"Fellow Daoist, wait a moment, please refrain from your sentimentality."
Qin Shou decisively raised his hand to stop the middle-aged man's sentimental musings and questioned, "I just want to ask, was the matter of the Immortal Crossing Sect something you orchestrated?"
The attempt to heal its own wounds with the souls of millions of infants was something the Qin beast could not tolerate.
"Do I look like that kind of person to you?" the middle-aged scholar said calmly, his hands behind his back.
"Yes." Qin Shou answered decisively.
I might make mistakes, but Tongzi won't.
But how come this person has feelings for me even though I cut off his physical body?
“............”
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged scholar sighed with some sadness, "It is and it isn't."
Upon hearing this, Qin Shou's face immediately darkened. "I'm asking you a question properly, why are you playing riddles with me?"
"Please explain more clearly."
Qin Shou said solemnly.
The middle-aged scholar raised his eyes, turned his back to Qin Beast, and gazed at the white clouds on the cliff. His deep voice, seemingly filled with endless sighs, rang out.
"I was once the sole successor of the Guanyin Temple in the Central Plains, rising to prominence in that era of fierce competition among powerful figures..."
"stop. "
Qin Shou raised his middle finger to his palm, rolled his eyes, and said, "Get to the point."
The middle-aged scholar rolled his eyes at Qin Shou. "Why are young people these days so impatient with their elders?"
"Will you talk or not? If you don't, I'll set fire to your obsession and burn it away!"
The Buddha said, "Impulse is the devil."
"Aren't you a Taoist?"
"I'm a genius, and geniuses always have some dabbling in things."
“..........”
Qin Shou stopped talking and a cluster of red lotus karmic fire ignited at his fingertips.
"Wait a minute."
The middle-aged scholar calmly raised his hand to stop him, and said quickly:
"Nine thousand years ago, I failed to transcend my tribulation and almost lost my soul. In the end, I was able to retain a wisp of my soul thanks to the protection of this treasure."
Unfortunately, at the last moment, a strange aura spread from beyond the heavens, corrupting my physical body. At that time, I had just failed my tribulation and was at my weakest. Even though I did my best to resist the strange aura, my soul was still tainted by misfortune and I became a fallen evil cultivator.
His body fell to the earth, turning the surrounding area into a strange land. Thousands of years later, he bewitched a cultivator, the sect leader of the Immortal Crossing Sect, and claimed to teach him the method of immortality.
That's why the stories that followed came about.
My lingering attachment was protected by this treasure, preventing it from being completely corrupted by that strange substance.
"Alas, back then, it was my impatience in trying to force myself to transcend the tribulation that led to these regrets."
The middle-aged scholar looked up and sighed.
Qin Shou frowned and concluded, "So, you're saying that repairing yourself by absorbing the souls of cultivators and infants isn't your own choice, but rather something you're forced to do because you can't control yourself?"
Yes and no.
The middle-aged scholar first nodded slowly, then slowly shook his head.
￣□￣｜｜“You son of a bitch!”
Qin Shou's face immediately darkened again.
The middle-aged scholar smiled and explained, "Strictly speaking, when I was corrupted by the strange entity, I was no longer myself. You could also consider that I died nine thousand years ago when I failed my tribulation."
"I think I understand, but I also think I don't."
Qin Shou stroked his chin and asked, "Then a new question arises: what exactly is this strange substance you've been talking about?"
"This... nobody knows."
The middle-aged scholar shook his head, his eyes filled with a deep sense of desolation.
"According to the few fragments of information about it in ancient historical records, it is an ominous substance, or you could describe it as a curse, an ineradicable source of darkness."
Once a cultivator is tainted by this "curse," their soul light will be extinguished, their physical body will fall into utter darkness, and they will no longer be themselves, but a bizarre creature.
"Isn't there any way to dispel the eerie atmosphere?" Qin Shou asked.
"No. "
The middle-aged scholar shook his head decisively, then added, "At least in the history of the Tianxuan Continent, I have never heard of any person who, after being corrupted by something strange, was able to regain their true self."
but..........."
The middle-aged scholar paused for a moment and said, "Nine thousand years ago, she seemed to have been tainted by something strange, but she survived in the end. Not only did she survive, she also completely got rid of the strange influence."
But this is just a legend. I once had an elder who was haunted by strange things in his later years and fell into darkness. My master tried many methods but could not find a solution. In the end, he could only kill my elder with tears in his eyes.
I even went to find her specifically to find out what happened, but for some reason, the matter was left unresolved.
"who is she? "
Qin Shou keenly grasped this point.
"Nanning Propaganda Department."
"Nanning Propaganda Department?"
Qin Shou pondered for a moment. In recent years, he had also searched through many historical books to pass the time, but he didn't have much of an impression of this name.
However, to be the only person in this middle-aged scholar's words who might have been freed from the strange influence, he must be extraordinary.
"What? No one in later generations knows his name?"
The middle-aged scholar looked at Qin Shou with a slightly surprised expression.
It's understandable that people don't remember Song Ningsheng, but it's incomprehensible that they don't remember the former Empress of Nanning.
After all, her existence is one of the most dazzling existences in the entire ancient and modern times of the Tianxuan Continent.
"Oh, by the way, people usually call her the Peerless Empress!"
"Ah! It's that arrogant empress from nine thousand years ago, so proud she dared to fight immortals and gods, and even attempted to elevate her entire nation to immortality!"
The Qin beast was greatly alarmed.
He got really excited when he talked about it.
He had read some ancient history, and the ones that interested him the most were the peerless empress who was so beautiful and dared to fight against gods and immortals, and the first demon lord who, ten thousand years ago, claimed to be a confidante and plotted against countless gods and immortals for ten thousand years.
"Hehehe, I knew it! Future generations may not know me, Song Ningsheng, but how could they not know her, Nanning Xuan?"
The middle-aged scholar thoroughly enjoyed the sight of Qin Shou's shocked expression.
Qin Shou glanced at it, somewhat disdainfully.
I was amazed by the Empress's beauty, what's it to you! Look how smug you are.
"Alas, it's a real pity that I didn't manage to collect the portrait of the Empress and witness her unparalleled beauty; it's truly a great regret in my life!"
Qin Shou sighed with some regret.
"By the way, what's the origin of this golden fragment?"
Qin Shou clenched his fist and took the golden fragment into his palm.
Seeing this, the middle-aged scholar didn't try to hide anything and explained, "This item is a fragment from the [Treasured Mirror of Heaven and Earth]."
"The Mirror of Heaven and Earth!"
Qin Shou was shocked again, and carefully examined the golden fragment in his hand.
"You know?"
The middle-aged scholar's eyebrows twitched.
This item is a relic passed down through generations of the Guanyin Temple and is never shown to others.
Judging from the expression on the person's face, he seemed to recognize the object.
"Is this really the legendary Mirror of Heaven and Earth?"
Qin Shou asked again.
"Yes. "
The middle-aged scholar answered.
"My goodness!"
Qin Shou's eyes immediately lit up.
He didn't know if the Heavenly Treasure Mirror of this world was related to the Heavenly Treasure Mirror of the Journey to the West mythology from his previous life, but he was certain that it was indeed a supreme treasure.
According to Chinese mythology, this Mirror of Heaven and Earth can perceive the changes of the past and present, and reveal the good and evil of all things. Legend has it that it knows the past and the future, and knows everything in the world, including the immortals and gods...
It is the most powerful treasure of Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of earth immortals.
Legend has it that it can also suppress the primordial chaos, stabilize the three realms and five elements, and even travel through time and space...
"Holy crap, this is awesome! Am I about to strike it rich?"
"Can this thing truly know everything in the world?"
"Also, can it really travel through time?"
Qin Shou was very curious and concerned about the last question.
If it really were possible...
"Hmm? But it is said that Zhen Yuanzi needs to offer two ginseng fruits as a sacrifice every time he uses this item."
"But this ginseng fruit is an innate spiritual root, especially... wait, that's not right, the peach tree is also an innate spiritual root!"
Qin Shou's gaze involuntarily fell on the peach tree in the distance.
At that moment, his soul seemed to fall into some kind of strange stillness.
"Since the peach tree is also an innate spiritual root, it should be able to be used as a substitute for the ginseng fruit in the sacrifice... right?"
Thinking of this, Qin Shou's heart suddenly felt a surge of heat.
"If that's the case, perhaps he could try traveling to the past."
"But a new problem arises: can time travel alter time itself?"
"Damn, my head hurts so much."
Qin Shou patted his head dejectedly.
He suddenly realized that the golden fragment in his hand was only a small part of the [Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror].
"Sigh... but it's understandable. Such a treasure is far more precious than the Immortal Execution Sword; how could it be so easy to gather them all?"
Qin Shou sighed helplessly.
The rapid change in his facial expressions made the middle-aged scholar standing beside him wonder what he was thinking.
"Senior, do you know the whereabouts of the remaining fragments of the [Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror]?"
This time, Qin Shou asked sincerely.
Because he had come to believe that the Song Ningsheng before him was not the same "Song Ningsheng" who had plotted the evil deeds of the Immortal Crossing Sect.
Song Ningsheng has developed a favorable impression of her; her current favorability rating is 21.
Brother Tongzi wouldn't lie to me.
"have no idea. "
Song Ningsheng shook his head and said, "Our Guanyin Temple has been passed down since ancient times. This item was obtained by the first abbot of our Guanyin Temple."
According to the ancient historical records in my temple, in the ancient times, there were immortals and gods who held this object, which illuminated all ages and the past and present, and even went against the flow of time, slaying countless giants of the past and future, and displaying extremely brilliant radiance.
Unfortunately, at the end of the Immortal Ancient Era, an unprecedented super turmoil occurred in all the heavens and myriad realms. Countless giants of the Immortal Ancient Era perished, True Immortals shed blood, and all the immortal artifacts and divine artifacts of the heavens exploded. This Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror was one of them.
That great upheaval led to a prolonged period of decline for tens of millions of years, during which many ancient laws and once-renowned treasures of the heavens vanished.
Song Ningsheng sighed, seemingly regretting that he wasn't born in such a great era.
Qin Shou, on the other hand, was somewhat disappointed.
This thing is hard to find!
"Then this fragment is useless."
Qin Shou tossed it into the pool next to him with obvious disdain.
Middle-aged scholar: ...Are you being polite? That's mine!
"No, this Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror has another function."
"What is its function?"
Qin Shou immediately became interested and reached into the pool to scoop it out again.
His appearance was exactly like that of a miser with no principles or convictions.
"This item can communicate with the Daoist canon."
What is the Daoist Canon?
Qin beasts were not ashamed to ask questions of those of lower status.
You should at least explain things clearly, you're always keeping us in suspense, pshaw.
"The Daoist Canon is a vast and secret treasure left by the Dao Ancestor. It is said that it contains the three thousand great Dao techniques. This Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror is one of the keys to accessing the Daoist Canon."
I once had the good fortune to travel to the heavens and communicate with the Daoist canon through this object, and obtain a Daoist technique called the "Immortal Scripture" from it.
It was through this method that I was able to survive the heavenly tribulation with my severely injured body, preserving a wisp of my soul. Unfortunately, it was eventually corrupted by something sinister and tainted with misfortune, thus ending my life's journey.
Unfortunately, due to my limited aptitude and opportunities back then, I only obtained the first volume of this immortal scripture.
Otherwise, even if I had faced the heavenly tribulation back then, I'm confident I could have survived it safely.
The middle-aged scholar's face was full of desolation.
"If I had succeeded that time, perhaps I could have seen her again."
"Who are you seeing? Your old flame?"
Qin Shou leaned closer and asked.
"Cough cough,"
The middle-aged scholar, one hand behind his back and the other to his lips, feigned a cough and waved his hand, saying, "What old flame? Just an admirer."
"oh......."
Qin Shou understood. "So he's just a simp."
What is a "simp"?
The middle-aged scholar looked puzzled.
"It's about wanting to stand outside someone's door every day, wanting to see her, regardless of whether she wants to see you or not. You want to give her the best things. If she's happy, you're happy; if she's sad, you're sad."
In short, when she needs you, you'll be there for her without hesitation; when she doesn't need you, you'll still be there for her. Even if she scolds you, you won't get angry; instead, you'll be all smiles and nice to her…”
"Oh! So this is what they call a 'simp'!"
The middle-aged scholar nodded in deep agreement. "Then I am."
Qin Shou blinked and looked at him. "Are you a simp?"
The middle-aged scholar nodded with absolute certainty, "I am, I am."
Qin Shou: "..............." You only need to say it once, there's no need to say it twice. I can hear it and I can see it.
"Hey simp, did you end up with the girl you liked?"
"No. "
The middle-aged scholar shook his head.
"Ah, so in the end, you lick until you have nothing left!"
Qin Shou suddenly felt a pang of pity for him.
Thinking back to those days, a friend of mine was once a simp, and it was so pathetic!
"Well, it's not that. I want to be a 'simp,' but she's never really given me a chance."
The middle-aged scholar sighed sadly.
Qin Shou patted him on the shoulder, comforting him, "It's okay, keep going, maybe you'll have another chance in the future."
"There's no chance anymore."
The middle-aged scholar was very sad.
"Oh, look at what you're saying. You still have a sliver of hope, don't you? If you lick my boots, I might be able to find a way to let you live a little longer."
"She's dead."
"Oh? Oh! Okay then."
Qin Shou put his hands behind his head, looked up at the sky, whistled, and hummed a song with great emotion.
"A simp, a simp, in the end, he has nothing, and his grand dreams vanish..."
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