Chapter 51

Having walked less than two steps from the valley, Cheng Qian suddenly pauses. He looks up and raises his hand to make a pulling motion. Then comes an ‘ouch’, and a strong-looking young man falls down from a great tree by the exit of the valley.

His body falls to the ground first, his belongings take a little longer, just enough to crashing on to his head. Whatever is in the carrier, it is pretty heavy and makes a loud sound as it meets the skull of the young man. His eyes rolling inside, he falls into unconsciousness, as if he ascended even before completing his training.

Cheng Qian: “…”

Although Cheng Qian doesn’t know anyone else in Mingming Valley besides its lord, there is no mistaking this inimitable style. This one is definitely a disciple of Lord Nian.

As he is about to leave, the young man comes to. As he sees Cheng Qian, his face is full of joy. Carrying a big bruise on his head, he rushes to Cheng Qian’s feet and yells. “Senior! I’ve been waiting for you here since midnight!”

These words sound weird to Cheng Qian. It is as if this guy thought they arranged to elope with each other, but one side dishonorably broke the promise.

Cheng Qian clears his throat. “No need to stand on ceremony. Uhm, don’t call me Senior.”

That young man seems surprised. “Ah, then Elder Cheng, I’d like to travel the world outside, so please take me with you. Uhm, you don’t like ‘Elder’ either? How should I address you? Disciple Uncle! No, I get it. M- Master! Shall I ask you to take me in as your disciple?”

Cheng Qian: “…”

Seeing as this young man wants to take the opportunity and is about to kowtow to him in a makeshift ritual to become his disciple, Cheng Qian hastily pulls him up. “No, I’m not accepting disciples at the moment. Who is your master in the valley?”

The young man says casually, “No one. I train here and there with the lord of the valley, who is my father. He won’t mind me becoming the disciple of another person.”

Hearing this unsurprising reply, Cheng Qian can’t resist mocking with a straight face. “Ah, no wonder. The young generation is indeed formidable.”

The young man is very happy to hear that, delusionally believe those words to be sincere. He says modestly, “Not at all. I still have to learn a lot.”

“…” Cheng Qian tiredly rubs his forehead and asks. “What’s your name?”

The young man straightens up and replies proudly. “Nian Dada!”

A better liar wouldn’t be able to suppress his feeling and compliment this name either. Cheng Qian is now certain that the brain of Lord Nian has been gnawed by something.

Nian Dada doesn’t seem to mind that Cheng Qian refuses to accept him as a disciple. He boldly carries his belongings and tails Cheng Qian, asking without any embarrassment, “D- Disciple Uncle, where are we going?”

This is obviously an attempt to strike up a conversation. Too lazy to talk to him, Cheng Qian pretends not to hear anything. Nian Dada isn’t bothered by that. Not receiving an answer, he plays both roles in the talk and replies to himself. “Dumb question, we are of course travelling to the fifteen towns. Uncle, what do you think the demons in the towns are?”

This time, he doesn’t wait for Cheng Qian, but replies to himself, “Wherever they come from, it’s wrong to harm people. We have to punish them!”

Cheng Qian finally turns his head and interrupts his one-man act by asking, “Did your father allow you to leave the valley on your own like that?”

“My father doesn’t mind,” Nian Dada says, “Uncle, don’t worry. In our Mingming Valley, as long as we are acknowledged to complete our training, we are free.”

Those words make Cheng Qian’s teeth ache. He can’t imagine what kind of master would allow this one to get out of their sight.

In a rare instance where he reads Cheng Qian’s expression correctly, Nian Dada explains with some embarrassment. “Uncle, you were in seclusion all the time, so you may not know that our rule is ‘It doesn’t matter if one’s cultivation level is low, just a bit is enough, as long as one doesn’t cause trouble outside. And if one causes trouble, one must not bother the valley.”

Cheng Qian has no word to reply to that.

Nian Dada continues. “In short, the main point of travel is to enjoy oneself, and to get rid of evil if the occasion calls for it. Oh, of course, one should only fight those one can win against. Those that are stronger are to be left to more powerful seniors.”

Glancing at the sword the lord of the valley gifted him, Cheng Qian finally understands. As it turns out, the sword is meant to cover his expenses to enjoy himself on the way.

He suddenly thinks of something, and can’t resist smiling to himself.

Nian Dada immediately stares dazedly at him like a strangled duck.

Whenever he and his disciples in Mingming Valley gathered for idle gossips, they liked to discuss the Elder of the Dark Lake. What kind of person could choose the ice lake as their base and stay in seclusion there for decades? Could that person even speak when he got out of there?

Who could last through so many rounds of heavenly tribulations, without losing a single hair?

That person couldn’t be a human!

Although Nian Dada has been cheerfully monologuing in Cheng Qian’s presence, out of some inexplicable worship towards this young elder, he is in fact very nervous. His legs have been shaking the whole time under the robe.

Seeing how dazed his face is, Cheng Qian asks in a surprised tone, “What’s wrong?”

Nian Dada hastily pinches himself. “I- I- I-.... About this, uhm….”

“No need to be nervous. I was just thinking of our sect leader and senior brother. He is a bit like your father,” Cheng Qian is rarely in a mood for chit-chat like this. “Oh, of course, I mean their ways of thinking are similar. My disciple brother’s figure is different.”

Nian Dada hastily offers up some flattery. “How can that be? No way your sect leader can be like my father! Otherwise, how could he bring up someone as powerful as you?”

Unfortunately, his attempt at flattery touches a sensitive spot.

Cheng Qian’s faint smile disappears as soon as he hears those words. He continues to walk towards the villages in the distance, his head hanging. After a long while, he says in a low voice, his heart full of feelings, “I don’t know. Bad luck, maybe?”

Although Cheng Qian doesn’t explicitly give him permission to come along, Nian Dada still thickens his skin and trails after him. It isn’t often that he has the opportunity to be close to a prominent figure like this.

At less than half a mile from a village, Cheng Qian feels that something is wrong. He calmly channels spiritual energy to his eyes, and sees that the village and town are covered in a cloud of bloody sheen, which rises up all the way to a dark sky full of ominous black clouds.

Cheng Qian frowns. This is abnormal. He doesn’t believe that a being that gives off this kind of energy will be easy to handle.

It should be said that against powerful cultivators, who can control the elements, the mortals are completely helpless. Therefore, preying on mortals isn’t really different from acting like a mere animal. Even a true demonic cultivator won’t do something that embarrassing.

Can it be that the perpetrator here intentionally fakes it, so that those in Mingming Valley think that this ‘demon’ is just a lousy rogue cultivator?

Thus, they of course wouldn’t need to kill a chicken with a knife meant for a water buffalo. Had it not been for Cheng Qian’s desire to quickly leave the valley, maybe Lord Nian would indeed send an inexperienced servant with so-so cultivational power to deal with the matter.

And then… what would happen?

Cheng Qian’s mind races. Something sparks in his head. Maybe the real target of the unseen perpetrator isn’t the mortal residents of this place, but the cultivators of Mingming Valley!

He immediately suppresses his spiritual energy. In a second, his powerful frost-like aura of someone who has formed his primordial spirit disappears. Walking side by side, he and Nian Dada look like fellow disciple brothers who have similar skill levels.

Nian Dada seems to be an easy going sort. He doesn’t sense the bloody aura over the village, nor is he aware of any change on Cheng Qian. He keeps playing an enthusiastic guide. “I was here once when I was small. Uncle, do you see that guy? It seems he is a local coming here to receive us!”

Liu Lang, who has returned before them, has been respectfully waiting for a while. As soon as he sees the two of them, he breaks into strides to meet them. However, Liu Lang totally didn’t expect Cheng Qian to come. He is so awed by the great honour that he is temporarily at a loss, forgetting even to speak.

“Are the bodies still here? Lead me to them.” Cheng Qian doesn’t stand on ceremony. He walks past Liu Lang into the village.

Regaining his composure, Liu Lang hastily follows him. “Yes, yes, Lord Immortal… Uhm, please rest for a bit. I’ll call for the tea to be served for you.”

Cheng Qian waves his arm. “No need, I’m not used to warm water. I want to have a look first...”

He stops in the middle of his speech, being surprised by the bad state of the village.

This place is barely more than a ruin. Hearing that an immortal has come, the residents all pour out into the streets to have a look. They all seem unhealthy and dress in tattered clothes. It is a big village, but there is no proper house built from bricks and tiles. Some of the cottages even look like they were re-built haphazardly after collapsing. The random dogs that run by are also just skin and bones, their gaze wild, like that of wolves’.

They dare not get close to Cheng Qian, only staring hungrily at Nian Dada the whole way.

These dogs must have already hunted for food and tasted blood.

Although Cheng Qian hasn’t been in society for a hundred years, he still remembers that he was born in a backwater area. His family were at the absolute bottom, who could be said to be veterans in poverty. However, this place is still a different level to him.

Liu Lang awkwardly explains. “Lord Immortal, it seems you’ve never left Mingming Valley. Two years ago, there were a series of natural disasters, then Prince An Ping rebelled and that war lasted for three years. The imperial court both conscripted people and raised taxes. We haven’t recovered yet, so we may be remiss in our courtesy. I hope you don’t mind, my lord.”

Cheng Qian shakes his head, his heart filled with complicated emotions.

It isn’t until now that he fully feels the ravages of time, as one hundred years have passed and the world has completely changed. Feeling that the garish sword for his ‘travel expenses’ in his hand is getting in the way, he discreetly makes the hand sign to hide it away.

At that moment, something touches on his awareness that he unconsciously lets loose. Cheng Qian turns his head, but he sees nothing besides the dotted tree shades.

Nian Dada carelessly turns and asks, “Disciple uncle, what are you doing? Why aren’t you going yet?”

Cheng Qian thinks, “We are being watched, you dumbass.”

Despite having such words in his mind, Cheng Qian shows nothing on his face. He only withdraws his awareness and quietly follows Liu Lang to where the corpses are, pretending not to notice anything.

Nian Dada enthusiastically approaches him and says, “Disciple uncle, I heard from my fellow disciples that this was caused by a practitioner of the ghost path!”

“A Soul Consuming Lamp? Indeed, a Soul Consuming Lamp requires blood from young boys during the processing of demonic shades,” Cheng Qian says casually, “But I heard that the blood the Lamp requires has to come from a living child, in such a small amount that it can’t kill the child with just one time. Furthermore, after several repetitions, the blood of that child can’t be used again. Therefore, those who die because of the Soul Consuming Lamp aren’t like these victims, who died because all of their blood was sucked dry. Also, a Soul Consuming Lamp is an artifact of extreme yin. How can there be so many of them?”

Nian Dada’s heart is filled with even more admiration. “Disciple uncle, how come do you know everything?”

Looking at those big, ignorant eyes, Cheng Qian feels this one isn’t even useful as entertainment. He is really an annoying load.

In the summer heat, the bodies, which have been there for several days, are already rotting. As the cloth covering them are lifted, a swarm of flies buzz outside. As soon as they reach Cheng Qian, they run away because of the cold. Under Nian Dada’s admiring gaze, Cheng Qian puts his hand on the body of a child with no hesitation. A cloud of black energy rises from the body into the air and turns into a demonic face. As soon as it sees Cheng Qian, it terrifiedly runs away.

Frowning slightly, Cheng Qian chases after it.

Nian Dada doesn’t react in time. It takes a few beats for him to say “Oh” and prepare to follow Cheng Qian, but the latter is nowhere to be seen.

He hastily pulls a big sword from his bundle, and leaves the rest of his belonging to Liu Lang. He tries to follow Cheng Qian on his sword, calling, “Uncle! Please wait for me!”

However, Cheng Qian has disappeared. Making a round on his sword, Nian Dada dispiritedly returns to the old spot. Scratching his head, he tells the local people, “He’s nowhere to be seen.”

Liu Lang quickly says, “Lord Immortal, can you bring me along? I grew up here, so I know every path. I can lead you to where that white shade usually appears.”

Nian Dada awkwardly looks at him. This young man isn’t that skilled. It already takes great effort for him to ride the sword by himself; he can’t take anyone along. However, he doesn’t want to tell the truth. Pretending to clear his throat, he puts away his sword and finds an excuse. “That works. However, it’s harder to see everything in the air. It won’t be good if we miss my disciple uncle. Shall we travel on land instead?”

Then he pulls out from his bundle some talismans made with red ink on yellow paper. These talismans don’t take up much spiritual energy, but are picky about materials. Furthermore, they can only be used once. Usually, they’re prepared by the seniors for the useless disciples when the latter travel.

Nian Dada turns the talismans over for such a long while that his eyes nearly fall out. He finally pulls out two talismans for walking fast and sticks each of those on his own leg and then Liu Lang’s, saying, “Let’s go!”

His face white as a sheet, Liu Lang is pulled along by Nian Dada.

Neither of them see that there is a Golden Thread Cicada on a nearby tree, which doesn’t move as it pretends to be a ‘normal’ cicada for a long while. Then it quietly leaves the tree and follows Nian Dada and Liu Lang. However, after just three or four miles, it suddenly pauses, as if running into something.

The Golden Thread Cicada spins two rounds by the wayside, then falls into the ground and turns into a leaf. That leaf splits into two and releases a sphere of energy, which flies to a spot on a mountain not fifty miles away from this place.

Amidst the great mountains of Shuzhong, a man and a woman are looking down from the mountainside. They are none other than Li Yun and Puddle, who have crossed half of the Nine Provinces.

Puddle says, “Our most senior brother sent me to tell you that he went to greet the lord of Mingming Valley first. This is still their territory, so we should pay respect once we’re here.”

Li Yun nods. As he seems about to ask something, there is a soft buzzing sound. He looks up and sees that the glittering Golden Thread Cicada has returned and landed demurely on his shoulder.

“Golden Thread Cicada?” Puddle is surprised. “Can it find that demonic cultivator so quickly?”

Li Yun raises his hand. The Golden Thread Cicada dispersed into the air. In front of their eyes, a village half in ruin appears. A youth dressed in tattered clothes led two cultivators into the village.

As soon as the young cultivator walked into the view of the Golden Thread Cicada, he seemed to sense something and turned his head. Then the scene disappears.

Puddle says, “Oh…”

“No problem,” In a contrast to her, Li Yun doesn’t seem to be surprised. He says, “This person must be someone very strong, who has formed his primordial spirit. He was hiding his cultivation level for some reason. Cultivators of that level have very sharp senses. Just looking at that guy might cause one to be detected. It was likely the Golden Thread Cicada didn’t dare to open its eyes in the presence of such a powerful cultivator for this part of the road.”

As soon as he says that, the image appears again. This time, it shows a cottage, under which there were several bodies. The person who nearly caught the Golden Thread Cicada was nowhere to be seen. Another young cultivator kept crying for his disciple uncle for a long while, then flew a round on his sword. A local youth said something to that young man, which seemed to convince him to take the youth along. They then used the talisman for walking fast. The image follows them for a bit. Then as if encountering something, the cicada stopped flying after them, and the image disappears.

Li Yun puts the cicada away and says, “It felt danger from that place, so it dared not continue. Well, let’s wait for our most senior brother to return, then we’ll go investigating.”

“Wait!” Puddle grasps Li Yun’s shoulder and says, “Second Brother, let’s replay it. I mean, the beginning. I want to have a look at the person who appeared in the beginning!”

“What’s there to look at? It was just a second. Hard to see clearly,” Li Yun doesn’t get it. “Didn’t that boy yell ‘disciple uncle’ or something? Maybe that person is a senior of his sect? What’s wrong?”

“That blurry profile,” Puddle says, “He looks a bit like Third Brother to me.