something, I¡¯m Ming-lang, and when I am of no help, you start doubting whether I am a man?


    Xu Jingxian: He-he, don¡¯t talk nonsense, or Yun Hai will misunderstand us. When have I ever called you Ming-lang?


    Changming: ¡­


    Yun Hai: Then can I call you Ming-lang as well?


    Changming, Xu Jingxian: ¡­

 CH 16

    The rolls of thunder were reverberating through Seven Star Rivers; flames with lightning brewing in the sky were turning black clouds purple again and again.


    The battle between Bei Shu and the cultivator with the short whip attracted the attention of almost everyone in Seven Star Rivers, but not all of them stopped fighting.


    The Nine Layers of the Abyss was a place where the weak fell prey to the strong; no laws or morals binded people. Many people had already taken advantage of the sky turning dark and were now plundering burning houses and killing people for treasures. A winner was finally determined between those two cultivators who were fighting to death not far from Changming and his companions. One of them had his abdomen cut open and died on the spot, and the other looted him clean of his talismans and spiritual tools. But it was not enough, and he raised his head to stare at Changming and the others.


    To plunder a burning house: to take advantage of somebody¡¯s misfortune.


    After all, there were three of them, while he was alone, so he only glanced at them from afar a few times and then disappeared into the darkness. Xu Jingxian did not attach importance to him. In her opinion, there was nothing to worry about if her enemy was alone.


    But very soon, they were suddenly attacked from behind!


    The one who mounted this sneak attack was precisely that mid-level cultivator.


    A straight slender knife that was three chi long flew towards Changming silently.


    Chi: ? of a meter.


    At the first glance, he could tell that Changming was the weakest and the least dangerous among the three of them. Moreover, their clothes were tidy, exquisite and strange-looking; it was obvious that they were fledglings who had just entered this place from the outside. Not to attack such fat and unprepared prey was simply an intolerable injustice.


    At the same time, two more people raised their hands, targeting Xu Jingxian and Yun Hai from both sides.


    Xu Jingxian sneered. The rest of the half-maggot-devoured thin silk quickly flew out of her sleeve, ferociously whipping her enemy!


    The one who tried using his sword to pierce Yun Hai soon realized that he was piercing the air.


    Obviously, Yun Hai had just been standing in front of him a moment ago motionless, but in the blink of an eye, he disappeared.


    The man flew past and turned around with a hiss, but he was half a step back. A sharp pain shot through his shoulder, and a piece of his flesh with his clothes still attached to his skin was cut off from his body by an unknown technique, making him shed blood like water!


    And Yun Hai who disappeared a moment ago was now standing behind him, as if nothing had happened. Yun Hai¡¯s smile almost told the man: You are only this good, yet you dare overestimate your abilities?


    Lu Wei had everything planned out carefully.


    His eyes lit up when he saw Changming and the others, and he immediately realized that, apart from Changming, the other two were not to be trifled with, and the chances of success when attacking three people at the same time were close to zero.


    The only and the best solution was to let his companions make an empty show of strength in front of the others to draw their attention away, then use this opportunity to lay his hands on Changming, succeed, stop the attack right away and withdraw together with his friends swiftly.


    Relying on their knowledge of the terrain, they could guarantee that the man and the woman would not be able to catch up with them.


    He had experienced a lot during the time he had spent fishing in the troubled waters of Seven Star Rivers, and had long since found a way to survive ¡ª to oppress the timid and fear the wicked, to bully the weak and stay away from the strong. His cultivation was not considered low in Seven Star Rivers, but he was definitely not the strongest, so he could only look for gaps to stick in a needle to gain profit: find people to form an alliance with and look for opportunities to take advantage of others; this way, he would survive for a long time.


    Look for gaps to stick in a needle: use every opportunity.


    He indeed relied on his ability to make discerning judgments and on his adaptability to changes to stay in Seven Star Rivers for many months. He quickly raised his cultivation level and seized lots of weapons.


    This night was the best opportunity for burning, killing and pillaging.


    He would have never thought he would make that kind of a slight mistake, leading to his complete downfall.


    This slight mistake was Changming, who he regarded as unimportant.


    As Lu Wei saw it, this man¡¯s steps and breath were heavy, and his body was frail and powerless; even if he was a cultivator, his skills could be overlooked; perhaps, he could be a cultivator using poison. The two people that accompanied him did not seem to be close to him; they were neither from the same sect, nor friends. When a danger occured, they would abandon him without any further thoughts.


    When Lu Wei attacked the other with his knife, he did not expect Changming to move towards him at once.


    A streak of white light flew out from Changming¡¯s sleeve, rushing towards Lu Wei. The latter wanted to evade it subconsciously, but realized that it was nothing but a white snake. He couldn¡¯t help but be angered for such a trick, and sliced the white snake!


    Suddenly, he sensed a chilling to the bone intention coming from behind his back. Lu Wei felt as if his back was frozen by ice. He couldn¡¯t help turning his head, and saw the small white snake turn into a giant creature. The huge head of the snake was looking down at him; it stuck its tongue out and leaned forward to bite him.


    Lu Wei was taken aback. He stretched his arm to catch Changming and stop it!


    But the latter had already retreated behind Xu Jingxian nimble-handedly and fleet-footedly.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    The cultivator who attacked her was a bit weaker than she, but that didn¡¯t mean she could handle him with ease, especially after her thin silk was cut into two pieces. Not far away, a wave of spiritual power from the battle of Bei Shu with the owner of the short whip shook the surroundings with its qi, which affected them as well; and now she had to protect Changming at the same time. Xu Jingxian was distracted, and her arm was almost caught by the opponent¡¯s weapon. She was furious and directly used her golden bell. The tinkle of the bell confused her opponent¡¯s mind, and the thin silk strangled his neck at once.


    As the terrified screams calmed down, Xu Jingxian retracted her thin silk, and the head of her enemy fell down, his blood splattering everywhere.


    At this point, she hated Changming. She turned her head to scold him, showing no affection and interest as she did in their first meeting.


    ¡°Can you be at least a bit more useful?¡±


    ¡°The lady is so formidable!¡± Changming praised her wholeheartedly.


    Could this ¡®being useful¡¯ save his life? Obviously, it couldn¡¯t.


    Xu Jingxian exhaled angrily. Just to think that at first she expected that this talented and pleasing to the eye man would benefit her in the future. That was precisely being deceived by eyes that only saw the appearances of things.


    Yun Hai had also killed the cultivator that attacked him.


    Lu Wei realized that the situation had turned against his favour, and did not want to fight with the white snake at all. Seeing that the white snake did not move the slightest when he slashed its tough scales, he resolutely retreated and prepared to run away. But just when he leaped up, his ankle was wrapped tightly by the thin silk.


    The silk was very soft, but it turned into a steel blade when it touched the skin. Lu Wei felt terrible pain, and could not help but scream, and his body fell down from the roof. Xu Jingxian was still irritated, so she flew down to beat the drowning dog. The person being tortured by her could only shed bitter tears, not even having control over his own death.


    To beat the drowning dog: to hit a person who is already down.


    Everyone looked at Lu Wei wailing and begging for mercy, but showed no sympathy. This person was nothing but a murderer who looted treasures, now suffering from the result of his own evil actions.


    Only Changming who just had to use his Art of control was feeling unwell because his spirit was exhausted. He felt dizzy, so he could only catch Xu Jingxian¡¯s sleeve to keep his balance.


    But Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t notice his unusual behaviour and jumped down from the roof to beat Lu Wei viciously. Changming had almost lost his footing and involuntarily leaned over to the side.


    A hand reached out to support him.


    ¡°I was obviously closer to you, why did daoyou Changming go to daoyou Xu?¡±


    Yun Hai was standing very close to him. Changming closed his eyes and felt faint and dizzy, as if the sky and earth were spinning round.


    He wanted to move this hand away, but it didn¡¯t move.


    The other seemed to be helping him out of consideration, but in reality he was firmly holding his waist, sealing all of Changming¡¯s ways of retreat.


    Xu Jingxian was still violently hitting that cultivator under the roof, and the victor in Bei Shu¡¯s fight in the distance was not yet determined.


    But it seemed that Yun Hai was determined to get the answer, and didn¡¯t intend to let him go otherwise.


    His soft and gentle words brought to Changming not a warm and soothing feeling or sad memories, but ice-cold murderous intentions.


    These murderous intentions were concealed, strained like a string. If the answer wasn¡¯t what the other side wanted to hear, then the hand that was supporting his waist would turn into a sharp killing weapon in a flash.


    ¡°Daoyou Changming doesn¡¯t trust me so much?¡±


    Yun Hai¡¯s voice went down a little, as if Changming¡¯s distrust was a terrible crime.


    But those years he was his first disciple, he never said such things in such a voice.


    Yun Weisi would only be bewildered and ask seriously: Shifu, you don¡¯t trust me?


    But this Yun Hai¡ª


    He looked exactly the same as Yun Weisi, and was a lot more dangerous. When his third disciple Zhou Keyi was sad or happy, it was written all over his face, but Yun Hai showed no feelings, and nothing could be guessed.


    Changming could always guess other people¡¯s hearts, but this Yun Hai was a total stranger to him, and he couldn¡¯t figure out his thoughts after that little time that they had spent together.


    But he was soft-hearted for a moment.


    Only for a moment.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun, why do you say such words? We are just strangers coming together by chance; I know nothing about your skills, of course I don¡¯t want to endanger you.¡±

 CH 17

    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Hummed Yun Hai in a low and deep voice. His hand on Changming¡¯s waist was a bit too warm.


    ¡°Because you want to kill me.¡±


    Changming sighed. Indeed, if a tiger went down to level land, it would be insulted by dogs.


    If a tiger went down to level land, it would be insulted by dogs: a man who lost position and influence is subjected to indignity.


    Those years, he overran the whole world, could go anywhere he pleased, followed his heart¡¯s desires, and could enter the Qingyun School, the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, and all other places meeting no resistance; how did he fall so low that he let this Yun Hai threaten him?


    ¡°When this man attacked me with his knife, I had three options. First, to defend myself. Second, to look for your protection. Third, go to daoyou Xu. When I met your eyes, I noticed you raised your hand slightly, looking at me. If I passed by, you would have killed me without the slightest hesitation.¡±


    Yun Hai smiled: ¡°Daoyou Changming is very meticulous in his observations.¡±


    Changming: ¡°When I decided to go to Lady Xu, it was already too late, so I could only choose self-defense at first.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect daoyou Changming to know the Art of control.¡±


    Changming: ¡°I¡¯m in bad health, so I don¡¯t move unless I have to. Forcibly using this Art causes a backlash, and I¡¯m paying the price right now.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°A person with no abilities can¡¯t take a single step in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. Instead of dying a miserable death, it¡¯s better to let me solve daoyou¡¯s worries, since death can solve any trouble. But I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that you actually know the Art of control and can defend yourself if you put enough effort. I want to see how long you can survive in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, so I won¡¯t make an unnecessary move.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Then I¡¯m really thankful for daoyou Yun¡¯s mercy.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m a very compassionate man.¡±


    ¡°Do you know Xiao Yun?¡± Changming asked suddenly.


    Yun Hai raised his eyebrows: ¡°Is it daoyou Changming¡¯s nickname for me? Then should I call you Xiao Chang? Or Xiao Ming?¡±


    Changming: ¡­Just forget that I asked.


    He started coughing again, and the taste of blood in his throat got stronger. Changming didn¡¯t want to vomit blood, so he endured and swallowed it, but that only made him feel worse.


    Yun Hai even patted him on the back and said, showing a tender affection: ¡°Daoyou Changming should rest more.¡±


    His manner of speaking was very intimate, and a stranger would have thought they shared some kind of an unspeakable relationship.


    Xu Jingxian vented her anger completely and finally remembered about Changming¡¯s existence. She jumped back to the roof just to see the two of them having this ¡°intimate scene¡±, and felt a bit odd trying to figure out when they had become so close. Suddenly, she met Yun Hai¡¯s eyes, and couldn¡¯t help but be a little frightened, averting her gaze subconsciously.


    In a moment, Xu Jingxian decided to confirm this feeling and looked at Yun Hai again.


    She finally realized what was odd.


    Compared to his gentle and amiable behaviour, his eyes were too calm, like stagnant water with no waves. The eyes Xu Jingxian saw were dark, and if she tried to probe how deep they were, she would definitely see¡ª


    Endless evil spirits, mountains of corpses and seas of blood; if you immerse in there by mistake, you will never be able to come back.


    This person was even more terrifying than Clan Master Zhou.


    Yun Hai saw Xu Jingxian staring at him and smiled at her, as if he was interested in her.


    Xu Jingxian couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back.


    She looked at Changming again.


    He bent slightly because of coughing, and she couldn¡¯t see his expression in the darkness; Xu Jingxian failed to notice any traces of him suffering because the other hurt his waist. On the contrary, it was hard to describe the expression on Yun Hai¡¯s face, probably because he didn¡¯t manage to frighten the other and was thinking about something.


    At that moment, the battle between Bei Shu and the whip wielder was reaching its climax.


    Bei Shu jumped right to his opponent. He raised his long staff high, its whole shaft dazzling like Buddha descending to Earth, magnificent yet merciless, like a furious Arhat with a vadjra [1].


    This long staff could topple mountains and overturn seas, make rivers flow backwards and extinguish stars. Thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed in the direction of the cultivator with the whip.


    Unexpectedly, he managed to withstand it.


    His short whip bursted into bright light, covering most of his body in flames. Ignoring the staff, the whip cut through right to Bei Shu¡¯s chest.


    Even the slightest mistake, the shortest delay, could overturn the flow of the whole battle.


    Almost everyone in Seven Star Rivers was now looking at these two.


    Regardless of the outcome, a battle between masters of this scale was bound to be outstanding, leaving a strong impression on many.


    But there is always only one winner, while the other might pay a high price, perhaps even lose their life.


    ¡°Bei Shu will lose!¡± Xu Jingxian couldn¡¯t help exclaiming.


    She saw that the two of them had equivalent banners and drums, but Bei Shu was still a bit weaker, so he was likely to fall victim to the whip.


    Equivalent banners and drums: evenly matched.


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡±


    She didn¡¯t notice when Changming had approached her.


    Yun Hai was also walking towards her slowly.


    ¡°Daoyou Changming is right, the winner is not yet determined.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was watching the battle closely, so she retorted: ¡°Bei Shu seems full of valour and vigor, but in reality lacks powers. That half-demon, on the other hand, is tough, his stamina is high; he can become one of the great masters if he tries more.¡±


    Although she had treaded the path of a demonic cultivator who picks up yang to replenish yin, she was unwilling to use this cultivation method in her heart, but was rather enthusiastic about martial cultivation instead; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have risked her life for the Yangzhen Grass that might not even exist.


    ¡°You are right, but you¡¯ve overlooked human hearts.¡± Before Xu Jingxian could digest Changming¡¯s words, the situation changed drastically.


    A ray of white light suddenly struck the whip owner from the back!


    The powerful white light wasn¡¯t moving very quickly, and its strength wasn¡¯t fierce either, but the whip owner had to fend off the light anyway.


    While he was distracted, Bei Shu seized the opportunity to counterattack, and broke his opponent¡¯s defence with brute force. The whip owner¡¯s spiritual powers were disturbed, his defenses torn; even if he was only distracted for a short moment, it was enough for the long staff to reach his head.


    ¡°There was a person standing under these eaves just now, looking at these two. If he was not here for Bei Shu, he wanted to attack the other.¡±


    Yun Hai started speaking slowly. The side he was pointing at was just a pitch-black remote corner in the beginning but at the next moment, lightning struck, illuminating the place.


    ¡°But this half-demon had already defeated him, so that person had no chance to make a move. That¡¯s why he could only attack using his enemy¡¯s battle with Bei Shu.¡±


    While he was talking, the owner of the whip fell down from the sky powerlessly, which was surely against him rather than in his favor.


    Not many people could have predicted such an outcome of the battle. They were still staring blankly at Bei Shu who was standing on the highest spire of Seven Star Rivers with the staff in his hand.


    ¡°Bo Ye is dead, Seven Star Rivers has no Owner now. The most powerful general under his command, Tai Luo, is already killed by me. So, from this day on, I am the Owner of Seven Star Rivers! If anyone refuses to obey, they can come forward, and I will give them a chance to challenge me tonight, but after that, anyone who provokes me will be killed mercilessly!¡±


    Beu Shu¡¯s voice could be heard clearly by everyone in Seven Star Rivers even at a great distance.


    The town fell into silence.


    Nobody was moving.


    Some people probably wanted to move, but they were waiting for others to start.


    Xu Jingxian finally understood Changming¡¯s words.


    After the Owner of Seven Star Rivers had been killed in passing by Xu Fenglin who left for the second layer soon after, Seven Star Rivers was like a swarm of dragons without a head, everyone was in panic. The strongest ones among them who were qualified to take the position of Seven Star Rivers¡¯ Owner were Bei Shu and Tai Luo. Although Tai Luo was superior in cultivation, he didn¡¯t expect Bei Shu¡¯s allies to plot against him under such circumstances.


    He was too confident in his skills, and his confidence killed him in the end.


    Bei Shu waited for a while, but no one confronted him. His lips curled upwards.


    ¡°In two hours, this venerable one will host a banquet on Seven Star Rivers Platform. I respectfully await everyone present to come without written invitations.¡±


    Obviously, he proclaimed himself the Owner of Seven Star Rivers. Those who would attend the banquet would automatically acknowledge his position.


    Xu Jingxian had never seen a place change its owner so quickly. Although the Human Realm was ruthless, it wasn¡¯t a place of such undisguised cruelty. After all, the so-called famous and righteous sects paid attention to virtues and honour; even if people from her demonic sect used unscrupulous divisive tactics, Zhou Keyi was very powerful, and although he was moody and hard to please, his position as Master of the Jianxue Clan was never challenged by others.


    Changming raised his head.


    Thunder and lightning in the sky were fading away little by little, but the black clouds didn¡¯t clear.


    The layers of dark and light clouds piled up, as if reflecting the complex, ever-changing situation on the earth.


    ¡°Did daoyou Changming solve some kind of a mystery?¡± Yun Hai asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m just thinking, are the dark nights in the Nine Layers of the Abyss always so long?¡± Changming asked.


    ¡°You like bright days more?¡±


    ¡°I like to see clearly. That helps me to realize the truth.¡±


    Changming gave him a look of deep significance, his words having a double meaning.


    The other laughed, not overthinking Changming¡¯s words: ¡°Daoyou Changming, daoyou Xu, shouldn¡¯t we attend this banquet together?¡±


    Tn:


    [1] Furious Vajra Arhat with his eyes wide open: vajra, lit. ¡°diamond¡±, a Buddhist weapon. The vajra is a type of club with a ribbed spherical head. The ribs may meet in a ball-shaped top, or they may be separate and end in sharp points with which to stab. I like weapons, and surely everyone loves pictures, so here it is:


    Arhat is a person who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and achieved nirvana [wiki]. There is no special type of ¡°vajra arhats¡± (or maybe I just didn¡¯t find them), but there are ¡°vajra guardians¡±, those who defend Buddhism. As for the whole metaphor, I presume Bei Shu was described to look roughly like this:


    (https://www.163.com/dy/article/FH04SK9R0521JF6I.html)

 CH 18

    Xu Jingxian also thought that the dark nights here were exceptionally long.


    But this was just a common occurrence in the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    In this confusing chaotic world where humans and demons were mixed, anything could happen.


    Although they didn¡¯t know where the Seven Star Platform was, cultivators gradually started moving in one direction, so following them could solve this problem.


    By the time the three of them had reached their destination, the platform was already bustling with noise and excitement.


    The high platform had seven sections. All the cultivators gathered on the marble platform in the middle, the residence of the Owner of Seven Star Rivers, that also happened to be the place where Bei Shu held the banquet.


    Xu Jingxian thought him to be a man without many followers who suddenly took over the high position and wouldn¡¯t receive much support, but, when they arrived at the Seven Star Platform, she realized that he had a lot of cultivators under his authority, occupying all the space around the platform. They were looking at the newcomers like a tiger on guard, ready to pounce on its prey.


    Cultivators were arriving one by one, and many of them went straight to Bei Shu who was sitting on the high platform to pay their respects. That was not at all in line with Xu Jingxian¡¯s expectations: no one was trying to pick a fight, a number of graceful women were even dancing on stones in the water, thousands of lanterns were rising to the sky, and white trees were blooming.


    Seven Star Rivers, which was full of ceaseless confused fights just a while ago, was now like a dazzling town of the Human Realm, filled with luxury and gold.


    Xu Jingxian thought it was a bit strange.


    ¡°Bei Shu proclaimed himself the Owner of Seven Star Rivers with such ease, don¡¯t tell me no one will challenge him?¡±


    Those who were busy killing and looting just a moment ago, people who thought the weak shall stand as a prey of the strong, all admitted Bei Shu¡¯s position one by one. In her opinion, it happened too fast, as the Jianxue Clan¡¯s internal struggles never ended this smooth and fast.


    ¡°Bei Shu has been in Seven Star Rivers for a long time, and has gathered lots of allies. Even if Xu Fenglin hadn¡¯t intruded Seven Star Rivers and killed Bo Ye all of a sudden, he would have attacked Bo Ye anyway, because he had conflicts with him.¡±


    An unfamiliar voice sounded, and Xu Jingxian turned her head to see a person who came near them and answered her question.


    Xu Jingxian and the other two were looking at him, so this person cupped his hands in greeting when he had finished speaking.


    ¡°Bo Ye¡¯s death started a turmoil in Seven Star Rivers. If Bei Shu wanted to take the high position, he needed to kill Bo Ye¡¯s most powerful general Tai Luo in front of everyone to gain authority. Tai Luo is a famous master in Seven Star Rivers. Now that he is dead, others won¡¯t dare to stand out. Those who covet the position of the Owner of Seven Star Rivers should first consider whether they are at least as powerful as Tai Luo. Moreover, everyone wants to know what secrets Bei Shu had learned about Seven Star Rivers. I am Chen Ting, a disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Sect, very pleased to meet you. May I know how I should address you?¡±


    The Wanjian Immortal Sect was a famous big clan, but the larger a sect was, the more its disciples looked down on demonic sects that used underhanded methods like the Jianxue Clan.


    Just like profound and famous families look down on poor families with no history that rose to power overnight.


    But Xu Jingxian hurried to give a sweet self-introduction anyway.


    ¡°This girl is Xu Jingjing, a disciple of the Jianxue Clan! It¡¯s hard to find someone as handsome as daoyou Chen in the whole Jianxue Clan!¡±


    When Chen Ting heard these two words, ¡°Jianxue Clan¡±, the corners of his mouth twitched. It seemed that he now regretted his decision to come over and start a conversation with them. But he forced a weak smile and continued talking.


    ¡°Thank you very much for your praise, daoyou Xu. I¡¯ve heard a lot about the Jianxue Clan. Daoyou Xu is very elegant.¡±


    He looked at Changming and Yun Hai, slightly hesitant.


    ¡°Are you both from the Jianxue Clan as well?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Changming, a rogue cultivator.¡±


    Yun Hai smiled happily: ¡°Me too.¡±


    Changming: ¡­What ¡®too¡¯, are you Changming too?


    But Chen Ting didn¡¯t ask this question, deciding to himself that they were all demonic cultivators from the Jianxue Clan faction. Had this happened outside, in the Human Realm, it would be strange for them to meet somewhere other than the battlefield, because people who walk different paths cannot make plans together; but in the Nine Layers of the Abyss the rules were different, and these people from the Jianxue Clan were still at least humans unlike those half-demons and evil spirits.


    Creatures of other races might have different mindsets, but they are still people. This thought made Chen Ting feel that Xu Jingxian and the other two were very pleasing to the eye.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Daoyou Chen said there are secrets in Seven Star Rivers?¡±


    Although Chen Ting held evil women like her in contempt, people naturally love beauty, and, after taking a look at her, he couldn¡¯t help but answer right away: ¡°Right. It is said that a powerful spiritual weapon with consciousness is hidden under the Seven Star Platform, and that it has something to do with the purple flames in the sky above the Sacred Mountain Wan. The key to the dungeon used to be in Bo Ye¡¯s hands. After his death, the key should have been with Tai Luo; Bei Shu killed him, so it¡¯s very possible that he has it now. Everyone is watching from the sidelines.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Bei Shu was driven out from the Qingyun School, yet unexpectedly managed to find so many followers and rise to power here, standing up to Tai Luo as an equal, this is really unusual!¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°I have some history with this man. I have seen his ways and heard his words. He really is an ambitious and ruthless character in these troubled times. However, the strongest is respected in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. Today he might be the Owner of Seven Star Rivers, but tomorrow it could change. Bo Ye occupied the position for about seven or eight years, and met such an end. When Bei Shu invited everyone to come here today, he must have understood our true intentions.¡±


    Xu Jingxian put on a show of surprise: ¡°Then aren¡¯t we entering his trap willingly? You frighten me to death, I won¡¯t be able to eat or drink at the banquet later! ¡±


    Chen Ting laughed, suddenly feeling that this evil beauty from the Jianxue Clan was a bit cute.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Bei Shu has already taken the high position, so he will try to win over people¡¯s hearts, and won¡¯t resort to such cheap underhanded methods. I reckon that he will give away these scriptures and belongings of Bo Ye and Tai Luo that he has gathered. If you catch his eyes, who knows, maybe you will receive a high-grade weapon.¡±


    Xu Jingxian knew he was disgusted with demonic methods, but that only made her behave even more unnaturally: ¡°Then, if he gets interested in my good looks, must I give myself to him in exchange for a high-grade weapon? Ah, what a plight!¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡­


    Yun Hai paid no attention to Chen Ting who was chatting with Xu Jingxian.


    He was looking at Changming.


    The latter was watching Bei Shu.


    At that time, Bei Shu was full of high spirits, looking down at the people from the Seven Star Platform. Even though he knew that all these cultivators in front of him harboured concealed intentions, that didn¡¯t prevent him from feeling that the whole situation was under his control.


    He was quite eye-catching, yet Changming wasn¡¯t looking at him.


    ¡°Who is that person next to Bei Shu?¡±


    Yun Hai asked about the person Changming was looking at.


    Changming said: ¡°I¡¯ve met him once, and we went through some adventures together. But I thought he died later, because those who enter that place rarely come out alive, and with his skills it would be extremely hard to survive. But now, not only do I meet him unscratched, but he has even raised his cultivation level. What do you think could be the reason?¡±


    Yun Hai muttered irresolutely: ¡°There are two possibilities. The first being that you are seeing an illusion, but that¡¯s impossible since I see it as well. The second is that he got lucky in that place you mentioned, and his cultivation has been advancing by leaps and bounds ever since. You said that you believed he wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of that place, so I suppose something must have happened to him there.¡±


    Changming hummed.


    Although Zhang Mu made a scapegoat of him back then, Zhang Mu¡¯s companions, excluding He Xiyun, should have been left behind in the Yellow Springs and been completely devoured by those demons and wandering spirits, leaving no remnants.


    Yet all of a sudden he meets Zhang Mu here again.


    When the person who stood in that corner just now helped Bei Shu by throwing a long spear, Changming thought that his technique seemed somewhat familiar. Now that he saw a capable Zhang Mu next to Bei Shu, his guess was finally confirmed.


    Zhang Mu didn¡¯t die.


    Not only didn¡¯t he die, but he had even come out of the Yellow Springs and entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss, gaining Bei Shu¡¯s trust at that.


    All these fragments started to form a picture, weird and vague, odd and mysterious.


    The Zhang Mu from the Yellow Springs, the Zhang Mu in front of his eyes.


    The Xiao Yun from the Qixian Sect, the Yun Hai next to him.


    There seemed to be a thread, imperceptible by his senses, that was pulling him forwards.


    Changming didn¡¯t enjoy being controlled, but he followed this thread to find the one pulling it.


    ¡°There is another possibility¡ª¡± Yun Hai said slowly.


    Before he could finish speaking, Changming walked towards Bei Shu.


    Yun Hai was stunned but immediately followed him.


    A long staircase separated them from Bei Shu.


    This high staircase showed the difference in their status, but that didn¡¯t stop cultivators from going up to congratulate Bei Shu in an endless stream.


    Changming and Yun Hai went up slowly with the crowd.


    Zhang Mu finished whispering something into Bei Shu¡¯s ear. The latter nodded, and Zhang Mu followed his order and went down to greet Changming.


    ¡°Daoxiong Zhang Mu, I never expected to stumble upon you here!¡± Changming seemed pleasantly surprised.


    Zhang Mu stopped and raised his head to look at him.


    ¡°And you are¡ª¡±


    Changming: ¡°In the past, outside the Yunhai Tower, you saw injustice and gave a helping hand, which allowed me to save my face in front of my fellow disciples. I am still very grateful to you. Didn¡¯t expect to meet you here today!¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡­


    Zhang Mu nodded half-heartedly: ¡°No need to be so polite. I have to go now, we will discuss it again afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Then, many thanks for your hospitality, I will express my gratitude later!¡±


    Changming cupped his hands politely, overflowing with exaggerated praises, while being deeply in thought.


    He was only probing Zhang Mu with these words. There was no ¡®Yunhai Tower¡¯, much less fellow disciples.


    Zhang Mu either had amnesia, or¡ª


    Wasn¡¯t Zhang Mu at all.


    More than half of the banquet had passed. Just as Chen Ting had said, Bei Shu was never going to serve them dishes or drinks, but ordered people to bring out weapons and tools, letting everyone present choose one.


    These magic weapons were looted from those defeated by the masters in Seven Star Rivers over the years. They could not be called precious or rare, but there were still some high-quality treasures. Even if they knew Bei Shu was only trying to buy people¡¯s hearts, looking at all the weapons they could take for free, everyone present was tempted to choose one, and they came forward one after another. Some of them almost started fighting because they were interested in the same treasure. Of course, when they got what they desired, they were overjoyed, and, returning the favor, congratulated Bei Shu for fulfilling his wish and becoming the new Owner of Seven Star Rivers.


    At this point, fires lit the sky, and the earth was flourishing, making people subconsciously think of this place as an imperial palace in the Human Realm, not another world.


    Changming and Yun Hai didn¡¯t rush forward to choose treasures, and were looking on the crowd coldly as bystanders.


    ¡°How long do you think Bei Shu will last in the position of the Owner of Seven Star Rivers?¡± Yun Hai asked.


    ¡°As I see it, no one but you, daoyou Yun Hai, can challenge Bei Shu, so, unless Xu Fenglin returns, he should be able to last for at least three days. But Xu Fenglin already went to the second layer of the Abyss, so he¡¯s probably not interested in the position of the Owner of the First Layer.¡±


    Yun Hai laughed: ¡°Then let¡¯s bet on how long he will last. I won¡¯t do anything, but he won¡¯t stay alive for three days.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Do you want to kill him?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°I don¡¯t even know him, and I won¡¯t harm him.¡±


    Changming: ¡°What are the stakes?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°If you win, I will give you a spiritual weapon that has gained consciousness as a present.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Things from this world rarely deserve my attention.¡±


    His expression was a bit tired, his manner of speech indifferent, but his words were arrogant, ones of the ¡°if I can¡¯t do something, no one can¡± kind.


    But Yun Hai didn¡¯t show amusement or ridicule on his face, and only said with confidence: ¡°This thing definitely deserves your attention.¡±


    Changming¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he turned his head to Yun Hai.


    Just as expected, Yun Hai laughed: ¡°The Sifei Sword.¡±


    Changming said to himself, you took my own thing, and now you want to give it to me as a present?


    Yun Hai: ¡°This sword belonged to the first master under Heaven in the past, Jiufang Changming, who happened to share your name, daoxiong Changming. It is called giving the sword to the hero. If you two are so fated, who knows, maybe you will be able to control the sword.¡±


    Giving the sword to the hero: ¡­and giving the rouge to the beauty: giving the right thing to the right person.


    Changming was pondering over one thing.


    It was that, while Zhou Keyi has changed a lot, there was still something left from his past self for Changming to use, but what on earth happened with his stubborn and rigorous first disciple that made him such a person?


    Everything was just fine while he was silent. But after he opened his mouth, he was glowing with delight, as if his hands were ready to dance, his feet to trip, and his hair to flutter in the air; his words were frivolous and wanton, he was teasing people in every second sentence, and was deliberately speaking ambiguously all the time, even threatening his shizun.


    If he had already forgotten about Changming, why did Yun Hai come to meet him willingly?


    Yun Hai suddenly raised his hand and covered Changming¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Daoyou, don¡¯t look at me this way. Even if you admire me with all your heart, I ask you to hide this feeling. You should remember that the falling flowers are yearning for love, but the heartless brook ripples on. Don¡¯t make a wrong decision in a moment of weakness, since it can lead to fatal mistakes.¡±


    The falling flowers are yearning for love, but the heartless brook ripples on: unrequited love.


    Changming: ¡­


    ¡°Then what if you win?¡± He didn¡¯t push away the other¡¯s hand.


    Yun Hai laughed: ¡°If I win, you will owe me a favor.¡±

 CH 19

    Xu Jingxian returned empty-handed.


    Yun Hai removed his hand.


    Xu Jingxian noticed it and blinked.


    Changming teased her as if nothing happened: ¡°The lady didn¡¯t see any treasure that is good enough for her?¡±


    Xu Jingxian said quietly: ¡°There are no clouds to one who has passed Mount Wu. The clan master promised me the muslin from the Donghai Sea, why would I wish for something else?¡±


    There are no clouds to one who has passed Mount Wu: (¡­and no rivers to one who has crossed the ocean): one who has seen the world doesn¡¯t stop at small things.


    In truth, she liked a couple of first-class spiritual tools, but they were taken by others. If she really wanted them, she could start a fight, but Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t intend to cause a ruckus. She came here not to benefit at others¡¯ expense, so there was no need to try to win a little only to lose a lot.


    Changming smiled: ¡°How do you know that Sect Master Zhou is not going to give you a depicted cake?¡±


    A depicted cake: a pie in the sky.


    ¡°Are you trying to make me lose hope?¡± Xu Jingxian looked at him sideways, ¡°Just now, an attendant asked me to report on our schools and the number of people to arrange guest rooms for us to take a rest there tonight, so I told him there are three of us, here¡ª¡±


    She opened up her palm, but there were only two plates in it.


    ¡°Three of us, two rooms. Who wants to spend a spring night with me?¡±


    Yun Hai took one plate.


    ¡°Looks like daoyou Xu can only lead the lonely life of a widow.¡±


    Changming touched his nose: ¡°I can stand one night with Lady Xu.¡±


    Touched his nose: point at oneself. Europeans point at their hearts, Chinese point at their noses.


    Xu Jingxian sighed: ¡°My heart longs for the bright moon, yet the moon only shines upon ditches.¡±


    My heart longs for the bright moon, yet the moon only shines upon ditches: to be sincere towards anyone, while others are hypocritical towards you.


    She finished speaking, closed her palm, turned round and went away without looking back.


    Yun Hai smiled: ¡°Daoyou Changming, please?¡±


    Changming: ¡­


    Xu Jingxian refused to reveal their identities, saying they were only rogue cultivators; they concealed spiritual tools on their bodies. Naturally, the Seven Star Platform¡¯s attendant neglected them, gave two rooms to three persons, and the rooms were ordinary, remote, damp, and gloomy.


    Changming meditated in the room for some time. By the time he opened his eyes, Yun Hai had already disappeared without a trace.


    The room was empty. The dense fog and the moon were faintly glowing outside, and the night clouds were brightly red, but they couldn¡¯t be seen through the fog.


    In late-night silence he finally had free time to think about this mysterious Yun Hai.


    But no matter how long he was pondering, he still couldn¡¯t arrive at the final conclusion.


    He hadn¡¯t seen this unworthy disciple for too long, and his memories of him had already become a little vague.


    But among these vague memories, some episodes remained clear and distinct.


    It was a rainy night when he first entered his master¡¯s sect.


    He was seriously injured, but kneeled on the green slabstone under the open sky all night long.


    At first, Changming was not ready to accept him.


    In his eyes, a perfect direct disciple should study Dao without any distractions, and be both talented and persistent. If a person is like this, there is a chance for them to break through to the Heaven Realm.


    But Yun Weisi was full of deep-seated hatred caused by a blood debt, and wanted to acknowledge him as his master only to get revenge.


    People who are controlled by their hatred can never reach high results.


    The Yuhuang Temple¡¯s gates were tightly closed, and they refused to accept Yun Weisi.


    Foes of the Yun family reached the gates at the first glimmer of dawn, aiming to kill Yun Weisi right in front of the Yuhuang Temple.


    They thought that people from the Yuhuang Temple wouldn¡¯t interfere.


    The gates of the Yuhuang Temple were full of noise and clamour. Yun Weisi fought desperately, refusing to bow his head.


    The green slabstone was all soaked with blood.


    No one knew whether the blood was his or his enemies¡¯.


    Changming finally decided to interfere.


    And even personally.


    He disposed of the Yun family¡¯s enemies, and brought infinite troubles upon himself.


    Yun Weisi studied hard, and had a clear comprehension of Dao which surpassed that of ordinary people by far. He was also able to create a different approach and deduced many things from one case. He lived up to Changming¡¯s expectations indeed, reaching a high cultivation level in a few years. Many things that Changming preached to other disciples fell on deaf ears, and only Yun Weisi was able to understand them and could even put them to good use.


    Back then, Changming thought that even if he left the Yuhuang Temple, Yun Weisi would be able to continue treading his path and eventually become the first great master of a Daoist sect to ascend.


    But now, he was unexpectedly here, in the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Changming suddenly opened his eyes.


    A pair of eyes almost within reach were staring at him.


    Changming turned to him, so Yun Hai straightened up, saying with a smile: ¡°I¡¯ve called for you several times, but you didn¡¯t answer. I almost thought that your soul has left your body!¡±


    Changming: ¡°Daoyou Yun is in high spirits and doesn¡¯t sleep in the middle of the night. Do you want to have a heart-to-heart conversation with me?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Sure!¡±


    Changming: ¡­


    Yun Hai: ¡°When I saw you, I thought you seemed familiar. I¡¯ve asked you about that, and you said we might have met in our dreams, but I¡¯ve never had any dreams. Could it be that we have met in our past lives?¡±


    Changming wasn¡¯t sure whether he was really mad or just playing stupid. But, even if he was only pretending, his words were still deranged. He behaved abnormally ever since they met on the seashore.


    Changming couldn¡¯t help but expose his thoughts: ¡°Do you know Yun Weisi?¡±


    Yun Hai was astonished at first, and then laughed: ¡°Where did another one with the surname ¡®Yun¡¯ come from? First it was Xiao Yun, then Yun Weisi, are there so many people surnamed Yun in this world? Or is that daoyou Changming fell in love with me at first sight, and admiration was born in your heart, yet you dare not show it, and now you are looking for excuses to strike up a conversation?¡±


    Changming said indifferently: ¡°Yun Weisi, how long are you going to pretend?¡±


    Yun Hai kept smiling: ¡°I¡¯m afraid that daoyou Changming has mistaken me for another person. My name is Yun Hai, not Yun Weisi.¡±


    Changming said: ¡°You have a scar on your neck near your left shoulder, under the collar of your robes. You were injured during those years when you had just entered the Yuhuang Temple. Later, you said that you wanted to leave it as a reminder of a lesson you¡¯ve learned, so you never got rid of it. The scar must still be there.¡±


    Yun Hai¡¯s finger moved.


    He was looking at Changming.


    The red moon¡¯s dim light shone from the crevice of the window, illuminating the latter¡¯s face sideways.


    His lips were pale and slightly pursed, showing that he had stubborn diseases haunting him.


    But, for unknown reasons, Yun Hai felt he was tough like a massive rock, and nothing could shake him.


    So ridiculous. He was obviously a weak person who could get killed any moment, yet he dared enter the Nine Layers of the Abyss and deal with all imaginable kinds of evil spirits.


    One of Yun Hai¡¯s hands, no, one of his fingers was enough to kill this man, but he still tried to look composed and was talking cheerfully.


    Then again, why didn¡¯t he kill Changming?


    Yun Hai looked through his memories, but didn¡¯t find an answer.


    He couldn¡¯t help feeling a little nervous.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you worry about my identity rather than the existence of a scar on my neck?¡±


    Yun Hai was talking slowly. He raised the corners of his lips and rolled up his right sleeve.


    Changming¡¯s line of sight naturally moved there, and he suddenly froze up, straightening his back a bit.


    A slender winding red line started from his elbow and went down his arm more than two inches, swerving right and left.


    A common person would have deemed it a cinnabar pattern that could be erased with one sweep, nothing out of normal.


    But Changming knew that this line not only couldn¡¯t be removed, but would also grow longer with time, wrap around his wrist, come down his palm and finally¡ª


    Turn him into a demon.


    ¡°Does that old friend of yours have demon blood too?¡±


    Yun Hai cast a sidelong glance at him, smiling. But this smile somehow resembled an alluring demonic smile.


    Impossible.


    Changming was shocked, and this one word appeared in his mind.


    But he also knew very well that there was nothing impossible in this world.


    Changming raised his eyes to look at Yun Hai.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Looks like your old friend has no relationship with demons.¡±


    Changming: ¡°How did you become this way?¡±


    Yun Hai raised his eyebrows: ¡°What, do you still refuse to accept that I am not your old friend?¡±


    Changming: ¡°You are Yun Weisi, and Yun Weisi is you.¡±


    Yun Hai sneered: ¡°Daoyou Changming is so stubborn! Let me bring you to watch a good play. Maybe I can help you gather all the cultivators from the Seven Star Platform, and you will find your old friend there.¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for Changming¡¯s objection or consent and directly pulled him towards the exit.


    Changming was forced to follow his light steps. Guards were patrolling the whole Seven Star Platform, but Yun Hai escaped their attention with no difficulty even with Changming until they arrived at the backyard of a gorgeous residence. They passed through a dense forest and stopped at a half-opened window of the residence.


    Changming said nothing, because he couldn¡¯t¡ªYun Hai silenced him with some technique.


    The other grabbed his hand and wrote one word on his palm.


    Wait.


    Wait for what?


    Changming threw him a gaze. Yun Hai only smiled, unwilling to explain.


    Yun Hai must have also covered their breaths as the people in the room didn¡¯t notice their presence.


    Changming quickly recognised the two inside the residence.


    The one who had defeated Tai Luo and became the new owner of the Seven Star Rivers, Bei Shu.


    And Zhang Mu.


    ¡°My lord looked so awe-inspiring tonight, this subordinate is sincerely happy for you. Seven Star Rivers is the first layer of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, so it¡¯s not too dangerous, but holds abundant spiritual resources. Since my lord is in charge of the Seven Star Rivers, your position is not inferior to that of the master of the Qingyun School. They can dispatch people and send them here, but I am afraid that their master isn¡¯t even worth half of you!¡±


    Changming had never heard Zhang Mu talk this way.


    Tactful and affectionate, sincere and enthusiastic.


    Zhang Mu was one of those few people who talked to him in the Yellow Springs. He was a young man who came from a small sect and was used to following the usual rules and regulations. His decision to enter the Yellow Springs to gain experience must have been the boldest step in his life, but his innate talent was too shallow, and he couldn¡¯t make a breakthrough with his own powers. Even if he advanced in the art of using a spear, the bottleneck still limited him.


    At first, Changming thought to use the chance to give him advice, but a swarm of evil spirits and demons came for them. Zhang Mu was unable to break away from his innate weaknesses, and at the life and death crisis he shoved Changming to demons in order to run for his life alone.


    At that moment, Changming gave up on Zhang Mu.


    But now, all of a sudden, he met him again in this place.


    Through the half-opened window, Changming first heard Bei Shu¡¯s laughter, and then saw a terrifying scene.


    Tn:


    Mount Wu from ¡°there are no rivers to the one who has crossed the ocean, and no clouds to the one who has passed Mount Wu¡±:

 CH 20

    Bei Shu was sitting on a couch cross-legged.


    Zhang Mu was standing on one knee by the couch, supporting Bei Shu¡¯s leg and looking up at him.


    Bei Shu was also looking at him.


    Their breaths intertwined in a candle light.


    The Golden Glass Beads Staff was leaned to the wall on the side, spreading brilliant moon-like shine.


    Their relationship was ambiguous enough to make Changming raise his eyebrows.


    But then¡ª


    Zhang Mu placed his hand on the back of Bei Shu¡¯s neck and gently caressed it. Bei Shu felt comfortable and closed his eyes. But at that moment, Zhang Mu¡¯s tongue suddenly stretched out and entered Bei Shu¡¯s mouth!


    Bei Shu abruptly opened his eyes, started struggling subconsciously, and hit Zhang Mu¡¯s shoulder with his palm. But this strike was like a stone dropped into the sea, raising no waves, and Zhang Mu didn¡¯t move at the slightest; on the contrary, Bei Shu lost his chance to flee for his life. His body trembled, he whimpered, but didn¡¯t manage to escape Zhang Mu.


    At this moment, Zhang Mu opened his mouth to an almost impossible angle, swallowing Bei Shu¡¯s lips and half of his cheek, just like a young man eager to express his love to his sweetheart, burning with impatience. This scene was truly bizarre and dreadful.


    Bei Shu continued to struggle with the last of his powers and shivered violently, but after some time he gradually stopped.


    Zhang Mu let him go, and the body fell on the couch softly.


    He hadn¡¯t had enough and licked his lips, as if trying to catch the aftertaste of a delicious meal.


    As for Bei Shu¡ª


    Changming¡¯s gaze fell on his body.


    Bei Shu did not move at all, as if he was sleeping quietly. But Changming knew that even if the body had no injuries from head to toe, if one checked carefully, they would notice that his soul had already left his body.


    His soul was sucked away and his spirit suppressed without hurting his body.


    This method of killing was exactly the same as the one that killed Liu Xiyu at the back of the mountain in the Qixian Sect.


    Changming frowned.


    Was Zhang Mu the one who murdered Liu Xiyu?


    That couldn¡¯t be right. To win Bei Shu¡¯s trust, Zhang My must have spent much time by his side, so the timeline was wrong.


    Yun Hai, who was standing beside Changming, took his hand and wrote a few words on his palm again.


    Isn¡¯t it beautiful?


    Changming raised his eyes and asked a silent question.


    Yun Hai smiled at him teasingly, thinking of something funny.


    In a moment, he lifted the muting seal on Changming and snapped his fingers, turning towards the flowers and trees in the garden.


    With a bang, the world around him seemed to break into pieces.


    This click of his fingers lighted off a cluster of fireworks that soon ignited.


    Yun Hai simply grabbed Changming and threw him into Bei Shu¡¯s house.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Yun Hai¡¯s unrestrained laughter was ringing in Changming¡¯s ears. The latter saw Zhang Mu suddenly raise his hand and stare at him with his vicious blood-red eyes, like a beast looking at its prey.


    Giving him no time to consider his options, his enemy moved, rushing at Changming like a strong wind!


    In the blink of an eye, Changming picked up something next to him and quickly retreated, raising his sleeve.


    A light sleeve and nearly nonexistent cultivation, a mantis trying to stop a chariot indeed!


    A mantis trying to stop a chariot: to throw straws against the wind.


    Zhang Mu sneered. His spiritual energy was surging vigorously, carrying his fierce scorching breath and churning sparks.


    He could almost see this sleeve turning into ashes and Changming¡¯s face burning right away, making him howl in agony.


    Such a pity. At first he thought that this body was not bad, and could be taken as a new shell¡ª


    Unexpectedly, Changming¡¯s sleeve fluttered suddenly, and a black butterfly appeared, flying towards Zhang Mu.


    The butterfly was gracefully and excitedly flapping its giant bright wings, not the least bit intimidating.


    Zhang Mu frowned and waved his hand to sweep it. Who knew that when his hand touched the butterfly, one butterfly would turn into ten, and ten would turn into a hundred. They surrounded him, and the more he fought, the more butterflies appeared.


    But it was too late for Changming to run, as the guards of the Seven Star Platform had long since heard the movements and rushed to stop him.


    None of the cultivators who came to the Seven Star Platform could sleep peacefully under such circumstances, pretending to be ignorant.


    After hearing the noise, many people ran to the scene one after another. But they were just watching from the sidelines and did not intend to intervene.


    Yun Hai was nowhere to be found.


    Changming was facing this strange Zhang Mu with a dubious identity all on his own, and those cultivators had no intentions to become involved in matters that had no connection with them.


    It seemed like he was utterly surrounded by enemies, ambushed on all sides, and had little chances of survival.


    So many years had passed, and he was tricked by his disciple for the first time.


    Indeed, if you always walk at night, you are bound to meet a ghost.


    If you always walk at night, you are bound to meet a ghost: retribution.


    Zhang Mu burst into blue flames, burning all the butterflies to ashes.


    He was furious and wanted to kill Changming right now, but, with so many cultivators present, it was no easy task.


    He needed a just and honorable accusation.


    ¡°This person trespassed on the Seven Star Platform premises and killed Lord Bei Shu! I will definitely make you pay for it with your life today!¡±


    Everyone was shocked. Not a single one of them expected Bei Shu to only enjoy this life of luxury for one night, and then unexpectedly die!


    They looked at Changming. He didn¡¯t seem like someone who could kill a high-level master at all.


    But he was holding Bei Shu¡¯s Golden Glass Beads Staff in his hand.


    It seemed convincing enough.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Changming swallowed the blood in his throat and decided to put aside the betrayal of his unworthy disciple for now.


    ¡°This person named Zhang Mu appears to be Bei Shu¡¯s counselor, but he is actually a transformed evil spirit full of schemes. Daoyou, you shouldn¡¯t believe in his venomous slander!¡±


    Zhang My sneered: ¡°You are calling me an evil spirit? Then I say that you are one! You entered the Seven Star Platform without reason or cause, killed the man to get his resources, and the Golden Glass Beads Staff in your hand speaks for itself! People, seize him!¡±


    He was standing on the staircase with his hands clasped behind his back, and obviously looked down at Changming.


    The two of them had just fought hand to hand. Although he was confused by Changming¡¯s puppet butterflies, Zhang Mu checked his limits at that moment.


    Since this person saw Bei Shu¡¯s death, Zhang Mu couldn¡¯t let him live!


    The Golden Glass Beads Staff in Changming¡¯s hand gave off a cold feeling, clearing his mind.


    If he was not mistaken, this staff belonged to the Qingyun School once, but Bei Shu took it away when he left the sect.


    It was presumably a spiritual tool of a very high level.


    Although it wasn¡¯t as good as his Sifei Sword, he could still use it.


    Bei Shu¡¯s subordinates came running from all directions, four people taking the lead and eight people following behind.


    Their cultivation levels were not high. They were nobodies on their own, and they could only rely on the Seven Star Platform¡¯s resources, so they could be considered as Bei Shu¡¯s ¡®parasitic hired thugs¡¯. But joint forces should not be underestimated, and Changming couldn¡¯t deal with many enemies alone.


    They didn¡¯t think highly of Changming at all. This person looked exhausted; it was obvious that he was injured at the first sight, and there was nothing great about his cultivation level. Let alone these four people, even one person would be enough to take him down.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were on the staircase of the main Seven Star Platform¡¯s building, glued to the young man with the Golden Glass Beads Staff, whose death was imminent. The four people attacked him together, but he was standing still, showing no resistance.


    Those cultivators around them who came to enjoy watching the bustling scene were eager to know who had actually killed Bei Shu.


    The leader wanted to distinguish himself and rushed forward in front of the others. He threw a long sword towards Changming¡¯s neck from behind.


    If everything went according to his plan, the sword would have sliced his neck, and the blood would have splattered over the whole place.


    But it didn¡¯t go as planned.


    Changming who was within reach had suddenly disappeared!


    That person opened his eyes wide and even forgot to withdraw his long sword, letting it fly away.


    He thought there was a problem with his eyes. But everyone around him was surprised as well.


    A moment later, Changming reappeared in front of him.


    Others didn¡¯t hesitate anymore and swung their swords at Changming.


    He was ripped apart, and Changming¡¯s body pieces floated to the ground.


    But these people clearly saw that this cut into pieces man was actually made of paper!


    ¡°Lady Xu, I am afraid that if I die, your trip here will be in vain, and you will never find the thing you are looking for!¡±


    The crowd raised their heads, following the voice, and saw Changming standing on a rooftop and shouting loudly.


    Xu Jingxian who had mingled in the crowd was singled out, and her feelings became complicated for a moment.


    She really wanted to see how Changming would handle this situation.


    As she saw it, he could only die.


    It would be fine if Changming died as Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t care about it too much, but she did care about the Yangzhen Grass. He was certainly omitting some details, and could she really find it by herself? The situation in the Nine Layers of the Abyss was complicated and even plunged into crisis. No matter humans or demons, everyone had their own axe to grind. Even if she had a lot of techniques, four hands are still better than two fists, and it would be different if she had Changming.


    But becoming the Seven Star Platform¡¯s enemy¡­


    In the blink of an eye, Xu Jingxian weighed the advantages and disadvantages of this decision, and finally sighed in sorrow. She floated into the air and landed near Changming.


    Changming raised his eyes to her and joked: ¡°The lady is loyal to her companions, aren¡¯t we friends who go through difficult times together now!¡±


    Who wants to go through difficult times together with you!


    Xu Jingxian was looking down on the crowd, her heart full of disgust.


    They were completely surrounded. Even if they were given wings, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to fly away. Those cultivators who had come to the banquet were unrelated to the two of them, so there was no way they would offer a helping hand just because Xu Jingxian and Changming wanted to escape this crisis¡ª


    She started to regret her decision.


    ¡°Daoyou Zhang, I am Xu Jingxian, the master of Jianxue Clan¡¯s Lingbo Peak. This person is my friend. He is injured and has no strength to kill a great master like Bei Shu. Please, Your Excellency, for my sake, wait for a bit without making judgements until the truth is revealed!¡±


    Xu Jingxian deliberately didn¡¯t lower her voice. She still had the imposing manner of a peak master.


    It¡¯s just that there was no use in mentioning the Jianxue Clan here at all.


    Zhang Mu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t waver. He looked at them gloomily, stopped his eyes on Changming and raised his hands without saying a word.


    Xu Jingxian thought, that is bad.


    Sure enough, their opponent¡¯s raised wrist suddenly lowered!


    This was a command to attack.


    Like bees pressing forward in swarms, the crowd rushed to them!


    ¡°You¡¯re going to send me to an early grave!¡±


    Xu Jingxian sighed. Even if she had the cultivation of a master, under the siege of so many people, she might not be able to get away without getting heavily injured herself, let alone rescuing Changming.


    And getting wounded in a place like this was like becoming a helpless fat sheep that could lose its life any second.


    Because of the Jianxue Clan¡¯s habits of murdering, plundering, and taking people as furnaces, Xu Jingxian had a deep understanding of human nature.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Zhang Mu, you deal with the others!¡±


    Changming moved suddenly. But instead of standing in front of her to help her deal with the cultivators around them, he passed those people and got close to Zhang Mu.


    What was it if not following the path to his own doom?!


    It was already too late for Xu Jingxian to stop him, and she started fighting the cultivators with her thin silk, helping Changming to distract them while he was taking care of Zhang Mu.


    But she never thought that Changming would be able to kill Zhang Mu.


    Frankly speaking, the Art of Control was just an unorthodox trick. It could only be used for ambushes, when your enemy was off guard. But if you faced a great master with a deep foundation and skills, this art must be supported with your own spiritual powers. But Changming had no spiritual powers, and his body was weak; he couldn¡¯t maintain the Art of Control for a long time.


    Zhang Mu¡¯s long spear started to rotate, and its tip caught on raging red fire. The seething flames rushed at Changming.


    Illusions of the Art of Control were completely useless against him. If Changming used this trick now to deceive him, it would be just showing off one¡¯s proficiency with the axe before Lu Ban!


    Showing off your proficiency with the axe before Lu Ban: showing off a slight talent before an expert. Lu Ban was a famous legendary craftsman of Confucius¡¯s epoch, ¡®the God of Carpenters¡¯.


    The tip of the burning spear almost reached Changming¡¯s forehead!


    But his blood didn¡¯t splatter as expected, and Changming didn¡¯t disappear, still standing there quietly and looking at Zhang Mu with a smile.


    Zhang Mu immediately noticed that something went wrong. He turned around. His long spear cut through the air with great vigor, bursting and cracking, and the whole sky was full of flames!


    Three!


    Three Changmings were standing not far. They raised their hands in different manners and attacked him in various ways, stopping Zhang Mu¡¯s assault and reversing his flames.


    Zhang Mu was forced to leap to the side.


    Which one was the real Changming?!


    Zhang Mu¡¯s opponent obviously had a low cultivation level, how could his skills be so unfathomable now?!


    Right, the Golden Glass Beads Staff!


    This thought dawned on Zhang Mu.


    Bei Shu¡¯s Golden Glass Beads Staff, also known as the Golden Beads Staff of the Three Powers, once was a treasured spiritual tool of the Qingyun School; later, Bei Shu stole it from there. The reason why he managed to arrive at Seven Star Rivers so fast and defeated so many enemies was partly because of this weapon¡¯s assistance.


    But, after all, it was a Buddhist treasure. A common person couldn¡¯t just take it wherever they wanted and use it at will.


    And this person was not only handling it with ease, he could even perform such complicated tricks.


    Zhang Mu narrowed his eyes.


    The Three Powers: heaven, earth, and man.


    Three pearls merged into one, one pearl split into three.


    The Heaven Pearl and the Earth Pearl complemented each other, and only the Human Pearl was a bit lacking strength.


    The one that had the weakest rays, the one that was flickering vaguely¡­


    It is you!


    Zhang Mu showed a bloodthirsty smile and threw his long spear over!


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre that has no connection to the main text:


    Changming: Unexpectedly, a day when I am being deceived by my disciple came.


    Zhou Keyi: The news is so thrilling that everyone is rejoicing and spreading the word. The Jianxue Clan is sending a congratulatory message.


    Sun Buku: Amitabha, the evil has its retribution.


    Amitabha: may the Buddha preserve us.


    Song Nanyan: If you always walk at night, you are bound to meet a ghost.


    Yun Weisi: Who is a ghost?

 CH 21

    Legend has it that the Golden Glass Beads Staff belonged to the first Master of the Qingyun School. It was forged from spiritual stones of the Three Mountains and sealed with the soul of a great demon. As time passed, the soul merged with the golden pearls, increasing the power of this treasure.


    The Three Mountains: Mt Penglai, Mt Fangzhang, Mt Yingzhou¡ªthe three sacred mountains where immortals lived.


    But a powerful spiritual weapon alone is not enough, since it is controlled by a person.


    If that person is not virtuous enough, he is certain to meet a disaster.


    As Zhang Mu saw it, this Buddhist cane couldn¡¯t show its best in Bei Shu¡¯s hands, and all the more Changming lacked qualifications to hold it.


    He pierced it with his spear, and the golden beads shattered into pieces with a crisp and sweet sound. Its fragments scattered everywhere, slightly fluorescing.


    But this seemingly flickering light was getting more and more vigorous, and the golden beads turned from one into two, from two into four.


    The tip of the spear was engulfed in blazing flames, and when it touched the golden beads, they quickly ignited. These bothersome Golden Glass Beads created by Changming were quickly submerged in a sea of flames, and could no longer be seen.


    Such insignificant skills, yet he dared enter the Nine Layers of the Abyss; could it be that he has no idea how to write the ¡®death¡¯ character?


    To have no idea how to write the ¡®death¡¯ character: tired of life.


    Zhang Mu pressed the tip of his spear forward, using only half of his spiritual power, and quickly forced the Golden Glass Beads into a corner, giving Changming no chance to retreat or strike back.


    Only to die obediently.


    Xu Jingxian started scolding him at the moment he left her and went to Zhang Mu alone.


    Scolding him for deceiving her, for bringing her to the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Scolding him for being unreliable, for stirring up troubles all the time.


    Scolding him for being unmanly, for ditching her at the most crucial moments.


    She was cursing and killing them left and right.


    Treating all the guards who attacked her as if they were Changming.


    At the banquet tonight, Zhang Mu who was standing by Bei Shu¡¯s side was inconspicuous, but many people saw him fighting and knew that he was at least a high-level cultivator, which was more than enough to kill Changming. Xu Jingxian also thought that Changming was almost gone, and she had exactly ¡°lost both the beauty and her possessions¡±. It was hard to say whether she could even retreat from the Seven Star Platform that night.


    The feeling of regret turned into grief and murderous spirit, and the people around her could only see the purple thin silk swirling around freely and a lithe and graceful figure of a young woman dancing the most touching dance in the world.


    Only the guards of the Seven Star Platform could feel that Xu Jingxian¡¯s seemingly flexible thin silk became a sharp murderous blade when it fell on them. With one strike, it cut through their flesh, and they started bleeding unceasingly.


    Xu Jingxian was still venting her anger by treating these people as Changming when she saw a sudden burst of radiance at Zhang Mu¡¯s side, bright like the sun, making everyone close their eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she thought with regret that this Changming fellow must not even have any bones left.


    Unexpectedly, at this moment she heard Zhang Mu¡¯s roar. His body seemed to be pushed out violently by some force from amidst the flames, and he flew aside and landed on another high platform.


    ¡°What is that!¡±


    Someone screamed suddenly.


    The ones watching the fight looked up and saw Zhang Mu¡¯s body in the air making a cracking sound all of a sudden, and his whole skin began to crumble.


    When people saw this, they had some ineffable associations, as if what they saw was a roast suckling pig making crackling sounds on the fire because of the boiling oil.


    But Zhang Mu wasn¡¯t a roast suckling pig.


    And a normal person couldn¡¯t have their skin cracked.


    His skin and flesh cracked and fell, and a red skin beneath it was revealed. Zhang Mu let out a muffled shout, falling onto the stone platform.


    He no longer resembled Zhang Mu. His appearance changed drastically when he shedded his skin.


    His skin was bright red and wrinkled, there were horns on his forehead, and his eyes were blood red.


    Obviously, that couldn¡¯t be a human, only an evil spirit!


    ¡°All of you should believe that I am not deceiving you now, right? This demon turned into a man and killed Bei Shu, but why? Is it to become the Master of the Seven Star Platform, or to obtain its spiritual treasure?¡±


    The golden light was fading, and Changming appeared.


    The Golden Glass Beads Staff in his hand was intact, and his expression was as indifferent and calm as always.


    He had no injuries, no arm missing and no leg broken, even his clothes were clean and tidy. Only his hair was a bit messy, and a few strands were out of place.


    ¡°Today he killed a great master like Bei Shu, tomorrow he will be able to kill anyone. Until the evil spirit is eliminated, people will not have a day of peace.¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t need to say anything more. He avoided Zhang Mu¡¯s blow and jumped to the roof, landing next to Xu Jingxian.


    With one sweep of the Golden Glass Beads Staff, the people around Xu Jingxian were pushed away, and they jumped back to a higher platform.


    Xu Jingxian was surprised.


    ¡°It looks like your skills have improved!¡±


    She was a bit disappointed.


    ¡°Could it be that you were concealing your true strength before, watching me fight as a joke?¡±


    Changming: ¡°How can the lady think so? I¡¯m sincere with you. When I fought against Zhang Mu just now, I managed to break through with the help of the Golden Glass Beads Staff.¡±


    To be precise, it was his level in the Zhiyu Nianyue Scripture that broke through to the fifth stage.


    Although this technique could help a person advance by leaps in a short period of time, it couldn¡¯t break through a number of levels in just a few days. The reason for his fast progress was the assistance of the Golden Glass Beads Staff that saved his life in a dangerous situation, like dense willow trees and bright flowers.


    Dense willow trees and bright flowers: light at the end of the tunnel.


    Xu Jingxian was puzzled: ¡°Aren¡¯t you a rogue cultivator? The Golden Glass Beads Staff is a Buddhist tool, how can you control it?¡±


    Changming was unwilling to answer: ¡°Grasp this one thing, and you¡¯ll grasp everything, different paths lead to the same destination. Let¡¯s run first!¡±


    Very soon, Xu Jingxian understood what this ¡®run first¡¯ meant.


    After Zhang Mu¡¯s demonic nature was revealed, there was no need for Changming to risk his life battling him, and Zhang Mu had no chance to chase Changming.


    Most of the present cultivators were engaged in the battle, encircling him.


    On the Seven Star Platform, all kinds of spiritual weapons were drawn, and they were shining brilliantly.


    Zhang Mu had no chance to survive under the might of all these sabres, spears, swords and halberds, fabrics, disc-shaped weapons, knives and bells.


    Everyone had their own thoughts and schemes, but at that moment, a common goal united them.


    Those who are not of our kin are sure to have a different mind. These words were not an empty sound.


    Fifty years ago, the Liuhe Zhutian Formation failed, and demons filled this world. Not even the cultivators could escape from massacres in the villages and cities. Later, cultivators from all factions joined forces to fight against them; the Nine Layers of the Abyss was created. The catastrophe became the past, and the memories about it gradually blurred. There were even a few demons who mingled in the world, giving birth to offsprings. However, when faced with the powerful ugly demons that showed their true colors, everyone would still go up against them without a second thought.


    But, unexpectedly, surrounded by all these people, Zhang Mu wasn¡¯t defeated, and even grew stronger throughout the fight.


    With his human skin removed, he seemed to have also gotten rid of the restrictions on him. His strength rose suddenly and sharply, and he was still fighting violently under the pressure of many spiritual weapons.


    A sword slashed down, but it stopped half an inch above Zhang Mu¡¯s head. No matter how hard the cultivator holding the sword struggled to finish his strike, he couldn¡¯t do it.


    Xu Jingxian dragged Changming to the side as soon as they got away. They were hiding in the corner watching the battle, and had no intention to step forward and intervene.


    Only then did she relax a little bit.


    ¡°Do you think that so many cultivators won¡¯t be able to subdue him?¡±


    After waiting for a while for Changming¡¯s answer, Xu Jingxian turned her head, and saw that he was leaning on the pillar with his eyes half-closed, as if he was about to fall.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve just broken to the next level, why are you even worse now!¡±


    ¡°Did you see Yun Hai?¡± Changming asked in reply.


    His breath was a bit weak, and his mind was exhausted right now. The breakthrough to the next realm itself did not bring him much benefit, but had rather overdrawn his physical strength.


    Xu Jingxian was baffled: ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. Wasn¡¯t he with you?¡±


    When Changming heard these words, he understood that Yun Hai was gone for good.


    Just as there were no signs when he came, so it was when he went away.


    ¡°Who on earth is he? What¡¯s your relationship with him?¡±


    Xu Jingxian started interrogating him. She was sure Changming knew more than she did.


    Changming sighed: ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that he was my disciple?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­not a single word.


    Changming asked her back: ¡°Then what do you think is my relationship with him?¡±


    Xu Jingxian thought of their close interactions and said with hesitation: ¡°Daoist partners who fell out and became enemies?¡±


    Changming: ???


    This conversation couldn¡¯t continue further. He didn¡¯t know whether he was angered or was it the old injury getting to him, but he vomited another mouthful of blood.


    Xu Jingxian was flustered: ¡°Don¡¯t show me this! How on earth did you meet Zhang Mu, is that also related to Yun Hai? Can¡¯t you just reconcile with him, get some information out of him, and ask him to rescue us!¡±


    It was the first time Changming felt that he was unable to communicate with this woman at all.


    ¡°Can you help me get to a safer place to heal my wounds, and then we can discuss it again?¡±


    Just when Xu Jingxian was going to answer, she saw unexpected movements from the direction of Zhang Mu!


    Zhang Mu was retreating under attack from his enemies, finally pressed into a corner.


    His whole body was bleeding, but it was difficult to guess whether it was his originally red skin or blood.


    His appearance was revolting, and his demeanour was not human. This reason alone was enough to kill him right away.


    As for him killing Bei Shu or chasing Changming to silence him¡ªthese reasons were only of secondary importance.


    Zhang Mu¡¯s expression was savage. He looked at all those cultivators who had surrounded him with hatred.


    Those who met his gaze couldn¡¯t help but avert their eyes nervously.


    They had never encountered someone who was so obsessed with such overwhelming loathing, so abundant that he could almost blot out the sky and cover up the earth with thick blood, as if he had sunk deep in his resentment, blending with his hatred, and had an ambition to never stop until the whole world was ruined.


    This demon must die!


    That thought appeared in everyone¡¯s minds almost simultaneously.


    But Zhang Mu didn¡¯t die.


    He ran away.


    Under the countless gazes of a whole army that had encircled him to annihilate, one cultivator suddenly shrieked miserably. He slowly made a step back. The spiritual weapon he was holding turned against its master and cut his face and neck, making his blood splatter everywhere!


    The formation was only disrupted in one place, but this was enough for the demon to break through. Zhang Mu seized the chance to escape through the breach.


    He still managed to take the lives of two cultivators with his long spear before he disappeared.


    ¡°That¡¯s bad, quick, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Changming suddenly grabbed her arm, distracting Xu Jingxian from the spectacle.


    ¡°Go where?¡± Xu Jingxian was at a loss.


    ¡°The whole Seven Star Platform is a formation, and Zhang Mu wants to destroy this place!¡±


    Just as these words left his mouth, the ground under their feet shook, they felt the sky spin and the earth go round. Soon, the bricks and stones cracked as the whole platform was beginning to crumble.


    Xu Jingxian saw that the roofs of the nearby palaces were beginning to collapse.


    These palaces were built by the previous generations of people from Seven Star Rivers. All the materials used for construction were found at the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and the robustness of these buildings could not be compared to that of the common houses from the Human Realm.


    She even felt spiritual power leave her body with incredible speed.


    In the distance, clouds of gray mist passed through the high mountains, and came down suddenly.


    And at this moment Xu Jingxian noticed that at some point the dawn had come to Seven Star Rivers.


    The sky lightened, and the orange rosy clouds of dawn were glowing faintly.


    The long and dark night was finally over, but instead of a peaceful bright day, people had to face something terrifying.


    ¡°Those are maggots! Firefly maggots!¡± she cried out involuntarily.


    The formation of the Seven Star Platform had already been broken by Zhang Mu. Of course, the firefly maggots that could devour anything entered the place looking for food as soon as the barrier was shattered.


    And all these cultivators were the most delicious meals.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s half-devoured thin silk was wrapped around her waist. She remembered very well how terrifying those maggots were.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Even though the Seven Star Platform was big, these maggots could move through it without hindrance. If people decided to hide there, it would only delay their deaths.


    Some cultivators didn¡¯t know how formidable the maggots were, so when they saw the gray mist come closer to them, they attacked it. As a result, people were swallowed up by the gray mist, and even their bones and skin disappeared completely.


    Xu Jingxian grabbed Changming¡¯s wrist.


    She had faced many enemies before, but she had never been as scared as she was at that moment.


    Because no matter how strong the enemy was, there was always a chance of winning if she fought desperately.


    But these maggots were heartless and ignorant of everything. As long as something had a spirit, they would engulf that thing, leaving no chance to escape.


    The Master of the Lingbo Peak Xu Jingxian would rather face a hundred bald donkeys from the Qingyun School than deal with one maggot.


    Bald donkey: derog. Buddhist monk.


    ¡°To the Second Layer of the Abyss!¡±


    She heard Changming¡¯s words.


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre that has nothing to do with the main text:


    Changming: Excuse me, just where do Yun Weisi and I look like daoist partners who fell out and became enemies?


    Zhou Keyi: You fell out and became enemies indeed.


    Sun Buku: Yun Weisi is a daoist indeed.


    Song Nanyan: Daoist partners are not necessarily a man and a woman.


    Xu Jingxian: Then what¡¯s your relationship with him?


    Changming: A master-disciple one.


    Xu Jingxian: Is it? I don¡¯t believe you.


    Changming: ?

 CH 22

    The Second Layer of the Abyss?


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Where?¡±


    Changming said frankly: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    Had they been outside, she would have used hundreds of methods to beat Changming up.


    But right now she really couldn¡¯t do this.


    ¡°Then why do you even bother talking?¡± She gnashed her teeth.


    How could this guy still joke at such a crucial moment?


    Changming said: ¡°We should return to the seashore, where we were when we first came here.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°You want to return?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Just do as I say.¡±


    Xu Jingxian had no time to ask any more questions. Zhang Mu had already washed his hands of this situation. The Seven Star Platform could collapse any minute. The maggots were breaking all resistance, devouring those cultivators who tried to attack them through ignorance, and others fled for their lives.


    Some people took advantage of the confusion and were plundering and killing the weak for treasures amidst the chaos.


    Seven Star Rivers descended into total chaos.


    Chaos is the natural state of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, but this formation was destroyed for the first time. The maggots were ravaging Seven Star Rivers, adding panic to the chaos.


    Everyone wanted to find a way out of here, either to leave the Nine Layers of the Abyss, or go to the Second Layer of the Abyss.


    According to rumour, the Rainbow Bridge, the Second Layer of the Abyss, was a picturesque place with spring lasting all year round. Strange flowers and plants that couldn¡¯t be found anywhere else grew there, and the place wasn¡¯t as chaotic as Seven Star Rivers of the First Layer of the Abyss. The master of the Rainbow Bridge was known as aunt Xin Rong. It is said that she had been an inconspicuous rogue cultivator before, and only became famous after she had come to the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Xu Jingxian had heard all of this from Chen Ting, whom they met at the banquet yesterday.


    But at that moment, the Rainbow Bridge was of no interest to them.


    Xu Jingxian rushed to the shore with Changming. Occasionally, swords and bursts of spiritual power would fly towards them, and she couldn¡¯t tell whether these were accidents or deliberate sneak attacks.


    Xu Jingxian remembered the last time she was so embarrassed; it happened when she had just entered the Jianxue Clan.


    There was a man in the Jianxue Clan who coveted her beauty. His cultivation level was high. He bothered her again and again, and one time he even schemed to poison her, and almost succeeded. The situation was critical, and she was in grave danger.


    Although Xu Jingxian always joked around and behaved herself wantonly, stopping at nothing, that was based on her free will, but she refused to be forced or compromise.


    But, compared to the current situation, these memories were not even worth mentioning.


    That cultivator from her past deserved death, the Jianxue Clan had the same jungle justice¡ªbut it was at least the Human Realm.


    What was on the shore?


    A dead whale, the dense mist, and maggots.


    Those memories were not pleasant at all, but Xu Jingxian had no choice.


    ¡°Are you sure the shore will help us escape?¡±


    She waited for a reply in vain. She gave Changming a look and saw that he had already nearly lost his consciousness. Blood was dripping from the corners of his mouth, and his face was pale like paper.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­Forget about the Yangzhen Grass, will I ever be able to leave the Nine Layers of the Abyss?


    She grabbed Changming firmly and flew towards the sea shore.


    It was close at hand.


    The sea breeze brought the smell of blood, and soon the sea appeared in front of their eyes.


    Changming groaned after being pinched by her, and actually came to his senses.


    ¡°Enter the fog.¡±


    ¡°So you really want to return?¡± Xu Jingxian felt a bit discontented.


    She had entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss, yet encountered no opportunities and was going to return empty-handed and with a new burden.


    And this nuisance started ¡°playing dead¡± again, saying nothing more.


    Xu Jingxian hated him to the core, but she could only obey his command and walk into the fog.


    Changming hadn¡¯t passed out completely.


    Rather, he was getting rest with his eyes shut, and pondering.


    They first entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss through the fog, so it seemed to be the gate.


    But, after all, that unworthy disciple also came out from the mist, yet Zhou Keyi and He Xiyun told Changming that Yun Weisi was at the Ninth Layer of the Abyss, the Void Shore.


    If that was the case, did it mean that this sea of fog was not a one-way passage that only allowed people to enter the place from the outside world and leave it, but could also send them to other places in the Nine Layers of the Abyss?


    But these were only Changming¡¯s conjectures.


    He didn¡¯t have the strength to share his thoughts with Xu Jingxian, so he could only let her bring him to the fog using her thin silk.


    ¡°Daoyous, please wait a bit!¡±


    Chen Ting¡¯s voice sounded from behind.


    Xu Jingxian had no intention to stop, so she pretended not to notice him.


    Chen Ting was faster, so he caught up to her in no time and continued running alongside.


    He said quickly: ¡°Daoyou, do you want to leave this place? This fog is very strange. One disciple from my sect that came here with me got lost in this fog, and no one has seen a trace of him ever since. People say that the passage to the Second Layer of the Abyss lies under Bei Shu¡¯s palace. The formation is broken now, isn¡¯t it better to try going that way?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Why haven¡¯t you tried it yourself if that¡¯s the case?¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°When I saw you running without turning your head back or hesitating like the others, I thought that you were a very confident person.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    How could it be considered to be confidence, when she was just fleeing for her life as fast as she could?


    While they were talking, Chen Ting pulled out his sword, Qinglan.


    Qinglan: ³Âͤ¼À³ö×Ô¼ºµÄÇàá°½£: for some reason, his sword is only called like this once in the novel. Later, it¡¯s always referred to as ¡®Guyue¡¯, ¡®Lonely Moon¡¯, not ¡®Qinglan¡¯ or ¡®Early Summer Breeze¡¯.


    ¡°Go ahead, daoyous!¡±


    He had already understood that although Xu Jingxian¡¯s cultivation level was high, she had no flying skills and could only use her thin silk for that purpose.


    Before Xu Jingxian could answer, Changming threw a paper crane from his sleeve. It caught him and Xu Jingxian, letting them ride its back, and entered the sea of fog.


    Chen Ting hesitated for a moment, looked at the chaos in the direction of the Seven Star Platform, and decided to follow them.


    Entering the fog was like becoming blind. All they could see was a vast expanse of whiteness stretching to infinity, and even the highest cultivation level wouldn¡¯t be able to help them find a way out.


    But she heard Changming¡¯s words: ¡°Lend me your Yulin Bell.¡±


    Xu Jingxian heightened her vigilance: ¡°What for?¡±


    Changming: ¡°If you continue dawdling, the spiritual powers of my crane will be spent completely, and we will fall right into the depths of the sea.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    She was very annoyed.


    Ever since she had met Changming, he was controlling her moves. Every time she was half a step behind him and had to comply with his decisions; even when she clearly saw it was a trap, she still jumped right into it willingly.


    She was unhappy, but gave him the Yulin Bell nevertheless.


    ¡°Be careful¡­¡±


    Before she managed to finish her words, Changming threw the Yulin Bell away!


    Xu Jingxian gasped. She was very close to killing this man.


    ¡°My spiritual tool!¡±


    ¡°Hush.¡±


    Changming moved his wrist, and the golden beads on the Golden Glass Beads Staff also flew off the staff and moved forward, as if following the golden bell.


    Xu Jingxian had no idea what kind of medicine he was selling in his bottle gourd.


    To have no idea what kind of medicine someone is selling in their bottle gourd: to have no idea what tricks another person hid in their sleeve. In ancient times, some physicians were selling pills in bottle gourds, so you couldn¡¯t see what they were selling right away.


    The paper crane was slowly flying forward, cloaked in whiteness. The fresh and sweet scent made everyone drowsy. Although Xu Jingxian was holding her breath, it was hard not to inhale the fog at all, so for a short time she was immersed in illusions, picturing herself at Lingbo Peak and almost jumping off the crane.


    A sharp pain suddenly pierced the back of her hand, and she came to her senses.


    It was not the Lingbo Peak full of maids delicate as jade, but the same old Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    She looked at the back of her hand. Changming was pinching her very hard.


    It had to be revenge for pinching him not long ago.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°¡­pray that we will be able to leave this place.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Or else?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Or else I might kill you!¡±


    Changming coughed a couple of times. Her words went in one ear and out the other.


    He had inhaled more of this strange fog than Xu Jingxian. If he hadn¡¯t been holding his breath, he would have long since fallen down.


    Jingle-jingle.


    The bell was ringing, neither close nor far from them.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Sounds like my golden bell.¡±


    Changming waved his fingers slightly, and the paper crane changed its direction, as if pulled by an invisible power, and dived deeper into the mist.


    The bell was ringing faintly now, but the sound didn¡¯t stop completely. Xu Jingxian saw a cluster of bright lights floating in front of them and flying closer.


    Changming raised his arm, and the golden beads, glowing gently, returned to his hand like obedient children.


    ¡°There is a saying in Buddhism: ¡®matin bells and vesper drums, calming and refreshing¡¯. The second master of the Qingyun School, Dingkong, created this Buddhist technique of Sound Showing the Way in order to eliminate the barrier created by human emotions and return to the truth. The sea of fog deceives our eyes, so we should only believe our ears. That golden bell of yours and this staff came in handy.¡±


    Mantin bells and vesper drums: encouragement to study or progress, exhortations to virtue and purity.


    Holding the golden bell and feeling its spiritual powers flowing to him, he finally found the strength to tell her a couple of sentences.


    Xu Jingxian received an answer, but felt even more perplexed.


    How could this person have such vast knowledge, but a cultivation level this low?


    Not only did he know of Buddhist techniques, but even learned something of Daoism and demonic cultivation. It would have been fine if his knowledge was superficial, but he comprehended and used the treasure of the Qingyun School with such ease.


    Who on earth is he?


    She had a faint guess in her heart, but it escaped from her too quickly for her to grasp it.


    The paper crane was flying faster and faster, and Xu Jinxian could no longer ignore the speed. She couldn¡¯t help but lean closer to its back, so as not to fall down into the bottomless fog.


    ¡°Make it slow down!¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t answer, but she would not have been able to hear him anyway as the wind was whistling in her ears. This fierce wind messed up her hair, and the bright white ever-changing mist assaulted her senses; they were dazed, and couldn¡¯t even discern whether it was day or night.


    They could only let their destiny lead them towards their uncertain future.


    Xu Jingxian could barely endure the extreme discomfort that made her head spin.


    Under such circumstances, the depth of her cultivation seemed to matter close to nothing, as she had no scope to demonstrate her abilities. She couldn¡¯t summon her thin silk to let it carry her out of the mist and had no way of stopping the paper crane. Those who are said to be ¡®cultivators domineering over common people¡¯ were actually just common people who knew some tricks. There were too many superior forces in this world that no one could rival, and they could struggle from the cradle to the grave yet achieve nothing worth mentioning.


    That was the first time Xu Jingxian felt so insignificant.


    She used to believe that man can conquer nature, and as long as she is strong enough, there is no enemy who cannot be defeated.


    But this sea of fog and the maggots made her feel that no matter how hard she struggled, she would still suffer a defeat.


    Just like their small boat would never be able to cross the boundless sea and reach the other shore.


    While her imagination was going wild, she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulders.


    And her heart felt heavy right away.


    ¡°Changming? Changming?! Wake up!¡±


    The man sitting behind her had no reaction.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    For what kind of sins was she burdened with this person?


    Even though she stopped at nothing to reach her position, sometimes resorting to deplorable techniques, and had accumulated a lot of dark secrets, the Heavens couldn¡¯t have sent a person like this to punish her, right?


    Indeed, the lack of self-cultivation of morals in her past life was responsible for her present sufferings, for meeting this man.


    The paper crane was still swooping down, and the golden bell was still ringing intermittently, as if leading the way.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s consciousness was fading away, and she finally fainted.


    ¡­


    Changming opened his eyes.


    He had visited many places in his life.


    Sunsets on long rivers, moonlight on seas, dawns on snowy mountains, myriads of streams in dense forests, landscapes of the Human Realm, mirages of the Yellow Springs¡ªhe had seen a lot.


    But the flamboyant, beautiful scenery in front of his eyes still made him pause in awe for a moment.


    Rainbows were covering the sky, and rainbow-colored water was flowing on the earth.


    Even the most skillful artists would not be able to capture these colors, and it was hard to imagine this beautiful place to be extremely dangerous.


    Drops of water splashed, falling on the rainbows, and turned into jade beads, reflecting the magnificent beauty of nature.


    And they were sitting right on a majestic rainbow arch.


    There was no place like this in the Human Realm that could make you wonder where the water turns into the sky.


    ¡°Oh, the honorable gentleman woke up! Did you have a good sleep?¡±


    Changming came to his senses, heard Xu Jingxian¡¯s sarcastic remark, and unexpectedly felt some affinity with her.


    Xu Jingxian saw that he was smiling, and her hands felt itchy. She leaned closer to his ears.


    ¡°My Yulin Bell is gone. Since you woke up, you are in a predicament now!¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t even raise an eyebrow: ¡°Without the discarding of the old there would be no coming of the new. The lady should restrain her grief.¡±


    He knew she was just trying to deceive him.


    She wouldn¡¯t be so peaceful if the golden bell had actually disappeared.


    Moreover, he was the one who was leading their way with this technique, so there couldn¡¯t have been any problems.


    This woman used every possible way to take advantage of others and gain some profits. It is a pity that she had stumbled upon him.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s attempt to blackmail him had failed. She raised her hand to slap him, but Changming got on his feet faster, coughing. He turned his head and vomited a mouthful of black blood. Fortunately, she was sharp-sighted and deft, so she dodged this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t dare touch you if you use the same trick every time!¡±


    Changming sighed: ¡°Can¡¯t you be more gentle with me now that we either live or die together? If you kill me, where will you find another trustworthy companion?¡±


    After vomiting blood, he actually felt the lump in his chest disappear, and he sat down with his elbows on the ground.


    They were not alone on the rainbow bridge.


    At a distance, a man and a woman were sitting on the bridge. They were talking in low voices and had sad expressions on their faces.


    A few more cultivators with furrowed brows came from afar. It seemed that they had encountered a failure.


    ¡°Daoyous, I¡¯ve finally found you two!¡±


    One person quickly came closer from under the bridge. He was out of breath and looked pleasantly surprised.


    It was the disciple from the Wanjian Immortal Sect who they had met previously, Chen Ting.


    After he had followed the two of them into the sea of fog, they were separated. Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t expect him to manage to leave that place. She couldn¡¯t help but look at him differently. She thought, after all, he is a disciple of a famous sect, who knows, maybe there will be an opportunity to make a cultivation furnace out of him.


    Although she was not fond of the Jianxue Clan¡¯s techniques, she had developed this habit over many years and it was hard to get rid of it.


    Chen Ting came closer.


    ¡°Daoyou Changming¡¯s expression is not so good, have you been injured?¡±


    Changming wiped the blood away from his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t expect to meet daoyou Chen so fast.¡±


    Chen Ting was somewhat embarrassed: ¡°That sea of fog is really strange. I couldn¡¯t get out myself, but I heard a bell ringing. Only after following that sound did I manage to escape from the dangerous situation.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this a chance to get some profit? Xu Jingxian winked at him and said with a charming smile: ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve heard my golden bell. That means daoyou Chen is indebted to me for saving your life!¡±


    Chen Ting cupped his hands, showing his gratitude: ¡°Thank you very much for your help, daoyou Xu.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°If you owe me for the favor, your karma is stained; if Chen daoxiong¡¯s karma is stained with a debt to a demonic cultivator, won¡¯t your sect master scold you upon your return?¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°Even if I wanted to return there, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it now. Let¡¯s wait till we¡¯ve left the Nine Layers of the Abyss and then revisit this discussion.¡±


    He skillfully exposed her demands for compensation.


    All the men under Heaven are no good, Xu Jingxian silently smiled.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about this place. Did daoxiong Chen figure something out?¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this place is the Second Layer of the Abyss, the Rainbow Bridge.¡±


    She thought to herself that there was no need to guess to know that they were on the Rainbow Bridge, but she felt that Chen Ting was still worth something, so she endured.


    ¡°Then where is the master of the Rainbow Bridge? Can it be that he was also murdered by Xu Fenglin?¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the master of this place. But I¡¯ve been wandering around for some time, and grasped the general idea of how the Rainbow Bridge works.¡±


    He pointed under the bridge.


    ¡°The Mirror Lake is under the bridge, but it reflects things not like a normal lake would.¡±


    Xu Jingxian had noticed that too. Just now, she saw drops of a mountain stream turning into pearls, which almost made her believe there actually was a brook under the bridge. But now the lake¡¯s surface was calm, but it showed no reflections. All you could see was a bottomless abyss instead. It was very strange and shifted constantly, so even cultivators were astounded and felt a bit helpless, let alone a common person.


    At that moment, the man and woman got into an argument. Their quarrel became louder, and the woman got angry, so she took off the jade pendant from her waist and threw it off the bridge.


    Under the gaze of so many eyes, not only did the jade pendant not disrupt the water surface, but it even disappeared quickly in the bottomless abyss.


    Making no noise at all.


    ¡°I suspect that this surface is an entrance, either to the Third Layer of the Abyss, or¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish saying these words, the man who was arguing with the woman jumped down the bridge into the middle of the lake.


    Everyone saw him jump directly into the abyss and disappear from their sight without raising any splashes or ripples on the water.


    ¡°Wei Yichong!¡± the scared woman called him.


    ¡°Or it may not be an entrance, but a deadly trap. As you have already seen, this place is strange and indescribable. Since our objective is the same as we all are looking for an opportunity to leave this place, it is not good to split up.¡± Only then could Chen Ting finish the rest of his speech.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°This name, Wei Yichong, sounds familiar. Isn¡¯t he the favourite disciple of the Tianmu Sect¡¯s master?¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°Exactly. This woman is his shimei and daoist partner, Guan Xiachang. Regarding the other three cultivators, one is daoyou He Qingmo from the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, but I don¡¯t recognise the other two. They have probably just entered the Rainbow Bridge the same way we did.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect daoyou Chen who has a large circle of friends to not be able to name those people.¡±


    Chen Ting laughed: ¡°My cultivation level is not high, I have left my sect not long ago, so I don¡¯t really know many people.¡±


    He was able to cross the sea of fog and get to the Second Layer of the Abyss, so his cultivation level couldn¡¯t be ¡®not high¡¯. Naturally, Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t believe his self-depreciatory words.


    The image on the lake surface under the bridge was changing at set intervals.


    Xu Jingxian wanted to calculate this frequency, but realized it was totally irregular.


    The sky above their heads got dark, but the lake surface was still bright, reflecting the Rainbow Bridge in daytime. At that moment, day and night coexisted, presenting a magnificent sight.


    But no matter how beautiful the landscape was, if they were locked up in this place, unable to take a single step, they would still become nervous.


    After He Qingmo had discussed the situation with the others, they decided to wander around blindly, trying to fathom this place. They invited Chen Ting to come along. The latter saw that Xu Jingxian was unwilling to move, and Changming was injured, so he got up and joined them.


    Changming took a green pearl out of his sleeve.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xu Jingxian came closer to take a look and suddenly exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯ve seen it before.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Think carefully.¡±


    The pearl was green and vivid, with water droplets flowing inside of it. When he shook his palm, the starlight reflected on the water droplets.


    Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t need much time to recognize it. This thing was definitely not a common one, and she had seen it already, and, of course, it had left an impression on her.


    ¡°At the Qixian Sect.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Hum?¡±


    ¡°On the day when I went to the Qixian Sect, the Xiao family sent a dowry. Zhang Qin invited me to look at it. They displayed boxes one by one, as if they feared that others would not know how high the Xiao family values their daughters, and wanted to use the Xiao family to put pressure on me,¡± Xu Jingxian snorted, ¡°And this pearl was there!¡±


    Changming: ¡°Do you know the origin of this pearl?¡±


    ¡°How can I not know? It is called¡ª¡±


    Xu Jingxian stopped abruptly and shot him an affectionate glance, ¡°Are you trying to get me to talk?¡±


    Changming: ¡°It is called the Moonlight on the Blue Ocean, it is a rare pearl of natural green color. The reason why it¡¯s called this way is because many years ago a skilled artisan split it in half and placed some medicine and incense inside; look at it now: doesn¡¯t it fit the description of ¡®a pearl of the Moonlight on the Blue Ocean, shedding tears¡¯ just perfectly?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°You really know too much¡­ wait, it¡¯s not right! This pearl was a part of Xiao family¡¯s dowry, why is it in your hands? Did you actually kill Liu Xiyu?¡±


    Changming: ¡°When I fought with Zhang Mu earlier, I threw a puppet. It found the pearl on Bei Shu¡¯s body.¡±


    Bei Shu was already dead at that time, and everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to Zhang Mu and Changming. Later, Zhang Mu¡¯s true nature of a demon was revealed. The whole crowd attacked him, the Seven Star Platform collapsed, and the maggots attacked them, so everyone was busy running for their lives. Almost no one paid attention to the real cause of Bei Shu¡¯s death and the movement around him.


    Changming was controlling the puppet, making it search through Bei Shu¡¯s body. That was when he found the Moonlight on the Blue Ocean.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°You mean that Liu Xiyu¡¯s death is related to Zhang Mu?¡±


    Changming described Bei Shu¡¯s death in general terms.


    ¡°He died the same way as Liu Xiyu, and was killed by Zhang Mu. As I see it, Liu Xiyu was not necessarily killed by the same person, because the timing is wrong: Zhang Mu couldn¡¯t hide by Bei Shu¡¯s side and travel a thousand lis to murder a man on the back of a mountain in the Qixian Sect simultaneously. I can only say that Zhang Mu is somehow connected with Liu Xiyu¡¯s murderer; presumably, the latter is also an evil spirit.¡±


    He closed his eyes, trying to resist his dizziness from talking too fast.


    ¡°This was my guess originally, but now with this Moonlight on the Blue Ocean, the situation seems to be a little more complicated.¡±


    Xu Jingxian, who was listening to him absent-mindedly in the beginning, gradually started listening to him with attention.


    She heard Changming¡¯s words: ¡°The droplets inside of the Moonlight on the Blue Ocean are not common water, but a medicine called Wuqiu. It¡¯s fragrance is unparalleled, and it was created in right proportions by a skilled pharmacist Shen Ying, who is an elder of Tianmu Sect. It¡¯s great that there is someone of this sect here, I will ask them for some details when the time is right.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Wuqiu? Is it useful?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Made especially for curing madness, it can quickly calm an agitated person. It is said that people who took this medicine would see the most beautiful things in the world or precious treasures that they seek but fail to get. They would sink in dreams and illusions. If a person takes it, they ask for nothing more; even cultivators are not an exception. Wuqiu was originally used to treat the maker¡¯s wife¡¯s illness, but it somehow survived, and started wandering around the world. Decades ago, there was an emperor in the Xinghong dynasty who became addicted to taking it and died at a young age with a smile on his face.¡±


    Ask for nothing more: ±ðÎÞËùÇó, the medicine is called ÎÞÇó, kind of like truncating the idiom to ¡°not needed¡±.


    Xu Jingxian pondered for a while: ¡°At that time, I thought that Liu Xiyu had a little lover at the back of that mountain, and he went to have some fun before getting married!¡±


    Changming: ¡°It¡¯s because the lady judges others by herself. Even if he had a secret affair, he would have chosen a familiar place, why would he go to the mountain in the outer circle, set his foot on a place he had never visited?¡±


    Xu Jingxian put on a false smile: ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I said that he would have chosen a familiar place.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Before that.¡±


    Changming: ¡°The lady is exceptionally intelligent and beautiful like a fairy.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    She realized that she only understood him less as time passed.


    One could say he was oily-tongued, but he never crossed the line, always withdrawing before he could touch her bottom line.


    One could say he was smart, but he always caused unnecessary trouble.


    For example, he almost got killed by Zhang Mu, and almost let her die under the latter¡¯s hands.


    Another example¡ª


    A man slowly walked out from under the bridge.


    There were no flowers, but there was a cloud under the bridge.


    There were no flowers: a changed line from a letter of a general to his wife (I think): ¡°flowers bloom in the field, come home slowly¡±, the meaning is ¡°husband waiting for his wife to return¡±.


    Cloud: Yun as in ¡®Yun Weisi¡¯, ¡®Yun Hai¡¯, ¡®Xiao Yun¡¯.


    His sleeves were waving in the breeze unhurriedly. Clearly, there were two people in front of him, but he only had eyes for one.


    Yun Hai laughed: ¡°Why are you both looking at me like this, aren¡¯t you going to welcome me?¡±


    He looked at Changming again.


    ¡°Daoyou Changming is unable to take his eyes off me, did you miss me that much?¡±


    Another example, he provoked Yun Hai, this evil ghost of dubious background.


    Xu Jingxian finished the monologue in her head.

 CH 23

    Yun Hai thought that Changming would get angry.


    Or at least mock and ridicule Yun Hai, but definitely not let the matter slide.


    After all, Yun Hai had ditched him right in front of Zhang Mu, sending Changming to a meaningless death.


    If Changming made the slightest mistake, he might have become a pile of bones by now.


    And these bones could possibly disappear as well.


    Because the barrier of Seven Star Rivers was shattered, broken into pieces.


    The Nine Layers of the Abyss lost the First Layer.


    Although Yun Hai didn¡¯t expect Changming to survive, Yun Hai noticed that his mood was not so bad after seeing him again.


    But it would be better if Changming died before Yun Hai had learned everything about him and lost interest.


    Yun Hai was delighted, so his steps were also light and quick, and his smile became more and more happy.


    ¡°Daoyou Changming shouldn¡¯t be bashful, if you are happy to see me, just say so.¡±


    Even if Xu Jingxian was a demonic cultivator who could eat both raw or cold food, she still felt that Yun Hai might be deranged.


    To eat both raw or cold food: to accept things broad-minedly (in a bad way).


    But she could beat up or kill an ordinary lunatic if she didn¡¯t like them. What the eye doesn¡¯t see, the heart doesn¡¯t grieve over.


    And if they were a mysterious lunatic, it was best to keep as far away from them as possible.


    She coveted Yun Hai¡¯s beauty, but she couldn¡¯t deal with this madman who knew his own worth. Thus, she gradually gave up on her ideas. Let alone dual cultivation, even the thought of having a spring night with him had left her mind.


    But he approached them willingly, so she couldn¡¯t just drive him away, right?


    ¡°I am happy indeed, yearned to see you again day and night, and couldn¡¯t even sleep peacefully,¡± Changming actually answered.


    His expression was tired, and his posture lazy. Changming subconsciously reached out to his chest; probably, he was hurt. His lips were pale, but his expression was still indifferent, peaceful like thin clouds and light breeze.


    He wasn¡¯t pretending to be indifferent, it was just his habit of enduring everything without taking hardships to his heart.


    If a person is determined to ignore their own pain, it must be that they have experienced many more painful sufferings, compared to which the current situation can be called a comfortable one.


    And a person like this should be standing on the top of the world, not wandering the uttermost parts of the earth.


    Yun Hai¡¯s interest towards Changming slightly rose again.


    ¡°Daoyou Changming has lost weight.¡±


    ¡°This must be the result of my narrow escape from death after being framed by daoyou Yun,¡± Changming said.


    Yun Hai laughed and sat near him cross-legged.


    ¡°Then the certain Yun gives his apologies!¡±


    Changming: ¡°I¡¯m afraid that daoyou Yun will be carried away by a whim and decide to deceive me again. You apologise once, and I will suffer for that half to death.¡±


    Yun Hai noticed the Golden Glass Beads Staff on his knees and faintly smiled.


    ¡°Daoyou Changming can¡¯t say he reaped no benefits at all, right? I did it with the best of my intentions. So many people gathered on the Seven Star Platform, have you met your old friend?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I saw him at the very beginning, but for some reason he can¡¯t remember me.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Many people of this world have similar appearances, you probably found the wrong person.¡±


    Changming: ¡°I believe in my eyes.¡±


    Yun Hai felt helpless: ¡°Looks like daoyou Changming is very stubborn.¡±


    Changming: ¡°How did you realize that there was a problem with Zhang Mu?¡±


    Yun Hai smiled mysteriously: ¡°Do you believe in the saying ¡®creatures of the same kind are more sensitive to each other¡¯?¡±


    Xu Jingxian did not fully understand their conversation that resembled a battle of keen words, but, having heard the last sentence, she remembered Zhang Mu¡¯s true colors, and couldn¡¯t help but show a terrified expression.


    But Changming seemed as unperturbed as always, and Yun Hai was calm and composed, as if he was talking about someone else.


    ¡°Looks like daoyou Yun didn¡¯t enter this place the way we did, but was rather staying here all the time.¡±


    ¡°I am also from the outside, but I came here earlier than you two.¡±


    Yun Hai raised his head and looked at the sky. The bright stars filled it, shining like water droplets.


    Everything in the Nine Layers of the Abyss seemed fresh, gorgeous, odd and ever-changing for those cultivators who had just entered this place.


    But even if the scenery of the Rainbow Bridge was magnificent, Yun Hai had long since gotten used to it.


    Xu Jingxian was moved: ¡°Has daoyou Yun ever heard of the Yangzhen Grass?¡±


    Yun Hai shook his head and asked curiously: ¡°What is it? Some kind of a medicinal herb?¡±


    Xu Jingxian turned her head and stared at Changming, spitting out one word at a time: ¡°Did, you, trick, me?¡±


    Changming remained calm: ¡°He doesn¡¯t know, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know either. I am such a brilliant man of wide learning, how many people in this world can be compared with me?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Yun Hai nodded in approval: ¡°Daoyou Changming is rich in knowledge indeed.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    She gritted her teeth silently, feeling that the other was sure she wouldn¡¯t kill him in the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    ¡°But,¡± Yun Hai switched the conversation to another topic, ¡°the Eighth Layer of the Abyss, the Heavenly Waterfall, is the only place here with exotic plants. I can¡¯t name many of these plants, but they are all spiritual and mysterious. Who knows, maybe you will find the Yangzhen Grass you are looking for there.¡±


    Xu Jingxian raised her eyebrows: ¡°Daoyou Yun has visited the Eighth Layer of the Abyss?¡±


    Yun Hai smiled faintly: ¡°I¡¯m merely retelling hearsays.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was speechless.


    Changming said suddenly: ¡°Then what about the Ninth Layer of the Abyss?¡±


    Yun Hai shook his head: ¡°I¡¯ve never been there and know nothing of that place.¡±


    His answers weren¡¯t careful, rather full of loopholes, but, since he was unwilling to say more, Changming was unable to do anything.


    Now they hadn¡¯t even figured out the Second Layer of the Abyss, so the Eighth Layer of the Abyss was a phantom existence for them. Xu Jingxian suddenly felt a bit desperate.


    When she leaves the Nine Layers of the Abyss, won¡¯t this be ¡°only seven days one has spent in the cave, while outside a millennia has passed¡±? What if someone snatches her position of Lingbo Peak Master that she got through all kinds of hardships?


    Her mind was in turmoil, and her previous appetites faded away.


    At his moment, Chen Ting and the others returned.


    Their brows were furrowed, and their expressions were gloomy.


    The others knew that Xu Jingxian was one of the Jianxue Clan, so they were unwilling to speak to them, and only Chen Ting walked closer.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun, you came here too?¡± He was surprised, since he clearly hadn¡¯t seen him before.


    Yun Hai smiled, remaining silent.


    He was arrogant to others except for Changming and Xu Jingxian.


    More precisely, he was only interested in Changming, and the others were just tedious characters in his eyes.


    Chen Ting didn¡¯t pay attention to him either.


    ¡°Daoyous, the situation is not reassuring.¡±


    Chen Ting and He Qingmo with his companions were originally going to search through this place.


    They didn¡¯t expect to find Wei Yichong¡¯s corpse down the bridge.


    Obviously, he had jumped into the lake, but his remnants were found under a tree near the bridge.


    His limbs were broken, his body distorted, and his expression fierce, as if he died with a remaining grievance.


    It seemed that he had seen the most horrifying scene before he died, and even with his mouth was slightly open. He used to have a sword, but it was now gone.


    For sword cultivation, wherever the sword went, its owner followed. But he was separated from his sword and met such a tragic end. Chen Ting and the others couldn¡¯t find an explanation, so they searched the surroundings quickly, but still obtained no clues. Wei Yichong¡¯s daiost partner, Guan Xiachang, was all tears. Who would have guessed that their quarrel would turn into a life-long parting?


    The flora around the bridge was wild, trees and flowers were luxuriant. No matter how they looked, it didn¡¯t seem dangerous.


    But wherever they went, Chen Ting and his companions eventually returned to the bridge.


    As if they were trapped in an invisible glass sphere forever.


    ¡°We met no one else and haven¡¯t seen Xu Fenglin, presumably he has already advanced to the Third Layer of the Abyss. Thus, there must be an exit somewhere.¡± Chen Ting said.


    Wei Yichong had already paid with his life to filter one option for them: they had no intention to jump down the bridge now.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°What is daoyou Chen planning to do now?¡±


    Chen Ting threw a gaze to He Qingmo: ¡°Let¡¯s speak with daoyou He.¡±


    He Qingmo was unwilling to get acquainted with a woman from a Demonic sect, but they were five altogether including Chen Ting, so if they wanted to achieve their goal, they had to cooperate with Xu Jingxian and her companions.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared an Eight Trigrams Formation. If everything goes smoothly, we will be able to leave this place. Right now, the formation lacks three trigrams: Zhen, Xun, and Li. I need your help.¡±


    Eight Trigrams Formation: originally, a tactical deployment of troops based on trigrams forms (a trigram consists of three horizontal lines, each can be interrupted in the center, thus there are 8 altogether) used in ancient China. Here, an arrangement of eight directions to eight people, each direction having different properties. What can be achieved normally by setting this formation is not specified.


    Zhen: eastern, wound (one of the 3 Gates of Great Misfortune)


    Xun: south-eastern, shut.


    Li: southern, luck.


    Changming and the other two were sitting cross-legged, and only He Qingmo was standing on his feet, so it felt like he was looking down on them.


    But the others just raised their heads to talk to him, and he was not eager to sit down either.


    Xu Jingxian smiled sweetly: ¡°Daoyou He, what is the purpose of this Eight Trigrams Formation? You have to give us some information, right?¡±


    He Qingmo furrowed slightly: ¡°You might not understand even if I tell you, just know that I¡¯m not trying to hurt you.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was still smiling, but the smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes.


    ¡°How can you be sure that we won¡¯t understand if you don¡¯t try to explain?¡±


    Chen Ting tried to smooth things over.


    ¡°Daoyous, be patient. We¡¯ve discussed it with daoyou He just now, so let me explain. He said that since Seven Star Rivers was a formation itself, the Rainbow Bridge is the same. If it¡¯s a formation, it can be broken through with another formation; if it¡¯s a formation, it is changing constantly, but the essence remains unaltered. It¡¯s better to shatter it with the simplest Eight Trigrams Formation. Eight people should protect the eight directions. If one person finds a loophole, he will tell the others, and we will attack it simultaneously to break through. Daoyou He said that he will guard the Death Gates, the Kun position, and we shall take the rest, one person for one position. Do you agree?¡±


    Kun: south-western, death (one of the 3 Gates of Great Misfortune). Three yin strokes.


    Xu Jingxian raised her beautiful eyes: ¡°Then how can we be sure that he will not deliberately leave the dangerous positions to us, and then step over us to leave this place?¡±


    Before He Qingmo could answer, a daoist standing next to him opened his mouth.


    ¡°You, temptress, are unable to tell good from bad! Shixiong He is the best in formations in the Celestial Abode Shenxiao! Last time, the Qianxiu Tower offered him huge money for setting up a formation, yet he refused! If there were more than eight people here, why would he even ask you!¡±


    Xu Jingxian smiled happily: ¡°If I am a temptress and you cooperate with me, doesn¡¯t that make you a tempter?¡±


    Chen Ting almost smiled, but managed to hold it. But Yun Hai showed no respect for their reputation and just laughed aloud.


    ¡°You!¡±


    That daoist had already rolled his sleeves, ready for a fight, but He Qingmo stopped him.


    ¡°From what I saw, the bridge and its reflection on the lake form a circle together. Unless this circle is broken, we are trapped here forever, which is bad for all of us. Think about it carefully and don¡¯t make rush decisions!¡±


    Although He Qingmo said this, his expression was arrogant, and he was not willing to compromise at all.


    Xu Jingxian really liked these people from large and famous sects who looked down on ¡®temptresses¡¯ yet were still coming for help when they needed her.


    ¡°And what if we act rashly?¡±


    That He Qingmo¡¯s shidi answered quickly: ¡°Then we can only leave you behind!¡±


    He was afraid that the others would stop him, so he unsheathed his sword immediately and attacked Xu Jingxian, determined to teach this temptress a lesson.


    The long sword covered with qi flew very quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it almost reached the tip of Xu Jingxian¡¯s nose. A white light flashed between the sword and the woman all of a sudden. The disciple of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao looked carefully and saw that the white light was actually a leaf.


    He quickly retreated a few steps, but the leaf was still chasing him closely, almost pressing the sword to cut its master¡¯s face.


    He heard Xu Jingxian¡¯s smug laughter.


    A temptress indeed!


    The disciple gritted his teeth. He turned his hand holding the sword, and it started glowing. He sliced the leaf, but it split into five parts that turned into ice rays, dispelling his sword energy at once.


    He turned pale with fright, finally realizing how formidable this attack was. He Qingmo could no longer stand aside, so he waved his sleeve, casting the five ice cubes aside.


    ¡°Enough is enough!¡±


    Xu Jingxian smiled: ¡°If I raise my hand, I will definitely shed my opponent¡¯s blood. My family¡¯s Ming-lang is too kindhearted, and he doesn¡¯t want me to end the life of your shidi that is worth as little as a dog¡¯s life, so he attacked him right now. Why don¡¯t you show your gratitude?¡±


    Shed my opponent¡¯s blood: ±ØÊÇÒª¼ûѪµÄ, ¡®definitely have to see blood¡¯. The ¡®seeing blood¡¯ part, ¼ûѪ, is precisely the ¡®jianxue¡¯ from the Jianxue Clan. (Ѫ, blood, xue, can also be pronounced xie, but it is more colloquial)


    Changming coughed a couple of times: ¡°The lady is too fickle. Before, it was ¡®you don¡¯t even look like a man¡¯, and now you started calling me Ming-lang again.¡±


    Xu Jingxian turned her head: ¡°Shut up!¡±


    The face of the man who wanted to teach her a lesson but was taught a lesson instead changed its colors like a rainbow. That looked amusing.


    Chen Ting was standing between them, afraid that they would start fighting once again.


    In his opinion, these people of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao were arrogant, and it was really difficult to get along with them. If He Qingmo didn¡¯t have these skills, Chen Ting would not have bothered to be the peacemaker, but he still had to cooperate if he wanted to get out of this place.


    Changming said: ¡°Daoyou He¡¯s plan sounds fine, but how can you ensure that the eight of us will be able to help at any time when we are far apart? Once someone finds a entrance or exit, how will they notify the others?¡±


    He Qingmo clasped his hands behind his back and said indifferently: ¡°I will give you marks of a special type of cinnabar produced in my sect. If you encounter something dangerous or find a gap, just wipe it off, and the others will feel where to go to find you right away.¡±


    Yun Hai smiled: ¡°An effective method indeed, I have no objections.¡±


    Changming threw him a gaze, feeling that the other¡¯s words had a hidden connotation.


    ¡°Since daoyou He is so sure, of course, we are willing to cooperate.¡± He said.


    Xu Jingxian became a loner. She silently scolded Changming, but still gave a smile, beautiful as a blooming flower.


    ¡°Since my companions joined you, I have to follow them. But if there is no difference between up, down, right, and left in this place, how is daoyou He going to determine the directions for setting up our positions?¡±


    Determine the directions: to build the array, one has to determine the eight directions, each for one position.


    He Qingmo took a snow-white writing brush with the cinnabar-scarlet tip out of his sleeve.


    He raised it high into the air, and painted a circle in front of their eyes with it.


    ¡°There is no use walking around looking for a breach in the formation. Because we know nothing about this place, the bridge is the central position, to be more precise, that should be the Qian position. Thus, the point under the bridge should be the Death Gates, the Kun position.¡±


    Qian: north-western, open, one of the 3 Gates of Great Prosperity. Three yang stokes.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Do you mean that someone still has to jump down from the bridge? Did you forget that a man just died this way?¡±


    He Qingmo said coldly: ¡°Wei Yichong didn¡¯t jump precisely from the middle of the bridge. When it comes to directions, you should be very careful, since the slightest mistake can lead to a crushing defeat. Don¡¯t worry, I will secure the Kun position. After I jump from the bridge, wait for a bit. There are two more positions under the bridge, but my shidis will take them. You can just protect another three directions.¡±


    Changming looked at the expressions of the other two people He Qingmo had mentioned, and thought, I am afraid that your shidis are not as willing to risk their lives as you.


    He Qingmo showed everyone their positions and marked their forearms with cinnabar spots using the brush.


    But, when his turn came, Yun Hai didn¡¯t move.


    He Qingmo looked at him.


    Yun Hai only revealed the back of his hand.


    He Qingmo: ¡°Roll your sleeve higher. It is the most effective when placed on the Shaohai point.¡±


    Shaohai point: the point where the heart meridians fuse; located at the inner side of an elbow.


    Yun Hai: ¡°I am very bashful, and I don¡¯t like undressing in front of people I don¡¯t know.¡±


    He Qingmo: ¡­


    His shidi wanted to leave a sarcastic remark, but his eyes met Yun Hai¡¯s accidentally, and this shidi changed his decision.


    He Qingmo had no other choice but to leave the mark on the back of his hand. After all, it was still better than nothing.


    Guan Xiachang said shyly: ¡°Daoxiong Chen, can I exchange my position and guard the Life Gates?¡±


    Guard the Life Gates: the Gen position is one of the 3 Gates of Great Prosperity, thus it is safer to guard.


    He Qingmo said coldly: ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, the Life Gates are not necessarily the Life Gates. I only assumed the directions to determine positions for us. These Life Gates might actually be a way to your death. Are you sure?¡±


    Guan Xiachang¡¯s eyes were full of tears, and she answered nothing.


    Being trapped in such a place, no one had protective feelings for the beauty, not to mention that a cultivator¡¯s resistance towards temptations was stronger than an ordinary person¡¯s.


    Seeing her like this, He Qingmo recalled Wei Yichong¡¯s death again and only felt annoyed. He didn¡¯t bother to look at her again, and took eight exquisite arrows out of his sleeve.


    ¡°I will send eight arrows towards the determined directions to make it easier for you to find the way.¡±


    He took off a bow from his back, summoned a flying sword, and soared up right above the middle of the Rainbow Bridge. Seven arrows were shot to the seven sides, and finally the last one fell right under the bridge, disappearing in the void.


    ¡°I¡¯m going first. I hope that no one will make a mistake.¡±


    Under their gazes, he resolutely jumped down off the bridge from the central position.


    But his shidis were hesitating.


    Xu Jingxian added some fuel: ¡°Are you going back on your words, letting your shixiong die in vain?¡±


    One of them, the person who had just attacked her, gave Xu Jingxian a fierce look, walked to his position, hesitated for a moment, and leaped down.


    But the other person took a step back.


    ¡°Before we left our sect, shifu gave each of us igniting soul lanterns, tied with red threads. If shixiong finds something, I will feel it, so I might as well wait here. Maybe shixiong will find a breach in the formation soon.¡±


    He comforted himself with this excuse, and no matter how Xu Jingxian provoked him, he refused to jump.


    Chen Ting had no other choice but to say: ¡°Then exchange your position with mine, I will go.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Changming suddenly said: ¡°Look!¡±


    The image on the lake surface changed again.


    The blue sky with white clouds disappeared, replaced with fierce flames dashing to the skies.


    Even though they knew it was just an illusion, that fire looked like the flames of purgatory, making them feel burning hot.


    Guan Xiachang couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back, looking at it with terror.


    Now He Qingmo¡¯s shidi was even more opposed to the idea of jumping down.


    Yun Hai suddenly smiled.


    ¡°Does daoyou Changming have the courage to go there?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Daoyou Yun wants us both to go?¡±


    ¡°This Mirror Lake is inexhaustibly profound. I wanted to investigate it for a long time. Daoyou Changming¡¯s thoughts happened to coincide with mine, so how about we go on a trip there in person?¡± Yun Hai said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget our gambling. After all, last time Bei Shu not only didn¡¯t survive for three days, but even died so quickly. If you agree to bet, you must accept to lose. You owe me a favor, and now I want you to accompany me.¡±


    Yun Hai finished speaking, and, before Changming or the others could react, he grabbed Changming!


    ¡°Hold it!¡±


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s reaction was extremely quick, and she also reached out to grab Changming.


    But she was half a step late. Yun Hai had already gripped Changming¡¯s arm and jumped into the sea of flames under the bridge.


    Everybody was stupefied.


    Wei Yichong had died right in front of their eyes, and even He Qingmo¡¯s shidis didn¡¯t believe in his plan completely, how could these two just jump down?!


    Then, Chen Ting realized one thing: eight people should guard eight positions, but now two of them jumped into one place. Where would they find someone to fill the vacant position?


    The author has something to say:


    Yun Hai is Yun Weisi, not a twin or anything. Yun Hai doesn¡¯t have Yun Weisi¡¯s memories, and doesn¡¯t remember Changming either, so it¡¯s like Yun Weisi starting anew.

 CH 24

    The bright raging flames were soaring up to the sky, but after Changming jumped into the fire, he only felt a chilling-to-the-bone cold.


    The Padma flames burned his eyes, but the biting cold smothered his flesh and bones to the marrow, penetrating deeper and deeper.


    Padma: There are eight ¡°cold hells¡±, or ¡°Cold Narakas¡±, and eight ¡°Hot Narakas¡± in Buddhism. The Seventh Cold Naraka, Padma, lit. ¡°Red Lotus Fire of Retribution¡±: a violent blizzard hurts the sinners¡¯ skin, leaving bloody wounds. One has to spend like years there to atone for their sins and leave the place.


    Even though these two extremes contradicted each other, they appeared at the same time.


    At first, Changming used a heart technique, trying to resist it with his spiritual powers. But he quickly found that the stronger his resistance, the stronger the backlash was. The person would be falling in the endless void eternally, their hands and feet frozen; they would be unable to move, and gradually feel drowsy. Even if they subconsciously reminded themself that they can¡¯t fall asleep, they would give up to their heavy eyelids eventually and sink into a deeper slumber.


    No one knew how long this dream would last.


    The longer Changming slept, the more tired he got. His limbs went weak, and he couldn¡¯t move; he felt as if he could continue sleeping until the earth and heaven would get old.


    But he was awakened by someone.


    That person¡¯s actions were rude and fierce as he was pulling Changming out from the dreamland.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty, terrible news!¡±


    Changming sat up, propping his forehead and pondering over the reason for such an address, and a phrase escaped his mouth.


    ¡°Quiet, We got a headache because of how noisy you are!¡±


    We: the royal ¡°I¡±.


    The eunuch stepped forward. He panicked, and only lowered his voice a bit, but still couldn¡¯t help shaking.


    ¡°That re¡­ that rebel has already seized the Yuan Prefecture, and now he is pressing on towards the capital! All ministers are waiting outside for you to speak!¡±


    When did he become an emperor?


    Changming was amused. He looked up and down, assessing the situation.


    There were curtains with dragons embroidered on them above his head and a Dragon¡¯s bed below. An attendant with a bloodless face was standing beside. Changming could faintly discern a spacious emperor¡¯s resting chamber behind the layers of muslin veils, and even two guards by the doors; a few people were bending their knees outside the chamber.


    Dragon: the Emperor¡¯s symbol. The Dragon¡¯s bed is the emperor¡¯s bed.


    He was the twelfth Emperor of the Wang Dynasty. Its land laid in the far south, so it was also called the Southern Dynasty. The border between them and the Northern Dynasty was firmly delineated along the Yangtze River. The history of this dynasty was turbulent: many matters were neglected while it was being founded, so it fell from the pinnacle of its power, and now they had to do the utmost to save a desperate situation and restore the dynasty. It was too late for him to do anything there at this point, as the falling dynasty¡¯s days were numbered.


    The reality was intertwined with the illusory world. Changming was fully aware that it was just a dream, but still couldn¡¯t help but have an absurd idea of going along with the flow.


    [Was he trapped himself, or could he only watch the play as an onlooker till the end?]


    ¡°Let them in,¡± he heard his own voice.


    As if the eunuch had received an amnesty, he ran away, stumbling, and soon a group of ministers walked in in a line and fell on their knees under his bed again. Their faces were funereal, as if recently bereft of both parents, and the emperor was about to meet his demise.


    Which was actually not far from the truth.


    Changming rose early and slept late, working diligently day and night, and accepted more memorials to the throne every day than the previous emperor did in a year, but he still couldn¡¯t change the Wang Dynasty¡¯s destiny to decline or cure its ailment that made the dynasty degenerate day by day.


    He did his best to cleanse out political corruption, but only made the imperial court more rotten than it was before, and avaricious officials were doing as they pleased. He claimed tax relief, and as a result the dynasty¡¯s tax revenue went down, but it didn¡¯t lighten the common people¡¯s burden; on the contrary, landlords and government officials embezzled all the funds, getting enormous fortunes.


    This Wang Dynasty resembled a giant decaying horse carriage that was heading right for a dead end. He exhausted all his strength, but only made this horse even more unbridled, and it was only dashing towards the impasse faster.


    In contrast, the Northern Dynasty was full of vitality, its ruler and his ministers were of one mind. The dynasty was glorious as a morning sun, and this year had defeated them in a war; the morale of the Northern Dynasty¡¯s troops was greatly boosted, and they were marching to the capital of the Southern Dynasty without letup, meeting no resistance.


    When Changming had heard this news previously, he had not been able to sleep well for three days and three nights.


    Changming was very tired, so tired that he passed out while holding his forehead and reading a memorial. He was unconscious when the attendant put him on the bed and was just woken up by the clamour.


    He was not a fool, but after the discussion he still couldn¡¯t find a solution better than moving the capital.


    Either he moved the capital, or surrendered.


    It was impossible to surrender.


    But moving the capital was at best only delaying tactics. The enemy had strong soldiers and sturdy horses, while his troops were fatigued. The army didn¡¯t have enough provisions and fodder, force overstaffing became a disaster; officers and soldiers were at odds with the leadership and had no fighting spirit at all. It was very possible that if the emperor decided to leave the capital first, his followers would hand him over to the enemy troops¡¯ general.


    That mess was left by the former emperor, but it was Changming who had only been in power for two years who had to take this responsibility.


    Changming looked at the lethargic ministers beneath his bed, and allowed them to bring up all sorts of futile schemes. Some were still holding to the last thread of their loyalty to the dynasty; some only wished to get by under false pretences and listened to the last words of the emperor living out his last days, to take the credits and curry favor with the new emperor.


    Human nature is truly versatile.


    After fluently saying all they wanted, everyone finally got tired, and the ministers hoped the emperor would also speak.


    They calmed down, and all eyes fell on Changming.


    Changming only said one sentence: ¡°Those who want to leave can leave, but We are not leaving.¡±


    The ministers stared at each other in terror, aware of what the Emperor¡¯s words meant.


    Changming waved his hand, and everyone left the place silently.


    The day the city fell came very soon.


    The enemy general approached the city, and the common people and officials rushed to flee.


    The general of the Northern Dynasty met no opposition the whole way, and came directly to the palace hall for discussing political affairs in the imperial court.


    Changming, sitting on the imperial throne on the dais, looked at the person who stepped out from the shadows.


    That person came closer step by step.


    He lifted his head.


    Their eyes met.


    That man had the same face as Yun Weisi.


    But he wasn¡¯t Yun Weisi either, since he was smiling and looked frivolous.


    He was Yun Hai.


    Changming was absolutely sure that was him.


    But he felt that Yun Hai¡¯s appearance there made no sense.


    Then again, where should he have been himself and what should he have been doing at that moment?


    Some vague memories flashed through his head, but his body and his state of mind were still subconsciously following the Emperor¡¯s habits.


    Right, the Wang Dynasty was nearing its end. When the tree falls, monkeys disperse, and he was precisely that last Emperor who worked hard, but whose efforts were as futile as attempts to draw water with a bamboo basket.


    When the tree falls, monkeys disperse: when the man in power loses his influence, his lackeys disperse.


    The newcomer saluted casually with the arrogant manners of a winner.


    ¡°This general¡¯s name is Yun Hai. I was entrusted with an order by my country¡¯s sovereign, and I came here to suggest to Your Majesty to become a marquis and live peacefully as an official. As for the territory of this country¡ªyou are not capable of ruling over it anyway, therefore, it¡¯s better to include the country¡¯s land in the map of my Northern Dynasty, so that the common people of both north and south would live in peace and security.¡±


    Changming raised his hand and found a small porcelain bottle in his palm.


    ¡°The winner takes it all, and We can say nothing more. Congratulations on your overwhelming victory and sweeping away the millions of enemy troops, General Yun. But Our natural disposition does not allow Us to lodge under someone else¡¯s roof, so We are afraid that We shall disappoint you, General Yun.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t die. My monarch said, if you dare to die, I will have to massacre all the residents of the conquered city. I¡¯ve heard that you are diligent in politics and love your people, surely you don¡¯t want them to turn into ghosts under my knife?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Your sovereign wants to unite the lands of our countries. Since he is not afraid to have his name go down in history as a byword for infamy, what should I be afraid of?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Even if you don¡¯t care about common people, you have a harem, parents and children¡ªthey will all perish alongside you.¡±


    Changming: ¡°My parents died a long time ago, I haven¡¯t had children in these past two years, and I have almost forgotten what my concubines look like.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡­


    Without saying anything further, he came closer with the intention to take the porcelain bottle away from Changming¡¯s hand by force.


    But Changming was one step faster. Dark blood started oozing from the corners of his lips.


    Yun Hai¡¯s expression changed. He grabbed Changming by his chin with force, and realized the other¡¯s mouth was full of fresh blood that was dripping down ceaselessly.


    Changming smiled.


    Yun Hai¡¯s expression was a bit sinister. Who would have thought that by the moment he entered the place, Changming would have already swallowed the poison decisively.


    Even mole crickets and ants are willing to drag out their ignoble existence, but this last Emperor, even though he had a chance to live, chose death.


    Changming grabbed Yun Hai by his collar and pulled him closer.


    The moment Changming swallowed the poison, many scenes flashed in front of his eyes like the shadows on a lantern with a carousel of paper horses. He foresaw that after he went to the Northern Dynasty, he would suffer humiliation and fall into despondency for the rest of his life, and he also instantly remembered his real identity.


    Originally, he was not the twelfth emperor of the Southern Dynasty, but Jiufang Changming.


    Yun Hai pushed him down from the Rainbow Bridge, and they fell into the heinous flames. Unexpectedly, that pulled them into an illusion world; or was this show only set for him alone?


    According to the scenario of this world, he shouldn¡¯t have taken the poison. But something flashed through his mind, and his intuition told him to do so.


    He was Jiufang Changming, not this good-for-nothing last emperor. Before he had lost his cultivation, he was living as he pleased. Even if he faced innumerable hardships seeking certain martial arts, unravelling profound mysteries of the world, travelling to the farthest regions, and switching between Daoism, Buddhism, Demonic ways and Confucianism, that was still always what he wanted himself, not what others made him do.


    It was this way before, and it remained the same now.


    In a flash, his consciousness became peerlessly clear, but his life forces were flowing away even faster.


    Only one phrase.


    He could only say to Yun Hai one last phrase.


    ¡°Find your true self, and shatter the roots of the obstacle.¡±


    Yun Hai¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    Changming didn¡¯t know whether the other understood him or not. He was unable to say more, and the blood was running through his mouth and nose incessantly, totally unlike what one would expect from a dreamland.


    The next moment, everything went dark, and he finally lost consciousness.


    ¡­


    The memories of the past and present were flashing through his mind.


    Those fragments lost in the Yellow Springs were returning little by little.


    Jiufang Changming was pondering about a problem for a long time.


    It doesn¡¯t matter whether the sect was Daoist or Demonic¡ªthe classification was made up by humans.


    Everyone is born the same way, so the difference is only how people nurture their talents.


    Then what if there was a comprehensive cultivation method that was like a sea all rivers run into, a method that anyone could cultivate?


    When others thought about it, that was only in theory; when he thought about it, he wanted to do it.


    That¡¯s why he rebelled against Daoism and entered Buddhism, and then rebelled against Buddhism and turned to Demonic cultivation. People called him ¡°the three families¡¯ slave¡±, scolded him for being wicked, but he only laughed at their words that sounded like a light breeze brushing by his ears to him.


    The three families¡¯ slave: L¨¹ Bu, a general of the late Easter Han dynasty, earned this nickname for switching sides.


    He visited every famous mountain, went to the seas down the rivers, looked through all sorts of secret cultivation methods from many sects and schools. Those who loathed him had no way to deal with him, and he didn¡¯t care about those who worshipped him either.


    Until that day when he turned his eyes to the Sacred Mountain Wan that was surrounded by countless legends since ancient times.


    The mountain was very high, and not even a blade of grass grew on it; the hills around the mountain rode up and down. Even a great master would have trouble exploring this place.


    He didn¡¯t use a flying technique, so he had to climb up the steep mountain range on his feet step by step like a commoner.


    That was an extremely arduous journey, but it was a routine for a cultivator.


    But the challenges of the Sacred Mountain Wan were not limited to such trivial matters.


    It was a world itself. The weather was volatile, and sometimes it would change three or even four times a day. One moment, it was snowing heavily, another moment, the waves of heat would assault a traveler¡¯s face; even cultivators were unable to bear this suffering for a long time. From the old days, the spiritual influence of the mountain had scattered from this place, and it wasn¡¯t considered a blessed place suitable for cultivation.


    For several years, no one except for Jiufang Changming came to these barren lands.


    That was precisely why he managed to discover a mystery.


    The mystery that led to the destruction of the barrier on the Sacred Mountain Wan and appearance of the evil spirits.


    ¡­


    Changming woke up suddenly.


    He was lying on a bed again.


    But this time it was not the Dragon¡¯s bed.


    Who was he?


    ¡°Master, have you woken up? I was about to wake you up. You were invited to the court,¡± a maid lifted the curtains and softly reported to him.


    ¡°What are the arrangements today?¡± Changming asked naturally.


    ¡°Today is the fifteenth. After the morning assembly in the court, you should give a class to His Majesty.¡±


    Changming nodded. He dressed up, washed his face, and went to the court. On his way there he recalled his life and the emperor of this dynasty.


    It was the seventeenth year of the ruling dynasty. The current emperor was Yun Hai; the title of his reign was Wende. It had been more than seven years since he had ascended the throne, and Changming supported him during these seven years.


    Wende: the virtues of a scholar.


    Now, he was still an influential minister who could call the wind and summon the rains with the power of the sovereign; but the young emperor was slowly growing his wings, and he was no longer willing to be a fledgling guarded by others.


    Call the wind and summon the rains: be in control.


    He was lost in thoughts during the trip. When he entered the imperial palace, the high officials of the Six Ministries had already arrived. The emperor was also present today. He was sitting on the throne carelessly with a bad posture, swaying his leg nonstop.


    The Six Ministries: Administration, Finance, Rites, War, Punishments, Public Works. Existed starting from the Sui Dynasty (581-619) till the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).


    Changming glanced at his leg and slowly turned his gaze up, meeting the young Emperor¡¯s eyes.


    The latter smiled.


    Changming didn¡¯t smile in reply and only averted his eyes.


    The morning assembly was over soon, and the other ministers left the palace one by one, leaving the two of them alone.


    ¡°Xiangfu, there are a lot of matters that need attention these days. Our head is spinning, so stop preaching Us the classics and tell Us some stories.¡±


    Xiangfu: lit. ¡°minister-father¡±, a polite form of address towards the prime minister from the Emperor.


    Changming kneeled and sat down. As the prime minister of the empire, he had the privilege to sit in His Majesty¡¯s presence without asking.


    Moreover, he was not just the prime minister, but also the official who was entrusted to raise the emperor and assist him in governing the country.


    ¡°What kind of story does His Majesty want to hear?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me the story of ¡®Won¡¯t meet each other until the Yellow Springs¡¯?¡±


    Won¡¯t meet each other until the Yellow Springs: that is, until their death, or ¡®until we are both under the ground¡¯.


    ¡°This is a story of Zheng Zhuanggong¡¯s esteemed mother, Jiang-shi, who favoured her youngest son. She had a grievance towards her first son who forced his younger brother to cut his own throat, and they had this bitter dispute. After that, on the advice of his subordinates, Zheng Zhuanggong had people dig an underground tunnel and [drain it], and then met his mother there. This minister remembers telling the story to Your Majesty when you were five years old.¡±


    Zheng Zhuanggong: a monarch of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).


    Jiang-shi: Jiang is her maiden surname, hence the -shi suffix.


    This bitter dispute: he exiled her, saying they¡¯ll ¡®never meet until the Yellow Springs¡¯, but came to regret it later.


    Met his mother there: he regretted his decision, but couldn¡¯t break his vow of ¡®never seeing her until they are in the Yellow Springs (dead)¡¯. However, being in an underground tunnel counts as ¡®being underground¡¯, which is ¡®being in the Yellow Springs¡¯, so he managed to show his filial affection without breaking the vow.


    ¡°But, when We hear it now, We are getting another impression of it.¡±


    ¡°This minister would like to hear the details.¡±


    ¡°When We were young, We heard xiangfu preach about filial piety every day, and thought that Zheng Zhuanggong was a cruel man who indulged his younger brother just to make his mother regret later. But now, when We grew up, we see that Zheng Zhuanggong didn¡¯t have an easy life either as Jiang-shi was unable to discipline her child, and his younger brother wanted to obtain things that did not belong to him rightfully.¡±


    ZZG¡¯s younger brother conspired with their mother to usurp the throne, which is ¡®taking things that didn¡¯t belong to him¡¯; about ¡®ZZG indulged his younger brother¡¯¡ªthat probably refers to the fact that ZZG actually allowed his brother to rebel by giving him too much authority. Lastly, ¡®to make his mother regret¡¯¡ªprobably choosing ZZG over him.


    Having said these words, the young Emperor looked at Changming.


    ¡°And one shouldn¡¯t infringe on things that don¡¯t belong to them rightfully, am I correct, xiangfu?¡±


    He is less polite now.


    Changming also looked at the young Emperor.


    Changming was the one who raised that child. The latter was capricious and naughty, and never agreed to listen to lessons even for a second. His elderly tutors mostly gave him boring and dry lectures on the Four Books and the Five Classics. If a usual child refused to listen to them, they could simply scold him; but he was still an emperor who they could not beat with impunity, so Changming had to teach the child himself.


    The emperor didn¡¯t like to hear all the pedantic terms, so Changming told him stories behind idioms, tales of emperors, generals, and ministers from ancient times, and accidents that happened with common people on streets. The young emperor was indeed enthralled by these stories, and used to interrupt him from time to time to express his opinion. Changming was teaching him for seven years, stopped by neither wind nor rain. These years had passed in a moment, and the fat child who lived in luxury grew up and became a talented and handsome young Son of Heaven.


    Son of Heaven: Emperor.


    As the young emperor was getting older, he developed his own opinions, which inevitably led to conflicts between the two of them. Changming was busy with government affairs, so he hadn¡¯t told the young emperor any stories for a long time. As a result, the young emperor had to make all the decisions on his own, and after a long time the crack in their relationship turned into a whole chasm that could no longer be filled.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s words are wrong.¡±


    He said slowly, ¡°There is no doubt that Jiang-shi was unable to discipline her child, but Zheng Zhuanggong had to be filial and love his brother. Let¡¯s imagine we are talking about an emperor of a huge state. If he is not willing to set a good example with his own actions, how can he rule over his land?¡±


    To put it bluntly, Zheng Zhuanggong¡¯s younger brother was indeed too spoiled and deserved his punishment, but Zheng Zhuanggong, being a monarch, had to reconcile with his mother, or else he would have no right to demand filial piety from his subordinates; and if the filial piety and morals don¡¯t restrain people, the country plunges into chaos.


    The young emperor snorted: ¡°Xiangfu uses these specious principles to persuade me all the time.¡±


    Changming said: ¡°This minister is speaking from the bottom of his heart. When this minister gets older, you will rule over the country, so I can only try to help Your Majesty with all I can while I¡¯m still able to.¡±


    ¡°Is it so?¡±


    The young emperor suddenly leaned forward slightly, getting closer to the other.


    The tips of their noses almost touched, and Changming even lost his concentration for a moment.


    ¡°Then, xiangfu, when will you get old?¡±


    The young Emperor left him soon after that.


    But his words echoed in Changming¡¯s mind for a while.


    When will you grow old?


    Changming had returned to his residence, but even at the dead of the night he still couldn¡¯t rest his thoughts.


    Xiangfu, you should hurry and get old so that We can take over the reins of government.


    This was the implicit assertion of his words.


    Changming had been teaching him for seven years, and they were almost as close as a father and his son, so how did it come to this point?


    Changming lowered his eyes and looked at his hand holding a brush.


    It had been a long time since he had come to the court, became an official, was entrusted to instruct the child, finally becoming his teacher and regent; his hands had long since lost their youthful strength, and were now covered with blotches and wrinkles.


    But something seemed wrong.


    He frowned, searching for the answer with all his might.


    His robes of an official and the room he was sitting in were like a cage and shackles, trapping him in this place.


    He could quickly recall the emperor¡¯s appearance in his childhood and now, all the tasks the young emperor had given to him, every sentence the other had ever told him; Changming also remembered all the imperial examination tasks over the last years, and the essays of the best scholars; he even remembered the official court discussions over the years in broad terms.


    That was what his life had been like for the last decade, and also explained why he was so arrogant. The reason why the empire could function as usual during this time could be attributed to his arduous and meticulous work to a large extent.


    But Changming felt that something was not right nevertheless.


    This strange subtle feeling came deep from his heart, as if there was a faint voice that told him to open his eyes and wake up, but the reality was wrapped in layers of silk strands that made him think that he was already awake.


    A messenger from the palace summoned him to the palace the same night.


    The last time the emperor called for him in such a hurry happened when he was eight years old. He suffered from a high fever that night, and called for his xiangfu while crying aloud. The imperial physician didn¡¯t dare prescribe him medicine, and only Changming was allowed to enter the emperor¡¯s palace as an exception. Changming was guarding him by his bed all night long without closing his eyes for a moment, but even after the young emperor had finally fallen asleep from exhaustion, he still refused to let Changming¡¯s hand go.


    When Changming recalled this episode, the corners of his lips curled up, but he quickly calmed down.


    If he was summoned in such a haste, something urgent should have happened; could it be that the young emperor had contracted a serious disease again?


    His palanquin stopped suddenly.


    Changming frowned and opened the curtains to look outside.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    No one answered him.


    There was no sound outside his palanquin.


    The imperial palace was spacious, and the lights couldn¡¯t light this faraway place completely.


    Changming felt that something was wrong, so he went out from the palanquin and raised his head to look around.


    Then he saw a man standing under the wall of the imperial palace.


    That person stretched a bow, aiming right at the place where Changming was.


    Changming squinted, but didn¡¯t move.


    Yun Hai was hesitating.


    He didn¡¯t understand why he hesitated either.


    Everything that was happening this day had already been planned out three years ago.


    He hated Changming, especially for monopolizing the court administration and manipulating Yun Hai¡¯s thoughts.


    In this person¡¯s eyes, the emperor was not the son of Heaven who he must pledge loyalty to, but a puppet, a good luck charm he used to rule over the country.


    Yun Hai knew that the last emperor¡¯s death was suspicious.


    Both within and outside of the palace, people knew that the emperor¡¯s chronic illness withdrew, and only after Changming had sent a physician to prescribe him medicine did his disease take a turn for the worse.


    The day when the last emperor passed away, only Changming was together with him. No one knew what happened between them.


    Yun Hai wasn¡¯t even able to see his father one last time.


    His mother died when he was little, and later his father passed away as well; after that, Yun Hai had no elder members of his family left in the palace, and he could only rely on Changming.


    But it turned out Changming was originally unworthy of his trust.


    This man¡­


    If he died, the authority would immediately return to the emperor.


    When they had the conversation earlier this day, Yun Hai understood that Changming would not give up on being in charge easily.


    Changming had countless disciples; the palace guards and the frontier army were his hawks and hounds, while the emperor himself was just a chess piece that helped to maintain the balance in their eyes.


    Hawks and hounds: lackeys.


    Maybe Changming deserved to die in a more decent way, but Yun Hai was hoping to break the shackles on his heart by killing him like this.


    To break this reverence, dread and fear he felt towards Changming up until now.


    Everything was arranged tonight.


    All Changming¡¯s people were sent away, and now the emperor¡¯s trusted followers took their positions.


    He had been preparing for this day for a long time, and nothing could go wrong.


    After he had heard Changming¡¯s words earlier that day, Yun Hai couldn¡¯t hold it and retorted to him aloud, so Yun Hai thought the other would be on alert.


    Fortunately, Changming was not.


    When the bow in his hand was fully drawn, and the arrow was ready to fly, Changming only raised his head and looked at him from a distance.


    For no reason, Yun Hai¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he started hesitating.


    At that moment, he thought about lots of things.


    Once, on a cold snowy day, Changming carried him on his back. At that time, Yun Hai was still little, and he wanted to play in the snow. Changming failed to dissuade him, but was afraid that attendants would not be able to take care of him, so he played with Yun Hai.


    The arrow left the string!


    The emperor¡¯s archery skill was not bad, while this prime minister, Changming, was only a typical scholar from head to tail.


    Yun Hai knew that his opponent had no way to escape this arrow.


    The arrow hit his chest directly, and even went straight through.


    Under such circumstances, taking under consideration Changming¡¯s age and body, there was no hope for him to survive.


    The emperor finally felt that everything had been taken under his control.


    From this day on, no one would be able to restrict his freedom, to stop him, or to be an obstacle for him.


    But Yun Hai wasn¡¯t overjoyed.


    He looked at Changming who was tortured by convulsions on the ground coldly, almost indifferently, until the latter stopped moving.


    A pain suddenly came, but not from his hand that he was tightly gripping.


    He raised his arm and pressed it against his chest, feeling the strange pain in it.


    One stroke, another stroke¡ªas if there was a hammer hitting his heart.


    Without Changming, he became the true ruler of the empire.


    If everything was going so well, why would he still have this feeling?


    After all, what was wrong?


    Yun Hai raised his head and saw that the bright moonlight of the long night was shrouded by layers of dark clouds.


    A wordplay on Changming¡¯s name, ¡®long-bright¡¯, and Yun Hai¡¯s, ¡®clouds¡¯.


    In a flash, one ray of the moonlight broke through the dark clouds, illuminating the human world, and Yun Hai suddenly realized something.


    Find your true self, shatter the root of the obstacle.


    This sentence suddenly popped up in his mind, and all his anxiety broke into pieces.


    Yun Hai closed his eyes, and the footsteps around him, the commotion of the people calling him ¡®Your Majesty¡¯ in a panic¡ªeverything drifted away like a receding tide.


    It was as if he was floating alone in a chaos for a long time, unable to discern his own identity.


    Until the sea of fog dispersed, the tide came and went away, and the person sitting by the fire came into his sight.


    From the very beginning, Yun Hai¡¯s name was never Yun Hai.


    He came up with this name when he met Changming and Xu Jingxian on the seashore.


    Yun Hai: ¡®Yun¡¯ (cloud) from his real surname, and he chose ¡®Hai¡¯ (sea) because it happened on a seashore.


    And until that moment, he didn¡¯t know his name himself.


    He only knew that he appeared at night, and vanished with the sun; a man who was incompatible with the sunlight.


    He felt Changming was familiar, so familiar that his name was right on the tip of Yun Hai¡¯s tongue, but his memories were too hazy, and he couldn¡¯t remember this person.


    On the contrary, there was a voice deep in his heart that kept shouting that Yun Hai should kill Changming.


    Somehow, without a reason, that only made him interested, and he got closer to this man called Changming, wishing to unravel his secrets.


    The Mirror Lake under the Rainbow Bridge was just a passage between the worlds of the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    The ever-changing surface of the Mirror Lake could show ten generations of a person¡¯s family, the seven emotions and six pleasures, fame and fortune; everyone, from the common people to the cultivators, had something they desired but could never obtain. All of that could be found in the Mirror Lake.


    Yun Hai wanted to solve these uncertainties in his heart, and see Changming sink into his desires, unable to break free, and finally be broken by the illusion world, forced to indulge in it forever.


    They were just two strangers who had met by chance, and Changming was only a common mortal. It didn¡¯t matter how many mysterious techniques he had on himself, he still had no chance to escape from the dreams of the Mirror Lake.


    Yun Hai didn¡¯t have to get his hands dirty killing him, since Changming would simply die silently in the Mirror Lake, just like many other cultivators.


    But Yun Hai never expected that Changming, who was thrown into the Mirror Lake by him, would even manage to outwit him.


    The author has something to say:


    When Yun Hai met Changming, they were strangers. These dreams of millet from the illusion world not only toughened Changming¡¯s character, but also gave Yun Hai a chance to see what happened in the past from the sidelines, so his feelings started to change a bit now. The next to enter the stage is¡¾daytime¡¤Yun Weisi¡¿~


    Dreams of millet: pipe dreams. A scholar fell asleep in an inn waiting for the ordered millet; he dreamed of becoming the prime minister, marrying a beautiful wife etc, and dying at the age of 80; then, he suddenly woke up, but the millet wasn¡¯t even ready.


    Yun Hai: I¡¯d have never thought I¡¯d be the one pitted instead of pitting the other.


    Mirror Lake: I¡¯d have never thought I¡¯d help these two.


    Yun Weisi: I¡¯d have never thought I¡¯d actually appear in the foreseeable future.


    Tn:


    The so-called foreseeable future is three chapters.


    As if there are not enough footnotes, I want to add that in Buddhist Hell, the third to the six Narakas are called: Atata (because a sinner shivers making a-ta-ta sounds in pain), Hahava (because a sinner laments in the cold, making ha-ha sounds in pain), and Huhuva (because a sinner¡¯s teeth chatter, making hu-hu sounds, surely, in pain).


    The Chinese Hell, Diyu, is also quite similar to the Buddhist one in its concept, and also has several levels with different punishments on them.

 CH 25

    Heavy rain was pouring down at a Daoist temple.


    Yun Hai was standing in front of this Daoist temple, looking at the person kneeling in front of the gates.


    That person had the same face as Yun Hai, but it wasn¡¯t him.


    Yun Hai had only just broken from the illusion with that powerful minister and the young Son of Heaven, and arrived at this new place in the blink of an eye.


    But this illusion seemed a bit different.


    That boy couldn¡¯t see him, and neither could the young man who came out from the Daoist temple.


    Yun Hai was calmly watching them, waiting for the further development of the situation.


    ¡°Young Master Yun, stop kneeling. You¡¯ve already kneeled for so long, but since our Temple Master said we aren¡¯t accepting you, then we won¡¯t!¡±


    The young Daoist was standing in front of the boy, holding an umbrella. Although the rain was bucketing down heavily, his voice sounded clearly, reaching the other¡¯s ears despite the rain.


    The boy who was kneeling said nothing, and continued standing with his back straight.


    The young Daoist didn¡¯t manage to persuade him. He stood there for a while, sighed, told the boy that he was on his own, turned round and entered the temple.


    The large gates of the Daoist temple were closed once again, leaving no gaps.


    Yun Hai came closer to the boy and leaned closer to see his expression.


    In order to escape the rain drops falling on his face, the boy lowered his head slightly. He was numb after kneeling for a long time, and he had obviously lost all hope, driven into an impasse.


    Why bother?


    If there is no place for you here, you can find another one.


    It was just a Daoist temple. Even though the first master of the world is residing here, what of it?


    But the boy couldn¡¯t hear his words.


    Yun Hai didn¡¯t waste his energy, and continued watching the show while leaning on a tree nearby.


    The sky darkened and brightened again.


    A whole night passed, but the rain didn¡¯t stop.


    However, the boy standing on his knees didn¡¯t melt the stone hearts of the Daoists from the temple, but instead waited long enough for his enemies to appear.


    More than ten people carrying weapons hurriedly came closer one by one, and many of them were powerful cultivators.


    To have that many people deal with an unarmed and defenseless boy with no cultivation was truly making a big fuss over a minor issue.


    Yun Hai was looking from the sidelines coldly, waiting for the people to hack the boy into pieces in front of the temple gates.


    But they didn¡¯t rush to kill him right away. It seemed like they wanted something from the boy, as they kept interrogating him.


    Their weapons left all imaginable wounds on the boy¡¯s body. But what actually made it hard for him to endure were not the tortures, but the uncertainty of his future.


    Still, the boy didn¡¯t open his mouth, keeping it tightly shut. Not a single word or groan escaped his lips.


    His blood painted the limestone path red, but the rain swiftly washed it away.


    Yun Hai was suddenly anxious.


    This boy¡¯s face resembled his so closely that it was hard for Yun Hai not to put himself in the boy¡¯s position.


    But Yun Hai wasn¡¯t able to lend him his hand, otherwise these cultivators would have long since all been dead. He could only watch the scene from the side.


    If the master of this Daoist temple actually allows people to be killed this way right in front of his gates, he is a useless man indeed!


    He thought with a sneer.


    And at this moment, the gate was actually opened unhurriedly.


    Two young Daoists opened the doors, but this time they didn¡¯t say any pointless words. Another person stepped across the threshold and stopped on the stairs.


    Yun Hai looked at that person.


    It was Changming.


    Ever since Yun Hai met him on the seashore, he had the feeling that they had already seen each other before.


    ¡°You have stained my limestone path, how are you going to pay for it?¡±


    Changming was standing on the stairs, and the long out-of-this-world sleeves of his robes were fluttering on the wind.


    This Changming was obviously different from the one he knew.


    The Changming he met in the Nine Layers of the Abyss usually had a tired and indifferent expression on his face, as if he hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep for a long time. He was light-hearted and treated life as merely playing games, not taking worldly matters to his heart, and regarded life and death as unimportant. He had nothing in common with the other cultivators who entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    But the expression of the Changming in front of his eyes was strict and sharp like a knife; he was discreet in speech and manner, and his attitude was unclear; he bore hardships with ease, and always furrowed his brows, which made him look even more fierce.


    He was indeed a strong person, and one of those standing at the top of the world at that.


    Yun Hai¡¯s heart was racing, and he stood up excitedly.


    He looked at Changming carefully, trying not to miss the smallest detail.


    The people who chased the boy here to kill him were also quite intimidated by Changming. They cupped their hands politely, saying that the boy was their master¡¯s enemy, and had something on him that could damage a whole country and cause suffering to its people, and if they didn¡¯t forcibly take it from him right there, many would get hurt, and so on.


    No matter how much the others said while interrupting each other, the boy was as silent as the grave. He was lying on the ground, beaten heavily, and only his eyes were shining brightly in the rain.


    Changming didn¡¯t interrupt them either. He went down the stairs.


    When the raindrops fell on him, it was as if they encountered an invisible barrier: his clothes were not getting wet, remaining dry like a new set of robes.


    ¡°You want me to be your master?¡±


    He towered above the boy who was looking up at him with expectation.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    It was the first time Yun Hai heard the boy speak. His eyes were shining in the rain, glued to Changming.


    A bright light glowed in front of Yun Hai, as if a burst of flames.


    In a flash, the scene in front of his eyes was overlapped with the fragments of his memories.


    This boy was him, and he was the boy.


    He was Yun Hai, but also Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi was Yun Hai during the day.


    And Yun Hai was Yun Weisi at night.


    Originally, they were the same person.


    ¡°What can you do for me?¡± he heard Changming questioning the boy.


    Young Yun Weisi was stunned for a while, and couldn¡¯t say a word.


    The enemy behind him took this opportunity to make a sneak attack, and a sword light dashed towards Yun Weisi¡¯s heart from his back, as fast as a lightning.


    Changming didn¡¯t move, only raising his hand slightly, but the shining sword stopped right next to Yun Weisi¡¯s skin, unable to move further.


    The enemy was dumbstruck.


    In an instant, the sword light flew back the same way, and hit its owner right in his forehead. This man only cried and fell to the ground.


    The rest of the enemies were frightened and retreated one by one, not daring to make any careless moves.


    But Changming had no intention to spare them.


    ¡°You wanted to settle your old scores, arrived at my gates to resolve them, and now you even attack in my presence, hm?¡±


    His voice fell like a massive boulder, burdening the hearts of everyone around him.


    Yun Weisi coughed up a mouthful of blood on the limestone. He was previously sitting straight like an arrow, but now he leaned a bit, and it seemed that he could fall any moment.


    Yun Hai was also affected, and his mind was shaken a little. He had to hold on to the tree to take a firm stand.


    The head of the group forced a smile: ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to disturb you, Temple Master Jiufang, I am sorry for the troubles. In that case, we will visit you some other day, excuse us!¡±


    ¡°Young Master?¡± Someone next to him was unwilling to go back empty-handed, but the leader only stared at him in reply.


    They thought everything would end there, and the Yuhuang Temple wouldn¡¯t interfere anymore. But Changming opened his mouth again.


    ¡°Did I give you the permission to leave?¡±


    The leader of the group had always been arrogant, and relied on his powerful connections. Although he knew that his opponent was a high-level master, he wasn¡¯t too frightened.


    ¡°Temple Master Jiufang, since this person came here seeking your protection, we won¡¯t take any actions against him. As long as the Yuhuang Temple has him, we are not a threat to him. Count this as our present given to you at our first meeting.¡±


    Changming said coldly: ¡°You stained my territory, only dropped a couple of words, and now simply wish to go away?¡±


    The leader: ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I will take your life, but spare the others.¡±


    The leader laughed angrily and raised his hand, ordering his subordinates to attack.


    He didn¡¯t believe that so many high-level cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to take down one Jiufang Changming.


    Jiufang Changming only uttered two words.


    ¡°Swords, come.¡±


    He raised his hand.


    This movement was nothing out of the ordinary.


    But everyone heard a long buzzing sound at that moment.


    The scabbards in their hands started to quiver violently.


    In a split second, countless swords came out simultaneously!


    As if all the swords had suddenly gained consciousness, they left their sheaths and flew towards the leader of the group!


    More than ten swords were shining above his head. The leader¡¯s face turned pale with fright, but he had no place to retreat.


    After the swords flashed, everything calmed down.


    The leader fell to the ground. The blood trickled unceasingly from his ears, eyes, nostrils and mouth, and his whole body was covered with wounds.


    Twelve swords had penetrated him.


    Everyone turned pale from shock.


    But the boy¡¯s eyes were shining bright, and he was looking at Jiufang Changming, as if the latter was the only light in his life.


    Yun Hai was also looking at Jiufang Changming.


    This person was very powerful, so powerful that it was hard to put his charisma into words, and the whole world was looking up to him.


    But how could a master of this level become a waste?


    And his personality was now entirely different.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s enemies swiftly picked up the remains of their leader and retreated, not even daring to utter a single word. And the boy followed Changming, stepping into this Daoist temple for the first time.


    As soon as he crossed the threshold, he tilted to the side and fell to the ground.


    Changming bent down, caught the other and fed him a pill.


    The boy had been standing on his knees for too long, and he was tired physically; moreover, he was drenched standing out in the rain, so he needed some time to come to his senses.


    He squinted his eyes, looking at Changming against the light, and couldn¡¯t help but grab his sleeve.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± Yun Weisi muttered.


    He is really a good-for-nothing!


    Yun Hai sneered internally, forgetting the fact that this person was him.


    ¡°We will talk again when you wake up.¡±


    Changming¡¯s sleeves brushed by the other¡¯s forehead, and Yun Weisi softly fell to the ground.


    He asked a young Daoist to bring the person to a side room, and went to give a morning lesson to the temple¡¯s disciples.


    Before the blood stains in front of the gates could dry out, the cold rain washed them away.


    For some reason, although Yun Hai knew that this was just an illusion from the Mirror Lake, he still was reluctant to leave this place.


    He wanted to see how this powerful Jiufang Changming lost everything, falling that low.


    He also wanted to see himself, to know whether he was taken as a disciple by the Yuhuang Temple, and what he learned there.


    Changming didn¡¯t drive Yun Weisi away. From that day on, he was allowed to stay in the Yuhuang Temple, but Changming didn¡¯t agree to accept him as a disciple either.


    But Yun Weisi was persistent, and finally his efforts made Jiufang Changming notice him. Thus, he became the first direct disciple of the temple master.


    And the only disciple Changming accepted while he was following Daoism.


    Time passed quickly in the illusion world.


    Yun Hai watched Yun Weisi cultivate and grow little by little, turning from a stubborn and reserved boy into a dignified and experienced young man.


    He would also smile occasionally. Although he was usually happy only with his shizun, he was at least a bit more lively, not like that apathetic Yun Weisi who kneeled in front of the temple gates, only relying on his hatred to keep on living.


    He would clean the house carefully for his shizun, and learn how to weave the cattail mats with other young Daoists just to weave one for his teacher as a birthday gift.


    He would copy Jiufang Changming¡¯s handwriting in the light of lanterns, write down all his words from a long book and smile afterwards.


    Once, he heard that there was a spring next to the mountain with the best snow water to brew tea, which could only be gathered during a certain period of the year. He passed over mountain ridges in the middle of the night, and waited for three days for the first snow and gathered a pot of it¡ªeverything in order to make a cup of hot tea for Jiufang Changming who loved tea.


    Yun Hai was watching him from the side silently.


    Watching Yun Weisi¡¯s grief and joy, and the sincere warmth he felt towards his shizun.


    Watching how diligent he was in cultivation, and how Jiufang Changming instructed him without reservation.


    He pressed his hand against his chest.


    His warm heart was beating fast, as if he was deeply moved.


    Why did he forget everything?


    Why did he have no impression of this man, Jiufang Changming, until they met on the seashore?


    Yun Hai closed his eyes, suppressing the surging waves in his heart.


    These days were like a gentle flowing stream.


    And these seven years of Yun Weisi¡¯s life were now seen by Yun Hai again.


    But he felt that these days wouldn¡¯t last.


    Because Jiufang Changming had encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation, he was frowning more and more, as if he was lost in thoughts.


    Until finally one day, the Yuhuang Temple had to embrace its destiny.


    Jiufang Changming left the sect to pick up new disciples.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s old enemies appeared uninvited, this time bringing together with them even more formidable supporters. But, while Jiufang Changming wasn¡¯t in his Daoist temple, it was just a mediocre sect. Yun Weisi¡¯s enemies didn¡¯t find their target in the temple, so they attacked the sect¡¯s disciples in a rage. The accident in the Yuhuang Temple took a heavy toll of lives.


    After returning and hearing the news, Yun Weisi pursued and killed all the enemies who had come to the temple that year.


    He had gained the power to take revenge, but was too busy cultivating in the Yuhuang Temple, so he had no time to be distracted.


    When he returned to the Yuhuang Temple, Jiufang Changming stated that he was going to leave the sect, and moreover, leave the Dao cultivation itself. He was going to establish a separate sect.


    ¡°My cultivation has reached a bottleneck, and I can¡¯t move further without destroying the old to create the new. Only this way will I have a chance.¡±


    Jiufang Changming said to Yun Weisi, standing under blooming trees.


    ¡°Solving mysteries and finding the right way doesn¡¯t necessarily mean breaking the old. Dao is profound, so it is very possible that shizun can find an alternate route, why must you leave the sect?¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression was unprecedentedly impatient.


    He didn¡¯t want his teacher to leave. But Yun Hai was sure Changming would.


    Dao cultivation is like a towering tree. Perhaps the small branches of this tree hadn¡¯t been touched by Jiufang Changming, but he had already seen through the shape of the tree and the height it can reach. He wanted to explore other trees, instead of wasting his whole life in this one.


    But at that time, Yun Weisi couldn¡¯t understand the other. He only wished these days in the Yuhuang Temple would last longer.


    As expected, Jiufang Changming said: ¡°I don¡¯t advise you to take over the Yuhuang Temple. Routine matters and assemblings will only make you waste your energy, slowing down your cultivation. Just follow the formulas I gave you and cultivate them until they are useful, and then find a new path. I will first enter a Buddhist sect to study Dharma, then become well versed in hundreds of teachings one day and regain the natural state.¡±


    Yun Weisi blurted out: ¡°If you enter Buddhism, I will enter Buddhism; if you enter Demonic cultivation, I can enter it as well!¡±


    Jiufang Changming shook his head: ¡°You don¡¯t have to follow me. You have a deep comprehension ability, and quickly achieved results in Dao cultivation. If you continue treading this path, you may have great accomplishments. You shouldn¡¯t tug at shoots to help them grow, as it may have the opposite effect. Moreover, you are cold-hearted and have little desires, so you are suitable for cultivating the Heartless Dao, while I am too distracted by all sorts of thoughts, and want to pick up the best from hundreds of schools. This is a desire, so we are destined to follow different paths.¡±


    Heartless Dao: there are many ways to follow Dao, this one suggests the cultivator to relinquish all their feelings.


    After he finished speaking, he looked at Yun Weisi and added: ¡°Originally, you were free of all constraints and attachments. My departure will cut off the last thread that binds you to this world. You have already avenged the disciples of the Yuhuang Temple, settling karma, so you can cultivate without diverting your attention.¡±


    Yun Weisi, after standing in a daze for half a day, asked: ¡°Have you already decided?¡±


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°I have.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Then when will I meet you again?¡±


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°The day when you become a great master.¡±


    Yun Weisi watched Jiufang Changming slowly disappear into the distance under the setting sun.


    And Yun Weisi continued to stand there, from dusk till sunset, from long night till dawn.


    His posture didn¡¯t change. It seemed like he was waiting for his shizun to return and tell him that all of this was just a joke, a trial.


    Yun Weisi was standing under the tree, watching the days and nights replace each other, and stars going in circles.


    Some years had passed. The tree grew higher, but the Daoist Temple didn¡¯t change. Yun Weisi walked out from the temple. He was a lot more calm compared to those years, but had no expression on his face. In fact, he was rigidly aloof. When he looked at a person, it was as if he was looking at a dead thing.


    Free from things of the world, sealed off from the mundane.


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t heed Jiufang Changming¡¯s advice and took over the Daoist Temple. After Jiufang Changming¡¯s shidis perished, he became the new temple master. When he received an invitation from the Qianlin Assembly, he heard some news about Jiufang Changming, so he left his seclusion ahead of time and left his sect.


    Yun Hai also wanted to follow him as he felt that Yun Weisi¡¯s journey would affect him greatly.


    But he suddenly felt dizzy, and couldn¡¯t even stand straight. A whirlpool appeared under his feet, and he was swallowed by it.


    ¡­


    The turbulent waves of a restless sea made him sink and float, back and forth.


    Changming struggled to survive in the sea waves, while holding Yun Hai.


    He didn¡¯t know how he fell there, and only knew that he had this unworthy and cumbersome burden with him.


    ¡°Get up already, stop playing dead!¡± he ruthlessly slapped Yun Hai a couple of times.


    And the other opened his eyes indeed.


    Changming: ¡­


    Yun Hai grabbed his hand. Changming thought he would hit him, but Yun Hai only pulled them out of the water on a boat.


    The shabby boat was bobbing up and down on the waves, but it didn¡¯t sink.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Changming only felt that his mouth was full of sea salt, and even his face was soaked in it.


    ¡°The Weak Water, the Seventh Layer of the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°Just as I thought, the Mirror Lake is the passage between the layers of the Abyss,¡± Changming wringed out the sleeves of his robes.


    Yun Hai passed him a flask with fresh water.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Changming was actually thirsty, so he opened the flask and drank a mouthful of water. But he realized immediately that it was a bit suspicious.


    He didn¡¯t worry that Yun Hai would poison him at all, since the latter wouldn¡¯t use such strenuous methods to kill him. But Yun Hai really wanted him dead at the beginning, and started treating him as a plaything later; it was the first time he did something so normal and kind.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun Hai, are you alright?¡±


    Yun Hai wanted to answer, but saw the rays of the rising sun in the corner of his eyes. His expression changed a bit.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost dawn.¡±


    It¡¯s almost dawn?


    So what?


    Yun Hai interrupted his train of thought, and Changming looked at him, not understanding his words.


    Weird creaks came from a dark ship¡¯s hold behind them.


    The two of them turned around!


    Tn:


    Since Changming calls him ¡°my unworthy disciple¡± so often: he actually uses the word ¡°²»Ð¤¡±, which means something ¡°unlike his [teacher], unfilial, unworthy, underachieving¡±.

 CH 26

    The violent tempest gradually calmed down.


    Black clouds scattered, but the sky was still dark; in the far distance, where the vast sea met the sky, bright rays were shining. All the vast lit water surface was deserted, and only their broken ship was sailing the sea.


    This ship wasn¡¯t small, and even had an upper deck. The carvings could be seen on the upper deck¡¯s shutters, but they were so old that the window paper had long since rotted: the wood could not last for too long if the ship is roving around seas day after day.


    The hull of the ship was careening to the sides, as if it could sink to the bottom of the sea any moment. The noise of waves lapping against the sides of their boat kept coming rhythmically, making completely exhausted people on the boat feel drowsy.


    Everything was unusually calm, but wrong all around anyway.


    Obviously, it was a sea, but it was called the Weak Waters.


    The Seventh Layer of the Abyss was so vast, but only the two of them were there. Since every layer of the Abyss had an owner, there must have been one here too; but where was this person?


    Changming couldn¡¯t be sure whether everything he saw around him was an illusion or the reality.


    He looked at the Golden Glass Beads Staff in his hand.


    In the past few illusions he had visited, this Buddhist cane wasn¡¯t with him. Could it be that he had already left the Mirror Lake for good?


    The Nine Layers of the Abyss was fathomless and miraculous indeed, no wonder it enjoyed equal fame with the Yellow Springs.


    While it was said that one could die hopelessly at each step in the Yellow Springs, the Nine Layers of the Abyss were a place of exceptional beauty concealing mortal dangers.


    One moment, it would make people breathless with fear, but the next moment it could make them leap into the gentle and intimate embrace of death willingly.


    Creak, creak.


    Rather weird sounds, not quite irritating, were coming from the depths of the ship¡¯s hold.


    As if a rat was gnawing on wood, or some old construction elements of the boat were groaning under its weight.


    Changming wasn¡¯t used to remaining idle, so, after sitting for some time to recover some energy, he got up and went towards the hold.


    But Yun Hai grabbed his arm.


    Yun Hai said: ¡°I will go first, you follow me.¡±


    After some thought, he added one line: ¡°I have never been there either.¡±


    Changming gave no comments. When he saw Yun Hai enter the hold first, he only thought that it was really strange.


    Was it still his wicked disciple with a new personality who spared no efforts to give him a hard time?


    Changming wanted to say something, but said nothing in the end.


    The two of them, one following the other, entered the hold.


    The musty odour assaulted their senses. The shining gold beads of the Buddhist staff illuminated the corners of the hold.


    There were some bones, spider webs, broken furniture, and dried up leftovers on the table, which had long since gotten mildewed.


    Wherever they went, slabs under their feet made creaking sounds, echoing the noise that kept coming from the dark depths.


    Yun Hai¡¯s first reaction was to grab his long sword that came out of nowhere, and swing it in the direction of the hold. The turbulent sword qi blew up the place, lighting up the dark nooks in passing. Several dozens of rats scattered in every direction, squeaking.


    The creaking noise from before actually went down.


    Changming bent over to look at the spider web.


    Under the light of the gold beads, the spider web almost seemed to have a green luster.


    He snapped his fingers once, and a strong gust of wind made the web swing, but it didn¡¯t tear it as he expected.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°The web. The spiders that spun it weren¡¯t ordinary. Who is the owner of this place?¡±


    ¡°Fu Xiaoshan. It is said that his mother is a demon, and his father is a human, so half his blood vessels are demonic. But the Seventh Layer, the Weak Sea, is not very famous among the Nine Layers of the Abyss, because Fu Xiaoshan rarely appears on public occasions.¡±


    Changming: ¡°It seems that there are many half-bloods in the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡±


    Yun Hai hummed in agreement: ¡°They are not welcome outside, while, on the contrary, the Nine Layers of the Abyss is a paradise for them. It is said that Fu Xiaoshan was infatuated with a woman, and wanted to leave this place and live with her. But something unforeseen happened, and the woman died; after that, he didn¡¯t go out and even took the position of the Weak Water¡¯s owner.¡±


    There were some white balls scattered near the spider web, smooth and round like pearls.


    And, when the wind blew, these balls rolled to the sides, just like pearls.


    Changming used the staff as a lantern to light the balls. They were really bright, lustrous, and lovely.


    Changming lowered his head to examine them, at the same time asking a question: ¡°Demonic qi lingers in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, so those who are able to bear it and become the final victors are mostly people with demonic blood?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°No, it¡¯s because they have no place outside the Nine Layers of the Abyss. The world is big, but it belongs to humans, not to other species.¡±


    Changming¡¯s stretched hand stopped halfway.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun Hai, after we¡¯ve met on the seashore, you¡¯ve been full of sarcastic remarks. It¡¯s the first time I hear you talking like that. Now you really remind me of that old friend I¡¯ve mentioned.¡±


    ¡°What kind of person is that old friend of yours?¡±


    It was also the first time Yun Hai asked him a question.


    Earlier, he used to refute Changming¡¯s words, and refused to admit that he had similarities with Yun Weisi.


    Changming said: ¡°There are many diligent people in the world, but those who are both talented and diligent are rare. What happens seldom, he was able to concentrate on one thing, and could devote all his energy to his goal. If nothing fortuitous happened, his cultivation should not be lower than mine. His aptitude was the best among my four disciples, and he followed me the longest.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Then why did you expel him from your sect?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expel him. Rather, I banished myself from the sect and left Daoism.¡±


    Changming was talking indifferently.


    ¡°Every person walks their own path, and disciples are not obligated to follow their shifus. He could cultivate without any distractions, and reached great heights. But my ambitions were high. I wanted to integrate many schools of philosophy and find my own school. Since people with different principles are bound to separate, in the end, we parted and went our own ways.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°But you fell out.¡±


    Changming spoke so much that his throat itched. He coughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s another story.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Do you regret it?¡±


    Changming laughed: ¡°In this life, I never regret my actions.¡±


    But what he did lament¡­


    Creak, creak.


    They stopped talking.


    This time, the noise came not from where they were, but from the hold at the level below.


    Yun Hai stepped on the ladder first, and Changming followed behind.


    Darkness. Pitch-black, impenetrable darkness.


    It was as if the Buddhist cane gold beads¡¯ illumination range was restricted, and it wasn¡¯t as bright as before, only lighting up the scope of one cun around the beads, and even Yun Hai¡¯s figure in front of him blended with the darkness.


    One cun: 3 ? cm.


    This place is strange.


    These words appeared in their minds simultaneously.


    Yun Hai squinted his eyes and slowed down.


    It was quiet around, as if the darkness could even absorb their breaths and steps.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun Hai.¡±


    Changming wanted to draw his attention to a possible formation under their feet, but he received no answer.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun Hai?¡±


    He stopped completely and started listening, trying to determine his position.


    But no sound of movement could be discerned in the absolute silence.


    But the more peaceful, the more unusual it was.


    A hand suddenly came from behind, falling on Changming¡¯s shoulder soundlessly.


    Changming abruptly stepped forward and turned back, swinging his staff at the other.


    He hit the target precisely, but his opponent counterattacked with his palm. The cane bounced back to Changming, while the other person retreated back with a groan.


    ¡°The Golden Glass Beads Staff?¡± That person questioned.


    Changming: ¡°Daoyou Chen?¡±


    ¡°Daoyou Changming?!¡± Chen Ting was pleasantly surprised and changed his tone at once.


    He came closer. When he was a very short distance away, Changming raised the cane, and saw that it was Chen Ting indeed.


    ¡°How did you come here?¡± Chen Ting was not only pleasantly surprised, but also a bit excited.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun Hai and I came down here from the deck,¡± Changming said.


    Chen Ting was suspicious of his words: ¡°What deck?¡±


    Changming asked in reply: ¡°Where did you come from?¡±


    Chen Ting smiled bitterly: ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    After Yun Hai leaped into the Mirror Lake, taking Changming with him, the others began arguing over the positions.


    The disciple from the Celestial Abode Shenxiao thought Xu Jingxian to be one of Yun Hai¡¯s gang that made He Qingmo¡¯s sacrifice go to waste. He said that demonic cultivators are just demonic cultivators after all, and one can never rely on them.


    Xu Jingxian was the dignified master of Lingbo Peak, and could stir up all kinds of troubles outside the Nine Layers of the Abyss. How could she tolerate such words coming from a young fellow on whom the smell of his mother¡¯s milk had not yet dried? She attacked him without a second thought, sending that person flying right into the Mirror Lake.


    Everything was in a total disorder. Guan Xiachang didn¡¯t dare raise her hand to strike Xu Jingxian, and only turned around to run down the bridge. Chen Ting saw that the latter¡¯s eyes were still bloodshot with murderous intentions, and she wanted to chase after Guan Xiachang to kill her, so he could only bar her way and get into a violent fight with her on the Rainbow Bridge. The scorching sea of flames under the bridge was boiling in tremendous billows and immense waves, and a giant dragon with three horns blasted off from it all of a sudden, striking the both of them. Chen Ting could only join hands with her for a short time to hold out against the furious dragon. During the fight, a heavy wave swept them away.


    ¡°I arrived in a nameless country, where every official from feudal lords to administrators was a woman, and only unimportant odd jobs had positions for men. I lost my cultivation and had no strength to even tie a chicken, so I could only run away from that place. It was really absurd¡­ After that, my hideout was discovered by them, and they threw me into jail. When I woke up from that dream, I was already here.¡±


    Chen Ting didn¡¯t go into details, as if some things were too embarrassing to mention, and Changming didn¡¯t interrogate him.


    Everyone encountered different illusions.


    Some cultivators sank into them and had no way to come out, and for those people the illusion world became the real one, as they couldn¡¯t tell the difference. Buddhists call it: ¡°Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form; dreams, illusions, bubbles and shadows are like a morning dew, like the stroke of a lightning¡±.


    Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form: from the Heart Sutra. ¡°All things are empty of intrinsic existence and nature¡±.


    Dreams, illusions, bubbles and shadows are like a morning dew, like the stroke of a lightning: from the Diamond Sutra. ¡°Shatter illusions with wisdom¡±. Actually, the sutra is: ¡°All things contrived are like dream, illusion, bubble, shadow, and as dewdrop or lightning, they should be regarded as such.¡± (link)


    Even though he was with Changming now, he still couldn¡¯t be sure he had managed to escape the illusions¡¯ shackles completely.


    The one who could mix all these illusions and dreams, their creator, should have been a genius in formations and the Art of Illusions. Not only did he manage to master all these techniques, but even succeeded in binding them to the landforms of the Sacred Mountain Wan, making full use of the border between the Human World and Demon World lying within. That made the Mirror Lake of the Nine Layers of the Abyss an extremely mysterious place.


    There was indeed a person like this in Changming¡¯s memories, but he had died a long time ago, under his own formation.


    Creak, creak.


    The darkness didn¡¯t let them determine the source of the echoing sound, making them feel uneasy.


    Chen Ting immediately stopped talking to listen carefully.


    He heard Changming¡¯s breath nearby, and that calmed him down a bit.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of this place, but he was an experienced person, and felt that having a companion was always a good thing.


    In his opinion, even though Changming¡¯s cultivation was lost, when it came to deriving plans or deciding on actions, he was at least more reliable than the eccentric and arrogant He Qingmo or Xu Jingxian from a demonic clan.


    Chen Ting squeezed the long sword in his hand.


    This was the only spiritual tool he hadn¡¯t lost while wandering through the countless dreams and illusions, because this sword was bound to his soul since he had entered his sect. Every inner disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Clan had a sword like this, a heart sword. The stronger their natural aptitude, the higher their cultivation level, and the deeper their spiritual powers were, the more formidable their heart sword became.


    The sword in his hands was hot. It was warning Chen Ting about a danger ahead of him.


    Chen Ting stood still.


    He wasn¡¯t a green and inexperienced young fellow, and was quite a patient person. He could wait until his enemy would step out from the darkness without rushing forward thoughtlessly.


    He felt that Changming was sharing his opinion. The latter even slowed down the same way on purpose, concealing his breath.


    Chen Ting was pleased: he was not mistaken in his judgement.


    Creak, creak.


    Chen Ting closed his eyes, listening attentively to discern the location.


    The source of the sound was getting closer.


    Slowly drawing close to them.


    Was it a large rat, an insect, or something else?


    Chen Ting tried to tell the shape of their opponent from its movements.


    In his understanding, that should have been a mantis.


    There were many evil spirits in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, as well as many monsters. No matter how atrocious this thing was, Chen Ting, being a disciple from a famous sect, was mentally prepared for anything, and would never scream in terror like a usual person.


    He opened his eyes abruptly!


    The sword was vigorously glowing, illuminating three chi around its body.


    Three chi: one meter.


    He saw two hands.


    Two hands of a woman.


    Slender, fair-skinned, and delicate.


    The fingers were thin and graceful as willow leaves in the spring.


    This pair of hands shouldn¡¯t have appeared in a place like this.


    The nails on these fingers were pretty long. Every time they stretched forward, they would leave deep crevices in floor slabs.


    Creak, creak.


    The noise came precisely from the nails scratching the wood floor.


    Resembling the sound of rats gnawing on the wood.


    Without even thinking, Chen Ting attacked it with his sword!


    These fair-skinned beautiful hands swiftly evaded his blow, and the fingernails left the floor at once, rushing right at Chen Ting!


    Chen Ting dodged to the side. His glowing sword lunged forward three times, cutting through the thick darkness and lighting the scene behind these hands.


    There was a woman with dishevelled hair, completely naked, scrambling on the floor.


    But there was only the upper part of her body left.


    She was tightly wrapped in the thick white cobweb threads below her waist, and these threads were attached to the abdomen of a giant colorful spider.


    Chen Ting was aghast.


    What shocked him was not the size or queerness of the spider, but the fact that this woman who he had thought to be a victim captured by the spider, under a closer observation, was actually fused together with it. Her lower body was the threads, and she wasn¡¯t a victim seized by the yao spider, but rather a part of it.


    Yao: a shapeshifting demon that has cultivated a human shape.


    Chen Ting¡¯s breath became deeper, and he drew his sword to attack again with no hesitation. When defeating bandits, start with their chief; he struck the giant spider first!


    When defeating bandits, start with their chief: one should start with the most important aspects in every task.


    The bursting sword qi stung his eyes. The giant spider, which had already raised its scythe-like leg to smash him, seemed to fear the light, and took a few steps back.


    Chen Ting hit the spider and the woman with his glowing sword several times, and the woman hissed instead of screaming, retreating back with the spider. Chen Ting chased them closely, but suddenly felt something was wrong: the yao withdrew only after one strike, and everything was going way too smoothly, as if it was a trap.


    White silky threads were slowly and silently gathering around from all corners, sticking to his clothes and hair.


    These cobweb threads were almost transparent, and hard to notice in the darkness. Chen Ting didn¡¯t manage to see them immediately as well; by the time he did, he had already stuck to them firmly, and couldn¡¯t move freely. These threads were exceedingly strong, and even the flames of a fire talisman that Chen Ting used couldn¡¯t burn them.


    ¡°Daoyou Changming!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but call out for help, while cutting off the threads from his body with his shining sword.


    But these threads could not be easily eliminated. Each time the sword cut them, they would quickly stick to him again afterwards, so he couldn¡¯t leave it and deal with the spider.


    Using this chance, the woman turned her long nails towards his head, and attacked him!


    The giant spider noticed his predicament too, and got closer, followed by its bloody stench.


    Amidst the sword rays, Chen Ting could clearly see a flickering blue spider leg above his head.


    Changming didn¡¯t answer.


    Chen Ting couldn¡¯t help but lose all hope, thinking that he would surely perish this time.


    Ah!!!


    A terrified scream sounded.


    However, the one yelling was not Chen Ting, but the woman whose nails should have stabbed him any moment now.


    The Buddhist cane hit the woman on the spider ruthlessly, and the force of the thrust was too strong for the spider to withstand, so it had to retreat together with the woman.


    Chen Ting saw Changming.


    The latter immediately hid in a safe place nearby, concealing his breath and waiting for the spider to concentrate all its attention on Chen Ting again, in order to strike it.


    ¡°Sword, come.¡±


    Changming said, stretching his hand.


    Chen Ting¡¯s Guyue Sword trembled, as if in a reply, and swiftly flew into Changming¡¯s hand!


    The sword was shining brightly!


    The Buddhist cane in one hand, and the sword in the other.


    This Chen Ting¡¯s Guyue Sword was not a usual spiritual weapon. His shizu personally bestowed it upon Chen Ting, and it had been following him for decades. It had gained its spiritual powers, and wouldn¡¯t submit to just anyone.


    Shizu: the teacher¡¯s teacher.


    But Changming could not only handle it, the Guyue Sword even followed his every demand obediently, as if it was his belonging and fulfilled his every wish.


    Chen Ting was staring at this in mute astonishment.


    He looked at this ¡°disloyal to its master¡± Guyue Sword for a while, completely forgetting that he was still captured by the cobweb threads.


    In a moment, Chen Ting thought of another problem. Changming could control the Golden Glass Beads Staff, which should have indicated that he was originally from a Buddhist sect. But Daoists never got along with Buddhists, so how could this person order a Daoist sword around?


    Do all rogue cultivators conceal such talents nowadays?!


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre unrelated to the main text:


    Chen Ting: What have I missed?! Are all rogue cultivators so formidable nowadays??


    Xu Jingxian: A-ha, what surprises you now, surprised me 800 years ago.


    He Xiyun: A-ha, what surprises you now, surprised me 800 years ago.


    Tn:


    800 years ago: forever ago. This exact number comes from old tales about Old Pen Zu. He was a Daoist saint; according to the legend, he lived for more than 800 years. I¡¯ve read two versions: the first one is that he was supposed to die at a young age, but the Eight Immortals of Daoism gave him 100 years each; the second one is that he made a delicious dish for the Heaven Emperor, and the latter simply prolonged his life.

 CH 27

    While Chen Ting was pondering over these questions fruitlessly, the battle between Changming and the giant spider became incomparably fierce.


    As if the Guyue Sword had gained a more mighty force, its light was illuminating the whole place. Although the giant spider¡¯s shell was solid, and it took two or three sword swings on average to cut through it, the woman attached to the giant spider was not that tough. She was trapped between two puppets summoned by Changming, and her head was wounded by the sword. She wailed in pain, and revealed her face hidden under her disheveled hair.


    Half her body was blended with the spider, which was terrifying, but her face was unexpectedly delicate and pretty.


    If they were elsewhere, she would have resembled a dignified daughter of a noble family, with a pure soul, only waiting for her sweetheart to come.


    She opened her mouth, and stared at Chen Ting unwaveringly, with an expression of suffering. She opened her mouth wider, as if she wanted to say something, but could only gasp.


    The woman¡¯s actions enraged the giant spider, and it threw itself on them in a frenzy.


    Chen Ting noticed that all these spider threads were poisoned, as his limbs grew tired and lifeless, and his line of sight became a little vague.


    ¡°Help me first!¡±


    He shouted. At the same time, cobweb threads suddenly hit his face with force. Chen Ting¡¯s face went numb, and he could say nothing more.


    Changming also knew he should rescue Chen Ting first.


    But he really couldn¡¯t do it.


    The giant spider had eight legs, and cobweb silk was incessantly gushing at them, with no hints of its quantity decreasing over time. Changming had to avoid attacks from the legs, at the same time paying attention to the corrosive spider venom. He had little time to attend to other things.


    What was even more annoying, Changming¡¯s cultivation had greatly advanced by now, and the explosive power of his attacks was much stronger than before, but his body was nevertheless still the same body that was unable to sustain a long fight against an enemy. His endurance couldn¡¯t be compared with that of this creature of darkness. Moreover, he had sustained injuries. If there is a hole in the roof, the rain pours all night; soon, he got physically exhausted.


    If there is a hole in the roof, the rain pours all night: if it rains, it pours.


    Sweat was dripping from his forehead.


    His hand that was gripping the Guyue Sword tightly began to feel moist heat.


    It was not only sweat, but also blood.


    The back of Changming¡¯s right hand was cut by a cheliped-like leg of the spider. Blood was streaming down to his palm from arm, soaking his fist.


    He had already thrown the Buddhist cane to the side, and his soul energy and spiritual powers were not enough to fight off the woman and the giant spider at the same time.


    Moreover¡ª


    The creaking noise sounded again.


    This time it was even more grating on their ears.


    A pair of arms stretched out from the spider¡¯s shell behind its eyes, sticky and moist.


    And a head right after them.


    After that, the whole upper half of a human body appeared in front of their eyes.


    This person was naked as well, had no hair on his head, and was covered in mucus. His face with demonic features was handsome.


    But it was a grim and vile kind of beauty, and one could tell right away that this person wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    ¡°You, wounded her.¡±


    The man said slowly. Probably because he hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time, his voice was hoarse, and his intonation odd.


    And yet Changming and Chen Ting could hear his words clearly.


    ¡°You had the audacity, to wound her.¡±


    The cobweb threads shrank, pulling the woman back to the spider¡¯s abdomen. The man leaned down, and some threads came out from his mouth, dragging the woman into his embrace. Holding her in his arms, he gently caressed her, his movements full of infinite love. The cobweb tangled the two of them together, and he brushed her hair from her face tenderly, looking in her eyes with passionate adoration.


    This scene made Chen Ting¡¯s hair curl, freezing his blood.


    Holding back the nausea, he opened his mouth: ¡°Daoyou, we came here by accident, we didn¡¯t mean to offend you. Please, show us the way out, and we will go away immediately and leave you alone!¡±


    Chen Ting¡¯s thoughts were simple. Since their opponent was able to speak human language, obviously, there was a chance to communicate with him. If they succeeded without crossing their weapons, that would be just perfect.


    But the man started laughing.


    While he was laughing, his chest trembled, and the woman in his embrace trembled as well.


    The latter now resembled a lifeless puppet controlled by the other. But the painful expression on her face became only more vivid, and because of this, the whole scene seemed only more terrifying.


    ¡°Since you came to this place, just stay here, make her company.¡±


    Changming wasn¡¯t like Chen Ting.


    He had no intention to engage in a conversation with a demon.


    Since this man could take this appearance, if he wanted to communicate, he would have done it a long time ago.


    Changming still hadn¡¯t recovered, and was waiting for a chance to take action.


    For a chance to give him the fatal blow.


    But he soon realized that such chances were extremely difficult to come by.


    Their opponent seemed to be insane. The eight scythe-like legs of his lower body had securely sealed their way forward, and even if they wanted to retreat¡ª


    The cobweb threads would cling to them from all sides, preventing them from going away.


    The only solution was to join hands and attack him from two sides simultaneously.


    Chen Ting was even unable to fend for himself, and if Changming made an attempt to help him, the man would notice it at once, and not only would Changming fail his rescue attempt, but he would even fall into the enemy¡¯s hands himself.


    And Yun Hai had gone missing again.


    Where did he go?


    This name crossed Changming¡¯s mind, and he frowned slightly. His old wounds reopened, and his chest started aching dully once again.


    It¡¯s unknown how much time this man had spent alone. Chen Ting continued chattering nonstop, but, surprisingly, the man didn¡¯t kill him; on the contrary, he was watching them with great interest.


    ¡°Daoyou, I inspected this place when I first came here. The spiritual power is thin here, it¡¯s not suited for cultivation. Moreover, you love your spouse so affectionately, so you shouldn¡¯t let her spend years in this pitch-black place which not a single ray of the sun visits. As I see it, it¡¯s better for you to follow us out, admire beautiful rivers and mountains outside, and visit blessed spots of the world. My sect has some resources; if daoyou doesn¡¯t look down on us, you can go to my sect together with me. Given how gifted you are, you will definitely be able to achieve great results in Jianghu.¡±


    Chen Ting was persuading him patiently; he said so much that his mouth and tongue became dry. The other was only watching him with a faint smile, as if Chen Ting was a child jumping around joyfully.


    ¡°Oh, daoyou, may I know your honorable name? This is the first time we meet, such a pity it happens to be in a place like this. If we were outside, who knows, maybe we would have already burned some yellow paper and chopped a chicken¡¯s head to become sworn brothers¡­¡±


    Burn some yellow paper and chop a chicken¡¯s head: a ritual to become sworn brothers/sisters.


    While he was blabbering this nonsense, Changming was thinking.


    Chen Ting swallowed.


    He also realised that their opponent wasn¡¯t taking them seriously.


    But he was afraid that the man would attack them as soon as he stopped, so Chen Ting could only continue to jabber on, hoping for Changming to notice his painstaking efforts.


    Chen Ting¡¯s limbs were tied, and he couldn¡¯t move. He wanted to give Changming a hint with his expression, so his eyelids were soon almost cramped up, but the other didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    ¡°I, I was born a demon, but she, she is a human.¡±


    Unexpectedly, he opened his mouth, and looked down on the woman in his hands with delight.


    It¡¯s great that he is willing to talk! Chen Ting happily answered him with no hesitation: ¡°Although people and demons take different roads, there is a good saying among common people: ¡®All lovers in the world would be united in marriage eventually¡¯! I believe that the Heavens won¡¯t bear to see you two separated! I wish you to live together in a long-lasting harmonious union until your hair turns grey!¡±


    Changming: ¡­


    His physical strength and spiritual powers had almost been restored, but it was still not enough to attack him. Even though their enemy was a demon, his cultivation was comparable to that of a great master. If one blow from Changming didn¡¯t make the other unable to strike back, his and Chen Ting¡¯s deaths would be imminent.


    The man laughed.


    This laughter was creepy, and Chen Ting got goosebumps.


    ¡°She is like you, also from the outside.¡±


    ¡°Her name is Meng Li.¡±


    ¡°She said, her name, it is a kind of plant, with scalloped margins, very beautiful. Is it so?¡±


    Her name: Meng Li¡¯s name, ¡®L¨ª¡¯, means ¡®white goosefoot¡¯.


    The man looked at them.


    Chen Ting could only nod: ¡°It really is so.¡±


    ¡°She is really beautiful ah!¡±


    It seemed that the man had plunged into his memories, and his expression became gentle.


    Changming wanted to start moving. As if their opponent noticed that, one of his legs twitched.


    The downy scythe-like leg rubbed against the tip of Chen Ting¡¯s nose, making him break into a cold sweat. Changming knew that it was a warning from the spider yao, so he didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Living here from a young age, I¡¯ve seen the most beautiful scenes, that is, the sun and the moon of the Weak Waters. But she is more beautiful than the sun and the moon. I can do nothing for a long time, only looking at her.¡±


    ¡°She said, she likes me too, she wants to stay with me. I was happy, I wanted to give her the best things.¡±


    ¡°But one day, I woke up, and she was gone.¡±


    The man¡¯s expression gradually became angry.


    His hand tightened up cun by cun, and the body of the woman made a rasping sound.


    It was the sound of bones breaking into pieces.


    Chen Ting¡¯s scalp went numb.


    The man seemed not to notice it.


    ¡°I worried a lot, I was scared. I was looking for her everywhere, afraid that she was wounded, killed in a place where I couldn¡¯t find her.¡±


    ¡°I sought and sought, from white day till black night, and I finally found her.¡±


    ¡°Before that, when she said she liked me, it was a lie. What she wanted was my Fenshui Pearl.¡±


    Fenshui: dividing water.


    ¡°But it didn¡¯t matter. She likes the Fenshui Pearl, I will give her the Fenshui Pearl, if that means she won¡¯t leave me. But she wasn¡¯t willing, and still wanted to run. So I could only cut off her legs, replace them with the silk, so that she won¡¯t run away again.¡±


    He smiled sweetly.


    ¡°And now we are together for eternity.¡±


    Meng Li¡­


    Only now did Chen Ting feel that this name sounded familiar. He had finally recalled that there was a female disciple called Meng Li in the Celestial Abode Shexiao. Her talent was high, and the sect master liked her. But one time, a group of disciples went down the mountain, and Meng Li never returned.


    It was said that her soul lantern in the Celestial Abode Shenxiao hadn¡¯t gone off, so people believed that she wasn¡¯t dead. Chen Ting would have never thought he would meet a person his shifu had mentioned once in a place like this, and under such circumstances.


    So to speak, this Meng Li was a shijie of He Qingmo whom they met on the Rainbow Bridge.


    It was unknown whether He Qingmo and the others came to the Nine Layers of the Abyss to rescue her.


    ¡°Li-er.¡±


    The man lowered his head, his expression tender.


    ¡°You betrayed me, but I don¡¯t blame you. Just as he said, we have to live together in a long-lasting harmonious union until our hair turns grey, in life and death, never to separate. Do you agree?¡±


    Ah! Ah!


    Probably because she heard her name, the woman reacted strongly, struggling with all her might.


    But the spider yao used a bit of strength, and her struggles were suppressed.


    ¡°I know you like it very much as well, Li-er.¡±


    Blood was dripping down the corners of her mouth, and her expression gradually went blank.


    But the man didn¡¯t mind it. He stretched his arm to wipe the blood off.


    Chen Ting couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°She is going to die soon!¡±


    The man smiled: ¡°She died a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°She died¡­¡±


    His smile became even more wide, but the man started crying.


    ¡°A long time ago.¡±


    Right now!


    As if Changming became one with the sword, it shone brilliantly like a rainbow, and rushed at the spider yao in a flash.


    The latter abruptly raised his head, protecting the woman in his arms. He lifted his forelegs up high, and stabbed them towards Changming!


    One begets two, two begets three, three begets the universe.


    One begets two, two begets three, three begets the universe: from Dao De Jing, or Laozi; 42, the transformations of the Dao. The full quote starts with: ¡°Dao begets one¡±. There exist different explanations of this statement. For example, ¡®one is the Void, two are Yin and Yang, three are either Heaven, Earth, and man, or Yin, Yang, and Qi¡¯.


    The sword¡¯s glow suddenly split into three!


    The spider yao made a mistake. He only fended off two strikes, and the last one pierced his upper body.


    Changming didn¡¯t stop to take a breath, and swept his sword back, cutting through the spider threads wrapped around Chen Ting.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Chen Ting¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    The huge monster was approaching them from behind, casting a terrifying shadow over their heads.


    Changming knew the spider yao would attack them from the back, but he didn¡¯t turn his head.


    He only had one chance to save Chen Ting.


    Only if Chen Ting was rescued and they joined forces, they would have a chance to survive.


    If he left Chen Ting behind now, this would be seeking death for sure.


    Changming was prepared to receive this attack.


    His spiritual powers enveloped his body like a dim rainbow, and when silk threads struck, the barrier shook. Changming also trembled slightly, and blood started dripping from the corners of his mouth.


    One hit was not enough, so the spider yao raised his leg once again.


    Chen Ting stared at the sharp leg that was getting close to Changming¡¯s nape!


    At this moment, Changming was still cutting off the threads on Chen Ting¡¯s body.


    ¡°Quickly, dodge!¡±


    Changming¡¯s movements slowed down.


    The scythe-like leg was only three cuns away from his neck!


    Three cuns: 10 cm.


    Sharp as a knife, swift as a wind!


    Changming¡¯s head was almost pierced when he abruptly turned back, brandishing the sword!


    A cup of water cannot put out a burning cart of firewood, but he still managed to block the attack partly.


    Just when the spider yao was going to foil a new assault, a ray of white light stormed at him from the darkness. The yao screamed in pain and fell, his body knocked over by the formidable power. One spider¡¯s leg was broken at this moment, flew to the side and thrusted deep into the floor.


    Changming used this opportunity to save Chen Ting, and threw the Guyue Sword to him.


    Chen Ting, cutting a sorry figure, caught it.


    After Changming made the Guyue sword submit to him, using it at will, Chen Ting thought the other would continue to fight with it.


    ¡°You can use it!¡± He quickly gauged their situation.


    ¡°This sword is inconvenient,¡± Changming answered.


    Chen Ting: ¡­


    He firmly gripped the Guyue Sword in his hand, as if his family¡¯s favorite sword had suffered unjustly.


    The spider yao was greatly annoyed by Yun Hai who interrupted him halfway, and the yao was even more frantic after having lost one leg. He wanted to slay the three of them.


    But standing in front of him was Yun Hai whose powers were fathomless.


    Yun Hai chose not to attack him from the front, but shifted from side to side instead, depleting his opponent¡¯s forces. When a good opportunity arose, Yun Hai sneaked behind the spider yao and snatched the woman from him.


    ¡°Give her back!¡±


    The spider yao¡¯s eyes turned red immediately, and he unleashed tremendous pressure.


    The spider threads attached to the lower body of the woman started pulling her back. Yun Hai sneered, raised his sleeves and cut off the threads directly!


    Not only the woman, the spider yao shrieked miserably as well!


    ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    The woman grabbed Yun Hai¡¯s sleeve, as if she wanted to say something.


    But Yun Hai had no intention to mind her since the beginning, and threw her towards the spider yao.


    The spider yao stretched out to catch her instinctively.


    And at this moment, Chen Ting attacked the yao with all his might!


    The Guyue Sword in his hand was shining dazzlingly.


    And Changming bashed the Golden Glass Beads Staff against the floor heavily, put his palms together, as if praying, and ripples spreaded from the cane, just like ripples on the water. As if the Buddhist prayers gained corporeal form, wherever the waves went, like the True Fire of Samadhi, from bits and pieces, from small to big, it quickly gained the force of a prairie fire!


    The True Fire: Dao. heart fire, vitality.


    Samadhi: Budd. deep meditation, a state of meditative consciousness.


    When the spider yao was catching the woman, Yun Hai followed him as well, and two glowing swords appeared from his sleeves!


    One sword struck the back of the yao¡¯s neck, cleaving his head clearly.


    The other pierced his heart mercilessly, nailing him and the woman to the hold¡¯s wall.


    At the same time, sparks started floating around their heads and under their feet. Little by little, the whole place turned into a sea of flames.


    The ground quivered. Chen Ting lowered his head and noticed that spiders of all sizes started to hatch from the white balls on the floor. To avoid the fire, they crawled into four directions, swarming forward towards Chen Ting and the others. Some of them fell, but others followed in waves; however, the fire of the staff burned them to ashes.


    Even so, Chen Ting still felt nauseous.


    The woman fell from the spider yao¡¯s embrace. Her lower body was missing, but she did her utmost to crawl towards Changming, opening her mouth, as if she wanted to speak, but only ¡®ah¡¯s escaped her mouth in the end. They couldn¡¯t understand her at all, and her eyes showed despair; but she was so devastated that she wasn¡¯t even able to shed tears.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, this place is collapsing!¡±


    Yun Hai shouted. He grabbed Changming and retreated. Chen Ting¡¯s ankle was captured by the woman tightly¡ªno one knew how she got the strength to do it¡ªand Chen Ting could only grasp her and follow.


    Shaking.


    The world was shaking as if heaven was falling, and the earth was crumbling.


    Chen Ting could even feel the world around them gradually being torn into shreds.


    The Golden Glass Beads Staff was lighting the surroundings.


    All the furniture, slabs, and everything in the hold were breaking into pieces and falling down with the barrier.


    Unexpectedly, behind the falling crumbles they saw the azure sky with pink clouds.


    The sea melted into the sky, the morning clouds were colorful and magnificent.


    Yun Hai was holding Changming with one hand. He rolled his sleeves and pressed the forehead of the woman who was still grabbing Chen Ting¡¯s ankle.


    After that, a pearl emerged from her forehead slowly, falling on Yun Hai¡¯s palm.


    Chen Ting recalled the spider yao¡¯s story, and a thought dawned on him. He blurted: ¡°The Fenshui Pearl!¡±


    Yun Hai threw it right into the sea, and water immediately parted to the sides, making a way for them.


    This path stretched beyond the horizon, and they vaguely saw a bridge in the distance.


    ¡°This, is this an illusion again?¡±


    Chen Ting couldn¡¯t believe his own eyes.


    ¡°The exit from the Seventh Layer of the Abyss is the Fenshui Pearl. And this spider yao just now was Fu Xiaoshan.¡±


    Yun Hai released Changming.


    For some reason, his expression was dark, but the others didn¡¯t pay attention to it.


    The owner of the Weak Waters, Fu Xiaoshan?


    Chen Ting was stupefied. He would have never thought he would kill the owner of the Seventh Layer of the Abyss due to an unexpected turn of events.


    ¡°Then she, is she really daoyou Meng Li?¡±


    He looked at the woman dying on the ground.


    Her body was broken, miserable and wretched to the point she no longer resembled a human. Not a trace of the talented disciple from the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, of that immortal beauty who descended to the earth, of shijie Meng Li who everyone was discussing and who Chen Ting had only heard some rumors about, could longer be seen.


    Chen Ting sighed, not knowing what to say.


    The woman raised her head, looked almost with fascination at the sky that she hadn¡¯t seen for so long, and slowly closed her eyes.


    Changming had no time to pay attention to this matter. The prayers of the sea of flames that ripped apart the barrier had depleted his spiritual powers completely. He had a splitting headache, his heart was beating fast, and a sharp pain shot through all his limbs and bones, almost tearing apart his body.


    A wheezing noise assaulted his eardrums. He squinted and saw Yun Hai slowly approaching him.


    His sleeves were fluttering in the wind. The morning glow filled the sky.


    It¡¯s almost dawn.


    These words suddenly resurfaced in his mind, and he braced his mind to see the other¡¯s expression.


    It was not a familiar cynical and mocking expression, but completely lifeless and chilling-to-the-bones one.


    He didn¡¯t think over Yun Hai¡¯s words about the dawn coming, but now he suddenly understood them clearly.


    The other came closer, stopped in front of Changming and looked down at him.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming?¡±


    Changming heard his words.


    His intonation was slow, and he was almost pausing after each word.


    ¡°Yun Weisi.¡±


    It was not a question, but a statement.


    Even though he could hardly see him, and his head was spinning, Changming laughed.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you for ages, who knew you would become this way.¡±


    ¡°Jiufang Changming, my shizun.¡±


    Yun Weisi leaned forward, caught Changming¡¯s chin with his fingers and made him raise his head to look at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s you indeed, very good.¡±


    Before he finished talking, a long sword appeared in his hand.


    Its whole blade was pitch-black, it was a simple and unadorned long sword, and only golden words were glowing on it.


    In a short while, Changming¡¯s body was pierced by the sword.

 CH 28

    Changming used to have another sword before he got Sifei. Its name was Chunzhao.


    High clouds of a spring day, the first brilliant rays of morning sun. These two words, ¡®spring morning¡¯, described the first half of its owner¡¯s life quite well.


    High clouds of a spring day, the first brilliant rays of the morning sun: spring is ¡®chun¡¯, while ¡®zhao¡¯ means ¡®morning¡¯ here; together, they form the sword¡¯s name, ¡®Chunzhao¡¯, ¡®spring morning¡¯.


    He took over the position of the Yuhuang Temple¡¯s master a long time ago because he was exceptionally talented, and his cultivation level was higher than that of others. He even made his temple the most prominent Daoist sect of the world. Anyone who saw him addressed him with the title ¡®Immortal¡¯ or ¡®Daozun¡¯ politely. Many cultivators spent their life trying to keep up with him, but could never become as glorious and powerful.


    Immortal: Daoist spiritual master, lit. ¡®a real person¡¯, sometimes translated as ¡®perfected person¡¯. Wiki uses pinyin, zhenren.


    Daozun: the same zun as in shizun; lit. ¡®venerable Daoist¡¯, a polite form of address.


    But Changming didn¡¯t stop there. He left Dao, and turned to Buddhism. He left empty-handed, bringing nothing from the sect, and gave his Chunzhao Sword to his disciple, Yun Weisi, on the departure. Later, he forged the Sifei Sword with his own hands.


    He brought this sword to the Sacred Mountain Wan, but didn¡¯t take it to the Abyss.


    Zhou Keyi said the Sifei Sword could be in Yun Weisi¡¯s hands.


    And now this assumption had been confirmed.


    Yun Weisi had the sword indeed.


    And was even using it to kill Changming.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Chen Ting cried out involuntarily.


    He was standing too far, and couldn¡¯t stop him in time.


    The sword pierced Changming¡¯s body, and the point of the sword reappeared behind his back.


    But Changming didn¡¯t even move an inch, and his face didn¡¯t show his suffering.


    He even laughed, and the tips of his brows slightly rose. His expression was mocking.


    ¡°You want to kill me using my own sword?¡±


    Everything has a soul, and swords were no exception.


    The Sifei Sword could never hurt its master.


    Of course, Yun Weisi couldn¡¯t kill him with this sword.


    Yun Weisi withdrew the sword, made an indiscernible motion, and it disappeared from his hand at once.


    ¡°As of now, you are not qualified to have this sword.¡±


    He was merely stating a fact as he was speaking to Changming. His intonation was cold, and he expressed no emotions of love or hate at the master-disciple reunion.


    Changming nodded: ¡°Certainly so.¡±


    Yun Weisi said coldly: ¡°I would have never thought that after all these years we haven¡¯t seen each other, you would become so weak. Now, you are not worthy of being called shizun by me.¡±


    Changming was seemingly unperturbed, and even laughed: ¡°I should be the one saying these words. After all these years we haven¡¯t seen each other, you sank so low that you came to the Nine Layers of the Abyss. A master of a Daoist temple becoming the owner of the Nine Layers of the Abyss is not something that deserves praise.¡±


    Yun Weisi said nothing, and wanted to grab Changming.


    He could still kill Changming if he used another sword.


    The latter was well-prepared. Upon seeing the other¡¯s actions, he leaped back, and the Golden Glass Beads Staff appeared in front of him. In the split of a second, the two of them exchanged a dozen moves.


    Given Changming¡¯s strength, he was bound to lose. But he felt that Yun Weisi¡¯s cultivation was also restricted by unknown forces, and he was even weaker than Yun Hai¡ªeven though it was the same person from the very beginning.


    Although Yun Weisi remembered their past relationship, he was trying to deal the fatal blow.


    Yun Hai was treating people as he pleased, with justice or malice, and had no idea about the relationship between the two of them.


    Just what on earth happened with his first disciple in the Nine Layers of the Abyss?


    Of course, Chen Ting couldn¡¯t watch Changming being killed indifferently, so he quickly stood between them to stop the fight.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun, if you have something to say, just say it. We have gone through a life-death experience, fought side by side, so how can we become enemies now? Surely, there is some kind of misunderstanding¡­¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Get out of my way.¡±


    His oppressive aura filled the area, and Chen Ting took a step back, still stopping halfway.


    ¡°Get out of my way.¡±


    Yun Weisi repeated his words. This time he slightly moved his hand, and the Sifei Sword reappeared out of nowhere.


    The Sifei Sword didn¡¯t kill Changming, but it didn¡¯t mean it would spare Chen Ting too.


    Chen Ting revealed a surprised expression. He didn¡¯t recognise the Sifei Sword, but he was able to appreciate its qualities and felt that this sword in Yun Weisi¡¯s hands was formidable.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun, please listen to what I have to say¡­¡±


    ¡°I have no time.¡±


    Yun Weisi said all of a sudden.


    These words made no sense and sounded weird, so for some time Chen Ting was at a loss for how to react.


    After he finished this line, Yun Weisi drew the sword. He looked like a person who would slay anyone who obstructs his way, be it a man or a Buddha [1].


    Chen Ting had no other option but to meet this attack with the Guyue Sword.


    They had just disposed of Fu Xiaoshan, but before they could even take a breath, they had to engage in a fight again.


    The Golden Glass Beads Staff hit the ground heavily, and a sea of flames appeared between the two of them and Yun Weisi.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Changming shouted. With no hesitation, Chen Ting commanded his sword to return, not forgetting to pick up Changming, and the two of them flew towards the little bridge that the Fenshui Pearl opened for them.


    Yun Weisi chased them closely. Changming turned back and shot a few enchantments towards him with the Buddhist cane. Tiers upon tiers of golden ¡®…e¡¯ characters appeared in front of him, creating a barrier that obstructed Yun Weisi¡¯s way.


    …e: a sacred symbol in Buddhism. It symbolises the auspicious footprints of the Buddha.


    The small bridge was almost within their reach, and, unexpectedly, on the other side of the bridge, they saw a cliff and a waterfall.


    They had no other choice but to rush to the back of the waterfall.


    As soon as they approached the bridge, steam assaulted their senses.


    It was not an illusion.


    There was a cave mouth behind the waterfall, but they couldn¡¯t see it clearly, and Chen Ting didn¡¯t dare to charge in rashly.


    Changming¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he made a prompt decision.


    ¡°Go in!¡±


    When Yun Weisi, who was catching up to them, saw that they were about to go to the waterfall, his expression changed slightly, and, unexpectedly, he stopped.


    The two people disappeared behind the waterfall. Yun Weisi pondered for a moment, put away the Sifei Sword, and entered the waterfall as well.


    The sound of water was loud, as if it was falling right from the Silver River, rushing down for a thousand li.


    The Silver River: the Milky Way.


    Chen Ting could only hear this explosive noise as his vision was covered by water, and he couldn¡¯t even open his eyes. He lost control over his flying sword, and his spiritual powers also were suddenly depleted; he could only walk forward with effort, staggering along the way.


    He subconsciously stretched his arm to grab Changming, but he only captured thin air. In desperation, he moved forward. After some time had passed, the pouring-down water was eventually left behind, but its noise still lingered in his ears, as if the waterfall was close at hand.


    Chen Ting wiped his face and looked around. But, to his surprise, he saw no trace of the waterfall. Instead, he saw a deserted land around him, and in front of Chen Ting, there was a memorial archway [2] with the words ¡°Heavenly City¡± engraved on it.


    Not far away, Changming was resting, leaning on a stone, with his eyes half-closed.


    And Yun Weisi, who had been chasing them, was nowhere to be found.


    Chen Ting sighed with relief and came closer.


    ¡°Daoyou Changming, are you alright?¡±


    Changming shook his head slightly, but said nothing and didn¡¯t open his eyes.


    Chen Ting looked at his face. It was pale and lifeless, which probably meant that he had suffered a wound that he still hadn¡¯t recovered from.


    ¡°I gained some superficial knowledge in medicine in my sect. If daoyou doesn¡¯t mind, I can take a look.¡±


    When Chen Ting got acquaintanced with Xu Jingxian earlier, he subconsciously thought Changming to be the same as her, a demonic cultivator. Now he saw it was just a misunderstanding, since a person who could control the Golden Glass Beads Staff and the Guyue Sword obviously couldn¡¯t be a demonic cultivator.


    Changming claimed to be a rogue cultivator, but there were many masters in the world who originally had strong backgrounds and came from formidable sects, and were unwilling to reveal this information. Since the other didn¡¯t say much, Chen Ting was considerate enough not to ask either.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t noticed?¡±


    Changming opened his eyes and said slowly: ¡°Look carefully at your inner breath. Do you sense any spiritual power?¡±


    Chen Ting was taken aback. His expression changed quickly.


    He really didn¡¯t ponder over it much before; he only thought that he was injured and overextended himself, so his steps became weak and heavy.


    ¡°Wh, what happened? Are we poisoned?!¡±


    His inner spiritual power was completely gone, and not even a trace could be found.


    ¡°Sword!¡±


    Chen Ting pulled his sword out and performed a technique with it.


    The sword drew an arch in the air and fell into mud.


    Chen Ting: ¡­


    ¡°Are we dreaming? Is it an illusion world again?¡±


    He was a bit lost in his thoughts, afraid that this place would suddenly transform into that women¡¯s country, and they would try to force him to enter the palace again.


    ¡°This place should be the Eighth Layer of the Abyss. This waterfall we have seen earlier should be precisely the Heavenly Waterfall.¡±


    Changming coughed a couple of times, recalling Yun Weisi¡¯s words.


    Yun Weisi said that he had no time.


    White days belonged to Yun Weisi, while dark nights were Yun Hai¡¯s.


    The sky was still bright, and there was still plenty of time before night would come, so Yun Weisi¡¯s ¡®there is no time¡¯ shouldn¡¯t have referred to Yun Hai¡¯s arrival; he was afraid that Changming and Chen Ting would enter the Heavenly Waterfall.


    ¡°Since we became normal humans after crossing that waterfall, this is the same for others too.¡±


    Including Yun Weisi.


    If it was really so, it would be amusing.


    If everyone in the Eighth Layer of the Abyss was an ordinary person, and there was no difference between cultivation levels, what did this place look like?


    That unfilial disciple of his would not be able to kill him.


    Chen Ting asked a question: ¡°Then, if we leave this place, will our cultivation be restored?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Shall we wait for daoyou Yun to catch up to us so that you can ask him?¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡­


    He saw Changming stand up with difficulty. Chen Ting wanted to land him a hand subconsciously, and realized that the other had a long wound stretching from the back of his shoulder to his arm. The blood had dried up, but that only made the injury look even more hideous.


    Chen Ting could feel how painful it was just by looking at him.


    He asked gently: ¡°Are you really alright? Do you want me to carry you?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Of course, Changming was hurt, but he felt his cultivation was advancing by leaps and bounds at the same time, and the sufferings caused by the wound were even more severe than usual.


    But he could endure it.


    And this place wasn¡¯t necessarily safe.


    ¡°Let¡¯s enter the city first, find a place to take a rest, and talk afterwards.¡±


    When Chen Ting saw Changming using the Buddhist cane as a walking stick, the corners of his mouth twitched. He wanted to say something, but held it back.


    The treasured spiritual tool of the grand Qingyun School¡­ Nevermind, this place has no bald donkeys anyway.


    They passed the memorial gateway, walked for several li, and finally saw signs of human habitation.


    Li: 0.5 km.


    This area did not just have signs of habitation, but was even bustling with noise and excitement.


    Chen Ting wanted to rub his eyes.


    ¡°Is this place¡­ a market?¡±


    He was not mistaken. Stall-keepers and people were coming and going in crowds, just like what happened in cities and towns of every country outside the Nine Layers of the Abyss on the fifteenth and the first days of every month.


    The fifteenth and the first days of every month: on these days, people used to offer sacrifices to the gods and perform certain rituals.


    The only difference was that this place was inside the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    And those who were buying things and selling things were all cultivators.


    All things considered, it wasn¡¯t all that surprising.


    All of these people had lost their cultivation and became ordinary people, so the hierarchy that determined the weak and the strong, established through cultivation battles, no longer existed. As time passed, people who couldn¡¯t get out had to find other means of livelihood, so the usual way of life of the outside world had naturally restored itself.


    Therefore, there were many markets and inns in this town, and some people even started to work the land. Of those men and women who were walking down the streets, some became rich and were wearing bright and beautiful silk or satin, while others hadn¡¯t succeeded that much, and were now dressed in plain and shabby clothes.


    Changming had no time to look around. The wound was so painful that he broke out in a cold sweat.


    Chen Ting quickly supported him to the nearest guest house.


    The inns here were not free, and the first thing the assistant from the guest house did was to ask them: ¡°Do the two gentlemen have any Heavenly money?¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°What is it?¡±


    The assistant smiled: ¡°To get a bed or a meal in this town, you need to pay Heavenly money. If the gentlemen don¡¯t have any, you can give me your other valuables, and I will take them to a pawnshop, exchange them for money, and then return the overcharge or demand payment of the shortage.¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°What kind of valuables do you take?¡±


    The assistant: ¡°Of course, talismans and other spiritual tools, for example, this sword the gentleman has.¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°Haven¡¯t all the talismans and tools lost their value after we entered this place?¡±


    The assistant: ¡°Be that as it may, but these things are still valuable. If you decide to leave this place one day, the prices will go sky-high for you. On the contrary, if you stay here, you will have to eat, drink, and sleep as an ordinary man. When I entered this place ten years ago, I was still considered a famous cultivator, but look at me now¡ªdon¡¯t I have to work as a waiter doing odd jobs here?¡±


    Chen Ting could say nothing more.


    Obviously, he couldn¡¯t pawn his Guyue Sword, and Changming couldn¡¯t hand them the Golden Glass Beads Staff either, so they were in a deadlock.


    The assistant noticed that Changming was injured, so he was not at a hurry, and simply waited for them to give up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me later that I haven¡¯t warned you: it¡¯s fine now, when the sky is bright, but wait for night to come, and if you don¡¯t get a place to stay by then, you will be in a perilous situation.¡±


    Chen Ting frowned, taking his words as empty threats: ¡°Why are you saying this?¡±


    The assistant wanted to answer, but at this moment a person entered the guest house.


    ¡°I will pay for them.¡±


    ¡­


    Yun Weisi raised his head to look at the sky.


    It was bright and clear, cloudless.


    But he had lost the person he wanted to kill.


    The Heavenly Waterfall was the place he loathed the most in the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Because there everyone would lose their spiritual powers and become an ordinary person.


    And if one wanted to leave this place, they would need to wait for the right time, favorable place and support from others.


    In order to kill Changming, he entered this place.


    A soft groan was coming from his palm.


    That was something only he could hear.


    Just like a groan of a dragon.


    But he knew that it was not a dragon.


    It was the Sifei Sword¡¯s groan.


    The Sifei Sword rarely moved. Even when he controlled it, the sword moved directly according to his command, making no noise.


    But, after it had met Jiufang Changming, it responded, which had never happened before.


    Yun Weisi moved his wrist and grabbed the Sifei Sword tightly.


    The inscription on the blade was shining, as if it came across an old friend after a long separation.


    He knew the Sifiei Sword belonged to Jiufang Changming.


    But Yun Weisi felt that the other had no qualifications to own the sword now.


    But why was the Sifei Sword still giving such a reaction?


    Past events were vivid in his memory.


    He remembered Jiufang Changming, remembered how he himself entered that temple, how they fell apart, and how they went separate paths in the end.


    And he also remembered that he had to kill Jiufang Changming, whether the other was at the rim of the sky or at the distant shore of the sea.


    As the years passed, all memories gradually faded away, but this one thing, he never doubted.


    He didn¡¯t expect that not long after he had come out from seclusion, the other would take the initiative to send himself to Yun Weisi¡¯s doors.


    But it was fine either way. Even though the Heavenly Waterfall was a bit troublesome, it didn¡¯t matter.


    But why would the Sifei Sword groan softly, almost like it was lamenting?


    Yun Weisi looked heartlessly at the golden glowing words on the sword.


    ¡°He is not worthy enough to use you, but you are still reluctant to kill him?¡±


    Of course, the Sifei Sword didn¡¯t give a reply.


    And Yun Weisi didn¡¯t need an answer.


    He went forward, taking large steps.


    He must find Jiufang Changming before the sky turned dark.


    ¡­


    ¡°Daoyou Xu!¡±


    To meet an old friend in a distant land is like having a refreshing rain after a long drought.


    Chen Ting was filled with elation and amazement, as if Xu Jingxian was really that refreshing rain, an old friend.


    Xu Jingxian was, as always, a pretty girl in a violet dress.


    Even after a long journey, her alluring style didn¡¯t change.


    Chen Ting used to avoid her before, but now he felt attachment to her.


    At the very least, Xu Jingxian was a human, unlike that eight-legged Fu Xiaoshan or Meng Li who only had half of her body left. Chen Ting felt she was very amiable.


    Xu Jingxian looked at him with contempt, and turned to Changming. Her expression turned into a loving and considerate one.


    ¡°Ming-lang, it¡¯s a bliss that you are fine! Did you miss this girl?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Give me money first.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    She took out some silver coins, gave them to the assistant, and waved her hand in an extravagant manner.


    ¡°Give us the two best rooms!¡±


    The best rooms were the best rooms indeed.


    The bedding was smooth, and even the drinking water was warmed for them; the room decorations were not inferior to those in mansions of rich families in the capitals of the outside world.


    Chen Ting wanted to admire it for some time, but Changming¡¯s eyes dulled, and he slumped to the floor.


    Fortunately, Xu Jingxian noticed it in time and managed to catch him in her embrace.


    ¡°How did Ming-lang suffer a wound like this?!¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡­Why are you looking at me this way, it wasn¡¯t my fault.


    Unexpectedly, Xu Jingxian even had some medicine. She fed it to Changming, while listening to Chen Ting¡¯s story of their desperate fight with Fu Xiaoshan. Upon hearing how Yun Hai suddenly turned against them, she couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips angrily.


    ¡°I saw that he was not a good person from the very beginning!¡±


    ¡°At first, you were deceived by his looks, and even wanted to spend a spring night with him.¡±


    Changming said, and groaned immediately.


    Xu Jingxian exerted more force deliberately.


    ¡°Only at first!¡±


    Chen Ting was in no mood for jokes. He was worried over the issue with Heavenly City.


    ¡°Just now, that man said, ¡®wait for night to come, and you will be in danger¡¯. Daoyou Xu, do you know what he meant?¡±


    Tn:


    [1] Slay anyone who obstructs his way, be it a man or a Buddha: a similar line first appeared in ¡°The Record of Linji¡± as ¡°Whatever you encounter, either within or without (tn: if others obstruct your way or your inner demons tempt you), slay it at once. On meeting a buddha slay the buddha, on meeting a patriarch slay the patriarch, on meeting an arhat slay the arhat, on meeting your parents slay your parents, on meeting your kinsman slay your kinsman, and you attain emancipation.¡± Buddhists tend to resort to drastic measures sometimes, right? I believe that the main point is that one should not be attached to any worldly matters. This line will be used several times in this novel. (the translation taken from Ruth Fuller Sasaki, p. 236.)


    [2] A memorial archway: Chinese memorial archways, aka paifangs, look like this:

 CH 29

    The Heavenly Waterfall was the strangest place in all the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    It didn¡¯t have an owner like the other layers.


    Because here everyone lost their spiritual powers and became ordinary people.


    On the contrary, ordinary people would receive supreme spiritual powers in this place, and become stronger than they could ever get outside.


    But it was not at all a place that ordinary people could enter as they pleased. Most of them couldn¡¯t even survive the First Layer of the Abyss, let alone come to the Heavenly Waterfall.


    If a cultivator was trapped in this place where everyone lacked spiritual powers, they were not greeted by a land of happiness of love and respect, but a ruthless place where the weak fell prey to the strong.


    Five strong and outstanding cultivators with exceptionally high martial arts became influential people and were in charge of Heavenly City. They were called the five elders.


    ¡°When night falls, vultures that feed on human flesh come out in large numbers. If they find no food, they go crazy, and their strength increases greatly, so they take even more human lives.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why this place has an unspoken rule: after the sky darkens, people without a shelter become food for the vultures. If you can¡¯t withstand their attack, no one will lend you a helping hand, because your death helps the survival of others.¡±


    Chen Ting was stunned.


    ¡°What if everyone is hiding in their rooms? Do those vultures have no food then?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, the second rule comes into the play: the strong are revered. If you lose your spiritual powers here, you become a good-for-nothing, so you can be thrown to those vultures as food. Don¡¯t think that since that person from earlier was reduced to serving as an assistant here, he has no strength. In fact, he can at least fight to a draw with me.¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°Has no one ever left this place?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Of course, they did. But those who were lucky enough to leave this place don¡¯t return here to share their knowledge. Moreover, not everyone wants to leave this place.¡±


    Looking at her profound expression, Chen Ting understood what she meant.


    Some wanted to leave, but others didn¡¯t.


    To take a high position in this place wasn¡¯t worse than to take one in the outside world.


    Some would rather be a chicken¡¯s head than a phoenix¡¯s tail. Although the outside world was as boundless as the sea and the sky, rivalry was more intense there as well.


    Some would rather be a chicken¡¯s head than a phoenix¡¯s tail: to prefer to be a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond.


    ¡°Furthermore, every third day a martial arts competition is held in the highest tower of this city, in the Yunding Tower. The victor has a chance to become a personal attendant for one of the five elders, take a high position in the town, and receive some land, a residence and money. Partaking in such competitions is the best opportunity for someone who has just arrived here and has nothing at all. Are you interested, daoyou Chen?¡±


    Yunding: lit. ¡®cloud top¡¯, since this town is ¡®Heavens¡¯.


    Chen Ting asked with suspicion: ¡°Then what if you lose?¡±


    Xu Jingxian laughed: ¡°Naturally, if you lose, you will be thrown to the vultures!¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡­


    ¡°You have to participate even if you don¡¯t want to. Those who arrive here have no money that circulates in Heavenly City; food, clothing, shelter or means of traveling¡ªthey have nothing. Very soon, they are forced to tramp the streets. However, not everyone has to participate. There is a shortcut that allows you to take over a high position directly. Do you want to know how?¡±


    Xu Jingxian gave them a flirting glance, but they remained indifferent. She couldn¡¯t help but to pout.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, are you two dead?!¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡­I feel like you are not going to say anything pleasant.


    ¡°If so, you don¡¯t have to ask, do you?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Then I simply must tell you. If an elder takes a fancy to you, obviously, you don¡¯t need to partake in the competition or fight against vultures, but still can have enough to eat and drink, and take a high position.¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°Given daoyou Xu¡¯s appearance, this won¡¯t pose you a problem.¡±


    Xu Jingxian laughed: ¡°To tell you the truth, I was kind enough to help daoyou Chen to inquire about this. One of those five elders, surnamed Hou, loves men, not women. All his bodyguards are youths with thick eyebrows and big eyes. Daoyou Chen, you have a dignified appearance, so elder Hou will surely fall in love with you at first sight, and we, ordinary chickens and dogs, will also ascend to Heaven!¡±


    Chickens and dogs will also ascend to Heaven: when a man gets a high position, all his friends and relatives get promoted as well.


    Chen Ting: ¡­


    He thought, this temptress is evil indeed, once she opens her mouth, the words that come out are all immoral.


    ¡°What? You look down on them?¡± Xu Jingxian couldn¡¯t get enough, ¡°By the way, one of daoyou Chen¡¯s old friends is eating delicious food and drinking hard liquor under one of these five elders right now. If daoyou Chen is fortunate enough to meet her, please, put in a good word for this girl, and ask her to look over us!¡±


    Chen Ting was puzzled: ¡°Who?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Guan Xiachang.¡±


    Chen Ting¡¯s face betrayed his astonishment: ¡°This, can it be that you saw it wrong?¡±


    Xu Jingxian laughed: ¡°You didn¡¯t expect that a temptress would refuse to trade on her beauty, while a virtuous woman from a famous sect wouldn¡¯t be able to resist the offer?¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    The two of them continued to bicker, but Changming made no sound. When Xu Jingxian remembered about him, she realized he had already placed his forehead on his arm and fallen asleep while still sitting.


    Chen Ting also noticed this, and they stopped quarreling.


    Xu Jingxian said: ¡°Daoyou Chen, do me a favor, stop disturbing our family¡¯s Ming-lang while he is resting.¡±


    Chen Ting stared blankly: ¡°Haven¡¯t you ordered the two best rooms?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Right ah, I¡¯m sharing this room with Ming-lang, and you are living alone.¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡­


    He looked at Xu Jingxian who behaved as if it was only just and proper, said nothing, and left the room silently.


    Xu Jingxian watched him go out and close the door, and said suddenly: ¡°I saw the Yangzhen Grass.¡±


    Changming opened his eyes.


    He was only taking a break with his eyes closed, not sleeping.


    ¡°So you actually found it?¡±


    Xu Jingxian squinted: ¡°So you admit that you were talking nonsense back then?¡±


    Changming answered casually: ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect that you would find it so easily.¡±


    ¡°Who said it was easy, it was a lucky coincidence!¡± Xu Jingxian was outraged.


    When they had that conflict on the Rainbow Bridge, Guan Xiachang ran away, and Xu Jingxian followed her.


    Meddlesome Chen Ting stopped her, and hence she and this surnamed Chen were swept by a huge wave.


    In the end, Chen Ting disappeared, while she and Guan Xiachang arrived in the Third Layer of the Abyss.


    That place was a giant iron chessboard where the chess pieces were humans, and their fates and lives were the stakes. If one made a mistake, they would scatter like ashes and disperse like smoke, ceasing to exist.


    Iron chessboard: probably Chinese chess.


    The Iron Chessboard was a cycle of death and life. Some people disappeared, and others arrived; Xu Jingxian and Guan Xiachang took the places of dead pieces in the game, and became two chess pieces.


    In order to turn into favourable pieces from the dying ones, they had to work together for some time. There is no use to describe all the breathtaking and mortally dangerous adventures they had been through. Eventually, they managed to escape, and arrived in Heavenly City.


    ¡°A couple of days ago I went to watch a competition in the Yunding Tower, and saw the Yangzhen Grass there. It grows at the lake outside the Yunding Tower. The center of the lake is full of exotic flowers and plants that belong to Lu Jianmu, one of the five elders, and no one dares touch it. One night, when the moon was full, I saw glowing grass floating on the surface of the lake. It looks the same way you described it.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was very excited, and it was hard for her to calm down.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Lu Jianmu regards all these plants as his treasures and lets no one come near it. Because the Yunding Tower is his territory, his guards patrol that place all day long. As long as someone comes close to the lake, they¡¯ll notice them.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, in Heavenly City, the power and influence of the five elders is immense, and you can¡¯t escape from them. I got the money I have from one person, but money ends quickly here. I paid for your rooms just now, so I will probably run out of my wealth soon.¡±


    She didn¡¯t mention how exactly she had gotten the money, and Changming didn¡¯t ask either.


    In Heavenly City, taking resources by force or trickery was the only way to survive. Xu Jingxian was a demonic cultivator, so she wasn¡¯t burdened by all those Dao virtues.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand one thing,¡± Changming said, ¡°Since Guan Xiachang managed to become the new favorite of an elder, using your techniques, lady, you could easily make the five elders infatuated with you, and get a firm foothold without any problems. To plot a scheme for taking the Yangzhen Grass while being near the elders would have been way easier.¡±


    Xu Jingxian looked at him seductively: ¡°Wasn¡¯t I waiting for you with the fear that you, an ill consumptive ghost, will come here, look around and see no one familiar!¡±


    Changming: ¡°Then you are doing me a great honor.¡±


    While he was saying these words, his expression was indolent and sluggish, not flattered at all.


    They were both aware that their friendship was not deep at all. Certainly, Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t approach the five elders not because she was a reserved woman.


    Probably, their relationship with each other was a bit closer than with Chen Ting and others, but it was only because of their shared secret, the Yangzhen Grass, and their non-conflicting goals.


    Seeing that he was motionless like a mountain, Xu Jingxian pursed her lips, and stopped pretending as well.


    ¡°It seems that the one who has the Yangzhen Grass is Elder Lu Jianmu. They say that he doesn¡¯t fancy female beauty, and only cares about growing flowers and other plants. And he is most fond of collecting all kinds of exotic flowers. Say, isn¡¯t it strange to arrive at the Nine Layers of the Abyss just to grow herbs here? But he is a skilled master, the strongest among the five elders, and his bodyguards are all seniors who have followed him for more than five years. He lives in seclusion all the time, and I had no chance to get close to him.¡±


    ¡°Also, do you remember Xu Fenglin? He is that genius sword cultivator from the Donghai Sect. He had also come to Heavenly City, killed one of the previous elders, and became one of them. But this person is very proud and aloof. I have fought with him once in the world outside, so he knows my face.¡±


    ¡°There is also one surnamed Hou, he doesn¡¯t appreciate women and likes men.¡±


    Changming: ¡°And Guan Xiachang depends on?¡±


    ¡°On the one surnamed Liu. He is very weird. You can never see a trace of him during daytime, but he likes hiding in dark places at night, watching vultures pursue exiled people and devour them. Except for this, I found no other useful information, so I couldn¡¯t rush blindly. These five are not easy-going people, and not a single one among them is normal!¡±


    Xu Jingxian finished complaining, and finally revealed her goal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s work together. Tomorrow, you will enroll in the Yunding Tower¡¯s competition. If you win, you will become an elder¡¯s guard, and we will have more opportunities. When we find out their proclivities, you will find a way to introduce me. Don¡¯t you want to leave this place as soon as possible? They say, an unfathomable mystery lies under the Yunding Lake, and the exit from Heavenly City is also there. I want to leave this place after I get the Yangzhen Grass as well, so we have a common goal. Two people working together is better than being alone, especially since we are in a foreign land.¡±


    Changming: ¡°I can¡¯t go there.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Why?¡±


    Changming: ¡°There is a person who wants to kill me. If I show my face, I will simply deliver myself to his hands.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Who?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Yun Weisi.¡±


    ¡°Yun Weisi?¡±


    Xu Jingxian repeated the name, thinking that she misheard his words: ¡°The one who used to be the master of a Daoist temple, the owner of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, Yun Weisi?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Correct.¡±


    Xu Jingxian raised her voice: ¡°How did you provoke him?!¡±


    Changming: ¡°He is Yun Hai, and Yun Hai is him.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was anxious and doubtful. On second thought, it wasn¡¯t that surprising.


    That Yun Hai popped out of nowhere, disappeared without rhyme or reason, and his powers were unfathomable. When Changming stated that this man is Yun Weisi, Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t really feel that it was impossible, it¡¯s just that¡ª


    ¡°Why do you incur hatred wherever you go? At first, it was my clan master, now it¡¯s Yun Weisi, say, just how many enemies do you have after all!¡±


    Changming thought for a moment and said indecisively: ¡°Probably, two more.¡±


    The more disciples he accepted, the more enemies he got. If he knew earlier, he would have accepted a couple disciples less, and wouldn¡¯t have had to worry so much now.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    Changming: ¡°But, apart from Yun Weisi, the others are not in the Nine Layers of the Abyss.¡±


    Xi Jingxian said angrily: ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have trusted your nonsense from the very beginning! I came here with you, and now, even if I want to, I can¡¯t leave this place! Even though I can see the Yangzhen Grass without traveling far away, I can¡¯t lay my hands on it! If I knew you were so useless in advance, I wouldn¡¯t have wasted so much time talking! It¡¯s even better to work with Chen Ting!¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t take her complaints to heart.


    ¡°According to what you said, the Yangzhen Grass is near the Yunding Tower. No matter how rigorous the guards are, there is no way you have no chance.¡±


    Xu Jingxian shook her head without thinking: ¡°Won¡¯t do! I know what you want to say: go there at night, even if people are guarding the Yunding Lake, the vultures are on their hunt, so only those who were selected as sacrifices will wander the streets. But you can¡¯t even imagine how terrifying those vultures are. I used not to believe in hearsays, and went out one night, looking for an opportunity to come to the lake. In the end, I was almost caught by one vulture.¡±


    Her face revealed an expression of a lingering fear.


    Since she was able to take over the position of Lingbo Peak master, Xu Jingxian had had her hands soaked in blood for years. If these vultures made her show such an expression, they were definitely not ordinary birds of prey.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, wait till the sky darkens, open your windows slightly and look outside through the chink.¡±


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s voice was faint, almost oddly low.


    ¡°After the sky gets dark, this Heavenly City becomes a different world.¡±


    Knock-knock-knock.


    As if replying to her words, a knock on the doors sounded.


    Changming coughed a couple of times, and didn¡¯t move.


    A knock on the doors sounded again.


    Xu Jingxian accepted her fate and got up to open the door.


    Two men in black clothes stood behind the assistant who they met earlier.


    At the first glance at their robes, Xu Jingxian realized that these men were serving one of the five elders.


    ¡°Young master Changming.¡±


    The two men looked past Xu Jingxian, right at Changming behind her back.


    ¡°Our Elder Xu invited you to visit him.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Which Elder Xu?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Xu Fenglin?¡±


    The men in black: ¡°Precisely, Elder Xu Fenglin.¡±


    Xu Jingxian turned towards Changming: ¡°Do you know Xu Fenglin?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I¡¯ve never met him, we are not acquainted with each other.¡±


    Xu Jingxian asked the men in black: ¡°Why is Xu Fenglin looking for my family¡¯s Ming-lang?¡±


    The men in black didn¡¯t answer, but didn¡¯t walk away either. Presumably, if Changming refused, they would have resorted to dragging him forcibly.


    ¡°Please, young master Changming, don¡¯t put us in a difficult situation.¡±


    Xu Jingxian raised her pretty eyebrows. She suddenly realized that this was a good chance.


    They had just been thinking how to get closer to the five elders, and now Xu Fenglin sent people to invite them over.


    But Changming had a different opinion.


    He felt that they didn¡¯t come here with good intentions.


    ¡­


    One shichen ago.


    One shichen: two hours.


    Xu Fenglin¡¯s subordinates reported to him that there was a person who wished to see him.


    Since he had taken the position of an elder, there were too many people who asked for an audience to count them, just as there are carps crossing a river.


    Like carps crossing a river: an excessive number.


    But those who actually got an audience were few.


    Xu Fenglin had no reaction when he heard this request.


    ¡°Not seeing.¡±


    He closed his eyes and continued to meditate.


    ¡°That guest said that his name is Yun Weisi.¡±


    Xu Fenglin opened his eyes suddenly.


    ¡°What did you say is his name?¡±


    ¡°Yun Weisi, he said he came from the Void Shore.¡±


    Xu Fenglin stood up.


    ¡°Let him in quickly!¡±


    Xu Fenglin lowered his head, looked at his gown, and even smoothed it with his hands.


    After verifying that everything looked decent, he took a step forward.


    He was proud and aloof by nature. When he was in his sect, he never paid so much attention to his appearance, and never tried to please anyone.


    But hearing this name, Yun Weisi, was unexpected.


    He was afraid that this person was an imposter, and he would be disappointed.


    But soon the man, accompanied by servants, appeared in front of him, and Xu Fenglin knew: this person was really Yun Weisi.


    So elegant and talented that Xu Fenglin couldn¡¯t be mistaken.


    ¡°Daozun Yun.¡±


    ¡°Xu Fenglin,¡± Yun Weisi said, his expression indifferent.


    ¡°D, do you still remember me?¡±


    Xu Fenglin was excited, but quickly suppressed his emotions.


    Yun Weisi looked at him for some time.


    ¡°Some years ago, your shifu paid me a visit, and he brought you along.¡±


    Xu Fenglin felt that both his heart and his face became relaxed, but at the same time he was elated.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Daozun Yun entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss, went missing for decades, and no word has come from you; but even now, you still have the same graceful bearing.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Why did you come here too?¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡°I wanted to follow the example of Daozun Yun, and temper my will in this dangerous place.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°It¡¯s not easy to come all the way to Heavenly City, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    The corners of Xu Fenglin¡¯s mouth curled up.


    ¡°I thought I would have to experience all kinds of hardships and come to the Void Shore before I would be able to meet you. It¡¯s a surprise to see you now. I heard that only Daozun Yun can move freely in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, who would have thought that these rumors were actually true? You really are an extraordinary person.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Heavenly City is very special, and I can¡¯t use my spiritual powers here.¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡°But you could have easily become the owner of Heavenly City with your skills. If Daozun Yun wants to stay here, I will pass you the position of an elder submissively.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°No need. I came here to kill one person.¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡°Whom?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Jiufang Changming.¡±


    Xu Fenglin said without thinking much: ¡°Just say what you want, and I will do the job myself!¡±


    He didn¡¯t even speculate why Yun Weisi wanted to kill this person, and readily made the promise.

 CH 30

    Yun Weisi remembered Xu Fenglin well.


    Many years ago, he visited the Donghai Sect. Xu Fenglin was standing next to his sect master, and had already revealed an outstanding talent; his reputation of a promising youth corresponded to reality. It was just that his behaviour and expressions were a bit childish.


    Before Yun Weisi left, Xu Fenglin stopped him to ask him for advice.


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t answer him, and only said one thing: ¡°The Great Dao comes in many forms, every person has their own understanding of it. The Donghai Sect¡¯s techniques are deep and profound, enough for you to cultivate. You don¡¯t need to seek a separate way.¡±


    But Xu Fenglin persisted: ¡°Daozun¡¯s cultivation is so high. Surely, there are some things you could teach me. Please, Daozun, enlighten me with your instructions.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Nothing else. Just be concentrated.¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡°I heard that Daozun Yun¡¯s shizun, Immortal Jiufang, left Dao and entered Buddhism, then turned to Confucianism, and finally became a demonic cultivator. What does Daozun Yun think about it?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°He has his Dao, I have my Dao.¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡°Then I want to follow Daozun Yun¡¯s Dao.¡±


    Yun Weisi nodded, said nothing more and left the mountain.


    They met once, and exchanged a few words. Obviously, this was merely a heart-to-heart conversation with a slight acquaintance, but still, they were fated to meet.


    That was why Yun Weisi came to see him as soon as he heard that Xu Fenglin had become an elder of Heavenly City.


    Yun Weisi thought he would need to come up with useless eloquence, but, unexpectedly, Xu Fenglin reacted very initiatively and delightedly.


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t like to owe favors, so he said: ¡°If you kill him, I can do one thing for you in return.¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡°Why do you want to kill him?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Jiufang Changming. He was my shifu.¡±


    This line sidestepped the question slightly.


    Probably, even Yun Weisi himself couldn¡¯t answer that question.


    It was engraved in his soul and his memories.


    He had no other choice, and no reason.


    While he was answering Xu Fenglin¡¯s question, Yun Weisi was thinking about it as well. Why on earth must he kill Jiufang Changming?


    Was it the regret that the master and his disciple had different opinions and took separate ways, or did he feel that Jiufang Changming had smeared Daoist sects¡¯ reputation, and had no right to be his master?


    Yun Weisi was asking his own conscience. He neither loved nor hated Jiufang Changming, so deep animosity and bitter resentment were out of the question.


    Thinking of it, he frowned slightly. He always felt emptiness, as if he had lost something, and was lacking it; but he didn¡¯t know where to search for it.


    Xu Fenglin was astounded. He had finally realized the reason why this name sounded so familiar.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming? He is actually alive?!¡±


    Yun Weisi asked in reply: ¡°He died?¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡°He colluded with demons, and the Liuhe Zhutian Formation fell. He is also the reason why you have to guard the Nine Layers of the Abyss, the main cause of the disaster. Have you forgotten it?¡±


    Yun Weisi said nothing.


    Xu Fenglin regarded this person as his lifelong pursuit. Now that he saw him for real, it didn¡¯t matter why Yun Weisi wanted to kill Jiufang Changming. As long as Yun Weisi wanted it, naturally, Xu Fenglin would help him.


    ¡°This man, Jiufang, has long since lost all his standing and reputation in the Human World. Anybody has the right to eliminate him. Even though we are in the Nine Layers of the Abyss now, he cannot escape the punishment of the Heavens. As long as he is in Heavenly City, my men will be able to find him.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°After the sky turns dark, I will isolate myself in seclusion, and won¡¯t be able to help you.¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡°I will do this myself, and bring you his chopped-off head. Daozun Yun, don¡¯t be concerned about this matter any longer.¡±


    Yun Weisi nodded and asked: ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Xu Fenglin pondered for a while: ¡°There is a rumor that Jiufang Changming lost his Sifei Sword, does Daozun Yun have it?¡±


    Yun Weisi rejected without thinking: ¡°This sword recognizes its owner, and even I didn¡¯t manage to tame and suppress it completely. I can¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    Xu Fenglin didn¡¯t mind it. What he really wanted, was not the Sifei Sword anyway¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Daozun Yun used to have the Chunzhao Sword. I wonder if I have a fate with this sword?¡±


    The Chunzhao Sword.


    Yun Weisi took a long sword from his back, and unsheathed it.


    The sword¡¯s name wasn¡¯t engraved on its blade, but the sword itself was slender and elegant, just like springtime water and blooming flowers, flourishing under the spring sun and turning towards it every morning.


    Again, Chuzhao¡¯s ¡®chun¡¯ is spring, and ¡®zhao¡¯ is morning.


    The spiritual powers of this sword were far worse than that of the Sifiei Sword, and Yun Weisi¡¯s cultivation was so high that he could as well use a withered tree branch or a long leaf as a weapon, so this corporeal sword was no use for him. But still, he was taking it wherever he went. From the Yuhuang Temple till the Nine Layers of the Abyss, this sword never left him.


    He was looking at the sword, and Xu Fenglin was looking at him.


    ¡°The Chunzhao Sword won¡¯t do either.¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡°This sword is probably useless for Daozun Yun.¡±


    It was of no use indeed.


    But still, it had always been with him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s trade something else.¡±


    Xu Fenglin wasn¡¯t forcing him to do what the other didn¡¯t want.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t come up with another wish right now. Wait till I think of one, and let¡¯s talk again then.¡±


    Yun Weisi hummed in agreement.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to start before the sunset, lest something unexpected happens.¡±


    Xu Fenglin said: ¡°Not many new people arrive in Heavenly City every day, we will find him easily. Tomorrow morning, Daozun Yun will receive the good news. I have many rooms suitable for your meditation, why don¡¯t you stay here tonight?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°There is no need. I will find a mountain somewhere nearby.¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait for Xu Fenglin to urge him to stay further, just turned around and left.


    Xu Fenglin was a bit anxious. He asked hurriedly: ¡°Then where can I find you tomorrow?¡±


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t turn his head.


    ¡°I will come to you again tomorrow.¡±


    Xu Fenglin still wanted to say something, but Yun Weisi had already disappeared without a trace.


    When the latter left Xu Fenglin¡¯s line of sight, another person walked out from behind the curtains.


    ¡°Since the elder wanted this person to stay, why didn¡¯t you ask me to help?¡±


    Xu Fenglin said coldly: ¡°The head of a Daoist temple is not someone you will be able to hold back.¡±


    ¡°Why would the head of a Daoist temple fall so low as to come to the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡± His advisor didn¡¯t take his words seriously and laughed, his intonation fawning to three points, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that he has already been in the Nine Layers of the Abyss for many years, staying in the Void Shore without leaving it. If he actually could move as he wishes, why hasn¡¯t he gone away? As this subordinate thinks, he only enjoys unwarranted fame. However, if you use this chance to become his friend, you can get much information out of him. If one day you leave this place, who knows, maybe you will even get a couple of exceptional spiritual tools, your cultivation will rise, and you will be standing at the peak of the world.¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡°The Nine Layers of the Abyss is the only barrier that fends off the rampaging demons. If he hadn¡¯t volunteered to guard this place, today he wouldn¡¯t only have been the head of a Daoist temple, but would have become the most revered cultivator.¡±


    But he entered this place, giving up on everything.


    Giving up on his honorable position, giving up on his famous name. After thousands or hundreds of years, his body and his name would be devoured by the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and no one in the Human World would remember his name.


    Xu Fenglin thought about it, and felt that Yun Weisi didn¡¯t deserve it.


    If only Yun Weisi didn¡¯t have that shifu who had colluded with demons, his situation would not have reached this point.


    In the end, the main culprit is still Jiufang Changming.


    Who would have thought that he was still alive.


    ¡°Search through the town at once, find those who have entered the city today, and bring him here.¡±


    ¡­


    The men in black were quite polite towards Changming.


    But no matter what he asked, they never answered his questions. They went one after another, Changming in the centre. They passed through a bustling marketplace, and came up to the highest building in the city, the Yunding Tower.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this place your Elder Lu Jianmu¡¯s territory?¡± Changming said.


    The two men in black were still silent.


    The tower was dark inside, and few lights illuminated it. Both men in black were holding candles.


    The flickering light was dancing, and the shadows from the flames were fluttering.


    He saw the sunset through a window. Evening clouds had enveloped the sky.


    Changming recalled Xu Jingxian¡¯s words.


    After the sky turns dark, vultures take control over the whole city, and this place becomes their paradise.


    And this time was hell on earth for people.


    Six by six¡ªthe tower had thirty six floors, and each floor¡ªtwo by six¡ªhad twelve stairs. Finally, they arrived at the last, thirty sixth floor.


    There were windows on each wall, and the field of vision from the tower was fabulous. Looking from the windows, one could see half of the town, and the lake beneath the tower.


    There was also a long flat table on this floor, and a lonely person was drinking wine by the table, as if waiting for Changming.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming,¡± he raised his head, ¡°I¡¯m Xu Fenglin.¡±


    Changming said: ¡°At the Qianlin Assembly that year, your shifu was still a disciple from the Donghai Sect. He enjoyed great popularity there, and obtained your shizu¡¯s favour. At that time, you were not even accepted in the Donghai Sect. I also saw him in a competition with Celestial Abode Shenxiao. Although it is said that the participants couldn¡¯t resort to tricks, he poisoned his opponent, and that disciple from the Celestial Abode Shexiao lost for this reason. Still, your shizu thought that remarkable people shouldn¡¯t bother about trifles, and liked your shifu¡¯s trick. In the end, the latter was chosen as his direct disciple.¡±


    Xu Fenglin¡¯s expression was cold: ¡°Disasters last for thousands of years. I would have never thought that after all these years, you wouldn¡¯t die, but would even leisurely tell my stories of the past of the Donghai Sect.¡±


    Disasters last for thousands of years: full version: A good person doesn¡¯t live for too long, while wicked ones live for a thousand years.


    Jiufang Changming laughed: ¡°My young friend Xu, why are you so indignant? Since you¡¯re still alive, live life to the fullest. You are in charge of the city now, yet you bother with a half-dead unlucky person like myself, this is truly beneath your dignity. Let me guess: since as soon as I stepped into the city, you learned about my arrival, there was someone who told you about that, right?¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡°You colluded with demons, lost your standing and reputation, and now look neither like a person nor like a ghost. You made Yun Weisi wander around the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and he is unable to return to the Human World. Do you have the slightest remorse?¡±


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    Xu Fenglin: ¡­


    He was unable to understand how the world carried such a shameless person.


    Xu Fenglin was never strong in arguing with people. He gathered his strength, said nothing more, and suddenly reached his hand to catch Changming!

 CH 31

    Xu Fenglin met Jiufang Changming several times many years ago.


    They neither came close nor talked, and only looked at each other a couple of times as they both had heard about the other before.


    At most, Xu Fenglin¡¯s elder called him over to introduce this smart and talented junior.


    While Jiufang Changming was at the peak of his strength, and free to go wherever he pleased, Xu Fenglin was just a fledgling, and didn¡¯t really stand out.


    At that time, Jiufang Changming was like a lofty deity. Even if Xu Fenglin wanted to get close to him, he would have had no chance.


    He could only look up to Jiufang Changming with respect, observing his unprecedented, dazzling and unscrupulous behaviour. Everyone had no choice but to be cautious of his abilities, and addressed him with either ¡°immortal¡± or ¡°daozun¡± respectfully.


    Even after Jiufang Changming abandoned Dao to convert to Buddhism, Buddhist sects were more than eager to accept such a talent, since it showed how ¡°Buddhism shined over all things¡±. They praised and supported him, even bestowing him the ¡°fuzun¡± title.


    Fuzun: form of address. Just like daozun is ¡®venerable Daoist¡¯, this one is ¡®venerable Buddhist¡¯.


    For the Xu Fenglin of those years, he was almost like a myth out of reach. On the contrary, Jiufang Changming¡¯s disciple, Yun Weisi, was a real person at arm¡¯s length, a role model to admire.


    He wanted to be Yun Weisi, or, probably, stand alongside Yun Weisi.


    His existence in the world itself was inspiring.


    While others revered and adored Jiufang Changming, Xu Fenglin was almost disinterested in him.


    Xu Fenglin would have never anticipated that after so many years this strong person of great abilities, who stood so high he had to raise his head to look at him, would now be standing right in front of him.


    A lonely and desolate man in dire straits with a faint breath, and a dark expression.


    He couldn¡¯t even catch his breath after saying one sentence, so he had to make pauses and cough from time to time.


    Xu Fenglin didn¡¯t need to feel his pulse: just from Jiufang Changming¡¯s expression alone he could conclude that this person wouldn¡¯t last for too long, just like a rotten tree.


    A rotten tree: a hopeless case.


    And this person is Yun Weisi¡¯s shifu?


    Years ago, Jiufang Changming was still a strong person who could make mountains crumble and the earth split just by moving one finger. Now he was reduced to such a state that even being alive was humiliating; how could he be deserving to stay next to Yun Weisi?


    No, he¡¯s not worthy.


    If this person actually died, Yun Weisi would free himself from these shackles and be reborn, never falling into Jiufang Changming¡¯s shadow again.


    Xu Fenglin¡¯s finger moved. He felt his blood surging in his fiery heart with excitement.


    Defeating Jiufang Changming¡ªeven if he was already like this¡ªwas still a matter that would make anyone excited.


    Who knows, maybe he would even break through his heart restraints, and advance to the next cultivation level.


    Xu Fenglin was a person who always kept his words.


    Since he personally made a promise to Yun Weisi, he was sure to kill Jiufang Changming, and to do it with his own hands.


    He stretched his arm, and put the other on the sheath of his sword.


    Although he thought that killing Jiufang Changming in his present state didn¡¯t require him using his own sword, he was still preparing for the worst.


    But he didn¡¯t expect he would make a miscalculation.


    As if Jiufang Changming had foreseen his actions, the moment Xu Fenglin raised his arm, his enemy retreated swiftly and naturally, reaching the balustrade, and then making a circle to appear from behind a column. He raised his sleeves, and two white shadows flew from them!


    Xu Fenglin realized that they were white wolves at a glance.


    These white wolves were brimming with murderous intentions; if one looked carefully, they would notice that they were molded from paper, but weren¡¯t less fierce than real wolves.


    Xu Fenglin wasn¡¯t expecting this, so he could only unsheathe his sword and take a step back.


    First, he made the white wolves retreat with one horizontal stroke of his sword, and then attacked the paper wolves again.


    He didn¡¯t anticipate that before he would manage to deal with the two wolves, Jiufang Changming would release two more paper puppets.


    The puppets with short daggers in their hands cut off his retreat ways. Their daggers were also formidable like tigers, with shape and form. They sealed off all his ways, leaving no gaps.


    ¡°How did you?!¡±


    Xu Fenglin never expected to see a person whose powers were sealed by this city to be able to summon puppets.


    Jiufang Changming grabbed some melon seeds and sat on the balustrade, putting one of his legs on the rail, calm and unruffled in the midst of chaos.


    ¡°My good nephew¡­ Right, your position is far below mine in terms of seniority. Ah, my good grandnephew, you should rejoice that you met me now, not fifty years ago, otherwise I would¡¯ve sent you right to your reincarnation. Nowadays, this venerable one¡¯s heart has softened too much, and fellows like you still have a chance to survive. These melon seeds are terrible, bring the ones that taste better next time.¡±


    My good nephew: here, a friend¡¯s disciple, ¡®martial¡¯ nephew.


    Xu Fenglin remained silent. His sharp sword emitted a ferocious aura, and the wolves¡¯ heads were chopped off in no time. But the other two puppets were hard to deal with: their bodies were agile, and, even if encountered outside the city, they could still be regarded as skilled martial artists.


    While he was fighting, Jiufang Changming released two more puppets, and these four ¡°people¡± surrounded Xu Fenglin, giving him no opportunity to get to Jiufang Changming.


    Xu Fenglin was anxious and doubtful. He thought, could it be that Jiufang Changming¡¯s cultivation has reached such depths that he has regained his natural state, and can already ignore the rules of the Nine Layers of the Abyss?


    Using his preoccupation with the fight, Changming looked at the lake under the Yunding Tower.


    The Yunding Tower was connected with the marble platform in the middle of the lake by an elevated passageway.


    All kinds of flowers and plants, colourful and exotic, were growing on the platform.


    Just when Changming realised which plant was the Yangzhen Grass that Xu Jingxian had mentioned, a strong wind came towards him from behind!


    Without turning his head, he leaned to a side, throwing two more puppets in response.


    Paying no attention to the puppets that stabbed both his hands, Xu Fenglin rushed to Changming, with a murderous look on his face, ready to fight to his last gasp.


    Changming was slightly shaken by his resolute attack. He thought, there is no peculiar animosity between us, why is he so determined to kill me?


    Very soon, they started fighting hand-to-hand.


    Changming was at a disadvantage since he had no spiritual tool with himself, but, unexpectedly, he was by no means less nimble than Xu Fenglin.


    The latter waved his sword, its rays intertwining with each other. The two of them had exchanged several dozens of moves, but, to Xu Fenglin¡¯s surprise, he only managed to cut Changming¡¯s robes a bit, but couldn¡¯t deal him any damage at all.


    But this inner astonishment didn¡¯t slow down Xu Fenglin¡¯s attacks. On the tips of his feet, he jumped to Changming. This strike was so fast that even the puppets had no time to react!


    The sky was getting dark outside the tower.


    At some point, rosy clouds disappeared without a trace, and the sky turned into one gloomy and dark mess. In a short time, everyone had long since disappeared from the market, and a dead silence fell upon the whole Heavenly City, all the noise calming down.


    Screeches of the vultures sounded from afar, making the silence of the town even more obvious.


    It seemed like all the city residents were waiting silently for that moment.


    Xu Fenglin¡¯s expression changed a bit.


    This room had windows on each wall, was placed high up above the ground, and couldn¡¯t serve as a shelter at all: the very first prey of the approaching vultures would have been them. He had already experienced how terrifying those vultures were, and knew that no matter how skilled a person was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat a hundred enemies.


    Originally, he thought he would dispose of Changming quickly, chop off his head and bring it to Yun Weisi, leaving Changming¡¯s remnants to the vultures to scavenge. It would have also been nice to announce Jiufang Changming¡¯s ultimate death. He never expected this matter to drag for so long that the vultures would come.


    Xu Fenglin hastened his moves, his sword attacks falling like raindrops. Changming picked up a cushion from the floor casually to block the assault, and the cushion was immediately ripped into countless pieces, floating around in the air.


    The vultures were getting closer.


    Changming suddenly stretched his arm out.


    He avoided another attack, and raised his leg to kick the other in the crotch. While Xu Fenglin was dodging this, Changming grabbed his robes from behind, and hit him hard!


    The two of them fell together right into the lake from the top floor of the tower!


    Two huge splashes sounded with the vultures¡¯ screeches nearby.


    The creatures feeding on corpses that night finally came.


    The whole Heavenly City fell into a pitch-black darkness, and everyone in the town was hiding in their rooms, afraid that the kettle of vultures who were more dreadful than demons would notice them.


    Some who knew no fear of death peeked outside through window joints, their curiosity piqued.


    A group of sacrifices was released on the streets of Heavenly City, and a large part of the vultures¡¯ kettle flew on their scent.


    But some had noticed the movements in the Yunding Tower, and moved there to find Xu Fenglin and the other.


    Xu Fenglin had no time to kill Changming.


    First, he should save his own life.


    A large shadow descended upon their heads, and Xu Fenglin swiftly jumped onto the marble platform from the water. The sword in his hand was dancing, creating a barrier that stopped those monsters from coming near him. Feathers covered in blood and flesh were falling on the earth in disorder, and a thick stench of blood permeated the area.


    Attracting even more enemies.


    The vultures half of a man¡¯s height opened their blood red eyes in the darkness, striving to be the first to get to him, stepping one over another to get closer.


    Xu Fenglin was raising his sword relentlessly.


    A violent pain hit his arm, and a piece of his clothes with some flesh was pecked off by a vulture.


    When these creatures smelled blood, they became even more excited, and huge coming waves of vultures surrounded him tightly.


    No one came to lend him a hand.


    Xu Fenglin¡¯s martial arts were high, so he took over the position of the city¡¯s elder in no time. Many people were flattering and fawning over him, wishing to win over his favor to gain profit; many people cursed him behind his back, looking forward to seeing him have an accident and free the position of a city elder.


    But at that moment, he could only rely on his own powers.


    However, the vultures wouldn¡¯t have let him go just because he was resisting fiercely.


    On the contrary, because their prey looked so appetizing, they only attacked him more insanely.


    Changming¡¯s situation was not much better.


    Many vultures rushed to him as well.


    He dove into the lake.


    This lake was very deep.


    So deep he couldn¡¯t see its bottom.


    He was sinking deeper and deeper, but still didn¡¯t seem to reach it.


    Changming opened his palm. A bright golden pearl appeared from it, suspended in the water.


    It was one of the gold beads from the Golden Glass Beads Staff. He put it in his sleeve when he entered the city, and the staff itself was with Xu Jingxian.


    But the beads were only spiritual tools from the tip of that cane.


    Without the staff, it was just an uncommon weapon, but not a rare and precious one.


    The gold bead was glowing.


    Changming lowered his gaze, but still couldn¡¯t see the bottom.


    With the light, he could see how muddy the lake water was. Tiny particles of dust were floating all around.


    This lake was strange indeed.


    When people viewed the Yunding Tower as the symbol of Heavenly City, disregarding the lake under it.


    But, at first glance, Changming understood that it was precisely the one and only component that completed the formation of Heavenly City.


    The Nine Layers of the Abyss was a passage formed as the result of great changes in the world caused by cultivators¡¯ confrontations with demons; all the countless locations in this passage, from the Seven Stars Platform on the First Layer up to this Heavenly City, were touched and influenced by people.


    Better to say, it was people and favourable combinations of circumstances working together that had created the Nine Layers of the Abyss of today.


    This place was full of mysteries and countless spiritual treasures, and attracted crowds of cultivators from the outside, making them risk their lives here.


    Those vultures had no way to dive into the water, so they left Changming for the time being, and switched to attacking Xu Fenglin even more vigorously.


    But he couldn¡¯t hold on like this forever.


    From the distance, a ray of light flashed.


    Blurred and indistinct, dream-like yet real.


    It should be there¡­


    But Changming felt that he might not be able to reach that place anymore.


    The longer he was under the surface of the lake, the more faint his breath became.


    Although he was sinking down gradually, this speed was not enough.


    The water began to seep into his nostrils and ears, and the soft bright light of the gold bead was lighting his face, while he was losing his consciousness.


    His wrist was grabbed tightly.


    Changming wanted to struggle subconsciously, but he had no power.


    That hand did not only grip his arm, but even moved to his shoulder.


    He only felt a warm and soft feeling coming from his lips, and air entered through his mouth immediately.


    The other person embraced him tightly, and they didn¡¯t move up to the surface, only sinking deeper to the source of the light.


    Their robes and hair were floating in the water with weeds. The gold glass bead was floating nearby, outlining the silhouettes, as if they were in a dream.


    Through his half-closed eyes, he saw a familiar figure.


    The name was ready to escape his lips.


    Changming slightly opened his mouth, and a bubble left his lips; very soon, the soft feeling reappeared.


    On the water surface, the brave fight of one against hundreds turned into a slaughter of one by many. His blood and flesh, torn into pieces, soaked the water, and these bits were quickly being devoured.


    Drops of splashing blood sank in the water, forming red circles that quickly blended with the water.


    On one side, demons bathing in a sea of blood; on the other side, a dreamy illusion like a bubble¡¯s shadow.


    A dreamy illusion like a bubble¡¯s shadow: fleeting.


    Under the water and above the water, like two different worlds.


    ¡­


    Time was flowing backwards in the chaos repeating in cycles.


    Changming realized that he had entered the Sacred Mountain Wan once again.


    That was him from several decades ago.


    It seemed like he was still in an illusion. He finally recalled what had happened after the history shown by the lake under the Rainbow Bridge.


    That year, while he was wandering through the Sacred Mountain Wan, he came across a strange phenomena.


    On a forgotten and overgrown with weeds mountain range, holes that came out of nowhere started appearing on the ground one after another, emitting black qi unceasingly.


    He used a sword technique, and a few gashes of wind swept past, dispersing the black qi. It gathered again, gaining a human shape; a red light was glowing inside the dark mass, and it slowly came closer to him.


    Such a demon that hadn¡¯t even gained its shape could never hurt him, and Jiufang Changming utterly defeated it in no time.


    He even pulled a succubus that had already had a half complete form from one pit. The upper half of its body had gained a human shape, seductive and charming, but the lower half was still the original mess of black qi. Succubuses fed on vital essence, and spirits and souls were the best for its cultivation. To cultivate such an appearance, this one succubus must have eaten at least several hundreds of human souls.


    But the Sacred Mountain Wan was deserted, even traces of people were rare, where could it have found so many souls?


    Changming grabbed the succubus, but didn¡¯t kill it, intending to get the answer out of it.


    The wind carried sand and drove stones in the dark chaos.


    The succubus was struggling under his pressure and begging for mercy. It was forced to reveal some information.


    ¡°You must understand it yourself. If I hadn¡¯t been invited, I would have never been able to come to this world from the Darkest Abyss!¡±


    ¡°Who invited you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­ ah!¡±


    Changming tightened the grip on its throat, showing no tenderness for the beauty whatsoever.


    That national grace and divine fragrance started crying at once.


    National grace, divine fragrance: an outstanding beauty.


    Unfortunately, she met a man who had a heart of stone.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°That person used¡­ used Daoist techniques!¡±


    ¡°From which faction, which sect?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I have never seen him, I only heard his words. He was probably a man. He deployed a formation on the Sacred Mountain Wan to summon us, and even made a blood contract with us. He said, he only wants us to¡­¡±


    The sound of its voice was getting softer. Changming slightly loosened his grip and leaned closer.


    All of a sudden, the succubus¡¯s expression changed, and with a green face and ferocious fangs, it jumped on him, grinning hideously!


    While it was gaping its blood-thirsty mouth, the black qi blotted out the sky.


    He abruptly opened his eyes.


    The one who was holding him was not a succubus, but Yun Weisi.


    More precisely, Yun Hai of the nighttime.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°The Ninth Layer of the Abyss, the Void Shore.¡±


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre unrelated to the main text:


    Yun Hai: I came.


    Yun Weisi: Who wants to see you?


    Yun Hai: Readers.


    Yun Weisi: It¡¯s fine, as long as shizun doesn¡¯t want to see you, others matter nothing.


    Changming: I also missed Yun Hai, my lovely disciple.


    Yun Weisi: ¡­

 CH 32

    The boundless mirror surface under their feet was stretching as far as an eye could see.


    It looked like a mirror surface, but was just water in fact.


    Somehow, people could step on it, and each step caused ripples to appear; as if some kind of force was pushing them out, their shoes didn¡¯t get wet.


    It was a bit similar to the lake under the Rainbow Bridge, but not quite.


    Because the surface of the Mirror Lake never reflected reality.


    And here¡ª


    Changming lowered his head, and saw his own face.


    Mist and clouds were curling up the water surface, intertwining with faint and slightly swaying rays of light, as if tempting people to come closer.


    ¡°What is this light?¡± Changming asked.


    Yun Hai didn¡¯t answer. He simply took a step, and carried Changming up to the air to observe the vast boundless voidness of this realm.


    The glowing objects under their feet started to move slowly, scattering like stars in the sky. Looking at this gentle and warm pale-yellow light from above was like looking at the Milky Way from the other side in a dream.


    Changming wasn¡¯t the first person to come there.


    Many cultivators had been to this place, and all were ineffably surprised and immersed into this scene.


    But there, time was the most useless thing, and the most tricky at that.


    If their consciousness was lost there, they might never manage to regain it.


    Changming was only absent-minded for a moment, but quickly found the clue.


    ¡°These lights are a formation arranged according to the motions of stars in the sky?¡±


    ¡°As expected for a person who used to be the strongest master in the world.¡±


    Yun Hai ridiculed, ¡°I thought you were still scared stiff by the vultures.¡±


    Changming coughed a few times. He had just fought with Xu Fenglin and was wounded, but hadn¡¯t noticed it at first. But, when he got out of the reach of danger, the wounds all over his body started to hurt. If Yun Hai wasn¡¯t holding him by his waist, Changming wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay, let alone float in the air.


    Constellation maps arose in his mind, and the composition of stars under his feet became even more distinct.


    There was the Big Dipper, and the Ghost Mansion, the Extended Net Mansion, and the Willow Mansion of the South¡­


    Ghost Mansion: eu. ~Cancer.


    Extended Net Mansion: eu. ~Hydra.


    Willow Mansion: eu. ~Hydra.


    ¡°Did Yun Weisi arrange all of these?¡±


    ¡°When a person cultivates the Heartless Dao, they put aside their feelings and forget their lives. Every light source is one of his memories that he willingly decided to abandon. Some of those who have come here touched these lights, and saw their own past; some of them entangled in them with no way out and no will to leave this place. Do you see those blue starlights lingering around some light constellations? These are the souls of people who refused to come to their senses. Their remnants have long since disappeared, but their souls and spirits still remain, bearing resentments and unwilling to leave everything behind. While only several decades have passed outside, it equals hundreds of thousands of years in this place.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Then what did you see?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°I am a person with no memories, there is nothing to watch.¡±


    He stretched his arm to catch the closest glowing lump.


    As soon as he touched it, the lump dispersed, like fireflies scattering to all directions and dancing in the air. Shortly, they gathered back to the way they used to be.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have guessed it a long time ago?¡±


    This place was chaotic. Present and future were mingled, losing their original meanings; long days of the past, as well as life and death were also meaningless now, and memories were confused, while souls and spirits separated from consciousness.


    It was hard for Yun Weisi to escape the same fate.


    Yun Weisi of daytime had given up on his seven emotions and six sensory pleasures.


    Seven emotions: happiness, anger, sorrow, fright, love, hate, desire.


    Six sensory pleasures: one for each of the six senses.


    And he, Yun Hai, only existed at night, appeared out of nowhere for no reason, and had neither past nor future.


    Every moment was fleeting for him, like a briefly blooming epiphyllum.


    Epiphyllum: aka ¡®princess of the night cactus¡¯, a kind of flower that only blooms at night.


    ¡°He is you, and you are him.¡±


    ¡°We are not the same.¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t try to persuade him again.


    Rather, he was admiring the picturesque scenery of the Milky Way under his feet with an amazed expression.


    Yun Hai couldn¡¯t even imagine where all this peace and joy came from¡ª


    Obviously, he fell in a trap, was incapable of resistance, lost his cultivation, and it was even unknown whether he would be able to ever leave this place.


    Those who managed to reach this place were all phoenixes and dragons among men; however, among them, some came to find spiritual tools, some came to forge their minds and advance in cultivation, and some wanted to discard their past and start anew in this place.


    Phoenixes and dragons among men: outstanding people.


    But in the end, all these people not only didn¡¯t manage to obtain what they wanted, but even their remnants were not left, their souls and spirits wandered around with no determination to disperse, turning into mere sparks decorating the sea of stars.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just remembered one episode from my past.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°It concerns the Nine Layers of the Abyss. That year, I caught a succubus on the Sacred Mountain Wan. She said that someone summoned them to make a blood contract. Even if I killed her, that would have been useless since she was neither the first one nor the last.¡±


    ¡°Everyone says that it was you who colluded with demons and betrayed those who were trying to protect the barrier.¡±


    ¡°The dead are silent, they would never purge themselves of a charge. I¡¯m just lucky to have survived so far.¡±


    ¡°Then, after all, who summoned the demons?¡±


    ¡°That year, I noticed the seal of the Situ Family on that succubus¡¯s hand.¡±


    ¡°A person surnamed Situ has entered the Void Shore once. He said that his name was Situ Yuan.¡±


    Yun Hai stretched his hand, pointing towards a place not far away.


    ¡°His souls and spirit should be there.¡±


    Changming: ¡°I remember Situ Yuan. He was Situ Wanhuo¡¯s nephew. After I saw this seal, I went to the Situ Family and found their head, Situ Wanhuo.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Is Situ Wanhuo famous?¡±


    Changming: ¡°There were ten grandmasters in the world back then, and Situ Wanhuo was among them. He had been cultivating in seclusion for many years without a breakthrough, and his temper was irascible and obstinate; he didn¡¯t follow Buddhism, Daoism or Confucianism, but prefered other schools. But when I got to the Situ Family, Situ Wanhuo had already died. Others said that the night before that he was possessed by his inner demons, his body broke and he perished. The sky was abnormal at that moment, and people from many lis around their residence saw it.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°He could be faking his death.¡±


    Changming: ¡°I also thought so. But I saw Situ Wanhuo¡¯s corpse with my own eyes, it was definitely not a sham. The Situ Family lost a prominent master, which sapped its vitality, and it collapsed, never to be restored again.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°When you said this, I recalled one thing. That Situ Yuan who came here said that he was trying to eradicate his inner demons and advance in cultivation in order to restore his family.¡±


    Changming: ¡°This shows that Situ Wanhuo is indeed dead, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t sit back and watch the decline of the Situ Family. At that time, there were more and more demonic rifts appearing on the Sacred Mountain Wan; many demons were rampaging in the Human World, and demonic qi swallowed the spiritual power of many blessed spots. Ordinary people were unable to bear it. Wherever the demons went, they slaughtered cities and villages; later, they became better at hiding and disguising themselves as human beings. Many people were looking for a way to eradicate them. Ren Haishan, the master of Kunlun Jian Clan, proposed to set up a Liuhe Zhutian Formation on the Sacred Mountain Wan to seal the demonic rifts. He found me, hoping that I would also help.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°You agreed.¡±


    Changming: ¡°I agreed. I was investigating the same problem that year, but found no traces. I thought that the one who controlled the demons behind the scenes wouldn¡¯t be able to watch from the sidelines the formation that would seal all those rifts.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°But something unexpected happened while you were setting the formation?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Correct. I was responsible for the Kan position, I was only supposed to assure that the light there doesn¡¯t go out. But, all of a sudden, everybody had some mishaps one after another. One log cannot prop up a tottering building, and in the end I failed through lack of a final effort. My spirit and soul was wounded, and I had to wander through the Yellow Springs until I finally managed to get back here.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Who was the first to have an accident?¡±


    Changming concentrated his attention and thought for a bit, but then shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. At that time, everything was a mess, and my memories about that day are still incomplete. I can¡¯t recall it.¡±


    Changming stretched his arm to the closest light ball.


    But the moment he was about to touch it, Yun Hai grabbed his wrist tightly.


    Changming looked at him.


    His arm seemed to be moving by itself, just as if¡ª


    Yun Hai gripped his arm, and brushed past that lump of light.


    Fires burst in front of their eyes, and in the vast expanse of whiteness, snowflakes whirled in the sky like feathers, covering heaven and earth.


    Everything in this world repeats in circles, finally returning to its origins.


    Yun Hai had met many people there.


    He saw how they entered this place and went through the same life and death experience; he saw how they felt pleasure, anger, sorrow and joy, shedding bitter tears when it was too late for regrets.


    Yun Hai wasn¡¯t moved at the slightest, and even considered them ludicrous.


    But now, he wanted to see Changming¡¯s past.


    These lumps of light were not simply showing stories of the past.


    Even if these matters had already taken place in the past, it didn¡¯t mean that they couldn¡¯t be changed.


    If Changming knew, what would he do?


    He was actually moved by this person, feeling an avid curiosity that he shouldn¡¯t have felt.


    ¡­


    Yun Hai opened his eyes.


    The sky was dark.


    He was standing on the edge of a forest.


    There was a dense forest on his left, and a mountain stream on his right.


    Coughing sounded from the forest direction, and a horse carriage¡¯s wheels were rumbling not far away.


    Darkness surrounded him.


    Yun Hai opened his palm, intending to summon some light, but nothing appeared.


    He froze for a moment.


    ¡°Sword, come.¡±


    His hand was still empty.


    Just like in Heavenly City, his spiritual powers were gone completely.


    The carriage wheels finally slowed down.


    It stopped at the side of the road.


    The curtains were opened, and a young lady popped out her head to glance right and left.


    ¡°Young lady, we can¡¯t move forward, it¡¯s too dangerous!¡±


    The girl pointed her finger at Changming who was sitting on the side of the road and coughing.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there people here? He is just fine!¡±


    The cart driver hummed in dissatisfaction, and continued to persuade her patiently: ¡°There is a boundary stone ahead of us. If we go further, we might stumble upon Tangut people who haunt these lands to plunder common folk, we shouldn¡¯t go there!¡±


    Tangut people: ancient tribal union that existed roughly from the 7 century AD to the 16 century AD. The novel setting seems to be based on the Han dynasty (3 century AD) though, but it¡¯s just my guess.


    The girl: ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that as the Qianlin Assembly will be held in the Dune Sea of the Western Regions this year, many immortal masters will gather there. If I want to have an immortal as my master, this is my one and only chance.¡±


    Dune Sea: presumably refers to the Taklamakan Desert etc.


    The cart driver: ¡°Those immortals fly around in circles, who of them will lower their heads to look at mortals on the ground? Young lady, you spend too much of your time reading tales, you are too naive!¡±


    The girl grinned and jumped off the horse carriage: ¡°Uncle, relax, I¡¯m not afraid of them. Just go back first, I will manage myself.¡±


    She came closer to Changming.


    ¡°Does the gentleman also intend to go to the Dune Sea of the Western Regions?¡±


    Changming raised his head.


    The girl was a little surprised.


    ¡°Gentleman, you are really handsome! Are you married?¡±


    Yun Hai came out from the forest just at the right time to hear her asking about Changming¡¯s marriage.


    Without beating around the bush, she just opened the door to see the mountain, feeling no shame whatsoever.


    Open the door to see the mountain: to get straight to the point.


    Unexpectedly, Changming¡¯s tolerance was excellent, and he still hadn¡¯t answered.


    The girl said: ¡°Gentleman, how do I look?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡­


    ¡°He is a cultivator, he can¡¯t get married.¡±


    Yun Hai answered her question in Changming¡¯s stead.


    The girl was unwilling to give up: ¡°Don¡¯t try to deceive me, I know that cultivators have daoist partners too!¡±


    Changming said: ¡°At your age, your roots and bones have already stopped growing, and your cultivation aptitude is not impressive. I¡¯m afraid that not many sects will be willing to accept you.¡±


    The girl bit her lips: ¡°Then I will just watch the fun from the sidelines, and afterwards, drop this idea completely and return back.¡±


    She looked like a pampered daughter from a wealthy and influential family, and knew nothing about how malicious the real world was. Even if she had some skills, they were just insignificant dust for others.


    Changming looked at the bottom of her skirt.


    The girl followed the line of his gaze and quickly took a step back, angry and ashamed.


    ¡°You are too rude!¡±


    ¡°You decided to go on a long journey, but your shoes are indoor footwear with soft soles¡ªthey will be worn out before you take a few dozen steps. That cart driver meant well, and I also recommend you to turn back. If you continue moving forward, not only will you meet bandits, but cultivators pull out swords at the slightest offence, bringing disasters to the innocent.¡±


    Hearing his words, she sat still, hugging her knees, a bit discouraged.


    ¡°I have nowhere to go. If I return home now, they will certainly detain me, and I won¡¯t be able to go anywhere. I only want to take a glance, see how immortals cultivate. Can you take me there?¡±


    She raised her head to look at Changming, her face full of anticipation.


    Changming: ¡°Do I look like a good person?¡±


    The girl: ¡°Totally.¡±


    Changming: ¡°¡­What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The girl: ¡°Cong Rong, I¡¯m from the capital.¡±


    Changming froze.


    ¡°Cong from ¡®dense forest¡¯, Rong from ¡®features¡¯?¡±


    Dense forest: pinyin is ¡®c¨®ngl¨ªn¡¯, the same C¨®ng.


    Features: as facial appearance, the pinyin is ¡®r¨®ngy¨¢n¡¯, the same R¨®ng.


    Cong Rong: ¡°You know me?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I¡¯ve heard a little.¡±


    Cong Rong pouted: ¡°Then don¡¯t say anything, surely you¡¯ve heard something bad!¡±


    Changming smiled silently.


    ¡°Gentlemen, may I know your names?¡±


    ¡°My name is Changming, his name is Yun Hai.¡±


    Cong Rong¡¯s gaze wandered between the two of them.


    ¡°I think you look familiar, as if I¡¯ve seen you somewhere.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Cong Rong: ¡°Where?¡±


    Changming: ¡°To the Qianlin Assembly. We will take you with us.¡±


    Cong Rong was glad. She seemed to have a natural trust in Changming and Yun Hai, or, perhaps, not a bit of wariness. She accepted the trip together with strangers without blinking, and even told her sincere and kind cart driver to return first. Changming told her that after they cross Yuru Peak ahead of them to get to Yuru Town, she will be able to buy more convenient clothes there.


    But before she took a few steps, Cong Rong¡¯s feet started hurting, and she began to trail far behind Changming and the other.


    Yun Hai thought that she was burdensome from head to tail.


    Moreover, he didn¡¯t understand why Changming, who used to handle matters clear-headedly, agreed to take her with them on a single request.


    ¡°Are you two old acquaintances?¡± Yun Hai asked.


    ¡°We have never met personally.¡± Changming said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we are in the past.¡± Yun Hai reminded him.


    Changming: ¡°If I remember correctly, an accident will happen in Yuru Town tomorrow night, astonishing the whole world. Many lives will be lost overnight, and then people will wake up from death to turn into jiangshis and start hurting others all around. This year, I came to Yuru Town the next day after the massacre took place, and two people arrived before me. They managed to save some people who hadn¡¯t been poisoned by cadaveric toxins too deeply, and a girl named Cong Rong was among them. She witnessed the beginning of the massacre, and was the only one who had seen the culprit. But, although she was cured from the cadaveric toxins, she became blind for the rest of her life, and all the medicine and needles failed to cure her, being utterly powerless.¡±


    Jiangshi: Chinese vampires/zombies/reanimated corpses.


    Yun Hai understood what the other meant: ¡°You want to go there yourself to find the murderer?¡±


    Changming: ¡°One of those two who had gotten there ahead of me was precisely Situ Wanhuo. And the other person, as a matter of fact, has a lot to do with your origins.¡±


    Yun Hai raised his eyebrows: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be a second person whom you would go so far as to say that they have to do a lot with my origins.¡±


    Changming: ¡°It¡¯s your father, Yun Chang¡¯an.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡­


    Changming: ¡°What¡¯s more, that girl who you dislike in every possible way, Cong Rong, is precisely your birth mother.¡±


    Yun Hai: ???


    He saw Changming¡¯s teasing expression, and lost his tongue for a short time.


    At first, Yun Hai thought that they went back to time after Yun Weisi had been accepted as Changming¡¯s disciple; he would have never imagined that they would cross to such a distant past.


    ¡°The Cong Rong who is following us now still hasn¡¯t gotten together with Yun Chang¡¯an; she ran away from her home to avoid an arranged marriage. Although she went blind after this murder case in Yuru Town, she and Yun Chang¡¯an cherished each other sincerely. Yun and Cong Families were originally well-matched in social status, but because of Cong Rong¡¯s blindness, Yun Family objected to this marriage, and didn¡¯t accept you after you were born. That¡¯s how it was until the governmental style of the Hong Dynasty changed all of a sudden, and the two of them got implicated.¡±


    Changming was talking unhurriedly.


    ¡°I would have never thought we would come back to this time. But, since we are already here, who knows, maybe we will find out the truth of the matter, and save your mother¡¯s eyes in passing.¡±


    ¡°Wait for me, don¡¯t walk so fast, I¡¯m afraid of the darkness!¡±


    Cong Rong¡¯s sweet voice came from behind. She caught up to them quickly, gasping for breath.


    ¡°Gentleman Ming, since you don¡¯t have a daoist partner yet, why don¡¯t you consider me? I fell in love with you at first sight. We are brought up together by fate to become daoist partners, and we will definitely be united in our hearts and souls for our lifetimes!¡± She didn¡¯t even cast a glance at Yun Hai, her eyes glued to Changming.


    The corners of Yun Hai¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, and he felt his hands itching.


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre not related to the main text:


    Yun Hai: (chuckles) She is Yun Weisi¡¯s mother, not mine.


    Changming: If Yun Weisi didn¡¯t exist, would you have existed?


    Yun Hai: ¡­ (starts pondering seriously over the feasibility of getting separated from Yun Weisi.)


    Tn:


    Look, this is our ¡®Queen of the Night cactus¡¯, epiphyllum, Yun Hai:


    Also, about jiangshis: my favourite part is countermeasures against them, and my favourite countermeasure is this one: ¡°Dropping a bag of coins can cause the jiangshi to count the coins. [wiki]¡±

 CH 33

    Cong Rong was a naive and innocent girl.


    In her opinion, nothing was worth mourning over for more than half a shichen, and the feeling of exhaustion from their long journey was soon replaced by her curiosity towards the two of them, Changming and Yu Hai. All the way long she was inquiring about some cultivation-related matters non-stop, asking which immortals and what kinds of elixirs of life are the heavenly steed soaring across the skies nowadays¡ªshe came up with an endless stream of original ideas. Yun Hai ignored her, so she stuck to Changming.


    Half a shichen: one hour.


    The heavenly steed soaring across the skies: powerful and ambitious.


    What was strange was, Changming was unprecedentedly patient with her.


    ¡°Changming-gege, on which peak do you cultivate?¡±


    -gege: elder brother.


    ¡°Lingbo Peak,¡± Changming answered randomly.


    At this time, the Jianxue Clan hadn¡¯t been established yet, naturally, no one had ever heard of Lingbo Peak.


    ¡°This name sounds nice, so there must be many immortals living on this peak. Changming-gege, can you fly on your sword with me? I met a cultivator who could control his sword to fly, His Majesty the crown prince¡¯s attendant, but I¡¯ve never tried it myself.¡±


    Sounds nice: Lingbo is lit. ¡®rushing waves¡¯ and fig. ¡®walking gracefully, like a fairy treading waves¡¯.


    ¡°I was injured, so it would be inconvenient. Why don¡¯t you ask daoyou Yun Hai,¡±  Changming, pushing a half to zero point five, directly diverted these calamitous waters to the East.


    Pushing a half to zero point five: fig. ¡®evade all responsibility¡¯, a combination of two idioms that originate from the division rules in abacus reckoning.


    Diverting these calamitous waters to the East: to pass the buck. This is not a traditional Chinese idiom; it originated from Anglo-French appeasement policy of diverting Hitler, the calamitous waters, to the East.


    Cong Rong looked at Yun Hai.


    Yun Hai was walking ahead of them by several steps, and the tassel of his Chunzhao Sword was swaying rhythmically as he made steps.


    ¡°My arms are paralyzed.¡±


    Yun Hai didn¡¯t even turn his head.


    Cong Rong: ¡­


    She winked at Changming, and changed the subject forcibly, asking other questions.


    ¡°Changming-gege, do you know which sects of which factions accept disciples of my age?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine to live joyfully like an ordinary person, get married and have a son?¡± Changming asked in reply, ¡°Why, with your family¡¯s financial situation, did you run a thousand li distance to chase a purely imaginary dream?¡±


    If she didn¡¯t come to Yuru Town, her eyes wouldn¡¯t have been damaged. All the misfortunes that came one following another in the second half of Cong Rong¡¯s life started with this one journey.


    Of course, at this moment Cong Rong was totally ignorant of these matters, but Changming was absolutely sure.


    If Cong Rong never met Yun Chang¡¯an, she wouldn¡¯t have had Yun Weisi.


    And if that accident with the Yun and Cong Families never happened, Yun Weisi wouldn¡¯t have necessarily entered the Yuhuang Temple.


    Every bite and every sip, everything is preordained.


    If he prevented this massacre, would the devoted-to-Dao and accomplished Yun Weisi even exist?


    ¡°I am twenty years old now, and have never left my family. Every time we left the capital, I wanted to go up a mountain to become a disciple, but my family members always told me that I¡¯m not allowed to do this and that, as if I won¡¯t be able to achieve anything if I leave them. I was wasting years after years, because I didn¡¯t want to cause troubles for my elders, but I was more and more unsatisfied. That¡¯s how it was before this arranged marriage.¡±


    Cong Rong was venting her grievances endlessly, depicting the worries of a girl born with a silver spoon in her mouth.


    If she was born in a poverty-stricken family, where one would worry about having two meals a day, she wouldn¡¯t have time to think of becoming immortal through cultivation.


    This is how the world works: people aspire after Sichuan having captured Gansu, and their greed has no limits.


    Aspire after Sichuan having captured Gansu: to have insatiable desires. From ¡°History of the Later Han Dynasty¡±.


    ¡°With which family was this marriage arranged?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know them anyway. It¡¯s the Yun Family.¡±


    Very soon, they reached the foot of the mountain. Cong Rong was already exhausted, couldn¡¯t continue walking farther at all, and demanded to stop for a rest. They found a flat ground to start a fire and take a break.


    These days, the great lands of China were united, but the world was not peaceful. Although cultivators killed people to obtain treasures, usually they disdained to attack common people; on the contrary, bandits from mountains, these social vermins, frequently haunted people. But such matters were not enough to do them harm. Even if there was no Changming and Yun Hai, Cong Rong alone was enough to deal with them. The reason why she dared to venture out into the world by herself was because her skills in martial arts were not bad.


    ¡°There is half a shichen left, or maybe even less,¡± Yun Hai said all of a sudden, to no point.


    Surprisingly, his expression was a bit tired. Changming had never seen him like this.


    ¡°Yun Weisi?¡± Changming¡¯s heart tingled.


    Yun Hai hummed, the corners of his mouth curling into a teasing arch.


    ¡°You want to see him more?¡±


    After all, that was Yun Weisi, the real Yun Weisi.


    And he was only Yun Hai who appeared at a random moment and could disappear any time.


    But Yun Hai still remembered that fire near the seashore, and Changming sitting next to it.


    That was the first time they met, not under the rain in front of the Yuhuang Temple. He wasn¡¯t that Yun Weisi who was devoted to killing Jiufang Changming with all his heart.


    He didn¡¯t wait for Changming¡¯s answer. His vision went black.


    The first ray of light ignited in the horizon, and Changming saw Yun Hai tilt his head, as if falling asleep.


    In a moment, he opened his eyes again, but his expression was different now.


    As soon as he saw Changming, he wanted to draw his sword subconsciously, but realized he had no spiritual powers in himself.


    Changming was listlessly relaxing with his eyes closed, still leaning on a tree. He didn¡¯t care about the sword that pressed up to his neck at all.


    Yun Weisi frowned, looking around.


    He saw Cong Rong and the environment that was different from yesterday.


    Obviously, it wasn¡¯t Heavenly City anymore.


    And it wasn¡¯t any other location of the Nine Layers of the Abyss either.


    Realization dawned on Yun Weisi, and he frowned even deeper.


    ¡°The Void Shore?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Correct.¡±


    Yun Weisi asked again: ¡°Where are we?¡±


    Changming: ¡°On the way to Yuru Town. You should have guessed who she is already.¡±


    Yun Weisi stared at Cong Rong who had been sleeping silently for some time. She was hit on her sleeping acupoints by Changming earlier, and was now deeply asleep, and knew nothing about what was going on.


    Sleeping acupoints: there are four sleeping acupoints altogether: Neiguan and Shenmen (soothing effect on one¡¯s mind), Hegu (regulating qi and blood), and Xinbao (tonifying heart and kidneys). They are said to help cure insomnia in modern conventional medicine.


    ¡°Cong Rong.¡±


    Changming nodded: ¡°I have a question that has remained a mystery for me even after much pondering, good thing I can ask you now. I talked to Yun Hai earlier. This place will let anyone recall their distant memories, but I came to Yuru Town the next day after the massacre, and I have never gone through anything with your mother. How did we come here?¡±


    Yun Weisi said: ¡°These are not memories.¡±


    Changming inquired: ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    Yun Weisi pursed his lips and frowned. His expression was a bit lost as he was painstakingly rummaging through his memories.


    ¡°It is a formation. Time turns back and blends with memories, the same goes for people.¡±


    Through all the long years and short months he had spent in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, throwing away the memories he deemed nuisances on the Void Shore, these memories were breaking into pieces.


    What was left was only a number of broken fragments that slipped through his mind from time to time, just like needles sinking in an ocean.


    Yun Weisi lowered his head and pressed his hand against his forehead, enduring a headache to catch these memories.


    ¡°All the memories are connected to experiences¡­ The Sacred Mountain Wan¡¯s terrain is special, and spiritual qi from ancient times lingered here; cultivators practised in this place afterwards, then demonic qi and the Liuhe Zhutian Formation¡¯s power were added. On the night when the Five Stars were aligned in the sky, when time, geographical, and social conditions were favorable, Yin and Yang reversed, Qian and Kun turned upside down¡ªthat was when the Nine Layers of the Abyss was finally formed¡­ The Nine Layers of the Abyss is actually a continuation of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation of those years.¡±


    The night when the Five Stars appeared in the sky simultaneously: Mercury (water star), Venus (gold star), Mars (fire star), Jupiter (wood star), Saturn (soil star). An auspicious omen.


    Qian and Kun turned upside down: the world was turned upside down. Qian and Kun are two opposing positions in the Eight Trigrams.


    He was speaking disjointly, but Changming understood him.


    ¡°You mean that the memories of many people and their experiences are mixed here, and if, say, we make a different choice here, we can change the actual outcome as well?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°It should be so.¡±


    Changming¡¯s expression changed slightly: ¡°Such an enormous formation can¡¯t be a creation of one person. Who worked together with you those years?¡±


    Yun Weisi muttered: ¡°From the Wanxiang Palace¡­¡±


    Changming: ¡°Chi Bijiang.¡±


    ¡°She, but not only her, there were three more.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t recall.¡±


    Yun Weisi restored his ¡®worldly affairs don¡¯t concern me¡¯ expression, giving Changming a warning.


    ¡°Every single matter on earth has its fate. If you change something here, it won¡¯t necessarily turn out the way you wanted. On the contrary, changing the trajectories of the Destiny Stars may lead to a complete chaos, and eventually you will disappear here as well. All of those who came here before thought that they would be able to reverse tragedies, but not a single one escaped the fate of vanishing like ashes and smoke, suffering in agony.¡±


    Every single matter on earth: ¡°every phenomenon on earth¡± is precisely the ¡°wanxiang¡± from the Wanxiang Palace.


    Many people were unable to notice this in advance, so they persisted till the end; but, even if they saw through this mystery, they stubbornly insisted, believing that they would be able to change the past if they stayed aloof from the world.


    But only if one let everything go and cultivated the Heartless Dao, would they be able to free themselves of worldly worries.


    Changming was unable to help laughing: ¡°You never forget for a moment that you want to kill me, isn¡¯t that being persistent?¡±


    Yun Weisi coldly said: ¡°You are the only obstruction in my heart. If I kill you, my Dao will be perfect.¡±


    He casted a glance at sleeping Cong Rong.


    What happened to her couldn¡¯t be changed.


    Since it was the past, he could simply discard it.


    Changming said: ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to change the past, you can¡¯t kill me here; otherwise, if I¡¯m gone, you won¡¯t become who you are now. Let¡¯s put all the old scores aside until we have left this place, and then talk again.¡±


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t agree, but neither did he reject it.


    This could be counted as the first time they had shaken hands and made up, reaching a tacit agreement, since this master and his disciple met again.


    But Changming knew that if he encountered a threat to his life, Yun Weisi would certainly choose to watch from the side with folded arms.


    The sky was getting brighter.


    The effect of pressed sleeping acupoints wore out, and Cong Rong got up, rubbing her eyes.


    She apologized to them for unwittingly falling asleep for so long.


    Changming answered that it was fine, and the three of them resumed their journey, ready to cross the mountain to get to Yuru Town.


    ¡°What happened to gentleman Yun?¡±


    Cong Rong moved closer to Changming, pulled at his sleeve and asked in a low voice.


    Changming raised his eyebrows, puzzled.


    Cong Rong: ¡°He seems to be very different from last night.¡±


    Of course he was different, even his expression changed. It wasn¡¯t strange for Cong Rong to notice the difference.


    Changming: ¡°He recalled a lady he used to love but couldn¡¯t be together with. His heart hurts.¡±


    He was just lying thoughtlessly, but unexpectedly Cong Rong took it for truth.


    ¡°Is the lady he loves also a cultivator?¡±


    Changming hummed: ¡°Even a demonic one.¡±


    Cong Rong: ¡°What is a demonic cultivator, is she a demon?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Demonic cultivators are not demons, they just cultivate in other ways, which is called cultivating in unorthodox ways.¡±


    Cong Rong sympathised with him at once: ¡°If they love each other sincerely, and she doesn¡¯t hurt the innocent, what is so bad about her being a demonic cultivator?¡±


    Yun Weisi who was walking a few steps behind but could hear them clearly nevertheless: ¡­


    He didn¡¯t feel like rectifying Changming¡¯s sheer nonsense, and just allowed him to talk without uttering a word.


    But Jiufang Changming went beyond reasonable limits.


    ¡°He loves that lady, but her family doesn¡¯t like him. The faster he chases, the farther they flee. He swore that he won¡¯t take anyone but her as his wife in this life, so even now his body and his shadow are comforting each other.¡±


    His body and his shadow are comforting each other: extremely lonely.


    Cong Rong gasped: ¡°So only you care about him?¡±


    Changming joked: ¡°Exactly!¡±


    Cong Rong lamented: ¡°If I find a close friend like you are to him this time, I will have no regrets!¡±


    Cong Rong saw a colorful butterfly, and bounced after it.


    Changming slowed down a bit to walk abreast of Yun Weisi.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel moved when you look at her?¡±


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t answer, but his expression clearly told Changming that Yun Weisi wouldn¡¯t be shaken by any kind of words.


    Changming: ¡°People who have the best cultivation may forget every feeling, but they are not heartless. And you are simply keeping silent, as if you haven¡¯t forgotten.¡±


    Yun Weisi said coldly: ¡°Back then, you wanted to have everything, but you couldn¡¯t master everything, and met such an end. If you master one Dao, you make an oath to never return. There is nothing controversial: if you take a step back on your Dao, you waste all your previous efforts, just like you did.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Yun Weisi, did you really forget everything?¡±


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Changming-gege, come here and take a look!¡±


    Cong Rong yelled.


    Changming walked forward unhurriedly, neither fast nor slow, showing his completely defenceless back to Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi only needed to move one finger to draw his sword from its sheath.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t use spiritual powers, one sword was enough to make the other cease to breathe.


    ¡ªYun Weisi, did you really forget everything?


    These words were still ringing in his ears. Yun Weisi waved his sleeves, and the sword tassel on his back silently fell to the ground.


    ¡­


    Yuru Peak wasn¡¯t steep or hard to climb, and they reached Yuru Town before afternoon.


    This was the last town a traveller would pass before crossing the borders, and the largest one in several hundreds of lis. Merchants came and went away one after another, many cultivators mingled with them. Shopkeepers were loudly shouting out the prices, enticing customers; many people were too lazy to proceed to the market, and set up their stalls not far from the town gates, so very soon this area became crowded by people.


    It was hard to imagine this town with several thousands of residents turning into a sea of blood spilled by demons overnight.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to eat first. I¡¯m hungry, so it¡¯s my treat. And also, after we are finished eating, I want to find a tailor¡¯s shop to buy clothes that are convenient for travelling. Changming-gege, will you accompany me? Oh, right, the Qianlin Assembly is still far from here, won¡¯t we be late if we set out tomorrow?¡±


    Cong Rong said so much in a single breath, full of enthusiasm. When she reached the long-awaited bustling town, all her tiredness from the long journey was swept clean, and everything looked novel to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Qianlin Assembly will be held in the Heifeng Desert not far from here in three days. But the climate there is changeable, and merchants usually make a detour on purpose.¡±


    Changming pointed towards the highest four-storey guest house in the town.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stay there tonight.¡±


    Not only would they occupy advantageous high grounds, but would also be able to hear any movements at night.


    Cong Rong had no objections, and Yun Weisi had none all the more.


    Coincidentally, four out of the six expensive rooms of the fourth floor had already been reserved, and only two rooms were left.


    In other words, Changming and Yun Weisi had to share a room.


    And, coincidentally, these two rooms were the eastern and the western ones, the farthest-from-each-other rooms of this floor.


    A worker of the guest house told them that the second-to-last room on the east was reserved by a young gentleman, but he left this place as soon as the room was reserved. A miaohui was held in the town today, so, probably, he went there to watch the fun, and still hadn¡¯t returned. And the guests of the second to last room from the west were two young women, so, if Changming and the others wanted to exchange rooms, the worker suggested they negotiate with the ladies and come to an agreement with them first.


    Miaohui: lit. ¡®temple gathering¡¯, were held by temples to worship Chinese deities around the time of the Chinese New Year.


    In the end, they parted, and Cong Rong went to the eastern side, while Changming with Yun Weisi went to the western.


    When she heard about the miaohui, Cong Rong expressed her will to go and take a look right away, and find some food in passing. Changming and Yun Weisi agreed.


    Yuru Town had no Confucian temples, only a temple dedicated to the city¡¯s god; naturally, the miaohui was held near this city god¡¯s temple. When they arrived, the boiling cauldron of voices was at its peak, and masked men on stilts were performing a fireshow; the flames, soaring into the air, turned into copper coins that fell to the ground, making the public cheer excitedly and quickly bend down to gather the coins.


    Boiling cauldron of voices: hubbub.


    In Yun Weisi¡¯s eyes, this noisy show was perfectly tranquil, raising no waves. His mind, as settled as still water, seemed to influence people around him, so everyone tried to avoid him subconsciously, and only Changming was still standing nearby.


    But Changming wasn¡¯t looking at the bustling scene either: his eyes landed on a person in the crowd.


    He saw a person who shouldn¡¯t have appeared here in the streams of people busily coming and going.


    Chen Ting.

 CH 34

    Even if Chen Ting knew that the entrance to the Void Shore was the Yunding Lake in Heavenly City, he still had no opportunity to come here.


    Because they were in the past, and in Changming¡¯s past at that.


    If Changming didn¡¯t see it wrong, and the person whose shadow flashed by actually belonged to Chen Ting, there was only one possible answer¡ª


    This person was like Yun Weisi, who could defy the Nine Layers of the Abyss¡¯s laws and wander around not as a guest, but as the host.


    As soon as Changming saw him, he started chasing that person without the slightest hesitation.


    But at this moment, the crowd suddenly screamed in fear. Changming was shoved from the left and kicked from the right, and his view was obstructed.


    He lowered his head to look down. At some point, the copper coins scattered all around turned into scurrying and wriggling vipers and scorpions.


    The crowd of commoners, who were in high spirits just a while ago, were now crying for their fathers and mothers, and dispersing in the uproar.


    Performers holding lighted torches were looking right and left, completely at a loss for what to do with their hands and feet; they were knocked down by fleeing people, and fell to the ground one after another, their masks breaking into pieces. They were confused and disheartened.


    Chen Ting had long since disappeared in an unknown direction, mingling in with the boundless sea of people.


    Changming frowned and turned towards Yun Weisi, who was standing next to him.


    ¡°Who else apart from you can travel through the Nine Layers of the Abyss freely?¡±


    Yun Weisi pondered for a short time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Changming was speechless: ¡°Is there anything you remember?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°You are my shifu, I am staying in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and I must kill you.¡±


    Changming: ¡°¡­This teacher feels very honored for occupying two out of your three memories.¡±


    Yun Weisi said indifferently: ¡°Every time I come out of seclusion, I forget something. A lot of time has passed, and I¡¯ve forgotten many matters completely; these three are more than enough. My Dao is heartless, so if I can forget something, I do.¡±


    Changming smiled faintly: ¡°Then, have you ever thought about the reason why you have forgotten everything, but always keep your teacher in mind?¡±


    He looked at Yun Weisi, and Yun Weisi looked at him as well.


    Four eyes met, one person moved by hundreds of feelings, and the other completely indifferent.


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t hesitate or avert his gaze, his expression as cold-hearted as if he was looking at a stranger.


    Changming said: ¡°If not deep-rooted feelings, why would they be hard to forget?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°So, if I kill you, all my heart obstructions will be broken easily with a single swing of a sword.¡±


    Changming: ¡°And what if they won¡¯t be resolved?¡±


    Yun Weisi answered without thinking: ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Changming smiled silently.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s heart wavered.


    That feeling returned once again.


    Only for a short moment, leaving too quick to catch it, making him feel lost.


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t like such out-of-control feelings at all.


    Given his cultivation realm, not a single matter was able to confuse his heart, and he shouldn¡¯t have taken his past ill-fated relationships to heart.


    He wasn¡¯t going to kill his teacher because of grudges, but to gain enlightenment, merely to solve karma, cut off the last shackle, to find the right Dao and achieve much.


    As soon as I leave this place, I¡¯ll have to dispose of this person, that was what he thought.


    ¡°What copper coins, this is clearly a trick, I¡¯ve seen it all in the capital!¡±


    Cong Rong wasn¡¯t frightened and opened her mouth to speak. She looked around and pulled at Changming¡¯s sleeve again, asking him to go for food, and paid no attention to the waves surging between the two of them.


    Being pulled by her, Changming went up to a stall with fried beancurd and stopped in front of it. Several other stalls with food stood around, and the aroma in this place was quite alluring. Except for Cong Rong, a few other people were lured there by this smell.


    ¡°Move over! Move over!¡±


    A person jostled the crowd to come forward.


    ¡°What kind of darn junk do you sell, there are maggots inside! Who would have thought you¡¯d dare dupe your customers!¡±


    The stall keeper, who was grabbed by his collar, replied immediately.


    ¡°What is it all about?! Hey, you want to blackmail me? I¡¯ve been selling here for years, and no one has ever said they ate maggots, you are going too far!¡±


    The two of them started scuffling, but suddenly the face of the one who came to complain turned grave. He bent down and covered his stomach with hands.


    The stall keeper hurriedly let him go and even took a few steps back, insisting on his innocence: ¡°You all saw I haven¡¯t hit him at all!¡±


    While he was talking, the other man started throwing up, and his vomit fell to the ground; people who were around him all retreated a three day¡¯s march.


    Retreat three day¡¯s march: strategic withdrawal.


    To their horror, the people saw that his vomit was not food, but maggots.


    The white maggots started squirming lively.


    After vomiting for a while, that person rolled his eyes and fell to the ground weakly, lying motionless.


    The stall keeper¡¯s expression changed. He didn¡¯t know where to put his arms and legs.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t killed him ah, my stuff is good, I¡¯ll show you!¡±


    He grabbed a beancurd from his bamboo basket and stuffed it in his mouth right away, chewing it hastily.


    But, under the gaze of so many eyes, his face turned white, showing a pained expression, and he started vomiting as well.


    Cong Rong threw the beancurd in her arm to the ground in fury.


    The stall keeper vomited out white maggots and fell too.


    Changming stretched his arm to feel his pulse.


    Cong Rong asked nervously: ¡°How is he?¡±


    Changming shook his head, looking at the eyelids and the neck of the man.


    One life was lost forever.


    The white maggots, squirming on the ground, gradually turned grey and even black, and tried climbing up their shoes.


    Yun Weisi unsheathed the Chunzhao Sword, and with his one stroke all the maggots turned into powder.


    The chaos attracted the attention of many people, and, although no one dared come too close, they didn¡¯t leave as well.


    Yuru Town was located far from the Central Plains, and there were no local authorities. The ones in control were the local gentry. They were very respectful towards cultivators and talented people. When they received news of the incident, they dispatched people to find out the reasons. They weren¡¯t acting arrogantly towards Changming and his companions at all, and politely asked people to disperse, taking the corpses away and quickly signalling to others to clean off the stall, as if nothing happened.


    Cong Rong was still shocked, and couldn¡¯t come to her senses.


    ¡°How on earth did they die, was this beancurd actually poisoned?¡±


    Changming waved his sleeves, and a piece of beancurd appeared in his palm.


    ¡°I will examine it again after we get back.¡±


    Cong Rong was convinced that it would bring them bad luck: ¡°How can you bring such a thing back, what if this jinxed stuff will stain you accidentally!¡±


    Changming said: ¡°The reason behind their deaths is obscure, but they weren¡¯t poisoned. We will talk about it again after I study it.¡±


    As soon as these words fell, he suddenly stopped.


    ¡°What happened now?¡±


    Cong Rong was frightened that something bad happened again.


    Changming put the beancurd in her hands.


    ¡°Take good care of it, I still have something to do. Yun Weisi, walk her back!¡±


    Not waiting for them to answer, he swiftly disappeared in the sea of people.


    Left behind, Cong Rong and Yun Weisi looked at each other blankly.


    The former smiled awkwardly: ¡°Yun¡­ Master Yun?¡±


    Yun Weisi stared pensively in the direction where Changming had disappeared.


    After this matter, Cong Rong couldn¡¯t help but lose her appetite, feeling full and sick, so she didn¡¯t raise the question of looking for food again. She quickly returned to the guest house with Yun Weisi, saying nothing on the way. But, in front of the guest house, she stumbled upon a person who she didn¡¯t expect to meet here.


    ¡°Yun Chang¡¯an?!¡±


    ¡°Cong Rong?!¡±


    Young people shouted out each other¡¯s names simultaneously, surprised by this unexpected encounter.


    This wasn¡¯t a pleasant surprise at all.


    Cong Rong even had an irritated look on her face: ¡°Did you stalk me all the way from the capital?!¡±


    Yun Chang¡¯an laughed coldly: ¡°Aren¡¯t you overestimating yourself? Who would stalk you? A dignified daughter of the Cong Family unexpectedly runs away from her home! If the rumors about it spread, who will ever dare to marry you?¡±


    Cong Rong: ¡°How are you any better, do you still have a face to say this to me? Your family sent you to join the army, but you said you were too exhausted and didn¡¯t want to go. You really are silk trousers! I¡¯m afraid that whoever marries you will run out of luck for eight generations!¡±


    Silk trousers: neg. dandy; son of the rich.


    Yun Chang¡¯an: ¡°What a coincidence, isn¡¯t young lady Cong that very fiancee who escaped marrying into my family?¡±


    Cong Rong ah-ed: ¡°I¡¯ve already left my home, so we are not intertwining vines anymore!¡±


    Intertwining vines: in a relationship, especially an intimate one.


    Yun Weisi remained unmoved by their childish dispute, and simply bypassed them to enter the guest house.


    Cong Rong saw this and hurriedly caught up to him.


    ¡°Master Yun, wait for me!¡±


    When Yun Chang¡¯an just heard these words, he thought that she was addressing them to him, and only after some time realized that this man who was with Cong Rong had the same surname.


    ¡°Great ah, not only did you run away from marriage, but even eloped with a secret lover!¡±


    Cong Rong was enraged: ¡°Be more respectful, don¡¯t make me beat you!¡±


    Yun Chang¡¯an sneered: ¡°With your skills of a three-legged cat?¡±


    Of a three-legged cat: amateurish.


    The flames of war were ready to explode any second, but Yun Weisi, who had returned at some point, stretched out his hand, getting in their way.


    ¡°Give me that thing.¡±


    Cong Rong was astonished: ¡°What?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°The beancurd.¡±


    ¡­


    Changming saw Chen Ting again.


    This time he only caught a glimpse of his figure as well, but now Changming was sure he wasn¡¯t mistaken.


    Chen Ting showing up all the time was definitely not a coincidence. He obviously had a purpose, and was connected to many things.


    Changming was keeping a large distance with him, without any intentions to close the gap rushingly.


    Chen Ting was walking pretty fast, without turning his head back, as if he was fleeing from something. On his way, he made seven turns and eight circles, getting into the crowd one moment and entering deserted alleys another.


    Seven turns and eight circles: moving in curves to trick.


    A group of people carrying a crimson palanquin passed in front of Changming, accompanied by suona horns, shengs and xiaos; this lively procession was a bridal sedan chair. The two of them separated by the people, and when Changming had finally avoided the wedding procession, he saw Chen Ting getting close to the exit of the town hastily.


    Suona horn: a woodwind instrument used in festivals.


    Sheng: wind instrument, consists of several vertical pipes.


    Xiao: vertical bamboo flute. Pictures [1].


    The road outside Yuru Town split into three paths, and the middle one was the road travelling merchants used to take. The ground was flattened by the wheels of carriages passing by frequently, so it was relatively smooth. At the same time, the left path was a dead end blocked by a towering tree that had fallen there many years ago; sand and stone had been piling up there over the years, and no one took this road anymore.


    Some green plants were gracing the road sides, but, if one walked further and passed a slope, they would reach the vast desert of boundless yellow sands.


    Against reason, Chen Ting chose that dead end on the left.


    Even though this choice was more than strange, Changming chased him nevertheless.


    A muffled scream sounded from behind the high fallen tree, but it was suddenly silenced halfway, and the scream faded away helplessly.


    This voice belonged to Chen Ting.


    Changming sped up.


    Chen Ting¡¯s back was leaning against the rough wood of the dead tree, and he couldn¡¯t get up. A cyan-faced demon was biting him on the shoulder and blocking his mouth tightly with one hand, which was the reason why Chen Ting couldn¡¯t shout in full voice.


    His other hand was cutting a wound on Chen Ting¡¯s forehead, and blood was oozing from it; the wound was very deep and even, as if cut to rip off Chen Ting¡¯s skin.


    The back of that hand that showed from his black robes was red, with visible muscles and tendons; just one glance was enough to tell that that hand didn¡¯t belong to a human.


    Chen Ting was bleeding badly, and his expression was feeble. Although he continued to struggle vigorously, these futile attempts were only an amusement for the demon.


    No matter how light Changming¡¯s steps were, he still made a sound.


    The demon abruptly turned his head, looking at Changming with blood-shot eyes. That face was covered with fish scales that moved as well, which was quite terrifying.


    When he appeared, the demon had already lost interest in Chen Ting, who wasn¡¯t able to resist anymore. The demon loosened his grip, and Chen Ting fell on the ground helplessly.


    After watching Changming closely for a moment, following his beast instinct, the demon suddenly moved like a wing, intending to grab Changming!


    Changming was ready and retreated at once.


    He had no valuable things on his body, and didn¡¯t even bring the Golden Glass Beads Staff. He picked up a few pieces of decayed wood and threw them; however, these fragile pieces could not cause any damage to the demon, only blocking his sight for a moment. In a split second, they were turned into smithereens and fell to the ground.


    The demon would never look highly at such a feeble human. His sharp and long fingernails aimed right for Changming¡¯s neck!


    Two white partridges flew out from Changming¡¯s sleeves, and four white wolves followed them immediately.


    As if there was a bottomless treasure chest in Changming¡¯s sleeves, he always had many puppets hidden there.


    The martial skills of the paper puppets were not that bad, even when facing such a ferocious beast that a group of cultivators usually wouldn¡¯t dare to attack. But the demon paid them no attention: the partridges and the wolves left many scratch marks on his body, even biting off some pieces of his skin, but couldn¡¯t damage his immense powers, and were torn into shreds in no time.


    Changming¡¯s neck was grabbed by a hand.


    This hand was tremendously strong.


    Given Changming¡¯s strength at that time, he had no chance to escape.


    His cultivation level was limited in this place, and he couldn¡¯t even use half of it freely.


    The grip on his neck was getting tighter and tighter.


    Changming¡¯s face turned red, and he was having difficulties breathing.


    The demon¡¯s bloodthirsty eyes were smiling with cruelty, but he loosened the grip. Just like a cat playing with a mouse, he was planning to slowly torture this tempting prey till it dies.


    Suddenly, his expression froze, and all the conceited joy turned into disbelieving fright.


    A sword pierced his chest right through his heart from behind, and was pulled out more quickly than the blink of an eye!


    He turned around and reached his arm out, but caught only air.


    Yun Weisi shook off the blood droplets from his sword, and soon the sword rushed towards the demon¡¯s neck.


    The latter gasped from pain, and many scales, cut away from his skin, fell to the ground in a stream. The demon realized that he was bound to return empty-handed this day, so he immediately turned around and left without the slightest hesitation.


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t chase him.


    He was looking at Changming.


    Changming had a deep scarlet mark on his neck, left by the nails of the demon. Blood was dripping from this wound, particularly conspicuous and horrible.


    ¡°Did my lovely disciple worry about his teacher and rush here to the rescue?¡±


    Changming coughed a couple of times, his voice drastically different from the usual one, which couldn¡¯t stop him from mocking Yun Weisi nevertheless.


    ¡°You can only be killed by me.¡±


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t want to look at this bloody wound again, so he averted his gaze and landed it on Chen Ting.


    ¡°Give me a hand.¡±


    Changming really had no strength. The demon struck him without mercy, and he felt that every vital organ in his body was almost displaced. He suppressed the urge to vomit blood just now because he had a more important task on his hands.


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t move, and Changming seized his shoulder to get up, sighing.


    ¡°Daoyou Chen, long time no see, I hope you have been well since we parted.¡±


    Chen Ting wiped off the blood from the corners of his mouth, and walked to them lamely, surprised and glad at the meeting.


    ¡°Why are you also here!¡±


    Changming: ¡°That¡¯s what I should be asking you.¡±


    Chen Ting was taken aback: ¡°Daoyou Changming, what do you mean?¡±


    Changming: ¡°This place is the Ninth Layer of the Abyss, the Void Shore. How did you come here?¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°Didn¡¯t we enter Heavenly City together? That night, something loud happened outside of the city. I was curious, so I left my room to take a look; who knew that a large group of vultures would start chasing after me. In the end, I came to the Yunding Lake, and somehow entered this place, following you. That demon was roaming about the town, and when I noticed him, he decided to kill me to silence a witness. I was wounded, and couldn¡¯t beat him; fortunately, you came. What on earth is this place?¡±


    Without uttering a single word, Yun Weisi suddenly sent his sword forward, and its rays rushed right towards Chen Ting!


    Chen Ting retreated at once, his smooth movements not at all what a wounded person should have. Yun Weisi chased him closely, and in a flash they exchanged several dozens of moves. Although it seemed that his spiritual powers were restricted and he could only rely on his brute force, unexpectedly he didn¡¯t miss a single attack, dealing with them at ease.


    Obviously, he had been concealing his true strength; he was on the same level with those who were called promising young talents like He Qingmo and others. He was indeed too modest.


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±


    Chen Ting didn¡¯t want to fight with Yun Weisi, so he took several steps back, and shouted loudly.


    ¡°I know that you have many doubts. Isn¡¯t it better to find a silent place and let me explain everything slowly!¡±


    Yun Weisi squinted, dismissing his words, and raised his sleeves to attack again.


    As if Changming foresaw this, he stepped forward and held him back.


    Upon seeing this, Chen Ting said with a smile: ¡°Daoyou Changming is still more sober.¡±


    Changming: ¡°It¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t want to listen to your nonsense, but I¡¯m still interested in you.¡±


    Chen Ting: ¡°Which words of mine let you find the gap?¡±


    Changming: ¡°During all the time we have spent together, you showed these gaps everywhere, not just now.¡±


    Chen Ting raised his eyebrows: ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°The Nine Layers of the Abyss is a formation created by forces of opposite nature, and there is no second place like this in the world. It is just like a universe of a thousand universes, and it can hold every living being. Xu Jingxian and I have a history together, and she has no other way but to stick with me all the time. But you¡¯ve been meeting me again and again too. I managed to notice the gap in the formation of Heavenly City in the Yunding Lake because my skills in formations are very rare in this world. How did you find the passage to the Ninth Layer of the Abyss on the bottom of that lake? This couldn¡¯t be a coincidence as well, right? If coincidences happen so frequently, they are not coincidental.¡±


    Changming was talking and coughing at the same time. He was speaking slowly, but Chen Ting was listening with a great interest, and didn¡¯t interrupt him.


    ¡°There is only one explanation: you are the same as Yun Weisi, and you know how to travel between the layers of the Nine Layers of the Abyss at will; and even Yun Weisi doesn¡¯t know who you are.¡±


    Chen Ting laughed: ¡°It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t know, he just forgot! Such a magnificent head of a Daoist temple, nowadays restrained in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, turning into its watchdog, as if it¡¯s worth it! But I would have never guessed that you, Jiufang Changming, still haven¡¯t died. Were all the ghosts and evil spirits of the Yellow Springs not enough to deal with you in so many years?¡±


    He disclosed Changming¡¯s identity in a few words, and knew a lot about them; without a doubt, he was their old acquaintance.


    But both his appearance and expressions were unfamiliar. Changming had been wandering through the Yellow Springs for a long time; although he had more or less restored his memories, many fragments were still shattered. He couldn¡¯t recall who that person was even after some time.


    ¡°But, what a pity: although luck saved your life, you turned into a waste, and can only walk around in this state, tolerating every harassment, and your disciples make their old friend distressed. Isn¡¯t it better for me to send you off, to end all the troubles at once?¡±


    As soon as this ¡®once¡¯ left his mouth, Chen Ting came closer!


    At an extremely terrifying speed!


    He had never demonstrated such strength before. With this skill of passing a thousand lis in one step, even if he had no spiritual powers, he still could be considered one of the best masters in the world.


    With Changming¡¯s skills at that moment, even though he could clearly see the other¡¯s movement, his reaction was too slow to dodge it.


    And this one light as a feather hand was about to take his life.


    The Chunzhao Sword slid in between them, like a chasm appearing out of thin air; Changming only felt one light impulse pushing him away, and his previous position was taken by Yun Weisi. Chen Ting¡¯s attack was now like mud falling into an ocean, and had no effect.


    He was circling around Yun Weisi neither fast nor slow, as if waiting with infinite patience for Yun Weisi to show a weak point.


    Changming watched them for some time, and saw the sky gradually getting dark with the corner of his eye. The dusk was blackening with a speed visible to the naked eye.


    Chen Ting is delaying time!


    When Changming realized this fact, the last ray of the setting sun disappeared over the horizon.


    Yun Weisi seemed distracted, and his body swayed uncontrollably.


    The corners of Chen Ting¡¯s mouth rose. His long sword was suddenly unsheathed, its point turned towards Yun Weisi!


    His sword fierce as wind, turning water drops into ice!


    The dusk gave up to the night, and on the verge of yang becoming yin, Yun Weisi fell asleep, and Yun Hai woke up.


    And this one moment of absentmindness was more than enough for Chen Ting to make a fatal attack!


    The point of his sword was only one cun away from his skin, and the aura of the sword had already left a bleeding mark on Yun Weisi¡¯s forehead.


    One cun: 3 ? cm.


    Chen Ting¡¯s eyes froze. His movements were constrained.


    It wasn¡¯t that he suddenly had compassion towards them¡ªhis Guyue Sword was gripped.


    Gripped by a hand.


    That hand held the naked blade.


    Blood was dripping from its fingers.


    One droplet, two droplets, then a stream of blood.


    There was no need to examine it carefully to know how badly this hand was mutilated.


    ¡°Unexpectedly, you¡­¡±


    Chen Ting ah-ed and sneered.


    ¡°I would have never thought that the Jiufang Changming who expelled all his disciples in those years is actually a person who cherishes his disciples!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t going to retrieve his sword.


    Therefore, Changming¡¯s fingers were sure to be completely broken.


    But at this moment, another sword intercepted his attack, and flew towards Chen Ting¡¯s shoulder.


    If he wanted to save his shoulder, he had to withdraw his sword.


    Sure enough, Chen Ting retrieved his hand.


    The Guyue Sword fell to the ground, and Chen Ting didn¡¯t pick it up. He was unable to kill them, and his scheme was brought to light, but his expression was still smiling.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t return now, it¡¯ll be too late.¡±


    Just when these words sounded, a scream came from the town.


    The night was quiet, and this sharp scream pierced their ears.


    Changming¡¯s expression changed.


    During this night, a large accident happened in Yuru Town; it started precisely at this moment. Chen Ting led them out of the town on purpose, even showing his cards without hesitation. Was it all just to let him repeat his mistake once again, to lose this chance to find the cause of this matter?


    Tn:


    [1] (from Baidu & Wikipedia)


    Suona


    Sheng


    Xiao

 CH 35

    To kill Chen Ting or to return to the town?


    Chen Ting helped them to make the choice.


    As soon as he finished speaking, he retreated, waving his sleeves freely.


    If they were to chase him, they would lose the only chance to save Cong Rong¡¯s eyes.


    Moreover¡ª


    A moment before Changming fell, Yun Hai stretched his arms to catch him.


    He pressed on Changming¡¯s acupuncture points to stop him bleeding, and cut off a piece of a sleeve to wrap his mangled palm.


    Yun Hai knew Changming was terribly hurt at this moment.


    ¡°Stand still, I will go kill him first.¡±


    ¡°There is no time, we should return to the town first and find Cong Rong at the guest house!¡±


    If they went fast, they would still be able to prevent her tragedy from happening.


    Changming¡¯s expression could still be described as tranquil, but beads of sweat had already appeared on his forehead, and his face was cold and ghastly-white.


    Yun Hai said nothing more, held Changming¡¯s waist, and hastened to the city.


    The city gates were closed tightly, but Yun Hai¡¯s qinggong was enough to leap over the low parapet walls with ease.


    Qinggong: aka light technique, in this genre, helps to move swiftly, climb vertical surfaces etc.


    These parapet walls were like a border.


    Infinite dead silence fell on them as soon as they crossed the walls.


    Yuru Town was so big that it could compare with the flourishing centers of the inland counties.


    But now, even though the darkness had already fallen, the countless families of the town weren¡¯t lighting lamps, and there was nothing but darkness as far as their eyes could see.


    Suddenly, anguished wailing and sounds of a hand-to-hand fight came from a corner, as if someone was struggling desperately in this impenetrable darkness.


    Soon after, the struggles sank into the dense silence.


    ¡°Do you smell¡­¡±


    A strange aroma was floating in the air, sweet to the point of being cloying, and making people feel nauseous.


    Before Changming finished his words, he started coughing, even coughing up blood.


    Even through their clothes, Yun Hai could feel that Changming¡¯s skin was burning hot.


    Restless creatures rushed over towards them from every direction in the murk, following the trail of the luscious fresh blood, silently stretching their tentacles to abruptly strike defenseless Changming from the back.


    Yun Hai turned around suddenly!


    The sword rose and fell!


    One of the tentacles that was about to reach the back of Changming¡¯s shoulder was cut off; the sword glow fell, and the creature was split in halves.


    It fell to the ground with a loud crash, but not a drop of blood was splattered.


    With the help of the half-hidden-by-clouds red moon, they could take a few looks on that wizened body. All the flesh and skin around its eyes were already sunken, and the face was covered with cracks, exposing the red subdermal textures; its eyes were facing the night sky, wide open, and had a weird iron-blue color.


    The area from this place all the way to the end of the alley was filled with the same-looking living corpses that swarmed forward towards them in large numbers.


    All these people were dressed in usual clothes from Yuru Town, but their expressions and manners were dull and wooden, and their bodies rather resembled sinister demons. Although their footsteps were sluggish, they blocked all the paths for the two of them.


    Yun Hai¡¯s eyes swept across these living corpses, falling on an octagonal tower behind the swarm of the creatures.


    This two-storey building was quite exquisite, and wind bells were hanging down from its upturned eaves, chiming under the night breeze, as if giving a voiceless order for the horde to move.


    A man was standing on the corner of the eaves. His figure was lit from behind, and they couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, only his clothes fluttering in the wind.


    ¡°Situ Wanhuo?¡±


    Yun Hai heard Changming¡¯s voice nearby.


    He was hesitating, as if asking Yun Hai.


    Situ Wanhuo.


    Yun Hai searched through his memories, and recalled him effortlessly.


    Changming had mentioned that Situ Wanhuo¡¯s cultivation level made him one of the ten strongest cultivators in the world.


    On the days of the massacre in Yuru Town, it was Situ Wanhuo who came first, but the murderer had already escaped. Everyone returned empty-handed, and this massacre in Yuru Town remained a mystery up till now.


    And at this moment, it seemed¡ª


    Yun Hai squinted slightly, looking at Situ Wanhuo.


    At this moment, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t manage to find the murderer, but no one thought that such a dignified and skilled master of cultivation would slaughter a town, turning thousands of unarmed and defenseless common people into living corpses.


    ¡­


    Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s face was pale, and he was sweating like rain.


    The day was not hot, but his back was already drenched in sweat, and the soaking wet clothes stuck to his skin, making him feel very uncomfortable.


    If it happened some time before, he would have already started stamping with rage, complaining endlessly, and quickly changed into a new tidy set of clothes.


    But at this moment, he had no time for this.


    A long sword stabbed one of the living corpses, pierced through and slayed others in passing, making them fall from the stairs.


    But that could only give Yun Chang¡¯an and others a short rest, because very soon a new wave of living corpses came up, stepping on others.


    One fell, but the next followed, as if there was no end to them.


    But all these ¡°monsters¡± were cheerful, lively and vigorous common people just a while ago.


    Yun Chang¡¯an even recognized a couple of familiar faces among them.


    The one who was grabbing the stair railings to catch him was the guest house¡¯s waiter, who served Yun Chang¡¯an a bowl of wonton soup this morning; when he heard that the latter wanted some onion, the waiter ran back to the kitchen to bring it. He even said with a smile, Enjoy your meal, young master. I¡¯m most familiar with Yuru Town, so if you want to go somewhere for a walk, you can find me.


    The one climbing up viciously now was a young woman who had been selling rouge not far from the guest house. When he was quarrelling with Cong Rong, they stood next to her stall, and the woman selling rouge said to them, Young married couples bicker near the head of their bed only to become reconciled near its end. Don¡¯t make the young lady embarrassed in the streets, if there is a problem, discuss it after returning home. At that moment, Yun Chang¡¯an and Cong Rong shouted in one voice, Who are a young married couple!


    Young married couples bicker near the head of their bed only to become reconciled near its end: any couple¡¯s problem can be solved through the bed.


    There was also a guest from the first floor, an attractive, despite her age, woman in worn clothes, who he was staring at in the morning.


    And all these people had turned into terrifying monsters now. They were extraordinarily strong, lost their humanity, and were only interested in alive people. Yun Chang¡¯an saw with his own eyes one person, who missed his chance to escape, surrounded, torn into shreds and eaten by these monsters; in no time, this person came back to life, becoming one of them.


    They could only pant, were not humane, couldn¡¯t speak, had no vital energy or feelings, and were only chasing after blood and flesh restlessly; if they were not monsters, then what were they?


    And Yun Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t even understand how the whole thing started.


    As if the dusk was a horn, the moment it sounded, everyone turned into a monster; but why didn¡¯t he become one of them?


    These turmoiled feelings in his mind were like a gunk that blurred his sense of time and his rationality.


    ¡°Quick, we can¡¯t stop them here, let¡¯s go up!¡± a young woman said, sobbing.


    Nie Emei was a guest sharing the same floor with him. It was said that she was going to participate in the Qianlin Assembly, but her companions, shijies and shimeis, had already turned into monsters, attacking their former fellow disciple. Nie Emei couldn¡¯t bear to make a move against them, and almost became a meal for the monsters herself.


    When it came to fighting against such impervious to sword or spear monsters attacking people as long as their withered bodies were able to move, cultivation was not so helpful. Moreover, some of these monsters were cultivators as well. After they turned into living creatures, their strength was superior to the common people¡¯s, and ordinary weapons were of no use.


    Impervious to sword or spear: fig. emotionless


    When she called after Yun Chang¡¯an, he came to his senses, quickly turned around, and ran up the stairs.


    But he was carrying a person on his back, and his steps became heavy after his energy was depleted. Before he made several steps, he stumbled on the stairs. A hand stretched out from behind, almost grabbing the person on his back to hurt her.


    At the crucial point, Nie Emei had finally chopped off that arm.


    ¡°Faster!¡±


    She helped Yun Chang¡¯an up, turned around and rushed to the top floor, staggering.


    ¡°Let me down.¡±


    Cong Rong, who was lying on her back, said calmly.


    Originally, she made no sound, afraid that this would interfere in their fight; but now, she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore.


    ¡°I am a burden. There is no point in carrying me further. You must return to the capital and say to them, say that I died. But don¡¯t tell them that I turned into a monster¡­¡±


    Cong Rong swallowed, but her eyes had already turned into two black holes, and tears wouldn¡¯t come out from them.


    She didn¡¯t even dare to open them, keeping her eyes tightly closed.


    ¡°Shut up and hold onto me firmly!¡±


    Yun Chang¡¯an shouted, running wildly after Nie Emei.


    Everything started with that scream.


    Yun Chang¡¯an was woken from his dream by a scream that came from Cong Rong.


    He was annoyed by Cong Rong, but didn¡¯t wish her death, so he got up immediately, put some clothes on and ran to her room.


    But he didn¡¯t expect he would sink into a nightmare himself.


    He would never forget what he saw after kicking the door open. Cong Rong, leaning on the windowsill, turned her head, and he saw empty holes instead of her eyes: her eyes had vanished into thin air. A maiden who was still frolicing during the daytime turned into a blind person with no eyes.


    He really wished he was still in a dream, and someone would wake them up, tell him that everything he saw was only an illusion.


    This guest house was the tallest building inside the city, but it only had four floors. They quickly reached the spacious private room on the top floor, where honored guests used to have meals. Nie Emei was waiting for Yun Chang¡¯an near the doors, and as soon as he stepped in, she closed and locked the door behind him, moving over a table and a screen to block the doors tightly. But she wasn¡¯t sure how long this construction would last as well.


    ¡°Why is it like this, what on earth happened?!¡± she was like a tightened string, ready to collapse any second.


    Like a tightened string: nervous.


    Nie Emei fell to the floor weakly, murmuring the same questions to herself again and again.


    Yun Chang¡¯an released Cong Rong, letting her lean over to a wall to take a rest.


    ¡°Just what happened after all, why did they suddenly become this way, turned into these monsters, why am I still fine?¡±


    Nie Emei was holding her head with her hands, swaying slowly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know¡­ Shimei died, I knew I shouldn¡¯t have brought her over, shouldn¡¯t have hankered to have fun, to come here and stay¡­¡±


    ¡°Cheer up!¡±


    Yun Chang¡¯an couldn¡¯t bear to see her like this anymore, so he pulled her arms from her head, and made her raise her head.


    ¡°Think carefully. Last evening, where did you go, what unusual things happened with others!¡±


    ¡°Nothing. We went on a stroll to the market, everything was normal¡­¡±


    Nie Emei was perplexed after a moment.


    ¡°Right. We stumbled on one person who had eaten bad food. He threw up, but his vomit was full of white maggots, it was very disgusting. Shimei asked me to leave this place right away.¡±


    Maggots?


    Yun Chang¡¯an had an epiphany: ¡°What he ate was a beancurd?¡±


    Nie Emei: ¡°I didn¡¯t examine carefully.¡±


    Beancurd was a unique local meal. Many people came to Yuru Town to taste it, and beancurds elsewhere were not alike: they added a special spice grown here. This spice, the Huliang Grass, only grew in the Western Regions, and made the beancurd of Yuru Town so special.


    Yun Chang¡¯an and Cong Rong were used to the capital¡¯s food, and had never tried the food from Yuru Town, including the Huliang Grass.


    ¡°Did you try that beancurd?¡±


    Nie Emei: ¡°I haven¡¯t, since I¡¯m bigu, so I eat rarely. Shimei tried it, but only a bite.¡±


    Bigu: to avoid eating food in order to gain immortality.


    Yun Chang¡¯an thought the problem might be in this Huliang Grass, but he couldn¡¯t be sure for now. It was a common spice that had been growing in the region for hundreds and thousands of years, why would it suddenly turn to have a relation to living corpses? If a person who ate it would have problems, why hadn¡¯t it happened before?


    Before he could think carefully, a loud noise came from the doors.


    Bang-bang!


    Bang!


    Something was trying to get inside!


    The people who had just relaxed became nervous again.


    Yun Chang¡¯an and Nie Emei stared at the door tensely.


    It was the best guest house of the town, so the doors were harder than elsewhere. But these hard doors presumably couldn¡¯t stand against a continuous violent attack coming from those things.


    The door and the screen shook slightly, ready to topple any moment now.


    Nie Emei casted a glance at the window.


    The territory around the building was packed with people. It seemed that the monsters could hear their breaths, so they were coming to this place in waves.


    Nie Emei looked at the farthest areas.


    They were in the centre of Yuru Town. If she managed to leave the city, would these creatures chase her?


    It was only that¡­


    Nie Emei turned her head to look at Yun Chang¡¯an and Cong Rong, a bit hesitant.


    These two were not cultivators, only a bit stronger than common people; but they certainly were useless under an attack like this. Very soon, they would be caught by these monsters and join their ranks.


    She had been cultivating for several years, and spent this time mostly on the mountain with her teachers. Her heart was pure, far from that of skilled masters who regarded a human life as unimportant as a cricket¡¯s or an ant¡¯s, and she couldn¡¯t leave them without feeling uneasy.


    It seemed that Yun Chang¡¯an had noticed her quandary. He gritted his teeth: ¡°Lady Nie, go first. If you meet reinforcements, please ask them to rescue us. You don¡¯t have to be there together with us¡­¡±


    Bang-bang-bang!


    The noise came again.


    Yun Chang¡¯an clearly saw the doors quiver, ready to be burst open any time soon.


    ¡°Go, quickly!¡±


    ¡°I will bring her to a safe place first, and then return after you!¡±


    Nie Emei made a decision. When she finished talking, she picked up Cong Rong, supporting her.


    ¡°Hold me tight!¡±


    She still hadn¡¯t mastered the Art of Sword Control, but her qinggong was naturally lighter than a common one. Holding Cong Rong, she jumped off from the window, gracefully landed on the head of a living corpse, jumping to the next one before the first could attack them, and headed to a roof not far away.


    Seeing them disappear into the distance, Yun Chang¡¯an let out a relaxed sigh. A loud bang from the behind made him turn around subconsciously.


    The doors were broken!


    ¡°Wait for me right here, don¡¯t move, I will return as soon as I rescue him!¡±


    Nie Emei released Cong Rong on a relatively high roof, and urged her.


    Cong Rong nodded nervously, grabbing a corner of her garment, barely holding her terror.


    Her world had already turned dark, never to become colorful again. But Yun Chang¡¯an and Nie Emei still refused to abandon her, so she didn¡¯t want to get them into trouble.


    ¡°Go faster!¡±


    She heard Nie Emei leaving her, and also heard the creatures swarming under the roof, surrounding the building from all directions; she could even hear how they tried to climb up the walls outside the building, using their hands and legs, and climbing up to the beams inside, grabbing columns. She heard pieces of roof tiles broken along the ridge of the roof.


    Their heavy breaths were coming closer.


    Cong Rong couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    She even wanted to give up on her life. But she didn¡¯t want to die like this, to become a monster that feeds on flesh and blood and has no consciousness. It was more dreadful than death.


    Suddenly!


    A sword pierced the air, and the monster in front of Cong Rong rolled down the roof.


    Right after that, she was raised to her feet, and once again raised into the air. This time, it even seemed that she was on a bird¡¯s back. They were flying towards a watchtower on the southeastern side.


    ¡°It is me.¡±


    Cong Rong heard Changming¡¯s voice. Although sounded weak and tired, it was surely his voice.


    The feeling of meeting a long-lost familiar person and injustice at the same time welled up in her heart, and Cong Rong started to cry.


    ¡°Cong Rong!¡±


    Nie Emei returned with Yun Chang¡¯an, and they dispersed the crowd of monsters under the roof together; but only more rushed to this place. Nie Emei¡¯s reaction was a little too slow, and she didn¡¯t manage to evade them. A hand grabbed her shoulder, and sharp nails almost pierced her clothes, skin and flesh.


    My life is over!


    She knew that the moment her skin was scratched, she would also turn into a terrifying monster, just like her shimei.


    Nie Emei couldn¡¯t feel more depressed and tormented.


    But the expected pain didn¡¯t come.


    Changming arrived just in time to cut off the hand, making it fall to the ground. Changming threw Nie Emei on another roof, falling into the ring of encirclement of these monsters.


    Upon seeing this, Yun Chang¡¯an and Nie Emei wanted to help him, but Changming stopped them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come here!¡±


    Yun Chang¡¯an saw that Changming¡¯s sword seemed to contain some sort of demonic powers, and the monsters didn¡¯t dare to come close. As soon as the sword came into contact with their bodies, they were burned by its black qi, turning into ashes. Even though these creatures had lost their humanity, they still had a sense of danger.


    Nie Emei saw Changming¡¯s unparalleled strength, and couldn¡¯t help but jump from the rooftop to stand near him back-to-back to help him get rid of the obstacles that limited his movements.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    They were standing close, and she could feel his strange body temperature through their clothes.


    ¡°Are you alright!¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t answer.


    His physical and spiritual strength were at their limit, and he could only concentrate on the situation in front of his eyes. His swords flew by, and the monsters¡¯ heads fell to the ground one by one.


    Wave after wave, he was toppling the mountains and overturning the seas, as if harvesting rice straw. But such apparent superiority wouldn¡¯t be good for his body.


    Toppling the mountains and overturning the seas: overwhelming or sweeping.


    The black qi of his sword was abundant, and became even more dense. As if it was conscious, it supported his wrist, as if helping an arrow at the end of its flight.


    An arrow at the end of its flight: exhausted strength.


    ¡°This sword?¡±


    Nie Emei paid special attention to it, and she couldn¡¯t resist asking: ¡°Is it demonic?¡±


    ¡°This sword is connected with my soul, we share the same fate,¡± Changming said indifferently.


    ¡°May I ask its name?¡±


    Nie Emei had seen many spiritual weapons, and the most famous one was the Honghu Sword that belonged to her shizu; it was also the treasure of their Zhenling Clan.


    The Honghu Sword hummed clearly only when in her shizu¡¯s hands, acknowledging its master.


    But the Honghu Sword could not be compared to the one she saw now at all, just like a small hill could not be compared to the Sacred Mountain Wan.


    ¡°The Sifei Sword.¡±


    ¡°Sifei?¡±


    Sifei: lit. four ¡®no¡¯s.


    Nie Emei thought that this name sounded a bit odd but familiar, as if she had heard about it before.


    ¡°No to Daoism, no to Buddhism, no to Confucianism, no to Demonic ways.¡±


    Changming said these words in a low voice, beheading another enemy nimbly.


    He also didn¡¯t expect that Yun Hai would just hand him the Sifei Sword to defend himself.


    Changming came to the Nine Layers of the Abyss to find his Sifei Sword to regain his cultivation, and now he achieved his goal due to an unexpected turn of events.


    If Yun Weisi knew this, he would have probably been angered half to death.


    The Sifei Sword was forged by his own hands. Now, almost half of his cultivation was gone; even if the Zhiyu Nianyue cultivation scripture helped him advance by leaps and bounds, it would be hard for him to regain the level of those years quickly. And the Sifei Sword not only didn¡¯t rebel against its former master because of his limited powers, but even gently soothed the cracks and wounds in his cultivation, as if it was a loving animal that had been looked after by someone else for many years, but now met its master after a long separation and still recognised him. The Sifei Sword was joyfully quivering in Changming¡¯s hands.


    The roof tiles had already been mostly destroyed by the living corpses that tried to climb up, and the roof under their feet could crumble any moment. Yun Chang¡¯an grabbed Cong Rong and jumped down to Changming, tightly embracing her and helping the others to catch fish that escaped the net.


    He was swinging his sword unceasingly, but his thoughts were wandering far away, and he wasn¡¯t sure whether they would survive the night.


    Another loud noise came from the side.


    Yun Chang¡¯an and Nie Emei looked in this direction, and saw two people fighting fiercely in the air in the distance. They were leaping from roof to roof easily, approaching them; very soon, they got very close.


    Siti Wanhuo was a cultivator whose reputation matched reality. After all, he was one of the ten grandmasters. Unlike Yun Hai, Changming, Chen Ting and others, who were ¡°foreign intruders¡±, he belonged to that time. But, surprisingly, he didn¡¯t gain the upper hand in his fight with Yun Hai. The latter was holding the Chunzhao Sword that used to follow Changming through fire and water in the past, and later fell into Yun Weisi¡¯s hands. Days and nights, it was saturated with his oppressive spiritual powers, and even managed to hold Situ Wanhuo back for a while.


    ¡°Catch it!¡±


    When they got closer, Yun Hai suddenly threw something at Changming.


    Changming caught it.


    It was a glass pearl that was smaller than his palm, round and smooth, emitting rays.


    Yun Hai didn¡¯t recognise it, so he threw it to Changming.


    Changming looked at the purple pearl, and his heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°A Gathering Souls Pearl?¡±


    When Situ Wanhuo heard these words, his expression changed. He stopped his movements halfway and reached towards Changming!


    How would Yun Hai give him such an opportunity? The Chunzhao Sword blocked his way.


    ¡°I know what you are planning.¡±


    Changming said, suddenly throwing the Gathering Souls Pearl to the ground ruthlessly!


    It happened too fast for Situ Wanhuo to react in time.


    The glass pearl was shuttered, and the purple qi flew away; thousands of the souls of the deceased scattered around, and thousands of ghosts wailed in one voice!


    In a flash, as if all the monsters received an order, they stopped moving, staring fixedly on the countless purple rays of the scattering gathered souls.


    The purple qi fled in all directions, floating and dancing above the heads of the living corpses, and finally faded away, gradually rising to the sky, and disappearing like mist and smoke.


    The monsters no longer attacked Changming and the others. One by one, they fell to the ground, closing their eyes at last.


    This time, they were really gone, their souls finally finding peace.


    ¡°You actually broke the Gathering Souls Pearl!¡±


    Situ Wanhuo was boiling with rage, wishing he could tear Changming to pieces!


    He grabbed Yun Hai¡¯s Chunzhao Sword directly, hit him with one hand, and appeared in front of Changming, grabbing him by his neck.


    In the blink of an eye, he could effortlessly break Changming¡¯s neck bone into pieces, and it was hard to rescue him in time!


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre unrelated to the main text:


    Yun Weisi: The Sifei Sword?


    Changming: Here, with me.


    Yun Weisi: ?


    Changming: You gave it to me yourself.


    Yun Weisi: ??


    Changming: I was surprised as well.


    Tn:


    Wind bells on the upturned eaves:


    https://kknews.cc/zh-cn/culture/vvgkqzq.html

 CH 36

    In Situ Wanhuo¡¯s point of view, things were going smoothly in the beginning.


    Almost everyone in Yuru Town was dead, the Gathering Souls Pearl was formed; their plans were supposed to be accomplished soon, and the long-awaited goal was getting closer.


    But these two popped out of nowhere, like sticking out branches; one of them used their fight to snatch the Gathering Souls Pearl away from him, while the other even understood the purpose of the Gathering Souls Pearl, and smashed it without hesitation.


    Sticking out branches: unexpected difficulties, usually created by someone on purpose.


    All the plans they had been working on for days and nights, as well as their most painstaking efforts¡ªeverything had come to nothing.


    Situ Wanhuo was startled and furious at the same time, and resented them to the core. Just grinding the bones and scattering the remains of this person was not enough to disperse the deep hatred in Situ Wanhuo¡¯s heart, let alone simply breaking his neck.


    His movements were so swift that even Yun Hai was falling half a step behind, and couldn¡¯t stop him!


    If this place didn¡¯t limit his spiritual powers, Yun Hai¡¯s powers would have been enough to gain advantage in a fight with an enemy like Situ Wanhuo; but now, he could only rely on his martial arts to defeat him. Even if he saw clearly what the attack was aimed at, he was a little slow.


    Upon seeing Changming¡¯s neck that could be broken soon, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth, and his head twisted to an unnatural angle, Yun Hai felt as if his heart was being struck with a hammer, and his mind covered in cracks everywhere.


    At this moment, Yun Hai understood that he was indeed deeply connected with Yun Weisi. Even if he refused to admit it, Changming¡¯s influence on his body itself was beyond any doubt.


    At first, they were a cat playing with a mouse, but later, he couldn¡¯t help but to want to see Changming more, and his every movement was attracting Yun Hai¡¯s attention.


    In order to cultivate the Heartless Dao, Yun Weisi decided to cast away his seven emotions and six sensory pleasures, get rid of his humanity, and thus get closer to comprehending the Heavenly Dao.


    Heavenly Dao: how the world works


    But in the end, he was still reluctant to throw away all his past. Otherwise, why would Yun Hai even appear?


    He was simply deceiving himself and others, and acting pretentious.


    But that person had already died.


    Nothing could be done with his broken neck bone.


    At this moment, Yun Hai¡¯s mind went completely blank. He could only think about one thing: killing Situ Wanhuo.


    However, Yun Hai¡¯s expression changed slightly as he tightly grasped Changming¡¯s shoulder and noticed that something was wrong.


    The arm he was holding was cold and soft, easy to break with one pinch.


    And not only the arm, his whole body turned into sand blown by wind in front of everyone¡¯s eyes, vanishing like smoke.


    Situ Wanhuo was astounded.


    It was the Art of conferring spirit!


    Unexpectedly, Changming used this technique to make a substitute for himself, and put it right under Situ Wanhuo¡¯s nose, luring him closer to make a deathblow?!


    At the same time¡ª


    A sword with dim dark qi and a black blade pierced his chest from behind!


    Even masters of cultivation couldn¡¯t get close with common weapons, let alone people with no cultivation like Changming.


    But the Sifei Sword was an exception.


    It had been following Changming for a long time, and had already gained consciousness. It completely ignored Situ Wanhuo¡¯s protective barrier of spiritual powers.


    At the moment when he was distracted, the sword opened a gap in his barrier.


    Yun Hai reacted extremely fast. Almost at the same time when the Sifei Sword pierced through, his Chunzhao Sword followed, closing all Situ Wanhuo¡¯s ways of retreat and giving him no chance to take the first hit initiative.


    Although he had no spiritual powers, he was united with his sword, and its qi pierced Situ Wanhuo¡¯s vital point.


    Even though Nie Emei was young and inexperienced, after going through that misfortune, she had toughened a lot, so she quickly helped them to attack with her spiritual powers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him!¡± Changming gasped for breath.


    As if the Sifei Sword¡¯s black qi was chains, it binded Situ Wanhuo¡¯s limbs tightly, wounding him and giving him no opportunity to struggle.


    ¡°I still have questions for him.¡±


    Yun Hai stretched his arm to catch him again, preventing Changming from losing all his strength.


    Although Situ Wanhuo was obviously suffering, and his body was quivering, his mind was still clear.


    ¡°Your name is Jiufang Changming?¡± Not waiting for Changming to speak, he asked first.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Situ Wanhuo sneered.


    ¡°And he said you will be the strongest person in the future? Is it possible that all others will die? You look like this now, but you will become the best in the world?¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t have to ask him to know who told him this.


    There was only one person who came here from the outside like them, and who knew the future.


    ¡°Situ, although your cultivation is not as high as it will be in the future, you are still a master in your generation, the head of a sect; yet you let others lead you by your nose, even filling a thing like this Gathering Souls Pearl. You see, to gather spirits, you have to sacrifice your own life. Are you ready to be thrown away as soon as you finish the job?¡±


    Hearing Changming¡¯s indifferent and disdaining tone as he said these words, Situ Wanhuo stopped laughing, and his expression became a vehement one.


    ¡°What do you understand?! If I use it the right way, not only will I be safe and sound, but will also be able to reverse the course of events, to bring them all back to life! You know nothing, even though you are the strongest! Sick trash like you should have already died¡­ ah!¡±


    The Chunzhao Sword and the Sifei Sword stabbed him harder at the same time. Situ Wanhuo¡¯s face paled, and he couldn¡¯t finish his words.


    Changming raised his hand to brush his arm.


    Situ Wanhuo suddenly felt as if a thousand needles pierced his arm. The pain couldn¡¯t be suppressed, and he was drenched in cold sweat soon, even crying because of the pain.


    Of course, for people of his status and position, to cry while being tormented by their enemy was unbearable, but Situ Wanhuo really couldn¡¯t hold it.


    ¡°Just who on earth taught you the technique of making a Gathering Souls Pearl?¡±


    Changming was speaking unhurriedly: ¡°Think carefully before you answer. You are the head of the Situ Family, so let me remind you: if you are the instigator, and this matter becomes known to the world one day, your Situ Family will fall into disrepute, and everyone will lambast it. As far as I know, there are no high-level cultivators in the Situ Family except for you, let alone masters. You can regard lives as mole crickets and ants, but you care about people from the Situ Family, right?¡±


    Situ Wanhuo¡¯s expression twitched from the suffering, malevolence and hatred.


    ¡°I want to revive a person. Chi Bijiang told me that I¡¯ll be able to fulfill my wish if I set an array for refining a myriad of human souls. And the Gathering Souls Pearl is the central part of this formation.¡±


    Changming: ¡°The owner of the Wanxiang Palace, Chi Bijiang?¡±


    Situ: ¡°Right.¡±


    Changming: ¡°And she is going to make this array just to help you?¡±


    Situ: ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only wanted to achieve my goal, and I never asked or cared for her reasons.¡±


    Changming: ¡°There is no way one person would be able to gather that many souls. Who is helping you!¡±


    A strong gust of wind whirled past them, and Changming, Yun Hai and Nie Emei felt a pressure assault their senses. They couldn¡¯t help but retreat a bit, pulling out swords from Situ Wanhuo. His body rose into the air, and a person suddenly appeared, grabbing him from behind and taking him away.


    Chen Ting!


    Using an opportunity, he launched a rush attack. Everyone was already injured, and no one managed to stop him in time. Chen Ting quickly leaped over several roofs, bringing away the other, and soon they disappeared from their sight.


    Yun Hai wanted to chase them, but Changming held him back.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late. Chen Ting is like you, he can travel through the Nine Layers of the Abyss freely, so he can hide in this sea-like boundless place at the blink of an eye.¡±


    ¡°It was him! It was certainly him!¡±


    Cong Rong suddenly shouted excitedly, waving her hand so hard that she almost hit Yun Chang¡¯an.


    ¡°He blinded me! Although he said nothing back then, this qi, and his sneer, I remember them! It was him!¡±


    She was silent before for two reasons. Firstly, Changming was interrogating Situ, and she was afraid that she would disturb him; secondly, she wasn¡¯t completely sure, so she was looking through her memories again and again to verify this guess.


    ¡°At that time, I heard some movements outside, so I opened the window to take a look, and I saw him killing people. Those¡­ those people were running around, scared, and had no opportunity to resist at all. He would grab their necks and break them, killing dozens with one swoop. Then, he saw me¡­¡±


    Cong Rong would never forget this glance, even in her dreams.


    It seemed that he sensed her peeking at him, so he turned his head fiercely to look under the eaves, right at her.


    After that¡ª


    It was too late for her to close the window, run away or take a weapon. A sharp pain pierced her eyes.


    Cong Rong trembled with fright slightly.


    Yun Chang¡¯an embraced her subconsciously.


    It seemed that Cong Rong also wanted to receive as much warmth as possible, and she fell into his arms.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he kill you?¡± Yun Hai asked.


    Yun Chang¡¯an answered him: ¡°Because I just quarreled with her during the day, and talked harshly, I was afraid that she would hide in the house and cry, saying that I was bullying her, so I kept wandering outside the door. When I heard her screaming, I kicked the door open immediately. That person could have killed me, but he thought it was a waste of time, so he left us behind and went to kill others.¡±


    If torturing Cong Rong to death was fun, when Yun Chang¡¯an stepped in, they were less amusing to kill for Situ.


    There were many living corpses in Yuru Town, and it was inevitable that there would be fish that slipped through the net like Yun Chang¡¯an and her. Situ Wanhuo wanted to refine the Gathering Souls Pearl, so, of course, the more people in the city were killed, the better. Yun Chang¡¯an and Cong Rong couldn¡¯t make any waves and storms, and it was never too late to deal with them afterwards.


    Make waves and storms: change the situation.


    Like this, Cong Rong didn¡¯t drop dead like others immediately, and even managed to save her life.


    But Yun Chang¡¯an was blaming himself.


    ¡°If only I stepped in earlier¡­ I heard nothing at that time, if I¡­¡±


    Yun Hai wasn¡¯t very compassionate, even though the two of them were his parents. All these events had already happened in the past, and now everything was simply following the original track.


    But not completely without changes.


    At least, the Gathering Souls Pearl that originally contained more than ten thousand souls for the formation, was smashed.


    Souls, refined for an array, nourished it, suffered for the formation, going there in circles with no chance to escape.


    Now, these souls ascended to the sky and dispersed, going where they should have.


    ¡°I remember Yun Weisi saying that the Nine Layers of the Abyss wasn¡¯t created by the forces of one person. Except for him, Chi Bijiang was also working hard. Now, it seems that all this so-called help was only the continuation of what they hadn¡¯t finished.¡±


    The corners of Changming¡¯s mouth curled up mockingly.


    Nie Emei said hesitantly: ¡°I¡¯ve heard my shifu say the Wanxiang Palace is proficient in the Art of calculating celestial phenomena, the Art of seeing past and future, and especially in the Art of divination, the Eight Trigram Formations, and so on. Chi Bijiang is the owner of the Wanxiang Palace nowadays, the best of the best. But she usually lives in seclusion. Common people offer her fortunes for going down the mountain, but can¡¯t even catch a glimpse of her. Why would Chi Bijiang be a part of this, just why do they need to refine a Gathering Souls Pearl for their formation? Don¡¯t tell me that she also wants to revive someone?¡±


    Art of seeing past and future: lit. to learn what happened 500 years ago and will happen 500 years later.


    Yun Hai said: ¡°Gathering souls is gathering resentments. Things like grievances are not actually that much different from the sun and moon¡¯s essence, but can be collected faster: you don¡¯t have to find a blessed spot and cultivate laboriously. Many people who want to take a shortcut choose this way. If you think about it carefully, to gather so many resenting souls overnight, you¡¯ll have to act like them. If you want to poison drinking water or the everyday spice of the people from the town, the Huliang Grass is an excellent host for your poison.¡±


    Changming: ¡°If that formation is really enough to reverse the course of events, reviving people or raising cultivation levels, and doesn¡¯t require spending much effort, then its value goes beyond what you can imagine. People who support such a formation can create their own new world, act there as they please, granting life or death, giving or seizing properties at will, and governing the destiny of mankind.¡±


    Having said this, he stopped for a while, as if thinking of something.


    Yun Hai snorted with laughter: ¡°If you have already figured it out, why not say it aloud? Then let me speak in your stead. The Liuhe Zhutian Formation was originally set not for the purpose of protecting the Human World from the demons, but as a formation to draw the souls of the dead with the aid of demons!¡±


    Changming: ¡°I was one of those who held the formation. Although I¡¯m not as proficient as Chi Bijiang, if someone tried to fool me under my nose, I would have noticed it. Unless¡ª¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Unless that person used a moment when you were distracted, changed the formation, inserted a Gathering Souls Pearl, and used the souls as a [banner], turning the Sacred Mountain Wan into the deepest hell, then letting it reach every corner of the world!¡±


    The deepest hell of internal sufferings: the lowest Naraka (level of the hell) in Buddhism.


    Changming rubbed his temples. These memories were vague and broken, and he couldn¡¯t recall what happened in detail.


    But now, Situ Wanhuo appeared, and the entire matter could be deduced easily.


    Everything they had seen so far was only the tip of an iceberg, not even worth mentioning.


    ¡°At that year, you agreed to help them with the formation, becoming one of its supporters, but your purpose was originally poles apart from theirs. The formation was fine at first, and, with Chi Bijiang¡¯s skills, deceiving your eyes wasn¡¯t an impossible feat. After that accident, the casualties were heavy, your soul was damaged and started to drift about in the Yellow Springs. For an unknown reason, the formation mostly failed, so they could only settle for second best, and sealed the Nine Layers of the Abyss, creating such a bizarre place for neither humans nor ghosts.¡±


    Yun Hai was almost right about the cause and effect, but Nie Emei and others were puzzled, thinking that their dialogue was mysterious and odd. They knew nothing about the Liuhe Zhutian Formation or the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    ¡°That Chen Ting,¡± Yun Hai said, ¡°obviously has a tremendously high cultivation, but pretends to be low-key. He followed you, calling himself a companion, but was actually keeping an eye on your movements, only to prevent you from changing the past. Even if he isn¡¯t one of those who set the formation many years ago, he certainly knows much!¡±


    Changming: ¡°There was also that demon. He looked like he was going to kill Chen Ting, but they are actually on the same side.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    Yun Chang¡¯an suddenly interrupted them.


    ¡°Are the thousands of people¡¯s lives in Yuru Town as insignificant as ants in the eyes of cultivators like you?! Innumerable lives! When I take a breath, I can only smell and taste blood! Even if you uncover this conspiracy, will all these people come back to life?! They were alive and fine in the morning, talking and laughing, and now they became like this! Is your cultivation built on the blood and flesh of common people? What ¡®cultivators¡¯, obviously, you are butchers! Demons!¡±


    After all, he was only a youth of ten-something years, a son of the rich who was usually enjoying life without thinking of the future. After going through a large accident like this, he had a breakdown, so he could only shout loudly to vent his rage. Tears were flowing down his face.


    Yun Chang¡¯an tightly embraced Cong Rong, who had no one to rely on. He felt infinitely sad.


    Tn:


    With this chapter, we have 25.4% of the novel finished!

 CH 37

    Actually, Yun Chang¡¯an wasn¡¯t angry at Changming and the others.


    He was only depressed by his own powerlessness.


    Children from influential families, who were used to golden flowers, silver willows, deep purples and bright reds, couldn¡¯t possess the unyielding determination of experienced cultivators.


    Golden flowers, silver willows, deep purples and bright reds: luxuries. Silver willow is pussy willow in English.


    Let alone him, even Nie Emei had received a great shock. She silently hung her head, holding her sword.


    Instead, it was Cong Rong who stretched out her arm and patted him on his shoulder, as if comforting him.


    Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s sobs quieted down.


    ¡°How are you?¡±


    Yun Hai was whispering to him in his ear, but to Changming, his voice sounded far away.


    He shook his head, having no strength to speak.


    After the Sifei Sword returned to its former master, it was slowly restoring his spiritual powers. It seemed that the sword knew as well that Changming couldn¡¯t handle the flow of surging waves of qi, so it was only nourishing his meridians slowly.


    Yun Hai looked at him carefully, and his line of sight finally stopped at Changming¡¯s hand.


    Although that hand was wrapped with a strip of cloth, it was still bleeding incessantly, and the fabric was already painted red.


    And the hand under this fabric was badly mutilated.


    Changming¡¯s finger twitched a little, out of his control.


    A common person might have as well given up on their hand in such a case, but for a cultivator it was a wound easy to heal.


    And this pain wasn¡¯t worth mentioning compared to what was caused by other wounds on his body.


    Changming closed his palm and was resting. Softly, the Sifei Sword¡¯s qi came to his hand, soothing the wound and filling his limbs and bones.


    He was not sleeping, but he was unconscious.


    He felt the piece of cloth being unwrapped from his hand.


    Only Yun Hai would do this.


    But, if he wanted to kill Changming, now was not the time at all.


    And he wouldn¡¯t start by taking off the fabric.


    When tickling pain pierced his hand, Changming opened his eyes.


    Yun Hai lowered his head and was licking his palm unhurriedly.


    He was concentrated and determined.


    The dried up blood was licked clean, and the fresh blood was quickly cleaned off.


    The hideous wound across his hand was exposed. It was a ghastly sight.


    Changming pulled his hand, but it didn¡¯t move.


    He coughed: ¡°Let go.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°I didn¡¯t find clear water here, and it will heal faster that way.¡±


    His expression was calm and indifferent, just like usual. Changming even thought that he had lost track of new moralities and customs of the world after these several decades. One dynasty, it was popular to wear flowers in hair; another dynasty, wearing threads came into fashion; maybe nowadays cultivators expressed their friendly attitude like this?


    He couldn¡¯t help but to look at Nie Emei.


    The latter was looking at them blankly. When she noticed Changming¡¯s gaze, she blushed before turning away.


    Changming: ¡­


    His face was thick as a wall, so his expression didn¡¯t change at the slightest.


    ¡°And that¡¯s your attitude towards your shizun?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve long since rebelled against my teacher¡¯s sect!¡± Yun Hai laughed, ¡°He hates you so much. I think your disposition was very different back then, but now everything is upside-down, and even you can get embarrassed!¡±


    He: Yun Weisi, I suppose


    To provoke him deliberately, he even lowered his head to lick the bleeding wound again.


    Since he had no strength to resist, Changming might as well continue resting with his eyes closed. What remains unseen is deemed to be clean.


    ¡°I used to be very strict.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°In what way?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I had four disciples. If one of them made a mistake, he had to kneel outside the doors for a whole night. Because my third disciple, Zhou Keyi, was not as talented as you and Sun Buku, after being reprimanded by me several times, he began to cultivate demonic techniques in secret, so in the end I drove him out of my sect. While Zhou Keyi was stubborn and tended to extremes, Sun Buku was a smiling tiger.¡±


    A smiling tiger: a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing


    Yun Hai: ¡°People like this usually get along with others well. Such being the case, why did you expel him, certainly not because he smiled at you too much?¡±


    Changming: ¡°He was pursuing the fame and profits of Buddhist sects, and it was far more important than cultivating for him.¡±


    Yun Hai raised his eyebrows, asking in reply mockingly: ¡°A Buddhist monk, yet obsessed with fame and profits?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Is that strange? These two words, fame and profits, have been shackling people for thousands of years. Cultivators practise painstakingly, and their goal is to ascend one day, which is exactly a profit. Originally, Sun Buku was able to achieve the highest cultivation realm, but was sinking deep in his carnal desires, becoming a slave to them. Those years, I thought I didn¡¯t want to deal with a disciple like this, so I left him to his own devices.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°What happened to him later?¡±


    Changming: ¡°He had already obtained the leader of the Qingyun School¡¯s powers behind my back. But I drove him away, ordering him to start everything anew. After that accident on the Sacred Mountain Wan, I¡¯ve had no intentions to inquire about him, so I don¡¯t know what happened.¡±


    Yun Hai thought to himself, no wonder he fell out with all his disciples, Sun Buku must detest his teacher.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have another disciple?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Are you talking about Song Nanyan?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Did you come up with all these names?¡±


    Yun Weisi: Yun ¡®not thinking¡¯


    Sun Buku: Sun ¡®within reason¡¯


    Zhou Keyi: Zhou ¡®can¡¯


    Song Nanyan: Song ¡®hard to say¡¯


    Changming: ¡°Right.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°What does Song Nanyan¡¯s name mean?¡±


    Changming: ¡°He was talking rubbish all day long, and I wanted him to keep quiet.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡­


    He suddenly felt a little compassionate towards these four disciples.


    Maybe, the reason they hadn¡¯t killed their teacher after they became famous was simply because he was stronger.


    ¡°Then Yun Weisi¡¯s?¡±


    Changming said languidly: ¡°What¡¯s the use of yearning, it¡¯s better not to think. When he came to me to become my disciple, he said he wanted to discard his old name and devote himself to the Dao, so I gave him this name.¡±


    Yun Hai sneered: ¡°Sure enough, you thought about him much more than about others. I really suspect that the other disciples were too jealous and indignant, and thus their deep hatred towards you was born.¡±


    Changming faintly smiled: ¡°Are you picking sourness and eating vinegar? You are my disciple whom I love as well, so this teacher came up with a new name for you. Since Yun Hai is a bit dull and is totally incompatible with your character, isn¡¯t it better to call you Yun Xin¡¯gan?¡±


    Picking sourness and eating vinegar: being jealous


    Xin¡¯gan: lit. heart and liver: darling or sweetheart


    Yun Hai: ¡­


    Looking at this person¡¯s casual nonsense now, he really couldn¡¯t believe that the past Changming was strict, harsh and serious in everything with his disciples.


    Yun Hai suddenly smiled, leaning closer to him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be called Yun Xin¡¯gan.¡±


    Yun Hai said in a low voice, singling out every word: ¡°But can I be called Yun Nianming? Bearing Jiufang Changming in his mind constantly, wants to see the person if he is alive, and the body if he is dead.¡±


    Nianming: in this case, ¡®caring about Ming¡¯, with ¡®Ming¡¯ from Changming.


    As virtue rises one foot, vice rises ten. Even though Changming was shameless, it still made him shudder.


    As virtue rises one foot, vice rises ten: a good person (Changming) is strong (in mocking), but the evil (Yun Hai) is ten times stronger.


    Before he finished saying ¡®dead¡¯, an arm stretched out to him from behind.


    Out of nowhere, silently.


    At the same time, Nie Emei screamed in fear.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help in time from her position.


    Sharp nails were about to touch Yun Hai¡¯s shoulder, when he turned around and attacked with his Chunzhao Sword.


    His opponent was forced to show themselves and retreat.


    Going many steps back.


    ¡°Stop, I didn¡¯t come here to kill you!¡±


    The Chunzhao Sword stopped. Its point was quivering, but its blade didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Talk.¡±


    Yun Hai¡¯s expression was ice-cold, not an ambiguous and teasing one like before.


    ¡°I give you three seconds.¡±


    The one in front of them was the demon who attacked Chen Ting and then ran away earlier.


    He was entirely different from before, and looked like a common middle-aged man now. Only some red scales on his face and arms betrayed his real self.


    ¡°They want to kill me, so I want to work with you! If you are willing to help me, I will tell you many things that you don¡¯t know about!¡±


    Changming: ¡°What things we don¡¯t know?¡±


    The demon: ¡°This massacre in Yuru Town was actually planned to catch souls for a Gathering Souls Pearl. The more dead people, the more grievances, and hence the stronger the Gathering Souls Pearl.¡±


    Changming said indifferently: ¡°We already know this. I hope you can tell us something useful.¡±


    He was sitting on the ground and looked powerless, but the Sifei Sword was trembling and buzzing near him, always ready to protect its owner.


    The demon said: ¡°On the Sacred Mountain Wan, they made a lot of sacrifices to summon me and others. They told us that they want to destroy the seal on the Sacred Mountain Wan, to unify the Human and Demon Worlds. From that time, we were free to wander through the Human World with no restrictions. The condition was that we¡¯ll help them to capture souls to refine Gathering Souls Pearls, and break the seal with a Heavens-defying formation.¡±


    Yun Hai ridiculed: ¡°They said this, and you believed them? Too naive indeed.¡±


    An angry look flashed across the demon¡¯s face.


    ¡°We had no choice. The Darkest Abyss is a place of hardships, with barren and frigid lands, and even immortals don¡¯t linger there. We all strive for the Human World, and it was the only chance.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Then why do you regret it now?¡±


    The demon: ¡°They need a murderer to blame for the massacre in Yuru Town, and I am precisely this scapegoat. I don¡¯t want to die, but I can¡¯t beat them alone, so I need partners. You managed to survive now partly because I helped you on the sly, killing cultivators among the living corpses. Otherwise, everything wouldn¡¯t have gone as smoothly. I¡¯m sure you understand this deep in your hearts.¡±


    Changming said: ¡°You said ¡®they¡¯. Who else apart from Chi Bijiang?¡±


    The demon: ¡°Situ Wanhuo and another one, who was wearing a mask all the time. I don¡¯t know him.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Chen Ting? You collaborated with him earlier, pretending to attack him to lure us outside the city walls.¡±


    ¡°Chen Ting?¡± he frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t know his name. He announced himself as Chi Bijiang¡¯s messenger, and Situ Wanhuo tacitly approved of this title.¡±


    Changming was silent for a short time, and then asked him unhurriedly: ¡°And what is Your Excellency¡¯s name?¡±


    Asking for the name meant the first step to collaboration, so the demon sighed in relief.


    Yun Hai set aside his Chunzhao Sword, and the demon¡¯s posture became more relaxed.


    ¡°Cang Tian.¡±


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre not connected to the main plot:


    Changming: Yun Xin¡¯gan.


    Read: Yun Darling.


    Yun Weisi: ???


    Yun Chang¡¯an: Your shifu is calling you!


    Yun Weisi: What on earth happened while I was asleep?!

 CH 38

    There exist all kinds of people, and demons didn¡¯t fall far behind in this aspect.


    They were different in appearance and abilities as well.


    But almost all of them yearned to leave for the Human World. This world had countless resources for cultivation, and its cities were thriving, peaceful and prosperous, not like the freezing Darkest Abyss at all.


    The ones who had gentle dispositions were willing to bow their heads and assimilate in the Human World, and even found daoist partners among cultivators or common people, concealing their identities. There were also ones like Zhang Mu, who chose a human to use his skin. They changed their names and travelled through the Human World openly. Even after several decades, they might still continue to live there unnoticed. And there were also fierce ones who seeked pleasure in tormenting people only to quench their desire to kill.


    Cang Tian was not like any of them.


    He wanted to be able to live openly and firmly under the bright sky, without concealing his origins, without hiding and running away just because people learnt about his nature.


    This paragraph explains his name: Cang is ¡®hide¡¯, and Tian is ¡®sky¡¯.


    That was why he decided to work together with the Wanxiang Palace without concern for their goals.


    ¡°They poisoned the Huliang Grass. Anyone who ate food containing it would have a greater or lesser reaction, vomiting worms and dying from stomach ache. However, it was actually not poison, but gu.¡±


    Gu: a venomous insect or parasite.


    Cang Tian was angered as well.


    He thought the Wanxiang Palace to be good partners, and didn¡¯t expect that once they would need a fake culprit to pacify the public, the first one to be cast aside would be Cang Tian, simply because he knew too much.


    Those who are of another kin are sure to have a different mind. Cang Tian understood well why his kin loathed humans so much.


    But he had to cooperate with these humans for now.


    Changming said: ¡°The Wanxiang Palace is not a sect of the three major religions. Many capable people gather there. One of Chi Bijiang¡¯s shimeis is good at mixing poisons and controlling gus. It is said that she can chop a person¡¯s head off while being a thousand lis away; this actually means that she can count the time of gu becoming active to kill her enemy when they are a thousand lis away.¡±


    Cang Tian: ¡°I don¡¯t know what they did, but these gus belong to the Wanxiang Palace for sure. However, the gus alone weren¡¯t enough if they wanted to kill all these people overnight, taking them under the gus¡¯ control. They needed another ingredient as well.¡±


    Changming: ¡°And you were this ingredient.¡±


    Cang Tian said calmly: ¡°Correct. I inserted demonic qi inside, and the poisonous gus became a hundredfold more formidable. Wherever they went, they strangled everyone, and even cultivators couldn¡¯t escape.¡±


    After the sky went dark, Yuru Town turned into a scene of bloody slaughter.


    A scene of foul wind and bloody rain, where neither people nor ghosts were safe.


    If Changming and Yun Hai hadn¡¯t interfered, this place would have turned into a ghost town, and traveling merchants would have prefered to go a long way around it than to pass through the town directly. Legends would have had it that people who break into this place would be captured by those resentful spirits with everlasting grievances. On one chance to survive¡ªnine chances to die; everyone would have heard of it, and over time, the grass would have overgrown this place, burying it under the wind and sand, turning the town into a tale.


    Things were mostly following the same direction. The massacre took place, and Cong Rong¡¯s eyes were lost. But two things were different: Cang Tian switched sides, and Situ Wanhuo¡¯s schemes were revealed.


    In the past, Changming and Yun Hai hadn¡¯t been there, and Cang Tian hadn¡¯t appeared as well. If what he said was true, since Changming never heard of him later, he probably didn¡¯t escape his bad luck.


    Also, Yun Chang¡¯an, Cong Rong and Nie Emei didn¡¯t know what happened behind the scenes in Yuru Town, and that the culprits were Situ Wanhuo and the Wanxiang Palace, so they were able to live peacefully for many years. Now, events were sped up, and the number of variables increased.


    Yun Chang¡¯an and Cong Rong didn¡¯t matter since they weren¡¯t cultivators and their words had no weight. No one would have believed them, so their fate wouldn¡¯t change.


    But Nie Emei was different. She was a disciple of the Zhenling Clan, and Situ Wanhuo and the Wanxiang Palace surely couldn¡¯t let her off.


    Although the Zhenling Clan was large and had many disciples, Nie Emei didn¡¯t stand out. Even if she disappeared somewhere soundlessly, the Zhenling Clan would think her to have had a mishap in her cultivation, and wouldn¡¯t try to get to the bottom of it.


    Moreover, this matter had too many implications, and the Zhenling Clan alone couldn¡¯t handle it.


    Changming frowned a bit. A thought crossed through his mind, and he quickly glanced at the three people near him.


    Cong Rong was leaning on a wall, her eyes closed; it seemed that she had fallen asleep, still wearing Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s outer robes.


    Her eyelids trembled slightly, and her hands holding his outer clothes shuddered a little, so she hadn¡¯t really fallen asleep.


    Yun Chang¡¯an was looking at the wall in a daze, his expression frozen. It was unknown what he was thinking about.


    Whether it was the Wanxiang Palace or Situ Wanhuo, the two of them had never associated with them. Even if they understood all the schemes that Cang Tian revealed now, they couldn¡¯t bear the shock from the massacred town.


    The only cultivator, Nie Emei, was pale as well, and couldn¡¯t believe what was going on.


    ¡°Refining one Gathering Souls Pearl requires so many lives. Since this one was broken, will they find a replacement by taking other lives?¡±


    Cang Tian said with malice: ¡°Do you think that one Gathering Souls Pearl is enough? If you want to set up a formation that goes against the heavens, turns the course of events and can start the primordial chaos, you need six Gathering Souls Pearls, and, naturally, the more souls that are gathered, the better. Who knows, maybe cultivators¡¯ souls can grant a Gathering Souls Pearl more power. None of you can escape this fate!¡±


    The more he said, the paler Nie Emei¡¯s expression became.


    ¡°Maybe Chi Bijiang is possessed by a demon?¡±


    Cang Tian sneered: ¡°You humans are always like this. If you can¡¯t explain something, you blame us, demons! You can continue to deceive yourself and others. Now that you¡¯ve seen Situ Wanhuo¡¯s true colors, when they come to kill you, you¡¯ll have to kneel down and beg for mercy immediately!¡±


    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Nie Emei was unable to finish her words.


    ¡°There is no use in understanding this matter now. You and I are already in the same boat, and they won¡¯t let a single one slip off.¡±


    Cang Tian was speaking gloomily and sorrowfully, his intonation like a candle in the wind, its flame flickering in the darkness. It was ineffably strange.


    Like a candle in the wind: person at death¡¯s edge


    ¡°When the first rooster crows, this place will turn into hell once again. After that, no one will be able to run away.¡±


    Nie Emei cried out involuntarily: ¡°What do you mean?! The Gathering Souls Pearl is already broken, the dead are resting in peace now, right?!¡±


    Cang Tian said indifferently: ¡°This place has nets set above and snares below, and the poison with demonic qi is only one trap. Before you even entered the city, it was surrounded with a formation. Evil spirits and wronged ghosts that haven¡¯t dispersed throughout the years are everywhere in the town. When the first rooster crows, the formation will be activated, and no one of the survivors will be spared.¡±


    Yun Hai raised his eyebrows: ¡°After the rooster crows, the sky will turn white. Even if it still isn¡¯t dawn, how will resentful spirits exist here?¡±


    Cang Tian: ¡°Chi Bijiang has thought of this a long time ago. Those evil spirits are resentful ghosts from several hundred years ago. Their qi gathered from resentment still hasn¡¯t scattered away, and they can move freely in bright light. What¡¯s more, they were forced to be a part of the formation, so they have already accumulated deep grievances. As long as the formation is activated, they will be eager to come out and tear the living people here to pieces.¡±


    Yun Chang¡¯an got up abruptly, venting out his accumulated rage.


    ¡°Then we should get out of here before the first rooster crows!¡±


    Cang Tian: ¡°You can try.¡±


    Yun Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t want to say empty words as well, so he jumped up suddenly, threw one line to Cong Rong, ¡°I will return for you at once¡±, and rushed towards the parapet wall.


    But Changming and Yun Hai didn¡¯t move.


    They knew that since Cang Tian said this, he had already tried himself.


    If he could go out, he would have done so without asking them for collaboration and saying so many unnecessary words.


    The entire Yuru Town had already become a large formation without people noticing it.


    After the sunset, it was activated, and no one could leave the town.


    Changming smashing the Gathering Souls Pearl was an unforeseen event. It could delay Chi Bijiang¡¯s plan, but she had a backup plan, so Chen Ting and Situ left them immediately without starting a fight¡ª


    Because they were sure that Changming and the rest of them wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the aggrieved souls after the first rooster crowed.


    Which meant they would have to welcome a more challenging battle.


    As expected, in a short period of time, Yun Chang¡¯an returned crestfallen.


    After going through so many shocking events, he had toughened a lot, so this time he at least didn¡¯t get angry with Cang Tian and the others. He jumped on the roof deck, came near Cong Rong, and sat near her.


    ¡°Every time I try to get out, it¡¯s as if I stumble upon a ghost building walls¡ªI eventually return back.¡±


    A ghost building walls: or a ghost pounding walls: something leads you in circles to return to the original place


    ¡°Not only you are unable to go out, the people from the outside can¡¯t go in either, facing the same situation. You cultivators are more sensitive than common people, and you won¡¯t enter a trap willingly, unless¡ª¡±


    At that moment, they were taking a break on the roof deck of a building in the center of the city. Originally, it was used by its owner to grow grass for hay. It was two stories high and was located right opposite the city gates, so they could clearly see everything from above.


    Just when they heard Cang Tian¡¯s words, a sudden noise came from the gates that he was looking at.


    A young man, as they could guess from his figure, slowly walked in through the city gate.


    His hair was rolled up in a bun. His attire was waving in the breeze, and he was holding a long sword.


    ¡°Unless they are silly rash fellows who know for sure there are tigers on a mountain, but still go up this mountain stubbornly.¡±


    Cang Tian finally finished his words.


    Changming: ¡­


    Yun Hai came closer and whispered in his ear.


    ¡°You used to be very cute.¡±


    Changming was expressionless: ¡°That year, I entered the city after the sunrise.¡±


    At that time, he saw no survivors in the town, let alone Nie Emei and Cang Tian.


    Yun Chang¡¯an and Cong Rong managed to survive by chance because they hid in the basement of a guest house. But they knew nothing about the whole matter, and surely were unaware of the conspiracy.


    ¡°Which demonstrates that history has changed.¡±


    Yun Hai looked at the approaching young Changming with great enjoyment.


    His face revealed the aura of his future formidable strength, but he still looked a bit inexperienced. After all, at that time he was only thirteen to fifteen years old.


    Yun Hai was very interested. He never thought he would see the young Jiufang Changming under such circumstances.


    That feeling was like looking at secrets that Changming was keeping concealed under a veil.


    Details changed, but overall the direction was still the same.


    For example, the massacre in Yuru Town; for example, Cong Rong¡¯s eyes.


    But the young Changming who appeared there was a big change.


    If he died in this place, there wouldn¡¯t be ¡®the strongest person in the world¡¯ in the future, and Yun Weisi wouldn¡¯t exist.


    Later, that would lead to earthshaking changes.


    Changming suddenly thought that the Liuhe Zhutian Formation was just one move in the game set by Chi Bijiang and others.


    In a large chess game that went on for many decades, luring them all inside.


    Perhaps, him entering the Nine Layers of the Abyss was also calculated by them.


    ¡°The person who set this trap is surely talented and bold.¡±


    At the same time, another person was also thinking of the same thing. Yun Hai sneered.


    ¡°But the larger the game is, the more flaws will be exposed.¡±


    As years and months passed, the flaws started to appear, and the game was slowly becoming evident.


    Contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, after the battle on the Sacred Mountain Wan, Changming didn¡¯t die, and finally returned after spending several decades in the Yellow Springs.


    They didn¡¯t expect Yun Weisi to cultivate the Heartless Dao in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and Yun Hai of the nighttime to appear.


    The young Changming came closer.


    He saw people on the roof, raised his head, and stopped walking.


    The night was dark, so everything was in dim and dreary colours.


    But cultivators had good eyesight, and that wasn¡¯t an obstacle.


    Nie Emei saw the others were not moving, so she got up and saluted by cupping her hands.


    ¡°Where did the daoyou come from, and what is your name?¡±


    ¡°How did everyone in this town die?¡±


    The young Changming didn¡¯t answer her question, and even asked one in reply.


    When one encounters a group of strangers they have never met before in a completely unfamiliar environment, the best choice is naturally to stay on guard.


    Nie Emei saw that he was wary of them, and said with a bitter smile: ¡°We weren¡¯t the ones who did this. It¡¯s a long story. Someone poisoned the city with gus, laid out a formation, and wanted us to die here to refine a Gathering Souls Pearl from the souls of the deceased.¡±


    Young Changming: ¡°There is a demon with you.¡±


    He saw through Cang Tian with one glance.


    Yun Hai continued to whisper to Changming.


    ¡°Shizun has had astonishing eyesight since childhood.¡±


    He never called him shizun, and this time, he was obviously assailing him with obscenities.


    Changming: ¡°¡­I was already thirteen.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Fine, you were already a grown-up.¡±


    This casual coaxing tone¡­


    Changming was too lazy to argue, so he pretended not to hear him.


    Nie Emei had no time to explain more.


    Somewhere in the town, a rooster¡¯s crow broke the silence of the long night.


    Except for the young Changming, the others became alarmed.


    Even if they didn¡¯t believe Cang Tian¡¯s words entirely, what happened next dispelled their last doubts.


    In the dark night, faint blue light started shining everywhere in the ghost city, transformed into human shapes, and gathered here.


    First slowly, then faster; first few, then many, like a roaring tempest.


    The rooster¡¯s crow didn¡¯t bring the dawn, didn¡¯t paint the world with light colors, but brought thousands of wailing souls and countless ghosts crying at the same time. They were coming in disorderly waves upon waves, surging like tides.


    The hustle and bustle of the daytime town was no longer there, replaced by a place filled with evil spirits and ghosts completely.


    There were many towns of this size in the vast desert. After that night, Yuru Town, swallowed by evil spirits, would soon be forgotten by everyone. There would be new strongholds built in the Gobi Desert for travelers to rest. Everything that happened here would soon disappear into oblivion, and at most it would be told as a post-dinner tale. Because most of the people who died here were ordinary people and low-key cultivators, no one would go to the bottom of the matter and find out the truth.


    When the young Changming swung his sword to cut through one of the evil spirits, even more blue lights gathered and began to burn his clothes and skin, so he decisively chose to jump on the roof and join the others.


    But the moment he saw Changming and Yun Hai holding the same sword as his Chunzhao, this determined and mature youth couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback.


    Yun Hai brandished his sword to cut a resentful spirit behind his back, and the blue lights suddenly shattered, turning into sparkling stars in the sky, gracefully and beautifully. But, if they touched a person, the yin flames would burn them, leaving no remains.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be distracted.¡±


    Yun Hai showed him a teasing smile.


    ¡°If you are afraid, you can come here to our side.¡±


    It seemed like he was taking pleasure in seeing the young Changming feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable in order to make the new Jiufang Changming, who was unperturbed by all desires, confused or angered.


    But the young Changming let him down.


    He threw Yun Hai a gaze, then looked at Changming again, as if he understood something.


    He turned his head and swung his sword, cutting through the evil spirit in front of him silently.


    It was unknown where Chi Bijiang found all these evil spirits and how she transferred them to the town. These evil spirits were not enough to refine a Gathering Souls Pearl, but they were a great threat to Changming and the others.


    Roars and wailings were coming from all directions, and the blue light faintly depicted human faces. Those were faces that contained all the malice of the world, almost embodying the essence of all the evil sides of human nature.


    They weren¡¯t good people while they were still alive, and after their death they were forced to submit to the formation, which made them even more resentful, so they were eager to tear the people in front of them to pieces.


    Yun Chang¡¯an and Cong Rong were only common people, and they had never encountered anything like this.


    Cong Rong couldn¡¯t see them, and only heard their terrible ghost wailings. She couldn¡¯t help but cover her ears tightly.


    But Yun Chang¡¯an was even more shocked. His martial arts couldn¡¯t be put to use here, so he and Cong Rong could only be protected by others, watching Changming take out several white paper puppets that turned into fierce beasts after landing on the roof, rushing to the evil spirits to bite them ferociously.


    The evil spirits were emitting blue lights, which were actually called ghost fires, a kind of flame that never appeared in this world. Ghost fire ignored every corporeal and immaterial thing, and even the puppets were quickly torn into pieces. The more puppets Changming released, the more violently the spirits attacked them.


    Very soon, they were pushed back to a hopeless situation.


    ¡°Just what can we do to break out of this formation?!¡±


    Nie Emei couldn¡¯t endure it any longer and shouted. She was nearly exhausted. Even though Changming, Yun Hai and Cang Tian were doing most of the work, she was still having a hard time.


    ¡°When we kill all these things, the formation will break itself.¡±


    Cang Tian said. The sword in his hand turned into two white lights, and he was cutting the spirits that approached him nonstop.


    How can we kill them all?!


    Nie Emei wanted to refute him, but she had no strength to speak anymore.


    A tongue of ghost fire assaulted her senses, as sudden as a lightning bolt. She heard her own heartbeat, and retreated, but too slowly.


    Bang!


    The ghost fire was smashed into pieces!


    It was Yun Hai¡¯s sword, Chunzhao.


    ¡°Go back!¡±


    Nie Emei quickly moved to the centre, to Yun Chang¡¯an and Cong Rong. The other four people swiftly adjusted positions, narrowing the circle to fill in the gap.


    Looking into the distance, the ghost fire was like a sea, almost occupying their sight.


    The endless flames were hiding the sky and covering the earth, arousing despair in people.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make him come out in advance,¡± Yun Hai suddenly said.


    Others couldn¡¯t understand his words, and only Changming knew what he meant.


    Yun Hai wanted Yun Weisi to appear earlier.


    He didn¡¯t want to admit that Yun Weisi was stronger. Since they shared one body, their abilities should have been equal.


    But Yun Hai was tired, which usually indicated the approaching dawn. Rather than making a mistake, it was better to let Yun Weisi take over.


    He closed his eyes and concentrated, but opened them again, obviously having failed.


    The sky was still dark, and, according to the rules, that time still belonged to him.


    The young Changming was in trouble as well.


    Ever since he started going out of his sect to practice, he had never encountered such a perilous situation.


    Although it was a good chance to advance in cultivation, he didn¡¯t need this chance if he would lose his life in the process.


    Previously, he encountered a ghost building walls outside of the city. If he was an ordinary person, he would have already left, but he felt that there was something weird about this matter, so he became interested and set up a small formation to break through a created gap and enter the city. But now he was trapped inside, and couldn¡¯t go out even if he wanted to.


    Seeing that there might not be a second chance this night, he took the opportunity to ask Changming standing beside him in a low voice.


    ¡°Just who are you?¡±


    He was really lacking self control back then.


    Changming smiled slightly.


    ¡°You already know the answer, why ask an unnecessary question?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only confirming my guesses. I never thought something that profound existed in this world.¡±


    ¡°Your guess is right.¡±


    ¡°Since you are like this, my future seems bleak.¡±


    ¡°I want to entrust you with one matter.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°If you can leave this place, you should look after the three of them, and ensure their safety.¡±


    ¡°Is this important?¡±


    ¡°Very important.¡±


    ¡°I promise you.¡±


    One from the past and the one from the present, they reached a tacit understanding without asking many questions.


    Many things that one Changming said, the other could understand at once.


    And even if they weren¡¯t clear yet, he would understand them after years.


    The ghost fires suddenly broke through Cang Tian¡¯s defense and pounced on him violently. Cang Tian made a mistake in confusion, exposing gaps in his defense, and the evil spirits viciously started swallowing his face.


    He uttered a heartrending cry, and his body fell to the roof, his double-edged sword crashed the ghost fires. But they were biting his skin even more violently, and very soon the ghost fires devoured his whole body, and his white bones came into sight.


    Yun Chang¡¯an and the others were shaken by this scene. Nie Emei gritted her teeth and filled the gap with her sword.


    Cang Tian was very powerful, but he was swallowed by ghost fires because of a momentary distraction. The pressure on the others could be easily imagined.


    A long night invites bad dreams. It can¡¯t be delayed any longer.


    A long night invites bad dreams: a long delay can cause many troubles.


    Changming thought.


    He knitted his fingers in a formula, slowly raising his sword.


    ¡°Sword points to the east, breaking through the Highest Heaven.¡±


    The black qi of the sword became denser, suspended in the air, and the Sifei Sword hummed, as if it was suppressed, and wanted to start pouring down in torrents.


    On the contrary, Changming¡¯s face was getting more and more pale.


    ¡°[The spirit pulls the spiritual nature, its might illuminating the universe, go]!¡±


    The author has something to say:


    ps1, Unexpectedly, the young Changming met the present Changming, it¡¯s a historical moment.


    ps2, Some friends are confused about how the past and the present influence each other (tn: +++). There is no need to try to remember everything, just one thing is fine:¡¾Major events can¡¯t be changed, only details like breaking the Gathering Souls Pearl¡¿. Yun Chang¡¯an and Cong Rong will have Yun Weisi, and the Liuhe Zhutian Formation will be set.


    Tn:


    I¡¯m sorry for incantations, this one and the rest of them you still haven¡¯t seen, but they are really a torture¡­ If anyone has a better translation for this ¡°ÁéÇ£Ìì»ú£¬ÍþÁÙÁùºÏ£¬È¥£¡¡±, you¡¯re welcome to correct me!

 CH 39

    Proofread by P. & Lucia


    The Sifei Sword moved swiftly as soon as Changming¡¯s words fell as if it heard the Heavens themselves.


    The sword¡¯s blade was originally pitch-black, not eye-catching at all. But at that moment, dark flames covered it, and then stretched out to every corner, making all the spirits retreat and keeping them off; thousands of ghosts disappeared at the same moment.


    The Sifei Sword created a whirlpool, and the ghost fires were sucked in and strangled there incessantly, and their shrieks, demanding human lives, turned into mournful wailing. But it was too late to cry about their resentment, as the blue colors were torn into pieces by the black flames, and its scattered bits fell to the ground.


    This scene was exceptionally beautiful, like a cloudless sky on a summer night.


    But no one had the heart to admire it.


    Cang Tian¡¯s remains hadn¡¯t gotten cold yet, mostly swallowed by the ghost fires. Only half of his face with his eyes wide open was left, silently showing the terror of the scene that he had seen.


    Since his sword is so formidable, why didn¡¯t he use it earlier so that we would have won sooner?


    This thought suddenly flashed through Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind.


    He couldn¡¯t help but cast Changming a glance. But when Yun Chang¡¯an saw his almost bloodless face, that thought immediately faded away, and he felt remorseful for needing protection and taking it for granted.


    Yun Chang¡¯an matured a lot that night.


    Cong Rong trembled slightly, and he caught her hand subconsciously.


    ¡°Everything will be alright.¡±


    He was comforting her and comforting himself as well.


    Since the day their elders arranged their marriage, they never looked at each other amiably. Who would have expected that they would go through such a perilous experience together in a small town near the border.


    Whenever Yun Chang¡¯an saw Cong Rong before, he saw flaws all around. He never said it out loud, but always thought that her looks lacked charm, that she was too noisy, and annoyingly enjoyed seeing him lose. The two of them couldn¡¯t get along at all. Even if they were forced to marry, this marriage would have probably been full of chickens flying and dogs jumping around, with no peaceful days at all.


    Chickens flying and dogs jumping around: chaotic


    Where were these thoughts now?


    He could only wish she would jump around and quarrel with him for hundreds of rounds again, fearing that she would never enjoy talking to him after what had happened.


    And it wasn¡¯t even certain whether they would manage to save their lives today.


    While Yun Chang¡¯an was letting his imagination run wild, the ghost fires that were blotting out the sky and covering the earth partially dispersed.


    The Sifei Sword killed every demon it met, and slaughtered every ghost it stumbled upon. The souls whose resentment almost soared to the sky were frightened, and didn¡¯t dare to attack where the point of the sword was moving, looking for other gaps.


    But others weren¡¯t idle either.


    The young Changming was very doubtful about the Chunzhao Sword in Yun Hai¡¯s hands, but he said nothing.


    The sword¡¯s glow was falling everywhere like rain, and its spiritual powers compensated for Yun Hai¡¯s and Changming¡¯s inability to use them. It was helping Nie Emei as well, creating a barrier with four corners for them, so that the ghost fire wouldn¡¯t break through.


    The second rooster crowed.


    Long shrieks resounded from the east to the west of the city, and the howling beasts and wailing ghosts couldn¡¯t conceal their obvious excitement.


    The innate fear of bright days angered these evil spirits who had long gotten used to living in the dark. Many ghost fires turned around and rushed towards the rooster, tearing it to pieces.


    But even if the rooster was silenced, it didn¡¯t mean that the dawn wouldn¡¯t come.


    The endless night was finally receding.


    The evil spirits seemed to have noticed this.


    They roared and howled insanely, attempting to swallow Changming and the others at the last minute.


    But then they suddenly calmed down.


    The fire ghosts swiftly scattered into every direction, drifting not far away and looking for gaps in the defence set by the humans who were already tired.


    The Sifei Sword trembled slightly.


    This spiritual weapon had been following Changming for many years, and encountered more desperate situations than the one they had to face today. It couldn¡¯t have given up that easily.


    There could be only one reason for this¡ª


    The Sifei Sword¡¯s master couldn¡¯t endure any longer.


    Changming closed his eyes, forming a formula with his fingers.


    The hem of his robes was fluttering in the wind, but his figure was steady and unmoved.


    Showing not a trace of weakness.


    But Yun Hai saw it clearly: even if his will was inordinately resolute, he was now like an arrow that was shot from a strong bow but had now become weak after flying a long distance.


    He was painstakingly suppressing all his old and fresh wounds, injured everywhere, on the verge of breaking down.


    He was like jade covered in cracks, and no one knew when it would finally rupture.


    Yun Hai¡¯s heart sank, and he stretched his hand out to hold the Sifei Sword.


    But the Sifei Sword had already reached the state of seeing neither affection nor emptiness, and didn¡¯t acknowledge other people. When Yun Hai¡¯s hand got closer, the sword¡¯s glow cut his skin, and blood started dripping from it drop by drop.


    Seeing neither affection nor emptiness: enlightened, sees no distractions


    As long as this person was not Changming, the Sifei Sword couldn¡¯t tell friend from foe.


    The evil spirits smelled the blood, and grew even more restless.


    A few couldn¡¯t help it and got closer, getting strangled at once.


    But they realized that the Sifei Sword¡¯s glow got a bit dimmer.


    Obviously, its owner wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain it for a long time.


    Far away in the distance, a white ray broke through the dark clouds, as if the sword¡¯s glow broke through the sky.


    The evil spirits had no more time.


    And the Sifei Sword¡¯s glow got a little weaker.


    They roared and rushed at them, breaking the barrier and thrusting into the circle of the sword¡¯s glow.


    Changming¡¯s sleeve was destroyed by the ghost fires, reduced into ashes.


    When Yun Chang¡¯an saw this, he shouted, and wanted to help Changming.


    Nie Emei couldn¡¯t help but turn to him again.


    The young Changming frowned, and wanted to block them with his sword.


    But they all were half a step late.


    The fire ghosts had already devoured more than half of his sleeve, and would inevitably reach his arm soon.


    Changming was about to follow the track of Cang Tian¡¯s overturned cart¡ª


    Track of an overturned cart: a way leading to a fall, a disastrous road that smn had already taken


    But then the sword¡¯s glow flourished!


    Dashing up to the bright sky!


    But this was not the Sifei Sword¡¯s qi, but Chunzhao¡¯s.


    And not of the Chunzhao Sword that young Changming was holding, but the one in Yun Hai¡¯s hands!


    The others noticed that Yun Hai¡¯s expression had turned strict and fierce.


    The white and black sword glows intertwined in the air, almost blinding people; the light was so bright that they couldn¡¯t open their eyes!


    In a short moment, they opened their eyes again, and saw Yun Hai slowly land with Changming.


    The evil spirits and ghost fires had already vanished, leaving no trace.


    The rays of the sun rising in the east shrouded Yuru Town, and the roof tiles were reflecting the lustrous light. As far as the eye could see, everything was quiet, covered with broken bricks and smashed tiles. Houses were ruined and people had perished.


    Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s legs went soft, and he collapsed to the ground.


    Cong Rong was pulled down by him.


    Nie Emei¡¯s heart was beating fast, and her chest was heaving. She heard the young Changming¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡±


    She turned her head, and realized that Changming and the others had disappeared all of a sudden.


    ¡°Why?!¡±


    Although they were strangers who met by chance like patches of drifting duckweed, they almost died together last night. She thought that they were taken away by someone¡¯s trick.


    ¡°Daoyou! Daoyou!¡±


    She shouted loudly, but received no answer.


    Changming and Yun Hai disappeared completely out of the blue, leaving no traces.


    ¡°Quickly, find them!¡±


    Nie Emei urged them anxiously.


    Yun Chang¡¯an said blankly: ¡°I saw a white light enveloping them just before they disappeared, as if¡­¡±


    As if they were not taken away by anything, but were forced to leave because they had no time.


    Because the one named Yun didn¡¯t show a surprised expression.


    The young man standing next to them hadn¡¯t yet sheathed his Chunzhao Sword.


    He was pondering, looking in the direction where they disappeared.


    ¡°Daoyou?¡±


    Nie Emei¡¯s voice returned him to his senses.


    ¡°They went where they should be. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The young Changming said, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t stay in this place any longer. I¡¯ll send you off first.¡±


    ¡­


    Yun Weisi was drifting through the chaotic sea, supporting Changming.


    This place was the rim of the Void Shore, the place one entered after leaving their memories. It was easy to fall into the sea of chaos here, unless one could find another memory to enter.


    He felt that Changming¡¯s breath was weak, almost nonexistent.


    At this moment, Yun Weisi didn¡¯t even have to waste any strength, and that person would still die for good.


    Just like every soul on the Void Shore, they were wandering through the past with no gains or achievements. People like this would eventually turn into dry bones; their souls wouldn¡¯t be able to break the shackles, and they would relive their grievances again and again, not dissipating for thousands of years.


    But Yun Weisi didn¡¯t expect Changming to free himself from the past so fast.


    He was like a bystander there, and all the resentments of the past were left undisturbed.


    For this reason, Changming was able to leave the memories of Yuru Town easily in a short time.


    Yun Weisi placed his hand on Changming¡¯s neck.


    He could feel his pulse with his palm.


    Changming¡¯s skin wasn¡¯t warm, but rather a bit cold.


    Changming had used too much energy in the battle, and the hair on his temple had even gone grey.


    When the oil runs out, the lantern goes out. His life was coming to its end.


    Changming moved slightly.


    He opened and closed his dried lips, as if he wanted to say something.


    Yun Weisi watched him for a while, and then lowered his head slowly to move his ear closer.


    ¡°The past has changed.¡±


    He heard Changming¡¯s words.


    ¡°But the general direction didn¡¯t deviate.¡±


    Yun Weisi poured a basin of cold water on him indifferently.


    Poured a basin of cold water: told the harsh truth


    ¡°Although you hindered their formation by smashing the Gathering Souls Pearl, they¡¯ll massacre another town to make up for the loss you brought.¡±


    ¡°Originally, slaughtering one town was enough for them to refine a Gathering Souls Pearl, but now they will exterminate one more town and one more city. You learned the truth, but at the price of killing the people from the town and city.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, although Nie Emei and the other two were under your protection then, later they died as well.¡±


    ¡°They received your help, but Nie Emei died once she left her sect to gain experience, and Yun Chang¡¯an with Cong Rong, although they survived for a number of years, died the same way, because internal struggles at court ruined their family.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, you found no evidence proving the guilt of Chi Bijiang and Situ Wanhuo. After you had heard Nie Emei explain the reasons for the massacre in Yuru Town, you went to the Wanxiang Palace to find them at once, and came right to the grand ceremony of the new master taking over the position. It is said that their previous master, Chi Bijiang, fell down a cliff that night, and no one knows whether she is alive or dead. Situ Wanhuo was possessed by demons just like before, and his Situ Family declined and fell. He didn¡¯t manage to resurrect the one he wanted, and his story ended right there.¡±


    ¡°You thought that the early knowledge would help you prevent everything, but in the end you achieved nothing.¡±


    ¡°There are many people like you who thought that this place would help them change the past, but in the end they all fell victim to their mistakes, and their souls are chained here.¡±


    Yun Weisi seldom talked so much. Every sentence now was said to dispel Changming¡¯s hopes.


    But Changming only smiled.


    ¡°You remember it, how great.¡±


    He was talking and coughing weakly, and blood started dripping down his mouth every time he moved. His voice was as light as a feather.


    But Yun Weisi heard him clearly.


    ¡°I did not go to the past to change it, but to recall it.¡±


    ¡°When the past changes, our memories come back to us.¡±


    ¡°And them butchering another town to refine a Gathering Souls Pearl is not my fault. Even if it wasn¡¯t for me, they would have massacred people for different reasons, killing one city after another. It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°It is very foolish to take responsibility for the culprits¡¯ misdeeds. If you wanted to disturb my heart with this, you had made a useless move.¡±


    ¡°Look, don¡¯t you remember a lot now?¡±


    ¡°Ah, my disciple, as virtue rises one chi, vice rises ten. Learn from your teacher diligently.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t talk much with his past self in the short time that they had spent in Yuru Town, the young Changming mostly understood those several phrases.


    He kept his word, and sent Yun Chang¡¯an and the rest of them back.


    The Yun and Cong Families still had disputes about the marriage, but Yun Chang¡¯an insisted, and finally got married with Cong Rong smoothly.


    They were living in harmony after they got married, and Yun Chang¡¯an was steadily getting on his feet. Not only did he participate in the Imperial Examinations, but even took the position of a court official. He often debated with others, speaking frankly, and became known as the Iron Mask Censor.


    Iron Mask Censor: there was actually a person with this title, Zhao Bian, a poet of the Song Dynasty, famous for being a strict and rigorous man


    But the ruling dynasty of those years, the Hong Dynasty, pushed a reactionary policy. As if the emperor was drunk or entranced, the eunuchs held all the power, and the court officials were not united in ideas. Some split into cliques, some sought protection with the eunuchs, and some thought too highly of themselves and refused to empathize with the common people and take heed of their sufferings.


    Although Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s background was refined, the emperor was annoyed by his constant advice, and soon found an excuse to demote him and send him to distant lands.


    When Yun Chang¡¯an was about to set out to his new post with his wife, a coup took place, with a eunuch concocting schemes. He was arrested at once. The emperor was enraged and ordered to investigate this matter.


    For a while, the capital was full of bloody rains and foul winds. Soon, Cong Rong¡¯s parents¡¯ home got implicated. Cong Rong and other married women from the Cong Family were not among them. However, for fear of being implicated, the Yun Family tried to force Yun Chang¡¯an to divorce his wife, but he refused categorically. In a rage, the emperor accused Yun Chang¡¯an of being one of the conspirators, and ordered him to be executed.


    Full of bloody rain and foul winds: reign of terror


    It was said that on his way to the execution ground, Yun Chang¡¯an was not only fearless, but even recited poems written by sages to prove his innocence.


    Sages: refers to certain famous wise people, like, say, Confucius.


    These two had only one son, Yun Weisi, whom no one dared to offer shelter to. The Yun Family shut their doors in front of him, but he refused to die meekly, and ran away alone. He crossed a thousand li to come to the Yuhuang Temple from the capital, and waited for them to accept him in the rain.


    The events took a detour, and finally everything returned to the original track.


    The difference was that, because Changming was warned in advance, he sent his shidi to stay in the capital, secretly sheltering Yun Chang¡¯an and his wife, and not only teaching Yun Weisi martial arts, but also teaching him how to cultivate.


    Perhaps because Yun Chang¡¯an and Cong Rong were not cultivators, and they hadn¡¯t been in contact with cultivators for so many years, they posed no threat, so they had been safe and sound for many years, suffering no assaults. In the end, everything ended as in the original history, and they died due to the court fight.


    But, having thought about it a little deeper, the culprits hiding in the dark may have already regarded Yun Weisi as an important piece on the chessboard. Since his existence was closely related to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, he couldn¡¯t die.


    Changming thought of this, and, naturally, so did Yun Weisi.


    He also felt that the story behind this matter was very huge and dreadful, and he needed more time to study it closely.


    The person in his hands was trembling violently, the hair on his temple was turning white. He regained consciousness.


    Yun Weisi grabbed his ice-cold wrist, sending him a little spiritual power.


    But Changming was like an emptied jar, and no matter how much spiritual power entered his body, it had the effect of quenching the fire of a cartload of firewood with one cup of water.


    Changming¡¯s hair was going gray.


    Although his face didn¡¯t change much, his hair was white as snow, like that of a beauty with flesh of ice and bones of jade.


    He fell into a deep slumber, and said nothing more.


    The chaotic sea was gently supporting them, letting them go up and down with the water surface without getting their feet wet.


    Time should have stopped forever in this place, but the man in his arms was slowly wearing away.


    Yun Weisi frowned slightly.


    If they left this place now, that would only make his condition more grave.


    He picked Changming up and floated towards the shimmering sea of stars in the distance.


    Yun Weisi raised Changming¡¯s hand and touched the closest of the glowing stars.


    He had thrown away his memories, so only Changming would be able to go to the past.


    Boom!


    A white light suddenly burst in front of his eyes.


    A fierce wind came abruptly, and Yun Weisi almost let Changming go.


    It wasn¡¯t just a fierce wind, they were in a storm.


    Heavy rain turned the earth and the sky into a single whole, and Yun Weisi couldn¡¯t even understand where they were.


    Someone shouted from a distance in the rain.


    ¡°Young master, are you boarding the ship?¡±


    ¡°Young master, come here quickly, no boats except for this one are setting off to the homeland tonight!¡±


    The heavy rain drenched the two of them, but Changming didn¡¯t wake up nevertheless.


    Yun Weisi quickly came closer to the man, and saw a boat on the shore indeed.


    A few heads were popping out from the ship¡¯s hold. It seemed that there were many people.


    A boatman in a bamboo rain hat and straw rain cape was standing under a tree near the shore, shouting to them.


    ¡°Young master, are you going or not! The rain is too heavy, you can¡¯t wait for the next boat! This lake is bigger than the sea, and the waves and wind are violent today; others don¡¯t dare to sail, and only I am going out to the waters!¡±


    Seeing him approach, the boatman breathed a sigh of relief but became anxious at the same time for fear that he was talking so much, but Yun Weisi wouldn¡¯t leave with him anyway.


    The people on the board started urging him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yun Weisi, holding Changming, wanted to board the ship.


    The boatman quickly grabbed him.


    ¡°Hey-hey, you haven¡¯t paid yet!¡±


    Yun Weisi stopped.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, it¡¯s one string. If you¡¯re discontented with the high price, you¡¯ll have to spend the night on the island, I won¡¯t take you!¡±


    Thank you: it¡¯s a special thank you that a seller would say to their buyers


    One string: of coins


    Yun Weisi was puzzled: ¡°What kind of money is used now?¡±


    The boatman: ¡­


    He thought that Yun Weisi was trying to dodge the ship fare, so he said no more useless words, turned around and went away, sparing his breath.


    Yun Weisi grabbed him, and passed him one piece of gold.


    The boatman beamed with joy at once.


    ¡°Come, come, young master, quickly board the ship, I have precisely two empty seats left!¡±


    He dragged for a long time before sailing, and the passengers were impatient from waiting. Many eyes fell on Yun Weisi who entered the hold last.


    The hold was indeed quite spacious. Five people were sitting there.


    This boat was considered a medium-sized one, and of course, there were more people working on it than just the boatman who was steering the ship. On the bottom hold, four people were paddling with force.


    Yun Weisi had no intention to engage in small talks with strangers, and went to the free seats in the corner.


    The people knew nothing about his identity, but they saw the Chunzhao Sword on his back, and guessed that he was not a commoner who could be pushed around.


    The three guests returned to their unfinished discussion soon after, and only the two female passengers were still throwing curious glances at them, especially at Changming¡¯s white hair.


    ¡°Just who said that a spiritual weapon with consciousness had appeared on the island? I made a futile trip, and even got caught in this hundred-year storm, what terrible luck!¡±


    ¡°Maybe the spiritual weapon was seized long ago?¡±


    ¡°No way! I hastened over here as soon as I heard the news, but found nothing in three days and three nights!¡±


    ¡°I heard that four days ago a flood dragon appeared and then vanished in the sea, creating clouds with one turn of his foot and rain with another, raising winds and waves. At that time, the island was flooded, maybe the weapon fell into the waters, and got lost there!¡±


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t raise his head, looking at Changming.


    His hair wasn¡¯t getting darker, but didn¡¯t continue to go grey either.


    He couldn¡¯t recall this event in the past. The conversation between the passengers gave him no clue as well, so he stopped listening to them and tried to send Changming spiritual powers again.


    Roar!


    A loud roar interrupted the speakers.


    The boat that was swaying from the beginning now began to shake fiercely.


    The female passengers screamed, and the male guests paled.


    Someone popped their head out, and saw a small greenish hill heaving from the water.


    The ¡°hill¡± suddenly slid and went back underwater in the blink of an eye.


    The person reacted immediately.


    What hill, obviously, it was a giant dragon!


    A flood dragon was almost a dragon, but still lacking cultivation to become one. However, it was still the overlord of this lake, and every time it moved, the people swayed violently, the waves almost overturning their boat.


    The people in the hold were also swaying from side to side, rolling around and shouting nonstop.


    Since they were hunting for the treasure, of course, they were cultivators. Even if their cultivation levels were low, they wouldn¡¯t simply wait for their death in the hold.


    Someone grabbed their weapons and rushed out from the hold in large leaps. The long whip in his arm wrapped around the flood dragon¡¯s head.


    This flood dragon was enormous. One turn of its body raised giant tides, and the whip was like a plaything for him. The dragon opened his mouth, caught the whip and raised both the whip and its owner into the air.


    Holding the person in his mouth, the dragon raised his head and let go of the man. He fell into the surging waves.


    Several more people went up to fight one after another, but not only was this dragon huge, it also had at least a master level cultivation base. Even a larger number of people would struggle to fight him, let alone this small pack.


    When the boat had almost overturned completely, Yun Weisi moved.


    The people saw a glowing sword fly out from the hold, brushing past the dragon¡¯s face.


    A part of the dragon¡¯s whiskers was cut off. The dragon was enraged. He hit the surface of the water with his tail, attacking Yun Weisi.


    The latter landed on the dragon¡¯s head, and his sword moved according to his wish, entangling the giant scaly green tail.


    The flood dragon felt a sharp pain, but Yun Weisi still threatened him in addition.


    ¡°If you dare overturn this boat, I will cut off your tendons.¡±


    His voice was ice-cold, out-of-this-world, and the dragon shook.


    ¡°Why is it you?¡±


    ¡°Why did you come back!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we agreed that you¡¯ll let me off? Wu-wu-wu, you can¡¯t go against your words!¡±


    The flood dragon¡¯s voice sounded in Yun Weisi¡¯s mind.


    Not only was it boorish and arrogant, but even resembled the voice of a girl who was crying and talking at the same time.


    At first, she was talking and crying, but then, there was only the ¡®wu-wu¡¯ whining sound.


    As if many flies were rushing in circles in Yun Weisi¡¯s head.


    Weng-weng-weng, weng-weng-weng.


    Weng: *buzzing in Chinese*


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    The sea of his consciousness was finally quiet.


    The sea of consciousness: his knowledge. It is said that people can enter it, for example, during the time they are asleep


    The surface of the lake gradually calmed down as well.


    The people on the boat still hadn¡¯t returned to their senses. They didn¡¯t know what Yun Weisi did, and only dared to watch from afar, but didn¡¯t get closer.


    ¡°Have we met before?¡± Yun Weisi asked her.


    ¡°Four days ago you beat me up so hard that I couldn¡¯t come out for some time. But I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! The wind and rain were so heavy today, and I slept underneath for a long time, so I wanted to come out and roll. Who knew that they would hit me? They were the ones who started it, you can¡¯t blame me! Why did you come back so soon, did you rescue your shifu?¡±


    Yun Weisi froze.


    The last words from the dragon were like a prick that pierced right through Yun Weisi¡¯s heart.


    As if it was actually pierced, and something was flowing out from it.


    ¡°Me, rescuing him?¡±


    ¡°Right! You said the Liuhe Zhutian Formation broke suddenly, and your shifu is gone forever. It was very strange, so there must be something behind this matter.¡±


    ¡°What else did I say?¡±


    ¡°You also said that you can use brute force to defeat anyone in the world, but you cannot dispel the misunderstandings for him. But you don¡¯t want him to be dishonored forever, and you can¡¯t allow anyone to say that he was bad at anything, so you must go to Sacred Mountain Wan in person and find the truth about what had happened on that day. Aiya, this Sacred Mountain Wan has now a horde of demons dancing in a riotous rampage there. I advised you not to go, but you didn¡¯t listen, and said you have to! Did you come back now because it proved impossible?¡±


    The flood dragon was proud of herself, and almost wagged her head joyously.


    ¡°I even offered you to wait until I refine a second Dragon Pearl, so that I would lend you the first. With a dragon¡¯s abilities, you can reach twice the result with the same efforts. Yet you didn¡¯t accept this. Do you regret it now?¡±


    ¡°A Dragon Pearl?¡±


    ¡°Right, bringing the dead back to life, nourishing powers. This dragon¡¯s Dragon Pearl is a rare treasure, I just finished it a few days ago. Others long for it, but can never obtain it; however, I owe you, so you are the only one¡­ Eh, why did your breath change so much? Obviously, you are still him, but why are you different?¡±


    She uses ¡®this dragon¡¯ instead of ¡®I¡¯ from time to time to sound polite


    ¡°I am me, myself from the future.¡±


    ¡°This dragon doesn¡¯t understand. But, if you finished, you came back at just the right time. I¡¯ve made great progress in my cultivation these days, and I feel like I am about to transform into a dragon. Let¡¯s exchange some moves, and see how my skills are at their peak. Tell you what, those guys from the Donghai Sea still look down on me, they think that they are more talented. Just wait for the day I become a dragon¡­¡±


    The flood dragon was rambling annoyingly in a girl¡¯s voice. She wanted to continue blabbering, lowered her head to drink some water, and asked Yun Weisi.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Yun Weisi hummed and uttered five words.


    ¡°Give me the Dragon Pearl.¡±


    The flood dragon: ???


    Was this man not listening to her at all?!


    Tn:


    This is probably what a flood dragon looks like:


    https://j.17qq.com/article/wfqnfphqy.html, the one from Baidu had no whiskers, unforgivable


    Proofread by P. & Lucia


    The Sifei Sword moved swiftly as soon as Changming¡¯s words fell as if it heard the Heavens themselves.


    The sword¡¯s blade was originally pitch-black, not eye-catching at all. But at that moment, dark flames covered it, and then stretched out to every corner, making all the spirits retreat and keeping them off; thousands of ghosts disappeared at the same moment.


    The Sifei Sword created a whirlpool, and the ghost fires were sucked in and strangled there incessantly, and their shrieks, demanding human lives, turned into mournful wailing. But it was too late to cry about their resentment, as the blue colors were torn into pieces by the black flames, and its scattered bits fell to the ground.


    This scene was exceptionally beautiful, like a cloudless sky on a summer night.


    But no one had the heart to admire it.


    Cang Tian¡¯s remains hadn¡¯t gotten cold yet, mostly swallowed by the ghost fires. Only half of his face with his eyes wide open was left, silently showing the terror of the scene that he had seen.


    Since his sword is so formidable, why didn¡¯t he use it earlier so that we would have won sooner?


    This thought suddenly flashed through Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind.


    He couldn¡¯t help but cast Changming a glance. But when Yun Chang¡¯an saw his almost bloodless face, that thought immediately faded away, and he felt remorseful for needing protection and taking it for granted.


    Yun Chang¡¯an matured a lot that night.


    Cong Rong trembled slightly, and he caught her hand subconsciously.


    ¡°Everything will be alright.¡±


    He was comforting her and comforting himself as well.


    Since the day their elders arranged their marriage, they never looked at each other amiably. Who would have expected that they would go through such a perilous experience together in a small town near the border.


    Whenever Yun Chang¡¯an saw Cong Rong before, he saw flaws all around. He never said it out loud, but always thought that her looks lacked charm, that she was too noisy, and annoyingly enjoyed seeing him lose. The two of them couldn¡¯t get along at all. Even if they were forced to marry, this marriage would have probably been full of chickens flying and dogs jumping around, with no peaceful days at all.


    Chickens flying and dogs jumping around: chaotic


    Where were these thoughts now?


    He could only wish she would jump around and quarrel with him for hundreds of rounds again, fearing that she would never enjoy talking to him after what had happened.


    And it wasn¡¯t even certain whether they would manage to save their lives today.


    While Yun Chang¡¯an was letting his imagination run wild, the ghost fires that were blotting out the sky and covering the earth partially dispersed.


    The Sifei Sword killed every demon it met, and slaughtered every ghost it stumbled upon. The souls whose resentment almost soared to the sky were frightened, and didn¡¯t dare to attack where the point of the sword was moving, looking for other gaps.


    But others weren¡¯t idle either.


    The young Changming was very doubtful about the Chunzhao Sword in Yun Hai¡¯s hands, but he said nothing.


    The sword¡¯s glow was falling everywhere like rain, and its spiritual powers compensated for Yun Hai¡¯s and Changming¡¯s inability to use them. It was helping Nie Emei as well, creating a barrier with four corners for them, so that the ghost fire wouldn¡¯t break through.


    The second rooster crowed.


    Long shrieks resounded from the east to the west of the city, and the howling beasts and wailing ghosts couldn¡¯t conceal their obvious excitement.


    The innate fear of bright days angered these evil spirits who had long gotten used to living in the dark. Many ghost fires turned around and rushed towards the rooster, tearing it to pieces.


    But even if the rooster was silenced, it didn¡¯t mean that the dawn wouldn¡¯t come.


    The endless night was finally receding.


    The evil spirits seemed to have noticed this.


    They roared and howled insanely, attempting to swallow Changming and the others at the last minute.


    But then they suddenly calmed down.


    The fire ghosts swiftly scattered into every direction, drifting not far away and looking for gaps in the defence set by the humans who were already tired.


    The Sifei Sword trembled slightly.


    This spiritual weapon had been following Changming for many years, and encountered more desperate situations than the one they had to face today. It couldn¡¯t have given up that easily.


    There could be only one reason for this¡ª


    The Sifei Sword¡¯s master couldn¡¯t endure any longer.


    Changming closed his eyes, forming a formula with his fingers.


    The hem of his robes was fluttering in the wind, but his figure was steady and unmoved.


    Showing not a trace of weakness.


    But Yun Hai saw it clearly: even if his will was inordinately resolute, he was now like an arrow that was shot from a strong bow but had now become weak after flying a long distance.


    He was painstakingly suppressing all his old and fresh wounds, injured everywhere, on the verge of breaking down.


    He was like jade covered in cracks, and no one knew when it would finally rupture.


    Yun Hai¡¯s heart sank, and he stretched his hand out to hold the Sifei Sword.


    But the Sifei Sword had already reached the state of seeing neither affection nor emptiness, and didn¡¯t acknowledge other people. When Yun Hai¡¯s hand got closer, the sword¡¯s glow cut his skin, and blood started dripping from it drop by drop.


    Seeing neither affection nor emptiness: enlightened, sees no distractions


    As long as this person was not Changming, the Sifei Sword couldn¡¯t tell friend from foe.


    The evil spirits smelled the blood, and grew even more restless.


    A few couldn¡¯t help it and got closer, getting strangled at once.


    But they realized that the Sifei Sword¡¯s glow got a bit dimmer.


    Obviously, its owner wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain it for a long time.


    Far away in the distance, a white ray broke through the dark clouds, as if the sword¡¯s glow broke through the sky.


    The evil spirits had no more time.


    And the Sifei Sword¡¯s glow got a little weaker.


    They roared and rushed at them, breaking the barrier and thrusting into the circle of the sword¡¯s glow.


    Changming¡¯s sleeve was destroyed by the ghost fires, reduced into ashes.


    When Yun Chang¡¯an saw this, he shouted, and wanted to help Changming.


    Nie Emei couldn¡¯t help but turn to him again.


    The young Changming frowned, and wanted to block them with his sword.


    But they all were half a step late.


    The fire ghosts had already devoured more than half of his sleeve, and would inevitably reach his arm soon.


    Changming was about to follow the track of Cang Tian¡¯s overturned cart¡ª


    Track of an overturned cart: a way leading to a fall, a disastrous road that smn had already taken


    But then the sword¡¯s glow flourished!


    Dashing up to the bright sky!


    But this was not the Sifei Sword¡¯s qi, but Chunzhao¡¯s.


    And not of the Chunzhao Sword that young Changming was holding, but the one in Yun Hai¡¯s hands!


    The others noticed that Yun Hai¡¯s expression had turned strict and fierce.


    The white and black sword glows intertwined in the air, almost blinding people; the light was so bright that they couldn¡¯t open their eyes!


    In a short moment, they opened their eyes again, and saw Yun Hai slowly land with Changming.


    The evil spirits and ghost fires had already vanished, leaving no trace.


    The rays of the sun rising in the east shrouded Yuru Town, and the roof tiles were reflecting the lustrous light. As far as the eye could see, everything was quiet, covered with broken bricks and smashed tiles. Houses were ruined and people had perished.


    Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s legs went soft, and he collapsed to the ground.


    Cong Rong was pulled down by him.


    Nie Emei¡¯s heart was beating fast, and her chest was heaving. She heard the young Changming¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡±


    She turned her head, and realized that Changming and the others had disappeared all of a sudden.


    ¡°Why?!¡±


    Although they were strangers who met by chance like patches of drifting duckweed, they almost died together last night. She thought that they were taken away by someone¡¯s trick.


    ¡°Daoyou! Daoyou!¡±


    She shouted loudly, but received no answer.


    Changming and Yun Hai disappeared completely out of the blue, leaving no traces.


    ¡°Quickly, find them!¡±


    Nie Emei urged them anxiously.


    Yun Chang¡¯an said blankly: ¡°I saw a white light enveloping them just before they disappeared, as if¡­¡±


    As if they were not taken away by anything, but were forced to leave because they had no time.


    Because the one named Yun didn¡¯t show a surprised expression.


    The young man standing next to them hadn¡¯t yet sheathed his Chunzhao Sword.


    He was pondering, looking in the direction where they disappeared.


    ¡°Daoyou?¡±


    Nie Emei¡¯s voice returned him to his senses.


    ¡°They went where they should be. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The young Changming said, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t stay in this place any longer. I¡¯ll send you off first.¡±


    ¡­


    Yun Weisi was drifting through the chaotic sea, supporting Changming.


    This place was the rim of the Void Shore, the place one entered after leaving their memories. It was easy to fall into the sea of chaos here, unless one could find another memory to enter.


    He felt that Changming¡¯s breath was weak, almost nonexistent.


    At this moment, Yun Weisi didn¡¯t even have to waste any strength, and that person would still die for good.


    Just like every soul on the Void Shore, they were wandering through the past with no gains or achievements. People like this would eventually turn into dry bones; their souls wouldn¡¯t be able to break the shackles, and they would relive their grievances again and again, not dissipating for thousands of years.


    But Yun Weisi didn¡¯t expect Changming to free himself from the past so fast.


    He was like a bystander there, and all the resentments of the past were left undisturbed.


    For this reason, Changming was able to leave the memories of Yuru Town easily in a short time.


    Yun Weisi placed his hand on Changming¡¯s neck.


    He could feel his pulse with his palm.


    Changming¡¯s skin wasn¡¯t warm, but rather a bit cold.


    Changming had used too much energy in the battle, and the hair on his temple had even gone grey.


    When the oil runs out, the lantern goes out. His life was coming to its end.


    Changming moved slightly.


    He opened and closed his dried lips, as if he wanted to say something.


    Yun Weisi watched him for a while, and then lowered his head slowly to move his ear closer.


    ¡°The past has changed.¡±


    He heard Changming¡¯s words.


    ¡°But the general direction didn¡¯t deviate.¡±


    Yun Weisi poured a basin of cold water on him indifferently.


    Poured a basin of cold water: told the harsh truth


    ¡°Although you hindered their formation by smashing the Gathering Souls Pearl, they¡¯ll massacre another town to make up for the loss you brought.¡±


    ¡°Originally, slaughtering one town was enough for them to refine a Gathering Souls Pearl, but now they will exterminate one more town and one more city. You learned the truth, but at the price of killing the people from the town and city.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, although Nie Emei and the other two were under your protection then, later they died as well.¡±


    ¡°They received your help, but Nie Emei died once she left her sect to gain experience, and Yun Chang¡¯an with Cong Rong, although they survived for a number of years, died the same way, because internal struggles at court ruined their family.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, you found no evidence proving the guilt of Chi Bijiang and Situ Wanhuo. After you had heard Nie Emei explain the reasons for the massacre in Yuru Town, you went to the Wanxiang Palace to find them at once, and came right to the grand ceremony of the new master taking over the position. It is said that their previous master, Chi Bijiang, fell down a cliff that night, and no one knows whether she is alive or dead. Situ Wanhuo was possessed by demons just like before, and his Situ Family declined and fell. He didn¡¯t manage to resurrect the one he wanted, and his story ended right there.¡±


    ¡°You thought that the early knowledge would help you prevent everything, but in the end you achieved nothing.¡±


    ¡°There are many people like you who thought that this place would help them change the past, but in the end they all fell victim to their mistakes, and their souls are chained here.¡±


    Yun Weisi seldom talked so much. Every sentence now was said to dispel Changming¡¯s hopes.


    But Changming only smiled.


    ¡°You remember it, how great.¡±


    He was talking and coughing weakly, and blood started dripping down his mouth every time he moved. His voice was as light as a feather.


    But Yun Weisi heard him clearly.


    ¡°I did not go to the past to change it, but to recall it.¡±


    ¡°When the past changes, our memories come back to us.¡±


    ¡°And them butchering another town to refine a Gathering Souls Pearl is not my fault. Even if it wasn¡¯t for me, they would have massacred people for different reasons, killing one city after another. It has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°It is very foolish to take responsibility for the culprits¡¯ misdeeds. If you wanted to disturb my heart with this, you had made a useless move.¡±


    ¡°Look, don¡¯t you remember a lot now?¡±


    ¡°Ah, my disciple, as virtue rises one chi, vice rises ten. Learn from your teacher diligently.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t talk much with his past self in the short time that they had spent in Yuru Town, the young Changming mostly understood those several phrases.


    He kept his word, and sent Yun Chang¡¯an and the rest of them back.


    The Yun and Cong Families still had disputes about the marriage, but Yun Chang¡¯an insisted, and finally got married with Cong Rong smoothly.


    They were living in harmony after they got married, and Yun Chang¡¯an was steadily getting on his feet. Not only did he participate in the Imperial Examinations, but even took the position of a court official. He often debated with others, speaking frankly, and became known as the Iron Mask Censor.


    Iron Mask Censor: there was actually a person with this title, Zhao Bian, a poet of the Song Dynasty, famous for being a strict and rigorous man


    But the ruling dynasty of those years, the Hong Dynasty, pushed a reactionary policy. As if the emperor was drunk or entranced, the eunuchs held all the power, and the court officials were not united in ideas. Some split into cliques, some sought protection with the eunuchs, and some thought too highly of themselves and refused to empathize with the common people and take heed of their sufferings.


    Although Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s background was refined, the emperor was annoyed by his constant advice, and soon found an excuse to demote him and send him to distant lands.


    When Yun Chang¡¯an was about to set out to his new post with his wife, a coup took place, with a eunuch concocting schemes. He was arrested at once. The emperor was enraged and ordered to investigate this matter.


    For a while, the capital was full of bloody rains and foul winds. Soon, Cong Rong¡¯s parents¡¯ home got implicated. Cong Rong and other married women from the Cong Family were not among them. However, for fear of being implicated, the Yun Family tried to force Yun Chang¡¯an to divorce his wife, but he refused categorically. In a rage, the emperor accused Yun Chang¡¯an of being one of the conspirators, and ordered him to be executed.


    Full of bloody rain and foul winds: reign of terror


    It was said that on his way to the execution ground, Yun Chang¡¯an was not only fearless, but even recited poems written by sages to prove his innocence.


    Sages: refers to certain famous wise people, like, say, Confucius.


    These two had only one son, Yun Weisi, whom no one dared to offer shelter to. The Yun Family shut their doors in front of him, but he refused to die meekly, and ran away alone. He crossed a thousand li to come to the Yuhuang Temple from the capital, and waited for them to accept him in the rain.


    The events took a detour, and finally everything returned to the original track.


    The difference was that, because Changming was warned in advance, he sent his shidi to stay in the capital, secretly sheltering Yun Chang¡¯an and his wife, and not only teaching Yun Weisi martial arts, but also teaching him how to cultivate.


    Perhaps because Yun Chang¡¯an and Cong Rong were not cultivators, and they hadn¡¯t been in contact with cultivators for so many years, they posed no threat, so they had been safe and sound for many years, suffering no assaults. In the end, everything ended as in the original history, and they died due to the court fight.


    But, having thought about it a little deeper, the culprits hiding in the dark may have already regarded Yun Weisi as an important piece on the chessboard. Since his existence was closely related to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, he couldn¡¯t die.


    Changming thought of this, and, naturally, so did Yun Weisi.


    He also felt that the story behind this matter was very huge and dreadful, and he needed more time to study it closely.


    The person in his hands was trembling violently, the hair on his temple was turning white. He regained consciousness.


    Yun Weisi grabbed his ice-cold wrist, sending him a little spiritual power.


    But Changming was like an emptied jar, and no matter how much spiritual power entered his body, it had the effect of quenching the fire of a cartload of firewood with one cup of water.


    Changming¡¯s hair was going gray.


    Although his face didn¡¯t change much, his hair was white as snow, like that of a beauty with flesh of ice and bones of jade.


    He fell into a deep slumber, and said nothing more.


    The chaotic sea was gently supporting them, letting them go up and down with the water surface without getting their feet wet.


    Time should have stopped forever in this place, but the man in his arms was slowly wearing away.


    Yun Weisi frowned slightly.


    If they left this place now, that would only make his condition more grave.


    He picked Changming up and floated towards the shimmering sea of stars in the distance.


    Yun Weisi raised Changming¡¯s hand and touched the closest of the glowing stars.


    He had thrown away his memories, so only Changming would be able to go to the past.


    Boom!


    A white light suddenly burst in front of his eyes.


    A fierce wind came abruptly, and Yun Weisi almost let Changming go.


    It wasn¡¯t just a fierce wind, they were in a storm.


    Heavy rain turned the earth and the sky into a single whole, and Yun Weisi couldn¡¯t even understand where they were.


    Someone shouted from a distance in the rain.


    ¡°Young master, are you boarding the ship?¡±


    ¡°Young master, come here quickly, no boats except for this one are setting off to the homeland tonight!¡±


    The heavy rain drenched the two of them, but Changming didn¡¯t wake up nevertheless.


    Yun Weisi quickly came closer to the man, and saw a boat on the shore indeed.


    A few heads were popping out from the ship¡¯s hold. It seemed that there were many people.


    A boatman in a bamboo rain hat and straw rain cape was standing under a tree near the shore, shouting to them.


    ¡°Young master, are you going or not! The rain is too heavy, you can¡¯t wait for the next boat! This lake is bigger than the sea, and the waves and wind are violent today; others don¡¯t dare to sail, and only I am going out to the waters!¡±


    Seeing him approach, the boatman breathed a sigh of relief but became anxious at the same time for fear that he was talking so much, but Yun Weisi wouldn¡¯t leave with him anyway.


    The people on the board started urging him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yun Weisi, holding Changming, wanted to board the ship.


    The boatman quickly grabbed him.


    ¡°Hey-hey, you haven¡¯t paid yet!¡±


    Yun Weisi stopped.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, it¡¯s one string. If you¡¯re discontented with the high price, you¡¯ll have to spend the night on the island, I won¡¯t take you!¡±


    Thank you: it¡¯s a special thank you that a seller would say to their buyers


    One string: of coins


    Yun Weisi was puzzled: ¡°What kind of money is used now?¡±


    The boatman: ¡­


    He thought that Yun Weisi was trying to dodge the ship fare, so he said no more useless words, turned around and went away, sparing his breath.


    Yun Weisi grabbed him, and passed him one piece of gold.


    The boatman beamed with joy at once.


    ¡°Come, come, young master, quickly board the ship, I have precisely two empty seats left!¡±


    He dragged for a long time before sailing, and the passengers were impatient from waiting. Many eyes fell on Yun Weisi who entered the hold last.


    The hold was indeed quite spacious. Five people were sitting there.


    This boat was considered a medium-sized one, and of course, there were more people working on it than just the boatman who was steering the ship. On the bottom hold, four people were paddling with force.


    Yun Weisi had no intention to engage in small talks with strangers, and went to the free seats in the corner.


    The people knew nothing about his identity, but they saw the Chunzhao Sword on his back, and guessed that he was not a commoner who could be pushed around.


    The three guests returned to their unfinished discussion soon after, and only the two female passengers were still throwing curious glances at them, especially at Changming¡¯s white hair.


    ¡°Just who said that a spiritual weapon with consciousness had appeared on the island? I made a futile trip, and even got caught in this hundred-year storm, what terrible luck!¡±


    ¡°Maybe the spiritual weapon was seized long ago?¡±


    ¡°No way! I hastened over here as soon as I heard the news, but found nothing in three days and three nights!¡±


    ¡°I heard that four days ago a flood dragon appeared and then vanished in the sea, creating clouds with one turn of his foot and rain with another, raising winds and waves. At that time, the island was flooded, maybe the weapon fell into the waters, and got lost there!¡±


    Yun Weisi didn¡¯t raise his head, looking at Changming.


    His hair wasn¡¯t getting darker, but didn¡¯t continue to go grey either.


    He couldn¡¯t recall this event in the past. The conversation between the passengers gave him no clue as well, so he stopped listening to them and tried to send Changming spiritual powers again.


    Roar!


    A loud roar interrupted the speakers.


    The boat that was swaying from the beginning now began to shake fiercely.


    The female passengers screamed, and the male guests paled.


    Someone popped their head out, and saw a small greenish hill heaving from the water.


    The ¡°hill¡± suddenly slid and went back underwater in the blink of an eye.


    The person reacted immediately.


    What hill, obviously, it was a giant dragon!


    A flood dragon was almost a dragon, but still lacking cultivation to become one. However, it was still the overlord of this lake, and every time it moved, the people swayed violently, the waves almost overturning their boat.


    The people in the hold were also swaying from side to side, rolling around and shouting nonstop.


    Since they were hunting for the treasure, of course, they were cultivators. Even if their cultivation levels were low, they wouldn¡¯t simply wait for their death in the hold.


    Someone grabbed their weapons and rushed out from the hold in large leaps. The long whip in his arm wrapped around the flood dragon¡¯s head.


    This flood dragon was enormous. One turn of its body raised giant tides, and the whip was like a plaything for him. The dragon opened his mouth, caught the whip and raised both the whip and its owner into the air.


    Holding the person in his mouth, the dragon raised his head and let go of the man. He fell into the surging waves.


    Several more people went up to fight one after another, but not only was this dragon huge, it also had at least a master level cultivation base. Even a larger number of people would struggle to fight him, let alone this small pack.


    When the boat had almost overturned completely, Yun Weisi moved.


    The people saw a glowing sword fly out from the hold, brushing past the dragon¡¯s face.


    A part of the dragon¡¯s whiskers was cut off. The dragon was enraged. He hit the surface of the water with his tail, attacking Yun Weisi.


    The latter landed on the dragon¡¯s head, and his sword moved according to his wish, entangling the giant scaly green tail.


    The flood dragon felt a sharp pain, but Yun Weisi still threatened him in addition.


    ¡°If you dare overturn this boat, I will cut off your tendons.¡±


    His voice was ice-cold, out-of-this-world, and the dragon shook.


    ¡°Why is it you?¡±


    ¡°Why did you come back!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we agreed that you¡¯ll let me off? Wu-wu-wu, you can¡¯t go against your words!¡±


    The flood dragon¡¯s voice sounded in Yun Weisi¡¯s mind.


    Not only was it boorish and arrogant, but even resembled the voice of a girl who was crying and talking at the same time.


    At first, she was talking and crying, but then, there was only the ¡®wu-wu¡¯ whining sound.


    As if many flies were rushing in circles in Yun Weisi¡¯s head.


    Weng-weng-weng, weng-weng-weng.


    Weng: *buzzing in Chinese*


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    The sea of his consciousness was finally quiet.


    The sea of consciousness: his knowledge. It is said that people can enter it, for example, during the time they are asleep


    The surface of the lake gradually calmed down as well.


    The people on the boat still hadn¡¯t returned to their senses. They didn¡¯t know what Yun Weisi did, and only dared to watch from afar, but didn¡¯t get closer.


    ¡°Have we met before?¡± Yun Weisi asked her.


    ¡°Four days ago you beat me up so hard that I couldn¡¯t come out for some time. But I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! The wind and rain were so heavy today, and I slept underneath for a long time, so I wanted to come out and roll. Who knew that they would hit me? They were the ones who started it, you can¡¯t blame me! Why did you come back so soon, did you rescue your shifu?¡±


    Yun Weisi froze.


    The last words from the dragon were like a prick that pierced right through Yun Weisi¡¯s heart.


    As if it was actually pierced, and something was flowing out from it.


    ¡°Me, rescuing him?¡±


    ¡°Right! You said the Liuhe Zhutian Formation broke suddenly, and your shifu is gone forever. It was very strange, so there must be something behind this matter.¡±


    ¡°What else did I say?¡±


    ¡°You also said that you can use brute force to defeat anyone in the world, but you cannot dispel the misunderstandings for him. But you don¡¯t want him to be dishonored forever, and you can¡¯t allow anyone to say that he was bad at anything, so you must go to Sacred Mountain Wan in person and find the truth about what had happened on that day. Aiya, this Sacred Mountain Wan has now a horde of demons dancing in a riotous rampage there. I advised you not to go, but you didn¡¯t listen, and said you have to! Did you come back now because it proved impossible?¡±


    The flood dragon was proud of herself, and almost wagged her head joyously.


    ¡°I even offered you to wait until I refine a second Dragon Pearl, so that I would lend you the first. With a dragon¡¯s abilities, you can reach twice the result with the same efforts. Yet you didn¡¯t accept this. Do you regret it now?¡±


    ¡°A Dragon Pearl?¡±


    ¡°Right, bringing the dead back to life, nourishing powers. This dragon¡¯s Dragon Pearl is a rare treasure, I just finished it a few days ago. Others long for it, but can never obtain it; however, I owe you, so you are the only one¡­ Eh, why did your breath change so much? Obviously, you are still him, but why are you different?¡±


    She uses ¡®this dragon¡¯ instead of ¡®I¡¯ from time to time to sound polite


    ¡°I am me, myself from the future.¡±


    ¡°This dragon doesn¡¯t understand. But, if you finished, you came back at just the right time. I¡¯ve made great progress in my cultivation these days, and I feel like I am about to transform into a dragon. Let¡¯s exchange some moves, and see how my skills are at their peak. Tell you what, those guys from the Donghai Sea still look down on me, they think that they are more talented. Just wait for the day I become a dragon¡­¡±


    The flood dragon was rambling annoyingly in a girl¡¯s voice. She wanted to continue blabbering, lowered her head to drink some water, and asked Yun Weisi.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Yun Weisi hummed and uttered five words.


    ¡°Give me the Dragon Pearl.¡±


    The flood dragon: ???


    Was this man not listening to her at all?!


    Tn:


    This is probably what a flood dragon looks like:


    https://j.17qq.com/article/wfqnfphqy.html, the one from Baidu had no whiskers, unforgivable

 CH 40

    Proofread by Blossom & Lucia


    Guarding the heart of a formation was qi as undefiable as an emperor¡¯s decree.


    Stars were scattered all around, streams overflowed the lands.


    A light was suspended in the air, flickering weakly in the violent gales of the mist.


    Changming heard countless chaotic voices.


    Yet he stood firmly till the end.


    Because he was waiting.


    Waiting for others to lose patience first.


    The Liuhe Zhutian Formation, a one-of-a-kind masterpiece in the world, blessed with fortune, was created painstakingly by the collaborative efforts of the greatest masters.


    With the completion of this formation, the Sacred Mountain Wan would be wholly sealed, and demons would henceforth never again bring calamity to the Human realm via access through the mountain.


    There was never any doubt as to the truth of it.


    To ensure that nothing would go wrong, he did a pre-examination of every nook of the formation meticulously, making sure that it had not been tampered with by any ill-intentioned persons.


    The six masters only needed to take their positions, and, if no one made a mistake, the Liuhe Zhutian Formation could be completed.


    Even if something unforeseen were to happen midway through, Changming would be skilled enough to bring it under control.


    Huh?


    Something felt wrong¡­


    Confused screams were getting louder.


    The thick fog had increased in density, obscuring the brilliant illumination of the formation, leaving a weak flickering luminescence before his straining eyes.


    It was about to die out!


    With a swift sword technique, Changming strengthened the spiritual powers around the formation, succeeding in revitalising the dying light.


    But it would not last long.


    The demonic qi, hidden in the thick fog, was leaking out insidiously in thousands of filaments and myriads of threads.


    Though unable to make out the situation of the other guardians of the formation, judging by the frantic screams, Changming had a sense of foreboding.


    Without much ado, he flicked a wrist to issue a new command.


    ¡°Sword, come.¡±


    The Sifei Sword flew out, shielding him and warding off the evil spirits while dispersing the thick fog.


    Seeing the scene that unfolded clearly before him, Changming frowned heavily.


    Pointing swords at each other, those who had been supporting the formation from outside were now fighting fiercely.


    With chillingly reddened eyes, past companions attacked one another mercilessly, slicing off body parts and shoving them into their mouths gluttonously, as if they had been starving for three days and three nights straight.


    Blood was flowing in rivers, bodies were lying all over in red-stained grass.


    But not a trace of demons could be seen.


    With the formation incomplete, enemies in the dark had won without staining their weapons with blood, simply by disintegrating their forces.


    Friends turned against each other, swinging swords with killing intentions, but the guardians of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, who were engrossed in protecting it, moved not an inch.


    At this time, a strong gust of wind came from the right.


    Changming flinched and swiftly erected a barrier of spiritual powers.


    But that gust of wind swept past him, aiming at the cultivators to his left.


    He turned to the direction from whence the wind came.


    Though the sudden wind shrouded the place with dense fog once more, the expression of the one standing in the fog was faintly discernible, and Changming only captured his smile well.


    That was¡­!


    The lamps went out one by one.


    The rising and falling of screams filled the air, and the formation barrier, with its initial hairline crack visibly spreading, could shatter into pieces any moment.


    When one of the formation guardians fell, leaving a gap bereft of protection, it was difficult to tell how long the other could hold their positions.


    The failure of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation seemed inevitable.


    It was fortunate that Changming was prepared. Should the formation collapse, a new one would arise, resisting the opening of a passage for the schemers.


    Even if it were so, the evildoers would definitely be reluctant to destroy the Sacred Mountain Wan which held countless treasures within its depth. Instead, they would attempt to modify the formation, building a new one that would not only conceal their goals, but also turn it into a stronghold for their nefarious schemes.


    As for Changming¡ª


    So long as he was alive, there would be hope.


    After all, one day, he would¡­


    Return after overcoming tribulations.


    ¡­


    Changming trembled slightly.


    Following the rocking of the boat, his head tilted to the side, and some fresh blood ran down from the corner of his mouth.


    The jade crown that tied up his hair was long since gone. His long hair, half-white, gradually turning black near the hair root, was scattered on his shoulders.


    Yu Qiang could not help but gaze at him once more.


    Truly beautiful, like an immortal.


    But why is he wounded so seriously?


    Cultivators who came to the island in search of treasures had not heard of anyone receiving a wound that severe. All of them had returned empty-handed, as she did. The storm was quieting down, and with it, their ambitions.


    Yu Qiang¡¯s cultivation level was low, and she had jumped on the bandwagon to gain some experience and watch the excitement. When she heard that the flood dragon was causing trouble, she had naturally not dared venture out, hiding instead in the ship¡¯s hold with the boatman.


    When the others had gone out to assess the situation, she had remained behind, cautiously studying the unconscious man.


    ¡°Daoyou, are you alright?¡±


    Unsurprisingly, Changming could not answer her.


    Her: my raws say ¡®him¡¯, I assume it¡¯s a mistake


    Yu Qiang saw the blood dribble unceasingly from the corner of his mouth, sliding down his cheek towards his earlobe. She felt a sudden compulsion to wipe it away with her sleeve.


    Just when her sleeve touched Changming, a hand grabbed her wrist.


    Surprisingly, Yu Qiang hadn¡¯t noticed him approaching.


    She raised her head, startled.


    The man¡¯s companion, who had just gone out to battle against the flood dragon with the others, was now watching her with a face devoid of expression.


    Yun Weisi was drenched, but his gaze on the female cultivator was frightening.


    Feeling an invisible power oppress her, Yu Qiang snatched back her hand and silently took a step back.


    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡±


    Yun Weisi did not bother responding, bending over to sense Changming¡¯s inner breath through his pulse. In a little while, he took out the Dragon Pearl and released it above Changming¡¯s forehead.


    The pearl was floating in the air, emitting faint glows. Like revolving stars, these rays entered his body.


    The white hair darkened at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    Yu Qiang gazed blankly at the remarkable phenomenon.


    She was not the only one astounded at the sight. Those who returned from watching the fuss outside were all staring, agogged.


    ¡°A Dragon Pearl!¡±


    Someone shouted, instantly stirring up a commotion.


    It was a priceless cultivation treasure, the essence of a flood dragon¡¯s cultivation accumulated over several centuries, gathered in a pearl.


    Such a treasure it was that, while not being able to transform a non-cultivator into an immortal, granting its bearer a prolonged lifespan was an assured certainty!


    And imagine the wonders it would do in the hands of a cultivator, especially one who had the strength, determination and compatibility! Advancing in one¡¯s cultivation by leaps and bounds would surely be within one¡¯s grasp!


    Having searched high and low in vain for the treasures rumoured to be found on the island, now that a peerless treasure had appeared out of the blue, covetous eyes lit up one by one, as bees to honeypot!


    The winner takes it all, and the weak falls prey to the strong. To seize the prized possession, ruthlessness must be the name of the game!


    Any righteousness the cultivators had was scattered to the four winds as greed overtook them.


    A multitude of grasping hands stretched out towards the luminescent orb, heedless of any who would witness their thievery.


    If you could get hold of a Dragon Pearl, who would care how you got it!


    The man in the foremost suddenly felt his body become light, and was the first to fly forcibly out of the ship¡¯s hold, with the others similarly kicked out in succession!


    His mind went blank, and everything happened so fast that he had no time to react.


    As the man sailed through the air, he saw the others being ejected almost simultaneously, some with their own swords piercing their bodies, he could only congratulate himself for being lucky.


    The lucky cultivator had only wanted to grab the pearl, bore no killing intention, and did not use a spiritual weapon; otherwise, his dignity might not have been the only thing he lost!


    With this thought, the man fell heavily into the lake, and water poured in through his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, shattering all his thoughts.


    Having learned a lesson from the sorry plight of the others, the remaining two female cultivators did not dare move.


    Yu Qiang had had no intention to attack from the beginning. She was silently watching the beauty illuminated by the glowing pearl. His face was no longer that pale, even regaining the healthy color.


    And the pearl¡¯s rays were getting dimmer.


    Finally, the light went out completely, and the pearl reverted to a normal lustrousness that might pass it off as a fake from an antique store.


    Yun Weisi reached out with his hand, and the pearl fell into his palm.


    He looked at Changming¡¯s hair. It had not regained all its original color, remaining snow-white near the hair ends.


    But nothing else could be done¡ªthey only had this one Dragon Pearl and the flood dragon hadn¡¯t finished refining the second one yet.


    With the pearl in hand, Yun Weisi went out from the hold.


    ¡°Long Qing.¡±


    Obviously, she was not yet a dragon, but still insisted on taking the last name of Long.


    Long: lit. dragon.


    With a splash, a half of the dragon¡¯s head popped out of the water.


    She had suppressed her vigour to the minimum, but the ship still swayed violently.


    ¡°You finished that fast?¡±


    The dragon suddenly howled in grief.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have left me even a teeny bit! How could you deplete it completely!¡±


    Yun Weisi, evenly: ¡°He is wounded severely.¡±


    He tossed the pearl over, and the dragon raised her head to catch it with her mouth.


    That somehow resembled a dog holding a ball in its mouth.


    Yun Weisi wisely kept his thought to himself.


    Otherwise, the ship would have probably been flipped and capsized.


    ¡°For you.¡±


    He threw over the tassel of the Chunzhao Sword.


    Certainly, it was cut off and fell to the ground previously, but then appeared again, as if the workings of ghosts.


    It¡¯s probably about the previous memory


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    The flood dragon chewed it, and was about to swallow it, only to find it unpalatable.


    ¡°A collateral. I owe you a favor, and I will return it later.¡±


    The flood dragon: ¡°Then why don¡¯t you pay it back now! I want to eat lobsters from the Donghai Sea, help me gather a bucket ah!¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°¡­it¡¯s inconvenient now. We have to go.¡±


    Not waiting for a response, he flew back to the hold, picked up Changming and jumped into the lake, disappearing without a trace.


    The two never re-emerged from the water.


    Fluttering black hair with white ends became the last of Yu Qiang¡¯s impressions of the two mysterious men.


    They had appeared out of nowhere, and vanished just as suddenly.


    She had not even known their names or sects.


    Years henceforth, Yu Qiang would give up cultivating and wed a common man. Within a few decades, her hair went gray and her teeth were lost, but she never forgot what happened on the boat that day.


    Hair went gray and her teeth were lost: get old


    When the flood dragon saw them enter the water, she sank as well. But try as she might, she could not find a single strand of hair, much less the bodies!


    ¡­


    Changming spit out a mouthful of water and gradually came to his senses.


    ¡°Next time¡­ don¡¯t use a method like launching into the water to leave.¡±


    He had been caught off guard, his mouth and nose chock full of water. As he regained his clarity, Changming almost felt as if water was oozing from his head.


    Yun Weisi said indifferently: ¡°I do not want history to be altered again.¡±


    He could not help feeling that something was amiss when they were leaving.


    He had not wanted to change details that could affect the future.


    Including everything that had happened in Yuru Town.


    As well as anything pertaining to the Souls Gathering Pearl.


    Changming said with a faint smile: ¡°You used to get soft-hearted easily. You have not changed.¡±


    Yun Weisi made no comment.


    He, soft-hearted?


    No matter in the human realm or within the Nine Layers of the Abyss, he had killed countless people and demons. Were the blood not cleansed from the Chunzhao Sword, the accumulated gore would have sunk it in a sea of blood.


    He did not want destiny rewritten only because¡ª


    Deep in his heart, Yun Weisi vaguely knew the answer, but he refused to acknowledge it.


    Although the Dragon Pearl had healed most of Changming¡¯s wounds, bringing the man on his last breath back from the verge of death, his old injuries could not be healed in a short time.


    ¡°I saw this flood dragon afterwards¡ª¡±


    Almost coughing out half a lung, Changming swiped a thumb at the blood languishing at the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°In the Yellow Springs.¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression froze, and he looked at Changming.


    The Yellow Springs, the place from which Changming had returned.


    He had been trapped there for half a century, his consciousness in a turmoil, and his soul incomplete.


    From a young age, the flood dragon had resided in the Penglai Lake and cultivated there. She was attached to her home, and nothing could have compelled to leave it. Why would she suddenly run to the Yellow Springs?


    ¡°She was shackled with iron chains. Magma was pouring down the cliff slowly, whittling away her scales one by one, and leaving her lacklustre and dull. When the old blood dried out, a new wound would open, day upon day.¡±


    When Changming had chanced upon the hapless creature, he had wanted to intervene, to rescue the flood dragon and make a mount out of her.


    But he soon discovered that the iron chain that bound her was an Eternally Freezing Chain, and that there were strange things guarding her. With his strength at that time, it would be suicidal to engage them.


    Powerful as the flood dragon was, few people had ventured into the remote Penglai Lake. While the phenomenon manifested in the skies above the lake back then had lured many cultivators, who speculated that a spiritual weapon had appeared, to the site, the futile search had similarly dispersed the crowd.


    Even if the weapon had existed, it would have in all likelihood been swallowed by that flood dragon; why would she wait for others to find it?


    The only object of value remaining on the flood dragon¡¯s body was the Dragon Pearl.


    The strange thing was that the Dragon Pearl was with her that year in the Yellow Springs. Otherwise, she would not have been able to last for so long.


    However, were it not for the Dragon Pearl, why would anyone imprison her, giving her no opportunity to escape for generations?


    The chaotic sea was rippling and sparkling.


    Warmly glowing stars were scattered across the heavens.


    Yun Weisi put aside the intent of magistricide for the time being.


    Changming smiled and stretched his arm out towards the closest light.


    A snowstorm covered the earth, and the sky was filled with gloomy clouds.


    Everything in front of him was in shades of ash-grey and white.


    The grey was the gale that enveloped the mountain peak, and the white was snow and ice, blotting out the sky and obscuring the earth.


    Changming had not expected to arrive at such a place. Involuntarily swallowing a mouthful of snow that swatted at his face, he stood unsteadily in the strong wind, backing away step by step.


    Until he stumbled upon another person who grasped him by his waist, supporting him.


    He looked back, squinting.


    Ah, the first disciple came as well.


    But he had no way to say it aloud, for the moment he opened his mouth, his words would be swallowed by the wind.


    Yun Weisi moved to the side, pulling him along.


    Although the blizzard was fierce, the path was fortunately unrugged. A wooden hut stood before them, its doors locked with forbidding iron chains, but it was no sweat for Yun Weisi.


    With one sweep of his hand, the chains broke apart miserably.


    The house was very small and crude, built of thatch and wood.


    But it was utterly bare of furnishing. Though cultivators lived a comfortable life and meditated in beautiful temples, retreating to frozen and austere snow-covered lands on self-seclusion was not uncommon.


    A simple residence like this was no inconvenience for the duo.


    It was way cosier than the raging blizzard outside.


    However, entering a warm place after the bitter cold was too abrupt a change for Changming¡¯s body, and he went into a short fit of violent coughing.


    Before the second bout started, he forcibly suppressed it.


    Because there was someone outside.


    With heightened senses, he had picked up approaching footsteps amidst the howling wind.


    Light, but staggered steps.


    Obviously, it was a cultivator¡ªone who bore injuries.


    The two of them looked at each other, silencing their movements in tacit agreement.


    Yun Weisi took a step forward to open the door.


    Just as he raised his hand and touched the door, it was pushed open from the other side.


    A person entered the room, staggering a few steps before falling heavily to the ground.


    Yun Weisi: ¡­


    He had thought that he might meet himself after crossing time, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to happen under such circumstances.


    When ¡°he¡± would be severely wounded and mentally confused.


    ¡°He¡± struggled to get up, raised his head, saw Yun Weisi and could not help but be startled.


    The four eyes met. Past and present Yun Weisi locked gaze before each moving away their line of sight.


    Shortly after, the Yun Weisi from the past simply passed out.


    Changming drew out his words: ¡°Since you are leery of altering the past, I think that it¡¯s better for you to hide for a while.¡±


    Present Yun Weisi was silent for a moment, then walked to the door. Following the opening and closing of the door, which seemed to hint of a certain dissatisfaction, he disappeared silently into the wind and snow.


    Changming¡¯s gaze fell on past Yun Weisi on the floor.


    He brushed away his blood-stained hair, and a young, handsome face appeared.


    Memories flooded his mind. Changming recalled.


    This place was Shesheng Peak.


    In the memories of past Yun Weisi, it had not been long since Changming had left the Yuhuang Temple.


    Proofread by Blossom & Lucia


    Guarding the heart of a formation was qi as undefiable as an emperor¡¯s decree.


    Stars were scattered all around, streams overflowed the lands.


    A light was suspended in the air, flickering weakly in the violent gales of the mist.


    Changming heard countless chaotic voices.


    Yet he stood firmly till the end.


    Because he was waiting.


    Waiting for others to lose patience first.


    The Liuhe Zhutian Formation, a one-of-a-kind masterpiece in the world, blessed with fortune, was created painstakingly by the collaborative efforts of the greatest masters.


    With the completion of this formation, the Sacred Mountain Wan would be wholly sealed, and demons would henceforth never again bring calamity to the Human realm via access through the mountain.


    There was never any doubt as to the truth of it.


    To ensure that nothing would go wrong, he did a pre-examination of every nook of the formation meticulously, making sure that it had not been tampered with by any ill-intentioned persons.


    The six masters only needed to take their positions, and, if no one made a mistake, the Liuhe Zhutian Formation could be completed.


    Even if something unforeseen were to happen midway through, Changming would be skilled enough to bring it under control.


    Huh?


    Something felt wrong¡­


    Confused screams were getting louder.


    The thick fog had increased in density, obscuring the brilliant illumination of the formation, leaving a weak flickering luminescence before his straining eyes.


    It was about to die out!


    With a swift sword technique, Changming strengthened the spiritual powers around the formation, succeeding in revitalising the dying light.


    But it would not last long.


    The demonic qi, hidden in the thick fog, was leaking out insidiously in thousands of filaments and myriads of threads.


    Though unable to make out the situation of the other guardians of the formation, judging by the frantic screams, Changming had a sense of foreboding.


    Without much ado, he flicked a wrist to issue a new command.


    ¡°Sword, come.¡±


    The Sifei Sword flew out, shielding him and warding off the evil spirits while dispersing the thick fog.


    Seeing the scene that unfolded clearly before him, Changming frowned heavily.


    Pointing swords at each other, those who had been supporting the formation from outside were now fighting fiercely.


    With chillingly reddened eyes, past companions attacked one another mercilessly, slicing off body parts and shoving them into their mouths gluttonously, as if they had been starving for three days and three nights straight.


    Blood was flowing in rivers, bodies were lying all over in red-stained grass.


    But not a trace of demons could be seen.


    With the formation incomplete, enemies in the dark had won without staining their weapons with blood, simply by disintegrating their forces.


    Friends turned against each other, swinging swords with killing intentions, but the guardians of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, who were engrossed in protecting it, moved not an inch.


    At this time, a strong gust of wind came from the right.


    Changming flinched and swiftly erected a barrier of spiritual powers.


    But that gust of wind swept past him, aiming at the cultivators to his left.


    He turned to the direction from whence the wind came.


    Though the sudden wind shrouded the place with dense fog once more, the expression of the one standing in the fog was faintly discernible, and Changming only captured his smile well.


    That was¡­!


    The lamps went out one by one.


    The rising and falling of screams filled the air, and the formation barrier, with its initial hairline crack visibly spreading, could shatter into pieces any moment.


    When one of the formation guardians fell, leaving a gap bereft of protection, it was difficult to tell how long the other could hold their positions.


    The failure of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation seemed inevitable.


    It was fortunate that Changming was prepared. Should the formation collapse, a new one would arise, resisting the opening of a passage for the schemers.


    Even if it were so, the evildoers would definitely be reluctant to destroy the Sacred Mountain Wan which held countless treasures within its depth. Instead, they would attempt to modify the formation, building a new one that would not only conceal their goals, but also turn it into a stronghold for their nefarious schemes.


    As for Changming¡ª


    So long as he was alive, there would be hope.


    After all, one day, he would¡­


    Return after overcoming tribulations.


    ¡­


    Changming trembled slightly.


    Following the rocking of the boat, his head tilted to the side, and some fresh blood ran down from the corner of his mouth.


    The jade crown that tied up his hair was long since gone. His long hair, half-white, gradually turning black near the hair root, was scattered on his shoulders.


    Yu Qiang could not help but gaze at him once more.


    Truly beautiful, like an immortal.


    But why is he wounded so seriously?


    Cultivators who came to the island in search of treasures had not heard of anyone receiving a wound that severe. All of them had returned empty-handed, as she did. The storm was quieting down, and with it, their ambitions.


    Yu Qiang¡¯s cultivation level was low, and she had jumped on the bandwagon to gain some experience and watch the excitement. When she heard that the flood dragon was causing trouble, she had naturally not dared venture out, hiding instead in the ship¡¯s hold with the boatman.


    When the others had gone out to assess the situation, she had remained behind, cautiously studying the unconscious man.


    ¡°Daoyou, are you alright?¡±


    Unsurprisingly, Changming could not answer her.


    Her: my raws say ¡®him¡¯, I assume it¡¯s a mistake


    Yu Qiang saw the blood dribble unceasingly from the corner of his mouth, sliding down his cheek towards his earlobe. She felt a sudden compulsion to wipe it away with her sleeve.


    Just when her sleeve touched Changming, a hand grabbed her wrist.


    Surprisingly, Yu Qiang hadn¡¯t noticed him approaching.


    She raised her head, startled.


    The man¡¯s companion, who had just gone out to battle against the flood dragon with the others, was now watching her with a face devoid of expression.


    Yun Weisi was drenched, but his gaze on the female cultivator was frightening.


    Feeling an invisible power oppress her, Yu Qiang snatched back her hand and silently took a step back.


    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡±


    Yun Weisi did not bother responding, bending over to sense Changming¡¯s inner breath through his pulse. In a little while, he took out the Dragon Pearl and released it above Changming¡¯s forehead.


    The pearl was floating in the air, emitting faint glows. Like revolving stars, these rays entered his body.


    The white hair darkened at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    Yu Qiang gazed blankly at the remarkable phenomenon.


    She was not the only one astounded at the sight. Those who returned from watching the fuss outside were all staring, agogged.


    ¡°A Dragon Pearl!¡±


    Someone shouted, instantly stirring up a commotion.


    It was a priceless cultivation treasure, the essence of a flood dragon¡¯s cultivation accumulated over several centuries, gathered in a pearl.


    Such a treasure it was that, while not being able to transform a non-cultivator into an immortal, granting its bearer a prolonged lifespan was an assured certainty!


    And imagine the wonders it would do in the hands of a cultivator, especially one who had the strength, determination and compatibility! Advancing in one¡¯s cultivation by leaps and bounds would surely be within one¡¯s grasp!


    Having searched high and low in vain for the treasures rumoured to be found on the island, now that a peerless treasure had appeared out of the blue, covetous eyes lit up one by one, as bees to honeypot!


    The winner takes it all, and the weak falls prey to the strong. To seize the prized possession, ruthlessness must be the name of the game!


    Any righteousness the cultivators had was scattered to the four winds as greed overtook them.


    A multitude of grasping hands stretched out towards the luminescent orb, heedless of any who would witness their thievery.


    If you could get hold of a Dragon Pearl, who would care how you got it!


    The man in the foremost suddenly felt his body become light, and was the first to fly forcibly out of the ship¡¯s hold, with the others similarly kicked out in succession!


    His mind went blank, and everything happened so fast that he had no time to react.


    As the man sailed through the air, he saw the others being ejected almost simultaneously, some with their own swords piercing their bodies, he could only congratulate himself for being lucky.


    The lucky cultivator had only wanted to grab the pearl, bore no killing intention, and did not use a spiritual weapon; otherwise, his dignity might not have been the only thing he lost!


    With this thought, the man fell heavily into the lake, and water poured in through his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, shattering all his thoughts.


    Having learned a lesson from the sorry plight of the others, the remaining two female cultivators did not dare move.


    Yu Qiang had had no intention to attack from the beginning. She was silently watching the beauty illuminated by the glowing pearl. His face was no longer that pale, even regaining the healthy color.


    And the pearl¡¯s rays were getting dimmer.


    Finally, the light went out completely, and the pearl reverted to a normal lustrousness that might pass it off as a fake from an antique store.


    Yun Weisi reached out with his hand, and the pearl fell into his palm.


    He looked at Changming¡¯s hair. It had not regained all its original color, remaining snow-white near the hair ends.


    But nothing else could be done¡ªthey only had this one Dragon Pearl and the flood dragon hadn¡¯t finished refining the second one yet.


    With the pearl in hand, Yun Weisi went out from the hold.


    ¡°Long Qing.¡±


    Obviously, she was not yet a dragon, but still insisted on taking the last name of Long.


    Long: lit. dragon.


    With a splash, a half of the dragon¡¯s head popped out of the water.


    She had suppressed her vigour to the minimum, but the ship still swayed violently.


    ¡°You finished that fast?¡±


    The dragon suddenly howled in grief.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have left me even a teeny bit! How could you deplete it completely!¡±


    Yun Weisi, evenly: ¡°He is wounded severely.¡±


    He tossed the pearl over, and the dragon raised her head to catch it with her mouth.


    That somehow resembled a dog holding a ball in its mouth.


    Yun Weisi wisely kept his thought to himself.


    Otherwise, the ship would have probably been flipped and capsized.


    ¡°For you.¡±


    He threw over the tassel of the Chunzhao Sword.


    Certainly, it was cut off and fell to the ground previously, but then appeared again, as if the workings of ghosts.


    It¡¯s probably about the previous memory


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    The flood dragon chewed it, and was about to swallow it, only to find it unpalatable.


    ¡°A collateral. I owe you a favor, and I will return it later.¡±


    The flood dragon: ¡°Then why don¡¯t you pay it back now! I want to eat lobsters from the Donghai Sea, help me gather a bucket ah!¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°¡­it¡¯s inconvenient now. We have to go.¡±


    Not waiting for a response, he flew back to the hold, picked up Changming and jumped into the lake, disappearing without a trace.


    The two never re-emerged from the water.


    Fluttering black hair with white ends became the last of Yu Qiang¡¯s impressions of the two mysterious men.


    They had appeared out of nowhere, and vanished just as suddenly.


    She had not even known their names or sects.


    Years henceforth, Yu Qiang would give up cultivating and wed a common man. Within a few decades, her hair went gray and her teeth were lost, but she never forgot what happened on the boat that day.


    Hair went gray and her teeth were lost: get old


    When the flood dragon saw them enter the water, she sank as well. But try as she might, she could not find a single strand of hair, much less the bodies!


    ¡­


    Changming spit out a mouthful of water and gradually came to his senses.


    ¡°Next time¡­ don¡¯t use a method like launching into the water to leave.¡±


    He had been caught off guard, his mouth and nose chock full of water. As he regained his clarity, Changming almost felt as if water was oozing from his head.


    Yun Weisi said indifferently: ¡°I do not want history to be altered again.¡±


    He could not help feeling that something was amiss when they were leaving.


    He had not wanted to change details that could affect the future.


    Including everything that had happened in Yuru Town.


    As well as anything pertaining to the Souls Gathering Pearl.


    Changming said with a faint smile: ¡°You used to get soft-hearted easily. You have not changed.¡±


    Yun Weisi made no comment.


    He, soft-hearted?


    No matter in the human realm or within the Nine Layers of the Abyss, he had killed countless people and demons. Were the blood not cleansed from the Chunzhao Sword, the accumulated gore would have sunk it in a sea of blood.


    He did not want destiny rewritten only because¡ª


    Deep in his heart, Yun Weisi vaguely knew the answer, but he refused to acknowledge it.


    Although the Dragon Pearl had healed most of Changming¡¯s wounds, bringing the man on his last breath back from the verge of death, his old injuries could not be healed in a short time.


    ¡°I saw this flood dragon afterwards¡ª¡±


    Almost coughing out half a lung, Changming swiped a thumb at the blood languishing at the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°In the Yellow Springs.¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression froze, and he looked at Changming.


    The Yellow Springs, the place from which Changming had returned.


    He had been trapped there for half a century, his consciousness in a turmoil, and his soul incomplete.


    From a young age, the flood dragon had resided in the Penglai Lake and cultivated there. She was attached to her home, and nothing could have compelled to leave it. Why would she suddenly run to the Yellow Springs?


    ¡°She was shackled with iron chains. Magma was pouring down the cliff slowly, whittling away her scales one by one, and leaving her lacklustre and dull. When the old blood dried out, a new wound would open, day upon day.¡±


    When Changming had chanced upon the hapless creature, he had wanted to intervene, to rescue the flood dragon and make a mount out of her.


    But he soon discovered that the iron chain that bound her was an Eternally Freezing Chain, and that there were strange things guarding her. With his strength at that time, it would be suicidal to engage them.


    Powerful as the flood dragon was, few people had ventured into the remote Penglai Lake. While the phenomenon manifested in the skies above the lake back then had lured many cultivators, who speculated that a spiritual weapon had appeared, to the site, the futile search had similarly dispersed the crowd.


    Even if the weapon had existed, it would have in all likelihood been swallowed by that flood dragon; why would she wait for others to find it?


    The only object of value remaining on the flood dragon¡¯s body was the Dragon Pearl.


    The strange thing was that the Dragon Pearl was with her that year in the Yellow Springs. Otherwise, she would not have been able to last for so long.


    However, were it not for the Dragon Pearl, why would anyone imprison her, giving her no opportunity to escape for generations?


    The chaotic sea was rippling and sparkling.


    Warmly glowing stars were scattered across the heavens.


    Yun Weisi put aside the intent of magistricide for the time being.


    Changming smiled and stretched his arm out towards the closest light.


    A snowstorm covered the earth, and the sky was filled with gloomy clouds.


    Everything in front of him was in shades of ash-grey and white.


    The grey was the gale that enveloped the mountain peak, and the white was snow and ice, blotting out the sky and obscuring the earth.


    Changming had not expected to arrive at such a place. Involuntarily swallowing a mouthful of snow that swatted at his face, he stood unsteadily in the strong wind, backing away step by step.


    Until he stumbled upon another person who grasped him by his waist, supporting him.


    He looked back, squinting.


    Ah, the first disciple came as well.


    But he had no way to say it aloud, for the moment he opened his mouth, his words would be swallowed by the wind.


    Yun Weisi moved to the side, pulling him along.


    Although the blizzard was fierce, the path was fortunately unrugged. A wooden hut stood before them, its doors locked with forbidding iron chains, but it was no sweat for Yun Weisi.


    With one sweep of his hand, the chains broke apart miserably.


    The house was very small and crude, built of thatch and wood.


    But it was utterly bare of furnishing. Though cultivators lived a comfortable life and meditated in beautiful temples, retreating to frozen and austere snow-covered lands on self-seclusion was not uncommon.


    A simple residence like this was no inconvenience for the duo.


    It was way cosier than the raging blizzard outside.


    However, entering a warm place after the bitter cold was too abrupt a change for Changming¡¯s body, and he went into a short fit of violent coughing.


    Before the second bout started, he forcibly suppressed it.


    Because there was someone outside.


    With heightened senses, he had picked up approaching footsteps amidst the howling wind.


    Light, but staggered steps.


    Obviously, it was a cultivator¡ªone who bore injuries.


    The two of them looked at each other, silencing their movements in tacit agreement.


    Yun Weisi took a step forward to open the door.


    Just as he raised his hand and touched the door, it was pushed open from the other side.


    A person entered the room, staggering a few steps before falling heavily to the ground.


    Yun Weisi: ¡­


    He had thought that he might meet himself after crossing time, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to happen under such circumstances.


    When ¡°he¡± would be severely wounded and mentally confused.


    ¡°He¡± struggled to get up, raised his head, saw Yun Weisi and could not help but be startled.


    The four eyes met. Past and present Yun Weisi locked gaze before each moving away their line of sight.


    Shortly after, the Yun Weisi from the past simply passed out.


    Changming drew out his words: ¡°Since you are leery of altering the past, I think that it¡¯s better for you to hide for a while.¡±


    Present Yun Weisi was silent for a moment, then walked to the door. Following the opening and closing of the door, which seemed to hint of a certain dissatisfaction, he disappeared silently into the wind and snow.


    Changming¡¯s gaze fell on past Yun Weisi on the floor.


    He brushed away his blood-stained hair, and a young, handsome face appeared.


    Memories flooded his mind. Changming recalled.


    This place was Shesheng Peak.


    In the memories of past Yun Weisi, it had not been long since Changming had left the Yuhuang Temple.

 CH 41

    This place was Shesheng Peak.


    Shesheng: giving up life


    The paths of cultivators are beset with obstacles, each more treacherous than the other, and only if one was willing to risk their life and disregard death hazards would they survive being sent to a field of death.


    Risk their life and disregard death hazards: the first half of this idiom, ¡®risk one¡¯s life¡¯, is the ¡®shesheng¡¯ from the peak¡¯s name


    Survive being sent to this field of death: make sure smn has no escape route, and they will fight to death, fig. to find a way out of an impasse


    With snowstorms throughout the entire year, the sky over Shesheng Peak was rarely clear even for a span of a few days. Common people couldn¡¯t endure this place at all, and even cultivators could hardly bear the sufferings day after day, year after year.


    In a thousand mountains, birds no longer flew; on ten thousand paths, footprints had disappeared.


    In a thousand mountains, birds no longer flew; on ten thousand paths, footprints had disappeared: from the Tang dynasty poem, ¡°River Snow¡±, written by Liu Zongyuan


    But Changming had brought Yun Weisi here several times.


    Perversely, he liked this bitter solitude.


    The more bitter it was, the more it tempered the mind and body.


    The highest realm that cultivators wanted to obtain was ascension, but this didn¡¯t only mean the soul ascension, but also the body enlightenment. For that reason, the soul and the body should have been cultivated together, at the same time.


    Changming used to meditate on the peak for several hours, and oftentimes up to several days.


    At first, Yun Weisi had been unable to persevere.


    As a child who basked in his parents¡¯ love, Yun Weisi had donned brocade garments and savoured delicacies. Doted on as he was, he would at times half-heartedly practise some rudimentary sword techniques, relying on his talent rather than persistence to get by.  Always fishing for three days and drying nets for two, Yun Weisi was careless and slipshod in his tasks, constantly looking for opportunities to slack off. Only after his family was torn apart and ruined did he come to his senses.


    To don brocade garments and savour delicaties: life of luxury


    Fishing for three days and drying nets for two: lack perseverance


    Fleeing for his life over a thousand li was but an instinctive reaction in a moment of despair. Beneath the surface, Yin Weisi was still that pampered, lively and elegant young man. Rigorous though Yuhuang Temple¡¯s cultivation methods were, Yun Weisi did endure them with gritted teeth, but the violent snowstorm on Shesheng Peak would make him feel a biting cold every time he thought of it.


    Nevertheless, after Changming had left the Yuhuang Temple, Yun Weisi would often come to the peak to cultivate of his own accord, in the hopes of chancing upon his shizun.


    But encounters with Changming were far and few in between, slowly dwindling into nil. When Yun Weisi realised that Changming might not appear here anymore, and that the tempestuous gale and blizzard at the peak no longer held any fear for him, so too did he lose the only excuse for cultivating at Shesheng Peak. Without the possibility of fulfilling his yearning, there was little point in coming to the peak.


    That very year, Yun Weisi went to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and challenged their Longxiang Fozuo to a duel.


    Longxiang: lit. dragon and elephant, fig. prominent Buddhist monk


    Fozuo: a part of his title, I presume, close to ¡®fozun¡¯¡ªa polite form of address


    The Wanlian Buddhist Temple and the Qingyun School were called the Two Greatest Sacred Places, full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, sects with many capable people.


    Hidden dragons and crouching tigers: talented individuals in hiding


    Longxiang Fozuo Shengjue was known to be the strongest monk in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, his status only inferior to the temple master.


    With Yun Weisi¡¯s martial skills and cultivation level then, it should have been next to impossible for him to emerge the victor.


    When Shengjue heard that a promising young talent had come to their door asking for advice, he could only dismiss them with a laugh. Not deigning to receive Yun Weisi in person, he merely waved a few disciples forward to ¡°greet¡± the guest.


    But those people were utterly defeated by Yun Weisi, including the most favored first disciple of Shengjue!


    Curiosity finally piqued, Shengjue made a move.


    He battled with Yun Weisi in the yard in front of the Buddhist Temple for three days and three nights, inflicting severe injuries on the younger man. But unexpectedly, Shengjue found himself oppressed by the other¡¯s tenacity, and was unable to gain the upper hand. Realising that he might soon lose any advantage he had and even suffer a humiliating loss, he decided to yield and threw in the towel.


    The gruelling battle had revealed Yun Weisi¡¯s boundless prospects, fascinating Shengjue. He knew without a doubt that the youth would inevitably rank the top in Jianghu¡¯s martial arts masters.


    After leaving the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, Yun Weisi went to Shesheng Peak instead of returning to the Yuhuang Temple.


    He himself couldn¡¯t explain why he had, in his delirium, chosen to return here.


    He knew in his heart that Changming would never return to the Yuhuang Temple.


    But at this place, slim though his hope was, he might chance upon shizun.


    Yin Weisi had traversed the world to the remotest corners, aimlessly searching, assiduously honing himself, yearning to meet a certain someone, the only one he wanted to share his troubles with.


    Casting his eyes on Yun Weisi, who lay like the dead on the floor, Changming prodded him a couple of times, and, receiving no reaction, could only accept his fate and drag the unconscious disciple into the room.


    There was some firewood in the house, so Changming lit a fire, opened the window to air the room, picked up some thatch grass and put it on him.


    Changming began to regret driving the other Yun Weisi away: otherwise, there would have been at least one more person to work. After all, Yun Weisi wouldn¡¯t bear to see himself freeze to death, right?


    The Yun Weisi in front of his eyes was a high-spirited youth, a lot more calm than he used to be when he had just entered the temple.


    Although his face had not changed much, Changming could easily notice the difference between his and Yun Weisi¡¯s expressions.


    It was gradually getting warmer inside the room, and Changming¡¯s throat felt itchy, throwing him into a bout of coughing.


    This sound made the comatose Yun Weisi twitch slightly, and he partly regained his perception.


    In a daze, he opened his eyes. Before his senses had yet to be overwhelmed by the stabbing pain from his numerous wounds, a man¡¯s silhouette appeared in the line of his sight.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yun Weisi opened his mouth and uttered a word.


    Or he thought he did.


    But the word only sounded in his heart.


    Shizun.


    As his coughing subsided, Changming raised his eyes and met Yun Weisi¡¯s half-open, dazed ones.


    ¡°My beloved disciple?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡­


    He thought, it is truly a dream, for Shizun would never have used that endearment on me.


    But it felt good as a dream as well.


    Master and disciple had not met for three years.


    He heard news about his shizun from time to time, but just a word or two.


    Yun Weisi only knew that the other had gotten even stronger, and he had felt a sense of crisis, spurring him into intensifying his training in order to catch up with him, lest he be left far behind.


    Shizun¡­


    His throat was still hoarse, and utterance was difficult.


    But Changming could read his lips.


    He stretched his hand towards Yun Weisi¡¯s head.


    Grasping the opportunity, Yun Weisi raised his head to have it rubbed.


    At Yuhuang Temple, Changming had rarely displayed affection such as this.


    From the very beginning, he had been unsmiling and severe in his discipline.


    But Yun Weisi knew that Shizun had always had his best interest at heart.


    Perhaps he had been a little unwilling to accept Changming¡¯s aloofness in the beginning, but Yun Weisi gradually came to understand his master¡¯s intentions.


    For one living a mundane life, the mention of ¡°cultivation¡± would bring to mind a vision of an otherworldly immortal in fluttering white robes; but the harsh reality of intense battles between cultivators in Jianghu that were a hundred times more destructive than those among the commoners were something rarely witnessed by the latter.


    Those who weren¡¯t powerful enough couldn¡¯t even stick their heads out of their sects.


    Those who weren¡¯t powerful enough could be killed for treasures.


    Mutual suspicion and deceptions in the royal court were admittedly cruel, however, the defeated would at worst be forced to retire and exiled, but there was no need to be afraid of death.


    But, if a cultivator were to fall in battle, even his soul would be sacrificed, and some would even suffer capture to become cultivation furnaces.


    The more austere Changming was in his discipline, the higher was Yun Weisi¡¯s chance to succeed in his cultivation.


    And it was not that Shizun was unreservedly taciturn.


    When he was playing go or brewing tea, Shizun often became more relaxed, and his expression was more gentle as well.


    But he had never looked the way he did now. Like grass being freed from the burden of melting snow, and his smile like a breeze dispelling the gloomy night clouds, Changming¡¯s habitual solemnity would disappear like smoke and ashes, leaving his eyes profoundly bright like the trillion of stars in the Milky Way.


    His eyes¡­ bright like¡­ the Milky Way: smiling eyes that draw others like a magnet


    The man before Yun Weisi may bear the physical appearance of his shizun, but was so different in demeanor that the latter thought he must be hallucinating.


    ¡°Did you love to act coquettishly like this at home as well?¡±


    Hearing his shizun¡¯s question,Yun Weisi could not help but smile.


    He had been the only child in his family. Having a blind mother did not make the doting and indulgence from both parents any less. Both families, Yun and Cong, were so affluent that he could have squandered their fortune for his entire lifetime and still see no end to their wealth.


    It was said that originally the two families had a marriage contract. Because of his mother¡¯s blindness, his paternal grandparents had wanted to cancel the betrothal, leading to bad blood between the elders of both families. Even after his parents had tied the knot, the families remained in a deadlock. It was not until Yun Weisi was born that this situation changed for the better. His mother used to say that when he was a child, he had an endearing, crystal-like purity. People would take to him at sight, and there was none who did not want to give the little tot a smooch.


    Rumors had it that even the emperor had arranged a marriage between Yun Weisi and a princess. What reason would still justify the elders¡¯ call for war?


    Undivided in their love for Yun Weisi, it was inevitable that both families would reconcile.


    The apple in the eyes of all, Yun Weisi was truly the pampered son who could do no wrong, whose mere existence filled the hearts of his parents and elders with contentment and complacency.


    ¡­


    Semi-delirious from the severity of his wounds, Yun Weisi¡¯s heart and mind were unguarded and his actions betrayed his true feelings.


    In the past, Changming had been so impassive towards his disciples that none of them, including Yun Weisi had dared to act familiar with him.


    Jiufang Changming was like a deity aloof from the masses, and people could only look up to him.


    But, since it was an illusion, it mattered not.


    The deity was powerful and flawless, and the man in front of him was rarely gentle, which made Yun Weisi show his affection.


    Knowing that Yun Weisi had transferred his reverence and high regard for his parents to him, Changming had closed an eye at his occasional look of adulation, pretending ignorance.


    Among his four disciples, Yun Weisi had the most talent and the strongest cultivation.


    In his heart, Changming had also thought Yun Weisi to possess the softest heart.


    But that gentleness was long gone. Yun Weisi had personally uprooted that worthless emotion from his heart with his bare hands.


    Mayhaps, Yun Hai was borne of Yun Weisi¡¯s unresolved obsessions.


    He used to lead a luxurious life in his childhood, but it came to an end abruptly, which made him feel resentful towards things he couldn¡¯t obtain.


    Yun Weisi thought that he had cut it off, but in fact, while the lotus roots may have been broken, its skin remained intact.


    The lotus roots may have been broken, its skin remained intact: a relationship that is apparently severed, actually still remains


    He fell asleep, using Changming¡¯s hand as a pillow.


    When he woke up, so did he wake from his warm dream.


    Though his cheek was still warm from the previous contact, Yun Weisi found himself all alone.


    The young man, once surrounded by love and indulgence, was destined to spend half of his life alone in a blizzard.


    After he had fallen asleep, Changming had not retracted  his hand immediately.


    Only when the sky had darkened did Changming remember something and abruptly raise his head.


    The present-day Yun Weisi had not returned after he had left, even though half a day had passed.


    Even if Yun Weisi had wanted to avoid arousing suspicion and not let his past self see him when he wakened from his unconscious state, there was hardly a need to hide so far away.


    The floor slightly trembled, as if something was shaking the peak.


    Changming looked at Yun Weisi by his side.


    The latter had not returned to his senses. His dream was as deep as his wound was severe.


    The sound came from a great distance, but Changming knew intuitively that it was connected with Yun Weisi.


    He got up and left silently. Wind and snow greeted him outside, and he closed the doors tightly, rushing towards the noise.


    Shesheng Peak was high.


    It wasn¡¯t a solitary mountain peak, but a part of the Zhongfa Mountain Range which was long and broad, and lying adjacent to the Sacred Mountain Wan. The peak and the sacred mountain, one located in the west, and the other in the east, were poles apart from each other.


    Changming was heading east, crossing more than a hundred li in the direction of a certain peak. The closer he got, the louder the rumbling.


    Two people were fighting in the snowstorm.


    One was Yun Weisi.


    And the other¡ª


    Changming concentrated his spiritual senses. Unexpectedly, the other was Chen Ting!


    This fellow was truly like a ghost, haunting them from Yuru Town all the way here.


    The qi of their swords formed a stormy whirl.


    But the quakes were not coming from it.


    But from a place not far away.


    Chen Ting¡¯s background was indeed suspicious, but he came from the future as well, so his spiritual powers were limited too. For the time being, he shouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Yun Weisi.


    Changming cast another glance at them, and went past them, searching for the source of the quakes and jolts.


    Boom.


    Boom.


    Over and over again.


    It wasn¡¯t something shaking the mountains and the earth surface, but rather, it was coming from under the ground.


    What could be there?


    Changming stopped and leaned to the ground to listen.


    Shortly after, he ascended the mountain.


    These mountains were mostly covered with ice and snow, and the higher he climbed, the thicker the snow got.


    Before the old snow could melt, the new would fall onto the ground, layer upon a layer, for months and years. It was hard to even find a place to land one¡¯s feet.


    But Changming¡¯s steps were light to the point that he seemed as weightless as a feather, and he could tread on the snow, walking with dainty steps and raising no dust.


    Halfway up the mountain, everything he could see was a white flurry.


    Changming stopped. Looking at the identical mountain boulders covered with snow, he suddenly swept out a sleeve.


    A cutting wind came from his palm, smashing an array of rocks to smithereens and revealing the mouth of a cave.


    He bent down and walked inside.


    Within, it was so pitch-dark one could not even see their fingers, but Changming discerned a path leading downwards, resembling a crooked staircase carved out by hands.


    The lower he descended, the hotter the air became.


    Burning hot beams of light were glowing vaguely in the depth.


    Changming sensed something being confined there.


    Not a human, but a beast.


    And, presumably, not an ordinary beast either.


    Bending down on a knee, he felt about the ground.


    Coming into contact with something, an icy sensation pervaded his hand, and he identified it quickly.


    It was an iron chain.


    This iron chain was very long, winding down from the place where he found it to the depths of the cave, presumably firmly locking the roaring beast under the ground.


    An Eternally Freezing Chain could not be broken by a common cultivator easily.


    Boom¡­


    The locked creature was still roaring, but the noise was getting weaker.


    It may not die soon, but confined as it was below in the depths of the earth, unable to see the light of the day, the spiritual powers of its cultivation base would slowly be absorbed by this Eternal Frost, leaving it only the strength to breathe.


    It was truly a situation where one sought life but could not obtain it, sought death but could not be granted it.


    The dragon of the Penglai Lake that was trapped in the Yellow Springs was shackled with an Eternally Freezing Chains as well.


    So what was the creature trapped under the ground here?


    He silently touched the iron chain in the dark, and felt as if he could make a vague guess.


    But these guesses needed time to be checked out.


    Until he left the Nine Layers of the Abyss and returned to his world, everything would remain a mystery.


    Since undoing the shackles was beyond his ability, there was no point wasting time in this place. Changming lingered for a moment, and then returned to the surface the same way out.


    The dim light of night appeared in front of him, and Changming¡¯s heart sank.


    He had actually forgotten!


    The arrival of night was Yun Weisi¡¯s Archilles¡¯ heel!


    Even though Chen Ting had no spiritual power, he could fight to a draw with Yun Weisi relying only on his martial arts and the Guyue Sword. Coupled with his mysterious past and the fact that he was an insider privy to a lot of inside information, who knew what other tricks he had up his sleeves.


    Thinking about this, Changming headed swiftly towards the place where the two of them were fighting.


    ¡­


    Chen Ting was consumed by his desire to kill Yun Weisi.


    When Yuru Town¡¯s Gathering Souls Pearl was destroyed, Chen Ting had seemed unperturbed, but in reality he was no less furious than Situ at having been thwarted.


    If he could dispose of this person here, though the future would definitely change, at least they would have rooted out one major obstacle!


    Otherwise, this person would remain a huge latent danger to their plans.


    Chen Ting believed that after Yun Weisi¡¯s death, many things would be solved as easily as a bamboo shoot breaking under a knife¡¯s edge.


    With what Changming and Yun Weisi already knew of their devious scheme, there was no way Chen Ting could let them leave this place alive.


    Despite going at it a hundred rounds, neither had yet gained the upper hand.


    This was a battle not of spiritual powers, but of the sheer pitting of one¡¯s martial arts skills against another¡¯s.


    Chen Ting swung his qi-shrouded sword, splitting into three shadows as he advanced in a flash towards his opponent, one coming from the front, and the others surrounded Yun Weisi from the right and left.


    All three held the Guyue Sword, and slashed towards the surrounded foe!


    Yun Weisi neither advanced nor retreated. Instead of meeting the enemy head-on, his instinct was first to escape the encirclement.


    Right at that critical point, his body suddenly stilled, a perplexed look on his face.


    That minute pause had left an opening to the enemy!


    In a fight between masters, their lives were constantly in peril. Given Yun Weisi¡¯s skills, there was no way he would make a fatal mistake like this unless¡ª


    With a grimful joy, Chen Ting swiftly grasped this opening, and his Guyue Sword turned into countless shining rays, swooping towards his enemy¡¯s head!


    He was close at hand, just an inch away!


    Clang!


    A sword had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, blocking his killing blow!


    Not only did it stop the Guyue Sword from advancing further, but even pushed it half an inch back!


    It was only half an inch, but for them, it was equal to retreating half a battlefield.


    The owner of this inconspicuous pitch-black sword caught him off guard, meddling in the battle and pushing Chen Ting¡¯s attack back.


    But Changming¡¯s current body could not be compared with his past self, and spiritual powers were inhibited in this layer of the Abyss.


    Chen Ting cared not a whit about his current condition and split his sword again at once, determined to kill the meddling pair.


    He leaped to the air, like a star falling in the moonlight, graceful and soft. It was one against two, but his silhouette split into three once again.


    However this time, the three figures were moving independently, as if they were not of the same person.


    The first one brandished his sword towards the enemies.


    The second performed a seal and threw over his sword.


    The last merged with his sword, becoming one.


    In a split second, a myriad of red beams descended, like a curtain of murderous intent, raised a hurricane and a thunder, so powerful it could topple mountains and overturn seas!


    Chen Ting was determined to win.


    He had to cut Yun Weisi down with his own sword.


    If Jiufang Changming overrated his own abilities and tried to stop him, he would only meet the same doom.


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯ve been in hiding for such a long time that you¡¯ve all forgotten that  I first became famous for my martial arts, not for my cultivation base?¡±


    Words spoken in a deceptively gentle tone reached Chen Ting¡¯s ear from behind, sending a chill of fear down his spine.


    He wanted to turn his head, but he couldn¡¯t.


    Because Yun Weisi in front of him stopped the attack of his shadows, and the Chunzhao Sword was aimed right at one of them.


    The sword was raised.


    Slash!


    The sword fell.


    One qi creates the three clarities.


    One qi creates the three highest manifestations of the Dao: hist. qi creates the three greatest deities of Daoism; as a skill: creating three phantoms


    The three clarities merged into one.


    A bloody wound appeared on Chen Ting¡¯s neck.


    Blood oozed out in a thin thread, the wound seemingly negligible, as if he could still be saved, but in truth, half of his neck had been sliced through.


    Chen Ting was rooted where he stood, unable to move.


    Another sword pierced his back.


    He gasped, as if taking his last breath.


    But at this moment, his whole body was suddenly covered in hairline cracks, rapidly spreading out, like spiderwebs.


    In a flash, his body disintegrated with a puff, and, like so much dust and ashes, was blown away by the wind.


    Leaving only the Guyue Sword to fall onto the ground with a resounding clang.


    Changming¡¯s expression froze.


    ¡°The Three Flowers Incarnation Art?!¡±


    Daoist sects had a concept of ¡°Three Flowers Join Point¡±. When a person reached a certain cultivation level, the three techniques, formed of the Human Flower, the Earth Flower and the Sky Flower, gathered in their xuanguan, stimulating a breakthrough.


    Three Flowers Join Point: junction point of three qi types; here, three cultivation principles. The ¡®flower¡¯ stems from ¡®glory, essence¡¯, so it¡¯s better to read it as ¡®essence¡¯ (another entertaining Chinese character transformation)


    Human Flower: refining qi into energy. The process of refining qigong foundation by circling qi in your body


    Earth Flower: refining vital force into mentality. The process of using the mind to move the qi in your body to become stronger


    Sky Flower: refining mentality to return it to the void. Returning to the void. Revealing the nature¡¯s secrets and understanding oneself, etc, the final goal in Taoism


    Xuanguan: just like dantian, a vital part of a cultivator¡¯s body


    But this Art had little relation with the Three Flowers Join Point, only borrowing the ¡°three flowers¡± from its title. The Art divided the soul of a person much like separating their primordial spirit from the body; only, it was superior to the primordial spirit, because it could actually sustain a form.


    Chen Ting was, contrary to expectation, still alive. It was only his incarnation which had fragmented.


    But, since the incarnation had a substantial form, the other party must have spent at least half of his soul to create it.


    If an incarnation died, the primordial spirit and the fraction of one¡¯s soul used to create it would have little hope of being recovered.


    Changming bent down and picked the Guyue Sword up.


    It was really a good sword. There was no doubt that it deserved to be called a great spiritual weapon.


    Otherwise, Chen Ting wouldn¡¯t have been able to move about the Nine Layers of the Abyss freely.


    Judging from Chen Ting¡¯s actions, his real body was outside, and his cultivation level was considerably high.


    Changming was lost in thought.


    Yun Weisi said coldly: ¡°How long are you going to stand in the snowstorm?¡±


    Changming coughed a couple of times: ¡°You are still Yun Weisi?¡±


    Yun Weisi hummed in agreement, coldly and indifferently.


    Changming frowned: ¡°It is night already, why hasn¡¯t Yun Hai appeared?¡±


    Yun Weisi asked in reply: ¡°You want him to appear that much?¡±


    Changming: ¡°On the contrary, it is fine if he never appears. After all, you are the real Yun Weisi.¡±


    Yun Weisi was speechless.


    Changming laughed: ¡°Yun Xin¡¯gan, you should make your expression seem more sinister if you want to impersonate him!¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡­


    Changming was laughing so hard that the wind swept into his mouth, starting another fit of racking coughing which bent his body over.


    Yun Hai stretched out his arm, pulled Changming into his embrace brusquely and with a flick of his sleeves, turned the other palm, face up.


    A blinding light hovered above his hand.


    If one looked closely at this seemingly scorching light, they would notice that there were thousands of swirling stars, flowing in constellations, just like a little universe of primordial times.


    ¡­


    Xu Jingxian regretted her decision for the hundredth time.


    She regretted coming to this Nine Layers of the Abyss plagued by infinite dangers, a place where one could lose their life any moment.


    She was originally living a comfortable and easy life at Lingbo Peak, with handsome male companions and countless maids delivering rice to her mouth and clothing to her hands, without her having to lift a finger. Her life had been so good, why the heck had she run to this place to endure all the suffering?


    Although Zhou Keyi was a bit hard to please, in the event that she failed to please him, her legs would still be fast enough for her to flee with her life intact.


    [On the contrary, in Heavenly City, one¡¯s life would be less than a dog¡¯s, and remaining alive was more difficult than ascending the heavens!]


    Xu Jingxian thought woefully that this time she would surely lose her life.


    This place was Shesheng Peak.


    Shesheng: giving up life


    The paths of cultivators are beset with obstacles, each more treacherous than the other, and only if one was willing to risk their life and disregard death hazards would they survive being sent to a field of death.


    Risk their life and disregard death hazards: the first half of this idiom, ¡®risk one¡¯s life¡¯, is the ¡®shesheng¡¯ from the peak¡¯s name


    Survive being sent to this field of death: make sure smn has no escape route, and they will fight to death, fig. to find a way out of an impasse


    With snowstorms throughout the entire year, the sky over Shesheng Peak was rarely clear even for a span of a few days. Common people couldn¡¯t endure this place at all, and even cultivators could hardly bear the sufferings day after day, year after year.


    In a thousand mountains, birds no longer flew; on ten thousand paths, footprints had disappeared.


    In a thousand mountains, birds no longer flew; on ten thousand paths, footprints had disappeared: from the Tang dynasty poem, ¡°River Snow¡±, written by Liu Zongyuan


    But Changming had brought Yun Weisi here several times.


    Perversely, he liked this bitter solitude.


    The more bitter it was, the more it tempered the mind and body.


    The highest realm that cultivators wanted to obtain was ascension, but this didn¡¯t only mean the soul ascension, but also the body enlightenment. For that reason, the soul and the body should have been cultivated together, at the same time.


    Changming used to meditate on the peak for several hours, and oftentimes up to several days.


    At first, Yun Weisi had been unable to persevere.


    As a child who basked in his parents¡¯ love, Yun Weisi had donned brocade garments and savoured delicacies. Doted on as he was, he would at times half-heartedly practise some rudimentary sword techniques, relying on his talent rather than persistence to get by.  Always fishing for three days and drying nets for two, Yun Weisi was careless and slipshod in his tasks, constantly looking for opportunities to slack off. Only after his family was torn apart and ruined did he come to his senses.


    To don brocade garments and savour delicaties: life of luxury


    Fishing for three days and drying nets for two: lack perseverance


    Fleeing for his life over a thousand li was but an instinctive reaction in a moment of despair. Beneath the surface, Yin Weisi was still that pampered, lively and elegant young man. Rigorous though Yuhuang Temple¡¯s cultivation methods were, Yun Weisi did endure them with gritted teeth, but the violent snowstorm on Shesheng Peak would make him feel a biting cold every time he thought of it.


    Nevertheless, after Changming had left the Yuhuang Temple, Yun Weisi would often come to the peak to cultivate of his own accord, in the hopes of chancing upon his shizun.


    But encounters with Changming were far and few in between, slowly dwindling into nil. When Yun Weisi realised that Changming might not appear here anymore, and that the tempestuous gale and blizzard at the peak no longer held any fear for him, so too did he lose the only excuse for cultivating at Shesheng Peak. Without the possibility of fulfilling his yearning, there was little point in coming to the peak.


    That very year, Yun Weisi went to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and challenged their Longxiang Fozuo to a duel.


    Longxiang: lit. dragon and elephant, fig. prominent Buddhist monk


    Fozuo: a part of his title, I presume, close to ¡®fozun¡¯¡ªa polite form of address


    The Wanlian Buddhist Temple and the Qingyun School were called the Two Greatest Sacred Places, full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, sects with many capable people.


    Hidden dragons and crouching tigers: talented individuals in hiding


    Longxiang Fozuo Shengjue was known to be the strongest monk in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, his status only inferior to the temple master.


    With Yun Weisi¡¯s martial skills and cultivation level then, it should have been next to impossible for him to emerge the victor.


    When Shengjue heard that a promising young talent had come to their door asking for advice, he could only dismiss them with a laugh. Not deigning to receive Yun Weisi in person, he merely waved a few disciples forward to ¡°greet¡± the guest.


    But those people were utterly defeated by Yun Weisi, including the most favored first disciple of Shengjue!


    Curiosity finally piqued, Shengjue made a move.


    He battled with Yun Weisi in the yard in front of the Buddhist Temple for three days and three nights, inflicting severe injuries on the younger man. But unexpectedly, Shengjue found himself oppressed by the other¡¯s tenacity, and was unable to gain the upper hand. Realising that he might soon lose any advantage he had and even suffer a humiliating loss, he decided to yield and threw in the towel.


    The gruelling battle had revealed Yun Weisi¡¯s boundless prospects, fascinating Shengjue. He knew without a doubt that the youth would inevitably rank the top in Jianghu¡¯s martial arts masters.


    After leaving the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, Yun Weisi went to Shesheng Peak instead of returning to the Yuhuang Temple.


    He himself couldn¡¯t explain why he had, in his delirium, chosen to return here.


    He knew in his heart that Changming would never return to the Yuhuang Temple.


    But at this place, slim though his hope was, he might chance upon shizun.


    Yin Weisi had traversed the world to the remotest corners, aimlessly searching, assiduously honing himself, yearning to meet a certain someone, the only one he wanted to share his troubles with.


    Casting his eyes on Yun Weisi, who lay like the dead on the floor, Changming prodded him a couple of times, and, receiving no reaction, could only accept his fate and drag the unconscious disciple into the room.


    There was some firewood in the house, so Changming lit a fire, opened the window to air the room, picked up some thatch grass and put it on him.


    Changming began to regret driving the other Yun Weisi away: otherwise, there would have been at least one more person to work. After all, Yun Weisi wouldn¡¯t bear to see himself freeze to death, right?


    The Yun Weisi in front of his eyes was a high-spirited youth, a lot more calm than he used to be when he had just entered the temple.


    Although his face had not changed much, Changming could easily notice the difference between his and Yun Weisi¡¯s expressions.


    It was gradually getting warmer inside the room, and Changming¡¯s throat felt itchy, throwing him into a bout of coughing.


    This sound made the comatose Yun Weisi twitch slightly, and he partly regained his perception.


    In a daze, he opened his eyes. Before his senses had yet to be overwhelmed by the stabbing pain from his numerous wounds, a man¡¯s silhouette appeared in the line of his sight.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yun Weisi opened his mouth and uttered a word.


    Or he thought he did.


    But the word only sounded in his heart.


    Shizun.


    As his coughing subsided, Changming raised his eyes and met Yun Weisi¡¯s half-open, dazed ones.


    ¡°My beloved disciple?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡­


    He thought, it is truly a dream, for Shizun would never have used that endearment on me.


    But it felt good as a dream as well.


    Master and disciple had not met for three years.


    He heard news about his shizun from time to time, but just a word or two.


    Yun Weisi only knew that the other had gotten even stronger, and he had felt a sense of crisis, spurring him into intensifying his training in order to catch up with him, lest he be left far behind.


    Shizun¡­


    His throat was still hoarse, and utterance was difficult.


    But Changming could read his lips.


    He stretched his hand towards Yun Weisi¡¯s head.


    Grasping the opportunity, Yun Weisi raised his head to have it rubbed.


    At Yuhuang Temple, Changming had rarely displayed affection such as this.


    From the very beginning, he had been unsmiling and severe in his discipline.


    But Yun Weisi knew that Shizun had always had his best interest at heart.


    Perhaps he had been a little unwilling to accept Changming¡¯s aloofness in the beginning, but Yun Weisi gradually came to understand his master¡¯s intentions.


    For one living a mundane life, the mention of ¡°cultivation¡± would bring to mind a vision of an otherworldly immortal in fluttering white robes; but the harsh reality of intense battles between cultivators in Jianghu that were a hundred times more destructive than those among the commoners were something rarely witnessed by the latter.


    Those who weren¡¯t powerful enough couldn¡¯t even stick their heads out of their sects.


    Those who weren¡¯t powerful enough could be killed for treasures.


    Mutual suspicion and deceptions in the royal court were admittedly cruel, however, the defeated would at worst be forced to retire and exiled, but there was no need to be afraid of death.


    But, if a cultivator were to fall in battle, even his soul would be sacrificed, and some would even suffer capture to become cultivation furnaces.


    The more austere Changming was in his discipline, the higher was Yun Weisi¡¯s chance to succeed in his cultivation.


    And it was not that Shizun was unreservedly taciturn.


    When he was playing go or brewing tea, Shizun often became more relaxed, and his expression was more gentle as well.


    But he had never looked the way he did now. Like grass being freed from the burden of melting snow, and his smile like a breeze dispelling the gloomy night clouds, Changming¡¯s habitual solemnity would disappear like smoke and ashes, leaving his eyes profoundly bright like the trillion of stars in the Milky Way.


    His eyes¡­ bright like¡­ the Milky Way: smiling eyes that draw others like a magnet


    The man before Yun Weisi may bear the physical appearance of his shizun, but was so different in demeanor that the latter thought he must be hallucinating.


    ¡°Did you love to act coquettishly like this at home as well?¡±


    Hearing his shizun¡¯s question,Yun Weisi could not help but smile.


    He had been the only child in his family. Having a blind mother did not make the doting and indulgence from both parents any less. Both families, Yun and Cong, were so affluent that he could have squandered their fortune for his entire lifetime and still see no end to their wealth.


    It was said that originally the two families had a marriage contract. Because of his mother¡¯s blindness, his paternal grandparents had wanted to cancel the betrothal, leading to bad blood between the elders of both families. Even after his parents had tied the knot, the families remained in a deadlock. It was not until Yun Weisi was born that this situation changed for the better. His mother used to say that when he was a child, he had an endearing, crystal-like purity. People would take to him at sight, and there was none who did not want to give the little tot a smooch.


    Rumors had it that even the emperor had arranged a marriage between Yun Weisi and a princess. What reason would still justify the elders¡¯ call for war?


    Undivided in their love for Yun Weisi, it was inevitable that both families would reconcile.


    The apple in the eyes of all, Yun Weisi was truly the pampered son who could do no wrong, whose mere existence filled the hearts of his parents and elders with contentment and complacency.


    ¡­


    Semi-delirious from the severity of his wounds, Yun Weisi¡¯s heart and mind were unguarded and his actions betrayed his true feelings.


    In the past, Changming had been so impassive towards his disciples that none of them, including Yun Weisi had dared to act familiar with him.


    Jiufang Changming was like a deity aloof from the masses, and people could only look up to him.


    But, since it was an illusion, it mattered not.


    The deity was powerful and flawless, and the man in front of him was rarely gentle, which made Yun Weisi show his affection.


    Knowing that Yun Weisi had transferred his reverence and high regard for his parents to him, Changming had closed an eye at his occasional look of adulation, pretending ignorance.


    Among his four disciples, Yun Weisi had the most talent and the strongest cultivation.


    In his heart, Changming had also thought Yun Weisi to possess the softest heart.


    But that gentleness was long gone. Yun Weisi had personally uprooted that worthless emotion from his heart with his bare hands.


    Mayhaps, Yun Hai was borne of Yun Weisi¡¯s unresolved obsessions.


    He used to lead a luxurious life in his childhood, but it came to an end abruptly, which made him feel resentful towards things he couldn¡¯t obtain.


    Yun Weisi thought that he had cut it off, but in fact, while the lotus roots may have been broken, its skin remained intact.


    The lotus roots may have been broken, its skin remained intact: a relationship that is apparently severed, actually still remains


    He fell asleep, using Changming¡¯s hand as a pillow.


    When he woke up, so did he wake from his warm dream.


    Though his cheek was still warm from the previous contact, Yun Weisi found himself all alone.


    The young man, once surrounded by love and indulgence, was destined to spend half of his life alone in a blizzard.


    After he had fallen asleep, Changming had not retracted  his hand immediately.


    Only when the sky had darkened did Changming remember something and abruptly raise his head.


    The present-day Yun Weisi had not returned after he had left, even though half a day had passed.


    Even if Yun Weisi had wanted to avoid arousing suspicion and not let his past self see him when he wakened from his unconscious state, there was hardly a need to hide so far away.


    The floor slightly trembled, as if something was shaking the peak.


    Changming looked at Yun Weisi by his side.


    The latter had not returned to his senses. His dream was as deep as his wound was severe.


    The sound came from a great distance, but Changming knew intuitively that it was connected with Yun Weisi.


    He got up and left silently. Wind and snow greeted him outside, and he closed the doors tightly, rushing towards the noise.


    Shesheng Peak was high.


    It wasn¡¯t a solitary mountain peak, but a part of the Zhongfa Mountain Range which was long and broad, and lying adjacent to the Sacred Mountain Wan. The peak and the sacred mountain, one located in the west, and the other in the east, were poles apart from each other.


    Changming was heading east, crossing more than a hundred li in the direction of a certain peak. The closer he got, the louder the rumbling.


    Two people were fighting in the snowstorm.


    One was Yun Weisi.


    And the other¡ª


    Changming concentrated his spiritual senses. Unexpectedly, the other was Chen Ting!


    This fellow was truly like a ghost, haunting them from Yuru Town all the way here.


    The qi of their swords formed a stormy whirl.


    But the quakes were not coming from it.


    But from a place not far away.


    Chen Ting¡¯s background was indeed suspicious, but he came from the future as well, so his spiritual powers were limited too. For the time being, he shouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Yun Weisi.


    Changming cast another glance at them, and went past them, searching for the source of the quakes and jolts.


    Boom.


    Boom.


    Over and over again.


    It wasn¡¯t something shaking the mountains and the earth surface, but rather, it was coming from under the ground.


    What could be there?


    Changming stopped and leaned to the ground to listen.


    Shortly after, he ascended the mountain.


    These mountains were mostly covered with ice and snow, and the higher he climbed, the thicker the snow got.


    Before the old snow could melt, the new would fall onto the ground, layer upon a layer, for months and years. It was hard to even find a place to land one¡¯s feet.


    But Changming¡¯s steps were light to the point that he seemed as weightless as a feather, and he could tread on the snow, walking with dainty steps and raising no dust.


    Halfway up the mountain, everything he could see was a white flurry.


    Changming stopped. Looking at the identical mountain boulders covered with snow, he suddenly swept out a sleeve.


    A cutting wind came from his palm, smashing an array of rocks to smithereens and revealing the mouth of a cave.


    He bent down and walked inside.


    Within, it was so pitch-dark one could not even see their fingers, but Changming discerned a path leading downwards, resembling a crooked staircase carved out by hands.


    The lower he descended, the hotter the air became.


    Burning hot beams of light were glowing vaguely in the depth.


    Changming sensed something being confined there.


    Not a human, but a beast.


    And, presumably, not an ordinary beast either.


    Bending down on a knee, he felt about the ground.


    Coming into contact with something, an icy sensation pervaded his hand, and he identified it quickly.


    It was an iron chain.


    This iron chain was very long, winding down from the place where he found it to the depths of the cave, presumably firmly locking the roaring beast under the ground.


    An Eternally Freezing Chain could not be broken by a common cultivator easily.


    Boom¡­


    The locked creature was still roaring, but the noise was getting weaker.


    It may not die soon, but confined as it was below in the depths of the earth, unable to see the light of the day, the spiritual powers of its cultivation base would slowly be absorbed by this Eternal Frost, leaving it only the strength to breathe.


    It was truly a situation where one sought life but could not obtain it, sought death but could not be granted it.


    The dragon of the Penglai Lake that was trapped in the Yellow Springs was shackled with an Eternally Freezing Chains as well.


    So what was the creature trapped under the ground here?


    He silently touched the iron chain in the dark, and felt as if he could make a vague guess.


    But these guesses needed time to be checked out.


    Until he left the Nine Layers of the Abyss and returned to his world, everything would remain a mystery.


    Since undoing the shackles was beyond his ability, there was no point wasting time in this place. Changming lingered for a moment, and then returned to the surface the same way out.


    The dim light of night appeared in front of him, and Changming¡¯s heart sank.


    He had actually forgotten!


    The arrival of night was Yun Weisi¡¯s Archilles¡¯ heel!


    Even though Chen Ting had no spiritual power, he could fight to a draw with Yun Weisi relying only on his martial arts and the Guyue Sword. Coupled with his mysterious past and the fact that he was an insider privy to a lot of inside information, who knew what other tricks he had up his sleeves.


    Thinking about this, Changming headed swiftly towards the place where the two of them were fighting.


    ¡­


    Chen Ting was consumed by his desire to kill Yun Weisi.


    When Yuru Town¡¯s Gathering Souls Pearl was destroyed, Chen Ting had seemed unperturbed, but in reality he was no less furious than Situ at having been thwarted.


    If he could dispose of this person here, though the future would definitely change, at least they would have rooted out one major obstacle!


    Otherwise, this person would remain a huge latent danger to their plans.


    Chen Ting believed that after Yun Weisi¡¯s death, many things would be solved as easily as a bamboo shoot breaking under a knife¡¯s edge.


    With what Changming and Yun Weisi already knew of their devious scheme, there was no way Chen Ting could let them leave this place alive.


    Despite going at it a hundred rounds, neither had yet gained the upper hand.


    This was a battle not of spiritual powers, but of the sheer pitting of one¡¯s martial arts skills against another¡¯s.


    Chen Ting swung his qi-shrouded sword, splitting into three shadows as he advanced in a flash towards his opponent, one coming from the front, and the others surrounded Yun Weisi from the right and left.


    All three held the Guyue Sword, and slashed towards the surrounded foe!


    Yun Weisi neither advanced nor retreated. Instead of meeting the enemy head-on, his instinct was first to escape the encirclement.


    Right at that critical point, his body suddenly stilled, a perplexed look on his face.


    That minute pause had left an opening to the enemy!


    In a fight between masters, their lives were constantly in peril. Given Yun Weisi¡¯s skills, there was no way he would make a fatal mistake like this unless¡ª


    With a grimful joy, Chen Ting swiftly grasped this opening, and his Guyue Sword turned into countless shining rays, swooping towards his enemy¡¯s head!


    He was close at hand, just an inch away!


    Clang!


    A sword had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, blocking his killing blow!


    Not only did it stop the Guyue Sword from advancing further, but even pushed it half an inch back!


    It was only half an inch, but for them, it was equal to retreating half a battlefield.


    The owner of this inconspicuous pitch-black sword caught him off guard, meddling in the battle and pushing Chen Ting¡¯s attack back.


    But Changming¡¯s current body could not be compared with his past self, and spiritual powers were inhibited in this layer of the Abyss.


    Chen Ting cared not a whit about his current condition and split his sword again at once, determined to kill the meddling pair.


    He leaped to the air, like a star falling in the moonlight, graceful and soft. It was one against two, but his silhouette split into three once again.


    However this time, the three figures were moving independently, as if they were not of the same person.


    The first one brandished his sword towards the enemies.


    The second performed a seal and threw over his sword.


    The last merged with his sword, becoming one.


    In a split second, a myriad of red beams descended, like a curtain of murderous intent, raised a hurricane and a thunder, so powerful it could topple mountains and overturn seas!


    Chen Ting was determined to win.


    He had to cut Yun Weisi down with his own sword.


    If Jiufang Changming overrated his own abilities and tried to stop him, he would only meet the same doom.


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯ve been in hiding for such a long time that you¡¯ve all forgotten that  I first became famous for my martial arts, not for my cultivation base?¡±


    Words spoken in a deceptively gentle tone reached Chen Ting¡¯s ear from behind, sending a chill of fear down his spine.


    He wanted to turn his head, but he couldn¡¯t.


    Because Yun Weisi in front of him stopped the attack of his shadows, and the Chunzhao Sword was aimed right at one of them.


    The sword was raised.


    Slash!


    The sword fell.


    One qi creates the three clarities.


    One qi creates the three highest manifestations of the Dao: hist. qi creates the three greatest deities of Daoism; as a skill: creating three phantoms


    The three clarities merged into one.


    A bloody wound appeared on Chen Ting¡¯s neck.


    Blood oozed out in a thin thread, the wound seemingly negligible, as if he could still be saved, but in truth, half of his neck had been sliced through.


    Chen Ting was rooted where he stood, unable to move.


    Another sword pierced his back.


    He gasped, as if taking his last breath.


    But at this moment, his whole body was suddenly covered in hairline cracks, rapidly spreading out, like spiderwebs.


    In a flash, his body disintegrated with a puff, and, like so much dust and ashes, was blown away by the wind.


    Leaving only the Guyue Sword to fall onto the ground with a resounding clang.


    Changming¡¯s expression froze.


    ¡°The Three Flowers Incarnation Art?!¡±


    Daoist sects had a concept of ¡°Three Flowers Join Point¡±. When a person reached a certain cultivation level, the three techniques, formed of the Human Flower, the Earth Flower and the Sky Flower, gathered in their xuanguan, stimulating a breakthrough.


    Three Flowers Join Point: junction point of three qi types; here, three cultivation principles. The ¡®flower¡¯ stems from ¡®glory, essence¡¯, so it¡¯s better to read it as ¡®essence¡¯ (another entertaining Chinese character transformation)


    Human Flower: refining qi into energy. The process of refining qigong foundation by circling qi in your body


    Earth Flower: refining vital force into mentality. The process of using the mind to move the qi in your body to become stronger


    Sky Flower: refining mentality to return it to the void. Returning to the void. Revealing the nature¡¯s secrets and understanding oneself, etc, the final goal in Taoism


    Xuanguan: just like dantian, a vital part of a cultivator¡¯s body


    But this Art had little relation with the Three Flowers Join Point, only borrowing the ¡°three flowers¡± from its title. The Art divided the soul of a person much like separating their primordial spirit from the body; only, it was superior to the primordial spirit, because it could actually sustain a form.


    Chen Ting was, contrary to expectation, still alive. It was only his incarnation which had fragmented.


    But, since the incarnation had a substantial form, the other party must have spent at least half of his soul to create it.


    If an incarnation died, the primordial spirit and the fraction of one¡¯s soul used to create it would have little hope of being recovered.


    Changming bent down and picked the Guyue Sword up.


    It was really a good sword. There was no doubt that it deserved to be called a great spiritual weapon.


    Otherwise, Chen Ting wouldn¡¯t have been able to move about the Nine Layers of the Abyss freely.


    Judging from Chen Ting¡¯s actions, his real body was outside, and his cultivation level was considerably high.


    Changming was lost in thought.


    Yun Weisi said coldly: ¡°How long are you going to stand in the snowstorm?¡±


    Changming coughed a couple of times: ¡°You are still Yun Weisi?¡±


    Yun Weisi hummed in agreement, coldly and indifferently.


    Changming frowned: ¡°It is night already, why hasn¡¯t Yun Hai appeared?¡±


    Yun Weisi asked in reply: ¡°You want him to appear that much?¡±


    Changming: ¡°On the contrary, it is fine if he never appears. After all, you are the real Yun Weisi.¡±


    Yun Weisi was speechless.


    Changming laughed: ¡°Yun Xin¡¯gan, you should make your expression seem more sinister if you want to impersonate him!¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡­


    Changming was laughing so hard that the wind swept into his mouth, starting another fit of racking coughing which bent his body over.


    Yun Hai stretched out his arm, pulled Changming into his embrace brusquely and with a flick of his sleeves, turned the other palm, face up.


    A blinding light hovered above his hand.


    If one looked closely at this seemingly scorching light, they would notice that there were thousands of swirling stars, flowing in constellations, just like a little universe of primordial times.


    ¡­


    Xu Jingxian regretted her decision for the hundredth time.


    She regretted coming to this Nine Layers of the Abyss plagued by infinite dangers, a place where one could lose their life any moment.


    She was originally living a comfortable and easy life at Lingbo Peak, with handsome male companions and countless maids delivering rice to her mouth and clothing to her hands, without her having to lift a finger. Her life had been so good, why the heck had she run to this place to endure all the suffering?


    Although Zhou Keyi was a bit hard to please, in the event that she failed to please him, her legs would still be fast enough for her to flee with her life intact.


    [On the contrary, in Heavenly City, one¡¯s life would be less than a dog¡¯s, and remaining alive was more difficult than ascending the heavens!]


    Xu Jingxian thought woefully that this time she would surely lose her life.

 CH 42

    Proofread by P. & Snake & Lucia


    It started half a month ago.


    Xu Jingxian knew that it was Xu Fenglin of the five elders who dispatched people to find Changming.


    She wanted to go with them, but they refused to take her, so she had to stay at the inn and wait for news.


    She waited and waited, unable to fall asleep, and decided that it was better to visit her neighbour, Chen Ting. But, strangely, not a trace of him was to be seen.


    Night fell, and the world outside plunged into darkness. Following the hearsays, the whole nest of vultures came out. Although the night was moonless and dark, Xu Jingxian could feel them occupy a large part of the sky, and heard their flapping wings clearly from inside her room.


    Many years of schemes in the Jianxue Clan taught her to nip her curiosity in the bud. Xu Jingxian stayed in the room for the whole night calmly. After making sure that the vultures could not break in, she fell asleep to the sounds of fighting and terrifying screams in the distance.


    Only the next morning, she received the earth-shattering news: Xu Fenglin was dead.


    That person who appeared out of nowhere, entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss, defeated many demons at Seven Star Rivers, and fought his way through to Heavenly City to become one of the five elders, Xu Fenglin, died in the Yunding Tower.


    It was said that he was killed and thrown down to the lake to be devoured by vultures completely, and his remains were too appalling to look at.


    Innumerable people died in the Nine Layers of the Abyss every day.


    Many people were powerful enough to command the winds and the clouds outside the Nine Layers of the Abyss, but upon entering this place their spiritual powers were restricted and they could no longer summon rains or call storms; many were trapped in a moment of carelessness.


    But geniuses like Xu Fenglin from the Donghai Sect, unless something unforeseen happened, could leave the Nine Layers of the Abyss and almost certainly become sect masters in some time; yet he met such an absurd death.


    The rumors did not mention Changming at all since they had only reached Heavenly City a day before this happened, but Xu Jingxian was sure that Xu Fenglin¡¯s death had a connection with Changming.


    Neither the man, nor his corpse were found.


    And that Chen Ting had disappeared without a trace as well.


    Xu Jingxian could only continue moving on slowly on her own.


    The food and lodging were expensive in this place. She had almost spent all the money she had. The only way to raise money quickly was to participate in the Yunding Tower competition.


    Originally, Xu Jingxian did not want to use this method.


    It was easy to draw attention being in the limelight, which might bring a disaster upon herself.


    She wanted to make Changming participate, but now that he had vanished, she could only settle for the second best option and do it herself.


    Her opponents were not hard to defeat.


    Exactly because high-level cultivators had spiritual powers that others did not have, they looked down on the common people.


    But, having lost them, cultivators did not always triumph against common people in pure martial arts.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s skills were more than enough to overwhelm these people.


    But her performance attracted the attention of a person very soon.


    This person was Guan Xiachang.


    Guan Xiachang was fully aware of Heavenly City¡¯s rules.


    In a place with no spiritual powers women like her were reduced to being playthings under others¡¯ control unless they found a very strong person to rely on.


    And so, paying no attention to others¡¯ opinions, she quickly threw away her cultivator¡¯s dignity and latched onto one of the five elders, becoming his new favourite.


    But one favourite is enough.


    Guan Xiachang did not want Xu Jingxian to become the same.


    If she wanted to use her charming techniques of a Demonic sect disciple, she had a bigger chance of catching the eye of an elder than Guan Xiachang.


    So, after learning that Xu Jingxian was participating in the competition, Guan Xiachang used a trick to make one of Elder Hou¡¯s attendants participate and compete against Xu Jingxian.


    This person thought highly of himself, and Elder Hou valued him as well, but Jianghu rumors had it that they shared some kind of an unspeakable relationship.


    Elder Hou being a cut sleeve was an open secret: he had not a single female attendant, but all his guardians were very powerful and talented.


    Competitions at the Yunding Tower were always battles to the last gasp. Xu Jingxian¡¯s skills were slightly better, and she was pressing her enemy until she finally killed him.


    According to the rules, Xu Jingxian was supposed to advance to the next round and compete with the next opponent and fight in the final battle.


    But how could Elder Hou put up with his treasured attendant¡¯s death? He entered the stage himself immediately, intending to kill Xu Jingxian to avenge his lover.


    The strong were revered in Heavenly City. Even though Elder Hou openly disregarded the rules, even the other elders said nothing; how could others object?


    Xu Jingxian had not even healed her wounds and recovered from her last match, how could she fight against one of the five elders? She was retreating from each of his attacks, and had no strength to retaliate.


    But Elder Hou did not just want her to lose, he wanted her life.


    His palm attacks were fierce, like rolling thunder, and his silhouette leaped up, like a big hawk spreading its wings, blocking all the ways for Xu Jingxian to turn her defence into an attack.


    Xu Jingxian could only withdraw.


    But she realized that all ways of retreat were already sealed by her enemy.


    Elder Hou was using a whip.


    Not many males used a whip as a weapon, and whips were rarely used by cultivators outside the Nine Layers of the Abyss, only some female cultivators enjoyed using it.


    But the iron whip in his hand was dancing powerfully like a sword, both gentle and harsh at the same time, straight as a ruler one moment, or as soft as silk another.


    And Xu Jingxian¡¯s silk was damaged when she entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss. At this moment, its power was halved, and she was unable to cope with the opponent¡¯s whip. She could only use her thin silk to block his attack, but that exposed a gap in her defense, and Elder Hou hit her chest with a palm. Xu Jingxian heard a creaking sound¡ªher bones seemed to be broken, and she retreated, running into a pillar behind her and spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°I finally understand!¡±


    She was utterly furious, but her smile was only getting more coquettish and sentimental.


    ¡°Ah, as it turns out, Elder Hou made his toy-boy come here and then came out himself just to take advantage of this girl!¡±


    Elder Hou snorted coldly, paying no attention to her nonsense. The shadow of his whip lashed at her again.


    Even if she survived this attack, her face would have been ruined, skin torn and flesh cut.


    Xu Jingxian could not dodge it, so she did not even try.


    In the corner of her eye, she saw Guan Xiachang leaning close to Elder Liu, and several other people from the alliance formed at the Rainbow Bridge.


    They all chose to remain bystanders in the crowd.


    This was not surprising. Who would risk their life to help a total stranger?


    They could shut their eyes to their fellow disciples¡¯ and daoist partners¡¯ deaths, why would they care about a temptress from a Demonic sect?


    At that moment, Xu Jingxian¡¯s mind was as calm as still water.


    She did not expect anyone to drop from the sky to rescue her.


    In all these years, she never imagined herself in such a situation.


    It is¡ª


    All Changming¡¯s fault.


    If it was not for him, she would not have entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and would have never faced such a situation.


    Changming you bastard, when I turn into a ghost, I won¡¯t let you go!


    I: self-address for a woman while she is swearing was used. She uses it from time to time


    The sun was blinding.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s eyes stung.


    She squinted.


    But the whip did not land on her.


    She thought that her eyes were stinging so much that she hallucinated.


    Because she saw Changming all of a sudden.


    That man, holding his longsword in his hand, descended from the sky right behind Elder Hou, like a deity.


    The sword was raised!


    It was brilliant as a rainbow, and swift as a bolt of thunder.


    Elder Hou felt an oppressive force strong enough to crumble mountains, but, before he could turn around, the sword had already pierced him.


    ¡°Ah!!!¡±


    Ever since he took over the position, Elder Hou had been living in clover, and had many subordinates, so he did not have to confront anything at all himself, especially such mortal dangers.


    That is to say, the way Xu Jingxian had just been treated was just a play for him where he was sure of his victory. At this moment, the deep cut on his back aroused his murderous intent.


    He growled, turned around and attacked with his whip, leaped on a pavilion and rushed at his opponent.


    Xu Jingxian had not come to her senses at first, but now she finally reacted.


    If she was not dreaming, this scumbag had actually shown up.


    She wanted to break out into curses, but did not have the strength, and could only rest leaning on the column.


    No one paid attention to her.


    Everyone was looking at the lake near the Yunding Tower.


    Changming was fighting Elder Hou there.


    Many exotic plants were grown there, being Elder Lu¡¯s favorite things. Xu Jingxian¡¯s desired Yangzhen Grass was there as well.


    Elder Lu was so distressed that he leaned on the rails of the Yunding Tower, and shouted loudly at the two of them to go fight elsewhere.


    Changming and Elder Hou turned a deaf ear to him.


    They were lightly landing on the leaves of the plants, jumping over the surface of the lake. Elder Hou had surprisingly little advantage over Changming, in fact he was losing in every aspect.


    Powerful people with high skills in martial arts could see that Changming was not even trying his best to fight Elder Hou.


    What did it mean?


    Obviously, Elder Hou¡¯s fate was sealed, and Heavenly City would get a new elder soon.


    Guan Xiachang also did not expect that sickly man from the Second Layer of the Abyss to have such an advanced technique in martial arts.


    Maybe, he was not all that strong elsewhere, but here, in a place where spiritual powers were restricted, he was at an advantage.


    If only she had known this beforehand¡­


    If she knew this beforehand, she would have followed them, and would not have given herself to this old Elder Liu of wretched appearance!


    Elder Hou was helpless.


    He was wounded all over, tripped and fell right into the water, but the assaulting energy of his enemy¡¯s sword made him get back to his feet and fly to the Yunding Tower.


    It seemed that he was fleeing in a panic.


    ¡°Why are you just standing there, attack!¡±


    He was venting his anger on his subordinates, seeking help from the other elders at the same time.


    ¡°Help me kill him, and I will grant you all of my secret techniques!¡±


    Elder Hou used to collect treasures, and some of them were rare and precious. His words shook many people.


    If Elder Hou died, this man would have all his treasures to himself, and would hardly give them away.


    But, if Elder Hou and this man both died, all these things would be theirs.


    The three of them looked at each other, and the elders who were at first only watching from the side, finally moved.


    Excluding the dead Xu Fenglin, Heavenly City had four elders.


    All of them were martial arts masters.


    Elder Hou could not defeat Changming by himself, but the three of them were more than enough to take care of him.


    Changming was standing in the middle of the lake. The elders were pressing from three sides.


    Two of them were holding longswords.


    One had a spear.


    They reached Changming in the blink of an eye.


    The swords and the spear were unstoppable like a shot arrow.


    Three people were coming from three directions.


    Like meteors catching up with the moon, like floating clouds and ceaseless winds.


    Floating clouds and ceaseless winds: image of an immortal in the eyes of a commoner, a line from a poem called¡¶¶þÊ®ËÄÊ«Æ·¡·.


    Three bright rays fell onto the same place like shooting stars.


    No matter how one looked at this situation, Changming had no way to escape.


    If he could not fly up, there was only the lake beneath him.


    The three people surrounded him, and their weapons formed a three-layer qi barrier, giving him no chance to flee.


    Xu Jingxian knew that Changming was proficient in the Art of conferring spirit, and even reached perfection in it to the point neither spirits nor devils could attain.


    She thought that he would certainly replace himself with a puppet, confuse everyone and suddenly get through the siege, then swing round and catch his enemies off guard.


    Unexpectedly, Changming did not.


    The rays were getting very close, but he just stood there motionless, as if he was petrified.


    Though the emperor isn¡¯t worried, his eunuchs are; Xu Jingxian was so anxious that her forehead was sweating.


    Though the emperor isn¡¯t worried, his eunuchs are: observers are more worried than the person involved


    Changming was not moving.


    But the weapons could not advance any further.


    They were quite close, but they just could not reduce the distance.


    The expressions on Elder Liu and the others¡¯ faces changed slightly. They all tried to close the gap in silent agreement.


    A strong force shot at them, and all three of them could not help but fly dozens of steps back, almost falling into the water.


    The black sword left Changming¡¯s hands and flew straight towards Elder Liu!


    That was the final thing that he saw in his life.


    Elder Liu never knew how he died.


    But the others saw.


    Especially the two other elders, who saw it very clearly. The black longsword pierced him.


    The sword moved extremely fast, and it was almost impossible to keep track of it, as if it appeared in front of Elder Liu in one moment.


    Elder Liu¡¯s neck was cut, and his body fell into the water.


    The body sank, but the blood came to the surface, quickly painting the lake red.


    Everyone was stupefied.


    The two elders were strongly affected.


    No one expected the famed and outstanding Elder Liu who stirred up troubles in Heavenly City for many years to face such a death.


    Maybe because he had been indulging in drinking and earthly pleasures for many years, he had his subordinates deal with many things. Others could not figure out his motives, so they would not dare go against him, and Changming killing him was quite convenient for them.


    But this scene actually made many people tremble in fear.


    Xu Jingxian noticed that Guan Xiachang was leaving quietly.


    The woman saw Elder Liu¡¯s death. Her patron was defeated, so she wanted to slip away at once.


    Xu Jingxian snorted coldly, and rushed to block her way.


    As soon as the thin silk came, Guan Xiachang raised her hand subconsciously, but her sword had long been taken away by Elder Liu, so she was grabbing nothing. She moaned, and flesh and blood started flowing in a gush.


    She took a step back, staggering, and fell to the ground, but no one caught her.


    Beauties were only playthings and were easy to obtain in Heavenly City.


    If you had enough strength, you had the power to obtain the beauty you wanted.


    Guan Xianchang was Elder Liu¡¯s beloved plaything.


    But only a plaything.


    The situation was chaotic.


    Three out of five elders were neutralized, and everyone was restless in their hearts, ready to break the reins and run away.


    ¡°Kill all the elders, and we will be in charge! To hell with being enslaved by them!¡±


    No one knew who shouted first, but soon everyone followed, throwing themselves at the two elders.


    No one here was born untalented, they were all monks with abilities and reputation, otherwise, how would they have dared to run into the Nine Layers of the Abyss?


    It¡¯s just that Heavenly City restricted spiritual power, and most of the people were not as skilled as the elders, so they could only swallow their anger and let the five elders exploit them. But they have long been dissatisfied.


    When Changming appeared and killed two elders, it was like igniting a fuse, lighting up the rage of oppressed people.


    Elder Lu turned pale with fright.


    Even though his skills were sharp, he could not withstand such a tight encirclement.


    ¡°Ning Han, come up with something, quick!¡±


    Elder Lu called for his companion.


    Human beings die in pursuit of wealth, just as birds die in pursuit of food; no matter how loyal a subordinate was, when enticed with such tempting benefits, only some people like Ning Han could be relied on.


    But Ning Han turned around silently and fled, leaving Elder Lu to sink into the crowd that was full of resentment.


    Facing countless pairs of red eyes brimming with hatred, he understood that he would be unable to get away this time.


    Guan Xiachang was lying on the ground, and Xu Jingxian did not care whether she was dead or alive. She was looking at the surface of the lake.


    The numerous rare and precious flowers planted by Elder Lu were almost destroyed, and only that plant that looked like Yangzhen Grass was glowing and floating above the surface of the lake.


    Many people were ignorant of this treasure laying in front of their eyes, as they were focused on the elders; some who got the news early hurried to the elders¡¯ residences, in the hope of finding some kind of rare treasure.


    Xu Jingxian looked around merrily. She could not help it anymore and got up, rushing to the center of the lake.


    The Yangzhen Grass was inconspicuous in the sunlight.


    But, if one looked closely, they would notice golden veins on its leaves, truly nature¡¯s embroidery.


    These golden veins seemed to follow graceful patterns that resembled layers and layers of heavenly constellations. The whirlpool of lines led humans¡¯ minds astray.


    Someone grabbed Xu Jingxian¡¯s arm, returning her to her senses.


    She realised that she had already entered the water without noticing, and almost drowned.


    She came round quickly, and water poured in through her mouth, nose, eyes and ears. She was dragged out of the water and started coughing.


    ¡°That thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Is the Yangzhen Grass indeed,¡± Changming said. ¡°This thing can confuse minds well. The one who takes the Yangzhen Grass should be more determined than others. You almost lost your way.¡±


    Then Xu Jingxian did this.


    Without a second word, she stuffed all the Yangzhen Grass in her mouth, and started chewing it with her cheeks bulging, trying to swallow it several times.


    Changming: ?!!


    He had seen many things through the years, but Xu Jingxian¡¯s action shocked him. For some time, it was hard for him to say anything.


    ¡°It should be refined into a pill, how could you just¡­¡±


    Swallow it?!


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Will eating it kill a person?¡±


    Changming: ¡°¡­Haven¡¯t heard of it.¡±


    People who actually got the Yangzhen Grass were seldom mentioned in records.


    This plant of the Nine Layers of the Abyss was not grown by Elder Lu, but rather created by mysterious spiritual qi of the Sacred Mountain Wan; it was the result of an extremely rare set of circumstances.


    But people often could not tell good from bad. Elder Lu loved looking for exotic plants and collecting them, but even he thought this grass to be just a rare plant. After all, people could not use spiritual powers here, so no one expected it to be a treasure capable of raising cultivation level.


    Xu Jingxian said softly: ¡°Nights are long, dreams are many; no one can take it from my mouth. In order to get this Yangzhen Grass, I almost lost my life. And you!¡±


    Nights are long, dreams are many: while you are delaying things, the situation can change for the worse


    She wanted to scold Changming for dumping her and disappearing, but recalled the scene when his powerful sword attack killed Elder Liu, and suddenly gave him a bewitching smile. She got closer and kissed Changming.


    Changming wanted to avoid her subconsciously, but the water restricted his movement, slowing his reaction, and her red lips brushed against his cheek.


    ¡°Since Ming-lang came to my rescue, your feelings for me must be so deep and genuine that you couldn¡¯t bear to leave me. Let the sky be our matchmaker, and the water be our bed, and proceed to the good stuff!¡±


    While her mouth was blabbering all kinds of nonsense, her hands actually started pulling Changming¡¯s collar.


    Changming smiled spuriously, not the least bit embarrassed.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized how hot you feel right now?¡±


    How could Xu Jingxian not realize?


    After she had swallowed the Yangzhen Grass, all the vital organs of her body and her throat turned ice-cold, and immediately started burning. No matter how hard she tried to suppress it, her mouth and tongue were dry and she was blushing, a fire of lust consuming her body.


    Xu Jingxian felt like crying but had no tears.


    ¡°What on earth happened!¡±


    ¡°You idiot.¡±


    Changming let her calm down in the water by herself, jumped onto the shore and looked into the distance.


    Thick sunset clouds glowed with the last ray of the setting sun.


    The vultures will be out soon.


    And Yun Hai¡¯s plans are probably already underway.


    Just as he was thinking about it, the ground was beginning to shake.


    The quake intensified quickly, eventually forming cracks on the surface.


    Some people were taken by surprise, and fell into the fissures.


    Heavenly City was lit by fires, and was now filled with panicking shouts.


    The sky was about to change.


    The author has something to say:


    A small scene with no connection with the main plot:


    Yun Hai: Why is your face red?


    Changming (reaching out his hand): Oh, Xu Jingxian smeared it just now.


    Yun Hai: Smeared?


    Changming (indifferently): She kissed me.


    Yun Hai turned around, wiped off the lipstick, leaned forward and kissed this cheek many times.


    Yun Hai: Eh? I slipped accidentally, did I smear you?


    Changming: ¡­


    Proofread by P. & Snake & Lucia


    It started half a month ago.


    Xu Jingxian knew that it was Xu Fenglin of the five elders who dispatched people to find Changming.


    She wanted to go with them, but they refused to take her, so she had to stay at the inn and wait for news.


    She waited and waited, unable to fall asleep, and decided that it was better to visit her neighbour, Chen Ting. But, strangely, not a trace of him was to be seen.


    Night fell, and the world outside plunged into darkness. Following the hearsays, the whole nest of vultures came out. Although the night was moonless and dark, Xu Jingxian could feel them occupy a large part of the sky, and heard their flapping wings clearly from inside her room.


    Many years of schemes in the Jianxue Clan taught her to nip her curiosity in the bud. Xu Jingxian stayed in the room for the whole night calmly. After making sure that the vultures could not break in, she fell asleep to the sounds of fighting and terrifying screams in the distance.


    Only the next morning, she received the earth-shattering news: Xu Fenglin was dead.


    That person who appeared out of nowhere, entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss, defeated many demons at Seven Star Rivers, and fought his way through to Heavenly City to become one of the five elders, Xu Fenglin, died in the Yunding Tower.


    It was said that he was killed and thrown down to the lake to be devoured by vultures completely, and his remains were too appalling to look at.


    Innumerable people died in the Nine Layers of the Abyss every day.


    Many people were powerful enough to command the winds and the clouds outside the Nine Layers of the Abyss, but upon entering this place their spiritual powers were restricted and they could no longer summon rains or call storms; many were trapped in a moment of carelessness.


    But geniuses like Xu Fenglin from the Donghai Sect, unless something unforeseen happened, could leave the Nine Layers of the Abyss and almost certainly become sect masters in some time; yet he met such an absurd death.


    The rumors did not mention Changming at all since they had only reached Heavenly City a day before this happened, but Xu Jingxian was sure that Xu Fenglin¡¯s death had a connection with Changming.


    Neither the man, nor his corpse were found.


    And that Chen Ting had disappeared without a trace as well.


    Xu Jingxian could only continue moving on slowly on her own.


    The food and lodging were expensive in this place. She had almost spent all the money she had. The only way to raise money quickly was to participate in the Yunding Tower competition.


    Originally, Xu Jingxian did not want to use this method.


    It was easy to draw attention being in the limelight, which might bring a disaster upon herself.


    She wanted to make Changming participate, but now that he had vanished, she could only settle for the second best option and do it herself.


    Her opponents were not hard to defeat.


    Exactly because high-level cultivators had spiritual powers that others did not have, they looked down on the common people.


    But, having lost them, cultivators did not always triumph against common people in pure martial arts.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s skills were more than enough to overwhelm these people.


    But her performance attracted the attention of a person very soon.


    This person was Guan Xiachang.


    Guan Xiachang was fully aware of Heavenly City¡¯s rules.


    In a place with no spiritual powers women like her were reduced to being playthings under others¡¯ control unless they found a very strong person to rely on.


    And so, paying no attention to others¡¯ opinions, she quickly threw away her cultivator¡¯s dignity and latched onto one of the five elders, becoming his new favourite.


    But one favourite is enough.


    Guan Xiachang did not want Xu Jingxian to become the same.


    If she wanted to use her charming techniques of a Demonic sect disciple, she had a bigger chance of catching the eye of an elder than Guan Xiachang.


    So, after learning that Xu Jingxian was participating in the competition, Guan Xiachang used a trick to make one of Elder Hou¡¯s attendants participate and compete against Xu Jingxian.


    This person thought highly of himself, and Elder Hou valued him as well, but Jianghu rumors had it that they shared some kind of an unspeakable relationship.


    Elder Hou being a cut sleeve was an open secret: he had not a single female attendant, but all his guardians were very powerful and talented.


    Competitions at the Yunding Tower were always battles to the last gasp. Xu Jingxian¡¯s skills were slightly better, and she was pressing her enemy until she finally killed him.


    According to the rules, Xu Jingxian was supposed to advance to the next round and compete with the next opponent and fight in the final battle.


    But how could Elder Hou put up with his treasured attendant¡¯s death? He entered the stage himself immediately, intending to kill Xu Jingxian to avenge his lover.


    The strong were revered in Heavenly City. Even though Elder Hou openly disregarded the rules, even the other elders said nothing; how could others object?


    Xu Jingxian had not even healed her wounds and recovered from her last match, how could she fight against one of the five elders? She was retreating from each of his attacks, and had no strength to retaliate.


    But Elder Hou did not just want her to lose, he wanted her life.


    His palm attacks were fierce, like rolling thunder, and his silhouette leaped up, like a big hawk spreading its wings, blocking all the ways for Xu Jingxian to turn her defence into an attack.


    Xu Jingxian could only withdraw.


    But she realized that all ways of retreat were already sealed by her enemy.


    Elder Hou was using a whip.


    Not many males used a whip as a weapon, and whips were rarely used by cultivators outside the Nine Layers of the Abyss, only some female cultivators enjoyed using it.


    But the iron whip in his hand was dancing powerfully like a sword, both gentle and harsh at the same time, straight as a ruler one moment, or as soft as silk another.


    And Xu Jingxian¡¯s silk was damaged when she entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss. At this moment, its power was halved, and she was unable to cope with the opponent¡¯s whip. She could only use her thin silk to block his attack, but that exposed a gap in her defense, and Elder Hou hit her chest with a palm. Xu Jingxian heard a creaking sound¡ªher bones seemed to be broken, and she retreated, running into a pillar behind her and spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°I finally understand!¡±


    She was utterly furious, but her smile was only getting more coquettish and sentimental.


    ¡°Ah, as it turns out, Elder Hou made his toy-boy come here and then came out himself just to take advantage of this girl!¡±


    Elder Hou snorted coldly, paying no attention to her nonsense. The shadow of his whip lashed at her again.


    Even if she survived this attack, her face would have been ruined, skin torn and flesh cut.


    Xu Jingxian could not dodge it, so she did not even try.


    In the corner of her eye, she saw Guan Xiachang leaning close to Elder Liu, and several other people from the alliance formed at the Rainbow Bridge.


    They all chose to remain bystanders in the crowd.


    This was not surprising. Who would risk their life to help a total stranger?


    They could shut their eyes to their fellow disciples¡¯ and daoist partners¡¯ deaths, why would they care about a temptress from a Demonic sect?


    At that moment, Xu Jingxian¡¯s mind was as calm as still water.


    She did not expect anyone to drop from the sky to rescue her.


    In all these years, she never imagined herself in such a situation.


    It is¡ª


    All Changming¡¯s fault.


    If it was not for him, she would not have entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and would have never faced such a situation.


    Changming you bastard, when I turn into a ghost, I won¡¯t let you go!


    I: self-address for a woman while she is swearing was used. She uses it from time to time


    The sun was blinding.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s eyes stung.


    She squinted.


    But the whip did not land on her.


    She thought that her eyes were stinging so much that she hallucinated.


    Because she saw Changming all of a sudden.


    That man, holding his longsword in his hand, descended from the sky right behind Elder Hou, like a deity.


    The sword was raised!


    It was brilliant as a rainbow, and swift as a bolt of thunder.


    Elder Hou felt an oppressive force strong enough to crumble mountains, but, before he could turn around, the sword had already pierced him.


    ¡°Ah!!!¡±


    Ever since he took over the position, Elder Hou had been living in clover, and had many subordinates, so he did not have to confront anything at all himself, especially such mortal dangers.


    That is to say, the way Xu Jingxian had just been treated was just a play for him where he was sure of his victory. At this moment, the deep cut on his back aroused his murderous intent.


    He growled, turned around and attacked with his whip, leaped on a pavilion and rushed at his opponent.


    Xu Jingxian had not come to her senses at first, but now she finally reacted.


    If she was not dreaming, this scumbag had actually shown up.


    She wanted to break out into curses, but did not have the strength, and could only rest leaning on the column.


    No one paid attention to her.


    Everyone was looking at the lake near the Yunding Tower.


    Changming was fighting Elder Hou there.


    Many exotic plants were grown there, being Elder Lu¡¯s favorite things. Xu Jingxian¡¯s desired Yangzhen Grass was there as well.


    Elder Lu was so distressed that he leaned on the rails of the Yunding Tower, and shouted loudly at the two of them to go fight elsewhere.


    Changming and Elder Hou turned a deaf ear to him.


    They were lightly landing on the leaves of the plants, jumping over the surface of the lake. Elder Hou had surprisingly little advantage over Changming, in fact he was losing in every aspect.


    Powerful people with high skills in martial arts could see that Changming was not even trying his best to fight Elder Hou.


    What did it mean?


    Obviously, Elder Hou¡¯s fate was sealed, and Heavenly City would get a new elder soon.


    Guan Xiachang also did not expect that sickly man from the Second Layer of the Abyss to have such an advanced technique in martial arts.


    Maybe, he was not all that strong elsewhere, but here, in a place where spiritual powers were restricted, he was at an advantage.


    If only she had known this beforehand¡­


    If she knew this beforehand, she would have followed them, and would not have given herself to this old Elder Liu of wretched appearance!


    Elder Hou was helpless.


    He was wounded all over, tripped and fell right into the water, but the assaulting energy of his enemy¡¯s sword made him get back to his feet and fly to the Yunding Tower.


    It seemed that he was fleeing in a panic.


    ¡°Why are you just standing there, attack!¡±


    He was venting his anger on his subordinates, seeking help from the other elders at the same time.


    ¡°Help me kill him, and I will grant you all of my secret techniques!¡±


    Elder Hou used to collect treasures, and some of them were rare and precious. His words shook many people.


    If Elder Hou died, this man would have all his treasures to himself, and would hardly give them away.


    But, if Elder Hou and this man both died, all these things would be theirs.


    The three of them looked at each other, and the elders who were at first only watching from the side, finally moved.


    Excluding the dead Xu Fenglin, Heavenly City had four elders.


    All of them were martial arts masters.


    Elder Hou could not defeat Changming by himself, but the three of them were more than enough to take care of him.


    Changming was standing in the middle of the lake. The elders were pressing from three sides.


    Two of them were holding longswords.


    One had a spear.


    They reached Changming in the blink of an eye.


    The swords and the spear were unstoppable like a shot arrow.


    Three people were coming from three directions.


    Like meteors catching up with the moon, like floating clouds and ceaseless winds.


    Floating clouds and ceaseless winds: image of an immortal in the eyes of a commoner, a line from a poem called¡¶¶þÊ®ËÄÊ«Æ·¡·.


    Three bright rays fell onto the same place like shooting stars.


    No matter how one looked at this situation, Changming had no way to escape.


    If he could not fly up, there was only the lake beneath him.


    The three people surrounded him, and their weapons formed a three-layer qi barrier, giving him no chance to flee.


    Xu Jingxian knew that Changming was proficient in the Art of conferring spirit, and even reached perfection in it to the point neither spirits nor devils could attain.


    She thought that he would certainly replace himself with a puppet, confuse everyone and suddenly get through the siege, then swing round and catch his enemies off guard.


    Unexpectedly, Changming did not.


    The rays were getting very close, but he just stood there motionless, as if he was petrified.


    Though the emperor isn¡¯t worried, his eunuchs are; Xu Jingxian was so anxious that her forehead was sweating.


    Though the emperor isn¡¯t worried, his eunuchs are: observers are more worried than the person involved


    Changming was not moving.


    But the weapons could not advance any further.


    They were quite close, but they just could not reduce the distance.


    The expressions on Elder Liu and the others¡¯ faces changed slightly. They all tried to close the gap in silent agreement.


    A strong force shot at them, and all three of them could not help but fly dozens of steps back, almost falling into the water.


    The black sword left Changming¡¯s hands and flew straight towards Elder Liu!


    That was the final thing that he saw in his life.


    Elder Liu never knew how he died.


    But the others saw.


    Especially the two other elders, who saw it very clearly. The black longsword pierced him.


    The sword moved extremely fast, and it was almost impossible to keep track of it, as if it appeared in front of Elder Liu in one moment.


    Elder Liu¡¯s neck was cut, and his body fell into the water.


    The body sank, but the blood came to the surface, quickly painting the lake red.


    Everyone was stupefied.


    The two elders were strongly affected.


    No one expected the famed and outstanding Elder Liu who stirred up troubles in Heavenly City for many years to face such a death.


    Maybe because he had been indulging in drinking and earthly pleasures for many years, he had his subordinates deal with many things. Others could not figure out his motives, so they would not dare go against him, and Changming killing him was quite convenient for them.


    But this scene actually made many people tremble in fear.


    Xu Jingxian noticed that Guan Xiachang was leaving quietly.


    The woman saw Elder Liu¡¯s death. Her patron was defeated, so she wanted to slip away at once.


    Xu Jingxian snorted coldly, and rushed to block her way.


    As soon as the thin silk came, Guan Xiachang raised her hand subconsciously, but her sword had long been taken away by Elder Liu, so she was grabbing nothing. She moaned, and flesh and blood started flowing in a gush.


    She took a step back, staggering, and fell to the ground, but no one caught her.


    Beauties were only playthings and were easy to obtain in Heavenly City.


    If you had enough strength, you had the power to obtain the beauty you wanted.


    Guan Xianchang was Elder Liu¡¯s beloved plaything.


    But only a plaything.


    The situation was chaotic.


    Three out of five elders were neutralized, and everyone was restless in their hearts, ready to break the reins and run away.


    ¡°Kill all the elders, and we will be in charge! To hell with being enslaved by them!¡±


    No one knew who shouted first, but soon everyone followed, throwing themselves at the two elders.


    No one here was born untalented, they were all monks with abilities and reputation, otherwise, how would they have dared to run into the Nine Layers of the Abyss?


    It¡¯s just that Heavenly City restricted spiritual power, and most of the people were not as skilled as the elders, so they could only swallow their anger and let the five elders exploit them. But they have long been dissatisfied.


    When Changming appeared and killed two elders, it was like igniting a fuse, lighting up the rage of oppressed people.


    Elder Lu turned pale with fright.


    Even though his skills were sharp, he could not withstand such a tight encirclement.


    ¡°Ning Han, come up with something, quick!¡±


    Elder Lu called for his companion.


    Human beings die in pursuit of wealth, just as birds die in pursuit of food; no matter how loyal a subordinate was, when enticed with such tempting benefits, only some people like Ning Han could be relied on.


    But Ning Han turned around silently and fled, leaving Elder Lu to sink into the crowd that was full of resentment.


    Facing countless pairs of red eyes brimming with hatred, he understood that he would be unable to get away this time.


    Guan Xiachang was lying on the ground, and Xu Jingxian did not care whether she was dead or alive. She was looking at the surface of the lake.


    The numerous rare and precious flowers planted by Elder Lu were almost destroyed, and only that plant that looked like Yangzhen Grass was glowing and floating above the surface of the lake.


    Many people were ignorant of this treasure laying in front of their eyes, as they were focused on the elders; some who got the news early hurried to the elders¡¯ residences, in the hope of finding some kind of rare treasure.


    Xu Jingxian looked around merrily. She could not help it anymore and got up, rushing to the center of the lake.


    The Yangzhen Grass was inconspicuous in the sunlight.


    But, if one looked closely, they would notice golden veins on its leaves, truly nature¡¯s embroidery.


    These golden veins seemed to follow graceful patterns that resembled layers and layers of heavenly constellations. The whirlpool of lines led humans¡¯ minds astray.


    Someone grabbed Xu Jingxian¡¯s arm, returning her to her senses.


    She realised that she had already entered the water without noticing, and almost drowned.


    She came round quickly, and water poured in through her mouth, nose, eyes and ears. She was dragged out of the water and started coughing.


    ¡°That thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Is the Yangzhen Grass indeed,¡± Changming said. ¡°This thing can confuse minds well. The one who takes the Yangzhen Grass should be more determined than others. You almost lost your way.¡±


    Then Xu Jingxian did this.


    Without a second word, she stuffed all the Yangzhen Grass in her mouth, and started chewing it with her cheeks bulging, trying to swallow it several times.


    Changming: ?!!


    He had seen many things through the years, but Xu Jingxian¡¯s action shocked him. For some time, it was hard for him to say anything.


    ¡°It should be refined into a pill, how could you just¡­¡±


    Swallow it?!


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Will eating it kill a person?¡±


    Changming: ¡°¡­Haven¡¯t heard of it.¡±


    People who actually got the Yangzhen Grass were seldom mentioned in records.


    This plant of the Nine Layers of the Abyss was not grown by Elder Lu, but rather created by mysterious spiritual qi of the Sacred Mountain Wan; it was the result of an extremely rare set of circumstances.


    But people often could not tell good from bad. Elder Lu loved looking for exotic plants and collecting them, but even he thought this grass to be just a rare plant. After all, people could not use spiritual powers here, so no one expected it to be a treasure capable of raising cultivation level.


    Xu Jingxian said softly: ¡°Nights are long, dreams are many; no one can take it from my mouth. In order to get this Yangzhen Grass, I almost lost my life. And you!¡±


    Nights are long, dreams are many: while you are delaying things, the situation can change for the worse


    She wanted to scold Changming for dumping her and disappearing, but recalled the scene when his powerful sword attack killed Elder Liu, and suddenly gave him a bewitching smile. She got closer and kissed Changming.


    Changming wanted to avoid her subconsciously, but the water restricted his movement, slowing his reaction, and her red lips brushed against his cheek.


    ¡°Since Ming-lang came to my rescue, your feelings for me must be so deep and genuine that you couldn¡¯t bear to leave me. Let the sky be our matchmaker, and the water be our bed, and proceed to the good stuff!¡±


    While her mouth was blabbering all kinds of nonsense, her hands actually started pulling Changming¡¯s collar.


    Changming smiled spuriously, not the least bit embarrassed.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized how hot you feel right now?¡±


    How could Xu Jingxian not realize?


    After she had swallowed the Yangzhen Grass, all the vital organs of her body and her throat turned ice-cold, and immediately started burning. No matter how hard she tried to suppress it, her mouth and tongue were dry and she was blushing, a fire of lust consuming her body.


    Xu Jingxian felt like crying but had no tears.


    ¡°What on earth happened!¡±


    ¡°You idiot.¡±


    Changming let her calm down in the water by herself, jumped onto the shore and looked into the distance.


    Thick sunset clouds glowed with the last ray of the setting sun.


    The vultures will be out soon.


    And Yun Hai¡¯s plans are probably already underway.


    Just as he was thinking about it, the ground was beginning to shake.


    The quake intensified quickly, eventually forming cracks on the surface.


    Some people were taken by surprise, and fell into the fissures.


    Heavenly City was lit by fires, and was now filled with panicking shouts.


    The sky was about to change.


    The author has something to say:


    A small scene with no connection with the main plot:


    Yun Hai: Why is your face red?


    Changming (reaching out his hand): Oh, Xu Jingxian smeared it just now.


    Yun Hai: Smeared?


    Changming (indifferently): She kissed me.


    Yun Hai turned around, wiped off the lipstick, leaned forward and kissed this cheek many times.


    Yun Hai: Eh? I slipped accidentally, did I smear you?


    Changming: ¡­

 CH 43

    Proofread by Annie & Snake & Lucia


    Changming wanted to destroy Heavenly City, just like how Zhang Mu razed Seven Star Rivers that day. He wanted to leave no stone unturned and seal it completely, setting all the people confined here free.


    The reason for this was the people who were hiding behind the scenes and scheming to stop them all the time, going as far as following them to the past, wanting to change the future and reach their goal sooner.


    The case of Heavenly City would delay them.


    Since the Nine Layers of the Abyss was so special to them they had more than one chess piece, Chen Ting, here.


    Even though Yun Weisi said nothing, he tacitly agreed to this plan.


    But nights belonged to Yun Hai.


    Compared to Yun Weisi, Yun Hai would do things that stirred up more trouble.


    Therefore, when Changming rescued Xu Jingxian, and Heavenly City was in turmoil because of the five elders¡¯ death, the sky split and the earth cracked in Heavenly City.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s expression changed suddenly as she was enduring the flames that engulfed her, holding Changming¡¯s arm tightly.


    She recalled Seven Star Rivers at once.


    ¡°Is it going to end the same way?¡±


    Changming hummed in agreement, looking at her restless and pained appearance.


    ¡°Can you still walk?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­¡±


    Xu Jingxian couldn¡¯t even cry. Her tongue started feeling numb as if it had been tied in a knot.


    Why would they call it a magic herb that gathers nature¡¯s spiritual powers when it was poisonous!


    ¡°Where are we going, quick, let¡¯s go!¡±


    She did not need to urge him. Changming grabbed her arm and leapt onto the Yunding Tower. The two of them landed on its top, watching the ground crack, the lake flow down, and the houses in the city collapse. The sky was dark and silent, and only fires burning everywhere in the city illuminated the scene.


    When the last ray of sunset was swallowed by black clouds, the messengers of darkness came swarming in flocks, pursuing the sweetest smell of blood and flesh.


    ¡°Those vultures¡­¡±


    Xu Jingxian thought of them and quickly urged Changming to find a safer place.


    But Changming shook his head.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to wait!¡±


    Xu Jingxian was feeling a little better but still could not control her expression. Her mouth was distorted, and she was drooling as she talked, like an eighty-year-old lady approaching her coffin. She angrily raised her trembling sleeve, trying to cover it desperately. If she knew that the Yangzhen Grass¡¯s effect was so violent, she would have¡ª


    Swallowed it with her eyes closed nevertheless.


    ¡°Lady Xu.¡±


    Changming was standing on the roof with his hands clasped behind his back and was looking at the ever-changing and boiling dark clouds in the distance. He seemed enigmatic. His long hair and robes were fluttering in the fair wind as if he was not of this world.


    And the girl next to him, who covered her drooling mouth with a sleeve, didn¡¯t resemble an immortal at all.


    His next question made Xu Jingxian¡¯s hairs stand.


    ¡°Are you sure that what you ate was Yangzhen Grass?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ?!!


    The suspicions buried in her heart surfaced at once.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°If it was the Yangzhen Grass, why would you suffer so much? Who knows, maybe that Elder Lu has already used it, and you ate a fake.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Xu Jingxian retorted reflexively, ¡°If Lu Jianmu used it, why would he cut such a sorry figure? Moreover, in the ancient literature that I found, it was written clearly that Yangzhen Grass indeed has golden veins. It¡¯s impossible to imitate, and not a single fake in this world can resemble this grass!¡±


    Changming raised his eyebrows in amusement: ¡°Why have I never heard you mention that these ancient records describe the golden veins of Yangzhen Grass?¡±


    Xu Jingxian was unable to respond. She could not admit that she didn¡¯t believe him and concealed some details.


    After blabbering for a while, she found that the uncomfortable feeling on her body was gradually disappearing, replaced by warmth rising from her dantian and flowing over to her limbs and bones.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use the Yangzhen Grass?¡±


    Xu Jingxian hesitated for a bit, but finally decided to ask.


    All the cultivators who learned about the existence and effects of the Yangzhen Grass should be unable to resist this temptation.


    ¡°It¡¯s of no use to me.¡±


    Changming said indifferently. He seemed to be chitchatting with her, but in truth he was observing the sky colour, waiting for the result on Yun Hai¡¯s side.


    ¡°I¡¯m wounded severely, and can¡¯t handle something that intense.¡±


    If he ate the Yangzhen Grass, his reaction probably wouldn¡¯t have been any better. Who knows, maybe he would have breathed his last breath.


    Only the spiritual powers of the Sifei Sword could slowly nourish his body, and perhaps help him get through the bottleneck of the eighth level of the Zhiyu Nianyue Scripture.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about me deceiving you. After all, you accompanied me here, so the Yangzhen Grass is a reward that I owe you.¡±


    Xu Jingxian looked at his half-smiling eyes and understood that he must have guessed all her secret concerns.


    Xu Jingxian, whose face was thicker than city walls, showed no shame and even scolded him: ¡°I¡¯m just worried that I might have eaten a fraud, how can it harm you? All in all, we¡¯ve gone through many hardships together, so relax, I¡¯ll certainly protect you with all my might, and I won¡¯t let my sect master put his hands on you¡­ Hey, your hair?¡±


    She had no time to look around while she was struggling to endure the suffering, and only now did she notice that his hair near his waist turned snow-white at some point.


    It was night, and dark colours blended with the firelights. His white hair that was fluttering in the wind didn¡¯t make him look old, but rather added charm to its long-haired owner.


    ¡°Really¡­¡± is beautiful.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s naughty nature flared up again, and she stretched her hand out to touch it.


    She grabbed a lock of his hair, but it was quickly gone with the wind, making her palm itch.


    But no matter how pretty it was¡ª


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you wounded, why is your hair like this?¡±


    Changming said sheer nonsense: ¡°It¡¯s the latest fashion in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. After some time, everyone outside will follow suit and dye their hair this way.¡±


    You scammer!


    Scammer: lit. deceiving ghost.


    Xu Jingxian snorted disdainfully, releasing his hair to dance in the air freely.


    And heard Changming¡¯s voice: ¡°The time has come.¡±


    What time has come?


    Xu Jingxian had no time to react and heard the sound of flapping wings.


    Clap-clap.


    It was getting closer and sharper.


    Xu Jingxian was more than familiar with that sound after having spent two months in this place.


    Vultures.


    Those vultures were out!


    Like judges conducting a trial at night, they never stopped until they saw blood.


    At that moment, the people who were fighting with each other suddenly regained consciousness as the vultures roused fear in their hearts. Forgetting about treasures, they hurried to turn and run away, looking for houses to hide in.


    But not everyone was so resolute in their actions. Some people, seeing so close at hand the treasures that occupied their thoughts day and night, rushed to seize the desired things. Those who hesitated for a single moment fell prey to the vultures. They brandished their weapons, giving their lives in an attempt to drive away the vultures, but the latter rallied together to attack the people ferociously. Very soon, these people had their heads broken by the beaks and started bleeding heavily, falling into the cracks in the ground. Their deaths were quite grim.


    But no one came to mourn for them.


    Heavenly City was submerged into chaos.


    Human lives become insignificant in times of mortal danger.


    Some people pushed their companions in front of themselves; some closed doors in front of their Daoist partners, listening to their anguished wailing as they were being eaten by the vultures; some became food to the vultures to save their fellow disciples, but the rescued disciples did not turn around and ran away without looking back.


    Xu Jingxian and Changming were standing on a roof, so they became easy targets.


    Many vultures flew towards them from afar, getting close in the blink of an eye.


    Xu Jingxian grabbed Changming and wanted to flee, but he stopped her.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Still, waiting? For what?


    Xu Jingxian understood nothing. Hadn¡¯t he said that the time had already come just now?


    At this moment, a ray of light lit up the whole sky.


    The bolt of lightning split the sky into two twisted parts, so dazzling that some people were almost blinded; many vultures fell from the air as well.


    Rumble!


    A rolling thunder followed. But the rift cut open by the lightning did not close and was only growing larger as if an immense force was ripping apart the sky, and it could not remain whole anymore.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Changming pulled Xu Jingxian with one hand, making a way through with the Sifei Sword in his other hand. They leapt from the roof towards the rift in the horizon.


    A large number of vultures were frightened by the sudden lightning and thunder, and went insane, so their numbers reduced. Some were affected by the Sifei Sword¡¯s qi and soon fell to the ground. Some subconsciously avoided Changming, so the two of them were able to pass unimpeded.


    A whirlwind, an enormous whirlwind descended from the clouds, carrying everything away.


    Many people saw it and were terrified, running in the opposite direction. But Xu Jingxian saw Changming rushing towards the whirlwind without looking back.


    ¡°Where are we going!¡±


    She was shouting very loudly to make him hear her.


    But Changming did not answer and even released her hand, letting her go by herself.


    Xu Jingxian had no other option but to follow him closely.


    She realized that her speed had indeed increased compared to how it used to be before she took the Yangzhen Grass.


    She could not use her spiritual power now, yet her speed was so fast. She had changed compared to the time when she fought with Elder Liu in the Yunding Tower.


    Although many vultures were brought down, people could not rejoice for too long.


    Something even more horrifying happened.


    Elder Ning Han, who had left Elder Liu to run away alone, had returned on the other side of Heavenly City.


    Behind him was a group of people in black capes whose features were indiscernible. They had no weapons, but their nails were two or three cun long. They reached out, catching people who had not managed to avoid them in time. Black qi was pouring from their nails, and the attacked people dropped dead at once. When the wind blew, those people turned into ashes and flew away, with not a single bone left.


    2-3 cun: 8¡À2 cm


    Elder Ning was a demon dressed in the clothes of an elder. He was only borrowing Ning Han¡¯s body. Half of his face vaguely resembled Ning Han, but the other half was completely blue and hideous, with a blood-red eye.


    Is he¡­


    ¡°That demon from Seven Star Rivers?!¡±


    Xu Jingxian recognised him at first glance.


    That day, the demon used Zhang Mu¡¯s body to hide beside Bei Shu. He sucked Bei Shu¡¯s vital energy in the middle of the night and killed him, but ran into Changming unexpectedly. Under the siege of cultivators, he smashed the cracked pot, chose to destroy the First Layer of the Abyss, Seven Star Rivers, and escaped without leaving a trace.


    Smashed the cracked pot: act recklessly because of an error


    It turned out that he had never left the Nine Layers of the Abyss, but found another good vessel. As one of the five elders, he had countless resources, which was enough for him to replenish his energy and start an even more violent massacre.


    But Changming did not care about them and did not even look back, rushing towards the hurricane that connected the earth with the sky.


    Yun Hai opened a gap there, breaking the Yunding Lake Formation of Heavenly City. Very soon, the whole place would collapse like Seven Star Rivers.


    The earth was still shaking.


    Heavenly City was almost destroyed.


    The Yunding Tower had been standing firmly alone, but it was shaken by waves of the lake with its water flow reversed. One pillar collapsed. Pull one hair, and the whole body moves; the entire Yunding Tower quickly slanted, its roof submerging into the water. That destroyed the last trace of its original appearance.


    Pull one hair, and the whole body moves: a slight change can affect the whole situation


    When Changming took Xu Jingxian through the whirlpool and came to the original seashore, many people also reacted and left Heavenly City through the whirlwind, escaping and saving their lives.


    Zhang Mu, leading a large group of demons, was chasing them.


    The vast seashore turned into a battlefield for humans and demons.


    The spiritual power that had been suppressed for a long time was now unsealed, and many cultivators were prepared to start killing to vent their frustration.


    But very soon, the people noticed that these demons were no ordinary evil spirits.


    They were predators, even fiercer than those vultures.


    Zhang Mu¡¯s subordinates opened the path for him, and he encountered no resistance.


    Blood painted the inshore waters red, but the seawater quickly washed it away.


    Battle cries burst everywhere, but they could not break the endless night.


    Endless night: fig. long-suffering


    These people had never felt so weak compared to demons.


    Even cultivators who were able to do fine on their own outside, and were never defeated after coming to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, now had trouble surviving this attack, just as if they were pulling on the collar only to expose their elbows.


    Pulling on the collar only to expose their elbows: have too many difficulties


    When Xu Jingxian killed one demon, others came at her from every direction, so she couldn¡¯t even throw a glance at Changming.


    The Yangzhen Grass¡¯s spiritual powers had not yet mixed with hers, and she still could not fight at her best.


    Zhang Mu squinted his eyes, his gaze landing on one person in the chaotic battlefield.


    Jiufang Changming.


    The Sifei Sword always held demons in fear.


    Although Changming¡¯s spiritual powers were badly damaged, he had the Sifei Sword and the Art of conferring spirit, so he could easily change the situation.


    Just when the Sifei Sword cut a demon in half, Zhang Mu moved.


    He crossed the sea of people, light and swift as the wind, one moment still several zhang away, and right behind Changming¡¯s back the next moment.


    Zhang: 3.33 m


    Zhang Mu stretched out his hand.


    This hand was full of blue veins, and his nails were raven. He only needed to touch Changming¡¯s body to contaminate it with demonic qi.


    Zhang Mu was determined to win.


    He could not wait to see this tidy person rolling on the ground wailing in pain, defiled by demonic qi.


    A sword ray came!


    Ruthless and aggressive, it was one that could see nothing worthwhile all around.


    Could see nothing worthwhile all around: arrogant


    Carrying the will to cut through anything in the world.


    Zhang Mu¡¯s expression froze for a moment. As soon as he realized that this sword qi broke through the barrier around him, he was forced to retreat, leaving the sweet prey for the time being.


    Yun Hai approached him slowly.


    On meeting a demon, he slew the demon; on meeting a god, he slew the god. He closed the distance between them to one chi, one of his steps covering a thousand li.


    Chi: 0.33 meters


    His footsteps were steady, and his sword edge was resolute; his spiritual powers were so vigorous that no one dared test his abilities.


    Zhang Mu looked at him and suddenly laughed.


    The cultivators were retreating as they fought and had already shrunk into a small circle, but Zhang Mu suddenly ordered to halt the attack.


    He said to Yun Hai with a smile: ¡°I never expected the venerable Daoist sect master to be one of my kin, what a pleasant surprise! You want to protect them, but will they return the favour?¡±


    Zhang Mu pointed to the crowd. Many people looked at Yun Hai anxiously and doubtfully and subconsciously distanced themselves from him.


    Yun Hai was standing all alone in front of the demons.


    He coldly smiled, paying no attention to Zhang Mu¡¯s words. He slowly raised the Chunzhao Sword.


    At this moment, someone walked out of the crowd.


    Disregarding the crowd, he came near Yun Hai and stopped, looking at Zhang Mu.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that demons are usually true to their words. I want to offer you a bet. If I win, you will give up on the attack. How about it?¡±


    Zhang Mu said coldly: ¡°What qualifications do you have to offer me a bet? On the Seven Star Platform that day, if it wasn¡¯t for your deception, you would have died.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the one who was the strongest person in the world, Jiufang Changming, his shifu. Isn¡¯t this enough to be qualified?¡±


    Changming smiled faintly, oblivious to the uproar behind his back.


    ¡°You are taunting this venerable one¡¯s beloved disciple, how could this venerable one just sit and watch?¡±¡¯


    Proofread by Annie & Snake & Lucia


    Changming wanted to destroy Heavenly City, just like how Zhang Mu razed Seven Star Rivers that day. He wanted to leave no stone unturned and seal it completely, setting all the people confined here free.


    The reason for this was the people who were hiding behind the scenes and scheming to stop them all the time, going as far as following them to the past, wanting to change the future and reach their goal sooner.


    The case of Heavenly City would delay them.


    Since the Nine Layers of the Abyss was so special to them they had more than one chess piece, Chen Ting, here.


    Even though Yun Weisi said nothing, he tacitly agreed to this plan.


    But nights belonged to Yun Hai.


    Compared to Yun Weisi, Yun Hai would do things that stirred up more trouble.


    Therefore, when Changming rescued Xu Jingxian, and Heavenly City was in turmoil because of the five elders¡¯ death, the sky split and the earth cracked in Heavenly City.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s expression changed suddenly as she was enduring the flames that engulfed her, holding Changming¡¯s arm tightly.


    She recalled Seven Star Rivers at once.


    ¡°Is it going to end the same way?¡±


    Changming hummed in agreement, looking at her restless and pained appearance.


    ¡°Can you still walk?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­¡±


    Xu Jingxian couldn¡¯t even cry. Her tongue started feeling numb as if it had been tied in a knot.


    Why would they call it a magic herb that gathers nature¡¯s spiritual powers when it was poisonous!


    ¡°Where are we going, quick, let¡¯s go!¡±


    She did not need to urge him. Changming grabbed her arm and leapt onto the Yunding Tower. The two of them landed on its top, watching the ground crack, the lake flow down, and the houses in the city collapse. The sky was dark and silent, and only fires burning everywhere in the city illuminated the scene.


    When the last ray of sunset was swallowed by black clouds, the messengers of darkness came swarming in flocks, pursuing the sweetest smell of blood and flesh.


    ¡°Those vultures¡­¡±


    Xu Jingxian thought of them and quickly urged Changming to find a safer place.


    But Changming shook his head.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to wait!¡±


    Xu Jingxian was feeling a little better but still could not control her expression. Her mouth was distorted, and she was drooling as she talked, like an eighty-year-old lady approaching her coffin. She angrily raised her trembling sleeve, trying to cover it desperately. If she knew that the Yangzhen Grass¡¯s effect was so violent, she would have¡ª


    Swallowed it with her eyes closed nevertheless.


    ¡°Lady Xu.¡±


    Changming was standing on the roof with his hands clasped behind his back and was looking at the ever-changing and boiling dark clouds in the distance. He seemed enigmatic. His long hair and robes were fluttering in the fair wind as if he was not of this world.


    And the girl next to him, who covered her drooling mouth with a sleeve, didn¡¯t resemble an immortal at all.


    His next question made Xu Jingxian¡¯s hairs stand.


    ¡°Are you sure that what you ate was Yangzhen Grass?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ?!!


    The suspicions buried in her heart surfaced at once.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°If it was the Yangzhen Grass, why would you suffer so much? Who knows, maybe that Elder Lu has already used it, and you ate a fake.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Xu Jingxian retorted reflexively, ¡°If Lu Jianmu used it, why would he cut such a sorry figure? Moreover, in the ancient literature that I found, it was written clearly that Yangzhen Grass indeed has golden veins. It¡¯s impossible to imitate, and not a single fake in this world can resemble this grass!¡±


    Changming raised his eyebrows in amusement: ¡°Why have I never heard you mention that these ancient records describe the golden veins of Yangzhen Grass?¡±


    Xu Jingxian was unable to respond. She could not admit that she didn¡¯t believe him and concealed some details.


    After blabbering for a while, she found that the uncomfortable feeling on her body was gradually disappearing, replaced by warmth rising from her dantian and flowing over to her limbs and bones.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use the Yangzhen Grass?¡±


    Xu Jingxian hesitated for a bit, but finally decided to ask.


    All the cultivators who learned about the existence and effects of the Yangzhen Grass should be unable to resist this temptation.


    ¡°It¡¯s of no use to me.¡±


    Changming said indifferently. He seemed to be chitchatting with her, but in truth he was observing the sky colour, waiting for the result on Yun Hai¡¯s side.


    ¡°I¡¯m wounded severely, and can¡¯t handle something that intense.¡±


    If he ate the Yangzhen Grass, his reaction probably wouldn¡¯t have been any better. Who knows, maybe he would have breathed his last breath.


    Only the spiritual powers of the Sifei Sword could slowly nourish his body, and perhaps help him get through the bottleneck of the eighth level of the Zhiyu Nianyue Scripture.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about me deceiving you. After all, you accompanied me here, so the Yangzhen Grass is a reward that I owe you.¡±


    Xu Jingxian looked at his half-smiling eyes and understood that he must have guessed all her secret concerns.


    Xu Jingxian, whose face was thicker than city walls, showed no shame and even scolded him: ¡°I¡¯m just worried that I might have eaten a fraud, how can it harm you? All in all, we¡¯ve gone through many hardships together, so relax, I¡¯ll certainly protect you with all my might, and I won¡¯t let my sect master put his hands on you¡­ Hey, your hair?¡±


    She had no time to look around while she was struggling to endure the suffering, and only now did she notice that his hair near his waist turned snow-white at some point.


    It was night, and dark colours blended with the firelights. His white hair that was fluttering in the wind didn¡¯t make him look old, but rather added charm to its long-haired owner.


    ¡°Really¡­¡± is beautiful.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s naughty nature flared up again, and she stretched her hand out to touch it.


    She grabbed a lock of his hair, but it was quickly gone with the wind, making her palm itch.


    But no matter how pretty it was¡ª


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you wounded, why is your hair like this?¡±


    Changming said sheer nonsense: ¡°It¡¯s the latest fashion in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. After some time, everyone outside will follow suit and dye their hair this way.¡±


    You scammer!


    Scammer: lit. deceiving ghost.


    Xu Jingxian snorted disdainfully, releasing his hair to dance in the air freely.


    And heard Changming¡¯s voice: ¡°The time has come.¡±


    What time has come?


    Xu Jingxian had no time to react and heard the sound of flapping wings.


    Clap-clap.


    It was getting closer and sharper.


    Xu Jingxian was more than familiar with that sound after having spent two months in this place.


    Vultures.


    Those vultures were out!


    Like judges conducting a trial at night, they never stopped until they saw blood.


    At that moment, the people who were fighting with each other suddenly regained consciousness as the vultures roused fear in their hearts. Forgetting about treasures, they hurried to turn and run away, looking for houses to hide in.


    But not everyone was so resolute in their actions. Some people, seeing so close at hand the treasures that occupied their thoughts day and night, rushed to seize the desired things. Those who hesitated for a single moment fell prey to the vultures. They brandished their weapons, giving their lives in an attempt to drive away the vultures, but the latter rallied together to attack the people ferociously. Very soon, these people had their heads broken by the beaks and started bleeding heavily, falling into the cracks in the ground. Their deaths were quite grim.


    But no one came to mourn for them.


    Heavenly City was submerged into chaos.


    Human lives become insignificant in times of mortal danger.


    Some people pushed their companions in front of themselves; some closed doors in front of their Daoist partners, listening to their anguished wailing as they were being eaten by the vultures; some became food to the vultures to save their fellow disciples, but the rescued disciples did not turn around and ran away without looking back.


    Xu Jingxian and Changming were standing on a roof, so they became easy targets.


    Many vultures flew towards them from afar, getting close in the blink of an eye.


    Xu Jingxian grabbed Changming and wanted to flee, but he stopped her.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Still, waiting? For what?


    Xu Jingxian understood nothing. Hadn¡¯t he said that the time had already come just now?


    At this moment, a ray of light lit up the whole sky.


    The bolt of lightning split the sky into two twisted parts, so dazzling that some people were almost blinded; many vultures fell from the air as well.


    Rumble!


    A rolling thunder followed. But the rift cut open by the lightning did not close and was only growing larger as if an immense force was ripping apart the sky, and it could not remain whole anymore.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Changming pulled Xu Jingxian with one hand, making a way through with the Sifei Sword in his other hand. They leapt from the roof towards the rift in the horizon.


    A large number of vultures were frightened by the sudden lightning and thunder, and went insane, so their numbers reduced. Some were affected by the Sifei Sword¡¯s qi and soon fell to the ground. Some subconsciously avoided Changming, so the two of them were able to pass unimpeded.


    A whirlwind, an enormous whirlwind descended from the clouds, carrying everything away.


    Many people saw it and were terrified, running in the opposite direction. But Xu Jingxian saw Changming rushing towards the whirlwind without looking back.


    ¡°Where are we going!¡±


    She was shouting very loudly to make him hear her.


    But Changming did not answer and even released her hand, letting her go by herself.


    Xu Jingxian had no other option but to follow him closely.


    She realized that her speed had indeed increased compared to how it used to be before she took the Yangzhen Grass.


    She could not use her spiritual power now, yet her speed was so fast. She had changed compared to the time when she fought with Elder Liu in the Yunding Tower.


    Although many vultures were brought down, people could not rejoice for too long.


    Something even more horrifying happened.


    Elder Ning Han, who had left Elder Liu to run away alone, had returned on the other side of Heavenly City.


    Behind him was a group of people in black capes whose features were indiscernible. They had no weapons, but their nails were two or three cun long. They reached out, catching people who had not managed to avoid them in time. Black qi was pouring from their nails, and the attacked people dropped dead at once. When the wind blew, those people turned into ashes and flew away, with not a single bone left.


    2-3 cun: 8¡À2 cm


    Elder Ning was a demon dressed in the clothes of an elder. He was only borrowing Ning Han¡¯s body. Half of his face vaguely resembled Ning Han, but the other half was completely blue and hideous, with a blood-red eye.


    Is he¡­


    ¡°That demon from Seven Star Rivers?!¡±


    Xu Jingxian recognised him at first glance.


    That day, the demon used Zhang Mu¡¯s body to hide beside Bei Shu. He sucked Bei Shu¡¯s vital energy in the middle of the night and killed him, but ran into Changming unexpectedly. Under the siege of cultivators, he smashed the cracked pot, chose to destroy the First Layer of the Abyss, Seven Star Rivers, and escaped without leaving a trace.


    Smashed the cracked pot: act recklessly because of an error


    It turned out that he had never left the Nine Layers of the Abyss, but found another good vessel. As one of the five elders, he had countless resources, which was enough for him to replenish his energy and start an even more violent massacre.


    But Changming did not care about them and did not even look back, rushing towards the hurricane that connected the earth with the sky.


    Yun Hai opened a gap there, breaking the Yunding Lake Formation of Heavenly City. Very soon, the whole place would collapse like Seven Star Rivers.


    The earth was still shaking.


    Heavenly City was almost destroyed.


    The Yunding Tower had been standing firmly alone, but it was shaken by waves of the lake with its water flow reversed. One pillar collapsed. Pull one hair, and the whole body moves; the entire Yunding Tower quickly slanted, its roof submerging into the water. That destroyed the last trace of its original appearance.


    Pull one hair, and the whole body moves: a slight change can affect the whole situation


    When Changming took Xu Jingxian through the whirlpool and came to the original seashore, many people also reacted and left Heavenly City through the whirlwind, escaping and saving their lives.


    Zhang Mu, leading a large group of demons, was chasing them.


    The vast seashore turned into a battlefield for humans and demons.


    The spiritual power that had been suppressed for a long time was now unsealed, and many cultivators were prepared to start killing to vent their frustration.


    But very soon, the people noticed that these demons were no ordinary evil spirits.


    They were predators, even fiercer than those vultures.


    Zhang Mu¡¯s subordinates opened the path for him, and he encountered no resistance.


    Blood painted the inshore waters red, but the seawater quickly washed it away.


    Battle cries burst everywhere, but they could not break the endless night.


    Endless night: fig. long-suffering


    These people had never felt so weak compared to demons.


    Even cultivators who were able to do fine on their own outside, and were never defeated after coming to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, now had trouble surviving this attack, just as if they were pulling on the collar only to expose their elbows.


    Pulling on the collar only to expose their elbows: have too many difficulties


    When Xu Jingxian killed one demon, others came at her from every direction, so she couldn¡¯t even throw a glance at Changming.


    The Yangzhen Grass¡¯s spiritual powers had not yet mixed with hers, and she still could not fight at her best.


    Zhang Mu squinted his eyes, his gaze landing on one person in the chaotic battlefield.


    Jiufang Changming.


    The Sifei Sword always held demons in fear.


    Although Changming¡¯s spiritual powers were badly damaged, he had the Sifei Sword and the Art of conferring spirit, so he could easily change the situation.


    Just when the Sifei Sword cut a demon in half, Zhang Mu moved.


    He crossed the sea of people, light and swift as the wind, one moment still several zhang away, and right behind Changming¡¯s back the next moment.


    Zhang: 3.33 m


    Zhang Mu stretched out his hand.


    This hand was full of blue veins, and his nails were raven. He only needed to touch Changming¡¯s body to contaminate it with demonic qi.


    Zhang Mu was determined to win.


    He could not wait to see this tidy person rolling on the ground wailing in pain, defiled by demonic qi.


    A sword ray came!


    Ruthless and aggressive, it was one that could see nothing worthwhile all around.


    Could see nothing worthwhile all around: arrogant


    Carrying the will to cut through anything in the world.


    Zhang Mu¡¯s expression froze for a moment. As soon as he realized that this sword qi broke through the barrier around him, he was forced to retreat, leaving the sweet prey for the time being.


    Yun Hai approached him slowly.


    On meeting a demon, he slew the demon; on meeting a god, he slew the god. He closed the distance between them to one chi, one of his steps covering a thousand li.


    Chi: 0.33 meters


    His footsteps were steady, and his sword edge was resolute; his spiritual powers were so vigorous that no one dared test his abilities.


    Zhang Mu looked at him and suddenly laughed.


    The cultivators were retreating as they fought and had already shrunk into a small circle, but Zhang Mu suddenly ordered to halt the attack.


    He said to Yun Hai with a smile: ¡°I never expected the venerable Daoist sect master to be one of my kin, what a pleasant surprise! You want to protect them, but will they return the favour?¡±


    Zhang Mu pointed to the crowd. Many people looked at Yun Hai anxiously and doubtfully and subconsciously distanced themselves from him.


    Yun Hai was standing all alone in front of the demons.


    He coldly smiled, paying no attention to Zhang Mu¡¯s words. He slowly raised the Chunzhao Sword.


    At this moment, someone walked out of the crowd.


    Disregarding the crowd, he came near Yun Hai and stopped, looking at Zhang Mu.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that demons are usually true to their words. I want to offer you a bet. If I win, you will give up on the attack. How about it?¡±


    Zhang Mu said coldly: ¡°What qualifications do you have to offer me a bet? On the Seven Star Platform that day, if it wasn¡¯t for your deception, you would have died.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the one who was the strongest person in the world, Jiufang Changming, his shifu. Isn¡¯t this enough to be qualified?¡±


    Changming smiled faintly, oblivious to the uproar behind his back.


    ¡°You are taunting this venerable one¡¯s beloved disciple, how could this venerable one just sit and watch?¡±¡¯

 CH 44

    Proofread by Snake & Lucia


    Of course, Xu Jingxian knew Jiufang Changming.


    Ever since she had become a cultivator, having left her family of common people, she often heard this name.


    The first one in the world.


    Daoist Sect Master.


    Buddhist Monk.


    Great Master of Demonic Cultivation.


    Confucian Scholar.


    It was hard to even imagine so many completely unrelated titles referring to one person.


    This was because Jiufang Changming¡¯s cultivation path was different from others¡¯: he first entered a Daoist sect, and then entered a Buddhist sect. After that, he became a Demonic cultivator, then turned to Confucianism, and finally became an independent rogue cultivator.


    Usually people followed the same path throughout their lives to perfect it, but he, on the contrary, studied every school, and even became proficient in each of them.


    And what was even rarer was that although people despised him behind his back, they still bestowed the highest titles upon him to win over the talented man.


    All those overt and covert slanderous tales were never voiced in front of him. In Jiufang Changming¡¯s heyday, everybody, regardless of whether they liked him or not, whether they were his friends or foes, they still had to call him Immortal Jiufang in his presence.


    For many people, he was a legend who was out of reach.


    Xu Jingxian was not an exception.


    She had read all sorts of scripts depicting tales about Jiufang more than once, and thought that every cultivator should be like him.


    Faced with his immense powers, every discontented voice had to go silent.


    People around the world feared and vilified him, yet venerated and admired him.


    After the battle of the Sacred Mountain Wan, Jiufang Changming fell from the sky. No one saw him alive, but his corpse was not found either.


    Fell from the sky: die (of an important person); here, probably, fell from his high position


    Some said that he died, and some blamed the failure of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation on him; the second opinion prevailed. Many young cultivators did not understand the situation, and after some time, this name, Jiufang Changming, was nailed to the historical pillar of shame, which was considered as ironclad evidence of his colluding with demons.


    Worshiping and chasing the strong is the nature of all kinds of people, and cultivators are no exception. But, when the idol fell and lost his face, the image in their hearts collapsed; the name Jiufang Changming was no longer mentioned and was relegated to the dustbin of history.


    Xu Jingxian would have never thought that this sickly man in front of her was related to this legendary figure.


    They shared the same name, but she always deemed it a coincidence.


    Who would have thought that the same name would mean the same person?!


    That is to say¡ª


    Xu Jingxian suddenly recalled the strange atmosphere between him and the Jianxue Sect master that day.


    She knew that her sect master was one of Jiufang Changming¡¯s disciples.


    When Xu Jingxian first heard about it, she complained about the moody temper of the sect master in her heart, did he dare to act the same in front of Immortal Jiufang?


    Unexpectedly, the master and disciple had actually met.


    No wonder he ordered her to bring him to the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    If Xu Jingxian was that surprised, one could imagine what the bystanders felt.


    In a flash, all eyes fell on Changming.


    Shock, doubt, curiosity¡ªnot a single expression repeated.


    A hint of astonishment flashed even through Zhang Mu¡¯s ruthless face.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming?¡±


    After being surprised for a moment, he looked Changming up and down. His ridiculing thoughts were obvious.


    ¡°The so-called first person in the world turns out to be like this? Have all the cultivators gone extinct? How are you worthy?¡±


    One stone sparked a thousand waves. After these words fell, the humans started seething with anger.


    Some people with easily-irritable temperaments broke out in curses as soon as they heard this provocation.


    Changming remained unmoved, and was only looking at Zhang Mu: ¡°Do you know Cang Tian? He is one of your kin. He asked me to pass on a message for you.¡±


    Zhang Mu¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    Changming: ¡°Looks like you do know him.¡±


    Zhang Mu: ¡°How is he?¡±


    Changming did not answer his question: ¡°The bet.¡±


    Zhang Mu smiled coldly: ¡°I won¡¯t make a bet with you. If you are able, try to pry open my mouth with force, otherwise, you¡¯ll all die here today!¡±


    Before he finished saying the word ¡°today¡±, his shadow moved, appearing right in front of Changming!


    He stretched out his nails, but grabbed the air.


    Changming had disappeared, leaving a puppet to be caught.


    The thin paper turned into ashes that were blown away by the wind.


    Zhang Mu turned around abruptly. The point of the black sword had already reached his forehead!


    He felt pain and quickly flew back. His subordinates wanted to interfere, but Yun Hai blocked their way.


    Yun Hai¡¯s figure could not be discerned among the black-clothed demons, and surging demonic qi surrounded him. Xu Jingxian could not say whether he was alive or dead, but gritted her teeth, thinking, After all, I gambled on you, and flew near him.


    It seemed that Changming and Yun Hai had had an agreement beforehand.


    Yun Hai did not meddle in Changming¡¯s battle with Zhang Mu, only helping him to stop other demons.


    Their battlefield moved to the surface of the sea away from the shore.


    People were watching them from afar, but could only see criss-crossing sword lights. Waves were raised by their spiritual powers, seething more and more vigorously, and turning into billows dashing to the skies one after another, almost covering the night sky.


    On the Seven Star Platform back then, Zhang Mu managed to fight against many powerful masters alone, so naturally, his cultivation level was high. Even if humans did not understand the world of demons, the Darkest Abyss, they could see that Zhang Mu was at least at the master level.


    Jiufang Changming used to be very famous, but it was different now. Each generation brings new talents to the world, and the situation had long since changed. By the time the majority of the cultivators here started to practice, the world¡¯s major sects were already determined, and the balance of power had been achieved. They had never practiced in the shadow of Jiufang Changming, trembling with awe, so naturally they could not realize how powerful this person was back then; but this name alone made people avoid him.


    Each generation brings new talents to the world: ¡°Lunshi¡± (¡°About poetry¡±)


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s thin silk was inconvenient to use now.


    It was neither long nor short.


    But her cultivation had improved greatly as she broke through the bottleneck, so she could hold on through a desperate effort. If this battle happened before, she would have been quickly defeated.


    That would be wonderful if they won; she would follow Changming, and maybe would be able to dig out something useful like the Yangzhen Grass again. But if they lost, that would be truly losing the wife together with soldiers.


    Losing the wife together with soldiers: sending the helve after the hatchet, a double loss


    But was Changming actually that Jiufang Changming?


    Tales had come true, and she could not help but feel a bit perplexed.


    Probably because she had just flirted with him, grabbing his hair.


    She was absent-minded during the fight, and her shoulder was scratched with long nails; fortunately, someone pushed her to the side.


    ¡°Why did you freeze?!¡±


    Xu Jingxian turned her head and was surprised to see He Qingmo.


    That disciple from the Celestial Abode Shenxiao who she met on the Rainbow bridge, and who disappeared without a trace after jumping into the Mirror Lake, unexpectedly, was still alive.


    What surprised Xu Jingxian even more was that while many people chose to stand by and let them do the fighting, He Qingmo actually took the initiative to participate.


    One of his shidis followed him as well.


    While others were looking at each other in dismay, and the majority wisely chose to play safe, waiting and observing them, some people gradually started coming forward.


    The pressure on Xu Jingxian lightened a lot.


    As for Yun Hai¡ª


    Xu Jingxian realized that he was nowhere to be seen.


    Where did he go?


    Zhang Mu had not believed that his opponent was able to win at all.


    But now, he had to reconsider this thought.


    He found himself trapped in a Void Formation.


    Void: Budd. emptiness of the material world


    Images of Changming holding the sword and applying techniques with hand gestures surrounded him from eight directions, and every illusion technique was different. But no matter which mirage Zhang Mu attacked, every strike would bounce back on him.


    After several attempts, Zhang Mu began to doubt.


    He thought that he had surely missed some details.


    This formation did not only require spiritual powers to support it, but also the caster to have a deep consciousness. Zhang Mu could not believe that the other¡¯s sea of consciousness was so broad that Changming was able to confine him in the illusion, rendering Zhang Mu unable to move a single step.


    The sea of consciousness¡­


    A thought suddenly dawned on him, and Zhang Mu realized one thing.


    His enemy used Zhang Mu¡¯s lack of attention to assault using the breach.


    Using the breach: lit. to use ¡®void¡¯ to enter


    Right now, he was not in the sea of misleading fog of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, but rather in Changming¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    As long as the sea of consciousness was broken, he could get out of the trap, and also damage Jiufang Changming¡¯s consciousness.


    That former brilliant master¡¯s gotten dumber, doesn¡¯t this sound interesting?


    The corners of Zhang Mu¡¯s lips curled into a smirk, and he suddenly moved!


    He noticed that although the mirrages all around him seemed to have no flaws, some details were still different.


    The one on the south-east was holding the Sifei Sword turned towards him on high alert, ready to strike.


    But the more it tried to show off its powers, the weaker it was inside.


    The spiritual power of the Sifei Sword seemed to be unable to support this image, and its appearance was weaker than the other seven¡¯s.


    This thought leapt through Zhang Mu¡¯s mind. His attack was swift like wind as he threw himself on the south-eastern mirage.


    It was ripped into pieces as soon as Zhang Mu touched it.


    As expected!


    Zhang Mu was excited.


    But his excitement did not last even for half a breath.


    A hurricane hit him from behind. He was sucked into the vortex and started fighting with it on equal footing in the chaos, but noticed that the other seven mirages attacked him, controlling their swords!


    He showed this weakness on purpose!


    Zhang Mu realized suddenly. But it was already too late.


    One false move, and he lost the whole game. The Sifei Sword pierced his heart from behind, and Zhang Mu fell into the sea from the air when Changming pulled it out.


    But before Zhang Mu¡¯s body sank in the water, his enemy fished him out and dragged him to the shore.


    Zhang Mu felt a sharp pain as his palm was pierced right after his chest.


    He opened his eyes with great difficulty, and saw that Changming had nailed his hand using the sword, making Zhang Mu unable to move.


    Zhang Mu wanted to say something, but vomited a mouthful of blood after opening his mouth.


    He saw Changming squat down.


    ¡°I know Cang Tian,¡± Zhang Mu heard, ¡°Those people you cooperate with are only using you for their profit. Once they need a scapegoat, they¡¯ll sell you out with no hesitation. When the massacre of Yuru Town took place, Cang Tian died this very way. One foot in the grave, he asked me to tell you not to believe them.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough, you are wrong, I didn¡¯t believe them from the very beginning! It was the only way to leave the Darkest Abyss and enter the Human World. They never deceived me¡­¡±


    Zhang Mu smiled, showing a mocking sneer.


    ¡°Do you think that you can kill me, leave the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and everything will be over? No, it¡¯s just the beginning. The Nine Layers of the Abyss looks magnificent and enormous in your eyes, yet it is nothing but one link in their plan. Ha-ha-ha¡­ You can¡¯t even imagine it!¡±


    It seemed that his mouth could not be opened with Cang Tian¡¯s name.


    Changming used force to insert the Sifei Sword an inch deeper, and its spiritual power distorted the opponent¡¯s muscles and bones. Even a demon could not stand this, and Zhang Mu groaned in pain; his expression twitched and twisted, and fog wrapped his eyes.


    ¡°Who are you? Who works together with you, except for [Wan] Chi Bijiang and Situ Wanhuo?¡±


    Of course, Zhang Mu said nothing. He had a totally unperturbed expression on his face, as if he was saying, ¡°I knew you¡¯d mention them¡±.


    Blood was splattering from his mouth and nose, but he was still jeering at Changming¡¯s ignorance.


    But Changming¡¯s next words were¡ª


    ¡°Xiao Cangfeng?¡±


    Zhang Mu¡¯s smile froze.


    The serious injury made him confused, so he could not conceal his expression for a moment, and this instant reaction let Changming guess the answer.


    Changming: ¡°Moreover, if I¡¯m not mistaken, Chen Ting is an incarnation of Jiang Li, the head of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.¡±


    I won¡¯t tell, if you are qualified, go and check it yourself.


    Zhang Mu¡¯s lips laughed wordlessly. His expression gradually stiffened, until he could finally make no sound.


    The demons in black were mostly killed as well. When Xu Jingxian saw Changming float down to the ground safe and sound, she was delighted at this unexpectedly good result, and rushed towards him, stretching out one of her hands.


    ¡°Ming-lang, are you alright?¡±


    Changming hummed in agreement, and looked at the other side of the misty sea.


    New high tides were coming from there slowly.


    Looking from far away, their speed seemed slow, but their force and noise surpassed everything else.


    If this continued, the whole shore would be submerged under the water, becoming an inundated area under the boundless sea.


    Xu Jingxian frowned at this.


    ¡°What do we do? Do we still need to cross the fog?¡±


    They did come to the Nine Layers of the Abyss through the fog, but they went straight to the Third Layer of the Abyss when they passed through it last time. Obviously, it was constantly changing, and any mistake could send them back, over and over again.


    ¡°Maggots! Those maggots came again!¡±


    Before Changming answered her, someone suddenly called out. Xu Jingxian¡¯s expression changed drastically. She turned her head and saw a group of glowing lights coming closer from a distance in the darkness. At first glance, they looked very beautiful, but everybody knew what they actually were.


    The dreaded firefly maggots that killed people with one touch.


    Watching the firefly maggots, Xu Jingxian recalled the lost half of her thin silk.


    Changming told her: ¡°Follow me!¡±


    Having said that, he used his sword to fly towards the place where the huge tides came from, his figure getting further and further away, finally submerged in the waves.


    This action looked like pure suicide, and Xu Jingxian froze for a moment, but still chose to follow him quickly.


    The closer she got to the huge waves, the stronger the wind blew.


    Xu Jingxian almost lost her balance, falling into the water. She gritted her teeth and squinted, braced herself for going against the sky-high waves and wind, and plunged into the water.


    The water blocked out both the sky and the earth.


    She was completely submerged in the water and overwhelmed by the force pressing down on her from every direction. Xu Jingxian had no choice but to drift along with the flow. She used a little spiritual power to protect her body and stay conscious, however, the sky and the earth were spinning in front of her eyes, and it was very difficult to remain sober when she could not even tell yin and yang apart. After cultivating for so many years, she once again tasted the feeling of dizziness and nausea from riding a horse carriage, just like in her childhood.


    Tell yin and yang apart: in this case, a total chaos, yin being the earth and yang being the sky


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s eyes rolled, and she fainted.


    When she regained consciousness, her body was still fatigued, and her hot eyelids were stinging.


    She felt unwell, and could not help but cover her eyes with her hand, opening them at the same time.


    The sunlight came in through the space between her fingers, stabbing her eyes.


    Xu Jingxian slowly came to her senses and sat, looking around.


    Not far away, Changming was standing on a cliff with his hands clasped behind his back, talking with that disciple from the Celestial Abode Shenxiao.


    Yun Hai came from the other side with a bunch of withered grass in his hand. It seemed that he had just picked it from the woods and came back.


    Xu Jingxian remembered this place.


    They entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss from here.


    Mists and clouds spreading all over under this steep cliff were the passage to the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    So to say, they had finally left this terrifying place?


    Xu Jingxian felt a little absent-minded, as if she was in a dream.


    If she went back in time and started over again, she was not sure that she would have made the same choice, and she was positively sure that she would not enter this place again.


    Never.


    It was unknown what He Qingmo was discussing with Changming. He looked at Xu Jingxian once, as if hesitating whether he should say goodbye, but in the end decided not to. He went past her to Yun Hai, clasped his hand, bidding farewell, and flew away on his sword.


    Ignored Xu Jingxian: ¡­Very well, if I see Celestial Abode Shenxiao¡¯s disciples, if I catch one, I¡¯ll torture one, and if I catch two, I¡¯ll torture the pair.


    She looked at Changming.


    He wore his long hair up, but some was still loose, scattered over his shoulders.


    His loose robes were fluttering with the wind, and he actually resembled the master of a generation.


    Xu Jingxian knew that the news about Changming killing Zhang Mu would soon spread throughout the world with those cultivators who had escaped from the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Many people would learn that Jiufang Changming had risen from the dead, returning to the Human World. Probably, this would soon stir the world.


    She was looking at him in a daze. Her mind was still jumping, but she sighed freely after surviving a disaster.


    Suddenly, Changming vomited a mouthful of blood and sat on the ground weakly, not maintaining that image of a rumored master at all.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s fanciful thoughts scattered like mist and ashes at once: ¡°Weren¡¯t you acting like you were fine just now?¡±


    Changming wiped off the blood from his mouth: ¡°In front of admirers, having a cool demeanor is an absolute necessity, you must endure.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    They encountered too many things in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. Everyone went their own ways, and they had their own adventures; all the stories could not be told even in three days and three nights. Xu Jingxian had many questions, especially about the time when Zhang Mu said in front of everyone that Yun Hai was his kin. This thought kept lingering in her mind.


    She raised her eyes and saw Yun Hai coming closer. His eyes seemed to be frozen like a glacier or a snow sea. This made her blood run cold, and she could not even voice even half of her questions.


    Yun Hai did not stop near her, and did not pay her any attention at all. Without saying anything, he went straight to Changming.


    Proofread by Snake & Lucia


    Of course, Xu Jingxian knew Jiufang Changming.


    Ever since she had become a cultivator, having left her family of common people, she often heard this name.


    The first one in the world.


    Daoist Sect Master.


    Buddhist Monk.


    Great Master of Demonic Cultivation.


    Confucian Scholar.


    It was hard to even imagine so many completely unrelated titles referring to one person.


    This was because Jiufang Changming¡¯s cultivation path was different from others¡¯: he first entered a Daoist sect, and then entered a Buddhist sect. After that, he became a Demonic cultivator, then turned to Confucianism, and finally became an independent rogue cultivator.


    Usually people followed the same path throughout their lives to perfect it, but he, on the contrary, studied every school, and even became proficient in each of them.


    And what was even rarer was that although people despised him behind his back, they still bestowed the highest titles upon him to win over the talented man.


    All those overt and covert slanderous tales were never voiced in front of him. In Jiufang Changming¡¯s heyday, everybody, regardless of whether they liked him or not, whether they were his friends or foes, they still had to call him Immortal Jiufang in his presence.


    For many people, he was a legend who was out of reach.


    Xu Jingxian was not an exception.


    She had read all sorts of scripts depicting tales about Jiufang more than once, and thought that every cultivator should be like him.


    Faced with his immense powers, every discontented voice had to go silent.


    People around the world feared and vilified him, yet venerated and admired him.


    After the battle of the Sacred Mountain Wan, Jiufang Changming fell from the sky. No one saw him alive, but his corpse was not found either.


    Fell from the sky: die (of an important person); here, probably, fell from his high position


    Some said that he died, and some blamed the failure of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation on him; the second opinion prevailed. Many young cultivators did not understand the situation, and after some time, this name, Jiufang Changming, was nailed to the historical pillar of shame, which was considered as ironclad evidence of his colluding with demons.


    Worshiping and chasing the strong is the nature of all kinds of people, and cultivators are no exception. But, when the idol fell and lost his face, the image in their hearts collapsed; the name Jiufang Changming was no longer mentioned and was relegated to the dustbin of history.


    Xu Jingxian would have never thought that this sickly man in front of her was related to this legendary figure.


    They shared the same name, but she always deemed it a coincidence.


    Who would have thought that the same name would mean the same person?!


    That is to say¡ª


    Xu Jingxian suddenly recalled the strange atmosphere between him and the Jianxue Sect master that day.


    She knew that her sect master was one of Jiufang Changming¡¯s disciples.


    When Xu Jingxian first heard about it, she complained about the moody temper of the sect master in her heart, did he dare to act the same in front of Immortal Jiufang?


    Unexpectedly, the master and disciple had actually met.


    No wonder he ordered her to bring him to the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    If Xu Jingxian was that surprised, one could imagine what the bystanders felt.


    In a flash, all eyes fell on Changming.


    Shock, doubt, curiosity¡ªnot a single expression repeated.


    A hint of astonishment flashed even through Zhang Mu¡¯s ruthless face.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming?¡±


    After being surprised for a moment, he looked Changming up and down. His ridiculing thoughts were obvious.


    ¡°The so-called first person in the world turns out to be like this? Have all the cultivators gone extinct? How are you worthy?¡±


    One stone sparked a thousand waves. After these words fell, the humans started seething with anger.


    Some people with easily-irritable temperaments broke out in curses as soon as they heard this provocation.


    Changming remained unmoved, and was only looking at Zhang Mu: ¡°Do you know Cang Tian? He is one of your kin. He asked me to pass on a message for you.¡±


    Zhang Mu¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    Changming: ¡°Looks like you do know him.¡±


    Zhang Mu: ¡°How is he?¡±


    Changming did not answer his question: ¡°The bet.¡±


    Zhang Mu smiled coldly: ¡°I won¡¯t make a bet with you. If you are able, try to pry open my mouth with force, otherwise, you¡¯ll all die here today!¡±


    Before he finished saying the word ¡°today¡±, his shadow moved, appearing right in front of Changming!


    He stretched out his nails, but grabbed the air.


    Changming had disappeared, leaving a puppet to be caught.


    The thin paper turned into ashes that were blown away by the wind.


    Zhang Mu turned around abruptly. The point of the black sword had already reached his forehead!


    He felt pain and quickly flew back. His subordinates wanted to interfere, but Yun Hai blocked their way.


    Yun Hai¡¯s figure could not be discerned among the black-clothed demons, and surging demonic qi surrounded him. Xu Jingxian could not say whether he was alive or dead, but gritted her teeth, thinking, After all, I gambled on you, and flew near him.


    It seemed that Changming and Yun Hai had had an agreement beforehand.


    Yun Hai did not meddle in Changming¡¯s battle with Zhang Mu, only helping him to stop other demons.


    Their battlefield moved to the surface of the sea away from the shore.


    People were watching them from afar, but could only see criss-crossing sword lights. Waves were raised by their spiritual powers, seething more and more vigorously, and turning into billows dashing to the skies one after another, almost covering the night sky.


    On the Seven Star Platform back then, Zhang Mu managed to fight against many powerful masters alone, so naturally, his cultivation level was high. Even if humans did not understand the world of demons, the Darkest Abyss, they could see that Zhang Mu was at least at the master level.


    Jiufang Changming used to be very famous, but it was different now. Each generation brings new talents to the world, and the situation had long since changed. By the time the majority of the cultivators here started to practice, the world¡¯s major sects were already determined, and the balance of power had been achieved. They had never practiced in the shadow of Jiufang Changming, trembling with awe, so naturally they could not realize how powerful this person was back then; but this name alone made people avoid him.


    Each generation brings new talents to the world: ¡°Lunshi¡± (¡°About poetry¡±)


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s thin silk was inconvenient to use now.


    It was neither long nor short.


    But her cultivation had improved greatly as she broke through the bottleneck, so she could hold on through a desperate effort. If this battle happened before, she would have been quickly defeated.


    That would be wonderful if they won; she would follow Changming, and maybe would be able to dig out something useful like the Yangzhen Grass again. But if they lost, that would be truly losing the wife together with soldiers.


    Losing the wife together with soldiers: sending the helve after the hatchet, a double loss


    But was Changming actually that Jiufang Changming?


    Tales had come true, and she could not help but feel a bit perplexed.


    Probably because she had just flirted with him, grabbing his hair.


    She was absent-minded during the fight, and her shoulder was scratched with long nails; fortunately, someone pushed her to the side.


    ¡°Why did you freeze?!¡±


    Xu Jingxian turned her head and was surprised to see He Qingmo.


    That disciple from the Celestial Abode Shenxiao who she met on the Rainbow bridge, and who disappeared without a trace after jumping into the Mirror Lake, unexpectedly, was still alive.


    What surprised Xu Jingxian even more was that while many people chose to stand by and let them do the fighting, He Qingmo actually took the initiative to participate.


    One of his shidis followed him as well.


    While others were looking at each other in dismay, and the majority wisely chose to play safe, waiting and observing them, some people gradually started coming forward.


    The pressure on Xu Jingxian lightened a lot.


    As for Yun Hai¡ª


    Xu Jingxian realized that he was nowhere to be seen.


    Where did he go?


    Zhang Mu had not believed that his opponent was able to win at all.


    But now, he had to reconsider this thought.


    He found himself trapped in a Void Formation.


    Void: Budd. emptiness of the material world


    Images of Changming holding the sword and applying techniques with hand gestures surrounded him from eight directions, and every illusion technique was different. But no matter which mirage Zhang Mu attacked, every strike would bounce back on him.


    After several attempts, Zhang Mu began to doubt.


    He thought that he had surely missed some details.


    This formation did not only require spiritual powers to support it, but also the caster to have a deep consciousness. Zhang Mu could not believe that the other¡¯s sea of consciousness was so broad that Changming was able to confine him in the illusion, rendering Zhang Mu unable to move a single step.


    The sea of consciousness¡­


    A thought suddenly dawned on him, and Zhang Mu realized one thing.


    His enemy used Zhang Mu¡¯s lack of attention to assault using the breach.


    Using the breach: lit. to use ¡®void¡¯ to enter


    Right now, he was not in the sea of misleading fog of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, but rather in Changming¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    As long as the sea of consciousness was broken, he could get out of the trap, and also damage Jiufang Changming¡¯s consciousness.


    That former brilliant master¡¯s gotten dumber, doesn¡¯t this sound interesting?


    The corners of Zhang Mu¡¯s lips curled into a smirk, and he suddenly moved!


    He noticed that although the mirrages all around him seemed to have no flaws, some details were still different.


    The one on the south-east was holding the Sifei Sword turned towards him on high alert, ready to strike.


    But the more it tried to show off its powers, the weaker it was inside.


    The spiritual power of the Sifei Sword seemed to be unable to support this image, and its appearance was weaker than the other seven¡¯s.


    This thought leapt through Zhang Mu¡¯s mind. His attack was swift like wind as he threw himself on the south-eastern mirage.


    It was ripped into pieces as soon as Zhang Mu touched it.


    As expected!


    Zhang Mu was excited.


    But his excitement did not last even for half a breath.


    A hurricane hit him from behind. He was sucked into the vortex and started fighting with it on equal footing in the chaos, but noticed that the other seven mirages attacked him, controlling their swords!


    He showed this weakness on purpose!


    Zhang Mu realized suddenly. But it was already too late.


    One false move, and he lost the whole game. The Sifei Sword pierced his heart from behind, and Zhang Mu fell into the sea from the air when Changming pulled it out.


    But before Zhang Mu¡¯s body sank in the water, his enemy fished him out and dragged him to the shore.


    Zhang Mu felt a sharp pain as his palm was pierced right after his chest.


    He opened his eyes with great difficulty, and saw that Changming had nailed his hand using the sword, making Zhang Mu unable to move.


    Zhang Mu wanted to say something, but vomited a mouthful of blood after opening his mouth.


    He saw Changming squat down.


    ¡°I know Cang Tian,¡± Zhang Mu heard, ¡°Those people you cooperate with are only using you for their profit. Once they need a scapegoat, they¡¯ll sell you out with no hesitation. When the massacre of Yuru Town took place, Cang Tian died this very way. One foot in the grave, he asked me to tell you not to believe them.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough, you are wrong, I didn¡¯t believe them from the very beginning! It was the only way to leave the Darkest Abyss and enter the Human World. They never deceived me¡­¡±


    Zhang Mu smiled, showing a mocking sneer.


    ¡°Do you think that you can kill me, leave the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and everything will be over? No, it¡¯s just the beginning. The Nine Layers of the Abyss looks magnificent and enormous in your eyes, yet it is nothing but one link in their plan. Ha-ha-ha¡­ You can¡¯t even imagine it!¡±


    It seemed that his mouth could not be opened with Cang Tian¡¯s name.


    Changming used force to insert the Sifei Sword an inch deeper, and its spiritual power distorted the opponent¡¯s muscles and bones. Even a demon could not stand this, and Zhang Mu groaned in pain; his expression twitched and twisted, and fog wrapped his eyes.


    ¡°Who are you? Who works together with you, except for [Wan] Chi Bijiang and Situ Wanhuo?¡±


    Of course, Zhang Mu said nothing. He had a totally unperturbed expression on his face, as if he was saying, ¡°I knew you¡¯d mention them¡±.


    Blood was splattering from his mouth and nose, but he was still jeering at Changming¡¯s ignorance.


    But Changming¡¯s next words were¡ª


    ¡°Xiao Cangfeng?¡±


    Zhang Mu¡¯s smile froze.


    The serious injury made him confused, so he could not conceal his expression for a moment, and this instant reaction let Changming guess the answer.


    Changming: ¡°Moreover, if I¡¯m not mistaken, Chen Ting is an incarnation of Jiang Li, the head of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.¡±


    I won¡¯t tell, if you are qualified, go and check it yourself.


    Zhang Mu¡¯s lips laughed wordlessly. His expression gradually stiffened, until he could finally make no sound.


    The demons in black were mostly killed as well. When Xu Jingxian saw Changming float down to the ground safe and sound, she was delighted at this unexpectedly good result, and rushed towards him, stretching out one of her hands.


    ¡°Ming-lang, are you alright?¡±


    Changming hummed in agreement, and looked at the other side of the misty sea.


    New high tides were coming from there slowly.


    Looking from far away, their speed seemed slow, but their force and noise surpassed everything else.


    If this continued, the whole shore would be submerged under the water, becoming an inundated area under the boundless sea.


    Xu Jingxian frowned at this.


    ¡°What do we do? Do we still need to cross the fog?¡±


    They did come to the Nine Layers of the Abyss through the fog, but they went straight to the Third Layer of the Abyss when they passed through it last time. Obviously, it was constantly changing, and any mistake could send them back, over and over again.


    ¡°Maggots! Those maggots came again!¡±


    Before Changming answered her, someone suddenly called out. Xu Jingxian¡¯s expression changed drastically. She turned her head and saw a group of glowing lights coming closer from a distance in the darkness. At first glance, they looked very beautiful, but everybody knew what they actually were.


    The dreaded firefly maggots that killed people with one touch.


    Watching the firefly maggots, Xu Jingxian recalled the lost half of her thin silk.


    Changming told her: ¡°Follow me!¡±


    Having said that, he used his sword to fly towards the place where the huge tides came from, his figure getting further and further away, finally submerged in the waves.


    This action looked like pure suicide, and Xu Jingxian froze for a moment, but still chose to follow him quickly.


    The closer she got to the huge waves, the stronger the wind blew.


    Xu Jingxian almost lost her balance, falling into the water. She gritted her teeth and squinted, braced herself for going against the sky-high waves and wind, and plunged into the water.


    The water blocked out both the sky and the earth.


    She was completely submerged in the water and overwhelmed by the force pressing down on her from every direction. Xu Jingxian had no choice but to drift along with the flow. She used a little spiritual power to protect her body and stay conscious, however, the sky and the earth were spinning in front of her eyes, and it was very difficult to remain sober when she could not even tell yin and yang apart. After cultivating for so many years, she once again tasted the feeling of dizziness and nausea from riding a horse carriage, just like in her childhood.


    Tell yin and yang apart: in this case, a total chaos, yin being the earth and yang being the sky


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s eyes rolled, and she fainted.


    When she regained consciousness, her body was still fatigued, and her hot eyelids were stinging.


    She felt unwell, and could not help but cover her eyes with her hand, opening them at the same time.


    The sunlight came in through the space between her fingers, stabbing her eyes.


    Xu Jingxian slowly came to her senses and sat, looking around.


    Not far away, Changming was standing on a cliff with his hands clasped behind his back, talking with that disciple from the Celestial Abode Shenxiao.


    Yun Hai came from the other side with a bunch of withered grass in his hand. It seemed that he had just picked it from the woods and came back.


    Xu Jingxian remembered this place.


    They entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss from here.


    Mists and clouds spreading all over under this steep cliff were the passage to the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    So to say, they had finally left this terrifying place?


    Xu Jingxian felt a little absent-minded, as if she was in a dream.


    If she went back in time and started over again, she was not sure that she would have made the same choice, and she was positively sure that she would not enter this place again.


    Never.


    It was unknown what He Qingmo was discussing with Changming. He looked at Xu Jingxian once, as if hesitating whether he should say goodbye, but in the end decided not to. He went past her to Yun Hai, clasped his hand, bidding farewell, and flew away on his sword.


    Ignored Xu Jingxian: ¡­Very well, if I see Celestial Abode Shenxiao¡¯s disciples, if I catch one, I¡¯ll torture one, and if I catch two, I¡¯ll torture the pair.


    She looked at Changming.


    He wore his long hair up, but some was still loose, scattered over his shoulders.


    His loose robes were fluttering with the wind, and he actually resembled the master of a generation.


    Xu Jingxian knew that the news about Changming killing Zhang Mu would soon spread throughout the world with those cultivators who had escaped from the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Many people would learn that Jiufang Changming had risen from the dead, returning to the Human World. Probably, this would soon stir the world.


    She was looking at him in a daze. Her mind was still jumping, but she sighed freely after surviving a disaster.


    Suddenly, Changming vomited a mouthful of blood and sat on the ground weakly, not maintaining that image of a rumored master at all.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s fanciful thoughts scattered like mist and ashes at once: ¡°Weren¡¯t you acting like you were fine just now?¡±


    Changming wiped off the blood from his mouth: ¡°In front of admirers, having a cool demeanor is an absolute necessity, you must endure.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    They encountered too many things in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. Everyone went their own ways, and they had their own adventures; all the stories could not be told even in three days and three nights. Xu Jingxian had many questions, especially about the time when Zhang Mu said in front of everyone that Yun Hai was his kin. This thought kept lingering in her mind.


    She raised her eyes and saw Yun Hai coming closer. His eyes seemed to be frozen like a glacier or a snow sea. This made her blood run cold, and she could not even voice even half of her questions.


    Yun Hai did not stop near her, and did not pay her any attention at all. Without saying anything, he went straight to Changming.

 CH 45

    ¡°Take your clothes off.¡±


    Xu Jingxian heard Yun Weisi¡¯s words.


    She stared at him with wide open eyes. Her drowsiness was completely gone.


    Changming was also a bit surprised: ¡°Take off my clothes to do what?¡±


    Yun Weisi said indifferently: ¡°Isn¡¯t your back wounded?¡±


    This wound he received in his battle with Zhang Mu was certainly painful, but he could endure it.


    ¡°Maozhao Grass has to be applied to scratches one got from demons within three days, otherwise, the poison will get to the marrow.¡±


    Maozhao Grass: Radix Ranunculi Ternati, or buttercup root. In Chinese it is literally ¡°cat¡¯s paw grass¡±


    Changming smiled: ¡°If the poison gets to my marrow, I¡¯ll go mad and die, and my beloved disciple won¡¯t even have to do it himself, isn¡¯t that your wish? Or are you reluctant to kill your teacher and part with me?¡±


    He was teasing him yet taking his clothes off at the same time. There were indeed several wounds on his back, and the purple swellings had almost turned black already. Xu Jingxian could not help but to flinch, but Changming only gathered his hair and slightly tilted his head so that it would be more convenient to apply the medicine. His expression was calm as if nothing had happened.


    Yun Weisi said nothing, ignoring Changming¡¯s words.


    He washed the grass clean, removed the leaves, put it into his mouth and chewed it, then took it out again and applied a bit on Changming¡¯s back.


    It was just skillfully putting the medicine on, but it seemed like a gentle caress.


    Yun Weisi was fully concentrated on the task, and had no lewd thoughts, but his actions made their observer blush nevertheless, and she was unable to take her eyes off.


    Naturally, their only observer was Lady Xu.


    She thought that she had seen thousands of boats sail away and come back, and had more admirers grovelling under her red skirt than the Yangtze had carps. She would not pay attention to just anyone, so of course, they all had to have beautiful appearances and remarkable talents. But, comparing them to the man in front of her, she now felt that they all used to insult her eyes.


    Had seen thousands of boats sail away and come back: had experienced everything


    Grovelling under her red skirt: wrapped around her finger. Red skirts were popular during the Tang dynasty


    As many as there are carps crossing the Yangtze River: an excessive number


    That slightly bent neck seemed to glow in the sunlight, as if there were water drops that would soon vanish sprinkled on it.


    A few strands of his hair slipped through Changming¡¯s hand, scattered on his shoulders by the wind. The snow-white tips of his hair wrapped around Yun Weisi¡¯s hand, as if they were reluctant to let it go, and silently urged it to stay.


    Xu Jingxian felt thirsty.


    She regretted that it was not her who was giving Changming the herb, that she could not touch him and find out whether his skin was as smooth as it seemed. She could only covet the moment in her heart and imagine Yun Weisi¡¯s hand to be hers.


    Her line of sight moved lower, to the wounds covered with herbs on his back. Originally purple-black scratches turned bluer, criss-crossing each other in disorder. But Xu Jingxian, who always liked beautiful things, unexpectedly did not find them ugly; on the contrary, no matter how she looked, they made her heart flutter, and she was carried away by their bewitching looks.


    Why did she think that Changming was not as handsome as Yun Hai before? Obviously, this person¡¯s good looks were beneath the surface, and only when one understood him and probed him would they notice that kind of inscrutable beauty.


    For example, that happened to her.


    At this moment, Yun Weisi suddenly turned his head and glanced at her once.


    This glance, like ice-cold water poured on her head, made Xu Jingxian sober up in an instant.


    Only then did she notice that she had somehow gotten closer and stretched out her hand.


    Xu Jingxian coughed lightly, and said with an insincere courteousness: ¡°Is daoyou Yun tired? Why don¡¯t you let me help you?¡±


    Yun Weisi looked at her once again.


    Xu Jingxian did not dare act rashly again.


    Back then, when Zhang Mu was talking with Yun Weisi, she had already guessed Yun Weisi¡¯s identity. But now she felt that this man was very different from that ¡°daoyou Yun Hai¡± whom she used to know.


    One, concealing his intentions under a smiling face, handled things unscrupulously, having no bottomline; if he liked something, then he loved it ardently, if he was angry, then he hated vehemently.


    The other party did not even say half a sentence out loud, and seemed to have the outstanding behavior of an immortal, but Xu Jingxian feared him more than the one she knew.


    No matter how beguiled one is, life is still more important.


    If she had known earlier, she would have found an excuse to take care of Changming on Lingbo Peak, but the rice was already cooked. It was painful to see food, but be unable to taste it.


    But the rice was already cooked: what¡¯s done is done


    But, thinking about Lingbo Peak, Xu Jingxian felt a bit nostalgic.


    There were not many people on the peak, but they all were her trusted subordinates. Even the maids sweeping the floors there were prettier than elsewhere.


    The chefs¡¯ cooking skills were unrivaled. They were all invited by her from places she had visited before. Although she cut off her connection with her family since she started cultivating, her habit of living a luxurious life had not changed over the years, and she could never deprive herself of good things. But there was no time to take care of other things in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, as for every dawn she saw here, she was unsure of surviving till evening. At this moment, finally out of danger, Xu Jingxian remembered that she had not bathed for many days, and felt so uncomfortable all over that she could not even appreciate the beauty.


    ¡°Lady Xu, do you perhaps know Xiao Cangfeng?¡±


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s wandering mind was brought back to reality by his words. Changming¡¯s clothes were already worn properly again.


    She regretted it in her heart, but said aloud: ¡°I¡¯ve seen him several times, but we are not acquainted. The Xiao Family are officials of the country of You; except for Xiao Cangfeng, they all follow Confucianism. He was young when he entered the Wanjian Immortal Sect, and later fought against several famous masters. I¡¯ve met him a couple of times at the past Qianlin Assemblies. This man is handsome and speaks well. But, of course, he is not as good as Ming-lang.¡±


    Changming was combing his hair with his fingers.


    The Wanjian Immortal Clan again.


    Xu Jingxian smiled sweetly: ¡°So to speak, he has a relation to you.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Oh?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°He has fought Sun Buku once. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Zen Master Buku used to be your disciple.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Who won?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°They were evenly matched. But for this reason, Xiao Cangfeng became even more famous. He is also known as a great talent from the Xia family. They say that he likes travelling everywhere, showing the dragon head one moment, and its tail another. It¡¯s hard to find him even if you try.¡±


    Showing the dragon head one moment, and its tail another: mysterious person whose whereabouts are unknown


    Changming: ¡°Then what about Chi Bijiang, the Master of the Wanxiang Palace?¡±


    Xu Jingxian was at a loss: ¡°Chi Bijiang? She died many years ago. Nowadays, the Wanxiang Palace¡¯s master is Zhao Sizhu, she is Chi Bijiang¡¯s shimei.¡±


    Changming could not help frowning.


    ¡°Did the Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s master, Jiang Li, die as well?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°No. You don¡¯t know what has happened after the Liuhe Zhutian Formation failed that year? Counting you in, many cultivators died on the Sacred Mountain Wan. Few survived. Jiang Li had the highest cultivation level among them, but he suffered a severe wound and went into seclusion for many years, only coming out some time ago. After the seclusion, his cultivation advanced greatly, and he is even more formidable than he used to be. The Wanjian Immortal Clan has also been expanding its influence more and more for these years, and there are many others like Xiao Cangfeng. They are considered the largest clan nowadays, slightly more powerful than the Celestial Abode Shenxiao.¡±


    Changming: ¡°And Chen Ting?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°That Chen Ting we met in the Nine Layers of the Abyss? He stated that he is a disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, but I¡¯ve never met him before; maybe, he is one from the last generation. But I actually recognised his sword, Guyue. It belonged to Jiang Li¡¯s eldest apprentice, L¨¹ Shuheng, but he died many years ago. I¡¯m guessing that it was kept in storage since his death, and now perhaps brought out again and gifted to Chen Ting?¡±


    It seemed that his conjectures were almost all right.


    It was impossible for a person who was not exceptionally capable to run into the Nine Layers of the Abyss rashly. If Chen Ting was part of the Wanjian Immortal Sect, he definitely would not be a mediocre person, but Xu Jingxian had never heard of him; yet the clan master personally unsealed the Guyue Sword for him, which proved that what Changming had previously speculated should have been correct: that Chen Ting was very possibly an incarnation of Jiang Li.


    But he was not an easy problem to solve.


    If they came to the Wanjian Immortal Clan, not only would they be unable to find Jiang Li, but could even get into trouble.


    Since the enemy was meticulously involved in each step of their elaborate plan, and now Changming ruined this all around, even dragging Yun Weisi out of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, even if Changming did not go to find them, they would visit him sooner or later.


    Meticulously involved in each step: lit. ¡°[an army building] barracks by each step¡±; fig. ¡°advance gradually and entrench oneself at every step¡±. It was first used in ¡°Romance of the Three Kingdoms¡±


    He simply wanted to tread his own way, solving mysteries that he found interesting.


    The flood dragon trapped in the Yellow Springs, the beast roaring under the Zhongfa Mountain Range, and Zhang Mu¡ª


    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted.¡±


    His chin was grabbed, and Changming was forcibly pulled towards the other person.


    He noticed that Xu Jingxian had disappeared, and only Yun Weisi was still there.


    ¡°She?¡±


    ¡°Said that she wants to return to Lingbo Peak,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    She was bidding farewell to Changming, and he was not listening; Yun Weisi said something to him, but Changming did not hear him as well.


    Then Yun Weisi raised his arm.


    Changming grabbed his wrist firmly and rolled his sleeve up.


    The red line had almost reached the Neiguan Point.


    The Neiguan Acupuncture Point: the ¡°beauty acupuncture¡±: relieves mental stress, regulated qi to alleviate pain. Three fingers up from the wrist


    ¡°Why so fast?¡±


    He remembered that the last time it was only near the Xi Gate, but now it grew much longer, nearing the Neiguan Point.


    The Xi Gate: relieves mental stress, alleviates depression and stops bleeding. Seven fingers up from wrist


    If it reached the palm, he would turn into a demon.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Yun Weisi was calm and indifferent, and paid it no attention. He retrieved his sleeve.


    Changming looked at the space between his brows. A light red mark appeared there at some point.


    It was so pale that it was almost impossible to notice, and quite surprising to see, because Changming remembered clearly that Yun Weisi did not have this red mark when they met in the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    When Zhang Mu ridiculed Yun Weisi for being his kin, he must have felt vague traces of demonic qi on Yun Weisi.


    Each generation of the Yun family were humans, and they had no relation to demons. Obviously, Yun Weisi was not born with demonic blood.


    ¡°What happened to you in the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    That line again.


    Yun Weisi had lost many memories because he gave up on them willingly, but that did not mean that he was willing to be a part of someone else¡¯s plan.


    After experiencing the events on the Void Shore, even without Changming¡¯s explanations, he knew that the mishaps of past years were very mysterious, and him protecting the Nine Layers of the Abyss might have been a part of someone¡¯s scheming.


    If he did not break free from this trap, it would become a heart obstruction in his cultivation.


    So Yun Hai went out.


    He wanted to find out the truth about the past.


    He also wanted to know why he was so dissatisfied with Jiufang Changming.


    He had no memories of events that Long Ding, the flood dragon, told him about.


    Yun Weisi always felt like he was overlooking something.


    Overlooking a very important thing.


    And this thing was connected to this man in front of him.


    He was afraid that even if he killed Changming now, making him disappear from the earth and sky, this feeling would not go away with him.


    He wanted to know the answer.


    ¡°You were talking about Zhang Mu.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Right. When I left the Yellow Springs, I settled at the Qixian Sect. There, Liu Xiyu, a disciple of the Qixian Sect, died tragically at the back mountain of the outer circle in the middle of night, and even his soul couldn¡¯t be summoned. In the Nine Layers of the Abyss, Zhang Mu killed Bei Shu in the same manner. I found a Moonlight on the Blue Ocean in Bei Shu¡¯s residence; a Wuqiu Pill is stored inside it, the one that can make people lose their minds. Later, Xu Jingxian said that there was also a Moonlight on the Blue Ocean in the dowry of Xiao-shi, who was engaged with Liu Xiyu. Xiao-shi is Xiao Cangfeng¡¯s niece, and he is a disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Clan. He went to find Jiang Li, obviously, to no avail. Xiao Cangfeng has no fixed residence, and it was difficult to find him quickly. Since the Qixian Sect has almost united with the Xiao family by marriage, there might be clues remaining there. We might as well start by inspecting the Qixian Sect.¡±


    Yun Weisi nodded. He had no impression of these people, so, naturally, he let Changming decide.


    ¡°Then we shall go to the Qixian Sect first.¡±


    Tn:


    This is the last chapter of Book 2, [At The Edge Of The Yellow Springs Lies The Nine Layers Of The Abyss].


    ¡°Take your clothes off.¡±


    Xu Jingxian heard Yun Weisi¡¯s words.


    She stared at him with wide open eyes. Her drowsiness was completely gone.


    Changming was also a bit surprised: ¡°Take off my clothes to do what?¡±


    Yun Weisi said indifferently: ¡°Isn¡¯t your back wounded?¡±


    This wound he received in his battle with Zhang Mu was certainly painful, but he could endure it.


    ¡°Maozhao Grass has to be applied to scratches one got from demons within three days, otherwise, the poison will get to the marrow.¡±


    Maozhao Grass: Radix Ranunculi Ternati, or buttercup root. In Chinese it is literally ¡°cat¡¯s paw grass¡±


    Changming smiled: ¡°If the poison gets to my marrow, I¡¯ll go mad and die, and my beloved disciple won¡¯t even have to do it himself, isn¡¯t that your wish? Or are you reluctant to kill your teacher and part with me?¡±


    He was teasing him yet taking his clothes off at the same time. There were indeed several wounds on his back, and the purple swellings had almost turned black already. Xu Jingxian could not help but to flinch, but Changming only gathered his hair and slightly tilted his head so that it would be more convenient to apply the medicine. His expression was calm as if nothing had happened.


    Yun Weisi said nothing, ignoring Changming¡¯s words.


    He washed the grass clean, removed the leaves, put it into his mouth and chewed it, then took it out again and applied a bit on Changming¡¯s back.


    It was just skillfully putting the medicine on, but it seemed like a gentle caress.


    Yun Weisi was fully concentrated on the task, and had no lewd thoughts, but his actions made their observer blush nevertheless, and she was unable to take her eyes off.


    Naturally, their only observer was Lady Xu.


    She thought that she had seen thousands of boats sail away and come back, and had more admirers grovelling under her red skirt than the Yangtze had carps. She would not pay attention to just anyone, so of course, they all had to have beautiful appearances and remarkable talents. But, comparing them to the man in front of her, she now felt that they all used to insult her eyes.


    Had seen thousands of boats sail away and come back: had experienced everything


    Grovelling under her red skirt: wrapped around her finger. Red skirts were popular during the Tang dynasty


    As many as there are carps crossing the Yangtze River: an excessive number


    That slightly bent neck seemed to glow in the sunlight, as if there were water drops that would soon vanish sprinkled on it.


    A few strands of his hair slipped through Changming¡¯s hand, scattered on his shoulders by the wind. The snow-white tips of his hair wrapped around Yun Weisi¡¯s hand, as if they were reluctant to let it go, and silently urged it to stay.


    Xu Jingxian felt thirsty.


    She regretted that it was not her who was giving Changming the herb, that she could not touch him and find out whether his skin was as smooth as it seemed. She could only covet the moment in her heart and imagine Yun Weisi¡¯s hand to be hers.


    Her line of sight moved lower, to the wounds covered with herbs on his back. Originally purple-black scratches turned bluer, criss-crossing each other in disorder. But Xu Jingxian, who always liked beautiful things, unexpectedly did not find them ugly; on the contrary, no matter how she looked, they made her heart flutter, and she was carried away by their bewitching looks.


    Why did she think that Changming was not as handsome as Yun Hai before? Obviously, this person¡¯s good looks were beneath the surface, and only when one understood him and probed him would they notice that kind of inscrutable beauty.


    For example, that happened to her.


    At this moment, Yun Weisi suddenly turned his head and glanced at her once.


    This glance, like ice-cold water poured on her head, made Xu Jingxian sober up in an instant.


    Only then did she notice that she had somehow gotten closer and stretched out her hand.


    Xu Jingxian coughed lightly, and said with an insincere courteousness: ¡°Is daoyou Yun tired? Why don¡¯t you let me help you?¡±


    Yun Weisi looked at her once again.


    Xu Jingxian did not dare act rashly again.


    Back then, when Zhang Mu was talking with Yun Weisi, she had already guessed Yun Weisi¡¯s identity. But now she felt that this man was very different from that ¡°daoyou Yun Hai¡± whom she used to know.


    One, concealing his intentions under a smiling face, handled things unscrupulously, having no bottomline; if he liked something, then he loved it ardently, if he was angry, then he hated vehemently.


    The other party did not even say half a sentence out loud, and seemed to have the outstanding behavior of an immortal, but Xu Jingxian feared him more than the one she knew.


    No matter how beguiled one is, life is still more important.


    If she had known earlier, she would have found an excuse to take care of Changming on Lingbo Peak, but the rice was already cooked. It was painful to see food, but be unable to taste it.


    But the rice was already cooked: what¡¯s done is done


    But, thinking about Lingbo Peak, Xu Jingxian felt a bit nostalgic.


    There were not many people on the peak, but they all were her trusted subordinates. Even the maids sweeping the floors there were prettier than elsewhere.


    The chefs¡¯ cooking skills were unrivaled. They were all invited by her from places she had visited before. Although she cut off her connection with her family since she started cultivating, her habit of living a luxurious life had not changed over the years, and she could never deprive herself of good things. But there was no time to take care of other things in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, as for every dawn she saw here, she was unsure of surviving till evening. At this moment, finally out of danger, Xu Jingxian remembered that she had not bathed for many days, and felt so uncomfortable all over that she could not even appreciate the beauty.


    ¡°Lady Xu, do you perhaps know Xiao Cangfeng?¡±


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s wandering mind was brought back to reality by his words. Changming¡¯s clothes were already worn properly again.


    She regretted it in her heart, but said aloud: ¡°I¡¯ve seen him several times, but we are not acquainted. The Xiao Family are officials of the country of You; except for Xiao Cangfeng, they all follow Confucianism. He was young when he entered the Wanjian Immortal Sect, and later fought against several famous masters. I¡¯ve met him a couple of times at the past Qianlin Assemblies. This man is handsome and speaks well. But, of course, he is not as good as Ming-lang.¡±


    Changming was combing his hair with his fingers.


    The Wanjian Immortal Clan again.


    Xu Jingxian smiled sweetly: ¡°So to speak, he has a relation to you.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Oh?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°He has fought Sun Buku once. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Zen Master Buku used to be your disciple.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Who won?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°They were evenly matched. But for this reason, Xiao Cangfeng became even more famous. He is also known as a great talent from the Xia family. They say that he likes travelling everywhere, showing the dragon head one moment, and its tail another. It¡¯s hard to find him even if you try.¡±


    Showing the dragon head one moment, and its tail another: mysterious person whose whereabouts are unknown


    Changming: ¡°Then what about Chi Bijiang, the Master of the Wanxiang Palace?¡±


    Xu Jingxian was at a loss: ¡°Chi Bijiang? She died many years ago. Nowadays, the Wanxiang Palace¡¯s master is Zhao Sizhu, she is Chi Bijiang¡¯s shimei.¡±


    Changming could not help frowning.


    ¡°Did the Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s master, Jiang Li, die as well?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°No. You don¡¯t know what has happened after the Liuhe Zhutian Formation failed that year? Counting you in, many cultivators died on the Sacred Mountain Wan. Few survived. Jiang Li had the highest cultivation level among them, but he suffered a severe wound and went into seclusion for many years, only coming out some time ago. After the seclusion, his cultivation advanced greatly, and he is even more formidable than he used to be. The Wanjian Immortal Clan has also been expanding its influence more and more for these years, and there are many others like Xiao Cangfeng. They are considered the largest clan nowadays, slightly more powerful than the Celestial Abode Shenxiao.¡±


    Changming: ¡°And Chen Ting?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°That Chen Ting we met in the Nine Layers of the Abyss? He stated that he is a disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, but I¡¯ve never met him before; maybe, he is one from the last generation. But I actually recognised his sword, Guyue. It belonged to Jiang Li¡¯s eldest apprentice, L¨¹ Shuheng, but he died many years ago. I¡¯m guessing that it was kept in storage since his death, and now perhaps brought out again and gifted to Chen Ting?¡±


    It seemed that his conjectures were almost all right.


    It was impossible for a person who was not exceptionally capable to run into the Nine Layers of the Abyss rashly. If Chen Ting was part of the Wanjian Immortal Sect, he definitely would not be a mediocre person, but Xu Jingxian had never heard of him; yet the clan master personally unsealed the Guyue Sword for him, which proved that what Changming had previously speculated should have been correct: that Chen Ting was very possibly an incarnation of Jiang Li.


    But he was not an easy problem to solve.


    If they came to the Wanjian Immortal Clan, not only would they be unable to find Jiang Li, but could even get into trouble.


    Since the enemy was meticulously involved in each step of their elaborate plan, and now Changming ruined this all around, even dragging Yun Weisi out of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, even if Changming did not go to find them, they would visit him sooner or later.


    Meticulously involved in each step: lit. ¡°[an army building] barracks by each step¡±; fig. ¡°advance gradually and entrench oneself at every step¡±. It was first used in ¡°Romance of the Three Kingdoms¡±


    He simply wanted to tread his own way, solving mysteries that he found interesting.


    The flood dragon trapped in the Yellow Springs, the beast roaring under the Zhongfa Mountain Range, and Zhang Mu¡ª


    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted.¡±


    His chin was grabbed, and Changming was forcibly pulled towards the other person.


    He noticed that Xu Jingxian had disappeared, and only Yun Weisi was still there.


    ¡°She?¡±


    ¡°Said that she wants to return to Lingbo Peak,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    She was bidding farewell to Changming, and he was not listening; Yun Weisi said something to him, but Changming did not hear him as well.


    Then Yun Weisi raised his arm.


    Changming grabbed his wrist firmly and rolled his sleeve up.


    The red line had almost reached the Neiguan Point.


    The Neiguan Acupuncture Point: the ¡°beauty acupuncture¡±: relieves mental stress, regulated qi to alleviate pain. Three fingers up from the wrist


    ¡°Why so fast?¡±


    He remembered that the last time it was only near the Xi Gate, but now it grew much longer, nearing the Neiguan Point.


    The Xi Gate: relieves mental stress, alleviates depression and stops bleeding. Seven fingers up from wrist


    If it reached the palm, he would turn into a demon.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Yun Weisi was calm and indifferent, and paid it no attention. He retrieved his sleeve.


    Changming looked at the space between his brows. A light red mark appeared there at some point.


    It was so pale that it was almost impossible to notice, and quite surprising to see, because Changming remembered clearly that Yun Weisi did not have this red mark when they met in the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    When Zhang Mu ridiculed Yun Weisi for being his kin, he must have felt vague traces of demonic qi on Yun Weisi.


    Each generation of the Yun family were humans, and they had no relation to demons. Obviously, Yun Weisi was not born with demonic blood.


    ¡°What happened to you in the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    That line again.


    Yun Weisi had lost many memories because he gave up on them willingly, but that did not mean that he was willing to be a part of someone else¡¯s plan.


    After experiencing the events on the Void Shore, even without Changming¡¯s explanations, he knew that the mishaps of past years were very mysterious, and him protecting the Nine Layers of the Abyss might have been a part of someone¡¯s scheming.


    If he did not break free from this trap, it would become a heart obstruction in his cultivation.


    So Yun Hai went out.


    He wanted to find out the truth about the past.


    He also wanted to know why he was so dissatisfied with Jiufang Changming.


    He had no memories of events that Long Ding, the flood dragon, told him about.


    Yun Weisi always felt like he was overlooking something.


    Overlooking a very important thing.


    And this thing was connected to this man in front of him.


    He was afraid that even if he killed Changming now, making him disappear from the earth and sky, this feeling would not go away with him.


    He wanted to know the answer.


    ¡°You were talking about Zhang Mu.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Right. When I left the Yellow Springs, I settled at the Qixian Sect. There, Liu Xiyu, a disciple of the Qixian Sect, died tragically at the back mountain of the outer circle in the middle of night, and even his soul couldn¡¯t be summoned. In the Nine Layers of the Abyss, Zhang Mu killed Bei Shu in the same manner. I found a Moonlight on the Blue Ocean in Bei Shu¡¯s residence; a Wuqiu Pill is stored inside it, the one that can make people lose their minds. Later, Xu Jingxian said that there was also a Moonlight on the Blue Ocean in the dowry of Xiao-shi, who was engaged with Liu Xiyu. Xiao-shi is Xiao Cangfeng¡¯s niece, and he is a disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Clan. He went to find Jiang Li, obviously, to no avail. Xiao Cangfeng has no fixed residence, and it was difficult to find him quickly. Since the Qixian Sect has almost united with the Xiao family by marriage, there might be clues remaining there. We might as well start by inspecting the Qixian Sect.¡±


    Yun Weisi nodded. He had no impression of these people, so, naturally, he let Changming decide.


    ¡°Then we shall go to the Qixian Sect first.¡±


    Tn:


    This is the last chapter of Book 2, [At The Edge Of The Yellow Springs Lies The Nine Layers Of The Abyss].

 CH 46

    Xu Jingxian could not be more familiar with this way leading to Lingbo Peak.


    But she rarely took this way.


    She either used the Yulin Bell to teleport directly to the peak, or used a man-drawn carriage to go up there.


    The moonlight was bright. Maybe because she had not returned here for so long, she suddenly decided to climb it herself.


    Fang Chen and Man Cao would probably rejoice.


    We should open the wine jar hidden under that plum tree.


    After trudging through an arduous journey, she was extremely tired. Originally, she thought that she would return, covered with dust, take a bath with flower petals, sleep for three days and three nights, and then think about everything else.


    Covered with dust: travel-worn


    Ah, that won¡¯t do¡­ She was absent for so long that the §ãlan master would definitely call for her to ask some questions.


    Three months in the Nine Layers of the Abyss were more than three years everywhere else. Could the clan master have given her Lingbo Peak to someone else because she was dilly-dallying and did not return for so long?


    Thinking about this made Xu Jingxian lose her leisurely and carefree mood at once, so she took out the Yulin Bell. But at this moment, her gaze suddenly stopped on the ground under her feet.


    Why would there be blood on the clay soil near her shoe?


    It had already dried out and darkened, blending in with the soil, but she could still notice the color difference.


    She went forward and saw both light and dark traces of blood everywhere.


    Xu Jingxian thought of Lingbo Peak as her own domain, and she never allowed her subordinates to kill people here, so Lingbo Peak was always clean.


    Then where did these traces of blood come from?


    Xu Jingxian had a strange feeling all of a sudden, so strong that it made her heart flutter. She clenched the Yulin Bell in her hand, but still chose to fly up the mountain.


    Dead silence.


    As far as the eye could see, everything was silent.


    No one heard her arrival at the gates in the mountain forest, no one came to greet her.


    It should have been impossible. What if the clan master actually stripped her of the position of the Lingbo Peak master?


    Humph! If that¡¯s so, I would go to Changming, clan master¡¯s shifu¡¯s thighs are thicker than clan master¡¯s!


    Thighs are thicker: it¡¯s safer by his side


    While these thoughts were crossing her mind, she continued walking forward, and finally arrived at the peak.


    Normally, the main gates would be guarded by two disciples; now, not even a shadow of one could be seen.


    She entered the Lingbo Palace, and saw no one there. Her thin silk was flying in the night breeze. It was gloomy and frightening as if she had come to a haunted place.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s heart sank.


    Even if Lingbo Peak changed its master, there should have been new people.


    But now, it looked like¡ª


    Everyone was dead.


    ¡°Fang Chen! Man Cao!¡±


    Of course, no one answered, and even an enemy¡¯s shadow did not appear.


    Could it be that some accident happened in the Jianxue Clan?


    Their clan master was a living King of Hell, who was so tired of life that they acted so unbridledly.


    A living King of Hell: a tyrant


    Could it be that the clan master was also¡­


    No, it¡¯s impossible.


    The sect master¡¯s cultivation base was so high. Although she had taken the Yangzhen Grass, and her strength was advancing by leaps and bounds, she would not dare to fight him. Although there were many capable people in the world, few dared to challenge the Jianxue Clan, let alone commit a massacre of such scale.


    Xu Jingxian stopped. She saw traces of blood again.


    This time, behind a pillar.


    A large pool of blood that was not yet dry; some blood had splashed onto the pillars and was now flowing down, forming bloodstains.


    Having lost so much blood, its owner might not have survived.


    She saw bright bloodstains next to the soft couch she liked to rest on. It seemed like someone was forcibly dragged away, as the trace of blood stretched further.


    Xu Jingxian followed the trail without even thinking. It soon led her to the backyard.


    Overgrown with weeds and abandoned; it was a mess.


    It was not this way when she left this place.


    This yard had not been cleaned for at least several years. But it is impossible that everybody disappeared right after she left.


    Everything was silent, and even insects were not buzzing.


    When she reached the thick grass, the blood suddenly disappeared. The grass was as tall as she was, and she could not see whether anything was hidden inside. A white fog shrouded the place, making it seem even more gloomy.


    Xu Jingxian held her breath subconsciously, and slowly moved towards the thick grass.


    She kept the remaining half of her thin silk in her hand, ready to attack at any moment.


    In a flash, a hand reached her from behind, its owner having no presence; unexpectedly, the hand broke through her defence with ease, landing on her shoulder lightly.


    Crack! A sharp noise broke the silence of the night.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s body almost exploded!


    She turned her head and suddenly opened her eyes.


    There was a gauze canopy above her head, and a familiar soft bedding around.


    Her maid, Man Cao, came closer delicately, and stopped near her, inquiring.


    ¡°Does the peak master wish to have breakfast?¡±


    Xu Jingxian sighed with relief.


    So to speak, it was just a dream.


    Three years was not a long period of time compared to a cultivator¡¯s seclusion. When she returned to Lingbo Peak last night, everything was as usual.


    Xu Jingxian was afraid of the clan master getting angry for her long absence, and wanted to pay him a visit first and describe to him what she had been through in the three years she spent in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and remind him about the promised muslin. Few could return from the Nine Layers of the Abyss alive, but there was no use for her to seize the opportunity to wave a tiger skin as a banner, and it made no sense. There was no need to mention the Yangzhen Grass, while the clan master¡¯s shifu and dashixiong could be mentioned based on his disposition.


    To wave a tiger skin as a banner: perhaps, boast about her achievements. The original idiom is the opposite, ¡°to wave a banner as if it were a tiger skin¡±, which is ¡°shielding after authority to intimidate people¡±


    So, last night she had already come up with a smooth story, but did not see Zhou Keyi.


    The disciple at his gates told her that the clan master entered a retreat and received no one; when he would come out, they did not know.


    The clan master often entered retreats. But that meant that she would not get the muslin soon, so Xu Jingxian was not the least bit happy. After she returned to her peak, she was in no mood to eat or meditate, so she took a bath and slept up until this moment.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been here in three years. Did anything happen on Lingbo Peak?¡±


    Xu Jingxian ordered Man Cao to dress and groom her. She called for several loyal subordinates, and was now interrogating them languidly.


    ¡°Did anyone from Danqing Peak and Guanhai Peak come to cause trouble?¡±


    ¡°No one, everything is fine, don¡¯t worry, Peak Master,¡± Fang Chen replied.


    Xu Jingxian was amused: ¡°They knew I was away, yet never came?¡±


    Fang Chen: ¡°They did once, but your subordinates drove them away. After that, the clan master said that you were out on a mission, and they didn¡¯t dare act impudent again.¡±


    ¡°Showed them their place!¡±


    Xu Jingxian hummed tenderly, thinking that she had been to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, gone through deadly perils, and got the Yangzhen Grass, and she could not help feeling proud of herself. Now she should have the highest cultivation level in the Jianxue Clan, besides the clan master.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. If they don¡¯t come here, I should go visit them. Let¡¯s see if they¡¯ll dare act recklessly in front of me again!¡±


    Fang Chen tried to persuade her: ¡°You¡¯ve only just returned, you should rest for several days before going. I¡¯ve heard that Tang Peak¡¯s master entered a retreat, and it¡¯s unknown when he will come out.¡±


    Xu Jingxian frowned: ¡°Why did everyone go on retreat before I returned?¡±


    Fang Chen smiled: ¡°Eat this bird¡¯s-nest soup first, the chef has been keeping it warm since yesterday.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Then bring it here.¡±


    Among cultivators, it was not unusual for those who had practiced bigu to have no food for dozens of days, but Xu Jingxian loved to eat well, so, naturally, she refused to treat herself harshly when she was able to enjoy life on her own territory.


    Bigu: to abstain from eating mortal food to ascend for a long time (in most novels, they don¡¯t need to eat at all)


    A steaming hot bird¡¯s-nest soup was delivered to her, along with some almond syrup she used to like.


    She picked up a spoon, stirred the soup, scooped up some of it and lowered her head, just about to taste it.


    But long thin worms were squirming in the tender white bird¡¯s-nest soup.


    Xu Jingxian blinked.


    There were no worms, and the bird¡¯s-nest soup was still a bird¡¯s nest soup, as if what she saw was just an illusion.


    At this moment, Fang Chen asked a question.


    She said: ¡°Peak Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine,¡± Xu Jingxian lowered her spoon and yawned. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling tired since I returned, and I haven¡¯t had enough sleep. Massage my back for me, and this bird¡¯s-nest soup is for you all to eat. Boil me another bowl later.¡±


    Fang Chen¡¯s voice was tender as always. She walked over to serve Xu Jingxian, massaging her with moderate strength, neither light nor heavy.


    Man Cao picked up the soup to take it away, but Xu Jingxian suddenly stopped her.


    ¡°What happened to you today? Your hair is not combed well, a lock is loose on your shoulders.¡±


    Man Cao: ¡°This subordinate was careless. I will fix it before returning.¡±


    Xu Jingxian liked the people around her to be beautiful at all times. Their dresses were not the same, so her servants not only wore different clothes and accessories, but also had different styles. If others accidentally broke in, they would have thought that this place was the cave of spider witches, a den of seductresses.


    The cave of spider witches: from ¡°Journey to the West¡±, a cave with beautiful female were-spiders, fig. a trap with no way out


    Man Cao left quickly. Xu Jingxian drove Fang Chen away, saying that she wanted to rest for a bit; others did not dare disturb her and left one by one.


    As soon as the gauze canopy was closed, Xu Jingxian sat abruptly.


    Wrong.


    Everything was wrong.


    She saw a red line behind Man Cao¡¯s ear, thin as a hairspring.


    So she asked Fang Chen to come over and massage her, to use this opportunity to check whether she had a red line as well.


    Man Cao used to be very lively, but now she only said a couple of words. Last night, when Xu Jingxian had only arrived, she did not notice, but now she could easily see this peculiarity.


    And that bird¡¯s-nest soup.


    Xu Jingxian could not sit still. She wanted to see the clan master.


    But she could not move now.


    She repressed the impulse, and laid down on the couch until it was dark. After some time, the footsteps outside disappeared. Only then did she just get up from the bed, and slip out of the bedroom on her toes.


    Xu Jingxian swiftly landed on the roof and examined Lingbo Peak from a height.


    All the guards outside her yard were standing still, as if they were dead.


    Xu Jingxian watched for a long time. She could not help but fly down, landing behind a pillar, and pretended to walk out of her residence.


    When she went down the staircase, the disciples started moving as usual.


    ¡°Peak Master.¡±


    They even paid respects when she went past.


    Xu Jingxian hummed. She did not stop and flew out from the peak quickly.


    Her heart was pounding, and she was sweating  heavily.


    Everything was too weird. Before she appeared, those people were standing rigid in dead silence, but her footsteps were like a horn that made them ¡°come back to life¡± in an instant. All their movement, even their steps, seemed to be carefully calculated. Every step had the same curvature, the same length.


    It did not seem like ordinary human movements, more like¡ª


    Those Changming¡¯s paper puppets.


    But it could not be that everybody on her Lingbo Peak turned into a puppet, right?


    Xu Jingxian was not bold enough to linger there. She used the Yunlin Bell to teleport to Longding Peak immediately.


    She had to see the clan master herself at all costs.


    Disciples were still guarding Zhou Keyi¡¯s residence where he had secluded himself.


    Xu Jingxian had not noticed it before, but now she looked at them up and down from a dark corner, and realized that they both were not moving, as if in a slumber.


    One would doze off, but it was impossible for them both to slack off on their shift.


    Could it be that the clan master¡¯s place was also¡­


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s heart sank.


    She was about to go around to find a chance to enter and take a look, when she suddenly heard a small movement behind her.


    Xu Jingxian shivered, and turned abruptly, stretching out her hand!


    The other seemed to have anticipated her movements. He dodged the attack and even pulled her in, covering her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, keep quiet.¡±


    It¡¯s Changming!


    Xu Jingxian trembled and immediately felt feeble.


    His voice was never so moving!


    Like a bright lantern in an endless night. Xu Jingxian was so touched that she almost cried.


    Xu Jingxian could not be more familiar with this way leading to Lingbo Peak.


    But she rarely took this way.


    She either used the Yulin Bell to teleport directly to the peak, or used a man-drawn carriage to go up there.


    The moonlight was bright. Maybe because she had not returned here for so long, she suddenly decided to climb it herself.


    Fang Chen and Man Cao would probably rejoice.


    We should open the wine jar hidden under that plum tree.


    After trudging through an arduous journey, she was extremely tired. Originally, she thought that she would return, covered with dust, take a bath with flower petals, sleep for three days and three nights, and then think about everything else.


    Covered with dust: travel-worn


    Ah, that won¡¯t do¡­ She was absent for so long that the §ãlan master would definitely call for her to ask some questions.


    Three months in the Nine Layers of the Abyss were more than three years everywhere else. Could the clan master have given her Lingbo Peak to someone else because she was dilly-dallying and did not return for so long?


    Thinking about this made Xu Jingxian lose her leisurely and carefree mood at once, so she took out the Yulin Bell. But at this moment, her gaze suddenly stopped on the ground under her feet.


    Why would there be blood on the clay soil near her shoe?


    It had already dried out and darkened, blending in with the soil, but she could still notice the color difference.


    She went forward and saw both light and dark traces of blood everywhere.


    Xu Jingxian thought of Lingbo Peak as her own domain, and she never allowed her subordinates to kill people here, so Lingbo Peak was always clean.


    Then where did these traces of blood come from?


    Xu Jingxian had a strange feeling all of a sudden, so strong that it made her heart flutter. She clenched the Yulin Bell in her hand, but still chose to fly up the mountain.


    Dead silence.


    As far as the eye could see, everything was silent.


    No one heard her arrival at the gates in the mountain forest, no one came to greet her.


    It should have been impossible. What if the clan master actually stripped her of the position of the Lingbo Peak master?


    Humph! If that¡¯s so, I would go to Changming, clan master¡¯s shifu¡¯s thighs are thicker than clan master¡¯s!


    Thighs are thicker: it¡¯s safer by his side


    While these thoughts were crossing her mind, she continued walking forward, and finally arrived at the peak.


    Normally, the main gates would be guarded by two disciples; now, not even a shadow of one could be seen.


    She entered the Lingbo Palace, and saw no one there. Her thin silk was flying in the night breeze. It was gloomy and frightening as if she had come to a haunted place.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s heart sank.


    Even if Lingbo Peak changed its master, there should have been new people.


    But now, it looked like¡ª


    Everyone was dead.


    ¡°Fang Chen! Man Cao!¡±


    Of course, no one answered, and even an enemy¡¯s shadow did not appear.


    Could it be that some accident happened in the Jianxue Clan?


    Their clan master was a living King of Hell, who was so tired of life that they acted so unbridledly.


    A living King of Hell: a tyrant


    Could it be that the clan master was also¡­


    No, it¡¯s impossible.


    The sect master¡¯s cultivation base was so high. Although she had taken the Yangzhen Grass, and her strength was advancing by leaps and bounds, she would not dare to fight him. Although there were many capable people in the world, few dared to challenge the Jianxue Clan, let alone commit a massacre of such scale.


    Xu Jingxian stopped. She saw traces of blood again.


    This time, behind a pillar.


    A large pool of blood that was not yet dry; some blood had splashed onto the pillars and was now flowing down, forming bloodstains.


    Having lost so much blood, its owner might not have survived.


    She saw bright bloodstains next to the soft couch she liked to rest on. It seemed like someone was forcibly dragged away, as the trace of blood stretched further.


    Xu Jingxian followed the trail without even thinking. It soon led her to the backyard.


    Overgrown with weeds and abandoned; it was a mess.


    It was not this way when she left this place.


    This yard had not been cleaned for at least several years. But it is impossible that everybody disappeared right after she left.


    Everything was silent, and even insects were not buzzing.


    When she reached the thick grass, the blood suddenly disappeared. The grass was as tall as she was, and she could not see whether anything was hidden inside. A white fog shrouded the place, making it seem even more gloomy.


    Xu Jingxian held her breath subconsciously, and slowly moved towards the thick grass.


    She kept the remaining half of her thin silk in her hand, ready to attack at any moment.


    In a flash, a hand reached her from behind, its owner having no presence; unexpectedly, the hand broke through her defence with ease, landing on her shoulder lightly.


    Crack! A sharp noise broke the silence of the night.


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s body almost exploded!


    She turned her head and suddenly opened her eyes.


    There was a gauze canopy above her head, and a familiar soft bedding around.


    Her maid, Man Cao, came closer delicately, and stopped near her, inquiring.


    ¡°Does the peak master wish to have breakfast?¡±


    Xu Jingxian sighed with relief.


    So to speak, it was just a dream.


    Three years was not a long period of time compared to a cultivator¡¯s seclusion. When she returned to Lingbo Peak last night, everything was as usual.


    Xu Jingxian was afraid of the clan master getting angry for her long absence, and wanted to pay him a visit first and describe to him what she had been through in the three years she spent in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and remind him about the promised muslin. Few could return from the Nine Layers of the Abyss alive, but there was no use for her to seize the opportunity to wave a tiger skin as a banner, and it made no sense. There was no need to mention the Yangzhen Grass, while the clan master¡¯s shifu and dashixiong could be mentioned based on his disposition.


    To wave a tiger skin as a banner: perhaps, boast about her achievements. The original idiom is the opposite, ¡°to wave a banner as if it were a tiger skin¡±, which is ¡°shielding after authority to intimidate people¡±


    So, last night she had already come up with a smooth story, but did not see Zhou Keyi.


    The disciple at his gates told her that the clan master entered a retreat and received no one; when he would come out, they did not know.


    The clan master often entered retreats. But that meant that she would not get the muslin soon, so Xu Jingxian was not the least bit happy. After she returned to her peak, she was in no mood to eat or meditate, so she took a bath and slept up until this moment.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been here in three years. Did anything happen on Lingbo Peak?¡±


    Xu Jingxian ordered Man Cao to dress and groom her. She called for several loyal subordinates, and was now interrogating them languidly.


    ¡°Did anyone from Danqing Peak and Guanhai Peak come to cause trouble?¡±


    ¡°No one, everything is fine, don¡¯t worry, Peak Master,¡± Fang Chen replied.


    Xu Jingxian was amused: ¡°They knew I was away, yet never came?¡±


    Fang Chen: ¡°They did once, but your subordinates drove them away. After that, the clan master said that you were out on a mission, and they didn¡¯t dare act impudent again.¡±


    ¡°Showed them their place!¡±


    Xu Jingxian hummed tenderly, thinking that she had been to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, gone through deadly perils, and got the Yangzhen Grass, and she could not help feeling proud of herself. Now she should have the highest cultivation level in the Jianxue Clan, besides the clan master.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. If they don¡¯t come here, I should go visit them. Let¡¯s see if they¡¯ll dare act recklessly in front of me again!¡±


    Fang Chen tried to persuade her: ¡°You¡¯ve only just returned, you should rest for several days before going. I¡¯ve heard that Tang Peak¡¯s master entered a retreat, and it¡¯s unknown when he will come out.¡±


    Xu Jingxian frowned: ¡°Why did everyone go on retreat before I returned?¡±


    Fang Chen smiled: ¡°Eat this bird¡¯s-nest soup first, the chef has been keeping it warm since yesterday.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Then bring it here.¡±


    Among cultivators, it was not unusual for those who had practiced bigu to have no food for dozens of days, but Xu Jingxian loved to eat well, so, naturally, she refused to treat herself harshly when she was able to enjoy life on her own territory.


    Bigu: to abstain from eating mortal food to ascend for a long time (in most novels, they don¡¯t need to eat at all)


    A steaming hot bird¡¯s-nest soup was delivered to her, along with some almond syrup she used to like.


    She picked up a spoon, stirred the soup, scooped up some of it and lowered her head, just about to taste it.


    But long thin worms were squirming in the tender white bird¡¯s-nest soup.


    Xu Jingxian blinked.


    There were no worms, and the bird¡¯s-nest soup was still a bird¡¯s nest soup, as if what she saw was just an illusion.


    At this moment, Fang Chen asked a question.


    She said: ¡°Peak Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine,¡± Xu Jingxian lowered her spoon and yawned. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling tired since I returned, and I haven¡¯t had enough sleep. Massage my back for me, and this bird¡¯s-nest soup is for you all to eat. Boil me another bowl later.¡±


    Fang Chen¡¯s voice was tender as always. She walked over to serve Xu Jingxian, massaging her with moderate strength, neither light nor heavy.


    Man Cao picked up the soup to take it away, but Xu Jingxian suddenly stopped her.


    ¡°What happened to you today? Your hair is not combed well, a lock is loose on your shoulders.¡±


    Man Cao: ¡°This subordinate was careless. I will fix it before returning.¡±


    Xu Jingxian liked the people around her to be beautiful at all times. Their dresses were not the same, so her servants not only wore different clothes and accessories, but also had different styles. If others accidentally broke in, they would have thought that this place was the cave of spider witches, a den of seductresses.


    The cave of spider witches: from ¡°Journey to the West¡±, a cave with beautiful female were-spiders, fig. a trap with no way out


    Man Cao left quickly. Xu Jingxian drove Fang Chen away, saying that she wanted to rest for a bit; others did not dare disturb her and left one by one.


    As soon as the gauze canopy was closed, Xu Jingxian sat abruptly.


    Wrong.


    Everything was wrong.


    She saw a red line behind Man Cao¡¯s ear, thin as a hairspring.


    So she asked Fang Chen to come over and massage her, to use this opportunity to check whether she had a red line as well.


    Man Cao used to be very lively, but now she only said a couple of words. Last night, when Xu Jingxian had only arrived, she did not notice, but now she could easily see this peculiarity.


    And that bird¡¯s-nest soup.


    Xu Jingxian could not sit still. She wanted to see the clan master.


    But she could not move now.


    She repressed the impulse, and laid down on the couch until it was dark. After some time, the footsteps outside disappeared. Only then did she just get up from the bed, and slip out of the bedroom on her toes.


    Xu Jingxian swiftly landed on the roof and examined Lingbo Peak from a height.


    All the guards outside her yard were standing still, as if they were dead.


    Xu Jingxian watched for a long time. She could not help but fly down, landing behind a pillar, and pretended to walk out of her residence.


    When she went down the staircase, the disciples started moving as usual.


    ¡°Peak Master.¡±


    They even paid respects when she went past.


    Xu Jingxian hummed. She did not stop and flew out from the peak quickly.


    Her heart was pounding, and she was sweating  heavily.


    Everything was too weird. Before she appeared, those people were standing rigid in dead silence, but her footsteps were like a horn that made them ¡°come back to life¡± in an instant. All their movement, even their steps, seemed to be carefully calculated. Every step had the same curvature, the same length.


    It did not seem like ordinary human movements, more like¡ª


    Those Changming¡¯s paper puppets.


    But it could not be that everybody on her Lingbo Peak turned into a puppet, right?


    Xu Jingxian was not bold enough to linger there. She used the Yunlin Bell to teleport to Longding Peak immediately.


    She had to see the clan master herself at all costs.


    Disciples were still guarding Zhou Keyi¡¯s residence where he had secluded himself.


    Xu Jingxian had not noticed it before, but now she looked at them up and down from a dark corner, and realized that they both were not moving, as if in a slumber.


    One would doze off, but it was impossible for them both to slack off on their shift.


    Could it be that the clan master¡¯s place was also¡­


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s heart sank.


    She was about to go around to find a chance to enter and take a look, when she suddenly heard a small movement behind her.


    Xu Jingxian shivered, and turned abruptly, stretching out her hand!


    The other seemed to have anticipated her movements. He dodged the attack and even pulled her in, covering her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, keep quiet.¡±


    It¡¯s Changming!


    Xu Jingxian trembled and immediately felt feeble.


    His voice was never so moving!


    Like a bright lantern in an endless night. Xu Jingxian was so touched that she almost cried.

 CH 47

    Xu Jingxian would have never thought that the glorious and infamous Jianxue Clan would turn into a graveyard full of walking corpses one day.


    The common people deemed cultivators to be like immortal beings, but cultivators were not fearless. People are naturally very afraid of death and uncertainty, and cultivators simply could endure more than the common people.


    Xu Jingxian suddenly felt as if her blood was curdling from frost.


    She even thought: what if this Changming who¡¯s covering my mouth is also fake?


    Thinking like this, she silently struggled.


    Changming let her go. She turned around to look at him and saw him making a ¡°shut up¡± gesture.


    It did not seem like an illusion.


    Xu Jingxian recalled the warm feeling that came from his hand and sighed in relief. She followed his line of sight.


    The two men in front of the gates still had not moved.


    Changming picked up a pebble and hit one of the guardians¡¯ heads with it.


    The latter didn¡¯t move at all.


    Changming formed a sword seal with his fingers. In a flash, the Sifei Sword appeared in the air, turned into a flash of white light and flew over!


    The two men suddenly came to their senses and turned towards the Sifei Sword, starting a fierce battle with it!


    As if noticing Xu Jingxian¡¯s doubts, Changming uttered two words: ¡°Spiritual qi.¡±


    Xu Jingxian suddenly realized.


    These ¡°people¡± only responded to spiritual qi. Cultivators were enveloped in it, and the Sifei Sword had spiritual qi as well, but that pebble did not.


    Very soon, the two men were defeated by the Sifei Sword.


    What was also strange was that although they had made so much noise, no one from Longding Peak came to check out what had happened.


    That made Xu Jingxian¡¯s bad feelings root even deeper.


    If the clan master isn¡¯t inside¡­


    While she was thinking, Changming moved, coming right near Zhou Keyi¡¯s residence for seclusion.


    He waved his hand and released a white puppet that knocked on the door. Unexpectedly, it could even imitate his voice.


    ¡°My dear disciple Keyi ah, come and let your teacher see you.¡±


    Xu Jingxian almost choked to death.


    No one responded, so the puppet pushed the door.


    When the door was slightly opened, a glowing light came from inside.


    As soon as the door opened fully, several rays of light suddenly shot at it!


    Xu Jingxian reacted extremely quickly. She immediately released the thin silk to block all the white light back, and floated up.


    Although her thin silk was not as good as the Donghai Sea muslin, it was a rare spiritual weapon as well. Except for the undefeatable firefly maggots of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, it was impervious to any sword or spear, unmovable by fire and water. But, unexpectedly, the white rays pierced it everywhere, and it could no longer be used.


    Xu Jingxian was exasperated and furious. These things fell to the ground and ignited, burning the thick grass that was around.


    Changming threw two puppets, ordering them to put out the fire, and went up the stairs himself.


    ¡°Hold it!¡±


    Xu Jingxian slowed down for a moment, and the corner of his clothes slipped away from her hand.


    She hesitated for a while, but still decided to go in.


    Xu Jingxian was actually too suspicious about the Jianxue Clan.


    And the answer to this suspicion seemed to be hidden right inside the room.


    A gust of wind opened the doors, making the white gauze inside dance and flutter.


    A person was sitting on a praying mat in the lotus position.


    His eyes were originally closed, but when their movements disturbed the silence, he slowly opened his eyes.


    Xu Jingxian was alarmed: ¡°Clan Master, are you alright?!¡±


    Zhou Keyi said coldly: ¡°What could have gone wrong?¡±


    In the face of a great calamity, Xu Jingxian had no time to ponder over his ambiguous intonation: ¡°An accident happened outside, does Clan Master know about it?¡±


    Zhou Keyi: ¡°What accident?¡±


    Xu Jingxian said hurriedly: ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the whole Jianxue Clan is out of control. Everyone, including my maids, were turned into puppets, and I don¡¯t know whether they are still alive¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean, them?¡±


    Zhou Keyi smiled oddly, and raised his hand, pointing to the right.


    Xu Jingxian turned her head, and fear gripped her.


    She saw layers of the white gauze that she hadn¡¯t examined before. At this moment, the wind blew, and the white gauze flew to the side, revealing many people standing behind it.


    To be precise, those people had silk threads attached to their bodies, and the other end of the threads was tied to the beams; the people were hung by their feet.


    She saw many familiar faces. Fang Chen and Man Cao, Danqing Peak¡¯s and Guanhai Peak¡¯s masters who used to find fault with her all the time, and¡ª


    And she herself.


    The other Xu Jingxian¡¯s hands were hanging down. Her eyes were wide open, and the two of them were silently looking at each other.


    Her expression and eyes were tranquil as still water, which made Xu Jingxian¡¯s hairs stand up at once.


    Zhou Keyi¡¯s voice reached her ears.


    ¡°All in all, a fake is still a fake, it¡¯s worse than you. Since you came here, just go and fill its position.¡±


    She could not control herself or move her eyes away, staring at ¡°herself¡± as if she was possessed, and actually stepped towards ¡°her¡±.


    Suddenly, her forehead was pierced with cold, penetrating through right to her mind!


    She abruptly came to her senses.


    Where was this puppet resembling her?


    Zhou Keyi¡¯s residence for seclusion was empty, and not even a trace of a ghost could be found.


    She was still standing on the threshold stiffly, as if a demon had possessed her.


    Xu Jingxian raised her hand to touch her forehead, wiping off some fresh red liquid.


    It was Changming¡¯s blood.


    If it wasn¡¯t for this blood, she would have been trapped.


    ¡°Someone has set a formation in this residence.¡±


    Changming was standing a few steps ahead of her, explaining to her the situation without turning his head back. He was looking around, surveying the residence.


    ¡°We don¡¯t see anything now, but that doesn¡¯t mean that there actually is nothing. Don¡¯t walk around as you please.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that this formation was left by the clan master?¡± Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t even notice the fact that she started using polite speech.


    You: a polite form of ¡®you¡¯


    Changming disagreed: ¡°No way. His talent is unremarkable, he couldn¡¯t have learned such complicated things.¡±


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s mouth twitched. She wanted to say that this so-called unremarkable talent of her clan master was higher than hers.


    But these words came from the clan master¡¯s shizun¡¯s mouth, so it seemed that Changming actually saw it this way.


    ¡°This formation is brilliant,¡± Changming said, ¡°I still haven¡¯t found a gap.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°You said that the Nine Layers of the Abyss is also a colossal formation. Is this one even more complicated than the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡±


    Changming: ¡°They cannot be compared. One is enormous and chaotic, the other is like a sparrow: though small, it still has its vital organs. What have you encountered since you returned here?¡±


    Small as the sparrow is, it possesses all its internal organs: small but complete


    As he was saying that, Xu Jingxian recalled all the horror she had seen on Lingbo Peak.


    She saw the whole Lingbo Peak, but only one person, her, was alive.


    The Jianxue Clan was a large Demonic sect, and few dared challenge them nowadays.


    Even if those hundred-year-old great sects had the ability to deal with the Jianxue Clan, it was impossible for these sects to muster massive forces to destroy them. Except for the clan master Zhou, each of the nine peaks and thirteen valleys of this sect had a master; no matter how powerful the enemy was, it was impossible to wipe out every single person in this sect in just three years, turning this piece into a wasteland of ruins, and making everyone a controlled puppet without a heart or consciousness. If someone actually possessed such power, Xu Jingxian could only suppose they would bear secret calculations and carry out sneak attacks, concealing themselves so well that even spirits wouldn¡¯t notice them.


    Could it be that the clan master actually had not survived?


    What tremendous forces were behind this?


    After she finished describing her adventures, she recalled that Changming was travelling together with Yun Weisi, but today appeared alone. It seemed strange.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun, ah, not right, where is dashixiong Yun?¡±


    ¡°He is at Guanhai Peak.¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t bicker with her about this hitting-snake-with-a-stick title she used, and didn¡¯t explain what Yun Weisi was doing on Guanhai Peak either.


    Hit a snake with a stick: seize the opportunity to make a suggestion


    He slowly moved forward, his steps seemingly random. After some time, he suddenly stopped and abruptly turned to the side.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Xu Jingxian shivered. She didn¡¯t dare get distracted again, and carefully watched his steps, treading in his steps without deviations.


    Changming gave her one end of a red rope.


    ¡°Tie it to your wrist.¡±


    The other end of the rope was tied to Changming¡¯s wrist.


    They were tied together to prevent Xu Jingxian from making a mistake, misstepping, falling into the formation and getting lost in it.


    After she tied the red rope, she continued following his steps, until the scenery in front of them changed.


    They seemed to still be in that silent room, but somewhere else at the same time.


    The environment remained the same, and the only things that had changed was probably the white gauze that was stained with blood, and the light that got dimmer and more real.


    When this word, ¡°real¡±, appeared in her mind, Xu Jingxian¡¯s heart skipped a bit. It seemed that she understood something.


    The next moment, a sinister voice sounded.


    ¡°As expected from Jiufang Changming, you can even see through the triple-layer barrier!¡±


    Triple-layer barrier¡­


    Unexpectedly, this formation had three hidden illusion worlds.


    Xu Jingxian understood.


    The first layer was the scene she saw when she entered the sect; she thought that she woke up, but in reality it was Changming breaking the first barrier. Right after that, they fell to the second layer, arriving right here¡ª


    They were still standing on that threshold.


    A human head was lying on a praying mat at the center of the room.


    The skin on the head was half-decayed, revealing its white bones, and one of its eyeballs was about to drop out of the eye socket, but it could still spin.


    Its mouth was moving inconsistently, so the voice just now should have belonged to it.


    Changming¡¯s expression was indifferent, as if he was looking at a regular wildflower in the grass near a road.


    ¡°Formations like this are not really sophisticated. When you decide to trap me again, you should spend a little more thought.¡±


    The skull grinned: ¡°The largest clan of all Demonic sects, totally uprooted, leaving not even cinder behind. If this girl who is standing by your side hadn¡¯t followed you, I would have used her skin to make a puppet. Her body is so beautiful, I could have used it for several years. Such a pity!¡±


    Unexpectedly, Changming nodded: ¡°I also think it¡¯s a pity.¡±


    The skull: ¡°Your cultivation level is far worse than it used to be. It¡¯s enough to fool people who don¡¯t know how to use the Art of control, but how can you dare to show these immature skills in front of grand masters? Jiufang Changming, you can¡¯t run amok in the world like you used to. You managed to save your life and escaped from the Yellow Springs, but it was simply struggling on whilst at the death¡¯s door. Why do you still insist on meddling in other people¡¯s business and entering traps?¡±


    Struggling on whilst at death¡¯s door: to delay death.


    Changming: ¡°If you hadn¡¯t used me as a chess piece, I wouldn¡¯t have meddled. If I hadn¡¯t managed to return from the Yellow Springs, I am afraid that I¡¯d have already become another unjust soul in a Gathering Souls Pearl. Isn¡¯t that right, Clan Master Jiang Li?¡±


    The skull remained silent for a long time. The top of it that was glowing blue gradually darkened, as if the adhering spiritual powers were scattering.


    Xu Jingxian wanted to come closer, but Changming blocked her way.


    That skull started talking again.


    ¡°However, Zhou Keyi is still alive. If you want to rescue him, I¡¯ll wait for you in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple on the fifteenth of the seventh month. Jiufang Changming, will you dare come?¡±


    When the last word fell, the voice went down, and the skull turned into dust, leaving only a pile of ashes lying on the praying mat.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Xu Jinxian said rashly, ¡°What about the other people of the Jianxue Clan!¡±


    ¡°No need to ask him,¡± Changming said, ¡°You¡¯ve seen it yourself: they have been turned into puppets, so their souls have certainly left their bodies, refined by them into a Gathering Souls Pearl. You can¡¯t help them anymore.¡±


    Xu Jingxian could not believe it. What kind of sect was the Jianxue Clan? Several great masters from Buddhist and Daoist sects must have worked hard together to completely exterminate it. How could it become like this in the short span of three years?


    ¡°Do you still remember how Liu Xiyu died on the back of a mountain in the Qixian Sect?¡±


    After Changming mentioned it, she suddenly recalled it.


    Liu Xiyu¡¯s death was very odd.


    At that time, she received an order from the clan master to go to the Qixian Sect and demand a cultivation furnace. The furnace they had agreed upon happened to be precisely the first disciple of the Qixian Sect, Liu Xiyu.


    But, right on the night before Liu Xiyu¡¯s marriage with the Xiao family¡¯s daughter, he died on the back of the mountain of the Qixain Sect. His soul disappeared, and not a single piece of evidence pointing to the murderer was found.


    She thought that that old man Zhang Qin made his favorite disciple feign his death to avoid the plight of becoming a furnace, while Zhang Qin believed that the murderer was either her or Changming. But the Qixian Sect would not dare do anything to her, so that matter was eventually put aside unsettled.


    Now, this case seemed to have been a bad omen.


    Foreboding the start of everything that happened later.


    After leaving the Nine Layers of the Abyss that day, Changming and Yun Weisi headed to the Qixian Sect.


    But, when they arrived at the foot of the Qixian Sect mountains, they realised that all the villages that surrounded it were devastated.


    Bowls with porridge were still standing on the tops of kitchen ranges, chopsticks were arranged on tables, and even unfinished crafts of bamboo were left in a hurry, as if people had no time to finish what they were doing.


    Every household retained the state before its owners had left, but it had been covered with dust a long time ago.


    The Qixian Sect was a vassal of the Jianxue Clan, and the Jianxue Clan was not far away. Because of Zhou Keyi¡¯s unholy reputation, cultivators rarely crossed this land. Even if someone came here, they would try to pass the place as quickly as possible.


    Changming and Yun Weisi carefully searched through the village, and finally found some bones in the bamboo forest in the mountains.


    There were hundreds of people lying in a neat row, all buried in a pit near a river. Their souls had long since dissipated, but there were no souls of the wronged lingering around.


    Such deaths were certainly reminiscent of Liu Xiyu and the massacre of Yuru Town.


    ¡°Those people were bare-handed, they couldn¡¯t retaliate against cultivators. Why wouldn¡¯t the clan master spare¡­¡±


    ¡°From the people of your Jianxue Clan, except for Zhou Keyi, masters of the nine peaks and thirteen valleys, it¡¯s likely that no one can be compared to Liu Xiyu. You only need one demon like Zhang Mu to take on a human shell, and a Moonlight on the Blue Ocean to confuse minds, then drive people to distraction and absorb their vital essence, and you will be able to consume the whole Jianxue Clan. Although Zhou Keyi¡¯s cultivation level is high, his techniques have fatal defects, which made his personality even more violent and biased. One leaf can obscure the whole scene. By the time someone notices the weirdness, it¡¯ll already be too late.¡±


    One leaf can obscure the whole scene: ¡­so that even Mount Tai cannot be seen: not seeing the wider picture


    They had certainly anticipated this outcome when they chose the Jianxue Clan.


    Gathering Souls Pearls required countless souls, but the souls of the common people, as many as they could get, would never compare to cultivators¡¯ souls.


    Among all the sects and clans in the world, the Jianxue Clan had the weakest connections between its peaks, and had no rigorous rules like other sects. It was indeed very easy to infiltrate.


    Judging by the fact that everything started with Yuru Town, and now came all the way to the Jianxue Clan, they could say that their enemies were already dissatisfied with the souls of commoners now.


    They were sure that cultivators¡¯ souls would have a stronger effect, so they made this reckless move.


    Xu Jingxian was breathing heavily, at a loss of words.


    She had been in charge here for several years. She used to think that although the clan master was difficult to serve, this place was still more comfortable than those Buddhist and Daoist sects. It was also wrong to say that she had no attachment to her subordinates. No one would have expected to return after being away for three years and find the Jianxue Clan annihilated, left in the past; all her efforts had gone to waste as well, and she became a lonely temptress again.


    Xu Jingxian suddenly recalled one thing.


    ¡°That skull was Jiang Li? Why does he want us to come to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple? Could it be that Buddhist sects are also involved?¡±


    If that was the truth, weren¡¯t their opponents so formidable that they couldn¡¯t be rivalled?


    The Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Wanlian Buddhist Temple were definitely one of the largest sects of this era.


    Especially the Wanjian Immortal Clan that had become one of the first-rate sects after the battle on the Sacred Mountain Wan, almost gaining more influence than the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, and aiming at first place.


    And the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been standing firm and unyielding for centuries. Together with the Qingyun School, it was called the Double Jade, and was worshipped no less. The Wanlian Buddhist Temple was a lot more low-key than the Qingyun School, and people in Jianghu rarely heard of cultivators coming from this sect. Xu Jingxian held no appreciation towards these bald donkeys, but she didn¡¯t want to confront these troublesome Buddhists as well.


    Double Jade: two pieces of jade: two flawless things


    Buddhist sects probably had more than a hundred ways to restrain a Demonic clan.


    Today was the eighteenth of the sixth month, less than one month till the fifteenth of the seventh month.


    ¡°If you are afraid, don¡¯t go there.¡±


    Changming was implying that he was sure to be there.


    Xu Jingxian gritted her teeth: ¡°I will go. They ruined my territory, and I have no place to go. The clan master owes me the muslin, so I can¡¯t let him get away with it!¡±


    Now, she didn¡¯t even have that second half of the thin silk. She had a large private collection of treasures back on Lingbo Peak, but nothing could compare to that thin silk.


    On one hand, Xu Jingxian was glad that she avoided the calamity by entering the Nine Layers of the Abyss, otherwise her soul would have been summoned, her end miserable; on the other hand, she was grieving deeply for her broken halberds buried in the sand.


    Broken halberds buried in the sand: defeat & bankruptcy


    Changming wanted to undo the red rope tying his wrist with Xu Jingxian¡¯s, but realized that the knot on his side was so tight it would be troublesome to undo it right now.


    The red rope wasn¡¯t an ordinary cotton cord. Even if he cut it with the Sifei Sword, one part would remain on his wrist.


    He furrowed and looked at it, as if hesitating whether he should undo it by biting.


    At this moment, the Sifei Sword that was hanging in the air, buzzed, as if it was tapped, and then yowled, clear as crystal.


    Changming¡¯s heart was pounding as he raised his head abruptly!


    Something happened to Yun Hai.


    ¡­


    On Guanhai Peak.


    Among the nine peaks and thirteen valleys of the Jianxue Clan, this place was the furthest from Longding Peak. It was shrouded in mist throughout the year.


    Guanhai Peak was also the least crowded.


    The peak master, Fang Suihan, didn¡¯t have a hobby of accepting disciples, and didn¡¯t appreciate beauty; he only enjoyed alchemy.


    Alchemy: refining pills; hist. dao. concocting pills of immortality, sometimes turning one substance into another, like mercury into silver. It was actually quite popular in certain eras, like the Tang dynasty; several emperors died, consuming hazardous substances or ¡°dual cultivating¡± to reach immortality


    A demonic cultivator obsessed with alchemy. If this leaked out, everyone would be amused.


    But that was also the reason why Guanhai Peak remained the last pure land of the Jianxue Clan when the calamity struck.


    Fang Suihan noticed that something was wrong when he left his seclusion three days ago.


    At first, he wanted to pay a visit to the clan master, and offer him his own newest refined pill that could alleviate the clan master¡¯s obsessions. But Fang Suihan¡¯s disciple told him that the clan master had entered a retreat.


    What Fang Suihan had experienced was a lot like what Xu Jingxian went through.


    The only difference was that he was detained.


    Detained in his alchemy room by eight cultivators standing outside.


    These eight people surrounded his alchemy room, holding longswords, and trapping him inside.


    No matter how hard he tried to break out, these eight people would form a sword formation, preventing him from getting out. But they didn¡¯t take the initiative to kill him.


    Originally, Fang Suihan didn¡¯t understand the reason, but now he finally got it.


    Tonight, the Three Stars and the Moon aligned in the sky, which happened rarely, and thunderbolts were flashing ceaselessly. The Sword Eight Trigrams Formation on the earth supported itself, corresponding to the heavenly bodies. The one who was trapped inside this formation would be struck with the lightning bolts and thus refined into a human pill. From that day on, his soul would support the formation endlessly, from one generation to the other, unable to break from the others¡¯ control.


    Three Stars and the Moon aligned: there are many options. For example, the three major stars of the Three Stars constellation (btw, this constellation is Shen from the title, Shenshang), or the belt of Orion, or simply Mars, Jupyter and another planet of our solar system, or Antares, or simply anything


    A vicious and sinister technique indeed!


    Fang Suihan pondered, could it be that someone of the Jianxue Clan found me such an eyesore that they have arranged this deathtrap for me?


    Even if it was so, a large conflict inside the sect should have alarmed the clan master quickly.


    He still hadn¡¯t thought of the possibility that everyone in the clan fell into the enemy¡¯s hands, and even the clan master was unable even to fend for himself.


    Fang Suihan was being tortured by this Eight Trigrams Sword Formation for exactly three days.


    Tonight, on the third day, he looked up at the sky and saw the Three Stars and the Moon aligned, and finally figured out the enemy¡¯s plan. Suddenly, he felt weak, and wanted to stop thinking at all.


    His legs were already badly mutilated, his cultivation blocked, and he became nothing but a waste.


    Although these eight cultivators weren¡¯t on a great master¡¯s level, they backed him into a tight corner by using the formation.


    They weren¡¯t in a hurry to kill him. It seemed that they had decided to torture him slowly until his fighting spirit faded away, or even better, if a resentment was born in his heart, then, after he became a formation soul, he would be more effective.


    But Fang Suihan saw through their plan. He sneered and toughened his heart. But just when he was going to kill himself, he saw blinding sword rays coming from the east. Unexpectedly, a gap was made in the Eight Trigrams Sword Formation!


    A person rushed forwards.


    Fang Suihan squinted. He didn¡¯t manage to guess the other party¡¯s identity.


    The man was standing with his back turned to Fang Suihan, and laughed, looking at the eight people supporting the formation.


    ¡°Jiang Li doesn¡¯t dare show up himself, so he sent you, a group of trash fish, to your death?¡±


    Trash fish: rookie


    The eight people said nothing, and attacked him at once.


    [Eight Trigrams Seven Stars Motion, Four Deities Big Dipper Technique.]


    The land under their feet was lit up by talismans, glowing light-blue, and the light quickly reached the center of the formation. Fang Suihan was standing at the room doors.


    At this moment, the Eight Trigrams Formation was finally set in motion!


    Fang Suihan felt the blue flames shrouding his body, scorching hot yet chaining him to one place. He wanted to scream, but couldn¡¯t. His cultivation was constantly being absorbed by the talisman on the ground, lighting up the flames and nourishing the eight guardians of the formation.


    He suddenly realised that he was never the eight men¡¯s target. Rather, the Eight Trigrams Sword Formation was aimed at the man standing in front of him.


    He was the formation soul they wanted to get!


    Fang Suihan opened his mouth, but couldn¡¯t make a sound. He was like flesh on a chopping board, unable to put up a resistance.


    This man¡¯s cultivation level was high. Fang Suihan estimated it to be higher than Clan Master Zhou¡¯s.


    But the more powerful he was, the stronger the formation grew, enveloping them from all directions in layers of blue rays, just like caterpillar¡¯s strands on cocoons.


    Just what kind of sword formation is it?


    Fang Suihan was watching, aghast, as the blue talisman floating in the air started shining more and more brightly, while the movement of the person in front of him slowed down.


    The people guarding the formation also felt that something had gone wrong.


    Given the might of this Eight Trigrams Sword Formation, even if this man had a cultivation of a great master, he should have long since been captured with his hands tied.


    But not only had this man not given up, he even confronted the formation with his spiritual powers, and the latter even trembled slightly, as if it was unstable.


    ¡°My sword¡­¡±


    One person muttered, looking at vague cracks appearing on the sword in his hands.


    A powerful pressure rushed at them, and even the talisman couldn¡¯t be maintained. With a bang, the sword formation burst, and the blue light suddenly exploded!


    As if they were submerged into the chaos of the primordial times, their spiritual powers soared to the sky after the explosion, blotting the starlight, and fell to the ground in drops.


    The sword formation was completely shattered, and not a single one of the eight supporters escaped the violent death caused by the rebelling formation. Only Fang Suihan was safe and sound.


    ¡°I am greatly indebted for Daoyou¡¯s help, may I ask your honorable na¡­¡±


    Fang Suihan¡¯s voice went silent when he saw the man turning around and coming closer.


    His long hair was dancing violently, and blood was dripping from his sword.


    The falling blue lights illuminated his face.


    The blood-red eyes on his handsome face betrayed his murderous intent.


    Fang Suihan¡¯s heart sank. Did he escape the eight Evil Stars only to run into the King of Hell?


    He subconsciously shrank back.


    ¡°Daoyou, thank you for saving my life. If you want anything, I will¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his words, the man got very close.


    Fang Suihan¡¯s neck was suddenly clutched!


    ¡°Yun Hai!¡±


    Fang Suihan heard someone¡¯s voice. The grip on his neck loosened, and the man dropped him, turning towards the person who had just arrived.


    Fang Suihan, having barely escaped with his life, started coughing violently.


    ¡°Yun Hai.¡±


    Changming looked at his eyes and noticed the abnormality at once.


    He¡¯s possessed.


    There was still some time before the red line on his arm should have reached his palm, but the Eight Trigrams Formation forced out Yun Hai¡¯s sealed spiritual power, and he started turning into a demon ahead of time because of the talisman rebounding.


    Those dark red eyes were slightly flickering, looking at Changming without blinking.


    The bloodthirsty eyes seemed to be looking at a stranger, and he was ready to kill Changming any second.


    Changming scrutinized him closely. It seemed that the possession was not too deep, so he could still be helped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything now, just concentrate and meditate, I will help you¡­¡±


    But it seemed that Yun Hai¡¯s interest in him only remained for a moment.


    Not waiting for Changming to finish speaking, he reached out to him swiftly!


    Fierce killing intentions brought tremendous spiritual power, sweeping over everything!


    Tn:


    Fun fact: Sacred Mount Wan, Wanjian Sect, Wanxiang Palace, Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and Situ Wanhuo share the same ¡®wan¡¯, meaning ten thousand~


    Xu Jingxian would have never thought that the glorious and infamous Jianxue Clan would turn into a graveyard full of walking corpses one day.


    The common people deemed cultivators to be like immortal beings, but cultivators were not fearless. People are naturally very afraid of death and uncertainty, and cultivators simply could endure more than the common people.


    Xu Jingxian suddenly felt as if her blood was curdling from frost.


    She even thought: what if this Changming who¡¯s covering my mouth is also fake?


    Thinking like this, she silently struggled.


    Changming let her go. She turned around to look at him and saw him making a ¡°shut up¡± gesture.


    It did not seem like an illusion.


    Xu Jingxian recalled the warm feeling that came from his hand and sighed in relief. She followed his line of sight.


    The two men in front of the gates still had not moved.


    Changming picked up a pebble and hit one of the guardians¡¯ heads with it.


    The latter didn¡¯t move at all.


    Changming formed a sword seal with his fingers. In a flash, the Sifei Sword appeared in the air, turned into a flash of white light and flew over!


    The two men suddenly came to their senses and turned towards the Sifei Sword, starting a fierce battle with it!


    As if noticing Xu Jingxian¡¯s doubts, Changming uttered two words: ¡°Spiritual qi.¡±


    Xu Jingxian suddenly realized.


    These ¡°people¡± only responded to spiritual qi. Cultivators were enveloped in it, and the Sifei Sword had spiritual qi as well, but that pebble did not.


    Very soon, the two men were defeated by the Sifei Sword.


    What was also strange was that although they had made so much noise, no one from Longding Peak came to check out what had happened.


    That made Xu Jingxian¡¯s bad feelings root even deeper.


    If the clan master isn¡¯t inside¡­


    While she was thinking, Changming moved, coming right near Zhou Keyi¡¯s residence for seclusion.


    He waved his hand and released a white puppet that knocked on the door. Unexpectedly, it could even imitate his voice.


    ¡°My dear disciple Keyi ah, come and let your teacher see you.¡±


    Xu Jingxian almost choked to death.


    No one responded, so the puppet pushed the door.


    When the door was slightly opened, a glowing light came from inside.


    As soon as the door opened fully, several rays of light suddenly shot at it!


    Xu Jingxian reacted extremely quickly. She immediately released the thin silk to block all the white light back, and floated up.


    Although her thin silk was not as good as the Donghai Sea muslin, it was a rare spiritual weapon as well. Except for the undefeatable firefly maggots of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, it was impervious to any sword or spear, unmovable by fire and water. But, unexpectedly, the white rays pierced it everywhere, and it could no longer be used.


    Xu Jingxian was exasperated and furious. These things fell to the ground and ignited, burning the thick grass that was around.


    Changming threw two puppets, ordering them to put out the fire, and went up the stairs himself.


    ¡°Hold it!¡±


    Xu Jingxian slowed down for a moment, and the corner of his clothes slipped away from her hand.


    She hesitated for a while, but still decided to go in.


    Xu Jingxian was actually too suspicious about the Jianxue Clan.


    And the answer to this suspicion seemed to be hidden right inside the room.


    A gust of wind opened the doors, making the white gauze inside dance and flutter.


    A person was sitting on a praying mat in the lotus position.


    His eyes were originally closed, but when their movements disturbed the silence, he slowly opened his eyes.


    Xu Jingxian was alarmed: ¡°Clan Master, are you alright?!¡±


    Zhou Keyi said coldly: ¡°What could have gone wrong?¡±


    In the face of a great calamity, Xu Jingxian had no time to ponder over his ambiguous intonation: ¡°An accident happened outside, does Clan Master know about it?¡±


    Zhou Keyi: ¡°What accident?¡±


    Xu Jingxian said hurriedly: ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the whole Jianxue Clan is out of control. Everyone, including my maids, were turned into puppets, and I don¡¯t know whether they are still alive¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean, them?¡±


    Zhou Keyi smiled oddly, and raised his hand, pointing to the right.


    Xu Jingxian turned her head, and fear gripped her.


    She saw layers of the white gauze that she hadn¡¯t examined before. At this moment, the wind blew, and the white gauze flew to the side, revealing many people standing behind it.


    To be precise, those people had silk threads attached to their bodies, and the other end of the threads was tied to the beams; the people were hung by their feet.


    She saw many familiar faces. Fang Chen and Man Cao, Danqing Peak¡¯s and Guanhai Peak¡¯s masters who used to find fault with her all the time, and¡ª


    And she herself.


    The other Xu Jingxian¡¯s hands were hanging down. Her eyes were wide open, and the two of them were silently looking at each other.


    Her expression and eyes were tranquil as still water, which made Xu Jingxian¡¯s hairs stand up at once.


    Zhou Keyi¡¯s voice reached her ears.


    ¡°All in all, a fake is still a fake, it¡¯s worse than you. Since you came here, just go and fill its position.¡±


    She could not control herself or move her eyes away, staring at ¡°herself¡± as if she was possessed, and actually stepped towards ¡°her¡±.


    Suddenly, her forehead was pierced with cold, penetrating through right to her mind!


    She abruptly came to her senses.


    Where was this puppet resembling her?


    Zhou Keyi¡¯s residence for seclusion was empty, and not even a trace of a ghost could be found.


    She was still standing on the threshold stiffly, as if a demon had possessed her.


    Xu Jingxian raised her hand to touch her forehead, wiping off some fresh red liquid.


    It was Changming¡¯s blood.


    If it wasn¡¯t for this blood, she would have been trapped.


    ¡°Someone has set a formation in this residence.¡±


    Changming was standing a few steps ahead of her, explaining to her the situation without turning his head back. He was looking around, surveying the residence.


    ¡°We don¡¯t see anything now, but that doesn¡¯t mean that there actually is nothing. Don¡¯t walk around as you please.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that this formation was left by the clan master?¡± Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t even notice the fact that she started using polite speech.


    You: a polite form of ¡®you¡¯


    Changming disagreed: ¡°No way. His talent is unremarkable, he couldn¡¯t have learned such complicated things.¡±


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s mouth twitched. She wanted to say that this so-called unremarkable talent of her clan master was higher than hers.


    But these words came from the clan master¡¯s shizun¡¯s mouth, so it seemed that Changming actually saw it this way.


    ¡°This formation is brilliant,¡± Changming said, ¡°I still haven¡¯t found a gap.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°You said that the Nine Layers of the Abyss is also a colossal formation. Is this one even more complicated than the Nine Layers of the Abyss?¡±


    Changming: ¡°They cannot be compared. One is enormous and chaotic, the other is like a sparrow: though small, it still has its vital organs. What have you encountered since you returned here?¡±


    Small as the sparrow is, it possesses all its internal organs: small but complete


    As he was saying that, Xu Jingxian recalled all the horror she had seen on Lingbo Peak.


    She saw the whole Lingbo Peak, but only one person, her, was alive.


    The Jianxue Clan was a large Demonic sect, and few dared challenge them nowadays.


    Even if those hundred-year-old great sects had the ability to deal with the Jianxue Clan, it was impossible for these sects to muster massive forces to destroy them. Except for the clan master Zhou, each of the nine peaks and thirteen valleys of this sect had a master; no matter how powerful the enemy was, it was impossible to wipe out every single person in this sect in just three years, turning this piece into a wasteland of ruins, and making everyone a controlled puppet without a heart or consciousness. If someone actually possessed such power, Xu Jingxian could only suppose they would bear secret calculations and carry out sneak attacks, concealing themselves so well that even spirits wouldn¡¯t notice them.


    Could it be that the clan master actually had not survived?


    What tremendous forces were behind this?


    After she finished describing her adventures, she recalled that Changming was travelling together with Yun Weisi, but today appeared alone. It seemed strange.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun, ah, not right, where is dashixiong Yun?¡±


    ¡°He is at Guanhai Peak.¡±


    Changming didn¡¯t bicker with her about this hitting-snake-with-a-stick title she used, and didn¡¯t explain what Yun Weisi was doing on Guanhai Peak either.


    Hit a snake with a stick: seize the opportunity to make a suggestion


    He slowly moved forward, his steps seemingly random. After some time, he suddenly stopped and abruptly turned to the side.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Xu Jingxian shivered. She didn¡¯t dare get distracted again, and carefully watched his steps, treading in his steps without deviations.


    Changming gave her one end of a red rope.


    ¡°Tie it to your wrist.¡±


    The other end of the rope was tied to Changming¡¯s wrist.


    They were tied together to prevent Xu Jingxian from making a mistake, misstepping, falling into the formation and getting lost in it.


    After she tied the red rope, she continued following his steps, until the scenery in front of them changed.


    They seemed to still be in that silent room, but somewhere else at the same time.


    The environment remained the same, and the only things that had changed was probably the white gauze that was stained with blood, and the light that got dimmer and more real.


    When this word, ¡°real¡±, appeared in her mind, Xu Jingxian¡¯s heart skipped a bit. It seemed that she understood something.


    The next moment, a sinister voice sounded.


    ¡°As expected from Jiufang Changming, you can even see through the triple-layer barrier!¡±


    Triple-layer barrier¡­


    Unexpectedly, this formation had three hidden illusion worlds.


    Xu Jingxian understood.


    The first layer was the scene she saw when she entered the sect; she thought that she woke up, but in reality it was Changming breaking the first barrier. Right after that, they fell to the second layer, arriving right here¡ª


    They were still standing on that threshold.


    A human head was lying on a praying mat at the center of the room.


    The skin on the head was half-decayed, revealing its white bones, and one of its eyeballs was about to drop out of the eye socket, but it could still spin.


    Its mouth was moving inconsistently, so the voice just now should have belonged to it.


    Changming¡¯s expression was indifferent, as if he was looking at a regular wildflower in the grass near a road.


    ¡°Formations like this are not really sophisticated. When you decide to trap me again, you should spend a little more thought.¡±


    The skull grinned: ¡°The largest clan of all Demonic sects, totally uprooted, leaving not even cinder behind. If this girl who is standing by your side hadn¡¯t followed you, I would have used her skin to make a puppet. Her body is so beautiful, I could have used it for several years. Such a pity!¡±


    Unexpectedly, Changming nodded: ¡°I also think it¡¯s a pity.¡±


    The skull: ¡°Your cultivation level is far worse than it used to be. It¡¯s enough to fool people who don¡¯t know how to use the Art of control, but how can you dare to show these immature skills in front of grand masters? Jiufang Changming, you can¡¯t run amok in the world like you used to. You managed to save your life and escaped from the Yellow Springs, but it was simply struggling on whilst at the death¡¯s door. Why do you still insist on meddling in other people¡¯s business and entering traps?¡±


    Struggling on whilst at death¡¯s door: to delay death.


    Changming: ¡°If you hadn¡¯t used me as a chess piece, I wouldn¡¯t have meddled. If I hadn¡¯t managed to return from the Yellow Springs, I am afraid that I¡¯d have already become another unjust soul in a Gathering Souls Pearl. Isn¡¯t that right, Clan Master Jiang Li?¡±


    The skull remained silent for a long time. The top of it that was glowing blue gradually darkened, as if the adhering spiritual powers were scattering.


    Xu Jingxian wanted to come closer, but Changming blocked her way.


    That skull started talking again.


    ¡°However, Zhou Keyi is still alive. If you want to rescue him, I¡¯ll wait for you in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple on the fifteenth of the seventh month. Jiufang Changming, will you dare come?¡±


    When the last word fell, the voice went down, and the skull turned into dust, leaving only a pile of ashes lying on the praying mat.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Xu Jinxian said rashly, ¡°What about the other people of the Jianxue Clan!¡±


    ¡°No need to ask him,¡± Changming said, ¡°You¡¯ve seen it yourself: they have been turned into puppets, so their souls have certainly left their bodies, refined by them into a Gathering Souls Pearl. You can¡¯t help them anymore.¡±


    Xu Jingxian could not believe it. What kind of sect was the Jianxue Clan? Several great masters from Buddhist and Daoist sects must have worked hard together to completely exterminate it. How could it become like this in the short span of three years?


    ¡°Do you still remember how Liu Xiyu died on the back of a mountain in the Qixian Sect?¡±


    After Changming mentioned it, she suddenly recalled it.


    Liu Xiyu¡¯s death was very odd.


    At that time, she received an order from the clan master to go to the Qixian Sect and demand a cultivation furnace. The furnace they had agreed upon happened to be precisely the first disciple of the Qixian Sect, Liu Xiyu.


    But, right on the night before Liu Xiyu¡¯s marriage with the Xiao family¡¯s daughter, he died on the back of the mountain of the Qixain Sect. His soul disappeared, and not a single piece of evidence pointing to the murderer was found.


    She thought that that old man Zhang Qin made his favorite disciple feign his death to avoid the plight of becoming a furnace, while Zhang Qin believed that the murderer was either her or Changming. But the Qixian Sect would not dare do anything to her, so that matter was eventually put aside unsettled.


    Now, this case seemed to have been a bad omen.


    Foreboding the start of everything that happened later.


    After leaving the Nine Layers of the Abyss that day, Changming and Yun Weisi headed to the Qixian Sect.


    But, when they arrived at the foot of the Qixian Sect mountains, they realised that all the villages that surrounded it were devastated.


    Bowls with porridge were still standing on the tops of kitchen ranges, chopsticks were arranged on tables, and even unfinished crafts of bamboo were left in a hurry, as if people had no time to finish what they were doing.


    Every household retained the state before its owners had left, but it had been covered with dust a long time ago.


    The Qixian Sect was a vassal of the Jianxue Clan, and the Jianxue Clan was not far away. Because of Zhou Keyi¡¯s unholy reputation, cultivators rarely crossed this land. Even if someone came here, they would try to pass the place as quickly as possible.


    Changming and Yun Weisi carefully searched through the village, and finally found some bones in the bamboo forest in the mountains.


    There were hundreds of people lying in a neat row, all buried in a pit near a river. Their souls had long since dissipated, but there were no souls of the wronged lingering around.


    Such deaths were certainly reminiscent of Liu Xiyu and the massacre of Yuru Town.


    ¡°Those people were bare-handed, they couldn¡¯t retaliate against cultivators. Why wouldn¡¯t the clan master spare¡­¡±


    ¡°From the people of your Jianxue Clan, except for Zhou Keyi, masters of the nine peaks and thirteen valleys, it¡¯s likely that no one can be compared to Liu Xiyu. You only need one demon like Zhang Mu to take on a human shell, and a Moonlight on the Blue Ocean to confuse minds, then drive people to distraction and absorb their vital essence, and you will be able to consume the whole Jianxue Clan. Although Zhou Keyi¡¯s cultivation level is high, his techniques have fatal defects, which made his personality even more violent and biased. One leaf can obscure the whole scene. By the time someone notices the weirdness, it¡¯ll already be too late.¡±


    One leaf can obscure the whole scene: ¡­so that even Mount Tai cannot be seen: not seeing the wider picture


    They had certainly anticipated this outcome when they chose the Jianxue Clan.


    Gathering Souls Pearls required countless souls, but the souls of the common people, as many as they could get, would never compare to cultivators¡¯ souls.


    Among all the sects and clans in the world, the Jianxue Clan had the weakest connections between its peaks, and had no rigorous rules like other sects. It was indeed very easy to infiltrate.


    Judging by the fact that everything started with Yuru Town, and now came all the way to the Jianxue Clan, they could say that their enemies were already dissatisfied with the souls of commoners now.


    They were sure that cultivators¡¯ souls would have a stronger effect, so they made this reckless move.


    Xu Jingxian was breathing heavily, at a loss of words.


    She had been in charge here for several years. She used to think that although the clan master was difficult to serve, this place was still more comfortable than those Buddhist and Daoist sects. It was also wrong to say that she had no attachment to her subordinates. No one would have expected to return after being away for three years and find the Jianxue Clan annihilated, left in the past; all her efforts had gone to waste as well, and she became a lonely temptress again.


    Xu Jingxian suddenly recalled one thing.


    ¡°That skull was Jiang Li? Why does he want us to come to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple? Could it be that Buddhist sects are also involved?¡±


    If that was the truth, weren¡¯t their opponents so formidable that they couldn¡¯t be rivalled?


    The Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Wanlian Buddhist Temple were definitely one of the largest sects of this era.


    Especially the Wanjian Immortal Clan that had become one of the first-rate sects after the battle on the Sacred Mountain Wan, almost gaining more influence than the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, and aiming at first place.


    And the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been standing firm and unyielding for centuries. Together with the Qingyun School, it was called the Double Jade, and was worshipped no less. The Wanlian Buddhist Temple was a lot more low-key than the Qingyun School, and people in Jianghu rarely heard of cultivators coming from this sect. Xu Jingxian held no appreciation towards these bald donkeys, but she didn¡¯t want to confront these troublesome Buddhists as well.


    Double Jade: two pieces of jade: two flawless things


    Buddhist sects probably had more than a hundred ways to restrain a Demonic clan.


    Today was the eighteenth of the sixth month, less than one month till the fifteenth of the seventh month.


    ¡°If you are afraid, don¡¯t go there.¡±


    Changming was implying that he was sure to be there.


    Xu Jingxian gritted her teeth: ¡°I will go. They ruined my territory, and I have no place to go. The clan master owes me the muslin, so I can¡¯t let him get away with it!¡±


    Now, she didn¡¯t even have that second half of the thin silk. She had a large private collection of treasures back on Lingbo Peak, but nothing could compare to that thin silk.


    On one hand, Xu Jingxian was glad that she avoided the calamity by entering the Nine Layers of the Abyss, otherwise her soul would have been summoned, her end miserable; on the other hand, she was grieving deeply for her broken halberds buried in the sand.


    Broken halberds buried in the sand: defeat & bankruptcy


    Changming wanted to undo the red rope tying his wrist with Xu Jingxian¡¯s, but realized that the knot on his side was so tight it would be troublesome to undo it right now.


    The red rope wasn¡¯t an ordinary cotton cord. Even if he cut it with the Sifei Sword, one part would remain on his wrist.


    He furrowed and looked at it, as if hesitating whether he should undo it by biting.


    At this moment, the Sifei Sword that was hanging in the air, buzzed, as if it was tapped, and then yowled, clear as crystal.


    Changming¡¯s heart was pounding as he raised his head abruptly!


    Something happened to Yun Hai.


    ¡­


    On Guanhai Peak.


    Among the nine peaks and thirteen valleys of the Jianxue Clan, this place was the furthest from Longding Peak. It was shrouded in mist throughout the year.


    Guanhai Peak was also the least crowded.


    The peak master, Fang Suihan, didn¡¯t have a hobby of accepting disciples, and didn¡¯t appreciate beauty; he only enjoyed alchemy.


    Alchemy: refining pills; hist. dao. concocting pills of immortality, sometimes turning one substance into another, like mercury into silver. It was actually quite popular in certain eras, like the Tang dynasty; several emperors died, consuming hazardous substances or ¡°dual cultivating¡± to reach immortality


    A demonic cultivator obsessed with alchemy. If this leaked out, everyone would be amused.


    But that was also the reason why Guanhai Peak remained the last pure land of the Jianxue Clan when the calamity struck.


    Fang Suihan noticed that something was wrong when he left his seclusion three days ago.


    At first, he wanted to pay a visit to the clan master, and offer him his own newest refined pill that could alleviate the clan master¡¯s obsessions. But Fang Suihan¡¯s disciple told him that the clan master had entered a retreat.


    What Fang Suihan had experienced was a lot like what Xu Jingxian went through.


    The only difference was that he was detained.


    Detained in his alchemy room by eight cultivators standing outside.


    These eight people surrounded his alchemy room, holding longswords, and trapping him inside.


    No matter how hard he tried to break out, these eight people would form a sword formation, preventing him from getting out. But they didn¡¯t take the initiative to kill him.


    Originally, Fang Suihan didn¡¯t understand the reason, but now he finally got it.


    Tonight, the Three Stars and the Moon aligned in the sky, which happened rarely, and thunderbolts were flashing ceaselessly. The Sword Eight Trigrams Formation on the earth supported itself, corresponding to the heavenly bodies. The one who was trapped inside this formation would be struck with the lightning bolts and thus refined into a human pill. From that day on, his soul would support the formation endlessly, from one generation to the other, unable to break from the others¡¯ control.


    Three Stars and the Moon aligned: there are many options. For example, the three major stars of the Three Stars constellation (btw, this constellation is Shen from the title, Shenshang), or the belt of Orion, or simply Mars, Jupyter and another planet of our solar system, or Antares, or simply anything


    A vicious and sinister technique indeed!


    Fang Suihan pondered, could it be that someone of the Jianxue Clan found me such an eyesore that they have arranged this deathtrap for me?


    Even if it was so, a large conflict inside the sect should have alarmed the clan master quickly.


    He still hadn¡¯t thought of the possibility that everyone in the clan fell into the enemy¡¯s hands, and even the clan master was unable even to fend for himself.


    Fang Suihan was being tortured by this Eight Trigrams Sword Formation for exactly three days.


    Tonight, on the third day, he looked up at the sky and saw the Three Stars and the Moon aligned, and finally figured out the enemy¡¯s plan. Suddenly, he felt weak, and wanted to stop thinking at all.


    His legs were already badly mutilated, his cultivation blocked, and he became nothing but a waste.


    Although these eight cultivators weren¡¯t on a great master¡¯s level, they backed him into a tight corner by using the formation.


    They weren¡¯t in a hurry to kill him. It seemed that they had decided to torture him slowly until his fighting spirit faded away, or even better, if a resentment was born in his heart, then, after he became a formation soul, he would be more effective.


    But Fang Suihan saw through their plan. He sneered and toughened his heart. But just when he was going to kill himself, he saw blinding sword rays coming from the east. Unexpectedly, a gap was made in the Eight Trigrams Sword Formation!


    A person rushed forwards.


    Fang Suihan squinted. He didn¡¯t manage to guess the other party¡¯s identity.


    The man was standing with his back turned to Fang Suihan, and laughed, looking at the eight people supporting the formation.


    ¡°Jiang Li doesn¡¯t dare show up himself, so he sent you, a group of trash fish, to your death?¡±


    Trash fish: rookie


    The eight people said nothing, and attacked him at once.


    [Eight Trigrams Seven Stars Motion, Four Deities Big Dipper Technique.]


    The land under their feet was lit up by talismans, glowing light-blue, and the light quickly reached the center of the formation. Fang Suihan was standing at the room doors.


    At this moment, the Eight Trigrams Formation was finally set in motion!


    Fang Suihan felt the blue flames shrouding his body, scorching hot yet chaining him to one place. He wanted to scream, but couldn¡¯t. His cultivation was constantly being absorbed by the talisman on the ground, lighting up the flames and nourishing the eight guardians of the formation.


    He suddenly realised that he was never the eight men¡¯s target. Rather, the Eight Trigrams Sword Formation was aimed at the man standing in front of him.


    He was the formation soul they wanted to get!


    Fang Suihan opened his mouth, but couldn¡¯t make a sound. He was like flesh on a chopping board, unable to put up a resistance.


    This man¡¯s cultivation level was high. Fang Suihan estimated it to be higher than Clan Master Zhou¡¯s.


    But the more powerful he was, the stronger the formation grew, enveloping them from all directions in layers of blue rays, just like caterpillar¡¯s strands on cocoons.


    Just what kind of sword formation is it?


    Fang Suihan was watching, aghast, as the blue talisman floating in the air started shining more and more brightly, while the movement of the person in front of him slowed down.


    The people guarding the formation also felt that something had gone wrong.


    Given the might of this Eight Trigrams Sword Formation, even if this man had a cultivation of a great master, he should have long since been captured with his hands tied.


    But not only had this man not given up, he even confronted the formation with his spiritual powers, and the latter even trembled slightly, as if it was unstable.


    ¡°My sword¡­¡±


    One person muttered, looking at vague cracks appearing on the sword in his hands.


    A powerful pressure rushed at them, and even the talisman couldn¡¯t be maintained. With a bang, the sword formation burst, and the blue light suddenly exploded!


    As if they were submerged into the chaos of the primordial times, their spiritual powers soared to the sky after the explosion, blotting the starlight, and fell to the ground in drops.


    The sword formation was completely shattered, and not a single one of the eight supporters escaped the violent death caused by the rebelling formation. Only Fang Suihan was safe and sound.


    ¡°I am greatly indebted for Daoyou¡¯s help, may I ask your honorable na¡­¡±


    Fang Suihan¡¯s voice went silent when he saw the man turning around and coming closer.


    His long hair was dancing violently, and blood was dripping from his sword.


    The falling blue lights illuminated his face.


    The blood-red eyes on his handsome face betrayed his murderous intent.


    Fang Suihan¡¯s heart sank. Did he escape the eight Evil Stars only to run into the King of Hell?


    He subconsciously shrank back.


    ¡°Daoyou, thank you for saving my life. If you want anything, I will¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish his words, the man got very close.


    Fang Suihan¡¯s neck was suddenly clutched!


    ¡°Yun Hai!¡±


    Fang Suihan heard someone¡¯s voice. The grip on his neck loosened, and the man dropped him, turning towards the person who had just arrived.


    Fang Suihan, having barely escaped with his life, started coughing violently.


    ¡°Yun Hai.¡±


    Changming looked at his eyes and noticed the abnormality at once.


    He¡¯s possessed.


    There was still some time before the red line on his arm should have reached his palm, but the Eight Trigrams Formation forced out Yun Hai¡¯s sealed spiritual power, and he started turning into a demon ahead of time because of the talisman rebounding.


    Those dark red eyes were slightly flickering, looking at Changming without blinking.


    The bloodthirsty eyes seemed to be looking at a stranger, and he was ready to kill Changming any second.


    Changming scrutinized him closely. It seemed that the possession was not too deep, so he could still be helped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything now, just concentrate and meditate, I will help you¡­¡±


    But it seemed that Yun Hai¡¯s interest in him only remained for a moment.


    Not waiting for Changming to finish speaking, he reached out to him swiftly!


    Fierce killing intentions brought tremendous spiritual power, sweeping over everything!


    Tn:


    Fun fact: Sacred Mount Wan, Wanjian Sect, Wanxiang Palace, Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and Situ Wanhuo share the same ¡®wan¡¯, meaning ten thousand~

 CH 48

    Changming threw two puppets that rushed at Yun Hai in two white rays.


    The other slightly moved his sword, and the puppets were cut into halves.


    These insignificant skills could only be used to entertain and fool the public, but were nothing in the face of real strength.


    Changming did not hope to block Yun Hai¡¯s way with these two puppets either. He only wanted to use this moment to retreat swiftly.


    The Chunzhao Sword struck!


    Its light was as quick as a falling star, and swift like a thunderbolt. As Changming was retreating under the pressure, it almost reached his hair.


    Just as the tip of his white hair was burning with the sword qi, Changming formed a sword technique with his fingers, and the Sifei Sword appeared!


    It was not that Changming had never fought against Yun Hai; but he had no spiritual powers before, so he could only fall to the ground and be slaughtered, as the other party was just playing with him like a cat with a mouse. Now that Yun Hai was obsessed, and Changming had absorbed part of the Sifei Sword¡¯s spiritual powers, barely recovering his previous level up to fifty or sixty percent, it could be called a real battle.


    But his chances in this battle were still low.


    There was no doubt that Yun Weisi was the most talented and accomplished disciple out of those four.


    If it was not for the tragic event of that year, he might have surpassed his teacher by now.


    Yun Weisi had been cultivating in the Nine Layers of the Abyss for several decades. Although Yun Hai appeared eventually, and his memories were mostly lost, that did not damage his powers. After Yun Hai became obsessed, his seven emotions were cast aside, nothing could stop him, and he could even use all of Yun Weisi¡¯s power. No matter whether his way was obstructed by the Sifei Sword or Jiufang Changming, nothing could obstruct his heart. On meeting a man, he would slay the man; on meeting a Buddha, he would slay the Buddha.


    His attack left no room to escape, and he was even more insane than the merciless and unfeeling Yun Weisi.


    Since he was not holding back at all, even if Changming fought with all his might, he still would not be able to defeat him.


    Even more, if Changming made the slightest mistake, he would lose his life.


    ¡°[The sword gathers every spirit, the teaching returning to the divine principle; the rest suffers the great calamity, the beginning had yin and yang, go!]¡±


    As the sword art was used, the night breeze suddenly flourished. The Sifei Sword split into seven, and the swords faced Yun Hai, blocking his way.


    Changming used this opportunity to fly far away and gave orders from there.


    Yun Hai brandished his sword without even thinking!


    But, unexpectedly, his powerful spiritual powers bounced back, ricocheting from the sword barrier.


    This formation was slightly more exquisite than the formation that trapped Fang Suihan, although they were similar in essence.


    There were only seven swords.


    Seven is an odd number, and neither Daoist, nor Buddhist sects attached hidden meanings to it.


    But there was an ancient saying: ¡°In its first stroke, seven is the principle of yang¡± [1].


    Fang Suihan was out of breath. He was looking at the seven sword lights cast by Changming nearby, and was fascinated by it.


    Suddenly, someone squeezed his shoulder. His heart almost jumped out from his mouth, and he nearly dropped dead.


    ¡°Why is the whole Jianxue Clan slaughtered, and only you are fine?¡± Xu Jingxian said.


    Fang Suihan rolled his eyes angrily, and returned to her the same question: ¡°Why is the whole Jianxue Clan slaughtered, and only you are fine?¡±


    Xu Jingxian smiled coldly: ¡°Peak Master Fang, under current circumstances, when the clan master has disappeared, and only we are left together, I advise you to let old matters go and cooperate genuinely.¡±


    Although Fang Suihan usually quarreled with her about every point, he could not deny that her words now were not meaningless. But he still did not trust her.


    ¡°The Jianxue Clan was so big, but no one survived? I thought that something happened with Guanhai Peak¡­ And the clan master?¡±


    ¡°The clan master is nowhere to be seen. By the time I arrived, everyone else,¡± Xu Jingxian¡¯s voice sounded quite grim. ¡°Was already dead.¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡°Who did it?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°The Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s master, Jiang Li, and perhaps the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.¡±


    Fang Suihan flinched. He knew that many were dissatisfied with their Demonic sect, but he had never heard about any kind of deep friendly feeling between the Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, so why would they suddenly work together? They were two opposing big sects that had been standing firmly for several centuries.


    They had existed for so many generations that no one could tell where the origins of the Wanjian Immortal Clan had stemmed from.


    And even more so for the Wanlian Buddhist Temple that had existed since the times the first Buddhist sects were established. During the former dynasty, they took turns ruling over the imperial court with the Qingyun School, were regarded as honorable emperor advisors, and enjoyed glory. After the former dynasty collapsed and the land was divided into three countries, Wanlian Buddhist Temple became You¡¯s state religion, and the Qingyun School was invited by Luo¡¯s monarch.


    And so, having both secular political influence and a high cultivation level in Jianghu, if they wanted to defeat the Jianxue Clan, it goes without saying that they could do it.


    But¡ª


    ¡°Why?¡± Fang Suihan remained puzzled after much pondering. ¡°Did the clan master rape Jiang Li¡¯s daughter, or did he kill the parents of some old bald donkey of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe their target wasn¡¯t the clan master.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was distracted by watching Changming. She noticed that they were locked in a fierce stalemate, and it was hard to tell the victor right now.


    Certainly, Yun Hai¡¯s strength was terrifying, but Changming¡¯s spiritual powers were slowly recovering, and the Sifei Sword was supporting him, so for now he could withstand it.


    And if he can¡¯t¡­ Xu Jingxian thought about her current cultivation level, then thought about her thin silk which had been rendered completely useless, and could not help sighing with sorrow.


    If dashixiong Yun was a bit more gullible, she would have grabbed his thigh. But whom should she choose now?


    ¡°If not the clan master, then was it the clan itself?¡±


    Fang Suihan was still standing nearby, asking her boring questions without end.


    Xu Jingxian was distracted from watching the battle, so she was impatient: ¡°I¡¯m going to find the clan master with Shifu, you decide what to do yourself!¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡°When did you get a shifu?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Out of those two who are fighting up there, one is the clan master¡¯s shifu, and the other is the clan master¡¯s dashixiong. The honorable clan master¡¯s shifu saved me in the Nine Layers of the Abyss many times; it was like finding a new parent, and he is like my father now, so I decided to¡ª¡±


    Just as she said this, Changming flew to the side like a kite with a broken string right in front of their eyes, hitting against a peak. Yun Hai¡¯s powerful spiritual powers cut off a small piece of the top of the peak.


    Changming fell to the ground, his life or death unknown, but Yun Hai did not intend to let him go, and continued chasing him.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    Did she recognize him as her shifu a bit too early?


    Changming knew that Yun Hai really wanted him dead.


    Yun Hai¡¯s actions used to be inconsistent, but he stayed with them through the Nine Layers of the Abyss, so Changming inevitably lowered his guard.


    He did not expect an Eight Trigrams Sword Formation to make him obsessed ahead of time tonight.


    And this possessed Yun Hai, who did not recognise anyone, was way more ruthless than the Yun Weisi who was following the Heartless Dao.


    An excruciating pain pierced Changming¡¯s chest, and he could not even see clearly.


    He wanted to vomit blood, but endured.


    A violent gale blew on his face, reaching him in a split second, and Changming used a sword technique again, making the Sifei Sword block in front of him and getting on his feet.


    The Sifei Sword split into seven again, and the sword formation surrounded Yun Hai.


    The Guizhou donkey has exhausted its tricks, so it¡¯s playing the same old one again. Yun Hai did not attach importance to it and raised his sleeve to attack the formation he had already figured out.


    The Guizhou donkey has exhausted its tricks: nothing much left up in the sleeves. The fable: http://www.china.org.cn/learning_chinese/2005-10/28/content_1145587.htm


    But this time it unexpectedly did not crack.


    Yun Hai raised his eyebrows.


    The seven swords were spinning around him, and a white talisman started glowing lightly, forming circles around Yun Hai and suppressing him.


    The talisman was infused with spiritual powers and trapped people inside, shrinking, finally forcing the opponent to lose strength.


    Yun Hai lowered his head and looked under his feet.


    Unexpectedly, there was another formation with layers of complex talismans.


    It turned out that Changming made him come here to fall into this formation. Yun Hai laughed wildly, suddenly stopped, leaped up with overwhelming force, and the Chunzhao Sword flew above his head, bursting into blinding flames. The talismans under his feet cracked, unable to withstand the pressure of his strong spiritual power.


    Changming¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    The Sifei Sword¡¯s spiritual power was boundless, but his body could not bear too much now. Like a sky-high wave crashing against a dam, it could rebel against him. Yun Hai was about to break free from the sword formation¡¯s talisman, but Changming was unable to absorb more spiritual powers from the Sifei Sword to maintain the sword formation.


    Blood was slowly dripping from his mouth and nose, and his hair was dancing fiercely in the wind; the snow-white color seemed to climb up higher.


    ¡°You are still not good enough.¡±


    Yun Hai stepped towards him from the light, sneering with contempt.


    ¡°All these useless things, like demands and worries, will make you die a graveless death.¡±


    Changming closed his eyes and said nothing as the other party picked him up by his neck, leaving him completely at Yun Hai¡¯s mercy.


    Yun Hai was not in a hurry to kill him. On the contrary, he pulled Changming closer, lowered his head to sniff his collarbone. The ice-cold tip of his nose touched Changming¡¯s warm skin, making him shiver.


    This fragrant smell was the taste of Changming¡¯s soul.


    Demons were not allowed into the world because eating souls was the easiest way for them to raise their cultivation level.


    Instead of cultivating painstakingly, it was much better to seize souls, especially the spiritual powers of cultivators, and use them to advance.


    Yun Hai raised his head. Black and red colors were flickering through his eyes, as if they were waves of light. He was deciding whether he should start now or not.


    Changming, maintaining his composure, moved his finger behind his back, forming a sword technique silently.


    Boom!


    The light flourished suddenly and exploded, covering the battlefield, and even Xu Jingxian and Fang Suihan could not see them clearly.


    Xu Jingxian stood abruptly, watching down there from the cliff, yet she could see nothing but the white light.


    After all, should I go or should I not?


    Would she turn into a fish in the moat immediately as she approached them?


    A fish in the moat: when the town gates are on fire, the fish in the moat suffer: innocent people get hurt (people take water from the pond to quench the fire, and the fish die)


    Even if Xu Jingxian¡¯s cultivation had improved, she was still lacking self-confidence, let alone the courage to oppose the clan master¡¯s shixiong.


    Since even the clan master¡¯s shifu was not a match for him, she would be of no use, right?


    Fang Suihan stubbornly continued to make noise.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you go there and check? He has turned obsessed. If you don¡¯t want to go, let¡¯s get out of here quickly. Stop poking your nose into others¡¯ business, or we¡¯ll end up dead here!¡±


    It was not that he did not want to run, but the bones in his legs were all broken, so he had no strength.


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Xu Jingxian said resolutely, turned towards him, restrained him, tore a piece of his sleeve off, and stuffed it into his mouth.


    The world turned silent and calm at once.


    Fang Suihan: ¡­


    Not waiting for Xu Jingxian to come, the light slowly dissipated.


    Yun Hai went out, holding Changming.


    It was not the expected draw with both sides wounded, rather Changming¡­


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    His hair was half-white, scattered all around, and whether he was alive could not be seen clearly since his face was hidden in Yun Hai¡¯s embrace.


    And Yun Hai¡ª


    He was all covered in bloodstains, but his insane red eyes had changed back.


    Xu Jingxian probed: ¡°Daoyou Yun?¡±


    Yun Hai did not answer, but did not give off the impression of being a stranger to her either.


    ¡°Bring all the spiritual herbs and pills from the Jianxue Clan here.¡±


    ¡°Our clan master has many treasures, I will go find them!¡±


    In fact, Xu Jingxian also had treasures, since each cultivator, who was even a little bit talented, collected pills and spiritual grasses these years, but she thought that the clan master¡¯s things were definitely better. Actually, she was poor, and she did not want to show her incompetence anymore.


    ¡°Ah, right, this person is the Jianxue Clan¡¯s Guanhai Peak¡¯s Master Fang. He is good at refining pills. If you want anything, just ask him.¡±


    Now she is addressing him politely as well


    She sold out Fang Suihan easily.


    Fang Suihan could not even move, and his mouth was stuffed, so he could only groan non-stop. It was unknown whether he agreed or disagreed.


    Xu Jingxian helped him translate his words: ¡°Our Peak Master Fang adores having guests, and he is extremely grateful for you saving his life. If I remember correctly, he has a box of Xiangyang Pills. It was refined with as much care as possible for several decades, and it has great effects on wounded people. I¡¯m sure that he is willing to bring it out.¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡­


    Yun Hai said nothing and went inside the building with Changming in his arms. It looked like Fang Suihan¡¯s alchemy room was temporarily taken from him.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun!¡±


    He turned his head to look at Xu Jingxian.


    Xu Jingxian said: ¡°Changming, hum, is the clan master¡¯s shifu fine?¡±


    In truth, she was a little afraid of Yun Hai now because of his deep murderous intent and the strong pressure he had been emitting up until now, and she felt as if he could turn against her any moment.


    The red was still flashing through his eyes in winding streams, as if blood was dripping from the corners of his eyes, which was beautiful yet frightening.


    ¡°Your eyes are bleeding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my blood, it¡¯s his,¡± Yun Hai wiped it off, ¡°He is not in grave danger.¡±


    He said nothing more and entered the room, holding Changming.


    Not in grave danger. In other words, wounded heavily.


    Xu Jingxian wanted to say more, but the alchemy room doors were already closed.


    She and the silenced Fang Suihan looked at each other helplessly.


    ¡°Where are your Xiangyang Pills?¡± Xu Jingxian asked.


    Fang Suihan: ¡­


    He did not answer, but his eyes said, I won¡¯t tell you even if I die.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll find it myself. Anyways, you can¡¯t even move now, and everyone on your Guanhai Peak is dead, so you won¡¯t be able to stop me. When I find something, I will just take it as I please. Don¡¯t blame me for disregarding our co-sect feelings!¡± Xu Jingxian grinned maliciously. She had long since coveted Fang Suihan¡¯s possessions, and if she was not afraid of him scheming against her, she would have already attacked him, not even trying fair means before resorting to force.


    Fang Suihan was so angered that his eyes almost fell from the eye sockets. He groaned twice, expressing his strong will to start a conversation.


    ¡°I can let you speak, but if you start blabbering that nonsense, I will use the situation. Just wait till I beat you up!¡±


    Xu Jingxian warned him first, and then removed the silencing technique from him.


    Fang Suihan blurted out: ¡°Don¡¯t even think about using the Xiangyang Pills!¡±


    Xu Jingxian looked at him as if he was an idiot: ¡°The clan master¡¯s shifu¡¯s wounds need to be treated, and you don¡¯t want to give the medicine?¡±


    Fang Suihan was gnashing his teeth, fuming with rage. If not for her loose tongue, would these people even know about the existence of the Xiangyang Pills?


    Since he started cultivating, he had used up all his efforts, rising early in the morning and sleeping late, to finally refine those thirty six Xiangyang Pills. Originally, he wanted to use them to break through in a moment of need.


    Xu Jingxian could roughly guess his thoughts. She sneered: ¡°With your cultivation level, you won¡¯t be able to get near me even in eight hundred years. This time, everything in the Jianxue Clan has changed. If it wasn¡¯t for the clan master¡¯s shifu and dashixiong, we would have had no chance to get revenge. Use your head and consider your options carefully! If we hadn¡¯t arrived in time, even your bones would have disappeared! You would have been in the nether world already, and even if you had your Xiangyang pills, you could do nothing but cry!¡±


    Fang Suihan was silent for a moment: ¡°Come with me!¡±


    He could not stand on his legs now, and needed Xu Jingxian¡¯s support. Yet Xu Jingxian did not carry him on her back, but gave him a princess carry, making him so angry he could hardly refrain from cursing.


    Fortunately, he endured.


    They never got along, and he knew for sure that if he started cursing, Xu Jingxian could directly throw him down the peak.


    Wherever they went, they saw no one alive in the Jianxue Clan. Those who had already died now had no spiritual powers sustaining them, so they started to putrefy.


    Back then, after Changming broke the skull, the puppets outside started falling one after another. Now, except for Changming and Yun Hai, there were only two living people in the Jianxue Clan.


    Xu Jingxian had already seen it, so she was not surprised, but Fang Suihan would have never imagined the Jianxue Clan turning like this, and was greatly shocked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for three years. Did anything happen outside?¡± She asked Fang Suihan.


    Fang Suihan shook his head vacantly: ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­¡±


    He was obsessed with alchemy, and frequently entered two-weeks retreats in his alchemy room. He did not even care about new maids, whether they were pretty or ugly.


    ¡°I went out once, and heard them say something about the Zhenling Clan and the Twenty Four Mountain Slopes¡¯s Yuan family being exterminated over two nights, and the murderer nowhere to be found. But I was in a rush to go back to alchemy, so I didn¡¯t ask¡­ Stop, let me down.¡±


    Fang Suihan pointed to a well in front of them.


    ¡°I hid the Xiangyang Pills there together with some other random medicines. Bring them all here.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Me?¡±


    Fang Suihan was amused: ¡°Who else, me? How am I supposed to go down there when I¡¯m like this?¡±


    After some time, he found out how he was supposed to go down.


    Fang Suihan was picked up and thrown down the well.


    Changming threw two puppets that rushed at Yun Hai in two white rays.


    The other slightly moved his sword, and the puppets were cut into halves.


    These insignificant skills could only be used to entertain and fool the public, but were nothing in the face of real strength.


    Changming did not hope to block Yun Hai¡¯s way with these two puppets either. He only wanted to use this moment to retreat swiftly.


    The Chunzhao Sword struck!


    Its light was as quick as a falling star, and swift like a thunderbolt. As Changming was retreating under the pressure, it almost reached his hair.


    Just as the tip of his white hair was burning with the sword qi, Changming formed a sword technique with his fingers, and the Sifei Sword appeared!


    It was not that Changming had never fought against Yun Hai; but he had no spiritual powers before, so he could only fall to the ground and be slaughtered, as the other party was just playing with him like a cat with a mouse. Now that Yun Hai was obsessed, and Changming had absorbed part of the Sifei Sword¡¯s spiritual powers, barely recovering his previous level up to fifty or sixty percent, it could be called a real battle.


    But his chances in this battle were still low.


    There was no doubt that Yun Weisi was the most talented and accomplished disciple out of those four.


    If it was not for the tragic event of that year, he might have surpassed his teacher by now.


    Yun Weisi had been cultivating in the Nine Layers of the Abyss for several decades. Although Yun Hai appeared eventually, and his memories were mostly lost, that did not damage his powers. After Yun Hai became obsessed, his seven emotions were cast aside, nothing could stop him, and he could even use all of Yun Weisi¡¯s power. No matter whether his way was obstructed by the Sifei Sword or Jiufang Changming, nothing could obstruct his heart. On meeting a man, he would slay the man; on meeting a Buddha, he would slay the Buddha.


    His attack left no room to escape, and he was even more insane than the merciless and unfeeling Yun Weisi.


    Since he was not holding back at all, even if Changming fought with all his might, he still would not be able to defeat him.


    Even more, if Changming made the slightest mistake, he would lose his life.


    ¡°[The sword gathers every spirit, the teaching returning to the divine principle; the rest suffers the great calamity, the beginning had yin and yang, go!]¡±


    As the sword art was used, the night breeze suddenly flourished. The Sifei Sword split into seven, and the swords faced Yun Hai, blocking his way.


    Changming used this opportunity to fly far away and gave orders from there.


    Yun Hai brandished his sword without even thinking!


    But, unexpectedly, his powerful spiritual powers bounced back, ricocheting from the sword barrier.


    This formation was slightly more exquisite than the formation that trapped Fang Suihan, although they were similar in essence.


    There were only seven swords.


    Seven is an odd number, and neither Daoist, nor Buddhist sects attached hidden meanings to it.


    But there was an ancient saying: ¡°In its first stroke, seven is the principle of yang¡± [1].


    Fang Suihan was out of breath. He was looking at the seven sword lights cast by Changming nearby, and was fascinated by it.


    Suddenly, someone squeezed his shoulder. His heart almost jumped out from his mouth, and he nearly dropped dead.


    ¡°Why is the whole Jianxue Clan slaughtered, and only you are fine?¡± Xu Jingxian said.


    Fang Suihan rolled his eyes angrily, and returned to her the same question: ¡°Why is the whole Jianxue Clan slaughtered, and only you are fine?¡±


    Xu Jingxian smiled coldly: ¡°Peak Master Fang, under current circumstances, when the clan master has disappeared, and only we are left together, I advise you to let old matters go and cooperate genuinely.¡±


    Although Fang Suihan usually quarreled with her about every point, he could not deny that her words now were not meaningless. But he still did not trust her.


    ¡°The Jianxue Clan was so big, but no one survived? I thought that something happened with Guanhai Peak¡­ And the clan master?¡±


    ¡°The clan master is nowhere to be seen. By the time I arrived, everyone else,¡± Xu Jingxian¡¯s voice sounded quite grim. ¡°Was already dead.¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡°Who did it?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°The Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s master, Jiang Li, and perhaps the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.¡±


    Fang Suihan flinched. He knew that many were dissatisfied with their Demonic sect, but he had never heard about any kind of deep friendly feeling between the Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, so why would they suddenly work together? They were two opposing big sects that had been standing firmly for several centuries.


    They had existed for so many generations that no one could tell where the origins of the Wanjian Immortal Clan had stemmed from.


    And even more so for the Wanlian Buddhist Temple that had existed since the times the first Buddhist sects were established. During the former dynasty, they took turns ruling over the imperial court with the Qingyun School, were regarded as honorable emperor advisors, and enjoyed glory. After the former dynasty collapsed and the land was divided into three countries, Wanlian Buddhist Temple became You¡¯s state religion, and the Qingyun School was invited by Luo¡¯s monarch.


    And so, having both secular political influence and a high cultivation level in Jianghu, if they wanted to defeat the Jianxue Clan, it goes without saying that they could do it.


    But¡ª


    ¡°Why?¡± Fang Suihan remained puzzled after much pondering. ¡°Did the clan master rape Jiang Li¡¯s daughter, or did he kill the parents of some old bald donkey of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe their target wasn¡¯t the clan master.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was distracted by watching Changming. She noticed that they were locked in a fierce stalemate, and it was hard to tell the victor right now.


    Certainly, Yun Hai¡¯s strength was terrifying, but Changming¡¯s spiritual powers were slowly recovering, and the Sifei Sword was supporting him, so for now he could withstand it.


    And if he can¡¯t¡­ Xu Jingxian thought about her current cultivation level, then thought about her thin silk which had been rendered completely useless, and could not help sighing with sorrow.


    If dashixiong Yun was a bit more gullible, she would have grabbed his thigh. But whom should she choose now?


    ¡°If not the clan master, then was it the clan itself?¡±


    Fang Suihan was still standing nearby, asking her boring questions without end.


    Xu Jingxian was distracted from watching the battle, so she was impatient: ¡°I¡¯m going to find the clan master with Shifu, you decide what to do yourself!¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡°When did you get a shifu?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Out of those two who are fighting up there, one is the clan master¡¯s shifu, and the other is the clan master¡¯s dashixiong. The honorable clan master¡¯s shifu saved me in the Nine Layers of the Abyss many times; it was like finding a new parent, and he is like my father now, so I decided to¡ª¡±


    Just as she said this, Changming flew to the side like a kite with a broken string right in front of their eyes, hitting against a peak. Yun Hai¡¯s powerful spiritual powers cut off a small piece of the top of the peak.


    Changming fell to the ground, his life or death unknown, but Yun Hai did not intend to let him go, and continued chasing him.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    Did she recognize him as her shifu a bit too early?


    Changming knew that Yun Hai really wanted him dead.


    Yun Hai¡¯s actions used to be inconsistent, but he stayed with them through the Nine Layers of the Abyss, so Changming inevitably lowered his guard.


    He did not expect an Eight Trigrams Sword Formation to make him obsessed ahead of time tonight.


    And this possessed Yun Hai, who did not recognise anyone, was way more ruthless than the Yun Weisi who was following the Heartless Dao.


    An excruciating pain pierced Changming¡¯s chest, and he could not even see clearly.


    He wanted to vomit blood, but endured.


    A violent gale blew on his face, reaching him in a split second, and Changming used a sword technique again, making the Sifei Sword block in front of him and getting on his feet.


    The Sifei Sword split into seven again, and the sword formation surrounded Yun Hai.


    The Guizhou donkey has exhausted its tricks, so it¡¯s playing the same old one again. Yun Hai did not attach importance to it and raised his sleeve to attack the formation he had already figured out.


    The Guizhou donkey has exhausted its tricks: nothing much left up in the sleeves. The fable: http://www.china.org.cn/learning_chinese/2005-10/28/content_1145587.htm


    But this time it unexpectedly did not crack.


    Yun Hai raised his eyebrows.


    The seven swords were spinning around him, and a white talisman started glowing lightly, forming circles around Yun Hai and suppressing him.


    The talisman was infused with spiritual powers and trapped people inside, shrinking, finally forcing the opponent to lose strength.


    Yun Hai lowered his head and looked under his feet.


    Unexpectedly, there was another formation with layers of complex talismans.


    It turned out that Changming made him come here to fall into this formation. Yun Hai laughed wildly, suddenly stopped, leaped up with overwhelming force, and the Chunzhao Sword flew above his head, bursting into blinding flames. The talismans under his feet cracked, unable to withstand the pressure of his strong spiritual power.


    Changming¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    The Sifei Sword¡¯s spiritual power was boundless, but his body could not bear too much now. Like a sky-high wave crashing against a dam, it could rebel against him. Yun Hai was about to break free from the sword formation¡¯s talisman, but Changming was unable to absorb more spiritual powers from the Sifei Sword to maintain the sword formation.


    Blood was slowly dripping from his mouth and nose, and his hair was dancing fiercely in the wind; the snow-white color seemed to climb up higher.


    ¡°You are still not good enough.¡±


    Yun Hai stepped towards him from the light, sneering with contempt.


    ¡°All these useless things, like demands and worries, will make you die a graveless death.¡±


    Changming closed his eyes and said nothing as the other party picked him up by his neck, leaving him completely at Yun Hai¡¯s mercy.


    Yun Hai was not in a hurry to kill him. On the contrary, he pulled Changming closer, lowered his head to sniff his collarbone. The ice-cold tip of his nose touched Changming¡¯s warm skin, making him shiver.


    This fragrant smell was the taste of Changming¡¯s soul.


    Demons were not allowed into the world because eating souls was the easiest way for them to raise their cultivation level.


    Instead of cultivating painstakingly, it was much better to seize souls, especially the spiritual powers of cultivators, and use them to advance.


    Yun Hai raised his head. Black and red colors were flickering through his eyes, as if they were waves of light. He was deciding whether he should start now or not.


    Changming, maintaining his composure, moved his finger behind his back, forming a sword technique silently.


    Boom!


    The light flourished suddenly and exploded, covering the battlefield, and even Xu Jingxian and Fang Suihan could not see them clearly.


    Xu Jingxian stood abruptly, watching down there from the cliff, yet she could see nothing but the white light.


    After all, should I go or should I not?


    Would she turn into a fish in the moat immediately as she approached them?


    A fish in the moat: when the town gates are on fire, the fish in the moat suffer: innocent people get hurt (people take water from the pond to quench the fire, and the fish die)


    Even if Xu Jingxian¡¯s cultivation had improved, she was still lacking self-confidence, let alone the courage to oppose the clan master¡¯s shixiong.


    Since even the clan master¡¯s shifu was not a match for him, she would be of no use, right?


    Fang Suihan stubbornly continued to make noise.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you go there and check? He has turned obsessed. If you don¡¯t want to go, let¡¯s get out of here quickly. Stop poking your nose into others¡¯ business, or we¡¯ll end up dead here!¡±


    It was not that he did not want to run, but the bones in his legs were all broken, so he had no strength.


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Xu Jingxian said resolutely, turned towards him, restrained him, tore a piece of his sleeve off, and stuffed it into his mouth.


    The world turned silent and calm at once.


    Fang Suihan: ¡­


    Not waiting for Xu Jingxian to come, the light slowly dissipated.


    Yun Hai went out, holding Changming.


    It was not the expected draw with both sides wounded, rather Changming¡­


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    His hair was half-white, scattered all around, and whether he was alive could not be seen clearly since his face was hidden in Yun Hai¡¯s embrace.


    And Yun Hai¡ª


    He was all covered in bloodstains, but his insane red eyes had changed back.


    Xu Jingxian probed: ¡°Daoyou Yun?¡±


    Yun Hai did not answer, but did not give off the impression of being a stranger to her either.


    ¡°Bring all the spiritual herbs and pills from the Jianxue Clan here.¡±


    ¡°Our clan master has many treasures, I will go find them!¡±


    In fact, Xu Jingxian also had treasures, since each cultivator, who was even a little bit talented, collected pills and spiritual grasses these years, but she thought that the clan master¡¯s things were definitely better. Actually, she was poor, and she did not want to show her incompetence anymore.


    ¡°Ah, right, this person is the Jianxue Clan¡¯s Guanhai Peak¡¯s Master Fang. He is good at refining pills. If you want anything, just ask him.¡±


    Now she is addressing him politely as well


    She sold out Fang Suihan easily.


    Fang Suihan could not even move, and his mouth was stuffed, so he could only groan non-stop. It was unknown whether he agreed or disagreed.


    Xu Jingxian helped him translate his words: ¡°Our Peak Master Fang adores having guests, and he is extremely grateful for you saving his life. If I remember correctly, he has a box of Xiangyang Pills. It was refined with as much care as possible for several decades, and it has great effects on wounded people. I¡¯m sure that he is willing to bring it out.¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡­


    Yun Hai said nothing and went inside the building with Changming in his arms. It looked like Fang Suihan¡¯s alchemy room was temporarily taken from him.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun!¡±


    He turned his head to look at Xu Jingxian.


    Xu Jingxian said: ¡°Changming, hum, is the clan master¡¯s shifu fine?¡±


    In truth, she was a little afraid of Yun Hai now because of his deep murderous intent and the strong pressure he had been emitting up until now, and she felt as if he could turn against her any moment.


    The red was still flashing through his eyes in winding streams, as if blood was dripping from the corners of his eyes, which was beautiful yet frightening.


    ¡°Your eyes are bleeding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my blood, it¡¯s his,¡± Yun Hai wiped it off, ¡°He is not in grave danger.¡±


    He said nothing more and entered the room, holding Changming.


    Not in grave danger. In other words, wounded heavily.


    Xu Jingxian wanted to say more, but the alchemy room doors were already closed.


    She and the silenced Fang Suihan looked at each other helplessly.


    ¡°Where are your Xiangyang Pills?¡± Xu Jingxian asked.


    Fang Suihan: ¡­


    He did not answer, but his eyes said, I won¡¯t tell you even if I die.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll find it myself. Anyways, you can¡¯t even move now, and everyone on your Guanhai Peak is dead, so you won¡¯t be able to stop me. When I find something, I will just take it as I please. Don¡¯t blame me for disregarding our co-sect feelings!¡± Xu Jingxian grinned maliciously. She had long since coveted Fang Suihan¡¯s possessions, and if she was not afraid of him scheming against her, she would have already attacked him, not even trying fair means before resorting to force.


    Fang Suihan was so angered that his eyes almost fell from the eye sockets. He groaned twice, expressing his strong will to start a conversation.


    ¡°I can let you speak, but if you start blabbering that nonsense, I will use the situation. Just wait till I beat you up!¡±


    Xu Jingxian warned him first, and then removed the silencing technique from him.


    Fang Suihan blurted out: ¡°Don¡¯t even think about using the Xiangyang Pills!¡±


    Xu Jingxian looked at him as if he was an idiot: ¡°The clan master¡¯s shifu¡¯s wounds need to be treated, and you don¡¯t want to give the medicine?¡±


    Fang Suihan was gnashing his teeth, fuming with rage. If not for her loose tongue, would these people even know about the existence of the Xiangyang Pills?


    Since he started cultivating, he had used up all his efforts, rising early in the morning and sleeping late, to finally refine those thirty six Xiangyang Pills. Originally, he wanted to use them to break through in a moment of need.


    Xu Jingxian could roughly guess his thoughts. She sneered: ¡°With your cultivation level, you won¡¯t be able to get near me even in eight hundred years. This time, everything in the Jianxue Clan has changed. If it wasn¡¯t for the clan master¡¯s shifu and dashixiong, we would have had no chance to get revenge. Use your head and consider your options carefully! If we hadn¡¯t arrived in time, even your bones would have disappeared! You would have been in the nether world already, and even if you had your Xiangyang pills, you could do nothing but cry!¡±


    Fang Suihan was silent for a moment: ¡°Come with me!¡±


    He could not stand on his legs now, and needed Xu Jingxian¡¯s support. Yet Xu Jingxian did not carry him on her back, but gave him a princess carry, making him so angry he could hardly refrain from cursing.


    Fortunately, he endured.


    They never got along, and he knew for sure that if he started cursing, Xu Jingxian could directly throw him down the peak.


    Wherever they went, they saw no one alive in the Jianxue Clan. Those who had already died now had no spiritual powers sustaining them, so they started to putrefy.


    Back then, after Changming broke the skull, the puppets outside started falling one after another. Now, except for Changming and Yun Hai, there were only two living people in the Jianxue Clan.


    Xu Jingxian had already seen it, so she was not surprised, but Fang Suihan would have never imagined the Jianxue Clan turning like this, and was greatly shocked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for three years. Did anything happen outside?¡± She asked Fang Suihan.


    Fang Suihan shook his head vacantly: ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­¡±


    He was obsessed with alchemy, and frequently entered two-weeks retreats in his alchemy room. He did not even care about new maids, whether they were pretty or ugly.


    ¡°I went out once, and heard them say something about the Zhenling Clan and the Twenty Four Mountain Slopes¡¯s Yuan family being exterminated over two nights, and the murderer nowhere to be found. But I was in a rush to go back to alchemy, so I didn¡¯t ask¡­ Stop, let me down.¡±


    Fang Suihan pointed to a well in front of them.


    ¡°I hid the Xiangyang Pills there together with some other random medicines. Bring them all here.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Me?¡±


    Fang Suihan was amused: ¡°Who else, me? How am I supposed to go down there when I¡¯m like this?¡±


    After some time, he found out how he was supposed to go down.


    Fang Suihan was picked up and thrown down the well.

 CH 49

    ¡°I remember vaguely that three years ago someone from the Wanjian Immortal Clan paid us a visit, inviting our clan master to participate in a meeting of some kind. The clan master didn¡¯t respond, and even refused to receive them, ordering subordinates to show them a way out¡­¡±


    The well concealed more than it seemed to. To get to Fang Suihan¡¯s treasures, Xu Jingxian had to go down, while holding him, with her ears still being tortured.


    His voice hit against the well walls and echoed back multiple times, buzzing in Xu Jingxian¡¯s ears.


    To gain some useful information about the changes in the Jianxue Clan over the last three years from his rambling, she had to endure, and did not make him shut up.


    ¡°I remember now. It should have been the Qianlin Assembly. Back then, that person from the Wanjian Immortal Clan said that every famous sect master always comes to the Qianlin Assemblies. There are many demonic cultivators, but only our Jianxue Clan doesn¡¯t show up. The Wanjian Immortal Clan hosted the assembly that year, so they sent people to invite us in hope that our clan master would find some time to attend it.¡±


    ¡°What did the clan master say?¡±


    ¡°He said he might consider it if the old man Jiang Li asks him personally.¡±


    The corners of Xu Jingxian¡¯s mouth twitched.


    ¡°Sounds like him indeed.¡±


    The fact that no one else in the Jianxue Clan except for them two seemed to survive greatly shook Fang Suihan. He struggled to remember every detail pertaining to this matter.


    Because any detail could clarify the situation.


    Fang Suihan questioned, with brows furrowed: ¡°Could it be that Jiang Li massacred the whole Jianxue Clan because the clan master gave him no face? Even our clan master is not that audacious.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was silent for a moment: ¡°I don¡¯t think that he is not audacious enough, rather he is unable to destroy the Wanjian Immortal Clan without help.¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡­


    When demonic sects were pressed into a tight corner, they tended to go to extremes and were bloodthirsty and unruly, so other sects had no respect for them, seeing demonic cultivators as a disgrace. But, facing a tremendous power, the dissident voices dissipated completely. Just like it was with Zhou Keyi: he harassed the small sects that had vowed to be his vassals, taking both men and women from the sects as cultivation furnaces, but other sects never dared to oppose this openly.


    Yet, their moody demonic clan master still had a clear mind and never randomly said he wanted to massacre a sect.


    Since the Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Jianxue Clan had no grievances in the past, why would Jiang Li attack them?


    Beginning with the Nine Layers of the Abyss and ending with the Jianxue Clan¡ªhis traces could be seen everywhere, as if he had been plotting it for a long time. Even her entering the Nine Layers of the Abyss together with Changming was calculated in advance.


    Xu Jingxian said suddenly: ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Wanjian Clan¡¯s candidate for legacy wasn¡¯t Jiang Li, but his shixiong, Yan Xing.¡±


    Candidate for legacy: lit. candidate for taking over the cassock and alms bowl of a Buddhist master passed on to his favorite disciple. In our case, the next clan master position


    Fang Suihan: ¡°Sounds right.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Later, something happened with him, and Yan Xing was seriously wounded, his legs disabled; let alone cultivation, he wasn¡¯t even as strong as a mortal. Naturally, he lost the qualifications to take over the mantle. So, Jiang Li took over the position, finally becoming the Wanjian Immortal¡¯s clan master as of today.¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡°What does that have to do with the Jianxue Clan being slaughtered?¡±


    Xu Jingxian sneered: ¡°Everything needs to be traced back to its origins, but of course your head is too empty to understand it! How can you be sure Jiang Li has no one behind his back, or whether he wants to pull off something even larger in scale? Why did he ask the clan master¡¯s shifu to come to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple on the fifteenth of the seventh month? Obviously, Buddhist sects joined hands with Daoist sects with the reason of defeating Demonic sects! You tell me, is this matter important or is it not? If we don¡¯t solve our inner conflicts, we will all be destroyed one by one! Moreover, you said the Zhenling Clan and the Twenty Four Mountain Slopes were wiped out overnight. They have no connection with Demonic sects, and aren¡¯t related to the Wanjian Immortal Clan at all. They are just small inconspicuous sects. This means that the enemy¡¯s target wasn¡¯t specifically the Jianxue Clan, they decided to start the invasion by weeding out the insignificant sects!¡±


    The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became, until she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and gasped.


    ¡°The clan master¡¯s shifu wasn¡¯t mistaken. The Wanjian Immortal Clan began the preparations for the Liuhe Zhutian Formation several decades ago, and that scheme was very ambitious. They won¡¯t stop even after they have become the largest Daoist sect. Since they even dared to plot against the clan master¡¯s shifu, they are afraid of no man!¡±


    The title she used for him finally attracted Fang Suihan¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You¡¯re mentioning this clan master¡¯s shifu with each breath, but where did he come from? Is it a distant relative you dug out of nowhere?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Have you heard of Jiufang Changming?¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡°Sounds a bit familiar.¡±


    If they weren¡¯t going through a long tunnel in the well, Xu Jingxian would have dropped him to the ground.


    ¡°Do you know anything apart from refining pills?¡±


    Fang Suihan ah-ed: ¡°Is he that Jiufang Changming who colluded with demons and destroyed the Liuhe Zhutian Formation?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t repeat these words in front of him, because I won¡¯t rescue you.¡±


    Fang Suihan was angry: ¡°Isn¡¯t this matter well-known anyways¡­ Wait, even if he is the clan master¡¯s shifu, why are you calling him so intimately? Could it be that you want him to accept you as a disciple?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t particularly impressed with Changming¡¯s identity because the massacre of the Jianxue Clan was more important to him. No matter how dramatic an incident was, it was hard to impress Fang Suihan, who was obsessed with refining pills. His interest in this name, Jiufang Changming, was not as deep as that towards the peerless elixir in front of him.


    ¡°Anyways, the clan master¡¯s shifu treats me well. If he wants to accept me as a disciple, I¡¯ll be glad. If he accepts me, my seniority status will be equal to the clan master¡¯s, and you will have to call me the clan master¡¯s shimei. Ah, it sounds irresistible!¡±


    Her voice sounded leisurely, and although she tried to look calm, Fang Suihan could hear the pride in it clearly.


    Owing to the fact that she was carrying him on her back, he couldn¡¯t say anything, and only sneered silently.


    Being proud can¡¯t kill you!


    Being proud can¡¯t kill you: laughing at someone who is being too proud, while being a bit jealous


    ¡­


    The Sifei Sword and the Chunzhao Sword were floating in the air, slowly flying around in circles and illuminating the person sitting in the center.


    A blue starlight, as if formed by myriads of Milky Way stars, was slowly flowing down, entering his head through the Bohui acupoint.


    Bohui acupoint: located right at the top of one¡¯s head, alleviates headache


    The Supreme yin and yang were repeating in circles.


    Supreme: of the beginning of times


    His expression was hidden under his long scattered hair, but his pale complexion gradually turned better with the two swords¡¯ nourishment.


    Not far away, Yun Weisi was looking at the ground, drawing something with a stick and pondering deeply.


    Several decades ago, an unusual event happened on the Sacred Mountain Wan. Demonic qi leaked into the Human World; Changming noticed this and initiated an investigation.


    The news of demons appearing on the Sacred Mountain Wan soon reached the ears of every large sect. Thus, Ren Haishan of the Kunlun Jian Sect found Changming and proposed that he participate in setting up a Liuhe Zhutian Formation which was supposed to seal the gap completely.


    This formation was organized by Chi Bijiang of the Wanxiang Palace. Changming was proficient in setting formations as well, but he noticed nothing unusual when he was checking it.


    But even though Jiufang Changming was very confident in his abilities, the formation failed. Everyone, including those who were protecting the formation, except for Jiang Li of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, Dugu Chong, and Fu Dongyuan of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, lost their lives there. After that, the three survivors declared that Jiufang Changming had betrayed them halfway and colluded with demons, leading to the collapse of the formation.


    To prevent the Sacred Mountain Wan from being utterly destroyed, Chi Bijiang, Jiang Li and others established the Nine Layers of the Abyss. Because chaotic spiritual powers mixed with demonic qi there, they could calculate the positions of auspicious stars to create this barrier, the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Yun Weisi protected the Nine Layers of the Abyss not because he wanted the best for the Human World, but because he wanted to know the truth.


    The truth about the formation¡¯s failure and his shifu¡¯s death.


    That was what the flood dragon of the Penglai Lake told him. Yun Weisi didn¡¯t remember much of it, and only after meeting Jiufang Changming and investigating the matter with him, did he gradually start to recall the vague details of what happened that year.


    Yun Weisi drew one mountain in the west.


    The Sacred Mountain Wan.


    On the opposite side, he drew another mountain, the Zhongfa Mountain Range.


    The Sacred Mountain Wan had the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and when they were near the Shesheng Peak of the Zhongfa Mountain Range, they found traces of beasts trapped under the earth.


    There was also that flood dragon confined in the Yellow Springs.


    With the stick, he drew a circle in the south-western part.


    The flow of his spiritual powers burned into a white glowing circle that represented the Yellow Springs.


    In the east, the Zhongfa Mountain Range and trapped beasts.


    In the west, the Sacred Mountain Wan and the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    In the south-west, the Yellow Springs.


    On the opposite side, to the north-east, the Jianxue Clan was located.


    He snapped his fingers, and the four locations were connected by rays of light, intersecting in the middle.


    Mountains and rivers, streams and nine provinces of the lands faintly emerged from the image, and the four drawn places seemed very similar to the ones that appeared.


    According to the distances, the other two directions, the southeastern and the northwestern, should be¡­


    His long sleeve gently fluttered, following his fingers, and a shocking guess gradually formed in his thoughts. Even Yun Weisi, who was unmoved by honor and disgrace, could not help but show a surprised expression.


    This is¡ª?!


    ¡°A new Liuhe Zhutian Formation.¡±


    A hoarse voice said his guess aloud.


    At some point, Changming came to his senses. He was holding his forehead, brows furrowed.


    ¡°They want to include everything in the world in it, merge into one every place of the nine provinces and the Darkest Abyss of demons. The Liuhe Zhutian Formation of the Sacred Mountain Wan alone was not enough, so they decided to use the whole world as the chessboard for setting a formation. The Nine Layers of the Abyss is to become one of its pillars.¡±


    Before, he thought that after the defeat on the Sacred Mountain Wan fifty years ago, the Nine Layers of the Abyss was their new goal. Jiang Li used an incarnation to disguise as a disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss and followed them to destroy it completely, breaking the last barrier and releasing the demons.


    But he was wrong. Their enemies¡¯ plan was more ambitious, and it was never limited to the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    In other words, the Nine Layers of the Abyss was only the starting point.


    What they wanted was to use the Nine Layers of the Abyss as one of the strategic points, and to link six places of the world in the east, west, southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest, setting a larger Liuhe Zhutian formation.


    The world was the chessboard, and cultivators, sects, beasts and other creatures were the chess pieces.


    Scattered all over like stars in the sky, yet arranged like the chess pieces, a formation like this required mountains of corpses and seas of blood, but what would be forged, would be something that people would not have imagined in a millenium.


    Although he realised that he was only a chess piece used by others, when Changming was looking at the map of the nine provinces drawn by Yun Weisi, he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration.


    ¡°What a clever and bold idea, even an immortal would be afraid of it!¡±


    If this plan was actually carried out by Jiang Li, he was truly a formidable and worthy enemy.


    ¡°The layout was probably arranged fifty years ago, when that accident took place,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    The mystery was uncovered, and the truth turned out to be harsh and terrifying, far worse beyond what they had originally anticipated.


    Xu Jingxian rushed over excitedly with the Xiangyang Pills, having pocketed two of them for herself in secret, and was ready to give them the rest of the pills while claiming the credit. But she suddenly heard the dialogue between the two, and her breathing slowed down subconsciously. She stood by and listened in a daze, not daring to interrupt Yun Weisi. Even though she had countless questions in her heart, she listened patiently.


    Changming hummed: ¡°They had calculated the failure of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, and created the Nine Layers of the Abyss on the pretext of sealing the gap, luring you out to guard it, and finally use it as a pillar of the formation.¡±


    They were extremely careful, but still made a mistake when they left him alive. After wandering through the Yellow Springs for many years, he managed to escape it. And so, they decided to mend the fold after the sheep was lost, and assumed that he would be killed by Yun Weisi in the Nine Layers of the Abyss; unexpectedly, that fallen-out master and disciple duet not only did not harm each other, but even reached a tacit agreement.


    Although, this tacit agreement was only temporary¡ªYun Weisi never said he dropped the persistent idea of killing his teacher. He just did not want to be a chess piece led by his nose by others, so he agreed to cooperate with Changming for the time being.


    The enemies probably did not rejoice at seeing them working together.


    Having heard this, Xu Jingxian could not hold back any longer.


    She asked a question as well.


    ¡°Although the Jianxue Clan is a big Demonic sect, it¡¯s not even worth mentioning in contrast to the Nine Layers of the Abyss or the Zhongfa Mountains. Why would they use it as a position for the formation?¡±


    ¡°Because of time.¡±


    Changming said indifferently, answering Xu Jingxian¡¯s question. ¡°First of all, the Jianxue Clan is a Demonic sect that never had any reputation in the eyes of others. Even if it¡¯s wiped out, for a while, few will find it strange. Secondly, there is not only the Jianxue Clan, but also sects like the Qixian Sect and villages under the mountains. With all these souls gathered, it is no less than the massacre of Yuru Town. Moreover, there were many cultivator souls that were more useful than the commoner souls of Yuru Town, so the refined Gathering Souls Pearl will be able to support one corner of the formation. Thirdly, and most importantly, they couldn¡¯t wait anymore. The more time passes, the higher the chances of a mishap.¡±


    His voice was getting weaker, and finally disappeared, his head dropping down.


    ¡°Changming?¡± Xu Jingxian was startled.


    The other person was faster than her. He grabbed Changming¡¯s chin and looked at him carefully.


    He did not faint, but simply fell asleep from being tired.


    He slept until daybreak.


    Right before dawn, a dim light shone through the half-open door and windows, painting patterns of light and shadow on the floor.


    Yun Weisi was looking at these patterns, lost in thought, with the Chunzhao Sword in his hand, when his sleeve was tugged at.


    Changming was still not completely awake, and his mind was hazy.


    ¡°After you were obsessed, you became Yun Weisi.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    Changming: ¡°The sky is still dark, why is it you?¡±


    Him and Yun Hai, one belonged to the daytime, the other belonged to the night, and they replaced each other accordingly. Somehow, Changming was already used to it.


    Yun Weisi: ¡°He was too emotional, so it is hard to control the demonic heart and not cause trouble.¡±


    Yun Weisi and Yun Hai seemed to be two different people, but in fact they were one¡ªone consciousness separated into two parts. Actually, they could communicate in their sea of consciousness. Yun Hai could not control the situation, and simply handed the initiative to Yun Weisi, because Yun Weisi cultivated the Heartless Dao, and had some ways of controlling the obsessed heart.


    Changming rolled his sleeve up, but Yun Weisi didn¡¯t object.


    The red line was winding and turning, having reached the wrist, about to go down to the palm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your teacher won¡¯t let you get possessed.¡±


    Changming grabbed his hand firmly and yawned.


    Yun Weisi looked at him sideways. Changming finished saying this sentence and fell asleep again.


    The early sunlight lit up the east, and the rays fell on Changming gently. For some reason, Yun Weisi recalled the Milky Way he saw on the Void Shore.


    The sun was rising and falling, blue seas turned into mulberry fields, and only the stars were always accompanying him.


    Blue seas turned into mulberry fields: great changes in the course of time


    Unchanging through day and night, silent and devoted.


    The half of the red rope was still on Changming¡¯s wrist, tied in a dead knot.


    Yun Weisi raised his hand and loosened it.


    ¡°I remember vaguely that three years ago someone from the Wanjian Immortal Clan paid us a visit, inviting our clan master to participate in a meeting of some kind. The clan master didn¡¯t respond, and even refused to receive them, ordering subordinates to show them a way out¡­¡±


    The well concealed more than it seemed to. To get to Fang Suihan¡¯s treasures, Xu Jingxian had to go down, while holding him, with her ears still being tortured.


    His voice hit against the well walls and echoed back multiple times, buzzing in Xu Jingxian¡¯s ears.


    To gain some useful information about the changes in the Jianxue Clan over the last three years from his rambling, she had to endure, and did not make him shut up.


    ¡°I remember now. It should have been the Qianlin Assembly. Back then, that person from the Wanjian Immortal Clan said that every famous sect master always comes to the Qianlin Assemblies. There are many demonic cultivators, but only our Jianxue Clan doesn¡¯t show up. The Wanjian Immortal Clan hosted the assembly that year, so they sent people to invite us in hope that our clan master would find some time to attend it.¡±


    ¡°What did the clan master say?¡±


    ¡°He said he might consider it if the old man Jiang Li asks him personally.¡±


    The corners of Xu Jingxian¡¯s mouth twitched.


    ¡°Sounds like him indeed.¡±


    The fact that no one else in the Jianxue Clan except for them two seemed to survive greatly shook Fang Suihan. He struggled to remember every detail pertaining to this matter.


    Because any detail could clarify the situation.


    Fang Suihan questioned, with brows furrowed: ¡°Could it be that Jiang Li massacred the whole Jianxue Clan because the clan master gave him no face? Even our clan master is not that audacious.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was silent for a moment: ¡°I don¡¯t think that he is not audacious enough, rather he is unable to destroy the Wanjian Immortal Clan without help.¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡­


    When demonic sects were pressed into a tight corner, they tended to go to extremes and were bloodthirsty and unruly, so other sects had no respect for them, seeing demonic cultivators as a disgrace. But, facing a tremendous power, the dissident voices dissipated completely. Just like it was with Zhou Keyi: he harassed the small sects that had vowed to be his vassals, taking both men and women from the sects as cultivation furnaces, but other sects never dared to oppose this openly.


    Yet, their moody demonic clan master still had a clear mind and never randomly said he wanted to massacre a sect.


    Since the Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Jianxue Clan had no grievances in the past, why would Jiang Li attack them?


    Beginning with the Nine Layers of the Abyss and ending with the Jianxue Clan¡ªhis traces could be seen everywhere, as if he had been plotting it for a long time. Even her entering the Nine Layers of the Abyss together with Changming was calculated in advance.


    Xu Jingxian said suddenly: ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Wanjian Clan¡¯s candidate for legacy wasn¡¯t Jiang Li, but his shixiong, Yan Xing.¡±


    Candidate for legacy: lit. candidate for taking over the cassock and alms bowl of a Buddhist master passed on to his favorite disciple. In our case, the next clan master position


    Fang Suihan: ¡°Sounds right.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Later, something happened with him, and Yan Xing was seriously wounded, his legs disabled; let alone cultivation, he wasn¡¯t even as strong as a mortal. Naturally, he lost the qualifications to take over the mantle. So, Jiang Li took over the position, finally becoming the Wanjian Immortal¡¯s clan master as of today.¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡°What does that have to do with the Jianxue Clan being slaughtered?¡±


    Xu Jingxian sneered: ¡°Everything needs to be traced back to its origins, but of course your head is too empty to understand it! How can you be sure Jiang Li has no one behind his back, or whether he wants to pull off something even larger in scale? Why did he ask the clan master¡¯s shifu to come to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple on the fifteenth of the seventh month? Obviously, Buddhist sects joined hands with Daoist sects with the reason of defeating Demonic sects! You tell me, is this matter important or is it not? If we don¡¯t solve our inner conflicts, we will all be destroyed one by one! Moreover, you said the Zhenling Clan and the Twenty Four Mountain Slopes were wiped out overnight. They have no connection with Demonic sects, and aren¡¯t related to the Wanjian Immortal Clan at all. They are just small inconspicuous sects. This means that the enemy¡¯s target wasn¡¯t specifically the Jianxue Clan, they decided to start the invasion by weeding out the insignificant sects!¡±


    The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became, until she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and gasped.


    ¡°The clan master¡¯s shifu wasn¡¯t mistaken. The Wanjian Immortal Clan began the preparations for the Liuhe Zhutian Formation several decades ago, and that scheme was very ambitious. They won¡¯t stop even after they have become the largest Daoist sect. Since they even dared to plot against the clan master¡¯s shifu, they are afraid of no man!¡±


    The title she used for him finally attracted Fang Suihan¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You¡¯re mentioning this clan master¡¯s shifu with each breath, but where did he come from? Is it a distant relative you dug out of nowhere?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Have you heard of Jiufang Changming?¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡°Sounds a bit familiar.¡±


    If they weren¡¯t going through a long tunnel in the well, Xu Jingxian would have dropped him to the ground.


    ¡°Do you know anything apart from refining pills?¡±


    Fang Suihan ah-ed: ¡°Is he that Jiufang Changming who colluded with demons and destroyed the Liuhe Zhutian Formation?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t repeat these words in front of him, because I won¡¯t rescue you.¡±


    Fang Suihan was angry: ¡°Isn¡¯t this matter well-known anyways¡­ Wait, even if he is the clan master¡¯s shifu, why are you calling him so intimately? Could it be that you want him to accept you as a disciple?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t particularly impressed with Changming¡¯s identity because the massacre of the Jianxue Clan was more important to him. No matter how dramatic an incident was, it was hard to impress Fang Suihan, who was obsessed with refining pills. His interest in this name, Jiufang Changming, was not as deep as that towards the peerless elixir in front of him.


    ¡°Anyways, the clan master¡¯s shifu treats me well. If he wants to accept me as a disciple, I¡¯ll be glad. If he accepts me, my seniority status will be equal to the clan master¡¯s, and you will have to call me the clan master¡¯s shimei. Ah, it sounds irresistible!¡±


    Her voice sounded leisurely, and although she tried to look calm, Fang Suihan could hear the pride in it clearly.


    Owing to the fact that she was carrying him on her back, he couldn¡¯t say anything, and only sneered silently.


    Being proud can¡¯t kill you!


    Being proud can¡¯t kill you: laughing at someone who is being too proud, while being a bit jealous


    ¡­


    The Sifei Sword and the Chunzhao Sword were floating in the air, slowly flying around in circles and illuminating the person sitting in the center.


    A blue starlight, as if formed by myriads of Milky Way stars, was slowly flowing down, entering his head through the Bohui acupoint.


    Bohui acupoint: located right at the top of one¡¯s head, alleviates headache


    The Supreme yin and yang were repeating in circles.


    Supreme: of the beginning of times


    His expression was hidden under his long scattered hair, but his pale complexion gradually turned better with the two swords¡¯ nourishment.


    Not far away, Yun Weisi was looking at the ground, drawing something with a stick and pondering deeply.


    Several decades ago, an unusual event happened on the Sacred Mountain Wan. Demonic qi leaked into the Human World; Changming noticed this and initiated an investigation.


    The news of demons appearing on the Sacred Mountain Wan soon reached the ears of every large sect. Thus, Ren Haishan of the Kunlun Jian Sect found Changming and proposed that he participate in setting up a Liuhe Zhutian Formation which was supposed to seal the gap completely.


    This formation was organized by Chi Bijiang of the Wanxiang Palace. Changming was proficient in setting formations as well, but he noticed nothing unusual when he was checking it.


    But even though Jiufang Changming was very confident in his abilities, the formation failed. Everyone, including those who were protecting the formation, except for Jiang Li of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, Dugu Chong, and Fu Dongyuan of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, lost their lives there. After that, the three survivors declared that Jiufang Changming had betrayed them halfway and colluded with demons, leading to the collapse of the formation.


    To prevent the Sacred Mountain Wan from being utterly destroyed, Chi Bijiang, Jiang Li and others established the Nine Layers of the Abyss. Because chaotic spiritual powers mixed with demonic qi there, they could calculate the positions of auspicious stars to create this barrier, the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Yun Weisi protected the Nine Layers of the Abyss not because he wanted the best for the Human World, but because he wanted to know the truth.


    The truth about the formation¡¯s failure and his shifu¡¯s death.


    That was what the flood dragon of the Penglai Lake told him. Yun Weisi didn¡¯t remember much of it, and only after meeting Jiufang Changming and investigating the matter with him, did he gradually start to recall the vague details of what happened that year.


    Yun Weisi drew one mountain in the west.


    The Sacred Mountain Wan.


    On the opposite side, he drew another mountain, the Zhongfa Mountain Range.


    The Sacred Mountain Wan had the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and when they were near the Shesheng Peak of the Zhongfa Mountain Range, they found traces of beasts trapped under the earth.


    There was also that flood dragon confined in the Yellow Springs.


    With the stick, he drew a circle in the south-western part.


    The flow of his spiritual powers burned into a white glowing circle that represented the Yellow Springs.


    In the east, the Zhongfa Mountain Range and trapped beasts.


    In the west, the Sacred Mountain Wan and the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    In the south-west, the Yellow Springs.


    On the opposite side, to the north-east, the Jianxue Clan was located.


    He snapped his fingers, and the four locations were connected by rays of light, intersecting in the middle.


    Mountains and rivers, streams and nine provinces of the lands faintly emerged from the image, and the four drawn places seemed very similar to the ones that appeared.


    According to the distances, the other two directions, the southeastern and the northwestern, should be¡­


    His long sleeve gently fluttered, following his fingers, and a shocking guess gradually formed in his thoughts. Even Yun Weisi, who was unmoved by honor and disgrace, could not help but show a surprised expression.


    This is¡ª?!


    ¡°A new Liuhe Zhutian Formation.¡±


    A hoarse voice said his guess aloud.


    At some point, Changming came to his senses. He was holding his forehead, brows furrowed.


    ¡°They want to include everything in the world in it, merge into one every place of the nine provinces and the Darkest Abyss of demons. The Liuhe Zhutian Formation of the Sacred Mountain Wan alone was not enough, so they decided to use the whole world as the chessboard for setting a formation. The Nine Layers of the Abyss is to become one of its pillars.¡±


    Before, he thought that after the defeat on the Sacred Mountain Wan fifty years ago, the Nine Layers of the Abyss was their new goal. Jiang Li used an incarnation to disguise as a disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss and followed them to destroy it completely, breaking the last barrier and releasing the demons.


    But he was wrong. Their enemies¡¯ plan was more ambitious, and it was never limited to the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    In other words, the Nine Layers of the Abyss was only the starting point.


    What they wanted was to use the Nine Layers of the Abyss as one of the strategic points, and to link six places of the world in the east, west, southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest, setting a larger Liuhe Zhutian formation.


    The world was the chessboard, and cultivators, sects, beasts and other creatures were the chess pieces.


    Scattered all over like stars in the sky, yet arranged like the chess pieces, a formation like this required mountains of corpses and seas of blood, but what would be forged, would be something that people would not have imagined in a millenium.


    Although he realised that he was only a chess piece used by others, when Changming was looking at the map of the nine provinces drawn by Yun Weisi, he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration.


    ¡°What a clever and bold idea, even an immortal would be afraid of it!¡±


    If this plan was actually carried out by Jiang Li, he was truly a formidable and worthy enemy.


    ¡°The layout was probably arranged fifty years ago, when that accident took place,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    The mystery was uncovered, and the truth turned out to be harsh and terrifying, far worse beyond what they had originally anticipated.


    Xu Jingxian rushed over excitedly with the Xiangyang Pills, having pocketed two of them for herself in secret, and was ready to give them the rest of the pills while claiming the credit. But she suddenly heard the dialogue between the two, and her breathing slowed down subconsciously. She stood by and listened in a daze, not daring to interrupt Yun Weisi. Even though she had countless questions in her heart, she listened patiently.


    Changming hummed: ¡°They had calculated the failure of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, and created the Nine Layers of the Abyss on the pretext of sealing the gap, luring you out to guard it, and finally use it as a pillar of the formation.¡±


    They were extremely careful, but still made a mistake when they left him alive. After wandering through the Yellow Springs for many years, he managed to escape it. And so, they decided to mend the fold after the sheep was lost, and assumed that he would be killed by Yun Weisi in the Nine Layers of the Abyss; unexpectedly, that fallen-out master and disciple duet not only did not harm each other, but even reached a tacit agreement.


    Although, this tacit agreement was only temporary¡ªYun Weisi never said he dropped the persistent idea of killing his teacher. He just did not want to be a chess piece led by his nose by others, so he agreed to cooperate with Changming for the time being.


    The enemies probably did not rejoice at seeing them working together.


    Having heard this, Xu Jingxian could not hold back any longer.


    She asked a question as well.


    ¡°Although the Jianxue Clan is a big Demonic sect, it¡¯s not even worth mentioning in contrast to the Nine Layers of the Abyss or the Zhongfa Mountains. Why would they use it as a position for the formation?¡±


    ¡°Because of time.¡±


    Changming said indifferently, answering Xu Jingxian¡¯s question. ¡°First of all, the Jianxue Clan is a Demonic sect that never had any reputation in the eyes of others. Even if it¡¯s wiped out, for a while, few will find it strange. Secondly, there is not only the Jianxue Clan, but also sects like the Qixian Sect and villages under the mountains. With all these souls gathered, it is no less than the massacre of Yuru Town. Moreover, there were many cultivator souls that were more useful than the commoner souls of Yuru Town, so the refined Gathering Souls Pearl will be able to support one corner of the formation. Thirdly, and most importantly, they couldn¡¯t wait anymore. The more time passes, the higher the chances of a mishap.¡±


    His voice was getting weaker, and finally disappeared, his head dropping down.


    ¡°Changming?¡± Xu Jingxian was startled.


    The other person was faster than her. He grabbed Changming¡¯s chin and looked at him carefully.


    He did not faint, but simply fell asleep from being tired.


    He slept until daybreak.


    Right before dawn, a dim light shone through the half-open door and windows, painting patterns of light and shadow on the floor.


    Yun Weisi was looking at these patterns, lost in thought, with the Chunzhao Sword in his hand, when his sleeve was tugged at.


    Changming was still not completely awake, and his mind was hazy.


    ¡°After you were obsessed, you became Yun Weisi.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    Changming: ¡°The sky is still dark, why is it you?¡±


    Him and Yun Hai, one belonged to the daytime, the other belonged to the night, and they replaced each other accordingly. Somehow, Changming was already used to it.


    Yun Weisi: ¡°He was too emotional, so it is hard to control the demonic heart and not cause trouble.¡±


    Yun Weisi and Yun Hai seemed to be two different people, but in fact they were one¡ªone consciousness separated into two parts. Actually, they could communicate in their sea of consciousness. Yun Hai could not control the situation, and simply handed the initiative to Yun Weisi, because Yun Weisi cultivated the Heartless Dao, and had some ways of controlling the obsessed heart.


    Changming rolled his sleeve up, but Yun Weisi didn¡¯t object.


    The red line was winding and turning, having reached the wrist, about to go down to the palm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your teacher won¡¯t let you get possessed.¡±


    Changming grabbed his hand firmly and yawned.


    Yun Weisi looked at him sideways. Changming finished saying this sentence and fell asleep again.


    The early sunlight lit up the east, and the rays fell on Changming gently. For some reason, Yun Weisi recalled the Milky Way he saw on the Void Shore.


    The sun was rising and falling, blue seas turned into mulberry fields, and only the stars were always accompanying him.


    Blue seas turned into mulberry fields: great changes in the course of time


    Unchanging through day and night, silent and devoted.


    The half of the red rope was still on Changming¡¯s wrist, tied in a dead knot.


    Yun Weisi raised his hand and loosened it.

 CH 50

    Yun Weisi hadn¡¯t slept for a really long period of time.


    For a cultivator, sleeping meant cultivating in meditation.


    Life is too short, and those pursuing the path to immortality could not rest at all.


    But this time, not only did he fall asleep, he even had a dream.


    Perhaps, it happened because he was obsessed earlier; or, maybe, he was influenced by the person sleeping by his side.


    The dream was bizzare and inconsistent, leaping through time.


    He was in a world of ice and snow, with whiteness stretching to the horizon, not a single other color in sight.


    Yun Weisi was standing under a frozen waterfall in a light garment.


    The waterfall was hovering above his head in threads, ready to turn into sharp ice hammers and fall down, piercing his skull.


    His teeth were rattling because of the cold, and his body was shaking against his will. The frost enveloped him, reaching his inner organs, and even his bones were almost frozen.


    Someone was approaching him from a distance.


    This person was getting closer, but the snow was still covering his figure, and he could not be seen clearly.


    Yun Weisi watched the person get near him.


    ¡°Still haven¡¯t finished?¡± Shizun asked.


    He nodded with difficulty. But his neck was frozen stiff, and he was not sure whether he actually nodded.


    ¡°Then continue.¡±


    Shizun said. He looked at Yun Weisi for a short time, turned around again and left without looking back.


    Yun Weisi stood like this for three days and three nights.


    It was not a punishment, but cultivation.


    His cultivation was advancing slowly, and people from the Yuhuang Temple thought it would be hard for him to become a real cultivator.


    Even if no one denied his tenaciousness and decisiveness, being stubborn would occasionally cause harm to people, and those who had no talent did not reach success in the end.


    It was the ruthless truth.


    Harsh circumstances could unveil his hidden potential.


    Yun Weisi came here to cultivate of his own accord, and his shizun had no objections.


    Shizun was always strict, and liked seeing Yun Weisi¡¯s tough cultivation methods.


    He never gave Yun Weisi spiritual pills and medicine, and never let him take shortcuts. Even if Yun Weisi reached a bottleneck, his shizun would only say a few words stingily.


    On the third day, or maybe later, he vaguely got the overall concept.


    His mind was blank, and only his dantian had some spiritual powers, weak and trembling, like a candle in the wind.


    By the time the snowfall went down, his eyes were no longer blurred.


    He blinked, and frost fell down from his eyelashes.


    A person was sitting on a stone far away.


    His head and shoulders were covered with snow. He must have been sitting there for a long time.


    That was Shizun.


    With his cultivation base, there was no need for him to cultivate in a harsh way like this at all. But he was still sitting there, far apart from Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi smiled, forgetting that his face was frozen, and this smile almost made it crack.


    But a smile flourished in his heart slowly, just like early spring touching a frozen lake.


    After that, as much time as Yun Weisi spent there, so did his shizun.


    Up until the moment he learned how to control his spiritual powers, and filled his body with it.


    Some people don¡¯t like to express their thoughts in words, but their thoughts can be seen through their behavior.


    Yun Weisi considered his shizun a very gentle person, who did not know how to express it, and did not think that showing his feelings was needed.


    If you can understand something, it is fate. Shizun would not regret what he missed because of his harshness.


    He fell asleep on the ice-cold ground, but it seemed that someone picked him up. When he woke up after a long time, he could still feel it.


    After his family was exterminated, he thought that he was left all alone in the world.


    If it was not for his shizun, he would have achieved nothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡±


    The scenery changed, and he heard this line.


    His shizun repeated it once again.


    ¡°We broke all ties a long time ago, so don¡¯t follow me anymore. That would only burden you.¡±


    Yun Weisi saw that the other party wanted to go away, so he took two steps forward, gripped his arm, and embraced him tightly.


    ¡°Shizun!¡±


    It was a childish act, and normally he would have been reprimanded for this, but not now.


    This time, his shizun was silent for a long time, and then sighed.


    ¡°Why are you still behaving like a child? You cultivate the Heartless Dao, is that how you should act?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better if I go in your place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I don¡¯t know whether the situation will turn out good or bad. There is no use for the both of us to go. Others think that we¡¯ve fallen out with each other. If I don¡¯t find the one who is controlling this whole thing from behind the scenes soon, they will definitely target you.¡±


    Sad emotions were stirring in Yun Weisi¡¯s heart, as if he had foreseen that Shizun was about to go to an appointment of no return.


    Only if this warmth of their skins touching could last a bit longer.


    His shizun was so powerful, the best one in the world, revered and famous. His enemies never dared face him, and even the most arrogant people bowed their haughty heads in his presence.


    But being powerful does not mean being unrivaled. People¡¯s hearts are like water, and water cannot be still; those who scheme to satisfy their greed will never disappear.


    Shizun had realized that an invisible hand was turning clouds and raising winds around the Liuhe Zhutian Formation behind his back. The enemy was in the dark, while he was in the light; he expected something to go wrong with this formation.


    Turning clouds and raising winds: constantly playing tricks


    But in the end, he agreed to Ren Haishan¡¯s request, and became one of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation¡¯s supporters.


    After that, Yun Weisi had thought countless times: what if he did his best to stop him that year? Would he have managed to stop his shizun from going away?


    It was impossible.


    He always knew the answer.


    If Shizun made a decision, no one could change his mind.


    This person, Jiufang Changming, seemed to act recklessly, based on his whims, making people bristle with anger. If he said he wanted to leave a sect, he left it; if he said he wanted to switch to a new school of cultivation, so he did. He never considered other people¡¯s opinions, and was very harsh on his disciples, so harsh that some of them could not bear it and rebelled against him.


    But Yun Weisi knew that Shizun¡¯s heart was soft.


    Only those who were willing to understand him could see these contrasting sides to him.


    ¡°Then I will wait for you.¡±


    As if he was drifting outside of his own body and yet still staying inside, Yun Weisi heard his own words.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t come back, I will come and find you.¡±


    A hand patted his head.


    Just like years ago, soft but strong.


    He agreed wordlessly, and they understood each other without saying anything.


    In a flash, that warm hand disappeared, and Yun Weisi fell into a boundless fog of utter chaos instead.


    A shrill shriek pierced his ears, and a huge creature stretched its nails, almost slicing off a part of his body.


    From afar, this thing looked like a small hill. It had a hard dark-green shell and scales, reflecting light. Its blood-colored eyes were rotating slowly and menacingly.


    It was originally a regular tiger, but it had been contaminated by demonic qi, so its appearance altered to be this way.


    When the Nine Layers of the Abyss had just appeared, it was full of monsters like this.


    Saliva was dripping down from the fangs in its open mouth. The demonic beast backed off only to take a stand, ready to pounce on him.


    In a flash, it attacked!


    Yun Weisi could not remember how many beasts like this one had been killed by him.


    Some of them used to be common wild animals from the Human World, but had deviated because of demonic qi; some were fish slipping through the net, and came from the Abyss.


    And some were powerful cultivating demons no weaker than the masters of the Human World.


    If he wanted to stand firmly in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, he had to get rid of all these obstacles.


    The Chunzhao Sword sliced his enemy¡¯s belly, and the latter fell to the ground heavily. But it still refused to give up without putting up a final fight, and struggled to lash back at him in the desperate situation.


    The sword pierced its vital point on the neck, and the violently trembling beast finally stopped moving.


    The blood and demonic qi it had emitted before its death sprayed on Yun Weisi.


    He did not mind it. Wiping the blood from his face, Yun Weisi cut it open with a stony expression, taking out its inner core.


    Since he had been staying in the Nine Layers of the Abyss for so long, things like this often happened to him, and he had already lost count of the occasions when demonic qi had reached his body. The threads of this qi permeated him, entering through his skin and hair. Many little drops make an ocean, so, in order to resist this contamination, he cultivated the Heartless Dao day after day, and chose to leave behind all mundane matters, including his own memories; if he could not throw everything away, he could at least seal them away.


    Seal them away in a place no one would find, so that no one would be able to use his weakness.


    If he wanted to find that person, he first needed to to guarantee his own survival, otherwise he would only be a burden.


    But white dew follows the bright moon, and in a blink, hundreds of generations had passed by.


    White dew follows the bright moon: time flows quickly. A line from ±ð¸³  by ½­ÑÍ of the Southern Dynasties. Hundreds of generations is, obviously, a hyperbole


    Would he still remember his original intention, remember that person?


    He could not know.


    Yun Weisi opened his eyes slowly.


    He had not fallen asleep for so long, and this dream was too convoluted and volatile.


    The man who was next to him had disappeared. Voices were coming from the outside.


    The sky was bright, and the door was half-closed.


    Yun Weisi got up and pushed it open.


    ¡°What do you think, are these Xiangyang Pills useful?¡± Xu Jingxian was delighted to offer borrowed flowers to the Buddha.


    Offer borrowed flowers to the Buddha: to win favor by giving others¡¯ belongings


    Fang Suihan was sitting on a wheelchair, too lazy to say half a sentence.


    ¡°Useful,¡± Changming looked down on ordinary pills and medicine, but he praised these Xiangyang Pills highly.


    ¡°Stove flames turn cyan in the hands of the one who is able to refine such pills. His proficiency is that of a grandmaster.¡±


    Stove flames turn cyan: of a high alchemy level: when all impurities disappear, the flames are said to turn blue; also fig. bring skills to perfection


    Xu Jingxian was as happy as if it was her who was being praised.


    ¡°Then use these for now. If it¡¯s not enough, Peak Master Fang will refine some more, he loves alchemy so!¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡­


    His lips were trembling, he wanted to say many things, but was almost helpless now, so he could only speak out carefully: ¡°One Xiangyang Pill of decent quality takes three years of painstaking care to be created, and a high-quality one needs thirty years more. If you finish these, there will be no more!¡±


    Xu Jingxian laughed: ¡°Peak Master Fang, do you refine pills one by one? Why not a whole furnace at once? I don¡¯t know anything about alchemy, but Clan Master¡¯s Shifu does, don¡¯t try to fool him!¡±


    Fang Suihan¡¯s patience was reaching its end.


    Expressions like ¡°temptress¡±, ¡°fox exploiting a tiger¡¯s might¡± and ¡°selling your elder¡¯s cultivated lands without feeling sorry¡± flashed through his mind.


    Fox exploiting a tiger¡¯s might: intimidate people by powerful connections


    Selling an elder¡¯s cultivated lands without feeling sorry: using other¡¯s work without considering the efforts made to finish it


    Toleration turns into gold, I will endure! Fang Suihan opened his twitching mouth: ¡°Your usual pills cannot be compared with the Xiangyang Pills¡­¡±


    Xu Jingxian was quite satisfied to see him humiliated and choking in fury silently, and even her suppressed resentments flew away overnight.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Changming said, ¡°I will go to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.¡±


    Xu Jingxian recalled that skull¡¯s words: ¡°Will the clan master actually be there?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I don¡¯t know, so I have to go.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°I have a teleportation tool, but I¡¯ve never been to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, that domain of bald donkeys. The closest I¡¯ve visited is the capital of Luo. I can get you there.¡±


    Changming decided to go to the Luo Capital first.


    According to their calculations, another one of the six positions for the Liuhe Zhutian Formation using the world as the chessboard was precisely the capital city of Luo.


    ¡°Are you coming as well?¡±


    Xu Jingxian forced a smile: ¡°I shouldn¡¯t go, that killing-everyone environment isn¡¯t good for a timid girl like myself.¡±


    Fang Suihan rolled his eyes.


    A rain red must be falling on the land, since even a temptress of demonic cultivation calls herself a timid girl!


    The rain is red: pigs are flying


    Changming summed up: ¡°This place seems inauspicious, and we can¡¯t say whether they¡¯ve left someone else here. Even if you are not going to Luo Capital, you have to leave the Jianxue Clan as fast as possible. All right, Fang Suihan has difficulty walking now, so you should take him and go.¡±


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t understand why she suddenly got this burden called Fang Suihan.


    It was indeed not safe to remain in the Jianxue Clan, but wandering destitute alone, only with this half-waste burden, was not any safer. The Jianxue Clan had countless enemies who would attack them simultaneously when they heard about the fall of the sect, and they would become tigers bullied by dogs after going down their mountains. Moreover, they were involved in many uncertain cases, and Xu Jingxian could easily imagine their end after the persons standing behind the scenes stumbled upon the two escaped fish, not to mention they were in the light while their enemy was in the dark.


    A tiger bullied by dogs after going down its mountain: a person subjected to humiliation after losing their power


    Apparently, it seemed as if staying by the clan master¡¯s shifu¡¯s side was safer. If they saved the clan master in passing, she would even get the Donghai muslin soon.


    Before, when she entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss, she regretted everything. But in the end she was even lucky enough to stumble upon some Yangzhen Grass.


    The imaginary scales in her heart finally tipped towards one side.


    ¡°I thought this through,¡± she seemed sincere, and her tone was genuine. ¡°If the two seniors go into boiling water or walk into fire alone, I won¡¯t be able to relax. I will accompany you.¡±


    Go into boiling water and walk on fire: make sacrifices for the sake of others


    Fang Suihan sneered at her.


    Without looking back and hesitating, Xu Jingxian kicked his injured leg, quickly and accurately.


    Ah!!!


    A shriek pierced the sky, welcoming the new day.


    ¡­


    The country of Luo, the Luo Capital.


    When the last emperor of the Hong Dynasty left power, the united Empire disintegrated.


    While Changming was wandering through the Yellow Springs, the world had become divided into three parts.


    The Zhaoyue Dynasty and the two countries, Luo and You.


    Mundane politics had no relation to cultivators, but many cultivators mingled in there, raising winds and clouds in hopes of obtaining more profits.


    After all, as the wealthiest people of the Human World, the imperial family had always been able to gather many resources, which could also benefit cultivators.


    While You had the Wanlian Buddhist Temple dictate the official religion, and honored Buddhism deeply, Luo was a country of many schools.


    Although the Qingyun School was distinguished by their monarch, and welcomed them at the court at all times, there was also a place for Daoism and Confucianism, and even some Demonic cultivators mixed in there. After decades had passed, the Luo Capital turned into the most prosperous place in the world. Festivals never came to an end here, and no night curfew was declared. From nightfall to dawn, the lights in the city never went down completely, so this city was also known as the ¡°Capital of Fire¡±, which meant that even at night, it was glowing as bright as during the day.


    Xu Jingxian loved such places, bustling with activity, so she had already visited the Luo Capital to have some fun. But it did not happen often. First of all, she was a demonic cultivator, so she could easily be targeted. Secondly, dragons and snakes had mingled in this place, and bald donkeys she felt reluctant to even see meandering about in this city as there were many Buddhist sects.


    Dragons and snakes mingled: all kinds of people, good or bad


    ¡°I almost forgot, today is the Washing Autumn Festival!¡±


    Streams of people were busily coming and going through the streets, and many had pinwheels of colored paper with flowers depicted on them.


    Fathers were holding their children in their hands, and vendors were trying to sell petals with fresh dewdrops. Sometimes, a carriage of a nobleman passed by, but it would be blocked by the crowd, so the people had to get out of their carriages and walk.


    ¡°What¡¯s a Washing Autumn Festival?¡± Changming didn¡¯t remember such a festival.


    Xu Jingxian said: ¡°Luo was founded in autumn, and their emperor named the day Washing Autumn. Everyone, from the people of the imperial court¡¯s yamens to the common folks, celebrates it on a large scale. But there is no curfew in the Luo Capital, so every day the streets are not much more deserted than today. It¡¯s just that today there are more people.¡±


    Compared to Changming, who just didn¡¯t know the festivals of the dynasty, everything was a complete novelty to Yun Weisi.


    The Nine Layers of the Abyss was ever-changing, but there was no bustling atmosphere of the Human World.


    He had gone to the past with Changming, and even met his biological parents, but that was still different compared to what he saw now.


    It was a real scene of boisterous celebration, just within his reach.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    It was rare for Yun Weisi to get curious about something, even though he still remained expressionless on the surface.


    ¡° ¡®Getting higher each step¡¯.¡±


    Changming reached his hand and piled up several colorful balls of different sizes. These balls were small and not perfectly round, flattened from two opposite sides. Children piled them up, and the highest pile won, hence this game was called ¡®getting higher each step¡¯.


    He placed four or five of them skillfully, and heard Yun Weisi¡¯s voice: ¡°Have you ever bought them for me?¡±


    Changming was slightly stunned. Due to his carelessness, the balls rolled down from his hand, wasting his previous efforts.


    ¡°You remember it?¡±


    The author has something to say:


    Sweet, right?


    Yun Weisi hadn¡¯t slept for a really long period of time.


    For a cultivator, sleeping meant cultivating in meditation.


    Life is too short, and those pursuing the path to immortality could not rest at all.


    But this time, not only did he fall asleep, he even had a dream.


    Perhaps, it happened because he was obsessed earlier; or, maybe, he was influenced by the person sleeping by his side.


    The dream was bizzare and inconsistent, leaping through time.


    He was in a world of ice and snow, with whiteness stretching to the horizon, not a single other color in sight.


    Yun Weisi was standing under a frozen waterfall in a light garment.


    The waterfall was hovering above his head in threads, ready to turn into sharp ice hammers and fall down, piercing his skull.


    His teeth were rattling because of the cold, and his body was shaking against his will. The frost enveloped him, reaching his inner organs, and even his bones were almost frozen.


    Someone was approaching him from a distance.


    This person was getting closer, but the snow was still covering his figure, and he could not be seen clearly.


    Yun Weisi watched the person get near him.


    ¡°Still haven¡¯t finished?¡± Shizun asked.


    He nodded with difficulty. But his neck was frozen stiff, and he was not sure whether he actually nodded.


    ¡°Then continue.¡±


    Shizun said. He looked at Yun Weisi for a short time, turned around again and left without looking back.


    Yun Weisi stood like this for three days and three nights.


    It was not a punishment, but cultivation.


    His cultivation was advancing slowly, and people from the Yuhuang Temple thought it would be hard for him to become a real cultivator.


    Even if no one denied his tenaciousness and decisiveness, being stubborn would occasionally cause harm to people, and those who had no talent did not reach success in the end.


    It was the ruthless truth.


    Harsh circumstances could unveil his hidden potential.


    Yun Weisi came here to cultivate of his own accord, and his shizun had no objections.


    Shizun was always strict, and liked seeing Yun Weisi¡¯s tough cultivation methods.


    He never gave Yun Weisi spiritual pills and medicine, and never let him take shortcuts. Even if Yun Weisi reached a bottleneck, his shizun would only say a few words stingily.


    On the third day, or maybe later, he vaguely got the overall concept.


    His mind was blank, and only his dantian had some spiritual powers, weak and trembling, like a candle in the wind.


    By the time the snowfall went down, his eyes were no longer blurred.


    He blinked, and frost fell down from his eyelashes.


    A person was sitting on a stone far away.


    His head and shoulders were covered with snow. He must have been sitting there for a long time.


    That was Shizun.


    With his cultivation base, there was no need for him to cultivate in a harsh way like this at all. But he was still sitting there, far apart from Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi smiled, forgetting that his face was frozen, and this smile almost made it crack.


    But a smile flourished in his heart slowly, just like early spring touching a frozen lake.


    After that, as much time as Yun Weisi spent there, so did his shizun.


    Up until the moment he learned how to control his spiritual powers, and filled his body with it.


    Some people don¡¯t like to express their thoughts in words, but their thoughts can be seen through their behavior.


    Yun Weisi considered his shizun a very gentle person, who did not know how to express it, and did not think that showing his feelings was needed.


    If you can understand something, it is fate. Shizun would not regret what he missed because of his harshness.


    He fell asleep on the ice-cold ground, but it seemed that someone picked him up. When he woke up after a long time, he could still feel it.


    After his family was exterminated, he thought that he was left all alone in the world.


    If it was not for his shizun, he would have achieved nothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡±


    The scenery changed, and he heard this line.


    His shizun repeated it once again.


    ¡°We broke all ties a long time ago, so don¡¯t follow me anymore. That would only burden you.¡±


    Yun Weisi saw that the other party wanted to go away, so he took two steps forward, gripped his arm, and embraced him tightly.


    ¡°Shizun!¡±


    It was a childish act, and normally he would have been reprimanded for this, but not now.


    This time, his shizun was silent for a long time, and then sighed.


    ¡°Why are you still behaving like a child? You cultivate the Heartless Dao, is that how you should act?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better if I go in your place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I don¡¯t know whether the situation will turn out good or bad. There is no use for the both of us to go. Others think that we¡¯ve fallen out with each other. If I don¡¯t find the one who is controlling this whole thing from behind the scenes soon, they will definitely target you.¡±


    Sad emotions were stirring in Yun Weisi¡¯s heart, as if he had foreseen that Shizun was about to go to an appointment of no return.


    Only if this warmth of their skins touching could last a bit longer.


    His shizun was so powerful, the best one in the world, revered and famous. His enemies never dared face him, and even the most arrogant people bowed their haughty heads in his presence.


    But being powerful does not mean being unrivaled. People¡¯s hearts are like water, and water cannot be still; those who scheme to satisfy their greed will never disappear.


    Shizun had realized that an invisible hand was turning clouds and raising winds around the Liuhe Zhutian Formation behind his back. The enemy was in the dark, while he was in the light; he expected something to go wrong with this formation.


    Turning clouds and raising winds: constantly playing tricks


    But in the end, he agreed to Ren Haishan¡¯s request, and became one of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation¡¯s supporters.


    After that, Yun Weisi had thought countless times: what if he did his best to stop him that year? Would he have managed to stop his shizun from going away?


    It was impossible.


    He always knew the answer.


    If Shizun made a decision, no one could change his mind.


    This person, Jiufang Changming, seemed to act recklessly, based on his whims, making people bristle with anger. If he said he wanted to leave a sect, he left it; if he said he wanted to switch to a new school of cultivation, so he did. He never considered other people¡¯s opinions, and was very harsh on his disciples, so harsh that some of them could not bear it and rebelled against him.


    But Yun Weisi knew that Shizun¡¯s heart was soft.


    Only those who were willing to understand him could see these contrasting sides to him.


    ¡°Then I will wait for you.¡±


    As if he was drifting outside of his own body and yet still staying inside, Yun Weisi heard his own words.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t come back, I will come and find you.¡±


    A hand patted his head.


    Just like years ago, soft but strong.


    He agreed wordlessly, and they understood each other without saying anything.


    In a flash, that warm hand disappeared, and Yun Weisi fell into a boundless fog of utter chaos instead.


    A shrill shriek pierced his ears, and a huge creature stretched its nails, almost slicing off a part of his body.


    From afar, this thing looked like a small hill. It had a hard dark-green shell and scales, reflecting light. Its blood-colored eyes were rotating slowly and menacingly.


    It was originally a regular tiger, but it had been contaminated by demonic qi, so its appearance altered to be this way.


    When the Nine Layers of the Abyss had just appeared, it was full of monsters like this.


    Saliva was dripping down from the fangs in its open mouth. The demonic beast backed off only to take a stand, ready to pounce on him.


    In a flash, it attacked!


    Yun Weisi could not remember how many beasts like this one had been killed by him.


    Some of them used to be common wild animals from the Human World, but had deviated because of demonic qi; some were fish slipping through the net, and came from the Abyss.


    And some were powerful cultivating demons no weaker than the masters of the Human World.


    If he wanted to stand firmly in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, he had to get rid of all these obstacles.


    The Chunzhao Sword sliced his enemy¡¯s belly, and the latter fell to the ground heavily. But it still refused to give up without putting up a final fight, and struggled to lash back at him in the desperate situation.


    The sword pierced its vital point on the neck, and the violently trembling beast finally stopped moving.


    The blood and demonic qi it had emitted before its death sprayed on Yun Weisi.


    He did not mind it. Wiping the blood from his face, Yun Weisi cut it open with a stony expression, taking out its inner core.


    Since he had been staying in the Nine Layers of the Abyss for so long, things like this often happened to him, and he had already lost count of the occasions when demonic qi had reached his body. The threads of this qi permeated him, entering through his skin and hair. Many little drops make an ocean, so, in order to resist this contamination, he cultivated the Heartless Dao day after day, and chose to leave behind all mundane matters, including his own memories; if he could not throw everything away, he could at least seal them away.


    Seal them away in a place no one would find, so that no one would be able to use his weakness.


    If he wanted to find that person, he first needed to to guarantee his own survival, otherwise he would only be a burden.


    But white dew follows the bright moon, and in a blink, hundreds of generations had passed by.


    White dew follows the bright moon: time flows quickly. A line from ±ð¸³  by ½­ÑÍ of the Southern Dynasties. Hundreds of generations is, obviously, a hyperbole


    Would he still remember his original intention, remember that person?


    He could not know.


    Yun Weisi opened his eyes slowly.


    He had not fallen asleep for so long, and this dream was too convoluted and volatile.


    The man who was next to him had disappeared. Voices were coming from the outside.


    The sky was bright, and the door was half-closed.


    Yun Weisi got up and pushed it open.


    ¡°What do you think, are these Xiangyang Pills useful?¡± Xu Jingxian was delighted to offer borrowed flowers to the Buddha.


    Offer borrowed flowers to the Buddha: to win favor by giving others¡¯ belongings


    Fang Suihan was sitting on a wheelchair, too lazy to say half a sentence.


    ¡°Useful,¡± Changming looked down on ordinary pills and medicine, but he praised these Xiangyang Pills highly.


    ¡°Stove flames turn cyan in the hands of the one who is able to refine such pills. His proficiency is that of a grandmaster.¡±


    Stove flames turn cyan: of a high alchemy level: when all impurities disappear, the flames are said to turn blue; also fig. bring skills to perfection


    Xu Jingxian was as happy as if it was her who was being praised.


    ¡°Then use these for now. If it¡¯s not enough, Peak Master Fang will refine some more, he loves alchemy so!¡±


    Fang Suihan: ¡­


    His lips were trembling, he wanted to say many things, but was almost helpless now, so he could only speak out carefully: ¡°One Xiangyang Pill of decent quality takes three years of painstaking care to be created, and a high-quality one needs thirty years more. If you finish these, there will be no more!¡±


    Xu Jingxian laughed: ¡°Peak Master Fang, do you refine pills one by one? Why not a whole furnace at once? I don¡¯t know anything about alchemy, but Clan Master¡¯s Shifu does, don¡¯t try to fool him!¡±


    Fang Suihan¡¯s patience was reaching its end.


    Expressions like ¡°temptress¡±, ¡°fox exploiting a tiger¡¯s might¡± and ¡°selling your elder¡¯s cultivated lands without feeling sorry¡± flashed through his mind.


    Fox exploiting a tiger¡¯s might: intimidate people by powerful connections


    Selling an elder¡¯s cultivated lands without feeling sorry: using other¡¯s work without considering the efforts made to finish it


    Toleration turns into gold, I will endure! Fang Suihan opened his twitching mouth: ¡°Your usual pills cannot be compared with the Xiangyang Pills¡­¡±


    Xu Jingxian was quite satisfied to see him humiliated and choking in fury silently, and even her suppressed resentments flew away overnight.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Changming said, ¡°I will go to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.¡±


    Xu Jingxian recalled that skull¡¯s words: ¡°Will the clan master actually be there?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I don¡¯t know, so I have to go.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°I have a teleportation tool, but I¡¯ve never been to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, that domain of bald donkeys. The closest I¡¯ve visited is the capital of Luo. I can get you there.¡±


    Changming decided to go to the Luo Capital first.


    According to their calculations, another one of the six positions for the Liuhe Zhutian Formation using the world as the chessboard was precisely the capital city of Luo.


    ¡°Are you coming as well?¡±


    Xu Jingxian forced a smile: ¡°I shouldn¡¯t go, that killing-everyone environment isn¡¯t good for a timid girl like myself.¡±


    Fang Suihan rolled his eyes.


    A rain red must be falling on the land, since even a temptress of demonic cultivation calls herself a timid girl!


    The rain is red: pigs are flying


    Changming summed up: ¡°This place seems inauspicious, and we can¡¯t say whether they¡¯ve left someone else here. Even if you are not going to Luo Capital, you have to leave the Jianxue Clan as fast as possible. All right, Fang Suihan has difficulty walking now, so you should take him and go.¡±


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t understand why she suddenly got this burden called Fang Suihan.


    It was indeed not safe to remain in the Jianxue Clan, but wandering destitute alone, only with this half-waste burden, was not any safer. The Jianxue Clan had countless enemies who would attack them simultaneously when they heard about the fall of the sect, and they would become tigers bullied by dogs after going down their mountains. Moreover, they were involved in many uncertain cases, and Xu Jingxian could easily imagine their end after the persons standing behind the scenes stumbled upon the two escaped fish, not to mention they were in the light while their enemy was in the dark.


    A tiger bullied by dogs after going down its mountain: a person subjected to humiliation after losing their power


    Apparently, it seemed as if staying by the clan master¡¯s shifu¡¯s side was safer. If they saved the clan master in passing, she would even get the Donghai muslin soon.


    Before, when she entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss, she regretted everything. But in the end she was even lucky enough to stumble upon some Yangzhen Grass.


    The imaginary scales in her heart finally tipped towards one side.


    ¡°I thought this through,¡± she seemed sincere, and her tone was genuine. ¡°If the two seniors go into boiling water or walk into fire alone, I won¡¯t be able to relax. I will accompany you.¡±


    Go into boiling water and walk on fire: make sacrifices for the sake of others


    Fang Suihan sneered at her.


    Without looking back and hesitating, Xu Jingxian kicked his injured leg, quickly and accurately.


    Ah!!!


    A shriek pierced the sky, welcoming the new day.


    ¡­


    The country of Luo, the Luo Capital.


    When the last emperor of the Hong Dynasty left power, the united Empire disintegrated.


    While Changming was wandering through the Yellow Springs, the world had become divided into three parts.


    The Zhaoyue Dynasty and the two countries, Luo and You.


    Mundane politics had no relation to cultivators, but many cultivators mingled in there, raising winds and clouds in hopes of obtaining more profits.


    After all, as the wealthiest people of the Human World, the imperial family had always been able to gather many resources, which could also benefit cultivators.


    While You had the Wanlian Buddhist Temple dictate the official religion, and honored Buddhism deeply, Luo was a country of many schools.


    Although the Qingyun School was distinguished by their monarch, and welcomed them at the court at all times, there was also a place for Daoism and Confucianism, and even some Demonic cultivators mixed in there. After decades had passed, the Luo Capital turned into the most prosperous place in the world. Festivals never came to an end here, and no night curfew was declared. From nightfall to dawn, the lights in the city never went down completely, so this city was also known as the ¡°Capital of Fire¡±, which meant that even at night, it was glowing as bright as during the day.


    Xu Jingxian loved such places, bustling with activity, so she had already visited the Luo Capital to have some fun. But it did not happen often. First of all, she was a demonic cultivator, so she could easily be targeted. Secondly, dragons and snakes had mingled in this place, and bald donkeys she felt reluctant to even see meandering about in this city as there were many Buddhist sects.


    Dragons and snakes mingled: all kinds of people, good or bad


    ¡°I almost forgot, today is the Washing Autumn Festival!¡±


    Streams of people were busily coming and going through the streets, and many had pinwheels of colored paper with flowers depicted on them.


    Fathers were holding their children in their hands, and vendors were trying to sell petals with fresh dewdrops. Sometimes, a carriage of a nobleman passed by, but it would be blocked by the crowd, so the people had to get out of their carriages and walk.


    ¡°What¡¯s a Washing Autumn Festival?¡± Changming didn¡¯t remember such a festival.


    Xu Jingxian said: ¡°Luo was founded in autumn, and their emperor named the day Washing Autumn. Everyone, from the people of the imperial court¡¯s yamens to the common folks, celebrates it on a large scale. But there is no curfew in the Luo Capital, so every day the streets are not much more deserted than today. It¡¯s just that today there are more people.¡±


    Compared to Changming, who just didn¡¯t know the festivals of the dynasty, everything was a complete novelty to Yun Weisi.


    The Nine Layers of the Abyss was ever-changing, but there was no bustling atmosphere of the Human World.


    He had gone to the past with Changming, and even met his biological parents, but that was still different compared to what he saw now.


    It was a real scene of boisterous celebration, just within his reach.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    It was rare for Yun Weisi to get curious about something, even though he still remained expressionless on the surface.


    ¡° ¡®Getting higher each step¡¯.¡±


    Changming reached his hand and piled up several colorful balls of different sizes. These balls were small and not perfectly round, flattened from two opposite sides. Children piled them up, and the highest pile won, hence this game was called ¡®getting higher each step¡¯.


    He placed four or five of them skillfully, and heard Yun Weisi¡¯s voice: ¡°Have you ever bought them for me?¡±


    Changming was slightly stunned. Due to his carelessness, the balls rolled down from his hand, wasting his previous efforts.


    ¡°You remember it?¡±


    The author has something to say:


    Sweet, right?

 CH 51

    Yun Weisi had a vague memory of it.


    It seemed that after he had that dream, a half-closed door had slowly opened, and many things that were left behind the door started to appear one after another.


    It was the anniversary of his parent¡¯s death, the second year of his apprenticeship.


    Their remains were in the faraway capital, moreover, their enemies had discarded the bodies and bones, leaving them to die without a burial site. The once powerful families, having lost the power struggle, dissolved like windswept clouds.


    His shizun, Jiufang Changming, brought him out to travel to visit an old friend. Because shizun was usually strict, Yun Weisi did not dare to talk about his childish feelings.


    But, when they passed through some village that was holding a fair, he got many toys.


    Nine-link rings [1], ¡®Getting higher each step¡¯, and small animals made of bamboo.


    He was not a small child at that time, and thought that Shizun was buying them for the children of that old friend. Who knew he would simply give them to Yun Weisi, and never take them back.


    Then, Yun Weisi finally understood that these toys were bought for him.


    He could not remember his thoughts at that time very well, but it seemed that he did not know whether to laugh or cry. Shizun had no experience with disciples, and even coaxed children so crudely. At Yun Weisi¡¯s age, he would never be excited about these toys, but he still took them to play for a while. After that, he noticed shizun actually taking the Nine-links rings in his spare time. Since he was not very proficient, and it took more time for him to solve them, Yun Weisi deemed that it was his first time playing. That was when Yun Weisi found out that Shizun did not have much fun during his childhood as well.


    At that time, Yun Weisi actually could not imagine young Jiufang Changming spending his first years on the path of cultivation. Could it be that he was also sitting cross-legged under a frozen waterfall cultivating, looking prim and proper?


    ¡°It seems that you built a twenty-something layer pile.¡±


    Yun Weisi remembered it now. It was roughly half the height of a person.


    After that¡­


    Yun Weisi overturned it.


    He was too impatient and reckless, and the pile of colorful balls that could reach human height fell down.


    Of course, Jiufang Changming would not punish him for a simple thing like this, but his rare high spirits disappeared, and he never built a second pile.


    To coax him, Yun Weisi piled up ice and snow into a tall house in the middle of the night, practicing his ¡®Cutting Ice while Riding the Wind¡¯ skill at the same time. But the next day, when Jiufang Changming opened the door, a gust of wind collapsed the two-story house of ice, and it almost fell down onto his head.


    Yun Weisi failed to coax him, but Shizun did not get angry, and only made him copy the ¡°Scripture of Purity and Stillness¡± several more times.


    ¡­


    He did not try to recall it on purpose, but the seal opened by itself, and the tide poured in.


    ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve recalled many things. This teacher is delighted.¡±


    Changming turned over a bamboo rat in his hands several times, and then slipped it to him.


    ¡°The Luo Capital is too big, and we won¡¯t be able to find clues quickly. Let¡¯s stroll here for a couple of days, and then¡­¡±


    Before he could finish talking, a stream of people rushed in a certain direction, pushing them to the side of the street.


    The scene that was already bustling originally now resembled hot water poured on a frying pan, and people seethed with excitement.


    Everyone raised their heads, looking somewhere with anticipation.


    Xu Jingxian could not wait to come near to see what was going on, so she grabbed a passerby and inquired.


    Soon, that person returned to them and answered.


    ¡°Zhaoyue sent an envoy to the court. They said that this time the princess of Zhaoyue, the most beautiful woman of their country, came as well, and her carriage will pass by here any minute.¡±


    The world was divided into three parts of different strengths.


    Luo was the strongest one, occupying the Central Plains and most of the regions to the north; the second was You, controlling the southeastern regions; and the Zhaoyue Dynasty was the last, confined to one southwestern region.


    The reason why the last country had not been destroyed was because Zhaoyue knew its own place very well, and used the discord between Luo and You to sway between them, bowing to the strong and paying tributes to both of these countries every year. Now, the new empress came to power there, and she was even more eager to compromise and bowed most tactfully and incisively. Not long after the new monarch of Luo ascended the throne, Zhaoyue sent the princess here.


    ¡°This princess is a younger sister of their empress, so she is indeed a direct descendant. In order to win Luo¡¯s favor, they are doing everything they are capable of.¡±


    Xu Jingxian sighed.


    It was hard for her not to compare this princess, who had no freedom to act independently, with herself.


    If she had not resolutely left home and embarked on the path of seeking immortality through cultivation, she would have probably been trapped in her husband¡¯s house raising children, just like any ordinary person, till the end of her life.


    Even brocade garments and jade meals would not have been able to conceal the doom of having no freedom.


    Of course, the competition between cultivators is even more cruel, and she could lose her life at any moment, but at least she did not have to be confined in a small cramped well, looking up at the tiny piece of sky above her head, and had a choice. Killing people to loot their treasures or dying was better than worrying about trifling matters all day long in her husband¡¯s house.


    A human¡¯s life is short, and the most important thing is to live it to your heart¡¯s content.


    The convoy of carriages from Zhaoyue arrived soon.


    The road they were standing on was the major road leading to the Imperial City. The common folk were very curious about the convoy, so they were following it. When the convoy passed by, the road behind it was so packed that not a single drop of water could trickle through.


    Fortunately, the guards of the Imperial City were clearing the way, pushing people aside, so the carriages could move forward smoothly.


    The one in the front was naturally the envoy, a tall person on a big horse, surrounded by guards. The carriage in the middle was gorgeous and unusual. It must have belonged to the Zhaoyue Princess.


    But the carriages were heavily guarded from every side, and the windows were tightly closed, so the crowd could only watch it, heaving sighs and imagining the princess¡¯ appearance to themselves.


    As if hearing the heartfelt wishes of the crowd, the carriage window opened suddenly. An arm, as white as fine jade, pulled the lace curtain, lifting it slightly.


    The face of the beauty, full of curiosity, came into sight. Those who were lucky to see her gasped in admiration. For a short time, it was hard to tell whether the pearls and jade jewellery on her head had lit up her complexion, or the beauty herself had made the jewels look so splendid.


    Changming looked absent-minded as well. He even took a few steps forward to see her more clearly, not noticing his own actions, but a guard of the Imperial City pushed him back.


    The guard glared at Changming and wanted to reprimand him, but saw that he did not look like an ordinary person and had an elegant demeanor, so he swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue and only said: ¡°Don¡¯t act rudely.¡±


    The Luo Capital was a city of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Guards of the Imperial City had seen many extraordinary people, and they would not offend an important person easily.


    Hidden dragons and crouching tigers: talented people concealing their abilities.


    Xu Jingxian saw that princess as well. Surely, the latter was pretty, but there were many beautiful people in the world. No matter how good-looking that princess was, she was only one of the many outstanding people of the mundane world, falling far behind the appearances of the fairy-like cultivators who had left the secular world.


    Could it be that the clan master¡¯s shifu has tasted too many delicacies from the land and the sea, but now saw a simple porridge with a few vegetables occasionally and was attracted to it?


    Xu Jingxian was unwilling to admit it, so she could not help asking: ¡°If you are tempted by that woman, I can capture her and bring her to you.¡±


    Play with it for a night, and all the interest will disappear, right? That was a typical line of thought for a temptress.


    But Changming said: ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen her head ornament?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°There was a precious pearl on the jade crown.¡±


    Changming hummed: ¡°A Moonlight on the Blue Ocean.¡±


    Xu Jingxian, following her nature, only looked at the princess, the so-called beauty of the country, and really did not pay attention to the top of her head.


    Upon hearing his words, she recalled.


    Moonlights on the Blue Ocean were very famous. Both Liu Xiyu¡¯s death in the Qixian Sect and Bei Shu¡¯s in Seven Star Rivers were connected to them.


    Wuqiu, a medicine that confused people¡¯s minds and made them lose control of themselves, was hidden in such pearls.


    Fang Suihan¡¯s feet were not yet healed, and it was inconvenient for him to walk, so he had been settled in a house in the city, while the rest of them followed the convoy to the official residence where the ambassadors from Zhaoyue stayed.


    In order to give the princess a warm welcome, the monarch of Luo ordered people to renovate said residence. Now it looked similar to a palace, and could not insult the princess.


    ¡°We can¡¯t get closer,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    Socressess followed her inside the official residence, as well as a number of cultivators, attending to the monarch of Luo himself; some of them were even masters. They were all here to ensure the ambassador¡¯s safety.


    Of course, Changming wasn¡¯t afraid of these people, but if he attacked them, he would scare away the snake by beating the grass.


    Scare away the snake by beating the grass: alert the enemy


    The appearance of a Moonlight on the Blue Ocean was definitely a bad omen.


    If the princess entered the palace this time and nothing extraordinary happened, she would be left there by the emperor. No matter where the Moonlight on the Blue Ocean on her head came from, it will naturally stay in the palace with her.


    Obviously, the enemies¡¯ target was not the diplomatic procession from Zhaoyue, but the palace inside the Imperial City.


    If the court of Luo¡¯s palace were turned into enemies¡¯ puppets, there would be no doubt that the tragedy of the Jianxue Clan would repeat itself.


    Of course, since Xu Jingxian had thought of it, Changming and Yun Weisi did as well.


    They expected the Luo Capital to have some abnormalities since it was located in the center of the formation, but they never thought they would find such an important clue this fast.


    Xu Jingxian said: ¡°Why don¡¯t we wait till the night falls, and then slip into the palace to investigate?¡±


    No matter how much they looked at it now, they would get no results.


    Changming cleared his throat: ¡°No need to go through such troubles. We can ask Buddhist monks to come and invite the princess to participate in a Buddhist ritual. Given the Qingyun School¡¯s status, the princess of Zhaoyue won¡¯t be able to show them no respect.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was just going to say, ¡±why would Buddhist sects help us¡±, but when she thought it over, she recalled that the clan master¡¯s shifu was actually from a Buddhist sect.


    Coincidentally, the Qingyun School¡¯s current head, Zen Master Buku, was his second disciple.


    But had not this master-disciple couple fallen apart? Would the latter actually give him any face?


    Changming knew her thoughts even without her voicing the question.


    ¡°The Qingyun School only has one temple here, so it¡¯s unlikely that Sun Buku is in charge of it personally; usually, an elder would manage it. But don¡¯t we have the Golden Glass Beads Staff?¡±


    This Buddhist monk¡¯s staff had been put away by Changming for being useless since they left the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Others wished to get this Buddhist tool but could not obtain it. Even if they were not Buddhist monks, it could still assist them in advancing in cultivation. Changming had the Sifei Sword now, so he did not care about this weapon, but people from the Qingyun School were surely willing to go to great lengths in order to get it.


    ¡°Send this Golden Glass Beads Staff to them, and ask them to dispatch people to invite the Zhaoyue princess and the ambassador to listen to their preaching in exchange.¡±


    Xu Jingxian rolled her eyes. Since they had a treasure of a Buddhist temple in their hands, why would they not make life difficult for these bald donkeys?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Clan Master¡¯s Shifu. Leave it to me.¡±


    During this conversation, they were transmitting their voices secretly, and no one else could hear them.


    The noisy crowd of onlookers were bustling about, having surrounded the gates of the official residence. Even though they were blocked by the guardians and could not come closer even half a step, let alone see what the princess looked like, they still refused to leave, as if there was a chance to see her through a crack if they lingered in front of the doors for a bit longer. The three of them, standing behind the crowd, were not particularly conspicuous.


    ¡°Is the Luo Capital so lively every day? It really deserves to be the land of the Son of Heavens.¡±


    The Son of Heavens: the emperor


    The one who said that had come into the city for the first time and was quite impressed.


    His companion answered: ¡°No matter how good-looking this princess of Zhaoyue is, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to catch a glimpse of her anyway, so it¡¯s better to go take a look at Prime Minister Song taking a concubine.¡±


    ¡°Is he taking her today as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Washing Autumn Festival is a rare auspicious day, so many good things are happening today. They finished building that Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda on the eastern side today as well, have you seen it? Countless treasures were brought over there, and it¡¯s just waiting for His Majesty to lead senior monks and Daoist priests to open it!¡±


    The crowd looked at the direction of the described temple, and indeed saw the adorned golden glass top of a pagoda, dazzling with brilliance in the clear sky, and towering high.


    Many people who came to the capital for the first time thought that the pagoda was built long ago, and only after hearing this did they realize that it had just been completed.


    ¡°What do people say about it?¡±


    ¡°They say that a prophet appeared in His Majesty¡¯s dream, and instructed him to establish this pagoda to ensure gentle winds and favourable rains, peace and prosperity in the world! His Majesty also ordered everyone to pay tributes and treasures to this pagoda to appease the immortals. [People from Zhaoyue did not bring many things today, but I think they will have to sacrifice a lot in the pagoda]!¡±


    Gentle winds and favourable rains: good weather for crops¡ªthings are going smoothly for people


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡±


    ¡°But that pagoda is really beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you said Prime Minister Song is taking a concubine. What time is it going to happen?¡±


    ¡°Probably, around noon. In order to avoid the Zhaoyue ambassador¡¯s convoy, they postponed it to take place one shichen later. Prime Minister Song has much authority at the court, and this marriage won¡¯t be any less grand than the convoy of Zhaoyue ambassadors entering the capital. If we go there a bit earlier, maybe we¡¯ll get a good spot and pick up some marriage tips, otherwise there will be nothing left!¡±


    Marriage tips: money given on a happy occasion. Maybe it¡¯s like throwing petals or bouquets at a wedding


    ¡°Go-go-go!¡±


    The rowdy crowd rushed to the prime minister¡¯s residence all together.


    Xu Jingxian was not interested in that prime minister, but was very excited about the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda.


    ¡°Who knows what kind of treasure they are going to offer to this pagoda. Why don¡¯t we find some time to take a look, and maybe pick up a couple of treasures in passing!¡±


    ¡°Others will also think the same way. If there actually are treasures, they¡¯ll be guarded heavily, especially the ones meant for cultivators,¡± Changming said, ¡°Let¡¯s go see that prime minister taking a concubine, and meet with that Minister Song. Maybe then we won¡¯t need to ask the Buddhist sects in a roundabout way, and will mingle in the palace more easily.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°You are that prime minister¡¯s old acquaintance?¡±


    Changming had spent fifty years in the Yellow Springs. If the prime minister of Luo had been in power for fifty years, he would be seventy or eighty years old now.


    But she had met that person before, and he seemed to be in his early thirties. He certainly was not that old.


    Changming asked her in reply: ¡°What¡¯s this Prime Minister Song¡¯s full name?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Seems to be Song Nanyan.¡±


    Changming: ¡°When I was with the Confucianists, I accepted a disciple. His name was also Song Nanyan. If it¡¯s not a coincidence, he should be that Prime Minister Song.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    You really have peaches and plums all over the world!


    Yun Weisi had a vague memory of it.


    It seemed that after he had that dream, a half-closed door had slowly opened, and many things that were left behind the door started to appear one after another.


    It was the anniversary of his parent¡¯s death, the second year of his apprenticeship.


    Their remains were in the faraway capital, moreover, their enemies had discarded the bodies and bones, leaving them to die without a burial site. The once powerful families, having lost the power struggle, dissolved like windswept clouds.


    His shizun, Jiufang Changming, brought him out to travel to visit an old friend. Because shizun was usually strict, Yun Weisi did not dare to talk about his childish feelings.


    But, when they passed through some village that was holding a fair, he got many toys.


    Nine-link rings [1], ¡®Getting higher each step¡¯, and small animals made of bamboo.


    He was not a small child at that time, and thought that Shizun was buying them for the children of that old friend. Who knew he would simply give them to Yun Weisi, and never take them back.


    Then, Yun Weisi finally understood that these toys were bought for him.


    He could not remember his thoughts at that time very well, but it seemed that he did not know whether to laugh or cry. Shizun had no experience with disciples, and even coaxed children so crudely. At Yun Weisi¡¯s age, he would never be excited about these toys, but he still took them to play for a while. After that, he noticed shizun actually taking the Nine-links rings in his spare time. Since he was not very proficient, and it took more time for him to solve them, Yun Weisi deemed that it was his first time playing. That was when Yun Weisi found out that Shizun did not have much fun during his childhood as well.


    At that time, Yun Weisi actually could not imagine young Jiufang Changming spending his first years on the path of cultivation. Could it be that he was also sitting cross-legged under a frozen waterfall cultivating, looking prim and proper?


    ¡°It seems that you built a twenty-something layer pile.¡±


    Yun Weisi remembered it now. It was roughly half the height of a person.


    After that¡­


    Yun Weisi overturned it.


    He was too impatient and reckless, and the pile of colorful balls that could reach human height fell down.


    Of course, Jiufang Changming would not punish him for a simple thing like this, but his rare high spirits disappeared, and he never built a second pile.


    To coax him, Yun Weisi piled up ice and snow into a tall house in the middle of the night, practicing his ¡®Cutting Ice while Riding the Wind¡¯ skill at the same time. But the next day, when Jiufang Changming opened the door, a gust of wind collapsed the two-story house of ice, and it almost fell down onto his head.


    Yun Weisi failed to coax him, but Shizun did not get angry, and only made him copy the ¡°Scripture of Purity and Stillness¡± several more times.


    ¡­


    He did not try to recall it on purpose, but the seal opened by itself, and the tide poured in.


    ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve recalled many things. This teacher is delighted.¡±


    Changming turned over a bamboo rat in his hands several times, and then slipped it to him.


    ¡°The Luo Capital is too big, and we won¡¯t be able to find clues quickly. Let¡¯s stroll here for a couple of days, and then¡­¡±


    Before he could finish talking, a stream of people rushed in a certain direction, pushing them to the side of the street.


    The scene that was already bustling originally now resembled hot water poured on a frying pan, and people seethed with excitement.


    Everyone raised their heads, looking somewhere with anticipation.


    Xu Jingxian could not wait to come near to see what was going on, so she grabbed a passerby and inquired.


    Soon, that person returned to them and answered.


    ¡°Zhaoyue sent an envoy to the court. They said that this time the princess of Zhaoyue, the most beautiful woman of their country, came as well, and her carriage will pass by here any minute.¡±


    The world was divided into three parts of different strengths.


    Luo was the strongest one, occupying the Central Plains and most of the regions to the north; the second was You, controlling the southeastern regions; and the Zhaoyue Dynasty was the last, confined to one southwestern region.


    The reason why the last country had not been destroyed was because Zhaoyue knew its own place very well, and used the discord between Luo and You to sway between them, bowing to the strong and paying tributes to both of these countries every year. Now, the new empress came to power there, and she was even more eager to compromise and bowed most tactfully and incisively. Not long after the new monarch of Luo ascended the throne, Zhaoyue sent the princess here.


    ¡°This princess is a younger sister of their empress, so she is indeed a direct descendant. In order to win Luo¡¯s favor, they are doing everything they are capable of.¡±


    Xu Jingxian sighed.


    It was hard for her not to compare this princess, who had no freedom to act independently, with herself.


    If she had not resolutely left home and embarked on the path of seeking immortality through cultivation, she would have probably been trapped in her husband¡¯s house raising children, just like any ordinary person, till the end of her life.


    Even brocade garments and jade meals would not have been able to conceal the doom of having no freedom.


    Of course, the competition between cultivators is even more cruel, and she could lose her life at any moment, but at least she did not have to be confined in a small cramped well, looking up at the tiny piece of sky above her head, and had a choice. Killing people to loot their treasures or dying was better than worrying about trifling matters all day long in her husband¡¯s house.


    A human¡¯s life is short, and the most important thing is to live it to your heart¡¯s content.


    The convoy of carriages from Zhaoyue arrived soon.


    The road they were standing on was the major road leading to the Imperial City. The common folk were very curious about the convoy, so they were following it. When the convoy passed by, the road behind it was so packed that not a single drop of water could trickle through.


    Fortunately, the guards of the Imperial City were clearing the way, pushing people aside, so the carriages could move forward smoothly.


    The one in the front was naturally the envoy, a tall person on a big horse, surrounded by guards. The carriage in the middle was gorgeous and unusual. It must have belonged to the Zhaoyue Princess.


    But the carriages were heavily guarded from every side, and the windows were tightly closed, so the crowd could only watch it, heaving sighs and imagining the princess¡¯ appearance to themselves.


    As if hearing the heartfelt wishes of the crowd, the carriage window opened suddenly. An arm, as white as fine jade, pulled the lace curtain, lifting it slightly.


    The face of the beauty, full of curiosity, came into sight. Those who were lucky to see her gasped in admiration. For a short time, it was hard to tell whether the pearls and jade jewellery on her head had lit up her complexion, or the beauty herself had made the jewels look so splendid.


    Changming looked absent-minded as well. He even took a few steps forward to see her more clearly, not noticing his own actions, but a guard of the Imperial City pushed him back.


    The guard glared at Changming and wanted to reprimand him, but saw that he did not look like an ordinary person and had an elegant demeanor, so he swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue and only said: ¡°Don¡¯t act rudely.¡±


    The Luo Capital was a city of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Guards of the Imperial City had seen many extraordinary people, and they would not offend an important person easily.


    Hidden dragons and crouching tigers: talented people concealing their abilities.


    Xu Jingxian saw that princess as well. Surely, the latter was pretty, but there were many beautiful people in the world. No matter how good-looking that princess was, she was only one of the many outstanding people of the mundane world, falling far behind the appearances of the fairy-like cultivators who had left the secular world.


    Could it be that the clan master¡¯s shifu has tasted too many delicacies from the land and the sea, but now saw a simple porridge with a few vegetables occasionally and was attracted to it?


    Xu Jingxian was unwilling to admit it, so she could not help asking: ¡°If you are tempted by that woman, I can capture her and bring her to you.¡±


    Play with it for a night, and all the interest will disappear, right? That was a typical line of thought for a temptress.


    But Changming said: ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen her head ornament?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°There was a precious pearl on the jade crown.¡±


    Changming hummed: ¡°A Moonlight on the Blue Ocean.¡±


    Xu Jingxian, following her nature, only looked at the princess, the so-called beauty of the country, and really did not pay attention to the top of her head.


    Upon hearing his words, she recalled.


    Moonlights on the Blue Ocean were very famous. Both Liu Xiyu¡¯s death in the Qixian Sect and Bei Shu¡¯s in Seven Star Rivers were connected to them.


    Wuqiu, a medicine that confused people¡¯s minds and made them lose control of themselves, was hidden in such pearls.


    Fang Suihan¡¯s feet were not yet healed, and it was inconvenient for him to walk, so he had been settled in a house in the city, while the rest of them followed the convoy to the official residence where the ambassadors from Zhaoyue stayed.


    In order to give the princess a warm welcome, the monarch of Luo ordered people to renovate said residence. Now it looked similar to a palace, and could not insult the princess.


    ¡°We can¡¯t get closer,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    Socressess followed her inside the official residence, as well as a number of cultivators, attending to the monarch of Luo himself; some of them were even masters. They were all here to ensure the ambassador¡¯s safety.


    Of course, Changming wasn¡¯t afraid of these people, but if he attacked them, he would scare away the snake by beating the grass.


    Scare away the snake by beating the grass: alert the enemy


    The appearance of a Moonlight on the Blue Ocean was definitely a bad omen.


    If the princess entered the palace this time and nothing extraordinary happened, she would be left there by the emperor. No matter where the Moonlight on the Blue Ocean on her head came from, it will naturally stay in the palace with her.


    Obviously, the enemies¡¯ target was not the diplomatic procession from Zhaoyue, but the palace inside the Imperial City.


    If the court of Luo¡¯s palace were turned into enemies¡¯ puppets, there would be no doubt that the tragedy of the Jianxue Clan would repeat itself.


    Of course, since Xu Jingxian had thought of it, Changming and Yun Weisi did as well.


    They expected the Luo Capital to have some abnormalities since it was located in the center of the formation, but they never thought they would find such an important clue this fast.


    Xu Jingxian said: ¡°Why don¡¯t we wait till the night falls, and then slip into the palace to investigate?¡±


    No matter how much they looked at it now, they would get no results.


    Changming cleared his throat: ¡°No need to go through such troubles. We can ask Buddhist monks to come and invite the princess to participate in a Buddhist ritual. Given the Qingyun School¡¯s status, the princess of Zhaoyue won¡¯t be able to show them no respect.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was just going to say, ¡±why would Buddhist sects help us¡±, but when she thought it over, she recalled that the clan master¡¯s shifu was actually from a Buddhist sect.


    Coincidentally, the Qingyun School¡¯s current head, Zen Master Buku, was his second disciple.


    But had not this master-disciple couple fallen apart? Would the latter actually give him any face?


    Changming knew her thoughts even without her voicing the question.


    ¡°The Qingyun School only has one temple here, so it¡¯s unlikely that Sun Buku is in charge of it personally; usually, an elder would manage it. But don¡¯t we have the Golden Glass Beads Staff?¡±


    This Buddhist monk¡¯s staff had been put away by Changming for being useless since they left the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Others wished to get this Buddhist tool but could not obtain it. Even if they were not Buddhist monks, it could still assist them in advancing in cultivation. Changming had the Sifei Sword now, so he did not care about this weapon, but people from the Qingyun School were surely willing to go to great lengths in order to get it.


    ¡°Send this Golden Glass Beads Staff to them, and ask them to dispatch people to invite the Zhaoyue princess and the ambassador to listen to their preaching in exchange.¡±


    Xu Jingxian rolled her eyes. Since they had a treasure of a Buddhist temple in their hands, why would they not make life difficult for these bald donkeys?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Clan Master¡¯s Shifu. Leave it to me.¡±


    During this conversation, they were transmitting their voices secretly, and no one else could hear them.


    The noisy crowd of onlookers were bustling about, having surrounded the gates of the official residence. Even though they were blocked by the guardians and could not come closer even half a step, let alone see what the princess looked like, they still refused to leave, as if there was a chance to see her through a crack if they lingered in front of the doors for a bit longer. The three of them, standing behind the crowd, were not particularly conspicuous.


    ¡°Is the Luo Capital so lively every day? It really deserves to be the land of the Son of Heavens.¡±


    The Son of Heavens: the emperor


    The one who said that had come into the city for the first time and was quite impressed.


    His companion answered: ¡°No matter how good-looking this princess of Zhaoyue is, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to catch a glimpse of her anyway, so it¡¯s better to go take a look at Prime Minister Song taking a concubine.¡±


    ¡°Is he taking her today as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Washing Autumn Festival is a rare auspicious day, so many good things are happening today. They finished building that Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda on the eastern side today as well, have you seen it? Countless treasures were brought over there, and it¡¯s just waiting for His Majesty to lead senior monks and Daoist priests to open it!¡±


    The crowd looked at the direction of the described temple, and indeed saw the adorned golden glass top of a pagoda, dazzling with brilliance in the clear sky, and towering high.


    Many people who came to the capital for the first time thought that the pagoda was built long ago, and only after hearing this did they realize that it had just been completed.


    ¡°What do people say about it?¡±


    ¡°They say that a prophet appeared in His Majesty¡¯s dream, and instructed him to establish this pagoda to ensure gentle winds and favourable rains, peace and prosperity in the world! His Majesty also ordered everyone to pay tributes and treasures to this pagoda to appease the immortals. [People from Zhaoyue did not bring many things today, but I think they will have to sacrifice a lot in the pagoda]!¡±


    Gentle winds and favourable rains: good weather for crops¡ªthings are going smoothly for people


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡±


    ¡°But that pagoda is really beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you said Prime Minister Song is taking a concubine. What time is it going to happen?¡±


    ¡°Probably, around noon. In order to avoid the Zhaoyue ambassador¡¯s convoy, they postponed it to take place one shichen later. Prime Minister Song has much authority at the court, and this marriage won¡¯t be any less grand than the convoy of Zhaoyue ambassadors entering the capital. If we go there a bit earlier, maybe we¡¯ll get a good spot and pick up some marriage tips, otherwise there will be nothing left!¡±


    Marriage tips: money given on a happy occasion. Maybe it¡¯s like throwing petals or bouquets at a wedding


    ¡°Go-go-go!¡±


    The rowdy crowd rushed to the prime minister¡¯s residence all together.


    Xu Jingxian was not interested in that prime minister, but was very excited about the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda.


    ¡°Who knows what kind of treasure they are going to offer to this pagoda. Why don¡¯t we find some time to take a look, and maybe pick up a couple of treasures in passing!¡±


    ¡°Others will also think the same way. If there actually are treasures, they¡¯ll be guarded heavily, especially the ones meant for cultivators,¡± Changming said, ¡°Let¡¯s go see that prime minister taking a concubine, and meet with that Minister Song. Maybe then we won¡¯t need to ask the Buddhist sects in a roundabout way, and will mingle in the palace more easily.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°You are that prime minister¡¯s old acquaintance?¡±


    Changming had spent fifty years in the Yellow Springs. If the prime minister of Luo had been in power for fifty years, he would be seventy or eighty years old now.


    But she had met that person before, and he seemed to be in his early thirties. He certainly was not that old.


    Changming asked her in reply: ¡°What¡¯s this Prime Minister Song¡¯s full name?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡°Seems to be Song Nanyan.¡±


    Changming: ¡°When I was with the Confucianists, I accepted a disciple. His name was also Song Nanyan. If it¡¯s not a coincidence, he should be that Prime Minister Song.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    You really have peaches and plums all over the world!

 CH 52

    Changming accepting Song Nanyan as a disciple was a curious accident.


    Back then, he had just rebelled against Demonic cultivation, and thought that Confucianism might have something that he could use, so he found a small county town to settle down, and a Confucianist teacher to teach himself. He started learning Confucianism from the basics, just like children, reading ancient books and records. Changming even passed the local examinations and elections, becoming an assistant of the county magistrate. He was in charge of the official dispatches and helped the county magistrate with different matters.


    Naturally, Changming resorted to some tricks as well, such as bribing the prefect¡¯s wife to get acquainted with him later, so that the prefect would appreciate Changming¡¯s talents and give him a recommendation.


    Prefect: administrative division nowadays in China has five levels: there are 23 provinces divided into 333 prefectures, then we have ~3k counties, after that ~50k townships and finally countless villages. So, a prefect is higher than a county magistrate


    The world under Heaven had not yet been divided into three parts at that time, and the Hong Family was leading the government. Examinations for the appointment of officials and recommendations went hand-in-hand, and many loopholes could be exploited. People often relied on connections and money, so even if their performance on the imperial exams was mediocre, they still could get an official position and get promoted step by step.


    Although he usually did things his own way, if he had set himself a goal, he could bow his head in submission to cater to someone¡¯s likes, so, naturally, he won strong support from superiors. Very soon, he got a chance to get promoted, and took over a high-ranking official post, becoming the local parent official.


    Parent official: lit. father-mother official: local magistrate, common speech address


    According to Confucianism, withdrawing from worldly affairs is worse than engaging with secular society, as applying in practice what was learned in the imperial court could benefit common people. Confucian classics were profound and versatile, and the deeper Changming studied it, the more interested he became, and managed government affairs with seeming diligence every day, seeking Confucian truth in documents, official dispatches, and even matters concerning chicken feathers and garlic skins.


    Matters concerning chicken feather and garlic skin: trifles


    In two years, he had almost finished studying the canonical writings of Confucianism, and sent people to find incomplete writings, including the rare works of ancient sages that had been scattered all over the world. Books piled up in the library of his county government office, and his fame as a person who valued books over his life, spread around. Many Confucian scholars paid him visits, asking for guidance, and praised him unreservedly every time he was mentioned. His reputation had even reached the Liuyi Academy of Classical Learning, and they sent someone over to ask whether he wanted to become one of Daru Qiu Bingkun¡¯s disciples. Of course, Changming declined the offer tactfully, but still sent him a letter in reply, saying that he was moved to tears by Daru Qiu Bingkun¡¯s favor, but had too many government affairs on his plate. Moreover, his knowledge was shallow, so he intended to wait until the expiration of his post, and then, after resigning from his official position, he would go to the Liuyi Academy to study there.


    Daru: a Confucian scholar of high virtues


    Because of his high cultivation level, it was easy for him to conceal his name and identity. So, contrary to what one might have expected, Changming lived peacefully and steadily as a county magistrate for two years. No one had ever thought this parent official of a small county town to be the infamous cultivation master who kept all his enemies at bay.


    At that time, Song Nanyan was an ordinary young man of a humble background from the county. His mother had died early, and his father had married a new wife. In order to have one less mouth to feed, Song Nanyan¡¯s stepmother drove him out of the house. He lived on the streets, doing odd jobs to survive, and eating one moment and starving another, with no future prospects. Just like numerous people of other poverty-stricken families, he probably did not even have a chance to find a wife. Not just that, he could die anytime because of an epidemic or a flood, or would be forced to do punishing work due to his circumstances, dying alongside other poor men.


    But, unlike many others, Song Nanyan was clever. He found out that Changming liked planting flowers, and the county gentry with landlords followed the trend and started growing plants as well. Song Nanyan got some flowers to sell them at a place that Changming passed by every day, and one day finally drew his attention. Using his ability to give sly answers, Song Nanyan succeeded in receiving an errand from the county government office. After that, employing all available means, he managed to start auditing the class Changming was giving, even memorising every single word by heart.


    Changming noticed Song Nanyan¡¯s ambitions.


    Having ambitions is not a bad thing, since they can stimulate people to make progress and work harder to achieve their goal. If a cultivator was unambitious, doing nothing more than what was required, perhaps even having a lot of talent could not help them.


    Song Nanyan had more than only ambitions¡ªhe was also talented.


    He had a highly retentive memory, was good at drawing inferences in cultivation, and his comprehension was not worse than Yun Weisi¡¯s. However, his heart was not in cultivation.


    He did not want to tread the elusive path of seeking immortality, but rather wanted a secure official position. He wished to hold authority in the mundane world, so that no one would humiliate him again.


    Changming accepted this disciple.


    Song Nanyan knew that being accepted as a disciple by the county magistrate was already a huge blessing, given his background. He studied diligently, almost drowning in books every day.


    But efforts one can make are limited, and his ambitions were centered elsewhere. Except for studying Confucianism, he learned a bit about Dao cultivation from Changming, mostly to improve his health and retain a vigorous mind.


    After several years of successful studying, Song Nanyan was admitted to the Liuyi Academy through Changming¡¯s recommendation. He bid farewell to his respected teacher and left for the Liuyi Academy.


    The Liuyi Academy was the most prominent Confucian school of that time, its position as high as the Qingyun School¡¯s among Buddhist sects. All Confucian scholars dreamed of using it as a brick to knock on the door.


    A brick to knock on the door: a stepping stone to success


    Song Nanyan could not remain indifferent.


    It was the last time the two of them met.


    Until he left Changming, Song Nanyan did not know how capable his teacher was. After all, those masters of cultivation, resembling immortal beings, never entered the secular world to become officials. Song Nanyan was immensely grateful for his teachings, but could not serve Changming for his whole life without moving forward. His ambitions made him choose the path of living in the secular world.


    Daru Qiu Bingkun of the Liuyi Academy looked favorably on his achievements and wanted to accept him as a direct disciple. Song Nanyan did not want to lose this opportunity, so he wrote a letter to Changming, describing his circumstances. Without even waiting for the response, he went to study under Qiu Bingkun, taking over the position of the daru¡¯s direct disciple, envied by everyone.


    Having many teachers was a common thing for Confucian scholars, but it was different for cultivators. So, for Changming, Song Nanyan accepting Qiu Bingkun as a teacher was tantamount to rebelling against Changming. At that time, the world started to descend into chaos, and Changming was already fed up with his official career, so he resigned and left swiftly.


    Although Song Nanyan never saw Changming again, after graduating from the Liuyi Academy, he gradually rose to an eminent position, using the halo of being Qui Bingkun¡¯s disciple and his recommendations. Even when a new dynasty replaced the old one, he was still climbing up to the blue clouds in light steps. From the poor background of a peasant who had nothing at all, he rose to a position with overwhelming influence, deserving to be called a legend.


    Climbing up to the blue clouds in light steps: getting promotions easily


    The current emperor had only recently succeeded to the throne. The last emperor entrusted his son to this high-ranking official, Song Nanyan, and, as a matter of fact, the latter had a status of a regent who had millions of people under his command. Of course, the ceremony of him taking a concubine was very grand.


    Everyone said that Prime Minister Song Nanyan was guided by an immortal, so he remained eternally young, talented and gentle.


    They had not met for many years, and Changming¡¯s impression of this disciple was not as deep as that of the others.


    If they wanted to investigate the Moonlight on the Blue Ocean, going to Song Nanyan was a bit more convenient than looking for those bald donkeys of the Qingyun School.


    However, it was only more convenient in theory. If he proclaimed himself a teacher of Minister Song who wanted to have a drink during the wedding feast, the guardians would think him to be a lunatic blabbering nonsense. And, if he displayed the flags and thumped the drums, he would scare the snake by beating grass. So, after all, they had to think of another method.


    Displayed the flags and thumped the drums: come out with a big fanfare


    Scare the snake by beating grass: alert the enemy


    Thinking of this, he turned to Xu Jingxian and said affably: ¡°When you wake up from your dreams in the middle of night, don¡¯t you ever wonder how it feels to be a part of a normal family, by marrying a man and raising children?¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    Can I still go back to the Jianxue Clan now?


    ¡­


    Song Nanyan had never gotten a wife, but had many concubines.


    He was not hesitant to admit that he liked beautiful women, since appetite and lust are our nature. Even cultivators could not resist temptations, let alone common mortals like him.


    Appetite and lust are our nature: Mencius¡¯s quote


    When choosing the wife, value virtues; when choosing a concubine, value beauty. Every concubine he had was a famous unsurpassed beauty, including the most famed courtesans from brothels and pretty ladies from small families. He did not care about the number of concubines, and did not chase as many ladies as there were stars in the sky either. Together with the concubine he was marrying today, he only had five or six altogether.


    When choosing the wife, value virtues; when choosing a concubine, value beauty: an ancient idiom, origins unclear. Some say the message is not to take many concubines


    This was not considered extravagant among the rich and powerful.


    Recently, the jokes about him became popular in the markets of the Northern Capital, saying that he ignored the adoration of the princess, and refused the marriage proposed by emperor, but wanted to take a laundress as a concubine.


    Such stories were undoubtedly the favorite after-dinner topic for the common folk. Countless people had surrounded the gate of the prime minister¡¯s residence, and wanted to see the bride¡¯s face with greater enthusiasm than the Zhaoyue princess¡¯. They did not care about the truth and the deeper meaning of the matter, and only thought that since he prefered this laundress to the princess, then she was far more beautiful.


    But their expectations were betrayed.


    The sedan chair was carried all the way from outside to the entrance of the minister¡¯s residence. The bride entered the mansion, supported by a bridesmaid and a maidservant, but her head was covered with a red veil from beginning to end. The weather was uncooperative, and not a single gust of wind raised the veil.


    However, while the bride had a red veil, her maid did not. The latter was a rare beauty dressed in bright pink clothes showing off her good taste. Many people were stunned, saying that Prime Minister Song was surely popular with women, receiving two of them instead of one at a time. Since the maid who was sent as a part of the dowry was so beautiful, her master must have been even more remarkable.


    The minister¡¯s residence was very generous, and money was being scattered all around. People rushed forward to pick it up, and by the time they had finished doing so, it was already too late to see anything but the back of the bride¡¯s head.


    Taking a concubine was much simpler than marrying a wife. It did not require many convoluted rituals, and she did not have to worship her husband¡¯s parents, so the bride was sent directly to the bridal chamber to wait quietly for her husband in the clean new backyard of the Minister¡¯s residence.


    Song Nanyan had drunk a couple cups of wine, and looked a bit tipsy, but was still thinking clearly.


    After all, not many people would dare force someone of his status to drink alcohol.


    The emperor sent congratulatory gifts as well, ruining the rumors of him being displeased with Minister Song rejecting the princess.


    Flattered by everyone as usual, Song Nanyan was laughing courteously, and after half a shichen, he got up and walked to the new yard.


    He met his new concubine by a riverside. It was dawn, and a beautiful woman was washing clothes in a stream, her robes half wet. She truly looked outstanding, but saying that she was better than the princess was still an exaggeration. Everyone knew that the younger sister of the emperor was an unrivalled beauty, but Song Nanyan didn¡¯t want to marry [her since that would require him to accept Buddhism].


    He was already an influential high-ranking official, and having the princess as his wife would not only be useless, but even burdensome.


    He pushed open the half-closed doors.


    The maidservant standing in the doorway greeted him politely, saying with a bright smile: ¡°Minister, welcome to the yard, accept this maid¡¯s respectful congratulations!¡±


    Song Nanyan hummed, but suddenly stopped, took a few steps back and looked at her carefully.


    ¡°Are you the maid accompanying the bride, Lady Tong? How come I¡¯ve never seen you before?¡±


    Xu Jingxian winked: ¡°Replying to the minister: this maid is a new servant in the residence. The housekeeper sent this maid to serve Lady Tong previously, and now this maid has returned to the mansion to wait upon Lady Tong.¡±


    Song Nanyan wanted to say something, but heard her words again: ¡°The housekeeper gave his orders. Since the minister has arrived, this maid will go outside to guard the yard, there is no need to disturb you and Lady Tong. If the minister has any orders, call for this maid.¡±


    She did not wait for his reply, and left, keeping her head lowered.


    Since she was his servant, Song Nanyan could ask for her anytime anyway, so he did not call her again, and walked into the new chamber.


    Red candles were shining in the chamber, illuminating the character for ¡°marriage¡±.


    The new bride was sitting at the edge of the bed upright, her head slightly hanging down, as if she was shyly inviting her husband to remove the veil.


    Song Nanyan smiled and reached his hand out to the veil covering her face.

 CH 53

    Before raising the red veil, embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water, Song Nanyan did not feel particularly worried.


    Mandarin ducks: a symbol of affectionate married couples


    After all, he had taken several concubines. This one was an orchid jade of a humble family, but nothing more than that. He always treated his concubines well, and they lived in the back courtyard until they grew old and started to wither. If they wanted to leave, Song Nanyan did not stop them, so he always felt that he was an extremely generous and tolerant person compared to those high-ranking officials of prominent families, who beat and scolded their wives and concubines without reason.


    An orchid jade: a beauty


    If the woman was gentle, agreeable, clever and tactful, he would pamper her for some time.


    But, when Song Nanyan raised the veil, he was taken aback.


    Although he had experienced many great upheavals, he could not help but retreat a few steps and open his mouth, ready to shout.


    But his voice seemed to have been blocked by a stone. He made a futile attempt, but his voice did not come out.


    Changming waved his sleeve, lifting the illusion.


    Under Song Nanyan¡¯s eyes, the wedding robes on the person in front of him disappeared. The man, whose hair was tied up high on his head with a grey jade crown, and dressed in robes with wide sleeves, was as handsome as an immortal.


    But, more importantly, he seemed a bit familiar.


    No, rather very familiar.


    ¡°Do you still remember me?¡± he asked.


    Song Nanyan was gifted with an extraordinary memory, so of course, he could not have forgotten about him. But he did not dare even consider that possibility.


    Obviously, that man had died many years ago, so how could he appear in front of Song Nanyan, appearing to have come back to life?


    ¡°You¡­¡± Song Nanyan realized he could talk again. ¡°Are you my teacher?¡±


    You: the first ¡®you¡¯ was a casual ¡®you¡¯, and this second one is respectful


    After he voiced that conjecture, his expression turned even more incredulous.


    Changming nodded: ¡°I thought you would¡¯ve forgotten about me after all these years.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you already¡­¡± dead?


    Song Nanyan still remembered that after he went to the Liuyi Academy, he often wrote letters to Changming, telling him about his experiences and his studies of classics.


    Changming replied rarely, usually because he had doubts about some matter and wanted Song Nanyan to ask for advice from the darus of the Liuyi Academy. His letters only had a few mild comments, and he replied to at most one letter out of ten.


    But later Song Nanyan suddenly stopped receiving messages.


    He felt it was strange. He had left his home many years ago, and had no one he could consider close to him except for Changming. But Song Nanyan could not return from afar to investigate the matter. Only after a few years, when he became an official, he sent people to look for Changming, and they reported that Changming had long since disappeared somewhere without even resigning, and not a trace of him could be found.


    At first, Song Nanyan was sending people to inquire about it. But the years passed by, and he did not receive a word from his first teacher. After more than ten years, Song Nanyan firmly believed that he had already died. After becoming an influential official, he returned to his homeland, and built a grand tomb containing his teacher¡¯s personal belongings, erected a memorial tablet, and worshiped him with an air of importance. He even shed some tears, recalling their friendly sentiments, thus showing his grief and filial piety.


    Who would have known that now his shifu would come here in the sedan chair that was supposed to belong to his new concubine, sit on the bed in his bridal chamber, smile at him and say, ¡°Do you still remember me?¡±


    He felt as if he was struck by lightning, or a Buddha had descended into the world.


    A Buddha descended into the world: ¡°one Buddha comes into the world, and two Buddhas cross over to Nirvana¡±: feel more dead than alive


    Song Nanyan could not put into words the emotions he felt at that moment.


    ¡°When did I tell you that I was dead?¡± Changming raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Given how long humans lived, even if Changming had not died by now, he should at least be an aged person.


    But he had not aged even a little bit, and his appearance seemed no different from how it was when they first met.


    Song Nanyan learned some Daoist techniques from his teacher, but he was uninterested, so he only got the basics. Later, he was fortunate enough to receive a certain Buddhist pill. It is said that a cultivator would make great progress after taking it, and people without a cultivation base could stay youthful and show no signs of getting older. Therefore, an ordinary person would have long since aged, but Song Nanyan seemed to be around thirty. If nothing out of the ordinary happened, even if he could not reach the lifespan of a cultivator, he would live much longer than ordinary people.


    Having spent a few decades building his official career, he had long since learned how to fight and plot against others, crawl into Chencang in the darkness, destroy the bridge after crossing the river, and all different kinds of schemes. But deep inside, he was still grateful to his teacher. Perhaps because he left early, and Changming disappeared so soon, the latter¡¯s image in Song Nanyan¡¯s estimation was very grand, as of a high mountain he was looking up and could only yearn to climb. He had never thought that he would see his shifu alive again in this life, and in his bridal chamber at that.


    Crawl into Chencang in the darkness: do one thing under cover of another. Originates from the war activities of some generals back in BC


    A high mountain he was looking up and could only yearn to climb: of a prominent person people admire but can¡¯t surpass. From ¡°Book of Songs¡± (edited by Confucius)


    That is to say, his shifu must be a cultivator as well?


    Otherwise, how could a common man remain unchanged for decades?


    ¡°You guessed it right, I¡¯m a cultivator indeed,¡± Changming seemed to have read his thoughts.


    After getting over the shock, Song Nanyan still had many complicated emotions: ¡°Why haven¡¯t you been looking for me all these years? Do you really see me as a disciple unworthy of mentioning? Years ago, this disciple couldn¡¯t get three meals a day and was starving, clothed in ragged garments, but was fortunate to meet shifu. After that, it was as if I had reached heavens in a single bound, regaining my human dignity. This disciple still remembers how excited I was when you gave me permission to study in your residence¡­¡±


    Changming interrupted him: ¡°Do you still remember why I gave you this name?¡±


    This name: Nanyan, ¡°wordless¡±. CM wanted him to talk less


    Song Nanyan: ¡­


    Changming was very satisfied with this abrupt silence.


    ¡°I encountered something years ago, was stuck in a certain place, and only recently came out. I had to come to you because I was trying to solve something. When the issue is resolved, we can still talk about old matters.¡±


    Song Nanyan: ¡°Please, tell me, Shifu.¡±


    Changming described to him the origins of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and told him that demons might have mixed into the world, waiting for an opportunity to strike, and also mentioned the Moonlight on the Blue Ocean on the head of the Zhaoyue Princess.


    ¡°The princess of Zhaoyue was probably supposed to stay in the emperor¡¯s harem for a long time. If she has malicious intentions, she can easily hurt the Emperor. If you can¡¯t find out who the threat is now, I can follow you to the palace and check it out.¡±


    It was hard for Song Nanyan to digest so much new information that had appeared all of a sudden.


    After all, cultivators were respected everywhere in the world. Although he held much authority, he still had to be careful when dealing with cultivators so as not to offend them, although regular cultivators did not dare be uncourteous towards Song Nanyan, and even cultivation masters, who knew Song Nanyan¡¯s identity, could not ignore his existence. The ways of the world complemented each other. Although cultivators were detached from worldly matters, they still sought mundane power from time to time. For example, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, the official religion of You, who were already respected as arhats in the country. Influential officials, in turn, needed cultivators to protect them, just like Song Nanyan, who had more than ten cultivators in his mansion to guard it from thieves at night in secret.


    But these cultivators still did not manage to stop his teacher from taking the place of his bride.


    That did not mean that his guards were a waste of money, but rather that his teacher was too strong.


    Song Nanyan did not think that he had bad eyesight when it came to selecting people, so he prefered to believe in the second version.


    ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ve heard about disasters caused by demons. In the last years of the previous dynasty, I was an official in the court; although I hadn¡¯t entered the central administration yet, I also heard some secrets. It was said that the last emperor was seduced by a concubine, who was possessed by a demon, and ate something that shouldn¡¯t be eaten. Only then did he get confused and started behaving abnormally. After the new dynasty was founded, the first emperor was guarding the court strictly and tried his best to prevent the old problems from recurring. There are no less than four masters guarding the palace all year round, not to mention the frequent visits of guests. If the people of Zhaoyue are really that bold, I can only say that they are seeking death.¡±


    He collected himself, gradually getting over the fact that ¡°my shifu turned out to be an immortal instead of being dead¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s been many years, but your graceful bearing is still the same. This disciple has been longing for you day and night. Please, teacher, rest here for several days, let me fulfill my duties as your disciple.¡±


    Changming smiled faintly: ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know where your new bride is?¡±


    Song Nanyan choked. He had actually forgotten about this matter.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost certain you haven¡¯t caused her any trouble.¡±


    Changming: ¡°She and her maid fell asleep under the bed, and you should ask someone to wake them up in a while.¡±


    Song Nanyan used the chance to inquire: ¡°That person at the doors¡­¡±


    Changming smiled: ¡°Are you interested in her?¡±


    Song Nanyan gave a hollow laugh: ¡°If you are willing to pull the strings, I can give her the position of the legal wife¡­¡±


    ¡°You can ask her yourself, I¡¯m not a matchmaker.¡±


    Changming thought that although his disciple was doing well in the secular world, there was something very wrong with his taste for women. He actually dared to show his affection to Xu Jingxian. Clearly, he was acting recklessly.


    Xu Jingxian was only acting obediently in front of him because Changming used his strength to make her do as told. Since the very beginning, Xu Jingxian was not good at talking. If Song Nanyan thought that she could be manipulated easily and got along with people simply because of her forced behavior, then he must have been completely blind.


    ¡°Returning to the main subject: among the demons, there are many with advanced cultivation levels, and they have some connections with cultivators. Even a grandmaster can¡¯t easily detect them. I don¡¯t believe in others, only my own eyes. You have to find a chance to help me enter the palace. If you can¡¯t, then I¡¯ll think of another way.¡±


    Changming was speaking indifferently, but the thoughts he was voicing were very conceited.


    Song Nanyan did not know what his master¡¯s cultivation level was, or about the honorable status he used to have. He only listened to the other¡¯s plans, and upon hearing that Changming was going to force his way into the palace if he provided no help, Song Nanyan said hurriedly: ¡°You misunderstood me. It¡¯s not that this disciple doesn¡¯t want to help, but the political situation in the palace is really complex right now. The cultivators attending to the emperor were all picked by either the previous emperor or the empress dowager, and no one was allowed to interfere. I¡¯ve worked hard to become involved in politics these years, yet I can only talk to one or two of them. But you also know that those masters have strange temperaments, so they won¡¯t obey all my orders.¡±


    Changming said thoughtfully: ¡°You are at odds with the empress dowager, and the arrangement of the cultivators around the emperor is your way to compete against her secretly?¡±


    Song Nanyan smiled bitterly: ¡°The teacher is as sharp as always! Yes, the imperial family and ministers have been at odds since ancient times. The empress dowager was born into a powerful family, and always felt I was beneath her. But I was appointed by the last emperor, and have many supporters in court, so she can¡¯t easily remove me. However, when it comes to dealing with the palace¡¯s cultivators, this disciple can¡¯t easily find a way forward. The master who has a good relationship with me is called Han Ye, he is an elder of the Donghai Sect. Let this disciple go and ask for his cooperation first, maybe he can help with the investigation in the palace. He is a very frank and righteous person.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Haven¡¯t you thought of a possibility that demons have infiltrated the palace through the cultivators, and thus they are even harder to detect?¡±


    Song Nanyan froze: ¡°It¡¯s¡­ isn¡¯t it impossible?¡±


    Although he had had many ups and downs in the palace through these years, he was usually dealing with the common people after all. Even though he had witnessed the power of cultivators, he did not understand its depth, and he could hardly grasp the situation.


    Cultivators and the common people seemed to live in different worlds.


    Changming said: ¡°Masters have deployed many barriers around the palace walls. I tried to break in through them, but realized that it would only alert them, which is quite troublesome. If you don¡¯t have a way to get me into the palace, don¡¯t get too concerned about what happens next.¡±


    Song Nanyan was indeed afraid that he would leave to break into the Imperial City by force after a single jarring note in their conversation, and, if the trouble Changming caused escalated, he would be held responsible. So, he might as well sincerely try to find a way to help his shifu.


    ¡°Teacher, there is no rush. I have a way, but it might cause you to feel wronged.¡±


    Changming: ¡°There is nothing wrong with voicing it anyways.¡±


    Song Nanyan coughed lightly a couple of times: ¡°There is a eunuch in my residence who goes to the palace from this mansion regularly to relay messages. If you are not unwilling to be misunderstood, your taking his place could be easily pulled off¡­¡±


    Changming: ¡­


    While they were talking, the sound of quick footsteps came from outside.


    Xu Jingxian had disappeared somewhere, and that person knocked on the door directly.


    ¡°Prime Minister! Prime Minister!¡±


    Song Nanyan frowned: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°The palace sent a messenger. They say something urgent happened!¡±


    Song Nanyan shivered and wanted to answer, but thought of Changming who was still there, and could not help looking at him.


    Changming was not going to escape, and did not move at all.


    Song Nanyan could only let the servant in.


    The housekeeper¡¯s face was already riddled with anxiety, but he was dumbfounded upon entering the room.


    There was no beautiful lady in the bridal chamber decorated with red candles, instead, there was a man sitting next to the neatly dressed groom.


    ¡°What happened, speak quickly!¡± Song Nanyan urged.


    The eunuch who entered the room together with the housekeeper was not elaborating that much, and said at once: ¡°Prime Minister, things are taking a bad turn. His Majesty has contracted an acute disease suddenly, and won¡¯t wake up from a dream. All the imperial physicians have looked at him, but no one knows what has happened. The empress dowager and the masters are with him now, doing every possible thing to help him regain consciousness. The empress dowager asked this servant to invite you to the court to discuss it as soon as possible!¡±


    The Washing Autumn Festival was celebrated all over the country, and the imperial court took a three-day rest. The emperor held a grand ceremony yesterday to offer sacrifices to the ancestors, and he seemed completely fine. How could a grave disease strike him all of a sudden?


    Song Nanyan and the empress dowager had never gotten along. If she had sent someone over, that meant the situation was so urgent and perilous that the empress dowager was unable to handle it herself, and needed Song Nanyan¡¯s help.


    The ambassadors from Zhaoyue had just entered the Northern Capital, and the emperor had not yet granted them an audience; in a few days, it would be the first day of the new year, and the emperor would have to go to the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda to pray for blessings. Him falling ill so suddenly was truly like an earthquake.


    The emperor having troubles was not in Song Nanyan¡¯s interest, since what they needed the most now was stability.


    In just a few moments, he weighed the stakes, and he said immediately: ¡°I will change my clothes and enter the palace with you right now!


    He was taking a concubine today, so he was wearing colorful clothes that were definitely inappropriate to wear into the palace.


    Changming suddenly coughed.


    Song Nanyan: ¡­


    He was silent for a moment: ¡°You should get ready as well, we are going together. I can¡¯t go without you.¡±


    Song Nanyan¡¯s intonation was so ambiguous it was easy to misunderstand.


    But it was a common thing for high-ranking government officials to take a couple of trusted attendants with them, and the messenger from the palace was too worried to think about it much.


    But the housekeeper had never seen Changming, and after hearing what his master said, he looked at this man carefully, and was startled, his heart full of countless terrible fantasies.


    Changming took it very calmly, and let the housekeeper¡¯s eyes pop out.


    On their way to the palace, Song Nanyan kept warning Changming repeatedly.


    ¡°Teacher, this happened too suddenly, and we still don¡¯t know the reason. There are many formidable opponents in the palace, four masters, and countless cultivators of high levels. Teacher should stay next to me, we can¡¯t act blindly lest we attract danger to ourselves.¡±


    He only knew that Changming was a cultivator, but he didn¡¯t understand at all how high his cultivation was. He was very afraid that this teacher whom Song Nanyan had not seen for a long time would die in court.


    Song Nanyan was an old fox manipulating the court for many years, so he could not just cater to any request of some other person. But, for some reason, when he had reconnected with his teacher, he agreed to the latter¡¯s demands without thinking, as if possessed by ghosts or gods, which was nothing like his previous actions. But, since it was already done, Song Nanyan could only summon his courage and bring Changming to the palace.


    Changming swept aside the curtains of the carriage and looked outside.


    The sky was gradually getting dark, and the setting sun had disappeared. The sky above their heads had turned into a dark mass, like a stone rooftop pressing from above. A storm was brewing, making people feel uneasy.


    Song Nanyan took a look as well: ¡°It seems that the weather is bad today. These clouds are really hanging too low, as if they can fall any time.¡±


    Those were not clouds, but visions.


    When demons gathered enough strength to invade, since they did not belong to this world originally, their energy would definitely change the weather.


    There was no doubt that demons were hiding in the Luo Capital, and their cultivation level probably was high.


    A Liuhe Zhutian Formation must have Soul Gathering Pearls to support it.


    The massacre of the Jianxue Sect certainly allowed them to refine a Gathering Souls Pearl, but the souls of the Jianxue Clan were definitely not enough to set a formation on the mountains and rivers of the whole Nine Provinces. Only when countless souls are merged together, and the resentful energy is strong enough to shake the world, would the Gathering Souls Pearls be effective in supporting the formation¡¯s pillars.


    And the Luo Capital, a prosperous place with a huge population, was a container for gathering souls that the other party could only dream of.


    They did not even need to kill anyone, only summon a severe natural disaster, and countless souls would fall into their hands.


    The Luo Capital was located in the Central Plains, and the climate was outstanding in this region. Usually, let alone hailstones, even heavy rainstorms causing a flood did not happen. Autumn had just begun; the sky was clear and the air was crisp. It was a bit dry, but overall the weather was favorable, and the days were peaceful.


    Generally speaking, there was no way for a natural disaster to occur.


    But what if some people created special circumstances?


    ¡°The wind is blowing, Prime Minister, close the curtains quickly!¡±


    A strong gust of wind followed at once, and everyone raised their sleeves to cover themselves. Even the carriage shook slightly, and the horses whinnied restlessly.


    Their guardian hurriedly warned them.


    Changming let the curtains go, but the wind, which had been carrying sand, had already blown some into Song Nanyan¡¯s eyes. He lowered his head and massaged them while complaining.


    ¡°What happened, such strong sandstorms have never occurred here before!¡±


    Very soon, their carriage entered the Imperial City.


    The previous emperor had granted Song Nanyan special privileges, and the latter was not obliged to dismount upon entering the city, so their carriage drove straight in. When they arrived at the stairs of the main palace, Song Nanyan finally got off the carriage together with Changming. They got up the stairs, bypassed the main hall with their escort, and came to the palace where the emperor stayed in his daily life.


    The entrance was carefully guarded, with two or three times more people around than usual. Song Nanyan had no time to look at them much, and only said to Changming: ¡°Things look pretty bad.¡±


    His long years of serving at the court let him quickly determine many things from the number of guards and their expressions.


    Song Nanyan did not have to say much, as the general standing at the doors recognized him.


    But Changming¡¯s way was blocked.


    Just when Song Nanyan wanted to explain Changming¡¯s status, he heard the empress dowager¡¯s anxious voice coming from the inside.


    ¡°Is it Minister Song? Please, come in quickly!¡±


    Naturally, the general would not dare to obstruct their way anymore, so the two of them entered unhindered.


    Many people were standing around the dragon¡¯s bed.


    The empress dowager, imperial doctors and cultivators.


    All the present cultivators had impressive backgrounds. Just as Song Nanyan said, there was an elder of the Donghai Sect, as well as Kuhe of the Qingyun School, the one in charge of defending the Luo Capital. They were both polite with the empress dowager, expressing a respectful attitude.


    Changming was standing behind Song Nanyan with his head slightly lowered, and did not draw attention.


    A eunuch quickly described to Song Nanyan what had happened.


    This morning, palace servants had come to wake up His Majesty. But, no matter how loudly they shouted for him, he did not get up. His Majesty¡¯s expression was nothing out of the ordinary, and his breathing was steady; the night before, he showed no signs of falling ill.


    The empress dowager came to take a look. She called for the imperial doctors at once, but they used every possible method yet still could only fold their hands helplessly. She quickly asked for the cultivation masters who were guarding the Imperial City.


    Zen Master Kuhe and the others took a look at the emperor as well. Although they belonged to different sects, they shared a common goal, and that was to find the emperor¡¯s fleeting spirit.


    But, as for how to retrieve the emperor¡¯s soul, they had different opinions.


    Moreover, their disagreement was quite serious, and they were almost ready to attack each other with daggers.

 CH 54

    According to the emperor¡¯s attendants, His Majesty had been reading for about half a shichen the previous night. Afterwards, he said that he was tired, and wanted to go to sleep.


    Since the emperor was not even in his twenties yet, the empress dowager forbade him from sinking into desire, and, as a result, there were only two maids in his imperial harem. The emperor was not very interested in these matters as well, but young people are attracted to novel things, so he was excited to meet the Zhaoyue princess who was to enter the imperial harem soon. He even wanted to leave the palace incognito and meet the famously beautiful princess in advance, but the empress dowager stopped him.


    The emperor went to bed at his usual shichen, so his attendants did not pay it any special attention. After serving the emperor, they went out of his bedroom and waited for his orders outside; no sounds came from his room. In the morning, they went in to wake up the emperor, but realised that although his expression was serene, it was as if he had entered a deep slumber, and they could not wake him up at all.


    A long time had passed since that morning. At first, the empress dowager only wanted to call for the imperial doctors so that they could make a diagnosis, but no matter how hard they tried, the emperor showed no signs of improvement. So, the empress dowager had no other choice but to ask for the cultivators and Song Nanyan.


    In accordance with custom, the emperor would have to receive the Zhaoyue delegation tomorrow.


    Even if they could use his illness as an excuse to let the emperor stay at his residence for now, he could not avoid seeing any courtiers. After some time, everyone would definitely become suspicious. Luo was only called the strongest country for having a slight advantage in military power, and You had always been eyeing it covetously. If they took the opportunity and joined forces with the Zhaoyue Dynasty and the nomads from the north, in the blink of an eye, they would conquer the whole world as if rolling up a mat, and a foul wind with bloody rain would sweep through the lands.


    Thinking about this, the empress dowager felt nervous. She hurried to put an end to the conflict that might break out at any moment between the four masters.


    ¡°Immortal masters, the emperor¡¯s strange ailment appeared suddenly and seems life-threatening, and even all the imperial doctors are at a loss. I¡¯m utterly perplexed, and can only depend on you!¡±


    The empress dowager¡¯s status could not be disregarded, so the cultivators came closer to the dragon bed and looked at the emperor carefully. The empress dowager, on the other hand, went to Song Nanyan.


    ¡°Minister Song, do you have any suggestions about this matter?¡±


    As if seeing the teacher he had been separated from for many years in his bridal chamber on the day he was meant to take a concubine was not bewildering enough, he now had to face such earth-shattering events. An ordinary person would have scarcely known what to say, but Song Nanyan was worthy of being the prime minister of an empire. He had already thought about it in the carriage, and now spoke in a low voice: ¡°Taking into account the current state of affairs, we should first keep the news within the Imperial City. Anyone who knows anything can¡¯t be let out of the palace lest troubles arise.¡±


    The empress dowager nodded. They usually opposed each other, but now a common goal had united them.


    ¡°Minister Song is absolutely right. I will immediately order the generals of the guards to encircle the Imperial City¡­¡±


    While the two of them were talking, the cultivators were on the verge of starting a dispute again.


    ¡°The Fleeting Soul Technique can¡¯t be used if the victim is far away. We should interrogate everyone near His Majesty, and not a single person can be missed. Only if we find and force the culprit to do so will His Majesty¡¯s injured soul be retrieved!¡±


    Every human had three immortal souls and seven mortal forms. With the Fleeting Soul Technique, it did not mean that all the three immortal souls and seven mortal forms left the body; usually, only immortal souls disappeared, while mortal forms could only exist by relying on the body. Only when the immortal souls were retrieved would the person come to their senses.


    Three immortal souls: Daoists believe that there are two types of souls: hun and po. The hun souls here are: Life Soul, Sense Soul and Spirit Soul.


    Seven mortal forms: the seven po souls are responsible for seven human obsessions: happiness, rage, grief, fear, love, hatred and desire [1].


    Changming was acquainted with the one who was talking. The man¡¯s name was Xie Chunxi; he was the mentor of the Jinque Daoist Temple, a renowned master of cultivation.


    The common folk might think that coming to the imperial palace to guard it was a great honor for the mentor of a temple, but cultivators considered it a disgrace. However, the Jinque Daoist Temple was not at the top of Daoist sects, and since their first mentor¡¯s martyrdom, the Jinque Daoist Temple had been steadily deteriorating. Nowadays, even if they still could not be called a third-rate sect, they could not be mentioned in the same breath with sects like the Celestial Abode Shenxiao either.


    ¡°The requirement of being close to the victim when summoning their immortal souls only applies to common people, while a master of cultivation is able to avoid this restriction; they only need their victim¡¯s birthdate characters and an object they have interacted with. Then, even if they are a thousand li apart, the caster is still able to summon the immortal souls and seize the mortal forms. As I see it, there is no need to go through so much trouble, we should just question every cultivator who often interacts with His Majesty!¡±


    Birthdate characters: bazi, eight characters used in fortune telling: four pairs, including the year, month, day and hour of a person¡¯s birth


    Obviously, the speaker was deliberately expressing this point of view to oppose Xie Chunxi.


    Changming followed the voice and looked at the person. He looked unfamiliar.


    Right around that time, Song Nanyan returned from the empress dowager¡¯s side and answered Changming¡¯s question in a low voice: ¡°He is the master of the Zhenling Clan, Yue Chengbo.¡±


    He was answering Changming and thinking at the same time, Teacher doesn¡¯t know cultivation masters at all, I¡¯m afraid that his cultivation is really no good; he regretted his decision to allow Changming to enter the palace.


    Changming had a vague impression of the Zhenling Clan.


    It was a small sect, inconspicuous among all the sects in the world, but, when he and Yun Weisi travelled to the past on the Void Shore, they went through an adventure together with Nie Emei from the Zhenling Clan.


    Based on the amount of time that had passed between then and now, this Yue Chengbo should have been Nie Emei¡¯s shixiong or shidi.


    The other two are also easy to recognize. Presumably, they were Zen Master Kuhe from the Qingyun School mentioned by Song Nanyan, and Han Ye, an elder of the Donghai Sect.


    Yue Chengbo¡¯s words were aimed directly at Xie Chunxi, pointing towards the latter as the main culprit.


    Xie Chunxi¡¯s anger flared up: ¡°Yue Chengbo, what do you mean by that!¡±


    Yue Chengbo laughed coldly: ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what I mean? Who is always leading His Majesty astray by performing convoluted Daoist arts? His Majesty is full of youthful vigor, so it¡¯s natural for him to go overboard, but do you have no sense of propriety as well?!¡±


    ¡°What do you call convoluted Daoist arts? If His Majesty is interested in the techniques of Daoist sects, naturally, I have to display them. You are also from a Daoist sect, how can you say such words?¡± Xie Chunxi paused, and then sneered, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve forgotten, but your Zhenling Clan started with the Illusion Art of Transforming Spirit, which is no different from those tricks of entertainers who perform in the streets. At most, you are an unorthodox sect, and thus you shouldn¡¯t even be let in any place of culture!¡±


    Han Ye tried to mediate the dispute: ¡°His Majesty still hasn¡¯t regained consciousness. Let¡¯s put aside our prejudices for now. I¡¯ll cast a brick to attract the jade first, and try to wake His Majesty up. If I fail, then you, daoyous, should try as well.¡±


    Cast a brick to attract jade: break the ice


    After saying so, he bent the fingers on his hands while reciting incantations, and stretched out one of his fingers to the emperor¡¯s forehead, letting his spiritual power pour in.


    It was a typical soul-seeking art. It could not only detect pieces of the emperor¡¯s memory before he lost consciousness, but also find free souls compatible with the body. Such methods were slightly different for each sect, but they were the same in essence.


    But, after a short time, he lowered his hands, mocking himself: ¡°This humble one is not skilled enough, so you should look as well.¡±


    Zen Master Kuhe, without saying a word, took a step forward, holding a Buddhist cane in his hands. He put his palms together devoutly, and silently recited a scripture.


    As he was chanting in a low voice, a faint golden light appeared around the emperor¡¯s body. Looking closely, the golden light was actually composed of countless tiny lines of scripture.


    The empress dowager was inadvertently reassured, and stared at the emperor attentively.


    The Qingyun School had an awe-inspiring reputation, so, of course, she placed her hope on Kuhe out of those four men the most.


    But, unfortunately, after enough time to burn one incense stick had passed, the golden light weakened gradually, and the emperor did not get better.


    Kuhe chanted the Buddha¡¯s name: ¡°This poor monk is incompetent. Maybe, if the school master was here, he would have come up with a solution.¡±


    Chanted the Buddha¡¯s name: probably, Amitabha. Like saying amen


    The school master he mentioned was precisely the Qingyun School¡¯s master, Sun Buku.


    Of course, the empress dowager did not doubt Sun Buku¡¯s cultivation level, but he was not in the Luo Capital right now, and a distant water would not quench a fire nearby.


    Yue Lingbo and Xie Chunxi tried as well, but returned without accomplishing anything.


    ¡°This soul-retracting art is very weird. In my opinion, it didn¡¯t come from an orthodox sect. The culprit must have trapped His Majesty¡¯s soul somewhere!¡±


    Hearing these words from Yue Chengbo, Kuhe nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked through the sea of His Majesty¡¯s consciousness, and discovered that the remaining emotions are neither panic nor fear, but rather peace and tranquility, even a bit of happiness.¡±


    Kuhe was highly suspicious about this fact. Normally, a person whose souls were almost captured would be frightened, but the emperor, in contrast, was even happy. It could only mean that the emperor had entered an illusion before his soul was captured, so the culprit could manipulate him as they pleased.


    The emperor was not a cultivator; he was young and weak-willed, which everyone understood. However, the Imperial City was full of layers of barriers and formations from the inside out. It was difficult for an ordinary cultivator to discern them, let alone penetrate them. How did the culprit break through the defenses, march through without meeting resistance, and succeed in assaulting the emperor?


    That is, unless they were originally inside the Imperial City.


    The empress dowager almost failed to maintain her calm appearance.


    ¡°Then what should we do now?¡±


    Yue Chengbo said: ¡°An accident happened to His Majesty. In theory, someone should act as a regent. But then the news will spill out, and His Majesty¡¯s uncle, King Hui, will surely rise in revolt. As far as I know, Mentor Xie has good rapport with King Hui.¡±


    Xie Chunxi¡¯s expression darkened: ¡°I only have a casual acquaintance with King Hui. Yue Chengbo, you are not trying to help His Majesty at all, only concentrating your attention on me, just how mean are you? Is it possible that this is the case of the guilty party complaining first? Then you are the most suspicious person!¡±


    ¡°Daoyou, since you came here, why are you keeping silent?¡±


    While the two were quarreling, Kuhe turned to the other side and suddenly spoke.


    He was addressing Changming.


    Changming was standing in a corner silently and inconspicuously, but Kuhe paid attention to him.


    After all, his cultivation level was the highest among the four of them, so he noticed that Changming was suppressing his cultivation level, and was not actually a common person.


    Song Nanyan was even more worried than if he had been singled out himself.


    Changming smiled: ¡°My cultivation level is so humble that it¡¯s not even worth mentioning. I can only listen to you all with respectful attention.¡±


    Although he said he was listening to them with respectful attention, it was obvious from his expression that he was not a low-grade cultivator, but rather had extensive experience, so he could not even pretend to be ignorant.


    Xie Chunxi squinted.


    ¡°Daoyou, you look unfamiliar, which sect did you come from?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I have no sect and no faction, I¡¯m a rogue cultivator.¡±


    Xie Chunxi: ¡°Even if you are a rogue cultivator, don¡¯t you have a master?¡±


    Changming: ¡°My teacher was an idler from remote highlands, his name is unknown here.¡±


    Xie Chunxi only felt this person was even more suspicious.


    ¡°Even idlers from remote highlands have teachings they follow. You¡¯ve never entered the palace before, and now, precisely when something has happened to His Majesty, you are here. How can there be such a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°Mentor Xie, this man is my first teacher. We haven¡¯t seen each other for many years, and he is visiting the capital to see me. When I heard something happened with His Majesty, I decided to take my teacher with me to the palace in the hope that he¡¯ll be able to assist.¡±


    Song Nanyan had come forward to explain, because he felt that Xie Chunxi was too aggressive. Not only him, all four cultivators had to be polite in front of the empress dowager. Moreover, after the accident with the emperor, he could not afford to offend her.


    He silently took note of this, preparing to wait for a convenient moment to settle accounts.


    ¡°Teacher? As far as I remember, Minister Song¡¯s first teacher was Qiu Bingkun from the Liuyi Academy. How did he suddenly transform into this person? Could it be that Daru Qiu has shaved his beard overnight, and even changed his face?¡±


    Xie Chunxi made it clear that he did not believe him, and even reached out to test him.


    In Song Nanyan¡¯s opinion, this one surnamed Xie was trying to shift attention from his dispute with Yue Chengbo, and he was doing so by making life difficult for Changming.


    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±


    But Xie Chunxi had stretched out his hand too fast, and Song Nanyan did not manage to stop him.


    Xie Chunxi turned a deaf ear to his words, grabbed Changming¡¯s shoulder, and wanted to test his background.


    But Xie Chunxi¡¯s expression suddenly froze when he almost touched his opponent.


    Why was he suddenly grabbing only air?!


    Xie Chunxi reacted extremely quickly, and his spiritual powers immediately flowed from his palm, splitting into several strands to bind the other.


    Changming waved his sleeves, and, to Xie Chunxi¡¯s surprise, stopped them.


    The two of them exchanged several moves, but not only did this nameless rogue cultivator not fall into a disadvantageous position, he even seemed to fight with ease, accomplishing a great task with little effort by making clever maneuvers.


    Xie Chunxi was outraged. He could not believe he had met with such misfortune!


    Originally, he had no intention to draw his sword, but, if he failed to subdue this person now, he would turn into a laughing stock who was taught a lesson instead of teaching one, in front of Yue Chengbo and the others.


    ¡°You really are suspicious!¡±


    Xie Chunxi took the initiative to gain the upper hand, by simultaneously leveling an accusation against his opponent and summoning his sword with a gesture of his hand. It shone with white light, and swiftly flew towards Changming.


    The white light split into a myriad of rays halfway, creating a thousand illusions, and sweeping away all the obstacles in its way.


    Song Nanyan could not help but gasp.


    The glowing sword stung his eyes, and he inevitably raised his hand to protect himself from it.


    But his heart was beating so violently it could almost jump out of his chest.


    If he knew earlier, he would not have taken his teacher with him. But it was already too late to regret his decision. He could not have anticipated that Xie Chunxi and Yue Chengbo would start to argue, and then decide to divert the calamitous waters to Changming, making his life difficult.


    Song Nanyan was both worried and angry. They did not take Changming seriously at all, and did not even attach any importance to Song Nanyan.


    The mentor of the Jinque Daoist Temple, a brilliant master of cultivation, suddenly found fault with a nameless rogue cultivator. He poured around seventy or eighty percent of his spiritual power into this attack, and a typical high-level cultivator would not have been able to withstand it at all.


    A thousand pounds were hanging by a thread; no one would have managed to stop him now.


    A thousand pounds were hanging by a thread: imminent danger


    Just when the resting imperial palace was about to be smeared with blood, the myriad of sword rays suddenly went dark, as if night had fallen. All the sounds stopped abruptly, and the forms turned incorporeal.


    Clang!


    All of a sudden, the spiritual tool that Xie Chunxi was holding in his hand, fell to the ground.


    Changming was standing with his hands lowered, and his expression was as usual.


    ¡°Is taking people¡¯s lives on every corner a general practice of the Jinque Daoist Temple? To give my disciple face today, I won¡¯t kill people here, otherwise, given my past habits, I¡¯m afraid Mentor Xie wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out of here alive today.¡±


    He smiled noncommittally. His expression was not relentless at all, but his words were as piercing as a sharp sword.


    Xie Chunxi¡¯s face turned deathly pale, and he took three steps back.


    Song Nanyan looked at his family¡¯s teacher, slightly opened his mouth, and trembled with his eyes wide open.


    The others were taken by surprise too.


    Kuhe had tested him just now, feeling that this person was a bit suspicious, but Kuhe did not expect him to be able to intimidate a cultivation master.


    It seemed that this man¡¯s cultivation was actually deep and unmeasurable.


    ¡°My skills are inferior, there is nothing more to say. Since His Majesty and the empress dowager have such a capable person as this daoyou, he will surely be able to turn this calamity into a blessing, so I won¡¯t show my immature skills here!¡±


    Xie Chunxi was talking gloomily. He did not even want to continue discussing the other party¡¯s background, and simply turned around, intending to leave.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Obviously, Yue Chengbo could not let him walk away like this, ¡°Xie Chunxi, if you aren¡¯t guilty, why are you running away so quickly!¡±


    Xie Chunxi¡¯s expression darkened: ¡°Why are you trying to stop me?¡±


    Changming¡¯s voice came from behind.


    ¡°Mentor Xie wasn¡¯t mistaken when he said that the one who wounded the emperor¡¯s soul was a person close to him. In other words, one of the people here is an incarnation of a demon.¡±


    When these words were spoken, everyone became frightened.


    If they had not seen Changming¡¯s strength just now, they would have deemed his words nonsense.


    Who was in the room?


    Changming, Song Nanyan, the four masters, the emperor, his two attendants, two high-level cultivators, and the empress dowager.


    The author has something to say:


    A small theatre unrelated to the main text:


    Song Nanyan: Teacher, your showing off really¡­


    Changming: ?


    Song Nanyan: Almost made me lose my soul out of fright.


    The werewolves have started killing people ¡ú_¡ú


    Tn:


    A reminder: Xie Chunxi is the one who foretold Xu Jingxian¡¯s destiny and made her follow the Demonic dao.


    [1] Three immortal souls: as always, there are different interpretations of the concept, and as always, I¡¯m going to share this priceless information.


    seven pos in reverse order


    Seven mortal forms: in medical interpretation, the seven mortal forms are seven functions of a human organism, namely: ¡®dog corpse¡¯ (when you feel something while being asleep, just like a dog that is always on guard), ¡®lying arrow¡¯ (consciousness), ¡®sparrow shadow¡¯ (reproductive function), ¡®swallowing bandits¡¯ (~macrophages that fight against bacteria), ¡®non-poison¡¯ (I¡¯m too lazy to write the explanation, to sum it up, sleep well!), ¡®rooting weeds¡¯ (helps the organism to get rid of inner contamination), ¡®rotten lungs¡¯ (helps people breathe while asleep).

 CH 55

    Dark clouds had never enveloped the sky above the Imperial Palace so tightly.


    The fog was heavy, but it was not raining. However, it did not affect the daily lives of the commoners  at all. Moreover, the last few nights were even livelier  than usual, since the celebratory atmosphere of the Washing Autumn Festival still had not dispersed. Each street was still brightly illuminated throughout the night. It was said that many guests from Zhaoyue had visited music shops, and squandered a thousand taels of silver like dirt during a single visit there. Everyone said that many rich merchants from Zhaoyue were there as well, and those were not empty words.


    As people were celebrating peace by singing and dancing in the dim light of night, a stream of black qi was flowing silently in the clouds, blending together with them, unnoticed by everyone.


    Drip-drip, drip-drip.


    A stream of black qi emerged from a well, gradually turning into a human shape from its flowing form. Water was still dripping down from the body.


    The droplets of water  were falling onto green slabstone, and the smoke disappeared without a trace.


    The house in front of the well was situated in the backyard of the biggest music shop.


    The loud  and deep sound of pipa [1] was coming from the inside, but it was not a melancholy  and mournful  sound. Instead, the sound was  rather cheerful and graceful, like bouquets of flowers and piles of brocades.


    Bouquets of flowers and piles of brocades: bright, splendid


    A girl in revealing clothes was dancing, following the music, and whirling quickly in the manner of the Western Regions. The bracelets on her hands and feet were clanging together with jade pendants, so the girl was even more eye-catching.


    The guests were drinking and giving toasts, and the aroma of meat and wine was hanging in the air inside the rooms. An attendant  who came to serve the dishes almost felt tipsy from the smell alone.


    The satin clothes slid down from the girl¡¯s bright and clean shoulder, causing the crowd to clamour in a trance again.


    In this atmosphere, the black qi slipped in through the gaps in the windows, glided down onto a felt cushion, and followed the breaths of the humans in the room  to find the most suitable person to turn into a vessel.


    There was the  half-naked dancing girl, the musician plucking the pipa, the guests who were bleary-eyed from drinking, and the attendants  delivering vegetables to the music shop with envy plastered on their faces.


    Almost half of the people from the Luo Capital who indulged in a life of luxury had gathered there.


    Everyone seemed valuable, so the black qi was hesitating.


    Yun Weisi was sitting cross-legged and meditating.


    His eyes were tightly closed, and his whole body was enveloped in a faint white light.


    They chose this place, which was convenient for having a short rest, as their residence in the Luo Capital. It was a lot less restrictive than renting  rooms at  an inn.


    Changming had gone  to the Song Residence, and still had not returned, while Xu Jingxian and Fang Suihan had also disappeared somewhere. Everyone had their own goals to achieve.


    This place was a residential area close to the eastern districts, remaining a quiet oasis  in a noisy neighborhood. In the dead of night, they could still faintly hear pipa music here.


    He had not heard such decadent music in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. A long time ago, he had already lived in the flourishing Human World, wearing brocade garments and eating jade meals, free from all anxieties, but he had been cut off from the world for ages.


    Recently, he had many dreams about his past. Mostly, they were about Changming.


    The latter was always unfeeling and stern in these dreams, and  treated Yun Weisi with unduly harshness. But that dreamland Yun Weisi¡¯s attitude changed over time, from a person with his heart full of enmity, to a man who practiced so diligently every day that he fell asleep as soon as his head touched his pillow at night. He even had no time to avenge the old wrongs and wiped away his hatred; instead, he worshipped the strong, and followed the Dao with all his heart.


    The little details of  past events were gradually recurring to him inside the dreams.


    He cultivated the Heartless Dao, but the further he progressed, the fiercer the backlash became. He did not manage to cut off this bond, and with this tiny seed of affection that remained, even a prairie fire could not destroy the grass.


    A prairie fire couldn¡¯t destroy the grass: couldn¡¯t be easily eliminated


    Yun Weisi opened his eyes suddenly!


    He almost did not hesitate when he leaped out of the window, floated to the roof, and rushed to another room, stepping on the eave tiles.


    The mid-night merry-making  of the secular world didn¡¯t impede his movement at all.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s figure flew very fast, and an ordinary person would have only seen a shadow sweep past, and thought it was only their imagination.


    Only he knew that the thing he was chasing was even faster!


    It was the black qi.


    It flew by his window, faint and untraceable, yet he noticed it in an instant.


    He was more sensitive to demonic qi than any other human.


    They flew out of the city in a split second.


    When the demonic qi was about to escape, he unsheathed his sword and firmly nailed it to a tree nearby.


    The tree suddenly emitted smoke and abruptly crumbled to dust, and the black qi within the trunk scattered.


    Yun Weisi turned his wrist slightly, and the Chuzhao Sword returned to his hand immediately. He did not stop his movements, and folded his fingers into a sword seal. The sword glow split into eight rays that quickly flew into opposite directions.


    The sword glow was swift as a lightning, and brilliant as a rainbow.


    One ray stopped halfway all of a sudden, and then burst, revealing a silhouette of a smiling man.


    ¡°Heavens care for every living creature, but Daozun Yun can¡¯t tell apart red from green or black from white, wounding the best of my intentions!¡±


    The man was wearing blue robes with wide sleeves, his demeanor rather lofty and elegant.


    Putting aside his connection with the demonic qi, he almost seemed like one of those scholars from the Literary Office of the Imperial Palace.


    Yun Weisi: ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    The man raised his eyebrows: ¡°You remember me?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°I¡¯ve seen you before.¡±


    The man¡¯s face seemed very familiar, as if he had left an impression on Yun Weisi; presumably, they had known  each other years ago. But, according to Yun Weisi¡¯s memories, he knew little about the man. They had met by chance like patches of drifting duckweed, and did not have a deep connection.


    The other laughed, waving his fan. A fragrant wind picked up.


    ¡°Only the best masters could ever enter your line of sight. At that time, I was a mere nobody, how could I attract Daozun Yun¡¯s attention?¡±


    But, the more he talked, the more Yun Weisi recalled about him.


    Yun Weisi: ¡°You were a young daoist following Jiang Li back then.¡±


    The other man was a bit surprised. He probably did not expect Yun Weisi to remember him.


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s me. But, surely, Daozun Yun still doesn¡¯t know my name, so let me introduce myself. My humble self is surnamed Xiao, and my name is Cangfeng.¡±


    When Yun Weisi heard this name, his expression finally changed a bit.


    ¡°Is Liu Xiyu¡¯s death in the Qixian Sect connected with you?¡±


    Xiao Cangfeng smiled: ¡°You can¡¯t say I am the culprit. I only said the opening words, but I wasn¡¯t the one who killed him. And I lured Daozun Yun here today not to start a fight; on the contrary, I¡¯ve been admiring Daozun Yun ardently for a long time. If it wasn¡¯t for the circumstances, we could have become two wise friends who appreciate each other and occasionally discuss the Dao.¡±


    Yun Weisi said nothing, but the Chunzhao Sword flew towards the other suddenly. However, it stopped half a cun in front of Xiao Cangfeng¡¯s body, obstructed and deflected  by an invisible barrier.


    Yun Weisi looked at his feet. A red pattern was glowing faintly on the ground, encircling him.


    ¡°Jiang Li ordered you to trap me? You think that you¡¯ll succeed alone?¡± Yun Weisi said indifferently. Rather than a rhetorical question, it was a disdainful retort.


    Xiao Cangfeng sighed: ¡°I¡¯m only an average master. Compared to you, I¡¯m surely still lacking. Shizun trapped you in the Nine Layers of the Abyss and originally wanted to let you cultivate there peacefully and guard the Nine Layers of the Abyss. Who would have guessed that Jiufang Changming would appear again and almost ruin shizun¡¯s great plans? Daozun Yun, I don¡¯t want to become your enemy. Besides, you¡¯re cultivating the Heartless Dao, but because of this Jiufang Changming, you can lose your composure, wasting all the previous efforts. Is he really worth it?¡±


    ¡°What is your goal? Jiang Li is the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, he is deeply revered in the Human World. What could he possibly want? Eternal life? Becoming an immortal? Colluding with demons isn¡¯t a way to get what he wants, and even if he becomes a demon, he can¡¯t live forever without getting old.¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s eyes were bright. It seemed that he was determined to get the answer.


    Actually, he had discussed this question with Jiufang Changming before, but they had not come to a conclusion.


    It was not strange for Situ Wanhuo, who wanted to revive a close relative, to cooperate with Jiang Li in this matter, but why would the Wanxiang Palace, the so-called omniscient place with a deep knowledge of the heavenly way, be bewitched by Jiang Li¡¯s demagogy?


    Yun Weisi had not had much contact with Jiang Li, so he could not speak on this matter. But Changming and Jiang Li had cooperated a few times before. Changming spoke highly of Jiang Li, but, even though he had extensive knowledge, he also could not understand what was Jiang Li¡¯s ultimate goal.


    ¡°Once, there was already  a person in the Wanjian Immortal Clan who had ascended,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    Xiao Cangfeng nodded: ¡°You are referring to Shizun¡¯s shifu, my shizu, Immortal Lamei.¡±


    Long time ago, the Wanjian Immortal Clan was at most a second-rate sect. But, after Immortal Lamei ascended, creating a stir in the whole world, their clan was regarded as  the cream of the crop.


    It was said that Immortal Lamei left lots of cultivation instructions and miraculous panaceas for his disciples before his ascension, so, after he was gone, every generation of the Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s disciples produced numerous men of great ability. Moreover, Jiang Li, being held in high-regard and popular, took the Wanjian Immortal Clan to the next level. So nowadays, few people dared say his name directly, calling him Immortal Jiang.


    Yun Weisi said: ¡°A cultivator¡¯s lifelong pursuit is nothing but to find a way to ascend and live forever.¡±


    His meaning was: since there was Immortal Lamei, a gem of the past, why would Jiang Li seek an alternate route?


    A gem of the past: a role model


    Xiao Cangfeng smiled faintly, but this smile seemed somehow bitter.


    ¡°Of course, there is a reason justifying all of shizun¡¯s actions, but he doesn¡¯t expect the world to understand him. However, he said that if Daozun Yun heard him out, he would¡¯ve probably understood a thing or two. It¡¯s a pity that from what I¡¯m seeing, you gave up your Heartless Dao halfway, wasting all your previous efforts, so it won¡¯t work out.¡±


    Yun Weisi sneered at Xiao Cangfeng¡¯s attempt to conceal the truth by playing a devil dressed up as a deity. Without any superfluous words, Yun Weisi solved the problem by attacking the other, and formed a finger seal to create an array.


    Playing a devil dressed up as a deity: deliberately mystifying


    For some reason, Xiao Cangfeng obviously wanted to delay him, which may have had something to do with what was happening in the Luo Capital.


    He even mentioned Changming intentionally or deliberately to confuse Yun Weisi¡¯s mind so that he would make a mistake while distracted.


    Yun Weisi slightly squinted. Following his will, the Chunzhao Sword hung in the air near him, slightly trembling in response to his owner¡¯s fighting spirit.


    He concentrated solely on Xiao Cangfeng in front of his eyes.


    ¡­


    The Imperial City, the Yongyu Palace.


    Changming¡¯s words astounded everyone in the emperor¡¯s sleeping chamber.


    Taking into account the skills he had revealed during his fight with Xie Chunxi earlier, no one rushed to come forward and accuse him of deluding people with lies, but, after they had recovered from shock, their expressions were still filled with doubt.


    Kuhe spoke first: ¡°Daoyou¡¯s cultivation is profound. This poor monk has eyes, but failed to recognize Mount Tai; sorry if that offended you. But we were entrusted to protect the Son of Heaven, naturally, we can¡¯t be negligent. May I ask daoyou¡¯s honorable name?¡±


    Changming put his arms behind his back and said coldly: ¡°Be it my surname, name, sect or faction, how is it connected with what I said?¡±


    Kuhe bowed slightly: ¡°Of course, they are not connected. But this poor monk admires daoyou¡¯s graceful bearing. Moreover, while what daoyou has said is not something trivial, we don¡¯t know what your judgement is based on. Won¡¯t you share your thoughts?¡±


    Now Song Nanyan could say he had seen everything in the world.


    Before this day, he had no idea that aloof masters of cultivation could talk in such a servile and submissive way.


    As he saw it, all  four cultivators there, especially Kuhe and Xie Chunxi who had solid backgrounds, were each more arrogant than the last. Although Kuhe¡¯s manner of speaking wasn¡¯t as condescending as Xie Chunxi¡¯s, those who relied on the Qingyun School were always talking impeccably, which made other people feel a bit alienated and underappreciated.


    Song Nanyan knew it was a common error among cultivators. Because they were stronger than ordinary people, they always unwittingly revealed haughty attitudes when dealing with common people.


    But, as the saying goes, in the face of absolute power, a person could only submit themself to its rule.


    It was the first time Song Nanyan saw a master, whom even the emperor and the empress dowager addressed respectfully, bowing his head, and in front of his teacher at that. Song Nanyan had to admit, this feeling¡ª


    Was very refreshing!


    Changming was not in a hurry to answer the question pertaining to his name.


    ¡°In my lifetime, I¡¯ve had to deal with demons several times, so I¡¯m very clear about their tricks. I saw a Moonlight on the Blue Ocean, a favorite tool of demons, on the head ornament of the Zhaoyue Princess. But she still hasn¡¯t entered the palace, and yet something has already happened to the emperor. It is obvious that  there are traces of a demon hiding inside the palace. Just now, when people were diagnosing the emperor¡¯s illness, some words and actions betrayed the demon¡¯s intentions.¡±


    The empress dowager was anxious and doubtful: ¡°Whom are you pointing to, Immortal?¡±


    Tn:


    [1] Pipa: a plucked string instrument:

 CH 56

    Changming was not in a hurry to answer the empress dowager. His gaze swept across everybody.


    Some of them hung their heads, afraid to meet his gaze, and some averted their eyes after he looked at them.


    Especially one of the attendants standing near the emperor. He had been tense from the very beginning. When Changming threw him a glance, he trembled, feeling that Changming¡¯s gaze was as sharp as a knife, piercing his heart, and leaving him no room to escape. He could not help but take a step back.


    No one was moving inside the chamber, so the empress dowager noticed him stepping back.


    She said immediately: ¡°Seize him!¡±


    She did not even need to give that order. Kuhe, who was standing close to the attendant, moved faster than lightning, and quickly subdued that man, rendering him motionless.


    ¡°Empress Dowager, spare my life! Everything this servant did was ordered by Concubine Liu! She was saying repeatedly that this was for His Majesty¡¯s sake, that it was just soup she had cooked herself. This servant didn¡¯t mean to harm His Majesty at all, and would have never dared to, ah!¡± The attendant collapsed to the floor, but as he could not earn forgiveness by begging on his knees, he also started weeping bitterly.


    Concubine: her title is zhaoyi, one of the high concubine ranks in the imperial harem


    The empress dowager said angrily: ¡°Just what on earth happened!¡±


    The attendant was sobbing and sniffling: ¡°Concubine Liu was suffering because His Majesty didn¡¯t agree to visit her, so she made a bowl of lotus-seed soup with her own hands, and asked this servant to deliver it. His Majesty tried it, said it was too sweet, and then¡­¡±


    The empress dowager: ¡°Where is that lotus-seed soup?!¡±


    The attendant: ¡°This, this servant has poured it away!¡±


    Kuhe: ¡°But the bowl should be left. Bring it here.¡±


    The empress dowager hurriedly sent people to find the bowl. She hated the fact that she could not tear this person into pieces, since she knew she should be restraining herself right now.


    This Concubine Liu was someone who showed a lot of initiative. She tried getting closer to the emperor many times, but he was still young. Furthermore, he did not like a woman like her who was two or three years older than him, and thus, Concubine Liu was forced to resort to such unscrupulous methods. While she certainly did not have the courage to poison the emperor, who could know if she was being manipulated by someone?


    Very soon, the bowl was brought over. Kuhe and the others looked at it carefully, but noticed nothing unusual.


    ¡°Judging by the soup that has been left over in the bowl, it must have been a simple drug that lifts the mood.¡±


    Because of Changming¡¯s display of power after being provoked by Xie Chunxi, others naturally could not pretend he was not there.


    The empress dowager took the initiative to ask him respectfully: ¡°Does Minister Song¡¯s teacher perhaps want to take a look as well?¡±


    Changming shook his head, saying nothing.


    Kuhe suddenly thought, he isn¡¯t looking at the bowl, so obviously he doesn¡¯t believe that the problem lies with the palace lady; then, why has he said so many words about demons? Could it be that he was only saying whatever came to mind?


    The empress dowager was not thinking that much. She was angry and aggrieved, and her grudge still had not been avenged.


    ¡°What do you think, Immortals? Should we bring Concubine Liu here and question her?¡±


    When Xie Chunxi had suffered a setback just now and did not manage to leave, his expression was grave. After that, he maintained an indifferent composure, causing no trouble and saying nothing.


    Yue Chengbo was looking at him mockingly, and wanted to taunt him several times, but had to bite his tongue because of the circumstances.


    Han Ye was the most benign and low-key among the four of them, and he would not interfere needlessly.


    Only Kuhe responded to the empress dowager: ¡°It¡¯s best if she is brought here so that we can ask her some questions.¡±


    But Changming said: ¡°I don¡¯t know whether Concubine Liu was one of those who injured the emperor, but there is another person here who was involved. Isn¡¯t that right, Daoyou Han Ye?¡±


    Han Ye was suddenly singled out, so his expression darkened slightly.


    ¡°What do you mean, daoyou?¡±


    Changming said: ¡°There are two types of culprits: those who have a guilty conscience, and those who pretend to be calm. Daoyou Han Ye, which type are you?¡±


    Han Ye was now sure that Changming was picking fault with him.


    ¡°Daoyou¡¯s words are utterly baffling. How are you so sure I¡¯m guilty?¡±


    Changming said: ¡°While Yue Chengbo was arguing with Xie Chunxi, you took a step forward to smooth things over and find the emperor¡¯s soul. What did you do at that moment?¡±


    Han Ye: ¡°My humble self¡¯s skills are not refined, so I returned without accomplishing anything; I¡¯m sorry for letting you down, daoyou!¡±


    Changming shook his head: ¡°The Donghai Sect has a unique technique named Primal Deity Formula. If the caster¡¯s cultivation is far greater than the victim¡¯s, this technique allows them to capture the opponent¡¯s spiritual power, find their immortal souls and suppress their mortal forms smoothly. Did I remember correctly?¡±


    Han Ye smiled coldly: ¡°Daoyou is remarkably knowledgeable about my Donghai Sect! But I needed to carefully check whether His Majesty¡¯s lost soul is still inside his body, so what¡¯s wrong with me using the Primal Deity Formula?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Of course, using the Primal Deity Formula is fine. What¡¯s wrong is that while you were using the Primal Deity Formula, you silently left a bit of your spiritual power to clear away the traces of demonic qi inside the emperor¡¯s body to prevent the others from learning the truth.¡±


    Han Ye: ¡°This is downright dirty slander! Just who are you after all, how does a man of dubious background dare enter the palace and talk nonsense! At first, you embarrassed Mentor Xie, and now you are eyeing me, just what kind of sect did you come from?!¡±


    Who knew that Xie Chunxi would refuse to be dragged down together with him.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about me, Daoyou Han Ye. I was the provocateur, but it turned out I¡¯m inferior in skills; it has nothing to do with him.¡±


    It could be seen that the relationships between the four masters were not all that warm and affable.


    Han Ye gritted his teeth in anger: ¡°Fine. His Majesty¡¯s situation is still unclear now, and the task that is of paramount importance now is to find his souls and wake him up as soon as possible. But you¡¯re listening to an unknown man spitting nonsense here. Since the others are reluctant to be the first, I should shoulder this responsibility and get rid of you, you scourge!¡±


    When his last word sounded, he already drew near Changming, unleashing his spiritual power to suppress his enemy!


    In the blink of an eye, the two of them started fighting. The empress dowager was concerned about her son who was lying on the bed. She couldn¡¯t help but tug Kuhe¡¯s sleeve nervously, asking him to stop the two of them immediately.


    Kuhe smiled bitterly. Had he not already thought of interfering? But he really could not find an opening to intervene.


    Surely, this man of unknown origins was not easy to deal with. Kuhe knew his powers should not be underestimated after the man had battled Xie Chunxi. However, Kuhe could also not imagine that Han Ye, a good old chap, who usually resembled a flat mountain or still water, had been pretending to be clumsy. It was very hard to connect his usual behaviour with the man in front of his eyes, who was fighting so quickly and forcefully.


    A flat mountain or still water: low-key


    It seemed that Han Ye intended to teach Changming a lesson he would not forget. His every attack carried murderous intent, his spiritual power was surging in waves, roiling like a boiling stormy sea, and not a trace of mercy could be discerned.


    Changming, on the other hand, was empty-handed, and fended off his opponent¡¯s attack with his bare sleeves. Moreover, it looked like he had no strength to continue fighting.


    The empress dowager took two steps back, staggering, and sat down near the emperor¡¯s bed.


    Song Nanyan said hurriedly: ¡°Empress Dowager, be careful!¡±


    Let alone the empress dowager, even he felt that this evening, which had been full of surprises, was too much to handle.


    The empress dowager looked at him quickly with faint animosity, complaining in her heart about Minister Song bringing Changming here of his own accord. But she could not say much at that point.


    ¡°Minister Song, just where on earth did this teacher of yours come from?¡±


    Song Nanyan said: ¡°To tell the truth, when this minister became his disciple back then, this minister only learned that his teacher¡¯s name is Fang Changming. He was the local magistrate in this minister¡¯s hometown. This minister studied Confucian classics with his teacher, and didn¡¯t even know that his teacher was a cultivator. After that, he disappeared for many years, and even I had thought that he had departed his mortal coil. Come to think of it now, this name, Fang Changming, is probably not even my teacher¡¯s real name!¡±


    The empress dowager thought, why were you talking for half a day and yet said nothing useful.


    ¡°This being the case, quickly ask your teacher to stop. Immortal Han Ye has been guarding the palace for countless years, and he was a close attendant of the last emperor. There is no way he would¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish talking, her expression changed.


    Not only her¡ªSong Nanyan and everybody else was shocked.


    At first, everybody thought Han Ye to have gained the upper hand, but Changming suddenly shifted from defense to offense, and summoned the Sifei Sword. The sword glow was pressing back his enemy little by little, cutting off any way of retreat, and even trapping his opponent in a sword array. Han Ye was forced into a corner, and he had no other choice but to rip off his human skin, suddenly revealing his original demonic appearance.


    His movements had been restricted while he had the human skin on, and he could not fight at full strength. Han Ye saw that Changming was not letting his guard down, and was not simply testing him, but intended to kill Han Ye.


    If Han Ye did not gather all his strength, he would die right there.


    Having broken the seal on his body, Han Ye was not hesitating anymore. He rushed at the sword formation with a roar, his demonic qi surging like a sea, and the array soon cracked, torn into half by Han Ye¡¯s bare hands. He escaped the formation!


    But, unexpectedly, he did not attack Changming at once, and suddenly disappeared into thin air!


    Kuhe, who was a mere spectator, said in his heart, this is bad. He had vaguely figured out Han Ye¡¯s plan, and raised his hands to form a barrier, but was half a step too late.


    In a moment, the empress dowager shrieked!


    Her soft, delicate and well cared for neck was grabbed by a hand, and dark purple nails entered her skin, silencing the shriek that came from her throat.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Everyone was watching with great alarm, but no one dared make a move, afraid that they would hit the rat, but break the jade jar.


    Hit the rat, but break the jade jar: hit the bad guy, but affect an innocent person


    Han Ye used this situation and said, staring at them with a gloomy expression: ¡°Everybody, step aside!¡±


    Xie Chunxi and the others did not expect all of Changming¡¯s words to turn out to be true. At some point, this demon had killed Elder Han Ye of the Donghai Sect, then wore his skin, and imitated his manner of speaking, as well as the Donghai Sect¡¯s hidden techniques¡­ No, imitated is the wrong word. Xie Chunxi felt that this creature had sucked Han Ye¡¯s memories and spiritual power, and used it for his own goals, while others had not even noticed the slightest change.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Changming, the demon would have probably managed to outwit everyone.


    That is to say, be it Song Nanyan¡¯s teacher¡¯s ability to make discerning judgments or his cultivation base, he was better than anyone present.


    Others did not dare to take action, and only Changming turned a deaf ear to Han Ye¡¯s words. He gestured to the sword, and, before Han Ye could react, the sword glow transformed into a rainbow that flew towards the other, penetrated the empress dowager¡¯s body, and pinned Han Ye to a pillar behind his back!


    ¡°Ah!!!¡±


    How could a demon bear the Sifei Sword¡¯s qi? Han Ye was shrieking and wailing unceasingly, his body slowly darkening; little by little, he turned into a dense liquid that flowed down the pillar.


    And the empress dowager who had been pierced together with him had turned into a white sheet of paper.


    The real empress dowager had long since been substituted by Changming¡¯s deceptive trick, and placed outside the sleeping chamber. Right now, she was supported inside the room by the attendants. Her knees went limp, and she had not yet recovered from the fright.


    ¡°After all this, just where is His Majesty¡¯s fleeting soul?!¡± Yue Chengbo took a step forward and asked him.


    Han Ye grinned hideously. Even while his corporeal form decayed, he did not open his mouth.


    Since his fate was sealed, why would he tell them the truth?


    ¡­


    Since Xiao Cangfeng had lured Yun Weisi here, naturally, he had come prepared.


    After the Chunzhao Sword crushed the barrier surrounding his body, Xiao Cangfeng disappeared.


    Yun Weisi found himself inside another illusion.


    The scenery in front of his eyes changed.


    Yun Weisi saw himself.


    And Changming.


    A sword had pierced ¡°his¡± chest, its hilt in Changming¡¯s hand.


    The sword point had entered his body, and blood was flowing down its blade ceaselessly.


    Changming¡¯s expression was indifferent as he was watching Yun Weisi dying under the Sifei Sword, completely unperturbed.


    ¡°It¡¯s the end that you deserve,¡± Yun Weisi heard his voice saying, ¡°Humans and demons take different paths, and your existence would only bring me and the world more trouble.¡±


    Changming¡¯s voice, which he knew so well, now sounded a bit unfamiliar.


    This illusion was done with great attention to detail. Not only were their faces vivid and lifelike, it could even affect Yun Weisi¡¯s mental state.


    He wanted to summon the Chunzhao Sword and break the formation, but the sword did not respond to his call.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an illusion, it¡¯s the future.¡±


    Xiao Cangfeng stepped out of the darkness, his expression gentle, like an old friend¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours, and Jiufang Changming¡¯s future.¡±


    Yun Weisi said coldly: ¡°I had no idea that it¡¯s possible to reverse the course of events and turn yin-yang upside down with your cultivation level?¡±


    Turn yin-yang upside down: here, I believe, it means ¡°to distort the truth¡±


    As if Xiao Cangfeng did not hear the ridicule in his words, he offered Yun Weisi an earnest piece of advice: ¡°Daozun Yun, except for cultivating the Heartless Dao, you have no other way to deal with the demonic qi poisoning your heart. I don¡¯t believe that you had cultivated in the Nine Layers of the Abyss for so many years quitely just to reenter society with Jiufang Changming, right? He is but an obstacle on your cultivation path, and he can¡¯t bring you any good apart from dragging you deeper into the mud.¡±

 CH 57

    Inside the formation¡¯s illusion that Xiao Cangfeng called their future, ¡°Yun Weisi¡± slowly fell to the ground dead, wearing an expression of disbelief till the very end.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming¡± retrieved his sword and put his hand on ¡°Yun Weisi¡¯s¡± forehead. However, he was not going to close his eyes, but to check whether ¡°Yun Weisi¡± had died for good by searching for any lingering demonic qi inside his body.


    Having made sure that ¡°Yun Weisi¡± was dead, ¡°Jiufang Changming¡± refused to just leave his body as it was. ¡°Jiufang Changming¡± turned his palm towards the body, sent out a blast from it, which then landed on ¡°Yun Weisi¡¯s¡± body.


    The flame quickly flared up, enveloping the body and reducing it to ashes.


    The real Yun Weisi remained completely expressionless while watching this scene.


    Xiao Cangfeng tried searching for an opening.


    But his opponent¡¯s mind was as serene as still waters, his spirit and consciousness utterly without flaw, not even a hint of a gap could be found.


    This Yun Weisi actually looked like he had succeeded in cultivating the Heartless Dao, and no person or matter could shake his heart that was completely devoted to his Dao.


    Xiao Cangfeng could not believe it.


    If it was true, how could he have gotten possessed?


    Yun Weisi did not move at all.


    Because he was looking for a chance as well.


    It looked like Xiao Cangfeng was standing near him and talking, but he was actually an illusion too.


    If Yun Weisi¡¯s next move was even slightly wrong, the illusion would disappear, and attacking it would not be of any help.


    If he wanted to attack his enemy, he had to determine his enemy¡¯s real position first.


    ¡°Why would you show me this?¡± Yun Weisi said slowly, ¡°Since Jiang Li wants to use the whole world as a chessboard, and deploy a Liuhe Zhutian Formation there, he thus wants me to return to the Nine Layers of the Abyss and provide support for this position?¡±


    Xiao Cangfeng raised his eyebrows, as if he was a bit surprised.


    ¡°It turns out you¡¯ve already guessed it, but there is no wonder that you did. If, working together with Jiufang Changming, you couldn¡¯t have guessed at my shizun¡¯s plan, I¡¯m afraid that no one would have seen through it.¡±


    Yun Weisi did not care about flattery, so, naturally, he did not reply.


    He was waiting for Xiao Cangfeng¡¯s next words.


    ¡°The Liuhe Zhutian Formation that was set on the Sacred Mountain Wan fifty years ago was only an experiment.¡±


    Xiao Cangfeng was talking slowly, revealing just the tip of the iceberg of a plan that had been kept hidden for years.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression did not change.


    ¡°So, when Jiang Li and Chi Bijiang decided to deploy the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, they already knew that my shizun, Ren Haishan and others would fall victim to it and die?¡±


    Xiao Cangfeng shook his head: ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it that way. Back then, my shizun was sacrificing himself during preparations for the formation, since he expected himself to die there as well. Unexpectedly, he managed to survive by chance. Since it turned out so well, they kept going along with the plan. Moreover, Jiufang Changming is very knowledgeable about formations. Since he agreed to cooperate with my shizun back then, naturally, he understood that some unforeseen events could occur.¡±


    Yun Weisi said coldly: ¡°Then why did you pin the blame on him?¡±


    ¡°Someone had to be held responsible, right? The one who is to achieve great things doesn¡¯t bother about trifles. You can¡¯t even imagine how much my shizun had to sacrifice for the whole thing, so what¡¯s wrong with Jiufang Changming sharing a bit of this burden?¡±


    He fixed his eyes on Yun Weisi and smiled slightly, ignoring his ice-cold expression and murderous intent.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming is neither virtuous nor evil, and he used to act on a whim. Moreover, he had rebelled against the four schools of Daoism, Buddhism, the Demonic Dao and Confucianism; even if someone said he had colluded with demons, no one would doubt it, and no one would speak out for him. I just didn¡¯t expect him to survive through that world-shattering accident. And you, even though you two have obviously fallen out and became enemies, still wanted to guard the Nine Layers of the Abyss for several decades for his sake. I was really deeply touched by your master-disciple affection. However,¡±


    Xiao Cangfeng paused for a moment.


    ¡°Do you think that your master-disciple relationship will be restored simply because Jiufang Changming has returned? He wants to exonerate himself and find out the truth of what happened that year. You are the key figure in it, but you are possessed. Given his unscrupulous nature, will he reconcile with a disciple who is about to turn into a demon, or will he use you to uncover the mystery he wants, and afterwards, trample on your bones, before walking away? Have you ever thought about it?¡±


    He noticed that when he finished saying these words, Yun Weisi¡¯s expression seemed to have changed slightly.


    It was only a minuscule change, but Xiao Cangfeng managed to take advantage of it.


    Now!


    Xiao Cangfeng did not hesitate anymore. Suddenly, bright rays shone from eight directions, flying towards his enemy!


    The rays were extremely fast, and they had almost reached Yun Weisi¡¯s head as soon as Xiao Cangfeng stopped talking.


    Yun Weisi only managed to retreat a few steps back, and felt a scorching fire wrap around his body, as a single spark turned into dark blazing flames in a flash.


    The black fire was only getting bigger and bigger, rising up to the sky, almost submerging Yun Weisi, who was trapped inside the formation.


    Even if he used the Chunzhao Sword now, he would not have been able to stop these black flames that came from the depths of the Darkest Abyss. As long as they touched a human¡¯s skin, they would inevitably swallow the person up, and the latter would have no other option but to give up.


    If Changming or Xu Jingxian were here, they would have noticed that these black flames resembled the firefly maggots of the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s appearance was slowly getting darker amidst the flames, and his face betrayed his suffering.


    Almost half of his body had blackened, engulfed by the dark flames, and Xiao Cangfeng could even vaguely see his bones. The black flames, like maggots feeding on a corpse, gradually moved up his body, granting him neither death nor rest.


    Xiao Cangfeng suddenly felt that something was wrong.


    Everything was going too smoothly.


    No one knew the true power of these flames better than him. Even if the victim was a master of cultivation, after being stained with it, they probably would be unable to move at all.


    But Yun Weisi was different.


    He was acknowledged by many grandmasters, and had firmly taken over the position of the head of a Daoist sect. He was one of the most prominent daoists for the last several centuries.


    His cultivation was higher than that of many grandmasters, so how could he die that easily?


    When the flames reached Yun Weisi¡¯s neck, Xiao Cangfeng¡¯s doubts reached their peak.


    He could not help but to take half a step back.


    And this half-step!


    His heart was beating loudly in alarm as the sea of his consciousness was warning him of danger.


    Xiao Cangfeng felt a chill coming from behind his back, but he had no time to turn around. He set up a barrier around his body, and summoned his spiritual weapon.


    It was a long spear that resembled a sword or a sabre.


    The long spear flew back and burst into blinding qi to confuse his enemy.


    But, unexpectedly, that chill disregarded all his attempts to attack and defend by erecting barriers, and pierced Xiao Cangfeng¡¯s back, reappearing from his chest.


    Xiao Cangfeng felt his heart pierced by something that then suddenly burst into pieces inside his body. But that attack did not even stop at that, and the force continued to spread inside his body until it had shattered all his meridians and bones. Like a beast with its bones removed, he fell weakly onto the ground.


    But Xiao Cangfeng¡¯s mind was still conscious.


    He knew that his death was imminent, but he could only stare blankly as the ¡°Yun Weisi¡± in the flames turned into ashes, while another Yun Weisi was getting closer to him from his side. The latter was smiling mockingly.


    Xiao Cangfeng realised that what had been burnt was Yun Weisi¡¯s puppet incarnation.


    Jiufang Changming had taught him the Art of Conferring Spirit.


    Given Yun Weisi¡¯s aptitude, learning the skill in a short period of time was not a problem.


    ¡°Since you knew that I¡¯m going to get possessed anytime soon, how dare you use demonic tricks to deal with me?¡±


    Yun Weisi chuckled, looking at Xiao Cangfeng with contempt, as if he was looking at a dead thing.


    Xiao Cangfeng¡¯s neck started turning rigid, and he could not even look at Yun Weisi¡¯s expression once more, only letting his head drop.


    He felt that this Yun Weisi was somehow different from the one he was talking to before. His manner of speech, his expressions¡ªhis entire person seemed different from that man who was indifferent to everything.


    But Xiao Cangfeng¡¯s life was coming to an end, and it could be snuffed out any moment. Blood was dripping from the corners of his mouth, and he could not say a word now.


    He fixed his gaze to the top of the approaching Yun Weisi¡¯s shoe, as if he wanted to see a flower blooming on it.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s demon-like voice entered his ears.


    ¡°I know that Jiang Li has your soul lantern, but there¡¯s no doubt he won¡¯t make it in time to save you. Really, what a pity. Like it was the year when he set up that trap, now I want him to watch every person he cares about die. Soon, it will be his turn.¡±


    No¡­


    Xiao Cangfeng struggled to open his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.


    Blood suddenly gushed out, painting his chin and the front of his robes red, silencing his dying words.


    Xiao Cangfeng opened his eyes wide, dying without closing them.


    Dying without closing eyes: fig. with a remaining grievance


    Yun Hai was expressionless. Blue flames appeared on his palm. He snapped his fingers, and the flames fell on Xiao Cangfeng, burning him up in a vicious blaze.


    Everything, including his souls that had not yet flown away, was burnt to ashes.


    Even if Jiang Li came running here now, he would not find a single trace of his disciple left.


    Yun Hai felt that he had let Xiao Cangfeng off too easily. According to the way he did things, he should have at least captured Xiao Cangfeng¡¯s soul and torture it over and over again.


    But that would give Jiang Li a chance to track Yun Hai and trick him.


    As he thought, Yun Weisi¡¯s Heartless Dao was completely useless against people like Jiang Li and Xiao Cangfeng. Only Yun Hai¡¯s intervention could help.


    Yun Hai waved his sleeve, and the ashes were blown away by the wind, disappearing into the darkness.


    The things on Changming¡¯s side are probably going the same way, right?


    Just as he thought of it, some invisible force drew his attention, making him look into the distance.


    Ablaze with brilliant lights and vibrant colors, the colourful glazed peak of a pagoda was almost dazzling.


    That place was¡ª


    The Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda!


    ¡­


    Two shichens ago.


    Two shichens: 4 hours


    Han Ye was killed inside the imperial palace, but the emperor¡¯s souls still had not been found.


    A crowd of people had scattered off, looking for the souls everywhere.


    Finally, Xie Chunxi found one of the three emperor¡¯s immortal souls under the bed in the empress dowager¡¯s sleeping room.


    The soul entered the emperor¡¯s body, and he slowly came to his senses. But his body was still motionless, and he could only sit, closing and opening his eyes dumbly like a mindless puppet.


    It was better for the emperor to remain in his bed while he was in such a state.


    Seeing that everyone had lowered their hands helplessly, the empress dowager had lost all hope.


    She and the last emperor only had one son. If something happened to the emperor, putting aside the bloody storms that would sweep by in pursuit of the emperor¡¯s throne, the country of You would never miss this great opportunity after hearing the news.


    Even the Zhaoyue Dynasty, who were bowing their heads in front of them now, would probably start an uprising, using Luo¡¯s internal conflicts to change loyalties to You.


    This coalition would jeopardize Luo.


    The one who was controlling them behind the scenes was determined to initiate great disorder throughout the world.


    Xie Chunxi and Yue Chengbo parted and went looking throughout the palace, asking questions in hope that someone suspicious would reveal a clue again.


    But the hope was perhaps faint.


    The empress dowager was shedding tears, placing most of her hope on Changming.


    As she saw it, since this man could determine that an immortal had been possessed by a demon at first sight, his skills were obviously higher than the others¡¯.


    ¡°The emissary of Zhaoyue will pay a visit to the palace tomorrow. But now the emperor¡­ It¡¯s still better if I receive them and tell them that the emperor fell ill and will take a few days of rest.¡±


    Kuhe said: ¡°If we drag this on for too long, it will be hard to contain the news inside the palace. King Hui has probably heard some rumors already. If he shares the news with Zhaoyue, their messenger will do their best to suss out His Majesty¡¯s condition. Please, Empress Dowager, restrain your grief. We should plan ahead.¡±


    The empress dowager shivered, and quickly dried her eyes.


    ¡°Zen Master is right in every word. I¡¯m thankful for your reminder. Does the other gentleman perhaps have any ideas to share?¡±


    Changming said: ¡°I have a technique that can replace the emperor with a puppet. But this puppet can only last for a day, and it shouldn¡¯t go near water or fire. If others stay away, it will deceive them easily.¡±


    The empress dowager nodded at his words: ¡°This is very good. Then, I will entrust this matter to you, Immortal! You¡¯ve really helped me a lot. If it wasn¡¯t for you today, I¡¯m afraid that that demon would have succeeded. But I still don¡¯t know Immortal¡¯s honorable name. If Immortal is willing to reveal it, I¡¯ll definitely offer sacrifices in your name, and wish you longevity with a memorial plate!¡±


    Changming said: ¡°Jiufang Changming, I belong to no sect or faction; I am nothing more than a rogue cultivator.¡±


    The empress dowager had never heard his name before, but still put on a I¡¯ve-been-looking-forward-to-meeting-you expression.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Immortal Jiufang!¡±


    Kuhe, who was standing beside them, trembled in fear, feeling that this name sounded way too familiar.


    In a second, he froze, as if struck by lightning.


    Jiufang Changming?!


    The author has something to say:


    PS, Yun Weisi and Yun Hai can switch over freely at this point, it seems that some friends haven¡¯t noticed~

 CH 58

    Edited by P. & Snake


    Almost every cultivator had heard Jiufang Changming¡¯s name at least once.


    For some, he was a sword hanging above their heads, a threat; for others, he was motivation, like a shining beacon.


    Jiufang Changming had even more history with the Qingyun School, than with many others. Although this insolent and presumptuous grandmaster rebelled against Buddhism long before Kuhe entered his sect, rumors about Jiufang Changming never died down. It got so bad that even when Kuhe went to draw water from a well, someone would tell him, pointing to it, Once, Jiufang Changming comprehended a formidable Buddhist incantation near this very well.


    But he didn¡¯t expect anyone to bring up this name again after all these years.


    Kuhe suspected him of being an impostor. After all, he had met many people who wanted to imitate outstanding and renowned elders.


    But he looked at Changming several times, and still couldn¡¯t figure out what could be the reason for such pretence.


    Kuhe¡¯s abnormal behaviour drew the empress dowager¡¯s attention, so she wondered: ¡°Zen Master, is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, this poor monk was only lost in thoughts, please forgive me, Empress Dowager,¡± Kuhe brought his palms together in a prayer, and did not look at him again.


    Changming didn¡¯t pay attention to Kuhe¡¯s confusion. Ever since he had reentered the Human World, such scenes would occur often.


    ¡°I have a question, and I¡¯ll ask the Empress Dowager to answer truthfully.¡±


    The empress dowager collected herself.


    ¡°Please ask, Immortal.¡±


    ¡°Did a prophet actually ask the emperor to establish the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda in his dream?¡±


    ¡°By no means. My birthday is in two months. The emperor is dutiful, so he said that he wants to build a pagoda to sacrifice the five cereals and treasures, and wish for my longevity and an abundant harvest of all food crops for our country, so that it would prosper.¡±


    The five cereals: rice, millet, soybean, sesame, barley (or others)


    ¡°So the legend of a prophet appearing in his dream and making a request is a hoax?¡±


    ¡°I apologise for this, Immortal, but those are really only false rumors. Apparently, common people like supernatural stories, so they added some oil and vinegar to it.¡±


    Added some oil and vinegar: exaggerated


    ¡°Has the emperor visited that pagoda?¡±


    ¡°No. After the pagoda was completed, the emperor and I only saw it from afar, but we¡¯ve never visited it. Originally, the emperor was going to ask an eminent monk from the Qingyun School to perform the consecration of the pagoda on the second day of the twelfth moon, which is my birthday. The emperor and I were going to attend it personally and offer sacrifices to our ancestors, and pray for propitious weather. After that, common people would be allowed to enter it on the first and fifteenth day of every month to offer fruits.¡±


    ¡°There is no one inside the pagoda now, so to speak?¡±


    ¡°No one,¡± the empress dowager paused, ¡°there should be no one.¡±


    She looked at Kuhe, as if asking for his confirmation.


    Kuhe said: ¡°There really is no one. Those Buddhist monks visited it on the day the tools were transported there, but today the pagoda is deserted. Although, some people are guarding it outside. Does daoyou think there is a problem with the pagoda?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Wind comes to the Luo Capital from all eight directions, and this pagoda is built precisely in the place where the winds meet. It¡¯s not just a steady and stable position on the joint between the earth and the sky, but rather the very core of this joint, like the brightest jewel in a crown, luminous to the point of being blinding;it is also a place that absorbs yin and gathers yang.¡±


    Wind comes from all eight directions: a favorable position


    The empress dowager got tense: ¡°And what does it mean?¡±


    Kuhe summarized Changming¡¯s words: ¡°Immortals like this place, and so do demons.¡±


    The empress dowager¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    ¡°Han Ye decided on a suitable location for the pagoda. Zen Master and Mentor Xie saw it, and said everything was fine.¡±


    Kuhe sighed: ¡°This poor monk was careless. There was no problem with the location for the pagoda itself, I just didn¡¯t expect Han Ye to be the problem.¡±


    Changming said: ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the Donghai Sect has become so adept at the art of yin-yang placement.¡±


    Kuhe: ¡°Although Han Ye was an elder of the Donghai Sect, the art of feng shui has been handed down in his family. His aunt is a disciple of the Wanxiang Palace.¡±


    Making a circle, you return; in the end, everything was connected.


    Changming didn¡¯t say much, and only turned to the empress dowager: ¡°I want to go to this pagoda and take a look.¡±


    The empress dowager asked hopefully: ¡°Will the emperor¡¯s soul be there?¡±


    Of course, no one could answer this question.


    Kuhe also said: ¡°I¡¯ll go with daoyou, while daoyou Yue and daoyou Xie will continue searching through the palace.¡±


    The empress dowager said quickly: ¡°There is another thing. Following Zhaoyue¡¯s customs, ambassadors from You and Zhaoyue brought cultivators with them to exchange pointers in a friendly competition with us. Last year, we won, but this year You will certainly refuse to give up; they say that You brought two masters to restore their dignity. I will ask the two gentlemen to return before sunrise. If you are not here, my heart won¡¯t be at peace!¡±


    After everything they had been through, the empress dowager now trusted Changming more than the other three. Kuhe also understood that although she said ¡°the two gentlemen¡±, she was only looking at Changming, and didn¡¯t make a decision without his approval.


    Changming said: ¡°If there is indeed something wrong with the Celestial Pagoda, it¡¯s unknown whether we¡¯ll be able to leave it without difficulties or not, so we can¡¯t make any promises.¡±


    The empress dowager paled: ¡°Is the situation really that dangerous?¡±


    Kuhe felt that Changming was exaggerating, but he was sincere and kind, and didn¡¯t want to undermine him in front of the empress dowager, so he chimed in with Changming: ¡°Right now, we don¡¯t know what awaits us at the pagoda, so we can¡¯t guarantee anything. However, two masters, Yue and Xie, are now in the palace, so everything should be fine.¡±


    When he finished speaking, he took a copper tag out of his sleeve.


    ¡°If something urgent happens, the Empress Dowager can send people to my school, and find my shidi, Ting Yu.¡±


    It was yet another reassurance.


    The empress dowager heaved a sigh of relief: ¡°Thank you very much, Zen Master and Immortal. I wish you two to succeed, and hope that Luo will be quiet and stable, and the whole world will be peaceful.¡±


    The Imperial Palace was located close to the Celestial Library Pagoda. Using their techniques, they reached their destination quickly.


    Before they entered the pagoda, Kuhe was glancing at Changming repeatedly, as if he wanted to say something, but hesitated.


    In the end, he was unable to hold back from asking: ¡°Many years ago, there was one Buddhist monk in the Qingyun School; although he entered Buddhism halfway, he was highly gifted, revered as a genius one could only meet once in half a millennium; later, he left Buddhism for some reason. He was surnamed Jiufang, named Changming. Daoyou, dare I ask¡­¡±


    Changming was unwilling to listen to his prolix rambling, so he interrupted him.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Kuhe:¡­


    Changming looked at him: ¡°You came from the same school as Sun Buku; I probably should be called shibo by you. But why are you so different from Sun Buku? If you had his skill of being sly while putting on a smile, the position of the Qingyun School¡¯s master would have been yours.¡±


    Shibo: shifu¡¯s shixiong. So, Kuhe should be Sun Buku¡¯s shidi


    Kuhe smiled bitterly: ¡°I don¡¯t deserve such praise! The senior is exaggerating, how would I dare compare with shixiong Buku!¡±


    Changming hummed: ¡°No wonder you were thrown to the Luo Capital to gather dust here.¡±


    At first, Kuhe wanted to test him with a few questions, but he didn¡¯t expect to be rendered speechless so quickly instead. It was best to just keep silent.


    Some cultivators actually were guarding the Celestial Pagoda, but their skills were nothing special. They didn¡¯t recognise Changming, but saw Kuhe, and saluted him one after another.


    When they heard the reason why Kuhe came, they quickly opened the pagoda¡¯s doors.


    But Changming didn¡¯t hurry to enter it.


    He raised his head to look into the distance. From where they stood, the pinnacle of the pagoda seemed to be reaching the clouds. Lanterns were shimmering in every window, as if someone was walking around the whole night.


    If someone couldn¡¯t fall asleep at night, they could put some clothes on, look at the distant pagoda, and thus comfort their minds and feel warmth.


    But it was only on the surface.


    In cultivators¡¯ eyes, the clouds rolling over the pagoda¡¯s peak, faintly scarlet, were an inauspicious omen.


    The Celestial Library was a legendary Heavenly Emperor¡¯s book collection, but not only did this pagoda bring no luck, it even caused troubles to the country after it was built.


    A small crack would be unworthy of noticing, but, when such cracks started to intersect, forming a bigger rift, the thing would simply fall apart, splitting into tiny pieces.


    The accident with the emperor was exactly one of such conspicuous rifts.


    Kuhe also noticed the slight abnormality.


    Contrary to his expectations, everything was tranquil when they entered the pagoda.


    Demonic qi didn¡¯t assault their senses, and the enemies he had pictured didn¡¯t attack them either.


    Kuhe moved his line of sight from a statue of a Buddha, and surveyed their surroundings, then looked up at the dome and down at the floor.


    Everything seemed alright.


    ¡°This is a statue of Xu Tiancang?¡± Changming asked.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s Fozun Xu Tiancang of the Buddhist sects,¡± Kuhe bowed his head to the statue.


    Fozun: lit. venerable Buddhist, just like Daozun is venerable Daoist


    Xu Tiancang was the founder of Buddhist sects. It was said that he was a Buddha who descended to the earth; after he passed away, he was venerated as the founder of Buddhist sects. The Qingyun School had a standing statue of this fozun as well.


    But, because it was placed inside a pagoda, this statue was different from the one in the Qingyun School¡ªit was a sitting statue. The fozun was sitting cross-legged, with one hand holding a sphere, and the other turned upwards, holding the void.


    This Buddha statue actually aroused controversy.


    Originally, unlike You, that only supported Buddhism, Luo venerated Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism equally, taking hundreds of rivers into one sea with an open mind. So, when the Celestial Library Pagoda was created, Daoists and Buddhists argued ceaselessly about whose statue should be placed inside. Kuhe and Xie Chunxi turned a bit hostile because of this. After that, Confucianists also meddled, insisting on placing portraits of distinguished precursors inside the pagoda. The emperor [was impossibly annoyed], and finally found a way out. Among the eight floors of the pagoda, one had a Buddha statue, three had portraits of ancient Confucian thinkers, and on the highest floor Daoists could offer treasures. Therefore, the three religions fit together, and no one could raise any opposition.


    Hundreds of rivers into one sea: all kinds


    Although Buddhists expressed discontent afterwards, saying that the Daoists¡¯ and Confucians¡¯ things shouldn¡¯t be placed above them, and Confucians were dissatisfied as well, feeling that they were pressed from both sides, those disputes were only twigs and high branches. Kuhe didn¡¯t intend to amuse Changming with these stories.


    Twigs and high branches: minor details


    But he heard Changming¡¯s question: ¡°What is the statue supposed to lift with its hand?¡±


    Kuhe collected his thoughts, looked at it and said with a smile: ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just a gesture.¡±


    Buddhist statues, holding the void, could be found everywhere, and Changming brushed it aside, so the two of them started searching the first floor. Enamelled wall bricks were shining brightly in the candlelight, as if the whole world was made of coloured glass. Gold bricks with images of blooming lotuses were glued to the floor, making visitors excited, as if they were reaching the gates to the Western Paradise.


    Western Paradise: aka Sukhavati, the pure land of Amitabha in Mahayana Buddhism. While Daoists seek immortality, Buddhists want to escape the cycle of rebirth; in Tibetan Buddhism, coming to this paradise is the best thing that can happen to a soul


    In tune with this sumptuous scenery, music sounded faintly from the upper floor. Pipa, konghou, and bianzhong, pleased the ear with graceful music.


    Konghou: Chinese harp


    Bianzhong: serial bells. Pics [1]


    But he was sure that there was no one else in the pagoda, so how could this music suddenly appear out of nowhere?


    Kuhe trembled slightly, but quickly snapped out of this and reflexively looked at Changming.


    But the latter had already gone up to the second floor.


    ¡°Senior!¡±


    Kuhe reached out subconsciously, waited for a moment, and grabbed the hem of his robes.


    Changming¡¯s figure had already disappeared around the corner.


    Kuhe could only grip his cane tighter, and hurry after him.


    The second floor was another realm.


    Gorgeous and alluring dancers were floating around the floor lightly and gracefully. There were male and female dancers, and their sashes were fluttering in the air, their silk garments almost transparent.


    Changming was already standing among them. A naked dancing girl was snuggling up to him, and her ample bosom moved down along his silhouette; her red lips were close to him, and her aura resembled that of an orchid.


    Kuhe flushed with shame, and almost couldn¡¯t raise his eyes to look at them again.


    ¡°What kind of evildoer dares cause trouble here! Every creature has a true form, and demons shall be gone, get out!¡±


    He casted an incantation with his hands, and his spiritual power turned into golden rays that rushed at the crowd of demons. But the dancer not only didn¡¯t get frightened nor did she retreat, she even laughed at him coyly, as if taunting him for making a big fuss over a minor issue, and got closer, leading him to the centre as well.


    How could my incantation malfunction?!


    Kuhe was anxious and doubtful, as he failed to stop himself from being pushed forward. The dancers, men and women, having all kinds of appeal, entangled his body so tightly that Kuhe couldn¡¯t even take a single step. No matter which incantation he recited, or what technique he used, nothing had an effect. However much he wanted to leave, in the end he was returned to the same place.


    The tinkle of bells on the dancers¡¯ ankles, as they were leaping around, seemed to contain a bewitching spell. Kuhe could no longer control his own actions, and even felt like joining the dance.


    And if he started dancing, he would never be able to stop, not until his death.


    This is the Dance of Deva-Mara!


    Deva-Mara: the demonic celestial king in Buddhism


    Sweat was streaming down his face when he suddenly came to his senses. But he realised that Changming had already started dancing with the girl, and he was now holding her in his arms tightly. The two of them almost blended together, their bodies bending; it wasn¡¯t intercourse, but the spirit of it was quite suggestive, so Kuhe simply couldn¡¯t bring himself to look at them.


    Jiufang Changming has already been seduced!


    Kuhe felt cold thinking about his good name being buried in this place. In the future, someone would open this pagoda, and see him and Changming lying on the floor with disheveled clothes and in an indecent posture. Surely, he wouldn¡¯t be able to wash away the dishonor until his death. But, even though his mind was clear, his body was moving, and he even wanted to embrace a dancing girl in front of him.


    Bang!


    He heard a sharp sound.


    Some warm liquid splashed on his face, and flowed down to his mouth. It somehow tasted salty and blood-like.


    Kuhe took a closer look. One of Changming¡¯s hands pierced the dancer, his spiritual power pouring inside. She screamed as her skeleton was breaking apart; her head fell down from her neck, and rolled to Kuhe¡¯s feet; its eyes were wide open, unwilling to give up, as if it could bite Kuhe. He subconsciously stepped back, but felt nothing under his foot, and fell into a pool of blood.


    The head rolled into the blood and sank, and numerous pairs of [hands] stretched from the bloody pool, grabbing him by his ankles and pulling him down, as if they wanted him to sink completely.


    Blood from the pool was splattering on his face, so his nose was full of a foul stench; countless voices were shouting about their unjust deaths to Kuhe, pulling him down.


    Their grievances were tremendous, and the sea of blood was dashing to the sky.


    But the Luo Capital was prosperous, where did all these spirits demanding vengeance come from?


    Kuhe was startled, and was almost pulled into the water in this moment of distraction. The bloody pool was already level with the tip of his nose; he wasn¡¯t prepared, and drank a mouthful of blood. Kuhe almost spat it out, and his mind became hazy.


    In this state of mental confusion, he vaguely recalled one thing.


    The Luo Capital was the last dynasty¡¯s capital as well. In the final years of Hon¡¯s regime, seditious ministers raised a rebellion; the Son of Heaven refused to open the city gates and give up, so the ministers were enraged. After taking the Luo Capital by force, they massacred many people. It was said that fifty thousand perished in ten days, comprising all who hadn¡¯t had enough time to run away.They were mostly common people; some were noblemen from the previous dynasty. The bones of those who were butchered back then covered the earth in the whole city, and the bloody stench rose into the skies. Many women and children were treated as delicacies, slaughtered, roasted and presented to the ministers for their amusement.


    In the end, the emperor of the Luo Capital defeated the treacherous ministers, and sent people to bury the remnants of the killed under the ground in the capital. But how would so many aggrieved spirits of those who died unnatural deaths rest in peace after so little time had passed?


    As if replying to his guess, many quiet voices sounded in Kuhe¡¯s ears, telling him of their inhuman deaths, of them whirling around gloomy places for many years, and of their sufferings and reluctance to yield; they wanted to return to the Human World.


    If Kuhe was so easily led astray, he wouldn¡¯t have been sent to the Luo Capital to represent the Qingyun School.


    He gripped the cane in his hands, and stopped paying attention to the bones stretching towards him from every direction; he closed his eyes, preventing all the worldly appearances from distracting him.


    ¡°All living beings of the world have much suffering and little happiness, and obsess over vanities; [thus, the truth is in transcending over all appearances to the rise]. Break!¡±


    Kuhe opened his eyes abruptly. Bright light was coming from his hands!


    The dry bones around him turned into ashes, and the souls purified in the Buddha flames transcended. The sea of blood gradually waned, and the grieving spirits loosened their grip on him, floating away.


    The spirits that had been obsessed for so many years dispersed like smoke with his merciful declamations. Even if some souls with everlasting regret refused to leave, grabbing Kuhe stubbornly, they couldn¡¯t withstand his voice.


    Kuhe hadn¡¯t forgotten their original goal. While he was reciting sutras, he was looking for the emperor¡¯s immortal souls in the darkness; but the grieving souls turned into glowing rays and flew away, and he still didn¡¯t manage to determine the location of the emperor¡¯s souls.


    After all that, he gained nothing.


    The bright light dispersed, and Kuhe found himself on the second floor of the Celestial Library Pagoda once again. Now, all the bright and colorful murals on the walls unexpectedly turned into emptiness.


    ¡°Deva-Mara appeared from nothingness, turning the drawings into his idols. I congratulate the Zen master upon breaking the karmic hindrance and advancing in cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Appeared from nothingness¡± is a Buddhist term. According to Buddhism, there are four ways for a creature to be born; ¡°appearing from nothingness¡± is one of them, it¡¯s the way deities, demons, and spirits are born. In this particular case, as I understand it, the demon jumped out of nowhere and turned the murals from the last paragraphs into his weapon. But Kuhe managed to survive it, so Changming congratulates him


    Kuhe looked at Changming¡¯s spurious smile in his eyes, and felt a little trapped.


    ¡°This poor monk is ashamed for demonstrating such unrefined techniques, please, Senior, don¡¯t laugh at me!¡±


    Regardless of what his sect and the rest of the world said, in Kuhe¡¯s opinion, Jiufang Changming was worthy of the title of the strongest person in the world in the past. Now that he reentered the Human World, his cultivation level shouldn¡¯t have been lower than it used to be; he had probably broken through his heart obstructions long ago, and was now simply watching Kuhe¡¯ struggles.


    ¡°Dare I ask the senior, have you perhaps found the emperor¡¯s fleeting souls?¡±


    If previously he called Changming a senior because of his politeness and the other¡¯s reputation, this time he was very sincere.


    Strength is the easiest way to gain respect, and Changming knew it very well.


    ¡°No, we should look for them on the upper floors.¡±


    The third floor of the Celestial Library Pagoda, just as Kuhe said, contained sixteen Confucian paintings of ancient sages.


    Kuhe wasn¡¯t a Confucianist, so he knew little about the people depicted on the paintings; he was only looking for traces of demonic qi and the fleeting souls on them.


    Based on their experience on the second floor, he could tell that the pagoda was weird. Originally, it had fine sacrifices, spiritual tools, statues and treasures of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism that balanced each other out. But, unexpectedly, there was also a blood pool of Deva-Mara. Kuhe was sure that he would have already been done for if he wasn¡¯t a master of cultivation.


    So, it wasn¡¯t impossible for their enemies to turn the paintings into obstacles by trapping souls inside.


    Kuhe was diligently and whole-heartedly checking every painting.


    But they were all indeed ordinary. Although these paintings were detailed and exceptionally lifelike, he couldn¡¯t discern anything supernatural in them.


    This floor seemed to be a real place for looking at ancient thinkers with reverence.


    Kuhe frowned and looked at Changming.


    Changming seemed to have guessed his thoughts. He shook his head, expressing that he hadn¡¯t found anything remarkable as well.


    The two of them continued climbing up the stairs.


    To the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh floors.


    The view from the pagoda was breathtaking. Standing at the window, they could look over the Imperial City and the whole capital, covering it all with one glance.


    The more serene it seemed, the weirder Kuhe felt.


    From the very beginning, he felt something lurking behind them, waiting for a chance to bounce at them.


    ¡°The last floor has Daoists¡¯ treasures? Which ones?¡±


    ¡°There is the horsetail whisk of the last mentor of the Shenxiao Abode, named Boundless Sea Gathering Dust. There are also some valued treasures of the imperial family. His Majesty was attaching great importance to this pagoda, so he ordered people to bring in many treasures.¡±


    They reached the top floor as they were talking.


    Just as Kuhe said, a whisk was placed on a glassed platform. Glares were sparkling on the whisk faintly, and it looked striking.


    Changming had seen the Boundless Sea Gathering Dusk before, and it wasn¡¯t much of a challenge for his perceptiveness to tell apart a fake from the real thing.


    There was no doubt about it¡ªthe Boundless Sea Gathering Dusk was real.


    This treasure used to belong to the previous mentor of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, so it was indeed an excellent tool; but it was more than a peerless artwork, and valuable as a symbol: since it was displayed in this place, the imperial family and Daoists sects had reached mutual understanding.


    The problem was not with the Boundless Sea Gathering Dusk.


    Changming withdrew his gaze and turned to the other treasures, randomly scattered nearby.


    There was a huge pearl with a volume of several hu, gems of various colors, and a moon-shaped treasure with weak spiritual power.


    Hu: could be either 100 litres, or 50, the first is more likely


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Changming bent down, and picked up a basin made of white ivory.


    The edges of the basin were mounted with brightly glittering jewels, representing stars; even the night couldn¡¯t cover its radiance.


    Kuhe extended his head to look at it.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a Basin of Plenty.¡±


    This ivory was indeed a bit too white, slightly blue, even; it was smooth to the touch, just like a beautiful maiden¡¯s skin.


    ¡°No,¡± Changming said suddenly.


    Kuhe: ¡°Why?¡±


    Changming: ¡°It¡¯s not ivory.¡±


    Kuhe touched it as well, ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    He also thought it was different from ivory by how it had felt, but couldn¡¯t quickly determine what it actually was.


    ¡°It¡¯s human bones.¡±


    Kuhe was startled when he heard these three words, but Changming even dug out a ruby from the Basin of Plenty with his hand.


    In the twinkling of an eye, black clouds filled the air, demonic qi whistled, and the two of them fell into a pitch-black darkness that seemed to have never seen a single ray of sun!


    The author has something to say:


    PS, Someone wanted to learn about the cultivation ranks in this novel. To make it easier for everyone to remember them, they were simplified as much as possible. There are low-level, middle-level, high-level, master and grandmaster ranks. There is no way to measure levels beyond grandmaster, so the winner in every particular case should be determined through a fight.


    Tn:


    [1]:


    Konghou


    Bianzhong

 CH 59

    Proofread by Mika


    After experiencing the Dance of the Deva-Mara on the second floor, Kuhe was intensely wary of this place.


    When the black clouds rose up and his vision suddenly went dark, he held his Buddhist cane in front of himself and chanted a mantra, sending his spiritual power to all four sides.


    ¡°There are both law and lawlessness, shape and shapelessness; believe in the righteous and hold onto the faith, recite and chant, and any demon will be cleared out!¡±


    As his lips were moving, the prayer turned into golden light, pouring in torrents, cutting through the murk and illuminating a clear path.


    At the same time, he saw a white light coming from the side, like billows sweeping over the darkness and inundating it. Nothing could withstand such a brutal and resolute force, and it sluiced in unobstructed!


    What a violent technique!


    Kuhe gasped and took a few steps back subconsciously, giving way to the white light.


    Upon supreme beings¡¯ arrival, the common folk worshipped on bent knees; no one could get in front of the attack, and nothing could vie with it for being the most radiant!


    A sword appeared in front of Kuhe¡¯s eyes. Its blade was shining brightly enough to keep any demon of the dark at bay.


    Afterwards, the sword owner¡¯s figure appeared from the blinding sea of light.


    It was Jiufang Changming.


    His expression was indifferent, as if he was an exorcising deity that had descended from heaven, looking upon all mortal vicissitudes and pleasures with a cold detachment.


    Kuhe seemed to be influenced by his mood. His expression and attitude became more solemn and respectful, and he was even breathing quietly, afraid to offend Jiufang Changming.


    He closely looked at the thing Changming was holding.


    The Basin of Plenty that had almost stirred up havoc was now lying peacefully on his palm, cute and frail like a sleeping baby.


    ¡°Has the senior sealed it?¡±


    ¡°No, I only dispersed the demonic qi around it. I want to do an experiment.¡±


    What kind of experiment?


    Changming did not answer the question that was plastered over Kuhe¡¯s face.


    He went down to the first floor, bringing the Basin of Plenty there.


    Just like it was when they had entered the pagoda, the statue was sitting cross-legged on the lotus platform, faintly smiling, holding a sphere in one hand and the Void in the other.


    When Kuhe saw it again, his heart skipped a beat.


    Before the thought had taken form in Kuhe¡¯s mind, Changming had put the Basin of Plenty in the hand that was turned upwards.


    It¡¯s!


    Kuhe suddenly realised.


    This ¡°holding the Void¡± explanation he had come up with was of course plausible, but he always felt that it was somehow incompatible with the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda.


    The gesture of Fozun Xu Tiancang holding the Void in his hand was a reminder for his successors to study the dualism of the universe faithfully; but this place was a pagoda of the Empire¡¯s Capital, so the statue¡¯s purpose was to pray for prosperity to the world, as well as for fame and fortune to the common people. To put it bluntly, performing ¡°Spring Snow¡± for simple and crude folks was undoubtedly nothing but playing the lute to a cow; when preaching to people, the content should be appropriate and comprehensible to the intended audience. In their case, the metaphor for the Void was far inferior to the symbolic holding of a treasure basin.


    Dualism: lit. yin-yang. The concept is supposedly present in Mahayana Buddhism, not just Taoism


    Spring Snow: a highbrow song of the elite in the state of Chu known for being very intricate


    Playing the lute to a cow: casting pearls before swine


    Now this complied with the original purpose of the Celestial Library Pagoda!


    After the Basin of Plenty was placed on its palm, the statue became even more dazzling, and its face seemed to be glowing as well, becoming more and more amiable. Truly unfathomable.


    Kuhe looked at the statue¡¯s smile and vivid and lifelike features.


    No, not just lifelike, it was alive!


    Unexpectedly, Fozun Xu Tiancang, who had been sitting cross-legged for many years, turned towards Kuhe and gave him a smile; but, in a flash, that smile disappeared, as if it were a morning bell exhorting everyone to lead a righteous life and criticizing mortals.


    ¡°Kuhe, do you admit your mistakes?¡±


    Kuhe felt as if countless drums were beating in his heart.


    He collected himself, vaguely aware that this could be an illusion or relentless demons causing mischief.


    ¡°After this disciple entered his sect, his devoted mind was resolute; he never gave up halfway, never oppressed the weak, and never did anything against the morals. The sun and the moon are his witnesses, and deities are observing him as well!¡±


    Fozun Xu Tiancang smiled deeply, as if laughing at Kuhe¡¯s lies.


    ¡°Then what about the time before you entered your sect?¡±


    Kuhe said in a low voice: ¡°There is a saying in Buddhism, ¡®drop your cleaver and become a Buddha¡¯. Since a murderer can be enlightened and cleansed, naturally, I can be as well.¡±


    Fozun Xu Tiancang suddenly shouted: ¡°A casuistic trick! Although you¡¯ve never killed anyone, your soul is weighted with sins. Because of you, your elder brother¡¯s family was broken up and decimated, and you entered a Buddhist sect only to flee from the responsibility. After all these years, you still haven¡¯t come to your senses, thinking that the stronger your cultivation base is, the higher your position in the Qingyun School will rise; but you¡¯ve never thought that no matter how much you cultivate, you can¡¯t redeem the mistakes you¡¯ve made! The fate of those who died because of you is even more miserable than it would have been if you killed them with a cleaver directly!¡±


    Kuhe was silent.


    ¡°What else dost thou have to say!¡±


    ¡°What else dost thou have to say!¡±


    ¡°A-di, I beg you, stop tormenting us!¡±


    A-di: younger brother; prefix ¡°a-¡± shows familiarity, suffix ¡°-di¡± means younger brother.


    ¡°A-di, whatever you want, I¡¯ll give you anything, everything but A-Wan and her alone, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°What else dost thou have to say!¡±


    ¡­


    Questions flashed like thunderbolts and lightning, one after another, making him feel dizzy.


    A wave of memories enveloped him.


    Kuhe took a few steps back and sat on the floor.


    Sweat was running down him like raindrops, his face deathly pale.


    ¡­


    Changming saw a completely different scene.


    He saw his shifu.


    The head of the Yuhuang Temple of the previous generation, the one who passed on the Yuhuang Temple to Changming, urged him repeatedly to bring their sect to greater heights.


    And Changming did turn the Yuhuang Temple into a sect famous for having as many masters as there are clouds in the sky.


    But this reputation was based on his own strength.


    Before Changming left the Yuhuang Temple, he had handed it over to his shidi, so the Yuhuang Temple turned silent for several years. If it was not for Yun Weisi coming from this sect, it would have probably disappeared, nameless and inconspicuous once again.


    Nevertheless, after Yun Weisi had left Yuhuang Temple for the Nine Layers of the Abyss, the sect inevitably fell into decline. It had not become a first-rate clan, and only shone brilliantly once, like a falling star.


    From this perspective, Changming actually let his shifu down.


    A first-rate clan should necessarily have first-rate masters; a sect cannot turn into a well-established and long-standing one simply by relying on one person.


    ¡°You definitely made a promise, but failed to keep it. Changming, you flaunt yourself as someone who values a promise more than one thousand in gold, but you couldn¡¯t keep a word you gave to your shizun.¡±


    The head of the Yuhuang Temple was gazing at Changming with a look of disappointment.


    ¡°If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have passed Yuhuang Temple to you back then.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have handed it over to anyone but me. My shidis¡¯ aptitudes were only average, and they could hardly support themselves, let alone take over a sect. There was only me; no one else could take this responsibility. I never wished to have this position, and only agreed to it reluctantly because of our relationship as master and disciple. If you want to put my mind in disorder and attack me using my weakness, you should find a better candidate.¡±


    The corners of Changming¡¯s mouth were slightly raised, looking at his shifu as if the latter was a joke.


    ¡°With your skills in illusions, you can probably go and swindle common people on the streets, but if you want to deceive me¡­¡±


    He flicked his fingertips, and a small cluster of white light fell, burning the statue instantly. But, after it was burnt, the previous head of Yuhuang Temple disappeared, replaced by Zhou Keyi.


    One of his legs was bent, the other twisted; his whole body was covered in bloodstains, and he was definitely in dire straits.


    Several strands of his hair fell loose on his forehead. The scarlet blood had already dried up. Zhou Keyi was sitting on the floor, leaning on a wall in the corner, with his lips tightly pursed. He opened his eyes for a moment to look at Changming, and then closed them again.


    ¡°I am going to die soon. You finally came.¡±


    ¡°I was just going to save you. They bathed the Jianxue Clan with blood, and said that you¡¯re at the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.¡±


    ¡°The Wanlian Buddhist Temple?¡± Zhou Keyi sneered, his breath weak, ¡°When you get there, you¡¯ll only see my dead body. They¡¯ve already seized my immortal souls, and trapped my souls here, so that I can neither live nor die even if I begged for either.¡±


    Changming raised his eyebrows: ¡°With your skills as the master of the prominent Jianxue Clan, how could you let someone exterminate your lair without even fighting back? If you listened to your teacher¡¯s words back then, would you have been reduced to such a state?¡±


    Zhou Keyi¡¯s anger flared up after he heard such casual words.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Jianxue Clan of today your fault all around?! If you hadn¡¯t meddled into others¡¯ business and hadn¡¯t started investigating the Sacred Mountain Wan, would it still have turned out this way? You can¡¯t go down alone, and simply have to drag others into trouble!¡±


    At first, Changming thought it to be another illusion, only a bit more skillful.


    But Zhou Keyi¡¯s fierce fury made him doubt it a bit.


    Could it be that Zhou Keyi being caught by Wanlian Buddhist Temple was a lie, and this one was real?


    He took a step forward and grabbed Zhou Keyi¡¯s wrist.


    It was a bit warm, and his pulse was beating faintly.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    Changming inserted some spiritual powers, but Zhou Keyi rejected them instinctively.


    Changming¡¯s heart fell.


    It wasn¡¯t a good sign. There was a proverb among the common people, ¡®final radiance of the setting sun¡¯. The more ruthlessly Zhou Keyi rejected his powers, the weaker he actually was.


    Final radiance of the setting sun: brief glow of health before passing away


    ¡°Jiufang Changming, I¡¯ve always hated you,¡± Zhou Keyi mumbled.


    ¡°I know,¡± Changming¡¯s hand was grabbed by Zhou Keyi, but he did not break free, ¡°Tell me who did this, and I will get revenge for you.¡±


    Zhou Keyi laughed coldly, coughing non-stop. His blood splashed on the back of Changming¡¯s hand, as hot as boiling water.


    ¡°Is it important? I want to get revenge myself, I don¡¯t need you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t need me,¡± it looked like Changming was trying to placate a child.


    In his heart, Changming deemed Zhou Keyi his most immature disciple, the one he had to look after the most.


    But back then, Changming had neither the patience nor the time to coax a child gently. He thought that everyone should overcome their difficulties by themselves; the path of cultivation was incomparably cruel, and if someone needed to be comforted all the time, even if they achieved something, they would be cut off from other cultivators.


    That was why when Zhou Keyi rebelled against him, Changming remained completely unmoved, only thinking to himself with a disdainful smile that Zhou Keyi had deprived himself of the chance to succeed, and, apart from becoming obsessed, he had no other path.


    Everything went according to his prediction indeed.


    After so many years, Changming had also been through many near-death experiences, so his character changed. Finally, he reflected on his past relationship with Zhou Keyi.


    A master and their disciple should never lead each other towards disaster.


    ¡°The Jianxue Clan was destroyed entirely,¡± Zhou Keyi mumbled with his eyes closed.


    Even if at first he only wanted to prove himself better than his shizun, showing that he was able and could establish a Demonic sect with his own hands, the Jianxue Clan had ended up turning into a place every Demonic cultivator looked up to.


    Able: it¡¯s also his name, so ¡®showing he was Keyi¡¯


    Although Zhou Keyi was moody, and every famous sect could rightfully send people to kill this Demonic cultivator, in Demonic cultivators¡¯ eyes, he was great and capable.


    Just like it was for Xu Jingxian. If it wasn¡¯t for the Jianxue Clan, perhaps, she would have still wandered about destitute.


    So, towards Zhou Keyi, she felt fear, awe and reverence at the same time.


    Changming sighed and patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°The Jianxue Clan was destroyed, but you can create a new one.¡±


    ¡°But the people are dead, and their souls annihilated. Even a deity would have a hard time saving them,¡± bloody tears were dripping from Zhou Keyi¡¯s eyes, ¡°They could have avoided all of this. If only it wasn¡¯t for you. Jiufang Changming, you¡¯ve caused the deaths of so many, and it¡¯s still not enough?¡±


    He weakly grabbed Changming¡¯s collar, and pulled him closer.


    ¡°You¡¯ve incurred so many disasters. If it wasn¡¯t for you, the Jianxue Clan wouldn¡¯t have become like this, and I¡­¡±


    Blood was flowing down from his mouth. Zhou Keyi¡¯s eyes turned scarlet, as if he had thousands of words left to say, and no one could understand the depth of his hatred.


    Suddenly, he opened his eyes widely, his face revealing his disbelief. He was staring at Changming.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Changming slowly pulled his hand from his chest, and started carefully wiping the blood off of it with Zhou Keyi¡¯s sleeve, missing not a single finger.


    ¡°Trees crave calm but the wind won¡¯t abate. If it¡¯s not my fault, why would I force myself to admit it? Moreover, Zhou Keyi¡¯s character is different. He wouldn¡¯t be talking endlessly about his Jianxue Clan, full of remorse. He takes an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, and wouldn¡¯t cry and complain to his shifu like an old widow on his deathbed.¡±


    He got up, kicking ¡°Zhou Keyi¡± at that.


    ¡°You only have his shape, but not his spirit. At first, you almost made me believe it, but unfortunately, you overacted and fell into my trap. Did you know that memories and impressions can also be faked?¡±


    Changming revealed a mysterious smile to ¡°Zhou Keyi¡±, lying limply on the floor.


    ¡°Did you think that the memories you absorbed from me are surely true? You can create an illusion, but I can turn it upside down as well, taking control over your fake illusion.¡±


    ¡°Zhou Keyi¡± was gasping feebly and blood was oozing from all over his body. He gradually turned into sand, scattering on the floor; finally, his flesh and blood disappeared from Changming¡¯s sight as well.


    The world became bright once again, and the statue of Buddha with the Basin of Plenty was sitting cross-legged with composure in front of his eyes.


    The candlelight was flickering, creating a sense of warmth.


    But Kuhe had disappeared somewhere.


    The door to the first floor of the pagoda was pushed open, and Yun Weisi went in.


    ¡°How are things here?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Changming noticed that the expression in his eyes was different from before, ¡°You are Yun Hai?¡±


    ¡°It seems that Shizun doesn¡¯t want to see me?¡± Yun Hai simply could not learn how to speak seriously, so they could easily be told apart.


    Changming frowned: ¡°If you change frequently, you will exhaust your spiritual power, inciting the obsession.¡±


    Yun Hai sneered, and did not reply to this remark: ¡°I met Xiao Cangfeng. He lured me out to the outskirts and wanted to isolate me.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Changming could not help but concentrate after hearing this name.


    ¡°Then he was killed by me.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Cangfeng is a key figure.¡±


    ¡°He lured me out to separate us and kill me there. He was wholeheartedly devoted to Jiang Li, so there was no way to learn any useful information from him.¡±


    Changming said with a sigh: ¡°What a pity.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°It wasn¡¯t too bad, he showed me the future.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Future?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the future where you will kill me.¡±


    Yun Hai came closer and put Changming¡¯s hand on his chest.


    ¡°The Sifei Sword pierced me right here. I still remember that feeling vividly.¡±


    Changming wanted to say, it was only an illusion to confuse you, but felt something was wrong immediately.


    Because another Yun Hai, exactly the same as the one in front of him, hugged him from behind, and put his chin on Changming¡¯s shoulder, cheek to cheek.


    ¡°Did Xiao Cangfeng want to tell us that even after all these years, we still won¡¯t be able to evade our fate of killing each other?¡±


    Changming could not move. His body and limbs had been tied up tightly already; the rope turned into a sharp blade, slashing a thousand cuts, cun by cun, all over his body.


    The Yun Hai in front of him pinched Changming¡¯s chin, and covered his lips, letting demonic qi pour in.


    The black qi was scorching hot, and surged forward in billows, twining around his hair, and entering his clothes, forceful and overbearing.


    An excruciating pain flickered through his expression, but his body had already sunk into the darkness; blood was dripping down the corner of his mouth, and his eyes became dimmer.


    What seemed to be an extremely tender and intimate embrace from the side was actually a ruthless struggle with his life on the line.


    It was as if he was standing on the edge of a cliff, while a storm was rampaging and stones were rolling down in a landslide.


    In the blink of an eye, he was already doomed!

 CH 60

    Proofread by Snake


    Changming¡¯s consciousness was aimlessly drifting through the chaos.


    As his sea of consciousness was floating away, he could not control his body anymore. He could only let them get separated and try to flee the imminent dreadful oppressiveness of the demonic qi that was shrouding him.


    His body was lost in memories, and countless images were flashing past him; however, when he stretched out his hand, he could not catch these traces.


    The balls of light dispersed, touched by his palm, leaving nothing behind.


    Changming realised that his hand had started to glow as well. Little by little, it started to dissolve; at first, it was his fingers, then his palm, his wrist¡­


    A voice kept warning him from the depths of his consciousness, if it goes on like this, you, your mind and souls will be swallowed up.


    Until not a single bone would be left, and he would scatter like ashes.


    But another force, imperceptible by the senses, was pulling him down, silently shouting to him, leave this place! If your spirit and body free themselves, you will immediately attain the legendary ascension.


    Changming struggled with all his might to maintain a clear consciousness, but it was a very hard task to accomplish. As soon as he got distracted, this overwhelming force would invade him, using the opportunity, ang giving him no chance to recover.


    The higher one¡¯s cultivation was, the more severe the attack, and the stronger the chains shackling them would grow.


    Changming heard his own breath becoming heavier, and his consciousness sinking into even greater depths.


    For your whole life, you¡¯ve been spending all your time learning, running around homeless, but what have you achieved in the end?


    He seemed to have heard a quiet voice through the dream.


    What have you achieved¡­


    For some time, Changming could not reply.


    He became proficient in Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism and Demonic techniques, not sparing a glance for some skills that other people could not comprehend in a lifetime, finally becoming a grandmaster who looked disdainfully at the world.


    But even he did not manage to find a way to ascend. Searching for it, he came to the Sacred Mountain Wan, looking for the tiny hints left there by ancient cultivators.


    Since it was said that ancient deities managed to ascend, he could as well.


    And his attachment to the Human World¡ª


    Friends he had had through his life could be counted with the fingers on two hands, while his enemies were everywhere. After all, cultivators were lonely, and could even give up on their lives, so letting go of other things was not a problem.


    Then, what about me?


    Someone asked him all of a sudden.


    Then, what about me? As soon as you ascend, you won¡¯t even care about life or death; have you ever thought of me, and felt reluctant to leave?


    Changming frowned, and his mind wavered slightly.


    The voice turned into an invisible power that grabbed Changming from above, preventing his consciousness from falling deeper.


    Two completely opposite forces were locked in a tug of war.


    And right at this moment, Changming held on to the last piece of his clarity!


    Such a miserable demon, yet it dares to act impudently.


    Light suddenly burst in front of him!


    ¡°The universe is boundless; [preaching to living things, the three immortal souls sweep the sword, reasoning with the world¡¯s principles], break!¡±


    Following the last word, the chaos shattered into pieces; the sky and the earth returned, and the wailing demonic qi tried to scatter to the sides, but was minced by the Sifei Sword!


    Wherever the sword glow passed, every person bowed their head, and every demon crawled on their knees.


    The seal that had been suppressing him cracked completely, and there was nothing in the world that could restrain Jiufang Changming again.


    Not Daoism, not Buddhism, not Confucianism, not Demonic cultivation. He was himself.


    Either on the sky or on the earth, there was only one such person.


    There were the sounds of a dying wail and groans near his ear. Those were the final struggles of demonic qi that was unwilling to yield. But as soon as Changming opened his eyes, the rest of it fled away, afraid of him, and only one person was still holding him tight.


    ¡°¡­Yun Hai?¡±


    Changming opened his mouth to say something, and could not help coughing up a large mouthful of blood.


    His robes were painted red at once.


    But he felt better after coughing up this blood.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Yun Hai had not let him go, and Changming noticed that his actions were a bit stiff.


    ¡°Did you save me just now?¡±


    ¡°You saved yourself.¡± Yun Hai¡¯s face was a bit distorted, pale and even a little gray.


    He was dragged into this by the demonic qi just now, and almost lost his way.


    He did not save Changming.


    On the contrary, it was Changming who saved him.


    Changming grabbed his hand to see his palm. The red line, in bends and curves, had forked, resembling two thin lanes.


    The last time he saw it, it had not yet split into two.


    Changming frowned and covered Yun Hai¡¯s palm, pouring in spiritual power.


    Yun Hai wanted to pull back his hand, but it was grabbed so firmly he could not take it away.


    The corners of his lips rose: ¡°Shizun guessed it right. I¡¯m Yun Hai, not your Yun Weisi.¡±


    Changming closed his eyes and said nothing.


    He had no time to pay attention to Yun Hai. Imbuing someone with spiritual powers also required some skills; he could not barge in violently, and had to smooth properly every meridian.


    Yun Hai felt the seething anger, the bloodthirstiness and the irritation in his heart gradually calm down. When Changming retracted his hand, Yun Hai realised that, unexpectedly, the red line seemed to have gotten lighter. The two lines had turned so dim that they had almost disappeared.


    ¡°I know you are Yun Hai.¡±


    Changming said languidly. After the battle against the demonic qi, even though he had had a breakthrough in his cultivation, he had spent too much power, so he felt weak and unwilling to move. Even his bones seemed soft, so he decided it was better to rest with his eyes closed. But his manner of speech was a bit relaxed and teasing, his expression gentle, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.


    ¡°Are you just reminding your teacher not to forget you once again? Or, are you jealous of Yun Weisi?¡±


    Yun Hai gasped: ¡°Since Shizun likes me so much, I won¡¯t let Yun Weisi appear ever again.¡±


    Changming replied joyfully: ¡°Do as you want. But you are calling me shizun in every breath, yet Yun Weisi has rebelled against me. Keeping in mind that you¡¯re not the same as him, I should make an exception and let you worship me as my last disciple. Originally, I had no intentions to accept anyone after Song Nanyan.¡±


    The corners of Yun Hai¡¯s mouth twitched.


    After Changming finished speaking, he seemed to have thought that this idea was a good one, so he patted Yun Hai.


    ¡°My fifth disciple, come here, kowtow to me.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡­


    ¡°Right,¡± Changming still had the mood to continue, ¡°I should also change your name, just like I did with your four shixiongs. You should be Yun, hmm¡­ Yun Dahai, what do you think?¡±


    Dahai: ocean/big Hai. I found it in a list called ¡°good names for a dog¡±


    Yun Hai suddenly thought that Zhou Keyi and the others¡¯ vows to kill their teacher, uttered day and night in every breath, were not without a reason.


    He was furious internally, and was at a loss for words for a short time, so he vented his anger on an innocent bystander. He sent spiritual power from his palm, which struck Kuhe who was standing around the corner right on the forehead.


    Kuhe shouted, and suddenly woke from the dreadful sufferings that were showing on his face.


    Kuhe had been submerged into an illusion world, just like Changming. After the Sifei Sword cut the demonic qi into pieces, Kuhe escaped the danger as well, but his consciousness was still bound, and he had not managed to break off the ties. Only after a long time did he gradually come back to his senses.


    This place was the first floor of the Celestial Library Pagoda. The statue of the Buddha was still there, but the Basin of Plenty was gone from its hand.


    He saw Changming sitting in an unsightly manner not far away, and a stranger next to him.


    ¡°This daoyou is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your School Master Sun Buku¡¯s shixiong,¡± Yun Hai said coldly.


    Kuhe: ???


    He touched his head. Yun Hai¡¯s anger towards him was an inscrutable mystery to Kuhe.


    ¡°Senior, what about the Basin of Plenty?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± Changming looked at the light that penetrated through the pagoda¡¯s windows.


    The sky had brightened.


    He asked Kuhe: ¡°Did the empress dowager say cultivators from You are entering the palace today?¡±


    Judging by the length of shadows, people from Zhaoyue and You should already be inside the palace.


    But they still had not found the emperor¡¯s life soul.


    Their trip to the Celestial Library Pagoda was fruitless.


    ¡­


    Changming¡¯s guess was right. At this moment, crowds of talented individuals were rolling inside the palace, just like the clouds in the sky.


    Two shichens ago.


    Ambassadors of Zhaoyue and You entered the palace, greeting the Son of Heaven and the empress dowager.


    Although the national strength of Luo was said to be a bit higher, they were almost equally matched with You. Although the ambassadors were respectful, they needed not to behave too obsequiously.


    The Zhaoyue Dynasty was different. Sandwiched between the two countries, they had to be humble, otherwise, they would not have survived until this day.


    So, while You had only sent two assistant ministers from their Ministry of Rites, Zhaoyue¡¯s Minister of Rites had come here himself, escorting the princess who was to marry into the Luo emperor¡¯s harem soom.


    Relatives of Luo¡¯s ministers were standing at the sides.


    The emperor was sitting on the imperial throne, his expression flat. After the others shouted the ceremonial greetings and got back onto their knees, he said nothing.


    Naturally, the empress dowager spoke on his behalf: ¡°The emperor caught a cold two days before, and still hasn¡¯t fully recovered. But when he heard that people came here from two other countries, he didn¡¯t want to postpone the meeting further to show his respect. Therefore, I¡¯ll be speaking instead of the emperor today. Please don¡¯t feel offended.¡±


    How would they dare to feel offended? Of course, the ambassadors expressed blatant courtesy, shedding grateful tears.


    But the empress dowager noticed that the emperor was not the only one who seemed listless. Zhaoyue¡¯s princess seemed a bit sickly and lethargic as well.


    ¡°The princess is a newcomer here. Could it be that you are not accustomed to the weather?¡±


    The Zhaoyue princess bowed gracefully.


    ¡°Many thanks for the empress dowager¡¯s concern. This subject hasn¡¯t been sleeping well for the past two days, but she will be fine after a couple of days.¡±


    The imperial palace had no customs requiring women to wear veils in court. However, not only was the Zhaoyue princess wearing gauze to cover her face this time, but her eyes were shut, and her head lowered.


    The empress dowager did not like it, feeling that the princess was disrespectful.


    The emperor could not take her as an empress. In the best case scenario, she would become a highest-ranking consort.


    ¡°If the princess is not feeling well, I¡¯ll call for the imperial doctor to treat you.¡±


    The Zhaoyue princess said: ¡°Empress Dowager, please forgive me. This subject has no intention of showing disrespect, but her eye was stung by a bee two days ago, and it is only good for shedding tears. This subject was afraid she would present an unsightly appearance to the court, so she put on a veil in order not to be rude towards His Majesty and the Empress Dowager.¡±


    After saying so, she took off the veil, and everyone saw that her right eye was a bit swollen and red indeed, so she could only keep it closed. However, if it was not for this flaw, she would have been elegant and charming, deserving to be described as having the countenance of a flower, and the face of the moon.


    The countenance of a flower, and face like the moon: very beautiful, of a woman


    The empress took pity on her: ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. You should have said so earlier, and I would have sent an imperial doctor to your residence to take care of you. Come, take a seat.¡±


    The Zhaoyue princess said shyly: ¡°Many thanks for the empress dowager¡¯s sympathy. This subject will recover as soon as possible.¡±


    The empress dowager: ¡°Good child. Don¡¯t worry, take good care of yourself. After you fully recover, the emperor will ask the Ministry of Rites to choose an auspicious day to welcome you into the palace.¡±


    She was anxious about the fact that the emperor would have to postpone it for an unknown period of time, so the Zhaoyue princess¡¯s wound was like a pillow offered to a person dozing off. The empress dowager sighed in relief secretly.


    Everyone exchanged conventional greetings, and the empress, as always, invited everybody to the banquet hosted in the garden.


    Although the emperor was not saying much and was occasionally coughing, in other aspects, his behavior was nothing out of the ordinary. It was just that the host of the banquet was the empress dowager instead of him.


    After everyone had three rounds of drinks, King Hui stepped forward, cupping his hands in front of him: ¡°Empress Dowager, last year, when You paid us a visit, some masters exchanged pointers in a competition, which was so spectacular that this subject still bears it in his mind. Are we blessed to witness such an event today as well?¡±


    The two masters from Luo were naturally Xie Chunxi and Yue Chengbo who stayed to guard the palace.


    They were sitting next to the empress, showing that they had an exceptionally high position in court.


    At You¡¯s side, there were only two people, a man and a woman.


    The empress dowager did not recognise them, so she asked Xie Chunxi and Yue Chengbo with a side-glance.


    ¡°The man¡¯s name is Lu Zhiyuan, he is an elder of the Qingbei Mountain. The woman is called Feng Suhuai, she is the master of the Zhuhai Spiritual Shelter; they are shixiong and shimei. Their cultivation level should be close to that of a master, and Feng Suhuai is a bit stronger.¡±


    The empress dowager asked in a low voice: ¡°Then how are they compared to you, gentlemen?¡±


    Xie Chunxi hesitated for a bit: ¡°Lu Zhiyuan should be close to us in level, but Feng Suhuai is probably slightly better.¡±


    The empress dowager sighed, her heart sinking.


    But it could not be helped. Since they established this rule last year, they could not just say, this year we don¡¯t have people stronger than yours, so how about you wait for a while until we¡¯ve found other cultivators, and then return to the competition? That would have only made You look at them with contempt, fully aware of Luo¡¯s intentions. So, the empress dowager could not decline.


    ¡°This empress dowager is looking forward to seeing the immortals exchange pointers. But what do they think about it?¡±


    Lu Zhiyuan got up first, cupping his hands: ¡°It¡¯s said that Mentor Xie Chunxi¡¯s cultivation base is deep and profound, and his techniques are like a banner on a solitary tree; would he grace this Lu with some advice?¡±


    A banner on a solitary tree: outstanding, unique


    Originally, Xie Chunxi wanted to challenge Feng Suhuai, but another person took the initiative. If he refused this offer, he would seem inferior to Yue Chengbo in skills, so he could only follow Lu Zhiyuan¡¯s lead.


    He only said: ¡°Please.¡±


    When others heard this, they put down their cups, stretching their necks out and looking at them with anticipation.


    Seeing two outstanding masters engaged in a fight right in front of their eyes.


    Such an opportunity should not be missed.


    The author has something to say:


    Yun Hai: Now I think that them rebelling is excusable.


    Tn:


    Chapters without CM spitting out blood: 0 again

 CH 61

    Xie Chunxi and Yue Chengbo were always on bad terms, which could be clearly seen from how they opposed each other harshly earlier.


    But no matter how bad their relationship was, they still acted more or less in solidarity in front of outsiders, lest other countries watch with amusement as they made fools of themselves.


    Although cultivators were citizens of no country, if their cultivation was high enough, any country would gladly welcome them as distinguished guests. But if they guarded a palace, like Xie Chunxi, naturally, they had a certain status to maintain.


    And, for example, if an honored master of Wanlian Buddhist Temple, which was the official religion of You, came to Luo, their empress dowager would not believe he would remain neutral.


    The strong were treated respectfully, but at the same time they were bound by rules.


    Of course, people like Jiufang Changming were an exception.


    The Qingbei Mountain was a small sect never mentioned in classics, but the same thing could not be said about Lu Zhiyuan.


    Never mentioned in classics: unknown


    He originated from the Zhuhai Spiritual Shelter, and came to the Qingbei Mountain on his journey later. Because his relationship with the sect head of the Qingbei Mountain was very intimate, Lu Zhiyuan accepted his proposal to stay. Then, he became an elder of the Qingbei Mountain, and his status likewise became a respectable one.


    Even though Lu Zhiyuan¡¯s cultivation aptitude was not greater than that of Feng Suhuai, it should not be underestimated.


    At the very least, his success in cultivation could not be attributed to his ties to Feng Suhuai.


    Xie Chunxi did not dare look down on him and drew his sword immediately.


    This sword had followed him around the world, slaying all kinds of demons. As soon as the sword left its sheathe, the wind picked up and a fog lifted up to the highest heavens. Most of the cups and plates on the table started buzzing and shaking at the same time, startling everyone. Furthermore, the cups of white jade shattered at once, and wine splashed all over people holding the cups, making them sit back in their seats in horror.


    Xie Chunxi started with forestalling his opponent by showing off strength.


    Lu Zhiyuan protected himself with his sword¡¯s qi as well, but felt an overwhelming power akin to that of a raging storm. It was just like a heavy boulder, putting pressure on him. It had caught him off guard, and he was determinedly enduring it, but his barrier was still broken. Lu Zhiyuan¡¯s chest hurt badly, and he took three steps back in a row.


    These three steps shattered the tiles under his feet into pieces.


    His expression was still calm, but his sword fell to the ground, and his hand hung down helplessly.


    At this point, the superiority of one side had already been determined, and there was no use to continue.


    Lu Zhiyuan forced out a smile: ¡°This one has lost.¡±


    Xie Chunxi did not conceal his joy: ¡°Daoyou Lu let me win.¡±


    The first round was lost, so the You ambassador¡¯s expression was bad. He could only place his hopes on Feng Suhuai.


    The Zhaoyue princess was still wearing the gauze veil. She had not eaten anything, and had not even drunk a single mouthful of wine; all in all, wearing gauze was uncomfortable.


    Her appearance attracted much attention when she first entered the city, but now, her eyes had reddened, and she had paled greatly that even the empress dowager could not insist on forcing her to do what she did not want to. So, the empress dowager ordered people to prepare a weaker drink especially for her.


    The last emperor¡¯s two elder brothers, King Hui and King Qi, were also present, and, naturally, so was Song Nanyan, who was the prime minister. Beside them, there were also several important ministers.


    King Hui and King Qi were chatting and joking in a low voice. They seemed very relaxed, and obviously did not regard this banquet as an important event.


    Only Song Nanyan¡¯s expression was ambiguous. Although he seemed to be laughing at ease, he was actually on pins and needles, and anxious internally.


    Although the emperor was eating, drinking and talking impeccably, Song Nanyan knew that it was a paper puppet!


    Last night, he personally saw Changming get out a white human-shaped paper figure of his sleeve, put it on the emperor, and blow on it lightly. The puppet fell to the floor, floated into the air, and, just like leavening dough figurines [1], transformed into a copy of the emperor that was similar to him down to the tiniest hair. Everyone stared at it blankly.


    Not only did the paper puppet have the emperor¡¯s appearance, but it had even copied his voice and expressions. Except for him talking less than usual, there was nothing odd about him. If Song Nanyan had not seen the puppet turn into the emperor with his own eyes, he would have had a hard time believing it.


    On top of that, the fake emperor could distinguish ambassadors and address them by their titles, and even knew everybody¡¯s names exactly. He was only afraid of fire and water, but where would he come across these things during a banquet?


    Song Nanyan did not expect his shifu, who had come out of nowhere, to be not just a cultivator, but a very skilled one at that. His shifu was one of those cultivators who could even make Zen Master Kuhe bow his head.


    However, the most important thing right now was to come up with an excuse to let the emperor leave earlier to prevent him from being exposed.


    For the time being, Song Nanyan could not find such an excuse.


    Feng Suhuai had already come up to Yue Chengbo.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about how formidable the Subduing Ghosts Art of the Zhenling Clan is, and today I am finally able to meet their clan master. Please, enlighten me with your instructions.¡±


    The Zhenling Clan was proficient in the Subduing Ghosts Art indeed, but it was actually of the sword type of clans, so they were just as good with swords. Feng Suhuai was obviously insinuating certain things with what she had said, since she only mentioned the Subduing Ghosts Art, but not their sword techniques.


    Firstly, she was looking down on the Zhenling Clan¡¯s sword techniques; secondly, she was deliberately provoking Yue Chengbo.


    Yue Chengbo had a hot temper. Otherwise, he would not have started quarreling with Xie Chunxi in front of the empress dowager.


    When he heard these words, sure enough, he revealed an angry expression.


    ¡°Shelter Master Feng is too modest. The Subduing Ghosts Art shouldn¡¯t be used in a place of culture, so today I¡¯ll seek advice from Shelter Master Feng with my sword techniques!¡±


    Feng Suhuai said with a smile: ¡°With pleasure.¡±


    As soon as those words were said, her sleeve rose in the air, and the exquisite unadorned zither appeared, landing in front of Feng Suhuai.


    Unadorned zither: literally ¡®a zither without strings¡¯, but she is playing it, so I assumed the ¡®su¡¯ means ¡®unadorned¡¯ here. Also, it¡¯s the ¡®su¡¯ from Suhuai


    By the time Yue Chengbo had pulled out his sword, Feng Suhuai¡¯s slim fingers had touched the zither strings.


    Clang!


    As bystanders heard it, this long crisp melody was the beginning of a heavenly, beautiful song.


    But this sound was like a sharp knife to Yue Chengbo, piercing his chest directly. Feng Suhuai¡¯s preemptive strike had immobilized him. A third, fourth, and fifth sound from her zither followed. They came one after another in waves and sealed off all of Yue Chengbo¡¯s attempts to attack. Not only had he lost his chance, but he had even been forced to counterattack frantically in defense.


    Since he was at a disadvantage, and could not stop it, he was certain to lose!


    How could Yue Chengbo be satisfied with this situation? He bit the tip of his tongue, and droplets of blood fell on the sword in front of him. Its spiritual power surged, and the sword shone brilliantly. In a moment, the spiritual power suddenly rushed forwards at Feng Suhuai like a sea tide, toppling mountains and overturning oceans!


    Feng Suhuai did not expect him to have a trump card, and was wholeheartedly concentrating on turning the sound of her zither into spiritual power, and the zither¡¯s strings into a formation. When Yue Chengbo lashed back at her all of a sudden, as if striking her hard from the front, she coughed up a mouthful of blood onto the zither.


    But the sound of the zither only became sharper!


    While this five-string zither sounded chaotic, like droplets of rain pouring down, it actually emitted a mighty force.


    An army of millions appeared on the horizon on a grand and spectacular scale, spurring their horses using whips, their long spears pointing forwards. All the bottles burst, and the immense force shook the whole world.


    Song Nanyan had learned the basic techniques for maintaining good health, so he had not been growing older. He did have a shallow foundation, however, and when he heard this grating, loud noise, he almost spat blood. The empress dowager was not young, so she shrieked and almost lost consciousness. Xie Chunxi quickly built up a protecting barrier in front of people, so the noise could not come through anymore.


    But everyone still had pale and weak complexions.


    Lu Zhiyuan squinted.


    He was watching the emperor quietly.


    Feng Suhuai¡¯s cultivation base was so strong that if she poured eighty or ninety percent of her strength into an attack as she did now, let alone the common people, even he had a hard time enduring it.


    But, unexpectedly, the emperor kept a straight face, and did not move at all while others covered their ears.


    Lu Zhiyuan could not imagine Luo¡¯s young emperor to be a master keeping his own counsel.


    He thought, could it be that the rumors are true?


    If so, today was a great chance.


    Feng Suhuai put all her power into this attack, and, in response, Yue Chengbo was gradually losing strength.


    As others saw it, the two of them were still keeping a certain distance.


    In reality, Feng Suhuai was bearing down on him step by step, and Yue Chengbo was retreating.


    Yet there was no place to retreat to, and he was forced to stand and fight, still unsure of winning.


    He knew that his cultivation was not as powerful as Feng Suhuai¡¯s, and that she was determined to embarrass Luo today, but he was unwilling to accept defeat.


    After all, Yue Chengbo was a very competitive person.


    At this moment, a fire ignited in the corners of his eyes.


    Suddenly, Xie Chunxi¡¯s barrier was completely shattered!


    In a moment, shrieks of the palace maids reached his ears!


    Feng Suhuai lowered her hands.


    Yue Chengbo also turned to the source of the noise, and his expression changed.


    The emperor, who was sitting on the seat of honor, had caught fire. The flames had engulfed his clothes, and it was impossible to extinguish them even by taking off the robes, but the emperor was not hopping around anxiously because of this. Not only that, the parts of his body that had ignited had fallen to the ground softly. The maid around him cried in fear, not understanding what was going on.


    Anyone who saw the emperor suddenly turn into a burnt paper figure would not react much better.


    Many of the ministers were staring at this with their mouths agape, forgetting to close them.


    The empress dowager did not expect such an accident to occur.


    Changming had repeated several times that the paper puppet should not go near water or fire, but, unexpectedly, it actually started to burn.


    ¡°You dare! What kind of sorcery did you use! Why did His Majesty, who was in perfectly good condition, turn into this! Men, seize him!¡±


    Song Nanyan got on his feet abruptly, taking the initiative to strike first.


    He saw very clearly that it was Lu Zhiyuan who had snapped his fingers just now, sending a spark towards the emperor.


    Who would have expected Lu Zhiyuan to dare to assassinate the emperor? Xie Chunxi could have noticed it in advance, but he saw the empress dowager¡¯s sufferings, and rushed to her side to support her with a barrier. This oversight was enough for Lu Zhiyuan to notice something unusual about the emperor.


    Without putting too much thought into it, Lu Zhiyuan had decided to expose them right here!


    If this was a paper puppet of the Luo¡¯s emperor, what had happened to the real one?!


    Everyone who did not know how these things worked stared at Lu Zhiyuan doubtfully after hearing Song Nanyan¡¯s words.


    Lu Zhiyuan laughed coldly: ¡°Could it be that something happened to your emperor, and he can¡¯t appear in public, so you used the art of conferring spirit to a paper puppet to conceal the fact? Is this how your country expresses hospitality towards envoys?¡±


    Xie Chunxi answered nothing and lunged at Lu Zhiyuan to take him down.


    But King Hui¡¯s reaction was also fast. He threw the wine cup in his hands onto the ground, smashing it!


    ¡°Huangsao wants to gain power over the nobles by taking control of the Son of Heaven?! I always felt that something is amiss, but I didn¡¯t expect huangsao to be fierce enough to assault her own child in order to arrogate all powers to herself!¡±


    Huangsao: the wife of an elder brother who is (was) the emperor


    Him smashing the cup was a sign. His subordinates started moving at once, and dozens of people rushed over. Their movements were organized¡ªthey had clearly prepared in advance.


    The empress dowager knew he had sent his men to enter the palace, but all these guards were favored by the last emperor, who loved and respected this younger brother, King Hui, more than the others, so the empress dowager could not oppose it.


    King Hui and the empress dowager had never gotten along. This was partly because she felt he had been gathering his personal army to challenge the central government, and, as such, she had wanted to deprive him of that authority. But the emperor was young, so the country was not too stable, and for now, she did not have a chance to do so. However, she did not expect him to set up a plan on the day of the ambassadors entering the palace; she was too worried about the emperor¡¯s condition, so she failed to discover his scheme.


    Xie Chunxi looked carefully, and his expression turned even uglier than the empress dowager¡¯s.


    He said to the empress dowager in a low voice, these people King Hui has brought here all possess cultivation bases; even if they all are low-grade cultivators, regular guards can¡¯t compare to them.


    King Hui changed all his guards to cultivators overnight; but where did he get so many cultivators?


    Xie Chunxi felt powerless in this situation.


    It was very hard for him together with Yue Chengbo to get the situation under control.


    If King Hui used the chance to capture the empress dowager, they would have an even worse time dealing with it.


    As if coordinating with his thoughts, Feng Suhuai suddenly turned around and threw herself on the empress dowager!


    She was moving extremely swiftly. Even if Xie Chunxi and Yue Chengbo rushed to block her way, it would already be too late.


    Suddenly, a strong gust of wind hit one of Feng Suhuai¡¯s temples!


    [1] Dough figurines: figures made from wheat and glutinous rice flour.

 CH 62

    Feng Suhuai was startled. She raised her hand to cover her temples subconsciously, and in a moment, a sharp pain shot through her palm!


    She seized an opportunity to dodge to the side, and looked right at her opponent.


    It was a man.


    At a single  glance, she could not determine his age. He might have been twenty-something, thirty-something, or even over one hundred.


    It was precisely like this for cultivators: until the last moments before their demise, no one could guess their age.


    But this person even rose above the crowd of highly gifted cultivators.


    He was as refined and outstanding as an immortal, but one could see countless  years shining within  the depths  of his eyes, scattered there like starlight, making him seem even more graceful.


    Feng Suhuai did not pay attention to his looks, and concentrated on his immense cultivation and experience that could be seen in his every  gesture, his every smile or frown.


    In a moment, Feng Suhuai struck back, but her opponent handled it with ease.


    Feng Suhuai¡¯s heart fell. She felt that her enemy was like a tough thug; he was not easy to deal with.


    As this thought crossed her mind, she took out her zither and started playing it.


    She was performing ¡°Wind Rustling Through Pines Under the Moon¡±.


    It was a popular song beloved by everybody. It had a rather simple melody, but the meaning of it was sublime, reaching far above all mortal affairs.


    The bright moon shines upon the pine forest with crystal-clear babbling springs, and even a stone pillow rings; a red-crowned crane listens carefully.


    Stone pillow: a symbol of a secluded area where hermits live


    But, performed by Feng Suhuai, this originally lofty and elegant melody turned into a fervent and impassioned one.


    Like shining spears and armored horses, like a ferocious tiger, her qi had spread out over  thousands of li!


    Rather than a song played under the moon, it resembled an  army of numerous armoured warriors spurring on their horses.


    Her spiritual power was infused into the music, expressed through the zither strings. Just like metal and stone falling down to the ground, her voice was sonorous and forceful, obtaining corporeal form and transforming into blades that flew towards her opponent from every direction!


    The greatest music has the faintest notes; it flew  forward with ease, as if it was splitting bamboo!


    The greatest music has the faintest notes: from Tao Te Ching


    Feng Suhuai never went down her mountain on a whim.


    As its name implies, the Zhuhai Spiritual Shelter was a secluded sect. But, at the same time, it was quite famous, because a remarkable woman had come from this sect one hundred years ago. She was Feng Suhuai¡¯s shifu.


    Feng Suhuai¡¯s shifu had only two direct disciples, Feng Suhuai and her shixiong, Lu Zhiyuan.


    The two of them were not daoist partners, but rather considered each other blood-related siblings. Afterwards, Lu Zhiyuan had left the sect to travel far away, and settled on the Qingbei Mountain. He had been living there since then, and rarely returned to the Zhuhai Spiritual Shelter. However, they exchanged letters regularly. This time, Lu Zhiyuan asked her to go down the mountain to help him escort envoys to Luo and assist him in a competition if needed, explaining the whole matter clearly. Feng Suhuai was reluctant to get involved in mundane affairs, but she could not decline her shixiong¡¯s request.


    But at this moment, after starting a fight against this mysterious man, Feng Suhuai suddenly regretted her decision.


    She regretted agreeing  to his request too easily. If she died here, perhaps, the Zhuhai Spiritual Shelter would have no qualified successors.


    As soon as Feng Suhuai thought of it, she realised she had lost.


    The first drumbeat raises the fighting spirit, the next one depletes it, and the third one extinguishes it.


    If her will to fight was exhausted, the outcome of this battle would become obvious in a short matter of time!


    Feng Suhuai flew away.


    Her five-string zither fell out of her hands, and split  into several pieces in the air.


    She knocked over a table, falling to the ground. Her appearance no longer resembled that of an immortal anymore.


    On the other side, Changming was like a graceful swan, his feet unstained by worldly dust.


    Everybody had been  subdued by only one of his hands.


    Only Song Nanyan got up to his feet excitedly, and shouted out, afraid that the others would misunderstand.


    ¡°Shifu, you finally came!¡±


    You: this you is especially polite!


    Grow up already!


    Changming glared at him silently.


    Xie Chunxi and Yue Chengbo moved. They stood in front of the empress dowager, blocking her from view and shielding  her from Lu Zhiyuan.


    It was not hard for them to bring Lu Zhiyuan under control if they worked together.


    After Kuhe had reached the garden, he subdued  the cultivators brought by King Hui one by one.


    King Hui had not anticipated Changming and Kuhe to appear suddenly and turn the situation  around.


    Originally, he was not going to act rashly. If the empress dowager was ready and gained the upper hand  today, he would not have taken action. And, if something happened to the empress dowager, he intended to use it for his own gain, becoming that fisherman who reaped the benefit from a battle between a sandpiper and a clam.


    Sandpiper and clam fight: ¡­and the fisherman catches the both


    Before this, everything had been going  fine, as if the rumors about the problem with the emperor and the empress dowager, which had stemmed from Zhaoyue, were true.


    Not only did that mother and son pair have a problem, but even the formidable Kuhe, who was supposed to be near them, had disappeared without a trace.


    Heaven was helping him.


    King Hui did not hesitate anymore and cooperated with You¡¯s ambassadors to show his trump card.


    But who would have thought that Kuhe would rush back all of a sudden, and another person, who was even more troublesome, would appear as well.


    Those envoys from Zhaoyue had assured him that the two of them were trapped in the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda. Even if they got lucky enough to leave it, it would be a matter of three days and three nights.


    After three days and three nights, the dust would have already settled, and many important things would have taken place.


    The dust would have already settled: everything would be sorted out


    King Hui could not help directing his  gaze to  the Zhaoyue ambassador, his rage flaring up to the sky.


    The empress dowager was shocked once again, and looked at Changming and Kuhe, hopefully.


    As if Kuhe knew what she wanted to ask, he slightly shook his head.


    The empress dowager¡¯s heart almost froze.


    Kuhe¡¯s gesture meant that they had not found the emperor¡¯s life soul.


    If they were not in the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda, where could the emperor¡¯s fleeting souls have gone to?


    Could it be that her son would just turn into a fool without a reason?


    The You ambassador did his best to maintain an unperturbed exterior. He tried to tilt the scales in their favour once  again.


    ¡°Being inferior in skills, we weren¡¯t going to object to anything, and simply came to this uneventful state banquet. His Majesty is occupied with numerous affairs on a daily basis. It¡¯s fine if His Majesty doesn¡¯t come, but why would you send a puppet instead to deceive us? Do you regard my You dynasty and Zhaoyue as weak countries that can be pushed around easily?!¡±


    Song Nanyan laughed coldly: ¡°You almost hurt our people just now, but my dynasty still hasn¡¯t settled the score for this. And now, you, esteemed envoy, are trying to gain the upper hand by taking the initiative? Actually, I want to ask, why did Feng Suhuai move towards our empress dowager, could it be that she was trying to help? Moreover, your dynasty and King Hui echo and support each other, and, obviously, King Hui came all prepared¡ªcould it be that he had anticipated the mishap?!¡±


    King Hui immediately tried to prove himself innocent: ¡°I led the troops into the palace today because I was afraid of You and Zhaoyue plotting against His Majesty, or just in case something unexpected happened! If His Majesty turned into paper, anyone would be flabbergasted. I wanted to question the empress dowager solely for the sake of  the public interest. Prime Minister Song, please be prudent in your speech!¡±


    Changming was not paying attention to their exchange at all. He turned towards Feng Suhuai.


    Feng Suhuai was looking at him too.


    ¡°Thank you very much for showing mercy, daoxiong. This one is Feng Suhuai of the Zhuhai Spiritual Shelter.¡±


    She had been wounded internally, and her meridians had been damaged, but her opponent had not killed her. She thought that Changming had a reason for this, but in reality, he was also an arrow at the end of its flight. He had been  wounded heavily in the Celestial Library Pagoda, and, although his culativation had advanced, his body was still weakened. His every attack meant spending his vitality, and immense spiritual power could, on the contrary, aggravate the wounds of its owner.


    An arrow at the end of its flight: exhausted


    Feng Suhuai thought him to have the heart of a gentleman. In a few words, it was only a beautiful misunderstanding.


    Changming stopped.


    ¡°The Zhuhai Spiritual Shelter? I know your shifu, Ning Wuyi. She is a very interesting person.¡±


    If Changming proclaimed someone interesting, then that person was interesting indeed.


    Feng Suhuai said mournfully: ¡°It¡¯s the honorable name of the master of the older generation in my sect.¡±


    Without a trace of politeness, Changming said indifferently: ¡°You are talented and have bright prospects. If you enter the secular world now, you will waste several decades¡¯ worth of time.¡±


    Feng Suhuai did not doubt his identity as her shifu¡¯s old friend, and said most respectfully: ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Senior. After this junior returns, she will definitely enter seclusion, and won¡¯t partake in secular affairs again. Since the Senior is my master¡¯s old friend, can this junior be fortunate enough to hear your honorable name?¡±


    Changming went to the Zhaoyue princess, dropping a few words lightly.


    ¡°Your shifu stole my dog, and I chased her for three days to kill her. But she was running quickly, and so, she managed to save her life. Remember this well, my name is Jiufang Changming.¡±


    Feng Suhuai: ¡­


    If she knew their relationship was that peculiar, she would not have asked.

 CH 63

    Proofread by Snake


    The Zhaoyue princess looked fragile and gentle.


    It was probably due to one of her eyes being wounded, as well as the fact that women generally cared about their appearance a lot, that after the princess entered the palace, she only greeted her elders politely and wished for them to be in good health. Apart from that, she had not said anything that should not be said. She sat down quietly, and no one could discern her expression behind the veil.


    When the battle began, the princess had hidden in a corner. Obviously, she was dreadfully frightened, but did her best to keep a calm exterior and tried to maintain the dignity of a princess.


    If nothing unforeseen had happened, after today¡¯s banquet, she would have stayed here, becoming a part of the emperor¡¯s harem. Maybe, she would have even become one of the highest-ranking consorts, but certainly not an empress. Of course, the princess was an honorable beauty, the pride of her whole nation, but this was her destiny.


    However, after the mishap in the palace, everything had changed. The victors, the empress dowager and Song Nanyan, did not know whether Zhaoyue had schemed with the others, so, surely, they would not allow the princess to enter the palace. The princess was faced with the fate of returning back to her country, which was an unprecedented case. Even though she was an emperor¡¯s daughter, she had lost face.


    While the empress dowager was interrogating King Hui, the princess was hiding around the corner. Only Changming was heading towards her.


    ¡°Are you the Zhaoyue Princess?¡± he asked.


    His tone was cold and indifferent; his voice was completely measured.


    The princess hung her head soundlessly.


    ¡°Take off your veil,¡± Changming said again.


    The princess only retreated a bit.


    As others saw it, it was a classic example of a timid woman being bullied.


    Even Yue Chengbo found the sight of this difficult to watch, but, despite that, he was in no rush to help her.


    Before that, he had not noticed that Han Ye was possessed by a demon, but Changming realised it.


    Feng Suhuai frowned slightly and wanted to stop him, but Changming moved faster. He saw that the princess was not going to react, so he stretched out his arm as fast as a lightning bolt, and snatched the veil from the princess.


    The veil was gone, and the delicate, plaintive face with its reddened eyes came into everyone¡¯s sight.


    The Zhaoyue princess gasped and raised her hand to cover the reddened eye with shame and annoyance.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    Changming said: ¡°Give me the emperor¡¯s fleeting souls.¡±


    The Zhaoyue princess was confused. She took a few steps back, getting even angrier.


    ¡°Empress Dowager, many things happened in the palace today. Originally, we intended to stay here to provide assistance, but our small country, Zhaoyue, has never plotted against your country. I implore the Empress Dowager to exercise her judgement. I really have no idea what this gentleman is talking about!¡±


    She was frail and sensitive from birth, and even when she was talking resentfully, she did not seem too angry, making people like and pity her.


    The empress dowager also thought that it was possible that You had colluded with King Hui today, while Zhaoyue had simply been dragged into the matter.


    After all, Zhaoyue was small and weak. It could not exist without relying on the two big countries.


    But before she managed to say anything, Changming moved towards the Zhaoyue princess!


    His movements were so quick that people could not even see them clearly!


    Changming did not show even a trace of mercy with this attack. Cultivators could tell that if the Zhaoyue princess did not dodge it, her eyes would surely be stabbed and she would be blinded as a result!


    Feng Suhuai was unable to continue watching this. Even though she was half a step late, she still wanted to thwart him.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Both Yue Chengbo and Xie Chunxi, startled, reached out for Changming.


    Let alone the Zhaoyue princess, a slim weak girl with not an inch of steel¡ªthose cultivators who made an assault on common innocent people who had no way to defend themselves were not regarded as decent people. Moreover, the princess¡¯s status was special, and they had a lot to ask of her.


    With not an inch of steel: defenceless


    Nothing could be wrong with her.


    Contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, when the danger became imminent, the princess dodged!


    She retreated swiftly, even stretching her jade-like arm forward to cast a barrier of spiritual powers to obstruct Changming¡¯s way. After that, more than a dozen golden flowers bloomed in front of her.


    These golden flowers were exquisite and delicately made, and looked like the decorative elements on women¡¯s hairpins. But, in the middle of the air, they burst into golden threads that tightly tied up Changming.


    Feng Suhuai¡¯s expression changed!


    She knew what these golden flowers were.


    There were spiritual gu in the West that turned into flowers after falling onto the ground; fluttering in the wind, like golden threads and silver willow branches, they were as lustrous as rays of sunlight.


    They were called Golden Flower Gu. They were neither a weapon, nor a spiritual technique, but a type of gu.


    It was beautiful indeed, but at the same time frightening. As soon as it touched skin, it would ignite, burning the victim until there not a single bone was left, and nothing would be able to save them anymore. Let alone a common person, even a cultivator would get a migraine trying to handle it.


    Although Zhaoyue was located in the southeast, who would have anticipated the Zhaoyue princess to have hidden such a gu?!


    The princess was not going to rush into the battle. She knew that there were many talented people around, especially Changming¡ªit was unlikely that these Golden Flower Gu would hold him for too long. She quickly turned around to leave, intending to use the head-start she had as no one had yet to catch up to her, and escape with her teleportation tool.


    But just when she touched her jade pendant, a life-threatening force hit her from behind all of a sudden. The princess did not even turn her head. She just raised her sleeve, and flew to the side, turning into a phantom like an immortal.


    Even Feng Suhuai, with her level of cultivation, had not noticed that the Zhaoyue princess had been concealing her true powers, let alone the empress dowager, Song Nanyan and the others.


    Not until Changming attacked her ruthlessly, bringing her face-to-face with her imminent death and backing her into a corner.


    But the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ way was still barred. A blinding ray of white light swept right towards her, forceful like a sudden clap of thunder, completely inescapable!


    The princess squinted slightly. Black qi was surging in her left eye, and her swollen right eye turned even redder, as if full of tears that would not fall; this difference was incredibly weird.


    Under such circumstances, since her identity had already been exposed, and she wanted to escape unscathed, she could only demonstrate her real powers.


    This originally flawless trap, because of one Jiufang Changming, had crumbled into pieces. If it wasn¡¯t for him, they would have already captured the Imperial Palace and the capital itself. How did this problem appear? In the end, it was all because of Jiang Li¡¯s carelessness!


    Jiufang Changming¡­


    This name rolled through her mind several times, and the Zhaoyue princess raised her hands, unexpectedly blocking the sword light!


    Her clothing was fluttering in the wind, but her figure stood unmoved. The sword light was hanging in the air in front of her, so dazzlingly bright that people could not help closing their eyes.


    The princess waved her hand abruptly, and black flames erupted in front of her, warding off the sword glow, and forcing it to shoot away!


    She had brought her spiritual powers into play, so, naturally, her black qi could no longer remain hidden. It was surging around her in fierce currents, like a black lotus of the underworld, indescribably beautiful yet blood-chilling.


    A hand tore open the void, tightly gripped the ricocheting sword light, and forced it to stop.


    After that, an arm, a shoulder, and then, the upper half of a body came into view.


    Yun Hai appeared.


    He turned towards the black lotus, entered it, holding the Chunzhao Sword, and was engulfed by the flames in a split second.


    That black fire was spreading extremely fast, extending to every direction from the princess¡¯ feet. For many people, it was too late to evade it, and they fell into the darkness.


    Yun Hai¡¯s expression was somber. Ever since he touched the Chunzhao Sword he had sent to her himself, he realized that the Zhaoyue princess had a higher level of cultivation than any other demon he had encountered before.


    The Chunzhao Sword used to follow Changming in the past, and Yun Hai had started using it after him, bringing it wherever he went, and imbuing it with his spiritual powers day and night. They had long since almost become one, but, unexpectedly, his enemy had managed to move it. It was clear that her actual strength was overwhelming, exceeding all his expectations.


    Before, when they had left the Celestial Library Pagoda, Changming had said that the Basin of Plenty from it was actually a ceremonial vessel like a Soul Gathering Pearl. The day a senior monk would have opened the pagoda for the eye-opening ceremony, the common people would have worshipped it as a deity, burnt incense on bended knees, and all that faith would have turned into a flow of power, continuously absorbed by the Basin of Plenty. After a certain period of time, the small amount of the power would have grown into a large one, and the whole Celestial Library Pagoda would have turned into a new, indomitable Basin of Plenty.


    Just how frightening would it have been if the fate of Yuru Town had been repeated in the capital of Luo?


    As for the Zhaoyue princess, who seemed to have no connection to the Celestial Library Pagoda¡ªfrom the way she was acting now, it looked like there had to be a link between them.


    Those Golden Flower Gu could not harm Changming. He had already freed himself from them, but was captured by the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ black flames.


    What were demons?


    When the sky and the earth had just appeared, some people received blessings from deities. Of course, sinister lands like remote and deserted dense forests full of poisonous qi gave birth to primates.


    The Sacred Mountain Wan was a place with the relics of deities, as well as the seal that cut off the Human World from the Darkest Abyss.


    But there were always restless people who were ready to challenge the seal.


    Just because it¡¯s an ancient rule, must it be undisputed?


    Even some people did not believe it, and demons even less.


    Each creature of the Abyss was living in darkness. If it wanted to survive, it had to be more stealthy and deceitful than others.


    That was why demons were the nemesis of humans since the very beginning.


    Even cultivators, if their powers were just a bit lacking, found it hard to not be affected.


    Experienced demons could easily guess a human¡¯s weak spots, stirring all kinds of ideas in their hearts. Sometimes, they did not even have to do much themselves, as their victims would bring about their own destruction.


    What about an emperor? If he already holds the whole world in his hands, can he get anything he desires, or will there still be something he can¡¯t obtain?


    Changming saw a crying person.


    He wasn¡¯t even twenty; he was, with no doubt, only a youngster.


    He was crying very broken-heartedly, his head buried in his bent knees. Changming could only see his trembling shoulders, but not his face. An invisible barrier confined him within a circle, trapping him inside.


    Even though Changming could not see his face, he knew who this person was.


    Because he was dressed in dragon robes.


    Dragon robes: emperor¡¯s court dress


    ¡°His life soul is here, with me,¡± the Zhaoyue princess said, her voice coming from nearby.


    Her peerlessly graceful steps were very alluring.


    With every step she made, a flower bloomed under her feet. But they burst like black lotuses, leading people astray to their doom.


    ¡°You want to save him, but you can¡¯t. Because he doesn¡¯t want to leave.¡±


    The princess stopped behind the youngster¡¯s back, bent down and gently stroked his head. The boy stopped crying and raised his head, looking at the princess in a daze. After some time, he reached his arms out and embraced her legs, clinging to her like a devoted lover, reluctant to let her go.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t an immortal soul I stole. He just doesn¡¯t want to leave. I didn¡¯t expect him to lead you here.¡±


    The princess repeated her words, sighing slightly.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming, it¡¯s an honor to meet you at last. Many people have mentioned your name, but I never thought we¡¯re fated to meet, especially in a place like this. My name is Ling Long.¡±


    Changming did not bat an eyelid: ¡°I thought that Ling Long was the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ maiden name.¡±


    The princess smiled: ¡°Now, I am the princess, and the princess is me, so, of course, my name is Ling Long. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been studying at a Buddhist sect, and your understanding of their teachings is quite deep. Why are you bound to appearances?¡±


    Bound to appearances: it contradicts Buddhist doctrines since one shouldn¡¯t be deceived by mere appearance


    Who would have expected that one day, even a demon would preach to Jiufang Changming about appearances. This situation was really amusing.


    But Changming did not laugh, and even lowered his head slightly.


    ¡°Your words have a point.¡±


    Princess Ling Long said: ¡°You saw it yourself: he loves me ardently and refuses to leave, I didn¡¯t lock him up here. You broke the formation in the Celestial Library Pagoda, so this battle can be considered as your minor victory. I can give you his life soul, and one of two other pieces of information, but you will let me go. How does it sound?¡±


    Changming: ¡°We¡¯ll see after you speak.¡±


    ¡°The first piece of information is about Zhou Keyi¡¯s life. I know that you are hurrying to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple to rescue him. But have you ever thought that this trip might be for nothing? The second one is, of course, about Yun Weisi¡¯s possession. I have a way for him to return to normal. But these are two questions, while you can only get one answer.¡±


    Princess Ling Long revealed a meaningful smile.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming, do you want to rescue Zhou Keyi¡¯s life, or do you care about Yun Weisi more?¡±


    The author has something to say:


    A small scene unrelated to the main text:


    Zhou Keyi: How can you ask such inhumane questions? Do you think he will choose me???


    The princess: Sorry, I¡¯m not a human.

 CH 64

    ¡°Is there a third option?¡±


    Hearing such a question, the princess smiled lightly.


    ¡°In your heart, no matter which disciple, be it Zhou Keyi or Yun Weisi, none of them really matter, right?¡±


    Changming smiled as well: ¡°I don¡¯t like other people leading me by my nose. Even if I hear your answer, I probably won¡¯t believe it, so choosing either one is pointless.¡±


    The princess said: ¡°Then, what do you want to ask?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Why are you sure that the Wanjian Immortal Clan is cooperating with you wholeheartedly, and won¡¯t betray you?¡±


    It seemed that the princess had not anticipated this question, so she fell silent for some time.


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer this question. You can only find the truth yourself.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Is the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, Jiang Li, already possessed?¡±


    The princess: ¡°No. I¡¯ve met him. He is inconceivably wise, no one can see through his thoughts completely. It¡¯s a pity you¡¯re always popping up as he is putting his plans into action. Otherwise, we would have already succeeded.¡±


    Changming shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s not true. If we¡¯re talking about someone with inconceivable wisdom, Jiang Li¡¯s shifu, Lamei, was way better.¡±


    From ancient times, every cultivator sought eternal youth, and a way to ascension. Unfortunately, in the end, few of them managed to break through the barrier between life and death. When it came to more recent times, only this one person, Lamei, had come closest to ascension. The Wanjian Immortal Clan managed to become a first-rate sect so quickly only because it had Lamei.


    ¡°Him? I¡¯ve heard about him.¡±


    The princess gasped. She seemed surprised, or, perhaps, faced with a delicate question; it was hard to tell for sure.


    Changming had wanted to get a clue from her expression, but, unfortunately, he had failed.


    The real cultivation power of the princess was higher than that of any demon Changming had encountered so far. Surely, she was of high rank as well.


    And, naturally, she was not easy to deal with.


    Changming said: ¡°The difference between humans and demons is only in their way of life. They wouldn¡¯t harm others without benefiting themselves.¡±


    The princess nodded: ¡°That is certainly the case.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Cooperating with you, they¡¯ll eventually create a world with no distinction between humans and demons, with all kinds of monsters mixed in. What will Jiang Li and the Wanjian Immortal Clan gain from it?¡±


    The position of the Wanjian Immortal Clan in the Human World was already prominent enough, and everyone had to bow their head respectfully in front of them. Jiang Li did not have to do such a thing to obtain fame and fortune. If he was seeking immortality, Jiang Li should have simply followed the cultivation instructions left by Immortal Lamei. Then, one day, he would eventually get to a point where his efforts would come to fruition. But, in spite of this, he wanted to collude with demons, and started weaving a hidden formation several decades ago, so profound that no one could figure it out.


    ¡°It¡¯s a second question, and I¡¯ve already answered one. You¡¯re playing against the rules.¡±


    As the princess was speaking, she took half a step towards him.


    There was only a short distance between the two of them, but it seemed like numerous mountains and rivers separated them. Black lotuses were growing thickly under her feet, but the princess could not get close to Changming at all.


    Originally, this place was a trap set up by her. However, she had not foreseen that Changming would use the duration of their conversation to play a trick on her.


    The princess was astonished: ¡°Jiang Li told me you¡¯re an opponent I shouldn¡¯t underestimate, but I didn¡¯t believe him. Now, I partially do.¡±


    Her tone was not angry, but rather appreciative, as if Changming matching her in strength was only a cause for celebration.


    All other people, be it Feng Suhuai, Kuhe, the empress dowager of Luo, or the ambassadors from You, did not deserve her attention.


    To someone standing on a peak, other people resembled mole crickets and ants.


    A short time ago, the princess thought Changming had barely climbed halfway up that mountain, but now she was actually looking at him seriously.


    The princess waved her sleeves, soundlessly blotting out the sky with black fire, as if binding it with everlasting shackles of affection.


    But these gentle and noiseless black flames could devour anything, altering and ruining every single thing.


    The abilities of demons were incomparably magnificent.


    In their eyes, humans were not creatures requiring protection, but refreshing prey.


    If they cared deeply about their prey, it was only to make the hunting process more exciting. They would wait until their victim came near their mouth, before finally enjoying the meal. Such was their nature as hunters.


    When the princess realized she would not be able to break through the barrier Changming had raised, she did not feel frustrated at all. Conversely, she was even more interested.


    If the prey rose up in resistance, the hunt would definitely become more challenging and amusing.


    This place seemed like an independent realm cut off from the real world.


    She could see Changming, and Changming could see her as well.


    Except for them, there was no one.


    But she could not get near Changming from the beginning. No matter what technique she used to teleport away, she was trapped in one place.


    Contrary to her expectations, he managed to set up a formation in her realm in no time.


    ¡°How did you do this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°While we were talking nonsense.¡± Changming answered.


    When the princess gave him that choice, he realised that she was not going to kill him.


    Even though it appeared as if she was threatening him, if she really wanted to take his life, she would have attacked him without saying much.


    Her not planning to kill him seemed interesting to Changming. Why was she so sure she had everything under control?


    The black fire was burning up the formless barrier, spreading towards Changming little by little. The flames started licking the ground around him, coming closer or scattering away stealthily, making their victim lower his guard.


    But the princess had noticed that her enemy was not relaxed at all. His barrier seemed flawless like seamless heavenly clothes, and she could not see a single opening for a while.


    Since she could not see it¡­


    She smiled faintly, and raised her sleeves!


    The darkness all around them suddenly evaporated, and the sky reappeared, illuminating the surroundings. Fire fell down from above their heads, turning into fireballs in the air and smashing into the earth, creating one pit after another. Everyone in the Imperial Palace of Luo was screaming out of fear and fleeing in disorder. The garden that used to be exquisite had turned into a sea of flames in an instant!


    At the same time, Changming heard the sound of the princess¡¯ voice near his ears.


    ¡°At first, I only wanted to kill you, but you forced me to kill them as well. Jiufang Changming, you wanted to save them, but became their murderer in the end, how can you be calm now?¡±


    Changming did not care about psychological attacks.


    ¡°Is the princess saying these words because she has forgotten about the Basin of Plenty made of human bones in the Celestial Library Pagoda?¡±


    Her plan was laid out with a single pertinent remark, but she laughed pleasantly, like a ringing bell. She did not say anything, but the fire falling from the sky continued burning people and things around Changming.


    The sea of flames was blazing brightly, forcing Changming into an encirclement. Anguished wails and shrill cries rang out unceasingly.


    But Changming noticed that her sky-fire could not fall onto the ground outside the Imperial Palace.


    Which meant that although the princess was strong, she probably had not completely merged with this body yet.


    Her right eye was shedding tears all the time, brimming with lamentations and sorrow, while her left eye was devoid of emotions, as if the most unfeeling, stoniest heart on earth was hidden within.


    Changming unhurriedly gestured with his fingers, ordering his sword to move.


    Seeing his actions, the princess smiled broadly, and said in a sweet tone of voice: ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you, why struggle? You seem composed, but you are actually like an arrow, slowing down due to the long distance it has flown. Trying to hold on painstakingly is worse than letting everything go. Come with me. I admire you a lot, so I¡¯ll definitely treat you well.¡±


    She really did not want to kill Changming, because his resolute mind and high cultivation base alone could be refined into a unique Soul Gathering Pearl. She would even feel sad giving such a Soul Gathering Pearl to Jiang Li¡¯s formation, and wanted to wear it as a necklace. Demons were immensely fond of such things.


    They were eerie and monstrous, making people shiver without feeling cold.


    Suddenly, there was a burst of brilliant rays of light in front of Changming!


    The Sifei Sword hung in the air, split into three, and flew forward swiftly, following his gesture.


    The princess started moving as well.


    The black flames were hurled at the sword glow. White and black were intertwined, and for a short period of time, no one could guess the winner.


    But the princess had already noticed a gap in Changming¡¯s defense!


    The one standing in front of her and controlling the sword¡¯s movements was a paper puppet, while the real Jiufang Changming was hiding behind it, to the right side!


    She smiled internally. The fire rushed at the puppet, as she pretended to fall into the trap, but she was actually surrounding the real Jiufang Changming secretly.


    In the moment of a deadly peril, one only has an instance to make the right choice from a myriad of options.


    In the end, she did not take Changming too seriously.


    Maybe, fifty years ago this man could fight her, but now he could only rely on the Art of Conferring Spirit to draw out this fight.


    A frosty glow suddenly flew towards her back from behind!


    Chunzhao¡¯s sword glow was glittering especially blindingly amidst the dark flames, and no kind of spiritual barrier could stop it.


    It was Yun Hai.


    The black fire was split into half, and forced to crawl to the sides.


    The princess squinted. Her figure split, and then disappeared.


    The Chunzhao Sword pierced the air, and the black flames used this opportunity to rise up and bind the sword.


    One rising, and the other falling; everything changed in a moment.


    When the flames started falling down from the sky, Kuhe and others set up a barrier of spiritual powers immediately, securing the empress dowager, the emperor and the others in a safe place.


    The empress dowager paled, and not just because she was frightened.


    She thought that this fire from the sky, resulting in a disaster like this, would be viewed as an omen by others, and some traitors would raise a rebellion.


    Fortunately, King Hui had already revealed his true colors today, and was quickly subdued¡ªotherwise, she would have had to deal with another calamity in a few days.


    Kuhe, Xie Chunxi and the rest of them did not seem much less relaxed than she was.


    They were waiting for the end of the battle between Changming and the Zhaoyue princess.


    Luckily, she concentrated her attention mostly on Changming, so they had a chance to rest for a moment.


    But right now, both of them could not be seen.


    Of course, the princess had not actually disappeared. The black flames were her, and she was the black flames; they had blended together.


    The Sifei Sword could not find its target, and its blade was trembling slightly, as if it was a bit nervous.


    It was waiting for an order from its owner.


    But its owner seemed to have disappeared without a trace, and even his breath could not be detected.


    The black fire was getting more ferocious, and the sword qi was flourishing more and more vigorously; they were on the verge of breaking out.


    Suddenly, a drop fell onto the surface of the dark liquid, covering it with layers of ripples.


    That droplet had not been water, but blood. Changming¡¯s blood.


    Changming had already been wounded before the battle, and now he could not hide it anymore.


    Like a wild beast smelling blood, the black flames dashed towards him from every direction, following the ripples. The black flames had formed a human figure, encircling the space and swallowing it little by little.


    Half of the princess¡¯s body had appeared from the black fire. Smiling faintly, she blocked the Sifei Sword and the Chunzhao Sword coming from two sides simultaneously.


    While the flames on her palms were right in front of the points of the swords, the pair of weapons could not move forward at all.


    At this moment, the black fire that had wrapped itself around a human suddenly combusted. It revolted against its owner and now threw itself at the princess!


    The princess flinched internally, and diverted her attention to bringing the black fire under control. The two swords broke through her barrier at once, and swept towards her!


    Kuhe thought, I¡¯m afraid that even if shixiong Buku was here today, it would have been difficult to handle this nevertheless.


    Who would have thought this Zhaoyue princess, who had appeared to be so delicate, would be the main culprit.


    The sky-fire had already stopped, which meant that the princess was already unable to attend to other things, so she would not have an opportunity to attack them for the time being. But, raising his head, Kuhe saw the sky burning with red clouds everywhere. This redness was not the orange shades of sunset at all, but rather the maroon color of blood, as if a bloody rain could start falling from the sky at any minute.


    There was a foul wind blowing through the air, making everybody feel uneasy.


    Several threads of black flames swept in front of them, transforming and gathering into lumps. Xie Chunxi and the others hurried to take up defensive positions, shielding the empress dowager, Song Nanyan and the others behind them.


    The black flames gradually took the shape of a dark cloud in the middle of the garden. The cloud quickly expanded, turning into a vortex.


    Kuhe could almost feel the force of attraction pulling everything around towards the vortex, as if it wanted to absorb them all. He quickly placed his cane in front of his body, ready to protect them.


    At this moment, a hand reached out of the vortex.


    It was white and thin, but strong and obviously not a woman¡¯s hand.


    Changming came out of the vortex, and then stretched his arm back and pulled another person from it.


    Unexpectedly, it was the Zhaoyue princess.


    The princess was thrown to the ground, breathing faintly, and was no longer as pretty and flirtatious as before.


    The last to appear was Yun Hai.


    He turned back, waved his hand, and the vortex disappeared.


    Both Changming and Yun Hai did not look too good. Changming¡¯s complexion seemed to be a bit darker, with traces of blood on the corners of his mouth. He was most likely wounded.


    But the Zhaoyue princess was so strong that Kuhe thought that if it had been him instead of Changming, he would not have been merely wounded¡ªeven saving his life would have been hard.


    Yue Chengbo was very impetuous. He took a step forward at once, intending to subdue the Zhaoyue princess, but was stopped by Changming.


    ¡°Return the emperor¡¯s life soul,¡± Changming said.


    Everyone was taken aback.


    The Zhaoyue princess laughed quietly, remaining silent. She raised her head. The black fire was surging in her left eye, but her body was sealed by spiritual powers, so she was struggling to get free and strike back.


    Changming did not repeat his request. He raised his arm directly, and pierced her right eye.


    Everyone heard a terrified scream. White light followed Changming¡¯s hand. Two rays of light, one pale and one dark, were crumpled up in his palm, so intertwined it was hard to tell them apart.


    Changming frowned.


    The empress dowager stepped forward, trembling with fear.


    ¡°Is it my son¡¯s life soul?¡±


    ¡°Not only his,¡± Changming said.


    The empress dowager did not understand him, but Kuhe completed Changming¡¯s words: ¡°There¡¯s also the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ life soul.¡±


    The life soul of the Son of Heaven had spent too much time inside the Zhaoyue princess, so their souls had merged into a single entity that could not be separated anymore. Just now, Changming had used the moment of the demon¡¯s weakness to forcibly take the emperor¡¯s soul away, bringing out the souls of the real Zhaoyue princess along with it.


    Kuhe was afraid the empress dowager might misunderstand, so he explained: ¡°Perhaps, if we want to return His Majesty¡¯s souls right now, we have to let the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ souls enter His Majesty¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be¡­¡± the empress dowager was dumbstruck. She wanted to say, male and female sharing one body, but that felt wrong.


    Male and female sharing one body: fig. hermaphroditism, bisexuality


    The emperor¡¯s body was, after all, just a body. If the emperor¡¯s and the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ souls entered it simultaneously, they would have to share this one body.


    The empress dowager had heard mysterious legends about souls reincarnating in a dead person, souls leaving the body, and so on, but she had never thought that the emperor would have to go through such an experience. It was even more bizarre than the story about reincarnating in a dead body. With two souls sharing one body, would that person still be the emperor himself?


    Just when Changming was going to pass the lump of souls to Kuhe, the Zhaoyue princess suddenly got up and transformed.


    The balck flames ignited once again, engulfing her body and breaking the forces constraining her spiritual powers. Everybody was caught off guard, and had to take a few steps back.


    The princess turned into black flames, and dispersed right in front of them all, leaving behind only a single sentence:


    ¡°Jiufang Changming, see you again soon.¡±


    Everyone still had not returned to their senses.


    Changming and Yun Hai looked at each other, saying nothing.


    Probably Kuhe¡¯s and the others¡¯ cultivation levels were not enough to sense it, but, during the fight against the princess, Changming realized that her cultivation base resembled a bottomless abyss. No matter how deep he probed it, he could not find its limit.


    If they were not fighting against her together now, and it was only one of them, even if it had been Changming at the peak of his strength fifty years ago, he still could not have been sure of his victory.


    If the situation was different, he would have been happy to have found such an unpredictable and powerful opponent. But he did not enjoy being controlled and used as a chess piece.


    Doing something out of your own will and being led to do this are two entirely different matters.


    The imperial garden was burning after the fire shower. Although it had mostly been extinguished, they could see withered flowers and broken branches everywhere. Wounded palace maidens were walking past feebly. This utter chaos was hard to describe in a few words.


    The empress dowager ordered people to arrest the You ambassadors and King Hui and take them away for now, and also sent people to assess the situation outside the palace. If the fire from the sky had damaged the city somewhere, she intended to send people to provide disaster relief and put out fires.


    At the same time, the unconscious emperor was brought over. Kuhe lowered his hands, and the shining souls landed on the emperor¡¯s head, gradually entering his body.


    In a short time, the emperor opened his eyes slowly.


    Everyone held their breath, watching him.


    ¡°Is there a third option?¡±


    Hearing such a question, the princess smiled lightly.


    ¡°In your heart, no matter which disciple, be it Zhou Keyi or Yun Weisi, none of them really matter, right?¡±


    Changming smiled as well: ¡°I don¡¯t like other people leading me by my nose. Even if I hear your answer, I probably won¡¯t believe it, so choosing either one is pointless.¡±


    The princess said: ¡°Then, what do you want to ask?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Why are you sure that the Wanjian Immortal Clan is cooperating with you wholeheartedly, and won¡¯t betray you?¡±


    It seemed that the princess had not anticipated this question, so she fell silent for some time.


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer this question. You can only find the truth yourself.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Is the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, Jiang Li, already possessed?¡±


    The princess: ¡°No. I¡¯ve met him. He is inconceivably wise, no one can see through his thoughts completely. It¡¯s a pity you¡¯re always popping up as he is putting his plans into action. Otherwise, we would have already succeeded.¡±


    Changming shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s not true. If we¡¯re talking about someone with inconceivable wisdom, Jiang Li¡¯s shifu, Lamei, was way better.¡±


    From ancient times, every cultivator sought eternal youth, and a way to ascension. Unfortunately, in the end, few of them managed to break through the barrier between life and death. When it came to more recent times, only this one person, Lamei, had come closest to ascension. The Wanjian Immortal Clan managed to become a first-rate sect so quickly only because it had Lamei.


    ¡°Him? I¡¯ve heard about him.¡±


    The princess gasped. She seemed surprised, or, perhaps, faced with a delicate question; it was hard to tell for sure.


    Changming had wanted to get a clue from her expression, but, unfortunately, he had failed.


    The real cultivation power of the princess was higher than that of any demon Changming had encountered so far. Surely, she was of high rank as well.


    And, naturally, she was not easy to deal with.


    Changming said: ¡°The difference between humans and demons is only in their way of life. They wouldn¡¯t harm others without benefiting themselves.¡±


    The princess nodded: ¡°That is certainly the case.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Cooperating with you, they¡¯ll eventually create a world with no distinction between humans and demons, with all kinds of monsters mixed in. What will Jiang Li and the Wanjian Immortal Clan gain from it?¡±


    The position of the Wanjian Immortal Clan in the Human World was already prominent enough, and everyone had to bow their head respectfully in front of them. Jiang Li did not have to do such a thing to obtain fame and fortune. If he was seeking immortality, Jiang Li should have simply followed the cultivation instructions left by Immortal Lamei. Then, one day, he would eventually get to a point where his efforts would come to fruition. But, in spite of this, he wanted to collude with demons, and started weaving a hidden formation several decades ago, so profound that no one could figure it out.


    ¡°It¡¯s a second question, and I¡¯ve already answered one. You¡¯re playing against the rules.¡±


    As the princess was speaking, she took half a step towards him.


    There was only a short distance between the two of them, but it seemed like numerous mountains and rivers separated them. Black lotuses were growing thickly under her feet, but the princess could not get close to Changming at all.


    Originally, this place was a trap set up by her. However, she had not foreseen that Changming would use the duration of their conversation to play a trick on her.


    The princess was astonished: ¡°Jiang Li told me you¡¯re an opponent I shouldn¡¯t underestimate, but I didn¡¯t believe him. Now, I partially do.¡±


    Her tone was not angry, but rather appreciative, as if Changming matching her in strength was only a cause for celebration.


    All other people, be it Feng Suhuai, Kuhe, the empress dowager of Luo, or the ambassadors from You, did not deserve her attention.


    To someone standing on a peak, other people resembled mole crickets and ants.


    A short time ago, the princess thought Changming had barely climbed halfway up that mountain, but now she was actually looking at him seriously.


    The princess waved her sleeves, soundlessly blotting out the sky with black fire, as if binding it with everlasting shackles of affection.


    But these gentle and noiseless black flames could devour anything, altering and ruining every single thing.


    The abilities of demons were incomparably magnificent.


    In their eyes, humans were not creatures requiring protection, but refreshing prey.


    If they cared deeply about their prey, it was only to make the hunting process more exciting. They would wait until their victim came near their mouth, before finally enjoying the meal. Such was their nature as hunters.


    When the princess realized she would not be able to break through the barrier Changming had raised, she did not feel frustrated at all. Conversely, she was even more interested.


    If the prey rose up in resistance, the hunt would definitely become more challenging and amusing.


    This place seemed like an independent realm cut off from the real world.


    She could see Changming, and Changming could see her as well.


    Except for them, there was no one.


    But she could not get near Changming from the beginning. No matter what technique she used to teleport away, she was trapped in one place.


    Contrary to her expectations, he managed to set up a formation in her realm in no time.


    ¡°How did you do this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°While we were talking nonsense.¡± Changming answered.


    When the princess gave him that choice, he realised that she was not going to kill him.


    Even though it appeared as if she was threatening him, if she really wanted to take his life, she would have attacked him without saying much.


    Her not planning to kill him seemed interesting to Changming. Why was she so sure she had everything under control?


    The black fire was burning up the formless barrier, spreading towards Changming little by little. The flames started licking the ground around him, coming closer or scattering away stealthily, making their victim lower his guard.


    But the princess had noticed that her enemy was not relaxed at all. His barrier seemed flawless like seamless heavenly clothes, and she could not see a single opening for a while.


    Since she could not see it¡­


    She smiled faintly, and raised her sleeves!


    The darkness all around them suddenly evaporated, and the sky reappeared, illuminating the surroundings. Fire fell down from above their heads, turning into fireballs in the air and smashing into the earth, creating one pit after another. Everyone in the Imperial Palace of Luo was screaming out of fear and fleeing in disorder. The garden that used to be exquisite had turned into a sea of flames in an instant!


    At the same time, Changming heard the sound of the princess¡¯ voice near his ears.


    ¡°At first, I only wanted to kill you, but you forced me to kill them as well. Jiufang Changming, you wanted to save them, but became their murderer in the end, how can you be calm now?¡±


    Changming did not care about psychological attacks.


    ¡°Is the princess saying these words because she has forgotten about the Basin of Plenty made of human bones in the Celestial Library Pagoda?¡±


    Her plan was laid out with a single pertinent remark, but she laughed pleasantly, like a ringing bell. She did not say anything, but the fire falling from the sky continued burning people and things around Changming.


    The sea of flames was blazing brightly, forcing Changming into an encirclement. Anguished wails and shrill cries rang out unceasingly.


    But Changming noticed that her sky-fire could not fall onto the ground outside the Imperial Palace.


    Which meant that although the princess was strong, she probably had not completely merged with this body yet.


    Her right eye was shedding tears all the time, brimming with lamentations and sorrow, while her left eye was devoid of emotions, as if the most unfeeling, stoniest heart on earth was hidden within.


    Changming unhurriedly gestured with his fingers, ordering his sword to move.


    Seeing his actions, the princess smiled broadly, and said in a sweet tone of voice: ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you, why struggle? You seem composed, but you are actually like an arrow, slowing down due to the long distance it has flown. Trying to hold on painstakingly is worse than letting everything go. Come with me. I admire you a lot, so I¡¯ll definitely treat you well.¡±


    She really did not want to kill Changming, because his resolute mind and high cultivation base alone could be refined into a unique Soul Gathering Pearl. She would even feel sad giving such a Soul Gathering Pearl to Jiang Li¡¯s formation, and wanted to wear it as a necklace. Demons were immensely fond of such things.


    They were eerie and monstrous, making people shiver without feeling cold.


    Suddenly, there was a burst of brilliant rays of light in front of Changming!


    The Sifei Sword hung in the air, split into three, and flew forward swiftly, following his gesture.


    The princess started moving as well.


    The black flames were hurled at the sword glow. White and black were intertwined, and for a short period of time, no one could guess the winner.


    But the princess had already noticed a gap in Changming¡¯s defense!


    The one standing in front of her and controlling the sword¡¯s movements was a paper puppet, while the real Jiufang Changming was hiding behind it, to the right side!


    She smiled internally. The fire rushed at the puppet, as she pretended to fall into the trap, but she was actually surrounding the real Jiufang Changming secretly.


    In the moment of a deadly peril, one only has an instance to make the right choice from a myriad of options.


    In the end, she did not take Changming too seriously.


    Maybe, fifty years ago this man could fight her, but now he could only rely on the Art of Conferring Spirit to draw out this fight.


    A frosty glow suddenly flew towards her back from behind!


    Chunzhao¡¯s sword glow was glittering especially blindingly amidst the dark flames, and no kind of spiritual barrier could stop it.


    It was Yun Hai.


    The black fire was split into half, and forced to crawl to the sides.


    The princess squinted. Her figure split, and then disappeared.


    The Chunzhao Sword pierced the air, and the black flames used this opportunity to rise up and bind the sword.


    One rising, and the other falling; everything changed in a moment.


    When the flames started falling down from the sky, Kuhe and others set up a barrier of spiritual powers immediately, securing the empress dowager, the emperor and the others in a safe place.


    The empress dowager paled, and not just because she was frightened.


    She thought that this fire from the sky, resulting in a disaster like this, would be viewed as an omen by others, and some traitors would raise a rebellion.


    Fortunately, King Hui had already revealed his true colors today, and was quickly subdued¡ªotherwise, she would have had to deal with another calamity in a few days.


    Kuhe, Xie Chunxi and the rest of them did not seem much less relaxed than she was.


    They were waiting for the end of the battle between Changming and the Zhaoyue princess.


    Luckily, she concentrated her attention mostly on Changming, so they had a chance to rest for a moment.


    But right now, both of them could not be seen.


    Of course, the princess had not actually disappeared. The black flames were her, and she was the black flames; they had blended together.


    The Sifei Sword could not find its target, and its blade was trembling slightly, as if it was a bit nervous.


    It was waiting for an order from its owner.


    But its owner seemed to have disappeared without a trace, and even his breath could not be detected.


    The black fire was getting more ferocious, and the sword qi was flourishing more and more vigorously; they were on the verge of breaking out.


    Suddenly, a drop fell onto the surface of the dark liquid, covering it with layers of ripples.


    That droplet had not been water, but blood. Changming¡¯s blood.


    Changming had already been wounded before the battle, and now he could not hide it anymore.


    Like a wild beast smelling blood, the black flames dashed towards him from every direction, following the ripples. The black flames had formed a human figure, encircling the space and swallowing it little by little.


    Half of the princess¡¯s body had appeared from the black fire. Smiling faintly, she blocked the Sifei Sword and the Chunzhao Sword coming from two sides simultaneously.


    While the flames on her palms were right in front of the points of the swords, the pair of weapons could not move forward at all.


    At this moment, the black fire that had wrapped itself around a human suddenly combusted. It revolted against its owner and now threw itself at the princess!


    The princess flinched internally, and diverted her attention to bringing the black fire under control. The two swords broke through her barrier at once, and swept towards her!


    Kuhe thought, I¡¯m afraid that even if shixiong Buku was here today, it would have been difficult to handle this nevertheless.


    Who would have thought this Zhaoyue princess, who had appeared to be so delicate, would be the main culprit.


    The sky-fire had already stopped, which meant that the princess was already unable to attend to other things, so she would not have an opportunity to attack them for the time being. But, raising his head, Kuhe saw the sky burning with red clouds everywhere. This redness was not the orange shades of sunset at all, but rather the maroon color of blood, as if a bloody rain could start falling from the sky at any minute.


    There was a foul wind blowing through the air, making everybody feel uneasy.


    Several threads of black flames swept in front of them, transforming and gathering into lumps. Xie Chunxi and the others hurried to take up defensive positions, shielding the empress dowager, Song Nanyan and the others behind them.


    The black flames gradually took the shape of a dark cloud in the middle of the garden. The cloud quickly expanded, turning into a vortex.


    Kuhe could almost feel the force of attraction pulling everything around towards the vortex, as if it wanted to absorb them all. He quickly placed his cane in front of his body, ready to protect them.


    At this moment, a hand reached out of the vortex.


    It was white and thin, but strong and obviously not a woman¡¯s hand.


    Changming came out of the vortex, and then stretched his arm back and pulled another person from it.


    Unexpectedly, it was the Zhaoyue princess.


    The princess was thrown to the ground, breathing faintly, and was no longer as pretty and flirtatious as before.


    The last to appear was Yun Hai.


    He turned back, waved his hand, and the vortex disappeared.


    Both Changming and Yun Hai did not look too good. Changming¡¯s complexion seemed to be a bit darker, with traces of blood on the corners of his mouth. He was most likely wounded.


    But the Zhaoyue princess was so strong that Kuhe thought that if it had been him instead of Changming, he would not have been merely wounded¡ªeven saving his life would have been hard.


    Yue Chengbo was very impetuous. He took a step forward at once, intending to subdue the Zhaoyue princess, but was stopped by Changming.


    ¡°Return the emperor¡¯s life soul,¡± Changming said.


    Everyone was taken aback.


    The Zhaoyue princess laughed quietly, remaining silent. She raised her head. The black fire was surging in her left eye, but her body was sealed by spiritual powers, so she was struggling to get free and strike back.


    Changming did not repeat his request. He raised his arm directly, and pierced her right eye.


    Everyone heard a terrified scream. White light followed Changming¡¯s hand. Two rays of light, one pale and one dark, were crumpled up in his palm, so intertwined it was hard to tell them apart.


    Changming frowned.


    The empress dowager stepped forward, trembling with fear.


    ¡°Is it my son¡¯s life soul?¡±


    ¡°Not only his,¡± Changming said.


    The empress dowager did not understand him, but Kuhe completed Changming¡¯s words: ¡°There¡¯s also the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ life soul.¡±


    The life soul of the Son of Heaven had spent too much time inside the Zhaoyue princess, so their souls had merged into a single entity that could not be separated anymore. Just now, Changming had used the moment of the demon¡¯s weakness to forcibly take the emperor¡¯s soul away, bringing out the souls of the real Zhaoyue princess along with it.


    Kuhe was afraid the empress dowager might misunderstand, so he explained: ¡°Perhaps, if we want to return His Majesty¡¯s souls right now, we have to let the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ souls enter His Majesty¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be¡­¡± the empress dowager was dumbstruck. She wanted to say, male and female sharing one body, but that felt wrong.


    Male and female sharing one body: fig. hermaphroditism, bisexuality


    The emperor¡¯s body was, after all, just a body. If the emperor¡¯s and the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ souls entered it simultaneously, they would have to share this one body.


    The empress dowager had heard mysterious legends about souls reincarnating in a dead person, souls leaving the body, and so on, but she had never thought that the emperor would have to go through such an experience. It was even more bizarre than the story about reincarnating in a dead body. With two souls sharing one body, would that person still be the emperor himself?


    Just when Changming was going to pass the lump of souls to Kuhe, the Zhaoyue princess suddenly got up and transformed.


    The balck flames ignited once again, engulfing her body and breaking the forces constraining her spiritual powers. Everybody was caught off guard, and had to take a few steps back.


    The princess turned into black flames, and dispersed right in front of them all, leaving behind only a single sentence:


    ¡°Jiufang Changming, see you again soon.¡±


    Everyone still had not returned to their senses.


    Changming and Yun Hai looked at each other, saying nothing.


    Probably Kuhe¡¯s and the others¡¯ cultivation levels were not enough to sense it, but, during the fight against the princess, Changming realized that her cultivation base resembled a bottomless abyss. No matter how deep he probed it, he could not find its limit.


    If they were not fighting against her together now, and it was only one of them, even if it had been Changming at the peak of his strength fifty years ago, he still could not have been sure of his victory.


    If the situation was different, he would have been happy to have found such an unpredictable and powerful opponent. But he did not enjoy being controlled and used as a chess piece.


    Doing something out of your own will and being led to do this are two entirely different matters.


    The imperial garden was burning after the fire shower. Although it had mostly been extinguished, they could see withered flowers and broken branches everywhere. Wounded palace maidens were walking past feebly. This utter chaos was hard to describe in a few words.


    The empress dowager ordered people to arrest the You ambassadors and King Hui and take them away for now, and also sent people to assess the situation outside the palace. If the fire from the sky had damaged the city somewhere, she intended to send people to provide disaster relief and put out fires.


    At the same time, the unconscious emperor was brought over. Kuhe lowered his hands, and the shining souls landed on the emperor¡¯s head, gradually entering his body.


    In a short time, the emperor opened his eyes slowly.


    Everyone held their breath, watching him.

 CH 65

    Proofread by Snake


    ¡°Why am I here?¡±


    The emperor spoke in his own voice.


    Everyone exhaled.


    The emperor¡¯s expression was confused and panicked.


    After all, he was only a young man. No matter how high his status was, he had never been through something like this.


    The empress dowager said softly: ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re alright. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?¡±


    The emperor wanted to say something, but then hesitated and only shook his head in the end. He looked around at everybody, his eyes not resting on anyone for too long, including the empress dowager.


    The empress dowager was struggling to remain calm. To contain herself, she turned around and asked Changming: ¡°Might Immortal Jiufang do me a favor and see whether the emperor has fully recovered?¡±


    After hearing Kuhe¡¯s words about the emperor¡¯s souls tangled with the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ with no chance of separating them, the empress dowager still had a lingering fear.


    Changming came closer to the emperor and stretched out his arm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll measure your pulse.¡±


    The emperor was hesitating.


    The empress dowager thought that he might be afraid of something going wrong since he did not recognise Changming. Furthermore, the emperor had been unconscious for a long time, and had just seen so many people after coming to his senses. It was natural for him to be suspicious. The empress dowager encouraged him: ¡°This person is Immortal Jiufang. He is the immortal who has found and returned your stolen souls!¡±


    But the emperor said: ¡°I¡¯m not hurt, there is no need to check. I¡¯m tired and can¡¯t recall many things. I want to take a rest.¡±


    Changming suddenly touched his chest. The emperor jumped in fear, dodging Changming¡¯s hand and covering his own chest with his arms. He frowned and shrieked.


    ¡°You audacious scoundrel, what are you doing!¡±


    Everyone: ¡­


    The empress dowager felt that something was wrong.


    How was it a boy¡¯s reaction? Obviously, it was a girl¡¯s.


    The empress dowager¡¯s face darkened: ¡°Who on earth are you!¡±


    The emperor: ¡°Naturally, I¡¯m Huangfu Ruiyu.¡±


    It was the emperor¡¯s taboo name.


    Taboo name: taboo against voicing the emperor¡¯s name in ancient China


    But this name was not a secret. Since the Zhaoyue princess was marrying into the Luo Palace, of course, she knew it as well.


    The empress dowager said quietly: ¡°Do you still remember what we talked about when you regained consciousness after falling into water at the age of eight?¡±


    The emperor remained silent for a moment, and then said cautiously: ¡°That I should stop playing around?¡±


    The empress dowager: ¡°You didn¡¯t fall into water in the first place.¡±


    The emperor: ¡­


    The empress dowager: ¡°Who on earth are you!¡±


    Kuhe said: ¡°Two souls sharing one body. She must be the Zhaoyue princess right now.¡±


    The empress dowager had already guessed that. She gnashed her teeth, wishing she could tear this woman who had blended into her son¡¯s body into a thousand pieces: ¡°Give me my son!¡±


    While the empress dowager was talking, Xie Chunxi and Yue Chengbo stepped forward, blocking the emperor¡¯s way to the right and to the left in case he should try to escape.


    The emperor sobbed and collapsed.


    ¡°Ah, I also want to go away! If I could return him, I¡¯d have already done so!¡±


    The demons had taken the Zhaoyue princess under their control before she had even entered Luo.


    She could not say when that had happened exactly. She only knew that she had woken up one day and noticed that her body had changed slightly, as if there was a strange voice in her head that spoke to her from time to time, ordering her to do different things.


    Little by little, that voice turned into a host from a guest. It took control of her body and forced her to watch the voice become the owner, pushing her into a tight corner.


    She could also talk to this voice, and its owner was quite amiable towards her, answering every question she had. He said he had come from the Darkest Abyss, and was attracted to the princess¡¯s body, but had no intention of taking over it. When the whole affair was over, he would, of course, return the body to the princess. The latter did not put up a struggle at all, and let the owner of the voice do as he pleased.


    Although Zhaoyue was small, the emperor¡¯s harem was full of intrigues. The princess¡¯s birth mother was a palace maiden. Her origins were humble, so she had suffered a lot of humiliation. Later, when that person came, everything changed, and no one dared bully her again, and the Zhaoyue empress secured her position at court. That person probably wanted to repeat this story, and make the Zhaoyue princess the person in charge, using the mechanism of court intrigues.


    ¡°But he seemed to have changed his decision later. When he heard that Luo was going to establish a good relationship with Zhaoyue, he took the initiative to ask our monarch to let me go to Luo.¡±


    The emperor was sniffing, keeping his fingers in a theatrical orchid gesture [1].


    The corners of the empress dowager¡¯s eyes twitched, and her clean and proper face turned ashen.


    Why Luo, and not You? Because, compared to relying on You, having a good relationship with Luo, a more powerful country, was definitely more profitable for Zhaoyue. The demon inside the Zhaoyue princess had probably been prepared in advance to infiltrate Luo.


    When the empress dowager heard that the Zhaoyue monarch wanted to give them the princess, she thought that the small country was eagerly currying favor with them, disregarding You for their sake. Since it demonstrated Luo¡¯s superiority, she could only rejoice.


    It seemed like the emperor was trying to take out a handkerchief to wipe off his tears. However, he did not manage to find it even after looking for some time, so he could only wipe his eyes with his sleeve, ruining his image of a thick-browed, brave man with big eyes. Many people could not stand the sight of this, so they averted their gazes.


    ¡°What happened next?¡± the empress dowager¡¯s voice started to quiver. No one knew whether the reason for this was her fear or rage.


    ¡°Zhaoyue is a small country forced to exist in a crack between two big dynasties, Luo and You. At the time I volunteered, our monarch was just worried how we should please the Luo dynasty, so, naturally, he was happy,¡± the emperor mumbled with a guilty conscience, ¡°I¡­ I had no choice as well. I couldn¡¯t control my body at all, and whatever that person wanted to do, I did.¡±


    Kuhe: ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    The emperor: ¡°He told me to call him Han Yin. Han from ¡®cold wind¡¯, Yin from ¡®life in seclusion¡¯.¡±


    Han from ¡®cold wind¡¯: ¡®han¡¯ means ¡®cold¡¯


    Yin from ¡®life in seclusion¡¯: ¡®yin¡¯ means ¡®hidden¡¯


    It was not just Kuhe who did not recognise this name¡ªno one else did either.


    But, since he was a demon, the fact that no one had ever heard his name was not surprising.


    Kuhe asked again: ¡°Why did he want you to come to Luo and marry the emperor?¡±


    The emperor: ¡°He told me that I was predestined to get married to the emperor of Luo, and my life will be better after I come here. At first, I was too naive, and believed without a second thought in everything he said. Sometimes, I would leave the body at night, but if I got too far away, I was dragged back forcibly. When I arrived at the Luo dynasty, during the night I was resting in the official residence in the outskirts, I left my body to take a breath of fresh air. That was when I stumbled upon Huangfu Ruyi. He said he was a soul wandering in a dream. I didn¡¯t believe that he was the emperor of Luo until Huangfu told me a lot about the affairs of the Luo dynasty.¡±


    Very soon, the existence of Huangfu was noticed by the demon, who was occupying the princess¡¯ body. He trapped both souls inside the princess¡¯ body. When the princess entered the banquet that had been arranged for the ambassadors in the palace, the emperor could see the empress dowager through the princess¡¯s eyes, but could not do anything.


    At this point, the empress dowager could not hold her tears back anymore: ¡°Ah, my poor son!¡±


    She quickly asked Changming, Kuhe and others to think of a way to help the emperor return to his normal state.


    Kuhe and the others frowned silently. But Changming knew that the emperor did not want to go back in the first place. Maybe he even enjoyed his current position. If something happened, the princess could take over the body; when everything was alright, he could come out and laze around. That way, he would not need to hear the empress dowager and ministers talking about boring things, but could still enjoy all the privileges of being an emperor.


    The emperor saw the empress dowager choking with tears, and wanted to say something. But he noticed Changming¡¯s half-smiling expression of a person who had already guessed his thoughts, so he retracted his half-stretched hand, turning into a quail.


    Turning into a quail: be embarrassed, shying away


    Kuhe said: ¡°Right now, Princess Ling Long¡¯s and His Majesty¡¯s souls are intertwined with each other; at the same time, the princess¡¯ body was taken by a demon. Perhaps, it will be hard to resolve their ill-fated relationship for the time being. Please forgive this poor monk¡¯s ignorance, but he¡¯s afraid we¡¯ll have to wait for shixiong to return and take a look.¡±


    Although he was saying these words, in his heart, he was not sure that even his shixiong would be able to help¡ªafter all, even shixiong¡¯s shifu did not have a solution. But he was still consoling the empress dowager, giving her hope.


    Since Kuhe, a disciple of the formidable Qingyun School, said this, Xie Chunxi and the others were naturally unable to help as well.


    The empress dowager wiped her tears away, forcing herself to calm down, and said to the emperor: ¡°Let my son come out and speak. Haven¡¯t his souls returned as well?¡±


    The emperor said awkwardly: ¡°I called for him just now, but he¡¯s still sleeping. He¡¯ll probably come out after dawn. Let¡¯s give days to him, and nights to me, is it fine?¡±


    So during the day, he would be the usual emperor, and at night, he would be the emperor with a male body and a female heart?


    Would the emperor be able to show favor to his concubines and carry on the ancestral line?


    The empress dowager said angrily: ¡°Since when are you in charge!¡±


    The emperor replied innocently: ¡°You can¡¯t be in charge either!¡±


    The empress dowager¡¯s vision went dark, and she fainted from anger.


    Seeing that the two of them would not come to an agreement any time soon, Changming had already turned away.


    Yun Hai was looking at the sky.


    The scarlet clouds above their heads had started to disperse, but a long red trace was still stretched far to the east, as if someone had cut through the clouds with a knife, leaving a wound.


    Unexpectedly, from day to night, this matter had taken a whole day.


    Changming called Song Nanyan over.


    ¡°What¡¯s on the eastern side?¡±


    Song Nanyan said: ¡°Ah, there¡¯s the eastern market. The eastern and the western markets of the Luo Capital are bustling with merchants.¡±


    Of course, Changming was not trying to ask about the eastern market.


    ¡°What¡¯s farther to the east?¡±


    ¡°The market ends,¡± Song Nanyan first answered, and only after that started to think, ¡°Are you asking about what lies to the east of the Luo Capital? There¡¯s an imperial mausoleum, also called the Eastern Tomb.¡±


    The Eastern Tomb¡­


    There was a high slope in the outskirts, right beneath the trace of blood in the sky.


    Changming was doubtful. Maybe, they should wait for Xu Jingxian to return, and only then solve this mystery.


    Song Nanyan had noticed Yun Hai a long time ago, but had not had an opportunity to ask till this moment.


    This person appeared silently, and had defeated the princess together with Changming, accomplishing something Kuhe, Xie Chunxi and the others failed to do. Obviously, his strength was greater than Kuhe¡¯s and the others¡¯.


    Since his level of cultivation was so high, he could not be a fameless person.


    Song Nanyan was standing alone above thousands, but he was used to being smooth and slick in establishing social relations, and was able to adapt to the circumstances. While Changming was questioning others, he used this chance to ask: ¡°Teacher, how should I address this immortal who came with you?¡±


    First, Yun Hai had killed Xiao Cangfeng; then, he had hurried to the Celestial Library Pagoda, and after that assisted Changming in defeating Han Yin. Even if he had two consciousnesses inside his body, Yun Weisi¡¯s and Yun Hai¡¯s, his spiritual power and physical strength had almost been depleted. His face seemed tired, his expression sickly, and he did not want to talk at all. He was sitting on the only intact chair in a bad position, and resembled the owner of the Imperial City more than the empress dowager or the emperor.


    Everything was in chaos. The empress dowager was distressed about the princess¡¯ souls inside the emperor¡¯s body, and Kuhe and the others were trying to get information out of Feng Suhuai and Lu Zhiyuan. Perhaps, even if Yun Hai had sat on the imperial throne, no one would have bothered to correct his mistake.


    Hearing Song Nanyan¡¯s words, Yun Hai opened his eyes, threw him a look. Then, Yun Hai lowered his head again, ignoring Song Nanyan and resting with his eyes closed.


    ¡°You want him to remain by the emperor¡¯s side and guard the Imperial City?¡±


    Changming saw through Song Nanyan¡¯s plan at a glance.


    This time, their opponent was unprecedentedly powerful, which made Song Nanyan realise that Kuhe, Xie Chunxi and the others, whom he had considered to be almost immortal fairies, were still not omnipotent in front of demons, even though they possessed the abilities of masters. Of course, there were other masters in the world, but a distant water cannot quench the fire nearby. Song Nayan wanted this master to stay here, so he approached Yun Hai with that thought.


    Hearing Changming¡¯s words, he smiled embarrassedly: ¡°If the Immortal is willing, I¡¯ll discuss it with the empress dowager right now and ask this Immortal to become the emperor¡¯s advisor. We¡¯ll establish a temple for the immortal in the center of the capital, and this glorious sect will get the praise it deserves.¡±


    Yun Hai answered lazily, without even opening his eyes: ¡°I¡¯m the first disciple your master has accepted. Your eye for disciples is becoming worse and worse over time. Is it that any kitten or dog was allowed to enter your sect after I was accepted?¡±


    Any kitten or dog: Tom, Dick, and Harry


    The first line was his answer to Song Nanyan, while the latter, naturally, was directed to Changming.


    The author has something to say:


    A small scene unrelated to the main story:


    Changming: Come here, introduce yourself to Little Song.


    Yun Hai: ¡­ (disdainful, feels too lazy to open his mouth)


    Changming: (to Song Nanyan) He¡¯s Yun Dahai, my fifth disciple, your shidi.


    Yun Hai: ???


    Tn:


    [1] Orchide gesture: hand gesture in traditional dances.

 CH 66

    Song Nanyan, who could hardly process these ¡°kittens or dogs¡±, not only felt treated unjustly but was even outraged.


    Back then, he was accepted as a disciple seriously. Although he didn¡¯t know that his teacher was a cultivator, after he was accepted, he followed his teacher, braving the wind and the rain all the time. After that, when he thought that his teacher had died, he even returned to his homeland to mourn over him, erecting a tomb for his teacher, and shedding some tears for him. Could this ¡°dashixiong¡± be more concerned and loving?


    But who was Song Nanyan? He had been occupying his position in government for several decades and had dealt with every kind of person. It had been a long time since he learned how to maintain a sweet smile on his face, even if howling winds and torrential rains were surging in his heart.


    ¡°Shifu, is this immortal my dashixiong?¡±


    Song Nanyan seemed harmless, even a bit wronged after being jeered at, and his chin was a bit stiff. Rosy rays of the setting sun were helping him to act pitiably.


    ¡°According to the order I accepted you in, he is indeed your dashixiong. You can call him shixiong Yun.¡±


    Changming looked at Yun Hai once but didn¡¯t explain his complicated circumstances.


    Song Nanyan followed his advice readily: ¡°Nice to meet you, shixiong Yun. I was studying under our teacher for several years, but I didn¡¯t know his status. I never learned the art of cultivation, and the teacher only taught me how to read the classics and conduct myself, but it was enough to give me an advantage through my whole life.¡±


    Yun Hai smirked: ¡°Then your fortune was very good, and you left yourself before he could expel you. And Zhou Keyi¡¯s fate, tut-tut! Indeed, whoever hears it will grieve, whoever sees it will shed tears!¡±


    Song Nanyan: ???


    Changming said nonchalantly: ¡°Your dashixionig Yun was wounded, so he is mentally unstable now, and talks nonsense. It will be fine when he recovers.¡±


    Song Nanyan didn¡¯t focus on Yun Hai¡¯s words as well. He was busy saying everything he wanted to say: ¡°I don¡¯t know whether the teacher has other important matters which led him here? If there¡¯s nothing, let your disciple fulfil his filial piety. I¡¯ll respectfully ask you to stay here for a while. This disciple hasn¡¯t seen you for so long, and we entered the palace before we could reminisce about old days. You don¡¯t know it, but every day and night this disciple has been cherishing the memory of his teacher¡¯s kindness. There is an ancient saying, peach and plum trees are silent, yet people beat a path to them. This disciple holds some power in the Luo Capital. A teacher for a day is a father for life. This disciple¡¯s parents perished when I was young, so you¡¯re like a father to me. Please, teacher, don¡¯t refuse my request out of politeness!¡±


    Peach and plum trees are silent, yet people beat a path to them: great people attract admiration


    He finished speaking, but Changming didn¡¯t answer, so he couldn¡¯t help but urge him: ¡°Teacher?¡±


    Changming hummed: ¡°This teacher is thinking that with your skill of talking glibly in an unceasing torrent, if you could turn every word into a soldier, you would have created an unparalleled, grand army.¡±


    Song Nanyan thought, is this a new way you¡¯re using to deride me by saying I¡¯m too wordy?


    He was a bit offended: ¡°This disciple is already not that young. Although I don¡¯t seem old because I was fortunate enough to have you teach me techniques of nourishing my health, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s too late for me to enter a sect. But, so that you don¡¯t disdain me, this disciple will serve you day and night, listening to your every instruction.¡±


    Changming recalled why he accepted Song Nanyan as a disciple back then. One of the reasons was because Song Nanyan was sticking to him all day round, and started talking endlessly as soon as he got a chance to, using childish, youthful words to flatter Changming. Changming was vexed to the point he could no longer endure it, so he finally accepted Song Nanyan. When Changming named him Nanyan, he thought the latter would notice his flaw, and try to fix it. But he hadn¡¯t anticipated that after several decades of not having seen each other, this chronic illness would strike again.


    ¡°I wish to visit You together with your shixiong Yun, so we can¡¯t stay here for too long.¡±


    ¡°Why are you going to You?¡±


    ¡°The fifteenth day of the seventh moon is around the corner. The Wanlian Buddhist Temple is performing a puja ritual on this day, have you heard of it?¡±


    Puja ritual: Budd. religious assembly. Monks gather and discuss Buddhism


    Song Nanyan answered quickly: ¡°I have. The puja on the fifteenth day of the seventh month is a very well-celebrated ritual in You, performed on a large scale. They say that it lasts for three days every year, and those who enter the Wanlian Buddhist Temple in these three days are not allowed to exit it.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Why?¡±


    Song Nanyan: ¡°This disciple isn¡¯t clear about the reason. Master Kuhe is from a Buddhist sect as well, so he should know more. Why doesn¡¯t Teacher return with me and have a rest, and then we¡¯ll find the Zen master again and ask him about everything slowly.¡±


    Before Changming could answer, Kuhe, Yue Chengbo and others had approached them.


    ¡°We are very thankful to the immortal for lending a hand in today¡¯s matter. If you weren¡¯t here, the imperial palace would have probably been turned upside down.¡±


    After what happened today, even a proud person like Xie Chunxi would bow his stubborn head willingly.


    They expressed their thanks to Changming.


    Changming didn¡¯t like to get entangled in secular etiquette, so he reacted unenthusiastically, and only asked Yue Chengbo: ¡°Was there a disciple named Nie Emei in your Zhengling Clan in the past?¡±


    ¡°Where did this senior meet her?!¡±


    Changming only asked this offhandedly and didn¡¯t expect Yue Chengbo to react this strongly.


    Back then, Nie Emei had told him that she came from the Zhengling Clan, and, as luck would have it, Yue Chengbo happened to be the master of the Zhengling Clan.


    When Changming went to the past on the Void Shore, he had a short interaction with Nie Emei in Yuru Town.


    ¡°I was acquainted with her several decades ago.¡±


    People often met, just like duckweeds on the surface of water, and few people left an impression on him. Nie Emei¡¯s perception and determination were not bad, and, if nothing went wrong, her position shouldn¡¯t be lower than that of Yue Chengbo.


    ¡°My shimei disappeared a long time ago. Thirty years ago, even on the birthday of our Shifu, she did not return to the sect. Some disciples of my sect have left it to travel around the world to look for her.¡±


    The Zhengling Clan wasn¡¯t a big sect, but its disciples all had good relationships with each other. Yue Chengbo and Nie Emei grew up together, and their friendship was even more affectionate.


    Although Nie Emei had disappeared from the sect, her soul lantern still hadn¡¯t gone out, so she was alive somewhere. However, the world was so vast, and many years had passed since then. Yue Chengbo had almost lost hope.


    It was this way up until last year, when a disciple of the Zhengling Clan, Yue Chengbo¡¯s shidi, brought back news: he came across Nie Emei in the Luo Capital.


    Hope had reignited in Yue Chengbo¡¯s heart once again, and he even went to the Luo Capital in person, agreeing to the empress dowager¡¯s request to guard the Imperial City for three years, and she promised to help him in return.


    After all, if the empress dowager controlled the imperial army, and gave the order to find this person, that was a bit faster than looking for her with a cultivator¡¯s skills.


    But a year had passed since then, and no news about Nie Emei had been received.


    ¡°Her soul lantern?¡± Changming asked.


    ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s bright, and sometimes it¡¯s dim. When it¡¯s dim, there is only one ray left, as if it¡¯s about to die out; when it¡¯s bright, it¡¯s like a vigorous fire. Ai, if it wasn¡¯t for the lantern, we¡¯d have thought that she¡¯s already perished,¡± Yue Chengbo¡¯s expression was gloomy, and his voice low, ¡°Last year, my shidi told me that he saw a trace of her near the Celestial Library Pagoda.¡±


    Originally, he only paid attention to the whole Luo Capital and was looking for her everywhere inside the city. But, after what they had been through when he heard that Changming and Kuhe were besieged by perils in the Celestial Library Pagoda, Yue Chengbo started to suspect that he had been wrong from the very beginning, and Nie Emei¡¯s disappearance could be connected to the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda.


    Kuhe said: ¡°This poor monk and the seniors haven¡¯t seen other people inside the pagoda, and haven¡¯t seen bodies of cultivators as well. Probably, daoyou Nie hasn¡¯t entered the pagoda, and only went by.¡±


    Yue Chengbo sighed: ¡°In either case, I¡¯m very thankful for the senior¡¯s concern over her. Shimei Nie is a brisk and neat person, and she wouldn¡¯t even hesitate to sacrifice her life for her friend¡¯s, and we all love her. The path of cultivation is extremely dangerous. If she had an accident and quickly lost her life after that, it¡¯s fine, but what¡¯s frightening is¡­¡±


    Is that since her soul lantern hasn¡¯t died out, she was being tortured somewhere, unable to live if she wants to or die even if she begs for it.


    Just like the emperor, whose souls were seized by the demon, which turned the former into a walking corpse¡ªit was better to die than to be alive.


    It depended on Nie Emei¡¯s luck.


    Xie Chunxi had been standing to the side for a long time, waiting for Yue Chengbo to finish his dull speech, and finally had a chance to speak his thoughts.


    ¡°Dare I ask the senior, the empress said that your name is Jiufang Changming. Are you actually that Jiufang Changming who used to be the master of the Yuhuang Temple?¡±


    After Jiufang Changming¡¯s identity was revealed, Kuhe and the others didn¡¯t believe it too much. But they were saved by Changming just now and were afraid to hurt his feelings by asking questions that would put him in a difficult position. After all, all these years, this four-character name, Jiufang Changming, was associated with colluding with demons.


    Kuhe and the others were either sect masters or elders and were proud of their own identities and experiences. They would be sceptical about this fact.


    But the younger generation of cultivators was mostly influenced by their seniors and believed in this opinion firmly without any doubt.


    Especially disciples of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, who regarded Changming as a human who betrayed his kind. Given the current influence of the Wanjian immortal Clan, it was easy to imagine how widespread this point of view had become.


    Even feathers can drown a ship, if there¡¯s too many of them, just like the right number of straws can break an axis; public clamour can melt gold, and accumulated slander wears the bone.


    Even feathers can drown a ship, if there¡¯s too many of them, just like the right number of straws can break an axis: from ¡°Strategies of the Warring States¡±: a combination of insignificant efforts can work out miracles


    Public clamour can melt gold, and accumulated slander wears the bone: from ¡°Guoyu¡±: slanders can kill


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Hearing the admission of his status from Changming¡¯s mouth, Xie Chunxi still couldn¡¯t help but be shocked.


    This person in front of his eyes was a figure of legends.


    Whether Changming was betraying humanity, or inspiring awe throughout the world, it had nothing to do with Xie Chunxi back then. He was a mere nobody from the Jinque Daoist Temple and didn¡¯t stand out at all. He had no chance of getting acquainted with Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°Since the senior attacked the demon just now, it¡¯s obvious there¡¯s no compatibility between them. Why haven¡¯t we heard about you all these years, and you haven¡¯t come out to clear the misunderstanding?¡±


    When Xie Chunxi was young, his aptitude wasn¡¯t high, and he attracted no attention among the disciples of the Jinque Daoist Temple, receiving no special treatment from his Shifu. So, he was drifting along with the situation, passing his days idly.


    Until one day, when he went down the mountain and was pushed around by others. At that time, he happened to hear cultivators discussing the newly appointed head of the Yuhuang Temple, Jiufang Changming, who cut a dashing figure. Xie Chunxi was impressed, and from that time, worked hard to get close to that senior¡¯s level, finally taking over his shifu¡¯s mantle and becoming the mentor of the Jinque Daoist Temple.


    Xie Chunxi was a very complacent person by nature and offended many people while wandering through the Jianghu. But his cultivation level was high, and few people could handle him; moreover, Xie Chunxi had a reputation as well.


    When Jiufang Changming was the strongest person in the world, Xie Chunxi didn¡¯t like mentioning him, because it felt like flattery; when Jiufang Changming was in dire straits, Xie Chunxi was disappointed and felt a sense of loss.


    Xie Chunxi thought he had judged Changming wrong. After many years, he got older and felt that this matter was not that simple, and it was difficult to solve.


    That was how it was until now when he met his role model he had admired with all his heart in his youth.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t in the Human World, how was he supposed to clear his name? If you cared, why didn¡¯t you help clear up the matter on his behalf?¡±


    A taunting voice sounded. It did not belong to Changming, but to Yun Hai who was dozing off at the side.


    He was indeed utterly tired and didn¡¯t even have the strength to chatter with Song Nanyan. He was leaning drowsily on the chair.


    After taking a short rest, he had come back to his senses. He was smiling mockingly, but his eyes were cold like ice.


    ¡°The one who behaves like a demon isn¡¯t necessarily a demon in their heart, and the one who behaves like a Buddha isn¡¯t necessarily a Bodhisattva. Which type are you? Since you already know the answer, why would you ask such a hypocritical question?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Xie Chunxi was angered and opened his mouth to retort, but, just when he wanted to say something, his anger dissipated.


    Of course, he had doubts about what happened this year, but it was also true that he didn¡¯t dare talk against the Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s judgement. Jiang Li resembled Jiufang Changming back then. He was as lofty as a mountain, and was like a statue of a deity.


    No, his standing was on even firmer ground than Jiufang Changming, because Jiang Li had countless fans by his side, which covered him with another layer of gold. Surrounded by guards from every side, Jiang Li was a flawless master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and not a single strain of slander could smear him.


    Perhaps, Jiang Li¡¯s cultivation was somehow lower than Jiufang Changming¡¯s at his most glorious days, but his position and influence were far greater.


    Perhaps, he was even more powerful than a secular emperor ruling over the whole world.


    Yun Hai seemed to have guessed his thoughts. He only sneered coldly and restored his relaxed pose.


    Xie Chunxi was embarrassed: ¡°Many thanks for your guidance, daoyou. This Xie believed in empty words and made a misjudgment, making others laugh at him.¡±


    Yun Hai lowered his head as if he wasn¡¯t listening to Xie Chunxi¡¯s words at all.


    Changming didn¡¯t care about it. To begin with, he simply didn¡¯t mind whatever the world was saying about him, and words didn¡¯t influence his actions. Whether Xie Chunxi realized the truth or not couldn¡¯t change Changming¡¯s Dao and cultivation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave now, there¡¯s another matter,¡± he said.


    Kuhe: ¡°Senior, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Changming: ¡°There¡¯s no doubt the existence of the Celestial Library Pagoda was anticipated by the enemy. With a formation that big, if one calculates the divination in advance, and chooses the right position on the place where winds and waters meet, its effect of gathering souls will be spread over the widest range possible. I¡¯ve sent people to search for clues around the city, and expect to have the results within a day.¡±


    Just when he finished talking, a bright five-colour light ignited near the Imperial Palace.


    Five-color: white, black, red, yellow, and blue


    In a moment, Xu Jingxian, supported by her flattering thin silk, appeared in front of them. The ignorant palace maidens even mistook her for a descending fairy due to her stunning beauty.


    ¡°At last, here I am, tired to death!¡±


    Xu Jingxian took away her thin silk, wiping off the nonexistent sweat from her forehead, and breathing heavily.


    She hadn¡¯t been to the imperial palace, so she couldn¡¯t teleport here using her Yulin Bell, and had to come here on her own from the outside.


    ¡°Senior, I looked through the four directions outside the city walls as you asked me to, and found something.¡±


    Of course, ordinary palace guards couldn¡¯t stop her. Since a mishap had taken place here today, it would inevitably lead to disturbances. However, when Kuhe saw she was familiar with Changming, he explained the situation to the others.


    But Xu Jingxian continued to wipe off her sweat and sigh in front of Changming, assuming a sort of tired stance that even Xie Chunxi couldn¡¯t help asking whether she needed to take a rest. Only Changming was standing still with his sleeves rolled up, completely unperturbed, and was looking up at the sky.


    Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t say anything, and he didn¡¯t take the initiative to ask.


    She said angrily: ¡°You aren¡¯t going to ask me what I found and whether it¡¯s dangerous?¡±


    Changming: ¡°You haven¡¯t returned here unharmed. Whether I ask or not, you¡¯ll tell me anyway.¡±


    Xu Jingxian felt wronged: ¡°My thin silk is gone, and I couldn¡¯t find a substitute that fast. Now, I had to run around the entirety of the Luo Capital, my legs are almost broken!¡±


    Changming raised his chin: ¡°Then you should go squeeze together with daoxiong Yun, his chair is big.¡±


    Who would Xu Jingxian be, if she dared to sit near Yun Hai? The latter looked at her once, opening his eyes for a moment, and she couldn¡¯t help but hide behind Changming.


    This cursed man, no wonder he¡¯s been a bachelor all his life!


    She was brimming with grudges and didn¡¯t even know who she was scolding.


    ¡°I searched in the four directions, east, south, west and north, and found four Dragon Pillars.¡±


    The author has something to say:


    By the way, Xie Chunxi had a history with Xu Jingxian in the past, does anyone still remember it ¡ú_¡ú

 CH 67

    The night Xu Jingxian arrived at the Luo Capital, she had been sent off on errands by Changming, before she could even take a look at the prospering city centre.


    If the Celestial Library was the heart, and the entire Luo Capital was a formation, there should have been hidden pillars to the four directions, guarding the Celestial Library Pagoda in the centre. It was ready to start working at any moment and would help to bring the Luo Capital under control. This was Changming¡¯s guess, and Xu Jingxian was responsible for searching for the pillars.


    But it was easier said than done.


    The Luo Capital was the biggest capital in the world. It was the renovated capital of the last dynasty. There were many places to visit outside the city walls, and the territories were vast¡ªXu Jingxian might as well look for a needle in a haystack and achieve the same result. It was very hard for her to finish the task within a day.


    Originally, she thought she would return empty-handed.


    Right now, Xu Jingxian had nothing useful on hand and didn¡¯t possess any treasures and tools, only a talisman drawn on her palm by Changming.


    Changming told her to look around the city carefully. If she stumbled upon something suspicious, the talisman would get hot as a warning. If Xu Jingxian was lucky, she could get a chance.


    Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t believe him completely, and only thought he was trying to make her do all the hard work.


    She didn¡¯t dare oppose openly but lazed around behind his back. At first, Xu Jingxian walked through the western market, but it was too early, so the shops still hadn¡¯t opened. She bought a tanghulu and left the city. The region outside the city walls was deserted, and there were only two small guest houses to the sides of the main road, as well as a teahouse full of visitors. An assistant of the teahouse raised the lid of a pot with braised donkey meat that was fresh out of the oven, and the aroma made Xu Jingxian stop.


    At this moment, just when Xu Jingxian was about to get closer to the teahouse, the talisman on her palm started burning. She lowered her head and saw that it was even glowing.


    ¡°I was looking for half a day and finally found a small pillar right in the middle of the teahouse. The lower half of it was hidden underground, and the upper half looked like a dead tree, easy to mistake for a common pillar supporting the teahouse. It was raining several days ago, so the soil was somewhat soft, and a small piece of a dragon ornament showed from beneath the surface. That was when I realized that this thing was strange.¡±


    She used the compass she took from Fang Suihan, determined the location of the teahouse, and noticed that it was built directly to the west of the Celestial Library Pagoda.


    But the process of breaking the pillar didn¡¯t go that smoothly. The owner and guests of the teahouse were all ordinary people, so Xu Jingxian could send them away with the right amount of money. Moreover, considering her reputation as a temptress from a demonic sect, even the money could be saved. But Xu Jingxian looked around and noticed a cultivator in the crowd.


    Cultivators frequently visited the Luo Capital, but the strange thing was that that female cultivator was ordering one drink after another, sitting in the teahouse, as if she was waiting for someone.


    ¡°I guess that she didn¡¯t know whom she was waiting for and whether someone would come; she was simply ordered to guard that place, and didn¡¯t expect to meet me.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was talking slower and slower, waiting for Changming to show some tenderness for the beauty, and take advantage of him. But who knew that Changming wouldn¡¯t even open his mouth during her speech, while Yun Hai would lose his patience.


    ¡°Cut it short!¡±


    Damn man, if I could hit you¡­


    Xu Jingxian swore silently again but didn¡¯t dare say anything aloud.


    A person who can adapt to the circumstances is a wise person. This was something Xu Jingxian practised to the point of perfection while working under Zhou Keyi, learning when she should shut up, and when flattery would be the right thing to make her clan master feel good. People who entered the Jianxue Clan at the same time didn¡¯t have her skills, so, naturally, their promotion was not that rapid.


    Many people thought that rising in a demonic sect required stepping over the bones of other people. Of course, ruthless murders happened in demonic sects, but the art of reading body language was in truth the key to success.


    Xu Jingxian had wandered from the subject, but once she saw that Yun Hai¡¯s eyes were full of murderous intent, she got back on track.


    ¡°From the first move, I saw that she was from the Nanhai Flying Immortals Island, and her cultivation wasn¡¯t low, probably even better than other highly ranked cultivators.¡±


    If this had happened to Xu Jingxian before she took the Yangzhen Grass, it would have been hard to determine the victor between the two of them in a short time. However, Xu Jingxian had become a different person after the Nine Layers of the Abyss; her cultivation had broken through to the next level, and she had turned into an actual master. Her opponent probably didn¡¯t expect Xu Jingxian to be that formidable and quickly lost control over the situation.


    More than that, Xu Jingxian used a demonic art of dominating over a person¡¯s consciousness, and fished every detail out of the woman, forcibly taking her techniques and obtaining the information about the other three pillars effortlessly.


    ¡°I found both the northern and the southern pillars on mountain slopes, and the last one was inside a house; I came up with plans to destroy them all. That female cultivator of the Flying Immortals Sect said that every position was guarded by someone originally, and her cultivation was the lowest among them. However, a couple days ago, there were rumours about formidable characters coming to the Luo Capital, and the people from the northern and the southern position were transferred to deal with it, while only the woman and the person from the eastern point were left. It was also said that the other person, protecting the Dragon Pillar in the Imperial mausoleum on the East, is very powerful, the strongest among the four of them. I didn¡¯t dare to hurry over there without careful consideration, and decided to come here and report first.¡±


    Xu Jingxian finished speaking with a deep sigh, revealing a feeble appearance of an exhausted beauty and waited for Changming to give her some reward.


    She didn¡¯t expect anything good from the other person anyway.


    Unexpectedly, Changming looked at her sleeves: ¡°This new tool you got is not that bad.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    She didn¡¯t even show it, how on earth did he know!


    That female cultivator from the Flying Immortals Sect was using silk just like her. Although it wasn¡¯t superior to Donghai Muslin, it was made of rare and hard-to-produce sharkskin. Just when Xu Jingxian was sullen over losing an appropriate weapon, this woman was simply giving a pillow to Xu Jingxian who was falling asleep¡ªhow could the latter miss this opportunity? She took it immediately for herself, considering it a small reward for the hassle she had been through for the last several days.


    ¡°We are going to set out in two days. You should send people to deal with the Dragon Pillar in the Imperial mausoleum in the East, lest it becomes a new hidden danger in several days.¡±


    Changming had addressed these words to Kuhe and the others.


    Not only were the emperors of every dynasty buried in the imperial mausoleum, but it even helped to sustain the Feng Shui of the ruling dynasty. Judging by the words of that female cultivator from the Flying Immortals Sect, the Dragon Pillar in the imperial mausoleum was a very knotty matter.


    ¡°Senior, there¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t get. Since the thing attracting evil spirits in the Celestial Library Pagoda is already broken, how can our enemies cause trouble with only one pillar? The Dragon is a symbol of the Son of Heavens; when demons and the You dynasty were causing trouble for us this time, why did they choose Dragon Pillars?¡±


    Since Changming had demonstrated his skills, Xie Chunxi sincerely admitted his superiority. This question was asked not as a quibble, but to dispel his doubts.


    Demons blended in the Human World and were only occasionally discovered. But it had been many years since they started appearing, and humans rarely had to deal with them, only hearing names, but seeing not a single trace of them. This time, however, the emperor lost his souls, all his men and their horses were thrown off their feet in the Luo Capital, and even Kuhe and Xie Chunxi were almost defeated. At this moment, the humans had finally noticed that the demons had already infiltrated the world, unnoticed by anyone, and even grew deep roots and thick leaves.


    Deep roots and thick leaves: well-established and strong.


    Not to mention the fact that the Zhaoyue princess was possessed by a demon. Was it a coincidence that the demon took a fancy to someone with her status, or was there someone in the Zhaoyue imperial harem who had colluded with demons?


    And was there a third force that influenced the ambassadors from You and King Hui, making them cooperate to rebel together?


    These questions couldn¡¯t be solved in a short time.


    Needless to say, although the empress dowager of Luo had cultivators like Xie Chunxi, she couldn¡¯t escape the fear of their uncertain future.


    ¡°Although the demons left the Celestial Library Pagoda, the building wasn¡¯t ruined. Until the pagoda remains, it is a nail piercing the heart of the Luo Capital.¡± Changming said.


    Nail: here: obstacle, hindrance


    Kuhe frowned deeply.


    ¡°Will it be fine if the pagoda is destroyed?¡±


    ¡°Going to the pagoda is only the first step, and the Dragon Pillar inside the imperial mausoleum should be removed as fast as possible. Otherwise, the Celestial Pagoda and the imperial mausoleum will still be linked, and troubles can arise once again. In a month, the Five Stars will align in the sky. Originally, our enemies intended to arrange a corresponding formation on earth, the five points being the Celestial Library Pagoda and the four pillars. If they activated it at the right time, they would get twice the result with half the effort. But now, everything has shifted to an earlier time. Our opponent is a master of formations, and his skills aren¡¯t inferior to mine, so I can¡¯t predict his next move.¡±


    Five Stars will align in the sky: Mercury (water star), Venus (gold star), Mars (fire star), Jupiter (wood star), Saturn (soil star). An auspicious omen


    Changming had never underestimated Jiang Li. If the latter wasn¡¯t strong, he wouldn¡¯t have forced Changming to jump into a pit willingly, fully aware of the danger, several decades ago.


    In this game, things had changed from the way they used to be after fifty years. At first, his enemy was in the dark, while Changming was in the light, which resulted in Changming falling into a disadvantageous position. However, some time had passed, and now, the cards in Jiang Li¡¯s hands had started to be exposed, bit by bit.


    The Wanxiang Palace, Xiao Cangfeng, demons¡ªthere were fewer resources his opponents could use, while Changming now knew more.


    If they had enough time to achieve their goals, the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda would have turned into a flawless formation, and Xiao Cangfeng, Jiang Li¡¯s disciple, wouldn¡¯t have died unnoticed. But it was clear that they couldn¡¯t just wait. Changming was slowly recovering his cultivation, while Yun Weisi had left the Nine Layers of the Abyss¡ªtheir plans had already been disturbed. And a single problem could lead to utter chaos.


    ¡°Who, in the end, colluded with demons? Does the senior have any clues?¡±


    Xie Chunxi had already thought of the possible dark secrets hidden behind their backs.


    Could they set such an enormous trap, relying only on demons?


    Of course, they couldn¡¯t.


    Then, the one who cooperated with them could yield unexpectedly tremendous power.


    The Jinque Daoist Temple wasn¡¯t big, and Xie Chunxi wasn¡¯t particularly worried to ask this question. But those like Kuhe, who came from the Qingyun School, had a lot to take into consideration.


    Even though they were thinking the same as Xie Chunxi, and perhaps even understood more, Kuhe couldn¡¯t easily ask this.


    But Changming didn¡¯t give them much time to ponder and gave them two locations straidforwadly.


    ¡°The Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Wanxiang Palace.¡±


    Naturally, Xie Chunxi and the others were taken aback.


    Although these two large sects shared the same ¡®wan¡¯ in their names, they had no blood relations. The Wanxiang Palace portrayed themselves as those who had an understanding of every phenomenon in the world, from the heavenly bodies in the sky to the yin and yang on the earth, while the Wanjian Immortal Clan was a high mountain in the physical world, which no cultivator could bypass.


    The same ¡®wan¡¯: lit. 10.000, countless. Wanjian means ¡®10.000 swords¡¯/¡®all kinds of swords¡¯, wanxiang means ¡®10.000 phenomena¡¯/¡®every phenomenon on earth¡¯


    People said that if you managed to enrol into the Wanjian Immortal Clan, your path of cultivation would be halved. This sect was an assembly of distinguished talents and a forest of worthy opponents; Xiao Cangfeng managed to become Jiang Li¡¯s direct disciple, admittedly, he had outstanding natural endowments. It was often said that Xiao Cangfeng was arrogant, but there were three to five talents like him in the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    And a common sect could hardly get one.


    Even though Buddhists and Daoists had different opinions on every matter, Buddhists remained polite to first-class sects like the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and couldn¡¯t afford to offend them.


    The Wanxiang Palace alone was fine. Their disciples appeared like spirits and vanished like ghosts, and people in the Jianghu often heard of them, but rarely encountered them, so they didn¡¯t have a strong impression of this sect. But, unexpectedly, Changming aimed his attack directly at the Wanjian Immortal Clan. For a short time, everyone was at a loss for how to react.


    Xie Chunxi and the others felt a bit awkward.


    They never thought of opposing the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    Changming smiled and didn¡¯t say much. He approached Yun Hai and patted his shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Their reaction was sincere. They couldn¡¯t believe that the Wanjian Immortal Clan was at fault after Changming had said a couple of words, and Changming couldn¡¯t fill them with righteous indignation by force. But he had sowed the seeds of doubt in their hearts, and it would be hard for them to uproot that suspicion for the time being.


    Jiang Li had been scheming, using the world as his chessboard for several decades. If the tiny bits of this matter were exposed, eventually, everyone would pick up on the clues.


    Changming wasn¡¯t in a hurry.


    He was turned into a chess piece, forced to wander through the Yellow Springs with a slim chance of survival, his cultivation had been lost, and a thousand accusing fingers were pointing to him.


    A thousand accusing fingers were pointing: be universally condemned


    There was no more room to retreat. He returned to the Human World and started to uncover the mystery of the past, regaining his cultivation slowly.


    The one who was in a hurry now was Jiang Li.


    Yun Hai squinted, his face was half-asleep.


    He was powerless as he slept, but others couldn¡¯t notice his weakness.


    But Changming could. He supported Yun Hai with one hand, letting him put half of his weight on Changming.


    Xu Jingxian saw that he was going to leave, so she shouted to stop him: ¡°Ming-lang!¡±


    Yun Hai interrupted her words with one glance.


    ¡°Senior! Future Shifu!¡±


    Xu Jingxian changed her address immediately and grabbed Changming¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°I was rushing about busily all day, so I¡¯m tired; I barely managed to uproot the three pillars! Are you not going to reward me at all?¡±


    When she acted coquettishly on purpose, she could make every bone in her opponent¡¯s body feel soft, from head to toe, and make them docile and obedient, ready to cater to her every request.


    Unfortunately, Changming wasn¡¯t an ordinary person.


    ¡°I seem to remember now. Isn¡¯t your old friend here with us now? Xie Chunxi, from the Jinque Daoist Palace, you must know him well, right?¡±


    He revealed a suddenly enlightened expression and looked at Xie Chunxi amiably after finishing his words.


    ¡°Mentor Xie, you encountered a little girl many years ago, and told her that she was born with charming bones, so she would bring a calamity to the whole country, hence she can¡¯t cultivate. Do you still remember her? This girl is in front of you right now, and, what a coincidence, she became a demonic cultivator, the master of Lingbo Peak of the Jianxue Clan. You¡¯ve met each other after a long separation, so you must have a lot of things to discuss. Lady Xu, you should slowly reminisce about good old times with Mentor Xie.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    How could she not recognise Xie Chunxi? Just as she entered the palace, she immediately took notice of this man who had changed her fate many years ago with a few words. But a man of noble character can wait for years to have his revenge. Moreover, she was in front of Changming now, so at first, she had intended to ignore Xie Chunxi¡¯s existence and wait for an opportunity to settle the score with him later in some dark alley, by putting Xie Chunxi into utter misery with no control over his life. Who knew that Changming would lay bare the truth with one incisive remark?


    Of course, Xie Chunxi didn¡¯t recognise Xu Jingxian who had turned into a beauty after all these years. He was astounded: ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    From the corner of her eyes, Xu Jingxian saw Changming and Yun Hai leaving the place. Just when she wanted to chase them, Xie Chunxi added one more sentence¡ª


    ¡°Sure enough, you entered a demonic sect!¡±


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s lifted foot changed its direction. She folded her white fingers in a technique as fast as lightning, aiming right at Xie Chunxi¡¯s face.


    If I don¡¯t correct his thinking today, my name is no longer Xu Jingxian!

 CH 68

    Xie Chunxi would have never thought that the words he had said all those years ago would change half of that little girl¡¯s life.


    If an ordinary person heard such words from him, they would be disheartened, and give up on any endeavour.


    Xu Jingxian was a common person back then, while Xie Chunxi was already a distinguished cultivator of a Daoist sect. Few people doubted the judgements that cultivators passed on common people.


    Xie Chunxi had said that she couldn¡¯t cultivate, and her father had told her to let it go. He had hoped she would then rather learn a bit of the four arts, and after that,  find a well-matched family, marry into it, and give birth to a son, sailing smoothly through her whole life. However, Xu Jingxian didn¡¯t believe Xie Chunxi¡¯s nonsense at all.


    The four arts: zither, go, calligraphy, painting


    She had entered a Demonic sect accidentally and found the Yangzhen Grass by chance as well. Now, Xu Jingxian wasn¡¯t someone Xie Chunxi could humiliate as he wished, changing her fate with a few words. But that didn¡¯t mean she had let go of her past grudges.


    Xie Chunxi was half bewildered, half confused, and was forced to protect himself before he could even react. After some time, he realized that the battle wasn¡¯t in his favour.


    Why is the power of this seductress so astonishing?


    During their fight, Xie Chunxi was mostly on the defensive and had to slowly retreat. He unsheathed his flying sword with great difficulty, but it became wrapped in his opponent¡¯s silk. They seemed to be in a stalemate, but in truth, he had to deal with Lu Zhinyuan earlier, and his spiritual powers still hadn¡¯t recovered. His forehead was sweating, and he was barely holding on. Colourful light, divided by the silk, struck him right in his face. He stumbled, his abdomen injured, and smacked into the tree behind him.


    Xie Chunxi exhaled: ¡°Stop!¡±


    Xu Jingxian smiled coldly, and, naturally, didn¡¯t stop. She waved her hand, and the silk moved, urged by her spiritual powers, seizing Xie Chunxi.


    When the others saw the two cultivators engaging in a fight inside the garden, they fled in fright.


    Xie Chunxi had also been angered. They were fighting more and more vigorously, and soon, most of the trees in the garden had been broken, and they flew outside the city, ready to go all out.


    Changming saw that the danger had been driven away, and walked away with Yun Weisi, satisfied with this outcome.


    Although the palace guards didn¡¯t know his status, they had seen the empress dowager¡¯s attitude towards him, and, naturally, didn¡¯t dare obstruct his way.


    ¡°Teacher, wait!¡±


    Song Nanyan hurriedly caught up to them.


    He was concerned about the emperor¡¯s state, so he stayed with the empress dowager for some time.


    ¡°Teacher, the empress dowager spoke to me just now. She hopes you two will be able to stay here for several days and see whether you can cure His Majesty¡¯s illness.¡±


    Changming had already declined Song Nanyan¡¯s offer, so although the latter knew that these words wouldn¡¯t persuade Changming either, he still had to convey them.


    As expected, Changming said: ¡°The emperor isn¡¯t ill now. There are two souls in his body, and the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ body was seized by a demon. Their souls complement each other¡¯s. Even if a deity descends from the Heavens, it will be hard to separate them.¡±


    Song Nanyan smiled bitterly: ¡°Since the Zhaoyue princess¡¯ body won¡¯t be found anytime soon, can¡¯t we find one that would fit her souls, and move her into it?¡±


    Changming smiled too: ¡°Isn¡¯t she already in a body that fits her?¡±


    Song Nanyan: ¡­


    Changming: ¡°In ten thousand bodies, only one other body except for the original would be compatible for one¡¯s souls. In other words, the Zhaoyue princess and your emperor are fated to be. Nothing troublesome should happen under the Kuhe¡¯s supervision. If you find it inconvenient, you can only change the emperor.¡±


    Song Nanyan had nothing to say in response. In this moment, his mood finally corresponded to his name.


    His name: CM called him ¡®nanyan¡¯, ¡®hard to say¡¯ because he wanted him to shut up


    The empress dowager had only one son. If they wanted to change the emperor, they could probably only go with King Hui, who was plotting to rebel earlier today.


    And if they left the emperor as he was¡ª


    Then he would be one person during the daytime, and another at night. Would the ministers have to take care of both of them, who were entirely different people?


    When Song Nanyan recalled how the emperor was keeping his fingers in that orchid gesture, wiping off his tears, Song Nanyan felt his head spinning. He couldn¡¯t think about it anymore.


    ¡°Teacher, there are still several days left before the fifteenth of the seventh month. Why don¡¯t you and shixiong Yun rest in my residence for some time? You won¡¯t be bothered with the usual trivial affairs at all, and I¡¯ll make everything comfortable for you!¡±


    Changming: ¡°There¡¯s no need. Your shixiong Yun is wounded, so we¡¯ll go back to our inn for several days, and won¡¯t return here. After that, if we are fated, we will probably meet again.¡±


    He was bidding farewell.


    Song Nanyan was disappointed. Usually, his tongue was bright like a lotus, but he didn¡¯t know what to say to his incredibly stubborn shizun now and felt helpless.


    Tongue bright like a lotus: a glib tongue


    Even his teacher turning out to be a cultivator still felt unreal, like a dream.


    ¡°Then this disciple will help you send back shixiong Yun.¡±


    He reached his arm to support Yun Hai. The latter seemed to have his eyes closed, but at that moment, he shrank back, and Song Nanyan¡¯s hand caught only air.


    Song Nanyan: ¡­


    Changming laughed: ¡°I spoiled him, so his temper is awfully bad.¡±


    Yun Hai smiled faintly. It wasn¡¯t that he was too lazy to refute Changming¡¯s utter nonsense, but that he had no strength to.


    His intense fatigue was not due to his wanting to sleep. Instead, it was because his inner breath was in chaos as a result of a loss of his spiritual force.


    When Yun Hai had not allowed Song Nanyan to touch him earlier, it was not because he was in a fit of pique.


    It was because he could lose control over his demonic qi at any moment. If Song Nanyan was near him at this time, it would be hard for Yun Hai to contain himself and refrain from killing him.


    Changming was holding him tight, trying to suppress Yun Hai¡¯s demonic qi with his spiritual powers. He seemed like a person enjoying a light breeze on a cloudy day, but in fact, they felt as if there were strings stretched in them.


    Felt as if there were strings stretched in them: tense, stressed, nervous


    By the time they got back to their room, that string inside Yun Hai¡¯s sea of consciousness was fully stretched. With one hand, he caught Changming¡¯s wrist, and with the other, Yun Hai grabbed his neck.


    His eyes turned red completely, and his rationality was crumbling into pieces.


    But, in a moment, he loosened his grip and fell to the floor.


    A sword glow flew near them suddenly, hitting Yun Hai right on the several acupoints on his back. The Sifei Sword was hovering in the air, responding to Changming¡¯s call.


    Just with a single thought from Changming, it would come to him from a thousand li away. They had met again after a long separation and restored their tacit understanding of each other.


    Changming withdrew the sword glow. He leaned on the table with one hand, and set up a barrier around their courtyard with the other, preventing people from barging in.


    When the barrier was set, he couldn¡¯t help coughing. Blood started oozing from his mouth, and it was too late for him to cover his mouth with his hand; the blood fell on Yun Hai¡¯s body.


    Yun Hai knew nothing about this.


    He was having a very long dream.


    He was equipped with a long sword and was about to go travelling. He said to Jiufang Changming, who was standing in front of him on a staircase: ¡°I understood it clearly a long time ago. Even if I leave my sect for ten, twenty, or two hundred years, my Dao Heart will always be you.¡±


    Dao Heart: the reason for a Daoist cultivator to seek immortality


    ¡°My Dao Heart isn¡¯t you.¡±


    Changming said coldly. His voice was so frosty that it sounded especially indifferent.


    ¡°When it comes to worldly matters, one should abstain from covetousness most of all. Where are the teachings I gave you?¡±


    Yun Hai, no, rather Yun Weisi, was looking at him without blinking.


    ¡°Only a persistent person can seek the Great Dao of the highest virtues. Shizun, is it that you don¡¯t want to, or don¡¯t dare to?¡±


    Jiufang Changming didn¡¯t give him an answer. He turned back, entered the Daoist temple, and only said one last thing.


    ¡°Kneel for three more days.¡±


    The weather was ice-cold. Forget three days¡ªa normal person wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it for three shichens.


    But cultivators weren¡¯t regular people. Yun Weisi felt himself turning into ice in the snow.


    Buffeted by the wind, his insides turning into ice, just like¡ª


    Just like what had happened in the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda: his primordial spirit was split into halves: one of them was embracing Changming, as if he was holding a block of thousand-year ice, and wanted to melt it with his warmth, while the other half was swirling around in a wild demonic dance, and wanted to make Changming suffer the most excruciating tortures in the world.


    Primordial spirit: it appears in a cultivator, can exist independently from their body, and control souls


    His mind was leaping from one thought to another, as if looking at the flowers while riding a horse, the past and the present were mixed up, in utter disorder.


    Looking at the flowers while riding a horse: glancing over things hurriedly


    Yun Hai¡¯s breath stabilized, and he opened his eyes abruptly!


    He was lying on a bed, and Changming was sitting near him, reading a book, with his back turned to Yun Hai.


    What was a dream, and what was real?


    Yun Hai closed his eyes, opened them again and said to Changming: ¡°Shizun.¡±


    Changming hummed, still concentrated on the bamboo scroll, and didn¡¯t turn his head: ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    For a short time, Yun Hai couldn¡¯t tell whether he was still in the Yuhuang Temple, or if this was a dream of Nanke, an illusion with smoke and glass, formed from matters of his past.


    A dream of Nanke: the story of a man who sees a nightmare about becoming a governor of Nanke, which turned out to be an anthill. link


    ¡°Shizun, turn your head, I want to see you,¡± he said in a low voice that partially sounded like a plea, although he didn¡¯t notice it.


    ¡°How old are you, why are you still behaving like a child?¡±


    Changming finally put aside the bamboo scroll and turned to him.


    But that face¡ª


    Yun Hai suddenly trembled!


    It was a green face with saw-like fangs, and indescribably wicked intentions were seen in his eyes.


    ¡°Do you think I look like your shizun?¡±

 CH 69

    Proofread by Snake


    Without hesitation, Yun Hai folded his fingers, and sword qi brushed past him.


    The green-faced ¡°Changming¡± with long fangs was smashed into pieces at once. As the body fell apart, the whole world in front of Yun Hai¡¯s eyes started to crack.


    Yun Hai remained expressionless.


    He knew that his inner demons were already deeply-rooted like weeds, and no matter how hard he tried to repress them, they would not go away.


    He had spent long years alone in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. His heart had always burned with fury, and he did not know why it would ignite or when it would go out. Furthermore, he could not dispel it, get rid of it or quench it. He could only let this seed that would turn into his inner demons burrow deeply and spread its roots, and subsequently cover the mountains and the plains, both flourishing and wild.


    Cover the mountains and the plains: everything


    This green-faced ¡°Changming¡± was a perfect illustration of what had happened to him.


    In his memories, Jiufang Changming had been reading a bamboo scroll.


    Those years were quiet and beautiful, and nothing had started to fall apart yet. His past had certainly been ice-cold, but there were also moments when warmth was flowing through his heart.


    And this Jiufang Changming with ferocious features, who had turned his head to him just now, catching him off guard, was his inner demon.


    When he had plunged into the Nine Layers of the Abyss, fighting with the demons all around him, demonic qi had started entering his body, and, little by little, he could not control himself anymore. That was why Yun Weisi had started cultivating the Heartless Dao, and Yun Hai, who behaved unscrupulously, had separated from him.


    He could no longer distinguish between his original way of thinking and the influence caused by demons.


    Until the scene shattered completely, and a voice came from far away, quickly reaching his ears.


    Breaking through his deafness and awakening him from ignorance, just like a roar of a lion.


    ¡°Concentrate!¡±


    Like an evening drum or a morning bell, it had penetrated his sea of consciousness.


    An evening drum or a morning bell: Budd. daily call to decent life


    It was shizun.


    At first, Yun Hai did not want to call him shizun.


    Because he had first met Jiufang Changming on the shore of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and Jiufang Changming was exceedingly weak back then, full of internal wounds, suffering constantly. Yun Hai knew that he wanted to kill the man, but did not understand why. He had no memories of Changming, let alone the feeling of yearning for an old friend. If Changming had not aroused his interest, his bones would be resting amidst the other bones of the dead.


    But later¡ª


    When did it start to change?


    Yun Hai himself did not remember.


    Maybe, after he had been through a lot with Jiufang Changming, Yun Hai had started to feel that this man might have had the qualifications to be his shizun once.


    Maybe, as Yun Weisi was recalling his past, and Yun Hai¡¯s memories were gradually fusing with Yun Weisi¡¯s, he felt grateful for their shared past.


    As if he used to be Yun Weisi.


    This term of address, shizun, had quietly turned from a term of derision into the truth.


    Yun Hai slowly calmed down.


    Changming screwed his eyes shut tightly. Beads of sweat appeared on the tip of his nose.


    He did not expect that healing Yun Hai would trigger the bottleneck in his own cultivation.


    In the past, to speed up his cultivation, he had chosen a scripture called the Zhiyu Nianyue.


    This scripture could help a person to advance swiftly in their cultivation. The only problem was that once they reached the eighth level, they would encounter the fatal flaw in this scripture. At best, they would be possessed by their inner demons and their cultivation would be wasted; at worst, they would lose their life immediately, and their souls would fly away and scatter.


    Most of those who practised the Zhiyu Nianyue Scripture prefered to stop at the eighth level, because they would have already become a master. But this was, without any doubt, not enough for Changming.


    Previously, he had chosen it in order to gather strength to protect himself faster, but now, it had turned into a tiger obstructing his way.


    Originally, he planned to solve this problem after dealing with Zhou Keyi¡¯s matter. But now, due to repressing Yun Hai¡¯s demonic qi, this crisis had been triggered ahead of time.


    The power of the Sifei Sword was immense, but not omnipotent. He had to choose one of two options¡ªeither concentrating on his barrier, or helping Yun Hai.


    Yun Hai was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed and meridians open, letting Changming absorb the Sifei Sword¡¯s spiritual powers and redirect them to Yun Hai.


    He woke up from the exhausting dream, and was forced to enter a mountain path in a world covered with white snow.


    It was not a dream, but Changming¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    Yun Hai¡¯s primordial spirit had intruded into Changming¡¯s sea of consciousness in a moment of negligence.


    The man who was standing not far away in front of him was not Jiufang Changming¡¯s body, but his primordial spirit.


    It was an unfathomable experience.


    Yun Hai knew that he existed as his primordial spirit, and that he was in Jiufang Changming¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    But the latter had no idea of this intrusion.


    Was this Jiufang Changming¡¯s past, or was this an illusion born from his memories?


    What will I see here?


    Yun Hai was genuinely interested.


    The falling snow was getting thicker.


    For a primordial spirit that had no senses, there was no difference between frost and heat, but Yun Hai could almost feel the bone-chilling cold assaulting his senses.


    He knew this place well.


    Yun Hai looked into the distance.


    Vague silhouettes of mountain peaks could be discerned amidst the heavy snow. The path near them had almost drowned under the layers of snow. Almost every mountain in the world was like this, and for a short time, Yun Hai could not tell what this place was.


    It was familiar, but he could not recall it.


    Jiufang Changming had been standing on the precipice for a long time without the slightest movement, looking at the path beneath the cliff.


    At first, Yun Hai thought he was cultivating, but this was not the truth.


    He seemed to be waiting for someone.


    For whom?


    Time passed.


    It flowed so peacefully now, that it was almost as if it had stopped.


    Yun Hai could not endure it, so he stretched his hand out to grab the man¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Stop waiting.¡±


    His hand went through the sleeve, and his voice vanished into nothingness. Yun Hai received no answer.


    An unknown amount of time passed, and the snowfall finally stopped. Vast whiteness was still stretching as far as the eye could see, but their field of vision widened.


    Yun Hai was standing next to Jiufang Changming, looking at that path that Jiufang Changming could not take his eyes off from. Then Yun Hai turned his head back, and this feeling of familiarity became even stronger.


    This was¡­


    A way that led to the Sacred Mountain Wan!


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s white robes were wildly fluttering in the wind, and he seemed as unwavering as a mountain.


    Snow had covered his brows, and he looked aloof and lifeless.


    He was different from his future self.


    After all, this Jiufang Changming still had not experienced that disastrous defeat. He had been born with outstanding qualifications, and, even though he had come from a little sect, he had been a step above others throughout his life, standing out in every regard and never having lost a single battle. The lies and slander of others had never reached his ears, and no matter how badly people thought of him, they behaved submissively in front of the strongest person in the world, letting him have his way.


    But there was a trace of determination in his lifeless expression.


    Finally, he took a step towards the path leading to the mountain.


    Before he turned away, he gave one final gaze to the vast expanse of the white frosty snow.


    Yun Hai suddenly realized.


    Changming had to keep his promise.


    He had to go to the Sacred Mountain Wan, and become one of the guardians of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation.


    By that time, Jiufang Changming had noticed many weird things, and chose to turn into a chess piece in order to plunge into the tiger den and find the truth.


    He had boasted of his strength, and had not anticipated the end that was waiting for him. He almost lost his life immediately, injured his souls, and lost his culativation.


    But he had certain vague doubts pertaining to this dangerous trip.


    Before going away, he was waiting for someone.


    Waiting for someone who would never come.


    He knew that person would not come, but still waited for a long time, up until the last moment.


    The person he was waiting for was called Yun Weisi.


    Yun Hai felt a dull pain squeezing his chest, as if it had been repeatedly hit with something invisible, breaking him into scattered fragments, and bringing out his other consciousness.


    A dim figure appeared in front of Yun Hai.


    Yun Weisi, who looked the same as him, was looking right at Yun Hai.


    If he had not invaded this sea of consciousness accidentally, Yun Hai would not have known about it, and neither would Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi and Yun Hai were looking at each other.


    Deep in his heart, Yun Hai knew: it was hidden resentment.


    He was Yun Weisi¡¯s resentment.


    In order to find a trace of Jiufang Changming who had disappeared on the Sacred Mountain Wan and to clear his name, Yun Weisi had pursued justice with no second thoughts, going to the Sacred Mountain Wan. He was willing to abandon his vanity and fame in the secular world, going through every kind of hardship in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and fighting against demons of every description. Corroded by demonic qi, he had slowly advanced in his cultivation.


    Yun Weisi did not remain unwavering the entire time, not at all. Tortured by demonic qi, he doubted Jiufang Changming, and thought that the latter schemed to fake his death to get away from Yun Weisi. He also did not want to waste his time, so he kept slipping and stumbling in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, day after day, but found no traces of Jiufang Changming.


    After a long time, that resentment had finally taken control over him. The body of a person cultivating the Heartless Dao had expelled it, and thus Yun Hai appeared.


    At this moment, Yun Hai understood the obsession penetrating his bones, and where the thought about killing Jiufang Changming had come from.


    He was reluctant to accept his past.


    And Yun Weisi was his past.


    Originally, he wanted to discard his memories and start anew. Unexpectedly, in the end, he still chose to return, because he could not part with them.


    ¡°I let it go,¡± Yun Hai said.


    ¡°I have already lost too much, and I don¡¯t want to stumble again. He has me in his heart, and this is enough for me. No matter what kind of feeling it is in the end, whether it¡¯s a friendship between a master and disciple, the one between daoist partners, or something that goes beyond that, if I can stand next to him every day in the future, I don¡¯t need anything else.¡±


    Yun Weisi said nothing, looking at him calmly.


    ¡°Have you let it go?¡± Yun Hai said again.


    Yun Weisi did not reply, but hummed.


    Yun Hai laughed.


    In the end, he did let it go.


    He let go of all the misunderstandings and stubbornness of his convoluted past, and it could be seen from the glance he had cast on Jiufang Changming¡¯s back.


    He was looking into the vastness of the snowy mountains, but also into the depth of his spiritual consciousness.


    He had reconciled with himself.


    ¡­


    Xu Jingxian and Xie Chunxi had been fighting for the whole night.


    When the moon and the faint stars sank into the bright sky of the daybreak, Xu Jingxian had injured him internally, and made him flee, bearing resentment towards her and having no way to vent his anger.


    At first, she wanted to surreptitiously stab him and kill him. After all, that was precisely what a demonic seductress would do.


    Wiping out every enemy, cutting weeds and destroying roots.


    Cutting weeds and destroying roots: eliminate completely


    But Xu Jingxian knew that Changming was connected with Song Nanyan, and Xie Chunxi could be considered a cultivator hired for the use of the Luo emperor now. So, if he died by her hand, the situation would become awkward¡ªthus, she was not in a hurry to kill Mentor Xie. She wanted to discuss things with Changming first, receive a gold medal excusing death penalty, and than start acting.


    A gold medal excusing death penalty: something an emperor would give a prominent person for his exploits. Here, it probably means permission or rewards


    Just when she was about to enter the door and go in, she was sent back by a formation.


    Xu Jingxian exclaimed in surprise.


    She recognised Changming¡¯s formations, but this one, consisting of almost transparent golden writings in the air, obviously did not have much power left in it, and was about to disperse. This meant that the spiritual powers of the one who had set it up had almost been depleted, and even their life could be in danger.


    But hadn¡¯t he been fine when she started fighting with Xie Chunxi tonight?


    Could it be that something unforeseen had happened?


    Xu Jingxian did not want Changming to have problems. Although she had the Yangzhen Grass now, and her cultivation had progressed greatly, she still did not have enough strength to wander through the Jianghu, relying only on the now nonexistent Jianxue Clan, with a single spear and horse. If she wanted to have a chance to lead a more comfortable life, she could only cling onto Changming¡¯s thighs.


    With a single spear and horse: alone


    After these thoughts briefly passed through her mind, she formed a seal with her fingers using one of her hands, and threw out the thin silk with her other hand, easily breaking through the formation. She stormed in, and rushed to Changming¡¯s yard, opening the tightly closed door with force.


    The author has something to say:


    (tn: these are MXS¡¯s notes for the next chapter, but they answer questions about this one, so I moved them)


    Some readers haven¡¯t read through the mental description in the chapter carefully, and say they don¡¯t understand it, so I¡¯ll explain:


    1. Regarding the reconciliation: Yun Hai becomes reconciled with himself. It was said pretty clearly that he wanted to kill Changming at first because of Yun Weisi¡¯s obsession and stubbornness. When he ¡°becomes reconciled¡±, he becomes reconciled with himself.


    2. Changming wasn¡¯t actually waiting for Yun Weisi back then, they hadn¡¯t promised to meet each other. He just felt he was going to die soon, so he turned his head back to look at the Human World for the last time, and waited for someone who would never come subconsciously. So he actually did care about Yun Weisi more than about his other disciples. It can¡¯t be said so bluntly in the text, but some meticulous readers have noticed it.

 CH 70

    In a moment, Xu Jingxian regretted her own actions.


    But she had not given it much thought a moment ago.


    After she pushed open the door effortlessly, she saw Yun Hai sitting on the floor and holding Changming in his hands. The latter was in a state of delirium, his long disheveled hair covering Yun Hai¡¯s knees and a part of the floor. His face was pale, and blood was oozing from the corners of his mouth, dripping onto the floor and resounding in her ears.


    No matter how one looked at this, it seemed like Yun Hai had just killed him and intended to get rid of the corpse in order to destroy all traces of his crime in one go.


    It would have looked this way even more, had Yun Hai¡¯s lips not been pressed against Changming¡¯s


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s eyes met his, and she could not help but take a couple of steps back, her heart pounding.


    The oppressive aura he had unleashed was truly overwhelming, and she could feel this incorporeal force strangling her.


    Yun Hai¡¯s pitch-black pupils were fixed on her, he said nothing, and he did not distance himself from Changming.


    Should she pretend she saw nothing and walk away abruptly, or should she rush to the beauty¡¯s rescue like a hero?


    She was aware of the relationship they shared, knew they were half-enemies, half-friends, and not like a normal master and his disciple at all. Based on Yun Hai¡¯s refusal to recognise him in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, if Xu Jingxian was told that he had suddenly gone mad and decided to kill Changming, she would not doubt it in the slightest.


    With her current level of cultivation, she could hardly defeat Yun Hai; on the contrary, she could suffer a lot.


    But she still wanted to hold onto Changming¡¯s thighs.


    Yun Hai was moody and difficult to please, just like her clan master¡ªbut her clan master was still a bit more sane.


    Xu Jingxian struggled against her principles for a moment, and finally forced a smile.


    ¡°Shixiong Yun, what are you doing? Do you need help?¡±


    ¡°Get out.¡± Yun Hai only uttered two words, but this concise remark said it all.


    ¡°Shixiong Yun, don¡¯t drive me away so fast! Is the senior wounded, can I help?¡± Xu Jingxian was doing things in the way a seductress from a Demonic sect would do on a daily basis, so her tone, even though she did not notice it herself, carried a demonic technique of temptation.


    Yun Hai¡¯s expression softened a lot indeed.


    But, before Xu Jingxian could rejoice, a blast of sword qi flew over like an arrow, aimed right at her forehead. If she had not been quick enough, her forehead would have been bleeding right now.


    ¡°Shixiong Yun, why are you so fierce, startling this girl!¡±


    ¡°Get out, I¡¯m helping him recover from his wounds,¡± Yun Hai¡¯s expression changed into a dark and terrifying one.


    Xu Jingxian lasted for a moment under this pressure, gritting her teeth. Her heart was filled with fear. Obviously, she had the cultivation of a master, but, unexpectedly, in front of Yun Hai, she could hardly breathe, as if buried under the weight of Mount Tai.


    It was one of the non-physical types of intimidation. Upon meeting, both sides could approximately gauge the extent of each other¡¯s powers. Of course, it might have been a bluff, but Xu Jingxian could not bet her life on this. She knew that Yun Hai could really kill her.


    She said in her heart, Senior, I really can¡¯t resist further! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to rescue you, but the opponent is too scary. I did my best!


    ¡°Then, then I¡¯ll help you by guarding outside, Shixiong Yun, call me if something happens!¡±


    She sneaked away swiftly, without a trace.


    The corners of Yun Hai¡¯s mouth twitched.


    ¡°Did you see that? Is this your third disciple¡¯s subordinate that you think so highly of?¡±


    ¡°Xu Jingxian has a satisfactory aptitude. Even though her cultivation is worse than you two, she still stands out from the crowd of shorties.¡±


    Changming slowly opened his eyes, coughing.


    ¡°Also, I¡¯ve kept her with me not because of Zhou Keyi, but because she¡¯s more reliable than he is.¡±


    The larger Jiang Li¡¯s formation grew, and the more they fought against each other, many more events were being put into motion. No matter how strong Changming was, he could not do everything alone. For the same reason, Jiang Li had been sending his disciples on errands, allying with demons, and even creating his own incarnation. Not only was he trying to restrain Changming, he was also probing Changming¡¯s bottom line.


    Changming had not even been able to figure out Jiang Li¡¯s current level of cultivation, while Changming¡¯s abilities had been laid out clearly before Jiang Li. Changming¡¯s enemy was in the dark, while he was in the light, his future uncertain.


    Yun Hai seemed to have guessed his thoughts.


    ¡°People say that Jiang Li, the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, is now the strongest person in the world. But no one has seen him fight for the last decade, because no one is worthy of challenging him. No one knows how far he has progressed in his cultivation. The last time he fought happened during the Qianlin Assembly, where he confronted Fu Dongyuan, the master of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao.¡±


    Changming slowly got up, putting his hand on the floor.


    ¡°How do you know this? Haven¡¯t you been staying in the Nine Layers of the Abyss all that time?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°Xu Jingxian told me.¡±


    Changming: ¡°What was the outcome of this battle?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°A disastrous defeat.¡±


    Changming coughed and looked at him.


    Yun Hai: ¡°Fu Dongyuan suffered a crushing defeat. From that time on, the influence of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao was slowly taken away by the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and not a single sect of this world tried to challenge their abilities and argue about seniority. During the last ten years, no one has witnessed Jiang Li in a battle, and no one knows which realm he has reached.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Have you fought against him?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°After you went to the Sacred Mountain Wan, he offered to exchange pointers with me once.¡±


    Changming: ¡°How was it?¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°We fought twice. The first time, he was fighting vengefully, and was too impatient, so he lost, though it was a slight defeat. The second time, he was attacking steadily and surely, so we ended in a draw. But I felt like he wasn¡¯t fighting at full capacity, and I didn¡¯t figure out his limits.¡±


    Changming pondered: ¡°Now he can only be stronger.¡±


    Yun Hai: ¡°And you still gave all of Sifei¡¯s spiritual powers to me, losing a chance to make a breakthrough.¡±


    At first, Changming wanted to retrieve the Sifei Sword because he had infused it with energy for many years. Moreover, its spiritual power was extraordinary, so it could help him break through difficult barriers at important moments. But when his Zhiyu Nianyue technique had reached the eighth level and he could not break through, it so happened that Yun Hai had started getting possessed as well. At this crucial moment, Changming finally chose to transfer the spiritual power of the Sifei Sword to his opponent to help him suppress the demon.


    The Sifei Sword¡¯s spiritual powers were exhausted, and it turned into just a rare spiritual weapon. It definitely could still drive away demons, going through fire and water for Changming, but was limited by its owner¡¯s powers, and could no longer assist him in crisis.


    ¡°You lost an excellent opportunity to return to the top, and no longer have the qualifications to fight against Jiang Li,¡± Yun Hai was looking at him, ¡°Do you regret it, Shizun?¡±


    ¡°Look at your palm,¡± Changming did not reply to his question.


    Yun Hai raised his hand and opened his palm.


    The red line that had previously started intertwining on his palm was now almost transparent. It even retreated all the way back to his wrist, becoming very faint; it was obviously very different from its previous bright-colored self.


    Although the demonic qi had not been driven away completely, Changming¡¯s efforts were not wasted either. At least, he had managed to restrict it; it was as if he had driven it into a cage. For some time, it would not bother Yun Hai again.


    ¡°Your inner demon appeared because of me, so I should deal with it with my own hands,¡± Changming patted him on his shoulder, ¡°Who told you to be my most troublesome first disciple, Yun Weisi.¡±


    From that day on, there was no difference between Yun Weisi and Yun Hai, because he had settled matters with himself, and would not care what name Changming used to call him.


    Changming did not regret it in the slightest. He never regretted anything he decided to do himself.


    The Great Dao appears in thousands of ways in the world, and one day, he would return to the top with his own efforts.


    ¡°So, now I owe you, Shizun.¡±


    Before Changming took away his hand, Yun Weisi grabbed it tightly.


    The ties between them could not be broken like this.


    ¡°That year, before you entered the Sacred Mountain Wan, you were waiting for a long time. For whom?¡±


    Changming narrowed his eyes: ¡°Did you intrude into my sea of consciousness?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°I did what I should have done to save you.¡±


    Changming looked at him. Yun Weisi seemed innocent.


    ¡°Great, looks like you¡¯ve already forsaken the Heartless Dao, and fused with Yun Hai.¡±


    Yun Weisi said: ¡°[Heartlessness results in warm-heartedness. The thing called the Great Heartless Dao of this world appeared because people have limited horizons. If they want, they follow it, and where water flows, a canal forms. It¡¯s nothing but a way of cultivation.]¡±


    Where water flows, a canal forms: when conditions are ripe, success is assured


    Changming snorted: ¡°My congratulations to Daozun Yun¡¯s moment of enlightenment and advancing in cultivation.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°I¡¯m also very grateful for shizun¡¯s help in understanding my heart.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Then can you let my hand go?¡±


    ¡­


    Zhou Keyi had not died.


    But he would have suffered less if he did.


    The sky was gloomily dark. Since the moment he had entered this place, he had not seen a bright sky above his head.


    What tortured him the most was not the eternal, black night.


    But the lotuses that were everywhere under his feet.


    These lotuses, seemingly carved in stone, were blooming in disorder. They seemed to be growing as far as the eye could see, so it looked like no one could escape them.


    The lotus is a symbol of Buddhism, signifying purity and holiness. But these lotuses were not like this.


    They looked like stone carvings, but in truth, there were countless human bones buried beneath them, while these stone lotuses themselves were vessels supporting the souls from these bodies.


    While the person that had been selected was still alive, they were skinned and their bones were removed. On the chosen day, using a certain secret technique, this person would be shrunk to a size that was suitable for placing him into a lotus container with the help of a spiritual herb. The victim could only watch his own body merging with the vessel, and in the end die in agony. That was what a Flesh Lotus Vessel was.


    The vessel became one with the person¡¯s flesh, and their souls, full of remaining grievances, were trapped in it forever. It was precisely these types of vessels that surrounded Zhou Keyi everywhere, keeping him confined there. A barrier built by these fierce and aggrieved spirits probably could not kill a person, but could trap them within it.


    With nets above and snares below, he had no place to escape to.


    Nets above and snares below: encirclement


    Zhou Keyi¡¯s spiritual powers and mind were eroded away day after day, and his temper became even more irritable, getting close to a breakdown.


    Blood. It was swiftly flowing from his opened wounds, wetting the stone lotuses; their petals unfolded slowly, beautiful yet ominous.


    Zhou Keyi wanted to open his eyes, but he did not manage to. He could not even move a single finger.


    He had been covered with cuts and bruises all over since a while ago, but could not even die.


    His wounds were healing and opening again in an endless circle. Stone lotuses of different sizes were clustering around him, just like sacrificial offerings around a sacred altar.


    Let me take a look¡­


    Go away.


    Let me take a look, Zhou Keyi, what¡¯s your inner demon?


    Get lost¡­


    The Jianxue Clan is already destroyed, destroyed by you. Those sects around the Jianxue Clan that relied on you have no survivors as well, everything because of you. Now, you have nothing left, but you still refuse to give up. Oh, look at what I found! There is still a person in your heart, and you are waiting for him to come and save you? Who is he? Let me take a look, ha-ha-ha.


    Get lost!


    Zhou Keyi opened his eyes abruptly, and black qi suddenly burst from him, and all the stone lotuses that wanted to feed on his blood were torn into pieces!


    Black lotus juice splattered the place, resembling bloodstains, and smeared his robes, but Zhou Keyi did not care about it. This was his last burst of energy, like the dying radiance of the setting sun. Very soon, his eyes dimmed and became lifeless, and he closed them. At the same time, his limbs turned powerless as well.


    New stone lotuses flourished on the ground, surrounding him once again.


    Do you hope that person will come to your rescue?


    Scram¡­


    I¡¯m infinitely merciful. Since you wish it, this venerable one will cater to your request.


    No¡­


    Don¡¯t come.


    Don¡¯t¡­


    Not far from his body, a giant statue was towering under the dark clouds.


    It was dressed in a blood-red kasaya, and had jade prayer beads; sometimes, it frowned, and other times, it smiled, a fine and detailed piece of art.


    Kasaya: robes worn by a Buddhist monk [1]


    And now, the corners of its mouth were curled into a smile. However, it wasn¡¯t merciful, but rather eerie.


    The fifteenth day of the seventh month was close at hand.


    Summary of the author¡¯s notes for the next chapter: ZKY is not in love with CM


    Tn:


    1. Rip Yun Hai, I¡¯ll always miss you


    2. This chapter concludes the 3rd Book. Book 4 is called [Wanlian Converts into the Relics of Buddhas].


    3. Wanlian means 10,000 lotuses. Every time lotuses are mentioned here, you should think of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple (or Buddhism in general).


    4. Congratulations on surviving through half of the novel (in terms of Chinese characters, the middle of the novel is not chapter 75, but this one)!


    [1] Kasaya:


    (zh wiki)

 CH 71

    The thirteenth day of the seventh month, the Country of You.


    A stone tablet with the words ¡°You Capital¡± engraved on it greeted the eyes of newcomers. Several li ahead lay the city gates.


    It was said that upon crossing the city gates, one would immediately see the most magnificent gates in the world. Many literary men and poets had described the You Capital¡¯s city walls in their works.


    You Capital.


    H¨¦ Qingmo realized that since he left his sect to travel and went down the mountain, he had visited many places, but never the You Capital.


    ¡°These gates are indeed a lot taller and more beautiful than others, but I would not call them awe-inspiring. People who say such words have probably never travelled to distant places!¡±


    A young man, standing at the gates, laughed, sharing his thoughts that were similar to H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s.


    H¨¦ Qingmo looked at him once, but didn¡¯t keep the conversation going.


    They met like patches of drifting duckweed would, and shared a shallow friendship. Very soon, they would go separate ways and pick up their reins; there was no need at all to become excessively attached.


    Go separate ways and pick up their reins: to part


    Zhang Jie noticed his attitude and thought him to be a disciple of a prominent sect looking down on Zhang Jie¡¯s unorthodox methods. He ah-ed in a low voice, and entered the city first.


    ¡°Daoxiong H¨¦, don¡¯t feel offended. Daoyou Zhang is a bit prideful, but he¡¯s not a bad companion.¡±


    Compared to Zhang Jie, H¨¨ Xiyun, who was now trying to smooth things over, seemed a lot more amiable.


    It was not because she was a woman, but because she could handle affairs better than Zhang Jie.


    H¨¦ Qingmo shook his head: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    His impression of H¨¨ Xiyun was a little bit better, so he was willing to say a few words.


    ¡°Although this city is the capital of You, there are many talented and capable people here, hidden dragons and crouching tigers can remain devout hermits even in a bustling city. Daoyou H¨¨, you should be careful inside the city walls.¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun nodded with a smile: ¡°Many thanks for the reminder, daoyou H¨¦. I¡¯ve heard that a large-scale sin expiation puja will be held on the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the You Capital, and the majority of those who worship the Buddha will gather here to participate. Although I¡¯m not a disciple of a Buddhist sect, I also decided to come and watch the commotion. Daoyou H¨¦ has seen a lot and knows much, surely, he knows whether the puja is what rumors describe it to be. Can you tell this girl about it?¡±


    Before H¨¦ Qingmo could say that he also had never visited it, he saw something so stunning that he forgot what his answer was going to be.


    The same thing happened to H¨¨ Xiyun.


    What lay before their eyes were many exquisite houses, scattered everywhere in a picturesque order as if they were built by the same person.


    The roof tiles had probably been fired with a certain kind of glass. Although they weren¡¯t completely glass-like, they were glittering in the sunlight, as if they were glowing themselves.


    Lotuses had been planted in front of almost every house belonging to the common people. It was precisely the time when lotuses were in bloom, and the whole city was filled with their fragrance, bathing in dew. The road under their feet was the main way leading to the Imperial City.


    At the end of that road, the tall imperial palace was towering above the Imperial City¡¯s gates. It was visible from far away, like the mythical Land of Deities of Buddhism, hazy yet clear.


    Magnificent and holy.


    Suddenly they heard ringing in the wind.


    He Qingmo looked at the source of this sound. Copper bells were hanging under the eaves of the houses. As the slightest wind blew, hundreds and thousands of bells started to tinkle, as if playing wonderful music more meaningful than thousands of human words.


    There was no need to chant boring tenets of Buddhism, since they were coming from hearts.


    Even Zhang Jie was staring at it in a daze, not to mention H¨¦ Qingmo and H¨¨ Xiyun. It took a long time for him to recover, and he finally let out a long sigh.


    That was how most of those who entered the You Capital for the first time reacted, but the local common people didn¡¯t see it as bewildering anymore.


    H¨¨ Xiyun exclaimed in surprise: ¡°As you would expect from the You Capital worshipping Buddhist sects, everything is influenced by Buddhism!¡±


    Apart from being surprised, she also felt envious.


    Everyone in the You Capital, from the imperial court to the common people, was devout in revering Buddhism. Naturally, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had a high status in the You Capital, and gained much influence.


    By contrast, although Daoist sects were also venerated, their status couldn¡¯t be compared to the Buddhists¡¯.


    However, this had just a slight influence on the secular world, and only showed that cultivators from Buddhist sects were more familiar with the rules of the court games than the Daoists. But the world of cultivators revered the strongest; the ones who cut the ears of an ox were still the Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, and nothing could match them.


    Cut the ears of an ox: occupy a leading position. By ancient custom, the hegemon of a union of kingdoms cut the left ear of a sacrificial ox to seal the alliance with its blood


    Thinking about this, H¨¨ Xiyun felt a lot more comfortable.


    The man standing next to her, who was a disciple of the Celestial Abode Shexiao, seemed even more mighty now.


    ¡°Before we entered these gates, I didn¡¯t know that there was such a magnificent city in the world. No wonder the You Capital is also known as the capital of Buddhism!¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun seemed to have remembered something. She started looking around.


    ¡°Where is the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, the second most influential Buddhist clan?¡±


    ¡°There,¡± H¨¦ Qingmo pointed into the distance.


    There, halfway up a mountain, they could vaguely see buildings in the clouds. Their gold tips were glittering, neither close nor far away.


    ¡°I heard that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple is second among the Buddhist sects as they are inferior to the Qingyun School. Who would¡¯ve thought their status was so high in the You Capital? When I was told about it before, I didn¡¯t really believe it.¡±


    When Zhang Jie saw that H¨¦ Qingmo, a person originating from a famous sect, was staring at it like a country bumpkin just like Zhang Jie himself, he was rather satisfied, and his attitude changed for the better.


    H¨¨ Xiyun said: ¡°Daoyous, why don¡¯t we find a place to stay first? I heard that as the fifteenth day of the seventh month is drawing closer, the You Capital is bustling with activity five days before and even after the occasion. We can go out and walk around after the sky gets dark.¡±


    Of course, Zhang Jie had no objections. He had left his sect to travel anyway, and didn¡¯t care where he went.


    But H¨¦ Qingmo said: ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll take a stroll here. If we are so fated, we¡¯ll meet again. Farewell!¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun shouted to stop him: ¡°Hey, daoyou H¨¦!¡±


    Not willing to stay any longer, H¨¦ Qingmo had already left.


    Zhang Jie sneered: ¡°Look at him! I told you he won¡¯t condescend to be our companion! Why would a direct disciple of the master of the Celestial Adobe Shenxiao, such a dignified and formidable man, pay attention to disciples from a small sect like us?¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun sighed, a bit disappointed. Originally, she thought she had a chance to exchange some experience with H¨¦ Qingmo.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be oversensitive, daoyou Zhang, maybe daoyou H¨¦ really has some business here. We met by accident, and it¡¯d be inappropriate to ask many questions. Don¡¯t think too much of it.¡±


    Zhang Jie snorted.


    The Qingbei Mountain was indeed a small sect whose name never appeared in historical notes, and the only one there who was somewhat famous was Elder Lu Zhiyuan. But H¨¦ Xiyun¡¯s shifu wasn¡¯t on friendly terms with Lu Zhiyuan. When H¨¨ Xiyun left the Yellow Springs, narrowly escaping death, she returned to the Qingbei Mountain only to find that her shifu had perished trying to break through a barrier. She couldn¡¯t even see her master for one last time. After a period of mourning, H¨¨ Xiyun bid farewell to the sect master, and went down the mountain to travel, never to return.


    Zhang Jie¡¯s origins were even less worthy of mention, and H¨¨ Xiyun had never even heard of his sect. But Zhang Jie¡¯s aptitude was quite high, and if H¨¨ Xiyun hadn¡¯t gained experience in the Yellow Springs, she would have only been able to equal him in a fight now.


    ¡°Disciples of famous sects have always looked down on everyone else. H¨¦ Qingmo is neither the first one, nor the last. I¡¯ve long since gotten used to it!¡±


    Zhang Jie didn¡¯t approve of her few words of comfort.


    ¡°The higher their cultivation, the more haughty they become. I¡¯ve seen a lot of people like this!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡±


    At least one person isn¡¯t like this.


    H¨¨ Xiyun suddenly recalled one man.


    He said that his name was Changming, he didn¡¯t come from a famous sect, and had lost his memory; but he was almost blindingly strong, and would often leave everyone dazzled and stunned.


    If it wasn¡¯t for him, she would have died in that frightening place long ago, and even her bones would have disappeared.


    She didn¡¯t know how he was living now in the Qixian Sect.


    ¡°Right, daoyou Zhang, you¡¯ve told me that you came from the Longxue Mountain. There is a sect nearby, and I have an old friend there, his name is Changming. I left him at the foot of the Qixian Sect¡¯s mountains. Have you heard of him?¡±


    ¡°The Qixian Sect? The Qixian Sect was destroyed, didn¡¯t you know?¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun was astounded.


    ¡°When?!¡±


    Zhang Jie: ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I also had a friend in the Qixian Sect, and I wanted to visit him a while ago. But, when I arrived at the foot of the mountains, I realized that the whole village there was deserted, and there was no one around, even food was left uncooked. The Qixian Sect on the mountains was like this as well, as if¡­ as if everyone had suddenly disappeared. I asked about this later, and I was told that the Jianxue Clan and every sect around it were exterminated, and no one knows who is the culprit.¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun was shocked beyond expression: ¡°The master of the Jianxue Clan, Zhou Keyi, is one of the most skilled masters of our generation. Could it be that something unforeseen happened to him?¡±


    Zhang Jie: ¡°Demonic sects have always had many enemies. I¡¯ve heard that Zhou Keyi would simply grab anyone he didn¡¯t like and turn them into a cultivation furnace to advance his cultivation. Perhaps he had caught a favorite disciple of some grandmaster, and suffered retribution for this! Ai, it¡¯s a pity that that friend of mine had the pond fish disaster for no reason. I have seen neither him nor his body, and still don¡¯t know what happened!¡±


    The pond fish disaster: implicated in trouble. When the city gates are on fire, fish in the ponds suffer


    Then, Changming¡­


    H¨¨ Xiyun was so upset that even the scenery of the You Capital didn¡¯t amuse her anymore. Zhang Jie chose a random guest house to rest, and she cultivated for the second half of the day up until nightfall. Only then did she finally ease up a bit.


    Zhang Jie found her and invited her out for a walk. H¨¨ Xiyun accepted.


    Although people in the You Capital venerated Buddhism, it wasn¡¯t the case that they didn¡¯t sing, dance or amuse themselves at all. It was said that there were two markets here, just like in the Luo Capital, one on the East and one on the West, that were full of music and fun throughout the whole night, and shone brightly in the darkness till the dawn. Most guests from other regions, who arrived at the You Capital, stayed there.


    H¨¨ Xiyun and Zhang Jie were staying in a guest house near the West Market, so it was easy for them to go there. They only had to make a few steps, crossing one street.


    Contrary to their expectations, they quickly met their companion, who had just left them, in the West Market.


    ¡°Daoyou H¨¦!¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo, who was walking through a boisterous crowd, turned his head. He looked surprised.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun swiftly came near him, and saw his surprise turn into disappointment.


    ¡°Whom were you expecting?¡±


    H¨¦ Qinigmo: ¡°No one. I thought I saw an old friend just now, but I was probably mistaken.¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun remembered what had happened to Changming, and felt distressed again.


    ¡°Daoyou H¨¦ parted with us so hurriedly because you wanted to find that old friend?¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo shook his head: ¡°I visited the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun: ¡°You had an appointment?¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo: ¡°No, I was just looking from outside.¡±


    When he was approaching the Wanlian Buddhist Temple just now, he noticed that it was blocked by many layers of formations and barriers. The best in setting formations in the Shenxiao Abode was none other than H¨¦ Qingmo himself, but he spent a lot of time standing outside the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and still found no gaps. When he saw that he would soon be exposed, H¨¦ Qingmo turned around and left.


    H¨¨ Xiyun felt that H¨¨ Qingmo, unlike them, came here with a specific plan¡ªperhaps, he came to see a person or to do something. But he said nothing, and it wasn¡¯t the right time for her to ask.


    Zhang Jie disliked H¨¦ Qingmo from the very beginning, so he wasn¡¯t willing to stay with them now, and quickly took several steps forward to walk alone.


    Lanterns were lit, and the Human World was sparkling.


    Far away, many lanterns were merging together, shining brightly above the heads of the streams of people busily coming and going. It was so bright in You Capital as if it were broad daylight.


    The Ghost Festival was drawing near, and many vendors¡¯ stands had masks of ghosts and monsters on them; some depicted life-like, sinister features of beasts, some were cute and colorful. For human beings, the Ghost Festival wasn¡¯t just about sorrow and longing. They also made sacrifices for ghosts and gods, prayed for blessings and peace, and asked for soft winds and mild rains, as well as good health for their families.


    Ghost Festival: 7/15, the day when the worlds of the dead and the human world are connected. Basically, a festival to worship the dead. The puja is happening because of it


    H¨¦ Qingmo and his two companions were cultivators, and they weren¡¯t used to the customs of the Ghost Festivals, and, like most travellers, had a superficial understanding of the customs of the locals of the You Capital based on cursory observation.


    Casual conversations of the common people reached their ears occasionally.


    ¡°Dad, why haven¡¯t we burnt paper money yet? Weren¡¯t we going to burn it a year ago?¡± an immature child asked.


    ¡°Nonsense, we burn it every year on the fifteenth. You remembered it wrongly.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll eat roast duck on the day of burning paper!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only thinking about food! We¡¯ll be able to eat only after the ghosts and deities finish eating! Stop talking nonsense and beware of being caught as a substitute!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a substitute?¡±


    ¡­


    The voices of a father preaching to his son were getting quieter in the distance. H¨¨ Xiyun recalled her shifu making speeches to her when she was young, and couldn¡¯t help but reveal an understanding smile.


    ¡°There is a noodle stall over there. Why don¡¯t we sit there?¡±


    Had H¨¦ Qingmo suggested this, undoubtedly, Zhang Jie would have refused. But, after all that, he still gave H¨¨ Xiyun some face.


    They found places to sit. H¨¨ Xiyun ordered a bowl of ¡°cat ears¡± soup, while H¨¦ Qingmo and Zhang Jie only asked for noodles with minced meat.


    Full bowls were brought up to them. The quality of the dishes was nothing special, but it didn¡¯t cost them much. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to buy food of this quality in the Luo Capital for the same price.


    Zhang Jie looked at H¨¦ Qingmo eating the noodles, and felt his mouth itch. He couldn¡¯t help but to ridicule him: ¡°I would have never expected daoyou H¨¦ who came from a prominent sect to enjoy food from the secular world like we do. I thought you were practising bigu on a daily basis.¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo remained unperturbed: ¡°Bigu is fine, and daoyou Zhang can practise it if you want to. But, if one is not in deep mountain forests, why would they treat themselves harshly?¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun was afraid that they would start quarreling, so she quickly interrupted them: ¡°This ¡®cat ears¡¯ soup is too bland, and they didn¡¯t use even a pinch of salt. What about yours?¡±


    Zhang Jie: ¡°Mine is also tasteless.¡±


    He asked the shopkeeper to add some salt and vinegar, but his soup with chopped meat was still bland and tasteless.


    The three of them were a bit disappointed. They quickly finished eating and paid for the food before leaving the stall.


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about things in the You Capital? They sure are cheap, but the noodles were flavorless, it felt like drinking plain boiled water. Why are so many people eating here, have they lost their sense of taste?¡± Zhang Jie complained.


    As if H¨¨ Xiyun had felt something, after taking a few steps, she stopped and looked back.


    Many people were indeed eating noodles there.


    They all lowered their heads to the bowls, as if they had been starving for three days straight.


    But, judging by their neat outfits, although they weren¡¯t excessively rich, they certainly had enough money to afford a bowl of noodles.


    An ominous feeling rose in H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s heart.


    She looked at the stall keeper.


    He seemed to be observing them. At that moment, he happened to be watching her as well, and their eyes met for a second¡ªthen, the shopkeeper smiled at H¨¨ Xiyun.


    It was a weird smile.


    The hairs on H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s body stood up, and she turned abruptly, rushing towards the shopkeeper.


    The shopkeeper was startled.


    ¡°Lady, what happened?¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s pretty eyes were watching him closely.


    The shopkeeper seemed innocently scared by her aura. He wanted to retreat, but didn¡¯t dare to.


    It was a normal reaction, as if everything had just been her imagination.


    H¨¨ Xiyun looked at the guests sitting by tables again.


    Someone finished eating and stood up to go away, leaving tips on their table; only one table was still occupied by a family of three who were talking and laughing.


    ¡°Daoyou H¨¨, what happened?¡±


    She heard H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s voice and stopped frowning.


    ¡°Nothing, it must have been my imagination. Where¡¯s daoyou Zhang?¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo didn¡¯t pay attention to him: ¡°Perhaps he had already left, and lost contact with us.¡±


    Crowds of people were coming and going, and they couldn¡¯t see far ahead. How would they spot a trace of Zhang Jie?


    Even if he got lost, it was fine. After all, he wasn¡¯t a child, and could return to their guest house himself.


    But H¨¨ Xiyun felt that something was wrong.


    She had not walked far when she turned back to look at the noodle stall and paled.


    ¡°The noodle stall?!¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo turned back, feeling something abnormal as well.


    The big noodle stall had suddenly disappeared from their sight, and had turned into a stand selling sweet cakes.


    ¡°Sweet cakes! Sweet cakes for sale! Ladies and gentlemen, come, buy a cake, I guarantee that it¡¯s sweet!¡±


    The vendor changed his appearance as well, and looked nothing like that middle-aged shopkeeper.


    H¨¨ Xiyun: ¡°What happened to the noodle stall?!¡±


    The vendor was puzzled: ¡°What noodle stall? There are no noodle stalls around. I¡¯ve been selling sweet cakes here for two years!¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun wanted to say more, but H¨¦ Qingmo stopped her.


    He pulled her aside.


    ¡°This person isn¡¯t a cultivator.¡±


    ¡°But just now¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been uncomfortable ever since we entered the city,¡± H¨¦ Qingmo said. He thought that he just wasn¡¯t used to the smell of the Buddhists¡¯ sandalwood and lotuses, and didn¡¯t give it much thought. But now, alarm bells were ringing inside his head. It was the natural vigilance of a cultivator.


    He noticed that what was making him feel bad was a smell that was coming from everywhere.


    It wasn¡¯t sandalwood, or air exhaled by the motley crowd, but rather¡ª


    Ghost qi.


    Like streaks of smoke, the ghost qi had infiltrated the whole place.


    ¡°Look!¡± H¨¨ Xiyun raised her voice suddenly, pulling him to the ground forcibly, ¡°What is that!¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo was looking at a cake pierced with a chopstick. This originally white and soft sweet cake, which tempted people¡¯s appetite, was stirring in the lantern light.


    It was a giant maggot.


    Then, the noodles they had just eaten¡­


    H¨¨ Xiyun didn¡¯t dare to elaborate any further, but felt that she probably wouldn¡¯t eat noodles ever again.


    H¨¦ Qingmo suddenly stretched out his hand to grab the vendor. The latter let him do it without struggling, and only started begging for mercy in a weak voice.


    ¡°Gen, tle, man, what, are, you, do, ing¡ª¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo tightened his grip, and, unexpectedly, the vendor¡¯s head fell to his shoulder, and then rolled off.


    ¡°Mur, der!¡±


    ¡°You, kil, ler!¡±


    Voices rose from every side, asking questions; but all these questions sounded gloomy, not like normal human speech.


    H¨¨ Xiyun saw that all the people who were strolling around were now looking at them. Even those who had had their backs turned towards them remained in the same position, and only their heads were twisted, their gazes fixed on H¨¦ Xiyun and her companion. All these faces were expressionless, but their mouths were open, as if they were wearing masks. It looked absolutely terrifying.


    Obviously, it was a ghost market!


    Pairs of hands stretched out towards them, and H¨¦ Qingmo unsheathed his long sword, slashing through the crowd mercilessly. Wherever the sword glow passed, countless people¡¯s heads and bones fell to the ground, but even more new people appeared, and he couldn¡¯t finish killing them.


    The two of them were already surrounded.


    H¨¨ Xiyun wanted to use her spiritual power, but realized that her dantian was completely empty. She looked at H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s sword. Although it had a formidable force, it was coming only from the sword¡¯s aura itself, not H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s art of sword control.


    What happened to their spiritual powers?!


    ¡°If you kill, you must pay with your lives. Stay here.¡±


    A sneer sounded out of nowhere, faint and aggrieved, neither from close by nor at a distance. But it carried an obvious strength, and pulled thousands of the ghosts¡¯ hands, drawing nearer to H¨¦ Qingmo and H¨¨ Xiyun.


    At a crucial point, a hand stretched from behind, grabbing his shoulder.


    At first, H¨¦ Qingmo wanted to attack them with his sword, but noticed that the hand seemed to be ready to intercept any assault easily, as it pressed his shoulder more tightly.


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    A somewhat familiar voice made the two of them turn their heads simultaneously.


    His long hair was pinned with a jade hairpin, and he was wearing long white robes. His face features were profound, and he appeared as lofty as a mountain.


    Such a bearing made people feel even more ignorant than what H¨¨ Xiyun had seen that day under the Qing Mountain.


    Tn:


    Again, He Xiyun and He Qingmo have different surnames.


    H¨¨ Xiyun: H¨¨ ¡ª congratulate; Xiyun ¡ª cherish clouds.


    H¨¦ Qingmo: H¨¦ ¡ª question word; Qingmo ¡ª blue ink.


    It isn¡¯t really important though.


    cat ears soup (google)


    ¡°saozi¡± (noodles with minced meat)

 CH 72

    Changming?!


    H¨¨ Xiyun was both astounded and glad. Before she shouted his name, it had crossed her mind countless times.


    H¨¦ Qingmo was a lot more composed. Although he was also happy to see Changming, overall he seemed calm.


    Changming signaled them to keep quiet. They understood him immediately and followed him.


    Wherever they went, the ghosts¡¯ hands receded, making way for them. But, when H¨¦ Qingmo or H¨¨ Xiyun walked too far behind, the walking corpses came at them in swarms, so the two of them had to stick close to Changming¡ªit was only in this way they could get through unharmed.


    At first, H¨¦ Qingmo thought that Changming was using a seal technique that was keeping the ghosts away, but then he realized that it was the lantern in Changming¡¯s hands that drove them away.


    It was a small ordinary-looking lantern. Its gloomy white light was wavering slightly.


    A fierce gale sprang up. The cold was piercing them to the bones.


    It didn¡¯t resemble the fresh wind of an autumn night, but was more like harsh winds blowing through a cemetery. H¨¨ Xiyun shivered, and the lantern in Changming¡¯s hand suddenly flinched, and it seemed like the light inside it could go out at any moment.


    A hand reached out for the lantern, and its nails, sharp and tough as knives, almost pierced through the surface of the lantern!


    H¨¦ Qingmo raised his arm to slash the hand. However, before the tip of his sword touched the ghost, the scenery in front of them changed abruptly. He stumbled and fell forwards, but was promptly stopped by Changming.


    ¡°This place?¡±


    He heard H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s amazed voice.


    Crowds of people were passing by, lit by bright lanterns.


    They were standing in a dim and silent remote corner that was hard to find on a noisy street. But the famous West Market of the You Capital was just a couple of steps away.


    If this place was the West Market, where had they been just now?


    H¨¨ Xiyun was perplexed.


    ¡°Were we pulled into an illusion?¡±


    ¡°Worse than an illusion, it¡¯s a trap possessed by demons. You¡¯ve eaten what you shouldn¡¯t have. Had you two been common people, your immortal souls would have already scattered. That¡¯s how these people were caught there.¡±


    Changming shook the lantern in his hand, which fell to the ground, and turned into a rabbit that squeezed into the crowd swiftly, like a wisp of smoke, and disappeared.


    ¡°The fifteenth of the seventh month is just around the corner. Don¡¯t walk around recklessly.¡±


    Just as he said this, H¨¨ Xiyun remembered that bowl of tasteless noodles and the sweet cake that had turned into a maggot. Vomit came up to her mouth. She couldn¡¯t endure it and bent over near a wall corner to throw up.


    But, even after a long time, she only vomited up a little bile¡ªher stomach was completely empty.


    ¡°Stop throwing up. What we ate was not food, but ghost qi,¡± H¨¦ Qingmo said. His expression was also bad.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising that common people were tricked, but they were cultivators, yet they still had been bewitched by ghosts. If this news spread, their fellow disciples would die laughing.


    H¨¦ Qingmo had also come to his senses after being bewildered for a while. Common people often retold stories about someone stumbling upon a gorgeous house with beautiful maidens at night in the mountains, and receiving a warm greeting there. But the next day they would find all the carved beams and painted rafters of the building to be made of decaying wood and rotten soil, while the mountain and sea delicacies they had eaten there last night had turned into withered tree branches, decomposing leaves, rats and insects. Moreover, some people ate the ashes of ritual money, and fell ill upon returning, eventually losing their lives. H¨¦ Qingmo would never have guessed that one day they would be like one of those enchanted people.


    H¨¨ Xiyun was puzzled: ¡°Doesn¡¯t the You Capital belong to buddhists? With the Wanlian Buddhist Temple in sight, how would the evil spirits dare to wreak havoc?¡±


    ¡°Ghosts are not deceived by appearances, but humans are. The Wanlian Buddhist Temple can¡¯t protect the entire the You Capital. It¡¯s not the first time you¡¯ve left your homes, why were you so unsuspecting?¡±


    Changming¡¯s taunting left them both speechless.


    Fortunately, they were cultivators, and after they had come to their senses, the ghost qi they had swallowed would be gradually dissolved by their spiritual powers, so they wouldn¡¯t have a serious onset of illness like a common person would.


    And what it was that had turned into the noodles they¡¯ve eaten didn¡¯t really matter now. What made H¨¨ Xiyun feel uncomfortable were her memories and her gustatory sense.


    ¡°Thank you very much for your help, Senior.¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo cupped his hands before his chest earnestly.


    H¨¨ Xiyun froze. Why would he suddenly promote ¡®dayou¡¯ by a rank?


    H¨¦ Qingmo had been through a lot with Changming in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. They didn¡¯t face any extreme challenges, but they did work together. Before leaving, Changming had revealed his real identity, and asked H¨¦ Qingmo to say hello to his shizun. After H¨¦ Qingmo returned and discussed it with his shizun, his admiration for Changming only became greater.


    ¡°Shizun praised Senior highly. He regrets the accident that took place on the Sacred Mountain Wan that year, however, the Celestial Abode Chenxiao never deemed what happened to be Senior¡¯s fault. When we asked around, everyone said that the situation was too complex, so it was actually hard to say what had happened, but shizun couldn¡¯t control what the others were saying. He asked me to pass on the word to the Senior that stones are always revealed when the water recedes, and the moon is seen when the clouds disperse. One day, the world will learn what had happened back then.¡±


    Stones are always revealed when the water recedes: the truth comes to light


    The moon is seen when the clouds disperse: justice provided by the revealed truth


    Changming didn¡¯t care whether the world would learn the truth or not, and wasn¡¯t really concerned about his image in the eyes of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao¡¯s owner, Fu Dongyuan. There was no doubt that this old fox didn¡¯t throw stones in Changming¡¯s well back then, but neither did he offer Changming fuel in snowy weather. Fu Dongyuan was handling matters steadily and smoothly. Although this allowed the Celestial Abode Shexiao to stand unyieldingly for many years, they also lost many chances to advance and get their hands on the head of the sea monster, and their leading position was taken away by the Wanjian Immortal Clan, who nibbled away at their influence little by little, becoming the sect that was reluctant to admit their secondary position. It could be called both Fu Dongyuan¡¯s success and Fu Dongyuan¡¯s failure.


    Throw stones in a well: hit a person when they¡¯re down


    Offer fuel in snowy weather: provide timely assistance


    Get their hands on the head of the sea monster: be the champion


    Changming: ¡°You¡¯ve come to the You Capital to see the puja of the fifteenth day of the seventh month?¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo frowned, his expression a bit more heavy: ¡°For Shijie Meng Li.¡±


    This disciple of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, Meng Li, had left the mountains to travel one day, but had subsequently gone missing. Although her soul lantern didn¡¯t die out, not a trace of her could be found, up until the day Changming discovered that she had become the exclusive property of Fu Xiaoshan, the owner of the Weak Waters of the Nine Layers of the Abyss. After Meng Li¡¯s death, Yun Hai found the Fenshui Pearl in her, and shattered the barrier of the Weak Waters.


    Changming had already informed H¨¦ Qingmo about this when they were leaving the Nine Layers of the Abyss.


    ¡°But afterwards, I realized that the sword I¡¯m wearing at waist would frequently contact me. At first, I thought it to be a demon, but after I returned to my sect and asked shizun to check it, it was discovered that it was shijie Meng Li¡¯s fleeting soul.¡±


    Changming¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    H¨¦ Qingmo continued: ¡°Her fleeting soul responded to the breath of her fellow disciple in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. But the breath was too weak at that moment, so she couldn¡¯t communicate with me, and only managed to hide inside my sword temporarily. Only after I had returned to my sect and shizun attached her soul to the soul lantern did she manage to appear in the flesh for a short period of time. Shijie Meng Li said that the reason she was wandering through the Nine Layers of the Abyss back then was not because she had entered by mistake or out of curiosity, but because she had overheard a secret accidentally, and was chased by those people. In the end, she had no choice but to hide in the Nine Layers of the Abyss. The ones chasing her were people from the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.¡±


    Changming: ¡°What was the secret?¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo uttered slowly: ¡°Longxiang Fozuo Shengjue of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple is a half-demon.¡±


    Shengjue was the strongest cultivator of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, his cultivation unfathomably profound. Some people said that he had reached the level of a grandmaster; others claimed that he had already transcended this level. There were very few grandmasters in the world, and the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had as many masters as there were clouds in the sky, so Shengjue had few chances to fight with others. The last time he had challenged someone to a fight was his battle with Yun Weisi. Being a fozun of the second greatest Buddhist sect, he was as well-respected as the successor of the temple master. If his being a half-demon was revealed to the world, his status would definitely take a tumble, and even his whole sect could be dragged down.


    There were more than enough demons living in the human world incognito, and many of them had integrated with mankind. Of course, there were cultivators with demon blood, but they encountered disapproving sidelong glances almost wherever they went, so they had to cultivate at places that were removed from the secular world, like the Yellow Springs or the Nine Layers of the Abyss. For example, at the Seven Star Rivers of the First Layer of the Abyss, Changming had witnessed the battle between Bei Shu, who had rebelled against the Qingyun School, and Tai Luo, who was a half-demon.


    H¨¨ Xiyun felt that what she had just heard was a dreadful secret, but it was too awkward for her to simply turn away and leave, so she could only continue listening, embarrassed.


    H¨¦ Qingmo said: ¡°Shijie Meng said that while she was being chased, she accidentally dropped her sword to be picked up by her enemies, so she asked me to find a chance to retrieve it. I bid farewell to my shizun and went travelling. Two days ago, I heard that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple is hosting a puja on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, so I decided to come take a look in passing.¡±


    Changming asked: ¡°Who was chasing Meng Li?¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo: ¡°Shijie Meng didn¡¯t recognise them, but she noted that they had buddhist beads and a cane. It was probably someone from the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have started chasing her immediately just because Shijie Meng had learnt Shengjue¡¯s secret.¡±


    Changming: ¡°I also came here to take a look at the buzz around the puja. This being the case, why don¡¯t you travel with me?¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo said: ¡°With Senior by my side, naturally, I¡¯ll feel safe. But wasn¡¯t Senior travelling with daoyou Yun, where is he?¡±


    Changming: ¡°On Mount Zhehe, not far away from this place. Rumors have it that a few days ago a miraculous stone shower happened there, turning it into Boiling Earth and Concealing Sky. He said he wanted to see it himself.¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo: ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it as well. Mysterious lights flash there from time to time, and a spiritual curing treasure has appeared. Who knows, maybe daoyou Yun will get lucky, and manage to obtain this legendary tool.¡±


    Had he not been investigating Meng Li¡¯s death, he would have probably been at the Zhehe Mountain now as well.


    H¨¨ Xiyun remained silent, but the others noticed that her expression was getting more and more odd.


    ¡°Daoyou H¨¨, are you alright?¡± H¨¦ Qingmo said.


    ¡°I¡­ think I¡¯ve heard daoyou Zhang¡¯s voice,¡± H¨¨ Xiyun frowned.


    Save me.


    Save me¡­


    It sounded neither far away nor close, impatient and terrified, so she could only imagine what his situation was like.


    At first, H¨¨ Xiyun thought it to be an illusion. She looked around, but didn¡¯t find a shadow of Zhang Jie.


    But the voice sounded even more urgent, even a bit desperate.


    Although Zhang Jie¡¯s cultivation couldn¡¯t be called high, he could definitely go through the Jianghu alone. What kind of peril could force him to cry out?


    ¡°Daoyou Zhang? Where are you!¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun couldn¡¯t help shouting.


    But Zhang Jie¡¯s sobs suddenly died down.


    ¡­


    Xu Jingxian was gasping for breath.


    She wanted to take the thin silk off her waist and fly directly to the top of the mountain in front of her.


    But she couldn¡¯t do it.


    Because that would be beating the grass to scare the snake, so Yun Weisi had forbidden it.


    She could only go after him obediently.


    Three days ago, a mysterious light had taken form on the Zhehe Mountain, and a purple dawn covered the sky. In half a day, the common people started gossiping that an immortal had descended to the earth there, bringing a treasure with them.


    However, cultivators knew that it wasn¡¯t an immortal descending to the earth, but stars raining from the heavens, and miraculous stones falling to the ground, forming a phenomenon called ¡°Boiling Earth and Concealing Sky¡±. The inconspicuous Zhehe Mountain turned into a place concealing treasures, and cultivators from everywhere came seeking the treasures of the Boiling Earth and Concealing Sky to get their share of the profits.


    Whether it was a divinie tool or a spiritual herb¡ªif they could get anything, they would make a spurt of progress, and advance to a whole new level.


    Xu Jingxian clearly knew about the benefits.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the Yangzhen Grass, Yun Weisi probably wouldn¡¯t even have given her a look.


    ¡°Do you know why I brought you with me?¡±


    Xu Jingxian heard Yun Weisi¡¯s question.

 CH 73

    When Xu Jingxian heard about the heavenly stonefall on the Zhehe Mountain, she was interested as well.


    After all, which cultivator disliked the idea of getting treasures and immortal tools? Of course, the more you have, the better.


    But Changming was not all that interested. He wanted to investigate what was going on in You Capital first. They agreed to meet at the foot of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple¡¯s mountain on the fifteenth of the seventh month.


    Originally, Xu Jingxian was going to follow Changming, but Yun Weisi took the initiative and told her to follow him.


    ¡°Do you know why I told you to go with me?¡±


    When she heard Yun Weisi¡¯s question, she froze.


    Because my beauty filled you with wanton lust?


    No-no, if I answer this way, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to retain my life.


    Although she was now firmly holding onto the master realm, Xu Jingxian knew for sure that Yun Weisi was way stronger than her. So, in front of him, she behaved earnestly, did not dare to be rude, and had already been pretending to be timid for a long time.


    ¡°Perhaps because I¡¯m good at understanding others, follow your every request and work for you sincerely?¡±


    She corrected her words to sound tactful, but still thought to herself, I¡¯m so exceptional that nothing at all can cover my splendor, and even Yun Weisi noticed it.


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Because you ate some Yangzhen Grass.¡±


    Xu Jingxian was lost for a moment. She could not find a connection between these two facts.


    Yun Weisi frowned at her ignorance, but he had to explain more because of their trip¡¯s aim.


    ¡°Spiritual herbs are divided into following categories: divine, immortal, high, middle and low; the Yangzhen Grass you ate is not a top-notch divine herb, but it still could be ranked as an immortal one. Herbs that are better than those of the high category have a sort of connection. Now, you¡¯ve fused with the Yangzhen Grass. Although the reaction will be weak, if a high-rank herb appears, you¡¯ll probably feel it.¡±


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    That is to say, she was a treasure to detect spiritual herbs now?


    Yun Weisi did not hear her answer, so he turned around and looked at her.


    ¡°Do you feel anything?¡±


    Xu Jingxian quickly showed a bright smile: ¡°We are still far away now, near the foot of the mountain, so I don¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    Yun Weisi hummed: ¡°Be attentive on the way.¡±


    The corners of Xu Jingxian¡¯s mouth twitched, but she did not dare say anything.


    She endured and endured, but could not help saying in the end: ¡°Daozun Yun, with your current cultivation base, even if it¡¯s a divine herb, it¡¯ll have little effect.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Shizun needs it.¡±


    Xu Jingxian understood him.


    She vaguely knew that Changming¡¯s cultivation was blocked, having stopped at a bottleneck with no chance for him to advance. Although, in Xu Jingxian¡¯s opinion, Changming¡¯s current level of cultivation was enough for him to run amok and act wilfully. Obviously, this person, who used to be the first master of the world, would not be satisfied with stalling like this at all. He wanted to achieve more, challenging even the height he had already scaled once.


    Yun Weisi wanted to help him.


    However, spiritual herbs can be stumbled upon, but cannot be found on purpose. After Xu Jingxian had treaded the path of cultivation, she had only gotten one Yangzhen Grass, going through mortal dangers in the Nine Layers of the Abyss for a chance to get it. Surely, there were many spiritual herbs and magic grasses in the world, but the world was vast, and those who did not have high chances would never obtain them. Many people could not even find a high-rank herb throughout their whole lives, let alone immortal or divine ones.


    Mount Zhehe was very unusual. The serpentine paths wiggling through the mountain were hardly discernible, and it was said that even the local people did not dare go up the mountain thoughtlessly. Woodcutters and hunters losing their way and going missing on the mountain was not a rare occasion. Many had seen the mysterious light taking form around here this time, but few common people were actually reckless enough to risk their lives on the mountain, so the two of them rarely encountered people on their way. Halfway up the mountain, a whirl of qi rushed at them. Yun Weisi raised his sleeve, and his spiritual power blocked the whirl, raising up sand and moving rocks, so they could no longer see the scene in front of them.


    A stone bridge halfway up the mountain stretched over a natural chasm, connecting two peaks. Clouds and mists were curling underneath, and the deep-blue lively sky was above them, like the upturned surface of a lake whose waters could rush down at them any moment.


    ¡°This the Boiling Soil and Concealing Sky?¡± Xu Jingxian ah-ed.


    Sure enough, it was breathtaking scenery.


    Two people were fighting above the bridge.


    One sword rose and one knife fell, white and purple mixed together. It was hard to tell the winner in the battle of the sword glow and the knife qi. But, looking at the brilliant sky, at the boundless navy sea, with the atmosphere of raw violence created by the two, one would feel that they were spoiling the scenery.


    Xu Jingxian observed their fight for a moment and quickly understood their cultivation levels.


    They should have been at least high-rankers, close to the master level. Their battle was ruthless, and, of course, very exciting.


    The other peak had around three or four people. Probably, they were onlookers, just like Xu Jingxian and Yun Weisi.


    Better to say, they were cultivators waiting for a chance to take advantage of the others¡¯ mistakes.


    Amidst the sea of fog at the bottom of the chasm, they could faintly discern a soft glow, neither blue nor purple. Occasionally, a limpid sparkling crystal would come into sight.


    ¡°That is¡­¡±


    Xu Jingxian was looking at it carefully for a long time, but could only tell that it resembled a stone.


    ¡°The miraculous stone shower?¡±


    Yun Weisi said: ¡°The five-colored miraculous stones are an essential material for forging divine weapons.¡±


    Back then, to forge his Sifei Sword, Changming had searched through the three mountains and five lakes, through every marvellous place in the world, but in the end still did not manage to find the five-colored miraculous stones and had to use other materials.


    The three mountains: Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou¡ªthe mountain where immortals were said to live


    The five lakes: fig. every corner of the country. Literal interpretations vary


    No wonder those two cultivators were determined to fight until their heads were broken and blood started to gush out.


    Naturally, Xu Jingxian¡¯s eyes were shining as well, and she was eager to start causing trouble.


    But Yun Weisi was not very interested in the five-colored stones. His attention was geared to the Spring Grass growing around the five-colored stone.


    It was said that within five li of this grass, even if it was a snowy land with frozen skies, the earth would immediately bloom in all kinds of flowers, grasses growing tall and orioles flying.


    Grasses growing tall and orioles flying: the arrival of spring


    ¡°Have you felt anything?¡± he asked Xu Jingxian.


    Xu Jingxian hesitated: ¡°I¡¯m a bit hungry, does it count?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡­


    Under his penetrating gaze, brimming with threatening intentions, Xu Jingxian forced herself to close her eyes and search for the so-called reaction in her body. But she only felt the crisp mountain wind assault her senses, and the spiritual power and steam coming from the battle of the two cultivators.


    After all, what was a reaction between spiritual herbs?


    It was something deeply mysterious and abstruse, wonderful beyond words.


    Xu Jingxian thought, I¡¯m not a walking Yangzhen Grass, how am I supposed to feel the presence of another herb?


    She closed her eyes, pretending to be serious, and started coming up with an excuse to gloss over her faults. But suddenly something happened to the fighting cultivators!


    The sword glow of one of those cultivators darkened, and he fell into a disadvantageous position. His opponent took advantage of the opportunity, using his spiritual powers to tie the other man up. But at this moment, a cultivator who was watching the battle engaged in it as well!


    He gestured towards them, and his sword glow flew towards the back of the cultivator who had gained the advantage.


    It was precisely the siskin behind the mantis stalking the cicada!


    The siskin behind the mantis stalking the cicada: gain profit from others¡¯ conflict


    In a split second, a sword qi flew over, and the two fighting cultivators fell down. The one who attacked them rushed towards the sparkles in the clouds.


    Although it was said that sneak attacks were disgraceful, killing people to get a hold of a treasure was a normal behaviour among cultivators. The minority who were firmly standing by their gentlemanly manners could not change the opinion of the majority driven by their inborn greed. Xu Jingxian was pretty much used to seeing such situations.


    She was watching it whole-heartedly, and had no intention to get involved in the game. But Yun Weisi moved, throwing himself towards the glittering light!


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    To follow, or not to follow?


    A strong gust of wind came from behind, and, just when that person was about to mount a sneak attack, Xu Jingxian made a decision.


    She turned around, threw her thin silk forwards, and realized that the one plotting against her turned out to be a Buddhist monk.


    Although he was a monk, he had not shaved, and let his long black hair down; he looked very elegant, and was holding a buddhist cane, and wearing prayer beads on his neck.


    That Buddhist monk appeared to be in his twenties or thirties, but one often could not guess a cultivator¡¯s age from their appearance. He was not smiling, but the corners of his lips were curled up naturally, so it seemed like he was always smiling. He rushed at Xu Jingxian again. His expression was inexplicably profound, as if even a thousand mountains and countless seas could not describe it. But Xu Jingxian was not stunned by the beauty at the slightest, on the contrary, she was dreadfully scared!


    It was the innate intuition of a cultivator telling Xu Jingxian that this man was extremely dangerous!


    At this moment of an imminent peril, Xu Jingxian chose to follow Yun Weisi at lightning speed!


    If the sky is falling, there would be a high person to support it. Yun Weisi should be stronger than this Buddhist monk, right?


    If the sky is falling, there would be a high person to support it: to hope that someone stronger would help you


    ¡­


    Zhang Jie could not move a single finger.


    Even in his wildest dreams he would have never imagined himself to be dragged into a posthumous marriage.


    He was sitting in a bridal dress and crown in a large red bridal sedan chair. Outside, suonas resounded up to the sky. The sedan was shaking, and he could vaguely see an endless procession greeting the bride through seams. He could not see the end of it, so it was stretching for at least a couple of li.


    The song played on the suonas was obviously full of joy, but it sounded weirdly bleak for some reason. The people outside the sedan chair were all dressed in white clothing, their movements stiff. They did not resemble living humans at all.


    White clothing: funeral clothes


    Moreover, even if it¡¯s a posthumous marriage, why was he sitting in a bridal palanquin?!


    A hideous mess of thoughts was swirling in his head, and Zhang Jie soon broke down.


    His bridesmaid seemed to have noticed his mood, so she approached him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be fine soon, you¡¯ll see your husband in no time¡ª¡±


    Even her intonation was slow, like stretching noodles, soft and inflexible.


    What¡¯s with that ¡°see your husband¡±, I¡¯m a man ah! Haven¡¯t you caught the wrong person?!


    Zhang Jie wanted to shout, but could not make a sound. He started sweating from his head to his feet, shaking along with the palanquin. They seemed to be passing through an uneven mountain slope.


    After some time, the sedan chair finally stopped. He thought, at least I can leave this cursed palanquin. But, after the sound of suonas died down, the voice of the bridesmaid disappeared as well. Silence had enveloped the whole place, and it was so quiet that all kinds of frightening fantasies would be born in a human¡¯s heart.


    Zhang Jie recited an incantation to free himself from the predicament, but to no avail. His weapon was taken away at some point, so he really turned into a helpless prey.


    Xisuo, xisuo.


    He heard a strange sound, as if something was moving towards the palanquin.


    The curtain door was lifted open, and light was let into the palanquin.


    But it was not the light of the bright sun in the daytime. Rather, it was the light of many lanterns brought together.


    The red lanterns were hanging all around, both close and far away, curving all the way to the sedan chair.


    ¡°Madam, get out of the palanquin, your husband is waiting for you!¡±


    Shackles had wrapped Zhang Jie tightly, forcing him to get up and step forwards against his will.


    I¡¯m not some ¡°madam¡±, you mistook me for someone!


    Zhang Jie was so mad that his three immortal souls had almost left his body, but not a single word escaped his lips. His expression was twisted.


    The bridesmaid was still babbling by his side: ¡°Madam, cheer up, smile! You won¡¯t find our master even if you search with a lantern!¡±


    Won¡¯t find [someone like] him even if you search with a lantern: outstanding, here: eligible groom


    Aren¡¯t there an awful lot of lanterns here? Why don¡¯t we try searching?


    Zhang Jie was so angry that he laughed.


    He could vaguely see the figure of a person standing in front of them in the dense fog.


    He trembled, staring into the distance.


    That person was tall, dressed in black robes. He was standing with his arms folded behind his back, and Zhang Jie could not see his face clearly. But the ghost qi coming from him was so thick that it had turned into substance.


    Ghost qi¡­?


    Zhang Jie had killed ghosts before.


    As a cultivator, he could not have had a limited knowledge. He had visited many places before, and had seen a lot of demons and ghosts.


    But he had never seen a ghost with such a strong aura of oppression.


    That heavy ghastly qi was pressing relentlessly, and it was impossible to get rid of it or run away.


    This person¡ª


    No, it was not a person.


    Zhang Jie was ineffably terrified, but the shackles were pulling him forward step by step against his will, and he was getting closer to that man.


    His whole body rejected closing the distance, and a voice in his head was shouting ceaselessly, warning, danger, don¡¯t make a step closer. But Zhang Jie had no chance to free himself. His spiritual power seemed to have been lost in this place, and he had turned into a common person.


    Zhang Jie did not understand it. Obviously, he was looking at colored lanterns in You Capital, how would he suddenly find himself in a bridal sedan chair, kidnapped into this land of ghosts!


    I can¡¯t go, can¡¯t go!


    That person grabbed him!


    Zhang Jie was resisting it with all his might, but had no way out. He was soaked with sweat, and his limbs were trembling with fear.


    Zhang Jie opened his mouth, gasping.


    The bridesmaid patted him on his shoulder.


    ¡°Be a little more restrained, our master likes refined women.¡±


    Zhang Jie was forced to shut his mouth. His breath was hampered too, and the formless oppression was suffocating him.


    A hand stretched out from the dusk, slightly pulling on his chains.


    Clang! The shackles were snapped into half!


    The sound was so gritting that even that person in black trembled slightly.


    The expression on the bridesmaid¡¯s face had changed abruptly.


    ¡°Who are you!¡±


    Before she finished saying ¡°you¡±, that hand pressed Zhang Jie¡¯s chest slightly. The shackles fell from his body, and he could now breathe freely.


    In a moment, that person started fighting with the man in black.


    The lanterns around them swayed one by one, falling to the ground in the darkness and turning into girls in red clothes, rushing at them.


    Zhang Jie reached out his arm, but his neck was grabbed ruthlessly, and a scorching pain pierced his neck.


    The pain quickly turned into itching, and he could not help reaching his hand to his neck to get rid of this feeling.


    He knew he should not touch it, but he simply could not resist the itching.


    A hand hit the back of Zhang Jie¡¯s neck, and he fell to the ground powerlessly, losing consciousness.


    But the girls in red didn¡¯t intend to let him off, and still rushed to the fore to catch him. H¨¨ Xiyun moved deftly to intercept the attack, waving her sword, then picked him up and threw him into the palanquin.


    Changming, who was fighting against the man in black clothes, was actually quite amazed.


    His opponent was neither a human nor a demon, his movements were strange, and his cultivation incomprehensible. Changming had partly recovered, but, after fighting with him for some time, Changming still could not measure his opponent¡¯s limits.


    The man in black had handsome features, but his bloodless face was stiff and lifeless. His dim green eyes were focused on Changming. Completely disregarding the barrier Changming had put around him, the man grabbed Changming¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him anymore, you¡¯re better. Come, be my wife!¡±


    He smiled at Changming. His hand was holding Changming firmly, like steel shackles, and there was no way to break free from them.


    ¡°May I know Your Excellency¡¯s honorable name?¡±


    Changming let him hold his wrist, and said in a deep voice.


    ¡°Guess.¡±


    They were standing very close, but the man¡¯s breath was not warm, but rather ice-cold, freezing to the bones and making people absolutely terrified.


    Changming was prepared to some extent, but still could not help flinching.


    ¡°The ruler of ghosts in this world. Wherever he goes, hundreds of ghosts kneel and worship him, and thousands of evil spirits bow their heads; [if he points to the moon, she would turn into the sun], as no one dares oppose him.¡±


    Following his thoughts, the Sifei Sword appeared in his hand. Changming brandished it at once, and the sword qi rushed forwards, forcing his opponent to release him and take three steps back.


    ¡°I guess you are that Ghost King who rules over evil spirits, Linghu You.¡±


    Tn:


    Linghu You. His name, You, is the same ¡®you¡¯ as the ¡®you¡¯ from You Country, meaning dark/quiet/underworldly.

 CH 74

    Proofread by Snake


    Humans had three immortal souls and seven mortal forms. Many people died peacefully in this world, but just as many met unjust ends. After death, quite a number of people still had unfulfilled grievances, so their souls refused to reincarnate, lingering in the Human World for a long time. They soaked in the cold and humid places of the world of living creatures, and gradually turned into ghosts. Humans had the Human Dao, while ghosts had the Ghost Dao. Not every ghost could harm a human. However, if their resentment was deep, and they cultivated for a long time, after turning into an evil spirit, even a cultivator would get a headache dealing with them. Malicious spirits that harboured grievances did not restrain themselves with the ¡°every offense had an offender, and debt¡ªa debtor¡± principle, and hated the whole world. If they slightly disliked something about a person, they would immediately resort to taking vengeance on that person, involving innocent people along the way.


    Among the malicious ghosts, there was one that had so far escaped the fate of being sent to the netherworld for numerous years, who had collected evil yin qi from all around the world, who could control immortal souls and mortal forms, a being who was neither alive nor dead, the one that ghosts worshipped upon seeing, yet no one dared follow him¡ªthe Ghost King.


    The techniques of ghost cultivation were different from that of cultivators or demons, and they could not be divided into low-ranking or high-ranking ones. However, if the powers of Linghu You, the Ghost King, were transferred to a cultivator from the human world, he would have already transcended the level of a master, and his skills would have been beyond comprehension.


    His long nails drew five jets of black qi in the air. If these jets touched the skin of a human, they would definitely corrode the skin and flesh, seizing the person and damaging their cultivation base.


    Changming moved his sword freely, swinging it in the direction of the black qi. As soon as the latter came in contact with the tip of the sword, it turned into dust and scattered away.


    The Ghost King was maintaining a swift and fierce offensive position, giving no chance to retaliate. Zhang Jie was a bit slow, so he almost got caught by a wave of black qi. Fortunately, H¨¦ Qingmo arrived on time and pushed him aside.


    ¡°Senior, I came to help you!¡±


    The qi of his long sword moved, glowing with purple light, and swept towards the Ghost King, following the sword owner¡¯s wishes.


    The tip of the sword was like a roll of thunder, the sword glow was like the sun, brilliant and vigorous, completely unstoppable!


    The body of the Ghost King was shrouded with the sword glow at once, almost becoming invisible.


    But H¨¦ Qingmo heard a sneer.


    ¡°Know. Your. Place!¡±


    The Ghost King¡¯s smile was lifeless as well, dull and gloomy, like a shallow rain on a bright day. The frost was piercing to the bones, and people could not help shivering with fright upon hearing him.


    H¨¦ Qingmo even felt as if this laughter carried some sort of invisible demonic power that would pull his thoughts and force him to move against his own will wherever his opponent wanted him to move.


    His hand trembled slightly as he made a gesture, commanding his sword.


    And at this very moment!


    The sword glow suddenly faded away, and the Ghost King disappeared right in front of his eyes. Before H¨¦ Qingmo could turn his head to examine the situation carefully, sharp pain shot through his arm, as if it was being ripped off.


    He revealed a shocked expression. The more desperately he wanted to struggle, the more powerless his arm became. Even his sword refused to obey his commands, and did not come back no matter how he called for it.


    The strength that had caught his arm was getting even more indomitable, and H¨¦ Qingmo was suffering so much he could not even talk anymore, only gritting his teeth with what strength he had left.


    In a moment, the pressure on his arm suddenly loosened. He abruptly shrank back, supported by H¨¨ Xiyun.


    ¡°Daoyou H¨¦, how are you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡±


    Fine¡­


    His arm was hurting so much that he could not even finish speaking.


    He could still move his arm, but every movement caused him enormous pain, even more excruciating than what he would have felt if he lost that arm. H¨¦ Qingmo used to be a fortunate disciple of a prominent sect, and only now did he realize the meaning of this phrase, ¡°There are people above people, and skies above skies¡±.


    There are people above people, and skies above skies: there is always someone better than you


    The powers of this Ghost King were deep like an abyss of ice, and he could not see through them at all!


    The one who solved his predicament was naturally Changming.


    The Sifei Sword was moving with a single gesture of Changming¡¯s finger, sweeping away every obstacle. The Ghost King was quite afraid of the sword glow, and released H¨¦ Qingmo immediately.


    The two of them started fighting hand to hand again. The Ghost King had almost fused together with the surroundings, moving swiftly and quietly, so it was difficult to see through his motions.


    Changming could not see him well either.


    He relied on his ¡°sense of smell¡± to detect him.


    Because ghosts had a scent as well.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    A light laughter sounded, as if a light breath touched Changming¡¯s ears.


    A silhouette slipped past, and the sword cut through the air.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for you,¡± Changming said.


    ¡°Am I not here already?¡± the Ghost King laughed, his voice neither near nor far away.


    When it sounded close at hand, it almost stuck to Changming¡¯s body; when it sounded far away, it seemed to be coming from beyond the horizon.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know your name.¡±


    Changming¡¯s wrist moved, and the Sifei Sword moved according to it. The black qi scattered with a loud rumble, but it was only an illusion created by the Ghost King.


    ¡°My name is Jiufang Changming.¡±


    ¡°Jiufang, Changming? What an interesting name. I seem to have heard it somewhere before.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I know too much, so I always forget things. But I like you a lot. If you stay here, I¡¯ll let them go.¡±


    ¡°Where is this ¡®here¡¯?¡±


    ¡°The Wangui Cave, the Realm of Tenderness. Wherever you think it is, it is.¡±


    Wangui: the all-too-familiar ¡®wan¡¯ means 10.000, and ¡®gui¡¯ ¡ª ghosts, so ¡®cave of 10.000 ghosts¡¯


    Realm of Tenderness: fig. brothel, gentle hug of a woman


    ¡°I¡¯m not a ghost, what will happen if I stay here?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll turn into a ghost, is it important? Let me help you.¡±


    Black light gradually condensed into the shape of a sword that swept towards Changming¡¯s neck, following the gentle and intimate voice.


    Changming slashed back, but was blocked by an invisible ghost qi behind him. The ghost sword in front of him was still chasing him, moving forwards.


    ¡°The Realm of Tenderness is a good name. It¡¯s a pity you can¡¯t find your beloved. Do you want me to help you?¡±


    Changming smiled faintly, forming a sword seal with his fingers. A golden light flashed behind his back, and the ghost qi crumbled with a rumble, while the ghost sword in front of him was broken by the Sifei Sword, snapping as easily as a bamboo shot.


    But this place was the Ghost King¡¯s domain. If they were captured by him in here, they would never find their way back.


    The ghost qi would slowly penetrated their bodies, influencing their consciousness and eroding their cultivation, and in the end¡ª


    They would become one with this place.


    H¨¨ Xiyun started feeling a deep dread, and even regretted having responded to Zhang Jie¡¯s cry for help and dragging Changming and H¨¦ Qingmo to this place belonging to ghosts.


    A strong gale of cold wind came from behind. H¨¨ Xiyun turned around with her sword in the wings, and saw a girl in red clothes rushing at her with a savage face, her eyes shedding bloody tears. Her movements were determined, and she was not afraid of H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s sword at the slightest. She stretched out her nails, ready to catch H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s head!


    H¨¨ Xiyun was startled, but it was already too late for her to react. However, just before she was caught, H¨¦ Qingmo brandished his sword. Its qi was tremendous, and the girl seemed to be afraid of it this time, and she abruptly retreated.


    H¨¦ Qingmo moved his sword again, and this time H¨¨ Xiyun noticed a golden glow concealed within his sword¡¯s qi. It was a lot more vigorous and fierce than hers, and, of course, so were his spiritual powers. Their cultivation levels were different to begin with, and that evil spirit was afraid of H¨¦ Qingmo, but did not attach a trace of importance to H¨¨ Xiyun.


    But forcing one ghost to step back could not solve their desperate situation.


    A dense ghost qi was approaching from every direction. One hand stuck out from beneath the ground unhurriedly, and silently grabbed H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s ankle.


    But she did not notice anything, looking around herself.


    ¡°I can help you recall these memories and find the person you¡¯ve been striving to find.¡±


    Changming said to the Ghost King. The two of them did not seem like they wished for this place to become the other¡¯s grave; on the contrary, the Ghost King¡¯s voice was tender, and Changming was speaking unhurriedly. If ghosts were not howling everywhere in this deserted and gloomy place, the two of them would have looked like old friends reunited after a long separation.


    The Ghost King was amused by Changming¡¯s power. He knew that he would not be able to gain a rapid victory, so he slowed his movements, circling around Changming.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember her.¡±


    There seemed to be a hazy image of that person in his memories. But it had already been so long, that even that impression that used to be engraved in his bones had worn down as time passed, and now his heart was still like water.


    No, how could a ghost have a heart?


    Humans are the ones who have hearts, while his heart¡­


    The Ghost King¡¯s line of sight fell on Changming standing not far away, then lowered down, stopping at where Changming¡¯s heart was.


    ¡°Can I take a look at your heart?¡±


    He wanted to gouge Changming¡¯s heart out, and check whether it was as hot and red as he expected.


    It had been a while since he tasted the heart of a living human.


    He had seen a lot of hearts gouged out from living humans. They were still beating and bleeding, steaming hot, but those hearts did not really taste good, so eventually he stopped enjoying eating them. But now, when he was looking at Changming, his forgotten appetite had resurfaced once again.


    ¡°Is that person you like a human or a ghost?¡±


    ¡°I think she was a human. But it¡¯s been a while, so she has probably turned into a ghost already.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    Name¡­


    For a moment, the Ghost King was looking at Changming¡¯s smiling eyes and at the slightly raised corners of his mouth, as if in a trance.


    It seems like there was the same ¡®Ming¡¯ in her name.


    Right, her name was Ming-something, and the last character was her childhood name.


    She had liked him calling her by her childhood name, but he would do the opposite, always angering her.


    After that¡ª


    The Ghost King suddenly flew into a rage. He waved his sleeves, anf five ghosts jumped on Changming!


    But Changming had already disappeared from that place, leaving a paper puppet behind. The five ghosts grabbed thin air, but mistook the puppet for the real Jiufang Changming and tore it into pieces.


    One after another, new puppets appeared around the five ghosts, provoking them and eventually tricking them into fighting each other.


    Ghosts were different from puppets. They had their own consciousness which differed from that of humans or demons. Those ghosts that had at least a bit of self-awareness had been practising for many years, turning into ghost cultivators. And the Ghost King was, of course, the most formidable ghost cultivator.


    Although these five ghosts he had released had an astonishing force of attack, they were simply fleeting souls that had gathered a bit of resentment before their deaths, which was not enough for them to form consciousnesses or minds.


    ¡°You like her a lot, and you wanted to remember her, yet you forgot.¡±


    Changming¡¯s voice suddenly sounded behind his back, full of bewitching power.


    The Ghost King turned around abruptly to catch him!


    But Changming had already vanished.


    The Art of Conferring Spirit!


    The spiritual power behind the Ghost King rose in a tempestuous storm, drowning him. He was bound by the spiritual power, and Changming¡¯s hand covered the back of his neck.


    The two of them were standing very close, and the tip of Changming¡¯s nose almost touched the Ghost King¡¯s cheek. The Ghost King had no time to adjust his expression, and was still trembling a bit.


    ¡°How dare you say you like me in a state like this? Linghu You, do you think I¡¯ll be interested in you?¡±


    The Ghost King squinted. As quickly as a lightning bolt, he reached out his hand, his nail scratching towards Changming¡¯s chest!


    And caught the air again!


    ¡°Think carefully, after all, what¡¯s her name?¡±


    What¡¯s her name?


    After all, what¡¯s her name?


    If Xu Jingxian was here, she would have noticed with astonishment that Changming used a melody of Demonic sects, summoning the soul of a dead person.


    Changming had studied with the Demonic sects, learning from them their strong points. He knew almost all the cultivation techniques and the movements in sword skills from each sect of each faction.


    What most people deemed totally unrelated sects were, in his eyes, reaching the same goal by different means. Although these sects had changed countless times, they had never departed from the original essence of Demonic cultivation.


    And this Changming¡¯s demonic melody of summoning a soul was obviously more advanced than what most demonic cultivators could use.


    As he saw it, things could be useful or useless, but not good or evil.


    Everything in this world was like this.


    No one could determine the technique¡¯s limitations, as it was floating all around, as sonorous as a bell or jade, a musical note or wind.


    This demonic melody moved people¡¯s hearts, and even the Ghost King couldn¡¯t escape its influence.


    ¡°Her name is Ming Hui.¡±

 CH 75

    Proofread by Snake


    The Ghost King, who thought highly of himself, never expected this prey he deemed to be in his bag to suddenly start acting like a host, trying to manipulate him.


    In his bag: at his disposal


    The Ghost King was enraged internally, but nothing could change the fact that he was outplayed. Changming took the chance to catch him firmly, and, since the Ghost King could not find a flaw in Changming¡¯s defenses, Changming was free to lead the Ghost King by his nose as he pleased.


    ¡°Ming Hui, a very beautiful lady.¡±


    Right, she was beautiful.


    It was early spring. She had come from a river bank, wearing a skirt with a pattern of spring grass embroidered on it, while lavender flowers bloomed around her. The skirt swayed gently as she took steps. She had embroidered that spring grass pattern with her own hands. Her skirt had been so well-made that it made people wonder whether the flowers were blooming on her skirt, or whether the spring grass had sprouted from her skirt to adorn the flowers around her.


    She was very skilled with handiwork, and her facial features were exquisite. People used to say that the idiom ¡°appearance of a fragrant orchid and heart of a lily magnolia¡± had been invented specifically to describe her.


    Appearance of a fragrant orchid and heart of a lily magnolia: a beautiful and pure woman


    But that was not her only virtue.


    Ming Hui was smart, but she was not that type of petty, shrewd person. She could learn almost anything from one glance. If her meridians had not been congenitally weak, given her aptitude, she would have become a skilled cultivator of the master level. But, unfortunately, the heavens were jealous of geniuses, and Ming Hui could not cultivate even a basic technique of inner breath. However, she was not discouraged by this fact. She started studying, and soon almost every book had been read by her. Not only had she learnt from these books so well that she could recite them backwards, but she could even read through the meaning implied by the author between the lines, and repeat it back to him. Unfortunately, Confucian schools did not accept women, so she could only study by herself, asking for advice from a famous daru privately. When the so-called celebrated scholar learned she was a woman, he refused to answer her, and simply shut his doors in front of her, so she had no chance to ask her questions. He could not restrain his anger and wanted to teach that person a lesson, but was stopped by Ming Hui.


    She said, if Confucian schools did not accept her, her teachers would be books; if she could not cultivate, she would help him cultivate. She started studying medicine, not only to be able to help the people of the world, but also to heal him in case he would need it.


    ¡°What happened afterward?¡±


    Afterward¡­


    Deep inside his consciousness, there was a voice warning the Ghost King to come to his senses as soon as possible. He clenched his fist and wanted to grab Changming, but stopped halfway again. His breath deepened, and his eyelids were trembling, as if he would open his eyes at any moment.


    H¨¨ Xiyun was looking at him, struck with horror.


    When the Ghost King had been put under Changming¡¯s control, the evil spirits around them had become weaker as well. H¨¦ Qingmo and H¨¨ Xiyun were fending off the ghosts and watching the scene between the Ghost King and Changming at the same time.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    Zhang Jie slowly regained consciousness. He was holding his head, frowning deeply.


    He seemed to still be trapped inside the shadow that had been cast on his heart, as a result of having been captured in order to participate in a posthumous marriage. He was trembling from time to time, dread flashing through his eyes.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    No one had time to dispel his doubts. H¨¨ Xiyun swung her sword, cutting a girl in red into halves. Although it had a ghost body, its blood splattered on Zhang Jie¡¯s face, and he could not help shouting.


    ¡°Ah!!!¡±


    The Ghost King trembled, opening his eyes abruptly.


    Zhang Jie¡¯s scream helped him to break free from the demonic melody for a short time. His eyes scanned the surroundings, and he suddenly moved. His ghost qi surged, hurtling right towards Changming¡¯s head.


    ¡°Sword, come!¡±


    Changming managed to dodge it in time, forming a sword seal with his fingers. The Sifei Sword stopped in front of him, its incandescent glow blocking the overwhelming wave of ghost qi.


    Ghosts were wailing all around them, one howl louder than another, like starving beasts ready to pounce on their chosen prey. Their piercing screams were brimming with rancor, as they refused to let them go until killing the last one of them.


    ¡°[Deities manifest in the Three Pure Ones, hearts indifferent to the five elements; deep-purple shells the sword, arranging the balance, move!]¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s expression was cold and solemn as his fingers formed a seal, igniting his sword¡¯s glow. In a moment, purple qi surged to the sky, with him standing in the middle. The sword qi scattered all around, spreading to every corner. In this moment, the world around them was cleansed, becoming pure once again.


    It seems like ¡°the three pure ones¡± in his incantation relates to driving away the ghost qi, ¡°hearts indifferent¡± ¡ª to his solemn expression, ¡°purple qi¡± is clear, and finally ¡°arranging the balance¡± ¡ª to cleansing the surroundings


    The wailing ghosts calmed down immediately. Everything within half a li around him turned tranquil for some time.


    H¨¨ Xiyun was running out of energy. She breathed out quietly, thinking to herself, If I were alone here, I wouldn¡¯t have managed to deal with it, and probably would have even become a burden to Changming.


    Thankfully, H¨¦ Qingmo was here.


    But in truth, H¨¦ Qingmo was not dealing with it easily. Although he did not make it obvious, he was silently observing Changming¡¯s every movement.


    He understood the situation clearly: while Changming was safe, they would not suffer, but if something happened to him, they would not escape either.


    Clang!


    The Sifei Sword rang, making the ghost qi of the resenting spirits tremble in fear.


    The Ghost King did not feel a menacing sword qi assault his senses, but rather a spring breeze caressing his face, just like¡ª


    Just like Ming Hui¡¯s gentle hands.


    ¡°How did Ming Hui die?¡±


    Changming asked softly, as if they were old friends in a cordial setting, his voice devoid of boorishness.


    The Ghost King frowned. His half-stretched out hand fell down, and the ghost qi dispersed, turning into black butterflies dancing in the air unhurriedly. His consciousness was slowly sinking.


    It seemed like the day when Ming Hui died was as pitch-dark as today.


    She fell into his arms, unable to speak because of her illness. She could only watch him with her eyes, which had long eyelashes, and could not restrain her grief.


    He could feel Ming Hui¡¯s breath becoming weaker little by little, inexorably. He had only started treading on the path of cultivation, and had only superficial knowledge of some techniques. He could only take Ming Hui to his teacher, asking for help. But the teacher said that she had lived through the time allotted for her, and even an immortal could hardly help her, let alone him.


    White rays of qi were gushing out of Ming Hui. These rays were her vitality.


    He could watch, but could not reverse the desperate situation.


    A-You¡­


    Ming Hui was in agony. He knew that being alive had also turned into torture for her.


    He put his hand on Ming Hui¡¯s neck, and she looked at him with expectant eyes.


    She wanted to end this suffering a little earlier.


    He slowly tightened up his grip, his expression even graver than that of the person in his arms.


    Ming Hui¡¯s life force was wasting away even faster. Her face flushed, and then paled again, while her body trembled involuntarily. However, very soon, there was no strength left in her, and her body relaxed gradually before becoming stiff after some time had passed.


    He buried Ming Hui with his own hands, but afterwards¡­


    She unexpectedly turned into a ferocious ghost that killed people if it had a chance to, and murdered demons if it met them¡ªshe did not recognise even him.


    Ming Hui, who had clearly died in his arms, had lost two immortal souls and three mortal forms all of sudden.


    Afterwards, he turned into a ghost as well. He had subdued hundreds of ghosts, becoming a ghost cultivator.


    But he could not find his Ming Hui again.


    He could not find that girl, slowly waiting for her to come back by a path full of flowers.


    Coming back by a path full of flowers: definitely from ¡°flowers are blooming alongside the road, come home slowly¡±, meaning ¡°husband waiting for his wife to return¡±


    ¡°Your Ming Hui was targeted by a technique while she was alive, and her souls were taken away after she died. She had no way to the heavens, and couldn¡¯t enter the earth, unable to choose when to die even if she begged for it. Having one¡¯s souls be restless is the worst torture one can face in this world. Daoists have an art of restraining ghosts, Buddhists have a vajra teaching of subduing ghosts, and demonic cultivators have a way to consume the cultivation of a ghost, turning it into a spirit to nourish their own cultivation bases. You¡¯ve been cultivating for many years, earning the title of the king of hundreds of ghosts. You should know better than I do: who would put her through such suffering?¡±


    Has no way to the heavens, and can¡¯t enter the earth: to be at the end of one¡¯s rope


    Who?


    The Ghost King breathed out heavily, and intense black flames slowly enveloped his figure. The ghosts that had stopped wailing a long time ago seemed to have echoed his mental state, and the surroundings became full of distinct noises once again, coming closer to them.


    They could not even tell right from left in the darkness. H¨¨ Xiyun felt a cold murderous qi rushing at them again, freezing them to the bones. But, more than feeling cold, it terrified them, filling the air with resentment and murderous intent, as if it wanted to peel their skin, break their bones, devour their flesh and swallow their blood.


    Suddenly, the flames around the Ghost King erupted with a bang!


    He opened his savage eyes, his blood-red lips glistening. The murderous qi around him was denser than ever, and he was staring at the person in front of his eyes intensely, as if looking through him into the boundless void.


    Changming was standing face to face with him, his expression indifferent, as if he was undisturbed by what he was seeing.


    The Ghost King uttered slowly: ¡°A Vajra Teaching of Subduing Ghosts!¡±


    ¡­


    Xu Jingxian was thinking that jumping down here might have been a bad decision.


    Because that Buddhist monk did not come here for her sake.


    There was a mountain valley under the curling clouds.


    If a common person fell down the cliff, they would most certainly lose their life. For a cultivator, that was only a slightly longer leap than usual.


    There were five people who had fallen into the valley in Xu Jingxian¡¯s line of sight.


    Five, including her.


    The Buddhist monk who had forced Xu Jingxian to jump off the cliff was standing in front of Yun Weisi, speechless.


    They seemed to be former acquaintances, but not the usual type of former acquaintances.


    However, neither of them showed the pleasantly surprised expression of reuniting with a friend.


    Yet it was unlikely that they were enemies either.


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±


    The Buddhist monk had been staring at Yun Weisi for a long time, as if afraid he had mistaken Yun Weisi for someone else. For a moment, he revealed a shocked expression, but quickly regained his composure.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to actually come back from the Nine Layers of the Abyss. Yun Weisi, long time no see, I hope you¡¯ve been well since we last met?¡±


    Yun Weisi remained silent.


    The Buddhist monk squinted slightly with a smile, but there was no laughter in his eyes.


    ¡°As far as I remember, that year Daozun Yun sacrificed himself for the sake of the humans of the world, and willingly entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss to oversee it. This poor monk was ineffably fascinated by such aspirations, thought it¡¯d be difficult to meet Daozun Yun again in this life, and regretted this turn of events. But in the end, Daozun Yun was unable to withstand his loneliness, and left the Nine Layers of the Abyss. Could it be that that place of myriad illusions still couldn¡¯t surpass the red dust of our boundless world of mortals, so Daozun Yun couldn¡¯t stop yearning for it?¡±


    The tone of his words could not be more gentle, as if standing in front of him was his lover from whom he had been separated for many years, and, as such, he was now full of affection for them. His voice was also very pleasant to hear, low but not too deep, clear yet melodious. Even the ears of the seductress Xu Jingxian blushed slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been well, but you¡¯re sick,¡± Yun Weisi was speaking slowly, his face expressionless, ¡°School Head Sun, you¡¯re so worried about me. Could it be that you used to have some shameful thoughts about me in the past, so now you¡¯re losing your mind in the spur of the moment? You¡¯ve been immersed in Buddhist teachings for so many years in vain that you can¡¯t even comprehend human¡¯s emotions now. I¡¯m afraid I have to disappoint you: my heart was never set on you.¡±


    Xu Jingxian gasped slightly, suspecting that she had heard some unspeakable inside story of the Jianghu.


    But, looking at Yun Weisi again, he seemed to be simply taunting the other.


    Few people of the world had earned this title, ¡°School Head¡±, and a school head surnamed Sun could only be one person.


    If she had not heard it wrong, this school head surnamed Sun should have been Sun Buku from the Qingyun School, known to the world as the esteemed Zen Master Buku.


    Speaking of which, they had just met Kuhe from the Qingyun School, and stumbled upon this leader of the bald donkeys so quickly.


    Xu Jingxian remembered that this Zen Master Buku used to be Jiufang Changming¡¯s disciple. Afterwards, Jiufang Changming left Buddhism, and Sun Buku announced that his teacher had betrayed the Buddhist sects, and even proclaimed publicly that they had shattered the relationship of a master and his disciple. Sun Buku even swore he would not rest until he had killed his former teacher.


    That is to say, Sun Buku and Yun Weisi could be called fellow disciples.


    Buddhists and Daoists had always had disputes. Now, two fellow disciples had met, but their factions differed. Wouldn¡¯t that mean they were even more on the verge of fighting?


    At this moment, Xu Jingxian regretted that they met at a bad time like this, and she could not sit on a bench and enjoy the unfolding play, fanning herself.

 CH 76

    Proofread by Snake


    There seemed to be an impenetrable wall around Yun Weisi and Sun Buku, isolating them from others.


    Sun Buku squinted slightly, and then laughed all of a sudden.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we last met, but I didn¡¯t expect Daozun Yun to have learnt how to play jokes on others. In the past, you would start fighting me as soon as we had a single jarring note in conversation, yet now you¡¯ve mastered the art of quarrelling. It seems to me that the Nine Layers of the Abyss has actually changed you a lot. Perhaps Daozun Yun has achieved enlightenment.¡±


    They were sizing each other up.


    They had not met for years, but Sun Buku showed no signs of getting old. It was not surprising. After all, if someone of their cultivation realm actually got older, it could only be at the time when they had met with disaster and were about to perish.


    But Sun Buku¡¯s demeanour that used to be swaggering and self-important was now more reserved and calm.


    Great skills often appeared amateur, just as great wisdom often appeared foolish. Obviously, Sun Buku¡¯s cultivation had advanced.


    As for how far it had advanced, Yun Weisi could not tell. Only by engaging in a fight with him would Yun Weisi be able to measure Sun Buku¡¯s real strength.


    Xu Jingxian had been looking at them for quite some time, but they were not bantering flirtatiously. So it seemed that they did not really get along.


    It was rumoured that Sun Buku was wholeheartedly dedicated to studying Buddhist doctrines. He was the first person to pass the forty nine ordeals to become a school head since his Buddhist sect¡¯s foundation. It was evident that his Buddhist heart was as resolute as a mountain rock.


    Forty nine: lit. seven by seven, forty nine altogether: ¡°magical number¡± in Buddhism. For example, the soul of a dead person goes through tests for 49 days before its fate regarding the next reincarnation is decided


    Buddhist heart: by analogy with Daoist heart, how strongly one is devoted to Buddhism, I guess


    Although he had worshipped Jiufang Changming as his teacher, after the latter had left Buddhism, Sun Buku did not follow him and continued to cultivate on the path of Buddhism. Moreover, he denounced his teacher for having a weak Buddhist heart, and declared that Jiufang Changming did not deserve to cultivate the path of Buddhism.


    It was also said that Yun Weisi and him were as incompatible as water and fire. They used to fight a lot, but people rarely saw Sun Buku doing battle with anyone since Yun Weisi had left for the Nine Layers of the Abyss. People believed that Zen Master Buku had already reached the grandmaster level, so famous masters did not dare challenge him without careful consideration, and the bright younger generation were also unworthy of making Zen Master Buku go out to fight in person.


    Xu Jingxian had not met Sun Buku either up until this moment.


    Out of fear of Buddhists and Daoists, Xu Jingxian did not go near any of them. She would have never anticipated that this head of the Qingyun School, which was the chief sect of Buddhism, this famous leader of bald donkeys, was a monk with such a devilish appearance.


    There was a year when a disciple of the Qingyun School, Bei Shu, rebelled against his sect. This man had a remarkable aptitude, but he was overwhelmingly ambitious and coveted the position of the school head. He tried seducing Sun Buku into evildoing by hook or by crook, and set eight traps for him, including trials of power, beauty, cultivation, treasures, and spiritual medicines, waiting for Sun Buku¡¯s human nature to expose its lust. But the latter did not fall for his traps, while Bei Shu himself did not manage to overcome the trial of treasures. He stole the Golden Glass Beads Staff from the sect and ran away.


    Back then, Xu Jingxian had told this story to Fang Suhan as mere gossip she would mention over a cup of tea after a meal. But Fang Suhan said, Sun Buku¡¯s willpower is resolute and seldom seen in this world. If you happen to fight with him in the future, don¡¯t use techniques like soul summoning or mind capturing, otherwise, they would just be hurled back at you, and you¡¯ll have no strength to make the next move.


    Fang Suhan¡¯s cultivation was nothing special, but he was engrossed in alchemy all the time, and someone who was neither persistent nor prepared to endure loneliness and boredom could not tread this path. Since it was him who gave Sun Buku such a high estimation, Xu Jingxian remembered it clearly.


    This smiling man in front of her eyes seemed to be pliant, but his cruel heart and malicious means were exposed the moment he had forced her to jump down the cliff.


    Yun Weisi was motionless, and Sun Buku did not move either.


    They were silently watching each other, as steady as trees.


    Xu Jingxian knew that there was no great affection between them. Instead, they were looking for a gap in each other¡¯s defences to launch an opening attack.


    If nothing interfered, today would be a day where a brilliant confrontation would be on display.


    ¡°Daoyous, even if there¡¯s a grudge between the two of you, why don¡¯t you solve it after leaving this place? I¡¯ve searched around here. I¡¯m afraid it looks like it won¡¯t be easy for us to leave here.¡±


    The carefree voice of a person intruded, interrupting the spirit of an imminent fight.


    ¡°There seems to be a barrier underneath that is trapping us here!¡±


    One rarely met cultivators with a full beard, slovenly attire and a demeanour like this. He was even carrying his broad sword on his shoulder, as if it was a bag of sand.


    When Yun Weisi¡¯s, Sun Buku¡¯s and Xu Jingxian¡¯s lines of sight fell onto his body, the bearded man grinned.


    ¡°This one is Jun Zilan from the Kunlun Sword Clan, what are your honorable names?¡±


    Jun Zilan: his name means clivia, a lily-like flower [1]


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    She was staring at him for half a day, but still did not manage to figure out where his name, ¡®clivia¡¯, stemmed from.


    Perhaps, when his parents were giving him this name, they did not expect him to grow to look like a green foxtail [2] instead.


    Jun Zilan was not embarrassed by the absence of an answer, and turned to the fifth person: ¡°Daoxiong Qi, if we don¡¯t fight, we won¡¯t befriend. Let us put aside our prejudice for the time being, tide over difficulties first, and then fight to our hearts¡¯ content when we return up there, how does this sound?¡±


    The one surnamed Qi looked at him coldly. Without giving an answer, he headed for the cave that was emitting the purple light.


    They were in a valley that was surrounded with mountains as tightly as meat dumplings that had been wrapped with dough. Clouds and mist were swirling above their heads, and they could not see the sky. Xu Jingxian realized that Jun Zilan was right: these clouds were only a layer of a barrier. She wanted to fly back, but unexpectedly, she could not do so, as if she was stumbling against a rock-hard screen that even her spiritual powers could not pierce.


    That was rather strange.


    To her surprise, after that miraculous stone shower, a barrier was discovered in the barren and forsaken mountain range.


    Was it human-made, or was it formed by the stone shower?


    If it was made by humans¡­


    Xu Jingxian frowned as a vague guess started forming inside her head.


    She looked at Yun Weisi and Sun Buku subconsciously. Although they still had not moved, the tense atmosphere between them had scattered away, just as if they were two fully-stretched bows that had now relaxed. Xu Jingxian sighed out of relief silently. At this particular moment, she did not want the two of them to start fighting.


    The purple light they saw from the cliff before had turned out to be coming out of a cave.


    The purple glow was bright one moment and dim another, the intensity slowly becoming more evident. Probably, a common person would not have felt it, but they were all cultivators, and could feel the invisible pressure becoming heavier and heavier as they moved forwards. That kind of pressure would usually make people shrink back against their will, but they were all excited.


    Obviously, it was the pressure of a spiritual treasure coming into being!


    There were many rare things in the world, but few people were lucky enough to get them. Even if they came from a formidable sect, like He Qingmo, who was a direct disciple of his sect¡¯s master, not many people had actually had a weapon bestowed upon them by their sect master.


    Moreover, compared to an actual spiritual tool, even the most famed weapons of this world could only be called first-rate goods.


    To create his Sifei Sword, not only did Changming need to forge it from top-grade materials¡ªif he actually wanted to create a spiritual weapon, he had to wait for an exceptionally favorable moment.


    Treasures were indeed too tempting, and resolution alone could not restrain a person.


    Xu Jingxian was very interested as well.


    But, of course, she would not be the first to barge into the cave.


    Seeing Jun Zilan and cultivator Qi take a step forward, she looked back at Yun Weisi.


    As if Sun Buku had guessed her thoughts, he smiled at her meaningfully.


    How could that fluster a seductress from a Demonic sect? She shot him a coquettish glance in return at once.


    Sun Buku smiled even more brightly.


    His eyes were long and narrow, and when he smiled, laugh lines appeared on his face. His thin lips were blood-red, which made him seem even more deserving to be called a devilish monk.


    Xu Jingxian cursed at him silently, and could not help taking a couple of steps in the direction of Yun Weisi.


    Although Yun Weisi was also moody, and even wanted to kill her, there was Changming now, on top of her ability to feel spiritual herbs which was still useful to Yun Weisi. Being beside him was definitely safer than being with Sun Buku.


    ¡°Slow down,¡± Jun Zilan said all of a sudden.


    Cultivator Qi, who was just going to enter the cave, stopped and looked at him.


    ¡°If a divine glow appeared, surely there¡¯s a valuable treasure here. But this place is very close to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and the news about what happened here appeared quite a few days ago, so why is there only us here? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange?¡±


    That was precisely the reason Xu Jingxian was feeling uneasy just now. Originally, they had come here for Zhou Keyi, but the Wanlian Buddhist Temple was silent. It was too quiet, but if something goes wrong, there must be a demon.


    If something goes wrong, there must be a demon: there is a reason for everything, you should be careful


    Cultivator Qi said: ¡°Who are the Wanlian Buddhist Temple? Of course, they wouldn¡¯t even look at such treasures, or stoop so low as to come here and brawl with us for it!¡±


    Jun Zilan smiled: ¡°You could have said that if there was nothing great about the treasure. But this time, the treasure was glowing with blue light, so a treasure rarely found in a thousand years must be concealed in here. People from the Wanlian Buddhist Temple still haven¡¯t turned into Buddhas yet, how could they remain indifferent?¡±


    Cultivator Qi knew what was said made sense, but refused to admit it: ¡°So you¡¯re saying there¡¯s a fraud inside, so we shouldn¡¯t enter?¡±


    Jun Zilan: ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, surely we have to go in. I only wanted to remind you all that we should avoid being at each other¡¯s throats no matter what we see there. I only came here to take a look, so I¡¯ll give up on it for your sake. But [if there¡¯s no treasure] and we all die here, it¡¯ll only benefit others!¡±


    Cultivator Qi said coldly: ¡°You¡¯re speaking generously now. Try to restrain yourself when the time comes!¡±


    He did not wait for Jun Zilan to answer and stepped forward, quickly disappearing from their sight.


    Jun Zilan heaved a deep sigh, showed a helpless expression, and entered the cave, following him.


    After him went Yun Weisi and Sun Buku.


    Xu Jingxian rushed after them.


    ¡­


    The illusion was swept away like the tides of the ocean, revealing the original form.


    Zhang Jie raised his head and looked around in confusion.


    How was this a place of countless ghosts wailing together, and of a thousand souls demanding the lives of others? Lanterns were lit all around, and crowds of people were clamoring. It was a typical bustling scene in the Human World.


    Those piles of bones under his feet, and the ear-piercing wailings of ghosts shedding bloody tears¡ªeverything seemed to be as transient as a fleeting cloud, like a mere illusion.


    However, the feeling of being locked up with iron chains was still vivid in his mind. Zhang Jie lowered his head, but his robes were his own, and only the pain from the wounds he had received in battles reminded him that what had happened was not a dream.


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡±


    The voice of a person in pain came from the side. H¨¦ Qingmo rolled up his sleeve. The deep purple cut on his arm was a ghastly sight.


    This wound had been left by the Ghost King just now. The Ghost King only brushed against his arm slightly, but the pain from that injury was almost unbearable for H¨¦ Qingmo, and he was suffering with the slightest movement. His bones had also been supposedly corroded by the ghost qi, and his injury would not get better any time soon.


    If it was not for Changming¡¯s Art of Heart Manipulation, they would have probably turned into bones by this point already.


    The Ghost King¡¯s strength was truly terrifying.


    But it turned out that Changming¡¯s strength was even more unfathomable.


    H¨¦ Qingmo remembered that in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, although Jiufang Changming was already formidable, he did not make H¨¦ Qingmo feel the insurmountable power of the strongest person in the world.


    At that time, it was obvious that Jiufang Changming was frail from an illness, as if he could fall to the ground at any moment.


    But the Jiufang Changming of today, although he was still like a light cloud and a gentle breeze, it was that kind of a lightness that could move a heavy load by clever manoeuvres, the one that would not be disturbed by Mount Tai itself.


    In a short period of time, he had managed to recover to a level that could make H¨¦ Qingmo feel the elegant manner of the unrivalled master of the world.


    The wind was blowing under the full moon as the rain was pouring upon lifeless branches; a man came from the secluded mountains, turning snow into spring.


    H¨¦ Qingmo was looking at Changming¡¯s back closely. His shizun had told him this seemingly meaningless incantation once, and he did not manage to comprehend it at all. But now, having gone through a desperate battle and surviving by luck, he had become keener and felt that he now understood the meaning of the incantation.


    Thoughts were surging in his mind. He wanted to thank Changming, but suddenly dense ghost qi rushed at him from behind!


    Tn:


    [1] Jun Zilan:


    [2] Green foxtail, lit. from Chinese ¡ª dogtail grass:


    XJX is often called ¡®seductress¡¯, literally ¡®evil woman¡¯. This time, she called SBK ¡®devilish monk¡¯, that is, literally, ¡®evil monk¡¯ with the same ¡®evil¡¯. The meaning is similar: she implies that he is very alluring but uses it to do bad things.

 CH 77

    Proofread by Snake


    H¨¦ Qingmo instantly became alarmed, protecting himself with his spiritual power subconsciously. Just as he was going to unsheathe the sword in his left hand, the massive storm behind his back abated abruptly, [as if it had been put into a pocket]. The pressure vanished without a trace. H¨¦ Qingmo was greatly surprised. He quickly turned around, and saw a person wrapped in a cloak. The person¡¯s hood covered half of his face, but the other half was familiar to H¨¦ Qingmo. The figure of this person had almost fused with the darkness of the corner.


    This is..?


    H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and the words ¡®Ghost King¡¯ almost flew out of his mouth.


    When the Ghost King restrained his ghost qi, he became one of the many ordinary travellers in the night market. Although he seemed very suspicious in H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s eyes, when the Ghost King deliberately hid his aura, the crowds of commoners would not even throw him a second glance.


    H¨¦ Qingmo felt as if something had changed since the moment the Ghost King said ¡°a Vajra Teaching of Subduing Ghosts¡±.


    The ghost realm they had been trapped in had been lifted, and they had returned to the bustling market with a myriad of twinkling lights. Changming and the Ghost King were walking ahead, while H¨¨ Xiyun was supporting H¨¦ Qingmo, walking a bit behind them. Zhang Jie, meanwhile, was stumbling along, still in a state of shock.


    Just a moment ago, they were fighting to the death, yet now they were idling about the night market.


    The corner of his garment was tugged at. H¨¨ Xiyun whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Somehow, I feel a little awkward.¡±


    You aren¡¯t the only one who is feeling that way. The corners of H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s mouth twitched. He looked at Changming and the Ghost King conversing ahead of them, at a loss for how to respond to her.


    ¡°We probably aren¡¯t inside the ghost city now, right?¡± H¨¨ Xiyun asked for his affirmation again.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± H¨¦ Qingmo thought for a while, and explained a bit more, ¡°If I haven¡¯t guessed it wrong, the Ghost King had an old friend who was injured. After her death, she was controlled by a Vajra Teaching of Subduing Ghosts, so her immortal souls flew away and her mortal forms eventually scattered. For some reason, the Ghost King had forgotten about this up until the moment the senior used an Art of Heart Manipulation to force this secret out of him, so the Ghost King recalled it.¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun was barely holding on at that time, as her attention was mostly drawn to those wandering souls and malicious ghosts, so she had no time to take note of small details. Now, to her surprise, she had finally realised what had happened.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Vajra Teaching of Subduing Ghosts a secret teaching of Buddhist sects?¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo: ¡°You¡¯ve heard about it?¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun: ¡°My shifu told me once that Buddhist sects have many teachings that they always keep hidden. For example, this Vajra Teaching of Subduing Ghosts spares no one, and can¡¯t even distinguish good from evil. Furthermore, its effects depend on the user. If someone who harbors evil intentions gets his hands on it, they can even control ghosts and stir up trouble, stopping at nothing.¡±


    As she finished talking, she recalled that they were at the You Capital now, and the prestigious and illustrious Wanlian Buddhist Temple was located at the outskirts of the You Capital. A thought occurred in her mind, and she revealed an astonished expression, but she still did not dare believe in her own assumptions.


    ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be?¡±


    Clearly, H¨¦ Qingmo knew what she was thinking about. His expression was pale, but not as dumbstruck as H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t it? Demons have entered the world, and the hearts of humans have changed. The world has never been peaceful.¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun still thought that if that guess was actually right, that would be terrifying.


    ¡°If it¡¯s really like this¡­ Daoyou Changming wants to help the Ghost King find that person in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple?¡±


    After she had reunited with Changming, accidents kept happening one after another. She still had not given much thought to the way H¨¦ Qingmo had spoken about Changming carefully.


    H¨¦ Qingmo thought that this turn of events was actually a good thing. This time, he had come to the You Capital with a single spear and a horse, and he had not expected to confront the Wanlian Buddhist Temple so soon. Now, with Jiufang Changming and the Ghost King, they actually had a chance to barge into the sect.


    With a single spear and a horse: all alone


    Thinking about the new realm he had comprehended just now when his life was on the line, his blood started racing. But, when he turned around and saw H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s anxious expression, he unwittingly relaxed a bit.


    ¡°If you¡¯re afraid, return to the guest house first. Act as if nothing happened here tonight, leave the You Capital, and return to your sect as quickly as possible.¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s expression changed: ¡°I know that daoyou H¨¦ comes from a prominent sect, and your cultivation is higher than mine, so you see me as a nuisance. However, I¡¯m not a faint-hearted person. If you want to go, I¡¯ll definitely accompany you!¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo was taken aback. He didn¡¯t understand why his good will received such a bitter reaction from H¨¨ Xiyun.


    It was the same when he was in his sect¡ªbefore he even finished saying no more than three sentences, his shijies and shimeis would always be displeased.


    ¡°Then do as you wish, but don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you of this.¡±


    He thought he had said nothing outrageous, but for some reason, when H¨¨ Xiyun heard that, she became even more dissatisfied.


    ¡°Why did you look for us?¡±


    Changming, who was walking ahead of them, was talking to the Ghost King.


    They were strolling aimlessly, stopping at times. The Ghost King seemed to be interested in the trinkets sold by the side of the road, so he picked them up from time to time to look at them carefully. Even more surprisingly, the peddlers continued to mind their own business, and only started to recommend their goods if he asked them. Their expressions did not change at all, as if they were serving a normal customer, and did not feel amused or startled seeing his outfit.


    ¡°Someone made a deal with me, using a Ghost King Decree.¡±


    ¡°A Ghost King Decree?¡±


    ¡°After I became a ghost cultivator, I used to hide all the time. I¡¯ve been through a lot of ordeals, and have also received favors, forming relationships. That person I¡¯m indebted to came to me suddenly, and requested that I cause trouble for you.¡±


    ¡°To cause trouble, but not to kill?¡±


    Changming ruminated over the meaning of his words. It seemed that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been expecting them to come to the You Capital, and was even watching their every move in secret.


    Their enemies were in the dark, while they were in the light¡ª


    Had the Wanlian Buddhist Temple already set invisible unescapable nets all around, waiting for their arrival?


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Linghu You used to think he had lost an immortal soul, so he was always in a despondent mood, as if something was missing inside his chest. However, after Jiufang Changming used the Art of Heart Manipulation to retrieve his memories, the Ghost King realized he had never lost a soul¡ªinstead, someone had sealed away some of his memories.


    Ming Hui was killed by a Buddhist cultivator. Not only did that person kill her, but they also restrained her souls with a Vajra Teaching of Subduing Ghosts to refine a vessel using a secret method. Ming Hui would rather have her souls scattered away than submit to that person, so in the end she started burning both jade and stone, and wanted to take that Buddhist cultivator with her. But Ming Hui died, while that person was still alive.


    Burning both jade and stone: destroying good and bad indiscriminately


    To get his revenge, the Ghost King had to give up on his cultivation and kill himself by refining his own immortal souls to turn into a ghost cultivator.


    After many years, he became the Ghost King, and Buddhist cultivators even had to come and seek his help. But he had forgotten Ming Hui, as well as the original reason why he had turned into a ghost cultivator.


    ¡°When are we going to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple?¡± the Ghost King asked.


    Had he not happened to meet Changming, he would have become a chess piece in their plans, left in the You Capital by the Wanlian Buddhist Temple as a lackey they could order about.


    The Ghost King could not tolerate such an insult.


    ¡°It¡¯s not time yet. In two days, on the fifteenth of the seventh month,¡± Changming said.


    ¡°Why do we have to wait?¡±


    The Ghost King was impatient. He wanted to leave right now, directly attacking the Yellow Dragon. His ghost fire was urging to burn that place into ashes at once.


    Directly attacking the Yellow Dragon: storming the enemy¡¯s den. The Yellow Dragon Residence was a stronghold a general wanted to conquer in the 12th century


    Changming knew what he was thinking about, ¡°The Wanlian Buddhist Temple as it is now is way more capable than what you imagine. If we go now, we¡¯ll only walk right into their trap. The yin qi is the most powerful during the Ghost Festival; your strength will also increase with the qi around. On the contrary, the force of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple that controls ghosts will weaken, and we¡¯ll benefit from it.¡±


    The Ghost King frowned, suppressing the urge in his heart. His eyes fell on the small things that were swaying in front of him.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Persimmons. Their meaning is to wish for good luck. There is a custom among common people, which is to hang them up during the Ghost Festival to ward off evil.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of it?¡±


    ¡°It seems it has only appeared a couple of years before. I also haven¡¯t heard of it in the past,¡± Changming paused, ¡°How long has it been since you last entered the Human World?¡±


    The Ghost King: ¡°I don¡¯t remember. When I entered the lands of ghosts, the Human World had that nineteen year old emperor, Hong Zhi.¡±


    Changming: ¡­then it¡¯s been at least a hundred years.


    He had felt ignorant after having wandered through the Yellow Springs, and had not expected to meet someone who was even more oblivious to human affairs.


    But it was not over yet. Soon, Changming discovered that what he brought back was not just a Ghost King who had been isolated from the world for a hundred years.

 CH 78

    Proofread by Snake


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°How do you use it?¡±


    ¡°Why are stone mills different from what I¡¯ve seen in the past? Has the technology progressed?¡±


    ¡°What kind of sect is the Qingbei Mountain? What do they use as weapons?¡±


    ¡°Are you guys calling yourself masters of cultivation even though your skills are that pathetic? If you were to go back to my time, you¡¯d have been called mediocre.¡±


    Changming had developed a slight headache.


    He really had not expected the Ghost King to turn into such a beastly, inquisitive man after putting away his hostile attitude.


    No, not even a man. He had already died, so he should be called a beastly, inquisitive ghost.


    The things of the world of the living filled the Ghost King with curiosity, starting with the utensils used in daily life and all the way to the distribution of authority between the major sects. He was even interested in food¡ªobviously, he could not eat, but he still wanted them to buy food for him and give it to him to smell.


    The idlest among them, and moreover, the one with the lowest cultivation level, was Zhang Jie. Naturally, he was the one who had to run all these small errands.


    At first, Zhang Jie was unwilling.


    His self-esteem was sensitive and fragile, and he could not bear others looking down on him. People with such personalities were not suited for the law of the jungle. But his talent was somewhat high, he had originally come from a small sect, and people there used to praise him ever since he was young. Only after leaving his sect to gain experience did he realize how cruel the Jianghu was. Zhang Jie¡¯s cultivation level had been regarded as outstanding within his sect. Now, however, he had seen how vast the world was, while he was as miserable as a cloud of dust¡ªnot even worth mentioning. He felt especially inferior compared to disciples of famous sects, like H¨¦ Qingmo, but would not admit it, so his words were dripping with acid with the slightest provocation. Although he was not  overly aggressive, he could surely make anyone fed up with him.


    But all of Zhang Jie¡¯s complaints would be swallowed back as soon as he saw the Ghost King. The latter only needed to move a bit closer, and the yin qi emitting from his body would make Zhang Jie forget everything he wanted to say at once, and work earnestly.


    It was what people would describe as ¡°everything has its vanquisher¡±.


    Hearing the Ghost King¡¯s words, Zhang Jie sighed deeply, as if he was going to have a fit of anger, but managed to abstain from swearing somehow.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t said I¡¯m a master!¡±


    The Ghost King asked in reply: ¡°Then who is? Jiufang Changming?¡±


    Zhang Jie: ¡°He probably is.¡±


    The Ghost King: ¡°What¡¯s with that ¡®probably¡¯? You don¡¯t agree?¡±


    Zhang Jie had run out of patience, but he did not dare refuse to answer: ¡°He was known as the strongest person in the world once. He had rebelled and quit several times, and not a single Buddhist, Daoist or Demonic sect agreed to accept him anymore. While he¡¯s acting like this, even if he¡¯s strong, since his morality is twisted, this title, ¡®the strongest in the world¡¯, sounds unconvincing.¡±


    The Ghost King was playing with a tangram in his hands, but he raised his head after hearing this, his expression full of curiosity.


    Tangram: seven-piece block puzzle [1]


    ¡°What does ¡®rebelled and quit several times¡¯ mean?¡±


    He had not been to the Human World for a long time, but the expression on his pale, malicious face could even be considered innocent. This contradiction was odd.


    Zhang Jie did not dare to look straight at him, so he quickly averted his gaze, telling him about how Jiufang Changming had entered the Dao and rebelled against it, before entering Buddhism and rebelling against it as well.


    He was well-versed with these rumors. He did not even need to know Changming to recount all sorts of rumours circulating throughout the Jianghu.


    Unexpectedly, the Ghost King was filled with admiration after hearing his stories.


    ¡°Bold and imaginative, does as his heart desires instead of sticking to the norm, thus following the style my generation had demonstrated!¡±


    Zhang Jie could not help answering back sarcastically: ¡°He colluded with demons, is it also an example your generation had set?¡±


    The Ghost King only took a glance at him, and Zhang Jie felt the fresh autumn day turn into a bitter cold winter, and the loftiness in his voice decreased at once.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of ¡®colluded with demons¡¯?¡±


    Zhang Jie muttered: ¡°Many skilled persons were going to build a Liuhe Zhutian Formation that year on Sacred Mountain Wan in order to prevent demons from entering our world. Because Jiufang Changming had colluded with demons, the formation failed at a crucial moment, on the very verge of success, and there were heavy casualties. After that, the Sacred Mountain Wan became a passage that demons can move through freely.¡±


    The Ghost King tilted his head: ¡°Then, won¡¯t he and I make an exemplary demon-ghost duet?¡±


    Zhang Jie: ¡­


    The Ghost King smiled: ¡°The more you say, the more interested I am in him. After all these years, out of those who have entered the lands of ghosts, he is the only one who¡¯s like me.¡±


    Zhang Jie wanted to add something, but refrained from speaking out of fear of the Ghost King¡¯s power.


    But the Ghost King refused to spare him so easily.


    ¡°Tell me more about him.¡±


    What else could Zhang Jie say? He had not actually gotten to know Jiufang Changming any earlier than the Ghost King. When this man had appeared out of nowhere and saved them, Zhang Jie had no idea that this person was the illustrious Jiufang Changming of the past. The failure of the Liuhe Zhutian formation was a matter of several decades ago, and Zhang Jie had not even been born yet when that had happened. Everything he knew were just rumors he had picked up from his teachers and other people of that generation.


    Zhang Jie did not actually understand Jiufang Changming better than the Ghost King.


    The Ghost King also saw that Zhang Jie was only an embroidered pillow, so he did not feel like talking to him anymore. The Ghost King completed the tangram, and got up to leave.


    An embroidered pillow: decoy; in this case, says more than knows


    Zhang Jie said hurriedly: ¡°Where are you going!¡±


    The Ghost King turned around and stared at him. As if his eyes were arrows made of ice, that gaze chilled Zhang Jie to the bones, and he could not even finish the sentence.


    ¡°Were you ordered to monitor me? Do I need your approval?¡±


    The Ghost King squinted his eyes, and his harmless expression disappeared in a flash. It felt as if a blizzard had assaulted Zhang Jie¡¯s face, its pressure unbearable. His face changed abruptly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding¡­ they have an important matter to attend to, so they asked me to look after you¡­¡±


    It had been fine before he started explaining, but now it really looked like a ¡°there¡¯s no silver here¡± note.


    To leave a note saying there¡¯s no silver [buried under the tree] here: to give yourself away by clumsy excuses


    ¡°Where are they?¡±


    Black flames enveloped the Ghost King¡¯s body, and he was no longer indifferent and relaxed.


    Now, he was that Ghost King whom Zhang Jie had met at the land of ghosts earlier.


    He was now the entity that had been worshipped by tens of thousands of ghosts, the one who would kill a deity upon meeting said deity, and erect himself a throne by piling a mountain of corpses in a sea of blood.


    He was no longer the Linghu You who was playing with a tangram and inquiring about the Human World incessantly.


    ¡°Th¡­ they¡­¡±


    Zhang Jie could not even finish saying one sentence under such pressure. He even felt that this time he would not be able to escape from death.


    ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡±


    A warm and refreshing spring breeze melted the ice and snow.


    Zhang Jie thought he was hearing the notes of Heaven, and was almost moved to tears. The ice that seemed to have frozen his body melted and fell to the ground, and Zhang Jie almost stooped to crawl away.


    The notes of Heaven: the most core, profound sounds of the nature


    Changming, Zhang Jie¡¯s only chance for survival, had entered the stage. All the plants that had almost withered because of the yin qi slowly came back to life again.


    Ghost King¡¯s expression was far from being good.


    ¡°What were you doing?¡±


    ¡°The formation. I returned for some things, and it just happened so that I need your help. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Changming bent down, picked some flowers and grasses from the garden, and took a red thread from the room.


    The misunderstanding had been cleared up, and the ghastly yin aura receded little by little. But the Ghost King was still frowning.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Changming reached out his hand to hold the Ghost King¡¯s wrist.


    His hand was cold like frozen iron, and this warm touch caught him off guard, almost burning him.


    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± Changming said.


    The echoing ring of a bell resounded around them. The crisp tinkling sound was pleasant to the ear. Before the Ghost King could close his eyes, the sky and the earth started spinning round in front of his eyes, and only his wrist was held firmly in place. He almost fell to the ground weakly.


    ¡°A teleportation treasure?¡± he guessed, quickly.


    ¡°Correct. It¡¯s called the Yulin Bell, and I borrowed it from a certain person. H¨¦ Qingmo and I have spent the last two days working on this formation.¡±


    Wherever they looked, they could only see mountains surrounding them. A single path led to a mountain.


    This was a forsaken wild mountain ridge with no signs of habitation, but the shape of the relief was a bit unusual.


    The Ghost King made an exclamation of surprise as he surveyed the surroundings.


    He had long since broken through the limitations of a typical ghost. Although they were standing in the bright day under the scorching sun, he was not the least bit afraid, only slipping deeper into his cape. His steps were light, and except for the fact that he had no shadow, he seemed no different from a regular human being.


    Changming noticed something unusual about him.


    ¡°Daoyou Linghu has studied the Art of Geomancy as well?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I have studied it, but I had looked through a couple of my shifu¡¯s books about it when I was alive. This must have been a Relief of Three Dragons Holding Pearls once. If a pearl was placed here, it could gather the essence of the celestial bodies, helping a person cultivate at twice the normal speed. Unfortunately, the mountain range in the front was damaged, so the Three Dragons Holding Pearls turned into Three Dragons Holding grass, as if someone attached a dog tail to a sable.¡±


    Attaching a dog tail to a sable: ruining a masterpiece with a small mistake


    But he did not feel sorry for the loss.


    This method of cultivation could only be effective for humans, since the sky, the earth and humans had been seen as the three powers starting from ancient times.


    The three powers were the sky, the earth, and humans, while the three luminaries were the sun, the moon, and the stars. Ever since humans had appeared in this world, the Heavens had bestowed great privileges unto them, while ghost cultivators and demons had been left to their own devices. However, many humans were oblivious to the fact, and never treasured opportunities like this.


    The Ghost King was knowledgeable indeed. A common person would have never recognized the relief of Three Dragons Holding Pearls in this place.


    ¡°Although the relief is incomplete now, it can be restored. If there¡¯s a pearl, the three dragons will hold it again. If this place is turned into a formation, except for accelerating cultivation, it can also screen the flow of yin and yang, and conceal their auras. Furthermore, the people from the Wanlian Buddhist Temple will lose all trace of us, and this formation may even open a passage to the Wanlian Buddhist Sect. Since the pearl the three dragons are holding can be made by humans, they can as well be natural. Look¡ª¡±


    Changming raised his head, and pointed first above his head, and then to the gold glass pearl glittering brightly in the center of the formation.


    ¡°Today, at noon, when the sun will be shining right above our heads, the Sky Pearl will resonate with the Earth Pearl, and the formation will be flawless. No matter who comes here, they won¡¯t notice anything.¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo was setting up the formation not far away from them.


    He used branches to construct it. He positioned the branches in the eight directions, and the red thread was used as the basis for connecting the directions. Unique talismanic writings of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao were drawn on the ground in the center of the formation. Originally, this type of formation used the sun and the sky as its core, but the sun could not shine all day long in the Human World. As soon as the sun set or disappeared behind the mountains, the effect of the formation would weaken.


    But it was different now, with the Golden Glass Pearls. Even if the Sky Pearl weakened, the high-strength spiritual powers gathered by the Earth Pearl throughout the day would be enough to support the formation up until the next day.


    Speaking of which, these Golden Glass Pearls had been taken from the Golden Glass Beads Staff by Changming¡ªafter all, before it could be delivered back to the Qingyun School, why would they not use it to its fullest and let it work as it was supposed to?


    This formation could not be considered as too difficult or very simple. Although Changming had studied formations a bit, this one used sophisticated incantations written in the seal-style script [2]. But there was also H¨¦ Qingmo who had come from the Celestial Abode Shenxiao. Unlike common disciples, he had been greatly valued by his sect¡¯s elders and was talented in formations, so he was granted access to many techniques from ancient books. After having a piece of writing recited to him, he could remember it at once. If someone else took his place, the formation would not have been finished by this moment.


    H¨¦ Qingmo stood, slightly bending down, and was writing another stroke of a character with enthusiasm.


    He was holding a long writing brush in his hand, its tip faintly emitting a golden light. [The characters seemed to be engraved on the stones, and even a sandstorm would not be able to erase them].


    Precisely one shichen had passed since the moment H¨¦ Qingmo started writing the first stroke of the talisman in the center of the formation. H¨¦ Qingmo returned to his senses, feeling abrupt pain coming from his waist. He had been drenched with sweat, and was on the verge of collapse.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Changming said, as he and the Ghost King went over.


    ¡°Good enough.¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo lowered his head. He had been holding the brush for a long time, infusing his spiritual powers in every stroke¡ªeven his nails had cracked, and blood dripped down from them.


    ¡°At midnight today, during the Ghost Festival, the Ghost Gates will be open at its widest, and this will be our chance. As custom dictates, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple will open their doors to host the sin expiation puja. The common people of You will make sacrifices to worship their ancestors, and almost everyone will descend from the mountains. Only the fated ones will attain the glory of ascending the mountain and entering the buddhist temple. Those who enter will be obliged to listen to buddhist sutras attentively for three days and three nights, thereby cleansing their bodies and minds. After that, they will be able to remould their body and exchange their bones, redressing their sins completely.¡±


    Remould their body and exchange their bones: to change wholly


    The Ghost King asked: ¡°How would that redress one¡¯s sins completely?¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t know, those are just rumors I picked up while travelling. It¡¯s said that the spiritual roots and senses of those who visit the temple will improve by a whole level. Even for someone with a hideous appearance, if they are able to get into the good graces of a high monk of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, they will look like a lotus appearing out of the water, beautiful enough to make fish drown, after they have gone there.¡±


    The Ghost King snorted with contempt: ¡°They¡¯re just throwing dust in the eyes of the public.¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo: ¡°The common people of You view the Wanlian Buddhist Temple as deities. You can listen to their talks, but you can never trust them.¡±


    Changming was not as optimistic as the two of them.


    Before he stumbled onto H¨¦ Qingmo, he had heard a tale. It spoke of a girl that used to be ugly. When she reached a marriageable age, no one dared take her as a bride, which almost led to her suicide. Before seeking death, she grabbed onto the last glimmer of hope, and took part in a puja, praying for a blessing from heavenly deities, wishing to have a beautiful appearance in her next life. To everyone¡¯s surprise, after she got an opportunity to enter the Buddhist temple and left it afterwards, her looks had completely changed. Not only had she acquired an appearance as delicate as a flower, and as refined as a jade, but she also married into an illustrious family, turning into the wife of a nobleman despite having been a girl from an ordinary family. She had become an almost legendary figure.


    In order to verify the reliability of the tale, Changming had actually found that very woman. He had seen her from afar, and was indeed amused by her every gesture and facial expressions. He had sneaked into the mansion, and had heard retainers gossiping about her marriage with their master, and what had been said was not much different from the rumors he had heard on the streets.


    Everyone was saying that the sincerity of Yang-shi had moved the Heavens, and deities were protecting her, ready to turn stone into gold for her sake. After all, she had gone from being hideous to a beauty overnight.


    But Changming knew that there was no art that could steal a dragon and substitute it with a phoenix. Even a cultivator could not change their face completely overnight, let alone a common person.


    There was definitely something odd about this Yang-shi, who was envied for her fortunate fate by everyone.


    The puja on the fifteenth day of the seventh month seemed even more miraculous and bizzare.


    ¡°There¡¯s also something else.¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s words brought him back to reality.


    ¡°We need something at the Wanlian Buddhist Temple to serve as a connection, before the formation will allow us to travel there the way that deities won¡¯t notice us, and ghosts won¡¯t feel. Otherwise, we¡¯ll only be able to teleport nearby, and will still have to break through the barrier. That is simply alarming the snake by cutting grass.¡±


    Deities won¡¯t know about, and ghosts won¡¯t feel: unnoticed by anyone


    Changming: ¡°What kind of thing?¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo: ¡°Anything that¡¯s inside there, be it an object or a leaf of a plant.¡±


    As he finished saying this, he realized how demanding that sounded.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s just travel nearby. By that time, I¡¯ll find a way to break through their barrier¡­¡±


    ¡°Will a blood connection work?¡± Changming asked suddenly.


    ¡°What kind of blood connection?¡± H¨¦ Qingmo could not process his words for a moment.


    Changming: ¡°It¡¯s possible that there¡¯s a certain person trapped there. He was severely wounded in the past, and I cured him with my own blood. I suppose we can use this blood as a connection. Would it fit your criteria?¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo was not sure: ¡°I haven¡¯t tried it. It probably would?¡±


    Without saying a second word, Changming cut his own finger, and a drop of blood fell onto a Golden Pearl in the center of the formation.


    Bright rays burst of the Golden Pearl at once, triggering the talisman writing under itself. A golden light poured out in every direction.


    It actually worked!


    ¡°The formation has been activated!¡± H¨¦ Qingmo was pleasantly surprised.


    Changming was now sure of one thing: that skull from the Jianxue Clan had not deceived him. Zhou Keyi was actually in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.


    His arrogant, obstinate and ruthless third disciple had fallen into the clutches of this place. Even if he was still alive, he probably did not have much time left.


    ¡­


    His guess was right.


    At this moment, Zhou Keyi was in a perilous situation, like a stack of eggs hanging by a thread.


    Like a stack of eggs hanging by a thread: liable to collapse any moment


    [1] Tangram:


    [2] Seal-style script:


    ¡°Chinese characters for the words ¡®seal script¡¯ in regular script (left) and seal script (right)¡±

 CH 79

    Proofread by Snake


    The sun and the moon were circling in the sky; the Big Dipper had turned and the stars had moved.


    The Big Dipper turned and the stars moved: time had passed


    Zhou Keyi had already lost track of time.


    He did not know what time of the day it was, or how much time he had spent here.


    He could not move his limbs, because his arms had been firmly shackled with iron chains that pierced through his shoulder bones, with the ends of those chains connected to pillars. His blood had been dripping down from where his skin touched the chains, but the blood had long since dried up.


    Due to the previous incident of his spiritual powers surging out, the people who were guarding him had almost lost control over the situation. As a result, his enemies could only enhance their monitoring of him, as well as adding several layers of seals to the place of his detention. Half of his body was in the Stone Forest of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and the upper half was shackled by iron chains, rendering him unable to move.


    Those lotuses that looked as if they had been engraved from stone had clustered around him, slowly moving their petals in the moonlight. They seemed to feel satisfied and comfortable.


    The blue light coming off the petals was shimmering in the air, showing the leisurely mood of the lotuses. In one moment, they flocked together; in another moment, they scattered away. They hovered around Zhou Keyi, depriving him of his last chance at survival. They were unbridled and frantic, yet dazzlingly colourful.


    But this ineffable beauty came at the price of absorbing the essence of a person¡¯s spiritual powers.


    Zhou Keyi had not died.


    He was still breathing his last breaths, and his mind was clear.


    Physical tortures could not make him lose consciousness¡ªon the contrary, he became more and more sober.


    It was the first time he felt that being conscious could make him suffer more than passing out. Even the slightest pain would be amplified, but he could not run from it, and had no place to hide.


    As he was conscious, he could clearly hear sounds coming from the outside, down to the slightest movements.


    A narrow winding trail led through the Stone Forest. At a set time every day, someone would enter this place, waving a banner with souls attached to it. The souls fell to the stone lotuses, becoming their nutriments.


    Immortal souls and mortal forms nourished the stone lotuses, and the stone lotuses released fleeting souls into the pond after absorbing the quintessence.


    Zhou Keyi would often hear anguished wailing coming from the pond one after another, piteous and sorrowful. But these cries were not distinct¡ªrather, it was all just anguished wailing, coming from the depths of the souls being forced into a hopeless situation. Countless voices were pouring out their grievances in life and resentments day in and day out. Some were fleeting souls that did not even understand that they were dead, and were still shouting defiantly. Their cries rose up to the skies, so loud that Zhou Keyi could never rest.


    Every few days, someone would pick up these fleeting souls, and then leave hastily.


    One day, several people came instead of just one person, and they were talking to each other. It was rare for Zhou Keyi to hear something different from the shrieks of fleeting souls, struggling through their last moments, so he focused and heard a couple of lines.


    ¡°It¡¯s the puja of the fifteenth of the seventh month today, why are there so few souls in your banner? The sect master is going to release the souls of the deceased tonight, if there¡¯s not enough of them, you might be blamed.¡±


    ¡°Alas! That family had six members, and looked neat and tidy. However, contrary to one¡¯s expectations, the head of the household was abusing his wife to the point she was mentioning she wanted to kill everyone there in every breath. So, I gave her a poison to satisfy her needs. How could I have known she would get softhearted near the end and regret her decision, taking the poison alone? In the end, that man said that she was a vicious woman, and sent her remains to the desolate outskirts. I could only gather one soul. Don¡¯t mention this again, I¡¯m so unlucky! I¡¯m afraid that if a Soul Gathering Pearl is not refined in several days, I¡¯ll get punished!¡±


    ¡°We only have to get by tonight. Are you afraid there won¡¯t be enough souls of living humans to gather during the puja? People are crowding out there to get a chance to see our sect master.¡±


    ¡°By the way¡­ What did this person do to be shackled here, neither alive nor dead?¡±


    ¡°Shixiong told me he used to be a formidable cultivator, and he¡¯s been left here as bait. If others come to his rescue, we¡¯ll catch them all with one net.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be all that formidable. Otherwise, how would he be captured?¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha, you don¡¯t know this story? The iron chain is blocking his cultivation, and his spiritual power has been sucked away by the stone lotuses. They say that Shixiong was almost defeated when he went after him, so Shizun had to attend to the matter personally, massacring his sect and capturing him. He doesn¡¯t actually have it that bad¡ªthat is, at least he retained his life, but the rest of his sect weren¡¯t as lucky. Their souls replenished the pool here, becoming fertilizer.¡±


    ¡°Then will the one who wants to help him actually walk right into the trap?¡±


    ¡°They say that that person¡¯s origins are quite remarkable, but Shixiong never went into details. No matter how formidable he is, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just a toy in the eyes of our sect master or Fozun. What are you afraid of?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just wrapping the roof with silk before it actually rains! Nevertheless, who can go against us nowadays, except for the joint forces of Wanjian Immortal Clan and Celestial Abode Shenxiao? The Qingyun School rumbles, but doesn¡¯t rain. They¡¯re pretending to be virtuous and dignified, abstaining from the food of common mortals, but will they ever gather as much power in the Luo dynasty as we have here?¡±


    Wrapping the roof with silk the roof before it actually rains: take preventive measures


    Rumbles, but doesn¡¯t rain: all talks


    ¡°Ha-ha, I love how that sounds¡­¡±


    The voices gradually grew quieter, until they finally subsided.


    Zhou Keyi moved slightly, and the iron chains rang, inflicting excruciating pain on him.


    Those two seemed to be telling the truth, and he knew that the person they mentioned should have been Jiufang Changming.


    That supposedly dead shifu of mine, hah.


    Zhou Keyi smiled coldly.


    Why would he come?


    He was eagerly looking forward to Jiufang Changming¡¯s death, and there was no doubt that Jiufang Changming also¡ª


    Zhou Keyi closed his eyes.


    Even if he came all by himself, two fists could not win against four palms.


    This place was too dangerous.


    It was not that Zhou Keyi had never fought against this sect, but he had no idea that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple looked bright and neat, but inside¡­


    Zhou Keyi sneered again, but no one heard his voice.


    Inside, this Buddhist temple was just as rotten as his Demonic sect.


    But no matter how he sneered, he still did not understand how one could get inside this place, and what kind of treacherous scheme these people were trying to pull off.


    The Stone Forest of Wanlian, this pond with lotuses, countless aggrieved souls of people who had died in tragic circumstances, refinement of souls, and lies.


    The Stone Forest of Wanlian: the stone forest of 10,000 lotuses


    ¡°Zhou Keyi.¡±


    He opened his eyes abruptly and quivered, oblivious to the sharp pain from the chains that penetrated his bones.


    Thousands of ghosts were still wailing around him, their resentment mounting to the heavens.


    He thought he was hallucinating.


    But in a moment¡ª


    ¡°Zhou Keyi, if you¡¯re still awake, make a sound.¡±


    The voice was coming from his consciousness, so he did not have to make a sound to reply.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°In your heart.¡±


    He was even cracking a joke. Zhou Keyi felt the urge to swear at his intonation.


    And he actually started cursing, giving vent to a torrent of abuse, exhausting all the harsh words he knew. He was expressing all the grievances he had gathered over these years.


    He used up all his strength quickly because he did not have much rest. He was breathing heavily, angered, but still struggled through all of it to say these last words to the sea of his consciousness.


    ¡°Go to hell, Jiufang Changming, I don¡¯t want to see you ever again!¡±


    The other party was silent, as if he had actually left.


    Zhou Keyi heaved a sigh of relief, but still felt some unexplainable lingering feeling.


    He closed his eyes, ready to counter the next wave of attack from the stone lotuses.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, why is it that you haven¡¯t rectified this shortcoming of yours, where you¡¯re still saying no when you mean yes?¡±


    Suddenly, the familiar voice sounded again, bursting inside the sea of his consciousness!


    Zhou Keyi opened his eyes blankly, freezing up. For a second, he betrayed his panic and disbelief.


    Perhaps, deep in his heart, he was pleasantly surprised, although he refused to admit it.


    He thought he had been abandoned a long time ago. He did not believe what he was told, and decided to start his own sect, proving himself right at the same time.


    Now, he had circled back and returned to the starting point.


    ¡°Why are you¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time, where on earth are you?¡±


    Zhou Keyi fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. There¡¯s an awful lot of passages. I¡¯m confined in a pond with lotuses. These lotuses are carved from stone, but they can move. Once in a while, these people would pour souls they gathered from god knows where into the pond to nourish the lotuses. As more lotuses appeared, my spiritual force was sealed away. There¡¯s also that chain, so I can¡¯t move at all. Even if you come, you won¡¯t be able to achieve anything, you¡­¡± He paused. He wanted to sneer at Jiufang Changming, but as these words reached his mouth, they turned into¡ª


    ¡°They didn¡¯t kill me to lure you here. Just because of me, you shouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±


    Zhou Keyi was interrupted before he could finish talking. The sound inside his sea of consciousness got cut off, and the next words were left unspoken.


    Jiu. Fang. Chang. Ming!


    Zhou Keyi gnashed his teeth.


    ¡­


    Xu Jingxian had expected evil spirits or demons to start popping out of nowhere inside the cave, but there was nothing.


    Everything was going strangely smoothly. They went straight up to the source of the light.


    It was not just one crystal.


    Xu Jingxian found it hard to describe what she was seeing.


    Every nook of the cave was full of lustrous and translucent crystals. There was no source of light, and light purple radiance was coming from the crystals themselves, gentle yet incandescent, so strong that it reached outside.


    The whole area was dazzlingly splendid.


    Even a pile of jewels could not produce this kind of radiance.


    Xu Jingxian used to say she had seen everything in this world, but she could not help being stupefied at this scene.


    At this short moment, she let down her guard.


    When she returned to her senses, she saw some Yangzhen Grass growing in the corner of the cave near some crystals. If one was not paying close attention, they would not have noticed it.


    Xu Jingxian took a step forward.


    Yun Weisi saw an entirely different picture.


    He did not see any crystals.


    Instead, he saw a valley near the main peak of the Sacred Mountain Wan.


    He could not be more familiar with this place.


    Mists were curling up amidst the jagged rocks of grotesque shapes in this ice-cold place, and demonic qi was flowing around. Six people were standing in a circle, bending their fingers while reciting incantations, and lights were suspended in front of them, their expressions solemn.


    Yun Weisi knew the one who was standing with his back turned towards him very well.


    Shizun?!


    His heart started throbbing, and he moved a few steps closer against his will.


    It was the Sacred Mountain Wan of fifty years ago.


    That year, Jiang Li, the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, proposed setting up a Liuhe Zhutian Formation on the Sacred Mountain Wan in order to restrain demons for all eternity.


    Several grandmasters responded to this proposal, and six of them agreed to guard the formation here. Moreover, many other people volunteered to help, and guarded the formation from outside.


    Yun Weisi always wanted to know the truth of this matter. What had actually happened back then, that could even make Jiufang Changming lose control and get seriously injured?


    Although Changming was slowly regaining his memories, this one matter remained a mystery. He could never recall it clearly.


    Yun Weisi never expected to get a chance to go to the past again, and see the truth with his own eyes.


    The formation was half finished, and the lanterns had burnt out by half.


    They only needed to support the lanterns, preventing them from dying out. In one shichen, the spiritual powers from their seals would enter the talisman writing under their feet, and reach the core of the formation. The writing from the six talismans would activate the formation, and the passage would be completely sealed. Demons would then have no means to get into the Human World.


    But, at this moment, something went wrong.


    Yun Weisi saw Changming abruptly invert his seal to the opposite one. The lantern before him quickly fell to the ground, hitting against the talisman writings under his feet and interrupting the flow of spiritual powers into it. The other five persons were wounded to various degrees. But it did not end here. Shizun even unsheathed his Sifei Sword, and threw himself at Ren Haishan, who was standing the closest to him.


    The formation was ruined due to the lack of a final effort. The trapped demonic qi revolted immediately, and poured out, rushing at the six of them.


    Yun Weisi did not expect to see such a truth. Without thinking much, he dashed towards Changming.


    As if the latter had eyes on his back, he quickly turned around with an eerie, enchanting smile on his face. He raised his hand, making a seal.


    The figure reached Yun Weisi in a split second. Yun Weisi did not dodge, and Jiufang Changming¡¯s hand reached his chest!

 CH 80

    Proofread by Snake


    ¡°Changming¡± sealed only thin air, his expression that of visible shock.


    What he had touched was not a warm body, but a weightless puppet that started floating down to the ground.


    A sword glow, that was bright like the sun in the spring morning, appeared out of nowhere, shattering everything in sight into small pieces.


    Spring morning: ¡°chunzhao¡±


    These pieces fell into nothingness, and were nowhere to be seen.


    Yun Weisi was standing in his original place. He had not moved even half a step since the beginning, and the illusion of him dashing forward was recklessly swept away by the sword.


    However, he was not standing in that cave anymore. He was now standing on a long and narrow stone staircase.


    It was so narrow it could only fit one person if they stood sideways. On both sides of the staircase, everything was pitch-black, with a myriad of sparkling stars.


    Yun Weisi turned his head abruptly!


    The point of a Buddhist cane was three chi away from him, completely unmoving, ready to stab his chest from behind at any moment.


    Three chi: 1 m


    Sun Buku showed him a faint smile.


    ¡°Congratulations on your narrow escape, Daozun Yun. If you hadn¡¯t moved half a chi just now, my cane would have stabbed you, taking your life.¡±


    While saying this, he withdrew his weapon.


    Sun Buku¡¯s Buddhist cane was more plain and unadorned when compared to the Golden Beads Staff, even making its owner look somewhat miserable and shabby. However, there were none of the usual pearls encrusted with the figure of Buddha and written chants on the top of the cane. Rather, it was as sharp as a sword. If one looked closely, they would see that it was densely packed with Buddhist scriptures.


    Even if this Buddhist cane could not be called a treasure, it was still an effective weapon in the right hands.


    ¡°You know where we are,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    It was not a question, Yun Weisi was sure.


    Sun Buku definitely knew more than they did.


    Yun Weisi had not actually fought against him often in the past. They bore no grudges with each other, but Daoism and Buddhism were incompatible, and, on top of that, there was also Changming¡ªas a result, they were neither friends nor enemies.


    Others only knew that the Qingyun School had a profound knowledge of Buddhism, and their head, Zen Master Buku, was the best one in the Buddhist sects nowadays. He was gentle, and his voice was soft. No one had ever seen him get angry. It was said that everyone who was fortunate to hear him preach, felt as if a spring breeze had washed over them, and felt their head anointed with the purest cream.


    Their head anointed with the purest cream: enlightened with flawless Buddhist teaching


    Buddhist cultivators were different from secular monks. Some of them shaved their hair, while some did not, because they were more concentrated on cultivating their hearts. If their mental state did not advance, their cultivation would not improve as well, and even shaving every hair of their body would not help, so there were many Buddhist monks with hair. Of course, there were also some who showed their devotion to cultivation by shaving their hair, like Kuhe.


    There was no doubt that Sun Buku¡¯s appearance surpassed that of a common Buddhist monk by far. His elegant and graceful looks easily aroused worldly desires. It was said that there was once someone who was swept away by his appearance right in the middle of him expounding Buddhist sutras, and that person dashed to Sun Buku in front of everybody, begging for his love. Of course, they had not succeeded, but Sun Buku¡¯s nickname, the Jade Tree of Buddhist Sects, had spread.


    But Yun Weisi knew that this was only how Sun Buku appeared to others.


    This man¡¯s thoughts were unfathomable. He was shrewd and silent, and although he often laughed, those were mostly a tiger¡¯s smiles. Him being compassionate and merciful was a delusion of ignorant children.


    Tiger¡¯s smiles: hypocritical smile, wicked thoughts


    ¡°You¡¯ve lived in the Nine Layers of the Abyss for so many years. You should understand the Void Shore very well,¡± Sun Buku said unhurriedly.


    Not only did he understand it well¡ªYun Weisi had been guarding that place for many years, so he knew its layout and rules by heart.


    ¡°There are two treasures in Buddhist sects, which are regarded as the most valuable, and they are actually twin treasures. They¡¯re called the Buddha¡¯s Drums of Kui Pattern [1]. It is said that a long time ago, a deity created the sky, using the skin of the kui dragon, and the drums were made out of a remaining piece of skin. One of them was given to the Qingyun School, and the other one¡ªto the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. After the failure of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, Jiang Li, wanted to close the gap within the Nine Layers of the Abyss. To drive demons away, they needed a Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern. But the Wanlian Buddhist Temple refused to lend it to them, and, although the head of the Qingyun School was inwardly angry, he let Jiang Li borrow the drum for free.¡±


    It seemed as if his words had no connection with their current situation, but, when Yun Weisi heard him mention the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, his expression changed slightly, and he did not interrupt Sun Buku.


    Sun Buku continued: ¡°Since this drum is a treasure of the ancient times, naturally, it has many uses. It can change its size, becoming as large as the universe or as small as dust. It can also create almost anything, from a vast desert to mere seaweed, and is endlessly changing. The Void Shore of the Nine Layers of the Abyss was actually a creation of the Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern. If you combine it with Jiang Li and Chi Bijiang¡¯s abilities to create an appropriate formation that can send people to the past and change the future, you¡¯ll certainly understand how useful this treasure can be.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°You¡¯re implying that we¡¯re now inside a Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern?¡±


    Sun Buku smiled: ¡°Shixiong Yun is deserving of his title as the venerable master of a Daoist sect. You are highly intelligent and can easily make inferences.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Can you go into the past here as well, and change the future?¡±


    Sun Buku: ¡°The Buddha¡¯s Drums of Kui Pattern don¡¯t have such applications themselves. The Void Shore is something JIang Li created by chance while trying to overcome a calamity. Because of this, Chi Bijiang¡¯s life forces were damaged, and she died an untimely death. She was overwhelmed with love, and took the hit for Jiang Li¡¯s sake, blocking the calamity for him. Surely, you know that Jiang Li created the Nine Layers of the Abyss not for the reason he had mentioned to you, that is, not to close the gap leading to the Darkest Abyss.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°He wants to use the whole world as a formation, laying out a new Liuhe Zhutian Formation. The Nine Layers of the Abyss will be one of its pillars, and he used it to correct his mistakes.¡±


    Sun Buku was a bit surprised: ¡°So you actually do know it.¡±


    Yun Weisi asked in reply: ¡°How did you learn this?¡±


    They had come here to rescue Zhou Keyi. As luck would have it, Sun Buku had arrived as well.


    Yun Weisi did not believe in coincidences, but he believed his eyes.


    Sun Buku was in a good mood, so he was not beating around the bush.


    ¡°Because of Chi Bijiang.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°The Wanxiang Palace.¡±


    Sun Buku nodded his head: ¡°Correct. At first, I was investigating Bei Shu¡¯s rebellion, but I happened to meet Chi Bijiang, and I found out a lot from her. It¡¯s a long story, and I can¡¯t tell it in a few words. In short, I followed the vine to get to the mellow, and realized that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple is also involved, so I came here to take a look. I didn¡¯t really expect to find something that bemusing. That means that the death of Shizun Jiufang, the genius of his generation, in the battle of the Sacred Mountain Wan, is suspicious. I suppose that you also want to learn the truth about what happened. Good or evil, he is still our shizun, how can we let people smear his name and throw him into oblivion behind his back?¡±


    Followed the vine to get to the mellow: track down smth by following clues


    Yun Weisi was looking at Sun Buku, trying to understand how much of what he had said had been sincere.


    ¡°But you wanted to kill me just now.¡±


    Words can be used to cover up lies, but Sun Buku¡¯s murderous intent was apparent in his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve almost become possessed. This poor monk couldn¡¯t simply await his doom.¡±


    Sun Buku¡¯s gaze was penetrating, as if he wanted to see through to Yun Weisi¡¯s inner thoughts.


    ¡°Compared to the Ninth Abyss, this place is a minor sorcerer in the presence of a significant one. Given your cultivation, there¡¯s no chance you can get possessed. What could you have seen that almost made you lose control?¡±


    A minor sorcerer in the presence of a significant one: pale into insignificance by comparison


    Yun Weisi did not answer this question. He turned back and started looking for a way out, going down the stairs step by step. He used his spiritual powers to send the Chunzhao Sword ahead as a guide.


    But, akin to a stone sinking in the sea, it found nothing.


    He lowered his head to look down.


    The high stairway under his feet seemed to have neither beginning nor end, stretching into the darkness as far as the eye could see, suspended in the air. No one knew where it began or where its final step was located.


    Yun Weisi dropped a jade pendant down there, but heard nothing even after a long time had passed.


    It was so deep that one could not see the bottom of it.


    Sun Buku was standing near him, making leisurely remarks.


    ¡°If you jump down, you¡¯ll fall into a boundless trap, just like those people in the Void Shore who are indulging in the past. Yun Weisi, since we both want to get out of here, why don¡¯t we work together?¡±


    He seemed to not be in a hurry at all. He was so calm and unruffled that he even sat on the stairs cross-legged, his fingers folded in a lotus gesture.


    Holding a flower, he smiled, just like a Buddha expressing compassion.


    Holding a flower, he smiled: fig. gain a thorough understanding of Buddhist teachings; in this case, I believe, it refers to his gesture


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Keep talking.¡±


    He was not saying much because he did not want to interact with Sun Buku. This person was carefully observing his speech and behavior, while Sun Buku¡¯s ability to read minds was quite impressive, which stood in contrast to his merciful appearance that was refined like a spring breeze and rain.


    Yun Weisi was repulsed by him subconsciously, and was always on guard against Sun Buku.


    Sun Buku said: ¡°The Wanlian Buddhist Temple has been accepting disciples in abundance for years, and has performed miracles to lure crowds of common people to worship them on bended knees. This faith has deepened their spiritual powers, and they have colluded with the Ghost Realm in secret, capturing living souls to refine into ritual vessels, which has enhanced their cultivation bases. After the accident with Bei Shu came to light, the Qingyun School started investigating, finding spider threads and horse tracks everywhere. This time, I took up the matter myself, and I wanted to find some clues during the puja on the fifteenth of the seventh month. I didn¡¯t expect them to be that generous, and use a formation set with their Drum of Kui Pattern to lure us here and trap us.¡±


    Spider threads and horse tracks: tiny hints


    Yun Weisi furrowed in his mind: ¡°Colluded with the Ghost Realm?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Sun Buku thought that Yun Weisi was quite knowledgeable about the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, ¡°Attracted by its fame, common people from every province come to the annual puja of the fifteenth of the seventh month to offer money, fruits and flowers that pile up as tall as mountains. Everyone wants the Wanlian Buddhist Temple to release the souls of their ancestors, and protect their households. In reality, everything is different.¡±


    The Wanlian Buddhist Temple summoned immortal souls, collected ghosts, and tricked them into traps, either taking them under control, or refining them to become evil spirits. However, the Human World venerated them.


    According to Sun Buku, the puja was an outright scam.


    Yun Weisi was thinking about Changming.


    They had gone their separate ways, and Changming was exploring the paths inside the You Capital. Since the Wanlian Buddhist Temple knew about their arrival in advance, they used the Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern to kindly invite them to enter their jar. Their enemies had certainly laid out schemes in the place where Shizun was now, and Changming could hardly avoid countless snares and ambushes alone.


    To kindly invite them to enter their jar: lure into a trap


    Thinking about this, he would inevitably start worrying, but he could not show it lest Sun Buku noticed a clue.


    ¡°Why should I trust you?¡±


    His expression was grave, as if he was pondering over Sun Buku¡¯s words.


    ¡°Since we used to be fellow disciples, I¡¯m taking an oath upon the spirit of our deceased Shizun Jiufang. Until we¡¯ve uncovered the mysteries around the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, I won¡¯t get in your way at all¡­¡±


    Although Yun Weisi¡¯s expression had appeared as serene as Sun Buku¡¯s, at this moment, it looked inexplicably baffling.


    ¡°Your expression is strange, what¡¯s wrong with my words?¡±


    Yun Weisi restrained himself: ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve already rebelled against him, so don¡¯t use his name in your vows.¡±


    ¡°Although Shizun Jiufang and I took different paths, we could still work together. I¡¯m devoted to Buddhism with all my heart, but he thought it beneath his dignity, so of course, I couldn¡¯t approve of him. But, as someone who was pursuing the Heavenly Dao, he¡¯s my role model. I deeply venerate him. Moreover, I know that¡ª¡±


    Sun Buku smiled faintly, ¡°Although you became enemies, you still think of him as your shizun.¡±


    For Sun Buku, Jiufang Changming was a bright beacon. If you catch up with this light, you will become one yourself.


    He believed in Buddhism, but he did not believe in Jiufang Changming.


    But Yun Weisi was different.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s Dao was always Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°Save me ah! Is there anyone here?! Quick, save me!¡±


    The urgent and pitiful cry for help reached their ears, drifting from place to place, neither far away nor close by. It broke their probing conversation that was already at drawn daggers.


    This voice was coming from the cultivator who had opposed Jun Zilan earlier.


    The author has something to say:


    A small scene unrelated to the main text:


    Sun Buku: I¡¯m taking the oath upon the spirit of our deceased Shizun Jiufang¡­


    Yun Weisi: ???


    Zhou Keyi: ???


    Song Nanyan: ???


    Tn:


    [1] Kui pattern: animal pattern of Chinese bronze working of Shang¡ªZhou dynasties. Kui is a mythical creature resembling a dragon.

 CH 81

    Proofread by Snake


    Yun Weisi followed the voice.


    In the impenetrable darkness, this voice sounded close by, as if he only needed to reach out his hand towards it, but, at the same time, it also sounded as far away as if it was at the edge of the heavens.


    ¡°We have three options now,¡± Sun Buku said, ¡°Either we continue going up or down, or we jump from the staircase, or¡ª¡±


    ¡°Chop them down.¡±


    As soon as Yun Weisi finished speaking, he made a prompt decision, and quickly moved. His sword appeared next to Sun Buku at once.


    Sun Buku did not waste his breath either. He raised his Buddhist cane, aiming his attacks at the stone staircase.


    ¡°Every appearance is nothing more than a lie!¡±


    His cane quickly landed, and a golden burst of light blew up the stone stairs, breaking them into tiny pieces. The whole staircase, starting from the point where they stood, crumbled, falling into the boundless void. The two of them now had no surface to stand on, yet they did not fall down either.


    The Chunzhao Sword and the cane were protecting them from behind, enveloping them with dim spiritual powers, preventing the two of them from dropping down into the bottomless chasm like these crushed stones. After some time, when they had almost gotten used to treading on air with no place to step on, Yun Weisi felt his feet touching the ground.


    In a moment, Sun Buku ah-ed lightly.


    ¡°Of course, just as I anticipated.¡±


    What were you anticipating?


    Yun Weisi kept his eyes closed, listening to the sounds near them. But he soon realized that this place was almost completely silent, and not a single noise apart from their robes fluttering with the air reached his ear.


    But there was light under their feet.


    ¡°Look, what is this?¡± he heard Sun Buku say.


    Yun Weisi lowered his head. The source of this light was a smooth stone surface.


    It did not resemble stone¡ªrather, it looked like a mirror.


    The flat mirror was faintly glowing, but he could not tell what kind of light it was at a glance. He felt with his feet that the surface was smooth, and if one was not alert, they could easily fall.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Yun Weisi thought that Sun Buku probably knew.


    ¡°Have you heard of the Mirror Stand of Karma that separates yin from yang, seeing through one¡¯s fate before and after death?¡±


    ¡°The Mirror Stand of Karma,¡± Yun Weisi mulled over these words, ¡°Why would the Mirror Stand of Karma of the Eighteen Hells be here?¡±


    Sun Buku¡¯s intonation was partly amused, partly astonished, and partly lamenting.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to turn the insides of the Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern into the Eighteen Hells of Buddhism either. The drum is truly mysterious!¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°No matter how mysterious it is, it shouldn¡¯t be more profound than the Nine Layers of the Abyss.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, they¡¯re different. The Nine Layers of the Abyss is a formation that Chi Bijiang had set to be the core, and it¡¯s an enormous place that embraces thousands of things of this world, stretching far and wide and overturning the universe¡ªnothing should surprise you there. Humans, demons, spirits and immortals flock to join that place, and the weak fall prey to the strong. Although it¡¯s not easy to leave it, it became the land of happiness for certain people. But everyone who has fallen into these Eighteen Hells suffers calamities and goes through trials, ensnared by the sins they have committed. First, one has to reveal their mistakes in front of the Mirror Stand of Karma, and it will decide where in the Eighteen Hells they are to be tortured,¡± Sun Buku seemed deeply interested, ¡°Who would have expected the Wanlian Buddhist Temple to have such wild ambitions!¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s thoughts were still on Changming, and he honestly did not understand Sun Buku¡¯s excitement.


    In other words, he could never sympathize with Sun Buku.


    But now the two of them were trapped in one place, so Yun Weisi could only put his trust into Sun Buku¡¯s reliability for the time being.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been guarding the Nine Layers of the Abyss for many years, so surely you know that there¡¯s only one thing that can allow one to leave it¡ªfind the core of the formation. This rule is the same for this place.¡±


    Sun Buku walked near the Mirror Stand of Karma and hit it slightly with his cane. He used enough force to make the stone crack, but the mirror surface under their feet did not even tremble, remaining as smooth as ever.


    ¡°Take a guess, where is the heart of this formation? Is it really the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, or is everything just a part of the Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern?¡±


    The Qingyun School and the Wanlian Buddhist Temple were both large Buddhist clans, but there was little in common between them. The Qingyun School was even disgusted with the Wanlian Buddhist Temple in secret because the latter often engaged in secular matters, coveting having authority in the world of common people. Hence, for the past hundred or so years, it had been quite difficult to snatch a talented person from the secular world, and even the one who claimed to be the best in martial arts, Fozun Shenjue, had joined the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. Unexpectedly, he was defeated by Yun Weisi once, even though Yun Weisi was not the revered Daozun Yun Weisi at that time.


    But the You Capital worshipped Buddhism, and the Wanlian Buddhist Temple¡¯s influence could not be shaken easily. Everybody from the Son of the Heavens to the commoners would offer flowers and burn incense on the fifteenth day of every month, and almost every nook and cranny of the city would be full of the scent of sandalwood.


    For reasons unknown, Sun Buku never liked the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. He even avoided it subconsciously when he came to the You Capital, and had never set foot on their grounds.


    But now, in order to investigate the late school head¡¯s death, and the rebellion of their disciple Bei Shu, he had come to these lands, following the threads of the spider web.


    Now it seemed that what he had been avoiding was not the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, but the Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern.


    This thing was an ancient treasure. An incorporeal force was putting pressure on them from all four directions. Those who obeyed it could survive, but those who went against it perished, and Sun Buku did not want to face it.


    He had gone around in circles, but he could not avoid it in the end.


    ¡°I can¡¯t guess it.¡±


    Obviously, Yun Weisi was a bad companion. He had no interest in playing along with Sun Buku, and was still trying to figure out the mystery of the mirror surface.


    Cries for help were coming from afar as before, but they could not determine the source of that sound. The voice crying out had abruptly risen, turning into a long and sharp shriek full of terror, before quickly going silent.


    At the same moment, Yun Weisi observed the mirror platform change. He vaguely saw an image of someone being killed, but it was neither him nor Sun Buku.


    The mirror image was gradually getting clearer.


    The arms of that person had been stretched out, and were bound with an iron chain, so that he could not move at all. His hair was dishevelled and his body was full of blood stains.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s heart suddenly ached, as if something had squeezed it with force. He almost stopped breathing.


    He thought it was Changming!


    But after looking more carefully, he realized that the man was not Changming.


    That was¡ª


    Zhou Keyi?


    ¡°The master of the Jianxue Clan?¡±


    Sun Buku recognised him as well. He squatted to feel the surface of the stone mirror.


    As if Zhou Keyi noticed this, he slightly raised his hand.


    The scene that the mirror was reflecting turned clear little by little, and they could now see Zhou Keyi¡¯s agonized expression.


    There were stone lotuses clustered around his feet. But these lotuses were grey all over, and seemed relaxed and unhurried, as if they were slowly drawing nutrients from Zhou Keyi¡¯s body.


    Zhou Keyi¡¯s expression was as pale as death, as if he was one step away from losing his life.


    There was despair and weakness showing in his eyes. He seemed to be looking at them, but at the same time seeing purely imaginary, distant places.


    To save him or not to save him?


    If they moved, they could very easily fall into a similar situation. Before they had the matter figured out, even though they had high cultivation levels, they would never dare to underestimate the capabilities of the Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern.


    While the two of them were hesitating, the scene slowly changed once again.


    This time, it was Xu Jingxian.


    She was encircled by countless shining slivers of light. They seemed exceedingly beautiful, but she looked as if she was confronting a mortal enemy. She was brandishing her thin silk repeatedly to dispel the vivid lights.


    The lights flew off, and the two of them saw that those were not lights, but the eyes of poisonous snakes.


    These creatures had a quicker reaction than ordinary snakes, and were way more resilient. Under the attack of Xu Jingxian¡¯s spiritual powers, many of them dropped to the ground, but did not die. They swarmed towards her slowly, and charged at her suddenly when she was caught off guard. Their fangs even broke through her protection barrier, and bit her back, making her shed a stream of blood.


    ¡°These are not ordinary snakes, but rather evil spirits. Buddhists call them ¡®unrelenting wrath¡¯. Rumors have it that in the third layer of Eighteen Hells, the Binding Iron Tree, people who have gone against one of certain precepts of Buddhism, who have fallen into wrath or debauchery, are being tortured there. But the last unrelenting wrath in this world was taken down by Fozun Xu Tiancang, the founder of Buddhist sects.¡±


    Wrath: one of ¡®the three poisons¡¯ in Buddhism, that is, one of the three things that cause sufferings


    Why would one appear here?


    Could it be that even nonexistent creatures could appear as illusions in these Eighteen Hells inside the Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern?


    No, this was not a world of illusions!


    Sun Buku quickly rejected his own guess.


    Sun Buku was not an ordinary disciple of a Buddhist sect. His sect used to possess a Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern, and he was the only great talent of the Qingyun School. He had seen and touched it himself, and even felt a natural connection with the Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern. He knew that this place was not an illusion, but reality.


    Then where did these unrelenting wraths come from? Or was everything written in Buddhist scriptures a lie?


    Without thinking much, Yun Weisi lowered his hand. However, he was half a step too late, and the Xu Jingxian from the mirror stand had already disappeared.


    And was replaced by the previous grey stone surface of the mirror.


    Yun Weisi had decided that mere strategy would be useless when confronted with an absolute force, so he called for his Chinzhao Sword. The sword appeared right above the mirror stand, ready to thrust into it.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Sun Buku stopped him.


    ¡°It seems that there¡¯s something going on underneath, listen!¡±


    Knock, knock-knock.


    Knock-knock-knock, knock-knock.


    Regularly accented beats were heard, as if someone was knocking from the other side of the mirror stand.


    ¡°Who is there?¡± Sun Buku asked.


    The knocking sound stopped, but soon started again.


    Knock-knock-knock, knock-knock. Knock.


    This time, it seemed as if it was trying to convey a message.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression froze. The sword light that was about to bear down on the mirror swiftly retreated.


    It¡¯s Shizun.


    Knock-knock-knock, knock-knock. Knock.


    This had happened many years ago.


    The exact time it happened was during the second year of his apprenticeship at the Yuhuang Temple.


    Shizun had told him to meditate in the yard to attempt to gain insight into the matters of this world.


    Yun Weisi had still been very impulsive at that time. He had closed his eyes, and every sound he had heard would turn into noise that made him anxious, and he had been stretched like a bow, unable to relax.


    After he had spent half a day fruitlessly, his shizun finally came out, and sat across from him.


    Knock-knock-knock, knock-knock. Knock.


    Shizun had tapped on the wooden corridor under the eaves.


    Do you know what that means? Shizun had asked him.


    Naturally, Yun Weisi shook his head.


    Think about it carefully.


    Shizun had said this one line, clapped his hands and left.


    Yun Weisi had spent countless days and nights, imitating the rhythm of Shizun¡¯s knocking, and trying to figure out the mysterious meaning of the sound.


    But he had lost hope.


    Even if he put his ear against the slabs, he could only hear ants crawling underneath, raindrops trickling down the eaves and falling onto the steps, and wildflowers blooming slowly. Little by little, Yun Weisi had stopped torturing himself by trying to guess Shizun¡¯s profound meaning, and had gotten carried away with listening to the living creatures of the yard. Gradually, his mind had settled down as well, and, contrary to his expectations, he had managed to break through the barriers in many techniques he had been failing to understand previously for a month.


    Afterwards, he had asked Shizun about the actual meaning of those knocks.


    Shizun had answered, The Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, and three begets the universe.


    The Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, and three begets the universe: from Dao De Jing, 42, the transformations of the Dao. There exist different explanations of this statement. For example, ¡®one is the Void, two are Yin and Yang, three are Heaven, Earth, and Man¡¯.


    This rhythm made Yun Weisi recall these memories in a split-second.


    The tip of his sword fell, following his will, and entered the mirror stand!


    Boom!


    The mirror stand burst into small pieces!


    But the one standing beneath it was not the person Yun Weisi had wanted to see the most.


    The two of them fell right into an ice-cold sea. A salty wave surged up towards them, and the water entered their mouths and noses, submerging them underneath!


    Amidst this total chaos, several slim hands slowly reached them from behind, following the surging waves, and touched Yun Weisi¡¯s shoulders.


    Serene, weak and amourous music reached their ears, making them sink into fond dreams.


    Obviously, it was Changming underneath the mirror stand¡ªexcept for him, who could play this rhythm!


    But why¡­


    Before Yun Weisi could think it through, the hands on his shoulders suddenly pierced his skin, and his fresh blood permeated the water, slowly dissolving away.


    The author has something to say:


    How do you think Sun Buku will react after he sees Shifu who has ¡°come back to life¡±?


    P.S. The Eighteen Hells were altered for this story, they¡¯re not the same as the real ones, there¡¯s no need to compare them.


    Tn:


    At the price of my Weibo account getting deleted, I acquired the following information:


    1. Lamei, Jiang Li¡¯s teacher (please don¡¯t ask me how I choose whether the name should be written in one word or separately) should actually be Luomei (confirmed by MXS), I¡¯m changing it. Sorry for this, I have no idea why on earth I chose the least common pronunciation for Âä, La, it¡¯s an especially stupid mistake ;;


    2. There was also a mistake in c64. MXS originally wrote that the one who mentioned Luomei was Changming, but it should actually be Princess Linglong. I¡¯ve changed it already.

 CH 82

    Proofread by Snake


    The hands floating in the water were even more delicate than the hands of the most beautiful woman in the world. The pale, white skin was glowing slightly in the black sea water. The light from these hands made people¡¯s hearts flutter, stunning them with their beauty. It looked like boneless water grass. Even a man with a heart as tough as iron would inevitably get tempted and distracted by them.


    But hands like these should not have appeared in this place.


    When peerlessly beautiful things appeared at an inappropriate place, the mind would certainly become less bewitched.


    Especially when these hands touched his skin simultaneously. They were charming, yet they brought a sense of horror at the same time.


    Yun Weisi turned around, having suffered an injury.


    As he had been concentrating on his thoughts rather than surroundings, his reaction was a bit slow.


    He saw a woman standing behind his back.


    She was ineffably beautiful.


    One could say that her beauty outshined the moon and put flowers to shame, and could even cause a downfall of a country. However, it would be difficult to use particular words, like ¡°a woman with a rosebud mouth¡±, to describe her appearance. The reason for this was that her features embodied the dreams of every beautiful maiden, and a lament to the Heavens for having created such an outstanding creation, because in her presence, any woman would be outshadowed and discarded away.


    But this face belonged to an evil spirit from the Abyss.


    Her long hair was floating in the water, almost merging with it. Under her slender neck, more than ten hands framed her fair nude chest from either side, dancing and grabbing at thin air. These abnormally long hands with sharp nails had tasted the sweetness of blood, and rushed at Yun Weisi again.


    The Chunzhao Sword moved faster than Yun Weisi¡¯s body.


    As soon as he thought of it, the sword flew forwards, slashing at the nearest arm. Yun Weisi used this chance to retreat, moving a bit further backwards to see the enemy better from a distance.


    The lower half of this woman¡¯s body was connected to seaweed so long he could not see their roots. They were wavering together with the water, but never failed to fling themselves at him. Her long nails were almost leaving marks in the water. The wound that Yun Weisi had received earlier had started to burn hot from pain, which meant that these long curved nails were laced with deadly poison.


    The arm that had been cut off by the Chunzhao Sword was growing back at a rapid rate, and very soon, it had reached its original length.


    This monster had an immortal body.


    If even the Chunzhao Sword could not slash her, what else could?


    Yun Weisi frowned. The woman moved again quickly, and her hair turned into countless vines, throwing themselves at Yun Weisi¡¯s limbs to bind them. His spiritual power kept on carving at them relentlessly, but some fish had escaped the net, wrapping around his limbs tightly and cutting through his skin, sucking away at his flesh and blood. His spiritual power rushed at them again forcibly.


    Kept on carving relentlessly: unflagging efforts


    However, like maggots feeding on bones, the vines never interrupted the assault.


    Sword, come!


    Yun Weisi recited a sword technique, and the Chunzhao Sword flew into his hand.


    He brandished the sword!


    The true sword intention had no need to be gaudy. Wherever the sword glow falls, every creature bows its head, as the sword sweeps away any obstacle.


    Sword intention: (from zhidao & zhihu) intention here means wish, goal, determination and other subjective feelings like this. The intention of a sword depends on and follows the will of its owner. If a person has reached the state where his sword reflects his own mind, his skills must be unprecedentedly high


    A glaring light had enveloped his body, and even the temptress was forced to retreat more than a zhang back. As she stared at it with shock, the sword sliced her into pieces, and the pieces drifted apart in the water.


    But there was no blood.


    The pieces seemed to have been pulled back together by an invisible force, and she merged back gradually, restoring her original appearance once again.


    When the beauty appeared in front of him once again, showing him a smile, Yun Weisi no longer considered her attractive.


    That was the most evil spirit in the world, a demon that was the best at beguiling people away from the righteous path.


    She opened and closed her mouth, as if talking to him.


    Obviously, not a single sound came out of it, but Yun Weisi could hear it in his heart.


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me because you have a demon in your heart.¡±


    She came to Yun Weisi unhurriedly, her hair binding him once again. It was soft and tender, like the gentle soothing of a lover.


    ¡°You think you have this demonic qi under control, but you are mistaken. It is always here, and if it¡¯s triggered at the right moment, it will appear again there, in your human world. Take a guess, what will happen next?¡±


    The tempress¡¯ hands touched Yun Weisi.


    This time, she did not attack him with her nails, because that would have woken him up and let him strike back. Her hair, wrapped around his body, was emitting an intoxicating fragrance.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s eyes betrayed his confusion, and his movements slowed down. Obviously, he had started to lose himself to the delusion.


    The fragrance was getting stronger, lingering near the tip of his nose and flowing inside him slowly.


    ¡°When a forcibly suppressed fire ignites for a second time, it will only cause more destruction. Look at the palm of your hand, hasn¡¯t the red line reappeared?¡±


    Yun Weisi lowered his head in a daze, and vaguely saw the red line that had been subdued by Changming earlier. Now, it was going down to his palm again, winding in all possible ways, wriggling and elongating one turn after another, twisting into an unsolvable labyrinth.


    When did this new one appear?


    Was it when he could not find his shizun wherever he looked, maintaining a calm appearance yet feeling anxious in his heart? Or was it when the flame was raging in his mind, but he had no way to vent out his troubles?


    What the Mirror Stand of Karma reflected was neither the past nor the present life, but the depth of one¡¯s mind, their inner demons they would never mention willingly.


    The temptress smiled seductively, but one of her hands had reached out to his back, moved up silently, and then was raised high up¡ªright above his head!


    This man¡¯s brain, his flesh and blood, she wanted to have everything!


    Suddenly, she froze, her expression panic-stricken!


    The confusion on Yun Weisi had cleared away, replaced with his usual completely indifferent expression.


    The Chunzhao Sword slashed down to her head, splitting it in half. Her astonished face distorted, becoming ferocious and violent. She opened her mouth, but before she could utter a single word, the blinding sword glow reduced her to dust.


    The hair-like sea grass had lost its support, and fell away from Yun Weisi¡¯s body, tumbling into the deepest abyss, right to the bottom of the sea.


    Several locks of the hair were unwilling to relent, and still clung to him, putting up a last-ditch struggle. They wanted to use the rest of the fragrance to lead his mind astray.


    This time, Yun Weisi did not manage to react in time, and was a bit absent-minded.


    His hands, that were about to pull on the hair, dropped down helplessly. The sword seemed to have reflected his inner state, its glow slowly turning dim.


    The alarm bells were ringing deep inside his mind, but his body refused to comply. Yun Weisi had trouble breathing, struggling against his instincts on the verge of losing his consciousness, choosing between his Dao heart and his Demon heart.


    Yun Weisi! Yun Weisi!


    Open your eyes, it¡¯s me!


    A voice reverberated in his ears, and Yun Weisi opened his eyes abruptly!


    The hair that was tying up his body had fallen off, and the person who had grabbed him instead was quickly pulling him upwards.


    The dull Chunzhao Sword brightened up once again.


    This deep sea seemed to have demonic powers in its water, as it could pull people down quickly. But, when a cultivator was fully conscious, the sea had no way to compete against them.


    Very soon, Yun Weisi was half-dragged, half-pulled to the surface of the water, leaving the territory permeated with the toxic fragrance.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Changming said.


    Yun Weisi shook his head, grabbing his hand tightly, as if to determine whether whom he was seeing was not an illusion.


    Changming understood him, laughed, and did not shake his hand off.


    They were drenched after leaving the water, but, unexpectedly, the air was scorching hot. They did not even need to waste their spiritual powers as their clothes had promptly dried up.


    ¡°I saw you just now.¡±


    But Changming¡¯s words could not get through to Yun Weisi, while his spiritual powers had been sealed away. He had thought of another method, the one he had used on Yun Weisi once, when the latter was starting to tread the path of cultivation. But Changming was not sure whether Yun Weisi remembered it.


    As it turned out, he did. Had Yun Weisi not broken the mirror swiftly, they would have been separated once more, and no one could have predicted how long it would take for them to meet again.


    ¡°There¡¯s something strange about this place.¡±


    Changming sighed, got up to his feet and brushed the moisture off his sleeves, while looking around.


    ¡°I¡¯ve also seen Xu Jingxian, but hesitated for a moment, and failed to rescue her in time. Haven¡¯t you set off to find the source of the mysterious light? Why are you here?¡±


    Yun Weisi did not answer him for a while, so Changming had to turn his head and look at him.


    ¡°Yun Weisi?¡±


    Yun Weisi pulled himself together and hummed in response.


    His palm was burning slightly, and he hid it in his sleeve subconsciously.


    His mind was gradually calming down, and even this burn was not hurting that vividly.


    The words that the temptress had said were still ringing in his ears, but he ignored it subconsciously, or, perhaps, on purpose.


    ¡°Sun Buku said that this place is a world created in imitation of the Eighteen Hells.¡±

 CH 83

    Proofread by Snake


    The common people believed in the Six Realms of Rebirth in Buddhism because they wanted to have a hope for a better existence in their next lives. For this reason, Buddhism had teachings about the Western Paradise and the Eighteen Hells.


    The Six Realms of Rebirth in Buddhism: according to the karma one gathers through their life, they will be reborn into one of six types of creatures


    The Eighteen Hells were like mountains of swords or seas of flames, with millstones or ponds of blood ruthlessly torturing people. When a living person arrived at this place after their death and spent a long period of time here under various tortures, their self-awareness would slowly recede. No matter how unbridled their souls were, eventually, they would turn into nourishment for this hell, having been brought under control by the ruler of this place.


    Mountains of swords or seas of flames: an extremely dangerous place


    Millstones or ponds of blood: refers to certain layers of Hell. On the layer with millstones, people are crumbled into pieces; on the layer with ponds of blood, people soak in these ponds


    Out of the two Buddha¡¯s Drums of Kui Pattern, one had been used to build the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and the other had created the ¡°Eighteen Hells¡± in front of their eyes.


    But, in the end, a fake was still a fake. Since this place had neither the Judge of the Hells, nor his messengers collecting souls, the Mirror Stand of Karma could not reflect the virtues or sinful deeds one had accomplished throughout their life. Instead, it could only lead humans¡¯ hearts astray, using the moment of their weakness and to cast an illusion to fish out one¡¯s deepest desires from the depths of their heart.


    Occasionally, a powerful torrent comprising countless slivers of light scattered people away from each other to places they had never heard of. Only a lucky coincidence could reunite those lost people, but more often than not, they would continue wandering alone in the tide up until they were driven to the very edge, where the people would be lost forever.


    This place was not an illusion realm like the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and everything here existed in flesh. If they wanted to leave, they had to find the heart of the formation.


    The moment Changming set foot on the grounds of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, he had realized that this place was abnormal.


    The Wanlian Buddhist Temple was separated into countless small pieces, and each piece had a bond connecting it to the others, as well as a protective screen. If they went towards the main yard in the center, they would not necessarily reach it¡ªrather, they would be sent to a side courtyard. In truth, these places were one with the Eighteen Layers of Hell, and a part of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. They had established the realm with the Buddha¡¯s Drum of Kui Pattern, creating their own world out of thin air. It had deities, Buddhas and humans, and also ¡°evil ghosts¡±¡ªthose whom the ¡°Hell¡± had sent down there to accept their punishments. The whole capital of You, including their emperor, had almost fallen into the hands of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and the sect would have been free to use them as it pleased.


    The reason why they had not spread their influence out to other places was probably because they still had not gathered enough strength, and not because their wild ambitions were limited to this place.


    There was no doubt that from the moment Changming and the others crossed the gates of the You Capital, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been tracking their movements. They were even well aware of the defeat of the Ghost King, as well as of them joining hands.


    At first, Changming only wanted to rescue Zhou Keyi, but the change of circumstances did not allow him to continue with that plan.


    If he wanted to help Zhou Keyi, he had to destroy the Wanlian Buddhist Temple first.


    But it was easier said than done.


    At this moment, he could not even be sure whether Xu Jingxian was alive or dead.


    To either side of the long and narrow stone path, raging flames were rising up to the skies, and the hot air was suffocating them. The sparks were dancing in the air all around, floating towards their clothes, but their spiritual powers were lightly pushing the sparks away.


    If the Nine Layers of the Abyss was an enormous illusion, this place was more grotesque in shape and gaudy in color, where it was nearly impossible to distinguish between deceptions and true disasters.


    If a commoner fell to this place, they would have probably been burnt half to death by the scorching hot temperature of the rising steam.


    Although Changming and Yun Weisi had suffered no loss, it was not a comfortable place for them either. The hot air was lingering and circulating around the two of them, as their spiritual powers could only keep the sparks away. They were covered with a thin layer of sweat.


    The stone path was wriggling and going in circles¡ªthe further they went, the narrower and harder to pass the road became.


    In order to avoid running into unexpected dangers, the two of them were not using the art of sword control, walking on their feet one after the other.


    They seemed minuscule compared to the sea of flames. If someone looked at them from above, the two of them would seem to be close to disappearing.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s heart was pounding a bit too fast.


    It was not due to the shock he had felt after stumbling upon Changming earlier. His heart was beating fast and irregularly, sometimes jumping three or four times faster, and sometimes calming down just like it was normally.


    When his heart had started pounding violently, an even stranger feeling had started filling his heart with neither rhyme nor reason.


    He could not help stretching out his hand to grab Changming¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Slow down!¡±


    Changming stopped and turned back. ¡°Why, is there something wrong?¡±


    Yun Weisi shook his head. His expression was a bit odd, as if he wanted to say something, but decided to hold back instead. In the end, he said: ¡°I smell the aura of a demon ahead.¡±


    Smell..?


    Changming¡¯s heart sank.


    ¡°Show me your hand.¡±


    Yun Weisi stretched out his hand with his palm turned upwards.


    That red line had not moved a single inch, still trapped at the previous location near his wrist. However, he still felt that burn vaguely, and could not get rid of that sensation completely.


    Yun Weisi did not know how to describe what he felt. Nothing had happened, but subconsciously, he was worried.


    He was very afraid of losing his mind suddenly, starting to hurt people, losing control over his spiritual power and making irreversible mistakes.


    Changming saw that the red line had not changed, and sighed with relief. Had Yun Weisi abruptly turned possessed in a place like this, it would be really inconvenient. They had a lot of things to accomplish right now.


    ¡°Walk ahead, I¡¯ll follow behind you,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Changming stopped frowning and stretched his hand out towards Yun Weisi.


    At that moment, Yun Weisi thought of something. It was neither the dangers hiding in this place, nor the strange changes on his body, but the thought that he had never seen his shizun acting gentle like this.


    In the past, Shizun was not only strict with himself. He was even stricter with his demands of his disciple, unwilling to tolerate any mistake.


    It was said that this was the reason why Zhou Keyi had eventually rebelled against him, resulting in the two of them having gone separate ways.


    When Yun Weisi was a youth, although he had endured it silently, he could never accept it.


    Until he went down the mountains to gain experience, and the keen sight and patience he had developed through painstaking practise turned into the key to him gaining the upper hand and saving his life.


    Afterwards, Jiufang Changming had disappeared on the Sacred Mountain Wan, and Yun Weisi had lost the person who had been guarding him silently from behind. He had grown a lot overnight, and in the end turned into a second Jiufang Changming.


    Looking back now, the few years he had spent at the Yuhuang Temple enduring these excessive requests was the only time he had received warmth at this part of his life.


    But what about Shizun? How did he turn into his current optimistic and careless self from that Jiufang Changming who treated every word with seriousness and rarely smiled?


    What had he been through during the last fifty years that Yun Weisi had yet to learn about?


    Even if he was confronting the moody Yun Hai in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, or going through every imaginable kind of danger later, Changming bore these hardships with equanimity, always remaining unperturbed. It was rare to see him frightened or losing self-control.


    ¡°Changming.¡±


    Yun Weisi did not call him shizun, whether accidentally or on purpose.


    Changming hummed. He did not seem to mind it.


    He has really changed a lot, Yun Weisi thought. In the past, Jiufang Changming made a clear distinction between the position of a senior and a junior, and would have never let a disciple act so ungraciously, overstepping his authority.


    ¡°Did you spend the last fifty years in the Yellow Springs after leaving the Sacred Mountain Wan?¡±


    ¡°I suffered a severe wound, and I was living in a state of ignorance. At first, I had no memories at all, and only afterwards did I gradually come to remember something. When my consciousness returned to me, I was already in the Yellow Springs.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there in the Yellow Springs?¡±


    ¡°Birds and beasts that are different from those in the Human World, of which some are rare mythical creatures. Any treasure or herb you might want can be found there. However, where humans¡¯ desires lie, dangers follow. A moment of carelessness can lead to eternal damnation.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m not interested in those treasures, so it was a lot less dangerous for me. Most of the time, I was sitting on dunes and watching the sun set, and the stars rise and pale, wondering who I used to be before and how I ended up here, day after day. My memories wouldn¡¯t return to me regardless, I watched the same scenery countless times, and gradually, my discontent disposition calmed down. I stopped feeling worried about my past, and learned how to admire the repeating movements of stars, noticing changes I never saw in my everyday life before.¡±


    ¡°You found joy in this boring routine?¡±


    ¡°Not really. At first, I was probably compelled against my will. Afterwards, I thought, if I¡¯ve wandered to a place like this, there must be a reason for it. Since I can¡¯t find it for the time being, I should use this chance to work on myself. Then, one day, perhaps I¡¯ll find the answer.¡±


    Changming was walking behind Yun Weisi, but the latter could still feel him smile while reflecting on his past enthusiastically.


    For others, the Yellow Springs was an arduous place brimming with dangers. However, when Changming was talking about it, the Yellow Springs turned into a place for hardening one¡¯s heart.


    Jiufang Changming was indeed different from the rest.


    Yun Weisi could not help but to smile a bit as well.


    Having this drudgery as his routine, being confined in a remote desperate place with no hope, Changming, contrary to what one might have expected, saw a myriad things in nature, and observed stars rotating in the skies, thus revealing a piece of the Heavenly Dao.


    The severe wound was slowly healing itself. Although his memories had not returned, one day, the Jiufang Changming of the past would return.


    And this time, he would sweep away all obstacles, returning victorious from every endeavour.


    Yun Weisi thought that he liked this Jiufang Changming better.


    He was warmer, kinder, and seemed to understand Yun Weisi better.


    Even if he said nothing, it was fine.


    After everything that had happened, including demonic qi entering Yun Weisi¡¯s body and him narrowly escaping death, he would have never thought that one day he would be able to walk together with Changming on the same path, and hear his voice nearby. Even if he spent his whole life like this, standing close to him but never reaching his hand out to touch Changming, he would be perfectly satisfied.


    Do you really think you¡¯ll be satisfied?


    A mysterious voice came from nowhere.


    The seductive voice sounded as if it had come from the darkest depths or from beyond the highest heavens, neither close by nor far away.


    You think it¡¯s enough?


    You don¡¯t want to embrace him and hold him, to let him warm you up, to force him into submission with your body?


    You do. You just don¡¯t dare acknowledge it. Who would have expected the dignified Daozun Yun to plug his own ears while stealing a bell in an attempt to deceive himself and the others one day? Supposing you do want, you can easily accomplish this cherished desire, by trapping him in your arms, and making him your property for ever and ever. He will only be able to look at you alone, and you¡¯ll be able to make him do whatever you want, and he won¡¯t have a chance to resist.


    Plug his own ears while stealing a bell: to deceive oneself


    Have you ever imagined him being overwhelmed by you, gasping for breath passionately, beads of sweat dripping down his neck, he lies in your arms with his robes wide open, looking at you like he is willing to accept you whole? Doesn¡¯t it make the heat rise through your body? Even the most rigid Confucian moralist would never believe in ¡°stopping within the limit of decency when acting on emotions¡±, yet you, Yun Weisi, are actually content with it?


    Stopping within the limit of decency when acting on emotions: Confucius¡¯ quote. Even if you have romantic feelings towards someone, you should act decently¡­


    Shut up!


    ¡°Slow down!¡±


    Yun Weisi raised his head abruptly and froze.


    There was a bottomless overhanging cliff half a cun away from his feet.


    Changming, who had called out to him, quickly stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t stopped no matter how many times I called out to you just now. I was close to drawing my sword. Are you alright?¡±


    Yun Weisi slowly shook his head, his expression calm and unreadable. He was drenched with sweat.


    Changming did not find this strange, since he was sweating as well because of the raging sea of flames.


    A long chain was attached to the edge of the steep cliff under their feet, stretching far away into the darkness to the other side.


    A call for help could be heard from afar, and the voice even sounded familiar.


    The temperature of the air behind their backs was gradually rising. They looked back at the sea of flames, and noticed that it had already swallowed the place, burying the narrow stone path underneath. The raging flames were getting closer to them, and would soon reach their feet.


    They had no choice.


    They looked at each other, and drew their swords in tacit agreement, flying towards the other end of the iron chain.


    Since their enemy was forcing them to move forwards, the two of them would cater to this request and see what kind of herbs were being sold inside the bottle gourd.


    At worst, they would just give a battle, standing with their backs to the river, and, if a Buddha obstructed their way, they would slaughter the Buddha.


    Give a battle, standing with their backs to the river: fight in a desperate situation

 CH 84

    Proofread by P. & Snake


    Xu Jingxian never would have thought that she would see a Spring Palace play upon arriving at the legendary sacred lands of a famous Buddhist sect.


    Spring Palace: erotic


    For some reason, Yun Weisi and the others who had been with her had now dispersed, loitering in the thick forest. That forest seemed to be a part of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, but was at the same time independent of it. All kinds of trees were mixed there in disorder, and the forest could contain a small universe inside of it. Xu JIngxian went towards the edge of the forest. Beasts appeared in a flash, raising sand into the air, and turning stones over, before vanishing again, driven to the other side. She fell into a frozen land covered in snow, and even her spiritual powers were of no use there, failing to protect her. Had Xu Jingxian not advanced in her cultivation and gathered enough experience, she would not have been able to break the barrier around the thick forest and finally come to the place where she was now.


    She had already lost track of time, and had no idea how long it had been since they had seen that mysterious light.


    Perhaps, it had been several shichen, or maybe, even several days.


    This place looked like an ancient grave or an underground tomb.


    Xu Jingxian had not known of Changming¡¯s point of view, that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had gotten a hold of countless fragments, taking control of the whole You Capital. She thought that she had just fallen into a different formation, and was considering the possibility of there being an ancient tomb in the territory of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.


    Although the imperial tomb of the You dynasty was located on the northern outskirts  of the capital, all the previous dynasties here had flourished as well, so an imperial tomb being brought here did not seem strange.


    There was flat green slabstone under her feet. It was covered in colorful murals, depicting the deities of Buddhism, their teachings and sutras. Some people were shown being greeted by beautiful devas after their death. These devas were showing the way to the Western Paradise, the waistbands of their skirts fluttering in the wind, encrusted with gold and jade, their thick hair in tall ponytails. Their graceful appearances could almost outshine the crescent moon, and the paintings were so life-like that even the swallows embroidered on their skirts were glittering in the moonlight, exquisite to the point of being called impeccable.


    Devas: one of the 6 types of creatures one can be reborn into. Basically, they are close to being gods, since they live better and longer than people


    According to folk beliefs, the more feeling there is to a mural, the higher the chance of it attracting the benevolence of a deity, granting its artist and worshippers luck. The murals on the walls at each side of the paved path were definitely unique masterpieces of the highest quality.


    Could these murals be connected to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple?


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s thoughts were wandering as she followed the path. At some point, she suddenly heard moans.


    ¡°Mnnnh¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    She stopped.


    Being a Demonic cultivator, Xu Jingxian could clearly tell apart the moans that were the results of receiving a wound and those from having intercourse.


    The former betrayed suffering, and the latter¡ªpleasure.


    The man and the woman, who were right around the corner, were obviously indulging in the highest pleasure, paying no attention to Xu Jingxian, who was coming closer silently.


    The two of them were lying on the ground. The woman was imitating the movements of a fairy maiden scattering flowers around, with her eyes brimming with tears and face flushed, while the man was playing her as he pleased, and she did not object. Her lithe body was trembling, as if in a Dance of the Deva-Mara, tempting to the point of making one wish to sacrifice their life.


    Xu Jingxian was very interested. She even squatted down to inspect them carefully.


    The couple she was looking at was not ashamed in the slightest, nor was the observer.


    It seemed that they never got tired, remaining in the same position for eternity.


    Where did these two come from?


    This place seemed to be an ancient tomb, and living people should not be here. They had no spiritual powers, and did not look like cultivators. Obviously, they were just commoners.


    But why would commoners partake in a Spring Palace play in a place like this?


    Beautiful music rang out, gradually speeding up.


    Xu Jingxian got a bit tired of staring for a long time, so she rubbed her eyes.


    In a short while, when she opened her eyes again, she found that more than a dozen musicians had surrounded her, and were playing the se,  the sheng, and plucking the strings of other instruments skillfully.


    Se: lute


    Where had they come from? How could they just appear out of nowhere?


    Xu Jingxian blinked, and did not take a step forward rashly, but did not retreat either.


    This song seemed to contain a demonic power that calmed down people¡¯s hearts, making them lose concentration.


    It slowed down her movements as well, and she could not raise a hand or move a foot quickly.


    This place was cool and peaceful, unlike the rest of this place, which was plagued with dangers and mortal perils. Every man and woman here were as beautiful as deities, and they seemed compassionate and peaceful. Even simply sitting here doing nothing did not seem like a bad idea. Was this place not the Western Paradise from legends?


    Xu Jingxian looked into the distance. One of the musicians somehow resembled Changming. He seemed to have noticed her gaze, and raised his head, playing a flute and smiling at her at the same time. He looked graceful and otherworldly, refined like an immortal.


    This smile of his felt like it was taking all the dust of worldly matters away as well.


    She looked to the other side. Isn¡¯t the one playing the zither Yun Weisi? The man had lowered his head, and she could not see his expression clearly, but his posture was very elegant. Xu Jingxian had been fed up with watching people fight evil spirits, and thus the musicians seemed even more pleasing to her eye.


    Heh, isn¡¯t the one playing konghou on the left of the front row Zen Master Buku? He was plucking the strings of the harp gently, thoroughly engrossed in the activity. Xu Jingxian could not help smiling and thought, So even you, the master of the Qingyun School, also have days like this.


    She completely disregarded the abnormality of the situation.


    Great, it seems like everyone is here.


    Xu Jingxian saw a xiao of white jade lying on the ground nearby.


    She knew how to play the xiao. When she used to live with her parents, she had mastered the four arts of a well-educated person: zither, go, calligraphy, and painting.


    As if she had been enchanted, Xu Jingxian went over, picked the jade xiao up, and sat down on the right of the front row willingly, joining the ranks of the musicians.


    Only then did she realise that the person sitting next to her winking at her aggressively had his ear taken. He was ridiculous and ugly.


    Had his ear taken: in Buddhism, an ear is considered a source of sin


    He seems familiar, who is he?


    Xu Jingxian frowned slightly and stopped moving. She suddenly felt as if the painting in front of her was about to attack her. She was frightened, and wanted to retreat immediately!


    Unfortunately, she was half a step too late!


    An overwhelming power pulled her forward. Xu Jingxian tried to stop it with all her efforts, but still could not do anything. For a second, a bright light blinded her eyes, and in an instant, the painting had come to life.


    She finally realized that the man and woman, as well as the musicians seemed overly flat, and not lively enough. But now they suddenly came to their senses, and the man who had been winking at her started to resemble a living person.


    The music sounded even clearer, just like the sounds of nature. The man and woman had already gotten dressed, and were no longer naked from head to toe. But their clothes seemed transparent like clouds letting the spring sunshine through, and they looked even more charming.


    What am I doing here?


    Every single bone in Xu Jingxian¡¯s body was screaming, this is wrong, and she understood it well in her heart, but this understanding was not enough for her to get her sluggish limbs under control. Her movements were slow, yet her mind was burning with impatience as she wanted to tear these thin shackles apart as soon as possible.


    She finally recalled who this person winking at her was.


    It was cultivator Qi Jingu, the one who had been bickering with Jun Zilan all the time.


    It now seemed that Qi Jingu had already figured out that this place was abnormal, and wanted to get rid of the power controlling him, but could not manage to. Thus, he could only try to send her a signal by making that ridiculous and fierce face, unable to say a single word.


    It was different for Sun Buku. Xu Jingxian turned her head slowly to take a look at him.


    Zen Master Buku was still playing the zither, completely immersed in the act, as if he had not noticed her at all, and certainly had no intention of raising his head and partaking in their ¡°winking¡±. It seemed that for him playing the zither was the most important thing he could do.


    Could it be that the imposing master of the Qingyun School is but an exterior of gold and jade, with good looks yet no real worth?


    Exterior of gold and jade: ¡­but inside is only rotten material: no abilities, only good appearance


    Then what about Yun Weisi, where has he gone? Could it be that he had also been dragged here? If Sun Buku is playing a zither, then what¡¯s Yun Weisi doing, beating a drum?


    Frantic thoughts were flashing through Xu Jingxian¡¯s mind as she was trying to imagine Yun Weisi beating a drum with his stone-like expression. She even laughed at this thought in her head, but, unfortunately, the corners of her mouth were rising too slowly, one of the corners a bit faster than the other. From Qi Jingu¡¯s point of view, that looked infinitely weird.


    Unfortunately, he was not in much better shape himself.


    The music resembled some of the Buddhists¡¯, and sounded a bit like what one could hear during the sacrificial rites of a Buddhist sect. However, it was more pleasing to the ear, and brought a kind of ethereal lightness, making people forget every distress they had in the world. Xu Jingxian¡¯s thoughts cleared up without her noticing it, but her movements as she was playing the song have become even more skillful, as if the music was being born in her heart, and she would be able to recall it under any circumstances.


    Some time passed, and the song was finally coming to its final note. The dancers slowed down as well. Xu Jingxian¡¯s lips felt numb, yet she played the last note on her flute correctly, like a puppet.


    Before she could heave a sigh of relief after the song had ended, she saw the dancing man and woman leave, holding hands. The others put aside their musical instruments, and stepped aside, making way for the two of them and joining the procession afterwards.


    What on earth are they up to?


    Xu Jingxian was shouting loudly in her head, but her body would not obey her. Lining up behind Qi Jingu, she followed the rest of them. Sun Buku was standing at the front left, holding the zither in his hands merrily like an exemplary scholar.


    The stone path was rather long. At first, there were only moonlight pearls illuminating their way, but it was still quite dark. But for some reason their path was gradually becoming more and more well-lit.


    Xu Jingxian was doing her best to observe her surroundings, and noticed, to her surprise, that the ground was made of gold, and the moonlight pearls to the sides of the road had transformed into rhinoceros horns. The tips of the horns were faintly glowing with white light, covered in colorful glass and brilliant ornaments. The gold bricks were blindingly bright in the light cast by the horns, so the path ahead of them was perfectly clear.


    The noblemen were collecting rhinoceros horns and treasured them deeply, but they were still inferior to these ones. There were white circles on the tips of these horns, which made them look even more aesthetically pleasing. Xu Jingxian remembered that there were ice rhinoceroses living under the glaciers of the North Sea. They were snow-white all over, almost transparent, their horns bright, as if they were made from glass with spiral patterns on top. This kind of beast was extremely rare. Some cultivators had been waiting for half of their lives in the North Sea, yet would not even see a single hair on one of these rhinoceros¡¯ bodies. However, this place was sumptuously using the horns as candles, which was a wanton misuse of nature¡¯s resources.


    Moreover, Xu Jingxian had noticed murals on the walls. They depicted a couple, a man and a woman, dancing excitedly, their silk clothes slipping down, and crowds of people playing music behind their backs.


    The more Xu Jingxian looked at them, the more frightened she became.


    Because she suddenly noticed herself in the murals!


    The woman was playing a xiao of white jade, while the color of her dress and the way it was styled was the same as hers. Although her head was lowered, her discontent posture also perfectly resembled Xu Jingxian¡¯s.


    And the ones close to her, a winking young man and a concentrated man playing a zither¡ªweren¡¯t they Qi Jingu and Sun Buku?


    Xu Jingxian thought that she had seen a lot. She had the right to look down on most outstanding heroes, with some people from the largest clans and grandmasters living in dense forests in recluse being the only exception.


    But what she had seen today was really too bizarre.


    If this was an illusion, why was she aware of everything that was going on? If it was not an illusion, how could a mural depicting her appear?


    After she had taken ten more steps, the murals changed. The musicians were still going forward, led by the dancing pair. They seemed solemn and respectable. Was this how they looked now?


    She quickly looked ahead of her. After enduring another ten steps, Xu Jingxian saw new murals.


    This time, there was a Buddha drifting up in a circle, looking down at them from the skies, having hitched the propitious clouds up. The people were kneeling in front of the Buddha, and looking up at the sky respectfully, as if they were listening to the deity¡¯s instructions attentively.


    The expression on the deity¡¯s face could not be mistaken for compassion. He was aloof and remote, as if watching the living creatures from far above, regarding the humans under him for ants. Whether he would crush them with his feet or not, depended on the deity¡¯s mood completely.


    A certain woman in the crowd attracted his attention. Xu Jingxian felt that it was her.


    What would happen next?


    She was fighting her curiosity with difficulty, waiting for the crowd to move up to the next mural.


    The tranquil spirit of the upper mural had dispersed, disturbed by the Buddha bursting with rage while pointing at them, as if preaching. The sky fire had descended to the earth, punishing the humans who were now crawling on the ground, submerged in a blazing sea of flames. Everyone, including Xu Jingxian, was wailing amidst the flames, their expressions distorted by agony. However, not one of them could escape the fate of turning into ashes.


    After that, the murals stopped abruptly.


    In other words, the stone passage had come to an end.


    Now, they were inside a huge and magnificent round hall. As far as the eye could see, everything was paved with gold bricks. In the center of the hall, a statue of a deity was towering over the other sculptures of Buddhas surrounding it. Looking at him, Xu Jingxian felt that he was somehow familiar, but she could not recall his name. It was likely that he was a famous ancient fozun from the Buddhist sects. That incorporeal pressure was growing, making it hard for her to even breathe. She straightened up subconsciously, and even felt an urge to kneel down.


    Such pressure?!


    Xu Jingxian was terrified. This kind of strength did not resemble anything from the Human World, going far beyond what an expert cultivator like herself could exert. Even if it was Jiufang Changming¡­


    Could it be that deities actually did exist in the world?


    Everyone was saying that the deities of the past had either perished, or ascended. The last cultivator from the human World to ascend was Luomei, the founder of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, the shifu of Jiang Li. Since then, no one had managed to break through to the next realm, shattering the Void and becoming an immortal.


    But Luomei was a Daoist cultivator from a sword clan, so he had nothing to do with the Buddha.


    Qi Jingu, who was standing next to her, had already bent his knees. Obviously, he was trying to resist, and his legs were quite stiff, deserving to be called straight and unyielding. When they clashed with the gold bricks, Xu Jingxian heard a sour rumble. Xu Jingxian was able to hold on for a couple more breaths, but in the end still kneeled together with him.


    However, when she saw Sun Buku kneeling as well, her heart filled with delight and pleasure. She wanted to say, You dared to threaten me before, but aren¡¯t you allowing yourself to be ordered around now!


    As this thought formed in her mind, something started falling down in front of her eyes. Xu Jingxian took a closer look and realized that it was petals.


    They were fluttering in the air, descending from heaven, spotlessly white, accompanied by a delicate fragrance. The petals had covered the floor all around them.


    They were paving the floor, and nothing else was moving in the hall. The sound of music was coming from some other place, the song faintly audible, like Heavenly music.


    ¡°You are all bound by karma.¡±


    Xu Jingxian froze upon hearing the loud voice, rumbling like a large bell. All of a sudden, the Buddha opened his mouth, shaking Xu Jingxian¡¯s ears with the loud voice, as if there was a hammer striking her heart again and again.


    ¡°No matter what disastrous decisions, sinful wrongdoings and malicious deeds you have accomplished in your past, you only need to put aside the cleaver, turn your head to see the shore, and you will be able to turn into a Buddha.¡±


    ¡°Freeing yourself from restlessness, refining your bodies, adhering to the vows both in thoughts and deeds, standing by integrity. Everything in your past was nothing but lies, and the red dust of mortal affairs, obsession with finding the truth and earning a name, all those desires. Where the law is uncertain, it will eventually be obtained. Be merciful to others as you are to yourself. Today, you have crossed the gates. Tomorrow, you might become a Buddha, reach the Western Paradise or become an immortal, leaving suffering behind and turning to compassion and enjoying happiness¡­¡±


    Xu Jingxian felt every word enter her body, as if by some kind of dark magic, binding her and rendering her motionless. Her mind was also led astray, and she saw herself entering a land of hundreds of blossoming plants and exotic creatures, where phoenixes were gently singing their songs. Smiling people were coming and going, the hems of their robes and ribbons dancing in the wind, with deities and immortals all around. They saw her, but not only did they not reveal the usual revulsion or amusement upon seeing an intruder, they even stretched their hands to Xu Jingxian, encouraging her with smiles. It was as if she had always been one of them, yet they had been separated by misfortune for a long time, but eventually she had returned.


    Could it be that I actually used to be an immortal?


    She thought in a daze, and not a single part of her rejected that idea.


    ¡°Qi Jingu!¡±


    The statue of the Buddha suddenly called his name.


    ¡°You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, yet you pursued the way to immortality with your heart, leaving your home in spite. Because of your departure, your parents caught a severe disease. They sent over a letter, but could not hold on long enough to see you return. You were unfilial and disloyal. Yet what have you achieved today? You are nothing but one face in a crowd of mediocre people!¡±


    Xu Jingxian trembled, trying to turn her gaze. From the corner of her eye, she seemed to have noticed Qi Jingu¡¯s shoulders heave slightly, as the words made his head drop, and he felt too ashamed to show his face.


    ¡°Xu Jingxian!¡±


    As her name was voiced, she shuddered. Her mind was influenced by it, and she was forcibly dragged away from the Western Paradise, falling into the abyss of misery with no chance to break free from its shackles.


    Abyss of misery: lit. sea of bitterness: eternal suffering of the life that Buddhists strive to break from


    ¡°You were destined to practice Buddhism from the day you were born, but you were seduced by the empty words of unorthodox sects, entering a Demonic sect. Having taken one wrong step, you were bound to take another. Had you been cultivating Buddhism all this time, and been a virtuous monk today, would you have ever stooped so low?¡±


    Hearing these words, Xu Jingxian thought that joining a Demonic sect was indeed a mistake she had no way to rectify. She could not help but feel grief welling up inside, and her eyes almost teared up. She fell onto the floor heavily, listening to the guidance from the skies.


    There seemed to be a small voice echoing in the depth of her heart, doubting: Why am I listening to you? My great self has suffered for several years to become a master of Demonic cultivation, how can a single word from you dismiss my achievements?


    But this thought was quickly washed away by cold water, leaving no trace. She only felt respectful and sad, pious with all her heart.


    ¡°Sun Buku!¡±


    ¡°As a disciple of a Buddhist sect, you should be sincere and devoted, promoting Buddhist doctrines. Yet devilish, heretic thoughts were born deep inside your heart, and you even questioned the doctrines of Buddhism?! What about your Buddhist heart?! You have long since let demons enter your body, and you do not deserve to be a part of my Buddhist sects!¡±


    The voice coming from above was harsh, more and more stern with every other word. Even though Xu Jingxian was not the one being denounced, she paled from the pressure, gasping for air.


    Xu Jingxian felt as if she was being ripped apart. On one hand, she was trembling with fear and trepidation, and did not dare refute a single word, kneeling at the feet of the Buddha and awaiting it to pass the judgement. On the other hand, she was watching the scene from aside, resenting his statements. She desperately wanted the second half to take over, and struggled against the heavens themselves. She was drenched with sweat.


    ¡°What are these Buddhist doctrines?¡±


    A clear voice abruptly questioned the Buddha. Going over the crowd, the voice flew to the statue of the Buddha.


    Xu Jingxian felt the pressure ease up a little, and she raised her head with effort, looking at the person speaking.


    ¡°What is a Buddhist heart, what are heretic thoughts?¡±


    Sun Buku dared to ask the supreme Buddha three questions in a row!


    He even got up to his feet, and raised his head to look at the Buddha directly.


    ¡°Buddhism is the rectification of one¡¯s self, and my Dharma is Dharma indeed. In my opinion, you¡¯re masquerading as a Buddha here, which is precisely what heresy is!¡±


    Not only were his words arrogant, but not a single trace of fear showed on his face.


    The Buddha was enraged: ¡°You delirious child! How dare you be so impudent!¡±


    Xu Jingxian could almost feel the Buddha pointing a finger at Sun Buku.


    ¡°You all are heretics. May you be condemned and sliced into a thousand pieces, no one would regret your deaths!¡±


    As soon as the word ¡°deaths¡± sounded, a glittering golden ¡°…e¡± symbol appeared in the air, shooting towards Sun Buku!


    Sun Buku laughed: ¡°So nowadays you also aspire to leave the secular world and become Buddhas. Buddhism has come to its lowest indeed, and demons are running amok!¡±


    As he was saying this, a cane appeared in his hand, and he brandished it. In a flash, the scene in front of them crumbled as a mural falling to the ground. Xu Jingxian got up on her feet, her thin silk back in her hands.


    You have the nerve to trick this esteemed lady!


    She sneered and stretched out her hand ruthlessly.


    The world had been turned upside down, the heaven falling and the earth cracking.


    The author has something to say:


    Xiao Xu¡¯s and Sun-er¡¯s point of view is more important now. They¡¯ll drag out the boss of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, so there¡¯s a lot of text describing their adventure. Originally, I didn¡¯t intend to let Changming and Yun Weisi enter the stage in the next chapter, but, contrary to my expectations, they will appear.


    Tn:


    The musical instruments from the chapter:


    se


    zither (qin)


    sheng


    xiao


    Jingu (jin ¡ª gong, gu ¡ª drum)

 CH 85

    Proofread by P. & Snake


    Once the murals had peeled off the walls, the statue crashed to the ground, and the Buddha that had enveloped the skies was dragged down by Sun Buku. Golden and silver sheets fell off the statues, like paint from forsaken clay monuments, and they lost their sacred touch.


    The pressure that had been crushing them eased, and Xu Jingxian used this opportunity to approach Sun Buku and stand behind him. If they met a deity, they would slaughter it; if they chanced upon a Buddha, they would slaughter it as well.


    The people who had been playing the se and the sheng turned deathly pale. In shock due to the disaster, they were unable to make a single move. Their faces lost all color, and started visibly wearing off as they were turning into piles of dust.


    Amidst the chaos, Xu Jingxian saw Qi Jingu regaining control over his body and standing up like her, slashing the head of a Buddha statue with his sword.


    The two of them were staying close behind Sun Buku. Clouds of dust were rapidly swirling around them, forming cyclones. Had their spiritual powers not been protecting their bodies, they would have turned into pools of blood a long time ago.


    The world glittering with gold had fallen apart, but what they were seeing in front of them was not a new path leading forwards, but¡ª


    Wherever they looked, everything was ash grey.


    Xu Jingxian felt her feet stepping onto nothingness, so she quickly climbed onto her thin silk, and floated down.


    She looked around, but saw nothing but grey.


    She was almost convinced that her eyes were failing her.


    But once she raised her head and saw the starry sky above, she gradually came to her senses. Xu Jingxian finally understood that her eyes were working just fine, but there were grey boulders all around obstructing her view and fooling her eyes with an illusion of emptiness.


    She stretched out her feet to feel the ground. She was standing on soft, fresh grass, and not on gold bricks.


    The boulders towering above her were taller than one zhang, clustered together so tightly that she could see nothing else.


    ¡°What the hell is this place, why is there no end to it!¡±


    Qi Jingu raised his hands to his cheeks. All the winking he had been doing had almost made his eyes roll out, and now his face was aching.


    Xu Jingxian glanced at him once, but said nothing.


    She was more interested in Sun Buku, who was investigating the boulders in front of them.


    These two masters of cultivation were different.


    Having obtained the Yangzhen Grass, Xu Jingxian had broken through her barrier, reaching the level of a master in a single leap. But Sun Buku had become a master a long time ago through his own efforts, without the help of some external sources. That was why the pressure from the Buddhist statue that rendered Xu Jingxian breathless did not manage to bring down Sun Buku.


    That was how different masters of cultivation could be.


    Xu Jingxian felt that she had been too careless. From the moment she had gotten hold of the Yangzhen Grass, she had been acting as though all her troubles had been solved, and cultivating a lot less diligently. She had forgotten that the world was enormous, and there was always someone better than you. She had risked her life several times since she had left the Nine Layers of the Abyss, facing one danger after another¡ªbut just now, she had almost been reduced to being a puppet to be played with.


    She thought about Clan Master Zhou¡¯s cultivation level, and about the Jianxue Clan massacre. The Wanlian Buddhist Temple was not as simple as she had thought it to be.


    At this point, she was terrified by the conclusions she had drawn, and did not dare say anything to Sun Buku without granting him proper respect.


    ¡°Great Master, thank you so much for your preaching. You have saved this girl¡¯s life.¡±


    She came towards him, trying to suck up to Sun Buku. Even if a man¡¯s heart was made of ice, her sweet, affectionate voice would have melted it.


    But Sun Buku was still looking at a boulder indifferently, and did not cast her a single glance, as if the pattern on the stone was a hundred times prettier than Xu Jingxian, and exquisite as a flower and as refined as jade.


    Xu Jingxian complained silently, and looked at the boulder as well.


    As soon as she took a look, she was fascinated by it.


    The surface of the stone was densely packed with engravings. At first, they seemed to be scattered in disorder, but it was in fact an accurate representation of the Twenty Eight Mansions. Upon careful observation, one could notice that there were even more pictures outlining the whole universe.


    Twenty Eight Mansions: there are 28 constellations in Chinese culture, 7 for each of 4 sectors on the sky


    Having looked at them for a while, Xu Jingxian felt how miserable her own self was. The heavenly bodies were slowly circling the boundless universe, and she could only look at them in awe. She knew for sure that the secrets of the sky were countless, and no matter how hard she looked, she could not see through their meaning.


    This feeling was not nice at all.


    Cultivators never stopped on their path of pursuing the truth, whether they were from a Demonic or a Daoist sect. Even the smallest clue, properly exploited, could benefit them greatly. Even if it was not sufficient for ascension, it would at the very least help them break through to another realm.


    If one did not possess such a curious heart, it was better for them to settle down and live peacefully as a common person, swarm as a fly and grovel like a dog for several decades, and then put their hand down, kick their legs and close their eyes in death and start anew.


    Swarm as a fly and grovel like a dog: seek profit shamelessly


    Kick their legs: kick the bucket


    The long Dao was full of dangers, and every cultivator knew that in their heart.


    Right now, Xu Jingxian felt as if she was looking at a treasury filled with the most valuable artefacts. However, even if she devoted her whole life to it, she would still not have been able to find a key to the vault and open the door inside.


    It was close, yet out of reach.


    Could it be that her perception was limited?


    She had managed to become a master at her age. Although luck had played a major role in her progress, it would not be possible without her efforts. Had she only been reliant on her fate, her bones would have been rotting away in some nameless place. How would she have gotten that far!


    No, I refuse to give up! There must be a clue in the stars; I will pierce through the mystery!


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s breath was becoming heavier as she opened her eyes. She could not help but reach out her hand, as if she was trying to grasp at something that was trying to slip away.


    But what she grabbed was thin air. Suddenly, someone pushed her rudely from behind!


    She blinked and once again saw the lawn surrounded with the boulders, and Sun Buku standing in front of her. Where was the vast cosmos and the reflections of the distant past?


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s chest was aching so violently she could barely endure it. The corners of her mouth felt itchy. She raised her arm and saw blood on the back of her hand.


    She had been possessed.


    ¡°Thank you for the rescue, Zen Master,¡± Xu Jingxian whispered.


    It was not just the corners of her mouth now. Blood was also flowing from her eyes and nose. Had Sun Buku not stopped her with a timely shout, she would have bled to death.


    The Wanlian Buddhist Temple that always seemed to keep its nose clean was apparently way more complicated than they had ever imagined it to be. Although Xu Jingxian had a high cultivation level, she had clearly been fooled.


    Sun Buku smiled faintly: ¡°You¡¯re a Demonic cultivator, yet you are following Yun Weisi. Who would have thought he¡¯d agree to take you with him? That¡¯s interesting.¡±


    Xu Jingxian paused: ¡°Does Daozun Yun loathe Demonic cultivators?¡±


    Sun Buku: ¡°He had never shown leniency to any of them in the past. Could it be that the two of you are¡­?¡±


    Xu Jingxian quickly interrupted his wild fantasy.


    ¡°Daozun Yun is not constrained by rigid sectarian prejudice anymore! Moreover, in a place like this, anyone would be under pressure, Demonic cultivators and Daoists alike! How does Zen Master intend to leave this place?¡±


    In addition, Qi Jingu¡¯s cultivation was far beneath that of Sun Buku or Xu Jingxian. He had also been led astray by the star formations on the boulders, and was now scratching his head and shouting loudly. Afterwards, he fell to the ground and started rolling on it, bleeding all over.


    Sun Buku looked at him aloofly, with no intention of lending him a helping hand.


    Xu Jingxian noticed that his expression was almost indifferent and detached, with no hint of compassion that he was supposed to exhibit as a Buddhist cultivator.


    Even if he had forced it, he probably would not have been able to fake a shred of sadness or pity for human life. He was more similar to the icy statues of Buddha that usually caused Xu Jingxian to have headaches.


    Her thin silk dashed forward, touching Qi Jingu¡¯s shoulder.


    He took two steps forward and fell onto the ground again, his expression vacant and lifeless. Some time passed, yet he still had not reacted.


    Xu Jingxian knew that he had already been possessed.


    He had certainly been tempted from the beginning, from the very moment he set foot on the ground, but his cultivation was nothing compared to that of Xu Jingxian or Sun Buku. As the strange aura poured into him, Qi Jingu had no way of stopping it, and fighting it was out of the question. His whole body had quickly been contaminated.


    ¡°Were these marks representing stars drawn specifically to drive cultivators crazy?¡± Xu Jingxian could not hold back the words, but it was a rhetorical question.


    She did not even hope to get an answer from Sun Buku, but, unexpectedly, he spoke.


    ¡°No. This star arrangement contains countless secrets of nature,¡± Sun Buku¡¯s voice seemed to be carrying a hint of sorrow over the fact that he could not see through them.


    Nature¡¯s secrets were not something one could comprehend immediately upon taking a peek at them. It was quite common for someone who had started investigating them to get stuck in one place forever. If they did not have enough self control, much like Qi Jingu, they would go insane, losing every chance to recover.


    His mind was forever captured in the moment he saw a glimpse of the mystery, and he would circle around the truth never to leave the trap.


    Sun Buku had also been enticed to sink into the depths of a truth-seeking endeavour. However, a thought had appeared in his mind, and his body had been immediately alerted as this moment of vigilance brought him back to reality.


    Xu Jingxian wondered: ¡°There must be people knowledgeable enough to create this in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple?¡±


    Sun Buku touched the stone: ¡°We¡¯re not inside the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, we have been transported elsewhere. These mysteries are something the ancient deities left before ascending. Those who are able to see through them will also have a chance to leave the Human World.¡±


    Elsewhere?


    Xu Jingxian thought of something and blurted out: ¡°The Sacred Mountain Wan?¡±


    Sun Buku nodded slightly.


    Although the boulders were obstructing the view, there were crevices in them. They could probably leave, moving along the cracks, but the two of them were in no hurry.


    They did not dare to investigate it thoroughly either. After all, this place was a historical remnant. Who knew, maybe, if they stayed a bit longer, they would be able to stumble upon something of worth.


    But before such an opportunity appeared, two men came.


    Their figures appeared from a crack in a boulder.


    Xu Jingxian was both surprised and happy.


    ¡°Daozun Yun!¡± She did not dare to call him daoyou anymore.


    Yun Weisi clasped his hands behind his back and hummed, looking especially elegant all over, as if he did not want to seem lacking in anything in front of Sun Buku.


    Sun Buku looked at him as well. They said nothing, but Xu Jingxian could almost feel lightning and thunder between the two of them.


    She silently took a few steps aside, having no intention of turning into the pond fish that had run out of luck.


    Pond fish: from the ¡°when the gates are on fire, the fish in the pond suffers¡±


    Another man was standing next to Yun Weisi. It was Jun Zilan, the cultivator who had been leading the way when they had entered the cave. Compared to the other two, his presence seemed a lot weaker. Seeing that the two of them had remained silent, he stamped his foot.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found a way out, follow me! We can¡¯t stay here, this place might collapse at any moment!¡±


    He approached Qi Jingu and stretched out his hand to pat him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Daoyou Qi, are you alright?¡±


    Qi Jingu turned his head abruptly. His bulging eyes had turned red, and he tried to grab Jun Zilan as fast as a lightning bolt, roaring in a low voice.


    Jun Zilan ah-ed and jumped back nimbly as a rabbit, so Qi Jingu grabbed nothing.


    Before he even got on his feet, his sword slashed in Jun Zilan¡¯s direction. Jun Zilan dodged and kicked Qi Jingu.


    Qi Jingu¡¯s back hit against a rock, and his body stiffened.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Yun Weisi urged them. Xu Jingxian vaguely felt the earth tremble under her feet, shaking the boulders, which meant that they could crumble at any second. She swiftly caught up to Yun Weisi.


    Sun Buku did not say much, and followed them too.


    Jun Zilan, who had been making noise just now, calmed down.


    As they were going through a crevice, Xu Jingxian suddenly saw a flash of light ahead.


    There were no gold bricks, and no starlight. The sky above their heads was pitch-black.


    The light spilling through the cracks in the stone was dim and soft, like that of a lantern that was eager to offer peace and warmth to tired travellers. Xu Jingxian thought that it resembled the candlelight her servants at Lingbo Peak used to light as night fell.


    Xu Jingxian relaxed a bit, and took a step forward carelessly, even getting ahead of Jun Zilan by half a step.


    Suddenly, she felt a burst of spiritual power rushing at them from behind!


    Xu Jingxian came to her senses abruptly, taking a step to the side. The spiritual power brushed by her cheek and flew forward.


    She realized that this attack was not aimed at her, but at Jun Zilan.


    Jun Zilan took a couple of steps back, covered his shoulders and slashed his sword at the approaching man.


    The man waved his sleeves, faintly smiling. He flew back freely, and landed right next to Sun Buku.


    Sun Buku did not react at all.


    He was staring at the man, his face betraying his astonishment and fear, as if he was looking at a ghost.


    Although it only lasted for a second, Xu Jingxian managed to seize this opportune moment.


    She could not have been more familiar with the man, but to Sun Buku, he was a corpse that had risen from the dead.


    ¡°Jiufang. Changming?¡±


    As Sun Buku said his name, the man, contrary to Sun Buku¡¯s expectations, smiled at him.


    It was the very same person¡ªthe Jiufang Changming from the past. But, that Jiufang Changming would never have smiled this way.


    ¡°Is the fact that I¡¯m still alive such a shock for you?¡±


    Tn:


    I¡¯m very busy with studying&working right now, so it¡¯s going to be 1c/week, sorry¡­

 CH 86

    Proofread by P. & Snake


    An illusion, a puppet, a trap.


    All kinds of chaotic guesses flashed through Sun Buku¡¯s mind in a split second.


    He concentrated his attention on Changming. The latter was standing motionless like a mountain, allowing him to look as much as he pleased.


    Xu Jingxian sensed Sun Buku enveloping his body with an oppressive aura of spiritual powers in a flash. It was so strong that she almost fell to her knees on the ground.


    Despite that she still managed to stand, while gritting her teeth. However, Jun Zilan could not. He took a few steps back with a terrified expression on his face.


    At the same time, Changming¡¯s face was unperturbed, although his sleeves started fluttering despite there being no wind. They were already raised, as if he could catch a ride on the fair wind and fly away at any moment.


    The two of them were actually fighting!


    Xu Jingxian suddenly understood.


    One of them was exerting an atmosphere of raw violence, gradually pressing forward, and the other had drawn a bow ready to shoot. The situation was tense.


    It seemed that there were no good feelings left between them.


    The master has reunited with his disciple, and they are starting off like this?!


    Xu Jingxian thought about it again. When Clan Master Zhou saw Jiufang Changming, his reaction was not that different.


    But it was not the same either.


    Zhou Keyi was seething with hatred, almost spitting anger, and just wishing he could unleash the decades of his loathing towards Changming.


    Sun Buku was not like this.


    His expression was tranquil, soft even, and the corners of his lips formed a faint smile. The thought of killing Changming was not showing in his eyes, but the murderous qi left no room for doubt.


    Sun Buku wanted to kill Changming!


    And he was already at it!


    Xu Jingxian was frightened, but also puzzled over one thing.


    No matter what kind of grievances there were between the two of them, even if there were many, and Sun Buku really wanted him dead, why would he immediately try to kill him while outwardly expressing no killing intent?


    Was he just testing Changming¡¯s boundaries, or did he want to kill him for real?


    If he wanted to kill, why did it not show on his face?


    If he wanted to kill, he should be quick, precise and deadly.


    These thoughts flashed by in her mind extremely quickly, and then, Sun Buku struck the ground with his cane. The spiritual powers swiftly scattered around like waves, then gathered in one point, and rushed towards Changming, strong enough to topple mountains and overturn seas!


    Changming raised his hand, moving his index finger in a sword controlling way. The gesture was plain and inconspicuous, almost random.


    ¡°Sword, come.¡±


    The Sifei Sword obeyed immediately, its glow nearly reaching the sky, like that of a flying immortal. It broke through the barriers with irresistible force, as if it was cutting through bamboo shoots, pressing forward all the way to Sun Buku¡¯s face.


    The swell on the ground was flowing violently as the cane trembled, emitting circles of white light.


    The two spiritual treasures were hanging midair, matched in strength.


    Xu Jingxian noticed an abnormality.


    Yun Weisi was not trying to interfere.


    In the context of him always trying to protect Senior Jiufang, it was weird to see him remain an indifferent bystander.


    But not only did he remain one, his expression was also completely apathetic.


    It seemed that the death of the men in front of his eyes was irrelevant to him.


    Yun Weisi uttered one sentence.


    ¡°This Jiufang Changming is a fake.¡±


    Xu Jingxian froze.


    For a while, she could not process this information.


    Yun Weisi kept talking.


    ¡°Shizun is fighting Shengjue further ahead this road, so this Jiufang Changming must be a fake!¡±


    Xu Jingxian could not help but look at Jiufang Changming.


    His expression had not changed, his gaze still locked on Sun Buku. Yun Weisi¡¯s words had not changed his countenance.


    But Sun Buku suddenly withdrew.


    He abruptly grabbed his cane and raised it, making the waves disappear. The circles of light vanished as well.


    The fighting spirit and pressure of the battle turned incorporeal at once, and the Sifei Sword was sheathed once again, returning to Changming.


    Everything went back to how it was at the beginning.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m a fake, yet you¡¯re the real deal?¡±


    Changming did not get angry, remaining unfazed in the midst of chaos, and turned to Yun Weisi.


    Xu Jingxian looked Changming up and down, then turned to Yun Weisi. For now, her eyesight did not allow her to determine who was a fake. In her opinion, both of them looked real.


    But both had stated that the other was fake, which was quite amusing.


    Yun Weisi looked at Jiufang Changming and said coldly: ¡°What evidence can you provide to prove that you¡¯re real?¡±


    Changming raised his eyebrows: ¡°The Sifei Sword is the best proof. What about you?¡±


    Yun Weisi raised his arm, and the Chunzhao Sword appeared in the air, emitting a glow, its qi surging.


    After everyone had taken a good look at it, he waved his sleeve again, hiding the sword.


    Both of them had control of their swords. Moreover, the swords were highly recognisable and famous.


    Sun Buku had seen Yun Weisi¡¯s Chunzhao Sword many times, and had even fought against it.


    There was no need to mention Jiufang Changming¡¯s Sifei Sword.


    A hand-to-hand fight with Jiufang Changming was enough for Sun Buku to find out that his cultivation base was profound, his spiritual powers formidable. Even today  Sun Buku would have had to fight at full strength to match him.


    The ground was shaking even more violently now, so Jun Zilan said hastily: ¡°If you want to fight, then fight. Even if you¡¯re not going, I am!¡±


    He said these words, and turned around to enter the crevice.


    Changming stretched out his hand, and a gust of spiritual powers made Jun Zilan retreat.


    ¡°Until everything is cleared up, no one will leave.¡±


    This line made Xu Jingxian think that this Changming was a fake.


    Clearly, he was trying to trap them in this place.


    Jun Zilan glared at him.


    Although he did not know who Changming was, he had seen his battle with Sun Buku, so he could guess that Changming¡¯s cultivation level was high. No matter how angry Jun Zilan was, he would not dare act recklessly.


    ¡°Daoyou, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to run for your life, but it is way too despotic of you to forbid others from leaving! If we linger here, we¡¯ll turn into corpses, what good is this outcome for you!¡±


    By saying this, he wanted to egg Sun Buku or anyone else on to fight with Changming.


    But, contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, Sun Buku turned to Yun Weisi and asked him with a faint smile: ¡°Shixiong Yun, what is your Dao heart?¡±


    Dao heart: basically the reason why one cultivates


    Yun Weisi stared back at him coldly, and did not answer.


    He was always like this, so Sun Buku did not mind his attitude and asked again: ¡°All these years, I have been thinking about one thing. After Jiufang Changming had entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss, no one forced you to follow. Given your strength, you could have become the commander of the Daoist sects with minimal effort. Moreover, you had already broken off your relationship with Jiufang Changming by then, so there was no master-disciple affection between the two of you. Why would you still rush into the Nine Layers of the Abyss mindlessly all by yourself, forcing yourself into a deadlock where survivors are a rarity compared to corpses?¡±


    Xu Jingxian wanted to know the answer as well.


    Not just Xu Jingxian, almost every cultivator had the same question.


    When Yun Weisi had decided to guard the Nine Layers of the Abyss, everyone was highly praising his unselfishness and will to protect the world. But as the years went by, and events of the past were slowly being covered with a layer of dust, with one generation succeeding another, how much longer would people still remember the once exceptionally talented Daozun?


    When he was shining the brightest, even the two main sects, the Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, had to defer to and respect him as their leader. In the past, the Yunhuang Temple had Changming, and then, there was Yun Weisi. Just like a rising star, when he was about to reach the middle of the sky, Yun Weisi entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss and lay in the dust up until today, when no one would help him anymore.


    Although the path of cultivation was long and painstaking, and the fame and fortune that all mortals valued meant nothing to cultivators, they still cared about reputation. The competition between sects had never disappeared. The orthodox sects looked down on the Demonic ones, and the big clans looked down on the small sects, even though for the most part they were the same.


    The ultimate goal of a cultivator was ascension. However, throughout the years, few managed to ascend, and most of them were simply rolling about in the mundane world.


    Yun Weisi had left behind so much he could have obtained easily had he just stayed put and not moved. Many people said that he had gone to the Nine Layers of the Abyss as it was a good opportunity to comprehend the Dao, but just as many people disagreed.


    Several glances landed on Yun Weisi, waiting for him to answer.


    The author has something to say:


    #Yun Weisi is being forced to confess his thoughts in front of everyone#


    #But is this Yun Weisi the real one?#


    #If he is real, is it possible that Changming is fake?#

 CH 87

    Proofread by Snake


    Yun Weisi frowned.


    Xu Jingxian had already gotten used to his cold and aloof expression, but this time it seemed a bit off.


    For a little while, she could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong.


    Up until Yun Weisi looked at Jun Zilan.


    It was as if he was awaiting orders from Jun Zilan, ready to do the latter¡¯s bidding. Even if they had become friends since they had met each other, this was way too¡­


    Wrong!


    Xu Jingxian had also detected another abnormality about Yun Weisi.


    Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi had accused each other of being fake. At first, she was inclined to believe Yun Weisi¡ªafter all, she had seen him enter the cave, while Changming had just appeared out of nowhere. However, now she was not so sure anymore. Yun Weisi¡¯s gaze was truly strange.


    ¡°So, Shixiong Yun, what¡¯s your Dao Heart?¡± Sun Buku questioned him again.


    Yun Weisi could no longer pretend he had not heard his words.


    He spoke coldly: ¡°I¡¯m pursuing immortality, and want to reach the highest cultivation realm. It is the Dao heart of any cultivator, and the reason they embark on the path.¡±


    This answer was not suspicious. Xu Jingxian shared this point of view as well.


    Why would anyone suffer the innumerable trials of this lonely and deserted path if not to get stronger?


    But Sun Buku burst into laughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re really not Yun Weisi!¡±


    As he was saying this, he had already started to move. When the last word came out of his mouth, he had advanced three chi, raising his cane up in the air. Yun Weisi had no time to dodge, so he jumped high up, bumped into a boulder and fell down with a bang again.


    Three chi: 1 meter


    Since when did Daozun Yun lose the ability to withstand a single blow, and how can just one attack bring him down? Xu Jingxian stared, flabbergasted, at this series of events.


    From beginning to end, Jiufang Changming, who was standing nearby, did not intervene.


    Jun Zilan realized that the situation had turned against them, so he turned around and ran over to the crack in the boulders to escape!


    His movements were extremely quick. He leaped up, and in a flash, his body shrank significantly, turning into a beast with long ears. The rest of them saw a white shadow fly past, and the rabbit-like beast had vanished into the crack swiftly.


    Without thinking much, Changming chased after him, also disappearing from their line of sight.


    After Yun Weisi fell to the ground, his body deflated, as if he was a ball that was losing air. Very soon, he had turned into a dried corpse, having no real worth anymore.


    At some point, Qi Jingu had regained consciousness. He gasped with fear.


    ¡°What happened!¡±


    No one answered him. Xu Jingxian and Sun Buku rushed after Changming.


    That beast was moving extremely fast. To say it was as fast as a lightning bolt was truly not that much of an exaggeration. Although Changming reacted quickly, for a while, he did not manage to catch the beast, so he could only continue following it. The rabbit was jumping left and right, climbing up high¡ªeven if it slowed down, it was impossible to get up to its speed.


    The crack was not an ordinary crack that would suffocate people with its tightness. After they entered it, they realized it was not just bright, but also very spacious. The light that was coming from every direction was so blinding that it was even occluding their view. Changming had almost lost sight of the beast several times, but in the end, the Sifei Sword followed it, and pinned the squealing beast to the ground.


    ¡°Squeak! Save me! Let me go, let me go!¡±


    Unexpectedly, the rabbit-looking beast could even spit out human words. Xu Jingxian, who reached there at last, was surprised, but not shocked.


    Cultivators saw a lot of things during their lifetimes. Although Xu Jingxian had never encountered a speaking beast, she had seen a parrot that could play chess with an old man, while ridiculing the man¡¯s skills at the same time. In the end, the parrot even won the game.


    This beast could only talk. That was not all that shocking.


    The Sifei Sword had pierced one of its long ears, and even if it struggled with all its might, the beast could not break free. Although its voice was childish, its eyes were brimming with enmity.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay a hefty price for offending a messenger of the deity!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re a messenger of a deity, who¡¯s the deity?¡± Xu Jingxian asked.


    The ¡°rabbit¡± squealed, and its intonation turned even more bizarre.


    ¡°The deity is the deity, not someone people like you can go against! You¡¯ve broken into this place, paving the way to your death! The deity will punish you sooner or later!¡±


    Perhaps, if it was not squealing and changing its intonation, it would have sounded a bit more intimidating.


    Changming asked: ¡°Do you know the way out of here?¡±


    The beast: ¡°There¡¯s no way out of here! There¡¯s only a way to your death!¡±


    Changming came over, picked the ear of the beast that had not been nailed to the ground with the Sifei Sword, and pulled at its ear with force!


    The beast shrieked, feeling like its ear was being torn off.


    At this moment, Xu Jingxian smelled a fragrance.


    It was not the smell of blood, but a fragrance. It was sweet and enticing, just like the smell of the lotus soup with silver fungus that her old servant used to cook at home.


    However, it was not a lotus-seed soup, but the beast¡¯s blood.


    How could anyone¡¯s blood be so fragrant?


    Xu Jingxian was afraid that the fragrance was poisoned, so she held her breath immediately.


    Changming was acting with brutality, but his voice was still gentle.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you once again: where is a way out?¡±


    ¡°To the left, the left!¡± The small beast shrieked.


    Xu Jingxian raised her head to look to the left.


    The white light at that side was almost blinding, how could there be a way out?


    It was not just the left side¡ªevery direction was emitting the same rays of light. They could get closer, but they could not see what was hidden behind the light.


    At this point, the shaking of the earth had become more violent.


    Changming retrieved the Sifei Sword, and the beast used this opportunity to escape, vanishing in a split second.


    ¡°Go to the right!¡±


    Changming said, and his figure disappeared into the light.


    The rays of light were getting covered with cracks that kept getting wider, which seemed quite ominous.


    The beast said to go left, but Changming chose right instead.


    Xu Jingxian thought it was strange, but followed him subconsciously.


    There was darkness behind the light.


    A boundless abyss that seemed to stretch to the horizon.


    Xu Jingxian fell to the ground, unable to control her movements. She wanted to call for her thin silk, but an omnipresent spiritual power appeared out of nowhere, wrapping itself around her in several layers.


    The spiritual power was raw and dense, yet exceedingly overbearing, intolerant to any foreign thing. She did not even have a chance to struggle. Although Xu Jingxian¡¯s cultivation was high, she felt her limbs sinking deeper, yet could not do anything about it.


    The sound of something buzzing and roaring reached her ears. She listened closely, and realized that it was someone reciting Buddhist sutras. The scriptures soon gained corporeal forms, and every line entered her ears, making Xu Jingxian¡¯s head split from ache. She could not stop it, and her body was only sinking deeper!


    The chanting was getting louder, as if hundreds, if not thousands of people were reading sutras at the same time, tapping wooden fish in unison. The sound was pressing down on her, leaving her breathless.


    Wooden fish: a wooden percussion instrument, used to keep the rhythm


    The techniques of the Buddhist sects were naturally suited to subduing Demonic cultivators, which was why Xu Jingxian abhorred the mere sight of a Buddhist monk. Even though Sun Buku had not shaved his hair, she cursed him silently for being a bald donkey. However, a regular technique of a Buddhist sect had no way of dealing with her. But this sound of chanting had permeated the whole area. Even if she covered her ears, it would have penetrated through her fingers, and if she closed her eyes, it would have intruded into her heart. Xu Jingxian had no way to evade it, so she could only gather her strength to strike back!


    However, the burst of her formidable spiritual power only made her enemy place an even greater pressure on her, as if each time she exerted more strength, the chanting intensified as well. No matter how hard Xu Jingxian tried to resist, she could not escape the palm of the Buddha.


    Could not escape the palm of the Buddha: from ¡°Journey to the West¡±: could not escape punishment


    No, I don¡¯t believe it!


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s vicious nature flared up, and an unrestrained, destructive and rebellious spirit overflowed her heart.


    What right do you have to restrain me! Why am I not allowed to live well!


    Since you¡¯re not letting me be, then don¡¯t leave anyone out either! Go on, annihilate everything!


    The thought of destroying the world appeared in her mind, but it was not the idea of slaughtering the Buddha that had obstructed her way that she had fantasized of before.


    ¡°Ignorant and stubborn! No-human, beyond education!¡±


    ¡°No-human¡± was a swear word used in Buddhist sects. It basically indicated the person was different from everyone.


    These light words fell on Xu Jingxian¡¯s heart like heavy blows, like a roar of a lion, shaking the sea of her consciousness and cutting through her mind.


    She screamed from pain, but her shriek sank into the countless chanting voices.


    The burst of her spiritual powers rushed over in a moment to torture Xu Jingxian, like a hurricane turning into a noose for strangling her. It cut through her skin and flesh, slicing her muscles and bones.


    This kind of pain was almost akin to being brutally tortured. Xu Jingxian struggled against it as best as she could; she was as tense as a bow string yet ready to break any second.


    ¡°[In the beginning, the Sky and the Earth were barren, but every little thing appeared out of it. The Dao comes from the wind of the Sky, and the Heart comes from the seas and mountains. The jasper maintains its spring green color, while the cool moonlight reflects from the snow robes. The moon shines when she pleases, why bother Mount Nan with questions?]¡±


    The cool moonlight reflects from the snow robes: fig. hardships of war?..


    Overall, I believe that the meaning of the poem is ¡°nature is beautiful, don¡¯t bother with useless thought¡±


    At this moment, a faint, distant voice sounded, which was accompanied by a cold wind and an icy rain, and Xu Jingxian¡¯s restless heart was pacified.


    The fire of retribution that had been punishing her dispersed, and she saw a wide stretch of mountain range that was enveloped with mists and clouds. She saw the mountain wind turn into haze, and luxuriant green plants flourishing there, extending to faraway lands.


    The mountains and rivers were vast, and the world was expansive. All the sufferings and worries of the world were swept away by this sight. With this grandiosity, encompassing everything might in sight, why would anyone be troubled by trifles?


    Xu Jingxian could see every living creature almost within her reach, felt a soft wind caress her face, and smelled the fragrance of trees and grass. She seemed to have understood something, and relaxed subconsciously, even revealing a faint smile.


    But before she could fully grasp this feeling, nature shed its image, exposing blood-red stains everywhere and stinging her eyes.


    Xu Jingxian could not help crying.


    For a moment, she had almost gotten a hold of the insight that every cultivator dreamed of¡ªthe so-called hidden meaning of nature. It was something that not even the most talented people could chance upon, be they a scholar or a cultivator. The three thousand ways of the Great Dao eventually led to the same goal. If someone could grasp this insight, their cultivation would definitely advance a lot, and if they missed the chance, the person would deeply regret it for a long period of time, if not for the rest of their life.


    Unfortunately, Xu Jingxian could not catch it. She could not help sighing again before pulling herself together to assess the situation.


    There was a chasm in front of her, so deep one could not see the bottom of it.


    She had stopped half a step away from the cliff, and if she moved a little more, she would have fallen down it, where her body would be torn apart and her bones crushed, and even an immortal would not have been able to save her.


    Moreover, under the cliff¡­


    Xu Jingxian stretched out her neck to look down.


    The ground under the cliff was covered with sharpened ice thorns. Although they were clear and translucent, it was as if they had been made of frozen blood, as they seemed a bit red in color. An eerie gleam was coming from their sharp points.


    Bones and bodies were scattered in the space between the thorns. Some of them were new, and she could even see their expressions¡ªthere was not a single one of them that was not distorted by terror. Some had already turned into dust, bits of their remains lying here and there.


    Judging by their clothes, some of these people were common folk, and some were cultivators with weapons.


    Xu Jingxian even thought that the ice thorns might be glittering with red because they had been bathed with blood for many years.


    Had she fallen down there just now, controlled by the chanting of sutras, she would have had no time to use her spiritual power as a barrier. Perhaps, she would have been pierced in the same manner, dying without a chance at a proper burial like the rest of these people.


    A spiritual power swept towards her. Before she could raise her hands to block it, a sleeve dispersed the spiritual power, as if brushing away dust.


    Up ahead, two people were fighting.


    Pushing off the cliff, they moved around easily, not even raising dust. It seemed they could lift thousands of pounds without putting in any effort.


    One of them was Yun Weisi, and the other one seemed familiar to Xu Jingxian. After a short while, she recalled that it must be Shengjue.


    The so-called first cultivator of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, the Cyan Lotus of the Buddhist sect.


    Cyan Lotus: a symbol of purity in Buddhism


    ¡°Step back a bit,¡± Changming, who was standing next to Xu Jingxian, reminded her.


    He was the one who dissolved the attack for her just now, as well as the one who had recited a poem to make her realize her mistake.


    Xu Jingxian was almost crying tears of joy.


    ¡°Senior!¡±


    Changming sighed softly, and Xu Jingxian shut up at once.


    She transmitted her message directly to his consciousness.


    ¡°Senior, what the hell was going on just now!¡±


    ¡°Jun Zilan ate the meat of an eshou, and his body became one with the beast¡¯s. That fake Yun Weisi was the soul of someone who was devoured before, and now helps it catch a new prey.¡±


    The real Yun Weisi was exploring the road ahead of them at that time.


    Xu Jingxian had heard about eshous.


    This beast was described in The Legends of the Southwestern Wasteland. It resembled a rabbit with long ears, and had the ability to speak human language in a pleasant voice. It looked harmless, but every word it said was a lie. Its meat was quite delicious, but anyone who tasted it would be unable to speak the truth from that moment on, and thus people called it an eshou, a creature that would never tell the truth.


    Eshou: ¡°e¡± means ¡°false¡±, ¡°shou¡± means beast


    But Xu Jingxian had never heard of anyone merging with a eshou and becoming one themself after eating it.


    As if Changming knew what she was puzzling over, he spoke: ¡°That eshou was nurtured by the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. After a long period of time, it has changed. You shouldn¡¯t compare it with an ordinary eshou.¡±


    After they had gone separate ways in the cave, everyone had encountered something. In comparison to most of the cultivators, Jun Zilan¡¯s cultivation level was not low, but it was still lacking in a treacherous and unpredictable place like this one. Not every person who had set their eyesight on a treasure would endure the trials needed to get it. Jun Zilan and Qi Jingu were only two of those who had fallen to death from power. The path of cultivation was covered with a thick layer of remains, and the number of victims was never low, nor would it ever decrease.


    This place resembled a giant lotus. After striping off its petals, they would eventually be able to see the heart of it. Every time they ventured deeper, they could feel the spiritual power around them getting denser.


    On the night of the puja of the fifteenth of the seventh month, Changming, Ghost King and the rest of them had set a formation to enter the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. However, immediately after setting foot in this place, Changming had realized that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple was not as simple as it seemed from the outside. It was connected with the Capital of You, and they had already formed a new world divided into countless small worlds by barriers. These worlds were connected to each other, and those who entered here would be scattered around.


    Changming had also broken into one of these small worlds, seemingly an old forlorn house in the You Capital. It was tiny¡ªif one went left, then right, the whole visit would be finished. However, the house was plagued with innumerable incantations and restrictions, so it could trap one inside for eternity. Many people had come to this place inadvertently, and had ended up being tortured ruthlessly. They would then be dead in no time at all, with their souls captured and turned into aggrieved ghosts, which would go around in circles and repeat the same experience. The combat ability of ghosts who used to be uninvited guests, and were afterwards brutally slaughtered was high. This was because after assembling here for several decades or hundreds of years, they could form a powerful whirlpool of spiritual power that was capable of entrapping cultivators, let alone the common people who were not even strong enough to tie up a chicken.


    Small worlds like this were common for the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. Moreover, the further one went, the stronger the backlash became.


    At this point, Xu Jingxian could not even stand steadily. A powerful enemy was waiting for them up ahead, and even Changming did not feel too confident about the situation.


    The guardian of this place was Shengjue.


    If one wanted to leave here, they would have to defeat him.


    Changming knew that this place was not yet the heart of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. And Zhou Keyi was definitely being kept at the center, because that way he would be worth more as bait.


    Shengjue was deserving of his title as the strongest fighting monk of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. He had been fighting Yun Weisi for a while now, but neither one of them had fallen into an unfavorable position yet.


    Yun Weisi had the cultivation level of a grandmaster, but Shengjue had the advantage of knowing the surroundings. It seemed that a kind of inexhaustible spiritual power was pouring into his body all the time, letting him fight to a standstill with Yun Weisi.


    On the contrary, it looked like Yun Weisi was switching from offense to defense.


    Changming was not in a hurry to meddle in this fight. For a fight of this scale, Yun Weisi must have planned something beforehand, and intervening could ruin his schemes, doing more harm than good.


    His eyes swept across the two fighting men, fell on the ice spikes under the cliff, and froze.


    Ghost fires were slowly oozing out from the remains, their blue threads gradually intertwining in knots. Very soon, they gained the shape of a human with a head, shoulders, two arms, hands¡ªit was several times bigger than a normal human. It slowly raised its hand, trying to grab Yun Weisi who was fighting up in the air.


    Changming formed a finger seal to order his sword, and turned towards the ghost fire.


    The sword glow flew past, dissolving the ghost fire. But it gathered back quickly, and the dying embers started to glow again, growing only bigger.


    After repeating it several times, Changming was sure that spiritual power from the human world could not be used to extinguish the ghost fire. Moreover, they were in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and its spiritual power supported the fire, which was the equivalent of having a protective talisman.


    The dark-blue flames seemed to have realized that Changming had no way of dealing with them. With a whistle, the human-shaped fire jumped high up, intending to engulf Yun Weisi.


    But a figure obstructed its way.


    The ghost fire was enraged. It wanted to go through the person.


    It opened its mouth wide to ¡°devour¡± the whole person.


    The blue fire trembled, as if chewing and digesting the prey.


    But it soon noticed that its opponent was like a stone. No matter how hard it tried to ¡°chew¡± him up, it could not crack him into pieces. Instead, its ¡°cheeks¡± started to ache unbearably.


    That pain was spreading from the inside, becoming sharper and sharper. In the end, the ghost fire had no choice but to ¡°spit out¡± the human.


    No, it was even torn apart!


    ¡°The Dao is the root to one¡¯s heart, and sincerity goes along with the Heavenly Dao, pacifying both within and outside; the void and the spirit intertwine to uncover the truth!¡±


    The void and the spirit intertwine to uncover the truth: from ½ð¹âÖä, a Daoist mantra


    The Dao. Not the Dao of the Daoist sects, but Jiufang Changming¡¯s Dao.


    For many years, he had been treading the path of cultivation, taking no breaks along the way. His goal was not to rebel against the four schools on a whim, but to accumulate hundreds of teachings into one, starting a new clan.


    The Sifei Sword: no to Daoism, no to Buddhism, no to Demonic sects, no to Confucianism. He had long since set his sights on achieving the highest realm of cultivation there was to achieve.


    He had returned after a lot of suffering, having lost most of his memories. In the eyes of others, he was nothing but another poor soul in dire straits. There were many masters in the world, and Jiufang Changming had already lost his might.


    But, taking one step after another, he was returning to the top.


    A pair of jade-like white hands appeared from the blue flames. Changming had torn it apart, and it would not heal quickly now.


    At the same time, several threads of black fire appeared from the cliff. It stumbled upon the blue flames, and the latter was sucked away cleanly.


    The black fire had gained a human shape. The Ghost King, Linghu You, appeared out of thin air.


    He lowered his head, looking at the ice thorns.


    In no time, those dark-blue flames oozed out again, joining into a sea of flames that pursued the Ghost King and Changming in order to submerge them.


    In a moment, the sea of flame disappeared without a trace alongside Jiufang Changming and the Ghost King.


    The whole process did not disturb the battle between Shengjue and Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi, who had already crushed Shengjue once, had greatly advanced in his cultivation.


    And Shengjue, who had suffered a defeat under his hands, was no longer the same Shengjue.


    Shengjue had shown his face during all kinds of events, ranging from grand celebrations of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple to any meeting between sects and the Qianlin Assemblies that determined the ranks of all cultivators¡¯ realms. Almost every time, people could see Shengjue there.


    It could be said that Shengjue was the representative of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and his words were representative of the whole sect¡¯s stance on matters.


    But Yun Weisi knew that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple was more than one Shengjue.


    Shengjue did not want others to interfere in his battle with Yun Weisi. Perhaps, he was a bit too concerned with that minor defeat caused by Yun Weisi, so he wanted to use this fight to dispel that trace of a heart demon.


    A Buddhist chanting sounded.


    A bystander would have thought it to be candid and peaceful, void of vanities.


    But for Yun Weisi, it was like a seal, a tremendous power pressing down on him from the skies to crush him into powder at once.


    Although he was shrouded in his abundant spiritual power, under the pressure of this place urging to restrain everything, Yun Weisi also seemed to be out of breath.


    ¡°Each matter is accountable, everything follows the dharma.¡±


    Nothing is eternal except for the law of cause and effect


    Shenjue pursed his lips. Obviously, that voice belonged to him, but it seemed to be coming from elsewhere.


    The golden light of the Buddhist seal was getting brighter, almost forcing people to shut their eyes.


    Shengjue was sitting cross-legged in the air, surrounded by circles of sutras, just like a deity looking down on the earth from on high.


    He opened his eyes, and a golden light flashed through them. His expression was merciful, as if he was feeling compassion for every person suffering in the world.


    Unfortunately, that did not include Yun Weisi.


    Shengjue¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    He noticed the shackles that had been put on Yun Weisi gradually disappearing.


    ¡°Each matter is remunerated, that shouldn¡¯t be doubted.¡±


    Remunerated: ¡°transfer of merit¡±


    Another layer of golden light appeared.


    ¡°Every matter is quiescent, World has no me.¡±


    Every matter is quiescent: ¡°dharma doesn¡¯t come [or go]¡±: the state of silent Nirvana


    Has no me: Budd. no individual independent existence, wiki: ¡°no unchanging, permanent self or essence can be found in any phenomenon¡±


    Another layer of golden light appeared.


    But all these layers of golden light were torn apart by his opponent.


    Shengjue¡¯s expression remained the same, but his voice was getting deeper.


    ¡°Each matter is unchangeable, everything will settle down!¡±


    Everything will settle down: the chain of cause and effect is flawless


    The doctrines he uttered turned into shackles of golden light.


    If there had been a disciple of a Buddhist sect present, they would have noticed that Shengjue had already reached the Lotus Realm. In the secular world, he would have been considered an incarnation of the Buddha, a Bodhisattva that had descended to the world of mortals, to be worshiped by the common people.


    But Yun Weisi only closed his eyes, not moving at all, as if he could not see him.


    Shengjue squinted.


    This person was unmoved like a mountain, still standing firmly under layers of golden light. He must have completely integrated with his Dao heart, so he had not broken down yet.


    What was Yun Weisi¡¯s weak point?


    Shengjue pondered this question.


    He was no stranger to this old enemy. Before Yun Weisi had gone to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, they were chess players meeting their match, two opponents worthy of each other.


    Yun Weisi seemed indifferent, but deep in his heart, he was very arrogant. It looked like he was adhering to the teachings of the Dao, while in fact, he defied the rules.


    Shengjue even suspected him of being insane.


    The world imagined Yun Weisi to be aloof like an immortal, and few people had seen him act unruly.


    Such an overweening and unbridled personality was definitely not flawless.


    Was it him going through a lot as a result of the misfortune despite being born into a rich family, or was it him falling from the high pedestal of a lucky man after becoming enemies with his teacher?


    Or¡­


    It seemed that Yun Weisi was unable to hold on for longer. His expression cracked slightly.


    It was only a small change, but Shengjue managed to grasp it!


    ¡°Each matter has no law, I¡¯m the law!¡±


    Meaning things appear the way we feel them, everything is relative


    With the last word, a golden …e symbol burst into the air, its single target being Yun Weisi!


    Sweeping away every obstacle, unmatched in its perfection!


    Yun Weisi opened his eyes, revealing a trace of fear.


    Right now!


    Shengjue did not hesitate anymore. He flew up, slashing his cane heavily towards his enemy!


    But Yun Weisi suddenly smiled.


    ¡°Do you want to know what my weakness is?¡±


    Shengjue heard him say.


    Wrong!


    I shouldn¡¯t attack him now!


    But he already had no time to stop the charge.


    What had fallen could not be retrieved, and even four horses could not catch up to a word that had already been spoken.


    Shengjue¡¯s five senses were stretched to their limits. He could even hear a worm squirming on the edge of the cliff, and a bead of water falling on top of his head.


    Water?!


    ¡°My Dao Heart is¡ª¡±


    Shenjue saw him open his mouth, silently saying two words.


    That drop of water had broken his spiritual power, turning into an ice needle piercing his head and destroying Shengjue¡¯s formation.


    Yun Weisi had unsheathed the Chunzhao Sword.


    Another sword was glowing behind his back. That was the Sifei Sword, that had held the world in fear.


    The golden light had abruptly disappeared, and Shengjue fell down from the air.


    The moment before the ice thorns had pierced his body, he saw Jiufang Changming, who was supposedly devoured by the ghost fire, appear in front of him.


    He and Yun Weisi, one in front and the other from behind, attacked him from two sides.


    My Dao Heart is Jiufang Changming.


    This was the last line Shengjue remembered.


    To his surprise¡­


    Shengjue closed his eyes tightly. Even in his death, he was unable to understand how someone whose Dao heart was another person could have achieved a formidable power like this.

 CH 88

    Proofread by Snake


    The surface of the earth was shaking even more violently.


    The Ghost King and Xu Jingxian had already disappeared without a trace. The tops of the boulders were falling down heavily one after another. The whole cliff had been covered in cracks, and had started to collapse.


    Changming was not in a hurry to leave.


    The two of them were standing a step away from the very edge of the cliff, in imminent danger of falling down.


    Changming raised his head, looking for a way out.


    There must be a node connecting the two small worlds¡ªas such, even when damaged, it would not disappear.


    But Yun Weisi was strangely silent.


    He was staring unblinkingly at Shengjue, who was at the bottom of the abyss.


    Before dying, Shengjue had glanced at him.


    That glance had the faint trace of a smile, as if it had contained a profound, hidden meaning.


    What had Shengjue been thinking about?


    Yun Weisi was not someone who often let his imagination run wild, but subconsciously, he felt it was strange.


    He recalled their battle.


    Shengjue¡¯s cultivation had advanced a great deal throughout the past few years, and he was significantly different from his past self. Yun Weisi clearly felt that Shengjue had almost become a grandmaster, and had Shengjue put all his efforts towards cultivating, he could have reached that realm.


    Shenjue had lost because of his negligence. He had underestimated his enemy, he had felt too confident on his own turf, and had attached no importance to Yun Weisi under such circumstances. That led to him dying without even leaving a corpse behind.


    But was this really the case?


    Yun Weisi touched his chest.


    He felt the familiar heartbeat through his palm, but it seemed somewhat different when compared to the past.


    In a moment, he heard someone sneer with contempt.


    Hah.


    No, it was not that he heard it¡ªrather, it was coming from his heart.


    Yun Weisi frowned.


    Was it coming from him, or was it a trick Shengjue had pulled off before his death?


    Reportedly, the Buddhist sects had a technique called Passing Profound Sense. One could leave a thread of their spiritual sense to infiltrate someone else¡¯s sea of consciousness and merge with it, gaining the ability to eavesdrop on everything the victim was thinking and feeling. After some time, the monk would be able to take control of the victim¡¯s heart, and even seize their body after death.


    Could it be that Shengjue sent himself to death with no regrets just to plant a seed of demonic thought in Yun Weisi¡¯s heart?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Changming noticed that Yun Weisi was acting strange, so he lightly patted Yun Weisi¡¯s arm, and asked him this question.


    Yun Weisi suddenly felt his arm burn, as if scalded, and he wanted to shake it off on instinct!


    This thought appeared in his mind, but he froze.


    He had never felt such ardent disgust.


    He closed his eyes calmly.


    ¡°Everything is fine, we should find a way out first.¡±


    Hah.


    Just as he said this, the sneer from before sounded again.


    It was his own voice.


    You¡¯re doing your best, and came here to your death just because he wants to save Zhou Keyi. Your body is changing, but does he ever care?


    ¡°Yun Weisi!¡±


    The voice had dispelled the mist in front of his eyes, making Yun Weisi tremble slightly.


    ¡°Are you really alright?¡± Changming asked again.


    Yun Weisi was not sure either.


    Changming had sealed his demonic qi at the glazed tile pagoda in the country of You for a while. While he had not gotten rid of the qi completely, Yun Hai and Yun Weisi had been merged together, so he should not lose control of himself again.


    Yun Weisi lowered his head to look at the red line on his palm. It had stopped at the center of his palm. It looked almost translucent, and had not moved a bit.


    Could it actually be Shengjue?


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk after we get out of here,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    Changming had no time to inquire further. The cave had already collapsed, and those ice thorns had been submerged under boulders, burying Shengjue¡¯s corpse underneath.


    ¡°Follow me!¡±


    ¡­


    The Ghost King, Linghu You, who had been chasing the ghost fire just now, found himself in a sea of ice.


    He was floating in the crystal clear blue water. To his surprise, there was a whole glass-like world under the ice thorns.


    The frost here could chill a person down to their bones, but that did not matter to the Ghost King. He had long since lost the ability to experience cold and heat. Even if he had fallen into a sea of flames, he would have survived it as well.


    What had made him freeze was the scene in front of his eyes.


    A person was bound to an iron pillar by chains, their long hair drifting in the water. The person¡¯s head was hanging down, and he could not see their face.


    Linghu felt that this person was familiar to him, and that they were someone important to him.


    Someone grabbed his hand.


    Black flames erupted from his body as he turned around to see the person. His ghost qi grew thicker.


    The person stopped, as if startled by him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go there!¡±


    Even though H¨¦ Qingmo did not open his mouth, his voice could be heard clearly and directly in the sea of the Ghost King¡¯s consciousness.


    ¡°This place is a formation. If we want to leave, we have to find its core. Whatever you see in front of you is definitely a trap!¡±


    He had fallen here some time before the Ghost King, and had already looked through this place meticulously. This sea of ice stretched as far as the eye could see, and they could easily lose their sense of direction here. H¨¦ Qingmo had already gone around in three circles here. The first time around, he saw a person tied to a pillar; for the second time around, although he had certainly returned to the same location, the pillar was already gone; the third time, which was now, the Ghost King had appeared here, alongside the iron pillar.


    H¨¦ Qingmo was one of the most outstanding disciples of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao as of this generation. Moreover, he was proficient in setting formations. His shifu had told him once that, with the exception of Chi Bijiang from the Wanxiang Palace, He Qingmo was probably the best in setting and breaking through formations in the whole world.


    But he could not find a way to breach the formation in front of his eyes.


    There were numerous formations in the world, and he could figure all of them out after careful investigations and some time¡ªall of them, except those that had been set by Chi Bijiang herself.


    According to rumors, this woman was exceptionally talented, but weak from birth. She could not cultivate, so she was committed to studying the art of heavenly bodies, and setting formations. Eventually, she became the best at this.


    Unfortunately, Chi Bijiang had died. It was said that the news of her death had started circulating a month ago, but no one knew the reason or the hour of her death. Perhaps, there was more to her death than they were aware of.


    H¨¦ Qingmo stopped thinking about unrelated things, and realized that the Ghost King had already shaken off his hand, going up ahead step by step.


    His heart jumped nervously, and H¨¦ Qingmo hurried forward to stop the Ghost King. But, unexpectedly, the Ghost King threw his arm out abruptly, and potent black fire dashed up to the skies, boiling the sea water. H¨¦ Qingmo was thrown aside with a single push, while the fire soon condensed into a rope that tied H¨¦ Qingmo so tightly he could not take a step.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap, don¡¯t go there!¡±


    The Ghost King shot a swift glance at him. The Ghost King¡¯s yin qi brought with it such an intimidating aura that H¨¦ Qingmo felt the blood freeze inside his body, and he could not utter a single word.


    After they had gone from enemies to allies, the Ghost King had been living with them for two days. During this time, he resembled a young country bumpkin who had not seen the world, and was amused at everything. He constantly followed them, asking about this and that, and had not even spared H¨¦ Qingmo while the latter was setting the formation, and he left no question unasked about the art of formation, all the way down to its foundations, making H¨¦ Qingmo run out of patience. H¨¦ Qingmo did not know how much he would remember in the end, but he became familiar with the Ghost King for this reason, and had even learned something about the Ghost King¡¯s life. H¨¦ Qingmo thought the two of them could already be counted as friends.


    But this time, the Ghost King was looking at him as if H¨¦ Qingmo was as insignificant as an ant. H¨¦ Qingmo did not doubt for a second that he could be killed by the Ghost King, if the latter felt like doing so.


    What ¡°friends¡±? That¡¯s total bullshit! That was only my own wishful thinking!


    A thin piece of silk appeared suddenly, obstructing the Ghost King¡¯s way.


    Xu Jingxian had popped out of nowhere, and immediately engaged in a fight with the Ghost King. Obviously, her cultivation was a lot higher than that of H¨¦ Qingmo, who had only studied formations wholeheartedly. The Ghost King was not in an advantageous position, and for a while, he had no means of driving Xu Jingxian away.


    ¡°Daoyou Xu, stop him!¡± H¨¦ Qingmo transmitted his message to her consciousness as fast as he could.


    Xu Jingxian did not know the Ghost King, but recognised H¨¦ Qingmo. Although she found him annoying, the heavy yin aura on the Ghost King¡¯s body made her sick, which in turn gave birth to enmity. Even if H¨¦ Qingmo had said nothing, she would have attacked the Ghost King.


    The person tied to the pillar raised their head slowly.


    The Ghost King caught a glimpse of that person, and his mind was disturbed.


    Save me¡­


    He heard that person say.


    ¡°Are you crazy, what ¡®person¡¯?! Obviously, there are only bones tied to the iron pillar!¡±


    The Ghost King turned a deaf ear to these words, viewing the Xu Jingxian who had obstructed his way as his mortal enemy. Black flames suddenly erupted around his body, blotting out the sky and covering the earth. They crawled towards Xu Jingxian, surging forward in waves with obvious killing intent.


    Xu Jingxian gnashed her teeth. She had hardly been able to keep him in one place with her spiritual power. For a while, the two of them were in a deadlock.


    The silly, endearing Ghost King of the past two days had disappeared. H¨¦ Qingmo derided himself for misjudging the Ghost King. He had even shown a bit of sympathy for the Ghost King¡¯s plight. But the Ghost King in front of their eyes right now, the one who had raised his hands to kill them, was an existence that would truly make people tremble with fear on hearing of him.


    The black fire licked the hem of their robes, and, winning over a cun, urged to get a chi, the flames slowly crawled up H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s and Xu Jingxian¡¯s entire sleeves, before enveloping their bodies. They could not activate their spiritual power, and had their clothes wrapped with black ropes tightly.  Now, the two of them could only watch the Ghost King move towards the iron pillar.


    Ghost fires were flying around the skeleton, and fragments of dark-blue evil spirits only wished to entice his mind.


    Kill them, and she¡¯ll come back to life.


    Kill them.


    Kill!


    When H¨¦ Qingmo saw the Ghost King stop halfway, he thought that the latter had returned to his senses. However, contrary to his expectations, the Ghost King turned around and stretched out his hand to catch H¨¦ Qingmo!


    His line of sight was thoroughly occupied by black flames, as the fire was cutting through the crystal blue water, bringing murderous intent close to H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s body, swiftly.


    And Xu Jingxian¡ª


    Her thin silk had been torn into pieces under such overwhelming pressure. Xu Jingxian¡¯s heart could not be more distressed. It was unknown whether Zhou Keyi was still alive, and, on top of that, she still had not laid her hands on that muslin. Even worse, the only tool she could use was now destroyed!


    Black flames darted from behind the Ghost King¡¯s back. They gathered into a giant silhouette that bared its fangs, slashed its claws and roared wildly, just like a ghost in the middle of night. It was so large it could cover the sky with one hand. Suddenly, it leaped up, throwing itself at the two of them!


    At the moment when her life was hanging by a thread, Xu Jingxian thought of many things.


    She thought about the muslin that was within her sight but beyond reach, and of the Yangzhen Grass she had obtained after much suffering, but had not yet managed to make full use of by, for instance, boasting at a Qianlin Assembly in order to make the whole world remember the notorious Demonic cultivator, Xu Jingxian. If she had done so, her life would not be lost in vain. After all, she had never held the extravagant hope of reaching the realm of breaking through the void and ascending to become an immortal.


    However, since the day she left the Nine Layers of the Abyss, she had been embroiled in a messy maelstrom against her will. She had been through all kinds of crafty plots, conspiracies and setbacks, and had no time to relax. She had come to the Luo Capital from the Jianxue Clan, and then¡ªto this place. A hand, hidden from everyone, was silently rolling up the whole world like a mat, plunging it into chaos. The previous dynasty being overthrown was a minor disturbance in the secular world. Meanwhile, cultivators could sit on a mountain away from the dust and watch the tigers fight. Of course, common people would plead with them to come and help. At first, Xu Jingxian was only a normal girl who cultivated diligently. What she was seeking was not the path of the Great Dao, leading to immortality, but only the ability to have control over her own life.


    Now, she was panic-stricken, but not because of the imminent danger in front of her eyes. She suddenly felt that even if the Ghost King had not killed her now, perils like this one would continue coming for her one after another.


    The Ghost King, demons, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. After all, what were these people hiding behind their backs¡­


    The giant fire collapsed on their heads, opening its mouth to devour them.


    Xu Jingxian stared at it, and her heart almost stopped beating for a moment.


    The next second was probably the moment of her death!


    ¡­


    Su He had moved to the You Capital a decade ago.


    At first, he was staying at the outskirts, and made a living by farming there every day. His wife had given birth to a boy and a girl. Their daughter had gotten married and moved away, while their son had moved to the city to do petty trading there. Because their son was clever, the life he lived grew better day by day. Not only had he managed to find a house in the You Capital, but he had even married the daughter of a grain store owner. Afterwards, Su He and his wife had moved to the city as well, so the family had reassembled.


    Su He had been toiling a lot, but, nearing his deathbed, he could enjoy the happiness of an easy and carefree life. However, he could not rest. He was always thinking of those few mu of land he had lent to his neighbor to cultivate. He deliberately left a few mu for himself, and spent most of his time there with his wife feeding the poultry, or looking after the crops. Every month, he would go to the city for several days. This way, he did not bother his son and his daughter-in-law, and even supplied them with grain.


    On the fifteenth of the seventh month, their family should have left the city and returned to their homeland to offer sacrifices to ancestors. However, his daughter-in-law was pregnant, and could have given birth to a child any day. The family was anxious, and in the end they decided to leave their son in the city to take care of his wife, while Su He and his wife were to return to their homeland to worship their ancestors and return before the town gates would close for the night.


    In the beginning, everything was going smoothly. But the sun was setting early these days, and the sky gradually darkened after the hour of shen. The sky had started turning red. The color of the sky resembled that of blood.


    Hour of shen: 3-5 p.m.


    ¡°My old man, why does the sky seem strange today? Is it possible that there¡¯s something wrong with my eyes?¡± His old wife urged Su He to take a look.


    My old man: lit. old-head: wife addressing to her aging husband


    Su He also felt it was abnormal.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because today is the Ghost Festival? Everybody said today those Ghost Gates or something open wide?¡±


    ¡°Then why was it different before?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, enough talking. Pack up quickly, the horse carriage is still waiting for us outside!¡±


    Su He¡¯s son had sent a worker from the grain store to meet the old couple with a carriage. Su He and his wife did not need many things for themselves, except for the food and the clothes that they had in the city anyway. They had only brought along a bit of food with them. Su He¡¯s old wife had thought that their son would like to taste a sweet potato from their homeland, so she picked a whole bucketload of it for him, and put it in the carriage to take to the capital.


    Their house was not far away from the city, and normally they could reach the gates in less than one shichen. Today their carriage was more loaded, so the sky had already darkened by the moment they entered the city. The smell of burning ritual paper was coming from every direction.


    It was, after all, a festival, so Su He did not pay attention to this smell. During the Ghost Festival, every household was making sacrifices to honor their ancestors, so everyone was putting ritual money into braziers near their thresholds, thus adding another smell to the fragrance that always filled the You Capital that worshipped Buddhism. After living in the city for a long time, he had already gotten used to this smell, but it was especially intense today. Su He felt it assault his nostrils, but, for some reason, he neither covered it to cough, nor did his eyes suffer from the smoke. On the contrary, he felt that it smelled rather pleasant today.


    It was different from the usual fragrance of burning joss sticks, strong yet not overpowering, as if inviting people to sniff it again. It was also somewhat relaxing, and he stretched his body with satisfaction.


    Su He yawned several times. He was sitting at the front of the carriage, and saw that their cart driver was feeling the same. Fortunately, they reached their house soon. Su He wanted to call for his son, wash his face and take a rest.


    Just as he was about to jump off the carriage, he froze.


    The flames of the brazier near their neighbors¡¯ doors suddenly surged up, and a shadow seemed to have flashed by, sinister and violent, opening its mouth to bite him!


    Su He thought that there was a problem with his eyes, so he rubbed them.


    The shadow had disappeared, as if what he had seen was an illusion.


    He mumbled something, turned around and opened the curtain of the carriage to call for his wife, but his eyes fell on a horrific scene.


    A human-shaped shadow was laying on top of his wife who had lost consciousness. Its cheeks were heaving, as if it was gnawing on something.


    He looked at her, and saw that his wife¡¯s cheek and her ear had already been bitten off, the wound was smeared with blood and even her white bones had been revealed.


    Su He took a few steps back, shouted, grabbed a stick in the carriage, and charged at the black shadow!


    The stick fell down, and the shadow suddenly dispersed. However, the black bits quickly reassembled into the previous shape again. It jumped out of the carriage, and vanished, leaving no trace behind!


    Su He howled in grief. He hurried to wake his wife, but no matter how long he shook her, she would not react. Only then did he remember that he could call other family members to help, and quickly send for a doctor. Stumbling, he left the carriage and ran to the house.


    The cart driver had already disappeared somewhere, and a suffocating silence had enveloped the place. Only the fire from the braziers was crackling. At first, Su He had not noticed it and went up to knock on the door while shouting for help.


    The door was not closed, so he opened it with one push.


    There was also a brazier in the courtyard. A gust of wind lifted sacrificial money up in the air, and it covered the sky.


    ¡°A-Xin! A-Xin! Come here quickly! Your mother had an accident!¡±


    Su He was weeping and calling his son¡¯s name, but no one answered him.


    His mind was in turmoil, and he ran into the backyard reflexively.


    Their house only had two yards, so he could go through after taking several steps. Very soon, Su He heard something move.


    ¡°A-Xin! Quick, follow me, your mother¡­¡±


    His voice went down abruptly.


    Two bodies were lying on the ground, one big and one small.


    The big one belonged to a woman. Her belly bulged. She seemed to be in her seventh or eighth month of her pregnancy, and should have given birth soon.


    The little one belonged to his grandchild who was about three years old. Usually, he was lively and smart. Su He¡¯s grandchild loved running around him, asking for sweets.


    Su He stared at this, and could not recognise his family.


    Because his son, Su Xin, was lying on his wife¡¯s belly, his cheeks moving non-stop.


    The lantern on the eaves was wavering in the wind, making shadows flash across Su Xin¡¯s face.


    Su He saw that his daughter-in-law¡¯s belly had already been bitten through, and inside, there was¡­


    He did not dare think about it again, and could only breathe out with difficulty: ¡°A-Xin, you¡­ what are you doing¡­¡±


    Su Xin stopped, and raised his head slowly.


    No, it is not my son!


    This is a monster!


    That was what Su He thought looking into Su Xin¡¯s bloodshot eyes.


    For some reason, he did not dare take another step forward. He turned around on instinct to run away, even though his weak legs were trembling.


    Hu¡­ Hu¡­


    Su He had no idea whether the sound was coming from his chest breathing loudly, or the monster chasing him. Not daring to turn his head, he ran out of the gates of his household wildly, and only then, could he seem to breathe more relaxedly.


    But very soon, he knew that it was too early to feel relieved. Wherever Su He looked, he only saw deserted streets, and only scraps of ritual money were floating out of houses with sparks, drifting up to the air.


    ¡°Save me! Save me! There¡¯s a monster! Quick, someone! Aaah!¡±


    Su He was shouting as loudly as he could. Usually, the large You Capital was full of streams of people coming and going. There were many households near the place where they resided, and normally there would always be someone entering the gates to a house nearby. But now, no one answered him.


    There were no humans around, and even the dogs were not barking.


    ¡°He, he¡­¡±


    Far away, Su He saw someone open a door and look outside through the crack. Without thinking, he ran over.


    ¡°Gentleman, quick, help me, we¡ª¡±


    That person raised his head, gradually revealing a smiling face to Su He. But his chin seemed to have flown away somewhere, even though it obviously could not have wings. His pearl-white teeth could be seen as he smiled, as well as his bones.


    Su He could not run anymore. He took a few steps back and fell to the ground heavily.


    There were traces of red drifting through the pitch-black sky.


    He could not understand it at all. Everything had been fine yesterday, without a doubt. How could the You Capital turn this way after he had left it and returned immediately?


    What on earth had happened?


    Was he seeing a nightmare he could now wake up from?


    Why?


    ¡°Ah!!!¡±


    A shrill shriek pierced through the night sky, startling the crows on a branch of a fallen tree.


    The city was still reeking of blood.

 CH 89

    Proofread by P. & Snake


    The capital of You, the most well-adorned capital in the world.


    This place had the most beautiful Buddhist pagoda and temple, the most exquisite palace, the tidiest arrangement of houses.


    It was rumored that a special, precious spice had been mixed into the glazed roof of the Imperial Palace that was faintly glowing in the night.


    During the day, the entirety of the You Capital seemed to be bathed in yellow glitter, as if the city was made of gold. People could see the glow even before they reached the gates of the city.


    Writers had spent quite a bit of paper extolling the beauty of the city. Many people who loved meddling into things mentioned the Capital of You, the Capital of Luo and the Capital of the Zhaoyue dynasty in one breath, writing voluminous literary texts describing them and coming to the conclusion that the You Capital was unrivaled. This opinion was widespread. While there were also many who disagreed, these dissenters could only use the wasteful extravagance of the You Capital as an argument. They would likewise point out that officials were practically consuming the people¡¯s life-blood and voice other criticisms like these, yet they could not deny the grace of the city.


    Now, however, this capital, that had once been praised by everyone, had already turned into the capital of evil spirits.


    Thousands of souls were roaming about, and millions of ghosts were wailing in unison. Flames and blood had been scattered all over, permeating the night, and the pitch-black sky had been painted blood-red. The heavy stench of blood could not be dispersed, every human in sight had already turned into a ghost, and ghosts were feeding on humans. Now, the difference between them had all but disappeared.


    This place was not a land of Buddhism, but a devil¡¯s hell.


    Su He could not wake from this nightmare.


    Even when the glow of a sword intercepted the evil spirit with bloody foam in its mouth that was rushing at Su He, he was still staring at his savior in a daze. Su He¡¯s expression was listless as if he had forgotten how to speak.


    H¨¨ Xiyun had no time to care for Su He¡¯s reaction, or lack thereof. She shouted at him to run, slashing at another evil spirit.


    In fact, she was also puzzled. How could the magnificent You Capital turn into a place like this overnight?


    She had not followed Changming and his companions to the formation. H¨¨ Xiyun knew that her cultivation level was too low, so she would have only been dragging them down. That was why she had voluntarily stayed at the You Capital in case an emergency would occur. Changming told her that if something happened to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, it would probably affect the You Capital, plunging it into chaos, in which case she should leave quickly and run away. H¨¨ Xiyun had thought that he was exaggerating, and did not attach much importance to these words.


    Now it was obvious that she had acted too naively.


    For many years, the You Capital had been cloaked with the shadow of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and seeds of a great calamity had already been planted there. The moment these seeds were irrigated, they had taken deep roots there. And once they had started growing, there was no stopping them. They were like a plague spreading through the lands and contaminating them.


    The Ghost King and Changming¡¯s predictions were coming to life.


    The disaster had gone well beyond H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s imagination.


    Wherever she looked, not a single living person was visible.


    Could it be that the whole city had fallen into the enemy¡¯s hands?


    An evil spirit appeared out of nowhere, interrupting her line of thought. She had no time to tend to anything else, slashing her sword towards the enemy.


    If she had been in Yuru Town several decades ago, she would have noticed the similarities between the two disasters. It was, however, even worse now in the You Capital. For all the liveliness of Yuru Town, it was not as big as the You Capital, populated with thousands¡ª


    Su He gathered his courage and will to survive, rushing behind H¨¨ Xiyun to save his life. But his vigor was depleting, and he started to lose control over his body. His legs went soft, and he fell onto the ground.


    The You Capital was paved with flat green slabstone of the highest quality all around, and normally a carriage would pass through its street with no trouble. When Su He fell to the ground, however, he noticed that a black liquid was oozing from the gaps between the slabs, and the water was actually blood. It had soaked his hand that had touched the ground.


    Yin qi was pressing in on him from behind, as an evil spirit was already close at hand!


    He only had enough time to turn around and take a look. It was the last scene Su He saw in his life.


    An evil spirit with blood dripping from the corners of his mouth was launching itself at him.


    The back of Su He¡¯s head hit the ground heavily.


    H¨¨ Xiyun had rescued Su He once before, but did not manage to do it for the second time. Even as Su He¡¯s body was being eaten alive, she could not help him.


    Tens of evil spirits heard the noise and surrounded her. H¨¨ Xiyun promptly leapt up, landing on the roof. However, it was a futile effort, since the demons, although appearing to have corporeal form, could pierce through walls and fly up to the sky. Her sword¡¯s qi was powerful enough to drive away eight or ten of them, but a swarm of thousands poured in, surrounded by vortexes of black flames, wailing and howling. H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s line of sight was filled with ferocious evil spirits, and no matter how many she killed, there was no end to them. The barrier of spiritual power around her body weakened a bit, and evil spirits were hitting against it again and again, forcing H¨¨ Xiyun into making a mistake. A breach appeared in the barrier, and the evil spirits slid in with roars, the black fire enveloping everything!


    This is bad!


    H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s heart almost stopped, and she felt powerless. Her fingers relaxed, and her sword fell onto the ground as she was falling down from the roof.


    The flames followed her, biting at H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s ankles with a hideous grin, looking forward to eating her like they had Su He and the others. Her body was full of spiritual power, which made it even tastier.


    In a flash!


    A golden light lit!


    A …e character descended to the ground, shattering the black flames around H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s body into pieces!


    ¡°Every appearance is little more than a lie. Would evil spirits dare to act audaciously in front of my Buddha?¡±


    H¨¨ Xiyun heard a voice resembling a fair wind.


    It was not loud, and sounded plain, as if speaking an unquestionable truth. It rang out as if it were a clear, translucent piece of jade.


    The black flame scattered, swallowed by the golden light.


    He had tall hair and wore wide robes, his body slim and straight. There were Buddhist beads on his neck, and a cane in his hand.


    He came towards her from the golden light. H¨¨ Xiyun was staring at him as if she was looking at a deity.


    He stopped in front of her for a moment, made sure that she was not wounded seriously, and walked away. H¨¨ Xiyun came back to her senses, hurriedly got up and walked up to him lamely.


    ¡°Thank you very much for saving my life! Dare I ask the honorable daoxiong¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°This poor monk is Sun Buku.¡±


    His intonation was gentle and tactful, but his voice sounded like a peal of thunder to H¨¨ Xiyun.


    ¡°You¡­ Your honorable self is Zen Master Buku, the head of the Qingyun School?!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Originally, H¨¨ Xiyun had thought that encountering Changming and the Ghost King was already a thrilling adventure, yet now she had witnessed how the situation had changed in the You Capital, with one incident following another. In the end, she had even met this important figure of the Buddhist sects.


    She felt that it was suspicious, but did not know what to ask just now.


    Evil spirits and ghosts swarmed after them, but with Sun Buku in front of her, H¨¨ Xiyun did not need to do anything at all.


    Wherever the golden light went, not a trace of the enemies was left.


    H¨¨ Xiyun had some time to rest. But she saw the city was littered with dead bodies, some half-eaten, some disfigured beyond recognition, staining the ground red. Who would have thought that one day the capital of Buddhism that was burning incense and praying all the time would fail to obtain the protection of the gods? These people were eaten alive while pleading for the blessings of Fozuns and worshiping their ancestors, and one was left to wonder how they had felt before they died.


    The Hell of Eternal Suffering broke loose here, yet not a shadow had appeared from the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. Could it be that the Ghost King¡¯s words were all true, and everything was connected with the temple?


    The Hell of Eternal Suffering: the last layer of Buddhist Hell


    Although H¨¨ Xiyun was not a Buddhist cultivator, and had no particular ties to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, she had not expected their monks to bring disaster to the common people of their own lands, letting them wallow in the mire of evil spirits and demons. She only believed it because she had seen it with her own eyes.


    The You Capital was a large city, and there were more cultivators than just the two of them. Other cultivators kept gathering around them. When H¨¨ Xiyun was three zhang away from the Zhuque gates on the southern side of the Imperial Palace, there were already seven or eight cultivators gathered there.


    Zhuque gates: the Vermilion Bird gates. The Vermilion Bird is the symbol of the south


    Three zhang: 10 m


    However, apart from Sun Buku, they were riddled with wounds, and would hardly be effective in combat. Perhaps, if their enemy had been just a bit stronger, they would not have made it here.


    H¨¨ Xiyun felt her legs becoming heavier. Her bitten thigh was swollen and unbearably painful, and the scorching pain had spread all over her body. Yet she was adamant that she would not die here today, and her will made her move forward.


    She had even managed to survive the Yellow Springs. H¨¨ Xiyun refused to die in this place.


    Eight people were standing in front of them.


    They were all wearing kasaya, and holding different weapons.


    Kasaya: robes worn by a Buddhist monk


    The Treasure Vase, the Treasure Parasol, the Pair of Fish, the Lotus, the Right-turning Shell, the Auspicious Knot, the Banner of Honor, and the Wheel of the Law.


    Eight symbols of Buddhism, link


    ¡°Are these¡­ the Eight Sages of Wanlian?!¡± someone cried out involuntarily.


    Sages: the eight ¡°sheng¡±s of Wanlian, the same ¡°sheng¡± as in Shengjue. Shengjue¡¯s name is (was) literally ¡°sacred feeling¡±, smth like inspiration


    H¨¨ Xiyun could hardly keep it together as she was staring at them.


    The eight people were not standing far away, but seemed as profound as an abyss and as high as a peak. They were obstructing the way like an impenetrable barrier.


    Profound as an abyss and high as a peak: virtuos


    According to rumors, the cultivation bases of the Eight Sages of Wanlian were lower than Shengjue¡¯s, but they were the elders with the highest cultivation levels in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. Normally, one could only catch a glimpse of their heads and feet, as they rarely roamed the world.


    But now, they were standing close at hand, blocking their way just like highway robbers.


    H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s heart sank.


    She and the rest of them stopped.


    Only Sun Buku smiled faintly and went forward.


    ¡­


    A slim yet strong hand obstructed the Ghost King¡¯s way.


    One hand could not stop the Ghost King. What restricted his movements was the force that followed the hand.


    It¡¯s Yun Weisi!


    Xu Jingxian was pleasantly surprised.


    His turbulent spiritual power made the Ghost King retreat by a couple of steps, and in a flash, the two of them had started battling in the sea.


    The Ghost King¡¯s blood-shot eyes glared at Yun Weisi, extremely violent and wicked, with no trace left of his past harmless appearance.


    After all, he was the King of Ten Thousand Ghosts. When he released his oppressive qi, few people could withstand it.


    But Yun Weisi did.


    The resistance of the water did not impede their movements, on the contrary, the water was surging more and more violently with their spiritual powers, creating a huge whirlpool around them.


    A black fire lashed forwards, but was stopped by the Chunzhao Sword. Its qi slashed the flames apart, and the brilliant light rushed at the Ghost King.


    The Ghost King¡¯s attention had been diverted from the pillar. He roared without concealing his wish to grind Yun Weisi into dust. He balled his fists and relaxed them again, and the sword¡¯s glow was suddenly ripped apart by the black flames with a rumble. The black fire mixed with the whirlpool, enveloping the two of them!


    Don¡¯t try to stop me!


    You¡¯re the same as me!


    I saw it. You also can¡¯t obtain something you want!


    Since you¡¯re going to turn into a demon sooner or later, why are you forcing yourself to stay human?!


    When you turn into a demon, you¡¯ll be free to act as you please, and obtain whatever you want!


    Stop restraining yourself! Scram!


    Yun Weisi could hear the Ghost King¡¯s rage.


    He was uttering words one by one, like a drumstick striking his heart repeatedly.


    Yet he remained expressionless. When he folded his fingers into a sword seal, his hand was not trembling at all.


    Because¡ª


    Right behind him, there was what he could not get, what he wanted the most¡ª


    That person.


    Changming flew towards the iron pillar, the sword¡¯s glow igniting in his hand. Following his order, the sword launched at the pillar.


    No! Don¡¯t chop it off, that¡¯s not the core of the formation, that must be a trap!


    H¨¦ Qingmo shouted, exerting the utmost strength.


    The Ghost King had also become madder.


    The sword¡¯s glow almost touched the pillar.


    Xu Jingxian saw the water suddenly become muddy, and not just because of the vortex and the black flames. When the sword cut the pillar in half, as if the pillar separating the sky and the earth was destroyed, everything turned upside down and started to spin. The black fire that kept her tied down had disappeared, but she could not control herself, as the powerful current of water carried her away.

 CH 90

    Proofread by Snake


    It was as if his frenzied consciousness had been slapped with a tense string, which restored some clarity to his mind.


    The Ghost King squinted, looking into the distance. Where was the longhaired woman tied to the iron pillar now? Obviously, it had just been a decaying skeleton. The water surged up violently, following the broken pillar, and washed the remains away in the blink of an eye. After having been submerged in this absurd dream for so long, he finally came to his senses, as if he had been struck by a hammer. That person had died many years ago. Although he was reluctant to recall the memories he had once lost, he knew he would never find a trace of her again, even if he traveled to every corner of the earth, searching for her throughout the whole world and the underworld.


    He had actually already accepted this fact, but their enemy had used the last thread of his unachievable fantasies to fan the flames of disorder. The Ghost King touched his chest. It was freezing cold. The sea water slipped between his fingers. Contrary to his expectations, he did not feel his heart shattering from pain, but, instead, he felt a bit lost.


    A hand stretched out to him, suddenly grabbing his wrist. The Ghost King raised his hand subconsciously.


    ¡°Hurry, let¡¯s go, why are you still standing here? Don¡¯t fall behind! There¡¯s light up ahead!¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s voice sounded, clearly stinging his mind. In a flash, he pushed away the figure from his memories.


    The Ghost King relaxed without even noticing it.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you already gone?¡±


    ¡°I returned half way!¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo was irritated. He rudely dragged the Ghost King, swimming towards the source of the light.


    The water behind their backs was murky and chaotic. More and more crushed stones and weeds were swept into the enormous whirlpool, which had been moving towards them swiftly, about to swallow them. The Ghost King grabbed the man and swam towards the source of the light.


    H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s hands dropped down weakly. His cultivation was not as good as his talent for formations. If he had not learnt in the Nine Layers of the Abyss that the cause of shijie Meng Li¡¯s death was suspect, he would not have come to the You Capital to discover the truth. He had almost depleted his strength, and he was running on fumes, using the rest of his spiritual powers to protect himself from the icy water. He really had no strength to continue.


    In a daze, he thought that he could have escaped by himself, and should not have returned for the Ghost King.


    They had met by chance, and had temporarily become friends because of a common enemy. As for their friendly affection¡ªa profound relationship could not exist as they had only met two days ago. Humans and ghosts followed different paths. H¨¦ Qingmo was a famous, aloof and conceited disciple of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, and he rarely paid much attention to other people. Yet now, he turned around and stretched out his hand just because two days ago he had heard Linghu say that the Ghost King had been dead for many years, had no relatives or friends in this world, and no one would ever care for him like that girl.


    At that time, H¨¦ Qingmo was not impressed with the Ghost King¡¯s story. The Great Dao to immortality is indeed this ruthless, and lonely people were not a rare occurrence on this path. Cultivation originally meant isolation. It was not just one¡¯s relatives, even fellow disciples of one sect, and even the disciples of the same teacher¡ªall would eventually part and go their separate ways. These words of the Ghost King were actually immature.


    But, even though his words had been childish, somehow, they had been etched into H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s memories. Just now, when H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s life was hanging by a thread, and he was still angry at the Ghost King for strangling him, he nevertheless reached out to the Ghost King, almost falling behind himself.


    Why be softhearted? After all, Linghu had already died once, and a ghost cultivator could not die. Moreover, he was the Ghost King. Moreover¡ª


    Moreover, the Ghost King did not consider them his friends.


    H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s chest hurt, and he could not help coughing.


    He was coughing up more and more violently, curling up in a ball.


    An ice-cold hand touched him on the back, pouring in spiritual power that was unexpectedly warm, even a little scalding.


    H¨¦ Qingmo knitted his eyebrows and opened his eyes.


    A blood-red shade had filled the air, and the night had enveloped the world with darkness. The place was overflowing with pungent smoke mixed with the smell of blood and corpses, making one sick.


    Had they left the ice sea?


    Or had they fallen into another illusion?


    The familiar outline of the upturned eaves on the tops of roofs led H¨¦ Qingmo to vaguely recognise this place. This place should be one of the liveliest districts of the You Capital, only one street away from the place where they had resided. After sunset, the sound of music and singing often came from this place as it was always bustling with chatting people. Although it was not as luxurious and opulent as the Luo Capital, it was a world-famous city. Yet, now, wherever they looked, demons were causing trouble, ghosts were wailing and spirits were howling incessantly¡ªnot a trace of the capital¡¯s past glory could be seen. It even made people wonder whether they had mistaken this place for the real You Capital.


    H¨¦ Qingmo had never expected that this place would turn this way. He had thought that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple was really enigmatic and unpredictable. Usually, they laid low, but it had turned out that they were even more horrible than eminent grand clans like the Celestial Abode Shenxiao.


    The Celestial Abode Shenxiao also had layers of protective barriers, shielding them from intruders. However, the barriers were mostly defensive, and the ones to deal with the enemy were cultivators from the Celestial Abode Shenxiao. However, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple¡ª


    On normal days, they only deliberated on Dharma, preaching about the mercy that would point out the correct path for every creature, while in truth, they greeted their guests even more viciously than Demonic sects. If people knew the truth about the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, all the Buddhist sects would have their reputation destroyed.


    No, the people probably would not learn it. If only everyone died here¡­


    An incandescent golden light erupted in the distance, and abundant, straining spiritual power came rolling in with the dust, drawing H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s attention.


    Yun Weisi and Changming had already built a barrier in front of them, and for a short while, they would not be affected.


    But they probably could not support the barrier for too long. Waves upon waves of evil spirits were rushing at them, ramming against the wall of spiritual powers before scattering away. However, only more spirits attacked them, again and again.


    The Ghost King let H¨¦ Qingmo go, got up on his feet and went forward.


    He raised his sleeve, reached out his hand, and easily opened a barrier in front of himself. Evil spirits threw themselves at him, but in the next moment, all these atrocious demons fell into the barrier created by the Ghost King¡¯s sleeve, having no time to react.


    The barrier was soon torn into pieces, and a crushing black fire ignited around his body. The evil demons and aggrieved spirits paled in terror. They did not dare come closer, and even vied to be first to run away. But every spirit lost control when nearing the black flames, before getting sucked inside and absorbed into the fire, vanishing in a puff of smoke.


    H¨¦ Qingmo had been staring at it dumbly for half a day. When he finally returned to his senses, Yun Weisi and Changming had already disappeared.


    ¡°Senior, they¡­?¡±


    Sun Buku was battling against the Eight Sages of Wanlian in front of the Zhuque gates, and nothing could stop them now.


    The eight people, holding the eight treasures, had completely encircled Sun Buku. Using a large force to defeat a single enemy, they were determined to eliminate him right now.


    However, upon closer examination, one would notice that Sun Buku was not in a disadvantageous position, despite being surrounded by these eight people. He even seemed to be standing firmly in the center, ready to switch from defense to offense at any moment.


    He was supporting a seal with both of his hands, and his cane was hovering above the ground in front of him. It was slowly rotating, emitting a blinding golden light that had enveloped Sun Buku¡¯s body together with his spiritual power.


    As the spiritual power was getting stronger, a faint golden …e character appeared on his forehead.


    When the one holding the Treasured Vase saw this, his mind shook slightly. He vaguely recalled a certain rumor.


    If the disciples of Buddhist sects, who were the most talented and perceptive towards comprehending Buddhist doctrines, managed to grasp the sacred meaning of what Fozun Xu Tiancang had left behind, the fozun would descend to their body. Their forehead would flourish with a dazzling light, and the seal of the …e character representing Fozun Xu Tiancang¡¯s incarnation would merge with the Buddha. That person would then become an incarnation of the fozun.


    But, after all, these rumors were just rumors. The fozun had ascended hundreds of years ago, and not a single person had ever gotten a chance like this. The guardian doubted his eyesight.


    However, even after he had blinked several times, the golden seal still remained on his enemy¡¯s forehead. It was even getting more brilliant, and more evident.


    ¡°Hold the formation, uproot the evil!¡±


    One of the Eight Sages shouted in a deep voice, helping the distracted guardian¡¯s pull his thoughts together.


    But Sun Buku suddenly laughed.


    ¡°Uproot the evil? Uproot what evil? You are heretics, rebels of the Buddhist sects, not me!¡±


    His Buddhist cane hit against the ground heavily. From this place, cracks swiftly stretched to every direction, followed by a surging golden light. In a flash, it had already reached the feet of the eight people!


    ¡°Each matter is accountable, everything follows the dharma!¡±


    The force of the eight people chanting together was immense. The spiritual power lashed back at Sun Buku at once, and petals of red lotuses forced the golden light back at him, enveloping and pressuring him. Sun Buku felt pain smash into his chest, and a suspicious taste came up to his throat. He forced himself to endure vomiting up blood.


    Sun Buku had not fought against Shengjue just now, but he had felt that the attack of these eight people was probably not much weaker than Shengjue¡¯s, and their united strength was far more formidable than his.


    It was the real power of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple!


    In the past, people had always thought Shengjue to be the strongest one in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, even calling their head Shengjue¡¯s puppet with a nominal title.


    However now, it seemed that this was far from the truth. Perhaps Changming had guessed it right: Shenjue was only pushed to the frontline, and the actually dreadful opponents had only started to appear now.


    ¡°Each matter is remunerated, nothing can be reversed!¡±


    The eight words sounded from eight directions simultaneously, with red lotuses and the fire of retribution.


    Sun Buku¡¯s every defense and strategy was disrupted in a flash, blocked seamlessly.


    ¡°Each matter is eternal, World has no me!¡±


    Restrictions were being cast on him, layer upon layer. Vibrant and lustrous lotuses had started to bloom between the eight people and Sun Buku.


    This created a rare, beautiful sight, which was also extremely hideous, as every red lotus turned into a shackle binding Sun Buku.


    The more he struggled, the more brilliant the lotuses became, while the shackles grew heavier.


    The moment he no longer resisted and gave up struggling, the red lotuses would swallow him up, making him collapse like the earth or crumble like tiles, with his ashes scattering away.


    The golden light had gotten obviously darker, yet the fire of retribution of the red lotuses was blazing.


    The guardian sneered secretly, finding his delusions absurd.


    How could this person be an incarnation of the fozun? Although he was a bit stronger than Shengjue, he was still nothing but¡­


    As soon as he thought of it, he was stunned by what was happening.


    The Treasured Vase in his hand cracked, and started falling apart.


    ¡°Every appearance¡ª¡±


    Sun Buku finally opened his mouth to recite a prayer.


    Almost at the same time, the eight people started reciting as well.


    ¡°Every matter is eternal¡ª¡±


    Sun Buku¡¯s voice seemed to have been blocked by some kind of incorporeal force, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not utter a sound.


    He closed his eyes and made a hand seal. His expression was composed, as if everything was fine, yet the golden seal on his forehead had gotten dimmer.


    A bystander would have thought that he was enduring it easily, but in reality, his four limbs could hardly move, pulled by the cane behind his back.


    The cane was subdued by the red lotuses, and had already cracked.


    ¡°Only the Gold Glass Beads Staff is worthy of the head of the Qingyun School!¡±


    A familiar clear voice had reached his ears.


    Sun Buku opened his eyes abruptly!


    He saw Jiufang Changming rush over from a distant place. He was as light as a feather, and the fire of retribution on the red lotuses of the eight guardians could not stop him.


    A golden light flared up, and a cane fell down from the sky. Sun Buku laughed loudly and caught it.


    ¡°Many thanks for sending charcoal in snowy weather, Shizun!¡±


    Who would have thought that he would be more than willing to say this title, ¡°shizun¡±.


    ¡­


    Tens of thousands of ghosts had filled the air, and the You Capital had been painted red. Only Sun Buku¡¯s golden light was still shining on par with the red glow. However, looking at the large city, one would have felt that this golden light would not change the overall situation.


    Not far away, in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, a person was looking into the distance from a height, wordless and apathetic, aloof from the mundane world. Each person was nothing more than an ant to him, and he cared not about what had happened.


    ¡°You acted too hurriedly,¡± said the person standing next to him.


    The author has something to say:


    PS, someone said that the last few chapters are a mess. In fact, everything is already solved, but because there¡¯s too many characters, the scenes seem incomplete. To summarize:


    1. Changming went to the You Capital, and met H¨¦ Qingmo, H¨¨ Xiyun and the Ghost King there. They befriended the Ghost King, and entered the Wanlian Buddhist Temple together through a formation.


    2. Yun Weisi and Xu Jingxian went to find the source of the mysterious light, and stumbled upon Sun Buku, Jun Zilan and Qi Jingu. Together, they went to the mysterious light, and eventually realized that that place was a bait cast by the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. In the end, they found the right place to enter the Wanlian Buddhist Temple as well.


    3. The Wanlian Buddhist Temple has many separated worlds, and everyone has gone through a trial, meeting by chance and getting separated again.


    Just like that Buddhist chanting Sun Buku keeps repeating: Every appearance is little more than a lie. This dense forest of mirages has to be broken by a mind. The boss of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple is coming out soon, and everyone has almost gathered in one place. Illusions will stop appearing.


    Tn:


    It¡¯s probably the first chapter without footnotes ;;


    Happy New Year!

 CH 91

    Proofread by Snake


    Too hurriedly?


    Chun Chi was silently gazing at the distant You Capital.


    There was a very auspicious relief at the capital. It was hidden by the plantlife of the mountain, which were nourished by spiritual energy. Forget autumn, even in the bitter cold of winter, the vegetation still flourished vividly.


    Looking at the You Capital from all the way here, they could see the burning ash mixed into the bright scarlet sky. Black fires were kindling in a city that now resembled a hell filled with demons.


    ¡°Too hurriedly.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The Ghost King Linghu You was originally an excellent chess piece, yet you hurried to move him, and drove him towards Jiufang Changming. Therefore, there¡¯s another variable on the chessboard now,¡± said the person in black robes, who showed no trace of politeness. It seemed that the two of them were familiar with each other, so there was no need to speak in polite remarks.


    ¡°But Linghu You won¡¯t affect the entire setup. The outcome won¡¯t change, whether he¡¯s here or not,¡± said the monk in white. He looked like an immortal, and his feet seemed to be [treading on fine dust]. The lower half of his body was almost translucent, as if it could disappear at any minute.


    A young Buddhist monk rushed over, tidying up his robes and burning with impatience.


    ¡°Leader, shishu Shouhe is asking for help in the palace! He said that evil ghosts have besieged them, and he won¡¯t be able to hold on for too long!¡±


    The Imperial Palaces of each country had cultivators garrisoning them throughout the entire year. The You Capital was not an exception. You worshiped Buddhism, so the cultivators in the Imperial Palace all came from the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. Shouhe and Leader Chunchi belonged to the same generation, and their cultivation bases were fathomless. They kept guard in the Imperial Palace and protected the imperial family.


    The young Buddhist monk had initially thought that the moment he delivered the news, the leader would immediately dispatch someone to his shishu¡¯s aid. However, after some time had passed, he heard no answer. He raised his head silently and saw Chunchi looking at the distant city-gate tower wordlessly, as if he had not heard the monk.


    The person in the dark near the leader was tightly wrapped in robes. Perhaps, even if a fierce gale sprang up, it still would not have managed to lift the hems of these clothes. No matter how attentively the young monk was peeking at the person, he saw nothing.


    ¡°No need to interfere.¡±


    He heard the leader say.


    The young monk froze. Chunchi shot an uncaring glance at him, and the monk did not dare to say more, leaving them without delay.


    After taking a few steps, he could not help his curiosity and stealthily turned around to take a look.


    He regretted this decision till his death.


    Or, it was better to say that his life had ended right there. The expression on the young monk¡¯s face was aghast. He wanted to retreat, but his body fell onto the ground weakly, and his breath was lost forever.


    A thread of black qi drilled out from his nostril and returned to Chunchi¡¯s sleeve.


    From the beginning till the end, Chunchi and the person in black clothes had not moved a bit.


    ¡°You are cruel even towards your own people,¡± the person in black robes said.


    ¡°Since the moment I decided to partake in this matter, I have already set foot on a path of no return. You can even easily endure the death of all of your disciples, why say such things about me?¡±


    Chunchi¡¯s expression was indifferent, and his intonation was detached. A gust of wind had picked up, but it soon dispersed without a trace.


    The You Capital, protected by the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, had plunged into chaos, but he seemed like a bystander who regarded this matter as if it did not concern him. It was impossible to imagine him as the first person to bury the funerary statues of the dead.


    The first person to bury the funerary statues of the dead: originator of smth bad


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been preparing for this day.¡±


    After the long years under the emperor¡¯s rule, the custom of worshiping Buddhism had been entrenched in the country of You. During the time of any festival, the common people would always visit a Buddhist temple to burn some incense, especially the You Capital. Even if it was not the fifteenth, more than enough people were always crowding at the foot of the mountain of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. High-ranking officials and noble persons asked for wealth and rank, while the common folks wished for timely wind and rain. Everyone wanted to obtain something, and after a long period of time, their faith had gathered around the Buddhist temple, solidifying into a kind of incorporeal force that was nourishing the temple.


    The fifteenth: of any month: the day to offer sacrifices to the gods


    No one could have guessed that what the people of the You Capital had been earnestly supporting all these years was actually a giant beast that would turn against them to swallow them.


    ¡°Where did you find so many evil ghosts?¡± asked the person in black clothes, who was a bit curious.


    ¡°The hearts of humans,¡± Chunchi said, ¡°Humans¡¯ hearts contain boundless desires. Even when people die, their desires won¡¯t dissipate. To obtain what they can¡¯t have, they will only engrave it deeper into their thoughts. Even cultivators can¡¯t control their inner demons, let alone the ordinary people.¡±


    The person in black clothes suddenly smiled: ¡°Are you referring to Yun Weisi, or to yourself?¡±


    Chunchi said apathetically: ¡°In this world of passions, who is an exception? Even you are not. If you hadn¡¯t become a demon because of an obsession, would you have reached this point?¡±


    The black-clothed person thought for a while, and then nodded: ¡°You are completely right. But the You Capital is very populated. What will happen to you after all of this?¡±


    His intonation was not inquiring. He was not implying that he blamed Chunchi for treating human life as no more than grass, but was simply asking what would become of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.


    ¡°Sun Buku is already in the You Capital. The Qingyun School won¡¯t just sit and watch you act like this. The Celestial Abode Shenxiao will also notice it sooner or later, so one day, every great sect will join forces to suppress you. That will be troublesome for you.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t have a chance.¡±


    Chunchi looked at the enormous red lotus that had appeared in the center of the city. Bursts of golden light erupted around, confronting the red lotus.


    The Eight Sages of Wanlian were fighting against Sun Buku.


    Although Sun Buku was strong, the Eight Sages of Wanlian did not fall behind, and their coordination was almost impeccable.


    If there had been no Qingyun School near Sun Buku, he would be like a tiger with no claws and fangs, allowing himself to be trampled upon.


    And the Celestial Abode Shenxiao¡ª


    ¡°After the battle on the Sacred Mountain Wan, it has been difficult for the major sects to work together again. The Celestial Abode Shenxiao has been silent for many years. Right now, except for Fu Dongyuan and several other old bastards, the others won¡¯t pose a problem, thanks to you. If you hadn¡¯t gathered them back then, having more than half of them killed or wounded, today, if I wanted to do something, I¡¯d have had to plan more carefully.¡±


    The man in black sighed: ¡°Is the Buddhist Leader mocking me? I was too naive at that time. At first, I thought that everything would go smoothly right after I opened that gap on the Sacred Mountain Wan. Who knew that halfway through, Jiufang Changming, this unknown variable, would stop playing by my rules. But it¡¯s fine either way. I learnt a lesson from the bitter experience of the failure on the Sacred Mountain Wan. Now, our great plan will be achieved. Jiufang Changming has sent himself to our doors. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡±


    Chunchi frowned slightly: ¡°It seems that you don¡¯t attach much importance to Jiufang Changming.¡±


    The person in black shook his head: ¡°He is indeed a formidable opponent in one-on-one battle, but he has no sect to rely on. No matter how powerful he is, his strength is limited if he is alone. Moreover, he is worse now than he used to be in the past.¡±


    Chunchi said: ¡°As far as I know, you schemed against him on the Sacred Mountain Wan, and as a result, his immortal souls almost flew away while his mortal forms were nearly dispersed. But, contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, he managed to overcome it and returned, ruining your formations one by one. How can you say he¡¯s worse than before?¡±


    The man in black: ¡°He used to have no weaknesses, yet now he does. He knows for sure that this place is a trap, but he insisted on hurrying over here just because of Zhou Keyi. In my opinion, that is not a wise move. Foolish is as foolish does. This one thing alone is enough to stop him from breaking through a bottleneck to the next cultivation realm. Moreover, he is with Yun Weisi now.¡±


    Chunchi: ¡°Yun Weisi is a strong opponent as well.¡±


    The man in black smiled: ¡°No. Yun Weisi will help you.¡±


    Chunchi tilted his head, revealing a puzzled expression.


    However, the man in black did not explain much. He turned around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first. I wish you the best, Leader. Your actual body is still in slumber, and supporting incarnations is obviously not an easy task. You shouldn¡¯t stay here, and should return earlier.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for not sending you off.¡±


    Chunchi did not turn his head, looking at the You Capital with his hands clasped behind his back.


    He was looking at everything he saw almost avidly, since usually he had no way to go out.


    If nothing went wrong today, hundreds of thousands of evil ghosts would devour the entire You Capital. The aggrieved ghosts who had no way to vent their anger on their unjust deaths was the best material possible for refining a Soul Gathering Pearl.


    He was wondering whether now, when the human world was overturned, and turned into a hell haunted with demons, would there be a deity in the boundless sky to take a step forward?


    In the depths of Chunchi¡¯s indifferent eyes, a wave rose, as if a stone had fallen into the water, raising ripples on the surface.


    ¡°You are in control of one of the two major Buddhist clans, yet you don¡¯t believe in Buddhas. I am in control of the biggest clan in the world, yet I don¡¯t believe in deities. Ignorant fools deem that the world is vast, yet they can¡¯t take half a step forward throughout their lives. You and I will overturn the world, only to pave a path of blood for the sake of humanity. What¡¯s the use of highly-talented people like Jiufang Changming? In the end, they are shortsighted like tiny rats, nobodies like ants!¡±


    The man in black smiled broadly and turned around to leave.


    Chunchi suddenly said: ¡°Have you dreamed of Chi Bijiang lately?¡±


    The man in black stopped, but did not say anything.


    Chuchi repeated his question.


    The man in black finally took off his hood, revealing his face.


    If there was anyone here beside the two of them, that person would have surely been surprised, since this person was none other than Jiang Li, the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    The corners of Jiang Li¡¯s smiling mouth lowered a bit.


    ¡°Why are you asking this?¡±


    ¡°Recently, whenever I enter a meditative state, I always see her. She doesn¡¯t say anything, and only stands in the distance watching me, as if she has something to say. However, if I ask her whether there is anything she hasn¡¯t finished and wants to be done, she only shakes her head and disappears,¡± Chunchi seemed to have dismissed his reaction, ¡°Afterwards, I thought that she doesn¡¯t want to see me in particular, and only wants me to pass on the news since she can¡¯t enter your dreams. Palace Master Chi was passionately devoted to you. Unfortunately, a heart obsessed with love won¡¯t last, and a genius will certainly suffer.¡±


    ¡°I never expected a person detached from mortal affairs to sigh with emotion like this. Everyone says that Qingyun cultivate their hearts, and Wanlian cultivate their bodies. Since when has the Wanlian Buddhist Temple started to cultivate their hearts?¡± Jiang Li put on his hood again, ¡°I should go. I believe that our long-awaited ambition will finally be satisfied not long after today. I will be truly disappointed if something goes wrong on your side.¡±


    As soon as the last word was said, a white light appeared, gathering into a cloud that enveloped the man in black.


    Black clouds were rolling in above the You Capital, and the red lotuses were burning fiercely. The clouds shone red, reflecting the lotuses.


    Everything was moving in the set direction.


    Chunchi glanced at the young monk lying on the ground, and sighed slightly. Just as he was going to pick him up, he suddenly froze, looking at the direction he had come from, as if listening to something. In a short while, he flicked his fingertips, and his half-transparent figure had vanished completely. He even disregarded the monk on the ground.


    ¡­


    Changming had found a breach in the formation of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.


    He felt that this time he was finally right.


    Since the moment he had entered the You Capital, they had started fighting in the open.


    Before entering the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, H¨¦ Qingmo and Changming had set sixty-four formations of different sizes throughout the You Capital as if it was a chessboard.


    Some of these formations were decorations, some were traps, while some of them attracted no attention, but would play an important role in the future. They were scattered like stars all over the city.


    This battle was bound to be onerous.


    Their single effort to tame dozens of enemies was far from enough to solve the matter. The opponents that had shown themselves were only the first step of their enemies¡¯ trap, something to lure Changming into the game. Buddhists stressed the saying, ¡°Everything in the world is merely an illusion, and one should see through appearances¡±. Naturally, they also like setting layers of illusionary worlds to trap their enemies.


    Changming felt that the appearance of Shengjue was a key, and the doors would only open after he was killed, letting them learn something about the formation of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.


    As expected, the Eight Sages of Wanlian appeared after Shengjue. They were way stronger than Shengjue, hiding under the stage for so many years without showing themselves and thus fooling the world.


    Just now, while the Eight Sages of Wanlian were fighting against Sun Buku, Changming sensed a trace of an unusual energy.


    It was coming from the northeast side of the You Capital.


    Although their enemies had cast an escape-proof net all over the place, even the most intricate trap would have a flaw. The flaw was revealed the moment the Golden Glass Beads Staff appeared. Sun Buku had backed the Eight Sages into a corner with its overwhelming might, and made their beliefs shatter, which also affected the formation around the You Capital. Even though it only lasted a moment, this moment felt like thousands of strings were being plucked by someone. However, pulling one hair would make the whole body move. Changming had noticed it at once.


    He and Yun Weisi followed this trail immediately.


    It was an inexplicably mysterious and abstruse realm, as if it was using the heavenly bodies themselves. He knew for sure which ones of them had shone brightly all of a sudden, and which ones had fallen down in a meteor shower. He was like a chess player who had already reached a certain level of expertise where he could play the game with his eyes closed. He did not need to use eyes to see what step his opponent was taking, or where he himself put his legs. The chessboard was already deep in his heart, and every single nook of it was brightly lit.


    Changming felt that at this moment, his cultivation had advanced. Since the day he had transferred the spiritual powers of the Sifei Sword to Yun Weisi, he had not hoped to break through for some time, and did not expect to get a chance like this under such circumstances.


    However, the situation at hand was still troublesome. They had only found a breach, yet the enemy had not appeared. That was what Changming wanted to say.


    What the two of them were looking at now was a massive lotus pond.


    Clusters of lotuses were blooming in the pond, as if it was the middle of summer.


    But the lotuses were not the regular pink or red ones¡ªinstead, they looked as if they were made of stone, and their shapes were unrefined and stained. They were slowly moving, as if alive.


    Two copper pillars stood in the middle of the pond and a man was tied to them with an iron chain.


    The lower half of his body had been submerged into the water, and the lotuses had surrounded him. His head was lowered, and there was no telling whether he was still alive.


    It was Zhou Keyi.


    Changming was not in a hurry to go over. He looked around, searching for an anomaly about the lotus pond.


    ¡°Distinguished guests, you have come from afar. Welcome,¡± Zhou Keyi said slowly, raising his head. His face was sallow, and his voice was hoarse, yet his tone was obviously different from his usual one.


    ¡°Are you satisfied with the scenery?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s vast in territory and abundant in resources, and has everything one might imagine, as expected of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, which is one of the two major Buddhist clans. It¡¯s just that having Fozun Shengjue¡¯s life as a greeting gift is a bit too pompous. Leader Chunchi is very sincere and kind, which makes one feel very apologetic,¡± Changming said unhurriedly.


    Zhou Keyi¡¯s expression was eager, and his eyes had turned bloodshot. Yet the tone of his voice completely contrasted his expression, sounding surprised and somewhat delighted.


    ¡°Oh? How did Immortal Jiufang guess it was me?¡±


    ¡°Everyone says that the strongest one in terms of martial arts in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple is Shengjue. But, even after so many years have passed, his cultivation is only slightly better than that of a master, not even reaching the grandmaster¡¯s level. A person like that can¡¯t control the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. The only possible answer is that the sect had to put someone on the frontline as a puppet, while the actual owner would never show their face, hiding himself while not eating the food of common mortals, and only meditating wholeheartedly, which is what Leader Chunchi is good at. Say, am I right, Leader Chunchi?¡±


    Not eating the food of common mortals: placing oneself above the common people


    Zhou Keyi sighed faintly.


    ¡°I still remember the year I saw Immortal Jiufang for the first time. You were standing on the peak of a mountain, looking down on the crowd of cultivators like myself, haughty and insufferably arrogant, with a mind unperturbed by trifles. Everyone had to bow their heads in your presence. I¡¯d have never thought that even Immortal Jiufang would learn how to deliberate carefully on minor details after all these years.¡±


    ¡°Humans are prone to change. Time hasn¡¯t worn down my lofty aspirations, yet it made me more good-tempered,¡± Changming smiled, ¡°Otherwise, if it was still myself from the past, after I¡¯ve seen you treat my disciple like this, I¡¯d have torn your body into shreds without saying a second word. Why would I waste so much time on useless talk?¡±


    Zhou Keyi opened his eyes wide, as if trying to gain control over his own body. Because of the pressure, his body trembled, and the iron chain made a sound as well.


    But, even though his eyes had turned red, and his mouth was opening and closing, he could not make a sound, only trying to relay something to Changming through his moving lips.


    Don¡¯t come over, run!


    The author has something to say:


    A small scene unrelated to the main plot:


    Yun Weisi: Zhou Keyi and Sun Buku fell into the water at the same time. Whom will you save?


    Changming: Both are rebellious disciples, why would I save them?


    Yun Weisi: Then Yun Hai and Yun Weisi fell into the water at the same time. Whom will you save?


    Changming: ?

 CH 92

    Proofread by Snake


    Yun Weisi took action.


    He used a special technique to split the Chunzhao Sword into three swords that flew towards Zhou Keyi!


    The swords¡¯ glow was bright like a rainbow and forceful like a lightning bolt. No one could stop it.


    He was not going to kill Zhou Keyi¡ªinstead, his intention was to cut off the iron chains.


    But the swords¡¯ glow stopped three chi away from Zhou Keyi!


    In a short while, the swords¡¯ glow was absorbed by an invisible barrier. Only the Chunzhao Sword itself was fortunately retrieved, because Yun Weisi had noticed the danger in advance.


    At the same time, Yun Weisi and Changming were put under pressure from every direction. A blinding golden light ignited.


    Changming looked around. The pressure coming from all eight directions had slowly gained shape, each taking Chunchi¡¯s appearance.


    But all these eight ¡°Chunchi¡± were half-transparent, as if they were not actually present here or could dissipate at any second.


    Changming shivered and quickly set up a barrier.


    ¡°Daoists have had the technique of the Three Pure Ones since time immemorial. Many people struggle for their whole lives, but it¡¯s extremely difficult to refine at least one incarnation. Who would have thought that Leader Chunchi would have reached such a boundlessly profound realm in the art of incarnations? It¡¯s truly fascinating!¡±


    His expression was amused, but his heart sank a little.


    It would be even more difficult to win today. Before, they had thought that they would definitely be able to put the Wanlian Buddhist Temple in a difficult position, since the Ghost King had joined them. But now, it seemed that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been concealing a lot more than what they had anticipated.


    Chunchi¡¯s cultivation was definitely not lower than that of a grandmaster.


    Thousands of ghosts were causing trouble outside, haunting the You Capital, and every place inside here was plagued with traps and numerous incarnations. Since the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had used Zhou Keyi as bait to lure them here, they must have been all-prepared.


    While he was thinking, the eight incarnations moved at lightning speed, casting golden light. A single word of a Buddhist chant escaped their mouths at the same time.


    ¡°Om!¡±


    Om: the first syllable of a famous six-character mantra


    The first syllable of the mantra sounded, and a high stupa descended to the earth, surrounded by golden light. It was adorned with silver and gold threads, beautiful purples and brilliant reds, blazing and colorful. It put pressure on Changming from above, restricting his movements so that he could not take a single step.


    The stupa was covered with the ¡°om¡± character from a six-syllable sutra all over. They were rotating around it slowly, shining brightly with the stupa and illuminating each other. Their compelling force was incredibly high, and Changming seemed to feel thousands of chains on his body. This made him breathless, almost suffocating him.


    He opened his mouth slightly, but could not make a sound. Even if he recited a sword technique in his heart, it was blocked by an incorporeal power that was sealing off his consciousness.


    The stupa kept descending lower, and the golden light seemed to be taking a substantial form, binding his body. Blood started to ooze from under his clothes.


    Nevertheless, Changming¡¯s expression was calm, as if the suffering that he had been put under did not bother him at all.


    The golden light was getting even denser, cutting through the flesh under his clothes. The expressions of Chunchi¡¯s incarnations flickered, and they moved their fingers. A red lotus fell from the top of the stupa, bursting into golden light!


    A body that had been trapped with this technique was bound to fall apart, alongside the soul that resided inside, completely ground to dust!


    No. Chunchi¡¯s incarnation did not sense Jiufang Changming¡¯s death. Could it be that he had also created an incarnation?


    Just as he had thought of it, a person appeared behind his back.


    It was Changming!


    A sword was glittering, and its brilliant rays outshined the sky.


    The sword qi dashed up to the sky, leaching away every evil in the six directions.


    The stupa dimmed for a moment. While the Sifei Sword was present, nothing could ever compare to it.


    ¡°Not an incarnation.¡±


    As if he had seen through the doubt in Chinchi¡¯s incarnation, Changming dispelled it of his own accord.


    ¡°I was not as fortunate as Leader Chunchi to have the chance to cultivate countless incarnations, but I¡¯ve reached the pinnacle of the Art of Transferring Spirit, so I can use it effortlessly. Should we see whether your incarnations or my puppets are stronger today?¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    As his voice sounded, four of Chunchi¡¯s incarnations merged into one in the air. He closed his eyes, folding his fingers into complex seals. His hands moved like flowers that bloomed and withered away. A lotus blossomed nearby, glowing with pure sacred light, seemingly sacrosanct.


    For Changming, this resplendent and beautiful golden lotus was infinitely oppressive. The flower was growing bigger. Like that stupa that kept getting larger, it was circling above Changming¡¯s head, dropping golden rays on him. Looking from afar, a person would have thought that Changming was bathing in the golden light.


    The one who was chanting was serene and gentle, and the one listening seemed to have no demands and desires. It looked like the perfect image of a monk preaching Buddhism and a devoted worshiper listening faithfully. However, if one was there with them, that person would have realized that their battle was like stones and fierce whirlpools hidden under the surface of calm water. Both of them were trying to pull the other to eternal damnation.


    The pressure of the lotus had created a boundless illusion realm, trapping Changming¡¯s consciousness inside. It was even more violent than the stupa. While the latter had only been an appetizer, the main course was only being served now.


    Changming felt as if he was in a realm of deities and Buddhas, surrounded by blooming lotuses. Everything was overflowing with brilliant lights and vibrant colors, full of wavering banners and lines of sutras silently flowing through the void. Anything he saw could have been an illusion, as appearances were deceptive. The one standing in the center was the founder of Buddhist sects himself, Fozun Xu Tiancang, who looked like Chunchi. His eyes were closed tightly, the thumb and middle fingers of his right hand touching each other above the palm of his left hand, and the fingers of his left hand were wrapped around the other hand.


    It was an exceedingly convoluted secret technique of Buddhist sects. Reportedly, a person with an advanced cultivation level who had comprehended this skill could obtain an invincible body that was impervious to swords or spears and was resistant to fire and water. Nothing evil or heretical could touch it. His heart would be as glass, and he was transparent, as if he had broken through to the realm of Great Completion. Anyone who saw him could only bow their head, asking for advice, submitting both mentally and physically. Only then would they have a chance to be granted Buddhist clemency: to turn around and see the shore.


    Great Completion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzogchen


    Around and see the shore: repent and be saved


    While this technique was being used, the second character of the six-syllable mantra sounded.


    ¡°Ma!¡±


    This short sound would make anyone¡¯s skin crawl. It shook the world like a lion¡¯s roar, forcing any creature to tremble in trepidation.


    The lotus quivered, and its petals fell onto Changming¡¯s head like a crumbling mountain. No one could resist them.


    A barrier of spiritual powers had enveloped Changming, but it was becoming covered in cracks at a visible speed, yet the petal kept pressuring him, ready to crush his body underneath.


    The petals that had seemed weightless like feathers were actually heavier than stone, and could smash him to death.


    At this moment, Changming only raised his hand.


    This movement looked like he was lightly flicking leaves off his head.


    A small weight can move burdens, if it¡¯s skilled enough.


    The petals fell down, floating towards Chunchi.


    The spring scenery immediately changed into a world of ice and snow.


    A fierce gale, bringing snowflakes, was blowing towards the two of them.


    One attack had been received and one attack had been sent out. The tables had been turned. Now, it could be said that they had officially exchanged greeting blows twice.


    It was twice, because Chunchi attacked first, and Changming had interrupted it with the puppet and the Art of Conferring Spirit. The second time round, Changming had reversed the illusion world, dragging Chunchi into the trial.


    Chunchi was not surprised.


    If Chunchi¡¯s opponent could be easily defeated, he would have had no right to call himself Jiufang Changming.


    Once, this name, Jiufang Changming, meant the strongest existence in the world.


    Jiufang Changming possessed vast knowledge, and had comprehended the many techniques of various clans. Once, he had entered a Buddhist sect to study their skills. Although Buddhists looked down on people like this, Chunchi had never held Jiufang Changming in contempt, unlike Jiang Li, the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    In his opinion, Jiufang Changming was a worthy opponent. Decades ago, he had managed to make the almost completed Liuhe Zhutian Formation fail with his own hands. Even though he was unaware of the truth, he still was able to return from the dead, and save his life from the Yellow Springs. Although the cultivation level of the Jiufang Changming in front of his eyes was lacking compared to his past self, he had managed to grasp at a slim chance of survival, did not give up, and came back. Given time, he could probably break through his barriers and advance to the next realm.


    Chunchi even felt that he would be able to see through many mysteries of the universe after today¡¯s battle.


    The cold was freezing to the bone, and Chunchi¡¯s gown was wildly fluttering in the wind. He was standing as firmly as a mountain, and pondered with his eyes closed. Very soon, a golden light appeared around his body.


    The golden light was spreading around like ripples on the water, followed by the sound of wooden fish. Every time there was the knocking sound, the blaze weakened. By the ninth time, the heavy snowfall had stopped, and only the wind was still howling, but it was gradually calming down as well. Golden light slowly started to shine through the clouds, lightening the air. The rays of the sun appeared, and the blaze was coming to an end. Changming smiled, waving his sleeve.


    ¡°Sword, come!¡±


    ¡°Ni!¡±


    Almost at the same time, two rays of scripture appeared!


    The Sifei Sword was glowing brazenly, and the dark clouds above their heads had dispersed.


    But there was no shining sun behind the clouds. Instead, there were the countless rays of Buddhist light, obstructed by the Sifei Sword. Two formidable spiritual powers had encountered each other, and neither one was willing to yield half a cun.


    Buddhist light: Buddha¡¯s halo


    The more the Buddhist light flourished, the brighter the Sifei Sword shined.


    The clouds were lowering over the world, and a fresh wind came from afar, gathering above them. As the clouds met the wind, covering the place, the black and white qi of the world merged together like a mix of good and evil, fusing and separating again.


    If he wanted to break Jiufang Changming¡¯s barrier, he only had this moment!


    ¡°Pad!¡±


    ¡°Me!¡±


    ¡°Hum!¡±


    Chunchi uttered the three remaining syllables at once, one louder than the other in one vigorous effort, intending to crush his opponent using this opportunity.


    ¡­


    As the Buddhist chanting was getting louder, Zhou Keyi, who had been tied with iron chains, was putting all his effort into enduring the torture, yet he still revealed a suffering expression.


    His body was covered in bloody injuries. As if he had been cut with a knife, there was one wound after another. It was a slow death through a thousand cuts.


    These injuries not only affected his flesh, but also penetrated deep into the sea of his consciousness. Zhou Keyi¡¯s spiritual power had been exhausted by the prolonged tortures to the point he almost had no trace of it left. Every slash of this incorporeal sword was directly aimed at his sea of consciousness, causing him unbearable pain. He only wished he could die right now, putting a stop to the endless sufferings.


    But something was still supporting him in the depths of his heart, so he was still alive.


    An imposing master, the master of the Jianxue, as well as a disciple of that person¡ªhe could not die under such humiliating circumstances.


    Otherwise, when the next generations would happen to mention him, talking about Jiufang Changming, they would only sigh casually¡ª


    Ah, Zhou Keyi, that master of the Jianxue Clan? Didn¡¯t he die, after being captured by a Buddhist sect? Truly, no matter how hard a Demonic cultivator practices, they will never be able to gain the upper hand in a fight against Buddhists.


    He would not resign to such a fate!


    Who said that Demonic cultivators were inferior to others? At least to prove to that person, to make him believe that I haven¡¯t taken the wrong path¡­


    He had not taken the wrong path!


    Blood was dripping down from the corners of his mouth.


    The wounds were splitting his skin, winding along his body and revealing flesh on his neck, arms and lower. It was a ghastly sight, truly horrible.


    Zhou Keyi opened his eyes slightly, as if he had seen someone coming closer and stretching hand out to him.


    Sleep. Just fall asleep, and you¡¯ll forget everything, solving your predicament.


    You won¡¯t be tortured again, and you won¡¯t feel confused or angered.


    In this dream, you¡¯ll still be the master of the largest Demonic clan, looking down on every creature and doing whatever you please.


    Zhou Keyi was breathing heavily, struggling against the enticement.


    He blinked with difficulty. His sweat and blood had obstructed his vision, but he seemed to see Chunchi fighting with Changming fiercely. The latter had even managed to split his attention, looking at him.


    Zhou Keyi managed to raise the corners of his mouth, thinking that he was hallucinating.


    Everyone told that person not to come, why would he still be here, seeking his death?


    After all, Zhou Keyi was his most detested disciple.


    ¡­


    The Sifei Sword was stronger.


    Changming only needed a short moment to finish the fight with Chunchi.


    However, he had to face a tougher choice.


    Yun Weisi, on his part, had encountered the Sixteen Vajras of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. They had used a formation of diamond lotuses to trap him. On top of that, there were also the other four incarnations of Chunchi. They had been fighting each other up to the moment the victor was determined in Changming¡¯s battle. Chunchi was forced to retrieve his incarnations, throwing all his forces to attack Yun Weisi. The Sixteen Vajras were also determined to kill him, and the favorable conditions allowed them to put layers of restrictions on their enemy. No matter how formidable Yun Weisi was, his strength was coming to an end as well.


    In this split second, Changming had to make a choice.


    Save Zhou Keyi first, or rush to rescue Yun Weisi?

 CH 93

    Proofread by Snake


    Yun Weisi clearly felt that the spiritual powers of his opponents were like an inexhaustible spring¡ªno matter how much was taken from it, it would never be drained dry.


    The Sixteen Vajras were like the sixteen petals of a lotus. They stood strictly in a row, closely cooperating and moving in such impeccable coordination that they seemed to be one person.


    But the most troublesome thing about them was their spiritual powers.


    Countless souls of wrongly accused people had filled the lotus pond. The disciples of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been gathering souls from each corner of the world for many days and nights. The aggrieved souls were dropped into one place, and, supported by the faith of believers who worshiped the sect daily, had been circling in here for a long time in order to provide boundless spiritual powers for the diamond lotus formation.


    The Sixteen Vajras were just like a child, who still had their hair down, but who had suddenly obtained an extraordinary spiritual weapon of great might¡ªeven if the child was unskilled, and brandished the weapon as they pleased, it could also lead to devastating consequences. As such, while the Sixteen Vajras¡¯ level of cultivation was not as high as Yun Weisi¡¯s, they were still attacking in unison. On top of that, they were supported by this malicious, infinite spiritual power, and, as a result, they still managed to encircle Yun Weisi, giving him no chance to escape.


    Has his hair down: children from ~3 to ~8 didn¡¯t have their hair done


    Their chanting entered his ears, and he could not isolate himself from it. Even if Yun Weisi sealed off his heart, the sound would still continue to pour towards him from every direction, permeating every nook, as if persuading him to leave the Dao for Buddhism and become a disciple of the Buddhist sects.


    The sixteen of them had surrounded Yun Weisi closely. By setting up a complete lotus formation, they had blocked all his ways of retreat and left no gaps, placing a firm grip on Yun Weisi¡¯s every movement. As soon as he thought about raising his hand, the spiritual power of the lotus pond would start surging up violently, condensing into one point to form an impregnable barrier that reflected Yun Weisi¡¯s attack back to him.


    ¡°When a Buddha comes to life, every single person worships them. During this time, golden light shines all around, flowers and fruits cover the earth, lotuses bloom, heavenly music plays in unison, fragrance envelops everything, the grass and the trees flourish, the dead and dying are brought back to life in perfect health, the crippled can walk with confidence, and every creature pleads with the Buddha to teach them. The Buddha says, the Dharma is in eluding appearances, and in seeking truth. What is the truth, one must ask themself. Every living entity in the world, be it a grass or a tree, a bird or a beast, as lofty as a falcon or as lowly as a fish, has the real self¡­¡±


    Yun Weisi closed his eyes, unruffled.


    The chanting voices were loud and soft in turns, piercing his consciousness, filling his soul, invading his spiritual power, isolating him from his Dao heart unbeknownst to him, and worrying his spiritual soul.


    The sword glow of the Chunzhao was shrinking gradually under the layers of golden light, growing murkier and murkier. The golden light was advancing forward, while the white light was weakening. Eventually, there was not much of a barrier around Yun Weisi¡¯s body left.


    Shoufan was the most irascible out of the sixteen.


    It had been twenty years since he had entered the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. All these years had not refined his short temper, and allowed him to reassess how the things of the world appeared to be.


    The common people always had insatiable desires¡ªthey were driven by material wealth, authority, rank, women, glory, love, hate, anger, or ignorance. Yet they were willing to give up everything in exchange for the protection of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and eventually had their souls melt away, leaving them with nothing.


    Because of this, Shoufan felt that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple was omnipotent. Any ordinary person had something they sought, and if one had a request, they therefore had a weakness. Even if they were arrogant like cultivators, who regarded themselves to be above other people, they were actually full of flaws. It went without saying that Demonic cultivators were seething with desires, and even Daoists and Buddhists were not completely free of them.


    The higher the cultivation level, the more the cultivator was trying to obtain. The reason for this was, after one had seen the scenery at the top of a mountain, they would thirst for more, and would never agree to scale down to the middle of the mountain again, let alone return to the foot of the mountain. If one wanted to obtain more, they would also be filled with the desire.


    Who was this Daozun of a Daoist sect, the oldest disciple of the once most formidable person in the world? Shoufan really wanted to know what the wishes hidden in his heart were. Once the veil was lifted, it would not matter who was the strongest¡ªevery single person was equal before their desires.


    Shoufan was itching to see this Daozun Yun wallow in his desires with no way to escape his plight. Would that not prove that Daoist cultivators were inferior to Buddhists?


    Thinking about it, Shoufan silently changed his finger seal, folding the fingers on both of his hands into a Lotus Seal of Eight Treasures. Shoufan¡¯s spiritual seal had entered the breach, trying to disturb Yun Weisi¡¯s mind to lead him astray and make him go mad. Shoufan¡¯s consciousness slipped through to Yun Weisi¡¯s amidst the layers of golden light.


    Yun Weisi had already been surrounded by the sixteen people, and was desperate, like a cornered beast. His eyes were tightly closed, and although he seemed calm, his consciousness was struggling fiercely, and he had no place to retreat to.


    The sword glow protecting him was getting weaker, and the Chunzhao Sword was lacking strength, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to go out at any moment. At the same time, the golden light became even more dazzling.


    Right now!


    Shoufan¡¯s consciousness pierced the golden light, sweeping towards the back of his opponent¡¯s head!


    Shoufan only needed to break the barrier in front of him, and thus invade the sea of Yun Weisi¡¯s consciousness, which would ruin this Yun Weisi completely, so that even his soul would scatter away.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s spiritual power had been stranded, so he could not stop Shoufan. The latter smiled smugly in his heart, as he had his opponent under his control.


    Wait¡­


    In a moment, Shoufan¡¯s trembled. If his consciousness had been corporeal, he would have stared at the sight, unable to believe his eyes.


    What was he seeing?


    His enemy¡¯s sea of consciousness¡ª


    What he saw was not a cornered victim struggling to survive, not a mind and a consciousness on the verge of collapse, and not a feeble Daoist Heart threatened with imminent danger, completely constricted and hopeless. Shoufan saw a boundless sea of blood.


    The foul stench assaulted his senses. Bones had surfaced from the blood, and every skull revealed an odd smile towards him. A tremendous power made him shrink back subconsciously, and the bloody sea flooded the earth in front of him, drowning his mind.


    It was a trap from the very beginning!


    Yun Weisi had noticed Shoufan¡¯s intentions in advance, but did not reveal this. He watched as Shoufan came to his death, and used him as a breakthrough point to destroy the Lotus Formation!


    By the time when Shoufan realized this, it was already too late.


    The sea of blood surged high up, and the last thing Shoufan had felt was fear.


    He had seen Yun Weisi¡¯s secret.


    In the depths of the sea of Yun Weisi¡¯s consciousness was not a Daoist Heart, but¡ª


    A Demonic Heart!


    Yun Weisi opened his eyes abruptly!


    Red flames started to spread from the bottom of his eyes, quickly enveloping his pupils.


    The red line, invisible to everyone¡¯s eyes, became apparent, as violent as fire, and so bright that no one could extinguish it.


    It happened because of the suffering caused by his desperate wishes in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, because of his heart that was tied in knots, and because of the seeds of demonic qi planted in him during his fights with demons. To bring them under control, he had forcibly broken off from Yun Hai, and later, to subdue the demonic qi, he had fused with Yun Hai again. But if demonic qi could fade away that easily, it would not have been able to turn one into a demon. As he was fighting against demons, the qi was being coerced to come out, and he could barely suppress it.


    If they treated the symptoms but not the disease, the repressed demonic qi would sooner or later resurface like an erupting volcano, with things reaching an extreme, and, as a result, nothing would be able to restrict it again. Yun Weisi and Changming had understood this, so, inside the glazed pagoda of the Luo Capital, Changming had rather sacrifice his own chance at a breakthrough in his cultivation and the Sifei Sword¡¯s spiritual powers to help Yun Weisi.


    Yet right now, when he was inside a Lotus Formation in a Buddhists¡¯ domain, Yun Weisi let his Demonic Heart wreak havoc. The red flames burst out. The preaching voices were getting louder, and scriptures were flourishing more, yet the result was the opposite of intended. He even felt that his thoughts had started to change.


    Using the crack in the Diamond Lotus Formation created by Shoufan¡¯s death, Yun Weisi could easily destroy it. But he had not done so.


    He saw that Zhou Keyi was in a dangerous situation, and that Changming was caught in a dilemma.


    A certain dark and gloomy thought took root in Yun Weisi¡¯s heart.


    Yun Weisi thought, It turns out that acting wilfully is so much fun.


    The other fifteen guardians had noticed Shoufan¡¯s death.


    They attacked Yun Weisi even more resolutely.


    Yun Weisi drew the bow without shooting, struggling against the overwhelming power of the Buddhist light.


    Draw the bow without shooting: from Mencius: be prepared to attack


    He saw the perplexed expression disappear from Changming¡¯s face, and saw him rushing to Zhou Keyi in the end.


    The corners of Yun Weisi¡¯s mouth rose slightly. He was mocking himself with a cold expression.


    He always knew that Jiufang Changming had treated him preferentially. However, these preferences and care were only the result of Yun Weisi having spent more time with him than the others, and because Yun Weisi understood him the best. In the past, even though Yun Weisi knew what he wanted, after being rejected, he always thought it was fine either way. If Yun Weisi could just see Changming, and remain by Changming¡¯s side until the end, he would already be satisfied.


    But thinking this was only deceiving himself and others. Now, Yun Weisi knew it was enough.


    He did not want to bear it patiently at all.


    And if he did not want to tolerate it, why would he force himself to do so?


    The Demonic Heart was only an excuse for him to justify his connivance.


    At this crucial moment, Jiufang Changming had finally confirmed Yun Weisi¡¯s old worries, and proved his lies to be ridiculous. At most, Yun Weisi was only a bit more important to him, but not all that important that Jiufang Changming would throw away everything else for his sake.


    Yun Weisi, your existence is an outright joke!


    A voice blasted deep inside his mind, laughing at him maliciously and in a crazed manner.


    Why don¡¯t you turn into a demon!


    Turn into a demon!


    Nothing in this world will shackle you ever again. All mortals deserve death. You¡¯ll get anything you want!


    What¡¯s the point in being a human?


    Red flames suddenly burst out, obliterating the golden scriptures!


    The gold and the red mixed together, gradually turning black. The intense dark flames burned vigorously. The Lotus Formation collapsed in an instant, and the fifteen people were forced to show themselves. They were struck with the black flames, and were caught in it in mid-air, turning into ash.


    The lotus pond with Yun Weisi at the center of it started to tremble, and the water surged, crushing the stone lotuses. The quaking quickly spread, and the whole place was soon covered in cracks. The aggrieved souls from the pond were rushing away with howls, striving to be the first to run away in the opposite direction from Yun Weisi. Yet the black fire had engulfed them all as well, and everything was sucked into the vortex around Yun Weisi¡¯s body.


    The whirlpool of black flames was getting more and more solid, concealing Yun Weisi¡¯s position.


    Changming, for his part, was half a step late.


    He rushed over with all his might, but could only watch Zhou Keyi¡¯s body being dismembered, pieces of his flesh and skin falling into the pond, leaving only bones behind. Zhou Keyi¡¯s spirit soul was sucked into the lotus pond.


    Suffering caused by being struck with lightning and split into half was way less painful than this. Changming was so angered that his eyes were almost popping out. But just when he had managed to capture Zhou Keyi¡¯s immortal souls, the black flames reached him!


    He turned around, looking at the long flames breaking the black lotuses. Yun Weisi came closer step by step. His eyes were blood-red, and traces of madness were flashing through his calm exterior.


    It was a body corrupted by a Demonic Heart, having already adopted the appearance of a demon!


    Changming¡¯s heart abruptly fell.


    The lotus pond had been enveloped in the raging fire, and the formation was collapsing. Every incarnation had lost its form, and a person slowly appeared out of nowhere. It was Chunchi, the leader of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.


    Yun Weisi stopped, looking at Chunchi.


    Three people were holding three positions, locked in a stalemate.


    Chunchi¡¯s line of sight swept past Changming, stopping at Yun Weisi. He suddenly recalled the last words of the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    Yun Weisi will help you.

 CH 94

    Proofread by Snake


    Chunchi had always felt that the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan was someone who viewed the game three turns ahead before making his first move.


    Although Chunchi was not a part of the scheme on the Sacred Mountain Wan back then, he had also been watching it closely from the beginning.


    Jiang Li had remained calm and collected throughout the whole event, even when Jiufang Changming had suddenly started to hinder them in the middle of setting up the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, which would eventually lead to Jiang Li¡¯s defeat. Many people had perished at that time. But Jiang Li had never lost hope or became furious, as if he had anticipated everything and had it under control. Although Jiang Li had repeatedly stated that it had been his careless mistake, Chunchi doubted these words. Chunchi suspected that Jiang Li had schemed everything that was to happen on the Sacred Mountain Wan in advance, and had always intended to turn the whole world into a formation after the defeat, setting pillars in every direction once again.


    There was only one unexpected detail in his plan: Jiufang Changming had not died.


    It was likely that Jiang Li had not foreseen that Jiufang Changming would not have his soul scatter away after the grievous injury, like what had happened to Ren Haishan who did not even leave a corpse behind. Against all reason, Jiufang Changming had even managed to survive in a treacherous place like the Yellow Springs, coming back alive and even gradually gaining enough power to fight against them today.


    It seemed like it was fate helping him from the wings.


    But Chunchi did not believe in fate.


    Even though he belonged to a Buddhist sect, was preaching to believers every day, and kept praising Buddhism, he actually doubted the existence of deities.


    That was why he had not interfered with the Wanlian Buddhist Temple gathering souls to gain power, and did not care that Jiang Li had made a pillar for the Liuhe Zhutian Formation out of this place to refine a Soul Gathering Pearl, triggering the formation.


    Chunchi was already powerful enough, and was waiting for the wind of change to come to his sect.


    From Chunchi¡¯s point of view, Jiufang Changming was the perfect wind of change.


    He was more determined and strong-willed than any other cultivator in this world, and more worthy of becoming a part of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation. Compared to Jiufang Changming, a big fish, Zhou Keyi was only bait used to lure his teacher.


    Thinking of this, Chunchi smiled.


    He raised his sleeves, and a golden light appeared around them. Lines of scriptures descended from out of nowhere and separated him from the other two.


    ¡°The two gentlemen surely have a lot to discuss. This poor monk won¡¯t disturb you for now.¡±


    His smile suddenly froze.


    Chunchi saw Yun Weisi take a step towards him.


    This one step had covered a thousand li, and Yun Weisi¡¯s hand had directly penetrated Chunchi¡¯s barrier of scriptures, getting closer to grab him.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s eyes were ruthless, brimming with murderous intent, as if he was viewing Chunchi as prey.


    The words of the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan were still ringing in Chunchi¡¯s ears. He was sure that Yun Weisi would start by attacking Jiufang Changming, and did not expect himself to fail to sit on the top of a mountain and watch tigers fight, as he had been targeted by Yun Weisi.


    Sit on the top of a mountain and watch tigers fight: watch in safety while others fight, then reap the benefit


    This thought swept past quickly, and Chunchi put his palms together devoutly. The cane in his hands hit the ground heavily.


    ¡°Dharma surges in waves, the consciousness follows it, come out!¡±


    As soon as the words were said, the lotus pond started seething, and the resentful qi rose up to the sky. Countless aggrieved spirits came up with the billows, rushing at Yun Weisi and Changming and surrounding them.


    Nothing Buddhist-like could be seen about the Wanlian Buddhist Temple now. Everything was filled with wailing ghosts and whistling spirits. Like bloodsucking maggots seeing well-fed prey, they launched forwards altogether. Had Yun Weisi and Changming not been enveloped in spiritual powers, they would have been swallowed up immediately.


    Changming had been drawn into the black waves, and not a trace of him could be seen. For a moment, it was unknown whether he had retained his life.


    Chunchi did not count on the aggrieved souls to stop his two enemies. He quickly leaped up, standing on his cane in the air. One of his hands made a gesture, pulling golden light from the cane to enter the water.


    ¡°Dharma has a reason, leading me forward. Dharma is eternal, and fate will sort everything out!¡±


    In a moment, sixteen rays of golden light mixed with the black billows appeared from the water, and a black lotus bloomed in the air, faintly glowing with gold.


    But the golden light was fluctuating fiercely, as if it was forced to fuse with the black color, and could not break free from it.


    ¡°Dharma appears today, while the soul and the body are immersed in illusions, forgiving the guiltless, countless evil creatures avoiding it!¡±


    Chunchi¡¯s lips opened and closed. After he recited this technique, the golden light entangled even more deeply with the black lotus with golden threads enmeshing it. In the end, they finally merged, and the black lotus burst. The resulting dark flames blotted out the sky and split into halves that rushed at Yun Weisi and Jiufang Changming!


    Shoufan was acting too rashly, so the whole formation had been lost because of one careless move, ruined completely by Yun Weisi. Although the fifteen people had suffered wounds of different severity, they still had a chance to survive. But Chunchi¡¯s attack had doomed them to death, forcing them to become one with the ghosts from the pond to create a powerful vessel.


    After Chunchi moved, he did not even spare a glance at the two of them, turning around and leaving without hesitation.


    He had many other things that needed his attention.


    The Soul Gathering Pearl had almost been completed. After this night, the You Capital would turn into a hell plagued with demons, so no one could act carelessly. The Wanlian Buddhist Temple together with the You Capital, supported by millions of worshippers, would become the most stable pillar of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation. Jiufang Changming¡¯s life would come to an end in this hell, adding a flower pattern on the brocade Soul Gathering Pearl, making it exhibit its best potential.


    Adding a flower pattern on the brocade: beautify something that¡¯s already perfect


    It did not matter whether Yun Weisi was here as well, this would not change anything.


    The pitch-black sky looked as if the rays of sunshine would never touch it again.


    The dawn was delayed, yet the wailing living creatures could not summon it.


    Chunchi could not help raising his head to look at the sky.


    Everything had come to this point, but the deities had not shown up.


    The Wanlian Buddhist Temple had slandered the Buddhas and besmirched them by acting like demons and hiding behind the name of Buddhism, while in truth they were even more vile than Demonic cultivators. Sure enough, deities had never existed in this world?


    If it was like this, what was the point of cultivating earnestly?


    Since the human world would come to its end sooner or later, why would he not help it to end?


    The qi of resentment was flourishing on the ground, gathering in one place, and rising up in waves.


    Dark clouds were gathering in the air above the You Capital, and threads of blood were flashing up there occasionally. Red light was flowing down to the earth, stirring up the place with the black flames of the aggrieved spirits. They had formed an enormous, calamitous storm that was slowly crawling towards the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.


    When the whirlpool reached the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, the Liuhe Zhutian Formation would be officially set. A crack to the Darkest Abyss would be opened wide, and the entire Human World would be drawn into a hopeless situation.


    Countless demons would appear from there, swallowing living souls. What Jiang Li had planned to do and failed at doing fifty years ago would finally be accomplished today.


    Chunchi did not care about the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and neither did he attach much importance to the living creatures plunging into ruin. He did not even mind injuring his own cultivation base. He only wanted to solve this question that had been torturing him for years. Except for Jiang Li, no one could help him.


    Suddenly, he froze!


    His expression was stiff, even trembling, as if he was unwilling to believe what was going on.


    He slowly lowered his head.


    A hand had pierced his body, grabbing his heart directly.


    The red heart was still pounding in the hand, as if excited.


    Blood gushed out from the wound, but Chunchi could not even grasp his cane. It fell from his hand onto the ground softly.


    The hand left his body in a split second. Blood was oozing from Chunchi¡¯s mouth, and his body resembled a cane now. In a moment, it was engulfed by the lotus pond, drowning him until he was no longer visible.


    Changming had broken through the tide of black lotuses created by the innocent souls of the Sixteen Vajras, and slowly walked out from the shackles just at the right time to see Yun Weisi grab Chunchi¡¯s heart and lower his head to lick it, as if tasting it to see if it was delicious.


    His lips were colored with blood, and his eyes were burning red. In a second, Yun Weisi felt Changming¡¯s gaze, and raised his head to smile at Changming.


    This smile froze Changming¡¯s blood, making him shiver.


    The person in front of his eyes was no longer Yun Weisi, but rather a monster with heinous demonic qi!


    Changming opened his mouth, as if he could not find the right word.


    Because Yun Weisi, obviously, would not listen to his words anymore.


    Yun Weisi clutched the heart in his palm with his fingers, as if it was his favorite plaything, and took a step towards Changming.


    Changming folded his fingers in a seal. Even if there were waves surging in his heart, it was hidden under the cover of his plain actions.


    ¡°Sword, come.¡±

 CH 95

    Proofread by Snake


    Zhang Jie had lost track of the time he had spent running about madly.


    He had been accurately following H¨¨ Xiyun and the others¡¯ instructions, quietly staying in a small yard, prepared to help in case they needed him to, while Changming and the others had gotten through the formation to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. Before leaving, Xu Jingxian had sent a cripple with disabled legs to this place. This cripple had refused to talk to Zhang Jie, doing nothing all day round and never leaving his shabby furnace for refining pills. He had shut himself up in a room full of garbage, and no one knew what he was up to.


    Zhang Jie was extremely bored. He had no other choice but to compose himself and cultivate in meditation every day, looking back at what he had experienced and learned. Eventually, he progressed a bit.


    But he had never expected the chaos to start not where Changming and the Ghost King had gone to, but at the You Capital.


    One night, the situation had changed rapidly. Demons had started devastating the land, and ghosts were wailing in misery.


    Wandering souls and wild ghosts had come out in swarms, hovering and groaning in the air above the You Capital. They had taken the shape of a gargantuan black fire, spreading around while grinning nastily, killing every creature they met as they pleased. Evil spirits were swallowing living humans relentlessly, and demons used the opportunity to pour demonic qi into humans or possess them, taking their skin and starting to hunt new prey.


    The entire city, inside out, was filled with the ceaseless sounds of crying. Zhang Jie even thought for a moment that the human world had turned into Purgatory.


    There was originally a defensive barrier around their yard, so the place was rather safe, but evil ghosts had broken through it somehow. The auras of cultivators smelled sweet to them, so they rushed inside, vying to be the first to tear these people into pieces.


    The crippled Fang Suihan had suffered an injury at the Jianxue Clan, so his combat ability was two times lower than it used to be, and he had basically been reduced to the level of a common person. Zhang Jie was the only one who could fight.


    His cultivation base was solid enough for him to get through everyday life, but, faced with hundreds of enemies alone, especially evil ghosts coming at him with waves of black fire, Zhang Jie was almost powerless. He had to retreat, pulling the crippled man to the back with him.


    They had exhausted their strength escaping the yard, and rushed towards the outskirts. Unfortunately, before they managed to leave the city, they had been surrounded by even more demons that kept attacking them from both the front and rear. The two of them could not escape.


    The only chance to survive was to fight desperately, blazing a bloody path through their enemies.


    Zhang Jie had complained about the cripple being useless countless times, flinging abuse at him non-stop. The cripple had told Zhang Jie to throw him away, but Zhang Jie had not gotten rid of him in the end. He convinced himself that the reason he had not done so was that Xu Jingxian and the others would come back to settle the account for the cripple¡¯s death, and Zhang Jie could not afford to offend them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t run anymore!¡± Fang Suihan said.


    His legs had not recovered yet, and several days ago, he could not even walk. However, they had gotten better after the past few days. Xu Jingxian had originally taken Fang Suihan with her because of the healing medicine he could refine, and intended to squeeze more out of him. No one would have expected the master of Guanhai Peak to be obsessed with alchemy to the point of giving up on cultivation. No wonder he had almost died that day at the Jianxue Clan.


    ¡°I can¡¯t carry you! You have to run even if you can¡¯t!¡± Zhang Jie slashed his sword at an evil spirit, getting dispirited at the sight.


    ¡°Death is just death, the wound won¡¯t be wider than a crack on a bowl, and, after eighteen years, I¡¯ll emerge as a hero again!¡± Fang Suihan had written himself off as hopeless and acted recklessly, and his face kept paling. He fell to the ground powerlessly as his breath grew weaker. There was no need for demons to launch themselves at him, since he was going to die soon anyway.


    The wound won¡¯t be wider than a crack on a bowl, and, after eighteen years, I¡¯ll emerge as a hero again: don¡¯t be afraid of death. From Shi Jing, Book of Songs, slightly changed


    A gust of spiritual power reached them from far away, and the ground shook, as if someone was fighting in the distance.


    If there were people fighting, obviously, there was a division between enemies and allies. Maybe there were friends to rely on!


    Zhang Jie¡¯s eyes lit up, and his survival instinct flared up. Looking at Fang Suihan¡¯s ¡°I am going to die soon¡± appearance, he gritted his teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you, get up this instant!¡±


    Fang Suihan slowly climbed on Zhang Jie¡¯s back, and the two of them went forward, clearing a path through the hordes of demons, and fleeing away desperately to the square in front of the Imperial City. As they were running, they saw the black flames surge up, eclipsing the sky and the sun by shrouding the Imperial City. They also vaguely saw a dark, bloody glow that seemed to be bearing down on the Imperial City to crush it.


    Under the dark clouds covering the sky, Xu Jingxian, H¨¦ Qingmo, the Ghost King and others, including some unfamiliar cultivators and ordinary people, who had run here looking for shelter, had been fortunate enough to escape to this place. A myriad of evil ghosts had encircled them, hurrying to rip open a rift.


    Zhang Jie and Fang Suihan were dumbfounded.


    They felt that they would not receive protection, but rather trap themselves.


    Black fire erupted behind their backs, fusing with the demons ahead. Attacking from two directions simultaneously, it opened its mouth at the two of them, as if they were sweet snacks!


    ¡°Purple qi from East, sword intention rooting evil!¡± Zhang Jie shouted.


    Purple qi from East: an auspicious omen


    His sword¡¯s glow flourished abruptly, blocking the path to the two of them and protecting them from imminent danger.


    It was the most intricate technique from his sect that he had not mastered yet. He was carrying a heavy burden on his back, so he did not dare act recklessly. But at this moment, their lives were at stake, so he could not care about everything and just used it without thinking much. Unexpectedly, he even succeeded.


    Before he could rejoice, the sword glow flickered, as if swaying between the black fire and the order given by its master. In a moment, it suddenly turned around and launched at the two of them!


    Zhang Jie was startled. He pulled Fang Suihan, running towards Xu Jingxian and the rest of them.


    ¡°Save us!!!¡±


    Although Linghu You was the Ghost King, he had received this title only because he was the strongest Demonic cultivator, and could order ghosts from thousands of li away. Ordinary ghosts bowed their heads in his presence, and he could command countless ghosts simply because he was preeminent among these evil spirits.


    The overbearing black flames were raging in front of him, intending to swallow them right here and now. The You Capital had completely turned into a city of ghosts. Under such pressure, Linghu You could hardly release his Ghost King aura. Even the previously subdued ghosts seemed to be struggling against their master. In other words, his compelling ability to command ghosts had been reduced almost to one tenth of itself, and he had even started to fall into a disadvantageous position.


    The banner with gathered ghosts in the Ghost King¡¯s hands turned over with a whistle, and the evil spirits trapped inside resonated with the ones outside, getting restless. In a flash, they leaped from the banner, yet rushed not at Linghu You¡¯s enemies, but at him!


    He waved his sleeves, and his violent qi obliterated the wailing evil ghosts, but even more of them appeared. They quickly realized that Linghu You, a ghost cultivator, was the best possible delicacy for evil ghosts, even more flavorful than the energy of living people.


    Linghu You turned into the target of a multitude of attacks.


    The common people and cultivators shrank away from him subconsciously, escaping the raging ghosts. Linghu You was pale yet stern, as if he did not care about that at all. He fell into the sweeping torrent of black fire, and moved his hands ceaselessly, as if he was in the habit of slaughtering ghosts.


    He had been living in the darkness for a long time, and never wished to see the light. Moreover, he did not need it.


    One person was enough for one path.


    The black flames licked at the hem of his robes, quickly spreading ahead. They wanted to envelope his clothes to get to his body afterwards!


    In a flash, the black flames were cut away by a sword¡¯s glow. A person rushed to his back resolutely, hitting Linghu You.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted! You kill the ones in front, I¡¯ll take care of the ones behind!¡±


    H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s outraged voice reached his ears, hoarse from agitation.


    They had spent a whole night in the massacre, so his strength had almost been depleted. Everyone, including him, was running on fumes.


    Linghu You did not expect H¨¦ Qingmo to rescue him in a moment like this.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°What ¡®you¡¯! If you die, we won¡¯t hold on for too long as well, concentrate!¡±


    While talking, H¨¦ Qingmo slashed several evil ghosts with his sword.


    Since Linghu You had become a ghost cultivator, he had rarely felt warmth. Everything he touched was ice cold¡ªeven if it was food from the human world, and it was heated to the hottest temperature it could be, it would still taste cold to him.


    Only now did he feel warmth against his back.


    Long forgotten warmth, bringing back cherished memories.


    ¡­


    Yun Weisi suddenly recalled one thing.


    When he had killed Shengjue, at the moment before the ice spikes under the hanging cliff had pierced his heart, Shengjue had not been frightened at all. His expression had even been profound as he was looking at Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi had already pondered about what this expression might have meant.


    Now, he knew the answer.


    Sacrificing his own life, Shengjue had put a restriction on Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi did not feel it under normal circumstances, and it did not affect his cultivation base. But if something was stirring up his Demonic Heart, the restriction would amplify the effect, persuading him to turn into a demon.


    Perhaps, since the moment he had entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss to fight against demons day in day out, with demonic qi entering his body, this outcome had already been preordained.


    This result was what their enemies had wanted to see. Today, the chess piece had finally started to play the role it was supposed to.


    But Yun Weisi did not care about it anymore.


    Be it turning into a demon or cultivating Dao, if he could not obtain what he wanted, what was the point in either?


    His mind was completely calm. He crushed the beating heart in his hand, and stretched his arm out to Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°Give me Zhou Keyi¡¯s spiritual soul.¡±

 CH 96

    Proofread by Snake


    Changming and Yun Weisi were staring at each other.


    When their eyes met, Changming saw madness and impatience in Yun Weisi¡¯s eyes.


    But not a trace of his past impassiveness.


    ¡°Do you still remember my name?¡± he asked Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s finger moved slightly. Sticky, pungent blood was dripping down from his hand, yet he did not mind it.


    ¡°You think I¡¯ve lost my memories?¡± Yun Weisi smiled faintly, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sober now, Shizun.¡±


    ¡°I remember everything that has happened to me since I was little, including how my enemies tried to hunt me down, and how I ran all the way to the Yuhuang Temple, pleading with you to take me as a disciple by kneeling in the rain for a long time. I remember all of this.¡±


    His memories were even clearer than before, so he could even recall the cracks on the green slabstone where he had kneeled, and remembered rain blowing the leaves off trees so that they would fall on him. Yun Weisi¡¯s existence was similar to these leaves¡ªlonely and desolate. He did not know how today would end, and what awaited him tomorrow. His country had already been left far behind, and his only support could be the Yuhuang Temple, which was infinitely large in his eyes.


    Had the Yuhuang Temple refused to accept him back then, he could have only bled to death, turning into one of the countless souls of the dead. Even if his life experience seemed disturbing and horrifying to him, it was not even worth mentioning when speaking of the fate of the entire world.


    ¡°Also, I remember that on the winter solstice one year, I went to the kitchen to cook dumplings for you with my own hands. You said that the people of the Yuhuang Temple had always drunk lamb soup during the winter solstice, but in the end, you still ate that bowl of dumplings. While eating, you criticized my cooking skills, saying that the skin of some of the dumplings had broken, so the meat had fallen out and ruined the soup.¡±


    His eyes did not express a will to attack Changming, and were incomparably clear.


    His scorching heart was still beating in his chest, and the memories had not been lost. He just did not want to hide his thoughts anymore.


    Just like now. The soft, bloody pieces of flesh that had stuck to his fingers brought him comfort, and Yun Weisi had no intention to cleanse his heart and limit his desires by calmly meditating. Only one obsession was exciting to him. He absolutely had to get to the person in front of his eyes, and only this could quench the fire in his heart.


    Otherwise, the fire would only burn more fiercely, perhaps incinerating him from the inside.


    ¡°I remember,¡± Changming slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Not only the dumplings. The next year, you also made soup with lamb. But your skills are indeed poor, so the lamb was too tough, and there was no way to chew or digest it. Also, you didn¡¯t drain its blood, so I could only drink it while holding my nose.¡±


    Changming tried to use a light tone when speaking to bring back Yun Weisi¡¯s warmheartedness, but this was in vain. Yun Weisi looked as if he was listening to someone else¡¯s past, and his eyes were still filled with the same insoluble blood-red color. If one stared at them for too long, they would easily let their mind wander, drowning in the surging waves of the sea of blood.


    ¡°Zhou Keyi¡¯s corporeal body has been destroyed, but his spiritual soul remains, which is his last sliver of hope. You want to take this last sliver away from him?¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression was indifferent: ¡°Zhou Keyi¡¯s karma weighs heavily due to all the killing he¡¯s done. He used to misuse cultivation furnaces and cut people down like one would blades of grass, which makes him no different from a demon. What has happened to him today is simply him paying off the sins he has committed. Cultivators are concerned about the chain of cause and effect, and believe that everything is predestined. That is what you used to preach to me, yet you are incredibly forgiving of him now.¡±


    Changming said: ¡°He is steeped in crime, and has suffered a lot for it. He has even lost his life, leaving nothing but his fleeting soul behind. Even if I preserve it, I¡¯ll need to guard it carefully to find a way to maintain his existence. There is really no difference now whether he has died or not. I don¡¯t want your hands to be stained with his bad karma. Is this reason enough for you?¡±


    Yun Weisi stared at him for a moment, as if pondering, but quickly sneered.


    ¡°Zhou Keyi¡¯s spiritual soul, or your life. Choose one.¡±


    Changming had been wounded, severely.


    It had happened while he was cutting his way through to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. The wound was not fatal, but his cultivation had reached a bottleneck, plus he had been injured in the past. All these factors combined had driven him to the limits of what he could endure, so he was like a pile of eggs that could collapse at any time. A single push from one hand could send him to a bottomless chasm.


    A bottomless chasm: unfavorable position


    He did not know whether Yun Weisi had noticed this.


    While talking, they were also playing a game of chess.


    Using their feelings as chess pieces, they were trying to figure out each other¡¯s intentions.


    Yun Weisi, who had turned into a demon, was already another person.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to choose either option?¡± Changming asked him in reply.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s pupils darkened with giant waves surging at the bottom of his eyes. The hand that had just crushed the heart suddenly stretched out to Changming.


    A single step of his could cover a thousand li, and Yun Weisi appeared in front of his eyes in a moment!


    Changming swiftly retreated. His body flew back lightly as if it was weightless. He dodged Yun Weisi¡¯s attack accurately, so it seemed that he had been ready.


    But Yun Weisi did not fall behind and quickly leaped forwards. His black robes were like wings covering the sky, so Changming¡¯s line of sight was obstructed.


    Black flames were seething in the lotus pond, and the fire reached out to their feet from time to time, trying to find a chance to attack.


    Changming had noticed that Yun Weisi¡¯s fighting style had also changed since he became possessed.


    No matter how his skills changed in the past, they remained the same in essence. All his sword techniques and skills were, at their core, influenced by Daoism. The Chunzhao Sword would always betray the fact that he had spent years training in the Yuhuang Temple. Yet now, everything was different.


    He had not even called for the Chunzhao Sword, attacking randomly as he pleased, like a celestial horse cantering through the sky. The demonic qi around his body had sensed its owner¡¯s will, and part of it had turned into a fierce ghost-like creature lashing out at Changming with its mouth wide open to swallow him. The rest of the qi had split into four parts that surrounded Changming. His spiritual power was completely incompatible with demonic qi, so the qi rushed at him menacingly, eager to gobble him up in one gulp.


    Like a celestial horse cantering through the sky: powerful and unstrained


    Changming waved his sleeves, and his spiritual power rose up, stopping the demonic qi.


    ¡°Sword, come.¡±


    The Sifei Sword flew over with a whistle, glowing dazzlingly, like a giant wave soaring up to the sky. It was so blinding that people could hardly bear to watch it.


    He had traveled all over the world with his Sifei Sword, and even though he had once been defeated, he had now returned. The sword¡¯s intention had become even clearer, and the sword had already reached the level where it followed its master¡¯s will without him needing to give direct orders. In other words, whatever Changming wished, the sword would accomplish it. It suddenly split into countless rays, like a huge fan opening wide, and pierced the demonic qi, dashing after Yun Weisi.


    The sword¡¯s qi was awe-inspiring, and its killing intent apparent. It was going to pursue Yun Weisi till the end.


    ¡°You want to kill me?¡± Yun Weisi asked.


    He did not open his mouth to say it, but instead transmitted the words to Changming¡¯s consciousness.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s physical silence overpowered any sound he could have made. However, Changming still heard him as if Yun Weisi was beating drums, heavily hitting his sea of consciousness!


    Changming swallowed his blood with difficulty. When Yun Weisi¡¯s hand nearly grabbed him, Changming suddenly vanished.


    Yun Weisi sneered coldly, abruptly turning his head!


    Jiufang Changming was behind his back indeed!


    But his puppet art was old news!


    The demonic qi responded to its owner¡¯s fury, and loudly burst out, surging at the opponent with a shrill noise.


    Since you¡¯d rather die holding Zhou Keyi¡¯s spiritual soul, then just die! Yun Weisi thought coldly.


    Yun Weisi watched indifferently as the demonic qi crushed Jiufang Changming¡¯s barrier, ready to pierce him and tear his body into pieces. Suddenly, an alarming feeling rose in his heart!


    Yun Weisi could not tell where this alarm was coming from, and why it had appeared. But his body had long since become accustomed to reacting to impending dangers, and it was telling him that extreme peril was inevitable for him.


    Could it be that it was coming from Jiufang Changming?


    He restrained his demonic qi subconsciously, but it was already too late. The thread of released demonic qi had stabbed his opponent¡¯s chest, sending Jiufang Changming back!


    At the same time, tremendous pressure was put on Yun Weisi!


    Yun Weisi raised his head just in time to see a golden glistening Buddhist palm descending from the Heavens to press him down!


    The demonic qi naturally felt like fire under water, faced with an attack like this. It was quickly ground into powder.


    A white light came, blocking Yun Weisi from the golden light!


    In a moment of mortal danger, Jiufang Changming had suddenly returned, pushing Yun Weisi away to face the golden light in his place!


    The sword glow was slowly fading away.


    The Sifei Sword that had already passed most of its spiritual power to Yun Weisi was finally unable to persist. With a clank, the sword fell into the lotus pond!


    Jiufang Changming fell down the same way.


    Tn:


    I¡¯m super, thanks for asking! All things considered, I couldn¡¯t be better I must say~

 CH 97

    Proofread by Snake


    The black flames were howling with laughter, surging forward in swarms. They wanted to devour Jiufang Changming, and savor this sumptuous dish.


    But they were stopped before achieving the goal they desired!


    Jiufang Changming, who had been wounded by the Buddhist palm, was still maintaining his vigilance, and the Sifei Sword was glowing faintly in his hands, its qi swift and powerful. As he raised his sword, countless spirits of the deceased were cut into pieces, scattering away like ash and ceasing to exist. However, the malicious ghosts and disembodied spirits had longed for their desires for a long time, so they had already lost all sense of danger. They rarely saw prey with a cultivation base this profound and this delicious, so they were still coming at him relentlessly.


    Yun Weisi was looking down at him indifferently.


    He saw Jiufang Changming¡¯s hands gradually slow down, blood oozing from the corners of his mouth and even eyes. Obviously, his powers were lacking, and he would not hold on for too long.


    The snow-white tips of his hair were dancing wildly in the black fire, like falling stars flashing brightly in the dark sky. They were flickering quickly, and the sight of them would make others mesmerized and sigh with emotion.


    The Sifei Sword had become one with Changming. It was blocking attacks aimed at its owner, striking back in response. This was due to Sifei¡¯s devotion to Changming. It had gained a spirit, as well as a sword intention.


    Most cultivators had personal weapons. This weapon was not necessarily a sword, but it would accompany its owner till the very end. Some people received their weapon from their master, while some stole theirs from other people. Spiritual tools had souls, and one could not treat them with neglect. Many people spent their entire lives trying to get along with their spiritual weapons, but they did not always reach the realm of complete mutual understanding.


    The Sifei Sword, in contrast, was not like this. Every single part of the sword had been gathered by Changming from places all over the world. As a result, since the moment the sword was forged, it was fated to recognise only one person as its owner. Even though it had fallen into Yun Weisi¡¯s hands later, and he could give it orders, Yun Weisi had been certain that this was Sifei¡¯s reaction to the bond between him and Jiufang Changming. After all, his cultivation base had been established at the Yuhuang Temple, and had been inherited from Jiufang Changming. In other words, he had adopted many of Jiufang Changming¡¯s traits, so the Sifei Sword had agreed to accept him as the owner up until Jiufang Changming himself appeared. At that point, the sword would return to its real owner¡¯s hands.


    At the moment, this spiritual weapon that would never be loyal to anyone else, had also reached an impasse, and was on the verge of being destroyed. It spared no effort, trying to save Jiufang Changming from grave danger, but in the end it could only block the way for his enemies, igniting brightly in its last breath. The black fire was utterly swept away.


    Right after this, the blade shattered into fragments of light, before disappearing from Changming¡¯s hands.


    Despite this, the danger remained unresolved. The golden light was bearing down even harder, and a man could be discerned in the clouds. He was enveloped by golden light and auspicious clouds, while heavenly music and sweet fragrances had also gathered around him. He descended to the earth like a deity. If there was a commoner around, they would have definitely bowed down to the ground, pleading for mercy.


    Yun Weisi squinted his eyes, noticing that the person resembled the statue in the Treasured Hall of the Great Hero of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. However, the face of the golden statue belonged to the nearly deceased Chunchi.


    The Treasured Hall of the Great Hero: the main hall of a buddhist temple. Here, hero == Buddha


    His expression was full of mercy, and he was looking at Yun Weisi as if the latter was a child who had strayed from the right path and could no longer go back. This expression was magnanimous, his heart all-forgiving.


    Dresses up as a deity, and plays a devil!


    Dresses up as a deity, and plays a devil: pretence, deliberate mystifying


    Yun Weisi coldly sneered, changing his focus away from Jiufang Changming and concentrating his attention instead on Chunchi.


    Chunchi was the leader of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, and it was strange for him to die in a battle that easily. It was very likely that he had had a plan to come back to life.


    Yun Weisi waved his sleeves lightly, and devastating demonic qi rushed at his opponent!


    After he had become possessed, a seal that had been reducing his powers for a long time had finally been broken, so now he was like a fierce tiger coming out of a cage. Yun Weisi felt that he was even stronger than he had been originally, and had reached the point where he could act as he wished. Yun Weisi realized that this kind of power was not inexhaustibly strong, but rather resembled a boundless abyss. As soon as he showed weakness, not only would he lose control over it, but the power would even rebel against him.


    However, since Yun Weisi chose to become obsessed, such trifles did not matter in the slightest.


    Now, his cultivation was truly unfathomable. The demonic qi turned into the head of a ferocious tiger in the air, and it roared, opening its mouth at the enemy!


    Facing this oppressive force that shouted like the mountains and roared like waves, Chunchi chose not to answer it with a blow. He raised his hand a bit, and the golden light turned into a barrier for a short while. Chunchi prefered his skills to remain hidden, and retreated. His body turned into nothingness, and the demonic qi assaulted thin air!


    ¡°Daozun Yun, your enemy is not me,¡± Chunchi¡¯s voice sounded gentle, so soft that it seemed to bear no hostility. ¡°I can help you acquire what you cherish the most.¡±


    In a flash, the golden light ignited around the lotus pond as Chunchi reached out to Changming, trapping him inside.


    From the beginning, his target was not Yun Weisi, but Jiufang Changming!


    ¡°One moment, you¡¯re a Buddha, and in the next, you turn into a demon. I know your thoughts. I will kill the one you want to kill for your sake.¡±


    Chunchi smiled faintly, his expression cold yet merciful. He was standing in a faint golden light, and a halo had appeared behind his back, making him seem no different from a Buddha.


    ¡°Every creature suffers. Let me dispose of the demonic barrier in your cultivation path.¡±


    Changming was exhausted.


    He no longer had the Sifei Sword, but the evil ghosts in the pond were plentiful. No one knew how many souls the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had gathered in here during all these years. After nourishing their grievances for a long time, even naive and ignorant souls had gradually turned into headstrong demons, and killed each other in the lotus pond. The evil souls that had eventually survived were naturally the cream of the crop. Most of them had been cleared away by the Sifei Sword just now, but a portion of them was left. Changming could fend them off with some difficulty, but there was also Yun Weisi glaring at him like a tiger at its prey.


    Now, this Chunchi had appeared as well.


    The golden light swept towards him, like a spring breeze caressing his face, light and smooth, or like a beauty¡¯s hand, or a willow leaf crossing a river. But Changming felt a sharp pain shoot through his back. It was probably the seal of the golden light breaking through his spiritual power and attacking his body.


    Yun Weisi, who was standing close at hand, obviously could reach out to help him, but he did not move.


    The demonic qi had already corrupted his mind, turning him into another person.


    Or, perhaps, he had not changed. In the past, Yun Weisi had been repressed by his Daoist Heart, but now he had cast it far away, switching to another path.


    Changming smiled bitterly.


    Looks like I can¡¯t escape death today.


    Changming had never felt death coming as close to him as it had today.


    Perhaps, it had not been even as dangerous in that year on the Sacred Mountain Wan. At that time, the Luihe Zhutian Formation had suddenly collapsed, grandmasters had been fighting in the chaos, countless people had died together, and he almost had his souls scattered away. After all, despite all that, Changming managed to prepare himself and turn the deadly danger into an adventure.


    Yet now he could see the doors to the netherworld opening right in front of him. He only needed to take one step forward.


    Blood was dripping from his lips and eyes, mixing with the rain that had started at some point. The blood was flowing down his temples all the way to the tips of his hair.


    The white and the red had mixed, turning into a strange, demonic pink color that was almost enchanting.


    The black water in the lotus pond had receded. He was kneeling in the pond, maintaining an upright posture on instinct.


    In contrast to the acute pain he felt, Jiufang Changming¡¯s expression was always indifferent, not betraying his sufferings in the slightest.


    Chunchi frowned slightly.


    Yun Weisi had not moved yet. Just like the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan had said, after turning possessed, this person was now going to lend a helping hand to Chunchi.


    And Jiufang Changming, this once-strongest-in-the-world person, would turn into a new soul for the lotus pond as soon as Chunchi raised his hand.


    This soul would be refined into a part of the new Liuhe Zhutian Formation.


    Everything had gone according to the plan with no deviations. But he still had a bad premonition that something not accounted for was drawing close.


    This premonition flashed through his mind, so fast he could not quite grasp it.


    Chunchi decided to be the first to strike.


    With Jiufang Changming¡¯s death, everything would settle down. No one would be able to save the desperate situation.


    At this very moment, Chunchi felt a looming danger!


    It was not coming from Yun Weisi, but from another direction!


    Without thinking much, he abandoned Jiufang Changming, and knitted his fingers to bring forth a technique to block the enemy¡¯s attack.


    A ray of white light appeared suddenly, breaking through the muddled void of Chunchi¡¯s incantations and flew right towards him!


    This white light turned out to be a large …e character. Only one person who knew the teachings of Buddhist sects could launch an attack on him here and now.


    Sun Buku!


    Before, when he was in the Imperial City under the siege created by the Eight Sages, he had no chance of surviving. It was an inescapable trap. No one had expected him to find a way out of the dead end, to break free from the trap. Yet every evil demon was now swept away by the Gold Glass Beads Staff, and the aggrieved spirits alongside other monsters wailed for help!


    Chunchi¡¯s expression did not change. He recited Xu Tiancang¡¯s mantra, luring over Celestial Dragons with the technique. Eight rays of light fell down from the sky, turning into eight golden dragons. One of them wrapped itself around Chunchi, becoming a protecting barrier, and the other seven rushed at Sun Buku, following a fair wind.


    ¡°Dharma has no law, I am the law!¡±


    Sun Buku laughed, leaping in the air. The Gold Glass Beads Stuff slashed at the golden dragons dauntlessly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been absorbing the power of belief of the righteous to use it in your schemes, refining evil spirits and ghosts. Now, you¡¯re even posing as Xu Tiancang, proclaiming yourself to be his reincarnation. Let me join the gathering and take a look at your so-called second Buddhist clan, to see just how wicked, corrupted and dirty you have become!¡±


    Chunchi froze. He had not anticipated Sun Buku¡¯s laughter to dispel his Buddhist technique.


    Chunchi looked behind Sun Buku¡¯s back and saw a vague golden statue appear. It had amiable-looking brows and pleasant eyes, and was gazing at the living creatures from the height, just like that person he had knelt to for days in the hall of his Buddhist temple.


    No, it¡¯s impossible!


    There are no deities in this world, and Fozun Xu Tiancang has passed away a long time ago. His souls have dissolved. How could this ancient deity descend here to assist Sun Buku? It must be an illusion!


    ¡°Seeking the source of Dharma, with my Buddha¡¯s body, I transcend all people, finally obtaining it!¡±


    He moved both his arms, and a glittering golden …e character took shape, striking towards Sun Buku.


    Even before Sun Buku moved, the golden illusion behind his back reacted, lightly waving its sleeves and shattering the …e character.


    Chunchi was astounded.


    That illusion had thick brows and closed eyes, so Chunchi could not see the man¡¯s expression. But Chunchi felt that there was no technique that would allow him to escape now, as everything was controlled by the illusion.


    The golden dragons got into a fight with Sun Buku, and there was no telling who had gained the upper hand. Sun Buku was fighting as easily as a butcher moved his knife, and the dragons were extremely bold and powerful. The golden statue, however, showed a trace of weakness.


    ¡°Do you think that me escaping from the Eight Sages of Wanlian is very strange?¡±


    Sun Buku¡¯s voice reached Chunchi¡¯s ears.


    ¡°It was because I realized that all the power you yield comes from the power of worship that has been supporting you at all times. This power of believers has mixed with the strength of ghosts and evil spirits, as well as human desires. They live and feed at the expense of each other, and these things are connected, as every little trifle can affect the bigger picture. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t even need to try to defeat them. I only need to delay them, kill you, and everything will be resolved!¡±


    He jumped up in the air, and the Gold Glass Beads Stuff rose even higher!


    Countless illusions appeared in front of Chunchi. He even saw Xu Tiancang reveal a cold smile towards him, laughing at his incompetence and self-glorification.


    ¡°Pretending to be a Buddha, deceiving the secular world, torturing the spirits of living, and refining demonic souls. Chunchi, you have to pay a hefty price for the years you have been sinning!¡±


    ¡­


    Sun Buku and Chunchi¡¯s fight was a sight rarely seen in a hundred years, but Yun Weisi did not seem interested in any of this.


    He went down to the lotus pond. Several evil spirits had stumbled upon his demonic flames and immediately wailed, running away and not daring to obstruct his way anymore.


    Yun Weisi was slowly moving forward.


    That person was sitting on the ground, motionless, his head hanging down and his expression indiscernible.

 CH 98

    Proofread by Snake


    Yun Weisi grabbed his chin.


    The man was still breathing, albeit weakly.


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s eyelashes trembled. He opened his dim eyes slightly to look at Yun Weisi.


    ¡°How long before you die?¡± Yun Weisi asked.


    Changming did not answer.


    Yun Weisi had not hoped to receive an answer either, and decided to get this done with his own hands.


    Yun Weisi pulled Changming into his arms, and Yun Weisi¡¯s hand slipped under Changming¡¯s clothes. Yun Weisi¡¯s movements were intimate and affectionate, as if they were lovers. Changming¡¯s body had gone soft, as if it were boneless, leaning against Yun Weisi tamely and putting up no resistance. A bystander would have never guessed what was actually going on between the two of them.


    ¡°Do you want me to end your suffering?¡± Yun Weisi whispered, gently and leisurely.


    Changming still kept quiet.


    He really had no strength left to talk. His long, raven-black hair was disheveled, covering half his face. The other half of his face was pallid, with no traces of blood in it, as if he could fall asleep at any moment and never wake up again.


    Changming moved slightly, raising his head to look at Yun Weisi.


    The two pairs of eyes met, both of them gazing at the depths of each other¡¯s eyes.


    From the first time they laid eyes on each other, it was as if mists and clouds had gathered in their eyes, as they simply could not understand each other.


    Naturally, Yun Weisi felt that he would never be able to guess this shizun¡¯s thoughts.


    At first, Yun Weisi probably respected Changming because he himself had been in a desperate situation. Yun Weisi had been in dire straits, and Jiufang Changming had been his only sliver of hope. Then, Jiufang Changming¡¯s kindness urged Yun Weisi to work hard despite hardships all day round. He also taught Yun Weisi not to be proud of his talent, and to never stop until Yun Weisi achieved his goal. Unbeknownst to him, this feeling had turned into a bottomless admiration, a bond that even the Sifei Sword would have failed to sever.


    In the past, Yun Weisi had been doing his best to chase after Jiufang Changming, and wanted to catch up to him. Yun Weisi had longed for a day he would be finally able to walk shoulder to shoulder with Jiufang Changming, and together, break open a way through the brambles and thorns on the path of cultivation. But eventually Yun Weisi realized that Jiufang Changming would never stop to spare a glance on him. Jiufang Changming¡¯s eyes seemed to care about every single creature in the world, except Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi remembered every day he had spent in the boundless milky way of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, watching the sun and the moon revolve, and the stars rise and fall. His heart had hardened, and he felt neither sorrow nor joy.


    At that time, he thought that Jiufang Changming had already died, and not a trace of him would ever be seen again neither in the sky nor under the ground. To keep the promise he had made to Jiufang Changming, Yun Weisi had kept guarding the Nine Layers of the Abyss. He did not know when he would be able to get rid of these shackles. But had this man ever thought of the torment Yun Weisi had gone through?


    Jiufang Changming would never know how Yun Weisi had contracted the demonic qi.


    Those demons had rushed at him ceaselessly, their cultivation levels advanced and their numbers sometimes so great that even Yun Weisi could not hold them back. The demonic qi had noticed his weakness and wounds, and had used the chance to penetrate his limbs and bones, flowing through his meridians and roving through the sea of his consciousness. In the end, although Yun Weisi¡¯s exterior was still calm, his body had experienced unbearable pain, comparable to that of being torn limb by limb by five horses.


    Torn limb by limb by five horses: Chinese death penalty, the fifth horse there is for the head of the sentenced


    After some time, Yun Hai had appeared, so he could rest during the nights, while continuing to fulfill his promise during the painful daytime.


    That was what things had been like before Jiufang Changming¡¯s resurrection. Then, Yun Weisi had thought he would be redeemed. But the demonic qi had refused to let him go, and still tortured him endlessly all day and all night, clamoring for him to give up his Daoist Heart and become possessed. Even if Changming¡¯s Sifei Sword had subdued the qi, it was only a temporary solution. The voice in his sea of consciousness sounded somewhat quieter, but it had never gone away completely.


    Now, the voices had disappeared. Yun Weisi felt the demonic qi surge inside his body with excitement, inciting him to kill the man in front of his eyes to eliminate this barrier with his own hands.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much time left,¡± Yun Weisi suddenly said a strange thing.


    He himself did not know whether he was talking about Changming, or about himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you for the last time. What will you choose now?¡±


    Changming said slowly: ¡°I haven¡¯t changed my mind. What about you?¡±


    Yun Weisi smiled: ¡°Same.¡±


    Changming: ¡°You haven¡¯t comprehended your Dao, so don¡¯t ponder too much, Weisi. Your most troublesome shortcoming is that you¡¯re thinking too much. It was like this in the past, and now, after becoming possessed, it¡¯s still the same. This being the case, let me take a look at how much stronger you¡¯ve gotten.¡±


    If you haven¡¯t comprehended your Dao, don¡¯t ponder too much, Weisi: here, ¡®haven¡¯t¡¯ is ¡®wei¡¯, ¡®ponder¡¯ is ¡®si¡¯, so the sentence explains his name


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Now, you are not worthy to fight me. Since you refuse to give me Zhou Keyi¡¯s spiritual soul, die together with him.¡±


    As soon as these words were said, the Chunzhao Sword appeared in his hand, slashing towards the neck of the man in his embrace!


    Yun Weisi moved swiftly, at the speed that people could barely perceive. Cultivators below a grandmaster¡¯s level had no chance of dodging the attack.


    Changming was now like a candle flickering in the wind, which could be blown out at any moment. It seemed that it would be difficult for him to intercept the attack.


    There was only a short moment left!


    In a second, even if his head would not be chopped off, a deadly cut would appear on his neck, and blood would start gushing out in torrents. His spiritual power would be completely lost, and even an immortal would not be able to save him.


    But Yun Weisi suddenly felt that he was holding onto thin air.


    The weight had disappeared from his hands, and the sword glow swept past, which meant that the Chunzhao Sword had failed in its attack.


    At the same time, Yun Weisi heard Changming¡¯s voice from nearby.


    ¡°[All the myriad things in the world don¡¯t wander from their purpose, and the root of the Dao is devoid of substance. Anything that perturbs itself is known to the universe. Grasses and trees cherish intentions, and their appearance is inexhaustible, going beyond the vast sky].¡±


    This poetic speech, resembling an incantation of a Buddhist technique, dissolved Yun Weisi¡¯s second onslaught.


    The arduous situation seemed to have been resolved easily, like a feather soaring through the air.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression turned sterner. He had thrown away his carelessness.


    Obviously, Jiufang Changming had almost been exhausted, yet he had still managed to pull off something this grandiose. Was he shining with the reflected light, or was his strength actually this unfathomable?


    Shining with the reflected light: final struggle before death


    ¡­


    Chunchi opened his eyes wide.


    He had no time to watch Yun Weisi¡¯s battle at all.


    Because Sun Buku had firmly grasped the initiative, bringing the disturbing outcome of the battle closer.


    The Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been ruling over this place for several decades, absorbing the power of worship and slowly nourishing itself to gain its monstrous influence. Chunchi was the owner of this source of power, the one taking the worship of the common people and the souls of the unjustly killed as nourishment, gradually enhancing his cultivation base. Perhaps, he had already reached the level of Xu Tiancang himself. Even though his strength had been partially distributed to the Eight Sages, he had won over the Buddhist sect, standing tall above all the creatures in the world.


    Sun Buku had been living in seclusion for many years, practicing closed-door cultivation. Other people had been watching over the everyday affairs of the Qingyun School. Most of the grandmasters had perished in the Liuhe Zhutian Formation that year, major clans worked to maintain a delicate balance, while Chunchi had to set new formations for the Soul Gathering Pearl, being too busy to care about the Qingyun School. If it was not for these factors combined, he would have never let them be mentioned alongside the Wanlian Buddhist Temple as the two major sects of Buddhism.


    Yet now, this completely inconspicuous and low-key Sun Buku suddenly shouted for the first time, shaking the world. As soon as he appeared, he had managed to cut off all of Chunchi¡¯s opportunities for escape, trapping Chunchi.


    Shouted for the first time, shaking the world: came out with a bang


    There were also no gaps in Sun Buku¡¯s defenses at all.


    Chunchi¡¯s heart fell. He had no room to retreat.


    It was the first time he had felt fear.


    What made him terrified was not the high level of Sun Buku¡¯s cultivation, but the fact that Chunchi could perceive Xu Tiancang¡¯s aura on his opponent.


    His mind was on the verge of collapse.


    A Buddhist light assaulted his senses, aiming right at his forehead.


    The evil spirits and ghosts had been cleanly swept away from his body, and he felt a severe pain as his body started falling down.


    What is the highest cultivation in this world?


    Was it what Fozun Xu Tiancang had reached, his body becoming a Buddha¡¯s, eternal in its gold form, with his consciousness drifting away and ceasing to exist? Or was it Immortal Luomei of the Wanjian Immortal Clan ascending, riding cranes up to the sky beneath the watchful eyes of the people, becoming a legend everyone glorified and admired?


    Chunchi had been looking for an answer to this question for many years. Then, Jiang Li of the Wanjian Immortal Clan appeared, revealing to him a secret and turning his wild guess into a firm conviction. Chunchi had finally ascertained that there were no deities in this world.


    The so-called unattainable transformation into an immortal or a Buddha was only an illusion, a wishful thinking on cultivators¡¯ behalf. Rather than spending his life pursuing it, would it not be better for him to make merry while he could? He had then turned into a master of ten thousand sages, enjoying the worship of the world.


    Yet now, he was witnessing Fozun Xu Tiancang reveal himself, bestowing an invincible vajra body unto Sun Buku and helping him defeat Chunchi, as if a real Buddha was punishing a fake one. It was the first time Chunchi had doubted his belief.


    ¡°Tell me¡ª¡±


    He gathered his strength to ask one final question.


    ¡°After all, do deities exist in this world?¡±


    The author has something to say:


    There¡¯s a hint foreshadowing later developments in this chapter, have you noticed it?

 CH 99

    Proofread by Snake


    After all, do deities exist in this world?


    When Chunchi had just entered a Buddhist sect, he had thought that the answer was yes.


    He was chanting scriptures piously all the time, sitting in the Buddhist sanctuary, unmoved, for days on end, disregarding whatever else happened.


    Most newcomers could not be as firm in their belief as Chunchi. All sorts of worldly dust tried to tempt them, and the slightest carelessness could make one deviate from their beginner¡¯s mind. Chunchi was born into a rich and influential family, so the fair wind had been carrying him forwards throughout his life, and never once did he experience defeat or suffering. When he had started worshipping at his sect, his aptitude did not turn out to be outstanding, so the elders did not attach great importance to him. But time soon passed, yet Chunchi still stood resolutely.


    Beginner¡¯s mind: Budd. original intention to learn something new


    Monk-cultivators had to be even more resistant to ennui, as their teachings were even more monotonous than those of the other sects. They meditated and pondered, recited Buddhist sutras, adhering to morning bells and evening drums rigidly. Some people could not bear such boredom and left only because of this, while some started to fall behind because of their personalities or because they were lacking in talent. Only Chunchi was always walking ahead steadily, neither too fast nor too slowly.


    He had slowly surpassed his fellow disciples, and even his shixiongs who had entered the sect before he did. The Wanlian Buddhist Temple traditionally gave priority to seniority, and Chunchi did not stand out for achieving something extraordinary. After a long period of time, his experience and status had naturally caught up to his cultivation base, and Chunchi had become the one having thousands under his feet, and only one above his head. The Buddhist leader was his shizun, and Chunchi did not have to give face to anyone in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple anymore.


    Chunchi¡¯s cultivation had advanced in leaps and bounds. Moreover, he had a great deal of talent. Whether it was a blade of grass, a tree, falling petals or leaves, all of it could help him strengthen his meditative mind, and he was more devoted to Buddhist sects than anyone else. However, when the moment that crushed his beliefs arrived, and his firm views had crumbled, he suffered more than anyone else would have.


    Many years ago, at the start of summer, Chunchi¡¯s shizun, Guiye, who was already on his deathbed, had called for him, and asked him about his understanding of the ways of nature. Chunchi had given an answer that was generally accepted and expected of him. His words did not surprise Guiye, and Guiye had asked Chunchi again about what the cultivators of Buddhist sects were trying to achieve in their lives. Chunchi had said that they were pursuing immortality and becoming Buddhas, in order to lead all living creatures. But Guiye had shook his head, and told him that this world had never had deities, and the so-called ascension or turning into a Buddha were mere lies. Of course, Chunchi had not believed him. While there had only been a few people who had ascended throughout history, it was not as if there were none at all. The ways of nature were intricate, which helped strengthen the resolution of cultivators, enhancing their spirits.


    Guiye did not explain much to him either. Afterwards, he had passed the Buddhist leader position on to Chunchi, and told Chunchi to rule over the sect, to make it splendid. Guiye never mentioned that thing they had discussed again. However, their dialogue had taken root in Chunchi¡¯s mind, troubling him relentlessly. He had looked through ancient records countless times, searching for an affirmation of those grandmasters¡¯ ascensions, but only found specious myths and legends. The tales of the secular world exalting deities had been embellished with other details, and he could not find their original versions anymore.


    The last grandmaster from the Wanlian Buddhist Temple who had gotten the closest to becoming a Buddha was Guiye¡¯s shizun, or, in other words, Chunchi¡¯s shizu. It was said that he had become possessed after understanding a crucial point in a scripture left by Xu Tiancang. He had been one step away from comprehending the divine order of things, but had stopped there. Afterwards, he laughed wildly for three days and three nights straight, before blood gushed out from the seven orifices of his head, and he died. This part of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple¡¯s past had been a disgrace, so they proclaimed that he had perished peacefully, and never mentioned the real reason.


    Chunchi did not even dare to inquire about the details. He was afraid that the more he inquired, the closer he would get to the truth that he was unwilling to accept. That would shatter the point of everything cultivators sought during their lives, and his embarking on the path of cultivation would prove meaningless.


    Until one day, when the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan had shared a secret with Chunchi.


    Jiang Li had said that his shizun, Immortal Luomei, had never broken free from the human world and took flight to the land of immortals. He had not broken through any realms after becoming a grandmaster. His spiritual soul had stayed away from his body for too long, and so, his souls had eventually scattered away, since the spiritual powers of cultivators were originally foreign to their bodies.


    Be it the legendary gods, or the top grandmasters¡ªall the talk about supposedly breaking away from the human world to reach the realm of blissfulness was absurd for anyone.


    Lying above the human world was neither the domain of deities nor a higher cultivation realm. Instead, it was boundless, eternal death.


    Luomei had forced his spiritual soul to enter the human world again to let his disciples know this secret.


    Chunchi had trembled. He was at a loss.


    Since instead of getting a new life after ascension, cultivators would only die¡ªso what was the point in their painstaking cultivation?


    He had then accepted Jiang Li¡¯s conditions and started working together with him.


    It had been Chunchi¡¯s last sliver of hope. He wanted to know whether the hiding deities would still fold their hands and stay away from humans if the world was in grave danger, and demons were running amok. He also wished to know what a world free of deities and occupied by demons instead would look like.


    Humans had taken over the essence of the spiritual powers of heaven and earth, but they were still slaves to their desires. They would annihilate each other for a small profit, fighting to their last gasp. Cultivators were not an exception, and there were always those who killed people for treasures. Who knows, maybe, driven to a dead-end, this world would actually be reborn.


    Yet now, a golden statue appeared behind Sun Buku¡¯s back. Since it was not an illusion, what could it be?


    Could it be that the fozun favored the Qingyun School of the two major clans of Buddhism more?


    The beliefs Chunchi had been holding onto had already been shattered once. Now, a new hope was born in his heart, but he was not overjoyed. Even if it cost his life and his immortal souls, he wished to get the answer to his questions.


    His body flew back, and fell to the ground heavily. His spiritual power had been damaged, and his body wounded, but he was still staring fixedly at Sun Buku.


    Sun Buku landed on the ground, and quickly went over, holding his cane.


    Chunchi knew for sure that his situation was hopeless. The evil spirits around them had been mostly swept away by Jiufang Changming. The Sifei Sword was an exceptional spiritual weapon. By sacrificing itself, the sword had managed to uproot the evil, and the lotus pond that had been nourished for many years was destroyed in a single day, so it could not provide Chunchi more strength.


    ¡°[The world never had deities, but a heart striving for deities is sacred itself].¡±


    Sun Buku was looking down at him, the Golden Glass Beads Staff raised high above his head. The golden statue of Xu Tiancang was also watching Chunchi with mercy in its eyes, as if relaying to him wordlessly that Sun Buku was the one beloved by gods, while Chunchi was only calling himself a Buddha presumptuously, being nothing but a scum of the Buddhist sects.


    ¡°Chunchi, you¡¯re deceived by appearances.¡±


    Sun Buku¡¯s voice was ringing near his ears.


    Chunchi shook his head. This answer could not satisfy him.


    They either existed, or they did not. He could only accept one of these answers.


    But he could not ask again. As soon as Chunchi opened his mouth, blood started to ooze out of it incessantly.


    Not only from his mouth, but also from his eyes and ears. His line of sight was slowly filling up with blood. He was suffering from head to toe, and his spiritual power was flowing away, as fleeting as the wind.


    The remaining evil spirits from the lotus pond¡­


    Before, he had been using them for his needs, but as soon as they noticed his weakness, they rebelled against him one after another, rushing at him and striving to be the first to take his spiritual power for themselves. Chunchi was controlled by Sun Buku¡¯s Buddha light, and he could not even muster a final struggle. The black fire had wrapped itself around his body, and his body was withering up quickly, as he was turning into a dried up corpse. His face could no longer be recognised, and his souls had scattered away.


    A grandmaster of the prominent Wanlian Buddhist Temple having stooped so low could certainly make one sigh with regret.


    But Sun Buku had no time to grieve Chunchi. He quickly waved his cane, leaping to the side¡ª


    The battle between Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi was raging like fire at that moment.


    The two who had once been a master and his disciple had now turned into mortal enemies. Yun Weisi¡¯s face was expressionless, but his attacks were merciless, as if they had returned to the day they met again after their long separation. All his thoughts were filled with his desire to kill Jiufang Changming.


    Changming was not at a disadvantage, and he seemed to be handling the battle with ease. However, with his experience in cultivation, defending instead of attacking meant falling into disadvantage, because only the one who had no time to attack would switch to defence.


    The Sifei Sword was gone, so he was now fighting bare-handed, while Yun Weisi still had the Chunzhao Sword. However, for him, the Chunzhao Sword was superfluous now. The roaring demonic flames had enveloped his body, and right now, it was a fitting weapon that followed his will. As soon as he thought of something, the flames would shoot in that direction. They were even more obedient than the Chunzhao Sword.


    Changming stepped back, stumbling.


    It was the second time the demonic fire had hit him in his chest. It used the moment to assault him violently, surging in waves, just like Yun Weisi¡¯s gloomy expression of someone who had turned away from love to hate instead. It quickly rushed over to his face, charging at the sea of his consciousness.


    A mouthful of blood came up to his throat. Changming wanted to swallow it, but choked and vomited it in the end.


    His clothes had been stained with red long ago, so this mouthful of blood did not matter much. His jade hairpin had disappeared somewhere, and his long hair was dishevelled. Everything about his appearance right now screamed of his chaotic situation.


    Obviously, Changming could still fight, but Yun Weisi knew for sure that Changming had been hanging on by a thread, and would soon finally suffer a defeat.


    Once, Yun Weisi had been willing to sacrifice his life for this person. Now, he did not show a trace of pity for him. Yun Weisi raised his head, and the black fire, following his intention, lashed at his opponent with a bang, bursting open like a black flower, extremely revolting yet gorgeous.


    The moment the black flame captured the hem of Jiufang Changming¡¯s sleeve, it would swiftly spread along his body, before burrowing into his skin, flesh and bones, corresponding to the demonic qi that had already infiltrated his body. Jiufang Changming would burn to ashes!


    Yun Weisi¡¯s hand trembled slightly.


    In a flash, the black fire surged forwards, whistling!


    A sharp wind blew over, and a golden light engulfed the black flames. Yun Weisi¡¯s expression changed, and he retreated nimbly.


    Sun Buku landed between the two of them with his cane at the ready, like the Wisdom King.


    Wisdom King: a type of deity that protects from demons


    Unfortunately, he was born too handsome. Even if he was not smiling, his expression always retained a faint smile. Even if he was standing straight as an arrow, he still looked like the rabble-rousing Deva-mara of Buddhist canons.


    ¡°You want to kill him, but have you gotten my permission?¡±


    Yun Weisi was expressionless: ¡°You rebelled against him a long time ago, why are you meddling now?¡±


    Sun Buku smiled: ¡°A teacher for a day is a father for a life.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°I remember that you were going to capture Jiufang Changming and kill him when he left Buddhism.¡±


    Sun Buku: ¡°Back then, I didn¡¯t understand the true essence of Buddhism. Just like Chunchi, I was always obsessed with meaningless ideas. But I¡¯m not who I was in the past. Of course, I respect Shizun the way I did before.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°So you want to protect him.¡±


    Sun Buku: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yun Weisi squinted.


    Sun Buku was at the pinnacle of his strength. The statue behind his back had not gotten dimmer at all, while Yun Weisi¡¯s Demonic Heart had just formed. He could not guarantee that he would be able to defeat Sun Buku and kill the person behind his back at the same time.


    ¡°For now, you¡¯ll have a few more days left to live. I¡¯ll come for your life again in the future,¡± Yun Weisi said indifferently. Then, he took a few steps back, turned around and disappeared in the black flames that had enveloped the sky.


    As Yun Weisi left, the flames had dispersed a bit as well.


    The author has something to say:


    PS, There is a reason why Yun Weisi has changed, but it¡¯s not obvious at first sight. The next few chapters will explain it

 CH 100

    Proofread by Snake


    H¨¦ Qingmo blinked.


    Sweat was dripping down from his trembling eyelashes. It trickled downwards from the corners of his eyes to his chin, like quickly evaporating tears.


    He had already been drenched with sweat, and could almost feel the clothes on his back sticking to his skin. He liked to keep himself clean, and could barely endure this. If this were any other day, he would have already taken a bath a dozen times to clean up every cun of his body.


    Many cultivators liked keeping things neat and tidy, so H¨¦ Qingmo was not an exception. At this crucial moment of danger, he suddenly thought about cleanliness, just like other people whose minds started to drift away while they were in grave danger. This thought flashed through his head, and he also recalled other things that were not connected to his immediate situation.


    The circumstances were indeed so grim now that one push would be enough to end everything.


    Almost all the survivors of the You Capital had gathered at the square in front of the Imperial City, and even more were coming. The ghost fires that were attracted to them had covered the earth and the sky, forming a dark, dense mass, so that people almost could not see the sky¡ªit was as if the fires themselves were the sky.


    The increasing number of people there did not mean that the situation was getting safer. Most of them were commoners, while only a minority were cultivators. In the eyes of demons, the common people were mere little rabbits, or chicks¡ªthey were nothing but prey for those that had no strength to capture a chicken. The cultivators here were not all that powerful either. Most of them had been passing through the You Capital during the Ghost Festival and simply wanted to take a look at the puja. None of them had anticipated that they would be getting involved in something this dangerous.


    The Ghost King Linghu You was glued to H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s back.


    His body was cold and stiff like cast iron, and H¨¦ Qingmo could not bear the Ghost King leaning against his drenched back.


    But H¨¦ Qingmo did not move in the slightest.


    Because he could feel the pressure behind his back getting stronger and heavier.


    It meant that the Ghost King¡¯s spiritual powers had been mostly spent. Even Linghu You¡¯s strength was lacking when faced with the ghosts and evil spirits that had been nourished by the Wanlian Buddhist Temple for many years, which now had their stomachs rumbling with hunger.


    His ghost-gathering banner was expanding in the wind, covering the heads of the crowd and sheltering them from the ghosts¡¯ attacks. But the wailing on the other side of the barrier was getting louder, and the banner was fluttering more and more wildly, ready to rip apart at any moment.


    Meanwhile, Xu Jingxian did not even have a spiritual tool now, so she could only assist them with her bare hands, which restricted her power a great deal.


    H¨¦ Qingmo was rather gifted, but he had spent all his time on studying formations closely and had neglected his cultivation. At this moment, his lack of practice had become apparent.


    H¨¨ Xiyun¡¯s and Zhang Jie¡¯s cultivation levels were not better than that of other cultivators present, so their help did not amount to much, and expecting them to send coal during this winter was naturally an extravagant hope. At most, they could defend themselves. But the moment the ghost-gathering banner fell apart and the flames broke through, they would only be able to sit obediently and wait for their life to end just like the common people.


    Their only hope was the Ghost King.


    If someone had told H¨¦ Qingmo that he would be fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Ghost King, and entrusting the Ghost King with his life one day in the future, H¨¦ Qingmo would have never believed it.


    The Celestial Abode Shenxiao had positioned themselves as one of the outstanding orthodox sects, and H¨¦ Qingmo had this sort of arrogance in his heart as well. He would not even look at regular cultivators, and never tried to befriend anyone either. He could only throw a glance at someone, doing so only to look for their flaws in order to criticize them and cross them out of his list of possible allies.


    For this reason, even though he had visited many places since leaving his sect, he had not made friends with many people. Even some of his fellow disciples could not stand his antisocial behavior. Although they did not dare to oppose him openly, they were always looking for a chance to stay away from him.


    Jiufang Changming, Xu Jingxian, and Linghu You were the ones who had stayed with him the longest ever since he had gone down the mountain. Because of this, he had even had an illusion that if they could escape this place alive today, perhaps they would one day gather again to drink wine and chat merrily about their friendship.


    But this illusion had quickly disappeared, as a push from behind his back interrupted his thoughts!


    H¨¦ Qingmo felt as if a load of a thousand jun had suddenly started to bear down on him. He could hardly endure this pressure, and almost stumbled and fell, stooping forward. He hurriedly supported himself and stabilized his body.


    ¡°Linghu You?!¡±


    He turned around with surprise and noticed that Linghu You¡¯s right arm was wet. He looked more carefully and realized that it was blood that kept trickling down, having already formed a small puddle.


    So ghosts have blood as well?


    This thought came to his mind, but H¨¦ Qingmo quickly returned to his senses and collected himself.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    An ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± was said in Linghu You¡¯s voice. His voice was still flat, but H¨¦ Qingmo subconsciously felt that it was a bit strange.


    Although the Ghost King was a ghost cultivator, he had managed to cultivate a real body for himself a long time ago, and was not even afraid of the sunlight, so his shedding blood was naturally not unexpected. What felt wrong was that if even Linghu You, with his high cultivation, was wounded that heavily, the situation was dangerous indeed.


    While H¨¦ Qingmo was thinking about this, a harsh whistling wind surged at him. He raised his head, and saw the ghost-gathering banner wave violently, filled up to the brim. Suddenly, it was torn apart, and black tongues of fire immediately rushed in through the gap!


    Everyone was terrified.


    H¨¦ Qingmo did not have much time to think. Enduring the stiff pain that had filled his chest with great difficulty, he said aloud a sword technique, and the sword¡¯s glow slashed forwards.


    ¡°[Deities manifest in the Three Pure Ones, hearts indifferent to the five elements; deep-purple shells the sword, arranging the balance, move!]¡±


    All in all, spiritual weapons from the Celestial Adobe Shenxiao were exceptional. Paired with H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s spiritual power, it could protect a narrow area around him.


    Unfortunately, the others were not as lucky as him. Anguished wailing was ringing out non-stop, and many people had been thrown to the ground by the ghost fires, with the latter becoming stronger and stronger over time. The flames were thrashing around madly, chewing and devouring everything. One short moment was all it took to suck away the souls of a living person, leaving behind only their withered corpse.


    The others had met the same fate.


    The ghost flames ¡°ate¡± one person, and afterwards, they leapt up from the dead body, and threw themselves at the next prey in an instant.


    Cries for help were coming from the crowd of people non-stop. Many people had run away amidst the chaos and scattered, but that only gave their enemies more opportunities to attack.


    The people who had escaped from the crowd were like plump prey to the evil spirits. Once they were bitten on their necks, the humans fell to the ground, where they would put up a final struggle. However, by that point, nothing could help them anymore, and in the end, they would become a delicious dish for the ghosts.


    H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s heart fell.


    He also started to feel he had no strength to continue.


    His hand that was controlling his sword with a seal had completely gone numb, but he did not dare to relax in the slightest. As soon as he relaxed, a frenzied counterattack from the spirits eyeing him covetously would bring him down, and thus Linghu You¡¯s back would be left unprotected, which would lead to their end.


    But it was getting more and more difficult for him to endure this, and H¨¦ Qingmo did not know how long he would be able to hold on.


    He only hoped that someone would come and break the boundless darkness of the deep night, reigniting the hope in humans¡¯ hearts. Even if it was a single spark, it could awaken the strong fighting will in them. When he was little, he had heard many legends about heroes who were surrounded, pushed to a corner with no room for escape, yet they managed to defeat great armies despite only having a few allies. Now, he knew that such exploits happened so rarely that they were almost extraordinary miracles.


    But a miracle actually happened.


    A golden light ignited at the rim of the clouds, breaking the gloomy night and piercing through the place occupied by ghosts.


    H¨¦ Qingmo heard a voice.


    ¡°The voice of Buddha evokes Dharma in hearts.¡±


    Although the voice was pleasant to the ear, it sounded foreign to H¨¦ Qingmo, as if he had never heard it before. He could only say that the person¡¯s cultivation was high, on par with the Ghost King¡¯s, or maybe even a bit greater.


    As the voice rang out, the ghost flames had mostly dispersed, while the wailing creatures were eradicated. The clouds cleared, and the moon shone through, its light dispersing the haze. A man holding a Buddhist cane was approaching them from a distance.


    H¨¦ Qingmo heard another voice.


    ¡°Countless evils withdraw, the great qi is imperishable.¡±


    It seemed that there was a tacit, mutual understanding between the two.


    It was Jiufang Changming!


    His voice was a bit weak, yet steady as Mount Tai. As soon as the golden light cleared a path, a giant eagle dived down from the skies, crushing the ghost fire. It swallowed countless flames, and then turned into black ashes with a clapping sound, falling onto the ground heavily.


    It was Jiufang Changming¡¯s Art of Conferring Spirit.


    H¨¦ Qingmo turned his head abruptly¡ª


    As expected, Jiufang Changming had appeared behind their backs!


    As if the ghost flames had smelled blood, they swiftly scattered, only to surround the two of them.


    It was a chance for H¨¦ Qingmo and Linghu You to take a breather, and the crowd of people started to gather around again. They seemed to have realized their foolishness and hastened to return.


    The ghost-gathering banner had already been torn, and the Ghost King ripped it to pieces decisively, casting it in front of them. As the pieces fell to the ground, they turned into black flags of command, firmly sticking to the ground. The ghost flames seemed to have entered a labyrinth, and could not move further at all.


    Black flags of command: something a worshiper can receive at a temple if they are leaving their homeland. The deities will protect them if they have the flag


    However, their enemies were not the ghost flames and demonic qi in front of their eyes, but the Eight Sages of Wanlian.


    To break the formation, Sun Buku had not had to fight till death with the eight of them. He had found a gap and teleported directly to the heart of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple and battled with Chunchi there. Although Chunchi was dead now, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, like a centipede that would not fall even in its death, was guarded heavily by the Eight Sages of Wanlian, who ordered the ghost flames to attack people.


    It had already come to the point that the You Capital had turned into a purgatory full of demons, and the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had mostly been destroyed. Naturally, their opponents were determined to fight to the last gasp. Even if they could not kill every intruder, at least they wanted to perish together with them.


    But no one in the crowd, including H¨¦ Qingmo, wanted to die.


    And this thin thread of the will to survive had been supporting them as they had waited for reinforcement.


    The dazzling Golden Glass Beads Staff in Sun Buku¡¯s hands was the only bright source of light in the darkness.


    He swung the cane, and the golden light broke through the dark, murky ghost flames even where it was the most concentrated. Sun Buku looked completely determined, overbearing and fierce, like a peal of roaring thunder, all his movements full of vigor. He stood in conspicuous contrast against the ghost flames in this dark place, which could hardly be recognized as a Buddhist temple anymore.


    Everyone had been exhausted by what had happened at the Wanlian Buddhist Temple today. Now, when they saw Sun Buku act so confidently, they sobered up, as if only now seeing a Buddhist spirit.


    The Eight Sages of Wanlian, standing amidst the flickering ghost fire, looked no different from evil spirits in comparison.


    Jiufang Changming had a different aura.


    His skill in the Art of Conferring Spirit had reached the pinnacle of perfection. He waved his sleeve, and a black wind turned into countless crows and sparrows that flew towards the ghost flames, fluttering their wings and opening their beaks as if to swallow worms.


    Unfortunately, the birds could only devour a few ghost flames. In addition, they were fragile. As soon as the ghost fire wrapped itself around them, they stopped flapping their wings and fell to the ground. However, their numbers were truly vast, and they quickly formed a high wall that was slowly pushing the ghost flames back.


    The mere sight of a lone Jiufang Changming standing in front of the wall with his back turned to the crowd, his sleeves fluttering yet his body unmoving like a mountain, was inspiring and calming itself.


    Everyone exhaled in relief.


    They still could not fully relax, but at least the pressure on them had lifted a bit.


    The feeling of holding onto sturdy thighs was truly great.


    But Xu Jingxian was still worried.


    It had been quite some time since she had started following Jiufang Changming, and together, they had gone all the way from the Jianxue Clan and through the Nine Layers of the Abyss. At the very least, she could guess his current state.


    He had a sickly complexion and not a trace of spiritual power.


    When she did not know his true identity yet, she did not pester him too much because of his handsome face. Now Xu Jingxian praised her past self for being very wise for leaving her future self such a great supporter.


    Afterwards, when they had gone to the Nine Layers of the Abyss, Jiufang Changming had regained his cultivation slowly, and he himself had believed that it had recovered to eight or nine points out of ten. But he had been tortured all the way here, and Xu Jingxian was afraid that even a grandmaster would not have been able to avoid getting injured internally. Moreover, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been fraught with all kinds of demons and ghosts, and their enemy had been way more powerful than they had anticipated. Although Xu Jingxian did not know for sure what Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi had experienced at the heart of this temple, she could imagine that that had been a fierce battle.


    ¡°Senior, are you alright?¡± asked Xu Jingxian in a low voice, as she approached him one step at a time.


    As soon as she drew near him, she realized that something was wrong with him.


    Because she smelled blood.


    The heavy scent of blood was emanating from this body, and she could not have been mistaken.


    Xu Jingxian raised her hand quickly, erecting a barrier of spiritual powers in front of his body to prevent the ghost flames from breaking through the high wall of paper crows and sparrows.


    Changming hummed. His voice sounded calm, and Xu Jingxian could not see a wound that would emit that stench on him, so she exhaled in relief, thinking that he had not been wounded: ¡°Has Senior seen the clan master?¡±


    Originally, they had come here to save Zhou Keyi. Their enemies had used him as bait, so they would not have killed him that easily.


    ¡°He died.¡±


    Xu Jingxian thought she had heard wrong and froze.


    She could not help looking at Changming.


    It was night time. He looked so cold that there even seemed to be an icy glow coming from him. As if made of snow, he was alienated from her, completely unapproachable.


    Xu Jingxian was full of doubt, but she could not voice her questions right now because the current situation did not allow her to be distracted.


    But her mind had been inevitably perturbed, and in a while, she sighed, just like a fox grieving over a hare. In her heart, she said that this moment would definitely mark the downfall of the Jianxue Clan. After that, she thought of that muslin she was not fated to obtain. Since the day Zhou Keyi promised her the muslin, not a trace of him had ever been seen, so she probably would never be able to lay her hands on it in this life.


    A fox grieving over a hare: to sympathize with an ally (here, fox & hare are allies against a hunter)


    The sea of her consciousness was in turmoil, so she had diverted her attention from the fight. A sharp scream brought her back to her senses, but the ghost fire had already broken through the sparrows and crows, rushing at them through the gap!


    Xu Jingxian raised her hands immediately, but she was half a step too late. The gap became even wider, and the ghost flames had flown over their heads right towards the crowd of people!


    ¡­


    Linghu You was different from the others. He could hear the voices of the ghosts.


    What people thought to be the incoherent wailing of crazy ghosts was heartfelt wishes in Linghu You¡¯s perception.


    Here! The souls are tastier here, he¡¯s a cultivator!


    I want to eat him! I want to take over his body, I want to be a human again! I never wanted to be a ghost! I¡¯m so pained, so pained!


    You all deserve to die! Why am I suffering, while you¡¯re still alive? Go die!


    I¡¯m hurt, hurt all over, someone, save me!


    ¡­


    Countless bizarre voices were assaulting the sea of his consciousness, and all of them sounded insane and erratic. They were full of wrath and murderous intent, voicing out every sinful thought and desire of human beings. Some of them were even pestering Linghu You¡¯s heart, instigating him to defect to their side.


    Obviously, you¡¯re a ghost cultivator, why would you help humans? Do you really believe that they will be grateful for your help? Humans and ghosts tread different paths, and they will never lower their guard in your presence!


    Come over here! We are your kin!


    You¡¯re wavering? Because of that person behind your back? He¡¯s a hypocrite feigning sympathy to save his own life. As soon as we disappear from this world, he¡¯ll abandon you as well. Don¡¯t you ever underestimate the maliciousness in the hearts of humans!


    He¡¯s only using you!


    Kill him!


    We can make you stronger, make you the most powerful ghost once again!


    Kill him!


    The voices were filling the sea of the Ghost King¡¯s consciousness layer by layer, using every method to sway his mind.


    H¨¦ Qingmo¡¯s acute senses led him to notice the person behind his back trembling. He thought that the Ghost King was injured, so he got a bit distracted and turned his head, shouting: ¡°Are you alright!¡±


    Linghu You did not respond.


    After all, he was a ghost cultivator. Although the souls of the deceased were babbling sheer nonsense, there was one thing that they had said right. Humans and ghosts tread different paths. Even if he was struggling to maintain his composure, his consciousness had been rattled by the words of his kin. But his cultivation was formidable, and for a while, despite being confused, it was hard to tell whether he had been swayed by them.


    Yet H¨¦ Qingmo felt that something was wrong. He turned back just at the right moment to see a wave of ghost flames rush at them, and Linghu You ignored this with no intention of stopping it.


    There was no time. Without thinking much, H¨¦ Qingmo pushed Linghu You down abruptly.


    In a flash, the ghost flames struck from behind!


    H¨¦ Qingmo vomited blood, and it splattered over the face of the person under him.


    He was no longer thinking clearly and was completely exhausted. He only felt ice-cold hands holding him firmly, getting him back on his feet and moving somewhere quickly. H¨¦ Qingmo felt sick because of the abrupt movement, as well as the ghost qi entering his body. H¨¦ Qingmo was gradually getting colder, and his lips were turning blue.


    But the ghost fire had not finished its attack yet, and madly surged back at them again. However, this time the Ghost King raised his hand swiftly, his gaze icy. The snared flags of command seemed to have reacted to his gesture as they rose into the air altogether, rushing at the ghost flames like a clamorous meteor shower!


    The ghost flames scattered away with screeches, breaking free from the control of the Eight Sages of Wanlian.


    This was a chance!


    Sun Buku and Jiufang Changming would have never missed it!


    They had already taken separate paths in the past, but now they had met again, even joining forces against a common enemy after so many years.


    ¡°Each matter has no law, I¡¯m the law!¡±


    ¡°[The Great Dao leads to gods, following the sun and the moon; what I demand, the world must obey!]¡±


    They voiced their techniques almost simultaneously.


    Xu Jingxian had never heard Changming recite this technique. He voiced it quickly, even a bit inaudibly.


    She felt that this skill was very powerful, but she had never seen Jiufang Changming or anyone else use it.


    As this thought surfaced in her mind, the ground shook, and golden and purple lights burst out with a bang!


    When Changming had put this technique into action, the night sky began to glitter with numerous stars. Very soon, the bits of light gathered in one place, and like falling stars, they plummeted to the human world, falling all over the place where the Eight Sages of Wanlian were, smashing their formation into smithereens.


    A golden statue had appeared behind Sun Buku¡¯s back. Its lips moved in accordance with Sun Buku¡¯s, as if they were reciting a prayer simultaneously.


    The golden light was getting brighter and brighter, so the people even had to cover their eyes, unable to look at him. The light had engulfed the black fire completely, eradicating every evil spirit that tried to escape the place frantically. They turned into glowing lumps and then dispersed without a trace.


    Utter chaos.


    Xu Jingxian found no other words to describe this scene.


    Her spiritual power had been drained after the great battle, and she was wounded severely. But, in the end, her cultivation base was strong enough to protect her life, so she was not suffering from any grave injuries. However, others were not as fortunate as her. H¨¦ Qingmo was lying in the Ghost King¡¯s arms, having lost consciousness, while H¨¨ Xiyun and some others had disappeared somewhere. Xu Jingxian ran towards Jiufang Changming, stumbling along the way.


    Changming, who was standing steadily just a moment ago, suddenly started falling forward!


    Xu Jingxian was startled. She stretched out her arms to him, but someone was quicker than her.


    Sun Buku carried him on his back, throwing Xu Jingxian a glance.


    Xu Jingxian did not care about anything else. Seeing that Sun Buku did not mind her following him, she quickly came over to look at Jiufang Changming.


    After looking at him closely, she was shocked.


    At first, only the tips of his hair had been white, yet now his hair was almost half-white.


    ¡°School Master Sun, may I ask about the whereabouts of Yun Weisi¡­ Daoxiong Yun?¡±


    Xu Jingxian was playing a small trick.


    She knew that Daoists and Buddhists disliked Demonic sects. Sun Buku would have hardly answered her direct questions about Zhou Keyi, but she could start a conversation by mentioning Yun Weisi, someone who used to have a good relationship with Sun Buku.


    ¡°He has been possessed,¡± Sun Buku was indeed delighted to answer, but his words were too surprising.


    ¡°He¡­ has gone mad?¡± Xu Jingxian frowned.


    ¡°Demonic qi has entered his body, so he is already half a demon.¡±


    ¡°Then, Senior Jiufang¡¯s wounds?¡±


    ¡°His fault.¡±


    Xu Jingxian¡¯s expression changed slightly as she thought to herself, Do the two of them have to go through the falling-out act again if it has already happened in the Nine Layers of the Abyss?


    Everything Yun Weisi did or said afterwards was imbued with his adamant infatuation with his teacher. He had been slowly restoring his mind and was already not much different from a common human. Why would he suddenly change?


    Sun Buku seemed to have guessed her thoughts. He described to her what had happened there in a few words.


    ¡°Zhou Keyi is already dead. One wanted to save him, and the other wanted to kill him, so Yun Weisi turned possessed.¡±


    Xu Jingxian asked immediately: ¡°Why did Yun Weisi want to kill Clan Master Zhou?¡±


    Sun Buku sighed quietly: ¡°It was a trap.¡±


    It was obviously a deadly trap, yet they could not avoid it.


    They had been wandering around in circles inside the trap, unable to see the whole picture.


    There was only one person who dared to take a great risk, trying to break free from the trap.


    That person was Yun Weisi.


    And the one who was willing to sacrifice his life to help him was Jiufang Changming.

 CH 101

    Proofread by Snake


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± was what Yun Weisi said.


    No matter how Changming tried to close the distance between the two of them, they were still standing apart.


    Everything around them was pitch-black, without a single shining star, as if light would never break through this endless night.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Changming asked.


    ¡°Where I should go,¡± Yun Weisi was leaning to the side, and it was difficult to say whether he was looking at Changming or somewhere behind Changming.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression was vague, and his robes were fluttering formlessly in the air as well, as if he was about to drift away from the seas and the mountains of the world.


    Changming could guess what his intentions were, but he could not say it out loud. As if the words he wanted to say had been blocked by a silencing technique, he could only say¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Yun Weisi shook his head, his line of sight stopping at Changming, carrying with it a trace of grief and determination.


    The Yun Weisi from Changming¡¯s memories had never worn an expression like this. Changming even suspected that he was dreaming and was not sure of what was happening, but he still felt anxious, as if he had forgotten a very important detail.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go,¡± Yun Weisi sighed. ¡°Shizun, I have never regretted my decisions. Even if my Demonic heart is causing trouble, and demonic qi has entered my body, tormenting me at every moment, I¡¯ve never regretted entering the Nine Layers of the Abyss back then to find the cause of your death, and the truth about the collapse of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation. Although I was never satisfied, it has nothing to do with my own decisions. At first, I thought that since you came back to life, we still have a lot of years ahead of us, and I will¡­¡±


    His voice kept getting lower, and finally he paused, and only smiled faintly.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I have to go. Shizun, I wish you to break through your barrier as soon as possible, and reach the pinnacle of strength again, annihilating all evil and acting as you please.¡±


    He stopped talking and turned around to leave without hesitation. His silhouette was slowly disappearing into the darkness, turning into a vaguely discernable white point.


    No matter how Changming struggled to catch up to him, he still could not move a step further. His heart was beating fast. He wanted to call for the Sifei Sword subconsciously, but it did not show up. It was only then did he recall that the Sifei Sword had shattered itself during the battle in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple to save its master. The spirit of the sword had dissipated, and there would be no Sifei Sword in this world again.


    The Wanlian Buddhist Temple¡­ Then Yun Weisi?!


    Bits of a conversation reached his ears. The conversation sounded neither close by nor far away, as if it was impeded by a layer of fabric.


    ¡°What kind of trap?¡±


    ¡°The master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan wants to use the whole world to set up a Liuhe Zhutian Formation, thus integrating the Human World with the Darkest Abyss. However, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple was destroyed, so his grandiose plan was delayed. Now, Yun Weisi has turned into a demon, so the enemy will surely contact him.¡±


    ¡°Daozun Yun wants to use himself as bait?!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t catch a tiger cub unless you enter the tiger¡¯s den.¡±


    ¡°Then why would he need the life soul of Clan Master Zhou?¡±


    A sharp pain pierced Changming¡¯s chest. His breath was hot, and his spiritual power was bound by invisible restrictions¡ªhe could not even move a finger.


    When Changming had heard the two of them talking, he wanted to open his eyes. But a sweet taste rose up in his throat instead, and blood started to drip slowly from the corners of his mouth.


    Sun Buku did not have to answer this question. Changming already knew the answer.


    Yun Weisi had asked him.


    He said, Your life, or Zhou Keyi¡¯s life soul¡ªchoose one.


    Yun Weisi had wanted Changming to choose the second option, because Zhou Keyi was already dead, and his soul would be enough to get the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan to place his trust in Yun Weisi.


    But, contrary to Yun Weisi¡¯s wish, Changming had chosen his own life.


    He had let Yun Weisi use the Sifei Sword and put himself in grave danger as the price to win over that trust.


    Yun Weisi had asked him twice, but Changming¡¯s answer had never changed.


    They had looked at each other, and Yun Weisi had understood Changming¡¯s resolution.


    So he took action.


    Swords had souls as well.


    When they had first reunited, Yun Weisi¡¯s memories had been damaged, and he had wanted to kill Jiufang Changming with the Sifei Sword. But this had proved unfeasible. The Chunzhao Sword used to follow Jiufang Changming everywhere, diving into every dangerous adventure with its master. Just like the other sword, it refused to injure its former owner. So Yun Weisi had attacked him without hesitating, because he knew that the sword would not actually cut Jiufang Changming¡¯s neck.


    He had no other choice.


    He had known it was impossible, yet he had continued.


    This was the only way Yun Weisi could deceive himself and make his Demonic heart believe that he had been entirely possessed.


    Changming had no way of hearing the struggle between Yun Weisi and his Demonic heart, or learning about the inconceivable sufferings Yun Weisi had experienced. Despite all that, Yun Weisi had managed to pull off a plan as impeccable as a seamless heavenly robe, all unbeknownst to his Demonic heart. In the end, he had managed to escape the trap.


    And now, Yun Weisi was gone. Changming did not even know whether he was still alive, or whether they would meet again in this life.


    Since the moment Changming had started cultivating, he had climbed thousands of mountains, crossed hundreds of rivers, braved through frozen lands plagued with dangers, captured the Azure Dragon with his own hands, and could even pierce stars with his arrows. He had battled with the most prominent grandmasters with his life at stake. Step by step, he had turned into the strongest person in the world, despite being a mere nobody in the beginning. Even when the chance of him surviving was slim, and he had wandered through the Yellow Springs muddle-headed with all his memories distorted, he had never felt helpless, or that he could only sit around and wait for his death.


    The Azure Dragon: the guardian spirit of the East. Perhaps, you should read it as ¡°captured the most ferocious beasts¡±


    Yet now Jiufang Changming suddenly realized that he could not even save his disciples.


    Yun Weisi had sacrificed himself to break free from the trap not because he wanted to save the world or the people in it.


    He had cast aside his reputation, glory and splendor, and entered the Nine Layers of the Abyss. He had fought against demons, all while disregarding the fact that the demonic qi had contaminated his body, and the Demonic heart was taking root and flourishing within him. All of that for one reason.


    For Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°Senior Jiufang!¡±


    As Xu Jingxian was talking to Sun Buku, she suddenly noticed out of the corner of her eye that the blood had started dripping from Changming¡¯s mouth and eyes.


    The blood ran down the hair on his temple, pooling on the pillow and painting on it a dull-red lake. The sight could almost arouse one¡¯s aesthetic senses, much in the same way as seeing something soul-stirring and fascinating.


    Sun Buku quickly took a few steps forward, and helped him sit upright. Sun Buku then grabbed Changming¡¯s wrist, transferred his own spiritual power over to Changming, and let it flow in smoothly.


    But Sun Buku soon sensed something was wrong.


    Changming¡¯s breath was weak, and his life force faint, as if only present at times. It was entirely different from how he was when he was sleeping peacefully.


    There was no doubt that Jiufang Changming¡¯s wounds were extremely severe. However, given his cultivation base and Sun Buku¡¯s nourishment, his current state should not have been this grave.


    Unless¡­


    Sun Buku placed his hand above Changming¡¯s forehead hurriedly, and his expression abruptly changed.


    Xu Jingxian observed his countenance and understood that their situation was bad. She asked, uncertainly: ¡°How is he?¡±


    The atmosphere around Sun Buku was heavy.


    Two out of three of Changming¡¯s immortal souls had disappeared.


    But he and Xu Jingxian had been guarding this place, and no matter what kind of demon or evil spirit had wanted to lure him away, they would have hardly escaped Sun Buku¡¯s eyes of the Buddha.


    Eyes of the Buddha: Budd. one of the five senses; discerning eye


    Where could Changming¡¯s souls have fled to?


    Although Sun Buku had a statue of a Buddha protecting him, he would not have necessarily gained the upper hand in the deadly battle with Chunchi by relying on his cultivation alone. Chunchi had already been exhausted after fighting with Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi, and Sun Buku had managed to launch his attack only after most of the ghost flames at the core of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been destroyed. Even if he did not care about his past relationship with Jiufang Changming as his master, owing to the karma he had gathered this time, Sun Buku could not simply leave him and walk away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look outside. Guard Shizun,¡± he asked of Xu Jingxian.


    Xu Jingxian was full of complaints: ¡°I don¡¯t have a single treasure now. If a strong enemy comes here, I can¡¯t ward them off alone!¡±


    The Ghost King, H¨¦ Qingmo and the others were heavily wounded, so everyone had isolated themselves to rest and recuperate. Xu Jingxian could not depend on them at all now.


    I¡¯m just a girl trembling in the wind like a willow branch, why must I shoulder such great responsibility? Could it be that the Heavens are jealous of my beauty?

 CH 102

    Proofread by Snake


    Sun Buku stopped, turned back, and looked at her with an inscrutable expression.


    ¡°If what I have observed isn¡¯t wrong, daoyou Xu¡¯s level of cultivation is that of a master. Of course, there are many unreasonable cultivators in this world, but the Wanlian Buddhist Temple has almost been destroyed, and few people have strength left after this great battle. No powerful enemies will appear out of thin air either. With your level of cultivation, everything will be fine.¡±


    Xu Jingxian had probably forgotten about that time when she had fought against someone who wanted to use a poison against her. This spring poison was especially effective against demonic cultivators, and would have made her go mad with lust to the point she would have surrendered her weapons and given herself up to that person. However, in the end, this plan had been discovered by Xu Jingxian. Instead of killing that person to vent her hatred, she had let them live albeit just barely, tortured them until they wished they were dead, before dragging them naked to the doors of a brothel and slapping them, ultimately leaving them crushed and miserable. Sun Buku had happened to witness the whole process.


    Spring poison: smth like aphrodisiac


    Yet she was still calling herself a weak and timid woman?


    Xu Jingxian did not get flustered in the slightest, and only adopted an even more pitiful appearance. She even rolled up her sleeves to show Sun Buku the scratches on her arm.


    ¡°This girl has no weapon now. I¡¯m bare-handed and defenseless, and was even injured like this! If an enemy actually comes, I¡¯m afraid that the first attack will deprive the world of this girl! And if this girl is gone, there¡¯ll be no one capable of fighting here. Senior Jiufang¡­ Ah, right¡­ Even Shizun will be in trouble!¡±


    Sun Buku: ¡°Then what¡¯s your plan?¡±


    Xu Jingxian gave him a bewitching smile, and said affectionately: ¡°Shixiong Sun is the master of the Qingyun School, so you must have countless spiritual treasures on your person. Just give one to your little sister! That way, this little sister will have a weapon, and shixiong Sun will be able to look for Shizun¡¯s souls with your heart at ease. This little sister will definitely do her best, even sacrificing her life if necessary, and won¡¯t let Shizun¡¯s precious body suffer the slightest abuse!¡±


    Like a snake, she was slithering up a stick that she had been struck with, calling them shizun and shixiong in every breath. She positioned herself as Jiufang Changming¡¯s talented yet unnoticed bastard daughter he had had while studying at a Demonic sect.


    Snake that slithers up a stick it had been struck with: use the gaps in your enemy¡¯s defense to attack them effectively


    Just as Sun Buku was going to answer her, he saw black clouds gathering in the sky. It was already the shichen of sunrise, and there should have been sunshine breaking through the darkness, but instead a peculiar red color had ignited the clouds. It was a strange omen.


    He leapt up to the roof to look at the redness condensing at the horizon. The light was piercing through the clouds, overflowing and staining everything, as if someone had received a wound and was bleeding incessantly, and their blood had reached the sky, accumulating there.


    Sun Buku lowered his head as he thought about it. As if he had come to a realization about something, his expression darkened.


    Xu Jingxian had been cultivating for quite a number of years, but she had never seen something like this. She stared at the sky, dumbfounded.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°The passage has already been opened.¡±


    ¡°What passage?¡±


    ¡°On the Third Breaking Day, the Sun and the Moon will align with Sirius, and the Liuhe Zhutian Formation will be completed.¡±


    Third Breaking Day: unfavorable day


    Sirius: lit. heavenly wolf. Just like in many other countries, Sirius is considered a bad omen in China


    Changming had already mentioned the danger of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation in Xu Jingxian¡¯s presence, but at that time, she had felt that it was detached from her life. In her greed-filled heart, a chance of obtaining the muslin or some other formidable treasure was far more vivid. However, when the news of Zhou Keyi¡¯s death had reached her ears, she suddenly realized that the danger was already hanging right above her brows and eyelashes, and the wind was raging in her house, heralding the storm. Gloomy clouds had gathered above their heads, and the tempest was on the verge of rising, threatening to drench her clothes. At that moment, she could no longer convince herself that she could remain a bystander and live in peace.


    Above her brows and eyelashes: imminent


    The wind was raging in her house, heralding the storm: portent


    ¡°But I remember that Senior Jiufang¡­ Shizun said that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple was supposed to be one of the corners of the new Liuhe Zhutian Formation. The Wanlian Buddhist Temple collapsed today, so the formation should have been broken as well, isn¡¯t that the case?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Sun Buku shook his head with a grave expression. While he had been trying to track down the Golden Glass Beads Staff and Bei Shu, he had visited a lot of places, and uncovered a lot of obscure secrets. At first, his suspicions had been more or less the same as Jiufang Changming¡¯s. He knew that their hidden enemy was going to build a Liuhe Zhutian Formation that would encompass the whole world. The six corners of it should be situated at either strategic, yet convenient or difficult to access places. These locations could also be places that were endowed with fine spirits, were suppressing spiritual beasts or weapons, or a place with a high concentration of spiritual power that flowed there ceaselessly to support the constant need for spiritual power of the huge formation.


    Since the Wanlian Buddhist Temple had been using ghosts as spirits to nurture itself, it could definitely refine a Soul Gathering Pearl that the Liuhe Formation desperately required. Surely, it could have been the most unshakeable corner of the formation. But Chunchi was dead, and the Wanlian Buddhist Temple was destroyed, so Sun Buku had started to doubt his theory. Why had the enemies that were hiding behind the scenes remained calm and not shown themselves, despite something of this scale happening here?


    He mulled it over, and found only one possible answer. The existence of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple was itself just a cover. Although Chunchi had known too much and contributed to the plan of destroying the world whole-heartedly, he was not a person to take on such a great responsibility. The Wanlian Buddhist Temple had never been a corner of the formation. Moreover, it had actually meant nothing, and was only good for distracting Sun Buku and the others, buying their enemies some time to finish setting up the formation elsewhere.


    Shesheng Peak, the Nine Layers of the Abyss, the Wanxiang Palace, the Yellow Springs, the Jianxue Clan. The Liuhe Zhutian Formation was missing one corner. If it was neither the Luo Capital, nor the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, what was that place?


    No matter where it was, the formation had already been set into motion, and the passage on the Sacred Mountain Wan had already been opened. In the end, the world had come to this point.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first. Stand guard here, and don¡¯t take a single step away from here!¡±


    He turned his hand, and threw the Golden Glass Beads Staff towards Xu Jingxian. She caught it subconsciously, and saw Sun Buku fold his hands into a seal immediately, before disappearing right in front of her eyes.


    Xu Jingxian: ¡­


    She looked at the Buddhist cane in her hands, thinking to herself, Could it be that this person surnamed Sun wants me to go over to the Buddhist sects? There was no need to even think about such a possibility. In this life, even if she turned into a demon, she would never join the ranks of Buddhist nuns.


    Surely, the Golden Glass Beads Staff was a rare valuable item, but it was incompatible with her cultivation path as it was a natural enemy for those of Demonic sects. Xu Jingxian honestly could not picture herself waving the cane in front of her enemies.


    The blood-red color on the edges of the sky was getting even darker, and the cane in her hands started to glow red as well. She raised her head, looked at the sky, and suddenly frowned.


    Wasn¡¯t the source of the red glow in the sky coming from¡ª


    The Sacred Mountain Wan?


    ¡­


    Jiufang Changming noticed that his souls had left his body and had attached themselves to the Chunzhao Sword when Yun Weisi reached the foot of the mountains of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    As soon as Yun Weisi had ¡°killed¡± Changming, a voice started ringing inside his head, urging him to go to the Wanjian Immortal Clan quickly.


    Yun Weisi let his Demonic heart wander in his body as it wished, sealing his original heart in the depths of the dwelling place of his soul. But his clear-headedness was fleeting, and the voice that was giving him orders was getting louder. With that, he started to feel bloodthirstiness. When he was passing through a village, he almost could not stop himself from massacring the village.


    His desire to see blood spilled got even more urgent over time. He especially yearned to strangle someone to death with his own hands; he wanted to see them cry and beg for mercy right in front of him. Such thoughts created a kind of turbulent pleasure in his heart. Yun Weisi knew that these thoughts were born from his Demonic heart, but he could not tell how long he would be able to resist it. He could lose control at any moment and start killing everyone in sight.


    ¡°Come to the Wanjian Buddhist Temple, and I¡¯ll answer everything.¡±


    When Yun Weisi had pierced Jiufang Changming with demonic flames at the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, a voice had resounded in his head and said these words.


    So, he had to find Jiang Li before losing control completely.


    However, when he arrived at the foot of the Xianlai Mountain of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, his Demonic heart was tormenting his body, his consciousness was in turmoil, and he could barely cope with all this. Even the steps he took were unsteady. He had even waded into a turbulent river, but it was still difficult to quench the desire to kill in his heart.


    Want to kill, to see blood, and to devour souls!


    His devastated body was howling and shrieking, eager to suppress all rational thought. The river had drenched his clothes, making them stick to him. Yun Weisi did not even remember at what point he had called for the Chunzhao Sword.


    This sword had been accompanying Yun Weisi for even longer than Jiufang Changming. The point of the sword pricked his hand unforgivingly, forcing Yun Weisi to tremble. He froze for a moment, and looked at the vague image of himself reflected on the blade. His consciousness suddenly sobered up a bit.


    At this moment, Changming noticed that his fleeting souls were stuck to the sword. When it was summoned, his fleeing souls subsequently broke free, and he now stood in front of Yun Weisi.


    But it seemed that Yun Weisi could not see him, and Changming had no way of letting himself be seen. He could only affect the Chunzhao Sword.


    Its blade trembled, and the sword hummed crisply.


    Yun Weisi blinked, looked at the Chunzhao Sword, and suddenly sighed.


    ¡°Thank you. It seems that you don¡¯t want me to turn into a demon either.¡±


    Changming waved his sleeve, and the sword flew up abruptly, trembling in the air above the surface of the water.


    Yun Weisi laughed, and his expression became more clear-minded at once.


    ¡°Have you developed consciousness? If I knew earlier, I¡¯d have left you to him.¡±


    Changming could not help saying: ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m here!¡±


    Unfortunately, Yun Weisi could not hear him.


    He rested for a bit, and then told the Chunzhao Sword: ¡°I¡¯m going up the mountain to find Jiang Li. There¡¯s no guarantee I¡¯ll succeed, and it¡¯s unknown whether I¡¯ll survive. Even if something happens, I¡¯ll keep you safe, so that you can go back, find him, and defend him in my stead.¡±


    Given Yun Weisi¡¯s cultivation level, if he engaged in mortal combat with Jiang Li now, he was unlikely to lose all that easily. However, the Wanjian Immortal Clan was Jiang Li¡¯s domain, and he had long since been ready for today. Moreover, Yun Weisi was suffering from his Demonic heart, and could lose his mind at any second. This time, he had gone to the enemy¡¯s gates all alone, so his fate was uncertain, and the road ahead of him was unclear. He was prepared for the worst.


    The sword suddenly flew high up, swaying from side to side, as if dismissing his order.


    It looked so comical that Yun Weisi¡¯s depression scattered away.


    ¡°I never knew you were so mischievous. Go back.¡±


    As soon as the order was given, the Chunzhao Sword entered its sheath and disappeared from sight, remaining hidden by Yun Weisi¡¯s side.


    Changming was forced to follow the sword, and his vision went dark. He could only hear Yun Weisi get out of water, dry his clothes and continue climbing the mountain.


    By using his skills in cultivation, Yun Weisi could have arrived at the Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s gates in a split second, but he preferred remaining unnoticed, so he was traveling there by foot.


    Obviously, Yun Weisi still needed time to calm down and consider his reaction upon meeting Jiang Li.


    Changming, enveloped by darkness, was also lost in thought.


    He was not really flustered by the fact that his souls had left his body. After all, he had survived through many fierce storms and raging waves in this life, and had narrowly escaped even the most dangerous perils. Now, he even happened to have Yun Weisi by his side, so he considered himself lucky.


    He had a vague guess as to why he had managed to possess the Chunzhao Sword. It was mostly because years ago, Yun Weisi and Changming had interacted a lot, and the Chunzhao Sword had a close relationship with both of them. When Changming¡¯s life was in danger, the sword was somehow attracted to him because of their relationship. As a result, after Changming was wounded, his body weakened, and his souls having left his body, his souls had thus entered the Chunzhao Sword, drawn to the sword by the connection that had been established between Changming and the sword.


    At least, Changming was present at this crucial moment when Yun Weisi was going to confront Jiang Li.


    Even if he had no chance of surviving at all, this time, he would not allow Yun Weisi to go against the tempest alone.


    Changming had not run into Jiang Li many times. However Jiang Li¡¯s sect, the Wanjian Immortal Clan, was a mountain that cultivators could not easily bypass.


    Due to the meticulous care of past generations of masters of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and thanks to Immortal Luomei¡¯s ascension, the Wanjian Immortal Clan was almost shrouded with a divine halo in the eyes of the public.


    But Chunchi had told them that the tales of becoming a deity or an immortal were a trap set by the Great Dao. No one in this world had ever reached immortality, and only impending doom awaited every cultivator.


    Since no one had ascended, what had happened to Immortal Luomei? Was it connected to the formation set by Jiang Li?


    A thought suddenly dawned on Changming, as he managed to grasp onto a crucial clue!

 CH 103

    Proofread by Snake


    Jiufang Changming had visited every major sect in the world¡ªafter all, he had first left Daoism for Buddhism, before joining up with Demonic sects, and had converted to Confucianism later on, even engaging with the affairs of secular society. He had read ancient records of hundreds of schools of thought. Thus, after all this time, there were few people who were more knowledgeable than him when it came to this matter.


    He thought that while every sect had certain good points, every sect was also limited in their knowledge of other things. Only if he learned widely from their strengths would he be able to eventually synthesize the essence of all their teachings. And when the foundation was laid, the rest would follow, and he would catch a glimpse of the truth behind nature¡¯s mysteries.


    Although he had not managed to complete this endeavor fifty years ago, by ending up on the Sacred Mountain Wan, all in all, he had become the strongest person in the world. This title had been acknowledged by several grandmasters, which meant he had, at one point, actually stood at the top of the world, looking down at everything beneath his feet from the height. It was at that point in time when he had been the closest he had ever been to approaching the Heavenly Dao.


    But he had only approached it.


    He distinctly remembered standing on the threshold in front of the mysteries of the Dao. He had been so near this new, peerlessly marvelous realm that it had seemed like one step would have been enough to reach the legendary realm of the Dao heart, to probe the profound secrets of nature and ascend to the Heavens. But, as if there was an invisible barrier blocking his way, he could never take this step and reach it. This was what cultivators called stopping at a bottleneck.


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s bottleneck prevented him from turning into an immortal by breaking through to the next realm.


    Back then, he had pondered it hundreds of times and still failed to understand the reason, before finally deciding that it was his mistake and he had simply come up short. This was why he had traveled around to visit thousands of mountains and myriad waters, eventually visiting every single sect. He had hoped to unravel the profound mystery of the Dao.


    But what if there was originally no such thing as this profound mystery?


    What if Chunchi¡¯s words were true, and the tales of gods of this world were all lies? Could it be that the ascensions of the ancient deities and every ascended cultivator, including Immortal Luomei of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, were lies?


    Changming had never seen Immortal Luomei. By the time he had started cultivating at the Yuhuang Temple, the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan was already Jiang Li.


    The legend of Immortal Luomei¡¯s ascension had been passed down by word of mouth, which deified the image of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    But Changming clearly remembered that demon who had taken control over Princess Linglong¡¯s body in the Luo Capital to raise a foul wind and bloody rain in the Imperial Palace. If it had not been for him and Yun Weisi, the ruling dynasty of Luo would have probably been overturned by today.


    He had fought against Princess Linglong once.


    He had asked whether Jiang Li had been possessed, but Princess Linglong had denied this assumption. When he had asked her why she was so sure Jiang Li would not betray his alliance with demons despite being a human, Princess Linglong had given a very vague answer.


    She had told him she could not answer this question, so Jiufang Changming should look for an answer himself.


    By their nature, demons were averse to lying, so, by relying on his experience, Changming could also say that Princess Linglong was telling him the truth. As such, this answer seemed very important, by having a hidden meaning.


    Moreover, Princess Linglong had deliberately mentioned Jiang Li¡¯s shifu, the previous clan master, Immortal Luomei, when saying that Jiang Li was far worse than Luomei.


    Which obviously meant that Princess Linglong had been acquainted with Immortal Luomei.


    Changming could not help but get an eerie idea.


    What if Immortal Luomei had not died?


    Chunchi had been ruling over the Wanlian Buddhist Temple for many years, and would not allow others to order him about easily. Since he firmly believed that the notion of becoming an immortal was false, he must have seen solid proof of this theory. For instance, what if one of those who was rumored to have become an immortal or a Buddha had appeared in front of him and verified that it was indeed impossible?


    Chunchi was not familiar with such people from very distant generations, so he would not have believed them. There was only Immortal Luomei.


    If Immortal Luomei had not ascended, hiding behind Jiang Li¡¯s back for a long time and ruling over the Wanjian Immortal Clan for all these years, it would not be unreasonable for him to collude with demons. After all, he had been painstakingly cultivating for a long time, yet realized that the path to becoming an immortal came to a deadend. It would definitely arouse resentment in his heart, and he would turn to another method.


    Small details Changming had always dismissed kept recurring in his mind, silently uncovering the horrific truth.


    That princess of the Zhaoyue dynasty, the one whose souls had mingled with the emperor of the country of You, mentioned that she was controlled by a person called Han Yin. He was sly, seizing the chance, he had forced her to be obedient. She could only do as he said, and had eventually gone to Luo Country to serve as a chess piece that had almost overturned the whole country.


    Han Yin¡ªconcealed in the cold; Luomei¡ªfallen plum blossoms.


    When cold winter recedes, spring is about to arrive; isn¡¯t it time for plum blossoms to fall?


    His vague initial guesses were getting clearer, and he was almost sure of it now.


    They had thought that Jiang Li lacked the motivation to set a formation of this scale. However, if he was backed by Immortal Luomei, or was Immortal Luomei himself, the answer to this question would be decided.


    Could Yun Weisi fool Luomei¡¯s discerning eye?


    Once Luomei realized Yun Weisi had not turned into a demon completely, would he not kill Yun Weisi immediately?


    If Yun Weisi had to confront Jiang Li together with Luomei, would he be able to secure a definite victory?


    Changming could not stop Yun Weisi from going up the mountain or warn him, at the very least.


    He could only control the Chunzhao Sword now.


    But the Chunzhao Sword could not talk.


    The sound of Yun Weisi¡¯s steps became lighter.


    He heard some people talking.


    They were two disciples of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    ¡°Shixiong, why are there so few people in our sect right now? It¡¯s so deserted here that I don¡¯t even see shadows after walking here for half a day. It¡¯s so weird!¡±


    ¡°Everyone was sent out to do something. Several days ago I was looking for Elder Liu, but it turned out that he had also been sent away.¡±


    ¡°Shixiong, recently, I¡¯ve felt kind of strange. You know that I have been interested in astrology from childhood. Although I haven¡¯t passed the main hall to enter the inner chamber, I still have some superficial knowledge of astrology. Recently, all astronomical phenomena are in total disorder. No matter how I look at it, I have come to the conclusion that they symbolize upcoming troubled times. It is not just omens, but strange visions appear from the direction of the Sacred Mountain Wan all the time. Isn¡¯t the world about to plunge into a great war? Is it Luo Country attacking You, or You attacking Luo? My family is still in Luo Country!¡±


    Passed the main hall to enter the inner chamber: reach a higher level of proficiency


    ¡°A war would be a trivial matter. I heard that the whole Wanlian Buddhist Temple is gone!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± The elder disciple covered his shidi¡¯s mouth with his hand in a hurry and lowered his voice as much as he could. ¡°This is very fresh news. The clan master called for our shifu, and shifu told this to our dashixiong upon returning. I happened to overhear their conversation.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I understand. Now, let go, you almost suffocated me! What on earth happened in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I heard that two days ago, during the puja of the fifteenth, a myriad ghosts appeared out of nowhere in the You Capital and started to massacre everyone in sight. The Wanlian Buddhist Temple was annihilated, and even the emperor did not survive. You Country is in chaos now, like dragons without a leader. There¡¯s a chance that the Luo Capital will use this chance to move armies to the south. Also, shifu said that strange things are happening on the Sacred Mountain Wan, and something terrible might happen there. It¡¯s unknown whether we¡¯ll be affected.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be! The Sacred Mountain Wan is far away from here! After all, even if the sky falls, there will be someone powerful to support it!¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, stop talking nonsense. We can¡¯t rest until we¡¯ve finished standing guard at our post tonight!¡±


    As they chatted, the two of them gradually moved further and further away from Yun Weisi. Soon, they disappeared between the trees.


    They were only disciples with low cultivation and had not yet learned any advanced skills. Yun Weisi did not even need to bother hiding, since the two of them would not notice his aura regardless.


    Yun Weisi stopped.


    He flinched, and, in response, the Chunzhao Sword suddenly moved against his will, appearing in front of him without his commanding it to as if to block his way, all the while faintly glowing.


    Yun Weisi recited a sword technique, yet the sword refused to move as if it did not hear him.


    At this moment, another voice emerged.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun, you came.¡±


    Ethereal and transcendental, the voice sounded right inside Yun Weisi¡¯s soul.


    It was not just Yun Weisi, but even Changming had heard it.


    The Chunzhao Sword even trembled slightly because of this.


    This person¡¯s cultivation was not below his or Yun Weisi¡¯s.


    ¡°We have been separated for many years, and this Jiang has missed you a lot. Daoyou Yun, please, come up here, and let us reminisce about our former friendship.¡±


    The tone of his speech was calm and composed as if he was actually delighted to meet Yun Weisi after a long time.


    Changming even heard a trace of the self-confidence of a person holding the pearl of wisdom in this voice.


    Holding the pearl of wisdom: endowed with innate intelligence and talent


    He suddenly had conflicting feelings as he felt that the truth was close at hand, and he could easily unveil it, yet for some reason, he hesitated.


    It was likely that Yun Weisi had sensed the danger hidden under this person¡¯s calm facade as well.


    However, since their opponent had already begun to speak, Yun Weisi could not retreat now.


    He had to move forward.

 CH 104

    Proofread by Snake


    Mount Xianlai was thirteenth in the list of the most blessed spots of the world. Although it was not all that illustrious, the fog surrounding the mountain was one-of-a-kind.


    Every morning, when the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, mist would start to curl around the peaks of Xianlai. Then, lush forest trees, unusually shaped rocks, and plenty of bizarre fruits would emerge from the sea of clouds. Of course, commoners like woodcutters from nearby villages were unable to enter the premises of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, but some people would lose their way, wander off, and end up in the midst of the outer peaks. Every single one of them thought that they had accidentally entered the land of deities, and praised it loudly upon returning home. After some time, the fame of Mount Xianlai spread like wildfire, and its reputation gradually grew as time passed. The Wanjian Immortal Clan was also named after Mount Xianlai.


    The Wanjian Immortal Clan was also named after Xianlai Mounts: Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s ¡°immortal¡± is Xianlai¡¯s ¡°xian¡±


    Yun Weisi had arrived here at dawn, which was the best time to admire the view the peaks had to offer. Unfortunately, he did not even give it a passing glance, and moved forward without being distracted in the least. It seemed that Jiang Li had deployed some blocking formations along Yun Weisi¡¯s path, so nothing obstructed him as he was going up the mountain. Neither traps nor any disciples of the Wanjian Immortal Clan appeared during Yun Weisi¡¯s ascent either..


    Jiang Li was standing near a steep cliff on the main peak of Mount Xianlai, with his hands clasped behind his back. Despite having his back turned to Yun Weisi, Jiang Li still seemed to have noticed him.


    ¡°You came.¡±


    ¡°I came.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you admire the sunrise together with me?¡±


    Yun Weisi took a few steps forward, stopping at a distance of five steps from Jiang Li.


    ¡°Look at the dawn. The sun rises from the east every day, yet it always looks different. The sky brightens with colors, and the fog scatters away, swirling around like some enchanting spirit. It¡¯s constantly changing. How many profound mysteries are hidden within? Who knows, perhaps, even the intricate principles of the Great Dao we cultivators are pursuing can actually be found within. Could this be the reason why daoyou Yun has achieved enlightenment?¡±


    Cultivators had different practices, and everyone had their unique opportunities to gain enlightenment. Whether it was the hills or rivers, a blade of grass or a tree, or even a random stone¡ªall these could cause a cultivator to achieve enlightenment, which let that person break through to the next realm.


    Yun Weisi was not interested in being a part of this discussion with Jiang Li. Moreover, he did not believe that Jiang Li had set a trap that was this elaborate and had spanned such a length of time just to call him over in the end to chat about trivial things.


    Yun Weisi raised his head. The sky now seemed to be divided into starkly different halves. The right part was lit with the morning sun, just like countless other scenes of dawn, while the other part of it was shrouded in the dark colors of the night. Bright red flames were burning in the sky, and a pitch-black whirlpool was stretching up from the earth to the sky, forming a vortex that threatened to swallow the entire human world.


    One part was white, and the other black, and they did not flow into each other smoothly. The contrast was harsh and weird, as if two worlds were being forcibly stitched together. This juncture of yin and yang was distinct, just like how water was incompatible with fire. This deadly confrontation between life and death was seemingly telling the people of the world that they would either obtain the light, or be submerged in the darkness forever, while a third outcome was impossible.


    But Yun Weisi clearly saw that the left side was slightly evolving, and the night was slowly engulfing the day¡ªit was obvious that the darkness was more powerful. The red light in the sky, meanwhile, was flashing in exactly the direction of the Sacred Mountain Wan.


    ¡°Look at the scenery. It¡¯s something no one has seen in a myriad years. So breathtaking!¡±


    Jiang Li was admiring it with all his heart, and his line of sight had not left the sky even once.


    Far away, on the Sacred Mountain Wan, ghosts and demons were madly wailing. The sound had not yet reached this place, but Yun Weisi could feel it even from Mount Xianlai.


    The demonic qi in his body was agitated, echoing its kin in the distance.


    Murderous intent started to rage in his heart, and it was very difficult to fight against it, as the slightest mistake would let it spread all over, taking over his mind.


    Clang!


    The crisp clashing sound of a sword resounded inside his sea of consciousness, making Yun Weisi tremble slightly, regaining his clear-mindedness.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this. It¡¯s exceptionally beautiful.¡±


    He gradually restrained his aura and managed to suppress his murderous thoughts.


    However, when Jiang Li turned to look at him, he still saw Yun Weisi¡¯s blood-red eyes and a distinct demonic mark imprinted between his eyebrows. Obviously, Yun Weisi had been possessed, and there was nothing to suspect.


    ¡°After leaving the Nine Layers of the Abyss, daoyou Yun visited a lot of places together with your shizun. Given your cleverness and wisdom, I¡¯m sure you already know what I intend to do?¡± Jiang Li was smiling gracefully, and his expression was calm and composed.


    Although he was addressing Yun Weisi using ¡°daoyou¡±, his seemingly intimate intonation was actually quite distant. Jiang Li looked like a deity that was isolated up above by a sea of clouds, looking down at all these ignorant creatures that were leading a vain and humdrum life on earth.


    Yun Weisi said slowly: ¡°Fifty years ago, you anticipated the failure of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, and so, left a gap there deliberately in order to build a new enormous formation on the whole world in the future?¡±


    Jiang Li raised his eyebrows: ¡°Correct. I knew that Jiufang Changming would refuse to meekly turn into a puppet, and something would definitely happen while they were guarding the formation. It was better to reveal a flaw, push the boat down the current and turn him into the main target for criticism. Had he died that day, his souls would have stayed in the Yellow Springs, and supported the formation. And who knows? There would have perhaps been a place for him in the ranks of the deified later. Unfortunately, I hadn¡¯t anticipated him escaping mortal danger and returning.¡±


    Push the boat down the current: act according the circumstances


    His voice was full of regret. However, he did not feel sorry for his ruined plans, but for Changming instead. His intonation was impeccably sincere and earnest.


    ¡°Unfortunately, Jiufang Changming¡¯s outstanding, brilliant talent wasn¡¯t spent in the right place, but wasted on the foul human world.¡±


    ¡°Dei¡­ fied?¡±


    Yun Weisi uttered the word slowly, quoting Jiang Li.


    Jiang Li nodded his head: ¡°Deified.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Surely, I am also a tool to protect the formation and assist in the process of deification in your eyes?¡±


    ¡°No, no, you¡¯re different from him. You¡¯re the master of the future Abyss, and you¡¯ll share the glory of ruling over the universe together with me. You¡¯re nothing like the mediocre people of the world, and even Jiufang Changming is inferior when compared to you. Don¡¯t undervalue yourself, daoyou. I know that you have a lot of questions. We still have some free time¡ªroughly the time it takes one incense stick to burn. If you want, I can clarify something for you.¡±


    Inside the Chunzhao Sword, Changming frowned slightly.


    It was not that he was dissatisfied with Jiang Li¡¯s words. On the contrary, he felt that Jiang Li had revealed too much.


    This information of spectacular significance had suddenly been dropped on them, and now, one of the layers concealing the truth was about to fall off.


    Although they were getting closer to the truth, Changming was somewhat frightened.


    This was rare for him.


    He had been through many deadly adventures throughout his life, and had nearly approached death not just once. However, he always cherished lofty sentiments, and pressed forwards unrelentingly no matter what. Occasionally, he was also serious and cautious, but he did not care about life or death after reaching a certain level in his cultivation.


    Yet now he was actually a bit scared.


    Changming was not afraid of Jiang Li himself, but of something he had said.


    Jiang Li waved his sleeve, and a table with a jar and two cups appeared in front of them.


    Cultivators were not afraid of low temperatures, so Jiang Li sat on the ground, paying no attention to the cold. Such manners were common among scholars.


    What will happen after the time it takes a stick of incense to burn?


    Yun Weisi looked at him, and then sat across from him.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear the details.¡±


    Jiang Li raised his hand to pour Yun Weisi a cup of tea.


    ¡°For a long time, cultivators have thought that becoming an immortal or a deity means reaching another cultivation realm. In this mythical realm of immortals, spiritual power is supposedly way more abundant than what we have here. There, invaluable treasures and spiritual plants are also scattered everywhere, and everyone¡¯s cultivation level is above that of masters. Perhaps, wars never occur in this land, and everyone lives in peace and justice there. Daoyou Yun, have you also imagined something like that?¡±


    Yun Weisi did not answer, but Jiang Li did not need his answer either.


    ¡°Many years ago, I reached the unrivaled and the most revered realm in cultivation. Originally, I thought that what waited for me were brand-new heavenly lands, but it turned out I was mistaken. After breaking away from the human realm, instead of a new life, I met my doom. My body could not endure leaving this world, so it was torn into pieces and disintegrated immediately. My souls barely escaped the collosal pressure after being on the verge of extinction. In the end, they flew back to the human world after undergoing all kinds of hardships and sufferings. I hid away like a turtle to heal my wounds in secret. It took many years.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Then are you Jiang Li?¡±


    Jiang Li laughed: ¡°Many years ago, when you met me, I was Jiang Li, so you can treat me as Jiang Li. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not him, you¡¯re Luomei!¡± Yun Weisi said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you, but I¡¯d have never guessed I¡¯d meet you like this. Perhaps, no one would have guessed that the role model whom many cultivators look up to with admiration, the past master of the prominent Wanjian Immortal Clan, is in fact a loser who has occupied his disciple¡¯s body!¡±


    Changming was not the only one who was suspecting Jiang Li¡¯s true identity. Having listened to Jiang Li up to this point, Yun Weisi had already guessed almost everything.


    Jiang Li laughed out loud: ¡°And I¡¯d have never guessed that you, who cut down people like weeds, would say such words! Didn¡¯t your shidi, Zhou Keyi, die by your hands? Why is daoyou being so lax with yourself while being harsh on others? The Jiang Li whom you¡¯ve known has been me all along. What do you even know about the original Jiang Li? You¡¯ve never even met him. He is me, and I¡¯m him!¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°So, after failing your ascension, you started plotting schemes using Jiang Li¡¯s identity, and intended to stir up a storm.¡±


    Jiang Li shook his head: ¡°I have to correct you. It wasn¡¯t that I failed to ascend. There is no way to ascend. Everything is a lie. The so-called divine death, or immortal dissipation, simply means disappearance of one¡¯s souls. After I realized I was being led by the nose, I was depressed for many years. However, one day I suddenly realized: since I was given a chance to be reborn, I should try to carve out a new, unfamiliar path for the sake of myself and for every cultivator of this world!¡±

 CH 105

    Proofread by Snake


    If there was no way to become a god, then, he would turn into a devil.


    Jiang Li, no, Luomei had chosen the easiest solution. Since he could not break through to the realm of becoming an immortal, he might as well leave this path and collude with demons instead. After all, the Darkest Abyss was also another realm. Perhaps, the ultimate power of demons would help him solve the problem that cultivators had been struggling to overcome for hundreds, if not thousands of years.


    Luomei had had a new idea. He wanted to open the passage on the Sacred Mountain Wan, the one that had already been closed before, and let demons into the human world, before fusing them with humans. As a result, everyone would benefit from each other¡¯s strengths and learn from their weaknesses. Cultivators would also acquire new knowledge from demons.


    ¡°Common demons live longer than humans. You must have met Princess Linglong. Her cultivation level isn¡¯t lower than yours or Jiufang Changming¡¯s, yet her innate abilities are considered merely second-rate in the Darkest Abyss. She only managed to become an important figure because she¡¯s the smartest one there.¡±


    Jiang Li was referring to the demon who had occupied the body of Princess Linglong of Zhaoyue. After the demon had possessed her body, Yun Weisi had crossed his weapon with hers at the Luo Capital. The demon had claimed that she was Princess Linglong afterwards, and did not use another name.


    Princess Linglong and Luomei had reached an agreement. When the Liuhe Zhutian Formation opened the gap to the Abyss, the world would be transformed. Demons would appear in the world, and demonic qi would flow in, before merging into the human world. Everything would be shared, and after some time, every human would have demonic qi within them. Consequently, the appearance of the human world would be changed, and it would no longer be the place where one had to cultivate painstakingly for many years with no guarantee of ascension.


    But something strange had happened to Luomei¡¯s body. No matter how much demonic qi Princess Linglong tried to transfer to him, and no matter how many times he went to the Darkest Abyss, he was never able to turn into a demon.


    ¡°I¡¯ve traveled all over the world in search of an answer, but I haven¡¯t managed to obtain it.¡±


    Luomei¡¯s gaze that was faintly burning with a somewhat feverish emotion stopped on Yun Weisi.


    ¡°Now you should understand that the ability to turn into a demon is rare and precious, and something I could never obtain. Daoyou Yun, could you tell me how you felt after turning into a demon?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to become a demon,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    Luomei shook his head: ¡°Then, you still haven¡¯t grasped the true nature of this transformation. After having demonic qi become a part of you, you should clearly feel that your cultivation has rapidly increased. Not only that, you would have found that the doors that were closed to you in the past are all suddenly open to you because of this. To use an analogy, when one is sweeping a room, it is difficult for them to notice specks of dust in the nooks and corners, but after this transformation, they would be able to clearly see even the tiniest particles of dirt on the beams.¡±


    Yun Weisi said coldly: ¡°You misunderstand my words. Whether I wanted this to happen or whether it has happened are two different questions. I chose my path myself, and I don¡¯t need anyone to impose it on me.¡±


    While they were talking, the sky was changing. The night part of it was slowly swallowing the dawn sky¡ªthe former had an obvious advantage and, as a result, the red flames on the horizon were almost above their heads. The low dark clouds had been painted red, and birds were flying above mountain forests. All the animals were startled, and their noises reached Yun Weisi¡¯s ears occasionally. Even the ground was slightly trembling, and violent gales were blowing towards the two of them, yet all this did not bother the two sitting men in the slightest.


    The world was coming to its downfall, and eerie omens were flashing in the sky. It was not just the animals¡ªevery person, from the noblest kings to the peddlers and servants were also running hurriedly for their life, seized with panic. They did not understand that this calamity was not something one could run away from. The red flames would envelop the whole world like a mat being rolled up, and the world would be blanketed with demonic qi. It did not matter where they ran to, as doing this would not fix the matter at hand.


    Humans and demons tread on different paths. A common person would not be able to endure the erosion caused by demonic qi. They had neither the exceptional abilities of a cultivator, nor a demon¡¯s innate ability to absorb demonic qi. So, in the end, all they could do was drink this cup of poison and feel as it burned them slowly to death, akin to a death by a thousand cuts.


    Even cultivators, when faced with the corrosion caused by demonic qi and the turmoil caused by demons, could only escape if they had great luck.


    When the nest has been turned upside down, how could a single egg survive?


    The mountains and rivers that had once shone with glory, which Jiang Li had mentioned, were, in actuality, built on a mountain of corpses and oceans of blood. It was a world where only the strongest survived. Perhaps, there were several people in the world, who could, fortunately, survive the battle against demonic qi, just like what Yun Weisi had done in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and after a long time, they would indeed be able to find a way to live with demonic qi. However, the number of such people could be counted on one¡¯s fingers.


    With the destruction of the world happening, even most of the Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s disciples would perish, and no one would be able to escape this.


    Yet the initiator of this evil was drinking a cup of tea, completely calm and at ease.


    In his eyes, the lives of both the common people of the world and the disciples of the Wanjian Immortal Clan were nothing but mere blades of grass on his newly paved road. If the grass was cut down, no one would feel distressed.


    They just aren¡¯t strong enough.


    Luomei sighed quietly.


    ¡°Every cultivator of this world is trying to get stronger. For their whole life, they cultivate to comprehend the world, and to catch a glimpse of its profound mysteries, yet in the end, they¡¯re unable to achieve this purpose. I managed to break through to this profound realm, but I failed to transcend. Only you, daoyou Yun, only you have this unique opportunity, this exceptional chance. No one can match you. You¡¯ve already surpassed your shifu, why would you stay within the limitations he has set for you? Confining oneself in an imaginary circle and trapping oneself is the choice of a fool.¡±


    Yun Weisi slowly moved his line of sight from the red flames to the cup in front of him.


    ¡°Tell me about Chi Bijiang of the Wanxiang Palace. You promised you¡¯d clear up my doubts.¡±


    Luomei said: ¡°She always thought I was Jiang Li.¡±


    Chi Bijiang had been the most willing to set up the formation for Luomei. She had eagerly told him everything about how to encompass all the mountains and streams of the world with the formation, how to calculate the yin-yang geomancy, and how to find the right positions. Every pillar of the new Liuhe Zhutian formation had been chosen by her, and every constantly changing trap, where one could not tell lies apart from truth, had been a creation of her hands.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Chi Bijiang, Luomei would not have managed to find a way to destroy the world that quickly.


    ¡°Then why did she die?¡± Yun Weisi asked.


    Luomei smiled faintly: ¡°Perhaps, it was because she eventually realized that the one whom she was spending her every effort on was not actually that person. She couldn¡¯t withstand this realization. If the accident with my ascension had not happened that year, I¡¯d have been delighted to join forces with Jiang Li and Chi Bijiang. After all, they are a string of pearls and jade. Unfortunately, this and that got in our way, and fate had decided everything for us. I am no longer myself, and he isn¡¯t himself either.¡±


    A string of pearls and jade: talented people who work well together


    Although he said it was unfortunate, his expression was as calm as a light breeze, and he was not weighed down by this fact.


    The time had almost come.


    Of the time to burn one incense stick that had been allotted by Luomei, more than a half of it had already passed, and the end was drawing near. The light of this incense stick he had lit before was insignificant under the great storms raging in the sky, yet the stick stood out amidst it.


    The black sky above their heads, just like the burnt part of the stick, had evidently gained the upper hand.


    The world was falling into darkness. Trees had been enveloped with a thick haze that could not be dispersed. The birds that were circling over forests and screeching had disappeared, and the screams of the Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s disciples that were coming from the mountains, pleading for help, were blocked by Luomei¡¯s barrier, and were now gradually getting quieter. Only black flames and harsh winds were sweeping over, heralding the changes the world was about to embrace.


    Yun Weisi had no time to ask many questions before the incense stick would burn out.


    He could only ask one last question.


    ¡°Since you can¡¯t turn into a demon, what¡¯s the use of merging the human world with the Darkest Abyss for you?¡±


    Luomei silently smiled.


    Suddenly, he folded his arms, forming a seal, and the scenery in front of them changed!


    The main peak of Mount Xianlai was replaced with a dense mist that reflected the starry sky. Clouds and fog whirled around them, while starlight ignited here and there. Together, they depicted different aspects of nature, laying everything out as if on the board of a chess game. After that, the wind arrived and the clouds scattered, swirling around them.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun is no stranger to the Ninth Layer of Abyss, the Void Shore.¡±


    To say Yun Weisi was no stranger to it would be an understatement. He could not be more familiar with this place after having spent countless days and nights there. In order to not let his old affections aggravate the situation with his Demonic heart, he had left many memories among the star formations here. Many cultivators had entered the formations by mistake, and afterwards, could never break free from their regret over their past affections or hatred in this place, and instead indulged in their memories. They were forced to linger here forever, with no chance to leave.


    Everyone said, ¡°bitterness is boundless, turn back to the shore¡±. Buddhists used eight words to sum up the root of everyone¡¯s sufferings. However, in the end, stubborn people refused to turn their heads back. Even if a person knew what should be done, few people could actually fulfill it. In the end, only those who could truly turn back could become a Buddha on the spot.


    Now, the whole truth was revealed.


    When Luomei had proposed using the Nine Layers of the Abyss as the convergence point between the human world and the Darkest Abyss to prevent demons from barging in immediately, he had already been set on using Yun Weisi to guard the Ninth Layer of the Abyss. In order to learn the truth of what had happened on the Sacred Mountain Wan that year, and how Jiufang Changming had fallen from power with it, and earned a bad reputation, Yun Weisi would have definitely agreed to this request.


    Unfortunately, Yun Weisi had not anticipated that after entering the Nine Layers of the Abyss, not only would he fail to find out the truth of the matter, but, instead, he would end up absorbing demonic qi after going through countless fights. As the days went by, he had eventually lost his memories, forgetting Jiufang Changming and their agreement.


    Luomei moved his finger, and a glowing lump of light slowly ascended, turning into a cluster of stars in the night sky.


    ¡°The formation is complete, and the destruction of the world is already close at hand. No one can stop it.¡±


    He stretched out his arm and waved his sleeve, erasing the starry sky. Another scene faintly emerged in the dense fog.


    ¡°From time immemorial, those who could have their bodies transformed into a demon are very few. Most people would have their minds thrown into chaos, and their bodies would explode. You alone are different from everyone. You will be a supreme creature of this new world. These miserable prey, whose fates are at the mercy of others, on the other hand¡ªyou cannot even be mentioned in the same breath as them.¡±


    The place that had emerged was the streets downtown of some city in the human world. It was full of pavilions, towers, other buildings, and bustling crowds of people. But the scene changed abruptly. Walking corpses, eroded by demonic qi, and were rotting all over, stumbled down the streets. They seemed stupefied, but some of them had their disposition completely changed by demonic qi. They became aggressive and started chasing after a living person as soon as they saw one, eventually tearing the people apart.


    Blood was flowing down the crevices in bricks and stones. The once smooth green slab stone had been stained with dark colors, due to old dried up blood and fresh bloodstains, accumulating there layer upon layer. No one knew how many people had spilled their blood here.


    The capital used to be flourishing, yet now it was no different from the You Capital that had been haunted with countless ghosts. It had turned into a living hell.


    The scene in front of Yun Weisi¡¯s eyes changed as demonic qi advanced unceasingly. Yun Weisi saw the too-familiar Imperial Palace and the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda, the one they had recently visited. After going through a storm, the Luo Capital had finally found peace, yet this peace had not lasted for very long. Not long afterwards, a new disaster had emerged all of a sudden, which destroyed the Luo Capital.


    According to Luomei¡¯s words, all the time they had spent trying to stop him, since fifty years ago till this day, had been in vain. Neither Jiufang Changming, nor anyone else could prevent it from happening.


    Luomei only cared about reaching his own goals, and everything else was as insignificant as thin sticks or bamboo rings in his eyes, including the Wanjian Immortal Clan beneath his feet.


    ¡°Do you want to see your friends?¡± Luomei said, and the scenery changed again, showing Sun Buku.


    He was wielding his cane, warding off the demonic qi that had blotted out the sky. The golden statue behind his back was almost invisible. It looked imposing but was not in a dominant position. His opponent was Princess Linglong, the demon Changming had met in the Luo Capital.


    They had not seen her for quite some time, and Princess Linglong was not all alone this time. She was shrouded with an inexhaustible demonic qi that flowed in a steady stream. Her strength had increased, and she had fully occupied the body she had taken over.


    Sun Buku was not in control of this battle, compared to his fight in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. Even though he was bestowed with the blessing of the Buddha statue, he could easily fall into a disadvantageous position in this place that was brimming with destructive demonic qi. He was barely able to endure this assault.


    Before Yun Weisi could see the end of Sun Buku¡¯s battle, the scenery had changed once again.


    Xu Jingxian was guarding the room where Changming was sleeping. She was holding the Buddhist cane Sun Buku had given her before he had left. She was fighting against He Xiyun, Zhang Jie, and others who were on the verge of going insane, as a result of having their minds contaminated with Demonic qi. At the same time, Xu Jingxian was cursing out loud. She scolded Zhou Keyi for not keeping his promise, Sun Buku for dismissing her concerns and walking away irresponsibly as well as Changming who was lying helplessly inside the room, which forced a fragile beauty like herself to bear this heavy responsibility alone.


    She had not left Jiufang Changming so that she could flee for her life. Maybe, she still thought that the situation could still be reversed, that a sliver of hope remained and she was afraid that Yun Weisi would come back to find her and get revenge. Or, perhaps, she believed in Changming, and hoped that he or Yun Weisi would pop out of nowhere and rescue her at a crucial moment the way they had done before, immediately settling the situation and telling her that everything would be alright. Or, maybe, she kept thinking about that muslin she had not been able to obtain.


    Whatever the reason was, she had not run away and did not even retreat half a step.


    ¡°Maybe you want to see your old friend?¡±


    Luomei snapped his fingers, and the fog covered Xu Jingxian. The scenery changed once again, showing the dark, yellowish color of the Yellow Springs. Deep underneath the Gobi Desert, shackles were slowly swinging, tightly binding a flood dragon.


    Scales had fallen off of the flood dragon, and her body was smeared with blood. She did not move, only trembled slightly, unable to endure the pain, which caused the iron chains to clang. She was still alive.


    Black qi and golden talisman writing, which were faintly visible on the shackles, were the cause of her suffering and rendered her unable to move.


    Originally, she had only been a little carefree dragon, yet she had been targeted by malicious people because she had lent her dragon pearl to Yun Weisi. She had been caught and imprisoned in the Yellow Springs to become one of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation¡¯s pillars.


    ¡°Originally, Jiufang Changming was supposed to serve here in her place. I never expected him to break the barrier around the Yellow Springs and return to the human world. He even tricked you into remembering the past and persuaded you to leave the Nine Layers of the Abyss. If it wasn¡¯t for Jiufang Changming, everything would have been much easier.¡±


    Luomei¡¯s words carried a trace of regret.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming appeared out of nowhere that year. One after another, he had learnt techniques from every sect. At first, I thought that he was a genius rarely seen in five hundred years, so he would make a decisive chess piece in this game. Unfortunately, he was worse than you even back then, and he refused to concentrate on cultivating like a clever person would have, and instead insisted on investigating the reason why demonic qi was leaking into the world. In the end, he only harmed himself and others. What is happening to him today are the consequences that he has brought on himself. Daoyou Yun, you really shouldn¡¯t feel guilty or remorseful. As I see it, Jiufang Changming¡¯s merits are exaggerated, and he¡¯s no match for you. He never deserved to be your shifu.¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression did not change, and he was not enraged, afraid, or puzzled as Luomei had expected.


    The same could be said about Jiufang Changming.


    His soul was calmly resting in the Chunzhao Sword, so the sword had almost no presence in Yun Weisi¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    In fact, they had already guessed everything that Luomei was now telling him before Yun Weisi had left for the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    They had only not figured out that the Wanlian Buddhist Temple was a feint their enemies had used to deceive them. Their opponents had moved way faster than they had imagined.


    While they were fighting against the thousands of ghosts that had appeared in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, the real Liuhe Zhutian Formation had almost been completed. Six Soul Gathering Pearls had been placed on six supporting positions in order to open the gap on the Sacred Mountain Wan. Demons and monsters were already running wild, and the human world had already turned into another realm of demons. They could not do much at this point.


    The outcome had come earlier than expected, yet Jiufang Changming was inexplicably relieved. It was just like that story of how he lost his river lantern at the Mid-autumn Festival. He had been looking for it for a long time along a river. In the end, when he finally found it, the lantern had already gone out and had almost been submerged, completely soaked in the water. However, he felt relieved because his search had come to an end.


    River lantern: people set them floating on water during certain festivals to worship gods etc


    The incense stick had finally burned out.


    Black clouds had enveloped the sky above their heads, and the last ray of light in the human world was swallowed by darkness.


    The seething demonic qi raged forwards. Wherever it flowed, the plants withered, and leaves and flowers dried up one after another. Even if some animals or trees survived the onslaught of the demonic qi by sheer luck, they were demonized, their shape turning bizarre and twisted, and their colors becoming ashen. Little by little, everything would take on the appearance of its counterpart from the Darkest Abyss.


    Changming felt that Yun Weisi was changing as well.


    The demonic qi he had forcibly suppressed in a corner was now getting restless as if it had reunited with its companions after a long separation. It hurried excitedly to respond to the call from outside and struggled with all its might to break free from being suppressed by Yun Weisi. Yun Weisi had started to lose control.


    A red flash zipped past, noticing its host¡¯s weakness. Using the gap, it grew larger, and washed over his consciousness quicker than a flash of lightning!


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you felt it just now, daoyou Yun? The overwhelming demonic qi welcomes you to join its ranks.¡±


    Luomei snapped his fingers, and the Guyue Sword appeared in his hand.


    Yun Weisi had seen the sword before.


    Luomei used to travel around the world, disguised as Jiang Li¡¯s disciple, Chen Ting. At that time, he was carrying around the Guyue Sword.


    Its blade was like water, like the lonely moon in the sky¡ªpiercingly cold, pensive yet eye-catching.


    Lonely moon: literal translation for ¡°gu yue¡±


    But Luomei was not going to kill Yun Weisi with this sword.


    He could not win against Yun Weisi who had turned into a demon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see blood right now? The Demonic heart will make you stronger, fulfill your desire to destroy. Only destruction leads to new birth.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Luomei suddenly cut his own arm.


    He was even ruthless towards his own successor. This cut was a deep wound, and his blood was gushing out, staining his clothes. Half of his arm was smeared with the red color, yet his expression did not even change.


    ¡°Yun Weisi, I will be the first sacrifice on your path to attaining the Dao. I only hope that one day, when you become a demonic deity, you will tell me whether anyone can turn into a deity, and what the realm looks like?¡±


    The smell of blood made the Demonic qi inside Yun Weisi¡¯s body finally burst out, and he could no longer stop it. He stretched out his hand, aiming for Luomei¡¯s heart.


    Luomei did not move. He only closed his eyes slowly, seemingly enjoying the bitterness of the situation, as if it were the sweetest syrup. It seemed that he would actually let himself be killed.


    Changming frowned and soon got startled.


    He suddenly saw through their enemy¡¯s plan¡ª


    At this moment, Luomei was shrouded in demonic qi, but there was no sign of him getting contaminated with it or becoming a demon. His body was like a walking corpse, and the only thing supporting it was a secret technique.


    He was damned for eternity, unable to become neither a deity, nor a demon. Even occupying the body of his disciple, Jiang Li, did not solve his problem. He had to start searching for another human vessel. Of course, Yun Weisi was the best choice. When Yun Weisi¡¯s consciousness lost control over his body, Luomei¡¯s souls would come to grips with him, and in the end, regardless of if they would be forced to coexist, or if Luomei replaced his souls, Luomei would still be granted a chance at rebirth.


    Just like how he had occupied Jiang Li¡¯s body, Yun Weisi was someone Luomei ¡°carefully guarded and trained¡± because Yun Weisi was his prey.


    I won¡¯t let him succeed!


    As soon as this thought appeared, the Chunzhao sword appeared without its master¡¯s will, blocking Yun Weisi¡¯s way to Luomei.


    The sword was shining brightly and let out a sharp cry. Yun Weisi stopped, and his red eyes cleared up a bit.


    Luomei moved his finger, and the Guyue Sword slashed towards the Chunzhao Sword, while he stretched his hand out to Yun Weisi.


    Although the Chunzhao Sword was a spiritual weapon, it did not have a sword soul, unlike the Sifei Sword. Even though it was formidable, it still needed an order from its master to move. Yet this time it moved against Yun Weisi¡¯s will, engaging in a battle with the Guyue Sword. Its spiritual power far surpassed its abilities, and it rang loudly. Purple light erupted from the sword, rising up amidst the black flames. Unexpectedly, the Chunzhao Sword¡¯s radiance was getting even greater, while the Guyue Sword dimmed in comparison. In a moment, it was tricked into obeying the Chunzhao Sword, and turned against its owner, Luomei!


    Yun Weisi suddenly reached out to stop the sword.


    Blood was dripping down the blade. Changming felt as if a large bell had been hit hard near his consciousness, and demonic flames launched themselves at him. His soul had almost fallen out of the Chunzhao Sword, dazzled and stunned, tortured with unbearable pain.


    Yun Weisi, who had been finally possessed, snapped the Chunzhao Sword!


    He dropped the broken sword to the ground, turning towards Luomei once again.


    Luomei was not resisting at all, letting Yun Weisi¡¯s finger pierce his chest, touching his beating heart.


    He only needed Yun Weisi to kill him, and his spiritual soul would enter Yun Weisi¡¯s sea of consciousness with the help of the seal set by Princess Linglong. After that, he would take control of Yun Weisi¡¯s body.


    He folded his fingers into a seal and firmly grabbed Yun Weisi¡¯s arm. His expression changed slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled up¡ªno one knew whether the reason for it was pain or satisfaction.


    ¡°[Three sounds reach one¡¯s heart, and a demonic seal burns one¡¯s body; you receive its divinity, and I receive its body!]¡±


    As he was voicing the incantation, Yun Weisi¡¯s arm that he had grabbed started turning black, and the color quickly spread up, with dark flames engulfing Yun Weisi¡¯s body and rushing towards Yun Weisi¡¯s soul!


    And at this crucial moment, the broken Chunzhao Sword that was lying on the ground, abruptly erupted with brilliant rays of light!


    Driven by the intense pressure of the fleeing soul, the body that was a thousand li away also moved, and the two parts instantly merged together!


    A figure appeared in front of Yun Weisi, taking on Luomei¡¯s black flames itself!


    A giant glowing object burst out, and black and white intertwined together, like life and death battling each other. This violent spiritual power even managed to push away Yun Weisi, and he stumbled back, bumping against a tree.


    The tree fell down with a loud noise, and Yun Weisi¡¯s expression darkened.


    He saw Jiufang Changming¡¯s silhouette!


    Both Yun Weisi¡¯s hands had already been tied with black flames. Luomei had spent many years on the formation, giving it his all. Even if he succeeded in destroying the world, but failed to obtain Yun Weisi¡¯s body and occupy it as a vessel, the efforts he had spent on this trap would be wasted in the end. Luomei¡¯s rage was entirely directed at Jiufang Changming. The white and black rays were so intermingled that it almost looked as if their bodies had become one.


    But Yun Weisi knew that they were going to perish together!


    Jiufang Changming was going to sacrifice himself, dying together with Luomei, destroying both good and evil in one move!


    ¡°Yun Weisi, although it has seemed like I was unable to give you what you wanted from me and I¡¯ve been pursuing the Heavenly Dao my whole life, asking for nothing more, it was still only you¡ªyou were my only attachment to this world. From this day on, my souls will scatter away, and we will never meet again. But, if there¡¯s a next life¡ª¡±


    Half of Jiufang Changming¡¯s body had been melted by the black fire, but the white light had also been engulfing the dark flames. The Demonic qi was striving to strike at the two people, and everything had been absorbed by Changming. Yun Weisi was so angered that his eyes were almost popping out of their sockets, yet he managed to drive his Demonic heart to the depths of the sea of his consciousness, and the tempestuous waves of his spirit consumed it whole.


    He felt that the two zhang distance between him and Jiufang Changming was greater than the span of one¡¯s whole life, even greater than the boundless Milky Way, and completely insurmountable.


    Jiufang Changming slightly turned amidst the brilliant rays, as if smiling at Yun Weisi.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a next life, I¡¯ll be your shifu again.¡±


    ¡°Shizun!!!¡±


    ¡°Jiufang Changming!!!¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s spiritual soul cracked, and his raging spiritual power shot up to the skies, engulfing the demonic flames around his body before dispersing quickly in every direction.


    Far away, just when Princess Linglong was about to deliver her killing blow to Sun Buku, she abruptly cried, looking at the dark clouds swirling in the skies.


    There, at a distance, someone¡¯s spiritual power had suddenly burst out with a great radiance, breaking the imprisonment of the endless night!

 CH 106

    Proofread by Snake


    The beam of light suddenly breached the thick, heavy murkiness, and the dark clouds scattered away.


    Demonic flames were fluttering around haphazardly like moths, flying far away into the endless night.


    The beam of light was gradually spreading, subsuming the black flames. Wherever the light went, the demonized plants were then covered with hoarfrost.


    It seemed that time had stopped flowing for them, and life had lost its meaning.


    Every creature was silent, as if they had been frozen by a bitter winter.


    But this did not align with Princess Linglong¡¯s goals.


    She had wanted to see the end of the world, where demons would take over the human world and humanity would be reduced to slaves and servants, crawling under the feet of demons.


    Not this hollow destruction in front of her eyes.


    Luomei was a sly old fox, and as such, nothing should have gone wrong on his end. Yun Weisi would not have been able to escape by himself even if he grew a pair of wings, so what could have happened?..


    The beam of light was expanding with a visible speed, reclaiming ground that had been lost to the black flames. Black and white were now the only colors in the world, as if death and life were two forces ruling it independently and fighting to decide the final owner of the world.


    Princess Linglong could hardly believe what was happening. She had no time to care about Sun Buku anymore, so she pulled her hand back and, together with it, her demonic flames, before quickly charging towards Mount Xianlai.


    She was not the only one surprised by this turn of events. Luomei had never expected this either.


    Jiufang Changming, who was supposed to be on the verge of dying, had possessed the Chunzhao Sword with his fleeing soul. He had then summoned his body with the soul, fusing both together.


    Black flames fell on Changming, but they evaporated quickly like boiling water. Luomei felt as if his souls were encircled by a raging fire that was burning them up mercilessly. He was in agony, and could not help groaning. Despite that, he stubbornly refused to let go, and tightly grabbed onto Jiufang Changming¡¯s arm. Luomei¡¯s body could not avoid its fate of turning to dust and ashes.


    ¡°The Three Flowers return to their original positions, and five qi go back to the basics; the precious spirit guides qi, the heart breaks through the Nine Realms, and the supreme deity eradicates all evil!¡±


    Three Flowers: refers to a person¡¯s essence (as in vigor), qi and mind. It¡¯s the WJIC¡¯s specialization


    Five qi go back to the basics: a Taoist practice in inner cultivating. It¡¯s a necessary step on the path of becoming an immortal, one of the highest levels one can achieve


    The precious spirit: also a Taoist practice, fostering one¡¯s spiritual essence


    The Nine Realms: Budd. there are altogether 10 realms (states of existance), and these 9 are the realms ¡°of delusion¡±


    The supreme deity: of Taoism


    The mantra was uttered softly, yet it fell on Luomei¡¯s ears like a heavy hammer!


    At first, Luomei was astounded, but he soon became enraged.


    How dare Jiufang Changming!


    How dare he use the Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s techniques to attack me!


    To Jiufang Changming, cultivation techniques could either be helpful or useless in a particular situation, and he did not care which sect had invented them.


    He looked at Luomei indifferently, paying no attention to the black stains covering his arms, which kept getting darker.


    The two of them were standing close to each other, so Luomei clearly saw that Jiufang Changming¡¯s eyes seemed to carry a hint of mockery, as if he was laughing at Luomei¡¯s attempts to draw water with a bamboo basket.


    Draw water with a bamboo basket: vain attempt


    By this point in time, Yun Weisi would have rushed over as well.


    In a split second, his overwhelming attack would slaughter Luomei.


    However, in this very moment, Luomei sneered wickedly.


    ¡°You think that killing me will solve every problem?¡±


    He had prepared for every possible outcome of today¡¯s events during the past several years.


    He had plans for both a rousing success or a complete failure.


    When Chi Bijiang was setting the formation for Luomei, his spiritual soul was tied to the Liuhe Zhutian Formation. If the formation existed, he lived; if it failed, he died.


    Conversely, if Luomei died, the Liuhe Zhutian Formation would collapse as well.


    The Nine Layers of the Abyss, the Sacred Mountain Wan, the Zongfa Mountain Range¡­


    If these distant pillars, high mountains and spiritual meridians of the world collapsed all at once, the human world would be ruined too.


    If an explosion of this scale happened, everything would be razed to the ground and torn to pieces, ceasing to exist.


    The ground shook, and as white and black gradually faded away, a faint red glow appeared.


    Yun Weisi had arrived!


    Jiufang Changming trembled slightly. He seemed to have realized the hidden meaning of Luomei¡¯s words.


    Luomei¡¯s spiritual soul was the core of the Liuhe Zhutian Formation!


    As soon as the soul was destroyed, the world would come to an end.


    But it was already too late!


    Yun Weisi had already split off a part of his spiritual power to attack. Luomei, who had been subdued by Jiufang Changming and had no chance of striking back, was immediately reduced to a fine powder by this immense spiritual power, without a single bone left behind!


    Blinding light burst out, and the crack in the earth under their feet started rapidly widening. Plants and living creatures all fell down there, as they lost their foothold.


    The tall mountains crumbled, the rivers flowed backwards, the clouds were torn apart, and the spiritual meridians were severed.


    It was indeed the end of the world. Whomever one had seen, was forever dead, and whatever one had seen, was ravaged beyond recognition.


    All the mountains that were rich in spiritual energy and the refined rivers that had emerged after the earth had separated from the sky, a long time ago, no longer existed now. Everyone on earth had been plunged into an abyss of misery, and no creature, be it a bird, a beast, a cultivator or a common person, could escape this calamity.


    At the price of sacrificing his own life, Luomei had destroyed the human world.


    For thousands of years, he had been seeking immortality, yet he had failed to obtain it even now. His enraged wail shook the world, and, as Mount Xianlai crumbled, he vanished like smoke, his spiritual soul perishing.


    Yun Weisi embraced Jiufang Changming tightly.


    He only had one thought: whether it was in life or in death, whether his souls were scattered or his body disintegrated, he wanted to be with this person.


    He was not even regretting the fact that he could have never gotten what he desired even if he begged. From the moment he had let his Demonic heart to enter his body and allowed it to gradually turn him into a demon, Yun Weisi had been prepared to die. He did not even harbor the extravagant hope of seeing Jiufang Changming again.


    He saw nothing but the white light. In the utter chaos that arrived with the destruction of the world, his spiritual power had run amok and the barrier protecting him had long since been broken. Stones and wood fragments kept cutting him, but the pain caused by his distorted spiritual power was even greater pain. It was scattering all over erratically and dashing around madly. Yun Weisi felt as if a knife was slicing him into pieces, and in the end, only his spiritual soul was left, still holding onto Jiufang Changming. Yun Weisi could not even open his eyes, and did not know whether he was still alive or otherwise.


    Perhaps, time had stopped, or, perhaps, it was still flowing. Perhaps, the world had already been obliterated, and everything had returned to the nothingness of primordial times.


    The Heavenly Dao had its own laws, regardless of the war between humans and demons. For humans, the primordial chaos was the end of the world, but for the Heavenly Dao, it only meant a new beginning.


    Even a real immortal could not withstand the might of the Heavenly Dao.


    Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi were mere mortals.


    Yun Weisi thought that the world had never been this peaceful ever since it had emerged. Maybe, the Heavenly Dao was delighted to observe the destruction of the world.


    Looks like my road has finally come to an end. He was very tired, and only watched as his spiritual soul followed the winds and waves blindly, before finally dispersing.


    He had been wandering through pitch-black rivers in the endless night of eternal sufferings, unsure of whether he was going in circles or moving forward. The rapid torrent and sharp underwater stones made him stumble, but he never gave up.


    He wanted to reach the distant light in front of him.


    Even if the light was faint, almost non-existent, and infinitely distant, Yun Weisi felt that the warm light was actually close to him.


    He still proceeded without hesitation, never turning his head back.


    ¡­


    Yun Weisi opened his eyes.


    The light he saw was so bright that it almost blinded him.


    He could not help frowning, and could not bear the resulting tingling sensation, so he closed his eyes tightly, and then slowly opened them again.


    At first, he felt pain, and afterwards, desperation.


    He had not died?


    This power that had destroyed the world had been simply overwhelming, yet he had somehow survived, and nothing had happened to the world?


    Yun Weisi suddenly looked down. Seeing the top of the head of the man in his arms, he could not pull himself together for a long time.


    ¡°Shizun¡­¡±


    He tried to speak. His voice was hoarse, and he could not hide the way it trembled.


    He was afraid to lose hope again.


    If this was a dream, he did not want to wake up.


    Tn:


    This chapter is the last one of Book 4. Book 5 is called [By Saving the Course of Events, Bring back the Warm Spring]~

 CH 107

    Proofred by Snake


    Changming¡¯s body was warm, and, even though his breath was weak, his chest was still heaving.


    After trying to pour some spiritual power into his meridians, Yun Weisi frowned.


    He noticed that his own spiritual power seemed to be very lacking compared to the past.


    Holding Changming in his arms, Yun Weisi leaned backwards slightly and snapped his fingers in the direction of a rock. The rock was covered with thick moss, while trees and grass were flourishing abundantly around them¡ªnothing here was reminiscent of the desolate ruins of their perishing world. His spiritual power hit the stone. It cracked immediately, yet it did not burst into small pieces as Yun Weisi had intended.


    His cultivation level had been lowered to the point that he had turned into a high-ranking cultivator.


    Yun Weisi placed the blame on his wounds. Sheer luck had helped him survive through the calamity, and now, the most important task at hand was to wake up his shizun.


    He transferred spiritual power to Changming till dusk, when it finally had an effect.


    Changming¡¯s eyelids trembled, and he slowly regained consciousness.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s hands had almost gone numb, but he still did not want to loosen his grip.


    Yun Weisi gave Changming some water to drink, using a leaf as a cup. Changming swallowed most of it before fully regaining consciousness, but some water had spilled, and wet his collar.


    His hazy eyes gradually focused, and he looked up at Yun Weisi¡¯s face. The expression in Changming¡¯s eyes was completely befuddled.


    His first words almost made Yun Weisi drop the leaf on Changming¡¯s face.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Yun Weisi managed to keep his grip on it, and put the leaf aside.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡±


    Jiufang Changming shook his head.


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Then do you remember who you are?¡±


    Jiufang Changming thought for a while and shook his head again.


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Think harder. What do you remember?¡±


    Changming actually pondered about it carefully, frowning more and more, until Yun Weisi finally ran out of patience.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve really forgotten everything, we¡¯ll talk about it later.¡±


    ¡°I only remember that I¡¯m probably a cultivator, and I fainted because of a wound,¡± Jiufang Changming shook his head. ¡°But I can¡¯t think of anything else. Daoxiong, was it you who saved me? May I know your honorable name?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡­


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°Daoxiong?¡±


    The light eventually returned to Jiufang Changming¡¯s eyes. The sky and Yun Weisi were reflected in his eyes, filling his line of sight completely.


    Yun Weisi had not known that his shizun could still show such an¡­ innocent and unguarded expression.


    ¡°My name is Yun Weisi.¡±


    Changming wanted to get up, so Yun Weisi let him go and watched Jiufang Changming stretch his limbs, and examine his body.


    ¡°You¡¯re Jiufang Changming.¡±


    ¡°Jiufang¡­ Changming?¡±


    ¡°Nine sides of the world, eternally bright Dao heart.¡±


    Nine sides: Jiufang (eight directions + center, all the world)


    Eternally bright: Changming


    ¡°As soon as I saw Daoxiong, I felt a sense of familiarity. What is our relationship?¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t remember?¡±


    ¡°My spiritual consciousness has weakened, and my thoughts are in turmoil. Although I still remember the basic cultivation technique of circling qi, I feel as if something¡¯s suppressing it, and I can¡¯t use my cultivation at full strength.¡±


    Right before passing away, most cultivators would adopt their youthful appearance. Jiufang Changming was not an exception.


    He had already lost most of his memories, while his eyes no longer reflected all the experience he had accumulated over the years. He looked like a young cultivator who had just left his home for the first time.


    Yun Weisi would have never thought he would be able to see the young version of his shizun in this life.


    Many thoughts flashed through his mind, and, as if he had been bewitched or possessed, he finally spoke:


    ¡°I¡¯m your shixiong.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Jiufang Changming only doubted this for a moment, and then blinked, squinted, and answered:


    ¡°Shixiong, thank you very much for saving me.¡±


    Daozun Yun had encountered every kind of disturbing situation. He only hummed, appearing as calm as still water, as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Shixiong, where are we? My mind is confused, and I don¡¯t even remember what we were trying to do.¡±


    ¡°Before you fainted, we encountered a powerful enemy. The heavens split and the earth fell apart, and we were both heavily wounded. I don¡¯t know where we are either. We should investigate our surroundings after you recover.¡±


    They heard a sound of whining.


    The two of them followed the noise, and saw a small black creature roll out from behind a stone near a creek. It was slowly moving towards them, staggering at each step.


    The small black dog was dirty and covered with wounds all over. Only its eyes were exceptionally bright, and as soon as it saw Changming, it quickly rushed towards him.


    The moment the black ball leapt up, a hand caught it by its scruff.


    ¡°Oouw!¡±


    The dog was kicking the air with its paws, and opened its mouth to bite Yun Weisi. But it was too small, and its neck was too short, so it was not able to turn its head and reach Yun Weisi¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Looks like it knows us?¡± Jiufang Changming asked.


    He stretched his hand out to the dog.


    Yun Weisi did not find anything suspicious about it, so he let it go. The dog climbed up into Changming¡¯s arms immediately. It hid inside his sleeves, only showed its head, wailing, and glared at Yun Weisi with utter hatred.


    Yun Weisi also felt that he was familiar with the dog. Not with its appearance, but with its aura.


    He thought of a possibility.


    ¡°Zhou¡­ Keyi?¡± Yun Weisi guessed.


    The dog¡¯s fur bristled, and its eyes looked like they were shooting flames. It hated that it could not turn into a raging fire and burn Yun Weisi to death.


    Thus, Yun Weisi¡¯s guess was confirmed.


    Before this, Changming had captured Zhou Keyi¡¯s souls. After he left the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, he had to go through many challenges, so he had no time to settle the problem with Zhou Keyi. Therefore, the souls had come here as well, and happened to possess this black dog.


    ¡°Shixiong, is this dog our friend? I think I like it, and it seems to recognize me.¡±


    The dog wailed: What ¡°shixiong¡±? He¡¯s lying to you, he¡¯s lying to you!


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression did not change: ¡°Indeed it does. His name is Zhou Keyi. He used to be your disciple, but he didn¡¯t like the way you taught him, so he rebelled against you. He¡¯s done much evil, and our troubles started only because we tried to save him. Although we managed to preserve his souls, he doesn¡¯t have his body anymore.¡±


    Changming frowned: ¡°What kind of evil?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°He cultivated a demonic path, used people as furnaces, and drained away their cultivation.¡±


    Changming looked at the wailing black dog, fell silent for a while, and then finally said: ¡°So he¡¯s paying off his bad karma.¡±


    The dog was very small. As it got agitated, it fell out of Changming¡¯s sleeves and onto the ground. It rolled towards the river, but was fortunately stopped midway by a stone.


    It seemed to be exhausted. After crawling around for a while, it was half-wet and it looked pitiful.


    It saw that the two of them had gotten up to leave, and the dog¡¯s ears stood up. It rushed over to catch up to them¡ª


    Only to hear Yun Weisi say to Changming: ¡°This place is fishy, be very careful.¡±


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°Alright, shixiong.¡±


    The dog did not want to be left alone in its misery, so it howled again.


    Its body was suddenly raised into the air. Changming reached out, picked the dog up, held it in his arms, and draped it with some of his clothes. The dog got warmer immediately.


    Yun Weisi threw the dog a cold glance. The situation was not in the dog¡¯s favor, so it refrained from wailing, and rested in shifu¡¯s arms sincerely¡ª


    Even though his shifu had been deceived by a villain, the dog accepted it for the time being.


    Water was flowing down a mountain here. The cascading water had then turned into a rapid current. After a long time, it had rounded the sharp stones in the area. Time had left its marks here.


    Orioles were singing in the forest. Everything was filled with emerald green and gentle red colors, brimming with the atmosphere of early spring. Although it did not deserve to be called an earthly paradise, it was still a scenic place with mountains with abundant spiritual energy and excellent waters.


    The further they went, the more doubtful Yun Weisi felt.


    Before he had perished together with Luomei, the human world had been overtaken by demonic flames. Even if deities actually existed, and had extended a hand to close the gap in power, the demonic flames would not have simply vanished. The world had had no chance to restore its past appearance.


    What, then, could explain this land of idyllic beauty in front of their eyes?


    They reached a valley nearby and saw a road. After following the road for ten or so li, several carriages caught up to them.


    The carriages were sturdy and heavy. The caravan owner¡¯s attire looked modest, but it was made of fine fabric. More than ten guards were following him, and at a glance,, it was obvious that the man had a noble background.


    Although he seemed like an eye-catching target, mountain bandits and robbers did not dare disturb him along his way.


    On any other occasion, Yun Weisi would not even spare a caravan like this another glance. Yet, he was now surprised to see so many common people here, and decided to obstruct their way to investigate what was going on.


    ¡°If you two are cultivators, shouldn¡¯t you be flying on your swords?¡±


    Upon hearing their status, the owner of the caravan did not believe them at first.


    Yun Weisi wanted to summon the Chunzhao Sword, but remembered that it had broken into half. His eyes fell on a guardian who was standing next to the caravan owner. Yun Weisi waved his sleeves, and the guardian felt that his arms had become lighter, as his sword left its sheath and flew right into Yun Weisi¡¯s hands.


    Yun Weisi grabbed the hilt, and threw the sword back to its owner.


    ¡°For certain reasons, my shidi and I have wandered off to this place. We don¡¯t know where we are now. Please, could you tell us where?¡±


    At this point, the caravan owner breathed out with relief. A common person might have coveted his caravan, but cultivators sniffed at mundane things of the secular world.


    ¡°This He has eyes, yet he failed to recognise Mount Tai! Please, pardon this offense! We were originally heading to Shangzhou. Hongluo Town is close up front, we were going to stop there for tonight and continue traveling tomorrow morning.¡±


    The more Yun Weisi listened, the more surprised he was: ¡°Which country is it? Who is the emperor now, what¡¯s the title of his reign?¡±


    His questions were a bit strange, but some cultivators spent decades in seclusion, shutting themselves away from the world. The caravan owner had seen a lot, so he was not all that astonished.


    ¡°In answer to Sir: this place is part of Hongjing, and the Hong dynasty has been ruling over the united world for more than ten years. The reign title is Qianhua, and the ruling emperor has been in power for three years.¡±


    Qianhua: in real history, it was one of the reign titles of the Later Liang, 911¨C915 (not our case though)


    The Hong dynasty¡­


    Qianhua¡­


    Emperor Qianhua had been reigning for twenty one years. Yun Weisi¡¯s family was massacred because of internal strife in the court thirty years after the emperor¡¯s death. Only Yun Weisi survived and ran away to enter the Yuhuang Temple.


    In other words, he would only be born in fifty years.


    Counting in everything that had happened ever since¡ª


    They had gone in time one hundred years!


    Perhaps, his expression was too astounded. Changming eventually came over and tugged at his sleeve.


    ¡°Shixiong?¡±


    Yun Weisi, who was addressed as shixiong by his shizun, came back to his senses immediately.


    ¡°Can Brother He travel with us? We haven¡¯t been in the secular world for too long, so it would be great to visit Hongluo and see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    The caravan owner¡¯s expression was delighted. Having cultivators as travel companions was indeed good luck. After all, no matter how peaceful the world was today, roaming all over the country was still dangerous.


    ¡°That¡¯s my honor! Don¡¯t call me Brother He, gentlemen, this He is in reverence of you, just call me Old He! Can I hear your names, gentlemen? Aiya, come here, please come into my carriage, we¡¯ll talk more!¡±


    Old He invited them into the carriage, and offered them tea with light refreshments. After that, he asked the girl from another carriage to come and pay her respects.


    ¡°This is my daughter, she¡¯s twelve years old. She¡¯s been reading legends about mythical swordsmen and heros all day long. I¡¯ve spoiled her hopelessly, so she rushed to come here to broaden her horizons as soon as she heard about you.¡±


    The girl seemed to be very interested and a bit bashful. After giving some formal greetings, she hid behind her father, and silently stretched her neck out to look at the distinguished guests.


    ¡°I¡¯m Yun Weisi. This is my shidi, Jiufang Changming.¡±


    Old He quickly cupped his hands with respect: ¡°Sir Yun, Sir Jiufang!¡±


    The small black dog hung its head out of Changming¡¯s sleeve, and the girl could not help but slightly exclaim in surprise.


    She noticed that the dog seemed to be staring at her, so she almost laughed and had to cover her mouth to hide it. Her interest in the two immortals was completely overshadowed by her interest in the dog.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, Old He, the Shangzhou you¡¯ve mentioned is to the west. Is a sect called the Wanjian Immortal Clan also there?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. But it¡¯s not very close to Shangzhou. If you have free time, travel with me. I¡¯ll be passing through Tian¡¯gang Town, which is close to the Wanjian Immortal Clan. The sect is illustrious and prestigious, and rumors of it have even rumbled the ears of a common person like myself. Could it be that you are also disciples of the Wanjian Immortal Clan?¡±


    Tn:


    Hi! I had exams, so it took longer than expected, sorry ;;

 CH 108

    ¡°The Wanjian Immortal Clan is influential and its disciples numerous, while we¡¯re nothing but rogue cultivators. How could we dare claim to be connected to them? It¡¯s just that we¡¯ve heard a lot about them, so when we set out to travel this time, we decided to pay our respects if we happen to pass by.¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression remained unperturbed as he was speaking casually.


    Having heard his words, the dog snorted with disdain, reminded of the times when the Jianxue Clan was shining the brightest. Back then, the Wanjian Immortal Clan was nothing special, and its influence, even coupled with that of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, would not have matched even half of the Jianxue Clan¡¯s fame. When a regular cultivator heard mention of the Jianxue Clan, they would grow pale as they thought of the sect¡¯s notoriety, and would try to run away as far as possible. The reputation of the Wanjian Immortal Clan or the Celestial Abode Shenxiao had never had an effect like this.


    This thought made the dog¡¯s blood boil with indignation, and it got up to wail loudly. However, Changming happened to stretch out his hand to the dog¡¯s head at this moment, so its line of sight was blocked.


    The roar it had intended to make changed into a whining sound. The dog trembled, remembered its current status, and its lofty sentiments were shattered into pieces. It sobbed, lied down weakly, and no matter how intensely the girl looked at the dog, it did not move at all.


    Old He had travelled up and down the country a lot and as a result, he was a highly knowledgeable person. He was also a businessman who knew the ways of the world. When he heard Yun Weisi¡¯s words, he laughed: ¡°The world is vast, and capable and talented people are everywhere. Geniuses do not necessarily hide within the most prominent clans. I¡¯ve seen your abilities just now, and as I see it, you two are handsome like dragons, and noble like phoenixes, so you¡¯re bound to achieve much in the future. We were fated to meet here today, and I¡¯m honored by your respectful treatment and the fact that you condescended to travel with this He. This He has received the blessing of three lifetimes. If I hadn¡¯t met you today, I¡¯d probably have had to stop here to see whether there were any prominent people traveling this way, and whether they would agree to be my companions, for only then would I have dared to stop at Hongluo Town for tonight.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Judging by the tone of your words, is Hongluo Town in a state of unrest?¡±


    Old He sighed: ¡°The lands between Hongluo and Shangzhou are not peaceful nowadays. Although the general at the border is gathering an army and disregarding the central government, the court simply allows the matter to fester. After some time has passed in this manner, the lands have become turbulent. Hoodlums, bandits, local despots, and even some officers openly demand money. If you don¡¯t choose one of the long roundabout ways, you have to pass through a valley, which is quite dangerous. I¡¯d rather choose to go the long way around than enter Hongluo Town and pass through Shangzhou.¡±


    This explained why a single trader needed so many guards to accompany him.


    They had suddenly traveled one hundred years into the past, and Jiufang Changming had lost his memories. Yun Weisi could not just go to the Wanjian Immortal Clan hastily.


    He needed more time to investigate the situation and at least find a way to restore their cultivation levels. Otherwise, given their state now, they would have no chance to defeat Luomei.


    Moreover, they did not know whether Luomei had already gotten entangled with demons at the moment, or whether he had already started planning to destroy the world.


    Yun Weisi slightly frowned.


    He suddenly thought that the fresh start they received by crossing time had only complicated everything.


    ¡°And we¡¯re still going to Hongluo Town?¡±


    The young man, who was sitting next to him, asked.


    Although Changming had lost his memories, he seemed to trust Yun Weisi subconsciously. As the carriage shook, his shoulder bumped against Yun Weisi¡¯s, but he did not seem to draw back from Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s heart softened a bit.


    Since Changming had forgotten everything, he was completely honest.


    Yun Weisi even thought about dropping the idea of seeking answers or looking for an opportunity to go back. It currently did not matter whether Luomei was going to destroy the world or not, since this would take place one hundred years in the future. Since one could not change the history, at the very least, they could live as they pleased for one hundred years.


    But this thought went away as soon as it appeared. It was not Yun Weisi¡¯s way of handling things.


    And if his shizun, Jiufang Changming, managed to restore his memories, he would never support the idea of running away from one¡¯s problems.


    It was just that after experiencing the end of the world, Yun Weisi treasured this moment.


    Even¡ª


    ¡°Ouw¡­¡±


    The dog seemed to have mended its broken heart. It came out of Changming¡¯s sleeve and started to explore the carriage and inspect it, yet the dog intentionally avoided going anywhere near the girl. She pursed her lips and wanted to catch the dog, but it turned out to be unusually agile, so she could not catch it no matter how she tried. The carriage was spacious, and the road was not rough, so the girl could chase the dog around.


    Obviously, Old He loved his daughter a lot. He only watched with a smile but did not stop her.


    Yun Weisi glimpsed at the dog unenthusiastically and finished his thought.


    Even Zhou Keyi doesn¡¯t seem that much of an eyesore.


    ¡°To Hongluo Town.¡±


    He answered Changming, and agreed to Old He¡¯s request at the same time.


    Old He breathed a sigh of relief loudly. Naturally, he had hoped for them to become his travel companions.


    ¡°Landlord He, apart from bandits colluding with officials in Hongluo Town, what else happened there?¡± Changming asked.


    He had not talked much after regaining his consciousness. After boarding the carriage, he had been mostly listening and had said very little, yet this time he took the initiative to ask a question.


    ¡°I¡¯ve indeed heard a lot on my way here. Some say that the town is haunted, and some say that demons have occupied it. Others say that bandits are spreading rumors on purpose. It¡¯s hard to tell lies apart from the truth. That is to say, I¡¯m very honored that the two gentlemen¡­¡±


    Before Old He could finish speaking, the horses suddenly neighed, and the carriage abruptly stopped. The girl and the dog did not manage to react in time, so they fell over and rolled to the side!


    The side doors burst open due to the bumping, and the girl as well as the dog were on the verge of falling out of the carriage. A child¡¯s neck was delicate, so if she fell out, she could lose her life.


    Old He¡¯s face turned pale with fright. His body could not keep up with his thoughts, so he only stretched out his hand to rescue her some time after he thought he should do it.


    It¡¯s over, my daughter!


    Two arms reached out. One caught the girl by the collar of her gown, and the other grabbed the dog. Then, the two of them were pulled back into the carriage.


    The girl still had not processed what had happened, and her expression was lifeless, as if she did not understand anything.


    Even the dog froze, as if terrified at the thought of losing face in front of an old enemy.


    Old He felt extremely sorry for his daughter and was trying to comfort her. At this moment, a reprimanding voice sounded from outside.


    ¡°Your carriages have stopped halfway, how are other people supposed to go round?!¡±


    The young man¡¯s voice was clear, yet it sounded unpleasant.


    The main guard stepped forward to argue with the man.


    When traveling to faraway lands, harmony was very much valued. Although Old He was obviously unhappy, he still jumped down the carriage to settle the matter peacefully and avoid drawing needless attention upon entering Hongluo Town.


    He went around the carriage to meet the newcomers and saw that they were also a caravan of around ten people who were traveling together. They looked like an influential family that had set out to travel. The young man who started arguing carried a sword on his back. He had not even dismounted, and looked at them from above with an aura of arrogance surrounding him.


    ¡°Master, these people have caught up to us and wanted to get ahead. But their horse trampled on something and lost control out of fright, yet we were the ones to suffer as our carriage was almost overturned,¡± their guard explained what had happened succinctly.


    Old He¡¯s carriage was in the middle of the procession with several guards in front of it. When the horse had been startled and abruptly slowed down, it was still very close to them, so they turned into fish that suffer when the city gates are on fire. However, judging by the attitude of the young man, Old He could tell that he would not be happy to hear the guard¡¯s words.


    As expected, the young man who had sharp ears put on a long face upon hearing these words.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®you suffered, and your carriage was almost overturned¡¯? Is it that the road was paved for you only, and others can¡¯t travel here? You¡¯ve blocked a road that belongs to other people, and paid no attention, how can you accuse other people?! Marvelous¡ªyou still have courage to pin the blame on the victims! You¡¯re distorting the truth deliberately, which is a common pattern of behavior for someone who is guilty of a crime!¡±


    As he was saying this, the guards who had been watching over his carriages came forward. They all adopted ferocious poses, like tigers eyeing their prey covetously.


    Old He quickly smiled: ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s only a misunderstanding, we didn¡¯t mean it like this. Since nothing happened to either of us, we should let the matter pass. Please, go ahead, and we¡¯ll follow behind¡­¡±


    ¡°Let it pass? Who told you I¡¯m letting it pass?¡± The young man interrupted him, ¡°Who do you think you are, how dare you act as if you¡¯re in charge?¡±


    Old He suppressed his anger: ¡°Then how do you think we should handle this, Young Master?¡±


    The young man: ¡°My mother and little sister are sitting in our second carriage. They were frightened by what happened. Come here, make a formal apology, wait till we get at least ten li ahead of you, and then you can set out as well.¡±


    It would have been fine if he had only asked Old He to apologize, but the ten-li demand was too much. This way they would probably not reach Hongluo Town before nightfall.


    Even if they managed to enter the town, there were too many of them, so they would not find enough rooms in any guest house.


    Old He turned this proposal down without hesitation: ¡°Young Master, I have women and children in my carriages as well. When one of your horses halted just now, my favorite daughter was almost injured. I have no intention to argue and I¡¯m willing to apologize if that will keep the peace, but I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t comply with your wish of waiting until you get ten li ahead. The world can¡¯t be described as quiet and peaceful these days, so we have to board our carriages soon and set out.¡±


    He did not even spare a glance on the young man and turned around to enter his carriage.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°Master!¡±


    A cold wind swept past, and a shriek rang out!


    Old He felt that the back of his head had cooled down. Just as he was about to turn back, a black shadow flew past his eyes.


    In a moment, following the scream, the young man fell down from his horse, but was caught by a middle-aged man. The latter helped him stand firmly and stretched his arm out to Old He.


    Old He staggered back on instinct and was frightened only then.


    The young man pulled out his sword in a fit of anger to stab Old He. No one had time to help him, and only Yun Weisi managed to stop this sword, turning it back against the young man.


    The sword brushed past his cheek, left a long bloody mark on it, and got stuck in a carriage behind him.


    The middle-aged man who had come to help him pushed the young man aside and reached out towards Old He¡¯s group.


    However, his target was not Old He, but Yun Weisi who was standing behind the old man.


    Yun Weisi did not wait for the man to come closer and attacked him as well.


    The middle-aged man was very self-confident. He had been an honored guest of the Zhang family for many years, and thus had seen many high-ranking officials and noble lords as well as masters of cultivation. He had not abandoned cultivation either. However, the man before his eyes, even though he only seemed to be of a high level, and had no weapon in his hands, still emitted an indescribable, oppressive aura.


    His strength was monumental like a mountain, yet at the same time as fragile as jade. And still, it was violent like a blizzard, like a tornado swirling up to the skies. It pressed down on him, and unnerved everyone around.


    The middle-aged man turned his palms, and a short staff appeared in his hands, erupting in violet rays of light like a flint. In a flash, a barrier of spiritual power appeared around him, blocking his enemy, while he jumped up and extended the short staff in Yun Weisi¡¯s direction!


    The staff moved forward in the attack, and the violet rays of light burst out. Yun Weisi grabbed Old He and pulled him aside to protect the latter. Wherever the violet light fell, the earth cracked. Two horses were frightened by this and were eager to gallop away while neighing. The other horses were also agitated by these two, and the situation had almost gone out of control. A man ran out of their carriage and mounted the horse that was pulling the carriage. He tightly grabbed the reins and pressed down the horse¡¯s head.


    The horse quickly calmed down. That middle-aged man took a couple of steps back. He stood firmly and did not seem to be at a disadvantage.


    His face did not betray his feelings, but his heart was surging like turbulent waves. He was shocked.


    The man who had just appeared had long half-white hair, so at first glance it looked like he was an older man. However, his face was young and refined, and his eyes were shining brightly. There was no way to guess his age.


    ¡°Shishu!¡± A young man¡¯s voice interrupted the middle-aged man¡¯s line of thought.


    Shishu: aka martial uncle


    ¡°May I know your honorable name, daoyou? Which sect happened to create such a talent? This one¡¯s name is He Bo. My shizhi was acting on impulse and offended you, daoyou. I hope you can forgive him.¡±


    Shizhi: aka martial nephew


    The middle-aged man spoke again, his tone radically different from how it had been previously.


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Yun Weisi, just a rogue cultivator.¡±


    One advantage of going back one hundred years ago was that their names, Yun Weisi and Jiufang Changming, would not be surprising to anyone.


    They could continue carrying out their plan without drawing any attention.


    He Bo put his hands down. He refused to admit defeat in front of his shizhi, but his attitude had clearly changed, so his shizhi, Sun Wuxia, clearly understood how difficult it was to handle this situation.


    He Bo did not seem astonished by the fact that Yun Weisi was a rogue cultivator and laughed: ¡°So you are a cultivator! It seems that waters have flooded the Temple of Dragon King. We, cultivators, are like a family. Everything was only a misunderstanding, and it¡¯s great that we¡¯ve made things clear. Daoyou Yun, you can go first, and we¡¯ll follow behind!¡±


    Waters have flooded the Temple of Dragon King: to fail to recognize an ally


    Old He had extensive experience. When he heard this change in tone, he understood that even though this He Bo was formidable, his skills could not compare to Old He¡¯s companion¡¯s, especially young master Yun¡¯s. He threw a glance at Yun Weisi and saw that the latter did not disagree, so Old He turned towards He Bo and nodded lightly. Old He was not particularly interested in exchanging pleasantries, so he turned around and entered his carriage together with Yun Weisi and Changming, ordering his guards to move forward along the now-open way.


    Their caravan passed by He Bo¡¯s group.


    Sun Wuxia was unwilling to submit, but his shishu did not let him do anything, so he could only watch the carriage disappear into the distance.


    He touched his temple and saw that his fingers were painted red. He became even more angered.


    ¡°They hurt my face! Shishu, think about your status! How could you let them go like this!¡±


    He Bo¡¯s shizhi came from a family of great wealth and was admitted to the inner sect because of his talent. He had been pampered and grew up to become arrogant, and as a result, did not know how high the sky was and how thick the earth was.


    He Bo sighed in his heart, but said out loud: ¡°Your small scratch can be healed with a swab of our sect¡¯s Ointment of Ice Spirit. These two men have high cultivation levels, and the one who fought me was concealing his true abilities¡ªhe may be even stronger than me. I didn¡¯t expect such talented people to personally serve some small caravan.¡±


    Sun Wuxia was puzzled: ¡°As I saw it, he¡¯s at best at a high level. Shishu, you¡¯ve already joined the ranks of masters, and you¡¯ll become even more proficient soon, and reach the highest realm of cultivation. How come you¡¯re afraid of them?¡±


    He Bo pondered: ¡°When we fought just now, I couldn¡¯t see through his cultivation level. It feels as if he¡¯s hiding his true strength. Yun Weisi¡­ Have you ever heard this name?¡±


    Sun Wuxia shook his head: ¡°Hasn¡¯t he told us he¡¯s just a rogue cultivator?¡±


    He Bo thought to himself, While traveling through the Jianghu, you¡¯ll face a lot of lies. You¡¯ll die sooner than you¡¯ll know which part of his words were the truth.


    However, his shizhi was ambitious and proud, and He Bo did not enjoy preaching. A graceful hand appeared out of the window of the second carriage.


    ¡°Daoyou, are they also going to Hongluo Town?¡±


    Together with the voice, a pretty face appeared from the carriage.


    Obviously, Sun Wuxia had a good opinion of the young woman. When he turned to her, his expression was way less irritated.


    He Bo seemed a lot more polite too.


    ¡°There¡¯s only Hongluo up ahead. They must be in a hurry to find a guest house to stay for tonight.¡±


    The young woman nodded her head and disappeared inside the carriage once again.


    Sun Wuxia hurriedly called her: ¡°Daoyou Chi!¡±


    Yet the young woman refused to show her face again and only asked, pulling away the curtain: ¡°What else, daoyou Sun?¡±


    Sun Wuxia mumbled: ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Their carriages set out as well. The two of them were riding horses at the head of the procession. He Bo reminded his shizhi in a whisper: ¡°Don¡¯t provoke her.¡±


    Sun Wuxia disagreed: ¡°She¡¯s a gentle and graceful young woman, and any man would be honored to be with her. My father is a cousin of the carriage owner, Princess Changning, and the princess favors the lady. Since my status matches her, and we¡¯re soulmates, aren¡¯t we fated?¡±


    He Bo saw that he would not be able to dissuade Sun Wuxia, so he stopped worrying about him.


    These were all minor trifles. He was still pondering the skills of the two men from before.


    How could a rogue cultivator have such an unbridled cultivation base and energy?


    Let alone this man with half-grey hair, why had he never heard of that Yun Weisi?


    Unless that was a fake name.


    But if Yun Weisi¡¯s strength was superior to his, why would he bother to lie?


    The Jianghu was vast, and there were as many opponents as there were trees in the forests¡ªbut when did this Yun Weisi appear?


    If he was also heading to the Qianlin Assembly, He Bo¡¯s shizhi, Sun Wuxia, would have a hard time this year.

 CH 109

    Proofread by P. & Snake


    After dusk, Hongluo Town became even livelier, no different from a county town near the imperial capital.


    But Sun Wuxia¡¯s expression was not a celebratory one.


    Since they had lost time on their way here, they were lagging behind. Even though they had reached the town before the sky had darkened, most of the guest houses were already full. Sun Wuxia¡¯s group had already asked three times, but every guest house refused them.


    Normally, even though there were many people traveling through Hongluo, it was not that bad. However, in a few days, the local residents of Shangzhou would be holding a grand miaohui. Many traveling merchants who happened to be nearby and heard the news decided to seize the chance and come over to make some money. Moreover, the new year was around the corner, so Hongluo was unusually bustling with crowds of people who had come there to visit their relatives.


    Miaohui: a temple fair held to worship gods


    Originally, Sun Wuxia thought that their group, which did not lack money, would have no troubles. Unexpectedly though, wherever they asked, even people with money could not get a room, as many arrogant merchants were flaunting their wealth. Just when he was about to reveal his background to force a guest house owner to free up some rooms for them, he saw someone very familiar walk down the stairs into the inn.


    He took a closer look and realized that it was the man who had tamed the worried horses earlier this day.


    Although Sun Wuxia did not know the man¡¯s name, he instantly recognised the man¡¯s half-white hair. While he was simply walking down the stairs, Sun Wuxia had nonetheless noticed him at once.


    Sun Wuxia took a step forward, blocking the man¡¯s way.


    ¡°Daoxiong, do you perhaps know whether there are any free rooms left? There are women among my companions, so we can¡¯t stay outside in the harsh wind so late at night. There are many people with you, daoxiong, if you could give us a couple of rooms, we¡¯d definitely reward you.¡±


    He was not happy, but managed to restrain himself and say these words in a friendly tone.


    After all, everyone was looking at him, so it would have been unsightly to cause a scene.


    He heard the man say: ¡°What kind of reward?¡±


    Sun Wuxia just said whatever came to his mind: ¡°Treasures or spiritual herbs. What do you want?¡±


    Changming tilted his head a bit and pondered: ¡°Maybe you have a sword? My shixiong needs one.¡±


    Sun Wuxia raised his eyebrows and thought, If I told you that you¡¯re fat, would you actually fall for it? Isn¡¯t exchanging the sword for two rooms sheer robbery?


    If I told you¡¯re fat, you¡¯d actually fall for it: take words too seriously


    ¡°What kind of sword do you need?¡± he could not help raising his voice.


    Changming looked at the sword behind Sun Wuxia¡¯s back immediately, but shook his head, as if saying, That sword of yours can¡¯t be accepted even reluctantly.


    When Sun Wuxia saw this in Changming¡¯s eyes, his anger flared, and he could not help but reach out his hand to hit Changming on his shoulder!


    He was wearing the sword on his back not because he had no way to hide it, but because it was the most valuable treasure of his sect. His sect wanted him to cut a dashing figure at this year¡¯s Qianlin Assembly, so his shifu had granted him the honor of wielding this sword. Sun Wuxia was so fond of it that he could not stop looking at it, and could not bear to hide it away. Day after day, he was showing off the sword on his back, which could actually ward off ill-intentioned thieves. Moreover, his shishu was accompanying him this time, and the rich people in their caravan were not pushovers either. They had encountered no dangers along the way.


    Yet now, a mere rogue cultivator dared to act so arrogantly and disparage the sword.


    He was just a man with neither treasures nor weapons! How was he qualified to look down on Sun Wuxia¡¯s sword?!


    Sun Wuxia did not intend to create ruckus, yet really wanted to teach the man a lesson, so he attacked.


    To his surprise, it felt as if he was hitting a wall of cotton. He was not in pain, yet his body was forced to fly back. Sun Wuxia did not manage to stop, and his face betrayed his fear. Only a pillar he ran into stopped him mid-flight.


    Changming looked at him with a faint smile that seemed to carry a profound meaning.


    To his astonishment, Sun Wuxia realized that the man who seemed to be a mere high-level cultivator, and wounded one at that, actually possessed immeasurable abilities. It was unknown whether it was the first time he had left his home, or whether he had already transcended the realm of grandmasters. Sun Wuxia wanted to retaliate, but he could not strike back quickly because the man¡¯s spiritual power was completely integrated and unhampered, and not even a hint of a flaw could be found.


    Faint golden light covered his body and disappeared in a flash. This light resembled both a Buddhist and a Daoist skill, so Sun Wuxia could not guess its origins.


    It was the first time that Sun Wuxia had the urge to ask his name.


    ¡°Dare I ask daoyou¡¯s distinguished name?¡±


    Changming did not answer, but said in reply: ¡°We can free two side rooms for you, but you have to give us something in return.¡±


    Sun Wuxia: ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Is there a medicine to restore one¡¯s lost memories?¡±


    Sun Wuxia was lost in thought for a short moment: ¡°I¡¯ve never heard about anything like that.¡±


    Changming: ¡°Then give me that sword of yours.¡±


    Of course, Sun Wuxia could not simply hand his sect¡¯s legacy over to him. After all, giving someone treasures just for two side rooms seemed ridiculous. However, the women could not spend the night in the carriage, and there were no places left in the inns of the town.


    He stared at Changming for a while, thinking to himself, I¡¯ll remember that face of yours, we¡¯ll settle this later. ¡°Wait here for a moment, I¡¯ll consult my companions,¡± he said in a muffled voice.


    In a rage, Sun Wuxia rushed out of the guest house, and in a few sentences recounted what had happened inside to He Bo, who was standing outside. He did not forget to embellish the facts with details about how repulsive the man was.


    He Bo frowned: ¡°Naturally, we can¡¯t give him your Zhiqiu Sword, that would be too much. Let¡¯s go elsewhere¡­¡±


    ¡°I have a sword.¡±


    A voice came from one of their carriages.


    Sun Wuxia retorted thoughtlessly: ¡°This matter is not worthy of the Princess¡¯ intervention.¡±


    Princess Changning was young, but her rank was high. She was a cousin of Sun Wuxia¡¯s father. Besides, her fate was peculiar, and her identity was valuable, way more than that of a usual princess from the emperor¡¯s family. Thus, on this trip Sun Wuxia and his shishu paid special respect to her.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to delve deeply into this. This is A-Chi¡¯s sword, but she doesn¡¯t need a sword at all, so it¡¯s fine to give it up. Moreover, this sword can¡¯t be listed as a sublime treasure, it¡¯s only good for defending. If this man¡¯s cultivation is lacking, he probably won¡¯t even manage to pull it out of its sheath. Take it. Since we¡¯re in faraway lands, we should aim to do good for others, as it can be beneficial in the future.¡±


    After she finished talking, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a maid handed him the sword.


    Sun Wuxia took a look at the sword. It was simple and unadorned, without even inscriptions. It was so simple it could even be called unpresentable, and it fell one thousand li behind the sword on Sun Wuxia¡¯s back.


    ¡°What is the sword called?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it never had a name. If that person asks, just tell him it¡¯s called the Nameless Sword.¡±


    Sun Wuxia: ¡­


    He took the sword and returned to the guest house. He tried to pull it out of the sheath on his way there, yet surprisingly failed.


    He tried harder, but the sword remained unmoved.


    Sun Wuxia¡¯s face turned a bit green.


    ¡°Let me try,¡± He Bo said upon seeing this.


    Sun Wuxia passed it over to He Bo. His shishu tried as well. Judging by his expression, he had used his spiritual power, yet nothing happened.


    It looked like the hilt of the sword had been firmly glued to the sheath, and there was no way to separate them.


    Sun Wuxia even thought that Princess Changning was deliberately trying to  humiliate Changming.


    He was eagerly looking forward to witnessing Changming¡¯s embarrassment, and even stopped thinking too much about how deliberately provocative the man¡¯s request to give him a treasure had been.


    When they entered the guest house, Changming was still standing by the stairs waiting for them.


    A steaming bowl of soup had appeared in his hands, and he was looking at the bowl with concentration and seriousness. It seemed like nothing else could attract his attention at this moment.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Sun Wuxia came over, carrying the sword.


    ¡°If you manage to pull this sword out of its sheath, we¡¯ll trade it for three rooms, how does that sound?¡±


    Changming looked at the sword and nodded.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    He reached out to take the sword. Sun Wuxia deliberately loosened his grip so that the sword would fall to the floor.


    When the man tried to catch it, he would not be able to mind both head and tail, and would have to drop his bowl, which would certainly make him look like a fool.


    To mind both head and tail: mind everything


    But Sun Wuxia had not anticipated that the sword would easily leave its sheath with a clang the moment he let go of it, and the man would not expend any effort on this.


    As Sun Wuxia let it go, the sheath fell to the floor near his feet.


    Changming looked at him with an expression one would reveal when seeing someone stupid: That¡¯s it?


    Sun Wuxia froze. He even started to suspect that Princess Changning¡¯s travel companion had used some kind of trick on the sword.


    But he knew that it was impossible.


    There was only one explanation: his and his shishu¡¯s cultivation were nowhere near this man¡¯s.


    Whatever the case, Sun Wuxia was unwilling to admit it. He was an unparalleled talent of his generation, and his shishu He Bo had been standing on the threshold of the master realm. How could he have failed to pull out some sword?


    ¡°Sword, come.¡±


    Sun Wuxia heard Changming say two ordinary words.


    The scabbard that had fallen to the ground flew up to sheathe the sword inside itself, as if it had gained consciousness.


    Sun Wuxia managed to refrain from taking the sword back to try unsheathing it once again. He moved his eyes to look at the bowl of soup in Changming¡¯s other hand.


    Which was being tightly held on to.


    ¡°What¡¯s this sword¡¯s name?¡± Changming asked.


    Sun Wuxia was so angry his nose twitched. He remembered his goal.


    ¡°What about the rooms you¡¯ve promised? Could it be that daoyou can¡¯t keep his word? Since you¡¯re a cultivator, you should know the rules.¡±


    Cultivators were free to kill people to obtain treasures, but could not go against their own words. After all, when a promise was given, the cultivator was bound with karma. If they did not keep their word, they would tarnish their karma, which most cultivators tried to avoid.


    Changming nodded his head and called for the guest house owner.


    ¡°Give them the three extra rooms we¡¯ve booked before.¡±


    They had booked more rooms than they needed.


    Not a drop of water could leak out of Old He¡¯s way of handling matters. He had anticipated that Sun Wuxia would be late and would not manage to find free rooms. Old He was then going to do them a small favor, thus earning good karma.


    Not a drop of water could leak out of: impeccable


    When Yun Weisi and Changming saved him from embarrassment, Old He let them take the lead. Unexpectedly, Changming used it to exchange the rooms for a sword.


    Still holding the bowl, Changming took the sword and returned to his room leisurely.


    Yun Weisi and Old He, who was holding his daughter in his arms, were listening to their neighbor tell them some gossip.


    That neighbor had come to the guest house two days prior. He had not left yet because of the strong wind and snow that had been raging for the past two days. The sky had only cleared today.


    ¡°Strange things are happening in the town one after another. A person dies every night. But that¡¯s not all: people say it¡¯s haunted.¡±


    The girl was frightened, and sank deeper into her father¡¯s embrace. Old He wanted to send her to sleep, but she refused, and wanted to listen even though she was afraid.


    ¡°Haunted? It hasn¡¯t spread to this house yet, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s hard to tell! A great blizzard came last night, so many people went to sleep early. This morning¡­ Do you know the Yunlai Inn nearby?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve been there recently, but it was already full.¡±


    The man smacked his thigh, ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that you haven¡¯t stayed there! Before the sky lit up, a worker of the guest house got up to warm some water, and saw a person who had hung themselves on the beam above the entrance of the inn. The worker almost lost his soul! To sum up, in the past ten days, or eight not counting the days I¡¯ve been here, around eight people have died here. If the weather is good tomorrow, you should definitely leave the town!¡±

 CH 110

    Proofread by Snake


    Hongluo Town was small, so it did not have a magistrate. However, it saw a lot of traffic, as there were roads leading away from the town in each direction. It was administered by Shangzhou directly, and had a group of officials called town supervisors ruling over Hongluo. These people also had men and horses under them.


    After the first hanged man was discovered, the town supervisors ordered the head constable to visit and inspect the scene to catch suspects. However, six days had passed, eight people had died, and eight corpses were lying neatly at the side yard of the yamen, but the case still had not been solved.


    Yamen: government office


    Unfounded rumors had started to appear because of this. Moreover, the wind and the snow had not stopped for several days, and everyone had been tired of this place, as they had nothing to do. People got even more afraid for this reason, and so, many absurd and horrifying tales had started to spread.


    Some people said that a widow had been assaulted and killed by bandits in the town, and she was exacting her revenge now after turning into a malicious ghost. Some thought that foreigners from beyond the Great Wall had come over covertly to create a disturbance, while others said that these people had offended a cultivator, so the cultivator in question had killed them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard another version of this story. Many years ago, there was that head of the Li household, who hadn¡¯t had children for a while, so he adopted a boy. When the boy was four or five years old, the wife of the head of the Li household got pregnant, and they started to treat the boy coldly. Even the servants bullied him, and in the end, he was tortured to death. Rumors have it that the day of his death was also dark, and was accompanied by a raging snowstorm. So, many people say that he has turned into a ghost and has come back here to take revenge. Not only is he going to kill that head of the household, but he also wants to massacre the entire population of Hongluo Town.¡±


    Their neighbor¡¯s gossip was filled with lively descriptions, but only the girl was completely absorbed in the story, and was shivering from terror.


    Neither Yun Weisi nor Old He, who had seen a lot in his life, thought that these rumors were believable in the slightest. But they were still listening patiently out of politeness.


    Although there was a brazier in the room, the snow was slipping in through a window crack, and the wind was howling. Someone had not closed their door tightly, so the draft was especially loud and made people feel restless.


    Changming was sitting at the edge of the table, and slowly eating his noodles, as if nothing could distract him.


    The black dog was sitting near him, wagging its tail. Its eyes were half-closed, and it seemed to have almost fallen asleep.


    The man had not even finished talking by the time Changming had eaten all his noodles. Yun Weisi was not interested in listening to him anymore, so he stood up to leave with Changming first. The dog quivered, woke up and gave Yun Weisi a ferocious stare. It swiftly jumped down from the table, sank its teeth into the hem of Changming¡¯s robes, and was also dragged away.


    Old He could not endure it any longer either. He served the guest a cup of tea and came up with an excuse to send the guest back to his room.


    This time, Old He had spent a lot of money booking rooms, so he was given the best ones of the guest house. The guest who had visited them actually did not stay in the adjoining room, but in the room of the nearest yard. They were separated by a small yard. The man had been bored to death after these two days, so when he heard that a new caravan had arrived, he immediately came over to chat with them.


    Old He¡¯s daughter and their guards were staying in the main rooms, while Changming and Yun Weisi were given rooms in the backyard.


    Old He had met the two of them by chance. It was only because he was used to valuing harmony as if it were a treasure, and preferred to make a friend instead of an enemy, that he had decided to invite them to accompany him. Now, Old He was rejoicing tremendously at his good fortune. Not only had they saved his daughter¡¯s life, but they had even helped resolve an obstacle in his journey in a beneficial way. Now, they had arrived at this town that was rumored to be haunted, but Old He felt a bit more comfortable while thinking of Yun Weisi and his other companion.


    He patted his daughter, asking her to go to bed quickly. At the same time, he was silently praying that the sky would brighten tomorrow, and they would be able to leave this lively yet odd town without delay.


    The weather was chilly, so the half-eaten soup had soon cooled down.


    Changming put the bowl aside with regret, but looked at it several times afterwards.


    Yun Weisi had never seen him that interested in the things of the secular world.


    The Jiufang Changming from his distant memories was almost akin to a flawless statue of a god standing aloof and remote on a sacred altar.


    Yun Weisi had looked up to him with deep respect and admiration. Later, he had spent a lot of time with Jiufang Changming, and slowly realized that his shizun was not a deity, but a human. As with any other living creature, Jiufang Changming had his shortcomings. However, he still looked like an immortal, and shut his doors to cultivate all the time, forcing Yun Weisi to train harder as well. He only preached about life and discussed the Dao.


    In Yun Weisi¡¯s memory, it was the first time he had seen Jiufang Changming so attached to the mundane¡ªeven though this attachment only lasted for a short period of time, and was simply caused by hunger.


    While Jiufang Changming was looking at the bowl, Yun Weisi was looking at him.


    The dog gave a snort and wanted to bark furiously, but refrained from doing that. In the end, it only whimpered quietly, jumped up onto a couch, found some warm blankets by instinct, and buried itself inside.


    Jiufang Changming noticed that Yun Weisi was looking at him, so he raised his head and smiled.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me, shixiong?¡±


    Yun Weisi shook his head and turned to look at the sword that Changming had brought with him.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Changming recounted what had happened between him and Sun Wuxia on the floor below to Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi took the sword and pulled it, using some strength.


    Unexpectedly, the sword did not leave its sheath.


    Yun Weisi and Changming looked at each other with surprise.


    Yun Weisi tried once again, imbuing it with spiritual power. This spiritual power would have been enough to split a small hill.


    But the scabbard was tightly fused with the handle of the sword, and not a cun of the blade showed from the sheath.


    ¡°What is the sword¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Sun Wuxia refused to tell me.¡±


    Changming grabbed the hilt and pulled on it lightly. The cutting edge of the sword burst into white rays of light, and the sword hummed clearly and continuously. Even the dog extended its head from under the quilt to look at this.


    ¡°Seems like you were fated to obtain this sword. Take it,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    Changming was thinking the same. He folded the fingers on his right hand into a seal, recited a formula silently, and the sword moved according to his will, as if it was alive. It flew around the room once and stopped before Changming, as though displaying itself to its new owner.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re only willing to have me as your owner, there¡¯s no need to think too deeply about your name. From this day on, you shall be called the Changming Sword. My name will not disgrace you. When the day comes, the entire world will know of you.¡±


    His intonation was grave, as if he was only telling a fundamental truth. Only Yun Weisi could see a shadow of the strongest person of the future world in his solemn audacity.


    As soon as Changming raised his hand slightly, the sword disappeared, as it had been hidden away.


    It really looked like this sword was created especially for him, and a nobody like Sun Wuxia would never get to yield it.


    Yun Weisi thought that the sword might have belonged to the person inside the carriage, and this person could have been connected with them in some way.


    ¡°Shixiong.¡±


    Changming interrupted his train of thought.


    At first, Yun Weisi had felt that this word, shixiong, sounded a bit inappropriate after all, but with time, his unease had vanished like smoke.


    ¡°You can sleep on the bed, and I¡¯ll take the floor. I received the Changming Sword tonight, and I¡¯ve gained insight on certain questions I¡¯ve had, so I¡¯m going to cultivate through meditation.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. Meditate on the bed, I¡¯m not going to sleep either.¡±


    Yun Weisi untangled a lock of Changming¡¯s hair, which had gotten snagged with the bed curtain. The white tips of Changming¡¯s hair entered his line of sight naturally, so Yun Weisi remembered the wound Changming had received before, and his expression darkened.


    ¡°Shixiong, could it be that there are some important matters that I¡¯ve forgotten after receiving my injury, but you haven¡¯t told me about them?¡±


    This question stunned Yun Weisi.


    ¡°Why are you asking this?¡±


    Tn:


    Sorry for the irregular updates, too much work irl

 CH 111

    Upon hearing the question, the dog woke up immediately.


    After so many days, his damned shifu had finally realized that something was amiss.


    The dog no longer felt dizzy and did not need the quilt anymore. He struggled to sober up completely, and started blaming Yun Weisi for everything he had ever done.


    Listen¡ª


    I should start with the year when I rebelled against your sect.


    Yun Weisi was duplicitous and scheming. He didn¡¯t want you to accept more disciples, so any time he had a chance, he¡¯d tell you that I was not gifted enough, that I was the so-called ¡°ant hole that would eventually lead to any solid dam crumbling down¡±. Eventually, you started thinking badly of me and kicked me out of your sect. Yun Weisi used this treacherous scheme to cut you off from the others, which led to you reaching your current state in the end. Everything is his fault!


    An ant hole would eventually lead to a solid dumb crumbling down: a small leak will sink a great ship: a bad apple should be discarded of


    That¡¯s not all! He seemed like he respected you on the surface, but in truth, he was deliberately planning to combine his efforts with the other sects to isolate and eliminate you. That¡¯s how you were defeated on the Sacred Mountain Wan. Wounded, you wandered through the Yellow Springs half-dead for fifty years, but he refused to let you go even after you miraculously escaped your death! He used your trust to send you to the Wanlian Buddhist Temple and the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and because of this, you¡¯re now suffering this much. It¡¯s his fault all around!


    Hey, are you listening to me!


    Jiufang Changming, you blasted son of a bitch, I order you to listen!


    ¡°Bark! Hoowl!¡±


    The dog had been barking for half a day in its unintelligible dog language, yet that damn shifu and the one surnamed Yun did not understand him at all.


    ¡°Shixiong, what¡¯s wrong with him?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s hungry.¡±


    ¡°You said he was my disciple. Has he always been like this?¡±


    ¡°He was very moody and used to cut down the people he disliked like weeds. He even called his own sect ¡®Jianxue¡¯ from ¡®swear to fight till you see them bleed¡¯. Large and small sects around this clan were overturned and destroyed if they didn¡¯t obey him. His sect was a Demonic clan, and people from Demonic sects always follow their desires with no regard for their karma. He was like this too.¡±


    Jianxue: see blood


    The dog was unable to suppress its rage. He thought that Yun Weisi was again using the chance to slander him. But he could not speak human language, so after some time, his energy started to fade away. The roars his small body had been making turned into cute and delicate whining that would not even reach the room next door.


    He felt a little helpless. He recalled his past self who had been the magnificent founder of the Jianxue Clan, who could look down on the world and whose single word weighed more than nine tripods. At the very least, no one had ever dared to act insolently in his presence.


    Single word weighed more than nine tripods: influential


    Yet now¡­


    The dog licked the tip of its nose, whined a bit, and felt that its eyelids had gotten heavier. Its eyes closed, and the dog fell on the bed unconscious.


    The two of them had not taken the dog¡¯s incoherent barking seriously.


    ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± Yun Weisi repeated his question.


    He had reached the conclusion that he had not accidentally revealed any information in front of Changming. All his mood swings had settled after so many years, and he was akin to the still waters of a lake, unperturbed by what was going on.


    Only the one word, shixiong, had been his selfish desire to make the two of them closer.


    ¡°You¡¯re always worried, as if you have a lot you wish to tell me, but I¡¯ve forgotten everything, so you prefer to keep silent.¡±


    Changming was sitting cross-legged on the bed, just like how he used to sit when giving his disciples sermons on the Dao.


    What was different was his gaze. He was looking up at Yun Weisi who was standing next to the bed, and his expression was not an unfathomable one, but full of doubt and concern.


    However, in Yun Weisi¡¯s eyes, regardless of whether he was keenly mapping out a strategy, or he had a naive and perplexed look in his eyes, this was still the one and only Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t dislike you at all. In my heart, I¡¯ve always felt that we¡¯re close. I¡¯ve been thinking, could it be that you¡¯re not my shixiong?¡±


    Has he guessed it?


    Yun Weisi was not surprised.


    His shizun was clever, so it was only a matter of time.


    Originally, he wanted to abolish the distance between them by changing their relationship in the eyes of Jiufang Changming who had lost his memories. Nevertheless in the end, he had failed to achieve anything.


    Yun Weisi was slightly disappointed, but not very sad. After thousands of failures, he had gotten used to losing hope.


    It was not that he had not thought of taking the initiative to achieve what he wanted. However, his shizun would recover his memories sooner or later, and the two of them could reach the point of no return.


    This person, Jiufang Changming, could eat soft food, but did not accept hard food. Yun Weisi could only plan his actions carefully and let the water boil itself.


    Could eat soft food, but did not accept hard food: respond to persuasion but not to force


    ¡°Were we daoist partners?¡±


    Yun Weisi heard Jiufang Changming ask such a question.


    Yun Weisi: ¡­


    Were we or were we not?


    Of course, Yun Weisi wanted to say that they were.


    However, Jiufang Changming was likely to bring up old grudges in the future, before turning against him and never coming into contact with Yun Weisi again.


    Knowing how heartless and ruthless his shizun was, Changming could just leave hastily in anger, and from this moment, the boundless Sky and the Yellow Springs would be void of Jiufang Changming for Yun Weisi.


    The boundless Sky and the Yellow Springs: a line from a poem


    However, if he answered that they were not¡ª


    It was an excellent opportunity, how could Daozun Yun miss it?


    He neither denied, nor agreed with this guess, and only looked at Changming silently.


    As if he could not put it into words, or could not find the right ones. Silence was worth more than speech.


    ¡°Shixiong?¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s silence was already an explanation, but Changming still needed a definite reply.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to influence your memory in any way or deceive you by letting you create false impressions. I will only say that you can trust me.¡±


    Yun Weisi knelt on one of his knees and put his hand on Changming¡¯s knee.


    Now, he was looking up at Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°I won¡¯t betray you. I want to follow you in the future, and I will give up my life to keep the promise I made to you.¡±


    Changming was a bit dazzled.


    In the depths of his heart, he seemed to see a person from his distant memories who was kneeling before him just like this, leaning on a sword, touching his knee and looking up at him with admiration.


    Changming did not remember what that person had said, or what he himself had answered. However, the silhouette from his memories clearly overlapped with the man before his eyes, as if mirror images of each other.


    ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t ask again,¡± Changming smiled lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s wait till I remember everything.¡±


    But he was already certain about their relationship. He patted the bed near him.


    ¡°Shixiong, rest on the bed. Since there¡¯s enough space, we won¡¯t disturb each other.¡±


    Yun Weisi knew Changming had misunderstood something, but he not only tacitly approved it, he also did not try to correct Changming¡¯s thinking. He silently took off his shoes and got on the couch.


    The dog that was in a daze from feeling sleepy was abruptly woken up by the new aura. When it saw its sworn enemy get so close, its hair stood up, and it almost jumped up on its feet again.


    He always knew that this bastard had a wolfish nature, yet now it turned out that he would not spare even his own shizun. He would even disregard proper human relationships and was utterly devoid of conscience!


    This won¡¯t do! While it was not too late, he had to disclose Yun¡¯s conspiratorial activities, and let Jiufang Changming see his true nature.


    He had to¡­


    Staggering, the dog came between the two of them. Changming rubbed the dog¡¯s neck, and it closed its eyes from the comfort, lying down on the bed.


    What was he going to do just now?


    The dog frowned, looking painstakingly for an answer, yet it had subconsciously turned around to let that slender, beautiful hand pat its belly.


    Why did Changming not let him simply die in the beginning? His souls would have scattered away, and everything would have ended at once. Yet, for some reason, Changming let him take over another body, retaining his memories, and the magnificent leader of a Demonic sect, the master of the Jianxue Clan, had turned into a dog. All day long, he was either dozing off, or drooling over food. He was extremely angry. His teeth sank into Changming¡¯s hand. He did his best, but his bite did not even manage to break Changming¡¯s skin. Quickly, another hand moved his chin aside, and stuffed something into his mouth.


    The perfectly satisfied dog fell asleep while chewing on the quilt.


    But he was soon woken up again.


    Ah!!!!!!


    A shriek broke the silence of the cold night.


    It was shrill, painful, and prolonged. Perhaps, most people in the town heard it.


    Two people woke up before the dog did.


    Just as Changming was going to get up, Yun Weisi¡¯s hand landed on his shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. I sense ghost qi.¡±


    The moonless and starless night was dark, and only the flame of an almost burnt candle was vaguely outlining their silhouettes.


    The two were sitting close to each other, and Yun Weisi¡¯s hot breath lingered on Changming¡¯s ears.


    Changming felt that strange sense of deja vu again.


    Changming thought, Even if we weren¡¯t Daoist partners, our relationship must have been extremely intimate.


    This was because not only was he not averse to this, he even thought that if Yun Weisi decided to kill him right now, Changming probably would not resist.


    It was as if the both of them had been through countless mortal perils together and. had spent years in each other¡¯s company. Not only that, it felt like they had always moved forward together fearlessly, and were never without each other¡¯s company.


    ¡°Changming.¡±


    The low voice whispered his name. It sounded ambiguously tender.


    Changming hummed in response. He had also felt the trace of ghost qi.


    It had stealthily slipped in through the window and quickly disappeared.


    However, the shriek they had heard definitely sounded from far away, and had nothing to do with this ghost qi.


    Everyone had been woken up by the scream. The guest house had been lit up with lanterns, and they could hear the rustling of people putting on clothes. Many people complained and were asking what had happened. At this time, no one was lamenting about the noise, and people had started to gather in the main hall of the front yard. People were looking around in amazement, trying to understand what had happened.


    The hour of yin was nearing. Generally speaking, those who used to get up early should be heading out at this time, but the sky was pitch-black, and the blizzard had not stopped. A worker of the guest house had opened the door slightly. In a flash, harsh gales of ice and snow had flown inside the hall, and the people shouted at the worker to close the door immediately.


    The hour of yin: 3 a.m. ¡ª 5 a.m.


    The lanterns were lit. The sound of horsemen racing towards the inn came from outside. Some busybodies quietly slipped out to take a look, and soon returned to gossip with everyone in the hall.


    ¡°Have you seen it? There¡¯s blood outside! The bloodstains are very long, as if a body was dragged somewhere! So terrifying!¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the person on that horse was dragging it?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! The horsemen were our constables. I think that someone was killed again. Ai, stop talking about this, really! The blood will soon be covered with snow. Why is something like this always happening in Hongluo Town? Maybe it¡¯s time to call it Hongxue Town!¡±


    Hongxue Town: hongluo ¡ª ¡°red radish¡± ¡ª carrot; hongxue ¡ª ¡°red blood¡±


    ¡°Touch wood! Don¡¯t be a crow¡¯s beak!¡±


    Crow¡¯s beak: to jinx


    ¡°Enough! Look at the sky¡ªwe can¡¯t leave today either. The snow is so deep that the carriages will simply sink in it!¡±


    The crowd was talking all at once, heaving deep sighs. Some people refused to believe they had such bad luck, and left the guest house to check it personally.


    However, under the dark sky, two large lanterns in front of the inn had vaguely lit the messy tracks of horse hooves in the middle of the street.


    A conspicuous bloodstain stretched across the surface of the snow. The trace it had left was deep. Although it had dried up, and freshly fallen snow had gathered on top of it, almost obscuring it, the bloodstain was still a ghastly sight.


    Yun Weisi got up first and left their room to find out where the ghost qi was heading towards, but Changming did not follow him.


    Because Changming had heard his newly accepted sword hum melodiously in his sea of consciousness.


    This clanging sound seemed both like a warning and like a reaction.


    In a split moment, when he felt the sense of upcoming danger, Changming abruptly looked in the direction of Old He¡¯s yard!


    This is bad!

 CH 112

    Proofread by Snake


    Changming pushed open the door, frosty qi assaulted his senses and put out the candles in the room. The dog sneezed because of the cold. It wanted to jump down from the bed and follow Changming, but the latter had already disappeared.


    The snowfall was getting heavier, and a thick carpet of snow had already covered the earth. When an ordinary person stepped on it, they would sink in half a foot.


    But Changming was not even leaving footprints on the snow.


    Muffled noises were coming from the guest house. The guests who could not fall asleep had gathered in the main hall to discuss the news.


    In comparison, the yard where Old He and his daughter lived was strangely quiet.


    Their guards were staying in the nearby yards, but they were also quiet. Everyone here had probably been sleeping, and did not even hear the shout.


    Changming reached Old He¡¯s room.


    Just as he raised his hand to knock on the door, the sound of coughing came from inside the room.


    Cough, cough. The sound of it was muffled and hoarse.


    ¡°Old He,¡± called Changming.


    The person exclaimed: ¡°Sir Jiufang? Why are you here?¡±


    Changming: ¡°Did you hear the shriek just now?¡±


    Old He: ¡°No, I was sleeping too heavily, and only woke up now because of my own coughing. Would you like to come in and sit for a while?¡±


    After saying this, Old He put aside his quilt and got up, and Changming heard him putting on his shoes.


    ¡°No need, go back to sleep. I only wanted to ask if you heard it. If everything is fine, I¡¯ll leave. We¡¯ll discuss it in the morning.¡±


    Old He asked what had happened. Changming explained it to him in a few words and turned around to leave.


    In a short while, the rooms became quiet again, and not a sound could be heard from inside.


    Changming left just then, but soon returned.


    He chose another route now, and lightly landed on the roof instead of going to the main door. He stood on the ledge, and bent down to lift up a tile. The gap was narrow but not enough to keep the snow from falling inside.


    The room was dark, but Changming was able to see the whole scene.


    Old He was lying supine on the bed with his cotton-wadded quilt pulled up to his shoulders. He was breathing evenly, and nothing about him seemed abnormal.


    Yet on the other side of the room, he saw a vague silhouette that looked like the shadow of the canopy. However, it was much thicker, and was slowly moving.


    There was no need to examine it further. Changming¡¯s sword had already clanged in the sea of his consciousness, and was eager to attack.


    He pulled out his sword.


    Changming recited a sword technique silently, and a ray of golden light flashed before him. The Changming Sword moved forward in the room, and firmly nailed the shadow near Old He down, leaving it no chance to escape. The shadow howled in a low voice, struggling to run away, yet it was all in vain. It gradually weakened.


    Changming stretched out his hand and grabbed the shadow. The upper half of it resembled a human, but it did not have a face. It was partially blood-red in color.


    It was a nightmare demon.


    Even though Changming had lost his memories, the answer came to his mind in a flash. Obviously, this good luck of his came from having great skills.


    Changming did not dwell on this point. From Yun Weisi¡¯s brief explanations, he already knew that he used to be a very formidable person.


    Since he was formidable, it was not strange that he knew a great deal.


    Nightmare demons were not yaos, but rather resembled ghosts.


    This type of demon was skilled in searching out weaknesses in the hearts of humans and would put humans to sleep, thus taking control over them. After that, they nibbled away at the person¡¯s souls and grew stronger over time.


    Judging by Old He¡¯s appearance, the nightmare demons had not had a chance to get to him before Changming attacked them.


    Changming woke Old He up.


    Old He had been sleeping deeper than before. When he finally woke up, his entire body was aching. There was an aura of decay around him, as if he had been sleeping for many years..


    When he heard someone shout out his name, he struggled to open his eyes, and vaguely saw someone in front of the bed. He trembled subconsciously.


    ¡°Help¡­ You, you!¡±


    The person reached out his hand and lightly hit Old He on his forehead with a finger. Old He sobered up immediately, and now clearly saw the figure in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Sir Jiufang?!¡±


    ¡°Light a lamp first. It¡¯s inconvenient to talk when it¡¯s dark.¡±


    Full of doubts, Old He put on his robes and lit a lantern with trembling hands.


    The warm light of the lantern chased away the frosty atmosphere of the room. Old He finally saw why Changming said it was inconvenient.


    Old He¡¯s mouth hung open in astonishment as he looked at the still struggling shadow in Changming¡¯s hands. Old He could not help taking a few steps back.


    ¡°That¡­ What is this!¡±


    ¡°A nightmare demon. It takes on a humanoid appearance, and feasts on the hearts of humans. It¡¯s difficult to kill, and it¡¯ll run away as soon as it has a chance,¡± said Changming. He looked around before pointing at a flower vase, the only thing in this room that could be called a decoration, and said, ¡°Bring it over.¡±


    The flower vase was flawed and crudely-made. No one would typically place well-made decorative items in inns. If a guest stole or substituted it with a fake, nobody would be able to make up for the loss. Old He would not have spared such a vase a single glance on a normal occasion, but now he lifted it with extreme caution to hand it over to Changming.


    Changming showed him how to hold it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put it down.¡±


    Before Old He had time to react, Changming walked closer, holding the black shadow.


    The vase suddenly became heavier, so Old He almost let go of it. The sudden increase in its weight made Old He lower his hands a bit, but Changming quickly picked it up and sealed the mouth of the vase, blocking the shadow¡¯s escape routes.


    Exercising the nightmare demon was not the most urgent task. Instead, Changming had to figure out if the demon had partners.


    Old He had not been alone when that scream had been heard, yet there had been no reaction from either his daughter or their guards.. It was very strange.


    ¡°Is your daughter in the inner room?¡± Changming asked.


    Old He only returned to his senses now, as if waking up from a dream.


    ¡°Right! A-Ling!¡±


    He even forgot to put on his shoes as he rushed to hide behind Changming¡¯s back, staggering on the way.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    It was very cold, so the girl had gone to bed in her clothes. She was sitting on the bed with sleepy eyes, wrapped in a quilt.


    At her age, she should not let any stranger see her like this. But since everything had happened too abruptly, Old He had brought Changming along without thinking too much about this matter.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Young He nodded her head, rubbing her eyes.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Something is happening outside, so I was worried for you,¡± said Old He, as he made an effort to calm down, ¡°Did you hear anything just a while ago?¡±


    ¡°It seems that someone was screaming, but I couldn¡¯t tell whether it was for real or in my dream. It all felt very vague.¡±


    The girl wanted to get up, but Old He stopped her.


    ¡°Just sleep. The sir and I will go outside to check and see what¡¯s going on. If anything happens, give a shout, and we¡¯ll come at once.¡±


    The girl nodded obediently, and added, thoughtfully: ¡°It¡¯s cold, dad, put on more clothes if you¡¯re going out.¡±


    Old He was happy to see her act sensibly, so he patted her head, and turned around to leave with Changming.


    However, her last words made Changming halt.


    ¡°Sir Jiufang?¡±


    Noticing that Changming had stopped, Old He looked at him.


    Changming told Young He: ¡°Repeat your last words.¡±


    The father and daughter pair did not understand him.


    The girl looked at her father with fear.


    Changming suddenly smiled: ¡°Young Lady He had been spoiled and pampered since childhood. She¡¯s naive and naughty. If something like this happened, she¡¯d only worry whether she¡¯ll be able to go out to play tomorrow. This thoughtless show of consideration is revealing.¡±


    Old He froze: ¡°Revealing? What do you mean?¡±


    Changming stepped towards the girl.


    ¡°What are you?¡±


    The girl held the quilt in her hands and shrank back. However one looked at her, she seemed innocent and frightened, as if Changming was threatening her.


    Old He also felt that Changming was being a bit rough. Obviously, his daughter was acting as she usually did.


    ¡°Sir, why don¡¯t we check outside first? Chen and Shen haven¡¯t reacted, I¡¯m a bit worried¡­¡±


    As if Changming had not heard him, he quickly stretched out his hand to grab the girl!

 CH 113

    Proofread by Snake


    This attack was both swift and fierce. Old He could not withstand it and screamed due to the fear that his daughter might be injured. He wanted to stop Changming, but he was not fast enough. So he could only watch as Changming grabbed his daughter¡¯s head. His fingers sank into her scalp, as if he wanted to pierce her skull. Changming abruptly withdrew his hand which came away with the young lady¡¯s entire skin and muscles!


    Yet her blood did not gush out as Old He had imagined¡ªthere was not even a drop of it. A dark-gray fox, sitting on the bed, was revealed after the skin had been ripped away.


    The fox¡¯s fur was rather ragged, but its eyes were shining with golden and purple tints, which looked especially odd in the darkness.


    Old He even saw the fox curve its mouth strangely, as if in a smile.


    He had never seen an animal smile at him. Old He was covered in goosebumps. He only managed to find one word to describe this smile: sinister.


    Monster, it¡¯s clearly a monster!


    He had traveled north and south and had seen many strange things and marvels. He had even encountered someone whom common people called an immortal and had seen that person demonstrate their skills, but he had never come across any evil spirits.


    Old He would have prefered that it stay this way.


    The dog that had reached the doors howled quietly, and the fox seemed to have been awakened by this sound. It did not attack Old He or Changming and instead leaped up to the window from the bed!


    How could Changming let it escape? His sword flashed past, and the fox wailed, its blood splattering everywhere. The fox decided to sacrifice its tail to escape. It turned around in the air suddenly and, instead of heading for the window, it rushed in the opposite direction, towards Old He!


    Or rather, towards the vase in Old He¡¯s arms!


    The sudden overwhelming force caught Old He off guard. He stumbled back and fell down together with the vase, and it broke into pieces with a clang. The nightmare demon saw the light again. A black shadow shrouded the air above their heads, and a sneer could be heard. Old He felt ice-cold qi lash at him. In response, he could no longer utter a sound, fell to the floor, and laid there motionlessly.


    In a split second, the fox had jumped at Old He.


    By the time Old He grasped what had happened, the door had been opened, and the piercing cold wind broke in the room, howling loudly. It seemed that the sky had brightened a bit, so the room was also lit up. Old He got up to his feet somehow, and leaned on the bed for support. His thoughts were clouded.


    He saw bloodstains on the floor, as well as the shaggy fox tail.


    The dog that had always followed Changming was circling the bed non-stop, but young lady He had disappeared without a trace.


    Thinking about his daughter, Old He sobered up a bit. When he saw Changming walk into the room from outside, weary, with his sleeves waving from the wind, Old He rushed over hurriedly.


    ¡°Sir, have you seen A-Ling?¡±


    Changming fell silent for a moment and then shook his head.


    ¡°The nightmare demon has eaten her souls, and the fox spirit used the opportunity to occupy her body.¡±


    Changming had caused the fox spirit a severe injury just now, stripping it of the stolen body and forcing it to run away. However, He Ling¡¯s souls had already been swallowed up completely. Moreover, Old He had broken the vase, so the nightmare demon had escaped. By the time Changming took action, the evil spirits had already disappeared without a trace.


    Old He¡¯s lips trembled. He knew Changming¡¯s answer from the latter¡¯s silence and grave expression. Old He could not believe that in the course of half a night, he and his favorite daughter would be separated by death, and the girl would be gone forever.


    He fell down near the bed, touching the black hair and the soft skin that had been stripped off the fox, which were now piling up under the quilt. That was what had been left of He Ling after the spirits had killed her.


    Old He was on the verge of collapsing. Had Changming not pressed the acupuncture point on Old He¡¯s neck and transferred some spiritual power to the latter, Old He would have probably lost his mind by now.


    ¡°Calm down, think about your family. The innocent He Ling was killed. Don¡¯t you want to take revenge for her?¡±


    The cold voice enveloped Old He¡¯s ears, making him tremble. Old He¡¯s expression was distorted for a while before tears started to flow down his face.


    He Ling was not the only daughter in the He household: Old He had four other children. But they had already grown up and were independent. Only He Ling was still young, so she was pampered by everyone. During this business trip, Old He was going to pass through the town where the parents of He Ling¡¯s mother lived. He could not resist his wife and daughter¡¯s pleading, so he took his youngest on the trip. After all, it was supposedly safe, and they were well-protected. He only wanted her to see the world. How could he have guessed they would encounter something like this?


    He had run out of tears, and his heart had been completely shattered. He could only keep regretting his past decisions now.


    ¡°The evil spirits are on a rampage, and the sun is shrouded by darkness, hence the mishaps in Hongluo Town. The blizzard is raging, so no one can leave even if they want to.¡±


    Changming squeezed the fox tail in his hand. Just when he wanted to go outside with Old He to find his guards, another person walked in.


    It was Yun Weisi.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Yun Weisi was covered in snow, and even his words sounded cold.


    ¡°A nightmare demon and a fox spirit were here just now. They killed Young Lady He,¡± Changming sighed.


    The dog stared at Yun Weisi for a long time. It wanted to jump down the bed, but the bed turned out to be a bit too tall for the dog. When it landed on the floor, the dog tripped over.


    But no one paid any attention to the dog anyway.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s eyes swept past the silently crying Old He and stopped at Changming¡¯s hands.


    ¡°What are you holding? It¡¯s teeming with demonic qi.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the fox spirit¡¯s tail. I wanted to check and see if we could learn its whereabouts with this clue. What about the news on your side?¡±


    ¡°Not so good. I stumbled upon a nightmare demon, but just as I was going to catch it, other people came out to help. I decided to return first to see if everything¡¯s fine here.¡±


    When he saw that Changming was fine, Yun Weisi breathed out with relief. He shook the snow off his clothes.


    ¡°Old He, don¡¯t be so broken-hearted. Wait till we catch the fox spirit, and you¡¯ll be able to avenge Young Lady He¡­ Shidi, why are you looking at me like this?¡±


    Changming¡¯s gaze was solemn. He was standing in the shadows, so his expression was difficult to read. That shabby fox tail was slightly swaying with his sleeve.


    He resembled an evil spirit even more than the nightmare demon had.


    Yun Weisi lightly sighed. He did not understand what was wrong with his words.


    But Changming did not move, so Yun Weisi stood still as well, raising his eyebrows. He gave Changming a concerned look.


    ¡°Do you know?¡±


    Changming spoke. There was something inexplicable in his manner of speech.


    He raised his hand, and the fox tail brushed past Yun Weisi¡¯s leg.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a shadow.¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s heart pounded. How could he have left such a crucial clue?


    Changming said: ¡°Only evil spirits have no shadows. What kind are you?¡±


    Yun Weisi revealed an innocent look: ¡°Shidi, what are you talking about?¡±


    As he was saying this, in his mind, he was already getting ready to run away. But he noticed that all his paths of retreat had been blocked by heavy shackles at some point, as his opponent had sealed him with spiritual powers by setting a formation that left him with no place to escape to.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression changed.


    Changming had already figured out his real identity. It was not Yun Weisi, but the fox spirit that had adopted Yun Weisi¡¯s appearance. It had returned to take back its tail.


    For the fox spirit, its tail was very important. Unfortunately, the spirit was too impatient.


    ¡°Yun Weisi¡± saw that ¡°he¡± would not be able to fool Changming. So, it screeched, its figure quickly shrinking in the darkness, and it launched itself at Changming!


    Despite that, in the next second, the fox spirit fell to the floor right next to Changming, wailing. It rolled on the floor, wrapped in the golden threads of talismans.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± the fox could speak human language. Its voice was hoarse as well as pleading. ¡°Let me go, and I¡¯ll return you He Ling!¡±


    Upon hearing his daughter¡¯s name, Old He raised his head abruptly.


    ¡°What did you say? A-Ling is still alive?!¡±


    ¡°She is! Release me, and I¡¯ll let her come back!¡± the fox spirit¡¯s lips moved with the words, and its intonation was agonized.


    Old He grabbed Changming, pleading: ¡°Sir, have you heard what it said? Let it go!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s trying to deceive you. Fox spirits are adept at bewitching the hearts of humans.¡±


    A new voice answered Old He.


    The real Yun Weisi walked into the room.


    He snapped his fingers, and a small ice cube hit Old He on his forehead.


    The illusions and hopes cast by the fox spirit dissipated without a trace, and Old He came to his senses. He cried, holding the soft human skin in his arms.


    The fox spirit glared at Yun Weisi and Changming with fierce hatred. Its body gradually stopped struggling to get out of the golden shackles, and its breath faded away.


    When the fox spirit died, the smooth and soft tail in Changming¡¯s hands changed. The hairs became stiff and thorny, and the tail lost its gloss.


    The fox spirit had been subdued and killed, but there was more than one of them.


    Their cultivation levels were not low. When Yun Weisi had rushed out to chase them, the spirits had sensed his presence. In their battle, Yun Weisi had only managed to kill one of the fox spirits, and the rest of them had escaped, albeit wounded. Taking into account the nightmare demon that had just escaped from here, there were at least four more evil spirits active in Hongluo Town.


    Evil spirits were proficient in changing their appearances and left no traces behind¡ªmoreover, they could entice people¡¯s minds. An ordinary person could not compete with them at all. There was a high chance that the murders happening in Hongluo Town were their doing.


    But they were not the only troublesome matter.


    When Changming and Yun Weisi had investigated the foreyard, they had discovered that most of the guards the He family had brought with them had been killed in their sleep. They were calm and unconscious when they passed away, and seemed to not suffer at all while being murdered.


    Out of all the people in the He family¡¯s caravan, apart from several stablehands who had been resting outside, only Old He had been lucky enough to survive.


    Even though Old He was experienced and knowledgeable, this hit him hard, and he would never recover from it.


    Snow and harsh winds were raging outside, and it would have been difficult to find a doctor for him. Fortunately, Yun Weisi had transferred some spiritual power to him, so Old He¡¯s life was out of danger.


    Everyone in the guest house was scared out of their wits by what had happened¡ªit was almost as if the sky had been turned upside down.


    The rumors about evil spirits claiming humans¡¯ lives quickly spread around. Soon, the origin of the bloodstains on the snow near the gates were discovered. People said that a woman had been killed at night and her head had been chopped off. Her headless body had been dragged down the street, and her head had been hung on the signboard of a medicine shop. The shop assistant who had opened the doors to the shop in the morning and saw it had nearly been scared to the point of losing his mind.


    The news about the murders in the guest house quickly reached the town supervisor, and constables were dispatched to remove the bodies and investigate the murder. However, they were only able to offer several empty, superficial words to everyone. Many people were frightened and, ignoring the blizzard, set out, spurring on their horses. But the wheels of their carriages quickly got stuck in the snow and would not move an inch. Thus, they could only turn back.


    The guest houses of Hongluo Town were fully occupied. Even if some people did not want to stay there, it was still better than spending the night on the streets.


    Since they could not leave, everyone could only settle for staying in their guest house. They were sitting close to each other, warming themselves up and waiting for the next night while gossiping among themselves anxiously.


    The sky looked so heavy it seemed like one could squeeze water out of it.


    Even though it was the hour when the yang qi was the strongest, the hour of wu, the entire town was enveloped in a dense, impenetrable yin aura which deprived people of any positive emotion.


    The hour of wu: 11 a.m. ¡ª 1 p.m.


    Sun Wuxia could not believe his bad luck.


    As soon as he had heard the screaming last night, he had promptly run out, but had missed the nightmare demon. While Yun Weisi was chasing it, Sun Wuxia only hit thin air. After what had happened yesterday between him and the caravan of the He family that had been travelling with Yun Weisi, Sun Wuxia had wanted to recover his lost honor. Yun Weisi and Changming had taken their Nameless Sword, but failed to protect mere commoners. The good name of Daoyou Chi¡¯s sword would only be smeared in their hands.


    When Sun Wuxia saw Yun Weisi and Changming swiftly leave the guest house, he chased them immediately. However, the mist had enveloped his surroundings, and the two figures got further and further away from him before disappearing without a trace.


    Sun Wuxia frowned, but kept following them. However, he felt as if his feet had turned wooden. He looked down and realized that the snow had turned into viscous blood that had coagulated and stuck to his feet firmly. As a result, he could not take even a single step.


    ¡°What kind of monster are you? Come out!¡± Sun Wuxia shouted, unsheathing his sword.


    But as there was no one around, who would answer him?


    A white hand reached out to him and patted Sun Wuxia on his shoulder.


    Sun Wuxia was taken by surprise by this sudden movement. He abruptly turned his head!


    ¡­


    Changming and Yun Weisi were standing at the doors of the medicine shop of the town, looking at the signboard where the head had been hung.


    The head had already been removed by officials, but the signboard remained. When they raised their heads, they could still distinguish bloodstains on the bamboo pole, as well as a piece of rope.


    The shopkeeper and assistant wanted to remove and replace it, but were afraid that the ghosts would be angered and would decide to take revenge. Tortured by their fears, they were caught in an awkward predicament.


    After looking at it for a moment, Yun Weisi shook his head.


    ¡°Nightmare demons and fox spirits are not to blame here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked to Head Constable Xing recently. In the past half a month, excluding the last night, eight people have died. One of them died the same way as the woman who was killed yesterday. They were also beheaded. Two others were skinned, and even their bones haven¡¯t been found yet. As for the other five, their bodies remained intact. They were neither sick nor wounded, but their expressions were distorted by fear, as if they had seen something terrifying before their deaths. These deaths resemble the deaths of the He family¡¯s guards.¡±


    Changming had visited the yamen to inquire about the situation. When the officials learned he was a cultivator, their attitude became quite polite, and the head constable personally came out to keep him company for a while. After getting an understanding of the key points, Changming then left the head constable to meet up with Yun Weisi.


    So now, they were standing in front of the shop.


    The people were killed in different ways. Either the nightmare demon and the fox spirits were trying to fool them on purpose, or there were other creatures hiding in the shadows and causing trouble in Hongluo Town that Changming and Yun Weisi had yet to learn about.


    Accidents were occurring one after another in this small Hongluo Town. Was it because of the town¡¯s proximity to Shangzhou, or for some other reason?


    When Yun Weisi looked at the shop¡¯s signboard more carefully, a low, soft sound reached his ears. He quickly looked in the direction of the sound.


    Changming had rolled up his sleeve. Three new bloody wounds had appeared on the back of his hand, which had been covered with the sleeve previously.


    These wounds had been mere scratches originally and were not deep, but they hurt more and more as time passed. At some point, he noticed that they had been aggravated, and had a faint golden and purple glow, which almost fused with his skin.


    Changming frowned.


    These scratches were left by the fox spirit in their fight.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Yun Weisi reached out to touch the back of his hand even before asking the question.


    Spiritual energy were poured into the wounds. It was supposed to bring Changming comfort, however, on the contrary, it burned him, so he quickly removed his hand. Changming felt a bit dizzy, and his legs weakened.

 CH 114

    Changming felt numb because of the dizziness. When he came to, Yun Weisi was already supporting him to keep him from falling¡ªChangming had lost control and had almost collapsed.


    Changming breathed in, swallowing the cold air. The burn on his hand stopped stinging so much for a moment, before hurting even more violently. It brought on an unbearable pain, as if boiling water had been spilled on the back of his hand and scalded his skin thoroughly. At the same time, he felt weak, and started falling down helplessly again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t transfer spiritual power to him! Quick, help him inside!¡±


    Yun Weisi raised his head and saw a man in light blue robes come out of the building.


    However, when Yun Weisi saw the man¡¯s face, his blood froze at once.


    It was a momentary reaction, but Changming noticed it anyway. Putting aside his pain, Changming looked at Yun Weisi with concern.


    The man quickly walked over and stretched out his hand to help Changming.


    Yun Weisi subconsciously pulled aside Changming to avoid this hand.


    The man froze. He looked a bit surprised.


    By this point, the shopkeeper had come over as well, dispersing the awkward atmosphere.


    ¡°Doctor Jiang is a doctor who treats people that come to our shop. He¡¯s like a living immortal! If he told you two to come inside, do as he says!¡±


    A living immortal: a great talent


    Yun Weisi decided to push the boat down the current and wait for further developments, so he did not object anymore and supported Changming to go sit inside the shop.


    The man looked exactly like the image in Yun Weisi¡¯s memories.


    For a cultivator, a hundred years passed as quickly as one could snap their finger.


    The only difference in this man was that he was a doctor treating patients in a small town rather than the master of the glorious Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    Naturally, doctor Jiang felt Yun Weisi¡¯s gaze. But he was absorbed in taking Changming¡¯s pulse, so he hung his head for a while, thinking.


    ¡°Old Chang, you two can go for now. But don¡¯t go too far away from the shop, keep in mind that it¡¯s unsafe outside right now!¡±


    The shopkeeper and his assistant nodded. Obviously, they trusted doctor Jiang.


    After they left, doctor Jiang told Yun Weisi and Changming: ¡°You¡¯re probably cultivators. It seems that you, daoyou, were poisoned by a fox and also suffer from old wounds. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll flare up from time to time, worsening the situation with the fox poison. What is even more strange, your meridians are in chaos and totally running amok. You are supposed to be unable to walk at all, yet you can still move around without any trouble. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve failed to take into account.¡±


    Yun Weisi looked at him: ¡°You remind me of a cultivator I know.¡±


    Doctor Jiang raised his eyebrows: ¡°You¡¯ve seen me before?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°The master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, Jiang Li.¡±


    The man ah-ed, and did not deny these words: ¡°I rarely descend from the mountains, so how do you know me? I don¡¯t remember ever meeting you, daoyou.¡±


    ¡°I happened to have seen you once several years ago, but Clan Master Jiang left quickly, so we didn¡¯t meet face to face.¡±


    Yun Weisi gave a vague, but succinct answer. However, Jiang Li did not find it strange and nodded.


    As a clan master, even if he seldom left the mountains, he still attended Qianlin Assemblies occasionally. At that time, every sect would present many disciples of every kind, and many paid attention to Jiang Li, while he could not remember everyone.


    ¡°What are your names, daoyous?¡±


    ¡°Yun Weisi. He¡¯s Jiufang, my shidi.¡±


    Jiang Li had no impression of these names.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun, your shidi is heavily wounded. I¡¯m afraid that the fox poison on top of everything else will be quite bothersome.¡±


    Yun Weisi knew what the fox poison was. Sacrificing its life, the fox spirit poured all of its resentment into a final attack, leaving the three scratches on the back of Changming¡¯s hand.


    Fox spirits were adept at enchantments, and the fox poison was unbearably painful. If it was not quickly purged, the effects of the poisoning would worsen with each passing day.


    But Yun Weisi did not know the consequences of being afflicted with the fox poison.


    ¡°How do we get rid of the fox poison?¡±


    After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Li said: ¡°By fighting poison with poison. Another fox spirit that is more than a hundred years old can be used to regulate it alongside the Ice-Snow Grass. If they¡¯re refined in the Dragon Feet Cauldron, it should neutralize the poison.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°The Dragon Feet Cauldron of the Wanjian Immortal Clan?¡±


    Jiang Li nodded and added, smiling uncomfortably: ¡°I can¡¯t return to my clan right now, but I can send them a letter and ask a disciple to deliver the Dragon Feet Cauldron to help you refine an antidote. Elder Fang of my sect is skilled at refining pills. Ask him when the time comes.¡±


    He stated every ingredient and treasure needed to create an antidote, clearly expressing his goodwill.


    The Wanjian Immortal Clan was a prominent and glorious sect one hundred years ago as well. Being the leader of the clan, Jiang Li was however neither haughty, aloof nor distant from the common people. On the contrary, he was treating patients in some common medicine hall.


    Be it the past or the present, Yun Weisi had never been a close friend of Jiang Li¡¯s. He had no way to tell whether Jiang Li was acting like always or abnormally.


    As they had figured out, the real Jiang Li¡¯s body had been occupied by his shifu, Luomei, at some point. Immortal Luomei had taken over Jiang Li¡¯s identity and traveled through the Jianghu with his face, setting the formation step by step, eventually ruining the entire human world.


    They had traveled one hundred years back in time, and originally Yun Weisi had thought that they would be able to get closer to this person instigating the accidents from behind the scenes only after some time. Yun Weisi certainly did not expect to run into Jiang Li just like this.


    If they killed Jiang Li, none of the future catastrophes would take place, and everything would go back to normal. Jiufang Changming would not need to sacrifice his body to learn about their enemy¡¯s conspiracy, the Nine Layers of the Abyss would never appear, and everything would get a fresh start. He and Jiufang Changming could also get another ending.


    However, the question now was whether the Jiang Li in front of their eyes was the real Jiang Li or Immortal Luomei?


    If he was not under Luomei¡¯s control, did he know anything about his teacher¡¯s plans?


    ¡°Thank you very much for your advice, Clan Master Jiang. This place is plagued with demons. Has Clan Master Jiang come here to eliminate evil?¡±


    Yun Weisi¡¯s mind was wandering, and he was thinking about many things at this moment, yet his expression did not change at all, leaving no hint to others about what he was thinking.


    Jiang Li touched his nose.


    ¡°Would you believe me if I said that I came here to flee from a disaster?¡±


    Seeing that Yun Weisi gave no response, Jiang Li laughed.


    ¡°To be honest, I went down the mountains to travel and gain experience. You can¡¯t tell anyone about me! Just pretend we never met here.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°We¡¯re just traveling rogue cultivators and have no connections with any sects. Be at ease, Clan Master Jiang.¡±


    For some reason, Jiang Li felt that this pair of shixiong and shidi were strange.


    This feeling stemmed from the fact that whenever rogue cultivators heard mention of the Wanjian Immortal Clan and learned about Jiang Li¡¯s identity, they would subconsciously start to regard him with reverence or even tremble with awe. However, these two remained indifferent, as if this was just a casual meeting.


    Jiang Li could not even determine their cultivation levels or where they had come from.


    However, Hongluo was a mess at this moment. Bizarre things occurred all the time, so these people were not all that unusual.


    Since one of them had been scratched by a fox spirit, it was obvious that they had been in a fight with it. So, at the very least, they were not on the same side as the fox spirits.


    ¡°Before daoyou Jiufang gets rid of the fox poison, you can only endure it. Using spiritual power would only accelerate the effects of the poison. Moreover, no one can say when it will flare up again as the intervals are inconsistent. I¡¯ve heard this is what happens during my journeys, but I don¡¯t know the reason. There¡¯s not much more help I can give you.¡±


    Jiang Li was sincere in his offer of help. He said he would write a letter asking for the Longzu Cauldron, and he actually took a brush in his hand immediately. Very soon, the letter was sealed with a stamp he had been carrying on himself.


    A golden light ignited when the seal touched the paper. It was the private seal of the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and was something that could not be faked.


    After sealing the letter, he handed it over to Yun Weisi.


    ¡°Several days ago, demons and spirits suddenly appeared in Hongluo, and innocent commoners have suffered. The constables under the town supervisor are common people as well. Since you two are cultivators, please, stay here for some time. Help me flush out the culprits and return peace to Hongluo.¡±


    Jiang Li¡¯s intonation now had nothing in common with the style of that person who regarded human lives with even less signficance than ants and wanted to pave a new path by destroying the world.


    Yun Weisi asked: ¡°Perhaps Clan Master Jiang knows the reason why these fox spirits appeared?¡±


    Jiang Li exclaimed: ¡°Don¡¯t call me Clan Master Jiang all the time! Just call me Doctor Jiang. It seems that I should change my appearance while traveling for convenience¡­ I¡¯m unaware of the reason, but I know that at dusk half a month ago, a blood-colored moon appeared in the sky, and the incidents started that night. Moreover, there are not only fox spirits here, but also nightmare demons and malicious ghosts. I¡¯ve even fought with a nightmare demon myself. They are very difficult to tame and hard to destroy. If you¡¯re careless for a moment, it will slip away.¡±


    Yun Weisi had fought with a nightmare demon too, so he knew that Jiang Li¡¯s words were not meaningless.


    ¡°We want to stay here for a few more days. If there¡¯s a chance, we¡¯ll be sure to take care of it,¡± said Yun Weisi.


    ¡°Then I should thank you, daoyous, on behalf of the common people of the town.¡±


    Jiang Li took a silver bell out of his sleeve. It was exquisite and beautiful, but did not ring when shaken.


    ¡°This bell is called a Bell of One Mind. You and I will have one. If you hold it and wish for it, the bell will ring. If you¡¯re in danger, let me know at once, and I¡¯ll hurry over to help you.¡±


    Changming remained silent all this time.


    Firstly, he was enduring pain, waiting for the flare-up to pass.


    Secondly, he noticed that Yun Weisi was on guard while talking to this man.


    This vigilance was not obvious, but Changming could feel it after having spent so much time with Yun Weisi.


    On their way back to the guest house after leaving the medicine shop, Changming finally spoke: ¡°Is this Clan Master Jiang the main culprit you¡¯ve mentioned before?¡±


    Yun Weisi hummed in agreement: ¡°I don¡¯t know whether we can believe his words.¡±


    Just as Jiang Li appeared in the town, spirits had started to pester Hongluo. This occurrence was reminiscent of the Jiang Li who had been luring over demons to kill people to refine Soul Gathering Pearls.


    In Yun Weisi¡¯s opinion, Jiang Li was the prime suspect.


    However, he could not act rashly. They needed time to understand the situation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see,¡± Changming said. His voice was soft, he was almost groaning.


    When Yun Weisi saw Changming touch his chest with his face flushed, Yun Weisi wanted to hold him tighter. However, Changming¡¯s expression changed, and he pushed Yun Weisi away instead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come so close¡­¡±


    Beads of sweat had appeared on Changming¡¯s forehead, and he breathed heavily, speaking in a trembling voice.


    Yun Weisi recalled Jiang Li¡¯s words about fox spirits being adept at enticing, and he vaguely realized what that meant.


    ¡­


    Sun Wuxia turned his head abruptly. He calmed down a bit and breathed out with relief, but was still somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Daoyou Chi, why did you follow me?¡±


    ¡°I saw a fox spirit out of my window, so I left to chase it,¡± Daoyou Chi slightly furrowed her delicate eyebrows, which was very affecting. ¡°But I lost it after going outside.¡±

 CH 115

    ¡°A fox spirit?¡± Sun Wuxia raised his eyebrows, ¡°Where was it heading?¡±


    Last night, rumors about spirits going on a rampage had given rise to much discussion in the guest house. The news about Old He being the only survivor of his trading caravan quickly spread, so of course, Sun Wuxia had heard of it too.


    But his companions had neither been disturbed nor attacked, so it was natural that Sun Wuxia thought that Yun Weisi¡¯s abilities were too poor to protect the He family¡¯s caravan.


    Daoyou Chi shook her head: ¡°I¡¯ve lost track of it. People say that fox spirits like wild places, so it¡¯s better to check the outskirts of the town.¡±


    This train of thought matched Sun Wuxia¡¯s.


    He was always amiable towards daoyou Chi. Unfortunately, as she was always accompanying princess Changning, Sun Wuxia could rarely speak even a couple of words to daoyou Chi in private. He was a gifted young man, yet, even though king Xiang was willing, the fairy did not dream of him. As such, Sun Wuxia could only resort to devising schemes that would create an opportunity to meet with her.


    King Xiang was willing, but the fairy did not dream of him: unrequited love. From ¡°Rhapsody on Gaotang¡± or ¡°Rhapsody on the Goddess¡±. King Xiang of Chu dreamed of meeting the fairy of Mount Wu


    ¡°That¡¯s fine! My shishu is protecting the princess, so she should be safe. Daoyou Chi, please.¡±


    Sun Wuxia could not express his eagerness and happiness too obviously, so he tried to sound restrained.


    Daoyou Chi smiled slightly.


    She was not a peerless beauty that could bring down countries with her incomparable looks, but she had the sort of elegance that made other people forget about mundane things while looking at her. She was like a young leaf touched by rime, or a star shining upon a mountain.


    Sun Wuxia knew little about her past¡ªonly the fact that she was probably a distant relative of princess Changning. In any case, if she was able to accompany the princess all the time, it was likely that she did not come from humble origins.


    She did not speak much, but was not uncommunicative. If Sun Wuxia asked her anything, she would give him an answer.


    Sun Wuxia recounted the rumors he had heard in the nearby towns to her. Some of these rumors said that it was a widow¡¯s revenge, and others told about the return of an unfilial son. The common people always came up with fascinating backstories for the deceased to have more topics to discuss after dinner. However, after the news of the terrifying murder cases of last night had spread, everyone, including both local residents and travellers, was in panic. So, the rumors had quieted down a lot instead. The blizzard was too furious, and the caravans could not leave, so people could only continue to hide in guest houses, helping each other out.


    Daoyou Chi sighed: ¡°And we don¡¯t know who orders these spirits around. So many things have happened that if I leave now, I won¡¯t have a clear conscience.¡±


    The Great Dao was merciless, and everything went according to the will of the heavens.


    It was not that there were no cultivators who bemoaned the state of the world and pitied the ordinary people. However, if such people were not incredibly strong, the harsh reality of the path of cultivation would repeatedly harden and correct them until they turned into a person who refused to have their karma stained and never meddled into other people¡¯s business.


    Sun Wuxia thought otherwise, but still comforted her compassionate heart: ¡°Don¡¯t feel sad, daoyou Chi. Anyway, we¡¯re staying in Hongluo for at least a few more days. Catching that fox spirit is a charitable deed we can afford to accomplish.¡±


    The street in front of them was a vast expanse of whiteness, and there was no one else on it.


    Given the season, this shichen should have been the brightest time of the day, but the sky above their heads was very cloudy, and not a single ray of the warm and radiant sun shone through to people.


    While talking, the two of them quickly left Hongluo. The houses became scarce and were gradually replaced with a dense forest.


    Sun Wuxia saw no traces of the fox spirit, but discerned a residence amidst the trees.


    At first glance, it looked like a villa built by a rich family on the outskirts of town. Hidden behind the ice and the snow, it was wealthy and extravagant and seemed well-maintained, as if someone had been sprucing it up on a regular basis.


    As expected, when they approached the villa, someone opened the doors and went outside. This person was probably a servant who was responsible for looking after the villa.


    He was surprised to see Sun Wuxia and his companion. But he was well-mannered, and when he heard that they had come here to acquire some information, he turned around and left to report to his master.


    After some time, the main doors were opened wide, and the owner of the residence appeared.


    ¡°Sir, Lady, you must have come from afar. Your presence graces the humble abode of this old man. Please, come in, drink some tea and rest.¡±


    Sun Wuxia was impatient: ¡°We didn¡¯t come here to beg for food. Are you from Hongluo?¡±


    The man answered: ¡°Yes. This old man¡¯s last name is Chen, and my family lives in the town. I was going to visit this place for a couple of days, but suddenly the blizzard began. My family told me they¡¯ll come and pick me up when the snow stops.¡±


    Sun Wuxia: ¡°Have you encountered anything strange after living here for several days?¡±


    The old man shook his head: ¡°The blizzard was raging for the whole night, so I didn¡¯t even open my doors. The snow in the yard is so deep that my feet sink into it.¡±


    After the gates were opened, Sun Wuxia and daoyou Chi could also catch sight of two servants sweeping away the snow from the yard.


    Elder Chen¡¯s expression was alert, without a trace of a demonic qi. Sun Wuxia saw nothing suspicious about him for now.


    ¡°And you haven¡¯t heard any strange noises?¡±


    ¡°No. When you arrived, I was engrossed in playing chess.¡±


    Sun Wuxia raised his head. The sky had lightened for a moment, but soon darkened again.


    A new snowstorm was approaching.


    Elder Chen said: ¡°It seems that it will snow again soon. Why don¡¯t you drink a cup of hot tea and warm yourselves up before leaving?¡±


    Daoyou Chi suddenly spoke: ¡°What kind of chess is the Elder playing?¡±


    Elder Chen laughed: ¡°Go. I received a new chess manual recently, and thought that the Zhenlong problem in particular was entertaining. I was so absorbed in solving it that I lost track of time.¡±


    Daoyou Chi seemed interested as well: ¡°Can I take a look at it too?¡±


    Elder Chen: ¡°Of course you can. Please, come in.¡±


    Since she had spoken, Sun Wuxia could only follow her.


    Daoyou Chi was well-versed in playing chess and enthusiastically discussed the game with Elder Chen until the sky darkened. It started to snow outside, but it was warm in the residence. The fire was burning brightly, and a maid brought them tea with some light refreshments. Even though Sun Wuxia was not hungry, he still drank a cup of hot tea.


    Seeing that it was getting dark, he was forced to remind daoyou Chi: ¡°We should leave.¡±


    As if waking from a deep sleep, daoyou Chi raised her head from the game of chess, blushing slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve always loved chess, so I easily lose myself when playing.¡±


    She gave a charming smile, unconsciously revealing a sense of childishness.


    Sun Wuxia¡¯s heart softened, and so did his intonation.


    ¡°We still have other things to do, so we have to return. Otherwise my shishu and the others will worry.¡±


    Daoyou Chi nodded: ¡°You¡¯re right, let¡¯s go.¡±


    She bid farewell to Elder Chen. He found it hard to part with a rare fellow chess player of equivalent banners and drums and gave them some freshly cooked food for the road. He also asked them to send a message to the house of the Chen family on Qipan street in the western part of the town, saying that their elder would return home several days later than expected.


    Of equivalent banners and drums: evenly matched


    Daoyou Chi did not decline the enthusiasm of the owner of the house. They bid farewell and left the villa at night.


    After walking for some time, Sun Wuxia thought that this was strange.


    Hongluo was not comparable to a capital. Even if the old man¡¯s family was rich, there was no reason for them to build a villa on the outskirts.


    He abruptly turned his head back. The snow had filled the scenery of the night, blotting out the sky and hiding the moon. But where was the beautiful mansion?


    Sun Wuxia gasped in astonishment and turned back to ask his companion: ¡°Have you noticed anything wrong?¡±


    Daoyou Chi shook her head: ¡°I felt no demonic qi on elder Chen.¡±


    Sun Wuxia relaxed: ¡°Give me the food container, I¡¯ll open it and take a look.¡±


    They opened the food box. There were steaming hot dishes inside.


    Stewed pork balls in brown sauce, braised meatballs in gravy, and noodles with scallions.


    The fragrance filled the air, but was quickly blown away with the snow.


    These were authentic cooked meals, and not dead twigs or withered leaves that had been transformed by spirits.


    Before Sun Wuxia could breathe out with relief, someone called for him from behind.


    ¡°Wuxia!¡±


    His shishu He Bo had appeared here for some reason. He quickly approached them, stopping several steps away. His expression was cold and stern.


    ¡°Wuxia, quickly come here!¡±


    ¡°Shishu?¡± said Sun Wuxia. While he stood there, puzzled, daoyou Chi grabbed his hand.


    She whispered: ¡°Don¡¯t go, there¡¯s ghost qi on him.¡±


    Just as she said these words, He Bo¡¯s voice became even angrier: ¡°Wuxia, hurry up! This demon is not daoyou Chi!¡±


    But Sun Wuxia did not notice any ghost qi around He Bo, and sensed nothing demonic about the woman near him either.


    However, surely, there was something wrong about one of them.


    Who was telling a lie?


    He could not be sure.


    Sun Wuxia felt nothing last night when the spirits were going on a rampage. This time, he found himself in the desolate outskirts with two familiar people, who had turned into perfect strangers, and was actually frightened.


    ¡­


    Changming leant back against a wall. His chest was heaving and falling, and he was breathing heavily.


    This violent pain came not only from the burn left by the fox poison on the back of his hand, but also from his chest.


    The further he stayed from Yun Weisi, the less scorching was the feeling.


    The medicine shop employee and Jiang Li noticed that and helped him sit down. Changming felt that this pain he was experiencing was at the limit of what he could endure.


    After it had happened several times, he vaguely understood this poison.


    Fox spirits were adept at enticing, and the poison caused not only external injuries.


    It penetrated into the bones and the blood, cutting though his flesh, piercing his mind and resonating with his primordial spirit.


    The closer the infected person came to those that they were on intimate terms with, the stronger the poison was.


    Did it mean he would never be able to be near Yun Weisi?


    Changming¡¯s pain had receded a bit, but his face was still flushed when he raised his eyes to look at Yun Weisi.


    After letting Changming¡¯s hand go, he did not come closer even by a step and stood at a distance. His eyes were brimming with emotions, as if he wanted to say many things, but instead, he stood there without taking action.


    If it could harm Changming, Yun Weisi would rather repress his emotions and never come closer.


    Changming suddenly understood his thoughts.


    The way Yun Weisi probably felt was akin to lava on the verge of erupting from beneath a mountain of ice, but the mountain was suppressing the lava with difficulty and refused to let even the smallest drop seep out.


    Changming did not know whether he had actually gotten along with Yun Weisi in the past, and did not know what he felt about Yun Weisi. However, after he regained consciousness, he had seen Yun Weisi from the moment he woke up in the morning to when he went to bed at night.Yun Weisi accompanied him even while eating.


    Changming had already gotten used to having him around. When he saw the desolate look in Yun Weisi¡¯s eyes, a kind of inexplicable feeling rose in his heart.


    It was difficult to describe, but it was different from the pain caused by the fox poison flaring up.


    For that reason, he took a deep breath, stood up, barely keeping balance. He then raised his hand, and suddenly took a step towards Yun Weisi. The latter subconsciously stretched out his hand to support Changming, and Changming grabbed his arm too.


    The sharp pain struck again, but Changming refused to let Yun Weisi go this time. He even forced a smile towards Yun Weisi.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine, see? I can handle it, you don¡¯t need to run away.¡±


    Yun Weisi trembled slightly. He wanted to distance himself, but Changming held onto him tenaciously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what our relationship was in the past, but it¡¯ll be this way from this day on.¡±

 CH 116

    Changming had been like a beacon for Yun Weisi for a long time.


    He was someone who made people look up to him and inspired them, as he had always obtained what he wanted through his unyielding determination.


    Even if Yun Weisi seized Changming, he knew that he would be unable to restrain Changming.


    Were the words Changming had said partially because they had spent all day together after he had lost his memories, or was it also because Changming still had some room for Yun Weisi in his heart?


    While Yun Weisi was sober, he still could not think straight.


    He knew that his Demonic heart had never wandered too far away.


    Once reignited by a single spark, his Demonic heart would erupt anew with raging flames, akin to a boundless stretch of plains catching fire and turning into a blazing sea. He would plunge into the depths of hell, and be doomed for eternity.


    Have you thought about the consequences of this?


    Yun Weisi asked Changming in his thoughts.


    You can not snatch away hope from someone you have given it to.


    Yun Weisi did not say it out loud, and only looked wordlessly at Changming who had tightly grabbed onto his arm, and endured the suffering this action caused.


    The latter seemed to be doing this to remedy the fox poison that was forcing him to stay away from his ¡°shixiong¡±.


    At that moment, Jiufang Changming had lost his ethereal aloofness and tranquil demeanor, openly demonstrating the whole gamut of human feelings. He was still not a person to bother about trifles, and had his goals in clear sight, but Yun Weisi could see through his ¡°flaws¡±.


    Changming had a sweet tooth, but not to the point of being addicted to sweets. He just liked glutinous-rice dumplings with peanut fillings more than the ones with sesame seeds.


    He used to caress the hem of his garments subconsciously while thinking.


    Although he was a cultivator, Jiufang Changming loved reading books. It was a deep-rooted habit. He enjoyed studying the ways of every school of thought, in order to adopt their strong points and discard their shortcomings. He did not even care about genres. Even if it was a small wooden writing tablet with miscellaneous notes that had been written by a famous scholar from the common people, he would still read it with keen interest.


    Perhaps, Jiufang Changming from the past had the same character traits, but he would have never shown them so openly.


    In the past, he was like a fleeting cloud that could neither be touched nor detained, that flew far away with the wind and rose up beyond the skies. This cloud could disperse at any moment, or descend to the human world again.


    However, whether it was in the past, the present, or the future, Yun Weisi noticed every small detail about him.


    Maybe, Jiufang Changming would never understand it, but he would never have a chance to reverse the fact that he had reached out to Yun Weisi now.


    Yun Weisi seized the opportunity and let Changming fall into his embrace, looking at Changming¡¯s expression, which was becoming more obviously twisted with pain. But Yun Weisi did not let him go this time.


    ¡°Pretend to look weaker again,¡± Yun Weisi whispered in Changming¡¯s ear.


    Understanding the hidden meaning behind Yun Weisi¡¯s words, Jiufang Changming barely managed to concentrate despite the poison flaring up.


    ¡°Jiang Li is still watching us from the threshold.¡±


    After traveling a hundred years into the past, and with the knowledge that Jiang Li was responsible for pulling the strings from behind the scenes, Yun Weisi could hardly stop himself from associating this Hongluo case with Jiang Li. Whether this man was the real Jiang Li or Luomei, from Yun Weisi¡¯s point of view, both of them were closely linked to that conspiracy.


    The master of a glorious clan had suddenly changed his looks to become a doctor in some small town. This fact itself was beyond suspicious.


    Their enemy was in the light, while they were in the dark. Now, the advantage was on their side.


    Yun Weisi wanted to make it appear as if he and Changming were two cultivators who had just happened to travel through Hongluo by chance, and make their meeting look as random as possible in Jiang Li¡¯s eyes, thus lowering the latter¡¯s guard.


    As Jiang Li was looking at them, Yun Weisi carried Changming on his back without looking back, and they slowly left the medicine shop.


    ¡°Is there anything wrong with the bell he gave you?¡± Changming whispered in his ear.


    His breath warmed Yun Weisi¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Bells of One Mind are communication treasures that disciples use to get in touch with each other while traveling to gain. It¡¯s just a common tool, there¡¯s nothing special about it,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    This was the reason why he had accepted the bell. It would have been strange for him to decline the gift.


    They were talking quietly, so that no one else could hear them. After getting far enough from the hall, Yun Weisi felt that something was not right.


    Changming noticed this as well.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already passed by that grain store.¡±


    The snowfall was heavy, so few people went out even though it was day and bright outside. The entire town had been buried under an endless sea of white snow, and the shops on either side of the street looked almost identical. However, the same ¡°Selling Rice¡± shop sign could not have appeared twice on the same street.


    ¡°Put me down,¡± Changming said.


    His voice was no longer trembling, so the fox poison must have receded a great deal.


    Yun Weisi also looked around. It was still the same street, and they could see the medicine shop if they turned back. The only difference was that Jiang Li, the shopkeeper, and the assistant had already disappeared. The long and narrow street was so quiet that it seemed to have been abandoned a long time ago, and not a trace of a person could be discerned. Even the withered grass near the road, half-buried under the snow, looked hopelessly doomed.


    Changming lowered his head. They had already stepped on the bricks under his feet, as he remembered that the right corner of one of the bricks was missing. It looked the same now, and the outline with an unfilled corner seemed no different from that in his memories.


    ¡°We¡¯ve encountered ghosts building walls,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    Ghosts building walls: going in rounds despite knowing the way


    This type of trap, ghosts building walls, was not necessarily maintained by ghosts. However, since it could capture cultivators, it was surely not some common ¡°ghosts building walls¡±.


    This person, Jiang Li, was indeed suspicious!


    Yun Weisi and Changming looked at each other without saying anything, but tacitly confirmed that the probability of Jiang Li being the one behind the murders in Hongluo was very high.


    To break through ghosts building walls, one had to find a gap first, just like one had to find an opening in a formation to ruin it.


    While studying in the Yuhuang Daoist Temple, Yun Weisi had been wholeheartedly devoted to cultivation, and had never explored other subjects. As such, he had never learned Changming¡¯s skills in breaking formations. Only after spending countless days on the Void Shore of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, faced with its constantly changing shifts, did he gain some insights about alternative routes.


    He only needed to raise his hand, and many golden rays of light flew off in every direction, just like a constellation or an exploding firework. After the blinding light died down, the scene in front of their eyes changed.


    The street was still the same, but the atmosphere had changed. Noise and vitality had returned to the town.


    To their surprise, even though they left the medicine shop when it was daylight, it was already nighttime now.


    A shrill shriek came from up ahead.


    It had come from the direction of the medicine shop!


    Yun Weisi and Changming hurried to the source of the noise.


    Several people had already gathered around the doors of the medicine shop, attracted here by the fuss. Everyone was a bit frightened, so no one dared to come closer.


    ¡°Quick, report this incident! Ask constable Xing to come over!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the shopkeeper¡¯s daughter? Call for their family!¡±


    ¡°What a pity! Shopkeeper Liu is so kind and charitable¡ªhow could this happen? Indeed, no good deed goes unpunished!¡±


    ¡°Even if this is a ghost¡¯s doing, it should have happened to a bad person! Why kill someone this good? Nowadays, even death knows no justice!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet!¡±


    Changming and Yun Weisi pushed through the crowd to get closer, and soon saw the shopkeeper with his assistant lying down in a pool of blood. They were no longer breathing. Their necks and hands had scratches just like the one on the back of Changming¡¯s hand, so fox spirits were obviously to blame.


    Jiang Li was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Sure enough, doctor Jiang has been abducted by monsters!¡± The bystanders were all talking at once, expressing their concerns for Jiang Li¡¯s safety.


    From this, one could see how well-regarded Jiang Li was. No one even thought of suspecting him of committing the murder.


    The situation in the town had been quite restless recently, so people knew that the owner of the shop had already left for Shangzhou with his family. Since then, only three people had been working in the medicine hall: the shopkeeper, his assistant, and doctor Jiang.


    Now, two of them had been found dead, Jiang Li had gone missing, and yet another terrifying unresolved murder case had happened in the town.


    ¡°Constable Xing arrived!¡±


    ¡°Constable Xing is here!¡±


    The crowd moved aside, clearing a path for the constable. A middle-aged man dressed in the clothes of an official walked through the crowd with two subordinates. As soon as he saw Yun Weisi and Changming, his expression changed, as if he had been confronted with a mortal enemy.


    ¡°Are you Yun Weisi and Jiufang Changming?¡± Surprisingly, he knew their names.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Constable Xing¡¯s expression was grave. He retreated half a step back, and tightly grasped the hilt of the weapon on his waist.


    ¡°The head of the He family has reported a case to the yamen, and gave evidence that you killed his daughter and guardians¡ªthirteen people altogether. Please, follow me to the yamen.¡±


    The crowd erupted into an uproar.


    People who had been standing near the two of them had suddenly learned that they were standing close to a pair of possible criminals and quickly jumped away one after another, as if afraid to be infected by their filth. They recalled the devastating murder cases that had taken place during these several days, and subconsciously decided that the two man were related to the rampaging demons and ghosts. The least courageous ones simply turned away and ran, not even daring to look back at this lively scene.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s expression sank.


    Constable Xing took another step back.


    He had already resolutely decided that the two of them were the murderers, and was afraid that they would start attacking people at the slightest provocation.


    Constable Xing had been cultivating in some sect for several years, so he could guess whether a person was a cultivator. Surely, he was a lot more capable than a commoner, but faced with an actual cultivator, he was still an amateur swinging an ax in front of Lu Ban. He clearly understood how formidable cultivators were, so he did not dare act without careful consideration, and his intonation was as calm as possible.


    Swinging an ax in front of Lu Ban: teaching fish to swim


    He stared at them without blinking, and did not move his line of sight at all, waiting for their expressions to change and betray some clues.


    The two men were impeccably clean from head to toe, just like any of the other cultivators he had met. They did not get stained with blood while killing and treated people like ants.


    For cultivators, or even more so demonic cultivators who could not tell good apart from evil, these few common people from Hongluo meant nothing to them, and cultivators like these could just kill them without a second thought. But constable Xing refused to let it go. This town had originally been very peaceful, and he could not let anyone else disturb its peace. Even if he was no match for these cultivators, there were others behind his back who would apprehend them.


    ¡°Sirs, this Xing has no intention of offending you, but my immediate superior has prohibited anyone from killing the innocent people of Hongluo. This Xing is only following this order. Please, don¡¯t make it difficult for me. If you have anything to say, please talk to my superior.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t killed anyone.¡±


    Certainly, Old He had witnessed the fox spirit and the nightmare demon kill people and take over his daughter¡¯s body. Why would he suddenly proclaim Yun Weisi and Changming to be the culprits?


    Could it be that he had been possessed by a fox spirit, and they had failed to notice this?


    No, that was practically impossible. Yun Weisi was absolutely sure that fox spirits and nightmare demons could not hide from him, especially when they were right under his nose. Although these demons were rather skillful, they were not his opponents. They could only try to hide their tracks and conceal themselves by running away. However, it was possible that someone was manipulating their actions.


    Or perhaps everything was related to Jiang Li?


    Yun Weisi seemed indifferent, but his thoughts were running wild, many ideas flashing through his mind all at once. However, he did not manage to draw a conclusion from all this.


    Constable Xing insisted: ¡°Sirs, are you the culprits? Please, come with me to the town supervisor, and clarify what has happened. I¡¯m not in a position to decide.¡±


    According to Old He¡¯s testimony, these two men boarded his carriage half way to Hongluo, and followed the former all the way to the town. The accident had taken place the night they arrived. Now the medicine shop had been massacred, and the two of them had appeared immediately. This coincidence was beyond suspicious.


    He knew he was no match for the two cultivators, so he silently put his hand down. A bell appeared in his palm, and constable Xing held it tightly.


    Yun Weisi saw him do it.


    No doubt, this was a Bell of One Mind, a communication treasure of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    As soon as he clenched his fist over the bell, another one would make a signal.


    Jiang Li had disappeared, so who was constable Xing going to call for? It could not possibly be Jiang Li?


    At first, Yun Weisi was going to turn around and leave together with Changming, but he was not in a hurry after seeing the Bell of One Mind.


    He wanted to know who was the person backing constable Xing.


    Just how many mysteries were hidden in Hongluo?


    ¡­


    Sun Wuxia looked to the left, and then to the right. His eyes were wandering from his shishu He Bo to daoyou Chi.


    The two of them were at daggers drawn and bows bent, but Sun Wuxia could not tell who was lying, and who was telling the truth.


    He Bo saw that he was hesitating, so he quickly said, as if afraid that Sun Wuxia would be bewitched: ¡°You came up our mountain when you were five. You were feeble, and everyone said that since your spiritual roots were constricted, you were not fit for cultivation. But your shifu insisted on accepting you as a disciple. I was also present that day. When you bowed to your shifu, you fainted because of stress.¡±


    Sun Wuxia quivered. A demon disguised as his shishu could not have known such details.


    He turned to daoyou Chi.


    She was still calm, and said unhurriedly: ¡°I¡¯m from the Wanxiang Palace, a distant relative of Princess Changning. Come to think of it, I¡¯m also related to daoyou Sun. This time, by coming to Shangzhou with Princess Changning, I was going to visit the Qianlin Assembly in passing, so our destinations coincided.¡±


    The Wanxiang Palace had always been shrouded in mystery. Sun Wuxia never knew she was a part of this mysterious sect, so he revealed a surprised look.


    ¡°Daoyou Chi, do you remember the sword you gave away?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. Although this sword has no name, it is one of the most valuable treasures of the Wanxiang Palace. I was sure that person would fail to summon it, and back out of an awkward situation. Yet, contrary to my expectations, he managed to draw the sword. Obviously, this is fate. They were destined to meet,¡± daoyou Chi smiled.


    Sun Wuxia felt uncomfortable. He could only fold his hands helplessly when it came to this sword, but the other man turned out to be the person fated to draw this sword. This meant that Sun Wuxia had lost to him.


    Since daoyou Chi knew so much about this matter, she must not be a fake.


    He Bo stamped his foot.


    ¡°Why are you still hesitating? She¡¯s obviously a disguised fox spirit! When I was leaving, daoyou Chi was with Princess Changning, how could she have teleported here?¡±


    Daoyou Chi was neither angered nor frightened. After He Bo finished talking, she purged herself of this charge.


    ¡°I stumbled upon daoyou He after leaving. He saw you running away, but could not stop you, so he asked me to bring you back. But I was also interested in searching for the fox spirit, so I followed you here. Let¡¯s learn who is a demon and who is a ghost by testing each other!¡±


    After saying this, she moved her finger lightly, and a ray of sparkling light landed on He Bo¡¯s clothes. He Bo had no time to avoid the attack, so blue flames enveloped his body quickly.


    He Bo screamed. He pulled out all his spiritual treasures, but could not put out the blue flames despite that. It only blazed on more dazzlingly, which looked a bit odd.


    ¡°Look, obviously, he¡¯s a ghost. Only ghosts have ghost fires.¡±


    Sun Wuxia was frightened. He pulled at daoyou Chi and retreated a few steps back.


    ¡°Sun Wuxia, quickly get away from the demon!¡±


    Even amidst the blue flames, He Bo still refused to give up. With a sinister expression, he charged towards the two of them. Daoyou Chi waved her sleeve, and an invisible barrier was erected in front of them. He Bo crashed against it and fell back, curling on the ground in agony.


    He could no longer say anything, but his expression was remorseful as he looked at Sun Wuxia.


    The more Sun Wuxia looked, the stranger he felt. Just as he was going to go nearer and take a closer look, he realized that the woman standing next to him had grabbed his hand. Her hand was as if it was a chain made of ice, and he could not get rid of the grip.


    His heart fell. He turned around abruptly, and saw that the young woman¡¯s exquisite face had been distorted with an eerie smile. Her eyes had turned red, and she was staring at He Bo, who was burning in blue flames.


    ¡°Look at the fire. It can devour anything in this world. Isn¡¯t it even better than the Three True Flames and the Fire of Retribution of the Red Lotus?¡±

 CH 117

    Proofread by Snake


    Sun Wuxia threw his arm in her direction on instinct, releasing his simmering qi¡ªbut he only hit thin air!


    The person in front of his eyes had suddenly disappeared without a trace.


    What had replaced her was an elusive, unceasing whisper.


    ¡°Sun-lang, you¡¯re breaking my heart! You obviously like me, so why are you trying to kill me? So you always were nothing but Lord Ye professing love of the dragon! You¡¯re all talk!¡±


    Lord Ye professing love of the dragon: ostensible fondness. Lord Ye used to say he loved everything about dragons, but when one honored him with its presence, Lord Ye was frightened and ran away


    ¡°Do you know what happens to those who betray me?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re set ablaze by ghost fires just like this man. They wail and beg for mercy, but eventually their ashes scatter with the wind, and their sins are washed away.¡±


    Her voice was faint and got louder and softer in turns. No matter how Sun Wuxia tried to shield himself from it, the voice would always find an opportunity to assault him.


    Sun Wuxia was too late. The blue demonic flames had already corroded He Bo¡¯s body down to his bones, and only his skeleton was still being propped up amidst the fire.


    Sun Wuxia had never expected his shishu who had almost reached the level of a master of cultivation to be defeated by ghost flames so completely that not even his bones would be left.


    His shishu¡¯s agonized cry and the woman¡¯s sinister voice had blended together, leaving Sun Wuxia¡¯s thoughts in complete disarray. He pulled out the sword on his back, and the shiny blade slashed forwards haphazardly.


    Upon touching the sword glow, the ghost flames scattered aside but quickly gathered again and flew towards Sun Wuxia.


    ¡°Evildoers act like deities and play devils! Come out if you dare!¡± Sun Wuxia shouted.


    Act like deities and play devils: mystify deliberately


    His voice echoed through the forest.


    But only the woman¡¯s unperturbed whisper answered him.


    ¡°Indeed, all men are heartless! None of them are worth it, including you, Sun-lang!¡±


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t like me, return what I¡¯ve given you!¡±


    ¡°Sun-lang, look, what is that?¡±


    Sun Wuxia heard a clanging sound and quickly turned to its source.


    The box with food fell to the ground, and something pitch-black rolled out from it.


    Where were the pork meatballs braised in soy sauce? It was obvious now that the food had just been silt mixed with leftovers and several black things wrapped into rotten leaves. A foul stench assaulted his nostrils, and Sun Wuxia barely endured an urge to vomit.


    He recalled the hot tea he had drunk in the villa earlier and felt a pungent smell rise in his throat. He could only think about how nauseating and rancid what he had drank was.


    Behind you!


    An alarm bell rang out inside his head. Sun Wuxia did not even have time to turn around, so he quickly stepped forward before brandishing his sword behind his back!


    Daoyou Chi¡¯s faint figure was standing amidst the bluish flames as she revealed a captivating smile in Sun Wuxia¡¯s direction. His sword¡¯s glow smashed the figure into pieces, but it quickly reassembled not far away.


    ¡°Sun-lang, why did you turn hostile so abruptly?¡± She said quietly, with a sad and pitiful expression plastered on her face.


    In the past, such an expression would have moved Sun Wuxia, but now he was outraged.


    Her techniques were crafty, and he could not figure them out with his current level of cultivation. Sun Wuxia could not compete with her at all, so he chose to run away.


    But running away was also not easy.


    The woman was not in a hurry to kill him and simply played with him as if she were a cat and he were a mouse. She clapped her hands, gave him some time to run away, but then quickly appeared again nearby. She had exhausted Sun Wuxia, yet he was helpless to do anything against her.


    The sword in Sun Wuxia¡¯s hands was the most valuable treasure of his sect. His teacher had handed it over to Sun Wuxia when he descended the mountains to gain experience and to present himself well at the Qianlin Assembly. His shishu, He Bo, had followed him in person. With a senior supporting and supervising him, Sun Wuxia was supposed to have no troubles along the way. Who would have expected that his shishu would not ensure his triumph, but would instead perish in a small village like a broken halberd sinking into the sand?


    The road under his feet was pitch-black, and a dense fog had enveloped the air of the dark night. He could see virtually nothing.


    Sun Wuxia ran forward frantically, staggering along the way. He had not even realized how fast his spiritual powers were draining from him, just like a torrent of water. At first, the ghost fires behind his back did not come near him, but little by little, they were getting bolder and drew closer and closer. Eventually, the ghost fire surrounded him and was no longer dispersed. At times, it even abruptly launched itself at Sun Wuxia, and he barely evaded these attacks. However, after a while, he slipped. The ghost fire almost brushed against his head, but he had no time to avoid it with his spiritual powers.


    He had clearly seen his shishu¡¯s demise. Sun Wuxia was terrified, knowing that he could lose his life at any moment.


    Suddenly, he was pulled aside by a strong force, which helped him avoid the ghost fires. Someone grabbed him ruthlessly.


    ¡°Follow me, now!¡±


    He was familiar with the owner of this voice.


    Sun Wuxia could not help raising his head.


    To his surprise, daoyou Chi was dragging him forward!


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Sun Wuxia trembled and almost shook off her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! The spirit used the Art of Fox Enchantment to take on my appearance, I¡¯m the real Chi Bijiang!¡± The young woman said in a stern voice.


    Two people were running wildly through the roaring winds with blue fires pursuing them from behind and evoking utmost terror.


    ¡°Sun-lang, the real me is behind your back! Turn around, take a look!¡±


    ¡°Sun-lang, don¡¯t mind her, listen to me, will you?¡±


    The female voice never subsided, disturbing Sun Wuxia¡¯s state of mind endlessly. However, it seemed as if she was afraid of something and did not dare come too close.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Sun Wuxia could not help asking.


    ¡°Back to Hongluo! These demonic things are afraid of certain things in the town. Furthermore, they can¡¯t stand crowds, and only attack sneakily in the dark of the night.¡±


    The young woman seemed a bit out of breath at that point. She was frighteningly pale because her energy had been depleted.


    Sun Wuxia recalled his shishu He Bo¡¯s words. Daoyou Chi was physically weak, but her status was high and special, so he should not provoke her thoughtlessly. Yet he refused to pay attention to his shishu¡¯s words before. Sun Wuxia trusted the fox spirit stubbornly, and his shishu had lost his life trying to help him.


    The ghost flames drew closer, howling, and suddenly broke through the barrier created by the woman¡¯s spiritual powers, pressing forward to them!


    Sun Wuxia somehow gathered his nonexistent courage and pushed her forward. Resolutely, he slashed his sword back!


    ¡°Daoyou Sun!¡±


    It seemed that Chi Bijiang had not anticipated this behavior. The young man was standing in front of her and slashing his sword at the ghost fires. But the blue flames were glowing between the trees vaguely, and they could only see foxes lurking in the grass at times.


    Ghosts and fox spirits were running wild in the small town of Hongluo, and were occupying the thick forests surrounding the town. This whole situation was strange and bizarre.


    Were these monsters lured here by a human, or was it something else that was drawing them here?


    Chi Bijiang had originally been heading to the Qianlin Assembly and just happened to accompany Princess Changning on her way to visit her elders. She had never thought that she would encounter something of this scale in Hongluo.


    Sun Wuxia screamed in pain. The ghost flames had touched his arm, and in a flash, most part of his arm was engulfed.


    Disregarding the fact that her spiritual powers had almost been depleted, Chi Bijiang folded her fingers and uttered an incantation.


    An umbrella appeared, spreading around violet rays of light. It opened with a rustling sound, repelling the ghost fire.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Hearing her voice, Sun Wuxia held his wounded arm and turned around to run, not daring to linger for another second!


    The young woman was keeping up with him as they ran. The umbrella was spinning behind their backs, blocking the way of the flames that were desperate to devour the two of them.


    They ran madly, almost flying forward like two arrows that had been fired.


    But they were not fast enough!


    The ghost flames were approaching them quickly in a dazzling blue mass, akin to clear blue lake water, flowing towards them. The flames seemed illusory, and from a distance, made people want to admire them. However, these two people knew for certain that an extremely terrifying calamity was hiding behind the beautiful mask.


    Hongluo was close at hand. Hope ignited in their eyes.


    Sun Wuxia, having his spiritual powers almost exhausted, stumbled and fell forward. He did not manage to support himself and lost his balance, rolling forward far enough to leave the protective scope of the umbrella.


    The ghost flames rushed at him like a swarm of hornets, as happy as peasants seeing rain after a drought.


    Sun Wuxia turned around abruptly. He was soaked in sweat, and his expression was distorted with fear!


    Chi Bijiang gritted her teeth and folded her hands into a seal. The umbrella quickly swirled towards Sun Wuxia, but she was left defenseless!


    ¡­


    At the doors of the Huichun Hall of Hongluo.


    Head Constable Xing was staring at the two people across the threshold¡ªthey were Yun Weisi and Jiufang Changming. He could not let himself lower his guard even a little bit.


    He had already labeled the two of them murderers.


    Even if they had not killed the victims with their own hands, they were definitely connected to what had been going on.


    Head constable Xing squeezed the bell in his hand. His heart was almost on fire as he anticipated the transmitted message to bring over reinforcements.


    The fact that the two of them had no intention of leaving only confirmed that they had a strong backer, which made his situation quite delicate.


    The sky suddenly got darker.


    A sandstorm had rose up, and black smoke had condensed around them. A figure, human in shape, suddenly took form in front of them.


    The figure was tightly wrapped in blck clothes.


    After some deliberating, the head constable sighed in relief.


    ¡°It is them!¡± He whispered to the person in black, quickly expressing his suspicions about these two people.


    Yun Weisi overheard how head constable Xing was addressing the person¡ª


    Sir An.


    Was there anyone with such a name in the Wanjian Immortal Clan?


    No.


    Then why did this Sir An have a teleportation tool of the Wanjian Immortal Clan?


    Moreover, this person¡­


    Yun Weisi squinted.


    Is a ghost cultivator.


    When the man in black appeared, pitch black feathers swirled around him. His aura was unusual. The black mists had even covered his face under the hood, which made people believe he simply had abundant, surging spiritual powers.


    But Yun Weisi knew that that was actually ghost qi.


    This person had a profound cultivation base and was obviously one of the most outstanding ghost cultivators. Perhaps he had already reached the master realm.


    Had this happened before, he would not have posed a problem for Yun Weisi and Changming. But they had traveled back in time, and their cultivation had plummeted. Now, there was no telling whether they could defeat this cultivator.


    ¡°Sirs, please, proceed to the yamen. We should await our town supervisor¡¯s directions!¡±


    Head constable Xing was way more poised in the presence of Sir An and even presented the two of them with an ultimatum. Seeing that they did not intend to give up without a fight, he took out the rope wrapped around his waist.


    The black rope rose up in the air and moved towards Yun Weisi, as if it was alive. It quickly tied up his wrists.


    Jiufang Changming moved his fingers, and the tip of his sword pointed to the rope. Having received an order, the Changming Sword appeared from its owner¡¯s sea of consciousness. Like clouds and rainbows, it blotted out the sky, it swirled above their heads!


    The head constable was startled by the fact that the treasure he valued so highly had been sliced apart by his opponent so easily and did not react immediately. Instead, Sir An joined the fight.


    His figure disappeared from his previous position and reappeared behind Yun Weisi¡¯s back in a flash.


    The black feathers swirled in the air, and the ghost qi surged, almost enveloping the opponent.


    It was the unpredictable and outstanding might of a ghost cultivator in action!


    This Sir An was even more crafty and bizarre than the Ghost King Linghu You. Yun Weisi and Jiufang Changming felt weak and in a moment their vision went completely dark.


    Head constable Xing took a few stumbling steps back. He raised his hand to disperse the black mist without taking note of his own actions, but soon realized that it was already too late. Not far away from where he stood, Sir An and Yun Weisi were fighting with their spiritual powers.


    Only darkness surrounded them.


    Darkness: Sir An¡¯s name


    People were the only sources of light.


    The Changming Sword hovered in the air beside Jiufang Changming, ready to strike.


    Sir An turned the palm of his hand upwards, and a black hurricane slowly formed on it. Golden inscriptions were barely discernible inside, which looked exceptionally beautiful yet sinister. Head constable Xing could not help but glance at it for a second, and then, a third time. His mind was confused, and he could lose himself in it any moment. He scratched his palm with his nails, trying to resist it and come back to his senses.


    Yun Weisi had no weapon at all, so his only option was to form a seal with his fingers and gather his spiritual powers and use them as a sword. A light suddenly exploded in tens of thousands of rays, and a sword formed above his head.


    The whirlpool on Sir An¡¯s palm quickly spread in every direction, aiming to swallow Yun Weisi and Jiufang Changming at once. Yun Weisi took action as well.


    ¡°Each matter returns to its origins, while the spiritual soul is always in the heart.¡±


    As these words were said, countless swords appeared at once!


    The sky was lit up to the highest clouds, and qi rushed up to the stars.


    The light and the darkness intertwined, not yielding to each other. The darkness had enveloped most of the sky, overwhelming Yun Weisi bit by bit. Yun Weisi was not going to run away from this fight, but his opponent undoubtedly had an absolute advantage.


    The Changming Sword charged towards Sir An like an arrow, intending to pierce the thick ghost qi around him. However, the sword quickly disappeared in the qi, and the two of them were now fighting in a territory controlled by their enemy.


    Their spiritual powers were inferior to sir An¡¯s, so they could not beat back his every attack. On the contrary, the all-pervading ghost qi was looking for a weakness in their defenses and could easily reach them.


    Sir An did not mean to kill them. It seemed that he only wanted to bring them to justice. Thus, even though Yun Weisi¡¯s and Changming¡¯s spiritual powers were lacking compared to his, they could still fight.


    But a ghost cultivator assisting the supervisors of some town was an abnormal incident. Changming was even considering the possibility that this person was behind the killings in Hongluo.


    Strings of golden light that flowed along with the ghost qi finally broke through Yun Weisi¡¯s sword barrier.


    The sword barrier, which looked like a waterfall, was now covered with cracks.


    The Changming Sword managed to arrive in time to patch up the cracks, but the ghost qi suddenly expanded and burst out, destroying the sword barrier!


    The black fog charged at them with enough power to topple mountains and overturn seas. The two of them quickly retreated, but the ghost qi followed them relentlessly.


    Before Changming could take action, the icy wind had assaulted him, scratching his arm violently. Blood started oozing from the wound immediately.


    It was only a flesh wound, but afterwards¡ª


    Countless strings of ghost qi turned into iron chains that flew towards the two of them. The sword light partially deflected the attack, but it could not disperse it completely. Changming had helped Yun Weisi by driving off a sneak attack that had come from behind Yun Weisi, but Changming¡¯s wrist was shackled by a chain made of ghost qi instead. He tried to free his hand, but its grip only strengthened, dragging him towards Sir An against his will.


    ¡°Sword, come!¡± Changming said sternly.


    The Changming Sword followed his orders, appearing between him and Sir An!


    In the same moment, a new power suddenly stormed into their fight, and it was not Yun Weisi!


    This person pushed Changming back, taking his place in front of Sir An.


    Sir An was surprised. Although he was obviously in a dominant position, he abruptly retreated.


    This person had no intention in engaging Sir An in a fight. He pulled at Changming and shouted to Yun Weisi, before turning to leave.


    ¡°Follow me!¡±


    The three of them disappeared, but Sir An was not going to pursue them at all. Constable Xing could not help urging him: ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go after them?¡±


    Sir An answered after a short pause: ¡°It¡¯s already dark. Let¡¯s return first, and discuss this later.¡±


    Constable Xing wanted to add something, but Sir An dissolved into the black fog right in front of him. Dark veined patterns covered the hems of his robe, as it fluttered before constable Xing¡¯s eyes.


    When it came to Sir An, Constable Xing only knew that this Sir An was a close subordinate on whom the town supervisor relied heavily. However, beside the fact that Sir An had managed to obtain this prestigious position, Constable Xing knew nothing else about him¡ªneither his past, nor his character. The man acted unpredictably and cunningly and even refused to show his own face. In a way, he was even more suspicious than the two suspects.


    Thinking about this, Constable Xing shook his head and laughed bitterly while scattering the crowd of curious bystanders that had gathered around.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Go home quickly! It¡¯s getting dark, evil spirits will come out soon!¡±


    The crowd dispersed with clamor, leaving the two corpses on the ground in front of the medicine hall. Constable Xing ordered his subordinates to load the corpses on a cart and move them towards the yamen.


    A blood-red strip appeared on the gloomy sky. Constable Xing raised his head to look at it, taking it as a bad omen.


    He had no way of knowing how many more misfortunes the small town of Hongluo still had to suffer before everything would be over.


    ¡­


    When Changming was being pulled forward by that person, he felt a sharp pain again. His spiritual power had almost been depleted by the sudden battle earlier, and the back of his hand was getting scorching hot once more.


    The fox poison had flared up.


    This poison was very treacherous. It used his moments of weakness or his wounded state to worm deeper into him, impairing his consciousness.


    His breathing was becoming more laboured, but he kept suppressing it.


    ¡°Clan Master Jiang, don¡¯t run!¡± Changming called after the man, revealing his identity.


    The man stopped his steps and released Changming. He turned around and took off his bamboo hat.


    It was indeed Jiang Li.


    Yun Weisi had caught up to them by that point and was just in time to support Changming by his waist and helped him to regain his balance.


    Jiang Li sighed: ¡°This is the border of Hongluo, we can¡¯t go beyond this point. A protective formation has been set here. If we cross the border, we¡¯ll have to face even more fox spirits and ghosts.¡±


    Yun Weisi said coldly: ¡°Clam Master Jiang walked away with no hesitation after killing a person and passed the buck to us. Now, the water is getting even muddier. Do you think we wouldn¡¯t dare attack you here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as you think. At first, I thought you were suspicious, so I didn¡¯t trust you. Thus, I tested you. Even the most careful person can slip-up¡ªthe shopkeeper was killed by accident. That was my mistake. I won¡¯t spare any effort in exterminating the fox spirits and returning peace to Hongluo. It¡¯s just that this whole story is shrouded in mystery, and I thought that someone could have colluded with the evil spirits to paint the town red with blood.¡±


    The Jiang Li from one hundred years ago was full of mettle and was self-confident about all his decisions. Even though this case worried him, it did not spoil his refined elegance. He stood there looking at Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi who had come from the future to prevent the destruction of the world, while they also stared at him.


    ¡°Can you trust me and help me uncover the mystery behind this?¡±


    Yun Weisi avoided answering his question: ¡°Do you trust us now?¡±


    Jiang Li: ¡°I believe that you came from somewhere else and have nothing to do with what¡¯s going on here. This is enough.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°We¡¯ll listen to your explanation first.¡±


    Jiang Li thought for a while: ¡°Don¡¯t you wonder why I¡¯m acting as a doctor at this medicine hall? Let¡¯s start from there.¡±


    Yun Weisi cast Changming a sideways glance.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    With his hand, even through the clothes, Yun Weisi felt that Changming was as hot as boiling water. This made him worry, of course.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Changming suppressed the feelings that had been aroused by the fox poison flaring up. His voice was lower than usual, but he maintained a serene expression.


    Even though he had lost his memory, he was still the same strong-willed Jiufang Changming from before.


    But now he was willing to stand beside Yun Weisi, to show Yun Weisi his weakness¡ª


    He was not the heartless man who kept himself away from humans. He was not a man standing aloof on a cloud or who was watching people from high up on a mountain.


    [Immortals were heartless, but the hearts of humans were moved by mortal desires.]

 CH 118

    Proofread by P & Snake


    From Jiang Li¡¯s point of view, the two of them were strange.


    He could not figure out their background or sect, and did not know whether they were his enemies or friends.


    Although their cultivation level was high, he had never heard of them. They had just popped up out of nowhere, strangers with no origins, like immortals from the heavens.


    But in the end, Jiang Li decided to trust them because he had no other choice.


    ¡°In the Wanjian Immortal Sect, my qualifications are far from being the best. My dashixiong, Yao Wangnian, however, is a gem that appears once a century. Everyone was sure he would succeed.¡±


    Jiang Li knew very well how talented Yao Wangnian was.


    They had both entered the sect when they were six and not as inner disciples. Everyone started studying from scratch in the outer circle¡ªreading books, standing like a post, learning scriptures by heart, and practicing the sword. Almost every disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, starting from the clan master and all the way to the patrolling disciples, took this path.


    Standing like a post: aka zhan zhuang, a Taoist exercise


    Once, an elder held a class for the outer circle disciples. He asked them to memorize a particular teaching within three days. Part of it was especially profound, and it was extremely difficult to fathom its nature. They were just children and struggled to understand anything¡ªsome of them could not even read certain characters, let alone memorize the content. Jiang Li tried painstakingly for three days, but only learned half of the text. When it was his turn to recite the teaching in front of the elder, he stammered and mispronounced several sentences. But Yao Wangnian managed to recite every single word of the secret teaching, drawing everybody¡¯s attention. Even the elder said that he had not seen such a brilliant talent in the Wanjian Immortal Clan in years.


    Very soon, those of them who performed outstandingly were admitted to the inner circle. Jiang Li and Yao Wangnian were lucky enough to be accepted as direct disciples of Immortal Luomei, who was an elder of the Yaoxing Peak at that time.


    Immortal Luomei was a brilliant man of broad learning, and his cultivation was exceptionally profound. He had been both a teacher and a father to Jiang Li. After Luomei had taken over the reins of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, obviously, Yao Wangnian who was the oldest disciple of the clan master, became shixiong for all the disciples of the clan.


    Yao Wangnian was blessed with outstanding talent, and was almost blindingly brilliant. Despite being so young, he was already a high level cultivator, and was taken note of at a Qianlin Assembly. His Guyue Sword overshadowed every opponent, and the entire cultivation world was thus indelibly impressed with him. From that day on, Daojun Guyue¡¯s fame spread across the lands. Countless girls gave their hearts to him, and he was considered a perfect daoist partner by many.


    Daojun: title, kind of ¡°high-ranking immortal in Taoism¡±


    Jiang Li described the fame obtained by the gifted young man in a couple of sentences. Yun Weisi did not interrupt him because he knew that Jiang Li was giving Yun Weisi the backstory before telling him about a dramatic turn.


    As expected, Jiang Li soon made a turn of conversation.


    ¡°But ten years ago Yao Wangnian was suddenly driven out of our sect.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°What happened?¡±


    Jiang Li shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only remember that that night, a fire erupted suddenly at the Library of Scriptures.¡±


    It was not a common fire, but instead a red lotus fire of retribution. No matter how much water was brought to extinguish it, nothing helped.


    The Library of Scriptures was a place at the Wanjian Immortal Clan where the treasures of past generations were stored. Not only did it contain secret sword techniques, but it also held many keys to the mysteries of cultivation that were not allowed to leave the sect. Only those disciples who had reached a certain level of cultivation and had been given permission by the elders could enter the library to study. Not a single one of those who had been let inside could say a word of what they had learned there¡ªas for almost everyone, such a visit was fruitful, and they had unprecedented breakthroughs. Obviously, the Library of Scriptures meant a lot to the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    Yet, a fire had broken out there. Moreover, the culprit was not an outsider, but one who had been tacitly acknowledged as the next master of the clan: dashixiong Yao Wangnian.


    Valuable collections of the past generation, stored in the library, were set on fire. Two disciples and the keeper of the library had been burnt alive as well.


    The accident cost the Wanjian Immortal Clan dearly. The entire sect was shaken.


    Jiang Li remembered what his shizun looked like when the latter had called him in. Immortal Luomei looked wan and sallow, as if that night had added several decades to his age. Before, it was impossible to guess his age from his elegant features, yet now wrinkles had appeared on his face, and the hair on his temples had turned gray.


    Facing everyone, Immortal Luomei admitted his mistake. He said that he was not strict enough in teaching his disciples, so he wanted to retire from his position and enter seclusion to repent and punish himself.


    But this matter was not actually Immortal Luomei¡¯s fault. He was always equally fair to all the disciples, and the Wanjian Immortal Clan was getting more prosperous under his rule, almost surpassing the Shenxiao Immortal Abode, which made it rule the roost. Many people had already accepted this. When they heard that Immortal Luomei wanted to punish himself for his disciple¡¯s offense and leave his post, everybody begged him to stay.


    Starting that night, Yao Wangnian¡¯s name was considered taboo in the Wanjian Immortal Clan. The younger disciples did not even know about the existence of this talented dashixiong, and thought that this honor belonged to Jiang Li.


    ¡°Why do you believe that Yao Wangnian was the one responsible for burning down the Library of Scriptures? Did he plead guilty?¡± Jiufang Changming asked.


    ¡°He did not. But I remember that Yao Wangnian started to behave strangely several days prior to the accident. He turned irascible, and talked incoherently. Since he had always been so concentrated on cultivating, I thought that he had reached a deadlock and had ceased to advance. I wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with him about this, but he became furious after I spoke a couple of words.¡±


    Jiang Li¡¯s memories of this were strangely clear. Yao Wangnian was not just furious: he was in a frenzy of rage.


    He broke out in curses, pointing at Jiang Li¡¯s nose: ¡°You idiot! Do you think you¡¯re so smart? Don¡¯t you covet the position of dashixiong, to become the next clan master? Let me tell you: you won¡¯t get it in this life!¡±


    Jiang Li was stupefied at this. Surely, Yao Wangnian was more talented than most, but he was never arrogant or condescending. He normally treated his fellow disciples nicely. Yao Wangnian never placed himself above Jiang Li just because he was better at cultivation.


    His temperament suddenly changed that day. Jiang Li even suspected that Yao Wangnian might have been possessed by some evil spirit.


    ¡°Shizun said that shixiong Yao had reached a bottleneck in his cultivation, was too impatient to overcome it and went mad because his frustration stopped him from breaking through. After deviating, he set fire to the Library of Scriptures, burning along with it,¡± Jiang Li sighed.


    Yun Weisi wanted to ask him if Jiang Li would believe anything his shizun said.


    However, come to think about it, Yun Weisi found that he had no right to ask this question. He knew that Luomei was suspicious because he had come from the future, but Jiang Li was unaware of what was to come. Moreover, Luomei was not necessarily responsible for the incident with Yao Wangnian.


    If Yun Weisi was to tell Jiang Li right now that his shifu would take over his body in the future to destroy the world, Jiang Li would have probably thought that Yun Weisi was crazy.


    Yao Wangnian had been to the Yellow Springs before, and he had retrieved the red lotus fire of retribution from there. He had managed to fuse the fire with his own techniques, turning it into his original Red Lotus of Nine Turns. It was exceedingly powerful, and the entire Wanjigan Immortal Clan knew of this skill. That was why when the Library of Scriptures was engulfed with the red lotus fire of retribution, people blamed Yao Wangnian even before Immortal Luomei spoke.


    Many things had happened over the past ten years. In the end, Immortal Luomei did not resign from his post, but spent most of his time in seclusion. The affairs of the Wanjian Immortal Clan had been slowly taken over by the elders and Jiang Li. Jiang Li, in his turn, was gradually revealing his talents, and after some time became the de facto master of the clan.


    But he was not interested in being influential and did not actually want to be the clan master. Moreover, he was fed up with tying up loose ends at the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and at some point he could not stand it anymore. So, he found an excuse to go down the mountains, passing his job over to the elders.


    After descending from the mountains, Jiang Li felt as free and easy as a bird outside its cage. He wanted to spread his wings and fly around the entire world. However, he had seen a person resembling Yao Wangnian not far away from Hongluo.


    Many people had already forgotten what Yao Wangnian looked like. He was like a shooting star¡ªbright yet short-lived. But Jiang Li would never forget a shixiong he had grown up with.


    After seeing Yao Wangnian, Jiang Li changed his plans and destination immediately.


    ¡°I chased him up to Hongluo, but eventually lost track of him. I don¡¯t intend to give up, so I found a medicine hall in the town to settle down for the time being, and thus started working as a doctor here. To my astonishment, Hongluo was in trouble. Incidents keep happening one after another. I almost started suspecting¡­¡±


    Jiang Li forced a smile and did not finish his words.


    Yun Weisi had already figured out the implication¡ªwherever Yao Wangnian went, something bad happened. Jiang Li was starting to suspect that Yao Wangnian was behind these murders.


    ¡°Fox spirits and nightmare demons plague Hongluo Town. Most likely, they were led here by humans on purpose, but I still haven¡¯t figured out who¡¯s the culprit. So I decided to hide myself and live quietly in order to not beat the grass to scare away the snake. Since you two are determined to find the truth, our goals align. We should work together.¡±


    Yun Weisi believed that the man in front of their eyes was the real Jiang Li before Luomei had taken over his body.


    His bearing and manner of speech was completely different from what they had seen in the future.


    Even though one could imitate a person¡¯s behavior, the slight intonations and pauses between words were different for everybody.


    Apart from meeting the real Jiang Li, they had also learned an old secret of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    The situation was complicated. Jiang Li knew that Yun Weisi and Jiufang Changming did not trust him. Honesty was a prerequisite for cooperation, so he simply revealed everything as it was in a hope to win over their trust.


    Changming: ¡°You think that Yao Wangnian is actually still alive?¡±


    Jiang Li: ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I hope so. I want to ask him in person why he burnt down the Library of Scriptures back then, where he has been all these years, and what had actually happened.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°What do you know about the culprit?¡±


    Jiang Li put four fingers up: ¡°There are four things. First, constable Xing. His cultivation is low, you can think of him as a half-cultivator. I¡¯ve heard that he tried to enter the Shenxiao Celestial Abode several times in the past, but they shut their doors on him because he wasn¡¯t talented enough. He could agree to work together with demons and trade away human lives if promised help with internal cultivation. Second, the town supervisor. The current town supervisor has been in power for seven or eight years, so his influence around here is indisputable. Yet he rarely shows his face, so he¡¯s veiled in mystery. The third one is the head of the He family, the owner of the caravan you¡¯ve been following¡ªOld He. At first, there were only three suspects, but now I have one more.¡±


    Changming finished his words: ¡°That person whom constable Xing addressed as Sir An.¡±


    Jiang Li nodded: ¡°Right, it¡¯s him.¡±


    Just as he said this, a scream reached their ears.


    The three of them looked in that direction, surprised.


    The voice came from the dense forest near the town. Chi Bijiang and Sun Wuxia ran towards them madly, but they did not manage to outrun the ghost fires. The dark blue flames were about to reach the two of them to bury their bodies in the forest. At this moment, a sword¡¯s glow flew near them out of nowhere, turning the ghost fires above their heads into dust.


    Chi Bijiang turned her head abruptly and saw the man who had commanded the sword. He looked ethereal and elegant, as if he was a deity from the heavens that descended to save them from the mortal danger.


    ¡°Demons dare to sneak away?¡±


    The man raised one finger, and the sword turned into a barrier in front of Chi Bijiang, walling her off from the ghost fires and then slashing at the flames in the form of a sword.

 CH 119

    Proofread by Snake


    Sun Wuxia was breathing heavily. After running for such a long distance, his rapid heartbeat had rendered him speechless.


    Half a day ago, he had attached no importance to Jiufang Changming and his companion and had thought that they had managed to pull out the sword by sheer luck. The people he disliked coming to his rescue seemed like a fever dream to him as he had never expected them to do so.


    The ghost fires charged at them persistently. Even after being scattered, they gathered back and pressed back at them, closing in on the sword barrier.


    Moreover, at this moment, they glimpsed countless pairs of eyes from between the dark trees. They were surrounded from every direction.


    Those eyes were from an unknown number of fox spirits.


    It was not that Sun Wuxia had never encountered malicious wild spirits, but he had never seen so many appear all at once.


    If there was no one responsible for this, how else could they explain this phenomenon?


    However, why would anyone spend so much effort to bring such tremendous power to the small town of Hongluo?


    Sun Wuxia¡¯s thoughts were in utter disorder. The sharp pain of having his arm severed had almost paralyzed him, and he was reacting slowly. He did not even manage to escape a fox spirit that had broken through the sword barrier with its wailing and launched itself at him. He could only watch the spirit extend its claws towards his forehead, which brought with it a gust of swift and fierce murderous qi, and watch as death approached him.


    A white shadow swept across the scene to strike at the fox spirit!


    The fox spirit made a piercing shriek and was torn to pieces by the white shadow.


    Sun Wuxia looked closely and realized that the torn shadow was not a person. It was a puppet seemingly made of paper, but was also very lifelike. When its head, which had been chopped off, fell to the ground near Sun Wuxia¡¯s feet, it even displayed a pained expression, which made Sun Wuxia shudder.


    After the puppet repelled the attack on Sun Wuxia, Jiufang Changming landed in front of him to fight against the fox spirit.


    Sun Wuxia realized that the sword in his hand was that very nameless sword Sun Wuxia had not managed to unsheathe. In Changming¡¯s hands, however, it was very docile, obeying his every command, as if [it had developed a spirit], and Changming could kill a person simply by turning his palm over. No matter how wildly the fox spirits and nightmare demons were trying to break the impenetrable sword barrier, they were stopped and even had to retreat quickly once grazed by the sword qi.


    Sun Wuxia thought that Jiufang Changming was akin to a tall mountain that was impossible to get past.


    Why?


    Even a nameless rogue cultivator can appear out of the blue and surpass me so casually? What was the point of cultivating for so many years?


    Holding onto his severed arm, Sun Wuxia wondered.


    However, the circumstances did not allow him to get distracted even for a moment. Jiang Li quickly pulled him away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk after we get to the town!¡± Chi Bijiang said quickly.


    Hongluo had a protective barrier around its borders. It was invisible, so common people could not see it, but cultivators could sense the barrier.


    Whether it was Chi Bijiang or Jiufang Changming, they both knew they had entered the barrier as soon as they arrived at Hongluo Town.


    ¡°I was the one who set this formation. However, recently, people have been tearing it apart all over for some reason. I still haven¡¯t figured out why!¡±


    Jiang Li was breathing a bit more heavily than usual. He had spent too much energy to kill the ghost fires, and looked somewhat pale now.


    Chi Bijiang came near him silently to lend him a handkerchief. Without much formality, he thanked her and wiped his pale forehead that was wet with sweat and snow.


    It was still dark. The wind had died down a bit, but the snow was still fluttering about. Everyone was covered with snow. Yun Weisi flicked away some snow off Changming¡¯s shoulders, and no one noticed the small scene between Chi Bijiang and Jiang Li.


    Jiang Li¡¯s expression was difficult to discern. This was, in part, because he had spent too much energy earlier and partially because while he had been talking before, he suddenly thought of something that made him realize a certain discrepancy.


    Everyone who knew how to set a formation had learned it from somewhere, so, obviously, their skills were influenced by their sects. Jiang Li mostly practiced sword techniques, and Immortal Luomei had rarely taught him how to set formations. So, his skills had originated from the texts of the Library of Scriptures that he had used to teach himself. For example, in Hongluo, he had set up a Harmony of Nine Spirits Formation.


    The author of the scripture describing the formation was the master of the second generation of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, Yu Jinqian. The aforementioned Nine Spirits corresponded to nine types of naturally created or human-made objects¡ªnamely water, tree, soil, tile, snow, jade, metal, and lanterns. This concept was different from the five elements, which both created and suppressed each other. People rarely used snow and tile in their formations as snow could melt, and tiles were only used by the common people. But Jiang Li had noticed that these elements were not limited by the usual restrictions, and felt as if he was breaking completely new ground.


    But this formation was rarely set. The one who was breaching it now seemed to know it like the back of their hand, as if [they had expected to see it]. This was suspicious.


    If it was not another disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Clan who happened to peruse the same book in the Library of Scriptures, how could someone have found a way to get past the formation so quickly, crushing it with ease?


    Could it be that this person was actually Yao Wangnian?


    Even if he was really alive for all these years, why would he lure demons and spirits over here, and turn Hongluo into a living hell? Was it to kill Jiang Li?


    Jiang Li did not understand.


    He was disappointed in his dashixiong, but he still thought of him with wistfulness and affection. In his heart, he never actually believed that Yao Wangnian had turned into a demon living in degeneracy and darkness. Such a bright talent could not have an ending like this.


    Chi Bijiang saw that he was just standing in one place silently and thought that he was vexed by the fact that someone had broken through his formation. She could not help saying: ¡°I know a little bit about formations. Daoyou, this formation is really bizarre¨C perhaps, that person just found a weakness in it by accident.¡±


    Jiang Li shook his head. It was too difficult to explain.


    But Yun Weisi had guessed what he was worried about.


    ¡°You think it could be Yao Wangnian¡¯s doing?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Right now we can only try to find him and learn the truth.¡±


    If the formation had gaps, these gaps needed to be filled. Changming¡¯s memories were damaged, so he was of no help. Jiang Li did not specialize in setting formations, so the matter was tricky for him as well. Fortunately, Chi Bijiang belonged to the Wanxiang Palace and had succeeded in learning how to analyze formations. Jiang Li and Chi Bijiang talked briefly and expressed regrets for the fact that they had not met each other earlier. Chi Bijiang offered to help with the problem with the formation, and after discussing that together, the four of them split up and went off in different ways.


    The evil spirits still acted cautiously due to fear and had not yet broken through the shielding barrier. Several spirits that had managed to enter the city walls could be caught quickly. Jiang Li and Chi Bijiang decided to stay near the formation to repair it, while Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi were to find the fish that had escaped the net and had gotten into the city. Constable Xing had said that Old He had suddenly changed his disposition and accused the two of them of massacring the caravan of the He family, so they also wanted to pay him a visit and check and see if he had truly lost his mind, or if there was some other reason to this testimony.


    As for Sun Wuxia, Chi Bijiang was worried about princess Changning who had been left in the guest house, so she asked Sun Wuxia to return there to rest and protect the princess if something happened.


    Had this happened earlier, Sun Wuxia would have done his best to separate Chi Bijiang from Jiang Li, seeing how there was a familiarity between them even during their first meeting. Unfortunately, he had just lost his forearm, and his shishu He Bo had perished while trying to save Sun Wuxia. He felt as if he had lost his soul, and could not even quite process Chi Bijiang¡¯s instructions. He somehow mumbled that he had understood and accepted them and headed to the guest house.


    The streets were empty. Evil spirits had been running rampant recently, so everyone remained hidden in their houses, and no one dared to venture out. People were even afraid to light up candles. As far as the eye could see, only several paper lanterns were wavering in the cold wind, but all the doors and windows were tightly shut, as if nobody lived in this town.


    Sun Wuxia was holding onto his now empty sleeve as he traveled down the street quietly. He reached the guest house by relying on his senses, and vaguely recognized the name of the inn in the light cast by a lantern. He knocked on the door softly, and heard a noise coming from inside.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± the voice sounded familiar. Perhaps, it belonged to an employee of the guest house.


    ¡°It¡¯s me¡ªone of the guests!¡± Sun Wuxia said in a gruff voice.


    It seemed like there were a lot of people inside.


    Which was not surprising. The members of the He family¡¯s caravan had been killed recently, but the guests could neither leave nor fall asleep, so they had gathered in the main hall in small groups. By engaging in idle talk and keeping each other company, they had managed to gather some courage.


    Faint noises came from the guest house, as if they were hesitating about whether to open the door or not. Sun Wuxia was impatient, so he pushed the door with some force several times, until someone finally opened it for him.


    Upon seeing the man, Sun Wuxia froze.


    ¡°Shishu?¡±


    When He Bo¡¯s gaze fell on Sun Wuxia¡¯s missing forearm, he gasped in astonishment.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from you all day long! What happened? What¡¯s with your arm?!¡±


    He Bo pulled Sun Wuxia inside. He grabbed Sun Wuxia¡¯s sleeve with visible grief on his face.


    ¡°Who did this!¡±


    ¡°A fox spirit. I went out with Chi Bijiang, and we ran into one in the mountains¡­¡± Sun Wuxia felt as if he was in a trance.


    Since his shishu was alive, who was that person who had died in the mountains?


    Was that man an illusion created by the fox spirit?


    He Bo spoke bitterly: ¡°How can I justify myself to your shifu when we go back, and how are you going to participate in the Qianlin Assembly now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± when Sun Wuxia started talking, he realized that his voice was unbearably hoarse, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Before leaving the sect this time, he had been an ambitious and determined young man who intended to spring into fame during the Qianlin Assembly. However, entering the Jianghu allowed him to understand that he had been narrow-minded. Mere nobodies like that Jiufang Changming had dealt a blow to him head-on, and he was even helpless against being bewitched by a fox spirit.


    ¡°Shishu, maybe we should return tomorrow!¡± He smiled bitterly, but the corners of his lips betrayed his dismal.


    He Bo frowned: ¡°How can a man of character beat the return drum upon encountering a small setback? Even if you¡¯ve lost your forearm, you¡¯re still my shixiong¡¯s most valued disciple. Let¡¯s go. After you have a rest, we¡¯ll return to this discussion!¡±


    Beat the return drum: to give up


    Sun Wuxia allowed his shishu to pull him inside the guest house. His thoughts were all over the place, and he could not even count all the things that were swirling in his mind.


    But when he heard a dog¡¯s bark, his mind suddenly cleared up.


    A petite dog had jumped up on a table at some point, and was now leaping from one table to another, overturning countless plates with shelled peanuts while barking desperately in Sun Wuxia¡¯s direction. Even though its barks were anything but intimidating, the chaos it had created was enough to take everyone by surprise.


    ¡°Where did this dog come from!¡±


    ¡°Quick, catch it!¡±


    Sun Wuxia looked around. The black dog was jumping from one place to another, yet no one had managed to catch it. Moreover, some people who had been chasing it tripped over the mess it had created and fell down. The clanging sounds of metal colliding with everything came from all directions, and Sun Wuxia¡¯s muddled mind seemed to have cleared up a little from all of this.


    Why was the hand that had been holding his wrist so cold and thin?


    It was thin to the point that it resembled the claws of an animal rather than the hand of a human.


    This realization made Sun Wuxia tremble. It was as if something heavy had been putting pressure on his mind.


    Unexpectedly, the dog used the moment of his distraction to jump up on his head, as if to display its dominance!


    A no-name rogue cultivator had been holding Sun Wuxia in contempt, and now even Jiufang Changming¡¯s dog was looking down on him!


    Sun Wuxia was furious. He freed himself from He Bo¡¯s grip to kick the dog off his head, but it evaded his blow nimbly and jumped at He Bo.


    That was when Sun Wuxia saw a scene that terrified him.


    Facing the dog, his shishu revealed a beastly expression on instinct. It was a wild face with a long nose and sunken cheeks that, no matter how one looked, resembled a fox.


    ¡­Fox?!


    Sun Wuxia abruptly returned to his senses. He looked more closely and saw that He Bo¡¯s head had actually turned into the one of a fox, and only his body was still human. People started shouting, calling him a monster, and many guests made a run for the door. Some evil spirits had blended into the crowd, which was obvious from the fact that some of them had no shadows in the candle light.


    The fox spirit aimed an attack at Sun Wuxia¡¯s face. He had no time to avoid this attack and lost his balance because of his missing forearm. As he was about to fall, from the corner of his eye, Sun Wuxia saw the dog sitting on a table nearby. It had that annoying appearance of someone who would not mind fanning the flames before watching the chaos and confusion from the sidelines.


    But Sun Wuxia did not fall.


    Someone caught him and pulled him back on his feet. A sword glow flashed in front of Sun Wuxia, like a shooting star in the sky, and quickly landed on the back of the fox spirit¡¯s neck. The latter had wanted to run away at the sight of danger, but its escape route had already been blocked by another person.


    Those two were Jiufang Changming with Yun Weisi!


    For some reason, Sun Wuxia breathed out with relief, and sat heavily on the floor to take a breath.


    The main hall was in utter chaos. The flames of the candles had been put out. There were shrieks coming from the fox spirits and the nightmare demons here and there, which merged with the voices of shouting people. It was impossible to tell apart evil spirits from humans as some had taken on human skins.


    Jiufang Changming decided to bolt the doors and beat the dog. He and Yun Weisi blocked all the escape routes for everyone, both humans and demons included, and trapped them in the main hall that was so dark that one could not see their stretched out hand.


    To bolt the doors and beat the dog: prevent the enemy from retreating and crush them


    Everybody was in a panic, even the spirits. Pairs of red eyes flickered in the darkness¡ªthe fox spirits intended to use the old trick to bewitch and confuse everyone.


    Almost at the same time, the Changming Sword slashed down, and Yun Weisi attacked!


    A shrill cry pierced the darkness, followed by several other ones. People suddenly felt the smell of blood fill their nostrils. The smell permeated the entire hall.


    A strange silence fell after the chaos ended. No one dared to speak out loud, but louds sobs could be heard all over the place.


    ¡°Hurry up and light the candles!¡± Someone shouted.


    Another person felt their way to a flint, staggering on the way, before using it to light up the candles.


    People helped to pass the fire on to each other through candles, and after a certain period of time, the inn was brightly lit up once again.


    Two fox spirits lay on the floor, already dead. Another one was cornered and had no room to escape. It was on the verge of death, taking one of its last breaths.


    After the fear faded away, the people became angered. Someone stepped forward to deal the final blow to the fox spirit, but Changming stopped them. He had left the last fox spirit alive to gather information.


    ¡°Who¡¯s working with you from Hongluo Town and helping you slaughter people so wantonly?¡± Yun Weisi asked.


    The fox did not say anything, but its eyes were obviously mocking him.


    Changming said: ¡°If you confess, we¡¯ll let you live.¡±


    ¡°If you let me go, I¡¯ll turn into a bait you¡¯ll use to catch us all with one net. Do you think I¡¯ll speak?¡±


    The fox spirit spoke in human language. Its intonations were abnormal and, paired with its moving lips, created an eerie image.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t kill me, I will.¡±


    While talking, it even laughed in a strange manner, quickly piercing its own abdomen with claws. Even Yun Weisi did not manage to stop the fox spirit in time, and its blood splashed on them.


    Changming lowered his head. The blood of the fox spirit caused a burning pain to spread through the back of his hand, worsening the poisoning which had flared up again. But he did not care about the pain coming from the wound¡ªon the contrary, his thoughts and feelings were in a mess.


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Changming said abruptly.


    ¡°No.¡± Yun Weisi interrupted him before Changming could finish explaining his thoughts.


    Changming could not help laughing: ¡°Shixiong knows what I¡¯m thinking?¡±


    The dog leaped up to his shoulder and showed its teeth to Yun Weisi.


    Shi-fucking-xiong! I wish a year was deducted from your lifespan each time you were called ¡®shixiong¡¯!

 CH 120

    Proofread by Snake


    Zhou Keyi had quickly adjusted to being a dog.


    When people saw this small, pitch-black dog, they would simply think it was quite cute, and no one would have thought that the dog used to be human. And, certainly, no one would have guessed that inside the dog resided the soul of a person from the future, and not only that, this soul belonged to a demonic cultivator who killed people like flies and made everyone tremble in fear.


    Now, the dog was standing on Jiufang Changming¡¯s shoulder and twisting its face in ways that were by no means common among dogs. It seemed as if Zhou Keyi had seen through Yun Weisi¡¯s intentions. The dog rubbed against Jiufang Changming¡¯s neck, putting on airs.


    Yun Weisi blinked.


    He and Zhou Keyi were fellow disciples in name, since they studied under the same master. However, one of them was a Daoist cultivator, while the other was a Demonic cultivator, so they had virtually nothing to do with each other. While Zhou Keyi was dominating the Demonic clans, Yun Weisi had already become the master of a Daoist sect¡ªeven the leaders of the Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Celestial Abode Shenxiao had to address him respectfully with the title of Daozun. However, the two fellow disciples had never encountered each other in person. Maybe, Zhou Keyi¡¯s subconscious unwillingness to meet the other led to the fact that these two men of influence had never come face-to-face with each other.


    Yun Weisi held no compassion towards Zhou Keyi.


    As he saw it, all the misfortunes that had befallen Zhou Keyi were his own fault. But Yun Weisi also knew that even though Shizun would have never demonstrated this, openly he actually cared deeply about this disciple.


    In other words, all four of his disciples occupied some of Jiufang Changming¡¯s thoughts. If he could save them, he would definitely reach out to help.


    Thinking about Zhou Keyi¡¯s tragic condition in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, Yun Weisi lowered the hand he was about to extend, looked at the smug dog briefly and turned to Changming.


    ¡°You want to infiltrate the enemies¡¯ ranks, using the identity of the fox spirit.¡±


    He would not have objected if it was only about the fox spirits. However, some unknown person had been helping the demons from behind the scenes, and many other evil spirits, including nightmare demons, were on the loose in Hongluo. They did not know their enemy, while the enemy saw them clearly¡ªthe circumstances were too complicated for Yun Weisi to let Changming tempt fate.


    Even though the fox spirits were dead, the guest house was still in an uproar. People had not recovered from the fright, and were still afraid that a demon would pop out from some corner and were suspicious of everyone around. They started to look for any traces of spirits, and soon the chaos was amplified.


    Yun Weisi found the worker of the guest house who was at that time hiding in the back room of the kitchen and shaking in fear. They asked him about the whereabouts of Old He, and the worker answered: ¡°Master He left with constable Xing earlier¡ªhow could he bear staying here? You should look for him in the yamen. Ai, even though he¡¯s left, after what happened to his people, we have all lost sleep, and master He himself was emotionally unstable. He was sitting there mutely, and when I came over to ask him whether he wanted a cup of water, he just raised his head and stared at me. The expression in his eyes made my skin crawl¡­¡±


    Yun Weisi interrupted him: ¡°Did he say anything when they took him away?¡±


    The worker said: ¡°He kept spouting nonsense endlessly, saying that you two killed his daughter together with the people of his caravan. How is that even possible? We¡¯ve all seen it just now, if it wasn¡¯t for you, we¡¯d have ended up dead in the hands of those evil spirits!¡±


    After his daughter was killed, Old He seemed to be lost, almost deranged. Conversely, Yun Weisi and Changming resembled immortals who had relinquished mundane life. It was obvious whom the worker would trust after comparing these three.


    The two of them left the guest house.


    It was getting late already. The snow had piled up on the ground, and people who walked on it left behind their footprints.


    ¡°Shixiong, let¡¯s part ways. You should go to the yamen and check what¡¯s going on there, while I¡¯ll look for the fox spirits¡¯ lair.¡±


    Although he was calling him shixiong, Changming¡¯s tone was decisive.


    Yun Weisi knew he would be unable to stop him.


    ¡°Take the Bell of One Mind with you.¡±


    Yun Weisi had asked Jiang Li for one more bell, and now gave it to Changming.


    The moment their hands touched, Changming felt the warmth of the bell that had just been held by Yun Weisi. Even the snow could not dispel this heat.


    ¡°Call me if something happens.¡±


    Before Changming retracted his hand, Yun Weisi had already let go. He looked at Changming deeply, then turned around and strode into the night.


    The relationship between the two was quite delicate. At first, Changming had thought that Yun Weisi was his daoist partner, but later he realized that was not the case. But that subtle lingering ambiguity still bothered Changming.


    Yun Weisi was still attached to his shizun. He cared so deeply that he was willing to spend his life alongside Changming and die for his sake.


    Then what about Changming?


    Changming looked at the scratches on the back of his hand, left by the fox spirit. He faintly felt that burning pain once again.


    Maybe when Yun Weisi returned, Changming would have a proper answer.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    He stopped Yun Weisi, picked up the dog and passed it over to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient for me to take him, so you should take him with you, shixiong. His nose is good. He might notice if anything is wrong with Old He and be of help.¡±


    Yun Weisi looked at the dog with mild disdain but said nothing. He just picked the dog up with two fingers.


    The dog was shocked to the core. What ¡°his nose is good, he might be of help¡±? Do you really treat me like a dog?! Hey, I¡¯m a human!


    Jiufang Changming, are you crazy!


    The dog was barking wildly, but was soon muted by Yun Weisi¡¯s incantation. Not a sound could escape his mouth now, so he could only move his tongue to no avail. He stared at them with round eyes that were supposed to be fierce, but in reality seemed ridiculous.


    He could not do anything to prevent Yun Weisi from lifting him up and leaving. His four legs had left the ground, and he was just paddling in the air, which did not help at all.


    After the man and the dog disappeared from his line of sight, Changming raised his hand.


    A paper puppet, stained with a trace of dark red, was lying on his palm. That mark was, obviously, the blood taken from that fox spirit.


    He clearly remembered the Art of Transferring Spirit even after losing a part of his memories. The skill had almost become a part of him at that point.


    He raised his fingers to the level of his chest and chanted an incantation in a low voice.


    In a moment, a faint golden mist ascended from the tip of his fingers, and thin threads of it flowed into the puppet. The puppet, which had originally been colorless, slowly saturated with golden light and moved, as if coming to life.


    The dark red stain on the puppet gradually dissolved, and the puppet changed its color into bright red, as if a girl had tipped a bottle of rouge on it. The puppet now looked unexpectedly beautiful¡ªit was almost graceful.


    It had nothing in common with the puppets that Changming used to create. Soaked in fox spirit¡¯s blood, it resembled a painting of a dragon with its pupils added to the canvas¡ªit looked as if the puppet was alive.


    A painting of a dragon with its pupils added to the canvas: add the touch that brings a work of art to life


    Changming blew on it slightly, and the puppet rose from his palm with the air, gradually expanding in the air until it reached the height of a person. Then, it pressed close to Changming and slowly integrated into his body until they became one.


    Sun Wuxia walked out of the side gates, staggering on his way, just in time to see Changming.


    Sun Wuxia gasped and stared wide-eyed and terrified at Changming.


    Although the person in front of his eyes still resembled Jiufang Changming vaguely, they looked different.


    His chin was pointier now, and his expression was even more lifeless. His hair that used to be half-gray was now completely black, and the corners of his eyes had reddened, making him look like another person.


    If he was not wearing Jiufang Changming¡¯s clothes, Sun Wuxia would have never guessed his identity and decided that it was just another fox spirit.


    Was it actually a male fox spirit?


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The moment he opened his mouth, the wind blew some snow into his mouth, and Sun Wuxia could not help bending over to cough violently.


    By the time he looked up again, there was not even a shadow of the person he had just seen.


    Sun Wuxia stood transfixed to the ground for half a day, looking at the ground covered with snow.


    Could it be that Jiufang Changming had been part fox spirit?


    No, of course not! He¡¯s just pretending to be a fox spirit to infiltrate their ranks!


    But would there be a single bone left of him if he was exposed? Surely, the angered demons would tear him into pieces in a fit of anger.


    Whatever. What did it have to do with Sun Wuxia anyway? He had almost become a good-for-nothing. Would people not laugh at a cultivator walking around without his arm?


    Dispirited, Sun Wuxia wanted to turn around and rest in the guest house. But just as he stepped over the threshold, he heard someone yelling inside. After the rowdy accident with fox spirits, many people were wounded, so everything was in chaos now. An image of his shishu¡¯s miserable condition on his deathbed flashed through his mind, and Sun Wuxia stopped. Grabbing his empty sleeve, he gnashed his teeth, turned around and went out into the dark night.


    ¡­


    A-Rong was running through a field covered in snow.


    She was thin and small, and had been starving for a long period of time¡ªuntil this small girl that this body belonged to had died from hunger.


    A-Rong had a hard time obtaining this body, yet everyone mocked her. There were so many talented men and alluring women, but she chose this half-dead body. It was simply a bag of bones, its charm was completely non-existent. A-Rong was like a different species compared to other fox spirits.


    Yet now she was rejoicing at having chosen this body. At least, it could run, and did so quite nimbly.


    A-Rong bent down and hid in a stable, daring not even to breathe.


    The horses, suffering from cold and hunger, had noticed her presence and became restless. A-Rong held her breath desperately, shrinking herself even further into the corner.


    ¡°Anyone here?¡±


    ¡°I saw her just now!¡±


    ¡°I told you, something was off about this child! She was dying from hunger several days ago, how could she recover from it? Of course, an evil spirit has occupied her body!¡±


    ¡°Go, check that place!¡±


    The sound of chaotic steps was coming from all over the place as they were walking around and screaming something to each other. Soon, the people left for some other place, but another group of humans started scouring the stable before A-Rong could breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°There¡¯s room to hide in, so, look over here!¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s winter, so this place doesn¡¯t reek all that much!¡±


    ¡°Knock it off. That fox spirit has been injured, otherwise it would be running much faster. We should capture it and take it to the yamen for a reward, we can¡¯t let it go.¡±


    ¡°What if someone of its kin decides to take revenge¡­¡±


    Two or three people kept talking without getting to the point, and the light of a swaying lantern was getting closer. A-Rong held her breath. A snowflake landed on her nose, but she remained motionless.


    One step, two steps, three steps.


    She was hiding behind a pile of firewood. Once the oil lamp got any closer, she would be exposed by the shadows.


    ¡°Who is there!¡±


    They suddenly heard a sound of movement outside, and the people turned around to chase the source.


    Before A-Rong could react, she was lifted by someone.


    She was going to scream, but sensed a familiar aura, and her mouth was immediately covered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shout, I¡¯ll help you out,¡± that person said softly. With these words, their chest moved, resonating against A-Rong¡¯s back.


    She had never heard that voice, but recognised that the aura belonged to a fox spirit. She nodded and did not shout when the person removed their hand from her mouth.


    A-Rong realized that their cultivation level must have been high. His steps left no traces, as if he was flying over the walls. Even though there were many people around, no one noticed them as the two floated out far away from the stables right to the outskirts, where the person took her into a room of a ruined house to hide.


    Air was leaking in through many cracks as all the walls had been damaged, unable to prevent the wind from blowing inside. Obviously, nobody lived here.


    The person found a corner to take shelter from the wind and set A-Rong down.


    ¡°Are you wounded?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. These are all just scratches,¡± A-Rong raised her head reluctantly, ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met.¡±


    There were not many of her kind in Hongluo, and almost everyone had a skin, all with different appearances and voices. A-Rong thought she knew most of them, but she had no impression of the person in front of her eyes.


    They turned around and removed their hood, revealing black hair, dark eyes, and refined facial features. The person was neither adorned nor particularly recognisable, but this only attracted more attention.


    A-Rong stared, dumbfounded.

 CH 121

    Proofread by Snake


    A-Rong did not know about sayings like ¡°returning to purity by washing away powder¡± or ¡°bright colors fall behind reflections¡±¡ªshe just thought that the person in front of her eyes was particularly beautiful and put to shame any other fox spirit she had ever met.


    Both idioms essentially praise natural beauty [1]


    Fox spirits always cared a lot about appearances. When choosing a human skin to take over, they would never go for someone who looked like a misshapen watermelon or cracked date palms. At the same time, fox spirits were naturally adept at seduction, so the skins they had occupied would start to glow with more beauty and energy.


    But she had never met anyone who looked like this person.


    She mumbled: ¡°Have you taken the skin of some nobleman, a crown prince perhaps?¡±


    Why else would he be so unusual?


    ¡°I¡¯ve always looked like this,¡± he answered.


    A-Rong tilted her head: ¡°Then why have I never seen you?¡±


    She was not on guard against him¡ªafter all, this person had saved her life and had an aura of her kind.


    ¡°I¡¯m a rogue cultivator from a mountain in Shangzhou. I¡¯ve been withstanding heavenly calamities to obtain this form for hundreds of years, and descended the mountain to travel. I was only passing here and could not overlook one of my kind being in danger, so I stopped to lend a helping hand,¡± he was talking slowly, but his manner of speaking was remarkable, as if he was soon to become immortal, unlike typical fox spirits. A-Rong believed anything he said without doubting them for a second.


    It was not that she had never heard tales of someone cultivating for hundreds of years and even undergoing a heavenly tribulation to absorb the essence of the skies and the earth and obtaining a human form, but she had not expected that such fox cultivators actually existed. Compared to fox spirits like her who were just wandering around and stealing human skins, this person was much more impressive¡ªhe deserved to be called the ancestor of fox spirits!


    A-Rong¡¯s face was glowing with admiration as she saluted him respectfully: ¡°A-Rong introduces herself to Senior.¡±


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s attitude was too profound to be understood. He smiled faintly and accepted her greetings without saying much, which only made A-Rong trust him even more.


    ¡°Dare I ask how to address Senior?¡±


    Changming fell silent for a moment, ¡°Zhou Keyi.¡±


    A-Rong looked perplexed and asked, ¡°Why the surname ¡®Zhou¡¯? Do some fox spirits have surnames?¡±


    Changming¡¯s expression did not change as he said: ¡°When I descended my mountain, I met a family with this surname. They thought I was a traveler who had gotten lost in the mountains and received me cordially, so I decided to take their last name.¡±


    A-Rong nodded, as if she had learned something from a lesson, and asked with curiosity: ¡°Then what about Keyi?¡±


    He answered casually: ¡°Heavens created every creature in the world, and everyone has their place. Whatever humans can do, fox spirits can do as well. If one is intelligent, they can grasp anything.¡±


    Can do: ¡°Keyi¡± from Zhou Keyi


    How bold!


    A-Rong gasped with admiration once again. She trembled, not knowing where to put her hands and legs. As luck would have it, this body was prone to illness. Moreover, she had been wounded and had been running from her pursuers a lot. The pain caused her to tilt to the side, and she was about to fall onto the broken tiles when an arm caught her.


    ¡°Why are there so many of you in Hongluo?¡±


    A thread of qi entered her body, and A-Rong felt the pain subside from her arms and legs by a lot.


    Strangely, A-Rong felt that this qi did not quite resemble what her kin had, even though this person¡¯s aura was one of a fox spirit. But A-Rong quickly attributed it to the fact that the senior¡¯s qi was of a fox cultivator, which had been formed by the spirit of the heavens and the earth. So, it was naturally a bit different from what she had as a mere fox spirit. She accepted this explanation and relaxed again.


    ¡°Sister Hua-Shan said that here¡¯s someone important who can provide us pills with internal alchemy and human cultivation and qi essence if we listen to their orders.¡±


    ¡°What orders? To kill people in the town?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± A-Rong kept her voice down, ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill humans, but I can¡¯t go against sister Hua-Shan¡¯s order. She¡¯s so good to us.¡±


    ¡°And who¡¯s that important person?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen them. He¡¯s always wearing black robes that hide his face and never says anything in our presence. But sister Hua-Shan knows him well. We just call him a young master.¡±


    Black robes that hide the person¡¯s face.


    Changming recalled Sir An who had invaded the medicine shop to fight with them. He was associated with yamen, and Constable Xing held him in high esteem. Was he the one colluding with the fox spirits?


    ¡°Have you received the pills with alchemy?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m the youngest and have little experience, so I received the smallest one. They promised that after we succeed, they¡¯ll give me a skin that is of high quality. Then, I¡¯ll be able to mix among common people and live with them openly like a real human.¡±


    Although fox spirits possessed certain skills and tricks that were not available for common people, they actually envied humans who could live peacefully and freely. Humans enjoyed simple lives, and experienced all kinds of emotions. While they sometimes complained about how mediocre and mundane their lives were, this was something fox spirits yearned for. Many fox spirits never managed to transform into a human shape and could only steal skins or possess people to walk amongst them.


    A-Rong was perhaps the most naive fox spirit of all. She even spat out a red pill and opened her palm to show it to Changming.


    The red pill was as small as a grain of rice and it was not made by the alchemy of a fox cultivator. Changming moved closer to inspect it and felt an all too familiar spiritual power.


    This pill¡­ was a refined spiritual soul with essence. Moreover, it must have been refined after the cultivator¡¯s death and had been split afterwards into many parts. This girl had received the smallest one.


    A-Rong saw that he had fallen silent and could not help inquiring: ¡°Senior, is there something wrong with this pill?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Changming withdrew his gaze as if nothing had happened. ¡°Why did you choose this body?¡±


    A-Rong swallowed the pill again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill people. This girl comes from a poverty-stricken family, and her parents wanted to sell her for food, but she died from hunger. Since it hadn¡¯t been long since she died, I could use her body. The others mocked me for not finding something better and using scraps instead, but I, I¡­¡±


    She was originally hesitating, but, after meeting Changming¡¯s eyes, she spoke more decisively.


    ¡°I want to be like Senior and become a human through my own cultivation! I don¡¯t want to use someone else¡¯s skin for my whole life!¡±


    Changming answered after a moment of silence: ¡°It is undoubtedly the correct path, but you¡¯ll have to go through much more suffering than you kin¡ªperhaps a thousand fold more.¡±


    A-Rong nodded: ¡°I can do it.¡±


    When she said this, she seemed to be in a hurry to prove it to herself, but her voice could cut a nail and crack steel. She seemed more resolute than ever before.


    Cut a nail and crack steel: resolute


    Changming recalled that there was someone else who had said to him just as decisively that he could¡ª


    Even through mountains of knives and seas of flames, I¡¯m willing to follow Shizun till death with no regret.


    This memory was very vague.


    A familiar person slowly appeared in his memories. His name was on the tip of Changming¡¯s tongue, yet he still did not manage to recall it.


    That person looked at Changming once, turned around and headed to the Nine Layers of the Abyss. He left to fulfill his destiny. For many years to come, he was caught in the mess there, and because of that, he was even infected with demonic qi.


    But he never spoke of regret.


    The cut on the back of his hand caused him burning pain once again, and this time, it seemed as if the feeling was spreading up his arm. Soon, even his chest hurt all over.


    But Changming could not tell whether the pain was triggered by the fox spirit or by the memories of that person.


    Was that Yun Weisi?


    ¡°Senior? Senior?¡±


    A-Rong witnessed senior Zhou freeze on the spot, as if he had been bewitched. But he quickly regained his composure after being called by her.


    He asked A-Rong: ¡°When will you have a chance to meet that young master?¡±


    A-Rong shook her head: ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Normally, sister Hua-Shan just calls him if she needs something. Truth to be told, I¡¯m a bit afraid of sister Hua-Shan. Although she¡¯s formidable, I don¡¯t really know why I¡¯m always frightened to speak in her presence at all¡­¡±


    She stopped talking abruptly and headed to the exit of the room, as if listening attentively.


    Changming turned his head to look in the same direction, but heard nothing.


    ¡°Sister Hua-Shan has given us a command!¡±


    Tn:


    [1] Returning to purity by washing away powder: as I understand it, it¡¯s about how people look beautiful and natural even without makeup


    Bright colors fall behind reflections: the literal translation is ¡°Thickest ink is inferior to shallow shadows¡±. The original poem for these two characters, ¡°shallow shadows¡±, is here link. The line we need is ¡°Delicate, tilting branches [of a plum blossom tree] reflected on clear and shallow water¡±. Given the context, I think that the idiom says ¡°No matter how brightly one colors a painting to emphasize the beauty of the tree, a simple but genuine reflection on the water would always be more impressive¡±, and the moral is the same: natural beauty needs no adornment.

 CH 122

    Hua-Shan¡¯s hands kept twisting under her sleeves.


    But she did not dare show them and stood as straight as a ramrod.


    Her thin clothing was fluttering in the stormy wind with an ethereal lightness, and looked graceful and alluring.


    The body Hua-Shan was currently possessing used to be the most popular courtesan of a brothel in Shangzhou. This beauty had just turned eighteen, and she was lithe and charming, but she had caught a serious illness. The fragrance would soon disperse, and the jade was about to shatter, but at that very moment Hua-Shan happened to meet her. Without giving it a second thought, Hua-Shan took over the courtesan¡¯s body. Hua-Shan did not really care whether the beauty could have been cured or not. As a fox spirit, she was not shackled by human mores or morality, so she never considered if things went against what humans called their conscience.


    The fragrance would soon disperse, and the jade was about to shatter: death of a beauty


    She was very pleased with this body. Wherever she went, countless eyes watched her. Hua-Shan even attracted criminals and the like who harbored evil intentions. She was intensely proud of this because she liked being popular. Good looks were a sharp weapon which fox spirits were able to use most efficiently.


    But now she did not think the same way.


    She really wished she could go back to the moment before she occupied this body, before she started working together with that person.


    ¡°Are you afraid?¡± she heard a voice say suddenly.


    Hua-Shan managed not to gnash her teeth somehow and forced a smile.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just cold¡­ The weather is too cold!¡±


    Even she felt that her words sounded like a lie.


    It was indeed bitterly cold, but she was a fox spirit with a high cultivation level, so the chilly wind should not even be able to make her tremble from the cold.


    She was subconsciously remorseful and frightened and did not want this person to stand even half a step away from her.


    The man chuckled, but his smile was so ice-cold and heartless that Hua-Shan trembled again.


    ¡°Young Master¡­¡± she stopped for a brief moment, but eventually spoke, ¡°Is there a way to change the plan we¡¯ve discussed? There are many people in Hongluo. As long as you say so, I¡¯ll put the plan into motion immediately. I can guarantee that even chickens and dogs won¡¯t be left undisturbed, and there won¡¯t even be their corpses left behind. There are only a few of us fox spirits here, could you please just let us go?¡±


    Chickens and dogs won¡¯t be left undisturbed: great commotion


    ¡°Hua-Shan.¡±


    His tone was warm, as if he was a senior talking to his junior, but Hua-Shan kept quiet after that.


    Not too long ago, the fox spirits. who had been driven to desperation, stumbled upon this person. He told them that he could help find convenient human skins for them and even internal alchemy pills that would  boost their cultivations. Even if it would not be enough for them to develop human forms, it would certainly make them a lot stronger, and they would not have to hide themselves in every place they went, eating wind and sleeping under the open sky.


    Eating wind and sleeping under the open sky: about harsh conditions


    This offer was very tempting, and Hua-Shan had accepted it without a second thought. She had taken several dozen fox spirits to seek shelter with the person they called ¡°young master¡±. They worked hand-in-hand with nightmare demons according to his plan and ran wild in Hongluo. They only had to hold on until the situation became unmanageable, and then pass the buck to one person. After completing the task, they could walk away victorious with the rest of the alchemy pills and cultivate back at home happily.


    Unfortunately, things had started to get out of their control.


    Someone was hiding in Hongluo and protecting this small town with a formation. But Hua-Shan knew that for their almighty young master, the person who had set this formation was like a carpenter swinging an ax in the presence of Lu Ban. The reason why the young master did not break this formation was because he intended to use it as bait and lure the people he wanted to apprehend.


    A carpenter swinging an ax in the presence of Lu Ban: to teach fish to swim. Lu Ban is the God of Carpentry


    Yet their actual target had not shown up, while unforeseen things had started to occur. Two no-name rogue cultivators had destroyed the young master¡¯s formation. They showed up on the scene casually, searched everywhere and rescued the goddamn common people. The young master watched indifferently as the pieces on his chess board fell from their positions and then told Hua-Shan¡¯s people to go there and make things right.


    He wanted one fox spirit to sacrifice their life, serving as an offering to the target and luring them out.


    This was why Hua-Shan was with the young master here now.


    He told Hua-Shan to choose one of the fox spirits and send them to their death.


    Hua-Shan did not want to do this. But she also knew that if she refused this request, she would have been the one to die.


    This unfathomable man could let her die in a hundred different ways, and each way would have forced her to beg for death.


    She regretted the fact that her eyes had been blinded by that promise of easy returns. She had asked a tiger for its skin.


    Asked a tiger for its skin: a hopeless cause


    All of these fox spirits had been related to her by blood. She did not want to sacrifice anyone.


    But fingers are unequal in length¡ªHua-Shan had favorites and those she treated coldly.


    Fingers are unequal in length: people are different


    She thought of A-Rong.


    This child was the weakest of them and the least remarkable. When they were eating, she always finished the last. Even though she was not unintelligent, her luck had run its course here.


    And as luck would have it, not only was A-Rong unskilled, but she was even compassionate, which was uncharacteristic of her fox clan. When she was choosing a human body, she went for a recently deceased beggar, so her appearance exacerbated her already poor position. Fox spirits, who valued looks a lot, resented her for that.


    A-Rong it is, then.


    Hua-Shan exhaled a breath slowly.


    She was no longer that tormented by her conscience after making this decision, but she had some lingering fear left. She was afraid that one sacrifice would not be enough to satisfy this man. Would she have to continue to give up on her kin as soon as something did not go according to his plans? Her credibility in the eyes of her clan would plummet if that happened.


    ¡°Young Master, after this is over¡­¡±


    ¡°After this is over, I¡¯ll give you what¡¯s left of the alchemy pills. You¡¯re free to distribute it as you wish. We¡¯ve worked well together. I don¡¯t need you to use your last ounce of strength for me, and after this, you can take your kindred and leave. The sky is high, and the seas are vast.¡±


    The sky is high, and the seas are vast: I think it means ¡°go wherever you want¡± in the context


    He seemed to have guessed what she was worried about, judging by how naturally he picked up where she had left off.


    Alright, then it¡¯s decided. A-Rong, sacrifice yourself for the sake of your kind. Hua-Shan said silently. She had seen this person defeat a nightmare demon with his bare hands, so she had no resolve to resist at all.


    She took a jade flute out of her belt and played a song that only her clan could hear.


    Hua-Shan played it so that only A-Rong could hear the sound.


    A-Rong thought that all of them had been called by Hua-Shan, but in reality she was going to her death alone.


    Half of the song had been played, but A-Rong still had not appeared. Hua-Shan even started to suspect that the girl could have overheard her dialogue with the young master and now did not dare show her face. But, after giving it more thought, Hua-Shan decided that this was highly unlikely. Although A-Rong was quick-witted, she was not that worthless.


    Just as she thought of this, a thin figure appeared on the other side of the wide street. It was moving slowly, as if it could not beat the wind and snow that was about to blow her away. Step by step, she approached Hua-Shan.


    A-Rong was walking and speaking to Changming in a low voice at the same time.


    ¡°Sir, you¡¯re a senior to our clan. Sister Hua-Shan would certainly be glad to meet you, so why are you hiding yourself from her eyes?¡±


    She could not see Changming, but his voice reached her ears.


    ¡°The person standing next to sister Hua-Shan is that young master, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± A-Rong was surprised, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the entire clan summoned? Why was I the only one to come?¡±


    Changming squinted, watching the man near Hua-Shan carefully.


    He was wrapped in black clothes from head to toe, so Changming could not see his face. The man resembled that Sir An who was with head constable Xing, but Changming was not quite sure.


    Even if their guess had been completely correct, and Sir An was actually Jiang Li¡¯s dashixiong from the past, Yao Wangnian¡ªdid that mean that he was behind all the murders in Hongluo?


    ¡°I can¡¯t come closer. Even if I stay invisible, they¡¯ll be able to sense my aura. Go first. After that young master leaves, I¡¯ll reappear and talk to her.¡± Changming said to A-Rong.


    A-Rong did not think too much about this decision. Talented people had their own etiquette and rules about interactions. Perhaps, Sir Zhou did not want to get involved in this case, and just wanted to help the other fox spirits a bit. A-Rong felt that meeting him was a great boon to her.


    She walked up to Hua-Shan and the young master and greeted them.


    ¡°Young Master, Sister Hua-Shan. Is there something you wanted me to do?¡±


    But sister Hua-Shan did not answer her, and turned her head to the man instead: ¡°Young Master, take a look, is she alright?¡±


    Alright? In what way?


    Before A-Rong could comprehend the hidden meaning, she heard the young master hum in agreement. Without saying anything, Hua-Shan stretched out her hand. Her fingers moved as fast as lightning as she reached towards the top of A-Rong¡¯s head.


    A-Rong turned pale with fright. Everything was happening too fast for her to avoid the attack, so she could only wait for her death to come.


    Jiufang Changming, who was hiding in the dark nearby, was facing a choice.


    Should he strike or not?


    If he did not step in, A-Rong would die.


    If he did not, he would have to fight against not only Hua-Shan, but also that young master. This person¡¯s cultivation could not be measured. If that really was Yao Wangnian, with his current cultivation, Changming would probably lose.


    More importantly, showing himself ahead of time was beating the grass to alert the snake!

 CH 123

    Proofread by Snake


    After a short moment of hesitation, Changming moved.


    The moment he met A-Rong, a bond of karma had formed between them. If he did not help her and left her to die, this bond of karma would have presented an obstacle in his cultivation.


    Perhaps, attacking them now was not a wise decision, but he had no other choice.


    The young master¡¯s cultivation was high.


    He noticed Changming the very moment the latter revealed himself. The man snapped his fingers, and an arrow of black fog charged at Changming, as sharp as a knife and as fast as if it were an arrow that had been shot from a bow.


    It was just an opening move, a stone tossed to find out what was ahead. The fog touched Changming and combusted, disappearing along with the person and shattering into pieces, swirling in the air.


    The young master raised his brows slightly, revealing a surprised expression.


    Hua-Shan had already prudently stepped aside, afraid to meet the fate of fish in a town pond.


    Fish in a town pond: dies when the town gates are in fire: people take water from the pond to extinguish the fire


    She knew that the young master was a formidable opponent. He had already reached the level of a skilled master¡ªhe could have even been at the level of a grandmaster or even greater.


    Hua-Shan had experienced his power several times since they started working together. Each time, she thought she had understood how profound his skills were, but later on, reality proved that she had not, as he would always catch her off guard, thus warning her against insubordination. He had suppressed her over and over again until she no longer had any will to resist.


    Hua-Shan prided herself as someone who had seen much of life and had fought against many cultivators. However, even after working with the young master for so long, she still did not manage to uncover his origins¡ªeven if he was a rogue cultivator, surely, he had to have come from somewhere. Yet it seemed that the young master had just materialized from thin air. All his cultivation arts, skills, and movements were mysterious. He did not have spiritual weapons or treasures that he would use consistently. Instead, he could use almost anything to his benefit. Even if it was just a single stalk of straw, it would turn into a sharp blade covered in poison in his hands. His spiritual consciousness was astounding, and Hua-Shan even thought that he seemed to know everything.


    Hua-Shan did not dare to have a sliver of hesitation while dealing with this man, who was almost a deity in her eyes. That was why when he said he needed one of the fox spirits to be sacrificed, she accepted this request almost without fighting back.


    This time was no different.


    As the shards fell one after another, the ground was covered with white paper. A black mist had enveloped the young master, and he swiftly raised his sleeve, seemingly reaching to catch thin air!


    But a person was grabbed by the front part of their robes!


    Without saying anything, the young master reached out for the person¡¯s head before Hua-Shan could even realize what was happening!


    After a loud ¡°bang¡±, that person groaned and fell to the ground softly.


    Hua-Shan¡¯s heart was beating loudly as she breathed out weakly. She was frightened and regretted that everything was over so quickly.


    Was this person dealt with so easily? The young master deserved admiration indeed.


    But in a moment, she opened her eyes wide again.


    The person who had fallen to the ground was rapidly melting like a snowman under the sun, so quickly that she saw it clearly. Very soon, he had turned into a pool of water that then dissolved in the snow.


    Hua-Shan heard the young master sneer coldly and shrank back subconsciously.


    She knew that he was very annoyed.


    The last one who had infuriated the young master, a nightmare demon, was torn into pieces until his souls scattered away.


    ¡°I admit that you¡¯re somewhat skilled. But you¡¯re not experienced enough to fight against me!¡±


    Just as he said that, he abruptly stretched out his hand for a strike!


    The black fog intertwined with his spiritual powers, turning into complex and obscure talismanic writings. Before Hua-Shan could analyze it, the writings grew in magnitude and subsequently exploded in the air.


    A white flash had been struck by the talisman writing and fell down!


    A-Rong could not help screaming. She was obviously worried.


    Hua-Shan glanced at her. When did this little devil hook up with a cultivator, and why was Hua-Shan unaware of this fact?


    The white shadow fell down lightly. It turned out to be a paper puppet again!


    The young master was secretly irritated. He looked around and silently suppressed his qi, no longer attacking so mindlessly.


    ¡°Does daoyou¡¯s puppet technique come from the Nangong aristocratic family of Nanhai, who specialize in the Art of Transferring Spirit?¡±


    His words were no longer as pompous as before, and his tone of voice had warmed as if he was talking to a good old friend.


    ¡°Daoyou, we have no bones to pick with each other, so why should we battle so desperately? Wouldn¡¯t the fisherman profit from that? If you want anything, you might as well say that. If I can satisfy your needs, I surely will.¡±


    The fisherman profits from that: third party takes advantage of two other who have a conflict


    Hua-Shan then heard a voice answering the young master from nowhere.


    ¡°Daoyou, you¡¯re of good ancestry and have great knowledge and experience. Can¡¯t you guess my origins?¡±


    Hua-Shan¡¯s attention turned to these two words: ¡°good ancestry¡±.


    Could it be that this man knew of the young master¡¯s origins?


    She could not help stealing a glance at him. Unfortunately, it was too dark, and the young master was cloaked in black robes with a hood over his head, so she could only see his chin vaguely, not his expression.


    ¡°A pity, daoyou, but you¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m a villager from the countryside, and I¡¯m all alone in the world. What ancestry is there to talk about?¡±


    The young master squinted and spoke carelessly, but in truth he was searching for his enemy¡¯s position.


    He knew for certain that this man was somewhere nearby, but his skills in concealing himself were extremely powerful, so the young master still could not find him.


    The world was vast, and surely there were many hidden dragons and sleeping tigers. However, the strongest and most powerful people could not disappear completely. Anyone who was barely known could be instantly launched into fame in a million ways, and the young master believed that he knew the background of almost everyone who had made a name for themselves.


    Only this man was different: either he had come from the Nangong aristocratic family, or was a mystery to the young master.


    Yet even the Nangong aristocratic family, despite being proficient in the Art of Conferring Spirit, had not attained the pinnacle of perfection in using puppets. Perhaps even the head of the family could not have escaped the young master¡¯s discerning eye.


    So, in the end, who was this man?


    ¡°Daoyou¡¯s being too modest. Everybody in the world has heard of you. You came to Hongluo in order to collude with fox spirits and demons, which may seem as if you want to kill people at random, but in truth, you have other plans. Why don¡¯t you tell me what they are? If we reach an agreement, I¡¯ll reveal myself.¡±


    When he was speaking, his voice was coming from every direction at once. Hua-Shan felt as if she was surrounded by him and could not quickly guess his location.


    The young master squinted and did not look round in all directions like Hua-Shan. On the contrary, he was standing motionlessly, and only his ears moved.


    Just as the man uttered the last word, the young master abruptly moved sideways, turned into a shadow and launched himself at Hua-Shan!


    Hua-Shan saw him come at her with a murderous look on his face. She was terrified, but did not have time to retreat at all. Only when his hand  brushed past her did she realize that his target was not Hua-Shan herself, but something behind her back!


    Was there a person behind her?!


    At the same time as she turned her head around, she heard the loud sound of metal crushing, as if two swords, belonging to masters, had clashed in a life-or-death fight.


    The swords were as bright as rainbows, brimming with murderous qi. Hua-Shan only felt a sharp pain pierce her back when her body leaped forward on instinct. She fell to the ground, coughing up blood, while the blinding light produced by the swords suddenly went out without a trace.


    The young master landed swiftly.


    There was not a scratch on him. He looked at the ground with a cold sneer.


    Hua-Shan followed his gaze and noticed a dark mark on the snow. After looking more carefully, she realized that it was blood.


    ¡°You¡¯re wounded,¡± the young master said.


    By attacking the man, he had gained some information.


    The man¡¯s cultivation was inferior to the young master¡¯s, so he had to resort to this trick of hiding himself to buy himself some time. The man had no chance of winning in a direct battle.


    The young master only needed to catch him one more time¡­


    ¡°We have no past grievances and no recent resentment between us. If you agree to show yourself, I¡¯ll give you a pass. Since daoyou is wounded, why are you fighting so resolutely? When that golden talisman hits you, you will feel nothing at first, but gradually your arms and legs will feel as if they have been submerged in icy water and pricked with needles. It¡¯s hard to endure, and you won¡¯t be able to deal with it alone.¡±


    The man seemed to have hidden himself somewhere and showed no traces of himself at all.


    It was now about patience.


    Although the young master knew that his opponent¡¯s cultivation was lower, if the man actually stayed frozen to a spot and did not move, it would be difficult for the young master to do anything.


    The night was long, the dreams were many¡ªit was still better to solve the matter as quickly as possible.


    The night was long, the dreams were many: anything can happen if you wait for too long


    His eyes stopped at the small and thin figure behind the pile of firewood, and the corners of his mouth curled up.


    There was always a way out.


    The young master dashed there abruptly, reaching his hand out as fast as lightning!


    A-Rong was beyond terrified. The young master was about to kill her, but she still had not collected her thoughts.


    How could she avoid an attack as sudden as this? Even Hua-Shan did not get a chance to retaliate, so what could A-Rong do?


    At this moment, which lasted only long enough for lightning to flash and split a rock, she vaguely realized that the young master intended to take her life to lure the senior out!


    If the senior did not show himself, her miserable life would be quickly lost.


    When her death was just at hand, a gust of fresh wind came from beside her, and she was gently pushed and moved against her will.


    The senior was actually forced to reappear!


    The young master laughed, stretching his hand out to Changming.


    This hand did not bring a seal with a talisman as he did before. Now, the black patterns on his hand had parted into threads, revealing golden strings.


    From Changming¡¯s perspective, these gold metallic threads were like nets blocking both the sky and the earth to catch him. He was almost wrapped in the dense web that loomed right above his head, and had no chance of freeing himself.


    It suddenly made Changming somewhat nostalgic.


    The young master and the thick dark mist around him also seemed familiar to Changming, as if they had already met.


    Even though he could not see the man¡¯s face, even though his memories had been damaged¡­


    Where had he seen this?


    A-Rong watched in a daze as the two of them were locked into a hand-to-hand battle. The sword in front of the senior cut through the black wires, but froze before reaching the young master and would not move forward no matter what. The sword glow was getting duller as well and was no longer as blinding as before.


    By contrast, the young master kept crossing the distance between them steadily, so, obviously, he had gained the upper hand. He folded his arms into a seal, and the black fog formed a circle, following the gesture. Black qi started to creep forward with golden threads mixed within. A-Rong did not know what shape it was supposed to take, but vaguely recognised some constellations.


    The stars seemed to be in motion. They gathered and dispersed incessantly, as if it were an invisible whirlpool that wanted to devour people. A-Rong was unconsciously attracted to it. She held her breath in concentration and softly exclaimed with admiration.


    What she was witnessing were the glory days of the fox clans!


    Thousands of fox clans had gathered in the human world. They lived out in the open and did not have to conceal their identities, since they were now the real owners of the world.


    Great! Was that not what they dreamed of day and night?


    However, what about the senior?


    Where did he go?


    Changming¡¯s mind was also lost in the stars on the ¡°black dish¡±.


    The moment when the young master¡¯s palm struck Changming¡¯s chest, the outcome of the battle seemed to have been determined.


    The Changming Sword spared no effort to protect its master, but it still could not repel the young master¡¯s attack. Changming had been enveloped in the black fog, like a beast trapped in a cocoon of black silk threads. His spiritual powers were being taken away slowly.


    The young master was not in a hurry to finish off Changming. He wanted Changming¡¯s cultivation for himself, so he was planning to steal the sky and put up a sham sky.


    To steal the sky and put up a sham sky: to substitute smth


    Changming¡¯s chances of survival were vanishing with the black fog, but he never used the Bell of One Soul in his hand.


    The black fog in front of his eyes parted, and he seemed to be watching another scene.


    He lowered his head. The ground was covered in lotuses. Golden light was spilling over the petals, Buddhist scriptures resounded merrily, and even the heavens seemed to be singing quietly. However, the lotuses were not of the usual pink color¡ªinstead, they were made of stone.


    Everything he could see around had already changed. The world was teetering on the verge of total collapse. The stone lotuses had already withered one after another. The golden light was still oozing from the flowers, but it was no longer holy and pure like before. Now, it seemed to be heralding the impending doomsday, as if the universe had fallen into ruin and both yin and yang had been exhausted.


    Changming felt very dizzy, as if he was one of these lotuses and his chances of survival were diminishing rapidly. He knew that his cultivation was different from the ¡°young master¡¯s¡± and he could hardly withstand a direct confrontation. Nevertheless, he was fighting back stubbornly and refused to call for Yun Weisi with the Bell of One Mind.


    This was because he wanted to understand what that feeling of familiarity he had was. It seemed that he knew the young master, so who was this person?


    Was it¡ª


    In the sky that had been enveloped in clouds and mists, he blocked a deadly blow that depleted his cultivation.


    When the Liuhe Zhutian Formation collapsed, the souls of the grandmaster were severed, and the entire world was destroyed.


    ¡°Yun Weisi, although it has seemed like I was unable to give you what you wanted from me and I¡¯ve been pursuing the Heavenly Dao my whole life, asking for nothing more, it was still only you¡ªyou were my only attachment to this world. From this day on, my souls will scatter away, and we will never meet again. But, if there¡¯s a next life¡ª¡±


    A voice suddenly roared inside Changming¡¯s head, so loud that even those who were deaf could have heard it. His heart was beating wildly.


    Who was speaking?


    Was it Changming himself?


    The only shackles attaching him to the world¡­


    Changming closed his eyes. He was obviously suffering, and almost could not endure the pressure his opponent was inflicting on him. The fox poison had activated too, so he had been strained like a bow since earlier and could break at any moment now. Yet, he had not triggered the Bell of One Mind in his hand.


    He was about to find out the truth!


    Yun Weisi was his only attachment to this world, and the person in front of him¡ª


    Changming opened his eyes abruptly. His eyes saw through the layers of fog, through the hundred years, through the grim destruction of the world¡ªhe saw the future and everything that was to happen in the world. The clouds had been dispelled, and he saw the moon. The figure from his memories overlapped with the silhouette before his eyes seamlessly!


    The clouds had been dispelled, and he saw the moon: see the truth


    Luomei!


    He broke the seal that had obstructed his memories and shouted the name!


    The black threads were torn, and a white light erupted around Changming. The Changming Sword reacted swiftly and rang in response!


    Honor reaches to the clouds, the purple qi comes from the east, the highest heavens return; who but myself can do it!


    The young master¡¯s expression changed quickly!


    He realized that the aura around had abruptly shifted, and the opponent that had not been his match in any regard was no longer himself either. The dark mists dispersed, and heavy spiritual powers were assaulting his senses as his opponent suddenly got near him!


    His aura was ice-cold, fierce, and overbearing¡ªcompletely opposite from what the man was like before this!


    ¡°So it was really you!¡±


    The young master saw the man smile icily and raised his hands with a seal immediately!


    The two raw spiritual powers collided with nothing between them. In this moment, two enemies met face-to-face on a narrow path to fight to death!


    The young master decided it was better to run away.


    He did not want to die, especially if this happened in such a pathetic way in this no-name Hongluo Town. There were many things he had yet to do.


    Even though he only thought of retreating, his opponent sensed this intention clearly, as if they were a blazing fire!


    When the thick fog dispersed completely, both of them had been wounded.


    The young master ran away!


    He chose to sacrifice a pawn to save a rook without a moment of hesitation. He disappeared and did not even spare a glance at Hua-Shan¡ªnot a trace of him was left behind.


    Was it over?


    Hua-Shan stretched out her head cautiously. When she saw that, contrary to her expectations, the young master had escaped, she could not believe her eyes.


    The other man was standing motionlessly, as if he was made of stone.


    Drip, drip. His blood started dripping down to the snow at some point.


    He had been injured, and the injury was quite severe.


    Step by step, Hua-Shan slowly came over and raised her head to leave a seal on his back.


    The author has something to say:


    A small scene unrelated to the main text:


    Zhou Keyi: (laughing loudly) Shizun has remembered everything! You¡¯re done!


    Yun Weisi: (unfazed) Have you become a human again?


    Zhou Keyi: ¡­


    Yun Weisi: Your ex-subordinate, Xu Jingxian, seems to be interested in dog meat.


    Zhou Keyi: ¡­

 CH 124

    Changming subconsciously felt that his life was on the line, and that the entire situation was hard to comprehend.


    The Luomei from the future had devised all kinds of successful plans and had reached the peak of cultivation of this world. However, he had failed to ascend, and was thus forced to occupy the body of his disciple, Jiang Li. However, the Luomei from the past was not dependent on someone else¡¯s body, and his cultivation was not that much inferior compared to the cultivation he had when he destroyed the world.


    At this moment, he was like the sun at noon¡ªhe was even stronger than grandmasters. He stood one tiny step away from reaching the Heavenly Dao¡ªbut this very step had made him abandon his aspiration to ascend and had forced him to resort to such extreme measures. That had been the limit of Luomei¡¯s strength.


    When the two of them fought, Luomei did not spare any effort in attacking, and Changming exerted his utmost as well. He could feel his spiritual powers dissipating in a flash, like water that was quickly flowing away. But at this moment of mortal danger, the seal on his memories had been forcibly broken, and he thought of everything that was to happen in one hundred years. The overwhelming power of a man willing to fight to his last breath scared Luomei¡ªso he decided to stop fighting and leave.


    In terms of cultivation, Luomei was slightly stronger at this moment, but he still had other matters to deal with. Obviously, he did not want to risk his life in a battle with some unknown rogue cultivator here. It did not matter whether the rat died here, but Luomei was afraid to break the jade jar. After giving the situation some thought, he decided to retreat. His wound might not have been as grave as Changming¡¯s, but he was still not unscathed. So, for at least the next two or three days, he would not be able to pose a threat for Changming and Yun Weisi.


    Break the jade jar: wasted efforts


    Yun Weisi¡­


    As Changming thought of this name, thoughts started to surge in his mind, and his heart felt warm.


    He forgot about everything that was happening around him¡ªhe did not even notice Hua-Shan coming closer, and stood there with his sword in his hand.


    Stars shifted in the sea of his consciousness, constellations changed, and blue seas transformed into mulberry fields¡ªthe memories he had lost had returned to his mind, but they had been shattered to pieces and were formless. He tried hard to understand them, reconstructing them one by one.


    A teenager entered the Yuhuang Temple. The head of the temple asked him: What do you pursue in this life? He answered: Only the Dao, nothing else.


    Faithful to his intentions, the teenager spent his life studying the Dao, free from any distractions.


    In this life, he had made many enemies, opponents, friends and disciples. There were some people who saw him as their role model, others who only wished him an early death, as well as those who would follow him under any circumstances. However, Jiufang Changming¡¯s eyes were only set on the Heavenly Dao up ahead.


    Surviving mortal perils, he had returned from the Yellow Springs, and his attitude to people and affairs had changed. He started to notice many small details that used to escape his eyes.


    Sometimes he thought that he was actually a bad master to his disciples.


    Out of his four disciples, three had left him and went on their own paths to establish their own schools. They were devout and attentive when they started studying under him, but later, they had all left without any hesitation.


    Only Yun Weisi stayed with him till the very end. From the beginning, their discord was only for show.


    In the past, Changming was so worried about worldly affairs, and did not expect Yun Weisi to end up at the Void Shore because of him. Yet, for fifty years, Yun Weisi faced the never-ending desolation of that place, while having his body infected with demonic qi. Had it even been worth it?


    Now, when Changming looked back at what happened, he realized that Yun Weisi would have had an easier life if it was not for this plan. His talent and cultivation could have let him aspire to the highest position in all Daoist schools. More than that, he could have become one of the strongest cultivators in the whole world¡ªit really would have been him, Yun Weisi, not the sects like the Wanjian Immortal Clan or the Celestial Abode Shenxiao.


    Changming still remembered the night when Yun Weisi stood in front of the Yuhuang Temple for the entire night. His clothes were soaked, and he was exhausted like an arrow at the end of its flight. When Changming¡¯s shidi told him about this, he had just exited seclusion, and did not take the matter seriously. He said, If you want to cultivate yet cannot even bear this minor trial, you don¡¯t need to continue.


    But, unexpectedly, Yun Weisi had carried on. He obtained permission to enter the temple, and even endured the harshest trials of the sect, quickly turning into its most prominent disciple. However, newcomers were often ostracized in the beginning. Even though the Yuhuang Temple was not that bad in this regard, there was no guarantee that each and every disciple would give Yun Weisi some face and would not use any underhanded methods against him. Yet, Yun Weisi never spoke of this, especially in front of Changming. He did not speak much in general, and almost everything that he said was something that needed to be said.


    Afterwards, Changming thought that this was not Yun Weisi¡¯s natural disposition. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but behaved as if each word he said was gold¡ªand he had become like this after entering the Yuhuang Temple.


    Each word he said was gold: taciturn


    Many events of the past fell into oblivion unjustly, but at this moment, the fog had been slightly lifted, revealing the true nature of Changming¡¯s memories.


    He bent over to collect the scattered pieces of them.


    There was one year where Yun Weisi descended the mountains to learn through experience. Some disciples were cleaning the houses, and knocked over a bookshelf by carelessness. When they saw the notes he made on the daily, they were outraged, and quickly turned them over to Changming.


    Changming opened up the bamboo slips. They were densely filled with notes: of Yun Weisi¡¯s understanding of cultivation, the impressions the events of that day had left on him and some other trifling matters.


    ¡ªWhen I was cultivating under the waterfall today, I happened to notice a double rainbow stretching from east to west. It was very interesting. I wonder if Shizun has ever cultivated here and if he has ever seen this scenery. But Shizun has traveled far and wide, presumably, he wouldn¡¯t be excited over such a small thing.


    ¡ªSpring mornings are bright and sunny. Sparrows are singing on the branches, and all the creatures are free from worry. When I first arrived at the Yuhuang Temple, my heart was brimming with hatred, and I only wished to finish my studies as soon as possible to get revenge. Although I haven¡¯t forgotten the enemies of my family, my mind is more at peace. Every time I am feeling restless, I go under Shizun¡¯s windows and watch Shizun meditate and drink tea under the eaves from afar. Somehow, this calms my mind, and my worries melt away like ice. I wonder how Shizun calms down when he is concerned.


    ¡ªI was chatting with a shidi today. He told me about daoyou He Yunyun from the Celestial Abode Shenxiao he met on his journey to get experience. He fell deeply in love with her. He asked me whether I¡¯ve felt like this, and I didn¡¯t know what to answer in return. I thought of the times when I used to lead a luxurious life. Back then, I would mess around singing districts and buy flowers and pendants for girls. Nowadays, everyone in the capital considers such behavior arrogant. Yet now, thinking of the past, I only think that behaviour of mine was immature and laughable.


    It had started to snow at some point. One snowflake after another fell to the world of mortals, landing on Changming¡¯s hair and brows.


    His shoulders had turned white, and the top of his head had been covered in frost. And as if he was a statue made of ice, he stood motionless.


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s eyes were shut tightly, but the tips of his mouth curled upwards, as if he had recalled something funny.


    The world covered in snow and ice was strange and grotesque, and one could not see through the whiteness.


    Yun Weisi was not a taciturn man. In his heart, he was always lively and talkative.


    He wrote all his words down in these notes, and only by chance did Changming read them.


    After many years, at this moment, he suddenly realized that he had always kept in mind every word his first disciple had said since he was youthful and brash and till he had calmed down.


    ¡ªHe Yunyun came to the Yuhuang Temple unannounced and even sought an audience with the temple master. She beseeched him to allow her and my shidi to become daoist partners. This incident has shaken the entire Yuhuang Temple. I¡¯m afraid that today no one would be inclined to cultivate. I don¡¯t understand¡ªthe path to the Great Dao is already so abstruse, why would anyone allow one¡¯s self to be distracted by love? If you¡¯re distracted, can you still desire to gain the heavenly realm? If two people love each other a lot, and one of them dies, how will the other one concentrate on the Great Dao and set aside their sorrow? Isn¡¯t that a burden to both of them? But daoist partners are not rare among cultivators. No matter how much I contemplate this question, I never see the answer. I should probably ask Shizun.


    ¡ªI would have never guessed that there are things that Shizun doesn¡¯t know. When I asked him questions about daoist partners and dao hearts, Shizun revealed a bewildered expression I¡¯ve never seen on his face. After thinking for a while, he shook his head and told me that he had never felt anything like this in this life, so he¡¯s unable to give me an answer. When I saw Shizun¡¯s face, I almost smiled. Subconsciously, I thought I should ask him strange questions again in the future to see him puzzled. But such behavior would be treacherous, I should cease this immediately. Blessings of the Brilliant Deities.


    Blessings of the Brilliant Deities: ¡®amen¡¯ is an oversimplified explanation


    ¡ªToday, I overheard the temple master and shidi talking. Every living creature of this world and every human heart is different, so we pursue different goals. Some people realize that they only have an ordinary aptitude¡ªwhile they¡¯re better than the common people, they are miles between themselves and cultivators, just like the heavens and the earth. Hence, they don¡¯t seek a way to ascend, but rather live a long life, wandering about. They find someone dear to them, and, hand in hand, they travel through mountains and rivers, unrestrained for eternity. Shidi asked me: if I were to ever meet a person that would be such a heavenly match for me, would that make me, the cultivation maniac (Shidi calls me this jokingly), change my mind and turn to mundane life and away from immortality? I thought a lot, and after a while, I shook my head and told him that this would be impossible.


    ¡ªA rare occasion: Shizun hasn¡¯t gone into seclusion today. He was playing chess under a tree. I was shameless enough to ask him whether I could join him, and Shizun agreed happily. I lost thirteen rounds, and after that, I realized that my skin had thickened like a city wall and I¡¯m no longer afraid of anything.


    Skin had thickened like a city wall: to not feel embarrassed anymore


    Has this person died, or is he still alive?


    If he¡¯s dead, why¡¯s he breathing? If he¡¯s alive, why¡¯s he standing absolutely still?


    As a rule, foxes were paranoid, and Hua-Shan was a special case. She stopped roughly five steps away from Jiufang Changming. She did not hide her murderous expression, but hesitated.


    ¡°Hua-Shan!¡±


    Stumbling on her way, A-Rong walked over and stood between the two of them.


    ¡°Senior is one of my clan! He saved us, don¡¯t harm our ally!¡±


    Hua-Shan raised her eyebrows: ¡°What do you mean by ¡®our ally¡¯?¡±


    A-Rong mumbled: ¡°Senior said that he has cultivated himself a human body after overcoming tribulations in the mountains. He¡¯s one of our kind!¡±


    Hua-Shan laughed: ¡°You¡¯re too easy to deceive! How can he be a fox? Obviously, he¡¯s a cultivator!¡±


    A-Rong tried to defend herself: ¡°But there¡¯s the aura of a fox on him¡­¡±


    Hua-Shan: ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s infected with his fox poison! Can¡¯t you see the infected wound on the back of his hand? His skill of creating illusions is exceptional, so he¡¯s managed to deceive you. Since he¡¯s poisoned, you can say for sure that he¡¯s fought with our kin¡ªmaybe he¡¯s even killed some of them and used that to lie to you. Make way!¡±


    A-Rong seemed hesitant for a moment, but then quickly shook her head.


    ¡°Senior saved me. It must be some sort of misunderstanding. Sister Hua-Shan, put down your weapon and let Senior explain it.¡±


    She turned around and pulled his hand.


    ¡°Senior, wake up! Sister has questions for you!¡±


    His ice-cold arm swayed as A-Rong pulled on it, and snow fell down from him. With the snow, a bell slid down to the ground from his loosened grip, and was thus buried in the snow. Yet, the man did not move.


    A-Rong was worried.


    ¡°Senior, say something, quick!¡±


    Hua-Shan walked over, bent down and picked up the Bell of One Mind. She squinted and looked at it, but did not crush it, and hid it in her clothes instead.


    ¡°Look, he¡¯s already injured from his fight with the young master, he¡¯s half-dead now. There¡¯s no telling how much time he has left. Rather than watching him die in vain, we should take the rest of his cultivation. Let¡¯s split it in half. You¡¯ll be able to improve your vessel at once, and your skills will improve drastically as well. Xun-Qing would never look down upon you ever again.¡±


    Xun-Qing was another kin of theirs, the one that despised A-Rong the most. Xun-Qing thought that she was too weak and got everyone in trouble. At times, she used rather harsh words with A-Rong, and the latter got embarrassed. After that, A-Rong would sneak away and cry alone.


    However, if she got this man¡¯s cultivation powers, everything would completely change for her. The strong were respected in the fox clans, so Xun-Qing would certainly not criticize A-Rong after the latter had made advances in her cultivation. A-Rong would not be considered a hindrance that held everyone back.


    This man was but a stranger, and they had met like patches of drifting seaweed. Was her own cultivation not more important than that?


    It seemed that Changming noticed neither their dispute, nor A-Rong¡¯s internal struggles.


    He was smiling slightly, submerged in the dreamworld.

 CH 125

    Proofread by Snake


    For Hua-Shan, this hesitation lasted for a brief moment, but for Changming, it seemed like thousands of years had passed by, long enough for a sea to be filled instead with sand.


    Many things were written in the notes, and the handwriting was small. When he looked through the notes, he learned a lot. Many years had passed since that day, and Changming would have never thought that all of this would still remain in his memories.


    In a flash, he glanced upon many things from his past.


    The memories were not only Yun Weisi¡¯s, but also his.


    ¡ªDaoyou He Yunyun and shidi got down on their knees in front of the temple shishu and begged him. Shishu told them that although he is the temple master, he can only give a verdict after discussing it with his shixiong. They went to shizun. At that moment, shizun was cultivating and did not leave his abode for days. They stood there for a day and a night, holding hands, and did not let go. Many of my fellow disciples envied them, saying that couples that are akin to mandarin ducks are better than immortality. But I was just puzzled and listened to their discussion quietly.


    Couples of mandarin ducks are better than immortality: finding your soulmate is the most important thing in the world


    ¡ªIt¡¯s nighttime. The moon is round, and the wind is fresh. When one cultivates under a waterfall during a night like this, they would gain understanding from the spiritual energy of the sky and the earth.


    ¡ªWhen shizun left seclusion and listened to shishu¡¯s explanation, he immediately gave his consent. We all thought he would be against it and we would hear shidi and He Yunyun cry and beg him, but, unexpectedly, everything was resolved so easily¡­ Shizun also said that cultivators live much longer than common people, and being daoist partners is not just a status, but, primarily, a contract sworn upon the heavens and the earth. Thus, you can¡¯t change your mind and back out halfway, so the two of them should consider this in a mature way. I always thought that these words contained some hints, but I never managed to decipher them. Shidi and He Yunyun thought that shizun was testing her and quickly put forward their feelings. They pointed to the sky and swore upon the sun that they would never regret this decision.


    Pointed to the sky and swore upon the sun: take a resolute oath


    ¡ªI left my ten-day seclusion just in time to make it to their wedding. The temple master personally watched over the ceremony of making vows to the heavens and the earth for them. Shizun was also present, which happens rarely, and drank a couple cups of wedding wine. Our Daoist temple that was usually so solemn was extraordinarily lively today. All my shidi drank a lot and were intoxicated. Usually, they say stubbornly that their hearts are set on the Great Dao only, but today, watching the newlyweds in harmony as if they were a pair of zithers singing, they actually envied them. Everyone said that they also wanted to go down the mountain to gain experience. As I see it, a drinker¡¯s heart is not in the cup, but I didn¡¯t expose them.


    A drinker¡¯s heart is not in the cup: ¡­but instead dreams of the life in mountains and creaks: to have other things in mind, meaning they want to descend the mountains to find their soulmates


    By this time, Yun Weisi had already set aside his plans of avenging his massacred family and slowly blended into the Yuhuang Temple. He had gotten used to the routine of exercising in the morning and cultivating till night.


    There were many disciples in the Yuhuang Temple, but it was normally peaceful and quiet. The Daoist sects preached the doctrine of non-interference and urged their disciples to follow the Heavenly Dao. And the Heavenly Dao was heartless. Although finding a daoist partner was not prohibited, seeing Jiufang Changming, who liked silence, the disciples put their hearts to cultivation as much as possible and kept quiet. Changming also remembered that wedding, and, when he recalled it now, he realized that it was indeed unusually lively.


    But there is both grief at separation and joy in union in this world, and misfortune lurks in happiness. Changming had long anticipated what could happen in the future, but the disciples had failed to take the hint he provided when he gave his consent. Even the quick-witted Yun Weisi had been confused by it, and had not guessed at what Changming had meant even after a long time. He still needed to step into the human world to understand it.


    ¡ªDuring the Lantern Festival, our temple was also more lively. Several disciples couldn¡¯t contain themselves and secretly descended the mountains to look at the colorful lanterns. The temple master turned a blind eye to this. At first, I was going to return to my room and meditate, but shizun called me and asked me whether I wanted to travel down the mountains with him. Of course, I agreed without thinking twice. To be honest, I¡¯ve been studying for many years already, and every day, unless I¡¯m listening to the teachings preached at the temple, I go behind the mountain to cultivate under the waterfall there. I¡¯m almost able to recall every vein on the leaves of the trees there. Shizun and the temple master don¡¯t prohibit us from going down the mountains and traveling, but I¡¯ve already seen the splendor of the human world that indulges in luxury and decadence. Every time I think of it, I remember the hatred I have for my family¡¯s murderers, so I wasn¡¯t going to go down there in the foreseeble future. However, when shizun asked me, I found myself looking forward to this trip.


    The Lantern Festival: 15th of the first lunar month


    ¡ªAlthough the town is small, there is everything one would need. The streets that were selling festival lanterns were full of people. They were displaying lanterns that have been popular in the capital for the past several years, and those fashions of the capital have finally reached this town. I saw a lantern made in the shape of a rabbit and recalled the lantern festival I had attended with my family when I was seven. Dad had bought me a lantern like this. At that time, my mind was full of swords and clubs, why would I like such a refined thing? Of course, I didn¡¯t spare it a single glance. Now, everything has changed, and I looked at the same lantern with regret. However, I was no longer with the same people. Shizun bought the lantern and gifted it to me, saying that he saw me staring at it. He thought that I didn¡¯t have enough money. I felt a mixture of things. Perhaps, after you set out on the path of cultivation, your heart really becomes more numb. Even the sadness of the past leaves your heart. We passed through the street that was selling lanterns along the river. The street is short, but it felt as if we were walking for a long time. When I looked at shizun, for some reason, I recalled the question shidi asked me back then, and suddenly an audacious thought struck me: if shizun agreed, I would be willing to give up cultivation and travel with him. This thought was so daring that it even startled me. Even though I calmed down a bit afterwards, my mind was in a turmoil. Shizun called for me several times, but I didn¡¯t hear him. He thought that I just missed my family.


    ¡ªDuring festivals like the New Year one, and especially during the Lantern Festival and the Double Seven Festival, the people in the human world would light up lanterns. Today was no exception. Many people in the crowd near the river were lighting lanterns, so I asked shizun whether he wanted to join in. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back and shook his head, saying that people light lanterns to place their hope on them because they have something they yearn for. However, he has no desires or wishes, so he doesn¡¯t need the lanterns to help him. I asked him whether the pursuit of immortality via the Great Dao was not a wish. He said that one should pursue the Great Dao with their own efforts, while the illusory wishes of the common people were but an attempt to comfort themselves, and cultivators would never believe in it. In the end, I still put my lantern in the water because there is something I want.


    The Double Seven Festival: the 7th day of the 7th month, Chinese Valentine¡¯s day


    ¡ªRecently, when I have free time, I read books in the library of the Yuhuang Temple. I noticed that there were not only books related to Daoist sects, but also many books from other clans, even Buddhist and Confucian ones, or on the yin-yang and geomancy. Some of them are even on some of the cultivation techniques of Demonic sects. I heard that those are what shizun has found recently. Although these are no secret and unique sacred teachings, they are very rare scriptures from all kinds of sects. No wonder shizun doesn¡¯t allow new disciples to enter this place. He must be afraid that their unstable hearts would be perturbed. That said, why would shizun suddenly get so interested in teachings of other clans? Could it be that the more progress you make, the more open-minded you should be, like a sea that has many rivers running into it?


    ¡ªI chatted with shizun today. I asked him the question that was bothering me yesterday, and shizun told me that he has gained some insight while cultivating and wants to open a new path. He said that I¡¯m not obliged to stay under his influence and can continue taking the road I have been following in my cultivation. Although he cleared up my confusion, I¡¯m even more puzzled now. I think that there is more to shizun¡¯s words than it seems.


    ¡ªI went to the library today and saw that all the books related to other clans have been hidden. The disciple that guards them said that shizun ordered to not let anyone who is not at the master level read these books. That was too much of a coincidence. I shouldn¡¯t have asked him about it back then, now, it seems that I¡¯ve walked into my one trap.


    Blood was slowly dripping from the corners of Changming¡¯s mouth, leaving a small, dark trace on the snow beside his feet. Even the freshly fallen snow could not cover it.


    A-Rong was shaking Changming gentler now, and her voice had gotten weaker. It seemed that she had stopped struggling and given in to her inner demons.


    A smile crawled across her lips. That¡¯s right. Where in this world could one find a person that would willingly let an opportunity like this escape their hands and follow the noble and moral path? Fox spirits had always been self-serving, and only A-Rong was different. Now, it was time for this different A-Rong to come to her senses.


    ¡°Get out of my way and let me settle the score. I¡¯ll share half of his spiritual powers with you.¡±


    First of all, Hua-Shan should take his spiritual powers. Whether she would actually give A-Rong half of it or not was in her power.


    Hua-Shan was speaking, using her gentlest voice. She did not believe that A-Rong could disobey her.


    Yet A-Rong did not step aside and even dared to raise her head and talk back.


    ¡°Sister Hua-Shan, Senior is a good person. He saved me, so I can¡¯t repay his kindness with betrayal!¡±


    Repay kindness with betrayal? As if Hua-Shan heard an excellent joke, she laughed.


    ¡°He got closer to you, using a false identity, and rescued you with an ulterior motive. You¡¯ve always been foolish, but why do you stay so naive even after being used by a human?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Sister Hua-Shan call me here to kill me as well?¡± A-Rong answered suddenly. She was biting her lip and stressed every word.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    Hua-Shan¡¯s expression did not change, but she quietly clenched her hands under her sleeves. She did not understand how she had slipped up that would let A-Rong guess at her real motivations correctly.


    ¡°Sister Hua-Shan did not call for anyone except for me. When the young master attacked me, Sister didn¡¯t stop him, and it didn¡¯t seem to be an accident. Obviously, you already knew what was to happen. Perhaps, it was you who suggested the young master kill me¡ªbut why? I did nothing wrong, so why does Sister hate me so much?¡±


    Hua-Shan squinted. She had always looked down upon this child and thought that A-Rong was foolish and clumsy. She had not expected A-Rong to be a wise person who only appeared to be slow-witted.


    ¡°Why do I hate you? Silly child! It was the young master who wanted to see you. I didn¡¯t know why. I thought he liked you, how was I supposed to know¡­ Ai! If only I knew, I would have done everything to stop him!¡±


    It was hard to tell whether she was lying or not, and even Hua-Shan had almost believed it herself.


    ¡°A-Rong, remember this: we¡¯re the same clan. The person behind your back is different. The young master vowed to be our ally, but, obviously, I won¡¯t work with him now that he has attacked you. I should get stronger for the sake of protecting you all. Wouldn¡¯t it also benefit you if I absorb this person¡¯s spiritual powers?¡±


    Hua-Shan felt that this argument was surely enough to change A-Rong¡¯s mind. But the letter still shook her head.


    ¡°The young master wanted to kill me. At first, Senior didn¡¯t want to appear, but he did for me. If it wasn¡¯t for me, he wouldn¡¯t have suffered such severe wounds today. Sister Hua-Shan, please, respect the fact that we¡¯re one kin and don¡¯t hurt Senior, will you?¡±


    Hua-Shan frowned, looking at the small thin girl in front of her.


    She had never felt that A-Rong was such an eyesore.


    He was of another race, so obviously, his thinking was different, yet A-Rong had been protecting this outsider despite all this.


    Since this is the case, go die together with the outsider.


    Hua-Shan raised her hand ruthlessly to put a seal directly on Changming¡¯s heart, and even then A-Rong did not step away.


    Die along with him then. Hua-Shan did not so much as blink, keeping her heart as hard as stone and iron.


    But this attack was suddenly interrupted!


    Or rather, the person in front of her eyes was gone!


    Hua-Shan was stunned.


    In a flash, she felt a sharp pain in her back. Alarm bells rang out in her consciousness, and she dashed forward with all her might.


    That man had not died!


    Not only had he not died, but he even had the strength to retaliate!


    Could it be that he had been testing her?!


    Confusing thoughts flew through her mind at this moment, and Hua-Shan did not even dare to look back.


    She had just seen this man fight against the young master, so his strength was fresh in her memories. The same dread formed in her heart, and she even started to regret her rash decision to leave things to luck and attack him. Maybe he actually did not attack her first to learn her plan.


    Had Hua-Shan turned her head to look back, she would have known that her guess was completely wrong.


    If Jiufang Changming had any strength left, this strike would have definitely reached her weak point, and she would have no energy to flee.


    He had already spent all his spiritual powers and leaned on A-Rong weakly, still submerged in the chaotic memories of the past.


    A-Rong buried her face in her hands, afraid that her teary face would betray her grief.


    She was crying over Changming¡¯s wounds, but more importantly, she was crying over herself.


    A stranger she had met completely by chance was more willing to lend her a helping hand than her own kin. Even more so, her clan wanted her dead. Only this senior had come to her rescue.


    A-Rong was slow-witted, but she was not stupid.


    Even if Hua-Shan was right and Changming only wanted to use her in the beginning, he could have stayed hidden when the young master tried to kill her instead of hurrying to help her.


    ¡°Senior, Senior!¡±


    She could only raise her voice in a futile attempt to wake him up as she dragged him with difficulty to a more concealed location.


    At some point, Hua-Shan would realize what had happened and come back. If this senior was not fully conscious by that moment, the two of them would be in grave danger.


    The young master was even more frightening.


    A-Rong gritted her teeth. Her weak body could not use much spiritual power, so it was even difficult to support Changming. The two figures, one small and one big, were slowly moving forward through the snow.


    Many confusing events of the past were reconstructing themselves in Changming¡¯s delusional mind, following the notes.


    ¡ªI didn¡¯t expect shizun¡¯s prediction to come true. When shidi left the mountains to train, he encountered a powerful enemy and met his end. His traveling companion told us that he chose to sacrifice himself in order to protect He Yunyun. Before he passed away, he asked his companion to come back to our sect and convey his last words. He asked shishu and shizun to not blame He Yunyun. When the disciples heard this, they all sighed and groaned for many days, sorrowful over the fact that shidi died an untimely death. After all, shishu used to say that although shidi¡¯s talents were not comparable to mine, he was also one of the best. If it was not for this accident, he would have reached the master realm, and would even have had a chance to have a glimpse of the grandmaster realm. Unfortunately, the water has flowed to the west, and it was all in vain.


    The water has flowed to the west: you can¡¯t turn back time


    ¡ªHaven¡¯t written for a long time. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened in the past few days, but today at noon shishu announced the news that startled everyone: He Yunyun became the daoist partner of the new master of the Donghai Sect. Even though daoist partners should follow each other everywhere since they have sworn upon the heavens and the earth and you can¡¯t easily get rid of this connection, if one of them dies, the relationship is severed. No one made He Yunyun¡¯s life difficult even after shidi¡¯s death, and she was free to live like a usual person while remaining a widow for shidi. However, He Yunyun found a daoist partner so quickly right after shidi¡¯s death, so everyone couldn¡¯t help but become suspicious. It wasn¡¯t exactly that they loathed her for this, they just recalled shidi¡¯s premature death and wondered: if he knew what would happen, would he still sacrifice his bright future for such an ending? My fellow disciples were thinking about this, and so did I. If it were me, would I regret this?


    ¡ªThis question has been torturing me for many days. I even reflected on it while cultivating, and it almost made me have a qi deviation. I could only stop cultivating and go under the waterfall to spend my night sitting there. In the morning, shizun came looking for me himself. He didn¡¯t come near me and just stood far away on the top of a peak, watching over me. I also looked at him. At this moment, I thought that I found my answer.


    Did Changming understand Yun Weisi¡¯s mind back then?


    Changming thought that he probably did.


    He knew, but never showed it. He had hoped that Yun Weisi would understand everything himself¡ªthat he would see that love affairs would only cloud one¡¯s eyes, making people stop in their progress, leaving them no chance to come any step closer to the Heavenly Dao.


    Unfortunately¡ª


    Unfortunately, Changming could not predict what would happen in the future, not even how his heart would change. In the end, he lost control.


    In truth, he remembered everything. He had just buried the memories deep in his mind and refused to face them.


    They were hidden for such a long time that he thought that they had already disappeared, yet a random set of circumstances had broken the seal on these memories when Changming was in grave danger. They broke through like seeds sprouting and breaking through the earth and bloomed right in front of his eyes.

 CH 126

    Proofread by Snake


    Even if Jiufang Changming had noticed Yun Weisi¡¯s feelings, he was not ready to respond to them.


    As he saw it, these were only the baseless feelings of a young man. Even though cultivators were indifferent and cold, in the end, Yun Weisi was still young. His thoughts were full of unquenched rage which were directed at his family¡¯s enemies. As a result, he projected his feelings of love to the person he was together with from dawn till dusk: his shizun. At the same time, it was his desire to emulate a strong person.


    It was not that Jiufang Changming had never had any admirers. On the contrary, he had a lot of them. Some had lost a battle against him but refused to give up, some were girls that wished to be his daoist partner, some simply appreciated his looks and demeanor, while some were afraid of his cultivation level and were simply ready to pay tribute to someone powerful.


    In his opinion, Yun Weisi was not that dissimilar to these people.


    It was just that the two of them were a master and his disciple, so Jiufang Changming was more lenient towards Yun Weisi compared to other people.


    In order to prevent his disciple from wallowing in love affairs, Changming had sent Yun Weisi down the mountains to travel. He hoped that upon his return, Yun Weisi would have already gotten over this and progressed in cultivation.


    At that time, Jiufang Changming was faced with an unprecedentedly difficult problem.


    His cultivation was at its peak, enough to rival anyone in this world. Moreover, he had even managed to easily defeat the master of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao during the Qianlin Assembly. Thanks to him, the Yuhuang Temple had stood out. And Jiufang Changming himself could claim the status of strongest cultivator in the world. Many had already admitted that he was the most powerful cultivator, but none of them knew that he was facing an obstacle in his cultivation and was going around in circles for days and nights.


    Jiufang Changming felt that he had already mastered the skills and understanding that the Daoist sects could ever give him and had reached the top. However, at the same time, it seemed that there was an invisible wall in front of him that would not allow him to progress further, let alone ascend to immortality. He felt as if he had missed a crucial detail and thus could not break through this invisible and incorporeal obstacle.


    Back then, he did not know that several decades before, Immortal Luomei had encountered a similar problem. He had even collaborated with demons, but was still unable to resolve it. Jiufang Changming, however, chose another path. He decided to enter other sects, collect the knowledge of all kinds of teachings and pave an original path that would lead him to the Heavenly Dao, despite the way there being filled with obstacles. It would also allow every person with sufficient talent to no longer be shackled with the restrictions enforced by sects. Even if one was a rogue cultivator, they could still become immortal.


    This endeavor was outrageously audacious. Even an arrogant person like himself could not hope to reach it quickly and easily.


    Daoist sects were essentially the same, and he thought that he had learnt all that he could from them. After leaving the Yuhuang Temple, he intended to join a Buddhist sect.


    Many of the Buddhist cultivators were hidden dragons and crouching tigers. And who could say? Perhaps, by learning from them, he could get a chance to solve his predicament.


    What Yun Weisi sought was nothing but a short intimate relationship, while Jiufang Changming¡¯s heart was set on the Great Dao. He had no intention to begin a relationship and did not want his disciple to pursue this impulse stubbornly, just like that disciple of the Yuhuang Temple that became He Yunyun¡¯s daoist partner and dug his own grave.


    So, Jiufang Changming had left the Yuhuang Temple and set out on the path of Buddhist cultivation with no regrets.


    Although the Qingyun School was one of the two major Buddhist sects, it was subjected to pressure by the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. Of course, Jiufang Changming was welcomed there and was even given the most reverent treatment, becoming an elder who was revered by all disciples. He was allowed to come and go as he wished and was not chained by the usual rules that applied to disciples.


    When one entered a village, they would follow the local customs¡ªJiufang Changming bowed to Zen Master Yiye and started cultivating under his instructions. He earnestly studied in the morning and cultivated at night. Jiufang Changming, who had once gained tremendous fame the world over, had become a disciple in the Qingyun School. The entire Jianghu gossiped about this, but he disregarded the rumors as if they were just a light passing breeze.


    Zen Master Yiye was not the head of the school¡ªinstead, he was a hermit cultivator with the highest cultivation in the sect. He rarely taught any secret skills to other people, let alone trained anyone to kill people personally. When it came to teaching Jiufang Changming, the two of them usually sat together at the table like old friends. At times, they would not say a single word to each other for three days, and then continue to discuss Buddhism with keen arguments for twenty four hours straight. If Changming wanted to surpass Yiye, he had to study the ancient books of Buddhist sutras carefully. He had read them once, already knew them by heart and was talented enough to comprehend them. Soon, he was no longer losing at the war of words he had with Yiye about Buddhism.


    When they conversed, not only did they discuss Buddhism, but also talked a bit about battles between cultivators.


    If two prominent masters decided to cross swords, no one in the Qingyun School would interfere.


    On that day, it was snowing heavily.


    They had been discussing Buddhism for the past two days, and it seemed that Changming had gained some insight. Yiye smiled. He was waiting for Changming to break through.


    A paper bird flew from the west. It stayed in the air but did not land.


    Which meant that Yun Weisi was looking for help.


    It had been many years since Jiufang Changming had taught Yun Weisi the technique of creating this bird, but this was the first time Yun Weisi had used it. In all likelihood, it was an urgent and pressing matter.


    The bird could not enter the barrier around the two of them, so it could only flap its wings outside anxiously, barely able to endure the snow.


    Yiye slightly furrowed his brows at the bird. He wanted to send it away with a snap of his fingers to prevent it from disturbing Jiufang Changming, but hesitated.


    He had a vague feeling that this bird might have been a test as well.


    Zen Master Yiye watched Jiufang Changming quietly.


    The latter was glowing with faint golden light, which stood in contrast against the thick clouds.


    If he broke through this barrier, he would get a bit closer to the Heavenly Dao.


    Yiye knew that he would not be able to ascend in this life, but he was an open-minded person and took pleasure in helping this genius to succeed.


    Because he also knew that Jiufang Changming was more talented and could come closer to ascension.


    But, at this exact moment, Jiufang Changming opened his eyes.


    The glowing light around him was extinguished abruptly, before vanishing completely.


    He had lost this precious chance to move on.


    This interruption did not happen earlier or later¡ªit was just right at this moment.


    Zen Master Yiye sighed and removed the barrier with a swing of his sleeve.


    The bird flew inside and turned into a message in front of Jiufang Changming. It floated in the air before landing in his hands. After reading the paper, he burnt it immediately, and the sparks scattered away.


    After remaining silent for a long period of time, he told Zen Master Yiye: ¡°I have to leave for a while.¡±


    Zen Master Yiye: ¡°You¡¯ve interrupted your breakthrough when you¡¯ve almost succeeded. If you leave now, all your effort will come to naught.¡±


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°A person that used to be my disciple is in a difficult situation, I can¡¯t turn a blind eye to those in mortal danger.¡±


    Zen Master Yiye: ¡°Since this person is from your past, you two are even now. When you entered a Buddhist sect, you¡¯ve made a clear break with the Daoist sects.¡±


    Jiufang Changming fell silent.


    ¡°Be willing to part with things. If you¡¯re not willing, how can you part? You¡¯ve come so close to understanding today, but put a damper on your efforts because of this. Jiufang Changming, you may seem heartless, but in truth, your worries are innumerable.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s more talented than the others, and I taught him with meticulous care. I only pity his genius.¡±


    Zen Master Yiye just looked at him with a ¡°why would you deceive yourself and others¡± expression.


    ¡°Reluctance to part causes you to worry. Worries and passion. There are myriad emotions, and one heart can be moved by all of them. Be it Buddhism or Daoism, we take different paths to reach the same destination. All must stay focused on remaining unmoved by sentiment and cast aside what vexes them. The Yuhuang Temple, the Qingyun School, and mortal affairs¡ªyou¡¯ll have to forget all that which shackles you and clouds your mind. If you can¡¯t get rid of it, you¡¯ll never reach the real Heavenly Realm.¡±


    But Jiufang Changming shook his head.


    ¡°I never believed that one can ascend only after letting all their emotions go. The Great Dao manifests itself in thousands of ways, and what really stops us is lack of understanding. All living creatures cultivate to reach immortality, which is an obsession already. Zen Master, according to your words, doesn¡¯t this obsession worry people and move their hearts?¡±


    Zen Master Yiye thought about these words thoroughly, and vaguely comprehended the reason Changming wanted to leave. This path was drastically different than the one that people had been taking for countless years. However, even if his cultivation was outstanding, it was hard to imagine what this path looked like.


    ¡°Have you already decided?¡±


    ¡°I have.¡±


    This was the last time they spoke. It was also the last time Zen Master Yiye saw Jiufang Changming.


    Jiufang Changming never came back after that day, and even his own disciple, Sun Buku, could not reach him.


    Up until Zen Master Yiye heard that this man had defected to the Demonic sects and had become a cultivator there.


    The world was shocked. His old disciple had announced that they had fallen out and became enemies, and now he pursued his former master to kill him. Only Zen Master Yiye knew: Jiufang Changming had never switched sides. He was always simply moving towards his goal.


    But Zen Master Yiye did not get to see how far Jiufang Changming would go. After another year, he still did not manage to break through, and died peacefully of old age.


    And, of course, he would never know what secret Jiufang Changming had discovered on the Wanshen Mountain on his way back, or the massive old conspiracy Jiufang Changming would uncover because of that.


    Hidden from everyone¡¯s eyes, everything that had happened turned out to be interconnected, coming together just like a river that flowed forward without stopping.


    Snow and ice were slowly solidifying on his eyelashes.


    His breath was weak, almost nonexistent, and his body had become cold and frigid.


    A-Rong¡¯s mind was ablaze with concern. She wanted to alleviate his pain with her spiritual powers, but that was akin to trying to put out a wooden carriage that was on fire using a cup of water, which would not do anything.


    A-Rong knew that Jiufang Changming, whom she had met completely coincidentally, was not a heartless person since he was willing to help her. However, in the past, the world had been used to seeing him act on his own and do whatever he wanted. He had abandoned both Daoism and Buddhism, and his own disciples had turned their backs on him. Only two people, Yun Weisi and this A-Rong, had not misjudged him.


    Changming breathed out lightly, as if he was sighing.


    ¡°Senior?¡±


    At first, A-Rong thought he had woken up, and was overjoyed¡ªbut soon, she realized that was just a physical reaction to his ¡°deep sleep¡±.


    Jiufang Changming had even been willing to lend a hand to Zhou Keyi who had been restrained in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. However, he had never approved of Zhou Keyi¡¯s cultivation methods.


    Similarly, he put up with Sun Buku going against his beliefs and turning away from him, but refused to interfere with whatever he was doing afterwards.


    He never spoiled his other three disciples, but never treated them with cruelty either. Yun Weisi was the only one he was soft on.


    Even plants could be moved, let alone the hearts of humans.


    But was this softheartedness and guilt his true feelings?


    Could Jiufang Changming give Yun Weisi what he wanted?


    Stuck deep in the sea of his consciousness, he still could not answer that. He frowned, and his body tensed following that, but he could not come to his senses.


    His memories circled back to the year when he left the Wanlian Buddhist Temple in response to his disciple¡¯s plea for help. In the Cuilin Forest of the Zhongfa Mountains, he found Yun Weisi who had been seriously wounded.


    Wanlian Buddhist Temple: probably MXS meant to say the Qingyun School


    Yun Weisi had recently attended a Qianlin Assembly. Due to the fact that he had narrowly won against the master of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao and was now in the limelight, his Chunzhao Sword was eyed by demonic cultivators. They knew that Yun Weisi had definitely sustained an injury in the fight and used the chance to mount a sneak attack on him while Yun Weisi was left alone after the Qianlin Assembly. The cultivators wanted to kill Yun Weisi to take his weapon by force. Yun Weisi could not fight against this many people alone. At that moment, he had almost lost consciousness and did not even realize that he had sent a message to his shizun, asking for help¡ªmuch less that his Shizun who had already left the Daoist sects to actually arrive to help him.


    Jiufang Changming repelled the attack of the group of cultivators and carried Yun Weisi, who was in a daze and could not move, down the mountains on his back.


    ¡°Shizun¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why did you save me?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re my disciple.¡±


    ¡°You are lying.¡±


    Yun Weisi was muddleheaded. His head was lying on Changming¡¯s nape, and Yun Weisi laughed and even trembled slightly with the laughter.


    ¡°You¡¯ve told me once that we go outside to learn through experience. Fortune or bad luck, success or failure¡ªwe can go through anything by ourselves. You¡¯ve kept your word and never changed. Yet now, you suddenly go against your teachings, because you, Shizun, are soft-hearted. You¡¯re soft-hearted when it comes to me. If you keep on carving single-mindedly, even a stone can be carved and polished¡ªthis phrase has turned out to be true, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Jiufang Changming did not answer.


    After that, the two of them fell silent for a while.


    Yun Weisi seemed to have fallen asleep, so he did not say anything.


    Perhaps, even when he would eventually come to his senses, it was possible that he would not even remember this exchange.


    Yun Weisi gave up on his own path in cultivation and dedicated his life to fulfilling his promise.


    [Wherever Shizun goes¡ªto faraway mountains or to seas under gloomy skies, where sun and stars barely shine¡ªthat is the only way.]


    The man who had yet to regain consciousness sighed again.


    But A-Rong was horrified by the noise coming from behind her back.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    She turned her head abruptly, and her expression changed.


    Hua-Shan had returned at some point with two more of her kin. They came closer.


    ¡°And here I was wondering why he didn¡¯t chase me. Sure enough, it was a bluff.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t come closer! Senior is just resting, but he¡¯ll soon wake up!¡± A-Rong¡¯s face betrayed her inner confusion.


    At first, Hua-Shan doubted that this man had been injured heavily in the battle with the young master, but now, seeing him unconscious with her own eyes, she was confident in her decision.


    She was extremely angry with A-Rong. She was indeed going to take this man¡¯s cultivation, but first, she was going to vent her anger on A-Rong by killing her.


    ¡°Deal with her.¡±


    She did not go do this herself, but sent other people ahead of her.


    A-Rong gnashed her teeth, standing in front of Changming resolutely, and even attacked her opponents first.


    But how could she go against these two? In a little while, she was sent flying with a blow, and fell to the ground heavily. She shouted and left the human vessel, revealing her true fox body.


    The small fox leapt up and rushed to Jiufang Changming in an arc, reaching out to stop the hand that was stretching out towards his head.


    However, a mantis could not stop a running carriage, and she had overestimated her capabilities, but she still had not noticed this.


    She only wanted to save the senior, even if it was at the cost of her life.


    Because this senior had rescued her.


    In her short life, she had yet to meet anyone except for him who would treat her with such kindness. This alone was enough for her to sacrifice herself.


    Feeling that she was already beyond saving as the pressure of the attack had almost reached her and the wind from it was already hitting her, A-Rong only closed her eyes.


    But the pain she expected did not come. On the contrary, she heard other people shout. She opened her eyes wide and saw that the two foxes had been pushed back.


    A-Rong turned her head!


    The senior had opened his eyes and stood with his sleeve fluttering in the wind and his sword sparkling.


    It was not a reflexive reaction as it had been before¡ªhe had really come to his senses.


    His spiritual powers were surging, and he seemed even more powerful compared to his state during the battle with the young master. The Changming Sword shone as brightly as the rays of the sun and the light of the moon¡ªits rays could easily drive away any evil, and no one stood a chance against him now. Of course, Hua-Shan could not do anything. Just like her two henchmen, she was thrown back, her back hitting a tree. All her vital organs were wounded deeply with this attack.


    ¡­


    After Yun Weisi parted ways with Changming, the former went to the yamen to meet with the town supervisor.


    This place was even more modest than the county government offices, which was expected since the families who lived in the town were not prominent either. Even the wealthiest ones appeared miserable and shabby compared to the well-off families in the capital.


    But, as soon as Yun Weisi entered the place, he felt that something was wrong.


    It seemed that an invisible formation had surrounded him.


    Had their enemies set it up a while ago, now standing by the tree stump and waiting for a hare to come?


    Standing by the tree stump and waiting for a hare to come: ¡­and kill itself by crashing into the trunk: wait for gains without pains


    Yun Weisi frowned. Seeing that the situation was bad, he turned around and wanted to leave. But some kind of ice-cold qi had followed him in the darkness and then reached out for his neck sneakily!

 CH 127

    Proofread by Snake


    The danger caught him off guard. Yun Weisi turned around abruptly as a gust of cold wind almost hit his face!


    Forced into the confrontation, Yun Weisi quickly realized that this cold qi was abnormal. He rushed to withdraw his hand, but the frost had already caught up his arm and started to spread up to his wrist rapidly. An acute pain shot through his arm as he moved it, and he could not even use his spiritual power against it!


    He had lost the Chunzhao Sword, and his cultivation level had dropped after traveling to the past. Moreover, the opponents he had met so far were skillful masters, so he had always felt that he was not in control of the situation. However, he should not have been restrained so easily when all he did was raise his hand.


    This was no common cultivation technique!


    It was better to say that this was not something a human cultivator could master.


    What had frozen his hand was not ice, but ghost qi that had originated all the way from the Yellow Springs of the netherworld.


    His opponent was a ghost cultivator.


    There was only one ghost cultivator in Hongluo.


    ¡°Sir An?¡±


    The previous time, this person had appeared together with head constable Xing. Little was known about him, and he did not even show his face. His skills, however, were excellent, and even with Yun Weisi and Jiufang Changming working together, they had not gained an upper hand in their confrontation. The cultivator only left when Jiang Li appeared.


    Both his appearance and departure were strange, and he was suspicious in every regard.


    Even after Yun Weisi had called his name, the man did not back down. On the contrary, he only added pressure as if he was going to corner Yun Weisi completely. There was no doubt that he would not recall how cordial their last meeting had been and treat Yun Weisi as a friend now.


    Shards of ice which were mixed into a piercingly cold wind surged towards Yun Weisi, surrounding him from every side.


    His feet hurt, and he realized that he could not move them now, as if they had taken root and fused with the ground.


    He lowered his head to look down. The ground was covered in white ice that had almost frozen his feet entirely and was continuing to spread up his legs.


    If he lost his arms, he at least would still be alive¡ªbut if his legs were lost as well, he would become completely useless.


    Yun Weisi decided to sacrifice his arms to remain alive. He cast a seal with one of his hands and bent over to hit the ground.


    With a loud rumble, the ground under his feet cracked, and the ice shattered with it. Yun Weisi quickly leaped backwards.


    His legs still hurt as if frostbitten, but he could bear with this kind of pain. Yun Weisi had been through a lot in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and those ordeals were infinitely more challenging than what he was facing at this moment, let alone the wounds he had received back then. Although he was in an unpredictable situation now, this was just another trial he had to go through in this life.


    He had been shrouded in darkness and could not even see what was going on around him. Yun Weisi only felt that there was an invisible restraint made of ghost qi that was holding him back. This yard was obviously small¡ªhe could cross it in just a few steps¡ªyet he could not reach the edge of it no matter where he went. The borders had expanded several times. A common person would not have been able to enter it, while Yun Weisi could not leave.


    Since he could not see anything, there was no point in looking.


    Yun Weisi closed his eyes and scanned his surroundings with his spiritual consciousness.


    The ice was breaking loudly, and the ghost qi was whistling like wind. Yun Weisi heard it all clearly.


    Bit by bit, the ghost qi curled around the barrier around Yun Weisi, trying to break through. However, after he had created the seal, the qi could not find any flaws in his defense.


    The two of them stood facing each other in the darkness, and neither one of them was showing any weaknesses. Both of them had a lot of patience.


    The cultivation base of Yun Weisi¡¯s opponent was exceptionally high¡ªhe was no worse than the Ghost King, Linghu You. In a hundred years, Yun Weisi could fight this opponent on an equal footing, but right now, he could not win.


    Strange things kept occurring in Hongluo one after another, and several human lives had been lost. Jiang Li had said that there were four suspects. There was head constable Xing, the town supervisor, as well as Old He, who had traveled together with them, and finally this person, Sir An.


    The suspicions against Old He could be mostly ignored since the murders had begun before they had arrived in Hongluo.


    They had also had a chance to fight against head constable Xing. Even though he was somewhat skillful, he was hardly an opponent in the eyes of cultivators and could not have stirred so much trouble with nightmare demons and fox spirits.


    Yun Weisi had not met the town supervisor, so he could not judge him hastily. He was more inclined to believe that Jiang Li was also a suspect.


    First of all, Jiang Li had already spent some time in Hongluo. He himself had admitted that the massacre only began after his arrival.


    Secondly, because of the destruction of their world that was to happen in one hundred years, Yun Weisi never trusted Jiang Li completely, even though he knew that this conspiracy had been plotted by Luomei who had taken over Jiang Li¡¯s body. Jiang Li¡¯s story about Yao Wangnian was not supported by any evidence, so he could have just distorted the truth and told Yun Weisi and Changming anything he wanted to throw them off trail.


    Yun Weisi had never actually trusted anyone except for Jiufang Changming.


    The last person Jiang Li had deemed a suspect was this Sir An in front of Yun Weisi¡¯s eyes.


    This man was a ghost cultivator with a high cultivation base and one of head constable Xing¡¯s acquaintances.


    Yun Weisi frowned in the darkness. He had always felt that something was not right.


    When they were discussing the suspects previously, they must have missed some clues about Sir An.


    If this person was really the one behind the massacre in Hongluo, he would have had no need of fox spirits. With his level of cultivation, if Sir An wanted to kill anyone, he could just do it and leave unnoticed. No one could have possibly caught him, and no one would have guessed that he was the culprit. There was no use in making a commotion. Ghost cultivators could disappear without a trace, turning into formless entities, so he would not have left so many clues for people to investigate.


    If Sir An was not the culprit, why would he leave upon seeing Jiang Li?


    By being forced into a situation of grave danger, he suddenly thought of something.


    His barrier had been destroyed by the ghost qi, and it rushed at him from every direction, creating a deathtrap.


    Owooo!


    A dog suddenly barked from some corner.


    When Yun Weisi entered the yamen, he had left it outside and told it not to enter this place. He did not expect it to sneak in after him.


    Human eyes could be deceived, but not a dog¡¯s.


    With this short howl, Yun Weisi suddenly saw everything clearly. He thought, In the past, this one surnamed Zhou was useless and happy to live in debauchery, but now he¡¯s very helpful in a moment of danger¡ªhe truly benefited from being a dog.


    ¡°The three highest manifestations of the Dao gather qi, and the heavens raise waters!¡±


    The heavens raise waters: also hetu, ¡®an auspicious pattern that can help to solve many questions¡¯


    Golden light erupted from the seal, and the icy ghost qi was dispelled, swallowed by the light. The rest of the rays scattered away noisily, and Yun Weisi¡¯s surroundings had been cleared by the incantation.


    ¡°Yao Wangnian!¡±


    ¡°Dashixiong!¡±


    Jiang Li, who had appeared out of nowhere, shouted at the same time as Yun Weisi.


    One more person accompanied Jiang Li¡ªChi Bijiang of the Wanxiang Palace.


    With two more people on his side, Yun Weisi could fight less intensely. Together, the three of them broke through their enemy¡¯s formation. Even if the man¡¯s cultivation was higher than it already was, it was difficult for him to continue. Moreover, Sir An¡¯s identity had been guessed by both Yun Weisi and Jiang Li, so he could hardly remain unfazed. There were cracks in his formation now, and his opponents used the chance to split it up.


    The gloomy clouds dispersed, and the wind and snow stopped. The ominous wailings slowly disappeared in the distance, and a regular dusk, which was neither eerie nor oppressive, surrounded them.


    It was already dark in Hongluo. There was thick snow under their feet, a dilapidated parapet wall, and a withered tree in the yard of the yamen that Yun Weisi had entered.


    Jiang Li and Chi Bijiang stopped not far away from Yun Weisi.


    Only Sir An alone was against them.


    The four of them had stood in a triangle shape, and their situation was delicate and ambiguous.


    Jiang Li¡¯s eyes never left Sir An, while Chi Bijiang was mostly watching Jiang Li.


    Yun Weisi thought of what Chi Bijiang was going to do for Jiang Li in the future and about the Liuhe Zhutian Formation she had set for him in exchange for her own life. For some reason, he also thought of himself and Jiufang Changming.


    Everyone said that the Great Dao allowed no sentiments, but cultivators were humans. Could they really let go of all their feelings?


    The more resolute one¡¯s Dao heart grew, the less this person would be moved by feelings, but that did not mean they had abandoned their emotions completely. Even if it was said that one had a heart made of stone, it was not made of actual stone. Moreover, water could erode stone with time. Were human hearts any more solid?


    Chi Bijiang was destined to meet Jiang Li, and it seems that this fateful encounter had happened here, in Hongluo.


    They were deeply attracted to each other and were well-matched in status, so it was natural for them to become daoist partners. Unfortunately, Jiang Li¡¯s body had been taken over later¡ªyet Chi Bijiang knew nothing of it. She still believed that the man was Jiang Li, so she was willing to do anything for him, even if it meant sacrificing her life to set up a formation and kill the common people for the sake of her feelings for Jiang Li.


    A bystander would have said that this woman was pitiable yet detestable, but Yun Weisi knew that had his shizun asked him to do what she did, he would have agreed as well.


    Only bystanders could preach about justice and fairness.


    ¡°Dashixiong!¡±


    Jiang Li took a step towards Sir An, but it seemed that an invisible obstacle prevented him from coming closer.


    Sir An did not answer. He was just standing there quietly as if he neither saw nor heard them.


    Jiang Li breathed deeply to calm down.


    ¡°Dashixiong, we grew up together, so I can recognise you even if you don¡¯t say anything. I have a lot of questions for you. Why have you been avoiding me? If you¡¯re worried about what happened back then, you can just say what¡¯s bothering you out loud, and I¡¯ll do my best to help you!¡±


    While Jiang Li was talking, Yun Weisi was quietly examining the terrain.


    After they had broken the formation, they had returned to the small courtyard of the yamen. However, not a single branch on the tree here had stirred ever since, and the snowflakes kept floating down at the same short intervals, landing on the withered tree branches. The positions of things and intervals of time here had not changed at all.


    Obviously, they were still trapped and had not left this place.


    Sir An moved.


    Chi Bijiang flinched. She had wanted to stand in front of Jiang Li, but he had pulled her to stand behind him faster.


    This simple movement could let one guess a lot, especially if one, like Yun Weisi, knew what was to happen in the future¡ªif history repeated itself, Jiang Li would have his body overtaken, and everything would follow the original course of events, finally arriving at the point when the world would be destroyed and Yun Weisi would perish alongside his shizun and Luomei. Everything was moving towards this outcome.


    However, they had gone back in time to this crucial moment in Hongluo. Nothing had happened yet, and the future could be altered.


    But still, why would they arrive at this particular place and time?


    Why would they come there just in time to witness Jiang Li and Chi Bijiang¡¯s chance encounter and discover the existence of Yao Wangnian of the Wanjian Immortal Clan?


    Yun Weisi had been pondering this question, but never managed to find an answer. Yet now, looking at Jiang Li, Chi Bijiang, and Sir An, he suddenly realized something!


    At the time when the world was destroyed, someone had secretly set up a way to turn the world and time upside down, a way to connect the hidden clues to the mysterious truth.


    That Liuhe Zhutian Formation had been set up by Chi Bijiang. Except for Luomei, she was the only one who understood it well.


    In other words, she could have realized that something was wrong with her lover before her death. Unfortunately, she was alone and could not go against Luomei in her state. She had then waited for someone to activate the hidden mechanism in the formation and ordered time to flow backwards at this last moment to change the future.


    Yun Weisi and Jiufang Changming were the ones who could change everything.


    Sir An took off his hood, and the mask he had been hiding behind was discarded. He sneered in a hoarse voice, and hissed like a snake.


    ¡°What do you think? Do I look like your shixiong?¡±


    Jiang Li¡¯s expression changed faintly and he leant backwards slightly, as if he wanted to retreat, but his reason stopped him.

 CH 128

    Proofread by Snake


    Jiang Li was not some naive person from a remote village who had not seen anything of the world. If he was so startled, obviously, it must have been because he had seen something awful. Chi Bijiang had been looking at him all this time, so she noticed the change in his expression, and could not help but turn her eyes to Sir An as well.


    In a moment, she seemed terrified too, even more so than Jiang Li.


    Under Sir An¡¯s low hood, which had been covering most of his face, was a black mask. He had taken it off and revealed his face, which could no longer be called a human one. Most of his face had rotted away, and even the white of his bones could be discerned in the darkness. Out of two places where his eyes had originally been, one was pitch-black and empty, and in the other one, they could still see the outline of an eye, but only very vaguely, because the flesh around his eye sockets had already darkened as well.


    Chi Bijiang gave a gasp of astonishment and wanted to step back, but Jiang Li grabbed her arm tightly.


    The warmth of his hand returned her to her senses.


    After standing still for a while, Sir An put his mask back on.


    The lowered hood that was covering his face and the darkness of the night created an eerie atmosphere, as if they were having a hallucination.


    But Yun Weisi knew this was not the case.


    It was obvious that Sir An had suffered incredibly cruel torments before his death and died while experiencing excruciating pain. When ghost cultivators reached his level of cultivation, they could change their appearances according to their will, just like Linghu You, whose face was beautiful despite him being a ghost cultivator as well. However, some of them, like the person in front of their eyes, could never get rid of the mark left by the pain which had been carved deep into their memories, thus influencing their appearances.


    Seeing Jiang Li¡¯s panicked expression, Sir An sneered quietly.


    ¡°Did your shixiong look like this?¡±


    Jiang Li did not answer.


    ¡°Your shixiong was not only a ghost, but also a resentful one?¡±


    Sir An raised his head and burst out laughing. This laughter sounded like the hooting of an owl on a quiet night and could send a chill down a person¡¯s spine.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to admit it, I won¡¯t force you. For years, I was convinced that you were dead, but I¡¯ve never forgotten the day when the Library of Scriptures was set on fire. Do you still remember? Two days prior to the incident, we quarreled. You asked whether I wanted to take your position from you and said many cruel things that were hard to listen to. At first, I was angry, but when I look back at this, I only feel that it was strange. I wasn¡¯t like you. At worst, when you were in a bad mood, you would vent your anger, but what could put you in a bad mood? Was it that something had gone wrong while you were cultivating, or were there any other hidden reasons?¡±


    Jiang Li¡¯s tone was light but also steady, resounding clearly in the night air.


    He even took a step forward in Sir An¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I felt that something was wrong, but had not pursued the thought, hoping you¡¯d get better in a few days. After what happened later, I regretted my decision. If only I didn¡¯t dismiss it, perhaps this tragedy could have been avoided. Dashixiong, I miss you a lot, and shifu does too. If he knew you are still alive, he¡¯d definitely be happy.¡±


    ¡°Alive?¡± Sir An smiled strangely, ¡°I¡¯ve been dead for a long time, and I¡¯m not your dashixiong. However, the person you¡¯re talking about has a shidi just like you. What a coincidence!¡±


    While they were talking, Yun Weisi noticed a black mist that was half-transparent was lingering around the yard, as if it was wandering about in search of a chance to intrude.


    This mist did not resemble ghost qi. It was difficult to notice its presence as it would disperse one moment and gather in another, but it would blend into the darkness of the night all the same. Even Yun Weisi could not tell when exactly they had appeared.


    ¡°Someone with superb skills has placed a restriction on this place. It¡¯s not purely a formation¡ªit¡¯s interlaced with illusions and talismans.¡±


    Chi Bijiang had also noticed it. She raised her hand, and golden sparks which shone like stars appeared with the gesture. These shiny and beautiful ¡°stars¡± turned into golden threads upon landing to the ground. When the black mist moved forward slightly, trying to cross the lines, it seemed like there was an invisible barrier pushing them back.


    But the mist only got bolder when obstructed, and soon it gathered into even denser black fog, which kept bouncing off the golden lines. Nevertheless, the fog returned over and over again, while the glow of the golden threads grew dimmer and dimmer until it was consumed by the darkness.


    ¡°What is this!¡± Jiang Li asked Sir An in a high voice, ¡°Dashixiong, do you hate me so much?¡±


    Sir An sneered coldly: ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who created this. I wouldn¡¯t need to try so hard if I wanted to kill you. Even if you¡¯re the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan these days, you still haven¡¯t crossed the boundary into the realm of a great master, so this status is only for show!¡±


    By saying this, he was indirectly admitting his identity.


    Jiang Li laughed bitterly, but did not get angry: ¡°My skills have always been by far inferior to yours. If you were still with us, no one else would dare to take the position of the clan master.¡±


    Yao Wangnian said coldly: ¡°Even if I stayed, the title would not have been mine.¡±


    Jiang Li sensed that his words contained some hidden hints and wanted to inquire further, but saw what was happening to the three circles that Chi Bijiang had formed by scattering the golden threads around them. The black mist had quickly reached the first circle, before it got pushed back several times. However, the mist was relentless, so the first circle was soon exhausted. It had stopped before the second golden circle, and no matter how much it tried, it did not seem able to break through it. Not only that, for some reason, it was not attacking as fervently now.


    Jiang Li activated his flying sword. The sword¡¯s qi flowed freely, and in a flash a bright light lit up the place around them. Chi Bijiang felt a cold wind surge around, and thought to herself, in a daze: Is this the power of the legendary Guyue Sword?


    Despite that, at this moment, she heard Yao Wangnian laugh coldly. Not only did the sword light not manage to disperse the black mist¡ªon the contrary, the light was quickly sent back, and it rushed directly at Jiang Li and Chi Bijiang!


    Chi Bijiang was astonished, but Jiang Li created a seal with his hands, driving the light away a moment before it reached them, which averted a dangerous situation.


    His actions had confirmed that the black mist could scarcely be driven away by brute force, and thus, it was no wonder that Yao Wangnian sneered at his attempt.


    ¡°Dashixiong, I know that you¡¯re not the culprit, but the one who has conspired with nightmare demons and fox spirits obviously has a strong backing. We have to lure them out to solve this Hongluo case. You¡¯ve come here earlier than I, and the town supervisor is on your side, so, surely you know more than I do. Could you tell us something?¡± Jiang Li said sincerely.


    Yun Weisi used to think that this master of the Wangjian Immortal Clan was only mediocre, and far behind Immortal Luomei in terms of his cultivation as well as his ruthlessness. Perhaps, this was also the reason why Luomei had managed to take over his body and pretend that no such thing had happened for so many years. But now, watching and hearing Jiang Li talk to Yao Wangnian, he saw that Jiang Li was not subject to mood swings, he never got startled or angry, and even Yao Wangnian¡¯s scathing remarks did not annoy him. He either had a good temper, or he was quite proficient in concealing his true emotions. Judging by the last interaction, the former was the case. However, while this temperament of Jiang Li would be great for a common person, he still lacked the skills and energy to be a clan master.


    Yao Wangnian stared at Jiang Li for a while, and then suddenly said: ¡°Jiang Li, I didn¡¯t expect you to remain so naive after taking over the position of the clan master. In your hands, the Wanjian Immortal Clan will fall sooner or later.¡±


    Chi Bijiang was irritated: ¡°If your excellency has enough free time to talk so much, wouldn¡¯t it be better if you used it to help us drive the black mist away? We can talk later after we¡¯re out of here. If we all die here, what¡¯s the point of saying all this!¡±


    Yao Wangnian said indifferently: ¡°It¡¯s not like this black mist only appeared here recently. Someone just decided to direct all of it to this place and use it to set up a trap to capture me here. Even if I don¡¯t die, I¡¯ll at least go mad. Your presence is nothing but a coincidence. Still, catching several fish with one net is a good thing, so no one will be left alive.¡±


    Jiang Li¡¯s eyes froze: ¡°Who wants to kill you?¡±


    The only answer to his question was silence.


    Yun Weisi, who had not said anything up to this moment, suddenly spoke: ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re both familiar with this person, and even know him well. Ever since what happened at the Library of Scriptures, he¡¯s been chasing Yao Wangnian. When he realizes that your dashixiong¡¯s still alive, he will kill him with no mercy or hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Who are you!¡± Yao Wangnian looked at him quickly. The gaze from beneath his mask was piercing, as sharp as a sword.


    ¡°A traveler who was coincidentally passing by,¡± Yun Weisi¡¯s expression did not show his feelings. ¡°Yao Wangnian, you¡¯ve known the answer for a long time, you just don¡¯t dare say it out loud. As matters stand now, you¡¯ve been forced to this state where you can call yourself neither a human nor a ghost, and we¡¯ve all been trapped here with slim chances of survival. How long are you going to continue to help him hide the truth?¡±


    Jiang Li and Chi Bijiang were alarmed, especially Jiang Li. His gaze kept moving from Yun Weisi to Yao Wangnian and back again.


    ¡°Daoyou Yun, what do you know?¡±


    Yao Wangnian stared at Yun Weisi intently.


    ¡°You¡¯re not from the Wangjian Immortal Clan. Who on earth are you?!¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said, I have nothing to do with you. We¡¯ve just met each other by happenstance. I learned the truth by accident. If you don¡¯t come clean about what happened, in the future, your shidi might follow the same path to his death. You, he, the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and even the whole world might be turned upside down because of this. You should understand it well¡ª if he could do something so atrocious to you, such as breaking off your close relationship without a trace of compassion, would he be any more merciful to any other person in this world?¡±


    Yun Weisi looked back at him coldly. His aura was not inferior to Yao Wangnian¡¯s in any way.


    Although his cultivation was somewhat limited compared to what he possessed in the future, he used to be the respected leader of a Daoist sect and the master of the Nine Layers of the Abyss. His presence and demeanor were even more refined than those of the other three people here. Before, he had deliberately held back his aura, and Yao Wangnian¡¯s attention had been focused on Jiang Li. Now, Yun Weisi had both revealed his true strength and made Yao Wangnian wary of him .


    A cultivator¡¯s senses were sharp, especially if they were a demonic cultivator, who was someone that was detached from the realm of mortals and wandered in the darkness. Yao Wangnian had vaguely noticed something from Yun Weisi¡¯s manners and qi, but did not say anything. This unexplainable feeling forced him to stop asking questions and keep quiet for a while. Then, he said, ¡°Even if I say, he won¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°And if you don¡¯t say it, he¡¯ll never know.¡±


    Jiang Li did not understand the riddles they were speaking in, but just as he opened his mouth to say something, a warm hand suddenly held him tight.


    ¡°These three golden circles I¡¯ve set up can only buy a little time,¡± Chi Bijiang whispered in his ear.


    Although she did not understand what was going on, she managed to pick up on Jiang Li¡¯s anxiousness in time.


    Jiang Li quietly hummed in acknowledgement, and his worries stopped bothering him so much for now. He saw that Yao Wangnian¡¯s attitude had relaxed somewhat, and he was no longer as stubborn and harsh as before. Yun Weisi¡¯s words seemed to have changed something in him. It was just that Jiang Li could not tell how much hearing Yao Wangnian¡¯s words now would affect him in the future.


    While this took place, Jiufang Changming, on the other hand, had just fended off the sneak attack launched by Hua-Shan and several other fox spirits, but a new strong enemy replaced them.


    Jiufang Changming took three steps back, lowered his head, and vomited a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Senior!¡± A-Rong paled and supported him hurriedly.


    Tn:


    Hi, sorry for the long break!


    Chinese quarantine is a very peculiar experience, 1 out of 10 would not recommend to a friend¡­

 CH 129

    Hua-Shan was still faintly breathing and had not yet lost consciousness. Unfortunately, she could only rejoice for a moment, and her countenance changed as soon as she saw who had come to her rescue.


    The young master walked past her slowly.


    At this moment, the fox spirits were but worthless, discarded pawns. It made more sense to forget about them rather than deal with them.


    Hua-Shan was even afraid to breathe¡ªshe was afraid that the young master would focus his thoughts on her. Just one movement of his hand would send her directly to the Yellow Springs.


    She could not regret her decisions more. She regretted that her greed made her return. She thought she would benefit from their conflict, but ended up as a laughable mantis¡ªshe had thought that she had caught the cicada in her palm, but it turned out that there was a siskin waiting behind her back.


    Fortunately, the young master did not spare her a glance.


    All his concentration was on that person in front of him.


    Jiufang Changming.


    This strange person with a strange name had appeared completely out of the blue in Hongluo.


    At first, the young master attached no importance to this person and his companion. Hongluo was like a wide road going through the country, and every day many people came and went, including cultivators and other strange people. These two were just a small episode in this story, and were not even worth mentioning.


    However, a snowstorm had whipped up here all of a sudden, and many people were stuck in Hongluo. For no apparent reason, many inexplicable accidents had then happened, and all of them were connected to these two. They had ventured right into the eye of the storm, becoming chess pieces that caused him trouble.


    Since they were causing trouble, he should get rid of them. He had appeared and attacked Jiufang Changming sneakily to test him. There was little doubt that Changming had already been heavily wounded during their previous encounter, but the young master could not tell how dire Changming¡¯s condition was.


    The young master was always a careful man. No matter what he did, he made sure that nothing could go wrong. The young master, obviously, could not afford to suffer a setback here because of this man.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming, right? I don¡¯t know what sect you hail from, and I¡¯m not going to ask. After all, we simply met by chance. We¡¯re matched in strength, so we should do as all wise people do, and offer each other respect while sitting together and having a pleasant talk over some wine. Yet you appeared here, meddled in the business of others and turned into my enemy for the sake of these pathetic animals. A pity indeed,¡± said the young master, who seemed to be expressing his honest feelings and was not in a rush to attack.


    He was waiting¡ªwaiting for Changming to show a weakness. He needed to understand Changming¡¯s strength and end his life once and for all.


    When Hua-Shan heard him say ¡°animals¡±, she flinched. She suddenly realized that this whole affair could never end well for her. She had been indulging in a wild fantasy if she thought she could put forward her conditions to the young master. In his eyes, she was no different from A-Rong¡ªthe both of them were  expendable, just some playthings that could be thrown away. She fancied the idea that she could take advantage of Jiufang Changming¡¯s state, but in truth, the young master was just using her to find out how grave his wounds were.


    When she understood this, she lost all hope for any favorable outcome. Now, she was only waiting for a chance to run as far away as she could to save her life.


    Blood was streaming down Jiufang Changming¡¯s chin, and dripping onto the snow.


    He leaned forward slightly, but he was not completely bent over and was still standing firmly with his sword clutched in his hands. The sword¡¯s blade was glowing faintly, growing brighter and then darker again.


    While it seemed like he had been weakened, he still maintained a perfectly steady defensive posture, and was tightly surrounded with his spiritual power.


    That was why the young master had not moved yet. He wanted to kill this man, but did not want to be the one to be murdered instead.


    ¡°May I ask why you did what you did in Hongluo?¡±


    The young master remained silent, and Changming chuckled.


    ¡°If you were a demonic cultivator, killing people would help you progress, or you could turn them into cultivation furnaces, so human lives would certainly be useful to you. You do not have a trace of demonic qi on yourself, yet you ordered foxes and demons to kill people in the open. Those who were murdered were all common people, and there was not a single cultivator among them. I don¡¯t see how it can benefit you. Unless¡ªyou want to fabricate a charge against someone?¡±


    He sensed his opponent release a bit of his qi, and a gust of wind, as sharp as a sword, suddenly broke forth and swiftly surged at Changming, as mighty as  a mountain and as unstoppable as the sea itself!


    Changming had to create a seal to stop it, but was also forced to take three steps back.


    Only three, and not a step more.


    If it had been more than that, he would have revealed his weakness to his enemy.


    A violent hawk would always tear its prey into pieces as soon as it sensed it could.


    But the young master¡¯s reaction proved Changming right.


    ¡°To put blame on whom? There¡¯s someone you want to kill in Hongluo, yet you can¡¯t move against them directly, and can¡¯t order the foxes and demons to do it. That¡¯s because they can¡¯t do anything against that person, right?¡±


    The young master said indifferently: ¡°Daoyou, you¡¯re moving towards your doom by prying too much into this. You¡¯re an outsider, so why do you insist on getting involved in this mess? I also wonder, how does this benefit you in any way?¡±


    Changming sighed: ¡°That¡¯s an old story. I think that it¡¯s too long for you to listen to, and you wouldn¡¯t want to listen to it until the end.¡±


    The young master: ¡°How can you know whether I would want to listen to it if you haven¡¯t started telling it?¡±


    Changming: ¡°If I say it¡¯s connected to the Wanjian Immortal Clan, would you still feel like listening to it?¡±


    The young master: ¡°You can start, we¡¯ll see.¡±


    While saying this, the young master slightly clenched his fists, ready to strike. As soon as Changming made a mistake, he would not hesitate to attack.


    Jiufang Changming seemed unperturbed by this.


    He could feel the fox poison spreading rapidly all over his body from the back of his hand, reaching even his hands and feet, filling his meridians and burning him like fire burnt dry grass. If even the slightest thing went wrong, the poison would leave no place uneffected, and the scorching pain would cut deeper and deeper through his flesh, splitting open his bones and letting his blood gush out in streams. In the end, it would cut all the way to his heart, tearing it into pieces but refusing to let him die until he had suffered enough.


    Just now, when Hua-Shan tried to attack him, thus forcing him into a corner, Changming had had a breakthrough. He remembered bits of his past, and even the memories of how he had wandered through the Yellow Springs had been restored in the sea of his consciousness. His cultivation had mostly returned to him. As he used to be in his past, he should have been as strong as this person in front of him, but his old wounds and the fox poison were akin handcuffs to Changming, so his options were quite limited.


    The fox poison was not a common poison. By nature, fox spirits were demons that could evoke the deepest desires of a human heart, magnifying feelings that were usually not as strong and making people act against reason. And Changming¡¯s weakness was¡ª


    Changming forced his erratic breathing to calm down. If he revealed a hint of his condition, his opponent would immediately notice it.


    This one was a unique life-long enemy of Jiufang Changming, way more terrifying and unpredictable than people like Shengjue and Chunchi of the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, or the master of demons, princess Linglong. Even though Changming was in the past, this man¡¯s cultivation was only greater now, since at this moment, he was still himself, instead of a soul that had occupied his disciple¡¯s body and borrowed his strength.


    ¡°Once, there lived a man who had an esteemable title and extraordinary cultivation. He looked at the world from high above and was a gem amongst cultivators, one of the best talents there. If anyone in this world could ascend, no doubt, that would have been him.¡±


    Changming regulated his breathing and slowly told his tale, thus hiding his pain.


    The young master squinted. It was hard to tell whether he had noticed yet.


    ¡°Many people considered him to be the hope of all Daoist sects, and he thought this way too. However, when he first entered a meditation after breaking above the realm of a grandmaster, he stumbled upon an unprecedented barrier: he couldn¡¯t find the last piece that could lead to ascension. At first, he thought that that was his mistake, so he continued to look for a way to overcome this. He traveled around the world, visited every talented person and hermit, refined pills and created medicine, and used the tools of immortals and other treasures. Unfortunately, he had not gained anything despite that. Thus, he vaguely started to realize that the problem didn¡¯t lie with him, but rather with the world. The human world was at fault.¡±


    ¡°Your tale, daoyou, is very strange and new. And here I thought you¡¯d tell some old love story of a fortunate reunion between lovers,¡± the young master laughed, and his murderous gaze moved away from Changming. He snapped his fingers, pointing at the Changming Sword.


    Clang!


    Their spiritual powers clashed in the air, and the blade hummed clearly, canceling both spiritual powers.


    This round ended in a draw as well.


    The young master still could not tell how severe his opponent¡¯s wounds were.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that daoyou is very knowledgeable and has a lot of experience. How would I dare tell this story if it wasn¡¯t a novel one.¡±


    Changming wiped blood off from the corner of his mouth with a light movement of his fingers. He stood up straight, and his eyes seemed brighter now.


    Could it be that there was indeed a skill that allowed a person to recover from their wounds in such a short period of time? Seeing this, the young master could not help but start being filled with doubt.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Finally, he realized that the world itself had set certain limitations. No matter how high-levelled his cultivation was, he wouldn¡¯t ascend. By reaching the peak of cultivation, he wouldn¡¯t break away from these shackles¡ªinstead, he would die, leaving this world forever with his soul scattering away and ceasing to exist. That thing that they called ascension was entirely a scam, or, it would be better described as just a wishful fantasy that cultivators had come up with eons ago. He couldn¡¯t accept this truth and had no intention of becoming one of these losers. He wanted to take a new road¡ªone that was drastically different from what others chose. Not only did he want to ascend, he also wanted to achieve true immortality, to have more power than anyone else.¡±


    While saying this, Changming was staring at him.


    The young master was dressed in black. His face was hidden under his hood, just like Sir An¡¯s. But movements always would never lie, and if one¡¯s heart was full of fear, some details would definitely betray them. The young master clenched his fists suddenly. Obviously, Changming¡¯s words had unsettled him.


    ¡°Who. Are. You?¡±


    His eerie voice did not seem to come from nearby or faraway, but in a moment, it had reached Changming. The young master could not bear to wait any longer and attacked!


    And since he decided to move, he decided to take Changming¡¯s life right now!


    Changming was ready. As soon as he thought of this, the Changming Sword floated in front of him to interrupt the strike.


    In a flash, the ground cracked, and the mountains shook. Black clouds were seething at the horizon with flashes of thunder glimmering in them. The wind was howling.


    One hundred years in the future, Changming had not managed to stop the destruction of their world, so he had chosen to sacrifice his life to die together with Luomei.


    Now, in the past, where two strong people arrived from the future, breaking through time and space, Luomei was even stronger, while Changming was wounded.


    While one thing was in decline, the other rose. The sky fell and the earth quaked.


    A-Rong was looking at the hurricane, stupefied. The gusts of spiritual powers almost knocked her down, so she had to grab onto a pillar nearby.


    It was not any better for the rest of them. Hua-Shan, who had been wounded, and the other fox spirits were thrown away with the wave just like boats that were out of control. They were thrown up high and then fell down heavily, some of them vomiting blood and dying right here. Hua-Shan was a bit smarter, so she did her best to crawl to a fence nearby before the two started fighting. She tried to shrink herself into a corner that no one paid any attention to.


    The spiritual power of Changming¡¯s opponent was drawing closer. Changming had created a barrier, but had to keep slowly retreating.


    A fierce pain shot through his chest and he could not help but gasp. Now, blood was oozing not just from his mouth, but also from the corners of his mouth.


    Perhaps, this time, he did make a mistake.


    The past version of Luomei was too strong, and the wounded Changming could not match him in strength. He knew it for sure.


    He had never been afraid of dying early and only had one regret¡ª


    Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi¡­


    He opened his mouth slightly, silently saying this name.


    You and I, we¡¯re like shen and shang¡ªeven in death we can¡¯t see each other.


    Shen and shang: ¡°shenshang¡±, the title of the novel: two people who can never meet. Literally translates as two constellations, Orion and Antares, that never appear in the sky at the same time

 CH 130

    Half a shichen ago.


    Half a shichen: an hour


    Yun Weisi, Jiang Li, Chi Bijiang and Yao Wangnian were still trapped in the courtyard of the yamen. The black fog was drawing closer, brimming with dense ghost energy.


    The three golden threads had been laid down in circles around them like three barriers. The fog was crawling around the barriers, before slowly engulfing them. The fog had already broken through the first circle. The second one had also started showing traces of collapsing.


    Yao Wangnian tossed three black talismans that turned into skulls in midair, which then threw themselves on the mist with their mouths open. In a flash, the fog disappeared inside them, but soon the skulls started to tremble violently and exploded one after another. The black fog that could not be contained had shattered the skulls, before quickly returning to its original state.


    Seeing that Yao Wangnian wanted to use this skill again, Yun Weisi said: ¡°This fog is intended to hurt you. The stronger the ghost cultivation techniques you use, the greater the backlash will be. Stop this if you don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    It was impossible to see Yao Wangnian¡¯s expression under his mask, but he did not seem to be happy and even snapped back: ¡°You also have traces of demonic qi on your body¡ªhow are you any better than me?¡±


    Yun Weisi answered indifferently: ¡°I¡¯ve turned into a demon once, but there was a person who wanted to help me even at the cost of their own life, so I came back to my senses. What about you?¡±


    What about me?


    Yao Wangnian asked himself the same question.


    Obviously, he could not let it go and reconcile with himself in the same way Yun Weisi had. Even though his body had not turned into a demon, he had long since turned into one in his heart.


    While he was dying in agony, he could not stop struggling and never gave up. Boiling in purgatory, his soul did not dissipate, and eventually he became a ghost cultivator.


    But was it easy to cultivate as a ghost?


    His body had perished in a fire a long time ago, and he had pieced it back together because he had not managed to find a suitable vessel. Yao Wangnian was forced to drag his own body along and hide in an inconspicuous, abandoned place to cultivate day after day, year after year¡ªhe could not even tell how much time had passed. He felt his body dissolve and decay, before finally fusing together with the ground below him. Yet his resentment only deepened with each year. At this point, he could not even tell what kind of monster he had become.


    Even ghost cultivators were not that hideously ugly, despite resembling neither ghosts nor humans.


    No matter where he went, he would always catch the scent of something burning in the air. At first, he found it strange and tried looking everywhere for the source of it, but he later realized that this smell was coming from his own body.


    He could not even tell what goal he was pursuing by cultivating. Only his resentment and hatred supported his walking corpse and pushed it forward.


    He had no tomorrow and nothing to hope for. That was what Yao Wangnian had been before arriving at Hongluo.


    ¡°You should rejoice: I still haven¡¯t lost my will. Otherwise, if I saw you, Jiang Li of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, I¡¯d have killed you instead of speaking nonsense here with you.¡±


    Yao Wangnian sneered soundlessly, and it was difficult to guess whether his questions were addressed to Jiang Li or to himself.


    ¡°Why is it that you¡¯re still alive and I¡¯m dead? It could have been me standing here and asking you why you¡¯ve become like this, asking what you¡¯ve been through until my throat is hoarse.¡±


    ¡°You say you want to know why I look like this? You don¡¯t actually want to. You¡¯re just concerned with your current predicament. If it wasn¡¯t for these deaths occurring in Hongluo, I wager you wouldn¡¯t have met me and wouldn¡¯t be concerned at all. Clan Master Jiang, is it that you were so dissatisfied with your position that¡¯s too far above the masses that you decided to come here incognito and experience the hardships of the common folks?¡±


    Yao Wangnian was immediately disgusted by Jiang Li¡¯s distressed expression. He wished he could tear the man in front of his eyes to shreds so that he could dispel, to some extent, the deep-rooted traces of hatred in his heart that had been tormenting him.


    The more he spoke, the less sane he felt. The eyes under his mask had become bloodshot and the dense ghost qi around his body could go out of control at any moment.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been like this since you were little. You never struggle to obtain anything, but in the end, everything goes to you. Yet you dare appear in front of me now¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish the thought, he was hugged.


    Chi Bijiang gasped, as if she wanted to stop Jiang Li but it was too late.


    Jiang Li hugged Yao Wangnian tightly, paying no attention to the ghost qi that was hurting him.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m saying. You don¡¯t have to forgive me, and I can¡¯t experience the sufferings you¡¯ve been through, but at least I know where you¡¯ve been all these years. That year, when I heard about your death, I should have gotten to the bottom of this, but I didn¡¯t notice anything strange at first glance, so I stopped investigating halfway. If only I knew earlier, if only¡­¡±


    Jiang Li was in great pain.


    The person he was holding in his hands was his fellow disciple with whom Jiang Li had grown up together. In the past, they used to be very close to each other: they lived together, ate together, and trained with each other until they grew up. They were no different from regular brothers except for the fact that they did not share the same blood. It was not that Jiang Li did not try to figure out what happened back then, he just did not follow through with it. Had he known that Yao Wangnian did not die, but instead had to go through so much suffering for a long period of time, Jiang Li would have done his best to figure everything out.


    Jiang Li¡¯s pain was coming from the guilt he felt, especially after he heard these words and saw Yao Wangnian¡¯s appearance. Now, he knew that he would dedicate his life to finding justice for his shixiong.


    If he could not find justice in the Wanjian Immortal Clan, he would leave it even if he had to punch a hole in the sky.


    ¡°Can you tell us what exactly happened back then?¡±


    ¡°And what if the things that I tell you will make the entire Wanjian Immortal Clan your enemy?¡± Yao Wangnian did not move and only asked coldly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into all that is right and wrong about this situation. If the Wanjian Immortal Clan actually harmed you, I¡¯ll turn the whole clan upside down to restore your reputation.¡±


    ¡°And what if one of those who harmed me is our shifu?¡±


    Jiang Li froze. He looked up at Yao Wangnian.


    The latter¡¯s eyes were coldly mocking Jiang Li.


    Jiang Li said nothing.


    In his heart, Yao Wangnian said, As expected. He waved his sleeves and pushed Jiang Li away, but Jiang Li dissolved the ghost qi and grabbed Yao Wangnian¡¯s arm.


    ¡°If you have evidence, I¡¯ll find the answer even if it¡¯s our shifu,¡± Jiang Li enunciated each word carefully, ¡°I want to know what happened to you that year.¡±


    The second golden thread was about to break under the pressure from the black fog. Chi Bijiang and Yun Weisi were strengthening it to delay the arrival of the mist.


    Yao Wangnian had the time to finish telling his story, but every time he recalled what happened, he felt a chill, and even his heart went cold. Over time, he had even started to forget it intentionally.


    ¡°That year¡ª¡±


    That year, he went down the mountains to gain experience. He witnessed a curious occurrence in a small village not far away from the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    Every day after the sunset, several people would die in the village. No one could make neither head nor tail of it, and people were frightened.


    Originally, Yao Wangnian had intended to pass through the village, and only wanted to ask for some water to drink. But this case was so strange that he decided to stay and investigate it.


    When the sky darkened, the village was submerged into a deathly stillness¡ªeveryone fell into a deep slumber, and nothing could wake them up. Only Yao Wangnian was still awake. He concealed himself in a corner and hid away his presence. Then, he noticed black qi flooding the entire village, silently reaching every household and slipping inside buildings through the cracks in windows and doors. It entered the sleeping people through their nostrils and put them into even deeper dreams, until some of them silently passed away.


    In the daytime, the black qi disappeared. He sneaked into a well and saw that an entire dimension was hidden inside with a nightmare demon in it.


    ¡°I took great pains to kill that demon and looted a Juhun Pearl from its corpse.¡±


    When Yun Weisi heard the words ¡°Juhun Pearl¡±, his eyes twitched.

 CH 131

    Proofread by Snake


    By using a pearl as a cauldron and spirits as pellets, souls could be refined in a way that  could be used to  help a cultivator make progress in their cultivation. Monsters like nightmare demons or fox spirits would have never gone through all the trouble of refining a Juhun Pearl¡ªinstead, they would directly suck the souls out of a human and use them as they wanted.


    In other words, Juhun Pearls were always made by cultivators.


    To be more precise, it was a common technique among demonic cultivators.


    As soon as Yao Wangnian had seen that Juhun Pearl, he had thought that it was obvious that a demonic cultivator was killing people for souls here. However, he decided not to beat the grass only to scare away the snake: he did not take the pearl away immediately and only killed the nightmare demon. He then concealed himself in the well and waited for someone to come for the Juhun Pearl.


    Yao Wangnian waited for  three whole days, yet no one showed up. Just when he thought that he had made a mistake, a person actually appeared.


    ¡°Their level of cultivation was very high, and I was no match for them. After a short exchange of attacks, I was lucky enough to run away, albeit wounded. When I left, I started to feel that everything was too suspicious. Previously, I had set up a Three Enclosures Formation in the well.  This  formation is not especially difficult to set up, but it¡¯s rarely used, so a common person would never be able to figure it out. However, my opponent solved it quickly, and even turned it into a Formation of Scorching Fire with a Talisman of Five Thunders.¡±


    ¡°So they are adept in setting up formations,¡± Chi Bijiang said.


    She was also proficient in this art, so she knew well how difficult it was to change a formation in such a short period of time.


    Jiang Li, in his turn, was more concerned with this person¡¯s identity: ¡°Who was that person?¡±


    Yao Wangnian answered coldly: ¡°They concealed their appearance, so I couldn¡¯t even hear their voice. I saw nothing. As long as cultivators want to disguise themselves, they can find many ways to do so.¡±


    Jiang Li said: ¡°I¡¯ve read a scroll about the Three Enclosures Formation in the Library of Scriptures of our sect. The third master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan came up with this formation. It  was originally set up on the three mountain peaks around the Wanjian Immortal Clan to prevent intruders from trespassing on our lands. After a long period of time, this formation was altered by the clan master¡¯s successors, before gradually being forgotten. Few people know of it nowadays.¡±


    Despite that, the texts in the Library of Scriptures clearly stated that the Three Enclosures Formation was unique to the Wanjian Immortal Clan and had never left its walls.


    Yao Wangnian always was a persistent person. The more doubts he had, the more he wanted to get to the bottom of the matter. He returned to the village after recovering and, to his surprise, found out that no one of the one hundred and seventeen people of the village had survived. Everyone was lying dead in their houses.


    Moreover, Yao Wangnian was able to vaguely pick up a faint scent. Although he had been prepared, his mind was slightly shaken.


    ¡°At that moment, several disciples of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao happened to pass through the village. We ran into each other and started fighting, and I killed one of their disciples. But I don¡¯t quite remember what happened, as if something was clouding my mind.¡±


    Jiang Li: ¡°Was it that scent?¡±


    Yao Wangnian: ¡°Perhaps. I was wounded, apprehended by them and subsequently taken back to the Wanjian Immortal Clan to determine whether I was guilty. However, the severity of my wounds and my agitation was so great that I had already started to lose my mind and deviate.¡±


    Jiang Li: ¡°I also remember this matter. Afterwards, Shizun took several people to investigate that village and found out that these people were killed by a nightmare demon. So, even though their deaths have nothing to do with you, you started becoming obsessed because of your mistreatment. You happened to stumble onto people of the Wanjian Immortal Clan right at the scene, which led them to  mistake you for the culprit. However, after you were hurt there, you never recovered, and even your temperament changed compared to the past. That¡¯s how it was until the night when the fire erupted in the Library of Scriptures.¡±


    Yao Wangnian sneered: ¡°Didn¡¯t you think it was suspicious? Why did I start deviating right after I decided to return to the village for investigation, and why did I run into these disciples of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao? I couldn¡¯t investigate anymore after I was captured by them. A mere nightmare demon actually was responsible for that, but did this demon also happen to be skilled at setting such difficult formations? Did Shizun take these people to the village to clear my name, or to get rid of the evidence?¡±


    Even though Jiang Li had readied himself, he still paled after hearing this question.


    ¡°You¡¯re doubting Shizun simply because of these coincidences?¡±


    Yao Wangnian spelled it out word by word: ¡°That night, I smelled the same scent as what I sensed in that village. I went out, following the scent, and it led me to the Library of Scriptures. That was when the library caught fire.¡±


    Jiang Li fell silent for a moment. Only after some time, he answered: ¡°And yet, do you have any solid evidence against Shizun?¡±


    Yao Wangnian: ¡°The person who fought with me that night is the same person whom I encountered in the well in that village. When I was dying, I saw him coming closer to me. I would never mistake that figure for anyone else.¡±


    It was not just Jiang Li who found this difficult to believe. Even Yao Wangnian himself suspected that that was a hallucination caused by his mortal wounds.


    In the last few years, he had changed beyond recognition. Even if he begged for death, he could not die. The way he currently existed could not  be called living either, yet he strived to find the truth and did not give up. About seven years after he had started cultivating as a ghost cultivator, he decided that his cultivation was strong enough for him to try looking for his shizun, Immortal Luomei. Yao Wangnian hoped to learn something from the way his shizun behaved. However, Luomei¡¯s cultivation was extremely powerful, so Yao Wangnian did not dare get too close and did not even cross the borders of the Wanjian Immortal Clan. He could only wander around the outskirts of the sect.


    Finally, one day, Luomei appeared on the back of a mountain outside of the sect to pass someone a treasure. Yao Wangnian noticed this and followed him all the way till Luomei left the clan and arrived at Xiaoyang Village, which was the village that had been completely slaughtered.


    The village was abandoned after everyone there had been killed and had been turned into a mass grave.


    With his own eyes, Yao Wangnian saw Luomei descend  the well smoothly, as if following a familiar road, and felt as if something had burst in his heart.


    ¡°Did you follow him down there?¡± when Jiang Li asked this question, his hands in his sleeves were even slightly trembling.


    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t get any closer to him, so I waited outside. After a long time, he came back, and only then did I go inside the well. And guess what I found there?¡± Yao Wangnian was speaking in a mocking tone. He did not wait for them to answer and continued, ¡°I saw many bones that were not there before and smelled that familiar scent.¡±


    Jiang Li paled.


    He did not even entertain the idea that Yao Wangnian could be deceiving him because Yao Wangnian had no reason to do that.


    Back then, all of Luomei¡¯s disciples were exceptionally talented. It was not just Yao Wangnian and Jiang Li, but he had many other gifted disciples as well. Despite that, Yao Wangnian was the best and the brightest among them and was supported by everyone. There was no doubt that he was going to inherit Luomei¡¯s position. Luomei¡¯s hopes and concern for him were also obviously greater than what he had for the rest of them. If it was not for that accident, Yao Wangnian would have surely still been the most popular dashixiong of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    Likewise, Yao Wangnian¡¯s gratitude towards his shizun was more sincere than that of the other disciples. Jiang Li could not even imagine what Yao Wangnian had felt back then, as he slowly moved towards his doom.


    Yao Wangnian could not go back to the Wanjian Immortal Clan and accuse Luomei only because of a fragrance that had a familiar scent. Moreover, in the eyes of the public, he had already turned into a monster. He was now  a wretched renegade of the Wanjian Immortal Clan where he had lost all standing and reputation.


    ¡°I heard that Immortal Luomei went into seclusion and you¡¯ve taken over after his duties. Soon afterwards, I noticed that  you were using a fake name in Hongluo. You didn¡¯t introduce yourself as the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan and had instead turned into a doctor at a medicine hall here. My old friends were also here, in Hongluo, and that was why I didn¡¯t completely lose my mind and still aimed to uncover the truth. However, after I decided to warn you and tried to approach you, the murders began to occur. I started to suspect that whoever was plotting this behind the scenes was deliberately trying to put all the blame on me.¡±


    Yao Wangnian knew that he should visit Jiang Li and tell him everything, but they had not seen each other for ten years, so he did not completely trust Jiang Li and could not confirm that Jiang Li would believe him after hearing him out. Perhaps, Jiang Li would  even choose to stay at Luomei¡¯s side and cut all ties with Yao Wangnian, all while labeling him as a disgraceful traitor.


    Jiang Li did not answer immediately: ¡°The Yao Wangnian I knew is a talented person, but he was never arrogant. He is bold and straightforward, and very kind to his fellow disciples. Even after ten years have passed, I still believe he is like this. Dashixiong, after this is over, will you return to the clan with me and talk to Shizun?¡±


    Yao Wangnian: ¡°Do you believe me?¡±


    Jiang Li: ¡°I believe in the  friendship we developed as we grew up together, and even more so in your honesty.¡±


    The two of them stopped talking, but Yun Weisi suddenly whispered: ¡°I got it!¡±


    He did not want to interrupt Jiang Li and Yao Wangnian¡¯s reminiscing at all, but when he heard Yao Wangnian say that, he suddenly felt as if he understood what happened, as if all clues had finally been linked back together like a string of pearls¡ª


    Luomei must have colluded with demons way earlier than what they had guessed.


    Before he failed his ascension and occupied the body of his disciple, Luomei must have run into another bottleneck in his cultivation. He had long since suspected that ascension meant death for him, so he had started to prepare to take another path in advance. He cultivated and strengthened himself with refined Juhun Pearls, and got ready to take over his disciple¡¯s body. No one would have suspected that  the master of the grand Wanjian Immortal Clan would be hiding such a side to himself.


    However, Luomei could not have anticipated his first disciple would uncover his secret by accident while passing through a village. So, Luomei decided to kill him and set up a perfect trap for Yao Wangnian, tarnishing his name and then finishing him off. But Yao Wangnian¡¯s posthumous  resentment turned out to be too intense, and was even strong enough for him to become a ghost cultivator through his own effort. He had still been looking for the truth after all this time.


    Just when Luomei realized this, Yao Wangnian met his fellow disciple, Jiang Li, in Hongluo, due to an unexpected turn of events. Luomei was afraid that Yao Wangnian would tell his shidi the truth, so he arranged for the murders in the town to take place, just like he did back then, all in order to frame Yao Wangnian.


    Had Yun Weisi and Changming not appeared, Jiang Li would have thought that Yao Wangnian used human lives to advance in his cultivation, which would have only confirmed his suspicion that his shixiong had gone crazy back then and decided to refine Juhun Pearls for himself. It was likely that the two of them would have never met face to face and would not have a chance to explain everything. The murder case of Hongluo would have ended with Yao Wangnian¡¯s death. Jiang Li would have thought he had found the answer, and returned to his sect, distressed. He would have never learned what was actually going on here, and perhaps, in this life, he would not have even known that the one who killed him was a person so close to him¡ªhis shizun, whom Jiang Li respected and loved.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s gaze settled on Chi Bijiang.


    She was closely observing everything from the beginning, so perhaps, she knew what was going on at least in part, or maybe she just happened to learn some of that by chance. But she was not Luomei¡¯s opponent, so she could only change the Liuhe Zhutian Formation a bit to have a chance to make things right.


    This small change was what allowed Yun Weisi and Changming to travel through time.


    So, some things were fated to appear, and some things were fated to perish¡ªeverything was interlocked and preordained.


    The formation they were caught in was probably set by Luomei for Yao Wangnian.


    Then what about Luomei?


    He had not appeared. Was it because he was waiting for them to die here, or did he have some other plans so he had no spare time?


    Yun Weisi suddenly thought of Jiufang Changming¡ª


    Could it be?!


    His expression changed in a flash and his heart fell. He folded his hands into a seal, and his spiritual powers flowed out like a sandstorm, pushing away the black mist around the golden threads!


    Yun Weisi could not dispel the fog completely and only managed to open up a narrow path. With a loud wail, a black shadow leaped up from nearby and swiftly pounced towards the gap. It broke through the encirclement and quickly disappeared without a trace!


    ¡°Find Shizun!¡± Yun Weisi shouted after him.


    The dog wailed, but it was soon too far away to hear it.


    If Zhou Keyi could speak, he would have definitely roared: So now you remember to call him Shizun, hah?! Weren¡¯t you deceiving him by calling him ¡°shidi¡± earlier! You¡¯re an utter disgrace! Just wait till I come back and teach you a lesson!

 CH 132

    Faced with this overwhelming pressure, Changming could feel the specter of death drawing closer to him than ever before.


    He knew that he could not hold on any longer and there was nothing that could save him, yet he felt strangely at ease. His consciousness seemed to have entered some kind of indescribable state and left his body, freely floating above it. He watched his enemy¡¯s attack impassively. Every movement that took place had slowed down to a speed that allowed him to see everything clearly. His physical body could not escape the attack, but his conscious mind saw right through his enemy¡¯s plan¡ª


    The young master was not only going to kill him, but would also destroy his consciousness itself and scatter away his souls so that he would never be able to recover.


    Changming knew this, but his body was not quick enough to catch up with his thoughts, so he already knew how this would end.


    He was neither sad nor happy¡ªit was just as if he was looking at someone else¡¯s death from the sidelines.


    As he was looking back at his life, he realized that he had no other attachments except for Yun Weisi.


    Every single thing of this world, every destination was in utter chaos to him.


    Every place, every destination, whether it was the Heavenly Abode of True Immortals or the streets full of peddlers and carriers¡ªthey were all the same.


    The so-called ascension to immortality, which meant breaking free from the shackles of this realm to reach the other one, or achieving eternal life, did not matter either.


    The world had been changing over the course of thousands of years. Despite this length of time, it was akin to a flick of the finger for the world, a mere ephemeral moment. Meanwhile, for Changming, he had been living an entire lifetime.


    Cultivators had always been working on themselves, and their lives were far longer than those of the common people. But many cultivators established their sects just for power and profit, and their desires were not actually much different from those of mortals. Cultivators only used different means. They also killed each other for treasures and had internal conflict just like in the imperial palaces, but theirs were more direct and they could lose their lives in this turmoil far more easily.


    What was the point of cultivating at all?


    Nature had countless unsolvable mysteries in store for a cultivator to unravel. Even talented people like Luomei could never find all the answers over the course of their lives.


    Acts of murder and people being saved from murder repeated in circles. Cultivators, just like the common people, were all tiny, powerless individuals that were like insects. They were wandering in circles cluelessly and could never break free from this trap.


    What if ascension was not the final destination?


    At this moment, his mind was in turmoil, but this thought suddenly appeared there clearly.


    The enemy, the whirlpool of spiritual powers, the approaching death, the violent storm, Hua-Shan, A-Rong, and even the buildings around him were washed away by a wave. There was now only one person.


    He was standing alone in the nothingness, looking up at the sky from far below, as if standing in the midst of primal chaos. He could neither move forward nor retreat¡ªinstead, he had been left at the very edge of an abyss. An ordinary person would have been afraid to move at all, but Changming had no fear whatsoever. Even if he closed his eyes, he could still clearly see the chaos around him, the clouds flying up above, and the water droplets falling in the distance.


    The air around him was silent but he could feel a fresh breeze blowing around him. He saw Dubhe and Alkaid of the Big Dipper above his head and the moon rising in the blue sky. Clouds were scattered all over the sky.


    The Daoist sects preached quietness and inaction. Inaction meant absence of an individual ¡°self¡±, and this ¡°self¡± meant any living creature.


    The Buddhist sects said that bodhi originally was no tree, and one¡¯s heart should be as clear as a mirror. If a kind heart was tranquil, the entire world would be motionless too.


    Bodhi originally was no tree: (c) Hui Neng, famous Buddhist. Essentially means that one should clear their mind to attain enlightenment


    In the end, ¡°self¡± meant the absence of ¡°self¡±, and this ¡°self¡± was also every living creature¡ªthis was what Daoism and Buddhism were. The dark skies and the yellow ground were ¡°self¡±, the boundless cosmos was ¡°self¡±, the sun and the moon were ¡°self¡±, the wilderness was also ¡°self¡±. ¡°Self¡± could fill either the primal chaos, or grains of wheat. The bright stars illuminated the deities, and soon everything would return to their destined locations.


    Jiufang Changming took a step forward.


    And at this moment, a light suddenly ignited in front of his eyes!


    It had been many years since he last lost control of his expressions, but at this moment, Changming was so surprised that he even widened his eyes slightly.


    His eyes reflected a scene that no other cultivator had ever seen up to this day.


    The young master only saw Jiufang Changming pause for a moment.


    Pausing at this moment meant revealing a weakness that could lead to his death.


    Even if it was just a short moment, it was enough!


    He smiled slightly, for once certain in his chances of winning. Having gathered all his earth-shattering spiritual powers in a single blow, he moved towards the frozen Jiufang Changming.


    Even though Luomei did not know where this man had come from and what his motives were, he already considered Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi a threat. His plan had been progressing smoothly. Hongluo had been just a tiny link in his plan¡ªhe would have even called it insignificant. His painstaking efforts could absolutely not go to waste because of these two people who had appeared out of nowhere!


    In a flash, his spiritual powers almost reached his opponent. With his own eyes, he saw that Jiufang Changming was about to fall dead on the ground¡ª


    A black dog suddenly bounced up to them!


    It appeared just at the right moment in front of Jiufang Changming, blocking the fatal blow for him.


    The dog was sent flying by this massive wave of spiritual powers!


    The dog was in pain all over, as if every muscle of his body had been cut through and his skin had been torn from his bones.


    He had never experienced this feeling that he would rather die than stay alive. Even when he had been detained in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple with chains piercing his bones, to be used by the monks to lure Jiufang Changming out, the pain he had felt was not as bad as it was now.


    It hurt so much. It was as if his souls had been extracted from his still living body, before being ripped into small pieces, which were then thrown into a millstone that was grinding them up repeatedly for eternity.


    He suddenly recalled that there had once been a person who was crying their heart out, asking Zhou Keyi to kill them quickly, even begging him to do so.


    Who was that?


    Zhou Keyi could not recall that person¡¯s face anymore, let alone what their background was or their name. However, their voice was still clear in his memories. At this moment, he was no different from that person who had produced painful cries and uttered words through their tears.


    That person¡­ They had been captured by Zhou Keyi to be used as a cultivation furnace. At that time, he had a deviation and needed to drink human blood every now and then. Using people¡¯s souls as pills somewhat alleviated his suffering and strengthened his cultivation base.


    The small sects that were the Jianxue Clan¡¯s vassals were forced to send him their disciples. Zhou Keyi disdained common people and was even quite fastidious¡ªin fact, he insisted that the face of the disciple in question should be pretty and they should have rare spiritual roots.


    For these small sects, the disciples that matched his tastes were also the most precious resource that they had as these sects¡¯ dreams and hopes of future improvement rested on the shoulders of these disciples. Thus, some sects had refused to cooperate and were immediately exterminated by Zhou Keyi. Sometimes not even a single person survived this purge¡ªthat was what might have happened to the Qixing Sect. When the sect master, Zhang Qin, heard Xu Jingxian¡¯s demand to hand over Liu Xiyu, he had hated her with all his heart, but in the end, had no other choice except compliance.


    These were the reasons for the consequences he suffered later on.


    Zhou Keyi never believed in karma. He disregarded Jiufang Changming¡¯s warnings and stayed firm on his path of demonic cultivation even to the end. Many people had been slaughtered for him to achieve success, and he could not even recall their names. Yet now, he clearly heard the pained wailing of these dying people.


    Not only had he lost his right to be human and was forced to live as a dog¡ªeven the cultivation he had built on these corpses had disappeared without a trace. He was even dying just like one of those people he had killed.


    Was this karma?


    This thought had been lingering in his mind. He saw the body of the dog he had been occupying being torn into pieces by the overwhelming gust of spiritual power, and the strips of flesh scattering all over the place. The words ¡°torn into pieces¡± might have been an understatement in this situation¡ªeven his blood itself had been completely decimated and evaporated.


    It was extremely painful. His spiritual consciousness still existed. He wished he could escape from this suffering into death with every moment, but he was not in control of his fate and continued going through the torture.


    Heat. He felt hot, but it was not painful. On the contrary, it was a pleasant type of warmth.


    He felt a warm hand catch him lightly.


    The warm feeling was more real now.


    The pain, meanwhile, went away.


    Was it Jiufang Changming?


    Jiufang Changming?!


    Zhou Keyi thought that Changming would not be able to escape his fate. Even though Zhou Keyi protected him, there was no guarantee that Jiufang Changming would be willing to revive him again.


    If Zhou Keyi died, then he died. He had lived long enough. As he spent his days in the dog¡¯s body, he could not even speak¡ªhe could only wail. Moreover, Yun Weisi was always ridiculing him. Zhou Keyi had had enough of that.


    But why was Jiufang Changming still alive?


    Jiufang Changming had yet to die. Instead, he was swathed in potent energy that not only made Zhou Keyi¡¯s pain disappear, but he even felt his spiritual consciousness restored by a bit.


    He heard Jiufang Changming¡¯s voice.


    It was weak but cheerful, as if he had been relieved from a great burden.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Thank whom? Zhou Keyi frowned.


    ¡°Had you not put me in a tight spot, I would not have had this moment of enlightenment.¡±


    This time, Zhou Keyi understood. Jiufang Changming was thanking the person in front of them.


    The young master could not believe that there was a person who would not die under such an attack.


    There was not even a corpse left of that dog, so why was this man fine?


    ¡°Who on earth are you?¡± he squinted, as if he was facing a mortal enemy.


    The young master had never had to repeat the same question twice. If someone refused to answer, the young master would just use another method to extract an answer.


    Despite that, these incomprehensible techniques of his enemy presently left him completely clueless for the first time.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming.¡±


    The name was not common, but the young master had never heard of it.


    It seemed that the man noticed his bafflement.


    ¡°Of course, you haven¡¯t heard this name. In fact, no one in this world has. But the reason I¡¯m standing here now is closely connected to you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I came here to kill you.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, he already leaped up into the air!


    His sword was as bright as the light cast by the sun and the moon¡ªit could almost illuminate the entire world, reaching every mountain and river with its imposing aura!


    As swift as lightning, it shot towards the young master!


    The young master had been ready. Just as the light erupted, he also jumped up.


    Two formidable spiritual powers clashed in the air just like two hurricanes and subsequently ended in a deadlock.


    Even more formidable qi rushed from both opponents, filling the area all around them. A-Rong had already been thrown far away by the wind. Despite that, she was still not safe as a mix of sand and ice started falling around her like a rain of arrows, piercing through the walls of a building and breaking the fence. Soon, the entire house collapsed with a loud noise, trapping A-Rong underneath.


    The skies and the earth darkened, and neither the sun nor the moon shone.


    The sky that had been gloomy up to this point was lit up by violet rays of light, and in the center of these rays, the two men fought. An unending mist and qi swirled around them rapidly, tightly enveloping them with violet rays. Even the gathering clouds had turned red, which looked beautiful yet surreal.


    The entirety of Hongluo was engulfed by the storm that had been conjured by Jiufang Changming and the young master. Many people did not understand what was going on and ran out to take a look, but were immediately swept away by the winds and flung into the distance. The rest of them shut their doors and silently prayed for this calamity to pass quickly.


    Not one quite knew what had happened. Strange phenomena were happening in the sky, as if immortals had been angered. Only Zhou Keyi, who happened to be right in the eye of the storm, understood the situation fully.


    Their opponent was infinitely powerful, one of the rarest talents among cultivators. His cultivation had long since surpassed the realm of grandmaster, and it was unusual of him to show it off. It was not until he met Jiufang Changming was he forced to reveal his true powers!


    Not only that, demonic qi was constantly oozing from him too, as if it was limitless. Even though at this moment Zhou Keyi was only a soul, he could still feel the suffocating pressure from it, and even had difficulty breathing. Subconsciously, he only wanted to beg for mercy.


    Since his situation was so bad, Jiufang Changming, who had been wounded before, could only have it worse.


    Zhou Keyi had vaguely sensed that Jiufang Changming had had an epiphany, so his skills and powers had received a boost, but Zhou Keyi doubted that it was enough to defeat this fellow. Their enemy was indeed too strong and controlled both human and demonic powers in perfect harmony. Even if the demons sealed under the Wanshen Mountain suddenly broke free, they would probably not be able to defeat him.


    Despite having broken through to the next level, Jiufang Changming, when compared to him, was still lacking.


    The situation was akin to when a person was moving towards the peak of a mountain, but there already was someone standing there. Even though they looked as if they were close in standing, the difference was actually immense.


    As Zhou Keyi predicted, Jiufang Changming¡¯s breathing soon slowed down. Even if it was not obvious, while one person¡¯s condition was in decline, the other was growing ever more powerful, as; the young master¡¯s spiritual powers surged forwards with renewed vigor!


    One could observe that the purple rays had darkened, and the storm gathered by their spiritual powers was drifting towards Hongluo. Wherever it went, the grass withered, and all animals dropped dead.


    This scene was similar to what happened in the future when the world was being destroyed.


    The young master¡¯s hood had already been blown down by the wind, and his face had been revealed.


    His face was very pale, and his eyes were red. While his strength was admirable, he did not look like a normal human anymore, and rather resembled some evil spirit from legends.


    Was it the reason why he had taken over Jiang Li¡¯s body?


    Jiufang Changming furrowed his brows slightly.


    He had truly comprehended an elusive and inexplicable realm just now, which was something that Luomei would probably not realize in his entire life. However, his body could not bear this kind of strength right now. The fox poison was still clouding his spiritual consciousness, and the pain had reached the sea of his consciousness, bathing it with waves of pain. He could not wield his powers freely.


    There was no doubt that his opponent had noticed this as well. Suddenly, the dark purple rays hovered over Changming¡¯s head.


    In the eye of the storm created by their two gathered powers, it was quiet, but the pressure on Jiufang Changming only grew greater. No matter how much energy he used, his opponent would take it all for himself, and there was no telling how long it would continue like this.


    In the darkness, a voice rang out.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    It was Yun Weisi.


    Changming was startled.


    In a moment, his hand was grabbed, and Yun Weisi transferred some spiritual energy to him, which even sent away his fox poison.


    The intense pain disappeared, and the barrier in front of him strengthened a bit.


    Yun Weisi was absorbing the fox poison?!


    Or rather, Yun Weisi had taken part of it into himself.


    Even though there were dark purple rays of light rolling around, the light of Jiufang Changming¡¯s sword shone brighter!


    Suddenly, the pressure against them disappeared too, and in a flash, not a fragment of it was left behind.


    Tn:


    I hope in a couple of months I¡¯ll be able to ask someone on Shenshang¡¯s official Weibo to help me with the philosophy, but for now, I¡¯ll leave this without comment¡­

 CH 133

    It was not that Yun Weisi had never thought of sharing in Changming¡¯s fox poison, but before this, the poison seemed to stick to Changming persistently, and no matter what they had tried, they could not get rid of it.


    However, it was different now. Changming¡¯s inner breath resembled a fabric that could absorb water easily¡ªhe quickly gathered any spiritual power that was offered to him. At the same time, the light on the back of his hand that glowed whenever the fox poison flared up had also dimmed slightly.


    This meant that the fox poison had been suppressed. Although it had not been completely dispelled, the suffering caused by the poison had abated for the time being.


    The dark clouds and the heavy fog scattered away, but there was not a trace of the young master to be seen. As the ragged clouds dispersed, the dawn broke on the horizon.


    The hazy night was about to dissipate.


    The common people had no way of knowing that they had come close to the gates of hell and had narrowly escaped a tragic death. They only noticed that the dense mist had dispersed, the ice had melted, and the snow was now glittering brightly. It was as if they had been wandering through blind alleys before this and had now made their way out to the scenery of picturesque mountains and rivers that were illuminated by the sun.


    Everyone rejoiced to the point of crying tears of joy. The people in the guest houses, who were now all acquainted with each other, were all smiling. Merchants were happy that they could now continue on their journeys after being trapped here for so many days. Even though staying at an inn meant that they did not have to suffer from the bumpiness of the roads, the experience had been too disturbing this time. As soon as they saw the snow stop falling and the sun shining, many decided to leave without further ado. As a result, crowds were bustling, and the town was quite lively now.


    Even though many human lives had been lost in the town¡ªan entire caravan had even been wiped out¡ªthe dead had already passed away, and the living should move forward with their lives. Many people had been afraid of losing their lives here, but the rising sun had revived the hope in their hearts. Having realized that they were finally out of danger, everyone decided that it was better to take the long roundabout way instead of passing through this place ever again.


    However, there was a remote and forgotten corner of Hongluo that had become even more unrecognizable after the fierce battle that took place here.


    Jiang Li and Yao Wangnian arrived soon after Yun Weisi, but they did not find the person they wanted to see.


    ¡°Where is that man?!¡±


    ¡°Luomei¡¯s left.¡±


    It seemed that Changming felt that Jiang Li did not want to reveal the young master¡¯s identity, so he pointed it out first.


    Jiang Li flinched and fell silent for a moment: ¡°How can you be sure that was him, Daoyou?¡±


    Changming: ¡°I¡¯ve been his enemy for half of my life. I stepped into the Liuhu Zhutian Formation, seeking the truth, and soon it¡¯ll come to an end.¡±


    Apart from Yun Weisi, no one understood what Jiufang Changming meant.


    At this moment, even though they knew that there was something wrong with their master, Yao Wangnian was only investigating it to find out the truth about his death, and Jiang Li was just pursuing justice for his shixiong. No matter how much they doubted their shizun, they could have never guessed the reason they were to die by his hand with their souls shackled for eternity, nor could they know that Chi Bijiang, alongside the entire Wanxian Palace, would get involved in this matter, which would finally plunge the world into chaos with a slim chance of salvation.


    Although Jiang Li did not quite know what was going on, he could feel that Changming harbored no ill intentions towards him or Yao Wangnian.


    A grandmaster¡¯s bearing did not necessarily manifest itself in the way they spoke, but there was something about them that would always make others admire and believe them. While Jiufang Changming¡¯s name was unknown at this point, the world was full of talented individuals and hermits that refused to join any sect and preferred to remain rogue cultivators, roaming the world like floating clouds or wild cranes. Jiang Li automatically classified him and Yun Weisi as two such people.


    However, Yao Wangnian was more careful and distrustful than Jiang Li. He looked at Changming and Yun Weisi closely and inquired: ¡°You want to use us to kill Luomei?¡±


    ¡°Had we not appeared, Yao Wangnian would have died. After his death, everything that has happened in Hongluo would have been blamed on him.¡±


    ¡°A discarded disciple, a ghost cultivator, someone who conceals his identity. All these titles would have become shackles he would not be able to break out of, while Immortal Luomei would have appeared as a role model who was ready to place righteousness over familial bonds. Clan Master Jiang, would you have trusted your shizun, or your dashixiong whom you haven¡¯t seen for years?¡±


    ¡°After the Juhun Pearl was complete, Yao Wangnian would have become the final piece in perfecting it. Yet one Juhun Pearl can¡¯t satisfy Luomei¡¯s needs. During his closed-door cultivation, he¡¯ll encounter an insurmountable problem. He¡¯ll realize that his cultivation has certainly surpassed that of any other person in this world, but he¡¯ll never be able to transcend this level, break through this final obstacle and turn into an immortal. That will make him experience a deviation to the point that he¡¯ll almost lose his life.¡±


    Yun Weisi kept talking smoothly, yet Jiang Li¡¯s expression was unchanged.


    As soon as Yun Weisi stopped talking, Jiang Li could not help urging him: ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Afterwards, he¡¯ll notice a cracked seal that separates the abyss from our world on the Sacred Mountain Wan and come into contact with it. From that moment on, Luomei will no longer be the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan. Everything he¡¯ll do will serve only one purpose: his ascension. The Wanjian Immortal Clan will be but a stepping stone on his path.¡±


    ¡°Still, he¡¯ll fail his ascension. He will reach the end of the time that has been allocated to him and will only think of one way to prevent his death, which is taking over someone else¡¯s body. The body of a common person has no value in his eyes, and he will only settle for the body of someone with a firm standing in society, strong cultivation, and who comes from the same sect. The world is vast, but where will he find a person who satisfies these criteria?¡±


    Of course, Jiang Li and Yao Wangnian did not interrupt Yun Weisi, and even Chi Bijiang guessed the meaning of his words. She was breathing shallowly and paled. She could not bear to listen, yet did not want to interrupt Yun Weisi, so she could only purse her lips.


    ¡°Yao Wangnian¡¯s already dead, so he is out of the question. There is only one person in the Wanjian Immortal Clan who can meet Luomei¡¯s requirements.¡±


    Yun Weisi looked at Jiang Li. The latter did not express any anger and did not try to retort.


    It seemed that Jiang Li was lost in his thoughts. For a long time, he did not say anything.


    This dead silence was only broken up by gusts of wind that brushed against the ruined walls and the fence, which briefly stirred up their hearts.


    Changming coughed. He bent over and picked up A-Rong who had been buried under the ruins of the house. She had lost her body during the fight and had returned to her original appearance of a fox with dull gray fur. This small fox, who was now on the verge of death, was put into Changming¡¯s sleeve. He had a qiankun pouch there, which was also where he kept Zhou Keyi¡¯s spiritual soul.


    Even though she had turned into a fox, A-Rong was still not good to look at, especially compared to another white fox that seemed to possess the beautiful appearance of a creature that was capable of cultivation. However, that white fox was almost in the same condition as the gray one¡ªboth of them had clumps in their fur, which was also stained with blood. The only difference between them was that the white fox was already dead. Only its spiritual soul was still shimmering above its body, reluctant to leave.


    Hua-Shan did not live for too long, but she used to have lofty aspirations and ambitions. She wanted to lead her kind and reach new heights, so she did not hesitate when Luomei offered her help. Despite her absolute obedience to him, she did not become someone who was seen as an equal by Luomei. On the contrary, it had even led to her death. In Luomei¡¯s eyes, the Wanjian Immortal Clan and his favorite disciple could be discarded so easily¡ªso, what more could be said about some fox spirit?


    Yun Weisi stretched his arm and clenched his fist. Hua-Shan¡¯s soul turned into a light breeze in his hands, shone for a moment, and became a small soul pearl.


    He had not forgotten Jiang Li¡¯s words. If they wanted to get rid of the poison in Changming¡¯s body, they needed a fox and the Bingxue Grass to be refined into a medicine with the help of the Longzu Cauldron.


    ¡°Even if he takes over Jiang Li¡¯s body, he won¡¯t succeed. My shidi¡¯s talent is not as great as mine, and his temperament is not firm enough. Sure, the Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s influence is immense, but they can¡¯t hide the truth from the entire world. What can he do?¡±


    Yao Wangnian spoke suddenly. No one could discern the expression under his mask.


    It looked like he was clarifying things to Yun Weisi and Changming, but even more so to himself.


    ¡°He can deploy a trap and tell the cultivation world that he¡¯s setting up a formation on the Sacred Mountain Wan to patch up the crack in the seal and prevent the demons from escaping through it. In truth, that formation will be bound to fail. Some people will be sacrificed, and someone will serve as a scapegoat. The most prominent clan masters will perish there or disappear without a trace. Someone will escape by sheer luck, notice that something went wrong, and refuse to remain a bystander.¡±


    As Yun Weisi was saying this, the past emerged in front of his eyes. He suddenly noticed many details that used to escape his eyes.


    Once, Jiufang Changming asked why there were not as many talented disciples in the world after he had returned, even though the sects were plenty. As one of the most influential Daoist sects, the Celestial Abode Shenxiao had produced many grandmasters in the past. However, after the incident on the Sacred Mountain Wan, their clan master, Fu Dongyuan, disappeared mysteriously and had not shown his face ever since. The cultivation level of their disciples that they had met was not outstanding. The only one really talented was perhaps He Qingmo.


    Given how smart Fu Dongyuan was, how could he ignore the strangeness of the Wanjian Immortal Clan for so many years? He understood that Luomei had accomplished what he wanted on the Sacred Mountain Wan and had the Wanxiang Palace and the demons as accomplices, so Fu Dongyuan could hardly go against them alone. Even if he did resist, he would have had to pay a great price, so he decided to sacrifice himself and watch the show from the sidelines in hiding. He did not want to stand out.


    Moreover, one of the two most prominent clans of Buddhism, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple and the Qingyun School, had already colluded with Luomei. One was preoccupied with expanding their influence and did not even notice Luomei slip past them and take control over the Wanlian Buddhist Temple.


    The rest of the clans and families all acted out of their own free will. They were scattered all around the world. Luomei had been steadily implementing his plan for decades, and it was not difficult for him to eliminate all of them one by one.


    Demonic cultivators like those of the Jianxue Clan might have seemed prosperous and promising, but Zhou Keyi was ruthless and bloodthirsty, and he did not tolerate other sects. The entire structure of his sect could topple down from the slightest push as if it was made out of sand. This push happened to be the death of Liu Xiyu of the Qixing Sect. At that time, Zhou Keyi did not know that his fate was already in the hands of Luomei, whom he had never met. Luomei needed only to wait for the right moment to use him to lure Jiufang Changming out. The point of Zhou Keyi¡¯s existence was not to lead the demonic cultivators or be the master of the Jianxue Clan¡ªhe was only useful because his shifu was Jiufang Changming.


    That was also why Changming worked so hard to save Zhou Keyi¡ªhe understood Luomei¡¯s plans. That was something he owed Zhou Keyi.


    ¡°After that, no one will dare oppose Luomei in the open. He will have everything arranged as he wants and set up an even larger Liuhe Zhutian Formation. After six Juhun Pearls are complete, he¡¯ll set the formation into motion, and the abyss will be split open. The world will turn into another realm of demons. He will become one with the demons by that point, and they will share their gains. And then, if Fu Dongyuan or even all the grandmasters join forces, they will still be unable to go against Luomei.¡±


    ¡°People will only have two options.¡±


    ¡°To die from the demonic qi in the ruins of the world or¡ª¡±


    Yun Weisi continued slowly, ¡°Drag him down and perish together in the formation.¡±


    The second option was not so easy.


    The common people were not as unimportant as ants in Luomei¡¯s eyes. Even skillful masters like He Qingmo or Xu Jingxian would have suffered a crushing defeat in a battle against him that would be akin to striking a wall with an egg.


    Meanwhile, Yun Weisi, Jiufang Changming, and Sun Buku had spent too much spiritual power, so when the formation was activated, there was no time for them to strike together. It was the same for all other grandmasters in the area. Even the strongest person would not have been able to bring down the Liuhe Zhutian Formation that was supported by millions of souls and demonic qi. Had Chi Bijiang not implemented a flaw into the formation, they would not have managed to die together with Luomei. Having overestimated their capabilities, they would have been crushed into powder, before being turned into yet another stepping stone in Luomei¡¯s grandiose plan.


    Yun Weisi felt additional weight press onto his shoulder. He looked to the side and saw that Jiufang Changming had lost his consciousness and had started collapsing. Yun Weisi¡¯s heart sank, and he quickly caught Changming.


    His breathing was more or less stable, but it was difficult to say whether he had any internal injuries. Yun Weisi noticed that his shizun¡¯s aura had changed after his battle with Luomei, but he could not tell whether the change was for the better or the worse.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him back to treat his wounds,¡± Yun Weisi said nothing more after that, before picking him up, and leaving.


    The Changming Sword flashed and abruptly disappeared from sight, hidden by Changming¡¯s side.


    Seeing this, Chi Bijiang breathed out in surprise, but did not say anything.


    ¡°The Qianlin Assembly!¡± Jiang Li suddenly spoke.


    ¡°Even if we go back to my clan now, I¡¯m afraid that we won¡¯t find anyone. However, in three days, the next Qianlin Assembly will be held. This year, it¡¯s hosted by the Zhengrong Mountain Villa nearby, at the outskirts of Shangzhou. Dashixiong¡¯s alive, shiz¡­ he certainly won¡¯t be pleased. There will also be many skilled participants at the Qianlin Assembly. If he wants to refine a Juhun Pearl, he might appear again!¡±


    Jiang Li gritted his teeth and revealed his guess.


    Yao Wangnian moved slightly.


    Yun Weisi stopped and turned his head back.


    ¡°If he¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    But Jiufang Changming had not regained consciousness. Yun Weisi returned to the guest house and set up a formation around it, and still, Changming slept soundly. Yun Weisi tried everything to wake him up, but it was all in vain.


    Yun Weisi took him in his arms, put his hand on the back of Changming¡¯s hand, and recited some techniques. Yun Weisi tried to wake up his consciousness, but it seemed like there was a barrier in front of it preventing any outside interference.


    Yun Weisi grew a bit nervous. He pierced the skin between his eyebrows to pour his blood into Changming.


    For Yun Weisi, nothing mattered much, save Jiufang Changming.


    Even if Luomei was alive, the worst thing that could happen was a repeat of the destruction of the world. Yet if anything happened to Jiufang Changming, Yun Weisi had no reason to continue living.


    In the end, he was completely different from Jiufang Changming. He only thought about himself, and his Dao was only one person. If this person was a boundless ocean of stars, Yun Weisi was willing to embrace this ocean. If this person was a grain of rice, Yun Weisi¡¯s existence was just as miniscule.


    At the same time, Jiufang Changming, who looked like a heartless person, was the most fearless person in the world. All living creatures yearned for light, and he was the only one willing to venture into darkness if that was demanded by his sense of duty, and never turned back. Even if it cost him his cultivation and ruined everything he had accomplished, he would still continue seeking the truth.


    For Yun Weisi, Changming was the light, his only Dao.


    As soon as he thought of it, Yun Weisi saw white light ignite in front of him with a loud noise. It blinded his vision and even threw him back, plunging him into darkness soon afterwards!


    Tn:


    Sorry guys, midterms¡­

 CH 134

    The edge of the abyss was not the end of it, but the beginning.


    Yun Weisi saw light.


    Dazzling light fell upon his eyelids, which made his eyes sting.


    He opened his eyes to see a tree casting ragged shadows above his head. Sunlight shone through its leaves, forcing him to blink.


    It was so warm that anyone would have felt too lazy to move or think, and it did not feel real. There was something soft beneath him that creaked as he moved.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Silang? Can¡¯t you get up after falling down?¡±


    Si-lang: it might be YWS¡¯s real name¡­


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect him to be such a wimp!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be surprised about? After all, he¡¯s the only son of the Yun family, so he¡¯s usually pampered and adored by everyone. But isn¡¯t it time for him to get up?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking, he isn¡¯t moving at all. Call the teacher over before anyone gets into trouble!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t call the teacher over! He¡¯ll tell on us as soon as he gets up!¡±


    They all kept talking noisily at the same time right next to his ear, and he could not even rest for a bit because of this clamor. It finally irritated him to the point that he jumped up suddenly and shouted¡ª


    ¡°Knock it off!¡±


    The youngsters shut up immediately and stared at him in bewilderment.


    One of them took two steps forward and asked him with difficulty: ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re still alive?¡±


    He answered impatiently: ¡°Who would die from falling off a tree? Let¡¯s throw you down one and see how it goes!¡±


    As he was saying this, he grabbed the front of the young man¡¯s jacket. Frightened by his fierce behavior, the young man shook his head, and the others dispersed noisily.


    Someone was reading out loud in the distance. An angry shout could be discerned: ¡°Where are Yun Silang and Zhou Shiqi? Are they skipping classes again?!¡±


    Yun Weisi was a bit perplexed.


    He knew that he was thirteen at this moment, the young master of the illustrious Yun family. He enjoyed his life to the fullest, and spent his days playing on streets. When it came to rich young men squandering their money as if it were dirt, everyone would think of Yun Weisi. Everyone in the city said that young master Yun had a terrible reputation. The young master of the Cong family had an eidetic memory and was talented, so he was bound to succeed in the future. Meanwhile, the spiritual root of the young master of the Zhang family was so good that he had been taken away by a master of cultivation when he was little, and everyone believed that he would be able to ascend to immortality. It was only this Yun Weisi, this Yun Silang, who was obviously just a rich youngster who behaved unscrupulously.


    Yun Weisi was fully aware of the rumors about him that circulated throughout the capital. He also knew that as long as the Yun family was there, Yun Silang could live as he wished. No one could force him to do anything, and no one dared to mess with him.


    At the same time, he was clear that this was just a memory from his past. This was a minor detail, something he could not even recall on purpose. This did not exist anymore.


    He felt as if he had split into two parts: one half of him was reliving this scene which was familiar and alien at the same time, while the other was watching all this from the sidelines. He seemed to know what would happen next, but at the same time he felt as if he could not predict it.


    This was different from the illusions he had experienced in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and his spiritual senses were not warning him of danger. He was sure that whatever that had caused these memories to resurface was not malicious.


    If Luomei or some demons were not responsible, why would anyone do this?


    ¡°The teacher¡¯s angry! Let me go right now!¡±


    Zhou Shiqi freed himself from Yun Weisi¡¯s grip and ran away as fast as he could, before quickly disappearing from Yun Weisi¡¯s line of sight.


    He should also return lest he be scolded by their teacher. That was what Yun Weisi thought as he followed Zhou Shiqi. However, it was obvious that his pace was much slower as he walked back leisurely. Their teacher caught him when he was halfway to class, and both he and Zhou Shiqi were sent outside the building to stand still there as punishment.


    Zhou Shiqi kept grumbling: ¡°This is all your fault! If you weren¡¯t that slow, our teacher wouldn¡¯t have caught us! I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll send someone to my home to tell them about this again!¡±


    Their teacher complaining about their behavior was a common thing for both Zhou Shiqi and Yun Weisi. The difference was that the Zhou family was strict, but Zhou Shiqi was a slacker, which was a shame for them. His father used to scold him often for being disobedient. However, he had long since started regarding Zhou Shiqi as a worthless child that could not learn anything, so he left things as they were at some point.


    Although Zhou Shiqi¡¯s name was ¡°seventeen¡±, it was not that his father had fourteen sons. He was seventeenth in the order of succession in the Zhou family. He had two older brothers, both of whom were talented, and it was only the youngest one who had ended up with this carefree temperament because he had been spoiled too much. His father decided that he could as well smash the cracked pot and place no hopes on his youngest son. As long as Zhou Shiqi committed no crimes, his father did not care.


    Zhou Shiqi¡¯s name was ¡°seventeen¡±: shiqi is literally 14. Also a fun fact: this is Zhou Keyi¡¯s ¡°Zhou¡± (the surname is very popular)


    Smash the cracked pot: stop trying to correct your mistakes


    The friendship between the Yun family and the Zhou family had spanned generations. Ancestors of the two families were united by marriage, so they had a blood connection, albeit a distant one. Despite this, it could be said that while Zhou Shiqi and Yun Weisi did not exactly hate each other, they had also disliked each other since they were children. The Yun family spoiled Yun Weisi more than the Zhou family cherished their son. Yun Weisi¡¯s parents only had one child, and they never set strict demands for him, so Yun Weisi grew up as a profligate son of a rich family who acted as he wished. Fortunately, his parents were there to support him, so he was just a spoiled child who threw money around and did as he pleased to his heart¡¯s content. Although he had an unflattering reputation in the capital, there were still girls who secretly admired his youthful confidence.


    What happened to Zhou Shiqi afterwards?


    Yun Weisi was lost in thoughts as he was listening to the young man¡¯s complaints and looking at the students who were passing through the gates of their school on occasion.


    The tragedy of the Yun family had affected the Zhou family as well. The head of the family and his sons were all demoted and transferred to a remote place. As a result, the entire family was forced to leave the capital and follow them there. Yun Weisi fled far away from his home and had struggled to survive alone, all while being surrounded by enemies. He was always covered in bruises and was never sure whether he would live to see tomorrow. However, in the end, he was accepted by the Yuhuang Temple and embarked on the unending pursuit of immortality.


    From that day on, the two childhood companions had parted ways. Yun Weisi never looked for Zhou Shiqi, but his old friends from the capital constantly supplied him with rumors.


    They told him that the world was in chaos because of uprisings, and the quiet and peaceful days of the Zhou family had come to an end. The head of the Zhou family was captured and executed by rebels. In a fit of rage, Zhou Shiqi joined the state military to avenge his father with imperial forces, but was killed in the war just a few days after he enlisted. The collateral branch of the Zhou family in the capital did not meet a good end either. The ruling dynasty was living out its days, while different factions in the government were fighting to death. One could rise to power after treading on the bodies of others one day, and be overthrown and die, nameless and forgotten, the next. The Zhou family was among such people.


    The teacher who was reprimanding them now became a court official later, but a treacherous court official occupied the post above him. The teacher displeased his superiors with his outspokenness and was beaten to death with a cane as punishment. Although his reputation was clear, he was no longer mentioned by anyone after these troubled times had passed. After his death, his wife was sold into the musical institution of the court, while his daughter was abducted by human traffickers. His family, which was once stable and quiet, had now disintegrated.


    As for the Yun family¡­


    Cicadas were constantly screaming in his ears, creating an unexpectedly harmonious noise alongside Zhou Shiqi¡¯s chatter. Strangely, Yun Weisi thought that the scene before his eyes was beautiful in its serenity. Was it too late to stop everything from happening?


    This thought suddenly appeared in his mind.


    In a moment, the question was actually answered¡ª


    ¡°There¡¯s still time.¡±


    Yun Weisi trembled, as if he had finally come to his senses.


    This was his shizun¡¯s voice!


    There was no one around him except for Zhou Shiqi, and the voice seemed to come from the depth of the sea of his consciousness, as if their spiritual souls were coexisting.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with you, but at the same time I¡¯m not here,¡± his shizun said.


    His voice showed that he was no longer confused like before, so as soon as Yun Weisi heard it, he knew that Jiufang Changming¡¯s memories had returned to him.


    Even though the amnesiac Jiufang Changming was cute, Yun Weisi liked the original better. No matter whether he was strong or weak, he was always firm and resolute. But the current situation was not appropriate for celebrating their reunion. Yun Weisi desperately wanted to know what was going on and what had happened after he brought Jiufang Changming back to the guest house.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The battle with Luomei allowed me to make a breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°This is not an illusion?¡±


    ¡°This is the past.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°There was a profound truth hidden in the Liuhe Zhutian Formation. I¡¯m afraid that even Chi Bijiang didn¡¯t comprehend it. Back then, she set the formation up with Luomei and chose six pillars to create the formation above the entire world. Once triggered, the earth and the sky would be turned upside down. But two of the six pillars happened to be close to the places where yin mixes with yang, and the seed of chaos was sown in them, so the pillars switched. When I was in grave danger, my spiritual soul returned to the past, and through the insight I gained, I had a breakthrough.¡±


    How far did he progress with this insightful breakthrough?


    Yun Weisi frowned.


    Before the battle on the Sacred Mountain Wan, Jiufang Changming was already the strongest in the world. He was beyond the grandmaster level, one step away from ascension, just like Luomei in the past. Decades had passed. Even though his wounds constantly tortured him, his outstanding ability to comprehend everything and his vast knowledge were still with him. If he said that he had a breakthrough, that could only mean¡ª


    Ascension?


    But Luomei told them with confidence that no one in this world had ever ascended through cultivation, and becoming an immortal was but a tale that was circulated through their society for generations.


    Could it be that Luomei was wrong?


    Jiufang Changming guessed his thoughts: ¡°What Luomei understood as ascension was leaving for another realm, something like the Western Paradise of Buddhism, a realm that is full of geniuses that never grow old and suffer, a realm that has spiritual plants and panaceas scattered all over. When his cultivation reached a plateau, he was quick to blame other people and said that the world itself was flawed.¡±


    ¡°I used to think the same way,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    Jiufang Changming seemed to laugh, and Yun Weisi could immediately imagine him smiling, which made his mind wander.


    ¡°The Great Dao is boundless. His path could not get him anywhere, but how could he be sure that all other paths are closed as well? I kept thinking of what he said about how there are no deities in the heavens. Why deities? In the end, deities would not appear out of thin air. In the eyes of the commoners, cultivators are also like immortals. Deities are creatures that cultivators think to be the superior form of existence.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why would deities necessarily dwell in this other realm of paradise? Can¡¯t the deities be future versions of us?¡±


    Yun Weisi froze.


    These words hit him like a hammer, breaking the barrier in front of him and dispersing his delusions like the rising sun dispersing the mist.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of something like this.¡±


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s words were no less impactful than a Buddhist sutra as they opened another path for the cultivators of this world.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s perceptiveness was inferior to no one else, so he could immediately comprehend the truth behind what was being said.


    ¡°So you can go to the past or the future as you wish?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Jiufang Changming¡¯s voice was full of smiles. He knew that Yun Weisi had understood his words completely.


    In his whole life, there was only one person who could immediately understand what he meant¡ªYun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi fell silent.


    Now it was obvious why his shizun said that Luomei¡¯s path was wrong. What these two had comprehended through their Dao was completely different, and different roads lead to different outcomes.


    After Jiufang Changming had a breakthrough, in the eyes of the public, he had turned into a real immortal.


    But he was still a living person of flesh and blood.


    Then what about me?


    Yun Weisi thought, Jiufang Changming, do you want to leave me?


    ¡°Actually, I gained this insight thanks to you. I know that your past gnaws at your mind. Now, you have a real chance to get rid of this knot. Yun Weisi, there is time to change everything. Go.¡±


    As soon as Jiufang Changming stopped talking, a hand patted him on his shoulder!


    ¡°Why¡¯re you standing there? Can¡¯t you see that our teacher is trembling with rage!¡± Zhou Shiqi whispered in his ear.


    Yun Weisi suddenly realized that the conversation he had had with his shizun in the sea of his consciousness only lasted for a short moment for Zhou Shiqi and the world around him.


    He had really gone back to the past when he was thirteen years old. Nothing bad had happened yet, and there was time to save everything.


    So what should he do?

 CH 135

    No matter how good Yun Weisi¡¯s memory was, he could not possibly remember how he had interacted with Zhou Shiqi that day.


    After all, back then, he had spent his days lazing around and having fun, which was supported by his noble background. He never had to worry about tomorrow. He had a personal teacher who excelled in martial arts, and many Daoist priests from the temples in the capital wanted to accept him as a disciple. Yun Weisi¡¯s talent allowed him to learn anything quickly, but he did not want to sit still and study hard, so he never learned anything except for the basics of whatever he studied and stayed at the level of an amateur. He knew about techniques but not the reasons behind them, and had only learned a few cultivation skills and a bit of gongfu¡ªthis was about enough to overpower a common person, but he was not worth anything when compared to real masters. But he never cared about this. After all, becoming an immortal was too distant a goal for him and he never even wanted to leave his parents alongside his extravagant lifestyle to run away to some unknown place and suffer there.


    At that time, the strength of the imperial court was not as steady as before. Barring the capital, the other cities often had uprisings, and the fighting never stopped. Only the capital, protected by a large army, could maintain its lavish and peaceful facade. However, Yun Weisi was influenced by what he constantly saw and heard, so he knew from his father¡¯s words that the court was in a dire state and discriminated against those who opposed it. The emperor was neither determined nor wise, so everyone was working as monks that were tolling bells all day long. If they could benefit from something, they were sure to do it. Only his father, Yun Chang¡¯an, refused to join in these bad practices. Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s background was not humble and he had never had to worry about food or clothes. He could also certainly take control of everything alongside the other officials. Despite all that, contrary to what one might expect, he became an Iron Mask Censor, and spent his days saying things that the emperor did not want to listen to.


    Working as monks that were tolling bells all day long: do as little as possible


    Iron Mask Censor: strict and principled


    Although Yun Weisi did not remember what he was doing that day, he clearly remembered that in three days, the officials of the capital would collude with officials from another country and start a rebellion. The emperor would almost be hacked to death with a knife, and only his luck would allow him to escape this mortal danger. After that, the emperor started a great purge. Anyone who had any kind of connection with the rebels had no chance of escaping it.


    His father, Yun Chang¡¯an, was supposed to be demoted at first, and had even told his family to pack everything. The young Yun Weisi did not feel that this was something bad¡ªon the contrary, he was looking forward to living even more freely in the future. However, just as the Yun family was about to depart, someone accused the house of Yun Weisi¡¯s mother, the Cong family, of participating in the rebellion. The emperor ordered the execution of the entire family in a rage. Yun Weisi¡¯s mother had long since gotten married, so she should have escaped this disaster. However, the Yun family was afraid that they would also be implicated, so they ordered Yun Chang¡¯an to divorce his wife. Of course, Yun Chang¡¯an refused. However, his honesty and the fact that he had often remonstrated the emperor had offended a lot of people in the court, so someone added more lurid details to the story and passed it over to the emperor. The emperor was then angered and ordered the beheading of both Yun Chang¡¯an and his wife. And so, the couple was killed. Their son, the previously carefree and good-for-nothing Yun Weisi, was turned into a lonely orphan overnight.


    However, Yun Weisi was not actually a completely lonely orphan as all of his cousins were still alive. But they were all afraid of getting involved in this matter and turning into the next victims, so who would reach out and help him? On stormy nights, Yun Weisi knocked on the doors of the families that had been close to his own, but no one answered him. While some were court officials, their ranks were too low, so they could not do anything and could only sighed helplessly. Others just closed their gates and refused to let him in.


    That was the first time Yun Weisi had tasted social snobbery. He had never known that this feeling was so difficult to endure.


    On the day his parents were being executed, Yun Weisi even had the unrealistic idea of snatching them from the execution ground. Fortunately, a loyal servant knocked him out, and so, the boy did not end up delivering himself to death. As soon as Yun Weisi woke up, he realized that everyone had already left the execution site, and even the blood of his beheaded parents had been washed away by the rain.


    Eventually, another Yun family from the capital decided to offer him shelter. But Yun Weisi¡¯s misfortunes did not end here. In the next two years, Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s political opponents wished to cut the weeds and dig up the roots and did not want this spring wind to blow in troubles in the future. They waited for a moment when he was away from the Yun family and attacked him on his way to his hometown. No one could have imagined that Yun Weisi would grow up so much in these two years. Not only had he become more agile, but he also learned some basic skills from a Daoist priest, so he actually succeeded in breaking away from them and surviving all by himself. Even though he was covered with wounds, he managed to reach the Yuhuang Temple alive.


    Cut the weeds and dig up the roots: wipe sb. off the face of the earth


    Spring wind: even a fire can not destroy the grass¡ªit grows again when the spring wind blows


    At this moment, time had flowed backwards, and everything had returned to this starting point. His parents could be saved, his family could live well¡ªthere was a lot that he could fix.


    Yun Weisi lowered his head and looked at his hands that had yet to have any calluses.


    He only needed to prevent the tragedy and set out for the Yuhuang Temple immediately. Everything would then follow the same trajectory, and nothing would change.


    But Yun Weisi felt that something was wrong.


    Deep in his mind, a silent alarm was warning him, as if trying to stop him.


    If something in the past changed, would the future change as well?


    ¡°Shizun?¡±


    He tried calling out to Changming in the sea of his consciousness.


    Only silence answered him. It seemed that Jiufang Changming had completely disappeared.


    As soon as the thought of saving his parents entered his mind, his connection with Jiufang Changming was severed. After all, at this point in time, they had not known each other and had never even met.


    One of them was a talented cultivator with brilliant prospects, and the other was a rich kid running wild in the capital. The two of them were never supposed to have any interactions.


    When Zhou Shiqi saw Yun Weisi suddenly hunch over, holding his chest, he jumped out of fear.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Hey, you fell from the tree yourself, I have nothing to do with it! Don¡¯t you try to pin the blame on me!¡±


    Yun Weisi paled. He broke out in a cold sweat, silently grinding his teeth.


    Zhou Shiqi was scared. He turned around and started shouting: ¡°Call someone¡ª¡±


    Before he could continue, Yun Weisi grabbed his arm tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    It was just that when he thought of the possibility that he would never meet Jiufang Changming in this life, he was torn with grief. He had only returned to the past, and both his memories and his experiences were still here with him, so he could not forget Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your hand!¡± Zhou Shiqi cried out in alarm.


    Yun Weisi lowered his head. The back of his hand, that had just been smooth, was now suddenly covered in red cracks, as if it had been burned. He could not wipe it off, and it looked terrifying.


    Zhou Shiqi felt an inexplicable fear as he looked at the wound, and he could not help taking several steps back. Yun Weisi, on the other hand, knew very well what this was¡ªit was the fox poison.


    He had taken half of Changming¡¯s poison to share his pain. He had already discussed it with Jiufang Changming¡ªthe fox poison could lead people astray, and their sentiments could easily make the poison stronger. And a deep attraction would always evoke powerful emotions.


    Yun Weisi leant against the wall and slowly regained his composure.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said again, this time more hoarsely.


    Zhou Shiqi thought that Yun Weisi was a bit different from his usual self today.


    This kind of change was hard to explain, but as Zhou Shiqi had spent all his days together with Yun Weisi as his companion, Zhou Shiqi could notice it quickly. The Yun Silang before his eyes was not that unruly young man who pretended to be a grown-up. Now, he was more serious, and was even a bit apathetic in this seriousness. He said nothing on their way back up until they met an old man.


    ¡°If I may ask, young masters, have you seen my grandson?¡± the old man gestured vividly with a worried expression, ¡°He¡¯s approximately this tall. His hair is in a high bun, and his face is round. I¡¯ve lost him just now and can¡¯t find him anywhere!¡±


    ¡°We saw nothing, go look for him somewhere else!¡± Zhou Shiqi waved his hands impatiently.


    Given Yun Weisi¡¯s age, he should have acted in the same manner, but he felt that this old man looked familiar for some reason, as if he had seen him somewhere. So he decided to stop and ask him a couple of questions.


    ¡°What does your grandson look like?¡±


    The old man looked like a common peasant, but his eyes seemed to carry great mysteries.


    His eyes were so deep that after looking at him for a moment, Yun Weisi felt as if he was drowning in a whirlpool.


    Wrong!


    Subconsciously, he knew that something was wrong, but the feeble body of a thirteen-year-old boy could not react in time.


    ¡°My grandson looks just like you!¡±


    He laughed viciously and pulled Yun Weisi towards him with one hand. After a quick thought, he used the other hand to grab Zhou Shiqi, who was about to flee, and was now holding both of them by their throats.


    ¡°Young master, you¡¯re quite interesting! Obviously, you have no cultivation, but your spiritual consciousness is extraordinary, just right for becoming my cultivation furnace!¡±


    As Yun Weisi heard this man¡¯s gloomy voice next to his ear, he suddenly remembered.


    This was a notorious demonic cultivator, Lou Sheng!


    He was a bloodthirsty person who especially enjoyed refining people¡¯s brains into pills and used their spiritual souls to advance in his cultivation. He could not care less whether the person in question was good or evil, and as long as he liked someone, this person could not escape their death. At first, he only laid his hands on commoners and rogue cultivators, but afterwards, even disciples of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao and the Donghai Sect could not run away from him. However, in eight years¡¯ time, he would die under Jiufang Changming¡¯s sword.


    Originally, Yun Weisi could not recall whether he had crossed paths with Lou Sheng when he was thirteen years old, but after thinking more carefully, he recalled that someone had been killed in the capital back then. However, the culprit was never discovered, so eventually this case was forgotten.


    Had it been the original him, Yun Weisi would have been unable to hold back earlier, made a scene and slipped away with Zhou Shiqi before classes even ended. He would not have encountered Lou Sheng, and definitely would not have turned into Lou Sheng¡¯s target.


    If Lou Sheng decided to take someone¡¯s life, there was no stopping him. Yun Weisi would have never thought that he would die before he could even implement his plan of saving his parents from their tragic deaths.


    The hand squeezing Yun Weisi¡¯s throat tightened its grip with each second, but he could not break free from the cultivator. Yun Weisi could only hold onto the man¡¯s fingers tightly, but this attempt was as futile as if he were trying to break a stone with an egg, or a mantis that was trying to stop a chariot.


    Zhou Shiqi¡¯s pained cries for help were gradually getting quieter. As they were slowly dying, it seemed that all the noise around them had been silenced. Right before his death, everything Yun Weisi had experienced in his life, including all of its joyous occasions, the moments of dashed hopes and the memories of his misery flashed before his eyes. In the end, he was left with only one thought¡ªhe saw Jiufang Changming leaving for the Sacred Mountain Wan towards the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, while he stood on a peak near the Sacred Mountain Wan, looking at that man¡¯s figure gradually disappearing into the distance and feeling his heart being taken away as well.


    ¡°No need to worry. There is time for everything.¡±


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s voice resounded in the sea of his consciousness. Yun Weisi only felt his soul clearing up after some energy entered his body continuously, which made his body suddenly overflow with strength. He ruthlessly pushed Lou Sheng backwards, and the latter fell to the ground.


    He gave his cultivation to me?


    Yun Weisi realized the truth at once.


    Jiufang Changming had ascended to the next cultivation realm. He could freely move between the future and the past and had long since surpassed anyone in this world. However, he still could not interfere with this world by appearing out of the blue. So, Jiufang Changming decided to give his cultivation to Yun Weisi to save his life and to prevent the impending storm.


    With Jiufang Changming¡¯s cultivation and his own extensive experience, Yun Weisi did not need Jiufang Changming anymore.


    And Jiufang Changming would completely disappear.


    Luomei had spent his entire life seeking a breakthrough and aspiring to become an immortal, but even after struggling for all this time, he had failed. Ascension did not mean leaving the realm and transcending to the next level, but rather gaining control over the past, the present and the future. But the past was full of small variables that would produce countless futures once disturbed. Yun Weisi¡¯s parents from his past life and the old days of his youth could not be brought back. Even if he changed everything, it would no longer be the same, unless his parents also escaped the sansara and grasped the profound mysteries of nature¡ªbut were they able to do that, those people would not be his parents either.


    Escaped the sansara: escape from the neverending birth-death cycle (roughly the ultimate goal in Buddhism). Here probably just means ascension


    He wanted to change the past, and Jiufang Changming had helped him by sacrificing his own cultivation and his recent breakthrough¡ªperhaps, he had also spent the rest of the years allocated to him to support Yun Weisi¡¯s cause. Jiufang Changming reversed the course of events for him, turned the world upside down, outwitted the Heavenly Dao¡ªall to allow Yun Weisi to start over.


    In the past, in the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, Sun Buku had turned into an incarnation of a Buddha. He realized the Dao of [¡°I am what Buddha has in me¡±].


    And Jiufang Changming had grasped the meaning of individual existence after comprehending the concept of its denial, and afterwards understood the idea of ¡°I am him¡±. Obviously, it was because he was a hundred times smarter than Sun Buku.


    Still, despite having become a demi-deity, he chose to give up on everything for the sake of Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi did not want to change anything.


    He was willing to accept whatever that had been destined to happen.


    In this life, Yun Weisi spent his childhood free from worries, but his frivolity turned into a weight upon his heart as he reproached himself after his parents died. From that day on, he had encountered countless grave dangers and suffered through a lifetime of tribulations. Only when he spent time in the Yuhuang Temple with Jiufang Changming could he relax and enjoy his life. Even if after that, he still had to experience unbearable suffering for several decades in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and live this life as a walking corpse that had no hopes of actually living or dying¡ªhe could endure it all gladly for those short moments of happiness.


    Yun Weisi slowly closed his eyes.


    He saw neither Lou Sheng nor Zhou Shiqi, but Jiufang Changming.


    His face was a bit pale as he sat cross-legged next to Yun Weisi, while leaning against a wooden couch. His eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping.


    Without any hesitation, Yun Weisi hugged him and kissed his ice-cold lips.


    That kiss was not filled with lust: Yun Weisi just treasured the moment and was afraid that Jiufang Changming could disappear any moment.


    He had waited for a long time. He used to conceal his feelings until they became suspect and went back to hiding them after they broke out. The hot-blooded Yun Hai that was hidden in his heart was the embodiment of all the sufferings he had been through. Yet, now, Yun Weisi already understood that his shizun¡¯s Heavenly Dao was incomprehensible, and in this life, he would never give it away to anyone else except for Yun Weisi.


    For Yun Weisi, Jiufang Changming was far more important than anyone else in this world, the one and only uniquely precious person he had, and in the same way, it was an indisputable fact that for Jiufang Changming, Yun Weisi was special.


    ¡°Shizun.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±

 CH 136

    Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi shut themselves away with a formation that enclosed both of them, so no one outside could guess what was happening inside. Although Jiang Li and the others were worried, they could not do anything.


    They had all met by chance and were cultivators who used to meditate all day long. As such, their willpower was stronger than that of a common person, and they would not treat each other like friends after just a few occasional meetings. However, they had been through a lot of danger together after coming to Hongluo and shared a common enemy as well, so their connection was pretty strong.


    Moreover, after experiencing all that, they were heading to the Qianlin Assembly to face the most powerful enemy they had ever encountered. If Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi did not accompany them, the outcome might have already been decided.


    Jiang Li had met his dashixiong, Yao Wangnian, after a long separation, so he had a lot to discuss with him. However, they still had to deal with many problems before that. They did not even know whether Sun Wuxia and the princess who had come to this town with Chi Bijiang and who were now trapped in the guest house were still alive, and this was by no means their only problem.


    When the three of them were on their way to the guest house, Yao Wangnian and Jiang Li were walking together ahead of Chi Bijiang, who wanted to give the two fellow disciples some space to talk to each other.


    But the two of them were silent.


    It had been too long since the last time they had met. Even though Jiang Li had much to say, he did not know how to start.


    ¡°What do you think of what daoyou Yun said?¡± After pondering for a while, Jiang Li finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, ask yourself. You¡¯re only asking this because you don¡¯t believe him. And if you don¡¯t believe his words, why ask me? Just go back and pretend that nothing happened here, then you can continue to revel in your high position and live freely.¡±


    Yao Wangnian was bitterly sarcastic and talked with no consideration for Jiang Li¡¯s feelings whatsoever. But as soon as the latter thought of Yao Wangnian¡¯s current appearance that was neither human nor ghost, the thick ghost qi that enveloped him and his inability to even breathe, Jiang Li could not help feeling bad for him and did not retort at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe him¡ªI just think that daoyou Yun¡¯s words are a bit strange. If shizun did this, he would ultimately only hurt everyone, including himself. Maybe, if I go to him right now and try to persuade shizun to let go of his obsession¡­¡±


    ¡°Jiang Li!¡±


    Yao Wangnian¡¯s voice turned frenziedly furious, and even his eyes flashed with rage under his mask.


    ¡°If he still had any conscience left, would he have killed his disciple and pushed all the blame onto that disciple?! Can you even imagine how I have spent these years? Every bone in my body is in pain. At times, it seems as if I¡¯m burning, and at other times, it feels like I¡¯m being pierced with countless icicles. After my death, I had to pay an even higher price to support my physical form compared to other ghost cultivators. I went to the Yellow Springs to cultivate, and had to endure tens of thousands of ghosts gnawing at my heart. ¡±


    He sneered, ¡°My mistake. I shouldn¡¯t have told you this. You are the master of the illustrious Wanjian Immortal Clan, so no matter how many times I explain, you¡¯ll never understand. If you want to leave, just go. But even if you die there, I won¡¯t come to pick up your dead body!¡±


    Jiang Li let him speak and remained silent.


    But Chi Bijiang had had enough, so she stepped forward and said softly: ¡°Daoxiong Yao, there¡¯s a misunderstanding. Daoxiong Jiang is a kindhearted person, and both you and Immortal Luomei are like relatives to him, so he can¡¯t bear to see anything happen to either one. However, if he lacked resolution, he wouldn¡¯t have decided to appear at the Qianlin Assembly. He¡¯s feeling conflicted and can¡¯t just change his opinion immediately. Please, daoxiong Yao, give him more time, and he¡¯ll eventually come to understand you.¡±


    Daoxiong: ¡®dao¡¯ from daoyou and Daoism, ¡®xiong¡¯ from shixiong, she¡¯s addressing them respectively because they are older, like ¡°elder brother who also cultivates¡±


    Yao Wangnian disregarded her words: ¡°That¡¯s a woman¡¯s soft nature talking! You can¡¯t hesitate when you¡¯re facing an imminent disaster. Everyone will end up dead while you¡¯re hesitating!¡±


    Although he did not trust Yun Weisi¡¯s predictions completely, Yao Wangnian had spent all these years in search of the truth behind his own death. At first, he had denied it. Afterwards, he lost his trust in Luomei, and eventually, he accepted the truth with a mix of grief and anger. He understood Luomei¡¯s true nature much better than Jiang Li. Had he died in Hongluo today, everything would have been blamed on him, and these years of painstaking cultivation and searching for answers would have been in vain. Jiang Li would have never learned the truth of this matter and turned into the next Yao Wangnian.


    His heart was full of ghost flames that he could not vent, so he waved his sleeve and disappeared from sight, not willing to talk to Jiang Li anymore.


    Jiang Li could not help but smile bitterly.


    It had been so many years, but Yao Wangnian¡¯s temper had not changed a bit, and he would still leave before Jiang Li could say anything.


    ¡°Daoxiong Jiang¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that he¡¯s angry with me¡ªrather, it¡¯s that he¡¯s depressed and full of resentment that he can¡¯t vent out. We should let shixiong calm down a bit. We used to have good rapport. It¡¯s a pity that I was so stupid and dense and never noticed something had gone wrong. I have wronged him.¡±


    ¡°This is not your fault.¡±


    Jiang Li shook his head: ¡°You don¡¯t understand him. He used to have a better relationship with our shizun than myself, and shizun had always treated him as his successor. In the beginning, I could not believe what happened, so of course shixiong was even more shaken by this.¡±


    Chi Bijiang frowned: ¡°Although I¡¯ve never met Immortal Luomei, I¡¯ve heard that his cultivation is incredible, perhaps greater than that of any other cultivator of this world. If it¡¯s really as¡­ as how daoxiong Yao and daoyou Yun describe it, I¡¯m afraid that even if we combine our efforts, we won¡¯t necessarily pose a threat to him.¡±


    Jiang Li whispered: ¡°This is not the only thing that I¡¯m worried about.¡±


    This time, the Qianlin Assembly was held by the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, and the Zhengrong Mountain Villa maintained a good relationship with the Wanjian Immortal Clan. Jiang Li had even heard that the current master of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa managed to rise to his position because of Immortal Luomei¡¯s support. Taking this into consideration, their current trip to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa might be akin to a lamb walking into a tiger¡¯s den, as if they were knowingly falling for a trap.


    Immortal Luomei had been leading the Wanjian Immortal Clan for many years. At first, his sect used to fall behind the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, but now they were on an equal footing, all solely thanks to Immortal Luomei¡¯s efforts. The entire sect was willing to follow his every command. Even though Immortal Luomei had left his position and appointed Jiang Li as the clan master, Jiang Li was fully aware that every single disciple of their clan held the utmost respect towards Immortal Luomei, and not to Jiang Li. Even if Jiang Li had never made a mistake and led them smoothly, he lacked experience.


    In the past, Jiang Li also revered his shizun and never intended to fight for power, so he did not care about this. Yet now, when he should acknowledge his shizun as his enemy, he suddenly realized that Luomei was not a friendly and supportive person. He had probably already anticipated that they would go to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, and probably had set up a trap there for them.


    However, if they retreated now, they would never have a chance to expose his sins to the public and clear Yao Wangnian¡¯s name. There was only one occasion when cultivators gathered like this, and the date for the next Qianlin Assembly had not even been set yet. Yao Wangnian could not wait for so long.


    Regardless of if they went there or not, they would walk right into a death trap.


    ¡°Even though my cultivation is nothing to write home about, I¡¯m quite skilled in setting up formations, so I can probably help you a bit. If we¡¯re completely cornered, I¡¯ll send a message to my shifu and ask him to come. He dotes on me, so he¡¯ll most certainly lend us a helping hand.¡±


    Jiang Li came to his senses after a long contemplation caused by his worries and smiled at Chi Bijiang¡¯s somewhat clumsy attempt to comfort him.


    This girl was exceptionally talented in her area of expertise, but when it came to other things, she seemed utterly clueless. Her heart was pure, and she looked naive and bright too. Relying on her talent, she should have developed into one of the grandest talents of her generation, yet she was willing to fall into this mud for him, a perfect stranger.


    Jiang Li felt that he should not let this foolish girl face danger together with him, so he was trying to come up with a reason for her to leave.


    Leaving his worries behind, Jiang Li changed the subject.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been looking at daoyou Jiufang¡¯s sword a lot, why is that?¡±


    Chi Bijiang sighed: ¡°This story is a bit unusual. My shifu used to store this sword inside the Treasure Pavilion. When my shifu entered closed-door cultivation, I used the chance to sneak out quietly. Before leaving, I visited the Treasure Pavilion to borrow several things, and this sword flew right into my hand itself. My shifu has mentioned that he stumbled upon this sword while on his journey along the shore of Donghai Sea. At that time, the sword was so rusty and decrepit that he couldn¡¯t even tell what it had looked like as he only saw its core. This sword was almost useless, so he was going to reforge it after he returned. Unexpectedly, after he left it at the Treasure Pavilion, he never managed to find it there until it followed me willingly when I left.¡±


    Although heavy thoughts were putting pressure on Jiang Li, he was still fascinated by the story: ¡°What happened next?¡±


    ¡°Strangely, the sword followed me outside, and was shining more and more brightly with each passing day until it turned into what we see now. However, no matter how hard I tried, I never managed to pull it out of its scabbard. And then I met daoyou Jiufang. When I gifted it to him, I didn¡¯t expect him to pull it out just like this after everyone else failed. The sword replied to him immediately, as if¡ª¡±


    Chi Bijiang showed a puzzled expression.


    ¡°As if it finally met its owner after waiting for a long period of time.¡±


    They kept talking until they reached the guest house.


    The place had been in a mess after the chaotic events that had occurred here. Many people had already left, and many of those who had not were those that had lost their relatives or had their carriages buried under snow and could not leave for now. Some of them were just arguing with the owner of the guest house about the price of their stay.


    The princess that had arrived here with Chi Bijiang was still in the inn, accompanied by Sun Wuxia. The latter had become much less restless and talkative.


    The princess was anxious. As soon as she saw Chi Bijiang, she hugged her tightly, refused to let her go for some time, and even started crying. They were whispering something to each other, so Jiang Li could only go outside and drag Sun Wuxia away with him to give the two some space.


    ¡°Daoyou Sun, I¡¯ve heard about what happened to your shishu. My condolences, I hope you can restrain your grief and accept your fate. We still have work to do, but you should return to your sect and tell them what happened. When this is over, I¡¯ll visit you.¡±


    Sun Wuxia seemed gloomy and distant, as if he had not heard these words. After thinking about his own problems, he suddenly asked: ¡°Do you know if there is a technique that allows a shadow to move?¡±


    Jiang Li was perplexed: ¡°Why would anyone move a shadow?¡±


    Sun Wuxia shook his head and furrowed his brows, but did not answer.


    Jiang Li suspected that Sun Wuxia had started having hallucinations after seeing his shishu¡¯s death and having his arm ripped off, so, he was thinking of anything that could cheer Sun Wuxia up, like what kind of spiritual herbs from his sect could help.


    However, Sun Wuxia suddenly spoke again: ¡°The shadow of the thumb of the princess¡¯ right hand was slightly trembling and touched the other fingers; but the princess¡¯ hands were definitely lying on her knees and did not move. Were my eyes deceiving me, or is there actually a problem?¡±


    After he finished talking, he raised his head to look at Jiang Li worriedly: ¡°Could it be that I¡¯m so shocked that I¡¯m hallucinating?¡±


    Jiang Li opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly a thought struck him. His shizun, Immortal Luomei, was proficient in divination, and often used to calculate it with his left hand. This was just a habit he did not even realize he had.


    His expression changed abruptly. Without saying anything, he rushed to the room and opened the door with a strong push just in time to see a shadow taking an unconscious Chi Bijiang outside through the window. The princess was lying on the bed, but there was only her skin left.


    ¡°Let her go!¡±


    Jiang Li shouted and reached out to catch the shadow, but only grabbed thin air.


    A weird laughter sounded in the air. The shadow and Chi Bijiang had already started to disappear and would completely vanish at any moment now. Suddenly, a blinding light flashed from the door, and a sword swiftly pierced the shadow!


    ¡°The heavens and the earth were created as a wasteland, so was every single thing in this world. The Dao has arrived with the wind, and the heart comes from seas and mountains.¡±


    The fresh wind was sharp like a sword, and the man in the dark clothes quickly expelled the demon.


    This was Jiufang Changming!


    His voice resounded clearly like a bell, and Jiang Li felt as if he could finally hear after having been deaf. His heart skipped a beat, and it seemed as if all thoughts were swept clean from his mind. This could not have happened unless the person¡¯s cultivation was unprecedentedly strong. Could it be that daoyou Jiufang had had a breakthrough?!

 CH 137

    Proofread by Snake


    The shadow had enveloped Chi Bijiang and wanted to escape. But a light-blue flash of light appeared suddenly. It brimmed so brightly with the sword glow that it seemed to block out the sky, and formed a dazzling, impregnable protective screen that captured the shadow inside.


    The shadow sneered slyly, and swiftly divided into two parts, which then transformed into three human-shaped figures. Each shadow was holding one Chi Bijiang in their arms. They then lowered their heads to the faces of these three Chi Bijiangs, before slowly flowing inside of them through their eyes, ears and noses. It was as if the shadows were melting in order to enter the bodies of these women.


    Nightmare demons had spirits, but did not possess physical bodies, so they were adept at entering one¡¯s spiritual consciousness by changing their shapes. The clan of fox spirits had already been killed, but the nightmare demon had been nowhere to be seen¡ªit turned out that it had been hiding here all along in waiting!


    Jiang Li was terrified.


    In a flash, the three shadows broke through the barrier and rushed in three different directions. He only had a split second to choose which one to follow.


    Jiang Li dashed towards the middle one!


    The shadow was completely crushed to pieces under the pressure of the Guyue Sword.


    At the same time, the left shadow was also shattered by Changming, and only the right one broke through the window, flew out with Chi Bijiang, and was about to flee!


    A person was standing in the courtyard still, as if he had been waiting for a long time.


    That was Yun Weisi.


    He had nothing in his hands¡ªhe had neither spiritual swords, nor sharp weapons. His sleeves were fluttering in the wind as he stood there motionless.


    Of course, the nightmare demon did not pay any attention to him and just rushed forward!


    Yun Weisi raised his hand and pointed with his index finger.


    He pointed to the heavens, to the ever-changing bridge of stars that was the Milky Way that hung over the skies like a silver ribbon, and soon a ring surrounded his opponent.


    No matter how the nightmare demon tried to break free, it could not leave the place at all¡ªit was as if it had been sealed completely with no way out.


    The moment Jiang Li rushed outside, ready to snatch Chi Bijiang from the shadow, he saw Yun Weisi¡¯s expression change as he suddenly stretched his hand in the direction of something behind Jiang Li¡ª


    Behind him, several streams of black qi had condensed into a silhouette of a person that suddenly leapt up into the air and was about to lunge at Jiang Li.


    It came very close to doing that, and Jiang Li¡¯s life had been in danger before the other man had stopped it. Yun Weisi frowned. The nightmare demon was simply implausibly weak.


    As if to confirm his suspicions, the body of Chi Bijiang that fell into Jiang Li¡¯s arms turned limp and she did not show any signs of coming to her senses, but the nightmare demon laughed eerily and retreated without trying to fight back.


    ¡°Daoyou Chi!¡±


    Jiang Li put his hand on the top of her head and realized that her spiritual consciousness was empty while all her souls were absent. This body was just an empty vessel.


    ¡°Daoyou Chi¡¯s souls have been taken away!¡±


    Jiang Li did not actually need to voice this as Yun Weisi and Changming had already captured the two other nightmare demons.


    The Changming Sword flew out of its owner¡¯s hands and flashed as brightly as the stars, trapping the nightmare demons under a dome.


    ¡°Hand them over, and I¡¯ll spare you!¡±


    The Milky Way Formation had been set very proficiently, and all twenty eight constellations looked extremely natural. Every star corresponded to a supporting point of the formation, and if one wanted to break free from it, they would have to destroy the entire boundless Milky Way.


    The twenty eight constellations: ¡°28 lunar mansions¡±, traditional Chinese system of constellations


    The nightmare demon was trapped in the Milky Way Formation, but it did not move and did not seem frightened. The black mass of qi flowed freely, vaguely forming the figure of a very familiar person.


    ¡°Did you think that you already had victory firmly in your pocket?¡±


    The voice was deep and hoarse, and sounded as if spoken by a snake. It somehow resembled the sound that a thick liquid made when stirred with a stick, which disgusted people with its stickiness.


    That was the real voice of a nightmare demon. They were evil spirits that dwelled in the darkness and resented the sunlight even more so than fox spirits. That was why they could only take over control of the mind and steal the souls of a person in their dreams.


    ¡°Jiufang Changming, Yun Weisi, Jiang Li, Yao Wangnian. Good.¡±


    He pronounced their names one after another slowly and in a low voice that did not sound appropriate for a nightmare demon that had been completely trapped.


    When his name was uttered, Yun Weisi felt something strange, as if an invisible hand had grabbed him, and his spiritual soul wanted to escape.


    He trembled slightly and calmed his mind. In the corner of his eye, Yun Weisi saw Jiang Li reveal a strange expression. He quickly released a bit of his spiritual powers and tapped Jiang Li on his shoulder.


    After being hit with spiritual power, Jiang Li quickly came back to his senses and realized that he had almost fallen into a trap.


    Despite being ¡°the least promising¡± master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and despite Jiang Li having little ambition and only preferring to rise above the clouds like a wild geese, he was still one of the best disciples of a very famous teacher. How was it possible for an illustrious master of cultivation to almost be deceived by a mere nightmare demon? The only possible answer was that this demon was not a common evil spirit.


    To rise above the clouds like a wild geese: free and unrestrained


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a dignified grandmaster feel that residing in the body of a nightmare demon is below them?¡± Jiufang Changming said coldly.


    Before he finished speaking, his sword burst with light as bright as a rainbow and slashed towards the nightmare demon.


    The nightmare demon laughed. The black qi suddenly surged, filling everything around it, and broke through the entire Milky Way Formation in a flash. Amidst the loud explosion, Jiang Li grabbed Chi Bijiang¡¯s body tightly and dodged to the side. He turned his back to the demon to protect her, and was hit by the strong blast. Even though he was protected by spiritual powers, he felt as if his skin had been split apart, and his blood gushed out.


    ¡°If you want her spiritual soul, take it yourself. I¡¯m waiting for you in the Zhengrong Mountain Villa¡ªdon¡¯t disappoint me!¡±


    After the body of the nightmare demon exploded, a familiar voice rang out. Jiang Li was shocked and could not help shouting.


    ¡°Shizun!¡±


    It seemed that the man did not hear him at all or perhaps did not understand. As soon as Jiang Li shouted the title, the presence of the other man was gone, and they could no longer sense him.


    The heavens, the earth, the emperor, the parents and the teachers.


    The heavens, the earth, the emperor, the parents and the teachers: 5 objects of worship in Confucian tradition


    For a cultivator, their teachers meant even more than their biological parents.


    A good master would help their disciple to progress further on the path of cultivation and offer protection in the decisive moment, saving their life from mortal dangers.


    Jiang Li had always thought that he was a lucky person. His talent was pretty good, and he had been accepted into such a big sect as the Wanjian Immortal Clan when he was very young. He never made any unfortunate mistakes on his path and wasted no time on taking wrong steps. Luomei had always treated him well¡ªhe was even like a father to Jiang Li. He never had to wait for a good opportunity and was taught everything honestly. It seemed that in this life, Jiang Li was truly blessed with luck.


    Although there were always disciples that rebelled against their masters, in grand sects like the Wanjian Immortal Clan, cultivators paid a lot of attention to respecting their elders¡¯ views. If it was not for what had happened to his dashixiong, Yao Wangnian, in Jiang Li¡¯s eyes, Immortal Luomei would have always been as lofty and venerable as a tall mountain, a role model unstained by any dirt. Even after what happened to Yao Wangnian, and even though Jiang Li held some vague suspicions, he trusted his shizhun unconditionally, so he decided not to investigate the case in detail up until Yao Wangnian had appeared in person and revealed the grand scheme that had been brewing behind Jiang Li¡¯s back.


    Now, Luomei was like a crumbling mountain. Parts of it had broken off and started rolling down the top of the mountain.


    ¡°He wants you to come to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa. It can¡¯t be that you¡¯re afraid, can it?¡±


    At some point, Yao Wangnian had appeared, bringing with him the gloomy aura of dense ghost qi. He had been mostly covered by shadows, and only the edge of his long robe was not shadowed by the eaves above him.


    His tone was mocking, but even he himself did not notice the trace of fear concealed in his voice.


    For the two of them, Luomei was like an insurmountable peak. Right now, Luomei was just executing a minor task using a nightmare demon, yet he managed to take Chi Bijiang¡¯s souls away before they could do anything to stop him.


    In order to defeat Luomei, Yao Wangnian had been diligently cultivating day and night, and had eventually turned into the most prominent ghost cultivator of his times. Despite that, having now only seen the man that had once been his shizun in passing, Yao Wangnian suddenly realized that he was still very lacking compared to Luomei, even though they did not exchange blows. This difference was most likely fatal for him¡ªYao Wangnian could not defeat Luomei, and probably could not even use his ghost cultivation.


    But he had been waiting for this opportunity for too long.


    Ten years might have been nothing to speak of for a common cultivator, but for Yao Wangnian, every day had been torture.


    Luomei said that he was waiting for them in the Zhengrong Mountain Villa.


    Those words were a declaration of war.


    Everyone had laid their cards on the table, and their identities were no longer a secret. Yao Wangnian had no routes for retreat.


    ¡°I am afraid, but I¡¯ll go anyway,¡± Jiang Li said weakly.


    He did not have the unconditional support of the Wanjian Immortal Clan and had no ambitions to ascend. Luomei had passed the position of the clan master to Jiang Li, so the latter ruled over the sect honestly. But he was burdened by this great responsibility, and that was why he had decided to go out to travel incognito. In Hongluo, he could cast aside his true identity for the first time, and he was able to relax and lived freely in the town. And Immortal Luomei had destroyed this pleasant peace completely.


    Chi Bijiang¡¯s kidnapping was a warning to him.


    Luomei was warning Jiang Li against sticking his nose into other people¡¯s business lest he wanted Chi Bijiang¡¯s life to end here.


    However, this was precisely why Jiang Li was even more determined to go and save Chi Bijiang.


    His convictions did not allow him to see an innocent person dragged into trouble.


    With such a soft heart, he was really not sect master material.


    Jiang Li silently laughed at himself.


    ¡°We should discuss our plans on what we should do upon arriving at the Zhengrong Mountain Villa.¡±


    The Qianlin Assembly was the grandest gathering for cultivators where they could all exchange pointers, as well as a chance for the younger generation to make a name for themselves.


    New cultivators that possessed outstanding innate talent all wanted to gain instant popularity beneath the gaze of so many eyes, and eventually reach the level of fame of their predecessors.


    Of course, no-name rogue cultivators also wanted to seize this opportunity to glorify themselves.


    Famous sects seemed to coexist harmoniously, but in truth they were always fighting with each other. And their level of cultivation decided who was ahead of whom.


    It was natural for humans to pursue fame and fortune. This did not just apply to the nobles and the common people, even the cultivators that stayed away from worldly matters were no exception.


    There were many smaller competitions in the world of cultivation, but the Qianlin Assembly was the most large-scale as well as the one that drew the most notice.


    Normally, during a time like this, the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan would not be absent. Even if the clan master did not appear themself, an elder of the sect would definitely bring several disciples to broaden their horizons. However, since Luomei had told them that he was awaiting them at the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, it did not matter whether the trap set there was obvious to the eye or hidden¡ªthey were sure to enter a violent storm upon arriving, regardless.


    Yao Wangnian said coldly: ¡°What¡¯s there to discuss? The participants are not obliged to possess any special qualifications, even rogue cultivators can join in. We can just enter the assembly after introducing ourselves as rogue cultivators and find a chance to kill him.¡±


    Jiang Li shook his head. His dashixiong had suffered too much. His temperament was now restless, but he never ceased being impulsive. He had probably forgotten what kind of person their shizun was.


    ¡°Shixiong, do you remember that time when a rebellion happened in our sect? We were around ten years old. A shishu provoked our shizun and said that the clan master position should belong to him, and that our shizun did not take it using the right means. Back then, our shizun persuaded him gently. We admired him for his demeanor of a true master. You even said that from that day on, our shizun would be your role model.¡±


    Yao Wangnian answered coldly: ¡°I was young and stupid, and knew nothing of his true nature.¡±


    Jiang Li: ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say. Shizun did not kill him, and only ordered people to hold him captive in the Pond of Blood behind the mountain so that he would ponder over his mistakes and reflect upon himself. I slipped away and went to the back of the mountain one day, where I accidentally entered the forbidden zone and met that shishu. He had suffered so much that he had completely wasted away¡ªhe no longer even had his spiritual soul. He only repeated the same words over and over again. He said: This is my mistake, I¡¯m not the clan master¡ªyou are! Kill me, kill me!¡±


    The Pond of Blood: Bud. a place for sinners in hell


    Yao Wangnian trembled slightly and raised his eyes to look at Jiang Li.


    Jiang Li did not stop here and continued: ¡°I didn¡¯t think much of it back then, only that the shishu was pitiful. Yet now, when I look back, why would anyone torture an already defeated person if it wasn¡¯t for the clan master¡¯s orders? That place was forbidden, and no one except for the clan master and several elders could enter it. I liked to explore and only noticed a breach in the formation around it by accident, but who among those several people who were allowed to enter that place would wish to make shishu suffer so much?¡±


    Yao Wangnian did not have the patience: ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Jiang Li: ¡°I want to say that shizun is a cunning and secretive person who holds grudges. You should know this better than I do. Since he decided to meet at the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, surely he won¡¯t give us a chance to kill him sneakily. Even if we two attack him together, we won¡¯t pose a threat. And even if daoyou Jiufang and daoyou Yun join us, would victory be guaranteed for us? As far as I am concerned, shizun will definitely set traps all around the place and wait for us to come ourselves.¡±


    Yao Wangnian: ¡°What else?¡±


    Jiang Li: ¡°Our enemy is hidden, but we¡¯re in the open, so from the beginning, we¡¯re at a disadvantage. We should split up. One party should hinder shuzun¡¯s formations, and the other should act according to circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Since the enemy is hidden while we¡¯re in the open, we should drag our opponent from the darkness into the light,¡± Jiufang Changming, who always remained silent, spoke out leisurely.


    The Changming Sword was hovering above his head as if it found it painful to part from its owner. Changming raised his hand, and the sword swiftly turned into a colorful ray of light that fell on Changming¡¯s palm.


    Compared to his past self, Changming seemed to have been reborn. His expression looked more profound, and his manners resembled those of an immortal even more. Even Yun Weisi who stood next to him seemed more elegant, as if illuminated by Changming¡¯s brilliance.


    Jiang Li felt that Changming¡¯s cultivation had progressed by a great extent, but he could not tell his level.


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°We will prove to the world that he had colluded with demons only if we defeat him in front of everyone and force him to use demonic qi. Only then will he lose all standing and reputation, while we will have earned everyone¡¯s trust and Yao Wangnian¡¯s reputation will be restored.¡±


    Yao Wangnian¡¯s expression changed.


    For him, the word ¡°restored¡± sounded strange and distant.


    It was not that he did not care about this, but he had truly lost too much, so much so that he felt that restoring his reputation was not the most important thing.


    But was it possible?


    Jiang Li frowned deeply and said with a bitter smile: ¡°To be honest, my shixiong and I will not necessarily be able to defeat shizun even if we work together. Moreover, he¡¯s thoroughly prepared, has the support of the entire Wanjian Immortal Clan, all kinds of spiritual tools and weapons, and can set all kinds of formations. I¡¯m afraid that even if we four act together, we won¡¯t¡­¡±


    Yun Weisi interrupted him: ¡°How can you know that if you haven¡¯t tried?¡±


    Yao Wangnian rushed in to tell him too: ¡°Are you afraid?¡±


    Jiang Li looked at Jiufang Changming.


    The latter smiled and nodded slightly. His sleeves fluttered even though there was no wind, as if they were hiding his storm-like will to fight.


    In this moment of hesitation, Jiang Li seemed to have heard a clanging metallic sound of a howling sword. A golden dragon rose to the skies behind his back, dashing upwards with a roar.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go!¡±

 CH 138

    Even though they had decided that they would head for the Qianlin Assembly, they could not leave immediately.


    First of all, Jiang Li wanted to find a safe place for Chi Bijiang¡¯s body so that her spiritual soul could reside there once again when they saved her. Hongluo was in an uproar, and there were few people they could rely on. Jiang Li thought of the owner of the medicine hall who had given him shelter and decided to locate him. On his way there, he also bought things like cinnabar and Solomon¡¯s seal to create an amulet and set up a protective formation.


    Solomon¡¯s seal: a kind of plant that¡¯s used in traditional Chinese medicine


    He was in a hurry, and one could not see the usual smile on his face. He was holding Chi Bijiang in his arms, so his figure seemed burdened by the additional weight, and his steps were heavier.


    After looking for the truth about his enemy for so many years, Yao Wangnian was finally just a step away from a decisive battle. He should have been enjoying this moment, but he could not relax at all. On the contrary, as he was watching Jiang Li¡¯s figure disappear into the distance, he felt more and more agitated and troubled, and his anger was intensifying. He only wanted to destroy everything around him.


    Every single creature in this world was selfish. Back then, he had seen an innocent peasant die and had wanted to help them. That was obviously done out of good intentions, but did not end well for him. The Heavenly Dao was heartless, and his kindness was never returned.


    A part of Yao Wangnian resented Luomei and his fellow disciple for cutting off all relations with him so easily and letting him suffer so much, while another part of him felt that Luomei was truly formidable, and if he himself was not as cold and ruthless as Luomei, he would never become as powerful.


    These obvious contradictions tortured his mind even more intensely. Yao Wangnian suddenly felt dry and hot all over. However, in a flash, a gust of murderous qi had risen up, and his body was enveloped with ghost qi that spread swiftly around him like outgoing waves. Wherever it went, it scorched the ground and turned it black, the snow was vaporized, the trees and grass withered and disappeared, while the birds fell to the ground dead.


    As soon as Yun Weisi saw this, he waved his sleeves and folded his fingers to form a seal. A golden rune appeared in the air, stopping these destructive waves.


    But the resentment in Yao Wangnian was not dispelled. On the contrary, he looked even crazier. His eyes had turned bright red, and he was close to deviating. At this moment, a Buddhist seal struck him in the middle of his back.


    ¡°Everything in our karmic world is as transient as dreams, as bubbles as shadows, or as a flash of lightning, and one ought to embrace this knowledge!¡±


    As if he had heard a morning bell or an evening drum and finally woke up from a dream, Yao Wangnian¡¯s spiritual consciousness and his physical body shook slightly, and he finally seemed to be calming down as his madness cleared away.


    A morning bell and an evening drum: encouragement to virtue and purity


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t expect you to use Buddhist teachings too.¡±


    After a while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice. The lower part of his jaw that showed from under his hood looked even grayer now.


    ¡°In the past, I have entered sects from each school of thought in the world, and learnt all kinds of skills there. I¡¯ve mastered thousands of teachings, and now Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism all look the same to me. Cultivation practices are but small tricks, and eventually everyone comes to the same truth by taking different roads,¡± Jiufang Changming looked at him, ¡°Your heart is plagued with demons. If nothing changes, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t even be able to cultivate as a ghost.¡±


    If one couldn¡¯t even be a ghost cultivator, they would just disappear like the morning mist.


    ¡°Heart demons, hah¡­¡± Yao Wangnian sneered, ¡°After I became a ghost cultivator, I¡¯ve lost track of time. All I could only do was persist through this torturous pain that I could hardly endure at all. You¡¯ve been drifting through your lives smoothly like the winds and the rivers and have never experienced anything like this!¡±


    ¡°What do you even know?¡± Yun Weisi answered coldly. ¡°Have you ever been unable to obtain what you desired? Have you looked out at an unreachable distance, not knowing whether the person you desire is alive?  Have you, despite that, willingly trapped yourself in a place that never sees the light save for the sun and the moon because of a single promise? Have you locked yourself in an abyss full of demons and gotten sick of yearning to the point that your resentment turns you into a demon?¡±


    The worst kind of despair is not that of a person who had not a ray of hope, but from those who were still holding on to the last chance, endlessly waiting for hope in the darkness without any certainty of ever seeing light again. After a long period of time, the body of a person like this would be paralyzed by pain, but their spiritual consciousness would be filled with resentment until their mind split into parts.


    When Yun Hai, contaminated by demonic qi, saw Jiufang Changming sitting near a fire on that shore in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, he only thought of killing him and had not known that he had finally met the light that he had been waiting so many years for.


    Perhaps, Yao Wangnian understood him, or maybe he just thought of something else, but either way, he did not retort and remained silent for a while.


    ¡°After you died, your existence was solely supported by your unwillingness to accept your unjust death. If you go to the assembly and defeat Luomei now, will that cast off the chains that keep you bound?¡± Jiufang Changming asked.


    He put his hand on Yun Weisi¡¯s shoulder, and even though his hand was light, for Yun Weisi, it meant a lot.


    This small movement made him calm down quickly.


    Perhaps, the wound in his heart needed much more time to finally heal, but no matter what happened, Jiufang Changming was nearby, and that fact alone was his remedy.


    Cast off the chains?


    At the same time, Yao Wangnian shook his head.


    There was too much unresolved resentment in his heart. Even if Luomei¡¯s bones were crushed to powder and his remains scattered, Yao Wangnian¡¯s inner discord would not be resolved.


    Surely, ascension was something many people strived to achieve for their entire lives, but was it really worth it to take your disciples¡¯ lives, to sacrifice your clan and even the whole world just to chase that dream without any guarantee of success?


    Yao Wangnian did not even notice that he had asked this question out loud until he heard Jiufang Changming¡¯s voice.


    ¡°All people of our world pursue different Daos, and by simply being an open-minded person who is ready to accept all kinds of views, one would not immediately come to understand the hidden truth of the world. Some people enter orthodox schools and act surreptitiously, perhaps colluding with demons or becoming one of them, ready to destroy the world for personal gain, but this might still allow them to break through the boundaries and reach ascension.¡±


    If it was not for Jiufang Changming and Yun Weisi, Immortal Luomei would not necessarily fail in the end. By associating himself with demons and turning the world into a realm of demons, he would forcibly change the laws of the heavens and the earth. Would that not make him akin to someone who composed the laws for the Heavenly Dao itself?


    Luomei had trampled on countless bodies to reach the peak. When his disciple, Yao Wangnian, noticed a clue that hinted at him working together with demons, Luomei killed the witness immediately, tarnishing his reputation in the process.


    Jiang Li¡¯s identity suited Luomei, so he did not hesitate to take over the body of his innocent disciple. Chi Bijiang was passionately devoted to Jiang Li, so he was going to use her too.


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s and Ren Haishan¡¯s cultivation bases were solid, so Luomei used them as pillars for supporting the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, turning them into a part of a giant trap. Luomei noticed that Yun Weisi cared a lot for his shizun, so Luomei made him willingly enter another trap, getting him sealed in the Nine Layers of the Abyss for a long period of time.


    Luomei had the entire world wrapped around his finger. Some died, some were injured, some lost half of their lives, while others were violently killed¡ªonly Luomei, from the beginning to the end, had never suffered a single loss.


    ¡°I entered the Wanjian Immortal Clan when I was little. An elder pointed to the sword-like sharp steep mountain peaks and told us that the Dao of the Sword is like the heart of the sword, and nature is like a bright mirror: only the bright and the clean, those untainted by even a speck of dust can reach the Great Dao. I took this as a guiding principle. I was virtuous and determined as I slaughtered all demons on my path. I took upon myself to support and assist the orthodox Dao.¡±


    That was why when he met those wounded innocent peasants, Yao Wangnian could only pull all his effort into finding out the truth and did not walk away from the matter that seemed to have no relation to him.


    Had he not decided to bring justice to those people, why would his shizun deem him a thorn in his side?


    But it had been a long time since he died. In the eyes of his sect, and even in the eyes of the entire world, he was but a rebellious disciple who was abandoned by his shizun. His grievances had never been resolved, and justice had never existed for him.


    ¡°If divine retribution actually exists in this world and virtue has its reward while evil is eventually punished, why can¡¯t the wronged and those who were driven to death be avenged? Why do those who treat people like insects act as they want, unhindered by anyone? Could it be¡­ that you can only reach the Heavenly Dao if you are like Luomei?¡±


    Yao Wangnian laughed so hard at his words that he bent over and trembled.


    The sun was slowly setting down on the horizon as the day was coming to an end. Yao Wangnian¡¯s silhouette was vanishing along with the light. It was getting fainter and fainter, and even the ghost qi around his body had gotten weaker.


    ¡°There exist thousands of Daos. People, immortals, ghosts, deities, yaos, demons¡ªeveryone has their origins. That is how it has been for the millenia, and this shall stay the same.¡±


    ¡°Good or evil, killer or savior¡ªthose are but labels pinned by humans. The Heavenly Dao had never set such rules.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve searched through all kinds of clans pursuing the profound principles of the Heavenly Dao, and your question puzzled me years ago. Even after joining Daoist and Buddhist sects, I could not solve it.¡±


    ¡°But eventually I came to understand that following the so-called Heavenly Dao means following your heart. Luomei is an unscrupulous person, this is his Dao. I¡¯m not Luomei, so I have my own Dao. If I defeat Luomei with my resolute ideals, I will convince other people that my Dao is right. The Heavenly Dao had never differentiated between vice and virtue¡ªit was people who decided what is good and what is evil. Do you understand me when I explain it this way?¡±


    Yao Wangnian did not answer but stopped trembling.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve turned into a ghost cultivator, you also have your own Dao. If you don¡¯t want to see Luomei¡¯s Dao dictating the rules of the world, you should become a part of the Dao to be able to change the rules and influence other people,¡± Jiufang Changming said slowly, ¡°The one who can save you is not the Heavenly Dao and not the definition of good and evil, as defined by other people¡ªit has always been only you yourself.¡±


    Yao Wangnian mumbled: ¡°Me, a part of the Dao?¡±


    Jiufang Changming nodded: ¡°That¡¯s right. Everything in the world has its purpose. Ancient books say that ghost cultivators are different from the common people. They can¡¯t appear near the light or fire, their strong resentments prevent them from freeing themselves from their obsessions, and they can only walk in the world of the living when it¡¯s sinking into chaos. But I¡¯ve met two ghost cultivators, you and the one called Linghu You, who were not afraid of the sunlight and possessed physical bodies. That means that you two have exceeded what the ancient texts had assumed you to be capable of. You¡¯ve even started your own path of cultivation. If you go on like this, you might achieve great success.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    What Jiufang Changming had said was more than what Yao Wangnian could comprehend. It had taken apart the concepts he had grown with and opened up a new path for him, showing him a new way he had never thought of. Yao Wangnian¡¯s mind was in turmoil, and for a while, he could not find an answer. The ghost qi wrapped around him in a vortex until he disappeared from their view.


    ¡°Shizun, you should rest first,¡± Yun Weisi said.


    He saw Jiufang Changming frown from exhaustion and reached out to him subconsciously.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you call me shidi anymore?¡±


    He seemed to smile, and Yun Weisi¡¯s half-stretched hand stopped in the air.


    ¡°Shizun wants to get even with me now?¡± Yun Weisi answered unhurriedly.


    ¡°What if I say yes?¡±


    ¡°Then I can only accept whatever punishment is imposed,¡± Yun Weisi lowered his hand, ¡°From head to toe, from life to soul, I have long since given myself to shizun. If that is what shizun wants, I will not say a word against it.¡±


    At this moment, he even resembled Yun Hai with his teasing intonation, but he was only like this in front of Jiufang Changming.


    When other people were nearby, Yun Weisi was still that taciturn person.


    The two of them entered the room. It was in utter chaos, so no one could live here. The princess had been killed by the nightmare demon, and her once pretty face was now only part of a formless skin that looked terrifying.


    People died the way lanterns went out, and in the end, it did not matter whether they ended in imperial tombs or common graves. Jiufang Changming waved his hand lightly, and the body turned into glowing dust that was blown away by the wind, leaving no trace behind.


    The room was unsuitable for living, but if there was one thing that was not lacking in Hongluo at this moment, it was empty houses. They asked the shopkeeper for another large clean room and decided to settle down there for the night. By tomorrow, Jiang Li would have put Chi Bijiang¡¯s body in a safe place, and they would go to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa together.


    After finding the room for the night, Jiufang Changming went to wash up, and Yun Weisi stood near the window, looking at the room. The furnishing was that of a normal guest house, but he suddenly felt as if they had been cut off from the outside world in this moment of calm silence.


    This calm was something they had obtained by nearly paying for it with their lives, so it was very precious.


    When he was young, he led a luxurious life, idling away his time. He always did only what he wanted and wished that every day of his life would be full of excitement. Only now did he understand that even a short moment of pleasant quietness could only be obtained through many sacrifices.


    Fortunately, the person he cared about was nearby.


    Tn:


    Sorry for the long break, I had my finals¡­ But at least it¡¯s a double update!


    Happy New Yea

 CH 139

    Yun Weisi suddenly felt tired.


    Cultivators were used to sleeping under the sky and not eating anything for several days. After one mastered bigu, they could go on with just some water and a little medicine once every several days¡ªeven not eating and sleeping for ten days was no longer a problem for them.


    During the time he had spent in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, Yun Weisi had encountered extremely troublesome demons. He had fought with them for ten years without ever closing his eyes, but he never felt tired. After that, he had left the Nine Layers of the Abyss and went to the Jianxue Clan together with Jiufang Changming, and had subsequently broken into the Wanlian Buddhist Temple. Obviously, he had had no time to rest. But now, when everything was calm and tranquil, and all noise had died down, a wave of drowsiness washed over him, and his eyelids seemed heavier.


    Unknowingly, he relaxed and fell asleep, leaning against the table.


    The dreams he had kept switching between each other as many scenes flashed before his eyes. Some of them disappeared as quickly as they had arrived, while others seemed to linger for ages, lasting for entire lifetimes or for several hours. Some of these dreams were doleful and full of sorrow, while others were blissful and merry. Fragments flashed before his eyes and fell to the ground with a rustle, but when he wanted to pick them up, everything disappeared like the melting ice or popping bubbles.


    He did not remember everything that happened in these dreams, and when he opened his eyes, there was only one figure he kept in mind.


    That person had been a part of Yun Weisi¡¯s life since his youth. It was not that they had spent all this time together, but no matter where Yun Weisi went, with every step he took, he could never leave this man¡¯s shadow. Naturally, all his worries were related to this person. This link between them was unbreakable, as if made of stone or gold.


    After these long, ragged dreams passed, his mind became quiet and peaceful, and he slept well. When he finally woke up, he felt as if his meridians had been cleared even better compared to how he usually felt after meditation.


    Yun Weisi looked around. The sky had already turned black, and the room was dark and empty.


    A bit worried, he opened the window.


    A cold and clear wind blew in his face. The full, white moon was shining above his head, and the night was rarely bright. A man was sitting on the roof of the building opposite, and it somehow seemed that the moon was closer to Yun Weisi than that man who was looking at it. The latter looked like he could ride the wind and reach it, becoming an immortal.


    He noticed that the window had been opened and looked down at Yun Weisi.


    It was difficult to discern Jiufang Changming¡¯s expression because of the moon behind his back, but he was obviously sitting in a very relaxed manner.


    They had not had time to take a break ever since their last grand battle, and very soon, they would have to go to an even more decisive one. They had already lost once, but could not afford to lose now.


    ¡°It is rare for us to have the time for leisure. I don¡¯t know if shizun is willing to devote some of it to giving advice to his disciple?¡±


    Jiufang Changming did not move.


    ¡°A long time has passed since the time when your cultivation was lower than mine, and now it doesn¡¯t matter if I instruct you or not.¡±


    ¡°A teacher for a day is a teacher for a lifetime. Shizun¡¯s recognition is the most important thing for me.¡±


    ¡°If you only follow the person in front of you blindly, you will never actually make progress.¡±


    ¡°For me, you are the Dao.¡±


    After saying this, Yun Weisi turned his palm so that it faced upwards, and a flash of light appeared above it.


    This light quickly spread, turning into a sword that shone brightly in his hands.


    Jiufang Changming gasped with surprise and stood up.


    ¡°A heart sword?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°When did you learn this technique?¡±


    ¡°After the Chunzhao Sword was broken, I wanted to find a new weapon, but just finding a spiritual tool somewhere on your journeys is a rare occasion. In this world, only one sword, Chunzhao, could synchronize with me, so I gave up searching for one.¡±


    That was how it had been until he came to the past, made different choices there and thus changed history slightly, meeting the demonic cultivator Lousheng ahead of time and almost losing his life in the process. At that moment, when Yun Weisi was about to die by Lousheng¡¯s hand, his soul suddenly cleared up, and he comprehended mysteries that had always eluded him.


    This comprehension helped him decide on his Dao, which, in its turn, helped him create his spiritual weapon.


    [His heart was his sword, and the divine spirit was its soul. The moon was shining in the cool autumn, and the courtyard was colored in deep emerald shades.]


    [The world was vast. One¡¯s mind could travel far away up to the Highest Heavens or down below to the Yellow Springs, but the sword would always take a form from nothingness. One could sense it, just like the falling leaves or flying petals.]


    He had broken through. The direction he had taken was completely opposite to Changming¡¯s, but Yun Weisi was still following him.


    For him, Jiufang Changming was like a lantern. From someone who was chasing after the light, Yun Weisi had turned into a hand that was guarding the lantern from the wind.


    After seeing the heart sword, Changming understood that Yun Weisi had progressed a lot, so now Changming was actually inclined to have a friendly battle.


    ¡°A duel is indeed what I desire.¡±


    He waved his sleeves and jumped down the roof, but disappeared before his feet touched the ground, as light as a feather or a falling leaf.


    Yun Weisi was standing firmly and did not move, only letting the sword leave his hands. It floated in front of him, and now Yun Weisi knew that there was no one there.


    Even if a person was a grandmaster of cultivation, they would not be able to completely conceal their presence.


    If someone seemed to have disappeared, this meant they had just blended into the surroundings.


    Yun Weisi closed his eyes. He used his spiritual powers to check the area of ten li around him.


    Some snow slid down the roof tiles, falling down onto the staircase.


    A bird settled in its nest on a tree, either falling asleep or fighting with another over an insect.


    A little girl was refusing to fall asleep, so her mother was forced to start telling her a tale. The mother-and-daughter pair were quietly talking under a blanket.


    But he did not hear anything nearby.


    Where would Jiufang Changming appear?


    Yun Weisi recalled that Jiufang Changming frequently taught him lessons like this when they were in the Yuhuang Temple. Changming had never cut him any slack, so Yun Weisi often got hurt during these battles. His injuries were even bad enough sometimes that he had to be bedridden for days afterwards.


    Back then, unbeknownst to himself, he resented Changming for this, feeling that this was too heartless. If a person was like an autumn wind sweeping the fallen leaves even to his disciples, that meant that he was completely inhuman. But later, when he went down the mountains to learn from experience, he was ambushed by someone and barely managed to survive. Only then did he start to appreciate shizun¡¯s intentions.


    Like an autumn wind sweeping the fallen the leaves: ruthless


    Suddenly!


    The qi of the sword in front of him was shining warmly, but he felt a chill coming from behind his back and filling the space around them from every direction. It was too late for Yun Weisi to turn around, so he formed a seal immediately to make himself invisible so that his opponent¡¯s spiritual power would only hit thin air. The Changming Sword clashed against his heart sword, and in a flash, snow and wind rose around them as their swords¡¯ intentions seethed with it, ice-cold and powerful enough to reach the heavens!


    The sky above their heads had been perfectly clear, but by this time, it had gradually been covered with dense clouds. A storm had been brewing close to them, having quickly arrived from faraway.


    Yun Weisi knew that his cultivation had broken to a new level that had even surpassed what he had before entering the Nine Layers of the Abyss, but he had not expected himself to be able to cause changes in the weather after reaching the grandmaster realm.


    It now seemed that in their battle against Luomei, the latter had won by using clever maneuvers and without using his full strength. It was thus no wonder that Jiang Li held no hopes regarding their trip to the Qianlin Assembly¡ªeven though they had returned to the past, Luomei was still the most difficult enemy.


    As these countless thoughts appeared in his mind, lightning struck, illuminating the clouds. The lightning descended through the layers of the sword light!


    Not only did the light not die out, on the contrary, it shone even more brightly now. The two sword glows competed against each other in a whirlwind, gradually outshining the lightning, turning almost blindingly dazzling. At the same time, Yun Weisi felt Jiufang Changming¡¯s presence.


    There!


    He moved, even quicker than the sword, and reached out in the direction of his opponent¡¯s forehead. Changming raised his hand to block the attack. Both of them did not use spiritual powers at this moment, and the murderous qi around them disappeared instantly, replaced with a light and pleasant breeze.


    The wind died down, the clouds dispersed, and the lightning dissipated. Everything had returned to normal. The people of Hongluo had thought that a new storm was about to arrive, but now it just seemed like a false alarm. No one would have guessed that the changes in the weather were induced by a fight between two cultivators.


    ¡°Your skills are better than I imagined. Even if I go all out, I won¡¯t beat you now.¡±


    Jiufang Changming said seriously. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, not because he was displeased with being overpowered, but because he was genuinely happy.


    Indigo blue, though extracted from indigo plants, was even richer in color than the original. Was this not a reason to be happy for a teacher?


    Indigo blue was extracted from indigo plants, but it was even richer in color than the original: to excel one¡¯s teacher


    Yun Weisi also smiled.


    He reached to brush snow off Changming¡¯s eyelashes. Changming did not move and did not even close his eyes.


    This was almost impossible to imagine when the person in question was a cultivator, who was always wary of others. Every cultivator was used to being plotted against in Jianghu, and everyone had their stories of betrayal, so no one showed this level of trust. Even people like Jiang Li probably would not let others get so close because it essentially meant entrusting your life to the other person.


    Jiufang Changming would decide to save his past disciples, but he would never allow anyone to come so close without fighting back.


    Yun Weisi¡¯s heart skipped a bit. Using the chance, he kissed the soft lips that had been covered with the sleeve and quickly moved away.


    The contact had been superficial, like a dragonfly touching the surface of water lightly, but for Yun Weisi, it tasted like the beginning of spring, as fresh as young grass that had just sprouted, as sweet as a gentle breeze¡ªit was if he was standing on the peak of a snowy mountain that was melting under the sunlight. The feeling was pleasant, cool and soul-stirring.


    Jiufang Changming still did not move, and only looked up at Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi was almost unable to suppress his emotions thanks to this glance.


    In the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda of the Luo Capital, Yun Hai, who had had a qi deviation and lost control, squeezed Jiufang Changming¡¯s throat and kissed him to transmit demonic qi. In the guest house of Hongluo, however, Yun Weisi, who had already recovered his clear mind, suppressed his emotions even though Jiufang Changming did not object to the kiss.


    ¡°Why are you suppressing yourself?¡± he heard Changming¡¯s question.


    Because the more one values something, the more they care about it and fear ruining it.


    Jiufang Changming was not only his shizun, but also his Dao heart.


    No one would hurt their Dao heart, and he had vowed to never injure Changming.


    After spending decades being tortured in the Nine Layers of the Abyss, he never thought that one day, he would escape death and finally reunite with this person. Not only that, he had even confessed his feelings to this person and learnt that his feelings had been accepted.


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s Dao was the Great Dao of the Heavens and the Earth, as wide as the universe, even encompassing all celestial bodies. There was nothing that was not a part of this all-embracing Dao, and he could both see yet never pay any heed to the creatures of the world. But he was still willing to find a place specifically for Yun Weisi.


    Yun Weisi was also a cultivator, so he could understand how difficult it was for Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°I never know whether your tacit consent is pity or genuine feelings.¡±


    After beating around the bush for so long, Yun Weisi finally voiced his old question.


    Jiufang Changming fixed his eyes on Yun Weisi.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t want it if it¡¯s pity?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Yun Weisi shook his head with a smile: ¡°If it¡¯s pity, maybe I¡¯ll regret it later, but I still won¡¯t let you go.¡±


    He held Changming¡¯s hand. That hand was cold like ice and slender like jade, and Yun Weisi did not want to let it go.

 CH 140

    Jiufang Changming actually first caught sight of Yun Weisi earlier than the Yun Weisi had thought.


    That year, the Yun family invited all their relatives and friends to attend the Zhuazhou banquet for their youngest son. Jiufang Changming, who at that time was part of the Yuhuang Temple, had also received an invitation.


    Zhuazhou banquet: when a child was 1 year, the child¡¯s parents placed several objects in front of the child, waited for the child to pick one of them and thus forecasted the future career (sword¡ªwarrior, book¡ªscholar)


    It arrived just in time¡ªhe was going to enter a period of closed-door cultivation. Had the letter arrived a little later, he could have already left the Yuhuang Temple, and the disciples of the sect would not have bothered him over such an insignificant matter.


    However, the young Jiufang Changming, keeping in mind his history with Yun Chang¡¯an and his wife, still decided to go to the capital.


    The Yun family was nobility, and for many generations, someone from this family occupied a high-ranking position in the royal court. However, to cultivators, all this wealth and rank was worth close to nothing, and Jiufang Changming¡¯s arrival was warmly welcomed. Yun Chang¡¯an was both surprised and happy as he did not really expect the former to attend. Fate had intertwined their paths at Yuru, and they had been through a lot there. While the accident at Yuru had rendered Cong Rong blind, it had also granted Yun Chang¡¯an the luckiest opportunity in his life¡ªhe happened to meet Jiufang Changming.


    Despite the efforts the Yun family poured into preventing his marriage with Cong Rong, he firmly held onto his beliefs and eventually married the woman he loved. It had been years since they married, but only now did they have their first child: Yun Weisi.


    At that time, Yun Weisi¡¯s name was not Yun Weisi. When he was little, his parents treated him like a treasure, so, before he was formally given a name, he was addressed by his infant name¡ªYun Baobao. When Changming saw his future disciple for the first time, Yun Chang¡¯an was holding the child in his arms. Seemingly annoyed at being called ¡°Baobao¡±, the child frowned and gnawed at his lips, which looked funny. Yun Chang¡¯an was like any other silly father in this world: he shook his son that could not even talk at this moment, and pointed to Changming: ¡°This Daoist priest saved our lives. After you grow up, you have to repay his kindness!¡±


    Baobao: baby, darling


    The child could not understand what he had been told, and only looked at Changming, blinking his big black eyes. After looking for a long time, he suddenly smiled. He was fidgeting in his father¡¯s arms after having been overwhelmed with joy, paying attention to nothing around him. Yun Chang¡¯an was perplexed at his behavior, and told Changming with an awkward smile: ¡°This child loves to smile and always giggles like this. Take a look, is he suitable for cultivation?¡±


    Jiufang Changming shook his head: ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡±


    Since they were good acquaintances, Yun Chang¡¯an asked him boldly: ¡°Isn¡¯t it true that an aptitude for cultivation is in-born, so you can tell from the first glance?¡±


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°A person has to be older if you want to evaluate their spiritual consciousness. He is too young, I¡¯m afraid that spiritual power would hurt him. Do you want him to be a cultivator?¡±


    Yun Chang¡¯an answered thoughtfully: ¡°I want him to be able to protect himself in the future. But the path of cultivation is long and arduous, and I don¡¯t want him to be lonely. I only wish he would be able to live peacefully and happily, free from any worries.¡±


    If someone lived without planning ahead, they were bound to encounter difficulties, so no one could actually be carefree. But Jiufang Changming did not refute Yun Chang¡¯an¡¯s words. After all, this was the simplest hope a father would have for their favorite child.


    The child suddenly opened his arms, wanting to hug Changming, and mumbled something only he himself could understand.


    Yun Chang¡¯an also looked at Changming expectantly.


    Jiufang Changming: ¡­


    He had never held children and had never been passionate about them. However, under the ardent gaze of two pairs of eyes, he had to grant this demand and held the soft and heavy child in his arms.


    The little creature grabbed at his lapel with both hands, whined and bit Changming¡¯s chin with his newly erupted white teeth. He could not possibly harm Changming, and only left a wet mark on his chin.


    The corners of Jiufang Changming¡¯s mouth trembled. Seeing that things were going badly, Yun Chang¡¯an quickly reached to take the child back. The child started crying and did not let Changming go, and looked like he was going to hold onto him no matter what.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this awkward situation. This child doesn¡¯t usually behave this way, he¡¯s very obedient.¡±


    Yun Chang¡¯an laughed. Obviously, he loved his son and thought that he was cute even if he behaved like this. However, Jiufang Changming was not his parent, and cultivators did not like getting dirty, so he was afraid that Changming would be disgusted with the child and started apologizing.


    But the child did not stop crying no matter how much others tried to cheer him up or calm him down. His mother took him from Yun Chang¡¯an and all kinds of toys were given to him to distract him, but the child furrowed his brows with an agonized look until he had no more tears to shed and started coughing. Yun Chang¡¯an could not bear to see him like this, so he could only ask Jiufang Changming for help.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to ask you to hold him again as the child really likes you.¡±


    Jiufang Changming did as asked and accepted the child. The child calmed down at once and laughed again, grabbing the tassel on Changming¡¯s jade crown with glee.


    Jiufang Changming initially thought that the child did not actually like him¡ªinstead, he was simply disappointed at being forcibly taken  away from his new toy and was unable to get it back.


    For a long time after this, Jiufang Changming¡¯s impression of Yun Weisi remained the same as when they had first met¡ªYun Weisi was stubborn.


    It was this stubbornness, which was engraved into his very bones, that kept him from being captured after his family¡¯s execution and allowed him to flee for a thousand lis, narrowly escaping death, until he reached the Yuhuang Temple.


    Many years passed after their brief meeting at the Zhuazhou banquet. Jiufang Changming¡¯s cultivation had been growing rapidly and received a great deal of attention at the Qianlin Assembly, turning him into a well-known young talent who represented the Daoist sects. All this time, Yun Weisi had still been growing up under his parents¡¯ loving protection, and had eventually turned into a mischievous brat.


    It was not enough for him to cause trouble at home and enjoy his idleness¡ªhe frequently left the residence without permission to stir up trouble on the streets with his friends. Once, to take revenge upon someone, he decided to sneak into their yard and steal their apricots, and almost fell head first from the top of the wall.


    His friends shouted from under the wall, but, as if blessed by the heavens, he soared down to the ground unharmed.


    The son of the Yun family looked around, anxious and doubtful, and finally noticed a sleeve disappearing behind a corner.


    ¡°Immortal, wait!¡± he shouted.


    Why would an immortal stop because Yun Weisi told him so? The sleeve had disappeared, and by the time the child got around the corner, there was no trace left of the person in question.


    At that time, Jiufang Changming had been passing through the capital and noticed an old friend by chance. He just happened to be going past this place and saw that Yun Weisi was falling down, so he helped him with a sweep of his sleeve and had quickly left.


    Their fate had already intertwined at some point, and even if they were forced apart, they were still connected by this unbreakable thread.


    Thinking of the past, Changming smiled.


    ¡°When I had a breakthrough this time, I¡¯ve clearly understood many intricate details of matters and recalled many things,¡± he said.


    He now remembered things he had overlooked or forgotten.


    After the battle at the Sacred Mountain Wan, his spiritual soul had been damaged. He was lucky enough to survive and lingered in the Yellow Springs. He did not want to remember this period of his life that took fifty years.


    ¡°At daytime, sands cover the entire area, and tornadoes rise up out of nowhere, carrying away those who were not cautious, and tossing them right into caves full of ghosts or into a purgatory filled with lava. At nighttime, countless snakes start hunting, and poisonous demons lurk around. The weak would fall prey to them immediately. It is only quiet and peaceful there for half a shichen before the sun sets.¡±


    Within this half a shichen, he would often sit at the mountainside that was covered with sand and watch the distant sunset, reminding himself to not forget his past, his name and identity which he was gradually forgetting. That would have eventually turned him into one of the wandering souls of the Yellow Springs that could never leave, having lost their memories before disappearing completely, their remains blown away by the wind.


    As he kept recalling what had happened in his past, thinking of all the elder grandmasters he had challenged, all the breakthroughs in his cultivation, and all the spiritual tools and weapons he had found, everything seemed empty to him. Only the people that shone brightly could stir up his emotions.


    Most of those memories were naturally connected to Yun Weisi.


    After Changming accepted him as his disciple in the Yuhuang Temple, Yun Weisi had always been following him, and every time Changming turned around, he would see Yun Weisi.


    And exactly because of Yun Weisi, many vague details of his recent past were recovering their colors.


    The road to the Yellow Springs was long, and so were the nightmares of this hell.


    One by one, he had been forgetting things while in the Yellow Springs, and only remembered Yun Weisi.


    ¡°It is not pity,¡± Jiufang Changming sighed.


    Pity was not something one would never forget no matter how hard their life got, and was not something one would be reluctant to let go of in the face of danger.


    Years had passed, and he left the Yellow Springs. The first person he met was He Xiyun. He Xiyun talked a lot about the state of the world nowadays, but he still felt detached from it, as if he had just been reborn and had nothing to do with his past self. Only when he heard the name, Yun Weisi, did the unbreakable thread between him and the world restore itself.


    It had never disappeared, but he had not paid attention to it.


    And Jiufang Changming was not the type of person to bind himself to something for life because of pity.


    ¡°Before I arrived at this answer, I thought I had already obtained everything I had ever wanted. After all, I didn¡¯t want much more.¡±


    Yun Weisi said slowly while watching him.


    ¡°But shizun, you know what? After I heard you say this, I realized what it means to be wild with joy.¡±


    Yun Weisi was composed because he had convinced himself that he did not want for much, but in truth, he was greedy and hypocritical. He had been carefully hiding this greedy side of him behind a calm facade, before gradually revealing his true face. Yun Weisi then probed and schemed before the other had given in, and after that, he immediately turned avaricious, ready to devour the one he desired without a trace of politeness.


    Only after obtaining what he wanted today did he understand how much he had repressed his feelings. Fortunately, he did not fail in this life.


    Jiufang Changming took back his hand and cut the palm of his other hand. As his blood started oozing from the wound, he made a seal with his fingers, and drew a line in the air. A golden script appeared as the drops of his blood fused together before him.


    ¡°From this day forward, I, Jiufang Changming, pledge to the Heavens and the Earth that I will be taking Yun Weisi as my daoist partner so that we may share our lives and our deaths. May the Heavenly Lightning strike me and scatter my souls should I betray my heart and go against this vow.¡±


    This was a deadly oath which was sealed by the Heavens and the Earth and which bound their karmas together. One who broke such an oath could not escape retribution. Even when cultivators became daoist partners, they would not usually form a contract like this because it tied together both partners, leaving no room for renouncing the vow.


    Yun Weisi was completely shocked and could not even utter a word.


    Jiufang Changming was waiting for him.


    If Yun Weisi regretted his words and refused to take the oath, he only needed for the blood to drip off the seal, and Jiufang Changming¡¯s vow would take no effect.


    But, almost with no hesitation, he also cut the palm of his hand.


    ¡°From this day forward, I, Yun Weisi, pledge to the Heavens and the Earth that I will be taking Jiufang Changming as my daoist partner so that we may share our lives and deaths. May the Heavenly Lightning strike me and scatter my souls without any chance of rebirth should I betray my heart and go against this vow!¡±


    He finally finished the vow.


    Jiufang Changming frowned slightly as if he wanted to reprimand him, but in the end said nothing.


    The two of them held hands, and their blood intertwined in the seal. The golden light abruptly turned dazzlingly bright, shining upon the world with near-blinding rays.


    A clap of thunder rumbled from the cloudy horizon, and a bolt of lightning appeared, landing perfectly on the scripture, as if the Heavens had a spirit, and the wilderness around them could sense this moment.


    Half of our lives have been left behind, we¡¯ve finally come to this. And even if tomorrow our enemy overtakes us and claims our lives, I¡¯ll have no regrets.

 CH 141

    By the time the last meteor shot across the brightening sky above the roof, Yun Weisi had already woken up.


    He had only slept for half a shichen. After they took the vow, the sky eventually darkened again, and the two of them had talked on the roof. Having finally found a moment to relax, Yun Weisi felt the leisurely and carefree mood of a common person for the first time.


    He had fled from the capital when he was still young and narrowly escaped his death. Right after that, he had cut all ties with the life of a mere mortal. It was very difficult for him to take a break with the person he had loved for his entire life, but he did not understand this truth when he was little. At that time, he was full of fight and unruly. His parents had still been alive, and he had a high social standing, so he never felt the need to ponder over anything in his life, let alone the mysteries of nature.


    He thought back to the time he had spent at the Void Shore and also kept in mind what he had seen in Yuru. He now realized that even if his father, Yun Chang¡¯an, had not angered the emperor or the Cong family of his mother had not been denounced for being traitors, his parents still would probably not have escaped their tragic fates. Even before he was born, certain arrangements in this direction had been made. The only thing that could be changed in his life was meeting Jiufang Changming.


    As soon as he opened his eyes, he heard someone strike their barrier from the outside.


    Potent ghost qi surged over, as forceful as a storm. The barrier that had been imbued with spiritual powers trembled, and even Yun Weisi was affected.


    He frowned and went out, pushing the doors open and sending forward his sword to stop the attack, shouting: ¡°Yao Wangnian, have you gone mad!¡±


    The ghost qi abruptly withdrew, and Yao Wangnian appeared out of the black whirlwind.


    ¡°And where is Jiufang Changming?¡±


    He looked like he was demanding an explanation for something, and his already pale face had turned even ghastlier.


    Yun Weisi felt that something was wrong: ¡°He went out to treat the wounds of a small fox. Why? What happened?¡±


    Yao Wangnian: ¡°Jiang Li has disappeared!¡±


    Yun Weisi frowned: ¡°Why? Did Luomei come?¡±


    ¡°No, he left of his own accord.¡±


    Yao Wangnian seemed gloomy. He had gone to the herbal medicine shop to look for Jiang Li early in the morning. The shopkeeper had told Yao Wangnian that Jiang Li had been looking for the shopkeeper in the middle of the night when he was sleeping, so he did not even immediately realize that Jiang Li was actually gone. Yao Wangnian did not believe him at first and ordered ghosts to search for Jiang Li throughout Hongluo. But, after looking everywhere and still finding nothing, he had no other choice but to accept that the shopkeeper was telling the truth.


    Yun Weisi muttered to himself: ¡°Maybe he has run into some kind of accident?¡±


    Yao Wangnian: ¡°There are no traces of a battle around the medicine shop, he left on his own. Have you two said anything to him?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    Yao Wangnian answered coldly: ¡°This one surnamed Jiang is both soft-hearted and impulsive, so one only needs a couple of words to persuade him to do all he can to help them. If you haven¡¯t talked to him, why else would he run away so abruptly?¡±


    Yun Weisi raised his eyebrows: ¡°This one surnamed Yun is deeply touched by daoyou Yao¡¯s zealous efforts to defend his shidi. But no, we haven¡¯t talked to clan master Jiang in your absence. And you have seen him as your enemy for so many years, yet have suddenly remembered your brotherly bond. Are you going to start lashing out at the innocent because of the guilt you feel towards him?¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Yao Wangnian¡¯s sinister voice suddenly sounded like it was coming from nearby. It carried his energy, and his ghost qi surged forward in dense waves.


    He had been wronged and driven to death many years ago and had been seeking something unattainable all this time. His chest was filled with hatred that had not been vented, and his character was drastically different from what it had been before his death, so he was ready to kill at the slightest provocation. His boundless ghost qi, which was accompanied by violent wailing, was aimed at taking Yun Weisi¡¯s life despite everything that had happened up to this moment!


    Changming had already mentioned to Yun Weisi that although they and Yao Wangnian shared a common enemy and could be considered from the same faction in this war, this man¡¯s demeanor was presently way more extreme than that of someone from the common people. Anything could now cause him to get possessed and experience a qi deviation. So, when Yun Weisi saw Yao Wangnian lose his temper now, he was not surprised. He only waved his sleeves, and when the wave of ghost qi reached him, it turned into black water droplets that fell to the ground. This skillful and easy victory on Yun Weisi¡¯s part caused Yao Wangnian¡¯s expression to change at once, and he even seemed to regain some clarity.


    At this moment, he heard a voice say from behind him: ¡°Why is daoxiong Yao so angry?¡±


    This voice struck him in the same way a drumstick would hit a drum. It was also like the roar of a lion in that it was immediately able to subdue Yao Wangnian¡¯s ghost nature.


    He turned around and saw Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°Where is Jiang Li?¡±


    Jiufang Changming reached out his hand, which held a letter, and Yao Wangnian grabbed it without thinking twice.


    ¡°When I went out this morning, I noticed this letter that he left.¡±


    The letter was hidden in a tree outside the building. When Changming went out, a leaf turned into the letter and fell right into his hands.


    ¡°Clan master Jiang said that a majority of the participants at the Qianlin Assembly this time will be the Wanjian Immortal Clan disciples. Luomei met us in Hongluo, and is probably well-prepared. Clan master Jiang is afraid that the enemy is too strong for the four of us, so in the end, we¡¯ll all get injured. He went ahead to scout the situation for us. We are supposed to follow him and do as we see fit, and in the case of an emergency¡ª¡±


    I wish that in the case of an emergency, you will use me as bait and let me sacrifice my life for the greater good. I only ask one thing of shixiong and you two, daoyous: please, save daoyou Chi. She fell into this miserable state because of me. I already owe a lot to shixiong, and I don¡¯t want to burden her too.


    Changming did not need to voice the last part: Yao Wangnian could already read it in the letter.


    He had not seen Jiang Li¡¯s handwriting for many years and thought that he had forgotten everything from the Wanjian Immortal Clan, but as soon as he saw the letter, his memories all surfaced inside the sea of his consciousness.


    Jiang Li was always like this. Yao Wangnian knew that.


    Jiang Li was soft-hearted and lazy, and no unhappy things would linger in his presence. He was completely different from Yao Wangnian who was dedicated to cultivation wholeheartedly and was proud and arrogant. Jiang Li¡¯s heart, when compared to him, was big and could contain the entire Wanjian Immortal Clan. No matter whether it was a friend, a fellow disciple, or another pupil of his master¡ªJiang Li would not want to betray anyone¡¯s expectations.


    A person like this was both suitable and unsuitable for the role of clan master.


    And how could a person like this get revenge on Luomei?


    Luomei would probably capture him before they would even get into a fight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go find him.¡±


    Yao Wangnian burnt the letter to ashes and turned around to leave, but Changming stopped him.


    ¡°You want to stop me?¡± asked Yao Wangnian with a murderous look on his face and blood-shot eyes.


    Changming said: ¡°We¡¯ll go together, you can¡¯t go like this. Jiang Li has next to zero chances to go against Luomei alone, but there is a reason for Luomei not to kill him. We¡¯ll split up. You and Yun Weisi will hide somewhere and wait for a moment to save him, and I¡¯ll go where he¡¯ll definitely notice me.¡±


    Yao Wangnian: ¡°Where?¡±


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°Obviously, I¡¯ll partake in the Qianlin Assembly.¡±


    Yao Wangnian frowned: ¡°Those who enter the assembly can only enter if they have an invitation with their names. Their sect and background is clearly stated on the invitation and there is no way to forge it. Where can you get one?¡±


    Jiufang Changming smiled lightly as he got a red letter with gold stamping from his sleeve. At first glance, the letter looked ordinary, but one could notice that it glowed around the edges. It actually could not be damaged by being burnt by fire nor by being submerged into water and would not decompose for a hundred years.


    When he opened the letter, they could see the name written at the top of it¡ª


    The Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace, Sun Wuxia.


    The traveling companions of Chi Bijiang, shishu He Bo and his shizhi Sun Wuxia, suffered a disastrous defeat at Hongluo. The shishu, He Bo, died, while his shizhi Sun Wuxia was suffering not only from this painful loss but had also been left one-armed. As things were now, he could not participate in the Qianlin Assembly, so Jiufang Changming could take his invitation and make use of it.


    Thus, Sun Wuxia, a disciple of the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace, changed his appearance.


    ¡°What about He Bo¡¯s invitation?¡± Yun Weisi stretched his hand, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Jiufang Changming laughed: ¡°You haven¡¯t had enough fun becoming my shixiong and want to be my shishu now?¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°Luomei knows you.¡±


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°You¡¯re forgetting about the Art of Transferring Spirit. I can change my face easily.¡±


    Yun Weisi: ¡°I don¡¯t want us to part.¡±


    After they became Daoist partners, Yun Weisi no longer needed to hide his feelings, and these words were honest.


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°It¡¯s bad for us to appear at the same time, and you know it. Clan master Jiang and daoyou Chi¡¯s spiritual soul must be saved. Weisi, trust me.¡±


    He rarely discarded surnames and usually called him Yun Weisi. It used to be like this even in the Yuhuang Temple.


    For Yun Weisi, these three words were like magic, and he could not say anything against it.


    He had never doubted Jiufang Changming. Even if he hesitated or even if got possessed, he only ever doubted himself.


    ¡°Fine. Remember your own words and don¡¯t get into trouble,¡± Yun Weisi looked at him pointedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Yun Weisi and Yao Wangnian left first, taking a shortcut. Jiang Li had only recently left, so they had a chance to intercept him before he had reached the Zhengrong Mountain Villa. Jiufang Changming took the usual road, taking the invitation with him. He was going to enter the assembly alone, which was very conspicuous. It was better for him to find some other cultivators to travel there together.


    Although he told Yun Weisi not to worry, he did not feel as assured as he appeared.


    Their enemy was formidable. That much was as obvious to Jiufang Changming as to anyone else.


    Not only was Luomei¡¯s cultivation great, he was adept at scheming, duplicitous and had impeccable patience. He did not even spare his disciples that worshiped him as their father in order to set up a formation. It took him several decades to extend his web over the entire world and trap all people inside. Had Chi Bijiang not left a weakness inside the Liuhe Zhutian Formation, and had Jiufang Changming with Yun Weisi not decided to die, dragging him down with themselves, they would have already lost.


    Thinking back now, Luomei was prepared for their battle in Hongluo. Even though they had split into two parties, one acting in the light while the other hid in the darkness, almost anything could happen during this trip.


    But he must lure Luomei into a battle in front of everyone. That was the only way to force him to reveal his true face.


    Jiufang Changming lowered his head.


    A paper figure was squeezed in his hand. He moved a finger, and the puppet swelled as if moistened until it reached the size of a human. It slowly approached Changming and merged with him from head to toe. After that, his face started to change.


    His originally pointy chin became rounder and chubbier, his eyes were narrower and longer, while his nose was flatter now. The hair on his temples subsided a bit, the corners of his mouth were lowered, and his half-white hair had turned completely black.


    Although the changes were minor, he looked like a different person now. Even if he looked at himself in a mirror right now, he would have probably felt that this person was unfamiliar to him.


    I still need a sword, Changming thought, and called the Changming Sword.


    ¡°Swords have sword souls. I know that you are my Sifei Sword. Your soul has been searching for me, and fate finally reunited us through Chi Bijiang¡¯s hands.¡±


    The sword hummed, hanging in the air, as if it heard Changming¡¯s words.


    Jiufang Changming smiled.


    No to Daoism, no to Buddhism, no to the Demonic Path, no to Confucianism.


    No to Daoism, no to Buddhism, no to Demonic Path, no to Confucianism: Sifei literally means ¡°4 no¡¯s¡±


    When he created the sword, Sifei, many years ago, he actually had bold dreams like any other famous young man who wanted to travel through the entire world¡ªotherwise he would not have given the sword the name that sounded as if he regarded himself as being above others. But the Sifei Sword never left his side. The sword cut his way through thistles and thorns, accompanied him to the peak where he became the strongest person in the world and then sacrificed itself for Changming¡¯s sake. Now, it had traveled more than one hundred years to the past to help him reverse the course of events.


    ¡°This time, we have to fight together again. But I have to inconvenience you and change your appearance for a while. Sun Wuxia had a sword named Zhiqiu, let¡¯s turn you into what it looks like.¡±


    Changming waved his sleeve, and the light around the Sifei Sword dimmed. The patterns on the sword changed and it fell back to Changming¡¯s hands.


    Carrying the sword on his back, Changming went off into the sunrise, setting foot on the path that led the way forward.

 CH 142

    The Falling Cloud Mountain was a sect as small as one could be.


    There were only three people in Li Muxing¡¯s sect: Li Muxing, her shifu, and a disciple that was responsible for cleaning the place. He had been abandoned because he was born deaf and mute, but Li Muxing¡¯s shifu took pity on him and invited him to join the sect. The shifu only taught him a few techniques, so he could only be counted as half of a real disciple of the Falling Cloud Mountain.


    Li Muxing was a smart girl. She was able to master the techniques that her shifu explained to her after reading about them a couple times. There were talented people all around the world, but the Falling Cloud Mountain was a remote sect that rarely had any geniuses in it, so the head of the sect thought that Li Muxing was truly outstanding and should not waste her talent in such a small place. So, two years after she had broken through to the Heart Demon realm, when news of the Qianlin Assembly had spread, the sect master shamelessly used his old connections to get an invitation to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa.


    That old friend of his had some history with the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, so after asking around for a bit, he naturally managed to obtain an invitation and sent it to the sect master with a goose. As he looked at the glowing golden piece of paper with Li Muxing¡¯s name written beautifully on it, the sect master reminded her repeatedly that she should show off the best side of her at the assembly and must not feel inferior to others just because she had come from a small and weak sect. He was actually passing his unfulfilled dreams onto Li Muxing.


    Li Muxing descended the mountains while carrying this responsibility. She headed east, climbed over mountain ranges, crossed rivers, and witnessed the sun rise and fall many times. She also befriended several daoyous during the journey before parting ways with them for various reasons. All these daoyous had different backgrounds: some came from old and well-known sects but they were amiable and easy to approach, while others were geniuses that relied heavily on their background. There were also some who were just like her¡ªthey had come from small sects and looked down on themselves for that. Li Muxing felt that she had learned a lot more about the world during the trip compared to what she had comprehended while she was isolated at the Falling Cloud Mountain for cultivation.


    All this time, she was on the move. She traversed the mountains, only stopping for a couple of days to cultivate from time to time, before finally arriving at Shangzhou. There, she met new companions¡ªfour cultivators from the Twelfth Floor of the White Jade Capital. Three of them were male, and the last one was female. While they all had different temperaments, all four of them were full of youthful arrogance. Despite this, they were still not half as bad as some disciples of prominent clans that would not even spare a glance at others.


    Li Muxing was not unwilling to travel alone, but the closer she got to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, she met even more cultivators who also wanted to participate in the Qianlin Assembly. Her traveling by herself was very conspicuous, so it was hard to avoid being targeted. After all, killing people for treasures was not an uncommon thing. Li Muxing had been traveling through the Jianghu for a long period of time, so she had quite a lot of experience.


    She and the four disciples of the Twelfth Floor of the White Jade Capital stopped at a guest house in the middle of Shangzhou. After taking a break, they intended to head straight to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa. The five of them were young, so their spirits were soaring at the thought of participating in a QIanlin Assembly. As they were eating together at a table, they were pouring out all that they had to say about the near future.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Qianlin Assembly this time will be unprecedentedly grand! Not only will there be many fresh talents, but also the elders of each clan will be present. Anyone who has ten wins in a row will be noticed by the clan masters!¡±


    The one who was talking was called Qin Qian. He was the youngest among the four disciples, and their least experienced shidi. That was his first time leaving the mountains, so he was full of vigor and never lagged behind. Whenever something lively happened, he was sure to join in, and was the definition of a gossip.


    ¡°Enough, stop shouting, as if you can win ten times in a row. We¡¯re just here to watch the fun and serve as background decorations. After all, the stage belongs to sects like the Celestial Abode Shenxiao and the Wanjian Immortal Clan.¡±


    This was the second shixiong, Lin Wenyu. He was speaking casually and was not at all as hopeful as his shidi, Qin Qian, since he had already been at a Qianlin Assembly several years ago and had achieved nothing significant, which quenched his excitement like a cold shower. At that time, he learned that no matter how strong one was, there was always someone stronger.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that the masters of the clans like the Celestial Abode Shenxiao will also be here? I wonder if Fozuo Shengjue is going to grace the Zhengrong Mountain Villa with his presence. I¡¯ve heard that not only is he powerful, but he is also aloof and detached from mortal affairs and looks like a deity! After a single glance at him, you¡¯ll forget all about our sinful world, I really want to see him!¡±


    This pretty and gentle girl was the third shimei, Chang Yue. She was very eager to travel alongside Li Muxing because she was the only female disciple among the four, and since none of her other companions chatted with her on the road, Li Muxing¡¯s presence filled this emptiness. Her shixiongs and shidi loved her, and had no complaints about Li Muxing who obviously posed no threat.


    Even judging by the few words that had been said, one could see that they all were very different.


    Li Muxing smiled. She thought that even if she would not shine as brightly at this Qianlin Assembly as her master hoped, everything she had experienced would prove that this was a worthwhile trip. At this moment, Chang Yue suddenly turned her head to look at her.


    ¡°Sister Li, have you seen Shengjue?¡±


    Li Muxing shook her head: ¡°I¡¯m just like you, it¡¯s my first time descending the mountains of my sect. I¡¯ve seen some places after leaving, but my knowledge is still lacking. I couldn¡¯t have ever met such illustrious people.¡±


    Their dashixiong, Xia Zheng, had not spoken at all, as if he had not heard any of this.


    He was pouring himself tea and looking outside at the same time. When the water had filled his cup, he was not paying attention to it, so it spilled over the edge of the table.


    ¡°Daoxiong Xia, your cup!¡± Li Muxing warned him softly. At this moment, Xia Zheng seemed to have woken up and quickly stood up to brush the water off his robe.


    It was strange for him to forget his manners, so Li Muxing looked at the direction he had been looking at and also froze.


    There was a man standing at the door.


    His figure was illuminated by light from behind his back, and his sleeves were fluttering in the wind. There was also a long sword behind his back.


    She could not discern his expression, but could not help but want to see his face. That was probably the reason why Xia Zheng had been distracted too.


    The man looked around, as if searching for a place to sit down. Seeing that the tables had all been taken, he turned around to leave.


    Chang Yue stood up to stop him: ¡°Daoxiong, please stay! We have a place for one more!¡±


    Li Muxing covered her face, embarrassed on her behalf.


    Although their square table was theoretically able to accommodate eight people, two at each side, it was already crowded with the five of them. She and Chang Yue could sit at one side, but if two grown men were to sit together, it would have looked really strange.


    Moreover, there was no telling whether the man was a friend or a foe. Asking him to join them was truly reckless.


    The man also seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then came closer.


    ¡°Thank you very much for the offer, daoyou. This one is Sun Wuxia from the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace. I¡¯ve left my sect for the first time, so please, grace me with your instructions, daoyous.¡±


    When the man approached, Li Muxing was finally able to see his face. She could not help but admire his looks and sneakily glanced at him a couple more times.


    The man is truly deserving of his name, the two girls thought simultaneously.


    Deserving of his name: Sun Wuxia¡¯s ¡®wuxia¡¯ means ¡®flawless¡¯


    His words were well-spoken, and his manners were uniquely elegant. How was he not flawless?


    Chang Yue was a straightforward person: ¡°Daoyou Sun, do you travel alone? Are you also going to the Qianlin Assembly?¡±


    Dashixiong Xie threw her a reprimanding glance.


    Sun Wuxia did not mind her bluntness: ¡°Yes. I was going to continue on my journey after a night in Shangzhou, but it seems that I came too late¡ªI can¡¯t find a free guest house now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, daoyou Sun. When cultivators leave their sects, they often have to eat nothing and sleep out in the wild. If there¡¯s no place to rest, it¡¯s fine to just leave in the evening and come to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa a bit earlier to rest there.¡± As always, the second shixiong, Li Wenyu, started arguing for no reason.


    Sun Wuxia answered with a smile: ¡°I¡¯m already travel-worn and tired, and I don¡¯t want to lose the face of my sect. That¡¯s why I wanted to freshen up before going there.¡±


    Chang Yue saw that he did not lose his composure easily and was ready to defend himself, and liked him even more. She wanted to invite him to rest together and turned to Xia Zheng: ¡°Dashixiong, we have four rooms, can¡¯t we give one to daoyou Sun?¡±


    Lin Wenyu could not hold back: ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to shidi snoring!¡±


    Qin Qian retorted: ¡°Since when do I snore? Disciples who live with me have never complained!¡±


    Lin Wenyu: ¡°Then go torment dashixiong instead of me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± XIe Zheng started having a headache because of his unruly shidis. He turned to Sun Wuxia and cupped his hands politely: ¡°The Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace is a renowned sect, and it is a great honor to meet their disciple. We come from the Twelfth Floor of the White Jade Capital. If you don¡¯t dislike our presence, daoyou, we can cede a room to you.¡±


    He thought that the man would refuse politely, but Sun Wuxia immediately answered: ¡°Thank you very much, daoyous.¡±


    The ¡°Sun Wuxia¡± in front of them was Jiufang Changming.


    The reason why he rushed to accept the invitation was very simple. He was just like Li Muxing¡ªa person who came to a Qianlin Assembly by themselves was always eye-catching, and hiding was only possible if one blended into the crowd. Jiufang Changming did not want anything to influence his impending battle with Luomei.


    Except for the simple-minded Chang Yue, everyone thought that this Sun Wuxia was way too amiable. They did not know each other at all, and after talking for a while about nothing, the man quickly left. Lin Menyu could not help but reproach his shimei for inviting unfamiliar people to live together so thoughtlessly.


    ¡°Why is this my first time hearing about the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace?¡± Lin Wenyu mumbled.


    Chang Yue curled her lips: ¡°It couldn¡¯t be more obvious that you¡¯re paying no attention to what elder Liu lectures about the power balance in the world nowadays! Even though the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace is not the most famous sect, it¡¯s one of the most outstanding sects.¡±


    Lin Wenyu: ¡°Then why is he alone?¡±


    Chang Yue: ¡°Among us four, only dashixiong received an invitation too.¡±


    Lin Wenyu said nothing.


    In theory, only those who had received an invitation with their names could partake in the Qianlin Assembly. However, a participant could also bring along the other disciples of their clan, and they would not be sent away. They would not be able to enter the competition, and could only watch from the sidelines. Among the four of them, Xia Zheng had the highest cultivation level. The rest had entered the sect only several years ago and were not particularly talented, so they were actually not qualified to participate in the assembly. They were only accompanying their shixiong for the purpose of gaining experience.


    The Twelfth Floor of the White Jade Capital had a rich history, and for the past two years, several of their disciples had earned fame. Cultivators of the sect were already of great renown, and if Xia Zheng could make no mistakes during this assembly and performed well, the reputation of the White Jade Capital would soar. Perhaps, in the future, they would even be able to compete for glory alongside sects like the Celestial Abode Shenxiao. That was why this time, Xia Zheng had to go about things steadily and hope to be victorious in order to earn glory for his sect and himself.


    Jiufang Changming quickly returned. They asked for more beef noodle soups and steamed stuffed buns, and he ate with everyone without ceremony.


    Chang Yue kept asking Jiufang Changming about all kinds of things, inquiring what life in the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace was like, what kind of entertainment one could find nearby, why he came alone and so on. She was way more interested in wining and dining than in cultivation.


    Li Muxing also wanted to know about the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace, mostly because she had heard her shifu talk about the sect. A shishu of the previous generation of her sect had married someone from the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace and had not visited her sect for quite some years, but this still meant that her sect shared some history with the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace.


    Jiufang Changming had seen virtually everything in the world. Although he was not from the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace, he could answer most of the questions, so no one doubted him, and they had fun during the dinner. After everyone finished eating, Xia Zheng prepared to pay, but it turned out that Jiufang Changming had left earlier to pay for the rooms and the food. Xia Zheng felt very apologetic and wanted to return the favor, but the man refused adamantly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for this, daoxiong Xia. We met by chance, and it was your gracious goodwill to cede a room to me that will allow me to rest. This Sun can¡¯t thank you enough. If you don¡¯t allow me to do this much, I have no right to call myself your friend.¡±


    Xia Zheng could only agree: ¡°Then I¡¯ll stop with pleasantries. Daoxiong Sun, your room is next to mine, so call me if you need anything.¡±


    No one disliked generous friends. Not only Xia Zheng, everyone else, Li Muxing included, thought that not only was this person beautiful, but also turned out to be outspoken and generous with money. After eating from someone else¡¯s hands, it would have been impolite to criticize them, so even Lin Wenyu who loved arguing had nothing bad to say about him.


    This was the last night before they headed to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa. They did not expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, and everyone was pleasantly surprised by this encounter.


    After the sky darkened, everyone went to their rooms. Li Muxing shared a room with Chang Yue. She started meditating, but Chang Yue tossed and turned. So, unable to fall asleep, she dragged Li Muxing into a conversation. Li Muxing could not refuse, so she could only engage in the small talk.


    Chang Yue kept gossiping, and everything she said went back to Sun Wuxia who they met today. She had also traveled for a while this time and had seen a lot of different people. Even though Sun Wuxia¡¯s face was not outstanding, his temperament was special: the better they knew him, the more knowledgeable he seemed, and he also had the leisurely aura of an experienced man, which made Chang Yue¡¯s eyes linger on him many times.


    In truth, Li Muxing felt the same way, but her Dao heart was more stable, so she would not get distracted as easily as Chang Yue.


    ¡°We have just met for the first time and only exchanged a couple of words. Surely, daoyou Sun doesn¡¯t know us, and we don¡¯t know anything about him either. When I was passing through Yinxi, I¡¯ve heard a story of a person who got backstabbed by their good friend and even lost their life in a fight for some treasure.¡± What Li Muxing was implying was that they could not tell whether this daoyou Sun was a good or a bad man, and she was afraid that Chang Yue, who was still new to the Jianghu, might be easily deceived.


    Chang Yue only stared at her with her eyes wide open and suddenly laughed out loud: ¡°Sister Li, you¡¯re thinking too much! I¡¯m just interested in him, do you really think I¡¯d fall for someone I¡¯ve only seen a couple of times? But¡ª¡±


    She stretched out the last word on purpose, as if she was making fun of Li Muxing.


    ¡°Will Sister Li help me ask him whether he has a daoist partner?¡±


    Li Muxing actually paled.


    Chang Yue laughed mischievously and wanted to tease her roommate more, but Li Muxing suddenly rushed to her and closed Chang Yue¡¯s mouth with her hand, preventing her from making any noise.


    ¡°Be quiet!¡±


    A low noise sounded nearby, and Chang Yue, struck with terror, watched a black shadow slip past their room.


    Everything had gone silent in the dead of night, and only the moon was shining upon them from high above. The shadow slowly went past their door. Chang Yue shivered and suddenly realized that the reason she could not move was not Li Muxing blocking her acupuncture points, but rather the shadow outside. It was ghastly and terrifying, and even though she could not clearly see its silhouette, it resembled a giant monster with a very potent ghost qi around it. That ghost qi permeated the room through the door and the windows, taking firm control over their breaths with an overwhelming pressure.


    At this moment, Li Muxing felt that she could not use any skill she knew, not even the simplest of techniques. She could only cover Chang Yue¡¯s mouth tightly to prevent her from speaking and thus attracting the monster¡¯s attention.


    What on earth is this¡­


    Why does it have such a terrifying aura?


    The shadow slowly disappeared from their line of sight, but before she could breathe out in relief, she heard a pained and muffled voice.


    ¡°Save me¡­¡±


    The youngest, Qin Qian!


    The two of them recognized him almost immediately. Chang Yue sobbed and struggled in an attempt to go to the rescue, but Li Muxing hesitated for a brief moment. When Chang Yue broke away from her and rushed outside, Li Muxing still followed her quickly.


    That terrifying aura was even stronger outside their room. Chang Yue supported herself by leaning against the wall and opened the door to the next room forcefully. She would never forget the scene that she caught sight of after opening the door.


    Qin Qian was lying on the floor on his stomach, trying to crawl away to save his life, but the enormous shadow had already gobbled up the lower halves of his legs¡ªthey had been dried out, robbed of flesh and skin. Seeing the white bones, Chang Yue was both enraged and frightened, and could not help but cry out. The shadow sensed their presence at once and slowly lifted up its head to stare at Chang Yue with its red eyes.


    Chang Yue was frozen in place and could not even lift a finger. While panicking, she saw a familiar sword flash past her.


    That¡¯s dashixiong¡¯s sword¡­


    However, as soon as the sword reached the shadow, it was engulfed and disappeared from sight. A vortex formed in the air, sucking them inside, and Chang Yue took a step towards it involuntarily. She screamed, her face full of tears, thinking regretfully that her life would be lost in such unclear circumstances.


    ¡°What demon dares disrupt the peace!¡±


    As this voice rang out, a white light shone brightly. Everyone felt a warmth embrace them, and the gloomy and icy atmosphere was cleared away.


    At this moment, the vortex dispersed, and the shadow rapidly flew away from Qin Qian¡¯s body.


    It¡¯s¡­ Daoyou Sun!

 CH 143

    Proofread by Snake


    The shadow rushed at him immediately, but the sword was faster.


    They came into contact, and very soon, the shadow flew out of the house, as swift as a shooting star.


    It was the sword that had thrown the shadow out.


    The shadow was trapped by the sword, but it had quickly salvaged the situation. The shadow abruptly grew in size, took on a human shape, and caught the sword, enveloping even Changming at the same time.


    At this moment, Xia Zheng and the others arrived. Seeing how things had turned out, they could not help but cry out in alarm. Li Muxing turned her head and looked at Qin Qian¡¯s legs, which had been reduced to bones. It was hard to imagine what awaited Jiufang Changming who had been completely engulfed.


    Qin Qian, gasping his last breaths, was picked up by Xia Zheng and Lin Wenyu on either side. He paled and asked in a trembling voice: ¡°Dashixiong, how come I feel nothing in my legs? They are still here, right?¡±


    Only white bones remained beneath his knees. As Qin Qian trembled, they shook too.


    Qin Qian, who had left his sect for the first time, who had not even seen the world yet, who had not had the chance to witness the duels between the masters he admired at the Qianlin Assembly, had now suffered this irreparable injury. For a cultivator, their legs were their future. He had not even started gaining fame in the Jianghu, but it had already been decided that his future would be hopeless.


    ¡°Dashixiong, don¡¯t be silent¡­¡±


    Xia Zheng could not bear the sight. He did not answer and turned his eyes away, looking at the fight between Jiufang Changming and the shadow in the courtyard.


    Had daoyou Sun not appeared in time, it would not have just been Qin Qian¡¯s legs¡ªhis life would be lost too.


    What on earth was this monster?


    Li Muxing was the first to react. She rushed forward with her sword unsheathed to help Changming, but the dense, sinister qi of the ghost jumped her and forced her to take several steps back, ignoring her spiritual power. The bone-piercing cold enveloped them again, and she could not help but tremble, feeling her own temperature rise because of a fever.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come over!¡± she heard Jiufang Changming say.


    Li Muxing was terrified. The shadow did not seem special at first glance, but it turned out to be so powerful. Li Muxing considered herself a high-ranking cultivator, and not just in that remote sect she had come from¡ªeven when she had left it for traveling, she could still protect herself.


    Despite this, facing the shadow, she could not use even a little bit of her cultivation.


    As soon as she released some sword qi, it dissipated, and even rushed back at her fiercely. Li Muxing¡¯s defense was destroyed immediately, which caused her an internal wound.


    The shadow growled with an unsettlingly hoarse voice, and the black qi around them surged up, completely engulfing Jiufang Changming and his sword. The darkness slowly extended outside from the courtyard. They could vaguely discern a sword glowing in the eye of the hurricane, but it seemed to be lacking strength and struggled as if on its last legs.


    Li Muxing could only imagine how frightening it was there, and could not see how daoyou Sun, whom they had met by accident, would live through this.


    Chang Yue, who had never seen a fight like this, held her dasixiong¡¯s Xia Zheng¡¯s sleeve tightly. She had paled and could not utter a word.


    Of all who were present there, only Jiufang Changming knew what he was fighting against.


    It was a nightmare demon, but not a common one.


    Most of the nightmare demons had been exterminated by them in Hongluo, and the rest could not have possibly gotten so strong in a short period of time. This shadow possessed a human shape and had a slightly different spirit and mind. It knew how to fight and what trick to use in a particular situation. When it realized that he was a formidable opponent, it decided to not waste its time on him. Had he not blocked the shadow, Li Muxing would have shared Qin Qian¡¯s fate, and would likewise become crippled.


    It seemed like he was surrounded by the qi, but in truth, he was preventing it from spreading further. He used a technique and split his sword into three blades that pierced the black shadow and lingered in mid-air, trapping the enemy inside the cage.


    The shadow roared in a low voice and hid itself in the black qi, with only its red eyes staring at Changming. It was still, but full of deep hatred and distinctly smelled like blood.


    ¡°I know that you understand human speech,¡± Changming transmitted this message through his spiritual consciousness. ¡°Who sent you here? If you answer truthfully, I¡¯ll give up a chance to escape.¡±


    ¡°Who¡­ sent me here¡­¡± the shadow muttered the same words several times and laughed. ¡°Your qi smells very sweet, more so than theirs, I like it a lot. Give me your skin, won¡¯t you? I¡¯ll treasure it¡­¡±


    Before it could finish speaking, the shadow dispersed right under everyone¡¯s eyes.


    As soon as he saw the shadow, Jiufang Changming set up a barrier around the courtyard, putting a sleeping spell on everyone around at the same time. The other guests were unable to go inside and did not hear any noise. They would continue sleeping through the matter, but maybe have not so good dreams.


    The others were still scared. Lin Wenyu, who had hidden behind a column, stretched out his neck, unable to contain his curiosity.


    ¡°What is this thi¡­¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Changming shouted harshly.


    Lin Wenyu did not understand what was going on, but dodged to the side instinctively.


    In a moment, a gust of foul wind flashed by. In the corner of his eye, he saw that the shadow had reassembled, and was now standing where he was.


    Had he been a moment too late¡­


    The consequences were too dreadful to imagine.


    When the shadow took form again, the sword flew over hurriedly, reaching it almost at the same time!


    It came over in the blink of an eye, and the shadow had not expected anyone to be so quick. It seemed that the opponent of the shadow had already had every corner of this place under his control and only waited for it to appear to end its life immediately!


    Amidst wailings, the sword slashed, turning the shadow into dust.


    Jiufang Changming sheathed his sword, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Daoyou Xia, we should tend to your shidi¡¯s wound first.¡±


    Xia Zheng came to his senses and quickly rushed to his shidi, Qin Qian. The latter had already stopped moving, which startled Xia Zheng. He reached out to check that his shidi was still breathing and sighed out of relief after confirming it.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that he lost consciousness because of the pain. We¡¯ve already applied some medicine to stop the bleeding.¡±


    He would live, but it would be difficult for their shidi to accept the fact that he had lost his legs overnight.


    ¡°Daoyou Sun, thank you very much. If it wasn¡¯t for you, we would have probably all died by now,¡± Li Muxing expressed her thanks earnestly.


    At this moment, Jiufang Changming was using Sun Wuxia¡¯s name. He acted the way Sun Wuxia would have and shook his head humbly: ¡°It was luck, as I¡¯ve just encountered a demon like this in Hongluo.¡±


    Li Muxing asked: ¡°Demon? Was it not a ghost?¡±


    That shadow had a human shape and possessed a dense and gloomy ghost qi. What was it if not a ghost?


    Changming said: ¡°Nightmare demons are adept at taking all kinds of appearances to hide. When it meets a ghost, it becomes a ghost, and when it meets a human, it becomes one. It¡¯s impossible to protect yourself from it. This one has probably killed a person and snatched their souls before their death, turning into a ghost.¡±


    A usual ghost would stick to a living body, but after attacking Qin Qian, this monster did not rush to swallow his souls, but lashed out at his body instead. Only a demon would possess this kind of mad hunger.


    Why would a nightmare demon disguise itself as a ghost? The rest of the nightmare demons that fled from Hongluo were unable to go wild in Shangzhou unless someone helped them from behind the scene.


    And who that person was was already obvious.


    But Li Muxing and her companions knew nothing, and Changming¡¯s identity was yet to be exposed. This nightmare did not choose them as its target on purpose¡ªrather, it had appeared in the city coincidentally and just happened to attack them.


    For the time being, Jiufang Changming did not understand what his enemy was trying to achieve with this. But first and foremost, he should calm down the people in front of him.


    ¡°Daoyou Sun, what do you think, is there a chance for my shidi to recover?¡± Xia Zheng was at loss, so he could only ask whoever was at his disposal. Changming was just a stranger they met on the road, so at first, Xia Zheng had not taken this ¡°daoyou Sun¡± seriously, but in a decisive moment, the man decided to save them. So, this time, it was not just courtesy, but rather an honest request for help. He really hoped that Changming could restore the flesh around the bones and magically heal his shidi¡¯s legs.


    Unfortunately, Jiufang Changming shook his head: ¡°I can¡¯t help if a part of his body is missing. I¡¯m afraid that he can¡¯t attend the Qianlin Assembly in his current state, and it¡¯s better for him to go back as soon as possible. Maybe an elder from your sect has a technique that can help him, but it will do no good to delay the return.¡±


    Xia Zheng had left his sect carrying the burden of winning honor for his sect. If he turned back halfway, he would have wasted all his previous efforts. But Qin Qian¡¯s current state did not allow them to continue forward.


    He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. However, his shimei Chang Yue, who was usually completely clueless, said decisively: ¡°Dashixiong, you should go to the Qianlin Assembly, I¡¯ll take shidi back. After all, I only came here to watch the fun, so I should be the one to return with him.¡±


    Xia Zheng could not bear to let her go back alone, so he turned to Lin Wenyu: ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if our second shidi sent you two back?¡±


    But Lin Wenyu hesitated: ¡°Dashixiong, I can¡¯t leave you here alone. Shimei will be fine alone. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Obviously, he did not want to waste the chance to see the Qianlin Assembly.


    Xia Zheng was a bit disappointed, but did not point out Lin Wenyu¡¯s mistake. After all, apart from bearing the responsibility of gaining fame for his sect, he also had his own selfish motives for going to the assembly.


    People were always selfish, with no exception.


    Li Muxing did not want to get involved in clashes between the fellow disciples. Her attention was fully on the weird shadow, and the more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed.


    ¡°Shangzhou is close to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, why would a demon appear here? Is it just reckless, or is there some reason behind this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but we should not wait for the situation to get worse. Let¡¯s head to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa tomorrow.¡± Changming had his guesses, but he could not share them lest he gave rise to even more questions.


    Li Muxing thought that it was very suspicious and that the appearance of the shadow was probably connected to the Qianlin Assembly, but she did not understand in what way.


    Everyone was anxious after the accident. Except for Changming, no one had the heart to fall asleep, so they just waited for the sky to brighten. By the time the sun finally shone in the east, Xia Zheng and his fellow disciples had already come to an agreement. Chang Yue was to take their shidi Qin Qian back to their sect, and Xia Zheng had sent the sect a request to dispatch someone to meet them at the foot of the mountains, while Lin Wenyu accompanied him to the Qianlin Assembly.


    Everyone had lost their eagerness and went their ways laden with anxiety. After washing up and eating, they headed towards the Zhengrong Mountain Villa immediately.


    That place was close to Shangzhou, so they reached it in half a day. There was a defensive formation around the mountain that was guarded by disciples and prevented intruders from sneaking inside. When Jiufang Changming and his three companions reached the peach forest outside the villa, a disciple greeted them and took their invitation cards.


    The disciple took the three cards and looked them up and down like a hawk, which made them feel uncomfortable.


    Xia Zheng could not help furrowing his brows: ¡°Dare I ask, daoyou, but is there something wrong with our invitations?¡±


    The answer was: ¡°The cards are fine, but there are only three of them, while there are four of you.¡±


    Xia Zheng: ¡°Bringing relatives and friends is an old custom of the Qianlin Assembly. This person is my shidi, I can vouch for him.¡±


    Still, the disciple did not neglect a single detail. He asked Xia Zheng and Lin Wenyu a lot of questions, and Lin Wenyu, who was too young and hot-headed, almost caused a scene, but was stopped by his shixiong. Even Jiufang Changming thought that the disciple was far too strict.


    ¡°Daoyou, I have another invitation card with me. It belongs to my shishu. Something came up on our way here, so he decided to go back first. Can I give this invitation card to daoyou Lin?¡± Jiufang Changming said, taking out a pouch. ¡°This is a hundred-year-old Solomon¡¯s seal, a top-notch material for refining pills. Please, daoyou, kindly accept this small gift.¡±


    Cultivators were by no means superior to the common people when it came to their  morals nor were they untainted by greed. In the end, they were just more resistant.


    That disciple hesitated for a moment, but listened to a couple of kind words from Xia Zheng and finally accepted the bribe: ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think that I am just nitpicking. Something happened half a day ago, and now everyone is on their guard. This is an order from my higher-ups, so I can¡¯t slack off.¡±


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°What happened? Is it really that serious?¡±


    After taking Solomon¡¯s seal, the disciple became much more relaxed with his words. What he said made Changming, who was difficult to unnerve, frown in alarm.


    ¡°The master of the Wanijan Immortal Clan, Master Jiang, was possessed by a demon and started killing everyone in sight. Thankfully, his master, Immortal Luomei, was present and managed to stop him, preventing a calamity. However, many were wounded. I heard several elders discuss that this matter could be related to an old story of a rebel of the Wanjian Immortal Clan. This man could also have infiltrated the Qianlin Assembly and is waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble. That is why the master of the villa ordered us to guard the entrance and investigate anyone suspicious!¡±

 CH 144

    Jiang Li had already changed the situation.


    He was devoted and loyal to the Wanjian Immortal Clan. He also had a tender heart, and sometimes it seemed that he was indecisive and easy to manipulate or to lead into a deadly trap.


    But he was not foolish enough to go against Immortal Luomei alone, let alone start killing people in broad daylight.


    This obvious and self-compromising act could only be explained by one thing¡ªLuomei had already captured Jiang Li and knew of Jiang Li¡¯s intentions.


    A person colluding with demons meant ruining their future prospects. If this happened to the master of a Daoist sect, their reputation and status would crumble in a matter of seconds, leaving them no chance to regain their eminence.


    Luomei was ready to abandon his disciple completely.


    Could it mean that Luomei had already extracted a confession from Jiang Li through torture? Had he learned of their plan from Jiang Li and was prepared for everything? What had happened to Yun Weisi and Yao Wangnian?


    Jiufang Changming realized that once again, they had no guarantee of winning. Not only was Luomei¡¯s cultivation terribly strong, but he also possessed another useful tool¡ªthe Wanjian Immortal Clan. He was practically invincible and had everything moving according to his schemes.


    Compared to Luomei, they were mantises trying to stop a chariot¡ªthey were too insignificant to even be mentioned.


    Sometimes, he even felt that if they lost again here, the world would continue to charge without restraint towards its doom. They could not return to the past and change it, and could only watch the world burn to ashes the way it was supposed to and never see it again.


    A boat that stopped struggling against the flow would inevitably drift back. They could not go back now, and they would either win in this decisive battle, or die.


    First Chi Bijiang, now Jiang Li. Yet another one of them had fallen into the enemy¡¯s hands.


    Only he, Yun Weisi and Yao Wangnian were still standing.


    While Jiufang Changming was pondering, the disciple, seeing that no one else was approaching, started chatting with Li Muxing. He was bored by standing here for so long and was eager to share the details of what happened in vivid detail.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t present at that moment, but my shixiong was there. He said that someone who seemed lost came here all alone, which was very conspicuous. When shixiong asked who he was, the man answered that he was the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, Jiang Li. Of course, shixiong did not believe him, because Immortal Luomei had already arrived here earlier with several disciples and was just chatting with other masters inside at that moment. Shixiong was afraid that someone was posing as Jiang Li, so he immediately went inside to ask his superiors what to do. When Immortal Luomei heard about this, he went out personally with a few attendants. Who could have expected the man to start the slaughter even before they arrived, taking everyone by surprise? Many were killed or injured, but with Luomei¡¯s timely intervention, the man was suppressed.¡±


    Li Muxing was itching to know what happened: ¡°Was that man really Clan Master Jiang?¡±


    ¡°At first, shixiong didn¡¯t believe it either. However, when the two of them fought, they used the same techniques, and Immortal Luomei even told him: ¡®I thought you would realize your errors and mend your ways, yet you refuse to repent and only keep on making mistakes. If I don¡¯t put righteousness above my personal feelings today, I¡¯ll have wronged the disciples that were injured by you¡¯.¡± The disciple of the villa went on, ¡°At that moment, Immortal Luomei¡¯s sword split into two and he broke through his opponent¡¯s defenses. He pierced his disciple¡¯s shoulder blades decisively, and everyone who saw him gasped in admiration¡­¡±


    Li Muxing interrupted his ceaseless talking: ¡°What happened afterwards?¡±


    The disciple said angrily: ¡°Afterwards, Jiang Li was taken away. They say that Immortal Luomei is going to deal with him after the Qianlin Assembly comes to an end.¡±


    It seemed that he did not know more. What happened to Jiang Li after that was not something a person of his status could ask about.


    After the disciple at the entrance looked through their invitations, they were allowed inside, and another one escorted them to the place where they would stay for the night.


    The Zhengrong Mountain Villa was built according to the Eight Diagrams. The Qian and the Kun Buildings were for the disciples, and visitors were not allowed to go inside. So, they were sent to the Xun Building, which was one of those buildings for receiving guests. However, the guests were also assigned different grades according to their status. For example, the disciples of clans like the Wanjian Immortal Clan, the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, or the Qingyun School obviously lived in the Zhen Building, while those who were from sects that no one knew of, such as Li Muxing and Changming, were assigned to the Xun Building.


    The Eight Diagrams: the eight trigrams (combinations of three whole or broken lines) used in Yijing, a famous ancient book for divination: qian, kun, zhen, xun, kan, li, gen, and dui


    Obviously lived in the Zhen Building: my guess is that zhen > xun because zhen is yang, force and dragon while xun is yin, submission and chicken, so it¡¯s less auspicious


    Nevertheless, the Xun Building was just as spacious too. In the center, there was a square built in the shape of the Yin-Yang symbol with three-storey bamboo buildings on both sides. There was a bamboo forest around that let the wind flow through here and paths paved with pebbles. It was clean and tidy and was a great place to rest in  seclusion.


    Even though their rooms were nothing special, they were still more comfortable than the inns that they had stopped at on their way here. The four of them were given four adjacent rooms in one wing of the building.


    Lin Wenyu kept glancing around, unintentionally looking like the newcomer that he was. While ¡®the Twelfth Floor of the White Jade Capital¡¯ sounded like a dignified name, the sect was not even one-fourth as good as the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, otherwise Lin Wenyu and Xia Zheng would have been in the Zhen Building. What he learned after they entered the Zhengrong Mountain Villa was enough to broaden Lin Wenyu¡¯s horizons. For example, there was a rainbow in the sky and the golden light that shone down on them from time to time made them feel better¡ªthat turned out to be a technique. Everything was new for Lin Wenyu, so he could not help reaching out to a golden ray of light. Jiufang Changming said: ¡°Someone added a touch of the Miracle Brings Back Spring Art to the rainbow. The warm light brings qi to your dantian.¡±


    This light was actually useless for cultivators: it could neither heal them nor improve their cultivation, and could only make them feel refreshed. However, it was obvious from seeing this that the Zhengrong Mountain Villa did not lack money.


    Lin Wenyu gasped: ¡°Are there also such things in the Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Celestial Abode Shenxiao?¡±


    Li Muxing and Xia Zheng had never been there, so Changming was the only one who could answer him.


    ¡°In the Wanjian Immortal Clan, there is the Ice Arch, and in the Celestial Abode, there is the Sun-Observing Phoenix. They are all almost the same¡ªmore decorative than they are useful.¡±


    Li Muxing: ¡°Daoyou Sun, have you been there?¡±


    Jiufang Changming smiled: ¡°I heard that from my shishu, who has been there.¡±


    Of course, he wanted to know what had happened to Jiang Li, but it did not show on his face. He was looking around like everyone else, marveling at the views.


    Although Xia Zheng was worried for the safety of his shidi and shimei, all in all, he was also a young cultivator who had just started his journey and aspired to become famous. Together with Lin Wenyu, he asked Jiufang Changming questions, putting his concerns aside for the time being. While talking, they went up the mountains of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of opponent we will be against tomorrow. I¡¯m afraid that no matter how strong you are, there is always someone better, and we might lose in the first round already. I¡¯ll be too ashamed to show my face to my elders.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, daoyou Xia. For a member of the Jianghu, being able to participate in a competition like this already means being lucky. Even if you lose the first battle, and even if you turn out to be inferior to the others in terms of skills, you can still return to your sect to cultivate for a couple more years, and maybe then, you¡¯ll be able to outdo the others and thrive.¡±


    Xia Zheng was inspired by his words: ¡°You¡¯re right, daoyou Sun! I¡¯m just getting myself worked up. No wonder daoyou Sun was selected to represent his sect! Both your state of mind and self-cultivation are a lot higher than mine, I am ashamed!¡±


    While the three of them were talking, other cultivators were passing by one after another. Some of them stopped to introduce themselves and to exchange a couple of polite words, while others had come from prominent clans and were so arrogant that they did not even want to spend time on them. But every creature in the world was different, as were cultivators.


    When they finally returned to their rooms, someone knocked on Jiufang Changming¡¯s door even before he could sit down to cultivate.


    ¡°Daoyou Li? Please, come in.¡±


    The person came inside. It was indeed Li Muxing.


    ¡°Daoyou Sun can tell who¡¯s coming based on their footsteps?¡± she wondered.


    ¡°Not at all. Daoyou Li was silent all evening. You seemed very anxious and didn¡¯t engage in our small talk, so I¡¯m sure your mind was elsewhere. Since whoever came to me was walking so quickly, I assumed it would be you.¡±


    ¡°Daoyou Sun is truly a person of outstanding talent. You are able to guess so much from a small clue.¡± Li Muxing flattered him half-heartedly and quickly added, ¡°It is the first time I¡¯ve left my sect, so there are many things that are not clear to me about other sects. Daoyou Sun knows much more than I do, so I came for advice.¡±


    ¡°Please speak, daoyou Li.¡±


    ¡°My shifu has mentioned the Wanjian Immortal Clan many times before. If I remember correctly, Immortal Luomei entered closed-door meditation a long time ago, leaving the clan master position to Jiang Li. Yet now the two of them are suddenly at loggerheads. Is there some reason behind this that they don¡¯t want others to know of? I don¡¯t want to pry, but daoyou Sun, do you think that something might go wrong at the Qianlin Assembly tomorrow because of this?¡±


    There was no denying that Li Muxing was an astute person. Even though she knew nothing, she felt that there was more to this matter than it seemed.


    This master-disciple duo had such a strong disagreement that it even reached the eyes of others at the Qianlin Assembly. The problem was not small and even involved demons, which was bound to attract much attention. This could turn into a calamity that would shake the world at its core, and Li Muxing was afraid that she would also get involved.


    She came to Jiufang Changming to discuss it because he had left a good first impression and seemed to have a better head on his shoulders than Xia Zheng and the others.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry, daoyou Li. There are many masters at the Qianlin Assembly. Even if something unexpected really happens, there is always someone strong enough to catch the falling skies. Just stay as far away from this as possible, and everything will be fine as long as you¡¯re not a part of it.¡±


    Jiufang Changming could not tell her the truth, as she would have not believed him anyways. So he gave her a subtle hint instead.


    Li Muxing¡¯s intuition as both a woman and a cultivator told her that something would go very wrong tomorrow, but she did not know what. This shadow of doubt had not left her the entire time, so she could not entirely relax.


    ¡°I hope so. I¡¯ll go to the Qian Buildings tomorrow in the hour of yin to draw lots. Don¡¯t forget, daoyou Sun, if you come too late, many people will already have their opponents assigned, and those that come later might all be skillful masters.¡±


    The hour of yin: 3 to 5 a.m. Poor her¡­


    ¡°Thank you very much for the reminder, daoyou Li. I¡¯ll go with you at the hour of yin.¡±


    ¡°Good. In fact, when I saw your battle today, I understood the meaning of ¡®no matter how strong you are, there is always someone better¡¯. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m not fated to stand out at this Qianlin Assembly. However, daoyou Sun hides his true powers. I wish you to shake the assembly with your genius tomorrow and get the highest of honors.¡±


    Li Muxing also asked him several questions about Daoist techniques. Changming was a grandmaster of his generation, so the questions were easy for him. Even if she asked about Demonic or Buddhist skills instead, he would have answered. The pieces of advice he gave were short but dispelled any doubts she had, making Li Muxing feel enlightened and more respectful towards him.


    As she saw it, the man was not a novice at all, he was simply on her shifu¡¯s level, though perhaps, even her shifu knew less than this daoyou Sun.


    If the disciples of the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace were like this, just how experienced and knowledgeable were cultivators from sects like the Wanjian Immortal Clan?


    Somehow, Li Muxing¡¯s expectations of the disciples of the famous sects had risen a lot because of Jiufang Changming.


    The sky darkened, and the disciples of the mountain villa delivered food for the guests. Everyone received four dishes and a bowl of soup. Whether to eat it or not was up to them, but the food was tasty and sumptuous, and was not inferior to what one could order from a chef at the capital.


    Li Muxing wanted to ask more questions, but it would be impudent of her to continue to stay much longer. When Jiufang Changming took a cup of tea, she stood up politely, but was still reluctant to leave. After she was gone, Changming waved his sleeves to set up a formation around his room, preventing people from getting inside.


    After all, the place was under Luomei¡¯s control. Even though he had changed his appearance and aura, he dared not be negligent.


    After the formation was set, Jiufang Changming sat on the bed to cultivate, quickly entering a meditative state.


    His mind slowly drifted far away. He felt as if he had been walking a dark and narrow path surrounded by brambles. The sharp thorns were also sticking out from the ground and scratched his feet painfully, ignoring his spiritual powers.


    Blood was oozing from the wounds and soaking the thorns which flourished quickly and soon wrapped their branches around his entire body. An omnipresent stench of blood filled his nostrils, strangling him. But the brambles felt familiar, so he did not want to push it away subconsciously and allowed it to embrace him.


    The thorns ripped through his clothes, piercing the flesh underneath and causing pain but with some subtle pleasure within it.


    He started gasping for breath and struggled weakly, but had already fallen under the control of the brambles.


    His lower neck was grabbed firmly, and his thin lips were slightly parted. The smell of blood had silently enveloped him, trapping him inside the tender cocoon that kept shrinking.


    This is wrong¡­


    What is wrong¡­


    What could break through his barrier without him noticing it and making him lose his will to resist¡­


    He forced himself to open his heavy eyelids, and the world around him suddenly went dark, and the spiny branches turned into two arms that embraced him, which made him have an epiphany.


    This was Yun Weisi!


    Only he could break through Changming¡¯s barrier, because their techniques had basically the same origin.


    Why would Yun Weisi, who was supposed to hide himself somewhere in the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, appear here?!


    Changming smelled blood, and it was not a creation of the land of dreams.


    ¡°Are you wounded?¡±

 CH 145

    Few people could injure Yun Weisi now, but it did not mean that no one could.


    After he and Changming had parted ways, he went to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa together with Yao Wangnian without delay, yet they were still not as quick as Luomei.


    Yun Weisi found a chance to disguise himself as a servant that attended to the guests who resided in the Zhen Buildings and used a technique to make the steward believe that he was a new hire. The steward sent him to serve one of the elders of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, who was surnamed Feng. The elder was a nitpicker and always had many demands of Yun Weisi. In one moment, he would ask for hot water, but in the next, he might want ice. Sometimes, he complained about the dishes being too bland, while at other times, he wanted to eat sweets. These constant errands made Yun Weisi tired, but he also happened to listen in on a lot while running from one place to another.


    ¡°When I was fetching vegetables from the kitchen, I overheard someone asking Elder Feng, ¡®concerning that person, have you¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡®Have you¡¯? Is it an unfinished sentence?¡±


    Yun Weisi was even talking slower than usual. Changming took his wrist in his hand and transferred some spiritual power to him, letting Yun Weisi rest while leaning on Changming¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Yes. He saw me and did not finish talking.¡±


    Yun Weisi could thus stay there no longer, as it would have been too suspicious. Elder Feng waved his hand at him, and Yun Weisi left. As soon as he closed the door, they put a soundproof barrier on the room, so Yun Weisi only heard the last sentence indistinctly.


    Elder Feng asked, Do you want to go against the clan master?


    The people Jiang Li met during his travels called him ¡®Clan Master Jiang¡¯ respectfully, but in truth, he was merely the current clan master, while the true master of the clan was Immortal Luomei. As long as Luomei did not pass away or held a formal ceremony to transfer the title to Jiang Li, his rightful title was the clan master.


    The clan master whom Elder Feng mentioned was most likely Luomei.


    These two unfinished sentences concealed several separate pieces of information.


    But he could not discuss that with Yao Wangnian. Given the latter¡¯s temperament, he would have rushed off to find Luomei immediately.


    After Elder Feng¡¯s visitor had left, he had stayed in the room alone. Yun Weisi waited for him outside patiently, and by nightfall, Elder Feng finally opened the door. He did not look for Luomei, but did not stroll around aimlessly either. Instead, he moved behind the Zhen Buildings and went up along a rarely used mountain path.


    Yun Weisi followed, keeping a great distance between the two of them. The further along they went, the more inaccessible the path became, but it was not a problem for either of them. Strangely, they met no disciples of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa while on the road, only a couple of arrays. Elder Feng broke through them easily, as if he was following an all too familiar path¡ªif Yun Weisi had not known better, he would have thought that Elder Feng was one of the people of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa.


    By memorizing Elder Feng¡¯s actions, Yun Weisi passed through the arrays and followed him.


    ¡°This could have been a trap.¡±


    Jiufang Changming said after listening to this part of Yun Weisi¡¯s recount.


    ¡°I knew, but I had no other choice.¡±


    If he went, he could learn Jiang Li¡¯s whereabouts. On the other hand, if he did not go, they would have no starting point and would have had to wait for a long time for another chance. Knowing Luomei, the more they hesitated, the more danger Jiang Li was in.


    So, when Yun Weisi reached the gates of a mountain monastery, withwisteria twining around them, he chose to proceed further.


    Yun Weisi had to break through all kinds of restrictions, formations and traps to finally see Jiang Li. His hair was disheveled, and he was shackled with iron chains under water and could not move. It was unknown whether he was even alive at this point.


    At this moment, someone quietly approached them.


    ¡°Daoyou, you knew that this was a trap, yet you still came. It seems that you are persistent and loyal to your friends. This venerable one did not expect him to find such a dedicated friend during his short trip, and this venerable one is eminently satisfied indeed.¡±


    That was the same voice as the one that he had heard in Hongluo, but this time, the man¡¯s head was not covered with a hood. He was wearing long robes, had his hair tied up high on his head, and looked awe-inspiring and enlightened. Had it not been for Yun Weisi¡¯s past and current life and everything he had been through with this man, he would have never seen past his mask.


    ¡°Luomei. Long time no see.¡±


    Yun Weisi was not as frustrated as Luomei expected him to be. On the contrary, he was looking Luomei up and down with a pensive expression.


    From the tone of Yun Weisi¡¯s speech, Luomei could guess that Yun Weisi knew him quite well. However, there was no chance that they had met before the commotion in Hongluo. As such, it made no sense for Yun Weisi to say that they had not seen each other for a long time.


    Luomei knew nothing of his background and subconsciously did not appreciate the feeling of losing control.


    ¡°Do you know this one?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You could say so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked through the sea of Jiang Li¡¯s consciousness and I know that your name is Yun Weisi and you are a rogue cultivator, a friend of Jiufang Changming, right? Why did you come here? Which one of my old friends sent you?¡±


    ¡°What if I say that I came from the Sacred Mountain Wan?¡±


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    Luomei abruptly stopped talking, realizing that he had almost fallen for Yun Weisi¡¯s words.


    This man cannot be left like this, Luomei thought. Although he did not know how they had learned his secret, as soon as Yun Weisi mentioned the Sacred Mountain Wan, he had already crossed the line.


    ¡°This disciple of mine was led astray by demons. His mind is currently in turmoil, and he behaves irrationally, so I was forced to lock him here in hope that the waters of the Eternal Ice would be able to quench his demonic heart.¡±


    He was talking unhurriedly with inspiring righteousness. His words rang out with the concern of a stern teacher.


    ¡°Ever since he was little, Jiang Li has been obedient, but the elders of our sect have spoiled him, so he has been unable to tell wrong from right. This time, he cast aside his responsibilities as the sect master and descended the mountains, which, in turn, fueled discontent with the entire sect. I invested all my effort into pacifying the unrest¡ªyet he, in addition to abdicating his duties, was enticed by demons. If the news of this matter spreads, the whole Wanjian Immortal Clan, alongside its legacy spanning centuries, will be destroyed in a moment.¡±


    Immortal Luomei slowly raised his sleeves, and something flashed in his hands. It was the Guyue Sword, the one that Jiang Li used to carry around.


    Jiang Li¡¯s sword had not only been taken away, but the sea of his consciousness was no longer under his control either. Obviously, Jiang Li¡¯s situation was not good.


    But Yun Weisi knew that Luomei would not kill his disciple here, in the lands of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, because this disciple of his was still of use to Luomei.


    ¡°Tell this venerable one where you came from and what you want, and this venerable one will consider letting you go.¡± Luomei stared at him. The sword in his hand was quivering, ready to attack Yun Weisi at any moment.


    The overwhelming energy of Luomei¡¯s presence rushed forward, as imposing as a mountain.


    Had it been a common person, they would have probably been unable to breathe and would have fallen to their knees in front of Luomei. But Yun Weisi did not move at all, and it even seemed that he had the strength to resist.


    The realization that Yun Weisi¡¯s cultivation was now even stronger compared to when he was at Hongluo solidified Luomei¡¯s intention to kill him. Without a moment of hesitation or any inclination to ask Yun Weisi of his companion¡¯s whereabouts, Luomei turned the Guyue Sword into thousands of blades. A bright light lit up the entire cave, and it was now as bright as if it were day, almost blindingly so.


    For a moment, even Yun Weisi was forced to close his eyes.


    And in this very moment, the net created by the sword qi reached Yun Weisi!


    Even though Changming had not been there to witness the scene, from Yun Weisi¡¯s brief description, he could imagine how dangerous it was. It was not an exaggeration to call this a mortal danger.


    ¡°Then you fought?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have gone there.¡±


    ¡°At least I gave Luomei an impression that we are at the end of our rope and are desperate enough to make a reckless move. He will definitely lower his guard. This also allowed me to learn something else, even though the news is not pleasing¡ªLuomei¡¯s real strength: he might be stronger than us in the future.¡±


    It was not simply ¡®not pleasing¡¯, but outright terrible.


    Changming felt a chill, and even his expression wavered.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Yun Weisi hummed and said: ¡°When I fought with him, I felt like his cultivation was at its peak. Hardly anyone in this world is his opponent. However, this kind of strength feels like a fully drawn bow that can rebound against its source in a moment of carelessness, which will probably prevent him from ascending and force him to occupy Jiang Li¡¯s body.¡±


    They had become stronger, but Luomei was stronger still.


    Yun Weisi had originally thought that running away was an easy solution, but he did not know whether the Jiang Li whom he had found was real or otherwise, so he decided to attack and try to rescue Jiang Li, but ended up dancing to Luomei¡¯s tune. After a fierce battle, Yun Weisi learned that this Jiang Li was a fake, while he was wounded and had to retreat.


    The next day marked the beginning of the Qianlin Assembly. Even though the relationship between the Zhengrong Mountain Villa and Luomei was good, they would not raise a clamor and turn the sect upside down just to find a person, thus messing up the grand occasion. So, Yun Weisi hid here and there until he met Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°When he had just arrived, a disciple of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa told us that Jiang Li started a massacre in broad daylight. That must also be a lie.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this must be Luomei¡¯s doing. If I¡¯m not mistaken, he wants to first accuse Jiang Li of colluding with demons, and next give up on him for a perfectly justified reason and make him disappear.¡±


    ¡°And Yao Wangnian?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve parted ways. He refused to act together.¡±


    ¡°I think that Luomei wants to use Jiang Li to lure Yao Wangnian out to eradicate all sources of trouble.¡±


    By this point, the two disciples would have fallen under Luomei¡¯s control, while the real culprit would be praised as a man who was willing to punish even his own family for the sake of justice, which would only make everyone admire him even more.


    He would flawlessly turn the facts on their heads and make everything seem the opposite of reality.


    ¡°Judging by his current powers, there is little chance you¡¯ll be able to force him to make an appearance tomorrow.¡±


    Even before this, Jiufang Changming knew for sure that he would have to overcome all kinds of difficulties to make his way to this battle, but there was always a possibility that he would lose nevertheless.


    But at least that was the last battle.


    No matter how difficult it was, he could not avoid it.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even if I lose, I¡¯ll just die once again.¡±


    Hearing him say this, Yun Weisi smiled.


    If Jiufang Changming died, Yun Weisi would obviously not survive alone. At least, if they worked together, they would be able to inflict serious damage on Luomei.


    The most painful thing in the world was not to die together, but for one of them to suffer in the hellish Yellow Springs, while the other one would have to roam the realm of the living, separated by powers that could not be opposed. After going through this once, he never wanted to repeat it.


    And now, no matter whether they died or lived, they would be together.


    At this moment, they were surrounded by dangers, and both sides were ready to strike. However, the both of them stood shoulder to shoulder, together, and no other words needed to be said.


    The sound of footsteps broke this rare moment of tranquility.


    They heard someone knocking on the door.


    Not only on their door¡ªseveral rooms in the corridor were visited by disciples of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa.


    Angry voices came from the doors as the guests opened their doors with gloomy expressions.


    ¡°A demon has infiltrated the sect and someone was wounded. To ensure everyone¡¯s safety, our master asked us to check all the rooms to make sure if everyone¡¯s okay. Daoyous, I hope you will excuse us, please let us check inside.¡±


    This place was not some inn that could be searched through by government forces at any moment¡ªit was a place where cultivators resided. If they barged into their rooms like this in the middle of the night, obviously, they would not be greeted with happy faces.


    ¡°What do you mean? You think there¡¯s a demon in our rooms, or do you suspect that one of us is?¡±


    ¡°And you call this the hospitality of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa?! Do you think you can pick on us because of our backgrounds and not face retaliation?¡±


    Among the voices of the disciples, there was also Lin Wenyu¡¯s.


    Some of them were more compliant and let the disciples of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa in, but some stood at the doors and refused to let them enter.


    ¡°We are very sorry, we didn¡¯t want to disturb you at midnight as well. However, you¡¯ve probably heard of the massacre caused by Clan Master Jiang of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, who was enticed by demons. These demons appear out of nowhere and disappear, leaving no traces, and it¡¯s impossible to stop them. We, the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, are concerned with our guests¡¯ safety. This time, we were honored to host the assembly, but had no idea that would cause such a commotion.¡±


    The disciples explained good-naturedly, and even those who tried to pick a quarrel with them were forced to furiously step away.


    When time came for Jiufang Changming, he opened the door with neither delay nor hurry. He seemed as unhappy as the rest of the guests, but did not stop the disciples of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, only uttering one strange sentence.


    ¡°You can search my room, but don¡¯t search my bed.¡±


    Tn:


    There is a problem with my laptop that started a couple of weeks ago, and now it was taken from me for good ;;


    Sorry for the slow updates, but it really is a torture¡­


    On a side note, I¡¯ve been wondering how polls work, so here¡¯s a question:


    Instead of ¡°I¡± Luomei uses ¡°±¾×ù¡±, commonly translated as ¡°this venerable one¡±.

 CH 146

    The man had casually thrown on his outer garments and even kept yawning lazily.


    He was so relaxed that he just turned away from the gazes of the disciples of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa and walked away. The disciples glanced at each other and followed him.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you let us check your bed, daoyou?¡±


    The disciples had looked him up before coming here. His name was Sun Wuxia, and he was the most outstanding disciple of the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace. Based on the status of his sect, he was almost qualified to be assigned to the Zhen Buildings, but he had arrived alone and alongside Li Muxing and her companions, which lowered his status, so the Zhengrong Mountain Villa had not treated him like an honored guest.


    ¡°Ask not about what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety [1]. Daoyous must be familiar with this principal.¡±


    But the more he tried to thwart the inspection, the more suspicious he seemed.


    ¡°We have an order from our master, so I have no choice but to ask daoyou to comply with the request. Please excuse me, I¡¯ll only take a look at the bed¡­¡±


    While saying this, the disciple in charge pulled away the canopy quickly so as not to let Changming stop him.


    But as soon as the disciple¡¯s gaze fell upon the bed, his expression changed.


    There was a person wrapped in a quilt on the bed. Her shy, delicate face showed behind her loosely hanging hair, and her watery eyes seemed to be on the verge of shedding tears, just like young leaves that were wet with morning dew.


    Under the black hair, they could see her trembling white collarbone, which was so dazzling that they had to turn away quickly, as if burnt by the sight. Then, they thought: this woman was obviously not a cultivator, so could it be that this man had taken her from his sect as a plaything to sate his lust at any time?


    The disciples of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa had met many people who indulged in wanton extravagance. Such people always had maids accompanying them and serving them in their everyday life. But this Sun Wuxia arrived here yesterday all alone, so, how could a living person appear next to him out of nowhere?


    This thought made the disciples very alarmed in an instant.


    ¡°Where did this woman come from?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve already noticed her¡­¡±


    Changming sighed softly and raised his hand. The door closed by itself even though there was no wind.


    The disciples thought that he was about to initiate a confrontation, so they got ready to retaliate, yet the man only took out a piece of paper from his sleeve.


    The piece of paper was intricately folded and looked like a small person. Changming tapped on it a few times and blew on it. The figure abruptly grew in size and lightly soared to the floor, turning into a beautiful maiden right in front of their eyes.


    The woman had two buns in her hair and was dressed in yellow robes. Her eyes were big, her forehead was high, and she saluted them politely.


    ¡°As you see, daoyous, the one in my bed is not a demon, but a trivial cultivation technique. It¡¯s not like we have to suffer alone through the long night, so I used a trick to have some fun.¡±


    ¡°Is this an appearance changing technique?¡± asked one of the disciples after his words had sunk in.


    ¡°Yes, it is called the Art of Transferring Spirit. You have good eyes, daoyou.¡± Changming smiled and took several pieces of paper out of his sleeve, passing them to everyone. ¡°This is a secret technique of my Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace, so please, daoyous, don¡¯t talk about it much, or my room would have to host too many interested guests. These are small tokens to show my respect to you and to celebrate our acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators pay particular attention to controlling their desires, you, you¡­¡±


    They protested a lot, but in the end, their actions spoke louder than their words, and they accepted the paper.


    Changming looked innocent as he said, ¡°I only let her out to talk to her¡ªwhat does that have to do with desire? Please, be more careful, if you tear the paper, the girls might turn out crippled.¡±


    After hearing this, they started moving much more gently as they put the pieces of white paper in their sleeves.


    ¡°How do we use it?¡±


    ¡°You only have to imagine the appearance before you blow on it, and regardless of whether you wished for a man or for a woman, for a beauty or for a monster, they will appear according to your will. However, don¡¯t forget that this is but a technique to alleviate boredom and would thus only last for a night or so. When the sun rises, it will return to its original form immediately, and the paper will burn up by itself, leaving no traces. Just think about it: the nights are long and lonely, but a girl that accompanies you in your studies makes it much more lively, adding colors to your quiet meditation.¡±


    ¡°Is it single-use?¡±


    ¡°This Sun is incompetent, so the technique will only last one night. Moreover, I did not bring many materials with me on the journey. However, if you wish, you can visit my Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace after the Qianlin Assembly. My shishu is extremely skilled in this art, and the paper figures he makes are more refined. Not only do they have spirits and can talk, but they can even save their master if something goes wrong.¡±


    He was just saying whatever came to his mind, but the disciples of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa believed him and even looked shocked.


    One was partial to those from a person whose gifts one had accepted, and one¡¯s hand would not rise to hit a smiling person. So, they did not doubt him and even felt somewhat cordial with Changming.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of an art like this used in the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace. Indeed, the world is vast and full of hidden talents. We were ordered to come by today, so don¡¯t take it personally. I hope you win with your first move and gain instant fame tomorrow, daoyou Sun!¡±


    ¡°I understand, daoyous, the Zhengrong Mountain Villa must have its own profound reasons for this. I would like to invite you to a dinner after the Qianlin Assembly. It would be nice if you could introduce me to some seniors so that I can report to my sect that I have acted dutifully.¡±


    In fact, there was no need for him to say this. As long as he succeeded in the Qianlin Assembly, the people of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa would search for him themselves.


    After the short exchange, the disciples, carrying the paper figures, left satisfied, happy with the trick that had been played on them.


    Of course, they would not come back and see the person in Changming¡¯s room, since they were now united by a shared secret.


    Changming sent them out. He watched them walk away to another floor to search the rooms there before closing the door and returning to his room.


    He flickered his fingers, and the woman in yellow robes in front of the bed abruptly became flat and turned back into a piece of paper.


    While on the bed¡ª


    Changming reached out to the forehead of the ¡°maiden¡± on the bed and slowly tore a layer from it.


    The ¡°layer of skin¡± that was ripped off turned into paper too, and Yun Weisi¡¯s face returned to its original appearance.


    ¡°Shizun¡¯s Art of Transferring Spirit has long since transcended the limits of the secular world, and now doesn¡¯t even seem like something a human can do.¡±


    At first, Yun Weisi thought that this technique could only be used for creating soldiers by transferring spirits, but Changming had managed to get it up to another level, reaching perfection with this technique that had originally been neglected by others. He was indeed befitting the title of the best cultivator of his generation.


    ¡°You¡¯re wounded, just rest here. Don¡¯t get involved in tomorrow¡¯s event.¡± While talking, Jiufang Changming put the paper he had gotten off Yun Weisi into a basin of water, and the paper melted away without a trace.


    Yun Weisi did not answer, but asked instead: ¡°What do you think Luomei will do tomorrow at the Qianlin Assembly?¡±


    This was an important question.


    Since ¡°Jiang Li¡± was arrested and accused of working together with demons under everyone¡¯s eyes, there was no doubt that tomorrow this story would get a continuation, and gain a ¡°final¡± ending.


    Changming said softly: ¡°My guess is that in Luomei¡¯s eyes, we¡¯re not really that much of a threat. He sees Yao Wangnian, this persistent ghost, as the real obstacle. I wager that tomorrow he will try to use Jiang Li to lure Yao Wangnian out.¡±


    Yun Weisi sighed.


    That was what he was worried about too.


    Luomei had been thoroughly prepared for the battle. Rather than being afraid of Yao Wangnian showing up, he was more afraid of that not happening. He absolutely needed to deliver vital blows to both of his disciples to never have them trouble him again and ruin his ambitious plans.


    ¡°That is why I must go. Luomei won¡¯t be able to be in two places at once at the Qianlin Assembly tomorrow, so it will be our best chance to save Jiang Li along with Chi Bijiang. It will be best if you manage to force Luomei to show his true colors, but if you fail, we should let Jiang Li warn others by revealing what he has experienced and testify against Luomei.¡±


    But even if Jiang Li testified against Luomei using himself as evidence, he would not necessarily succeed. Luomei had hundreds of ways to turn the situation against Jiang Li. In the court of public opinion, the master was always right, and their disciples had to bow their heads in submission. Luomei was not only Jiang Li¡¯s shifu, but the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan. Luomei was sure of his victory on his own chessboard¡ªthe other players were but pawns to be carried along with the tide.


    The sky was gloomy and obscured by rain clouds. Cultivators claimed to be closer to the Heavenly Dao than the common people, while in truth, the entire chaotic human world was clueless as they went round in circles day in and day out without actually moving forward.


    ¡°If¡­ I¡¯m just saying, but if,¡± Yun Weisi looked at him meaningfully, as if he wanted to see through Jiufang Changming, ¡°today was the last time we saw each other, what would you have told me?¡±


    ¡°This is not the last time we will see each other. But even if it was¡ªI¡¯ve never regretted anything, neither accepting you as a disciple, nor taking you as a daoist partner.¡± Changming had never been proficient at expressing his feelings, but his thoughtful, frowning expression was cute, and Yun Weisi could not help reaching out to smooth it and then kiss it, so that the frown was melted away by this tenderness, as if this life was free of worries.


    ¡°I know that you have always been absorbed in studying the Heavenly Dao, and it is difficult for you to pay particular attention to a person or a thing next to you. I used to think that among your four disciples I was the one who was the least troublesome and rarely gave you a reason to worry, so you neglected me the most.¡±


    But later he realized that whether Changming had neglected him or not had nothing to do with how Yun Weisi was compared to the other disciples. If one liked a person, even if the person was silent all day long and never moved, the person would still be loved. And if one did not like a person, even if they were perfect in every way, they would not be desired.


    For Yun Weisi, Jiufang Changming used to be like a high mountain he had looked up to, so Yun Weisi had trained hard to conquer the mountain and stand shoulder to shoulder with Jiufang Changming.


    And for Jiufang Changming, he was¡ª


    ¡°Ever since you were a child, ever since I¡¯ve seen you for the first time, I knew we were bound by fate. Even if you hadn¡¯t come to the Yuhuang Temple to become my disciple, I¡¯d have sent my shidi to take care of you in the capital. You¡¯ve always been destined to be connected with the Yuhuang Temple.¡±


    In truth, his connection with the Yuhuang Temple was his connection with Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°You turned out to be exceptionally gifted and more astute than the others, someone with a great potential of cultivation. I wanted to teach you, and I paid more attention to you than to the other three.¡±


    Hearing this, Yun Weisi laughed.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m your first disciple.¡±


    Changming pondered for a moment and shook his head: ¡°The years when I accepted you as a disciple must have been the least troubled years in my life, so for me, Yun Weisi meant tranquility and peace. No one dislikes comfort, and I am no exception. But cultivators have to endure more than the common people and also have to put in more effort to reach the peak step by step.¡±


    At that time, they would never cross the boundaries between a master and a disciple. One of them was supposed to be teaching and would answer any questions, while the other wished to gain the knowledge as he admired the first. If that had continued, Yun Weisi would have gradually become strong under his shifu¡¯s guidance and left him to pave his own path. Yun Weisi also realized that even without Jiufang Changming, he would be a respected master of a Daoist sect, one of the strongest in the world. Unfortunately, something had derailed this original trajectory, but had also shattered the boundaries between the two of them.


    Maybe, it had happened when Yun Weisi agreed to Jiufang Changming¡¯s plan, saying that he would definitely become Changming¡¯s most powerful supporter. Even if he was not able to do that now, one day, he would definitely succeed. Or maybe, it had happened when he was fighting against demons and got poisoned in a moment of carefulness, when many people and events flashed through the sea of his consciousness, but he still walked towards the Yuhuang Temple alone. Or maybe, it had happened when he had arrived at the foot of Yuhuang¡¯s mountains and saw Yun Weisi standing at the gates, as if waiting for Jiufang Changming to return. In the future, Changming knew that Yun Weisi would spend some time under the mountains every day. No one knew who he was waiting for, and Yun Weisi never told anyone. The world slowly changed, but his feelings remained. Changming did not know when he had realized it, but at some point, he could easily recall anything that was related to Yun Weisi.


    And this in itself was a very unique thing.


    ¡°I should go.¡±


    Without waiting for Changming to remember every detail, Yun Weisi pulled away and stood up, ready to leave.


    His wounds had not healed completely, but after spending a night treating them, he felt a lot better.


    The sky had brightened, and the Qianlin Assembly was about to begin, so Changming also had to go.


    A night of rest was gone in a flash, and now they had to part ways again, each of them heading towards the steepest of cliffs.


    ¡°Shizun.¡±


    Yun Weisi stopped abruptly and turned his head back.


    He still called Changming that even after they had become daoist partners, and Changming had never stopped him.


    Although it was when they were practicing dual cultivation beneath the bedsheets, the gasp of ¡°Shizun¡±, falling from the lips of his partner would make Changming overly sensitive as well as make Yun Weisi lose control even more.


    But this time, the word was said almost solemnly, not at all intimate or playful.


    ¡°If I could start over, I wouldn¡¯t have let you enter that trap. I would rather follow you to the Yellow Springs, so don¡¯t make me leave you ever again.¡±


    Changming froze for a moment. He did not expect Yun Weisi to demand something like this.


    For Yun Weisi, that time when they pretended to turn against each other was probably extremely heartbreaking.


    In the past, Changming did not understand it, but now he felt a dull pain in his chest and sympathized with Yun Weisi.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Even if fate led him to the Yellow Springs again, he would not run from it.


    Yun Weisi left quietly and did not disturb anyone.


    He had his own ways of doing so. With his current cultivation level, in the entire Zhengrong Mountain Villa, only Luomei could be his opponent. However, Luomei would not fight against him alone, and the whole sect would set up traps and come up with plans to stop him.


    By the time Changming changed his clothes and washed up, Li Muxing had arrived.


    ¡°Daoyou Sun, how was your night?¡±


    ¡°Originally, I was sleeping well, but then several people barged in to inspect my room, and I couldn¡¯t fall asleep for the rest of the night and had to meditate.¡±


    Li Muxing sympathized with him and got angry at the villa again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe they treated the guests in the Zhen Buildings in the same manner!¡±


    Before Changming could answer, they heard a voice outside: ¡°They look down on us even though they¡¯re no better and abuse their position!¡±


    Lin Wenyu still had not calmed down.


    ¡°Second shidi! We are under the eaves¡ªwe¡¯ll leave as soon as the Qianlin Assembly comes to an end, so don¡¯t create problems.¡± Xia Zheng warned him and turned to Changming and Li Muxing, ¡°Daoyous, it¡¯s still very early, we should draw lots now. There are plenty of talented individuals in the sects, and if we stumble upon a formidable opponent in the very first round, that would probably shake our resolve.¡±


    We are under the eaves: ¡­so we must lower our heads: have to obey to those who are more influential


    No one objected, and they went together to the place where the Qianlin Assembly would be held, making no stops along the way.


    Tn:


    [1] Ask not about what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety: a changed quote from the Analects, Yan Yuan:


    Yan Yuan asked about perfect virtue. The Master [Confucius] said, ¡°To subdue one¡¯s self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him. Is the practice of perfect virtue from a man himself, or is it from others?¡± Yan Yuan said, ¡°I beg to ask the steps of that process.¡± The Master replied, ¡°Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety.¡± Yan Yuan then said, ¡°Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigor, I will make it my business to practice this lesson.¡±

 CH 147

    A fearless spirit and a strong wind


    Are all you need to sail rocky waters on your feet. [1]


    The Platform of the Fearless was located in the heart of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, right in the middle between the Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen and Dui Buildings. Jiufang Changming had always suspected that the entire Zhengrong Mountain Villa was just a huge formation, and that the Platform of the Fearless could well be the key to its activation. In case of an enemy invasion, the entire place would turn into a hell, entrapping them.


    However, after all, a suspicion was only a suspicion, and he was not as versed in the art of formation as Chi Bijiang. He felt that this sect was built in a storm-summoning place that gathered spiritual power, but he could hardly guess where the centre of the formation was.


    The people who had come to participate in this Qianlin Assembly were assigned a unique number, dividing them into groups according to their cultivation levels. The winner could continue to progress until they would have won all ten rounds.


    But very few could win in all ten rounds, and those who had achieved that could be counted on the fingers of one¡¯s hand. One of them was Yao Wangnian, the oldest disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Sect of the past, as Changming had heard from Jiang Li. At that time, Yao Wangnian was an extremely graceful and charming person who shone brighter than any of his peers. Once he got up on the stage with his sword drawn, countless female cultivators would be enamored by him. Yet now, his face was ugly, and he had gone insane, which made his old friends feel all the more sorry for him.


    The Qianlin Assembly was not held each year, the breaks between the assemblies lasted up to three or even, five years, on occasion instead of one. Every host sect was a world-famous clan¡ªthey were sects with many disciples, rich histories, and were influential enough to send invitation cards to a wide range of sects, which got esteemed guests to participate. After all, many cultivators lived alone in seclusion, and it was hard to find them, so a common person would not even have a chance to see them, all the more to get them to come over.


    The Zhengrong Mountain Villa had been established not more than thirty years ago, so they were only able to host the assembly because of their deep connection with the Wanjian Immortal Clan as well as not suffering from the lack of money. Their guests had come from all parts of the world, which made the Zhengrong Mountain Villa proud of its capabilities.


    As Jiufang Changming saw it, the place was evidently influenced by the Wanjian Immortal Clan. Even the magnificent yet mysterious Platform of the Fearless could have been built by the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    Not far away, a string of bright and limpid crystal balls were floating in the air. The cultivators were standing nearby around the tiles laid out in the shape of the Yin and the Yang. When the next person was up for drawing lots, they would raise their hand, and one of the translucent balls would fly into their hand, breaking once it reached its destination in order to reveal a wooden plaque with the name of this person¡¯s opponent for the round.


    Xia Zheng was unlucky. In the very first round, he was matched with a disciple of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao.


    ¡°Fu Yunqi?¡± Lin Wenyu came over to take a look, ¡°I¡¯m not even sure whether it¡¯s a guy or a girl.¡±


    Li Muxing said: ¡°I¡¯ve never heard this name either. They must be one of the rising stars of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, who is attending the Qianlin Assembly for the first time just like us.¡±


    Lin Wenyu: ¡°It¡¯ll be easy if this is a woman. Dashixiong, don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll definitely win this round!¡±


    He was talking nonsense, and Li Muxing could not help but glance at him.


    Xia Zheng frowned: ¡°No matter the gender, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    When it was her turn, Li Muxing pulled out the name of a Buddhist cultivator of the Qingyun School.


    Compared to these two, Lin Wenyu had gotten a lot luckier. His opponent was called Feng Tian, and he came from the Qinghai Sect. The name sounded imposing, but in truth, the sect was small and obscure.


    Imposing: Qinghai ¡ª ¡°holding up the seas¡±


    ¡°Who has daoyou Sun pulled out?¡±


    Changming did not hurry forward. When it was his turn, there were almost no crystal balls left. One of them floated to Changming immediately, and a wooden plaque revealed a name.


    Celestial Abode Shenxiao, Fu Dongyuan.


    Lin Wenyu exclaimed: ¡°Why is it Celestial Abode Shenxiao again? Why is it the same Fu surname? Is he connected to this Fu Yunqi?¡±


    Xia Zheng gasped: ¡°This is the oldest disciple of the master of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao!¡±


    Li Muxing: ¡°He is. I¡¯ve heard that Fu Dongyuan has an outstanding level of cultivation and is most qualified to inherit the title of sect master.¡±


    In a moment, the three of them looked into Changming¡¯s eyes sympathetically.


    Xia Zheng even patted Changming on his shoulder: ¡°It¡¯s fine even if you lose. There are nine more rounds, so don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Li Muxing laughed: ¡°In fact, I doubt that daoyou Sun will definitely lose.¡±


    Lin Wenyu¡¯s argumentative nature came into play again: ¡°It won¡¯t be easy for him to win against Fu Dongyuan. After all, he is the next master of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao. It¡¯ll be great if he¡¯s able to hold on for a while before losing.¡±


    Xia Zheng: ¡°Ershixiong, could you act nice for a second?¡±


    Lin Wenyu pursed his lips: ¡°This is called being upright and plainspoken. You guys are just sugar coating this.¡±


    Jiufang Changming nodded, but did not seem discouraged.


    ¡°Daoyou LIn is absolutely right. I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±


    But in his heart, he thought about how he was just waiting for a chance to distinguish himself, and now Fu Dongyuan had sent himself straight to Changming, which was a wonderful opportunity to eventually force Luomei to fight against him. Today, if he met a deity, he would slaughter the deity, and if he chanced upon a Buddha, he would slaughter the Buddha¡ªso he might as well start with Fu Dongyuan.


    Even if this person was to become a sect master in the future, he would still become the first stepping stone for Changming.


    Having their opponents assigned, the four of them went to their respective positions.


    In order to save time, the battle stage was divided into four parts. It was surrounded by seats for the spectators so that they could watch all four battles simultaneously. A protective barrier had been put around the arena, preventing their chaotic spiritual powers from hurting the bystanders.


    Changming looked around. He saw many cultivators, who were complete unknowns now, that were going to become some of the most powerful cultivators he knew. He also saw many of those who were famous in this moment but in the future, they would pass away for various reasons. Yet, except for Changming, not a single one of the cultivators present here knew their fates that had already been written down in the Book of Life and Death.


    But Jiufang Changming also hoped that their fates, as he knew them, would change. After all, if the existing flow of events did not change, there was no point in his trip to the past that was supposed to rewrite everything.


    He finally saw Luomei.


    He had appeared a distance away and moved forward unhurriedly, surrounded by a crowd, just like the moon surrounded by stars. There were several strands of silver that were mixed into his hair, which only added charm to his never-aging face.


    Near Luomei, except for the master of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, Wang Jingyuan, there was also the current master of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, Xu Wangshu, the head of the Qingyun School, Miao Du, and several others. Apart from those who could not coexist with them, like demonic cultivators, all others, like the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, the Zhenling Clan, and the Twenty Four Slopes were represented by their elders that were given places according to their statuses.


    This assembly was not only an occasion for the major clans to exchange pointers and to show their strength, but also a chance to shake up the Jianghu and predict any future changes. The sect that was considered the strongest at one point would not necessarily still be flourishing in the future. The continued prosperity of a sect could only be ensured by having a group of talented individuals to succeed and continue the traditions of the previous generation.


    Occasionally, there were some exceptionally gifted rogue cultivators with hidden potential. If fate allowed it, they could obtain an invitation to the Qianlin Assembly, and the major sect would use the opportunity to seek out their talents and ask them to join their sect. Missing out on such a chance to acquire a talent would be a mistake, so everyone was likely to participate.


    For a sect, having another talented member could play a big role. This was an indisputable fact known to all masters.


    He looked away from Luomei.


    Li Muxing and Xia Zheng were also discussing all these master cultivators. Li Muxing saw that Jiufang Changming had fallen silent, so she came over and whispered in a soothing voice: ¡°Don¡¯t pay too much mind to Lin Wenyu¡¯s words. Fu Dongyuan is indeed one of the brightest of our generation. I¡¯ve heard that he has already participated in a Qianlin Assembly before, so I really don¡¯t know why he came here again. No one would doubt your capabilities if you lose to someone with loads of experience and strength.¡±


    Changming nodded: ¡°Thank you for your kindness, daoyou Li. I¡¯m not nervous.¡±


    Who would not be nervous if their first opponent was Fu Dongyuan? Li Muxing did not believe Changming, thinking that he was only trying to put on a brave front. No one knew that Changming was actually pondering on how to not win against Fu Dongyuan too easily lest he attract unwanted attention from Luomei.


    Moreover, the longer this Qianlin Assembly went on, the more time Yun Weisi had to rescue those Luomei had captured.


    No more small talks could be done to soothe Xia Zheng¡¯s nervousness since the next match was his.


    When Fu Yunqi went up on the stage and stood in front of him, Xia Zheng knew that this person was a female cultivator. She was Fu Dongyuan¡¯s younger sister, and even though she was not as remarkably gifted as her brother, her strength was well above average. Her double swords moved according to her will, calmly and impeccably.


    Faced with an enemy like this, the worried and inexperienced Xia Zheng did not stand a chance. He barely managed to withstand the first hundred moves when Fu Yunqi¡¯s sword dashed forward. He tried to erect a barrier around himself, but the swords shattered it, almost reaching his forehead.


    ¡°I admit defeat!¡± Xia Zheng had no choice but to shout.


    The swords¡¯ glow darkened in response.


    Fu Yunqi raised her hand, summoning back her swords. Two rays of light reached her sleeves immediately and disappeared there.


    ¡°I wholeheartedly accept being inferior in skills!¡± Xia Zheng¡¯s forehead broke out in sweat as he slowly came back to his senses.


    When the attack had almost reached him, he believed he could have died right there.


    And now, standing in the arena under so many eyes, he realized that this was a test of his ability to quickly adapt to the circumstances. He was not allowed to be lacking in either his strength, the speed of his reactions or his ability to stay calm. Even though no one in Xia Zheng¡¯s sect was his opponent, that was only because the levels of those who had surrounded him were lower than his. This was the first time he had felt such an oppressive aura coming from someone of his age.


    ¡°Daoyou let me win,¡± Fu Yunqi said indifferently with a quick nod and turned around to leave.


    Her steps were light and quick, like a dragonfly touching the water¡¯s surface, gracefully and charmingly.


    But Xia Zheng was not inclined to admire her gait. All he could think about was how formidable Fu Dongyuan should have been if he was stronger than his sister, Fu Yunqi.


    When a person¡¯s acquaintance encountered an even more traumatizing experience, that person would not suffer as much, and Xia Zheng was just like this. He subconsciously sympathized with daoyou Sun, and felt a bit better at the same time.


    Very soon, Li Muxing and Lin Wenyu¡¯s turns came as well.


    Even though Lin Wenyu¡¯s opponent was some no-name cultivator, they turned out to be more powerful than expected, and in the end, won without contest, which made Lin Wenyu indignant. After returning, he babbled a lot about what he could have done just a bit differently to change the outcome.


    Li Muxing managed to surprise the audience. In her battle against the disciple of the Qingyun School, one of the competitors was a Daoist, and the other one, a Buddhist, but they seemed well-matched in strength. Both parties brought every trick and tool they possessed to the match, and after three hundreds of moves, Li Muxing overpowered her opponent, proving her skills superior.


    Due to the fact that their battle was much more entertaining than the other three that had been going on at the same time, many eyes were riveted on them, and even the master of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa inquired after Li Muxing¡¯s name and background.


    If Li Muxing¡¯s performance did not decline over the course of the other matches, she would surely be remembered by many people by the end of the Qianlin Assembly, and her cultivation would rise a great deal thanks to everything she would learn.


    Changming¡¯s match was the second to last.


    Many people looked forward to the match because of Fu Dongyuan¡¯s reputation, but now, seeing that his opponent was someone whose face they had never seen, they lost all hope of seeing a decent battle and just waited for it to finish without paying much attention to it.


    Changming had restrained his aura so well that even Fu Dongyuan, who would be known as someone sly and clever in the future, did not notice that his opponent was pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger.


    Pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger: to behave foolishly in order to full your opponent and win


    ¡°Daoyou Sun, I presume? Please, start first.¡±


    He waved his hand, letting Changming strike first. He did not want others to say that he was oppressing novices because of the backing of his famous sect.


    Tn:


    [1] A fearless spirit and a strong wind are all you need to sail rocky waters on your feet: two last lines from ¡°To Zhang Woquan, at the Bracing Pavilion of Huangzhou¡± by Su Shi, translated by G. Osing, J. Min & H. Huang (1990). Link (there is also an analysis of the poem)

 CH 148.1

    As one of the disciples of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, Fu Dongyuan used the weapon common among the disciples there¡ªa sword.


    But he was confident in his skills, since there were few people in this world who were more proficient with the sword than he was.


    Right before the Qianlin Assembly began, he had finally comprehended the heart of his sword, Chunrui, which allowed him to control it with his thoughts. This level of comprehension was the highest a human could attain. For most cultivators, a sword was just an exceptionally useful tool. However, if they wanted the weapon to possess a soul, they would need to be of one mind with the sword, which was obviously not easy.


    It was unusual for a cultivator as young as Fu Dongyuan to reach this level of skill. It could only mean that he was talented and excelled in grasping the essence of the teachings of his sect. Had he belonged to a different sect, had no famous teacher to instruct him and had no resources been provided by his clan, he would not have developed so fast.


    Fu Dongyuan did not look down on Jiufang Changming, despite receiving his training from a famous family. After all, after Jiufang Changming had suppressed his real cultivation level, he looked just like a high-rank cultivator, which was not a bad achievement in itself. However, this did not attract much attention at a place of young talents like the Qianlin Assembly.


    Once the competition had started, the other three pairs began exchanging blows, but Jiufang Changming and his opponent did not move.


    Fu Dongyuan was in no hurry at all. He seemed almost indifferent as he was waiting for his opponent to start.


    But Jiufang Changming did not move an inch.


    ¡°Is daoyou Sun too nervous?¡± Li Muxing, who was looking at his posture from far away, could not help asking.


    She had performed excellently. She fought back at a crucial moment near the end of the fight and turned the tide, which gave her a good head-start at the assembly. Now, she had gotten rid of her stiffness, which had been caused by worry, and was completely relaxed.


    Xia Zheng¡¯s situation was the opposite. He had lost his first round to Fu Yunqi, and was now afraid that every other opponent would be just as strong, so he was absent-minded and missed her words.


    But Lin Wenyu answered her. After all, he had come here to keep his shixiong company and knew what level he was at, so a defeat did not put that much weight on his mind.


    ¡°I believe so. After all, not everyone is unlucky enough to get Fu Dongyuan for their first match. Even his younger sister is so strong, which speaks volumes about his abilities,¡± Lin Wenyu was certainly not disappointed at daoyou Sun¡¯s misfortune. ¡°Why don¡¯t we place our bets as to how many blows daoyou Sun will be able to take from Fu Dongyuan?¡±


    Xia Zheng furrowed his brows: ¡°How can you bet on daoyou Sun¡¯s victory or defeat?¡±


    Lin Wenyu did not take his words seriously: ¡°Why not? Fu Dongyuan is so strong that even if daoyou Sun doesn¡¯t win, he won¡¯t lose his face. However, if he can hold on for a while, he might become famous right away!¡±


    Xia Zheng thought of his match with Fu Dongyuan and felt that these words were slighting him. He did not like it in the slightest, but said nothing.


    Li Muxing pondered for a moment and said: ¡°Daoyou Sun always does something unexpected. I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll give us a pleasant surprise this time as well.¡±


    A pleasant surprise? I¡¯ll be surprised if he can withstand even a few attacks, Lin Wenyu wanted to say, but in the final moment, realized that this might sound unpleasant, so he forced himself to remain silent.


    Many people noticed the indecisiveness on Jiufang Changming¡¯s face.


    It was not surprising. Any unknown cultivator who came at the Qianlin Assembly for the first time only to face a disciple of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao in the first round would be anxious and indecisive.


    ¡°Daoyou Sun, please,¡± Fu Dongyuan was also losing his patience.


    As soon as he uttered the last word, his opponent moved.


    Too fast!


    Fu Dongyuan¡¯s face dropped. It was not that he had never fought a person who could move so fast, but he did not expect to see this skill demonstrated by an unknown cultivator.


    Which sect is he from? The Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace, right? Fu Dongyuan had heard of the sect, but never thought much of them. When did this third rate sect acquire such a talented individual?


    The thought flashed through his mind, and two rays of light flew out of his sleeves as he leapt back.


    If at this moment, his opponent thought that Fu Dongyuan was overwhelmed and continued onwards, they would have made a mistake. The two wisps of spiritual power were actually a distraction meant to test him, and had Jiufang Changming met it head on, he would have faced an illusion of Fu Dongyuan instead of his real enemy.


    Despite that, Jiufang Changming charged forward regardless. His bright sword, as powerful as crashing waves, crushed the wisps of spiritual power with sheer force, and he rushed at Fu Dongyuan immediately.


    That was precisely what Fu Dongyuan had expected him to do. He clasped his hands to form the Green Cloud Seal and silently recited a mantra. A bright cloud that was glowing red appeared in front of him, engulfing the sword qi. He jumped and flew high up, using the cloud, before diving down abruptly. Then, he pulled his long sword out of his sleeve and aimed it right at his opponent!


    Green Cloud: 1) heaven 2) noble 3) lofty 4) hermit


    With the force of a thunderbolt, merge all of existence!


    The sword¡¯s glow split into a thousand blades that fell down like rain, shining in different layers. Then, the light gathered suddenly into a point before rushing down again.


    A bystander would have thought that this skill of Fu Dongyuan had no weak points and that there was no way to stop or dodge it.


    Yet Fu Dongyuan stabbed only thin air!


    Or, it would be better to say that he had stabbed a puppet.


    Fu Dongyuan revealed a surprised expression. He thought that this technique would perplex and conceal its true nature well, and as a result, his opponent would be unable to see through it. So, when did Sun Wuxia manage to create this puppet and escape from right under his nose?


    Sun Wuxia¡¯s real body must be¡ª


    Behind my back!


    Without even looking, Fu Dongyuan slashed backwards, moving firmly and without any hesitation. And indeed, his opponent was just ordering his sword to attack Fu Dongyuan from behind his back. The blindingly bright swords clashed together, while their spiritual powers met directly, which then burst out in an earth-shattering explosion.


    The earth shook, and dark clouds gathered, changing the color of the sky. A red glow flashed.


    Instead of two exalted masters of cultivation, it was two young men¡ªone of whom was a nobody¡ªwho had caused the sky to change through their battle. This surprised everyone, and they turned from the other three matches to watch them.


    Before everybody¡¯s eyes, the white and red lights created a vortex that moved outwards from the two of them. If it was not for the formation around the battle area, innocent bystanders could have been injured.


    It was not that such spectacular grand battles had never happened during Qianlin Assemblies, but they normally did not occur during the first round since most of the participants tried to save some strength for later. After all, many people thought that it was better to perform moderately in all ten rounds than to lose one of them in an especially painful way.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that against dashixiong?¡±


    ¡°So there is someone to rival Fu Dongyuan this time.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that. This man tries to look impressive, but he probably only appears strong. After all, these small sects come here to show off, but as soon as they use up all they have, they are forgotten by the next Assembly. One of these cultivators had even eaten a pill to progress faster and wanted to become famous overnight, but he didn¡¯t realize that there is always someone better, and in the end, he died of exhaustion. You could call this retribution.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that story¡ªit was a huge commotion. It happened at the last Qianlin Assembly that was held at the Holding Jade Mountain, right? That person¡¯s sect claimed that the Holding Jade Mountain held a personal grudge against that man, so they put the pill into his dish. The dispute between both parties was quite violent.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Nowadays, young people are daring enough to rush straight into danger in order to become famous!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re talking as if you¡¯re any older, stop with the pretense!¡±


    While these young cultivators were whispering gossip into each other¡¯s ears, their masters had long since started paying attention to the battle between Fu Dongyuan and Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°Daoyou Ouyang, my congratulations! Compared to several years ago, Dongyuan¡¯s cultivation had progressed. Since there is someone who is able to take over the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, you must feel relieved.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me, daoyou Ren. Your Haishan is a very promising talent as well. I saw him exchanging blows with Dongyuan last time and know that his prospects are boundless, he is in no way inferior to Dongyuan!¡± The master of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, master Ouyang, laughed while stroking his beard, but his words sounded quite polite.


    Even though most of the spectators could not even tell Jiufang Changming apart from Fu Dongyuan or predict the outcome of the battle, these masters of cultivation could immediately see that Fu Dongyuan had the upper hand and would most certainly win.


    However, since the victory would be hard-won, his opponent should not be looked down upon.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that that young friend is from the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace, called Sun Wuxia?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve also heard that he is the most talented disciple of the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace of this generation. He came alone, so his sect must have high hopes for him.¡±


    ¡°Since he has managed to withstand so much from your first disciple, he must be outstanding! It¡¯s a pity that he has already chosen a sect, otherwise I¡¯d have been very tempted to invite him over, hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Old Ren, be careful, your nasty old habit is causing trouble again! You already have cabbage at home, yet you¡¯re hankering for someone else¡¯s cabbage!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying!


    The Celestial Abode Shenxiao had always been on good terms with the Kunlun Sword Clan, so when the masters of the sects gathered, they chatted more freely than others.


    Ren Yousu suddenly nudged Ouyang with his arm and whispered: ¡°Look at that old bastard Luomei, he can¡¯t take his eyes off the battle! You think he¡¯s also interested in Sun Wuxia?¡±


    Without waiting for the master of the Celestial Abode to say something, Ren Yousu answered his own question: ¡°He¡¯s really bad at raising disciples. First, it was that Yao Wangnian, now, we have Jiang Li¡ªis it that all his disciples were in the wrong, or is he to blame?¡±


    No matter how quietly he was speaking, how could these words not reach the ears of a cultivator? Ren Yousu seemed to be whispering, but in fact, he deliberately allowed those who wanted to hear his words. Master Ouyang could not stop him and only forced a smile. Immortal Luomei had indeed heard Ren Yousu, and a disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Clan who had been standing behind his back glared at Ren Yousu.


    Ren Yousu casually looked at them.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m lying. Even though outsiders shouldn¡¯t meddle in your clan¡¯s affairs, Yao Wangnian¡¯s mother is a relative of my Ren family, albeit a distant one. It is only right if I, the oldest member of the family, sympathize with him a bit!¡±


    Immortal Luomei¡¯s expression did not waver and he nodded: ¡°Master Ren is absolutely right. Because I wasn¡¯t strict enough, my Wanjian Immortal Clan had to suffer this humiliation and caused you, daoyous, to laugh. Today, in order to clear the reputation of my sect, I intend to discuss the matter right here at the Qianlin Assembly.¡±


    Ren Yousu was surprised and said: ¡°Discuss?¡±


    But Immortal Luomei did not answer. His eyes were on the battle between Fu Dongyuan and Jiufang Changming as he suddenly smiled.


    ¡°Sun Wuxia of the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace, right? So young yet so talented, isn¡¯t he? My two rebellious disciples were close in age to him, but they¡¯re neither as gifted nor as quick to adapt as Sun Wuxia.¡±


    Ren Yousu raised his eyebrows: ¡°Is this a jab at Fu Dongyuan?¡±


    Immortal Luomei: ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡±


    Ren Yousu: ¡°What kind of bet?¡±


    Immortal Luomei: ¡°On the winner.¡±


    Ren Yousu: ¡°Fine, I¡¯m betting on Fu Dongyuan. What are the stakes?¡±


    Immortal Luomei: ¡°This is just a little game, there is no need to bet anything.¡±


    It seemed that he was in a good mood, and his expression was tranquil and relaxed. When master Ouyang of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao looked at him, he could only see the half of his face that was not illuminated by sun and was submerged in shadows, so he could not quite pinpoint his mood.


    In his head, Ouyang frowned. He was no longer concerned about the battle between the disciples, and, after thinking for a while, he got up and headed outside.


    ¡°Ouyang, where are you going?¡± Ren Yousu asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a walk so that Fu Dongyuan doesn¡¯t feel pressured by my constant supervision and make a mistake because of it.¡± He came up with a lazy excuse, and even though he sounded cheerful, he did not stop for a second.


    Ren Yousu muttered that he had always felt that Ouyang was spoiling his disciples too much and never refused them anything. On top of that, he was now even concerned about Fu Dongyuan not performing well because of the pressure, which was in extreme contrast to Luomei, who had given his disciple a dressing down in front of everyone so mercilessly.


    When Ouyang left the pavilion for spectators, he called over his confidant, elder Chang.


    ¡°Has anything strange happened in the Wanjian Immortal Clan in the past couple of days?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± elder Chang thought for a bit. ¡°However, last night, I saw the head of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, master Liu, leave his room late at night. I saw him from far away and only for a moment, and I couldn¡¯t tell where he was going.¡±


    Ouyang said nothing.


    Elder Chang asked him probingly: ¡°Do you think they are hiding something?¡±


    Ouyang asked him instead of answering: ¡°What kind of person is Immortal Luomei in your eyes?¡±


    Elder Chang: ¡°Scheming, prescient, shrewd and secretive.¡±


    Ouyang: ¡°So how could such a scheming and perceptive person let Jiang Li off the hook after he ruined the reputation of the Wanjian Immortal Clan?¡±


    Elder Chang: ¡°He¡¯ll place righteousness before his personal feelings and do what he did to Yao Wangnian back then.¡±


    Ouyang asked him again: ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he kill Jiang Li when he started attacking everyone and only ordered people to take Jiang Li away, saying that he¡¯ll provide an explanation later?¡±


    Elder Chang: ¡°Maybe he wants to interrogate Jiang Li to find out who has been inciting him?¡±


    Ouyang: ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he agree to our request to see Jiang Li? Even if the boy has been led astray by demons, there is no need to question him secretly. Unless¡ª¡±


    Elder Chang was speechless.


    Ouyang was not going to let him finish the sentence and continued: ¡°Unless whatever happened cannot be shared with others, so he has to take care of everything himself and only tell us what he wants after this is over. Or, Luomei can¡¯t kill Jiang Li in front of everyone because that will reveal something unbecoming about him or the Wanjian Immortal Clan.¡±


    Elder Chang was terrified. He had suspected that something was wrong, but after his clan master pierced the window paper for him, he gained confirmation of his suspicion that there was a conspiracy behind all this.


    Pierce the window paper: reveal the truth


    He wanted to retort but could not find the words.


    The Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Celestial Abode Shenxiao had always been at each other¡¯s throats¡ªthis did not just start happening recently.


    Yesterday, as soon as the news of Jiang Li causing havoc in the Zhengrong Mountain Villa reached him, elder Chang had rushed to the scene but was still too late. Luomei had already taken Jiang Li away, so not even a trace of him could be found. Luomei certainly reacted fast, as if he had already been notified that this might happen and was only waiting for Jiang Li to appear to handle the matter in a way that would not allow anyone to see anything wrong.


    ¡°I pity Jiang Li. I¡¯ve met him several times myself, and he was too good in all regards. He was cordial, gentle, loyal and passionate¡ªhe didn¡¯t seem like a member of the Wanjian Immortal Clan,¡± elder Chang sighed.


    ¡°The saddest part is the master he had chosen,¡± Ouyang said indifferently. ¡°Returning to our main topic, a person like him should not have become a cultivator at all. The path of those who pursue immortality and study the Dao is riddled with hardships, and if he is loyal and passionate yet lacks strength, sooner or later, he¡¯ll become someone else¡¯s pawn.¡±


    Elder Chang smiled bitterly: ¡°You mean that he could have been wronged?¡±


    Ouyang shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters. He had already become a part in his shifu¡¯s schemes so Luomei has him at his beck and call. What is important is to find out what Luomei used him for. He has just said that he is going to clear his sect¡¯s reputation today, and I have a premonition that something might happen. Watch them carefully and order the disciples to take precautions. If anything goes wrong, report to me immediately.¡±


    Elder Chang got nervous: ¡°Even if something happened, it would have nothing to do with us, would it?¡±


    Ouyang: ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m just concerned about Luomei¡¯s words. This bastard is a hypocrite and we can never agree, and I don¡¯t want to deal with anything I haven¡¯t foreseen today. You can leave first.¡±


    Elder Chang nodded and left. The two of them had known each other for many years, and even though Ouyang only said a few words, elder Chang understood the gravity of the situation.


    Although both the Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Celestial Abode Shenxiao were Daoist sects, there were few interactions between Ouyang and Luomei¡ª apart from the rivalry between their disciples for the title of the first Daoist sect. Ouyang did not like him as a person, and Luomei was not interested in luring Ouyang to his side, so as the sun rose in the east and fell in the west while these two kings never saw each other.


    After the incident with Yao Wangnian ten years ago, Ouyang had heard baseless rumors about the topic.


    Since they were baseless and completely unfounded, no one could conclude anything, but Ouyang had always felt that Luomei was extremely harsh with his disciples.


    Back then, it was Yao Wangnian, and now history was repeating itself with Jiang Li.


    Other people might have assumed that his disciples had misstepped and taken the wrong path, and Luomei was decisive in his punishment, putting his feelings aside for the sake of justice, which was commendable. However, if he was so quick to forsake all good feelings he had for a disciple he had brought up himself, did he honestly care about his clan?


    The Great Dao might have been heartless, but that did not mean that cultivators had no compassion.


    Ouyang would admit his prejudice towards Luomei, and that perhaps, this prejudice could have influenced his judgment. However, preparation ensured security, and for the Qianlin Assembly to end with no accidents was in Ouyang¡¯s best interest.

 CH 148.2

    Proofread by SH & Snake


    By that time, the outcome of the other three matches had already been determined, and only Fu Dongyuan and Jiufang Changming were still competing.


    The reason for that was that Jiufang Changming was deliberately throwing this match. However, he did not actually expect Fu Dongyuan to show such an outstanding performance at this age. At present, he was like an unsheathed sword that blinded the world with its sharpness, but later on, he would become an old fox that played at being a quail at the first sight of danger. These two Fu Dongyuans he knew seemed to be completely different people.


    In the eyes of the spectators, although Jiufang Changming had been holding on well up to this point, he had almost spent all his powers and was now steadily retreating. He was barely able to support his defenses and any chances of victory were slipping between his fingers. As Fu Dongyuan was moving forward threateningly, Jiufang Changming¡¯s sword had dimmed a little due to being an inch away from the source of a power that evenly matched it and was about to utterly defeat it.


    But no matter how effective Fu Dongyuan¡¯s offensive was, the thread by which Changming seemed to be hanging on never snapped.


    Fu Dongyuan was a bit annoyed.


    For him, having not won up until this moment was already a loss. At the same time, had he won, that victory would not have been considered a big success. Fu Dongyuan did not expect to stumble upon such a difficult opponent in his very first match. This man hid his true strength behind his inconspicuous facade, and even his moves were nothing special, yet he turned out to be this tenacious.


    While thinking this, Fu Dongyuan was looking for a way to breach his opponent¡¯s defense.


    Jiufang Changming was holding his hands in a seal to support an Eight Trigram formation. The Xun direction of the formation was flickering weakly, as if it was about to go out. However, since he was spending all his efforts on protecting himself against Fu Dongyuan in front of him, this weak point behind his back did not matter much. However, if Fu Dongyuan could split himself in two and attack him from behind at the same time¡­


    The Xun direction: the southeast one


    Time and tide waited for no man. Fu Dongyuan made his decision in an instant, jumping up and splitting into three copies of himself mid-air.


    One qi begets three manifestations of the Dao!


    He mustered his strength to continue pressuring his opponent from the front while swiftly and simultaneously targeted him from two other sides.


    And Jiufang Changming was not fast enough. He could not continue maintaining his barrier and turn around to deflect the new attacks, but neither could he push Fu Dongyuan aside, so he was left with one option¡ªto retreat and let his formation shatter. Obviously, this game was as good as lost at this point.


    Now!


    Without hesitation, Fu Dongyuan merged his incarnations back. At the same moment, a sword flashed above!


    The earth and the sky seemed to blend into one entity, and a bright light flashed suddenly, as brightly as if the sun had merged with the moon.


    But just as everyone felt that Fu Dongyuan would now claim his victory, his expression changed drastically.


    He felt as if all his spiritual power as well as his sword qi was up against an impregnable wall, and his overwhelming attack had been rolled back like a receding tide, its spray as tall as a building. He had no time to avoid this giant ¡°tide¡±, and it was about to ¡°swallow¡± him whole.


    After the light went out, to their shock, everyone realized that Fu Dongyuan had taken a step back, coughing out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost,¡± Fu Dongyuan said.


    At this moment, he had to relinquish the dignity of being fortune¡¯s favored child and admit to his defeat.


    He had not been caught in a trap, and neither had he fallen victim to a plot¡ªhe simply had not managed to see through his opponent¡¯s false impression of weakness.


    ¡°Daoxiong Fu¡¯s cultivation is very intricate, and your spiritual power is solid. I¡¯m nowhere near your level, it was all thanks to my luck,¡± Jiufang Changming also pretended to be out of breath. He seemed pale, and sweat was dripping down his face, but neither did he retreat nor was he coughing out blood.


    Everyone could see that Fu Dongyuan had indeed lost.


    The barrier surrounding the two of them was removed, and disciples of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao quickly stepped inside to support Fu Dongyuan.


    ¡°Shixiong, are you alright!¡±


    Fu Dongyuan waved his hand dismissively. His eyes never strayed from Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°You¡¯re truly formidable, and there¡¯s no doubt that your future will be bright. Sun Wuxia, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Sun Wuxia of the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace,¡± Jiufang Changming¡¯s answer sounded natural and smooth like flowing water.


    Fu Dongyuan nodded: ¡°I will remember that. In the future, when I visit you in person, please accept my challenge.¡±


    At this time, Fu Dongyuan¡¯s heart was entirely set on cultivation. He was nowhere as crafty and lethargic as he was to become in the future.


    Could it be that something had happened in these one hundred years to cause him to change so much?


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s expression did not waver as he replied to the offer with a smile: ¡°In that case, this Sun will be waiting for Daoxiong in the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace respectfully.¡±


    Li Muxing and Lin Wenyu came over as well.


    ¡°Daoyou Sun, are you alright?¡± Li Muxing was a little excited, as she did not expect to witness the rise of a new master with her own eyes.


    Winning against Fu Dongyuan and taking on the offer from the first disciple of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao were two completely different matters. The latter meant that Jiufang Changming had already attracted everyone¡¯s attention, and as long as he did not screw up the other nine matches, his name would be remembered as one of the best cultivators of his generation. Maybe, even the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace would be taken more seriously because of his success.


    It was common for a genius to push his entire sect forward. After all, if a person attained the Dao, even his chicken and dogs would soar. The Jianghu was no different in this regard.


    If a person attained the Dao, even his chicken and dogs would soar: a person¡¯s success guarantees their relatives¡¯ success


    Jiufang Changming coughed a couple of times and shook his head, answering in a weak voice: ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let me sit for a moment.¡±


    Fu Dongyuan had coughed up blood, so Jiufang Changming could not act as if everything was alright.


    ¡°This Fu guy is turning back to look at you at every step, I¡¯m sure that no one has managed to make him suffer such a defeat before!¡± Lin Wenyu was both excited and a bit sour. ¡°Daoyou Sun, your name will definitely shake up the world.¡±


    Jiufang Changming laughed: ¡°It was one small battle, and I just got lucky, how can my name possibly shake up the world? Daoyou Lin, you¡¯re giving me too much credit.¡±


    He thought to himself that the most shocking development of the day was yet to come, while this event was just the beginning.


    After such a stunning performance, all the remaining matches seemed dull. These fighters had no doubt tried their best, but the spectators felt that something was missing.


    Fu Dongyuan¡¯s next opponent was not as strong, and the match went smoothly for him as he almost finished it with one move. He seemed lost in his thoughts, and as soon as he was done with his part, he waited for Jiufang Changming to take the stage. But Jiufang Changming seemed weak against weak opponents and strong against the strong, so nothing attracted as much awe as his battle against Fu Dongyuan. Fu Dongyuan even wondered for a moment if Jiufang Changming had been possessed by a demon after his first match since he made many mistakes, was wounded by attacks that could not possibly cause harm, and was overall a spectacle too horrible to endure. There was nothing that was reminiscent of Jiufang Changming¡¯s grandeur during their battle.


    ¡°Dongyuan?¡±


    He turned his head and composed his expression.


    ¡°Shizun, why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°I just went out for a walk. Did you take your defeat to him to heart? You won¡¯t stop staring at him.¡±


    Fu Dingyuan said: ¡°Sun Wuxia is formidable.¡±


    Ouyang: ¡°It¡¯s true. But what you actually care about is the embarrassment he¡¯s caused you.¡±


    Fu Dongyuan fell silent for a moment: ¡°If I have one more chance, I will not necessarily lose.¡±


    Ouyang patted him on his shoulder, thinking that it was not so bad for his arrogant disciple to taste defeat for a change.


    ¡°What did I say, daoyou Ren?¡± Luomei said with a smile.


    Ren Yousu groaned: ¡°The Immortal¡¯s sight is unsurpassed!¡±


    ¡°Dongyuan¡¯s opening was quite flashy, and his first ten moves were the most powerful ones. Our young friend Sun withstood them all, which shows that his cultivation base is quite solid, unlike that of some other people who resemble air castles that will collapse at the first blow. He can patiently wait for the right moment to turn the tide of the battle, so there is no surprise he won.¡±


    Luomei was speaking unhurriedly, but his line of sight never left Jiufang Changming.


    He was a bit suspicious, so he was analyzing Changming¡¯s every move.


    But Jiufang Changming¡¯s performance was just mediocre after that, and even though he won all ten matches, he was wounded all over and did not resemble either of the two men Luomei had encountered in Hongluo.


    But it¡¯s fine anyway¡ª


    Luomei narrowed his eyes. Even if they had decided to hide in some drain, he would still have a way to lure them out and avoid further troubles.


    Before anyone knew it, the sun that had seemingly just risen had set behind the mountains in the west. Everyone had finished their ten matches, and the disciples of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao had calculated the scores. First place could not be given to someone who had not won all ten rounds, and the points were assigned accordingly.


    So, being the only one to have won all ten matches, Jiufang Changming managed to distinguish himself.


    Even the most promising young talents of this assembly, Fu Dongyuan and Ren Haishan, were ranked second because of this.


    Everyone knew that even though Jiufang Changming did not fight excellently in the next nine rounds, always making many mistakes and narrowly winning in the end, all his other opponents except for Fu Dongyuan were not formidable masters, so it was no wonder that he managed to win.


    ¡°Daoyou Sun, my congratulations on taking the title of the strongest at this Qianlin Assembly!¡±


    Li Muxing laughed. She lost four of her battles and won the other six, which meant that she was ranked somewhere in the middle. This was her first time leaving her sect, so her main goal was to gain some experience, not to become rich or famous, so she was quite content with this outcome.


    ¡°Congratulations, Daoyou Sun.¡±


    Xia Zheng forced a smile. He only won two of his rounds, and even though he did his best to convince himself that the reason for his miserable performance was his sadness about the incident with his shidi, he still felt dispirited.


    ¡°What do you get for becoming the best at a Qianlin Assembly?¡± Lin Wenyu was mainly concerned about this.


    Li Muxing said: ¡°Traditionally, the hosting sect would give a generous gift to the winner¡ªa priceless treasure or weapon as well as a chance to challenge a grandmaster in order to gain insight through training. Daoyou Sun, whom do you want to ask for advice?¡±


    Jiufang Changming countered with a question: ¡°Whom do you think I should choose?¡±


    Li Muxing said thoughtfully: ¡°You are a Daoist cultivator, so it will be better for you to choose a grandmaster from a Daoist sect. The Wanjian Immortal Clan and the Celestial Abode Shenxiao are Mount Tai and the North Star of our era, and it is difficult to say who¡¯s better. However, since you¡¯ve just defeated the first disciple of the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, Fu Dongyuan, master Ouyang probably holds a grudge against you now, so he might want to embarrass you in front of everyone. It¡¯s a bit better to ask Immortal Luomei. I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s good-natured and tolerant, and rarely loses his patience. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be glad to help.¡±


    Mount Tai and the North Star: leading figures


    The most important thing was that even if Jiufang Changming was to lose pathetically, for a fledgling like him it would be a great honor to fight Luomei, and simply making an appearance on the same stage would make him famous.


    Jiufang Changming smiled knowingly: ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, daoyou Li. I think so too.¡±


    Although his appearance was different now, his smile still left an impact. For Li Muxing, it looked like a briefly blooming flower. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away, silently reciting ¡°Great Deities, save and protect¡±.


    Soon some disciples from the Zhengrong Mountain Villa came to invite him over, and the master of the villa had ordered his subordinates to bring Jiufang Changming a long sword.


    He unsheathed the sword under everybody¡¯s gaze. It flashed with a deep blue color like the moonlit night sky or well waters that had caught the moon or scattered stars.


    It was truly a rare weapon. Seeing it, everyone thought once again that the Zhengrong Mountain Villa did not lack money, and many people envied Jiufang Changming for his sheer luck. After all, even though he won in the first difficult match, the other rounds had been favorable to him as he encountered no obstacles.


    ¡°How did he manage to win for no reason at this assembly?¡±


    ¡°If I was in his place, I¡¯d have won too.¡±


    ¡°Why is this guy so lucky?¡±


    Everyone was criticizing him, just as the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace was never on everyone¡¯s lips. Completely alone, Jiufang Changming went up to the high stage with the grandmasters. His fluttering sleeves made him look even more lonely.


    ¡°On this Qianlin Assembly¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on a moment!¡±


    Right after Master Liu had started to talk, Immortal Luomei  interrupted him.


    His melodious voice filled the entire place quickly.


    ¡°Allow me to trouble all the guests of the distinguished gathering with a personal matter. It is about yesterday¡¯s incident when several disciples who arrived at the assembly were injured, and it is also connected to the reputation of my Wanjian Immortal Clan. Please, Master Liu, give me half a shichen to settle everything cleanly before quickly proceeding to celebrate young Sun¡¯s victory.¡±


    Master Liu quickly stepped aside: ¡°Immortal, the stage is yours.¡±


    In his mind, Juifang Changming frowned, almost guessing what Luomei wanted to do.


    Luomei slightly bent over and waved his hand.


    ¡°Bring him over.¡±


    Everyone turned in the direction he had waved his hand, whispering among themselves.


    They heard a metal chain clanging against the ground as a prisoner was brought there. The faces of the disciples of the Wanjian Immortal Clan fell, as if they were on alert.


    As the person entered everyone¡¯s line of sight, they saw that not only his ankles, but even his shoulders were firmly pierced with chains. He could not have been able to run away even if he had suddenly grown himself a pair of wings, and even a deity would not have managed to set him free.


    ¡°Jiang Li?!¡±


    ¡°Jiang Li, the clan master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan?!¡±


    ¡°Clan master? Immortal Luomei is the clan master, and Jiang Li is but a treacherous disciple!¡±


    It was impossible to say who shouted first, but soon, the assembly was full of whispers that did not quiet down.

 CH 149

    Jiang Li did not raise his head the entire time.


    His slightly hung head was hidden by his disheveled hair, completely concealing his expression. Like a puppet, he was paraded through the assembly for everyone to see, pushed to the edge by the one he had once loved and respected as a member of his family.


    In the past that Jiufang Changming knew, nothing like this had happened.


    According to the original history, after failing his ascension, Luomei occupied his disciple¡¯s body and lived under Jiang Li¡¯s identity. Others thought that Jiang Li had taken over the Wanjian Immortal Clan and had become their master, which was reasonable and to be expected. Nothing went wrong, and after many years, Luomei had strengthened his rule. He got rid of all who opposed him, one by one, and in the end, became the only important figure on the board and laid out the foundation for his future schemes. Yao Wangnian¡¯s name had never been mentioned again.


    There were many who had been forgotten, and many who had died. There was now almost no one who could recall this particular weakness of Immortal Luomei.


    Only Changming and his companions, in their desperate fight against mortal danger, had returned to the past and dug out these dust-laden cases that had been kept secret.


    Jiufang Changming, who was supposed to be in the limelight, was cast aside.


    All eyes fell on the figure in iron chains, who was barely able to drag his feet. These gazes, as if they were tangible and were piercing him, made the motionless person¡¯s head shake slightly as he raised it.


    His tangled hair parted, revealing his face, but even Changming could not tell whether Jiang Li was sane or bewildered.


    ¡°Several years ago, I entered seclusion in order to cultivate. I left the affairs of my sect in the hands of my disciple, Jiang Li, who was to take over my position for the time being. Originally, I thought that nothing could go wrong, yet one day, a disciple came to report something to me, distracting me from my closed-door cultivation. They said that Jiang Li had suddenly left the mountain for no apparent reason and disappeared.¡±


    After Immortal Luomei started speaking, the whispers gradually died down, and many eyes shifted from Jiang Li to Luomei.


    Luomei was standing on a high platform. The wide sleeves of his robes were fluttering in the wind. He did not need to speak loudly, and his expression never changed, but his intonation had an inexplicable allure. Without doing much, he made everyone feel sympathy for him, and the crowd listened to him attentively.


    This was the highest level of a technique of moving hearts through words, which had been refined to perfection. It affected people¡¯s hearts deeply as if it had happened to themselves. Ordinary people had no way of detecting this technique.


    Jiufang Changming looked at Ouyang and Ren Yousu from afar.


    As expected, Ouyang had frowned slightly, and Ren Yousu wanted to step forward, but the other had grabbed his arm to stop him.


    The other grandmasters from the Qingyun School and other sects had also sensed that something was wrong.


    But they had no intention of meddling in the affairs of others, and everyone was calmly watching the situation unfold. Cultivators like Xia Zheng and Li Muxing were taken by surprise and fell into the trap immediately.


    Jiufang Changming thought that Luomei would not have chosen this course of action had it not been for the possible future troubles he had to prevent right now. This was too hasty for someone as meticulous and thorough as Luomei. However, he had no other choice. What happened in Hongluo had exposed Yao Wangnian and forced Luomei to cut through this knot with a sharp knife lest he wanted this little pawn, Yao Wangnian, to ruin his deliberate planning.


    ¡°As you are well aware, ladies and gentlemen, Jiang Li is not only a disciple of this poor Daoist, but also the master of this generation of the Wanjian Immortal Clan. As such, this incident has shaken the entire sect and had me leave the mountains in search of him.¡±


    ¡°Upon arriving at Hongluo, I found out that my unworthy disciple had colluded with a rebellious disciple of my sect, Yao Wangnian. What happened to this Yao Wangnian back then also weighs on my heart¡ªafter all, I only have these two direct disciples. Unfortunately, Yao Wangnian had gone astray and was found conspiring together with demons, which in turn bred disaster. I was not strict enough with them, resulting in today¡¯s situation.¡±


    ¡°Today, as I stand before you, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to punish my treacherous disciple to honor those who had died yesterday. After this, this poor Daoist will enter seclusion again and will not interfere in my sect¡¯s affairs.¡±


    After Luomei finished talking, he turned his palm upward, and a sword materialized in his hand.


    It made one think of the moon, which hung lonely in the skies, and even the air seemed to darken around it. That was the Guyue Sword that had passed through the hands of the first disciples of each generation of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.


    The moon hanging lonely in the skies: Guyue = ¡°lonely¡± + ¡°moon¡±


    It had previously belonged to Yao Wangnian, before being given to Jiang Li and eventually returned to Luomei.


    When different people used the sword, the results would also be obviously different. Now, in Luomei¡¯s hands, the Guyue Sword demonstrated hereto unseen force and skills. It cut through the air in a matter of seconds and swiftly reached Jiang Li¡¯s head, ready to pierce through it.


    And Jiang Li, bound by iron chains, was forced to kneel in the center of the square with a diagram of the Eight Trigram. The disciples who had been holding him up had left him, but he had no strength to evade the attack, so he could only raise his head while trembling. His eyes were unclear, and his mouth seemed to be moving slightly. But he was too far away, and even Changming could not even make a guess as to whether he was actually talking.


    The chains trembled as well, but they were enhanced with talismans, so his weak struggle was futile, and Jiang Li had no chance to break out of them.


    In his muddle-headed state, he vaguely heard a familiar voice coming from a distance. That was Immortal Luomei, the one who used to be his closest relative and respected mentor.


    He noticed not those piercing gazes that fell on him, but only his shizun¡¯s voice, which rang more and more distinctly in his ears.


    He would have never anticipated that he would end up like this when he had decided to descend the mountains.


    He had been utterly disgraced and was about to die without even leaving behind a grave.


    He used to have boundless prospects as the honorable first disciple of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and even the position of the clan master would be passed on to him sooner or later. Despite all that, everything had now been ruined just because he endeavored to uncover the truth. He did not think that he would have to pay with his life while trying to overcome the difficulties on his path.


    Jiang Li suddenly recalled what Yun Weisi had said in Hongluo. The man said that Luomei had killed Yao Wangnian and planned to do the same to Jiang Li, and that Luomei had only let him become the clan master so that he could later covertly occupy Jiang Li¡¯s body more conveniently. Jiang Li had not believed Yun Weisi. He could not have imagined the man he had venerated and held in awe to turn out to be a demon wearing a human¡¯s skin.


    Now, he finally believed Yun Weisi.


    He struggled to raise his head to look at Luomei. The latter was standing on higher ground, which widened the gap between and showcased the difference between the master and his disciple.


    Jiang Li seemed to notice the complicated feelings in Luomei¡¯s eyes, which made him hesitate and stop the sword.


    He laughed gloomily, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly.


    Luomei might have held some warm feelings towards his disciple, but it was nothing compared to how important his plan was for him.


    The sword shone brightly, occupying Jiang Li¡¯s line of sight completely.


    He closed his eyes, awaiting the end he could already imagine.


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s finger moved, but his expression did not flinch a bit. He looked like any other spectator who was curious yet disinterested.


    He believed that Luomei would not kill Jiang Li that easily. After all, he wanted to use his disciple to lure out a bigger fish.


    Just as expected, the sword flashed, and Jiang Li groaned in pain. Scarlet blood was dripping down his arm, splattering on the ground like ink.


    The wound was so deep one could see his bones, but it was not lethal, only bitterly painful.


    In a split second, the entire Zhengrong Mountain Villa was plunged into silence without a single whisper from the large crowd. The atmosphere of excitement had been entirely swept away.


    Only one voice broke through the eerie silence.


    ¡°You say that Jiang Li has colluded with demons, but what evidence do you have?¡±


    That was Ren Yousu, the master of the Kunlun Sword Clan.


    Ouyang failed to stop him and could only sigh inwardly.


    Luomei sighed as well: ¡°Daoyou Ren only says so because you did not witness his killing spree yesterday.¡±


    He waved his sleeve in the direction of Jiang Li, and a gust of black qi whirled up from him, turning into a hideous and threatening ghost mid-air.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Lin Wenyu gasped, ¡°Was he contaminated by demonic qi?¡±


    The majority of the cultivators had a similar reaction.


    His exclamation was rhetorical, and no one answered him.


    ¡°No. Someone has sealed streams of demonic qi in the iron chains. They would move from a certain gesture so one can let others see it at an appropriate moment.¡±


    Lin Wenyu could not hold back a question: ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Jiufang Changming seemed to not have sensed his suspicion: ¡°Look at the north-eastern corner.¡±


    That was the Xun position, the one where they had originally been staying at. Lin Wenyu saw nothing out of the ordinary, but Li Muxing could vaguely feel that something was not right.


    ¡°Something seems to be fluctuating there?¡±


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°That is the weak point of the formation. If you want to break it, you should start from there.¡±


    Lin Wenyu was still doubtful: ¡°Why would you want to break it?¡±


    Jiufang Changming: ¡°The creator left this weak point on purpose to lure somebody.¡±


    Lin Wenyu still did not get it, but Li Muxing understood his words.


    ¡°Daoyou Sun, are you trying to say that clan master Jiang¡­ That he has an accomplice that will come to his rescue? So Immortal Luomei chose this place on purpose to force that person to appear?¡±


    ¡°Daoyou Li is quick to catch on.¡±


    Before Li Muxing could reach the next conclusion, the ground under their feet trembled, and a huge wave of spiritual power rushed from the north-eastern corner. It headed towards the cultivators, so everyone took a step back subconsciously, while unsheathing their weapons.


    But what came surging at them was an unprecedentedly dense and sinister qi!


    Everyone¡¯s faces betrayed their shock.


    ¡°My weapon!¡± someone shouted.


    Everybody looked at the person who had shouted and saw that the weapon in that person¡¯s hand had shattered suddenly like frost when the black qi struck, and even their hands were stained black. This person was startled first, but quickly became angry and rushed towards the source of the black mist.


    The thick black fog slowly scattered, revealing a person in black robes.


    No one knew who that person was.


    No one, except for Jiufang Changming and Immortal Luomei.


    Yao Wangnian¡¯s ghost qi made everyone pale, and as the crowd stepped away from him, those who moved forward to surround him looked terrified.


    The faces of the masters who stood on the high platform turned more solemn.


    ¡°Where did this ghost cultivator come from?!¡±


    ¡°Preposterous! Is the Qianlin Assembly some kind of common gathering where anyone can come and leave as they wish!¡± said villa owner Liu, who was outraged.


    At this moment, Ouyang heard Ren Yousu muttering.


    ¡°Why does this person seem familiar?¡±


    Ouyang looked more closely and also felt that this cultivator felt like an old acquaintance of his.


    But this individual¡¯s robes covered most of their face, and only left out the chin, while their entire figure was wrapped in the netherworldly qi. Ouyang could not recall ever making an acquaintance out of a ghost cultivator.


    ¡°Jiang Li was wronged.¡± The person was talking indistinctly, and his voice, like a ghost, reached everyone¡¯s ears, chilling them to the bone. ¡°His only mistake was his limitless adoration towards his shizun. He didn¡¯t believe what his master really was and wound up where he stands today because he wanted to ask him in person. Luomei, do you at least think of your two disciples in your dreams in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°I remember¡­¡± Ren Yousu gasped with astonishment, ¡°He is Yao Wangnian!¡±


    When the name was uttered, even Luomei who stood far away flinched slightly.


    ¡°Who is Yao Wangnian?¡±


    ¡°Luomei had two direct disciples: Yao Wangnian and Jiang Li. The older one was even more powerful than Fu Dongyuan or Sun Wuxia who fought today, a truly gifted genius!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he die under some strange circumstances? How could he have appeared here?¡±


    ¡°What does he mean? Did Immortal Luomei kill his own disciples?¡±


    The crowd buzzed loudly, coming up with all kinds of explanations.


    Immortal Luomei looked calm.


    ¡°So, you have come out. Very well. Your shidi fell to this state because of your schemes, so I, as your master, have no other choice but to eliminate evil and right the wrongs according to the Heavenly Dao. Good and evil can surely trade places, but humans and demons are incompatible. The Wanjian Immortal Clan will not tolerate a disciple who has colluded with demons!¡±


    After he finished his speech, his expression changed abruptly. With exceedingly high speed and force, he leaped up and rushed towards Yao Wangnian.


    At the same moment, the Guyue Sword that had been hovering above Jiang Li¡¯s head plunged down. Jiang Li was unable to move, so he could only wait for his death.


    If Yao Wangnian wanted to save Jiang Li, he would have to turn his back towards Luomei and die for sure. However, if he wanted to reflect Immortal Luomei¡¯s attack, he could not rescue Jiang Li who was in mortal danger.


    Jiang Li was very important to Yao Wangnian. Not only was he a childhood friend, but he was also a piece of evidence that attested to Yao Wangnian¡¯s unjust sufferings as his fate was almost the same!


    The only difference was that Jiang Li¡¯s tragic ending was unfolding now and could still be prevented. On the contrary, when Yao Wangnian encountered difficulties and his master plotted to kill him, no one had come to his rescue.


    As long as Jiang Li was alive, Yao Wangnian was not fighting the war against Luomei alone. And if Jiang Li died, Yao Wangnian would once again stand alone against the entire world.


    And most important of all, Yao Wangnian had already fallen to the point that his appearance was ruined, his body had been turned into that of a ghost, and he was all alone with nothing left to lose. In contrast, Jiang Li still had hope, a slim chance to survive, and avoid turning into that neither human nor ghost-like creature that Yao Wangnian had become.


    In the blink of an eye, Yao Wangnian made a decision.


    Overwhelming ghost qi gathered around him and suddenly launched itself towards the Guyue Sword!


    After Yao Wangnian died, Jiang Li would be next.


    After these two hindrances were gone, there would be no more hidden variables.


    The spiritual powers surged forward in waves, almost blotting out the sky in endless torrents, making everyone¡¯s heart fall.


    This kind of power was the very definition of earth-shattering and sky-splitting.


    Spiritual powers blended with ghost qi, dancing in the violent wind. The sand and the stones rose into the air in a hazy mess that obstructed their view. Everybody was forced to quickly retreat from the storm.


    This was Luomei¡¯s true power!


    Ren Yousu and Ouyang looked at each other, both pale. The latter wanted to stop Luomei. No matter what one thought, the whole matter was suspicious. It was no longer an internal affair of the Wanjian Immortal Clan, but a larger issue that concerned an invasion of demons. Ouyang could not stand aside and watch Luomei kill them.


    But as soon as he raised his hand, master Liu Zhengling of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa moved too, ordering his sword to obstruct Ouyang¡¯s path forward.


    ¡°Master Ouyang, what do you intend to do?¡±


    ¡°Master Liu, please step aside!¡± Ouyang frowned.


    ¡°The Immortal is enough to deal with this matter. Master, lest you risk endangering innocent people, sit by and watch, and don¡¯t rush into the conflict.¡±


    ¡°Master Liu, you have no right to interfere with my decisions.¡±


    ¡°This is an internal conflict of the Wanjian Immortal Clan!¡±


    Ouyang was not in the mood to talk nonsense with him, so he just shook his sleeves. Of course, Liu Zhengling did not dare stop him by attacking, but even this little delay was enough for Luomei to reach Yao Wangnian¡¯s back!


    There was no doubt that Yao Wangnian was to die here and now!


    Jiang Li raised his head abruptly to look at Yao Wangnian. His face was distorted from the excruciating pain and his body was shaking. He seemed to be struggling to break free from the chains, but no matter how hard he tried, in the end, he could only stand and watch his shixiong die.


    No, there¡¯s another person who can help.


    Luomei suddenly felt a stark gust of spiritual power rush at him from behind. The cultivation base of his new opponent was, unexpectedly, not inferior to Luomei¡¯s. He was forced to turn around to deal with the sneak attack first.


    A figure descended from above, and their spiritual powers clashed. The two of them had to jump backwards from the shockwave, and as they landed on the tiles, the stones under their feet broke into countless pieces that flew in all directions.


    Luomei squinted.


    He felt that such tremendous pressure that assaulted him could only belong to one formidable enemy he had previously encountered.


    Yet the one standing in front of him was ¡°Sun Wuxia¡±, the one who took the first place in the Qianlin Assembly.


    ¡°Who. Are. You?¡± Luomei put stress on every word.


    He was reminded of his battle against Jiufang Changming in Hongluo, but at that time, his opponent did not demonstrate such unadulterated power.


    ¡°My humble self is called Jiufang Changming.¡±


    He raised his hand to his face, and it changed immediately, his black hair turning white near his waist. This was indeed Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Luomei whispered. It was not that he felt fooled, but rather could not believe that his opponent could have reached such a breakthrough in the short time since their last meeting.


    If the Jiufang Changming from Hongluo was an opponent Luomei would only bestow a single glance, the Jiufang Changming in front of his eyes was a powerful enemy that even Luomei was not sure if he could win against!

 CH 150.1

    Proofread by SH & Snake


    Why would Jiufang Changming not try winning if even Luomei was not sure of his victory?


    But defeating Luomei was not his only objective today. He also had to lay bare Luomei¡¯s collusion with the forces of the Dark Abyss of the Sacred Mountain Wan in front of everyone¡ªotherwise, in everyone¡¯s eyes, he and his companions would be regarded as nothing but evil spirits to be eliminated at first sight.


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Jiufang Changming shouted at Yao Wangnian.


    His battle against Luomei needed no extra participants.


    The Guyue Sword was thrust into the middle of the Eight Trigram square, and the ground shook violently. The platform under their feet had cracked into equal parts, and the tremor spread outwards from the center. At the same time, their spiritual powers burst out, and the huge waves of their qis formed a vortex that had completely blocked out the already indistinguishable scene.


    The sand around them had blotted out the sky, whirling around so densely that it was difficult to take a single step. Even though it was not as dark as in the night, nothing could be seen clearly in the chaos.


    Those whose cultivation was not that strong could hardly stand and were at risk of being blown away by the hurricane as soon as they stopped paying attention. Some of them had not grasped the seriousness of the situation and summoned their spiritual tools, but in the end were still thrown up into the sky together with their weapons.


    Yao Wangnian reached out to the iron chains around Jiang Li to break them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Jiang Li struggled desperately to say one word, and his voice was as quiet as the buzzing of a mosquito.


    He had been tortured half to death by demonic qi, and he had maintained his consciousness only because of his sheer willpower.


    However, it was too late. Yao Wangnian had already touched the iron and realized that the chains were like man-eating maggots that bit into his hands firmly, scorching his skin like boiling water. No matter what he did, Yao Wangnian could not leave them, and soon, the skin on his hands was eaten away. Fortunately, his ghost qi was protecting him, and the two forces clashed.


    ¡°[Countless ghosts devour the heart, break!]¡±


    Yao Wangnian muttered. A skull as long as several fingers appeared, and a dim blue fire rushed at the iron chains that clanged loudly before breaking into pieces. Yao Wangnian seized the chance to free Jiang Li.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless, he has already planted demonic qi inside of me,¡± Jiang Li caught a breath and struggled to look at Yao Wangnian. ¡°You¡­ leave. He didn¡¯t kill me to lure you out, but you and Jiufang still have time¡­¡±


    ¡°I refuse to leave empty-handed on principle.¡± Yao Wangnian said coldly and carried Jiang Li on his back despite the latter¡¯s weak resistance. ¡°You¡¯ve stolen the position of the clan master from me and enjoyed your life for so many years. Don¡¯t you want to take it back?¡±


    But Yao Wangnian only took two steps before stopping.


    He had been surrounded by disciples of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa from all sides.


    ¡°The clan master ordered to kill those who have colluded with demons and show no mercy!¡±


    These eyes, some of them familiar and some of them not, reflected the two men surrounded by the crowd.


    The Zhengrong Mountain Villa was related to the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and the disciples of both clans mostly used swords. Now, they stood together, united by their common enemies¡ªYao Wangnian and Jiang Li. Only their deaths would resolve the situation.


    Jiang Li¡¯s relationships with the disciples of the Wanjian Immortal Clan had never been bad. He never acted arrogantly and treated his juniors with as much respect as he showed his elders. Due to this, even after Luomei had selected him as the future clan master, few opposed Jiang Li.


    And now, after Luomei had issued his orders, these positive feelings had turned into an obstacle for the disciples.


    ¡°The clan master said to give no quarter to those who are not humans! He has been possessed by a demon, so this is no longer clan master Jiang!¡±


    After the head disciple, Ding Lang, finished speaking, he looked around and saw that no one wanted to start attacking them. So, he rushed at Yao Wangnian and Jiang Li first.


    He was from the same generation as Jiang Li, and his cultivation level was not too inferior to Jiang Li¡¯s. The only reason he could not compete for the clan master position was that his master was not a clan master. Now, looking at Luomei who had lost Jiang Li, he could not help but strive to take over. He was secretly happy, on one hand, but on the other hand, he still felt bad for his fellow disciple.


    But Ding Lang¡¯s sword never faltered as he threw himself at Yao Wangnian.


    Even though Jiang Li¡¯s status could be considered questionable, there was no doubt that Yao Wangnian was not a human.


    ¡°[By the law of the Five Thunders, obey!]¡±


    There was a clap of thunder, and the sword shone brightly, breaking through the many layers of the ghost qi around Yao Wangnian with a devastating force!


    The ghost qi roared amidst the yellow sand, turning into the head of a black dragon. The dragon¡¯s whiskers trembled, its scales flickered, and it opened its mouth as widely as if it were about to swallow the entire world to engulf the sword.


    The dragon soared to the skies and suddenly exploded. The ghost qi shone around the sword before blending together, and together, they then fell to the ground like the sparks of fireworks only to dissipate soon after.


    Ding Lang was surprised by Yao Wangnian¡¯s true strength, but a wave of spiritual power quickly pushed him back. The disciples of the Zhengrong Mountain Villa stood around him with their swords forming an Eight Trigram Formation. Their light steps depicted Heaven with the stars scattered across it. With a loud crash, eight columns rushed up to the skies around them!


    ¡°The formation is open!¡±


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s suspicion was right. The entire Zhengrong Mountain Villa was a large formation.


    After it was set to motion, the Pre-heaven Trigram Formation was open, one that was massive enough to shake the sky and overturn the earth. After that, only human sacrifice and the full replenishment of the spiritual powers of the formation would stop it.


    Yao Wangnian and Jiang Li were standing back to back in the middle, surrounded from all sides. Wherever the eye fell, the swords shone, wrapped around them as tightly as a web.


    Jiang Li felt that every breath he took required him to use all his strength.


    He could almost see his life dimming.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have much time left,¡± his voice was faint and vague, almost impossible to discern, yet his words were more coherent now. ¡°Shixiong, I¡¯ve achieved nothing throughout my life, and was being moved around as a pawn at that. From birth till death, I¡¯ve been kept in the dark, but I never regretted leaving the mountains this time. At least I know that you¡¯re alive, and I also met Bijiang, daoyou Jiufang and daoyou Yun¡­ Forget about me and leave the formation alone. My only hope is that you¡¯ll be able to laugh again in the future. Shizun¡­ he is seized with crazy ideas, and he¡¯s not worth losing your life over him.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep your mouth shut!¡±


    Yao Wangnian interrupted him roughly. He grabbed Jiang Li¡¯s wrist and was about to pour some spiritual power into him when he realized that because he was a ghost cultivator, their cultivation methods were completely different and their spiritual powers were incompatible. This had made him even more furious, so he vented all his anger on the enemies, going on the counter-attack against them with his sword.


    Bang!


    The tiles and the stones flew up and blood splattered everywhere. Spiritual tools were broken and clothes ripped.


    Some people were pushed back while others rushed forward instead, like the unceasing flow of a river. The formation supplied them with endless spiritual power. Standing alone against a hundred enemies, even Yao Wangnian started feeling exhausted.


    Yao Wangnian¡¯s ghost qi became denser.


    But he knew that this was not from the light at the end of the tunnel.


    From being the first disciple of his sect that everyone had placed their hopes on, he had fallen to the ghost cultivator that everyone shunned and feared. No one really knew what he had gone through all these years. Yao Wangnian had ended up becoming a walking corpse, but his goals remained out of his reach. Now, he was surrounded by enemies stronger than him, doomed to be defeated soon.


    ¡°Wandering through the human world without seeing the light of the day is a torture to me. I¡¯m fine with letting everything go,¡± he said indifferently, both to Jiang Li and to himself.


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s battle was gradually becoming more intense.


    Luomei had decided to resolve the problem in the shortest time possible, but quickly realized that this was an impossible endeavor. It was obvious that his opponent had broken through to the next realm in the few days they had not seen each other, and now was incomparably stronger than before.


    Jiufang Changming¡¯s sword seemed to have a spiritual consciousness, and his will was enough to order it. It could split into thousands of copies all of a sudden, but would soon gather back just as swiftly. In terms of strength, the Guyue Sword was hardly its opponent.


    Back in Hongluo, Luomei had looked down on this cultivator, but now, he had to admit that they were equal in terms of strength.


    As he thought about this, Luomei sneered.


    He waved his sleeve, letting the Guyue Sword disappear, and made a seal with his other hand, getting ready to cast a fatal blow.


    It did not even matter where this man had suddenly appeared from. His fate had been sealed.


    ¡°Do you know why the Qianlin Assembly was held here this time?¡±


    Luomei did not say the words out loud, deciding to transmit them directly into Jiufang Changming¡¯s consciousness.


    Before Jiufang Changming could answer, the next words had already invaded the sea of his consciousness.


    ¡°The answer is because this venerable one had set an inescapable trap all over the place. It was originally created for Yao Wangnian, but, since you have come here, I might as well use it on you.¡±


    Right after he had finished saying those words, a loud noise erupted from all directions.


    Jiufang Changming felt some kind of force pressuring him from all sides so strongly as if it wanted to pulverize him.


    He inched to the side and disappeared, leaving only a puppet in his place, which shattered under the pressure.


    Luomei raised his head abruptly and saw Jiufang Changming slowly descend from the air, his feet touching nothing.


    But Jiufang Changming had realized that he had nowhere to stand, because as far as an eye could see, everything had been set on fire. Even Luomei was standing amidst the fiery flames of red lotuses.


    The ground was blazingly hot, and the flames, like tongues, shot up to the sky, their tips licking Jiufang Changming¡¯s feet and setting his clothes on fire.


    Changming flicked his sleeve to put out the fire on his clothes, but this only caused the fire beneath him to surge up, engulfing half of his body.


    ¡°The Pre-heaven Trigram Formation is ever-changing. Think what you think and act as you wish, but even though you¡¯re the only worthy opponent I¡¯ve encountered in years, it¡¯s too early for you to compete against me.¡±


    Outsiders could not see the flames that were rocketing towards the sky. Instead, they only saw a baleful sandstorm surrounding Jiufang Changming and Luomei. Those two were encircled within it, so it was impossible to not only see what the situation inside was, but also to know who would win and who would lose, who would live and who would die.


    ¡°Today, some rebels rose in revolt, and demons ran amok. This venerable one was not strict enough with his disciples, making everyone laugh. Please, everyone, keep calm and wait for me to eradicate the demons before we can go back to chatting.¡±


    At this moment, Luomei¡¯s voice traveled through the sandstorm easily, carrying no worry in its intonation.


    When he spoke, Yao Wangnian¡¯s heart fell.


    How could anyone have time to speak in the middle of battle? Almost certainly, if they were speaking, they were winning.


    Could it be that Jiufang Changming¡¯s defeat was set in stone?


    His last hope was fading away, and the pieces of Yao Wangnian¡¯s broken heart were dispersing like ashes.


    ¡°What nonsense is he talking about? Why can¡¯t I understand?¡±


    Ren Yousu was a quick-tempered man, so he couldn¡¯t help but to rub his hands in anticipation,  yet he didn¡¯t know what had made him that impatient.


    The disciples of the Kunlun Sword Clan were protected behind him. They were standing far away from the site of the battle, and the impact would not reach them any time soon. Ren Yousu should not have been so worried.


    Ouyang sighed: ¡°He¡¯s trying to say that we shouldn¡¯t meddle into his business and should just stand by and watch.¡±


    Ren Yousu raised his eyebrow: ¡°Why would he say that?¡±


    Ouyang: ¡°That means that he doesn¡¯t have this game under his control.¡±


    ¡°Really? As I see it, the fate of those people is already doomed. Aren¡¯t they completely cornered?¡±


    ¡°How can one be sure if it hasn¡¯t ended yet?¡± Ouyang quickly reached his hand out to stop Ren Yousu, glaring at him, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    Ren Yousu: ¡°He said that two of his disciples are demons. However, until now I haven¡¯t seen any signs of demonic possession. Maybe there is something deeper inside that matters. Let¡¯s save Jiang Li and Yao Wangnian first, just to spite this old bastard! ¡±


    Ouyang: ¡°Luomei is the sort of person to bear a grudge. By doing this, you¡¯ll get the Kunlun Sword Clan on the Wanjian Immortal Clan¡¯s bad side. Are you sure you need this?¡±


    Ren Yousu stopped and snapped hatefully: ¡°That would have stopped the old me. But I don¡¯t care now, let¡¯s think after acting!¡±


    Ouyang was frustrated: ¡°Why is it that other people are better at hiding their emotions the longer they cultivate, yet you¡¯re only showing your feelings more openly?¡±


    ¡°My teacher, Luomei¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, Jiang Li¡¯s voice reached their ears, interrupting the quarrel.

 CH 150.2

    Proofread by SH & Snake


    Like a deafening clap of thunder, Jiang Li¡¯s voice swept through the sandstorm, and rang loudly in everyone¡¯s ears.


    Burning candles wept till no more tears they could shed. He was speaking with what little spiritual power he had left.


    [Spring silkworms span till death, running out of yearning thread;] burning candles wept till no more tears they could shed: a poem ¡°Untitled¡±, Li Shangyin (813¡ª858) http://chinesepoetryinenglishverse.blogspot.com/2013/04/spring-silkworms-spin-till-death.html


    Jiang Li had accepted his death, but after seeing Yao Wangnian pour all his strength into a final struggle only for them to die together, he shut his eyes for a moment before he concentrated. He gathered all the cultivation he had obtained during his life. However, he was not burning with the same fire of a person who was ready to die fighting, and instead simply spoke, not concealing his exhaustion.


    Immortal Luomei¡¯s expression changed. He could roughly guess what Jiang Li was about to say, but he was occupied by his battle against Jiufang Changming and was too preoccupied to split up his attention and silence this witness.


    ¡°My teacher, Immortal Luomei, is the master of the Wanjian Immortal Clan. He is a rare talent, and few can compete against his profound cultivation. He has been pursuing the Heavenly Dao for all his life, yet he has failed to obtain it. After trying out all kinds of methods, he eventually noticed an ancient abyss on the Sacred Mountain Wan, and acquired its demonic qi¡­¡±


    After saying those few words, Jiang Li gasped sharply and couldn¡¯t continue anymore.


    Yao Wangnian continued talking in his stead¡ª


    ¡°The same year I descended the mountain to develop my cultivation, I accidentally discovered a  village that was being destroyed by monsters. After I had thoroughly investigated this matter, I found out that this had been done by someone from the Wanjian Immortal Clan, and even more shocking was the fact that my shizun, Immortal Luomei, was among the perpetrators. I wanted to gather more information, but in the end, I died in a fire. I couldn¡¯t bear the unjust accusations against my person, so my soul did not depart and I became a ghost cultivator. I suffered each day and night just to get a chance to ask my shizun why he did what he did in person.¡±


    Yao Wangnian was speaking hastily without any resentment or wrath. Every word was uttered clearly and shocked the crowd.


    Liu Zhengling said angrily: ¡°Why are you even listening to the heresy of this ghost cultivator?! Kill these two!¡±


    He saw that the other disciples had frozen in place and so ordered his sword to move forward, slashing towards Yao Wangnian.


    Both Yao Wangnian and Jiang Li had depleted all their energy. Meanwhile, their fellow disciples were standing together just like a pair of unmoving statues.


    When compared to Jiang Li who was akin to a bright light beaming its final rays before going dark, Yao Wangnian¡¯s condition did not look as bad. But he had been receiving injuries ever since Hongluo, so he could not escape together with Jiang Li, let alone fight against so many enemies. He had already decided to throw away his life, so now he could only uncover Luomei¡¯s old schemes in front of everyone.


    While he spoke, he was also protecting them from the spiritual power of the sandstorm around them, so he had little strength left to repel Liu Zhengling¡¯s attack. He could only push Jiang Li behind him and prepare to take on the blow with his own body.


    However, a gust of spiritual power appeared suddenly from the side and easily diverted the sword.


    It had seemed light, almost gentle, but Liu Zhengling could not withstand it and had to step aside. The sword also followed a curved path and penetrated the thick wall of the black sandstorm near its owner, creating a turbulent flow of wind.


    ¡°Master Ouyang?!¡± exclaimed Liu Zhengling, who was both surprised and angry. ¡°Since these two have been possessed by demons, anything that comes out from their mouths is nonsense! How can you trust their lies!¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t finished talking, so what¡¯s the hurry? They can¡¯t even resist. Are you so petty as to not let him say what he needs to say?¡±


    Both Ouyang¡¯s intonation and his expression were bleak. Liu Zhengling could not even tell whether he actually wanted to interfere or if this was only a moment of pity.


    ¡°Right, let him finish! I still remember the incident with that village. It is also related to the Celestial Abode Shenxiao, so master Ouyang has every right to inquire!¡± How could Ren Yousu stay quiet after Ouyang spoke? He joined the discussion quickly and turned towards Yao Wangnian: ¡°Keep going. What happened afterwards?¡±


    ¡°Back then¡­¡±


    Yao Wangnian gradually recalled every detail, realizing that he had never forgotten what happened. After all, starting with the day he firmly decided to figure out how the innocent villagers were killed, his fate changed completely.


    ¡°I encountered Jiang Li in Hongluo. Originally, I thought that he had aided and abetted the crime, but soon we both realized that Luomei¡¯s schemes were just too intricate for us to see through them. When he learned that I had not died, Luomei decided to blame all those deaths on me and then put an end to this inconvenience by using Jiang Li to get rid of me. He didn¡¯t expect us to survive, let alone come here to denounce him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been stewing in my resentment for countless days after my death and refused to leave peacefully. I used to respect him as he was like a paragon of virtue. I even treated him like my own father, so how could he be so cruel to me? But then, I understood it. Cultivators give their lives in the pursuit of the greatest mysteries of the world, so they are willing to discard anything. There will always be those who are even willing to kill their wives and children. How much does he actually care about such insignificant pests as his disciples, his Wanjian Immortal Clan, or his world?¡±


    ¡°The Heavenly Dao is heartless, but heartlessness is not the Heavenly Dao!¡±


    Jiufang Changming said clearly, his voice breaking through the dense clouds with force.


    No one could see him¡ªall they could see was the dust and pebbles carried by the winds.


    ¡°Luomei, even if you collude with demons and spend all your days trying to unveil the mysteries of the Heavenly Dao, you¡¯ll never get close to the answers!¡±


    These words were addressed both to the Luomei of the future and to the Luomei in front of him.


    ¡°Never in my life have I betrayed the Heavens or disgraced the Earth! You¡¯re spouting nonsense, but if you wanted to turn the truth upside down to sow confusion in the world, you¡¯ve miscalculated!¡± Immortal Luomei¡¯s voice was calm and collected as he refused to let anyone interfere. ¡°What I regret the most, Wangnian, is not killing you ruthlessly back then when I learned that you¡¯ve fallen into a wrong path. I left you with a chance to survive, and you cultivated your spiritual soul into a ghost, which has led to today¡¯s disastrous consequences. For the first time in history, someone has managed to use demonic qi in ghost cultivation. It¡¯s no wonder then that you¡¯ve made astonishing progress compared to your past self. You even dare enlist these cultivators of unknown origin to participate in your rebellion!¡±


    He spent so much time talking despite his ongoing battle against Jiufang Changming.


    In truth, he was provided with an inexhaustible supply of spiritual power by the formation, so he was not afraid of any pressure his opponent tried to exert on him. Even if Jiufang Changming¡¯s sword split into thousands of rays of light, nothing could break the defensive formation around Luomei.


    On the contrary, the whirlpool of spiritual power around Jiufang Changming kept shrinking, and his sword could hardly stop the pressure, and its light was gradually dimming.


    He could feel his spiritual power flowing away from him.


    It was not because he was expending it¡ªinstead, it was being drawn out of him by the formation.


    This Pre-heaven Trigram Formation was built on eighth pillars that were located in the Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen and Dui Buildings, and the Supreme Ultimate of Yin and Yang in the center was the eye of the formation. Shouldering the yin and embracing the yang, it overflowed with an endless amount of energy, but this eye was not a weak spot of the formation. Even if he crushed the platform under his feet, the formation would still support itself with the sky, the earth, the mountains and the rivers, even if Jiufang Changming was suffocated to death.


    Jiufang Changming was somewhat familiar with the art of formations, but his understanding was superficial, and he was by no way proficient in it. It was obvious that this Pre-heaven Trigram Formation had not been set in a matter of a few days. It had instead been built with careful consideration for every detail over a long span of time. Even finding the pillars supporting the formation was not a feasible task for a common person.


    At this moment, he could not comprehend Luomei¡¯s original intention, because he realized that he could not break through this formation.


    The only person who could was Chi Bijiang.


    However, he could not tell whether or not she was alive, and did not even have an idea where Yun Weisi, who had left to find her, was currently located.


    It seemed that he only had one option left.


    Jiufang Changming sighed deeply and summoned his sword, letting light ignite above his palm.


    His sword was hovering behind his back, ready to strike.


    No matter whether it was called the Sifei Sword or the Changming Sword, it had never left the side of its master.


    ¡°The origins of the world is a vast wasteland, as are all the things within.¡±


    He chanted leisurely, neither too fast nor too slow, as if he was making small talk rather than being in a life and death battle.


    When his voice faded, eight puppets appeared around Jiufang Changming, and they rushed towards Luomei at once.


    Naturally, Luomei did not take this childish trick seriously. However, after he waved his sleeve to shatter the puppets with his spiritual power, they split into snowflakes and flew towards Luomei, quickly covering the raging flames beneath him and turning into ridges of ice that shot upwards towards Luomei.


    Luomei did not evade the attack and only waved his hand to shatter the ice before rushing towards Jiufang Changming.


    ¡°The Dao travels with the wind, and the heart comes from the seas and the mountains¡­¡±


    ¡°I remain puzzled over the engraving on the barren rocks of the Sacred Mountain Wan despite much pondering. It must be formidable since you can use it to kill so many people or to control and transform everything. At some other place and at some other time, I¡¯d have sought advice from you. It¡¯s a pity that today¡­¡±


    Before his opponent could finish his incantation, Luomei seized the initiative by interrupting him.


    He gathered spiritual power in his hands and sent it towards the Guyue Sword.


    The sword abruptly ignited with hundreds, thousands and then millions of rays of light. These were no longer rays gathered by the sword qi, but rather the sword itself was the light!


    Except for the light gathered by the Pre-heaven Trigram Formation, everything else was plunged into the darkness of the night. If everyone stayed quiet, they would not have heard a single sound.


    It did not matter whichever trick Jiufang Changming resorted to now, he could not survive such an attack.


    Luomei put aside his thoughts about Jiang Li and Yao Wangnian for the time being. He would pay any price to take down the strong opponent he was facing.


    As the light flashed, the incantations in front of Jiufang Changming shattered into pieces!


    Luomei closed his eyes. He could feel an enormous amount of energy circling around him. This was the essence of Heaven and the Earth, as well as the spiritual powers of everyone here, which had been absorbed by the formation to supply him with an endless flow of energy.


    No one could stop him. Not Yao Wangnian, not Jiang Li, not Jiufang Changming or the spirits of the Sacred Mountain Wan!


    He would definitely obtain the Dao he had sought.


    Even if he had to build mountains of bones and spill rivers of blood, he would never regret it.


    ¡°There is death in life, while the dead seek life. Reverse Yin and Yang, and invert Qian and Kun.¡±


    Fine rain trickled down, and the wind bells under the eaves rang. A new voice of a young woman reached their ears, and everyone subconsciously looked in her direction.


    Only Luomei¡¯s face changed.


    ¡°This Pre-heaven Trigram Formation was originally created by the first master of the Wanxian Palace, Liang Meng¡¯ou. But at that time, the formation was still unrefined and had many weaknesses. On top of that, it requires very rare and precious materials that have not been smelted for many years. I never expected to see a copy of this formation in a place like this. Immortal Luomei is truly talented, you even corrected so many mistakes in the original, helping the formation reach its full potential.¡±


    From the southwestern corner of the formation, someone was blazing a trail through the violent sands and mists, coming closer with each step. A young woman, shrouded in a dim light, made her way through the raging flames as easily as if she was walking on a level ground, her robes fluttering in the wind.


    Liu Zhengling gnashed his teeth and ordered his sword to attack!


    But midway, the sword suddenly turned around and flew at Liu Zhengling himself!


    Liu Zhengling paled and swiftly retreated, but something pressured him from behind as well. Trapped between these two forces, he was caught off guard, and the sword pierced his chest, which sent him flying.


    He looked back and saw a person descend to the ground, his expression as cold as ice. He casually waved his hand, and the icicle under his feet split into two parts that floated in the air and quickly reached Liu Zhengling¡¯s head, ready to penetrate it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! It was Immortal Luomei! He ordered me to set this formation!¡±


    ¡°Offense is the best defense, and the best offense is defense; day and night support each other, and lies and the truth intersect.¡±


    Chi Bijiang was as immovable as a mountain. She closed her eyes and fully concentrated on comprehending the formation with her heart, continuing to explain the technique.


    ¡°This formation is large and profound, vast enough to use the sky and the earth and never stays the same. The only weakness of this formation is that it is ever-changing.¡±


    ¡°Immortal Luomei¡¯s skills with formations are incredible. Given some time, you might become more proficient with them than anyone in the Wanxiang Palace. It¡¯s a pity that you only use formations as a stepping stone to achieve your goals.¡±


    Her tone was regretful, even though she had been imprisoned and tortured by Immortal Luomei. However, she did not feel any hatred towards him, and she still considered Luomei to be exceptionally gifted. Yet he never worked hard on cultivating his talent, and the world had lost someone who was so talented in setting up formations.


    ¡°Despite being opposites, yin and yang complement each other and merge into one another. Heaven and the earth, every mountain and in the depths of every sea¡ªit all never stays the same. Instead, it all always returns to their origins. Daoyou Jiufang, do you understand what I mean?¡±


    Immortal Luomei squinted. He wanted to give attention to Chi Bijiang and kill her, but Jiufang Changming had put all effort into firmly restricting his options, so Luomei could not spare a single moment to deal with her.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Jiufang Changming smiled. An enormous wave of spiritual power rushed at Luomei, but it was a maneuver that was meant to mislead¡ªat the same time, Jiufang Changming sent a puppet towards the southwestern corner of the formation.


    Luomei sent a wisp of spiritual power to tear apart the puppet, but after the pieces landed on the ground, they turned into birds and dashed forward.


    Seeing that the eye of the formation was about to be destroyed, Luomei felt that his advantage had vanished and that the forces surrounding him had intensified drastically. Everything he had exerted on his opponent was now being returned to him a hundredfold, as an earth-shattering and irresistible force.


    How could Luomei accept defeat at this point? Had Jiufang Changming not been here, he would have eliminated those he did not need and would have the situation under control. How could someone have rescued Chi Bijiang?


    She had survived her imprisonment. If he had not tried to learn the secret arts of setting up formations of the Wanxiang Palace, her existence would not have posed a threat at this moment!


    It¡¯s too late!


    Luomei had always regarded himself as a calm and level-headed person, but at this moment, he was finally shaken.


    And once the process began, it could not be reversed.


    He refused to admit defeat. His plan was perfect, what had gone wrong?!


    He closed his eyes and opened them again. A dense mist grew even denser in his eyes and quickly spread until they darkened completely. The mist went further, circulating through his meridians, and scales, which turned black and shiny, appeared on the back of his hands. Even his nails seemed to have sharpened a great deal.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to his body?¡± Ren Yousu cried out involuntarily.


    Ouyang frowned. The more he looked at Luomei, the more alarmed he became.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he deviating?¡±


    The glowing white sword that was hovering near him had been imbued with jets of black qi. Even though they were thin, they halted Jiufang Changming¡¯s attack and even seemed to overpower him. At this moment, there was no trace of pure spiritual power emanating from Luomei. Since there was no other way to get rid of Jiufang Changming, he was forced to unleash his hidden demonic qi.


    In order to hide his demonic heart, he rarely cultivated it. On one hand, he was worried that the demonic qi would leak out, and on the other hand, because he had just reached a bottleneck in his cultivation, he did not dare depend on the demonic heart fully as it could devour him instead. Luomei had to wait for a better opportunity, such as finding a suitable body to take over, so that even if he failed his next attempt to ascend through the righteous way, there would still be a way out.


    He did not expect Jiufang Changming to appear out of nowhere during the slaughter in Hongluo and force him to reveal his true face so early.


    Jiufang Changming felt the demonic qi rush at him abruptly with a force so formidable that it broke through his defenses in a moment, striking him right in his chest. Blood gushed out from his nose and mouth, painting the front part of his robes red. He was forced to retreat backwards, and was barely able to stabilize his form, but Luomei had already reached him, leaving him no time to react appropriately.


    However, Changming had been pushed aside, and someone else took this fatal blow for him.


    That person embraced him and stumbled, falling to the side.


    ¡°Yun Weisi!¡±