He and It Chapter 177: Inquire Here (5)

Chapter 177: Inquire Here (5)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

Liu Fuguang smiled at him and said, “My surname is Liu, and judging by the young master’s skill, you must be a swordsman, right?”

“…Just call me Xue Li,” Xue Li’s voice remained dazed. “Indeed, the young master’s eyesight is excellent. Indeed, the Ninefold Palace is where swordsmanship is practiced.”

Although he didn’t let Liu Fuguang call him young master, he involuntarily followed Sun Yinian in addressing the other as such. Besides, he held a sword and used the sword. Anyone could guess that he was a swordsman, and what “excellent eyesight” was there to praise? It was evident he was completely befuddled.

Sun Yinian laughed inwardly even more, but outwardly maintained a calm demeanor, as he portrayed a steady and amiable appearance, and said, “Xiaotang, the smell here is unpleasant. Go talk to the young master inside the cloud carriage.”

With that permission granted, Meng Xiaotang was overjoyed and couldn’t contain herself. In three quick steps, she bounced to the cloud carriage and waved to Liu Fuguang. “Brother Fuguang, come quickly! I have a lot to talk to you about!”

Once the two walked away, Xue Li finally snapped out of his daze. Disregarding his surprise and the previous events, he grabbed Sun Yinian. He didn’t care about anything else.”That person…who is he?!”

“As I told you, he’s a guest of our Heavenly Yin and Yang Sect.” After he brushed off his hand, Sun Yinian gave him a shallow smile, “Just a guest of the Heavenly Yin and Yang Sect.”

Xue Li gradually calmed down, and said, “You know he has no cultivation base.”

“Yes, I know,” Sun Yinian replied. “But sometimes, a person with no cultivation base is more precious than many who have a cultivation base.”

After a moment of silence, Xue Li suddenly asked, “Is he a monster or some ancient species?”

A monster? No. However, he is, indeed, an ancient human. Sun Yinian didn’t want to reveal too much and instead said, “Why bother about it? Are you done with your own affairs?”

Xue Li said, “Time waits for no one. If you trust me, find a safe place to leave him, then go with me.”

Sun Yinian felt troubled. His foundation establishment had reached perfection, but he still couldn’t find the way to core formation. He was also worried about his own affairs. He should explore more opportunities. However, his junior sister was impulsive. Although the young master could control her, he had no ability to protect himself. It would be inappropriate to leave the two of them alone.

While he was considering the situation, Meng Xiaotang bounced out of the cloud carriage again and ran to him, as she said, “Senior brother, Brother Fuguang said you can go wherever you want. Don’t mind him. He hasn’t come out for a long time. If he could see more places, that would be great!”

Sun Yinian relaxed his brows. Once he heard that, he made up his mind and ceased to hesitate.

“All right.” He turned to Xue Li. “You lead the way, and I’ll help you with this favor.”

Three sword lights rose from the ground, followed by a small cloud carriage, staying steadily below.

Meng Xiaotang sat in the carriage, and looked at Liu Fuguang with obvious curiosity. She quietly asked, “Brother Fuguang, you…” After hesitating for a while, she just couldn’t ask directly, so she vaguely said, “You…what happened to you? Who…hurt you like this?”

Her voice was so faint and light, but in front of cultivators who could even hear the sprouting of seeds, what did that matter? Therefore, the other three outside remained silent, and quietly listened for Liu Fuguang’s answer.

Liu Fuguang was mute for a moment, then smiled at her.

“In fact, there’s nothing much to say,” Meng Xiaotang asked him quietly, and he rested his chin in his hand and answered her in the same tone, like two children gossiping. “If I think about it, it should be…my…my former Dao companion who did it.”

Meng Xiaotang was stunned and her mouth dropped open. “Ah!”

A lover who was discordant in both face and heart, merely teamed up for interests, or the example of initially loving each other and later hating each other, she had seen a lot of them and heard even more…but that it had happened to Liu Fuguang made her incredulous.

Liu Fuguang slowly ceased to smile. He looked at the faded patterns on his cuff. The emotions in his eyes were hard to discern as he said softly, “I got together with them ¹ in haste. I was still very young at that time, and they were much older than me, with a fierce temperament and full of hostility. However, they didn’t act freely in front of people, always hiding their true self behind illusions.” His gaze gradually drifted to a distant place. “Our union was originally a compromise. They came from a bad background, despised and loathed by too many people, but also genuinely feared by them. As for me, I was loved and cherished by my parents and friends since childhood. Therefore, when I learned that I had to become their Dao companion, my family was a million times a million unwilling…”

At that point, both Sun Yinian and Meng Xiaotang couldn’t help but think of the vague inscription on that stone tablet. Meng Xiaotang cleared her throat, and felt extremely guilty and timid. She had accidentally opened Liu Fuguang’s tomb chamber, and also smashed the epitaph his father wrote for him. She tried to speak several times but couldn’t muster the courage to confess.

“…At that time, I didn’t think too much. Since it had been decreed, I accepted it. Moreover, I was curious about them from the beginning, always wondering what kind of person they actually were like to have been branded a demon by everyone in the world.” Liu Fuguang chuckled, as if he were seeing his younger and more innocent self from years ago. “The first meeting…the first meeting was naturally unpleasant. My family didn’t have as much power as theirs, so they felt that I looked down on them and began by bestowing them favors. I persuaded them with great effort and finally got them to smile…”

When he mentioned “true self,” it meant that the former Dao companion of his was not human, Sun Yinian thought, perhaps one of the demon races, despised and feared by everyone in the world. He didn’t know what terrifying appearance that true self had.

“Later, we experienced many things together. You know, people who share joys and sorrows together will always have many illusions. For example, they loved me, and in their eyes, I was a different person.” Liu Fuguang smiled slightly as the cloud carriage swayed in the wind. The tiny mole on his lip trembled like a teardrop about to fall; it shook on his skin. “As for what happened later…ah, I can’t really remember. After all, they destroyed my dantian and then devoured my true essence—because that matter was too profound, I can’t forget it for the rest of my life. With such unforgettable memories, everything else seems insignificant.”

Such a painful and flesh-cutting experience, spoken of in such an ethereal demeanor, seemed even more heartbreaking. Outside the carriage, there was silence. Meng Xiaotang stammered, “But, but…”

She kept trying to say something, but didn’t know what to say. When he saw her stunned expression, Liu Fuguang patted her head and whispered, “It’s all right. It’s all in the past. Now they’re dead, and I’m still alive, so let’s just leave it at that. I don’t need to see them again in this lifetime.”

Betrayed by his beloved, severely injured, sleeping in a coffin for thousands of years, waking up to find everything different from what he had seen before, how painful that must have been! The more Meng Xiaotang thought about it, the sadder she felt for Liu Fuguang. Somehow, her heart seemed to soften. In the past, when she encountered many tragic events, even cannibalism, she always maintained the cold-eyed stance of a cultivator. However, ever since she met Liu Fuguang, more and more heart-wrenching incidents seemed to touch her.

“Brother Fuguang, I–” She gathered her courage, and was about to confess to Liu Fuguang about breaking the stone tablet, when she heard Xue Li’s voice from outside.

“We’re here,” Xue Li said. “This is it.”

Liu Fuguang thought she was still trying to comfort him, and said with a smile, “I’m fine. Go and look. See what instructions your senior brother gives you.”

Meng Xiaotang gritted her teeth. Being interrupted once again, she found it difficult to speak. She could only stutter, “Then, then I’ll go down…”

When they arrived, Sun Yinian knew what she felt guilty about. He sighed deeply. “Just take care of the young master. He is an unfortunate person with a generous heart. He won’t blame you.”

Xue Li brought his junior brother over, and asked Zhen Yue to stand together with Meng Xiaotang.

“Sun Yinian and I have an important matter to attend to. Leaving you behind goes against the sect’s wishes, but taking you with us would be too dangerous due to your low cultivation base,” he said bluntly. “From here on, you will follow behind us. You can’t be too far away or too close. Maintain a safe distance. If there’s any danger, you must flee immediately, understand?” After a pause, he added, “That young master Liu has no self-defense ability. As long as nothing major happens, the two of you can join forces to protect him alone.”

The words spoken by Liu Fuguang earlier still weighed heavily on Zhen Yue’s heart. He lowered his head, silent and at a loss. Meng Xiaotang looked at Sun Yinian and saw him nod, so she also nodded in agreement.

And so, the formation of the group changed once again. Xue Li and Sun Yinian flew ahead on their swords, while the remaining three trailed behind them. They flew until the map led them into a desolate wilderness shrouded in yellow sand.

“Wait.” Sun Yinian released his spiritual sense and detected several black spots ahead. “Those aren’t ghost beasts.”

The two concealed their figures and suppressed their auras, then hid among the swirling sand clouds. Xue Li said calmly, “Demonic cultivators.”

“Demonic cultivators,” Sun Yinian said coldly. “Are you sure your map wasn’t wrong?”

“I have my own sources of information,” Xue Li said, dismissing his sword-light. “Since they are demon cultivators, they are also our concern. How about it, shall we take one each?”

After a brief discussion between the two proud members of prestigious sects, Sun Yinian took out some Burrowing Armor from his storage bag and handed one to Xue Li. Then, they both dug into the ground, and launched a fierce surprise attack. The demonic cultivators, who were only at the Qi refining stage, were quickly dealt with. Even the one at the foundation establishment stage couldn’t withstand the combined force of the two. He tried to use his magic treasure, but before he could unleash it fully, a sword-light pierced through his back and shattered his sea of qi, and turned him into a puddle of mushy flesh.

“Strange.” Sun Yinian pointed at the spiritual light of the corpses, as he held his breath and inspected them from a distance. “What were these demonic cultivators doing here? Were they trying to seek refuge with the demon beasts, or capture demon beasts for cultivation?”

Xue Li sifted through the demonic cultivators’ storage bags, pouring out the various pieces inside one by one for inspection. “Perhaps both, or maybe neither.”

Since the appearance of the Sun Carrying Ghost Dragon, the darkness of the worlds had become unbearable, and the poison had spread too far. Such harsh environments were very suitable for demonic cultivators to survive in, and the righteous path often found itself at a disadvantage in battling them. Fortunately, every few hundred years when the Ghost Dragon woke up, cultivators with pure cultivation methods could still resist them to some extent. However, demonic cultivators found it difficult to resist the allure of the evil of the Ghost Dragon. They often hurled themselves at death under the Dragon’s might, and suffered even more losses than ordinary people.

“Come and see. What’s this?” Xue Li said, as he flipped through the storage bag of the foundation establishment demonic cultivator. “Why does this look like a signpost?”

Sun Yinian went over and saw the signpost. It was dark and dull, but felt incredibly heavy in his hand. Being from a family of artifact craftsmen, he was very adept at identifying peculiar items. After a moment of contemplation he said, “Yin Wood.”

“Yin Wood? Isn’t that used for making coffins?” Xue Li asked. “How is this signpost supposed to   be used?”

“I think…” Sun Yinian started to speak, then suddenly exchanged a glance with Xue Li. The two of them put on their Burrowing Armor again and swiftly descended into the ground.

Another group of demonic cultivators arrived.

The leader was still at the foundation establishment stage, followed by seven or eight subordinates at the Qi refining stage. They had sensed the fluctuations of spiritual energy and demonic energy coming from the place, and hurried over to inspect it, only to find a ground covered with corpses and blood.

The leader was furious and cursed loudly, though his words were incomprehensible to the two underground.

“It’s demonic cultivators from outside the normal domain,” Xue Li said, unusually serious as he communicated with Sun Yinian. “This is troublesome.”

The major righteous sects occupied one realm, while the main base of the demonic cultivators was in a different realm. They had their own small world and developed their own language and heritage. Even with the knowledge of the Heavenly Yin and Yang Sect and the insights of the Ninefold Palace, it was difficult to decipher their intentions.

Why would demon cultivators from outside the demonic realm come here?

Sun Yinian had a gut feeling that they had gotten themselves into trouble this time. He said to Xue Li, “You take the left four, I’ll take the right four, then let’s attack the middle together. We must keep them here. Finish it quickly, and don’t let them escape!”

Xue Li nodded. Taking advantage of their unpreparedness, the two burst out of the ground. Sun Yinian wielded his sword, the Mountain Breaker, and struck heavily with his powerful sword-energy. Meanwhile, Xue Li’s sword, Autumn Three Feet, exhibited a chilling sword technique, as if an autumn rain had permeated everywhere. Together, they caught the demonic cultivators off guard and swiftly dispatched them.

When they saw the situation had turned against them, the leader hastily conjured a blood cloud as a defense and transformed into a red leech that dug into the ground. Sun Yinian thrust his sword into the earth which caused the sand to tremble like thunder, and instantly cleaved the tiny crawler in half. Xue Li formed hand-seals with one hand and released a burst of sword-heart fire, and reduced those remnants to nothing.

“Let’s go!” Sun Yinian said. “We’ve caused too much commotion. Judging from the situation, more demonic cultivators might be coming. Let’s go back for now and plan our next move.”

Xue Li picked up the leader’s storage bag, and the two of them conjured their sword-light then flew back in the direction of the cloud carriage.

Meng Xiaotang saw the two returning in a hurry, covered in blood and couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Brother?”

Sun Yinian remained silent, and gestured to her. Meng Xiaotang understood, turned the cloud carriage around, then followed them for hundreds of miles before they finally stopped.

“We encountered demonic cultivators.” Sun Yinian briefly explained the situation after they settled down. “They came prepared in large numbers. We don’t know what they’re up to. Xiaotang, to be safe, keep the jade slip from the sect with you. Take the young master back to the Heavenly Yin and Yang Sect and report to Master. Then bring reinforcements.”

As he spoke urgently Liu Fuguang came out of the carriage to join their discussion.

Meng Xiaotang anxiously said, “But it’s too dangerous for you to stay here alone!”

“Am I not a person?” Xue Li asked smoothly as he rummaged through the leader’s storage bag. “You should also go back and inform our Master. Tell him that I found a group of suspicious demonic cultivators outside and ask him to send someone. Don’t let the Heavenly Yin and Yang Sect take the lead.”

This “you” naturally referred to Zhen Yue. As they traveled, Zhen Yue sulked and refused to speak a word or even look in the direction of Liu Fuguang. Now that he realized the situation was urgent, he reluctantly agreed.

As they searched through the bag, Xue Li suddenly exclaimed, “Hmm.”

He pulled out another signpost from the leader’s storage bag, but unlike the previous one, this one began to emit a faint glow as soon as it was exposed to the air.

“We’re far enough from the incident site now and don’t have to be afraid of the demonic cultivators finding us,” Sun Yinian said as he took out the first signpost. He compared the two. “Why is this one different from the previous one?”

Unexpectedly, as soon as he took it out, the first signpost also began to glow. Liu Fuguang furrowed his brows in confusion, then suddenly remembered something. His face changed drastically as he hurriedly warned, “This is wrong, you should hurry and—”

Before he could finish saying “let go,” the surrounding air suddenly twisted, and the two signposts firmly attached themselves to Xue Li and Sun Yinian’s hands, as if magnetized. At that moment, letting go was no longer so easy.

In the blink of an eye, there was a loud bang, and five people plus the carriage disappeared from the spot, and left no trace.

In what felt like an infinitely long fall, Liu Fuguang couldn’t help but bitterly smile to himself. He should have remembered that those were not ordinary signposts but coordinates—a path to a tomb.

The cloud carriage cushioned most of his weight as they landed softly, but even so, the excruciating pain from his abdominal injury caused him to instantly break out in a cold sweat, while his lips turned white. He waited for a while before he heard the sounds of the other four landing one after another.

“Young Master!” Sun Yinian stabilized himself and hurried over to check on him. “Are you all right? How’s your body?”

“I’m fine,” Liu Fuguang forced a smile. “And you?”

“We’re strong and healthy, what could happen to us?” Sun Yinian carefully helped him sit up. “Did you mean to warn us earlier to let go quickly?”

Liu Fuguang nodded his head. “Unfortunately, I was too late.”

Presently, the four of them stood on a smooth, square-shaped giant stone, with no sky above and no ground below. Zhen Yue’s eyes widened in shock as he asked, “What…what place is this?”

Xue Li walked to the edge of the giant stone, and looked in all directions. No words could describe the grandeur and fantasy of the place: they saw massive, black, square stones that floated up and down, seemingly in defiance of gravity, with stars scattered throughout the air, while below them was a bottomless abyss. Farther up, there hung an exquisitely crafted golden tower, with a gigantic radiant pearl at its pinnacle, that shone as brightly as the sun, and illuminated everything around it with a sparkling dust that filled the air.

“This is a tomb,” Liu Fuguang said softly.

Meng Xiaotang couldn’t help but ask, “Whose tomb is it then?”

Liu Fuguang didn’t reply, but he had already come up with the answer in his mind. Mine, he thought, struggling to breathe. This should have been my tomb.