Chapter 132: Nothing Special

　　The man, who had walked to the prison entrance, stopped. He looked back and gave a warm smile. “As expected of Radiance Sect—even the bloodthirsty blood-drinking yao knows to tell secrets.”

　　The fox he held in his arms didn’t dare to move. Her fur trembled, either in fear or due to the wind.

　　“Sir has come to visit Radiance Sect—why hide?” A person walked out of the shadow. It was the sect master of Radiance Sect, Jin Yue.

　　The man patted the soft fur on the fox’s neck, relaxed as though he was strolling in his own backyard. “The noble Radiance Sect uses a tactic like this in order to meet this seat.”

　　“The lord of the evil cultivators is like a ghost. We can only use this method to wait for your arrival.” Jin Yue looked at this nomad cultivator called Chi Si, or rather, the lord of the evil cultivators in disguise. He summoned his lifebond sword. “Since Lord has come, then stay a few more days at this humble sect. What does Lord think?”

　　“This seat is busy and fears that Sect Master Jin cannot keep this seat here.” Chi Si held the fox in one hand, and the other lazily moved his fan. His expression was one of faint disdain.

　　“Our juniors are right—someone who calls themselves this seat is a bad person, and will not have a good ending.” Light flowed through the air. A red-clothed beauty flew over lazily, the fan in her hand flashing with light. “It has been many years. Lord is still just as handsome, but this face…”

　　Cultivators who reached Great Vehicle Stage could change their appearance as they wished. Qiu Shuang was still smiling but her gaze grew serious. “It appears that I should congratulate Evil Lord for your success?”

　　There were no problems with the backgrounds of the cultivators who came to attend the conference, including that of Chi Si who the evil lord had pretended to be. Maybe there wasn’t anyone in the world called “Chi Si,” and this was the evil lord’s identity in the cultivation world from the start.

　　Even the ordeal this morning that had caused so much discussion had been faked.

　　“You are smarter than I imagined.” Chi Si stomped lightly. Powerful spirit energy shot outwards, and the disciples in Radiance Sect with weak cultivation vomited blood and fainted before they could even react.

　　Each peak of Radiance Sect had their defense formations. The disciples who came to attend the conference also had their defense seals. But none of those preparations could withstand a casual blow from the evil lord.

　　Great Vehicle cultivators were great powers just a step away from ascension. They could destroy the earth, move mountains, empty oceans, and treat people like grass.

　　Jin Yue and Qiu Shuang were powerful and were not affected by Chi Si’s blow, but they were not pleased. With Chi Si’s present cultivation, he could easily take away a person’s life in the cultivation world if he wanted. Why would he purposefully use so many tactics that made everyone in the cultivation world anxious?

　　Chi Si sneered and he twirled the fan in his hand. “Do you know what I want to see the most?”

　　Qiu Shuang and Jin Yue did not speak.

　　“I want to see you painfully struggling with your hopes of ascending before descending into despair.” He smiled coldly, his expression disdainful. “How can the heavens let people like you ascend?”

　　As he finished speaking, a flying sword murderously headed towards him. That sword was extremely fierce and carried a presence to topple mountains. Chi Si used the fan he had been playing with to parry this sword. His relaxed expression disappeared.

　　Buzz, buzz, buzz.

　　The sword hummed. The sword and the fan were at a standstill. Jin Yue and Qiu Shuang were nearby and Chi Si could not allow the two a chance to ambush him. He dodged to the side, and used spirit energy to force back the sword. The atmosphere he had just created was ruined. He was in a terrible mood.

　　“Master, Spirit Master Qiu Shuang.” Huan Zhong took back the flying sword and stood next to the pair. Qiu Shuang glanced behind him and frowned. “Why did you bring Kong Hou?”

　　Huan Zhong hadn’t expected Kong Hou to also arrive. He stilled slightly and said, “The evil lord is already at Great Vehicle Stage. If he wants to commit evil, it is impossible to dodge no matter where you hide. Maybe we can be more reassured with her next to us.”

　　“Grand Shishu, I came on my own.” When she saw Li Rou and Gui Ling unconscious, Kong Hou had realized the situation was not good. Phoenix Head had trembled incessantly in her hair, as though it was urging her to do something.

　　While Phoenix Head was her lifebond talisman, Kong Hou rarely felt powerful emotions from it.

　　The elders of the sect had said to her that her lifebond talisman was a rare one and had a powerful ability to sense incoming danger.

　　Kong Hou had given her two shizhi to the care of Ling Hui Shijie before coming over on a flying sword with Phoenix Head in her hand. When she saw Huan Zhong and others facing off against Chi Si, Kong Hou hadn’t been surprised at all. She jumped next to Huan Zhong and bowed to Jin Yue and Qiu Shuang. The Phoenix Head hairpin turned into the largest Phoenix Head kong hou possible, the phoenix seals on its surface flowing with light as though it was alive.

　　The fox in Chi Si’s arms saw Kong Hou and suddenly snarled and bared her teeth.

　　“Hong Mian, this seat does not like women who are too noisy—you understand?” Chi Si looked down and patted the fox’s head. The fox froze and silently curled up. Even though she looked at Kong Hou with hate in her eyes, she didn’t dare make a sound.

　　“Such a fresh young soul. This seat has not seen such a lively female cultivator for a long time.” Chi Si looked at Kong Hou with a slight smile. “Although you humiliated this seat’s fiancee, this seat will not hold it against you.”

　　“Your fiancee is very unfortunate.” Kong Hou’s palms sweated but she remained calm in her expression. “My man is not like you. If someone is not good to me, he will get justice for me.”

　　Qiu Shuang and Jin Yue turned in unison to look at Huan Zhong. Huan Zhong… Huan Zhong blushed. He bowed to the pair with a stiff expression but his curved lips exposed his good mood.

　　“You mean that this seat should kill you to avenge her?” Chi Si flipped his fan elegantly. “What should this seat do?” His tone was warm and gentle as though he was murmuring to his lover, but he had no love in his eyes, just coldness and murderousness.

　　“Amitabha, Master Chi Si, do not have murderous intentions.” Yuan Chen appeared in a patch of light. He looked at Chi Si. “Cultivation is hard. Master, do not commit sins of killing. Please leave.”

　　“A person like you speaks of Buddhism constantly.” Seeing Yuan Chen, Chi Si’s murderousness grew. “You speak constantly of benevolence and kindness, but you are nothing more.”

　　Yuan Chen looked down and did not argue with Chi Si’s words.

　　Kong Hou felt as though these two had old grudges because Chi Si looked at them as though they were intrusive rocks, and at Yuan Chen as though he was garbage that had to be eliminated.

　　“Monk, you want to help people surpass themselves, but you cannot surpass yourself or a woman.” Chi Si threw the fox to the ground. “Of the cultivation juniors present, who knows that the senior monk Yuan Chen once had emotions for a woman?”

　　“There is no need to mention the past.” Yuan Chen looked at Chi Si with calm eyes. “If I can help others pass, this humble monk is willing to enter the sea of hardship.”

　　Chi Si asked, “Why do you not help her pass?”

　　Yuan Chen looked calmly at him. This gaze went across many years. Back then, he had been the most handsome junior of Buddhism with the best future, and been called the reincarnation of the Buddha.

　　Footsteps sounded. They were slow and light. Kong Hou looked back and saw the woman on the limestone path.

　　She wore a dark red dress embroidered with the sun, stars, mountains and the paths of heaven. Kong Hou met her gaze. She still looked young, but her gaze was heavy, with no joy, sorrow, love or hate.

　　For some inexplicable reason, Kong Hou felt the “her” that Chi Si spoke of was this female—sect master of Moon Star Sect, Spirit Master Hong Yan.

　　Hong Yan faced Kong Hou’s gaze without avoiding. She pushed open the gates to the prison courtyard. The wind blew up her mantle to twist around her neck. She had a cold and ruthless beauty.

　　Qiu Shuang saw her appear, sighed, and sat down cross-legged. At her big age, she did not like to see these faded old events.

　　The fox on the ground saw Hong Yan and seemed to be greatly affected. She lay lifelessly on the ground.

　　Hong Yan looked at the unfamiliar man called Chi Si in the courtyard. She summoned the Star Disk to hold in her hand and asked coldly, “You are Jiu Su?”

　　“Such a rarity. Spirit Master Hong Yan still remembers this name after centuries. Even this seat almost doesn’t remember those two characters.” Chi Si stared at the star disk in Hong Yan’s hand. “Has Spirit Master come today to repay debts?”

　　“Debts?” Hong Yan unconsciously smiled. “You didn’t kill my shimei?”

　　Chi Si sneered. “If she hadn’t suspected my identity, would I have attacked her? You threw away my true love for you. Hong Yan, you really think that I am the same as before after so many years?”

　　“You concealed your identity and harmed so many cultivators. You still speak of love to me?” Hong Yan looked coldly at him. “Do not make love a universal excuse. Is your love so amazing, is it more important than the lives of other people?”

　　“I knew long ago that you do not have a heart. I gave you valuable medicines, I gave you the most precious talismans, but you threw my heart away like a rock.” Chi Si suddenly smiled. “You want to protect these cultivators—I will make them live in terror. I want them to know that they live in such hardship because of you.”

　　“Although I killed members of your sect, killed your path friends, I am in love with you, so you have to be with me—isn’t something wrong with this?” Kong Hou hid behind Jin Yue, Huan Zhong, and Qiu Shuang. She whispered, “You are amazing because you have love, and other people should be stepping stones for your love?”

　　“You, junior, are so daring. Why hide behind others to speak?” Chi Si turned to look at Kong Hou. “Come out—this seat will not kill you.”

　　“She is right. Your love is worth nothing.” Hong Yan sneered. “There is no great love, just scheming. You came to the cultivation world this time not for love debts but for the chance of ascension, correct?”

　　Chi Si narrowed his eyes at Hong Yan and remained silent.

　　“Buddha, demon, they are nothing more.” Hong Yan threw the star disk into the sky. The star disk and the stars in the sky resonated with each other to produce a powerful energy field that trapped all of them in a barrier.

　　“Who cares about the disgusting and cheap feelings of men like you? You even want to ascend to become Buddha?!”

　　Translator Ramblings: Actually, Hong Yan is the protagonist. She’s the one who has to choose between the Romeo-and-Juliet evil first lead and the kind and gentle second lead … except they both are too ambitious in their own way.