The True and False Cheng Ying Venerables

He Kongyue's heart pounded like a drum. He had just made a good impression on Cheng Ying Venerable, and thought Cheng Ying Venerable would no longer notice him, but now he realized—

In a teacher's eyes, the most important thing is a good student.

Continuing to hesitate will only cost him his life. Even if his mind is still foggy, he at least needs to stand up...

A person slowly stood up, but it wasn't He Kongyue; it was You Su beside him.

He Kongyue looked at the young man in surprise. He knew very well that Cheng Ying Venerable was referring to himself. What if You Su angered Cheng Ying Venerable by standing up so rashly?

"You have something to say?"

Cheng Ying Venerable glanced at You Su indifferently.

I already have the answer.

You Su's composure made the people sitting around tense, as if they had seen a savior.

Many of them had never seen You Su in person, but since there was only one You Su in the entire world known as the Blind Sword Cultivator, they naturally recognized You Su identity.

Among the crowd present, You Su had the lowest cultivation level at the Spirit Platform Realm and was the youngest at eighteen. If it came down to a direct fortuitous opportunity to seize the opportunity, most people probably wouldn't take the young and impetuous You Su seriously.

At this moment, everyone is hoping that this rising star in Way of the Sword can provide a correct answer so that those who haven't yet answered can learn from it.

But Cheng Ying Venerable didn't let You Su speak; she waved her jade hand:

"Sit down. I wasn't asking you, I was asking your older brother. I'm letting it slide because you're blind and you got up without permission. If you really want to answer, you'll have to wait until your brother finishes."

You Su was unwilling to give up. He didn't know if his answer was right or wrong, but he couldn't just stand by and watch his brother He take the risk.

"Aren't you going to sit down?" Cheng Ying Venerable narrowed his eyes, his tone dangerous.

You Su clenched his right fist, stood with his legs straight, and was about to speak when he felt his trouser leg being tugged.

He Kongyue had also stood up. He placed his hand on You Su's shoulder and pressed it down, then smiled and said:

"Don't rush, little brother, let me go first."

You Su wanted to say something more, but He Kongyue's forceful hand gesture showed his determination, so he had no choice but to sit down, feeling uneasy.

No matter what, he could never watch his brother die before his eyes. If he had known this would happen, he should have insisted on taking him back to the waterfall; perhaps there would still be a glimmer of hope.

These Sword Cultivator had nothing to do with them, and they shouldn't have risked leaving the cave to save them!

You Su was well aware of the selfishness of his thoughts, which made him feel even more ashamed and remorseful in front of He Kongyue had a noble desire to save the world.

"Tell me, which sword would you choose?"

"I choose the Han Guang Sword."

He Kongyue's answer was unexpected, and everyone gasped. The Han Guang Sword was clearly the most useless sword; how could she possibly choose it?

But Cheng Ying Venerable grinned, saying with great interest:

Why?

"Because these three swords are not swords, they are something else."

He Kongyue spoke with absolute certainty.

"Oh? These aren't swords, then what are they?"

"Like time, like the pulse, like the wind."

Cheng Ying Venerable nodded slightly. "Continue."

"The light is invisible because time flies by faster than lightning, yet it nourishes things silently and imperceptibly; the shadow is visible because the Qi moves with the flow, its form existing while the shadow remains, seemingly there yet not there; the form is visible because the wind lingers, allowing cold, heat, wind, and dampness to enter the body and manifest symptoms."

"But you still haven't said why you chose Hanguang."

"These three things are all closely related to people. At first glance, it seems that none of them can take a person's life, but in fact, each of them can. However, as one delves deeper into the path of cultivation, a novice can be unafraid of cold winds and heat barriers, while one who has Comprehending the Dao can no longer rely on the energy of heaven and earth. Among them, the time represented by Han Guang is the sword of certain death, because no one can escape the passage of time."

"Yes... Time flies, and Han Guang is the most powerful sword... To achieve immortality, one must enter the Dao, but who can enter the Dao?"

As if lost in thought, a hint of melancholy appeared on Cheng Ying Venerable's terrifying face, but it quickly vanished, and he calmly said:

"Han Guang is indeed the most powerful sword in the eyes of the world, but it shouldn't be the most powerful sword in the eyes of a swordsman. The Way of the Sword is not suitable for you, but Cheng Ying Sword Sect welcomes you. You will ascend to the Great Dao and become my second disciple."

The crowd was surprised that such an answer would save their lives, and whispers began to circulate.

He Kongyue's words were as enigmatic as Cheng Ying Venerable's question, and many people didn't understand them. Instead, they found them far-fetched because they were still trapped in the grudges within the story and couldn't extricate themselves. At this moment, they were all thinking that if they could just spout some nonsense later, they might be able to become disciples and save their lives.

However, He Kongyue hesitated after receiving this coveted opportunity to save her life.

If one were to become a disciple of Cheng Ying Venerable, wouldn't that mean becoming one of her followers?

He Kongyue glanced at the female cultivator who had just successfully become her disciple, and felt that the light in the other's eyes had dimmed considerably, as if she had lost her soul...

"What? You don't want to become my disciple?"

Cheng Ying Venerable Chengying leaned forward, and the pressure inside the cave increased sharply.

He Kongyue pursed her lips, at a loss for what to do.

Many people here recognize him. If he becomes a follower of Cheng Ying Venerable, even if he escapes this predicament, his future will be bleak. Once his status as a follower of Evil Demon is exposed, what will happen if the He family is implicated?

But if you don't take on a master, isn't that also a dead end...?

Enough, enough... The most important thing is to survive.

"Your Excellency, please forgive me. My elder brother wanted to wait until we finished answering the questions together before performing the apprenticeship ceremony."

You Su stood up again and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"You three siblings seem to have a very good relationship."

Cheng Ying Venerable gave You Su a deep look before sitting back down. "Very well, then let's wait until you finish answering before you all become disciples. Let's see if your whole family is promising."

Ye Erong looked at the two handsome young men, cowering behind them and trembling.

The grotesque Evil Demon scanned the crowd and then said:

"However, I must remind you that the selection will end when I find my eldest disciple. The others will then lose the opportunity to become disciples of the Cheng Ying Sword Sect..."

Upon hearing this, the previously silent crowd raised their hands one after another, fearing that the person who answered before them would be the eldest disciple chosen by Cheng Ying Venerable.

Cheng Ying Venerable ignored it and looked at You Su, saying:

"Your turn. Tell us your choice."

You Su subconsciously glanced at He Kongyue beside him, even though he couldn't see anything.

At this point, the crowd no longer hoped that You Su could give any brilliant answers; instead, they hoped that he would be mediocre. It was as if the sword hanging over their heads was not controlled by Cheng Ying Venerable, but held in You Su's hand.

I'm not choosing any of them.

Why?

Cheng Ying Venerable had a solemn expression, and his body was surrounded by black mist.

He Kongyue and Ye Erong watched with bated breath, worried about You Su's life. The others, however, were secretly delighted, relieved that You Su had given the wrong answer.

Judging from the two people who passed by earlier, their purpose in choosing the sword was to kill Hei. After all, the hatred for killing one's father is irreconcilable. Cheng Ying Venerable obviously thought the same way, which is why he took these two as his disciples.

If Dan doesn't choose the sword, how can he avenge his father?

How could such a cowardly person possibly be Cheng Ying Venerable Chengying?

"Think carefully. This is Immortal Sword; you can't just abandon it like that. If possible, I would also like you three siblings to all become my disciples..."

Cheng Ying Venerable clasped his hands together, showing You Su a rare act of kindness.

"Useless to me, what difference is there between it and ordinary iron?" You Su retorted.

"How could Immortal Sword be useless?" Cheng Ying Venerable asked again. "These three Immortal Swords all contain the Great Dao. If you choose one, you might be able to follow Hui and learn Sword Cultivator."

"I am not an ethereal immortal, but a mortal. Hui gave me these three swords to choose from, not to help me take revenge, but to persuade me to let go of my hatred. I am unwilling to let go, so naturally I will not choose them." You Su's tone was firm.

What does that mean?

"These three Immortal Swords from Hui are telling Dan that Hei will slowly die of old age or gradually die of illness. In short, Hei cannot escape death. As for revenge, he doesn't need to do it himself; Hei's day of death will come."

You Su slowly explained, "But if I were Dan, I wouldn't deceive myself like this. If it's a grudge, I should take revenge myself. How can I wait for Hei to die for no reason and then comfort myself by saying that the great revenge has been taken?"

"But if you don't choose these three immortal Immortal Sword, how will you take revenge?" Cheng Ying Venerable asked impatiently.

"I won't choose any of these three immortal Immortal Sword; I'll choose the iron sword in my hand."

You Su raised the Ink Pine Sword hanging at his waist. "The invisible sword is indeed powerful, but it cannot surpass the tangible sword in my hand. Because only it can make the enemy I want to kill lie down in front of me immediately."

After he finished speaking, the cave became completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone looked at You Su in disbelief. Why didn't he choose the Immortal Sword? Why did he choose the Mortal Iron Sword instead, just so he could remember his hatred and personally kill his enemy?

"Hahaha..."

Cheng Ying Venerable suddenly burst into laughter, his rotting flesh trembling like waves.

He Kongyue looked surprised; he was someone who knew the inside story.

After hearing You Su's answer, he recalled the experiences of Cheng Ying Venerable himself.

Isn't this black and white, cinnabar and wisdom, simply a projection of Cheng Ying Venerable's experiences?

When Cheng Ying Venerable asked everyone which sword to choose, he wasn't seeking advice from these younger generation members; rather, he was testing our attitude and looking for a like-minded person!

Faced with hatred, she had already made her choice!

"While not entirely correct, it's pretty close. You... are fit to be my eldest disciple!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present was in an uproar.

They didn't expect that the worst-case scenario would still occur.

Several Sword Cultivator, their eyes bloodshot, glared angrily at You Su's figure.

Why do you insist on giving the correct answer?

Why can't you say less?!

Why are you cutting off everyone's livelihood?!

"Alright, this concludes the Ascension Gathering of my Cheng Ying Sword Sect."

With a wave of her jade hand, Cheng Ying Venerable Chengying sent a burst of energy through the air, causing everyone to collapse like waves. Only You Su, He Kongyue, and the first female cultivator to become her disciple remained standing.

"Cheng Ying Venerable, please wait!"

The speaker was none other than Spring Cicada.

He still wore that gentle smile, forced himself to his feet, slung his sword over his shoulder, and adopted a courteous demeanor.

"How is it?" Cheng Ying Venerable raised his eyelids and glanced at Spring Cicada.

"Cheng Ying Venerable's swordsmanship is unparalleled. To be your eldest disciple, one must possess the strength to uphold your authority. Although this person is capable, he is still young and lacks strength. He is more suitable to be a junior disciple; it would be inappropriate for him to assume the position of senior disciple..."

Spring Cicada's words resonated with many people, but before they could even echo Spring Cicada sentiments, Spring Cicada, like a piece of tofu cut into several pieces, was scattered all over the ground.

Blood, flesh, intestines—every cut was perfectly smooth.

The beating half of his heart was proof that he was still alive just moments before.

"My chosen disciple is none of your business to criticize," Cheng Ying Venerable said with a contemptuous tone.

Everyone fell silent, too afraid to imagine what their fate would be if they failed to become apprentices.

"Come here, and become my disciple!"

Cheng Ying Venerable shouted loudly, seemingly somewhat angry, yet looking at the scene outside the cave, she also appeared somewhat anxious.

You Su and He Kongyue were instantly forced to move to her seat. You Su wanted to say something, He Kongyue grabbed his sleeve and gently shook her head at him.

He Kongyue knew very well that going to Cheng Ying Venerable Chengying at this time would be asking for trouble.

He lifted the hem of his shirt and knelt down first:

"I have long admired Cheng Ying Venerable's swordsmanship. I am honored by your acceptance into my tutelage and am willing to perform the duties of a disciple, diligently follow your teachings, unite with fellow practitioners, and pass on the way of the Way of the Sword!"

"Granted."

Cheng Ying Venerable replied immediately, He Kongyue frowned secretly, feeling that there was some kind of the Unseen connection between him and Cheng Ying Venerable...

He seemed to see through the rotting flesh, revealing the figure hidden beneath: a stunningly beautiful and spirited female cultivator...

He seemed to be able to sense the emotions within the female cultivator...

Regret, violence, grief...

All the pain seemed to have coalesced here.

"Your turn." Cheng Ying Venerable looked at You Su.

Anyone could see the urgency of Cheng Ying Venerable, as if He Kongyue was just a freebie and she couldn't wait for You Su to become her disciple.

A sudden surge of intense pressure emanated from You Su, threatening to force him to his knees.

He sensed something was wrong and resisted forcefully, wanting to see what Cheng Ying Venerable was so anxious about.

With a loud bang--

The cave ceiling suddenly shattered, sending down showers of debris and billowing dust.

You Su instinctively turned to avoid them, only to find that someone had already stood in front of him and He Kongyue.

It turned out to be Cheng Ying Venerable made of rotten flesh.

As the smoke cleared, He Kongyue stared in disbelief at the cultivator who had suddenly appeared.

She wore a blue-gray embroidered dress, her dark hair flowing in the smoke, and a jade sword swayed in her hand, creating many sword flowers, exuding a heroic spirit.

"You still came... my..."

Cheng Ying Venerable stared intently at the newcomer, speaking slowly and deliberately:

"Enemy!"

He Kongyue was even more startled when she heard those two words, because she had just seen the person who came.

She is also Cheng Ying Venerable!

What on earth is going on?!

"Evil Demon! You have ruined my entire clan! I will tear you to pieces!"

The female swordswoman glared angrily, a few strands of her black hair fluttering in the wind, her surging rage seemingly tangible.

The group struggled to their feet from the gray stones, and looking at the peerless female swordswoman, they seemed to see a glimmer of hope.

"Finally, someone has come to rescue us!"

These people helped each other up, their faces showing surprise and delight.

Hearing the female swordswoman's declaration of revenge reassured them greatly, and they all rushed to stand behind her.

Inside the cave, light shone directly down from the open ceiling, and the group had clearly split into two camps.

The female sword immortal and the Sword Cultivator one group, while the three 'disciples' behind the non-human monster formed another.

Upon seeing this, Lu Jianzhi's legs trembled as if she were shaking. She hurriedly tried to run to the other side, crying out:

"I didn't do this willingly, help me! Help me!"

But the female swordswoman opposite him sharpened her gaze, causing Lu Jianzhi to stop moving immediately, clutching her bleeding neck and kneeling on the ground.

"Those who follow Evil Demon are no different from Evil Demon! How could one become evil if not of one's own free will!"

The female swordswoman spoke righteously, while Lu Jianzhi had already collapsed to the ground, unable to get up, with blood continuously gushing from her neck.

The crowd behind them looked on with pity, but then quickly joined the female swordswoman in their hatred of the enemy, staring at the two people behind the non-human monster with expressions of righteous indignation.

"My disciple! My dear disciple!"

The non-human monster lay beside Lu Jianzhi, its jade-like hand pressed against the deceased's neck, seemingly trying to stop the bleeding from her wound.

"Evil Demon! This is the two hundred and thirty-first life you owe me!"

The non-human monster slowly rose to its feet, its aura suddenly changing, becoming angry and sinister, like a true evil spirit.

Upon hearing this, the people opposite all sneered, thinking, "How dare Evil Demon call others Evil Demon?"

He Kongyue looked at the two who were locked in a fierce confrontation, her mind filled with great doubt.

Which one is the Cheng Ying Venerable, and which one is the Evil Demon?

There was no time for them to think; the battle erupted in the blink of an eye.

The female swordswoman lightly raised her jade-like hand, and the blood-soaked Spring Cicada Sword from Spring Cicada's corpse suddenly flew into her hand.

Her figure suddenly vanished, and the next instant, their swords clashed, producing a teeth-grinding cutting sound, followed by an explosion.

He Kongyue grabbed You Su, who was engrossed in watching, and pulled her behind the stone platform to avoid the explosion.

"Both of them are Cheng Ying Venerable! Can you see them?!" He Kongyue asked urgently.

You Su was stunned upon hearing this, and he quickly nodded.

"Really."

He Kongyue wore a solemn expression. Both of them were evil spirits! It was impossible to distinguish them by their human or evil appearance alone!

"Of these two, only one is the true Cheng Ying Venerable."

You Su's mind raced. Recalling what the non-human monster had said earlier, he guessed, "The humanoid one is fake, the evil one is real!"

Why?

He Kongyue ducked and dodged the flying pebbles.

"When the female cultivator surnamed Lü was killed by the sword immortal, she said the female cultivator owed her two hundred and thirty lives! If she wasn't the real sect leader, how could she remember it so clearly?"

Upon hearing this, He Kongyue suddenly realized, "These two are clearly mortal enemies. Could it be that this evil spirit was the one that wiped out the entire Cheng Ying Sect back then?"

"Brother He, do you know exactly who Cheng Ying Sect's enemies were back then?"

He Kongyue shook her head. "I specifically investigated before I came, but the records are vague."

You Su frowned, feeling that this tragic case from a thousand years ago was shrouded in mystery, making it difficult to understand.

"But why does the evil spirit... take the form of Cheng Ying Venerable?"

He Kongyue clutched the faint, dull pain in his chest, realizing something he couldn't understand at all.

These words jolted You Su awake. Yes, regardless of which one of them was the real Cheng Ying Venerable, why would the other pretend to be Cheng Ying Venerable?

I've written another thousand words, but this storyline still isn't finished. I'll leave it for tomorrow; if it's not finished by tomorrow, I'll commit seppuku. As an apology, consider this a one-chapter bonus chapter owed. There are two other exciting bonus chapters in the Full Subscription Group ~