Chapter 86: Could It Be a Heart Demon?
This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation.
“Cui Jue, do you believe in karma?”
Fang Cheng Lang’s voice was low and raspy, with an inexplicable coldness that sent chills down Cui Jue’s spine. He paused for a moment before forcing a smile, “Senior Brother, why do you ask?”
Fang Cheng Lang saw the look in his eyes and knew that Cui Jue didn’t believe in it. He sighed deeply. “I just had a dream.”
Cui Jue was startled. For cultivators, understanding the heaven’s will requires abandoning all distractions and maintaining a clear heart. Only those with impure minds would dream. Fang Cheng Lang had always been the most dedicated among the disciples, so how could he be troubled by a dream?
Ignoring Cui Jue’s surprise, Fang Cheng Lang continued, “In the dream, I was myself, yet not myself…”
“Senior Brother, dreams aren’t real,” Cui Jue interrupted, unable to hold back.
Fang Cheng Lang gave him a faint glance. “I used to think so too, until now. In the dream, besides me and Little Six, there was also you. Let me ask, did you and Yu Zhao ever have a disagreement about the herb garden?”
A flash of shock crossed Cui Jue’s face, but he quickly composed himself. “I did blame Yu Zhao for the herb garden incident. Thinking back, it might have been a misunderstanding. She must have told you, right?”
Though the fact that the herbs were poisoned was true, Cui Jue believed Yu Zhao didn’t do it intentionally. He graciously took the blame upon himself.
Fang Cheng Lang shook his head, a sad smile playing on his lips. “No, she didn’t tell me anything. I saw it in the dream.”
In the dream, Yu Zhao knelt before him and Cui Jue, covered in wounds, with blood-red eyes pleading for justice. She spoke of the herb garden, insisting she wasn’t the one who poisoned the herbs, but Cui Jue refused to believe her. Fang Cheng Lang couldn’t bear to recall what happened next; it was too painful, like having his heart torn apart.
“Senior Brother, it was just a dream…” Cui Jue couldn’t understand Fang Cheng Lang’s pain and despair. It was just a dream; it didn’t mean anything.
“That wasn’t just a dream!” Fang Cheng Lang roared. It was a warning from heaven’s will!
Seeing Fang Cheng Lang’s almost possessed expression, Cui Jue frowned. He suspected that his senior brother’s Path was unstable, leading to the confusion of dream and reality. “Forget it, you should go back,” Fang Cheng Lang said wearily, shaking his head.
Cui Jue had been in seclusion for years and didn’t know what had happened to Yu Zhao. He wouldn’t understand.
“Senior Brother…” Cui Jue hesitated but saw that Fang Cheng Lang didn’t want to continue. He left reluctantly. Back in his room, his mind was unsettled, replaying Fang Cheng Lang’s expression and words.
Could there be a possibility that his senior brother was telling the truth?
The thought was quickly dismissed by Cui Jue. Impossible, dreams are just dreams. They can’t become reality. Senior Brother must be troubled by a heart demon, confusing his mind. He decided to concoct a batch of pills to help Fang Cheng Lang.
With a plan in mind, Cui Jue began searching through his storage space.
….
In an abandoned cave, Yu Zhao sat cross-legged, playing with a small purple vase. After a while, she seemed to make a decision, took a deep breath, and slowly infused her spiritual power into the vase. Familiar smoke rose, quickly forming the figure of a female cultivator in red robes. The woman exuded a commanding presence, her head held high, effortlessly radiating an air of dominance.
“Those who stand in my way shall perish!”
The overwhelming pressure filled the cave, causing even the smallest particles of dust to tremble. Yu Zhao’s robes fluttered despite the lack of wind. Her pupils shook. Despite being close, she couldn’t detect any flaws in the illusion. It was as if a real master stood before her.
Yu Zhao continued pouring spiritual energy into the purple vase, though her own reserves were nearly depleted. The vase, however, remained unresponsive, as if it had reached its limit. Frowning, she paused. This result was within her expectations. If the vase had other abilities, it would have been highly prized at the auction in Blackwater City, not sold for just two high-grade spirit stones. But Yu Zhao was convinced the vase held more secrets; she couldn’t be mistaken about the aura of the Illusory Tide Technique.
With a thought, she cast a seal with one hand, directing a technique from the Illusory Tide Technique into the purple vase. A flash of light entered the vase, and suddenly, golden light filled the cave, turning the darkness into daylight. Yu Zhao closed her eyes instinctively against the blinding light. When she opened them again, the light was gone, and the vase was still. It was as if nothing had happened.
Just as Yu Zhao was puzzled, the confident voice of the woman in red resounded through the cave. “Fated one, we finally meet.”
Startled, Yu Zhao looked at the illusion of the woman in red, who now gazed at her with a teasing smile. After a moment, the woman nodded in satisfaction, “A water spirit root and exceptional comprehension—a perfect candidate for the Illusory Tide Technique.”
Yu Zhao was silent for a while before bowing, “Greetings, Senior Bright Moon.”
Bright Moon laughed heartily. “You’re quite perceptive. Aren’t you afraid I might possess you and take over your body?”
Yu Zhao met her gaze, her voice steady, “If you created the Illusory Tide Technique, you wouldn’t stoop to such a lowly act.”
To be emotionless means not to let one’s feelings affect one’s actions, to remain unaffected by desires, and to maintain peace. It is the way of the emotionless detachment.
“Excellent, you’ve grasped half of the true meaning of the Emotionless Detachment Path.” Bright Moon clapped, her eyes filled with relief. “After creating the Illusory Tide Technique, I vowed to find a successor to carry on my legacy. But people are trapped by emotions and desires, unable to break free. I, too, struggled with this, and it eventually led to my demise.”
This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation.
Her words were like a warning bell in Yu Zhao’s mind. It was said that the Path had many ways, all leading to the same end. In the cultivation world, there were stories of ascensions through the way of the sword, the way of the blade, and even the way of Confucianism, but rarely through the emotionless way, highlighting its difficulty. Even the Bright Moon Hermit, the creator of the Illusory Tide Technique, had succumbed to emotions and met her end.
Yu Zhao felt a pang of empathy but kept her expression calm. No matter how challenging the path ahead, she would not falter.
“What is your name?” Bright Moon suddenly asked.
“Yu Zhao.”
“Yu Zhao, Yu Zhao, Yu Zhao… a good name,” Bright Moon repeated, smiling slightly. “Yu Zhao, would you be willing to become my disciple and carry on the title of being my successor?”