The claw, suffused with spiritual energy, retracted swiftly. Blood rushed out in its wake.
Nangong Liu's lips opened and closed, but no words came. It seemed
he had never expected Xu Shuanglin to turn on him. At length, he spat out a
mouthful of blood and keeled over.
"Dad!" Nangong Si's shriek tore through the sky.
"Sect Leader!"
The crowd gasped in fright.
Xu Shuanglin carelessly knelt and produced a small fruit from his
qiankun pouch. He stuffed it in Nangong Liu's mouth and forced him to
swallow.
Mo Ran's eyes were sharp; his expression shifted instantly. "Lingchi fruit?!"
The fruit Xu Shuanglin had fed to Nangong Liu was the same kind
that had suspended the feathered tribe between life and death at Peach
Blossom Springs—the lingchi fruit, which made those who consumed it
wish to die, yet forced them to live. Nangong Liu instantly sank into
unbearable agony. He curled on the ground like a shrimp, shivering
violently. Xu Shuanglin looked at him, the flames that danced in his eyes
filling them with warmth.
"Sect Leader, I pity you. You've made it this far in life, but in the
end, you're nothing but a spineless piece of shit."
"Yifu?!" Ye Wangxi exclaimed, her voice quavering.
"Father… Let go of my father! Let go of him!" Blood was still
thicker than water. As despicable as Nangong Liu might be, Nangong Si
couldn't bear to see him so wretched. Shaking in fury, he started toward Xu
Shuanglin.
With a wave of his hand, Xu Shuanglin erected a defensive barrier to
hold him off. The glance he shot Nangong Si was frigid as he said, "Your
elders are speaking. Don't interrupt. Kneel!" He raised a finger.
Nangong Si felt like a thousand catties had descended upon him; it
was impossible to remain on his feet. After a moment of teeth-gritted
resistance, he landed heavily on his knees.
"A-Si." Ye Wangxi stepped in front of Nangong Si without hesitation.
She couldn't raise a sword to Xu Shuanglin, but neither could she stand by
and simply watch. "Yifu, don't hurt him…" she pleaded, her expression one
of anguish and bewilderment.
"Why would I want to hurt him? As if he's worthy of that."
Xu Shuanglin turned his attention back to Nangong Liu, then raised a foot
and kicked his mangled face. "It's been so long. Now that I'm facing the
biggest despot in the world, I can't help but want to spend some time
reminiscing."
Nangong Liu coughed up a great mouthful of blood. "Reminiscing?
What do you mean, reminiscing?! Didn't you say as long as I summoned
Luo Fenghua's soul from the Infinite Hells, I could lift the curse he left on
me? That I would get better and no longer fear…no longer fear the night.
You lied to me… You actually…lied to me…"
The younger cultivators in the crowd didn't know what to make of
these words, but those of Xue Zhengyong's generation looked stricken. Xue
Zhengyong glanced over at the youthful corpse.
"Luo Fenghua?"
"It's Luo Fenghua!"
The corpse on the ground was indeed that former teacher of the
Nangong brothers, the short-lived sect usurper, Rufeng Sect's only ruler of a
different surname—Luo Fenghua.
"Such a wonderful imagination you've got," said Xu Shuanglin with
a grin. "Lift the curse? Back then you killed him with your own hands, and
right now you've drunk his blood and eaten his flesh. After acting so
barbarically, you still think you can lift the curse? How naïve."
"Why shouldn't I drink his blood or eat his flesh?! Yes, I might have
sent him to an early death so I could seize power, but he's the one who left a
curse on the sect leader's ring before he died. Since the day I put it on,
I haven't had a single normal…a single…" Nangong Liu sputtered out
between coughs. "A single normal night…in the past ten years! Why
shouldn't I…why shouldn't I have…"
"You should have," Xu Shuanglin agreed, his face expressionless.
"You really should have." His mouth twisted into another smile. He knelt
and lifted Nangong Liu's face. "You did so well. No one could have done
better than you. No one is more outstanding, more obedient… No one is
more stupid than you, Sect Leader." He snorted derisively. "Piece of shit."
Xu Shuanglin rose unhurriedly to his feet. Somehow, he still wore a
measured and calm smile. Throwing his arms wide, he announced warmly,
"Esteemed guests, dinner is over. I've prepared dessert—I hope you've all
enjoyed it."
"Xu Shuanglin!" someone shouted angrily. "What are you trying to
do?!"
"Nothing much—I just want to share a few interesting tidbits with all
of you. Rufeng Sect has looked down on the cultivation world for hundreds
of years, plagued by too many scandals to name. Among these, there's one
in particular I've waited more than a decade to reveal. The day has finally
come for the world to know the truth." His piercing voice softened. "This
may be Rufeng Sect's very last secret," he said lightly.
At these words, Nangong Liu's heart seized with intense dread. He
shuddered violently, his lips trembling so badly that he struggled to speak as
he stared wide-eyed at the man standing atop the lava. "Who… Who are
you?!"
Xu Shuanglin cocked his head, a hint of a smile curving his mouth,
but didn't reply. His hand glowed as a dagger materialized in his grasp.
With a decisive swipe, he sliced his palm open and dipped a finger into the
streaming blood to draw an array on his arm. Blowing softly on the wet
lines of the spell, he intoned, "A boat in the western window shall ferry you
into the dream." He turned and grinned. "Sect Leader, who I am will be
clear as day after you watch."
Mo Ran moved to stop Xu Shuanglin but felt Chu Wanning tug him
back. "Shizun?"
"It's not an evil spell, it's only an illusion like the one at Peach
Blossom Springs. It'll show everyone his memories," said Chu Wanning.
"Let's see what he has to say."
Xu Shuanglin's array glowed brilliantly, peeling away from his arm
and riding the wind, expanding as it rose. In no time it had enveloped the
entire frozen lake. Broken fragments of memories drifted down like grains
of sand, quickly blanketing the lake's surface in Xu Shuanglin's memories.
Imbued with the spell's energy, they tumbled about, transforming the
scenery like a dusting of fresh snow.
Although no one moved from their positions around the frozen lake,
the trees and lava faded from view. Gradually, Rufeng Sect's Flying Jade
Platform materialized before them.
The platform within the illusion was deserted save for two, one
standing and one sitting. The one who stood was barefoot and dressed
carelessly, hairpiece crooked in his unkempt hair—Xu Shuanglin. The one
who sat wore embroidered robes of crimson, his features flabby and pallid
—this, of course, was Nangong Liu.
Nangong Liu caressed the ring on his thumb: the sect leader's ring,
inlaid with precious green jade. His face flickered with excitement and
anxiety. "Have all five holy weapons been prepared?"
"This is the ninth time you've asked," Xu Shuanglin drawled. "Ask
one more time and I'll quit."
Aggrieved, Nangong Liu jiggled his leg. "Okay, okay, so we'll wait
until all the guests have arrived for Si-er's wedding." He paused briefly.
"Show me the list of sacrifices again so I can see who's still missing."
Xu Shuanglin tossed a booklet at him. Nangong Liu began noisily
flipping through. His gaze was feverish; he had the look of someone mad
with thirst finally seeing a cup of life-saving water. He counted the names
once, then again to be sure. His fingertips stabbed at the pages like he
wanted to punch through them.
"They'll all be here," Xu Shuanglin said as he watched Nangong Liu
mumbling frantically. "A couple dozen people with pure elemental spiritual
energies, plus the guards you've assembled over the years that have the five
elemental energies as well. It won't be as strong as using the soul of an
elemental spiritual essence, but the combination of these people in addition
to the holy weapons will be enough. Opening the main gate of the Infinite
Hells should be a cinch."
Nangong Liu gripped the booklet and nodded repeatedly. "Okay."
"This is the last good chance you'll have, though. If you mess it up,
it'll be even harder to lift the curse."
"Then I definitely can't mess it up!"
"You should say you definitely won't mess it up," Xu Shuanglin
replied lazily.
"Okay okay, I definitely won't mess it up, I definitely won't mess it
up." Nangong Liu paused. "Shuanglin, I'm still worried. Can we go over
the plan once more?"
After a pause, Xu Shuanglin said, "Dage, we've been over it twenty
times."
Undeterred, Nangong Liu asked, "What's a few more? Better safe
than sorry."
"Fine, whatever you say," Xu Shuanglin muttered, exasperated.
Nangong Liu rattled off the plan: "At dusk on the day before Si-er's
wedding, all the guests will assemble at Poetry Hall. I'll draw the straws
and select the twenty-one sticks we marked." He looked up at Xu
Shuanglin. "Then it'll be your turn."
Left with no choice, Xu Shuanglin reluctantly recited: "Mn. I'll
excuse myself and accompany them as they leave the hall." He continued,
"After entering the forest, I'll lure the offerings to the shore of Ganquan
Lake and plant the Zhenlong Chess pieces in them so they're nice and
obedient. I'll offer their spiritual energy to the holy weapons. When they're
all under my control, I'll shoot the signal fireworks into the sky and open
the rift to the Infinite Hells."
"Good, good!" In contrast to Xu Shuanglin's indifference, Nangong
Liu seemed excited, almost frantic, as he continued reviewing the plan.
"After the fireworks go off, I'll command the five guard divisions. Under
guise of fixing the rift, I'll lead them to the hunting grounds and join you.
Then we'll turn the guards into Zhenlong Chess pieces and sacrifice them
too!"
Xu Shuanglin nodded. "Everything should go smoothly," he
concluded.
"Everything must go smoothly." Nangong Liu squeezed the ring on
his hand, his complexion tinged green. "I've had enough, I've had
enough…" He mumbled for a while, then suddenly looked up. "Shuanglin,
are you sure we really don't have to use the soul of an elemental spiritual
essence? What if the power of the holy weapons isn't pure enough…"
"Don't worry. Those five weapons are the best of the best—their
power can move mountains. Once they absorb the spiritual energy from the
offerings, there's no doubt they'll get the job done."
"But what if—what if we can't open the main gate to the Infinite
Hells? What if it's like Butterfly Town, and someone stops us… That Chu
Wanning!" Nangong Liu spat. "Curse that Yuheng of the Night Sky, Beidou
Immortal—always sticking his nose in other people's business! We got
lucky at Butterfly Town and killed him by a fluke. A huge stroke of luck,
but who would've thought that old bald donkey Huaizui could bring him
back to life. Despicable!"
As he listened, Mo Ran's heart roiled with fury. During the calamity
at Butterfly Town, Rufeng Sect had dispatched many of their own
cultivators to quell the chaos. More than a hundred Rufeng Sect disciples
had died in that battle. These two men knew this as well…
But which was the fake Gouchen? Was it Nangong Liu, or Xu
Shuanglin?
"Chu Wanning's life should not be cut short," said Xu Shuanglin in
the illusion. "He's a man of extraordinary ability. It would be a pity if he
died so pointlessly."
"So what if he's extraordinary? I can't stand that obnoxious face of
his!"
"Well, now that you mention it—esteemed Sect Leader, didn't you
see Chu Wanning recently? How is he now that he's been reborn? Were his
spiritual powers damaged?"
"No idea about his spiritual powers, but his temper hasn't improved a
bit," Nangong Liu retorted. "All high and mighty, thinks his shit doesn't
stink. To him, I'm like a fucking dog who rolled in mud!"
Xu Shuanglin grinned. "This comparison of Sect Leader's is quite
interesting."
"Just speaking of him makes me so mad! I'm the chief of the world's
top sect! Nodding and bowing to Chu Wanning I could live with, but I had
to listen to his disciple mouth off to me as well. That disciple of his, Mo
zongshi, is a real piece of work. Insolent, and a personality even worse than
his master's." He sighed, eyes flashing with malice. "And a wood spiritual
essence to boot… Really I wish we could forget these holy weapons and
stick to the original plan—turn his body into a pillar of spiritual energy and
use him as an offering to open the gate to the Infinite Hells!"
"We've failed twice already, first at Jincheng Lake and then at Peach
Blossom Springs," Xu Shuanglin said. "Then he went off on his own for
five years and it was hard to track him. The one time we managed to lure
him in, we got the Yellow River Mackerel Demon to take a piece out of
him. But he's blessed with some stellar luck—who would have thought
Jiang Xi would pass by in time to save him? Now Mo Ran's grown into his
prime—he's not some stripling kid. We can't touch him. Using an elemental
spiritual essence is a dead end."
"You just wait!" Nangong Liu fumed. "Once I throw off this curse,
I'll be much stronger. Then whether it's Chu-zongshi or Mo-zongshi, they'll
all have to kneel and do as I say!"
Xu Shuanglin only smiled without responding.
Nangong Liu stewed in his frustration for a while before gradually
calming himself. He sighed. Then, staring at the ring on his hand, he
suddenly spoke up again. "Shuanglin, when you gave up looking for
spiritual essences five years ago, it wasn't just because Mo Ran came down
from the mountains to travel and you lost track of him, right?"
Once again, Xu Shuanglin said nothing.
Nangong Liu slowly lifted his gaze. "Wasn't it also because you
discovered that the earth elemental spiritual essence was Ye Wangxi? You
couldn't bear to give up your foster daughter. The girl's the only family you
have left in the world…"
"I have no family." Xu Shuanglin cut him off, expressionless.
"Besides, Sect Leader, you know full well that the fire spiritual essence is
your own son. Even if I could give up Ye Wangxi, could the sect leader
sacrifice Si-er?"
"Forget it." Nangong Liu waved his hand fretfully. "Since holy
weapons can do the job, why harp on it? Let's stop talking about this."
"And what if holy weapons couldn't do the job?"
Nangong Liu froze. "What do you mean? Didn't you just say there
would be no problems?"
"Don't worry, Sect Leader. I'm just curious, is all. If opening the gate
to the Infinite Hells required the souls of five living people, required the
sacrifice of Si-er, what would Sect Leader choose? To endure the pain of
the curse as long as you live, or…?" Xu Shuanglin left the rest unsaid, lips
twitching with ridicule.
In the illusion, Nangong Liu's silence was so long that those
watching thought the memory would end before he answered. At last,
Nangong Liu replied softly, "Sacrifices must be made."
Everyone's jaws dropped.
Xue Zhengyong, who cherished his son above life itself, found
Nangong Liu's choice inexplicable. "Absurd…" he growled, enraged. "He's
willing to give up his son to save his own skin? Completely absurd!"
Nangong Si stood, stiff as a board, his expression vaguely
bewildered, his eyes vacant.
The scene faded to black. The glittering shards of memory tinkled as
they swirled, melodious as windchimes.
Another illusion lit the sky. Before their eyes, mighty clouds
encircled a great snow-capped mountain, its peak dazzling in the sunlight.
"It's Jincheng Lake!" someone exclaimed.