"The master has instructed us not to kill indiscriminately..."
"Those who trespass into the forbidden area, regardless of the cause, shall be killed."
"Y-yes, the subordinate remembers..."
"After dealing with this matter, go to the Punishment Hall to receive punishment."
He's all pompous now, but I let out a cold snort and turned my neck, pinched my fingers, and cracked my knuckles a few times, getting my joints moving.
Zhiyan stared at me from behind, "What are you going to do? You said you would give me back my body if I answered your question, didn't you?" She seemed a bit panicked, perhaps remembering the trouble I caused when I was alive. "Are you planning to break your promise?"
I just narrowed my eyes, looking at the road at the end of the rainy curtain, listening to footsteps approaching. "You asked earlier who buried me, didn't you?" I said. "See for yourself."
As soon as I finished speaking, Moqing, dressed in black, appeared in my sight.
"It's... it's the head of the Wanlu Gate... Li Chenlan."
Oh, so his name is Li Chenlan, I chuckled. The son of the old demon king should indeed have the surname Li. When we first met, he refused to say his name and I had to come up with one for him. Now I realize, I was completely fooled by him from start to finish.
"Young lady," I called Zhiyan. "You said before that you wanted to join the Wanlu Gate, right?"
Zhiyan looked at me, puzzled. "Yes... yes."
"I have a simple solution," I turned to look at her, grinned evilly, "I established a rule when I founded the Wanlu Gate, whoever is capable of killing me has the qualifications to be the next head. I figure if you want revenge, joining the Wanlu Gate as a little underling wouldn't be very meaningful. How about..." I bared my fangs with a smile, "I give you a chance to become the head in one fell swoop, what do you think?"
"What does... becoming the head in one fell swoop mean?" Zhiyan seemed confused.
It means I'll make you the head of the gate.
I answered her in my mind, then my gaze turned cold, and I flicked my wrist, sucking the White Water Mirror Heart Sword from the ground into my hand. I wiped off the water and mud from the sword, staring at Moqing, who was approaching in the pouring rain. New and old grudges surged in my heart. I used the ground to launch myself into the air, and with a swing of the long sword, the sword aura rushed towards the figure in black.
"Protect the head!" The disciples shouted from behind, but before their voices even reached, my sword aura had already struck Moqing.
With a "clang," like a flash of lightning on the ground, rubbing against it to create the sound of thunder, I smirked gleefully in the vague rain. Inside Zhiyan's body, there was not enough internal energy, not enough strength, but even with a poor foundation, when I'm the one playing, I...
I...
Can't seem to play very well.
After the brilliance of the sword aura disappeared, Moqing still stood tall in the rain, with his hands behind his back, displaying a master's demeanor. Not only did my sword aura fail to hurt him, it didn't even cut a hole in his robe. But my previous sword aura successfully got his attention.
I couldn't see his expression clearly from this distance, but it was obvious that this person, compared to the one who stood in front of my tomb earlier, was completely different. His eyes were as cold as stars, his killing intent chilling, like he was a completely different person from the clown I knew before.
I was a bit absent-minded, but in that moment of distraction, Moqing suddenly moved.
Without any precautions, he flashed in front of me, and I only managed to see the golden seal in his palm.
A killing move! It will be fatal if it hits!
This thought flashed through my mind, and in a moment of crisis, I managed to barely block it with the White Water Mirror Heart Sword. There was a crisp sound, like a drop of water falling into a lake, but the immense force pushed me out, breaking through the rain curtain and flying far away. I finally landed, rolling like a dung ball, covered in mud, and then crashed into a rock, barely coming to a stop.
I spat out blood, "Wow." I let out a breath. I dropped the broken sword and lay on the ground in a sorry state, spitting for a long time without catching my breath.
This clown, now... playing, hehe, quite skillfully.
"Ah, ah, ah!" But the one screaming more loudly than me was Zhiyan's spirit in front of my tomb, "I'm going to die!" She was in a panic, like an ant at the edge of a pot, circling around my tomb, "My body, my body! I'm going to die!"
I coughed and spat out the blood in my throat. "Not dying," I said hoarsely. I raised my head and saw the ink marks on his face as he moved in front of me again.
The ink marks on his face seemed to have disappeared for an unknown period of time, yet at this moment, his complexion looked terrifyingly worse than when he had the marks.
I knew in my heart that there was a huge gap between me and Mo Qing, but since I had provoked him, the only thing to do now was...
To surrender.
"Master above!" I shouted, "I yield to you, a young lady concedes!"
Zhiyan shouted from the side, "We're doomed, the people of Wanlumen never spare anyone. Limo Head is ruthless. You're definitely dead, and I'm definitely dead. It's over, no chance to avenge my father..."
She muttered to herself on the side, and even Mo Qing couldn't hear her. I also knew that if someone from Wanlumen surrendered and was let go, then we wouldn’t have become the most prominent group of sorcerers back then...
So, I lifted my head sneakily to glance at Mo Qing, intending to figure out his thoughts and then respond accordingly.
But unexpectedly, when I raised my head, I saw Mo Qing staring at me with a somewhat bewildered expression. He looked at me, but also seemed to be looking through me at something else.
Anyway, I didn't understand this kind of ambiguous gaze from young people. I just needed to understand that right now, he didn't seem too eager to kill me.
Hmm, surrendering might work.
Leaving Zhiyan's body meant there were still plenty of opportunities for revenge. So I firmly surrendered without relaxing, completely changing the strategy of sending Zhiyan to heaven in one step. I planned to take a wonderful roundabout approach.
"Master! Oh no, that... Head of the Limo! I am... " I paused, coughed, "Lu Zhiyan."
Zhiyan's soul finally struggled over from the stele. She complained about how slow it was to walk as a ghost and told me, "My surname isn't Lu!"
Who cares what your surname is? I almost slipped up because of how accustomed I was to using your name. It was already quite an accomplishment for me to smoothly cover it up. I paid no attention to her and went on: "My father was harmed by Jianxinmen's Liu Wei. I had nowhere else to go, so I came here to seek refuge with Wanlumen. However, in front of the mountain gate, I was forced and intercepted by disciples of Jianxinmen, causing me to break into this place by accident. It was truly unintentional. I hope the master can forgive me."
I admitted my mistake and surrendered sincerely. Zhiyan stood on the side, staring at me, wide-eyed, and exclaimed, "Lu Zhaoyao... the female sorcerer... you... you're actually such a sorcerer!"
Hmph, naive little girl, adaptability and flexibility are fundamental to becoming a sorcerer. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Zhiyan who came floating over. Just as I was rolling my eyes, Mo Qing spoke up: "Seeking refuge?" He took a step forward, stepping on the fractured white water mirror sword, "Your swordsmanship is quite impressive."
His words carried sarcasm, reminding me of the fact that we had clashed with each other as soon as we met.
I smiled and said, "The master seems overly excited, and I wanted to spar with you. Honestly, it's not a boast. Based on my ability, within Wanlumen, apart from the master, I believe no one else is qualified to take me as a disciple."
I raised my head, blood dripping from my mouth, covered in mud, but with a sincere gaze. "Master, I wish to become your disciple!"
Mo Qing lowered his head to look at me, his eyes deep and silent, without saying a word. That distant look appeared in his eyes again.
I still didn't understand and could only allow the rain to drip between us, building layer upon layer of webs, wetting my hair and face repeatedly.
Finally, he moved slightly, and whether this body lived or died entirely relied on his whim...
"Huh! Want to become the master's disciple! You, the lapdog of Xianmen, are seeking beauty!" Suddenly, a guard who had followed and came up behind us interjected. I glanced at the face with a small, flat nose and eyes, remembering it. After he finished speaking, without stopping, he stepped over Mo Qing and raised his sword to strike me.
Hmph, daring to walk in front of the master, being so out of line! I can see that you won't rise to a high position within Wanlumen.
I am feeling disdainful in my heart. Sure enough, before he could raise the broadsword to its highest, he was struck by an invisible force and fell butt first into the mud. Mo Qing glanced sideways, his eyes cold: "Who gave you the courage to act?"
"The... leader." The snub-nosed attendant dared not even cry out in pain, immediately knelt on the ground, "The leader just said... anyone who trespasses the forbidden ground, regardless of cause and effect, should be... killed?" He trembled all over, his tone sounding a bit pitiful and wronged.
I can testify that Mo Qing did indeed say that just now.
However, what is a leader! A leader is someone who, when they say 'one', you must say 'one', and if the leader says it is not 'one', even if they just said 'one' before, you cannot remind the leader that they just said 'one'. Because this would make the leader seem very foolish, particularly losing face.
After all, I have also been a leader before, and I can understand the embarrassing feeling Mo Qing is experiencing as the leader now, encountering a foolish subordinate.
So, I kindly intervened: "I didn't trespass! I was forced to do it, you can't kill me." I turned my head, pointing to the fainted Liu Cangling: "Kill him, it's all his fault."
"No!"
Zhiyan called out from the side.
But apart from me, no one could hear the words of a ghost, not even Mo Qing, who had obtained the Wan Jun Sword and was so powerful.
I glanced at Zhiyan, not intending to pay her any attention. If I don't let Liu Cangling take the blame, then no one will. I'm not stupid. Of course, I prioritize protecting Zhiyan's body. Whether Liu Cangling lives or dies, it has nothing to do with me.
I turned my gaze back, looking at Mo Qing, waiting for him to decide.
In the end, Mo Qing turned and left, leaving only the words: "Arrange accommodation for Xiyue Peak."
This meant that he agreed to let me stay, but he didn't specify whether he would accept me as his apprentice or whether Liu Cangling would be killed. However, before leaving, as he passed my tombstone, his footsteps paused slightly, and he made a slight gesture with his fingers, and a shining golden boundary condensed on top of my grave, like holding up a large umbrella, blocking the pouring rain.
I raised an eyebrow.
What did he mean by that? Was he just casually giving a handout?
But I didn't have the opportunity to ask, and I couldn't ask. Mo Qing's figure had completely disappeared into the rain curtain.
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