Beginning with the Ubume Bird
Chapter 662 - Chapter 662 Chapter 48 Who is Loyal and Who is Treacherous

Chapter 662: Chapter 48: Who is Loyal and Who is Treacherous Chapter 662: Chapter 48: Who is Loyal and Who is Treacherous “`

Xue Wenhai subconsciously retorted, “What did you say?”

As soon as his words fell, the “Liandouming” in Qian Wu’s hand emitted a faint glow, and the sketched features on it exerted an inexplicable pulling force. It cleansed all the surrounding Life Fiend from the paintings and even refused to spare the malevolent energy emanating from the wounds of “Filial Piety without Descendants.” As more and more malevolent energy rushed to enter the Mingzha, blood-colored meridians sprouted from the “Liandouming,” spreading outward and morphing into a tall crown, robes, and a feather fan, a spitting image of a scholar’s attire. In contrast, the “Filial Piety without Descendants” no longer had its majestic appearance, with its once distinct flag, cap, and soap robes now a blurred mass.

[Heavenly Marrow Life-Continuation Chronicles, Volume 12: Myriad Assembly of Humanity’s Prime]

Category: Code

Quality: Special

Refined from materials such as the Four Pillars Divine Fiend, soul, blood-bound spirit bodies, and Yan Fu Heritage into an inconceivable magical device.

Li Yan suddenly remembered the damaged “Zhenjun Wuzao” in his hand. The so-called Myriad Assembly of Humanity’s Prime astonishingly resembled the “artifact refining” of the Jie Master.

“It really is the Myriad Assembly of Humanity’s Prime…”

Xue Wenhai muttered softly, and in an instant, his gray eyes lost all their luster.

“Filial Piety without Descendants” howled and instinctively lunged at “Liandouming,” but before it could get far, Xue Wenhai closed his eyes and suddenly bit his tongue, spewing a mouthful of warm blood onto the ground. The blood mist evaporated in the air, “Filial Piety without Descendants” swelled and exploded, scattering into a mess resembling a high-explosive poison gas bomb. It threatened to harm not only Li Yan and Qian Wu but also Xue Wenhai and the unconscious Ye Shiru.

Qian Wu was taken aback; he threw the “Liandouming” in front of him forward and stamped his right foot, while forming a hand seal.

The exploding malevolent energy was halted just in time. A few seconds later, and it would have engulfed both Xue Wenhai and Ye Shiru.

Xue Wenhai gazed at the surging malevolent energy before him and closed his eyes with a sense of defeat, “No need for the spirit-attracting yellow talisman to contain the Condor, your Myriad Assembly of Humanity’s Prime is already quite accomplished. Impressive. When did you learn Myriad Assembly of Humanity’s Prime?”

Qian Wu responded unflinchingly, “Three years ago when the stars shifted, did I ever say I only comprehended ‘Alter Fate on Behalf of Heaven’ that night?”

After hearing this, Xue Wenhai lowered his head and stayed silent, seemingly having given up resistance.

“Also, why do you want to gather all Four Pillars Divine Fiend? Such a practice has never been recorded in the traditions of the Heavenly Marrow Lineage.”

Qian Wu pressed on with his questions.

Xue Wenhai smirked coldly, even though he was at his wit’s end, his words still carried a hint of mockery, “With your high talent, junior brother, having learned both the peerless secrets Alter Fate on Behalf of Heaven and Myriad Assembly of Humanity’s Prime, why don’t you take a guess?”

He held Ye Shiru tightly in his arms and smiled at Li Yan, “Comrade Li Yan, although I still don’t understand why you are so determined to see me dead, you can take action now.”

Li Yan, however, was not in a hurry to act but instead probed, “Yang Baojin of Huamao Group is my good friend. Of course, I wouldn’t let you off for targeting her.”

“`

“Gu Yuan Fiend? How did you know?” Xue Wenhai finally revealed a look of realization. He instinctively asked a question, but quickly came to his senses, smiled bitterly, and shook his head, “None of that matters anymore.”

Li Yan silently noted Xue Wenhai’s expression in his heart and said no more.

Xue Wenhai unbuttoned the top two buttons of his collar and lazily stretched his neck, “Junior brother! I left a pinky finger in Elder Jin’s tomb. When Elder Jin is reburied, could you do your senior brother the favor of retrieving my pinky and burying it with my corpse to leave me intact? Would that settle our fraternity as fellow disciples?”

Qian Wu’s eyebrows twisted into a ‘Chuan’ character, “Even ants cling to life. You have done nothing but evil, and your death is well-deserved. Even now, you show no repentance? Even if you care not for yourself, don’t you think about your goddaughter? Ye Shiru was born under the Heavenly Yi which promised a bright future, but due to your corrupting influence, her prospects are now ruined. Do you not feel the slightest guilt?”

Pausing, Qian Wu continued, “I know you, you’d rather die than turn informant; I won’t persuade you. Just tell me where you’ve stored the magical artifacts you’ve crafted with the Myriad Assembly of Humanity’s Prime over the years, and where you’ve hidden the Life Fiends. I’ll take good care of your goddaughter.”

Upon hearing this, Xue Wenhai burst into laughter, tears almost streaming down his face. He beckoned with his hand while laughing, “Good! Good! I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you everything. But, as clever as a hare, I have too many places where I’ve hidden corpses; you’re too old and muddled to remember, give me a pen and I will write it down for you.”

Without a word, Qian Wu reached into his pocket, pulled out a pen, and threw it over. The black pen rolled across the floor, stopping by Xue Wenhai’s hand.

Xue Wenhai pulled out the pen, felt its shiny nib, and suddenly sighed. He caressed Ye Shiru’s cheek with the back of his hand and whispered, “Though the Heavenly Yi is broken by the Three Oddities, it will return after a month or so of rest. Junior brother, you must keep your promise. Take good care of her for me.”

“I will have her observe mourning for you,” Qian Wu replied.

Xue Wenhai nodded his head, gripping the pen in his hand.

Li Yan, who had been somewhat inattentive, felt something was wrong and looked up. He saw Xue Wenhai holding the pen, its sharp nib aimed at Ye Shiru’s carotid artery, and without hesitation, he thrust it cleanly. Li Yan reacted instantly, rushing over and kicking Xue Wenhai’s chest so hard that it collapsed. Xue Wenhai coughed up fresh blood, yet his face was awash with an uncontrollable, crazed smile.

The bloody pen was half-embedded in Ye Shiru’s neck, a shocking sight. Had Li Yan been a moment later, allowing Xue Wenhai to pull it out, it would have been nearly impossible to save her with modern medical techniques.

“Hahahahaha~”

Xue Wenhai spit out chunks of his organs, his eyes shining brighter than ever, “All those grand plans of yours, expecting Heavenly Yi to be your heir? Dream on! The things I couldn’t have, you, Qian Wuyuan, should not even dream of obtaining!”

Qian Wu rushed to Ye Shiru, lifted her upper body, his face veins popping and voice trembling, “You are utterly heartless!”

Xue Wenhai’s face was distorted with ferocity, “Victors become kings, losers outlaws. I’m merely less skilled. Ultimately, it is you who are more adept. But you are so hypocritical. You keep saying that ‘Alter Fate on Behalf of Heaven’ harms cosmic harmony, but then tell me, how did you acquire the Taiji Noble? You speak of my goddaughter being corrupted by proximity to me, but what about Pei Dongsheng? With his geomancy tricks, he seduced his own master’s wife, took bribes to work for the Chen family, bankrupted their business rivals, driving an entire family to suicide. He also deceived and seduced women under the guise of blessing ceremonies. Within just three years, he climbed over corpses to success. Who has he been close to, I wonder?”

Each word from Xue Wenhai stabbed into Qian Wu’s heart. Qian Wu, with an aching throat and reddened eyes, replied, “It’s my failure that I did not teach him well, but Dongsheng died a violent death and has already faced retribution.”

“I doubt that,” said Xue Wenhai.

With Xue Wenhai on the brink of death, he still laughed in an eerie tone, “Everything he knew, you taught him. Do you think you can wash your hands of responsibility with just ‘I didn’t teach him well’? You saw his rebellious nature early on and simply killed him! Cough, cough~ cough cough~”

After coughing up more clots of dark blood, the light in his eyes rapidly faded. Looking into Li Yan’s cold eyes, he said, “When I was on the mountain, watching social plays and listening to tide songs, I always wondered who was loyal and who was treacherous. Later, I realized that we were all treacherous. I, Jiang Sihai, am utterly heartless, but isn’t Qian Wu a great treachery disguised as loyalty? Haha~ hahahaha…”