The underground palace, usually gloomy and eerie, where no one would ever set foot, was now packed with people. However, even with so many people present, there was no sound. Everyone was even vaguely wary of one another; the silence was complete.
Most of these people have some cultivation level, and it's not low.
Gathered here, their situations varied: some had accidentally ingested the drug for unknown reasons, some had stopped using it immediately after Miaoshoumen issued a ban, and some had used it a few times but hadn't reached the addiction threshold...
But no matter what the reason, at this point, they have been rejected by Miaoshou Sect and there is no room for maneuver.
In this stagnant atmosphere, a purple-black light finally flashed above the stone statue in the underground palace.
Beside the stone statue, a breath of air slowly floated, and Mei Yanliu and Niu Baiye appeared on both sides.
This was the first direct encounter between the group and the Demon Cult. Immediately, a flurry of whispers erupted in the underground palace:
"This is the Demonic Cult? So, they are the ones who created the Immortal-Becoming Powder?"
"It doesn't look like that to me. There are only a few demons."
"Yeah, isn't this obviously a demonic sect? You didn't really watch the Four-Way War before, did you? If they don't dress properly, it can only be a demonic sect."
"You can't say that. Look at the guy behind you. He's wearing very neat clothes."
The Jimo Shu behind: "..."
Mei Yanliu gritted her teeth and said, "It's all that damn Yun Xian's fault!"
Niu Baiye spoke frankly: "This has nothing to do with Yun Xian."
"You're still speaking for her?!" Mei Yanliu said, "No wonder you've been wearing extra socks lately. She's been taking you down, too, right?"
Niu Baiye said innocently: "My hoof was just pierced by broken bottles many times, it hurts..."
"Alright, shut up!" Yu Ji said, "I told you to follow the Saint, but you behaved so rudely. How can you be of any help?!"
This demon was the chief demon of the Demon Cult when Chi You was no longer in office. She was responsible for all matters, big and small—though she wasn't very involved. Now, it seems she's the epitome of all the Demon Cult's styles, revealing everything that should be covered while covering up everything that shouldn't. However, she has some misunderstandings about mainstream aesthetics, such as the misconception that longer and more legs are more beautiful... Who told her that?
So when Yu Ji came out, he almost scared people to death.
Jimo Shu asked, "Where is the leader?"
"Do I need to report the leader's whereabouts to you?" Yu Ji glanced at her and said, "I will take care of this group of people now."
Jimo Shu remained silent.
The humans and demons remained in a stalemate across the platform for a while. Finally, Yu Ji said, "You all have a misunderstanding. In reality, the Demon Cult isn't so completely heartless. The Immortalization Powder we made is indeed quite good—but it was originally intended for use within the Demon Cult. How can the physiques of humans and demons be lumped together? Yang Shifang got this information from some unknown source and just spread it to South City. This is a fact. If you don't believe it, you can ask him and others for evidence."
Yang Shifang is the real name of Yang Rushang. Now it has become a local specialty. Where can I go to get evidence?
It was just that the news was blocked. Some people in the audience knew that this person was dead, but some did not. Seeing her so confident, he couldn't help but feel a little shaken.
If that were the case, it wouldn't be unreasonable. Demons and humans have different physiques, and the principles of their cultivation methods are even more different. This powder would be fine for a demon, but it would naturally be problematic for a human.
Of course, some people were skeptical and said, "You, the Demon Sect, are hated by everyone. How can you be so kind now? You say you want to help us?"
"Of course I'm not being kind." Yu Ji smiled coldly and said, "If I say I'm being kind, would you believe me? It's just a matter of each of us getting what we need. What you want is for the Miao Shou Sect to lift the blockade so you can leave South City without risking your lives; and what we want are the lives of the three leaders of the Miao Shou Sect - there's no conflict, right?"
"Why isn't there a conflict?" someone asked anxiously. "We want to put pressure on the Miaoshou Sect to let us out. Why would we risk the Sect Leader's life?"
"You're still so naive?" Yu Ji sneered. "If the Miaoshou Sect could be flexible, they wouldn't have been so harsh in rejecting you. Can't you see what happened to that little girl during the entrance exam yesterday? Not letting you into the sect or out of South City is no different than watching you die. As long as the Sect Master is dead, no one will let you out!"
There was a sudden silence under the stone platform.
"It's like this now..."
"If there's no other way, no one wants this to happen. Who made Miaoshoumen do such a ruthless thing?"
"My family is in another city... I don't want to die here because of something like this."
Yu Ji couldn't hide his disdain. Just as he was about to raise the corners of his lips, a voice from the crowd rang out: "You are truly shameless to say that now!"
"Is it Miaoshoumen's fault, or are they unwilling to admit that they are stupid and unlucky? They have been given so many chances, why? Have they lost their memory?"
"What do you mean?" Someone, having his skin peeled off in public, angrily said, "If you don't want to, just get out! You're so noble, you're not afraid of death!"
"Don't bother with me, I'll be leaving now." The man looked at the demons with different expressions on the stone platform, spat, and said, "My child is in the Miaoshou Sect. I'm afraid of death, otherwise I wouldn't come here! But I don't have the nerve to do that. I still have a conscience! I still consider myself a human being! You're trying to get the skin of a tiger, and you just believe what the demon says? Now that she's dead and there's no evidence, she said that the Chengxian Powder wasn't made by the demons, so you really believe it? I think you've all lost your mind!"
After she said this, she turned around and left without any regrets!
The crowd was agitated for a few moments, but a small number of people followed her silently and turned away, heading back into the danger-ridden South City.
"..." Yu Ji's expression twisted, thinking to herself, this person is really too talkative. Don't regret it when you die. But after all, the majority of people still didn't leave. She glanced coldly at these cultivators and said nonchalantly, "If you have made up your mind, then follow me. After all, the Miaoshou Sect is one of the four major sects. We need to defeat them one by one."
In a flash, only desolation remained in the underground palace.
Mei Yanliu and Niu Baiye were also assigned tasks. Jimo Shu remained standing still. The stone statue, which had been silent until now, finally emitted a purple-black light again, and Chi You's ghostly voice rang out:
"You haven't given up yet?"
Jimo Shu said calmly: "I don't understand what you mean."
Chi You laughed in an ambiguous way and said, "The peach blossoms are still there?"
Jimo Shu's fingertips suddenly tightened, but Chi You spoke in a tone like he was talking to a teenager, "Why are you so nervous? Yun Xian gave it to you, so just take it. As long as it doesn't interfere with your business, it's up to you."
However, the "serious business" that most parents talk about is studying hard and making progress every day, while the "serious business" in Chi You's mouth is killing Yun Xian. I guess it doesn't see any contradiction between the two things.
Jimo Shu's tightly clenched fingertips loosened, and she blinked slowly and said, "Yes."
There was a moment of silence, and then Jimo Shu asked, "You're clearly here, why are you letting Yu Ji take charge?"
"Why, are you upset that I asked her to take responsibility?" Chi You sighed and said, "That's so stupid, so disgusting, I really don't want to face it. So I really don't understand why you have a good impression of the human race? Don't you realize how disgusting human nature is?"
"Of course, demons are disgusting too. But they're also blatantly evil. They take whatever they want, and do whatever they want. Look at these humans, they're clearly no different from demons, yet they still claim justice with all their high-sounding words, but in reality, they can incite with just a few casual words. One moment they're respectful, and the next they can turn against us, wielding swords... They're so cheap, so petty, I don't even want to look at them for a second."
"What do you think?" Chi You asked, "Jimo, what do you think?"
There were many familiar faces in the remaining formation. Even the high-ranking cultivator who had escorted Qing He and his group to the Miaoshou Sect the day before was among the crowd, his gaze fixed on Jimo Shu with a blank expression.
Chi You was still saying something, but she gradually became empty-headed.
The spring peach blossoms, still bashful and covered in dew, lay quietly in her storage ring. They would soon bloom in every corner of South City.
Before one wave subsides, another wave arises.
Within the Miaoshou Sect, the situation was once again chaotic. Although the God of Medicine had passed down two techniques, the Needle and the Fan, not everyone possessed her natural talent. Mastering both to perfection inevitably meant a bias towards one over the other. With the exception of the unique Li Batu, the vast majority of the sect favored acupuncture, and in actual combat, their prowess wasn't considered top-tier.
The Demon Cult finally showed up and recruited a large number of scattered people under its command, but did not gather to attack the Miaoshou Sect immediately. Instead, they dispersed and surrounded the Sect from all directions, occupying the territory that was already in a stalemate like a rotten wood, approaching little by little, and their intentions were obvious.
The disciples of Miaoshou Sect, led by Lin Xi, were so angry that their livers almost hurt.
Your demonic sect created the immortality powder, and you've gotten things into this mess. And now, at this point, you're pretending to be the savior? If the demons are the saviors, then what about the Miaoshou Sect? Are they the villains?
What's more, the sect was full of disciples who hadn't yet left the sect, most of them under the age of twenty, just teenagers. The Qinghe incident a few days ago was enough to make everyone unable to eat for many days.
To put it bluntly, even if this story was false, Qing He Niang did it on purpose, or even if the mother and daughter were truly sent by the Demon Cult, people wouldn't feel so bad. But knowing it was true, and being forced to do nothing due to the situation, is what makes it so unforgettable.
The situation seemed dire, but it was far more manageable than anyone had imagined. For some unknown reason, the troops sent by the Miaoshou Sect had either caught up with the Demon Cult's forces before they could form, or they had stumbled upon the center of the formation. While they still couldn't completely defeat this ragtag group, the precious time they gained was enough for the arrival of several powerful individuals whom Li Jianye had secretly sought assistance from.
Unfortunately, both sides wanted to close the door and beat the dog. The Miaoshou Sect didn't know the exact strength of the Demon Sect, but Chi You dared to show up like this. Given its cautious nature, it would definitely not be easy to deal with.
However, the southern city border controlled by the Miaoshou Sect quickly became a stalemate. People still couldn't leave, but they couldn't get in either.
Several powerful people who came over looked at each other in confusion: "..."
"I heard there's going to be a big war." Xiao Wu asked, "Is my arrival a coincidence or an unfortunate one?"
"Obviously it's a coincidence." Fang Fei said with a dark face: "I haven't been back for ten years, and you give me such a big surprise right after I come back?!"
"Mother, you're here." Yun Xian, dusty and busy, said in surprise, "Brother Tiezhu, you're back too? I don't usually think you're so noble and dignified. Even if you have the money this time, you might not have the life to spend it."
Qiao Lingshan: "Please don't say such horrible things in that tone! Yun Xian!"
"You think I want to?" Fang Fei held his breath and said, "The Sect Leader said they were afraid the Demon Cult would intercept it, so they had to do some necessary processing on the message... Is it really necessary to do it like this?! I thought it was the thousandth anniversary celebration of the Miaoshou Sect! Hey, I want to go back to the Northern Realm, who's coming with me? This is really going to make even a Buddha angry!"
Master Mingguang: "Amitabha, since you are here, don't be angry."
Qi Zhiye: “…”
Yun Xian thought that the only people who could have arrived so quickly, besides Master Mingguang, the Buddhist mascot who was always cutting ribbons everywhere, his mother, a wandering knight obsessed with the Demonic Cult, and the unfortunate Fang Fei, who had mistakenly dressed up and rushed back excitedly because he thought it was his alma mater's anniversary. The other powerful beings, with such high cultivation levels, were at least elders and leaders of their own sects. They couldn't just drop their current tasks and rush over the moment they heard the news. They had to properly distribute the tasks, and by then, it would be too late. He sighed in despair.
Su Chi came over and handed her a peach blossom.
Yun Xian didn't even look at it, accepted it, and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
"It's not hard." Su Chi finally saw Xiao Wu and said calmly, "Master's Wife, you're here."
Xiao Wu: "...Forget it. It's not appropriate to talk about this now. Just wait for me, kid."
Su Chi: “?”
What are you waiting for?
Li Jianye had everyone properly settled. Li Yuan finally had the chance to practice without being locked up, but she became nervous. Since she wasn't allowed to practice, she followed her master and took every opportunity to practice. She also mentioned to Li Jianye, "Master, Brother Lingxiu seems very sad. He didn't eat much yesterday."
"It's been several days, and he's still not sad enough." Li Jianye said indifferently, "Besides, how do you know he is definitely sad?"
Li Yuan said, "Of course I know. That night when he was holding my hand and leading me back to the room, I heard him secretly dropping his little pearl, though only for a moment."
"..." It's bad. I heard something I shouldn't have heard. I might be silenced. Feng Ye said weakly, "Xiao Liyuan, you'd better not say any more. Let's just pretend we didn't hear it. Otherwise, Fellow Daoist Xue will be furious."
"Forget it." Li Jianye sighed and said to Yun Xian, who was looking at her with a piercing gaze, "My dear Yun, please follow me to the main hall."
Yun Xian: "Here I come."
…
Arriving at the main hall, Li Jianye dismissed his attendants and said, "Thank you for your hard work these days."
Yun Xian saw a bowl of untouched medicine on the table. It looked like it was made by his grandmother. It was already cold and not even a bit hot.
"You say it's hard work," Yun Xian said, "Master, I didn't do anything."
Li Jianye looked at her, smiled, and said softly, "Why hide it from me?"
Yun Xian said: "...Okay."
"You haven't lost contact with Jimo Shu, have you? In other words, although we haven't met, we've kept in touch. The intelligence we provide is incredibly accurate. Apart from this Saintess, there's no one else." Li Jianye said, "The last incident with Feng Ye from the Body Refining Sect made you wary. Are you worried there's a traitor within the Miaoshou Sect? It's time to be more vigilant."
"Although it's a bit unfair to others, I think it's best for only her and I to know about this kind of thing. The more people know, the more dangerous it is - this has nothing to do with being tight-lipped, it's just that some people are naturally not good at concealing things." Yun Xianqi asked, "Master Li, can you even see that?"
Even Qiao Lingshan, who slept with her every day, didn't notice! She thought she had kept it a secret.
Li Jianye said, "I was wondering what method you used. Now it seems it was the spring peach blossoms. The season has passed, and most of the peach blossoms should have withered long ago. However, there are no four seasons in the demon world. The demons have no idea of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, let alone when flowers should bloom and wither. You two are using this to determine the location, right?"
"Yes." Yun Xian smiled bitterly and said, "To be honest, I didn't think too much about it when I sent her off."
She just saw the peach blossoms and thought they were beautiful, so she gave them to him. The demons really didn't understand the four seasons, so she asked Jimo Shu to remember the changing of the seasons. But now, Jimo Shu has given this gift a different meaning.
Li Jianye said: "It's not easy to find such a close friend who understands me."
"..." Yun Xian said, "But I always feel that I shouldn't have let her take such risks. ...That's all. Master, I once asked a mysterious person about this matter, and the answer he gave me was, 'The universe is constant, but humans are not.' Jiange doesn't take many cultural classes, and I often wonder whether my understanding of the meaning is right or wrong, and whether what I'm going to do next is right or wrong. Master, what do you think?"
Li Jianye did not answer immediately, but covered his chest and coughed lightly twice.
"Actually, it's understandable that Chi You chose the Southern Realm for his first official appearance." Li Jianye looked sick, but now he smiled. "Don't you always say, 'When going to war, remember, fight the healers if you have them, and leave the zither practitioners aside.' Furthermore, human healers can only heal humans, and have little effect against demons. In this situation, strategically speaking, it's perfectly natural for them to want to destroy the Miaoshou Sect first."
Yun Xian: "...Did you add the last half sentence yourself, Sect Leader?"
"That's not important," Li Jianye said. "So from the beginning, my goal wasn't to save people, but to kill demons. It might sound cruel, but it's the truth. So many people have died before my eyes, and I've become numb. No matter how many casualties there are, sometimes they're just numbers in people's eyes. All I have to do is try to keep that number as small as possible, that's all."
"Yun Xian, although Ah Xiu is a few years older than you, he's sorely lacking in this area. It's you, on the other hand, who really surprises me. But you're the exception, and he's the norm. Even after going through so much, from the Smiling Buddha to where he is now, what's the point of having great principles before your eyes? As long as it doesn't hurt you, how can you truly understand it?" Li Jianye repeated what she had said, "The universe is constant, but people are not... Sometimes, people's thinking always slips from one extreme to the other, isn't it?"
"At first, I was full of confidence to save everyone in the world. But after I got hurt and felt pain, I felt that no one in the world was worth saving. Thinking that everyone in the world is good is essentially the same as thinking that they are all bad. It is still the same naivety and stupidity. The ancestral precepts of the Miaoshou Sect are not meant to warn the disciples, but simply to state a very simple truth. I am an ordinary medical practitioner. I do my best to fulfill my duties. I am neither noble nor despicable, and I am no different from other professions. I am not a savior, and the world is not weaklings or fools waiting for my mercy to save them. They are ordinary people, just like me. Heaven has its destiny, but people are not. If you unilaterally define people as a stereotyped group, puppets without personality, then you will be the only one who suffers."
"You did the right thing." Li Jianye took out a cloth-wrapped object from his arms and handed it to Yun Xian. He coughed again, a sickly blush on his pale face. "This is a heavy needle left by our ancestors. It's very effective against demons... Don't look at me like that. Isn't it normal for a medical practitioner to dream of becoming a martial god? It's just that the Sword God was too powerful at the time, and she couldn't intervene at all, so she just left it there without any use."
Yun Xian understood. At the time, the God of Medicine wanted to attack, but the God of Swords was alone and didn't need her, so she angrily passed the needle to future generations, until it finally saw the light of day.
"As for Lingxiu..." Li Jianye said, "Before understanding the truth, one must first destroy his heart. After this battle is successfully concluded, I will have a good talk with him."
As soon as these words came out, Yun Xian instantly felt like the Sect Leader had a lot of flags on his back, like an old general on the stage. He quickly said, "Sect Leader, you can't say that! Hurry up, bah, bah, bah!"
Li Jianye: “?”
Although Little Yun was a kind person, she could sometimes be a bit too eccentric, often saying things she couldn't understand. Last time, she'd even mentioned to Jinsiyincao that she was planning to design something called "Shi Shang" or "Lou Gou" for Jiange... What kind of dog was Lou Gou, anyway? She'd read through countless books, but why hadn't she even had a clue?
The final battle came unexpectedly.
The scattered people had already temporarily increased their cultivation, and their numbers were vast. With a little incitement and a good grasp of the situation, they were easily drawn in, and the situation snowballed, their numbers growing ever larger. Those within South City who hadn't yet left or gone to the Miaoshou Sect were mostly powerless, so how could they resist the invasion? Even if the Miaoshou Sect disciples had all the power, they could only temporarily halt their offensive to buy time to organize their forces. However, the Demon Cult, seemingly convinced of their victory, finally assembled their forces and, in just a few hours, reached the city walls.
The black crowd was densely packed and lined up, with an overwhelming sense of oppression, pointing directly at the Miaoshou Sect.
Mei Yanliu and Niu Baiye stood at the back of the crowd. At this moment, there seemed to be no difference between humans and demons.
A sudden surge of voices:
"Let us out of South City!!!"
"The Third Sect Leader, Li Pei, has clearly used the powder before. Why would he bend the law for personal gain?"
"If you don't let me go, today, I will destroy the Miaoshou Sect and kill the Sect Leader to get the medicine!!"
Amidst the roaring noise, Xue Lingxiu's expression was indifferent, as if nothing had happened.
Until he saw the familiar figure behind the crowd, so small that it should have been invisible.
...Qinghe threw away the needle, picked up the sword, and hung the empty medicine bottle given by her mother on her waist. She was lost in the crowd, and her expression was unrecognizable on her young face.
In an instant, Xue Lingxiu was struck by lightning.
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