Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 227 - The Massacre (2)

The night in Pingyang Town was as peaceful as ever. The vast plains of Duzhou experienced varied weather throughout the four seasons. In the pitch-black forest, rain poured down continuously. Inside a cave, the flickering lamplight illuminated a figure seated on a high platform. Clad in a golden robe, the person’s face was obscured by the shadows of the stone wall, making their features indistinct.

“Demon Lord,” a voice, filled with both respect and fear, interrupted the silence. “The small sects have been dealt with. The major sects will begin their grand assembly in ten days. At that time…”

“No hurry,” the man interrupted. His voice held a strange, ambiguous quality, a mix of youthful clarity and aged rawness, making it both haunting and captivating. He spoke slowly, “There’s a place we need to visit first.”

His subordinate was taken aback.

“The Taiyan Sect,” he said slowly.

*

After celebrating Zanxing’s birthday, Gu Baiying ingested the third pill refined from the sacred tree fruit and began his seclusion. It was unknown when he would emerge from this retreat. The situation in Duzhou was becoming increasingly unstable. Most of the smaller sects had been wiped out by the demonic clans, and for the past few days, there had been no reports of further demonic disturbances. These demonic creatures seemed to have vanished from the mainland overnight, but no one felt any sense of relief. The demons were certainly brewing a larger conspiracy. As a result, the formations guarding the mountains were reinforced time and time again.

Previously, the demonic clans had harassed major sects like Chihua and Yin Feng, but had curiously avoided Gufeng Mountain. With the upcoming sect conference, disciples from various sects had arrived at Taiyan to discuss the formation of a Demon Extermination Army. The sect masters gathered here, making Gufeng Mountain more lively than during a festival.

Where there were more people, there were bound to be problems. Disciples from the Yin Feng Sect flaunted their wealth daily, while those from the Chihua Sect walked around with their noses in the air. The disciples from the Xiang Ling Sect were more reasonable, but due to the previous incidents involving Aunt Rongshuang and Senior Brother Shaoyang, there was always a sense of awkwardness when they met. Zanxing encountered arguments wherever she went, even in the Chu Hong Terrace, so she decided to spend her days in the library for some peace.

Of course, her visits to the library were not just for the sake of peace. She wanted to find any mention of the great war between the cultivators and the demons twenty years ago, hoping to discover some secrets related to her own origins. Unfortunately, the library contained countless books, but there were very few about the demons. After several days, she had little to show for her efforts.

That night, Zanxing stayed in the library until late. When a sliver of moonlight crept onto her book page through the window, she realized it was already quite late. Feeling a bit hungry, Zanxing stood up, returned the scroll to the wooden shelf, and walked downstairs, out of the library.

The disciples from the Chihua Sect were constantly causing trouble. Tian Fangfang and Mu Cengxiao, as representatives of Taiyan Sect’s new disciples, were provoked almost every other day, and Zanxing sometimes couldn’t even find them. As for Meng Ying, she was always with Yue Qin, discussing matters related to the demons with the various sect masters—as the future head of Taiyan Sect, she should gradually start attending such events. Mendong was busy helping Li Danshu prepare materials for alchemy. They didn’t know when the demons would attack Gufeng Mountain, so it was best to prepare extra pills in case of need. Her companions were all busy with their own tasks, and Gu Baiying was in seclusion. Although Gufeng Mountain seemed livelier than usual, Zanxing felt more lonely than ever.

She walked slowly along the night path towards Miaokong Hall. The mountain was shrouded in thick fog, and the clouds gradually enveloped the moonlight, leaving only the silence of the mountain breeze. A figure approached, carrying two wooden boxes that were stacked on top of each other, making it difficult for the person to walk.

“Sister Ziluo?” Zanxing was startled. “Junior Sister,” Ziluo peered out from behind the boxes and smiled, “I’m going to deliver something to the disciples of the Chihua Sect. Would you like to come with me?” Zanxing walked over and took one of the wooden boxes. It was very heavy, and she wondered what was inside. As she walked with Ziluo, she asked, “So late at night, you’re not going to send food to those people from the Chihua Sect, are you?”

“How could that be?” Ziluo chuckled, “With all the sects gathered on Gufeng Mountain and the demon extermination army matter pressing, we can’t afford to strain our relationships.”

“As if they’re the only ones who matter,” Zanxing shrugged, “They’ve been given the best courtyards on Gufeng Mountain, both Yin Feng Sect and Chihua Sect. Our Sect Master is truly generous.” When these sect disciples first arrived, they were quite picky about their accommodations at Taiyan Sect. Later, Yue Qin, exasperated, had given them the courtyards with the best views and the farthest distance from the main halls.

After crossing a long lake, a small courtyard appeared at the end of the mountain range. Situated on a high point, the courtyard offered panoramic views of the surrounding peaks. The only downside was its distance from the main halls, making it feel quite secluded at night. However, the Taiyan Sect disciples were clearly not afraid of solitude. From afar, they could see the courtyard brightly lit, as if all the illumination talismans had been used.

“Look at them,” Zanxing said to Ziluo, “They’re so free with other people’s things. It’s so late, who would keep so many lights on while sleeping?”

Ziluo chuckled, “Maybe they haven’t retired yet.”

Zanxing didn’t respond and continued walking towards the courtyard with Ziluo.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and the inside was quiet. The surroundings were swept clean. Ziluo knocked on the door, “Anyone there?”

After a long pause, there was no answer. Zanxing and Ziluo exchanged glances. Ziluo said, “Let’s go in and have a look.”

As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, Zanxing felt an unusual chill. The courtyard was surrounded by flowering trees and plants. In the summer, the nights were usually filled with the sounds of cicadas and birds, but now it was deathly quiet. A breeze blew out of the hall, carrying a faint, fishy smell. Before Zanxing could tell Ziluo, she turned to see Ziluo already entering the hall. Then, a scream pierced the night. “Senior Sister!” Zanxing rushed in.

A dead body lay near the entrance. Dressed in the robes of a Chihua Sect disciple, the corpse had a gaping wound in its chest. Its eyes were wide open, as if it had seen something horrifying before dying. And on its forehead, a dark black begonia flower bloomed vividly, as if it were about to burst from the skull, eerie and sinister.

“The Demon King’s Seal…” Ziluo’s voice trembled as she spoke, looking around the hall.

Zanxing’s heart sank as she followed Ziluo’s gaze inside.

The entire hall was filled with corpses.

The bright lights illuminated the horrifying scene in the hall. All the disciples of the Chihua Sect were lying dead in the hall, their deaths brutal. The floor was stained with splattered blood, and the walls were covered with layers of bloody handprints, as if the disciples had been trapped here and slaughtered in a nightmarish, hellish scene.

“What happened?” Zanxing’s throat felt tight. Although she had been in this place for a while and thought she would no longer be as frightened as when she first arrived, seeing this scene still made her feel a chill.

“It’s the Demon King’s Seal,” Ziluo said. “They all have the Demon King Seal on them!”

Each of the dead disciples had a pitch-black begonia flower mark on their foreheads. The marks were vividly rendered, eerily beautiful, as if they had absorbed the souls of the deceased, blooming in a splendid and ghastly manner.

Zanxing even saw Tan Tianxin. The Chihua Sect disciple who had clashed with her in the gambling house of Li’er Country had his neck seemingly bitten through by something, causing his head to be tilted awkwardly on his shoulder.

Zanxing couldn’t help but take a step back.

“Where is the sect leader of the Chihua Sect?” she asked Ziluo.

Ziluo shook her head. “The sect leaders are all cultivating in the Spirit Pool… If the sect leader of the Chihua Sect were here, perhaps they wouldn’t all have perished.”

The disciples who came to the Gufeng Mountain were all young talents of the Chihua Sect, yet they had died here. Even though this place was somewhat distant from the main hall, if they had encountered danger, they should have been able to send out a distress signal. None of these disciples had escaped. The demon clan was truly terrifying… and now that the demon clan had infiltrated the mountain, all the disciples on the mountain were in danger!

“Junior Sister, stay here while I go get help!” Ziluo said, rising to leave.

“Senior Sister!” Zanxing called out, “I’m scared.”

“It’s okay,” Ziluo reassured her. “The demon clan must have already left this place. I’ll inform Martial Uncle and the others. Wait for me here.”

“Senior Sister,” Zanxing said urgently, “I’m still scared. Let’s go together!”

Ziluo turned to look at Zanxing. Zanxing stared back at her, her eyes filled with fear and helplessness.

The lights in the hall flickered, and large patches of blood had slightly congealed in the cold night.

After a moment, the gentle and patient expression on Ziluo’s face gradually faded. After a while, she looked at Zanxing with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile and said, “Junior Sister, you’re quite clever.”

Zanxing’s expression turned calm again. “Who are you?”

“Oh?” Ziluo smiled. “Aren’t I your Senior Sister?”

“Senior Sister, being careful and cautious, would not leave me alone here in such a dangerous situation, especially with demons mixed in on the mountain. It doesn’t make sense for you to leave alone,” Zanxing said, her fingers slightly curling. When she first saw the scene in the hall, her immediate thought was to use a communication talisman to inform Xuan Lingzi. But when she checked her possession, she found that the talisman had mysteriously disappeared.

She had used the talisman in the library earlier to tell Hong Su not to wait for her for dinner. From the library to here, she had only encountered Ziluo. And Ziluo’s first reaction to the scene was to tell her to stay put instead of using a talisman to communicate. This was too glaring a flaw.

There were rumors that demons could change their appearance to infiltrate sects without being detected. It seemed the person in front of her was one such demon. But Zanxing was still puzzled. Even if they could change their appearance, the formation at the base of the mountain would immediately alert others to a demon invasion. How had this demon managed to infiltrate Taiyan Sect?

Zanxing tightened her grip on the Wuyou Staff. If she wasn’t mistaken, the sounds here wouldn’t reach the main hall. This place had been isolated. The demon clan’s brutality, as evidenced by their massacre of the Chihua Sect, was apparent.

Seeing Zanxing’s reaction, Ziluo let out a chuckle. “Why are you so nervous? Are you afraid I’ll kill you?”

She had a smiling face, but the next moment, the blade of her sword gleamed brightly and charged straight at Zanxing.