Translator: Rosana
Editor: PlayerProphet
Since both the Sect Head and elders were dead, Bai Yang felt assured that he could sense the entire Black Cloud Gate area just fine. He couldn’t know what he couldn’t see, but once he saw it, he’d be surprised. In a house not far away, five people had died. Judging from their clothes, they were all elders of the Black Cloud Gate Sect. Adding the four dead people in the graveyard, all of the Black Cloud Gate Sect’s elders and its’ Head had died. In another room of the house, people had been poisoned into unconsciousness. They seemed to be the younger generation. Perhaps they were the personal disciples or children of the elders.
As for who did it, he knew without a shadow of a doubt.
Bai Yang turned and looked at the fawning Elder Qiu. “Even killing your own colleagues? I suspect that you’re actually a demon.”
Elder Qiu’s expression flickered, before he smiled again and said, “If you don’t remove the roots with the weed, it’ll grow back in the spring. Only by clearing out all my opponents can I be safe.”
Bai Yang smiled an extremely evil smile. “If all the elders except for you are dead, how will you clear their suspicions?”
Elder Qiu paused, before changing his expression. Smiling, he said, “Thank you Lord Xie for your reminder. I suppose I’ll let the others go. They don’t know anything, anyway.”
Bai Yang didn’t want to talk anymore, so he brought his people and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
After hurrying to Luo Jian Feng’s base, Bai Yang was exhausted. He half-heartedly ordered his subordinates to handle the aftermath and entered his room to rest.
“Sir, you’re not happy?” Xiao Ling asked in his mind.
“After killing so many people, why should I be happy?” Bai Yang frowned.
“Sir, they’re all only just sets of data.” Xiao Ling advised.
Bai Yang was silent before he heaved a sigh. “I know, but I still feel uneasy in my heart.”
After all, they all looked like living humans. They could talk and move, perfectly realistic.
“Sir, you’re doing your best,” Xiao Ling said. “Originally, Elder Qiu was going to kill everyone, but you saved their children. Just now, I was scared you’d lose control and say something inhumane, but you held back. Sir, you’re doing great! They must be killed. No matter how you try to save them, they will still have to die.”
“But didn’t you say that just like I can die, so can the Male Lead? Doesn’t that mean those people could have also lived?”
“Sir, you don’t have to think so hard.” Xiao Ling was very worried. “Everything you’ve done has been forced. You only killed sets of data, a bunch of NPCs. It’s no big deal. Think about your parents and brother. They’re still waiting for you in reality, so you need to lift your spirits and focus on completing your mission.”
Bai Yang massaged the bridge of his nose. “Rest assured, I will complete the mission.”
Xiao Ling knew that some things you need to think over by yourself, so it stopped talking.
Bai Yang had used up a lot of energy and also felt depressed at heart. He lay on his bed, tossing and turning, but still couldn’t fall asleep. It wasn’t until dawn that he was finally able to drift off.
On the second day, Luo Jian Feng came. The moment he saw Bai Yang, he asked, “How did the mission go?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“It looks like his Highness’s plans have taken a step forward.” Luo Jian Feng didn’t seem surprised as he spoke with a smile.
“This mission has been completed. Is there anything else?” Bai Yang said, flatly.
“Nothing right now.”
“Is there any news regarding the other three boundary pillars?”
Luo Jian Feng’s expression turned serious and he shook his head. “Not yet. Rest assured, if there’s any news of the boundary pillars, I’ll inform you as fast as I can.”
Luo Jian Feng was polite towards Bai Yang, mainly because Bai Yang had been personally ordered by the Demon King to help Luo Jian Feng complete his mission. It was like the prince entering town. Every action Luo Jian Feng took could be reported to the Demon King of Eternal Night by Xie Ze Tian. Naturally, Luo Jian Feng had to be polite to him.
The two chattered for a while before Luo Jian Feng suddenly turned around and asked, “Right, does Lord Xie know Zhou Ying?”
Zhou Ying?
Bai Yang paused and was surprised. Why would Luo Jian Feng suddenly ask such a question?
“Zhou Ying? Who is Zhou Ying?” Bai Yang’s reaction time was quite fast, so he furrowed his brows and acted confused.
“Last time in the Hidden Flower Mirage, remember that teen you kicked off the cliff?”
Bai Yang’s heart pounded like a drum, but he tried to calm himself and said, “I remember now. Why did you suddenly bring this up?”
Luo Jian Feng’s eyes were sharply trained on Bai Yang, as though he was searching for something. “You know he’s not dead, right?”
“What?” Bai Yang pretended to be shocked and he, as though he couldn’t believe it, said, “He didn’t die? How is that possible?”
“Yeah, I also felt that it was impossible.” There was a double meaning hidden in Luo Jian Feng’s tone. “He’s lucky that the first time in the Hidden Flower Mirage, Lord Xie didn’t kill him. But a second time he still isn’t killed by Lord Xie on the Heavenly Execution Stage. He’s a little too lucky, don’t you think?”
Bai Yang’s mind was in a mess.
He almost forgot!
Luo Jian Feng knew he didn’t kill the Male Lead in the Hidden Flower Mirage, and at the Heavenly Execution Stage!
I was so focused on hiding it from the Demon King, I forgot about Luo Jian Feng, this hidden threat.
“What do I do, Xiao Ling?” Bai Yang panicked at the sudden interrogation.
“Calm down, Sir. In this type of situation, you mustn’t change your expression.” Xiao Lin said.
“I can act calm, but I have to come up with a solution!” Bai Yang said.
Xiao Ling said, “I don’t know, either.”
Bai Yang: “Quickly, help me think of something!”
Xiao Ling: “Sir, I really can’t think of anything! Besides, this is Sir’s test, not mine. Sir should try to think of a solution by yourself.”
Bai Yang: “…Can you not drop the ball during such a critical time?”
Xiao Ling had a retort for everything, “I am a system. Systems can help only when necessary. If I helped you with every difficulty, why would you be here? Then why are you doing this test? What are you gaining from this?”
Bai Yang: “…”
It made so much sense that he couldn’t think of anything to argue back with.
If others can’t help you, you can only help yourself.
Think of a solution, think of a solution…
Yes, there must be a solution.
Bai Yang forced himself to calm down and, with his brain running at full speed, he thought of a solution. Feigning surprise, he said, “The teenager on the Heavenly Execution Stage? Which teen? There were so many people on the Heavenly Execution Stage, I didn’t recognize him.”
Luo Jian Feng raised his eyebrow. “He was getting punished on the Heavenly Execution Stage, but then Lord Xie kidnapped him. Did you forget?”
Bai Yang was very shocked. “So you’re saying that boy who was carrying the Dragon Blade on the Heavenly Execution Stage was also the boy in the Hidden Flower Mirage?”
Luo Jian Feng, who had been carefully observing Bai Yang’s expression, answered with a smile. “Yes, that was him.”
“How is that possible?” Bai Yang couldn’t believe it, “He didn’t die?”
“I felt it was impossible, too.” Luo Jian Feng said. “That boy, Zhou Ying, was a low-level disciple of the Soaring Clouds Sect. In the Hidden Flower Mirage, when you kicked him off the cliff, not only did he survive, he gained the Dragon Blade. When he was going to be executed, he was saved by you again. And then, when you caught him, you didn’t kill him yourself. Not everyone has that kind of luck.”
Bai Yang was deep in thought, his expression unreadable. He furrowed his brows. “It is indeed strange. But on that day, in the Hidden Flower Mirage, I didn’t pay attention to what he looked like. Later, at the Heavenly Execution Stage, I only kidnapped him because I wanted to steal the Dragon Blade. Who would have thought that they’re the same person?”
“Lord Xie, since you wanted to steal the Dragon Blade, why didn’t you do anything?” Luo Jian Feng, step by step, led the conversation to the core of the problem.
Bai Yang’s heart was shaking, but he kept his tone steady. “You might not know this, but that boy’s life has already intertwined with the Dragon Blade. If you wanted to remove it by force, the Dragon Blade would self-destruct. That’s why I didn’t kill him, does Lord Luo understand?”
Luo Jian Feng frowned. “Really?”
Bai Yang barked a cold laugh. “Why did you think I let him go? Because I pitied him?”
That last sentence was deliberate. With Xie Ze Tian’s personality, that action was impossible.
Luo Jian Feng thought about it, thinking of Xie Ze Tian’s previous behavior and laughed. “It looks like I misunderstood you.”
“What did you misunderstand?” Bai yang quirked a brow.
Luo Jian Feng waved his hand and said with a smile, “Not a misunderstanding, I merely had some doubts in my heart. I couldn’t understand why you saved him, so I thought I misunderstood your intentions.”
Bai Yang relaxed along with Luo Jian Feng’s tone, knowing that the interrogation had ended. He secretly released the breath he was holding.
Luo Jian Feng turned and asked. “The Dragon Blade really can’t be taken”
Bai Yang thought, Turns out the thing he was worried about was this.
“So far, that seems to be the case,” Bai Yang knew, in order to regain Luo Jian Feng’s faith, Bai Yang had to come up with something practical. “It might change in the future.”
“What do you mean?” Luo Jian Feng raised an eyebrow.
Bai Yang said, “The Dragon Blade and Zhou Ying’s life are linked, so if one is killed, the other will follow suit. However, once Zhou Ying reaches the Nascent Soul stage and his body is reborn, then wouldn’t the connection would be broken naturally?”
This world’s cultivation stages were the Golden Core Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, Ascension Stage, Spirit Division Stage, Body Reunion Stage, Mahayana Stage, and the River Crossing Stage.
The stages before the Nascent Soul Stage were for setting your foundations. A person would age at the same rate as an average person. During and after the Nascent Soul Stage, your body and soul would be reformed, and you would experience a rebirth. After that, you would be more vigorous and the speed of aging greatly decreased.
Luo Jian Feng paused and reacted a moment later. He smiled and said, “You’re right! Good! Good!”
And then he started to laugh.
Looks like he’s in a good mood.
With a blank expression, Bai Yang thought, Male Lead, I didn’t expose you on purpose, but your secret would have been discovered sooner or later. Don’t blame me!
Rather, he had relaxed too soon.
Thank you for the chapter!
Thanks for the hard work love the story ^_^
Thanks for the translation! I can’t wait for the next chapter 😆
Thanks for the chapter
Not gonna lie, when he was trying to come up with an excuse, I thought Bai Yang was gonna pull the “because he’s handsome” or “I love him” card like he accidentally did with the Demon King.
The MC did a good job saving himself just now. Somehow, I feel like Luo Jian Feng’s suspicions still won’t be put to rest so easily.
Thanks a lot for the update😋😙
waiting for an update patiently.
Love the story😍
Thank you for the chapter!
Thank you for the chapter and translating❤️
I dunno but I’m liking xiao ling less and less. this system is unreliable and seems to hide so many things, insisting that things are just a bunch of data. or am I just overthinking?