Chapter 44 Thoughts This is not how a normal disciple should feel towards their master...

Ten years ago, after learning that Yin Lisheng was the male protagonist of the original book, Fu Yunshu tried to recall the plot of the original work.

Unfortunately, it was too long ago. Even with the premise that Yin Lisheng was the male lead, Fu Yunshu could only vaguely recall that Gu Zhinan was the male lead's master, who died at the hands of the Demon Prince Yan Nanqiu, and that the female lead's surname was Duan, and that she was the disciple of Qin Lianyue, the master of Miaoyin Palace.

Since he couldn't remember the plot anyway, Fu Yunshu didn't care. But unexpectedly, he ran into the female lead from the original book here today. It seems that the two of them already know each other.

Fu Yunshu had no intention of bringing the two together. Compared to the identity of "protagonist protagonist", Yin Lisheng was just his disciple to him, a living, breathing independent person with his own consciousness.

What path Yin Lisheng wants to take in the future and who she wants to spend her life with are decisions she herself should make, and should not be interfered with by herself or the so-called original plot.

As Fu Yunshu's thoughts drifted away, he couldn't help but stare blankly and ponder deeply.

He himself didn't feel anything, but to outsiders it seemed that after Chu Yu finished speaking, Fu Yunshu stared intently at the two of them.

No matter how calm and composed Chu Yu and Duan Xuan were, they still felt uncomfortable under the gaze of Fu Yunshu, a renowned Mahayana cultivator. They wondered if they had said something wrong that offended Immortal Venerable Huaiwei.

Yin Lisheng... Yin Lisheng was somewhat displeased.

He knew that his master was merely lost in thought, but that didn't mean he was happy to see Fu Yunshu's gaze lingering on the two unfamiliar female cultivators.

Yin Lisheng walked up to Fu Yunshu and stared at the two of them with unfriendly eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, is there something you need? My master isn't here."

Chu Yu smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Yin is joking. I'd better not mention Immortal Venerable Huaiwei's Sunbow."

She bowed slightly: "The matter is urgent, so I'll keep it brief."

"After Fellow Daoist Yin and Fellow Daoist Yu left the mortuary yesterday, my junior sister and I played a requiem for the soul."

The entire Miaoyin Palace is dedicated to music cultivation; its disciples use musical instruments as weapons and musical scores as secret manuals.

Qin Lianyue's Summoning Song can summon ten thousand ghosts to serve her, and she herself is the number one music master in the world.

Chu Yu and Duan Xuan, with their current cultivation levels capable of summoning the wronged souls of over a hundred victims of the Yuzhou City massacre, must have already received some of Qin Lianyue's true teachings.

"More than half a month has passed, and most of the ghosts' memories of their lives are incomplete, but we still found clues in the remaining memories."

"Does the Immortal Venerable know what medium Yunniang used to set up the Blood Essence Array?"

Fu Yunshu said calmly, "I don't know."

He arrived in Yuzhou City at night and was unaware of many details, so he couldn't deduce the answer to the question.

"It's a lantern."

This answer surprised even Fu Yunshu, but upon closer examination, it made perfect sense.

The temple fair in Yuzhou City has always been the most lively event in the city. During the temple fair, the people of the city would carry all kinds of lanterns and wander through the streets and alleys.

Using lanterns as a medium, Yunniang concealed the runes of the Blood Essence Array within them, and took advantage of the bustling temple fair to silently absorb the life essence of innocent people.

A chill ran through Yin Lisheng's heart. On the night of the temple fair, the city was filled with laughter and joy, and the lanterns were dazzling. Who could have imagined that such a sinister murderous intent was hidden behind this prosperity? No wonder that, apart from Zhou Dazhuang, the bodies of everyone else were found outdoors.

"More than half a month has passed, and some families may still have the lanterns from that time that they did not throw away. Although the Blood Essence Array has been destroyed, it is impossible for Yunniang to forcibly refine the Blood Essence Pill by using the runes on the lanterns."

"Master, what should we do now?" Yin Lisheng asked anxiously.

“Yuzhou City is too big,” Chu Yu sighed. “There are so many people, and Yunniang has already started refining Blood Essence Pills. How can we possibly save them all?”

"Is there really no way?" Yin Lisheng asked, somewhat unwilling.

Duan Xuan's eyes were filled with sorrow, "If only Master were here..."

“If your master were here, the Wuwang Melody could at least help us fight against Yunniang and buy us time, right?” Fu Yunshu looked at Duan Xuan.

Duan Xuan nodded blankly, "Ah...yes."

"Qin Lianyue can summon ten thousand ghosts and save a city, while my cultivation level is above hers—"

Fu Yunshu sat down, and an ancient and simple zither appeared out of thin air in front of him. The body of the zither was made of thousand-year-old paulownia wood, with a warm luster and the grain was as winding as mountains and rivers; the strings were made of silkworm silk, with a cold and sharp light.

With a flick of his fingertips, a clear and melodious sound shattered the sky, resounding throughout Yuzhou City with boundless spiritual power.

Riots have begun to break out in the city.

Fu Yunshu's slender fingers gently plucked the strings, and as her fingertips moved, the music flowed out like a clear spring, carrying an indescribable power of tranquility and soothingness.

Yin Lisheng stood to the side, his gaze involuntarily falling on Fu Yunshu. His master's expression was focused and serene, his features exquisite, as if he were one with the music and the world around him.

His heart began to race involuntarily, and a strange emotion welled up in his chest.

Having known each other for ten years, this was the first time Yin Lisheng had witnessed Fu Yunshu truly display the strength of a Mahayana cultivator. His composure while playing the zither and his power when drawing the bow captivated him.

"Master..." Yin Lisheng murmured softly. He suddenly realized that his feelings for his master were not normal. The desire to get close, to protect, to stand shoulder to shoulder, and even to possess him made his heart tremble.

This is not how a normal disciple should feel towards their master.

Fu Yunshu was unaware of Yin Lisheng's unusual behavior; his entire focus was on the music. The music gradually became more intense, as if it were resisting some invisible force.

“Li Sheng.” Fu Yunshu suddenly spoke, his voice clear and cold like jade.

Yin Lisheng snapped back to his senses and quickly replied, "Master, I'm here."

Fu Yunshu did not look up, remaining focused on playing the zither: "You, Chu Yu, and Duan Xuan, go and inform Yu Jiangheng and the city lord immediately."

“Yunniang needs time to refine the Blood Essence Pill, so you all hurry up and destroy the runes on the lanterns one by one.”

Yin Lisheng nodded: "Yes, Master."

He turned to look at Chu Yu and Duan Xuan, who had also been stunned by Fu Yunshu's music. They only came to their senses at this moment and hurriedly nodded in agreement.

The three quickly left the city wall and ran towards the city lord's mansion.

As Yin Lisheng hurried along, he couldn't help but look back at the figure on the city wall.

Under the sunlight, Fu Yunshu's figure appeared exceptionally lonely, yet incredibly tall and reassuring.

A strong impulse surged within Yin Lisheng. He wanted to become stronger, strong enough to stand beside his master and fight alongside him.

The white ball in the sea of ​​consciousness suddenly looked up.

No way, how come there are suddenly faint signs of a breakthrough?

"Fellow Daoist Yin, we need to hurry." Chu Yu's voice interrupted Yin Lisheng's thoughts.

Yin Lisheng withdrew his gaze and nodded: "Okay."

When the three arrived at the city lord's mansion, Yu Jiangheng and the others had already assembled. Yin Lisheng quickly relayed Fu Yunshu's instructions to everyone. Upon hearing this, Yu Jiangheng's expression turned solemn, and he immediately ordered everyone to take action.

Yin Lisheng called out to Yu Jiang, "Brother Jiang Heng, I still feel something is not right."

"What's wrong?" Yu Jiangheng stopped in his tracks.

"Destroying the lanterns is too much of a waste of time. The fastest way to solve the problem is to deal with Yunniang, the source of the problem."

"But we have absolutely no idea where she is."

Yin Lisheng pondered carefully: "Yunniang must be an extremely intelligent person to have come up with such a method as placing talismans in lanterns, which is completely unthinkable by ordinary people."

"But her conversation with us yesterday was full of mistakes. She was in a hurry to throw the blame on Master Li. She was too anxious and we noticed her clues. So we found out about her."

“But,” Yin Lisheng looked up and met Yu Jiangheng’s gaze, “what if she did it on purpose?”

Yu Jiangheng was startled: "What do you mean?"

"She deliberately exposed herself and frantically smeared Li Shiye, hoping to make us not suspect him. In this way, Li Shiye would become her biggest safe haven."

Yu Jiangheng understood after hearing Yin Lisheng's words, "You mean, they are actually in cahoots, and she is with Master Li now?"

"Yes." Yin Lisheng nodded.

Yu Jiangheng wasted no more time. "Let's go find Master Li."

When Yin Lisheng and Yu Jiangheng arrived at Master Li's residence, the place was eerily quiet.

The two followed the wall to the backyard and vaguely heard a low chanting sound.

They held their breath and gently pushed open a half-closed door. They saw Yunniang sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, with a strange alchemy furnace in front of her, its body shimmering with a scarlet light.

Yu Jiangheng's heart tightened, and he was about to make a move when a gust of wind suddenly came from behind him. He quickly dodged to the side and saw Master Li holding a long sword, staring coldly at them.

"It really is you." Yu Jiangheng sneered, drawing his spirit sword and heading straight for Master Li.

Master Li calmly accepted this move.

As soon as he made his move, Yu Jiangheng sensed something was wrong; this person's cultivation was even higher than Yunniang's.

Yin Lisheng immediately joined the battle, but his cultivation was limited after all. Master Li, fighting two opponents at once, was still able to handle the situation with ease and not be at a disadvantage.

"He's buying time for Yunniang!" Yu Jiangheng shouted, and with a sudden swing of his spirit sword, the sword energy surged like a dragon, aiming for Master Li's throat.

Master Li sneered, dodged Yu Jiangheng's attack with a swift movement, and thrust his sword at Yin Lisheng with a backhand.

Yin Lisheng dodged aside. He wanted to go in and stop Yunniang, but Master Li didn't give him a chance at all, firmly blocking the two of them outside.

At the same time, Fu Yunshu on the city wall also noticed the commotion.

The Blood Essence Array would take effect as soon as the music stopped, and it had to cover the entire Yuzhou City, so Fu Yunshu could not come immediately.

He frowned slightly, and with a gentle pluck of his fingertips on the strings, the music suddenly became sharp, transforming into an invisible sword aura that shot straight toward Yunniang's location.

Yunniang suddenly opened her eyes, a fierce glint in them. She formed a hand seal, and demonic energy transformed into a barrier, blocking Fu Yunshu's musical attack.

Yunniang sneered, her voice laced with sarcasm, "Immortal Venerable Huaiwei, you can't stop me!"

Fu Yunshu remained expressionless, his fingertips lightly tracing the strings of the zither. The music suddenly deepened, and he mobilized the surrounding spiritual energy. The music transformed into countless sword energies, overwhelming Yunniang.

Yunniang's expression changed. Immortal Venerable Huaiwei's strength was beyond her imagination. He mobilized so much spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Wasn't he afraid of attracting a backlash from the Heavenly Dao?

Despite the high cost, the effect of this attack was quite obvious.

The music grew stronger. Yunniang's face gradually paled; she was clearly unable to hold on any longer.

"Damn it, I have no choice but to give up!" A resolute glint flashed in Yunniang's eyes. She suddenly stood up, preparing to forcefully break through Fu Yunshu's musical blockade and escape from this place.

Just then, a cold voice came from behind her: "Yunniang, do you think you can escape?"

Fu Yunshu stopped playing the zither; they had finally arrived.

Yunniang turned around abruptly and saw a man in black standing behind her, holding a long sword with the tip pointed directly at her throat.

“Ji Yuanbai!” Yunniang’s pupils shrank, clearly recognizing the person who had come.

"You dare to cause trouble in the Central Continent? You're far too arrogant. You don't take me seriously at all!" Ji Yuanbai said, then attacked with his sword.

Yunniang's expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly activated her demonic energy to defend herself. However, Ji Yuanbai's sword energy was too sharp, and the demonic energy was instantly shattered, the sword energy piercing through Yunniang's chest.

Yunniang gritted her teeth and growled, suddenly spitting out a mouthful of blood essence. Her figure transformed into a streak of red light as she tried to escape. However, Ji Yuanbai's sword energy followed her like a shadow, instantly catching up with her.

"puff--"

The sword energy pierced through Yunniang's body, and she let out a shrill scream as she fell from the sky and crashed heavily to the ground.

Ji Yuanbai landed slowly, coldly looking at Yunniang lying on the ground. He swung his long sword, ready to give her a quick death.

Fu Yunshu arrived at that moment: "Wait!"

Ji Yuanbai stopped and asked displeasedly, "Immortal Venerable Huaiwei, is there anything else?"

"There are still many doubts about the Yuzhou City incident, Yunniang cannot die yet."

Ji Yuanbai, however, did not quite agree with Fu Yunshu's approach. "The Blood Yuan Formation has been broken, and the lives of the people of Yuzhou City have been saved. Whatever her purpose may be, killing her will be the end of it."

"Why did Yunniang refine the Blood Essence Pill? She has been lurking in the Central Continent for many years. Are there other demon strongholds within the Central Continent? Why did she specifically cut out Zhou Dazhuang's tongue? Has Patriarch Ji considered this?"

Fu Yunshu's three consecutive questions successfully made Ji Yuanbai stop.

"I'll spare your life for now," Ji Yuanbai sneered.

Seeing that he had calmed down, Fu Yunshu stopped paying attention and looked around for Yin Lisheng's figure.

Just as he was getting anxious, Yu Jiangheng stumbled into the courtyard, covered in blood and pale as a sheet.

Yu Jiangheng leaned against the door frame, his voice hoarse and hurried.

"Grandfather, my great-uncle... has been kidnapped by Master Li!"

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Author's note: I wrote a side story about Song Wenzhuo and Gu Yuan (Gu Zhinan)'s first meeting and put it in the side story collection [kiss], as a belated compensation for today.