Transmigrated as the Villain and Driven Crazy by the Vengeful Male Lead - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Fighting Through Tears – If the mountain will not come to me, I must go to the mountain.

System: “Namo He Luo Da Na Duo Luo Ye Ye, Po Lu Jie Di Shuo Bo Luo Ye…”

Lü Shuyao: …How about I just die instead?

Last time, when he was being clawed by the raccoon ghost while pinned down, he could still manage to chant. But now? Jiang Zhiqing’s punches were hitting home, every move lethal. How on earth was he supposed to find the focus to recite this stuff?!

System: Host, figure it out yourself.

In desperation, Lü Shuyao used a Transmission Spell: “Qinzhu!”

Qinzhu replied instantly: “Young Master!”

“Is the Second Young Master okay?”

“He’s fine! He told us to come out and help you!”

“Good! Grab your swords and get out here for a fight!”

Qinzhu asked: “Young Master, who are we fighting?”

“You’ll know when you see!”

Usually a gentle and carefree girl, Qinzhu was incredibly efficient when it counted. In the time it took for a single exchange of blows, she emerged from the pavilion with several others: “Young Master!”

Lü Shuyao glanced back: “So many people?”

“The Second Young Master said everyone with combat ability must come. We have to bring you back!”

When Qinzhu saw the person Lü Shuyao was dueling, she froze, then cried out: “Brother Zhiqing?”

Jiang Zhiqing’s sword stalled. Lü Shuyao seized the opening to dodge the strike and landed back on his feet: “You two know each other?”

The moment he pulled away, the fierce ghosts swarmed toward Jiang Zhiqing again.

Jiang Zhiqing: “Lü Shuyao, you coward!”

Lü Shuyao: “You can’t even face Chang Huichen’s death—what kind of ‘man’ does that make you?”

“Namo He Luo…”

Qinzhu: “Young Master, what are you saying?”

“Nothing. He won’t be coming down for a while; you keep chatting with him. Namo He Luo Da Na…”

Qinzhu looked up: “Brother Zhiqing, do you remember me? I’m Xiao Nan!”

In the midst of the fray, Jiang Zhiqing lowered his gaze: “…Xiao Nan?”

Lü Shuyao: “Namo He Luo Da Na Duo Luo Ye Ye Po Lu… Xiao Nan?”

The Xiao Nan from the illusion? The one Jiang Zhiqing carried to the Zhuohua Palace?

That’s right! After Chang Huichen died, Jiang Zhiqing had spent years ruining the female disciples of Zhuohua Palace, but the Xiao Nan he rescued back then was so small…

“I sent you out of the palace,” Jiang Zhiqing’s voice was cold and heartless, his grey-white robes snapping in the wind of his sword qi. “Why did you come back?”

She had rejoined the Zhuohua Palace, but Jiang Zhiqing’s heart and eyes were no longer clear; he hadn’t even recognized her.

“I just had a dream in the palace… I dreamed my mother wanted to burn me to death, and Brother Zhiqing took me home…”

No wonder! The Bounty Order’s effect reached the sleeping quarters, yet Lü Shuyao and Su Cheyue couldn’t see her! It turned out she had a physical counterpart in the illusion as well!

Jiang Zhiqing murmured: “Is that so?”

“Since you’re back, come and help your brother.”

Lü Shuyao: “Qinzhu, don’t listen to him! Namo He Luo Da Na Duo Luo Ye Ye Po Lu Jie…”

Qinzhu said: “What is happening? Brother, why are you fighting with Manman and the others?”

My silly girl, Lü Shuyao thought anxiously. Manman isn’t Manman, Muling isn’t Muling, and Jiang Zhiqing isn’t that Jiang Zhiqing anymore!

Qinzhu was utterly confused. Jiang Zhiqing, being no fool, seized the moment to fan the flames: “Among these people he speaks of, which one hasn’t spent every day with you for a long time? He is just a stranger you’ve known for two or three days. Qinzhu, Xiao Nan—who do you trust?”

Damn it!

Qinzhu was on the verge of tears: “I… I…”

Lü Shuyao: “Forget it. Don’t trust anyone. Just go back.”

She was too deeply entangled with them. Even if he explained the whole truth, Lü Shuyao knew she wouldn’t have the heart to strike. Forget it.

Jiang Zhiqing: “If you don’t trust us, do you not care about the Palace Master either? He’s in the bedchamber, he said he’s cold, he—Lü Shuyao! What on earth are you babbling about?!”

Lü Shuyao: “One last time—Namo He Luo, Da Na Duo Luo Ye, Ye Po Lu Jie Di, Shuo Bo Luo Ye!”

[Command Complete. Host performance: Good. Reward: 50% cultivation restoration.]

In an instant, all the disciples attacking Jiang Zhiqing stopped. One by one, they collapsed to the ground.

Jiang Zhiqing, rare for him, looked completely bewildered: “What happened?”

When he looked back at Lü Shuyao, he was stunned.

The tall youth in purple stood there, his posture unchanged, but the bloodstains on his fair face now seemed vivid and sharp. His thin eyes curved upward—not quite a smile, but carrying an air of absolute mastery.

Jiang Zhiqing’s eyes flickered with panic: “You—”

With a flick of his wrist, the Zhanquan sword clashed in a burst of gold and purple light. Lü Shuyao finally let out a real smirk and said, “Pardon me.”

The tip of the sword condensed into a thin beam of light. Like a rainbow piercing the long night, the sword strike surged upward! Jiang Zhiqing blocked with his own blade but was knocked back dozens of feet!

“How is this possible…”

His spiritual power had skyrocketed in the span of a few words! Not only had the ghosts lost their ability to fight, but a single move had left Jiang Zhiqing feeling overwhelmed!

His energy felt sluggish. He questioned in disbelief: “You… who exactly are you…”

“Lü Shuyao, son of Sect Leader Lü Qingfeng of Qifeng Ferry, Luzhou.” Zhanquan hovered leisurely in front of Jiang Zhiqing, looking smug. “Jiang Zhiqing, do you surrender?”

Jiang Zhiqing glared at him, suppressed rage fueling heavy gasps. After a moment, he began to laugh eerily: “Do you think I’m afraid?”

With that, he raised his sword again! Lü Shuyao’s expression tightened.

“You say he loved me? He loved me! Then why did he have the heart to leave me here alone for over ten years? Over ten years!”

His voice was thick with fury and sorrow.

“Since I couldn’t have him even by begging, then what if I kill everything he held dear!”

After his many battles, Jiang Zhiqing’s handsome face was covered in sweat and blood. Bathed in filth, he cried out heart-wrenchingly: “If he hates me, then let him come and end me himself! Chang Huichen!”

I beg of you—be it love or hate, be it your person or your sword that pierces my chest—these four thousand days have been a long agony. I only want to see you one last time.

His obsession was so deep that even destroying his soul couldn’t sever it.

Lü Shuyao didn’t want to kill. But this wasn’t a modern society with the rule of law; here, a sword strike could be faster than a bullet. Given Jiang Zhiqing’s madness, if Lü Shuyao didn’t kill him tonight, he, Qinzhu, and Su Cheyue would be the ones to die.

The two clashed again. Both held spiritual swords, their movements swift and otherworldly. Figures crossed, blades competed, and the sound of whistling wind and clashing steel pierced the night!

“Stop fighting…” Qinzhu’s voice trembled. Lü Shuyao, currently “cheating” with his restored power, still had the mind to joke internally: Sister, that line is such a cliché!! And you’re not even the one who should be saying it!

Jiang Zhiqing was already exhausted from the ghost swarm. Just as Lü Shuyao felt confident he could take him down—

The empty shells on the ground came back to life!

They twisted grotesquely on the floor, then suddenly floated up and lunged!

Lü Shuyao: “…” Is this never going to end??

Jiang Zhiqing laughed coldly: “No matter how many times you kill them, as long as the Yin-Attracting Makeup remains, new ghosts will always possess them.”

Are there really this many ghosts in the world looking to cause trouble??!!

[System Note: Visitor, this is a bug left behind by you.]

Lü Shuyao blocked a lethal strike from Jiang Zhiqing, then kicked away a zombie with a half-severed neck. He panted: “?? You’re blaming me again??”

[When Su Cheyue sealed the Ghost Prison before falling, you stayed at the edge for too long, causing more than double the original amount of evil spirits to escape.]

Lü Shuyao: Is that… even possible? It really was his fault?

[System Replay Loading…]

You’re going to show me a VCR??

“I get it! Don’t play it!” Lü Shuyao was drenched in sweat. “My bad! I’ll fix it!”

The problem was how to fix it… Keep reciting the mantra? No, the command?

[Of course.]

Luckily, he had turned that mantra into a song earlier! Lü Shuyao started singing it: “Namo He Luo! Da Na Duo Luo! Ye Ye Po Lu! Jie Di Shuo Bo Luo Ye!”

Well, it was much more effective than rote memorization. He’d use this method for the CET-6 English exam later!

After one rendition, this batch of “disposable” ghosts failed again, falling to the ground like deflated balloons.

Jiang Zhiqing’s eyes, originally fierce as lightning, showed a look of panic more terrified than if he had seen a ghost!

[How does the Host feel?]

Lü Shuyao: “It feels amazing!! This trip wasn’t a waste!!”

He seemed too excited. Between the adrenaline, the sudden exertion, and the restored power, his brain was momentarily lacking oxygen.

“That’s strange…”

His temples began to throb. It hurt, as if something were trying to burst out of his shell.

This distraction gave Jiang Zhiqing an opening. Lü Shuyao suddenly felt unsteady; he wobbled as he dodged, and the hem of his outer robe was sliced.

What is this??

“Wait, wait a second!” Lü Shuyao pressed his temples. His heart was pounding violently, pulling at every vein and meridian. It felt like his soul might leap out of his chest along with his heart.

“Cultivators should have martial ethics!”

As Jiang Zhiqing approached, Lü Shuyao’s vision blurred. His body felt hot and weak, the sense of suffocation growing. He could barely form words: “Don’t… don’t come over yet…”

“No sneak attacks… let me catch my breath…”

“Then who was the one who sneak-attacked the ice coffin?” Jiang Zhiqing said coldly. “Lü Shuyao, you were the one who acted despicably first.”

Lü Shuyao managed to retain his reason: “You were so much stronger than me back then; that was called… using a small force to move a heavy object. Now… we’re about even…”

“Unless…”

He propped himself up with his sword, struggling to lift his head. His forehead was soaked with sweat, yet he smiled: “Unless you admit… that I’m stronger than you now.”

Jiang Zhiqing’s face darkened instantly.

Lü Shuyao: “If you don’t… dare to admit it, then stay put.”

Just a moment… it’s just because I was too reckless. I’ll be fine in a second.

“…Young Master Lü?” Qinzhu called out softly.

He was too tired. His breathing wouldn’t steady. Had Jiang Zhiqing really stopped to wait for him? The surroundings had suddenly gone very quiet.

Terrifyingly quiet.

Lü Shuyao forced his eyes open, sweat dripping from his lashes.

No, that wasn’t right… Jiang Zhiqing wasn’t waiting for him.

Jiang Zhiqing was… being surrounded by newly possessed ghosts.

“Brother.” “Zhiqing.” “Brother!” “Zhiqing!”

The previous ghosts had been terrified by Lü Shuyao, so this new batch had grown smart. They learned to mimic and disguise themselves. They shifted their tones and pitches, imitating Jiang Zhiqing’s sister, Jiang Zhiqing’s lover, Chang Huichen.

Ghosts might not have weaknesses, but humans certainly do—especially someone like Jiang Zhiqing, whose obsession was etched into his very bones.

He used his weakness as a pass to kill and do evil. But because of that, his weakness would also be his death warrant, allowing humans—and ghosts—to destroy him without effort.

Jiang Zhiqing indeed fell headfirst into the trap the cunning spirits had dug for him.

“…Huichen? Qingqing! Is it you? Have you come back??!!”

Like a child lost during the Lantern Festival, he spun around within the circle of evil spirits. It was impossible to tell if his eyes were stained red by the bloody sky; they held a madness that was half joyful and half despairing.

“Where is Huichen? Which one is Huichen? Which of you is Huichen?”

He approached them one by one, asking, hoping, as his heart flared and died like short-lived fireworks.

The ghosts suddenly backed away together. In that moment, it was as if Jiang Zhiqing had lost the entire world. He fell to his knees, his shoulders trembling, his voice as heavy and rusted as old iron: “I beg of you… tell me…”

“Hee hee hee, Master.”

After a moment of dead silence, a ghost wearing the mangled face of Muling spoke. The smile was uglier than a sob. “Is Master looking for someone?”

Jiang Zhiqing replied numbly: “Yes, I am looking for someone.”

“Hee hee hee,” the ghost said. “As they say, ‘if the mountain will not come to me, I must go to the mountain.’ If the person Master is looking for won’t come, then you should go to him.”

The sudden sound of an old acquaintance’s voice jolted Jiang Zhiqing. His mind was already empty; he could only repeat: “If the mountain will not come to me, I must go to the mountain.”

“If he won’t come to me, I will go to him.”

The ghost said: “That’s right.”

Lü Shuyao felt a sudden pang of grief.

Jiang Zhiqing asked the ghost: “Is he waiting for me?”

“Yes, he’s waiting for Master. Do you know the Evil Ghost Purgatory? It’s so cold inside; he can’t get out. He can only wait for you to go in.”

“He is waiting for me.”

This time, it wasn’t a question. Jiang Zhiqing was suddenly certain. “He is waiting for me. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?”

“It’s not too late, Master.”

Jiang Zhiqing crawled forward on his knees. His grey robes were tattered and he was covered in wounds, leaving a trail of misery behind him. For four thousand days and nights, his longing had shattered; now, his blood flowed out, pooling within that small circle of ghosts.

“I beg of you, take me to him.”

“That can be arranged, Master. Give me your sword as a thank-you gift.”

Jiang Zhiqing looked down and stroked the sword in his hand. It was the sword Chang Huichen had given him when he first entered the sect.

He offered it up with both hands.

“No! Brother Zhiqing!”

Qinzhu finally burst into tears. Just as she tried to rush forward, she was held back by the last shred of Lü Shuyao’s spiritual sense.

The face of the ghost who took the sword split open in a grin. It extended a foul, long tongue, greedily licking the spiritual energy from the blade, then raised the sword high—

In that moment, Jiang Zhiqing looked at Muling’s face and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

He closed his eyes. The lotus on his forehead was still stained with the colors of the past; it had never faded, never changed.

But the moment the sword fell, the twin lotus was split into one. The heart of the lotus shed red tears, just like that night in the depths of the palace, like the red candles that had burned dry within him and Chang Huichen.

Everything was over.

Lü Shuyao watched it all with open eyes.

He didn’t know if he was powerless to stop it or if he was simply letting nature take its course. Perhaps subconsciously he knew he couldn’t personally kill Jiang Zhiqing. Whether it was a fear of killing or a lingering pity, he could no longer tell.

However, the danger was not over.

For the swarm of ghosts, having feasted on Jiang Zhiqing’s soul and spiritual power, grew even more frenzied in their carnival before the dawn.