Volume 5: Qingming Chapter 53: Shock
Tang Butian glanced towards the door. The marks left by the wooden sword seemed to have become lighter. She stretched out her hand to Zheng Yuantai and said, "Let's leave here first."
Zheng Yuantai shook his head and said, "I can't leave. The power on the door turned me into a monster, but it also kept me alive. After you leave, contact Manager Zhong immediately and tell him about the situation here. Tell him that this door leads directly to the outside world. Once it is opened, a large number of demons will pour in. The consequences will be disastrous. We must destroy it at all costs."
Tang Butian withdrew her hand and asked, "What happened?"
"Ten years ago, I believed the words of the demon and let this door open a crack, " he smiled bitterly, "I made a huge mistake, but I didn't know it. I just asked Mr. Zhuang to seal this place. It was not until three years ago that the demon showed some flaws, and I felt something was wrong. But because this matter involved the Jinghu Society, I didn't dare to act rashly," he sighed again, "Until this month, after receiving the news that the Jinghu Society had collapsed, I planned to investigate the matter thoroughly. Who would have known, who would have known..." He suppressed his cough and continued, his voice desolate, "Who would have known that I would fall into the trap again, turned into a monster, and was driven by the demon..."
Zheng Yuantai looked down at his hands that had turned into monster claws. "If your master were still alive, he would definitely laugh at me. I am neither human nor ghost."
"You fought to the very end."
A hint of surprise flashed across Zheng Yuantai's eyes.
"I got your sword, and I felt it," she stared into Zheng Yuantai's eyes, "Master told me that you care about the people and take it as your mission to slay demons and monsters."
"Is that what she said?" Zheng Yuantai was a little unconvinced.
"right."
Zheng Yuantai looked at the door, and the knife marks faded a little. After a long while, he said softly, "I am just a person who seeks fame and reputation."
Tang Butian didn't say anything. She waited for him to continue.
"I am different from your master. She has a firm heart and chose the path she wants to take very early. But I have always been confused. What's the point of becoming stronger? Until I had the opportunity to go down the mountain and use my abilities to deal with some things that ordinary people can't handle. I received their gratitude and respect, and I began to indulge in that feeling. I am a sword cultivator, not a Taoist priest. I don't want others to be disappointed in me, so I learned a lot of miscellaneous things, but in the way of swordsmanship, I have made no progress for a long time."
Zheng Yuantai pulled the corner of his mouth, "Those who were originally less talented than me have caught up with me, and can fight big demons alone, and are truly independent, such as your master. As for me, ten years ago, I," he took a deep breath and exhaled, "After Xiaoman told me about her plan, I originally planned to inform the mountain about it, but Xiaoman said that she didn't trust anyone else, only me. She said that in Jiujin Mountain, we can only win and not lose. I had some doubts at the time, but I finally chose to believe her, because I, because I, I had some secret thoughts in my heart at the time. If I could destroy the plan of Jinghu Society, save the people, and even defeat Mingmo, then..."
"So you didn't tell the mountain?" Tang Butian asked.
"Yes, the tour group, 32 lives, all killed by me."
"You didn't tell me afterwards."
"I, after I woke up from my coma, I saw Senior Brother Zhong by my bedside. He praised my courage. I didn't know what to say, and, and..."
"What?"
"At that time, I didn't know what I opened. I thought it might be just an ordinary crack with a small world behind it, or something like that. I contacted Mr. Zhuang through Senior Brother Zhong. He is good at sealing techniques, and he didn't notice anything unusual. Xiaoman was already dead, and the real Jiujin Mountain Spirit was also..."
"Qiaoqiao?" Tang Butian interrupted Zheng Yuantai.
"Yes, have you contacted her? If she hadn't helped me kill Xiaoman, the situation ten years ago would have been even more difficult to handle."
"She hides in a hospital in Tangjiang City, secretly plundering the last vitality of the dying and enslaving their souls to do things for her." Tang Butian stated without emotion.
Zheng Yuantai's expression turned bitter. "Did she also lie to me?"
"What clues did you discover three years ago?" Tang Butian asked further.
"A Thai businessman fell to his death on the mountain. Shao Lang and I went up the mountain to investigate. He was almost pulled into the crevice. I felt that the flowers in the crevice were somewhat familiar, so I guessed that Xiaoman might still be alive."
"Have you reported it?"
Zheng Yuantai shook his head. "I, I stayed in Chucheng because I made a mistake, but others praised me. It was this false reputation. I, I lived for this false reputation. I was blinded by this false reputation!" His speech speed became faster. "I wanted to make amends secretly. I started to investigate the identity of the foreign businessman. His ancestors were from Chucheng. I thought that perhaps his family had supported Xiaoman before."
The knife marks on the door became increasingly faint.
The scales on the arms are spreading towards the shoulders.
He said: "After the collapse of Mirror Lake, I went up the mountain to check the seal. I turned around and saw Xiaoman standing behind me. Then, I fell in here. I saw this door and a monster. I fought with the monster, but I couldn't kill it. Gradually, I saw my hands and my body turned into the monster. I used the last of my strength with the idea of dying together, but, but, I turned into a monster."
He looked at Tang Butian and said, "Time is running out. Kill me and let me leave cleanly. Then destroy this place. No matter if it's Xiaoman or her accomplices, as long as this place can be destroyed..."
Tang Butian's hand tightly grasped the handle of the wooden sword.
Zheng Yuantai looked into her eyes and said, "Tang Butian, I know you. You are just like your master, with a firm heart. I can die under your sword. I..."
Footsteps were heard from a distance.
Zheng Yuantai heard a man's voice.
"Lose weight, go back and cut some meat to lose weight. Do you think the person who built this passage is a psychopath? He made it so narrow..."
A plump man squeezed in.
Then, Zheng Yuantai saw a flash of silver light in front of his eyes, and a sword fell into his hand. It was his sword.
He raised his head and his eyes met Jiang You's.
"My name is Jiang You, a member of Tangjiang City's Special Branch," Jiang You introduced himself. He asked, "You must be Zheng Yuantai, right? I finally found you."
Just as Zheng Yuantai was about to speak, Tang Butian spoke up and said, "It's been a long time."
"My son is pestering me to tell him a story."
Only then did Zheng Yuantai notice Jiang Mo behind him.
Jiang You walked slowly to the door, half of his face was illuminated by the light from the crack in the door, and the other half was in darkness. He looked at the faint knife marks on the door, and turned his head and asked, "Can you see it?"
"I feel it, but I can't cut it off."
“There is progress.”
"Can you close it?" Tang Butian asked.
Hearing this, Zheng Yuantai's eyes also fell on Jiang You.
Jiang You turned around and looked at Zheng Yuantai. He said, "Gods and demons are all fed with blood. If this door is to be closed, there must be a sacrifice."
Zheng Yuantai heard his own voice, "I am willing to be a sacrifice."
