C15 It Was Because Her Master Had Given Her a Saber and Her Masters Eloquence Was Able to Move Her H

Yue Yang learned of Chu Yunrou's past and offered her comfort. "Sister Chu, don't be upset. In a few days, I'll escort you down the mountain so you can be with your husband again."

Chu Yunrou replied, "You're such a good-hearted brother. But if you truly care for me, please don't send me back."

Yue Yang was puzzled by her words. "Why not? Don't you miss your home? You're not like me; you have a place to return to."

"That place is no home. It's nothing but a brothel looking to sell its daughters for a hefty sum," Chu Yunrou said bitterly, then gently patted Yue Yang's head. "You're too young to understand these things. I wish you could remain innocent of such knowledge forever."

Yue Yang was still lost. "Are you afraid that Senior Brother will force you to return? Don't worry. I secured your freedom with a top-tier cultivation technique. Senior Brother might be odd, but a cultivator who breaks his word risks divine retribution."

"He won't take me back, but does that mean no one else will? It's only since coming here that I've seen the world for what it truly is. If you call it good, it only gives you a headache. If you call it bad, you find it hard to let go."

The more Yue Yang heard, the more bewildered he became. "Do you hate my Senior Brother? You must."

Chu Yunrou said, "Sometimes, I hate him so fiercely I could kill him and feast on his flesh. Yet at other times, I feel grateful to him for showing me the world's true colors. You may be without a home, but I never truly had one either."

Yue Yang was befuddled. "Sister Chu, your words are more cryptic than the Daoist scriptures."

"Good, it's better that you don't understand. Give me your hand," Chu Yunrou instructed.

Though perplexed, Yue Yang complied and extended his hand, only to receive a swift smack with a vine that Chu Yunrou had procured from somewhere.

"This is your punishment. If you misbehave in the future, I'll discipline you with this. Now, let's bury this young girl. Consider it a lesson, and don't repeat the mistake."

Staring at Chu Yunrou with the vine in her hand, Yue Yang felt no physical pain due to his hardened body, but his heart ached, and he felt an overwhelming urge to cry.

Le Yang managed to hold back his tears, but his dazed and foolish expression frightened Chu Yunrou. She feared she had shattered his Dao Gate, a vital point of a cultivator's power, second only to the energy sea and dantian. Damaging it could cripple a cultivator's life force and all their cultivation.

Yet, she had never heard of a Dao Gate being located in the palm of one's hand, and this revelation terrified her.

"Big Sister Chu, I'm fine. I was just lost in thought," Le Yang reassured her, his heart warming at the sight of her concern.

"Big Sister Chu, if I ever make a mistake again, feel free to correct me with this whip," Le Yang offered.

Chu Yunrou couldn't help but wonder, "Has the child been addled by the beating?" She resolved internally never to use the vine whip so carelessly again, even as she verbally agreed to his request.

Le Yang solemnly placed the girl into the wooden coffin and observed as the servants laid her to rest in a grassy area on the back mountain. When it came time to inscribe the tombstone, he realized he didn't know her name. Despite asking Ping An and the other servants of Ming House, no one could tell him.

"She was a special gift nurtured by Murong Xuan, intended to be named by her dao companion," Chu Yunrou reminded him gently.

"Then who is her dao companion? I'll go ask," Le Yang said, taking a few steps before pausing and looking around uncertainly. "Is it me?"

After a moment's contemplation, Le Yang inscribed the tombstone with "Here lies my sister Yang An An."

"Named An, may you find eternal peace in the hereafter."

Just then, a black cloud plummeted from the sky.

"My good disciple, I sought out the finest blacksmith in the mortal realm to forge a divine weapon for you, tirelessly working day and night. It can slice through hair as easily as it can cleave iron. Go on, give it a try and see how well it fits your hand," a voice boomed as the cloud dissipated, revealing the figure of the skeleton monster, his once magnificent robes now charred, exposing his white bones.

"Greetings, Ancestor," Chu Yunrou said, bowing respectfully. Having learned the Lightness Dao Technique, she had relayed numerous messages for Murong Xuan and was familiar with most of the Order of Duality's Elders and disciples.

Le Yang accepted the gleaming golden broadsword from the skeleton monster. Swinging it, he was met with the resonant sound of metal ringing, a testament to the weapon's formidable power.

"This divine weapon weighs eight hundred and eighty kilograms. Take this saber manual with you. Although it represents top-tier martial arts, with your quick wit, you should master it in just half a month. After that time, make your way to the base of my mountain and slay a Three-Flowered Demonic Snake as an offering for the saber."

The Skull Monster was at a loss when it came to teaching disciples, especially one like Le Yang, who didn't rely on any cultivation techniques. His only thought was to forge a path of demon-slaying as proof of his Dao.

Le Yang expressed his gratitude to his master and spent over a month with the Skull Monster, understanding his ways and nodding in agreement. He examined the saber manual in his hands, titled "Water Dragon's Cry."

"Whose grave is this?"

The Skull Monster suddenly let out a startled cry, having just noticed a fresh mound beneath his feet.

Le Yang stepped forward to recount the events to his master. The Skull Monster performed a quick divination and was ecstatic. "How could such good fortune come our way?"

With a mischievous smile, the Skull Monster said, "My dear disciple, this is your lucky day. I'll borrow a drop of your heart's blood for a moment."

Le Yang, unaware of what was happening, found himself immobilized by the Skull Monster, who then extracted a drop of his heart blood.

Le Yang overheard the Skull Monster ordering a servant to dig up the new grave and quickly intervened. "Master, she's already passed away. Why disturb her rest?"

Chu Yunrou stood by with a ghostly pale face, her eyes tightly shut, seemingly unable to watch what was unfolding.

The Skull Monster's face remained impassive, but the crisp sound of his bones clacking together betrayed his glee. "Haha, my foolish disciple, this is your lucky break. I'll craft a green-haired zombie for you. Once you've mastered the saber technique, I assure you, you'll be unmatched in the Qi Refining state. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner."

Le Yang's skin crawled at the thought. "Master, this can't be right. I've already accepted her as my sister. It's unthinkable to turn one's own kin into a zombie."

The Skull Monster's bones rattled loudly in response. "This is a heaven-sent opportunity, a gift of fate. If you refuse it, beware—you might not survive long enough to reach the Foundation Building stage."

Yue Yang was overwhelmed with sorrow and fury. "Even if I can't achieve Foundation Building, I refuse to let her be turned into a zombie."

The skeletal old monster peered at Yue Yang, the ghostly flames flickering in his dark eye sockets. Seeing Yue Yang's resolve, he reluctantly spoke, "Her body will only remain intact for three days. Think it over and seek me out here if you decide."

The skeletal old monster was well aware that Yue Yang was unlikely to change his stance. He rotated his skull slightly and whispered to Chu Yunrou, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, "Young lady, try to convince him. If he succeeds, I'll grant her the status of a disciple within the Order of Duality."

Chu Yunrou's form shuddered, and she murmured her thanks to the elder.

After the skeletal old monster departed on a cloud, Yue Yang felt no inclination to practice his swordsmanship. Instead, he confided his perplexities and doubts to Chu Yunrou.

"Sister Chu, is the pursuit of the Great Dao truly so merciless, to the point where even the bodies of the innocent are crafted into zombies? It's barbaric."

The more Yue Yang dwelled on it, the more distressed he became. He thought it might be better to seclude himself and devote his time to the Starlight Splendid Technique. If that meant seeking vengeance, so be it.

"Brother, will you heed my advice?"

Chu Yunrou inquired.

"If what you say is logical, of course I'll listen," Yue Yang replied.

"If you are obedient, then let your master proceed with the refinement of the corpse," Chu Yunrou urged.

"I refuse to listen," Yue Yang protested, shaking his head stubbornly like a young lion.

Chu Yunrou spoke earnestly, "Yue Yang, do you recall the opening lines of 'The Dao of Heaven and Earth'?"

"I remember them well," Yue Yang affirmed. "'Without the Dao, Heaven and Earth would not exist. With the Dao, all things have their purpose.' It suggests that the Dao gives order to the universe, allowing all things to exist."

Chu Yunrou then asked, "So, is there any difference among the myriad things in the world?"

"There is no difference," Yue Yang responded. "It's the Dao that constitutes everything – you and me, the sun, moon, and stars, the mountains, rivers, and seas – all are shaped by the Dao."

Chu Yunrou asked, "Tell me, what's the difference between essence iron ore and our Daoist practices?"

Le Yang fell silent, anticipating her next words, "Sister Chu, please, no more."

But Chu Yunrou pressed on, "There is no difference, is there? Then why can you wield weapons forged from essence iron ore, but you can't use those crafted from her?"

Le Yang shook his head, "It's not the same. Essence iron ore is inanimate, while people are living."

Chu Yunrou persisted, "Then let me ask you another question. Are you aware that trees can become sentient after a hundred years, and iron stones can gain intelligence after ten thousand years? And that Daoist weapons imbued with essence and spirit are far mightier than ordinary ones? If you possessed such a weapon, would you use it or not?"

Le Yang hung his head, murmuring, "No, it's not like that."

Without giving Le Yang time to ponder, Chu Yunrou continued, "Besides, she's already passed away. Her soul has dissipated and lies buried in the earth. In a hundred years, all that will remain is a skeleton. In ten thousand years, she'll be indistinguishable from the dust of the land."

She picked up a delicate teacup from the nearby table, "And how can you be sure that this very cup doesn't contain the blood and bones of ancients from eons past?"

Le Yang let out a loud cry and bolted from Chu Yunrou's side as if escaping, rushing out of the bright tower.

"Don't forget, you have a blood vendetta to avenge. As a cultivator, you shouldn't get hung up on these minor details."

Chu Yunrou's voice followed Le Yang, her insincere words echoing until he was out of sight. She then slumped against the leg of the table, collapsing to the ground, whispering, "I'm sorry!"

Le Yang sprinted through the mountains, the wind roaring in his ears. Inside, he was torn between two voices. One urged him to stop hesitating; in this world, the powerful do as they please. To seek vengeance, he must grow stronger without restraint.

The other voice questioned his actions, comparing them to those of a butcher. If today he could refine using Yang Anan's remains, might he tomorrow consider using Chu Yunrou for dual cultivation? Human desires know no bounds, and once unleashed, they flood forth uncontrollably.

"No, I don't want it."

Yue Yang stumbled over a rock in his path and fell onto the soft mud, pounding the ground in desperation, trying to silence the voices in his heart, even if just one. Without them, the turmoil would cease.

As Yue Yang lay there, wrestling with the decision to rise, two hands reached out and pulled him to his feet.

"Rain, Little Rain, how did you two get here?"

Yue Yang was relieved to see the two little girls who had been mutilated, preferring their company over the servants or Chu Yunrou witnessing his current state of disarray.

Rain and Little Rain, unable to speak, could only communicate through gestures. Rain supported him, while Little Rain found a flat stone and guided Yue Yang to sit beside her.

"Did Sister Chu send you to comfort me?"

Rain nodded, but Little Rain shook her head.

Through persistent questioning, Yue Yang pieced together their message: "They weren't sent by Sister Chu. They had heard his loud cries and, worried, came to check on him."

"You don't resent me, even though I'm the reason you're like this?"

Again, Rain nodded, but Little Rain shook her head.

Gradually, Yue Yang grasped their sentiments: "Being with Murong Xuan, punishment was inevitable. Rather than living in constant fear, they now found peace in their blindness and silence."

"Being by your side is good. We bear no resentment towards you."