That blotch was black as ink, and carried with it an utterly vile, utterly evil aura, a force that symbolised the corruption of all things.
The stain spread rapidly, flowing downwards, as if a bucket of thick ink had been poured over Li Miaozhen’s head.
Sensing that supremely evil, fallen aura, every member of the Heaven and Earth Society present showed, to varying degrees, mild stress reactions, and thought of the Daoist Leader Heilian.
The viscous “ink” streamed down, covering Li Miaozhen’s chest, abdomen, and legs. Very soon, only the golden light at the very bottom remained, struggling to hold on.
Sun Xuanji and Yang Qianhuan simultaneously raised a foot and stamped down. Two circular arrays combined into a sealing formation, sealing off the Bagua platform.
This was both to prevent Li Miaozhen from escaping after falling into demonic corruption, and for the sake of the junior brothers in the tower.
If ordinary cultivators were tainted by the aura of corruption, they would lose their minds on the spot, and the evil thoughts within their humanity would expand without limit, causing casualties.
“That’s some seriously deep karma…” Xu Qi’an muttered inwardly. He turned to glance at Daoist Jinlian, saw that the orange cat Daoist’s face was grave, but that he wasn’t making a move, and so could only suppress himself for now.
Daoist Jinlian said in a low voice:
“She’s been too wilful in doing good. The karma entangling her is even more exaggerated than I imagined.”
“The cultivation methods of the three Daoist sects are all bizarre and strange. They die rather quickly too.” Yang Qianhuan shook his head, his tone carrying the pride of an Arcanist.
“That’s why I only learned the Human Sect’s sword arts, and didn’t cultivate the Human Sect’s mental methods.” Chu Yuanzhen played along for once.
Heh, you Arcanists aren’t much better. Forgotten the curse of killing your master? Li Lingsu muttered inwardly.
But he didn’t say it aloud, because Yang Qianhuan was his “ally”, and he couldn’t undermine an ally in public.
At that moment, Protector Yuan’s azure eyes fixed on the Holy Son from afar, and he uncontrollably began reading his thoughts:
“Your heart tells me: Heh, you Arcanists aren’t much better. Forgotten the curse of killing your master?”
The scene abruptly fell silent. Li Lingsu’s face was full of embarrassment, and he forced out dry laughs after dry laughs.
Why isn’t this monkey dead yet?! the Holy Son swore inwardly.
Yang Qianhuan had his back to the crowd, so no one could see his expression, but everyone present could sense his anger and embarrassment. After all, those inner thoughts had come from his good brother Li Lingsu.
He’s really not afraid of dying. Mm, I remember Protector Yuan seems unable to control his innate divine power… Miao Youfang thought gleefully.
After the heart-reading technique fused with his innate spiritual power, has it become hard for him to control? al-Asura examined Protector Yuan and guessed the truth.
Under normal circumstances, after the bridal chamber incident a month ago, having offended so many people, any ordinary person with the slightest will to live would’ve chosen his words carefully, and absolutely wouldn’t act so “arrogantly and tyrannically”.
But Protector Yuan currently wore a face that plainly said “I’m done for”, so he clearly did have a will to live. That meant his divine power was out of control.
This monkey really treats his own life as worthless… Daoist Jinlian shook his head faintly.
Why did Sun Xuanji bring him along? There is the reason of passing on thoughts, but in a setting like this Sun Xuanji has no need to speak at all. So did he bring Protector Yuan on purpose? Be human, will you? After spending too long with Xu Ningyan, even his heart has fallen… Chu Yuanzhen pondered to himself, speculating about Senior Brother Sun’s sinister intentions.
His heart suddenly tightened, and he looked towards Protector Yuan, only to discover that the latter’s azure eyes were also looking at him.
Protector Yuan uncontrollably began reading Chu Yuanzhen’s thoughts:
“Your heart tells me…”
Before he could finish, Xu Qi’an struck through the air with a backhand slap, knocking Protector Yuan to the ground and interrupting his mind-reading.
Chu Yuanzhen let out a breath of relief and withdrew the divine weapon that had already left its sheath by three inches.
”…”
Protector Yuan looked terrified, with the expression of someone who had survived a calamity.
Li Miaozhen was completely unaware of the interactions among her companions at her side. She was immersed in her own world.
A world where light and darkness intertwined.
The sacred, pure golden light and the utterly vile, utterly evil black light each occupied half the sky. Where they merged, gold and black mixed together, twisting into a chaotic hue.
Li Miaozhen’s delicate brows were tightly knitted. Standing at the place where the two colours met, she looked around for a while, then saw a figure twisting and condensing out of the depraved and evil black light.
It was a young swordsman, holding a blood-dripping sword in his hand, staring gloomily at Li Miaozhen.
Li Miaozhen remembered him. Back when she had not long descended the mountain to travel, he was a wandering hero she had rescued from a group of mountain bandits.
“You, why are you here?” Li Miaozhen said blankly.
The young swordsman licked the sword in his hand and sneered viciously:
“Many thanks to Lady Flying Swallow for risking your life to save me. Without your life-saving grace, how could I have become a bandit lord in this chaotic age, burning, killing, and plundering?”
Li Miaozhen’s expression was slightly dazed, and a trace of sorrow flashed through her eyes.
A second twisted figure then formed, that of a middle-aged official with a round face and a portly body.
The official said with a smile:
“Lady Flying Swallow, this official has understood at last. When the water’s too clear, there are no fish. If one wishes for a smooth official career, one can only go along with the filth. This official was previously too proud of his own talent, so I repeatedly hit walls and found it hard to fulfil my ambitions.
“Only after experiencing a deadly tribulation did I finally attain complete enlightenment. Many thanks to Lady Flying Swallow for saving my life.”
He had originally been an upright official. Resentful that his superior preyed upon the common people, he had intended to go to the capital to accuse him before the throne, but on the way he was hunted down by experts secretly sent by that superior. At the critical moment, Li Miaozhen had saved him.
Li Miaozhen said nothing, but the sorrow in her eyes grew heavier.
After that, figure after figure twisted into being. There were men and women, of different identities and occupations, all people whom Li Miaozhen had once saved, but who had later gone astray.
As Li Miaozhen listened to their mocking, wild, and sarcastic accounts, the sorrow in her eyes deepened and deepened. The whites of her eyes and her pupils were little by little replaced by viscous ink.
At that moment, yet another figure twisted into shape.
It was Yang Chuannan.
The former Commander-in-Chief of Yunzhou, Yang Chuannan.
Dressed in military attire, one hand pressing on his sabre hilt, he looked at Li Miaozhen and said blandly:
“For I, Yang to uproot the Church of the Warlock God’s forces, turn Yunzhou’s officials, and survive the Inspector General’s investigation, I must thank Lady Flying Swallow for your guarantee and protection.”
Li Miaozhen’s mind exploded with a bang. The sticky ink in her eye sockets became like floodwaters breaking through a dam, swiftly covering the whites and pupils of her eyes, turning both eyes into pure black.
Her state of mind grew more and more twisted. Evil thoughts came one after another, and she began to think how laughable her former self had been.
Killing intent, jealousy, anger, lust, pride… all kinds of negative emotions surged without end.
Just then, a high-pitched recitation suddenly rang in her ears:
“A young man’s valour, brings heroes from five capitals old! With loyal heart, with just hand. With words of iron, life or death, aA promise is worth a thousand tons of gold…”
Li Miaozhen stiffly turned her neck, and a streak of golden light pierced into those pitch-black eye sockets, dispelling the sticky ink.
She saw a young man standing with sabre planted, his whole body bathed in blood.
Back then, when Yunzhou had been in peril, it was she who had arrived in time and preserved Xu Ningyan’s physical body.
“Bastard, don’t die…”
The second voice came. She saw herself holding Xu Qi’an’s “corpse”, doing her utmost to piece together his collapsing primordial spirit.
That had been when Xu Ningyan had forcibly disrupted the conflict of heaven and man, and suffered the backlash of Confucian magic.
It was the second time she had saved Xu Qi’an’s life.
“Great Feng martial artist Xu Qi’an has come to break the formation!”
As the third voice echoed, a figure in azure swallowed a golden core and leapt down from the city wall.
More people appeared too. They likewise came from every social stratum and held different identities, commoners, beggars, wandering heroes, officials, and so on. They too were people Li Miaozhen had saved.
They were packed densely together, like a vast army of a thousand ranks.
These people, including Xu Ningyan, all looked towards her and cupped their fists in salute with a bow. Their shouts became one single voice:
“Lady Flying Swallow, your merit is boundless!”
The sticky ink in Li Miaozhen’s eyes completely faded away. Behind her, that black and viscous space, those evil and depraved people, all dissolved completely within the golden light of merit.
Merit boundless!
…
On the Bagua Platform, al-Asura looked at Li Miaozhen, who was covered in pitch-black ink, and asked:
“Can you see what she’s thinking right now?”
Surely not. At a time like this, there was no way Miaozhen’s inner drama could be looked at. If it got spoken aloud, she’d be so mortified she’d slit her throat with her sword… Just as this thought flashed through Xu Qi’an’s mind, he heard Daoist Jinlian say slowly:
“Judging her current state from her inner thoughts is indeed more effective than simply observing the power of corruption.”
Miao Youfang said with a straight face:
“Daoist Jinlian is the expert. Let’s listen to him.”
Li Lingsu chimed in:
“If you don’t listen to your elders, you’ll suffer for it, so listening to Daoist Jinlian can’t be wrong.”
Chu Yuanzhen analysed:
“I think Daoist Jinlian makes a lot of sense.”
Although Li Miaozhen looked to be in a bad state, everyone was relatively relaxed, because there were simply too many beyond-mortal experts protecting her. There were first rank, second rank, and third rank cultivators present. Even in the worst case, Li Miaozhen would only fail to condense her merit.
There was absolutely no way she would become a second Black Lotus.
Under the pressure and persuasion of the group, Protector Yuan fixed his azure-clear eyes on Li Miaozhen.
The process lasted a full ten seconds. His expression became more and more horrified, his lips trembled, and he seemed to want to speak but didn’t dare. Reason and instinct were battling each other.
“H—her heart, t—told me…”
Before he finished speaking, Li Miaozhen’s Yang Spirit suddenly changed. The sticky black ink covering her whole body receded like a tide, replaced by a magnificent and holy light of merit, dazzling in seven colours.
Boom!
As the air quivered slightly, a seven-coloured pillar of light burst from her Yang Spirit and shot into the sky, dyeing the clouds of the night with gorgeous radiance.
It lit up nearly half the capital.
In the city, who knew how many experts were jolted awake from their sleep, or rushed out of their rooms, or pushed open their windows, gazing at the pillar of light in the sky.
The Great Feng had gained another third rank master.
After lasting for more than ten seconds, the seven-coloured pillar of light drew back in. Li Miaozhen’s Yang Spirit returned to her body. A faint but holy rosy glow bloomed from her form, making her skin look like shining jade, her features exquisite and beautiful, and her heroic air all the more striking.
“Congratulations, Lanlian.”
Daoist Jinlian smiled and bowed in salute.
“Congratulations, Lady Flying Swallow.”
“Congratulations, Miaozhen.”
“Congratulations, junior sister.”
The others all performed a Daoist salute and offered their congratulations, as though they hadn’t just been forcing Protector Yuan to read her mind.
Li Miaozhen opened her eyes. She first glanced at Xu Qi’an, and after seeing the heartfelt smile on his face, she cast a sidelong look at Emperor Huaiqing. Only then did she look around at everyone and return the salute with a smile.
Once the pleasantries were over, Xu Qi’an quickly raised a hand and said:
“Miaozhen, while you were consolidating your cultivation, al-Asura, Chu Yuanzhen, and Miao Youfang all egged Protector Yuan on to read your mind, including your senior brother and Daoist Jinlian.”
Yang Qianhuan, who hadn’t spoken all this time, took the unprecedented move of siding with the bastard, saying:
“That’s right. I can testify.”
Li Miaozhen’s expression changed drastically. She spun round sharply:
“Y-you read my mind?!”
At that instant, her aura became a little unstable, the sort of instability that came from cultivation deviation.
What had she just been thinking? The thought flashed through everyone’s minds.
Protector Yuan retreated in alarm, shaking his head vigorously. “No, no…”
Only then did Li Miaozhen let out a sigh of relief. She glared at Miao Youfang and the others, then said:
“This breakthrough was extremely dangerous. I nearly fell into the demonic path.”
“Good thing you advanced smoothly.” Chu Yuanzhen coughed and said with a sigh, as if trying to ease the awkwardness:
“Back then, among the Heaven and Earth Society members, only the Holy Son and I had the combat strength of fourth rank. The rest of you were all somewhat behind in cultivation. In the blink of an eye, nearly three years have passed. I’m still stuck at fourth rank, while all of you have advanced to beyond-mortal.”
The zhuangyuan’s sigh was not an act.
When the Heaven and Earth Society had first been established, Lina, Li Miaozhen, and Hengyuan had all been below fourth rank. Strictly speaking, Li Lingsu had only advanced to fourth rank after travelling the world for a year after leaving the mountain.
Leaving aside Number Eight and Number Nine Jinlian, who had been in seclusion, Chu Yuanzhen had been the member with the greatest combat strength.
But now, Number One and Number Two had successively stepped into the beyond-mortal realm. Number Three was even a first rank martial artist. Although Number Six was also fourth rank, he possessed an Executioner Phala and was not an ordinary fourth rank in the usual sense.
As for Number Eight and Number Nine, they were second rank.
In such circumstances, even with Chu Yuanzhen’s easy-going nature and lack of interest in fame or gain, he couldn’t help feeling a strong sense of danger. If he didn’t advance soon, he really would be left far behind.
“Listen to you. Aren’t I still fourth rank as well?”
Li Lingsu comforted him. “And there’s still Lina and Master Hengyuan.”
Chu Yuanzhen smiled. “The Holy Son is right.”
Protector Yuan stared at the zhuangyuan and suddenly said:
“No, you’re lying. Your heart told me: a wastrel who indulges in wine and women, a silly girl who only knows how to eat, how can I be compared to you lot?”
Protector Yuan wore a look of vindictive delight.
The air suddenly fell silent.
Xu Qi’an, Li Miaozhen, Daoist Jinlian, al-Asura and the others all turned their faces away, pressing their lips together as they held back their laughter.
Chu Yuanzhen’s face froze. Embarrassed, he curled his toes into the ground.
Someone hurry up and send this monkey back to the Southern Marches, otherwise one day we’ll end up stewing him… Li Lingsu didn’t know how to respond either, so he pretended to admire the scenery around him.
“Ahem!”
Daoist Jinlian coughed and broke the awkward atmosphere.
“It’s late. Tomorrow we’ll discuss how to attack Ananda. Let’s all go back and rest for tonight.”
With that, he rose on the wind and vanished into the darkness.
Everyone else also flew up together, darting off in different directions to return to their lodgings.
Sun Xuanji took Protector Yuan back to the bedroom. The latter lit an oil lamp, and the lamplight spread through the room as he said:
“I’m going to the privy.”
After Sun Xuanji nodded, Protector Yuan cautiously took out a teleportation jade talisman from his robes and held it in his hand. Only then did he feel safe enough to head out.
A Yao drifting north alone had to learn how to protect himself.
A moment later, Protector Yuan returned. He washed his hands in the bronze basin, then took a spring peach from the fruit platter on the table and started munching on it.
“Ahem!”
Sun Xuanji, seated cross-legged on the bed, first spread out a sealing formation, isolating the room’s aura and sound. Then he coughed, indicating for Protector Yuan to look at him.
Protector Yuan turned his head and stared at him for a long while, then said:
“I can’t say what Li Miaozhen was thinking. If she finds out, she’ll kill me… You’ll protect me? Rubbish. You weren’t protecting me wholeheartedly at all. Those two girls from the Xu family were crouching around me for days… I don’t accept your explanation. I won’t listen, I won’t listen. Even if I die, this Protector won’t betray Daoist Li Miaozhen.”
Knock knock!
At that moment, there came a knock at the door, which then opened by itself. In the doorway stood Yang Qianhuan’s back as he walked in backwards, his tone low and slow as he said:
“What was Li Miaozhen thinking about when she was condensing merit?”
As he spoke, he closed the door.
Protector Yuan still shook his head.
“I can’t say. I’m a Yao with integrity. If you want to know, ask her yourself.”
Yang Qianhuan said in a deep voice:
“If Heaven had birthed not I, Yang Qianhuan, the Great Feng would be like night that never ends. Yang too is a man of integrity, so don’t worry.”
Knock knock!
The knocking interrupted Yang Qianhuan. Since the room was covered by the sealing formation, he couldn’t teleport away, and he couldn’t leave by the door either.
Senior Brother Yang made a prompt decision and hid inside the wardrobe by the wall.
Sun Xuanji stretched out his palm and gave a gentle push, sending a circular array onto the wardrobe door, sealing Yang Qianhuan’s aura.
After doing all this, Protector Yuan got up and opened the door.
Outside, Miao Youfang and Li Lingsu came in rubbing their hands together. The moment they entered, they asked:
“Brother Yuan, we’ve something to ask you.”
Protector Yuan shut the door and stared at them expressionlessly.
“Li Miaozhen’s inner thoughts?”
Miao Youfang and Li Lingsu looked at each other, then nodded together.
“Talking to Brother Yuan really is refreshing. We’re all straightforward people, so we ought to speak plainly, so…”
Before he could finish, there came another knock knock at the door.
Without the slightest hesitation, Miao Youfang and Li Lingsu swept their gaze across the room, then dashed towards the wardrobe and opened its doors…
What they saw was the back of a head.
The back of the head said, “What a coincidence.”
Miao Youfang and Li Lingsu: ”…”
The two of them squeezed inside, and the wardrobe doors closed softly. Their auras vanished completely.
With a solemn expression, Protector Yuan opened the door.
With a creak, the swordsman in azure robes outside the door appeared in the sight of Sun Xuanji and Protector Yuan.
Zhuangyuan Chu looked completely unconcerned as he said:
“Calling this late at night isn’t what a gentleman should do. I’ve mainly come to ask after Protector Yuan’s recent condition…”
Protector Yuan cut him off:
“And to ask what Li Miaozhen was thinking, while you’re at it?”
Chu Yuanzhen froze for a moment, then revealed an awkward yet polite smile:
“Either’s fine, either’s fine!”
Protector Yuan returned to the table and sat down, shaking his head.
“I promised Daoist Li Miaozhen that I’d never reveal her inner thoughts. Brother Chu, please don’t make things difficult for this Yao.”
Chu Yuanzhen’s expression didn’t change.
“So you can tell Senior Brother Sun, but not me? If you weren’t discussing this matter, why would you seal the room with an array?”
Protector Yuan glanced at Sun Xuanji. This human was very clever, not easy to fool.
Just as he was about to explain, there came another knock at the door.
Chu Yuanzhen’s face changed slightly. His gaze swept across the room and locked onto the wardrobe door. Rising to his feet, he walked over and said:
“Brother Sun, please conceal my aura for me.”
He handled things properly and thought everything through. From this, it was clear that among the first three, none had a brain as good as Zhuangyuan Chu’s.
As he spoke, Chu Yuanzhen opened the wardrobe door and saw two awkward yet polite smiling faces, plus the back of a head.
“You lot…”
Chu Yuanzhen stood there in a daze, then his face burned hot.
“Get in here quickly. Let’s see who the next one is.” Miao Youfang wore the attitude of a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.
Helpless, Chu Yuanzhen squeezed himself in.
Protector Yuan opened the door and saw the nine-foot-tall al-Asura standing outside.
”…” Protector Yuan was still rather afraid of him, and hurriedly retreated a few steps.
Al-Asura entered smoothly, nodded at Sun Xuanji and Protector Yuan, shut the door as well, and asked:
“What was Li Miaozhen thinking just now?”
It was al-Asura asking the question, and Protector Yuan didn’t know whether he should answer. He looked at Sun Xuanji.
Protector Yuan nodded and said:
“Senior Brother Sun asks why even someone of your status likes meddling in this sort of thing.”
After saying that, Protector Yuan muttered inwardly: Aren’t you exactly the same!
Al-Asura said frankly:
“The members of the Heaven and Earth Society seem to like this sort of game very much. Apart from being serious when handling proper business, they spend their time plotting against one another, wishing nothing more than to make the other lose all face and feel so ashamed they’d want to burrow into the ground.
“I don’t like this sort of thing, but since I can’t avoid dealing with them, I must prepare in advance and grasp their hidden private affairs, so that I can place myself in an invincible position.”
“I think that’s what they’re thinking too.”
After Protector Yuan conveyed these inner thoughts, Sun Xuanji waved his sleeve. With a bang, the wardrobe door flew open.
Al-Asura saw three awkward yet polite smiling faces, and the back of one head.
“What a coincidence!”
The four of them greeted him.
“You lot…”
A look of astonishment crossed al-Asura’s face. He hurriedly reviewed what he’d just said, and after confirming that none of it was shameful, he regained his calm.
“It seems we’re all clever people who know how to prepare for a rainy day.” Chu Yuanzhen tried to save face.
“Quite right, quite right.” Miao Youfang and Li Lingsu echoed.
The three of them walked out of the wardrobe, while Yang Qianhuan backed out of it.
The group took seats around the table. Yang Qianhuan stood in the corner by the wall. After thinking for a moment, al-Asura said:
“Let’s simply leave the door open and see who else comes. If Li Miaozhen comes, we’ll disperse. If she doesn’t…”
He glanced at Protector Yuan, the meaning obvious.
Everyone voiced their agreement.
The door was left open, and time passed bit by bit. After a quarter of an hour, an orange cat with its tail raised passed Sun Xuanji’s doorway with elegant steps.
It casually glanced into the room, calmly withdrew its gaze, and continued onwards.
“Stop pretending, Daoist Jinlian!” Chu Yuanzhen shouted.
The orange cat ignored him and kept walking.
“That cat, we’re talking about you!” Li Lingsu said.
The orange cat hesitated slightly, then said with great composure:
“What a coincidence, everyone!
“This poor Daoist actually came to see Protector Yuan about something…”
Everyone said expressionlessly:
“Li Miaozhen’s inner thoughts!”
The cat’s face went blank.
…
The orange cat squatted on the table, looked around, and said:
“Xu Ningyan didn’t come?”
Protector Yuan nodded.
“He didn’t. Only you lot came.”
“We don’t believe it!” everyone said in unison.
The orange cat Daoist pondered for a moment, then said:
“Who came first?”
Protector Yuan then told the orange cat the order in which they had arrived.
Xu Ningyan had only two methods of concealment, Shifting Constellations, and hiding in shadows. The former could only mask aura, not hide one’s form, so only the latter remained. Yang Qianhuan excelled in teleportation arts, so hiding in shadows wouldn’t be able to keep up… A thought stirred in Orange Cat Daoist’s heart. He turned to look at Miao Youfang and spat out a mouthful of rosy light.
The rosy light enveloped Miao Youfang, causing his body to shine and his shadow to melt away.
Inside Miao Youfang’s shadow, there was another shadow hidden. Under the illumination of the light of merit, it had nowhere to hide and slowly returned to human form.
Xu Qi’an’s expression didn’t change as he smiled and said:
“What a coincidence, everyone!”
This bastard… Everyone looked at him expressionlessly.
Pretending not to understand their expressions, Xu Qi’an turned to Protector Yuan and said:
“Can you say it now?”
Xu Qi’an had come together with Miao Youfang, originally planning to quietly listen in without attracting attention.
He hadn’t expected that among the people of the Heaven and Earth Society, not a single one was proper. No, Master Hengyuan was the only one with any conscience.
If Huaiqing hadn’t come, it was most likely because she couldn’t bring herself to do it, or simply had no interest.
The whole room full of big shots looked at Protector Yuan without speaking, giving him silent pressure.
Protector Yuan glanced at them, yet was unexpectedly calm as he replied:
“I’m fine with it, but you’ll have to ask whether she agrees.”
As he spoke, he pulled a brocade pouch from his robes and opened it.
In an instant, the power of merit filled the entire room. Li Miaozhen’s Yang Spirit floated out from the pouch, suspended in the air as she coldly looked down on everyone in the room.
Protector Yuan had run into Li Miaozhen when he’d gone out to use the lavatory.
Everyone: ”!!!”
Quote from Zhuangzi—pursuing a smaller gain at the ignorance of a greater danger ↩
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