Beichen Sword Sect's Headmaster's Secret Records

Chapter 394 Different Paths

The snow was white and covered the sky and the earth. The wind was icy and the snow was white. The world was connected by the waves of clouds and the sea of ​​snow.

Huangfu Yi stared blankly at the snow-capped mountain in front of him, momentarily unaware of where he was.

"Mom, Mom, it stepped on the trap and its leg is injured..."

Huangfu Yi was startled, his expression changed drastically, and he turned around abruptly.

From behind, a chubby little boy, bundled up in a fur coat, trudged through the snow, carrying a whimpering snow fox in his arms, and ran toward the woman who was kneeling in the snow digging for wild vegetables.

Huangfu Yi's eyes flashed with a fierce light, revealing a ferocity he had never shown before. He leaped forward, blocking the woman behind him, and without saying a word, threw a punch straight at the fox's head.

However, his fist passed through the scene before him like a fleeting shadow, as if it had pierced through a curtain of water...

Illusion... no, it's memory...

"Huh? A three-tailed monster! Yi'er, throw it away quickly! It's a monster!"

"But it's injured, and it looks like it's in a lot of pain. Mom, can I take care of it?"

"Don't be silly, you can't tame a monster."

“But it’s still young. Uncle, don’t you know how to train dogs? I want to have a dog too, let me have one, Mom…”

"What kind of dog is that? It's a three-tailed fox..."

"Mom, please, no one in the village will play with me..."

"...Sigh, I'll bandage it up and let it go once its wounds heal. Otherwise, when your dad comes back, he'll scold you."

"Okay, don't worry! I promise I won't let it pee in the house! Its fur is so white, how about I call you Snow White?"

Huangfu Yi gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and stared intently at the three-tailed fox with its wide eyes, pretending to be pitiful and cute.

"Oh, so your parents were killed by the monsters you picked up yourself. No wonder you were so extreme."

Huangfu Yi suddenly turned his head, glaring angrily at the woodcutter behind him.
"You've seen enough!"

The woodcutter chuckled coldly.

"What, you can't stand this? I watched as you devoured my thousand-year-old spirit pet alive! What the hell did I say?!"

Huangfu Yi gritted his teeth.
"All monsters deserve to die..."

The woodcutter waved his hand impatiently.

"Alright, alright, I just can't stand this about your Sword Sect. This one deserves to die, that one deserves to die. All you do is fight and kill, wiping out entire families at the drop of a hat. You're all insane..."

Enough with the nonsense, where is that sword immortal who's behind you? To be able to send you all the way from Yinshan to the Central Plains, break my formation, and ruin my plans, you've got quite the scheme!

I'd like to see who this person is!

Huangfu Yi was well aware that the other party was highly skilled and was using the Yuan Shen technique to search the soul. He simply sat down cross-legged, gritted his teeth, and stared intently at the fox, as if he truly hated it so much that he could tear it apart and devour its flesh, or as if he was afraid that if his gaze shifted even slightly and fell elsewhere, he would never be able to look away again...

"Hehe, I'll find it myself if you don't tell me."

The woodcutter swung his axe and smashed it, splitting Huangfu Yi in two with a single blow!

boom!
For a moment, the film flashed before my eyes like a kaleidoscope.

Finally, the snowy landscape before our eyes blurred, and the icy snow-capped mountains transformed into a sea of ​​fire, turning the pure white snow into raging flames.

Then Huangfuyi saw his house. He pushed open the door and saw the woman who had just been stroking her child's cheek, with a warm smile that could show even in the cold winter, now lying in a pool of blood. The ground was covered with flesh and blood, clearly indicating that she had been disemboweled, her skull cracked, and her face had been eaten away.

The monstrous creature, neither human nor beast, covered in white fur, with emerald green eyes, three flapping tails, and a mouth full of blood, was still holding a tender heart and liver, sucking its hot blood. It was smiling at the chubby boy who was stunned at the door and Huangfu Yi, whose eyes were wide with rage.

It was as if she was smiling and thanking him, thanking him for saving her life, thanking him for his meticulous care, and even thanking him for foolishly letting the demon into the house and causing trouble. She was also thanking him for personally serving her such fresh and tender food, giving her such a warm and comforting meal.

"Mother——! Mother——!!"

The chubby boy screamed and cried, grabbing his machete and trying to rush forward to fight, but a hand grabbed him from behind, pulled him by the collar, and threw him out of the yard.

"The barrier has been broken! I'll cover the retreat! Everyone, retreat to Sword Spring!"

A tall man's figure flashed past, but his features were barely visible. After taking three steps, he burst into flames like a torch, shining brightly like a fallen star and warm like the winter sun.

Huangfu Yi bit his lip until it bled, staring intently at the scene of seeing his parents for the last time, his palms clenched so tightly that blood oozed from them.

The woodcutter frowned, said nothing more, and with a wave of his hand, turned the page over.

The next scene is about the sword spring.

It's called Sword Spring, but it's actually just an underground hot spring flowing out of the mountains. It's freezing cold, and Jiuquan Village uses this spring water to brew wine. The sword immortal also used the spiritual veins of this place as nodes to set up a sword array eye in the spring to protect the villagers.

The chubby boy from before has grown into a young man, but his round, fat face has visibly thinned out, and his innocent eyes are gone. He stares intently at the chilling, sword-lit spring water with its sharp blades, like a dead man.

"Yi'er, if you really go down to challenge the Sword Immortal's legacy, you'll die..."

"Brother, please don't! Everyone, please eat sparingly. We can still manage with the food. Once the demons retreat in the spring, everything will be fine!"

"Yi'er, you're still young. Why don't I go down? I'm just an old man. If I die, I can live a few more days..."

Men and women, young and old, surrounded the boy, offering words of comfort.

However, the boy was already deaf to reason; his eyes were fixed on the sword in the spring, the sword's fallen shadow, and the fire in his eyes.

"It's all my fault. I took in that demon, which broke the village's barrier and caused so many deaths..."

I've come to claim the sword immortal's legacy! I'll slaughter all the demons!
Don't worry, I will kill it, kill it, I must kill it..."

The woodcutter frowned, watching the boy plunge into the well with a splash. He didn't follow, but remained on the bank, gazing at the chaotic sword formations in the spring—flashes of light, a thousand blades scraping, hearts pierced by a flurry of swords, a pool stained with blood. He then did some quick calculations.
"Any hesitation or wavering, any thought of clinging to life, will result in being pierced by a thousand swords. Only by fearlessly overcoming all dangers, breaking through the sword's edge, and remaining steadfast to the death, can one directly obtain the Sword Manual..."

That's strange, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the sword transmission, wasn't it that kid's doing...?

After pondering for a moment, the woodcutter suddenly waved his hand and pulled Huangfu Yi, who was sitting on the ground, up.

"Where is that Blood Demon! Lead me there!"

Blood Demon...

Huangfu Yi was pulled and stumbled. His consciousness stirred, and in the next instant, the scene before him changed again.

A fierce wind howled, and the weather suddenly changed. Huangfu Yi was suddenly plunged into a raging blizzard, and then a figure darted through the storm.

It was a naked woman with a graceful figure like an elf, her waterfall-like silver hair fluttering in the wind, and three fluffy tails trailing behind her.

“Ku ...

"Monster! Die—!"

At this moment, Huangfu Yi could no longer restrain himself. He roared and charged forward, merging with the boy who was also chasing in the wind.

"Hehehe—you've come to play with me again, Xiao Yi—I'm here—I'm right here—come and catch me, Xiao Yi—hehehe—"

"Die! Die! Die—!"

The boy chased after the fox girl's shadow, wielding an iron sword and wildly slashing and howling, his roar louder than the wind.

However, his skills were still too weak, and his sword was still too slow; he couldn't even touch a single hair on the fox woman's head.

The fox-woman seemed to be merely playing around, gracefully dancing in the snow, stretching out her beautiful and enchanting body.

"Hehehe, come on, come and catch me, Xiao Yi—"

"Monster! Die—! Yao Guang Slays the Dragon!!"

"Zhi!"

"what!"

The iron sword suddenly flashed with light, piercing a gash on the fox woman's cheek, drawing blood instantly.

Seemingly stimulated by the murderous intent of the sword energy, or enraged by the stinging pain and bloodstains on her face, the fox woman's eyes flashed with fierce light, and she pounced! With just one move, she sent the young Huangfu Yi flying, and using both hands and feet, she stepped on his chest like a ferocious beast, pressing him down into the snow!
"Ha—!" "Flame Fist—!"

Huangfu Yi roared and punched the fox girl in the chest. Unfortunately, he was not skilled enough to unleash a fiery fist, nor could he break the demon body that had transformed into a spirit. The punch only landed on the fox girl's soft and rounded chest, causing it to ripple slightly.

The fox-woman shuddered, momentarily stunned, seemingly recovering from her bestial instincts. Looking at her hand pressed against her chest, she suddenly smiled slightly, licked her lips, and leaned closer to the boy.
"What, you want me...?"

"Go to hell! Go to hell! Go to hell!"

Enraged, Huangfu Yi suddenly flipped over and pinned the fox woman beneath him, gripping her neck tightly with both hands.

However, the fox-woman just kept giggling, twisting her supple waist and tucking her fluffy tail under her body as if she were lying on a soft bed, looking at the boy on top of her with a half-smile.
"Come on, kill me! Do whatever you want, after all, I owe you something!"

Huangfu Yi's eyes were bloodshot as he tried his best to break her neck, but the demon bones were much stronger than humans. He unleashed his full power and exerted all his strength, but he could only leave a few kiss-like finger marks on the fox-woman's swan-like neck.

The fox spirit lay beneath the boy, watching him, looking at his face. Slowly, her smile faded, and she raised her delicate, jade-like fingers to cup his face and wipe away his tears.

"Don't cry, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to, I just... couldn't help it..."

"Eek eek—ah ah ah—!"

Huangfu Yi roared and bit the fox woman's throat, trying to tear open her trachea.

But the fox spirit remained gentle, holding him in her arms, her tail tucking him in like a blanket to shield him from the storm and cold outside. The two pressed close together, and she stroked the boy's hair softly, saying...

"It was my fault. I owe you. Whether you like me or hate me, I will always be with you... forever and ever..."

"Ahem, could you two find somewhere else to do it?"

Suddenly, voices rang in her ears, and the fox woman awoke with a start, leaping out of the storm while holding the boy in her arms.

Then, with a "plop," her feet landed in a pool of blood.

Nestled amidst snow-capped peaks lies a boundless pool of blood, like a ruby ​​embedded in an ice ring.

A young man in a red robe sat on the pool of blood, looking utterly bored, resting his chin on his hand and tilting his head to observe them.

"Hey, have fun, but make sure you take precautions. Humans and transgender people are different, and if you get pregnant, you'll be cursed by the heavens."

"Blood God Child Great Technique!"

The fox-woman was terrified and turned to run away!

"Dragon Slaying Sword!"

"what!"

However, Huangfu Yi roared and suddenly pointed a sword energy at the fox woman's eye socket, startling her so much that she threw the boy away.

"Hmm? Beichen's sword?"

Then the blood-robed youth frowned, and a large hand emerged from the blood pool, wrapping Huangfu Yi in a blood cocoon.

"do not want!"

The fox-woman let out a scream and knelt down in the pool of blood.

"Your Majesty! Please spare his life!"

Huangfu Yi struggled and roared within the blood cocoon.

"Monster! Die—!"

"Huh, are you two going through a love tribulation? Your relationship is so twisted, it's kind of disgusting..."

The Dharma King shuddered and looked at the fox woman with curiosity.

"But how do you know I'm a Dharma King? Do I have writing on my face?"

The fox-woman knelt in the pool of blood and bowed.

“I dare not deceive Your Majesty. My daughter was originally a disciple of Qingqiu. Back then, she was chased by the Sword Immortal all the way and barely managed to escape to Yinshan. So... I also saw the Sword Immortal fighting with Your Majesty back then…”

"Oh."

The Dharma King fell silent for a moment.

The fox-woman swallowed hard and said cautiously,
"Xiao Yi has inherited the sword immortal's legacy. If Your Majesty is so inclined, I will slaughter that village and retrieve the sword for you. I only beg you to spare his life..."

"Okay, let's go."

With a casual wave of his hand, the Blood Demon threw Huangfu Yi into the blood pool, causing him to fall face-first into the snow. He was momentarily disoriented and unable to get up.

The fox-woman was overjoyed and bowed her head in worship.
"Thank you very much for your kindness, Your Majesty!"

The Dharma King nodded.
"You're welcome."

The next second, the fox girl exploded into thousands of fragments, turning into ten thousand blood flowers. With a splash, the fragments scattered into the sea of ​​blood. In an instant, the blood pool returned to its mirror-like state, without a ripple, reflecting the clear blue sky and white clouds.

Huangfu Yi was stunned, staring blankly at the empty blood pool. The Zhu Jian, as smooth as a mirror, no longer showed any demons, only the boy's face filled with shock, confusion, bewilderment, and overwhelming sadness.

"white……"

Then the Dharma King on the lake, his phoenix eyes half-closed, showing no anger, joy, compassion, or sorrow, turned his head.
"Have you seen enough, sir?"

Then the sea of ​​blood hung upside down, like a cliff ten thousand feet high, crashing down from the sky and covering the earth!
Huangfu Yi felt his collar being tugged, heard a splash beside his ear, and suddenly lifted his head from the jade-like lake surface.

Suddenly, as if waking from a dream, the boy kneeling by the pond, his head covered in rain, stared blankly at the shattered reflection in the lake. Dreamlike images flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, flickering like a dim lamplight. Finally, everything before his eyes, all the things that had happened before, were extinguished in the dim night.

After an unknown amount of time, the woodcutter sat down beside him, and the two of them gazed at the moonlight reflected in the pond, lost in thought.

"I never expected you to be like this... Sigh, I'm almost embarrassed to tease you..."

Huangfu Yi wiped the water droplets from his face, his expression blank.
"I'm not a good person. I stopped crying a few days after my parents died, and I can't even remember what they looked like. In the end, I couldn't avenge them, and I even attracted the Blood Demon..."

But I know that a demon is a demon. No matter what they say, no matter how they pretend, no matter how they act, even if they transform into the exact same form, they are not human, and they will never become human.

"Humans... Hmph, you really think humans are anything good? They're nothing but a bunch of maggots..."

The woodcutter shook his head, looking utterly exhausted.

"That's all, let's go."

Huangfu Yi frowned as he looked at the other person, unsure of what tricks they were up to this time.

"Hmph, you've already eaten the chessboard, what tricks can I possibly play now?"

The woodcutter glanced at the iron axe in his hand with annoyance and casually tossed it into the lake.

"Humans and demons are different... Ha, people's hearts aren't made of stone. You can't raise something for long without feeling it."

Having lived this long, how could I not know that beasts are hard to tame? But simply killing, killing, killing doesn't solve any problems, does it?

If you're not even willing to try, how can you know that humans and demons are destined not to coexist and work together to create a peaceful world?

Fine, whatever. If you want to kill so much, go ahead and kill. I'm too old to stand in the way of young people.

But don't blame me for not warning you, if a real fight breaks out, the winner might not be you guys..."

Huangfu Yi didn't understand why the other party suddenly let him go, but he wasn't the type to dwell on the past, wallow in self-pity, or be unable to move on. He had already crossed the Yinshan Mountains and the Gen River; the world was vast, so where couldn't he go?

So he wiped the water droplets off his face, gathered his things, and left.

"Hey, kid."

Huangfu Yi stopped, and heard the woodcutter say behind him,
"The foxes of Qingqiu have nine lives; they don't die so easily."

Then, with a loud "boom!", when Huangfu Yi turned around again, he saw only an empty mountain and a clear pool; the woodcutter had vanished without a trace.

(End of this chapter)