Chapter 289. Lin Nianci’s Debt (I)

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TN-: 2 Chapters!!

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After Fan Jialuo left, the disciples of the Tianshui Sect finally found Xuan Chengzi kneeling by the black lake.

Abbot Changjing also rushed over upon hearing the news, and looked at the thick black miasma floating in the center of the lake with great astonishment. Casting his gaze across the area, he could see nothing but sins, bad karma, yin qi, death aura, as well as the cries of countless infant spirits and the desperate screams of women.

“A place of absolute evil?” He could hardly believe his eyes, and said in a trembling voice, “How could there be such a place of absolute evil on earth?”

“Why can’t there be?” Xuan Chengzi turned around, revealing a face that was rapidly aging. After his Dao Heart shattered, his cultivation was dissipating at a rapid pace.

“A place of absolute evil…… isn’t it right here?” He pointed to the black lake in front of him, then to his own heart.

Abbot Changjing could not utter a single word except for constantly chanting the Buddha’s name.

From then on, he lived in a tent by the lakeside, dedicating every day to chanting the Sutra of Redemption. But nothing worked. No matter how deep his devotion, he was powerless to turn the black lake clear again.

This lake was destined to be the road from the human world to hell.

After leaving Xianghuo Village, Xuan Chengzi did not immediately return to his sect, but instead went to City B.

“Shifu, what are you doing?” Taoist Zhi Fei followed along, increasingly finding Xuan Chengzi’s behavior strange. He had gone so far as to destroy the stone lions standing before multiple properties. He blinded the eyes of some, shattered the teeth or horns of others, and used his Palm Thunder to obliterate the rest. There was no end to his destructive methods.

Xuan Chengzi didn’t answer his question. He just wandered around the city silently for three days and three nights, damaging forty-nine stone lions, before waving wearily, “Let’s go back.”

The group then returned to the main Tianshui Sect, hidden in the Wolong Mountains. As they passed the stone stele standing in front of the mountain gate, Xuan Chengzi stopped and stared at the words on it for a long time with his reddened eyes.

【Save all living souls, protect the common people, keep order in Taoist sects, aid the nation’s destiny, promote the righteousness of heaven and earth, and uphold the Great Tao.】

Every word on this stone was etched in Xuan Chengzi’s mind, but looking back on his life, which one had he actually accomplished?

Thinking of this, his already aging face showed even deeper wrinkles, and his once upright posture finally hunched over. In an instant, he became old and frail, on the verge of death.

“Shifu!”

“Shizu!”

The disciples who came to greet Xuan Chengzi stood still and greeted him, but dared not step forward to acknowledge him, those disciples who had come down the mountain with Xuan Chengzi, experienced the trial of Fan Jialuo, and witnessed the tragic situation in Xianghuo Village all closed their eyes and showed sorrowful expressions.

Those disciples who have never left the sect are probably unaware that the Tianshui Sect has been labeled a heretical cult and faces suppression. The government has demolished their Taoist Temples, and the entire Taoist alliance can no longer tolerate their existence. They have no place to stand in this world.

Moving forward, the moment any of them pull stunts outside using the Tianshui Sect as backing, the cultivators of other sects will rip them apart as a collective group, and the ordinary people will hand them right over to the cops.

This is all thanks to Song Enci, and also to Xuan Chengzi. Having raised such a disciple, how can he possibly have the face to stand before this stone stele and revere the rules left by his ancestors? Did he honestly not fear that his actions would make the ancestors break out of their tombs to kill him themselves?

Thinking this, Chang Sheng and the others all showed resentful expressions.

Xuan Chengzi sensed something, turned around and glanced at them. Seeing that they hurriedly lowered their heads, seemingly hiding their emotions, he couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile.

He knelt down and kowtowed three times to the stone stele, then stepped up the seemingly endless stone steps.

Tianshui Palace stands at the end of the stone steps, high on the mountaintop, amidst pure white, ethereal clouds, a breathtakingly beautiful sight, like a fairyland.

But the Tianshui Palace in Xuan Chengzi’s heart was already a ruin.

He was too old to walk, with each step, a dull ache shot through his weary heart. The disciples following behind him tried to support him, but he brushed them all away. Even if he were to die today, he would crawl through the mountain gate and die before his ancestors.

Fortunately, his health hadn’t deteriorated to that extent, and he finally arrived at the Hall of Heroes after more than an hour.

“Bring in Xuan Yangzi’s spirit tablet.” He said breathlessly.

Taoist Zhi Fei hurriedly went to bring the spirit tablet.

The disciples standing around the room all spoke up to stop them, “Shizu, Xuan Yangzi is a sinner who killed the dragon vein. How can you allow his spirit tablet to enter the Hall of Heroes?”

“What nonsense are you spouting! Xuan Yangzi Shishuzu is absolutely not a sinner!” Before Xuan Chengzi could even speak, Chang Sheng roared angrily.

Suppressing his rising anger, he recounted that distant past with brutal honesty. Though his narrative was heavily laced with scathing attacks on the entire Tianshui Sect, Xuan Chengzi unexpectedly remained silent and did not utter a single word to stop him.

“Things are just as your ShiXiong described. So, do you still think that Xuan Yangzi’s spirit tablet is not worthy of being placed in the Hall of Heroes?” Xuan Chengzi said in a deep voice after Chang Sheng finished speaking.

Everyone fell silent, their faces filled with shame and remorse. Then, they felt a deep sense of relief, thankful they hadn’t gone down the mountain with their master this time, otherwise, wouldn’t they have been utterly humiliated?

Standing in that situation as a disciple of the Tianshui Sect must have been more painful than being skinned alive.

Does the Tianshui Sect have any future? Its lineage has been severed, what’s the point of cultivating the Tao?

Everyone’s thoughts began to waver. Xuan Chengzi sensed it, but didn’t pay much attention. He simply took Xuan Yangzi’s spirit tablet, placed it properly on the altar, burned three sticks of incense, kowtowed three times, and slowly said, “From now on, I will no longer be the head of the Tianshui Sect.”

Taoist Zhi Fei’s eyes widened in surprise.

Chang Sheng and the others calmly accepted this reality. Compared to their Xuan Yangzi Shishuzu or Fan Jialuo Shishu, Xuan Chengzi truly did not deserve to stand here.

Xuan Chengzi seemed to know what they were thinking and nodded, saying, “That’s right, I’m not worthy. Looking back on my life, every decision I’ve made has been wrong. Forcing Fan Jialuo to use the Double Fish Jade Pendant to revive Xuan Yangzi was wrong, attempting to replace the true successor and appoint Song Enci as Holy Child was wrong, taking the Double Fish Jade Pendant from Fan Jialuo and giving it to Song Enci was wrong, spoiling Song Enci without any principles was wrong, passing on all the forbidden techniques of the Tianshui Sect to Song Enci without reservation was wrong, isolating the Tianshui Sect from the secular world was wrong, looking down on ordinary people was wrong.”

“And then there are my two absolute biggest mistakes. First, I blamed Fan Jialuo for something he didn’t do, leaving him to die an unjust death far from home. Second, I was arrogant enough to try and become a god. I haven’t made a single right choice my whole life. Because of me, the Tianshui Sect was dragged into the dirt and ruined.”

Xuan Chengzi slowly sat down on the futon, waving his hand wearily, “You may all leave. From now on, there will be no more Tianshui Sect in the world.”

“Shifu!” Taoist Zhi Fei cried out in alarm, then realized that the Tianshui Sect was no longer what it used to be. A cult had no place in the secular world, its reputation within the metaphysics society was utterly ruined, and it had made so many enemies. If he didn’t disband the disciples, was he going to drag them all down with him?

“Go, everyone disperse. If you truly want to study Taoist arts, then it doesn’t matter where you cultivate. If you just want to learn some skills and then make a living in the secular world, using the Tianshui Sect’s name will only tarnish your reputation. You might as well become independent cultivators.”

Xuan Chengzi said calmly, “All of you, just leave. I am tired.”

The crowd was already restless, and upon hearing this, they gradually began to leave.

Chang Sheng and Chang Zhen knelt down silently, kowtowed three times, and then strode away.

Lin Nian’en said with tears in his eyes, “Shifu, Shizu, I don’t know where to go.” He was an orphan who grew up in the Taoist temple and had long regarded it as his home.

Xuan Chengzi looked at him with affection, and then turned to Taoist Zhi Fei and said, “Go out and establish your own sect, at least leave a branch for my Tianshui Sect. But you must remember, when you recruit disciples in the future, you must carefully observe their character, and do not teach another Song Enci. You must never repeat my mistake.”

Taoist Zhi Fei knelt down, tears streaming down his face, “Shifu, I will definitely carry on the Tianshui Sect’s teaching. I will save all living souls, protect the common people, keep order in Taoist sects, aid the nation’s destiny, promote the righteousness of heaven and earth, and uphold the Great Tao. I will never forget the words on that stone stele. Over the years, I have also made many mistakes. I bear some responsibility for the Tianshui Sect’s decline to this state. It was my failure to properly teach my disciples, which led to the disgrace of the sect. It was my arrogance and disdain for ordinary people that corrupted everyone’s character. My mistakes are no less than yours.”

“Shifu, I will spend the rest of my life correcting these mistakes.” Taoist Zhi Fei kowtowed three times, someone of such an old age, now crying so hard that tears and mucus blurred his face, looking just like an orphaned, miserable child.

From now on, he has no home.

Xuan Chengzi closed his tear-filled eyes and choked out, “It’s good that you know you’re wrong. Go and leave something positive for our Tianshui Sect. The ancestors in heaven are watching you. If you do well, they will bless you. Don’t be like me, where one wrong step leads to another.”

“I understand, Shifu. I will be a good person.” Taoist Zhi Fei kowtowed until his head bled before reluctantly leaving.

Xuan Chengzi then looked at Lin Nian’en and said, “Since you have nowhere to go, then stay here.”

“Thank you, Shizu.” Lin Nian’en’s anxious heart finally settled down.

“You can leave anytime you want.” Xuan Chengzi lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then said, “Your name is not good, I will change it for you.”

Nian’en and Nianci, united, their names speak of longing for Enci. But for a person of that nature…… What is there left to long for?

Xuan Chengzi wet his finger and wrote on the ground, “From this day forth, your name shall be Lin Zheng——the Zheng that stands for the absolute righteousness of the universe.”

“Thank you, Shizu.” Lin Zheng immediately knelt down and kowtowed. Having learned about what happened back then, he actually disliked his own name quite a bit, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“You may leave now. I wish to stay with our ancestors a little longer.” Xuan Chengzi said, dismissing him.

Lin Zheng immediately took his leave.

The hall fell silent instantly, save for the crackling of the burning candles, which sounded like someone sighing softly. Xuan Chengzi listened intently for a moment, his eyes gradually reddening, before he forced his aging body to walk to the back hall, retrieved a box from a hidden compartment, and opened it with trembling hands.

Inside were several scrolls of array diagrams, the paper of which had long since yellowed, but the annotations made with cinnabar ink were still as bright as new.

Xuan Chengzi stroked the words, and tears finally fell silently.

These array diagrams belonged to Xuan Yangzi, and the annotations on them also came from him. When he destroyed the Heaven-Sacrifice Array, he forgot to destroy the scrolls he had consulted, and he also forgot that there were annotations left on them.

As the top cultivator, Xuan Chengzi’s comprehension was undoubtedly exceptional. With just a few strokes, he had deciphered the Heaven Sacrifice Array and even made some improvements. After Song Enci’s ‘death’, he was once trapped in despair from which he could not extricate himself, and thus inner demons arose, causing his mind to become chaotic.

Back then, Xuan Yangzi only thought about it and never took action, but Xuan Chengzi secretly went to City B, broke down the sacrificial array into smaller arrays, drew them on the forty-nine stone lions, and placed them at the corresponding array eyes.

By activating just one of the array’s cores, he could sacrifice the lives of eight million people in City B to become a god. After becoming a god, he would retrieve Song Enci’s soul from the underworld and reassemble a physical body for her.

The future that Fan Jialuo foresaw was the horrific scene after the Heaven Sacrifice Array was activated. The blood of eight million people would be enough to form a crimson ocean, meandering through the desolate city, with countless wronged souls floating on the surging blood-red waves, uttering cries of resentment.

At that moment, heaven and earth grieved together, the sun and moon changed color, and the human world became a hell……

If Fan Jialuo hadn’t appeared, hadn’t exposed the truth, and hadn’t dealt Xuan Chengzi a heavy blow, that future would have been almost certain.

Now, holding these incredible scrolls, he walked step by step to the outer hall, burned them to ashes, and finally knelt before the ancestral tablets for a long time to repent.

After kneeling on the mountain for three days and nights, he struck his own head with a palm thunder and committed suicide on the spot.

Three days later, Lin Zheng discovered his body and immediately broke down in tears.

The Tianshui Sect, which had been prominent for thousands of years, finally collapsed and ceased to exist.

Lin Nianci fled to Xiaotang Town overnight, borrowed a passerby’s phone to make a call, and was picked up by a low-key luxury car in less than half an hour. Given attentive care throughout the journey, she was whisked away to be placed in safe hiding within the neighboring province’s capital.

“Holy Maiden, you are seriously injured. Shall we take you to the hospital first?” A man in black who was guarding her along the way said respectfully.

“I need spiritual luck.” Lin Nianci said, then clutched her chest, feeling a sudden pang of fear. In that brief moment, something terrible seemed to have happened.

“We’ve replaced all the exhibits in the museum that we could. Items with good fortune are hard to find on the market now.” The man in black said in a low voice, “However, we’ve discovered a pleasant surprise that you’ll surely be satisfied with.”

“What pleasant surprise?” Lin Nianci coughed up a mouthful of blood, unable to think about the ominous premonition she had just had.

The man in black stared at her blood-stained lips, his eyes flashing.

“You’ll see when you get there.” He took out a handkerchief and said gently, “Please wipe your mouth first.”

Lin Nianci hastily wiped the blood from her face, then leaned back in her chair and fell asleep. These men in black were all her followers, and they were extremely loyal to her.

In the more than one hundred years since she left the Tianshui Sect, she has secretly founded a sect called the Holy Maiden Sect. She had long discovered that her blessings could grant ordinary people magical powers, so she used this method to win over a large number of followers.

She bestows more strength upon the loyal and devoted, while draining the life force from those with ulterior motives, thus making an example of them and eventually raising a pack of incredibly obedient dogs.

With the dog by her side, she could certainly fall into a deep sleep without worry.

However, this time, she miscalculated.

After she fell asleep, the man in black wrapped the handkerchief stained with her blood in a plastic bag and silently handed it to his assistant in the front seat. The assistant got out of the car midway and took the handkerchief to the laboratory.

Lin Nianci was taken to a villa in a remote mountain area, where she met a man carving a huge piece of jade rock.

The man in black pointed to the man’s busy back and said softly, “His name is Yi Jiangnan. He can carve artworks imbued with spiritual aura. With him, you will no longer have to worry about a lack of spiritual qi.”

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