The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

Master Ye said stubbornly, “If worst comes to worst, I will go back to Head Altar and hide for a while. I have decided, so do not say that again.”

Lady An knew Evil Avatar was uncanny and tyrannical. She had no chance of winning given her strength in case of a face-to-face battle, so she was no longer insisting. “Okay. I will go first with Chen Xiang and the Purple Decease Sword.”

The swordsman was harmonizing Qi-circulation with his legs crossed. The Purple Decease Sword was placed across his knees.

“No way. Without him and the Purple Decease Sword, I will have no chance of killing the old devils of the Ye family. I am pressed for time and can only abandon precious weapons. After I go through it successfully, I will become a real God. Will I be afraid that I have no precious weapon at that time?” Master Ye insistently asked for the Purple Decease Sword.

Lady An pursed her lips, unsatisfied with the Thousand Faced Devilman’s decision. However, she also knew that he was anxious to achieve quick success and receive instant benefits. He would take any opportunity to enhance himself. He dared not to relax or slack off. It was as if he were being constantly chased by fierce floods and savage beasts.

Among the many seeded players originally scattered outside this sect, the Thousand Faced Devilman was the most common and the most hopeless one. Unexpectedly, he had learned Evil Spirit Cultivation. He had also survived after killing many enemies and become an elite of the sect. He was called the Thousand Faced Devilman because his face would change as he frequently changed his body.

“Even if your Evil Avatar breaks through the bottlenecks, you will be in the Half-step Exterior Realm at most. It is not as good as having precious weapons.” Lady An was still unwilling to give up the Purple Decease Sword, even though she did not use the sword. In her opinion, she and the Thousand Faced Devilman would receive a very great reward when they returned to the Head Altar, if they handed in the Purple Decease Sword. The sword had taken shape with the Exterior master’s conception and his warm nourishing day and night, rather than through the accumulation of materials.

Master Ye shook his head and said, “Although we have precious weapons, we can only exercise the power of Half-step Exterior Realm. Moreover, it can only be generated once or twice in battle. If I break through the bottlenecks, my every move will have a similar effect.”

Lady An clenched her teeth and said, “I wish you success. I will wait for you in the usual place.”

Master Ye’s resurrection had a distance limitation, so they had already arranged a hideaway at an earlier time.

“Ok.” Master Ye said no more. He awakened the swordsman and went back to the Ye family.

He knew that his plan had been quelled and it would be almost impossible to complete 90% of the breakthrough. However, once the Ye family was sacrificed, he would be closer to the breakthrough at least. Next time, he needed to not take such a risk and he could easily make a breakthrough.

Looking at Master Ye’s back, Lady An snorted. She grasped Chen Xiang and disappeared in the dark.

If it weren’t for the fact that she did not know if the Thousand Faced Devilman had other Incense Stoves for resurrection, she would kill Chen Xiang and take the treasure and script before the Thousand Faced Devilman arrived. Every time he took action, everything valuable was put on the Incense Stove. After all, his body changed as frequently as his clothes. Nether Spirit could be transferred with the blessing of Evil Avatar, but material objects could not.

…

As Meng Qi and Tang Ren were exiting the alley, they met Qi Zhengyan with a sword.

“…Master Ye died earlier. His body was occupied by a mischievous Evil Spirit Cultivator.” Meng Qi told the whole story. Having had a similar experience, Qi Zhengyan immediately understood.

Qi Zhengyan was still poker-faced. “Evil Spirit Cultivation? It is necessary to inform the Six Fan School, so they can block off the city.”

Seeing this, Tang Ren was slightly touched. “Large sect disciples are really out of the ordinary. Upon hearing about the Evil Spirit Cultivation, he can tell its meaning. However, I only know about Evil Spirit Cultivation. I have had multiple contacts with the Six Fan School while wielding the Lancang Knife in my sixties and seventies.”

Xiaoer had gained rich experience while traveling around. He even knew about Evil Spirit Cultivation.

The three people said nothing and went directly to the Six Fan School. They passed through many bystanders, who had come over because of the loud noise in the Shangshui River Villa.

Meng Qi owned Hallucination Body Movements and Moves of Wind-god’s Legs. In an unchanged situation, he could run as if he was flying and change into a residual shadow. However, Qi Zhengyan owned the Lightness Skill of Huanhua Swords Sect. He elegantly and unconventionally performed with a flutter of his clothes. Walking alongside the two, Tang Ren was like an old countryman, because he could barely catch them, even with his strength of nine Acupores.

“These youth are to be regarded with respect. Why did I never have such an adventure when I was young?” Tang Ren thought as he followed them closely. Suddenly, he called, “Arrester Huang, are you going to the Shangshui River Villa?”

Opposite, a middle-aged man leading several arresters slowed down. He held five locks of long beards. He smiled and said, “Mr. Ren, can you tolerate me?”

The arrester was Huang Zhiqing, the Governor Arrester of Yi City. He was in charge of the Martial Artists Community. He was also a Nine Acupores Master expected to reach the Half-step Exterior Realm. As everyone knew, the imperial court of the Great Jin Dynasty had the most Nine Acupores Masters in the world, far more than any main stream martial arts or aristocratic family. The court made promises of large rewards and high positions to attract many masters. The court required them to be at least experts of the Exterior or Enlightened Master Pros below Great Master.

Rogue Cultivators often preferred to offer service to the imperial court, rather than aristocratic families or sects. In addition to resources and property, they would have rights and social status to manage Jianghu affairs. Moreover, they were not Foreign Officials, so they could be promoted without being subject to blood or inheritance. If one was promoted by doing outstanding service, he could even get the corresponding script from the imperial family.

In addition, there were also Martial Presented Scholars in the imperial court. It was a bright road to stand out for the persons with outstanding abilities. They did not have to depend on sects and aristocratic families. If the resources of the imperial court had not been limited and masters had not gotten used to free and easy life, Rogue Cultivators who could be saved would probably have been recruited by the Six Fan School and the Imperial Guards at an earlier time.

Sects and aristocratic families were certain to take actions to increase the pressure on the Six Fan School. They did this to repress the expansion of its strength and keep its strength at an acceptable standard for all parties. Furthermore, sects and aristocratic families also placed their trusted followers in the Six Fan School and the imperial court. For example, many disciples of the Cui family, which was a branch of Zhenwu disciples, were on the list of Martial Presented Scholars once every three years.

However, in the Six Fan School, a place meant a city including its surrounding villages. One Governor Arrester, two Assistant Arresters, ten Formal Badge Arresters, and ten groups of Constables were arranged. In the county, where the Silver Badge Arrester was in charge of county affairs, his assistant Green-ribbon Arrester, and elite Tigard Arrester were arranged. In a province, the Gold-badge Arrester and Purple-ribbon Arrester were arranged. In the Divine capital, the headquarters of the Six Fan School, eight top Arresters, and a chief arrester conferred with a rank of nobility were arranged.

The name “Head Constable of Six Fan School” was scary enough to many masters in Jianghu. He did not place himself in the Terrestrial Rankings, but he was universally accepted in the top ten of Terrestrial Rankings.

“The battle before was a duel between the Canglang Knife and Purple Decease Sword.” Tang Ren got straight to the point.

“What!?” Huang Zhiqing blurted out. Was their fighting among the four aristocratic families?

Tang Ren said, “Master Ye died. His body was occupied by Evil Avatar, who incited a fight between all the families and Huanhua Swords Sect.”

“Evil Spirit Cultivation?” Huang Zhiqing looked solemn. It was worse than fighting among the aristocratic families. After all, they knew the restraint of behavior and majesty of the imperial court. Evil Spirit Cultivators on the other hand, acted viciously and liked blood sacrifice. If Evil Avatar lost control, the people in the city would be in great misery.

Tang Ren briefly told his bitter experience. Meng Qi added Lady An’s fighting style and the tall man’s palm force.

Huang Zhiqing became more solemn. “From his appearance features and palm techniques, it can be speculated that he is the Iron Hand Devilman, one of the 19 Devilmen of Destruction Sect.”

Meng Qi was surprised. Iron Hand Devilman?

What surprised him was not just that the Six Fan School had collected abundant information and Governor Arrester knew Jianghu people very well, but the words “Iron Hand Devilman”!

The person who had been killed was Iron Hand Devilman. Who was the person he had met on the boat?

Was it a “The Hero Saves a Beauty” type play arranged by Shan Xiumei for gold digging?

Huang Zhiqing felt his surprise and explained briefly, “Iron Hand Devilman and Joy Devilman often haunt in Huan Province, so I know them very well. In the case of other masters, I have to read the materials. So Lady An must be Joy Devilman and the man occupying the body of Master Ye must have been the Thousand Faced Devilman. No wonder. The Thousand Faced Devilman is the most mysterious among the 19 Devilmen. He can change his appearance so the Evil Spirit Cultivation accounted for it.”

He raised his voice to order the Formal Badge Arresters with him.

“You three. Go separately to the Tang family, the Wan family, and the Ling family. Tell their Elders about this matter. Make sure to damage the Incense Stove of Evil Avatar and leave no opportunity for his resurrection. Ask the Elders of the Wan family and the Ling family to respectively take the Prairie Fire Spear and the Cloud-churning Knife and come to the Ye family mansion.”

“You. Go back to the Six Fan School to initiate the City Defense Formation. Send all arresters to block the main roads and search carefully. Do not leave any hideaways for the Evil Avatar’s Incense Stove.”

“You. Go to the Water-expelling Yard to invite Wang Zai to the Ye family. It involves the Wang family, and the Noble Spirit can restrain Evil Avatar, so he has to do us a favor.”

After the arresters left, Huang Zhiqing looked at Meng Qi and the others and said, “Manager Qi, second master Tang, Mr. Ren, I beg you to go to the Ye family with me and see if we can find the trace of Evil Avatar and deal with the Ye family.”

“Ok!” Meng Qi answered. He dreaded the enemy who could resurrect. He was very eager to settle this matter and avoid further trouble.

Qi Zhengyan drew a long face and nodded lightly. Whether the Thousand Faced Devilman was the person he had met during group-rivaling or not, Evil Spirit Cultivators had to die, because it was impossible to guard against them and it went against social harmony.

…

Meng Qi had a different identity and a different mood this time as he revisited the Mansion of the Ye family.

The guards at the gate, who should never leave, even for a moment, had disappeared. No sound came out of the whole mansion. The quietness was frightening and creepy. It was as if some mysterious and gruesome things were being plotted in the forest.

“Be careful!” Huang Zhiqing, as a Governor Arrester, had neither met nor heard of such a situation.

“There is soaring grievance and pervasive murderous aura.” Wang Zai lifted up his long sword and came over. He murmured, “It must be a Sacrifice. We must stop it at once!”

His square face was calm and solemn, but there was a faint hatred in his eyes. When teased by Master Ye, or the Thousand Faced Devilman, he had become angry and red-faced.

At the thought of the scenes inside, they were heavy-hearted. Because the situation was very urgent, they rushed into the mansion of the Ye family.

Wang Zai took the lead, while Meng Qi and the others followed him. On the path up to the mansion, they did not see a single domestic or servant, only the dead bodies of rodents and insects. It was quite daunting.

Outside of the Ye family’s hall, several corpses were neatly placed. The dead looked pale as if their blood had been drained, yet there was no trace of blood on the ground.

Wang Zai slowed down and stepped into the hall. He saw a man surrounded by black gas inside a mountain of corpses. Around him, blood shook fiercely and was completely integrated into his body.

Before him, the Purple Decease Sword floated, enveloped by bloodiness. Having failed to sense the family crisis, it had been activated by itself.

“Do you come here to worship the true God?”

In the appearance of Master Ye, the Thousand Faced Devilman shouted solemnly and insanely. The sound made the roof tremble and dust fall.