Film & TV: Public Enemy of Justice

“Yes, the ranking of the artifacts is indeed based on this,” Luo Shiyi interjected. “The Venerable One’s Flowing Light Zither is powerful enough to purify evil spirits, deliver the souls of the dead, and seal away the evil, greed, and desires in people’s hearts. It represents goodness and rebirth. In terms of combat power, it is naturally the lowest, so it is ranked last.”

"Does that mean the higher the level of the artifact, the more troublesome it is to collect and distribute?" Qing Shui also asked.

“That’s natural. Divine artifacts possess spirits, and they were already incredibly powerful when they were sealed, let alone after hundreds of years. Moreover, the longer they are sealed, the greater their corresponding potential for breakthrough. To break the seal, we need even greater power to control them; otherwise, it will endanger the people.” Luo Shiyi paused. “Just like this poor town. It’s because the seal was broken back then, and we didn’t have time to take care of it, that so many people are living here in loneliness, without memories, without a past, and without a future.”

"Yes, how pitiful!" Qing Shui sighed. The most pitiful of all are the people here, who live the same day over and over again, a day that will be their eternal existence. They have no past, no memory, not even the emotions of that one day.

"Poor Xiao Bao!" Hua Qiangu felt a pang of sympathy. She hadn't harbored any resentment towards the villagers of Lotus Village for how they treated her. But the villagers of Qiongluo Town were even worse off than her; the thought always brought tears to her eyes.

"Eleventh Senior Brother, is there no way to save them?" Shuofeng asked.

“If what Black Wind said is true, then the one who repaired the seal on the divine artifact should have been the Old Venerable One. The Old Venerable One’s magical power is the strongest in the history of Changliu. If even he couldn’t do it, then…” Luo Shiyi shook his head.

"Brother Yaoxie, do you have a solution?" Ni Mantian asked Lin Yaoxie.

“They have actually lost consciousness,” Lin Yaoxie thought for a moment and said, “It is estimated that when we tried to save them, we could no longer find their consciousness, and their memories had been sealed for too long. So we could only put together the most important fragments of their memories and let everyone relive that day. For example, the boss’s drinking, the boss’s wife’s quarrel, and the booming business of the steamed bun shop are the things they remember most clearly in the depths of their souls.”

"Daddy! Daddy! It's about to speak!" Tangbao pushed the little bottle over, interrupting everyone's thoughts.

"Immortal, I'll talk, I'll talk." Black Wind was now mottled and his voice was broken. It seemed the damage from the Pool of Heartbreak was severe.

“The artifact is underground,” Black Wind sighed. “We were originally just black winds, but because of the artifact, we gradually cultivated our consciousness.” No one showed any sympathy for its words, so Black Wind could only continue.

“The artifact is really important to us. However, the artifact is sealed, and to find it, we need to find the key to unlock the seal first.”

When Dongfang heard him mention the key, he subconsciously pressed his pocket, where the Water Ripple Key lay.

"Legend has it that the Water Ripple Key is merely a clue to finding the divine artifact," said Shuofeng.

"I don't know about other divine artifacts, but the Xuanzhen Ruler is like this." Black Wind said firmly, unaware that Lin Yaoxie had already obtained the Water Pattern Key.

Chapter Twenty-One: Found

The black wind in Lin Yaoxie's hand felt somewhat floating and had lost its center of gravity.

It recalled that after the group finished speaking, a man holding a sword asked two questions. Then they all burst into laughter.

Then, Lin Yaoxie told it that it would have been better if it had said so earlier; once they found the artifact, they could move on to the next stop. It didn't even have time to mock them for how difficult it was to find the key.

A pale-faced scholar took something out of his pocket, and only when he laid it flat in his hand did he realize that the other person had already found it and had been putting on an act for him all day.

Why did you lie to the wind?!

"Brother Demon, did you just come here to get the key?" Hua Qiangu said, looking down. It was all pitch black, eerie and terrifying!

"Yeah, evil brother, how scary!" Ni Mantian also shrank her neck.

"Are we really going down there?" Qing Shui was also a little scared, as the bottom below seemed bottomless.

"Eleventh Senior Brother, what should I do?" Dongfang asked. "Should I go down with them too? I'm just a mortal!"

Lin Yaoxie glanced at him silently from the side. Knowing so much, he still has the nerve to say he's just a mortal? Let's see how long you can keep up this act.

“Let’s go together. It’s not safe for you to stay up there. Come with us so we can protect you!” Luo Shiyi grabbed his collar.

"Come on! Follow me!" Lin Yaoxie held Hua Qiangu in his arms, then said to Qingshui and Ni Mantian.

He took a quick step and jumped straight into the deep hole.

"Wow!" Dongfang was grabbed by Luo Shiyi and jumped in, then closed his eyes tightly, pretending to be very scared.

"Brother Demon, it's so dark all around, where do we go?!"

"Report four, there is no sound from any direction."

They seemed to have suddenly entered a very quiet world, a world of complete darkness, without a sound.

Lin Yaoxie gestured for everyone to stand further away, then raised his hands above his head again and began chanting the incantation for the technique. He then slowly brought his hands together and lowered them from between his eyebrows, leaving a sword-shaped mark where they left his brow.

He suddenly shouted, "Wind, come!" Immediately, a hurricane composed of countless sword energies began to spin rapidly around him, sweeping into the darkness.

After about half an incense stick's time, the air began to dry out, and the eyes gradually regained their ability to see.

"There's something left on the ground!" Yin Shangpiao noticed first, then walked over: "Is that a chain?!"

"Chains?!" Luo Shiyi followed to take a look.

"Could this be the location of the divine artifact? But where is the artifact?!" Yin Shangpiao looked around anxiously, but unfortunately, apart from the broken chains on the ground, he couldn't see anything else.

"This?" Dongfang also leaned over to take a look, and then glanced at Yin Shangpiao with a hint of mockery.

"Brother Demon, why are there chains here?!" Hua Qiangu also had some questions.

"Without the chain, where am I supposed to find the key?!" Lin Yaoxie chuckled. (You might not believe it if I told you; he was a chain that had come to life, possessing intelligence and even wearing human skin.) Lin Yaoxie thought for a moment but decided against revealing the truth, lest he frighten the girls.

"Oh, Brother Lin, this is where you found the key?!" Qing Shui suddenly realized, "I understand now, the sound we heard last night was coming from it!"

"Ah, Qingshui, what did you say? The sound came from this pile of things?!" Ni Mantian was also shocked.

"Everyone, check yourselves to see if you've found anything!" Lin Yaoxie said, then led Hua Qiangu, Qingshui, and Ni Mantian in one direction to search.

"Report four, nothing found."

"Not found, can't find."

"There's no hidden door, and it seems there's no secret room either. There's not even a cave."

Lin Yaoxie flipped his palm over, revealing another small bottle: "My patience is limited. Where is it?"

Black Wind emerged again, looking mournful. "It's right here! Use the key! Use the key!"

Dongfang quickly took the key out of his pocket and handed it to Lin Yaoxie.

"How do I use it?!" Lin Yaoxie asked again.

"Immortal, I really don't know! Even if you scald me to death, I still won't know!" Black Wind said aggrievedly. He knew he had really told everyone, and he really didn't know.

"Dongfang!" Lin Yaoxie tossed him the key. "Figure out how to use it, or you'll be stuck here forever!"

Dongfang felt as if he had been pushed to the clouds, and one wrong step would send him crashing to his death. As the master of the Different Immortal Pavilion, he certainly knew how to use the key, but how could he, as a mortal, reveal the secret now?!

Dongfang could only take the key and then look to Luo Shiyi for help.

Luo Shiyi simply said, "Take your time to study it." Then the men sat down around Dongfang.

My God! The East is on the verge of collapse! He's pretending to be researching something, looking around everywhere.

The time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The time it takes to drink two cups of tea.

The time it takes to drink five cups of tea!

"Report four!" Dongfang suddenly said. "I understand!"

Then he jogged up to Lin Yaoxie and handed him the key.

"Report four, if it's not based on the direction of the light, then it's using spiritual power. But I had Eleventh Senior Brother inject spiritual power, but it didn't work. So only the last one is left!" Lin Yaoxie put the key in his hand and looked at him.

"What's the last one?!" everyone asked.

"Blood!" Dongfang said. "Use blood!"

Lin Yaoxie nodded, then used his small flying sword to slash Dongfang's arm, dripping blood onto the Water Pattern Key.

"Report four..." Dongfang thought this person was really too... He found a method, and now he wants to use his own blood!

Guided by the blood, the water droplets within the Water Ripple Key began to flow and gather. Slowly, a soft light emanated from the Water Ripple Key's center.

The key slowly floated into the air, and the soil around the chains began to slide to both sides, gradually raising a platform.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the platform.

Black Wind also drifted over, trying to get closer to see more clearly.

"Brother Demon, is that the Mysterious Ruler?!" Hua Qiangu exclaimed.

"Hmm." Lin Yaoxie looked at the platform, which had been raised to a stable position.

The light from the key gradually faded, and it fell from mid-air with a click.

"We found it just like that?" Meng Xuanlang stood there, stunned.

"Brother Yao Xie, you are really amazing!" Ni Mantian said in a daze.

"Brother Yao Xie, you are a great hero!" Hua Qiangu exclaimed in praise.

"Brother Lin, this is all thanks to you!" Qing Shui exclaimed in admiration.

"This is the Xuanzhen Ruler!" Luo Shi stared at it intently.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's take it now!" Yin Shangpiao said anxiously.

"Someone's there?" Shuofeng suddenly turned around and said nervously.

Chapter Twenty-Two: There is a Traitor

"Who goes there?!" Luo Shiyi stepped forward and shouted.

The crowd quickly turned around and formed a semicircle, blocking the way in front of the artifact.

"When the Seven Killings arrive, all living beings must flee."

"When the Seven Killings arrive, all living beings must flee."

"When the Seven Killings arrive, all living beings must flee."

"Damn it, I'm saying it three times because it's important. It's the same no matter where I go," Lin Yaoxie muttered.

A group of black-robed warriors escorted a effeminate and alluring long-haired man, who slowly walked towards Lin Yaoxie and his companions.

So it was you, you brain-dead brat!

Lin Yaoxie glanced disdainfully at the effeminate man. It turned out that the person who had come was none other than Shan Chunqiu, the Grand Protector of the Seven Killings Sect. Of course, he was also Lin Yaoxie's defeated opponent.

"Hmph, Lin brat, don't be so presumptuous. Don't think you can really defeat me. I...I..."

"I wasn't feeling well before," Shan Chunqiu said, his face flushing slightly as he stammered.

"is it?"

"How come I remember if it weren't for your Boss Killer coming last time, you might not have had the chance to stand in front of me?" Lin Yaoxie said confidently. He never expected that this dignified Grand Protector of the Seven Killers Sect would be so shameless.

In the world of Hua Qiangu, Shan Chunqiu was indeed a formidable figure, possessing top-tier strength and abilities; otherwise, he wouldn't have held the position of protector of the Seven Killings Sect. However, he was unlucky enough to encounter Lin Yaoxie, a transmigrator with a unique ability to manipulate events. Naturally, he was at a disadvantage in every situation.

"Lin Yaoxie, don't spout nonsense. I've come here for a reason!"

After saying this, Shan Chunqiu nodded slightly to the crowd behind him and said respectfully, "I hope the two elders of Xuan Yin will lend a hand and help our Holy Sect obtain the divine artifact!"