Thousand Dusts Ferry Me - Chapter 70

“You must have guessed it,” Yu Beiting said. “Jiang Binghe, along with his four personal disciples, ambushed Yu Wanzhi and his disciples.

The stardust in the Jade River Sky-Shaking Mirror—once even a speck touches you, you would be drawn into the mirror. Yu Wanzhi and his disciples were successively captured into the Jade River Sky-Shaking Mirror.”

Yun Qing frowned. Fellow disciples turning against each other in a fight to the death—one could imagine how brutal the battle had been. She asked, “What happened next?”

“Later…”

Later, when Yu Wanzhi and his disciples awakened, they discovered that Ji Yunche and Tan Jingshu had arrived in the mirror even before them.

The five looked at each other, and Yu Wanzhi smiled bitterly, saying, “I have dragged you all down.”

Tan Jingshu said, “Master, how can you say such a thing? It’s clearly Martial Uncle—it’s Jiang Binghe who has wolfish ambitions and harbors treacherous intentions.”

Ji Yunche asked Fang Hongyu, “Why are you still holding a baby in your arms?”

Fang Hongyu briefly explained. The child was sleeping peacefully in her arms, and who knows what he was dreaming about when he suddenly made a soft “mm” sound. Fang Hongyu gently patted the child’s back, and he became quiet again.

Fang Hongyu asked Yu Wanzhi, “Master, are we inside the Jade River Sky-Shaking Mirror now?”

“Yes.”

“Then how do we get out?”

Yu Wanzhi shook his head. “We cannot get out. Do you think the terrifying power of the Jade River Sky-Shaking Mirror lies in that all-consuming silver river? The true tyranny lies within the mirror’s interior.”

The reason was simple—the rules of power within the mirror were determined by the mental will of the treasure’s wielder.

For example, in the external world, metal overcomes wood, and wood overcomes earth, but within the mirror, it could be completely redefined as wood overcoming metal, water overcoming earth—all it took was a single thought from the treasure’s wielder.

After hearing her master’s explanation, Tan Jingshu said in a daze, “This… this is too terrifying…”

“Legend has it that this treasure was forged by an immortal called Yixin Zi together with your martial ancestor, hence it possesses the characteristic of ‘one thought moves all things.’

Fortunately, it can only change the rules of power but cannot shake human hearts. Your martial ancestor said that Senior Yixin Zi also did not wish for human hearts to be arbitrarily tampered with, even those of enemies.”

Zhang Yinmo asked, “Master, why did Jiang Binghe betray you?”

Ji Yunche said, “It must be for the Jade River Sky-Shaking Mirror.”

Yu Wanzhi shook his head. “Not entirely. I think his true purpose is the Golden Frost Jade Dew Lotus.”

The four looked at each other in bewilderment—they had never heard of the Golden Frost Jade Dew Lotus.

Yu Wanzhi looked up at the white expanse of sky above and shed tears, saying:

“Master, oh Master, I truly regret not heeding your words! You told me to leave some room for caution, to never be completely defenseless against anyone, even my own junior brother, but I treated it as mere wind in my ears!

Now I have misjudged loyalty and treachery, falling victim to a villain’s poisonous scheme. I… how can I face you again!”

A cold laugh echoed, and suddenly a figure approached through the white, boundless world.

Jiang Binghe held a treasured sword, standing tall and elegant, looking coldly at the group.

Upon seeing him, Zhang Yinmo raged, “Jiang Binghe, you beast! My master never treated you poorly, yet now you break faith and repay kindness with enmity! Shameless villain, martial ancestor will surely come to clean house!” As he spoke, he moved to draw his sword.

However, Jiang Binghe merely raised an eyebrow slightly, and instantly that sword became as heavy as Mount Tai. Far from drawing the sword, Zhang Yinmo could barely lift it, and was immediately pressed to his knees by his own blade.

Jiang Binghe said, “Worthy of being my most beloved senior brother—you truly understand me.”

Fang Hongyu couldn’t help but say, “How can a person be shameless to this extent?”

Jiang Binghe looked at Yu Wanzhi. “Senior Brother, if you pass the Golden Frost Jade Dew Lotus to me, I will spare your lives. You and your several good disciples can go anywhere under the vast sky. Naturally, if you still wish to remain at Huayang Mountain, I will treat you well too.”

Yu Wanzhi looked at him quietly, then suddenly asked, “Why?”

“Why?” Jiang Binghe seemed to have heard something extremely ridiculous, curling his lips in a smile.

“You ask me why, but I want to ask you why! How many bad things have Master and that old thing Hanlu Zi said about me behind my back—do you think I don’t know?

They said I have the eyes of a hawk and the gaze of a wolf, that I have wolfish ambitions. They guarded against me like guarding against a thief. I worked ten times, a hundred times harder than others to reach where I am today!

When you were unconditionally loved and trusted by the elders, did you ever ask why?

When you enjoyed everything, possessing the best things in this world, did you ever ask why?

When you wielded the Jade River Sky-Shaking Mirror and bore an immortal body, did you ever ask why?

When you were in high spirits, naturally you didn’t care about those whys! But have you ever thought that you were just luckier than me, entered the sect a bit earlier than me!

Now it’s merely letting you experience my situation a little, and you start asking why! Heh heh, hahahaha!

Yu Wanzhi, is there anyone more hypocritical than you in this world?!”

Yu Wanzhi listened to him finish these words in a daze, then suddenly smiled bitterly and shook his head, looking at him with full mockery, saying, “So this is how you’ve always thought? All these years, it must have been exhausting to pretend.”

Jiang Binghe also looked at him mockingly. “Compared to the pain you’ve inflicted on me, this bit of exhaustion is nothing.”

Yu Wanzhi sighed and said, “Junior Brother, you’ve schemed and calculated everything, but what I must tell you is—you didn’t need to scheme at all. If you had simply collapsed and died before me earlier, to save you, I would have definitely passed the Golden Frost Jade Dew Lotus to you.

I should thank you for preferring to scheme against me rather than trust me, thus letting me see your true character clearly and avoiding having Master’s secret treasure fall into the hands of someone with wolfish ambitions.”

These words made Jiang Binghe’s expression somewhat twisted.

Jiang Binghe stared at him intently, sneering, “Yu Wanzhi, do you think I have no way to deal with you?!”

“What, are you going to kill me?” Yu Wanzhi looked calmly into his eyes, as if trying to see through to the other’s soul through those narrow eyes.

He said, “Although the Golden Frost Jade Dew Lotus grants me an immortal body, within the Jade River Sky-Shaking Mirror, the rules are set by you—perhaps you truly could kill me.

But do you know that the Golden Frost Jade Dew Lotus is one with my heart field? If I die, it will not continue to acknowledge a master, but will wither together with my heart field. Jiang Binghe, do you want to try?”

Naturally, Jiang Binghe dared not try.

He smiled, “You are my most beloved senior brother—how could I possibly kill you… However, others are a different matter.” With that, he grabbed Ji Yunche.

“Senior Brother has always been benevolent and compassionate. I wonder if you’re willing to watch your own disciple die because of you?”

Ji Yunche raged, “Beast, go ahead and kill me! If I so much as blink an eye, I’m not a real man!”

…..

“After that, Jiang Binghe tortured and killed Yu Wanzhi’s four disciples before his eyes.

Ji Yunche and Zhang Yinmo cursed Jiang Binghe with their dying breaths, Tan Jingshu wept bitterly, Fang Hongyu remained silent, but not one of these four people begged for mercy or bowed their heads.

There was no day or night within the Jade River Sky-Shaking Mirror, so no one knew how long this torture lasted. They only knew that blood flowed everywhere, and Yu Wanzhi stood in the pool of blood with tears streaming down his face, yet ultimately never gave up the Golden Frost Jade Dew Lotus.

After killing these four disciples, Jiang Binghe saw a crying infant on the ground and impatiently drew his sword, sealing the throat with one strike. The baby’s cries ceased, and thus died.”

“What happened then?”

“Then, Jiang Binghe brought Qin Ranqing.”

“Qin Ranqing?!”

This name made Yun Qing and the others exclaim in surprise, though only Hanlu Zi seemed unsurprised, merely snorting disdainfully.

Yu Beiting’s expression remained calm as he answered:

“Yes, Qin Ranqing. At that time, this stunningly beautiful woman had somewhat ambiguous romantic rumors with both of the Huayang Twin Gems. No one knew what the relationship between the three of them truly was. Presumably, only they themselves knew.”

“And then?”

“Then—”

Jiang Binghe’s sword was pressed against Qin Ranqing’s neck. Yu Wanzhi looked at them painfully. Who knows what he was thinking, but after the brothers faced each other in silent confrontation for a while, Yu Wanzhi said:

“In this life, I have failed Master, failed my disciples, and am heavy with sin. I no longer have the face to live shamefully in this world. I only hope you will treat Ranqing kindly for the sake of past affection.”

After saying this, his chest began to glow.

Qin Ranqing shook her head with tears streaming down her face, “No!”

Jiang Binghe stared greedily at the lotus he had been obsessing over.

After the lotus left Yu Wanzhi’s chest, it slowly drifted toward Jiang Binghe. Jiang Binghe’s eyes widened, his breathing became more and more rapid, and a smile unconsciously bloomed on his face.

However, just as the lotus floated halfway, it suddenly changed direction and plunged downward!

“No!!!” Jiang Binghe roared, threw aside Qin Ranqing, and lunged toward the lotus.

But it was too late—the Golden Frost Jade Dew Lotus fell into the heart of the infant on the ground.

Yu Wanzhi pointed at the infant and said, “The rise and fall, survival and continuation of my Huayang Sect rests in this one person!” With that, he severed his own meridians and died.

Qin Ranqing sat powerlessly on the ground, staring blankly at him as he fell, then suddenly laughed self-mockingly.

The infant’s fingers moved, and soon he began breathing again, the wound on his neck healing rapidly.

Jiang Binghe watched helplessly as he and the Golden Frost Jade Dew Lotus passed each other by. He completely broke down, eyes red with rage, and grabbed his treasured sword, stabbing the infant repeatedly in a venting fury, one sword after another, no one knew for how long.

The infant wailed continuously, one wound barely healing before another was swiftly added, until finally he looked as if he had been pulled from bloody water.

Tired from stabbing, Jiang Binghe sat on the ground, his body and face splattered with much fresh blood, too lazy to clean it off.

After a while, he suddenly picked up the wailing infant on the ground and gave an eerie laugh.

“No one can stop me, no one can.”