Jade Dynasty: I am the master of the Burning Sword, my swordsmanship is unparalleled.

Chapter 79 Biyao's Heartbreak, Xueqi's Righteous Path

At the deepest part of the Dripping Blood Cave, endless malevolent energy filled the entire stone chamber.

However, perhaps because it absorbed that pale white Yin energy, the dark red evil energy inside the Burning Sword seemed to have been diluted, and the evil energy actually turned into a light red color.

The pale red aura, like layers of draped gauze, enveloped the entire stone chamber, giving it a more enchanting and hazy feel, and even a hint of allure and seduction.

At the entrance of the stone chamber, Lu Xueqi and Biyao sat cross-legged, their hands forming a mudra. A thin line of blood flew from their fingertips, passed through the layers of light gauze, and landed on a figure deep inside.

As their essence and blood slowly drained away, Lu Xueqi and Biyao's faces should have gradually turned pale, but right now, a blush rose on their faces.

At one moment, the expressions on their faces relaxed, and the next moment, their hand seals changed, and as the secret technique ended, the blood line disappeared.

Lu Xueqi and Biyao exchanged a glance. Biyao blushed and instinctively looked away from Lu Xueqi, but then heard Lu Xueqi speak in a complicated tone.

"Let's go outside and wait. It seems like it won't be over anytime soon."

As she spoke, Lu Xueqi slowly stood up. Biyao couldn't help but turn her head to look at Lu Xueqi, only to see that the latter's expression still barely maintained that coldness. She couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "This fox spirit from the Hehuan Sect is truly different."

Little did anyone know that Lu Xueqi's ears were already completely red. However, she was naturally aloof and resilient, so even if she had a hundred thoughts, she rarely showed them on her face.

"Well, let's go."

Looking back at the stone chamber that seemed to be lightly veiled by a gauze curtain, Biyao said with a rather unnatural expression, and then took the lead in walking back through the tunnel.

Lu Xueqi quickly followed, as if she was in a hurry to escape, but the strange feeling from earlier still lingered in her mind.

Perhaps because they were both in a hurry to leave, or perhaps because they were both preoccupied, they did not notice the passage of time. It was only when they arrived at the stone cave that they were startled awake.

Looking at the withered bones in front of the stone wall, Biyao seemed to be thinking of something, and suddenly sighed softly.

"Tell me, what were those black-hearted old devil thinking as he sat alone in this stone cave before he died?"

"Of course, I was unwilling to accept it."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xueqi replied without hesitation. In her mind, most of the demons and monsters of the Demonic Sect were like this, at least, demons like the Black-Hearted Old Ghost were all like this.

Biyao did not refute, but chuckled softly. Something seemed to flash in her eyes, and a look of pain appeared on her face as she murmured softly.

Do you know what it feels like to be waiting to die?

Lu Xueqi was stunned for a moment, looking at Biyao with confusion. She didn't understand why Biyao would ask such a question. As the daughter of the Ghost King Sect's leader, how could Biyao have ever suffered, let alone been in danger?

Despite thinking this, Lu Xueqi still replied softly.

"I know that I feel uneasy, anxious, fearful, and desperate, but when death is really approaching, I feel a sense of relief."

Biyao was just talking to herself. She didn't expect Lu Xueqi to answer her. She just wanted to find someone to confide in.

Unexpectedly, Lu Xueqi actually agreed to her request, and what she said was exactly the same as her own state of mind in the past, which made her wonder.

"Could it be that you also have some past experiences?"

"When I was young, I was robbed, but my master saved me and led me into the mountain gate."

Lu Xueqi said it casually, but Biyao knew that there must be a tragic past she didn't want to recall hidden in that casual tone.

However, what Biyao didn't know was that the mentor Lu Xueqi mentioned was not the Three Wonders Fairy she thought she was, but Master Shuiyue, the head of Xiaozhu Peak.

Biyao, who felt a sense of kinship with Lu Xueqi after hearing what she said, couldn't help but sigh softly.

"No wonder you were willing to use yourself as bait to lure that brilliant young talent into my Holy Sect."

At this point, Biyao couldn't help but show a hint of pride on her face. Her beautiful face smiled so brightly, and she immediately chuckled and scoffed at the righteous path.

"If those hypocritical righteous people knew that their unparalleled genius, the future pillar of the nation, would voluntarily abandon darkness and turn to the light, they would probably be so angry they would vomit blood."

Lu Xueqi frowned, her expression growing even colder. If it weren't for Zhang Xiaofan in the stone chamber, their shared hardships, and that embarrassing experience, Lu Xueqi would have drawn her sword on the spot.

Lu Xueqi deeply respects her master, Master Shuiyue, and diligently follows his teachings, maintaining a virtuous mind and never daring to be negligent. She also dedicates herself to cultivating the Way.

Despite the immense suffering of her past, which made Lu Xueqi exceptionally aloof, she was not extreme and was not blinded by hatred.

Unlike those who constantly preach righteousness and concern for the common people, yet readily resort to killing and slaughter, even preferring to kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free, seemingly upholding the righteous path but actually falling into demonic ways, Lu Xueqi is a woman of principle. Although she hates evil as much as she hates it, she also has her own sense of morality when dealing with demonic cult members.

In Lu Xueqi's mind, while the demonic sect members had certainly made mistakes, not everyone deserved to die. One should judge people and events, but not implicate the innocent. Seeing Biyao's slander of the righteous path, Lu Xueqi couldn't help but reply coldly.

"Is that so? It seems that Miss Biyao harbors deep resentment towards the righteous path!"

Upon hearing this, Biyao's eyes dimmed as memories of the past resurfaced. She sighed softly, then snorted coldly and said through gritted teeth.

"Resentment? I have no resentment. I only want to help my father unify the Holy Sect, and then wipe out the entire Tianyin Temple. I want to watch with my own eyes that evil monk Pufang eat the flesh of his disciples and followers, and live on in a wretched state!"

Lu Xueqi stared blankly at Biyao, whose eyes were bloodshot, and a chill ran down her spine.

The next moment, Lu Xueqi suddenly woke up. Biyao's appearance must have been affected by the evil energy entering her body. She quickly called out to her.

"Biyao, Biyao!"

As she spoke, Lu Xueqi reached out and shook Biyao, but Biyao's body went limp and she fell directly towards Lu Xueqi. In a panic, Lu Xueqi only had time to raise her hand to catch her.

"Are you OK?"

Biyao finally came to her senses, quickly shook her head, stood up from Lu Xueqi's arms, and responded softly.

"I'm fine, it's just..."

Can you tell me about yourself?

Lu Xueqi spoke softly, and her gaze toward Biyao was no longer filled with hostility as it had been at the beginning; instead, it held more sympathy and pity.

Upon hearing this, Biyao's delicate body trembled involuntarily. Seeing this, Lu Xueqi hesitated for a moment, and finally slowly reached out and gently hugged Biyao, just as Master Shuiyue had comforted her back then.

Leaning against Lu Xueqi's chest, Biyao seemed to have found a support and subconsciously shrank closer to Lu Xueqi, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke.

“When I was six years old, my mother took me back to the Six Fox Cave on Fox Hill to visit my grandmother. Who would have thought that the righteous people would find out about it, and the evil monk Pu Fang from Tianyin Temple would personally take action and use the golden alms bowl to collapse the Six Fox Cave, burying my mother, grandmother and me alive underground.”

Just listening to Biyao's story, Lu Xueqi felt a chill run down her spine. She couldn't imagine how desperate and painful Biyao must have been when she was only six years old.

Biyao's body was still trembling slightly, as if she had returned to that underground place once again. All she could do was to hold on tightly to the person in front of her, tightly, tightly... hold on tightly.

The panic emanating from that trembling body was as if the thing in front of him would disappear completely if he let go.

"There were several large rocks supporting the cave, which prevented us from being crushed to death. However, Grandma's injuries were too severe, and she passed away soon after. My mother and I cried for a while before burying Grandma."

Biyao's voice trembled slightly, her tone flat and empty, as if her soul had been ripped away.

“Deep underground, there was nothing except for a few drops of water seeping out occasionally. I was very young then and only knew how to be scared. My mother kept comforting me. It was dark and gloomy underground, and my father never came to rescue us. I was so scared at the time, and I was hungry. I cried and made a fuss.”

For some reason, a sense of fear flashed through Lu Xueqi's mind, and an extremely terrifying thought slowly crept into her head.

"A very long time passed, and I was so hungry that I didn't even have the strength to cry. But then, my mother somehow found a piece of meat..."

Lu Xueqi felt Biyao's body trembling more and more violently. At the same time, she gripped Biyao's sleeves tightly with both hands, as if afraid that Biyao would disappear.

After hesitating for a moment, Lu Xueqi gently placed her hand on Biyao's head and softly comforted her.

"Not afraid, not afraid."

Those soft murmurs seemed to come from a distant dream, ethereal and distant, causing two lines of hot tears to silently slide down Biyao's face, wetting Lu Xueqi's clothes.

"And so, every now and then, my mother would find a piece of meat, and that's how I survived. But my mother's voice grew weaker and weaker until one day, when I called her, she didn't respond."

Each word, spoken, ignited a fire of anger within Lu Xueqi, even in her usually aloof nature.

"Exterminate demons and defend the righteous path"—these four simple words have become an excuse for countless people to commit evil deeds.

Demons deserve to be killed, but why must an innocent six-year-old child be implicated? What did she do wrong? She was merely born into this world, yet she must suffer such cruel torment.
Just because she was born into a demonic sect, does that mean she should be killed? What difference is there between her and demons?

Demons? What are demons? And how many demons are born from those cultivators who claim to be on the righteous path?
Lu Xueqi lowered her brows, but her eyes gleamed with a deep light. Then, the scriptures she had just seen on the Heavenly Book slowly flickered in Lu Xueqi's mind.

What is the Tao? What is the right path?
Where the heart leads, there lies the Way; the direction the Heavenly Sword points is my true path!
Do not kill indiscriminately, do not kill arbitrarily, and do not kill greedily.

Those who wield the sword should keep the common people in mind and not let their own anger lead them to recklessly kill.

(End of this chapter)