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墨書 Inktalez
Shen Jinglan sat in front of the writing desk, gently smoothing out the Xuan paper with his hand.
He had heard from his subordinate that the inkstone had gone to the Alchemy Room, and it was unlikely he would come to see him before the elixir was completed. Since the furnace had been opened, it was not appropriate for him to disturb the process.
So he quietly waited here.
Laid out before him was his cultivation journal, which he had been writing for several years. This was originally meant as a legacy for Spirit Sword Destiny. Now that he had obtained the Elixir, he no longer needed to die, and thus there was no need to continue writing this journal. He could personally teach Spirit Sword Destiny in the future.
However, believing that everything should have a proper beginning and end, he decided to finish this chapter he was about to conclude. He picked up his brush, writing while thinking, sometimes his strokes were swift as time flew by. He lost track of how long it had been until he let out a light breath and put down the final stroke.
Outside the window, the light had dimmed. He glanced outside; it was just the time when the bright moon began to rise, and countless stars had appeared, casting a brilliant glow upon the world.
After merging with Xu Xiaofei, his energy was much better than before; otherwise, he would have had to rest long before this moment.
His mood was also quite good. Even though there were still some feelings of melancholy due to Xu Xiaofei and a sense of pity arising from Spirit Sword Destiny's poisonous injuries.
He still held the brush in his hand, gazing out the window, pondering… There were two or three lines left empty at the end of the paper; what else could he write? After thinking for a while, he suddenly smiled and let his brush flow as he wrote down two lines from an ancient poem:
"May I be like a star and you like the moon, shining brightly together every night."
The elegant and graceful handwriting filled up the last page perfectly with a date and signature. Shen Jinglan looked at it and felt very satisfied.
He gathered the manuscript together, bound it with silk thread by hand, and put it away. When Spirit Sword Destiny arrived, he would hand it over to him.
He wondered when Yin would see that last line.
When Spirit Sword Destiny walked into the leader's quarters, it was already late at night.
He should not have come at this hour; perhaps the leader had already gone to bed, but he did not want to wait any longer.
The elixir refined from the fruits of the Xuanxian Vine had just been completed, and he couldn't wait to put it away and bring it over. For this glossy, pure white immortal pill, he had expended unimaginable effort and energy, even pausing his cultivation for a time.
All the hard work had finally paid off.
Shen Jinglan seemed to have been waiting for him; as soon as he stepped through the gate, Shen Jinglan appeared in the courtyard, gazing at him with gentle eyes.
Perhaps due to his joyful mood, his complexion was much better than when Spirit Sword Destiny last saw him.
Spirit Sword Destiny had previously used a transformation technique to conceal his face, which had been ravaged by poison, returning to his original appearance. He knew that the leader could see through his disguise at a glance.
But he still did not want to meet Shen Jinglan with an ugly face.
He walked up to Shen Jinglan and presented a Jade Box with both hands, saying, "Leader, the elixir is ready. Please take it."
"Alright." Shen Jinglan took the Jade Box from him, picked up the elixir inside, and placed it in his mouth.
Spirit Sword Destiny watched him closely.
At the moment the elixir went down, a faint glow emerged from Shen Jinglan's body and then quickly faded away. His haggard and gray face gradually began to regain its luster. His breath, which had previously resembled withered autumn leaves and carried a sense of decay, started to strengthen.
It was indeed effective.
Shen Jinglan naturally sensed how potent this immortal pill was; joy surfaced in his eyes, and his gaze became clearer as he looked at Spirit Sword Destiny and smiled, "Yan, you've worked hard."
It seemed he still had many things to say, but Spirit Sword Destiny replied, "No need to be polite."
Yet there was an oddly cold tone in his voice.
He smiled and looked at Shen Jinglan, saying, "Master, do you feel that something is off?"
Before he finished speaking, Shen Jinglan's expression changed.
It turned to shock and disbelief.
Spirit Sword Destiny knew that it was because the surging spiritual power within him was suddenly suppressed, unable to be mobilized!
Not only that, but apart from his thoughts, his body, speech, and actions were no longer under his control.
"You..." Shen Jinglan managed to utter a single word, but his voice was cut off, unable to finish the rest. He looked at Spirit Sword Destiny with disbelief in his eyes.
Spirit Sword Destiny did not want to listen; he would not back down!
"Do you want to know why you can't move?" Lin Yan Face's smile turned cold along with his voice. "I obtained a High-Level Secret Treasure from Spirit Serpent Palace called Emotion Gu. It produces a child Gu every month that can control a person's mind for a month. However, what you ingested was not just a child Gu; I infused the Mother Gu itself into the elixir and fed it to you. Guess how strong its effect will be?"
Shen Jinglan still could not speak; his body, which had just begun to recover, was now as stiff as a piece of wood.
Spirit Sword Destiny did not intend to wait for his response and stared deeply at him: "Or perhaps you want to know why I am doing this?" He answered himself, "Do you remember in the Shen Family's old residence when you said that everything about you is a continuation of me? You would leave everything to me. At that time, you were bedridden and near death, so it was easy for you to make promises for after your passing. I believed in you wholeheartedly. But!"
His gaze was sharp as a needle: "Just a person named Xu Xiaofei, whom you've known for a short time, made you value him more than me and break your own precedent for him. Now that you're no longer on the brink of death, in the long days ahead, how many more people with talents superior to mine will you meet? They will be more loyal and useful than I am. How can I trust your promises again?"
Images from not long ago surfaced in his mind—visions seen in the swamp of the sinister ghost wood.
The Master and Xu Xiaofei walked hand in hand and ascended together, growing farther away, beyond reach... Even when he fell to the ground while chasing after them and shouted until his voice broke, they did not look back. Celestial beings and mortals are different; having become an immortal, why should one pause even for a moment for an insignificant mortal?
He knew that was an illusion yet to occur, but it represented his deepest fears and despair. When he heard someone calling him and turned to look at Xu Xiaofei, in an instant, the hatred in his heart surged to its peak, overshadowing any tender feelings he had for this person. That hatred transformed into overwhelming killing intent, urging him to take action!
Kill him!
The noise in his ears was deafening, and ghostly figures danced before his eyes. In that moment, he was indeed lost in a daze, unable to control himself, but Xu Xiaofei did not know that when he pierced through his chest with an ice blade, there was still a sliver of clarity within him.
He clearly knew who he was hurting.
— It was precisely because he knew that he wanted him dead!
If Xu Xiaofei died, the Master would once again cast his gaze upon him. But this murderous intent only lasted for a fleeting moment; when he saw the blood splatter from Xu Xiaofei's chest, it dissipated in despair. Once the killing intent faded, he could no longer bring himself to harm this person.
Killing Xu Xiaofei would not solve the fundamental problem. What the Master wanted were obedient and useful disciples and subordinates; he was not irreplaceable in the Master's heart. It was only a matter of time before someone more outstanding than him appeared — that was the key!
He gazed at Shen Jinglan and said, "You were wrong, and I was wrong too. I had only focused on you, ignoring everyone else. But I never expected that I would also develop feelings for another person, wanting to kill him yet unable to do so, unable to help but want to treat him well."
He grimaced as he activated Curse, restoring his current appearance, allowing Shen Jinglan to catch a glimpse of his grotesque visage. With a flash of brilliance, he transformed back again. He fixed his gaze on Shen Jinglan, his expression gradually becoming frenzied: "You see, I have already punished myself; next it will be your turn—"
A magnificent golden light surged in his pupils as he roared:
"Shen Jinglan!"
His originally melodious voice had become hoarse and broken.
This cry was so piercing and tragic that even the bright moon behind him seemed to be tainted with endless resentment, losing its luster.
It transformed into a blood moon.
Shen Jinglan looked at him and saw that the golden light in his eyes completely overshadowed the darkness, like dark clouds swallowing a clear sky. No trace of past admiration or tenderness remained; only utter coldness was left.
The weight of the Inner Demon was heavy.
He carried the memories of Xu Xiaofei and suddenly understood that from the moment the mist rose in the swamp, this Inner Demon had been hidden deep within Spirit Sword Destiny, never dissipating.
He still did not utter a word, nor could he move a single finger.
Spirit Sword Destiny had exerted all its effort to unleash the power of Emotion Gu, completely suppressing him. He could see that Spirit Sword Destiny's mind was as tense as a bowstring pulled to its limit, perhaps fearing that his next word could pierce deeply into it.
Shen Jinglan sighed inwardly.
Hearing his name called out in such a way made his heart ache. Since the establishment of the Evil Sect, many years had passed… Spirit Sword Destiny had only respectfully referred to him as "Master," never directly calling his name again.
Spirit Sword Destiny gasped heavily, its breath violently shaking, while the golden light in its eyes remained still. Its Inner Demon seemed deeply rooted, showing no signs of wavering. It reached out a hand, seemingly wanting to caress Shen Jinglan's face, but slowly slid down to rest on his shoulder.
As soon as it touched Shen Jinglan's body, its fingers involuntarily tightened, digging into flesh, sending intense pain coursing through him, almost crushing his shoulder. After a moment, it gradually released its grip.
After a long while, it said, "I will set up a barrier around the courtyard. You will only be able to move within this barrier; you cannot step outside this yard." It raised its eyes to look at Shen Jinglan, a slight smirk on its lips that seemed both amused and mocking. "Just focus on your cultivation here, Master. You need not see anyone but me; if you lack anything, I will send someone to bring it to you. You used to live in seclusion like this; I believe you can endure this bit of loneliness."
Shen Jinglan had no words to respond. In the past, even if he wanted to go out, his body lacked the strength to support him; living in seclusion was truly a helpless choice.
Spirit Sword Destiny intended to hurt him with its words. It breathed lightly, its eyes cold and bright, seeming increasingly pleased yet also more pained. The more painful it felt, the more it wanted to continue. It laughed again: "Where has Xu Xiaofei gone? Hmm? Did he leave without saying goodbye? Well, even if he returns, he cannot save you. Since you value him so much, if he comes back, I can let him see you one last time and witness how..."
"How helpless you are in my hands."
The hand resting on Shen Jinglan's shoulder began to grow hot. It stepped closer, slightly tilting its body; that hand then hooked around his neck but merely leaned in close to his ear, breathing warm air softly: "Your power is far greater than mine; I cannot keep suppressing you forever. If you truly wish to break free from this Emotion Gu's shackles... very well. Once I notice it, we will die together."
A smile lingered at the corner of its mouth as it spoke the words "die together" with an alluring tone.
It was indeed quite harsh.
Spirit Sword Destiny had already left. He still needed to prepare for a grand ceremony to hand over the position of the leader.
Thinking of this person, Shen Jinglan felt a gentle sorrow rising in his heart, devoid of resentment.
In the end, he had overlooked the feelings of Yan.
If he had spoken up earlier, it wouldn't have come to this point.
Shen Jinglan slowly sat down at the stone table under the trees in the courtyard. When he left, Spirit Sword Destiny had set up a confinement array right in front of him, without any hesitation. He could see clearly that at this moment, he was indeed like a fish in a barrel, unable to escape.
It turned out that this calamity was truly meant to befall him.
He recalled the judgment from Azure Wilderness, which stated that while matters may not be significant, it depends on how one perceives them.
Under the moonlight, he quietly began to reflect.
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