A Life Not My Own

Li Fan still remembered the first time he drank Lei Shang (a type of liquor), countless people died. He never imagined that seeing Lei Shang again would lead to more bloodshed. This liquor was truly unlucky.

Perhaps, being alive in this world means being swept along by the waves of life, inevitably getting caught up in unrelated whirlpools.

Sometimes you feel you've done everything you could, said all the nice things, done all the good deeds, avoided everything you could, and never stood out, but it still doesn't matter.

Some people just want to cause trouble and talk to themselves. Even after being advised so kindly, they still insist on taking action. There's really no other way but to kill them. If word gets out, they'll make themselves look like a bastard who indiscriminately kills his fellow disciples.

Alas, this is what it means to be caught in the web of life, often powerless to change one's fate...

Li Fan shook his head to clear his mind of the chaotic thoughts. After confirming through the system that he had added two points to his mood, he picked up the heads of the Yu Bianjiao and Yu Tenglong brothers and sewed them back onto their corpses. Then he tore two talisman flags to wrap them, ensuring the bodies would not decay, and buried them under a tree, memorizing the location with a compass. He made up his mind to order several more coffins from the mortuary, just in case.

As for the magical jade pendants that the Yu Family brothers carried with them, he didn't have time to unseal them right away. He wrapped them in talismans for protection and had someone calculate their location. In short, he put them all into his Storage Jade pendant first and would check them later when he had time.

However, it seems that the affairs between the northern and southern factions within the Ink Bamboo Mountain sect, the affairs between Ink Bamboo Mountain and the Li Country, and the affairs between the Black Lotus Sect and the Luo Sect are not only endless, but are also escalating.

Although the Yu Family brothers wanted to keep it a secret, they were not good at playing tricks. At least Yu Bianjiao had already let slip the information that Li Fan wanted to confirm.

His mistake was being born into the wrong family.

Therefore, the problem lies not with the later 'Li Fan', but with the former 'Qingyue'.

System, what karmic connection does this body have? How could it have attracted the attention of so many immortals?

'The host's transmigration used a standard template and followed the normal process...'

I know he's an orphan, his original body died, and he was reincarnated! At least he should have a name! What about his parents? What's his home address? System, you don't care about those little things, but surely you can reveal this small piece of information?

'The original name of the character Li Yi, father Li Chun, Mother Zheng Mingzhu, and the family lived 350 steps west of Guangzhai Lane in Changsi City, and 450 steps south of Xuanfu Gate.'

Also surnamed Li? Hmm, that's probably just a coincidence; the probability of randomly getting a common surname is naturally higher... But speaking of which, the coordinates are quite detailed, why didn't you say so earlier?

'The host's transmigration used a standard template...'

Alright, alright, the whole family has been reincarnated, so isn't that the end of worldly affairs? I understand, I understand!

Li Fan rubbed his temples. Well, he understood what the system meant. Hey, transmigrator, why bother with all the old debts of your original body? You're just reborn, so just focus on cultivating your immortality and completing your missions.

However, it's clear that the Yu Family brothers and their group of cultivators don't think that way. It seems they are inextricably linked to Li Fan's true form, 'Li Yi,' and the whole family's downfall. And it's not just the two brothers; it appears that the Golden Core Immortal brought by Jiang Liuqing are also involved.

Thinking back so carefully, when Liu Qing first met Li Fan, his comment about "having met him once before" probably didn't refer to that night at Ink Bamboo Mountain...

Sigh, now look what's happened. The person is dead. Even if Li Fan tries to explain it with the system, no one will believe him.

They'd probably just think that 'Li Yi' had miraculously survived and might even come looking for revenge, ruining their plans. It'd be a classic tale of the Zhao family's orphan seeking revenge, so of course they'd have to wipe them out completely.

Now, Li Fan wondered how far things had turned between Yuan Tianxiao and Jiang Liuqing, that couple. After much thought, Li Fan realized that he was already embroiled in many dangerous situations and couldn't continue to passively wait to be schemed against and be fooled by others' lies. He had to take the initiative. Only when his own life was in his own hands could he feel at ease.

We should head to Changsi City first, at least to find out the background of the real 'Li Yi', figure out what kind of things we're involved in, who our enemies are, who our allies are, and who our backers are, before making any plans.

What's your opinion on sword intent?

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent, in my opinion, is still too much nonsense. Couldn't you have drawn your sword when they locked you with their Divine Sense? If it weren't for the fact that Golden Dragon White Star were a realm higher than them, wouldn't this battle have been extremely dangerous? You're still too soft-hearted!"

If it were me, I'd go back right now and kill all those who know the truth, then pin it all on the Li Country. What's there to hesitate about? Just kill them all. If you don't tell anyone, who will know it was you?

Even if they're caught, so what? There are plenty of cases of infighting among fellow disciples. Anyway, they attacked first, and their backgrounds aren't clean. The people in charge of Ink Bamboo Mountain also have their eye on you, so what's there to be afraid of? At worst, you'll be punished by being confined to the mountain gate for hundreds of years...

Putting aside these trivial matters, how many monsters did you slay when you went to the Ten-thousand-mountains? How many did you kill with your flying sword?

Li Fan sighed, "A few hundred years of seclusion is nothing... I killed twenty-four with flying swords, and blasted the rest to death with magic arrays and talismans. Why are you asking this?"

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, hmm, the killing intent on your body doesn't match... Your Dao Body has already undergone transformation, right? You've sacrificed so much of your lifespan; what kind of ferocious beast were you observing?'

Li Fan didn't understand its meaning for a moment, but nodded and said, "That's right, I have already mastered the Qiongqi Transformation, but I can't take it back on my own yet."

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent... You, a Golden Core cultivator, went to observe the Four Fiends and still survived? Sigh, those destined for greatness with profound destiny are truly fearless in the face of adversity..."

Alright, let's get back to the main point. You've already experienced it yourself, so you should know how powerful flying swords are at killing people. But you should also know that the Ruyi Sword Scripture is just the most basic sword control technique. It can unleash the full power of the flying sword, but that's all. It's just using your mind to control the path of the flying sword to pierce and behead people. In fact, it doesn't fully unleash the power of the sword seal's own talismanic magic.

However, seeing the entanglements of killing karma on your body, and the numerous karmic consequences, you will likely face considerable conflict on your journey to Changsi City. Therefore, I possess a set of the <Taiyin Haoguang Sword Scripture>, a superior sword manual specifically designed for sword combat. It can unleash the Golden Dragon White Star Twin Sword Seals and talismans, unleashing their true power. It is perfectly suited for you; I only wonder if you wish to learn it.

Hey! What are you being so polite about? Go ahead and learn! Why not learn if there's something to learn? We're practically family, why are you hiding things from me? You're so naughty!

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent, humph. I originally wanted you to practice the basics for another one or two hundred years, so that you wouldn't be misled by the power of the sword seal and lose sight of the fundamentals of Sword Control Technique. Besides, Xiao Yao is also a novice in sword forging, so the Heaven-Slaying and Ghost-Slaying techniques are all based on simplicity and plainness, and I didn't set up too many killing talismans for you to play with."

But Golden Dragon White Star is different. Although these two swords are only of the lowest grade nine, they are still Nascent Soul Stage level flying swords. Judging from their design, they were not originally intended for beheading. Instead, they are a pair of magical swords, probably used by Dao Companion for dual cultivation and combined combat. It would be a real pity if they were damaged if you used them to stab someone's head.

Look at the golden talisman and sword mark on that sword.

Upon hearing this, Li Fan summoned a pair of small swords that resembled dragonflies from the sword box. He held them in his palm like a pair of Golden hairpin and examined them. He could indeed see that both swords were densely covered with golden sword symbols.

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent, judging from the way the seal is applied, directly stamping the seal onto the sword body, it's clear that this isn't a master swordsmith. However, these two talismans are indeed powerful, enough to elevate it to the next level."

The sword talisman on the golden dragon was a radiant sword seal; when its Sword Light swept across, all demons in all directions would turn to ashes. On the white star was a divine lightning sword seal; when its lightning exploded, all ghosts and demons in the myriad realms would be shattered into dust.

If this talisman is forcibly activated with divine sense, the twin swords will be destroyed after only a few uses. Therefore, it needs to be activated with a superior <Sword Scripture> that can generate Sword Light or sword lightning, using this sword technique as a medium and employing sword seals to enhance the power of the Sword Light and sword lightning.

This <Taiyin Haoguang Sword Scripture> is one of the most superior sword scriptures for the Golden Core stage of my Beichen Sword Sect! It can be paired perfectly with the <Taiyin Five Luo Sword Ghosts Hidden Secret Refining Outline> that I asked you to choose!

Upon reaching mastery, one can refine five beams of Taiyin Sword Light to illuminate others, and also use this skill to control the sword in combat. If combined with the Golden Dragon White Star, the sword's imprint can further amplify the power of the Taiyin Sword Light, unleashing the Taiyin Bright Moon Divine Thunder—indestructible and unstoppable!

Hmm... but?

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent, there are no excuses! The Cultivation Method of my Beichen Sword Sect are invincible! Flawless!'

Li Fan narrowed his eyes, not really believing it given the consistent style of the Beichen Sword Sect.

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, oh dear! Damn it! Is there really no problem?! Didn't I tell you to focus on the basics and not get too caught up in the power of magic weapons?! Don't you realize that no one in this world can so easily obtain and wield a Nascent Soul Stage level sword technique! Do you know how difficult it is to find a complete set of sword techniques like this?!'

So, is it really okay?

'The Profound Heaven Sword Intent, it's really fine! Ah, yes, it's fine.'

You said "ah," right? You just said "ah," right?

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent... Alright, alright. A superior sword scripture like the <Taiyin Haoguang Sword Scripture> uses the inner core of the divine treasure to control the sword seal. There will be some Sword Light residue in the divine court. Every time it is used, one will also be injured by the sword shadow. Over time, there will be hidden sword marks left in the body.'

According to my original plan for you, you should cultivate the Taiyin Nascent Soul Cultivation Method with your Divine Inner Core. This will naturally dispel the Taiyin Sword Light within your body and allow you to refine Taiyin True Essence, which will be perfect for forging your Nascent Soul Stage.

But didn't you switch to cultivating Lou Guan's Daoist methods halfway through? What's wrong? You've refined quite a bit of Wuji Zhenyuan, but nothing's happened with the other one. Are you going to continue practicing it or not?

Tsk, damn it, this guy actually turned the tables on me. So he's still holding a grudge about not choosing his Cultivation Method...

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent, this <Taiyin Haoguang Sword Scripture> is indeed a good sword scripture, but if you don't use Taiyin True Essence to neutralize Taiyin Sword Light, then it's just a simple killing sword technique. You can kill a few people, so why not use any other method? Why specifically choose this one that can cause hidden injuries to practice?"

Perhaps I should reconsider and offer you a sword manual that can be neutralized by the Wuji Zhenyuan.

However, among this kind of Wuji Zhenyuan, there are quite a few dry thunder and earth thunder that can be combined with the Divine Thunder Seal, but there are not many powerful Sword Light that can be matched with the Radiant Sword Seal at the same time. It is equivalent to only being able to unleash half the power of this pair of twin swords. I need to consider it some more...'

Li Fan was truly speechless. He was so conflicted. Others struggled to find even a single cultivation technique, while he had a whole bunch of true techniques to choose from and practice at will, yet he still demanded perfection. But could it be that he was truly destined to never reach the Gui Xu Nascent Soul...?

If... instead of practicing the <Huashu>, one were to refine the Divine Court Golden Core Taiyin Nascent Soul, what Cultivation Method are available?

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, oh, you've changed your mind? That won't do, I won't teach you.'

???

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent, the Cultivation Method of my Beichen Sword Sect are invincible and flawless. How dare you be so half-hearted and picky here, treating it as a mere backup option to demean yourself?"

"Qingyue, if you truly have the will, then shout to the heavens three times: 'I, Qingyue, am determined not to cultivate the <Huashu> and instead practice the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivation Method of the Beichen Sword Sect. Only then will I impart the true method to you. Don't keep switching between this powerful technique and that good one, only to ruin your own Dao heart.'"

Hey, you old geezer, so arrogant!

Well, Li Fan was speechless now. He was indeed unwilling to shout that he would not practice the Gui Xu Nascent Soul now.

Of course, Li Fan understood the meaning of the Profound Heaven Sword Intent. Perhaps if he switched to cultivating the Taiyin Nascent Soul, his cultivation would be smooth sailing and he would be more powerful in combat. However, there would still be a thorn left in his heart, which would be a hidden danger.

He can't overcome this difficulty himself, and no one else can help him.

There are many paths in the world. If you choose one, it means you'll miss out on many others. Only by letting go of this mindset can you truly understand.

However, with many things hanging in the balance, Li Fan wasn't in the mood to delve into the scriptures here. Therefore, he had to temporarily put aside the matter of the Taiyin Sword Scripture and temporarily store the Golden Dragon White Star in their sword box to avoid damage. He would first head north towards Changsi City to investigate the cause and effect involving his true form, 'Li Yi'.

Although the Yu Family brothers said that they only attacked him because they had given themselves away and decided to strike first, now that he's dead, who knows how the other cultivators will deal with Li Fan.

Like the meaning of the Profound Heaven Sword Intent, it doesn't matter what, just kill them all.

Although they weren't particularly close, they were all fellow disciples of the Fourteen Peaks and would run into each other often. Besides, Jiang Liuqing was introduced by Fuling, and Yuan Tianxiao had rushed over to warn them, which could be considered saving Li Fan's life. In the end, what he shouted the loudest was just one sentence, "Don't hurt his girl!"

The world is full of people entangled in interests and in conflict; there are no purely evil people. Wouldn't it save him from having such a conflicted feeling after killing everyone?

Then Li Fan's 'wish' came true, and thick smoke rose from the northwest.

Li Fan flew over on his sword to investigate and immediately saw the situation below.

Soldiers were massacring the village.

There were about a hundred soldiers burning, killing, and looting in the villages in the mountains. The villagers were mostly old people, women, and children. They either died by the sword or were used by the soldiers to satisfy their lust. Many people had already been tortured to death.

Li Fan frowned, then unleashed a burst of Sword Light and landed in the village. He crouched down to examine the corpses on the ground; they were indeed ordinary villagers.

"Wu Na Dao Ren! The government troops are here to suppress bandits! All bystanders, please stand down immediately!" The centurion, riding a tall horse, roared, holding a command flag in his hand.

Li Fan recognized the command flag, which meant that they were acting on orders from the commander and were not unruly soldiers.

So what? Even infants are considered bandits? Does being born into the wrong family mean you deserve to die?

"I'll fuck your mother's head!" Li Fan dodged and swung his fist, slapping the centurion across the face. The blow sent the centurion's head spinning three times, breaking his neck. Skin and flesh stuck to his helmet and caved into his skull, making him almost unrecognizable.

Before the surrounding soldiers could react, he flicked his wrist and unleashed the Black and White Eight Qiankun Flying Dragon Sword from the sleeve of his Daoist robe. He used the sword ghost to control the clearing action, tearing through swathes of blood and wind.

Li Fan swung his hand and grabbed a soldier, holding him captive and asking, "Which guard are you from? Who sent you?"

The soldier, stared at by a pair of yin-yang beast eyes, with the wind howling like a tiger and screams echoing behind him, was terrified, almost losing control of his bladder. He stammered, unable to speak clearly, "The... the... the guards of the Xiping Protectorate... Duhu Huang Hai... it's... it's them who aren't paying rent..."

Li Fan flung the soldier away into the whirlwind of swords.

After slaughtering all the soldiers outside, Li Fan turned and walked into the granary, blowing out the Deng Hua Sword along the way. He chopped into pieces all the disheveled soldiers who had hidden in the haystacks, thinking they could escape, until his Divine Sense had repeatedly scanned and confirmed that there was no one left alive. Only then did Li Fan stop.

No, there's still half a living person.

Li Fan walked into the barn, picked up the girl who was barely breathing, held her in his arms, and asked her, "Do you want revenge? If you do, blink, and I promise I'll kill them all."

The girl looked at Li Fan and suddenly spat on him.

"... Why..."

Your shoes

Li Fan suddenly sprang up, hunched his shoulders, stood on tiptoe, and turned his neck almost 180 degrees. He then turned his head sharply to the back, his pair of yin-yang beast eyes wide open, emitting a golden and silver starlight in the dim barn, like a frightened wild beast in the dead of night.

He was genuinely terrified, for Qingting Sou was standing right behind him, at the entrance of the granary, bathed in the bright sunlight, amidst the blood spilled by the government troops.

"Because of your shoes," Qingting Sou pointed to the straw sandals on his feet, "The lowly people who are constantly trampled underfoot can't understand your official language. They can only guess who you are by looking at your shoes."

Li Fan was suddenly stunned and couldn't help but look down at the newly bought Suanni leather boots. In the dark, they did look quite similar to official boots.

"... I'm not on their side."

Qingting Sou nodded. "I know."

What good is it if you know? The girl is already dead...