Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Qingyun Mountain, Tongtian Peak, Yuqing Hall.

Before dawn, the morning mist, like a thin veil, shrouded the mountain peaks.

The hall was already packed with people. Dao Xuan Zhenren sat at the head of the table, his face ashen. On either side were the heads of various lineages: Tian Buyi, Shuiyue, Zeng Shuchang, Shang Zhengliang, Tianyun Daoren… all of them looked grim.

A person kneels in the center of the hall. A pine tree.

The black robe was stripped off, revealing the Qingyun Daoist robe underneath. The wounds on his shoulders and calves were hastily bandaged and were still bleeding.

He kept his head down, his hair falling down and obscuring his face. But his back was ramrod straight, like a pillar.

"Cangsong," Daoxuan spoke, his voice not loud, but each word like a stone striking the ground, "Do you know your crime?"

The pine tree raised its head. Its face was expressionless, and its eyes were empty, like two dry wells.

He looked around at the people in the hall, at Dao Xuan, at Tian Buyi, at Shui Yue, and finally lowered his head again.

"I admit my guilt," he said, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper had been scraped.

"Why?" Dao Xuan asked.

Cangsong fell silent. He stared at the ground, at the patterns on the bluestone slab, for a long time.

Then he laughed. The laughter was low and cold, like it came from underground.

"Why?" he repeated, raising his head, his eyes suddenly reddening as if burning with two flames. "Sect Leader, you ask me why?"

He tried to stand up, but his leg was injured, and he swayed, so he knelt down again. He didn't force it, and just knelt there, looking up at Dao Xuan.

"A hundred years," he said, his voice trembling. "A hundred years. Senior Brother Wan has been dead for a hundred years. You've forgotten, but I haven't."

A moment of silence fell over the hall. Tian Buyi's expression changed, and so did Shuiyue's. Daoxuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"What happened to Junior Brother Wan was an accident," Dao Xuan said, his voice somewhat somber.

"An accident?" Cangsong laughed again, tears streaming down his face. "What an accident! Senior Brother Wan, a genius of unparalleled talent, whose cultivation was unmatched in Qingyun, just like that, he died? Just vanished without a trace? Do you believe it? Huh? Do you believe it!"

He roared, the veins on his neck bulging. No one in the hall spoke; only his echo reverberated through the beams.

"You don't believe me." Cangsong's voice lowered, like a deflated balloon. "You dare not believe me. You're afraid, afraid that if you investigate further, you'll find things you shouldn't. But I'm not afraid. I investigated, I investigated for a hundred years."

He stared at Dao Xuan, his eyes like knives: "I found out that besides Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi, there was another person who went to the Wilderness with Senior Brother Wan that day. Who was it? Hmm? Who was it!"

Dao Xuan suddenly opened his eyes: "Enough!"

"Not enough!" Cangsong roared. "I've found out that Senior Brother Wan's death is related to the Demonic Sect, and...and also to our own people in the Qingyun Sect! Who? Who killed him? Tell me!"

He crawled forward, trying to reach Dao Xuan, but was held down by disciples on both sides. He struggled, his wounds reopened, and blood stained his Daoist robes.

"Cangsong!" Tian Buyi couldn't help but speak, his voice deep, "You're crazy."

"I've gone mad!" Cangsong turned to look at him, his eyes bloodshot. "I've been mad for a long time! I've been mad since the day Senior Brother Wan died! I've waited a hundred years, waiting for an explanation, waiting for justice! But what have you given me? Huh? What have you given me!"

He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently. Blood seeped from his shoulder, dripping onto the ground.

"So you colluded with the Demonic Sect?" Shuiyue asked, her voice cold.

"So you ambushed the monk Puzhi and stole the Bloodthirsty Pearl? So you used the Divine Sword Lightning Control Technique to try and silence us all?"

Cangsong looked at her for a long time, then nodded.

"Yes," he said, his voice calming down, like a stagnant pool.

"I colluded with the Demonic Sect. I wanted to steal the Bloodthirsty Pearl. I wanted to silence them. Because if you wouldn't give it to me, I'd take it myself. I'll seek justice for Senior Brother Wan myself."

He paused, a strange smile playing on his lips: "Moreover, I'm almost there. Puzhi is dying, and the Bloodthirsty Pearl is almost in my hands. Once I refine the Bloodthirsty Pearl, once I break through to the Taiqing realm, who in the Qingyun Sect, in this world, can stop me? Who can…?"

He didn't finish speaking. Dao Xuan raised his hand, and a flash of green light sealed his mouth. Cang Song stared wide-eyed, making a hoarse sound in his throat, but he couldn't utter a word.

The hall was deathly silent. Only the heavy breathing of the old pine trees and the sound of blood dripping onto the ground could be heard.

"Take him away." Dao Xuan waved his hand, his voice weary.

"I will imprison you in the Illusion Moon Cave and keep you under my personal guard. We will decide what to do next when the people from Tianyin Temple arrive."

Two senior disciples stepped forward, lifted the pine tree, and dragged it out of the main hall.

Cangsong didn't struggle; he was just dragged along, his eyes fixed on Daoxuan and everyone in the hall, as if trying to etch them into his bones.

The palace doors closed, shutting out the gradually brightening sunlight outside.

"Sect Leader Brother," Tian Buyi spoke, breaking the silence, "What about Monk Puzhi..."

"I have used our sect's elixir to protect his heart meridian, and his life is temporarily out of danger," Dao Xuan said, rubbing his temples.

"But the poison of the seven-tailed centipede, combined with the strike of heavenly lightning, has damaged my very essence, and my cultivation... I'm afraid I can't preserve it. I've already sent a message to Tianyin Temple, and Master Puhong will arrive soon."

Shuiyue frowned: "As for Tianyin Temple, I'm afraid it might..."

"I will give them an explanation." Dao Xuan interrupted her, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall. "The matter of Cangsong is a disgrace to our Qingyun Sect. But right now, there are more important matters."

He paused, then his voice deepened: "The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox has been born."

The atmosphere in the hall grew even heavier. Everyone remembered that rainy night, that white figure, those light words, and the Ghost King Sect members' unwavering retreat.

"That fox demon's strength is unfathomable. He casually gave the Bloodthirsty Bead to the Ghost King Sect, and it seems to have a connection with the Ghost King..." Zeng Shuchang carefully chose his words.

"There's quite a history between them. She saved the villagers of Grass Temple Village, yet she allied herself with the Demonic Cult. What exactly is her intention?"

"And the Ghost King Sect," Shang Zhengliang interjected.

"They deployed their elite forces this time with a clear objective: the Bloodthirsty Pearl. Now that they have it, and with the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox seemingly on their side, the Demonic Sect's arrogance will likely grow even stronger."

"The villagers of Caomiao Village have been put to a deep sleep by the fox demon's spell and know nothing about what happened that night," Shuiyue added.

"I have instructed my disciples to keep a close watch on this matter and to erase any traces of the magical duel. This matter should not be publicized."

Dao Xuan nodded: "Junior Sister Shuiyue did the right thing. Cangsong betrayed the sect, Puzhi was seriously injured, the Bloodthirsty Pearl was lost, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox appeared in the world... Any one of these events, if it got out, would be enough to shake the world. Especially with the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox escaping, I'm afraid that Fenxiang Valley will be in serious trouble..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood.

The Incense Valley has guarded the Mysterious Fire Altar for hundreds of years. Now that the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox has run away, they are the first to be implicated.

Qingyun Sect, Tianyin Temple, and Fenxiang Valley are all pillars of the righteous path. If this matter is not handled properly, it will lead to discord among the three sects and benefit the demonic sect.

"The most urgent task is to strengthen our defenses and secretly investigate the movements of the Ghost King Sect and the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox," Dao Xuan decided.

"Disciples of all branches are not allowed to leave the mountain without permission unless there is an urgent matter. Tongtian Peak, Longshou Peak, Dazhu Peak, Xiaozhu Peak... each branch must increase manpower to patrol the mountain gate to prevent the Demonic Sect from taking advantage of the situation."

"Yes," all the chiefs replied in unison.

"Let's call it a day." Dao Xuan waved his hand, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. Overnight, he seemed to have aged several years.

The crowd bowed and withdrew from the main hall. Morning light streamed in through the hall's doors, casting long shadows on the floor. A sense of impending doom hung in the air.

Dazhu Peak, the back mountain.

Jiang Xiaochuan was chopping bamboo. He chopped slowly, one stroke at a time, his mind not on the bamboo.

He was thinking about Grass Temple Village, Xiaobai, Lu Xueqi, Biyao, Cangsong, Puzhi, and the Bloodthirsty Bead.

Everything's gone wrong. The plot's completely collapsed.

In the original story, of the 250 people in Grass Temple Village, 247 died, leaving only Zhang Xiaofan, Lin Jingyu, and a madman. Now, none of them are dead; they're all fast asleep in the cave.

In the original story, Puzhi died and gave the Bloodthirsty Bead to Zhang Xiaofan. Now, Puzhi is not dead, but crippled, and the Bloodthirsty Bead was casually given to Biyao by Xiaobai.

In the original story, Cangsong was an internal traitor, but he remained hidden until the Battle of Tongtian Peak, when his identity was finally exposed. Now, Cangsong has been exposed and imprisoned, but this has brought up Wan Jianyi's old grievances.

In the original story, the nine-tailed celestial fox, Xiaobai, was imprisoned in the Xuanhuo Altar. Now, Xiaobai is out, swaggering around, and has even become kin to the Ghost King.

Everything is in chaos. It's like a game of chess where, before the game even starts, the players have changed, and the rules have been altered.

But he didn't regret it. At least, those 247 people were still alive. Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu didn't have to be orphans, didn't have to bear the burden of a blood feud, didn't have to go to Qingyun Mountain, and didn't have to go through those hardships and tribulations.

"That's good," Jiang Xiaochuan thought. "Even though the plot has fallen apart, being alive is better than anything else."

He put down his wood-chopping knife and sat on a rock. Little White lay at his feet, eyes closed, its tail wagging. Jiang Xiaochuan looked at it for a long time.

"Little White," he said.

Xiao Bai opened her eyes and glanced at him.

"Thank you," Jiang Xiaochuan said earnestly.

Little White didn't react, so it closed its eyes again and wagged its tail faster, as if to say, "I know, how annoying."

Jiang Xiaochuan smiled. He reached out and patted Xiaobai's head. It was fluffy and soft. Xiaobai rubbed against his hand without pulling away.

The wind rustled through the bamboo grove. The sun was shining brightly, warming me comfortably.

Jiang Xiaochuan leaned against the bamboo and closed his eyes. The jumbled thoughts in his mind slowly dissipated.

Who cares? If the plot falls apart, so be it; life goes on.

He has Xiaobai, bamboo, senior brothers and sisters, and his master and mistress. That's good.

He fell asleep.

Little White opened its eyes, looked at his sleeping face for a long time. Then it closed its eyes and rested its head on his lap.

Sunlight, bamboo forest, wind. A man and a fox, sleeping soundly.

Ghost King Sect, Secret Chamber.

Biyao sat on the stone platform, holding the Bloodthirsty Bead in her hand.

The beads are deep purple, cool to the touch, and have a blood-red glow flowing inside, like the heartbeat of a living thing.

She could feel the ferocious energy within the bead, like a caged beast roaring, wanting to break free and devour everything.

But she wasn't afraid. In her past life, she was the sect leader of the Ghost King Sect, had refined the power of Asura, and controlled the Hehuan Bell. What kind of ferocious aura hadn't she seen? No matter how ferocious the Bloodthirsty Bead was, could it be more ferocious than Asura?

She closed her eyes and began to circulate her internal energy.

The second volume of the Ghost King Sect's "Heavenly Book" mental cultivation method circulated within her body, its aura cold yet vast and powerful.

Sensing the aura of the same origin, the Bloodthirsty Bead shone brightly with blood-red light, and a pure yet violent energy surged into her meridians through her palm.

Biyao let out a muffled groan. The energy was domineering, like a red-hot knife, rampaging through her meridians. She gritted her teeth, guiding the energy along the route of the "Heavenly Book," refining and absorbing it.

One cycle, two cycles, three cycles...

Sweat dripped from her forehead, hitting the stone platform with a soft "plop." Her face was a little pale, but her eyes were bright, as if they were burning.

She wants to become stronger. Strong enough to protect those she wants to protect, strong enough to change the fate she wants to change, strong enough... to snatch him away.

In this life, she would never let go again. So what if Lu Xueqi had memories of her past life? So what if Xiao Bai was a nine-tailed celestial fox? She, Bi Yao, had them too. She possessed the Blood-Devouring Pearl, the Hehuan Bell, the "Heavenly Book," and the Ghost King Sect. She refused to believe she could not win.

The crimson light emanating from the Blood-Devouring Bead grew stronger, almost staining her entire body red. The air in the secret chamber became thick and filled with the stench of blood. But Biyao's expression remained calm, even carrying a hint of a smile.

"Soon," she told herself. "Just wait a little longer. Once I've refined the Bloodthirsty Pearl and broken through to the next level, I'll come find you."

This time, no one can stop me.

Old Zhang's house at the east end of Caomiao Village.

Zhang Xiaofan woke up. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. It was dawn, and the sunlight streamed in through the window, bright and clear. He yawned, feeling that he had slept a particularly deep and sound sleep.

"Xiao Fan, get up!" His mother's voice came from outside. "Dinner's ready!"

"Coming!" Zhang Xiaofan responded, got up, dressed, and ran out.

In the courtyard, his father was chopping firewood, and his mother was cooking porridge. Lin Jingyu from next door had also gotten up and was drawing water from the well to wash his face. The two children looked at each other and smiled.

"The thunder was really loud last night," Lin Jingyu said, scooping up a ladle of water and splashing it on his face.

"Yeah, it scared me to death," Zhang Xiaofan said, squatting by the stove watching his mother stir the porridge.

"I had a dream too." Lin Jingyu wiped his face and walked over. "I dreamt that there was an old monk and a cloud of black energy fighting. They were fighting so fiercely that the sky was cracked."

Zhang Xiaofan was taken aback: "I dreamed about it too. I also dreamed about a fairy sister in white, who was so beautiful."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"Dreams are all fake," Zhang Xiaofan's mother said with a smile, ladling out two bowls of porridge and handing them over. "Eat up."

"Mmm!" The two children took the bowls and buried their heads in their porridge.

The porridge smelled wonderful; the rice grains were cooked until they bloomed, and it tasted delicious with the pickled vegetables. The sun shone warmly into the yard. Chickens pecked at their food, and the dog dozed off. Everything was as usual.

Last night, that rainy night, that chaotic scene, those earth-shattering events—it all seems like a dream. A dream I forgot as soon as I woke up, leaving no trace.

On this ordinary morning, the fates of Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu took a quiet turn.