Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 43 – Burning Sky Immortal

Wenren È planned to take the Pavilion Master no matter what. It was no concern of his that the Shangqing disciples wouldn’t be able to save their Sect Master without the Lockheart Herb. After all, he was the one who had injured their Sect Master. The idea that he would help him recover was laughable.

Seeing Yin Hanjiang was about to leave with the Pavilion Master, Hè Wenzhao tried to charge him, but was held back by his fellow disciples.

“Shixiong, even Immortal Qingxue was a Xuanyuan Sect mole, so what chance do we have left?” Liu Xinye said, holding his waist. “Just… bear it, okay?”

Hè Wenzhao’s body relaxed, though his fists stayed clenched, as he berated himself for his own powerlessness.

If they didn’t make a fuss, Wenren È naturally wouldn’t exterminate all of them. Also, Hè Wenzhao was still important to the events of the third volume of God of Annihilation. Before reading the third volume, Wenren È decided to leave him alone for the time being.

Before they departed, Wenren È glanced back at the heartbroken Baili Qingmiao and transmitted to her, “You can follow this Venerable back to Xuanyuan Sect.”

Wenren È didn’t mind that Qiu Congxue had exposed her identity to avoid being pushed forward to fight him. He’d never expected Qiu Congxue’s undercover work to amount to anything. Getting between Baili Qingmiao and Hè Wenzhao was already far beyond his expectations. But her identity put Baili Qingmiao in a bad position. It was uncertain what would happen to Baili Qingmiao if she returned to Shangqing Sect, so Wenren È made his offer, letting Baili Qingmiao choose for herself.

Baili Qingmiao shook her head wordlessly. She had sustained too heavy a shock, and if it weren’t for Zhongli Qian forcibly suppressing her emotions, she would’ve started sobbing on the spot.

Qiu Congxue extended a hand toward Su Huai. She had been planning to raise Su Huai as the next Master of the Hellfire Pavilion—to hell with Shi Congxin.

Su Huai also silently declined. His master was such an idiot; he had to stay.

Zhongli Qian gave Wenren È a nod. With the influence of the Heart-Linking Parasite, he had to return to Shangqing Sect with Baili Qingmiao. With him there, Baili Qingmiao wouldn’t face any threats to her life.

The Shangqing Sect disciples could only watch helplessly as Wenren È and Yin Hanjiang left. After spending a moment in a daze, Baili Qingmiao brought out the Moonlit Frost Silk and dashed toward the sea of flames.

“Shimei, what are you doing?” Hè Wenzhao cried.

“Rescuing people!” Baili Qingmiao wiped away her tears. Zhongli Qian’s calm let her realize what she must do at this moment.

She couldn’t just remain heartbroken at Master Qingxue’s betrayal or shocked at Wenren È’s ruthlessness. She had to search the field of lava for survivors. Each life she saved counted.

Sensing Baili Qingmiao’s feelings, Zhongli Qian sighed. He said to Su Huai, “Do you know why, knowing Baili Qingmiao is this foolish, I keep helping her overcome her infatuation?”

Su Huai shook his head.

“Because Baili Qingmiao is compassionate.” Zhongli Qian took off his blindfold, looking at the sea of flames below him. “Even though she knows that Qiu Congxue was a demonic sect member, that she once saved the wrong person, she holds no regrets for her actions and still tries to save others now.”

In their twenty-two years of travelling together, this was the first time Su Huai had seen Zhongli Qian’s eyes. They were stunningly bright and perceptive eyes, calm and penetrating.

Using the tracking curse, Zhongli Qian could see what no one else could.

He saw how, as Baili Qingmiao charged into the flames, they parted for her and opened up a path. The flames feared her, yet wished to harm her. She sustained burns one after another, but she didn’t flinch, continuing her search.

None of the Shangqing Sect disciples followed her. Hè Wenzhao had wanted to dive into the flames with her, but Liu Xinye was clutching his waist tightly, in a way that said, if you follow her, I’ll go with you to die. Hè Wenzhao was furious, but in the end couldn’t bring himself to push Liu Xinye away.

After watching for a minute, Zhongli Qian closed his eyes and tied the blindfold back around them. There was nothing more to see.

“Mister Zhongli?” Su Huai said uncertainly.

“Look for yourself,” Zhongli Qian said to the Shangqing Sect members.

A figure covered head to toe with soot charged out of the sea of flames. She held a silver silk sash, the other end tied around several dozen unconscious Violet Spirit Pavilion disciples. One of them carried a mature stalk of the Lockheart Herb.

Baili Qingmiao’s legs had been burned and she could only stand by leaning against Su Huai. She wiped at the ash on her face and said, “None of the Pavilion disciples died. Someone transferred them to the place where the Lockheart Herb grew. When it matured because of the flames, the power it gave off protected them.”

She saw that Hè Wenzhao had already replaced the soul of the disciple Qiu Congxue had attacked into his body. Wenren È had overturned heaven and earth when he acted, yet not a single person had died. He’d only taken the Pavilion Master.

Baili Qingmiao glanced over at Zhongli Qian, then fainted. Her spiritual essence had been expended battling the flames.

The Shangqing Sect finally got their Lockheart Herb. They departed, bringing the Violet Spirit Pavilion disciples with them. Along the journey, no one spoke, their thoughts troubled.

Hè Wenzhao clenched his fists and said to his mental master, “Master, the demonic sects have grown too arrogant. Just a few years ago, they seduced me and broke the Spirit Severing Array. Now they’ve endangered the disciples of the Shangqing Sect and Violet Spirit Pavilion. How can I become stronger? How can I get rid of that demonic mastermind Wenren È?”

“Let’s see…” the Blood Demon Elder said in his mind. “There is a way.”

“How?” Hè Wenzhao said, his eyes brightening.

“As an ancient cultivator, I can tell that Wenren È is cultivating a path that can easily lead to deviation. He has already encountered a problem in his cultivation, so he won’t be hard to deal with. We just need some help.”

He was the first blood cultivator, so of course he could tell that Wenren È hadn’t consumed any souls, and was already at his limit.

“What kind of help?” Hè Wenzhao asked.

“Let’s see… I’m not too familiar with the cultivators of this age. But a few days ago, didn’t you meet an unnamed cultivator? I felt that something was off about him. He gave you his message talisman, no?”

“Yeah. He had one foot in the righteous and demonic paths, but he valued loyalty, so I thought he was worth getting along with.”

The Blood Demon Elder chuckled. “Well, I thought his techniques felt like those of a demonic cultivator.”

While the Shangqing Sect journeyed back, Wenren È had already brought the Pavilion Master to Xuanyuan Sect. He immediately called over Altar Master Miao and tossed the Pavilion Master to him. “This Venerable wants two things. First, this person needs to willingly hand over a book. Secondly, for the time being, his soul must not be harmed. Use some gentler methods.”

Hearing Wenren È’s orders, an eager smile appeared on Altar Master Miao’s face. “Understood.”

Altar Master Ruan, standing to one side, couldn’t help but shudder.

Everyone knew that in Xuanyuan Sect, Protector Qiu liked dead people the best, and Altar Master Miao hated killing people the most. In the ten years of the Great Sect War, Altar Master Miao kept complaining about how it was such a shame so many righteous cultivators died. One or two could’ve been left alive for him to raise bugs in.

Wenren È had been controlling the demonic sect members for all these years, forbidding them from harming ordinary people. And even if they harmed cultivators, they had to pay attention to the laws of reincarnation and the cycle of karma. They couldn’t act against whoever they wanted.

Altar Master Miao had been stifled for many years at this point, unable to raise new insects without people as materials. He could only use his own body to feed them, but he was immune to all kinds of poisons and couldn’t see the effects of his insects on his own body. He had made hundreds of bugs, but had no one to test them on. Over the years, he had grown more and more off-putting.

Now that he had someone to stick bugs in, he was giddy with joy. He promised over and over that he certainly wouldn’t let the Pavilion Master die, and would let him live very healthily.

Seeing how happy Altar Master Miao was, Altar Master Ruan brought out his tortoise shell, shrank inside it, and rolled as far away from him as he could.

After handing off the Pavilion Master, Wenren È stopped caring. Only results mattered to him, not how they came about.

Wenren È shooed away everyone at the Main Hall and slowly walked towards his room. Yin Hanjiang followed as always, without any question as to Wenren È’s actions.

In his room, Wenren È spoke with his hands behind his back, looking away. “You can go now.”

“Understood.” Yin Hanjiang turned around, about to shut the doors behind him, when he was yanked back into the room.

He saw Wenren È’s eyes reddened, his hand around Yin Hanjiang’s neck, thumb pressing his chin down. Wenren È examined his face closely, as if deciding where to bite.

“Venerable?” Yin Hanjiang watched Wenren È without any fear. The sword in his hand clattered in warning.

As a magic weapon, it had a will to protect its master. If it ever sensed danger, it would warn its master.

Yin Hanjiang never stored his weapon inside his body. Now the Army Crushing Sword shook itself free of its sheath, pointing its blade at Wenren È.

The Seven Killing Halberd within Wenren È’s body sensed the Army Crushing Sword’s hostility and also trembled, bringing Wenren È back to awareness.

Wenren È licked his cracked lips and shut his eyes. He let go of Yin Hanjiang.

“Venerable?” Yin Hanjiang said, trying to quiet his wildly beating heart. He wanted to put his arms around his Venerable, but held them back, grabbing his arms with his hands. “Does the Venerable have any orders?” he said with forced calm.

“Sect Leader Yin, in a few days, this Venerable must go to the Blood Hell. You must stay at Xuanyuan Sect and take on my duties. Before then, this Venerable hopes you can reach Mahayana, so as to take leadership.” Wenren È spoke with his back turned, not looking at Yin Hanjiang.

Yin Hanjiang’s eyes dulled for a moment. He knew Wenren È as a blood cultivator must cultivate in the Blood Hell in the future. He also knew his own power was too weak and he would never survive there. It was better he stay at Xuanyuan Sect to keep everything in order for his Venerable.

But…

He bowed his head and said quietly, “This subordinate understands.”

Upon leaving Wenren È’s room, he immediately felt an array go up behind him, preventing him from feeling Wenren È’s presence.

He looked down at his faintly trembling hands, then took a ghost mask out of his robes and put it on.

With the mask on, Yin Hanjiang miraculously calmed. A voice seemed to say in his mind, “There’s no problem. After the Venerable leaves, just follow him secretly.”

Yin Hanjiang took off the mask. He thought, “But if the Venerable is gone for so long, what will happen to Xuanyuan Sect?”

He put the mask back on and the voice said, “Isn’t it easy to keep the sect under control? Protector Shu and Protector Qiu don’t get along, Protector Qiu wants to kill Altar Master Shi and find someone to replace him, Altar Master Ruan hates Altar Master Miao, Altar Master Shi is the natural enemy to Altar Master Miao’s bugs, Altar Master Yuan is worried about Protector Shu doing away with him and installing someone else. Just get them to fight and kill each other for a hundred years, and the Venerable should be back by then.”

Yin Hanjiang took off the mask, his eyes expressionless. After a moment, his head turned stiffly, like a puppet’s, and a brilliant smile appeared on his face.

Inside his room, Wenren È called out the Seven Killing Halberd, gripping it hard as it tried to escape. It was a part of him, yet when his blood qi raged out of control, it didn’t recognize him as its master and tried to leave his body. As Wenren È stared at it, a technique to dissolve and absorb it appeared in his mind.

He smacked himself forcefully in the forehead and managed to regain some rationality.

He couldn’t become a demon. At least, not right now.

Wenren È had thought that since Hè Wenzhao ascended to the immortal realm at the end of Volume 1, Volumes 2 and 3 wouldn’t appear in the cultivation world. He should only be able to find Volume 2 in the immortal realm. Yet Volume 3 had already appeared, and judging from the timing, it was around the same time as the first.

Wasn’t it possible that all three volumes had appeared simultaneously? That he had been lucky enough to get the first volume, while the other two had already been picked up by others and read cover to cover?

Abusive Romance had chosen the major male character Wenren È, while God of Annihilation: Volume 1 had chosen the protagonist’s good friend, Zhongli Kuang, and the third volume had chosen the main wife, the Violet Spirit Pavilion Master. They were all supporting characters, so the recipient of the second volume should be one as well.

All the targets of the books were the closest people to the male or female lead, so judging from that, the recipient of the second volume was most likely to be the demonic cultivator Cen Zhengqi, or the wandering healer Yao Jiaping.

He had already started searching for Cen Zhengqi. Yao Jiaping was a wandering immortal whose travels were unpredictable, so he was difficult to find.

Actually, it would be best if Yao Jiaping had the book. He was a wandering immortal, so it would be difficult for him to take action against big sects like Xuanyuan or Shangqing. The worst-case was Cen Zhengqi having it. If the demonic sect traitor had the information of the second volume and managed to deduce from it some contents of the first volume, their enemies would have the advantage over them.

Thus he needed to acquire the third volume. He’d skin the Pavilion Master and pull out his tendons if he had to.

While Altar Master Miao interrogated the Pavilion Master, Wenren È meditated, reciting a Clear Mind Spell. Spending time alone in tranquil surroundings improved his condition by a lot. After seven days, Altar Master Miao sent word that the Pavilion Master had given in and wanted to speak to Wenren È.

To reduce temptation, Wenren È had sealed his senses of smell, taste, and touch, leaving only his hearing and sight. Yin Hanjiang followed him with a calm expression as he went to find Altar Master Miao.

Altar Master Miao had the Pavilion Master in a brightly-lit room, lying on the floor like a corpse. He was uninjured, but from time to time, a bump would appear under the skin of his face before disappearing. Who knew how many bugs were in his body?

Wenren È made everyone else wait outside and remained alone in the room with the Pavilion Master. Since his smell and taste were sealed, he couldn’t speak. He transmitted to him, “Have you made your decision?”

“Heh…” the Pavilion Master said with difficulty. “They don’t call you… the Lord of Demons for nothing. So many ways to make someone wish for death, ways I couldn’t even imagine. Tell Altar Master Miao to take the bugs out of my body, and I’ll give the book to you.”

“This Venerable already gave you a chance,” Wenren È transmitted. “Since you refused then, you don’t have the right to negotiate now. Hand over the third volume. After reading it, this Venerable will decide whether or not to remove your parasites. You can continue to refuse. This Venerable isn’t in a rush.”

The Pavilion Master didn’t want to endure the agony for one more day. After a moment of hesitation, he gave up on resistance, reaching into his lapel and withdrawing a book. Who knew where his storage item was hidden.

Wenren È wasn’t concerned he was plotting something. He was at their mercy and didn’t have the guts.

Wenren È took the third volume. On the cover was a ruined temple with a silhouetted figure standing before it. That figure seemed indescribably lonely and defeated.

He opened it and saw on the title page: “Because of a large plot hole appearing in the story, the closest character to the protagonist has been chosen to help him form a soul bond with Baili Qingmiao.”

The mission of this volume was to pair up the male and female leads? What for?

Once he flipped to the second page, he found a difference from the first volume. There was a summary, describing not the first volume, but the second.

The summary said: “After many battles, Hè Wenzhao defeated the Burning Sky Immortal. Bringing his wives the Violet Spirit Immortal and Baili Qingmiao with him, he ascended to the divine realm.”

The Burning Sky Immortal? Probably, like Wenren È, he was the mastermind of the second volume, the enemy Hè Wenzhao had to defeat at the end. The readers would call him the final boss.

Burning Sky… seeing these words, Wenren È was reminded of the first-grade immortal artifact sitting in the Xuanyuan Sect forbidden grounds, the Burning Sky Drum.