https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-357-Shallow-Fate-Thin-Fortune-and-Imperial-Destiny/12918652/
Chapter 358: The Fiend from the Depths of Hell (Third Watch)
Chapter 358: The Fiend from the Depths of Hell (Third Watch)
"A demon from the depths of hell?"
Hu Ma couldn't help but be startled by this statement. He stared at the Mountain Lord with a focused gaze, but he dared not answer rashly.
"At dusk, the world is divided into Yin and Yang. The Hall Guardian and Malevolent Spirits each follow their own rules."
The Mountain Lord remained silent for a long time before speaking in a low voice, "But do you know that there is another type of malevolent spirit in this world? They disregard the boundary of dusk, wandering beyond Yin and Yang. They disguise themselves as humans, committing demonic acts, disrespecting heaven and earth, showing no reverence for the Imperial Court, and defying all laws and regulations."
"They hide among mortals, causing chaos and disasters. They murder and offer blood sacrifices, disregarding human lives, and even meddle with the Imperial Court, bringing corruption to the palace..."
"Sometimes, you make me think you're one of them!"
"... "
Hu Ma was already startled by these words, but this time, he forced himself to remain calm and face the question with composure.
He knew that the Mountain Lord had the ability to discern the goodness or evil in people's hearts, but he didn't want to be discovered.
He furrowed his brows and slowly said, "There are countless malevolent spirits in this world, each with their own harmful methods. I've heard about them from my grandmother and the old master of the Li family in the cave, but... what does this have to do with the Imperial Fate?"
The Mountain Lord stared directly at Hu Ma and spoke in a low voice, "It's not related to the Imperial Fate we're discussing, but it's related to the attitude towards the Emperor..."
"These malevolent spirits emerge from the Netherworld, disguising themselves as humans and hiding among mortals. If you look back at the disasters and bloody incidents that have occurred in various places over the past century, you'll find that they have almost always been involved..."
At this point, he sighed softly, "You don't hear about their activities nowadays because, twenty years ago, they faced a great purge. The Ten Clans joined forces to hunt them down, leaving them no place to hide."
"But twenty years ago, they were arrogant and bizarre, causing people to turn pale at the mention of their name."
"In the previous dynasty, there was a malevolent spirit who, disguised as a Taoist practitioner, infiltrated the Imperial Court and brought corruption to the palace. He truly achieved a position second only to the Emperor, with power that shook the heavens. Eventually, he had risen as high as he could, and even under the pretense of the Emperor's command, he attempted a Ten Thousand Souls Sacrifice, aiming to ascend to immortality..."
"The Yidu Grand Preceptor tried to stop him and destroy his Blood Altar, but this only enraged the malevolent spirit. In a fit of madness, he even skinned the Emperor and hung his body in the Golden Throne Hall..."
"... "
"Holy sht..."
Even Hu Ma was shocked by the Mountain Lord's words.
He had heard about the Emperor's skinning before and had occasionally speculated about it. Now, upon hearing this, he couldn't believe that it was actually the doing of a reincarnate? This guy had climbed so high and caused such a huge disturbance... The Ten Thousand Souls Sacrifice, how many Sweet Potato Burns would that be? He aimed to ascend to immortality, but this... this doesn't seem like a world of cultivation!
His voice was strained as he cautiously asked, "And then?"
"That fiend..."
"... "
The Mountain Lord sighed softly, "In the end, of course, the Ten Clans joined forces and captured the fiend. They discovered many evil spirits and killed a group of them. As for the fiend, he suffered the punishment of Bone Crushing and Soul Grinding, never to be reincarnated again."
"It was his great act of defiance that turned this world into a demon-infested, savage era. Malevolent spirits could no longer be suppressed, and demons and spirits ran rampant, causing chaos throughout the realm..."
His voice grew softer as he spoke, as if there were some things he didn't want to discuss.
After a long silence, he sighed, "Of course, what I've told you is not all there is."
"I have some thoughts about these mysterious beings, some even say they are ten generations of vengeful ghosts who crawled out of hell. Although they act wickedly and lawlessly, there are times when they suddenly utter profound words that leave people puzzled. For instance..."
"... 'The Imperial Court is filled with dry bones, while true power lies among the common folk.'"
"When that fiend skinned the Emperor, he urinated on the Imperial Court and spoke those words. Then, he faced three thousand armored guards, national defense magicians, and extraordinary individuals sent by the Ten Clans."
"Hehe, that spell duel was like no other, with the capital as the altar and the nation's fortune at stake. It was a battle that shook the heavens and split the earth."
"Since the emergence of Dao Gates and extraordinary individuals, there has never been a spell duel like that..."
"... "
Upon hearing these words, Hu Ma struggled to contain his shock. It was undeniable, not only did the Mountain Lord have such thoughts, but even without his explanation, Hu Ma could have come to this conclusion himself.
That Taoist practitioner was undoubtedly a reincarnate from the past. How could such an idea be born in a world dominated by powerful families?
Moreover, the Mountain Lord's story revealed the extent of the past actions of these reincarnates and even hinted at some hidden secrets...
... It was this guy who triggered those great purges?
Damn, you skinned the Emperor, conducted the Ten Thousand Souls Sacrifice, and if they didn't purge you, who else would they purge?
His mind raced with thoughts, and he realized this was a rare opportunity to understand how a being of the Mountain Lord's caliber viewed the reincarnates. Hurriedly, he asked, "But what was that fiend after?"
"Why would he do something so thankless? Did he also want to become the Emperor?"
"... "
"The Emperor..."
The Mountain Lord fell silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "No one knows what these malevolent spirits desire. Some say they aim to seize the country, while others believe they are a group of madmen seeking to master all the Dao Gates and learn the most powerful dark arts."
"Even some say they crawled out of the Gates of Hell and are doing all sorts of things to drag the living world into hell and let the living taste the flavors of the Ten Courts of Hell..."
"There are many theories, but I always feel that those who speak such words don't seem as cruel as they are described..."
"So, I actually believe a theory without any basis..."
"..."
Hu Ma was slightly startled and instinctively lowered her voice, "What is that?"
The Mountain Lord paused for a moment before slowly saying, "That group of evil spirits didn't crawl into the mortal world to fight for the throne or anything like that. They came to... slaughter Tai Sui and fight for Heavenly Mandate!"
"Huh?"
Hu Ma was taken aback by this sudden statement, her voice slightly distorted, "Slaughter Tai Sui?... Do you mean the Tai Sui Lord?"
"What does fighting for Heavenly Mandate mean?"
If you're talking about slaughtering Tai Sui, isn't it something that butchers like Second Uncle do every day? Even the Red Lantern Lady's Blood Nourishment Sect, and those who make a living from slaughtering Tai Sui, how could they become the targets of reincarnates?
"It's not that simple."
The Mountain Lord sighed, "When the Tai Sui Lord descends to the world, he nourishes evil spirits everywhere. Even I can't fathom what it is. People in this world only know how to worship and dare not anger or investigate further. Otherwise, they'll go mad or die mysteriously, or even turn into evil spirits."
"But there are also those who are brave enough. It's said that the Tai Sui Lord accompanies the Heavenly Mandate into the world. If one can find the source of Tai Sui, they can seek the Heavenly Mandate and gain great power to ascend through demise."
"Of course, it's just a vague theory, but as far as I know, including the evil spirit that once wreaked havoc in the world, they indeed have many people trying to find the source of Tai Sui, and the Ten Clans are secretly stopping them."
"As for the specifics..."
He paused slightly and said, "That's something even I can't understand. Perhaps, one day in the future, you'll have the qualifications to see it."
Hearing the Mountain Lord's words, Hu Ma understood what he was trying to say.
Her thoughts raced like lightning as she quickly pondered, but her expression remained calm, and she smiled faintly. "Senior, I've never thought about the problems you mentioned. I've never even heard of choosing an emperor or slaughtering Tai Sui before."
As she spoke, she looked directly into the Mountain Lord's eyes without fear. "But I don't understand those evil spirits, but there are some things I can admit."
"Compared to the noble families and the Hall Lord..."
She paused slightly, then looked straight into the Mountain Lord's eyes and said softly, "I do lean more towards the farmers."
"At least, compared to the noble families who are high above, compared to Mei Hua Lane who forced me to reveal myself, and compared to the yamen that only collects taxes and distributes fragrances, staying hidden and as good as non-existent, these farmers are more pleasing to my eyes."
"..."
She paused and turned to the Mountain Lord, "As for what you said about evil spirits..."
"Hehe, I haven't had any dealings with them yet, but I've seen plenty of man-eating evil spirits and evil deities."
"It's hard to imagine what surprises they could bring me now."
"It's not possible that you're worried about them being around us..."
"..."
"Oh?"
The Mountain Lord looked at Hu Ma in surprise, then realized what she meant and slowly shook his head with a smile, "That's not the case."
"Those evil spirits have the ability to crawl out of the Netherworld and possess the living. They can appear anywhere, wearing human skin, and causing harm. We must be cautious of them infiltrating our midst no matter what we do."
The Mountain Lord spoke slowly, and even from his calm words, Hu Ma could sense his deep apprehension towards these evil spirits, or perhaps evil ghosts. She couldn't help but wonder if even the Mountain Lord, with his profound cultivation, would be afraid of reincarnates.
Just as this question arose in her mind, she heard the Mountain Lord's tone shift, and he sighed, "But when it comes to you and the Hu family, there's no need for such worries."
"These evil spirits can appear anywhere, but they won't be here, nor will they show up in matters related to the Hu family or the Exorcism Bureau."
"..."
This decisive statement startled Hu Ma, and she didn't bother to hide her surprise. She quickly looked up at the Mountain Lord, amazed, "Why?"
"It seems your grandmother told you about them but didn't reveal too much."
The Mountain Lord laughed, "That Great Purge was led by your Hu family, who found and killed them."
"How dare they seek their own demise by approaching you?"
"..."
"Huh?"
Hearing this question, Hu Ma couldn't control her expression, which showed genuine astonishment.
The Mountain Lord sensed her inner shock and couldn't help but find it amusing, "What else could it be?"
"What do you think the Exorcism Bureau is meant to suppress?"
---
The third update is here!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
