The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 229 - "Dragon Mountain" Henceforward Tainted

Rong Yan didn't look at her husband but instead kept her moist apricot eyes open, straightening her back as she choked out, "For the sake of our past affection, could you allow me to give birth to our child?"

"..." Xu Shuanglin's gaze slowly descended, landing on Rong Yan's abdomen. At first glance, there was no difference, but upon closer inspection, it had already slightly protruded.

Rong Yan prostrated herself, yet her expression remained cold.

"I beg of you."

"..."

"FATHER is guilty, and there's no denying it. But Nan Gongxu, I beg of you, spare the life of your own nephew."

Xu Shuanglin gazed at the woman for a moment, finding her utterly ridiculous.

Pardon the fetus in her womb? That mass of unformed flesh, whether a nephew or niece, held no relevance to him.

Yet, amidst his malevolence, he suddenly recalled the piercing pain from the previous night. Xu Shuanglin paused, realizing that this was, in fact, an excellent opportunity – the leader of the Confucian Wind Sect could only be succeeded by the young master after the old one passed away, or through a rebellious seizure of power. Any other form of abdication or retirement would be futile.

Thus, passing the position to Nan Gongliu was out of the question, but a century later, he could pass it on to Nan Gongliu's child, allowing that child to taste the bitterness of sitting in that seat – wouldn't that be delightful?

The sins of the father would be repaid by the son – how perfect.

For a moment, his mood lifted, and a radiant smile bloomed across his face and lips. Before the two could react, he threw away his knife, turned around, and walked out of the prison gates with laughter echoing.

He didn't kill Nan Gongliu or Rong Yan afterward. Instead, he confined them in a small courtyard, planning to immediately bestow the title of next sect leader upon their child once it was born, sealing the bond with a blood contract.

Perhaps then, the world would praise his great benevolence and forgiveness for overlooking past grievances?

But he never got to see that day.

Not long after he ascended to the position, his numerous atrocities accumulated deep resentment both within and outside the Confucian Wind Sect. Eventually, a city lord, harboring resentment towards him, took advantage of an opportunity to secretly release Nan Gongliu and Luo Fenghua.

Unaware of the hidden motives, Luo Fenghua believed Xu Shuanglin's madness was driven by his lust for power. With Nan Gongliu's persuasive tongue, Luo Fenghua grew increasingly disheartened. Together, they decided to seize the leadership, determined to oust Xu Shuanglin from the freshly acquired sect leader's throne.

That night, a civil war erupted within the Confucian Wind Sect, resulting in a hundred casualties. Amidst the flames, Luo Fenghua was the first to find Xu Shuanglin, who had sought refuge in the Howling Moon Training Ground.

It was a full moon that night. Xu Shuanglin, overwhelmed by excruciating pain, was covered in blood, lying prone among the forest leaves like a snake whose skin had been peeled off, exposing raw, crimson flesh.

When Luo Fenghua saw him, he assumed Xu Shuanglin had been injured by a spell amidst the chaos of war. Though he held resentment, his heart couldn't help but ache at the pitiful state of his former disciple.

In the forest, Xu Shuanglin lifted his face, shivering slightly, and let out a bitter smile. "You've come."

"..."

"I fought against him, yet in the end, you always took his side."

Luo Fenghua replied, "This time, you've gone too far. Did you kill Great Master Tian Chan?"

"Yes."

"What about Daoist Lin?"

"He deserved it."

"....Then, what about your father...?"

After a moment of silence, Xu Shuanglin said, "He was unjust. He believed me to be a thief; he brought it upon himself."

Luo Fenghua closed his eyes, his lashes dampened with moisture. "You... How did you end up like this..."

"Huh." Xu Shuanglin laughed coldly. "It's only allowed for others to betray me, but not for me to betray them? It's fine for others to stab me in the back, but I'm not allowed to defend myself? Is that your notion of being a gentleman?"

The expression on Luo Fenghua's face was shattered. After swaying on the spot for a moment, he approached Xu Shuanglin. Before he could speak, tears started rolling down his cheeks.

"Why are you crying? What's there to cry about?" Xu Shuanglin was inexplicably annoyed. "Do with me as you please. There's no need to shed crocodile tears in front of me. Anyway, in your eyes, in the old man's eyes, and in everyone else's eyes, that good-for-nothing will always be more important than me!"

Luo Fenghua shook his head. He didn't say anything but raised his hand and chanted a forbidden spell.

"I've sealed away all the spells you learned with me since you were young," Luo Fenghua said. "From now on, Nan Gongxu, we are no longer master and disciple."

"..." Xu Shuanglin felt a piercing pain in his heart. Gun's evil curse truly hurt to the core.

He paused for a moment where he stood, stubbornly adding, "Stop flattering yourself. I never considered you my master."

Luo Fenghua stared at him, stunned. After a long while, he seemed to want to say something more, but a commotion came from behind, accompanied by the clashing of weapons and the glint of blades.

Nan Gongliu hurried over. "Master!"

Seeing Xu Shuanglin and Luo Fenghua engaged in conversation, his heart sank abruptly. He immediately interjected anxiously, "Master, don't listen to a word he says! He's deceiving you!"

Xu Shuanglin merely chuckled in response.

His elder brother was always so innocently charming in his ways.

He had imagined himself desperately tugging at Luo Fenghua's sleeves, explaining the intricacies of the situation and the reasons behind it all. But no, that wouldn't happen anymore.

Life to him was like a game of chess; once a move was made, all the previous contemplation and turmoil within him became insignificant. What mattered now was the outcome.

Killing was killing, blood shed was blood shed.

He couldn't cleanse himself, nor did he wish to defend his actions.

Luo Fenghua would never forgive him.

There was no need for further words.

He leaned on a nearby tree, struggling to stand up.

Moonlight illuminated his face, revealing skin torn inch by inch and a gruesome sight drenched in blood.

Seeing this, Nan Gongliu and the surrounding cultivators all involuntarily took a step back. Someone misunderstood and exclaimed in shock, "This... This was done by Daoist Luo? Torn to shreds... That's far too ruthless..."

Xu Shuanglin grinned, baring his sharp white teeth.

He gazed at his younger brother outside the forest and suddenly decided not to let these two off so easily. He turned to Luo Fenghua and said, "Get them out of here. There's something I want to tell you before I die. I only want to speak to you alone."

Supporting himself on the pine tree, he slowly moved to a shadowy spot with Luo Fenghua.

The moonlight was blocked by the lush foliage, and Xu Shuanglin's complexion improved slightly. His cracked skin began to mend bit by bit. Although there were still tiny scars, they weren't as terrifying as before.

Without turning around, Xu Shuanglin faced away from Luo Fenghua and asked, "Aren't you afraid that I'll kill you for following me here alone?"

"You won't."

"..."

"If you wanted to kill me or Ah Liu, you could have done it a year ago."

Xu Shuanglin suddenly turned his head, his eyes shimmering with a fierce and distorted light. "How laughable! Do you really think you understand me?!"

Luo Fenghua met his gaze abruptly, his eyes widening. "Your scar...?"

"It's not as terrifying as before, right?"

Xu Shuanglin scoffed.

"What do you think this is? A magic curse? A Lingchi fruit?"

He slowly raised his hand, revealing a ring glowing with an eerie luster in his palm. With a mocking and malicious grin, he pressed his lips together and said, "This ring is inhabited by a spirit. When you and Nan Gongliu deposed me from the position of sect leader, it fell off my thumb on its own, knowing that I was no longer the rightful master of the Confucian Wind Sect. But there were two leaders in the coup, so it didn't know who to recognize."

"You took Ah Liu's place, so it should rightfully be returned to him."

Xu Shuanglin bared his teeth in a smile. "Indeed, that's what I thought."

He stuffed the ring into Luo Fenghua's hand and then patted it twice solemnly. "Hold it tight, don't drop it. When you go out, give this precious item to him. Remember, you must personally help him put it on. He is the genuine and legitimate lord of this sect."

Pausing, he stared at Luo Fenghua's face, which was trying hard to hide its pain.

Then, leaning down, he lowered his voice and whispered into his ear, "Now, I'm going to tell you a secret. Don't be afraid; it's not a dark one, just a tale of a hero's past."

Slowly and with a deep tone, he revealed the story of how Nan Gongchangying subdued Gun, who in turn cursed the successive leaders of the Confucian Wind Sect. He recounted the details maliciously, letting the words seep between his teeth like venomous fangs, piercing Luo Fenghua's flesh.

He watched as Luo Fenghua's face paled, his round eyes widening in shock.

He saw Luo Fenghua trembling slightly against the tree.

It was a delight to him.

Hah.

Didn't you dote on him?

All of you...weren't you all treating the legitimate heir, Nan Gongliu, like a treasure?

I want you to deliver the poison to him with your own hands.

Xu Shuanglin's lips gradually curved upward, forming a sly and sinister grin reminiscent of a lynx. He raised his hand to caress Luo Fenghua's cheek. "Master, the story is over. You may leave now." Pausing for a moment, his expression brightened even more. "Go pay respects to the sixth sect leader of the Confucian Wind Sect—Nan Gongliu."

That day, covered in blood, he fled Confucian Wind Sect on his sword, wandering aimlessly for half the night until exhaustion forced him to land in the Butterfly Town of Shu.

There, he encountered a young girl sitting in a courtyard.

The little girl, seeing him wounded and bleeding profusely, turned pale with fright and trembled uncontrollably. Yet, she still managed to fill a bowl with water from the house and offered it to him. As he drank, he gazed at her, and without explanation, he found her resembling his dearest friend, his mentor, and his bitter nemesis. Her eyes were eerily similar to Luo Fenghua's.

Spotting an orange tree brimming with fruit in the yard, he suddenly had an intense craving for its fruit. However, with each word the young girl spoke, she reeked of pedantry, constantly mentioning "gentlemen" in her speech. This annoyance reminded him of the ridiculous Luo Fenghua, as if he could hear the mockable figure saying:

"I hope you both remain forever in your prime, relying on your strengths, and being gentlemen for a lifetime."

Gentlemen for a lifetime.

...How utterly laughable.

He shook the oranges off the branches and even cut down the tree before departing, leaving the weeping child behind. Still unsatisfied, that night he killed several villagers, each swing of his blade distancing him further from the notion of being a gentleman. With each life taken, he found a twisted sense of satisfaction.

Afterward, he left, planning to conceal his identity and end his days in obscurity.

But at that time, in a teahouse, he overheard news of Luo Fenghua seizing power and becoming the supreme leader of Confucian Wind Sect.

Patrons at the teahouse murmured, "Ah, who would have thought? One can know a person's face but never their heart."

"Poor Nan Gongliu, raising an army in rebellion, only to pave the way for another's success."

"He must hate his master to the core, right?"

"That Luo Fenghua is truly blinded by greed and ambition, turning his heart as dark as coal."

Xu Shuanglin sat before a greasy table, holding a cup of tea that lingered near his lips, yet he didn't drink. He was lost in thought, listening intently.

Dizziness swept over him, causing the world to spin.

But he never imagined that in the end, Luo Fenghua would make such a choice.

He would rather bear misunderstandings and hatred, be condemned by thousands and despised by millions.

He would rather suffer a vicious curse, living through each full moon in agony until his last breath.

Luo Fenghua could never plunge that sharp sword into his own disciple's chest.

In the end, one move was all it took to lose.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Footsteps echoed softly.

Xu Shuanglin broke free from his reverie, opening his eyes to see the face of a young man through his blurred vision.

On the deserted Soul Summoning Platform, Mo Ran approached and knelt before him, gazing intently.

In that instant, Xu Shuanglin found the young man's gaze peculiar. There was too much hidden behind those eyes, not at all what one would expect from a man in his early twenties.

Mo Ran said, "…Nan Gongliu, you orchestrated all this to bring him back to life?"

"None of your business."

"You kept Nan Gongliu here and revived Luo Fenghua. From now on, no idle outsiders can enter Dragon Mountain. You plan to spend the rest of your days in peace here, right?"

Xu Shuanglin bellowed fiercely, "It's none of your concern!!"

Mo Ran picked up the shattered spirit core from the ground, its light still flowing within. "You disguised yourself and returned to Nan Gongliu's side as Xu Shuanglin, urging him to launch another coup to seize power, all because you couldn't bear to see Luo Fenghua suffer under the curse night after night, his existence a living hell."

"Who gave you the right to fathom my thoughts?!" Xu Shuanglin's eyes blazed red, their moist, vicious gleam piercing. "Do you think you understand everything?!"

"I don't understand. I can only guess," Mo Ran said. "But from your expression, I believe my conjecture isn't too far off the mark."

Xu Shuanglin ground the words between his teeth, spitting out four biting syllables: "Arrogant youth."

"It makes no difference. Weren't you just as conceited when you were twenty?" Mo Ran gazed at him calmly. "Nan Gongxu, that year you helped your brother reclaim his throne, but you didn't anticipate his ruthlessness in defending it—twice he was betrayed. You didn't foresee that after taking Luo Fenghua's place, he would eliminate any trace of opposition, slaying him without mercy. You never foresaw his death."

"You were overwhelmed, lost." He stared into Xu Shuanglin's face.

He understood that sense of despair better than anyone.

He read Xu Shuanglin's heart, and his own.

"What do you do in the depths of despair?"