Start Life Anew

After Yao Chen collected the souls of Han Feng and Protector Jiu, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian came over to him.

"Master, what are you planning to do with those two?"

Seeing that Yao Chen hadn't destroyed them outright, but had merely imprisoned them, the two asked curiously.

Yao Chen pondered for a while. Although Han Feng had been lured astray by Soul Hall, Yao Chen had raised him from childhood and treated him like a son. He couldn't help feeling a little reluctant.

"That wicked disciple, Han Feng, has a crooked heart. He was lured by Soul Hall into murdering his master, and deserves to be chopped into a thousand pieces. But..."

Yao Chen's face showed his hesitation. Xiao Yan saw what was on his mind and spoke up.

"Teacher, that beast Han Feng got off easy by dying. Why not wipe his memories and cultivation, then make him relive the life of a street vendor, running around every day just to make ends meet and suffering all his life?"

Seeing Yao Chen's expression ease, he continued.

"Teacher, what do you think of that punishment?"

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Yao Chen understood that his disciple was giving him an out. He replied,

"Little Yan, you truly are my disciple. That punishment would still be letting him off easy, but never mind. We'll do as you say."

Xiao Yan raised his hands and bowed to Yao Chen. "All right, Teacher."

Yao Chen took Han Feng's soul out of the jade bottle. The first thing Han Feng did when he saw him was beg for mercy.

"Master, I was wrong! Please, have mercy and spare my worthless life!"

Yao Chen had been calm, but at Han Feng's words his brows suddenly knitted together again. He turned to Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian.

"Little Yan, you and the girl go find a family first. I'll join you once I'm done here."

Xiao Yan agreed, then took Xiao Yi Xian and flew into Maple City to look around.

Watching them fly off, Yao Chen sternly told Han Feng what he hadn't understood back then.

"Wicked disciple! Why were you in such a hurry? What was mine would have been yours sooner or later."

Han Feng lowered his head in shame at Yao Chen's words.

"Teacher, I was wrong. Back then, people from Soul Hall found me and told me to assassinate you. At first, I firmly refused. Later, they kept giving me Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills and cultivation resources, saying they wanted nothing in return, so I accepted them. I never imagined they'd poison the scrolls. The poison had no color or smell and only affected my soul. They said that if I didn't obey them, my body and soul would be destroyed. That's why I did something so treacherous as betraying my master."

Yao Chen showed no expression, only stroking his beard as he said,

"When Soul Hall came to you, why didn't you tell me at once? If I'd known, I could have cured the poison."

"At the time, you and Venerable Feng had gone out to explore some ruins. I couldn't find anyone. They also said the poison would activate the instant I told anyone about it, and my body and soul would be destroyed in moments."

Han Feng spoke through his tears and snot.

"So it was my fault all those years ago!"

Yao Chen turned away and laughed toward the sky, but a tear still slipped from the corner of his eye.

A moment later, Yao Chen evaporated the tear with a Heavenly Flame, then turned to Han Feng.

"Since it's happened, I won't dwell on the past. Han Feng, I took you in and raised you, and you were later coerced into betraying your master like this."

At this, gratitude filled Han Feng's eyes. He knew he wouldn't have to die.

"But though you may escape death, you won't escape punishment! You tried to murder your master, after all. Your sentence is to live as an ordinary person from now on."

Hearing this, Han Feng immediately kowtowed to Yao Chen again and again, thanking him aloud.

"Don't celebrate too soon. I'm going to erase your memories and cripple your cultivation."

Han Feng hadn't even had time to react before Yao Chen's hand, wreathed in Dream-Illusion Blazing Flame, reached the top of his head and hypnotized him deep within his soul.

"Don't blame me for being ruthless. If I keep talking with you like this, I'm afraid I won't be able to bring myself to do it. Go start life anew and be a good person."

In the blink of an eye, Han Feng's soul had been hypnotized.

Yao Chen then used Dream-Illusion Blazing Flame to cripple Han Feng's cultivation and took his Sea Heart Flame as well.

Looking at Han Feng as he was now, Yao Chen put him in a jade bottle.

"You Soul Hall scum, once I've gathered the materials for the Heavenly Demon Puppet, I'll put you to use."

Yao Chen cursed at Protector Jiu in the other jade bottle.

Just then, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian sent Yao Chen a signal, saying they'd found a suitable person.

Yao Chen immediately used Flying Thunder God to teleport over.

"Teacher, what do you think of this place?"

Xiao Yan pointed at the blacksmith shop in front of them.

"The man who owns it got into an argument with Han Feng's men while he was smithing. They beat him badly, and he's about to die."

"He has five children who need looking after. His wife was bullied years ago, and she ran off because she thought he was a good-for-nothing."

Yao Chen looked at the middle-aged man lying on the sickbed and nodded.

"This will do. Let's choose this family and let that wicked disciple see the harm he caused."

As he spoke, Yao Chen placed Han Feng's soul inside the middle-aged man and healed his injuries.

"Little Yan, girl, let's leave. He can suffer on his own from here."

Yao Chen left with Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian, unaware that he had secretly put a bag of gold coins under the pillow.

"Wicked disciple, I hope you can start life anew and be a good person this time."

Yao Chen and Xiao Yan were now preparing to head to Jia Nan Academy in pursuit of the Fallen Heart Flame.

When they were an hour away from Jia Nan Academy, Yao Chen and the others stopped.

"Little Yan, girl, your cultivation is too high. Jia Nan Academy won't accept you. I'll place a restriction on your cultivation to lower you to the level of a Three-Star Dou Ling, so you can enter the academy."

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian both nodded in agreement.

"Little Yan, I'll give you the Heavenly Flame that wicked disciple Han Feng had after we're done here. And girl, I've found a pill that can completely transform your constitution. While you and Little Yan are here, train hard and don't get into mischief. Notify me at once when the Fallen Heart Flame goes wild."

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian looked at Yao Chen with deep reluctance.

"All right, Teacher. Begin. We won't let you down."

With that, Yao Chen began using a technique to suppress their cultivation.

Yao Chen's expression turned grave. His hands moved swiftly through seals as mysterious light flowed across his fingertips.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian stood before him, tense but full of trust.

As Yao Chen chanted, the light flew toward the two like ropes and instantly enveloped them.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian felt a powerful force invade their bodies, and the flow of their Dou Qi grew sluggish.

The light gradually faded, and the aura around the two plummeted.