Villains: Starting with the Landlady

Page 146

The move 【Star Destruction】 is similar to that of the God of Wine, both of which drain one's own internal energy/true qi/spiritual energy to maximize damage.

Lin Yueru and Zhao Ling'er watched the terrifying tremors with great anxiety, but dared not approach and could only observe from a distance.

Poisonous Lady and Caiyi were both somewhat frightened, as any move they made would likely kill them instantly!

Aunt Yun, though unaware of the true extent of the attack, could still discern its astonishing power and instinctively covered her mouth.

The white light dissipated, and Situ Zhong lay on his back on the ground. He had lost this battle, and lost utterly. Ling Yun had even held back most of his strength; otherwise, he would have been dead long ago.

"you win."

Situ Zhong smiled. Ling Yun walked to his side, withdrew the black ink, and extended his hand to him.

Situ Zhong pulled his hand and stood up, dusted off the dust on his body, and patted his shoulder: "I can go back and report now. With your strength, our Shu Mountain can't let you go. Besides, you don't seem like the kind of naive person who would be bewitched by demons. I hope you stay true to yourself and never change."

"Don't worry, my true feelings have never changed."

Seeing the smile on Ling Yun's lips, Situ Zhong never imagined that he was actually the murderer who killed his senior brother, Dugu Yuyun.

Just as the Sword Immortal was about to leave, Ling Yun quickly called him back.

"Senior Sword Immortal, may I return to Mount Shu with you?"

Situ Zhong smiled happily: "What, you've thought it through?"

"No, it's just that I've long heard of the fame of Mount Shu and I'd like to go and take a look."

Actually, what he wanted was the Demon-Slaying Sword, which was originally the weapon used by Fei Peng, a general of the divine realm, and he used it to fight a great battle against the Demon Lord Chonglou. In the Legend of Sword and Fairy 3 prequel, Jing Xiaolou gave the Demon-Slaying Sword to Nangong Huang, who then gave it to the Sword Saint Dugu Yuyun.

After killing the Sword Saint, Ling Yun did not find any trace of the Demon-Suppressing Sword, guessing that it should still be inside Mount Shu.

It would be a waste to give such a powerful flying sword to these ignorant Taoists of Mount Shu; he was quite tempted.

The Sword Immortal nodded, and Ling Yun gestured for him to stay for a few more days. After he had settled things here, they would leave together.

Situ Zhong didn't want to stay here, feeling too constrained. Ling Yun gave him some silver, which he happily took to drink, promising to meet him at the gate of the Minister's residence in three days.

Caiyi and Du Niangzi stayed at the Minister's residence. Under Caiyi's guidance, Du Niangzi also transformed her somewhat exaggerated spider body, so that she wouldn't look too strange when she turned into a human.

Chapter 340 Heading to Mount Shu

Lingyun has been staying in the capital for the past few days, chatting and shopping with several women during the day, and spending his evenings in sweet nothings with them, enjoying a carefree life.

Zhao Ling'er didn't care much about Ling Yun's amorous nature. Although Lin Yueru was somewhat bothered, she knew that she couldn't deal with Ling Yun on her own, so she gradually gave in.

That night, just as Ling Yun was embracing Aunt Yun in their lovemaking, he suddenly heard a commotion outside. It turned out that Minister Liu had returned.

When he pushed open the door and saw Ling Yun calmly walking out of his wife's room, he was instantly filled with rage and wanted to order Ling Yun to be arrested.

However, the young man turned the tables and took control of him, instilling false suggestions and memories in him, making him his loyal subordinate.

After Liu Jinyuan was properly buried, Ling Yun and the other two packed their belongings and prepared to leave.

Situ Zhong was ultimately just a swordsman who drank wine; he could never become a sword saint. This was actually related to his early experiences. So, after witnessing Ling Yun's determination and the true situation of Caiyi and the Poisonous Lady, he chose to turn a blind eye and stop meddling.

Besides, he couldn't force the two demons to leave!

Ling Yun left the Liu residence amidst Aunt Yun's reluctant farewell. Just as he arrived at the gate with Yue Ru and Ling'er, he saw the Drunken Sword Immortal lying drunk in the river.

"Senior, you haven't spent all your money again, have you?"

After being pulled ashore by Ling Yun, the Drunken Sword Immortal chuckled, looking rather embarrassed. But he wasn't a fool; he immediately transformed his flying sword into a giant sword, large enough to support four or five people.

The Sword Immortal stood on the tip of the sword, with Ling Yun and the two women standing behind him. Then, he pointed his sword fingers, and the giant sword flew into the clouds in full view of everyone.

With the wind howling in their ears and the capital city shrinking beneath their feet, Lin Yueru was quite excited, while Zhao Ling'er felt a sense of familiarity and looked at Ling Yun with tenderness, holding his hand tightly.

"Hey, Brother Ling," Lin Yueru whispered in Ling Yun's ear, "Is Senior Sword Immortal lost? He looks so drunk!"

"Well, it should be alright, right?"

Everyone says drunk driving is unacceptable, but drunk driving a flying sword isn't covered by traffic regulations, so it should be fine... right?

Situ Zhong had extremely sharp ears. He crossed his arms and chuckled, "Little Lingzi, I'm not that unlucky. I've been to this Shu Mountain Road countless times. How could I get lost?"

"Oh, then this looks like the road to Suzhou to me!" Lin Yueru exclaimed loudly after glancing at the scene on the ground.

"Ok?"

Situ Zhong was taken aback. He looked down, immediately turned his sword around, and coughed a few times: "Um, I'm just looking at the scenery."

Lin Yueru looked conflicted. She huddled in Ling Yun's arms with Zhao Ling'er, afraid that if Situ Zhong made a mistake, they would all fall. Staying with Ling Yun meant they could at least survive.

In just a few hours, Mount Shu, which would normally take ten days or even longer to reach, was right in front of us.

In the Legend of Sword and Fairy, Mount Shu is comparable in height to Mount Everest, with heavy snow falling at its summit. For an ordinary person, let alone easily climbing to the top of Mount Shu, simply finding the gate of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect alive would be quite an achievement.

Seeing the sorrowful atmosphere inside Mount Shu and the white cloths hanging there, both women chose to remain silent at the same time.

"Lingyun, please come with me to the main hall first. I will arrange accommodations for you later."

"Thank you, senior!"

Situ Zhong nodded, retrieved his flying sword, led the three to sit down in the hall, and then returned to the main hall to report.

After arriving at the main hall, Ling Yun used his X-ray vision ability to search for the Demon-Suppressing Sword throughout the entire hall, but he couldn't find it even after searching several times.

When the Drunken Sword Immortal returned, Ling Yun talked to him about some powerful weapons, and the Drunken Sword Immortal then mentioned the divine weapon from back then.

“I knew you wouldn’t come here for anything good.” Situ Zhong wasn’t angry at all, and said with a smile, “The Demon-Suppressing Sword is inside the Demon-Locking Tower. It hasn’t been very peaceful inside the tower lately. The Demon-Suppressing Sword is extremely effective at suppressing ghosts and monsters, so we refined the divine weapon inside.”

Seeing Ling Yun's somewhat tempted expression, Situ Zhong said irritably, "Don't even think about going in. This Demon-Locking Tower can only be entered, not exited. Even disciples of our Shu Mountain Sword Sect who have gone in have never been able to leave. Don't be reckless!"

"I understand, thank you, senior!"

Situ Zhong rolled his eyes; he felt that Ling Yun wouldn't be so obedient.

He was not one to follow the rules, and seeing the interest in Ling Yun's eyes and the young man's formidable strength, Situ Zhong thought for a moment and handed him a scroll and a bead.

"This is?"

“This is the God of Wine’s move, and the Thunder Spirit Orb.” Situ Zhong’s expression was very serious. “From now on, I may have to take up the banner of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, which is far less carefree than yours. You are going to take this little girl back to Miao territory, right? Many years ago, I met her parents with Senior Brother Dugu, and I have heard about some of the situation in Miao territory. These two things may be helpful to you.”

Ling Yun glanced at Zhao Ling'er, then pulled Situ Zhong outside the hall.

The two stood in the snow, and the young man asked the question that had been bothering him.

"Senior, I guess you should know about the Water Demon Beast of Miao territory, right?"

Situ Zhong nodded, but did not reply.

"In that case, does the Shu Mountain Sword Sect have no intention of taking action in the face of such a powerful demon and the possible disaster that may follow?"

“This matter is quite complicated.” Situ Zhong glanced at the falling snowflakes and sighed, “Just as you said, our Shu Mountain Sword Sect is nothing more than a dog of the Divine Court. Regarding Miao territory, the information we have received is that we should avoid going if possible. Even if there are raging floods there, even if the people there suffer from disaster, that is their karma. There will be people who will clean up the mess and those who will willingly sacrifice themselves.”

He murmured, "Those people in the Divine Court have probably already foreseen everything, but we are powerless to change it, nor can we change it. We can only do what we believe is right within the limited conditions, and leave the rest to fate."

Ling Yun also looked at the sky, and after thinking for a moment, said, "That demon-suppressing sword might be able to save the people from suffering. I need to get it."

"The Demon-Sealing Tower is a place where you can enter but not leave. This has been an unspoken rule for countless years, and disciples of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect are strictly prohibited from entering. Even if you and I join forces, we may not be able to change it."

"If I insist on going in, will you pretend you don't see me?"

Situ Zhong laughed upon hearing this. He patted Ling Yun on the shoulder and shook his head: "Everyone's path is different, and everyone has their own destiny. I can't persuade someone who has made up their mind. Besides, although I often get drunk, I can't just stand by and watch you go and deliver... Hmm, you're quite interesting, kid."

Ling Yun handed him a large jug of wine. Situ Zhong took it, drank a big gulp, wiped his mouth, and said, "Alright, you guys go in tonight. I won't say anything more."

Chapter 341 Inside the Demon-Sealing Tower [Bonus Chapter for Donations]

That evening, Lingyun told the two women about his plans to go to the Demon Locking Tower.

All the tragedies happened in the Demon Locking Tower, and Ling Yun even developed PTSD from it, so naturally he disagreed with the two women going in.

"Brother Ling, we can't let you go in alone and risk your life!" Lin Yueru shook her head repeatedly, refusing to agree no matter what.

Zhao Ling'er blinked and silently took his hand, not letting him leave.

"Yueru, Ling'er," Ling Yun said solemnly, holding the two girls' hands. "I promise I'll be back soon. Don't worry, just wait for me here."

"Brother Lingyun, no."

Zhao Ling'er stepped forward and hugged him, burying her head in his chest: "I want to stand with Brother Lingyun through thick and thin. Ling'er has become stronger now and is no longer a burden!"

"Brother Ling, me too!"

Looking at the expressions of the two women, Ling Yun felt a sense of relief.

Although he was promiscuous and not a good person, he wasn't heartless either. Seeing that a woman genuinely cared for him warmed his heart.

He reached out and pulled the two girls into his arms, then used his mind control ability on them for the first time.

The two women were slightly stunned, and then both fell into a deep sleep.

He placed the two women on the bed, covered them with blankets, and then went alone to a place not far from the Demon-Sealing Tower.

Normally, disciples would keep watch at night, but there wasn't a single person tonight. He guessed that Situ Zhong had paved the way for him.

The young man arrived at the Demon-Sealing Tower and saw its magnificent structure.

The Demon-Sealing Tower appears to have many layers exposed on the outside, but actually, once inside, you're teleported to the top floor and then descend. The specific method for exiting the tower varies in each game, and Ling Yun isn't sure if the method he knows is correct.

But if we really can't get out in the end, we can just demolish the Demon-Sealing Tower!

He stood on the Bagua formation in front of the tower, and a golden figure with six arms appeared in mid-air.

This figure was none other than the Prison-Suppressing King, a former disciple of the Shu Mountain Sect and a fellow disciple of Qing Leng. He exploited Qing Leng's weakness, tricking her into using the Five Elemental Wheels for cultivation, while he himself cultivated an evil technique that absorbed the magical power of others. Just as Qing Leng was about to become an immortal, he absorbed her power to aid his own ascension. Later, seeking even greater power, he plotted to unlock the Shu Mountain's ley lines and slaughter demons. Due to Lei Yuange's intervention, he was bestowed the title of "Prison-Suppressing King" by the divine realm, tasked with guarding the Demon-Locking Tower.

"Who is coming!"

The voice of the Prison King was very hollow. Ling Yun stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "I am not a disciple of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect. I went to the Demon Locking Tower simply to find something."

The Prison King glanced at Ling Yun: "I am only responsible for stopping the Shu Mountain disciples from entering the tower. Since you are not one of them, you can be allowed to pass."

He didn't say much. Anyway, once you enter the Demon Locking Tower, you never come out. This young man wanting to die is none of his business.

The Demon King of Hell recited a spell and teleported Ling Yun into the Demon Locking Tower.

A flash of white light appeared, and Ling Yun opened his eyes to see a completely different scene.

This Demon-Sealing Tower is quite spacious inside, with twelve floors in total, and I am currently on the top floor.

Ling Yun had just taken a step forward when he heard the cries of the demons. He summoned his flying sword, ready to take action against them.

Although some monsters are good and some are bad, a monster that wants to eat him without any regard for the consequences must be a good thing, right? He feels no guilt about killing any of them, and he can even improve his sword control skills along the way.

Although the proficiency gained from each sword swing is not as high as that from the wooden dummy, the proficiency gained from killing monsters is on par with the training cheat device. In addition, he can kill while walking, so he doesn't waste time.

In less than half an hour, he had killed all the monsters on this floor. After all, the powerful demons were all below, and the ones above were just ordinary little demons.

He killed as he went, and naturally Ling Yun did not attack those demons who were trembling or had not provoked him. The demons that could be captured and put into the Demon Locking Tower had already transcended the most basic instincts and were all intelligent, so the young man would not kill them all.

When he arrived at the seventh floor, he saw a strangely shaped longsword.

Although it can't compare to a divine weapon like the Demon-Suppressing Sword, it's still quite remarkable and should be considered one of the top weapons in the Shu Mountain sect.

He had just walked to the side of the longsword when a phantom appeared in front of him.

"Who are you……"

The phantom transformed into an old man with white hair and beard, his body radiating sword energy, clearly no ordinary person.

"You must be Senior Jiang Qing?" Ling Yun glanced at the old man in front of him and said softly.

Speaking of Jiang Qing, he was originally a disciple of Mount Shu. Because he fell in love with Yue Rouxia, the daughter of the Demon Lord, he was forbidden by the rules of the Mount Shu Immortal Sword Sect, so he and Yue Rouxia escaped into the Demon Locking Tower.

Dozens of Shushan disciples went to the Demon-Locking Tower to rescue her, but none survived. From then on, Shushan established a rule: Shushan disciples are forbidden from entering the Demon-Locking Tower; those who violate this rule will have their martial arts abolished and be expelled from the sect. Because she was severely injured by the Immortal Sword Sect leader, Yue Rouxia's unborn child was only saved from death by a surge of internal energy.

Yue Rouxia used her internal energy to heal Jiang Qing's injuries, which affected the fetus, resulting in the birth of a daughter. Afterward, her energy dissipated. Knowing that there was no hope of saving her, Yue Rouxia transferred her last bit of strength into her daughter's body and died.

Overwhelmed with grief, Jiang Qing gave his daughter the nickname Yue Rouxia, calling her Wan'er, and they lived together in the Demon-Sealing Tower. Later, Jiang Qing taught Jiang Wan'er all his Immortal Sword Sect's unique skills, combined with demonic martial arts, before dying. Jiang Wan'er lived in the dark and gloomy Demon-Sealing Tower from a young age, always staying by Jiang Qing's dead body.

"Jiang Qing...no, I'm not, I'm not!"

Unexpectedly, the old man suddenly went berserk, grabbing the Seven Star Sword from the ground and shouting like a madman, "You're a disciple of Mount Shu, aren't you? How dare you enter here! You've broken the sect rules, you deserve to die, you deserve to die!"

Ling Yun frowned slightly, but he was too lazy to explain. He gripped the hilt of Mo Bai's sword and faced the crazed old man...

After half an incense stick had burned, the old man's figure became increasingly ethereal, swaying precariously, as if he might vanish at any moment.

"I've made many mistakes in my life, even causing the death of my wife." Jiang Qing sighed, finally regaining consciousness just before his soul dissipated. "Wan'er is still in the tower. You are neither a disciple of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect nor a demon, yet your strength is so high. I hope you can save Wan'er and help her leave this place..."

"Senior Jiang Qing, I will do my best."

Having received Ling Yun's promise, Jiang Qing looked around nostalgically before her soul seemed to leave her body.