146 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

Chapter 146 - Days and Nights of Rebirth as the Wicked Senior Sister GL Fang Yuanqing was accepted into the Fuyang Sect at a young age to study Taoism. With her exceptional talent for handling beasts, she quickly became favored by Jun Lin. Though they were not master and disciple, their bond was profoundly strong. With Fang Yuanqing's recent disappearance, Jun Lin was equally anxious. Feng Suqiu, heeding Jiu Ying's advice, quietly made her way to the Fuyang Sect alone and, with tear-filled eyes, recounted to Jun Lin the sufferings her daughter had endured in recent times. The thought of a father killing his daughter was shocking. Moreover, the person in question was the leader of the foremost righteous sect, seen by outsiders as the epitome of justice and heroism. Jun Lin had known Fang Keyuan for many years and had a close private relationship with him. Initially, he dismissed the woman's words as nonsense, but then he recalled an incident from a few days prior, and his expression changed instantly. Half a month ago, Fang Keyuan had secretly approached him, requesting Fang Yuanqing's birth details under the pretense of preparing a birthday gift for his younger son’s twentieth birthday. It seemed laughable; a father who didn’t even know his child’s birth details had to ask an outsider. He hadn't given it much thought at the time and handed the information over readily, but it was after this that Fang Yuanqing completely disappeared. Thinking back to the sealed coffin, Fang Keyuan's request for the birth details clearly had an ulterior motive. Jun Lin turned around, his hands twisting in indecision behind his back. After a moment of hesitation, he revealed the incident. Feng Suqiu was shocked by what she heard, her lips trembling uncontrollably with anger seething in her eyes. “No wonder... no wonder he knew Yuanqing’s birth details and even carved them on the coffin!” Jun Lin felt a mixture of complex emotions and heaviness. Although he had been deceived by Fang Keyuan, it was still through his mouth that Fang Yuanqing's details had been revealed. He turned around, his weathered face showing nothing but guilt, remembering the woman's plea. He sighed and finally nodded his assent, “I wish to see Qishan.” With these words, he agreed to help. Feng Suqiu's eyes reddened, unable to control her emotions, tears trickled down her face— Fang Keyuan must pay for everything he has done! The two returned to the Jade Spring Hall together. Borrowing energy from the heavens was no easy task. The success in saving Xiao Wu earlier was because Xiao Wu still had a breath left, but as for Fang Yuanqing now, her five senses were blocked, and she had no breath left. Despite Ling's many attempts, all proved unsuccessful. Jun Lin stood beside the bed with eyes full of pain. As Feng Suqiu had said, Fang Yuanqing had a heartbeat and a pulse, but her breathing had stopped. At the moment, she lay on the bed motionless, her limbs no longer stiff, but her skin was still tinged with a deathly blue, resembling a corpse. It was an unbearable sight. As Jun Lin’s heart ached, Feng Suqiu placed a wooden basin in front of him, further confirming Fang Keyuan’s murderous intent. The Fang family’s aqueous essence was an extremely precious treasure. As Fang Keyuan's close friend, he had naturally seen it before. The white mist from the water revealed everything, without any need for further explanation from the woman; he knew what he had to do next. Thinking of the birth details engraved on that coffin, unease crept into his heart. After pondering for a moment, he couldn't help but ask a little more. Feng Suqiu, knowing he was concerned for her daughter, revealed the truth without delay, “The spells on that coffin were complex, marking not only Yuanqing’s birth details but also her gender and name. Yet, regardless of the magic used, it was destined to fail—— Because Yuanqing was not a boy to begin with!” In spellcasting and formations, even the slightest error was intolerable. Misidentifying gender is a critical error within. Only at this moment did Jun Lin realize that the young one he had watched grow was actually a young girl. Reassured that Fang Yuanqing wouldn’t be affected by the coffin's spells, he let out a small sigh of relief. The rare and hard-to-find perennial flower was only secured through Jade Spring Hall's esteemed status among healers; Feng Suqiu managed to acquire a single leaf from another source. Though just a broken, fragmented leaf, it was sufficient to counteract Fang Keyuan. Before departing, Jun Lin took the leaf with him. The little parrot, too, followed him all the way back to the Fuyang Sect. On the first of the month, not only was it the day of the four sects and eight clans’ grand assembly, but it was also Fang Yuanqing's twentieth birthday. This time, the grand assembly was held at the Xuanyin Sect, as per tradition. Unlike his previous depressed and sullen demeanor, Fang Keyuan was now energetic and full of vitality, still embodying the honest, broad-minded sect leader of old. Jun Lin observed him, thinking of Fang Yuanqing lying unconscious in bed, waves of grief washing over his heart. They say you can know a person by their face but not their heart. Having known Fang Keyuan for so many years, without concrete evidence, he would have never believed his friend could commit such an act. Suppressing his emotions, he stepped forward towards those gathered in the hall. His first words were enough to change the man’s face— “Today is Qishan’s birthday; I wonder what kind of gift Brother Keyuan has prepared for her? I still don’t know what gift requires a birth chart. Perhaps Brother Keyuan could elaborate and clear my doubts.” A gift? It was merely a pretext for asking about the birth details. Fang Keyuan forced an awkward smile, a flicker of panic flashing through his eyes, “Brother Jun Lin, such things can’t be spoken of beforehand. When Qishan returns, you can ask her yourself.” Such masterful acting, as if completely unaware of Fang Yuanqing’s plight. Jun Lin’s expression remained unchanged, but inside he grew colder and more cynical. Cold for the half-dead, father-harmed Fang Yuanqing, and cynical for Fang Keyuan’s calm demeanor after having caused his daughter’s death. He nodded, knowing the man before him wished to avoid any further talk of gifts, yet he persisted with the previous topic, “I wonder where Qishan has gone. She’s been absent from the sect for so many days without notifying anyone, truly worrying.” “I heard her mother plans to visit the Heavenly Gua Sect to request Master Henglian to divine her whereabouts.” Fang Keyuan was startled upon hearing this but soon regained his composure. He had already concealed the burial site with a hidden formation, preventing any pursuit by mystical arts. Even if Henglian agreed to help, it wouldn’t change anything. While he was deep in thought, a small parrot suddenly flew in from outside, repeatedly calling out the word 'father.' The familiar phrase easily reminded him of the times he deceived Fang Yuanqing. Compared to Jun Lin, this little parrot was even more of a nuisance. He raised his head, a hint of unease flashing across his face. With others around, he couldn’t afford to kill this noisy, annoying parrot in plain view. He turned and saw his second son, Fang Sijian, passing by, ready to call him over, when suddenly the parrot darted toward him unexpectedly, pecking his hand fiercely. Caught off guard, a wound was left on the back of his hand, blood oozing out, mingling with the crushed juice of the perennial plant, which was absorbed into his bloodstream. “Sijian, come and catch this parrot!” Fang Sijian saw the parrot's attack and rushed to Fang Keyuan’s side in a few steps. The chilling, monotone cries of ‘father’ echoed through the air, particularly unsettling. Jun Lin, seeing the young man about to harm the parrot, subtly controlled it with a flick of his fingers, causing it to escape into the sky. In no time, the little creature vanished. Everything happened so quickly that the Fang family couldn’t react in time. Seeing no sign of the parrot, Fang Sijian had no choice but to abandon his pursuit and escort Fang Keyuan to the back hall to bandage his wound. As the grand assembly commenced, all the representatives from the four sects and eight clans had arrived. And Feng Suqiu was secretly hiding among the crowd. Fang Keyuan paid no attention to the parrot incident, confident in his perfect murder scheme. The grave site was hidden by a sigil formation, ensuring it couldn’t be found; the aqueous essence was lodged in her meridians and heart, never to be extracted. Even if someone accidentally opened the coffin one day, no one would associate Fang Yuanqing’s death with him. Once his wound was treated, he hurried to the front hall with Fang Sijian. Among the four sects and eight clans, it had actually become four sects and seven clans. The Yuan family's seat was vacant. The Si family, however, still occupied the forefront, with the head Si Yiguang and the third son, Si Qian, seated. The rest of the sects and clans were represented by the current heads and future heirs. As for the Xuanyin Sect, apart from Fang Keyuan and the successor Fang Simian, all ten elders and a hundred core disciples of the sect were present. Fang Keyuan stood in a position of power, basking in the admiring gazes around him, his eyes filled with pride and satisfaction. The Xuanyin Sect was the leader of the four sects, and he was its master. No one was more familiar than him with the joy of being in such a high position, with power at his fingertips. The younger disciples in the hall, including his two sons, all looked up to him as a role model on their path of cultivation. The world respected and revered him, and this was precisely why he couldn’t forsake his life, preferring to kill his daughter than to lose his standing. This assembly was convened to discuss the strategies against the demon and monster clans. As Fang Keyuan began to speak, he emphasized the protection of the weak and maintaining peace in the world. How laughable it was for a man who claimed to protect the weak to have killed his own daughter with his hands. Feng Suqiu hid in the corner, watching this middle-aged man spout righteous and moralistic platitudes, her heart brimming with boundless hatred. Unwilling to hear another word of his sanctimonious lies, she stepped from the shadows into the open, directly interrupting the speaker— “Fang Keyuan, where is Qishan?” The other sects were unaware of Fang Yuanqing's disappearance. Upon hearing her question, everyone wore expressions of intrigue. In an instant, the grand hall fell silent. Surrounded by a hundred pairs of eyes, Fang Keyuan’s face contorted with anger. Although he had acknowledged Fang Yuanqing as his illegitimate child, it didn’t mean he would allow Feng Suqiu to make a scene in Xuanyin Sect. He parted his lips, ready to order his disciples to remove the woman, but what came out was something else entirely— “She’s dead, buried beneath the Taoyuan Peak.” The audacity in his tone betrayed no attempt to conceal the fact of Fang Yuanqing's death. The assembly was taken aback, collective gasps echoing through the hall. Fang Sijian and Gao Tianlian stood in the same row, their hearts skipping a beat at the revelation. Especially Fang Sijian, whose face was notably unpleasant. During the demon-slaying expedition, he had spent considerable time with Fang Yuanqing and had come to accept this sibling. Hearing his father declare her death brought shock and grief to his heart. Before he could recover from his surprise, Fang Keyuan's next words dramatically altered his demeanor— “I was cursed by the Demon Concubine and needed someone to bear the disaster for me.” “The debt of a father is repaid by a child. Her life was given by me, and taking it back is my right.” “What right do you have to question me here?” With those few words, he openly confessed to his crime of murder. Feng Suqiu’s eyes reddened as she realized every word Fang Keyuan said was the truth he held in his heart. The man she once loved had never fulfilled his responsibilities as a father to her daughter, yet now had the audacity to utter such heartless words. Twenty years ago, she was blinded to have been deceived by such a man! Jun Lin frowned deeply upon hearing these words— He knew that a family tribunal must be convened. The room was silent, everyone witnessing this atrocity of patricide. Feng Suqiu continued to press, demanding Fang Keyuan explain how he killed Fang Yuanqing. The matter escalated quickly, reaching the ears of Madam Fang, who appeared from the side entrance at some point. Although she disliked Fang Yuanqing, the illegitimate child, she had never thought of making her disappear. She looked at the man on the high seat, her lips slightly parted, expression fraught with fear and disbelief. Her husband, a paragon of justice and courage, how could he have killed his own child? She couldn’t believe it. Fang Keyuan seemed to sense his wife’s gaze and turned his head to look. The couple exchanged a glance. One was terrified, while the other’s gaze was cold and unyielding. With the perennial plant's juice in his bloodstream, Fang Keyuan could no longer lie or disguise his emotions. His lips moved, with thoughts in his mind of how to fabricate an excuse to cover his crime, yet he found himself unable to control his speech. Feng Suqiu, seeing his silence, demanded loudly again— “How did Yuanqing die?! I want you to say it yourself!” This was a mother’s anguished demand, and everyone could hear the undertone of tragic sobs in her voice. In the grand hall, no one dared to speak. Fang Keyuan withdrew his gaze from his wife, slowly turning to face the gentlewoman in the hall, recounting every detail of the burial day. The cruel and terrifying method of murder sent chills down everyone’s spines. Madam Fang leaned against the doorframe, unconsciously tightening her grip on her handkerchief, her face paling before Fang Keyuan even finished speaking. Beside her, Fang Sijian also looked on with horror, cold sweat covering his back, his palms trembling uncontrollably. For the rest of his life, he no longer knew how to perceive his father. --- Author's Note: Thank you to the little angels who voted or nourished me with nutrient solutions between 2020-12-23 23:40:37 and 2020-12-24 23:58:45~ Thanks to the little angel who cast the rocket launcher: Lizuli, Lemon Cake 1; Thanks to the little angels who cast the grenade: Duan Xiange, small a, passerby 1; Thanks to the little angels who nourished with nutrient solutions: I only play support 57 bottles; Blossoms will ultimately wither 30 bottles; Muyuan 27 bottles; Linjian Zhijian 20 bottles; Lily Saigao, ghfgh, Tan Wenqu 10 bottles; Lemon Cake 3 bottles; Thank you all for your support, and I will continue to work hard!