Shen Qingqiu softly said: “This is not the problem.”
Luo Binghe refused to let it rest: “Then what is the problem?”
Shen Qingqiu gripped his fan: “We will talk about it after the present situation is resolved.”
Luo Binghe slowly retreated, with a smile: “Agreed.”
He softly replied: “....In any case, there will be time to discuss later.”
Everyone could sense that the creatures concealed in the surrounding crowded foliage that obscured the sky, the waist-high under-bush, and the cracks of the deathly pale rocks were starting to stir. The lustrous green eyes and soft breathy sounds akin to the rise and fall of minute waves.
At this time, the advantages of letting Luo Binghe walk at the front were amply displayed. No matter which direction he walked in, the demonic winds immediately ceased and fell silent. The hidden creatures either feigned death in large groups or made rustling noises in their frantic attempt to retreat.
If he wanted to put it more unpleasantly, it was similar to following a god of pestilence.
With the assistance of this god, the expected time took to find their destination was exponentially faster.
Anyone that wasn’t blind could see the signs when amidst the white fog, a black vapor surged to the skies.
The entrance to this cave was concealed by the heavy foliage that cast heavy shadows over it. A cold breeze drifted out while they stood at the cave entrance. Everyone stopped, hesitating.
He envisioned murdering 800 generals, hacking 1000 demonic artifacts as well as venomous insects and strange plants, before painstakingly making his way to the final checkpoint.
Even if there weren’t so many procedures, his clothes should be stained with blood before he engaged in the boss fight?!
One sect Leader replied: “Maybe, we should not make any rash moves.”
Another agreed replying: “It’s best to scout the present situation.”
Luo Binghe replied: “That is certain.”
Just as he finished speaking, Mobei-jun kicked Shang Qinghua out.
He really kicked him to go out...got out...go out..out
Under Shen Qingqiu’s shocked gaze, Shang Qinghua’s frantically fled to the caves to “scout the present situation”.
After quite some time of silence, suddenly, a miserable shriek emitted from the cave: “AAAAAHHHHHH!”
Shen Qingqiu found it unbearable to listen to and reacted faster than lightning and snatch a pile of vine leaves, and he was just about to follow everyone into the cave when he heard a voice: “We meet again, Peak Lord Shen.”
Xin Mo was inserted in a crack in the rock at the end of the cave. Black vapor and purple smoke poured out of it.
Tianlang-jun sat on top of a limestone that Shang Qinghua stood near to.
The skylight shone and lit up Tianlang-jun’s body. At once someone drew in a breath of cold air.
Finally, Shen Qingqiu understood why Shang Qinghua shrieked so miserably.
Although Tianlang-jun’s smile was as elegant as before, the entire half of his left face had turned a purplish black due to putrefaction, it made his smile seem frightening.
His right sleeve was empty and shrivelled up. It seemed like the arm that kept dropping down was unable to be reattached again.
This worn out, dying appearance, was not quite the same as what Shen Qingqiu had pictured for the final boss.
Shen QIngqiu could not help but take note of Luo Binghe’s appearance. Only to see that his face was near to a stupefied serenity, not knowing what he felt.
Tianlang-jun inclined his head to the side, replying: “The ones that came were less than I expect. I still thought it would be like that time at Bailu Mountain, with several hundred experts battling together.”
Wu Wang humphed: “Look at yourself, this visage of yours doesn’t look like a human nor a ghost, with nary any soldiers in sight, was there even a need for so many people?”
Tianlang-jun answered: “I don’t have any soldiers here, but I do have a nephew.”
Before his sentence finished, a green shadow flashed in the middle of the cave. Zhuzhi-lang silently blocked the front of Tianlang-jun.
He didn’t know why this master and servant pair both cut a sorry figure. It was understandable that Tianlang-jun’s plant body rotted until it was filled with bumps and dents as it was not suitable with the demonic miasma. Zhuzhi-lang’s looked malevolent and sinister, his pupils were yellow and his exposed body parts such as his forehead, cheek, hands and arms were covered with scales, he appeared similar to the half snake and human creature at the Luzhi cave.
He hoarsely rasped: “Teacher Shen.”
Shen Qingqiu answered: “It is me...how did you become like this?”
Yue Qingyuan calmly asked: “Shidi, what is the relationship between you and this person?”
Their relationship was deep. The sequence of event that lead to today was largely due to this person. Just as Shen Qingqiu was about to speak, Tianlang-jun touched his chin and regarded Yue Qingyuan with narrowed eyes: “I remember you.”
He pondered before confidently saying: “Once you did not understand when that old man at Huan Hua Palace wanted you to help him steal. Presently, the Cang Qiong sect leader is you? You’re not doing too bad.”
Yue Qingyuan replied: “Respected one’s memory is also not too bad.”
Tianlang-jun smiled and sighed.
“If you all were suppressed under a pitch dark place for a few decades, without seeing the days, and could only think of the past to pass time, you all would have a memory as good as mine.”
This time no one answered him. Yue Qingyuan gripped Xuan Su tightly and struck.
Tianlang-jun managed to dodge it, rumbles echoed in the cave and half of the wall behind him crumbled leaving a hole, leaving a space behind that the rocks and sand fell into. The cold wind entered in gushes, and snowflake fragments danced in the space creating a captivating sight. Continuous faint beastial cries and combative sounds that successively increased in volume came from the ice surface a hundred *zhang* below. The first wave of the southern border demon clan had fallen.
Tianlang-jun said: “I guess it must be Bai Zhan Peak leading the charge. Am I correct?”
About ten people dispersed and went off to various corners. Wu Wang commanded vigorously, fighting amply vicious enough attacking at the front. Zhu Zhilang was forced to retreat little by little by Xuan Su, however he still diligently drew away the attacks. Tianlang-jun continued sitting on the limestone asking in a very leisurely manner: “I remember during that year, you hesitated till the last minute before drawing your blade. Why are you acting like this now?”
Yue Qingyuan did not deign to reply to him and was about to strike Zhu Zhilang in the chest before another Sect Leader rushed in. Zhu Zhilang stayed in place and took the blow, however the one that emitted a blood curdling scream was that Sect Leader.
Shen Qingqiu’s pupils shrunk and he shouted: “Do not touch him, he is covered in poison!”
During the melee, several people were poisoned, several people were blasted away from the cave by the demonic energy, their bodies flying out midair, the only thing that prevented them from falling was them taking out flying swords midair.
Mobei-jun appeared in the middle of the fight as though he was a ghost, lifted up Shang Qinghua, threw him to Shen Qingqiu as though he threw a chick, before throwing a punch at Zhuzhi-lang.
Shen Qingqiu experienced what it meant by a vicious beating in the next ten seconds.
On one side Zhuzhi-lang was beaten incessantly by Mobei-jun, on the other the attacks on Tianlang-jun suddenly increased.
Even though Tianlang-jun did not have a hand, and dueled many simultaneously, he still remained elegant, saying: “Ai, why are you acting like this. Isn’t it dishonourable to attack one with so many?”
One sect leader took the opportunity to rebuke him: “There is no talking about honour when dealing with a demon that harbours evil intentions and wishes to throw the world into chaos like you!”
In the next moment, his head was crushed into pieces like a garlic petal, Tianlang-jun laughed, replying: “Actually in the beginning I did not harbour any evil intentions and did not find sowing chaos in the world interesting. Occasionally crossing over here to sing some songs and reading some books was pleasant. However, after being suppressed in Bailu Mountain for so many years with no clue on your intentions really makes me unable to resign myself to it.”
Yue Qingyuan moved his fingers and Xuan Su raised three inches out of its sheath, its spiritual power increasing rapidly. Tianlang-jun cracked his joints “*Yi*” replying: “As expected of a Sect Leader. Good, your master was not much but he had a good eye for choosing his successor and disciples.”
He extended a hand and grabbed Xuan Su’s blade point, and laughed in a ignorant and unfeeling manner: “Why dont you pull it out all the time? Only now yet you still couldn’t defeat me.”
Yue Qingyuan’s pupils dilated and Xuan Su once again rose one inch out of its sheath!
Only to suddenly hear Luo Binghe suddenly say: “If he can’t defeat you. What about me?”
Tianlang-jun’s smile stayed, suddenly, a strong gust of demonic energy sliced akin to a hatchet or a machete.
His remaining hand was severed by the arm and picked up by the gale which sent it out of the cave and thrown off Maigu Mountain Ridge.
Luo Binghe had finally shown his hand.
The second face off between the father and son this time stripped Tianlang-jun of the ability to retaliate.
Luo Binghe was infuriated, his face was tense as he ruthlessly attacked with no mercy. Now with Tianlang-jun’s loss of his arms, he was in a restricted position and was starting to look overwhelmed. Zhuzhi-lang had just expended great effort to rid himself of Mobei-jun, his upper body and face badly mangled and rushed over immediately upon seeing his master in distress as though he was high on the adrenaline during the battle. Coincidentally Wu Wang was struck by Tianlang-jun’s demonic energy and he flew back coughing a mouthful of blood hence *Dashi* Wu Chen went to catch him. Seeing that Zhuzhi-lang was about to knock him, Shen Qingqiu saw that the conditions were not good and immediately moved his body to shield Master Wu Chen.
Zhuzhi-lang gazed at Shen Qingqiu, and calmness flashed over his glistening yellow eyes and he suddenly stopped. This caused him to become unstable and stagger before nearly tripping, just as he was about to bypass Shen Qingqiu to aid Tianlang-jun, suddenly a ray of white lighted pierced over. Zhuzhi-lang back heavily impacted the cave wall and he was pinned to the rock above by his chest.
That long sword at his chest was Zheng Yang.
Shen Qingqiu returned and Luo Binghe slowly withdrew his hand while Tianlang-jun patiently stood behind him two zhang away.
After standing for a while, he fell, and collapsed elegantly.
……
Was the fight over?
It was that simple?
Shen Qingqiu found it a bit hard to accept.
He didn’t even fight for very long and it was over?
He patted Shang Qinghua: “...Didn’t you say that Tianlang-jun was difficult to defeat?”
Shang Qinghua answered:“...Yes very difficult.”
Shen Qingqiu: “Is this victory illogical?”
Shang Qinghua: “No matter how powerful the boss is, it is nothing that the main character cannot overcome. Isn’t this publicly known logic?”
Both of them surveyed around, when they came there were about ten people with full *HP*, now, there were only a few still standing. Shen Qingqiu looked at the two in front that constituted the most difficult boss. One was pinned to the wall bleeding profusely; the other was lying on the ground matching the description of “a doll which seams had broken from being trampled over”.
There wasn’t even the sense of satisfaction he gained from defeating the final boss. The more he looked the more he felt that this was a shameless mob using the advantage of numbers to bully the old, weak and infirm in numbers.
It was not wrong, they were certainly a mob. Who knew it would turn out this way? There were too many differences between the boss’s actual ability and his imagination.
Luo Binghe turned his body that had yet to be stained by blood and calmly asked Shen Qingqiu: “Do you want him dead?”
He meant Tianlang-jun. After Zhuzhi-lang heard those words he grasped Zheng Yang and frantically tugged at it. The scales on his neck and face seemed to have scraped off during combat, the blood flowed out profusely as he exerted his strength.
Ever since Shen Qingqiu knew that he killed Gongyi Xiao, there was tangled knot in his heart, however this countenance was too tragic that it was hard for an observer not to feel sympathy. Besides even though Shen Qingqiu had received his strange form of gratitude many times, Zhuzhi-lang had never bore him malicious intentions.
Shen Qingqiu sighed: “Since he is already in this state. You do not need to bother.”
Zhuzhi-lang coughed out bloody foam, hoarsely saying: “Already in this state?”
He laughed bitterly: “I wonder what Shen xianshi would say if I said that the form at Bailu mountain was my original body.”
A light bulb went off in Shen Qingqiu's head.
What, originally the snake man slithering on the ground at Bailu Forest was Zhuzhi-lang’s original form?!
Zhuzhi-lang exhaled, answering: “My blood is lowly only due to the fact that my father was a primal chaos snake, when my mother gave birth to me, I was in this half human half snake form. All bystanders loathed, expelled, abandoned and slandered me, until I was 15. If junshang did not help me gain a human form and support me, I would be a creature that slithers on the ground for my whole life.”
He ground his teeth answering: “Junshang gave me the first chance to become human while Teacher Shen gave me the second. Perhaps to you both it took very little effort, but to me, even if I would dare to die 10,000 deaths, it would still not be repaid...Teacher Shen asked me why bother? You asked me why bother?”
Tianlang-jun sighed: “Silly child, why did you tell him so much?”
He was laying down, however his lying posture was elegant, if one neglected that part of the face that was corroded by demonic energy, he would look even more graceful.
He stared at the sky pensively saying: “Humans constantly believe that if my race differs from them, my heart will too. Anyone can betray you in an instant no matter how intimate you are. Let alone you who only hoped to repay debt of gratitude? No matter how much you say, he also would not know you and he would only be annoyed and puzzled. Thus why bother saying so much?”
In a short while, the crowd of bystanders fell silent. A good natured youth that did not differ much in mindset, ecstatically engaging in romance, which turn out to be a lie and was suppressed in darkness with no days beneath a mountain for countless nights. Who here qualified to not earn his hate? Who here had the qualifications to let him “Let go and accept it”?
However, Wu Chen-dashi replied: “If that year sire had no such intentions then we were wrong for listening to such slander. The present disaster could not be hidden nor avoided. Evil intentions bear evil fruit and will sooner or later reap retribution.”
He clasped his hands replying: “However Su-shizhu did not hesitate to swallow the poison and still go out to meet you, how could you blame her for fooling you?”
Tianlang-jun was the slightest bit stunned and raised his head.
Shen Qingqiu innermost feelings were shaken.
Wu Chen-dashi was not one to lie, what version he said, almost seemed to be not quite similar to the common knowledge of the events.
Wu Chen-dashi continued: “At Zhao Hua Temple, as I did not want Su-shizhu to suffer criticisms after her death as well as promising to keep the secret, *Laona* could only keep silent.”
“Su-shizhu was forcibly returned back to Huan Hua Palace by the Old Palace Master. She was determined to not obey, and was unwilling to trick you to the predetermined ambush place. Her pregnancy was only discovered when the Old Palace Master punished her in the water prison. Forced abortion can be lethal, furthermore with Su-shizhu’s extreme resistance. The Old Palace Master gave her a bowl of poison, and told her that was the deadliest poison known to demons and told her if she drank it she could go and see you.”
“Su-shizhu drank the poison that the Old Palace Master provided and set off by herself. However, she didn’t know that the ambush place had changed to where you both would have met.”
Tianlang-jun was in a daze his shattered body tried laboriously to raise his head, this coupled with the blood stains at the side of his lips unexpectedly made him look pitiful.
“Laona met Su-shizhu on the road to Bailu Mountain. At that time she had just drank the medicine not too long ago, her body was covered with blood and with every step she took she bled more. I heard her intermittent sentences and could not bear to fool her and honestly informed her of Tianlang-jun’s suppression, before she finally knew that her shifu fed her a pack of lies. Not only was the location wrong, the time was too!”
“Complying with her request, Laona protected her from the Huan Hua disciples that were searching for her and sent her upstream of Luochuan. From then, all traces of her vanished.”
“Tianlang-jun, Su-shizhu certainly might not have been a pure and kind person. She was originally the aloof and remote Master of Huan Hua Palace with many high hopes placed on her. From the beginning she might not have had the best intentions when she approached you. However, in the end, between you two, when all is said and done, did you bewitch her or was she unable to restrain her emotions.”
“Some details Laona might not know as he was not a participant. However from what I know, she rejected the shifu that raised her for over ten years, suffered tortures in the water prison refusing to speak, and was not willing to harm or trick you--in any case as a last resort, which mother would drink such a poison?”
“She never intended to abandon you, however there was no other solution. This world is cruel, causing you two.. ”
Tianlang-jun’s lips trembled.
A long while later he asked, “....Is that so?”
After these three words. Another phrase tumbled out, “Is it true?”
Wu Chen-dashi replied, “Laona dares to guarantee with his life that everything said does not contain the slightest hints of lies.”
Tianlang-jun turned his head, looking at Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan, asking for the truth in a demanding fashion, “Is it true?”
He went as far as not caring whether the bystander were insiders, grabbing people to ask. Yue QIngyuan was left speechless, lowering his head silently.
Perhaps the Old Palace Master did not start out with the intention to slander, however as he saw them both get more intimate, he must have regretted letting Su Xiyan approach Tianlang-jun.
Su Xiyan leaving his grasp and finding true love with Tianlang-jun, not to mention having Luo Binghe. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back, that made the Old Palace Master take the situation out of context, omit details and slander Tianlang-jun as the monster that wanted to destroy the three worlds.
Destroying this person and many years with his two hands.
Tianlang-jun suddenly lost his energy and laid down again.
He sighed, “That is fine. In any case, this is not that bad.”
The snowflakes stuck to his eyelashes trembled. It was difficult to know whether it was due to the first snowflake to land on his eyelashes in decades and stuck to his unshed tears.
Shen Qingqiu turned his head to look at Luo Binghe. He heard from start to finish but he did not seem to listen even huffing a laugh.
After the words were said, the knot in Tianlang-jun’s heart loosened. However, to Luo Binghe the cruelty was not lessened.
He was the furthest result his biological parents hated, however he became the result that they abandoned.
Both were the same as being abandoned.
The purple black smoke continued originating from Xin Mo while the sounds of combat below became clearer. Unfortunately Maigu Mountain continued descending and the distance between it and Luochuan was unknown. Yue Qingyuan took a few steps towards the store wall that held Xin Mo. Shen Qingqiu said, “The situation has already reached this stage. You should stop, Tianlang-jun.”
Now was not too late to stop, if Tianlang-jun continued sending demonic energy to Xinmo, than it could only be resolved by killing him. No matter what happened, Shen Qingqiu has no special desire to see Tianlang-jun die for real. When all said is and done, to have a romance go to this extent really is unlucky enough.
Additionally, to want him dead...there would not be a boss that was forced to such dire straits.
Suddenly, Tianlang-jun crumpled and laughed.
Laughter reverberated in the cave and mountain ranges. He looked exceedingly amused and slanted his head saying, “Peak Lord Shen, look, the present me couldn’t even sustain Zhuzhi-lang’s human form.”
At this time Shen Qingqiu had not understood what he meant but faintly felt his heart jump.
Tianlang-jun calmly said, “After fighting with you for so long, the energy expended by this body of mine is not insignificant, who do you think Xin Mo took its demonic energy from?”
This sentence was delivered in a neither fast nor slow pace, however it entered Shen Qingqiu’s ear, listening to every word and phrase gradually made his neck tense up.
“You should ask someone to stop. However, that person is not me”
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