Chapter 52

Li Yun is startled to hear that. His smile immediately fades away, as he asks, “What? You can still remember your Third Brother?”

“Of course I do,” Puddle is piqued. “I remember not just what he was like in later years, but also when I was even smaller. Third Brother was the nicest to me. Also, even if I couldn’t remember him clearly, our most senior brother has been drawing his portrait for nearly one hundred years. How can I not recognise him?”

Fuyao Sect has the tradition of preserving the portraits of their disciples throughout generations in the Nine-Floor Library Tower. Even if they can’t go home in the present, Yan Zhengming wished to make a portrait for Cheng Qian. Unfortunately, he keeps making corrections time and time again, and thus not a single portrait has been completed even now.

Li Yun laughs. “You’re so heartless. Weren’t we nice to you too?”

As he says that, he follows Puddle’s gaze. However, the image of that person only appears in a flash, so he can’t see anything.

“Your third brother was good-looking from a young age, and good-looking people all slightly resemble each other when we look closely,” Pausing a little, Li Yun reminds his sister. “Ah, don’t mention this to our most senior brother, or he’ll throw a tantrum again.”

Distractedly replying to him with a yes, Puddle shamelessly thinks, That brother is so handsome. I must go and make friends with him later.

As soon as she thinks that, she suddenly feels impatient. Spreading her wings and floating in the air, she complains. “Why isn’t our most senior brother back yet? Does he plan to marry someone from Mingming Valley and live there?”

Born with the eyes that can see for thousands of miles, Puddle can see everything from far away without using her spiritual energy. She glances aimlessly in all directions, and suddenly sees a ray of frost-like sword energy shoot up into the air in the distance. As her eyes follow that sword energy, she finally realises that the area is covered with a cloud of bloody energy that isn’t easy to detect.

Whoever that sword energy is from, it charges relentlessly at the bloody energy like the sea tide, carrying a frosty aura. The bloody energy is swept away like fallen leaves in a strong wind. Then a thick cloud of black fog flies up and disappears in a blink of an eye.

Puddle stares dazedly at that scene.

Her memory that isn’t blurred by the heartless dust of time immediately crashes over her. Back then, in a small building on an island in late autumn, a youth in his whims smiled and told her. “Baby sister, let me show you what Sea Tide Sword is like.”

What she is seeing is...

Puddle’s heart beats wildly.

Spreading her wings, she ignores Li Yun, who is shouting at her on the ground, and flies like an arrow towards that ray of sword energy.

In that corner, Cheng Qian has been looking at the black shade from the corpse. He once before saw with his own eyes the great practitioner of the ghost path Jiang Peng. Furthermore, he has a long standing friendship with Tang Zhen, who was a demonic shade running away from a Soul Consuming Lamp. Therefore, Cheng Qian is very familiar with the thick evil aura of the Soul Consuming Lamp. As soon as that shade appeared, he could sense that aura.

At the same time, he feels doubtful. Usually, demonic shades are formed from complete souls or primordial spirits. They don’t look like a rag used for cleaning like this.

That rag-like shade runs for about ten miles and enters a mountain cave.

Before Cheng Qian gets in, he can smell the thick odour of blood in the cave. He doesn’t recklessly charge in, but sends out a piece of his awareness. As he has already formed his primordial mind, the released awareness will show him everything within miles.

However, it is as if this cave is filled with thick fog. Cheng Qian can’t see clearly what is inside. As he carefully circles around the opening of the cave, he hears the sound of someone talking from afar. In his usual loud voice, Nian Dada asks, “My young friend, that corpse was around here at that time?”

A slightly younger voice replies, “Yes, everyone in my village saw the white shade here.”

Cheng Qian frowns and hides himself, watching those two walk towards the opening of the cave. Having met Liu Lang a couple of times, Cheng Qian’s impression of him is that of a youth who wears his heart on his sleeve. However, at this moment, the Liu Lang that is leading Nian Dada into the cave has a blank, lifeless face. Upon closer look, it can be seen that his gaze is clouded, as if there is grey fog in his eyes, which gets thicker the closer they are to the opening of the cave.

Seeing that this dumbass Nian Dada, who has eyes but isn’t aware of anything, doesn’t suspect anything unusual and trustingly follows Liu Lang into the cave, Cheng Qian doesn’t hesitate anymore. He immediately withdraws all of his aura and follows them. His body is formed from the Spirit Collection Jade, so it’s much easier for him to hide his energy than if he had a normal flesh and blood body, which is convenient for him to pretend to be dead.

Nian Dada talks as he walks. “Don’t say anything. It seems like someone died here. There is the stench of blood.”

Hearing that, Cheng Qian feels that there is no help for that boy. Great observation, indeed.

Liu Lang doesn’t reply, staring fixedly at the path ahead. Then he stops walking for a long while.

Nian Dada asks, “My friend?”

No reply comes either. Nian Dada finally gets scared and has to call out loud, as if to increase his courage. “Disciple uncle! Are you in there? U-”

He falls silent, his eyes widening like his tongue had been pulled out. The narrow path ahead has come to the end. Liu Lang, who has been showing the way in the front, suddenly falls down, as what is inside the cave is revealed.

There is a lamp-shaped object that is taller than an adult. It has wide opening and long neck. The part below the neck is full of spell carvings, which goes into the ground. The blood-coloured spells spread to a wide area around it.

There is nothing to fear about the spells. Even if they were truly to be feared, with Nian Dada’s poor skills, he can’t recognise what they do anyway. What scares him the most is that inside the lamp isn’t oil, but blood. There is no wind, but the blood stirs by itself. Countless bones float on the surface, the whole cave is full of the deathly odour.

Cheng Qian, who has been quietly following behind, frowns. With just a glance, he can recognise that it is a Soul-Consuming Lamp.

Furthermore, it seems to be the lamp that was destroyed by Lord Beiming.

As he looks more closely at the spells below the Soul-Consuming Lamp, a white shade suddenly emerges from the blood-filled lamp. Before anyone can react, the shade gets into Liu Lang’s body.

The youth curls on the ground in an unusual manner, then he springs up and aggressively strangles Nian Dada. As a cultivator who is already holding his sword in hand, Nian Dada can defend himself. However, seeing Liu Lang’s young face, his heart softens and thinks, “This is a mortal kid. If I strike, how can he stay alive?”

With just a second of hesitation, Nian Dada loses his last chance. In a blink of the eyes, the demonic energy fully possesses Liu Lang. The smooth skin and flesh on his face come off in pieces. The bones in his arms wriggle like a snake, and become of different lengths under the influence of the intense demonic energy. The distorted bones protruding from his fingers, ‘Liu Lang’ points at Nian Dada’s forehead and mutters in a hoarse voice. “Gather the darkness of the yin, contain the blood energy of one thousand lives, digest ten thousand of souls, unique in the ghost path…”

Nian Dada’s head hurt like it were hit by a hammer. His entire soul shaken, he feels as if his body can’t keep the soul inside anymore, and his soul is about to fly out from his forehead.

A cold smile breaks out on the face of ‘Liu Lang’. “Soul lamp… Who is there?!”

A ray of sword flash bright as snow charges at ‘Liu Lang’ without holding back. As the soul collecting spell is interrupted, ‘Liu Lang’ nearly suffers backlash from the Soul-Consuming Lamp. He has no other choice but to leave Nian Dada behind, and growls fiercely.

From a corner, Cheng Qian walks out with the sword in hand. His eyes still glancing at the spells below the Soul-Consuming Lamp, he casually says, “What’s the matter, Senior Jiang? Back then, Lord Beiming used one of his souls to destroy the Soul-Consuming Lamp, but you weren’t finished? Looks like the ghost path indeed has a special relationship with soul business. You… Oh, are you trying to restore the Soul-Consuming Lamp?”

As soon as he sees the Soul-Consuming Lamp, Cheng Qian is reminded of Jiang Peng first and foremost. As soon as the one in front of him speaks, the impression gets even stronger. It’s just that there is no way for him to verify.

The spells on the ground are incredibly complicated. Even Cheng Qian can’t understand all of them immediately. Therefore, pretending to know it beforehand, he intentionally drawls his voice and says his wild guess in order to buy time, so that he can take note of the spells on the ground.

Unexpectedly, the face of ‘Liu Lang’ contorts. With a growl, he charges at Cheng Qian. As if Cheng Qian just uncovered a secret and he wants to kill the witness.

Cheng Qian turns his body and avoids several rays of black energy. He can’t help feeling startled. This is really Jiang Peng? He is really forging the Soul-Consuming Lamp?

Although Jiang Peng is a highly powerful demonic cultivator, he is using the body of a mortal. Furthermore, he doesn’t have his Soul-Consuming Lamp and the demonic shades at hand. With Cheng Qian’s current cultivation level, he is not a challenge, especially as this Jiang Peng has lost his mind and is behaving like a rabid dog.

The one currently in front of Cheng Qian is a total contrast to the powerful demonic cultivator who embarrassed countless sects in Eastern Sea back then. Pretending to be an evil ghost causing troubles to lure out the cultivators from the surrounding area. Can he really think of such a ploy?

A chill runs through Cheng Qian’s spine. In the end, what is really the ghost path?

Is it the cultivator that uses the Soul-Consuming Lamp? Or does the Soul-Consuming Lamp turn the cultivator into an evil ghost?

Back then, who lured Jiang Peng into the ghost path?

Cheng Qian stops suppressing his cultivation level. Using himself as the centre, the frost gradually fills up the cave, but it can’t reach the Soul-Consuming Lamp.

Struck by the frost, Jiang Peng unexpectedly regains some of his intelligence. He steps backward and looks at Cheng Qian warily. “Who are you?”

Cheng Qian coldly replies. “Executioner from your sect.”

As soon as he says it, his sword flash charges at Jiang Peng like a shooting star of ice in a move from Fuyao Wooden Sword. Surprise passes by Jiang Peng’s face. He sticks his hand into Liu Lang’s body and takes out a rib. The bloody rib in his hand turns into a long sword steeped in black energy. As that sword moves in the air, ten incomplete demonic shades, which look strong on the outside but are weak inside, surround Cheng Qian.

As Nian Dada, who just had a break, sees this scene, he really passes out again. Using his voice that has been distorted by the strangling, he yells, “Careful!”

After a hundred years of cultivation, the first person Cheng Qian points his sword at is the disciple uncle from his own sect.

What kind of Fate is this?

The ordinary sword in Cheng Qian’s hand becomes unstoppable. It disregards the demonic shades and boldly charges directly at Jiang Peng.

An insurmountable pressure from the sword move of his own sect attacks Jiang Peng from the air. In a split second, this powerful demonic cultivator finally loses his focus. As soon as this slightest distraction happens, an opening appears in the seemingly unbreakable ring of spells surrounding the Soul-Consuming Lamp. The red spells are struck by a ray of frost. As it turns out, Cheng Qian only wants to distract Jiang Peng. His real target is the Soul-Consuming Lamp.

He shouts in a low voice. “Break it.”

The cave seems about to collapse. The half-formed Soul-Consuming Lamp is broken into two under Cheng Qian’s sword. The thousands of souls imprisoned in the lamp rush to escape, forming a black cloud. He uses his sword will to gather the thick blood energy, which flows like a storm and explodes.

The explosion nearly knocks Nian Dada out. It takes a while for him to regain his consciousness. A corner of the cave has collapsed, giving way to the sunlight to pour inside. Fortunately, the mountain is still standing, so they aren’t buried alive. The Soul-Consuming Lamp has been destroyed again. The Elder of the Dark Lake has sheathed his sword, and is looking at Liu Lang, who is now a bloody body on the ground, with an expressionless face.

Nian Dada crawls to where Cheng Qian is standing. “Disciple uncle… this…”

“The perpetrator has run away,” Cheng Qian says. He opens his palm to Nian Dada and asks, “Do you have any cultivational medicine for injuries?”

“Yes, yes!” Nian Dada hastily searches his own body and pulls out a small medicine vial. As he is about to feed the medicine to a dying Liu Lang, Cheng Qian stops him. As the pill falls into Cheng Qian’s palm, it turns into a small sphere of fog and pours into Liu Lang’s body.

The medicine of Shuzhong is very effective. Liu Lang’s eyes, which already dilate, focus once again. The youth’s face has become full of holes, his two arms of uneven length lying by his body. A rib is missing on his chest, leaving behind a bloody hole. He makes a frightening sight.

Nian Dada can’t resist asking. “Disciple uncle, can he live?”

Cheng Qian looks at the dying youth. Liu Lang uses his disfigured hands to grasp the ground. His eyes open widely, displaying a fierce desire to live.

Cheng Qian says, “The question is if he wants to live like this.”

Before Nian Dada understands what he means, Cheng Qian raises his hand and creates three rays of cold energy. Like three nails, they ruthlessly pierce Liu Lang’s three acupoints of Bai Hui, Dan Tian, and Yu Zu1. Liu Lang’s mouth opens, but no sound comes out. His body thrashes wildly, leaving a long trace of blood on the ground.

“For a mortal, his soul dissipates as soon as the body dies, so I nail his soul to this body. If he still lives after four hours, take him to Mingming Valley and ask your esteemed father to entrust him to Tang Zhen Zhenren,” Cheng Qian says, “If he can’t survive that period, then I have no other way. I have some business to attend to, so I can’t take you along. If Fate wills it, then we’ll meet again.”

Having said that, he turns into a gust of smoke and impatiently flies away.

Nian Dada cries, “Oh, disciple uncle! Wait for me!”

He wants to chase after Cheng Qian, but doesn’t have the heart to abandon Liu Lang, who has passed out. Having no other choice, he has to circle the spot like a donkey churning a grinder. Suddenly, a sphere of fire drops into the cave like a shooting star, and turns into a person as it lands. Nian Dada fearfully steps back. As he sees that the newcomer is a beautiful young lady, he greets with some embarrassment. “M- miss, what…”

That is Puddle. She sweeps her gaze around the place, then stomping her feet, she asks, “Where is he?”

Nian Dada stammers. “Wh- who?”

Stepping forward, Puddle grasps Nian Dada’s robe and lifts him up in the air with an immense strength. She asks with a voice like cannonball. “The person who fought with a sword here, where is he?”

Nian Dada’s face reddens. He speaks with difficulty. “He is gone.”

“Where?”

With a pitiful face, Nian Dada struggles to save his own neck. “Miss, I don’t know. He is an elder of my sect. He doesn’t need to report to me where he goes.”

Puddle throws him on to the ground and turns to leave. After a moment of thought, she returns and asks forcefully, “What sect are you from? What kind of elder is he to you?”

Nian Dada coughs for a bit, but still replies good-naturedly. “There is only Mingming Valley around here. That is my sect’s Elder of the Dark Lake. He was in seclusion for fifty years and just left recently. This is the first time he travels outside the valley. Miss, you must be making a mistake...”

Puddle interrupts him. “What is his name?”

Seeing how stubborn she is, Nian Dada sighs, but he still replies truthfully. “Cheng…”

Before he can say the rest of the name, Puddle already turns into a sphere of fire and chases after Cheng Qian without looking back.

Fifty years of seclusion. Newly leaving the valley. If that’s really her Third Brother, where will he go? Puddle can’t think of any other place besides Fuyao Mountain.

She cries as she embarks on her pursuit. In truth, she doesn’t know herself why she is crying, but the tears keep falling out. As the tears fall from her face, they meet her fire and vapourise.

Puddle swings between wishing to tell her most senior brother, second brother, and Zhe Shi-dage, and hesitating to say anything, afraid that this is just a hopeless daydream.

She didn’t even dare to hear the whole name of that person from that dumb kid.

In the past hundred years, her Third Brother has become a trigger of her sect leader and senior brother. He doesn’t allow anyone to mention Cheng Qian. Even the slightest allusion may cause him to lose his temper.

However, while he doesn’t allow anyone to talk about that person, he himself made that coin ring with the illusion, which he regularly releases to torment himself. Furthermore, he keeps drawing Cheng Qian’s portrait time after time. Every time he finishes one, he would stare dazedly at the image, then destroy it with a flick of his hand.

Puddle knows why he does that: he doesn’t want the person in the portrait to be stuck in his adolescence, but he can’t do anything about it.

“Can the dead come back to life?” She asks herself. “It can’t be. Even for a cultivator who has formed a primordial mind, the reincarnation isn’t the same person. Not to mention Third Brother was barely seventeen years old back then, a far cry from having a primordial mind.”

Puddle feels nearly convinced by herself. However, her wings don’t obey her head. They keep taking her without hesitation to Fuyao Mountain.

Her speculation is on the mark. Cheng Qian’s destination is indeed Fuyao Meeting. Encountering Jiang Peng again reminds him of the mystery that is the events of the previous generation in Fuyao Mountain. Instinct tells him that uncovering that history will be the key to restore his sect.

Why can’t Fuyao Mountain become a second Mingming Valley?

On the way, Cheng Qian tries to prepare himself for the worst case scenarios. Did Fuyao Mountain become lost to the wilderness? Was their Nine-Floor Library Tower, which stores countless sophisticated arrays and rare spells, stolen by someone?

However, he totally didn’t expect that those scenarios didn’t come to pass, but he can’t find the way back to Fuyao Mountain.

Back then, when Muchun Zhenren took Cheng Qian back to Fuyao Sect, he was taken by the hand by his master. Cheng Qian feels that he can always find the way back to Fuyao Mountain. However, riding his sword for a day and a night, he keeps searching several times based on his memory in vain. He finally has to admit that, for some reason, Fuyao Mountain has disappeared.

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1. Bai Hui, Dan Tian, and Yu Zu: Top of the head, the bellybutton, and the feet.