Grievances Laid to Rest for a Time

Su Yao emerged from the Purple Empyrean Golden Palace, descended the white jade steps, crossed the Rainbow Bridge to the east, passed through the pear grove, and arrived at a secluded courtyard on the eastern side of the mountainside.

The courtyard gate was half-closed, and above the gate hung a plain wooden plaque with the three characters "Pear Cloud Courtyard" written in delicate and gentle handwriting, clearly the work of a woman.

Su Yao pushed open the door and entered. The pear blossoms in the courtyard were in full bloom, with several old pear trees scattered among them, their petals scattered on the ground. Two pots of tea on the stone table were still warm, but there was only one teacup, sitting forlornly on the edge of the table.

Su Yao stood in the courtyard for a moment, and when he sensed that Zilin was not there, he sighed softly. He pushed open the wooden door of the main room. The room was simply furnished with a couch, a table, and a bookshelf. On the table was Zhang Su white Xuan paper, with a purple jade paperweight on top of it.

On the Xuan paper, the ink was still wet, and the characters, though delicate, were slightly hasty, depicting a short poem:

The courtyard is filled with pear blossoms falling like snowflakes, the branches with missing petals are filled with sorrow.

You kept it from me until now, only telling me it was the season when the flowers bloom.

Don't say it, don't say it, the flowers have fallen and no one is there to pick them.

At the end of the painting, a small pear blossom was drawn, but one of its petals was missing.

Su Yao looked at the pear blossom with a missing petal, then at the short poem, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"You've kept it from me until now... a branch with a broken petal... fallen flowers with no one to pluck them." He murmured it over, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "This is an insult to me."

He picked up his brush, dipped it in ink on the back of the rice paper, and with a clear and sharp stroke, composed a poem:

I'm not hiding this from you out of deceit, but because I fear it will cause you to hesitate.

I watch the flowers fall as they fall, and await your search for the missing petals.

Don't be angry, don't be angry, let's preserve the last days of spring for you.

As he finished painting, he picked up his brush again and drew a five-petaled pear blossom, then added another petal next to it, making it six petals in total. The crooked and distorted blossom looked quite comical next to Zilin's delicate pear blossom.

He folded the Xuan paper, put it in his sleeve, left Pear Cloud Courtyard, and headed straight for the caves cave abode of Qixia Mountain.

Before the cave abode complex, the disciples on duty bowed respectfully upon seeing Su Yao arrive. Su Yao waved his hand and asked where Zilin was in seclusion. The disciple retrieved the seclusion records, flipped through them, and pointed to a spot.

Su Yao followed the direction and soon arrived at a cave abode. The stone door was tightly closed, and the spiritual light of the barrier flickered. He stood in front of the cave abode for a long time, neither knocking nor sending a message, but simply gazing at the stone door.

After a long while, he raised his hand and, using his finger as a brush, slowly drew a rainbow pattern on the stone gate. The rainbow pattern was extremely faint, like the palest hue of dawn on the horizon. After finishing, he took out the sheet of Xuan paper from before and stuffed it into the gate. The next moment, the rainbow pattern disappeared into the stone gate.

This was a secret signal he and Zilin had agreed upon. When the rainbow pattern lit up, she knew it was him.

He withdrew his hand, took two steps back, nodded slightly towards the stone gate, and then turned and left.

Leaving the cave abode complex, Su Yao headed straight for the Ancestral Hall.

In the Return to Truth Hall, he lit three sticks of incense, bowed three times to the tablets of Master Yun Zhongzi and the five other masters, inserted the incense into the incense burner, and then bowed once to the wooden tablets of the past abbots that covered the wall.

After the ceremony, he left the Return to Truth Hall, but instead of leaving, he turned to the east, passed through a moon gate, and stepped into a very secluded courtyard.

The courtyard was devoid of flowers and trees, containing only a small stone hut. Above the door was no plaque or inscription, but a faded yellow talisman. The talisman was covered with dense, spiderweb-like restrictions, completely enveloping the stone hut.

Hall of Reflection.

Su Yao stopped outside the courtyard gate, his brows furrowing as he listened to the seductive sounds coming from inside.

He closed his eyes, his thoughts churning, returning to many years ago.

Before him, Daozheng had taken in a disciple with a pure heart at the foot of Qixia Mountain. After guiding him to achieve the Purple Mansion, he bestowed upon him the title "Qingli". He was Su Yao's senior brother.

Qingli was exceptionally talented and kind-hearted, and both Daozheng and Qingzhu regarded him as their successor. Before Daozheng succeeded him as the abbot of Qixia Temple, Daozheng that Qingli had cultivated to the Purple Mansion stage, so he sent him down the mountain to contact many fellow Mysterious Gate of the Xuanmen sect.

But as soon as they descended the mountain, trouble ensued.

As soon as they descended the mountain, the True Lord of Blood Homeland Heaven came to block the entrance, and Daozheng and Qingzhu were held back and unable to intervene. Then, the Confucian School took the lead, and Blood Homeland Heaven of Following Desire, Cong Yu Heaven and the other two families jointly arranged to provide them with things, Cultivation Method and Spirit Treasure. They also arranged for the then magistrate of Qinghe Commandery City, the Hepu Witch Tribe and the Noon Sparrow Mountain family to test them with various methods, such as threatening them with favors, seducing them with beautiful women, or pressuring them with the Dao Path.

Ultimately, Qingli succumbed to temptation after being ambushed by a elixir made from a spiritual object. He had an affair with his granddaughter from his secular family at the foot of the mountain, corrupting his Daoist heart. Afterwards, the Confucian School condemned Qixia Mountain with various moral condemnations.

After the True Lord Daozheng blocking the gate left, he captured Qingli and brought him back to the mountain. But by then, the desire energy had already entered Qingli's Spirit Platform —not just on the surface, but deeply embedded in the depths of the Spirit Platform, intertwined with the Rising Yang Mansion.

Even if Daozheng shamelessly begged the sect leader, there was nothing he could do. In the end, it was the immortals of the Jieshi Dao Lineage who said that only the sages of the Confucian School could intervene.

Left with no other choice, Daozheng had to reluctantly part with his beloved, removing the "Qing" generation name and replacing it with Guangli," imprisoning him in the Hall of Reflection.

Then they captured the magistrate of Qinghe Commandery City, fed him with the lustful spirits they had seized in the South Sea, and used Secret Method to transform him into Desire Devil. They sent him to the gate of the Vast Righteousness Academy, but his master secretly released him, and he was incorporated into the Heaven of Following Desire.

Then there were the Noon Sparrow Mountain and Hepu Witch Tribe. Those who intervened at the time, regardless of their cultivation level, were all humiliated to death and eventually burned to ashes, forcing everyone in both factions to consume them.

Su Yao himself had never met Guangli. Later, a Great True Person from the Yuanfu infiltrated Golden Ao Mountain. Before the incident, Guangli was hiding in Golden Ao Mountain and killed the Grand Master with the Turbid and Clear Branch. He never saw him again after that.

Later, when Su Yao returned, he asked Qingzhu about it. Qingzhu said that he had foreseen that the Yuanfu going to make a move, so he used a Rainbow Clouds Golden Nature supplemented with Immortal Method to implant it into Guangli's body and sent him to Golden Ao Mountain. Then he captured him and imprisoned him in the Hall of Reflection.

When Su Yao was young, he had just reached the Qi Refining, and there were still many cultivators on the mountain who had received Guangli's kindness.

Because of Su Yao's appearance, Guangli had no chance to turn things around, so he targeted Su Yao openly and secretly a lot. But although Su Yao was young at the time, he did not hold back and took the opportunity to eliminate them one by one.

Su Yao took a deep breath, suppressed his thoughts, took out the Daoist Gate Talisman Edict, and activated it with his Law Power. The talisman lit up, and the restrictions on the door gradually disappeared. He pushed open the stone door and stepped into the Hall of Reflection.

Upon entering the Hall of Reflection, Su Yao saw a man and a woman, their clothes disheveled, engaging in sexual intercourse on the ground. The man was Guangli, handsome in appearance, but with an inexplicable air of sinister malice and decadence in his eyes. The woman's face was obscured, and she was surrounded by a swirling aura of lust.

Su Yao frowned slightly. Sensing the movement, Guangli turned around, looked at Su Yao, and upon recognizing the person, sneered, about to make a move—

The next moment, in the Hall of Reflection, the Wu Earth appeared out of thin air like chains, firmly binding Guangli to the spot. The Wu Earth chains were engraved with dense runes, which were set up by Daozheng back then, specifically to suppress him.

Su Yao remained silent, looked at the woman, and pointed into the air. A beam of rainbow light shot out, and the woman immediately transformed into a grayish-white bead, which slid to the ground.

Su Yao stepped forward to avoid Guangli, bent down to pick up the bead, glanced at it, and said indifferently:

"Where did my treasure- Subterranean Water Spirit Treasure, the 'Spirit -Spirit Concealing Pearl,' go? It turns out my senior brother brought it to Spirit Treasure Hall of Reflection and used it to conjure up women to commit lewd acts. How utterly self-deceiving!"

Guangli was bound by the Wu Earth chains. He struggled a few times, but the chains didn't budge. He raised his head and looked at Su Yao, his eyes surging with resentment and unwillingness.

"Su Yao... you've finally arrived."

His voice was hoarse and low, as if he hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time.

"What, are you here to laugh at me?"

Su Yao didn't reply, he just looked at him.

Guangli sneered and continued:

"If it weren't for you back then, Daozheng would have gone to East Kunlun to beg the Sect Leader for help, and I would have left this Hall of Reflection long ago. Daozheng brought you up the mountain, and I knew then that there was no place for me on Qixia Mountain."

His voice grew louder and louder, as if he were pouring out centuries of resentment all at once:

"You are exceptionally talented, your cultivation is incredibly fast, you are the center of attention, but what about me? I am nothing more than a used pawn! Once used, I am thrown into this Hall of Reflection, where I have been imprisoned for hundreds of years! Su Yao, tell me, is this fair?"

Su Yao did not answer.

In a flash, he was in front of Guangli and kicked him.

This kick had no Law Power or Divine Ability; it was purely physical strength.

Su Yao Five Laws Perfection, and his physical body had been tempered by the "Raise Wood to Reach the Heavens" technique. The force of this kick was more than ten thousand jin.

Guangli was kicked backward and flew through the air, crashing heavily into the stone wall of the Hall of Reflection with a dull thud.

The restriction on the stone wall lit up for a moment, dissipating most of the impact, but Guangli was still shaken so badly that a trace of black blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He lay on the ground, coughed a few times, and struggled to lift his head to look at Su Yao, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You..."

Su Yao withdrew his foot, looking down at him with a calm and unwavering gaze:

"Senior brother, that kick was delivered on behalf of Daozheng."

Guangli's lips moved, and a single word escaped his throat. "You..."

"You say you're a used pawn." Su Yao's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, "But have you ever considered why the Daozheng has imprisoned you in the Hall of Reflection for hundreds of years without killing you?"

Guangli opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Because Daozheng still remembers you as his disciple," Su Yao continued, "He couldn't bring himself to do it. Qingzhu couldn't bring herself to do it either. That's why you've been able to live to this day, and even use the Spirit Concealing Pearl to conjure up women and commit filthy acts in the Hall of Reflection."

He paused, his gaze falling on Guangli's face. "Senior brother, I don't blame you for hating me. But will venting all your resentment from the past few hundred years on me make you feel any better? You hate me for taking your place, but you threw that place away yourself."

Guangli stared intently at Su Yao, his eyes swirling with an indescribable mix of emotions: resentment, unwillingness, confusion, and a faint trace of regret that even he himself was unwilling to acknowledge.

"You said that if it weren't for me back then, Daozheng would have gone to East Kunlun to beg the Sect Leader for help." Su Yao's voice remained calm. "But do you think Daozheng didn't go?"

Guangli's lips moved slightly.

"Daozheng gone." Su Yao's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a needle piercing the deepest part of Guangli's heart. "But the immortals of the Jieshi Dao Lineage said that this method can only be performed by Confucian School. Even if the sect leader can dispel lustful qi, can he dispel your Dao heart? What you did with your cousin down the mountain, was it lustful qi that forced you, or was it your own choice? When Daozheng brought you back, lustful qi had already seeped into your Spirit Platform and grown together with the Rising Yang Mansion. Even if Daozheng begs the sect leader, he can't completely remove it."

Guangli's face turned completely pale.

Su Yao looked at him, his gaze holding something indescribable—not pity, nor guilt, but a faint, almost compassionate calm.

"You hate yourself. You hate yourself for not holding on back then. You hate yourself for letting a single elixir destroy your Dao heart. You hate yourself, but you dare not hate yourself, so you hate me, hate Daozheng, hate Qingzhu, hate everyone. But you dare not hate yourself."

Guangli opened his mouth, but only managed to squeeze out a single word. "No..."

"Senior brother, rest in peace." Su Yao's voice returned to calm. With a flick of his right hand, the Pear Blossom Return was already in his palm. The sword's blade was as white as moonlight frost, and a clear sword light flickered at its tip. "In your Spirit Platform, the desire energy has become intertwined with the Rising Yang Mansion. Even immortals cannot remove it. Daozheng and Qingzhu couldn't bring themselves to do it, so I came."

Guangli stared at him, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something, but only a hoarse word escaped his throat:

"You..."

He suddenly smiled.

The laughter was dry and desolate, echoing in the Hall of Reflection: "What a Daozheng to kick someone out of Daozheng's name! Su Yao, you make it sound so nice, but you're just cleaning up Daozheng's mess! If you kill me, Daozheng and Qingzhu will only thank you! You gain fame and favors, what better deal in the world!"

Su Yao wasn't angry. He simply looked at Guangli, his gaze holding something unreadable:

"Senior brother, you're right. I've gained fame and favor." He held the Pear Blossom Return horizontally in front of him, the tip pointing Guangli's brow. "But have you considered this? If I hadn't come today, Daozheng and Qingzhu would never have been able to get over this hurdle. They wouldn't have been able to bring themselves to do it, and they could only watch you rot away in this Hall of Reflection. Now that I'm here, although they're saddened, at least they can get through this hurdle."

Guangli's smile froze on his face.

Seeing this, Su Yao did not immediately make a move, but instead released his full aura, the aura of the Five Laws Perfection instantly filling the entire Hall of Reflection.

Guangli looked at him, his cloudy eyes swirling with something indescribable, and finally managed to squeeze out only one sentence:

"Su Yao... you... Five Laws Perfection?"

Su Yao did not reply upon hearing this.

The Pear Blossom Return trembled, and a point of clear sword light, like the breaking of dawn, silently pierced Guangli's brow.

As the Sword Intent surged in, Guangli's figure suddenly stiffened.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only a hoarse word escaped his throat.

His physical body shattered inch by inch amidst the Sword Intent, and his desire energy surged forth like boiling water, but it was firmly locked by the Wu Earth Chains, unable to spill out. Su Yao flipped his left hand, and the Transforming Azure Bracelet lit up. The illusory image of Qingyang leaped out and swallowed the desire energy into the bracelet in one gulp.

At the same time, Su Yao secretly colluded with Prism, drawing Guangli's true spirit out of the shattered Rising Yang Mansion and into Prism.

The Prism trembled slightly, drawing the true spirit into its depths.

Su Yao sheathed his sword and stood there, gazing at the spot where Guangli had vanished. He remained silent for a long time. Regardless of whether he succeeded in seeking gold, if he failed, he would use the Prism at the last moment to send Guangli into reincarnation, as a way of repaying Daozheng and Qingzhu for their nurturing kindness.

Then, he put the Spirit Concealing Pearl into his sleeve, turned around, and left the Hall of Reflection.

The stone door slowly closed behind them, and the protective barrier lit up again.

Su Yao stood in the courtyard, glanced at the northern horizon, and then transformed into a beam of light, flying towards the cave abode complex.

The afterglow faded in an instant, and a figure in blue appeared outside the Hall of Reflection at some unknown time.

Qingzhu looked up at the sky, his Azure Jade- green eyes swirling with something indescribable—pain, guilt, and a faint sense of relief. He stood outside the courtyard gate for a long time, but ultimately did not push open the stone door. Instead, he lowered his head, turned around, and slowly walked towards the depths of the back mountain.

There is a word cloud:

Pear blossoms fall, a lone figure stands; a sorrowful lament hangs in the air, but who will hear it?

The rainbow pattern subtly penetrates the stone door lock.

The petals are patched to form pairs, and the empty courtyard is locked in reflection.

With a single kick, the hatred of yesteryear is shattered; the sword's gleam wipes away the lingering stench.

The true spirit enters the Prism Underworld.

Two figures in blue robes stood in different places, their grudges settled in an instant.