Jia Mo

At night, in Wu Fang Hall.

Qi Ling Shu was kneeling on a cushion, with his eyes lowered. Starlight fell on his pure white robes, coming from the open dome above. If he raised his head, he could see twenty-eight silver stars and a full moon that revolved around the central axis of the North Star, surrounded by the barrier formation that had been proportionally reduced in size. The intricate silver lines of the formation intersected and rotated slowly around the North Star. This was the center of Wu Fang, where the head and the twelve elders could control the entire Wu Fang formation by injecting spiritual power. In an instant, the barrier formation could be transformed into a killing formation, instantly crushing any external enemies who entered Wu Fang.

“Why didn’t we kill Fu Lan?” someone angrily asked.

Qi Ling Shu remained silent and lowered his gaze. The one speaking was the Elder of Discipline, Yuan Ku, a white-haired old man whose anger made his eyebrows stand out like a fierce lion’s mane. He was known for his violent temper and few dared to provoke him.

“Cut off that pig’s head and use his blood to draw Wu Fang’s flag. Southern Jiang demons were all killed in the battle of the Ninth Abyss. If we kill Fu Lan, their demon tribe will be leaderless, and we can attack Southern Jiang. They will naturally surrender, and we will have no more worries in the human world!”

A man under the full moon opened his eyes from his meditation. He was a tall and thin man with a wide robe and sleeves, and looked to be only in his early thirties, but his actual age must be far older than that. The man smiled and said, “Why be so anxious, junior brother? There has been peace in the human world for a long time, and there is no need to start a war. Besides, if we try to exterminate all the Southern Jiang demons, they will fight to the death when they have nothing left to lose, and we will face a difficult situation. This is not a good solution.”

Yuan Ku snorted. “If you’re afraid, just say so. Why bother talking so much?”

“Moreover,” the other man sighed, “the Daoist way of the human world is declining. If it weren’t for Senior Ku Can helping Wu Fang to modify the Forbidden Forest Formation, it would have collapsed long ago, and the demons would have fled. How could we sit here peacefully and talk like this if that were the case?”

“The headmaster is too kind. It’s just a small favor,” a hoarse voice came from the corner, belonging to Ku Can.

Yuan Ku asked coldly, “So, what do you plan to do with Fu Lan?”

“Of course, we won’t let it live.” The middle-aged man nodded and smiled. “I have a plan. We’ll detain it on the Contemplation Cliff to give the children a good look.”

Everyone else left, leaving only Qi Ling Shu behind in the hall. The wind was quiet, and the gauze on the windows fluttered like moth wings. The headmaster, Yuan Ji, descended slowly from the high platform, and asked, “You’re going to fight in the competition in a few days?”

“Yes,” Qi Ling Shu answered, bowing his head.

“Who’s your opponent?”

“Yun Zhi.”

“That child? Wasn’t he the one who almost burned down the school during last year’s competition?” Yuan Ji shook his head with a smile. The faint beard on his lips moved slightly. “Don’t underestimate Qing Shi’s disciples. I heard this child has been following Qing Shi since he was young, and has learned everything about his character, swordsmanship, and even his special skills. Yun Zhi will probably be the next head of Feng Huan Mountain. But Ling Shu, you are the first disciple of Wu Fang. In this competition, you can only win and not lose.”

“Yes,” Qi Ling Shu answered.

The man patted Qi Ling Shu’s shoulder. “Your master’s spirit in the heavens will surely bless you.”

Qi Ling Shu’s eyes glazed over, and there was a hint of sadness in them. He closed his eyes, and his voice was as clear as jade. “I will not disappoint my master’s high expectations!”

On the second day, just after sunrise, Qi Yin got up to participate in the competition. At Wu Fang, everyone woke up earlier than roosters, but Feng Huan disciples didn’t take the competition seriously and were still sleeping sweetly in their rooms. Only Qi Yin was unlucky enough to have an early match and had to wake up early. Fu Lan accompanied him to the platform. Qi Yin planned to just go through the motions and wait for Fu Lan to finish his match afterwards before going back to sleep.

As expected, Qi Yin was easily defeated before he could even draw his sword, and he fell to the ground in a very ungraceful manner. The others all stepped back to make room for him, and someone laughed and said, “Feng Huan really produces trash. He lost with just one move.”

“Let’s bet on how many moves the next one will lose in.”

“I bet two moves.”

“I bet half a move, haha!”

Qi Yin was used to losing face, and his thick skin could withstand it, as could the sect’s reputation. Fu Lan didn’t care at all. He didn’t even know what losing face was. After crouching below the platform for a while, it was finally Fu Lan’s turn to go up. Qi Yin reminded him, “Just lose after two moves. Don’t really fight.”

Fu Lan nodded vigorously and went up with the broken iron sword that Qi Yin had given him. His opponent was a little junior sister from Zhong Gu Mountain, with big eyes and rosy cheeks, looking very cute. She obviously didn’t expect her opponent to be so handsome, and blushed as soon as he got up. She held her sword in a curtsy and whispered in a small voice, like a mosquito, “Xin Xiao Xiao greets senior brother.”

Fu Lan also returned the greeting and asked, “Do you have a sugar daddy?”

Qi Yin suddenly had a bad feeling.

The little junior sister didn’t understand for a moment. “What?… What sugar daddy?”

“A father who specializes in doing his daughter,” Fu Lan said.

As soon as this was said, there was silence both on and off the platform.

“You!” The little junior sister was so angry and embarrassed that her eyes turned red. “I have no grievances or enmities with you. How can you humiliate me like this! Stinky thief, watch this move!”

A sword glare suddenly appeared. Xin Xiao Xiao moved her sword and weaved it into a giant net with snow-white sword light covering Fu Lan inside. Fu Lan looked confused. She hadn’t answered his question yet, so why did she start attacking?

But then the sword move changed! A sword light broke through several illusory shadows and flew towards Fu Lan. Fu Lan stood still like a wooden puppet in a white robe.

“Another waste. I’m going to win again. Remember to pay up,” someone laughed below the platform.

When the sword light was within three steps of Fu Lan, he drew his sword. The broken iron sword bought from Chang Le Road was unsheathed, and it was obviously a piece of scrap metal. But at this moment, it carried a severe pressure. A dim sword light spilled out of the sheath, and Fu Lan took a step forward. Xin Xiao Xiao’s sword barely missed his face, but Fu Lan didn’t blink. He swung his sword.

On the stage, the sword lights stopped and the two stood back to back in the cool breeze, like two reefs in the sea. Everyone looked confused and didn’t know who had won or lost. After a moment, drops of blood began to trickle out from the waist of the young girl, gradually becoming more and more, eventually turning into a fountain. In front of everyone, the girl’s face grew paler and paler, and she finally fell to the ground with weak legs. Turning around, Fu Lan sheathed his sword, and the snow-white blade was stained with a conspicuous red.

Qi Yin was dumbfounded.

In the silence, someone shouted in panic, “He killed her!”

Someone yelled, “The sword fight was supposed to be until one of them gave up. Feng Huan’s Yun Lan actually killed someone in public!”

The sword stage became chaotic, and the head of Wu Fang’s medicinal department, holding a medicine box, struggled to push through the crowd to treat the young girl. Countless people climbed onto the stage and surrounded the unconscious girl three layers deep. Fu Lan stood dazedly by the side of the stage, with people swarming around him, accusing and scolding him like a tidal wave. He was at a loss. Suddenly, someone grabbed his hand. He turned his head and saw Qi Yin’s worried face.

“Are you okay, brother?” Qi Yin asked him.

Fu Lan shook his head, frowning. “Did I cause trouble again?”

Qi Yin patted his head.

“I thought we were going to exchange two moves,” Fu Lan whispered. “But she lost after just one move.”

Qi Yin asked him to wait for a moment and went into the crowd to take a look. After a while, he came back and said, “It’s okay. Let’s go back and gather some money for medical expenses. We’ll apologize in person another day.”

Fu Lan hung his head, looking unhappy.

“It’s my fault,” Qi Yin said, pulling him back. “I didn’t explain the rules clearly enough. It’s okay, let’s solve this properly. Don’t worry, brother, I’ve got you.”

When they got back and told everyone what had happened, they all sighed and pitied Fu Lan. They gathered some money and sent him to a small courtyard in Zhong Gu Mountain, where he was beaten with sticks. Later, Senior Qing Ming came to apologize in person. Qi Yin led Fu Lan to stand outside the Moon Cave Gate, asking for forgiveness for the whole afternoon, until they were covered in snow and looked like two snowmen, before they were finally forgiven. There was also news from Wu Fang that Yun Lan insulted his fellow disciples in public and went too far, so he was expelled and punished to sweep the snow-covered steps of the mountain three thousand times.

Being expelled meant that Fu Lan didn’t have to compete in sword fighting anymore. Qi Yin was not worried at all and was actually happy about it. It was just a bit of a headache to sweep the steps three thousand times, which meant he had to sweep the entire Wu Fang Mountain inside and out. Fu Lan was calm. Besides killing, housework was the job he was best at, so he didn’t find it difficult.

At night, Fu Lan obediently took a broom and went out, while Qi Yin went to visit Qing He at the Purple Library. The Purple Library was a tower with nine floors connected by shelves filled with ancient books and inscriptions. Night pearls were embedded on the walls, emitting a faint glow. Qi Yin marveled at this, thinking that even selling just one of these pearls would be enough to support him, his brother, and Lord Cat for a lifetime.

The ladder could only reach the tenth shelf, and one would have to fly on a sword to go higher. Qi Yin looked up at the huge bookshelves and sighed, realizing that he didn’t even have the qualification to read the books, as he didn’t know how to fly on a sword.

After walking for a while without seeing anyone, Qi Yin randomly picked a book to read. The books here were very old, with yellowed pages and covered in dust. Many of the books were written in strange characters that didn’t look like Chinese. There were also several ancient paintings piled up in the corners. Qi Yin blew off the dust and sat on the ground to look at them. According to the signature on the corner of the painting, the artist was an elder from three generations before the founding of Wu Fang Sect, and the paintings depicted various scenes of Wu Fang Mountain, such as snow falling in an empty courtyard, light shining in the secret chamber, and the sun rising in the Purple Library…

Qi Yin kept flipping through the pages until he reached the last painting, which depicted a cliff with an icy sea and a vast sky below. The clouds and sky were all covered in a pale snow color. A black-clad man stood on the cliff, with a black scabbard and a dark silhouette like a lonely bamboo. Qi Yin was taken aback, feeling incredulous. He realized that this was Fu Lan, with his fair face and indifferent gaze. This was too unbelievable; the painting was at least two hundred years old, and his brother was only twenty-six years old. How could he be in the painting?

“No.”

A hoarse voice sounded from the fifth row.

Fu Lan silently looked over, the killing intent in his eyes slowly dissipating.

There sat a stooped figure, and everyone heard him say slowly and deliberately, “This demon is under a curse. If we forcefully read his soul, he will explode and die. This demon has at least two hundred years of cultivation. Once he explodes, we will all be affected.”

Everyone was shocked. “No wonder he refused to answer. He was planning to take us down with him!”

“How ruthless!”

Yuan Yin nodded lightly towards the figure. “We’re safe thanks to Senior Ku Can’s discovery of this scheme. Otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

“Who is Senior Ku Can?” Qi Yin whispered to Yun Zhi. “Why is his Dao name different from others?”

“He’s not originally from Wu Fang Mountain. He was a wild Daoist from some deserted mountain. He was recruited by Wu Fang at the end of last year and became the Elder of Spells here,” Yun Zhi said. “This old man is very powerful. Wu Fang Mountain has twelve elders divided into four upper and eight lower seats. He was immediately appointed as one of the upper seats. He created a set of powerful Ku Can secret spells that are said to be able to move mountains and lift boulders with ease. He teaches the spell classes we take. I asked about him from the people at Wu Fang Mountain. They said his classes are quite easy and he only tests us on small spells like freezing and fire breathing, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

On the other side, the pig demon sneered. “I didn’t expect that the Wu Fang faction would have another great Daoist. I thought we could set off some fireworks and let everyone enjoy the blood and flesh together.”

Yuan Yin shook his head. “This wicked beast is incorrigible. It’s too late today. We’ll have to reconsider another day.”

Without getting any information, the disciples of Wu Fang Mountain came in and took the pig demon away. Everyone dispersed and left the secret chamber. As soon as they came out of the darkness and saw the light, Qi Yin’s eyes were dazzled. He couldn’t help but turn his head and look back at the secret chamber. Several elders of Wu Fang were gathered on the steps, probably discussing how to deal with the pig. Qi Ling Shu was kneeling alone on the side, with a lonely back, his white clothes were touched by the shadows and made him look gray, like a lone goose.

They said that Qi Yin was similar to Qi Shen Wei in appearance, while Qi Ling Shu was similar to him from deep in his bones. Qi Yin couldn’t help but wonder if his father, the bastard immortal whom he had never met, looked like this too? Living in seclusion, being alone, his wife and children a burden to him. Only one person could sit on a sword. How could a whole family sit on it?

“What’s the deal with the missing people from Wu Fang Mountain? Do they have any connections to Yuan Wei?” Ye Qing Ming pondered with his sleeves tucked in.

Yun Zhi shook his head. “I don’t know, but the blood compass points in the direction of Wu Fang’s vicinity, specifically the Forbidden Forest, which is where Uncle Qi’s tomb is located.”

“Why did Wu Fang bury my dad in a forbidden forest?” Qi Yin asked.

Yun Zhi said: “The rules of Wu Fang Mountain are that after death, everyone is buried in the forbidden area, which means they must still suppress demons even after death.”

Ye Qing Ming rubbed his chin and said, “Could it be that Wu Fang didn’t even know that Yuan Wei was still alive and buried him unknowingly?”

“Now we have too little information, so anything we say is just speculation,” Yun Zhi replied. “Fourth Martial Uncle, leave your spiritual sense in my Master’s Dawn Mirror and ask him to send someone to check if Yao Xiao Shan has returned home to Wu Tang.”

Qi Yin was startled. “Do you suspect that my cousin is missing too?”

Yun Zhi shrugged. “Don’t worry too much. I just have some doubts.”

“Okay.” Ye Qing Ming patted Qi Yin’s shoulder. “I’ll go discuss with Qing He and see when we can explore the forbidden area in Wu Fang Mountain. The forbidden area in Wu Fang Mountain is different from Feng Huan. The demons here are not as peaceful as those in our area. We need to plan carefully. But I’m not too worried. Yuan Wei has been neither dead nor alive for so long, so he can wait a little longer.”

After speaking, he lifted his robes and walked towards the scripture hall, humming “dong-dang-dang” with the demeanor of a fool. Qi Yin looked at him with a depressed expression. Could they really rely on this kind of person? One day, he would visit the Elder of Medicine who broke Qing He’s disciple’s leg instead of curing it to see how low Feng Huan’s bottom line really was.

The three of them walked side by side back. Yun Zhi patted Fu Lan’s shoulder and said, “The competition is tomorrow. We all have to participate. Junior Brother Hei doesn’t need to be reminded, but I’ll remind you. Don’t use your real skills in the match. A few moves are enough. Nowadays, the way of the Dao is declining, and many sects are in chaos. Unlike us, Wu Fang is still proud of their cultivator status.”

Qi Yin was speechless. This person’s face was really thick.

Fu Lan nodded in confusion, but Yun Zhi still worriedly reminded, “After you find out who your opponent is, remember to ask about their background. For example, if it’s a girl, you need to find out if she has a sugar daddy.”

“A sugar daddy?” Fu Lan asked.

“They’re very protective of their girls,” Yun Zhi said. “If you encounter such a person, don’t fight them. We can’t afford to offend anyone in Wu Fang.”

Qi Yin was surprised and exclaimed, “Are people still into this kind of thing?”

“You two can be in a same-sex relationship. Why can’t others have sugar daddies?” Yun Zhi said with a smirk. This made Qi Yin angry and he wanted to hit him. Yun Zhi took a step back and walked away slowly while waving his hand. “See you later, junior brother!”

When they arrived at their lodging, they did not enter. Qi Yin pulled Fu Lan to a secluded spot under a plum blossom tree and asked, “Brother, are you really not going to save that pig demon?”

Before Fu Lan could answer, a black cat suddenly jumped down from the wall. “That pig cannot be saved,” the black cat said.

Qi Yin was startled. “Lord Cat, can you please announce yourself before showing up next time?”

Fu Lan bent down and picked up the cat, who held onto him with its two front paws. “Xiao Yin, do you know why it pretended to be me and caused trouble in the human world?”

How could he know? Qi Yin thought for a moment, but then remembered the demon’s fearless behavior. “Is it trying to start a war between humans and demons?”

“You’re halfway correct.” The black cat sighed. “To be precise, it wants your brother to take action. Since the Ninth Abyss War, the demon race has declined while humans have prospered. Half of the reason for this is due to the war between two races of demons – yao (1) and (mo). The other half is due to the fool.”

Fu Lan silently listened, while Qi Yin looked at the black cat’s indifferent expression and asked, “Because my brother ignores politics?”

The black cat nodded. “There are 28 demon tribes in southern Jiang, some advocating for war while others for peace. The war hawks value the fool’s strong magical powers and urge him to fight against the human world. Zhu Ming Zang is one of them. The peace doves question the fool’s identity as neither demon nor human and prefer to treat your brother as the mascot of southern Jiang. With your brother and the demon sword, the demons can’t fight amongst themselves.”

“The demon sword?” Qi Yin frowned.

“A sword that was forged from the bones of a demonic dragon,” Fu Lan explained. “I’ve placed it at the entrance of the Ninth Abyss.”

“There’s a barrier around the demonic sword, so yao and mo can’t fight amongst themselves,” the black cat said.

No wonder Fu Lan had never drawn his sword before. Qi Yin suddenly realized, “So that pig has been stealing my brother’s identity to wreak havoc everywhere, trying to incite conflict between humans and demons. If the immortal mountain can’t tolerate it anymore and attacks the Southern Territory, my brother will have no choice but to take action.”

“That’s right, so it’s best for it to die here. If it dies, even if the pig demon clan wants revenge, they won’t be able to convince the other factions. At least there will still be peace between the Southern Territory and the human world,” the black cat said with a worried tone. “Sigh, bearing the title of the demon lord, we can’t kill demons unless it’s absolutely necessary. Otherwise, we would have killed that trouble-making pig long ago.”

Qi Yin sighed quietly. He didn’t understand the Southern Territory, but he could guess that being its leader was not easy. He initially thought Fu Lan was just a figurehead, but it turned out there were so many troubles. The key issue was not whether to fight or make peace, but that Fu Lan was not fit to be the leader at all.

This fool… Qi Yin looked up at Fu Lan’s dark eyes, thinking of him tying his sleeves to cook, do laundry, and deliver clothes to his fellow disciples. Such a gentle and quiet young man was more suited to be a diligent househusband, Qi Yin’s brother, rather than the ruler of demons or the leader of the Southern Territory.

“Can’t you abdicate? Give the position to another powerful demon. After all, they are suspicious and believe in ‘if it’s not from our race, it must have ill intentions’, right?”

The black cat was taken aback, its green eyes suddenly becoming deep and quiet, as if shrouded in a layer of gloomy fog.

“No,” the black cat said softly. “There are no powerful demons with more than 300 years of cultivation left in the Southern Territory. They all died in that twelve-year-long war, their bodies lying in the ink marshes of the Ninth Abyss and the wilderness… never to return home.”

Fu Lan also lowered his eyes, sharing a memory with the black cat of the most cruel and intense time of their lives. The mo clan invaded the yao clan. Wave after wave of reinforcements were sent to the front lines, but it still took the yao clan two whole years to push the battle lines back to the Ninth Abyss.

There were times of truce, but more often there was fighting. The battles lasted too long, and many demons lost their self-healing abilities. They began to eat the bodies of their dead comrades, sucking fresh blood from the soil to speed up their recovery. Fu Lan still remembered the nauseating taste of blood filling his mouth, the rivers of blood that reached his ankles, and the vast, pale bones of demons scattered across the flowing wilderness, piled up at the foot of the pitch-black abyssal mountains.

“Xiao Yin,” Fu Lan said softly, “war is cruel, and many lives are lost. I hope you live a peaceful life and never experience war.”

This was the first time Qi Yin saw such sorrow on their faces. Feeling a faint ache in his heart, he asked softly, “Is the mo clan very strong?”

“Very strong,” Fu Lan said slowly. “Their lifespans are longer than both humans and the yao clan. Humans live for decades, yao for centuries, but the lifespan of a mo can reach a thousand years. Some mo possess human bodies, some feed on human brain matter, and others manipulate people’s minds, causing them to kill each other…” Fu Lan looked up. “Xiao Yin, if one day you encounter a mo and I’m not by your side, the first thing you should do is tell it that you are my brother. If it still wants to kill you…”

“What should I do?” Qi Yin asked nervously.

Fu Lan stared at him and said, “I will avenge you.”

In the evening, the results of the lottery for the competition came out. Qi Yin and Fu Lan, both newcomers, were to compete first against other newcomers. Qi Yin was quite calm, as he didn’t even know the sword-controlling technique and would admit defeat after a few moves. As a member of Feng Huan Mountain, he was not afraid of losing face for his sect. Fu Lan had nothing to worry about either; his opponent was named “Xin Xiao Xiao,” obviously a girl. He could have a casual exchange with her and might even win her heart with his handsome face.

Late at night, it was time to rest. The stars hung low, and the wintersweet outside the moonlit window was in full bloom, casting sparse shadows on the white window gauze. Later, the sound of a zither echoed from somewhere, its melodious and lingering notes like a gentle breeze stirring the waters of a pond.

All the disciples went to bed after washing up. It was their first time sleeping in a large shared bed. Qi Yin felt a little uncomfortable lying next to Fu Lan, turning to face Yun Zhi’s direction. Fu Lan also climbed into bed after a while, lying down behind Qi Yin. Their arms touched, and through the thin layer of silk, Qi Yin could feel Fu Lan’s warm skin.

After a long while, everyone had fallen asleep, with steady breathing filling the air. Occasionally, there were quiet hums as people dreamt. Qi Yin could also hear Lord Cat snoring, and the lingering sound of the zither outside the window. There was no movement from behind, and Qi Yin slowly turned to face Fu Lan. The moonlight shone through the window, illuminating Fu Lan’s peaceful features, his straight nose, and thin lips.

I wonder if those demons are heartbroken to see someone like him become Southern Jiang’s demon lord. According to the black cat, when they returned to Southern Jiang after the war, there was much work to be done but Fu Lan kept disappearing, which made it impossible to push forward any political plans. Later, in order to keep Fu Lan from running away, various tribes offered up demon concubines to fill his harem, and the Ninth Abyss tribe even offered up two witches. The demon concubines and witches must have crystal-clear skin, plump breasts, and long and fair thighs. His brother was really lucky. It was a pity that the peach blossom landed on him in vain. A group of concubines chased after Fu Lan, demanding to have sex with him, but he ran and jumped into the surging Jia Ling River.

Qi Yin laughed silently as he propped up his head and lightly tapped Fu Lan’s forehead with his finger, then stroked his nose bridge.

“Big idiot,” he said.

Just as he was about to pull his hand back, Fu Lan opened his eyes, and the two of them were face to face in the clear moonlight.

“…” Qi Yin fell silent for a moment and said, “Brother, you’re pretending to be asleep?”

“I was sleeping,” Fu Lan replied honestly, “but you woke me up.”

“Is that so?” Qi Yin pretended to be calm as he withdrew his hand. “I don’t believe you.”

“It’s not safe here. I can’t fall asleep,” Fu Lan argued in a low voice.

“What’s not safe? Did you notice anything suspicious?” Qi Yin asked.

Fu Lan shook his head. “It’s just a feeling.”

Qi Yin didn’t say anything more, and the two of them fell into silence, looking into each other’s eyes.

After watching Qi Yin for a while, Fu Lan suddenly closed his eyes and took Qi Yin’s hand, placing it on his own face.

“I’m asleep now. You can touch me,” he said.

Footnotes

1. Yao – generally refers to any kind of demonic or otherworldly creature in Chinese mythology. They are often depicted as animals, such as foxes, snakes, or tigers, that have the ability to transform into human form. They are known for their cunning and trickery, and are often associated with seduction, deception, and mischief. However, not all yao are evil, and some are depicted as benevolent beings who help humans.

2. Mo – refers specifically to evil spirits in Chinese mythology. They are often associated with black magic, possession, and spiritual corruption. Mo are said to have a powerful and malevolent presence that can harm humans, and they are often portrayed as the enemies of gods and humans alike.

While they were making a commotion, Ye Qing Ming suddenly pushed open the door, and daylight poured in, shining directly on Qi Yin’s face, who was only wearing shorts and was pressed down. Ye Qing Ming’s scarred face showed bewilderment. “What’s happening here?”

The senior brothers retreated one after another. “It’s a misunderstanding, Fourth Martial Uncle. We’re just playing.”

“Don’t play around without any sense of propriety here. This is not our wild mountain. If you get caught and sent to the disciplinary hall for spanking, don’t blame me for not saving you.” Ye Qing Ming raised his chin and said, “Yun Zhi, Yun Lan, and Yun Yin, come out and follow me.”

Qi Yin quickly put on his clothes and followed Ye Qing Ming out. Under the cloudy sky, Qing Ming said, “Wu Fang caught that pig demon and is interrogating it in the secret chamber. We are invited to listen in. Don’t speak too much. Wu Fang’s gang of old thieves are very cunning. Yun Lan, has that pig demon seen you before? Does it know what you look like?”

Fu Lan said he knew.

Ye Qing Ming whispered, “This is bad.” He continued, “If I had known, I would have asked the fattie to help change your appearance. Anyway, let’s go take a look and act accordingly.”

Qi Yin was puzzled. “Why not just keep the pig demon from seeing us?”

As they approached the secret chamber, Qi Yin instinctively quieted down and followed Qing Ming inside. It wasn’t until they were inside that he understood why they didn’t have to worry about being seen by the pig demon.

The secret chamber was a huge hall, completely dark, and one could not see their own hands in front of their face. Only a beam of pale light shone down onto the center of the hall, where the pig demon sat cross-legged under the light. Both of his hands and feet were shackled by iron chains, and a pair of fierce eyes were visible under his unkempt hair.

As they entered, Qi Yin almost stumbled but was caught by Fu Lan. Once he adjusted to the darkness, he saw that the surrounding area was made of pure black marble steps, with deep and shallow symbols carved on each step. Occasionally, a barely perceptible silver light flowed through them, which Qi Yin recognized as symbols that prohibited divine consciousness. The center of the room was the lowest point, with each level increasing in height as it went around. At each level sat a black silhouette. In this way, no matter where one sat, they could see the pig demon at the bottom, but the pig demon could not see them.

They sat at the highest level, and gradually, others came and sat down, but they were all sitting far apart, making it difficult to see their faces. Yun Zhi leaned over and pointed to the person sitting alone on the lowest level, with their back facing everyone. “That’s Qi Ling Shu.”

“How do you know?” Qi Yin asked.

Yun Zhi shrugged. “That’s just how he is. He likes to be alone wherever he goes. If you want to be cool in the future, you should learn from him.”

They were too far away, and Qi Yin could only vaguely see his back. He could see his tall and straight spine and the long sword beside him. The scabbard was also hidden in the darkness, occasionally revealing a bleak light. That guy was far away from everyone else, like a lone pine tree standing in the snow.

The interrogation began, and an old voice from the high platform in front said, “Fu Lan, do you know what you did wrong?”

It was a familiar opening line, and Qi Yin found it a bit boring. It was always used in interrogations by the big shots, and the accussed always answered, “What have I done wrong?”

But this pig demon was different. He lifted his head and said in a cold and sinister tone, “I’ll fck your grandparents, fck your entire family, fck your ancestors for eighteen generations!” The pig demon pointed at the shadows on the platform one by one. “I’ll fck you, you, you, and you! And especially you!”

It was like throwing a firecracker into the hall; everyone was outraged. Some people stood up and shouted, “You’re talking nonsense! Your words are foul!”

Others cursed, “You evil creature! Shameless!”

Others shouted angrily, “We don’t want you to fck us! If you fck us, we’ll become pigs!”

The people from Wu Fang were terrible at cursing, which made Qing Ming, Yun Zhi, and Qi Yin unable to hold back their laughter. They were giggling so hard that they didn’t notice the room had gone silent. Everyone in the darkness was staring at them coldly. The three of them quickly covered their mouths.

The people on the platform spoke again, “Let me ask you. Did you have anything to do with the slaughter of the entire village of He Li within eight miles outside of Yong Zhou City?”

“Who are you? Where’s Qi Ling Shu? Is he here? Let him do the questioning!” The pig demon sneered.

“I am Elder Yuan Yin, one of the twelve elders of Wu Fang Sect. You must answer my questions truthfully!” Yuan Yin said sternly.

So it was Yuan Yin. Qi Yin had heard of him before. They said he was well-versed in various books and was skilled at annotating and collating ancient texts. He was responsible for most of the annotated versions of ancient scriptures available on the market today. Qi Yin also heard that Yuan Yin taught the course on scriptural studies, which he was planning to take in the future.

Yuan Yin was most famous for his Daoist theory, “The Original God.” In it, he proposed that there was no such thing as gods and goddesses. He believed that Fu Xi and Nu Wa were nothing more than clay figurines created by ancient people in times of disaster. The so-called shamanic possession was merely a state of frenzy induced by consuming hallucinogenic plants such as poppy, mandrake, and mushroom. Ancient people saw this frenzy as a way to communicate with the spirits. Southern China was indeed rich in poppy, and many people thought Yuan Yin’s theory made sense. After all, for thousands of years, no one had ever seen any real evidence of the existence of the gods and goddesses recorded in ancient texts. Some places claimed that there were great gods that had appeared, but it was all just a hoax. As for ancient ruins like Anyang Yin Xu, there was no trace of any gods ever being active there. As for the Ba Mountain Temple, no one could enter it, so it was not worth discussing.

“Okay.” The pig demon scratched his ear. “Call me dad and maybe I’ll answer. I love my sons, you know. “

“You evil creature!” Yuan Yin slammed the table in anger.

It was obvious that this pig demon was not going to cooperate, so when was this going to end? Qi Yin was speechless. Yun Zhi whispered to him that Wu Fang always followed the same routine: first they would ask questions, and if they couldn’t get any answers, they would resort to torture. This would demonstrate their virtue as gentlemen, as they wouldn’t mistreat prisoners without a good reason.

Qi Yin found it boring and didn’t want to listen anymore, so he wandered over to Fu Lan. Fu Lan was looking down, his bangs covering his eyes. Obviously, he wasn’t listening either. When he was silent, he was like a transparent person in a crowd, as if he didn’t exist in this world.

Qi Yin took his hand and wrote in his palm, “What are you doing?”

Fu Lan was stunned. Qi Yin’s fingers tickled as he wrote on his palm, but he restrained himself from pulling away. He waited for Qi Yin to finish before writing in his palm, “Meditating.”

Qi Yin wrote again, “What are you thinking about?”

Fu Lan wrote back, “Nothing, just daydreaming.”

Qi Yin: “……”

Qi Yin learned his lesson. From now on, when he was daydreaming, he would tell others that he was meditating.

“That evil creature. He’s making me so angry!” The pig demon was still not cooperating, and Yuan Yin was coughing violently.

Everyone sighed, some suggesting to torture him directly. In the midst of the discussion, a figure who sat alone in the lowest seat row suddenly stood up and walked to the opposite side of the pig demon, bowing deeply to Yuan Yin. “Ling Shu is willing to take over the interrogation.”

Yuan Yin finally breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand to indicate approval. Qi Ling Shu sat opposite the pig demon. Qi Yin still couldn’t see his face clearly, but he could see a thin shadow. His sleeves hung down to the ground, with a corner exposed in the light, as pure and simple as white snow. In the darkness, he spoke in a cold and chilly voice, “He Li Village outside of Yong Zhou city. The whole village was slaughtered. Was that you?”

“Yes, it was me.” The pig demon finally confessed, laughing coldly.

“Was it you who massacred the entire village by the shore of Xiang River?”

“Yes, it was me.”

“Was it also you who destroyed the village outside the city of Heng Zhou?”

“Yes, it was me.”

“On the ninth day of March this year, two disciples under the tutelage of Elder Bai Jue Ming of Zhong Gu Mountain, Gui Xin and Gui Shan, went missing; on the eleventh day of March, thirty disciples from Zi Zai Sect went missing; on the twenty-first day of March, forty-seven disciples from the Xiao Yao Sect went missing; and on the eighth day of April, five disciples from Wu Fang Mountain went missing. What have you done?”

Qi Yin was taken aback and instinctively looked at Yun Zhi and Ye Qing Ming. The two of them rarely became serious, but they were now standing with their arms crossed, staring at the ground.

The pig demon chuckled. “I kill whoever I see and cut down any Daoist I come across. How would I know who I’ve killed and which family they belonged to? You can’t expect me to kill someone and then check their household registration, and put up a banner saying, ‘This corpse is named so-and-so and was killed by me, Fu Lan.'”

“Who else could have done it if not you!?” someone stood up and shouted in anger, but was quickly restrained by the people around them.

Qi Ling Shu waved his sleeve, and pieces of paper flew out of his wide sleeves and slowly unfolded in front of the pig demon. They were all portraits of Daoists, both male and female, some flying on swords, some reading and writing. Suppressed weeping came from the audience, presumably fellow disciples of the missing Daoists. Qi Ling Shu asked, “Do you recognize any of them?”

“You all look the same to me. But, Qi Ling Shu, I do remember what you look like very clearly,” the pig demon said.

Someone couldn’t help but shout loudly, “Why waste so much time talking with him? Just use the ‘Soul-Reading’ technique to see his memories directly. If he is guilty, the truth will naturally come to light.”

Qi Yin was startled. He had heard of the Soul-Reading technique before. The practitioner could read the memories of the recipient. However, if one was not careful, the spiritual force would shock the soul, and the recipient would become a fool. This was bad news. That idiot recognized Fu Lan, and the two of them must have met in the southern region. If the Soul-Reading technique was used, Fu Lan would certainly be exposed.

More and more people agreed to use the Soul-Reading technique. Qi Yin was terrified and turned to look at Fu Lan, who was motionless with eyelids lowered, as calm as a wooden man.

“Brother.” Qi Yin poked him.

Fu Lan lifted his eyes, his gaze indifferent. He touched Qi Yin’s head and said softly, “Don’t be afraid.”

His voice was light and flat, with no ups and downs, like a breeze passing over the treetops. But somehow, Qi Yin’s heart settled down, as if with Fu Lan around, any problem could be solved effortlessly.

However, he didn’t know that Fu Lan’s approach had always been the simplest and most direct, and that was killing.

Fu Lan lowered his eyes again and adjusted his breathing, his muscles tense like a sword about to be unsheathed. He closed his eyes and listened carefully to the heartbeats of everyone in the secret chamber. He had extremely powerful hearing, and he could capture everyone’s breathing and heartbeat without releasing his divine sense. Under the clamor of cursing voices, each heartbeat was like a small drum, beating vigorously. The most dangerous was the old man on the fifth level, thin and hidden in the deep shadows, his breathing wheezing like an ice snake. Then there was Qi Ling Shu on the lowest level. The young man in white had a steady and calm heartbeat, like a Buddha.

Once the Soul-Reading technique was activated, Fu Lan would instantly appear behind the old man in black and crush his heart. Then he would flash in front of Qi Ling Shu and cut off his throat. These two actions would only take two blinks of an eye. Then he would take Qi Yin, find the black cat, and leave Wu Fang.

As more and more people agreed to use the Soul-Reading technique, Fu Lan opened his eyes in the dark with a calm killing intent in his jet-black pupils. The secret chamber was noisy, like boiling hot water bubbling, and no one noticed that this quiet and almost invisible man was ten thousand times more dangerous than that pig demon.

The killing intent was about to be unleashed.