Rewind

This guy's caught up again. Well, that's how it is in the Xuanmen sect. It's always a case of pulling up a radish and bringing out a whole bunch of others. Kill one, and you can find a whole string of senior brothers, junior brothers, masters, and senior uncles seeking revenge.

Zheng Zetian looked at her and said, "You came so fast, did you kill the entire Yan family?"

Zheng Yu paused for a moment, then sneered, "So what if I kill him? You still have the leisure to worry about other people's business?"

Zheng Zetian shrugged. "I was just worried about you. You're doomed, Ju Zi is so petty."

Zheng Yu clenched her fist, bending Zheng Zetian's arm at a right angle, and said through gritted teeth, her voice filled with hatred,

"You little beast, you should worry about your own life! You killed my senior brother, don't worry, I won't let you die so easily!"

Zheng Zetian was also in pain, covered in sweat, but he forced himself to speak.

"Hey, Tianfu Mountain, you're being a bit unreasonable! That book was clearly brought out from Danxia Mountain by my master. You didn't have that destiny to begin with. You defied the heavens to steal it, and your deaths are just asking for trouble. Instead of focusing on self-cultivation and refining your skills, you're taking it out on me, a child who knows nothing. Do you think all the Cultivation Method in the world have to be handed over to you? You old fogies who have cultivated for thousands of years, do you still have any shame?!"

"Sharp-tongued! Still spouting nonsense. Do you really think we don't know your master's background? But you can save your energy. Once I've extracted your soul and refined the Soul-Locking Pearl in forty-nine days, I'll make you suffer day and night. You'll have plenty of time to cry and curse then! Humph!"

Zheng Yu sneered, ignoring what he said, and grabbed Zheng Zetian by the severed arm, carrying him away almost like a package.

Alas, that's the downside of having such a low cultivation level. You can pull off all sorts of fancy moves, but once someone sets their sights on you and catches you first, you might never have another chance.

Now that Zheng Zetian's pulse point has been seized, all his internal energy is sealed, and he can barely generate any strength in his muscles and bones. His opponent is Real Immortal of the Xuanmen sect, skilled in all kinds of illusion and escape techniques. He can openly capture and kidnap people from the banquet. Countless guests come and go, serving wine, but they all seem to be blind, as if no one can see the two of them entangled.

Senior Brother Lu did notice something, but his troubles were no less than Zheng Zetian's.

"A treacherous minister who brought disaster to the country!"

"May the powerful eunuch be punished by Heaven!"

Before Lu Qi could come over to investigate, two assassins in black scaled the wall and broke into the inner courtyard to assassinate the court officials!

These two men were incredibly powerful, both at the Nascent Soul Realm. Their swords flashed like silver ribbons as they Sword Light towards the chief eunuch at the head of the table. Lu Qi had no choice but to turn around and save him, flicking his fingers to unleash a series of flying swords to repel them, and thus forced the assassins back by fighting two against one.

But when he turned around, 'Zheng Yu' had already bound Zheng Zetian and disappeared. The two assassins turned around and attacked him together. Although they couldn't break through the protective black lotus, they forced him to stay for a while.

Watching Lu Qi handle the assassin with ease, unleashing Sword Light to prevent the assassin from escaping, the eunuchs remained as steady as Mount Tai, completely unperturbed.

But then, out of the crowd, a maidservant carrying wine suddenly flipped over her tray, pulled out two knives from under her skirt, and slashed at a completely unsuspecting eunuch. She severed his head on the spot and threw it onto the table, where it gushed blood all over the place!

Chaos erupted at the banquet in an instant. People were fighting, fleeing, and screaming. Guests and servants ran out, while guards rushed in. The scene was a complete mess!

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zheng Yu grabbed Zheng Zetian and led him out of the eunuch's mansion. Using the fleeing crowd as cover, they slipped into the slums, turning and twisting until they reached a deserted courtyard.

She casually cast a talisman and affixed it to the door, setting up an array barrier. Then, with a flick of her finger, she broke Zheng Zetian's limbs, threw him into the center of the courtyard, and sent out a string of silver nails that pierced his bones, locking his Dao Breath.

Zheng Yu sneered, her eyes flashing with bloodlust.

"You little beast, today I will cut out your heart and guts, and kill you to appease my senior brother's spirit in heaven!"

Zheng Zetian gritted his teeth and said,

"Wait a minute, you're going to get yourself killed whether you stick your neck out or not. Fine, I'll recite the Heavenly Book to you, how about you just give me a quick death?"

"Hmph! Begging for mercy now is too late! What do I care about the Heavenly Book! I just want my senior brother! Die!"

Zheng Yu struck again from a distance. Zheng Zetian heard a cracking sound on his forehead, and his vision blurred with blood as he collapsed to the ground, unable to move. He knew that the opponent's palm strike had probably shattered his face beyond recognition, but had only held back some of its power to prevent him from dying instantly from a head explosion.

Ouch, it hurts so much! My head is practically split open! That wicked woman is really going to torture me for forty-nine days, suppressing me into a soul pearl to torment me for eternity, to vent her hatred.

Sure enough, Zheng Zetian soon felt his limbs being severed by the sword energy. There was a rustling sound, as if 'Zheng Yu' had changed clothes, put on mourning clothes, and set up a mourning hall. She first sobbed for a while, and what could be heard was that she was talking about her and her senior brother's three lifetimes of predestined fate, their cultivation together, supporting each other, how carefree they were, and now they had all suffered this calamity, harmed by this little beast, and her senior brother had actually gone before her, causing her immense pain.

Then the old woman, in a frenzy, rushed out, grabbed Zheng Zetian by the scalp, dragged him all the way to the altar, and, holding a sharp knife, unbuttoned his clothes. She first sliced off several pieces of flesh from his chest, chewed them raw, and then prepared to disembowel him, cut out his heart and lungs, and offer them as a live sacrifice to her deceased husband.

Just then, a beam of red light suddenly pierced the sky and covered the earth, taking advantage of the madwoman's grief as she clutched the memorial tablet and wept bitterly, instantly enveloping Zheng Zetian's entire body like a cocoon!

Zheng Yu let out a howl like a she-wolf, wielding a sharp ox-splitting knife, and lunged forward, stabbing wildly at Zheng Zetian's heart and lungs. However, the red light blocked her attack, and she couldn't break through the cocoon even slightly! Enraged, she roared to the sky, leaped into the air, and flew through the air on her sword in a desperate attempt to escape!

Zheng Zetian lay on the altar, and through the red cocoon, he could vaguely see Sword Light chasing and fighting in the sky. After a short while, a shower of blood rained down, soaking the white banners in the mourning hall and turning them crimson, making it look like a wedding hall in an instant.

Then Qin Jiu landed, threw the severed head aside, and hurriedly rescued Zheng Zetian from the altar, stuffing half a Golden Core under his tongue to prolong his life.

"Junior brother! Junior brother, are you still alive?!"

Huh? Why is this guy showing up now? Is he going to revive him again? No way, he's already mentally prepared to be reverted to a previous save file...

"... Kill... me"

"Don't worry, junior brother, that trash has already been killed by your senior brother. Luckily you were quick-witted and remembered to bring the crow feather with you, otherwise we would have been too late again..."

Zheng Zetian glared at him, annoyed. Seriously? He'd only used two out of his three hairs, how could he still be tracked down? This is ridiculous...

"... No... kill me."

"Don't worry, this Blood Cocoon Rebirth Technique was developed by the Grandmaster. It allows you to be reborn in forty-nine days. With me here to protect you, you will be perfectly safe."

Damn, if it goes on forty-nine days, the flowers will be too cold by then!

Zheng Zetian nearly fainted, but after thinking about it, since he wasn't going to die now, he could only stay alive for the time being. So he activated his medical insurance and immediately felt his wounds healing rapidly, both itchy and numb. Enduring the excruciating pain, he said...

"Senior brother, I want to Moon Worship..."

"What are you talking about! Are you looking for death Moon Worship?!"

"Senior brother!" Zheng Zetian took a breath and stared at him. "This matter is of utmost importance. For the sake of our sect, I must Moon Worship."

Seeing his expression, Qin Jiu remained silent for a moment, then gritted her teeth.

"Alright, I'll protect you!"

So, with the help of the company and the giant's healing methods, Zheng Zetian managed to hold on until nightfall and barely regained his human form. However, he was hit in the face by that crazy old woman from the Xuanmen sect, which smashed his face. It is still a bloody mess and will not heal for a while.

Qin Jiu didn't ask any more questions and set up the Revered Heavenly Demon Altar in the courtyard to protect his junior brother.

So when the Moon came out, Zheng Zetian closed his eyes and opened them again, and he was back in the Empty Star.

Li Fan, disguised in a Daoist robe, was fiddling with an apple while waiting for him.

Revert to save or save?

Upon arriving here, Zheng Zetian was no longer flustered.

"Rewind, but there are still a few things I need to ask the Grandmaster."

Li Fan, holding an apple, shrugged.

"The Gui Xu Dao Yi? It's in the Luo Sect's hands."

Your guesses are mostly correct. Teacher Qian wanted to use that outfit to assassinate the Grand Eunuch Qiu Liang, but the item was ordered by the Luo Sect. They received a notification from the Heavenly Clothes and immediately sent people to forcibly take it back. Teacher Qian suffered a hidden loss, and halfway there, he was targeted and eliminated by Lu Qi. The Southern Faction's plan to assassinate the eunuch was also leaked in this way, leading to its failure.

In other words, Lu Qi was lying from beginning to end; the Golden Crow Hall was not the primary crime scene at all, Teacher Qian had already died before the Ganlu Incident.

Zheng Zetian frowned.

"That Lu Qi..."

Li Fan twirled the apple.

"He's insignificant. He's a bit clever, but not much. He's usable, but that's about it. He's even worse than his father. I keep him around mainly for fishing. After all, a direct descendant of one of the Four Dharma Kings couldn't possibly be hiding something else... Anyway, you shouldn't concern yourself with him."

Zheng Zetian thought for a moment, then asked again,

"My master..."

Li Fan put away the apple, his Daoist robe draped over his shoulder as if deep in thought.

"Well, Qingtingzi didn't become a disciple of Danxia Mountain from the beginning. I can deduce that he was an undercover agent sent by another sect to infiltrate Danxia Mountain. He almost became the successor of the sect leader, but later his plans were exposed and he had to flee."

But those are grudges from hundreds of years ago, it's none of my business. Besides, he's someone the old mountain lord protected, and I don't like to pry into other people's private lives. If you're interested, you can look it up yourself."

Zheng Zetian pondered for a while,

"The fact that Li Wenrao is a company employee must have been known to the Giant for a long time, otherwise he probably wouldn't have kept him idle all this time, right?"

Li Fan neither confirmed nor denied it.

"I don't really know, but I can calculate it. After all, the company's selection criteria are quite strict. Most people can only ever be temporary workers in their lifetime, let alone meet their performance targets."

Gold shines wherever it is, and truly talented people will be sought after. It's just that Li Wenrao and I are incompatible, hindering each other. If I can't use him, someone else will. It's all a matter of personal choice.

Zheng Zetian and asked,

"Although the company is powerful, the system requires authorization from a person in charge to do things. I saw that Li Wenrao's employee level has reached level seventeen, which is the highest that local residents can upgrade to. I'm afraid he is the real person in charge of the entire Ink Bamboo Mountain project."

I think the person who secretly directed and presided over the siege of Qingting Peak and assassinated my master Song Dayou must be this person. If we eliminate him this time, wouldn't we be able to capture the leader first and paralyze the company's plans in Ink Bamboo Mountain and even the entire Li Country?

Li Fan nodded, then shook his head.

"I didn't expect that guy to climb so high. However, killing one or two company dogs won't fundamentally affect the company's operations. These things are all performance targets assigned from above; they just plan and execute them. You can try, but finding someone else to authorize it isn't difficult at all."

The company has ignored Ink Bamboo Mountain for so many years because what I'm doing perfectly aligns with their interests. Once I start to retaliate, the situation will change, and then it won't just Song Dayou who suffers."

Zheng Zetian looked at him,

"If we don't retaliate, won't the company continue to conduct extreme tests, killing and injuring disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain? Is such a sacrifice acceptable?"

Li Fan waved his hand.

"Those are two different things. That test was probably arranged by the company's upper management because they thought 'Ink Bamboo Mountain is quite interesting,' and someone was planning to study there. So they just tested the security level."

Zheng Zetian was taken aback. "The company also sends students to study abroad?"

Li Fan tossed the apple into his hand.

"Indeed, as you can see, my many new methods have already shown some results and are quite close to the 'ultimate formula' they want."

Now that I'm not in the mountains, I think it would be better for the company to join in directly, take the lead in the research collaboration, and continue developing the 'ultimate formula' rather than taking the opportunity to destroy my legacy. This would also prevent some incompetent fools from messing things up and ruining everything.

Therefore, I think that once they confirm the safety of Ink Bamboo Mountain, they will soon send international students or researchers to assist in the research of Tai Su Dao.

So I hope you'll consider this: you've already joined the company, settled things with the Xuanmen, and avoided a full-scale war between the company and Ink Bamboo Mountain. I think this save file has been pretty good so far. Do you really want to start over?"

Zheng Zetian looked at the apple in his hand and thought for a while.

"What was the point of Song Dayou's death? Was he just supposed to die because he saw something he shouldn't have seen at the bottom of the Nangong Demon Cave?"

Li Fan spread his hands and shrugged.

"I don't know why the company is so determined to kill him. But isn't that old woman from the Xuanmen sect also after you, determined to kill you?"

For someone with power, crushing an ant is effortless. But someone who dislikes a stray dog on the street might chase and beat it to death. This world is inherently unreasonable. Must we always consult God for answers?

Rather, you're not exactly a compassionate person, so why are you so concerned about Song Dayou's life?

Zheng Zetian shook his head.

"I hate owing people favors. So I once swore that if someone saved my life, I would repay that debt. Now that he saved my life last time, whether it works out or not, I have this chance to go back and save him again to settle the score."

Li Fan became interested.

"Oh? Fellow Daoist would actually make such a grand vow? Isn't that a bit too exhausting? Are you going to repay everyone who has saved your life?"

Zheng Zetian remained silent for a while.

"Yes, because not many people have saved me, so it's alright. I haven't really repaid the debts of gratitude I owe them yet. Tong'er is one, and he's the second."

Li Fan: "... Why don't I count?"

Zheng Zetian rolled his eyes at him. "I still can't tell whether my life was saved or I was tricked."

Li Fan chuckled and patted Zheng Zetian on the shoulder.

"Then go back to the previous save file. Fellow Daoist, you always keep your word and do what you say you will do. I'm truly reassured. I hope you can bring Song Dayou back this time. He's a good man and shouldn't have died like this. Is there anything else I can do? Just tell me."

Zheng Zetian nodded.

"There's one last thing. While there's still time, could you please explain the Great Learning to me, Your Excellency?"