Qian Xuelang had not waited for the demon. Once his injuries healed, he left the Earth-Mother Womb Pool.
Before setting out, Qian Xuelang had wondered what to do with the infant spirits. He had wanted to take them away from the Womb Pool, for remaining here was dangerous. With the right opportunity, they might even be able to reincarnate and live as humans again. But the infant spirits could not understand human speech and could express only the simplest emotions, so there was no way to communicate with them.
Qian Xuelang had no choice. He could not simply seize their souls and carry them away: that would frighten them and force them to fight back. He went outside alone instead. At first the infant spirits accompanied him, believing that he was taking them out to play, and were delighted.
But as the journey grew longer and Qian Xuelang showed no intention of turning back, the infant spirits gradually became timid and reluctant. They began tugging at him, trying to pull him back.
At first Qian Xuelang assumed the demonic qi was troubling them, so he spread a barrier of spiritual power around them to shield them from its influence. Unexpectedly, this only made the infants more agitated. Before long they were throwing themselves against the barrier.
They had always lived in the Third Veil. When had they ever feared demonic qi? Besides, the farther they went toward the outside, the thinner the demonic qi became. They had simply been away from home too long, and the unfamiliar distance had made them uneasy.
Qian Xuelang understood. He withdrew the barrier and observed them. Sure enough, the infant spirits calmed down and settled, though they continued tugging at his hair and clothes.
It seems we are not fated to travel together. With an inward sigh, Qian Xuelang walked several dozen paces farther. By then not a single infant spirit remained at his side. None sought his protection, and none wished to leave with him.
He paused and glanced back one final time before continuing on his way.
He had previously promised the demon that he would kill him should his circumstances change. But since nothing had changed yet, there was no need to follow him day after day. He could wait until the demon transformed further and then strike.
His immediate priority was to find the missing Ren Yijue. Beyond that, he also needed to locate the Demon-Slaying Sword.
Qian Xuelang had no idea where Ren Yijue had gone. After some consideration, he was preparing to head for Jingyuan when he remembered that Jing Pu had also suffered serious injuries. Perhaps Ren Yijue had taken him somewhere for medical treatment. Qian Xuelang changed course and headed for Shadowed Spring instead.
Perhaps he could find a clue there.
When he reached the outskirts of Shadowed Spring, Qian Xuelang found two idle demonic cultivators chatting. Their cultivation was ordinary and neither noticed him. He heard one say, “Do you really think that sword inside is as powerful as the Demon Lord says?”
“Who knows?” the other answered. “But so many people have died. It can’t all be false. Why don’t you go try it?”
The first speaker shook his head at once. “Absolutely not! Saving face is one thing, but my life is far more important!”
The other laughed. “Look at you, scared stiff. If the Demon Lord gave those orders, we should just obey. Anyone who insists on going in and gets killed has only himself to blame. What we really need to worry about is someone becoming a sword slave, neither properly dead nor alive. Then we’d be in real trouble. Still, that sword appeared out of nowhere. Such tremendous power, yet nobody even noticed it arriving. I wonder what kind of expert could have managed that?”
The first cultivator laughed too. “I’d never dare draw the sword. But if a sword slave appeared, I wouldn’t mind seeing one for myself. Speaking of how strangely that sword arrived, I’ve heard a little rumor. Come closer.”
The two whispered to each other for a while. With Qian Xuelang’s cultivation, their hushed conversation might as well have been spoken directly into his ear.
The first cultivator said, “I heard someone found a sword case near Shadowed Spring. It was made of the finest materials, the work of some extraordinary forgemaster. The fellow tried to sell it, but hardly any blades would fit inside. It even broke several of the buyer’s weapons. The two got into a fight and beat each other bloody.”
The other was startled. “Then what happened to the sword case?”
“With all that commotion, even Mister Huanqing got involved. Naturally he ended up buying it. You know how that fellow likes to pretend he’s important. In truth, he only got where he is by attaching himself to that person from the Sea of Sin… If I could just…”
“You’re killing me! Have you looked at yourself? You think the Passion Lord would give you a second glance?”
The two went on gossiping, but Qian Xuelang stopped listening closely. He was puzzled. Since when has a sword been left in Shadowed Spring with people guarding it? These two are so feeble, yet they’re talking about sword slaves. Has some demonic sword suddenly appeared in the world? Could the Heavenly Demon be behind it?
Who in the world could prevent Qian Xuelang from going where he pleased? Certainly not two cultivators of such limited strength. Without noticing him at all, they let him pass into Shadowed Spring.
The great expanse of Shadowed Spring was empty. Qian Xuelang made a circuit, looking around, and soon found the sword.
But the sword before him was unmistakably the Demon-Slaying Sword that Wei Wenfeng had given him.
Only one character separated the Chinese words for “demon-slaying sword” and “demonic sword,” yet their meanings were entirely different.
Qian Xuelang was taken aback. The Demon-Slaying Sword stood there in all its imposing majesty. Across the surrounding ground lay enormous patches of dried blood, reduced to shapeless dark stains. Evidently a considerable fight had taken place. He remembered what the two cultivators outside had said: many people had already lost their lives to this sword. A thought stirred in him.
I gave Ren Yijue this sword to protect himself. How did it end up here?
What were they saying about sword slaves and people dying? Who died? Ren Yijue?
Qian Xuelang grew momentarily dazed. If Ren Yijue had died and someone had taken his life, then there was no longer any need to search for him. But he would still have to discover who had killed him.
Ah, Ren Yijue was such a good person. So he has died. Then again, perhaps he had not. He was terribly clever and crafty. Perhaps he had abandoned the Demon-Slaying Sword, provoked others into fighting over it, and escaped while they were occupied.
Qian Xuelang took hold of the Demon-Slaying Sword. Suddenly his head spun and his body swayed. He was puzzled. “How strange. My injuries have healed completely. Why do I still feel so unwell?”
He understood joy and grief, life and death, but had never truly known worry. Never in his life had he been frantic with anxiety over another person’s fate. Now, confronted with the feeling for the first time, he did not recognize it at all. He merely knew that something seemed wrong with him, though he could not say what. He felt uncomfortable, as if he could not quite draw breath.
Qian Xuelang stood still until the sensation eased, then lifted the Demon-Slaying Sword from the ground. Without its sword case, he could only carry it in his hand for now.
Unlike Honglu, this sword was not linked to his will and could not be put away naturally.
The two demonic cultivators were still loitering outside. Qian Xuelang approached, immobilized them, and said mildly, “I have a question. You will answer me truthfully.”
Suddenly unable to move, the two instinctively tried to resist, only to feel an immense weight crush down upon them, suppressing all their power. They knew that the person behind them must be a formidable expert. Terrified out of their wits, they trembled all over. “Mercy! Whatever you wish to ask, venerable senior, just ask! We’ll tell you anything we know!”
The other was shaking as though in a sieve. “Even if we don’t know the answer, we’ll go and find out for you!”
If Ren Yijue were here, who knows what witty remark he would make?
At the thought, Qian Xuelang sighed softly.
The two cultivators had no idea why he sighed and were so frightened they nearly wet themselves. A moment later, the crushing weight on their bodies lifted, though they still could not move their legs. A sword appeared before their eyes, and the person behind them asked, “Who brought this sword here? Why is it here?”
The two dared not be careless. They studied the weapon and realized it was the very strange sword that had appeared in Shadowed Spring. Their legs went weak, and they nearly collapsed into puddles on the ground. Qian Xuelang hauled them upright. One stammered, “Y-you… venerable senior, you can actually lift that sword?”
The other blinked, a change passing over his expression as some thought struck him. Without realizing what he was doing, he reached out and touched the Demon-Slaying Sword.
His flesh burst apart in an instant, splattering the surviving demonic cultivator with blood. The man let out a piercing scream.
Qian Xuelang stepped back to avoid the flying flesh and frowned. Only then did he draw the Demon-Slaying Sword away. First he answered the question with a simple “Mm,” then added, “Ordinary people cannot touch this sword. Your companion lost his life because of it. Do not do anything rash yourself. Now answer my question.”
He hesitated. Although he had already moved the sword behind him, he offered another warning all the same.
Perhaps he had spent so long with the infant spirits at the Earth-Mother Womb Pool that Qian Xuelang had grown rather more patient when speaking.
The surviving demonic cultivator had still not recovered from the shock. He stared blankly at Qian Xuelang, despair on his face, and murmured, “I-it wasn’t a lie. It’s true… It really kills people.”
Qian Xuelang repeated his question.
The cultivator remained dazed for some time before finally replying, “I… I don’t know. But I’ve heard from others that Mister Cangyuan was the first to be affected. There was a duel here. Mister Cangyuan picked up this sword, went mad, and attacked people. Then he ran off and disappeared.”
Cangyuan. That was Ren Yijue.
Why was he affected? Did someone force him? He has demonic qi within him. If he tried to wield the Demon-Slaying Sword by force, wouldn’t he suffer the torment of a heart-devouring backlash…?
Strange. On the day of the duel, I didn’t sense anyone else there…
Then Qian Xuelang understood. Of course. That day I fought Jing Pu for a long time amid demonic qi and grew somewhat weary. When I suddenly clashed with the White-Jade Skeleton, I lost the initiative and suffered serious injuries. Ren Yijue was watching. Even if he was angry with me, he must have been frantic with worry and unwilling to flee. That foolish impulse must have driven him to wield the Demon-Slaying Sword by force to save me.
Ah, that foolish man.
“Disappeared?” Qian Xuelang asked again. “What do you mean, disappeared? Where did he go?”
The cultivator shook his head and stammered, “Th-that, we don’t know. We heard he ran into the demonic mist, but this place is so vast we have no idea where he went. All we know is that nobody’s heard from Mister Cangyuan since.”
Ren Yijue had wielded the Demon-Slaying Sword and was probably badly injured. With his insufficient cultivation, he would surely not remain long in Liuyanzhu. He must be recuperating somewhere.
Qian Xuelang swept away like the wind, carrying the Demon-Slaying Sword toward Jingyuan. The place was deserted, its waters still and undisturbed. He descended into the spring’s source and paced around the little house, inspecting every room carefully. When he found tables and chairs overturned, he could not decide whether to feel relieved or alarmed.
Ren Yijue must have returned here. But who did he quarrel with? Qian Xuelang examined the house and found no signs of a fight, allowing him to relax a little. No, there’s no trace of a second person. Ren Yijue probably came back and, perhaps in his hurry or because demonic qi was tormenting him, knocked the furniture over by accident… and had no time to put things right.
If Ren Yijue had managed to return to Jingyuan, and there was no corpse here, then he was probably not in grave danger. Presumably he had simply gone elsewhere to heal.
So long as a person was alive, there would always be another day when they could meet.
Qian Xuelang stopped fretting. He found some cloth and leather in the little house, wrapped the Demon-Slaying Sword to conceal it, and carried it on his back to avoid inviting trouble.
Next, he needed to find the sword case.