Chapter 3 So your name is Mingjian? Why were you lying? ...
"Senior brother, Mingjian is back!" A male cultivator in the corner noticed the commotion outside the door and stood up abruptly.
Upon hearing this, Lu Heng and the others looked up and followed his gaze, only to be met with a pair of deep, dark eyes. Ming Jian was still wearing that moon-white clan robe, the blue silk ribbon binding his hair fluttering in the wind. The cold moonlight shone on him, outlining a long and gloomy silhouette, like a water ghost that had just crawled out of a cold pool.
Lu Heng and his group felt a chill run down their spines, and they all recalled the scene they had witnessed seven years ago when they looked up from the bottom of the cave: a thirteen-year-old boy staring down expressionlessly, the full moon behind him tinged with red, cold and eerie.
"Senior brothers, is there something you need here?" Mingjian quickly put on an innocent and pure smile, seemingly having no ill intentions towards them whatsoever.
There were more than just them in the courtyard; there were also more than a dozen outer disciples watching the spectacle.
Not wanting to be outdone, Lu Heng forced himself to remain calm and said, "Mingjian, you don't need to pretend to be so innocent. I didn't hold it against you before because of the elders. If you're really capable, fight me fair and square in the sect competition six months from now. I'll make you regret what you've done!"
Mingjian's expression didn't change; he remained as easygoing as ever. "We'll talk about it later."
The sect competition that Lu Heng mentioned is held every three years. It is not only a chance for disciples to learn from each other, but also an opportunity for outer disciples to enter the inner sect.
"You don't dare?" Lu Heng sneered.
Mingjian tilted his head and said meaningfully, "Since Senior Brother insists, then Senior Brother must not hesitate to give me your guidance when the time comes."
It all depends on whether my senior brother can live to see that day.
Just then, the faint sound of an ancient bell being struck could be heard in the air.
The male cultivator beside Lu Heng said, "Senior brother, it's almost 9 PM."
Disciples of Jianming Immortal Mountain are not allowed to leave their respective courtyards after 9 PM. If caught by cultivators from the Criminal Investigation Department, they will be fined or punished with three months of reflection.
Lu Heng responded and gestured for them to leave. As he passed Mingjian, Lu Heng stopped and lowered his voice, a half-smile playing on his lips, "Useless trash, you'd better pray you can survive three moves from me."
After saying that, he shoved Mingjian's shoulder hard, snorted coldly, and left the courtyard.
After they left, the other disciples in the courtyard came forward to talk to Mingjian.
“Mingjian, I… I didn’t mean to refuse to help you.” Song Yao said somewhat awkwardly, “You know, I’m only at the first level of Foundation Establishment, while Lu Heng is at the third level. If I clash with him, I’m afraid they will treat me the same way they treated you in the future.”
Mingjian shook his head, a smile spreading across his eyes. "Senior Brother Song, I know. I don't blame you; you've already helped me a lot."
Song Yao was slightly taken aback by Ming Jian's clear eyes.
He thought angrily, "How could Lu Heng and the others treat someone as kind as Junior Brother Mingjian like this!"
"Junior brother, I've saved some dinner for you. I imagine you're hungry. Let's eat first." Song Yao's dark face flushed, and he turned his head away shyly.
Ming replied in a gentle and soft tone, "Thank you, Senior Brother Song."
Mingjian had a good personality, and the disciples who lived in the same courtyard all liked him very much. After he sat down, the other disciples also came up to talk to him.
"Junior brother, you're too easygoing. Next time they come, just talk to the elder directly."
Ming frowned, and after a long while hesitated, he said, "That's not good. Senior Brother Lu and the others didn't really hurt me. It wouldn't be good if they were expelled from the sect because of me."
"Hey, your junior brother and the others have been bullying you like this, and you're still thinking about them. People like them should be expelled from the sect."
Mingjian smiled sweetly and said, "It's the best that my senior brothers can speak up for me."
Upon hearing his words, the other disciples in the courtyard all lowered their heads in embarrassment.
None of them had stood up for their junior brother, yet he still felt that they treated him well.
"Junior brother, if you have any questions about the sect competition in six months, feel free to ask me," the sword cultivator said firmly.
"Me too!"
"..."
Sounds rose and fell in the courtyard.
Mingjian lowered his eyes, his voice trembling with tears, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, "Senior brothers, you are all so kind."
In the middle of the night, Mingjian lay in bed thinking about the sword moves he had learned that day.
The system hesitated for a long time, stammering and unable to utter a complete sentence, but finally couldn't help asking.
[Host, what did you mean by what you just said?]
Seeing that Ming was in a fairly good mood, he asked, "Which sentence?"
It all depends on whether he can live that long.
The system felt something was off. Although Mingjian was indeed as pure and kind as described in the original book most of the time, treating everyone like a little sun, there were moments when the system felt something was amiss.
"Oh, that sentence?" Mingjian smiled, "It's just the literal meaning."
system:……
It probed: "Do you intend to kill him?"
"Maybe."
The system felt like its code was about to burn out. What do you mean, "maybe"?! Wasn't the original owner supposed to be a pure and innocent character?
Oh well, after all, those people bullied Mingjian first. Even the most good-tempered rabbit will bite back when it gets angry. It's probably overthinking it.
As drowsiness began to wash over him, he didn't force himself. Although cultivation was important, sleep was also very important.
"I'm going to sleep. If you dare disturb me before I wake up, I'll kill you."
After a long silence, the system reluctantly said: [Goodnight, host.]
...
…
The night was as dark as ink, with a lonely moon hanging in the sky, and the entire Jianming Immortal Mountain was shrouded in white mist.
Xiao Bumian rested his elbows on his thighs, one hand supporting his sharply defined chin, the other hand covered in blood. He lowered his eyes, looking at the blood-soaked person on the ground with some disgust.
"I'll give you one more chance. Where is Lu Heng?"
Lu Heng screamed in agony as Xiao Bumian gouged out his eyes, and two streams of bloody tears dripped down his chin onto the wooden board.
"I am Lu Heng, fellow Daoist. I have no grudge against you, so why do you treat me like this?"
If Lu Heng was arrogant an hour ago, he was now utterly pathetic. He lay on the ground, his clothes soaked in blood, his body covered in tiny cuts. His voice was pleading, "If you want spirit stones, I can give them to you. I'll give you as many as you want. Or is there anything else you want? Do you know who I am? I am the second son of the Lu family of Kunlun in the Southern Territory. I can give you anything you want."
Xiao Bumian had no patience to listen any longer. "Since you won't tell me, I'll just use soul searching."
The Soul-Searching Technique can only be used by Nascent Soul stage experts. If this technique is used, the person whose soul is searched is very likely to lose their mind. Lu Heng felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't know when he had provoked someone of such cultivation. He retreated in terror, "You... if you kill me, my father will definitely avenge me!"
As if he had heard a joke, Xiao Bumian chuckled softly.
The next instant, he moved his fingertip, and Lu Heng's pupils dilated instantly. A cloud of white mist gradually condensed on Lu Heng's forehead, transforming into Lu Heng's appearance.
Lu Heng was shocked that his primordial spirit had been extracted so easily, and he almost screamed as he tried to return to his body.
Xiao Bumian reached out and grabbed him, seemingly surprised that he could remain conscious after the soul search, and said with interest, "You have a magic treasure on you to stabilize your primordial spirit."
Lu Heng, who was still struggling in his grasp, froze upon hearing these words.
Xiao Bumian smiled, squatted down and touched the blood-covered man, finally finding a black bead on his body.
"A black mermaid pearl." Xiao Bumian said with interest, "It's quite a good thing."
Lu Heng could no longer remain calm. He screamed and tried to rush over to snatch it back, shouting, "Give it back to me! Give me back my mermaid pearl!"
He started rambling incoherently, "I know, it must have been that bitch Mingjian who sent you, right? What he can give you, I can give you too, please let me go..."
Before he could say anything else, as the Mermaid Pearl left Lu Heng's body, Lu Heng's primordial spirit ceased its struggle and became completely quiet.
Xiao Bumian crushed the white mist between his fingertips, and Lu Heng's memories entered his mind.
After a long while, Xiao Bumian opened his eyes and chuckled softly, like a child who had found a new toy he liked. His words were filled with indescribable excitement, "So your name is Mingjian? Why did you lie to me?"
He slowly stood up. This discovery amused him, and the inexplicable restlessness he had felt over the past few days subsided considerably.
The bone chains binding the boundary marker in his sea of consciousness suddenly went out of control, spreading out into the void. Those translucent, scarlet joints meandered and moved within the wooden house, creating eerie ripples in the space they passed through, making it appear exceptionally strange. If the system were here, it certainly wouldn't be as calm as it is now.
This was because the energy surging from these bone chains was a monstrous demonic aura powerful enough to elevate a low-level demon to the heavens in a single step. Such pure demonic energy clearly proclaimed that Xiao Bumian had already fallen into demonic possession.
A note from the author:
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