Chapter 6: Jin Lan

Chapter 6:
Jin Lan

 

THREE YEARS went by in the blink of an eye.

During these three years, other than occasionally asking Liu Qingge for assistance in clearing his meridians to treat his poison, requesting medicinal prescriptions from Mu Qingfang, and briefly visiting Qing Jing Peak to arrange leveling missions for his disciples, Shen Qingqiu spent most of his time wandering about the outside world.

He passed the days leisurely until an urgent notice from Yue Qingyuan arrived to suddenly summon him back to Cang Qiong Mountain.

As the Qing Jing Peak disciples had seen nary a shadow of their peak lord in such a long while, for his return, they gathered at the mountain gates well ahead of time to welcome him. As soon as they saw Shen Qingqiu steadily climbing the mountain steps, they all flocked toward him, clothes rustling.

The one leading them, Ming Fan, had by now become a lanky young man; though you couldn’t say he was extraordinarily handsome, his features could still be considered neat. Anyhow, the sharp mouth and sunken cheeks he’d had in his youth were no more, and gone was that petty cannon fodder’s face that had been so obvious at a single glance.

Even more striking was Ning Yingying, who had become a lovely young lady with a splendid figure. Upon seeing Shen Qingqiu, she rushed over and grabbed his arm, pulling him up the Heaven-Ascending Stairs.

While being greeted by a sweet-smelling maiden was indeed a wonderful thing, Shen Qingqiu unfortunately couldn’t enjoy it, especially because Ning Yingying had developed quite nicely. No longer was she that dainty and delicate little girl of the past; sometimes her chest would accidentally brush against him. In fact, it did so until Shen Qingqiu, face still expressionless, was streaming with cold sweat. He had once again thought of those two long chains of posts in Proud Immortal Demon Way’s comment section—the ones demanding Shen Qingqiu’s castration.

“Shizun, you’re always away from the mountain,” Ning Yingying said, cutely vying for his attention. “Your disciples all miss you so much.”

“This master has also missed you…all,” Shen Qingqiu said affectionately.

That’s not right, he was thinking. Shouldn’t the one you miss be Luo Binghe? Why are you thinking about a scum villain? And as one of Luo Binghe’s wives, weren’t you originally supposed to suffer five continuous years of sleepless nights and lack of appetite, becoming all emaciated and stricken with grief?

Why does it look like you’ve become plumper instead?!

The disciples escorted Shen Qingqiu to Qiong Ding Peak. In Qiong Ding Peak’s Main Hall, eleven peak lords had already all sat down. One or two trusted disciples stood behind each peak lord, with the exception of Liu Qingge.

Traditionally, Bai Zhan Peak’s modus operandi was a hands-off, “shepherd-style” of education; everyone trained on their own. The peak lord would occasionally pop up to beat up a bunch of disciples, but other than that, they generally wouldn’t teach anything else. This continued until a disciple could fight off their master, at which point the master handed over the title of peak lord. Thus, Liu Qingge naturally didn’t have any trusted disciples.

Shen Qingqiu greeted everyone in turn, then sat in the second seat, which was for Qing Jing Peak, while Ming Fan and Ning Yingying stood behind him. Across from him were Xian Shu Peak’s Qi Qingqi and Liu Mingyan.

Yue Qingyuan had yet to announce the start of the meeting, so Shen Qingqiu opened and shut the folding fan in his hand, playing with it while he looked around at all the peak lords and their disciples. He found himself thinking that if Luo Binghe were still here, no one else would be standing behind him. Neither would there be any question as to who was the most outstanding disciple of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s next generation.

His thoughts were still running wild when Yue Qingyuan spoke. “Does everyone know of Jin Lan City?”

“I’ve heard a little about it,” said Shang Qinghua. “It’s located in the Central Plains, where the two great rivers, Luo and Heng, meet. The city values trade; it’s said to be quite prosperous.”

Yue Qingyuan nodded. “Correct. Jin Lan City is accessible from all sides by both land and water, so merchants from all over have always gathered there. But two months ago, Jin Lan City shut its gates. Not only are the gates impassable, not even letters can be relayed.”

A healthy, thriving trade city shutting its gates with no warning was like a financial center abruptly breaking off all relations with other branches—it was illogical. There absolutely had to be more to it.

Shen Qingqiu lifted the teacup by his hand and scraped at the tea leaves on the surface. “Zhao Hua Monastery is nearest to Jin Lan City, and my impression was that they share a very close relationship. If something did happen, the masters at the temple would have realized something was wrong.”

“Correct,” Yue Qingyuan said. “Twenty days ago, a merchant from Jin Lan City escaped the city via waterway and rushed to Zhao Hua Monastery to cry for help.”

If he was using the word “escaped,” it seemed that the situation was genuinely serious. The entire hall grew solemn.

“That middle-aged man was the owner of Jin Lan City’s first weapons shop. Over the years, he had often gone to Zhao Hua Monastery to pray and burn incense, so quite a few of the temple’s monks knew him.

“When he arrived, he was swathed entirely in black cloth, with only half of his face exposed. He was already wholly exhausted by the time he reached Zhao Hua Monastery, and he collapsed on the mountain steps as he told them repeatedly that there was a terrifying plague within the city.

“The monks guarding the mountain immediately carried the man into the main hall and reported the event to the head abbot. But by the time the head abbot rushed out with several other masters, it was too late.”

“He died?” asked Liu Qingge.

“The merchant had by then decayed into a skeletal state.”

Hadn’t Yue Qingyuan just said that the man had exhausted himself by the time he reached the Monastery gates? How could he have become a skeleton in the blink of an eye?

Shen Qingqiu muttered, “Shixiong said that the merchant was swathed in black cloth? From head to toe?”

“Precisely. During the wait, a monk tried to help him remove the black cloth. However, whenever they touched him, he wailed in terrible pain, like his skin and flesh were being ripped off, so they didn’t dare remove it by force.

“The masters of Zhao Hua Monastery were deeply disturbed, and after discussion, they sent Master Wu Chen and several Buddhist elders to investigate that very night. As of today, they have yet to return.”

Compared to Shen Qingqiu and his cohort, the masters of the “Wu” generation were uniformly higher in seniority, and their cultivation wouldn’t be lacking either.

Hence, Shen Qingqiu was a bit flabbergasted. “Not a single one came back?”

Yue Qingyuan solemnly nodded. “Huan Hua Palace and Tian Yi Temple have also sent ten-odd disciples each. They met with the same result: no one returned.”

Three of the four major sects had been dragged into this mess, so naturally Cang Qiong Mountain couldn’t just passively observe. No wonder Yue Qingyuan had sent an emergency summons.

Indeed, Yue Qingyuan said, “With no other choice, our fellow cultivators from the other sects sent Cang Qiong Mountain an urgent letter with an emissary, pleading for our assistance. We will certainly lend it. However, this is a serious situation. I’m afraid there may be petty ne’er-do-wells of other races fanning the flames to stoke this incident, stirring up havoc. Some of us will go, but some must stay behind to guard the peaks.”

In other words, to prevent a situation like the incident with Sha Hualing, when they had been completely vulnerable.

Needless to say, “other races” could only refer to the demon race.

Liu Qingge was the first to say, “Bai Zhan Peak is willing to escort Mu-shidi to the city.”

Since there was a plague, Qian Cao Peak’s Mu Qingfang definitely had to go.

Shen Qingqiu looked at these two: one who was responsible for making his medicine, the other responsible for clearing his meridians. Both were leaving, and Shen Qingqiu didn’t have a protagonist’s halo with which to protect himself. What if there was an unexpected accident? This was really too concerning. How could he not do his part to watch over them?

So, he hurriedly added, “Qingqiu is willing to go as well.”

“My original plan was for you to watch the mountain,” said Yue Qingyuan.

Of course Shen Qingqiu knew how to deal with him: all he needed to do was endlessly pester Yue Qingyuan.

“There’s no need for Zhangmen-shixiong to think me so fragile. Even if Qingqiu is untalented, he knows a few things about demons. If they really are the ones making mischief, I can still be of some assistance.”

The walking demon encyclopedia—both the original and current flavor could definitively live up to this title. After all, there was that stack of records and ancient books in the back of Qing Jing Peak’s Bamboo House, the same ones that hundreds of generations of peak lords had to read in full before they were allowed to succeed the position.

Yue Qingyuan thought for a while. If he let Shen Qingqiu go with Liu Qingge and Mu Qingfang, it would be far easier for Shen Qingqiu to suppress the Without a Cure poison still within his body. Also, if they got into a fight, the Bai Zhan Peak Lord could protect him.

Therefore, in the end, everyone was divided into three groups. The Liu-Shen-Mu trio would clear the way as the vanguard; they would go to Jin Lan City first to investigate. The second group would wait outside and act in accordance with their report. The third group would stay and keep watch on Cang Qiong Mountain.

The situation was urgent, so there was no time to leisurely take a carriage or boat. Though Shen Qingqiu disliked flying on his sword, he knew that at a time like this, he needed to keep up with everyone else’s momentum.

Thus, the trio flew out on their blades. Before half a day had passed, Shen Qingqiu gazed downward from above the clouds, took a deep breath, and yelled to his two sect siblings, “The Luo and Heng River junction is right below us!”

When they looked down from a great height, they indeed saw the two rivers meeting each other like a winding pair of endless, thin silver ribbons. The water sparkled under the sunlight, akin to a haphazard dance of silver scales.

One of the two rivers was the one Luo Binghe had been placed into after he was born, left to drift downstream: the Luo, from which his surname derived.

The trio chose to descend at a wide and level hilltop. From there, they could faintly see the curling eaves of far-off Jin Lan City, its tightly closed gates, and the raised drawbridge.

Shen Qingqiu lowered the hand with which he’d shaded his eyes. “Why didn’t we fly straight into the city?”

“In the past, at Jin Lan City’s governor’s request, Zhao Hua Monastery cast an enormous barrier covering their airspace,” Mu Qingfang explained. “It prevents immortal swords or anything with spiritual or demonic qi from passing through. They’d be forced to veer off course.”

Shen Qingqiu had personally witnessed Zhao Hua Monastery’s barrier-casting abilities with the group of barrier masters employed by the VIPs at the Immortal Alliance Conference. If they ever ranked second, no one would dare claim first, so Shen Qingqiu didn’t ask further questions.

Since they couldn’t descend by air and couldn’t enter through the gates, there had to be some other means of ingress. As it turned out, Yue Qingyuan had briefed Mu Qingfang about the situation in detail, and he guided the other two through a forest. From within the shade of the trees, there came the murmur of flowing water. That sound emerged from a low cave.

Mu Qingfang waved the others over. “There’s an underground river here. It leads into the city.”

Shen Qingqiu understood. “That weapons merchant escaped through here?”

Mu Qingfang nodded. “Several merchants who participate in black market dealings use it to meet or smuggle goods through it. Not many people know this route, but because that weapons merchant had a good relationship with several of Zhao Hua Monastery’s masters, he once disclosed a few things to them.”

The cave entrance was covered in vines and stood only as tall as their chests. They had to stoop to enter. After walking for a while, they finally felt the ceiling rise, and the sound of flowing water began to gurgle. Several battered, worn-out boats were anchored by the riverbed.

Shen Qingqiu chose a slightly better boat that at least didn’t leak, then flicked his fingers. The lamp hanging at the bow flared with light. After looking left and right, he found only one oar.

Shen Qingqiu made a gesture of request toward Liu Qingge. “We’ll be going against the current, so rowing into the city will require the person among us with the best arm strength. Shidi, if you please?”

With a dark expression, Liu Qingge took that long, thin boat oar and diligently began to use it as a punting pole. With each stroke, the boat leapt forward an incredible distance. The lamp at the bow creaked and swayed jerkily.

Shen Qingqiu pulled Mu Qingfang over to sit down and glanced at the glittering water by the boat. He could even see several fish happily swishing their tails as they swam by. “This water is so clear,” he said idly.

Right after he said this, something much larger drifted along after the swimming fish. Face-down in the water was a corpse.

Shen Qingqiu shot upright in his seat.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, a floating corpse! I just said “this water is so clear,” and you reward me by drifting over a floating corpse?! Do you have to be so heavy-handed when you slap my face?!

Liu Qingge used the oar to hook the floating corpse and flip it over: it was actually another skeleton. They hadn’t noticed earlier because its entire body, including its head, was swathed in black cloth. Also, as noted, it had been floating face-down.

“Mu-shidi, do you know if this world has a kind of plague that can make a person instantaneously decay into a skeleton?” Shen Qingqiu asked.

Mu Qingfang shook his head. “It’s unheard of.”

Since they were moving against the current, they would be pushed backward unless they kept advancing. Having stayed still for so long, their little boat had already moved a distance back. Liu Qingge picked up the oar again, and after a moment, he spoke. “There’s more ahead.”

Sure enough, five or six more floating corpses drifted toward them from up ahead, one after another. All were skeletons swathed in black cloth, just like the first.

While Shen Qingqiu fell deep into thought, Liu Qingge abruptly stabbed the long oar into the nearby stone wall. The thin and brittle bamboo actually stuck straight into the solid, seamless stone. This stabilized the boat, fixing it in place.

Shen Qingqiu had also sensed something was wrong, and he sprang to his feet. “Who is it?”

A sound of hurried breathing came from the dark depths before them; the lantern at the prow of the boat faintly illuminated a human silhouette. Then they heard a youth’s voice say, “Who are you? What are you doing, sneaking around in this underground river?”

“You’re here too. I’d ask you the same,” said Shen Qingqiu. Though he stood on a broken-down little boat, between his teal robes, black hair, and the longsword hanging at his waist—not to mention his every movement, so calm and composed—he still possessed quite the immortal’s demeanor. Shen Qingqiu had by now become an experienced poser, and had managed to put his own spin on the badass act.

As expected, the youth hadn’t anticipated someone so high and mighty. He balked for a long moment before shouting, “You should leave! No one is allowed into the city!”

Liu Qingge humphed. “You? Who could you keep away?”

“There’s a plague in Jin Lan. If you don’t want to die, then get out!”

“Young man, we are here precisely for that reason…” Mu Qingfang said gently.

When they refused to leave, the youth yelled angrily, “Do you not understand human speech? Hurry and get out! Or else I won’t be so polite!”

Before he finished speaking, he was attacking them with a spear, ferocious like a tiger and heartily intimidating.

Liu Qingge let out a disdainful laugh, and he pulled the bamboo oar out of the wall. With a flick of the pole, the youth was sent flying into the river. Yet the boy continued to spit and curse even while splashing about in the water.

“Should we fish him out?” asked Shen Qingqiu.

“What for? He’s young and full of energy. Let’s go.” Liu Qingge continued to push them forward.

The trio exited the underground river, and the illicit boat drifted back into the darkness along with the current. The exit was at the city’s most overgrown pond, and not a single person was around. After they walked toward the center of the city for a while, out of nowhere, a set of footsteps caught up to them from behind.

The bedraggled youth charged forward and yelled at them, flustered and annoyed. “I told you not to enter the city! What use is it to have you here?! So many people have already come, saying they were going to save us from the plague. Head monks and big shot Daoists, Hua Palace—whoever! In the end, none of them were able to leave! You’re looking for death!”

So this young man had ambushed them in the dark with their best interests in mind.

“Then since we have already entered, what do you think we should do?” Shen Qingqiu asked.

“What else can you do?” the youth replied. “Follow me and don’t run around! I’ll take you to the old monk.”

The trio had no objections. None of them were familiar with Jin Lan City, so of course it was best to have a guide to stop them from any accidental detours.

Shen Qingqiu looked down and asked, “Young man, what is your name?”

The youth puffed up his chest. “My name is Yang Yixuan. I’m the son of the owner of Jin Zi Weapons Shop.”

Was it possible that he was referring to the weapons merchant who had risked death to bring word to Zhao Hua Monastery in search of aid?

As Shen Qingqiu appraised the youth, Liu Qingge asked, “What are you looking at?”

“The way I see it, this child can exchange a few blows with you and has a pretty good temperament,” he replied. “Both traits are hard to find. He’s a promising talent.”

“What does that matter? I don’t take disciples. Too bothersome.”

As they walked into the main part of the city, more and more pedestrians began to appear. But this “more” was only in comparison to the previous empty streets. At most, there were only three or four silhouettes per street, and all were buried in black cloth from head to toe, their movements hasty, like birds startled by a bow or fish slipping through a net.

The Jin Zi Weapons Shop was appreciably large. It sat on the widest main road and occupied four storefronts in a row, all connected together into one store. It even had an inner courtyard, inner hall, and cellar.

Master Wu Chen was in the cellar. He lay on the bed, a blanket covering his lower body, and as soon as he saw Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s reinforcements, he began to chant “Amitabha.”

“Master, the circumstances are urgent, let’s skip the pleasantries,” said Shen Qingqiu. “What is this plague raging through Jin Lan City? Why did you enter but never leave, without even sending a message? And why is everyone wrapped in black cloth?”

Wu Chen forced a smile. “The answer to all of Master Shen’s questions is in fact one and the same.”

As he said this, he lifted the blanket covering his lower body. Shen Qingqiu stiffened. Underneath the blankets there lay only a pair of thighs: from the knees down, everything had disappeared. Where there should have been a pair of calves, there was nothing.

“Who did this?” Liu Qingge asked stonily.

Wu Chen shook his head. “Not ‘who.’”

Shen Qingqiu was puzzled. “If not who, then did they disappear on their own?”

Unexpectedly, Wu Chen nodded. “This pair of legs did indeed disappear on their own.”

His legs were still swathed in black cloth from the knees up. Wu Chen reached out, straining to unwrap them, and Mu Qingfang hurried to help.

“This may make everyone a bit uncomfortable,” Wu Chen warned.

The black cloth was unwrapped layer by layer. When Shen Qingqiu saw what lay inside, his breath stopped.

Great Master, you call this “a bit uncomfortable”?!

The place that should have been Wu Chen’s thighs had thoroughly festered, the skin necrotized, into a mass of rotten flesh. After the black cloth was untied, a terrible stench came from them in waves.

“This is Jin Lan City’s plague?” Shen Qingqiu asked.

“Yes,” said Wu Chen. “When this disease first develops, red patches appear in a small area. After three to five days on the short end—half a month on the long—the red patches expand and fester. After another month, the rot advances down to the bones. In order to delay the progression, one must swathe oneself in black cloth and avoid exposure to light and the elements.”

No wonder everyone in the city had bundled themselves up until they were black mummies.

“If the disease develops over a month’s time, why did Yang-xiansheng, the fellow who went to notify Zhao Hua Monastery, instantly decay into a skeleton?” Shen Qingqiu asked.

A sorrowful expression appeared on Wu Chen’s face. “This old monk is ashamed to say that he only later discovered that the infected patients can survive for approximately a month, as long as they stay within Jin Lan City. But if after they are infected they go a certain distance away from the city, the disease’s progression accelerates. My two shidi discovered this the moment after they rashly tried to leave the city and return to the monastery.”

No wonder no one could enter and no one could leave.

“What is the origin of the disease?” Liu Qingge asked. “How is it transmitted?”

Wu Chen could only sigh. “This one is ashamed. We have passed a great deal of time in this city, yet still we have not made any progress toward a solution. We do not know the illness’s origin, nor its method of transmission. We do not even know if it can be transmitted.”

Mu Qingfang was shocked. “What do you mean?”

Shen Qingqiu realized something. “Observe the weapon-seller’s son: he has been taking close care of Master Wu Chen for a long time, yet he wears not a strip of black cloth. His skin is still intact, and he is quite healthy. If this is truly a plague, wouldn’t it be strange that Master Wu Chen had not infected him?”

“Precisely,” said Wu Chen. “This one is terribly sorry to have let you all be trapped here.”

“You only intended to save people from disaster; there is no need for apologies,” said Shen Qingqiu. He noted that Mu Qingfang was absorbed in investigating the festered parts of Wu Chen’s leg, like he couldn’t smell a hint of the stench. “Mu-shidi, have you made any discoveries? Can you create a medicine to treat it?”

Mu Qingfang shook his head. “This doesn’t seem like a plague but rather like…” He looked at the few people around him. “This humble one needs to examine more patients before he can come to a definite conclusion.”

Shen Qingqiu exited the cellar, whereupon he saw the weapon-seller’s son heading back the way from which they had come in a rage, a longsword slung over his shoulder. He smiled as he asked, “Young master, what’s happening?”

“Someone entered the city again,” Yang Yixuan huffed. “Those people from Hua-wherever are the most useless. They’re all just rushing to their deaths!”

Huan Hua Palace must have sent more aid (i.e., additional victims). But as the boy’s face was puffed up like a steamed bun, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help teasing him a bit. “Young man, your martial skills are rather good. Did you have a teacher?”

Yang Yixuan ignored him.

“Let me tell you, you should go find that gege who tossed you into the water today,” Shen Qingqiu continued. “He’s most formidable. Fighting a few rounds with him will be more effective than learning from anyone.”

When he heard this, Yang Yixuan abandoned Shen Qingqiu and ran.

Having found Liu Qingge a sticky new problem, Shen Qingqiu was in a joyful mood. He walked a few steps and turned a corner, but when he saw the scene before him, he stopped in his path.

The city was devoid of life, and the gates of every home were shut tight. Many of those who had been homeless in the first place had nowhere to go, so they could only gather on the street. Before, when carriages and horses had streamed through the streets, people coming and going, these forsaken had been afraid to show their faces. But now with everything so empty, they became fearless. They’d set up a big iron cauldron and piled firewood underneath it, and they were boiling a churning pot of water as some plucked the feathers off a chicken stolen from who-knew-where.

Each person was wrapped in tightly bundled layers of black cloth, but upon seeing Shen Qingqiu, who was extremely conspicuous in their midst, they were not the least bit shocked. Instead, they regarded him like they would a corpse. After all, these days they had seen every kind of impressive-looking cultivator sweep into the city, claiming they would save the rabble. And had they been of any use? They died even faster than the local drifters!

The cook rapped on the iron pot. “Soup is done! Come get your share!”

Many of the drifters lying nearby who were picking at their lice rolled to their feet and gathered around, bowls in hand.

This plague had disrupted the rhythms of the entire city’s day-to-day, so this spontaneous communal meal was liable to actually save some lives.

They had to discover the origin of the plague soon. Silently making this resolution to himself, Shen Qingqiu turned to go—only to come face-to-face with a person walking toward him. They held a walking stick, their figure hunched over, the hand holding their bowl shaking so much it was about to slip; they seemed to be an old lady.

Shen Qingqiu moved to get out of the way, but the old lady must have been weak due to age or fatigue from hunger. She tripped and crashed into Shen Qingqiu.

As Shen Qingqiu helped her up, the old lady mumbled, “Apologies… Apologies… I’m old and confused…” She quickly walked past him and away, probably afraid people would take all the soup.

Shen Qingqiu walked another two steps, then balked.

Something was off.

That old lady had looked like the faintest breeze would knock her over, but when her body crashed into him, hadn’t it seemed even heavier than that of an adult man?

He whipped his head back around. In that crowd of people clamoring for bowls of hot soup, the “old lady” he had just seen was nowhere to be found.

There was an opening into an alley to the left. Shen Qingqiu dashed into it in pursuit. He just managed to catch a glimpse of a hunchbacked silhouette flashing down the end of the alley.

Fuck me, with this speed, they wouldn’t lose to a runner doing the 100-meter hurdles! “Old lady”? Yeah right! I must be blind!

Shen Qingqiu broke into a run and gave chase. Though this old lady was indeed suspicious, could he be blamed for not realizing something was strange right away? Right now, everyone in Jin Lan City cut the same suspicious figure, what with all the walking around while hunched over and dressed entirely in black!

Mid-chase, he suddenly felt an itch on the back of his hand and raised it up to look.

This limb really was plagued with misfortunes. It was this arm that had been poked full of holes by Elder “Sky Hammer” Tianchui, and now it was this hand that had become infected and was breaking out in red patches!

Come to think of it, it had also been this hand that had first clicked on this stupid novel, Proud Immortal Demon Way. If only he could chop it off! Ahhhh!

With this brief distraction, Shen Qingqiu slowed a step. Then he sensed someone charging over, sword glare at the ready. With a flick of his fan, he prepared to return fire with a blade of wind and yelled, “Who goes there?!”

The person sprang from a nearby roof to the ground. The two looked at each other, and Shen Qingqiu blurted out, “Gongyi Xiao?”

The youth immediately lowered his sword and responded in more shock than joy. “Senior Shen?”

“It’s me. Why are you here too?”

Then Shen Qingqiu remembered that Yang Yixuan had said more of Huan Hua Palace’s people had entered the city through the underground river. That must have been the party with which Gongyi Xiao arrived.

“So Huan Hua Palace sent you to lead a scouting party into the city?” he asked.

Gongyi Xiao replied, “Indeed, this junior was ordered to investigate the city, but…the leader is someone else.”

Shen Qingqiu thought this curious. Gongyi Xiao was the favorite disciple of Huan Hua Palace’s Old Palace Master. Before Luo Binghe appeared, everyone had tacitly agreed that Gongyi Xiao would be the next leader, and even the Old Palace Master’s beloved only daughter adored him. Whenever the disciples’ generation did anything, Gongyi Xiao was always in charge. Other than Luo Binghe—who could stomp all over this young man with his protagonist’s halo—who else could steal such a position?

But at the moment, there was no time to mull it over.

“Let’s chase them together!” Shen Qingqiu said.

Gongyi Xiao gave a resounding agreement, and the two leapt forward, side by side.

The hunchbacked figure flashed into a three-story building. Even from outside, a haze of fragrant powder assailed the nose, and as the structure was covered in beautiful decorations, it had to be some sort of brothel. But now there were no joyful voices or laughing conversations, no signs or sounds of prosperity, only a gate left wide-open, the main hall dreary and oppressive.

Holding their breaths and on full alert, the pair stepped over the threshold.

The chairs and tables in the main hall were overturned, leaving everything a scattered mess. Shen Qingqiu gave Gongyi Xiao a look. “Let’s split up and search. You check the private rooms on the left, and I’ll take the right.”

He used his fan to push open the nearest door. He could make out the indistinct form of a person lying on the bed and initially raised his guard, but he lowered it soon after.

It was only a skeleton wearing a colorfully adorned jacket, its head covered in pearls and jade, lying in a serene position. This was likely one of the women of the establishment who, knowing her time had come, had dressed and groomed herself, donned her best clothes, and gone to meet her death in sleep. Perhaps it was the nature of women to insist on bringing their most beautiful selves even to the end. Shen Qingqiu sighed in sorrow, backed out of the room, and shut the door.

Many rooms in a row each contained the corpses of women in formal dress. It seemed like this brothel had practically been wiped out. As Shen Qingqiu was about to push open the sixth room, he heard the sound of movement and human voices from the second floor.

As he flew up the stairs with Gongyi Xiao, Shen Qingqiu stole to the front. But unexpectedly, before his feet had left the staircase, he heard the gentle voice of a youth.

“It’s no trouble.”

Though it was only three words, as soon as Shen Qingqiu heard this voice, it was as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning. The fan in his hand cracked under the force of his grip.

For an instant, it was like even his breath had ceased.

He was paralyzed on the steps, but he could already see into the private room at the end of the long, second-floor corridor. A group of disciples dressed in Huan Hua Palace’s colors had crowded around a person in the center.

It was a youth wearing black, shouldering a modest, unadorned longsword, his complexion as clear as jade, his eyes like two deep pools of cold starlight, and he was at present nonchalantly moving toward Shen Qingqiu.

He had grown up quite a bit and the feel of his presence was far different from before, but even if Shen Qingqiu were beaten to death, he would never mistake that face—one that could grace the cover of a romance novel, no matter the angle!

At the same time, a familiar voice, which had spent a long time gathering dust, spoke in Shen Qingqiu’s head. In a mechanical tone reminiscent of Google Translate, it began to spout off messages like a barrage of gunfire:

【 Hello. System activation successful. 】

【 Universal activation key: Luo Binghe. 】

【 Self-examination results: Central power source is operating normally and in good condition. 】

【 Hibernation mode suspended. Normal operation mode activated. 】

【 Download and installation of update complete. 】

Wait a minute, what the fuck, you actually updated?!

【 Thank you for your continued use of our services. 】

Can I get a refund?

Shen Qingqiu stared at that young man, who ought to have been familiar yet seemed a stranger. His limbs went stiff and his throat dry.

Wasn’t Luo Binghe’s grand comeback supposed to be five years after his fall?

Wasn’t he currently supposed to be inside an endless hell, carving his way through thorns, studying the blade and farming monsters?

Why had his ascension moved up two whole years?!

Why were you so impatient?! If you rush your leveling, you won’t have any safeguards, Bing-ge!

Shen Qingqiu had the urge to turn around and sprint down the stairs, sprint out of Jin Lan City, and sprint out of this goddamn world—

But right after he turned around, Gongyi Xiao blocked his path, and the youth just had to ask, “Senior Shen? Why are you suddenly turning back?”

You really can’t read the room, understand timing, or catch on to faces before you speak, can you, Young Master Gongyi?!

A seemingly gentle voice came from behind him. “Shizun?”

Neck stiff, Shen Qingqiu slowly turned his head.

It was only a simple movement, but right now, it felt like his head weighed several thousand kilograms. At this moment, in his eyes, that perfect face of Luo Binghe’s was more frightening than anything in the world.

What scared him even more was the expression on that face. It was neither icy-cold nor a poisonous smile hiding daggers within, but a kind and tender look that could warm its recipient down to their bones.

Fuck—don’t act like that, it’s terrifying!

The more silky-soft Luo Binghe’s smile, the more thoroughly his opponent’s soul and body were about to be destroyed. This statement was absolutely not a joke.

Shen Qingqiu’s entire person was stuck at the top of the stairs, unable to ascend or descend, his hair rising all down his back.

Luo Binghe strolled over and spoke softly. “It really is Shizun.”

His voice was velvety and light, but every word that emerged from between his teeth, and every tap of his footfalls as he took each step, sent Shen Qingqiu’s heart through the equivalent of a high-altitude bungee jump combined with an ice bucket challenge.

The guillotine blade was already over his neck; nothing left but to face it.

Shen Qingqiu gathered his composure and steeled himself. His right hand clutched the slats of his fan, the veins bulging faintly, while his left swept up the hem of his teal robes. With a lift of his foot and one more step, he finally made it onto the second floor.

With that single step, he was already about to burst into tears.

Back in the year Luo Binghe had participated in the Immortal Alliance Conference, their eyes had been level with each other’s, but now Shen Qingqiu had to slightly lift his head to look Luo Binghe in the eye. He was already coming up short based on force of presence alone.

Fortunately, Shen Qingqiu had been a poser for years now, so he had plenty of experience. No matter how terrified he was on the inside, no matter how turbulent his emotions, his serene, unperturbed expression was solidly baked onto his face.

After a long while, he painfully squeezed out a line from within his throat. “What exactly is going on here?”

Luo Binghe gave him a smile, but he seemed to have no intention of answering. Instead, it was the group of Huan Hua disciples behind him who crowded forward, clothes rustling.

Only now did Shen Qingqiu realize that these disciples’ attitudes were completely off. In his early years, Shen Qingqiu had been known in the way of a great and revered scholar, and his name had swept all throughout the land. Even when he met with others of the same generation, it was rare for them to not conscientiously welcome him with respect, to say nothing of a junior from another sect.

Yet these Huan Hua Palace disciples seemed to be full of hostility toward him. Their gazes brimmed with displeasure, and some were already flashing their weapons. Given how Luo Binghe was standing there, perfectly unflappable, this group of perfectly fine youths from a famous righteous sect looked more like a gang of henchmen ready to rush forward and stake their lives for their boss—or like demonic lackeys poised to kill and burn…

Don’t you have it wrong, young people? Don’t be in such a hurry to be someone’s bodyguard, okay?! As if the person behind you needs your protection! It’s already pretty good that he’s not harming anyone, but the person who really needs protection is me—me!

Realizing that the atmosphere was off, Gongyi Xiao inserted himself between the disciples and Shen Qingqiu. “Put your swords away,” he reprimanded them quietly. “What sort of manners are these?!”

They relented and showed some restraint. The ones who’d drawn their swords grudgingly sheathed them, but their hostility toward Shen Qingqiu didn’t decrease.

No wonder. Of course Gongyi Xiao wasn’t the one leading the party this time. A while back, if the most highly regarded disciple had spoken, none of his fellow disciples would have dared show displeasure. But now Luo Binghe was here, and his post-darkening brainwashing skills were first-rate, so everything inevitably revolved around him. Even after ten thousand years, no one else could ever again become the default leader.

But even though Shen Qingqiu felt like he was about to suffer a concussion from pure shock, he still couldn’t figure this out. When exactly had Luo Binghe infiltrated Huan Hua Palace? In the original work’s progression, that didn’t happen until at least two years in the future!

Both sides stood stiffly for a while, until a graceful young lady dressed in a light-yellow outer robe abruptly emerged from the sidelines. “You still have the time for this?” she said while shedding tears. “Luo-shixiong, he… That scoundrel harmed Luo-shixiong. Can’t you focus on finding a way to help him first?!”

Only now did Shen Qingqiu notice a humanoid figure collapsed in the far corner; it was that fake old lady. He looked at Luo Binghe again and saw that a portion of his sleeve seemed to have been shaved away by a sword glare, exposing a small section of his wrist.

Luo Binghe’s skin was very fair, so the couple of red spots on his wrist were especially stark.

Shen Qingqiu instinctively let slip, “You were infected?”

Luo Binghe gave him a glance, then shook his head. “It’s but a minor wound. All that matters is that everyone is safe.”

With that considerate display of selflessness, for a moment Shen Qingqiu could almost believe that the individual before his eyes was still that bleating, grass-loving little lamb who had huddled behind his knees.

However, the Huan Hua Palace disciples really were good at raining on his parade.

“Isn’t this just perfect?” one remarked sarcastically. “I suppose Senior Shen’s overjoyed that Luo-shixiong was infected by the plague, right?”

Shen Qingqiu was seriously starting to wonder when exactly he’d offended the entirety of Huan Hua Palace.

Gongyi Xiao took in Shen Qingqiu’s expression and felt incredibly embarrassed. He turned back to his fellows and scolded them in low tones. “Be quiet, all of you.”

As a senior who’d made his name years ago, Shen Qingqiu could never sink so low as to squabble with insignificant youths who’d been brainwashed by the male lead. Expression indifferent, Shen Qingqiu dropped his arm so the sleeve naturally covered the back of his hand that had broken out in red spots after he’d first bumped into the fake old lady.

Pockmarks covered half the face of the disciple who’d spoken; once scolded, he resentfully closed his mouth, his entire expression reeking dissatisfaction.

Then Qin Wanyue spoke. “It’s all our fault. Luo-shixiong, if you hadn’t protected us, you wouldn’t have…”

Shen Qingqiu had already roughly surmised the truth of what was spreading through the city. He could guarantee it on all the youth and frustrations he’d wasted following this twenty-million-word-plus serialization for years.

First, to a mixed-lineage heavenly demon like Luo Binghe, this thing was the approximate equivalent of saline water or glucose—entirely harmless. It might even have health benefits for him!

Second, if Luo Binghe had let others drag him down or been injured for their sake, that was definitely a plan of his own design! No need to ponder!

Don’t you know that’s the fastest way to farm righteous reputation and favor points?

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t stand to keep watching the air of heartbroken grief hanging over Huan Hua Palace’s party. Of course, what he couldn’t stand even more was having this silent stare down with Luo Binghe. It was as if both of them were waiting for the other to speak first.

Instead, Shen Qingqiu steeled himself and prepared to do a bit of proper business. Without another sideways glance, he walked toward that fake old lady’s corpse and drew Xiu Ya. With a few slashes, he shredded the black cloth to pieces, revealing the body inside.

As expected.

At a glance, this “person’s” appearance was ordinary, and it was impossible to tell if they were male or female. But that wasn’t the main point. The main point was this, and it was dreadful: the body’s skin was completely scarlet, like the entire thing had been thrown into boiling water and cooked through. Yet rather than having been reduced to a mush, the carcass was whole.

“A sower,” said Shen Qingqiu.

Sower was a type of profession among demons. To put it mundanely, as Shen Qingqiu understood it, they were the Demon Realm’s equivalent of farmers, farm owners, and wholesale food distributors.

Due to a variety of reasons, including local geography and race, many of the Demon Realm’s creatures had rather peculiar biological needs. This included a portion of demons who tended toward hardcore tastes. To put it concretely, they liked to eat rotten things, the more rancid and putrid the better; anything crawling with maggots was considered both an exceptionally exquisite delicacy and abundantly nutritious.

But where could one acquire such a quantity of rotten things?

This was the purpose of the sowers.

The flesh of every non-demonic organism a sower touched and purposefully seeded would, after a short period of time, begin to fester. In days past, this practice had enabled a type of massive communal meal that had been popular on noble estates in the Demon Realm. The estate lord would capture some hundred living people and would corral them in a structure like cattle, then send sowers into their midst. Within seven days, once the victims had sufficiently rotted, the doors could be opened. You could either let the people stumble out and eat them where they fell or walk inside yourself and devour them on the spot.

This manner of…unique dining custom was disgusting in the extreme.

Of course, the ancient heavenly demons from whose lineage Luo Binghe hailed were the most elegant and traditional of the demonic bloodlines—equivalent to the Demon Realm’s blue blood nobility; the average demon commoner’s B-Point scores couldn’t begin to compare to a heavenly demon’s. Needless to say, the heavenly demons had not taken part in these faddish tastes.

If not for that, Luo Binghe could be as handsome and rule-breakingly OP as he wanted, but girls would be unable to overcome the physiologically and psychologically taxing challenge this bizarre worldbuilding detail would present to their worldviews—so Shen Qingqiu suspected. Think about it! How suffocating would it feel to kiss him if it were true?! Ha ha ha!

Since sower as a profession was grossly anti-human, it had incited the uncompromising ire of many Human Realm cultivators at the time. Consequently, they had launched a campaign to eradicate all sowers. Quite a few nameless heroes had even risked infection and ended up perishing together with the sowers. Within ten years, sowers had gone almost entirely extinct, becoming rare even within the Demon Realm. It was entirely normal for young disciples and ordinary cultivators to have never heard of them. But whenever he was at his leisure, Shen Qingqiu was in the habit of taking an aged text from Qing Jing Peak’s eclectic collection and reading it as a speculative fiction novel, so he understood the situation well.

Unfortunately, this conclusion that he’d come to all by himself, which should have been a helpful contribution, went unappreciated.

“So Senior also knew about the demonic abominations that are sowers,” Qin Wanyue said politely. “Luo-shixiong guessed the identity of the culprit a while back. Just now, he explained the relevant information to us in detail.”

When she finished, she and all the other Huan Hua disciples directed an adoring, longing gaze toward Luo Binghe, as if his face were emitting thousands of rays of golden light.

It’s here! Could this be the legendary “regardless of what the male lead says, everyone else will feel their own IQ and knowledge get absolutely crushed by his words” protagonist halo of wisdom?!

Luo Binghe looked toward Shen Qingqiu and smiled. “Everything I know was taught to me by Shizun.”

…The most terrifying thing was that Shen Qingqiu got the feeling that Luo Binghe’s face really was emitting a faint glow.

Shen Qingqiu very much didn’t want to waste any more time in this kind of eerie atmosphere. However, since Huan Hua Palace had killed the sower, naturally the right to handle the corpse was also theirs.

“If that’s the case, may we borrow this corpse for study?” Shen Qingqiu asked. “It’s possible Mu-shidi may discover something, and it may assist us in developing a medicine that will curb the epidemic as early as possible.”

Luo Binghe nodded. “Everything will be as Shizun says. This disciple will deliver the corpse promptly.”

The way that “Shizun” left his mouth every time he said it made all of Shen Qingqiu’s hairs stand on end. At last, he acutely understood how characters in the original work felt when facing that dagger-concealing smile of Luo Binghe’s.

Shen Qingqiu pulled himself away and flicked aside his sleeves, then left without a second word.

After exiting that abandoned building, Shen Qingqiu fell into a state of devastated psychological shock. His head swam as he walked, his steps unsteady.

Gongyi Xiao chased after him. When he saw that Shen Qingqiu’s face was pale, his expression distracted, he nervously said, “Senior Shen, I must apologize. In truth, I knew that Luo-shixiong was with Huan Hua Palace, but our master ordered us to keep it a strict secret and to not let outsiders know. Violators would be expelled from the sect. I couldn’t inform you of the situation.”

Shen Qingqiu grabbed him. “I have only one question for you: When and how did Luo Binghe end up in your Huan Hua Palace?”

“It was Qin-shimei. Last year, she rescued a grievously injured and unconscious Luo-shixiong on the banks of the Luo River.”

Last year. In only one short year, Luo Binghe had kicked Gongyi Xiao off of his pedestal as the most trusted disciple. It seemed that not only had Luo Binghe’s annexation of Huan Hua Palace occurred earlier, but his efficiency had improved. Also, Gongyi Xiao really was doomed to be cannon fodder, fated only to be kicked off of various number-one pedestals by the male lead!

“After you rescued him, why didn’t he return to Cang Qiong Mountain Sect?” Shen Qingqiu asked.

Gongyi Xiao took careful stock of Shen Qingqiu’s expression, and he spoke cautiously. “Once Luo-shixiong was rescued and woke up, he seemed to be unwilling to bring up the past. When he was delivering his farewells, he disclosed…that he wouldn’t return to Cang Qiong Mountain Sect and that he hoped Huan Hua Palace would keep his whereabouts a secret. It seemed he intended to wander the world. But our master thinks very highly of Luo-shixiong, so he vigorously urged him to stay. They don’t call each other master and disciple, but with the way our master treats him, he’s already no different from a succeeding heir.”

So that’s how it was.

No wonder the Huan Hua Palace disciples had showed such a hostile attitude toward Shen Qingqiu just a moment ago. This act of Luo Binghe’s was his standard “trampled white lotus who silently endures.”

People had no doubt begun to think: If everything is fine, why would Luo Binghe be unwilling to return? Maybe it’s because Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, and Shen Qingqiu in particular, have wronged him. That false news of his death at the Immortal Alliance Conference must be covering up some terrible secrets.

Luo Binghe’s brainwashing skills weren’t just talk. Having seen how those disciples blindly and fastidiously followed him, Shen Qingqiu knew exactly where Luo Binghe stood with Huan Hua Palace.

A disciple from Sect A took a trip to Sect B. Subsequently, the entire hierarchy of Sect B from top to bottom cried and begged for him to stay, and even hid and concealed him so other sects wouldn’t find out. How unscientific and unreasonable. But with the male lead’s halo shining down upon the situation, it was absolutely logical!

Shen Qingqiu was silent. Gongyi Xiao thought him sad and disappointed. His beloved disciple hadn’t died but had instead preferred to roam around the world instead of returning to see him. Of course this was a painful tragedy. So, Gongyi Xiao offered consolation. “Senior Shen shouldn’t pay it any mind. Perhaps Luo-shixiong is struggling with a temporary internal conflict that he’s yet to resolve. Before now, he never left Huan Hua Palace’s sphere of influence, yet when he heard that Cang Qiong Mountain’s Senior Shen was participating in rescue efforts here, he took the initiative and asked to come. Perhaps there’s been some turn for the better. Although, my shidi and shimei… Ahem, on this matter, I believe they’ve misunderstood Senior. I hope you won’t hold it against them.”

Shen Qingqiu’s heart was as choked as a dammed-up river. Sure enough, the positive reputation he’d painstakingly farmed over many years was nothing in the face of Luo Binghe’s ability to smear him without second thought. And what a thorough smearing!

But on second thought, this couldn’t actually be considered smearing. After all, Shen Qingqiu hadn’t been wrongly accused in this case. He had indeed kicked Luo Binghe down into the Endless Abyss.

In the end, he couldn’t find any reason to justify or exonerate himself.

“And you?” Shen Qingqiu asked. “Why don’t you misunderstand?”

Gongyi Xiao was stunned for a short while. Then he said, “Though I don’t know what exactly happened in Jue Di Gorge, I wholeheartedly believe that Senior isn’t the sort of person who would harm his own disciple.”

As he said this, Gongyi Xiao was thinking back on their meeting in Bai Lu Forest. Specifically, he was remembering the things Shen Qingqiu had accidentally let slip and the way he’d affectionately gazed upon that monster.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingqiu was thinking, It makes sense. Since we’re both cannon fodder fated to fall to the male lead’s indestructible body, we’re able to understand and sympathize with each other’s situations more than anyone else.

Therefore, both parties were moved.

While they were busy being pleased within their own minds, the group from Huan Hua Palace caught up with them. Shen Qingqiu accidentally glanced back and saw that Luo Binghe was looking over in his direction.

In the brief incense time since his reunion with Luo Binghe, it seemed that Shen Qingqiu’s heart had become quite a bit more delicate. It often felt like a small boat caught in a raging sea amidst a storm.

For example, at present, though Luo Binghe wasn’t standing anywhere close to him and had maintained an appropriate smile, that pair of cold, pitch-black eyes pierced him with incredible force, making Shen Qingqiu’s heart tremble in fright.

Bing-ge, what’s wrong now? Even the sight of cannon fodder talking and huddling together for warmth offends you?

Upon arriving at the entrance of Jin Zi Weapons Shop, Shen Qingqiu heard someone inside who was arguing loud enough to shake the roof. This was all thanks to Liu Qingge.

Liu Qingge was responsible for the hard labor, and after they’d separated, he’d gone to capture experimental subjects for Mu Qingfang. With the people in the city so on edge, no one was willing to cooperate. However, at this point they didn’t have the luxury to be concerned with consent, so they had resorted to martial power to solve the problem.

On top of that, Liu Qingge had never been the sort of patient person who preferred reason over force. His approach was highly consistent with Bai Zhan Peak’s customs: he simply went out and grabbed whoever he saw. In one pass, he had collected more than ten burly macho men, then tied them up by the forge, which had by now become Mu Qingfang’s research lab and experimental station. This group of big, strong men were shouting, cursing, crying, and wailing so terribly that no women could have overcome their performance.

Once Shen Qingqiu arrived in the cellar, he explained the unexpected events he had just experienced to his companions. However, for the time being, he didn’t bring up that he himself had been infected.

Master Wu Chen once again chanted Amitabha. “Thanks to our fellow cultivators from Cang Qiong Mountain, we’ve finally made progress on this matter.”

“I’m afraid it’s not that straightforward,” said Shen Qingqiu. “The infected cannot infect each other, and according to Qing Jing Peak’s ancient texts, the largest recorded number of people a single sower has infected in one go is only around three hundred. If a population as large as an entire city has been infected, there absolutely has to be more than the one culprit.”

Liu Qingge placed his hand on his sword’s hilt and stood. Shen Qingqiu knew he was the type to act first and think later, to up and leave without another word. He indubitably wanted to set out and find other sowers this instant.

“Slow down!” Shen Qingqiu said hurriedly. “I still have something else to say.”

“Go ahead, Shixiong,” said Mu Qingfang.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t know how to start, and he hesitated for a moment before saying, “Luo Binghe is back.”

There was little reaction. In the first place, of the three, Master Wu Chen was from Zhao Hua Monastery and didn’t know this “Luo Binghe.” Meanwhile, Mu Qingfang rarely cared about things other than medicine. Thus, it was only Liu Qingge who frowned.

“That disciple of yours?” he asked, stunned. “Didn’t he die at the hands of demons during the Immortal Alliance Conference?”

Shen Qingqiu found it was getting harder to explain. “He didn’t…die. He came back alive. It’s a long story.” He stepped forward. “Let’s patrol the city first. I’ll explain this in detail when we get back.”

“All right,” said Mu Qingfang. “The earlier we take care of the remaining sowers, the fewer horrors the people will suffer. I should also go check on those patients.”

As soon as he spoke, Shen Qingqiu thought of that brightly shining set of silver surgical tools Mu Qingfang always carried with him, which included all kinds of knives and needles. When spread out, they seemed to belong to the scene of a forensic autopsy. There were also hundreds upon thousands of bottles and jars in his infinite storage, with all sorts of labels. The words and descriptions on those labels were just like the flavor and effects of the contents within: stuff that made people go green upon hearing, let alone smelling, that made their courage flee with a glance. In a moment, that group of macho men by the forging station upstairs likely really would blow their lids—and the roof with it.

Shen Qingqiu let out a dry laugh. He was about to follow Liu Qingge out of the cellar when from out of nowhere, his heartbeat suddenly seemed a hundred times louder. His movements also slowed, becoming sluggish.

Liu Qingge sensed that something was off, and immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Qingqiu didn’t answer and only tried to summon a spiritual blast with his right hand. A feeble spiritual flow sputtered through it, forming not a single spark.

Fuck me. Of course I have a flare-up at such an important time. Are you kidding me?!

“Without a Cure,” Mu Qingfang said quietly.

Liu Qingge pressed his fingers to Shen Qingqiu’s pulse, waiting there for a moment before resolutely pushing him back down into a chair. “Sit here and wait.”

Wait for what? For Luo Binghe to show up at their door?

Shen Qingqiu shot to his feet. “I’m going with you.”

Liu Qingge never gave others face when speaking. “Don’t be a hindrance.”

Master, you’re the Bai Zhan Peak Lord capable of single-handedly holding off thousands of enemies! How would letting me fly with you be a hindrance?!

“Shen-shixiong, have you taken your medication today? Was it on time?” Mu Qingfang asked.

Shen Qingqiu truly wanted to scream at the heavens: I haven’t given up on therapy!

I clearly took my medicine on time this month! And I had Great Master Liu help circulate my meridians on time too! Exactly why would it randomly flare up? It’s basically lightning on a clear day—I’m utterly baffled!

At this moment, the System just had to, of all things, send a sudden notification: 【 Protagonist satisfaction points +100. 】

Get lost! What are you saying with this?! “Whenever Shen Qingqiu meets misfortune, the male lead is extra satisfied”?!

“Shen-shixiong, you must not force yourself,” Mu Qingfang added. “Liu-shixiong is also doing this for your own good. Exerting yourself and rushing around during a flare-up is enormously dangerous. You stay here and rest. I’ll go prepare medicine. Wait for Liu-shixiong to return, and then he’ll help clear your meridians.”

Shen Qingqiu stood three times, but Liu Qingge pushed him back down every single one, and Mu Qingfang’s tone was that of a man lecturing an unruly child.

In the end, Shen Qingqiu could only helplessly say, “Very well. Liu-shidi, listen to me, a sower’s entire body is covered with scarlet skin, and they are highly infectious. If you meet something suspicious that looks similar, don’t be rash and get close. Attack from afar. Once you return, you must come to my room without delay. I have something very important to discuss with you.”

The last sentence was the most critical; Shen Qingqiu deliberately enunciated the words with added emphasis.

Comradeship is priceless and fraternal love supreme. A thousand days are spent training troops for the sake of one moment. Master Liu, you absolutely must shield me!

After the Liu-Mu pair left the cellar, Wu Chen descended into intense thought. “Immortal Master Shen, don’t you think it strange?” he asked. “The Demon Realm was quiet for so long, yet in recent years, there seem to be signs of a resurgence. At the last Immortal Alliance Conference, numerous rare demonic creatures reappeared in the Human Realm. And this incident in Jin Lan City is even more troubling. Sowers appearing now after they were eradicated a hundred years ago? This one worries that this…most likely isn’t a good omen.”

Shen Qingqiu profoundly agreed. “Master, your apprehensions are exactly why I can’t be at ease. And this iteration of sowers are markedly stronger than their predecessors. None of the sowers I read about from a hundred years back were able to prevent the infected from traveling a certain distance from them, lest they undergo accelerated decay.”

Moreover, Luo Binghe should have remained in the Endless Abyss for two more years, yet he’s broken out early. How could this be a good fucking omen?!

After being infected, Master Wu Chen’s martial aspect had been heavily damaged, and the drain on his energy was enormous. Not long into their discussion, he became tired. Shen Qingqiu helped him lie down, then did his best to quietly leave the cellar.

They had hidden Wu Chen within the cellar so he wouldn’t be exposed to light or the elements. Shen Qingqiu’s actual room was on the second floor of the weapon shop’s inner courtyard. Liu Qingge had yet to return, and at this time, it would have been impossible for Shen Qingqiu to sleep even if he’d wanted to. He sat at a table and lost himself in his thoughts.

One moment, he’d think of the little lamb Luo Binghe, who’d always followed him around while calling “Shizun.” In the next, he’d think of that black lotus Luo Binghe he’d only just met, who had left him so thoroughly drenched in unease that he wanted to rip out all his hair.

After an unknown length of time, someone knocked on the door twice, neither light nor heavy.

Shen Qingqiu hastily stood from the table. “Liu-shidi? I’ve been waiting for you all night. Come in, quickly!”

The room’s set of double doors flew open.

Luo Binghe stood in the entrance. Behind him was unbounded darkness. His hands were tucked behind his back, his lips curved slightly upward, but his eyes seemed like icy pools a thousand meters deep.

Yet those eyes smiled as he said, “Shizun, hello.”

Oh shit, he’s here!

All at once, it was as if Shen Qingqiu’s brains had started boiling, catching fire with a whoosh.

Fuck! The Ring was playing out live right before his eyes!

He grabbed his fan and, with a nimble flip, leapt out the window.

Luo Binghe had finally done away with that goosebump-raising mask he’d worn during the day and exposed his true nature—and he’d come to make his teacher pay.

Shen Qingqiu’s flight was an entirely unconscious impulse. The poser habits he’d developed over so many years allowed him to persevere, so that even while fleeing, his movements were easy and graceful. He landed solidly on the ground, and with a tap of his foot, darted away like a flying bird.

Luo Binghe’s clear, bright voice pierced far through the air, reaching his ears while carrying a hint of cold, drifting laughter. “During the day, Shizun was so intimate and gentle with Gongyi Xiao, and this evening you lit a lantern, waiting for Liu-shishu until late into the night. What sincere affection. Why, then, are you so distant when it comes to this disciple?”

Fuck, it feels like he’s cutting the distance in half with every sentence. This speed is unscientific!

Shen Qingqiu drew in a deep breath, thinking that whatever happened, he ought to find himself some backup first. He shouted from the pit of his stomach, “Liu Qingge!”

Luo Binghe’s voice drew even closer. It was no longer as tender this time around, and instead it came with a wintry laugh. “Liu-shishu is embroiled in a fight, so I’m afraid he doesn’t have the leisure to come. Shizun, if you have orders, why not give them to me?”

I wouldn’t dare!

Shen Qingqiu understood that Luo Binghe must have delayed Liu Qingge by some means. Aid from that quarter couldn’t be counted on. He swiftly poured his entire body’s spiritual energy downward, hoping to boost his speed.

But of course he just had to forget that he was in the middle of a Without a Cure flare-up.

By the time he remembered, it was already too late. In an instant, it was like all the blood in Shen Qingqiu’s body had solidified, and his entire form felt suddenly heavy.

In the next moment, a hand flashed forward to clutch his throat and his back crashed hard into a cold, solid rock wall. The pain resonated from his flesh into his spine, his head buzzing.

Luo Binghe was already within arm’s reach.

He had slammed Shen Qingqiu into the wall with one hand. The back of Shen Qingqiu’s skull rang with the crash, and he swooned. It took a good while before he could refocus his gaze.

Under the streaming moonlight, Luo Binghe looked even more peerlessly beautiful, as if his silhouette had been carved from ice and jade. He pressed very close, and he spoke with slow deliberation. “After so many years of separation, we meet amidst golden wind and jade dew1, yet Shizun incessantly calls someone else’s name. That truly saddens this disciple a little.”

He says he’s sad and brokenhearted, but there’s a smile on his lips and bloodlust in his eyes. Any way you look at it, he’s lying through his teeth!

Shen Qingqiu felt as if his neck were caught in an iron shackle. His throat bobbed with difficulty, and it was hard to breathe, let alone speak. He could still manage to form a sword seal with his fingers, but his spiritual energy circulation was sluggish, so it was pointless anyhow. No matter how perfect a seal he formed, he couldn’t move Xiu Ya.

And Luo Binghe was pressing harder and harder, his hand gradually tightening.

Suddenly, there was a flash before Shen Qingqiu’s eyes and a giant dialogue box popped up.

This dialogue box was entirely different from the one before. Before, they’d uniformly looked like Windows XP error windows, but now it was subdued, lavish, and sophisticated… Wait, the main point was the content!

【 Accept a System tip to resolve the small complication our valued customer is facing? 】

You call this a “small complication”?!

Shen Qingqiu mentally shouted himself hoarse, “All right! Is there still an easy mode?! Easy mode please!”

【 Access privileges activated. Use key item to maintain state of living? 】

Shen Qingqiu’s vision was about to go dark from suffocation. “There’s a key item?! How many B-Points to buy it? Tell me!”

【 Item is already in your inventory. Use item “Fake Jade Guanyin” to consume one hundred of Luo Binghe’s anger points? 】

Oh shit—the only thing Luo Binghe’s adoptive mother left to him, the fake jade Guanyin!

Right after arriving in this world, he’d acquired this life-saving item, a high-tier piece of equipment. How did he keep forgetting? He still had this Get Out of Jail Free card tucked away in his bosom.

System, you finally gave a useful reminder!

Shen Qingqiu mentally shouted, “I will, I will, I will!” His throat was about to be squeezed in two!

【 Please note: This item is single-use and can consume a maximum of five thousand of Luo Binghe’s anger points. 】

At the final moment, Shen Qingqiu yanked on the reins. “Stop!”

This was Luo Binghe at only one hundred anger points?!

Are you messing with me?! If he’s already this tall, dark, and deadly at a hundred anger points, I don’t even dare imagine what a vision he’d be at five thousand!

But the point was that if Shen Qingqiu was going to use an item that could potentially negate five thousand points on a situation that was worth only one hundred—and thereby lose the chance to use it ever again—even if it was a matter of life and death, he needed some time to agonize and struggle!

Then again, if things went on like this, it was either death from suffocation or from a pulped throat.

Just when Shen Qingqiu made up his mind, preparing to grit his teeth and use his life-saving item, the hand around his neck suddenly loosened.

There was no way he could get away even if he tried to run, so he could only continue his poser act, pretending to be chill about it. Shen Qingqiu propped himself up on the wall, barely managing to stand upright and not sink to his knees on the spot.

Seconds ago, Luo Binghe had almost choked him to death, and now he was coming over all smiles to help him up, just like in the past, when he had helped Shen Qingqiu alight from carriages or brought him snacks. Shen Qingqiu actually forgot to struggle. All he could feel was that this schizophrenic behavior was making his hair stand on end.

Luo Binghe sighed. “Why did Shizun run so fast? This disciple almost couldn’t catch up.”

Bullshit. As if Luo Binghe hadn’t just spent ages chasing him down in a game of cat and mouse as if it were nothing. He wasn’t even short of breath!

Shen Qingqiu panted, then gingerly opened his mouth, his voice a bit hoarse. “You have quite some nerve, returning in such a grandiose fashion. Aren’t you afraid someone will discover your true identity?”

Luo Binghe’s eyes flashed. “Is Shizun concerned or worried?”

Shen Qingqiu thought this an interesting reply. In these circumstances, was there any difference between “concerned” and “worried”?

He couldn’t resist asking, “Unless you think I won’t tell anyone?”

Luo Binghe looked at him, then said pityingly, “Shizun, that would require someone to believe you.”

Shen Qingqiu’s heart thumped.

So this meant that just like in the original work, Luo Binghe was planning to first utterly destroy Shen Qingqiu’s reputation, then painstakingly, step by step, force him down the road to ruin, methodically toying with him until he died?

The original Shen Qingqiu had two major scummy qualities:

1) Attempting to get a taste of countless young ladies and married women alike.

2) Murdering tons of his comrades, as well as other people.

But now when Shen Qingqiu considered himself, after he’d taken this shell, he conclusively hadn’t inherited these interests and ambitions from the original. Could Luo Binghe still destroy his prestigious reputation and place in society?

【 Friendly reminder: Of course. 】

“Shut up, okay?” Shen Qingqiu muttered in his head. “You don’t need to remind me of reality, thanks.”

【 You’re welcome. No B-Points will be deducted for this explanation. 】

Shen Qingqiu directly x-ed out of the dialogue box that had popped up.

He rubbed his throat and stood for a while, then realized that Luo Binghe was actually still staring at him, seemingly with no intention of attacking again.

Still looking? He can’t possibly be trying to make up for lost time after our years of separation, can he?

【 Protagonist satisfaction points +50. 】

“Haven’t you been upgraded?” Shen Qingqiu snapped at the System. “Why are you omitting the reason for the point increase? Don’t you dare accuse me of farming points later. I didn’t even do anything! Where are these points coming from? Also, could you stop appearing for like a second?”

After a while, Shen Qingqiu asked out loud, “What are you planning to do with your return?”

Luo Binghe replied, “I was merely reminiscing about how Shizun had treated me well, and I wanted to return to see you.”

Shen Qingqiu automatically comprehended this as a declaration that Luo Binghe had come back to settle old debts.

In this round of question and answer with Luo Binghe, they had actually managed to be something like congenial, so Shen Qingqiu tentatively grew braver. Without changing his expression, he moved his hand to his sword hilt. “Just to kill me? Then what about the plague in Jin Lan City? Has every resident of this city ‘treated you well’?”

Who could have expected that as soon as those words came out of his mouth, they would touch some sore spot inside of Luo Binghe. It was like a cold star had fallen within his eyes, and the faint hint of a smile on his face disappeared without a trace.

“Shizun harbors a truly relentless hatred toward the demon race,” Luo Binghe said mockingly. There was a hint of forcibly suppressed anger in his voice.

No, I don’t, actually.

Luo Binghe clenched his teeth. “No, I should say, a relentless hatred toward me.”

See, you do understand—wait, what, what, what? Shen Qingqiu was speechless—he’d never said that!

Luo Binghe took a sudden step toward him. Shen Qingqiu’s expression quickly became cautious, and he retreated a step. But behind his back was a wall, and so there was nowhere to go.

Their gazes collided in midair. Then Luo Binghe seemed to realize that he was too worked up, and he closed his eyes, only opening them again after a few moments had passed.

“Does Shizun honestly think that I would kill, burn, massacre cities, and inevitably topple countries just because of that half of my lineage?”

Shen Qingqiu could only keep his silence.

If only he had a physical copy of Proud Immortal Demon Way in his hand, he would have slapped it onto Luo Binghe’s face.

If you have a smoking gun, then use it! The latter part of that twenty-million-word epic was chock full of the ammunition he wanted. With all the things Luo Binghe had done, the phrases “kill, burn, massacre cities, and topple countries,” and “not a dog or fowl was spared” were barely even exaggerations for dramatic effect…

When Shen Qingqiu looked down without a single word, Luo Binghe took it as tacit agreement. He sneered. “Then why did you tell me not to put too much weight on race and that no one is intolerable to the heavens? Why say such pompous things?”

His face abruptly grew dark, malice overflowing from between his brows, and he lashed out. “Utter hypocrisy!” he snarled.

Shen Qingqiu had been prepared for this. At this moment, he rapidly retreated, only just managing to dodge. When he turned his head, he saw that the wall he’d just been leaning against had been pulverized.

Though he’d long known that after he crawled back out of a place as brutal as the Endless Abyss, Luo Binghe’s temperament would change, he’d never thought it would actually be such an extreme one-eighty. Moody didn’t even begin to describe him.

Having known this would come about in the novel ahead of time was one thing, but seeing a once-familiar person change like this was another entirely. It hit Shen Qingqiu especially hard because this outcome was basically his single-handed creation.

It seemed like Luo Binghe hadn’t really intended to hit him. After venting his anger with this attack, he calmed down a bit, tilted his head, and reached out, seemingly to grab hold of Shen Qingqiu—so Shen Qingqiu hastily drew Xiu Ya.

It’d been a long time since he’d drawn his sword by hand. Usually, he summoned it with a sword seal. But now that he had no spiritual energy, he could only wield the blade manually. There was nothing to be done; he couldn’t just offer himself up for capture. At least in this moment, he absolutely couldn’t just sit still and await death.

He’d made a truly gargantuan blunder. He’d thought Luo Binghe would train for the full five years before he crawled out of the Endless Abyss. Who could have guessed that he would activate his cheats to even greater potential and speed up the process by half?

And by Shen Qingqiu’s calculation, the Sun-Moon Dew Mushroom he’d been growing as his life-saving trump card wasn’t yet at the point where he could use it.

Watching Shen Qingqiu, Luo Binghe slowly raised a hand, letting him see the violet-black demonic energy roiling in his palm. “Shizun,” he said leisurely. “Take a guess. If I grab Xiu Ya, how many strikes will it take before it’s corroded all the way through?”

No need to guess—I’ll bet fifty cents on one strike at most! Shen Qingqiu felt even more miserable.

Luo Binghe took another step closer, and Shen Qingqiu could only raise his sword to take the attack.

He had mentally prepared for Xiu Ya’s destruction, but in a blink, as if Luo Binghe had seen something, he started. Then he suddenly withdrew the demonic energy in his palm and caught the tip of the sword with his bare hand.

Shen Qingqiu hadn’t thought he would actually cut Luo Binghe. That made this the second time!

In his moment of shock, Luo Binghe chopped down on his wrist. Shen Qingqiu’s hand loosened in pain, and his sword fell, whereupon it was sent flying with a flick of Luo Binghe’s finger.

Luo Binghe clamped down on Shen Qingqiu’s wrist with a single hand, and fresh blood flowed from Luo Binghe’s palm, soaking Shen Qingqiu’s sleeve. The blood kept flowing and flowing, and Shen Qingqiu started to panic, worried for no reason.

While Shen Qingqiu was still in the midst of confusion, Luo Binghe flipped his hand over. “You were infected?”

Some small red patches were scattered across the back of Shen Qingqiu’s hand, a few more than there had been during the day.

Luo Binghe’s slender fingers flitted across his hand in a barely-there touch, and the red patches disappeared under his fingertips like ink dropped in water. As expected, a little thing like this was no threat to Luo Binghe.

Luo Binghe seemed to have moderated his expression. “This hand of Shizun’s is plagued with misfortunes.”

It turned out they had thought the same thing. As Shen Qingqiu took in his spotless hand, he found himself even less able to understand the course of Luo Binghe’s thoughts. Given what had made him pause, perhaps this hand had reminded him of the good old days? If Shen Qingqiu thought about it, this same limb had blocked the poisoned armor spikes way back when. Perhaps it had rekindled some old affections?

Just as he wondered this, a fist suddenly slammed into his stomach.

Luo Binghe smiled. “An eye for an eye. Since Shizun sowed the seeds, he should reap the bitter fruit himself. Shizun should personally make up for the wounds he gave me.”

Shen Qingqiu assumed that Luo Binghe was venting his anger for the emotional trauma inflicted on him three years ago by injuring his old master in a relatively comparable way. But then there was a sharp pain on his scalp, and his neck was forced to straighten so that Luo Binghe could press his hand to Shen Qingqiu’s lips. The taste of blood flooded into his mouth.

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes shot wide open as he finally realized that the “wound” Luo Binghe was talking about was the one he had only just left on his hand with Xiu Ya.

Motherfucker—don’t drink it, don’t drink it, I absolutely can’t drink this!

Shen Qingqiu furiously slapped away that hand and bent over to retch up the mouthfuls of blood he had swallowed, but Luo Binghe dragged him back up and continued to pour blood into his mouth.

Luo Binghe further opened the wound on his hand. Hot blood flowed endlessly from it, yet he seemed even happier. “Shizun, don’t spit it out. Even though a heavenly demon’s blood is dirty, you won’t necessarily die from drinking it, right?”

He wouldn’t die, but he would live a fate worse than death!

 

***

 

Shen Qingqiu didn’t know how he made it back to the Jin Zi Weapons Shop. Even after climbing the stairs and entering his room, he was still in a daze, and he fell straight onto the bed. He could only feel his brain, stomach, and blood churning and seething; things were crawling about back and forth inside them. He restlessly tossed and turned the entire night.

In the distant past, heavenly demons had been able to control their blood after it left their body, and this ability had been inherited by all members of their bloodline. If someone drank their blood, death was indeed not the only possible consequence. Worst of all, said the possible consequences were numerous.

In the original work, Luo Binghe had mastered control of his blood and used it for a wide range of purposes, including poison; he could even fashion it into parasitic mite-like creatures that he could then use to destroy a target from within. He’d also deployed it as a location tracker, a physical means of brainwashing, a sex tool…etc.

Soaked in cold sweat, Shen Qingqiu drifted between dream and reality, and he only fell into a deep sleep at daybreak. He hadn’t slept for long when a wave of earthshaking cheers jolted him awake, and he staggered out of bed. As he’d gone to bed fully clothed, he didn’t need to dress. Just as he was about to open the door, it flung open itself, and in burst a lively, bouncing youth.

“The gates are open! The gates are open!” Yang Yixuan said, agitated.

“What?”

“Those red monsters were all captured, so the gates were opened! Jin Lan City finally managed to pull through!” Yang Yixuan shouted. Then, at the thought of his father’s death, his eyes filled with tears.

Shen Qingqiu’s entire body felt awful, and his head hurt like it had been split open, but he still wanted to comfort the youth. Even as he did, he thought: That was so fast. They were all captured in one night?

As the gates were opened, the cultivators from various sects who had been observing from several kilometers away all poured into the city, and they gathered in a large open plaza. Mu Qingfang was also there, distributing the medicinal pills he’d prepared. Jin Lan City, which had been wholly lifeless only a few days ago, was now overflowing with joy. Altogether, seven sowers had been captured alive, and all of them were quarantined inside a Zhao Hua Monastery barrier.

Shen Qingqiu saw Liu Qingge looking pensive. He went up and patted his shoulder. “What happened last night?”

Liu Qingge threw him a look, then replied with a question. “What’s up with your disciple?”

“What did he do?”

“Last night, he caught five, and I caught two,” Liu Qingge said slowly. He stared at Shen Qingqiu. “Exactly what happened during the years Luo Binghe was missing?”

Luo Binghe hadn’t just stolen kills from directly beneath the master of Bai Zhan Peak’s nose, he’d actually beaten his kill count. This was a devastating blow to the worldview of any heir to Bai Zhan Peak. It was practically a great shame and humiliation!

And aren’t these numbers official confirmation that when it comes to power levels, currently the Luo Binghe to Liu Qingge ratio is 5:2…

Suddenly, the nearby disciples tempered their outcry and moved to clear space, making a path. From not far off, the leaders of several sects walked steadily toward them. Yue Qingyuan and Huan Hua Palace’s Old Palace Master arrived side by side, followed closely by the leaders of Tian Yi Temple and Zhao Hua Monastery.

Luo Binghe stood right next to the Old Palace Master.

Illuminated by the first rays of the early morning sun, Luo Binghe looked invigorated, glowing with life. When Shen Qingqiu compared himself to his old student, he became instantly depressed.

Even Yue Qingyuan had something to say about it. When he passed Shen Qingqiu, he looked at him for a while and said, worried, “Your complexion is far too poor. As expected, I shouldn’t have let you come.”

Shen Qingqiu gave him a hollow smile. “It’s only because Mu-shidi’s patients were wailing and howling all night. I couldn’t sleep much.”

Mu Qingfang had finished distributing the medicine. On returning, he also looked at Shen Qingqiu with surprise. “Shixiong, even with all the noise we made, it shouldn’t have left you in such a dreadful state after a single night. Have you taken the medication I left in your room?”

“I took it, I took it,” Shen Qingqiu said in a rush. Please don’t ask me if I’ve “taken my meds today” ever again!

Then a clamor surged from the other side of the crowd. Shen Qingqiu turned to look and promptly wanted to drop his forehead into his hands. A middle-aged man in mourning clothes stood at the head of a large group of men and women, and he insisted on kneeling before Luo Binghe. This was Jin Lan City’s governor.

The governor was beside himself with emotion. “Our small town was saved through the sacrifice of many cultivators. This kindness can never be repaid. If in the future you have orders for us, we will fulfill them no matter the cost!”

The corners of Shen Qingqiu’s mouth twitched. What a standard plot development. With the monsters cleared out, it was time to collect followers and reap rewards. And at this sort of time, it was always the protagonist alone who stole the spotlight. Anyone else who’d contributed to the effort would be treated as part of the scenery. Even if Shen Qingqiu excluded himself, Liu Qingge had caught two sowers, and moments ago Mu Qingfang had been right there, distributing medicine.

Luo Binghe’s response was also bog standard. “Please rise, Governor,” he said humbly. “Jin Lan City made it safely through this calamity due to the efforts of many sects working together to support each other. It would be difficult for a single person’s efforts to accomplish such.”

His words and manner were sincere and appropriate; he didn’t diminish his own glory, but with this, the other sects were placated.

The governor was once more bursting with praise. “Last night, I saw this young master single-handedly subduing those wicked things with my own eyes. Such outstanding cultivation. As expected, a hero’s nature is evident even in youth, and famed masters raise outstanding disciples! Palace Master, your sect’s succession is in good hands.”

Upon hearing the words “famed masters raise outstanding disciples,” Luo Binghe’s smile deepened, and his gaze, intentionally or not, flitted over to land briefly on Shen Qingqiu’s face, like a dragonfly touching water. Shen Qingqiu spread his fan to avoid it.

During the praise, the Old Palace Master’s gaze toward Luo Binghe was filled with parental affection. Others might not have been able to tell, but Shen Qingqiu was keenly aware that this was the gaze of one looking at a successor-slash-son-in-law of whom one was proud.

Those seven sowers who had been trapped together squawked and shouted, agitating the people.

“How should these vile things be dealt with?” someone asked.

“Shidi, any thoughts?” asked Yue Qingyuan.

Shen Qingqiu muttered, “Qingqiu has seen related records in old texts that sowers fear high temperatures. It appears that only by burning them in a raging fire can we remove their body’s infectious ability to bring decay.”

This was eminently easy to understand. Sterilization required high temperatures.

Yet one cultivator protested in shock. “How…how could we resort to such a method? If we do this, will we not be as barbaric and cruel as the demon race?”

All too soon, his voice was drowned out by the enraged shouts of Jin Lan City’s surviving citizens.

During the days the plague had raged unchecked, the city had lost countless innocent lives, the victim’s bodies festering in death in ways too horrible for words. A perfectly fine and flourishing merchant city had been reduced to the horrific sight it was today. At this time, anyone expressing sympathy or advocating for humane treatment of the sowers risked becoming the enemy of the entire population. The handful of cultivators who did so soon found themselves surrounded by roars of “Burn them!” and “Burn anyone who objects alongside!”

Of the seven sowers within the barrier, most of them bared their teeth, cackling with boisterous laughter and showing no signs of remorse. Shen Qingqiu supposed they probably even thought themselves heroes who’d created a bumper crop for their own race. Only a single sower, the most petite of the group, wept miserably.

At the sight of this misery, sympathy swelled in some few hearts.

Qin Wanyue bit her lip, then approached Luo Binghe. “Luo-shixiong, that frail little sower looks so pitiful.”

“They look so pitiful” she said. But however pitiable the sower looked, were they as woebegone as those who’d been infected by the plague for no reason, whose bodies had rotted until they died?

Luo Binghe smiled at her but did not answer.

In Shen Qingqiu’s eyes, in terms of reactions to girls, this was far too perfunctory. It probably didn’t deserve a passing grade. If he thought back on the original work at this juncture, shouldn’t Luo Binghe have taken the chance to express his agreement with tender and sympathetic words? How come Luo Binghe’s training speed had increased while his girl-wooing skills had decreased?

But what could be done about it when Luo Binghe had a face that, regardless of angle or expression, was always as silky as jade, assured and elegant? Qin Wanyue was momentarily dazzled, and she flung the words she had just said to the back of her mind, content to continue watching from the sidelines.

At this moment, something entirely unexpected occurred.

That petite sower threw itself forward, slamming into the side of the barrier with a thump. Its scarlet face appeared even more sinister due to its wailing and bawling, and it shouted, “Immortal Master Shen, you must not let them burn me to death. I’m begging you, Immortal Master Shen, please save me!”

Shen Qingqiu felt like some string in his brain had suddenly snapped.

Who the fuck are you?! What’s with randomly throwing yourself around and calling for Immortal Master Shen? I really don’t know you, okay?!

From all across the plaza, thousands of eyes summarily landed on Shen Qingqiu.

“We were only following your orders,” the sower continued to wail. “You never said that we’d be burned!”

…WTF!

What a ridiculous development! And on top of that, it was such a basic, crude accusation. Shen Qingqiu felt like he was drunk.

But the Old Palace Master’s response made him feel even more inebriated. “Shouldn’t Immortal Master Shen provide an explanation for this exclamation?”

Such a low-level trick, yet someone had still believed it!

“Yes!” someone echoed a second after. “An explanation must be provided.”

And it wasn’t only one person!

The Twelve Peaks rallied together against outsiders. As soon as these words were spoken, quite a few of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s cultivators revealed expressions of displeasure. Yue Qingyuan was even more direct: his face became stony.

“Anyone with eyes should be able to tell that this thing is unhappy about its impending death,” Qi Qingqi said scornfully. “It wants someone to share its fate, so it’s obviously framing him. All demonic evildoers are the same. Yet some people are still taking the bait—how utterly laughable!”

“Then why has it made no other claims and instead focused only on Immortal Master Shen?” the Old Palace Master asked lightly. “This point is worth considering as well.”

Shen Qingqiu was wholly defeated by this logic. According to that line of thinking, any time someone was singled out and accused of something, the question of their innocence was “worth considering.” The bar for framing someone was way too low.

Luo Binghe spoke not a single word, though he stared over with rapt attention. Perhaps it was only Shen Qingqiu’s imagination, but he kept feeling like those pitch-black, star-like eyes were full of smiles.

In the original work, Shen Qingqiu became unpardonably loathed due to the slaughter of his own sect sibling: he personally murdered Liu Qingge. But in the present, Liu Qingge was standing right next to Shen Qingqiu. If someone tried to beat him up, Liu Qingge might even protect him. So obviously he couldn’t be charged with that crime!

Could it be that, no longer stained all over by crimes he hadn’t committed, he’d be slandered to the point that it made up the change?

Given Luo Binghe’s character post-darkening…that wasn’t impossible.

A Huan Hua Palace disciple suddenly stepped forward, his face decorated with a few pockmarks. This was the disciple who’d ridiculed Shen Qingqiu in the abandoned building the day before. He bowed before he spoke. “Palace Master, this disciple has just discovered something and isn’t sure if it’s appropriate to say.”

“If you have something to say, then speak,” Shen Qingqiu said expressionlessly. “You’ve already opened your mouth, so why even say that you’re unsure if it’s ‘appropriate’ to do so? How insincere.” Wasn’t this disciple slapping his own face?

Said disciple likely hadn’t thought a senior would scold him. His face flared between red and white, until even the pockmarks changed color. But he didn’t dare snap back and only glared viciously at Shen Qingqiu. “Yesterday, this disciple and several sect siblings all realized that there were a few infected red patches on Senior Shen’s arm. We saw them very plainly, but if you look today, those red patches have all disappeared!

“Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s Senior Mu said himself that the pills he provided the city were created on the spot and that they need twenty-four hours to take effect. It’s even possible that they won’t be effective. Luo-shixiong took the cure right in front of us, and the red patches on his hand have yet to fade. So why has only Senior Shen recovered so soon? His red patches have fully disappeared. Whatever the reason, this disciple thinks that highly suspicious!”

Shen Qingqiu sighed internally. He should’ve known that Luo Binghe wouldn’t remove the seeds of decay out of kindness.

“My shidi oversees Qing Jing Peak,” Yue Qingyuan said steadily. “As a peak lord, he has always been a model member of the sect. His moral character is noble and unsullied; this the entire sect both knows and understands. For everyone to believe such baseless claims so easily—you’re far too susceptible to provocation.”

Shen Qingqiu’s face was going to turn red.

Shixiong, don’t do this—are you for real? If you’re speaking against your conscience just to protect me, I’ll feel really awful! Whether it’s the original flavor or the current one, I bet neither of us can even touch the edges of “noble and unsullied moral character.” Well, no, the original flavor could definitely touch the last word.2

“Is that so?” asked the Old Palace Master. “That differs from what I’ve heard.”

Shen Qingqiu’s heart sank. It seemed like this was the day that he would be thoroughly dragged through the mud. He still narrowed his eyes. “Since when did hearsay from other sects become the basis for conclusions on the moral character of the heir of our Cang Qiong Mountain’s Qing Jing Peak?”

“If it were only hearsay, of course we would not trust it so easily. But this information came from one of your esteemed sect’s very own members.” The Old Palace Master looked all around him before he continued. “Everyone must know that it is common for each sect’s disciples to form friendships with one another, so hearing some rumors and gossip is inevitable. However, the matter of Peak Lord Shen deliberately abusing and doing grievous harm to the disciples under his care? This alone ought to render him unworthy of the phrase ‘noble and unsullied moral character.’”

Shen Qingqiu’s head was going to swell.

Grievous harm to the disciples under his care? This one was true. During Luo Binghe’s early developmental period, Shen Qingqiu had mistreated him in every imaginable way—his glorious deeds using the protagonist as child labor could have filled a tragic novel of great suffering all on their own. The number of other disciples Shen Qingqiu had harassed or even driven out because of their talent also numbered high enough to rival a gymnastics team. It was just—the one who’d grievously harmed them wasn’t him, it was the original flavor!

“Since you are aware they are only rumors and gossip, you must be aware that they do not merit discussion,” Yue Qingyuan said solemnly. “It’s true that my shidi doesn’t typically like to pamper his disciples, but to accuse him of grievous harm is too much.”

A soft, sweet voice broke in. Qin Wanyue had reached her limit; she had to speak up for her beloved. “Then may this woman ask Sect Leader Yue: Would ordering a youth in his teens to face a demonic elder with hundreds of years of training, one who wore armor covered in poisoned spikes into battle, not count as persecution and grievous harm?”

This time, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t just chill prettily on the sidelines and listen. “Whether it counts or not, I do not know,” he said in an even tone. “But what I do know is that an instance where a shizun intercepts a suit of poisoned armor, pushes aside his disciple, and shields him with his own body probably can’t count as persecution. What do you think, Luo Binghe?”

Of all the cultivators present, some looked astonished to hear this name, and many of those were from Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. Some had merely been suspicious when they’d seen that face, such as Qi Qingqi, who was now stunned in shock.

As for a certain member of the logistics team, who’d nearly fallen to his knees on the spot upon entering Jin Lan City and coming face-to-face with Luo Binghe, after his heart had undergone a torrential bout of rain and wind, he’d since become calm and composed.

Because Shen Qingqiu had often punished Luo Binghe in the past, Yue Qingyuan had also seen him a few times, but that had been while Luo Binghe was still young. Afterward, Shen Qingqiu had elevated Luo Binghe and often sent him away from Qing Jing Peak to handle all sorts of tasks, which had made it harder to actually meet him. At the Immortal Alliance Conference, although he’d seen Luo Binghe’s face in the crystal mirror, it had only been for a brief moment, and the mirrors hadn’t been especially clear.

So, Yue Qingyuan actually hadn’t recognized the shining, handsome young man at the Huan Hua Palace Master’s side as Shen Qingqiu’s own “beloved disciple.” Before this moment, Yue Qingyuan had heard that the Palace Master’s most highly regarded disciple was also his most senior, so he’d mistaken Luo Binghe for Gongyi Xiao. Thus, at the moment when Shen Qingqiu pointed out the truth, he too was stunned.

From amid the crowd, Luo Binghe stared at Shen Qingqiu with an unwavering gaze. Shen Qingqiu tilted his head and snapped open his fan. He actually had a mind to smile back, though it might have only looked like a taunting curl of his lips.

It would have been nonsense to say he wasn’t a bit mad. Shen Qingqiu admittedly often worried about his own life, and he had a lot of opinions about Luo Binghe, but that time he’d blocked a blow for Luo Binghe had been pure instinct. Although, Luo Binghe probably wouldn’t have needed anyone’s help to escape danger. So really, from every angle you could think of, Shen Qingqiu was the one who’d been most screwed over by those three matches—and here they were actually trying to use them to smear his reputation! He was furious.

Luo Binghe said slowly, “The kindness Shizun showed by protecting me with his own body…I will never dare to forget it.”

“It’s really you? Shen Qingqiu, didn’t you say he died?” Qi Qingqi said in disbelief. She looked at Luo Binghe again. “Since you’re alive, why didn’t you return to Qing Jing Peak? Don’t you know that because of you, your shizun was out of—”

Shen Qingqiu hastily burst into a fit of dry coughs so violent that Qi Qingqi had to stop and stare at him.

Shen Qingqiu had a profound desire to bow and beg before her. He had a premonition that the next words he had been about to hear would undoubtedly have been “out of his mind with grief.” Fucking hell, he never wanted to hear those words again!

A wave of goosebumps hit him. If Luo Binghe heard those words, he’d laugh hard enough to crack that Platonic ideal of a male lead’s face!

“This is exactly what’s so inexplicable,” the Old Palace Master persisted. “He plainly did not die, so why did you insist that he did? And why was he not willing to return when he apparently had the option to do so?”

Shen Qingqiu was sick of this bad faith tone. “If he wasn’t willing to return, there’s nothing I could do. He may come and go freely as he pleases; it’s all up to him. If the Palace Master wishes to say something, please say it outright.”

The Old Palace Master smiled. “Peak Lord Shen knows what I wish to say, and anyone here with a clear mind must also understand by now. It’s true that these demonic sowers should be annihilated by fire, but if there was someone directing them from behind the scenes, exacerbating the situation, we certainly cannot let them get away with it. They absolutely must explain themselves to the whole of Jin Lan City.”

With these words, he successfully stoked the flames of hatred within the Jin Lan City survivors. Having just suffered a great calamity, they were already terrified and bitter, itching for a target at whom to direct their rage. Quite a few people began to raise their voices in a clamor.

“Shizun loathes evil,” said Luo Binghe. “When it comes to demons, he only hates being denied the satisfaction of killing them personally. How, then, could he collude with them?”

This appeared to be him speaking up for Shen Qingqiu. However, he was the only one present who understood the true meaning behind the words “when it comes to demons, he only hates being denied the satisfaction of killing them personally.”

Having nothing to lose, Shen Qingqiu cut straight to the point. “Luo Binghe, right now, are you a disciple of Qing Jing Peak or a member of Huan Hua Palace?”

The Old Palace Master sneered. “After all this, Peak Lord Shen is once again willing to recognize this disciple?”

“I never expelled him from my tutelage,” said Shen Qingqiu. “Since he is still willing to call me ‘Shizun,’ he must surely be willing to acknowledge me as such.”

He said these words purely with the intention of aggravating Luo Binghe, but it seemed he didn’t succeed. Luo Binghe’s gaze flickered, and perhaps it was an illusion, but it seemed as if his eyes had somewhat cleared.

Within moments, the crowd had split into two defined camps. Sparks flew through the air, charged with the hostility of an imminent battle. As for the sowers who had instigated this conflict, they were now forgotten on the side. No longer did anyone care about how they were dealt with.

Then there came a woman’s sweetly charming voice. “Shen Jiu… Are you Shen Jiu?”

Upon hearing this name, Shen Qingqiu’s serene and placid countenance nearly fissured into the Great Rift Valley.

Fuck! Are the heavens determined to finish me today?! I’m done for. It’s that woman. It’s Qiu Haitang!

In the original work, Qiu Haitang’s appearance meant only one thing, and that was Shen Qingqiu’s complete and utter fall from grace.

Though Qiu Haitang was no longer a girl in her prime, her face was still as fair as a magnolia flower, her makeup vibrant and beautiful. Along with her slender figure and full bosom, her looks were verily striking. And since her looks were striking, she naturally couldn’t escape the fate of becoming a member of Luo Binghe’s harem.

The problem was that she’d once had an affair with Shen Qingqiu.

Congratulations! Having had a dubious relationship with two of a stallion novel male lead’s wives, the original flavor Shen Qingqiu could be considered undoubtedly unparalleled! At least in all of the stallion novels Shen Yuan had ever read, there was no second to be found!

As one could well imagine, this was unequivocally the reason for that second massive flood of “Castrate Shen Qingqiu! Castrate or we unsubscribe!” comments in the reviews.

A raging barrage of “fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck” to the nth power bombarded Shen Qingqiu’s mind.

Steps away, Qiu Haitang held her sword across her chest, as though if it came down to it, she was ready to kill him before slitting her own throat. “I’m asking you a question! Why do you not look at me?”

Big Sis, how could I dare look at you? You’re here for my life!

An expression of touching sorrow filled Qiu Haitang’s face. “So that’s why. No wonder. No wonder I searched for so many years but still never found you again. I see, you’d already flown to the summit and become the aloof and lofty master of Qing Jing Peak. Ha ha, how splendid!”

Shen Qingqiu really didn’t know where to look or what to say, so he just stared straight ahead, doing his best to keep his expression impassively detached.

Everyone was whispering amongst themselves.

Yue Qingyuan said in a low voice, “Qingqiu, this young lady…is indeed a former acquaintance of yours?”

Shen Qingqiu’s heart flooded with tears. Shixiong… Don’t ask me anything more…

“Former acquaintance?” Qiu Haitang continued sorrowfully. “I am not only a former acquaintance. This man, who looks so dignified, was once my childhood sweetheart…and I am his wife!”

When Luo Binghe heard this, his eyebrow began to twitch madly.

No! You’re inarguably Luo Binghe’s wife! Wake up!

“Eh? Is this really true?” Shang Qinghua said in surprise. “Why have I never heard Shen-shixiong mention it before?”

Shen Qingqiu curled his lips at him, giving him a fake smile: Can you stop adding fuel to the fire?

Who created this awful melodramatic content for the purpose of cranking up Shen Qingqiu’s scum and hatefulness points, huh? Yet you have the nerve to just stand back and enjoy the show?!

And all of you over there—aren’t you cultivators? Why do you love gossip so much? Go away, go away, get out, out, out!

Qiu Haitang sneered. “He’s a beast in a man’s clothes, a degenerate wearing a cultured mask. Of course he wouldn’t mention his shameful deeds.”

Master Wu Chen had interacted with the trio from Cang Qiong Mountain for some time and received Shen Qingqiu’s care, so he had a favorable impression of him. Previously, when Cang Qiong Mountain Sect and Huan Hua Palace had been arguing, he had been unable to interject, but he spoke up now. “Amitabha, if this benefactor has something to say, please explain it properly and explain it completely: blind accusations do not invite confidence.”

Shen Qingqiu wept to himself. Master, I know you’re doing this for me, but if she explains it completely, I’ll suffer even more. What I’m truly worried about isn’t having done shameful deeds, it’s taking the fall for ones I didn’t!

Just like that, Qiu Haitang became the focus of everyone’s attention. Face flushed red with emotion, she puffed out her chest and said loudly, “If a single word I, Qiu Haitang, say from here on out is false, may my heart be pierced by ten thousand of the demons’ poisonous arrows, and may I be undeserving of a peaceful death!” She pointed straight at Shen Qingqiu, fury burning in her eyes. “This person is now Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s Peak Lord of Qing Jing Peak, Shen Qingqiu, the widely renowned Xiu Ya Sword. But no one knows what kind of thing he used to be!”

Her language was rather harsh, and Qi Qingqi’s shapely willow-leaf brows rose in anger. “Watch your words!”

Qiu Haitang was now some sort of Hall Master in a small, random sect, so when rebuked by a leader of a big shot organization like Cang Qiong Mountain, she unconsciously backed up a step.

But the Old Palace Master said, “Peak Lord Qi, there’s no need for anger. Why not let this young lady continue? We cannot silence people’s mouths.”

Qiu Haitang looked at him and clenched her teeth, the hatred in her eyes overcoming the fear, and her voice once again grew loud. “When he was twelve years old, he was but a slave my family had purchased from traveling child traffickers. As the ninth child in that band, he was called Xiao-Jiu. My parents saw that the traffickers had abused him and thought him pitiful, so they brought him home, taught him how to read, and paid for his food and clothing—kept him warm, fed, and free of worries. My brother also looked after him, and they were exceptionally close. When he was fifteen and our parents passed, my older brother became the head of the house and freed him from his slave contract, and even recognized him as a foster brother. And I, because I had grown up with him, was deceived… I really thought…that we genuinely loved each other… So we were betrothed.”

Shen Qingqiu stood there, forced to listen to “his own” dark history alongside thousands of people. The thousands of thoughts in his mind had transformed into tearful silence.

Tears began to well up and overflow in Qiu Haitang’s eyes. “The year my brother was nineteen, a wandering cultivator came to our city. He saw that the area had an abundance of spiritual qi, so he established an altar at the city gates. Any young boy or girl under the age of eighteen could go there for a spiritual evaluation. That cultivator wanted to select someone with exceptional talent and take them as his disciple. As he knew immortal techniques, everyone in the city admired him, and Shen Jiu also went to the evaluation altar. His aptitude was good, and the cultivator settled on him, so he joyfully came running back, wanting to leave my family.

“Of course my elder brother did not agree. In his eyes, cultivating toward immortality was purely a pipe dream. Not to mention, Shen Jiu and I were already betrothed, so how could he abandon his family and leave now of all times? He and my elder brother had a great argument, and afterward, he lost all his cheer. We thought he was only temporarily depressed and that after he thought it through, he would naturally come to accept it.”

Then her expression abruptly changed. “Who could have known? That very night, this man finally revealed his ugly nature. He lost his mind and killed my brother and many of our servants all at once, leaving bodies scattered all over the estate—then disappeared from the city with that cultivator the same night!

“After this calamity befell my household, as a lone weak woman, I was powerless to support it, and just like that, a large estate fell apart. I searched and searched for this nemesis of mine for many years but never found any leads. The cultivator who’d taken him as a disciple had been killed many years ago, and the dead end became even deader… Had I not come to Jin Lan City today, I fear I would have spent my entire life not knowing that this vile ingrate, who killed his benefactors with his own hands, had actually managed to climb all the way up to the position of peak lord in the number one sect under the heavens! Though he is much changed from when I knew him…that face, I could not mistake that face even if it burned to ash! I am not afraid to speak the name of the cultivator who incited him to murder either, for they are a murderer of countless innocents, whose name has been on the wanted list for years: Wu Yanzi!”

This Wu Yanzi was notorious, with innumerable misdeeds to his name. When it suddenly came forth that one of the twelve peak lords had been his disciple, everyone was horrified. But amid the sea of sighs and gasps, Shen Qingqiu found himself growing calm.

Deep down, he was actually a little skeptical. Qiu Haitang relayed a compelling tale full of ups and downs, but the experiences she described weren’t free of logical holes. Shen Qingqiu didn’t mean to discriminate against the original flavor, but the novel had always tried its hardest to illustrate the unlikable traits of Shen Qingqiu’s personality: pigheaded, petty, tactless, uncharismatic, antisocial, and a sham. With that kind of disposition, it was hard to believe that the young Shen Qingqiu had endeared himself so totally to people entirely unrelated to him that they would treat him as family.

Unfortunately, no one else was able to catch these sorts of details.

At first, Shen Qingqiu had been afraid of this plot line, yes, but not especially afraid. There was no definite evidence to prove these stale old events had occurred other than Qiu Haitang’s testimony, so he’d figured that as long as he doubled down and refused to confess, he could make Qiu Haitang wonder whether she had accused the wrong person. The whole affair would be no more than an indistinct smear on Shen Qingqiu’s character background.

It wasn’t like there was anything he could do to change what had happened. Shen Qingqiu truly had wronged Qiu Haitang. But that was the original flavor Shen Qingqiu! The new guy didn’t want to carry the black pot of blame! He would have preferred to compensate her properly at a different time and place.

And anyway, he hadn’t killed Liu Qingge, nor had he molested Ning Yingying. He’d done nothing at all to warrant a fall from grace like unto a hundred-floor skyscraper toppling in a single night, nothing to warrant being chased down and beaten by the masses.

But everything was different now.

The problem was that all of the indistinct smears on his reputation had massed together. First, the sower had accused him of treachery, then came the Old Palace Master to guide the case, and now Qiu Haitang had appeared to denounce him. All this could, together, serve as proof of his dishonorable character. A scum of a man who pulled a hit-and-run on his lover plus a traitor colluding with the demon race plus a disciple of a wanted fugitive—what an excellent example of making something already perfect even more so, like adding flowers to brocade.

As things that seem to be perfectly aligned by pure coincidence accumulate, people no longer take them to be coincidental.

“Sect Leader Yue, favoritism has no place when one deals with this kind of matter,” said the Old Palace Master. “Otherwise, word may get out that a magnificent sect like Cang Qiong Mountain harbors such unsavory characters. How would you explain yourselves to the masses?”

Yue Qingyuan showed no reaction. “So what is the Palace Master saying?”

“As I see it, let us make temporary arrangements for Immortal Master Shen in Huan Hua Palace. A decision can be made after the matter is thoroughly investigated. How about it?”

Everyone knew what these “arrangements” actually meant.

Beneath the foundations of Huan Hua Palace’s residence for short-term stays was the Water Prison. Its terrain was complicated, made even more so by Huan Hua Palace’s maze array. This secret array of theirs was on an entirely different level from the ones they used to keep non-cultivators away from the palace. On top of that, the interior of the Water Prison was heavily guarded, and it boasted a complete set of torture chambers and related equipment—incomparably professional. Without exception, every single person incarcerated within that place was a cultivator guilty of terrible crimes, their hands dyed in blood, or one who’d violated the most serious taboos.

To put it simply, Huan Hua Palace’s Water Prison was the public prison of the cultivation world. In addition, whenever some cultivator was under suspicion of endangering the Human Realm, they would be sent to the Water Prison to be held in custody while awaiting their trial. This joint public trial would be held by the four major sects before they delivered their final sentence.

Liu Qingge sneered. “Done talking?”

He had patiently listened to this nonsense for too long already, and his heart had been seething with anger for ages now. He grabbed Cheng Luan where it was on his back, his stance poised for a fight. Across from Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, Huan Hua Palace’s disciples also drew their swords, one after another, glowering just the same.

“Liu-shidi, stand down,” said Yue Qingyuan.

Though Liu Qingge was unwilling, if he absolutely had to obey someone, he would only concede to Yue Qingyuan. He forced his hand away from the hilt of his sword.

As he stepped back, Yue Qingyuan nodded. “These sorts of accusations cannot be made so lightly.”

The all-black longsword at his waist abruptly sprang an inch from its sheath, revealing a blindingly snow-white blade.

In an instant, it was like an invisible net had been cast over the entire plaza. The spiritual energy within that space roiled restlessly like the tides.

The incessant hum from Yue Qingyuan’s sword sounded like it was droning within the ear itself. A number of the younger disciples instinctively covered their ears, their hearts pounding relentlessly.

Xuan Su!

Everyone was floored.

The reason Yue Qingyuan had ordered Liu Qingge to step down was so he could step up to fight himself?! Unbelievable!

Reportedly, ever since the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s Peak Lord of Qiong Ding, Yue Qingyuan, had succeeded his position, he’d only drawn his sword twice: once during his succession ceremony and once when he’d battled a descendant of the heavenly demon bloodline (incidentally, Luo Binghe’s dad).

Xuan Su had only been drawn an inch, but everyone suddenly understood why. If one wished to sit at the top of Qiong Ding Hall, a calm and mild temperament assuredly wouldn’t get you there on its own.

“Formations!” the Old Palace Master called.

Was this the cadence of an imminent battle? The demons hadn’t even fought their way into this mess, and the humans were ready to start fighting amongst themselves.

Knowing the situation would only worsen, Shen Qingqiu promptly removed his sword and threw it in front of him. Xiu Ya stuck straight up in the ground before the Huan Hua Palace Master.

Giving up one’s sword was equivalent to surrender—an agreement to comply with the verdict. The Old Palace Master snatched up the sword Shen Qingqiu had turned over and waved his sect members back to their places.

“Shidi!” Yue Qingyuan murmured quietly.

“Shixiong, there’s no need to say any more,” said Shen Qingqiu. “Those who are clean will remain clean no matter what. Qingqiu is willing to accept arrest.”

Between the Old Palace Master’s senility clamping down on the notion of his guilt and the combo attack of the sower and Qiu Haitang, being imprisoned was just the last nail in the coffin.

Anyway, this sequence of events had unfolded in the original work. Shen Qingqiu had thought he could avoid it before, but he hadn’t expected things would still circle back to this set plot arc. Why force Cang Qiong Mountain and Huan Hua Palace to have a falling out as well?

Shen Qingqiu persisted, “Saying more will help no one. The truth will prove itself.”

After he spoke, he didn’t look to see Yue Qingyuan’s expression, but swept a glance at Luo Binghe.

He saw neither joy nor anger on that face; Luo Binghe stood steadily in place, cutting a clear contrast with the cultivators swaying and covering their ears all around him.

After some time, Yue Qingyuan finally sheathed his sword. It was like that giant net was drawn away from the air.

Shen Qingqiu turned toward Yue Qingyuan and gave him a deep bow. When he thought about it, he’d made a lot of trouble for his Zhangmen-shixiong. He was honestly ashamed.

Qiu Haitang was still sobbing incessantly. Qin Wanyue walked over and tried to comfort her. “Miss Qiu, whatever the state of affairs, the three sects will give you an answer.”

She said “three sects” to wholly exclude Cang Qiong Mountain, making her position clear. Qiu Haitang was moved, tears in her eyes. She looked up to thank Qin Wanyue, but upon seeing Luo Binghe standing alone to the side, she couldn’t suppress the blush that suffused her cheeks.

Shen Qingqiu internally rolled his eyes. Theoretically, he was getting cucked right in front of his face. So why didn’t he feel even the slightest bit unhappy?!

A group of Huan Hua Palace disciples led by Gongyi Xiao walked up to him. The lengths in their hands were all too familiar.

Hello, immortal-binding cables. Goodbye, immortal-binding cables, thought Shen Qingqiu, mentally waving as he did so.

“Senior Shen, my apologies,” said Gongyi Xiao, sounding honestly sorry. “This junior will treat you with due respect. Before the truth comes to light, I will not let you suffer any slight.”

Shen Qingqiu nodded, though he spoke only a couple of words in reply. “Thank you for your trouble.”

What use is it if you’re the only one treating me with due respect?

One look at the expressions on those Huan Hua Palace disciple faces and he knew every single one was itching to eat him alive. After all, Huan Hua Palace was the sect that had suffered the most serious casualties at the Immortal Alliance Conference. There was certainly more suffering to be had.

With his torso bound by immortal-binding cables, Shen Qingqiu felt his body grow heavy. When Without a Cure intermittently flared up, he only felt the circulation of his spiritual energy become congested—like if the connection was bad, but if you smacked the remote, you could still make do. Once the immortal-binding cables were fastened, his spiritual energy was completely obstructed, reducing him to an ordinary mortal.

“We shall set the date of the trial to one month from now, what does everyone think?” said the Old Palace Master.

“Five days,” said Liu Qingge.

The longer Shen Qingqiu was imprisoned in the Water Prison, the more various tortures he would have to bear. The five days Liu Qingge demanded was the least amount of time into which the preparation procedures for the trial could be compressed.

The Old Palace Master was, of course, unwilling to compromise. “If it is so hurried, I am afraid there will be many oversights.”

Zhao Hua Monastery were professional mediators. One of their masters suggested, “What about ten days?”

“Seven days,” said Yue Qingyuan. “No longer.”

With all the sect leaders haggling, Shen Qingqiu began to feel like he was standing in a food market. However, he had his own considerations and hurriedly cut in, “There’s no need for more back and forth. Listen to the Palace Master’s plans. One month.”

If he could delay things further, it would be better for the growth of the Dew Mushrooms. He shot a look at Shang Qinghua out of the corner of his eye and raised his eyebrow.

Understanding his intentions, Shang Qinghua let his hands fall in front of him, subtly making a gesture of “no problem, leave it to me.”

However, the success of this plan depended on if Shen Qingqiu could really last a month in a Huan Hua Palace thoroughly under Luo Binghe’s control!