Chapter 37: When Wicked Thoughts Arise, Calamity Follows

The battle raged on, the sky above thick with ominous clouds that blotted out the once radiant sunlight. Yet within that gloom, a surge of blood-red energy burst forth like a dragon soaring through the heavens, piercing the darkness. The clash between the Martial Saint and the Ghost Immortal was so fierce it seemed to shake the very world. Xu Xuan stood in the monks’ quarters, gazing silently toward the rear mountain.

The fighting continued for a long time before finally subsiding; as for who was victorious, Xu Xuan could not tell. Deep into the night, Zhao Wuji returned to Lanhua Temple, his body exuding a deadly aura and covered in wounds.

Xu Xuan and the Fox King hurried to support him inside. Xu Xuan saw that Zhao Wuji’s robes were tattered in many places, with blood staining his chest, and knew his injuries were severe.

Without delay, Xu Xuan produced two blood-red elixirs taken from the Black Bear Demon and helped Zhao Wuji swallow them, simultaneously channeling his own spiritual power to aid in healing. The two tended to him for most of the night before Zhao Wuji’s wounds finally stabilized.

Only then did Xu Xuan and the Fox King allow themselves to relax. Once Zhao Wuji was settled, they each returned to their rooms for some rest.

…

In the dense woods behind Lanhua Temple, bathed in moonlight, Jade Maiden leaned against an ancient pagoda tree so large that it would take several people to encircle its trunk. Beside her lay a man in black robes with a head of white hair.

The man’s breath was shallow, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and deep cracks marred his face like the bark of a tree, lending him a ghastly appearance.

“Jade Maiden, all these years I’ve forced you to do things you despised. Do you hate me for it?” he asked in a hoarse yet gentle voice.

Tears streamed down Jade Maiden’s face. She nodded at first, then shook her head, her eyes full of complex emotion.

The man before her was the Old Ancestor of Black Cloud Mountain, her savior, and the one she loved. It was he who had rescued her from the hands of the monster hunters long ago—how could she claim to hate him?

As for love, she had always loved him, but he cared only for cultivation, often ignoring her. Perhaps her affections were nothing but unrequited longing.

Seeing her conflicted gesture, the man in black gave a bitter smile and murmured, “There are things you don’t understand, and I don’t wish you to understand. I only hope you can live well.”

With that, he forced himself to his feet and walked toward the great pagoda tree. In an instant, he merged with the tree, his entire being vanishing without a trace.

He had just fought a sword immortal, wounded by the opponent’s sword energy. This time, his very foundation was injured; he feared he would never break through to a higher realm.

Yet his heart’s wish remained unfulfilled. Without ascending, he could not realize his deepest obsession. Now there was but one path left to him.

Watching the black-robed figure disappear, Jade Maiden clung to the ancient tree, drawing her knees to her chest and burying her head, slowly sinking into memories.

Ever since the Old Ancestor of Black Cloud Mountain had saved her from the monster hunters, she had always stayed by his side. She cultivated diligently, but was also forced to help him kill and seize vital essence from others for his own advancement. A hundred years had passed in this way.

She had long grown weary of such a life, yearning for freedom, but her heart was bound. She could not bear to leave the Old Ancestor, nor would he ever permit her to go. He had already bound her true form and housed it within the great pagoda tree.

That tree was the Old Ancestor’s own body. Without his consent, Jade Maiden could never hope to leave Black Cloud Mountain for the rest of her life.

At the break of dawn, Xu Xuan rose and washed, feeling as if the previous night’s events had been nothing but a dream.

It was Zhao Wuji’s coughing that drew him back to reality. The free-spirited Wine Sword Immortal had fought with the Old Ancestor and been wounded. Now he was still recuperating.

Xu Xuan prepared some food and brought it to Zhao Wuji, finding him much improved, cleaning his treasured sword.

“Brother Zhao, how are your injuries?”

“They’ve stabilized. A few more days of rest, and I’ll be fully recovered. I must thank you, Brother Xu, for your miraculous elixirs.”

Zhao Wuji cupped his hands in gratitude.

“You’re a true hero, ridding the world of evil. I never expected the Old Ancestor to be so formidable, injuring even you.”

“I was indeed careless last night. Under the moonlight, that old demon was strengthened, and the battleground was his own lair. That’s why I suffered a loss,” Zhao Wuji said, his face dark with anger and frustration.

For years, he had fought demons and never been wounded, yet last night he stumbled into defeat. The Old Ancestor’s power was truly immense, his cultivation spanning more than a thousand years—a formidable foe indeed.

“Don’t be discouraged, Brother Zhao. Once you’ve recovered, we’ll all go to the old demon’s lair together. The three of us combined will surely destroy him.”

“He’s even more gravely injured than I am. For years he has consumed blood, filling himself with filth and corruption he can barely contain. I struck at his foundation. If that corruption breaks loose, it could kill him.”

Zhao Wuji let out a cold laugh. As the Wine Sword Immortal, a Martial Saint, he was not so easily defeated.

Xu Xuan was also secretly grateful; without Zhao Wuji to face the Old Ancestor first, he and the Fox King would likely have been routed and forced to flee.

For several days, Zhao Wuji stayed at the temple to recover, with Xu Xuan and the Fox King attending to him.

During this time, Lanhua Temple remained unusually quiet—no ghost or demon dared come near.

It was because Zhao Wuji’s presence filled the temple with searing energy, deterring all but the most foolish of spirits from approaching. Yet, though these mountain demons and ghosts dared not enter the temple, they watched from the shadows, a forest of ghostly eyes sending chills down the spine.

One evening, a group of traveling merchants passed by and decided to spend the night at Lanhua Temple.

Xu Xuan immediately warned them that the temple was haunted, recounting the nightly disturbances, and earnestly tried to persuade them to leave for their own safety.

But dusk had already fallen; the merchants were unwilling to venture back into the wilds, fearing wolves and other dangers.

This led to some unpleasantness between them. In the end, the merchants decided to sleep in the main hall, while Xu Xuan retired to the monks’ quarters behind. Each kept to their own, neither side interfering with the other.

As the saying goes, not even the gods can save those doomed to die. These men seemed intent on courting disaster, and there was nothing Xu Xuan could do.

As expected, the next morning, the merchants were dead.

Their deaths were bizarre: some still wore blissful, intoxicated smiles; others clutched stones in death, refusing to let go. Some bore no wounds, while others had their hearts and livers torn out.

Clearly, those with intoxicated smiles had succumbed to lustful thoughts and were slain by spirits or demons. Those clutching stones had been ensnared by illusions, believing they had found treasure and, overcome by greed, had their organs stolen.

Gazing at the corpses, Zhao Wuji said gravely, “Even with us still here, these monsters dare act so brazenly. It must be that the old demon is too gravely wounded, sending his minions to cause trouble and feed on the living to restore his strength.”

“These men brought their deaths upon themselves. Had they not harbored evil thoughts, they would have been unharmed,” said the Fox King, showing not a trace of pity.

“This old fiend has harmed too many. We must destroy him soon, or more innocents will perish,” Xu Xuan sighed, shaking his head. Though the merchants had brought death upon themselves, it was still a bitter thing to see vibrant lives so senselessly lost.