After Being Certified by the Immortal Lord on the Path of Ruthlessness - Chapter 26

Before Ling Lan could fully comprehend the compass in her hand, it suddenly vanished from her grasp, and a figure appeared beside her.

“Mianhao?” Ling Lan stared in shock at the person now standing next to her.

Jiang Mianhao, who had just been wrapped in a bundle, had now regained her human form and was standing by her side.

“Lanlan?” Jiang Mianhao, equally bewildered by her sudden appearance, glanced down at the white jade button on her chest.

The moment she stepped into the Goddess Hall, Jiang Mianhao had felt an overwhelming discomfort.

She had assumed her transformation time for the day was already used up, but the moment she laid eyes on the goddess statue, an intense surge of spiritual energy emanated from the white jade button on her chest.

Jiang Mianhao tried shifting her body slightly, and another powerful wave of spiritual energy surged from the white jade button.

In the next instant, she found herself standing beside Ling Lan.

“Perhaps my transformation time for today hasn’t run out yet?” Jiang Mianhao said excitedly. “Lu Jiu only mentioned that I have a few hours each day, but she never specified the exact duration.”

Ling Lan was puzzled, but seeing the person beside her, her tense heart relaxed a little.

The worshippers crowded around them were all bowing their heads devoutly, murmuring something under their breaths.

After scanning her surroundings, Jiang Mianhao looked down at the compass in Ling Lan’s hand and asked softly, “What is this for?”

“I don’t know either,” Ling Lan replied, lowering her gaze to the compass in her palm.

The compass, which had remained dormant throughout their journey, was now glowing with a golden light, its needle pointing directly at the goddess statue.

Ye Qingge had never explained how to use this compass, and it had shown no reaction along the way. Why was it suddenly acting up now?

“Did Lu Jiu say how to use this compass?” Jiang Mianhao took the compass from Ling Lan’s hand.

As the compass moved, the needle remained steadfastly pointed at the goddess statue.

Especially when it was in Jiang Mianhao’s hands, the compass, which had only been glowing before, suddenly began to tremble.

In the next moment, it dragged Jiang Mianhao recklessly through the crowd.

Ling Lan gasped in alarm, reaching out to grab her, but her hand closed on empty air.

Before she could even call out Jiang Mianhao’s name, a sharp reprimand echoed from behind her.

“How dare you act so disrespectfully in the presence of the Goddess? This angry shout came from within the crowd and quickly drew agreement.

“Offending the Goddess will bring down her wrath!!!”

“Wrath? Ten years ago, my son died because of the Goddess’s punishment, and my sins remain unforgiven to this day.”

“Look! Behind her!”

The voices of condemnation grew louder, while some, too afraid to speak, kowtowed to the goddess, begging for mercy.

Jiang Mianhao belatedly realized that she was now standing at the feet of the goddess, holding the compass.

The spot where Ling Lan had been standing was already quite close to the goddess, but what caused such an uproar was that all the worshippers were outside the railing.

Only Jiang Mianhao had charged straight in.

The compass, which had been acting strangely, suddenly stilled as it approached the goddess, its needle pointing directly at her.

Jiang Mianhao lifted her head and found herself face to face with the goddess statue, so close she could almost touch it.

The enormous goddess statue was enshrined at the top of the hall, seated on a pure golden lotus throne.

“Lu… Lu Jiu?” Only then did Jiang Mianhao understand why Ling Lan had said the statue looked familiar.

The goddess statue before her bore an almost identical face to Lu Jiu.

However, the golden statue lacked the aloof, thousand-mile-distant indifference in its expression that Lu Jiu possessed.

Jiang Mianhao suspected her eyes were playing tricks on her. She rubbed them and, before she could look up again, the compass in her hand suddenly rose into the air, flying straight toward the goddess statue and embedding itself firmly in the statue’s waist.

The worshippers, who had just been complaining and grumbling, froze in disbelief, staring at the scene before them.

Someone in the crowd was the first to speak: “She—she—she damaged the goddess!”

“Mianhao!” Ling Lan quickly pushed her way forward, standing beside Jiang Mianhao, and said to the worshippers, “Everyone, please calm down!”

But the people paid her no heed, murmuring among themselves: “This is terrible, absolutely terrible! The goddess will punish us!”

“Who? Who let them in?”

“The divine retribution from ten years ago Goddess, have mercy on us.”

Facing the crowd’s accusations, Jiang Mianhao’s palms grew sweaty, and the next moment, someone took her hand.

Ling Lan nervously gripped her wooden sword. Though she was inwardly fearful, she did not retreat, forcing herself to appear calm as she said, “Do not panic, everyone! There is a demon inside the goddess statue. We are here to capture it!”

Little did she know that her words were like a bomb. The people, who had been whispering moments before, now raised their heads, their gazes sharp as knives, burning into Ling Lan.

Hatred filled their eyes, as if they were being controlled.

Ling Lan tried to maintain a calm tone, but a hint of panic was still detectable. Especially under such intense scrutiny, she could only tighten her grip on Jiang Mianhao’s hand.

Jiang Mianhao, who hadn’t yet gathered her thoughts, was also flustered. She echoed, “Yes, yes, we—we are here to catch the demon.”

“Demon? Aren’t the two of you the demons? Otherwise, why would you desecrate the goddess?” roared a man with a scarred face and a thick beard. He was the one who had first shouted and caused the initial panic.

His words carried weight among the crowd, and soon others joined in.

“That’s right, that’s right,” an elderly woman said. “The Goddess Hall has been worshipped here for so long, and you’re the only one claiming there’s a demon. Are you implying that the goddess herself is a demon?”

With that, the old woman’s legs gave way, and she knelt down. “Oh, Goddess above, please do not punish us for this.”

Her wail was like a battle cry. Those who had merely exchanged glances moments before suddenly weakened and knelt down one after another.

Jiang Mianhao was startled by the scene, her mind going blank with a buzzing sound.

The compass embedded in the goddess statue’s waist was emitting an eerie glow, as if it had pinned something in place.

Faced with the sudden kneeling, wailing, and pleading of the crowd, Ling Lan staggered backward a few steps, her sword in hand.

The courage she had mustered earlier vanished at that moment, and her hand holding the sword began to tremble.

“Lanlan,” Jiang Mianhao whispered, holding Ling Lan’s hand. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here with you.”

Hearing the familiar voice behind her, Ling Lan felt a bit more at ease.

Taking a deep breath, Ling Lan spoke up, “Everyone, do not panic. I am here under orders to capture the evil spirit. I will protect you.”

Her voice was like a tiny pebble tossed into the sea, swallowed by the roaring waves of chaotic cries and wails.

The commotion in the hall quickly drew the attention of the presiding abbot, and a group of temple guardians crowded in.

Though the Goddess Hall was dedicated to the goddess, its guardians were all burly, robust men.

“Pilgrim, your actions have caused a panic. I must ask you to leave.” The abbot maintained the same benevolent demeanor as before, though a trace of ruthlessness now flickered in his brow.

Jiang Mianhao opened her mouth to explain her behavior, but the bearded man spoke again: “Throw her out!”

“Throw her out! Throw her out!”

“Throw her out! Throw her out!”

For a moment, angry shouts rose one after another, and Ling Lan’s words were completely drowned out.

The burly man standing behind the abbot flexed his shoulders and approached.

Ling Lan was greatly alarmed, gripping the hilt of her sword tightly, but before she could draw it, she was grabbed by the collar and lifted into the air.

The hands that the two had been holding were forcibly separated.

Jiang Mianhao struggled and cried out, “Let me go!”

The adult man possessed immense strength, lifting Jiang Mianhao and Ling Lan by their collars as effortlessly as if they were two kittens.

“No, listen to me, there’s something strange here!” Ling Lan struggled and flailed. “You should evacuate the people first, not throw us out!”

“Yes, yes!” Jiang Mianhao slapped at the man’s hand. “Our compass has pinned the demon, just let us capture it!”

The man seemed deaf to her words, mechanically carrying her forward.

With the abbot’s arrival, the chaotic scene gradually quieted down.

The people regarded the abbot, who had appeared with the burly man, as their savior, crowding around him and anxiously asking for solutions.

The two who were being carried out could only struggle helplessly, their voices loud enough to reach inside the hall.

But no one inside paid them any attention.

“Don’t close the door, don’t!” Jiang Mianhao struggled desperately, the white jade pendant on her chest glowing faintly.

But the man closing the door ignored her protests, mechanically shutting it.

As the door closed completely, the goddess statue, which had been standing with lowered eyes, suddenly raised her gaze, a flash of red light gleaming in her eyes.

Jiang Mianhao stared in disbelief, watching as the golden statue of the goddess began to move.

The door was now fully shut.

The burly man carried the two of them all the way outside the temple, then raised his hand and flung them out violently.

As they were thrown out, Ling Lan spread her arms and embraced the person beside her. They tumbled head over heels across the ground before finally colliding with a stone pillar and coming to a stop.

“Lanlan, are you okay?” Jiang Mianhao landed beside Ling Lan, rubbing her backside and groaning.

Ling Lan, who had shielded Jiang Mianhao, was in worse condition. Gritting her teeth, she said, “I’m fine, but the compass! We didn’t get the compass.”

By now, the temple door was completely closed.

Jiang Mianhao recalled the flash of red light she had seen in the goddess statue’s eyes and felt a chill in her heart.

Beside her, Ling Lan had already sat up, poised to charge back inside.

“Lanlan!” Jiang Mianhao stopped her. Remembering the burly men from earlier, she immediately urged, “Let’s go back and find Lu Jiu!”

Ling Lan was reluctant to give up so easily and wanted to say more.

But Jiang Mianhao was already tugging at her arm. “Come on, let’s go.”

The two heart-link pendants drew closer, and their emotions grew more intertwined.

Ye Qingge slowly opened her eyes.

From the moment Ling Lan brought Jiang Mianhao into the Goddess Hall, she had been channeling spiritual energy into the heart-link pendant.

Then, everything that had happened in the Goddess Hall appeared before her eyes.

Watching the snake demon hiding behind her golden statue reveal itself, Ye Qingge lightly flicked her fingertips, and the compass struck the snake’s vital spot.

Yet, in the end, the two of them were simply thrown out.

The snake demon was still pinned to the goddess statue by the compass…

Ye Qingge gently pinched the love knot between her fingers, pondering Jiang Mianhao’s thoughts from earlier.

Inside the hall, Jiang Mianhao’s curiosity about the unfamiliar surroundings, her fear of the demon, and her concern for Ling Lan all clearly surfaced in Ye Qingge’s heart.

Was concern the same as love?

Ye Qingge couldn’t quite grasp it, but Jiang Mianhao had only shown concern for Ling Lan the moment she was thrown out.

That foolish plant had also shown concern when she saw the peach trees adorned with red ribbons outside the hall.

Did she love those peach trees too?

The more Ye Qingge thought about it, the more frustrated she became. She had given the two a chance to interact, yet she had gained no insight into Jiang Mianhao’s chaotic emotions.

She closed her eyes to calm her mind just as the door was pushed open.

Jiang Mianhao dragged Ling Lan in with one hand and pushed the door open, saying, “Lu Jiu! We’re back.”

Ye Qingge’s expression remained indifferent as she suppressed the excitement in her heart, not responding to the greeting.

Ling Lan, who had been dragged in, looked listless and uninterested.

After closing the door, Jiang Mianhao let out a sigh of relief as if she had been frightened. Gesturing to Ye Qingge, she said, “Lu Jiu, you have no idea how dangerous it was just now!”

Then, Jiang Mianhao recounted the events with added drama and exaggeration.

At the end, she summarized the incident: “I had already seen the demon, but there were so many people inside. No one would listen to explanations, and they just wanted to throw us out.”

Overwhelmed with excitement, Jiang Mianhao sighed deeply and reached for a cup of tea to drink.

But before she could even lift her hand, her vision went dark, and she reverted to her small plant form.

“Oh no, time’s up,” Jiang Mianhao swayed her leaves and asked, “Lu Jiu, what should we do now?”

Ye Qingge’s expression remained cold, and she didn’t even lift her eyes. “Then kill them all.”

Her voice was icy, startling both the flower and the plant.

Ling Lan frowned, somewhat displeased. “But there were many worshippers offering incense inside. If we were to kill them all.”

“Didn’t the compass strike the demon?” Ye Qingge suppressed the turmoil in her heart and said to Jiang Mianhao, “Control your emotions.”

Jiang Mianhao clicked her tongue. “It was because the compass suddenly struck the goddess statue that we were thrown out. Wait, how did you know the compass hit the goddess statue?”

“And Lu Jiu, you wouldn’t believe it, but when I first saw the goddess statue, I thought it was you,” Jiang Mianhao exclaimed in surprise. “Really, at first glance, the goddess statue looked exactly like you!”

Jiang Mianhao’s emotions shifted quickly, and she had already completely forgotten the fright she had experienced in the hall.

Ye Qingge clenched her fists, regulating her breathing as she asked, “So?”

“Huh? So what?” Jiang Mianhao didn’t quite understand. She swayed her leaves and said, “There were so many worshippers in that Goddess Hall. Will the demon go back tomorrow?”

Ye Qingge ignored her question, silently reciting a mantra in her heart to suppress the emotions that did not belong to her.

Standing beside her, Lily of the Valley kept her head lowered and remained silent.

Today’s failure filled her heart with regret not only had she failed to capture the demon, but she had also lost her compass.

Her silence was noticed by Jiang Mianhao. The little grass swayed its leaves and said, “Lanlan, don’t lose heart. Maybe the demon will go there again tomorrow, and we can go check it out!”

“Hmph.” Ye Qingge raised her eyes indifferently and said coldly, “Fool.”

Her emotions shifted rapidly, and Ye Qingge could now completely ignore them all.

Through the Heart-Link Knot, she had witnessed the entire process today—how Jiang Mianhao and Lily of the Valley were discovered and how they were picked up and thrown far away.

Now, this foolish plant spirit was genuinely looking forward to going demon-hunting again tomorrow.

Lily of the Valley hung her head, unable to hide her regret. “I’m sorry, Lu Jiu. I even lost the compass.”

Ye Qingge paid no attention to her apology, not even sparing her a glance.

“The worshippers today said that the goddess would punish them. Does this have something to do with the demon I need to capture?” Lily of the Valley’s voice was full of remorse as she whispered, “It’s all my fault for not chasing after it to retrieve the compass.”

Jiang Mianhao gently comforted her, “You did your best, Lanlan. Don’t think like that.”

Ye Qingge lifted her gaze calmly, her eyes sweeping over the grass and the flower. After a moment of contemplation, she said, “Go again tomorrow.”

“See, Lu Jiu says we can go again tomorrow!” Jiang Mianhao immediately chimed in. “If we prepare more thoroughly tomorrow, we can definitely catch that demon. I saw it today. It must be attached to the goddess statue, and it’s red!”

Lily of the Valley was still worried. “But the compass is lost. How will we find it?”

“Find what?” Ye Qingge’s voice was indifferent.

“The demon and the compass,” Lily of the Valley replied. “If we don’t find the compass, what if innocent people get hurt? After all, there are so many worshippers.”

“I’ve said it before,” Ye Qingge was growing impatient. “Kill them all.”

“But that’s too cruel!” Jiang Mianhao protested. “Those are lives!”

Lily of the Valley also frowned. “Yes, isn’t the purpose of our cultivation to protect human lives? Why would we?”

Ye Qingge paid no mind to their sense of justice and simply let out a cold laugh before falling silent.

Feeling guilty about today’s failure, Lily of the Valley didn’t say anything more and quietly slipped out.

“Goodnight, Lanlan!” Jiang Mianhao called out as she heard the door close, swaying her leaves.

Ye Qingge showed no reaction to the sound of the door. Instead, she stood up, picked up the little grass from the ground, and carried it to the window.

The last remnants of the sunset were about to fade, and the endless night was approaching.

“Lu Jiu?” Jiang Mianhao asked, puzzled. “Why did you bring me here?”

The person beside her didn’t answer, simply standing quietly with her hands behind her back, gazing at the horizon.

The final glimmer of sunset vanished, and the sky gradually darkened.

Jiang Mianhao had no idea what Ye Qingge was doing at that moment, so she shifted her gaze to the window and asked softly, “Lu Jiu, were you bored alone at the inn today? Did you go out and have fun?”

“What happened today was so dangerous. Is the mortal world always like this?”

“Lu Jiu, have you been to the mortal world before?”

Ignoring the emptiness of receiving no response, Jiang Mianhao swayed her leaves and chattered on.

Suddenly, a corner of the long night lifted, and a sliver of light poured through.

Jiang Mianhao’s words caught in her throat. The events of the day had already been perilous enough, and now she was utterly stunned.

For there, in the sky, appeared the moon; the once-in-a-millennium moon.

When Jiang Mianhao looked at Ye Qingge, her eyes were filled with admiration. She praised, “It seems like ever since meeting Lu Jiu, I’ve been seeing the moon more often.”

But the person beside her remained in her meditative pose, eyes closed as if resting, showing no curiosity about the once-in-a-thousand-years moon.

Jiang Mianhao withdrew her gaze from Ye Qingge and turned back to look at the moon in the sky.

For some reason, this moon always appeared at such opportune moments.