Chapter 9: Nightmare

November 18th, 2022

Horrifyingly, inside the box was a severed head, its eyes wide open and blood flowing out of its orifices.

Du Meng quickly quelled the raging waves inside his chest and creased his brow to look at Fang Li. “What’s the meaning of this, Your Excellency?”

At this moment, the hall was so silent that even a pin drop could be heard.

Fang Li leaned forward slightly, looking down from above as he glanced at Du Meng. His careless laughter resounded distinctly throughout the hall. “Earlier, this person tried in vain to poison this lord. After being exposed, he even slandered the Right Adjutant by accusing you of being the instigator. This kind of character deserves to be punished. This lord has already had him executed.”

The murderous aura in Du Meng eyes burst from the seams, his frigid gaze fixed on Fang Li. After a long while, he lifted the corner of his mouth and slowly said, “Much thanks for Your Excellency’s trust.”

Fang Li nodded with a laugh. “Naturally, this lord trusts the Right Adjutant, but this action cannot be indulged. The matter of uncovering the instigator will be left to the Right Adjutant.”

Du Meng laughed coldly, his sharp gaze resting steadily on Fang Li’s face. In a low voice, he enunciated word by word, “I will thoroughly investigate and live up to Your Excellency’s trust.”

Fang Li exposed a satisfied smile. Du Meng was a smart person and knew that Fang Li wouldn’t act against him now, but he’d already sent someone to poison Fang Li to death, so how could Fang Li not react at all? If Du Meng wanted to soothe his anger this time, he’d have to present something to show his sincerity. At the very least, he couldn’t find just any old scapegoat to muddle through.

Most importantly, Yan Sui’s death was an accident that hadn’t happened in the original story. The culprit had already committed suicide in fear of punishment, and Du Meng would definitely make guesses as to whether he’d been poisoned. If Fang Li simply suffered in silence, Du Meng might immediately play his hand…… But now that Fang Li had presented this generous gift, Du Meng would start to see shadows everywhere and instead refrain from acting.

Besides, Du Meng had long started to have disloyal thoughts. After making him lose face like this, he’d definitely think of a way to make it up.

But he’d always been highly suspicious, so now that he’d been attacked like this, he’d instead refrain from acting rashly. Fang Li had also just so happened to have revealed a weakness like Xie Huai, and he wasn’t afraid Du Meng wouldn’t turn his thoughts in that direction.

Wasn’t the plot back on track, just like that?

Now that he’d accomplished everything that needed doing, all that was left to do was to quietly observe the changes…… Fang Li stood up lazily.

The crowd of demonic cultivators in the hall said in unison, “Farewell to Your Excellency.”

Only Du Meng didn’t move at all. Watching Fang Li’s back, his eyes were cold and dim as an abyss.

Sure enough, Fang Li suspected him. Gifting him the head in front of everyone was to give him a show of strength and kick him around a bit. This was telling him to offer up a sacrifice.

Corpse flowers fed on human blood and flesh. Underneath the seemingly beautiful and harmless appearance was a deadly poison, just like this pale and sickly man—with a seductive, harmless face, but the most cold and ruthless tactics.

But don’t celebrate too early. Everything you’ve done today, I’ll be sure to return a hundredfold in the future.

When that day comes, let’s see if you still dare to act so arrogant and unrestrained.

……………………………………………

Xie Huai followed Fang Li as he left, his expression contemplative.

Today, he had seen an interesting show.

Before Yan Sui had appeared and united the demonic path, the Zenith Sky Creed had rampaged freely across the northern provinces and had been the biggest force among the demonic sects, as well as a thorn in the side of the righteous sects. Du Meng was wildly ambitious and had long had thoughts of uniting the demonic cults. Alas, he’d instead been stepped on by Yan Sui, and all his efforts of a few hundred years had become a free lunch for someone else.

Everyone knew that Du Meng wasn’t content with Yan Sui. The righteous sects had always been happy to see the demonic sects’ internal squabbles. As long as they didn’t come out to harm the common folk, letting them fight and kill amongst themselves was a good thing. Looking at today, Yan Sui didn’t want to tolerate Du Meng either and had forced him into a corner in public. If he really wanted to seize control of the entire demonic path, sooner or later, he would have to get rid of Du Meng.

Only, are you really so certain that you can win against Du Meng?

Du Meng has run wild among the demonic sects for hundreds of years. He won’t be easy to handle……

Moreover, the expression that Du Meng had when looking at you, the sinister desire in i, are you aware of it or not……?

Xie Huai furrowed his brow.

Fang Li left the grand hall and only felt that the air was much more refreshing. He didn’t like those kinds of occasions too much. Recalling that he had left in such an unrestrained manner, he wasn’t sure if Xie Huai had followed.

Turning back, he saw that Xie Huai lingered several steps behind. His face looked like it was covered by a layer of frost, a few degrees colder than usual.

Fang Li gave a laugh. He’d offended Xie Huai rather heavily today and had also hoodwinked Du Meng somewhat, so it could be considered killing two birds with one stone.

Fang Li said, “You can go back by yourself.”

Having said that, he stopped paying attention to Xie Huai and left by himself.

It wasn’t until Fang Li’s silhouette disappeared that Xie Huai finally pulled the corner of his mouth, revealing a derisive expression. Perhaps Fang Li did know; after all, as a base and unscrupulous demonic cultivator, Du Meng couldn’t be considered strange. On the other hand, you…… seem to be unlike the other demonic cultivators, but I shouldn’t let myself be led astray anymore.

Xie Huai’s expression darkened slightly. Someone whose thoughts were so unfathomable and who was so proficient at deceit, who dared to keep Xie Huai by his side and could contend with Du Meng without falling to a disadvantage, must certainly have his own resources……

But there were no Unified Dao true immortals in the world, so Void Refining was already the peak. His master had also said that Yan Sui hadn’t reached the level of Unified Dao yet, or else he needn’t be wary of Du Meng at all…… Seeing as he wasn’t a Unified Dao true immortal, and his methods were so mysterious, most likely what he relied on wasn’t his true strength, but some trump card unknown to others.

Cultivators lived their lives in defiance of the natural order, using any means possible to advance a step further. The world was vast and its treasures abundant, so having attained some kind of windfall wasn’t unusual.

Only, what exactly is your trump card?

……………………………………………

Fang Li didn’t go see Xie Huai these days.

Although he didn’t stay with Xie Huai these nights, he couldn’t skimp on showing his affection. Every day, Fang Li picked out something from his collection of treasures to send to Xie Huai, for example, a ten-thousand-year ice crystal fished out from the Frozen Sea, or a pastry made with the glazed fruit that only grew on the tallest and steepest of cliffs, or luxurious brocade robes woven from thousand-year siren’s threads, and so on……

Actually, most of the things in Yan Sui’s collection were rare and precious treasures used for cultivating and were practical in nature. There weren’t really many of these decadent but useless things, and they had probably been gifted by other people in the past and then carelessly thrown into a corner to collect dust…… But Fang Li still put all of his effort into picking out these baubles to send to Xie Huai.

To others, these were expensive gifts, but to Xie Huai, these should also count as a kind of “humiliation,” right?

After all, since the day he was born, he should have been a sword cultivator facing the world with his blade, not raised like a golden canary.

Today, Fang Li was lying on a couch sunning himself and pondering what to give Xie Huai this time when a subordinate came in to announce that Du Meng had requested an audience.

Oh? He’d come up with something to show his sincerity already?

Fang Li instructed his subordinate to allow him to enter.

Du Meng quickly came in. As he walked, fully attired in black armor, the clanking of a golden dagger-axe could vaguely be heard. His tall stature loomed over like a shadow as he stood in front of Fang Li. His murky gaze swept past Fang Li, and he raised his eyebrows. “Luckily, I did not fall short of Your Excellency’s command. I’ve already found the main instigator and brought him here today for Your Excellency to pass judgment on.”

He waved his hand, and two people brought in a demonic cultivator with a pretty and feminine face like a woman’s. His eyes were suffused with terror, and he knelt to the ground at a push.

Fang Li pondered for a moment and recognized that this was a major general under Du Meng named Bi Li. Because of an accident when he was young, he wasn’t able to become a man and had cultivated into this androgynous appearance. His character was perverse, hating everything that was whole and beautiful, and he most enjoyed doing cruel and ruthless things, harming who knows how many people.

Although he wasn’t any kind of good person, he was still one of Du Meng’s trusted aides and had carried out many affairs for Du Meng. Unexpectedly, he was pushed out in this manner.

Du Meng’s expression was indifferent as he glanced at the person on the ground and said to Fang Li, “He was the one who sought out the Soul-Parting Venom and delivered it to that servant to try to kill Your Excellency and climb the ranks. This matter was due to my negligence with handling my subordinates. Your Excellency, please pass judgment.”

Bi Li was a paralyzed heap on the ground, his expression in endless despair, as if he wanted to beg forgiveness but didn’t dare.

Fang Li’s gaze swept dimly past, then gave Du Meng a slight smile. “The Right Adjutant needn’t blame himself. You have so many subordinates, overlooking one or two is normal.”

Du Meng raised an eyebrow, saying, “This person will be left to Your Excellency to handle.”

Fang Li didn’t even move a hair. He sure didn’t feel like handling things. Propping up his chin, he laughed lightly. “Since the real culprit has already been captured and was one of the Right Adjutant’s people, this lord won’t involve himself. The Right Adjutant may clean up his own household affairs.”

A cold glare flashed through Du Meng’s eyes. He looked at Fang Li’s indifferent and indolent manner, lightly understating his command to have Du Meng personally handle his own subordinate. He gave a cold laugh and abruptly struck out. With a crack, Bi Li’s head was shattered, and his body collapsed limply onto the ground, lifeless.

From his fingertips, fresh blood dripped slowly onto the ground.

Du Meng suddenly stepped forward and lowered his eyes to fix his gaze on Fang Li. His expression looked like that of a savage beast gathering its strength, and his tone was deep and low as he said slowly, “With this, is Your Excellency pleased?”

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Fang Li hadn’t expected Du Meng to suddenly approach and was a bit taken by surprise, but he quickly regained his calm. Despite Du Meng’s fierce appearance, until he’d figured Fang Li out, he wouldn’t act rashly. Fang Li needn’t abandon his bearing; acting scared was the real danger.

Fang Li propped himself up against the couch and stood up, not flinching away in the least. He met Du Meng’s eyes directly and laughed, “Fairly pleased.”

Du Meng narrowed his eyes. When the man laughed, his eyes curved slightly, easygoing and unrestrained, a dazzling flash of light…… like something hooked to the bottom of the heart.

He fiercely restrained the desire in his chest, and his gaze shifted downwards. The other’s black robes wrapped around his neck, where bluish veins were faintly visible, though who knew what he looked like under those layers and layers of clothes……

Fang Li thought Du Meng’s expression was truly a bit blatant. Was he thinking about how best to murder him to resolve his grudge? Being forced to kill one of his own trusted aides today would certainly have Du Meng aching to flay his skin and rip out his bones……

It’s a pity, but you won’t even get a turn to kill me.

I still have to leave this life to give to Xie Huai.

Thinking about how Du Meng wouldn’t get the chance to vent his anger until the day he died and would even die at Xie Huai’s hand, from a certain perspective, he and Du Meng could be considered birds of a feather with the same affliction……

Fang Li’s expression couldn’t help becoming a bit warmer as he waved his hand. “Since the matter is already over, the Right Protector may return.”

Du Meng looked at him for a moment and didn’t make another move in the end, only turning and leaving in large strides.

After taking care of Du Meng, Fang Li recalled that he hadn’t visited Xie Huai in several days. Du Meng’s arrival had reminded him that he couldn’t ignore Xie Huai too much. Only sending gifts was still a bit too perfunctory, and he was afraid it would attract Du Meng’s suspicion……

Thus, he simply got up and went to the side palace.

Only, when he got there, he found that Xie Huai wasn’t in his room. Oh? Did he go out for a walk to clear his mind?

Fang Li beckoned, and the demonic servants attending by the door came over.

Fang Li asked, “Where is Yuyi-jun?”

The servants said, trembling with fright, “Yuyi-jun, he, he said he wanted to go out to clear his mind. He said we were a hindrance and forbade us from following.”

Fang Li didn’t intend on making things difficult for the servants. He was one who had said earlier that if anyone dared to slight Xie Huai, it was death without mercy, so if Xie Huai had any demands, these servants wouldn’t dare to stop him. He was one who’d given Xie Huai this power, so there was no reason in venting it out on these servants.

Only, he hadn’t thought that Xie Huai wasn’t the least bit courteous. Instead of being well-behaved and staying put, he’d gone out to “clear his mind”……

Fang Li laughed.

He wasn’t afraid of Xie Huai escaping. He wouldn’t be able to leave the demonic palace and could only wander around inside, and there also weren’t any useful secrets here. If Xie Huai wanted to look, then he could look. Fang Li hadn’t intended on restraining Xie Huai too much from the start, anyways.

Seeing as he was already here and just so happened to be idle, he simply asked which direction Xie Huai had gone in and went to look for him by himself.

The demonic palace was vast, but there weren’t many traces of life, with only a few sporadic guards and servants present. The farther he walked, the more deserted it became, and gradually even the number of guards became few, until the area before his eyes suddenly opened up, and a small courtyard with a bamboo house appeared.

Here, there were no ice-cold black stone floors, no savage palace ledges, only a tranquil and peaceful landscape all around. Weeds grew all around the bamboo house, clearly having been neglected for a long time.

Like a forgotten nook.

Fang Li was dazed for a moment, then finally recalled that the demonic palace did indeed have such a place. Yan Sui didn’t allow anyone to come here, and it could be considered one of the demonic palace’s restricted areas.

Xie Huai just happened to come in this direction. Was it a coincidence, or intentional?

Fang Li paused, then stepped forward and entered.

With just a light push, the bamboo door opened with a creak. Dust fell with a rustle, and Fang Li covered his mouth and let out a soft cough. The room was simple and crude, empty and without any furnishings. It could be seen at a glance whether someone was here or not.

Xie Huai wasn’t here.

Was it that he hadn’t come? Or that he hadn’t found any secrets and had left already?

Fang Li’s gaze swept around. There was nothing in the room except for a sword that had been laid out.

The green bamboo sword was mottled with scars, lying there forlornly. Because no one had come for a long time, a layer of dust covered it like a mark of the passage of time. It had obviously been treasured and carefully hidden away by Yan Sui…… but now it’d been abandoned here, unknown to all.

The only person who remembered it was no longer present.

Fang Li had no intention of delving into Yan Sui’s past, and he had never investigated the memories that Yan Sui had buried deep inside.

Everyone had secrets that they couldn’t tell anyone. Not lightly touching the suffering that he didn’t want others to know of was Fang Li’s way of respecting Yan Sui.

Fang Li fell into silence for a few moments. Lifting his sleeve, he softly wiped the dust on the sword. As he turned to leave, his fingertip unconsciously brushed against the blade, and a gentle sensation like jade attacked him. Fang Li subconsciously startled, and following a burst of sharp pain in his head, his vision became blurry, as if he had suddenly been transported into another space.

Like a box that had been opened without warning, the dust-covered memories overwhelmed him without any portent at all.

He sensed that something was wrong and wanted to pull back and leave, but the pain cut through his marrow and left his whole body numb. He was like a wooden puppet, unable to move, sinking into a sea of blood whose waves crashed against the heavens.

Savage corpses covered the ground, and crumbling walls and ruins surrounded him. He was lying amidst the sea of blood and the mountain of corpses, and countless hands reached up from the ground and rigidly clung to his hands and feet, trying to pull him into the depths of the ground…… Just as he drowned in despair with nowhere to escape to, a flash of sword light cleaved through the air.

The sword light cut through those hands, and fresh blood splashed onto his face, leaving some lingering warmth. He seemed to have seen his savior and looked up blankly.

A man clothed in white, his face gentle and refined, stood before him and smiled at him. “A’Yan,1 don’t be scared. Shixiong is here.”

The man reached out a hand to pull him up. He struggled with all of his might, trying to grab the other’s hand. As long as he could grab that hand, he could leave this place and escape, shixiong would definitely protect him, definitely…… In his heart arose the hope of seeing light in the darkness, and he struggled with his life to try to leave, using up almost all of the energy in his body. His fingertips finally touched the other’s fingertips……

He was just about to leave this place.

But in the blink of an eye, fresh blood splattered onto his face.

Countless sharp blades pierced the white-robed man’s chest. He was still smiling at him, but his pupils suddenly became dim, and the life left his face in an instant, quickly decaying and festering…… But though he was clearly already dead, he still knelt there holding that sword, tightly protecting him in the cradle of his chest.

As if telling him, don’t be afraid.

He couldn’t see exactly what happened afterwards. There were only screams that made one’s heart palpitate, death that crept along the ground and invaded him, ice-cold chill that made him tremble faintly……

There was no longer that green sword light.

The hands from underneath the ground once again swarmed up, tightly dragging at his body……

But he didn’t even have the energy to struggle anymore.

Fang Li’s eyes were bloodshot, viciousness and pain appearing on his face, his expression savage.

This was bad, he had opened Yan Sui’s memories without any preparations. In an instant, he had been submerged in Yan Sui’s nightmare, and if he couldn’t escape, he was afraid he would be trapped here, sinking into this endless suffering until his soul scattered into pieces. But even though he struggled with all his might, he couldn’t find any way to struggle free from those hands, sinking bit by bit into the ground. First his feet, then half his body, and even breathing was becoming more and more difficult……

His consciousness gradually became blurry…… just then, a clear and sharp cry suddenly resounded in his ears.

The countless hands suddenly crumbled under that shout, like filthy demonic creatures pierced by bright light. They let out mournful wails, and unable to concern themselves with the prey that was nearly at hand, they struggled with all their might to escape into the shadows.

Fang Li was finally able to move. Without the slightest hesitation, he used up the rest of his strength to open his eyes and fiercely step forward, charging out of that endless sea of blood.

The view before him suddenly cut into nothing, like a dream.

The only things left were that still-vacant bamboo house, and the bamboo sword mottled with scars before him.

Fang Li breathed rapidly, his clothes soaked with cold sweat. He weakly lifted his head and saw Xie Huai, his white robes like snow, tranquil and indifferent, quietly standing outside the bamboo house looking at him.

……………………………………………

1 The “Yan” in Yan Sui is 厌, meaning loathing, and the yan in “A’Yan” is 琰, a type of jade

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