Chapter 44: The Great Camity of Huaixu

  Hanging Fate Valley stretched straight and deep, cutting across a thousand mountains and tless peaks. All the water veins of these mountains verged here, f a great river that rushed on without end.

  On both sides of the great river, water seeped through the gaps in the raised stone banks. Dark green aquatic grass spread over the rocks, waiting for the arrival of the rainy season.

  Following the guidance of the Sword Spirit, An Jing stepped into the depths of Hanging Fate Valley.

  The fog grew thicker.

  Bckish mist pervaded the valley, f a yer of faint haze over the surface of the sandy rock walls. The river water flowed forth from the deep darkness, c the sound of footsteps.

  Legend said that during an a camity, a Sword Immortal once slew demons here. Over the long ages, the sword and demonic qi that onihe spanned heaven ah had been worn away and hidden in the mountains ah veins.

  “Just up ahead.”

  The Sword Spirit’s voice rang out in his mind. The main figure of that legendary tale now dwelled within An Jing, enshrouding him in a power that easily pushed aside the inky demoniergy. At most, he only felt faint threads of chill.

  “Fuxie, where are my Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters right now? Are they all right?”

  “They’re right around the altar, in one of the hundred Sword Caverns from back then. They’re doing quite well,” the Sword Spirit replied, and An Ji somewhat relieved.

  Bai Qinghan had taken a quarter of all survivors and nearly everyone who had awakeheir Heaven-Ordained Fate a. This shocked An Jing greatly, but he could still uand it.

  Great ’s ina in the Northern Border was indeed extremely…extremely inhumane.

  Even so, he knew very well that no matter how terrifyingly rotten a deg dynasty became, it was still a tad more reasohan a demonic sect that literally ed people.

  …Maybe? Sigh, damn it, why is everything so messed up! Two heaps of filthy mud—how do you even pare which is worse?

  Truthfully, An Jing did not want to choose either side, but with the situation as it was, he could only wait and see.

  At least before the Frost Camity, the people of the Northern Border had not been suffering. One could even say it was orderly. Occasionally, there was even news of a sage in court striving food governano one kly what had happened freat , once so thriving and prosperous, to end up this det.

  An Jing did not wish to bme his Junior Brothers and Sisters who chose the demonic sect—within a demonic sect, ordinary Children of Camity generally ended up with grim fates, but Bai Qinghan and the other Heaven-Ordained Fate awakeners would at least beid- to high-level members of the administration.

  That kind of position was far better than drifting about i . It was only natural they would choose the demonic sect.

  He just hoped that before leaving, Bai Qinghan had not done anything terrible to Gu Yeqi or g Linzu and the others.

  Fortunately, she had not.

  “Brother Jing!”

  When An Jing, guided by the Sword Spirit, reached a cave entrance hiddeh a giant boulder in the depths of the valley, he saw a slender figure pag outside, nervously watg the dire of the valley’s entrance.

  Upon catg sight of An Jing, Gu Yeqi’s eyes lit up at once. She hurried to meet him a out a relieved breath. “You’re finally back… Huh? Did Qinghan and the others not return with you?”

  She had no idea when Bai Qinghan and the rest left and simply thought they had willingly stayed outside to cover An Jing.

  “…They chose the other side.”

  When An Jing opened his mouth, he looked at the young woman who was still peering behind him, waiting for her best friend to appear. After a short pause, he told her the truth. “I killed the Medie Manor Lord, but Qinghan still chose the demonic sect… She and the others left with the remaining instructors.”

  “What?” Gu Yeqi’s eyes went wide in disbelief. “You killed the Manor Lord?”

  With her excmation, g Linzu and the other Children of Camity, who heard An Jing’s footsteps and came out of the cave, were all equally stunned. “Senior Brother, you killed the Manor Lord?!”

  “Your strength… turned out to be that powerful?!”

  “Is that really the point here?” An Ji exasperated. He had not expected that none of them cared about Bai Qinghan’s departure and instead marveled at his power.

  But thinking it over, it made sehe Children of Camity had long had their worldview altered. Bai Qinghan leaving was just that—who among them had not experienced a close panion being eliminated during training? Giveruth now, some had died halfway through, too.

  They were already used to loss, whily made them value power more.

  “It might be a good thing, anyway. At least Qinghan awakened her Heaven-Ordained Fate…”

  Aside from Gu Yeqi, who stared sadly at the valley entrance over losing a close friend, none of the others seemed bothered at all.

  “This is ‘mo’—the ‘mo’ (魔) of apathy (漠), and the ‘mo’ (魔) of silence (默).”

  Though they had left the demonic sect, these Junior Brothers and Sisters still had not ged their way of thinking… Or rather, An Jing realized that the reason they were willing to defect from the sect was not that they uood An Jing’s aoward its cruelty but that they simply trusted him more.

  They did not truly prehend An Jing’s e; they merely followed him because he was rebelling.

  “Don’t be too upset. Before she left, she asked me to vey her apology… Everyone has their oirations.”

  Regaining his posure, An Jing forted Gu Yeqi, then instructed everyone, “You all must tio wait here for a while.”

  “The manuards are still fighting the Red Armuards. Great ’s forces won’t distinguish whether we’re i or part of the demonic sect. Before things settle down, don’t move around at will.”

  “If it turns out Great ’s side isn’t any good either, I’ll look for a ce to lead us away. The area around Hanging Fate Valley doesn’t have many savage beasts, and there are some vilges. I’m fident I keep you alive for a while.”

  He was not just boasting. An Jing was now somewhat of a martial artist, aill had firearms and bullets. The Children of Camity were all strong in body, versed in martial skills and cooperation. As long as they avoided notid with the Sword Spirit’s guida was entirely possible for them to live he mountains for a time.

  “Big Brother…” g Linzu frow this. “Yoing off alone again? ’t y me along? I at least do something!”

  “It’s too dangerous. Though your strength is det, you haven’t even reached Internal Energy, so you’re not qualified to go with me.”

  g Linzu was ialented—his strength was already close to the Internal Energy level. If not for An Jing’s influence weakening the demonic aura behind their tributions, he would have had a seventy hty pert ce of awakening a Heaven-Ordained Fate, just like Gu Yeqi.

  So An Jing patiently expined, “There’s a dungeon in the depths of the manor in the eastern hills. Many of our Junior Brothers and Sisters who were ‘eliminated’ but not yet ‘dealt with’ by the demonic sect are likely still locked up inside. I o che them. With the estate on fire and nobody to rescue them, they might be burned alive.”

  “Once I firm you’re all right, I’ll set off and see how many others I save.”

  After a few more words and calming the Children of Camity, An Jing turo leave.

  Gu Yeqi and g Linzu both khat when An Jing made a decision, he would not waver. Naturally, they did not try to stop him and instead acted as his lieutenants, helping the wounded among their panions and ing their injuries.

  Just as the Sword Spirit had said, the altar y right by the cave where the Children of Camity were sheltering. It was hidden in another fissure covered by river rocks and water grass.

  This fissure was wholly natural. At first g looked like a normal cra the rock wall, but that was an illusion. It was extremely narrow at the entra gradually widened, f a natural corridor.

  Oher side of that corridor were a murals. Most had been washed away by the river’s rising currents over time, but An Jing could still make out a story of an Immortal who destroyed demons and protected the people.

  In aimes, Huaixu faced a great camity. From the Nine Heavens above, tless Heavenly Demons desded to the mortal realm. They brought strife, disasters, aru, causing nations to colpse, the world’s winds and rains to fall into disarray, tless races to bee extinct, and endless war and hatred among those who remained.

  To fight these Heavenly Demons, the Immortal Gods who had once asded to the Immortal Heaven all returo the human world, guiding mortal beings to resist the demons.

  Among them was one Immortal God who wielded a long bde of azure steel and traveled the nd, subduing evil and banishing demons.

  (End of Chapter)