ILDV Chapter 35

Xu Rong felt that this unfamiliar senior martial brother looked very familiar.

He couldn’t make out his features clearly, yet he remembered that distinctive bearing, as if… he had once seen him in a dream.

Qin Xun recognized the ‘protagonist’ at first glance. The other party’s divine radiance was restrained, his aura perfectly harmonious. He didn’t look at all like someone who had been struck by a disorienting spell.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, “Why is this junior martial brother beneath Tianji Peak?”

“This one is Xu Rong, and is…”

Xu Rong was far too familiar with this micro-expression of someone looking to pick a fight—he had seen it countless times in his previous and current life when he was insignificant. He paused deliberately, slowing his speech.

Qin Xun had run too fast and only managed to catch a glimpse of the message about Shen Muxuan being imprisoned. If he had scrolled down a bit more, he would have seen ‘Tianji Daojun’s new disciple’ and such buried further below.

At that point, the Young Venerable’s speed rushing back to Zhongzhou probably could have been even faster.

Recalling Defying Heaven, Qin Xun’s mind had just turned over a whole heap of schemes and calculations when he heard—

“—is the personal disciple of Tianji Daojun.”

A bolt from the blue.

Shock, doubt, grievance, and all sorts of emotions flashed through one by one. Qin Xun barely managed to maintain his image as the senior martial brother in front of his new junior, pulling out an amiable smile. “…So it’s Junior Martial Brother Xu, this senior brother failed to recognize you.”

“Earlier, Master mentioned that he had taken a liking to a junior martial brother of exceptional talent, born as the prince of a different surname from the Great Li Imperial Dynasty of Zhongzhou. He said that after testing you once or twice, he would take you as a disciple to keep me company. I never expected to meet you here.”

He made a show of rummaging through his Xumi ring, looking quite regretful, “Unfortunately, I returned in such haste that I didn’t have time to bring the welcoming gift I had prepared for junior martial brother.”

Listening to this speech dripping with undertones of ‘Master only took you as a disciple because he was worried I’d be lonely,’ ‘while I was away Master actually let a little homewrecker in,’ and ‘if you want a welcoming gift, dream on,’ Xu Rong raised his head to look at Senior Martial Brother Feng’s warm and friendly smile.

“……”

A miscalculation. He had only thought about how Shen Muxuan was a suitable choice as a master, but didn’t realize he had a disciple who was a reincarnated vinegar jar.

While Xu Rong pondered deeply on this side, wondering when Feng Lan—who was also rumored to love traveling—would get lost from the immortal sect, Qin Xun had no mood to continue sparring with him and asked directly, “Junior martial brother, do you know about Master being imprisoned in the Heavenly Punishment Ravine?”

Xu Rong—of course Xu Rong knew. From the cause to the process to the outcome, probably no one understood the entire matter more clearly than he did.

Qin Xun keenly noticed his momentary hesitation. After being ‘earnestly advised’ by his senior martial brother with a good deal of cold mockery and hot ridicule, Xu Rong could only explain the adapted version of events with a stiff face.

Lin Xinqiao had accidentally fallen into a trap while exploring a secret realm and had her entire foundation destroyed. Her master firmly believed it was Xu Rong who, harboring resentment after being whipped on the Heavenly Ascension Path, had plotted against her from behind. When instigating Jin Yue to cause trouble didn’t work out, she ruthlessly used Li Baisu’s channels to report it to Yuan Daozhu himself. After hearing the story, Yuan Daozhu flew into a rage and immediately ordered people to arrest Shen Muxuan on charges of ‘wantonly harming a high-ranking sect member’ and imprisoned him in the Heavenly Punishment Ravine.

Qin Xun stared at him fixedly for three seconds, his expression inscrutable. Suddenly, he lifted his foot and heavily knocked into his shoulder as he passed. Xu Rong staggered back to the side and asked in shock, “Senior martial brother, why did you do that?”

That person had already strode more than ten meters away. He stopped and turned his head, the cold gleam in the corner of his eyes sharp as a blade. “You still know I’m your senior martial brother? You still know that’s your master! Master suffered this calamity because of you. When he was imprisoned, why didn’t I see you ask why?”

His gaze was as cold as ice. The long spear in his dantian shrieked and trembled, desperately releasing its desire to be bathed in hot, fresh blood.

Xu Rong actually didn’t dare say another word.

After shaking off Xu Rong and quickly making a circuit of Tianji Peak to confirm that Master’s little trinkets were all put away and hadn’t been discovered by anyone, Qin Xun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as the Demon Venerable’s identity wasn’t exposed, nothing else was a life-threatening problem.

Only then did he feel at ease to go to Tianshu Peak.

Gu Fuxuan had been staring at the pattern on the Tianshu Sword throughout. After hearing Qin Xun’s purpose for coming, he nodded slightly, “I do know about this matter. Before you returned, I went to see Muxuan. He asked me to relay a message to you.”

“I’m all ears.”

“The Daozhu is not someone who cannot distinguish right from wrong. To serve the sect’s interests loyally is something I do willingly. Just tell Ah Lan to look after his junior martial brother well. When the time comes, Tianji will naturally appear before everyone.”

The Daozhu is not someone who cannot distinguish right from wrong.

——That old bastard is deliberately picking a fight, don’t go rushing up there looking for death.

To serve the sect’s interests loyally.

——Have you cleaned up the Northern Demon Territory’s loose ends or not, running around everywhere? Do you really think your master can’t deal with you right now?

Something I do willingly.

——Although that old bastard is quite annoying, our goals are the same. Before the situation changes, I’ll cooperate for now.

Tell Ah Lan to look after his junior martial brother well.

——Keep an eye on the ‘protagonist.’ This kid has a calculating and opportunistic nature. Now that he sees me imprisoned, who knows what kind of trouble he’ll stir up. Find a way to make him behave himself. Your master doesn’t have time to deal with him during this period.

When the time comes, Tianji will naturally appear before everyone.

——Don’t go making a mess with your limited abilities. Wait quietly. If you ruin my plans, the first thing your master will tear apart when he gets out is you!

He still had the presence of mind to scold him from afar—it really didn’t sound like a big problem.

But of course, someone who had clawed their way out of the Northern Demon Territory’s slaughter grounds wouldn’t be stumped by this little situation.

Qin Xun moved his lips, “The Heavenly Ravine is bitterly cold and not a place for long stays. Without spiritual power to protect the body, even a cultivator can’t last more than a year or so.”

“It won’t take a year or so.” Gu Fuxuan stroked the sword hilt, saying only this and nothing more.

Qin Xun bowed and withdrew.

When he reached the mountainside, he suddenly looked back. A bit of scattered light happened to flash into his eyes, as if it were a ray of sunlight inadvertently reflected by the smooth sword surface.

****

“He won’t die?”

“He won’t die.”

Yin Lang leaned back and said leisurely, “I’m truly curious how you’ve lived so many years without being beaten to death.”

Sect Master Xie stood at the summit of the mountain cliff, the fierce cold wind seeming to sweep through the illusory image suspended in midair. He directly ignored his childhood friend’s meaningless joke. “Do you need help?” He paused, then added, “You and I have known each other since childhood. Even if… there’s no need to be so formal.”

Yin Lang glanced up at him. “Even if I’m the ‘villain’? That kind of thing is fine for fooling naive girls like Xiao Chang’an, but if you, Xie Tingxuan, believed it, then I’d worry whether the person under that skin has been replaced.”

Xie Tingxuan’s brow relaxed slightly.

The world has its own reasonable operating rules. If it truly followed those storybooks with ‘protagonists,’ ‘supporting characters,’ and ‘villains’ tangled in love and hate, then when the protagonist ascends, wouldn’t this world immediately collapse for lack of support?

The so-called protagonist is at most just a bearer of this world’s great fortune for a period of time. When they ascend, the fortune will transfer to the next Child of Destiny.

That’s why Yin Lang could never understand why the Heavenly Dao would make such a big fuss over the ‘protagonist,’ even personally interfering with the direction of certain events, as if it truly was ‘maintaining the plot to prevent deviation’ as Ji Chang’an had said.

Yin Lang said mockingly, “If she had been even slightly more diligent normally, she wouldn’t have fallen into delusion, allowing the Heavenly Dao to take advantage of the opportunity.”

The transition from Out-of-Body stage to Spirit Transformation stage is a major hurdle—first, the tempering from soul to divine soul, and second, the inner demon tribulation’s self-examination. Even the Heavenly Dao has established operating rules. As long as Ji Chang’an herself isn’t confused, no matter how strong the Heavenly Dao is, it cannot forcibly control her in violation of the rules.

“She will remain temporarily at Heavenly Sword Sect.” Xie Tingxuan took a deep breath, made no defense whatsoever, and announced his decision in a deep voice.

Yin Lang smiled ambiguously. “You’re quite protective. Afraid I’ll retaliate against her?”

“Not so.”

Yin Lang stared at him fixedly, then suddenly smiled. He changed his posture, leaning idly against the stone wall, casually playing with his slender fingers. “There’s something I forgot to tell you. About two or three months ago, the entire Jihe Alliance—tens of thousands of people—were slaughtered to extinction overnight. The Eighteenth Hell did it.”

Xie Tingxuan looked at him calmly.

“The few troublesome leaders at the top—yes, people like little Miss Lin’s parents… this Venerable killed them all personally. One by one, I ran them through the heart with the God-Slaying Spear. Body and soul together, finished on the spot. Nothing left.”

Xie Tingxuan’s gaze remained calm and untroubled.

He waited a moment. “Finished?”

“What, does Sect Master Xie want to hear about a few more family extermination cases? That’s not impossible either. After all, this Venerable has done plenty of such things… Can you not look at me with that kind of expression?”

Xie Tingxuan asked, “What kind?”

“…It makes me feel like you’re my father. Moreover, even my father wouldn’t look at me with affectionate eyes unless he’d lost his mind.”

“……”

This time it was Xie Tingxuan’s turn to gaze at him. Yin Lang kept a cold face and said nothing.

“Finally stopped pretending?” Sect Master Xie asked.

The snow-white corner of his robe floated closer. Yin Lang turned his head away, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Your actions just now were exactly like a child throwing a tantrum.” Sect Master Xie always spoke bluntly enough to leave no face for anyone. He used a matter-of-fact tone to point out the truth with surgical precision. “You’re unhappy because I’m favoring Ji Chang’an.”

“Shen Muxuan isn’t like this. Yin Lang isn’t like this either.” He said, “You’ve been trying to disguise yourself as ‘Shen Muxuan’ in front of me, but unknowingly became someone who doesn’t resemble anyone.”

“Neither Tianji Daojun nor the Seventh Venerable should be someone who would forcibly change and distort themselves just because of others’ opinions.”

“……”

Yin Lang closed his eyes, his right hand covering half his brow and eyes, pressing and kneading hard on several acupressure points. He said softly, “Let’s change the subject. I don’t want to talk about this.”

“I want to. Muxuan, you—”

“I told you to shut up!” Yin Lang’s eyes flew open. His right hand swept out and struck heavily against the mountain wall, veins bulging, the force so great it activated the Heavenly Punishment Ravine’s formation. The system automatically assumed the prisoner was violently resisting. Thunder flashed through the thick clouds and mist, ready to strike down at any moment.

Xie Tingxuan remained unmoved like a mountain. “Yin Lang, escaping is useless.”

Yin Lang rolled to the side to dodge the thunder. The hem of his robe was caught by the aftershock and scorched black. Fortunately, the first time was only a warning. After striking down once, it flickered twice then hid back into the clouds and mist.

He flipped up to his feet. Xie Tingxuan’s image still stood in the original spot. The chaotic spiritual energy caused the image to blur slightly, but those pure black eyes kept looking in his direction, unblinking, waiting.

“I’ve killed many people, many innocent people.” Yin Lang took a deep breath, emphasizing the word ‘innocent.’ “I don’t believe that the dignified Sect Master of Heavenly Sword Sect, the number one person under the Dao Integration Stage in the Lantian Continent, doesn’t know of Venerable Yin’s evil reputation.”

“Xie Tingxuan, I’ve never been able to understand—after knowing that Shen Muxuan is Yin Lang, why do you still dare to come find me in person?”