Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 168 A Century of Doubt
The blade is as sharp as a saw, its light icy and cold, but it suddenly bursts into stunning brilliance.

Zhao Yifu faced the hundreds of Liao soldiers who were besieging him and swung his sword mercilessly, with a gorgeous swing that was full of coldness.

The cold air dissipated, and thousands of ice knives appeared along with the sword energy, shooting out in all directions like a blizzard.

Those hundreds of soldiers had no power to resist at all. They were beaten into sieves in this icy storm and then completely wiped out.

At this moment, the surroundings became an icy purgatory, and the breath of death was everywhere.

Liang Zhongzhi and Fairy Zhenyi fell silent, and the boy standing nearby lowered his head in fear, not daring to look at the figure in the field.

Liang Zhongzhi coughed dryly, then said, "Actually, this is the best choice."

Although he really didn't like Zhao Yifu's killing, he still had to save face in front of outsiders.

Who knew that before he could figure out how to resolve the issue, Fairy Zhenyi had already nodded and said, "Yes, this is probably the best option."

She paused, hugged the unfortunate child who was willing to die with her, rubbed the child's head and said, "These soldiers burned, killed, looted and committed all kinds of evil. They were destined to die."

"What's more, the captain who just died was a Liao noble. According to Liao law, if a nobleman commanding troops dies while his soldiers are still alive, not only will the surviving soldiers be buried with him, but their entire family will also be implicated."

"That's why they came here to die even though they knew they were no match for the enemy. Only by dying can they protect their families, young and old."

Liang Zhongzhi understood immediately. He smiled faintly and said, "They died a worthy death, and the people they harmed also got their revenge. This is a good thing."

Fairy Zhenyi shook her head and looked at Zhao Yifu solemnly, saying, "No, it's not a good thing."

At this time, Zhao Yifu had already put away his sword. He then walked over and bowed gently to the Fairy Zhenyi, who was dressed in the Qiandao style. He said, "I am Fu Yinzi, the disciple of the Danqing Sect. I am honored to meet Uncle Zhenyi."

The generation has been confirmed before. If I am not mistaken, this Fairy Zhenyi is the descendant of the previous generation of Taoist Zhenyi, which means she is of the same generation as Liang Zhongzhi.

Fairy Zhenyi quickly returned the greeting, "Zhenyi Dao..."

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Aunt Hui meets Senior Brother Liang and Junior Nephew Fu Yinzi."

She actually said her secular name...'Hui Gu', which was obviously not a Taoist name.

Liang Zhongzhi was surprised and asked, "Why, Junior Sister hasn't inherited the name Zhenyi yet?"

Hui Gu shook her head and smiled bitterly, "I haven't formed the elixir yet, and I'm afraid that if I rashly use the name Zhenyi, I'll bring shame to my master."

Liang Zhongzhi heard this and said sadly, "So the old senior has passed away first..."

The atmosphere was a bit heavy. Huigu, who was destined to inherit the name Zhenyi, did have an excellent temperament.

She didn't indulge in this emotion and complain, but looked at Zhao Yifu and said, "That magic knife will drive people crazy."

"You should have seen what happened to that Taoist named Du, right?"

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "I saw it. I didn't expect that his inner demons would be brought out so quickly. It's quite unexpected."

Hui Gu hesitated for a moment, then frowned and said, "Master Nephew Fu Yinzi... I'm being too arrogant to call you Master Nephew, but I'm actually only in my early twenties, and my cultivation isn't as high as yours. I hope you don't mind."

Zhao Yifu was a little surprised. He looked at Huigu's plain face without makeup. She looked to be in her thirties or forties, but she was only in her early twenties?

Maybe she is not even as old as him!
However, judging by his actions, he is quite calm and methodical, and should not be underestimated.

Zhao Yifu said gently, "Uncle Hui is our elder after all, and we cultivators shouldn't judge people by their age."

Hui Gu smiled slightly upon hearing this. She said, "I'm glad you think so... I'm not blaming you, but that demonic sword is dangerous after all. Perhaps you should change your weapon."

"I am quite familiar with the Yangling Sword Sect. I can ask the swordsmiths there to forge you a divine weapon that is as sharp as this one."

Huigu spoke sincerely and gave the best solution.

To be honest, Zhao Yifu was still very moved.

Although the killing knife was easy for him to use, the sinister feeling of evil was still somewhat inconsistent with his identity.

He began to understand why the people of the Zhenyi Sect were respected by the three sects of the Chunyang Sect. The way they did things was indeed very pleasing to the eye.

However, he felt that he should still refuse. After all, this sword was very useful to him now. At least in the underworld, it could be used in conjunction with the Netherworld Messenger's Order to advance his spiritual cultivation.

As the saying goes, no one knows a disciple better than his teacher. Liang Zhongzhi knew what Zhao Yifu was thinking just by looking at his expression.

So he said, "Thank you, Junior Sister Hui, for your kindness, but I think it's not necessary."

It was not Zhao Yifu who refused personally but Liang Zhongzhi who refused on his behalf, and the meaning here is very different.

Hui Gu did not show any dissatisfaction. Instead, she began to ponder the meaning of it. She asked, "Brother Liang, is there a deeper meaning here?"

Then, without waiting for Liang Zhongzhi's reply, he analyzed it himself: "But using the magic sword to temper one's character? That's one way, but it's a bit too risky."

After letting her find the reasons herself, Liang Zhongzhi continued, "Jun Xin is the most stable junior with a righteous heart that I have ever met. In fact, he has not disappointed me, so you can rest assured, Junior Sister."

Upon hearing this, Hui Gu was relieved and said, "If that's the case, it's not bad. However, my nephew should still be more careful."

Zhao Yifu felt that he didn't need to be too careful. After all, how could he have any inner demons?
He didn't want to dwell on this issue any further, so he said, "Master Hui, you should take care of your injuries first."

He gave his master a look and then prepared to set up the camp.

Upon hearing this, Hui Gu said strangely, "Why don't we leave here first and make plans later?"

Liang Zhongzhi had quickly found a tree hole nearby...actually, it was a small space arched by the roots of a tree.

He used the 'Boundless Universe Technique' there to expand it into a large space.

Zhao Yifu crawled in and released the donkey cart from his sleeve.

Then the whole family came out in a lively atmosphere.

Huigu looked at all this in a daze. It was deserted just now, but now it suddenly became very lively... She didn't know how to deal with it.

The cats were running around, and there was a little bear cub running around following the cats.

The tree roots above my head were like a huge cave, with transparent sides allowing me to see the outside world... but the outside world seemed to be magnified dozens of times.

The secret realm created by the 'Boundless Universe Art' is always magical.

Liang Zhongzhi said, "We'll set up camp here. Don't worry, mortals won't be able to find us. Even if cultivators come here and are discovered, we won't be afraid."

Hui Gu was speechless for a while, because this was indeed the truth... mortals could not discover such a secret realm, but cultivators discovered it... Damn, wouldn't that be courting death?
Zhao Yifu then arranged for Wu Zhong to do logistics, and then called the little maid.

"Linu'er, go help my uncle Hui treat his injuries."

He gave an order, and the brainless little maid responded woodenly, then helped Huigu into the carriage.

As for the boy rescued by Hui Gu, Zhao Yifu, having nothing else to do, personally asked, "What's your name?"

The boy was obviously frightened by Zhao Yifu's killing spree. He replied in a trembling voice, "My name is Xu Ada."

Zhao Yifu understood that the poor people in the north did not even deserve proper names, and were usually named with numbers or letters.

He asked, "Is there anyone else at home?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ada's eyes turned red and he said, "I don't know..."

He really didn't know because all the relatives he knew were dead.

Zhao Yifu also understood and said after a moment of hesitation, "Then let's take advantage of the daylight and let you spend some time with your family for the last time."

As soon as he finished speaking, he picked up the 'Netherworld Messenger Order' in his hand, activated his mind, and then reached out and placed his hand on Xu Ada's shoulder and whispered, "Friends and relatives have returned..."

The next moment, the cold wind gathered, and those who had just died tragically came to Xu Ada one by one.

They stood quietly, their expressions retaining the ferocious look of death, and it was obvious that their death was not peaceful at all.

These are the souls of those who died unjustly. Their minds are contaminated by resentment and hatred, so they appear in this form.

"Dad, Mom...Grandpa! Er!" Xu Ada shouted again and again, but his relatives just looked at him coldly and told him the cruelty of separation between life and death.

"How could this happen...doesn't anyone recognize me anymore?"

He asked, crying.

Before Zhao Yifu could reply, a corner of the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a beautiful face filled with celestial charm. He said, "They all died violent deaths, and the resentment they carry is hard to let go, so they can't express any other emotions."

"Now, the only option is to send them to the underworld as soon as possible, allowing them to slowly heal their resentment in that quiet place so that they can be reincarnated as soon as possible."

Then she looked at Zhao Yifu and said, "Nephew, you shouldn't show these to him."

There was already a hint of blame in the words.

However, Xu Ada knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Hui Gu repeatedly, saying, "Please help them, help my parents... Let them stop being like this."

"This……"

Hui Gu was embarrassed. She said sincerely, "This is a matter of the underworld. I am really not good at it."

But Zhao Yifu had already drawn out the killing knife.

The killing knife was blessed with the intention of hiding the edge, and it was lightly swung at these dead souls...

He then said, "Don't worry, Ada. Let's see how your family is doing."

Upon hearing this, Xu Ada turned around and found that the expressions of his family members, who had been indifferent or even cruel to him before, had become peaceful.

They looked at the child gently and calmly, with reluctance to leave the world and blessings for Xu Ada.

Xu Ada calmed down.

Only at this moment did he feel that his family was around him again.

Zhao Yifu said, "There's still half an hour until sunset. Spend time with your family. To prevent them from being contaminated by other impurities, I will send them to the underworld after sunset."

Xu Ada wiped his tears and nodded repeatedly. After this, he completely understood what kind of result would be best for his family.

Hui Gu, who had shed the veil of mediocrity and revealed her natural beauty, looked at Zhao Yi Fu in surprise and asked, "Can you communicate with the underworld?"

"Also, that devil's sword... No, that's not a devil's sword in your hand, it's the sword of rebirth!"

Liang Zhongzhi stroked his beard complacently and smiled, "Excuse me, Junior Sister, but it is true that my disciple has obtained the status of an extra-curricular underworld messenger by coincidence, so he can guide the souls of the dead in the world of the living."

Hui Gu couldn't help but marvel at this and said, "There are many strange things in this world, but if that's the case, why did you call yourself 'Ghost Seer'? You're clearly doing good things."

Liang Zhongzhi chuckled upon hearing this and said nothing more. After all, people who have not experienced it personally would never imagine how worrying this kid is.

Hui Gu did not ask any further questions, but just nodded slightly to Liang Zhongzhi and Zhao Yifu, then lowered the curtains and went back to heal her wounds.

The master and the disciple didn't care much about her sudden reveal of her true appearance. After all, this was normal.

Cultivators expel impurities from the body and continuously enhance their vital energy, which inherently enhances beauty. Cultivation itself is even quite subjective; as practice progresses, one's own zhenqi and spiritual energy continuously adjust one's appearance from the inside out, bringing it to match the cultivator's inner state... This is the so-called "appearance is determined by the mind."

If Huigu's true appearance was as mediocre as before, it would not be worthy of the demeanor and wisdom she displayed.

Half an hour passed quickly.

As the last ray of sunlight fell, Zhao Yifu opened the dark passage leading to the gate of hell in this "secret realm of heaven and earth".

The young man watched his relatives and friends disappear into the gates of hell with tears in his eyes, and no one knew what he was thinking.

But Zhao Yi Fu did not stop, but increased the input of true energy, causing the Netherworld Messenger to emit circles of ripples from the underworld.

Soon, all the ghosts wandering around came.

The nearest ones were the Liao soldiers who were slaughtered by him. Their ghosts came staggeringly and lined up in an orderly manner to enter the gate of hell.

He doesn't make any noise or trouble, and is so well-behaved that it makes people feel distressed.

Because they were all killed by the killing knife, all their resentment and hatred were taken away when they died, so that now they can enter the underworld smoothly.

Also queuing up were the two cultivators and a demon. They all followed in a daze, without making any noise or noise.

It was the villagers who had died tragically in the distant village who came behind and howled with deep resentment.

At this time, Zhao Yifu used the hidden edge intention to bless the killing knife, and then gently swept it over the villagers...

Their expressions became visibly peaceful.

So these ghosts lined up one by one and let Zhao Yi Fu tap their shoulders lightly with the killing knife before entering the gates of hell, as if they were performing some sacred religious ritual.

Zhao Yifu worked until midnight before he stopped.

Xu Ada kowtowed respectfully to Zhao Yifu, then his body tilted and he fainted.

After treating her own injuries, Hui Gu waited silently by the side. Only then did she say, "My nephew, this is truly a great supernatural power and great merit. Compared to you, what I have done is truly ridiculous."

Liang Zhongzhi comforted him, "This child is also a coincidence, but he has such a kind heart. As a master, I am very pleased."

He never hesitated to praise Zhao Yifu, because he knew that educating Zhao Yifu required praising him.

Hui Gu had a strange expression on her face, because the "child" Liang Zhongzhi was talking about was probably older than her.

She coughed dryly and changed the subject, "I wonder how my senior brother and nephew knew that my younger sister was in trouble?"

Liang Zhongzhi felt a little troubled by this problem.

Because he didn't want to lie or deceive, but didn't want to tell the truth, he quickly gave Zhao Yi Fu a wink.

Zhao Yifu understood immediately and said, "Uncle Master, our sect elders predicted that you were in trouble and knew we were closest to you, so they specially sent us here."

There is nothing wrong with what I said.

Liang Zhongzhi nodded in approval after hearing this, thinking that what he said was absolutely right.

Hui Gu also didn't notice anything wrong. She exclaimed in amazement: "To be able to achieve such a level of cultivation, he must be the reincarnation of the Yang God."

"I wonder which Yang God is still alive in Danqing Sect?"

Liang Zhongzhi laughed and said, "Of course it's our sect leader Qiuyu."

He didn't say Qiu Yuzi was the elder who asked them to come and rescue him. He only said that the Yang God of Danqing Sect was Qiu Yuzi.

Hui Gu understood and said, "My master once said that Senior Brother Qiuyu had the appearance of a celestial being. I didn't expect that he would still stay in the mortal world."

Liang Zhongzhi and Zhao Yifu exchanged a glance, then said quietly, "If we can't resolve the events of a hundred years ago, who among these two generations of our Danqing Sect can rest assured in their journey to heaven?"

Hui Gu also said with a heavy heart after hearing this: "Yes, this was also the regret of my master before he died."

"Actually, I came to the Three Veins Conference this time to figure out one thing..."

Zhao Yifu and Liang Zhongzhi both looked like they were listening.

Hui Gu said, "When the Liao Hu invaded the border, why did so many places seem to have agreed not to resist? They sent countless innocent people under the iron hoofs of the Hu people and trampled them."

"My master, incarnated as a prominent official of the Great Xu, and attempted to turn the tide. We had already secured the situation and were on the verge of retaking Tokyo... But why did Emperor Xu suddenly change his mind that day, leading all the court officials south across the river, abandoning our vast territory in vain?"

"And one last time, my master instructed the divine general to launch a counterattack in the north. The situation was clearly favorable, with Bei Liao almost abandoning Tokyo and withdrawing their troops north... So why did Emperor Xu execute him on trumped-up charges?"

"Don't even mention that Emperor Xu is worried that Emperor Dao Zong's return will threaten his throne. How could an emperor who had lost half his kingdom and was captured by the enemy possibly shake the throne of a sage ruler who had recovered lost territory and revived the world?"

Liang Zhongzhi indeed felt that there was something wrong here.

Because a hundred years ago, the entire Da Xu court seemed to have collectively lost its mind. Many opportunities to save the situation were missed, and it can even be said that they deliberately made wrong decisions... This is really hard to understand.

(End of this chapter)