Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Where did all these butterflies come from?" In the courtyard, Shaoyuan exclaimed in surprise.
Shen Jinglan put on his robe and stepped out of the house.
Hundreds of butterflies, flapping their jade-like wings, were perched all around the courtyard. One butterfly floated gently, as if wanting to land on his shoulder.
Shen Jinglan glanced around and said, "Come out."
As his voice fell, the surrounding scene suddenly changed, transforming from a residential courtyard into a lush bamboo forest. A clear stream flowed through the woods, and the butterfly swarm danced gracefully around the green bamboo.
A woman emerged from the bamboo grove, dressed in a snow-blue gown, and gracefully bowed to Shen Jinglan: "I am Gu Diejun. I still remember the gift from many years ago."
Shen Jinglan remembered her. She was the girl who received a thousand butterflies just before her birthday in the story he told Spirit Sword Destiny.
This girl had grown up to become the Renowned Jade Butterfly Fairy. The bamboo forest was created by her magical artifact, Illusionary Mirror. Such places were self-contained, with unique rules; the owner of the artifact could move their heart freely within it and control everything.
After finishing her words, she stepped aside.
A few more figures appeared in the clearing of the bamboo forest.
Shen Jinglan looked over one by one.
They were all "old friends."
In his youth, he was the widely connected eldest disciple of Shattered Star Sect, with friends as numerous as the stars.
The few who came today could be considered some of the brighter stars among them.
Had he faced danger alongside these people back then, driven by youthful passion and impulse, he might have drawn his sword for them without hesitation. Now, however, the situation was entirely different.
These old friends looked at him with various expressions. Sixty years is not too long for cultivators; time had not left many marks on them. Yet the youthful exuberance had settled into steadiness and authority. He remembered that several among them had considerable talent and cultivation; they had now become elders of their sect and pillars of the Righteous Path.
"Why have you all come?" Shen Jinglan asked calmly.
He stood impatiently, asking the question while casually sitting down. Although there was nothing behind him, suddenly light points condensed in the void, weaving into a wide and comfortable rattan chair, allowing him to sit right on it.
He sat alone while everyone else stood, making it seem as if he were the master of this Illusory Realm.
The others exchanged glances with Gu Diejun, who shook her head pale-faced.
The rattan chair was not "created" by her; it was Shen Jinglan who invoked the laws of this place, causing it to evolve. His control over this realm had silently surpassed that of her, the master of the treasure. This was truly "turning the tables."
Such a realm and ability had reached a terrifying level.
The atmosphere stagnated for just a moment before a gentle-looking cultivator with a large purple brush tied at his waist spoke up: "Shen Jinglan, do you still remember? Sixty years ago, here on Mount Hua, you took the lead, and we gathered to celebrate you. Everyone got thoroughly drunk."
His voice carried a sense of nostalgia.
Another female cultivator wearing half a veil and with a cold voice said, "Sixty years have passed; it's rare for us to gather again. We still wish to share a drink with you... but we wonder if you dare to drink this cup?"
Shen Jinglan looked at them. The speakers were Wang Yun and Shangguan Yao; he had not forgotten the names of these old friends.
Seeing him silent, seemingly acquiescing, Gu Diejun waved her sleeve, and a stone table appeared in front of them along with several chairs. She then laid out cold and hot dishes along with a pot of wine on the stone table. The food and drink were not "created" using the laws of this realm but taken from her Cosmic Bag. Although creations could be eaten, they lacked flavor and were hard to swallow.
Everyone sat down, and Gu Diejun poured wine for each of them.
A cup of wine was also handed to Shen Jinglan, exuding a rich fragrance.
He merely smiled without any intention of bringing it to his lips.
Wang Yun said, "If you fear there is poison in the wine, I will drink first as a toast."
He drained the wine in his cup in one gulp. The others followed suit and finished their drinks.
Then everyone turned to the wine cup in Shen Jinglan's hand. The clear, bright liquid swayed slightly, resembling the color of green jade, which made his fingers appear even paler.
Wang Yun suddenly laughed and said, "I still remember the rules from back then. Everyone takes turns drinking; whoever can't drink when it's their turn is the turtle."
Shen Jinglan lowered his head to gaze at the wine cup and smiled, "That's fine; whoever doesn't drink is the turtle. But you all seem to have forgotten one thing: back then, we were celebrating my victory, and I was the one who invited you. Now that you have gone through so much trouble to come here, as the host, it should be me who treats you to drinks."
With a flick of his wrist, he poured some of the clear wine onto the ground, causing everyone to change their expressions. He only spilled a little but then turned the cup back, leaving half of it still full.
He also took out a white-glazed wine pot, tilted its spout, and filled his half cup. The pot then flew out on its own, refilling each person's empty cup. The amber-colored liquid emitted a fragrant aroma and appeared quite mellow.
"I'll drink first as a toast," Shen Jinglan said, holding up his cup with a smile as he looked around at everyone.
He tilted his head back and poured the mixed liquid down his throat.
Everyone exchanged glances and fell into silence once more.
Wang Yun was the first to speak again: "Alright, I'll drink." He took another cup. Besides him, several others also drank.
However, the others did not move. They lacked the courage to drink the wine offered by the leader of the Demon Sect.
Shen Jinglan smiled and said, "It seems that after sixty years, turtles have changed so much."
He did not look at them again. Some people's faces had already turned red.
Wang Yun spoke again: "That's right and not right. Even if being a turtle is better than being a harmful snake or scorpion."
Seeing Shen Jinglan looking at him as if waiting for him to continue, he added, "Shen Jinglan, now that we've drunk, I'll speak frankly. There may have been hidden circumstances regarding your past actions, but over these years, you've become increasingly excessive. Do you know how many treacherous villains you've indulged? Every person here has a grudge against you!"
"Do you still remember my junior disciple? Back when we visited Water City, he always followed behind, chattering away, eager to seek your guidance?" He shook his head, revealing a look of pain. "Twelve years ago, he was killed by Qiao Jing on the way back to the sect. Qiao Jing took his magical treasure and desecrated his corpse. I pursued him for revenge all the way, but in the end, Qiao Jing escaped into Youzhou and sought refuge with the Evil Sect. He has been hiding in Youzhou ever since, and I have been unable to do anything about it!"
"My disciple was also severely injured by Min Xiang under your evil sect's command, nearly losing his life!"
"You even harbor the great demons that cause chaos!"
Everyone had something to say. Clearly, they all harbored grievances.
Shen Jinglan listened quietly without retorting. Once they finished, he asked, "What do you want?"
"If you still have a shred of conscience left, you should disband the Evil Sect and bring those evildoers to justice."
Upon hearing this, Shen Jinglan let out a light laugh.
Wang Yun said, "I know that as the leader of a sect, you have many considerations of your own. But at the very least, you should hand over a few of the most heinous individuals. Over the years, we have seen that you have not personally committed any acts of harm; why must you sink to their level?"
Shen Jinglan replied without hesitation.
"Impossible."
"Why?"
"Because the Evil Sect does not discriminate based on background; no one is turned away. This is my principle and has never changed," Shen Jinglan said calmly. "If one day you find yourselves with nowhere to turn, I will welcome you just the same."
The Evil Sect accepts all and embraces everything. Among those taken in are innocent people with nowhere else to go, but there are also vicious individuals like Qiao Jing and others who may indeed be irredeemable. However, if he were to hand them over, the promise of "no one is turned away" would no longer hold; who would dare come again?
If every newcomer had to undergo scrutiny, who would have the authority to judge whether someone is righteous or evil or if they have been wronged?
Such an Evil Sect would be no different from the Righteous Path.
I won't ask about right or wrong, nor will I restrain the true culprit. So what!
From the very first incident after the establishment of the Evil Sect, there was never any intention to turn back.
Wang Yun sighed lightly, "Since you are like this, it seems we have no other choice."
In an instant, they stepped back, surrounding Shen Jinglan and forming a formation.
Golden light rose from each person's feet. The positions they occupied seemed to contain hidden meanings.
Shen Jinglan could see that they had formed a tightly-knit array.
"It seems you all came prepared."
These people were not from the same sect; they came from Nanhai North. To form this array, they must have practiced together multiple times in advance.
The veiled woman said, "It's rare for you to come to the Central Continent; we really don't want to miss this opportunity... If you return to Youzhou to retaliate, not only will it mobilize a large force, but it will also cost many lives."
Shen Jinglan merely replied indifferently, "I thought you wouldn't be so reckless."
"Perhaps our tone was a bit too bold," another person said, "but we have come here with a determination to die."
Shen Jinglan looked at him, as if wanting something, but then hesitated.
"Cough."
Suddenly, he began to cough violently, as if he were trying to expel his lungs from his chest. He covered his mouth with his hand, but a trace of bright red trickled down his robe sleeve.
Everyone saw that trace of blood that could not be concealed.
The faint mist, almost invisible, had unknowingly spread throughout the bamboo forest.
Wang Yun gazed at him, his expression complex: "That jug of wine indeed has no poison; the poison is embedded in this land. Chanling Zhenren has coated every inch of the Illusionary Mirror with deadly poison. As long as you are within it, the toxins will gradually accumulate, and you won't even perceive it." He smiled and said, "This is a strange poison concocted by the Toad Spirit, and we have no antidote. You should realize now that from the moment you stepped into this place, we were determined to perish together with you; this statement is not an exaggeration. Earlier, when someone hesitated to drink your wine, that was merely pretense to dispel your doubts."
They had formed a formation to briefly block Shen Jinglan and trap him here.
Until the poison took effect and he died.
Shen Jinglan finally managed to stop coughing.
Before him remained a haze of crimson.
He slowly raised his head, looking at the long-absent people before him with those eyes.
The tragic blood color in his gaze smeared across their faces.
The joyful gathering on Mount Hua had ultimately transformed into a blood feast.
"I am but a dying man, yet you are willing to fight to the death; I must say I have gained a new perspective on you," Shen Jinglan said.
At this moment, he remained calm as ever.
Another person spoke up: "You came to the Central Continent; Senior Yunqi has crossed paths with you. He asserted that you would not live beyond five years. We naturally know about this matter. If it were truly so, we would not engage you in battle. However..."
"But," Shen Jinglan smiled and continued for him, "you are indeed afraid. If I wanted to linger in this world as neither human nor ghost, there are still many methods to extend my life by several decades. You project your own thoughts onto me and refuse to believe that I would quietly accept death. In your view, the more power and authority one possesses, the more reluctant they are to part with the mortal realm, right? Just like your former sect leader Wuchan Lao'er from Qingcheng Sect, who after death possessed his disciple's soul and sought to conceal it. As an elder, you must have heard of this."
The person's expression changed slightly; this was indeed a secret known to very few.
He then nodded: "You are absolutely correct. We cannot take this risk; the Upright Path cannot take this risk. Shen Jinglan, how many Dark Arts has your demonic sect secretly gathered over the years for resurrection and survival? Do you really think we know nothing about it? How can we trust you?"
Shen Jinglan smiled coldly, without arguing.
If he could survive, of course he didn't want to die. Spirit Sword Destiny had indeed found him quite a few ways, but he looked down on them; even Spirit Sword Destiny itself did not want him to live in a half-human, half-ghost state.
He stood up from the rattan chair.
Deep purple lightning fell like a meteor, landing in this area.
The golden light of the formation also began to sway.
Amidst the rumble of thunder, Wang Yun shouted at him, "Shen Jinglan, are you still not giving up? You only have at most five years left to live, and those will be five years plagued by illness..."
Even we, whose remaining lifespan far exceeds five years, have already abandoned this life!
"Even if I can only live one more," Shen Jinglan said, "that one has its value. I want to live it according to my own will."
No one can decide for me.
Comment 0 Comment Count