Chapter 121: If Love Be Long and True
Ye Zi Yin said, “Recite it for me.”
Shi Hao slowly recited, “…Tender love, like water flowing, sweet moments, like a dream glowing, as I linger on the bridge of magpies, homeward going; if love be long and true, why should we yearn for constant viewing?”
Ye Zi Yin’s eyes sparkled as she recited the entire poem, combining the first half he had shared earlier with the newly composed second half: “Fine clouds weave their magic, shooting stars carry longing, across the vast Milky Way, a secret crossing; when golden wind meets jade dew, all earthly joys pale in hue. Tender love, like water flowing, sweet moments, like a dream glowing, as I linger on the bridge of magpies, homeward going; if love be long and true, why should we yearn for constant viewing?”
She looked at Shi Hao, her eyes filled with admiration, “Such beautiful verses, their meaning profound and their imagery evocative, a true masterpiece. I didn’t know you were so talented, Brother Hao. Even if you didn’t pursue martial arts, dedicating yourself to poetry alone would earn you lasting fame.”
Shi Hao felt a twinge of guilt… he had plagiarized it.
He sighed, “With the barbarians still occupying our land, poetry alone cannot save our people. In these chaotic times, a true hero should abandon the pen for the sword, fighting to restore our homeland.”
Ye Zi Yin took his hand and smiled, “Such noble aspirations are admirable, but they don’t diminish your literary talent. You’re exceptionally gifted, skilled in both literature and martial arts. Perhaps you truly can change the world.”
Her gaze shifted, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
Shi Hao asked, “What are you thinking, Sister Zi Yin?”
Ye Zi Yin sighed softly, “Your poem reminded me of something from my past. Alas, time passes differently in the Primordial Grotto Heaven. I hadn’t realized three hundred years have passed in the outside world. It feels like a lifetime ago.”
She looked at Shi Hao, “Brother Hao, after you leave, could you inquire about a place for me?”
Shi Hao said, “Of course, Sister Zi Yin. Just tell me.”
Ye Zi Yin said, “It’s called the Heavenly Tassel Immortal Manor, located in Lingnan. It’s a rather secretive place, hidden away like a paradise. Just… keep an eye out for it. There’s no need to actively search for it.”
Shi Hao nodded, “I will.”
They left the grotto and rejoined Su Mei and the Emerald Beauty.
The Holy Jade Immortal and Su Mei each took one of his hands, their combined energies suppressing the chaotic Daoist and demonic forces within him, reminding him again that if he couldn’t advance to the sixth rank within three days of leaving, he should return using the Jade Clarity Stone.
Shi Hao hesitated, then asked, “If I enter a day or two before the full moon, using the Jade Clarity Stone, can’t I still stay for three days and then leave on the night of the full moon?”
Su Mei chuckled, “If it were that simple, why would we insist you only enter during the full moon? The Jade Clarity Stone absorbs the moon’s essence. Only during the full moon can it connect to this place. Time is distorted here. If you enter at other times, decades might pass before you even arrive… decades within the Primordial Grotto Heaven.
“If we were still here, we would be old women by then. So, using the stone at other times is a last resort, a gamble with the flow of time, purely a matter of luck.”
The Holy Jade Immortal said softly, “But if you truly can’t advance within three days, you’ll have no choice.”
Su Mei looked at the Emerald Beauty, “The Young Master is your master now. Obey him without question.”
The Emerald Beauty said, “Yes, Master!”
Su Mei turned to Shi Hao, “There’s one more thing I need you to do. Little Emerald has survived until now using the Jade Corpse Technique, but her essence is fading. She’s close to… disappearing…” She explained what she needed him to do.
Shi Hao said, “I understand.”
The Holy Jade Immortal and Su Mei each struck out with a palm, and a rift opened in the air above them.
Shi Hao, worried about Yuejiao and Xiaoyan, didn’t hesitate. He took the Emerald Beauty and leaped into the rift, returning to the mortal world.
The rift closed, and the Holy Jade Immortal and Su Mei exchanged glances before turning and leaving in opposite directions.
As Su Mei walked, she thought, He didn’t even recite a poem this time.
Shi Hao and the Emerald Beauty emerged from the Primordial Grotto Heaven.
They were back in the Demonic Lotus Palace, at the bottom of the chasm on Dragon Head Mountain.
The broken stone bridge spanned the chasm, the golden energy from above flowing downwards, transforming into crimson demonic fire under the influence of the ritual.
The flames, forming a giant lotus, its petals unfolding along the walls, rising upwards, created a bizarre and sinister temple.
“Young Master, I’ll stop the ritual,” the Emerald Beauty said, flying towards the altar.
Shi Hao landed beside Du Yuejiao and Xu Xiaoyan.
The two girls were writhing in the flames, the demonic fire, although not burning them physically, pouring into their bodies.
Although the Holy Jade Immortal and Su Mei had suppressed his aura before he left, protecting him temporarily, being here, surrounded by the swirling demonic flames and shadowy figures, still made his skin crawl.
He grabbed Du Yuejiao and Xu Xiaoyan and carried them to the other side of the cavern, away from the intense flames.
Tendrils of fire, like grasping hands, reached towards them.
A stone staircase, flanked by bizarre murals, led to a black throne at the far end of the cavern.
He placed the two girls by the throne. He tried using the Butterfly Flower Finger on both of them simultaneously, but they thrashed and twisted, as if trapped in nightmares, making it difficult for him to even touch them.
He had to remove their clothes first.
The ritual had stopped, the golden energy from above no longer flowing into the cavern.
But the demonic flames still flickered.
“Young Master,” the Emerald Beauty said, flying towards him.
Realizing he couldn’t help both girls at the same time, he had the Emerald Beauty attend to Yuejiao while he focused on Xu Xiaoyan, using the Butterfly Flower Finger as instructed by Su Mei.
“What… what are you doing…?” Xu Xiaoyan whispered, her eyes fluttering open, her body weakly resisting.
“Relax, I’m helping you,” Shi Hao whispered, “This is the Dao Body Demonic Seed ritual. You’re undergoing a demonic trial. If this continues, you’ll die.”
His fingers moved across her skin, a constant, gentle stimulation. She writhed in his arms, her moans a mixture of sobs and laughter.
During the demonic trial, driven by the ritual, her mind, shielded from all external distractions, entered a state of “absolute rationality.” And the demonic energy created illusions, presenting her with dilemmas, but these dilemmas were carefully crafted, subtly manipulating her thoughts.
Shi Hao, as a transmigrator, knew that claiming to be “objective” was already a subjective choice.
True objectivity didn’t exist. Even scientific “laws” had their limitations and were constantly being revised and refined, let alone moral and philosophical concepts.
Like a nation facing invasion, witnessing a surge of patriotic fervor, there were always those who claimed “objectivity,” discussing the invader’s “reasons” and “justifications,” while ignoring the suffering and injustice. Such “objectivity” was a betrayal, a choice in itself.
But for those with immature minds, constantly exposed to such “objective” reasoning, it was difficult to remain unaffected. And those with ulterior motives could use this to distort the truth, turning black into white.
The demonic trial worked in a similar way, isolating the mind while presenting biased “dilemmas,” gradually planting a demonic seed of “rationality” within the victim’s heart.
If Xiaoyan failed the trial, she would die. If she passed, her mind twisted and corrupted, she would become heartless and ruthless… But that wasn’t who she was.
The Xu Xiaoyan he knew was a lively, free-spirited, yet loyal and compassionate, thief. She couldn’t stand injustice. She cared about her friends, even worrying about disturbing them after three years of separation.
After discovering he was being followed by that creepy doll, although she could have left and escaped the danger, she had returned, annoyed but determined to help him.
That was the Xu Xiaoyan he knew, not some heartless demonic witch!
He couldn’t let her become that. So he used the Butterfly Flower Finger, overwhelming her senses, breaking through the illusions of the demonic trial, disrupting her “rationality” with pure sensation.
Xu Xiaoyan, a young woman who had never experienced such intense pleasure, was no match for this technique.
Soon, she clung to him, her cries a mixture of pleas and moans.
As she lost control, he began harmonizing her Daoist internal elixir and the demonic essence within her.
The demonic essence, fueled by the ritual, had been gradually devouring her Daoist foundation. With the trial interrupted, the process slowed, but the imbalance remained, threatening to shatter her cultivation.
Fortunately, Shi Hao had experience with dual cultivation, and the Emerald Beauty hadn’t infused her with too much demonic fire.
Although she had subjected all three of them to the Dao Body Demonic Seed ritual, her true intention had been to kill him. As for the two girls, she had hoped one of them would survive the trial and become her successor.
With Shi Hao’s help, the balance between Xu Xiaoyan’s Daoist and demonic energies was gradually restored. The demonic essence, unable to completely devour her internal elixir and occupy her lower dantian, was redirected to her middle dantian under the pressure of his true energy…
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