Chapter 35, Section 35: Shen Zhiwei: He's finished, I told you. ...
After the guests left, Jiang Bin lingered, looking as if he wanted to have a chat with Shen Zhiwei.
Jiang Bin seemed much more amiable as well, staring at Shen Zhiwei and asking, "Sect Leader Shen, do you know who gave you this hairpin?"
Others might think it was just a purple-grade spiritual object, but Jiang Bin didn't see it that way. He vaguely felt that this object possessed extraordinary spiritual power, and it wouldn't be surprising if it were called a heaven-grade spiritual object.
Jiang Bin suspected that it was a gift from Xie Qingyu.
Xie Qingyu is a hypocrite; she always tries to be sophisticated and doesn't want anyone to know that she has taken a liking to a vulgar female cultivator. It's not surprising.
Shen Zhi smiled and shook his head.
"I don't know either. Does Pavilion Master Jiang have any clues?"
She didn't seem to have argued with Jiang Bin, and she was polite and refined, unlike how she had been so angry and ready to fight Jiang Bin just now.
Jiang Bin thought to himself that Shen Zhiwei was indeed putting on an act at any time, and his anger just now was nothing more than a way to establish his persona.
He quickly claimed he didn't know.
Jiang Bin's expression softened, but his desire to get rid of Shen Zhiwei intensified.
Shen Zhiwei asked him directly, "What does Pavilion Master Jiang want to talk to me about?"
Jiang Bin said with a stern face, "It's just that I have some old matters to discuss with Sect Leader Shen."
Shen Zhiwei revealed the same wariness and curiosity that Jiang Bin had anticipated.
However, Jiang Bin was telling the truth and was not afraid of Shen Zhiwei's doubts.
He said, "In the past, Sect Master Lin was also a guest elder of the Tianchi Sect, so I roughly know some things."
"Back then, in the first layer of heaven, there was a sect called Kuxue Sect, whose behavior was extremely unethical, and I heard that they had some conflicts with the Bixia Sect."
The Kuxue Sect was the one that was slaughtered by Yin Wujiu.
Shen Zhiwei sighed.
Jiang Bin mentioned the past: "The former head of the Bixia Sect left behind a daughter, Zhou Xuening, who was the junior sister of Headmaster Shen. I heard that you two had a very good relationship. Unfortunately, this little girl was killed by the Kuxue Sect."
He stared intently at Shen Zhiwei, watching to see if she would become angry.
However, Shen Zhiwei was quite cautious, leaving no room for error, and looked melancholy: "Sect Master Jiang even knows about this old matter."
Jiang Bin knew that Shen Zhiwei was a deep thinker and would most likely not reveal anything, so he didn't beat around the bush.
He bluntly stated: "Actually, the Tianchi Sect is unaware of this heinous matter. Being so far away, what benefit would the Tianchi Sect gain from allowing a small sect at the foot of Mount Sumeru to commit evil?"
"The Kuxue Sect is under the command of the Suxin Sect and obeys Lin Xue'an. Because Lin Xue'an wants to raise his strange son, it doesn't matter if he kills some people. He can't make a big show of it in the second heaven, so he ordered the Kuxue Sect to do evil in the first heaven."
They've been enemies for a long time.
Then Jiang Bin's gaze swept over Shen Zhiwei's face, feigning shock: "Sect Leader Shen, do you not believe me?"
He had something else he wanted to say, but Shen Zhiwei didn't want to believe it.
After all, the Su Xin Sect was the second largest sect in the second layer of heaven, a tough nut to crack. Perhaps because of this, Shen Zhiwei suddenly became cautious, pretending that everything was just the instigation of others.
Although Jiang Bin knew that Shen Zhiwei was slippery and cunning, he was determined to use moral blackmail.
Human beings all have weaknesses.
However, Shen Zhiwei didn't play by the rules. She looked at Jiang Bin thoughtfully, nodded, and said, "So that's how it is. In that case, it seems we should storm the Suxin Sect, destroy the Qiaoxin Tree, and kill Lin Xue'an. Only then can we avenge our friends and family."
Jiang Bin wasn't sure if she was telling the truth, so he probed, "Isn't that a bit too harsh?"
Shen Zhiwei changed the subject: "However, I would like to trouble Pavilion Master Jiang to put aside his own family for the greater good. Although we are old acquaintances, please testify for me in front of others and point out a few things."
Jiang Bin was speechless after a few words, feeling that Shen Zhiwei was clearly making fun of him on purpose.
He put Shen Zhiwei in a difficult position: "Sect Leader Shen is indeed decisive and ruthless. I heard that the Kuxue Sect was wiped out overnight. Was that Sect Leader Shen's doing? That was truly a brilliant move."
Back then, the Kuxue Sect acted wickedly and had too many enemies. Even after their sudden annihilation, the Tianchi Sect couldn't find any clues from the long list of names. In addition, the Kuxue Sect's actions were so unethical that they couldn't be bothered with them.
But now, isn't this matter obvious? Anyone capable of such a scheme must have the strength; the first level of Mount Sumeru has produced only one sect that has reached the Ascension Realm in hundreds of years.
Then who wouldn't know who the real culprit is?
Shen Zhiwei rolled her eyes at him: "Sect Master Jiang, don't talk nonsense. Exterminating an entire family without the approval of the Yuan Yuan Heavenly Punishment Platform is a serious crime. If you want to make a accusation, please provide some evidence. Don't just spout nonsense."
They just refused to admit it.
Shen Zhiwei denied it, but Jiang Bin didn't care. He sighed, "I'm afraid that if Sect Leader Lin finds out, he might overthink it and think that the joke Sect Leader Shen made to me wasn't a joke at all. To avoid being retaliated against, he might strike first and do something ruthless."
That means Lin Xue'an will definitely find out.
Even if Lin Xue'an is careless, indifferent to human life, and so heartless that he has long forgotten the Ku Xue Sect, which had worked hard for him but was tragically wiped out, Jiang Bin would still lean in to remind him.
Even if he didn't say it, Shen Zhiwei would surely guess it.
Jiang Bin said this on purpose; he was openly picking a bargain.
The saying goes, "He who strikes first gains the upper hand, he who strikes last suffers the consequences." Once hatred is brought into the open, it's simply a matter of who strikes first.
Shen Zhiwei couldn't help but sneer inwardly, fearing that Jiang Bin would say those things to her one minute and then rush to Suxin Sect to repeat them to Lin Xue'an the next.
Jiang Bin indeed thought so.
He planned to talk to Lin Xuean, and the content of the conversation would be similar, but Jiang Bin planned to add a few more details.
For example, tell Lin Xue'an that Sect Master Xie of the Jiuyi Immortal Sect has a thing for Shen Zhiwei. Nobody is blind; everyone can see that this Sect Master Shen is an exceptionally beautiful woman.
Therefore, even though the Bixia Sect is weak, it will inevitably arouse Lin Xue'an's desire to eliminate them completely. After all, if Shen Zhiwei really lowers herself and completely sells her beauty, she might take revenge on her old enemies through Xie Qingyu's matter.
At this moment, a soft female voice rang out: "Jiang Gelou, what a clever trick you have to use someone else to do your dirty work! Your heart is so ruthless!"
It was Ling Qingshu who spoke; she hadn't left either.
Many guests came today, but Ling Qingshu seemed to be the most sincere. As the master of Ziyun Prefecture, Ling Qingshu had a good personal relationship with Shen Zhiwei.
Ling Qingshu originally wanted to chat with Shen Zhiwei, but Jiang Bin refused to leave and kept talking. Now that she heard this, Ling Qingshu could no longer hold back.
Jiang Bin is ruthless and, more importantly, shameless; he's a troublemaker.
Ling Qingshu felt disgusted upon seeing him.
However, Jiang Bin came from humble beginnings and was a beggar, so he didn't care about ordinary insults. Besides, Fairy Ling was quite well-mannered, and a refined person like him wouldn't say anything too offensive.
Therefore, Jiang Bin laughed instead of getting angry: "Lord Ling is really kind-hearted. In that case, Lord Ling should teach his skills properly, so that our Sect Leader Shen can also know how to survive in front of the major sect. Back then, when Sect Leader Lin asked Lord Ziyun for a disciple, didn't Lord Ling offer him one with both hands?"
"He passed away a few years later, which is a pity."
These words struck a nerve with Ling Qingshu, causing her face to flush.
Shen Zhiwei took Ling Qingshu's hand: "How could Sister Ling know that such a major sect as Suxin Sect is so heartless and insane? Now she is full of regret and we can't blame her for anything."
Shen Zhiwei stated that she rejects the victim-blaming argument.
That's the logic, but Jiang Bin didn't expect Shen Zhiwei to put it so bluntly.
Jiang Bin was somewhat surprised and decided to embellish his words and tell them to Lin Xue'an.
Shen Zhiwei continued, "But Lord Ling, rest assured, I think Lin Xue'an's retribution is coming soon."
Jiang Binsheng was amused and said, "Then I'll go ask Sect Leader Lin when his retribution will come."
Shen Zhiwei released her hand, her moist, dark eyes fixed on Jiang Bin. She smiled, looking somewhat serious: "At most three days, I think Suxin Sect will be ready soon."
Shen Zhiwei had calculated it carefully.
The red stone hairpin in her hair was as red as blood.
Jiang Bin laughed angrily, feeling there was no point in continuing the conversation with Shen Zhiwei, so he turned and left.
Ling Qingshu didn't take it seriously. She felt that Shen Zhiwei had been struggling to survive in the first level of heaven before, so she had a weak foundation and was used to making grand promises and exaggerating her daily life.
However, Ling Qingshu felt that Sect Leader Shen was a good person, and she kindly reminded him, "Sect Leader Shen should still be careful."
Shen Zhiwei smiled and offered no further explanation.
In her opinion, the time was almost right.
As Shen Zhiwei pondered something, she couldn't help but reach out and fiddle with her jade pendant.
Jiang Bin had already flown quite far when he suddenly turned back to look at Shen Zhiwei. Seeing her action, he was struck dumb.
As Lin Xue'an stepped into the Suxin Sect's mountain gate, his hands, hidden beneath his sleeves, were still trembling slightly. It wasn't fear, but rather rage. Shen Zhiwei's disciples numbered only a little over a thousand, yet he had been so blatantly rejected. Even though Lin Xue'an had joined the Suxin Sect, it still felt like a thorn stuck in his heart—
He strode across the courtyard, the cold wind whipping up snowflakes that stung his face, but it did nothing to extinguish his anger. Seeing their sect leader's expression, none of the Su Xin Sect disciples dared to speak. Only upon reaching the inner hall and meeting Lin Bing, the young master of the Su Xin Sect, did he slightly suppress his fury.
The Pure Heart Sect was built on a snowy mountain range, where snow and ice swirled year-round. Ten-year-old Lin Bing was watching the snow. He wore a snow-white brocade robe, his black hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, his skin was as white as the finest warm jade, his eyelashes were long and delicate like butterfly wings, and his profile was so exquisitely beautiful that it seemed unreal. Yet, beneath this stunning beauty, his eyes were terrifyingly empty. Gazing at the snowflakes falling outside the window, he showed no trace of the joy a child should have, and even his blinks were vacant and listless.
"Bing'er." Lin Xue'an walked over and gently placed her fingertips on the top of her son's head. Her hand was icy cold, like touching a lifeless piece of jade.
Lin Bing didn't respond, or even turn to look at him. Lin Xue'an, however, seemed to be used to it. She leaned down and whispered in his ear, her voice extremely low, with an almost obsessive fervor: "Don't worry, Shen Xiaochan will come to be with you sooner or later. After all, you are not my son. You are a 'sacrifice artifact' that I used to refine the remnant soul of Young Master Yuan Yuan Tianmu for five whole years."
"Once you've completely stabilized this body, you'll be able to possess another and be reborn. At that time, who in this world can stop us?"
These words were like a pebble thrown into stagnant water; Lin Bing's eyelashes finally trembled very slightly, but her eyes remained calm. Lin Xue'an's thoughts, however, involuntarily drifted back to ten years ago.
Back then, he risked his life to infiltrate the Fallen Immortal Abyss, finding a fragment of Young Master Mu's soul, which he locked within the Soul Gathering Cauldron. To refine this unruly soul, he used his own blood essence as a catalyst each day, repeatedly burning it with Soul Tempering Talismans, listening to the soul's hissing within the cauldron, watching the luminous white soul gradually shrink, dim, and until it became pale and colorless. Later, he found a thousand-year-old warm jade, sculpted it into the shape of a child, and forcibly infused the remnant soul into it.
On that day, jade dust filled the secret chamber for three whole hours before finally falling silent.
Lin Bing was "born" in this way.
However, a jade body needs the nourishment of another's soul to sustain it, and the soul of a ten-year-old girl is most suitable. Lin Xue'an's gaze turned cold, and she thought of Yun Yuan from two years ago.
He said, "I have put a lot of effort into raising you."
At that time, he personally visited Ziyun Mansion and said to Ling Qingshu, "Sect Leader Ling, Suxin Sect has acquired a new cultivation technique. Bing'er has a special physique and needs a girl of the same age to cultivate with her. Yun Yuan has extraordinary talent and if she can come to my sect to learn, she will surely become a great person within three years."
Ling Qingshu seemed unwilling and offered some excuses, but the Su Xin Sect was powerful and he was very insistent, so Ling Qingshu eventually gave in. In the end, Ling Qingshu sent over the little girl with double buns and two dimples when she smiled.
When Yun Yuan first arrived at the Su Xin Sect, she always timidly followed behind Lin Bing, sharing her sweet cakes with him and respectfully addressing him as Sect Leader Lin. Little did she know that from the day she stepped into the sect, she had become the catalyst for nourishing her spiritual artifact. Lin Xue'an had set up a soul-gathering array in the training room, making her meditate with Lin Bing every day, actually using the array to gradually drain her soul's power. At first, Yun Yuan only grew thinner, then she began to feel frequently sleepy, her eyes becoming dull. Until one snowy night, while meditating, she suddenly stiffened, black blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, and her once bright eyes completely lost their luster.
"That child was quite well-behaved; she didn't cry or make a fuss until she died." Lin Xue'an recalled, her tone devoid of any guilt, only a hint of regret. "It's a pity her soul was too weak; she only lasted two years. If Shen Xiaochan possessed an extremely yin constitution, others would only know that such a physique is suitable for dual cultivation, but they wouldn't know that it's also most suitable for nurturing the spirit. Her physique would definitely allow you to completely stabilize this body."
“Shen Xiaochan must be of pure Yin constitution! Nine out of ten female infants born to mothers of pure Yin constitution in this world have this constitution. It is hateful that Shen Zhiwei burned her meridians with fierce fire, destroying her life. Otherwise, it would not have been impossible to sacrifice her.”
He raised his hand, a wisp of pale spiritual energy gathering at his fingertips, and gently touched Lin Bing's brow. Lin Bing's body trembled slightly, a faint glimmer of light finally flashing in her eyes, yet she remained silent. Lin Xue'an straightened up, gazing at the swirling snow outside the window, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "If Shen Zhiwei knows what's good for her, she should send her daughter here voluntarily. If she refuses, my Su Xin Sect has plenty of ways to make her bow her head."
"Even if she sacrifices her cultivation at the half-immortal level and perishes in the process, I will still have a plan to deal with it."
There was a mirror standing in the hall. Lin Xuean suddenly turned his head and looked at it coldly.
The mirror reflected Lin Xuean's sallow face; she wasn't particularly good-looking.
Although his face was not handsome, he was tall and had a cold and stern demeanor, which made him quite dignified in front of others.
Others all felt that Lin Xue'an didn't care about his appearance, after all, it was extremely easy for cultivators to improve their looks, there were plenty of convenient methods. Therefore, all those who excelled in cultivation were handsome men and beautiful women.
But Lin Xuean let her face remain sallow and didn't bother to take care of it.
However, this is not surprising. Some cultivators are so focused on their practice that they don't care about beauty or ugliness, so it's not unusual.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Lin Xuean scoffed inwardly, a hint of coldness creeping into her expression.
A person is what they are; trying to cover it up is just self-deception.
Moreover, while a cultivator's appearance can be altered, what about innate talent?
Talent determines your ceiling; no matter how hard you try, you're limited by your talent and can only reach your limit. Some things are innate, and they can be even more disheartening than your birth.
Just like Young Master Mu, who was transformed from a wisp of the remnant soul of the Great Evolution Immortal Venerable, he was nurtured into an exceptionally talented individual, unmatched by anyone else.
During the great war against the demons, Young Master Mu extracted eighteen strands of soul energy and infused them into eighteen celestial-grade divine artifacts to form the Haotian Array. When the array dissipated, these eighteen strands of soul energy scattered throughout the four realms, giving birth to Young Master Mu's avatar.
Lin Xuean obtained a strand of it and used it to create a body, which was all the hope he had in his life.
Lin Bing looked like a ten-year-old child, so pure and beautiful, with exceptional talent and appearance.
This is the talent Lin Xuean desires, and it represents all his hopes for the future.
Now, the Suxin Sect is at its peak in the second level of heaven, and with advancement in sight, everyone feels that Lin Xue'an must be full of ambition and pride.
But Lin Xuean knew in his heart that it was nothing more than a flower in a mirror or the moon in the water, and that it was nothing special.
He was very proud in the second level of heaven, making everyone tremble with fear, but in front of Xie Qingyu, he had to lower his eyes and listen obediently, and could not disobey in the slightest.
That doesn't make any sense.
He certainly wanted to go further—
Once this body is fully formed, it will mark the true beginning of his life.
Lin Xuean, who was always cold and aloof, now looked at Lin Bing with a hint of burning passion in his eyes.
In his childhood, he was not good-looking. Even though his cultivation was the best among the younger generation, the young female cultivators in the sect loved to be pretty, and their eyes were always on their fellow disciples who were less skilled than him but more handsome.
He wasn't thirsty for women, but he was extremely resentful. Although he didn't crave sweet love, he still felt a sense of humiliation.
Lin Xuean is very competitive and always wants to compete with others.
However, Lin Xuean never considered that the female cultivators' lack of closeness to him might not be due to his appearance, but rather his temperament.
Human nature admires strength, and for capable men, looks are not that important. It's just a pity that Lin Xue'an has such a bad temper.
Besides, Lin Xuean didn't care much about these things.
Furthermore, compared to the trivial matter of his poor appearance, what he cared about was that his aptitude would never reach the realm of immortals, even though his talent surpassed that of countless mediocre people, it was still far from enough!
Therefore, he treated Lin Bing very, very well, and loved Lin Bing more than anything else in the world.
Lin Bing rarely goes out and doesn't usually show her face, but when it comes to choosing a time to nurture Lin Bing's spirit as a vessel, Lin Xue'an always takes Lin Bing out to have a look.
As if Lin Bing were truly sentient, he would always gently inquire about her wishes.
Loving Lin Bing is loving yourself; Lin Xue'an takes excellent care of herself. Many people in this world are like this; not everyone receives such wholehearted and meticulous care, but what does it matter? One should simply take good care of oneself.
The deepest, most hidden needs in one's heart can only be fully satisfied by oneself.
Therefore, whenever he inquired about Lin Bing, Lin Bing would always answer—
I like.
He loved it to bits.
Because Lin Xuean had already chosen it himself.
At that very moment, however, a sudden change occurred.
As Lin Xue'an's fingertips were still lightly tracing Lin Bing's brow, the candlelight in the hall suddenly flickered violently, and a blinding golden light burst through the air without warning, so fast that no one had time to react.
The light, imbued with awe-inspiring divine power, struck Lin Xue'an squarely in the back, piercing through his body. Its force undiminished, it then struck Lin Bing in the chest. With a muffled thud, Lin Bing's body fell backward like a puppet with broken strings. The last trace of color drained from her jade-like face, and a fine crack appeared between her brows.
"who!"
Lin Xue'an, wounded and filled with shock and anger, whirled around, his black wide sleeves billowing out a powerful spiritual energy barrier in front of him. There stood a figure in the hall, wearing a bamboo hat, with an ordinary face—none other than the perfectly disguised Lin Lanyou.
As a clone, Lin Lanyou did not have the same playful attitude as someone in the Bixia Sect, who would watch the show with amusement. Her eyes were cold and icy.
After his attempt to conceal his true intentions, his expression remained unchanged, but he extended a hand that was as beautiful as if it were carved from jade.
Lin Lanyou lightly plucked a "rose" from her fingertips.
The rose was incredibly lifelike, but it was crystal clear and completely devoid of color.
Lin Xuean's wounds were bleeding profusely and seemed unable to heal. What made Lin Xuean's heart sink even more was that the energy surrounding Lin Lanyou was not her own spiritual power, but a vast and powerful divine aura that no half-immortal could possess. It was clearly Mu Wuxian, who was far away in Yuan Yuan Heaven, and it was also inextricably linked to the colorless rose in Lin Lanyou's palm.
"Lin Lanyou, the avatar of Young Master Mu, has been ordered to destroy the Su Xin Sect today."
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