Chapter 40: The Thunder Tribulation
When he noticed the faintly scornful looks from Xu Xuan and the others, the Old Ancestor of Black Clouds merely shook his head and smiled softly, offering no explanation. Instead, he coughed a few times and went on with the story he wished to tell.
“After I was saved, I swore in secret that once my cultivation reached fruition, I would protect her for a lifetime. No one would be allowed to harm her.”
“I devoted myself to cultivation, and two hundred years slipped by in haste. During that time, Lanhua Monastery once again flourished with incense and worshippers.”
“This was because a new group of monks had arrived, but each of them exuded an aura of violence; they looked nothing like men of virtue.”
“But that was none of my business, a tree demon. I only wished to cultivate and then seek out my savior.”
“With the aid of the Buddhist relic, it took me only a hundred years to attain eight centuries of spiritual power. Yet during a century of searching, I found no trace of the little peach demon.”
“Until one day, relying on my formidable powers, I broke into Lanhua Monastery and at last found her. But by then, she was already at death’s door, her life’s flame all but extinguished.”
“She had been harmed by the bald monks of Lanhua Monastery—those villainous monks who, in the name of redeeming demons, secretly practiced evil arts and absorbed demon spirits.”
“Fury overwhelmed me; my heart was filled with murderous intent. I led the spirits of the monks who had been burned to death in a massacre, cleansing Lanhua Monastery in blood and killing every single wicked monk responsible for such harm.”
“I avenged the little peach demon, but saving her life proved impossible. In my desperation, I searched for every possible way, and in the end it was the Buddhist relic that kept her alive.”
“At the same time, I used the essence and blood of humans as nourishment to restore her body. I sealed away her ghostly memories, letting her forget her pain.”
“I commanded her to drink human blood, forcing her to do what she abhorred, for only with enough vital energy could her spirit remain intact.”
“But the blood would cloud her mind, so I secretly absorbed the filth from the blood she drank, taking all the karmic consequence upon myself.”
“Perhaps because I absorbed so much vile essence, my own being became saturated with foulness. To suppress it, I had no choice but to cultivate desperately, hoping that one day I might survive a lightning tribulation.”
“I wished to let the power of the tribulation, the fortune of the world, wash me clean of that repulsive filth.”
“And with the life force contained within the lightning, to fully heal the little peach demon's wounds. For this, I even threatened the Fox King, forcing him to marry his daughter to me.”
“It was only because the fox girl bore a ghostly aura within her body that could help me break through and survive the trial. But fate is fickle—the attempt failed in the end.”
Behind him, Lady Yu was already in tears upon hearing this. For the first time, she truly understood the heart of the man before her.
Everything he had done was for her. To save her, he would even risk his own life.
Yet because her memories had been sealed, she had often blamed him, hated him, angered him.
Xu Xuan could only listen in silence, quietly absorbing the love story of an ancient locust tree.
A tumult of emotions surged in his heart. Never had he imagined that demons could harbor such affection.
He still believed that the Old Ancestor of Black Clouds was wrong to kill, but he understood now that the other had done it all for love, willing to forsake everything.
At that moment, Xu Xuan was truly moved by the story, and his impression of the Old Ancestor of Black Clouds shifted.
One cannot judge the path of demons by the path of men. Every being has its own obsessions, its own sense of right, and will pursue its aims without regret even unto death.
Yet, as a man, Xu Xuan could only walk the human path. No matter how many reasons the Old Ancestor of Black Clouds might have, he had killed so many and deserved to be punished.
Zhao Wuji and the Fox King each fell into their own contemplations. They too were moved by the story, but neither would spare the Old Ancestor of Black Clouds.
As one of the Five Absolutes of the Demon Suppression Bureau, Zhao Wuji was duty-bound to uphold imperial authority, protect the people, and act as an agent of heaven. Such a wicked demon as the Old Ancestor of Black Clouds had to be destroyed.
The Fox King, for the sake of his daughter and to protect his clan from future threats, knew that today matters must be settled with the Old Ancestor.
“Old Ancestor of Black Clouds, now that your story is done, it’s time you kept your promise,” Zhao Wuji said coldly, eyes locked onto the Old Ancestor.
“No!” Lady Yu suddenly sprang up, shielding the Old Ancestor behind her, her face set with desperate resolve.
“Lady Yu, stand aside,” Xu Xuan sighed, trying to comfort her gently.
“No!” Her stance was unwavering, not giving an inch.
Suddenly, the Old Ancestor of Black Clouds reached out and lightly tapped her shoulder. In that instant, Lady Yu was immobilized, standing in silence, unable to utter a sound.
“It’s time to depart.”
As those words fell, the sky grew heavy and dark. Rolling thunderclouds gathered, gradually enveloping the land.
Within the cloud, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, snakes of electricity writhing in terrifying display.
The Old Ancestor’s coughing intensified, and from the ancient locust tree behind him came crackling sounds as the bark split and foul, stinking blood oozed forth.
He rose slowly, wounds newly blooming across his body, blood streaming from them.
“Open!”
With a low intonation, the trunk of the tree behind him began to split down the center, foul blood gushing out. But at the heart of the tree a golden light shone.
It emanated from a golden stone densely inscribed with Sanskrit, radiating pure Buddhist light—a true Buddhist relic.
Beneath its glow lay a tiny peach tree sapling, its spiritual essence depleted, frail and struggling for life.
Clearly, this was Lady Yu’s true form, hidden all along within the old locust tree, her life sustained by the Buddhist relic and human essence.
As the sapling emerged into daylight, the Old Ancestor of Black Clouds laughed aloud and entered the tree.
“Today I, Moyun, face the tribulation—not for immortality, but only that she may find happiness in the mortal world!”
Boom!
A bolt of thunder exploded; the world flashed bright as lightning struck down from the heavens, splitting the ancient locust tree in two, half of it charred black, more foul blood pouring forth.
Then came more lightning—the second, the third…
The trunk was battered by the onslaught, bursting into flames, fire spreading across its surface.
“This madman! He’s forcing himself through a lightning tribulation!” Zhao Wuji was shaken to his core by the sight.
In such a state, the Old Ancestor could not possibly survive—he was doomed.
Yet as he endured the annihilating force of thunder, he continually channeled the faint thread of life within the lightning into the peach sapling protected by the Buddhist relic.
At the first rumble of spring thunder, all things awaken.
Within the heavenly thunder lies the path of life and death, intertwined—the true way.
Receiving the life force from the thunder, the little peach tree, once withered, burst forth with vitality, its colors growing ever more brilliant.
The divine fire from the lightning set the great tree ablaze, and as the thunder’s force swept through the forest, all the demons and spirits fled in terror as if from viper or scorpion.
But the old tree’s burning branches reached out, seizing all the monsters and ghosts, drawing them into its trunk one by one.
“You too have wrought much evil in this world. Today, come with me, and let this world be cleansed.”
Dragged into the inferno, some monsters cursed, some begged, some fell silent—each with its own strangeness.
Yet all met the same fate, consumed by thunder and fire, and vanished into the vastness of heaven and earth.