111 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 111: Out of Control Half a month ago, an unprecedented attack targeting three major families occurred in Huaikai City. The five victims were not only subjected to extreme torment while alive, but their corpses were also displayed on the city walls for all to see. Although such brutal methods were not unheard of, the fact that it happened to the three great clans was particularly strange, revealing the audacity of the perpetrator. For someone capable of such feats under the gaze of countless cultivators, moving freely in these unrestrained wildlands would be even easier for her, unrestricted by any boundaries. The assailant came and went swiftly. By the time Xiang Shi Yan arrived in Upper Lake Village, chaos had already ensued, but she could no longer sense any spiritual energy. Without the frantic villagers confirming the scene, she might have thought it was merely a figment of her imagination. Although the chaos was overwhelming, the damaged area was not extensive. Nevertheless, this inconsistency only deepened Xiang Shi Yan's curiosity. Xiang Shi Yan first inspected the Lin Family. Amidst severed limbs and pieces of flesh, the young girl who had recently married Lin Xiang was huddled in a corner, trembling like a leaf. Encircling her was a white glow resembling a barrier, which was Xiang Shi Yan’s protective spiritual sense meant to keep the girl safe. In the blood-soaked yard, the area protected by the barrier remained untouched, a pure sanctuary shielding the weeping girl. However, Xiang Shi Yan knew that the single strand of her spiritual sense was inadequate to protect her against the assailant. The boy in the girl’s arms stood as proof. Lin Yuan Tao’s sobs had long turned hoarse, his voice unable to escape, as he clung desperately to his unfamiliar new mother, forcing his eyes shut in fear. Xiang Shi Yan’s spiritual sense was only meant to shield her pre-designated target. If danger truly approached, it would block out everything else, leaving only the girl inside the shield’s bounds. Lin Yuan Tao was placed in her arms after the fact. Hovering a foot above the ground, Xiang Shi Yan floated lightly over the carnage and gently touched down on the clean ground in front of the girl. The girl’s expression was vacant, and she trembled violently at Xiang Shi Yan’s sudden appearance, cringing further into the corner—a witness clearly traumatized by a brutal crime. "What happened here?" Xiang Shi Yan questioned, looking at her with puzzlement. "Xuan Jiu's" actions seemed intentional; it wasn’t a mindless slaughter but a targeted assault on the Lin Family. The Lin Family had four members. Lin Xiang and Lin Grandmother were murdered, but the other two were spared. The young girl, who arrived barely a month ago, survived not because of Xiang Shi Yan’s protection but because Xuan Jiu showed mercy. As for Lin Yuan Tao, perhaps Xuan Jiu drew the line at killing a child. Xiang Shi Yan paused, feeling an unsettling acceptance toward this antagonist, perhaps because their actions resonated with her own sentiments. The three great clans of Huaikai City had decayed from within, and Xiang Shi Yan had long desired their downfall but was powerless to act. Those in power found it easy to evade justice, and as long as their foundations remained, no one could judge them. Xiang Shi Yan faced countless limitations; despite her carefree façade, she had to tread cautiously, weighing the consequences of every move. Among the Zhu, Xu, and Bai families, who could she afford to provoke? They conspired together; she had a hundred reasons not to kill Zhu Cheng, just as she chose to avoid further entanglement with the three major clans. Acting impulsively could disrupt her future plans and pose risks to Jade Blue Mountain, yet she did it regardless. Her patience extended to others, but each additional day Zhu Cheng lived was a torment. However, dealing with Zhu Cheng alone drained her energy and cost her the system. With others, Xiang Shi Yan was truly powerless. As for the Lin Family, while she had disciplined them before, Xiang Shi Yan never killed mortals—her principle. A foolish, self-repressive principle. But the people Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t kill were eliminated by Xuan Jiu, unconcerned with the hesitations plaguing Xiang Shi Yan. Xuan Jiu possessed a freedom and strength that Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t help but envy. In seeing the scene of bloodshed, Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t suppress some satisfaction. Lin Xiang’s head lay intact in the courtyard’s center, a bamboo whip she remembered embedded in his forehead—a whip once used to lash He He. His expression was fixed in his dying terror. Xiang Shi Yan couldn't help but speculate that the five people Xuan Jiu killed in Huaikai City might have worn similar expressions in their final moments. So far, Xiang Shi Yan believed they hadn’t committed senseless murder. Although she didn’t fully grasp the connection between the Lin and Li families and Zhaodi’s death, after Huaikai City, she inexplicably held some faith in this antagonist, believing Zhaodi’s death harbored untold secrets that led to the deaths of the Lin adults at Xuan Jiu's hands. The blood and gore throughout the courtyard originated solely from Lin Xiang. A hammer, commonly used for minor household repairs, was driven heavily into the ground before the sole intact head, revealing the murderous weapon responsible for the grisly scene. No wonder the villagers dared not approach the Lin Family's residence to retrieve the bodies, when the horror of the scene is so evident. Meanwhile, Lin Grandmother, though meeting her end swiftly, had not suffered as much in her final moments as her son. Xiang Shi Yan entertained an odd thought, feeling an unsettling connection with Xuan Jiu. Growing in such an environment, Lin Grandmother’s bitterness and shrewdness—is it all for herself? Urging her daughter-in-law to bear children, was she driven merely by a desire for a grandchild, or shackled by societal expectations? Immersed in this toxic society, she had learned to survive amidst poison. Xiang Shi Yan intended to find He He, deal with Zhaodi’s situation, and then offer a mild punishment to the Lin Family. She didn’t plan to chastise Lin Grandmother severely, seeing her as merely a pitiable, unenlightened individual. Trusting and understanding the enemy is never wise, especially when the enemy is evidently a madman. In the original work, Xuan Jiu appeared as an uncompromising tyrant. As her plans failed repeatedly, her initial righteousness and composure gave way to vengeance, and she resorted to increasingly violent means, expanding her targets from just the Taixu Sect to indiscriminate attacks. Regardless, Xuan Jiu was a dangerous figure, and moreover, she was connected to He He's disappearance. The thought of He He possibly suffering like Lin Xiang tightened Xiang Shi Yan’s expression. How was the child now? Had she learned of the Lin Family’s fate? How had the rural Lin Family become entangled with the narrative's ultimate antagonist? Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t fathom that the girl she fretted over stood calmly atop a distant cliff, gazing toward Upper Lake Village with an observant air. The master had indeed arrived. Although she intentionally severed her soul link, alerting Xiang Shi Yan in the process, the speed at which she reached Pengzhou surprised and pleased He He. He He watched from afar as her master skillfully rode her sword from Xinyang City to the Lin Courtyard, now questioning the "little lady" left behind—an unfortunate soul indeed. What decent family would marry their blossoming daughter to a man nearly forty, whose wife had recently died, without proper rites? The family merely received money, and a scrap of red paper on a window barely signified the marriage. While He He's personality aspect, "Lin Pan Di," never liked Lin Yuan Tao, she wouldn’t kill a child—her principle. Though exceptions exist, an innocent child like him surely didn’t qualify. The thought of Xiang Shi Yan seeing the crime scene for the first time troubled He He, even though her master likely wouldn’t suspect her. Despite this, a sense of guilt lingered. After all, how dearly her master loved and trusted her. If her true nature were revealed, how would Xiang Shi Yan react—would it be fear, disgust, or continued tolerance? Xiang Shi Yan, realizing the futility of questioning the girl, began clearing the courtyard. The girl couldn't recall the murderer’s appearance or voice, her mind a chaotic haze. This was expected, as He He had wiped their memories regarding her during her departure. With her ability to divide her soul, manipulating others’ minds was a trivial task. "Ahh..." A sudden pain shot through He He’s head, causing her to inhale sharply. Earlier, within the secret territory, although there were barriers, the soul connection between her and Xiang Shi Yan remained intact. While He He felt a slight discomfort from the thinness of this connection, she could tolerate it. But now, having actively severed the bridge of communication between them, her incomplete soul struggled to compensate, resulting in sharp, occasional pain. As the connection with Xiang Shi Yan faded, her awareness of her other parts became increasingly acute. This discomfort—the itching and aching—should have been felt long ago, but Xiang Shi Yan had pulled her back from the brink, becoming a part of her. There was a slight numbness in her heart, accompanied by a deep pain. He He glanced at the white figure from afar, a bitter smile forming on her lips as she turned away, heading into the forest. Xiang Shi Yan seemed to sense something, looking back toward the wilds with a peculiar feeling, as if someone was eagerly awaiting her gaze. A young boy, oblivious to the village's upheaval, was returning from the mountain with a piece of grass in his mouth and a bundle of firewood on his shoulder, humming an aimless tune. The path, though well-trodden, was usually empty at this hour. The boy walked it daily, cutting wood in the morning before attending lessons at his uncle’s private school until the afternoon. His days were already much easier compared to those of boys from impoverished farming families, giving Kong Er little to complain about. Today, however, he noticed a girl, seemingly younger than him, standing on the rocks along the path. The girl wore a black robe embroidered with golden dragons and clouds, details that caught Kong Er's eye, slowing his steps. Though he was certain he didn't know the girl—such a striking figure was unlikely in this rural area, not to mention the dragon-patterned robe, which was clearly beyond the means of a humble family—he couldn’t help but stare. In his short life, only the celestial being who had stopped the flood six months ago could compare to the girl before him. The thought stirred jealousy; a celestial sister once intended to heal his leg, all ruined by that meddling and tight-lipped girl, Lin Pan Di. Because of her, his family spent a fortune on his treatment, and he still walked with a slight limp. He often reminisced about the woman he met just once. If not for Lin Pan Di, perhaps he might have become a disciple of a celestial... Lin Pan Di? Kong Er stared in amazement at the girl on the rock, their eyes meeting. Her lowered eyes and gentle smile were entirely unfamiliar. His memory of the girl with such eyes was that she was like a small, feral dog, unruly and not an obedient child, unlikely to smile like this. The smile made her seem more like a heavenly fairy than the celestial being of the past. Kong Er couldn't help but blush. He wanted to speak, but his words faltered, so he remained silent, gazing expectantly at the somewhat familiar girl. Could it be Lin Pan Di? The girl merely gazed down at him with indifferent eyes. Seeing his silence, she picked up a small stone from the ground. Kong Er paused at this action. What was she doing? The next moment, a sharp pain in his left leg made him cry out involuntarily, the leg giving way, causing him to collapse, the firewood scattering. The girl leapt down from the rock, landing lightly like a butterfly. Her expression unchanged, she retained that gentle smile, causing an inexplicable fear. He He’s eyes lacked any joy or pride—Kong Er was too insignificant to her. If her spiritual sense hadn't detected him here, she wouldn’t have remembered him. "For picking a fight with Lin Pan Di, you broke your leg. My master kindly rescued you from the lake. Do you remember? I won't kill you, but your broken leg was your own doing. It’s irksome to see it healed so easily..." Kong Er didn’t know what to say. His left knee throbbed with pain, tears streaming from his eyes as he looked with terror at the indifferent girl. He He approached, grasping his head, fingers tightening slowly, making him cry out in fear. With just a little force, she could crush his skull. Why not just kill him? After all, she'd already killed many; one more wouldn’t matter. She contemplated nonchalantly, her actions contradictory to her earlier statement of sparing him. The deep soul pain was ever-present, and the boy’s cries were irritating. He struggled to pry open her hand, but his efforts left no marks on her. As she felt his futile resistance, a distorted pleasure arose. Without Xiang Shi Yan, perhaps she found another kind of freedom. He He hadn’t felt joy killing the Lin Family people or the five in Huaikai City. The relief came not from their deaths but from cleansing filth, yet taking lives was weighty. She adhered to her principles in punishing them and felt no regret, but neither did she feel happiness. "What are you doing? Kong Er doesn’t deserve death. Are you planning to kill him for fun?" Yuan Jiu's voice suddenly stopped her. He He had been composed earlier, so why the sudden change...? As if waking from a dream, the girl released him, and Kong Er collapsed, gasping for breath like a fish out of water. What was... happening to her? He He rubbed her brow mechanically, the sharp pain intensifying, feeling her head might explode. She didn’t intend to kill; she was merely overwhelmed by restlessness and pain, seeking distraction. Clearing the world of all that troubled her—would it bring peace? Ah, it was her soul. The fragmented main soul was unstable, constantly in pain from its division, and resonating with the parts imprisoned in the soul lantern, forever burning. Literally being roasted over flames, her thoughts and impulses distorted by the agitation and absence, gradually accumulating. The towering pain, manageable with Xiang Shi Yan's soul complementing hers, now fell solely on her shoulders. On the day her suffering and burden collapse, what would she become? Author’s Note: Claiming to leave but ultimately returning to master’s side for comfort... poor little dog. Thank you to the angels who supported me from 2022-05-15 21:27:12 to 2022-05-17 35:52:05~ Thank you to the angel for nourishing me: Meow Thorn 3 bottles; Thank you all for your support. I'll keep working hard! 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