Chapter 104 - The Harem Rescue Project

Xiao Lanle declined the help offered by her fellow disciples, silently and alone, she placed Xiao Shen’s body into a storage pouch. Her dark eyes, deep like a cold well, were dry of tears. She carefully adjusted Xiao Shen's head beside the pouch, a fire talisman appeared in her hand. In the presence of the sect members, her expression remained blank as she set the pouch and the twisted, grotesque head ablaze until nothing remained. Her palms, hidden beneath her sleeves, were riddled with wounds from her nails, the skin bloody and in tatters. Lin Qianshuang glanced at Xiao Lanle, a hint of concern for her state of mind. She donned a standard flattery smile and clasped her hands, saying, "This was my duty, City Lord. I am not worthy of your thanks." She lifted the trussed-up Liang Jingxuan from the ground and said to Mu Weiyin, "I have disabled this demon’s spiritual sword. He still carries a dragon spirit pet and the Purple Thunder Fire; approach with care. The master of the Penglai Immortal Sect was murdered, and the demons, ghosts, and fiends within the forbidden area were released—all due to this man. City Lord, the Penglai Immortal Sect owes the world an explanation." Liang Jingxuan looked at Lin Qianshuang in disbelief. She must have been acting all along to dismantle his Purple Sky Sword, engaging with him merely to bide time for the arrival of the Tianxu City's Lord. With the Tianxu City's people now occupying the Penglai Immortal Sect and his demon army missing, only Lin Shijie knew of his plans. She must have tampered with them. They both came from afar, only the two of them shared a close bond in this world. Lin Shijie especially was fond of him; they had grown up together as childhood sweethearts with mutual affection. Why would she do this? Perplexed, Liang Jingxuan wondered if from the start he had misunderstood. Perhaps Lin Shijie did love him, but being imprisoned in the demonic realm for so long twisted her love into hate, which she harbored silently while pretending friendship, only for her grievances to now erupt in totality. His thoughts spiraled, but he wasn't worried about his predicament. He knew very well that the heavenly path protected the child of destiny, and he would not die so easily. Mu Weiyin straightened, her gaze unreadable as she spoke to Xiao Lanle, "Lanle, this is a matter for your Penglai Immortal Sect; it should be handled by you." Hugging the urn, Xiao Lanle’s elegant face turned cold, her bright eyes sending chills down Liang Jingxuan's spine. "Ascending the altar today, I will slay this traitor who betrayed our sect to honor my father's spirit in the heavens, to avenge my fellow disciples who were brutally murdered, and the innocent people harmed by demons. May they find good homes in their rebirth." Xiao Lanle’s words sparked an uproar within the Penglai Immortal Sect. The elders instantly began to murmur, understanding the implication of Xiao Lanle’s declaration. In the Penglai Immortal Sect, the ascension of a new leader involved the altar as a necessary part of the ritual. Disciples who made grave mistakes could not be executed by ordinary means, only by the special authority of the sect leader. One elder, stroking his long beard in doubt, voiced his concern, "Xiao Shizhi, how could a mere woman preside over the affairs of the Penglai Immortal Sect? The leader has always been a rare genius in cultivation. Can you shoulder this great responsibility with your low cultivation level?" Another elder, white-haired and elderly, countered, "Xiao Shizhi has exceptional talent and a single fire element root. During the competition at Jinshui Lake against the Lingxiao Sword Sect, she gained the admiration of their leader, Chen Sanxuan. Why cannot such a remarkable individual take on this position?" The elder retorted sharply, "The Penglai Immortal Sect sits at the pinnacle of righteous sects. If the leader were a young and inexperienced girl, how could she establish authority and command respect? I believe Chen Shangqing, a disciple of Qingyun Zhenren, is better suited for this position." As Jinghua Fairy entered, she stated, "Xiao Shizhi is trusted by the Tianxu City's Lord, embodying noble righteousness, and her skill in the cultivation realm is no less than yours, who speak with many voices. Why challenge her simply because she is a woman? In the cultivation world, there is no male or female—only true ability. If you doubt her, why not challenge her to a duel?" Chen Shangqing followed Jinghua Fairy inside, standing by Qingyun Zhenren's side, and added, "Jinghua Shishu speaks the truth; my cultivation is shallow, and I dare not compete with Xiao Shimei." ... Holding the urn, Xiao Lanle listened as the elders split into factions, their voices growing into arguments. She firmly declared, "Enough! I, Xiao Lanle, if I am to be the leader of the Penglai Immortal Sect, must face the sect leader's trials. If you are dissatisfied, confront me now!" The elders were rendered speechless. The Penglai Immortal Sect's leader trials were a feared taboo. In the past, leaders were chosen through these trials, where candidates were the most gifted of the cultivation realm, but surviving them was rare. Since the fourth leader, these trials were abolished, and new leaders were unanimously selected by the peak masters. The trials had long been discarded. But now, this young girl, undeterred by danger, dared challenge the trials, an act seemingly courting death! The elders whispered amongst themselves, beginning to regard this girl, who had just lost her family with newfound admiration. Her ability to handle the situation so calmly, making bold declarations, perhaps indicated she was more than the delicate, fragile girl they had thought. Sitting in the leader's seat, Xiao Lanle's icy gaze swept over everyone present. She spoke with a cold voice, "With the leader dead, I will temporarily preside over the affairs. Today, prepare the altar and mourn the sect's loss with twelve striking of the bell!" Everyone obeyed the command, and the elders tacitly accepted Xiao Lanle's words. Indeed, at this moment, no one was more qualified than her to steady the hearts of the sect members. The Penglai Immortal Sect entered a period of mourning, white lanterns hung both inside and outside the sect. A new memorial tablet was properly arranged in the spirit hall, and with Xiao Lanle set to enter the sect leader's trial, her life soul lamp also stood on the empty table beside the leader's spirit tablet. Once more, the ancient bell, which had last tolled during the demonic onslaught, resounded its deep moan across the mountain valleys. A white crane, now without its master, wailed mournfully above the altar in the square. A man was bound and splayed across the sacrificial pillar. The sect members all wore mourning strips tied around their heads, bowing in grief, the atmosphere heavy with sorrow. Lin Qianshuang cared little for Xiao Shen’s death; morally corrupt as he was, he deserved it. Such a grand memorial was quite the luxury for him. She pushed her way to the front of the crowd, gazing through the swarm of heads towards Xiao Lanle, who was holding the Star-Plucking Sword—a symbol of the sect leader’s position—as she slowly approached Liang Jingxuan, who was tied to the sacrificial pillar. For the first time, that face described in narration as stunningly handsome was contorted into an unthinkable expression of shock and fear. This scene suddenly struck Lin Qianshuang as familiar. With a mental jolt, she recalled what this was akin to from the original text—where Liang Jingxuan, after framing Chen Shangqing for killing the Penglai sect leader and then acting as the interim leader, was stabbed over two hundred times by Xiao Lanle with the Suwen Sword while tied to the pillar. Back then, Chen Shangqing had been far calmer than Liang Jingxuan, meeting Xiao Lanle's gaze not with panic but with a calmness and a light sadness in his eyes. In that chapter, Liang Jingxuan had already been the de facto leader of the Penglai Immortal Sect, not now a sect traitor, a criminal condemned. Though the scene seemed a tad gory, Lin Qianshuang, recalling the vile things this scum had done, found herself somewhat anticipating the unfolding moment. Chen Shangqing, having taken Liang Jingxuan’s place as the scapegoat in the original text, now had justice served for his former self. Seeing Xiao Lanle’s actions, Liang Jingxuan trembled in fear. His demonic energy had been sealed, rendering him unable to summon the dragon or use the Purple Thunder Fire. Trembling, he pleaded, "Xiao Shimei, this is unnecessary, it’s all a misunderstanding! The truth isn’t what it seems. Get me out of here, and I'll tell you everything!" Xiao Lanle drew the Star-Plucking Sword from its sheath, the sharp blade glinting blindingly in the sunlight. In a swift motion, she pierced through Liang Jingxuan's clavicle. She watched as his once-beloved handsome face contorted, and felt immense satisfaction. "This strike is for my Shijie Lin. Thank you for your heartless betrayal that brought her to my side. I love her more than you can imagine. Did you ever know that the thought of you touching her drove me mad with jealousy, wishing to tear you apart?" As the sword was withdrawn, blood splattered onto the sacrificial pillar. Liang Jingxuan screamed in agony, nearly fainting from the pain. But immediately, the searing pain of his abdomen tearing sent him into another fit of cries akin to a slaughtered pig. "This strike is for the departed Huaixiang. She did so much for you, even betraying me. Yet not only did you fail to cherish her, you killed her." The blood-red glow in Xiao Lanle's eyes flickered, as she drove the sword in and pulled it out again, her mouth curling into an eerie blend of laughter and tears. "This strike is for my own foolish ignorance—believing in your sweet words, harming those I loved most, even leading to my father’s death at your hands." With a ripping sound, scarlet blood flowed down from the sword, her hand raised for a final strike that pierced Liang Jingxuan’s heart. Xiao Lanle's expression was cold and merciless as she leaned in close to Liang Jingxuan's face, looking at him with disgust as if he were a pile of dung. "This last strike is for the innocent villagers who died—the ones who shouldn’t have suffered, along with the disciples of the Penglai Immortal Sect killed by your selfishness and greed. You have left the world in shambles, and with the Demonic Tower in upheaval, the cultivation realm knows no peace." Veins bulged on Liang Jingxuan, the pain from the countless stabs leaving him nearly unconscious, the thrust to his heart halting his blood flow and slowing his breathing to a feeble whisper. He glared at Xiao Lanle, eyes fixed in malice, and growled, "I’ve done nothing wrong, it’s your fault! All of you! So what if I use my abilities to acquire mounts and artifacts—it’s just a few insignificant lives anyway. The cultivation realm is about survival of the fittest. I get stronger, and my words become law. Even playing with women is my right. If you weren’t all so stupid, how would you have fallen for it?" Lips bleeding, he turned his eyes skyward, cackling defiantly at Xiao Lanle, "Xiao Lanle, you can’t kill me, for I am the god of this world. No matter what you do, in the end, you all are mere shadows compared to me. You, Lin Shijie, everything I desire—it’s mine, and none of you can stop it!" Xiao Lanle plunged the sword down again, her eyes cold and unyielding, "Liang Shixiong, you're almost dead, yet you can’t keep your mouth shut. I won’t give you a quick death; I’ll make sure you feel every moment of agony until you are truly dead." Her voice lowered, chilling, "Liang Shi, have you not realized? In this realm of injustice, fortunes change. In this life or another, the outcome now lies firmly in my hands.” His body strained against the chains, eliciting an ear-piercing screech. Liang Jingxuan's eyes, bloodshot, fixed on Lin Qianshuang amidst the onlookers, his voice wild and desperate, "Lin Qianshuang, you'll regret this! I liked you so much, and yet you betrayed me for her. You'll regret it! Even if I die, I won't let you return to Earth smoothly!" Lin Qianshuang took a bite of an apple, nonchalantly flinging the remaining half, core and all, in a graceful arc that smacked Liang Jingxuan on the head. Tsk, we're not even from the same place. You call yourself an Earthling—I'm embarrassed for you.