Qingjing Sword Temple

Blood Pill.

Hearing this term, along with the judgment from the mysterious voice, An Jing felt his breathing grow rapid and his vision blur. His once steady gait became unsteady, and he bit his lip until it bled.

Then, he began to laugh.

"Ha, haha... Is this what Vice Envoy Yao wanted me to see?"

An Jing muttered to himself, raising his head to scan the dozens of 'medicine vats'.

The numbers didn't add up. Perhaps not all those eliminated became 'medicine'; a significant portion likely became riders or servants, but... did that make any fundamental difference?

"Manor Master, oh Manor Master..."

An Jing calmed down instead: "What reaction did you think I would have?"

"Indifference? Anger? Hatred? Or... fear?"

He asked himself, and then received an answer.

--Of course it is fear, An Jing. Do you think you have no fear?

--You lived feigning ignorance to survive and avoid suspicion; did you not ignore those possibilities, pretend not to see those clues, and subconsciously avert your gaze?

--You comforted yourself, saying those people might not necessarily die. You are different from them; you are a genius. Even if people were truly being eaten, it would never be you. You are the one who can feast; you are a class above them.

--As long as you are still afraid, as long as you still fear death, you will gradually degenerate and convince yourself.

--The Demonic Sect saw through you long ago. It doesn't matter if you are sentimental or heartless. As long as you are afraid, they have nothing to fear.

"I... am not afraid of death!"

Taking a deep breath, An Jing wanted to refute this, but he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Because just now, he suddenly understood—he might indeed not fear death, but he feared something more: the death of those around him.

Just as a man might not fear his own sacrifice, he would hesitate at the thought of his elderly parents, his family, his relatives, and his close friends back home.

It was not a lack of courage, but having a weakness.

In Xuanming Manor, he still had two living friends; Gu Yeqi and Cang Linzu were still alive. Beyond that, there were over a hundred children who called him Senior Brother.

He could not act recklessly.

If he were a truly heartless demon, already subtly changed by the Demonic Sect, he would not resist the sect for the sake of this scene; instead, he would choose to assimilate, become one of them, and become the person who decides 'who to sacrifice'.

He would become the next Manor Master Yao, or perhaps an even higher-ranking Northern Patrol Envoy.

And if he were a righteous person of deep sentiment, even after discovering all this, he would still not turn against them for the sake of his two living friends. Not to mention, the Demonic Sect had provided the medicinal herbs to save his mother; if he were truly a purely kind person, he would be timid and choose to remain a member of the Demonic Sect because of this 'debt of gratitude'.

Eventually, he would be assimilated.

He could not have it both ways; he could not keep his friends safe while also resisting the Demonic Sect.

He could not be ungrateful, keep his friendships, and stay true to his heart all at once.

Because anyone who tried would either be the most foolish of commoners or a monster that defied all reason.

He was neither.

And the most sorrowful thing was that An Jing realized one thing.

"My thinking has truly begun to shift toward the Demonic Sect... I actually feel that these are just children who would have died in natural disasters anyway. Their lives were bought by the Demonic Sect, so they shouldn't complain if they die after being eliminated. After all, the Demonic Sect let them live a little longer and took good care of them for a while."

"But, even so, even if their lives were bought, can they not resist when facing death?"

He stared at the skull: "I..."

--What exactly should I do?

[Kid, steady your mind.]

The mysterious voice said: [This is what the Demonic Sect wants—in moments of great sorrow and rage, when your mind is shaken, you will make choices you would never make under normal circumstances.]

"I understand."

Taking one last deep look at the skull, which had been scraped bone-white, An Jing reached out and wiped his face.

It was the feel of rain, mixed with the taste of tears.

He replaced the stone lid and moved his now-clear gaze away from the courtyard of vats: "I understand better than anyone."

[What will you do now?]

The mysterious voice said: [Will you run away, or seek revenge? Or perhaps...]

[Do you intend to ignore these people who have nothing to do with you and continue being their Senior Brother here?]

An Jing closed his eyes. He thought of the flesh being cooked in the refugee camp, the children being eaten.

He had originally wanted to believe, to believe that there was truly a group of people in this world willing to pay the price to teach a group of children, to teach them martial arts and training, and then have them become one of their own. That was the martial arts sect in his mind.

He had such fantasies, hoping the world was that simple, peaceful, and tranquil, so he could rest easy, be his Senior Brother, slowly let his guard down, and eventually fight for Xuanming Manor.

But all those fantasies were shattered.

At this moment, there was no raging fire in An Jing's heart; he only felt a bone-chilling, shivering realization.

--So, no matter where I go, will I always be eaten?

--If I don't want to be eaten, must I eat others?

This world, this realm...

I...

Will never do as you wish!

Opening his eyes once more, An Jing's gaze regained its brilliance.

Within his pupils, tiny sparks of fire ignited: "I once told my mother that if those who bought my life were demons or heretics, I would seek an opportunity to escape and would never collude with them."

"But now, I want to do more; I want it all."

"I want to take my companions and escape."

"I don't want to eat people, nor do I want to be eaten! As long as I see it, I will definitely resist!"

He spoke through gritted teeth: "Even if it's impossible, I will try, even if the result is death."

--Just like a rabbit whose life has been bought, or a crab trapped in a cage, I will still kick them, I will still pinch them!

[Very good.]

That voice, crisp and resonant, the sound of a sword laughed, carrying the scent of clashing steel: [I truly did not misjudge you.]

[These demonic cultists think they have already grasped you, that you cannot escape the palm of their hands, so they allow your actions—they are wrong, because I am here, and because they failed to see through your true nature.]

[An Jing, what you think is indeed correct; those who want everything are either the most ignorant of fools or monsters that transcend all reason. Although you are a true genius, you are not yet a monster capable of transcending all this.]

[But I will give you the chance to become a monster that transcends all reason; however, whether you can succeed in the end depends entirely on yourself.]

[Now, first suppress the demonic thoughts in your heart. I will impart to you a method of contemplation, which is the foundation of all techniques...]

Before the voice finished, a mantra and a method of contemplation were transmitted into An Jing's mind.

[The spirit is born from the Dao; the Dao is pure and still, thus the spirit is inherently pure and still...]

[The spirit is like a mirror; if it is dark and dim, wipe it with intent and it shall brighten. The spirit is like water; if it is disturbed and murky, calm it with the heart and it shall clear. The spirit is like a sword; if it is rusted and corroded, polish it with determination and it shall sharpen. This is the clarity of the pure and still...]

Qingjing Sword Temple