Chapter 17
Just as Heng Yu was about to explain Fan Changping’s situation, Liaowu suddenly spoke. “Liaonian was with you. Does he know about the murderer?”
Liaonian, surprised to be mentioned, quickly replied, “Yes, Senior Brother.”
“Then you explain.”
Heng Yu, happy to be spared the effort, leisurely sipped her tea.
Liaonian quickly explained everything that had happened.
After he finished, the city magistrate said, “I’ll immediately send someone to apprehend Fan Changping.”
In the magistrate’s residence, the magistrate was at the mid-stage of Core Formation, and the captain of the guards was at the early stage. The magistrate believed that together, they could easily defeat Fan Changping.
The abbot of Qingyun Temple pondered for a moment. “After being corrupted by demonic Qi, a cultivator’s strength will greatly increase. To avoid any accidents, this poor monk will accompany the magistrate.”
Liaowu said, “Then my junior brother, Lord Luo, and I will stay here and examine the old case files.”
“Master Liaowu, do you need me to assign some people to help?” the magistrate asked.
Liaowu shook his head. “The number of files isn’t large. There’s no need to trouble yourselves.”
They knew the year Fan Changping’s father had been convicted, so they only needed to search the files from that year. It wouldn’t take long.
Having made their arrangements, the two groups split up.
The magistrate’s residence was imposing. The case files were stored in a large building in the front courtyard, organized by year.
A servant opened the door and stepped aside to let them pass.
Heng Yu entered the building.
According to the elderly couple at the noodle stall, Fan Changping’s father’s case had happened fifteen years ago. It was currently the 617th year of the Longyuan calendar, so fifteen years ago would be…
Heng Yu looked around and walked directly to the far left corner. “The files from the 602nd and 603rd years of the Longyuan calendar are stored here.”
Liaowu followed her in and immediately began examining the files.
Heng Yu picked up a scroll, untied the string, and carefully read the contents.
The light in the room was dim, making it difficult to read.
She closed the scroll and looked at Liaowu, who was engrossed in reading, seemingly unaffected by the dim light. He closed each scroll and put it back in its place after confirming it wasn’t the one he was looking for.
“So inflexible,” Heng Yu muttered.
The only sound in the large room was the rustling of pages, but her soft voice still seemed abrupt in the quietness.
Liaowu’s movements paused slightly, as if he had heard her mutter.
Heng Yu took out a large sunstone from her storage ring.
The sunstone immediately illuminated the room.
This treasure was valuable, but its only use was as a light source. Only someone like You Yun, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, would casually give such a treasure to his direct disciple.
Heng Yu looked around, used her spiritual energy to suspend the sunstone in the air, and continued reading under the bright light.
After about half a quarter of an hour, Liaonian waved a scroll in his hand. “I found it.”
Heng Yu and Liaowu looked towards him.
“Just read it aloud,” Heng Yu said.
Perhaps due to his frequent chanting of scriptures, Liaonian’s voice was steady and clear.
As she listened, Heng Yu’s expression gradually turned serious.
Liaowu sighed softly and joined his hands together. “Amitabha. According to the file, there doesn’t seem to be any hidden details in the case. Now let’s see what that Benefactor Fan has to say.”
Heng Yu nodded. “Since we’ve found the file, let’s leave.”
The three of them left the building with the file and returned to the main hall to wait.
After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, hurried footsteps sounded from outside.
Soon, the city magistrate entered the hall, looking slightly disheveled. He was followed by the abbot in his kasaya, his right hand holding a golden rope.
This golden rope was a mid-grade artifact, binding Fan Changping tightly and restricting his movements completely.
Fan Changping’s handsome face was bruised, his Daoist robes were partially torn, and his topknot was slightly disheveled.
As he entered the hall, he looked around.
His gaze lingered on Heng Yu for a moment, and he was stunned, then a look of realization dawned on him.
He sneered coldly, his face filled with resentment. “No wonder I was caught. I revealed a weakness when I saw you.”
Just as he finished speaking, the city magistrate, seated in the main seat, sent a wave of spiritual energy towards Fan Changping’s knees.
The magistrate slammed his hand on the table angrily. “You’re already trapped in my magistrate’s residence. How dare you be so arrogant!”
Fan Changping, unable to dodge due to his restraints, was forced to kneel on the ground.
His knees hit the hard white jade floor with a loud thud, and he cried out in pain.
Fan Changping narrowed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain.
His expression turned indifferent. “You overestimate the authority of this magistrate’s residence. I even dared to kill the former magistrate. If you didn’t have help, do you think I would care about a mere mid-stage Core Formation cultivator like you!?”
The magistrate was about to attack Fan Changping again, but Heng Yu flicked her sleeve, deflecting the attack.
“Magistrate, please calm down. I’d like to ask Fan Changping a few questions first.” Heng Yu looked at the magistrate, and after calming him down, she turned to Fan Changping. “You dared to stay in the city so openly after killing Magistrate Zhao. You’re truly arrogant and reckless.”
Fan Changping scoffed. “I’ve already absorbed demonic Qi. My mind will be completely consumed soon. So what if I’m caught here?”
“I see.” Heng Yu raised an eyebrow.
She threw the scroll at Fan Changping. “Then let’s talk about what happened fifteen years ago.”
“Your father was a hunter. He went hunting in the mountains and found a richly dressed mother and son who had lost their servants while climbing. The mother was adorned with gold and silver, and the child had an extraordinary air, wearing a priceless jade pendant. In that remote wilderness, it was indeed a good place to kill and rob, so your father struck.”
“But he didn’t know that the child was fated with Buddhism. Master Kongji, who was traveling the world at the time, decided to take him as a disciple. That jade pendant was the token Master Kongji left for him. After learning about the murder, Master Kongji came to Hua City to investigate and used the aura he left on the jade pendant to find the murderer. The evidence was conclusive, and Magistrate Zhao apprehended your father according to the laws of the Longyuan Kingdom…”
Heng Yu narrowed her eyes slightly. “You were about eleven or twelve years old when your father committed the crime, old enough to understand things. After all these years, haven’t you figured out right from wrong?”
Fan Changping lowered his gaze and glanced at the scroll, staring at the words written on it.
But soon, he looked up again.
He looked at Heng Yu, a hint of defiance in his eyes. “What do you know! People like you, born into wealth, will never understand our suffering.”
“My family was poor. My mother was bedridden for years. Her illness could have been cured, but because we had no money, it dragged on for years, becoming more and more severe, until she couldn’t even walk without help. My father killed that man to save my mother, to improve our lives! Anyone can say he was wrong, but I can’t!”
“He died because of Magistrate Zhao and Kongji. As his son, I naturally have to avenge him! That’s why I’ve been working diligently all these years, not daring to slack off, just to reach Foundation Establishment and return to Hua City to kill Zhao Honghua!”
He was delusional, fanatical, and unable to distinguish right from wrong. He only saw things from his own perspective.
Such a person, even without being corrupted by demonic Qi, was already consumed by inner demons.
Heng Yu gently touched the sword at her waist. “Is there anything else you want to say?”
Fan Changping said, “The cultivation world is about survival of the fittest. I’m not as strong as Kongji, so I didn’t dare touch him; but I’m stronger than Zhao Honghua, so I killed him. There’s nothing wrong with this logic, right?”
“Your logic is correct. Cultivators aren’t bound by mortal laws. In that case, your case will be handled according to the ways of the cultivation world, using your logic.”
Heng Yu gripped the hilt of her sword and slowly drew it from its sheath.
She held the sword horizontally and stood up from her chair.
“The strong rule over the weak. Since you’re weaker than me, it seems you’re prepared to die.”
Looking at the gleaming blade, even someone as arrogant as Fan Changping couldn’t suppress the fear of death rising from within him.
“Lord Luo,” Liaowu suddenly stood up and blocked her path. “Don’t give in to anger and harm him.”
Fan Changping gritted his teeth. “Do you know who my master is? I have a soul talisman on me. If I die, he will know who killed me.”
Heng Yu, her path blocked, wasn’t in a hurry. She lowered her head and played with the sword hilt. “Who is your master?”
“Xiaoyaozi of the Void Alliance.”
“Xiaoyaozi is only at the early stage of Nascent Soul. What an arrogant Daoist name,” Heng Yu scoffed. “But do you know? I hate being threatened the most.”
She looked at Liaowu, who was blocking her path, her voice gentle yet firm. “Let me pass.”
“Amitabha,” Liaowu joined his hands together. “This person has become a demon. Lord Luo, there’s no need for you to be stained with blood for someone like him. It’s not worth it.”
Heng Yu looked at him seriously. “Your cultivation is higher than mine. If you insist on blocking me, I indeed can’t kill him.”
Liaowu was speechless. He was silent for a moment, then explained, “This poor monk doesn’t mean that.”
“Then what do you mean?” Heng Yu asked with a smile.
She stepped closer and even tugged on Liaowu’s sleeve. “Doesn’t the Undying Sect teach its disciples not to kill indiscriminately? This person has already become a demon. Shouldn’t he die? If I kill him today, I’m merely fulfilling his own logic.”
Liaowu wanted to step back and pull his sleeve free.
But as he retreated, she followed.
Helpless, Liaowu let her hold his sleeve and focused on answering her question. “This person deserves to die, but his logic is flawed.”
“So he should pay for his flawed logic.” Heng Yu paused, then asked, “Have you never killed anyone? Not even a demonic beast?”
“…Never.”
Heng Yu smiled. “Even the Vajra has a wrathful form. This isn’t good.”
She raised her sword. “Let’s compromise. I won’t kill him, but he’ll lose his cultivation. What do you think?”
Without waiting for Liaowu’s answer, Heng Yu released his sleeve, walked past him, and stood before Fan Changping.
Meeting Fan Changping’s fearful gaze, Heng Yu thrust her sword into his shoulder.
She used considerable force.
As the sword pierced his flesh, a surge of spiritual energy flowed into Fan Changping’s body.
The pain made him cry out, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
Heng Yu calmly twisted the sword, causing the sword Qi to explode within him.
As she pulled out the sword, blood splattered everywhere.
Drops of blood landed on the back of Liaowu’s right hand.
The blood was still slightly warm.
Amidst Fan Changping’s screams, Liaowu closed his eyes.
A moment later, as if remembering something, he opened his eyes and took out a clean handkerchief from his storage ring.
He walked towards Heng Yu and finally saw her clearly — as expected, she had been too close to Fan Changping. Blood splattered on her wrist, robes, and even her beautiful face.
Liaowu handed her the handkerchief.
Heng Yu took it and muttered, “I actually forgot to put up a protective barrier.”
Wiping her face haphazardly with the handkerchief only smeared the blood further, making her look even more disheveled.
Liaowu sighed softly.
He took out another handkerchief and used a water spell to dampen it.
Heng Yu reached out to take the handkerchief.
But Liaowu avoided her hand. “You can’t see. Let this poor monk do it.”
The damp handkerchief touched Heng Yu’s cheek, and she could feel the warmth of Liaowu’s fingers through the cloth.
The warmth was comforting, and Heng Yu loosened her grip on her sword.
She reflected inwardly: It was true that even the Vajra had a wrathful form, but she knew Liaowu had never killed before and had probably never witnessed such a bloody scene. Had she been too impulsive, injuring someone right in front of him?
After cleaning her face, Liaowu stepped back. “If Lord Luo feels it’s not enough, you can strike again, but remember to use a protective barrier this time.”
Heng Yu shook the blood off her sword.
She sheathed it. “That’s enough.”
What was Fan Changping to her?
She disliked him, so she injured him. That was all.
Compared to that, she didn’t want to make things difficult for this person.
In this unfamiliar world, he had treated her well.
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