“I want a mirror,” Ping Zong repeated firmly. Ling Xiao helplessly sought assistance from Yao Tai, who gestured to the medical staff. Shortly, a mirror was presented to Ping Zong.
Staring at his reflection, Ping Zong was taken aback. Even though only the color of his eyes had changed, it seemed like he had become an entirely different person.
Under the stimulation of the truth, memories gradually returned: the intense fight, the sweet scent of blood, and the slowly fading gray in Lan Sheng’s eyes. The events of the previous night replayed. Ling Xiao didn’t deceive him, he had won. The loser was Lan Sheng.
“I want to see him,” Ping Zong said, pulling back his blankets to get off the bed.
“He won’t want to see you.” Yao Tai finally spoke. “Given his current mental state, he’s not seeing anyone.”
Disbelief filled Ping Zong’s dark eyes. “But I am not just anyone.”
“I assume the last person he wants to see right now is you. There’s no more time for you to ponder,” Yao Tai stated gravely. “What I am about to tell you is extremely important. Please listen to every word.”
Before he could recover from the most significant blow of his life, Ping Zong was forced to attentively grasp new information.
“After the coming-of-age ceremony, the Qizi releases a surge of hormones, affecting their brain and causing emotional turmoil. I know the outcome of your ceremony was unexpected, which led to him secreting several times the normal amount. Based on our instruments, in the next 72 hours, he will experience intense anger, irritability, panic, or feelings of despair. Currently, no drug can treat or control these negative emotions.”
“How can that be?” Ping Zong inquired anxiously. “How do others get through this?”
“The Qizhu is the only one who can soothe the Qizi. Usually, after the ceremony, we encourage the Qizhu to spend as much time with the Qizi as possible. However, looking at Lan Sheng’s current state, he won’t allow anyone, including you, to be close.” Yao Tai’s voice deepened. “This means you must quickly learn how to control your Qizi.”
Ping Zong’s eyes widened. “Control?”
“Exactly. Many Qizhu spend months or even a year mastering this, but you might not have that much time. Lan Sheng’s mental assessment has reached a high-risk level. Historically, the mortality rate for such individuals is up to 50%.”
Ping Zong tensed up. “I will learn.”
“Focus and try to infiltrate his mental realm. Do whatever it takes, even if it means forcefully controlling his mind. Believe in your ability to dominate your Qizi. Remember, you’re not equals. You are controlling him, and this is a forceful measure. Any pity or soft-heartedness will cause a failure in the mental connection.”
Ping Zong closed his eyes, visibly straining in his effort. Yao Tai watched him for a moment before leaving, with Ling Xiao and the others departing the ward to give Ping Zong a tranquil environment.
Outside, Zhi Shang hesitantly asked, “What do you think?”
Yao Tai shook her head. “Not optimistic. That boy still can’t fully accept his identity as a Qizhu. He’s emotionally sensitive, which might hinder him from breaking through the mental barrier.”
Simply put, he was too compassionate. The colder one was, the faster they could master this ability. Clearly, Ping Zong’s feelings for Lan Sheng were overwhelming.
Zhi Shang shook his head in disbelief. “This is my fault. Like the student said, I deceived them.”
Yao Tai silenced him. “It’s not your fault. Even if you hadn’t said those things, they would’ve faced this phase.”
“But I gave them hope.” Zhi Shang’s guilt wasn’t alleviated. “I painted a dream for them, only to find out it was a nightmare. If they knew it was a nightmare from the beginning, they would’ve been prepared and wouldn’t have been shattered.”
Yao Tai stayed silent for a while, finally offering him a silent embrace.
The communication light on Yao Tai’s terminal lit up. “Dr. Yao, the student in the intensive care unit is awake.”
Ending the brief hug, Yao Tai quickly made her way upstairs. By the time she and another person arrived, Ling Xiao and his classmates, who had been informed in advance, were already waiting outside the observation room. Ling Xiao’s fists were clenched tightly against the glass window, trembling constantly, as if he were using all his strength to restrain himself.
Yao Tai had anticipated such a scene, but now she had no time to consider the feelings of others.
The medical staff came forward to report Lan Sheng’s condition. “His body is recovering at a rapid pace, but his mental state is very concerning. He’s showing signs of overexertion. If this continues, it’s only a matter of time before he breaks free from the restraints.”
Yao Tai somberly approached the window. In the center of the room was a lone chair, to which Lan Sheng was tied. Both his hands and feet were shackled. He was struggling fiercely, and by reading his lips, it seemed he was screaming, but the sound was cruelly blocked by the walls. His eyes were fixed on a spot on the wall, as if something there was deeply loathsome that he wanted to pierce through.
Ling Xiao closed his eyes, pressing his forehead weakly against the cold glass, unable to bear the sight. Behind him, two of his classmates’ eyes began to redden unwittingly. This was their first lesson in their coming-of-age ceremony, and it was already brutally overwhelming.
Lan Sheng’s strength grew, causing even the chair bolted to the floor to tremble. His wrists rubbed fiercely against the handcuffs, quickly becoming stained with blood.
“Give him a sedative,” Yao Tai ordered.
Soon, a nurse entered with a syringe, quite long and thick, and injected a clear liquid into Lan Sheng from behind his neck. Only then did the person inside gradually calm down, slowly bowing his head, motionless.
“Do you really want to stay here?” Yao Tai asked Ling Xiao, who had turned into a statue.
Ling Xiao seemed not to hear and remained motionless.
Yao Tai sighed softly and called the two classmates over.
“Who in your class can handle Ling Xiao?”
The two looked at each other. “Probably only Ying Feng…”
“Call him over. Watch him, don’t let him cause trouble or get close to the person inside. It’d be best if you can take him away,” Yao Tai said with a rare look of exhaustion. “There are many others who’ve completed the coming-of-age ceremony these days. We have too many to care for and can’t spare hands for unrelated individuals.”
One of them hesitated. “But Ying Feng probably won’t care about others.”
“Just tell him I said so.” Yao Tai’s tone was firm, brooking no refusal.
Ying Feng did come. When he arrived, Ling Xiao was torturing himself by standing outside the ICU. The person inside was motionless, and so was the person outside, as if they were mirroring each other.
“Ying Feng,” the classmate said nervously as he saw him approach, “We’ve been trying to persuade him for ages, but he refuses to leave.”
Without a word, Ying Feng grabbed Ling Xiao by the collar and started walking him downstairs. Surprisingly, Ling Xiao didn’t resist and seemed lost in thoughts as he was dragged down.
“No.” Ling Xiao seemed to snap back to his senses near the entrance. “I don’t want to go.”
Ying Feng stopped and stared at him.
“I want to stay.” Ling Xiao, whose eyes always shone with confidence, was now filled with bewilderment and confusion. “They are my friends. I can’t just leave them here.”
After a brief pause, Ying Feng pulled him in the opposite direction until they reached a bench in the hallway.
“Can you at least sit and wait here?”
Ling Xiao didn’t struggle much and was pressed down by Ying Feng. Then, Ying Feng himself sat next to Ling Xiao. They both sat silently side by side without speaking.
As night fell, the surroundings became eerily quiet. The deafening silence became unbearable.
“Ying Feng.” Ling Xiao’s voice sounded like a stone dropped in a quiet pond, breaking the silence. Ying Feng slightly moved, signaling he heard.
Ling Xiao called his name but seemed unprepared for what to say next. After a pause, he said, “You don’t have to stay here.”
He spoke these words with such insincerity. The other two classmates had already left, and he had never felt so alone and in need of someone by his side before.
Ying Feng glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Although he usually paid little attention to others, this version of Ling Xiao was something he hadn’t seen in ten years.
The Ling Xiao he remembered was always aggressive, always looking for reasons to provoke him, and never showed his vulnerabilities. But today’s Ling Xiao radiated vulnerability that seemed so out of character for him.
“I promised Dr. Yao,” implying, ‘My staying here has nothing to do with you’.
Ling Xiao didn’t know why Dr. Yao wanted Ying Feng to stay, but upon hearing this answer, he truly breathed a sigh of relief.
The atmosphere became quiet again. Ying Feng subconsciously took out a peach pit from his pocket, slowly rubbing its rough surface. This had evidently become a habit. Whenever he did this, he felt at peace.
Ling Xiao noticed his movement and looked at him curiously. Once he saw, he couldn’t take his eyes off it. “What’s that in your hand?”
Ying Feng didn’t answer, but Ling Xiao became more interested in the item. “Can I have a look?”
Ying Feng hesitated for a moment but handed it over. As Ling Xiao took it, a flash of blue light appeared for a fleeting moment.
“Did you see that?”
“What?”
“There was light inside.”
“I’ve had it for nearly ten years, and I’ve never seen any light.”
Did I see it wrong? Ling Xiao examined the peach pit closely, and from any angle, it just seemed like an ordinary peach pit.
“What did you say earlier? You’ve had it for almost ten years, which means you’ve had it since shortly after you woke up?”
Ying Feng simply replied, “Mm.”
“Why do you carry it with you?”
Ying Feng hesitated for a long time before answering. “I found it in my energy chamber.”
Ying Feng had never told anyone about this secret, including the base staff. It seemed that tonight’s atmosphere was even making secrets want to be shared.
“You mean, it’s been with you since you woke up? How’s that possible? Souls reincarnate, leaving no memories, so how can they leave objects?”
“I want to know why even more than you do.”
Ling Xiao thought for a while but couldn’t come up with a logical explanation. He had visited the base and knew the staff there wouldn’t carelessly drop a leftover peach pit into an energy chamber.
Could past lives truly leave traces in this way?
“So, you’re desperately trying to find your lover from a past life because of this?”
Ying Feng didn’t deny it. “The first time I saw it, I felt it belonged to someone else. I’ve always felt there’s a connection between them. If I can find them, this mystery will be solved.”
Who was the other person? Ying Feng didn’t specify, but Ling Xiao understood. Suddenly, the peach pit in his hand felt hot, and he quickly returned it, his heart in turmoil.
“The universe is so vast; how do you plan to search?”
Ying Feng silently took the pit back. “I have a feeling they’re close by—very close to me.”
“And what if you never find them?”
“I’ll keep searching.”
……
Even in the longest nights, dawn would always greet them. When Ping Zong came out of his room, he saw the two usually conflicting individuals sitting together on the bench outside the door, with Ling Xiao’s head resting on Ying Feng’s shoulder, both of them deeply asleep.
Ying Feng, ever alert, was awakened by Ping Zong’s gaze. This was the first time he saw Ping Zong after the coming-of-age ceremony. There was a moment of discomfort in Ying Feng’s eyes as they met.
His slight movement woke Ling Xiao, who rubbed his eyes and jumped up anxiously upon recognizing the person in front of him.
“How did it go?” he asked eagerly. Ping Zong looked like he hadn’t slept all night, with dark circles under his eyes.
“I still couldn’t do it,” Ping Zong said frustratedly. “He resisted fiercely. As soon as I got close, he started screaming. The sound was piercing. I could sense how painful it was for him when I invaded his mental realm. I couldn’t bear it.”
Ling Xiao didn’t know how to respond, so he just comfortingly placed his hand on Ping Zong’s shoulder.
Just then, a short and long alarm rang from the medical building. The three of them looked around in surprise.
Medical staff from the first floor ran out of their offices, all looking anxious. This included Dr. Yao.
“Dr. Yao!” Ling Xiao called out to her, “What happened?”
Dr. Yao turned off her communicator, looking grim. “Lan Sheng is missing, and his personal items are gone.”
With these words, the atmosphere around Yan Zheng suddenly changed. He no longer exuded the deathly aura from earlier; instead, his killing intent was so intense it felt like it was about to explode, going out of control.
Despite dragging along a body full of wounds, he somehow found strength. Before Yan Qing could even react, Yan Zheng stepped on the edge of the giant sword, leaped into the air, and swung his Death Whip in the air, creating a sonic boom.
Yan Zheng concentrated his wild killing intent on one place and, like a hawk, pounced on the Corpse Retrieval Team who were supposed to protect him, seemingly desperate to break through. Unfortunately, his whip hadn’t even finished its arc when Chai Xin’s Dragonfly Wings cut through the air and disrupted his whole whip.
The members of the Corpse Retrieval Team, who resembled corpses themselves, still silently stood guard around them, not moving an inch.
“Oh, you still care about it? Back then, you were crying to me, saying that you were willing to do anything as long as you could get revenge. And now, for the sake of the Shirou, you’re going to betray our Divine Sect?”
Chai Xin still didn’t take Yan Zheng seriously. His Dragonfly Wings flashed, and the blades swept over the whip adorned with barbs, making a piercing noise that gave people goosebumps.
“Shut up.”
Chai Xin acted like he hadn’t heard. “You’re turning your elbow out*, but you have to choose the right person, even if it’s that cut sleeve Kong. I heard that the Kushan Sect killed the real Elder Huo in order to infiltrate us… This kind of partner who despises our Divine Sect—you better change it.”
*Idiom referring to a person who helps outsiders instead of their own.
After a full-force strike didn’t work, Yan Zheng dragged his wounded body, spun around, and returned behind the Sword of Compassion with a somewhat distorted expression. The Death Whip sensed his murderous intent, and the pitch-black whip body trembled slightly.
They couldn’t kill Chai Xin, as the gap in experience and power was a chasm that couldn’t be bridged by courage alone. However, as long as the summoning formation was activated, Chai Xin and his confidants were still on the mountain…
Yan Zheng’s eyes were locked on Chai Xin as he slowly straightened his back.
“If the Divine Sect is ruined by outsiders, who will help you avenge Taiheng? Who will help you investigate your enemies?” Chai Xin, oblivious to the approaching death formation, continued to speak “heartfelt” words.
Yan Zheng: “He who kills shall always be killed. I pay my price, and you will pay yours.”
“Alright, stop messing around.” Chai Xin chuckled. “Your price? I haven’t seen you pay any price. Instead, I’ve given you a place to live and taught you martial arts—you’ve taken all the advantages… Think more about how your parents died. You haven’t even avenged your blood feud, so don’t try to fight for power and wealth.”
Upon hearing these words, Yan Zheng’s murderous aura suddenly solidified.
His bloodshot eyes stared at Chai Xin, and the ferocity and anger from earlier all retracted into an ugly smile. The relationship between master and disciple in the demonic sect wasn’t as amiable as in the orthodox sects, and they weren’t very polite in their speech. But the tone Yan Zheng used now, rather than facing a “master”, seemed more like facing a “sworn enemy”.
“Blood feud not avenged?”
Yan Zheng’s voice was hoarse, and a hint of despair seeped out from his laughter.
“The ‘blood feud’ you speak of, I finished avenging it six years ago—in the end, you nearly listed every high-ranking member of Taiheng as my enemies. Over these years, under the guise of avenging the ‘descendants of the Yan family’, how many demons and monsters have you summoned, and how many innocent people have you slaughtered?”
“Is the knife of the ‘disciple’ handy?”
By the end of his question, his voice was almost drenched of blood.
However, Chai Xin was just slightly stunned, then smirked. “What was I thinking? So it was just about this. It was merely killing a few people under your name… How splendid was the Hierarch back in the day, indiscriminately killing the young, the old, the sick, the disabled, and anyone he didn’t like. Where is there room for such nitpicking like you?!”
“It takes more than a day or two for the Ling Sect to kill innocent people, haven’t you heard? Expecting a great demonic sect to work for you without gaining anything in return? Where in the world can you find such a good deal?”
Then, as if he had thought of something, the old man laughed sharply. “If you really don’t want to be used by our Divine Sect, you can finish avenging your blood feud and find a place to end yourself. Good disciple, why don’t you die?”
He spoke these words with unparalleled arrogance, as if he was certain that he had grasped Yan Zheng’s weakness. Not far away, the dark red Grand Pavilion loomed in the fog. Although it was just a faint shadow, from Yan Zheng’s point of view, it was like a thorn deeply embedded in a wound.
“Six years ago, I indeed had such thoughts and took such actions.”
Yan Zheng didn’t react as Chai Xin had anticipated, bursting into shameful rage from being exposed as a coward. He simply fluttered his eyelids, his expression a bit strangely empty. Blood trickled down from his torn red clothes, pooling on the stone slabs, emitting a faint fishy smell.
“Perhaps heaven thought the burial gifts I gave were too modest and didn’t agree, so it didn’t let me die. Over these six years, I have been gathering my own burial gifts… As for the matter of the blood feud, I have something to say.”
Yan Zheng looked at Chai Xin a few steps away, his voice growing softer.
Compared to eight years ago, Chai Xin’s appearance had hardly changed. For an old man, eight years was but a fleeting moment. But for Yan Zheng, it was a long time that had transformed him from a youth to a young man.
When he first met Chai Xin, he was soaked in the blood of others. Now, he was soaked in his own blood—it was as if things had come full circle. Memories of the past resurfaced like daytime nightmares, wrapping around him once more.
He wasn’t originally named Yan Zheng. His ancestors changed their surname to “Yu” to escape from being hunted down.
His father, Yu Chunhui, was born with a pair of ghost eyes. To protect his parents, wife, and children, he blinded himself early on and became a blind doctor. With Yu Chunhui’s excellent medical skills, the family was able to purchase a property near Yidu and live comfortably.
His father concocted potions, while his mother diligently and meticulously crafted them. They even made “demon skin soft lenses” to conceal the color of their pupils, allowing their son to play in the sun like any other child. His father was gentle, his mother was intelligent, and their family was in the business of healing the sick and saving lives. Yan Zheng once thought that there could not be a more peaceful life in this world.
That was until eight years ago, when his father’s old friend fell ill.
The old friend was a jade craftsman surnamed Wu, who was originally well-off. But when sickness struck, it became a bottomless pit that devoured money. With elderly and young in his family, the jade craftsman was their sole provider. Seeing the pillar of their family about to collapse, the Wu family quickly sold their home and property, even considering selling their children.
[…He’s a jade craftsman. Why don’t we give him our family’s jade pendant? He can cut it and sell some of it. The jade is of excellent quality, made into a ring. It can sell for two to three hundred taels, enough for him to afford his treatment.]
At that time, his parents deliberately avoided him and went to the backyard to discuss. Yan Zheng quietly followed and heard everything clearly. His father’s words were as gentle as ever, and he remembered every word distinctly.
His mother hesitated. [Husband, is there really no problem with that jade? Wasn’t it said that it could be Yan… Ah, you said before that it should be hidden and only taken out in an emergency.]
Yu Chunhui: [Demonic Lord Yan has been dead for a hundred years. Not to mention that ordinary people don’t know about these kinds of objects. This time, let Lao Wu divide and modify it. Then it’ll be safer to keep at home in the future. We’ve been friends for over a decade, and Lao Wu has watched A’Zheng grow up. We can’t just watch his family be ruined.]
His mother was silent for a moment, then sighed.
[Alright. His children are so chubby and adorable. We’ve always loved them; it would be pitiful if they were sold off…]
His parents had always been soft-hearted, to the point of almost being foolish. Yan Zheng had thought countless times, if his father had been a little harder, a little more cautious, even if he had inherited just one thousandth of Yan Budu’s selfishness, would his parents still be alive?
When Jade Craftsman Wu got the jade pendant, he thanked them profusely, even to the point of almost kneeling down to Yu Chunhui with his sick body. Unfortunately, Yu Chunhui didn’t know that this old friend had a distant relative who was a servant of Taiheng and had long been familiar with the lost relics of the Yan family.
Especially the jade pieces.
At that time, Yan Zheng didn’t think too much about it. How could his all-capable parents make a mistake? Besides, Uncle Wu had always been kind and affectionate, always giving him honey candies when they met and never scold him.
This was a move of righteousness; there was nothing to fault.
However, in the end, all Yan Zheng got was a lament of “Run, don’t look back.”
Even without looking back, he still saw the flash of Taiheng’s sword and remembered the dull thud of his parents’ bodies hitting the ground.
Without his father’s medicinal soup, Yan Zheng’s demon skin lenses quickly dried and wrinkled, failing to cover his ghost eyes. Yan Zheng had to cover his eyes with a torn cloth while stumbling and roaming the streets. Jade Craftsman Wu prospered from this. The whole family moved away from the poor streets and alleys to a spacious and clean courtyard, and their children wore silk clothes and were even plumper than before.
The neighbors called Jade Craftsman Wu a “righteous citizen” who didn’t fear demons.
What righteous citizen?
Yan Zheng stole a knife and sneaked into the Wu house on a windy night. Upon seeing his eyes, the previously kind face of “Uncle Wu” was filled with fear.
[A’Zheng, Uncle deserves to die. Uncle was just confused for a moment, just a moment!]
Jade Craftsman Wu stammered while the point of Yan Zheng’s blade traced a line of blood on his neck, and he almost wet his pants.
[But-but you have to understand. The finger rings are worth just two to three hundred taels of silver, but the clues to a Yan family’s descendants are-are worth three thousand taels. I had no choice. I was doing this for my family… You-You first put away your knife. I will kneel and apologize to you; is that okay?]
[A’Zheng, your brothers and sisters are still, ah, still waiting for me to come home!]
The jade craftsman, looking at those burning ghost eyes, was terrified to the point of weeping. Hearing this man mention his two children, Yan Zheng’s hand shook. As a result, Jade Craftsman Wu seized the opportunity to grab his wrist, about to scream for help.
A surge of cold sweat and hot tears almost simultaneously broke out on Yan Zheng’s back. He used all his strength to thrust the blade into Jade Craftsman Wu’s neck. The next moment, hot blood sprayed all over his face, Jade Craftsman Wu’s eyes bulged wide, and he quickly fell silent.
The knowledge of acupoints and medical practice taught by his father in the past became the most suitable method of murder. A person’s neck was harder than he thought, the blood was more than he imagined, and the dying breath was more hoarse and unpleasant.
Just for the life of Jade Craftsman Wu, his parents had been brought to their demise. And in less than half an hour, he easily took it away.
Endless absurdity and emptiness swept over him. Yan Zheng almost dropped his knife. ‘There’s one left,’ Yan Zheng thought dazedly. He had to survive to find the Taiheng disciple who killed his parents that day…
[Your killing aura isn’t bad. There’s some talent, but it’s too naive. With those eyes of yours, it’s really a waste.]
A coarse and unpleasant voice sounded. Yan Zheng raised his head and saw an old man with one eye like a dried radish on the eaves of the Wu’s house. His hands were still stained with fishy, sticky blood. Yan Zheng’s spirit was in chaos, having no time to pay attention to such an old man.
[How old are you?] The old man jumped down and stood in front of him.
[Thirteen.] Actually, not quite, but thinking of the birthdays celebrated together in the past at home, Yan Zheng felt a surge of nausea.
[A little old, but it’s okay. Come with me. I promise you won’t worry about food or clothing, and I’ll help you get revenge.]
Yan Zheng turned his head and walked away. The old man, Chai Xin, chuckled and grabbed him like a chicken. [You little brat, you don’t recognize a good thing when you see it. If it weren’t for me stepping in, with all the noise you made, you would have been heard by his family! You killed him, and next, your life will be gone too. How can your parents rest in peace if you let an enemy roam free?]
Yan Zheng stopped struggling; he blankly stared with wide eyes and saw the dark red blood on the old man’s hands. He shifted his gaze and saw a row of porcelain dishes deep in the courtyard, almost vomiting on the spot.
Jade Craftsman Wu’s two children were indeed dead. The heads of the two round-faced children were placed in the middle of a large porcelain plate, with thinly sliced bodies underneath with their eyes still wide open in fear. Behind them were the elderly and women of the Wu family, each corpse meticulously arranged on a plate with the smell of blood heavy in the air.
Yan Zheng was momentarily soul-stricken, unsure whether killing Jade Craftsman Wu at the gate was cruel or some kind of mercy in a sense.
[Killing one isn’t enough. This is the revenge of a Ling Sect member. Yu Zheng, I know everything about you—a beggar-like kid; you’re dreaming if you think you can deal with Taiheng. Come, return to my Divine Sect with me. I’ll be your master, and I’ll take good care of you.]
Chai Xin said with a smile, holding out a carrot after wielding a stick.
[After all, you can’t escape today’s matter. The Wu family is in such a state, so both the officials and Taiheng will be after you, the ‘evil spawn’. What will you do? Or should I break your legs and let you try to escape?]
Using both threats and promises, the young Yan Zheng gave in, fueled by a burning hatred.
Back then, he was young and thought that every road in the world could be a way back.
[The ‘Zheng*’ we named you isn’t about fighting; it’s about living up to expectations. A’Zheng, you have to live up to it. Be the best doctor in Yidu.]
*Clarity: (争) Means to contend, fight, struggle for. However, they don’t mean to fight in regard to battle but more so to strive (for oneself).
…But what about his fate?
He was no longer the son of Yu Chunhui, Yu Zheng, but the descendant of Yan Budu, Yan Zheng.
Chai Xin used his ghost eyes to recruit dangerous people into the Ling Sect, taking quite a lot of territory from Chigou and Taiheng. Yan Zheng closed his eyes and ears, devoted to martial arts training, tirelessly seeking the person who killed his parents.
Anyway, without him, the Ling Sect would still be killing people everywhere. Hatred was the best anesthetic, so Yan Zheng balanced his conscience with hatred, just maintaining equilibrium.
His revenge was justified; he had no other choice.
Chai Xin did what he said and had “helped” him quite a bit. The old man set him one goal after another, and every time one of them died, Chai Xin would always casually say, [Master has interrogated in person. It’s not this person. It’s okay, let’s continue.]
This life continued for two years. At the age of fifteen, Yan Zheng was quietly sought out by a person from Taiheng Sect.
The man looked emaciated and appeared to be in considerable pain. Yan Zheng initially thought that the man intended to defect to the Ling Sect. However, when he spoke, his words nearly froze Yan Zheng.
[I killed your parents.]
The man from the Taiheng Sect kneeled in front of Yan Zheng, his forehead smashing heavily into the stone slab, leaving a faint trace of blood.
[After killing those two that day, many people approached Taiheng to reason. They said the couple of the Yu family were kind-hearted and philanthropic, certainly not great villains… The present evil results in the martial world were entirely caused by me. I’m sorry.]
What was he talking about? Yan Zheng thought somewhat blankly. What did this mean?
[Back then, when Jade Craftsman Wu raised the Yan’s jade pendant to Taiheng, the returning spies also stirred up trouble, claiming that the Yu family had committed many evils, which coincidentally coincided with the Wu family’s claims. I was eager to make achievements, so without further investigation…]
Was this a confession? A member of a righteous and well-known sect was apologizing to him, the Patriarch of a demonic sect? This must be a scheme. The one who killed his parents must be someone insidious and evil.
[Those of the Yan family, kill on sight.] Yan Zheng wrapped his whip around the man’s neck and whispered. [The rules of Taiheng Sect don’t mention good and evil, so you don’t have to be so pretentious.]
Did this man think that by saying a few soft words, he would spare his life?
With the life of his enemy in his hand, Yan Zheng’s blood almost entirely rushed to his head, and his breathing became rapid. As death approached, this man should reveal his ugly side. He had to strike at the moment of the man’s greatest fear, to repay him with his own medicine, and let his enemy taste the flavor of losing everything.
[Rules are dead, people are alive*.] The man didn’t struggle. He only raised his eyes, which were devoid of any spark. [Pushing all the evil deeds to ‘the sect is like this’, can deceive others, but not oneself.]
*Idiom referring to rules are usually rigid and inflexible (dead set) while humans are alive and should have flexibility to interpret them based on the situation at hand. He’s basically saying, humans shouldn’t follow the rules blindly and should consider the situation before acting.
Yan Zheng’s heart suddenly contracted, causing a sharp pain.
He composed himself, and with a forced, cold laugh, he said, [Everyone can preach great truths. Even if you are truly remorseful, I will not spare you.]
[I have done wrong*, and I cannot ask for forgiveness.]
*Every injustice has a head, and every debt has a master (冤有头债有主) Idiom referring to there’s someone who is responsible and should be held accountable (AKA Every debt has its debtor).
Yan Zheng’s hand trembled. He gritted his teeth, averted his gaze, and suddenly tightened the whip in his hand.
There was a crisp sound. The man’s neck was broken, and his body limply fell to the ground. A simple life was taken, even cleaner than when he killed Jade Craftsman Wu. But Yan Zheng had no sense of satisfaction; instead, he felt suffocated.
Compared to revenge, he felt more like he had fulfilled the man’s wish.
His enemy didn’t lie. The accumulated pain and guilt weren’t feigned. Yan Zheng was very familiar with it. Every time he heard the elders boasting about their torture methods and comparing the number of lives they had taken; he would look into the bronze mirror and see the same emotions in his own eyes.
He had thought that he would get used to it, but who knew that his sense of guilt was growing day by day. Now, with his hatred suddenly having no place to land, the balance in his chest was swaying unstably. The pain that had been suppressed for two years burst forth, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Was everything he had done for revenge up to now meaningless?
Yan Zheng was cautious. He quietly disposed of the body and mixed the man’s name into the investigation list, saying that he wanted to investigate personally. But Chai Xin just glanced at him. After a few days, the old man pretended to say, [Master has thoroughly investigated. Those people have nothing to do with your parents.]
[Good disciple, why don’t you look at this dog elder. When your family died, he happened to be near Yidu. At that time, Taiheng only gave a reward of one thousand taels for finding the descendants of the Yan family. An extra two thousand taels were personally added, an amount that ordinary people can’t afford. It must have been this old coot who added it…]
Yan Zheng’s heart skipped a beat.
Near Yidu… When he planned to kill Jade Craftsman Wu, Chai Xin was also near Yidu. Yidu was far from Zongwu Mountain, and Chai Xin was the Patriarch. How could he just be wandering around Yidu, and even be prepared in advance to wait for him? He had hidden very well after his parents were killed that even Taiheng couldn’t find him, but it was the Ling Sect who found out about his revenge plan?
Something wasn’t right.
The “Taiheng spy” that the enemy mentioned… Was he really from Taiheng? Behind his deep-seated hatred, there seemed to be others fanning the flames. In this way, the one who benefited the most from killing his upright parents and snatching away the vengeful orphan…
That night, Yan Zheng quietly turned over the account books of the Grand Pavilion without telling anyone.
From that day on, the balance in Yan Zheng’s chest was completely overturned and shattered on the ground.
Looking at the smug Chai Xin in front of him now, Yan Zheng only felt unspeakably nauseous. “You really played a good game back then—adding a bounty for the jade craftsman on one hand and confusing Taiheng on the other. When my parents died, you got a puppet who hated Taiheng.”
“All for only two thousand taels. What a bargain. Luckily, I checked the account books when I was fifteen. You should have destroyed the record of those two thousand taels.”
Unfortunately, just as Yan Zheng expected, Chai Xin’s conscience had long since rotted away. After listening to all that, Chai Xin didn’t show the slightest guilt. Seeing Yan Zheng’s angry reaction, he even laughed out loud. “Ah, my disciple is even more promising than I thought. If you had said so earlier, I wouldn’t have bothered to act. Acting is quite tiring.”
“You knew all along, but you still couldn’t let go of this Patriarch’s chair. I’ve let you sit for six years; are you comfortable, Patriarch Yan? If you dump all the shit on me, will you be completely clean and not considered a villain?”
Having said that, Chai Xin turned to Yan Qing with great interest. “Boy, you heard it too. This is a bad debt. All the people killed by the Ling Sect over the years still have to be accounted for by my beloved disciple—”
Yan Qing unconsciously shook his head.
The Dharma words inscribed by Venerable Kongshi on the Sword of Compassion were extremely heavy. Yan Qing had lost too much blood. His limbs were intermittently cold and numb, and merely gripping the stone sword required all his strength. The voice of Chai Xin seemed as if it were behind a thick layer of water, making his words indistinct to Yan Qing. However, the reaction of Yan Zheng by his side was clearly visible. Yan Zheng’s originally pale face turned a shade paler, and the resentment on his face deepened.
But to Yan Qing, Chai Xin’s constant chatter was simply annoying. He hadn’t fallen yet, so this battle wasn’t over… He hadn’t lost yet.
Whether Yan Zheng was a villain under the concept of righteousness, did it matter? Yan Qing had witnessed his cooperation earlier with Yu Zikuan. At this moment, Yan Zheng wanted to eradicate the Ling Sect, and all he had to do was assist him.
“Elder Chai,” Yan Qing said politely.
“Our Divine Sect always acts like this. If you are deceived, it’s your own fault for being naive. Survival of the fittest has been the rule for hundreds of years…”
“Elder Chai,” Yan Qing interrupted him politely again.
“Hmm? Speak.”
Yan Qing took a deep breath, not looking at Yan Zheng beside him. He moved his numb wrist while his face adorned a particularly sincere smile, and his voice was full of curiosity—
“No offense, but it’s said that out of ten sentences spoken by people of the demonic sect, nine are lies and the rest are only half-truths. Elder, you keep saying ‘deserved to be deceived’ …Do you expect me to believe you, or hope that I don’t believe you?”
He wasn’t strong enough—at least not strong enough to be distracted by these gibberish or to think about irrelevant things during a fierce battle. Whether it was due to his dull mind or his temperament, once his worries were dispersed, Yan Qing felt an inexplicable surge of confidence.
Chai Xin’s mouth moved up and down, but all Yan Qing saw was a soundless babble. Just now, Chai Xin spoke for a long time with a sarcastic smile, but Yan Qing didn’t take in a word.
Elder Chai was subtly choked by his words and had to act as if he didn’t hear. “Just now, you heard what my disciple said. This man is undoubtedly from the Ling Sect. If you don’t want to aid in tyranny, you’d better give up…”
“I didn’t hear,” Yan Qing said calmly.
Chai Xin: “…?”
Yan Qing: “He’s also a member from a demonic sect. Why should I be in a hurry to believe him? We’re fighting for our lives, not disputing in court.”
They had been in a bitter feud for a long time, yet this person from the Kushan Sect had been daydreaming and hadn’t taken in a word.
Even Yan Zheng turned his head; a trace of doubt crossed his face—he had originally thought this person was honest and straightforward, but now, he was still part of the Yan Clan’s descendants after all. Yan Qing’s eerie eyes were half-open, calmly looking at Chai Xin a few steps away. His movements were as steady as ever, but there was an unfamiliar arrogance in his demeanor.
That arrogance, mixed with his gentle demeanor, was particularly annoying. Compared to him, the straightforward Yan Zheng seemed far more likable.
“That bald donkey Kongshi’s sword is nothing more than that—recognizing only petty men and unable to distinguish the hypocrites. Since you didn’t hear, I will—”
“Elder, forgive this Junior’s stupidity. Even if I agree that Yan Zheng is a villain, so what? …Will you let me go easily, Elder? Or is it that Elder thinks he is so evil that it makes you approachable, and that would make this Junior yearn for you?”
Chai Xin was left speechless.
Yan Qing didn’t speak forcefully, but his tone was neither humble nor arrogant, earnest with a particularly strong touch of ridicule. Summed up this way, Chai Xin looked like a fool who couldn’t string his sentences together.
What was this kid made of? Why did he turn sarcastic all of a sudden?
Seeing Chai Xin not responding, Yan Qing coughed up some blood and laughed. “Since Senior has no other instructions, then I will continue to judge only by actions, not intentions.”
Yan Zheng whipped his Death Whip and couldn’t help laughing.
“Good, very good. Worthy of being my brother connected by blood.” He propped up his shaky body. “Yan Qing, he dares not take our lives, why not fight back?”
If he could have such a fight before he died, he could rest in peace.
Having been caught off guard, Chai Xin’s face turned purple. He gave up on slowly grinding away with the Jade Chime Sword Technique, deciding to end the fight quickly. “Everyone, go! It’s okay to be a bit rough; just leave them some breath!”
“…So we continue to fight.”
Yan Qing breathed out a sigh, his tone calm.
“But before we fight, allow me to express my gratitude. If it weren’t for both of you creating such a mess in front of me, I might still be thinking about unnecessary things.”
Such as right and wrong, cause and effect, weighing pros and cons, and the gap in strength. Facing the intricate reality ahead and the abyss behind, Yan Qing suddenly felt enlightened.
Yan Zheng, who was taught by Chai Xin, was always at a disadvantage. They had managed to hold on until now with the first two techniques of the Jade Chime Sword Technique. The third technique, with the greatest power, Yan Qing had never succeeded in using.
In his current state of mind, he suddenly wanted to give it a try.
The third move was called “Opening Gold and Stone”. It could only be activated through utmost sincerity. He, however, remained as cautious and careful as ever, his heart filled with a myriad of complicated emotions. How could he talk about sincerity? The extreme of sincerity was nothing more than sacrificing oneself to save others. In a blink of an eye, would any martyr really think so much?
It was just seeing what was in front of you and giving your best. The matters behind could be dealt with later.
The Sword of Compassion in his hand seemed to lighten considerably, and Yan Qing closed his eyes. He didn’t think about his significant gap in strength with the master and disciple of the Kushan Sect, nor about the impact and consequences of this battle. He just emptied his mind, leaving only the demonstration of Yin Ci that day.
The third move of the Jade Chime Sword Technique, Opening Gold and Stone.
The strategy against the crowd was to hurt the enemy a thousand times while hurting oneself eight hundred times. It could only be used when there was no other way. Now, when it was time, he found that he was using it more smoothly and quite relaxed.
His sword path was righteous, bringing up gusts of wind. The incoming Corpse Retrieval Team barely touched the sword wind before being struck flying by the thick sword move. Despite his sword techniques being rough, his sword intent was even more pure and gentle than Yin Ci’s demonstration. Seeing the unfavorable situation, Chai Xin tried to stop the great sword with his Dragonfly Wings. Unfortunately, the Death Whip was light and agile, while the Sword of Compassion was incredibly heavy. The thin daggers were almost broken.
This sword path surprisingly revealed the power of the Jianchen Temple, perfectly restraining Chai Xin’s martial arts. The shortcomings were all made up by Yan Zheng. The two complemented each other’s skills and didn’t let a single Ling Sect member get close.
Even Chai Xin was caught by the Death Whip, unable to escape, and his forearm was broken by a strike of the Sword of Compassion.
The Elder Chai retracted his Dragonfly Wings with one hand and said angrily, “Pretentious! This sword move consumes a lot. It doesn’t have a trace of killing intent. I don’t believe you can keep going. Once you stop, I’ll tear off your arm…”
He was interrupted mid-sentence, his eyes widening in shock.
A bright knife tip protruded from his chest, with a thin layer of fresh blood on it. Chai Xin spat out a mouthful of blood, almost gasping in horror and making a rattling noise in his throat.
It was an assassin—an incredibly skilled one. Otherwise, how could they break through the Corpse Retrieval Team and approach silently? But where did this assassin come from? This was clearly not the style of a righteous sect…
“Tear what?” The assassin’s voice was sweet and steady. “Tear who?”
Chai Xin turned his head in terror and only saw a pair of smiling willow-leaf eyes. A teardrop mole was on the corner of the person’s eye that was full of evil.
With that, the person drew the knife from his hand and retreated nimbly a few steps back. The members of the Corpse Retrieval Team had just been seriously injured by the sword technique and hadn’t yet reacted when their throats were sharply cut open. However, there were still a few who slipped through the net and tried to fight back. Before they could get close, they were shot through the heart by arrows.
In an instant, blood spattered everywhere.
The remaining Ling Sect members fell like wheat after a storm. In less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the two reinforcements cleared them all.
After dealing with each corpse, Su Si neatly retracted his butcher knife. Yu Zikuan also jumped down from a high place. He had a long bow on his back and quickly scanned Yan Zheng’s injuries.
“San Zi, I just went to deliver a message, and you’ve made yourself like this.” Su Si wrinkled his nose. “What a disaster. The Sect Master’s medicine box is going to be emptied by you again. Will you have any money left this month?”
Yan Qing turned pale, propping up his body with his sword and trembling. The momentum that had built up just now dissipated in an instant. “But-but I learned the third move of the Jade Chime Sword Technique…”
His voice got lower and lower, presumably thinking that Sect Master Shi wouldn’t care about this little progress considering his thick skin. Especially since he hadn’t followed the plan and had not yet gathered at the foot of the mountain.
The more Yan Qing thought about it, the more he felt hopeless. He had to change the subject. “Where’s Lord Bai?”
Su Si supported one of Yan Qing’s arms and helped him stabilize. “That silly goose was caught by the people from the Chigou Sect, but they’ll treat it well. It’s more urgent here than stealing a goose. After all, I know the habits of the Chigou Sect. If I can steal once, I can steal a second time.”
“Didn’t you say that you ran into Lord Bai by chance…”
“Don’t mind such trivial matters,” Su Si said seriously, instantly changing the topic. “Brother Yu, I’ll take my people down the mountain first. You hurry up on your side too—that Invitation to God Formation isn’t an ordinary formation. Shen Zhu might not be able to time it right.”
Yu Zikuan didn’t help Yan Zheng and just grunted in response. The relaxed expression on Yan Zheng’s face also disappeared. He shook his head at Yan Qing and made a goodbye gesture.
Yan Qing was dizzy and still had to carry the Sword of Compassion in one hand, which really didn’t allow him to think too much. He nodded at Yan Zheng and quickly turned to Su Si. “Did you deal with the people from the Chigou Sect? What was their reaction when they found out we got the key?”
The Chigou Sect wasn’t the Ling Sect. They were experts in searching for things and had stayed here for quite some time. It was hard to say whether the lie Shi Jingzhi made in haste would be seen through by people of insight.
“Oh, the message I sent wasn’t about that.” Su Si smiled very happily. “I made a more wonderful ‘secret letter’. They will retreat quickly and won’t cause trouble for us at the foot of the mountain.”
“What ‘secret letter’?”
Su Si sneered. “I told them that Matron Wuxue is dead, and they should hurry back for the funeral.”
Yan Qing: “……”
He felt that after the battle on Zongwu Mountain, they truly offended the Chigou Sect to death. He sincerely prayed that Sect Master Shi and Brother Yin wouldn’t kill Su Si.
The author has something to say:
Su Si (whispering like Panda Man*): Look at the secret letter. Your Matriarch is dead, teehee.
*It’s referring to something like this. Basically, a meme (I think).
A group of people crossed the shore. They had to walk a long way before reaching the edge of the reserve to find any sign of human habitation.
Xiao Zhao was shivering from the cold. Kan Chaosheng, however, was too lazy to walk and decided to coil around Xiao Zhao’s neck, killing two birds with one stone. However, with Kan Chaosheng’s fur damp, Xiao Zhao shivered even more. Dong Zhi had no choice but to light two sunlight talismans and place them on both sides of Xiao Zhao’s shoulders.
Having had his soul taken out and his body possessed by Su Huan, Xiao Zhao was weaker than usual. Dong Zhi used the flames from the talisman to stimulate the yang energy in Xiao Zhao, and soon enough, his complexion improved.
From the start to the end, Long Shen was always holding onto Dong Zhi’s wrist, not even letting go when he saw him take out a talisman, making Dong Zhi operate with just one hand.
Dong Zhi found it odd, even more so by the actions of the yin ghost that tried to detain him earlier. He suddenly remembered the scene in the abyssal hell and was slightly shocked.
Everyone was exhausted and not in the mood for idle chatter. Xiao Zhao, with the support of Chang Qing, barely managed to keep up with the rest of the group. After walking for more than two hours, they finally made it out and met the night shift staff of the reserve.
Seeing them looking disheveled and carrying strange items, like swords and a cat, the staff almost mistook them for poachers. Long Shen showed his ID, explaining that they were police officers chasing a suspect and had already contacted the local police to verify their identity.
The staff member was skeptical and asked, “Where’s the suspect then? Did you not catch him?”
Long Shen casually pointed at Xiao Zhao.
Xiao Zhao: ……
He felt he should play along and pretended to be fierce, shouting, “Even if you catch me, it’s useless! I’ll be out in a few years!”
Probably used to seeing criminals, his act was quite convincing. Chang Qing looked at Long Shen, then at Xiao Zhao, realizing he should play the role of the arresting officer, and gave Xiao Zhao a slap on the back of his head. “Be honest!”
This almost made the already weakened Xiao Zhao fall.
Captain Yin quickly arrived with reinforcements. Three hours later, they finally changed into clean clothes and sat in an office with a warm air conditioner, as if the events on the lake were just a dream.
After Long Shen introduced himself, Captain Yin became serious. The Special Administration Bureau was mysterious and had vast authority. Captain Yin had never expected someone of such high rank from the bureau to be involved. Seizing the opportunity, Captain Yin spoke passionately for five minutes, expressing his gratitude.
Dong Zhi briefly explained the events after they got the book. Captain Yin was flabbergasted. If not for his knowledge of the Special Administration Bureau mysterious cases, he would have thought Dong Zhi was telling a fantasy story or was trying to trick him.
“So, the illustration book is gone?” Captain Yin looked disappointed. “From my personal standpoint, I believe you, but there’s surveillance footage of Deng Bin entering and exiting the house. Unless it can be proven that it wasn’t him in the footage or he has an alibi for those two hours, it would be tough to clear his name.”
In other words, the bizarre story involving a monster called an Aoyin, who manipulated people’s minds through a book and Su Huan becoming a vengeful spirit after death, couldn’t be used as evidence.
Dong Zhi felt this issue was challenging. After all the efforts to bring down the real culprit, Deng Bin was still suspected. It wasn’t like Su Huan’s ghost could testify either.
Long Shen said, “Take me to Deng Bin. Let me try.”
Captain Yin, still skeptical, led Long Shen and Dong Zhi to the detention center.
Right now, Kan Chaosheng was just a cat, which had its privileges as a cat. He didn’t need to follow and rush about, so he could stay here for now and comfortably rest. He was lying in front of the heater, warming up and dozing. His tail swished back and forth. Getting overly comfortable, the tip of his tail hit the heater, and in an instant, his tail was burnt, causing him to jump up and whine.
Idiot. Chang Qing looked at him without speaking, but that word was clearly written on his face.
Kan Chaosheng brandished his claws and shouted, “With me here, you definitely won’t get into the Special Administration Bureau!”
Chang Qing mocked, “You better take care of yourself first. Did you not notice the way Director Long looked at you just now?”
“What kind of look?” Kan Chaosheng became suspicious.
Chang Qing: “A look that says you need to be retrained.”
Kan Chaosheng: “…”
He forgot his grudge with Chang Qing and began to reflect on his behavior since the appearance of Long Shen.
Well, when the Aoyin transformed into a dragon, due to his psychological scars, he didn’t dare revert back to his original form to face it head-on. But he saved Xiao Zhao, and at that time he didn’t know that the dragon wasn’t a real one, but half a dragon. That wasn’t his fault, right?
The more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt. The fat yellow cat curled up into a ball, as if this could save him from disaster.
On Long Shen’s side, Deng Bin still looked dejected. Captain Yin hadn’t told him about Su Huan’s ghost. Regardless of how absurd these matters seem to ordinary people, revealing this to Deng Bin, who was already psychologically fragile, would only confuse him more.
Captain Yin knew that Deng Bin’s family was doing their best to help him. It seemed they even wanted to get a psychiatric evaluation for him. If he was diagnosed with a mental illness, the courts would likely be lenient given the condition when judging the murder. But Deng Bin knew he didn’t kill anyone, so he wouldn’t want to use this as an excuse.
Captain Yin introduced Long Shen. “This is a psychological expert invited by our provincial office. He has some questions for you.”
Without even greeting, Deng Bin just nodded in a lackluster manner.
Long Shen said, “I believe you didn’t kill anyone.”
Suddenly, Deng Bin looked up at him and also noticed Dong Zhi. He became excited.
“You… aren’t you the one from Kunlun Mountain last time?”
Dong Zhi recognized him too. Previously, Deng Bin tried to contact Dong Zhi for help but couldn’t reach him. Yet fate works in mysterious ways.
Long Shen: “During the two hours when Su Huan had an accident, where were you? If we can’t clarify this, you’ll remain a suspect.”
Deng Bin, whose hopes were raised, sank back into despair. He clutched his hair in agony. “I don’t know. I really can’t remember! If I could, I wouldn’t be sitting here now…”
Before he could finish, Long Shen suddenly stood up, walked around the table, and flicked him on the forehead three times.
“Snap!”
To the bystanders, Long Shen’s words sounded faint, but in Deng Bin’s ears, it was as loud as a morning bell or evening drum, deafening.
The chaos in his mind suddenly cleared up. He remembered a prank he played on his parents when he was six and even earlier memories from when he couldn’t speak, lying in his crib and seeing his mother’s smile…
“I remember now!” He shouted. “I went to the suburbs, near Nanyun Road. There’s a forest there, where before the liberation, there was a chaotic burial ground. I don’t know what got into me, but I drove there and parked on the small road outside the forest for two hours, in a daze!”
Captain Yin pondered. “I know the place you’re talking about. It’s indeed desolate around there and probably has no surveillance. But there should be surveillance at the entrance and exit of Nanyun Road. I’ll have someone check it.”
If they find surveillance footage, it would be an alibi for Deng Bin.
For the remaining work, Long Shen and Dong Zhi couldn’t help anymore. When they returned with Captain Yin, the fat yellow cat was sleeping on the sofa with its belly up. Beside him, Chang Qing was playing with his phone, occasionally glancing at the cat with disdain.
“Chaosheng,” Long Shen said.
The fat yellow cat just turned over and continued sleeping.
Long Shen casually picked up a pen from the table and threw it at him, hitting him right on the nose.
Dong Zhi smirked, reminded of classmates who were hit by pens thrown by teachers for sleeping in class.
The fat yellow cat jumped up with a yowl, his face filled with anger, which immediately wilted upon seeing Long Shen.
“Meow meow meow?”
Long Shen: “Speak human.”
The fat yellow cat reluctantly transformed back into a child’s form, but he forgot to retract his tail, which continued to sway behind him.
Idiot. Chang Qing glanced at him, clearly expressing disdain with his look.
“Boss, you’re back. How did it go?”
Long Shen replied, “Pack up. I will send you on your way tomorrow.”
Kan Chaosheng was horrified. “All I did was take a short nap, and now I’m going to be silenced?! Boss, you can’t be so heartless. You picked me up and raised me with your own hands. Our bond should be deeper than yours with Dong Zhi!”
He rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Long Shen’s legs and wailing.
With just one hand, Long Shen easily pulled him away.
“I’m sending you to Huaishui.”
Kan Chaosheng looked puzzled. “Why am I going there?”
Long Shen gave him a slight smile. “I previously neglected to discipline you, which allowed you to be lax in your training. In Wuzhiqi’s place, you should find a quiet environment to study and won’t be easily distracted by the city’s allure.”
Faced with Long Shen’s rare gentle smile, Kan Chaosheng shivered. Remembering his desperate farewell with the octopus, the realization of no phones, no snacks, no internet, he weakly asked, “Can I refuse? How about if you deduct my salary for this year? And next year too? Or I’ll work for free for ten years?”
Long Shen responded, “First, go to Huaishui. After that, you can work for free for ten years.”
Kan Chaosheng’s vision went dark.
Dong Zhi silently lit a candle for him in his mind.
After settling all these matters, the two returned to the hotel.
Dong Zhi stretched. “Finally, we can get some rest!”
He collapsed onto the bed and immediately felt the heaviness of sleep on his eyelids.
Suddenly remembering something, he opened his eyes to ask Long Shen, “Master, you only booked one room, right?”
Long Shen hummed in affirmation, turning away and bending over to retrieve clothes from his suitcase.
Pretending to be serious, Dong Zhi said, “If Captain Yin comes to report to you tomorrow and sees both of us under the same blanket, won’t that leave a bad impression?”
After considering for a moment, Long Shen replied, “That’s true. I’ll ask them to book another room for us.”
As he moved towards the door, Dong Zhi, not expecting him to take the suggestion seriously, quickly jumped up and hugged him from behind.
“Who cares about appearances? After all, Lao Yin has no authority over us. Being overly concerned with others’ opinions will tarnish your brilliant and heroic image, right?”
“Damn, that’s impressive! The buff introduced by the game designer must have been meant for players to deal with Li Dafu! Qian Ge dealt with Li Dafu in such a unique way that he saved the buff!”
“Before the Believer No. 1 attacked Qian Ge, just hearing her child cry caused his health to decrease. The same goes for this winged monster; affected by its wind, Qian Ge’s health started to drop…”
“The believers are indeed formidable, but their unique traits can be used to Qian Ge’s advantage!”
“So before Believer No. 19 launched his ultimate move, Qian Ge was waiting, biding his time until his HP dropped to 5%. Once the follower used his ultimate move, under the buff’s effect, Qian Ge would be completely immune to damage! He succeeded, and now Believer No. 19 can’t move! His skills are all on cooldown! They should take this chance to flee while they’re still on cooldown!”
“That being said, it was a risky move! How could Qian Ge be so sure about the timing? What if his health reached 5%, and the believer didn’t unleash his ultimate? If the believer continued to reduce his health gradually, the buff would only shield minor damage. Qian Ge would still be doomed!”
“Didn’t Qian Ge manage to get some small health recovery potions from that mini game? Those potions might not seem very useful normally, healing only about 1% of health, but they are perfect for adjusting the health level here!”
“But Qian Ge is really tough on himself…”
Zhu Qiang: “Yes, but it’s effective. Look at Little Brother Swordsman, with tears in his eyes, looking guilty… After this, I think he will completely become Qian Ge’s little brother.”
Yu Xian: “Following Qian Ge means there’s meat on the table! I want to be his little brother too!”
……
Inside the game.
The shadows of trees swayed as the wind continued.
Currently frozen in the air due to his ultimate’s cooldown, Believer No. 19 and the three players were stunned by Zhou Qian’s actions.
It took them three seconds to react. They quickly rushed to help Zhou Qian up.
At this moment, all four were in terrible condition, but Zhou Qian was undoubtedly the weakest.
Yet Zhou Qian looked up nonchalantly, first at Believer No. 19 in midair, then turned his gaze to Qi Liuxing.
Upon meeting Zhou Qian’s gaze, Qi Liuxing instantly looked away.
Zhou Qian laughed. “What’s wrong? Can’t look me in the eyes?”
“I just…” Qi Liuxing, fists clenched, managed to respond, “Why did you just…?”
He gritted his teeth, and his voice was hoarse. “Even with that buff, you could have died.”
Zhou Qian patted him on the shoulder, calmly meeting his gaze. “Maybe I was using you?”
“You… I now feel… Maybe you aren’t…” Qi Liuxing hesitated, unable to find the right words. He still couldn’t come up with an opinion on Zhou Qian.
Yun Xiangrong interrupted, “Given the cooldown of the believer’s ultimate, we should hurry to the treehouse!”
Zhou Qian: “No need.”
“You lunatic. We’re all in bad shape, and there are so many believers still powering up on the other side, we—”
Yun Xiangrong’s voice stopped abruptly as she noticed something and instinctively grabbed Gao Shan’s hand.
The couple, Qi Liuxing, and Zhou Qian, whose faces were half covered in blood, all looked towards Believer No. 19 in the sky.
Suddenly, the believer turned away, no longer staring intently at the players, and with a scream of extreme pain, plummeted to the ground.
“No! Don’t stab me!”
“It hurts!”
“Ahhhhhh!!!”
“Don’t, don’t, please don’t cut my leg…”
“Don’t!! My head!! No!! Please spare me!!!”
The ground beneath Believer No. 19 became wet from the sweat of his pain. But he bore no wounds. The pain was only mental.
His screams were eerily familiar to the players. It resembled the pain experienced by the Great God Epoh.
When a person encountered true pain, the tears shed, the look in their eyes, their body language, and even the roars from their throat, were all extremely shocking.
People who are easily empathetic could easily be affected and, consequently, feel the same sadness as others.
Gao Shan was the first to be affected.
Upon hearing the wail of Believer No. 19, a sharp pain struck his heart, and his eyes quickly turned red.
Then an even stranger event occurred.
From across the lake, a similar wail echoed.
The thirteen believers who hadn’t yet ascended to godhood knelt to the ground in unison, screaming in extreme agony. The loud wails spread throughout the paradise, and feelings of sorrow, pain, suppression, and disappointment surged like a tidal wave, overwhelming everyone with intense negative emotions.
No one could hear such collective cries and not be moved. Not to mention Gao Shan, even Qi Liuxing and Yun Xiangrong couldn’t help but shed tears.
The only one unaffected was Zhou Qian.
Yun Xiangrong looked at him and asked, “Why don’t you…?”
Zhou Qian openly admitted, “Because I have a condition.”
Yun Xiangrong: “……”
A moment later, the three reminded each other to plug their ears, feeling slightly better.
After a while, singing echoed from across the lake. The voice was mysterious and melodious, emotionless as if it came from ancient times.
Meanwhile, the Great God Epoh, previously covered by falling flowers, began to move. His body, wrapped in countless leaves and flowers, slowly rose into the air. He opened his eyes in a manner that seemed to look down upon all living beings. His eyes no longer showed any compassion; only coldness and cruelty.
Though he didn’t speak, the mysterious song seemed to be coming from him. The song overshadowed the believer’s wails, allowing the players to let go and exchange puzzled glances.
After a pause, Gao Shan asked, “What’s happening…?”
Zhou Qian pointed to the magnificent apples on the tree across the lake.
“These apples are born from the pain of the Great God Epoh. After eating them, the believers will feel the same torture they inflicted upon the god—”
His tone turned cold, and he smirked. “This is called getting what one deserves, or an eye for an eye. It’s only fair.”
Having shared his hypothesis, Zhou Qian glanced at the system panel’s timer.
About 15 minutes had passed since the believers ate the apples.
Looking across the lake again, those thirteen believers who had eaten the apples hadn’t yet ascended.
What would happen to them?
As this question crossed his mind, Zhou Qian quickly got his answer.
Across the lake, amidst the serene song, the believers were reliving the pain Epoh had once felt, continuously wailing. However, their cries were completely masked by the song, turning their agony into a silent film.
Some of them rolled on the ground, clutching their heads in pain, some banged their heads against the ground or trees, seemingly to ease the pain. A few seemed to regain some clarity but were in even greater distress. Unable to endure their pain, they rushed towards the Sin Lake, diving in without hesitation, only to be torn apart by its waters.
A minute later, all the chaos ceased.
For those thirteen had turned to dust.
[Players have discovered two hidden plots of “Apple Paradise” by participating and witnessing.]
[Hidden Plot ①: 15 minutes after eating the apple, one will feel immense pain contained within it.]
[Hidden Plot ②: Not everyone can successfully ascend to godhood after eating the apple. Those who can’t ascend within 15 minutes lack the potential to become gods. They will suffer a backlash from divine power and consequently disintegrate.]
All four players received this notification.
Of the 20 believers, excluding one who died prematurely, seven became gods. Zhou Qian did the math; the success rate was about 36.8%.
Among those seven, six were killed by the players, leaving only Believer No. 19, who was now rolling in pain near Zhou Qian and the others, tormented by the anguish from the apple.
After witnessing all the believers on the opposite side vanish, everyone’s eyes turned to Believer No. 19.
Gao Shan spoke, voicing the doubt everyone had. “All other believers are dead; what about him? What will happen to him? Can he become a god?”
Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes, staring straight at the direction of the Great God Epoh.
God Epoh, who oversaw all life, silently hovered in the middle of the giant tree trunk. His dark pupils showed no emotion. The innocent purity he once exuded was nowhere to be found. A hidden, profound intent to kill was concealed in the deepest darkness behind him. At this moment, it was surging, waiting for the moment to break free—
Once this intent was unleashed, perhaps everyone on this land would be devoured by him. No one would survive.
“The Great God once told me,” Zhou Qian began, “To gods, humans are like how ants are to humans. So, when the believers were still humans, he wouldn’t even bother about them. But now…”
A hint of a smile appeared on Zhou Qian’s face. He continued, “Now, Believer No. 19 is no longer human. He ate the apple, passed the trials, passed the physical tests, and transformed into a god. Epoh won’t kill humans. But what if… the opponent is also a god?”
“When you’re just a mere ant, I wouldn’t mind you causing a minor disturbance, and I can endure a few bites. However, if you act recklessly and try to stand as an equal, then death would only await before you evolved and became stronger than me.”
Upon hearing Zhou Qian’s words, Qi Liuxing immediately understood.
Joy appeared in his eyes as he asked, “So… we don’t need to deal with Believer No. 19 anymore? God Epoh will kill him? You…you guessed this all along?”
“I had a hunch. But I wasn’t entirely sure,” Zhou Qian responded. He opened his system panel and found that he only had 10 gold coins left.
He spent 5 coins to buy a tissue and meticulously wiped the blood from his mouth and fingers, saying, “Have you heard the story of the Garden of Eden? The apple is the forbidden fruit. Mere humans, tempted by the devil’s serpent, dared to eat the apple to gain wisdom like God… Thus, God would be angry.”
The lake was as blue and calm as ever. But a wind began to blow on the opposite shore.
As the song grew sharper, petals flew, whirling like a snowstorm, filling the entire space. Amid the snowfall of petals, God Epoh’s pupils were pitch black, devoid of any light.
He looked in the direction of Believer No. 19, slowly raised his hand, and beckoned him with his index finger.
No one knew the magic God Epoh used, but Believer No. 19 vanished from his spot, only to quickly reappear on the opposite shore.
He knelt at God Epoh’s feet.
At this moment, it seemed the apple’s painful effects had subsided. The Believer No. 19 no longer suffered or screamed. His eyes no longer glowed red, but the wings on his back remained.
Having gone through the process, he successfully transformed into a god and regained his sanity.
Yet, he became extremely fearful.
Kneeling before God Epoh, he trembled incessantly, murmuring words too soft to hear, presumably begging for mercy.
But it was already too late.
God Epoh, surrounded by the snowy petals, gently laid his hand on top of Believer No. 19’s head. Instantly, the believer silently turned to ash, mingling with the countless petals before falling to the ground, resembling piles of snow.
It seemed God Epoh was tired. He sat back down by the tree and closed his eyes in exhaustion.
The world became completely silent. There was no more wailing of believers, no killing, and not even the sound of picking apples.
The four players could almost hear each other’s breathing.
Suddenly, the system prompts came again.
[Players triggered hidden plot ③: After successfully becoming a god, it will provoke God Epoh’s attack.]
[Players Zhou Qian, Yun Xiangrong, Gao Shan, and Qi Liuxing have triggered all stages of the hidden plot and completed the hidden achievement. Congratulations. Rewards will be settled together once players clear the game.]
Upon reading these two lines, Qi Liuxing, Gao Shan, and Yun Xiangrong finally relaxed.
All hidden plots had been triggered, and the highly threatening believers were all dead. They just needed to wait for 45 minutes for the palace doors to open, and then they could leave!
The ceremony to torment the god ended around midnight. According to the goddess, the palace door would open at 1 in the morning. As long as the players leave the palace after that, the game would be considered cleared.
Now, not only could they clear the dungeon, but they also achieved a hidden achievement that only 10% of players could obtain. All the previous battles seemed to have paid off, and no one wasn’t thrilled about it.
But just then, another system prompt came through.
[Players have triggered the method to obtain the “Ultimate Hidden Achievement: Deification”.]
No one expected that behind the hidden achievement, there was even an ultimate hidden one. Yet, at this point, almost no one was willing to pursue this achievement.
What did deification entail?
It meant that of those who ate the apple, only 36.8% had the physical constitution to adapt to the divine power contained within the apple and then successfully become deified. If one didn’t deify within 15 minutes, they would disintegrate into dust after experiencing the pain that God Epoh once felt. And even if they succeeded in deification, not only would they experience all that pain once more, but they would also face Epoh’s attack.
Losing 15 minutes of consciousness, attacking former teammates, betting on the mere 36.8% chance of deification, transforming into an unrecognizable creature after deification, and then facing Epoh’s wrath…
None of these steps were something any player would willingly undergo.
“Contentment brings happiness.” Yun Xiangrong pulled Gao Shan by the arm towards the palace door and said, “Let’s wait there for the door to open. And take a good rest.”
“I agree.” Qi Liuxing quickly chimed in.
However, Zhou Qian took out something red from his bag.
It was unmistakably an apple.
“I picked this when I went over to pull a strand of God Epoh’s hair. It’s perfect timing.”
The other three players stared at him, almost in shock, yelling in unison, “Are you out of your mind?”
Playing with the apple in his hand, Zhou Qian simply said to them, “Now there are no believers blocking your way. You can easily cross over and each pull out a strand of Epoh’s hair. In this way—”
“After I become deified, I won’t attack you all. We can coexist peacefully.”
Yun Xiangrong, Gao Shan, Qi Liuxing: “……”
Zhou Qian: “Of course, just to be safe, I’m giving you a heads-up. Be careful. I only have 5% health left.”
Ling Xiao swiftly stood up, his body gradually disappearing in front of Zhen He. When he had completely disconnected, only then did Zhen He snorted dismissively.
“He sure ran fast.”
“Don’t you think you were a bit too blunt? What if you frightened the kid?” A figure emerged from the shadows. Zhen He didn’t seem to mind this kind of unannounced visit, nor did he care about his conversation being overheard.
“Compared to you, I’m also just a kid,” Zhen He replied, still lying down without any intention to get up and greet the newcomer.
“How can you say that in front of one who has just awakened in a fledgling state? Aren’t you embarrassed?” Xing Lou said with a laugh.
“You said I was too direct, so which word I spoke was untrue?” Zhen He retorted.
Xing Lou pondered. “One sentence wasn’t true.”
“Which one?”
Xing Lou mimicked his tone. “You’ll never know the real reason for this fight because it’s been completely erased by our ancestors.”
“Oh?” Zhen He grew curious. “You know the truth?”
Xing Lou smiled slightly. “Trust me, you wouldn’t want to know.”
“You’re belittling an intelligence officer’s curiosity.”
“When Yue Ying awakens one day, perhaps he might be interested in telling you himself.”
The waveform of Yue Ying flickered twice on the wall, seemingly in agreement.
“Alright.” Zhen He shrugged. “So, what’s the purpose of your visit this early? Don’t tell me, you came to collect rent.”
“You’re probably the richest fledgling in Tianxiu now. Why would you worry about a little rent?” Xing Lou teased. “Don’t forget, I have surveillance rights over the entire network. I saw a certain friend from your contact list appear at your location, so I got curious.”
“You’re talking about Ling Xiao? You know him?”
“On my first day at school, he took me to the dormitory.”
“It seems you two are quite fated…” Zhen He’s voice suddenly deepened. “Someone’s coming.”
Xing Lou quickly faded back into the shadows, and the walls reverted to their original appearance. Zhen He stood up from his recliner, put on a mask, and courteously greeted the new guest.
“Good morning. How can I assist you?”
Zhu Yue glanced around the empty shop, asking the question everyone would ask first.
“What do you sell here?”
“As you see, I sell everything.”
“Is there something that can make someone who doesn’t like you like you?”
“Hahahaha,” Zhen He laughed so hard he nearly cried.
Zhu Yue frowned. “Is it that funny?”
“I apologize.” Zhen He struggled to contain his laughter. “That’s the second funniest thing I’ve heard this early in the morning.”
“I don’t find it amusing at all. If you can’t produce it, it means your shop’s name is deceptive.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Zhen He graciously pointed to the sign outside. “Since you’ve stumped me, you can take down that sign.”
“Why would I want your sign? Especially when it’s virtual,” Zhu Yue said, clearly unimpressed.
“Well,” Zhen He considered, “Do you have a second wish? I can give you a 50% discount.”
“And if you still can’t deliver?”
“Why not say it and see?”
The second wish… What Zhu Yue wanted first was Ying Feng, second was Ying Feng, and third was Ying Feng. If he had to choose something else…
“I want to know something: why does blood flow on its own?”
“Oh?”
“Although it sounds unbelievable, I witnessed it. Blood that had clearly spilled on the ground, with no gravity or wind acting on it, still flowed. Why is that?”
“Only one person’s blood?”
“No,” Zhu Yue hesitated. “Others too.”
Zhen He paused briefly. “Your question is very timely. Had you asked earlier, I wouldn’t have an answer. But as it stands, you’re quite lucky.”
Zhu Yue took a step forward, anxiety evident. “You know the answer?”
“I just found out recently.”
“What is it?”
“This information is costly, even at half price. Are you sure you want to buy it?”
Without hesitation, Zhu Yue handed over his card. “Charge whatever you want. If it’s not enough, I can give you an IOU and pay in installments.”
Zhen He accepted it without ceremony. “You seem quite desperate for this answer. Alright, I’ll tell you. The blood of the Tianxiu contains a type of magnetism. The blood of the Qizhu attracts that of their Qizi.”
“Is that the case for everyone?” Zhu Yue urgently inquired.
“No, there are two prerequisites: First, at least one party must be in their immature form; second, it only happens under the sunlight.”
“In other words, if you observe this phenomenon, it signifies that in a previous life, one was the other’s Qizi. It could be from a previous life or this current one. This is the only explanation.”
Zhu Yue’s eyes widened in shock. “How is that possible?”
“As a businessman, I have professional ethics. After accepting your money, I wouldn’t deceive you.”
Zhen He looked at the visibly shocked youngster in front of him with interest, murmuring to himself, “How can this be; it’s impossible. They must not find out. Absolutely not.”
Zhu Yue gradually vanished, seemingly having logged out, and Xing Lou replaced him in the original spot.
“Who was that person just now?” Yue Ying asked.
“He’s a junior from our academy,” Zhen He, being an ordinary person with an astonishing amount of information, replied. “Zhu Yue, currently in the 10th grade and a classmate of Ling Xiao. Are you interested in him?”
“There are many suspicious things about him.” Yue Ying’s voice wavered slightly with excitement. “How have I never noticed him before?”
“What do you mean by ‘suspicious’?” Xing Lou asked.
“I suspect he is… No, I need more evidence first!”
……
After logging off the network, Ling Xiao hurried straight to the medical building. The two classmates he met the previous day were already there, and they seemed quite flustered when they saw Ling Xiao arrive.
“Did you inform Ling Xiao?”
“How could I dare?” The two whispered amongst themselves, then simultaneously went silent as Ling Xiao approached.
Seeing their evasive eyes, Ling Xiao’s last hope vanished, a gloom spreading across his face.
“Where are they?” His voice was chilling.
The two classmates hesitated, finally pointing nervously at the emergency room.
Ling Xiao’s steps grew heavier as he approached the emergency room. But he had underestimated his emotional tolerance. When he saw Lan Sheng covered in blood and barely alive, the rage that erupted nearly shattered the glass of the emergency room.
The two classmates followed closely, afraid of his impulsive actions. However, the still and pale-faced Ling Xiao frightened them even more.
“We don’t know what happened…” One said, nudging the other.
“Oh,” the other replied nervously, “When we arrived, we saw them like this, being wheeled out from the room… from yesterday…”
Ling Xiao just stared at the person behind the glass, saying nothing.
“How is your classmate…?” A gentle voice inquired.
Upon seeing the newcomer, the two classmates were stunned. “Doctor, why are you here?”
The single word “Doctor” snapped Ling Xiao out of his trance. Before anyone could react, Zhi Shang was punched squarely in the face. The unexpected blow knocked his glasses askew.
“Ling Xiao, have you gone mad?” The two classmates immediately intervened. “He’s Dr. Zhi Shang! Dr. Yao’s Qizi!”
Ling Xiao glared at the man in front of him, his eyes filled with unabashed hatred.
“Why did you lie?”
“Ling Xiao, what are you talking about?”
“Yes, Ling Xiao, are you overwrought?” Another classmate chimed in.
Zhi Shang looked first shocked, then bewildered, and finally hung his head in remorse.
“I’m sorry.”
The two classmates were dumbfounded by his apology, speechless.
“Tell me the truth. During the coming-of-age ceremony, did you harm Dr. Yao?”
After a long pause, Zhi Shang admitted, “Yes.”
“What?” The two classmates were shocked, “What’s going on? Doctor, didn’t you say you willingly offered your Heart’s Blood for Dr. Yao?”
“You’re right, wanting to willingly become A’Yao’s Qizi was my initial thought, and this thought has not changed.” Ling Xiao’s interrogation brought Zhi Shang back to painful memories. “But on the day of the coming-of-age ceremony, the moment A’Yao wanted to take my heart’s blood, I suddenly felt fear, dread, and unease. The feeling was so intense that it was uncontrollable. I regretted it. I didn’t want to just become someone else’s Qizi, so I fought back.”
The students were shocked. They could hardly imagine that behind the gentle words of Dr. Zhi Shang, who spoke of his love affair with Dr. Yao, hid such a brutal truth.
“Our fight was fierce at the time. We were like sworn enemies, neither willing to give in. In the end, I didn’t win, and it wasn’t because I held back due to love; I was simply no match for her.”
“I lost, and A’Yao was severely injured because of me. Thinking back on that day, neither of us showed any mercy. Although I later calmly accepted my role as her Qizi and still love A’Yao, it cannot erase the fact that on that day, we were like two lunatics trying to kill each other.”
Zhi Shang took off his glasses, looking up with sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I spoke that way before, hoping you could face the coming-of-age ceremony with ease, but I didn’t think…”
“It’s not his fault,” a cold female voice interjected. “I commanded him to say that. He had no right to refuse.”
“A’Yao…” Zhi Shang called out in a tone of reproach.
All eyes turned to Yao Tai, who had just emerged from the emergency room. She took off her lab coat and threw it aside. A nurse quickly caught it, and the two walked briskly in the opposite direction of the hallway.
“Is the other one awake?”
“He just woke up,” the nurse immediately reported.
“How is he?”
“He’s fine now. His physical condition is excellent, and he’s recovering quickly.”
“Transfer the one inside to the ICU.”
The nurse hesitated. “You mean…”
Yao Tai’s hand paused on the door handle. “Handcuff him.”
The door to Ping Zong’s room was pushed open, and a group of people rushed in. The man on the bed, hearing the commotion, struggled to open his eyes slightly. Leading the group was Yao Tai, followed by uniformed nurses. Ling Xiao, with a worried look, was close behind, followed by two students with odd expressions.
Ping Zong’s gaze scanned the crowd repeatedly, even spotting Dr. Zhi Shang, who shouldn’t be there. Yet, he couldn’t find his beloved.
“Ling Xiao, where is Lan Sheng?” he asked anxiously.
“He’s resting in another room,” Ling Xiao lied. “Are you okay?”
Ping Zong nodded, then shook his head. “I’m just worried about Lan Sheng. I don’t know what happened. Everything was fine, then suddenly something felt wrong. I can’t remember much after that, just fragments of us fighting… Is Lan Sheng really okay?”
Ping Zong sighed in relief. “That’s good. I must’ve been mad to attack him. If something had happened to him, I’d never forgive myself.”
Knowing Lan Sheng was safe, Ping Zong relaxed and became talkative. “With his proud personality, if I hurt him, he must be really angry. Maybe he’s mad and doesn’t want to see me now?”
Ping Zong chuckled, thinking of his beloved, and his eyes softened. “But now that the coming-of-age ceremony is over, we can be together…”
“Ping Zong,” Ling Xiao interrupted him impatiently.
“What’s wrong?” Ping Zong looked at Ling Xiao, surprised.
“Ping Zong,” Ling Xiao struggled to find the right words, each one painful to say. “You won.”
Ping Zong’s smile froze. “What did you say?”
“You won,” Ling Xiao said with a mix of emotions, looking into Ping Zong’s deep black eyes. “You are now Lan Sheng’s Qizhu.”
Dawn had barely broken, and the morning fog hadn’t yet cleared. It was still enough to see the overall situation clearly.
With Jin Lan present, Taiheng wouldn’t focus on attacking them. But here they were in front of the Ling Sect’s main branch. The Ling Sect had all the geographical advantage—Yan Zheng and Chai Xin already had disagreements. Even if Yan Zheng successfully returned to the sect, he may not be able to control the situation, so it was unknown how many masters from the Ling Sect would come out.
Under these circumstances, buying time wasn’t an easy task. Yet Shi Jingzhi was leisurely telling him to close his eyes. As the night sky was just starting to lighten, could he make a daytime firework?
As for Taiheng, let it be. The demonic sect wouldn’t just sit by and watch them mess around. The Ling Sect people had always been unaware of the meaning of “fairness”, and there was the old grudge with Zheng Fengdao. The densely packed sect members soon split into two groups, one rushing to Taiheng’s camp to stir the waters and one directly charging towards the two people in the encirclement.
Yin Ci drew out his Hanging Shadow Sword, glancing at the few members of the Chigou Sect nearby. His identity as a “descendant of the former Patriarch” could no longer be concealed, adding a bit of chaos to the situation.
On the other side, seeing Yin Ci uncooperative, Shi Jingzhi no longer urged. He ignored the charging Ling Sect team, freed a hand, and covered Yin Ci’s eyes.
Yin Ci sighed inwardly, allowing Shi Jingzhi to cover his eyes.
Then a gentle humming sound started. A speck of bright golden light slipped through Shi Jingzhi’s fingers and into Yin Ci’s eyes. The momentum of the rushing Ling Sect followers suddenly faltered, revealing a sense of stagnation. Shi Jingzhi removed his hand, and Yin Ci finally saw the scene before him—
He had actually created “fireworks on the ground”.
The fireworks flashed and disappeared, like a wilting and withering flower. But this one seemed to be frozen in mid-air—countless golden threads radiated from the master and disciple at the center, drawing beautifully curved traces. The threads, made of yang fire, were like spider silk covered in morning dew. They were stretched thin by Shi Jingzhi, standing firm in the thin mist, occasionally flashing a streak of flowing light.
Anyone who rushed forward recklessly would be cut into several segments by the golden threads of the yang fire.
This strange “flower” flickered in the morning light. Just considering the attack power and spell strength, it was far from the battle array used against the Arcane Arts, but it clearly came from the same source, carrying a dense and rain-like killing intent. Shi Jingzhi deeply cut the palm of his other hand, and blood slowly flowed down the flagpole. Before they touched the ground, they were consumed by the spell as material.
This spell didn’t require precise control, and the fire threads were thin and sparse. Along with the slow flow of blood, everything was calculated just right.
The Ling Sect team who had just rushed in didn’t have time to stop, and many hit the golden threads head-on. The Ling Sect’s footwork was fast and fierce, and the crowd was cleanly and neatly cut into several pieces. The gaps between the golden threads could accommodate people, but considering the difficulty of fighting, only those with top-notch movement skills could move around freely.
Like Yin Ci.
The ones who rushed out first were just Ling Sect thugs. Yin Ci had already raised his sword, but no one successfully charged to his front. Yin Ci stared at the fire thread close at hand, slowly turning his head to look at Shi Jingzhi a few steps away.
Thousands of golden threads were collected in the flagpole, looking like a golden acacia bending down.
“My inner force is quite capable, but in terms of external martial arts and combat response, I’m inferior to top-notch masters. With so many enemies now, if I forcibly fight alongside you, I’ll only drag you down in the end. That’s not ‘treasure’; that’s stubbornness.”
Shi Jingzhi’s smile deepened.
“On second thought, you’ve been protecting me all along. You did it in the Ghost Tomb, in Yuanxian Village, and especially before the Arcane Arts. But to ‘treasure another’ is a two-way street. If it’s one-sided, it’s not ‘treasure’, it’s sacrifice.”
A sword qi flashed, and Shi Jingzhi’s empty hand had a wound. A few defensive fireballs of yang fire were lit around Yin Ci, and they fluttered around him affectionately, chirping like sparrows. They were more flexible than before when dealing with the Arcane Arts, soaking the surrounding air with intense heat.
“After a hundred years of habit, you’ve forgotten what ‘mutually treasure each other’ is. Let me teach you. Now it’s my turn to say this—A’Ci, I’m protecting you.”
Yin Ci’s sword-holding hand moved a bit, but he didn’t answer. This kid was really greedy, he thought. He could just close his eyes and cover his ears, depending on him, but instead, Shi Jingzhi used his own blood as material to painstakingly concoct a spell just to save him a bit of pain?
He stopped caring about those pains long ago; they wouldn’t even leave a wound.
Allowing a person covered in scars to lie on soft silk was simply a waste of good things. But looking at the golden threads that blocked thousands of people in front of him, Yin Ci couldn’t easily change the subject.
Shi Jingzhi stared at him solemnly. Yin Ci could see the affection and dependence in those eyes. But there was also a strange emotion mixed in, and Yin Ci didn’t know how to describe it—Shi Jingzhi wasn’t staring at a strong collaborator, a profitable target, or a rare treasure in the world.
Shi Jingzhi was just looking at him expectantly, like a mortal looking at another.
Yin Ci suddenly found a warm and soft swamp under his feet. It made him stuck deep in the mud, but he couldn’t bear to leave. A slight pain spread throughout his body, as if an old scab had fallen off, revealing fresh new flesh.
This feeling was quite strange. It was as if he had been living his entire life for “immortality”, “martial arts experience”, and countless big and small goals. What else could be left—
‘I am still human,’ Yin Ci thought somewhat blankly.
Over the years, he had forgotten.
Outside of the golden threads, the elders of the Ling Sect saw their followers losing ground and personally rushed in. Many small sects with courage also squeezed into the cracks of the golden threads. As a result, Taiheng had to move closer to prevent those lone rangers from being used as meat shields. The encirclement tightened, but they needed to spend time and energy to avoid the fine threads of golden fire. In Yin Ci’s view, they were just easy targets.
Compared to killing all the invaders, leaving some alive was even harder.
Anyway, the Ling Sect was at the forefront. Yin Ci originally wanted to sweep out a few bloody skeletons with his Bone Sweeping Sword technique and pile them around to deter others. But just as he started to use that familiar sword technique, Yin Ci felt a bit bored.
The pain around him was still there, and the ball of golden fire around him was incredibly warm, much like the body temperature of the person who cast it. Shi Jingzhi was still waiting for his response, and Yin Ci didn’t want to answer. He just wanted to enjoy that gaze a little longer.
In such a state of mind, he could hardly bring out much anger. Yin Ci didn’t force himself to swing his sword anymore; instead, he adopted a more comfortable posture and casually made a few sword flowers.
The golden fire was fine, and the sword qi was heavy.
Those sword qi didn’t cut anyone’s skin. They were like invisible giant hands, gently but firmly pushing people away. Yin Ci’s physical skills were extremely strong. He passed through the golden threads like a phantom. Wherever the sword wind passed, the golden threads fluttered. Under this situation, the killing intent of the spell became increasingly weaker, almost disappearing.
If they didn’t retreat after being pushed away, they would be caught in the sword wind and bumped into the nearest golden fire thread. Minor cases would result in loss of limbs, and severe cases would lead to death. The bodies of the elders of the Ling Sect were scattered outside the golden threads, and the small sects were immediately discouraged, forced to slowly retreat by that unfamiliar sword technique.
Yin Ci unknowingly hooked up the corners of his mouth. He hadn’t been this focused in a long time. After a hundred years of accumulation, his qi was already heavy. Combined with the calm and gentle swordsmanship he was using now, it exuded a different kind of majestic presence.
The sword qi returned, and the sword path formed itself. Compared with the Bone Sweeping Sword technique, which left no one under it, he didn’t even need to select which sect his opponent belonged to. His new sword style fully conveyed his intentions—the pressure of stepping forward was like a mountain about to fall, but by taking a step back, one could find a wide path to life.
At this point, he could only hope they could take care of themselves.
The trajectory of the Hanging Shadow Sword became more and more smooth and beautiful, setting up a defense comparable to an iron wall. Yin Ci moved freely within the golden net, not even scratching his oily skin. Even if someone tried to take shortcuts with hidden weapons, they were all caught by the golden fireballs around him.
By now, he might not need to give Shi Jingzhi an answer.
A never before seen sword technique appeared. People couldn’t figure out Yin Ci’s origin, and they all acted more cautiously. Shi Jingzhi was staring at Yin Ci’s back, and for the first time, he laughed so gently.
This was the first time that Shi Jingzhi didn’t smell the scent of death in Yin Ci’s swordsmanship.
…After this fight, they had to give this sword technique a good name. The morning mist was just clearing, and the light was scattered. The yang fire was wrapped around Yin Ci while golden flowers bloomed from the pools of blood, yet the atmosphere created by the sword technique was peaceful and serene, with no signs of gloominess.
Flesh decayed, sweeping bones to the font, but now the withered bones gave birth to flowers.
Near the Grand Pavilion. Yan Qing and Yan Zheng were badly injured. Their battle situation wasn’t going well. The fight had been going on for nearly three hours, and their clothes were soaked with blood, sticking tight to their bodies.
Yan Zheng’s hair was scattered. His face was much paler than Yang Qing’s. At first glance, he resembled the Human Shaped Coffin under the Ghost Tomb. Yan Qing, panting, held his great sword horizontally, protecting Yan Zheng behind the blade. He wielded the defensive stance of the “Jade Chime Swordsmanship”, repeating the move “Today is Different from Yesterday” countless times. If the enemy didn’t move, he wouldn’t move, and that was how he barely held on until now.
The fight started because of the young men’s pride, but unfortunately, the gap in strength was a gap in strength—it wasn’t something that could be made up for with just courage.
Chai Xin, the former elder, had limited ability to manage the sect, but his martial arts skills were real and undiluted. His pair of daggers were named “Dragonfly Wings”; they were almost transparent and extremely sharp. With a swipe, it would cause a deep wound.
Chai Xin was vicious by nature and specifically smeared difficult-to-ward-off anesthetics on the daggers. In this way, an opponent who was injured may not be able to judge the severity of the injury in time. By the time sensation was restored, the person was likely to have lost too much blood, and it would be too late.
Chai Xin’s most famous feat was to have flayed a whole family alive that had offended the Ling Sect. That family was said to be related to Taiheng, and the dozens of people in the family were cut into thin pieces. Their flesh was placed on banquet plates and neatly stacked at the entrance of their home.
Chai Xin obviously enjoyed dealing with Yan Qing and Yan Zheng at this moment, like a cat playing with a mouse. He didn’t even let the Corpse Retrieval Team take action.
“Are you two done playing?” Chai Xin twirled his daggers in his hands, shaking off a drop of blood. “Those wounds I’ve caused, you will have to ask me to treat them later. If you come back with me sooner, you’ll suffer less.”
Up until now, anyone with a discerning eye could see that the two descendants of the Yan Clan combined weren’t his match. It was just that Yan Qing’s strange swordsmanship was particularly hard to deal with, and Chai Xin was too lazy to dawdle, so he simply withdrew his blades temporarily.
“Your swordsmanship is a bit interesting. It’s just that the state of mind is a bit lacking, not to mention a bit of heroism—such rough skills, don’t be stubborn.”
Yan Qing wiped the blood from his face and didn’t hide the hostility on it. The great sword remained motionless.
Chai Xin laughed for a while; his pair of muddy old eyes stared at Yan Qing, as if to pierce him.
“Your swordsmanship is like this. No one has taught you with heart, right? Your eyes don’t look like you’re satisfied with the current situation. Once you become my disciple, in a few years, I guarantee you’ll break into the top ten in the martial world. Following that so-called Kushan Sect—such a good material being wasted.”
“When I picked up Yan Zheng, he was also a teenager. I taught him for less than ten years. His skills…”
“Brother, don’t listen to his nonsense,” Yan Zheng interrupted coldly. “The price of joining the Ling Sect is something you can’t afford.”
Chai Xin seemed to have heard a very ridiculous joke. The wrinkles on his old face kept trembling with laughter. “Hey, hey, hey, good disciple. Anyone can say that, but you shouldn’t. According to the standards of those on the righteous path, we are nothing more than dog eats dog, wasting people’s good intentions.”
“Yan Qing, right? Do you know whose family I flayed back then?”
Before sunrise, the Taiheng Sect’s tents were tightly situated on the edge of the demonic mist. At this moment, no matter who ventured outside, they could only see a hazy gray, destroying any good mood for the new day.
Jin Lan sat inside the tent, anxiously holding a string of blood essence beads.
This string wasn’t of high value, but it was a treasure of the Taiheng Sect. When Shi Zhongyu left Taiheng, she returned this string of beads to its original owner. Jin Lan felt that the beads were too heavy and scalding hot; even if they were snow-white, they couldn’t bring him much peace of mind.
Seeing the sect leader pass away, as well as the loss of a respected senior, the Taiheng sect he had been with for over ten years felt somewhat unfamiliar.
Qu Duanyun became the new sect leader, and the internal personnel of the sect were constantly changing. Jin Lan had been following Shi Zhongyu and had some connection with the Kushan Sect. Whether it was to avoid suspicion or because he was troublesome, the rumor of “new clues on Zongwu Mountain” spread, and he was sent to Zongwu Mountain.
The accompanying members were either newcomers or ordinary people who hadn’t achieved much. Jin Lan considered himself not a top master in Taiheng, but among this ragtag team, he was one of the most skilled.
Taiheng couldn’t break the Fog Tomb Formation, but they had a vast heritage and powerful treasures to rely on. After several days, Jin Lan had a feeling that perhaps they weren’t sent here to find clues but rather to train worthless disciples. Currently, they seemed to be slowing down the progress of the Chigou and Ling sects more than finding any actual clues.
‘Reasonable enough,’ Jin Lan thought with a wry smile.
Taiheng had collected the most Buddha beads and treasure maps and had been conducting systematic searches. When they were the first to find the Shirou, losing this clue wouldn’t matter much. Even if Yan Budu locked the Shirou away in the mountains and rivers, they could use their magical artifacts to split mountains and sever rivers. No matter how powerful that demon was, he couldn’t predict the methods people would use a hundred years later.
Seeing through this, Jin Lan couldn’t muster any interest. After sunrise, he would have to watch the young disciples running around, wielding precious artifacts in the mist, searching for meaningless clues.
How utterly boring.
When the time of Yin had passed, a scout entered the tent. “There’s no movement from the Chigou sect, and there’s no news from other scattered sects. Although there’s some activity at the Grand Pavilion, it seems unrelated to the Shirou clue. We’ll discuss it later. Also, an urgent letter has arrived from Elder Feng outside the mountain. Please take a look first.”
Jin Lan immediately got up and tore open the letter in a hurry. The paper of the letter wasn’t of good quality, but the writing and red seal were undoubtedly an internal custom of the Taiheng sect. He shook the letter slightly and carefully read its contents: “…Things have changed on Zongwu Mountain. Return upon receiving this letter? Why so urgent?”
“Perhaps someone planted in the Ling Sect got wind of something,” the scout speculated solemnly. “Last night, Chai Xin suddenly left the Grand Pavilion with his confidants; there must be some action.”
“But that was last night; how did the news spread so quickly?” Jin Lan’s head started spinning as he thought about breaking camp and withdrawing the artifacts. They had put in a lot of effort to prepare the formations and magical artifacts to deal with the Fog Tomb Array, and they couldn’t just retreat in the blink of an eye.
“Maybe it’s an honorary elder traveling outside who preemptively learned about the demonic sect’s plan.” The scout used his imagination to the fullest. “Senior Brother Jin, you’re familiar with the things above; is there anything suspicious about this letter?”
Apart from the paper being a bit tattered, everything else seems fine, Jin Lan thought with a troubled expression. He couldn’t find any issues, so he could only sigh.
“First, let’s have everyone in the Fog Tomb Formation evacuate and wait by the mountainside. Don’t move the camp or withdraw the artifacts for now. The letter came too suddenly; I’ll write a letter later to confirm with the nearest Taiheng outpost.”
Even if it was a traveling honorary elder, they were still part of the Taiheng sect, and they would definitely send letters through Taiheng’s outposts in various places. In this place where people from all walks of life gathered, the sudden arrival of this letter made Jin Lan reluctant to act hastily and take everything at face value.
If the letter was true, they still had time to throw away their belongings and escape. If the letter was fake, they would only be delayed for a short half-day, and then they could proceed with their plans, not letting the forger succeed.
Jin Lan devised a profound plan and suddenly felt like a wise member of the Taiheng sect.
Unfortunately, his feeling of wisdom lasted for less than an hour before being disrupted by a sudden change. Just as the sky was barely brightening and the order to retreat from the Fog Tomb Formation had just been issued, another explosive-like piece of information was brought back by a scout. At that moment, Jin Lan was surrounded by the management personnel from various Taiheng teams, all inquiring about the reason for the “withdrawal”.
“The Kushan Sect has already found the clue? No, Sect Master Shi is here?!” Jin Lan pushed the people surrounding him away and finally caught his breath.
“Yes, many smaller sects in the vicinity are discussing this matter. They say that Shi Jingzhi took the ‘key’ left by Yan Budu and is now escaping outside Zongwu Mountain.”
“You said escaping…”
Jin Lan choked for a moment. When they last met, the two members of the Kushan Sect were still chatting amiably with Shi Zhongyu and Qu Duanyun. Even if he had heard about the tragic incident at the Jianchen Temple, he couldn’t immediately change his impression.
Now, the Kushan Sect was despised by the righteous sects and belonged to the category of “catch on sight”. If they caught the person, they could confront the Jianchen Temple, and the martial world would naturally eliminate this small cancer.
He understood the logic but thinking that they were the people who once saved him in the Ghost Tomb, Jin Lan felt a little uneasy.
“Isn’t this perfect? Since we’re withdrawing anyway, we might as well capture these villains from the Kushan Sect.” One of the “not-so-useful” disciples was excited. “Senior Brother Jin, you’ve at least followed a famous figure like Shi Zhongyu. You shouldn’t be lumped together with us. By catching these thieves, you can clear your relationship with Shi Zhongyu and maybe even earn some merits.”
Jin Lan: “Without a formal confrontation and conviction, don’t just call them villains.”
The people in the tent fell silent for a moment.
“Senior Brother Jin, you’re not the same as Shi Zhongyu… We know you went to the Ghost Tomb, but you have to distinguish between personal feelings and public matters.”
“I didn’t say I won’t go.” Jin Lan rubbed his forehead, feeling bitterness in his mouth. He had a faint feeling that he seemed to be swept up in an unstoppable torrent and couldn’t stop his steps with his own strength. The situation was right in front of him, and he had no choice.
“Very well, we’ve all heard about the ‘Kushan Sect has found the clue’ matter. The Chigou and Ling sects must know about it too.”
Jin Lan pondered hard.
“The demonic sects won’t give up so easily; there will probably be a fierce battle outside. Many small sects are still here. Follow me to maintain order. Capturing people is not a priority.”
“But…” Won’t they miss out on a chance to earn merit?
Jin Lan said solemnly, “The strength of Sect Master Shi is probably above that of Senior Sister, no, Shi Zhongyu. Anyway, I’m definitely not a match for Shi Jingzhi. I can’t defeat the strong, but helping the weak can also be a merit. It’s like wanting both the fish and the bear’s paw; you might get all smelly.”
“Yes.”
At the same time, near the Grand Pavilion.
Originally, the morning mist was dense, and everything was normal. However, as Yan Qing raised the Sword of Compassion, dozens of Ling Sect disciples suddenly appeared around him. They looked like evil spirits rising from the ground, and their aura wasn’t like that of living people.
Among the Ling Sect disciples, only a few had such capabilities—apart from the elders, there were only the elite members belonging to the “Corpse Retrieval Team” under the direct command of the Patriarch. Unfortunately, judging from their imposing manner, it didn’t seem like they were here to welcome Yan Zheng.
Yan Qing tightened his grip on the sword hilt and let out a long breath. “Patriarch Yan, do you have any idea about the current situation?”
Yan Zheng sighed even louder than him. “I don’t.”
Yan Qing reluctantly picked up the sword and looked at the leader of the group—
Chai Xin, the one-eyed old man, was standing not far away with a sly expression on his face, making people feel as if ants were crawling all over their bodies. The nearby Grand Pavilion seemed even more desolate.
“My good disciple, you’ve really grown up. I never taught you to exploit others, but you seem to have learned it quickly. The Shirou clue, huh? No wonder last night you forbade the elders from going out. I thought something might happen inside the pavilion, but now it seems I was actually giving that shitty rat-like sect time. I’ve treated you well all these years, and this is how you repay me?”
Yan Qing pondered for a moment before finally grasping the meaning of these words.
…It really was a colossal misunderstanding.
It seemed that even someone as cunning as Chai Xin couldn’t fathom that “Yan Zheng wants to destroy the Ling Sect”. The huge lie fabricated by Shi Jingzhi led him to misunderstand completely—that Yan Zheng betrayed the Ling Sect and joined forces with the Kushan Sect in an attempt to seek the Shirou for himself.
Yan Zheng chuckled lightly. “Master truly knows me well.”
His tone was filled with sarcasm, but when it reached Chai Xin’s ears, it took on a different meaning.
“What a pity, what a pity. The Kushan Sect is just a small sect after all and will ultimately fail to achieve anything. They think they can steal the clue from my Divine Sect under my nose? Not that easy. I’ve dispatched all our top masters, and they will chop the Kushan Sect into pieces.”
Chai Xin shook his head.
“Betraying anyone within the Divine Sect isn’t an issue. However, according to the rules, once discovered, they must be willing to gamble and accept defeat. You see, I’ve personally come to punish you…”
“Personally?”
Yan Zheng no longer looked at Yan Qing; his tone was indifferent.
“You simply found it bothersome to deal with the people from Taiheng and Chigou, so you dumped the dirty work onto others.”
“Haa, look at you. I’ve been helping you seek revenge all this time.” Chai Xin’s voice turned cold and greasy again. “Why do you treat my good intentions this way?”
After saying that, he sounded serious.
“Go, bring this kid back to me. Breaking his legs won’t matter; it will just make him learn his lesson. As for the kid from the Kushan Sect, kill him directly. Make sure to make it neat, so it can scare that garbage Kushan Sect later.”
Yan Zheng picked up the Death Whip, and his pupils slightly constricted. “Brother, you should leave first. Didn’t Sect Master Shi arrange something with you? The internal affairs of the Ling Sect don’t require your intervention.”
Yan Qing didn’t move.
“I’m not someone worth helping.” Yan Zheng still didn’t look at Yan Qing. “But since you could pick up that sword, you must not be a wicked person. If you get involved in this mess, it’s just a waste…”
He stopped midway in his sentence, suddenly halted his words—on the other side, Chai Xin made a curious sound, as if he had seen a once-in-a-century marvel. Yan Zheng followed his line of sight and looked at Yan Qing on the side.
The gloomy sky mixed with fog, and everything seemed covered in a layer of vague gray. Yan Qing was blindfolded when he was in the Grand Pavilion before, and when they met again, he had kept his eyes closed; at most, he only peeped a bit through his eyelids. Yan Zheng thought he had some photosensitive eye condition and was causing trouble one after another. He hadn’t had time to think deeply about these details.
Who could have thought that the person holding the Sword of Compassion would actually have a pair of ghost eyes?
“When Yan Budu committed those evil deeds in the past, Venerable Kongshi didn’t just let him go.” Yan Qing’s voice was a bit nervous but still relatively steady. “To be honest, I don’t understand Venerable Kongshi’s approach. But from what I see, you don’t seem like Yan Budu—definitely not someone ‘not worth helping’.”
He slightly lowered his body, holding the massive sword horizontally in front of him.
“If it’s like this and I still run away, then I don’t deserve to wield this sword.”
The Yan family had many descendants, most of whom were killed by Taiheng back then. The survivors were few, and those with ghost eyes were almost nonexistent. Now, two people with such eyes suddenly appeared, causing the Ling Sect’s disciples, who were about to rush out, to stagger and stop their steps.
Chai Xin was stunned for a while, then suddenly laughed at the sky. “This is the heavens telling me to take in a new disciple. People from the righteous path are great! Magnificent! After I train you, you will certainly be better to serve than my wicked disciples, who resort to killing at every turn… The heavens bless my Divine Sect!”
“Grand Elder, there were idiots before who were fooled by their techniques; it might be a trick from the Kushan Sect,” someone beside Chai Xin reminded.
“Whether it’s a trick or not, capture them alive, and we’ll find out. Very well, keep both of them alive. This is a sign of prosperity for our Divine Sect!”
Wouldn’t it be great if the living “summoning evil spirits” banner became two?
Yan Zheng looked at Yan Qing incredulously, his hand holding the whip trembling. “Who are you?”
“Yan Ziren’s son, Yan Qing.” Yan Qing smiled at him. “I don’t know if you’ve heard or not, but my father may not be very capable… After this battle, we can talk in detail.”
“Yeah, in the Ling Sect’s dungeon, we can talk in detail.”
Chai Xin shook his sleeve and pulled out two daggers as thin as cicada wings.
“It’s rare to have this opportunity; let this old man join the fun too.”
Zongwu Mountain, at the foot of the mountain.
Shi Jingzhi openly displayed the “Medicine Cures Illness” flag, looking at the sea of people around him. There weren’t many masters sent by other sects, but their number was considerable. There were more people from the Ling Sect than they had anticipated. That group of unformed things occupied about a quarter of the encirclement, each of them exuding murderous intent, making them very conspicuous.
Shi Jingzhi stood beside Yin Ci; the two of them standing on the open wasteland in the center of the encirclement, adding the most vivid strokes to this “Too many monks with few porridge*” picture.
*Idiom referring to a situation where there are too many people sharing limited resources, resulting in scarcity or a shortage of supplies.
“A’Ci, look, Taiheng and the smaller sects are over there, wanting to steam us. On the other side are the Ling Sect and the Chigou Sect, wanting to roast us.” Shi Jingzhi pointed around while addressing the crowd. “You must distinguish clearly later and not kill the wrong person. Hey, isn’t that Jin Lan over there? Poor guy, after a few days of not seeing him, he’s been demoted to this dump… Isn’t it good to greet him now?”
Yin Ci: “…”
He seemed to see that brat who dared to roll in his sword wind again. Yin Ci suspected that said kid’s courage was growing excessively.
Well, it was just a group of unruly people. He specifically chose a location easy to retreat from. To intimidate the crowd with force, Yin Ci was very familiar with that. There were still risks, but the situation was still under his control.
However, just at that moment, Shi Jingzhi turned around with a grin. “Rest assured, nothing will happen.”
“What?”
“I have something to give you. Close your eyes, okay?”
Ling Xiao strode across the campus, wiping away the tears flowing from his eyes as he walked. However, the tears flowed incessantly, like a breached dam.
If it weren’t for Ping Zong and Lan Sheng, if it weren’t for the impending parting, if it weren’t for the alcohol…
Ling Xiao ran back to his dorm, slammed the door shut, and leaned against it. It took a while for his tears to finally stop.
How ridiculous!
To make matters worse, Ying Feng saw the whole thing. How many times did he have to embarrass himself in front of him?
Ling Xiao sniffled, threw himself onto the bed, lying in various positions, but couldn’t sleep.
He got up and paced around the room, restless.
Forget it. Maybe a movie would help.
Ling Xiao accessed an online movie library. Most of the films required payment. The free ones were either overwatched classics or odd indie films.
Given Ling Xiao’s current financial state, he had to pick from the free section. With limited choices, he reluctantly selected a foreign action film, subtitled, seemingly from another planet.
Though it was free, the film was in 3D. Ling Xiao activated the ceiling projector. The entire room transformed, making the actors seem lifelike. The viewer could watch from any angle, even passing through the actors.
The film began in a forest. Its realism was impeccable, from morning mist to the chirping of birds, dappled sunlight, and the scent of trees and earth, immersing the viewer entirely.
Initially, Ling Xiao had intended to watch this film as a distraction. However, the content captivated him. It was a fresh experience to see beings that looked like him grow from youth to adulthood.
The story followed an organization that trained orphans to become assassins. They grew up together, forging deep bonds, including romantic ones.
The male and female leads were childhood sweethearts. Their love grew stronger as they matured, evident even when they sparred.
One day, their master gathered everyone. As he looked at the disciples he had personally raised over the years, each outstanding and exceptionally skilled, genuine appreciation shone in the master’s eyes.
“Through past assessments, you all have excelled. I’m proud of my years of nurturing. Today marks the end of your training and your final test. It’s a life-or-death challenge. Only those who pass can leave alive.”
Upon hearing their lifelong master’s words, everyone was on high alert.
“For this test, partner up in pairs to complete the task.”
Close friends quickly paired up. The male and female leads did the same, linking their pinkies secretly.
The master’s sharp eyes scanned the pairs.
“You’re all skilled, but remember, you’re assassins. Emotions are your greatest weakness. This final test requires you to forsake your feelings. There’s only one path: kill your partner and survive—or die.”
“If anyone hesitates,” the master drew a knife, “I’ll do it for them.”
In a moment of desperation, Ling Xiao lunged forward, trying to stop the female lead from stabbing her beloved with a sword from above. But it was all an illusion. The blade still pierced the man she loved, splattering her face with blood. Ling Xiao, witnessing this up close, instinctively wiped his face.
After killing her lover, the female lead became a heartless killing machine, able to take a life without hesitation.
After she had finally killed all of the enemies of the mastermind behind the scenes, the last person she killed was herself. In her dying hallucination, the shadow of the male lead appeared, and the film returned to that forest. There was a hazy mist, mottled sunlight, the chirping of birds, and the fragrant scent of soil wafting towards her…
Ling Xiao’s already low mood worsened. A heavy, almost tangible feeling of oppression lingered in his chest, making it difficult to breathe. He experienced the worst night of his life, tossing and turning, with sleep eluding him.
When dawn finally broke, he desperately wanted to talk to someone. But, to his dismay, he realized that aside from Lan Sheng and Ping Zong, he didn’t have anyone else to confide in.
After much thought, he reconnected to the Tianyuan Network. It was still early, and no one was in Zhen He’s shop. The call bell, indicating interdimensional connectivity, read: [No one in the shop. Please ring the bell.] Ling Xiao persistently pestered the other end.
“Do you know what time it is?” Zhen He’s figure gradually appeared, his face showing clear irritation from being awakened.
“I’m feeling down. Talk to me,” Ling Xiao pleaded shamelessly.
Zhen He yawned, lounging on his personal chair. “Seeing how pitiful you look, I’ll begrudgingly listen. Speak. I’ll try not to fall asleep.”
Ling Xiao, as if urgently needing to share the source of his distress to lessen his burden, recounted the movie he had watched last night to Zhen He. When narrating the most impactful scenes, he had to pause many times, struggling to convey the sequence of events.
“That’s it?” Zhen He listened patiently, seemingly less affected than Ling Xiao.
“That’s the story,” Ling Xiao finished, yet he didn’t feel the anticipated relief.
“How do you feel now?” Zhen He asked about his current state.
“Not great,” Ling Xiao admitted.
“Your emotional upheaval seems more intense than what a movie might trigger,” Zhen He pointed out astutely. “Did you resonate deeply with something while watching?”
Dejectedly, Ling Xiao sat down. “My two best friends had their coming-of-age ceremony last night.”
Zhen He remained expressionless. “Oh?”
“While watching the movie, I kept thinking about the two of them. Especially during the duel between the male and female leads. Their images kept replacing the characters, disturbing me.”
“Really?”
“Even though I know it’s just my imagination, such a thing would never happen between them. They’re deeply in love, even willing to offer their ‘heart’s blood’…”
Zhen He suddenly burst into exaggerated laughter, tears forming in his eyes. “Offering their heart’s blood? Who taught you that?”
“Dr. Yao’s Qizi said he did the same,” Ling Xiao answered, confused. “What’s so funny about that?”
“Alright.” Zhen He’s laughter subsided. “I heard the academy is advocating a gentler teaching method this year due to the high death rate last year. I just didn’t expect them to say it like that.”
Thinking about it, he laughed again, leaving Ling Xiao bewildered.
“What the hell are you laughing at?”
Without warning, Zhen He’s smile abruptly vanished, his gaze sharp as a torch, emitting an overwhelming murderous intent from head to toe. Originally lounging in his chair, Ling Xiao, feeling the intense pressure, immediately jumped up. Goosebumps rose on his skin, his mind tensed up, and every cell in his body was activated, instinctively taking a defensive stance.
“See that?” The intense aura vanished instantly, and Zhen He lounged lazily in his special recliner, as if the one who had just intimidated Ling Xiao wasn’t him at all.
Ling Xiao slowly lowered his arms, cautiously sitting on the edge of his chair, his gaze fixed on Zhen He.
“When you feel threatened, your first response is self-defense. Do you know what this is called?”
Ling Xiao shook his head.
“It’s called instinct. It’s etched in our genes, and no one can overcome it. Do you know that even the urge to find a partner after awakening is one of the primal instincts of our kind?”
“Why are you still single then?”
“Yes, even I can’t resist my instincts. After holding out for so long, I’m beginning to feel drained,” Zhen He admitted, a rare display of vulnerability.
“What does this have to do with what I said earlier?”
Zhen He smirked. “Aren’t you always curious about me? Why not indulge your curiosity a bit?”
“You’re not charging today?”
“I’ll give you a huge discount today; it’s free. Ask whatever you want.”
After pondering for a moment, Ling Xiao said, “Tell me about the person you like.”
Zhen He habitually fidgeted with the ring on his finger. “The person I like… has someone she loves, and coincidentally, the person she loves, loves them back. This is unfortunate for me, but from her perspective, perhaps nothing could be more fortunate.”
“If you love them too, why didn’t you try to pursue her?”
“Have you never heard the saying? True love is granting the one you wish to imprison the most, the utmost freedom.”
Ling Xiao repeated the words in his mind, seemingly touched.
“It’s a pity that such a simple truth is something some people fail to understand, even after living for over four hundred years.”
“What happened next?” Ling Xiao asked.
“The two of them were deeply in love, just like your buddies, wholeheartedly looking forward to their awakening period. But, on the day of their coming-of-age ceremony, that turned out to be the end of her life in this incarnation.”
Ling Xiao almost thought he’d heard wrong. “What?”
“She died,” Zhen He said emotionlessly, “They didn’t follow the school’s regulations and united in secret. By the time people discovered her the next day, her soul had already reincarnated. She was stabbed through the heart with a dagger by the one she loved.”
Ling Xiao was in disbelief. “How… How could this happen?”
“It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Dying in the coming-of-age ceremony. It’s indeed a rare occurrence, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. And it unfortunately befell her. Perhaps I should feel relieved. At least she completed the ceremony before her death. At least she could reincarnate without her spirit dissipating.”
“How is this possible?” Ling Xiao couldn’t understand. “Didn’t they love each other?”
“Even the deepest mutual affection can’t overcome primal instincts. Like when I exude murderous intent, you become defensive. The demand for one’s Heart’s Blood is a threat millions of times more severe than mere murderous intent. No one would willingly submit. Even if they love each other, even if they are willing to sacrifice everything for each other, they can’t defeat the instinct ingrained in our genes.”
“I don’t know what sweet words the school has used to deceive young naive souls like you, talking about voluntarily offering up Heart’s Blood, but in the end, it’s all a joke. Instincts are invincible. No matter how nicely they put it, they can’t change the brutal fact that the coming-of-age ceremony is about making loved ones fight to the death.”
“The spouse system of Tianxiu is the most brutal in the entire universe, and their coming-of-age ceremony is the cruelest and most inhumane battle among the stars. To establish a spousal relationship, the Tianxiu not only have to engage in motiveless combat, but they also have to fight against their most intimate person. You’ll never know the real reason for this fight because it’s been completely erased by our ancestors. The current adults just feed naive youths the ‘survival of the fittest’ bullshit.”
“In this world, every battle has a reason, whether it’s for resources, to defend territory, or simply out of spite. But no matter what, these people have motives. No one fights for no reason, except us.”
“Have you ever seen two Tianxiu, having lost their sanity, fight each other to the death? In the galaxy, we, known as battle machines, can fight mechs with bare hands and can survive in outer space without any aid. If there’s anything more powerful than a Tianxiu in a one-on-one battle, it’s an out-of-control Tianxiu. Every Tianxiu will lose control once in their life, during the so-called coming-of-age ceremony, in a bid to become the ‘Qizhu’ and conquer the other by any means.”
Zhen He’s words felt like a splash of icy water. By the end, Ling Xiao’s fingers felt icy cold, almost numb.
“What about Lan Sheng and Ping Zong…”
“Your two little friends?” Zhen He’s face was impassive. “Don’t worry. After all, dying in the coming-of-age ceremony isn’t something that just happens casually. Especially since the school has placed a lot more emphasis on safety after that incident.”
“Instead of worrying about their physical health, you should think about how to explain to them the huge lie of voluntarily offering up the Heart’s Blood when they awaken. The crazy notion of wanting to kill the one they love—I hope it doesn’t cast a shadow on their mutual affection.”
Some called the underworld the spirit realm, while others called it the netherworld, and westerners called it hell. The names varied, but they all referred to the same place.
This place was quite unfamiliar to Dong Zhi because, after joining the Special Administration Bureau, he hadn’t dealt with it. But in He Yu’s words, they originally existed in different worlds, each performing their own duties. It was best not to interact, because when they did, trouble would ensue.
Dong Zhi now realized that although He Yu often spoke nonsense, sometimes what he said made sense.
For instance, now, as the sound of dragging chains got closer, everyone involuntarily felt their hair stand on end. Dong Zhi even felt as if an unseen force was trying to pull his soul out of his body.
Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder, snapping him back to reality and breaking the intangible control. Turning his head, he saw it was Long Shen.
Dong Zhi secretly felt embarrassed, but Kan Chaosheng and Chang Qin didn’t fare much better. Chang Qing stood motionless with a frozen expression, while the fat yellow cat looked as if it were seemingly drunk, being drawn towards the sound.
“Chaosheng!”
Dong Zhi whispered, grabbing the cat by the scruff and lifting it up. The fat cat struggled a bit before coming to its senses, probably feeling humiliated, and then quieted down in Dong Zhi’s arms.
Long Shen didn’t show hostility and waited silently. Dong Zhi guessed that the force pulling at their souls wasn’t intentional but a natural attraction. Without Long Shen’s intervention, Dong Zhi might have been lost.
He expected to see ghostly figures like those from legends, but despite the sound of chains, there was no figure in sight. Long Shen said, “Use a sunlight talisman.”
Dong Zhi inspired the sunlight talisman. Long Shen reached out and grabbed it as if he were plucking up a flower. The talisman fire jumped at his fingertips. With a light wave of his hand, the talisman fire flew out and hovered in the air, growing brighter, revealing the shadow of a dark figure nearby.
Chains, horns…
Dong Zhi was started after identifying the silhouette.
For there to be shadows, there must be a figure, but there was nothing there.
Not only Dong Zhi, but Chang Qing also stared at the shadow, as if facing a formidable enemy.
The fire between them, previously bright red-yellow, now had a ghostly green hue, like ghost fire, seemingly marking the boundary between the worlds.
The shadow slowly lifted a hand, holding a chain. Dong Zhi thought it wanted Xiao Zhao, who was hiding behind them in fear, but the shadow pointed in another direction.
Dong Zhi was confused. Did it want… him?
Before he could react, the fat yellow cat jumped in front of him, hair standing on end, hissing at the shadow. Long Shen stepped in front of Dong Zhi, protecting him.
“Messenger, thank you for your efforts. I have some lingering souls here, imprisoned by Aoyin. You’ve come at the right time. Take them, ashes to ashes, soil to soil, sparing us the trouble of finding someone to send them off,” Long Shen said as he took out Tang Jing’s mirror. Gray and black mist flew out, drawn towards the shadow’s chain.
From beginning to end, the other party didn’t utter a single word. Dong Zhi didn’t know if it was because of a language barrier between the worlds of the living and the dead or if the entity couldn’t produce human speech in this world. Despite having seen a lot and having encountered many demons and spirits, the scene before him still sent chills down his spine. It wasn’t that the entity’s power was greater than the heavenly demon, but rather the overwhelming pressure emanating from the netherworld, entirely opposite to the world of the living. It conveyed an innate sense of despair and eeriness, capable of chilling one’s emotions to the bone and eliminating any will to fight.
Dong Zhi noticed that Long Shen was still holding onto a grayish-white orb of qi and hadn’t handed it over.
However, the shadow didn’t demand it. Instead, it raised another hand, pointing at Dong Zhi.
If Dong Zhi initially thought that the entity had made a mistake, he now felt confident that this messenger from the underworld indeed wanted to apprehend him. It seemed both Kan Chaosheng and Long Shen had also come to this realization, which was why they stood protectively in front of him.
But why him?
Dong Zhi found it inexplicably ridiculous. He was very much alive and kicking; how did he suddenly become a wandering ghost destined for capture?
Yet, Long Shen didn’t seem surprised. Without shifting his stance, he stated firmly, “This is my apprentice, and he’s still alive.”
The shadow continued to point at him, unmoving.
The standoff persisted.
The sound of chains echoed again, but this time from a different direction. Long Shen’s expression shifted slightly as he released a sudden flare from the sword in his hand, forming an invisible barrier right in front of them. It collided with the oncoming shadow of the chains with a loud bang. The ground beneath trembled, and everyone’s eardrums throbbed with pain, momentarily leaving them deaf.
Dong Zhi was about to use his own sword, but Long Shen, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, restrained him.
“Don’t move. I’ll handle this.”
Dong Zhi halted his actions immediately, not out of blind obedience but because he understood Long Shen well. If Long Shen said so, he had his reasons, and any rash action might be more of a hindrance than a help.
Another shadow appeared, this time without horns, its shape resembling a streetlamp’s shadow stretched out in the night. But this figure, too, held a chain in its hand.
In a deep voice, Long Shen declared, “I am willing to pay any price to protect him. Even if you take him to the underworld, I will upturn that realm and retrieve him without considering the consequences. Can you bear the outcome of opposing me?”
The horned shadow’s chain trembled, reflecting the agitated emotions of its bearer. The slender shadow seemed somewhat calmer, quickly moving towards the horned shadow. The two overlapped slightly, seeming to discuss their strategy in silent communication.
As time ticked on, Long Shen sneered. A dazzling light burst from his sword, causing the two shadows to retreat rapidly, accompanied by the urgent sound of their chains.
It was evident they feared Long Shen’s power. The slender shadow hurriedly gripped its chain to prevent it from shaking further. It then made a gesture of respect towards Long Shen.
Recognizing their compliance, Long Shen’s tone softened.
“Thank you. We still have some unresolved business here. We might need your assistance later on.”
The two shadows left quickly, but the faint sound of their chains lingered, a reminder that they hadn’t gone too far.
Chang Qing sighed with relief.
Being a practitioner, he knew the two shadows weren’t easy opponents. Yet, with just a few words and the display of his sword, Long Shen had forced them to retreat. It was evident that not only was his power formidable, but his origins might also be profound.
He studied Long Shen’s retreating figure, realizing he couldn’t decipher anything about the man.
Not human, not a demon, then what?
Seeing that everyone’s eyes fell on him, Xiao Zhao became uneasy.
“Why are you all looking at me? It’s so cold here. Let’s find a way back quickly!”
Dong Zhi inquired, “Xiao Zhao, are you Xiao Zhao?”
The question was odd, leaving Xiao Zhao both confused. He gave a loud huff. “Who else would I be if not Xiao Zhao?”
Dong Zhi continued, “Then do you know who I am?”
Xiao Zhao quickly replied, “You? You’re Director Dong! I just followed you into the book, was chased by that female ghost, and got trapped in a shadow. Have you forgotten?”
Dong Zhi tried to soothe him. “Calm down. My master has another soul with him that looks just like Xiao Zhao, so we wanted to confirm.”
Xiao Zhao made a frustrated yet comical face. “This is my body. What’s there to confirm? Never mind, ask your questions, Director Dong!”
Dong Zhi didn’t know Xiao Zhao well since they had only met today. He could only ask a few casual questions, all of which Xiao Zhao answered accurately.
Chang Qing began to become suspicious. “Could the soul with your master be that of Su Huan or someone else’s?”
Though Su Huan had turned into a vengeful ghost, she might still have a sliver of conscience.
At that moment, Kan Chaosheng let out a hiss, and unexpectedly lunged at Xiao Zhao. With a push from its hind legs, the fat yellow cat agilely leapt towards Xiao Zhao’s head. Its two front claws were fully extended, appearing as though it was about to scratch Xiao Zhao’s face like a patchy cat would.
Xiao Zhao was taken aback and instinctively tried to dodge backward. However, having soaked in the water for a while, his legs were weak, and he could only instinctively shield his face.
Dong Zhi narrowed his eyes, and with a mere thought, the Changshou Sword emerged from its scabbard, shooting straight towards Xiao Zhao’s forehead!
The blade’s light moved extremely fast, showing no mercy. It wasn’t a mere test; it was truly intended to put Xiao Zhao in a life-threatening situation!
Xiao Zhao screamed in alarm, no longer caring about anything else. His body slumped to the ground, and a wisp of black mist emerged from his back.
At this moment, the flame that had been hovering in the air quickly darted forward, enveloping the black mist. The black mist roared and howled, seemingly about to break free from the flame, but then the sound of the iron chain approached, securing it to the ground below!
The black mist seemed to be tightly restrained by the chain, shrieking but unable to break free. Eventually, it was slowly drawn away by the chain.
Long Shen released the pale mist, which autonomously floated towards Xiao Zhao’s body, gradually seeping in.
After a while, Xiao Zhao finally slowly regained consciousness.
Being a tall and burly man, after all the turmoil, he had lost all his strength and could only manage to sit up with the help of Chang Qing.
Chang Qing asked Dong Zhi and Long Shen, “How did you determine he was the real Xiao Zhao?”
Dong Zhi replied, “Men and women react differently when facing an attack. Most men will choose to actively strike back at the opponent, like slapping the cat away. However, most women, who cherish their faces, would instinctively shield it first. Of course, not everyone reacts this way, but the only suspects now are Su Huan and Xiao Zhao. Xiao Zhao is a police officer. He would surely choose to counterattack. Only a beautiful woman like Su Huan would have the reaction we just witnessed.”
Chang Qing was speechless. He felt he couldn’t possibly observe as meticulously as Dong Zhi.
Seeing his thoughts, Dong Zhi reassured him, “Actually, when I first joined the Special Administration Bureau, I was even less adept than you. Everything was honed over time.”
Chang Qing replied with his usual tone, “I never said I wanted to join the Special Administration Bureau!”
White petals covered Epoh’s body, making him seem as if he was sculpted from snow.
He closed his eyes again, seemingly indifferent to the mortal world around him, which had nothing to do with him.
He looked as peaceful as a pile of snow.
This gave Zhou Qian an illusion.
It seemed that once dawn broke and the ice melted, Epoh would vanish.
Letting out a silent sigh, Zhou Qian even found his own sigh abrupt.
Shaking his head, after giving Epoh another glance, he turned to leave.
Just at that moment, a red glow suddenly emerged from a spot five meters away.
Zhou Qian’s eyes sharpened; he knew another believer had been deified.
He halted, looking up, and met a pair of pale pupils.
Each previous time he’d encountered such a gaze, it had ignited the killing intent of the deified believer, followed by an attack.
But not this time.
The person slouched onto the ground and transformed into a cheetah in an instant. Surprisingly, he ignored Zhou Qian entirely, circled the huge tree once, and headed straight for the opposite bank of the lake in search of prey.
Zhou Qian obtained the Mark of Pain, which indeed stopped the believers from attacking him proactively.
Feeling relief at this, Zhou Qian’s brows furrowed slightly.
Because he realized something—the later a believer completed their deification, the stronger they were.
This cheetah, with just a single leap, crossed the long crystal bridge in a few strides. Locking onto his target, after a roar, he charged at Qi Liuxing, Yun Xiangrong, and Gao Shan.
……
On the other side of the lake.
Moments earlier, Gao Shan and Yun Xiangrong appeared as unexpected saviors, rescuing Qi Liu Xing from danger.
Gao Shan unleashed his ultimate skill, [Earth Shield Avalanche], which tripled his health while drawing all aggro to him.
Three believers immediately aimed their killing techniques at him.
Luckily, their techniques hit Gao Shan one after the other. While Gao Shan was enduring these massive blows, Yun Xiangrong swiftly healed him, barely keeping him alive.
When the first strike hit, Gao Shan’s HP plummeted to 30%.
A flurry of catkins arose as Yun Xiangrong promptly used her ultimate [Fluttering Catkins] to restore Gao Shan’s health to 100%.
The second strike was even more brutal, reducing Gao Shan’s HP to 10%.
In her urgency, Yun Xiang Rong used her basic healing skill [Catkins Return] twice, boosting Gao Shan’s health back to 70%.
Suddenly, the third strike landed, dropping Gao Shan’s HP to 5%.
Another [Catkins Return] lifted Gao Shan’s HP back to 35%.
Afterward, Yun Xiangrong’s expression became gravely serious. She had depleted all her MP and couldn’t use any more skills. Though she was at full HP, her MP was almost exhausted.
Gao Shan’s HP was at 35% with only 50% MP left, and his ultimate was still on cooldown and couldn’t be used again so soon.
Qi Liuxing had 80% HP left but only 10% MP, which wasn’t even enough to cast a basic skill.
With the three of them at such a disadvantage and the three deified believers barely scratching and readying their next attacks, things looked dire, especially with the roaring arrival of the cheetah-like monster on the horizon.
They were getting overwhelmed.
In a 3 vs 4 scenario like this, their chances of victory were almost nonexistent.
And Gao Shan was in the most danger.
His earlier skill, true to its aggro-pulling nature, drew the attention of all three deified believers. They were all eager to target him, and if they attacked, Gao Shan would be the first to suffer!
Realizing this, Yun Xiangrong quickly approached Qi Liuxing, almost in tears. “Save Gao Shan! You can’t just leave him!”
Qi Liuxing took a deep breath, telling her, “You run first. Head to the treehouse. I’ll handle this. I won’t abandon him!”
“But what are you planning to do?”
“I…” Qi Liuxing thought of a plan, asking Gao Shan, “Do you have anything that can teleport you instantly?”
Gao Shan pointed to the panel on his wristwatch. “Coincidentally, Zhou Qian sent a [Flying Rope] via trade.”
Earlier, during a scoring game, Zhou Qian had extorted two ropes from him. Unexpectedly, he returned one just in time.
After quickly accepting the trade, Gao Shan received the rope in his inventory and took it out.
Qi Liuxing instructed, “Later, you continue using basic skills to pull aggro. But don’t stand by the lake. They’re wary of the water now and won’t easily fall for it. You should stand at—”
He turned his head to look towards the forest. Qi Liuxing’s eyes locked onto a spot beneath a thick hanging tree trunk. Pointing at it, he said, “Let’s go there together now. You lure them there with your moves, then use the rope to escape up the tree. I will use the [Universe Teleportation Mirror]!”
Gao Shan quickly grasped the plan. “But it’s risky for you! Give the mirror to me; I’ll handle it!”
Qi Liuxing responded, “No, you’re not as fast as I am. A slight mishap could expose the mirror’s trap. There’s no time to argue. Leave it to me! Their cooldown is almost over. We have to hurry!”
Almost immediately after Qi Liuxing finished speaking, two winged creatures and a giant cat started attacking Gao Shan.
Qi Liuxing gave Gao Shan a nod, and the two quickly ran towards the pre-agreed location.
However, not long after they started, Gao Shan unexpectedly looked back to find that a cheetah had leapt towards them at an unimaginable speed, aiming directly for Yun Xiangrong, who was closest to him.
Without hesitating, Gao Shan immediately cast two [Mountain Hold] skills.
The cheetah’s aggression was successfully redirected, but three other deified believers rapidly approached him.
Qi Liuxing was immediately drenched in sweat.
Quickly estimating the distance, they weren’t far from the shore. There were no trees around, not nearly enough distance for the flying rope to be of use.
Fortunately, Qi Liuxing’s speed was exceptionally fast.
He grabbed Gao Shan by the shoulders and, with all his strength, rushed forward, narrowly escaping the murderous intentions of the believers close behind them.
Finally, they judged the distance to be just right.
Qi Liuxing shouted to Gao Shan, “Now!”
Gao Shan threw his rope, quickly ascending into the air just as the four grotesque believers were about to reach them.
At that moment, Qi Liuxing drew his long sword and swiftly gained the attention of the believers with a series of attacks.
The believers didn’t pursue the airborne Gao Shan but focused solely on him.
Taking a deep breath and mimicking Zhou Qian’s calm demeanor and provocative gaze, Qi Liuxing taunted, “Come on, chase me.”
Without waiting for a response, Qi Liuxing turned and sprinted forward at high speed.
The four believers immediately pursued him.
As they lunged at Qi Liuxing, a small mirror in his hand flashed brilliantly. Qi Liuxing quickly retreated, placing the mirror where he previously stood.
The mirror emitted a faint glow. The four believers, unable to stop themselves in time, rushed into it and were immediately transported deep into the blue depths below the lake’s surface.
The clear blue lake was instantly stained with blood, the stench of which permeated the entire paradise. But soon, the smell of blood dissipated, leaving only the fragrance of apples.
“We…”
“Did it…”
The three sighed in relief.
However, their statuses weren’t in good shape. Yun Xiangrong, after being grazed by the cheetah, had only 60% HP left and no more MP.
During the chase, both Gao Shan and Qi Liuxing had nearly depleted all their HP and MP.
But at this very moment, on the opposite side of the lake, another believer was seen undergoing transformation. They saw that he had evolved to have wings, sharp claws, and owl-like eyes that were three times larger than the previous believers.
With such speed, he could easily reach the three players in no time.
Truly terrifying.
The evolution and learning ability of these transformed believers were astonishing.
Having witnessed everything, even if the players could afford another [Universe Teleportation Mirror], he wouldn’t fall for the same trick.
[Target: Believer No. 19]
[Rank: A]
[Specialty: ???]
[Warning: High aggression and strong killing intent detected. Players, be cautious!]
Upon seeing this message, everyone gasped in shock, looking defeated.
How could they possibly fight?
Compared to this Rank A monster, the previous Rank C believers seemed like mere minions.
Facing him alone seemed impossible, let alone dealing with the 13 others that would follow.
Apart from Believer No. 19, another person caught everyone’s attention.
It was Zhou Qian, who was walking leisurely from the Crystal Bridge.
When the players saw the transformed believer, their spirits sank.
But upon seeing Zhou Qian unharmed and not attacked by Believer No. 19, their excitement surged again—it seemed Zhou Qian had found a way to prevent them from being attacked by the disciples!
Perhaps they could all achieve the hidden accomplishment!
But Zhou Qian lived up to his reputation, shattering their hopes with just one sentence.
Under three pairs of hopeful eyes, Zhou Qian walked up slowly and said mercilessly, “Indeed, I found a way not to be attacked—harm the God Epoh to get the Mark of Pain. But this means you have to cross the bridge, enter the midst of the disciples, and personally harm the god.”
Zhou Qian had had flying ropes and Qi Liuxing to distract the not-so-dangerous believers earlier. And both of them were in top condition.
But now, the believers had become stronger. Moreover, the players had no such tools left, and their HP and MP were severely depleted.
The other three players couldn’t possibly obtain the mark like Zhou Qian did.
While dejected, Qi Liuxing caught Zhou Qian’s smile and tightened his grip on his sword, swallowing hard.
Using this brief gap, he quickly reviewed recent events, realizing he might have been used.
Zhou Qian had taken advantage of him and somehow made the couple return. They had exhausted all their coins, items, even HP and MP… but they gained nothing.
Only Zhou Qian, who couldn’t be attacked, stood a chance at the hidden achievement. Everyone risked their lives for the challenge, only to become stepping stones for Zhou Qian!
He had used each of them!
The next moment, before Qi Liuxing could react, a huge shadow appeared before him.
The transformed believer had silently and swiftly approached him.
After the transformation, Believer No. 19 didn’t immediately seek a target but observed the players. He saw that Qi Liuxing, with the highest level and strongest attack, posed the greatest threat.
So he decisively targeted Qi Liuxing first.
With wings spread, he lunged at Qi Liu Xing.
Just the wind from his wing flaps caused Qi Liuxing’s HP to drop.
[Player Qi Liuxing’s HP has dropped to 9%]
[Player Qi Liuxing’s HP has dropped to 8%]
……
In full health, he couldn’t withstand the believer’s attack.
And now, his health was critically low.
As the shadow completely enveloped him, Qi Liuxing closed his eyes.
He knew he was doomed, all because of Zhou Qian’s schemes. But unexpectedly, he was suddenly pushed away. To his shock, he peered into his eyes a bit and found it was Zhou Qian who had saved him!
However, he soon lost sight of Zhou Qian.
Zhou Qian was forcefully dragged by the believer; his whole body was sucked into his huge wings, completely disappearing.
The mark Zhou Qian acquired made the believer not recognize him as a target. But once he intervened, he was seen as a threat. Or perhaps it was when Zhou Qian directly took the place of their target and they were unable to stop the attack halfway.
This was equivalent to sacrificing himself in order to block the believer’s ultimate move that was meant for Qi Liuxing.
He surely would die.
That was Qi Liuxing’s first thought.
With only 150 HP left, it was equivalent to just 15% of his total health.
It’s over.
Zhou Qian’s done for.
Regretting his earlier thoughts, Qi Liuxing shouted, “Zhou Qian! Don’t be afraid! I’ll save you with the Tick Tock Clock!”
But his voice quivered, for he knew the Tick Tock Clock had a condition—the body must be intact.
In cases where the body was shattered, like Dong Xiang’s, even a thousand Tick Tock Clocks wouldn’t help.
But what about Zhou Qian?
Seeing the posture of Believer No. 19, it looked like he was about to tear Zhou Qian’s body into pieces!
By then… Could he still save him with the Tick Tock Clock?
With a slight shiver in his shoulders, overcome by immense guilt and panic, Qi Liuxing suddenly knelt to the ground.
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 30%]
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 10%]
[Warning! Attention! Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 5%!]
Without even being directly hit by an ultimate attack, just like Qi Liuxing, merely from the wind stirred by the flapping wings, Zhou Qian’s health rapidly plummeted to a dangerous low.
When a player was on the brink of death, the system would send out a high-intensity warning.
This warning could be seen not only by the player themselves but also by others—Zhou Qian’s watch emitted an extremely bright red light, which shone through the transformed believer’s giant wings.
The other three players witnessed it, knowing well what this signified.
They all shared a similar thought.
Zhou Qian was extremely cunning and vicious, relentless in pursuing his goals, without any regard for how many people he sacrificed. He would only step over mountains of corpses and rivers of blood to reach the pinnacle he aimed for…
Yet unexpectedly, he dealt this most lethal blow to everyone.
Underneath the snowy wings, the red light blinked; it was Zhou Qian’s death alert.
In this critical moment, the transformed believer soared, rising swiftly to a height of about 5 meters, then he suddenly dove down, launching his real ultimate attack on Zhou Qian!
A force as mighty as thunder headed straight for him.
Everyone who witnessed this had only one thought—‘He’s done for.’
However, in the next instant, a surge of dark energy suddenly emerged, completely enveloping Zhou Qian’s body.
With a loud “boom”, the believer was unexpectedly flung backward in a flash, hovering in the air, confronting Zhou Qian from a distance.
Zhou Qian lay on his side on the ground, clutching his chest as he coughed up blood. Without a hint of concern, he wiped his mouth and smiled. Blood stained his lips and half of his face, making him look somewhat mad.
At this moment, his health stabilized at 5%.
Outside the game, in front of their mobile screens.
Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang both held their breaths.
“What-what happened?”
“That’s right! [The Little Boy’s Blessing]!!! Qian Ge has a Buff!!!”
Kinky Translations 