54: Chapter 54: The Curtain Falls 54: Chapter 54: The Curtain Falls The words spoken by Cai Xiangxiang made those who cared for Jiang Tang unwilling to believe that he could be dead.
How could he be dead?
He was soâŠ
âImpossible⊠Jiang Tang canât be dead⊠Heâs my good friend, he canât be⊠Definitely not, definitely not, aah, why, aah aahâ
Su Changâan took a step back on the flying ship, unable to accept the devastating news.
He had made a friend with whom he felt a connection, only to find that friend could die so easily.
He couldnât believe that Jiang Tangâs life could be so short-lived.
I thought Jiang didnât seem like the type to die young, that day, seeing Jiangâs extraordinary poise, one could tell he was destined for great fortune.
How could he have met such a fate?
He just couldnât believe it.
Yan Weiwei cried sadly, straightening up.
Her tears wet her clothes as she wept with a beautiful but sorrowful face, unable to comprehend why Jiang Tang could have just vanished; it made no sense.
Alas, disciples who had not entered the Outer Sect did not have the ability to sense the Soul Lamp that could reveal the life and death of others.
âNo, it canât be.
Jiang Tang has a Magical Treasure on him; with his abilities, he wouldnât die so easily.â Yan Weiwei found it very strange, âIf Jiang Tang is dead, what about Eryao?â
Surely not Eryao as well?
Thatâs impossible.
After all, Eryao had increased its level of Spiritual Power through cultivation.
Thereâs no way it could be killed by those riffraffs.
âYou must be joking, Jiang Tang is fine, right?
Are you lying to me?
He got away, didnât he?
Tell me, he must have escaped, right?â
Su Changâan followed with his own questions.
âI saw it with my own eyes.
They had me under control, then used many Magical Treasures and Talismans to beat Jiang Tang to deathâŠ
wo wo woâŠ
I watched him disappear, unable to be found, not even a trace left, completely vanishing from the Mortal Realm like evaporation.
His brothers found nothing of him.â
Cai Xiangxiang, seeing that Yan Weiwei and Su Changâan didnât believe what she said, explained while crying, her own expression filled with sorrow.
âYou, you, junior sister, donât talk nonsense.
When did I kill him?
You better not frame us; we really havenât seen any Jiang Tang.â
Huang Chen had not expected Cai Xiangxiang to actually rat them out.
This was tantamount to a death sentence.
Unable to move freely and only able to talk his way out, he felt incredibly anxious, as if the next moment could be his last, feeling like they wouldnât let him off the hook.
âSenior sister, how could you do this?â
âSenior sisterâŠ
I beg youâŠâ
The disciples from Mount Tai Sect began to mournfully cry to Cai Xiangxiang.
The menâs crying faces made them seem as if they were about to die, that their time had come.
This was far from their usual arrogant bullying, utterly cowardly when confronted with strength, and now fearing for their lives.
âJunior brothers, Iâm sorry.
You shouldnât have sought revenge on Jiang Tang when he had already spared you, trying to kill him.
Otherwise, you wouldnât have ended up in such a state.
Right now, you could have been carefree without these troubles.
This is the punishment you deserve.
Youâve harmed so many cultivators, itâs time for you to die.â
Cai Xiangxiang, no longer caring about the accusatory looks and the cursing words of her fellow disciples, believed that if she was going to die, they would all die together.
How could people in the Cultivation World be so afraid of death?
In this world of the survival of the fittest, cultivators perish every day.
This was the cycle of karma and retribution.
You killed, so isnât it natural to pay with your life?
Yan Weiwei, furious, released her aura, pointing her flying sword at them and said:
âYouâŠ
are just despicable.
Jiang Tang was so kind and let you go, but you ganged up against him and even tried to kill for loot.
You are the embodiment of shamelessness.
Now, this is the retribution you deserve.
You all deserve to die.
Today we will enforce justice on behalf of heaven and avenge Jiang Tang.
The Cultivation World should be rid of people like you.
Die!â
âLady Yan, donât let them dirty your hands.
Allow me to punish themâŠâ
After Su Changâan finished speaking, with a sweep of his hand, an aura like lightning burst forth, enveloping Huang Chen and his fellow disciples, not killing them instantly but surrounding them with electricity, electrocuting them to death.
âSpare our livesâŠ
Great hero, please, donât kill me.
We are innocentâŠâ
âSpare usâŠ
ahâŠ
spare our lives, senior sister, save meâŠâ
Huang Chen and his fellow disciples felt as if they were being electrocuted, their bones aching and their flesh burning, their souls punished as well.
It was a punishment more cruel than simply killing them, a brutal end reduced to ashes.
Cai Xiangxiang heard they would be punished too, and closed her eyes, accepting her role in Jiang Tangâs death.
She didnât plead for her life, as tears fell on her tragically beautiful face.
A moment passed, during which Cai Xiangxiang waited for death.
She heard the agonizing screams of her fellow disciples but felt no pain herself.
When she opened her eyes, she saw her fellow disciples turning to ash right before her, their remaining Magical Treasures exploding.
As the ashes dispersed, she saw only the soul of her Junior Brothers ascending to the heavens.
As their souls drifted upwards, Su Changâan moved to erase their souls to ensure they would disappear from this world forever, ending the existence of these cultivators.
âMaster Su, pleaseâŠ
They are already dead, having received their punishment.â
Cai Xiangxiangâs compassionate heart surfaced again as she began to plead for mercy.
âYouâŠ
donât you know youâre also at fault?
How can you still have the nerve toâŠâ
Su Changâan paused for a moment, watching those souls fly away with wide eyes.
He sighed deeply.
If those people could still harm the Mortal Realm by cultivating with their souls, then today he had indeed allowed a devil to escape.
âWuwuâŠ
I know my mistake, Master Su, please just kill me.
Jiang Tang died because of me, I donât want to live anymore, wuwuâŠâ
Cai Xiangxiang sobbed pitifully, her eyes closed and tears streaming down her face.
Her appearance made it truly difficult for others to punish her and stirred up feelings of pity, a desire to protect her.
âYoung Master, let it be, okay?
Sheâs innocent too, donât make it hard for her anymore?â
Yan Weiwei, though resentful towards evildoers, didnât want to kill indiscriminately, as the real murderer of Jiang had been dealt with.
This was the compassion that she had always cultivated.
âAll right then?
Since Lady Yan has pleaded on your behalf, you may go.â
Su Changâan didnât want to kill the woman in red; he didnât particularly like this weeping woman.
Such a person could truly be a calamity.
Perhaps Jiang would not have died so soon if it werenât for her?
This was also one of the reasons he was so highly cultivated yet still without a companion.
It wasnât just because of the poison in his body.
The path of cultivation is long and arduous.
If someone were to hold him back, how could he protect others when he couldnât even protect himself?
âWuwuâŠ
Where in this vast world can I find a place to stay?
All the fellow disciples who came out with me have died.
If I go back, my master will surely blame me, and Huang Chenâs family will take revenge against me.
I might as well not return; what should I do in the future?â
Cai Xiangxiangâs eyes were lost.
Their sect was a minor one, and Huang Chen was the scion of a powerful family, having contributed many Spirit Stones to the master.
She thought that maybe not only her master would blame her upon her return, but Huang Chenâs family might also seek revenge.
Thinking this way, she didnât know where to go in the future.
She might end up homeless on the streets, a place fraught with dangers in the Cultivation World, possibly leading to an even more miserable fate.
âYouâŠ
is that truly the case?â
Yan Weiwei, with a kind heart, felt a softening at Cai Xiangxiangâs tearful words and the beginnings of a desire to help her.
âYes, I was just a girl from an ordinary family, but upon discovering I had a Spiritual Root, I joined the Mount Tai Sect and became a disciple of my master.
Huang Chen was a scion of a great family.
Now that heâs dead, and Iâm the only one alive, they will surely suspect and interrogate me.
Someone will certainly seek revenge against me; I canât go back to the sect anymore.â
Cai Xiangxiangâs face was strained with sorrow as she continued to cry and respond, eliciting even more sympathy.
âIn that caseâŠ
what will you do in the future?â
Yan Weiwei once again felt her sympathetic and kind-hearted nature stir.
Su Changâan, however, remained silent the whole time.
He could spare the womanâs life, but he wouldnât help her.
It wasnât that he lacked kindness, but rather that he had no good feelings towards this woman.
Why must the weak always be pitied and helped?
They would forever live under the protection of others, never having a chance to growâŠ
he believed no one was inherently weak; they simply lacked the will to become stronger.
Therefore, he seldom showed pity for the weak; not killing them was already a mercy.
âWowâŠ
I can only wander the streets now.â
Cai Xiangxiang crouched on the flying ship, hugging her knees and weeping.
âIf thatâs the caseâŠ
would you want to follow me to North City Immortal Sect?
It might be a bit beneath you, though.
Iâm an Inner Sect Disciple and can take in Servant Disciples to attend to my daily needs.
However, you canât live with me; instead, you will have to stay at the residence for Servant Disciples of the Sect.â
âReally?â Cai Xiangxiang lifted her head, her face still wet with tears that had not yet fallen, her eyes brimming with surprise.
Yan Weiwei nodded to Cai Xiangxiang.
âThank you, Lady YanâŠ
I will definitely repay you.â
âThereâs no need for thanks, itâs the least I can do.
However, you mustnât reveal that you have switched from another sect to mine while under my roof.
You cannot afford to make any mistakes, or else I will expel you and deny knowing you, claiming you deceived me.â
âAlright, thank you, Lady Yan!
Iâll be careful, and nobody will find out.
Donât worry, my life is at stake, so I wonât be careless.â
Cai Xiangxiang gave a formal bow with her hands clasped together.
âLady YanâŠâ
Su Changâan was unable to prevent it, as it was their affair.
To stop it would mean cutting off Cai Xiangxiangâs future prospects, perhaps even costing her life.
âYoung Master, I understand.
Letâs assume itâs accumulating good deeds.
Sigh, it was because of her that we discovered the truth and avenged Jiang Tang.â
Yan Weiweiâs beautiful face was still furrowed with worry.
Jiangâs death had dealt her a heavy blow, but in the deepest part of her heart, she still harbored a fantasy.
What if Jiang had a special Magical Treasure?
Otherwise, how could they explain that after killing Jiang, not even a trace was left behind?
There must be something fishy about it.