Chapter 93 It’s not your fault
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Pei Jing spent seven days underwater with the Goddess of Yingzhou. Maybe she guided him personally because he made rapid progress. At first, he was in terrible pain, but then he got used to it. Gradually, his awareness expanded, and he could sense the surrounding lotus flowers one by one.
Finally, he closed his eyes, endured the excruciating pain tearing his soul apart, and gently tapped a dark spot in the air.
With a buzzing sound, a lotus flower appeared at his fingertips.
The spirit of the Jade Lotus bound in the mortal world.
The Goddeds of Yingzhou sat on the flower bud and smiled faintly. “Yuzhi, you did it.”
Pei Jing opened his eyes, the sweat on his forehead blending into the water. He felt as if his entire spiritual power had been cleansed, washing away impurities and dust, becoming pure and ancient like in the olden times. Even the small Nascent Soul in his dantian gained an extra radiance. He remained silent for a long time, staring blankly at his hands. It wasn’t so much about understanding the ancient origins as it was about touching the rules. He was tired now and couldn’t find the words to speak, but the perplexity in his eyes remained. He raised his head and spoke softly, “Senior…”
The silver lotus at the Goddess of Yingzhou’s eye corner looked like a teardrop. When she heard his raspy voice, she already knew what he wanted to ask.
Her gentle and pure hand brushed away his tiredness. Her deep blue and green eyes held a complex look as she said, “You’ve progressed much faster than I thought. Maybe it’s because of the demonic aura you had in the past.”
Pei Jing froze, “Demonic aura?”
The Goddess of Yingzhou explained, “You were born with the burden of cultivating the demonic aura. It made your journey much harder than others, but your talent was exceptional, so you didn’t notice it. The biggest obstacle on your path was the demonic aura, rooted in your blood and fused with your soul. Even I couldn’t dare to remove it recklessly. However… your luck is also better than I expected. Did you break through the Nascent Soul stage without facing the Heavenly Tribulation?”
Pei Jing looked down, his fingers involuntarily clenched, and he responded with a sound, “Hmm.”
The Goddess of Yingzhou nodded with understanding, her gaze flickered, and she smiled, “Truly deserving of being the master of the Execution Sword. The Heavenly Dao targeted you since the day you were born.”
Pei Jing was confused and shocked as he asked, “So, the demonic aura inside me is…”
The Goddess of Yingzhou nodded, “It’s an extremely pure demonic bloodline. Only the Heavenly Dao possesses such power.” However, she also had doubts, “But why did the Heavenly Dao guard against you from the beginning?”
Pei Jing felt a shiver. He had only learned about the existence of the Heavenly Dao’s consciousness yesterday, and today he discovered that the Heavenly Dao had been wary of him since his birth. Yet, at the same time, he couldn’t shake off a peculiar feeling in his heart.
Pei Jing inquired, “Senior, were there immensely powerful beings during ancient times who never emerged?”
The Goddess of Yingzhou furrowed her brows and said, “Gods, Mythic Race, Human Race. Thousands of years ago, during the war of the gods, it affected the Heavenly Ladder and involved the entire world. It’s impossible for someone to have remained hidden at that time.”
Pei Jing felt a bit bewildered. He had been contemplating Chu Junyu’s identity. Initially, he thought Chu Junyu was a reclusive Nascent Soul cultivator within Tianyan City. However, on the day at Xuanyun Peak, Chu Junyu had obliterated the ancient Queen Mother of the West, completely shattering his understanding. And now, the Goddess of Yingzhou stated that the demonic bloodline rooted within him couldn’t be removed, not even by her.
Pei Jing felt a hint of restlessness in his heart but managed to suppress it.
Chu Junyu’s power was far from what this era should possess.
It surpassed the scope of the Five Elements and didn’t belong to this world.
Now, with the Goddess of Yingzhou claiming that Chu Junyu wasn’t an ancient powerhouse, the question remained: Who was he?
The Goddess of Yingzhou, seeing his expression, somewhat guessed, “The person who helped you break through the Nascent Soul stage, is it the lover you traveled a great distance to find?”
She was astute in her thinking, and her eyes gazed at him with a gentle and compassionate shimmer.
Pei Jing instinctively gripped the Execution Sword, remaining silent.
The Goddess of Yingzhou pursed her lips and said, “What I learned from you about Tianyan City is a city of great evil. If he is from Tianyan City and possesses such terrifying power…” She paused, and Pei Jing already understood what she meant.
The young man furrowed his brows and said, “Senior, I understand your concerns. But I believe in him.”
The Goddess of Yingzhou looked into his resolute eyes, momentarily taken aback, and smiled faintly. He truly was a young man, his love and hate vividly expressed, burning like the scorching sun.
She rarely teased and said, “So, is your trust in him important? You should know that in this world, much trust ends up being a sword stabbed into oneself.”
Pei Jing: “……”
The moment he laid eyes on Chu Junyu, he felt a sense of wariness that surpassed anyone else’s, to the extent that his reputation for being sharp-tongued and oppressive spread throughout Yunxiao.
But now, he was more willing to trust Chu Junyu than anyone else.
Chu Junyu wasn’t an evil person. Although he killed without hesitation, was heartless and indifferent, he wasn’t bloodthirsty or insane.
His beloved harbored deep-seated hatred in her heart, but he never vented it on innocent people.
If it were Yu Qinglian, Pei Jing would confidently conclude the matter and leave. However, now he was facing the Goddess of Yingzhou, who could be considered a mentor of sorts. Pei Jing thought for a moment and earnestly said, “Actually, I don’t know his opinion of me yet, whether I’m important or not. What I say doesn’t hold much weight. He once lived incognito in Yunxiao and stayed with me in the Outer Peaks for a year. Initially, my intention was to correct his values since the aura of killing weighed heavily on him. But…”
As he spoke, Pei Jing couldn’t help but laugh, his eyes filled with deep nostalgia.
In the end, neither of them convinced the other.
The concept of “foolishness” that Chu Junyu spoke of was now somewhat vague to him. After all, he had mentioned “laughable kindness and foolish courage” more than once.
The Maple Forest stained with blood, Chu Junyu once coldly advised him, “Put away unnecessary righteousness, or else you won’t even know how you died.” But at that time, they had just met, and how could he accept it in his heart? He felt both angry and amused, so he decided to retort.
However, even until now, Pei Jing had no regrets.
“I don’t know what he has been through, but he explicitly told me once that he can’t let go. And he said that in this world, I’m the only one who can’t persuade him to let go. I tried to understand him, but now I can’t even see him. The person I like seems to have isolated everyone from his world.”
The Goddess of Yingzhou said softly, “No, perhaps you have already stepped into his world. You are still special to him, otherwise, he wouldn’t do so much for you.”
Pei Jing was somewhat puzzled. “Is it the kind of special that comes from being in love? But he told me he has no liking for me.” That bastard said he doesn’t like me.
The Goddess of Yingzhou’s gaze was gentle, her smile faint, as if it had been immersed in the moonlight of the mortal world for countless centuries.
“Not liking, perhaps it surpasses liking.”
Pei Jing suddenly raised his head, his pupils shrinking to a pinpoint.
He opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words to say.
The Goddess of Yingzhou looked at him, who looked like a confused and distressed child. She tilted her head and said with a smile, “This is your matter, and even though I am your Elder, I won’t interfere. But Yuzhi, I want to remind you that you are not just an individual. Your loves and hates should not be so simple. You are the Yunxiao Sect Master, and you are the Master of the Execution Sword.”
Yunxiao Sect Master.
Master of the Execution Sword.
Her words were gentle, but each word struck Pei Jing with force.
“You were born with the love and adoration of the world. Your honor is inherent in you. But these are also responsibilities.”
Pei Jing tightened his grip, feeling a chill emanating from the blade of the Cloud Slayer Sword.
The Goddess of Yingzhou said, “So, do not disappoint Yunxiao, and do not disappoint the world.”
Pei Jing remained silent for a long time, unable to give her the answer she desired. Perhaps what the Goddess of Yingzhou hoped for was for him to say that if one day he stood in opposition to Chu Junyu, he would ruthlessly draw his sword without hesitation.
But he couldn’t say it.
Purple light flowed over the sword blade.
Deep beneath the surface of a tranquil lake, he recalled the calm voice of the youth.
“Senior, I once kneeled on the Yunxiao’s suspension bridge for three days and three nights. I encountered the soul of the Sword Sovereign. He asked me to carve seven words on the welcoming green stone with a sword.”
Pei Jing spoke slowly, “With unwavering dignity, verified by the sword.”
The faint smile at the corner of the Goddess of Yingzhou’s lips faded, and her gaze became more complex and sorrowful.
Pei Jing said, “I will not fall in love with a villain, so there will never come a day when I draw my sword against him. Justice is a very elusive thing, and even in your words, it seems that the heavens have lost their virtue. What is the responsibility of being the Yunxiao Sect Master? What should the Master of the Execution Sword do? There is no definitive answer, but somehow they have chosen me, trusting me. So, perhaps I should trust myself as well. As long as I am without regrets, true to my own heart.”
Therefore, they should not dictate my actions. In that case, the act of recognizing the Master of the Execution Sword becomes meaningless.
The Goddess of Yingzhou remained silent for a long time, sighing deeply.
Pei Jing vaguely recalled some things.
He had risked his life to save Ji Wuyou twice.
Once in Zhonglian Village and once on Xuanyun Peak.
On Xuanyun Peak, Chu Junyu had intended to kill Ji Wuyou, and it was Pei Jing who stopped him. Because Ji Wuyou could not die, for if he did, the whole world would be buried with him. Pei Jing still didn’t know where Chu Junyu’s hatred for Ji Wuyou came from, and even though Ji Wuyou was supposed to be the protagonist, he hadn’t done anything yet.
But this was a thorn that remained.
So he left Ji Wuyou on Tianqian Peak, both as a means of protection and a form of imprisonment.
After closing himself off, he headed straight to the Institute of Celestial Ascension without even meeting this direct disciple.
Pei Jing said, “I have taken the Son of the Celestial Demon as my disciple.”
Finally, a hint of shock appeared on the Goddess of Yingzhou’s face.
Pei Jing laughed and said, “Whether human nature is good or evil, I am not sure. But rather than resorting to killing, I prefer to let him remain innocent and ignorant like a child. I have shown him enough kindness, and though there may have been some minor setbacks, I believe they are not enough to make him turn evil. Even if one day he awakens and causes irreparable harm, it was a hidden danger that already existed. After all, everything became irreversible from the moment he arrived at Yunxiao.”
After finishing his words, he paused and raised his gaze in this profound underwater world.
The bright ripples in the eyes of the young man shimmered like countless floating lanterns. Clad in white, ethereal and graceful, he spoke word by word, “I believe that I am not wrong. Moreover, now I have fulfilled my benevolence and righteousness.” Then, it all depended on Ji Wuyou’s fate.
After saying these words, he suddenly froze.
In a daze, he recalled the Chamber of Inner Demons in Changtian Realm.
In that illusion, there were swirling snowflakes, silent green stone, and the young Yunxiao Sect Master who aged overnight.
Was that the thing he feared the most?
With the Sect scattered and loved ones lost, the mere thought of it brought forth waves of despair and sorrow.
Was his crying in front of the green stone due to self-blame and helplessness? Was he blaming himself for inviting the wolf into the house?
Pei Jing couldn’t help but feel a surge of sadness. If only he could step across the snow-covered suspension bridge and kneel before the green stone. He would wipe away the tears for that person and tell him, “It’s not your fault. There’s no need to be sad.”
Since the day Ji Wuyou arrived at Yunxiao, once he succumbs to demonic influence, nothing can be avoided. The fault is not yours, there’s no need for self-blame.
The silver lotus under the Goddess of Yingzhou gradually closed its petals. The silver bells in her palm transformed into a gentle radiance.
With eyes of green and blue, carrying an ancient sorrow and the compassion of an Elder, she smiled faintly, a mix of emptiness and sadness. She spoke softly, “Yuzhi, perhaps you are right. Some things are not understood better with age.”
Her figure gradually faded, and the silver patterns of lotus petals at the corners of her eyes shimmered with delicate light. “What I can teach you, I have already taught. However, it is only the most basic foundation. Whether it is Primordial or Wuhen, you need to comprehend them on your own. I am sealed in this underwater realm and cannot leave. After these few nights, my energy will be depleted, and I will likely enter a deep slumber. Lead the insects of the soil to follow you, find my true body, and bring it back to Yingzhou,” she lowered her gaze, with a tinge of nostalgia. “It has been a long time since I returned home.”
Pei Jing paused for a moment, then nodded after a while. “Yes.”
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