Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 79 – Hè Wenzhao’s death

Being in the wrong, the righteous cultivators had no way to defend themselves. Even the Shangqing Sect Master, the old-fashioned righteous cultivator who had never done anything wrong in his life, never could’ve imagined that the Blood Demon he’d declared he would eradicate was his own disciple. The shock was such that he was unable to speak.

Yin Hanjiang wasn’t interested in slaughtering the righteous cultivators. He only cared about Wenren È’s reputation. His Ah-Wu thought purely of mortal lives, would rather face death and enter the Blood Hell to seek a slim chance of survival than give in to demonic nature and devour souls. Yin Hanjiang couldn’t bear such a person being slandered as the Blood Demon.

He glanced at the Shangqing Sect Master. With the amount of spiritual essence the Blood Demon had taken, he probably wouldn’t last much longer, so Yin Hanjiang paid no more attention to this worthless mentor.

The soul of the Shangqing Sect Master alone was far from enough for the Blood Demon. He looked around, searching for victims. With a strange technique, Yin Hanjiang appeared behind each of the experts who had ambushed Wenren È that day, kicking them toward the Blood Demon. “Don’t you want to slay demons? This Lord has delivered the Blood Demon to you! Go on!”

With his last yell, the righteous experts gained some spirit. They brought out their weapons, determined to fight to the death against the Blood Demon.

However, the righteous cultivators had just expended all their power on the arrays set against Xuanyuan Sect, their spiritual energy having been transformed into a rainstorm by Wenren È, so they had hardly any power left.

The Blood Demon had recovered some strength from the Shangqing Sect Master, and the Burning Sky Drum’s awakening of his demonic nature had faded. He knew he had exposed himself and could no longer lie low, so abandoning all caution, he grabbed a Shangqing Sect girl who was the closest to him and dissolved her into blood, consuming her.

She just happened to be Liu Xinye.

Seeing that Hè Wenzhao was actually the Blood Demon, all the love left for Hè Wenzhao in her heart had turned into hate. She knew that after everything was settled, she would be humiliated when she returned to the sect for being the wife of the Blood Demon. Liu Xinye had often used other girls’ love toward Hè Wenzhao and jealousy for Baili Qingmiao to make Baili Qingmiao an outcast within the sect, so she knew better than anyone what it was like to be bullied. She desperately wanted to escape such a situation.

Right now, her only choice was to sacrifice her love for the sake of justice. If she struck the first blow against Hè Wenzhao, even if she failed to defeat the Blood Demon, people would admire her. So she hid behind one of the experts and attacked.

Unfortunately, Liu Xinye had never really faced any opponents in her life and her experience was lacking. She thought she was hidden, but the Blood Demon was aware of every move she made. The Blood Demon had taken on every expert of the cultivation world single-handedly ten thousand years ago. He easily discovered a particularly weak girl within the crowd, perfect for replenishing his spiritual essence.

Liu Xinye, too clever for her own good, thus died at the Blood Demon’s hands.

After absorbing Liu Xinye’s soul, the Blood Demon became more powerful and began to attack, taking on the righteous sect experts.

By now, Yin Hanjiang had backed off a great distance with Xuanyuan Sect’s members. He watched coldly as the righteous cultivators battled the Blood Demon, occasionally kicking a few of the scum he’d captured into the circle.

Zhongli Qian, who had regained his sight just yesterday, felt uneasy, but he didn’t plan to plead for Wenren È and Yin Hanjiang to help the righteous cultivators and take the higher road. Zhongli Qian could be selfless, willing to save Zhongli Kuang even though he knew the other hated him, but he wouldn’t make other people follow his own standards.

He sighed quietly, unrolled a bamboo scroll, and entered the fray, doing his best to protect the disciples who had gotten caught up in the conflict.

“Don’t you hate Hè Wenzhao?” Wenren È didn’t know what Yin Hanjiang was thinking right now. He couldn’t help clasping his hand under their wide sleeves.

Wenren È thought of himself as someone who didn’t care for reputation, and didn’t mind when others pushed their crimes on him. As for whether or not it was his doing, heaven kept its own record. Besides, as the leader of a demonic sect, it was better for him to have a bad reputation.

But today, as Yin Hanjiang felt injustice on his behalf, vented for him, and cursed the blind righteous cultivators for him, Wenren È’s heart felt warmed.

“I’ll deal with him myself, of course,” said Yin Hanjiang. “But these righteous cultivators have to bear the fruits of their own actions.”

Back when his Venerable saved him, he had vowed to be a vanguard and follow his Venerable throughout every life. Right now, Yin Hanjiang no longer wished to be Wenren È’s yes-man. He wanted to stand in front of Ah-Wu and protect this man who was willing to sacrifice himself for mortal lives.

“The Venerable may continue on his own path and pay no mind to the gossip of the outside world,” Yin Hanjiang said, gazing at Wenren È. “But I care about the things you don’t care about, so let me deal with the things you don’t feel like dealing with!”

Yin Hanjiang saw that several righteous cultivators had been consumed by the Blood Demon, who had grown in power significantly. If this went on, even he wouldn’t be able to handle him. And the righteous cultivators had gotten enough of a lesson, so the time was now.

“Leave!” The red-robed man dove from the sky, a wave of his sleeve tossing aside the righteous cultivators, who were gathered into a clump and making themselves easier targets for the Blood Demon. Under everyone’s eyes, he faced the Blood Demon.

A few righteous cultivators wanted to set aside prior conflicts and team up with him, but he kicked them away.

“Yin Hanjiang!” one person said, flustered. “This isn’t the time to bicker over the past! The righteous and demonic paths have to work together to defeat this demon! Why are you attacking us?”

“If you stay here, you’ll be a burden. If you don’t want to become fodder for the Blood Demon, then get out of this Lord’s way!” Yin Hanjiang yelled.

That man wanted to say something, but Zhongli Qian knocked him out with his bamboo scroll from behind and dragged him off. Before leaving, Zhongli Qian gave Yin Hanjiang a look that said, “don’t worry, I’ll deal with them”.

At the same time, a spike blade shining with frosty light transformed into countless copies and surrounded the Blood Demon.

The Blood Demon extended a wisp of soul, trying to dissolve the Army Crushing Spike and absorb Yin Hanjiang’s bonded weapon.

The moment his soul touched the weapon, though, the power of Polis descended from the sky. Wenren È stood behind Yin Hanjiang, halberd in hand, and the Blood Demon found himself unable to touch the Army Crushing Spike with Wenren È’s chaos energy shrouding it.

The leader of Jiuxing Sect looked up to the seventh star of the Northern Dipper and muttered, “Auspicious signs for Alkaid.”

Alkaid was the vanguard unit on the battlefield, disregarding their own lives to enter enemy lines alone. If there was insufficient support, then they would be crushed, so the danger was great. But if they were supported, then great fortune would come to them and they could rewrite the situation.

If Polis couldn’t give Alkaid sufficient backup, Alkaid would be a lone soldier, unable to unleash its power. With its master behind it, Alkaid was a dagger that could penetrate deep into the enemy’s ranks.

Countless blades pierced into Hè Wenzhao’s body, pinning the Blood Demon. During the time when Yin Hanjiang and Wenren È were fighting over his robe, they had looked into methods to deal with the Blood Demon.

A blood cultivator was formless and immaterial, difficult to truly get rid of. Ten thousand years ago, the cultivators had used everything available to them but still allowed a wisp of soul to remain, to wreak havoc again today.

The best method was pinning his soul, preventing him from leaving Hè Wenzhao’s body. Wenren È taught Yin Hanjiang the Blood Severing Technique and the two came up with a method to immobilize the Blood Demon’s soul. While the Blood Demon was still unwilling to give up Hè Wenzhao’s divine nature, they would seal him within Hè Wenzhao.

With the Army Crushing Spike pinning the Blood Demon, Yin Hanjiang laughed coldly, and began an incantation he’d learned from the Burning Sky Drum. Using the vein of fire beneath True Yin Mountain, he began the Burning Sky Technique.

A streak of crimson fire rose into the heavens, becoming a fiery dragon and wrapping around Hè Wenzhao. The Blood Demon tried to escape, but found himself unable to leave Hè Wenzhao’s body.

All he could do was use his spiritual energy to fend off Yin Hanjiang’s flames. After his spiritual energy was drained, the Blood Demon began absorbing Hè Wenzhao’s divine nature without any regard to him.

The divine nature held great power, and even Yin Hanjiang was only at a level slightly above the cultivation realm. Gradually, his strength diminished and the flames began to weaken.

When Yin Hanjiang was gritting his teeth and struggling to hang on, Wenren È took his hand before everyone’s eyes. With a slight smile, he said, “You’re up against two people, so why don’t we work together?”

Yin Hanjiang bit his lips, unwilling. Wenren È leaned closer and said, “Ah-Wu understands that Sect Master Yin wants to protect him. But this Venerable also wants to protect Yin Hanjiang, so will Yin Hanjiang give him this chance?”

Yin Hanjiang had originally wanted to defeat the Blood Demon with his own power in place of Wenren È, but hearing Wenren È’s words, his stubbornness faded away.

He understood the desire to protect more than anyone, so how could he let his Venerable be worried?

Chaos energy entered Yin Hanjiang’s body. The spiritual rain mingled with the flames, becoming part of his power. The flames engulfed the Blood Demon, who, nearly unable to endure, released Hè Wenzhao to control his body again.

Hè Wenzhao had been bewildered the whole time. He had suddenly fallen back to Foundation Establishment, suddenly been captured and sealed at Xuanyuan Sect for a month, suddenly harmed his own master, and suddenly been engulfed in raging flames, suffering with his spiritual energy drained.

“Master, Shishu, what’s happening?” he cried. “Why am I on fire?”

A hand on his chest, the Shangqing Sect Master asked, “Wenzhao, did you know there was another soul within your body?”

Hè Wenzhao froze for a moment, then screamed again from the flames. 

Seeing him, the Sect Master was resigned. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, he said, “Then did you know he was the Blood Demon?”

Hè Wenzhao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but suddenly froze and was unable to speak.

He hadn’t known at the beginning, but at the battle at the Blood Hell, when the Blood Demon took over his body to attack Wenren È, Hè Wenzhao had gotten the faint impression that the person possessing him maybe wasn’t anything good, and possibly those experts hadn’t been killed by Wenren È.

But he hadn’t told his sect, possibly worried the Blood Demon would turn on him, or possibly afraid to take responsibility for his wrongdoings, or possibly…

Looking at his expression, the Sect Master sighed. “Hè Wenzhao is my disciple, so as his master, I should pay the price for the grave mistake he has made. If Baili Qingmiao hadn’t helped Sect Leader Yin capture this monster, who knows how many more people would’ve died? Let it be known to all disciples of Shangqing Sect that Baili Qingmiao has helped to eliminate evil and achieved great virtue. After this lowly Daoist’s death, Baili Qingmiao should inherit the leadership of Shangqing Sect!”

After he spoke, he gathered his remaining strength and leapt into the flames.

“Master!” “Sect Master!” The members of Shangqing Sect all began shouting, some people trying to sacrifice themselves to save him.

The Sect Master held up his hands, though, and said, “If we fail in righteousness, we should bear the punishment.”

“Amitabha,” the Wuxiang abbot recited.

It was clear to everyone that the righteous sects had truly lost all face to Yin Hanjiang today. If they didn’t make such a display, the righteous sects would be unable to stand in the cultivation world in the future. The Shangqing Sect Master wanted to die not only because of his own shame, but to bring honor to the Shangqing Sect. If any future disciples wanted to go down the wrong path, they would remember the outcome today.

Within the night, a circle of fire burned until daybreak, like a lamp in the darkness that illuminated the sky above True Yin Mountain.

By the time the sky lightened, the three people within the flames had been reduced to ash. Within the Burning Sky Drum’s fire, only a spike blade remained.

Yin Hanjiang retrieved his weapon, haughtily surveying the ash-covered righteous cultivators. With a scoff, he said, “The Shangqing Sect has a sense of responsibility, using two of its lives to make up for its mistakes. As for you guys… this Lord will return your disciples to you, so figure out yourself what should be done. And remember one thing—in the future, each sect will take responsibility for its own actions. Don’t go finding someone else to blame!”

After finishing, he led the Xuanyuan Sect members and left True Yin Mountain grandly.

Upon departing, Yin Hanjiang’s body listed. He had been injured fighting the Blood Demon, but endured it in front of everyone, not willing to let them see.

Suddenly, a hand closed around his ice-cold fingers and warm spiritual energy poured into his body.

The two exchanged a smile.

At the last moment before daybreak, Polis and Alkaid shone brilliantly, reinforcing each other, beating Venus, which should be the brightest in this moment, in radiance.