Chapter 168: Master, someone is swindling the corpse

Xu Shuanglin's eyes suddenly widen, as do those of most of the people outside the picture.

Mo Ran saw this, and felt that something was wrong.

He had lived two lives, and this conversation tied in with some of the events of his past life, allowing him to work out some intriguing details.

He knew of Ye Wangxi's affection for Nangong Si, not just because Ye Wangxi had asked to be buried with Nangong Si before her death, but because in a previous life, Ye Wangxi's womanhood had been made known to the world early on, and Nan Gongliu had given her the go-ahead to marry Nangong Si.

This section now appears to be a case of a father looking for a double-cultivator for his son, but not long after the engagement is made, Nangong Si dies a violent death and Ye Wangxi survives Mo Ran can't help but wonder if Nangong Si's death that year was really just a coincidence

He didn't think so.

On the screen, Xu Shuanglin's fingers are clenched into fists, his face is still smiling but his tone has taken on a cooler tone.

"You want Little Ye son to marry Si"

"Well, she's perfect for it."

"Xu Shuanglin laughed, "You originally wanted to train her to be the head of the secret guards, and made her into a misogynist, and now you want to marry her to Nangong Si. "

"I had seen him laughing and joking with Ye Wangxi and treating her well, so I thought he would somewhat accept it. But when I told him about the marriage, he was furious, saying that he didn't like Ye Wangxi at all and that he was only looking after her because she was a girl and it wasn't easy for her to make her way in the Dark City. He refused to accept the marriage."

Xu Shuanglin :""

"He said I didn't respect his decision, that I was arbitrarily disposing of his life's work, and that I had shunned Ye Wangxi and was cold and distant. The more I spoke to him, the worse his attitude became, and in the end he even thought I was favouring Ye Wangxi, a really ungrateful thing." Nan Gongliu scolded, "He didn't think she was good-looking."

Xu Shuanglin was quite fair: "If the first master suddenly asked you to marry a woman you didn't like, would you be willing to I don't think it's really a question of whether it looks good or not, you really didn't respect him."

"If he likes a pretty girl, can't he have another concubine when his health is stable?" Nan Gongliu sighed, "Alas, it is my fault that I did not see Ye Wangxi's feelings for Nangong Si in time. If she had been the same, Nangong Si would have loved her."

"You're being ridiculous too." Xu Shuanglin said, "Nangong Si won't accept it."

"Unless he does not want to die. It is extremely painful to double with someone with a tyrannical spirit core like him, and if one marries an ordinary female for fear, one is afraid that she will not be able to bear it at all" Nan Gongliu gasped, " Ye Wangxi loves him, and she is willing and able to bear it."

"How could she possibly want to?"

"I asked her about it."

"What."

"I've asked her about it, and I've told her about it." Nan Gongliu said, "She was more afraid of Nangong Si being ill than of her own death."

"" Xu Shuanglin stopped talking, his head hanging down, not knowing what he was thinking, and only after a long time did he say, "She can be a real fool."

At this point, Mo Ran is almost certain that Xu Shuanglin was responsible for the sudden death of Nangong Si in his previous life, where he was suffering from a bad disease.

If Nangong Si dies, Ye Wangxi will live.

The reason why Nangong Si is still alive in this life is probably because of Song Qiutong. Song Qiutong is a butterfly-bone beauty, and she is an ideal physique for dual cultivation, so if she married Nangong Si, her father would have nothing to say.

Since the marriage between Ye and Yei was annulled, it made perfect sense that Xu Shuanglin would not harm Nangong Si in his lifetime. But there's still one thing Mo Ran can't understand. Xu Shuanglin now seems like a mad devil, but why would such a devil think so highly of Ye Wangxi, who is only an adopted daughter?

And what is it that you are seeking?

It was not a long memory and was soon over, and by the time the visions lit up again, the hour was much earlier.

Nan Gongliu looks younger than he is now and has not yet lost any weight. In his hand he holds a small, shimmering, turquoise object which, on closer inspection, is the ring of the head of the School of Confucianism. This ring, which Nan Gongliu does not yet wear, proves that he is not yet the true master of the School of Confucianism.

An attendant enters and kneels in salute, the attendant's daoist robe is still stained with blood, as if a violent battle has just taken place. This memory must have occurred the night Nan Gongliu killed his master and regained his master's trigger finger.

"Master, what should be done with Luo Fenghua's body?"

Nan Gongliu turned the ring and pondered, "Let's bury him in a hero's grave, he was at least my master and disciple, let's give him a decent home."

"Yes."

The attendant retired.

Mo Ran frowned slightly as he found it strange that the memories he had just seen showed that the Nangong brothers' master, Luo Fenghua, had been broken into pieces by Nan Gongliu and sunk in a pool of blood, turning him into a terrible ghost and sinking into an infernal hell where he would never be allowed to live again.

But why does it say here that Nan Gongliu buried his master in a hero's grave in good condition?

The Nan Gongliu in the vision fondles the turquoise palm ring, a complex and strange lustre shining in his eyes, as if he is a little afraid, yet full of desire.

The knot in his throat gathered and at last he slowly raised his hand, reflecting the candlelight, and placed the ring, solemnly, on his thumb.

He stared at his hand, looking it over and over, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up as if to burst into a wide, painful smile, but the ripples of that smile stopped before they reached the halfway point.

Nan Gongliu cried out and suddenly plunged down from his throne as he trembled with spasms all over his body.

"Ahhhh."

"The Palm"

"What's wrong with you, Master?"

When Nan Gongliu raised his head, his face was covered in blood, and his face, which had been fine before, was suddenly torn open by numerous tiny cuts.

"What's going on" Nan Gongliu panicked, "it hurts so much how how did this happen what happened"

Footsteps came from outside the door.

Against the moonlight, a man with smooth, bare feet, stepping on the cold masonry, comes to Nan Gongliu, lifts his robe and half kneels down.

He leaned down and cupped Nan Gongliu's face, who was gasping and struggling, tears and snot mixed with blood. Xu Shuanglin seemed a little disgusted, frowned, and then asked, "Why is this suddenly happening?"

"I don't know I don't know Mr. Shuanglin help me"

At this time Xu Shuanglin was still only an advisor to Nan Gongliu, so Nan Gongliu called him Mr. Shuanglin rather than Elder.

After a moment's investigation, Xu Shuanglin grabbed Nan Gongliu's right hand, looked at the shining ring and suddenly paled: "There is an all-cruelty spell attached to it."

All the followers gathered around him drew a cold breath when they heard the name, except Nan Gongliu, who was so dazed that he did not know what the curse of life and death was, but looked up blankly with tears hanging from his eyes.

"Ah, what that is."

"Death spell."

Xu Shuanglin's face is unpleasant.

"The ring was cursed with a death spell by Luo Fenghua, who cursed the next person who wore it with the slightest ray of moonlight to have their skin cracked and to live like that night after night."

"What."

"More than that." Xu Shuanglin's hand brushed over the emerald of the ring, closing his eyes to feel the raging spiritual flow there, "On the 15th day of the full moon, even if you don't go out of your house, even if the walls are sealed, even if not even half of the night penetrates, you will still feel the pain of death by a thousand cuts, and there is no escape."

He opened his eyes and looked at Nan Gongliu, who was cowering on the ground in a miserable state, and whispered.

"Till death do us part."

Beneath the thick, fetid bloodstain, Nan Gongliu's pupils suddenly close up, looking like a panicked rat or a poisonous snake poking its head into a dark, gloomy cave.

He twitched comically and muttered, "Till death do us part"

"Hmm."

"Break, it won't break."

"It can't be broken." Xu Shuanglin says, "At least I can't think of any way to break it at the moment, only later."

Before he could speak, Nan Gongliu broke his grip and crawled down the steps screaming and laughing, trailing a twisted trail of blood across the cold, polished floor tiles as he wailed and laughed, his voice so hoarse and distorted and sharp as a needle that even many outside the illusion could not bear it and plugged their ears.

"Hahahaha curse me you curse me"

"Luo Fenghua, you have taken the seat of my Nangong family, and it is only right that I should throw you off the stage and leave your body intact.

"I buried you in the Hero's Mound for the sake of your education, but you will make me suffer night after night, splitting my flesh until I die," he growled, moving inch by inch to the entrance of the Great Hall, hunkering down in the thick black shadows cast by its heavy red bronze doors, his fingers and claws twitching hideously as he slapped up, unable to stop himself from pounding the ground.

"Until death do you part how can you be cruel how can you be cruel beast beast you ruin my life"

"He tried to help him back, but Nan Gongliu roared and shouted like a madman.

This mass of flesh and blood had never been more cowardly and impotent than any other colour, but today it was different; there was bitter hatred on his face, wild fire leaping in his pupils, burning withering sanity and not an inch of grass.

Nan Gongliu hissed hysterically, "Pass on my first Order of the Master"

The attendant kneels at the order.

"Luo Fenghua, the previous master, has committed the most heinous of sins and has been ordered to have his remains chopped to pieces."

Xu Shuanglin stood quietly by, his eyes downcast as he listened, unable to see any expression: ""

At this point a new wave of tears hit him and Nan Gongliu, unable to bear it, broke down and cried again, but while he did so, he still finished his first order to ascend to the throne of the School of Confucianism, one word of which came out of his back teeth: "Sink the corpse in the pool of blood".

You cursed me with blood and flesh until I died.

I sink you into an infernal purgatory, where you will never be allowed to live again.

At the end of this vision, Nan Gongliu's eyes are open and blank, his voice is like a broken ocarina, extremely hoarse, and he mutters: "Luo Fenghua, beast, you beast".

The fragments of memory began to crumble and reorganise again, and the fishy secrets of the School of Confucianism that were uncovered inch by inch were a source of fascination for almost everyone in the room, some, like Ye Wangxi and Nangong Si, who had to see it because it was a personal matter, but many more were aroused by the pleasure of prying into the hidden ailments of others.

Jealousy is one of the ugliest emotions in the world. How many of those invited to Nangong Si's wedding were sincere admirers of the School of Confucianism? How many of those who passed by the magnificent Three Exodus Queens, by the Reiki Stone, and by the 72 cities of the Heavenly Palace were only impressed, not enamoured?

The taller the loft, the more it collapses, the more it draws crowds of spectators, knocking melon rinds all over the floor and splashing spittle three feet away.

The suffering of others is always the best talk on the streets and after tea.

Mo Ran was somewhat reluctant to read any further, but there was a lot of doubt and a lot at stake. Although Xu Shuanglin's recollections seemed to be in order, explaining away the changes at Jin Chengchi and Peach Blossom Yard, he still felt vaguely uncomfortable about something.

He always felt that something was extraordinarily wrong in this memory.

What is it?

He furrowed his brows in sullen contemplation.

But suddenly, with a glance, I saw what looked like a flash of light in the distance. But as the illusion was unfolding here, no one would have looked out into the woods, so they didn't notice it.

Mo Ran froze for a moment, then his face changed abruptly and he shouted, "Firejacking!"

The crowd turned their heads at the words, "Where is the robbery fire"

"That way over there."

"No. This side too."

No one could have imagined that while they were watching Xu Shuanglin's memories, a scarlet fire would be burning in all directions of the School of Confucianism, in all the seventy-two cities, the light of which was so distant and so deep in the forest that they would not have been able to see it clearly if they had not been careful.

Unless it rains heavily and is extinguished by manna, it will not stop until the grass around it has been burned to the ground.

As the smoke rolled up, the flames were like water poured on a silk surface, and they soon spread out in all directions, and a bright shooting star could be seen flying away from the 72 cities.

When the crowd in the woods saw this, a number of them lost their heads abruptly and shouted, "What's going on"

Some even turned around and ran towards the Hall of Poetry and Music, calling out the names of their companions. Xue Zhengyong's face also changed to that of a leopard, for Madame Wang was still over there and she did not know the art of the sword at all

" Mo Ran Yu Heng Xue Meng is in your hands, I'll go and check on the lady"

Mo Ran was also distraught and nodded, "Go on uncle, take auntie and leave first, we are here, I will never let anything happen to Xue Meng."

Xue Zhengyong gave him a firm pat on the shoulder and swept up towards the hall of poetry and music, where the flames were raging.

At the sight of this sudden and startling mess, Xu Shuanglin stood quietly in his place and suddenly burst into an extremely broad smile as he said with a laugh, "What a scene of rats scattering from a sinking ship."

Mo Ran glanced back and saw Xu Shuanglin snap his fingers, causing the shimmering remnants of memory to gather in his palm like a million snowflakes.

A sea of fire returned to the surroundings, and the heavenly rift in the sky still did not close, still gushing out a constant stream of golden-red molten water, spreading at a very slow pace towards the forest.

Mo Ran stared at Xu Shuanglin and suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine.

This man, the look in his eyes was not right, this look Mo Ran was all too familiar

In his previous life he was at the top of death and life, he was in the empty Wushan Palace, and he saw such horrible eyes whenever he looked into the mirror after Chu Wanning's death.

The eyes that are pervaded by madness and bloodshed, self-loathing and wanting everyone to be martyred for them.

"You want to ruin the Confucianism School "

When Mo Ran asked, Xu Shuanglin's response was simply to intertwine his toes and rub them together.

Then smiled.

"So what if I destroy my own home, it's your turn to take care of it."

"Your own home"

Xu Shuanglin stepped over the rolling molten stream, walked over to Nan Gongliu, grabbed him by the back of his collar root, pulled him up off the ground, raised his eyes and said, "Yes, my own house."

He forced Nan Gongliu to face his face, then raised his hand and, in front of Nan Gongliu, who was hanging on for dear life, raised his other hand and slowly, inch by inch, starting at the base of his neck, slowly tore it away, little by little

Sizzle.

In the end there was just a soft sound and a delicate human mask made from the painted skin of a centuries-old snake demon was removed, revealing behind it, a face no longer in its prime.

Nan Gongliu shuddered, then trembled and cowered sharply, his breath coming out of his throat, but with difficulty he managed to pull out the streaks of his voice.

"You're you're not dead you're actually you're actually"

"I'm not dead, you're still alive, how can I die before you." Xu Shuanglin smiled and said, "I am so much better than you in every way, including longevity, you are rotting into mud, I am still alive. Are you so happy to see me again after such a long time that you can't say anything else?"

He produced a fire and burned the human skin mask off at will, the flames spreading all the way to the tips of his fingers, which he did not care about, nor did he feel any pain, shaking them off and pressing the charcoal-stained tips to Nan Gongliu's lips with a crooked smile.

"Master Your Mightiness, it's been a long time or rather I should call you brother"