Chapter 103: Water Dungeon

It is very easy to kill a group of people with no cultivation.

It is also very easy to kill a group of people whose cultivation is lower than one's own.

Zora lifted her foot, about to step through the main gates of the Tu residence, when she was suddenly pulled back by Turi Qi.

She turned her head; Turi Qi’s expression was composed. "There are many commoners around the Tu residence. If we make too much noise, it might invite gossip."

Zora: "But they were the ones who tried to kill us first. This is called revenge." She paused, perhaps thinking of Turi Qi’s style, and added: "It’s justified."

Turi Qi was surprised for a moment. After all, Zora wouldn't have thought of such a point before.

She shook her head. "No, we need to preserve some traces of their evil deeds. I hope Junior Sister Zora will be a bit mindful later; don't destroy the entire Tu residence directly. We need to leave a few living witnesses. I don't care about myself, but you, Junior Sister, must not be slandered by rumors."

Zora thought for a moment and imitated her by shaking her head. "I don't care either."

"I know you truly don't care..." Turi Qi smiled and reasoned softly. "But I'm sorry, I cannot accept it. It is I who do not want any unfavorable remarks about you to spread. I might not be able to control everything, but I want to do my best to reduce it."

"Mhm... it’s all right."

They stepped into the Tu residence. Every person here—whether servant or overseer, whether informed or ignorant—was bound in place by Zora. They stood like wooden stakes on the ground, frozen in their previous postures.

"Wait a moment," Turi Qi said gently.

She began to skillfully search the Tu residence, recording evidence one by one and interrogating useful people. As the Chief of the Sword Gate, her verbal tactics were not weak. Compared to Vane, Turi Qi’s words were less aggressive and contained fewer traps; they were gentler. However, that didn't mean they were less effective. In her position, this kind of gentle yet indirect approach was often more suitable.

Left alone, Zora felt like an executioner waiting to behead someone. She looked left and right, then stared at the sky in a bored daze.

How much longer until she could kill?

She looked at a man dressed as a servant a few steps away.

Zora kept staring.

Sweat gradually broke out on the immobilized man's forehead. His pupils trembled as he tried desperately to look in the opposite direction, leaving Zora with a wide expanse of the whites of his eyes. After a while, he began to tear up, and his facial muscles started to twitch. He was like a conscious corpse, terrified of the vulture watching him from the side.

When Turi Qi returned, she saw Zora lost in thought while the man she was staring at exuded an aura of "so scary, so scary, I don't want to die, I don't want to die."

"..."

Turi Qi’s footsteps paused, and Zora looked over, her eyes seemingly brightening.

Turi Qi cleared her throat. "Junior Sister Zora, the Tu family’s reputation here seems to be poor. I have searched thoroughly... some have also harmed innocent commoners. I think I will find and compensate those innocent people—at least give them some money, using the Tu family’s funds."

Her expression was somewhat somber. This was something she had neglected; she had never imagined the Tu family would go to such lengths, showing such a total lack of a moral baseline.

This meant more waiting.

Before Zora could even show a slightly depressed expression, Turi Qi continued: "However, for those confirmed like Tu Zhu, we can settle it now."

Tu Zhu was at the back gate. He was bound in place; the moment he saw Turi Qi, he opened his mouth to beg for mercy, yet remained unable to move, looking exceptionally ridiculous.

Zora drew her sword, intending to harvest his life cleanly, but stopped and looked at Turi Qi.

Turi Qi maintained a smile. "?"

Zora sheathed her sword. "You do it."

"..."

After Turi Qi killed Tu Zhu, the man’s screams vanished abruptly.

"The next part might be a bit boring. Why don't you go sit in the study, Junior Sister? When I have handled everything, I’ll come and tell you to settle with those who deserve to die."

Zora: "Whatever."

Turi Qi watched her leave with a smile. Recalling the scene just now, her heart—originally a bit bitter from killing a relative—softened. She understood Zora. Zora’s greatest kindness was letting you take your own revenge.

Turi Qi glanced at Tu Zhu again and suddenly realized he had grown so old. Looking at him for a long time, he actually felt like a stranger. She could barely remember her childhood days in the Tu residence—perhaps she had forgotten them intentionally.

Suddenly, Turi Qi let out a long breath.

There were many things to settle in the Tu family, and some matters required questioning the living. Only with affection does one lose reason. Now, she didn't even feel intense anger or the annoyance of being betrayed by family; she could think rationally and handle everything methodically.

With a slight movement of her hem, Turi Qi walked toward the depths of the courtyard. The man’s corpse on the ground remained with eyes wide open, appearing utterly shocked.

Zora, having yielded the kill, walked into the study.

The study appeared to have been ransacked; it was quite a mess. She didn't mind, stepping over the scattered books to sit on a stool and flipping through the sword manual she carried with her.

After a while, as the sun slanted outside the window, she slammed the book shut and began walking around the room out of boredom.

She happened to find an erotic book, the illustrations exceptionally vivid.

In the arena of her previous life, many people had lost the sense of propriety and shame that humans should have. Zora had seen countless people make eye contact in prison-like places and tumble together the next second, seeking pleasure in a place where death could come at any moment—a scene full of indulgent absurdity.

So she looked on without changing her expression, casually flipping through two pages before tossing it aside.

Perhaps such things were enjoyable, but her initial impression was what her mother had said:

"Assassination is easiest when others are 'doing' it."

"You can even skewer two with one blade; it's very convenient."

Therefore, even if she felt a flicker of curiosity occasionally, she never thought of trying it.

Zora pushed the door open and went out again. The Tu residence was luxurious, yet insisted on putting on an air of elegance; the courtyards and pavilions were quite poetic.

Zora leaned against the railing of a pavilion, hanging there like a spread-out pancake. Her head drooped naturally as if she were sleeping. The immobilized butler behind her didn't dare speak, his whole body trembling with fear.

The sun warmed the top of her head, and Zora woke up again, moving to another spot. Wherever she passed, people’s pupils dilated, their hearts pounded, and cold sweat flowed; they wished they could kneel and beg for mercy immediately. But bound by the spell, they could only avoid her gaze, silently chanting

ignore me

, and then let out a fierce sigh of relief when Zora truly passed them by.

Zora visited various rooms. The Tu family even had a theater stage. She picked up a long spear, but it snapped the moment she applied force.

Walking onto a large lawn, Zora lay down and rolled around a few times.

I might not be able to return to the sect tonight,

she suddenly realized.

Zora sat up, took out a mechanical bird, and sent a letter to Vane at the sect. She calculated the time, but the mechanical bird was late in returning.

Zora: "?"

Had it broken?

It wasn't impossible. The bird she sent to Yiling Ke last time had broken because the distance between the sect and Drunken Lu Bay was too great and the bird was too old; it had literally fallen apart mid-flight. Yiling Ke had to piece it back together bit by bit, cursing all the while.

At this moment, the Oracle appeared: [Host, how have you been lately—wait, what?] It greeted her warmly like a colleague not seen in a long time, only to find the Host was at the Tu residence. [What time node is this?]

The System analyzed quickly, matching it with a point in the original—unfortunately, because the emotional line between the leads had collapsed completely, it couldn't pinpoint the exact time.

Zora answered: "Killing her family."

The System sighed in relief: [Oh, I see... I thought you had defected from the sect and were going on a killing spree in the mortal realm.]

"Defected from the sect?"

[Right, isn't there a plot point where the villain enters the Demon Realm? You need to be careful, Host. It’s best to pretend you’re going to the Demon Realm to capture the villain, to preserve your status in the cultivation world...] The System advised earnestly, its tone sharing a strange similarity with Turi Qi’s just now.

Zora was puzzled: "Why?"

[...] The System was stumped. Right? Why? [...Th-this... having one less enemy means one less danger.]

Zora: "But none of them can beat me now. Why should I care what they think?"

[Th-this... I’m afraid you’ll be sad if you get scolded.]

Zora: "?"

The System was silent for a few seconds. Fine, its Host didn't care about these things at all. Anyway, once the Host is in the Demon Realm, what do the messy affairs of the cultivation world have to do with her?

Thinking this, the System also relaxed. [Though I can't guess the exact time, I’ve calculated that these days should be the time node where the villain is exposed.]

"How long are 'these days'?"

[These days are... these days!] The System changed the subject. [Host, whatever happens, you must not be soft-hearted. You know, many hosts in our sector see the villain or the lead looking piteous and soften their hearts, seeking revenge for them and risking their lives to save them. They suffer so much; you don't need to go through that.]

The System finished and felt it was strange, seemingly not fitting its role as a supervisor, so it quickly patched it: [Because you are so powerful that you can complete the task without doing any of that!]

Zora gave an "mhm."

The System was extremely anxious. It had already forgotten its instructions from when it first met Zora, repeatedly patching its words: [And this is all your plan! It’s correct for the villain to be sent to the Demon Realm; it’s all within your calculations! So you can't be soft-hearted!]

Zora stared blankly at the drifting white clouds. Hearing a scream in the distance, she immediately looked down, but saw it was only Turi Qi interrogating someone, not killing them. She withdrew her gaze in disappointment.

Distractedly: "Mhm."

The System continued to be anxious: [I’m not neglecting my duties; I’m just thinking according to your plan, right?]

"Mhm."

[Once the villain enters the Demon Realm, with your ability, you can be a king there too.]

Zora was uninterested: "Mhm."

[Even if there are more troublemakers in the Demon Realm, you won't lose.]

"Mhm?" Zora suddenly snapped back. "There are many troublemakers in the Demon Realm?"

The System sighed sadly, full of worry: [Yes, Host. That’s the Demon Realm, a place where good people can't survive. You might run into a mugger every two steps; it’s more ridiculous than a city of crime in an interstellar novel.]

Zora didn't know what "interstellar" meant; she only nodded.

She wondered how long it would take for Vane to be discovered.

The Demon Realm...

Perhaps it would be like returning to the long-lost arena.

She had no nostalgia for the arena, nor for the cultivation world. She felt not a shred of reluctance to leave the cultivation world. She had never invested in or managed her reputation; she hadn't even noticed such a thing.

For those truly focused on themselves, fame naturally follows like phototactic insects drawn to light.

However, Yiling Ke and the others should be safe and wouldn't be implicated, Zora thought.

The wait was too long. Zora lay down, circulating her spiritual power to cultivate while closing her eyes. The System stopped talking, waiting nervously for the moment. It feared the Host would soften her heart and disrupt the plan, causing herself injury, yet it felt Zora likely wouldn't be like that.

Looking at Zora, the System thought:

The Host probably mostly feels that the villain won't die, so she won't worry at all.

In the Host's view, except for death, all pain is endurable and can be moved past without looking back. Half the blood on Zora’s hands now came from Turi Qi’s affairs, after all.

The System sighed in relief, settled its mind, and went silent again.

Zora did have affection for her Master and friends, but her affection was different from ordinary people; she was unique. However, Zora had not yet learned what "hometown" or "returning to one's roots" meant. Thus, she had no sentiment for the cultivation world, let alone a sense of belonging because of others.

Perhaps she would never need to know. Like the wind that never stops, wherever it reaches can be home.

"What is going on—!"

In the Hall of Seeking Immortals, an elder was furious. "How can our December Sect have a Demonic Seed!"

A few hours ago, a disciple reported the news that Vane might possess a Demonic Seed. The elders were shocked and immediately dispatched cultivators to capture him. They heard that Vane had already lost consciousness and was easily caught. Now, his Master, Jin Chuyang, was placing spiritual-locking handcuffs on him.

The Hall of Seeking Immortals had turned into a chaotic mess.

"What will other sects think of us!"

Ling Zhihuan, who had not spoken, said: "Vane has not yet committed any heinous acts. There is no need to worry."

An elder sneered: "What kind of words are those, Sect Leader? We all know that one with a Demonic Seed will surely become a demonic cultivator. Is Vane going to have the heart to cut out the Demonic Seed himself?"

"It cannot be cut out! The Demonic Seed is a treasure coveted by the Demon Realm. Once it leaves the host, none of us knows what it will become."

"Yes, at least we have experience dealing with those with a Demonic Seed. Once the host dies, the seed naturally vanishes. But if the host is alive and the seed is extracted, it might affect the heart of the surrounding cultivators."

Ling Zhihuan listened. Initially, she argued a few times, but it was useless. This was a major matter; elders usually sidelined the Sect Leader and made decisions themselves.

The cultivation world is full of contradictions. For example, cultivators take the salvation of all life as their duty. Yet the December Sect still maintains the Heavenly Ladder, where countless have died.

Even so, many things can be explained from another perspective. For instance, saving all life means saving the cultivators themselves and the mortals who are the future foundation of cultivation. Or perhaps they are simply fulfilling a duty; in reality, most aren't that heroic, possessing only ordinary kindness. Truly self-sacrificing heroes are few.

And the Heavenly Ladder should not have existed.

The sect usually recruits disciples once every ten years, checking spiritual roots and assigning them to gates. But for a mortal, how many ten-year periods are there? They cannot afford to miss out, especially since not everyone has spiritual roots. Those without spiritual roots, who have no attachments in the mortal world and revere the cultivation world, would gamble everything on the sect.

When the Heavenly Ladder was sealed, countless desperate people still came to the foot of the mountain, begging to be taken in. The sect is not a charity; it cannot take everyone in without reservation. Once a gap is opened, larger problems will surely follow.

So the Heavenly Ladder was unsealed. The spells on the ladder were made by the founder, the Map-Dream Immortal; they could only make minor modifications to the array. They couldn't take in disciples without roots unconditionally; the dangerous ladder was perfect. To obtain a stable life and the environment of a cultivation sect, one must exert corresponding effort. The sect can send disciples to eliminate evils for the people, but it can never become an ancestral hall that shelters a person for life. These are two different things.

These were things Ling Zhihuan had fought for herself. The elders were never willing to let those without spiritual roots enter the sect.

Isn't the Demonic Seed the same?

Watching the elders argue, Ling Zhihuan suddenly stood up and said coldly: "Then let it be decided according to the sect rules."

An elder who wanted to execute him immediately was displeased and tried to argue. Ling Zhihuan bowed toward the east: "The Map-Dream Immortal once said that everyone in the sect must obey the sect rules. Does the elder intend to violate them?"

"...Naturally not."

The elders were divided into several factions, constantly absorbing capable cultivators. But for Zora, the most powerful of the younger generation, not one of them had recruited her. This was fine; having observed Zora for a long time, they concluded she was like Wanghua-jun—someone who ignored affairs and wouldn't be interested in managing the sect. Zora and Wanghua-jun were the sect’s shields but stayed out of worldly matters, which suited the elders perfectly; they only needed to treat them with caution.

But that Vane... he said he wouldn't interfere in high-level affairs, but the elders had watched him for a long time and still couldn't guess his true intention. They were wary of other elders, fearing someone would truly make him lean to one side.

Exposing the Demonic Seed was an unexpected delight. Since he couldn't be used by them, then killing him was fine; it also prevented other elders from taking him to increase their strength and break the balance.

Besides, a Demonic Seed is something only demonic cultivators have. Vane would surely fall into demonhood.

A pity.

Ling Zhihuan scanned the room. Seeing no one else speaking, she said with a heavy gaze: "...Then, according to sect rules, lock Vane in the Black Suspending Sea."

"Wait, there is also the Bone-Nailing punishment."

An elder seemed to back down but brought up Wanghua-jun: "Why not ask the Sword Sovereign and let him decide."

Ling Zhihuan glanced at him, and the elder suddenly fell silent, speaking no more.

...Bone-Nailing punishment. Vane should be able to endure it. The most she could do was save his life. Ling Zhihuan agreed.

Ling Zhihuan went personally to inform him. Wanghua-jun lowered his eyelids and listened to Ling Zhihuan’s words.

Vane? ...He remembered him as one of his disciple's friends.

He thought of Turi Qi’s distance over these years, of her completely different attitude toward Zora and the others, and of his own regressing realm in recent years.

Perhaps he was once an indifferent sword cultivator, focused solely on the Dao. But now he was swayed by emotions, privately struggling.

He didn't care about anyone’s life. He was originally high and mighty. It was Turi Qi who made him feel a rare sense of defeat—a strange and hateful feeling that grew with her every instance of distancing.

But he could not step down from his "altar" to truly look at his disciple as an equal.

The more they stalemated, the further apart they grew.

Because she had true friends. If nothing else, Song Zhihuai would help her, Yiling Ke would too, and even He Songning would sometimes assist.

The setting of the original female lead was having no "great tree" by her side, no one sincere. Aside from the male lead, she seemed to have nothing. She hadn't seen the mountains or the seas, so she was forced to focus her gaze on the master-disciple romance. The closer she got, the more she became addicted, until finally, even she believed she couldn't leave her Master.

He clearly disliked his fiancée, Wang Ling, and felt increasingly his forbidden love for his disciple, yet he continued the engagement with a heart of shame and anger.

For the original work, this was a normal trope. The male lead just didn't understand his own heart; this was a common emotional catalyst—too bad the other female lead didn't care anymore.

For Wang Ling, she saw everything clearly but smiled without speaking, continuing to use the Sword Sovereign’s reputation to win people over. She was a qualified businesswoman, speaking human words to humans and ghost words to ghosts. If the Sword Sovereign fell one day, she would be the one to step on him hardest and cut ties immediately.

Naturally, for Wang Ling, this was mutual benefit. Don't talk about righteousness; anyway, there was no affection between them, so don't expect her to have morals.

Whatever the mindset, Wanghua-jun looked into Ling Zhihuan’s eyes, his voice cold: "Then let it be strictly executed according to sect rules."

"..."

Ling Zhihuan sensed his fluctuation and frowned slightly, withdrawing her expression before Wanghua-jun looked over. She said calmly: "Naturally."

"Then, that Vane, where is he now?"

"The Cold Water Dungeon. He will be taken to the Platform of Bright Propriety in an hour."

The Cold Water Dungeon.

Jin Chuyang crushed the mechanical bird.

The environment was damp and freezing. There was cold water on the ground, submerging the soles of his shoes. The dungeon was built of stone, airtight. This was where those who had committed great errors in the sect were kept.

He looked down. Vane had just been fitted with spiritual-locking handcuffs. His consciousness was returning. He was kneeling in the cold water. As his spiritual power dissipated, his lips grew increasingly pale, and his lashes were frosted over from the cold.

The youth opened his eyes weakly, lacking the strength to lift his head. In his peripheral vision, the wreckage of the mechanical bird fell into the cold water, and the envelope was also shattered by spiritual power.

That was Zora’s mechanical bird.

His pupils moved slightly. Vane looked at the wreckage and blinked slowly, becoming fully awake.

Jin Chuyang’s voice sounded above him: "...You are actually a person of the Demon Realm." A Demonic Seed is only possessed by those born in the Demon Realm.

"..." Vane was quiet for a moment. He didn't lift his head, his voice intermittent: "Yes... after I escaped the Demon Realm, I wanted to cultivate, so naturally, I went to the December Sect... I met Zora by chance on the road, so we traveled together..."

Jin Chuyang: "No need to explain to me." He strangely understood Vane's words, and his expression grew complex. "...I know you want to clear Zora of responsibility—if she led the way and you only followed her to the sect, then Zora was the one who brought a person with a Demonic Seed into the sect. She would also be punished."

"..." Vane lifted his head. The scar on his forehead was slowly healing. His dark eyes showed confusion. "I don't know what you’re talking about, Master. I am telling the truth. Even if I have affection for Zora, it won't change the facts. There is no need for me to lie or cover it up."

—

What about the puppet threads then?

Jin Chuyang almost asked.

Vane spoke first: "I know you have doubts, Master, but I haven't done anything out of line these years. I believe you know that too."

Jin Chuyang fell silent, not saying a word. He seemed to be recalling the events of the Demon Realm back then; his aura was unstable, and the images of his two dead disciples flickered constantly.

Suddenly, he heard Vane’s worried voice: "...The Demonic Seed is exposed. I know I have failed your expectations, Master. But I never knew I possessed a Demonic Seed, nor have I thought of returning to the Demon Realm."

Jin Chuyang sighed.

Vane lowered his eyelids, glancing at the mechanical bird. When Jin Chuyang crushed the bird just now, he hadn't seen the contents of the envelope.

The breath the youth exhaled turned into white mist. His body began to shake slightly, yet after Jin Chuyang sighed, he changed the subject and said worriedly: "...That should be Zora’s item... before she left, she seemed to say she was eating with her Master tonight. This letter might be to inform Immortal Zhou of a change... Master should go ask Immortal Zhou, lest she blames you..."

He gave a low, self-deprecating laugh, appearing to have lost all will to fight: "...Otherwise, as a guilty person, I would cause estrangement between you and Immortal Zhou..."

The youth was deep in the cold water, his body already shivering with cold, yet he still spoke these words.

Jin Chuyang paused, but said: "No need to call me Master anymore."

"...Yes."

Jin Chuyang seemed unable to stay any longer, flicking his sleeve and walking out of the dungeon.

Vane lifted his head. His eyes were still as dejected as before, appearing heavily struck by the Demonic Seed matter.

Initially, that was indeed the case, but no matter how massive the waves, they couldn't compare to the urgency at hand.

When Jin Chuyang had completely left, Vane lowered his head again. He didn't think of the punishment he would face in a moment, nor of his Master, because he already knew Jin Chuyang hated the Demon Realm—this was an inevitability after exposure.

Next, Jin Chuyang would surely go to Zhou Shijin.

The matter of the puppet threads... must never be told.

Exhaling, the white mist dissipated. The youth’s lashes lowered. He felt the throbbing pain in his spiritual platform and the bone-deep cold. The handcuffs let out a faint clinking sound with his tremors.

Suddenly, he pulled out a smile.

...He truly was a natural-born demonic cultivator.

But he didn't want to fall into demonhood.

Because she was still on the side of the Immortals.