The Third Year After the Immortal Venerable’s Death - Chapter 2

Looking at that peerlessly handsome face, Wu Youqi’s stance faltered. His fingertips trembled, and he finally released the grip he had on the Gu family head’s throat.

The Gu family head slumped to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath for quite a while before finally wiping the tears and saliva from his face with the help of his attendants.

Wu Youqi stared at the familiar yet strange face of the person in the sedan, unable to utter a word for a long time. The entire plaza fell into a dead, stifling silence. The demonic envoys standing nearby had all caught a glimpse of the person in the sedan; in their shock, they held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

During his lifetime, Immortal Venerable Qing Yi was the foremost figure in the cultivation world. His cultivation had reached the realm of perfection, already at the Mahayana stage. He had once challenged the lords of the thirty-six domains of the Demon Realm one after another, defeating the entire demon army single-handedly with nothing but his sword. Had it not been for the massive outbreak of the “Dark Surge” that laid waste to all living things, he would have long since undergone his tribulation to ascend, becoming the only person in the cultivation world to attain immortality in the last century.

Wu Youqi’s arm hung at his side, trembling, before he suddenly raised it to press firmly against his chest. A wound that had long since healed now ached with a dull pain once more.

Back then, he had been framed and falsely accused of murder. He was wrongly convicted and thrown into the sect’s disciplinary hall, soon to be executed as a criminal. He had risked his life to escape and climbed the Qingxiao Peak in secret, hoping that his Master would remember their past bond as teacher and student and listen to his explanation.

But…

Wu Youqi had joined the Qingshuang Mountain sect at fourteen. After passing numerous trials, he entered the inner sect and was chosen as a disciple by the various peak masters and guest elders. That year, Immortal Venerable Qing Yi, who had been invited to join Qingshuang Mountain for a hundred years, took the unprecedented step of publicly accepting a disciple, declaring that he would only take one such student in his life. People at the time speculated that because his ascension was imminent, he wanted to select a successor with superior talent and aptitude to inherit his sword techniques and Daoist mantle.

Therefore, people flocked to Qingshuang Mountain to seek apprenticeship. Even the great cultivation families sent their own sons and daughters to try. Wu Youqi remembered that there were thousands of people registered for the trials that year, but after passing the tests, only about a hundred of them remained for the final selection.

The path of immortality is long; both talent and fate are indispensable. Even with outstanding natural talent, one’s temperament and character also had to be carefully considered. While the selection was rigorous, Qingshuang Mountain, as the world’s greatest sect, fully respected the wishes of its disciples. On the day before the final selection, the inner sect stewards would distribute “Apprenticeship Spirit Signs” to all disciples, on which they were to write the name and title of their preferred master. If, after the selection the next day, the chosen master also took a liking to the disciple, the Spirit Sign would turn cyan-green. Holding this sign, one would go to the inspection Daoist at the end-of-month gate; after verification, they would be sent by the attendant boy to the various peaks. If, unfortunately, they were not chosen by the master, the Spirit Sign would turn black, and Qingshuang Mountain left the decision to the disciples: one could choose to remain in the inner sect to cultivate on one’s own while waiting for the next selection, or choose to leave Qingshuang Mountain to join another sect.

Wu Youqi came from the Wu family of Ying Lake. He heard the elders say that when he was a full month old, a Dark Surge had erupted at Ying Lake, and countless clansmen and servants had died or been injured. Yet, he had miraculously survived that Dark Surge. Not only was he unharmed and safe, but his body had also suffered no ill effects. The Wu family had never seen such a case, so they specifically invited Immortal Venerable Qing Yi of Qingshuang Mountain to take a look. At that time, the Immortal Venerable even personally left a safety talisman for him.

With this prior connection, coupled with his truly excellent performance during the trials, the young Wu Youqi took a gamble and respectfully wrote the two characters “Qing Yi” on his Spirit Sign. Wu Youqi also consoled himself that he was still young; even if the Immortal Venerable rejected him, he could still stay in the sect to continue his cultivation. Qingshuang Mountain treated all disciples equally; even if one could not become an “indoor disciple” of a specific peak, one could still learn quite a lot by staying in the inner sect.

He never expected that the day after the selection, Wu Youqi returned to his room in fear and trembling, only to find his small dormitory room filled with dazzling cyan light. Out of more than a hundred people, Immortal Venerable Qing Yi had chosen him.

Times had changed, and things were no longer what they used to be. Wu Youqi did not remember how ecstatic he was that day or how he felt as if he were floating on air; he only remembered that standing outside the end-of-month gate waiting for him was not an attendant boy, but Immortal Venerable Qing Yi himself and his spirit crane.

“Qingxiao Peak is over a thousand feet high; the children cannot climb it.”

That was the first sentence his Master said to him. Wu Youqi could not recall the jealous, hateful, or envious gazes of others that day, but he remembered how Immortal Venerable Qing Yi had walked over to hold his hand and meticulously cast a protective spell on him to shield him from the cold.

So back then, Wu Youqi had truly hoped that his Master would treat him differently. Even if the whole world misunderstood him, believed he had fallen into the demonic path and committed murder, and claimed the moon mark on his forehead was the arrival of a demon star that had invited the catastrophe of the Dark Surge, he had still hoped that his Master would hold his hand as he had when they first met and tell him that he believed him.

But that day on Qingxiao Peak was very different from usual: the peak was glowing with golden light, the sky was covered with colorful auspicious clouds, and golden-red lightning flashed within the layers of clouds. Wu Youqi, covered in blood and riddled with injuries, had used his last ounce of strength to climb to the peak. Before he could even call out “Master,” he was met with a ruthless palm strike to his chest, and he plummeted off the cliff.

When he woke up again, he was already in the Demon Realm, saved by the “Three Wisdoms” of the Demon Race.

“Mr. Wu…”

Having caught his breath, the Gu family head finally spoke in a raspy voice, introducing, “The person in this sedan is a child from a branch of our family. He grew up in Jiangnan with his parents and never entered Liuren City.”

He paused, touching the red mark on his neck before continuing, “Cough, cough. A few years ago, when the Dark Surge broke out everywhere, he was unfortunately attacked and turned into a ‘Soulless Puppet.’ His parents loved him dearly, and since he was their only son, they did not burn his… corpse. Later, when the family fell on hard times, he was sent to the Chenghui Manor.”

Chenghui Manor.

At the mention of these four words, the Gu family head’s voice unconsciously grew weaker, and he kept glancing at Wu Youqi while he spoke. This was because the manor was built in Shu, and it was precisely Qingshuang Mountain that had proposed and spearheaded its construction, specifically to house and provide for “Soulless Puppets.”

Soulless Puppets refer to walking corpses that have lost their souls and minds after being eroded by the Dark Surge. Although they have heartbeats and breathe, they are dull and foolish: some sleep all day long, while others are completely unresponsive, no different from the dead.

As for the “Dark Surge,” it was a terrifying supernatural phenomenon that erupted in the human world twenty-one years ago. At first, it erupted from the ground without warning, like spraying lava, and then transformed into water vapor and black fog, devouring all living things nearby: birds and beasts, mortal flesh and blood would die upon contact. Those with some cultivation who were touched by it would gradually have their spiritual energy and intelligence hollowed out, as if infected by a plague, eventually becoming Soulless Puppets. The most terrifying thing was that this thing could not be destroyed. No matter how powerful the spiritual energy or techniques used against it, it would only be dispersed into smoke. After a short while, they would gather and recover as before.

Many cultivators had fallen victim to the Dark Surge, and many common people in the human world had fled in panic, displaced. It wasn’t until the year before Wu Youqi joined Qingshuang Mountain that Immortal Venerable Qing Yi thought of the method of “Snow Caves and Ice Skies,” which could successfully seal the Dark Surge.

Seeing that Wu Youqi had no violent reaction, the Gu family head tentatively continued, “You… you and Immortal Venerable Qing Yi were master and disciple for many years, and it was only after his palm strike sent you off the cliff that you… that you entered the Demon Realm. You must hate him to the bone.”

“It’s a pity that he blew up his spiritual core and left no remains. Since you have nowhere to vent your full heart of resentment, why not…”

In ordinary times, the old man would never have said these words, but the situation was urgent. In a fundamental sense, the person in the sedan was not really alive—he was merely an empty shell. Things having reached this point, he could only grit his teeth and continue.

“This Soulless Puppet is our Gu family’s filial offering to you. You can do whatever you want with him… revenge, humiliation, imprisonment, or torture all is at your pleasure. We only hope… you can agree to our request.”

Having said the most difficult part, the Gu family head’s body slowly straightened. He cleared his throat and had someone open the boxes beside the sedan: “These Nine-Refined Soul Crystals, Phoenix Marrow, Jade Sound Yao Grass, Seven-Night Infatuated Lotus, plus a thousand pieces of top-grade spiritual stones and countless spiritual herbs are all presented to Your Majesty.”

“If you are not satisfied or look down on these things, the Gu family will also do our utmost, at your beck and call, to get whatever you want for you.”

Wu Youqi looked at the person in the sedan, first laughing very softly, and then he suddenly retreated a few steps, covered his face, and let out a loud, crazed laugh.

The Gu family head backed away repeatedly, and with a clatter, a demon soldier nearby dropped his weapon in shock.

“At my pleasure? At my beck and call? Ha, hahahahaha—”

Wu Youqi’s fingers, which were covering his face, spread apart to reveal eyes that were once again stained with blood, and even the moon mark on his forehead was red and seeping blood. He was already wearing an ink-colored robe, and at this moment, the black energy around him surged violently, drawing several dark clouds laden with lightning to gather above the Blood Flame Flowing Cloud Palace. A violent wind swept across the plaza, blowing Wu Youqi’s long, curly hair into a mess and causing everyone present to stagger, and even the top of that sedan chair was blown away.

How ridiculous.

For all their claims of being the righteous path, these cultivators had to beg him, the Demon Lord, to save their lives in the end.

Wu Youqi suddenly stopped laughing and strolled toward the roofless sedan chair, looking once again at the living dead man who had lost his soul. Even with the wind blowing and thunder rolling outside, the man showed no reaction at all, remaining motionless.

His Master had never shown such an expression in front of him. Immortal Venerable Qing Yi had always been aloof, with a cold demeanor a high mountain that one could only look up to, calm and composed. He had never been this quiet and well-behaved, or even revealed a sleeping face, slumbering so sweetly in front of him.

Wu Youqi raised his hand. His raised fingertips rested on that exquisite, clean face for a moment, and then slid along his cheeks down to his chin. He used a slight bit of force to lift the man’s chin, and because of the angle, he could even see a portion of his fair yet fragile neck.

After joining Qingshuang Mountain and becoming the first disciple of Qingxiao Peak and his only disciple at that, Wu Youqi had always respected his Master and studied diligently. Although Immortal Venerable Qing Yi was cold by nature and reticent, he was never perfunctory in guiding him in swordplay and Daoist learning; he personally demonstrated and corrected every single move. He even took him to travel across the continent, visit major sects, go to the far northern snow-capped mountains and grasslands, and go to the Western Buddhist Realm to discuss the Dao. Wu Youqi had always felt that his Master was just not good at expressing himself, not as cold and heartless as the rumors suggested, and was the best person in the world.

Yet it was this best person who had ultimately struck him with a ruthless palm, confirming his reputation as a villain, ruining his path to immortality, and forcing him into the demonic path to become the Demon Lord.

It was unclear whether he had used too much force and had an illusion, or if he was so emotionally unstable from the memories that his eyes were playing tricks on him, but Wu Youqi vaguely caught a glimpse of a wisp of golden light flashing across his fingertips.

And then, the eyelashes of the person sitting there twitched slightly. The next instant, he slowly opened his eyes, blinked his beautiful, curled lashes twice, tilted his head, and suddenly revealed a smile at Wu Youqi.