Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 28 – A pile of rubbish

When he tossed the book, Wenren È had put up an illusion, making it look like two books had flown over. As a Mahayana stage cultivator, it was easy for him to fool some mortals, and even Zhongli Kuang hadn’t realized that there was only one book. Only Zhongli Qian swept over a suspicious glance. He had also caught a glimpse of the cover, and knew it didn’t belong to the library. But in that case, where had it come from?

The Lord of Demons had no intention of explaining. Right when he saw the second book appear, he no longer had any interest in staying at the conference. He transmitted to Shu Yanyan, “Use whatever method you can to separate Zhongli Qian from the Zhongli clan. If you can do that, your punishment will be decreased by ninety-nine years.”

The last year could be for the two Altar Masters who had been locked in the water prison and the two who had been dragged to her bed. A year was nothing for Shu Yanyan, anyway. Hearing that her sentence could be lightened so much, her eyes brightened and she immediately replied, “Your subordinate won’t disappoint you!”

After issuing his command, Wenren È nodded to Zhongli Qian, then leapt out of the window, so quickly that none of the ordinary people in attendance knew what happened.

The three Zhongli young masters had noticed, however. Wenren È, after taking his leave of Zhongli Qian, had shown that he was a high-level cultivator. Not wanting to cause any trouble, Zhongli Qian turned his attention to the conference instead. Zhongli Kuang was fuming and on the verge of flipping a table. Zhongli Qian smoothly took the brush out of his hand, turned around, and wrote a poem across a wall.

His bearing was dignified, his brush strokes free and graceful. Flecks of ink landed on his white sleeve, blossoming through the fabric. His literacy and bearing both stopped people in their tracks. Zhongli Kuang, after having his pen taken, knew Zhongli Qian wouldn’t permit him to make a fuss anymore, and could only suppress his anger. He returned to his seat and gulped down a mouthful of wine.

After the conference ended, the scholars all gathered around Zhongli Qian with praise, unwilling to leave. Zhongli Qian reassured them that Five Willow Manor was open to all with a love for learning, and they could come to discuss literature anytime.

Only then did they all leave happily. Shu Yanyan kept making eyes at Zhongli Qian, only waiting until the end to get up. Seeing that Zhongli Qian really didn’t pay any attention to her, she dejectedly walked out of the library.

After going a few steps, she heard a voice call to her from behind. “Could this lady please wait?”

Shu Yanyan put on a soft smile and when she turned around to see Zhongli Kuang, she thought that even if she couldn’t get the shark fin soup, she could still make do. The important part was that Zhongli Kuang could be used to lure out Zhongli Qian. If she could get ahold of Zhongli Qian, the Venerable would return her darlings to her!

Shu Yanyan was willing to occasionally pick a weed from the roadside for the sake of a forest.

Meanwhile, after getting the book, Wenren È immediately flew to a faraway mountain range with Yin Hanjiang. Only after setting up an array and having Yin Hanjiang stand guard outside was he finally willing to start reading.

Just the first volume of God of Annihilation was about equal to Abusive Romance in thickness, another doorstopper of over a million words. Wenren È created a table and chair and sat down to study it.

He spent three days and nights reading it non-stop. After finishing, Wenren È was left with some troubling thoughts.

Objectively speaking, if this book had been an ordinary story, he would’ve enjoyed it. Some of the plot points were genuinely exciting, and he had wanted to applaud the protagonist several times.

The protagonist of the story was a male, who had lived in an unremarkable small town in his youth. His father was never mentioned, and he took painstaking care of his ill mother. He was a ringleader of the other penniless kids, but the rich children next door would often bully him, and even their servants would look down on him. But the protagonist told himself that he would prove them wrong someday, and make his way up in the world.

One winter, he left to gather firewood in the mountains. When he returned, he found the entire village silent. Running in, he discovered that everyone had been slaughtered. The boy fell to his knees, crying, and the sound drew the attention of a passing cultivator. The boy returned with him to his sect and was found to have a rare spiritual root. His path of cultivation was opened up before him.

In his sect, he became the shixiong everyone looked up to, but there was a dark shadow in his heart. He was still focused on finding the assailant who had murdered his family and friends. His master had told him that the village might’ve been massacred by demonic cultivators as part of some evil technique, so he vowed to destroy the demonic sects and dedicated himself to cultivation. After reaching Foundation Establishment, he left the sect and, meeting the family that had once bullied him, which had moved away and avoided the massacre, he took vengeance on them viciously.

Later, he became the Sect Master and took in many supporters. Among them was a bastard son of a cultivation clan, a good-hearted demonic cultivator, a wandering immortal who had gone down the wrong path, and elders who treated him as their equals. He was also fortunate enough to meet an ancient deity who became his master, helping him through many dangers and earning his deepest gratitude.

He had also met many and varied female companions, who were all willing to share him between them. His main wife, whom he respected highly, kept everyone in line.

At the end of the first volume, he had, with the help of his master, finally entrapped and killed the number one demonic cultivator and the one he had suspected of slaughtering his family. However, he subsequently found new clues that pointed to the murderer being someone else, an immortal from the upper realms.

In order to find his nemesis, the male lead took his most talented wife, his little shimei, and ascended to the immortal realm, ending the first volume. At the end was a message that those who wished to know how the story continued in the immortal realm should pick up God of Annihilation: Volume 2.

There was nothing wrong with the story itself, per say. But if one mentioned the names of the characters, the matter would be different.

The main character of God of Annihilation was Hè Wenzhao. His main wife was the Violet Spirit Pavilion Master. His headstrong and disobedient shimei was Baili Qingmiao, one of his friends was Zhongli Kuang, and the demonic cultivator he had killed at the end was Wenren È.

By taking another point of view, this book had turned the plot of Abusive Romance completely on its head. The events were the same between the two, but in Baili Qingmiao’s eyes, they had one interpretation, and from Hè Wenzhao’s perspective in God of Annihilation, they had a completely different interpretation.

For example, when Baili Qingmiao was imprisoned, it was because the Violet Spirit Pavilion Master had pointed out, right before her wedding to Hè Wenzhao, that her fate was governed by Polis, and she would always be followed by death and disaster. In order to protect his beloved shimei, Hè Wenzhao had her locked up in the mountains to prevent anyone from getting to her.

From Baili Qingmiao’s point of view, it was because Hè Wenzhao had heard that the Violet Spirit Pavilion Master had medicine that could save the Sect Master, and when he went to ask for it, the Pavilion Master took a liking to him and made it a condition to marry her. Hè Wenzhao had told Baili Qingmiao to be patient and not make a fuss, then locked her up in order to prevent her from disrupting the wedding.

Wenren È: …

And as for the part where Zhongli Qian ran into Baili Qingmiao and rescued her, from Baili Qingmiao’s point of view, she was grateful to have been saved from a place that had hurt her, but for Hè Wenzhao it was: bad news, someone stole the protagonist’s wife, better hurry and go kill that two-faced pretty boy.

Wenren È: …

If he hadn’t been the villainous mastermind who died at the end, Wenren È might’ve really believed the twisted facts of God of Annihilation.

The first page of God of Annihilation had a passage similar to what Abusive Romance had, but where Abusive Romance had said, “Due to an overabundance of plot holes, this story has been rejected by its readers. Thus, the most popular character among the readers has been selected to personally verify the story’s consistency, and make suitable changes,” God of Annihilation‘s message read, “Due to the story deviating from its original form, it has been rejected by its readers. Thus, the most loyal character to the protagonist has been selected in order to correct inconsistencies with the original work.”

God of Annihilation had appeared above Zhongli Kuang’s head, so he must be the “most loyal character to the protagonist”. He was a supporting character in the story, just like Wenren È.

Wenren È placed both books on the table and considered them deeply. The appearance of God of Annihilation confirmed further for him that the world he lived in was real. The characters in it had their own thoughts and intentions, and were not subject to any outside control.

One of the books was merely the female lead, Baili Qingmiao’s, view on the world, whereas the other was the view of the male lead, Hè Wenzhao. They showed the same world filtered through two different lenses. If Wenren È had become the protagonist, it would probably lead to another, completely different book.

To Baili Qingmiao, Wenren È was her savior who sacrificed himself in the Blood Hell for her sake, but for Hè Wenzhao, Wenren È was his sworn enemy who had killed his family and taken his girl. His strength couldn’t match up to Wenren È, so in order to take down the villain who had singlehandedly masterminded the Great Sect War, he asked for help from the master who lived in his body. Wenren È was surrounded and killed at the Blood Hell, and Hè Wenzhao managed to rescue his poor shimei from his clutches.

The story of God of Annihilation seemed to be more logical than Abusive Romance, or at least all the readers could follow the protagonist’s actions. But if you asked Wenren È, it was a pile of rubbish.

Wenren È placed a hand on the cover and said coldly. “Planning to use the Blood Hell to do away with this Venerable? This Venerable would like to see if you have what it takes.”

He put away the books and took down the array. Seeing Yin Hanjiang standing guard outside, he asked, “Has the Right Protector reported any news?”

“The Right Protector sent word yesterday that she had already gotten her hands on Zhongli Kuang, and was going to use him as bait for Zhongli Qian. According to Zhongli Kuang, Zhongli Qian is powerful and has an immortal artifact on him, so may be a tough opponent. The Right Protector hopes the Venerable will lend a hand, in order to ensure Zhongli Qian’s capture,” Yin Hanjiang replied.

Wenren È didn’t respond, just turned into a streak of crimson light, picked up Yin Hanjiang, and returned to Azure Sky Mountain in scarcely the blink of an eye.

Zhongli Kuang’s house was outside Five Willow Manor, and Shu Yanyan was currently living in the courtyard, having daily dalliances with Zhongli Kuang. After they were done she would also recite poetry or paint with him, not enjoying herself in the least.

When Wenren È barged in, Zhongli Kuang was in the sheets with Shu Yanyan. Seeing two people suddenly appear in his room, he was shocked and prepared to attack when a blood-red flower bloomed before his eyes, and he lost consciousness.

“Right Protector,” Wenren È said coldly, a book in one hand. “Steal his Nascent Soul, turn him into a puppet, and use his soul as bait for Zhongli Qian!”

“Sweet!” Shu Yanyan said, her eyes brightening. She immediately put a palm against Zhongli Kuang’s dantian and extracted his Nascent Soul in no time, a task she was quite practiced in.

“Y—you people…” Zhongli Kuang could only manage these two words, before the wicked woman by his side destroyed his foundation forever.