Chapter 29
What should I do…!
Lin Queli’s face was pale, but Qiansui did not suspect him. He just drew his sword and stood in front of Lin Queli, his sword tip pointing at the two siblings. “Little Junior Martial Uncle, you’ve been deceived by the Demon Clan!”
Lin Queli said in a fluster, “Th-that… the tree demon is more important!”
“Whether it’s the tree demon or the Demon Clan, we’ll kill them all together!”
“Exactly! Who knows what conspiracy the Demon Clan has? Maybe they deliberately lured us deep into this place to ambush us!”
Qiansui and a few young cultivators all drew their weapons. A’Lin and A’Yu also took a defensive stance, ready to counterattack. Just as the atmosphere was about to explode, they heard a rumble—! The mountain shook, and tree roots broke out of the ground.
Everyone was caught off guard. Some were knocked down by the tree roots, like Lin Queli, who was thrown into a daze. Others barely dodged, like A’Lin and A’Yu, who took the opportunity to escape.
A’Lin and A’Yu headed for the tree heart, so most of the tree roots went after them.
Qiansui and the others used spells to cut off the remaining tree roots that were entangling them.
“Chase!”
Lin Queli stomped his feet in frustration. He followed everyone and ran wildly forward. The strange green light before him grew stronger and stronger, and a white mist, which was demonic energy, appeared in broad daylight.
After passing through a patch of grass, they saw a huge “nest” made of tree roots not far away.
The tree roots were intertwined, forming a man-eating “ball.” Lin Queli saw about a dozen people wrapped inside.
The tree roots were devouring them…!
There were not only demons inside, but also ordinary people. It seemed that the tree roots in this area had a bountiful harvest!
And seeing the new group of people, the tree roots seemed to be even more excited. The nest let out a series of low growls, and tree roots of various thicknesses waved excitedly as they approached them.
“Bastard…!” Qiansui took a deep breath. “Just one tree heart, and so many people have been harmed… How many people has the tree demon harmed!”
A’Lin and A’Yu saw their clansmen suffering inside and couldn’t care less about anything else. They even ignored Qiansui and the others chasing them, their eyes red as they swung their weapons and stabbed at the tree demon.
Qiansui’s gaze sharpened. He came back to his senses and shouted at the people behind him, “Kill the tree demon!”
At this moment, both immortals and demons were heading for the tree demon.
The hard and tenacious tree roots gradually softened and broke after repeated heavy blows, but they still greedily wrapped around the prey in the nest.
The young cultivators all followed Qiansui’s lead, so Qiansui took the lead and leaped onto the top of the tree heart.
As Shouyang’s head disciple, his cultivation was naturally not low, but this tree demon was really difficult to deal with. Just as Qiansui was about to stab the vital point of the tree heart with his sword, he saw another thick tree root entangle his leg and was about to stab his waist.
“…!”
Thump—!
The next moment, he saw A’Yu, who had also jumped towards the tree heart, push Qiansui away. The tree root thus pierced into A’Yu’s abdomen, and blood gushed out.
Qiansui’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy?!”
A’Yu’s eyes were red. He panted and looked at Qiansui. “Save… them.”
—Both demons and monsters were evil things. Only the swords of the Righteous Path’s immortal sects could completely kill a monster.
And A’Yu had already been seriously injured before, and his spiritual energy was not comparable to Qiansui’s. If something happened to Qiansui, then his clansmen…
Qiansui didn’t have time to worry about anything else and immediately stabbed his sword into the vital point of the tree heart.
Rumble—
With another shake of the heavens and earth and the tree demon’s sharp wail, the nest finally loosened.
Lin Queli was below, constantly leading everyone to untie the tree demon’s restraints and rescue the people inside one by one. These young people couldn’t tell which was a demon and which was a human for a while, so they had to pull them all out first.
After the people inside came out, those who could still move supported the injured and fled in a hurry. A’Lin opened a formation to let her clansmen leave. Qiansui and the others were busy fighting the tree demon’s last breath and didn’t have time to pay attention.
Therefore, when Shouyang arrived, he saw that besides the injured A’Yu, the other demons… and even the ordinary people had been teleported away.
Shouyang frowned slightly. He waved his hand, and the tree demon was hit with a final blow. The tree roots completely withered and faded, and the nest also collapsed, leaving a pile of dead branches and wood on the ground.
The fog around them gradually dispersed. Shouyang looked at A’Yu.
A’Yu lay prostrate on the ground, covered in blood. Sensing the killing intent and the disparity in strength, he looked up at Shouyang with fierce eyes, but his whole body was trembling, like a cornered beast.
Shouyang shook his head. “Demon Clan, you can choose to end your own life, or This Lord will grant you death.”
“You hypocrites… you don’t need to… do it!” A’Yu panted, struggling to pull out a dagger from his waist. He looked up at Shouyang. “I can die… but I beg you… to let my clansmen go. We were just passing by, we didn’t… mean to harm anyone.”
Shouyang sighed. “Sorry, I can’t promise you that. The promise of the Demon Clan cannot be trusted.”
“You…!”
Just then, A’Lin, who had already left, turned back.
“Brother…!”
She rushed towards A’Yu and threw down a teleportation array.
A’Yu’s eyes widened. “What are you doing back here… go!”
Shouyang frowned and raised his hand.
Lin Queli finally couldn’t sit still anymore. He couldn’t care less for a moment and rushed up to hug Shouyang’s hand. “S-senior martial brother!”
The deflected spell landed beside the siblings, creating a small hole. The flying gravel and sand almost knocked the two siblings down.
Shouyang looked down at Lin Queli, but he didn’t rush to attack again, just called out, “Qiansui.”
Qiansui was right beside the two siblings. It would be easy for him to stop them.
“…!” Lin Queli’s eyes widened. He pleaded, “Senior martial brother, they look so pitiful. Let them go!”
And the called Qiansui subconsciously looked at Shouyang, then at A’Yu, who had just blocked the danger for him. He was stunned for a moment before he acted.
By the time he acted, the two siblings had already escaped.
Shouyang stared at Lin Queli and Qiansui.
The other young cultivators stood to the side, not daring to say a word.
The atmosphere was a little cold.
Qiansui took a deep breath and knelt down with a “thump.” “Master, this disciple made a mistake and is willing to accept punishment.”
Shouyang sighed.
“…Let’s talk about it when we get back.”
…
The Myriad Sword Sect had booked an entire inn. At this moment, there were no outsiders in the inn. Helan Xue sat in the main seat of the side hall, holding a teacup in his hand. After listening to Shouyang’s report, he looked at Lin Queli and Qiansui, who were kneeling before him.
Lin Queli lowered his head, his heart constantly wailing.
Sob, sob, sob, sob—
Saving people is a thrill for a moment, but a funeral pyre after you’re done.
He had originally said that the purpose of this trip was to curry favor with Helan Xue and please him. Now, not only had he messed things up, but he had also made Helan Xue even more unhappy.
Helan Xue must hate me even more now…
Lin Queli lowered his head in frustration.
Helan Xue scraped the rim of his cup and said lightly, “You have exterminated one of the tree hearts and should be rewarded. But you let the Demon Clan go and should also be punished.”
Lin Queli pursed his lips.
He looked at Qiansui, who was kneeling beside him.
Qiansui had probably always been a “model student,” rarely making mistakes and being punished. At this moment, his face was very pale.
Lin Queli felt a little bad. He looked at Helan Xue and said, “Shizun… this time it’s all my fault. It was me who didn’t judge people clearly, and it was me who suggested letting them go. It has nothing to do with Brother Qiansui.”
After all, he was the one who had wanted to help A’Lin and the others from the beginning.
Qiansui was stunned. “No, how can I shirk…”
Lin Queli closed his eyes as if he were going all out and interrupted Qiansui, shouting, “If you’re going to punish someone, punish me alone!”
Sob, sob, sob, sob…
It’s okay, it’s okay…
Qiansui has to work hard in this world for a long time, but I’m leaving soon. It’s okay to be punished…
Anyway, it’s not the first time!
Shouyang shook his head. “This is a serious matter. You were deceived by the Demon Clan. According to the rules, each of you will be caned five times. Junior martial brother, if you insist on taking all the blame, it will be ten times.”
Huh?! Caning?
This was not what he had imagined! And…
How-how many?!
Lin Queli’s eyes widened like copper bells.
He knelt on the side, trembling all over, his eyes red with fear.
That was too many!
The other young cultivators looked at me, I looked at you, all a little hesitant.
Then one of them stood up and said carefully, “Immortal Venerable… this junior is a disciple of the Radiant Church’s sect master. This junior was also present today. Those two demons really… didn’t look like bad people, so fellow Daoist Lin and fellow Daoist Qiansui made a mistake in judgment. It was an unintentional mistake.”
Another person also took a few steps forward and said, “This junior is a disciple of the Myriad Beast Sect’s sect master. This junior also saw that demon save fellow Daoist Qiansui…”
Shouyang shook his head. “You are too young.”
He and Helan Xue had been slaying demons and exterminating evil for thousands of years and had long seen countless tricks and cruelties of the Demon Clan. “They don’t look like bad people” was not a reason for them.
Helan Xue turned the prayer beads in his hand and looked at Lin Queli with no expression.
There had never been such a situation before. The Righteous Path would kill demons on sight. There was no precedent.
Now, his little disciple had caused such a big impact, making these young cultivators even speak up for the Demon Clan.
Helan Xue turned his prayer beads and said lightly, “Shouyang, you take your disciple back and punish him yourself.”
“Yes.”
Everyone tactfully dispersed. Many young cultivators looked at Lin Queli, who was still kneeling and trembling, with sympathy.
This meant that each would punish their own disciple. Then Young Master Lin was done for…
After the last person closed the door, the small side hall fell into silence.
Lin Queli knelt uneasily and secretly glanced at Helan Xue from the corner of his eye.
—Helan Xue was as expressionless as ever, and it was impossible to see what he was thinking.
Lin Queli lowered his head and said softly, “Shizun… can we not do the caning?”
He obediently took out the discipline ruler and offered it with both hands, saying pitifully, “Shizun, please be gentle with this disciple. This disciple is scared…”
Helan Xue closed his eyes, not looking at his very deceptive doe-like eyes. “Do you know where you went wrong?”
Lin Queli said in a small voice, “I let go of the demons who didn’t seem to have done anything bad.”
Admitting his mistake, but not completely.
“…”
Helan Xue did not take the discipline ruler, but just said, “Do you know why Shouyang was so late in coming to support you?”
“Hmm…?”
“At that time, This Venerable and Shouyang were in the nearby Yuncheng. This city was being looted and massacred by the Demon Clan. Do you know what the characteristics of the demons who massacred them were?”
Lin Queli swallowed hard. “This disciple does not know.”
Helan Xue said coldly, “They all used scimitars. Shouyang said that their spells were the same as the demons you let go.”
Lin Queli’s eyes widened.
Ah…?
Helan Xue: “Those people you let go, perhaps tomorrow, or the day after, will kill more innocent people.”
Lin Queli was speechless, and a chill ran through his body in an instant.
But A’Yu clearly said they were just passing by innocently. Why would their other clansmen…
A’Yu might have lied to the Righteous Path, but they had no need to lie to me, who was their clansman, right?
A moment later, Lin Queli struggled, “Perhaps they are from different factions? There are good and bad people in the Righteous Path, so maybe there are also good people in the Demon Clan…”
Helan Xue: “There are no good people in the Demon Clan.”
It’s over…
Lin Queli’s whole body was stiff. Did he do something wrong?
What should I do…
Lin Queli pinched the corner of his clothes, at a loss. For a moment, because he was too unfamiliar with this world, and anything he did could lead to consequences he didn’t know, he felt a sense of panic.
Lin Queli also seemed to have suddenly realized something. He looked up at Helan Xue. “Really… none? Not a single one?”
Helan Xue did not answer, just looked at Lin Queli with a cold face. Those emotionless golden eyes had already given the answer.
He just asked, “Now, do you know your mistake?”
Lin Queli lowered his head and said dejectedly, “This disciple knows his mistake…”
He lowered his eyes and waited for the “verdict,” his whole body trembling slightly, and his eyes had lost their usual light.
Helan Xue looked at the fragile little figure before him, put away his prayer beads, and stood up. “You will not be able to walk after the caning. We’ll talk about it when we return to the sect. You will kneel here and reflect.”
The next day, the Myriad Sword Sect would go to Yuncheng to hunt down the remnants of the Tiandi tribe, and then they would know their true colors.
Helan Xue flicked his sleeve and left, returning to his room.
Lin Queli stared blankly at the tightly shut door.
