Chapter 125: Finding Another Way

"Uncle Shan, are, are you really coming down the mountain with us?"

Even though Yuan Qingling had the years behind him and more experience than the average disciple, he felt an inexplicable sense of trepidation. Having someone extra on the journey was one thing, but having Shan Hongxing—the man universally known as the "Devil Master"—was quite another.

If he failed to show proper hospitality, this elder might not take kindly to it. And if Shan were to whisper a few stinging remarks to his own master later, would he have any peace for the rest of his life?

The complicated history between this Uncle Shan and his master remained a complete mystery to him, even after hearing the whole story. Was it a case of someone who cared for his master but lacked the ability to express it? Was that the reason for the rumors that the two peak masters were always at odds?

"I am taking my disciples to the Trial Assembly while we gain experience along the way. Visiting your master is merely a convenience. You may feel free to relax."

"Oh, right, of course." Yuan Qingling nodded, retreating behind with Jinwu.

Divine beasts were adept at reading the room. Jinwu, for instance, had always looked down on Ai Fengling—a mere tool cultivator who relied on external objects for his arts—and rarely spoke to him with respect. Yet, in the presence of this stern, unapproachable "high-mountain flower," the beast immediately tucked in its feathers, acting like a dim-witted duck that could do nothing but nod. It had thoroughly devolved from a majestic, solar divine creature into a silly, dazed bird.

The disciples Shan Hongxing brought down the mountain were his pride and joy: the eldest sister of Wind-Thunder Peak, Lu Feiyu, and his second disciple, Lan Yezhou. As for the rest of his students, their cultivation and temperament were not yet at a level suitable for the trial grounds.

"Senior Sister," Yuan Qingling said one day, offering a waterskin with a sycophantic smile. He cast a hesitant glance toward Shan Hongxing. "It’s one thing for Uncle Shan to skip meals, but does he not drink water either?"

"Just focus on taking care of yourself."

Lu Feiyu had perfectly inherited her master’s aloof and reclusive temperament. She answered his question with cold indifference. "He is a former sect leader, after all. Do you really not even understand that much protocol?"

Stumped by her rebuke, Yuan Qingling retreated, dejected, to find Jinwu. His own personality had been influenced by the youngsters on the mountain, and because his face had grown youthful, he had assumed he could fit in with the younger generation. He never expected to run into a young disciple who was so perfectly in sync with the elders.

In short, he was the odd one out.

"Senior Sister, I want to eat roast chicken."

Lu Feiyu was partial to her junior brother, and since Shan Hongxing favored this female disciple of his, the two siblings left after exchanging a few words.

"I recall..." Shan Hongxing suddenly looked toward him. "You are nearly seventy, aren't you?"

A cultivator’s age was neither a secret nor a common topic of conversation. Some believed that those who lived long lives, even without ascending to immortality, were practically immortal themselves. But Yuan Qingling’s situation was different.

"Yes." He was sensitive about his age, yet the topic was being dissected time and again.

"Only two years left."

"Half-human, half-demon." Shan Hongxing studied him thoughtfully, letting out a long, heavy sigh after a while. "A path of one's own."

Yuan Qingling could barely recognize the meaning of those four words. Had he not overheard Shan Hongxing say them to him, he would have been delighted. But as it happened, the sect was currently home to a ruthless individual who used his own intellect to counteract the machinations of demons lurking within the Profound Cloud Sect. There was another who longed to capture demons to use as lab rats for testing plant fertilizer, and even his own master had used demonic essence to nourish and solidify his spiritual spring.

Yuan Qingling’s heart turned cold. He dared not pursue that line of thought; if he did, the most basic trust between people would vanish. He was truly terrified that this "path of one's own" might cost him his life. Although he had already tasted despair once, who would choose to face it again if they had the option?

"Are you afraid?" Shan Hongxing raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Disciple fears it is a road of no return."

"I heard you were once the leader of a small sect?"

"Yes."

"I rarely pay attention to matters on the mountain, spending most of my time on Wind-Thunder Peak."

Yuan Qingling dared not respond.

"So, when you appeared at Lingxiao Peak with that face, I didn't recognize you at first. I thought..." He let out a cold, mocking laugh. "I thought you were just another disciple Ai Xiaoqi had swindled into doing manual labor."

"Heh, heh, heh..." Lacking a proper response, he could only offer an awkward, sheepish laugh.

"You were a sect leader?"

"Of a small one."

"Have you ever heard of the 'Questioning of the Gods'?"

"No." He shook his head helplessly. "I have only heard of Qingqiu Lake. Other than that, wait..." He paused, thinking for a moment before adding, "Is the Dian Mountain Range the site of the ancient Great War of Gods and Demons? Is it... the current Profound Cloud Sect?"

"Correct."

"Then... doesn't that mean one could... find the gods?"

"They have been seen." A bitter smile played on Shan Hongxing's lips. "It has nothing to do with me. I had thought that if I climbed high enough, I would be the first to see them."

"Uncle..." Yuan Qingling opened his mouth, then bit his lower lip and fell silent.

"Senior Sister... even if you don't like that old man, you shouldn't say such harsh things to his face."

"You think I'm wrong?" Lu Feiyu glared at him, flicking her sword, *Duan Nian*, and sending the bamboo on the opposite bank toppling over. She stepped across the water, whittled the bamboo into tubes, and filled them with water from the stream. "Catch."

"Senior Sister, you’re still holding a grudge over the last sparring match, aren't you?" Lan Yezhou sighed. "Winning and losing are common. I’ve let it go; why can’t you?"

"It’s not your face that was lost!"

"I’ve been lectured by that man surnamed Yang in front of everyone too, haven't I? Yet, didn't I move on? I’m at the fifth rank now, while you, Senior Sister, are still stubbornly stuck at the sixth."

"I! Do you think I'm angry for my own sake?" Lu Feiyu swung her sword in frustration, snapping *Duan Nian* in two. Two fish in the river bore the brunt of her temper, and she gloomily threw them at Lan Yezhou. "Tie them with grass."

"But Senior Sister, I wanted roast chicken—wild chicken, not river fish." Lan Yezhou looked at her helplessly. "You say this state of mind doesn't affect you, but people come to our peak to spar for improvement. We, however, absolutely cannot be defeated like that. If you die because of one failure, what happens next? Senior Sister, if the demons truly come, and we are beaten once, will we never be able to stand again?"

"That wouldn't happen..." Lu Feiyu sighed and walked gloomily into the forest. "Fine, you're right. I’ll change, I'll change!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh... Little lady hunting all by yourself?" An inhuman, ghostly voice suddenly echoed through the woods, causing Lu Feiyu to draw her sword instantly.

"Who are you?"

"Look at that tender skin; this old man loves this sort of thing the most. Heh, heh, heh, heh..."

"Senior Sister!" Lan Yezhou stepped into the forest just a step behind her. Back-to-back, they stared warily at the swirling mass of black demonic energy suspended in the air.