Song Yan continued, “Since being taken into the manor by Uncle Jian, I never noticed anything unusual about the jade pendant. It was only when Uncle Jian forced it to undergo the blood recognition ritual that the bloodthirsty aura within was activated. Only then did I suddenly and clearly perceive the presence of the jade.”
“Before that, I could feel a tiny bit. The pendant seemed to have a thread of energy connected to me, but since that day, this thread has become ominous.”
“You have worn this jade since childhood, and coupled with the so-called immortal enlightenment, it has long since recognized you as its master. Therefore, even without spiritual power, you can still perceive the aura within the jade.” Shen Zhuo immediately understood the nature of the connection Song Yan described, yet doubt remained. “But if you are not the one driving the resentment, who is the one manipulating it from behind?”
“Within that jade pendant, there remains a remnant soul of my father.” Song Yan gripped the pendant tightly in her palm. “He lost his sanity long ago, leaving only the thought of revenge. Although I have no intention of harming Uncle Jian, I cannot stop this remnant soul of my father. It seems to exist solely for vengeance.”
The clouds of doubt in Shen Zhuo’s heart finally dissipated.
The one driving the resentment was the remnant soul left behind by the Master of the Song family in his final moments of hatred. Though this soul had lost its consciousness, it still remembered its own flesh and blood, insisting on seeking revenge against the old friend who had failed to properly care for his beloved daughter.
Pei Chuan listened silently to their exchange, falling into a momentary hush. He remembered encountering Song Yan on the stairs of the small building the previous night; he had thought then that if the Master of the Song family were still in the world to see his only daughter in such a state, his heart would surely break. Even as a mere remnant soul, the Master of the Song family was still aching for his only daughter.
However, a remnant soul’s obsession for revenge sounded tragic and heroic, but it was ultimately pitiable. It was, after all, just a remnant soul acting on instinct without reason. If it were allowed to continue consuming resentment, this so-called revenge would only breed more chaos and might even drag Song Yan into an abyss from which she could never return.
Pei Chuan suddenly raised his long sword again, the tip pointing directly at Song Yan. “Miss Song Yan, this jade pendant should not exist in this world.”
The sword light was cold and clear, reflecting his features which were as sharp as ice. The air seemed to freeze along with it.
“You wish to destroy this jade pendant? I am afraid that is not for you to decide.”
A black-clad figure that had been silent suddenly leapt down from above, interposing himself between Pei Chuan and Song Yan. Xie Yuan unfolded his white jade fan. The fan remained still, but a white light had already gathered upon it, showing he was prepared to battle Pei Chuan at any moment.
Xie Yuan kept his gaze locked on Pei Chuan’s movements while turning his face slightly toward Song Yan behind him. “Can you run on your own?”
Song Yan was startled, but then she gripped the jade pendant tightly and nodded. “With the power of the jade pendant, I should be able to.”
“That power is ultimately malevolent; use it only if you must,” Xie Yuan reminded her before shifting his tone. “The moment I engage with Pei Chuan, you leave immediately. I will find you afterward.”
Pei Chuan’s brow furrowed. He had no desire to entangle with Xie Yuan; their strengths were evenly matched, and they would not find a victor within a hundred moves. His goal was only to destroy the source of the resentment. If what Shen Zhuo said was true and the demonic energy was revived because of this, the world would suffer a great catastrophe.
He looked Xie Yuan directly in the eyes. “This matter has nothing to do with you. Why get involved?”
“I must get involved.” The usual smile was nowhere to be found on Xie Yuan’s face. “The jade pendant is one of the few relics my Master left in this world. I will never allow anyone to destroy it.”
The atmosphere instantly became explosive as two waves of powerful spiritual energy collided silently in the air.
Pei Chuan spoke coldly, “Step aside! This jade has long been eroded by resentment and is no longer the spiritual treasure of the past. Malevolent objects will surely cause great disaster. How can you ignore the common people for the sake of your own obsession?”
Xie Yuan held his jade fan across his chest, refusing to move an inch. “How do you know that destruction is the only solution? My Master’s relic, even if stained with filth, should be handled by me, his disciple.”
“If you insist on this,” Pei Chuan sighed, “Xie Yuan, I truly do not wish to fight you.”
“Then let Miss Song go today.”
Seeing the other had no intention of retreating, Pei Chuan said no more. His wrist turned as his sword stance began to rise. Just as he was about to strike, he heard a soft call from the roof. “Senior Brother.”
The voice was so weak it seemed it might shatter in the wind at any moment. Pei Chuan’s heart tightened, and he could not help but lower his sword temporarily to look back.
Shen Zhuo was in a terrible state, relying entirely on a long sword thrust into the rubble to support his body. His brow was soaked with cold sweat, and several wet strands of hair clung to his pale cheeks. He still forced himself to stay upright, saying one word at a time, “Xie Yuan is right about one thing. Destroying the jade pendant is not the only solution.”
“Currently, the resentment is sealed within the jade pendant. If it is destroyed by force, I fear this resentment will scatter across the world, causing an even greater disaster.”
Xie Yuan glanced at Shen Zhuo, and the white light gathered at the tip of his fan softened slightly. “Daoist Shen has finally said something sensible.”
Pei Chuan held his long sword in a reverse grip at his side, his brow tightly knit. “It cannot be destroyed, and it cannot be kept. Xiao Zhuo, what do you think should be done?”
“The best way, naturally, is to resolve the hatred and purify the hostility.”
Shen Zhuo did not finish, but everyone understood. It meant nothing less than avenging the Song family.
Xie Yuan snapped his fan shut. “In that case, we must go to Fengyan Mountain. However, even if we dare to go, the other party might not admit to anything. Is there truly no other way?”
Shen Zhuo did not answer but instead turned his gaze to Song Yan. “Miss Song, what is your intention? If it is you, you should be able to use your father’s remnant soul to temporarily suppress the resentment in the jade pendant, right?”
Song Yan’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the jade pendant tightly. Her face was calm, but she remained silent for a long time.
“I can temporarily suppress the resentment so it does not cause chaos,” she finally spoke slowly. “But I must avenge the massacre of the Song family.”
“Even if it is by my strength alone, even if my body is destroyed and my soul is extinguished, this debt must be repaid.”
Shen Zhuo gazed into her eyes; the original hollowness had been replaced by a surge of determination.
“But you must understand that challenging Fengyan Mountain by yourself is no different from an egg striking a stone.”
How could Song Yan not know what a massive entity Fengyan Mountain was, the very pinnacle of the immortal sects? For a lone girl with no cultivation, relying only on a malevolent jade pendant, to seek revenge, how was that different from a moth flying into a flame?
“I know. That is why I said, even if my body is destroyed and my soul is extinguished.”
“If you insist on seeking revenge, you are merely seeking death. Let go of your obsession and live a good life; that was Master Song’s original intention when he entrusted you to Master Jian before he died,” Pei Chuan said.
“Let go of obsession? Live my own life?” Song Yan murmured, a bitter, almost absurd smile appearing on her face. “Brother Pei Chuan, you say it so easily.”
“But when I dream at night and see the faces and smiles of the dozens of people in my Song family, how can you tell me to let go?”
“If I truly let go, allowing the blood debt of my entire family to remain buried while I alone live on in this world, how could I face myself?”
Her voice was not intense; it even carried a hint of weary calm, yet it left Pei Chuan momentarily speechless.
“Song Yan understands Brother Pei Chuan’s good intentions, but if this debt is not repaid, my heart will never know peace.”
Pei Chuan let out a long sigh and said, “But you know full well that you cannot take revenge.”
“Furthermore, the true culprit who destroyed your Song family was not Fengyan Mountain.”
(End of Jian Manor Arc)