Chapter 44

Alas, Cheng Qian is completely oblivious to the complicated dilemmas and deep feelings in the heart of Sect Leader Yan.

That he doesn't notice what has been going on is just outside appearance. His group has three out of the four categories: old, child, sick, and invalid. Cheng Qian isn’t a carefree sort. How can he let himself completely sink into the trance?

In addition of his chronic paranoia, he has only met the lord of the island a few times. He basically has no faith in the lord at all. While he seizes the opportunity to heal himself, he spends part of his mind to listen to the going-ons around him and calculates, In this situation where right and wrong aren’t clear, looks like they’ll fight sooner or later. Let’s blend into the rogue cultivators. Most rogue cultivators on Azure Dragon Island are the trivial kind. These powerful people won’t pay attention to them. Maybe we can escape under the cover of the chaos.

Then he thinks, If it doesn’t work out, well, I’ll fight if push comes to shove. Even if I’ll die here, if I can buy them some time, I’ll be at peace.

With that acceptance in his heart, he finally stops his worried calculations. Thanks to that, the stagnated spiritual energy in his body flows significantly better.

While the people present are at a loss, the lord of the island finally explains. “More than a decade ago, I fought with a powerful demonic cultivator together with some allies. My soul was damaged from that fight, therefore I have been in seclusion to recover. May I ask what you want to look at?”

Bai Ji presses on, trying to force him in a corner. “Does that mean Lord Gu has no intention to let this mirror of justice test him?”

The lord of the island looks at him with a calm expression. Exhaustion passing by his face, he sighs, “When people are set to find someone guilty, it isn’t hard to find the crime, even if that crime is made up. Lord Bai, it doesn’t matter if you believe me or not. I have never met your grandson. I have never had the Soul Consuming Lamp either. About the ghost path…”

He laughs quietly. There is some mockery in his laugh, as if he doesn’t want to be a part of this farce.

Zhou Hanzheng raises his eyebrow a little. Tapping his fan on his palm, he says, “To be fair, it’s ridiculous to claim that someone like Lord Gu is a practitioner of the ghost path. In the great battle more than a decade ago, among the Four Sages, one died and three were injured. It was a tragedy. If Lord Gu has explained that his soul was damaged and he has been in seclusion to recover, there is no need to test him with the soul mirror. I’ll believe him.”

Having said that, Zhou Hanzheng curls his fingers to call back the soul mirror. He abandons Bai Ji, who has just tried to back the lord of the island into a corner, to stand there, as if he were really a defender of justice.

Being thus shamed, Bai Ji’s face reddens. Someone snickers behind him. “Maybe Old Lord Bai’s lifespan is about to run out. Searching for his grandson is just an excuse. Finding a means at all cost to ascend is his true purpose, isn’t it?”

Bai Ji angrily shouts, “Who’s there? Get out here!”

As he wishes, a group of people split the crowd and walk forward. The chief is a middle-aged man with an apathetic expression. Everything on his face says “don’t mess with me”. He arrogantly glances around him, as if he were looking at a pile of dog shit. Stopping his gaze at the lord of Azure Dragon Island, he says, “I am Tang Yao of Mulan Mountain. The chief disciple of my sect Tang Zhen has been missing for a hundred years. Recently, there is news that he appeared in the land of ghosts, so I come for a visit. Forgive my discourtesy of not greeting you beforehand, Lord Gu.”

Seeing him, Tang Wanqiu is surprised. Then she awkwardly says, “Sect Leader?”

In deference for her status as someone from his sect, Tang Yao deigns to give her a look. However, he doesn’t show much affection for her, but only gives her an apathetic nod.

These people seem to come to Azure Dragon Island to demand for their member. Furthermore, they’re from her sect. Even if she has left her sect for quite a few years, Tang Wanqiu can’t help feeling caught between a rock and a hard place. She is uncertain about how to act.

Zhou Hanzheng mocks. “Strange. Has Azure Dragon Island become a place to look for missing people?”

Perhaps it’s the norm for people from Mulan Mountain to be straightforward. Hearing those words, Tang Yao says expressionlessly, “I’m not here to demand a person to be handed over. It’s just that someone sent news to Mulan Mountain, that Tang Zhen’s primordial mind is seen around Eastern Sea. I wonder who can be so nice, to care about someone from a different sect. Official Zhou, do you have any idea?”

Seemingly undisturbed, Zhou Hanzheng replies. “Of course there are compassionate and honourable people around.”

“Compassion? Honour? I’ve only heard of the saying that ‘When the Great Way is lost, compassion and honour remain. When intelligence appears, there is falseness.’” Tang Yao, whose stance is a mystery, shows no regard for Zhou Hanzheng. Turning to the lord of Azure Dragon Island, he says, “Gu Daoyu, although I’m not friends with you, this useless disciple has been working as your subordinate, and has received not a few favours from you. I come here this time to tell you about this: when we were looking for traces in the Eastern Sea, we heard that the demonic cultivator who fought with the Four Sages back then was Lord Beiming. That cultivator had a stone of miracles, which then fell into the possession of Azure Dragon Island.”

Tang Yao pauses a little. Without paying any attention to the expression of the lord of the island, he continues. “They say you’re injured by that demonic cultivator, and should have died a long time ago. However, you have been holding on all these years thanks to that stone of miracles. Perhaps Lord Bai has heard of the same thing and come here for that stone too?”

Suddenly having his intention be called out, Bai Ji is so embarrassed that it turns into anger. “Nonsense!”

Tang Yao says, “Lord Bai, you should know it yourself if it’s nonsense or not. I heard that stone of miracles can change heavenly will, so it’s also called the ‘Wish-Granting Stone’. It can resurrect the dead; increase of cultivation level would be easy as a cake with it. Well, Lord Bai, having lived this long, you’re worried about your lifespan too? Why don’t you think if something from a Beiming-level demonic cultivator is any good?!”

Zhou Hanzheng follows his lead with words full of implications. “Sect Leader Tang, you mean Lord Gu has been using a demonic artifact to maintain his life? This… this isn’t something honourable.”

Those few lines from Tang Yao and Zhou Hanzheng terrify Yan Zhengming. Other people may not know the story, but he is aware who that Lord Beiming was. He only knows that a senior of Fuyao Sect had qi deviation, but since when do they possess a demonic treasure?

Just thinking a little deeper about this makes cold sweat break out on Yan Zhengming’s back. He feels as if they were being prepared to be roasted.

However, the lord of the island doesn’t reply to that. He just says, “Official Zhou, you’ve been going incognito on my Azure Dragon Island all these years. You must have a big plan.”

He completely avoids answering the tag-team probing, whether forceful or discreet, of Zhou Hanzheng and Tang Yao. However, to the onlookers, it seems that he has admitted that fact.

Seeing that the wind has changed direction, Bai Ji immediately says, “Gu Yanxue, living by grace of a demonic artifact, even one of the Four Sages like you would be such a fraud?”

That rogue cultivator raises his voice again. “All sects keep secret about how to cultivate energy. Only Lord Gu recruits and takes in rogue cultivators every ten years. You think he acts so generously simply out of the good of his heart? Stop dreaming! Who can be that good!”

Tears tinge these last words of the rogue cultivators, which are said in a hoarse voice, while the waves of the Eastern Sea murmur in the background. The onlookers can’t help feeling a bit moved. The great sea snake, which has been hiding, is disturbed again and rises up from the water. The disciples of the Azure Dragon Island and the people of Western Palace clash once more. However, this time the rogue cultivators all step back and are on guard.

It is not clear who started the fight, or how many forces are present on the island. Chaos immediately breaks out.

At this point, there is a small cry. Among the rogue cultivators, who have all stepped back, a score of them push at the crowd and come forward. Acting strangely, they charge at the people of Western Palace without a care about their own lives.

Rogue cultivators tend to be not that powerful. The one at the front is immediately shredded apart by a sword flash from a retainer standing close to Bai Ji, and dies.

However, something terrible happens.

The organs of the rogue cultivator becomes a cloud of blood, which sprays everywhere. His body, which has been torn apart, still continues to charge forward like a demon, as if it were a marionette.

Although the sword cultivator of Western Palace has high cultivation level, he has never seen something like that. Out of fear, he immediately falls back.

Upon closer look, it can be seen that this group of cultivators have red eyes, and a menacing dark aura emanates from them.

Bai Ji is both scared and angry. “Gu Yanxue, what is your excuse now?”

As he has just said that, the rogue cultivator who has just spoken so eloquently at the back suddenly gives out an inhuman howl. His body splits at the chest. Countless cracks appear on his skin, revealing the blood veins. Then, using his hand like claws, this bloody body charges at Bai Ji’s back.

With his thousand-year cultivation, Bai Ji naturally won’t let that thing touch him. He turns, his palm forward. A palm-size demon-vanquishing baton flies out from his sleeve and pierces the top of that bloody body’s head and pins him there.

That bloody body is unexpectedly hard to destroy. Even pierced by the demon-vanquishing baton, it still struggles wildly. A second later, it suddenly explodes and turns into pieces of flesh mixed with dark energy.

Terrified cries immediately rise from the crowd. It turns out that those pieces of flesh are extremely poisonous, and no one should touch them.

Zhou Hanzheng’s face pales. “This is the art of mind control from demonic cultivation. With a hidden charm secretly cast on the target’s soul, the caster can control that person.”

As soon as he says that, everyone keeps a wide berth from the lord of the island. Even the disciples of Azure Dragon Island look at their master with suspicion. Who else besides those at the Four Sages’ level would be able to cast a hidden charm?

As if he has been waiting for this line from Zhou Hanzheng, Tang Yao immediately turns to the lord of the island and raises his great sword. Small flames flare from either ends of the sword, showing that spiritual energy has been concentrated on it.

Tang Yao says, “Lord Gu, do you have any explanation for this?”

The lord of the island smiles ruefully. “Even if I had a hundred mouths, you wouldn’t believe me.”

Tang Yao asks, “Meaning, the stone of miracles is indeed in your possession?”

He has finally showed his hands. Under the pretense, it all comes down to the miraculous stone that is lusted after by many people.

Nevertheless, there is still someone who refuses to understand the situation. Tang Wanqiu walks forward and stands next to the lord of the island. Showing a complete lack of awareness, she tries to defend him. “Sect Leader, I guarantee with my life that Lord Gu can’t be a demonic cultivator. Nor does he possess any demonic artifact!”

“Shut up,” Tang Yao growls a little. “Tang Wanqiu, you keep getting more insolent by the day. Even if you have completed your training, you’re still a member of Mulan Mountain. Are you betraying us?”

Being confronted with such shameless and malicious intent, Tang Wanqiu’s eyes widen. At this point, no matter how much she wants to lie to herself, she has realised that, although the Sect Leader of Mulan Mountain seems to be more righteous than Zhou Hanzheng at first glance, he is actually much more evil.

Tang Wanqiu’s face is white as a sheet. She falls silent for a while, then stresses every word. “Then… Then please expel me, Sect Leader.”

The lord of the island sighs. “People praise me, so it’s inevitable that they will spit on me. It’s normal. No need for you to go that far, Wanqiu.”

Tang Wanqiu grits her teeth, like a turtle holding onto a weight.

As the lord of the island is about to speak, Zhou Hanzheng, who is standing in the bloody seawater, says slowly, “I can’t believe it. How can Lord Gu do such a thing as embezzlement? Sect Leader Tang, how can you know that the so-called stone of miracles is on Azure Dragon Island? Maybe it was buried with that demonic cultivator? Have you investigated the origin of that Lord Beiming?”

As he hears these words, the expression on the lord of the island’s face changes. His body tensing up, he makes a powerful strike at Zhou Hanzheng. He still looks tired, but this always calm person finally gets angry. “Who is your boss?”

Zhou Hanzheng evades with difficulty. He cries out with feigned sincerity. “I’m obviously trying to defend you, my lord! What are you trying to imply?”

Tang Yao intervenes between Zhou Hanzheng and the lord of the island. “What? You want to kill the witness for a cover-up?”

As the world is turned upside down by the battle between the two great cultivators of the time, when Yan Zhengming’s heart is plagued with confusion, the voice of the lord of the island flies into his ear like a whisper and urges. “Take your disciple brothers and blend into the rogue cultivators. Escape under the cover of the chaos! Don’t mention Fuyao Mountain in the future, and your disciple grandfather is an absolute no-go. Claim ignorance about everything!”

In a second, something becomes clear in Yan Zhengming’s confused mind. Zhou Hanzheng obviously knows the relation between Fuyao Sect and Lord Beiming. This is a threat.

If the lord of the island doesn’t admit that he possesses such a stone, Zhou Hanzheng will uncover that Lord Beiming came from Fuyao Sect. If that stone isn’t in the Four Sages’ possession, it must be in the hand of Fuyao Sect!

When such a “wish granting” artifact exists, whoever is suspected, however baselessly, to have it will become the centre of the storm. Who cares if they are innocent or if they die without any reason?

Watching the ongoing massacre on the island, Yan Zhengming feels like a piece of meat stuck in a bind, surrounded by numerous knives ready to strike.

In his terror, he knows that he should carry Xiao-Qian and leads his follow disciples to escape immediately. However, how can he live with his conscience, if he leaves the lord of the island to fight alone for them?

Yan Zhengming is momentarily stuck there, unable to make a choice.

The lord of the island suddenly shouts. “Tang Wanqiu!”

Those words strike at Tang Wangqiu like lightning. Her face changes shades several times, then she grits her teeth and turns to Yan Zhengming. “I’ll escort you. Let’s go.”

Yan Zhengming says, “But…”

Tang Wanqiu glares. “What are you waiting for? Affairs of the seniors don’t concern you. Stop being a hindrance!”

Li Yun’s mind is even quicker than his disciple brother’s. Naturally he too thinks of what Yan Zhengming has realised. Fearing that his sect leader and most senior brother tries to be heroic at a wrong time, he hastily cries, “Most senior brother, Xiao-Qian is injured. Our sister is too young. Listen to her!”

Yan Zhengming helplessly looks at him. Once again, the voice of the lord of the island pours into his ear, and says in a tone that broke no argument. “Let me see you off.”

While still battling with Tang Yao, the lord of the island spits out a colourful cauldron. Sensing that something is wrong, Tang Yao is startled. He tries to fall back but doesn’t make it in time. A whirlwind forms around the magical cauldron. It sweeps everyone on the around away indiscriminately, as if a wind dragon rises from the firm ground.

There is a loud buzz by Yan Zhengming’s ear. Before he can react, he is already pulled into that whirlwind. Surrounded by terrified yelps blending with the sound of the wind, he doesn’t know how far he has been swept away. In that moment, he is completely dizzy.

One second later, Yan Zhengming’s waist is squeezed by a tattered piece of cloth, which moves on its own as if haunted. Being pulled by that strange force, Yan Zhengming stumbles and falls down one more time. Opening his eyes, he sees that Tang Wanqiu is holding the tattered cloth in her hand. Right after that, Tang Wanqiu throws another person at him. Yan Zhengming catches that one out of instinct. It turns out to be Cheng Qian, who doesn’t look so good.

“The lord can’t trust anyone else, so he orders me to escort you out. I can’t fail him,” Tang Wanqiu says, “Stand up. We’re leaving.”

Li Yun urges in a low voice. “Most senior brother, let’s go.”

Yan Zhengming can’t help looking at Cheng Qian, who uses the sword in his hand to support himself and stands up. He has probably recovered to an extent after taking the opportunity and doing self-healing. Meeting Yan Zhengming’s gaze, he says succinctly. “I’ll follow you. You decide.”

As wind rises and rain falls on the island, the lord of the island uses the wind dragon to take them away as far as possible. From a distance, his image blends into the many other objects and soon disappears. Yan Zhengming feels like there is a storm in his heart.

It isn’t until then that he realises that ‘Return to Fuyao Mountain, stay away from the world and cultivate without a care about fame and merits’ is only a naive dream of someone who doesn’t know how the world works.

The sentiments of the world are like water currents. If even someone like the lord of the island is only a weed that has to submit to the water flow, what can they do?

Why are there so many troubles awaiting them in their cultivation path?

“Go,” Yan Zhengming says in a low voice, “Let’s go.”

But where can they go?

The group cautiously follows Tang Wanqiu to cross the forest and mountain, leaving the shoutings behind.

At the beach, Tang Wanqiu throws that tattered belt into the air, which turns into a giant piece of cloth floating in the sky. She signals for the group to get on it and says. “It’s impossible to find a boat now, so you’ll have to make do with that. My cultivation is limited, so this piece of cloth won’t be able to last long. There is no way to help you cross the sea directly. You should take shelter in one of the wild islands around here. Rest and wait until the wind calms, then find another way.”

Bitterness chokes Yan Zhengming’s throat. “Senior, how about you?”

“I have my own ways,” Tang Wanqiu turns to Azure Dragon Island. “Sect Leader Yan, don’t feel bad. What is happening to Lord Gu isn’t because of your sect. That Zhou bastard has been hiding on Azure Dragon Island all these years, and then there are those rogue cultivators under mind control. That means someone has been hatching a plan to take down ‘the teacher of the world’. Lord Gu has ordered me to help you leave here safely at all cost. His lifespan is about to run out. He can’t live much longer. However, as long as he is alive, he’ll keep the promise made to his old friend and protect you.”

Tang Wanqiu rolls up her sleeves and wraps Han Yuan as well as Zhe Shi and Puddle into the cloth, saying. “No one will shelter you in the future. Take care of yourself.”

Having said that, Tang Wanqiu pays no further attention to them. Riding her miserly sword, she charges into one side of the chaotic battle and disappears.

Other female cultivators are all praised to be ‘immortal ladies’, who would still have a red ribbon to tie up their hair even if they are too poor to afford fancy silk robes. Yet Tang Wanqiu can only provide a tattered belt, which is probably just an ordinary piece of fabric used for that purpose.

Cultivators are free from pollution. With refined bodies, they may not be extraordinary beauties, but are still easy on the eyes. She alone has bushy eyebrows, and the face of a debt collector.

She doesn’t know herself. She is only good at provoking other people. Once she opens her mouth, she will speak of something sensitive.

Perhaps besides her willingness to fight Heaven and Earth, there is nothing to like about Tang Zhenren.