Chapter 78

Shen Qingqiu lowered his voice. "That's not the issue."

Luo Binghe pressed, "Then what is?"

Shen Qingqiu raised his folded fan. "Let's deal with the matter at hand first. We'll talk later."

Luo Binghe slowly stepped back, a faint smile touching his lips. "Alright."

He added softly, "...We'll have plenty of time to talk later."

Everyone could sense them—countless restless creatures lurking within the shadowy clusters of leaves, the waist-high grass, and the crevices of pale, jumbled rocks. Glimmering green eyes and low, guttural growls rose and fell like tiny, ominous waves.

At a time like this, the advantage of having Luo Binghe walk point became abundantly clear.

Wherever he turned his steps, the demonic winds instantly stilled, falling into an eerie silence. The hidden fiends either played dead in droves or scrambled away in a frantic rustle.

To put it bluntly, it was like they were avoiding a plague god...

With such divine assistance, they reached their destination much faster than anticipated.

If, amidst the swirling white mist, there suddenly appeared a place where a torrent of black energy roiled skyward, anyone who wasn't blind could tell something was wrong.

The cave entrance was shrouded by layer upon layer of thick, verdant foliage, casting a deep, sinister gloom. A chill emanated from the opening as they stood before it.

The group halted, hesitation hanging in the air.

According to the original script, before reaching this point, they should have fought their way through eight hundred enemy commanders, slain a thousand demonic beasts, and survived a gauntlet of venomous insects and strange flora, finally arriving at the final stage after untold hardship.

Even if they skipped some steps, their robes should at least be stained with blood to be worthy of a boss battle, right?!

One Sect Leader voiced caution. "We likely shouldn't act rashly."

Another agreed. "It's best to scout the situation first."

Luo Binghe said, "Naturally."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Mo Beijun kicked Shang Qinghua out.

He literally kicked him out... out... out...

Under Shen Qingqiu's utterly stunned gaze, Shang Qinghua tumbled and flew into the cave, thus "scouting the situation."

A deathly silence followed, then suddenly, a blood-curdling scream erupted from within the cave. "Holy shiiiiiiiiiiit!"

Moving with lightning speed, Shen Qingqiu snatched a handful of vine leaves and rushed into the cave with the others. A voice greeted them. "Peak Lord Shen, we meet again."

Xin Mo Sword was embedded in a crevice at the far end of the cave. The black miasma and purple smoke seeped from its blade.

Tianlang-jun sat upon a moss-covered rock. Shang Qinghua stood not far in front of it.

The daylight from outside illuminated half of Tianlang-jun's form. Instantly, someone sucked in a sharp breath.

Shen Qingqiu finally understood why Shang Qinghua had screamed like that.

Though Tianlang-jun's smile remained unchanged, the lower right half of his face had turned a putrid, purplish-black, rendering the expression utterly horrifying.

His left sleeve hung empty and limp. It seemed the arm that was always falling off would never be reattached.

This broken, spent, and withered appearance was far from the final boss Shen Qingqiu had imagined.

Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but glance at Luo Binghe's expression. His face was a mask of near-wooden calm, unreadable.

Tianlang-jun tilted his head slightly. "Fewer than I imagined. I thought it would be like Bai Lu Mountain last time, with hundreds of masters joining the fray."

Wu Wang snorted. "Look at yourself—neither man nor ghost, not a single lackey by your side. Do you really need that many people?"

"Lackeys?" Tianlang-jun mused. "I have none here. But I do have a nephew."

Before the words faded, a green shadow flashed within the cave. Zhuzhi-lang materialized soundlessly, shielding Tianlang-jun's flank.

For some reason, both master and servant were in a wretched state. Tianlang-jun's Lüzhi body, incompatible with demonic energy, was corroded and pitted—that was understandable. But Zhuzhi-lang's pupils had also taken on a yellowish hue. Scales crawled in patches over every exposed part of his body—neck, cheeks, forehead, arms—a grotesque and terrifying sight, eerily similar to his half-human, half-serpent form in the Lüzhi Cave.

His voice was hoarse. "Immortal Master Shen."

Shen Qingqiu: "...It's me. How did you become like this?"

Yue Qingyuan's tone was deceptively neutral. "Junior Brother, what connection do you have with this one?"

The connection ran deep. Reaching this point was intimately tied to him. Just as Shen Qingqiu was about to speak, Tianlang-jun raised his chin slightly, narrowing his eyes at Yue Qingyuan. "I remember you."

He thought for a moment, then stated with certainty. "Back then, that old fool from Huan Hua Palace wanted your help to ambush me. You ignored him. So, you're the Sect Leader of Cang Qiong Mountain now? Not bad."

Yue Qingyuan said, "Your memory is remarkably sharp."

Tianlang-jun chuckled, then sighed.

"If you were also suppressed in a pitch-black place for over a decade, seeing neither sun nor sky, whiling away the days by dwelling on the past, your memory would be just as good."

No one answered him this time. Yue Qingyuan gripped Xuan Su and struck out, sheath and all.

Tianlang-jun barely dodged. With a thunderous roar, half the cave wall behind him collapsed, blasted open into a gaping hole that revealed the open sky outside. Rubble and stones tumbled down into the abyss below. A blast of icy air whirled in, carrying with it a flurry of fine snow that obscured vision. From the ice field hundreds of feet below, waves of beastly roars and the clamor of battle rose, growing ever louder.

The first wave of Southern Border demons had landed.

Tianlang-jun remarked, "I'll wager Bai Zhan Peak is leading the charge again. Am I right?"

Dozens of cultivators fanned out, advancing from various angles. Wu Wang swung his staff with ferocious power, launching a fierce assault at the forefront. Zhuzhi-lang, forced back step by step under Xuan Su's pressure, still dutifully drew the bulk of their attacks. Tianlang-jun remained seated on the rock, utterly at leisure. "I recall from back then that you waited until the last possible moment to draw your sword. Will it be the same today?"

Yue Qingyuan offered no reply. As he was about to strike Zhuzhi-lang's chest with a palm, another Sect Leader struck first. Zhuzhi-lang neither dodged nor retreated, taking the blow head-on. Yet, it was the Sect Leader who cried out in agony.

Shen Qingqiu's pupils constricted sharply. He shouted, "Don't touch him! His body is covered in poison!"

Amid the chaotic melee, several were poisoned, while others were blasted out of the cave by exploding waves of demonic and spiritual energy. Their bodies flew into the open air, only stabilizing mid-fall by mounting their flying swords. Shang Qinghua tried to sneak toward Shen Qingqiu's position. Zhuzhi-lang, caught in the heat of battle, spotted a furtive figure edging away and, without a second thought, flung two green serpents toward him. Shen Qingqiu saw it clearly. He flipped his hand, a green leaf poised to fly and save the author's precious life, when two ice swords materialized out of thin air, impaling the serpents.

Mo Beijun appeared like a ghost within the fray, grabbed Shang Qinghua, tossed him toward Shen Qingqiu like a chick, and drove a fist toward Zhuzhi-lang.

For the next ten seconds, Shen Qingqiu witnessed the very definition of a "brutal beating"...

With Zhuzhi-lang being pummeled relentlessly by Mo Beijun, the assault on Tianlang-jun intensified.

Despite missing a hand and facing multiple opponents, Tianlang-jun's composure remained unshaken. He smiled. "To be honest, I never truly intended to merge the two realms. Occasionally crossing over to sing a few songs, read a few books here was quite nice. However, having spent so many years on Bai Lu Mountain, not doing something you all expected of me would feel like a waste."

Yue Qingyuan flicked a finger. Xuan Su slid three inches from its sheath, spiritual power surging violently. Tianlang-jun's bones cracked and popped as if dislocating. "Oh?" he uttered, sounding intrigued. "As expected of a Sect Leader."

He reached out his remaining hand and grasped Xuan Su's blade directly, as if feeling nothing, and smiled. "Why not draw it fully? Like this, you still can't best me."

Yue Qingyuan's gaze darkened. Xuan Su slid another half-inch from its sheath!

Suddenly, Luo Binghe's cold voice cut through the air. "He can't best you. What about me?"

Tianlang-jun's smile hadn't faded when a violent surge of demonic energy, sharp as an axe blow, swept toward him.

His only remaining hand tore from his arm, caught by a fierce gust, and flew out of the cave, plummeting down into the Burial Mounds.

Luo Binghe had finally made his move!

As father and son faced each other again, this time, it was Tianlang-jun who was utterly defenseless.

Luo Binghe's eyes burned a piercing red, his face taut, his strikes ruthless and unforgiving. Now bereft of both hands, Tianlang-jun actually began to show signs of being overwhelmed, hard-pressed to respond. Zhuzhi-lang, having finally broken free from Mo Beijun's onslaught—his face and body a bloody mess—saw his master in peril. As if driven mad by battle, he charged recklessly forward. Coincidentally, Wu Wang, swept by a wave of Tianlang-jun's demonic energy, coughed blood and was sent flying backward. Master Wuchen moved to catch him. Seeing Zhuzhi-lang about to collide with them, Shen Qingqiu recognized the danger and flashed in front of Wuchen.

Upon seeing Shen Qingqiu, a flicker of clarity passed through Zhuzhi-lang's yellow-tinged pupils. He slammed to a halt, his momentum causing him to stagger and nearly fall. As he tried to skirt around Shen Qingqiu to aid Tianlang-jun, a streak of white light shot across the cave.

Thud!

Zhuzhi-lang's back slammed heavily against the cave wall, a blade piercing clean through his chest and pinning him to the rock.

The half-length of the elegant sword protruding from his chest was none other than Zheng Yang.

Shen Qingqiu looked back. Luo Binghe slowly lowered his hand. Tianlang-jun stood calmly two zhang behind him.

He stood for only a moment longer before toppling gracefully to the ground.

...

Was it over?

Just like that?

Shen Qingqiu was having trouble accepting it.

He'd barely gotten a few hits in. Was it really finished?!

He nudged Shang Qinghua. "...Didn't you say Tianlang-jun was supposed to be incredibly difficult to defeat?"

Shang Qinghua muttered, "...He was difficult."

Shen Qingqiu: "Does this victory make any logical sense?"

Shang Qinghua: "The hardest boss will always be taken down by the male lead. Isn't that the universally accepted logic?"

The two of them glanced around. They had arrived with dozens, all at full strength. Now, only a handful remained standing.

Shen Qingqiu stared at the two he had once considered the ultimate, insurmountable bosses of this world.

One lay on the ground, a perfect picture of a "tattered doll ravaged by violence." The other was pinned to the wall, dripping with blood.

There was none of the exhilarating triumph that should follow defeating a final boss. The more he looked, the more it seemed like his side was simply bullying the weak and the wounded, shamelessly ganging up on them with superior numbers…

Yes, they were ganging up!

But who could have known it would turn out like this? The bosses’ strength was leagues below what he’d imagined!

Luo Binghe turned, not a drop of blood on him, calm and composed. He asked Shen Qingqiu, "Should I kill him?"

He was referring to Tianlang-Jun. Hearing this, Zhuzhi-lang gripped the blade of Zheng Yang sword piercing his chest and strained to pull it free. Many of the scales on his neck and face had been scraped off during the chaotic fight, and with each convulsive effort, fresh blood gushed from the wounds.

Ever since learning Gongyi Xiao had died by his hand, a knot of resentment had lodged in Shen Qingqiu’s heart. But seeing him in such a state, so utterly pitiful, it was hard for any witness not to feel a pang of sympathy. Moreover, although Shen Qingqiu had been screwed over countless times by Zhuzhi-lang’s bizarre methods of repaying kindness, the man had never truly harbored ill intent toward him.

This person’s whole life has been a muddle, he thought, all because his mind works in such a rigid, literal way. He sighed. "Look what you’ve become. Why cling to this so desperately?"

Zhuzhi-lang coughed, a spray of bloody froth on his lips. His voice was dry and ragged. "Become… this?"

A bitter laugh escaped him. "If I told you that the form you saw on Bailu Mountain was my original body, Immortal Master Shen… what would you think?"

It felt like a thunderbolt had cracked open the top of Shen Qingqiu’s skull.

What? So the snake-man crawling on the ground in Bailu Forest… that was Zhuzhi-lang’s true form?!

Zhuzhi-lang drew a ragged breath. "I said my bloodline was lowly. My father was a giant serpent. When my mother gave birth to me, I was already this… this deformed, half-human, half-serpent shape. I grew to fifteen years old like that. Everyone despised me, reviled me, insulted me, drove me away. If His Highness had not helped me assume a human form, I would have remained a monster writhing in the dirt for my entire life."

He gritted his teeth. "His Highness was the first to make me human. You, Immortal Master Shen, were the second. Perhaps to you, it was merely a trivial act. But to me, it was a debt I would dare not refuse even if it meant dying ten thousand times… You ask me ‘why cling to this’? You tell me. Why do I cling?"

Tianlang-Jun suddenly sighed from where he lay. "Silly child. Why waste so many words on him?"

Though prone, he still reclined with a regal grace—more so if one ignored the portion of his face eroded by demonic energy.

He gazed upward at the cavern ceiling, his voice distant. "Humans… they always believe ‘if they are not of our kind, their hearts must be different.’ Even the closest person can turn around and deceive you in an instant. And it was always just your own stubborn wish to repay a debt, wasn’t it? Say all you want. He will not understand you. He will only grow weary of it. So why speak at all?"

…Could it be that all these years, he had believed Su Xiyan deliberately lured him to Bailu Mountain?

Shen Qingqiu almost blurted out, You’ve misunderstood completely! But his eyes flicked to Luo Binghe standing silently nearby, his face an emotionless mask, and the words died in his throat.

Master Wuchen, however, spoke. "If you truly had no such intention back then, and we heeded slander… then the fault was ours. What has happened today cannot be avoided or escaped. One sows evil causes and reaps evil effects. Repayment was always inevitable."

He brought his palms together. "But how can you say Miss Su deceived you, when she willingly took poison just to see you one last time?"

Tianlang-Jun stiffened slightly, lifting his head.

Shen Qingqiu’s heart twinged. At least Master Wuchen had changed "abortion drug" to "poison," showing some consideration for Luo Binghe’s feelings.

With his body broken and blood still smeared at the corner of his lips, the effort of lifting his head made him look indescribably pathetic.

After a long pause, Tianlang-Jun said, "...Is that so."

Then he asked again, softly, "Truly?"

Master Wuchen said, "This old monk stakes his life on the truth of my words."

Tianlang-Jun turned his head, his gaze seeking confirmation from Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan. "Truly?"

Yue Qingyuan nodded. Shen Qingqiu also gave a slow, deliberate nod.

It was as if all the strength left Tianlang-Jun’s body. He sank back to the ground.

He sighed. "Alright. Well… at least there is one thing that is not so terrible."

Shen Qingqiu glanced at Luo Binghe.

He stood with his head slightly bowed, his long lashes lowered. A few flakes of snow had caught on them, trembling faintly.

Having this truth laid bare might have resolved Tianlang-Jun’s inner turmoil. But for Luo Binghe, it was undeniably cruel.

The Xin Mo Sword continued to emit an endless stream of purple-black energy. The sounds of slaughter from below grew clearer. The descent of Maigu Ridge was still ongoing. Who knew how much distance remained before it met the icy surface of Luo River?

Yue Qingyuan took a few steps toward the rock wall where the Xin Mo Sword was embedded. Shen Qingqiu said, "The matter has reached this point. Tianlang-Jun, you must stop."

It wasn’t too late. If Tianlang-Jun continued to feed demonic energy into the Xin Mo Sword, then killing him would be the only way to stop the merger. Truthfully, Shen Qingqiu didn’t particularly wish for Tianlang-Jun to die.

After all, to be screwed over this badly just for falling in love… that was wretched enough. To then take his life on top of it? No boss had it that rough!

Tianlang-Jun suddenly let out a soft, choked laugh.

The sound echoed through the cavern and across the ridge.

He seemed to find it all terribly amusing, tilting his head. "Peak Lord Shen, look at me. In my current state, I cannot even maintain Zhuzhi-lang’s human form."

At that moment, Shen Qingqiu didn’t yet grasp the meaning behind his words, but he felt a sudden, uneasy leap in his chest.

Tianlang-Jun continued, his tone leisurely. "After fighting you all for so long, the toll on this body of mine has been far from small. Who do you think has been sustaining the demonic energy supply to the Xin Mo Sword all this time?"

He didn’t speak quickly, but each word sank into Shen Qingqiu’s ears like a shard of ice, freezing him from the inside out, his neck gradually stiffening.

"You are right to tell someone to stop. But that someone… is not me."