Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
There were a lot of mountains near Li City. During the summer, green grass and leaves would be growing all over the mountains, making the air fresh and cool.
At the peaks of a few mountains, the bushes and trees were swaying lightly. Countless colorful maggots were drilling on the leaves. They were so densely-packed that anyone who laid eyes on them would have goosebumps.
Among the maggots, some were hideous-looking, some were transparent and beautiful, some were huge like a stone, and some were so small that they were hard to be seen. Along with the continuous buzzing sound, the dark-blue, blood-red, cyan-blue, and dark-green maggots were flying in a swarm from one mountain to the other to search for someone.
The Insect Lord who had snake-like white hair was standing in the air while looking down at the mountains. He activated the ancestral acupuncture point in between his eyebrows and spread his spirit all over the place. Cooperating with the maggots, he was looking for Yuan Yang who was hiding somewhere.
He said with a sneer, “I’ve blocked all the mountains nearby. Sooner or later, you will be found. By then, you will be able to enjoy the feeling of being bitten by ten thousand insects!”
In a valley, Yuan Yang was hiding in a corner that was covered by grass and leaves. Holding the Pearl of Sakyamuni that was releasing the lights of a rainbow, she had weakened her aura, and made her body blurry as though she was being in a dreamy illusion.
She was using a Buddhist treasure, the Sakyamuni Realm that was exchanged from the Master of the Six Dao of Samsara to hide her own traces.
Yuan Yang was an experienced Samsara Traveller. Despite being in an extremely dangerous situation, she was not panicked at all. Having a calm mind, she planned to create misleading signs of escape in order to deceive the Insect Lord, with a hope that he would give up searching for this area.
As they were currently in the territory of the North Zhou Empire, the Blood Cloak Cult dared not run rampant in fear of the emperor and his famous sword.
As long as she continued hiding her traces, the Insect Lord could not do anything to her. On top of that, if any martial artist of an Exterior Realm happened to pass by this area, it was enough to make the Insect Lord feel nervous!
After searching for quite a while, the Insect Lord still could not find Yuan Yang. With his white hair swaying in the wind, it was as though a group of poisonous snakes were setting up a den on top of his head. He said in a cold voice,
“The night is coming, so the demonic monsters are going to be more active. No one will be passing by this area anymore. I still have plenty of time!”
“Humph, perhaps I should just destroy all the mountains!”
Due to the inhuman martial arts practiced by the Blood Cloak Cult, they were bearing a huge Karma debt. As a result, they often suffered from the Heaven’s Punishment, but everyone in the cult – including the Insect Lord – had already gotten used to it. Hence, destructing all the mountains was really not a big deal for him!
Yuan Yang’s heart skipped a beat. Apparently, she had underestimated the cruelty and madness of the Insect Lord. However, there was a possibility that he was just tricking her.
She had not finished creating the signs of escape yet. Revealing herself at the moment was just an act of seeking for death!
Mu Yunle, who was holding the arms of Meng Qi to support him, had come to the vicinity without being noticed by the Insect Lord and his maggots. Hearing the declaration of the Insect Lord, she could not help looking at Meng Qi anxiously.
Master Zhending is seriously injured at the moment. Is he able to deal with the Insect Lord like how he dealt with the Bodhisattva of Joy?
The Insect Lord laughed aloud. With a cruel smile, he was about to flick his finger to gather all his maggots to destroy the mountains!
Just then, a deep and gentle voice echoed in the sky. Despite travelling a long distance, the voice was still clear.
“The sea of suffering is boundless, but you can always head back to the shore.”
The Insect Lord was startled. Someone had snuck into this place without him knowing!
In the valley, Yuan Yang had also heard this voice. Feeling stunned at first, she was utterly excited after that. She mumbled in a low voice,
“Mister…”
Looking at the sound source, the Insect Lord saw a monk in a gray kasaya. Feeling that he had seen the monk’s withered face somewhere before, he was frightened to death once he sensed his aura.
The Frenzied Blade, Su Meng!
Su Meng, who has been missing for years, could already take my life away easily ten years ago!
Although the Insect Lord had noticed the serious wound on Meng Qi’s body, he was still in panic. In an instant, he turned into a flash of light and escaped as quick as he could. The maggots all over the mountains had also disappeared at once.
Even though Su Meng seems to be wounded, I don’t think I can even take a strike from him!
Once he draws the blade, the Karma Transfer, I will surely die!
I’d better ask for help from the Hierarch!
Just one sentence from Master Zhending was enough to scare the Insect Lord to death and make him escape in panic. Although the atmosphere around the mountains had become peaceful again, Mu Yunle did not expect things to turn out like this. She thought there would be a fierce battle, or at least a dialogue between them – just like how Master Zhending talked to the Bodhisattva of Joy. Perhaps they would confront with each other in some ways that she could not understand, and the one who lost the battle would leave with grace. Unexpectedly, the Insect Lord was struck dumb at the sight of Master Zhending, and he escaped from the battle like a disowned dog!
What did Master Zhending do to the Insect Lord before? However, it could also be possible that the Insect Lord was fully aware of the power of Master Zhending, therefore he saw no chance of winning the battle.
While being flooded by thoughts, Mu Yunle saw Yuan Yang flying out of the valley and land close to her. Looking at Master Zhending with mixed feelings, Yuan Yang said,
“Mister…”
Eh… feeling nervous suddenly, Mu Yunle listened closely to what they were going to say.
Meng Qi took a look at Yuan Yang and said with a smile, “Not bad.”
Not bad… after being praised by Meng Qi, Yuan Yang suddenly had a mixture of feelings. Her eyes turned red, “They… they are all dead, leaving only me and Lingyu…”
Meng Qi sighed and closed his eyes, “Life is impermanent.”
This was the first time Mu Yunle saw Master Zhending expressing his emotions. The statement of “Life is impermanent” sounded like a sigh with grief at first, but it also showed how he dealt with the impermanence of life calmly after undergoing a lot of unpleasant experiences.
The more Yuan Yang rubbed her watery eyes, the redder they became. She was saying everything that came to her mind,
“Lingyu and I have been looking for you, the young hero Gu and Swordswoman Tang have been looking for you, and He Mu has been looking for you. Many, many people are looking for you! It’s so good to see you again.”
“I’ve recognized you because the Blood Cloak Cult was attacked right after you asked about their information from me.”
“Mister, wh-why did you become a monk again?”
Again? Mu Yunle had grasped the key word. It seems that many people are aware of the real identity of Master Zhending, except for me.
Meng Qi lifted the corners of his mouth, but he was obviously not smiling genuinely. At first, it seemed as though he wanted to explain in detail, but eventually he only uttered a few words,
“There’s an Internal Demon in my heart.”
There’s an Internal Demon in my heart… Yuan Yang, thinking about these words that seemed to be filled with anger, sadness and downheartedness, was at a loss for words. It took her a long time before she grinned and said, “Mister, knowing that you’re fine is already the best news.”
Yuan Yang was not going to ask anything further as he seemed to have a hard time expressing his real thoughts and emotions.
In a daze, Mu Yunle was also thinking about his words. There’s an Internal Demon in my heart…
“Don’t stay at the border of the North Zhou Empire any longer. It’s dangerous. Go south as soon as possible, and pass this mirror to the emperor of the Great Zhou Empire, Gao Lan. It’s time to return it after borrowing it for ten years,” said Meng Qi in a low voice as he took out a mirror filled with golden spots.
The emperor of the Great Zhou Empire, Gao Lan? The Mad Emperor, Gao Lan? Did Master Zhending borrow something from him for ten years? Mu Yunle was left speechless.
Gao Lan is a Dharmakaya ranked among the top martial artists on the Heavenly List. He is the Emperor of the Present World!
Taking over the mirror, Yuan Yang forced a smile and said, “Mister, aren’t you afraid that I’ll lose it halfway through the dangerous journey to the Great Zhou Empire?”
“Wish you a safe journey,” Meng Qi spoke in a deep voice. The muscles on his chest were wriggling, and his wound was slowly recovering.
Yuan Yang nodded and took a few steps forward before she flew into the sky. With her back facing Meng Qi, she suddenly stopped and said,
“I… I’m really glad to be able to see you again, Mister.”
She was just about to use the Air-Conveyance Technique before Mu Yunle said suddenly, “Swordswoman Yuan, hold on. Let me send you off.”
After saying that, she turned to Meng Qi and said, “Master, I’ve known Swordswoman Yuan for many years. It won’t take me long to send her off. You aren’t in a hurry to leave this place, right?”
“Go ahead,” looking a little tired, Meng Qi sat cross-legged on the ground.
Yuan Yang landed on the ground and walked forward. Mu Yunle quickly followed behind her and said, “I met Master Zhending on a barren mountain located at the border between the North Zhou Empire and the Grassland. At that time, he was living alone in a broken temple as a monk…”
She knew that Swordswoman Yuan would definitely be interested in these things!
Yuan Yang slowed down her pace and wiped the tears away from her face. Walking side by side with Mu Yunle, she listened quietly. Mu Yunle told her everything – from the time when she met Master Zhending, to the recent happening of being hit by the sword of Jie Sha.
“Ten years ago, some people said that Mister had died. Others said that Mister has suffered a serious setback that made him feel downhearted. Judging from what you’ve said, the latter one seems to be the case,” said Yuan Yang while clenching her hands into fists. “As long as he is still alive, there is a hope. One day, he will be able to pull himself together!”
Suffered a serious setback that made him feel downhearted… thinking of the withered and exhausted face of Master Zhending, Mu Yunle suddenly felt pity for him.
“Swordswoman Yuan, ten years ago, Master Zhending must be a famous person in the Jiang Hu. What is his name?” Mu Yunle blurted out.
Yuan Yang turned her head and looked at Mu Yunle. Her eyes were still red. She asked in a surprised tone, “You don’t know?”
“How would I know?” Mu Yunle puffed out her cheeks.
While moving forward, Yuan Yang chuckled and said, “Ten years ago, his name was Su Meng.”
Su Meng… the Frenzied Blade Su Meng! Mu Yunle opened her eyes widely. During that generation when a lot of talented martial artists were born, Su Meng was really an unprecedented genius who showed incredible talents! Nobody was comparable with him at that time.
Even though he had gone missing for ten years and was no longer on the Ground List, many people were still talking about his remarkable achievements.
For more than a dozen years, Su Meng had been active in the Jiang Hu and well-known for his impressive battle records. He could always accomplish things that seemed to be impossible in other people’s eyes. However, an outstanding martial artist like him had chosen to live a lonely life as a monk in a broken temple.
Just like the saying that goes, “The charm of a hero will eventually be blown away by the ruthless wind and rain.” The emotion of Mu Yunle was fluctuating.
Su Meng is said to have the greatest potential to be the first one who enters the Legendary Realm after the Middle Ages. What kind of setback was it to make a young and talented hero like him to become who he is now?
…
Using the Air-Conveyance Technique, the Rakshasa of the Bloody Sea was flying to the north. He was searching for the traces of Meng Qi using various secret arts and divination methods.
Suddenly, a person appeared in front of his eyes. He was wearing a wide-sleeved robe and tying his hair into a bun using a wooden hairstick. With an elegant and unrestrained aura, he was the Devil Master, Han Guang!
“Why are you here?” immediately, the Rakshasa of the Bloody Sea was putting himself on guard. Silently, he took a few steps backward to create a distance.
Han Guang looked at the Rakshasa of the Bloody Sea and said, “I’ve sensed something unusual, so here I am.”
“What’s unusual?” the Rakshasa of the Bloody Sea was baffled.
Han Guang said with a faint smile on his face, “You will never be able to catch up with Su Meng.”
“What do you mean?” the Rakshasa of the Bloody Sea frowned.
Han Guang looked up at the sky, chuckled and said, “It’s fated. There is no way for you to see him.”
“You mean…” said the Rakshasa of the Bloody Sea hesitantly, feeling a little frightened. “What realm has the Frenzied Blade reached?”
Han Guang, clasping his hands behind his hands, said with a sigh, “I haven’t seen him yet, how would I know? But not everyone can manipulate fate and change the causal relationship – even though he has only changed them to a slight extent.”
“Is this a feature of the Legendary Realm?” asked the Rakshasa of the Bloody Sea in a serious tone.
Han Guang shook his head and said slowly,
“It’s a feature of the Nirvana Realm.”
“What?” The Rakshasa of the Bloody Sea lost his countenance and blurted out.
“It might also be due to his success in learning the Principles of Karma.” An illusory river occurred under the feet of Han Guang, “I have to track him down and see him personally!”
