Shen Qingqiu was shocked by this straightforward style to the point of being unable to speak. He saw Mo Beijun just turn around and leave!
Finished his mission and left... this NPC really did things thoroughly and to the point, briskly... he came from the darkness, he also returned to the darkness. He came mysteriously and he also went mysteriously. However, he was originally a mysterious character. Wherever Luo Binghe needed him, he would without logic appear there, so this kind of arrangement couldn't be considered far-fetched.
What was far-fetched was only what Shen Qingqiu had to face doing next, an extremely important trial.
Experiencing a fierce battle, half-kneeling in the midst of ruins, Luo Binghe's two eyes looked blank but about to tear apart anything at any moment. Pondering for a moment, the inside of his brain now was like a volcano dormant for twelve years suddenly erupting all at once, the blood flowing through his blood vessels like magma. Even thinking about it hurt. Even Shen Qingqiu's head started to ache a little.
The system issued an unprecedentedly sharp tip:
[Warning! Important new mission: Endless Abyss and Endless Hatred, has officially opened! If unable to be completed, the protagonist's coolness level -20,000! ]
Wait a moment.
Yesterday I confirmed with you, and didn't you say it was 10,000?
Only a few days have pa.s.sed, and yet it's multiplied several times?
System, f.u.c.k your mother until she explodes (#‵′)凸!
Shen Qingqiu's own injuries hadn't recovered. He weakly wobbled over to the side of Luo Binghe, who was still and half-mad. Pa pa pa a few strikes on his back [1], he inserted a few strands of remnant spiritual energy into his body.
Did you think that it was that simple for it to take effect?
Luo Binghe not only hadn't become conscious again, the demonic energy inside his body rebounded out instead, pus.h.i.+ng Shen Qinqiu to spit out a mouthful of the blood he'd repressed for so long on the spot.
At this moment, Luo Binghe finally awakened slightly.
s.h.i.+zun... was in front of him...
...blood... suffered an injury?
He slowly pulled away from his chaotic state, able to piece together a few blurry words said to him. That familiar face also gradually became clear.
Shen Qingqiu saw that he finally regained clarity. He rubbed away the blood at the corner of his mouth.
Calmly, he said: "Awake?"
Pausing for a moment, he also said: "If awake, we can have a good talk."
Shen Qingqiu said: "Luo Binghe, tell the truth, how long have you been cultivating demonic techniques?"
Once these words were spoken out loud, Luo Binghe felt as though he'd dropped from a high alt.i.tude into a bone-chilling pond. Even if he didn't want to be conscious, there was no way.
He saw Shen Qingqiu's face cold as ice and frost, his heart dropping straight down.
In the past, Shen Qingqiu would always call him Binghe, and wouldn't directly call his full name.
He whispered: "s.h.i.+zun, this disciple can explain."
Although Luo Binghe was still an adolescent, he was always composed and calm, with an old head on his young shoulders. This time, an expression of alarm and bewilderment could actually be seen on his face as he hurriedly wanted to explain, but didn't know where to start. The dignified male protagonist had fallen low like this. Shen Qingqiu saw it and couldn't stand to watch it any longer, his heart unable to bear it. He rushed ahead and snapped: "Shut your mouth!"
Seeing him speechless, he felt that he hadn't had a good grasp on things and was overly harsh. Luo Binghe had also been scared by him into falling down, just like a child that had been struck, confused and ignorant. His dark black eyes just stared at him like that, his mouth obediently shut.
Shen Qingqiu relentlessly fixed his gaze on him without softening, dully enunciating his words: "From when did you start?"
"...Two years ago."
Shen Qingqiu was silent. He wondered if it was necessary to ask this child. He was so honest, he truly must have been scared silly.
But he didn't know that Luo Binghe would automatically interpret his silence as: 'Very good. You treacherous disciple, you actually hid this from me for so long!'
Shen Qingqiu softly said: "Two years. No wonder you advanced by leaps and bounds to this degree. Luo Binghe, Luo Binghe, you are worthy enough. You truly have a natural talent."
In truth, these words were expressing his heartfelt feelings of admiration. Originally, as the male protagonist, he indeed had a good natural talent... but if pressed to ask if there were other feelings, there would be envy plus a smidgen of jealousy.
But in Luo Binghe's ears, the meaning was completely different.
In an instant, he directly knelt down in front of Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu in his heart was scared into a CRY. f.u.c.k me, from the first time I met you, you knelt; how come we've come to this day and you're still kneeling to me?! This boy has yellow gold under his knees. Once the male protagonist kneels, my life is gone; this old lady truly can't afford to endure it! He waved his sleeve and shouted: "Don't kneel to me!"
Luo Binghe was forced by the movement of his sleeve to retreat some steps, stunned as though his six vital organs had trouble working.
Did he not even have the privilege of kneeling to s.h.i.+zun and asking for forgiveness anymore?
He mumbled, "But s.h.i.+zun, you've said before that people can be good or evil, and that demons can also be good or evil."
Have I said it before? Shen Qingqiu seriously thought for a while.
It seemed like he truly did say so before!
If he were to change his mind and refute it right now, would it be a little too shameless?
"You are not an ordinary demon." Shen Qingqiu calmly related: "You are an ancient Heavenly Demon. This family has always killed countless people in the Human Realm. They have caused countless sins, no matter how things are said. They cannot be mentioned in the same breath as other demons."
Personally hearing Shen Qingqiu speak like this broke his hopes. Luo Binghe's eyes turned red.
He tremblingly said: "But you've said it before."
I've said a lot of words before. Back then, I also stated that Shen Qingqiu should be castrated, enough to cover several hundred-story buildings in s.h.i.+ning red words!
...It wasn't funny at all.
Shen Qingqiu, who was always good at doing tsukkomis and adjusting himself, couldn't relax.
He could only once again brainwash himself with this reason: The pain and suffering Luo Binghe undergoes right now are all necessary experiences for his wish to become a person above all others in the future.
Shen Qingqiu silently lifted his head and held his hand in a sword mnemonic, retrieving the Xiu Ya sword, holding it in his hand.
The hand holding his sword shook, subtle veins appearing with the faint force exerted. Luo Binghe unbelievingly said: "s.h.i.+zun, you really want to kill me?"
Shen Qingqiu's gaze went straight through his figure: "I don't want to kill you."
In Luo Binghe's memories, he had never before seen Shen Qingqiu use such a cold and resolute expression towards himself. Even it was back when he had first entered Cang Qiong Mountain sect and he wasn't in s.h.i.+zun's eyes, his gaze when he looked at him had never been so hollow, as if nothing was there.
He felt that Shen Qingqiu's towering gaze was no different from when he directed his judgment at those demons in the past, whether they were evil or not. There was not a trace of warmth.
Shen Qingqiu said: "Only, what that person said earlier wasn't wrong. The Human Realm is not where you should be. You should return to your place of origin."
He walked forward a step, Luo Binghe retreated a step, until both people pushed onwards before the Endless Abyss.
With a turn of the head, it was possible to see the tumultuous demonic energy roiling in the ravine endlessly, tens of thousands of wails, thousands of pairs of deformed arms stretching out from the crack facing towards the Human Realm, seeking blood and flesh. The places deeper in the depths were concealed by ominous black fog and crimson ghostlight.
Shen Qingqiu pointed the Xiu Ya sword diagonally down at the Abyss and said: "Will you go down yourself, or do you need me to make a move?"
Actually, he selfishly hoped that Luo Binghe would go down himself. Though this treatment was too cruel to him, it would still be better than being hit down by Shen Qingqiu.
But Luo Binghe didn't give up.
There was no way for him to believe that the s.h.i.+zun who treated him so well would really push him down.
Even though the Xiu Ya sword stabbed at his chest, he was still holding onto that last thread of hope.
Shen Qingqiu didn't want to stab him. Truly. He only wanted to wave his sword around and scare him so that Luo Binghe, for the sake of dodging, would retreat a step and naturally fall down. But he hadn't guessed that Luo Binghe would stand there so calmly and receive his sword upfront.
Dead. Originally, he'd only fallen down. Now there was an extra stab added!
On the contrary, Luo Binghe held the sword edge, though without force. He only held it lightly, as though saying that if Shen Qingqiu wanted to use more force, the Xiu Ya sword would be able to continue to pierce until it went through his chest.
Luo Binghe's throat quivered slightly, without saying a word. Though the sword had clearly not yet pierced the heart, Shen Qingqiu felt like he could feel his heartbeat through his sword to his hand, his arm, and to his own heart.
Shen Qingqiu silently withdrew the sword.
Because of this action, Luo Binghe's body shook a little but quickly regained stability. Seeing that Shen Qingqiu hadn't pierced through, his originally dim eyes flashed faintly with light just like how after a fire, there were embers in the ashes.
Yet afterwards, Shen Qingqiu had to use his last blow and extinguish the last hint of light in his eyes.
He knew that Luo Binghe definitely wouldn't counterattack.
He knew even more definitely that he was afraid that he would never forget that desperate gaze of Luo Binghe's as he fell down.
One strike to send him down!
By the time Cang Qiong Mountain sect, Huan Hua Palace, and Tian Yi Overlook cultivators had finished cleaning up the monsters and arrived, the rent s.p.a.ce of the Endless Abyss had already closed.
Shen Qingqiu had properly treated the wounds of all the disciples that had fainted and lay on the ground (aside from the pretending-to-be-unconscious Shang Qinghua). He hadn't taken care of himself, his clothes spotted all over with blood. His face was emotionless, his expression pale. He looked extremely sorry and embarra.s.sing. Yue Qingyuan went forward to take his pulse and his brows wrinkled as he frowned. He let the expert Mu Qingfang come over to take a look. Each sect went to the disordered ma.s.s of people on the ground to find their own, then lifting them up and taking them away for further treatment.
Liu Qingge suddenly found there was one less person and asked: "What about that disciple of yours?"
Shen Qingqiu didn't answer, picking up the shattered sword fragments on the ground.
Qing Jing Peak's disciples rushed over. The sharp-eyed Ming Fan saw that sword and supportively said: "s.h.i.+zun, that sword, isn't that..."
At the beginning, he had thought about the Zheng Yang sword on Wan Jian Peak for many years. After it had been pulled out by Luo Binghe, his heart burned with jealousy and he had spent countless nights tossing and turning. Naturally he wouldn't admit it.
Ning Yingying suddenly started crying with a 'wa' sound: "s.h.i.+zun, you-you, don't you scare me. Isn't this… is this Ah Luo's Zheng Yang?"
Four bursts of whispers: "Zheng Yang sword?" "You're talking about Peak Lord Shen's beloved disciple?" "If the sword is here, then the person is here. This sword is broken, where's the person?" "He couldn't have also... hai hai." [2]
Someone exclaimed: "If so, then it's really a pity. Young hero Luo all down this path has become the leader on the Immortal Alliance Conference's gold ranking board!" "Heaven envies genius, Heaven envies genius!" [3]
Among these people, there were those who sighed, who were astonished, who were sad, and those who were just joining in.
Ning Yingying started crying on the spot.
Although Ming Fan hated Luo Binghe, he never really wanted him to die. Also, thinking of how s.h.i.+zun came to be so fond of him, and how this stinky fellow had now died without even bones left; s.h.i.+zun must be very sad, his spirits unable to be lifted. The entire Qing Jing Peak was covered by a cloud of gloom. Xian Shu Peak's Qi Qingqi received Liu Mingyan, but they were also moved.
Liu Qingge was bad at words. He patted Shen Qingqiu's shoulder: "Your disciple is gone, but you can still accept another."
Though he knew he had intended to comfort him, Shen Qingqiu still wanted to send him a feeble glare. Anyone who hadn't thrown their own male protagonist and division disciple down into the Endless Abyss were all people who were talking without feeling back pain! [4]
Forget it, forget it. Everything was a forgone conclusion.
Shen Qingqiu said slowly: "Qing Jing Peak's disciple, Luo Binghe, was harmed by demons and died."
—End Chapter 27—
[1] Pa pa pa a few strikes on his back…: Qingqiu's pressing some important acupoints as well as transferring energy via his palms. It's a thing okay, acupoints help with that stuff since they're important spots on meridians. XD
[2] Hai hai…: SFX for coughing.
[3] Heaven envies genius…: Usually a saying used in cultivation novels. It's like the saying that good people die young, only it's 'genius dies young' in this case.
[4] Talking without feeling back pain (站著說話不腰疼): I'm guessing this means that they're all people who are talking/offering condolences despite having not felt the pain themselves.
TN: Misunderstandings galore, am I right? *clutches hankie*