Xie Lian continued, "I would venture to guess that He Sheng's given name is simply the character 'Xuan'. Furthermore, his birth date and time are identical to Master Feng's."
To steal something and conceal the truth, you can't just find anyone to do it. Certain specific conditions must be met.
Judging from the three questions the White-Talk Immortal asked Shi Qingxuan when he first captured him, it clearly remembered two things:
First, the prey's name contained the character "Xuan" (Xuan). Second, the prey's birth date. However, it didn't recognize its face, requiring Shi Qingxuan to walk up and show it himself. Because the Shi family had made amends early, beyond that, it probably knew nothing.
Therefore, if one wants to find someone to protect Shi Qingxuan from disaster, the person must be a man who was born on the same day as Shi Qingxuan and whose name contains the character "Xuan".
Such a scapegoat was incredibly difficult to find. But the world is so vast, even if one searches hard, there's always hope. Leveraging his power as a great water master, he cast a wide net and actually found such a person. Furthermore, he was a man with the potential to ascend to the heavens, about to transcend the tribulation!
How could I let such a good opportunity slip away? Compared to ascetic practice, it's so much easier. Opportunities are fleeting, and once lost, they never come back!
At this point, Mingyi seemed to have realized what was happening, and her expression gradually became serious. Shi Qingxuan nodded at first, then suddenly remembered something and looked at Huacheng, who was leaning against the door. After all, this kind of thing couldn't be discussed in front of a ghost. Huacheng, however, crossed his arms and smiled, "Master Feng, there's no need to look at me. I'm not the one you should be worried about. This matter has nothing to do with me. You should worry about whether anyone else in the Heavenly Court has caught your brother."
Ming Yi said in a deep voice: "You really do have spies in the Heavenly Court."
Hua Cheng said indifferently: "Didn't you already know this?"
The Earth Master had been sent to the Ghost Market to investigate this, but it seemed the spy was well-placed, and after more than a decade undercover, they still hadn't figured out who it was. Hua Cheng said it had nothing to do with him, and Xie Lian naturally believed him, not dwelling on it. But then he added, "It's better to worry about the others in the Heavenly Palace." Xie Lian suddenly remembered something and asked, "Master Wind Master, why did you open the door to the protective array yourself that night at the Qingjiu Terrace? Did someone tell you to leave? Who was that person?"
Shi Qingxuan said, "Yes. It's the White Talking Immortal. As soon as he opens his mouth..."
Xie Lian folded his hands over his sleeves and asked, “But how did it know your spiritual communication password?”
"..." Ming Yi said with a dark face, "It's all because of this guy. He's always trying to make friends with people everywhere, chatting with them whenever he has time! He's too talkative!"
Shi Qingxuan complained, "Brother Ming, you can't say that. The people I'm talking to are all priests from the Heavenly Court. I haven't introduced myself to this thing!"
Xie Lian said, “Since that True Immortal Baihua has been dormant for years and has returned, and is able to thoroughly investigate Master Water Master’s secrets… then obtaining Master Wind Master’s spiritual communication password shouldn’t be difficult. Someone must have leaked your spiritual communication password, whether intentionally or unintentionally. We can investigate further.”
Mingyi continued, "So, did you see what it was? What did it do after it called you out?"
"..." Shi Qingxuan seemed to have a headache and said, "I don't know what it looks like. It cast a spell, so I can't see clearly."
His words were vague, and he didn't explain what he saw. Mingyi's face hardened. Xie Lian guessed it was probably some bloody scene reminiscent of the Blood Festival, but it was indeed difficult to describe. After a while, Shi Qingxuan sighed and said, "I'm useless. If I could fly on my own, none of this would have happened."
Shi Qingxuan's original fate was probably quite good for a mortal, otherwise the Baihua Zhenxian wouldn't have set his sights on him. But he was probably still far from reaching the level of ascension. Such people are enveloped by a layer of spiritual energy, making it difficult for non-human beings to attack them. Besides, what demon or monster would want to provoke a future priest?
Whether or not a person can ascend to heaven isn't determined by sheer intelligence, nor does being both smart and hardworking necessarily guarantee success. It's also not the case that the more treasures you acquire, the more useful they will be. Sometimes it's just that infuriating. Ten years of studying can't match someone's natural brilliance and eloquence; a hundred years of painstaking effort can't compare to a fleeting glimmer of enlightenment.
If he didn't have that fate, he simply didn't have it. Even if the water master lavished his brother with all his might, if his fate hadn't changed, he'd likely have stopped at the Middle Heavens, at best a leader among the lower-ranking priests. He'd reached this point, this immense glory, entirely because his brother had stolen something that belonged to someone else and taken it for himself. Anyone with even a modicum of conscience and self-respect could imagine how it would feel to learn the truth.
If this had not happened, how glorious would those who originally had the destiny to ascend to heaven be today?
Thinking of this, a flash of inspiration suddenly occurred to Xie Lian.
He said, "No. Master Fengshi, the one who asked you to leave was not Baihua Zhenxian."
Shi Qingxuan raised his head and said, "Ah? That voice must be it. I won't be wrong."
Xie Lian said, "No, no, just because it's the voice doesn't mean it's the real body. Everyone, remember: the prey that the White Words Immortal sets his sights on always commits suicide. However, there is one exception."
After a pause, he said, "How did He Sheng die? How was it performed in the Blood Society Fire? Was it suicide?"
Shi Qingxuan opened his eyes wide and said, "It's not suicide. It's..."
Mingyi said, "He died of exhaustion."
Xie Lian said, “That’s right! Even when faced with such misfortune, He Sheng never once considered committing suicide until the very last moment.”
He concentrated and said, "Think carefully, this man has an incredibly strong will. He's suffered a series of injustices and setbacks. If he were an ordinary person, he would have given up or given up long ago, but he has always resisted and never surrendered to anything. I suspect that after the White Word Immortal sought him out, he never absorbed what he wanted—fear. His death wasn't caused by a collapse and suicide due to fear and despair. The White Word Immortal's pursuit of him didn't end well at all. He bit into a steel plate, broke his tooth, and ultimately lost completely."
Shi Qingxuan listened, slowly shook his head, and sighed sincerely: "...I am indeed not that kind of person."
Xie Lian continued, "He died with a murderous aura and resentment. I don't think a soul that has been tempered like this will rest in peace. It will surely be restless and thirst for revenge.
"So, Master Feng, I believe that the current 'Baihua Zhenxian' is most likely not the one who sought you out when you were born. Instead, it's He Sheng, or rather, He Xuan, who fought stubbornly to the death and then devoured Baihua Zhenxian!"
Shi Qingxuan and Mingyi were stunned by these words. Huacheng replied calmly, "Ghosts eat ghosts."
If humans eat humans, at most they will just be full if they can bring themselves to do it; but if ghosts eat ghosts in the right way, they can digest the other's abilities and magic power and use them for their own benefit.
Xie Lian said, “This also explains why the ‘Plain Talk Immortal’ knows so many details about this matter. Normally, this kind of spirit is dull and strange, not so clever. But the one who has come back to find you now is…”
He wanted to use "combination", but felt it was not accurate. At this time, Hua Cheng said: "Enhanced body."
Xie Lian said, “Indeed. After devouring the True Immortal Baihua, He Sheng’s consciousness took complete control. Now, not only does he possess the ability to curse, he’s also very intelligent, and he harbors an endless hatred for you.”
So, even though it clearly knew Shi Qingxuan's psychic command, it didn't immediately cast a death curse on him. Instead, it gradually tightened the trap, forcing him to plug his ears, close his eyes, and lock himself in an empty room. It was like a cat catching a mouse and not killing it immediately, but playing with it first, until it scared itself to death.
After a while, Mingyi said, "Now that things have come to this, what are you going to do?"
Everyone looked at Shi Qingxuan. He had unknowingly tangled his hair and said bewilderedly, "...Don't look at me, please? I... don't know what to do!!! I just... for the time being, don't know how to look at my brother..."
After all, he was his own brother, and he'd committed such a heinous crime for his own sake, taking his life. It was understandable that he was momentarily at a loss for what to do. Shi Qingxuan added, "But I beg you all, please don't tell anyone! It's just for now, just for now. Let me think about it... what should I do. I've been thinking about it for days, but I can't think of anything. Anyway, I need to calm myself down..." By the end, he was already incoherent, his eyes wide open.
Shi Wudu kept asking Shi Qingxuan to "cure his illness." What illness could he possibly be cured of? It was nothing more than a fall from the altar of deity, a return to mortal form. Only if he were to be given another chance at life and ascended again would this "illness" be cured. While it would be difficult to find another such suitable candidate, who knew what other unholy methods Shi Wudu might employ? No wonder Shi Qingxuan, clamoring to be a mortal, not an immortal, hurried off.
And that scroll about the Baihua Zhenxian, riddled with errors and omissions, must have been misleading, intended to prevent Shi Qingxuan from finding the right path. It's unclear whether it was written by Shi Wudu or Lingwen. But when Shi Wudu was searching for someone who met the requirements, he must have needed the help of Lingwen Hall to cast his net. Could Lingwen Venerable really be completely unaware of this matter? If Shi Qingxuan, a priest, ascended in this way, could there be a second, third, or even more priests who did the same?
If this were true, it would be horrific. The world would be in chaos, and we must be extremely cautious. Aside from Hua Cheng, who remained aloof and at ease, everyone else in the hut was preoccupied, as if they were facing a formidable enemy. At this moment, a sudden commotion erupted outside the hut: cows mooed angrily, and many farmers shouted, "Stop them! Stop them!"
"What do you want to do with such murderous intent!"
Xie Lian looked through the crack in the door and said, "It's General Pei."
Pei Ming had just been hit hard by Quan Yizhen who lifted up the couch and hit him, but now he was standing outside intact. There was a crooked monument in front of him. He used the monument as a boundary, and seemed to be afraid and did not dare to attack rashly. He just stood there with his sword. The farmers held hoes and sickles in their hands, and their faces were full of unwelcome expressions. The black cow in the farmland exhaled a few times, and suddenly stood up, instantly transforming into a tall and strong man with a handsome face and a small iron nose ring. He smiled and said, "Hey, isn't this General Pei, a rare guest? What brings you here? Let me make it clear first, your little Pei's affairs are none of our business."
Xie Lian was lost in thought. When he had just seen the farmland and the black cow, he had a vague impression of it. As expected, this place was the home of the Rain Master of Yulong Mountain. It was this same cow who had lent Xie Lian the Rain Master's hat to bring rain back then. After all these years, he was still as charming as ever, plowing the fields with the same diligence and energy. Shi Qingxuan also squeezed in at the crack in the doorway and said to Xie Lian, "The cows of the Rain Master's family are quite good."
Pei Ming had suffered a loss at the hands of the Rain Master before, so he was naturally polite and neither servile nor overbearing. He said politely, "I don't deserve it. I'm not here to look for the Lord of the Rain Master Kingdom. May I ask if the Lord Wind Master has come to your country?"
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