Caomiao Village.
Above the ruined temple.
Ye Xuan stood on the Chang Qing Sword, a complicated look flashing through his eyes.
As someone who had crossed into this world,
he knew all too well what tonight meant.
This was the beginning of all the tragedies in Zhu Xian.
If he had arrived a moment later,
the old monk Puzhi would have been struck by the backlash of the Blood Devouring Pearl, while the Seven-tailed Centipede's deadly poison attacked his heart.
In the end,
his so-called ambition of achieving Buddhist-Dao Dual Cultivation would drive him mad, and he would slaughter everyone in Caomiao Village.
And all of it was so Zhang Xiaofan could join the Qingyun Sect and fulfill his naive wish.
It was utterly absurd.
Now that Ye Xuan was here,
this ridiculous plot was going to change.
"The Qingyun Sect?"
Looking at Ye Xuan in midair,
the black-clad man's hoarse voice carried a hint of stunned disbelief.
He was far too young.
Judging by his build, he could be no more than twelve or thirteen.
And that sword strike earlier?
Though it had borrowed the power of the lightning,
the boy's control of his sword and the purity of his spiritual energy were far beyond that of an ordinary disciple.
In fact...
He seemed to carry the pressure of the Shangqing Realm!
How was that possible?
A Shangqing Realm expert at twelve or thirteen?
Even Senior Brother Wan Jianyi, peerless as he was, had never possessed talent this terrifying, had he?
"Demon of the Devil Cult."
"You dared to commit murder at the foot of Qingyun Mountain."
"You'll be staying here today."
At the black-clad man's words,
Ye Xuan came back to his senses and replied in a cold voice.
He didn't expose the black-clad man's identity outright.
The old fox Cang Song couldn't be exposed yet.
The reason was simple.
The monk Puzhi was still here.
If Puzhi found out that Cang Song was the black-clad man,
the Qingyun Sect's reputation would take a serious hit.
Meanwhile,
a murderous glint flickered in the black-clad man's eyes.
He didn't want to retreat.
The Blood Devouring Pearl was right before him.
And the old bald donkey Puzhi had been poisoned by the Seven-tailed Centipede. He was already at the end of his strength.
As long as he killed this brat...
However,
when he recalled their clash just moments ago...
the boy before him was no ordinary opponent.
Even if he could take the boy down, it would cost him some effort.
And yet,
this place was far too close to the Qingyun Sect.
If the commotion had alerted those people on Heaven-Piercing Peak...
"Hmph!"
"Consider yourself lucky, brat."
The black-clad man snorted.
He cast one reluctant glance at Puzhi.
The Blood Devouring Pearl was right before him.
It was practically within his grasp.
And yet some upstart had shown up out of nowhere.
Damn it!
Damn it all!
The black-clad man burned with anger, but had no choice except to force it down.
As long as the green hills remained, there would be no shortage of firewood.
If his identity was exposed, a century of plotting would be ruined.
"We'll meet again!"
The black-clad man left those last threatening words behind.
His figure suddenly turned into a wisp of black smoke and merged with the night.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished without a trace.
He sure left quickly.
Ye Xuan shook his head and didn't pursue him.
If he really pushed Cang Song into a corner, the man might lash out in desperation—and that would be a disaster.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
A bout of violent coughing shattered the silence.
The monk Puzhi leaned against the broken wall, his face frighteningly dark.
It was a sign that the poison had reached his heart.
The Seven-tailed Centipede's venom was extraordinarily potent.
In just a short while, the poison had traveled along his meridians and invaded his organs.
Puzhi could feel his consciousness rapidly fading.
Everything before his eyes blurred and doubled.
He forced his eyes open, trying to make out the savior who had descended from the sky.
A disciple of the Qingyun Sect...
Had Heaven not forsaken him?
No.
Puzhi smiled bitterly to himself.
His battered body probably wouldn't last through the night.
"Thank you... young benefactor... for saving me..."
Puzhi struggled to raise his hands and join his palms in a salute.
But to his dismay, his arms felt as heavy as lead. He couldn't lift them at all.
Ye Xuan lowered his sword and landed in front of Puzhi.
He didn't hurry to help the monk up.
Instead, he first swept the area with his divine sense.
Only after confirming that the despicable Cang Song had truly gone far away did he relax.
His gaze fell on Puzhi.
So this was the tragic figure.
He had devoted himself to combining the true teachings of Buddhism and Daoism in hopes of unraveling the mystery of immortality.
But after being rejected, he became consumed by an obsession.
In the end, Cang Song ambushed him and poisoned him with the Seven-tailed Centipede's venom. Then the Blood Devouring Pearl's malice corrupted him, driving him to commit the terrible crime of massacring the village.
When all was said and done,
he was a pitiable man.
"Master, there's no need for formalities."
"I'm Ye Xuan, a disciple of Great Bamboo Peak in the Qingyun Sect."
Ye Xuan casually sent out a gentle stream of spiritual energy to support Puzhi's swaying body.
"Great Bamboo Peak..."
Puzhi murmured to himself.
He knew Tian Buyi, of course.
But he had never heard that Tian Buyi had such an exceptionally gifted disciple.
Still,
when he thought of his current situation,
Puzhi immediately lost any desire to ask further.
"Young benefactor..."
"This old monk... doesn't have long..."
"This pearl... is an ill-omened object..."
"Please... suppress it..."
Puzhi's voice was weak and halting.
As he spoke,
he tremblingly took the dark purple Blood Devouring Pearl from inside his robe.
An eerie light flowed across its surface, as if it thirsted for blood.
Seeing Puzhi behaving as if he were making his final arrangements,
Ye Xuan found it rather amusing.
This old monk...
was truly an honest man.
Even as he lay dying, he was still worrying about whether this wretched pearl would harm anyone.
"All right."
"Who said you were going to die?"
Ye Xuan waved a hand, cutting off Puzhi's tragic farewell.
"The Seven-tailed Centipede... its poison kills with a single drop of blood..."
"Even the gods themselves... couldn't save me..."
Puzhi froze.
A flicker of bewilderment crossed his cloudy eyes.
"That might be true for others."
"But here, even the King of Hell has to ask whether I'll let him take someone."
Ye Xuan crouched down so he was eye level with Puzhi.
After speaking,
he ignored Puzhi's startled expression.
Instead, he stood up and walked straight toward a patch of grass outside the ruined temple.
A moment earlier, when he swept the area with his divine sense,
he had noticed someone hiding over there.
He pushed aside the tangled bushes.
A small figure was curled up in the muddy water, clutching an oil-paper umbrella in a death grip.
A soaked quilt lay scattered beside him.
Zhang Xiaofan.
The boy really had come after all.
Looking at his plain, almost dull-witted face,
Ye Xuan was overcome with emotion.
Who could have guessed
that this seemingly foolish boy would one day become Gui Li, feared by both the righteous and demonic paths across the land?
At that moment, Zhang Xiaofan's eyes were shut tight.
Clearly, the earth-shaking fight had frightened him unconscious.
Or perhaps the terrifying pressure had knocked him out.
After all, he was just an ordinary child.
Ye Xuan grabbed Zhang Xiaofan by the back of his collar.
It was like picking up a little chick by the scruff and hoisting him into the air.
"This kid certainly has a kind heart."
"He came to deliver a blanket to the master in the middle of the night."
Ye Xuan carried Zhang Xiaofan back into the temple and casually tossed him down beside Lin Jingyu.
The two future figures who would one day stir the winds and clouds.
At that moment, they looked like two drowned rats, lying side by side on the pile of dry straw in the ruined temple.
What a sight.
No matter how one looked at it, it was hilarious.
Puzhi watched the scene, a trace of emotion flashing through his eyes.
"Amitabha."
"This child... possesses a compassionate heart."
Before you continue