Chapter 57: Du Xian Sect 15 Part 1

Deacon Xin nodded in satisfaction. “Kill the other one too.”

Lu Yun Ting bowed. “Reporting to Deacon Xin, this person is not a mortal. He cannot be killed.”

“Not a mortal?” Deacon Xin looked at Xun Ji in confusion. “Who are you?”

Xun Ji ignored him and walked straight up to Lu Yun Ting.

“Lu Yun Ting.” He called his name. “Why did you kill her?”

Lu Yun Ting met his gaze. “You truly knew my identity.”

“I’m asking you,” Xun Ji said word by word, “why did you kill Li Mianmian?”

His mask covered his face, and his tone was calm, but Lu Yun Ting inexplicably felt that he was angry. Very angry.

He answered, “An order from the sect. It cannot be disobeyed.”

“An order from the sect. It cannot be disobeyed.” Xun Ji murmured the words in repetition, suddenly finding it all extremely ridiculous.

He had been wrong.

The world had been wrong.

A breeze under clear skies and bright moon? A model of the immortal path? Lu Yun Ting was indeed extraordinarily talented, diligent and self-disciplined, meticulous in all things. He would stand up against injustice on the road, offer his all to fellow cultivators in need, and protect others with his life in danger.

But all of this had one prerequisite—sect interests.

He was a sword carefully honed by the Du Xian Sect, slaying those who obstructed the sect and guarding the sect’s eternal path.

In the Fan Tian Secret Realm, he had followed sect orders to take the Buddha Heart Stone and cut down the Du’e Flower, even knowing it would sever the chance for Fan Tian and Qingming to reunite. He had not hesitated. And this time was the same.

Xun Ji did not know how the Du Xian Sect had brainwashed him, but the notion was deeply rooted in Lu Yun Ting’s heart. It made him face a human life without a second thought—obeying orders without question, sword rising and falling.

In the original story, he had awakened after being cruelly treated by Jiyang Zhenren and rebelled against the Du Xian Sect. But in this life, he had not awakened. He remained a sharp sword in the Du Xian Sect’s grasp.

It was his mistake, Xun Ji thought. Lu Yun Ting was always obedient and compliant in front of him. When backlash did not flare, he was even more dependent on him in every way. This had made him careless, negligent.

Physical stimulation had indeed caused emotional fluctuations in Lu Yun Ting, advancing the Emotion Vein Unsealing Progress somewhat. But a sword had no heart. As long as Lu Yun Ting had not awakened, he remained without emotion one day, and his task could not truly be completed.

Xun Ji pointed up at the lofty Deacon Xin and asked Lu Yun Ting, “Do you see him?”

Lu Yun Ting did not understand but nodded. “I see him.”

Xun Ji nodded too. “Good. Lu Yun Ting, go kill him.”

Lu Yun Ting froze, seemingly failing to comprehend his meaning.

Deacon Xin laughed loudly from above, looking at Xun Ji like some rare curiosity. “Across the entire immortal world, no one dares openly say they want to kill a deacon of the Du Xian Sect’s Deacon Hall. You’ve piqued my interest.”

Lu Yun Ting’s brow furrowed slightly. “Deacon Xin, he lacks manners but means no offense. I’ll send him away now.”

As he spoke, he reached to pull Xun Ji’s hand, but Xun Ji flung it off.

“Lu Yun Ting, did you not hear my words?” Xun Ji looked at him calmly. “Or can you not kill him?”

Lu Yun Ting unconsciously showed a hint of anxiety. “Liu Xun, stop fooling around. Leave with me.”

“So this identity won’t move you.” Xun Ji nodded. “Aren’t you very obedient to sect orders?”

He reached up and removed the Silver Snake Mask. The plain white brocade robe stirred without wind, the water-red silk embroidery upon it flickering like fire in snow. The long hair draped over his shoulders shed its inky color, revealing its original moon-silver sheen. The face beneath the mask bore only faint resemblance to Liu Xun’s, but it was far more aloof and indifferent—like a handful of snow atop a high peak, cold and unapproachable.

His form was pale as frost, but his sword was crimson red.

The Chijun Sword answered his call, its blade like flowing fire as it swept over the array talismans beneath the zhe tree. Wherever the sword edge passed, flames consumed all, turning the array symbols to ash in the blink of an eye.

Lu Yun Ting felt everything before him turn utterly absurd, as if he had fallen into a dream. His lips moved soundlessly, calling the man before him: “Shizun…”

Xun Ji held the Chijun Sword, its tip pointed straight at Lu Yun Ting.

“When others tell you to kill, you say sect orders cannot be disobeyed. Now I tell you to kill, and you pretend not to hear.”

His gaze turned icy as he berated sharply, “Lu Yun Ting, who is truly your sect?!”

Deacon Xin tumbled from his flying sword, prostrating on the ground and trembling as he pleaded, “This disciple was blind and did not recognize Jiyang Elder here. I offended you and deserve death ten thousand times! Please, considering that this disciple also serves the Du Xian Sect, spare… urk!”

A silver-blue arc of light slashed across his neck, leaving a thin bloodline. Deacon Xin clutched his throat desperately, but he could not stop the gush of blood from the wound.

“Lu… Yun… Ting!” Deacon Xin’s eyes bulged in fury, his spiritual power surging wildly. “Do you think I’ll die as easily as a mortal?!”

He swiftly swallowed several pills to staunch the wound and charged at Lu Yun Ting with his sword. Lu Yun Ting’s face remained expressionless, but his strikes were exceptionally ruthless, as if harboring pent-up frustration with nowhere to vent.

Deacon Xin was at Late-Stage Golden Core, one minor realm above Lu Yun Ting’s damaged Mid-Stage Golden Core cultivation, but Xun Ji stood by without any intention of intervening.

This little bastard needed to suffer a bit. He had pretended to be so righteous before, fooling even him. The more Xun Ji thought about it, the angrier he got.

【Host, don’t be mad. This is a dark novel protagonist—even if he acts normal, he’s still a bit off.】 The System comforted.

That made sense. Why hadn’t he thought of it before?

【And the protagonist listens to you well. As soon as you revealed your Master identity, he obediently killed for you.】

Xun Ji: “…”

He had almost forgotten—in his anger, he had exposed his own disguise!

Well… A outwardly cold but inwardly warm Master, worried about his disciple’s unstable Dao heart, followed him into the mortal world as a friend, accompanying and caring for him meticulously in secret. That seemed… passable?

【Host got it backwards. The protagonist was the one caring for you meticulously.】

“So what? My disguise is blown anyway. Isn’t it natural for a disciple to care for his Master?” Xun Ji decided to slack off.