Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Qingyun Gate, Tongtian Peak, Yuqing Hall.

The atmosphere was even more somber than in the previous days, as if ice crystals were frozen in the air.

Tian Buyi's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He paced back and forth in the hall with hurried and heavy steps, making the ground thud. The Crimson Flame Immortal Sword emitted a low hum in its sheath, like a volcano about to erupt at any moment.

Su Ru sat to the side, clutching the slightly damp handkerchief tightly in her hand, her brows furrowed, her eyes filled with unconcealed worry.

Master Shuiyue sat motionless with a calm expression, but the slight rise and fall of her chest and the white knuckles of her hands gripping the armrests of her chair revealed the turmoil in her heart.

The chief monks, including Zeng Shuchang, Shang Zhengliang, and Tianyun Daoren, were also present, each with a solemn expression.

Dao Xuan Zhenren sat at the head of the table, holding a politely worded jade slip that had just been delivered by an envoy from the Ghost King Sect. He tapped the smooth jade surface lightly with his fingertips, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"Sect Leader! What are you waiting for?!"

Tian Buyi suddenly stopped in his tracks, his voice hoarse with anxiety and anger.

"My disciple has been kidnapped for five whole days! What good intentions could those wicked people from the Ghost King Sect possibly have? My nephew Lu went alone, and there's still no definite news! Who knows what those lunatics will do to my Qingyun disciple? I request that we immediately muster our forces, storm Fox Ridge Mountain, raze the Ghost King Sect to the ground, and rescue my disciple!"

"Junior Brother Tian, ​​calm down!"

Dao Xuan Zhenren said in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"The jade slip from the Ghost King Sect says that Junior Nephew Jiang was a guest they 'invited' because Young Master Biyao and he... took a good liking to each other and wanted him to stay a few more days. They also guaranteed that they would not harm him in the slightest. This matter is no longer a simple abduction; it also involves... a romantic relationship between a man and a woman."

He paused, put down the jade slip, and said with a hint of helplessness, "If we send our army to force them to come, firstly, we will have no legitimate reason to attack, and secondly, if we push the Ghost King Sect too far, it may be detrimental to Junior Sister Jiang. Junior Sister Lu has already made negotiations at the front. She is meticulous and highly skilled, and she should know what is important. We need to give her time, and we also need to... observe the situation."

"Get along well? Stay a few more days? Bullshit!"

Tian Buyi was so angry that he spoke without thinking.

"That vixen was clearly abducted! How could Seventh Brother... how could he possibly be so compatible with a vixen from the Demonic Sect! He must have been coerced! Sect Leader, are we just going to sit here and wait? What if something happens to Seventh Brother... what if something happens to him, I..." His voice choked, and his eyes reddened.

Su Ru quickly got up, grabbed his arm, and whispered words of comfort, but she couldn't help but feel her eyes redden.

Master Shuiyue finally spoke, his voice clear and cold:

"What the sect leader said makes sense."

A direct assault at this moment is definitely not the best strategy.

Since Xueqi has already gone, we should trust her.

However, the Ghost King Sect's ambiguous attitude and delaying tactics suggest they may have ulterior motives.

We can't be completely unprepared. Could we secretly send an elite team to infiltrate the vicinity of Fox Ridge Mountain and provide support at an opportune moment?

Dao Xuan Zhenren pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Junior Sister Shuiyue is quite right. Qi Hao."

"Disciple is here." Qi Hao stepped forward.

"You shall immediately select twenty alert disciples, whom you shall personally lead, to disguise themselves and infiltrate the area within a hundred miles of Fox Ridge Mountain. They shall closely monitor the movements of the Ghost King Sect and maintain contact with Junior Nephew Lu, ready to provide assistance as needed. Remember, do not alert them; Junior Nephew Jiang's safety is of paramount importance."

"Yes!" Qi Hao accepted the order and immediately turned to leave the hall to make arrangements.

"Junior Brother Zeng, Junior Brother Shang," Dao Xuan then looked at Zeng Shuchang and Shang Zhengliang, "I'll trouble you two to handle the matter of contacting external aid. Be sure to keep it secret and don't let the Ghost King Sect find out."

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Sect Leader," Zeng Shuchang and Shang Zhengliang replied with clasped hands.

With the arrangements finalized, everyone felt somewhat relieved, but the heavy sense of worry and humiliation lingered.

The Qingyun Sect, the righteous leader of the sect, has had its outstanding disciple openly kidnapped by a demonic woman from a cult, and yet it still has to act with such restraint. It is truly frustrating.

Tian Buyi sat back heavily in his chair, and Su Ru gently patted his back, tears silently streaming down her face.

Fox Ridge Mountain, the Ghost King's Bedchamber.

The soft glow of the luminous pearl filled the spacious yet somewhat empty hall, and the air was filled with a stale scent mixed with sandalwood and a faint herbal aroma.

Ghost King Wanrenwang stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the deep night outside and the outline of the main peak in the distance, his brows furrowed.

Xiao Chi sat on the soft couch behind him, unconsciously twisting a silk handkerchief in her hand, her face full of worry.

"Wanrenwang, tell me... what exactly happened to Yao'er?"

Xiao Chi finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke in a low voice, her voice trembling.

"Jiang Xiaochuan seems like a decent kid, but Yao'er... she doesn't seem to like him, she seems... bewitched."

They tied her up, locked her up, and even used force... This is not something our daughter would do.

I always felt that Yao'er had changed a lot since she came back this time.

The way she looks at people can sometimes be so cold it scares me.

And that fire poker… When did she acquire such a vicious object? And how could she possibly control it?

The Ghost King slowly turned around, walked to Xiao Chi's side and sat down, took her slightly cool hand and patted it gently, his eyes filled with solemnity and confusion.

"I have also noticed the changes in Yao'er," he said in a deep voice, his tone tinged with confusion.

"She has been different since she returned from that solo trip a few months ago. Her cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds, and her personality has become increasingly stubborn."

They seemed determined to get Jiang Xiaochuan, even at the cost of completely antagonizing the Qingyun Sect.

As for the Soul-Devouring Staff…

His eyes narrowed.

"This thing is unknown, but it seems to be a combination of two extremely fierce and malevolent magical treasures. Its malevolent energy is extremely heavy, and if one is not careful, it will backfire on one's mind and spirit."

It was by chance that Yao'er was able to gain its recognition as her master, but when I observed her using it, although she could control it, her temperament seemed to be affected by it, showing a degree of extremism and resentment that she hadn't experienced before.

She raised her head, looking at the Ghost King, her eyes brimming with tears:

"When thousands of people gather, I am afraid."

I'm afraid Yao'er will get too deeply involved and do something irreversible.

I fear that if anything happens to Jiang Xiaochuan, the Qingyun Sect will not let it go.

I'm even more afraid... afraid that Yao'er will be corrupted by that Soul-Devouring Staff and go down the wrong path... We only have this one daughter!

The Ghost King embraced his wife, gently patted her back, and comforted her in a deep voice:

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Yao'er is our daughter, and we must protect her no matter what.

This matter... is indeed tricky.

For now, they can still maintain a calm and composed attitude towards the Qingyun Sect. Neither Lu Xueqi nor Senior Xiaobai are easy opponents.

For now, we can only take it one step at a time.

I will have people keep an eye on Yao'er and Jiang Xiaochuan, and try my best to prevent things from getting worse. As for Yao'er's inner conflict...

He sighed. "I'm afraid she'll have to figure it out herself."

Fox Ridge Mountain, Yin Sha Cave.

The place was perpetually gloomy and chilling, with a lingering stench of blood mixed with decay.

The cave walls were inlaid with phosphorescent stones that emitted a ghastly green light, making the cave appear eerie and ghostly.

Dressed in black with her face covered by a black veil, You Ji stood quietly in a relatively clean open space deep in the cave, like a shadow in the dark night.

Standing before her was Jin Ping'er, who had just finished her "homework" for the day, her face slightly pale, but her eyes much more determined than when she had arrived.

Jin Ping'er had changed out of her coarse cloth dress and into a well-tailored dark green outfit that accentuated her slender figure and added to her neat and capable appearance.

At this moment, however, the strangely shaped short dagger she held in her hand, which shimmered with a faint pinkish glow, still bore traces of dark red blood that had not been wiped clean.

The short thorn, named "Purple Light," was a prototype of her natal magic weapon, crafted by the Ghost King himself over three days using a mixture of several precious poisons. Although not fully formed, it already showed signs of supernatural power and subtly matched the cultivation techniques she practiced.

"How do you feel?" Yu Ji asked, her voice hoarse and low, echoing in the empty cave.

Jin Ping'er raised her hand, looked at the bloodstains on the short dagger, then glanced at the corpses of the several villains she had just personally killed in the corner not far away—villains who had committed numerous evils in life and had been captured by the Ghost King Sect—and took a deep breath.

The heavy stench of blood and death in the air made her stomach churn, but more than that, she felt a cold and real sense of power, of being able to decide the life and death of others.

"Replying to Aunt You," she said clearly, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, but not out of fear.

"I have followed the first level of the 'Charming Maiden's Heart Technique' you taught me, and with the help of the purple light, I have circulated it for three cycles. My spiritual energy is flowing smoothly and is subtly in harmony with the Yin energy of this place. However... when I am about to kill, there is still a hindrance in my heart."

"A hindrance?" You Ji said calmly, "Is it because you pity them? Or do you think killing is wrong?"

Jin Ping'er was silent for a moment, then shook her head: "It's not that they're pitiful. According to you, these people are all wicked villains who have committed rape, robbery, and murder without hesitation; they deserve to die. It's just..."

She gripped the purple light tightly.

"But when I think of the way those people bullied me and my widow when my mother was seriously ill, forcing me to sell myself... I am no different from those villains."

To stop killing with killing, to control violence with violence, perhaps... is the truth of this world.

However, this disciple still needs to get used to it.

A barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in Youji's eyes behind her mask.

This woman is resilient and quick-witted. What's even more remarkable is that she didn't succumb to hardship but instead quickly recognized reality and adapted to the law of the jungle.

Young Master, your judgment is indeed excellent.

You'll get used to it.

Youji said, "In the cultivation world, the righteous and the demonic paths are ultimately nothing more than a contest of power and interests."

Benevolence and morality are tools for the strong to restrain the weak, and also an excuse for the weak to comfort themselves.

If you want to stop being bullied, want to protect those you care about, and want to take control of your own destiny, the only way is to hold onto the power in your hands. Emotions are the most useless thing; they will only become your weakness.

She paused, then added meaningfully, "Especially, with people you shouldn't have feelings for."

Jin Ping'er's body trembled slightly, and she looked up at You Ji. She naturally understood who You Ji was referring to.

The senior sister Biyao who pulled her out of the mire and gave her new life and strength, and... the handsome and gentle but always bewildered young man from Qingyun who was kept by her side in such an extreme way.

"Disciple understands." She lowered her eyes, concealing the complex emotions that flashed across them.

"I am deeply grateful for your kindness, Senior Sister, and I would never dare to have any improper thoughts. I will cultivate diligently and become your help as soon as possible."

Youji nodded and said no more.

Some things are best left unsaid.

She turned and walked out of the cave: "That's enough for today. After you go back, circulate the first level of the 'Charming Maiden's Heart Technique' nine more times to solidify your foundation. Come back here in three days, and I will teach you the second level, as well as a set of assassination techniques to complement the purple light."

"Yes, thank you for your guidance, Aunt You." Jin Ping'er bowed respectfully, watching You Ji's black figure disappear into the darkness outside the cave.

She stood there, looked at the purple light in her hand and the corpse on the ground, and after a long while, she gently exhaled a breath of foul air with a bloody smell, and then turned and left the gloomy and cold cave.

Just as she turned around, her mind unexpectedly flashed back to that day in the stone chamber, where Jiang Xiaochuan was bound to the bed, unconscious but still able to conceal his handsome face, and the look in Biyao's eyes when she looked at him, a mixture of madness, despair and deep tenderness.

Is emotion... the most useless thing?

she does not know.

All she knew was that her life was given to her by her senior sister.

She would do her best to fight for and protect what her senior sister wanted.

Even if it means being at odds with the whole world.