TDFM Chapter 98

Choice Yun Qing and the others had bound Mingxuan Zi with the Evil-Binding Cord. On their way back, they encountered Jiang Baiyu and Cheng Suiyan, along with several members of the Shenle clan.

It turned out that the other two groups had already captured their targets, and everyone was converging below the music platform. Jiang Baiyu had been worried about Yun Qing and came to check on her. Cheng Suiyan, unable to sit still, had followed along. Shi Feijia, being cautious, had sent several clan members to accompany them.

When Yun Qing saw Jiang Baiyu, a warm feeling surged in her heart. She raised her eyebrows with feigned casualness, “Were you worried about me?”

Jiang Baiyu pressed his lips together and made a deep “mm” sound through his nose.

Cheng Suiyan poked his head out from behind Jiang Baiyu and laughed, “Yun Qing, why don’t you ask me the same thing?”

Before Yun Qing could respond, Jiang Baiyu suddenly raised his palm to cover Cheng Suiyan’s face and pushed him aside.

Everyone then walked back together. Fu Xue and Shi Muyu flanked Yun Qing on either side, with Shi Ruibin also crowding in between them enthusiastically. The four girls chattered away as they walked.

Of course, it was mainly Fu Xue and Shi Ruibin who were talking. Yun Qing wasn’t much of a talker, and Shi Muyu was still immersed in the sadness of losing her uncle, so she wasn’t in high spirits.

As a result, Jiang Baiyu couldn’t squeeze in at all. He could only walk silently to the side, glancing at her from time to time, looking quite lonely and dejected.

Cheng Suiyan said to him, “This isn’t working out. Why don’t you take some medicine to change from yang to yin?”

Jiang Baiyu’s eyebrow twitched. Right in front of Cheng Suiyan, he drew a talisman in the air with his fingertip. This talisman was as large as a steamed bun—quite exaggeratedly large. Jiang Baiyu held this bright, oversized talisman between his fingers, flipping it back and forth playfully.

Cheng Suiyan obediently shut his mouth.

——

When Yun Qing returned to the base of the music platform, the moon had already risen.

By moonlight, she could see many people gathered below the platform. Everyone had formed a circle, with two tightly bound figures thrown in the center. Ci Li was holding two swords in his arms, which must have been confiscated from those two people.

Yun Qing had already heard from Jiang Baiyu and Cheng Suiyan on the way, so without needing to approach, she knew the two bound people were Xingge Zi and Li Xiuzhu.

Yun Qing walked over and threw Mingxuan Zi into the center of the clearing with the other two. The three of them looked at each other miserably in silence.

Li Xiuzhu was someone who could adapt to circumstances. He knelt properly in Jiang Baiyu’s direction and said carefully, “Sect Master, please forgive me. This subordinate knows he was wrong.”

Although Mingxuan Zi and Xingge Zi felt some disdain for Li Xiuzhu, since Li Xiuzhu had knelt, how could they not kneel as well? What if they could actually avoid execution by kneeling?

So the two elders also knelt with shame.

Jiang Baiyu first used the Incantation of Truth on Li Xiuzhu and questioned him thoroughly. Li Xiuzhu’s cultivation was inferior to Jiang Baiyu’s, so he honestly confessed everything.

He clearly explained how they had fled to Liuyun Mountain, how they had stumbled into Shenle Valley by accident, and how they had killed Shi Wushe.

All the Shenle clan members were very angry to hear that Shi Wushe had died in vain.

Jiang Baiyu felt somewhat apologetic, as these scoundrels were, after all, from the Huayang Sect. He said to Shi Feijia:

“Senior, I never expected that rebels from my Huayang Sect would flee here and kill innocent people. I apologize to you all on behalf of the Huayang Sect. I hope there will be a chance to compensate Shenle Valley.”

Shi Feijia shook her head. “The dead cannot be brought back to life. Talking about compensation now is meaningless.

Besides, without your assistance, we might not have been able to capture them so smoothly, and might have had to sacrifice more innocent lives. Let this matter end here… What do you plan to do with them?”

Jiang Baiyu said, “I leave their fate to you, Senior.”

“In that case, we’ll kill them to pay for Wushe’s life.”

The three people kneeling on the ground turned pale upon hearing this. They tried to struggle but were held down by Cheng Suiyan and the others.

Mingxuan Zi cried out in distress. The rope binding them was made of unknown material—not only was it incredibly tough, but it also had the effect of suppressing their cultivation. If it had been ordinary rope, he might have had a chance to escape along the way.

Li Xiuzhu cried and begged for mercy. “I-I-I was forced into this! I didn’t kill anyone! Please spare my life! Sect Master, I will definitely be loyal to you. That pig-like scum Jiang Binghe has made me suffer so much!”

He began cursing Jiang Binghe viciously.

Under the moonlight, a sturdy Shenle clan woman dragged the chattering Li Xiuzhu aside and drew her sword to cut off his head. Li Xiuzhu closed his eyes crying, still pleading for mercy. Seeing this, Yun Qing suddenly said, “Wait.”

Shi Feijia’s expression changed slightly, “What, are you going to protect him?”

“No,” although Shi Feijia couldn’t see her, Yun Qing habitually shook her head, “I just think it would be too wasteful to kill them like this.”

Shi Feijia was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“They still have so many magical treasures on them,” Yun Qing’s tone was matter-of-fact, “Killing people without taking their treasures is like not killing them at all.”

Her words didn’t sound like something from a righteous sect. All the Shenle clan members fell silent.

Jiang Baiyu chuckled. “Exactly right.”

So he first seized Li Xiuzhu’s magical treasures, then forced Li Xiuzhu to reveal the corresponding incantations. Li Xiuzhu’s answers were filled with despair and unconcealed hatred.

Next came Mingxuan Zi and Xingge Zi. Yun Qing, uncertain of their cultivation levels and afraid they might deceive Jiang Baiyu, simply destroyed their dantians and sealed their meridians first, just like she had done at Guizhen Cave.

The two elders let out piercing screams when their dantians were destroyed. Li Xiuzhu was frightened pale and suddenly had an absurd thought: fortunately, his cultivation was low, so he could die more cleanly.

Shi Feijia listened to the screams with horror, feeling that these young people seemed quite practiced at this sort of thing.

Mingxuan Zi had two magical treasures, Xingge Zi had three, and with Li Xiuzhu’s, so many incantations appeared at once that Cheng Suiyan, afraid of forgetting them, pulled out his little notebook again.

After Jiang Baiyu had extracted all the incantations, he said, “You can kill them now.”

The sturdy Shenle clan woman efficiently swung her sword, one stroke per person, severing all their heads.

A thick, bloody smell permeated the air. In this bloody atmosphere, Shi Feijia felt for the first time that a clean death by sword was an act of mercy.

She was quite curious and asked Yun Qing, “What Way do you cultivate?”

“Me? The Way of Compassion.”

Shi Feijia: “……”

This time she was truly speechless for a long while.

Seeing Shi Feijia’s silence, Yun Qing thought she hadn’t heard of the Way of Compassion, so she patiently explained, “The Way of Compassion is——”

Shi Feijia quickly interrupted her. “I know what it is. I’ve encountered the Way of Compassion before. It’s just…”

It’s just that she had never seen such a brutal practitioner of the Way of Compassion!

Jiang Baiyu summoned earthfire and burned the three corpses.

In the dancing firelight, Yun Qing tentatively asked Shi Feijia, “Senior, if you know any clues about Qiguang Zi Yin Fanhui, could you tell us? We really have very important business with him.”

She then roughly explained the background to Shi Feijia.

After listening, Shi Feijia neither agreed nor disagreed, only sighed. “So that’s how it is? If those two could see the kind of disciples they have now, they would surely be gratified.”

Yun Qing felt there was something unusual about these words, so she pressed further. “Senior, did you know Huayang Zi and Yixin Zi?”

Shi Feijia nodded. “To be honest, I’m not unfamiliar with all three of them. Your suspicion is correct—Huayang Zi and Yixin Zi were indeed both killed by Qiguang Zi.”

As expected!

Yun Qing and Fu Xue exchanged glances. Both martial sisters were greatly encouraged. Fu Xue hurriedly asked, “Then where is Qiguang Zi now?”

But Shi Feijia gently shook her head, “However, I’m sorry, but I don’t intend to tell you more about Qiguang Zi.”

Yun Qing was stunned, “Why?!”

“Naturally because I don’t want to watch you throw your lives away needlessly.”

“Senior, we have naturally considered the concerns you have. This is our choice after careful deliberation. We hope you will help us.”

“I know, Yun Qing, everyone makes choices for the righteousness in their hearts. Flying into the flame like a moth is your choice, but protecting you young ones is mine.

I know you have a good relationship with your master, and he must have been deeply kind to you as a teacher. But even gods are insignificant before the eternal Heavenly Way, let alone Qiguang Zi and your master.

They will all fade away with the passage of time. What endures in the world is only our human race’s endless continuation.”

“Senior…”

“Rest early. Tomorrow I’ll have Jiujiu show you around the valley. Shenle Valley has abundant spiritual energy. If you want to cultivate here, you’re welcome to stay longer.”