Chapter Seventy is Not as Good as Going Back

  Red, deep and shallow, spreading all around, dyeing the sky and earth, soaking through clothes. He looked around in a daze, but everything he saw was a sea of blood, that gorgeous color, like the enchanting eyes of a seductive woman, full of endless charm, drawing him step by step, towards the depths of that faintly rippling pool of blood.

  The wind gently stirred the mist on the blood-stained water, a deep purple-red fog that twisted and stretched out like skeletal fingers, lightly tracing his outline.

  The blood slowly overflowed the boot tip, spilled over the ankle, and gradually, even the hem of the garment was stained with blood. The sleeves floated like duckweed on the sea of blood, gently swaying, the stench lingering in the nostrils for a long time without dispersing, but after smelling it for a long time, it seemed to have added a hint of sweetness that numbed people, making them savor the flavor and unable to extricate themselves.

  His foot suddenly stepped on something soft, he slowly lowered his head, and the first thing he saw was a pale white mass, reflecting bloodstains, shrouded in mist, looking very blurry.

  A gust of wind pushed the fog to one side, finally revealing the clear outline of the soft object. The five fingers were curled up, showing a pale white color without any blood, and the blue-green veins under the skin could be vaguely seen, and it turned out to be an arm.

  He looked along the arm, and in the bloodstained water, he found the same pale face with a familiar yet unnamable name. His eyes moved down to the person's chest, where, as expected, there was a large bullet wound, with blood flowing in and out of the massive injury. The man lay quietly in the pool of blood, as if asleep.

  "Big Brother Master..."

  A faint cry came from the fog.

  He stared blankly, turned his head, and saw another wisp of fog silently parting in front of him, revealing an even deeper and wider sea of blood behind. In the endless and boundless expanse of crimson, corpse after corpse slowly rose to the surface. Clothes stained with blood floated gently on the bloody water, and faces pale as white jade turned towards him, but their necks were lifelessly limp, and their limbs twisted into strange shapes.

  The blood slowly rose to his knees, overflowing the bodies that floated listlessly, overflowing the familiar yet strange faces, overflowing the dull eyes that refused to close. But the cries did not cease, and instead grew louder, one after another, like a soul-calling curse, wafting faintly through the fog, piercing his ears.

  "......Master Brother......Master Brother......"

  Xuan Zhen opened his eyes, suddenly sat up, and felt that the beating in his chest was getting faster and faster, like a rapid drumbeat, making him feel short of breath.

  As his heartbeat slowed down a bit, a gust of cold wind blew by, and he couldn't help but shiver. Only then did he realize that the back of his clothes was already soaked with sweat.

  He stared blankly, lowering his head to look at his fingers. Just now, in that terrifying dream, his hands had transformed into demonic claws, with the nails of all ten fingers turning into sharp purple-red blades that could pierce a person's chest with a mere swipe. However, looking at them now, they were slender and jade-like, with delicate joints, each finger's nail trimmed neatly, appearing no different from usual.

  His raven-black hair brushed against his ears, falling onto his shoulders. Xuan Zhen lowered his head and saw it, and couldn't help but let out a soft breath. The person in his dreams really wasn't himself, that person with a head full of silver threads, with crimson markings on their forehead, who slaughtered people indiscriminately... how could that be... himself?

  "Are you awake?"

  Just as he was deep in thought, a rustling sound suddenly came from the side of his ear. Xuan Zhen hastily lifted his head to look over and saw that there was an additional black figure standing before his bed. The person wore a long robe with a red border on a black background, had a tall stature, and had silver hair hanging down behind their head which was neatly combed. Their appearance was quite handsome, but the crimson markings on their cheek and those purple-red eyes exposed their demonic identity.

  Xuan Zhen had met him once at Yuanyou's place, and he remembered that the man's name was Xi Zhong. He seemed to be one of the demon generals of this illusory realm, just like Gui Xie. After looking at Xi Zhong for a few moments, he suddenly reacted and glanced around, sizing up the purple canopy hanging everywhere in the room, and asked in confusion: "Where is this?"

  Xie Zhong lowered his head to look at him, and a hint of inquiry seemed to flash in his eyes. After a while, he said in a low voice: "This is a side hall of the Li Huan Palace."

  "Is this the Huan Yin Palace?" Xuan Zhen muttered to himself several times, suddenly remembering that he had been taken by Yan You to a palace before, which seemed to be called Huan Yin Palace as well. He wondered if there was any connection between that place and this Huan Yin Palace.

  Xie Zhong still looked at him with a thoughtful expression, and slowly said: "A few days ago, when Gui Xie brought you back to Xuanmeng City, you were seriously injured and unconscious. Yan You ordered me to bring you here for treatment."

  Xuan Zhen was stunned again, and only then did he notice that he was no longer wearing the tattered Taoist robe of the Qionghua Sect. Underneath his clean undergarments, a neatly bandaged wound peeked out from one corner. When had he been injured? There were multiple wounds, what exactly had happened?

  It seemed that Xi Zhong had guessed what was on his mind, and he said calmly: "According to Gui Ye's account, you went out of the city with him that day and encountered a group of humans..."

  Just a few words, yet it was as if a bolt of lightning had flashed through Xuan Zhen's mind. His whole body shook violently, and his fingers clutching the bed sheets involuntarily tightened, while a voice in his head shouted loudly: "That wasn't a dream, that really wasn't a dream!"

  It turns out... I actually killed so many people...

  The scenes that were deliberately suppressed in the heart and turned away from the brain flashed before his eyes one by one, and the heavy emotions in the dream rose again.

  Xuan Zhen couldn't help but close his eyes, but that only made the scene in front of him clearer, and the figure with blood-red eyes, crazily killing, even more unforgettable.

  The sound of Xi Zhong's faint voice came again: "If it weren't for your great merit to the Meng Yu tribe, Lady Yan You wouldn't have easily allowed me to bring you here. The Li Huan Palace is the source of the spiritual energy of the Huan Palace realm, and only the royal bloodline and the six great generals are usually allowed to enter. You can rest here and recover from your injuries more quickly."

  Xuan Zhen suddenly opened his eyes and said in a trembling voice: "I didn't kill them for your sake, you demons!"

  Xie Zhong's expression didn't change, he looked at him and said: "I naturally understand this. From the scene described by Gui Ye Jiang Jun, you are just demonized in a fit of rage, unable to control your nature. Those humans were originally the enemies who invaded my Fantian Realm, no matter if it was for my clan or for yourself, killing them is just killing them, what's the difference?"

  "Yao hua..." Xuan Zhen finally understood, why he suddenly went mad at that time, remembering the self that seemed like another person, like a bloodthirsty and murderous demon, was himself, couldn't help but feel a hint of fear towards that self.

  But what followed was a deeper and heavier regret and pain that could not be undone. Xi Zhong was right, killing is just killing, the sin committed by oneself has already been deeply imprinted in the depths of one's soul. Xuan Tong, and those other fellow disciples, they did not die under the claws of monsters, but died at the hands of their own sect members... No, no, am I still considered a "person" of the Qionghua Sect? Clearly, I am also a monster...

  Unconsciously, a hint of sarcastic smile hung on the corner of his mouth. But that smile was distorted, and it looked even more heart-wrenching than tears.

  Everything is beyond recall.

  Genjō had never been so clearly aware of this. Memories of the past were woven into a multicolored ball, as a yōkai and as a human, now long since merged into one, no longer distinguishable.

  Hatred for the killer of his mother, reverence for his school, and guilt over the death of his fellow disciples weigh heavily on his mind.

  The joy of practicing together with my junior brothers and sisters in Jianwuping, the pride of being praised by our master in Qionghua Palace, the sense of justice as a cultivator to slay demons and save people, the self that had forgotten everything, all turned to dust before my eyes.

  Who am I now? What face is waiting here again?

  Why don't you just leave?

  A voice is whispering in my mind.

  Qionghua has no way to go back, the hatred suppressed by kindness cannot be relieved, staying in the fantasy realm, from now on, facing the sword of his former fellow disciples is not what he wants. So, apart from leaving, is there any other way out?

  His fingers, which had been tightly clenched in the quilt, finally relaxed, and Xuan Zhen closed his eyes, having made up his mind. He looked at Xi Zhong and said slowly, "I want to see the master of the demon realm." The woman named Xiao Yu had saved him and allowed him to enter the Fantian Palace to recover from his injuries; she was also his mother's younger sister by blood, so it was only right that he should meet her before leaving.

  "Who would have thought that Qi Zhong shook his head and said faintly: 'Lady Yu You was injured in the internal organs after a battle with the leader of the Qiong Hua Sect, and is now closed for healing. It's absolutely impossible to see you.'"

  Xuan Zhen was taken aback and asked in surprise: "A duel with the leader of the Qionghua Sect? When, and why?"

  Xie Zhong looked at him deeply and replied, "A few days ago, several elders of the Qionghua Sect broke into the Huanming Realm and killed many of our tribe's Yaoyao. Even four generals in our tribe were killed by those people's schemes. Lady Yan You was enraged and decided to fight them outside the city, but unexpectedly, they lured her out of the Huanming Realm and into the human realm. Those humans are extremely cunning and intended to surround and kill her with their numerical superiority. Fortunately, Lady Yan You saw through their plan and retreated back to the Huanming Realm in time. Moreover, as she left, she used her magic to instantly kill the leader of the Qionghua Sect, taking away their prestige!"

  "What!?" Xuan Zhen was shocked and lost his color, Tai Qing True Person... Master, he actually died, killed by Yan You?

  This news was more unbelievable than anything else, the respected master who had always been admired and looked up to, the respected master who had always taught himself to have high expectations for himself, actually died at the hands of another member of his own family?

  On the side, Xi Zhong said with a worried expression: "But the patriarch of that clan is not to be underestimated. Although Lady Yuanyu defeated him with one palm, she herself was seriously injured and had to temporarily reside in the Fantian Palace to recover from her injuries, so she has no time to take care of other matters, let alone see you."

  Xuan Zhen only then understood that during his days of unconsciousness, the Jinghua Sect and the Huanming Boundary had already reached a state of irreconcilable animosity. Four of the six great generals of the Huanming Boundary had died in this war, while the Jinghua Sect had even lost its leader, and it seemed that at this moment, both the Jinghua Sect and the demon realm were in a state of great chaos. However, despite knowing that it was a situation where both sides would suffer losses, they could not stop this conflict.

  The author has something to say: Thank you for the comments from floating creek guest, flower dance, dew, beini1127, glutinous rice, burongbunny, like a dream (it was you who lost the landmine last time, tiger touch), orange, city, CJ's X child, one drunk south glory, high cedar only, ko, Yi water cold, flying and fluttering leaves.

  P.S. Spoiler alert, a junior brother is expected to appear in the next chapter.