Chapter 83: Blood Curse

The angry scolding finally subsided, but Fa Xiang paid no heed to the others, not even sparing a glance for the furious Lin Jingyu and his bloodthirsty Dragon-Slaying Sword. His eyes were fixed solely on Zhang Xiaofan, with both concern and sorrow in his gaze.

Only when the crowd had completely quieted down did Fa Xiang continue speaking slowly.

“The culprit is my Third Uncle, the Venerable Master Puzhi, one of the Four Great Monks.”

This statement caused another stir, and the crowd was once again left in complete shock.

Zhang Xiaofan’s body swayed, as if the sky itself had collapsed, and he felt like a pitiful and laughable figure…

The deep sorrow etched into his very soul seemed to turn into a malevolent spirit, gnawing viciously at his heart!

After the sorrow, what was left?

The Burning Stick began to glow faintly, with a pale azure light mixed with a tinge of gold, but all this could not hide the cold red bloodlight. A never-before-seen surge of ferocity seemed to emanate from within, as if all the bloodthirstiness accumulated over millennia in the Bloodthirsty Pearl and the Soul-Stealer surged into his chest!

In the chaos, Fa Xiang’s voice continued clearly: “Back then, Uncle Puzhi came to the Azure Ethereal Conclave and met with Patriarch Daoxuan, persuading him to practice the true teachings of both Buddhism and Daoism together, hoping it might unlock the secrets of immortality. However, Patriarch Daoxuan politely declined.”

Daoxuan nodded, “Indeed, that is true.”

Fa Xiang continued, “On that day, disappointed, Uncle Puzhi left the mountain and wandered to Grass Temple Village. Seeing it was late, he stayed overnight in the dilapidated temple. It was on that night…”

His voice paused, and the great hall fell silent, the only sound being Zhang Xiaofan’s increasingly labored breathing.

Fa Xiang composed himself, though his eyes remained fixed on Zhang Xiaofan, “That night, Uncle Puzhi suddenly discovered a black-clad person attempting to abduct young Lin Jingyu.”

Lin Jingyu was stunned, and all eyes turned to him. Fa Xiang went on, “Uncle Puzhi immediately intervened to save him, but the black-clad person had ill intentions. They appeared to be kidnapping, but their real target was to steal the Bloodthirsty Pearl, a heretical artifact, from Uncle Puzhi!”

The crowd buzzed with shock.

Fa Xiang continued, “The Bloodthirsty Pearl was found by Uncle Puzhi many years ago in the Western Great Swamp. To prevent it from causing harm, he used Buddhist true teachings to seal it and placed the Jadeite Prayer Beads, a treasure of the Immortalbane Nexus, to suppress it. No one knows how the black-clad person learned of this, but they first planted a venomous seven-tailed centipede on Lin, which bit Uncle Puzhi…”

Tian Yici was shocked, “A seven-tailed centipede, could it be Cangsong…”

Lin Jingyu’s face turned even paler.

Fa Xiang paused, then continued, “Despite being severely poisoned, Uncle Puzhi fought desperately with the black-clad person and was mortally wounded by the True Thunder Decree of the Azure Ethereal Vapors. However, he managed to counterattack with the Great Brahma Prajna, forcing the black-clad person to flee. During this intense battle, Zhang Xiaofan arrived at the temple.”

The faces of the Azure Ethereal Conclave members were dark and grim. Fa Xiang continued, “Knowing he was about to die, Uncle Puzhi, who had failed to achieve his lifelong wish, conceived an idea. He would impart the Great Brahma Prajna, the supreme Buddhist teaching, to a disciple, and then have this young boy learn the Azure Ethereal Vapors’ Daoist teachings. Thus, the long-separated Buddhist and Daoist teachings could be practiced by the same person, fulfilling his lifelong wish.”

Patriarch Daoxuan sneered, “Master Puzhi was indeed cunning, but why didn’t he choose Lin Jingyu, who had better aptitude, and instead picked Zhang Xiaofan?”

Fa Xiang explained, “Uncle Puzhi believed that Lin, with his exceptional talent, would be closely watched by the elders if he joined the Azure Ethereal Conclave, making it easy to see through the ruse. Therefore…”

The Azure Ethereal Conclave members looked at each other in astonishment, Tian Yici shaking his head, “Cunning, truly cunning…”

Fa Xiang continued, “Thus, Uncle Puzhi, truly fond of Zhang Xiaofan’s honest nature, privately passed down the Great Brahma Prajna to him. He also entrusted the Bloodthirsty Pearl to Zhang, instructing him to discard it in an unknown cliff. But… Zhang, out of sentiment, kept the pearl with him.”

The crowd finally understood the origins of the Bloodthirsty Pearl and the Great Brahma Prajna.

With a pained expression, Fa Xiang said, “If it had ended there, Uncle Puzhi’s actions would have been reckless. But unexpectedly, after his strength was nearly depleted, he thought that even if he imparted the Buddhist teachings to Zhang, he might not be able to join the Azure Ethereal Conclave. Driven by the dark power of the Bloodthirsty Pearl, Uncle Puzhi, in a moment of madness, decided to kill the entire village, ensuring that Zhang and Lin would be taken in out of pity for the orphans.”

“Ah!” Lin Jingyu, unable to bear it any longer, lunged at Fa Xiang with his sword, shouting, “Stop him, stop him now!”

Before he could finish, Tian Yici and others restrained him. Lin Jingyu, tears streaming down his face, struggled, shouting, “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you…”

The monks of the Immortalbane Nexus, led by Pu Hong and Pu Kong, bowed their heads in shame, chanting softly.

Patriarch Daoxuan, after a long silence, asked, “You mentioned that Puzhi was near death. How did you know this truth?”

Fa Xiang, after a pause, replied, “Uncle Puzhi had obtained a rare medicine called the Three-Day Death Pill. This pill would allow a severely injured person to draw upon all their potential and stay alive for three days, but they would die after that. Uncle Puzhi took this pill and returned to the Immortalbane Nexus, explaining everything to my master, Pu Hong. I was present and heard the whole story. After regaining his senses, he was filled with regret and died in penance.”

Fa Xiang gazed at Zhang Xiaofan, saying, “All these misdeeds are due to Uncle Puzhi’s fault. Zhang Xiaofan is innocent. Please do not blame him.”

Patriarch Daoxuan sighed, “I see. All these things… are the fault of your uncle. Zhang Xiaofan, please don’t take this to heart. The future is still ahead.”

A low, chilling laughter filled the hall.

“Blame? Who wants to blame me?”

The laughter, filled with endless hatred, came from Zhang Xiaofan, who slowly raised his head. His eyes, red as blood, stared coldly at Fa Xiang.

Fa Xiang frowned, “Zhang, take care. Let the past be the past. There’s still a long future ahead.”

“You… go… die!”

Zhang Xiaofan spat out the words, and the hall was filled with shock. His aura was murderous, and his face was twisted with rage.

Wang Ershu suddenly screamed, “A ghost, another ghost!”

He pointed at Zhang Xiaofan.

The crowd was horrified, and Pu Hong, despite his injuries, stood up. Zhang Xiaofan’s Burning Stick glowed brightly, and the Bloodthirsty Pearl shone with a revived light, enveloping him in a mix of black and crimson, distorting his face.

Fa Xiang shouted, “Zhang, throw away that evil stick! You’re already under its influence…”

“Hahahahaha…”

Zhang Xiaofan laughed bitterly, his voice piercing, “What righteousness? What justice? You’ve always deceived me. I held on to the secret, even to my death, but what am I?!”

He threw his arms wide, roaring to the heavens:

“What am I?!”

His voice echoed, moving the hearts of all present. The righteous warriors, seeing this, moved to stop him.

Zhang Xiaofan, however, seemed not to notice. Just as Fa Xiang reached for the Burning Stick, a white light flashed, and Bi Yao appeared, blocking him. She faced the righteous warriors, undaunted.

Her eyes were red, and she seized Zhang Xiaofan’s hand, saying, “Xiaofan, come with me. These people are all trying to harm you!”

Zhang Xiaofan, in a daze, clutched her hand, following her.

The righteous warriors, however, could not let them go. Recognizing Bi Yao as the daughter of the Ghost King, they blocked their path, questioning Zhang Xiaofan’s connection to the Demon Sect.

Lu Xueqi, Qi Hao, and others tried to defend Zhang Xiaofan, but their voices were drowned out by the enraged crowd.

Soon, Zhang Xiaofan and Bi Yao were surrounded.

Zhang Xiaofan, with blood-red eyes, trembled, laughing bitterly, his mind filled with scenes of blood and carnage. His faith and beliefs, utterly shattered.

Bi Yao, more composed, held his hand, saying, “Xiaofan, don’t be afraid. Even if we die, I’ll be with you!”

Zhang Xiaofan, momentarily lucid, was jolted by her words.

Suddenly, a shout echoed, “Who dares to harm my daughter?”

The Ghost King appeared, and the crowd was stunned. Members of the Ghost King Sect, including Qinglong and Youji, materialized, surrounding Zhang Xiaofan and Bi Yao.

The Ghost King, unafraid, smiled at Bi Yao, “Yao, take Xiaofan and go.”

Bi Yao nodded, but their bold attempt was thwarted by the righteous warriors. Patriarch Daoxuan shouted, “Stop them!”

A melee erupted, and the righteous warriors, outnumbered, were pushed back. The Ghost King, however, remained calm, watching the battle. As the situation worsened, the remaining forces of the Ghost King Sect were cornered.

Just then, more members of the Demon Sect, including Du Shen, Jade Sun, and the Mysterious Lady, arrived to support them. The tide of the battle turned, and the righteous warriors were overwhelmed.

Patriarch Daoxuan, seeing this, resolved to use the Divine Sword Array. With a roar, he activated the array, and the sword shone with a brilliant light, enveloping the hall. The crowd was stunned, and the Ghost King and his followers were forced to retreat.

The Ghost King, despite the danger, remained calm, ordering Bi Yao to take Zhang Xiaofan and leave.

Bi Yao, holding Zhang Xiaofan’s hand, prepared to fly, but Lu Xueqi, wielding the Celestial Sword, blocked them, demanding Zhang Xiaofan’s release.

Bi Yao, refusing, launched the Heart-Breaking Blossom, and the two women engaged in a fierce battle.

As the Divine Sword Array descended, the ground beneath Zhang Xiaofan cracked, and the wind howled. Bi Yao, standing in the wind, pushed Zhang Xiaofan aside, raising her arms to the descending swords, casting the Love Devotion Spell.

In a burst of light, she shielded Zhang Xiaofan, her body turning into a crystal wall, and the world around her seemed to freeze. The Divine Sword struck, and a blinding light engulfed the battlefield.

The clash was deafening, and the Divine Sword recoiled, the earth shaking. The world fell silent, and a single, agonized cry echoed:

“No…!”

The world was shrouded in darkness, and Zhang Xiaofan, trembling, awoke in a simple stone room. Slowly, he walked out, and the people around him, recognizing him, bowed their heads.

He walked aimlessly, guided by a voice, and reached a large stone room. Inside, he heard Qinglong and the Ghost Messenger discussing the futility of reviving Bi Yao, who had cast the Love Devotion Spell.

Zhang Xiaofan, entering the room, saw Bi Yao, peaceful and serene, her father beside her, holding her hand. Overwhelmed with grief, he collapsed beside her, tears streaming down his face.

In the distance, on Green Bamboo Peak, Lu Xueqi, alone, gazed at the stars, her master, Shui Yue, approaching her, saying, “Qier, you must remember, when you meet him next, he will be your mortal enemy.”

Shui Yue, sighing, left, leaving Lu Xueqi alone, the wind cool and the stars mocking. She whispered, “When I meet him again…”