The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 230: The Dragon Mountain Youth

If it were him, what would he do?

Rebirth.

He would want that person to be reborn.

Mo Ran looked at Xu Shuanglin, curled up on the ground, and whispered, "You never expected Nan Gongliu to be so ruthless as to kill Luo Fenghua. In your despair, you decided to use this against him, claiming that the curse on the ring was left by Luo Fenghua. You incited Nan Gongliu, in his fury, to follow Confucian Wind Sect's rules and throw Luo Fenghua's corpse into the Blood Pool, sending him to the Eighteenth Level of Hell."

"Are you crazy?" Xue Meng was stunned. "Since he wanted Luo Fenghua to be reborn, he must have cherished that person. So why would he send him to the Eighteenth Level of Hell?"

"Because once a soul enters hell, there's no chance for reincarnation," Mo Ran looked at him with pity in his eyes. "That way, Luo Fenghua wouldn't immediately be reborn, and you could study the method of rebirth, bringing Luo Fenghua back. Then, you would build an ideal realm, a place ruled by you as its deity, a fair and just land."

Xu Shuanglin: "..."

After a moment of silence, the man with half his face disfigured suddenly laughed. He stared at Mo Ran's face. "Grandmaster Mo, I only realize now that you're a madman."

He paused and said in a soft voice, "Because only a madman can understand me."

With that, he burst into laughter, boisterous and unrestrained.

That laughter was like the screech of a vulture with tattered wings, old and weary but still fiercely clinging to the steep cliffs, never revealing a hint of weakness until its dying breath.

Mo Ran closed his eyes and spoke softly in response, "Nan Gongxu, listen carefully. There are still people in this world who know the art of reincarnation. If you're willing, I'll do everything in my power to beg Master Huaizui at the Monastery of Sorrow to restore your master's life."

Silence.

He opened his palm and returned the shattered spirit core to Xu Shuanglin. "But please, tell me..."

It was as if he were grasping at the last straw to save himself.

His brows knitted together, and in the unseen corners of his eyes, there was a trace of vulnerability.

"Tell me who has been aiding you all along," Mo Ran said. "Who taught you this sinister method of reincarnation? Who instructed you in the game of Jolong Chess?"

Memories merged with his past life.

In the midst of the raging flames at the Confucian Wind Sect, Xu Shuanglin stood before Ye Wangxi, meeting his end beneath a flurry of blades.

Given that, Xu Shuanglin in his previous life must not have had a concrete plan until the very end. But this time around, everything was different. Xu Shuanglin had long since laid traps in Jin Chengchi, orchestrating the dramatic upheaval in Peach Blossom Spring and the rift in Heaven in Caidie Town. After the human sacrifice method proved unworkable, he swiftly switched tactics, collecting divine weapons from all corners, ultimately rescuing Luo Fenghua from hellish torment.

This method of rebirth couldn't have been his own invention.

"You want to know?" A malicious glint shone in Xu Shuanglin's eyes. "Indeed, I've learned these skills from someone, but I refuse to tell you."

"Are you willing to remain a mere pawn until your dying breath?"

"A pawn?" Xu Shuanglin chuckled. "You think too much. He understands me, can read my intentions; he's the same as me. Grandmaster Mo, give up. I will never reveal who he is. You've gone through great lengths to climb Dragon Mountain, forcing me into a corner with satisfaction, but what does that change?"

"..."

"In the end, the world will still descend into chaos, filled with smoke and flames of war. He will still lay waste to both the Upper and Lower cultivation realms, turning them into barren lands. Then, the virtuous will be rewarded, the wicked punished, the capable will rise to power, and the mediocre will become slaves," Xu Shuanglin's smile grew brighter in his eyes. "Truly... an ideal scenario."

Xue Meng flew into a rage upon hearing this. "What do you mean by the virtuous being rewarded and the wicked punished? Or that the capable rise while the mediocre become slaves? You think you can decide who is good or evil, capable or mediocre just by flapping your lips? Those people you use as pawns... Nangong Changying... and... and..."

He secretly glanced at Chu Wanning's expression and couldn't help but lower his voice. "And Nangong Si." Xue Meng appeared indignant and wronged. "Do they willingly let themselves be manipulated by you? Are they deserving of death?"

"Sacrifices are always necessary," Xu Shuanglin glanced at him coolly. "Young Master Xue, you are still too inexperienced."

There was a hint of apathy in his expression, as if he wasn't too keen on talking to someone with such an intense personality like Xue Meng. He turned his head back to Mo Ran.

"I'm in your hands now. Do with me as you please," he said casually, "I still have a Lingchi Fruit in my Qiankun Bag. If you're not satisfied, feed it to me, no problem."

He sneered coldly, "Anyway, at the age of twenty, I've already been subjected to lingchi by all you righteous heroes. It's not like another round would make much of a difference."

Huang Xiaoyue retorted, "Who performed lingchi on you? Spouting nonsense, how shameless!"

But Mo Ran understood what Xu Shuanglin meant.

The lingchi of that year hadn't been inflicted on his body, but on his soul.

Nan Gongxu had also devoted himself to studying magic and held kindness in his heart. His master had exhorted him to be a virtuous man who wielded his sword against evil.

But the Spirit Mountain Summit had ripped him apart piece by piece.

Mo Ran closed his eyes. Seeing Xu Shuanglin's miserable state, he knew the man didn't have long to live. Perhaps it was because he resembled his past self too much, despite their enmity, Mo Ran couldn't help feeling a twinge of sympathy. He said, "…Luo Fenghua's soul core still exists. You might as well try the reincarnation spell again. You might see him once more."

"Try it again?" Xu Shuanglin laughed. He looked at the spirit nucleus in his hand with interest, then at his flesh, which was decaying rapidly due to the lack of spirit energy. He yawned lazily, "I'm about to die. When I'm gone, there'll be no fairness left in this world. What good would it do for him to come back? He'd only suffer more, bullied by all you major sects."

He spoke, then abruptly his expression darkened as he personally crushed that soul core. The fragments pierced into the palm of his hand, filling it with blood.

Mo Ran: "!"

Xue Meng: "Are you crazy?!"

Everyone was equally bewildered, some staring dumbfounded, others with ashen faces, and still others with wary eyes, all fixated on the inhuman figure lying on the ground.

Xu Shuanglin ignored them all. He gazed at Luo Fenghua's last trace in this world, watching it vanish into nothingness, and finally burst into laughter through his tears. His face was stained with blood and tears, his laughter terrifyingly mad.

From now on, no one would see anyone else, no one could hate anyone else. They'd all turn to dust, to ashes – perfect, absolutely perfect.

He slowly stood up, swaying unsteadily under the gazes of the crowd. He walked towards the Divine Martial Formation, where there was a weapon – the Guqin, Konghou.

He sat down and plucked a few strings with his withered, decayed fingers.

The backlash from the Zhennong Chess Game grew more severe. Blood began flowing from his seven orifices, and his fingers started burning. Eventually, he was engulfed by the flames, but he continued playing amidst the fire.

There seemed to be a hint of relief and relaxation on his face, but soon those emotions were no longer discernible. His flesh was rapidly shriveling, curling, and drying up.

Blazing Fire Defying Heaven.

Xu Shuanglin's casual voice echoed amidst the raging flames. It was composed and indifferent, yet rebellious, as if no amount of pain could sway him, and no proximity to death could intimidate him.

"The bloom of youth is most exquisite, riding lightly on swift steeds, taking in the blossoms at the edge of the world..."

Among the crowd, many of the elderly found themselves unexpectedly recalling that youth from the Spirit Mountain Grand Assembly in the midst of this leisurely and carefree tune, as light as a drifting cloud and gentle breeze.

In a crane-emblazoned green robe, with an open and upright countenance.

The young man emerged from the pitch-black corridor, stepping out of the vast wilderness of memories. With unwavering confidence, he entered the arena, his battle-worn sword in hand, calloused palms a testament to countless hours of diligent sword practice.

He was so young, so handsome, exuding an aura of elegance and charisma, bordering on arrogance. He glanced over the leaders of the Ten Great Sects and the cheering crowd with a hint of disdain. Suddenly, he broke into a radiant smile, pure and untainted. The man in his early twenties paused, standing tall, and faced the sun-drenched arena, his eyes shining with a brilliant vision of the future. With a salute, he said,

"The Confucian Wind Sect, Nan Gongxu. In today's initial battle, I humbly request guidance from all the esteemed seniors."

In the end, it was all in vain, those youthful wanderings.

After an extended period, the flames waned, leaving only five ownerless divine weapons on the Soul Summoning Platform. Amidst the sky, a Rebirth Formation was still swirling and twisting, though not yet completely vanished.

Both Luo Fenghua and Xu Shuanglin are gone now.

Xue Zhengyong found it hard to believe. He stared blankly, muttering, "Is it... really over?"

"Buddha be praised, karma and reincarnation are but retribution," Master Xuanjing of Wubihsi Temple closed his eyes and clasped his palms together, letting out a long sigh. "This old monk wishes that all enmities in this world would fade away."

Xue Meng rolled his eyes at him. This old bald donkey hadn't done much on the way here but was good at speaking after the fact.

"What should we do next?" he turned to ask his father. "Are we just supposed to go down the mountain like that? But there's still another comrade of his, and we have no idea who that person is."

Just as they were talking, Jiang Xi suddenly shouted, "Be careful! Step back!"

Everyone looked in the direction he indicated. When the Rebirth Formation in mid-air shrank to the size of half a palm and paused for an instant, it began to expand again at an astonishing speed, as if a wound had ripped open in the sky, and twisted black smoke seeped out from within.

Xue Meng exclaimed, "What's going on? Since Xu Shuanglin is dead, shouldn't this Rebirth Formation disappear too?!"

Jiang Xi pinched his fingers together, studying the formation's focal point for a moment before cursing softly, "Something's wrong, something's wrong! This isn't a zombie or a rebirth! Both we and Xu Shuanglin have probably been deceived!"

"What?" Xue Meng was startled. "Not a zombie, not a rebirth? Then what is it?!"

Jiang Xi growled in frustration, "It doesn't matter what it is. The urgent matter at hand is to prevent this formation from fully forming."

Aside from him, the other experts also reacted swiftly. In the blink of an eye, the one who disliked pointless chatter the most, Chu Wanning, had drawn his Heavenly Inquiry sword and struck directly at the heart of the barrier! Unexpectedly, although he was the first to act, someone followed closely behind. A dark-green figure suddenly dashed out from the crowd, pouncing like a leopard, with a dagger flashing coldly from their sleeve as they fiercely stabbed towards Chu Wanning's back, seemingly attempting to hinder his actions.

"Master!"

"Master—!!"

Two cries of alarm came from Xue Meng and Shi Mo, but they were too far away to lend assistance in time.

A sharp hiss echoed.

The sound of a blade piercing flesh. Xue Meng shut his eyes tightly, then reopened them, his face drained of color as he looked in that direction.

He froze.

Author's Note: Regarding the confusion about Luo Fenghua and Ye Wangxi not seeming alike:

Ye Wangxi presents herself differently in front of others compared to when she's with Nan Gongsi and Xu Shuanglin. This is also an explanation for why some felt Ye Wangxi had become meeker. In the presence of those she likes and is close to, she naturally shows her more feminine side. She isn't a fixed, masked character labeled as a gentleman, right?

Let's talk about Luo Fenghua. In the eyes of outsiders, Luo Fenghua was always courteous and composed, yet the Luo Fenghua they saw now was bashful, awkward, hesitant, and just as gentle. Why? The first reason lies in age. The memories people have of Luo Fenghua were from when he was younger, while the cultivators who found similarities saw him at a more mature age, after he had survived two sect rebellions and eventually became the Venerated Master of the Confucian Wind Sect. If Luo Fenghua had already possessed the demeanor of a sect leader during his innocent youth, given his humble background, it would defy logic. The second reason is that these memories are viewed through Xu Shuanglin's perspective. Just like with Ye Wangxi, Luo Fenghua was more relaxed and open with those closest to him. He laughed, cried, and showed vulnerability. Of course, he wouldn't appear before the public with wide, innocent eyes and an amiable demeanor befitting a disciple. That would be tantamount to inviting disaster for the Confucian Wind Sect.

So, before Xu Shuanglin left, Luo Fenghua was the gentle master.

After Xu Shuanglin's departure, Luo Fenghua became the refined and dignified sect leader everyone talked about.

Similarly, before Xu Shuanglin's betrayal, Ye Wangxi was the gentlemanly young master Ye in the eyes of others.

Then, when Xu Shuanglin revealed his true colors, the Confucian Wind Sect was destroyed, Nan Gongsi was left alone, and Ye Wangxi transformed into a gentle, supportive woman by his side.

He hardened, while she softened. Their lives had merely switched roles. As supporting characters, I won't delve into every phase of their lives or detail how they were perceived by each group. Many such secondary characters are left to readers' interpretation. I'll only explain certain plot points that I find necessary, offering my own thoughts on them. Scratch scratch.