Chapter 215 — Killing the Master

Master Shui Jing continued: "The three of us watching from hiding had long since lost our heads, and now, seeing the sect master suddenly turn on the two senior brothers and strike with murderous hands, we were utterly at a loss. Yet just as the two seemed about to perish under Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi's palms, Senior Brother Daoyan suddenly twisted about, still clinging to the sect master's leg, and in an instant had swung himself behind Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi's back. Quick as lightning, he had locked the sect master's arms, and at the same time a brilliant blue light blazed from his whole body, holding Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi fast." "Senior Brother Wan seemed not to have expected this, and froze for a moment. But though Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi was mad, his cultivation remained, and with his hands pinned by Senior Brother Daoyan, he lashed out with a kick that sent Senior Brother Wan flying. Senior Brother Wan flew a full two zhang and spat out a mouthful of blood." "The scene was changing violently now, and the three of us stood dumb as fools, staring blankly, with no notion of what to do. Then we heard Senior Brother Daoyan shout: 'Junior Brother Wan, why do you not act?' At these words Senior Brother Wan visibly began to tremble all over, yet he did not move, his eyes fixed deadly on his master and Senior Brother Daoyan." "Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi was of profound cultivation and fought back with all his strength. Though Senior Brother Daoyan still held the master fast, within moments his face flushed crimson and he too spat out several mouthfuls of blood, while the blue light on his body dimmed with extreme swiftness—clearly, in those days his cultivation still fell short of Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi's by some margin. At that moment, just as Senior Brother Daoyan seemed about to fail, a white shadow suddenly flashed past—it was Senior Brother Wan... The three of us watched transfixed as Senior Brother Wan gave a mad roar and came hurtling from afar; with a sharp cry, his Dragon-Slaying Sword was already in his hand, and he drove it straight through Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi's chest!" Dead silence fell over the little hut, as though it were that bleak night of old, the hush after the tragedy, the pain left in the wake of surging killing intent, all sunk into soundlessness.

Lu Xueling's face was pale, and after a long while she said in a low voice: "The sect records say that Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi passed away in meditation a hundred years ago before the ancestral tablets in the... in the Ancestral Hall, and on his deathbed passed the leadership to Uncle-Master Daoyan." Master Shui Jing gave a bitter laugh, shook her head, and said in a low voice: "Witnessing that tragedy within the sect, with the two who had slain their master being none other than the two senior brothers we revered most in daily life—I, Junior Sister Su, and Tian Buhui were utterly bereft of our senses, at a loss. In her agitation Junior Sister Su even made some small noise by accident. But perhaps because they had just killed their master and were themselves overwrought, they did not notice us. After gazing at each other for a long time, the two of them slowly knelt before Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi's body and spoke together. From their words, we three finally learned the true cause of this tragedy. It turned out that within our sect, the peerless divine weapon passed down from Patriarch Qingye, the Ancient Sword of Immortal Slaying, held an immense secret: though this divine sword destroyed all demons and evils, perhaps because it had slain too much and too greatly, as the years deepened the blade itself had come to possess a strange demonic nature. Once the wielder roused the full spiritual might of the sword, he would suffer the backlash of the sword's demonic spirit, which would gradually seize control of his mind, making him cruel and murderous—and no matter how high one's cultivation, none could withstand it. From the dying instructions left by Patriarch Qingye, every presiding master of the Canglan Sect has known this secret, and all have striven to avoid using the sword. But Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi, pressed by the urgency of the great war, had no choice but to use it to unleash the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation; afterward, though he sealed the sword at once and disciplined his heart in cultivation, he could not escape this calamity. While Uncle-Master Tian Chengzi was still lucid, he secretly told this secret to his two most favored disciples, Senior Brother Daoyan and Senior Brother Wan Jiangu—first because he had always trusted these two above all, and second because, were he to tell only one, and something went wrong, he feared his own cultivation was too high for a single man to restrain him. And in the end, it came to this..." At this, Lu Xueling's heart gave a sudden jolt; she jerked up her head and said urgently: "Master, then now... the present Sect Master Daoyan, has he—has he also..." Master Shui Jing gave a long sigh and nodded silently, and Lu Xueling was struck dumb.

Master Shui Jing was silent a long while, then said faintly: "Within ten years, Senior Brother Daoyan has used the Ancient Sword of Immortal Slaying twice; this time, with the calamity of the beast-demons, he opened every Heavenly Mechanism Lock on the seven peaks of Mount Canglan, driving the power of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation to its utmost. The backlash of the demonic spirit can well be imagined. In truth I had long suspected as much—only that ten years ago, Senior Brother Daoyan had already used the sword once and yet seemed untroubled by the backlash, so I clung to a vain hope, thinking his cultivation deep enough that he might weather this calamity too. Alas, he... fate, fate!" Lu Xueling was silent a moment, then said: "Master, such an immense secret—why tell it to your disciple? Is there some grave matter you would entrust to me?" Master Shui Jing's expression turned grave; looking at Lu Xueling, she said: "Indeed." Lu Xueling bowed her head slightly: "Your kindness is profound; ten thousand deaths could not repay it. Whatever it is, pray command me." Master Shui Jing looked deeply at Lu Xueling: "Originally this secret was known only to the presiding master of the Canglan Sect. But these past days I have watched Xiao Yichen of the chief line closely, and plainly he does not know it. That leaves only a few in this world who do: Tian Buhui has vanished mysteriously along with Senior Brother Daoyan; Junior Sister Su and Tian Buhui have ever been devoted, and by now she is surely beside herself. So whatever must be done, only I can decide." Lu Xueling lifted her head and glanced at Master Shui Jing, hesitated, then said: "Master, you mean...?" Master Shui Jing said: "Though Senior Brother Daoyan and Tian Buhui have vanished, no one knows where they have gone, or whether they have left Mount Canglan. So I must stay on the mountain; should the two of them appear here, I can act as the moment demands. But at the same time, someone must be sent down the mountain to search. Among my disciples, for firmness of heart and cultivation and aptitude, none can compare with you. This burden can only fall to you." Lu Xueling's face grew solemn, and she slowly knelt before Master Shui Jing. Yet being, after all, a person of keen intelligence, how could she fail to see the implications? After a moment she said in a low voice: "Your command, Master—your disciple obeys. Only... only I do not understand: if you would have me go down the mountain to search for the whereabouts of our two elders, a word from you would suffice. Why tell me this secret as well?" By the end, her voice had begun to tremble faintly.