Netherworld Painted Skin Scroll

Chapter 392 The Great Rescue of Zhao Qi

Zhao Qi looked at the door and wanted to raise his hand to knock again, but after thinking about it, he put it down. He walked to the clothes drying post in front of the hut, scratched his forehead, and frowned.

Li Wuxiang emerged from the darkness. His spirit was silent, and Zhao Qi only saw him when he reached the door. Startled, Zhao Qi was about to speak when Li Wuxiang raised his hand to knock, simultaneously turning to look at Zhao Qi and signaling him to be quiet.

Liu Jieling's voice came from inside the door: "Great Sword Master, I said—"

"I am Li Wuxiang."

A soft sound came from inside the house, followed by the sound of footsteps, and the door was suddenly pulled open.

Liu Jieling's expression looked somewhat confused, shocked, and even a little angry, but more than that, it was one of bewilderment and despair.

Before he could speak, Li Wuxiang said, "You didn't understand what Sword Master Zhao said just now. When he asked you if you regretted it, he was asking if you regretted not speaking up first a few days ago and therefore not taking charge of things independently."

Liu Jieling exclaimed "Ah!", glanced at Zhao Qi outside the door, and then looked away.

Li Wuxiang's expression wasn't exactly stern, just slightly serious. But he knew that was enough—he still remembered how he felt when he first met the Nascent Soul cultivator Mei Qiulu. Respectful and cautious, he dared not think too much. That was after he had formed his core, and before he and Mei Qiulu were even from the same sect.

If Liu Jieling saw him now, he would feel even more like he was walking on thin ice. In a more serious case, he might even lose most of his thinking ability under the heavy pressure of the authority he had imagined in his mind.

Sure enough, he froze again, his face instantly turning red. He had been so dignified when speaking to Zhao Qi earlier, but now he looked like a child who had done something wrong, completely flustered: "I... Divine Lord, I just..."

Li Wuxiang then revealed a very faint smile: "You did well just now. This is how a Sword Sect disciple should behave. Zhang Jingzhong has already gone to the sect's training grounds. You will be in charge of Zhang Jingzhong's affairs for the next few days. Ask him about his experiences when he returns in a few days."

He reached out and patted Liu Jieling on the shoulder: "You need to work diligently."

Liu Jieling didn't feel the weight on his shoulders. His mind went blank for a moment, and he instantly realized that this was the legendary Yin God! Before he could even react, a feeling of tears welled up in his eyes.

But Li Wuxiang had already reached out and closed the door, saying only, "Rest well and don't think about it anymore."

After the door closed, Liu Jieling was probably still in shock and even forgot to reply. Li Wuxiang turned around, walked up to Zhao Qi, gestured to him, and then walked into the pine forest.

Zhao Qi quickly followed, glancing back at the wooden house several times. Only when he reached the spot where Zhang Jingzhong's body had been found did he immediately speak: "What happened? Why did you promote him? Something's wrong with him! Look at this in the tree—"

Li Wuxiang stopped and asked calmly, "What's wrong?"

"He clearly knows something! Didn't you hear? He seemed to know what time Zhang Jingzhong went out tonight, but he didn't want to say!"

Li Wuxiang stared at him silently. Zhao Qi felt inexplicably flustered under his gaze, and opened his mouth to speak again, but Li Wuxiang suddenly raised his hand and quickly tapped him on the ribs.

Zhao Qi vomited violently—he vomited so hard he couldn't close his mouth, and it took him five or six breaths before he staggered back two steps. Just as he was about to glare and curse, he heard Li Wuxiang say, "If Liu Jieling saw you calling Zhang Jingzhong out tonight, wouldn't his words be easier to explain?"

He pointed to the ground again: "Look at what you vomited up."

With that finger, a beam of sword light pierced the ground, illuminating the entire pool of filth.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Qi's face immediately turned even paler than the sword light—

It was a large, bloody mess. Although it was torn into pieces, it probably hadn't been chewed much when swallowed, as many parts were still in large chunks...

Zhao Qi stared blankly at the corpse hanging from a tree, then at the ground, then back at the corpse, and finally at Li Wuxiang: "I..."

“You did it. You called Zhang Jingzhong out of the house and brought him here—at that time your mind was clear. Then you ran to the top of Dapan Mountain and jumped into the water to wash the blood off yourself—that's when you were sleepwalking. Look at your clothes; the outer ones are clean, but the inner ones might not be. Check if there's any more blood.”

Zhao Qi ripped open his outer garment to look inside. Sure enough, there were bloodstains on his inner garment, soaked in water, but they had blurred and looked like a pale red map.

He released his grip, staring blankly at Li Wuxiang, looking as if he wanted to defend himself, his expression extremely panicked. But in the end, he didn't say anything, only staggered back two steps, then sat down on the ground, clutching his head.

Li Wuxiang looked at him silently. After three breaths, he heard Zhao Qi ask in a low voice, "Why didn't you stop me?"

"As I said before, I was watching over you when the incident happened, but I didn't have time. After you called Zhang Jingzhong here, you snapped his neck with a single blow. I only had time to collect his soul."

"I want to see if it's you."

"what do you mean?"

“When I looked at you, you noticed I was there. Then you turned to me, smiled, and said, ‘How is he going to become a Great Sword Master now? Hmm?’”

Zhao Qi suddenly looked up: "Huh!?"

“Didn’t you hear me? I just said you were still conscious when you ate him. But it wasn’t you who was conscious then, it was that one.” Li Wuxiang raised his hand and pointed to the sky. “That one in the Crimson Heaven, the one who was confused and acted as the Blood God, came down to eat people. Seeing how you’ve been these past few days, he must be both distressed and jealous.”

Li Wuxiang thought he would offer some explanation, or that he would be instantly enraged. But Zhao Qi's behavior was different from what he expected.

Zhao Qi froze, then, like someone about to die, he didn't move his head, only rolled his eyes upwards. After a while, he leaned back, lay on the ground, and remained silent.

Li Wuxiang remained silent for a moment, then walked over and sat down beside him.

After a long time, Zhao Qi said, "I... so I am that kind of person, right? That's my true nature, isn't it? The me in Crimson Sky is my origin, isn't it?"

Li Wuxiang shook his head: "Brother Zhao, you're overestimating yourself. You're not even a Yang God, so what are you talking about origins for? Have you forgotten? Before, you went to Mount Ling after death, but you were just a soul. Now you are a true spirit descended to earth. Even that confused one in the Crimson Heaven can be considered a true spirit. You two are of the same generation."

"Don't call me Brother Zhao anymore... I... I'm not worthy to be the Great Sword Master..."

"Sigh, I... I feel like my life is so miserable. I've spent my whole life thinking about living a good life, feeling like one day I'll finally make it... but it never works out. Every time I think I'm going to succeed, then I fail again. Zhang Jingzhong is such an unlucky guy... why did he have to run into me? Li Wuxiang, I'm so tired. Just kill me, destroy me completely, and then don't save me anymore. I can't take it anymore..."

His tone was mournful, almost tearful. Li Wuxiang knew without looking that he was truly crying.

She also knew that if she sighed and said, "Fine, then I have no choice but to clean house," Zhao Qi would not jump up and say, "You really want to kill me?" as he had before.

He could understand Zhao Qi's suffering. The Zhao Qi from Jinshui, who liked to feign profundity and show off, and the impetuous, smug Zhao Qi who was reborn after death, were essentially the same person. The only difference was that the former hadn't undergone major changes and still retained complete dignity, while the one beside him had been tormented by fate too many times, caring only for the sake of prolonging his life, and nothing else. In his previous life, he had seen far too many people whose spirit and edges had been worn down by fate.

Li Wuxiang patted him gently on the chest and looked at the dark pine forest: "I asked you by the Heavenly Pool just now, after the Yang God is born, which one is the real self? Or between the current you and me, and the original you and me, which one is the real self? Actually, when I asked you, I already had the answer in my heart, which is, maybe whoever wins is the real self."

“I am now in Yin form, and I sit by the Heavenly Pool. My Yin form and physical body are merely like my hands and feet. The me beside you and the me by the Heavenly Pool are both just puppet shells, used to hold ‘me.’ When I manifest Yang form, it will be the same; it will still be just a shell.” “The key may lie in the fact that when I manifest Yang form, I will come into contact with my origin. Then, the me that now regards my Yin form and physical body as mere shells will then realize that I am also just a shell in this world.”

"The Great Calamity Sword Scripture and any cultivation classic will say that a person's origin and primordial spirit are outside this world. People in this world are merely the present-day projection of the origin, like our shadows cast on the ground. If a person does not cultivate, after death they will return to the origin and then cast their shadow in another world, regardless of the past or future. If one cultivates through countless lifetimes and one day attains the origin, that is to become a true immortal or a golden immortal. From then on, there will only be one origin in the world, transcending the three realms and the five elements, and no longer having to suffer the pain of reincarnation."

“I don’t know what it feels like to come into contact with my true self, or whether it will be painful. But, Zhao Qi, I feel that the you beside me is different from the you in Chi Hongtian.”

Zhao Qi finally shook his head: "You mean I was half-asleep there? Maybe that's when my true nature came out..."

"It's not about being confused or not, but about having different circumstances. You and he are just two bodies, but because of different circumstances, you behave differently. The classics say that the origin and spirit of a person know everything in the past and future, and is pure and immaculate. This immaculateness does not refer to whether one is good or not, but to being open-minded and looking down on all true spirits. Therefore, it is said that heaven and earth are ruthless and treat all things as straw dogs."

"The you in the Crimson Sky was just caught up in the past and took the wrong path. You yourself took the wrong path—have you forgotten that you were draining people's life force in Jinshui and the villages and towns you passed through? You wouldn't do that now."

Zhao Qi barely mustered a sliver of life: "Are you saying that it doesn't matter whether we do good or evil in this world? As long as our primordial spirit is pure and immaculate?"

Li Wuxiang remained silent for a moment, looked up at the night sky for a while, and then shook his head: "I don't know. I'm afraid I'm just making arrogant guesses about the will of Heaven. Maybe our primordial spirit is actually a pure and immaculate empty shell? It just needs to be filled with the good and evil deeds we have done in our reincarnations—it projects us, and we fill it up."

Zhao Qi pondered for a while, then let out a long sigh: "It doesn't matter anymore. I still can't stay in the sect. He doesn't know when he'll possess my body, and I won't be the Great Sword Master anymore."

Li Wuxiang stood up and smiled at him: "But now you don't think it was your doing, right? You're only worried that he'll possess you again and make you commit another grave mistake?"

Zhao Qi said, "Sigh."

“Outside you are a Qi cultivator, inside you are a Blood God. He can't possess you inside, but he can outside. But you really can't stay inside forever. Actually, while you're inside… he's slowly getting stronger in the Crimson Heaven. Maybe one day he'll find a way. This is indeed a big problem.”

Li Wuxiang clapped his hands: "I have an idea, do you want to give it a try?"

"Are you going to Crimson Heaven, Li Wuxiang? You don't need to..."

"This needs to be done, but that's for later. What we need to do now is find a way to prevent him from possessing you. It's also to let you know that I was right—people's circumstances are different, and so are their circumstances. Just don't be surprised or ask about this method when the time comes. Of course, I don't know if it will work. But if it does, even if your 'seniority' is higher than his, he might not be able to possess you unknowingly."

"Varied--"

No sooner had Zhao Qi spoken than Li Wuxiang's expression turned cold, and he slapped Zhao Qi in the face: "Get lost!"

A howl suddenly rang out in the night, sharp yet faint, like the buzzing of insects. A faint scent of blood wafted around Zhao Qi, but didn't reach him. Li Wuxiang's expression softened, and he pointed upwards: "I wanted to listen earlier."

Zhao Qi looked up at the sky, puffing out his chest as if he wanted to shout. But glancing at the group of wooden houses next to the pine forest, he could only lower his voice and curse viciously, "Fuck your ancestors!"

Then he looked down at Li Wuxiang and said, "Alright! I'm not afraid! Tell me what your plan is!"

"I came up with this idea by the Heavenly Pool these past two days." As Li Wuxiang spoke, Zhao Qi saw his true form ride a dark sword light from the horizon, landing directly on the ground and merging with the Yin God. "If you try it and this method really works, then it won't just be you who can use it, but all the disciples of the Sword Sect. You, the Great Sword Master, will have risked your life to open up a trial realm for the sect's disciples."

Li Wuxiang first waved his hand—the filth on the ground and the corpses hanging from the tree trunks were instantly pulverized by the sword energy. He then stepped forward, took Zhao Qi's hand, and looked at him: "There's something else I haven't said—I'm going to perform a ritual now. But I don't know if you'll die while I'm performing it. Do you want to think about it some more?"

Zhao Qi: "No!"

"Are you sure?"

"Stop asking! Hurry up while you still have the guts!"

"Okay. Zhao Qi, now hold my hand, clear your mind, and think about yourself. Think about yourself when you were almost at Jinshui. Think carefully about what you were like back then. Imagine yourself now as yourself back then. Think about how you wanted to find Jin Chanzi, how you wanted to establish your own sect, and then think about what you've been doing these past few days. Doesn't it feel like you're experiencing it all, like it's really happening? When you feel like you're right there in the story, nod your head."

Zhao Qi didn't know why he was thinking about these things, but at this moment he trusted Li Wuxiang completely. So he closed his eyes slightly, relaxed his brows, and fell into deep thought. Li Wuxiang watched him in the darkness, and after about fifteen minutes, he saw Zhao Qi's head pause slightly.

So he raised his head and looked up at the sky.

If Zhao Qi were looking at him now, he would realize that Li Wu was even more hesitant than himself. This hesitation lasted for two breaths, and then everything in the pine forest collapsed towards the two of them—

Its daybreak.

Zhao Qi felt it. The sunlight shone brightly through his thin eyelids.

He quickly opened his eyes and realized that he was no longer in the pine forest of Maple Valley, but it was also very familiar... Jinshui!

His first thought was that Li Wuxiang had taken him back to Wanhuafang and he saw the transformed Jinshui Town there. But the next moment he realized it wasn't that—the two of them were standing hand in hand in a field. It was a paddy field, and the rice had already sprouted ears of grain. The ears of rice were no longer green, but were beginning to turn slightly yellow. It must be August or September.

In the distance was the Chen family compound, and there were people at the gate and inside the courtyard!

Zhao Qi stayed at the Chen family's house for many days and immediately recognized the two men at the gate as the town soldiers living in the Chen family's house. Their clothes were different and looked like the Taoist robes of the Ranshan Sect, but their faces were correct!

He turned to look at Li Wuxiang in surprise, and saw that Li Wuxiang breathed a sigh of relief: "Good, you're alright. This method is a little more feasible. You squat here and wait for me, don't go anywhere, and don't let anyone see you."

"This is Jinshui, Li Wuxiang..."

"This is an illusion. It will also be a trial illusion for our sect in the future. Wait for me here."

Li Wuxiang released his hand and quickly jumped onto the ridge, heading towards the Chen family's house. Zhao Qi didn't know how he had created this illusion, but he guessed it was due to the Xie Zhi's supernatural powers. He also didn't know why he had brought him into this illusion, but he still listened to him and squatted down in the rice paddy, watching him through the gaps in the rice leaves—

They saw Li Wuxiang walk along the ridge to the path in front of the house, arrive at the Chen family's gate, and then, like a wandering martial arts master, bow to the gatekeeper and say a few words. The town guard politely returned his greeting, then turned to look into the courtyard, seemingly about to go in. But Li Wuxiang waved his hand and walked back.

The soldier watched him leave, hesitated for a moment, then went into the courtyard. But Li Wuxiang had already returned, jumped off the ridge, and squatted down beside Zhao Qi, taking his hand again: "This isn't right. Close your eyes, and think about yourself again. Quickly, be quick!"

Li Wuxiang rarely urged people with such a hurried tone. Zhao Qi knew that this illusion might be far more dangerous than he had imagined, so he immediately closed his eyes. In that instant, he felt as if he saw someone walking out of the Chen family's main hall, someone who looked remarkably like himself.

But he didn't have time to open his eyes again. Because his vision blurred again, and he felt a bone-chilling cold envelop him.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw snow covering the ground and the ruins of Jinshui Town covered in snow.

……

It's 5,100 today.

(End of this chapter)