Breaking the Precept

Guiyuan Daojun was conversing with Yiku Daojun when he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

"Master, you're alive!" A flash of a sword gleamed, and Chu Fengchen leaped up, wielding his blade as he lunged at the three of them. Chan Lingzi and Yiku Daojun didn't resist at all; Yiku even thoughtfully dispelled the barrier.

Guiyuan Daojun bolted immediately. "Let me explain!"

"Explain what? Didn't you always preach that a man should stand tall and live without shame, that one's words should be ironclad and trustworthy? How could you pretend to die and yet still live? You tell me—will you end it yourself, or shall I do it for you?"

"I had no choice!"

Guiyuan Daojun's short legs darted swiftly across the beach. Chu Fengchen gave chase, his blade raised high but his strikes lacking precision. "You call me your eldest disciple, yet what about that crazy woman on Mad Demon Island? You secretly took in another disciple behind my back! Did you ever consider how I'd feel? And you even faked your death for her, without a thought about how I might grieve. Clearly, she means far more to you than I do. I'm just a stepson to you, aren't I?"

Nearby, Jian Xiaolou's mouth twitched uncontrollably. What is even happening here?

"That's nonsense!" Guiyuan Daojun vehemently denied. "You're the one I care about the most!"

"Liar!"

Chu Fengchen abruptly halted, sheathing his sword.

The color of his face, pale from prolonged exposure to demon water, darkened ominously.

In Chu Fengchen's world, his master was akin to a deity—an infallible presence. He had never doubted a single word from his master. Yet, his master's actions today felt like a resounding slap to the face.

He couldn't help but recall Yu Tianjiao's words.

Perhaps, he had never truly understood his master.

He was happy his master was alive. But after the joy came the rage of being deceived and the fear of his faith being shaken.

With a chilling tone, Chu Fengchen said, "To deceive even about life and death—I wonder what else you've lied about. From now on, how can I trust anything you say?"

With that, he leapt into the air and disappeared.

Guiyuan Daojun opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself. He couldn't tell Chu Fengchen that his original body had already undergone dissipation. Indeed, he had intended to fake his death and had been prepared for the eventual fallout.

He had anticipated Chu Fengchen to throw a tantrum or sulk for a bit before letting it go. But clearly, the demonic seed had influenced him more than Guiyuan had hoped.

This was precisely why Guiyuan had risked exposure to rescue Chu Fengchen—he couldn't forget how Yu Tianjiao, once a half-human, half-demon being, had been lured away by the demons, implanted with a demonic seed, and eventually returned to him as a completely different person.

For now, it seemed better to let him cool off alone.

Despite everything, Guiyuan Daojun still had faith in his disciple.

Guiyuan remained rooted to the spot, while Jian Xiaolou chased after Chu Fengchen—she had matters to discuss with him.

Chu Fengchen flew aimlessly, his speed unhurried. Jian Xiaolou accelerated, trailing behind him like a shadow for half an hour but failing to catch up.

She opened her beast pouch and released Xiao Hei. "Stop Chu Fengchen!"

Xiao Hei, groggy from oversleeping in the pouch, flew off in a skewed direction. Jian Xiaolou shouted twice before it straightened its course, igniting like a ball of fire as it pursued Chu Fengchen.

High above them, concealed within the clouds, was a stationary flying vessel.

A gray-brown hawk perched lazily on the ship's railing.

The hawk, initially dozing, snapped open its sharp, piercing eyes at the scent of Xiao Hei. With a flap of its wings, it dove like a bolt of lightning straight for its target.

Xiao Hei, flying between Jian Xiaolou and Chu Fengchen, froze under the hawk's oppressive cyclone. Stabilizing itself midair, it retaliated by pecking at the hawk's eyes.

Bird against bird, each instinctively read the other's moves. The gray hawk evaded with a sidestep, countering with a swipe of its talons that left deep, bloody gashes on Xiao Hei's back.

Bright red feathers scattered like falling leaves.

"Squawk—" Xiao Hei cried out, its instincts screaming that it was outmatched. It turned tail and flew back toward Jian Xiaolou. The hawk, knowing it couldn't match Xiao Hei's speed, flapped its wings to create a vacuum-like suction, slowing Xiao Hei to a crawl as it squawked in panic.

From a distance, Jian Xiaolou saw Xiao Hei's bloodied form and its falling feathers. Her heart sank. To her astonishment, the gray hawk, despite being only at the second tier, displayed such intelligence and skill. Extending her divine sense to probe the ship above, her expression grew grim.

As she approached, she summoned her Karma Severing Sword to cut off one of the hawk's wings.

Before her blade could strike, a wall of air intercepted it.

A man in a yellow robe descended from the ship, holding a magical sword. "Why meddle in a battle between two beasts?"

"That hawk belongs to you?" Jian Xiaolou asked coldly.

The man, tall and handsome, wore his garish yellow robes surprisingly well.

"It's mine. And that red-feathered parrot is yours?" The man's tone softened as he took in Jian Xiaolou's striking features, finding her appearance quite appealing.

"Tell your hawk to stop!"

The man chuckled, curving his lips into what he thought was his most charming smile. "Ah Lie rarely finds a playmate. That parrot of yours is merely at the first tier. Name your price, little lady. I'll buy it off you. If it dies, it'll be my loss—not yours."

His smug expression practically screamed, I'm rich; name your price.

Jian Xiaolou sneered. "Name your price. I'll buy your family's ancestral grave and dig it up—it'll be on me."

"How dare you!" The man's face darkened. "I was being reasonable—why so uncivil?"

"You call this reasonable?!" Jian Xiaolou erupted, seeing Xiao Hei sustain more injuries, its wing now stripped to the bone. Her fury ignited. "Where did this lunatic come from? Get lost!"

With a burst of spiritual energy, she shattered the air wall in front of her with her Karma Severing Sword.

"You asked for it!" The yellow-robed man was furious, unleashing his magical sword, which transformed into a dozen serpentine phantoms that hissed as they advanced.

Jian Xiaolou raised her sword to parry, but the disparity in their cultivation levels meant she couldn't block all the phantoms. One struck her wrist, biting deep.

Her entire arm instantly went numb—the sword had been laced with poison.

Her spiritual energy dissipated, and she plummeted from midair, coughing blood. Fortunately, she hadn't been flying too high.

"Foolish." The yellow-robed man shot her a disdainful glance.