Xue Meng, having grown up on the peak of life and death, was familiar with the shortcuts and terrain, and eventually captured Mo Ran. He escorted him to the back mountain, the back mountain of the peak of life and death, which was the closest place in the mortal realm to the ghost realm, separated by a barrier. Behind it lay the underworld.
As soon as he saw the dire state of the back mountain, Mo Ran immediately understood why that person, despite being at home, still needed Lady Wang to receive guests in the front hall. It wasn't that he didn't want to help, but he couldn't spare the time.
The barrier of the ghost realm had been broken.
At this moment, the entire back mountain was filled with heavy ghostly aura. Ethereal and unmaterialized ghosts wailed and hovered in the air, and a huge rift had torn open in the sky at the entrance of the mountain gate. From behind that rift was the ghost realm, and a long staircase made of green stone, spanning thousands of levels, emerged from the crack in the barrier. Malevolent spirits, with flesh and blood, were slowly and densely crawling down the stairs, climbing from the underworld to the mortal realm.
If an ordinary person were to witness such a scene, they would surely be frightened to the core. The first time Mo Ran saw it, he was also drenched in cold sweat, but now he had grown accustomed to it.
The barrier between the human and ghost realms was established by the ancient figure Fu Xi. Over time, it had become very weak and occasionally showed signs of deterioration, requiring cultivators to come and repair it. However, this task did not offer significant cultivation benefits, and it consumed a great deal of spiritual energy. It was a thankless job, so very few cultivators in the higher realms were willing to take it on.
When malevolent spirits appeared, the first ones to suffer were the common people in the mortal realm. As the guardian deity of the mortal realm, the peak of life and death bore the responsibility of repairing the barrier. Their sect's back mountain was precisely located at the weakest point of the barrier, allowing them to promptly patch any breaches.
The barrier would break four or five times a year, like a patched-up pot that couldn't hold water.
At the entrance to the ghost realm, on the long staircase of green stone, a man in a snow-colored robe moved gracefully. His wide sleeves fluttered, surrounded by lingering sword aura and golden brilliance. With his own strength, he was sweeping away malevolent spirits and repairing the breaches in the barrier.
That man had a slender waist and elegant features, giving off an otherworldly aura. From a distance, one could easily associate him with a scholarly gentleman sitting under a blossoming tree, transcending the world. However, upon closer inspection, his sharp eyebrows and phoenix-like eyes, along with his slender and sharp nose, revealed a touch of cruelty in his refined and scholarly appearance. His gaze seemed to be cold and ruthless, showing an extraordinary detachment from human emotions.
Mo Ran glanced at him from afar. Although he was somewhat prepared, when he saw this person appearing unharmed in front of him, his entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Partly out of fear, partly out of... excitement.
His master.
Chu Wanning.
In his past life, the person Xue Meng had cried to see in front of the Wushan Palace was this man.
This man had ruined Mo Ran's grand ambitions and aspirations, and in the end, Mo Ran imprisoned and tortured him to death.
Logically speaking, after defeating his opponent and avenging his hatred, Mo Ran should have been happy. With the vast sea at his disposal
, he could soar freely, and with the high sky above, any bird could fly. No one could ever control him again. Mo Ran initially thought that's how he would feel.
However, it seemed to be different.
After his master died, along with the hatred, it seemed that something else was buried as well.
Mo Ran had no cultivation or refinement, and he didn't know what that feeling was called, but it was like encountering a worthy opponent, a moment of brilliance.
All he knew was that from now on, there would no longer be his archenemy in the world.
While his master was alive, he was scared, terrified, and trembling with fear. He would break out in a cold sweat at the sight of the willow vine in his master's hand. He was like a beaten dog, even the sound of a wooden clapper would make his teeth ache, his legs weak, and saliva dribble from his mouth. His calf muscles twitched nervously.
Later, when his master died, the person Mo Ran feared the most died as well. Mo Ran felt that he had grown and matured, finally achieving this act of deceiving his master and annihilating his ancestors.
From then on, looking out at the mortal realm, there would be no one who dared to make him kneel or slap him across the face.
To celebrate, he opened a jar of pear blossom wine, sat on the rooftop, and drank the night away.
That night, under the influence of alcohol, the scars left by his master's whip on his back seemed to burn with pain again.
At this moment, seeing his master reappear before him, Mo Ran stared at him, feeling both fear and hatred, but also a twisted ecstasy.
How could he not be delighted to regain such an opponent?
Chu Wanning paid no attention to his two disciples who had intruded into the back mountain. He remained completely focused on combating the dispersing spirits. His facial features were elegant, with evenly arched eyebrows and cold phoenix-like eyes. He emitted an air of refinement and grace, unaffected by the bloodshed and chaos. Even if he were to sit down now and play the qin while burning incense, it wouldn't be strange at all.
However, this elegant and calm young man currently held a gleaming demon-slaying longsword, dripping with fresh red blood droplets. With a sweeping motion of his wide sleeves, the sword aura cleaved through the green stone steps in front of him, causing a thunderous explosion. Broken stones and fragments tumbled down, creating a deep and bottomless trench that stretched from the mountain gate all the way to the bottom of the mountain. It cleaved through thousands of levels in an instant.
It's too fierce.
How many years has it been since you witnessed the Master's strength?
This familiar and formidable dominance made Mo Ran's legs instinctively weaken. Unable to stand firm, he fell to the ground with a thud.
Chu Wanning swiftly and neatly exterminated the ghosts and demons, closing the loopholes in the ghost realm. After completing everything, he descended gracefully from mid-air and approached Mo Ran and Xue Meng.
He first glanced at Mo Ran, who was kneeling on the ground, and then looked up at Xue Meng with a hint of coldness in his phoenix eyes.
"Causing trouble?" Chu Wanning asked.
Mo Ran admitted his mistake.
The Master had the ability to immediately make the most accurate judgment on matters.
Xue Meng said, "Master, Mo Ran went down the mountain and committed theft and debauchery. Please punish him, Master."
Chu Wanning remained expressionless and silent for a while before saying coldly, "Noted."
Mo Ran: "......"
Xue Meng: "......"
Both of them were confused. What now? Is there no further action?
However, just as Mo Ran secretly felt a glimmer of hope and stole a glance at Chu Wanning, he unexpectedly saw a sharp golden light swiftly slashing through the air. With a whoosh, it struck Mo Ran's face!
Splatters of blood flew!
The speed of that golden light was astonishing. Mo Ran didn't even have time to dodge or close his eyes. The skin on his face was sliced open, causing intense pain.
Chu Wanning stood with his hands behind his back, coldly standing in the night breeze. The air still carried the lingering aura of ferocious spirits, mixed with the scent of fresh blood, making the forbidden area in the mountains appear even more eerie and terrifying.
The one who struck Mo Ran was a bundle of willow vines that Chu Wanning had seemingly produced out of nowhere. The vines were narrow and long, with vibrant green leaves growing on them, reaching down to his boots.
It should have been an elegant object, evoking poetic lines like "Delicate willow branches, a token of love for my beloved."
Unfortunately, Chu Wanning was neither delicate nor had a beloved.
The willow vine in his hand was actually a divine weapon called Tian Wen. At this moment, Tian Wen emitted a golden-red light, illuminating the darkness and making Chu Wanning's deep and unfathomable eyes gleam brightly.
Chu Wanning lightly touched his upper and lower lips, and said in a chilling tone, "Mo Weiyu, you're so audacious. Do you really think I won't discipline you?"
If it were the genuine fifteen-year-old Mo Ran, he might not have taken this statement seriously and assumed that the Master was just trying to scare him.
However, Mo Weiyu, who had been reborn, had already learned through the shedding of his own blood in his previous life what it meant for the Master to "discipline" him. His teeth began to ache, and with a surge of heat in his brain, he couldn't help but deny the accusations and even wished to rid himself of his own existence.
"Master..." Blood trickled down his cheek, and Mo Ran raised his eyes, his gaze filled with a layer of mist. He knew that he must look pitiful at this moment. "This disciple didn't steal... didn't commit debauchery... Why did Master believe Xue Meng without even asking and strike me first?"
Mo Ran had two great tricks to deal with his uncle. First, acting cute. Second, acting pitiful. Now he applied the same tactics to Chu Wanning, feeling wronged to the point of tears welling up. "Is your disciple so unbearable in your eyes? Why won't Master even give me a chance to defend myself?"
Xue Meng stomped his feet in anger beside them. "Mo Ran!! You, you traitor! You shameless scum! Master, don't listen to him, don't be deceived by this bastard! He really stole it! The stolen items are still here!"
Chu Wanning lowered his gaze, his expression cold. "Mo Ran, did you really not steal?"
"Never."
"...You should know the consequences of lying to me."
Goosebumps covered Mo Ran's body. How could he not know? But he still stubbornly denied, "Please, Master, see through it!"
Chu Wanning raised his hand, and the golden vines of Tian Wen swung again. This time, it didn't hit Mo Ran's face but instead bound him tightly.
This feeling was all too familiar. Besides its daily whipping purpose, the willow vine "Tian Wen" also had another function—
Chu Wanning stared at the tightly bound Mo Ran and asked again, "Did you steal?"
Mo Ran felt a familiar and intense pain directly piercing his heart. It was as if a small snake with sharp teeth had suddenly plunged into his chest, wriggling within his organs.
Accompanying the pain was an irresistible temptation. Mo Ran involuntarily opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, "I... never... ah...!!"
Seemingly aware that he was lying, the golden light of Tian Wen became more violent. Mo Ran was in pain, cold sweat pouring out, but he still desperately resisted this torture.
This was the second function of Tian Wen, apart from whipping—it was for interrogation.
Once bound by Tian Wen, no one could lie before its master, regardless of whether they were human or ghost, alive or dead. Tian Wen had a way of making them speak, revealing the answers Chu Wanning wanted to know.
In his previous life, there was only one person who, with formidable cultivation, managed to keep his secrets safe before Tian Wen.
That person was Mo Weiyu, who eventually became the Emperor of the human realm.
After being reborn, Mo Ran clung to a sliver of hope, thinking he could still withstand Tian Wen's interrogation just as he did in the past. But after biting his lip for a long time, large drops of sweat dripping down his dark eyebrows, trembling all over, he finally collapsed in pain before Chu Wanning's boots, gasping heavily.
"I... I... I stole it..."
The pain suddenly disappeared.
Before Mo Ran could catch his breath, he heard Chu Wanning ask the next question, his voice even colder.
"Did you commit debauchery?"
Smart people don't do foolish things. Since he couldn't resist earlier, it was even less likely now. Mo Ran didn't resist at all this time and cried out in pain, "Yes, yes, yes, yes!!! Master, please stop! Stop!"
Xue Meng's face turned pale beside them, shocked. "How could you... Rong Jiu is a man, and yet you..."
No one paid him any attention. The golden light of Tian Wen gradually dimmed. Mo Ran gasped heavily, his whole body soaked as if he had just been pulled out of water. His face was pale as paper, his lips trembling uncontrollably, and he lay on the ground motionless.
Through his sweat-drenched eyelashes, he vaguely saw Chu Wanning
wearing a jade crown, his elegant figure with wide sleeves trailing on the ground.
A strong sense of hatred surged up suddenly—Chu Wanning! In my previous life, treating you like that was indeed not wrong!! Even if I live again, I still can't stand you! I curse your ancestors for eighteen generations!!
Chu Wanning had no idea that this disciple wanted to curse his ancestors for eighteen generations. He stood in place with a gloomy expression for a while before speaking.
"Xue Meng."
Xue Meng, although aware of the current trend among wealthy merchants and young masters to engage in same-sex relationships, where many people play with young men for the sake of novelty rather than genuine affection, still found it difficult to accept. He paused for a moment before saying, "Master, I'm here."
"Mo Ran has committed the three grave offenses of greed, theft, debauchery, and deception. Take him to the Yama Hall for repentance. Tomorrow at the hour of Chen, bring him to the Good and Evil Platform for public admonishment and punishment," stated the master.
"What... What? Public admonishment and punishment?" Xue Meng was taken aback.
Public admonishment and punishment meant bringing the disciple who had committed serious offenses before all the disciples of the sect, in front of everyone, even the cafeteria lady, to pass judgment and administer immediate punishment. It was a great humiliation and loss of face.
It should be noted that Mo Ran was the son of a prominent family, and although the sect had strict rules, his special status as an orphan who had been wandering outside for fourteen years due to the compassion of his uncle meant that he would always receive special treatment and protection. Even if he made mistakes, he would only be reprimanded privately, without any physical punishment.
But now, the master seemed completely unconcerned about giving face to the sect's chief disciple. He actually intended to bring the beloved nephew to the Good and Evil Platform, publicly expose and berate him, and make Mo Ran suffer public humiliation. This was something Xue Meng had never anticipated.
On the other hand, Mo Ran was not surprised at all. He lay on the ground, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
His master was truly magnificent, impartial, and unyielding.
Chu Wan Ning was heartless. In his previous life, Mo Ran had cried and begged him, clinging to his clothes and kneeling on the ground for help. But Chu Wan Ning had turned a blind eye to his pleas.
So, his disciple had died in front of him, while Mo Ran cried and knelt beside him, but Chu Wan Ning had simply watched, indifferent and indifferent.
Now, all he was doing was sending him to the Good and Evil Platform for punishment and public judgment. It was just a matter of public disciplinary action. What was so surprising about it?
Mo Ran only hated that he was currently too weak in his cultivation. He couldn't skin his master, extract his tendons, drink his blood, or ruthlessly pull his hair to humiliate him. He couldn't torture him, destroy his dignity, and make him wish for death...
The ferocity in his eyes, reminiscent of a wild beast, could not be hidden. Chu Wan Ning saw it.
He casually glanced at Mo Ran's face, his gentle and refined countenance devoid of any extra expression.
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
Damn it!
The Vine of Heavenly Questioning hadn't been withdrawn yet!
Mo Ran felt the vines that bound him tighten and twist, crushing his internal organs into pieces. He cried out in pain, gasping for breath, and shouted his thoughts out loud:
"Chu Wan Ning, you bastard! Turn around and see if I won't fuck you to death!"
Silence fell like a crow.
Chu Wan Ning: "..........."
Xue Meng was dumbfounded: ".........."
Tian Wen suddenly retracted from Chu Wan Ning's palm, turning into tiny specks of golden light, and then disappeared. Tian Wen was integrated into Chu Wan Ning's bones and blood, summoned and dispersed at will.
Xue Meng's face turned pale, stuttering: "M-m-master..."
Chu Wan Ning didn't say a word. He lowered his long, ink-black eyelashes, looking at his palm with a momentary daze, and then slowly raised his gaze. His face surprisingly didn't break down, but his expression grew colder. With eyes that said, "The sinful disciple deserves to die," he stared at Mo Ran for a moment, then spoke in a low voice:
"Tian Wen is broken. I'm going to repair it."
After throwing these words, Chu Wan Ning turned around and left.
Xue Meng was a foolish child: "T-Tian, Tian Wen, a divine artifact, can it break?"
Chu WanNing heard it and turned his head, giving him a glance with those eyes that said, "The sinful disciple deserves to die." Xue Meng shuddered instantly.
Mo Ran lay on the ground, barely breathing, his expression vacant.
Indeed, he had just been contemplating finding an opportunity to fuck Chu Wan Ning to death. He knew well that this Master Chu, known as the "Late Night Jade Balance, Northern Dipper Immortal Lord," always valued refinement and propriety and couldn't stand being defiled and trampled upon by others.
But how could he let Chu WanNing know about such a thing!
Mo Ran whimpered like a discarded dog, covering his face.
Recalling the look in Chu Wan Ning's eyes as he left, he felt that his own death was probably not far away.
The author has something to say:
Finally, the master makes an appearance~ Don't ship the wrong couple~ Don't ship the wrong seme and uke, the master is the uke, the uke, the uke = = Mo Wei Yu is the seme! He's the main seme in this story!
Baozi: Why do you get weak in the knees when you see the master? Aren't you the seme? What about your aura?
Mo Wei Yu: I'm getting older, I have arthritis in my legs.
Baozi: Speak properly.
Mo Wei Yu: Don't keep emphasizing that my soul is thirty-two years old in the story! After being reborn, I'm youthful! I'm a naive and lively young person!
Baozi: Well, then continue with your arthritis in your legs (?????)っ