Chapter 5 Perhaps, I long for the lady.
The half-truth made the boy purse his lips tightly, his back stiffened slightly, and his eyelashes fluttered rapidly twice.
If you are observant, you can spot something is wrong at a glance.
But Xu Jinan's patience was unusually short tonight. Before he could hear the next sentence, he raised his whip again and began to beat her, "She's not a demon, so what proof do you have?"
"If you're not a demon, why don't you come closer and take a look?"
"If you are not a demon, what proof do you have?"
Xu Jinan's voice grew louder and louder, "If she's not a demon, why didn't you use the Demon-Revealing Mirror to examine her last night?"
After the Demon-Revealing Mirror returned, Xu Jinan used his spiritual power to examine it and found no trace of its use.
This wretched child dares to disobey orders! Xu Jinan's face darkened, and he lashed out with the whip a few more times.
A thick, pungent smell of blood immediately hit me, carrying a cold, metallic scent, like rust.
The air seemed to become stagnant, and the disciples guarding the gate quietly covered their noses, forced to retreat dozens of meters by the smell emanating from the hall.
Under the cruel punishment, even demons couldn't help but surrender, but Meng Ji was used to it and knelt upright from beginning to end, letting the wet blood fall.
Drops of blood fell to the ground and bloomed, like plum blossoms on a steep cliff, landing on the snow that never melts, and soon turned into a pool of blood.
Meng Ji stared expressionlessly at the pool of blood, watching it meander into a stream, like a snake yearning to return to its nest, flowing towards the dusty gray Taoist robe.
The Taoist robe was set aside, but it was folded neatly and squarely.
Golden light surged above, carrying an indescribable profound Daoist meaning.
Some people may not be demons, but their words are sweet and their actions are more insidious than those of demons.
Although his wife was possessed by a demon, she was kind-hearted and much more affectionate than most people.
What is the clear definition between humans and demons in this world?
It's simply about suppressing the evil in your heart.
The sound of whipping continued, and the spiritual energy was knocked away layer by layer by the whip.
As the last whip fell, a hint of mockery flashed in Meng Ji's eyes, and he suddenly reached out and pushed aside his Taoist robe.
Xu Jinan was even angrier at this sight. The God-Slaying Whip, which he had previously sheathed, now seemed to have a reason to keep going. "Traitor! You still dare to move?!"
The whip left afterimages as it was swung, and the surging spiritual energy spilled out, causing the Immortal Lord, who was almost at the Nascent Soul stage, to fall back to the Infant stage.
A hint of satisfaction appeared in Xu Jinan's eyes. He stopped whipping the whip, clutching his chest in anguish, "Mengji, how could you disobey your master as his most beloved disciple?"
"Don't you remember that it was your master who picked you up when you were just a mortal?"
"Was it your master who taught you swordsmanship and movement techniques, saving you from your father's clutches?"
"You are now so disobedient to your master. Could it be that you are taking advantage of your intelligence and have developed a rebellious heart?" Looking at the Taoist robe that he could no longer wear, Xu Jinan's heartache turned into genuine grief.
The Taoist robe was no longer a Taoist robe at this moment, but his lost right.
"This disciple has never had any intention of overstepping his bounds." Meng Ji's answer was just like every time he was whipped, even if it was repeated a thousand times, there was no trace of impatience in his voice. "This disciple has always regarded Master as his own father, and has only ever admired him."
"After all, one time is enough for patricide." Meng Ji's expression was calm, and his words, though horrifying, did not sound cruel.
But Xu Jinan felt inexplicably terrified.
This traitor was nothing more than a lowly bastard born in the mortal world, his life as lowly as mud, his body as rotten as grass, yet his father, who was like a ferocious beast, did not live past his prime under his hands.
No one could have imagined that a seven or eight-year-old child could unleash such power, like a man-eating monster, even more terrifying than an evil cultivator.
This child must not be allowed to live...
Xu Jinan unconsciously tightened his grip on the whip, his kind eyes filled with malice.
"You wretch! Are you threatening me?!" Xu Jinan shouted, raising his whip high and lashing it across Meng Ji's face.
The whip cracked through the air, and a chilling killing intent erupted instantly. The kind-faced man appeared extremely distorted in the afterimage of the whip.
Despite the deep, bone-revealing wound beneath his eyes, Meng Ji smiled gently. "Why would Master think that way?"
Blood droplets fell like waves, tracing across the lips and flowing into the soft mouth.
With pain, just like always.
Suddenly, a slightly familiar voice appeared—"Hey, little Daoist, don't you feel pain?"
The girl's voice was sweet and coquettish, as if she were extremely curious about meeting him for the first time.
Meng Ji frowned deeply, his gaze fixed on the Demon-Revealing Mirror.
"You wretched child, if I had known you would be so disobedient, I shouldn't have taken you in!" Xu Jinan derived a twisted pleasure from each lash, his blows becoming increasingly erratic, but then he suddenly stopped. "This smell..."
Xu Jinan's nose twitched, but for some reason, the whip he had put away to probe the demonic aura suddenly flew off uncontrollably because he had pulled it back too quickly.
With a loud "snap," Xu Jinan's eyes widened instantly. "The Demon Mirror!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Demon-Illuminating Mirror in Meng Ji's hand cracked under the God-Slaying Whip. The crack was small and covered the entire mirror.
The Demon-Illuminating Mirror was forged by the elders of Buzhou Mountain. It can reveal the past and present lives of demons and is a top-grade magical artifact.
However, it is still slightly inferior to the top-grade magic artifact, the Origin Tracing Mirror.
Now that the mirror is broken, even with spiritual energy to nourish it, it will take decades to restore it.
Even if Xu Jinan wanted to personally verify whether Yao Jin was a demon, there was nothing he could do now.
That little bastard is utterly useless!
Those who came into contact with him were indeed implicated!
Xu Jinan didn't think he was wrong at all, and only blamed the broken Demon Mirror on this wicked child. But he was helpless and felt that this child's fate of being a cursed lone star was indeed true.
He gripped the God-Slaying Whip tightly and took a step back, his voice suddenly softening, "Mengji, you are my most beloved disciple, and your master is willing to listen to your explanation."
He was like a kind and benevolent master, extremely gentle, “Tell me why you didn’t get closer to look at her just now. Don’t forget, she might be a demon.”
“Madam is not a demon.” Meng Ji raised his eyes steadily, as if he had made a decision. “Although I did not use the Demon-Revealing Mirror at dinner last night, I did make Osmanthus Pastries. The Osmanthus Pastries contained Pure Heart Lotus, and I saw with my own eyes that Madam ate them without any abnormality.”
The Pure Heart Lotus is sweet and refreshing, and has a calming and mind-concentrating effect on cultivators, but it is highly poisonous to demons!
Once consumed, its true nature is revealed.
Xu Jinan squinted as he scrutinized this disciple who never lied, then looked at the Taoist robe lying on the ground.
The Taoist robe was dull and gray, and any trace of color stained on it was clearly visible.
This is indeed the color of the Pure Heart Lotus.
Although it was only a little, it made Xu Jinan feel a little relieved. After whipping him for so long, his hands were sore and his body suddenly felt tired. After thinking for a moment, he let the little beast go.
He bent down to help Meng Ji up with one hand, but secretly tightened his grip on the God-Slaying Whip with the other.
"It seems Dan'er made a mistake. She heard the news from somewhere and told me, which led to this misunderstanding." Xu Jinan sighed, "And you, why didn't you explain sooner? If you had told me about the Tranquil Lotus earlier, how could I have punished you?"
"You should know that I love you the most."
With Xu Jinan's slight support, Meng Ji stood up, his muscles seemingly trembling slightly.
Without specific medicine to treat the wounds inflicted by the God-Slaying Whip, even the most skilled healers cannot completely heal it; they can only rely on their own spiritual power to slowly repair it.
For the first three hours after being whipped by the God-Slaying Whip, the person being punished should not move, otherwise they will have to endure the pain of being pierced by ten thousand swords.
Therefore, Meng Ji's blood did not congeal within such a short period of time.
"It's getting late. Go back and get some rest. Prepare well for the upcoming Immortal Sect Competition." Seeing Meng Ji get up, Xu Jinan didn't bother to keep up the pretense and quickly withdrew his hand.
Then, he took out a bottle of medicine from his sleeve, but only sparingly applied it to Meng Ji's injured eye. "This time you must win the title of Best Daoist Couple and establish the image of our Immortal Sect's Righteous Path."
Taoism has been misunderstood for a long time, with many practitioners believing that those who practice Taoism are cold-blooded and ruthless.
Over time, Buzhou Mountain's reputation has become comparable to that of the Heartless Path, which cultivates the "righteous path of killing one's wife."
This does not conform to the world's imagination of the immortal sect. If cultivators are heartless, how can they have compassion for all living beings?
How can one maintain their position as the head of the immortal sects if they cannot have compassion for all living beings?
Thinking of this, Xu Jinan became determined to win. Looking at Meng Ji's fair face, he put away the medicine. "Remember, you must take first place here. Otherwise, your mother might..."
With the woman held in his palm, Xu Jinan felt a sense of relief. For some reason, he felt extremely tired tonight, so he waved his hand and said, "Go down and prepare well."
"Oh, and remember to repair the Demon Mirror as soon as possible."
"Yes, Master." Meng Ji bowed and took his leave, but his gaze remained fixed on Xu Jinan's hanging hand, where the skin was withered and aged like rotten wood, as if it was aging rapidly.
Emerging from the Weak Water Pavilion, Meng Ji's face was as pale as paper, yet he vanished into thin air by casting a spell with one hand.
After leaving the disciplinary hall, it was already late at night.
A white-clad figure walks through the dark, ink-black mountain path.
A slender man followed behind the graceful figure, "Daojun..."
Meng Ji glanced at the man and stopped.
Liu Xiaoshun's words suddenly stopped, and he felt as if his throat had been licked by a knife, a chilling sensation running through him.
Having followed the Immortal Lord for so long, how could Liu Xiaoshun not know why? He was almost led astray by his wife!
Liu Xiaoshun immediately knelt down and changed his words, "Immortal Lord, the lady is only possessed by a demon, why don't you say so? Besides, Immortal Lord has already been punished once, why should you go to the Discipline Hall to receive punishment again?"
From the day the Immortal Lord brought Yao Jin back, Liu Xiaoshun, who had always been by the Immortal Lord's side, learned about Yao Jin's origins.
Although he understood that the immortal sects had always been at odds with the demons, he felt sorry for the immortal lord and preferred that the immortal lord tell the truth, so that the immortal lord would not end up in a situation where he was disliked by both sides.
Meng Ji: "No matter the reason, a lie is still a lie."
Liars should be punished.
Liu Xiaoshun felt that what he had just said was merely a temporary measure, how could it be considered a lie? Besides, he felt sorry for the Immortal Lord, "But what he said wasn't entirely false, the Madam was only possessed by a demon. Moreover, how could the Immortal Lord's injuries possibly withstand it..."
Liu Xiaoshun was only halfway through his sentence when he felt a slight chill on his body. He cursed himself inwardly for having the audacity to meddle in the affairs of the Immortal Lord's inner quarters. It was only right that the Immortal Lord would protect his wife.
Liu Xiaoshun quickly changed the subject, "Immortal Lord, will Xu Jinan's matter be discovered?"
"Each time the God-Slaying Whip is used, it will cause the caster to fall into a demonic state and develop inner demons, but it can also shorten their lifespan by fifty years."
"With this latest loss, Xu Jinan has now lost a full five hundred years of lifespan, and I'm afraid he will notice."
The God-Slaying Whip has been passed down since ancient times, like a byproduct, in the hands of every successive leader of Buzhou Mountain. However, the whip, which should have been passed down to Meng Ji, was never passed down again after it reached Xu Jinan.
Not only that, this whip also became a weapon to whip the sect leader.
Liu Xiaoshun felt indignant.
Meng Ji, however, didn't care. He picked up the Taoist robe he hadn't worn due to the punishment and shook it lightly. "So what if they found out? He's already burdened with karmic debts and can't care about these things now."
"Since the war between immortals and demons, he had to relinquish his position as sect leader and lost his power. How could he possibly hand over the God-Slaying Whip now?"
The powder from the Pure Heart Lotus that clung to the Taoist robe vanished instantly with a shake.
Indeed, even if the Pure Heart Lotus is a spiritual plant, it is nothing more than powder when it is crushed into dust, so it cannot be left on the Taoist robe.
In the blink of an eye, Meng Ji had already put on his Taoist robe. With the robe draped behind him, a refined and scholarly air emanated from him.
But pain followed, invading his limbs and bones, constantly reminding Mengji that this was brought to him by his former master, whom he had once relied on the most.
Overwhelmed by the immense pain, Meng Ji closed his eyes slightly.
Suddenly, he missed his wife.
If the lady were here, she would look at him with heartache and gently touch his open wounds with her soft fingertips.
Thinking of this, Meng Ji felt a strange sense of pleasure.
It turned out that he actually longed for his wife's comfort.
But Liu Xiaoshun, who was kneeling to the side, didn't dare to breathe loudly. He saw that the Immortal Lord's hands hanging at his sides were trembling!
As a cultivator who had the privilege of being whipped by the God-Slaying Whip, Liu Xiaoshun knew what that pain was like.
Liu Xiaoshun: "Immortal Lord, this disciple has some medicine given to me by King Chu. Although King Chu is a bit unorthodox, his medical skills are the best in the entire immortal sect. This disciple will send some over in a while."
"No need." Noticing a barely perceptible crease on his cuff, Meng Ji reached out and carefully smoothed it out.
After the Taoist robe was smoothed out, Meng Ji suddenly stretched out his arms and asked, "Is there anything unusual?"
The wide sleeves billowed in the night, revealing a tall, elegant young man exuding a refined, scholarly air. The lingering scent of ink and brush, accumulated over the years, couldn't completely mask the stench of blood, but it wasn't overt either.
Only cultivators who spend years immersed in blood and demons who have fought countless battles on the battlefield can detect it; a mortal's wife would never be able to smell it.
Liu Xiaoshun examined it carefully and said, "Immortal Lord, there is nothing unusual."
Meng Ji lowered his eyes, his slender figure walking towards the direction of Wugou Pavilion. "In that case, let's go back and see Madam."
But Liu Xiaoshun was left standing there in a daze, wondering how he had gotten here.
Wasn't the original plan to find out where the Original Mirror was hidden?
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