In Shen Gurong's dream, his gentle and adorable younger sister, Shen Xiwu, remained.
The two released lanterns together by the river and encountered the gentleman in blue robes once more.
The gentleman played the bamboo flute for him, its ethereal sound lingering in his ears.
Shen Gurong listened with narrowed eyes, but before he knew it, the flute music had stopped.
When he opened his eyes again, he was lying in a pool of blood.
Shen Gurong's pupils contracted.
"Brother..."
Someone called him.
Shen Gurong turned around blankly, and at the end of his vision, Shen Xiwu, who had just called him "brother" so softly, lay in a pool of blood, her eyes wide open, staring at him unfocused.
A chill ran through Shen Gurong's body. He froze for a moment, then practically scrambled over to her.
"Xiwu!"
She lay in his arms, her small body supported by trembling hands. Large spurts of blood flowed from her lips, and a ferocious red mark slowly appeared on her fair face.
She murmured, "Brother, it hurts so much."
Shen Gurong was at a loss, seemingly frozen in terror. He kept wiping the blood from her lips, but the more he wiped, the more blood flowed. He could only feel her growing colder in his arms.
"Xiwu..."
"Xiwu!"
Shen Gurong suddenly opened his eyes, jolted awake by the shock.
He sat on the bamboo couch for a long time before slowly regaining his senses, wiping his face and hands, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Shen Gurong was still shaken, and it took him a long time to finally emerge from the nightmare of Xiwu's death.
He patted his face, muttering to himself, "Scaring myself like that. Dreams are always the opposite of reality. Xiwu is perfectly fine at home; how could anything have happened to her?"
Xi Guxing hadn't returned. After thinking for a moment, Shen Gurong tied the ice silk blindfold to his eyes—the feeling of not being able to see was too empty and terrifying, as if he could fall into an abyss at any moment; it was truly unpleasant.
Because of that dream, Shen Gurong walked out of the bamboo hut somewhat absentmindedly. He had only taken a few steps when he spotted Li Suo waiting outside.
Shen Gurong hesitated for a moment before recognizing the man: "Li Suo."
Ten years had passed, yet Li Suo's face remained sickly pale, seemingly unchanged. Seeing Shen Gurong emerge, his face lit up with joy, and he quickly came forward to bow: "Greetings, Holy Lord."
Shen Gurong helped him up, saying, "Why are you waiting here?"
Li Suo smiled and said, "My master instructed me to wait here until you wake up and then take you to the council hall of Changying Mountain."
Shen Gurong nodded: "Yes, let's go."
Li Suo led the way, secretly pleased.
Ten years had passed without change, but the Holy Lord's aura seemed even stronger than before; he didn't dare breathe loudly in Shen Gurong's presence.
Halfway there, they caught sight of Mu Zhe, carrying a sword and with frost still clinging to his shoulder, hurrying towards them.
Shen Gurong saw him covered in snow, as if he had just come down from Yuxu Mountain: "Mu Zhe?"
Mu Zhe, who had been walking with a blank expression, was caught off guard by Shen Gurong's sudden appearance. His instinct was to offer a gentle smile, but upon meeting Shen Gurong's light-colored eyes, his expression froze, and he abruptly lowered his head in embarrassment.
He stepped forward and stammered, "Master."
Shen Gurong, oblivious to his unusual demeanor, said calmly, "You went to practice your sword?"
Mu Zhe replied, "Yes."
Shen Gurong sighed inwardly: This child won't become the second Sect Leader Xi, will he? Practicing swordsmanship in Yuxu Mountain is no place for humans; isn't that self-torture?
Mu Zhe was taken aback.
Tsk. Such a good child, corrupted by that scoundrel Xi Guxing.
Mu Zhe: "..."
Diligent cultivation equals being corrupted?
How on earth did his master reach the Great Ascension stage?
Mu Zhe had been practicing his swordsmanship since dawn until the sun was high in the sky, circulating the bone-chilling cold of Yuxu Mountain through his spiritual veins many times, finally forcibly expelling the rebellious thoughts from his heart.
He took a deep breath, about to speak, when he heard a soft sob coming from not far away.
The three of them turned their heads simultaneously.
Shen Gurong frowned slightly, and for some unknown reason, as if guided by something, he walked over as if possessed.
In a corner of a clearing behind the forest, a disciple dressed in a white robe with purple cloud patterns was dragging a disheveled child forward. The ground was scraping the child's knees until they bled, staining the filthy white robe crimson.
The faint sob from earlier had come from that child.
The disciple in the purple-patterned robe looked quite young, but his face was filled with a fierce and malevolent aura. He grabbed the little girl's long hair, squatted down, and coldly said, "Go as I say. Fenglu City raised you, not to let you live a life of ignominy."
The little girl was disheveled and breathing weakly, now even afraid to utter a sob.
"Get up." The Fenglu City disciple forcibly pulled her up, his face devoid of any pity. "Born with ghostly energy, the city lord has already shown you mercy by letting you live until now. Not only are you ungrateful, but you also dare to disobey orders?"
The little girl's cheeks were covered in bruises and blood. Her face was blank as she struggled to stand, as if she had lost all resistance.
She replied blankly, "Yes."
"Yesterday, Liren Peak had a stroke of luck, obtaining the inner core of a savage beast. We're already far behind. If you can't lure a savage beast with a formed core from the Ice Plains today, then die outside and never come back."
Hearing the word "die," the child's eyes actually lit up. Death seemed like an unattainable luxury for her.
The disciple was arrogant and haughty. Even when ordering someone to die, his expression was disdainful and arrogant. He didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with sacrificing a living person for a competition that was utterly insignificant.
Shen Gurong, who had just arrived, glanced at her and suddenly froze.
In his beautiful dream last night, he was still back in Huitang City after returning from the book, leading his sister Shen Xiwu to stroll through the unfinished lantern street, finally lingering on Shen Xiwu's blood-covered face, which was gradually losing its color.
In that instant, the face of Shen Xiwu in his dream strangely overlapped with the child before him, making Shen Gurong momentarily think he was still dreaming.
Until "Shen Xiwu" coughed heavily, clutching his chest and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
A choked voice seemed to whisper in Shen Gurong's ear, rushing in like the wind.
"It hurts so much."
"Brother, it hurts so much."
Suddenly, everything went black before Shen Gurong's eyes, his reason vanished instantly, as if something had once again taken control of his body.
Li Suo and Mu Zhe arrived shortly after, but before they could see anything, they suddenly felt a terrifying pressure emanating from around them, spreading outwards in all directions.
The wild beasts that had been running rampant outside Liren Peak were instantly suppressed, unable to move an inch, forced to cower in place, trembling.
The people in the Changying Mountain Council Hall were also startled and rushed towards the source of the pressure.
Li Suo and Mu Zhe, who were closest, were nearly forced to their knees by the oppressive aura of a Mahayana cultivator, barely managing to stay upright with their spiritual power.
Mu Zhe, his face pale, had just begun to circulate his spiritual power when he heard Shen Gurong's chilling voice, spoken from behind him.
'I want him dead.'
Mu Zhe was stunned.
The next instant, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air, and a sword was gripped tightly by Shen Gurong's slender fingers, its blade already imbued with icy spiritual power, a chilling cold slowly creeping up its surface.
The disciple from Fenglu City was about to take out his whip to punish the girl who was nearly dead when he suddenly felt a chilling killing intent wash over him. Before he could even react, his knees buckled, and he collapsed to his knees.
He seemed to be forcefully pressed to the ground by an invisible force, so strong that the bluestone slab beneath his knees shattered.
The oppressive aura was unlike anything he had ever seen before; it was enough to make one breathless simply by its sheer presence.
Gasping for breath, he struggled to look up, his vision blurring as he caught sight of a person dressed in red approaching him, gently cradling a child curled up on the ground, lifeless and unsure of their fate.
Shen Gurong held "Shen Xiwu" in one arm and Lin Xia Chun in the other. His usually gentle eyes were now filled with murderous intent. He didn't even want to utter a word; without blinking, he was about to strike with his sword.
The disciples of Fenglu City, pampered and favored wherever they went, had never encountered such a desperate situation. Although he struggled with all his might to escape, his weak and aching legs wouldn't budge an inch, leaving him helplessly watching the frost-covered sword descend upon him.
The next instant, a sharp clang rang out, and Shen Gurong's Lin Xia Chun sword was barely stopped by a sword before it struck.
Shen Gurong didn't even blink, not even bothering to see who had blocked his way, his voice as cold as ice: "Get out of the way."
The sword that had stopped him was the Duan Jing Sword.
Xi Guxing's cultivation level was still no match for Shen Gurong's; a single sword strike paralyzed his hand, but fortunately, Shen Gurong noticed him in time and withdrew some of his power, avoiding injury.
Xi Guxing coldly said, "I barely saw you, and you almost caused me trouble."
Shen Gurong was completely different from usual. He remained expressionless and unmoved, coldly stating, "I didn't cause trouble."
Xi Guxing: "Then why did you kill someone for no reason?"
Shen Gurong said, "It wasn't for no reason."
Xi Guxing paused, carefully considering Shen Gurong's much more subdued nature, then glanced at the disciple kneeling on the ground, terrified.
The disciple was completely terrified, even his clothes were soaked.
Xi Guxing clicked his tongue, tossed aside his short sword, took a half-step back, and slightly raised an eyebrow: "Fine, as long as there's a reason. Feng Yun will be here soon. Go ahead and kill him; I'll cover for you."
Li Suo and Mu Zhe: "..."
The Fenglu City Lord, who had just arrived: "..."
Xi Guxing and Shen Gurong, one dared to speak, the other dared to act.
Hearing that Xi Guxing didn't stop him, Shen Gurong swung his sword again. Feng Yun, the city lord of Fenglu City, hadn't expected that even after she arrived, Shen Gurong would actually continue. She rushed to stop him, but it was too late.
Shen Gurong's "Lin Xia Chun" sword arrived, its blade enveloped in frost, and slashed fiercely into the disciple's body.
Feng Yun: "..."
Everyone who had come upon hearing the commotion: "..."
A deathly silence fell.
Shen Gu Rong's "Lin Xia Chun" sword was not actually in his hand, but merely an illusion formed by the condensation of sword intent. When that sword intent pierced the human body, it did not cause any wounds, but instead struck the cultivator's vital points, bringing excruciating pain that almost tore the soul apart.
The disciple was struck only once, and passed out on the spot from the excruciating pain.
Shen Gurong tightly embraced the person in his arms, his gaze coldly sweeping over the strangers around him.
Normally, such a grand scene would have terrified him, but this time, for some unknown reason, his heart felt as if gently supported by a spiritual force. His mind was as still as water, all his emotions and feelings seemingly forcibly suppressed.
Shen Gurong lightly sheathed her sword, turning to the stunned crowd and saying, "Just to scare him."
The disciple had no injuries; he appeared to have simply fainted from fright. Even if Feng Yun had a thousand things to say, she couldn't say much, only managing a forced smile: "It's Feng Yun's fault for not teaching him properly, for offending the Holy Lord. He deserves it."
Shen Gurong nodded slightly, admitting it without hesitation: "Indeed, you failed."
Feng Yun: "..."
Feng Yun was a female cultivator, stunningly beautiful. She had ruled Fenglu City for centuries with her formidable cultivation, possessing a deep cunning and ruthless methods. Even after being humiliated in front of everyone, the smile on her face remained unchanged, as if it were painted on.
She gracefully curtsied, offering a few sincere and high-sounding words of apology before asking, "I wonder how my disciple offended the Holy Lord? I hope you can tell me, and I will certainly punish him properly when I return."
He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "It's nothing, he's just too ugly, an eyesore."
Feng Yun: "..."
Xi Guxing: "..."
Xi Guxing's face clearly said, "Are you fucking serious? This is the reason you're talking about?!"
Shen Gurong nodded reservedly, indicating, "Senior brother, that's exactly it.
Xi Guxing: "..."
Xi Guxing's face turned green.
Feng Yun's face, like Xi Guxing's, was a jumble of colors. She forced a smile, "This… Your Majesty…"
"What?" Shen Gurong said, "Didn't you just say it was his due? Now you're going back on your word and blaming me, aren't you?"
Feng Yun was startled and immediately said, "I wouldn't dare."
Shen Gurong, too lazy to waste words with them, took back Lin Xia Chun and turned to leave.
Feng Yun swallowed her anger, forcing a smile as she had the terrified disciple carried away. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the person in Shen Gurong's arms and tentatively said, "Your Majesty, the one you're holding seems to be my Feng…"
Before she could finish, Shen Gurong interrupted, "What Feng? She's from my Liren Peak."
Feng Yun: "???"
Feng Yun was stunned by this forceful and blatant act: "But she…"
Xi Guxing also frowned, "When did this happen?"
Feng Yun wanted to ask too, yes, when?
Shen Gurong tossed out a single sentence: "Just now."
He turned and left—dragging the stunned Mu Zhe along with him.
Everyone: "..."
After cleaning up Shen Gurong's mess, Xi Guxing, sweating profusely, drew his short sword and stormed towards Fanjiang Residence, his killing intent palpable.
Oh right, Fanjiang Residence had already collapsed.
He then went to a side courtyard and, as expected, found Shen Gurong in Mu Zhe's room.
Xi Guxing roared, "Shen Eleven! Die!"
Mu Zhe quickly intervened, saying, "Sect Leader, please calm down. Master was just trying to save someone..."
"Save someone?" Xi Guxing cursed, "He's so kind to save others, why doesn't he come to save me? Do you know how difficult that old fox Feng Yun is to deal with?! Shen Eleven!"
Shen Eleven's eyes were vacant, disillusioned with the world, his gaze fixed only on the child sleeping soundly on the bed.
His arrogant and domineering demeanor, wielding his sword on Changying Mountain, seemed to have vanished completely in an instant.
The anger that had gripped him vanished the moment he returned to Fanjiang Residence, replaced by a tangled mix of overwhelming rage and fear, leaving him with a bitter and unsettling feeling.
Shen Gurong wondered blankly, 'Was that me? Was I... that powerful?'
Wasn't it something only a cultivator like Shen Feng Xue, who had slain countless demons, would do—to wield a sword and strike a living person with an expressionless face?
A sudden sense of dread gripped Shen Gurong, for for a fleeting moment, he couldn't distinguish himself from Shen Feng Xue.
Mu Zhe watched from the side, and for some reason, although his spiritual energy was circulating, he couldn't hear Shen Gurong's thoughts at all.
That could only mean he was just lost in thought?
But why did his expression look so terrified?
Just as Shen Gurong was lost in thought, the child, after a brief drowsy spell, quickly opened her empty, lifeless eyes, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.
Even in this unfamiliar place, she seemed oblivious. Her eyes held no hope whatsoever; it was impossible to tell whether she or Shen Gurong was more blind.
Seeing her awake, Shen Gurong quickly banished his chaotic thoughts: "Xiwu, I'm your brother!"
The child seemed not to hear him.
Shen Gurong grew anxious, unfastening the wooden beads he always wore on his wrist and shoving them haphazardly into her hand.
"Xiwu? Xiwu, look..."
The child was beginning to react. She slowly glanced at Shen Gurong, struggled to sit up, nodded slightly, and said in a weak, hoarse voice, "Immortal Lord, you've mistaken me for someone else."
The smile on Shen Gurong's face froze instantly.
After a surge of rage and ecstasy, Shen Gurong slowly regained his senses. The child before him resembled his younger sister, Shen Xiwu, but there were differences. For instance, she lacked the beauty mark under her eye, and her personality was completely different.
Besides, this was merely a fictional world within a book; Shen Xiwu couldn't possibly be here.
Hearing Xi Guxing's insults, Shen Gurong finally snapped out of his daze. He took a deep breath and reached out to touch the child's head, but she recoiled, seemingly terrified.
Shen Gurong quickly withdrew his hand, his voice unusually gentle: "Then what's your name?"
The child looked at him blankly, perhaps sensing his lack of malice, and whispered, "Although I'm also called Xiwu, I'm not the Holy Lord's sister."
Shen Gurong was taken aback. Also called Xiwu?
Xi Guxing, watching from the side, was practically grinding his teeth in frustration: "Excuse me, has anyone seen me?"
Shen Gurong finally turned his head and glanced at him, saying, "Oh, you're here too."
Xi Guxing: "..."
Xi Guxing took a deep breath and said coldly, "Anyone who didn't know better would think the three of you were a happy family of three, and I was some scoundrel trying to break up a couple."
Shen Gurong: "..."
How dare this scoundrel talk like that?
Mu Zhe was stunned, and suddenly his ears turned red, as if he had thought of something.
Shen Gurong waved his hand casually, saying, "Alright, alright, I didn't kill him."
Xi Guxing angrily said, "How dare you say that?!"
Given Shen Gurong's personality, he would never kill someone so easily, but Lin Xia Chun's sword strike had destroyed that disciple's dantian. It wasn't visible on the surface, but if a physician examined his pulse back at the sect, it would definitely be discovered immediately.
Shen Gurong had no idea what had happened to him at the time; he only felt a sudden surge of anger that burned through his mind, making him numb and wanting nothing more than to tear the person who had abused his "sister" to pieces.
Now that he was sober, Shen Gurong felt a little guilty, but he didn't regret it.
Cultivation begins with cultivating the heart. If even scum who bullies the weak deserves to cultivate without divine retribution, then what's the point of cultivating the Great Dao?
Xi Guxing angrily berated him, but seeing that Shen Gurong remained defiant, he turned and stormed off.
After he left, Shen Gurong told Xiwu to rest first, then took Mu Zhe outside.
In the side courtyard was a small flower garden where Mu Zhe sowed seeds every spring, and now various colorful flowers had bloomed.
Shen Gurong bent down and plucked a purple Xiwu flower, casually playing with it in his hand.
Mu Zhe stood silently behind him, patiently keeping him company.
Shen Gurong's thoughts were racing.
Shen Gurong's younger sister, Shen Xiwu, had been pampered by him since childhood. However, he couldn't bear to see her face, so strikingly similar to Shen Xiwu's, being bullied; it felt like a dagger was piercing his heart.
Just now, seeing her being bullied, Shen Gurong was genuinely unsure for a moment whether it was him who was angry, or Shen Feng Xue who was angry.
Since entering this book, his dreams weren't entirely unfounded.
Since he dreamt of Xiwu's tragic death, did it mean that this girl named Xiwu in the book would also die a violent death?
Moreover, this child seemed to have a special identity; he wondered if she would be connected to the later plot.
The more Shen Gurong thought about it, the more troubled he became. He decided to give up and act according to his own heart.
He thought expressionlessly, Shen Feng Xue had dragged him into this damned book without even asking his permission, and yet he kept demanding he save people. So, keeping a child who resembled his sister by his side as a small comfort in this strange world—that selfish desire should be granted, right?
—Although it wasn't fair to the child, she was already like a rootless duckweed. Being with Shen Gurong on Liren Peak would actually give her more protection.
At least she wouldn't die a tragic death like in his dream.
Since Shen Feng Xue's body didn't reject it, Shen Gurong made a ruthless decision: to keep the child by his side first.
—Was that taking her as a disciple?
—Imagining the scene of Shen Xiwu calling him Master, Shen Gurong shuddered and quickly dismissed the thought.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Gurong suddenly said, "Mu Zhe, would you like to have another..."
Before he could finish, Mu Zhe's heart skipped a beat. Recalling Shen Gurong's earlier words, "Take on a few disciples, preferably young ladies," a pang of sadness and bitterness welled up inside him again.
One Yu Xinghe was enough of a headache; he didn't want another junior sister to share the already meager affection Shen Gurong showed him.
As Mu Zhe was sadly lost in thought, he heard his master slowly finish his sentence.
"Would you like to have another Martial Aunt?"
Mu Zhe: "..."
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