Shuofeng cliff.
The top of the cliff was an open land of red leaves. Only a tall giant tree stood in the center. The tree was full of red leaves and golden flowers. Looking into the distance, it seemed as if there were countless golden bells hanging on the tree.
The breeze blew and the golden bells swayed. Shen Shu climbed along the branches, staring closely at a brilliantly blooming golden bell flower at the very top.
He stretched his hand forward. Just when his fingertips touched the golden bell flower, a sword energy whizzed by.
Shen Shu’s pupils shrank. He quickly plucked the flower off, and retreated back. At the same time, the tree branch in front of him was cut off by the sword energy.
——If he was one step slower to retreat, it would have been his hand that was cut off.
Giving him no time to think, the sword energy began to attack him one after another. Hitting near his feet, it forced him to retreat like a cat to a mouse.
The trunk couldn’t bear the violent attacks, and it split with a crack.
Shen Shu jumped to another tree instantly. Accompanied by the sound of a tree trunk crashing to the ground, before he stood, another sword energy hit near his feet. He could only use his strength to leap again. He was in a sorry state being tossed around.
Laughter of several disciples came from below.
“Senior Brother Yuan, did you see the appearance of that little animal scurrying around on the tree? Doesn’t it look like a hairless monkey?”
The leader snorted coldly, “It’s just a dog who can’t learn.”
The disciple next to him quickly agreed: “Senior Brother Yuan is right, isn’t this beast just a dog with no conscience? When Liu had an accident, he ran out of sight, causing us to have a hard time searching for him. If Senior Brother Ran didn’t find out that he was here, who knows how long we would have been looking for.”
When talking about Liu’s matters, Senior Brother Yuan looked very ugly. He shouted sharply at the tree: “Shen Shu, don’t blame me for not reminding you. A dog just needs to obediently lie on the ground. If you don’t come down now, when we break your leg, you won’t even have the chance to be a dog in the future.”
The disciples next to him discerned his words and also began to attack Shen Shu with sword energy.
There were not many places to stand on the tree. Shen Shu’s dodging movements became more and more difficult under the intense sword energy attacks.
He narrowly avoided one, but was hit by another sword energy on his back. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fell from the golden bell tree several feet high.
There was a thick layer of red leaves on the ground, but even so, there was still a heavy thump.
Severe pain came from his limbs, but Shen Shu only frowned. He went to touch the golden bell flower in his arms.
It seems that some have been crushed. Later…maybe he will pick another one, he thought.
Several disciples have surrounded him.
Headed by Yuan Yongzhi.
Yuan Yongzhi looked handsome, but his appearance was very mean. His voice was cold and mocking, “Nowadays even dogs can climb trees, Shen Shu, you really opened my eyes.”
Shen Shu didn’t speak.
“I heard Ran An say that you haven’t thrown out the ashes in the medicine stove these few days. When Xu Ze’s new medicine needed you, he couldn’t find you anywhere. What’s this all about?”
Shen Shu slowly propped up his body and remained silent.
Seeing his appearance, Yuan Yongzhi became angry. He kicked Shen Shu heavily, and cursed: “Don’t pretend to be dumb in front of me. Do you think that you can escape punishment in this way? Shen Shu, my Master brought you back from the deserted mountains and ridges to repay his gratitude. Yet you aren’t grateful, and dare to run away? Ran An’s right, you should be chained, just like a dog. This will help you remember.”
Don’t know how to be grateful.
Shen Shu’s eyelids slowly closed. He lowered his head to look at the golden bell flower in his hand.
Sure enough, it was crumpled.
Seeing his appearance of ignoring him, Yuan Yongzhi’s expression became more and more gloomy.
He noticed the flower in Shen Shu’s hand, and sneered, “Shen Shu, I was wondering why you snuck out… It turned out you were in heat, and was eager to go out and find another b*tch to mate with. Knowing how to pluck flowers to please the other party, you’re actually quite smart.”
“…Shut up.” Shen Shu said.
His voice was extremely cold and hoarse. His narrow, dark eyes lifted up, and his pupils were pitch black.
Yuan Yongzhi was taken aback by his sudden speech. Since the little beast was brought back to the sect by his Master Liu Qing three years ago, he had barely spoken. If it wasn’t for being flogged or trying out new medicine that caused him to occasionally let out pained groans, he almost thought that this animal was really mute.
Those dark pupils looked a little unclear.
Yuan Yongzhi remembered what Liu Qing had told them, all the weird incidents that had happened in recent years. Somehow his heart oozed a little bit of chill. However, his contemptuous heart dissipated his subconscious thoughts and he swung his sword at Shen Shu.
However, Shen Shu suddenly stood up and jumped up, avoiding his sword light. He leaped out from the surrounding several disciples like a ghost. A blade slipped silently into Shen Shu’s palm. The moment it passed by Yuan Yongzhi, it struck the back of his hand.
“Ah -!”
Yuan Yongzhi uttered a painful cry as blood poured out from the back of his hand.
The blade was jagged and uneven. Although the cut was not deep, it tore all the surrounding flesh and skin away, looking very hideous.
The disciple beside him exclaimed: “Senior Brother Yuan!”
Yuan Yongzhi’s face was distorted with pain, “What are you still doing? Go get him!”
Shen Shu rushed out of the encirclement, but did not escape.
The blood on the blade was dripping bit by bit. He smelt blood and his eyes darkened, showing darkness and violence that could not be restrained.
Everyone began to besiege Shen Shu, but Shen Shu’s body skills were really ghostly. With the ground much more open than the trees, the dense sword energies found it hard to hit him. Instead, two disciples screamed and were caught by Shen Shu, scratched by his blade.
In the chaos, Yuan Yongzhi couldn’t even see Shen Shu’s figure clearly, he only felt that a malicious gaze was locked on him.
He was panting heavily and a chill went up his back.
“Shen Shu, you really have been hiding your strength before–” His eyes were full of jealousy, “Tell me. Half a year ago, Senior Brother Zeng jumped off the cliff due to a demon in his heart. Two months ago, Senior Brother Lin’s breathing technique went wrong and his heart was ruptured. Three weeks ago, Master lost consciousness because he got corrupted during training. Is it all related to you?”
Shen Shu escaped a sword energy and tilted his head when he heard these words. “It’s their own… dao instability, mistakes in practice, and temptation during training, what does it have to do with me…?”
Yuan Yongzhi looked at his dark pupils. There seemed to be nothing inside, yet it seemed to have condensed the deepest darkness in the world inside of them. He suddenly felt a burst of horror.
“Master was right, you really are an evil spirit” Yuan Yongzhi had a twisted expression, “Kill him!”
“Senior Brother Yuan, the sect has rules. Disciples must not kill each other, or else offenders will be immediately killed and kicked out of the sect!” A disciple hurriedly persuaded him. He whispered in Yuan Yongzhi’s ear, “Even if you want to kill him, you can’t kill him here. You have to find a secret place, just like in the secret realm before…”
Yuan Yongzhi took two breaths to stabilize his mind, then he saw a shadow under Shen Shu’s feet twisting strangely. It was so quick, he thought it was an illusion.
Amidst the darkness, he felt a cold and deep evil thought entangling him. Cold sweat gushed from the corner of his forehead.
Yuan Yongzhi swallowed his saliva and squeezed the long sword in his hand, then there was blur in front of him. The ghostly figure passed by, and another scar appeared on the back of his hand, at the same place. The wound was torn open again, and the long sword fell to the ground.
He was in cold sweat with pain. He had a sudden realization. Not only did he want to kill Shen Shu, but Shen Shu also wanted to kill him!
This beast…!
With extreme tension in his mind, he remembered what Liu Qing had said when he brought Shen Shu back–
“That wicked animal is an evil creature that cannot be tolerated by the world. When he was rescued by his Master in Cang mountain, he was poorly behaved and always thought of resisting.”
“However, the evil animal has long been tamed by his Master and turned into a useful dog. As my disciples, you can use him as much as you want. He has a different physique than ordinary people. No matter how you use him, he can’t die.”
When Liu Qing spoke those words, he was rolling a faint green bead in his hand.
That round bead-
Since Liu Qing went down the wrong path for cultivation, all the possessions of the other party were secretly taken by him.
Yuan Yongzhi had no time to pick up his sword anymore. He hurriedly poured his spiritual sense into his storage ring and took out a bead.
Seeing the bead, Shen Shu’s pupils tightened. He swooshed over like an arrow off the string. Yuan Yongzhi shouted: “Stop him!”
Several disciples hurriedly stepped forward, but only felt a cold wind passing by. They couldn’t even see Shen Shu’s figure.
Something slippery and cold got wrapped around Yuan Yongzhi’s ankle.
Yuan Yongzhi’s legs softened and he knelt to the ground, watching a cold light approaching.
It was clearly not a sword, just a mutilated, ridiculous blade.
But it was faster and deadlier than a sword.
At the moment of life and death, the blade stopped in front of his eyes.
Yuan Yongzhi knelt on the ground, shaking non-stop.
Shen Shu didn’t move anymore.
——It’s not that he didn’t want to move, it’s that he… couldn’t move.
Yuan Yongzhi escaped death. His head was covered with cold sweat, even his lower body was wet.
He stubbornly held the bead in his hand, not daring to relax at all. His spiritual sense sensed what was in the ball. It took a long while before he finally understood the purpose of this thing.
The fear of the evil and unknown quickly dissipated and was replaced by a burst of ecstasy.
Yuan Yongzhi slowly stood up from the ground. He took a few breaths, then kicked Shen Shu’s knees.
Shen Shu knelt on the ground. He trembled, groaning with extreme pain.
He had never made such a painful sound in the past, whether it was being punished, flogged, or testing medicine.
The positions of the hunter and the prey were changed again. Yuan Yongzhi couldn’t help but show a twisted smile on his face.
“Shen Shu, no wonder Master said that you were a good dog. It turns out that you are…”
He narrowed his eyes and didn’t go on.
“Take him back to the medicine room.” Yuan Yongzhi instructed the surrounding disciples.
The surrounding disciples were stunned by the successive changes that had happened. At this time, they woke up and hurriedly lifted Shen Shu up.
In the chaos, a golden bell flower fell to the ground.
No one noticed.
——
The remnant sun was coloured in blood. Ye Yunlan closed the scroll in his hand and did not look at the windowsill anymore.
The orange and red evening light reflected on his pale face and his long eyelashes.
He was silent for a long while, then he picked up his queying sword on the table, and walked out the door.
Shuofeng cliff.
The top of the cliff was an open land of red leaves. Only a tall giant tree stood in the center. The tree was full of red leaves and golden flowers. Looking into the distance, it seemed as if there were countless golden bells hanging on the tree.
The breeze blew and the golden bells swayed. Shen Shu climbed along the branches, staring closely at a brilliantly blooming golden bell flower at the very top.
He stretched his hand forward. Just when his fingertips touched the golden bell flower, a sword energy whizzed by.
Shen Shu’s pupils shrank. He quickly plucked the flower off, and retreated back. At the same time, the tree branch in front of him was cut off by the sword energy.
——If he was one step slower to retreat, it would have been his hand that was cut off.
Giving him no time to think, the sword energy began to attack him one after another. Hitting near his feet, it forced him to retreat like a cat to a mouse.
The trunk couldn’t bear the violent attacks, and it split with a crack.
Shen Shu jumped to another tree instantly. Accompanied by the sound of a tree trunk crashing to the ground, before he stood, another sword energy hit near his feet. He could only use his strength to leap again. He was in a sorry state being tossed around.
Laughter of several disciples came from below.
“Senior Brother Yuan, did you see the appearance of that little animal scurrying around on the tree? Doesn’t it look like a hairless monkey?”
The leader snorted coldly, “It’s just a dog who can’t learn.”
The disciple next to him quickly agreed: “Senior Brother Yuan is right, isn’t this beast just a dog with no conscience? When Liu had an accident, he ran out of sight, causing us to have a hard time searching for him. If Senior Brother Ran didn’t find out that he was here, who knows how long we would have been looking for.”
When talking about Liu’s matters, Senior Brother Yuan looked very ugly. He shouted sharply at the tree: “Shen Shu, don’t blame me for not reminding you. A dog just needs to obediently lie on the ground. If you don’t come down now, when we break your leg, you won’t even have the chance to be a dog in the future.”
The disciples next to him discerned his words and also began to attack Shen Shu with sword energy.
There were not many places to stand on the tree. Shen Shu’s dodging movements became more and more difficult under the intense sword energy attacks.
He narrowly avoided one, but was hit by another sword energy on his back. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fell from the golden bell tree several feet high.
There was a thick layer of red leaves on the ground, but even so, there was still a heavy thump.
Severe pain came from his limbs, but Shen Shu only frowned. He went to touch the golden bell flower in his arms.
It seems that some have been crushed. Later…maybe he will pick another one, he thought.
Several disciples have surrounded him.
Headed by Yuan Yongzhi.
Yuan Yongzhi looked handsome, but his appearance was very mean. His voice was cold and mocking, “Nowadays even dogs can climb trees, Shen Shu, you really opened my eyes.”
Shen Shu didn’t speak.
“I heard Ran An say that you haven’t thrown out the ashes in the medicine stove these few days. When Xu Ze’s new medicine needed you, he couldn’t find you anywhere. What’s this all about?”
Shen Shu slowly propped up his body and remained silent.
Seeing his appearance, Yuan Yongzhi became angry. He kicked Shen Shu heavily, and cursed: “Don’t pretend to be dumb in front of me. Do you think that you can escape punishment in this way? Shen Shu, my Master brought you back from the deserted mountains and ridges to repay his gratitude. Yet you aren’t grateful, and dare to run away? Ran An’s right, you should be chained, just like a dog. This will help you remember.”
Don’t know how to be grateful.
Shen Shu’s eyelids slowly closed. He lowered his head to look at the golden bell flower in his hand.
Sure enough, it was crumpled.
Seeing his appearance of ignoring him, Yuan Yongzhi’s expression became more and more gloomy.
He noticed the flower in Shen Shu’s hand, and sneered, “Shen Shu, I was wondering why you snuck out… It turned out you were in heat, and was eager to go out and find another b*tch to mate with. Knowing how to pluck flowers to please the other party, you’re actually quite smart.”
“…Shut up.” Shen Shu said.
His voice was extremely cold and hoarse. His narrow, dark eyes lifted up, and his pupils were pitch black.
Yuan Yongzhi was taken aback by his sudden speech. Since the little beast was brought back to the sect by his Master Liu Qing three years ago, he had barely spoken. If it wasn’t for being flogged or trying out new medicine that caused him to occasionally let out pained groans, he almost thought that this animal was really mute.
Those dark pupils looked a little unclear.
Yuan Yongzhi remembered what Liu Qing had told them, all the weird incidents that had happened in recent years. Somehow his heart oozed a little bit of chill. However, his contemptuous heart dissipated his subconscious thoughts and he swung his sword at Shen Shu.
However, Shen Shu suddenly stood up and jumped up, avoiding his sword light. He leaped out from the surrounding several disciples like a ghost. A blade slipped silently into Shen Shu’s palm. The moment it passed by Yuan Yongzhi, it struck the back of his hand.
“Ah -!”
Yuan Yongzhi uttered a painful cry as blood poured out from the back of his hand.
The blade was jagged and uneven. Although the cut was not deep, it tore all the surrounding flesh and skin away, looking very hideous.
The disciple beside him exclaimed: “Senior Brother Yuan!”
Yuan Yongzhi’s face was distorted with pain, “What are you still doing? Go get him!”
Shen Shu rushed out of the encirclement, but did not escape.
The blood on the blade was dripping bit by bit. He smelt blood and his eyes darkened, showing darkness and violence that could not be restrained.
Everyone began to besiege Shen Shu, but Shen Shu’s body skills were really ghostly. With the ground much more open than the trees, the dense sword energies found it hard to hit him. Instead, two disciples screamed and were caught by Shen Shu, scratched by his blade.
In the chaos, Yuan Yongzhi couldn’t even see Shen Shu’s figure clearly, he only felt that a malicious gaze was locked on him.
He was panting heavily and a chill went up his back.
“Shen Shu, you really have been hiding your strength before–” His eyes were full of jealousy, “Tell me. Half a year ago, Senior Brother Zeng jumped off the cliff due to a demon in his heart. Two months ago, Senior Brother Lin’s breathing technique went wrong and his heart was ruptured. Three weeks ago, Master lost consciousness because he got corrupted during training. Is it all related to you?”
Shen Shu escaped a sword energy and tilted his head when he heard these words. “It’s their own… dao instability, mistakes in practice, and temptation during training, what does it have to do with me…?”
Yuan Yongzhi looked at his dark pupils. There seemed to be nothing inside, yet it seemed to have condensed the deepest darkness in the world inside of them. He suddenly felt a burst of horror.
“Master was right, you really are an evil spirit” Yuan Yongzhi had a twisted expression, “Kill him!”
“Senior Brother Yuan, the sect has rules. Disciples must not kill each other, or else offenders will be immediately killed and kicked out of the sect!” A disciple hurriedly persuaded him. He whispered in Yuan Yongzhi’s ear, “Even if you want to kill him, you can’t kill him here. You have to find a secret place, just like in the secret realm before…”
Yuan Yongzhi took two breaths to stabilize his mind, then he saw a shadow under Shen Shu’s feet twisting strangely. It was so quick, he thought it was an illusion.
Amidst the darkness, he felt a cold and deep evil thought entangling him. Cold sweat gushed from the corner of his forehead.
Yuan Yongzhi swallowed his saliva and squeezed the long sword in his hand, then there was blur in front of him. The ghostly figure passed by, and another scar appeared on the back of his hand, at the same place. The wound was torn open again, and the long sword fell to the ground.
He was in cold sweat with pain. He had a sudden realization. Not only did he want to kill Shen Shu, but Shen Shu also wanted to kill him!
This beast…!
With extreme tension in his mind, he remembered what Liu Qing had said when he brought Shen Shu back–
“That wicked animal is an evil creature that cannot be tolerated by the world. When he was rescued by his Master in Cang mountain, he was poorly behaved and always thought of resisting.”
“However, the evil animal has long been tamed by his Master and turned into a useful dog. As my disciples, you can use him as much as you want. He has a different physique than ordinary people. No matter how you use him, he can’t die.”
When Liu Qing spoke those words, he was rolling a faint green bead in his hand.
That round bead-
Since Liu Qing went down the wrong path for cultivation, all the possessions of the other party were secretly taken by him.
Yuan Yongzhi had no time to pick up his sword anymore. He hurriedly poured his spiritual sense into his storage ring and took out a bead.
Seeing the bead, Shen Shu’s pupils tightened. He swooshed over like an arrow off the string. Yuan Yongzhi shouted: “Stop him!”
Several disciples hurriedly stepped forward, but only felt a cold wind passing by. They couldn’t even see Shen Shu’s figure.
Something slippery and cold got wrapped around Yuan Yongzhi’s ankle.
Yuan Yongzhi’s legs softened and he knelt to the ground, watching a cold light approaching.
It was clearly not a sword, just a mutilated, ridiculous blade.
But it was faster and deadlier than a sword.
At the moment of life and death, the blade stopped in front of his eyes.
Yuan Yongzhi knelt on the ground, shaking non-stop.
Shen Shu didn’t move anymore.
——It’s not that he didn’t want to move, it’s that he… couldn’t move.
Yuan Yongzhi escaped death. His head was covered with cold sweat, even his lower body was wet.
He stubbornly held the bead in his hand, not daring to relax at all. His spiritual sense sensed what was in the ball. It took a long while before he finally understood the purpose of this thing.
The fear of the evil and unknown quickly dissipated and was replaced by a burst of ecstasy.
Yuan Yongzhi slowly stood up from the ground. He took a few breaths, then kicked Shen Shu’s knees.
Shen Shu knelt on the ground. He trembled, groaning with extreme pain.
He had never made such a painful sound in the past, whether it was being punished, flogged, or testing medicine.
The positions of the hunter and the prey were changed again. Yuan Yongzhi couldn’t help but show a twisted smile on his face.
“Shen Shu, no wonder Master said that you were a good dog. It turns out that you are…”
He narrowed his eyes and didn’t go on.
“Take him back to the medicine room.” Yuan Yongzhi instructed the surrounding disciples.
The surrounding disciples were stunned by the successive changes that had happened. At this time, they woke up and hurriedly lifted Shen Shu up.
In the chaos, a golden bell flower fell to the ground.
No one noticed.
——
The remnant sun was coloured in blood. Ye Yunlan closed the scroll in his hand and did not look at the windowsill anymore.
The orange and red evening light reflected on his pale face and his long eyelashes.
He was silent for a long while, then he picked up his queying sword on the table, and walked out the door.
