Slay the Demon
Yun opened her eyes and found herself in a simple mud house.
A group of ragged, emaciated villagers surrounded her and kowtowed desperately at the blood-red array drawn with dark red liquid at her feet.
The illusion array has been activated, and the dangers here are unknown. The mission states "find someone," but in this situation, she is asked to exorcise a demon? Is it a test from the illusion array itself, or is it something the elders have deliberately set up? She must be extremely careful.
"Exorcise demons? What demons? Tell me in detail." Yun Wei spoke, her voice cold and clear.
Since it's a mission, the clues must be hidden here. We need to figure out the origin of this "demon" before we can unravel the mystery and find our fellow disciples.
Upon hearing this, everyone rushed to recount their tales, their words incoherent and tearful:
"It's... a demon dressed in black! Yesterday, as soon as he appeared, the old well at the village entrance, which had fed us for decades, turned into thick, sticky blood! The stench was overwhelming!"
"Yesterday afternoon! He even killed Old Li from our village... Li Dafeng! Now... now we've caught him together... and he's tied up in the middle of the village! We beg the gods to get rid of him quickly! Otherwise... otherwise our whole village will be ruined by him!"
"Lead the way," Yun Wei said succinctly.
The sight of well water turning into blood is an extremely ominous sign, resembling the presence of demons.
But... with their strength, can they work together to capture the demon?
Before Yunwei could finish her thought, a middle-aged woman with disheveled hair and red, swollen eyes pushed her way to the front, grabbed Yunwei's sleeve, and wailed with tears streaming down her face, "Immortal! You must avenge us! Kill that demon! That damned... he killed my husband! Please, you must make him vanish into thin air and avenge my husband!" Her cries were heart-wrenching and sincere.
"Only by seeing can one know right from wrong," Yunwei patted her hand reassuringly.
Outside, the sky was overcast and leaden. Amidst the ruins, not a wisp of smoke could be seen, nor could the sounds of roosters crowing or dogs barking be heard.
Soon, Yunwei was taken to a relatively open muddy area in the center of the village.
In the center of the open space stood a crude execution platform hastily constructed from rough wood and stones.
On the platform, there was a tall pile of dry firewood and withered grass, and at the top of the pile, a figure was tightly bound to a thick wooden stake by rough brambles and water-soaked thick hemp rope.
The man was dressed in black, but at this moment his clothes were soaked with large patches of glaring, still-drying dark red blood.
He lowered his head, his long, dark hair falling in disarray, obscuring most of his face, leaving only his tightly pursed jaw and pale, bloodless lips visible.
Xie Lanchen?
Yun Wei was taken aback. The so-called "demon" was actually the black-clad youth who had been praised by Elder Wu on the high platform just moments before and ignored her.
Beneath the veil, her thin lips were tightly pressed together, her mind racing with thoughts: How could Xie Lanchen be here? And why had he become the "demon" that the villagers wanted to burn alive?
When the disciples pressed him for details about who they were looking for, Elder Wu specifically called him out as a "leader." Was it to make everyone remember his face, not to highlight his excellence, but because he was the "fellow disciple" they were looking for in the illusion array?
The elder set up this trap to see how many of these hundred-odd disciples would, like those in Shitang Town, indiscriminately kill the "demon" without asking any questions. Or was he testing her, the "nameless one," how she would choose when faced with a nemesis who was also falsely accused of being a demon?
Yun Wei turned to Li Sao, who was still sobbing beside her, and softened her tone, asking inquiringly, "Sister-in-law, you said that 'demon' killed your husband, Li Dafeng? How... did he come to your village? And how did he commit the crime? Did you see it with your own eyes?" She did not reveal Xie Lanchen's identity, as doing so at this moment would only make the situation more complicated and chaotic.
Wiping away her tears, Aunt Li sobbed, "It was...it was yesterday! Just as it was getting dark, this demon suddenly appeared at the village entrance. He looked terrifying, cold and aloof, and didn't say a word. I thought he was a passing knight-errant because of his clothes and appearance, so I kindly invited him into my house for a drink of water...who...who knew that he would stab my husband to death with a single sword strike! I saw it with my own eyes! Gods, you must do justice for me!"
Yun lowered her eyes, gently resting her right hand on her chin, her gaze sweeping over Xie Lanchen's unconscious face.
If he were truly a "demon" who committed murder, how could someone with such cultivation be subdued by a few ordinary villagers?
A thought flickered in her mind: It seems I must check it myself.
Thinking of this, Yunwei lowered her hand and stepped onto the simple execution platform.
Under the hopeful gaze of the villagers, she flicked her wrist, and the Duanchen Sword was drawn from its sheath with a clear, sharp light.
"Alright! The gods are about to make their move!"
"Kill this fiend! Burn him!"
"Avenge Li Dafeng! Get rid of this scourge for our village!"
She frowned slightly, focusing intently to discern—the faint, malevolent aura surrounding them had not touched Xie Lanchen at all.
Even if the boy is a suspect, he may not be the real culprit. Besides, Elder Wu is known for his strictness. If she were to kill him based on conjecture, that old fox would surely seize on it and accuse her of being "impulsive and unable to distinguish right from wrong," thus eliminating her from the game.
Yun Wei's eyes turned slightly cold; she knew she couldn't afford to be defeated in the first round due to a moment of recklessness.
With a flash of light, her sword did not pierce the bound Xie Lanchen, but instead slashed at the thorns and hemp ropes binding him.
With a few soft hissing sounds, the brambles and thick rope snapped and scattered on the ground. The boy lost his support, his body went limp, and he fell straight forward.
Yunwei raised her left hand and steadily supported his shoulder and back. The area she touched was cold and sticky, which turned out to be undried blood.
The boy's eyes were tightly closed, his lips were bloodless, and his breathing was so weak that it was almost inaudible. He was already unconscious, with only his brows slightly furrowed.
Even though the person in front of her was just an illusion, she couldn't help but feel a moment of disorientation.
How could he be so badly injured?
With his skills, even if there were ten times more villagers, they wouldn't be able to harm him in the slightest.
Unless... unless he never even considered resisting from beginning to end.
Yun Wei frowned slightly, and without further hesitation, she carefully helped him half-support and half-lean against the pile of firewood. Her fingertips accidentally touched the deep, bone-revealing wounds on his back, and she felt a burning sensation when she touched them.
"Immortal! What...what are you doing?" Aunt Li was the first to change her expression, staggering back two steps.
The villagers were instantly in an uproar, their previous enthusiastic cheers turning into a barrage of questions.
Yun Wei stood atop the high platform, her face veiled, only her cold, clear eyes sweeping over the crowd below, her voice calm and utterly unwavering:
"Fellow villagers, please calm down. I am not trying to let him go, but to find out the truth and distinguish right from wrong. You call him a demon and want to burn him alive, but have you seen him pollute the water source with your own eyes? As for Li Dafeng's death, there may be hidden reasons. Demons and monsters are best at disguising themselves, confusing people's hearts, and creating panic. If we kill innocent people out of fear, wouldn't that play right into the hands of the real demons? This is not eliminating demons and protecting the righteous, but aiding and abetting evil."
Her gaze swept over the faces filled with shock, anger, and confusion, and she continued, “I observe that this person, though his aura is weak, possesses no malevolent energy. You are all simple, honest people, harmed by demons, and I understand your fear and resentment. But precisely because of this fear, you need to remain calm and seek evidence, rather than being blinded by appearances and doing things that please your enemies and hurt your loved ones. If he is truly a demon, I will personally slay him and restore peace to you. But if he is wronged, or even framed while trying to exorcise the demon, wouldn't we be wrongly killing righteous people and letting the real culprit go unpunished?”
The villagers looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Then...then what do you suggest, deity? Wasn't he the one who caused all the trouble in the village?" a villager asked, mustering his courage.
"Where is Li Dafeng's body?" She leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharp as a sword, piercing Li's evasive eyes. "May I take a look?"
A flicker of panic crossed Li's eyes. She instinctively took a half-step back and stammered, "This... my husband died so tragically, his body has already been collected, it's... it's not appropriate to disturb him any further..."
"Finding the true culprit, allowing the deceased to rest in peace, and ensuring the survival of the living—that is the greatest respect we can show to the dead," Yun Wei continued, her gaze falling on Li Sao's trembling shoulders. "If your husband was truly killed by him, I will certainly give you justice. But if there are other hidden circumstances, don't you want to know who truly killed your husband? To leave him unjustly accused is even more disrespectful."
Several older villagers looked at each other and nodded: "The immortal is right! Quickly bring out Brother Dafeng's body! Let the immortal see it!"
"Yes! Let the gods see! Let them see who really harmed Brother Dafeng!"
Li Sao's face turned deathly pale. Under the pressure of everyone's gazes, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and nod, giving Yun Wei a venomous glance.
Soon, several villagers carried over a simple door panel covered with a tattered white cloth.
Lifting the white cloth revealed Li Dafeng's ashen face, his eyes wide open, filled with the terror of death. On his chest was a gruesome wound, the flesh torn open, the blood already congealed and blackened.
Yun Wei squatted down, but did not touch the corpse directly. Instead, she extended two fingers and hovered them about an inch above the wound. She gathered a wisp of spiritual power at her fingertips and probed along the corpse's meridians and blood.
The wound looked fresh, but there were already slight signs of decay at the edges of the skin and flesh, and the blood had coagulated for far more than a day, indicating that the body had been without life for a long time... She immediately understood.
“This person,” Yun Wei stood up and announced in a clear and firm voice, “has been dead for at least three days. He was definitely not killed yesterday.”
"What?!" The villagers were in an uproar, looking at Sister Li in disbelief.
Aunt Li screamed, her voice distorted with anger, all traces of her previous sorrow gone: "Impossible! You're talking nonsense! I saw him fine yesterday afternoon! It was him! It was this devil who killed him!" She pointed at the unconscious Xie Lanchen, appearing as if she had gone mad.
"Seeing is believing." As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Wei flicked out a point of spiritual light from her fingertip, which entered Li Dafeng's brow.
Suddenly, a clear scene appeared before everyone:
In the video, Li Dafeng sits alone in the room, his eyes glazed over and his movements stiff.
Just then, a figure in black burst through the door, his eyes sharp as swords, and his Lone Goose Sword pierced straight into Li Dafeng's heart.
As the sword energy penetrated, Li Dafeng's body slumped backward, and a surge of black energy erupted wildly from his seven orifices.
Just as the boy turned to leave, Aunt Li rushed in from outside, screaming and shouting to the villagers who followed, "This monster killed my husband! Catch him! Beat him to death!" The angry villagers swarmed forward, but the boy did not fight back. He only managed to block and protect his vitals, but was eventually knocked to the ground and tied up.
The scene then disappeared.
The truth came out! The villagers were stunned, their faces filled with shock, shame, and lingering fear.
"So...so Brother Dafeng was killed by demons long ago? It was this demon...no, it was this black-clad swordsman who saved us?"
"We wronged an innocent man! We almost burned him to death!"
Yunwei had no time to pay attention to the villagers' sudden realization.
The well water was still bloody and pungent, and the village was deathly still. Xie Lanchen had eliminated the inner demon that possessed Li Dafeng's body, so the demonic energy in the village should have dissipated by most of it, or at least not worsened.
Unless... there are even more powerful monsters lurking nearby.
Just then, she caught a glimpse of Aunt Li, who was trying to quietly slip into the crowd, out of the corner of her eye.
The woman's face no longer held any trace of sorrow, only resentment and panic remained.
"Sister Li." Yun Wei's voice was icy. With a light tap of her toes, she instantly landed in front of Sister Li, blocking her path. "Who drew that blood array that summoned me here just now?"
“I…I don’t know! It’s…it’s a method passed down from our ancestors! I drew it according to the instructions! To save the village!” Her eyes flickered and her voice trembled.
The blood array possessed pure demonic energy, far beyond what ordinary villagers could create.
"Still trying to argue?" She reached out and grabbed her shoulders and neck, while simultaneously pointing her right hand, fingers like a sword, sharply at the space between her eyebrows.
"Ah—!" Li Sao let out a shrill, inhuman scream. Black energy surged and churned around her, and her face twisted and changed violently. Sometimes she looked like a sorrowful woman, and sometimes she turned into a hideous ghost with blue faces and fangs.
As expected, it was you who twisted the truth, incited the villagers, and tried to kill Xie Lanchen.
Yun Wei coldly cursed inwardly, her heart filled with murderous intent.
Demons and monsters that bewitch and confuse people should be punished!
The villagers were terrified by this sudden and horrific turn of events. They screamed and retreated, clearing a large area of land.
Revealing her half-demon, half-human nature, Sister Li glared venomously at Yun Wei, letting out a strange, hoarse laugh: "Mind your own business! You ruined my plans! Yesterday, we intended to slaughter this entire village and have a feast! But then this brat came and killed my good partner! How could I let him get away with this? So I turned the well water red and framed him! I planned to burn him alive with these fools, but some of them couldn't bear it, so I drew a formation, hoping to summon a powerful demon to help me. I never expected to summon you, this jinx! You so-called righteous sects... you all deserve to die!"
So that's how it is. The same despicable methods used by the inner demon in Shitang Town. Yun Wei thought coldly.
The Dust-Breaking Sword at her waist was suddenly drawn, its light flashing like a bolt of lightning, piercing the vital point of the inner demon's heart.
"Pfft!"
As it slumped backward, thick, black smoke, as black as rotten ink, burst forth, seemingly capable of dimming the surrounding light and shadow.
Yun Wei's expression remained unchanged as she sheathed her sword.
The inner demon in Shitang Town used her kindness to ambush her. In the end, the demonic dragon escaped, the people died tragically, and it also gave her father the pretext to frame her for 'falling into demonic ways'.
Yunwei's grip on the sword tightened slightly, her knuckles turning white.
She will never make the same mistake twice. Demons and evil spirits, which bewitch and confuse people, deserve to be punished.
Pity and hesitation in the face of them are cruelty to the innocent.
Showing no mercy under the sword is the true way to uphold justice.
She turned abruptly and walked straight towards the fake Xie Lanchen.
Yun Wei bent down, took the corner of her sleeve, and gently wiped the boy's face. From his brow to his chin, the specks of dirt and streaks of blood were all wiped away.
Yunwei thought to herself, "He looks better when he's clean."
*
Outside the Mirror of Observation, on the high platform of the Guiyun Sect Square.
Elder Wu held an open jade scroll in his left hand, on which were engraved the names of the disciples who had entered the illusion array this time, and in his right hand he held a wolf-hair brush dipped in cinnabar.
He stared intently at the enormous Mirror of Observation suspended in the air, which clearly reflected the scene of Yun Wei slaying his inner demon with a single sword strike. His gaunt and withered old face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water was about to drip from it.
"No way!" he said through gritted teeth.
"This woman... must not be allowed to live! The Guiyun Sect must never produce another Yun Wei!"
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