Since that day, The Tangdi Anecdote Bulletin had remained completely suspended for more than a full month.
In truth, it was not because there was no material to write about.
The reappearance of the Purple Crystal secret realm, the rampant spread of demonic energy, the turmoil within the sect, each and every one of these matters was significant enough to shake the cultivation world. Any of them alone could have filled pages of headlines.
Yet Zhou Xuanle simply could not bring himself to write.
Down the mountain, there were still many readers who enjoyed watching Senior Brother Yin’s unruly antics, his constant jumping about, causing trouble wherever he went.
Zhou Xuanle could not bear to tell them that the bold and brazen Senior Brother Yin they had grown accustomed to reading about… had already been sentenced to expulsion from the sect.
From now on, within the pages of the little bulletin, it would likely be impossible to see his name again.
In truth, this verdict was already considered remarkably lenient.
Privately, many disciples whispered among themselves, their voices filled with indignation.
“For someone who has committed such acts, betraying his master and ancestors, committing countless evil deeds, behaving lawlessly, he’s only expelled from the sect?”
“They didn’t even cripple his cultivation. Isn’t that the same as letting a tiger return to the mountains? Like leaving a festering wound untreated? Someone like him will probably walk the path of evil sooner or later. When that day comes, he’ll surely become a great threat to the entire immortal sect!”
“Exactly! What were the elders thinking? He stole spirit pills, attacked the elders and they just forgive him like that?”
By coincidence, during those days Zhou Xuanle had been assigned to sweep and clean the council hall.
Thus, he quietly came to know the truth that lay hidden behind the decision.
In fact, the elders’ hatred toward Yin Xuanlin was no less than that of the other disciples. Originally, their intention had been to dig out his spiritual root, cripple his cultivation and cast him down the mountain to fend for himself, so that his punishment would serve as an example to uphold the sect’s discipline.
But when Junior Brother Xie heard of this decision, he had actually dragged his nearly dying body forward and insisted on pleading for mercy.
That day, his injuries were extremely severe.
The wound in his chest left by the broken fan bone had missed piercing his heart meridian by less than half an inch. The fact that he had managed to survive at all was already considered miraculous.
He had only just regained consciousness.
Even now, his spiritual power remained scattered and unstable, his meridians in complete disorder. He could not even stand without someone supporting him. His face was so pale it seemed almost translucent.
Yet even in that state, he still knelt beneath the torrential rain, kowtowing repeatedly in desperate plea.
The rain had been falling for days and it was heavy beyond measure.
Drops struck the green stone steps with sharp force, splashing up cold sprays of water.
He knelt there at the base of the steps, refusing to leave no matter how many people tried to persuade him. His plain robes were soaked through by both blood and rainwater, clinging tightly to his frail body.
The rain streamed down his pale, vacant face, mixing together with the bloodstains that had not yet been washed clean from the steps before him.
In the end, gasping for breath, he even uttered something utterly mad.
If Yin Xuanlin’s cultivation were to be crippled… then he himself would burn his own spiritual meridians and sever his cultivation as well.
The elders were both shocked and furious.
Yet seeing his stubborn determination, they found themselves completely helpless.
“That child, Chen’er… what exactly is he hoping to gain from this…”
“That rebellious disciple treated him like that, nearly taking his life time and time again. Why must he keep repaying evil with kindness… sigh…”
“In the end, his heart is simply too soft but with such a temperament… how will he one day shoulder the great responsibility of slaying demons and upholding the righteous path?”
Yin Xuanlin had, after all, once been a disciple of the Tangdi Immortal Sect whose name was well known far and wide.
Now that he had committed such grave mistakes and was being expelled, it was hardly a matter that brought any honor to the sect. For the sake of its reputation, the Tangdi Immortal Sect did not publicly announce the truth of the matter. Instead, they handled it in deliberately vague terms, telling the outside world only that “Disciple Yin has voluntarily requested to leave the mountain due to personal reasons.”
“Yin Xuanlin, expelling you from the mountain today is already the final mercy the sect will show you. From this day forward, conduct yourself properly and live quietly. If you ever dare to rely on your cultivation to commit evil deeds in the outside world, then no matter how far you flee, whether to the ends of the earth or the corners of the seas, the Tangdi Immortal Sect will gather the full strength of the sect to cleanse our own house. There will be no mercy!”
The day Yin Xuanlin left, the rain fell in relentless torrents.
The world was wrapped in a vast white curtain of rain. For once, he was no longer dressed in the brilliant gold and jade attire he had always favored. Instead, he wore only plain gray robes and carried a small bundle.
There were still a few people who came to see him off.
Among them was his master, Luoye Zhenren, the man of humble influence who had never been able to truly protect him and also the junior disciples who had followed him around over the years.
Those juniors were crying their hearts out.
“Senior Brother… we all know you were framed! These past years have been far too hard for you, sob…”
“That damned Xie Chen! This is obviously a setup. We’ll never forgive him!”
“Thank you for all the guidance you’ve given us over the years, Senior Brother. Don’t worry, we’ll make something of ourselves one day. When that time comes, we’ll welcome you back in glory!”
Yin Xuanlin lowered his eyes. For once, his voice was unexpectedly gentle.
“Go back already. Don’t keep seeing me off. The rain’s too heavy.”
Then he turned toward Luoye Zhenren and bowed solemnly.
“Master… please take care of yourself as well.”
“To all of you, the world is vast. We will meet again someday.”
Rainwater streamed past the edge of the umbrella and continued to strike against his face.
His left eye was still wrapped in thick bandages. Fortunately, the eye itself had been saved, though it would most likely leave behind a permanent scar.
It didn’t really matter.
In the end, Yin Xuanlin turned away and began to descend the three thousand long steps of the immortal sect alone.
The rain fell like a curtain across the mountains, blurring his figure until it appeared distant and resolute.
From beginning to end, he did not look back even once.
For reasons he himself could not explain, Zhou Xuanle followed from afar for quite some distance.
In truth, he was not particularly familiar with Yin Xuanlin. Over the years, the small bulletin had truthfully reported quite a number of Yin Xuanlin’s usual misdeeds, so Zhou Xuanle did not dare approach too closely.
Eventually, the sect gates faded far into the distance.
There was no one else around.
The rain grew heavier and heavier, drumming loudly against the leaves of the surrounding trees.
At last, Yin Xuanlin found a dilapidated pavilion where he could take shelter from the rain.
The moment he stepped inside, he began grumbling and cursing under his breath. He tossed his umbrella aside, threw down his bundle and while shouting complaints like “Damn heavens trying to drown your lord here into a soaked chicken,” he angrily wrung out the hem of his drenched robes.
Then, A soft rustling sound.
A truly drenched little yellow chick wriggled out from inside his robes, shaking its soaked fluff vigorously.
Yin Xuanlin: “…”
“At least you’re good. At the very least, you can be raised and grow attached.”
He let out a long sigh. Carefully, he cupped the little chick within his palms, shielding it from the chill of the rain. Then he reached into his pocket and took out a few grains of millet. One by one, he wiped them dry with the corner of his sleeve before feeding them to the tiny bird.
As he continued feeding it, his movements gradually slowed.
Suddenly, he raised a hand and wiped roughly across his face, sniffing hard.
“Damn it… Where can I even go now? I don’t have a home anymore…”
“Wuu… Everyone feels sorry for that junior brother because he’s an orphan but who here doesn’t have no father and no mother? Why does everyone treat me like that…”
His wailing mixed with the sound of the rain, making the entire scene feel especially miserable and helpless.
Even Zhou Xuanle, hiding at a distance, felt his heart ache at the sight. For a moment he almost stepped forward, wanting to offer a few words of comfort.
But then he reconsidered. If Senior Brother Yin happened to grow embarrassed and lash out in anger, his own small life might not survive the encounter. So he could only continue hiding quietly behind a tree, peeking from afar.
Fortunately, Yin Xuanlin did not remain sad for very long.
After a short while, he wiped his face fiercely again and suddenly sprang to his feet.
“Heaven never blocks off every road!”
“So what if I have to start all over again? The world is vast and boundless. If this place won’t have me, then there will surely be another place that will!”
Then a flash of fierce unwillingness crossed his eyes. With all the dramatic flair of a villain making a grand declaration straight out of a storybook, he shouted:
“I, Yin Xuanlin, will remember today’s humiliation for the rest of my life! Tangdi Immortal Sect, just you wait for me!”
“When the day comes that I return, everything that has happened today will be repaid a hundredfold! I will make all of you, every last one of you, regret it!”
____
Another month passed.
Junior Brother Xie’s injuries gradually healed.
Yet his temperament grew even colder and more distant. Day after day he spoke almost nothing, devoting himself entirely to slaying demons and purging secret realms.
In recent days, he had led the sect’s elite disciples to repeatedly sweep away the corpse tide in the Western Wastes and he had eradicated the demonic caverns that plagued the northern borderlands. Alone, he had even broken through several Purple Crystal secret realms one after another, leaving countless demonic cultivators and evil spirits dead beneath his blade.
Wherever his sword light reached, the hordes of demons scattered in terror.
His cultivation also advanced at an astonishing pace, improving day by day. He had already become the undisputed leader admired by the entire younger generation of the righteous path.
Two months later, he single handedly suppressed the thousand year corpse king that had been ravaging the southern territories, saving the people of several cities.
Afterward, he exhausted every ounce of his strength to seal the ancient passage connecting the southern lands to the demonic realm, a gateway that had existed for a thousand years. The common people were filled with gratitude for his deeds.
By this point, no one doubted any longer,
He must indeed be the “Savior Zhaoye Lord” foretold in the prophecy: the one destined to exist in mutual opposition with the world destroying Demon Lord, fated to meet him in a final clash where life would be traded for life.
People both admired and sighed.
They admired his unparalleled talent and brilliance.
Yet they lamented the tragic destiny awaiting him, the fate of eventually perishing together with the Demon Lord.
After all, this Junior Brother Xie possessed excellent appearance, extraordinary talent and admirable character in every way.
There was only one flaw that everyone could clearly see.
He was simply too selfless.
Too careless with his own life.
Every time he fought, he returned covered in wounds.
Again and again when facing enemies, he pushed his spiritual power far beyond its limits without stopping. Even when his entire body was soaked in blood, he seemed unable to feel pain. At times, the techniques within his swordplay even carried the ruthless determination of someone prepared to perish together with the very evils he faced.
And whenever a battle ended, he would merely lower his gaze and quietly wipe the blood from his sword.
That expression of his, neither joy nor sorrow, surrounded by an aura of silence and exhaustion, felt far too inhuman.
He resembled less a living man than a divine statue slowly walking toward a predetermined end, a being who might at any moment complete his final duty in the mortal world before dissolving quietly into heaven and earth.
Even when the sect leader formally handed him the official seal that symbolized the right of succession, he showed no trace of happiness.
He merely accepted it with indifference.
That very night, he sat alone atop the mountain peak, facing the vast and empty sea of clouds and drank dull wine by himself until dawn.
As for the Senior Brother Yin who had once clashed with him constantly, bringing chaos and noise wherever he went,
Ever since that rainy night when he left the mountain, he had completely vanished without a trace.
Strangely enough, when he had been around, everyone found him irritating and troublesome.
Yet after he was gone, the immortal sect suddenly felt unbearably quiet.
No one shouted loudly anymore. No one stirred up trouble or caused commotion.
Before long, the name Yin Xuanlin quietly became an unspoken taboo within the sect.
Without him, the entire mountain seemed to have lost its vivid color.
Orderly and disciplined, ethereal and dignified yet cold and silent.
Two months later, an astonishing piece of joyful news burst across the cultivation world.
The Jinchan Sect had actually found their only son, who had been kidnapped during childhood!
The Jinchan Sect had originally risen to prominence as imperial merchants. Their wealth rivaled that of entire nations and their businesses stretched across the four seas. Spiritual veins, mineral deposits, auction houses, alchemy workshops, there was almost no industry they did not touch.
Although the cultivation level of their disciples might not necessarily rank among the absolute highest in the cultivation world, the sect controlled an immeasurable quantity of resources. Their network of connections reached everywhere and their financial power was unfathomable. The depth of their foundation alone was enough to make even the great immortal sects show them a measure of courtesy.
They could truly be considered one of the most powerful forces in the cultivation world.
For a time, gilded invitations stamped with the emblem of a golden toad clutching treasure flew like snowflakes toward every major sect.
When the Tangdi Immortal Sect received their invitation, the entire hall erupted into stunned commotion.
Because the words written clearly upon that invitation read:
Respectfully from the Jinchan Sect.
Heaven has blessed our sect; the lost pearl has returned to its rightful shell.
Our only son, Xuanlin, who had been separated from us for many years, has finally found his way home.
In gratitude for the many years of care and cultivation provided by the Tangdi Immortal Sect, we have prepared a humble banquet and respectfully invite your honored presence to the Cloud Top Heavenly Palace of the Jinchan Sect.
The Jinchan Sect possessed immense power and influence, so naturally this reunion banquet was arranged with the utmost extravagance.
On the side of the Tangdi Immortal Sect, the sect leader and several prominent elders had no choice but to personally attend, bringing generous gifts along with them.
Even though everyone present clearly remembered the past conflicts and grudges, they still had to wear smiling expressions in front of the host family, praising this long lost treasured son without pause.
“Back when Nephew Xuanlin studied in our sect, his talent was already extraordinary, sharp minded and brilliant beyond compare! Among disciples of the same generation, no one could match him. Truly worthy of being the direct heir of the Jinchan Sect!”
“Nephew Xuanlin has always conducted himself with boldness and great spirit. He possesses remarkable courage yet is lively, sincere and righteous in speech. Everyone within the sect admired him deeply. As expected, the son of a great father cannot be ordinary!”
For a time, all of Yin Xuanlin’s past behavior that had once drawn criticism was suddenly reinterpreted.
Those actions were no longer faults.
They were described instead as the distinctive temperament of a genius noble son, evidence of his exceptional talent, his independent spirit and the sharp brilliance of youthful boldness.
Among the disciples, not many were invited.
Aside from the former followers and companions who had once gathered around Yin Xuanlin during his years in the sect, only two names had been specifically written upon the invitations.
Xie Chen.
And Bai Shuangcheng.
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
✦ END OF CHAPTER ✦ BEGIN COFFEE NEGOTIATIONS ✦
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Once a chosen one of heavenChapter 2 · Why didn’t you crawl in the shadows?!Chapter 3 · They would rather fight each otherChapter 4 · I’ll do a handstand and run naked three times!Chapter 5 · So what if I’m showing off!Chapter 6 · If you look again, I’ll gouge your eyes out!Chapter 7 · The young couple is fighting again.Chapter 8 · I’m back at the Jinchan SectChapter 9 · Sour, sourChapter 10 · To seize credit for someone’s workChapter 11 · The Golden Toad Sect has come to our aid to annihilate the Demon LordChapter 12 · Sect Leader’s HusbandChapter 13 · The stone, fox, tree, and scarecrow are named XuanlinChapter 14 · My junior and I have had sweet moments in private!Chapter 15 · The truth behind their first falling out back thenChapter 16 · Hate lasts longer than loveChapter 17 · Xie Chen was actually the Demon LordChapter 18 · Slaying the Demon LordChapter 19 · From resistance to enjoymentChapter 20 · Xiao Xie’s perspective begins!Chapter 21 · Only because it was Yin XuanlinChapter 22 · Xie Chen was not a foolChapter 23 · The End