EHRPS CH208

Outside the mountain gate, the sky reflected iridescent hues.

Flowing clouds transformed into waves the color of glazed glass, carrying a colossal boat marked with tortoiseshell patterns as it broke through the air. The woman standing at the bow wore a light blue robe made of shark silk, fluttering in the wind like smoke. The bell at her waist chimed with a low hum, reminiscent of the ebb and flow of the tide.

The next instant. The massive boat quietly vanished. The people aboard landed on the stone steps before the mountain gate.

Seeing this, Gu Chen and two other disciples stepped forward to greet the leading cultivator. “Fellow Daoist Xiao.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yingqing nodded. A smile appeared on her usually cold face as she replied: “Fellow Daoist Gu, since we parted at the last Immortal Sect Grand Competition, I didn’t expect we’d meet again so soon. This time, you won’t claim victory quite as easily.”

As one of the participants of that righteous assembly and the leading disciple of the Guiqing Sect’s current generation—even though Gu Chen had left the assembly halfway through, he knew perfectly well the true nature of this ‘Immortal Sect Grand Competition.’ He had even volunteered to welcome the guests at the mountain gate.

Of course. He had another reason for not wanting to stay inside the sect. Because of that ‘reason,’ for the past half-month, Gu Chen had busied himself with receiving disciples from various sects and coordinating with members of the Ten Thousand Dharmas Sect to secretly lay down numerous arrays…

Precisely because of this, he hadn’t gone to Lingzhao Peak to pay his respects to his Master during this time. Gu Chen’s mind wandered slightly.…Perhaps he simply didn’t want to hear a certain piece of news spoken from his Master’s own lips, reaching his own ears.

Reining in his thoughts. The smile on Gu Chen’s face retreated imperceptibly, though his tone remained courteous and polite, “To have the honor of experiencing the martial arts of Bixiao Workshop once more, how could Gu Chen dare lower his guard?”

Following that, the two groups exchanged a few more pleasantries. A disciple standing behind Gu Chen stepped forward at the right moment to lead the way, guiding them toward the square to register their information and receive their jade tokens.

As the two groups brushed past each other, the female disciple at the very rear of the Bixiao Workshop procession suddenly bumped into Gu Chen’s arm. Gu Chen subconsciously glanced over.

The female cultivator also turned her head. The beaded strings pinned in her hair traced a silvery-white afterimage in mid-air. Tilting her head, she pursed her lips and smiled at Gu Chen, her eyes as clear as a young deer’s, carrying a hint of apology in her features.

But listening to her soft, gentle laughter, Gu Chen couldn’t help but feel that the trailing notes carried a sticky-sweet lingering quality, inexplicably exuding a touch of coquettishness.

“System, a harvest as expected.” Jin Liuyi, disguised as the youngest disciple of Bixiao Workshop, withdrew her gaze. The mocking laughter in her heart, however, couldn’t be contained.

“Who would have thought that the first-place winner of the last Immortal Sect Grand Competition also couldn’t suppress his evil thoughts, nourishing a demonic seed? Now that the inner demon has broken through the soil, it’ll only grow faster and faster…!”

The system replied promptly: “Once he fails to resist the inner demon’s temptation and commits a grave error, the Host will reap double points. Congratulations, Host.”

Jin Liuyi scoffed internally as she replied, “After all, as long as one is human, they cannot escape the seven emotions and six desires, and cultivators are no exception. Demonic cultivators have no taboos, while the righteous path upholds self-discipline and cautious behavior, constantly suppressing themselves…” “Falling into the demonic path is merely a matter of time.”

“The Host speaks truly.”

However, a few breaths later. Jin Liuyi’s good mood came to an abrupt halt.

Logically speaking, her primary goal in replacing a Bixiao Workshop disciple midway and infiltrating the Guiqing Sect was exactly what the system had urged— To use the ‘Nine Nether Memory-Sealing Mirror’ against Demon Lord Tu Tianba.

Yet, when she followed the group to the center of the square and caught a glimpse of the white-clad youth sitting behind the desk, Jin Liuyi’s heart still gave two violent thumps. It was as if her fear of that person had been carved deep into her soul.

Jin Liuyi’s steps faltered slightly. She barely managed to maintain her original light, sweet expression, though her heart was filled with a mix of shock and terror. “Are those righteous path people useless trash?” “They actually let Tu Tianba infiltrate them?!”

The ancient demonic consciousness disguised as the ‘Villain Cannon Fodder Counterattack System’ was also a bit nervous, but mostly excited and yearning for freedom. Therefore, its tone finally showed some fluctuation: “Host, there is no need to worry. You haven’t been exposed yet!” “Last time in the desolate realm, Tu Tianba letting you leave meant he didn’t want to kill you. You had no interactions with him during that time, so naturally, he won’t suspect you…”

It paused for a moment and emphasized: “Moreover, the Host possesses the ‘Nine Nether Memory-Sealing Mirror.’ As long as you strike before Tu Tianba does, what can he do to you?!”

Hearing this, Jin Liuyi’s heartbeat steadied slightly. “…”

So noisy. After the last person from Bixiao Workshop came to the desk to register her information, Tu Tianba cast a light glance at her. His hands never stopped moving as he remarked casually: “You’re a bit noisy.”

Hearing this, the brow of the young girl—who wore her hair in double spiral buns intertwined with coral beads—twitched slightly. This expression was quickly concealed.

Immediately after, she pointed at herself in confusion and couldn’t help but let out a few silvery laughs. Her dimples rippled, and her cheeks flushed with a faint pink luster. The young girl’s tone was innocent, speaking with genuine bewilderment: “But I clearly didn’t say anything just now…?”

Tu Tianba’s face was completely devoid of expression, yet his eyes revealed a hint of disdain. He leaned his upper body back slightly. “I mean, the sound of your heartbeat is very noisy.”

The other members of Bixiao Workshop waited on the side, listening to the two youthful-looking individuals exchange words, and didn’t interrupt.

Tu Tianba waited for a few breaths, then nodded affirmatively: “It’s even noisier now.”

Having said that, he nonchalantly handed the jade token, now imbued with her spiritual qi and identity information, to the young girl, waving his hand as if shooing a fly. “Alright, you can go now.”

Jin Liuyi took the jade token and quickly put it away, cold sweat nearly dripping from her forehead. Fortunately, her back was turned to the Bixiao Workshop members, otherwise, if they had seen that the jade token the youth just handed over bore the three characters ‘Jin Liuyi’…

Jin Liuyi hurriedly put on a fawning smile. Tu Tianba also smiled. He sat in his chair, clasping his hands behind his head, rocking back and forth. He watched leisurely as the young girl left with her senior martial sisters, showing absolutely no intention of sending a message to the righteous path.

Suddenly, he heard the clever inner demon ask: “Host, didn’t that Gu Fengji tell you that if you discover a demonic cultivator or a disciple prone to falling into the demonic path, you should hold back for now and send him a message after they leave?” “You clearly recognized her, that’s Jin Liuyi!” “You dutifully reported the righteous disciples you found earlier. Don’t tell me you’re planning a backstab? The protagonist will get angry, you know?”

Hearing the inner demon mention Nie Wuhui, Tu Tianba’s movements paused, and he replied silently: “How is that possible? In my eyes, she’s already a dead person!”

“Then…?” Tu Tianba stood up, stretching luxuriously. His apricot eyes slanted upwards slightly, an inscrutable thought flashing within them. “I’m a bit curious about what happened to her. Nine times out of ten, it has something to do with me…” “But I don’t remember.”

Night fell. Following the jade token’s guidance, Jin Liuyi silently arrived at a small mountain peak within the Guiqing Sect. According to the stone monument’s markings, it was likely the training ground for the Guiqing Sect’s outer disciples.

At this hour, the grounds were completely silent. The moonlight was slightly cool, cascading down like a river, enveloping the youth standing in the center of the grounds and giving his back profile an inexplicable touch of softness.

But Jin Liuyi knew that was an illusion. Even with the system’s assistance, and her strength being far greater than before, she still felt an overwhelming wave of terror.

Some people were just like that— Just by standing there, he could make one’s heart palpitate in fear.

Listening to the system ask in her ear, ‘Do you really want to be a cannon fodder forever?’, Jin Liuyi ran a hand over an ornament at her waist and gritted her teeth, stepping forward.

“Vener… Mr. Tu, for what matter have you summoned me?”

Tu Tianba turned around, his pitch-black eyes landing squarely on Jin Liuyi. “I have something I want to confirm with you.”

Jin Liuyi kept her eyes downcast and her expression submissive. “May I ask what matter? This subordinate will certainly answer truthfully.”

Tu Tianba let out an “oh,” “Then tell me, back when I was undergoing the heavenly lightning tribulation, what else did you see?”

As soon as his voice fell. The Cannon Fodder Counterattack System suddenly sensed something wrong and roared urgently in her ear: “Hurry and activate the Nine Nether Memory-Sealing Mirror! If you hesitate for even a second, you’ll die!!”

Hearing this, Jin Liuyi tightly grasped the circular ornament hanging from her waist by a silver chain. The object instantly transformed into two palm-sized bronze mirrors, but in the next instant— There was no one in front of her.

Immediately after, she heard Tu Tianba’s voice coming from behind her. The person chuckled twice, his tone smug and composed: “I knew you wouldn’t tell me.” “Good thing I decided early on to see for myself.”

Before the words had even settled, Tu Tianba’s hand was already resting on the crown of the young girl’s head. The movement was light, yet Jin Liuyi felt an overwhelming, bone-chilling horror!

What shocked her even more was— She heard the Cannon Fodder Counterattack System, which had claimed it would help her defy the heavens and change her fate, cursing in exasperation: “Useless trash! I only needed you to shine the mirror on Tu Tianba, and you still managed to fail?! If I had known, I wouldn’t have parasitized you. If you want to die, die alone!” “I won’t keep you company!”

Fortunately, after refining nearly a hundred righteous disciples earlier, its strength had recovered a bit, enough to conceal its aura. And fortunately, there was a host with an inner demon seed nearby!It was no low-tier demonic seed that could only wait to be refined upon encountering Tu Tianba! “…”

Amidst an extreme agony that felt as if her soul were being melted by yin fire, Jin Liuyi only felt something swiftly leave her body, while her memories were flipped through like inanimate objects by the person behind her—

A moment later. Tu Tianba withdrew his hand, letting her collapse unconscious to the ground. With a somewhat peculiar expression, he stroked his chin and asked: “Inner demon, you said earlier that your title was ‘Ex-Husband Roleplay System,’ right?”

Inside the system space. Hearing this sentence out of the blue, the white orb was stunned for a moment before replying: “That’s right. But hasn’t the Host never called me ‘system’? You always call me ‘inner demon’.”

Tu Tianba nodded and continued to ask: “Jin Liuyi’s inner demon said its name was the ‘Villain Cannon Fodder Counterattack System’. That sounds quite similar to yours…”

As soon as his voice fell. With a zing, N001 restored itself from a flat pancake of light into an orb. Its inorganic electronic voice fluctuated wildly, “Holy crap! Where did this bootleg system come from!” “It’s an inner demon, it’s definitely an inner demon!!”

Tu Tianba nodded, saying: “It is indeed an inner demon.”

He had thoroughly reviewed the entirety of Jin Liuyi’s memories over the past ten years, finally understanding exactly what had transpired on the day of the heavenly lightning tribulation three years ago.

Not only that, he had also learned of… The incomplete book pages Jin Liuyi had obtained through her inner demon.

They recorded future events concerning Jin Liuyi. Reading between the lines, it revealed that the immortal and demonic paths were slaughtering each other. And that Nie Wuhui was the Child of Destiny.

He closed his eyes. Jin Liuyi’s third-person perspective surfaced in his mind, as if he were seeing with his own eyes the white-robed man stepping in to face the heavenly lightning tribulation on his behalf, only to be struck away by his frenzied self, and subsequently struck by the lightning whip.…It must have hurt a lot.

Tu Tianba suddenly really wanted to see Nie Wuhui.

He pondered for a moment, then tied up the now-un-disguised Jin Liuyi, ensuring the knot’s end was a neat and exquisite bow. Following that, he picked up the curved bronze mirror from the ground, stowed it in his sleeve, and used an evasion technique to fly straight toward Lingzhao Peak.

Outside the wooden cottage. Tu Tianba placed the ‘apology gift’ outside the door, then quietly pushed the door open and entered.

Nie Wuhui was still regulating his breath and cultivating. Stacks of spirit stones and spirit crystals surrounded him, and his cultivation had nearly recovered to the Mahayana stage. Having eaten and lived together for three years, Nie Wuhui was intimately familiar with his aura. With Tu Tianba intentionally concealing his presence, Nie Wuhui wouldn’t be on guard against his approach.

Tu Tianba crouched by the bed, gazing at the man’s serene face with closed eyes. He spoke silently in his heart: “System.” “The book you gave me isn’t the complete version, is it? I want to read the rest of the story.” “—Right now.”