Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 136 Lies Only Bring More Hatred
Barbarians worship ancestral spirits, but these are not necessarily the ancestors of humans.

It's just that when the Nirvana Sect spread its faith in the northern frontier, it didn't have a standard, and those monks who misread the scriptures always had many fallacies.

The numerous "stories" that came out of nowhere made the barbarian people's beliefs a mess, with claims that people could transform into tigers, leopards, insects, and worms, and that men and women could transform into each other.

It's one thing to boast, but the monks of the Nirvana School really do have magical powers and can actually conjure up some spells.

The barbarians were deceived and enslaved for many years, and many of them became deeply convinced of their beliefs.

In that era when the Demonic Sect held sway over a region, the Nirvana Sect was their true god, and they were willing to sacrifice the blood and flesh of millions of serfs to build a holy city of Buddha for them.

But after the Nirvana Sect was reduced to a pack of rabid dogs hiding in the streets, these fabricated stories became increasingly chaotic, with more and more versions emerging.

This led to years of religious conflict in northern Xinjiang, which has only recently become somewhat more stable.

However, Chen Ye was not from the Northern Frontier, so he didn't know any of this. He only knew that the barbarian in front of him had amazing magic and could even transform into a beast.

Although the transformation only increases strength, it is still considered a powerful and miraculous technique among mortals.

Because it was effective, the barbarians truly believed in ancestral spirits, and then became even more xenophobic.

More than a dozen large tribes were sacrificed, and countless corpses of their own kind lay in the ruins. At this moment, Chen Ye and Su Chunyi, two outsiders, stood here, unable to communicate in their language, so naturally, only the possibility of fighting remained.

Chen Ye's Ten Thousand Souls Banner was like a blazing sun, summoning countless ghosts with each wave, which then locked these barbarians up tightly.

Although Chen Ye couldn't understand the language, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner naturally contained the ability to communicate with the barbarians.

Chen Ye chose an old man who was fluent in both languages ​​to act as a translator. However, he did not expect that as soon as the ghost appeared, the barbarian who had just been knocked away would kneel down in surprise, muttering something that Chen Ye could not understand.

Chen Ye smiled and said, "Old man, it seems you hold a very high position."

The old man said to Chen Ye in a somewhat broken Central Plains dialect, "I dare not accept your praise, my benefactor. I am the priest of this tribe, and they are all young men from our tribe who are unaware of the truth and have offended you. Please do not take offense."

So they were survivors; they must have left the tribe before the formation was activated to escape the calamity.

"It's only human nature; anyone would be emotional if they saw their hometown destroyed and their relatives killed."

Chen Ye naturally wouldn't fuss over such a trivial matter, so he had the old man explain it to the young barbarians. At first, the men didn't believe him, but when Chen Ye released the spirits of their relatives, they wept bitterly.

Su Chunyi couldn't bear to watch and said to Chen Ye, "Sir, if you intend to establish a sect here, perhaps you could take care of these survivors."

Chen Ye nodded; that was exactly what he was thinking.

The northern frontier was the territory of the barbarians, and he, a man from the Central Plains, would always be ostracized.

Many times, problems cannot be solved by force alone. No matter how powerful Chen Ye is, he cannot kill all the barbarians in the northern frontier. It would be good if there were a way to communicate with them.

I'll learn the language of the people in northern Xinjiang myself; it will make communication easier.

After the young barbarian men recovered, Chen Ye asked them for more information.

Of the dozen or so tribes sacrificed, most belonged to a barbarian leader named Suhe, though he was likely already dead during the Nirvana Sect's sacrifice. Suhe's golden tent was located above that underground palace; it seems his rise to become the leader of so many tribes was partly due to the ginseng fruit.

Unfortunately, once the Nirvana Sect arrived, all power and wealth turned to ashes, and even their own homes became the site for the Nirvana Sect to build their towers.

Chen Ye originally wanted to release Su He's spirit, as having the original tribal leader's help would make establishing a sect easier.

But after checking, I found out that this guy had instigated a rebellion and had already been killed by Chen Ye. I guess even his remnant soul couldn't be found.

All I can say is that he's worthy of being a leader; he's adept at vying for power and profit, but he's a bit blind to the situation.

Chen Ye originally wanted to explain to these young barbarians and have the priest translate for him, but the priest said instead, "My benefactor, Chief Suhe couldn't see the wind direction on the grassland and became a broken blade of grass, but he is still our leader. Why not give him some dignity? Let's say he was killed by that demon from the Pan Sect. What do you think?"

Chen Ye carefully observed the priest's expression and immediately understood what he meant.

This wasn't to save face for the deceased Su He, but rather because they were afraid that these young men would be enraged and fight to the death if they knew Su He had died at Chen Ye's hands.

The old man had witnessed Chen Ye's methods and knew that he didn't mind using ruthless means. He only hoped to preserve some bloodlines for the tribe, and how Suhe died was no longer important.

But Chen Ye shook his head and said, "You should translate exactly what I say. Deception is only temporary and will only cause more misunderstandings. Old man, there is a saying in the Central Plains that there are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Rather than using lies to increase unnecessary hatred, it is better to be clear from the beginning."

Chen Ye had seen too many stories like this, where people use the guise of "for your own good" or "to avoid escalating conflicts" to conceal the truth, only to accumulate hatred. When the truth is revealed, the deceived person will never trust the other party again and will unleash all the grudges from before.

More likely, they lied here, and a couple of days later someone else found out the truth from elsewhere, which deepened the misunderstanding and turned the situation from one of explanation to a real deadly feud.

Chen Ye had over 100,000 ghosts under his command, all of whom witnessed Su He's execution. Since the two sides weren't going to cut off all contact afterward, how could they possibly keep this secret? It was better to be open and tell the truth without reservation.

What these young barbarians think is their business.

The old man was astonished, never expecting that Chen Ye could see through his thoughts at a glance.

This new "master" looks young, but his sharpness far surpasses that of Suhe.

Seeing Chen Ye's resolute attitude, the old priest had no choice but to tell the young barbarians the truth in detail.

Upon hearing that Su He had ultimately met his end at Chen Ye's hands, the expressions of those barbarians instantly became extremely complex. Their gazes toward Chen Ye contained hatred, fear, and admiration.

Perhaps it was the old priest's skillful appeasement that led these young barbarians to ultimately remain silent and refrain from seeking revenge against Chen Ye.

Once they calmed down, Chen Ye began to inquire about other information.

They quickly learned the general situation of this snowfield. Besides the already dead Suhe, there was also a barbarian leader nearby named Bile.

Originally, Bile's strength was far inferior to Suhe's, but this time the Nirvana Sect used a blood sacrifice to destroy eight or nine tenths of Suhe's tribe. Although Bile's side was also severely injured and its vitality was greatly depleted, it still had the strength to fight.

Chen Ye thought to himself that Chief Bile would soon send troops to help.

They could either gather usable resources to make up for their tribe's losses, or they could take the opportunity to seize Suhe's territory for themselves.

Therefore, if Chen Ye truly intends to establish a sect here, Chief Bile is a key figure he cannot avoid, a figure he must "pay homage to." Having roughly understood the power distribution on the snowfield, Chen Ye then said to the few surviving young barbarians, "You now know the truth of the matter. I intend to establish my sect in the place where the Suhejin tent is located. In the future, if you wish to see your relatives, you can come to me at any time. If you are willing to join me, you are welcome, but you need to abide by my rules. You can pass these words on to the other survivors."

After saying this, Chen Ye raised his hand and put the Ten Thousand Souls Banner into his pocket. Then, he and Su Chun left the desolate ruins side by side.

The two wandered around the snowfield for a while, occasionally encountering other survivors. Most of them were young people who had left their tribes to do business or go hunting before the sacrifice.

Upon their return, they discovered that their tribe had been destroyed, and everyone was heartbroken.

Chen Ye then followed suit, patiently explaining the whole truth in detail.

Chen Ye estimated that it wouldn't be long before the barbarians of the northern snowfields knew about the evil deeds of the Nirvana Sect and the news of Chen Ye establishing his own sect.

Before that, Chen Ye needs to make preparations, at least by getting the mountain gate ready.

Chen Ye thought for a moment and asked Su Chunyi, "I heard that the Qinghe Sword Sect is built in the center of Qinghe. I wonder if there are any special considerations in the selection of the sect's location and the construction of its mountain gate?"

Su Chunyi thought for a moment and said to Chen Ye, "The Qinghe Sword Sect is located in the center of the Qinghe River's water vein, suppressing the local water and land so that the people on both sides of the Qinghe River can live and work in peace. If you want to establish a sect, you also need to find the location of the earth vein first, so that you can choose the appropriate formation according to the principles of feng shui. I don't know this kind of dragon-seeking and qi-observation technique. I wonder if you are good at it?"

If this sect cannot be built according to the earth's veins, then the mountain-protecting formation will not receive the assistance of heaven and earth, and its protective effect will be much weaker.

Chen Ye shook his head. He was a rogue cultivator, and his knowledge of the art of observing spiritual energy was only superficial. He could barely discern the fluctuations and changes in spiritual energy.

However, finding the key to the earth's veins and manipulating the feng shui to its advantage is beyond Chen Ye's capabilities.

If Mo Suixin were here, perhaps he could ask her for some advice. Unfortunately, she is currently in seclusion at the Burning Incense Sect, and Chen Ye doesn't even dare to write a letter.

Su Chunyi said regretfully, "It's a pity that my master has never learned the art of dragon-seeking and aura-observation, otherwise I could ask him for help."

The Qinghe Sword Sect's teachings are not diverse; most of them are related to swords. Chen Ye couldn't trouble the Qinghe Sword Sect for help every time, otherwise he would become someone who takes advantage of others, and what difference would there be between him and Feng Huaiyu?

Thinking of Feng Huaiyu, Chen Ye suddenly thought of the group of rogue cultivators in Baihai Valley.

If we're talking about miscellaneous knowledge, the Incense Burning Sect is probably number one, and the second should be the independent cultivators. Among these people, there are bound to be a few who understand feng shui. We can go back and consult them, and then come back to arrange the sect's affairs.

If all else fails, let the Lord figure it out himself; he can't just be a hands-off manager.

Chen Ye did not want to tell the Qinghe Sword Sect about the matter of the Lord for the time being.

Even though he knew everyone in the Qinghe Sword Sect was a gentleman, he still harbored selfish motives. The brow bone of the Demon Lord Wujiu was inside Chen Ye's Ten Thousand Soul Banner. If this were revealed, could this treasure still be protected? The Qinghe Sword Sect was not greedy, but it might not allow a supreme treasure of the demonic sect to be flaunted in public.

Not to mention that Mo Ci has not yet become a Buddha and is still hiding in the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

Now that the matter of the Venerable One has been exposed, the Qinghe Sword Sect might have to invite Chen Ye to the Questioning Platform. Chen Ye believes he has done nothing wrong, but Mo Ci is certainly full of sins. If the Qinghe Sword Sect wants to exorcise the demon, should Chen Ye stop them or not?

If he completely turns against the Lord, it's uncertain whether the Qinghe Sword Sect will be able to find him. If the ginseng fruit is lost, the Lord will definitely fight Chen Ye to the death. The next time they meet in a dream, the Crimson Serpent will probably swallow him whole, leaving not even bones behind.

In life, sometimes it's not enough to simply have a clear conscience.

There will always be close and distant relationships, and there will always be various kinds of helplessness.

He had previously said that hiding the truth would cause trouble, but in the end he had no choice but to do so. His words were not what he truly felt, and he felt guilty.

Su Chunyi noticed these subtle worries and asked in confusion, "Sir, is there something you're having trouble telling me?"

Chen Ye looked into those clear eyes and remained silent for a long time.

If lies will only lead to more misunderstandings and hatred, then if I deceive Su Chunyi, how will I face her eyes and deal with her dazzling sword light when the truth is revealed?

Chen Ye sighed, finally unable to bear lying to her any longer, and said, "Actually, I established my sect here under the instructions of someone else. This person is related to the previous incident at Hundred Seas Valley and should be a demon lord of the Crimson Serpent Demon Sect. I was able to come here to save the people of Luoyan Town because of this person's reminder that I knew the Nirvana Sect was performing a blood sacrifice here."

"To my shame, this demon has bestowed many benefits upon me, ordering me to establish a sect here to guard a rare treasure hidden beneath this snowfield..."

Chen Ye spoke most of the words in one breath, and felt more and more relaxed as he spoke.

Regardless of the Qinghe Sword Sect's judgment, Chen Ye had no intention of hiding anything. If the Qinghe Sword Sect decided to kill Mo Ci, Chen Ye would have no choice but to take him far away and hide for as long as possible. If the Lord wanted to kill him, Chen Ye would have no choice but to accept it.

If others trust him unconditionally, Chen Ye must live up to that trust.

Su Chunyi listened carefully to what Chen Ye said, but was not surprised at all. Instead, she smiled slightly and said, "I don't care about other things. I only care about you, sir. Have you ever harmed the innocent? Have you ever committed an unforgivable crime?"

"I swear to God, I, Chen Ye, have never harmed anyone since I was born. This is my personal bottom line... But, Miss Su, don't you care at all?"

Chen Ye was somewhat incredulous. How could Su Chunyi be so calm? Had he colluded with the devil?
Su Chun smiled and said, "I already know about your master's affairs. Have you forgotten that when I was seriously injured, I overheard your conversation with your master? Later, when the Ten Thousand Souls Banner was delivered to the Qinghe Sword Sect, no matter how well the vengeful spirits hid, how could they possibly hide from my master?"

"Wait, you mean the Qinghe Sword Sect knows my master is a demon?" Chen Ye asked in surprise.

Su Chunyi explained, “I don’t know whether your master is guilty or not, but I have not concealed this matter and have already reported it to the sect. In the end, my master still decided to return the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to you. My master has always been far-sighted, and he must have had his reasons for making this choice. I don’t need to speculate too much. As for the matter of the Crimson Serpent Demon Sect Master, I will also report it truthfully. I think the sect leader will make a decision.”

After saying this, Su Chun looked into Chen Ye's eyes and said with joy, "I knew you wouldn't hide anything from me. From beginning to end, you were the one who discussed the Dao with me that day, and you never betrayed my trust."

Chen Ye breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to put down the heavy burden that had been weighing on his heart.

But after thinking about it, something felt off.

If Wang Wancheng already knew that Mo Ci was hiding inside the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, then why did Mo Ci say that she had successfully evaded it?
Thinking of this, Chen Ye quickly shook the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and called out to Mo Ci.

"Master, wake up! You turned yourself in to the Qinghe Sword Sect? Why didn't you tell me?!"

After a long while, a faint sigh came from the Ten Thousand Souls Banner: "I'm afraid I'll scare you to death if I tell you, but Wang Wancheng was the Qinghe Sword Sect disciple who chased after me back then."

Chen Ye was so frightened that his hand trembled and he almost dropped the Ten Thousand Souls Banner. This news really scared him out of his wits.

Mo Ci said helplessly, "Fine, since you already know, I will tell you about the past."

(End of this chapter)