After meeting Zhu Lian, I did indeed adjust my state of mind. I resumed my duties as a senior immortal, commanding the defense forces.
Kunlun continued to fare well, peaceful and tranquil, passing smoothly from late spring through an entire summer, then welcoming early autumn.
And then…
The world began to change gradually.
Xi Wang Mu and the various deities had concealed the existence of the City of Immortals, planted spies like Lao Qin throughout the world, and imprisoned those who accidentally discovered the truth of the world in the City of Immortals.
Since my return, this matter has been constantly debated both inside and outside Kunlun, with endless arguments.
At first, the debates were among common folk, but later, even the immortals began to have differences and varying views. Some immortals believed that the deities had done no wrong.
While other immortals thought the deities had inadvertently killed many innocent people, and that their misdeeds were comparable to those of the evil god.
I had never commented on this matter and had ordered the defense forces not to discuss it.
Having seen the misery in the City of Immortals, from my perspective, I could not judge whether the actions of the deities and Xie Zhuo in concealing the truth from the world were right or wrong. I could only have the defense forces maintain the current peace.
But differences don’t disappear because of silence.
The sudden change in Kunlun, or rather in the world, came on an utterly ordinary afternoon.
A vendor in the West Market got into a physical altercation with a customer over a disagreement. The vendor lost control and killed that customer.
After the vendor calmed down from his anger, he fell into terror, and then he…
Went insane…
He injured dozens of people in succession at the West Market. When I received the report, I was puzzled as to how an ordinary vendor could cause such a disturbance in the West Market without being subdued by bystanders, since those who came to Kunlun were not minor demons or local deities.
When I arrived with the defense forces, I understood.
The vendor was surrounded by a crowd. People were looking at him warily, but no one dared to step forward.
Because the vendor’s eyes were now pitch black, his appearance was terrifying. The black aura emanating from his body was something everyone recognized all too well…
Malevolent energy…
The vendor was executed.
I was the one who did it…
Under my sword, he turned into a wisp of black smoke and vanished in the blink of an eye, yet my sword-wielding hand could not sheathe the blade for a long time.
I realized something terrible—
The malevolent energy had returned to the world.
I reported this matter to Xi Wang Mu.
After hearing this, Xi Wang Mu’s expression changed. She had me reactivate the Kunlun barrier. Although there was no Pangu Fu to protect it, the Kunlun barrier could still be temporarily sustained through the connection of countless formations surrounding Kunlun to create a screen that isolated the outside.
She forbade people from outside Kunlun from entering and ordered other senior immortals to strictly examine the soul energy within all their subordinates.
Then she told me something even more terrifying—
“A few days ago, Master Ji of the Northern Wilderness sent a message,” Xi Wang Mu looked at me and said, “He said that new corpses had appeared on the outer wall of the City of Immortals.”
My jaw tightened involuntarily.
I felt a chill in my stomach.
“He initially thought it was done by someone dissatisfied with the deities’ previous actions, but now it seems… the malevolent energy has returned.”
I lowered my eyes, my fist clenched at my side: “The evil god has not completely perished.”
I steadied myself: “Zhu Lian must know something. I’ll go see him.”
Xi Wang Mu nodded: “Take Qin Shuyan with you. Be careful…”
So, once again, I brought Lao Qin to that lava cave. When I left last time, I had thought I would never set foot in this place again in my lifetime.
By the time we reached the cave entrance, I vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
The aura emanating from the entrance of the lava cave was much cleaner than before. This clean feeling… was just like that snowy forest before, as if all impurities had been removed.
Lao Qin and I exchanged a glance, then immediately walked into the cave.
Seeing Zhu Lian again, I was stunned.
He was now completely white, from his hair and eyelashes to every inch of his skin, almost transparently white.
I could see the blood flowing beneath his skin.
How strange that his blood could still be red…
“Zhu Lian.” Lao Qin, with a cold face, stepped forward. Through the cage, he waved his fan, and Zhu Lian’s entire body, curled up on the ground, was pulled apart by an invisible force. Lao Qin looked him over, “What have you done?”
“It’s not what I’ve done.”
Zhu Lian looked withered, his voice feeble, appearing as if he might disappear at any moment. But the corners of his mouth still bore a smile. “You should ask what the evil god has done.”
“No nonsense.” Lao Qin’s face was like ice. The thousand-year-old fox now revealed a fierce expression. “I know you’ve been seeking death, but in my hands, I have ways to make you wish you were dead.”
Hearing this, Zhu Lian seemed to have heard a joke and laughed with a dry cough: “No need to force me. I’ll tell you anyway.”
He looked at me outside the cage, “Sister-in-law, come.”