Ch81 - Madness and Delusions

Translator: transcendentwings

In the second half of the night, the rainstorm had just stopped and a half moon was faintly visible above the azure firmament.

In the demon sect’s main palace, several teams of black-robed disciples who had withdrawn from Qingliang valley scurried about, their footsteps were chaotic, and there was a faint undulation of phosphorescent flames shimmering across their robes.

The phosphorescent fire fell from their robes, rolling like tumble weeds as it creeped across the green grass washed by rain and trailed over the corridors where wind chimes tinkled before finally surrounding a square hut, scattering into the air like a handful of fireflies.

Three or five lamps fueled by wild boar oil were burning in the house and a row of copper ice chests were placed along the wall. The ice crates were filled with large ice bricks and the frigid air rose from it unceasingly, covering the dozens of ice coffins displayed in the room within a mist.

Wen Xuechen’s body lay in one of them, the lamp light struggling to penetrate the heavy mist, reflecting his ashen face in a strange way.

Jiu Zhideng stood quietly beside the ice casket, gazing down at the face that seemed much softer than usual.

The corpse refiner with thick oil paint on his face knelt before him and intoned in a hoarse voice: “Demon Lord, there are three ways to revive the corpse. I wonder which method wouldyouprefer?”

“Which three?”

“The first one, which is also the simplest one, makes them forget their past andsix characters, leaving behind only a blank slate for the Lord to mark as he wished, obeying your commands.”

Jiu Zhideng didn’t answer, obviously not satisfied with this type of result.

The corpse refiner continued: “The second is to refine it into a half-corpse. This practice can be used to take revenge against one’s foe. It makes the mind confused, moored in a neither human nor ghostly state, unable to die, yet not truly alive. If no one infuses spiritual energy to prolong vitality, then the only path of survival left is to dig out the hearts and liver of the dead and gorge on them like a wild dog.”

He originally assumed that Jiu Zhideng would be more inclined with this set up, but who would have thought that the other’s face would remain impassive.

The corpse refiner had no choice but to reveal: “The third option is able to reverse his five senses, black to white, light as darkness, right is wrong. However, this method is also very risky and it is necessary to add and modify memories when necessary, which can be quite labor intensive. . .”

Jiu Zhideng got straight to the point: “I want him to be unable to distinguish between those who are of the righteous sects and those who are not. Can you do it?”

After briefly explaining his requirements to the corpse refiner, Jiu Zhideng walked out of the corpse refinery alone.

There was a disciple waiting outside to report the situation. After seeing Jiu Zhideng, he knelt down impatiently and announced: “Reporting to the Lord! We have surrounded Qingliang valley like an iron barrel, sealing and blocking spiritual energy and no information whatsoever can be transmitted! They are now trapped like the turtle in a jar and can only wait for their deaths!”

This should’ve been good news, yet Jiu Zhideng’s expression didn’t change at all, as if such a victory wasn’t enough to stir up the slightest ripple in his stagnant heart: “Have the other three sects noticed?”

“The disciples that were sent to monitor them all reported that the remaining three sects were as usual with no stirring winds or rippling waters, there has been no strange movements!” The disciple’s voice trembled, unable to control his excitement, “Lord, when will we make a move and invade Qingliang valley?”

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“‘Taixu Bow’?”

Hearing him mention these three words, Jiu Zhideng’s cold and hard face finally twitched a little: “I really want to be able to witness the true appearance of this ‘Taixu Bow’. I’m only afraid that there is nothing they can bring out.”

The disciple was stunned when he heard these words. After chewing thoroughly on the meaning of them, his eyes gradually brightened: “Youmean to say. . .”

Jiu Zhideng didn’t answer, only flicking his long sleeves as he bypassed the other, slowly making his way into the main palace.

He was well aware of the situation in Qingliang valley.

He knew that Fuyao-junwas at a critical juncture in seclusion and was stuck in a difficult position where he couldn’t even step an inch forward; And just the same, he grasped what Wen Xuechen meant to the disciples of Qingliang valley. Wen Xuechen’s demise would be a great shock to all of the disciples in Qingliang valley.

As such, soon, these helpless disciples would find that they had not only lost Wen Xuechen, but also that the artifact that they assumed they would be able to fall back on, the divine weapon “Taixu bow”, was in fact just a humongous lie.

Qingliang valley was mainly focused on the cultivation of arrays, only good at defense and not so adept at attack. If there were to sever all hope, whether they surrendered or chose to counterattack, it would only accelerate his conquest in the demonic sects rule over the four sects.

When Jiu Zhideng arrived in front of the hall, the sky began to drizzle once more, and the moon that had just revealed its bright countenance was once again swallowed by the dark-clouds-liketiangou.

He neither hid nor avoided anything and just sat down on the steps after adjusting his robes with his sleeves spread out, gazing up at the sky full of heavy and thick clouds alone.

Jiu Zhideng himself didn’t know what he was thinking, but he was sure that he wasn’t thinking of Xu Xingzhi.

For the sake of the great undertaking of the demonic path, he had not dared to have his thoughts stray towardsShixiongfor an entire year.

He rolled up his sleeves and studied the scar on his forearm where he had stabbed himself.

In the past, he even believed that it was dirty to gossip about others behind their backs; He didn’t expect that in just over a year, he could play tricks in the midst of laughter and seize control of thousands of lives, all within the palm of his hand.

It turns out that once people sink to such despicableness and depravity, it wouldn’t take very long at allah.

Jiu Zhideng raised the corner of his lips, facing the soiled puddle of water under his feet that reflected his face, he sneered.

. . .

On the fourth day in the second month of the fourth year of Tianding, Qingliang valley, one of the four original sects, fell into the hands of the demonic sects.

The disciples of Qingliang valley, from the lords and elders to the outer disciples, all were unwilling to surrender. The two sides fought fiercely in the middle of the night and in the end, the Lord of the Demonic Sects Jiu Zhideng made a move personally, blasting through the spirit gathering array.

The demonic disciples broke through the gates of Qingliang valley and fought to the bitter end throughout the entire valley. Blood flowed like a river as if it could set shield adrift and the sanguine winds filled the valley. When the sounds of slaughter gradually subsided, it was already dawn with the rooster’s cries.

The inhabitants of Qingliang valley were all inherently obstinate down to their bones and would rather perish than surrender. Until the end, only seven were captured alive, including the flesh and blood in the belly of Wen Xuechen’s wife.

The remaining 2,687 people all became the ghosts of the valley.

When Jiu Zhideng entered theJingxincave of Qingliang valley, he happened to see several disciples dragging a corpse out.

The corpse had wide eyes, a blue robe that was dragged around until it was a mess, with the hem all bunched up and rolled up to the chest. The body was also in a miserable state, nearly the same as those who died violent deaths on the streets.

Jiu Zhideng also took some effort to recognize that this person was Fuyao-junof Qingliang valley, who loved chess and often played againstShifu.

The demonic disciples happily volunteered: “My Lord, this little old man probably knew that his fate had come to an end, so he severed his own meridiansla.”

Jiu Zhideng retracted his gaze: “He died in the valley, which is also quite forthright and unyielding.”

After judging so, he turned around and ordered the attendants behind him: “Keep an eye on the few survivors in Qingliang valley, don’t let them commit suicide. Especially the one called Zhou Xian.”

“Yes!!”

All the demonic disciples sported vivid joy on their faces, trembling with excitement in the face of the evident victory before them.

After Jiu Zhideng exited the cave, a disciple couldn’t wait to pursue: “My Lord, where should we attack next? Is it Danyang peak or Yingtianchuan?”

Although everyone was exhilarated, they wouldn’t forget that Jiu Zhideng was educated in Fengling mountain for many years. In everyone’s eyes, Fengling mountain must be the hardest bone to chew. Even if the Demon Lord wanted to completely take down the four sects, he would rank it last out of sentimental considerations.

No one expected that Jiu Zhideng would answer calmly: “Fengling mountain.”

He had a score to settle properly with Guangfu-jun.

However, he wouldn’t confront Fengling mountain’s grand defensive formation head-on like he did in the instance when he captured Qingliang valley, wasting the military strength of the demonic path.

Just as Jiu Zhideng was pondering this, he heard the rumbling sound of a wheelchair approaching from far away, grinding out oscillations of fine echoes along the stone path of Qingliang valley in the early morning light.

When the wheelchair was pushed by the demonic disciples through the thick metallic stench, the expression on Wen Xuechen’s face didn’t change. Although his eyes seemed somewhat dull, they already contained some renewed vitality.

The person in front of him could really be described as lifelike.

Soon, Wen Xuechen’s wheelchair stopped in front of Jingxin cave.

He only cast a faint glance at the corpse of Fuyao-junwhich was dragged out of the cave before he retracted his gaze.

Jiu Zhideng tried calling his name: “Wen Xuechen.”

Wen Xuechen responded in a neither servile nor overbearing manner: “Yes.”

Now in Wen Xuechen’s eyes, these disciples who came and went were the disciples of Qingliang valley. As for the bodies on the ground, they were all people of the demonic sects, including the one who was just carried out. Of course, he wouldn’t have anything good to say about their deaths.

Jiu Zhideng leaned over and snatched up the other’s wrist, only feeling a sensation of icy frigidity, the pulse wrapped within as calm as the dead. And because the rigor mortis hadn’t subsided, Wen Xuechen couldn’t maneuver his wheelchair on his own at all.

But it didn’t matter. The longer the corpse survived, the more his figure, appearance, and behaviors would mimic ordinary people. In time, he would not only be able to control the wheelchair as usual, he would also be able to utilize his spiritual energy and when he overworked himself in the future, he would feel the dull pain in his heart once again.

. . . Despite it all being just an illusion.

Wen Xuechen glanced around at the bloodstains splattered around him with an overly mild expression.

Jiu Zhideng probed tentatively: “Towards Zhou Beinan and Qu Chi, these two people, what is your opinion?”

According to what the corpse refiner had planted in his mind, Wen Xuechen replied stiffly: “Although they are my close friends, they colluded with the heavenly sprite Meng Chongguang and a group of disciples to steal the divine artifact intending to bring destruction upon the world. They should be exiled. As for the main culprit Meng Chongguang, he should be killed to appease all of the people.”

Before leaving, Jiu Zhideng did tell the corpse refiner to freely remold Wen Xuechen, yet he never expected that the corpse refiner would instill such ideas in Wen Xuechen.

However since he believed as such, Jiu Zhideng built upon his words, continuing: “The person who stole the artifact is now relying on the three arrays of the sects to seal and defend a land in danger, attempting to fight like a trapped beast, thoughts?”

Wen Xuechen’s face was still as he slowly divulged: “I have studied the other three formations and know of the key points in the arrays. If you have need, I can point out the methods to dismantle and deal with them one by one.”

Author’s Chapter Summary: sect annihilation, betrayal, strangers

The translator has something to say: the best lies are the ones built upon a kernel of truth, I wonder what the corpse refiner made him believe of XXZ, was he also an enemy or was he just an innocent vessel caught up in the machinations of the “demonic” sects