Chapter 3 - The Sharpest Sword in the Village

"Junior Wen?" The man outside the door continued knocking, showing no signs of stopping unless she responded.

"I'm coming," Wen Ruan raised her voice and replied, quickly tidying her hair before opening the door with brisk steps.

The man outside wasn't very old, had a serious appearance, and carried an air of seriousness. When he saw her, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, and he questioned:

"Why did you take so long to open the door?"

Wen Ruan quickly found the identity of this man in her memory, Xu Nanyang, an inner disciple of the Shangyang Sect.

He was a random passerby who had disliked her since she joined the sect.

"I was just meditating. Sorry for keeping you waiting, Senior Xu.” She smiled apologetically and closed the door behind her. “Didn't you say the Sect Master was looking for me? Let's go."

Xu Nanyang didn't bother to argue further. He walked ahead, muttering a possibly intentional complaint:

"With such average talent, I don't know what the Sect Master sees in you, insisting on taking you as a disciple."

Wen Ruan chuckled. Of course the Sect Master was attracted to this face, silly fool.

"The Shangyang Sect is no exception."

In the Zhaixing Pavilion where the Sect Master resided, several shadowy figures were projected in the quiet room, each emanating an unfathomable aura.

If there were natives of the cultivation world present, they would recognize at a glance that these were the top representatives of the various major sects in the cultivation world.

Just mentioning one name would cause a huge stir.

Clearly, this was a high-level meeting in the cultivation world.

"I wasn't involved in that matter back then." He Fengzhang put down his teacup heavily. "He never made a move against us."

"Can there be any remnants when the nest is overturned?" Qing Pingzi from the Tianyuan Sect sneered.

"For the past 300 years, he and the cultivation world have been in an endless battle. Do you think the Shangyang Sect can remain unscathed?"

He Fengzhang wasn't one to back down and retorted on the spot, "If it weren't for your actions causing her death back then, would Mu Zhe have turned out like this? Would the Aotian Sect have secluded itself? Would the cultivation world have declined to this extent?!"

The mention of "her" caused the faces of everyone present to change, as they silently thought of a certain person.

Qing Pingzi paced in place for a few rounds before violently swinging his sleeves. “We did it for the greater good! If it weren't for her protecting Mu Zhe all this time, he would have died long ago. How could there be so many troubles?”

"Don't forget the prediction of the Floating World Mirror!"

He Fengzhang's anger was rarely ignited.

The Master of Mingyue Palace couldn't bear to see the situation escalate and stepped forward to mediate, "Stop arguing, we should unite against outside forces now. We absolutely cannot allow Mu Zhe to continue growing."

"You're right," other sect representatives chimed in. "The immediate priority is to find the Severing Life Sword and completely eradicate that devil."

“Why are you saying it as if it's something we can easily find? It's been 300 years, and we don’t even have a trace of it. It's impressive how persistent you all are," He Fengzhang sarcastically initiated a group mockery mode.

All the major sects: ...We're on the same team, dude.

"I heard that Mu Zhe is preparing to select a consort," the Master of Mingyue Palace skillfully changed the subject. "What are your thoughts?"

"When the gate to the Demon Realm opens, it will be a rare opportunity to get close to him, especially if it's someone close to him in bed..."

He Fengzhang couldn't be bothered to beat around the bush with them and directly confronted them, "I know what you want to do. You want everyone to die together, right? Fine, I'll send someone from the Shangyang Sect."

The major sects secretly let out a sigh of relief.

Shangyang Sect had been unwilling to intervene in the mission of eradicating the Demon Realm for years, which had drawn criticism from others.

Although doing so was for the greater good, if only their own sect suffered losses, it would feel a bit unfair.

The meeting ended successfully.

Thinking about the newly accepted disciple, he sighed. He wasn't a good person either.

From the moment he laid eyes on her, he had anticipated this day, so he treated her exceptionally well, solely because his conscience troubled him.

"Master, your disciple is here."

A crisp voice of a young girl came from outside the door.

He Fengzhang snapped back to reality, straightened his attire, and stood up straight. "Come in."

Wen Ruan pushed open the door. The spacious quiet room appeared empty except for a writing desk and a few wooden chairs. There were no other furnishings.

On the wall facing the door hung a landscape painting. It was pitch black, making it difficult to discern what it depicted.

A middle-aged man in a black robe stood in front of the painting, wearing a jade crown and exuding a clear aura. He smiled at her like a wild chrysanthemum swaying in the wind, beckoning her.

"Good disciple, come here."

Like countless doted-upon disciples, Wen Ruan skipped forward with an innocent expression. "Master, you called for me. Is there something you need?"

He kindly tapped the table. "Sit down. Your master has something to tell you."

Here it comes, the brainwashing begins.

Wen ruan remained vigilant in her heart but maintained a cheerful expression on her face. "I'm all ears, Master. I'm ready to listen."

He Fengzhang organized his words and spoke slowly, "My dear disciple, you have been under my tutelage for less than three months, but I genuinely like you from the bottom of my heart and consider you as my daughter."

Yes, yes, when you first saw the original host of this body, you had no idea who she was and bombarded her with hundreds of soul-searching spells, afraid that she might be a reincarnation of the Demon Lord’s unforgettable first love.

"The cultivation world is currently in a dire situation, and the Shangyang Sect can no longer stand idly by."

"Mu Zhe is about to choose a consort." He Fengzhang hesitated, looking guilty. "You bear a striking resemblance to someone from his past. If..."

"I understand," Wen Ruan interrupted him, her eyes rolling. She resolutely declared, "I'm willing."

He Fengzhang paused for a moment, seemingly unable to believe that she agreed so easily. "Have you really thought it through? That demon has extremely high cultivation skills, and you might die."

Wen Ruan clenched her right fist, her face resolute. "To die for the countless beings in the cultivation world, I have no regrets."

"Good! I haven't misjudged you!"

She felt delighted, rubbing her hands together like a fly, wanting to speak but hesitating. "However, the journey ahead is long, and the equipment..."

"Haha, I understand."

He Fengzhang walked up to the painting, performed a complex hand seal, and the ink on the painting came to life, slowly moving on the pristine white paper.

Wen Ruan watched as he entered the painting, her eyes sparkling. Is this the cultivation world? It's so magical!

"Your cultivation is still weak, so it might be difficult to kill that demon." He came out of the painting, bringing along a storage pouch. His smile now seemed sinister, resembling that of a villain.

"This pouch contains all the poisons in the world. Try each one. I refuse to believe that he won't die from poison."

The corner of Wen Ruan’s mouth twitched. "What if I accidentally poison myself?"

He laughed heartily and triumphantly handed her the pouch. "Don't worry, there are antidotes inside."

"In 10 days, the Demon Realm will open. You must arrive there before that day."

He Fengzhang handed her another vial.

"I heard that Mu Zhe likes the delicate and weak type. If you consume this, it can temporarily suppress your cultivation. You can strike when he lowers his guard."

However, why does it feel so unreliable?

She tactfully spoke up, "Master, don't we have any powerful weapons?"

Like the sharpest sword in the entire village, for example.

He Fengzhang looked puzzled and blurted out, "You're a cultivator of magic. You've only been learning swordsmanship for a month. What other weapon can you use?"