Chapter 2721: Red Mud, White Stamen

Fresh blood trickled onto her red lips, making them even more vibrant. Afterward, the pain intensified, yet Bian Qiong remained silent.

As a child, she was incredibly stubborn, never willing to ingratiate herself.

Her stepfather would slap her face repeatedly, but she wouldn't show any change in expression. It wasn't that she wasn't afraid of pain; she simply didn't know how to smile.

Her mother, whom people called a "common whore," remarried and was abandoned ceaselessly. Bian Qiong followed her, expressionless, moving between one temporary "home" after another.

Until her mother died, from a venereal disease contracted in the red-light district. Before she died, she prepared a packet of arsenic, saying she would take Bian Qiong with her, to a place where she would never be abandoned.

Bian Qiong didn't drink that bowl of medicine. She walked out of that small house alone. She walked for a long time. She walked until her belly rumbled like thunder, until she could no longer find her home. Then, suddenly, she learned to smile.

"Big brother, you're so kind, I'm so hungry..."

"Sister, your eyes are so beautiful. Are you still eating these things?"

"Granny, you look like my grandma, I miss her so much. She always buys me good food..."

That's how she grew up.

Beautiful flowers adorn beautiful trees, beautiful words adorn this beautiful world. And she became a more and more beautiful woman.

She knew how to please people. She could always discern what others wanted, and then seize what she desired.

So she saw clearly Zhongshan Weisun's sorrow and hatred.

Expressing pain might make Zhongshan Weisun feel a little better, but it wouldn't calm him down.

This kind of Bian Qiong was someone Zhongshan Weisun had never seen before. He was genuinely surprised.

The Sanhunshaling Sword could extinguish the three souls and sever spiritual essence.

He knew exactly how much pain this sword could inflict. One could say that unless he unleashed the Diyu Jing, there was no other method that could surpass the pain inflicted by a single shallow stab from this sword. Yet, Bian Qiong was unexpectedly silent.

It wasn't that she wasn't in pain.

She had clearly bitten her lips until they were raw! Her teeth were embedded in her teeth. But even so, she refused to open her mouth.

"I always see you smiling on stage; today, this kind of stubbornness makes me pity you even more!"

Zhongshan Weisun sighed emotionally. He pinched the wisp of sword light representing “Youjing” in his hand, lightly tugged on three hairs, and breathed on them. He then softly said:

"Is it affecting your speech, Tianxiang Meiren?"

"You know..." Bian Qiong laughed miserably.

"I truly thought about being with you, forever."

"I believe it," Zhongshan Weisun lifted his head slightly.

"The young master of Yingyang Mansion is indeed an excellent match. The people you've been involved with before weren't exactly lowlifes, but none of them surpassed me after all."

When Zhongshan Weisun was so ruthless, directly revealing the Tianxiang Meiren's identity, he must have already settled the matter. Then any explanation was meaningless—although she didn't understand how she had been exposed.

His contempt perhaps revealed some concern, but the weight of that emotion at this moment could no longer be measured.

"I don't know why you're doing this, I don't know where I've hurt you, I don't know if there's some misunderstanding."

Bian Qiong endured the pain, exhausting her thoughts to find a way to escape: "But I am a Jinsu Guanyin official of Minhe Temple, representing the Dahou Empire as an envoy to Sheng Country—have you considered the consequences of doing this in public? Insulting an envoy is insulting a country!"

Zhongshan Weisun had, of course, considered it thoroughly.

Bian Qiong's role as an envoy to Sheng Country was originally intended to mend relations openly.

By dealing with Bian Qiong here and making a big fuss, it would only give Meng Wuya and Zhao Rucheng more freedom in their negotiations.

"The Tianxiang Meiren of Sanfenxianglou has been lurking for many years, finally infiltrating the officialdom of Hou Country, plotting against the nation. This person is a member of the Huanghe Tribe, her attitude is ambiguous, she's an envoy to Sheng Country, and her whereabouts are strange... Who knows what plot she has!"

The impact of this kind of news, even if it didn't surpass the unusual deaths in Wei Country's two prefectures, was still top-tier shocking news in the world. With a country's envoy acting like this, who would suspect that the real secret meeting happened at Guanhe Terrace?

He was helping Hou Country! And not just helping in this way, he was genuinely pushing a national policy—

The female emperor of Dahou had such courage, actively feeding and nurturing this knife stained with the fresh blood of the grasslands, completing the peace talks between the two countries, and pushing for Sheng Country's autonomy.

Jing Country actually also really needed a breakthrough here.

At this time, advancing west was Li Country, going east was Hou Country, moving south was the Central Empire, and going north was the endless quicksand and even the wild tombs of the Ten Thousand Realms.

When Hong Junyan awoke from the ice coffin, Jing Country was actually trapped in a stalemate with no way out. No matter which direction they advanced, unless they had the ability to press the heavens and crush the earth, a single battle to decide the universe, it would ultimately become a gaping wound of continuous bleeding.

Jing Country was founded on military strength, but fierce battles and dangers, continuous military actions without gains, were self-mutilation.

So the Jing Emperor decisively halted all external actions, focusing on preparing for war with Shenxiao, claiming it was for the greater good of humanity and the responsibility of a hegemonic nation. But wasn't it also because there were no good options?

They could only sharpen their swords and feed their horses, quietly waiting for the opportune moment.

But the rise of Sheng Country was different, just like Wei Country back then. The disaster came from within, the Central Empire's reaction was intense, crushing them like a mountain. Sheng Country's influence within the Daoist sects meant it could truly pull the Daoist sects to its side.

Didn't Ji Fengzhou want to suppress Daoist power? Let all the Daoists go to Sheng Country as he wished. Sheng Country was willing to honor Daoist power!

Sheng Country was currently weak, and the Central Empire was also under the rule of a heroic ruler like Ji Fengzhou, ushering in a new era of centralization. The suppressed Daoist sacred lands and the weakened Dao-affiliated swift blades could just hit it off.

Pushing up Sheng Country would keep the Central Empire preoccupied.

At that time, Jing Country could seize the opportunity to decide the Northwest in a single battle.

Even if there was no good opportunity, or if Li Country was very hard to chew, just embedding this nail of Sheng Country and diverting the Central Empire's attention... Jing Country could also relax a bit!

When he brought out the Sanhunshaling Sword, it showed that Qinghai Guard and Yingyang Guard were united in this matter. Who was this sword for Jiang Limeng to see? It was for Jiang Ruyong and even Li Yuanshe to see.

The political promise he made to Jiang Limeng wasn't empty words; it was already staked on his political credit. Sheng Country, who sincerely regarded them all as foreign countries, had today become his shield. Killing Bian Qiong was about power, not martial arts. These people from Sanfenxianglou only understood some human heart and ghost tricks, petty schemes. They had never been on the big stage and didn't understand the rules of the game!

But he wouldn't tell Bian Qiong any of this.

He didn't need to see Bian Qiong's despair; what he wanted was Bian Qiong's struggle.

The poisonous snake, in its instinct for survival, would desperately bite and thrash, exposing everything.

"From the year Longbo Ji died in the disaster of the Guoyuan, my only close friend left was Chen Suan. Chen Suan is dead now, and I no longer care about any consequences."

Zhongshan Weisun maintained his composure, but he didn't hide the impulse beneath it. He clenched his fist in a Nine Transformations stance and punched directly at her abdomen:

"I don't believe that with my identity, if I kill one Bian Qiong, the people of Hou Country can still make me pay with my life!"

Bian Qiong didn't wait for Sheng Country's intervention, didn't wait for the little emotional bond between them, and even more so, didn't see Zhongshan Weisun's taboo regarding her identity as a Hou Country envoy.

Zhongshan Weisun's punch was completely unrestrained, aimed solely at killing her!

Bian Qiong finally couldn't wait any longer.

She bit the inside of her lips, and the blood congealed into rouge, painting a national beauty.

"I have already overcome the level of disaster and tribulation, today I see clearly and will not retreat!"

Taking down Zhongshan Weisun and obtaining the reward from Zhi Rui Furen was thirty years of life merit. This was, of course, an advance payment.

For them, these Tianxiang Meiren who cultivated the Lekong Zhengji Gong and Jile Xianfa, life merit was an indispensable resource.

Lekong Zhengji Gong cultivated extremely fast, but it contained hidden dangers that would erupt as they cultivated. They needed to overcome three disasters and nine tribulations to progress rapidly.

Each type of disaster could be mitigated with life merit, so its value was shocking.

How was life merit obtained?

It was extracted from the Zhenyang Ding. The large and small Zhenyang Dings were cast in the Fengyue Land. In the ultimate joy where male and female love reached the peak of ecstasy, one could collect a wisp of Hunyuan Jile Qi.

Ten thousand wisps of Hunyuan Jile Qi, through perfect refinement, could be exchanged for one drop of life merit, which was considered one day's worth of use.

The birth of this Hunyuan Jile Qi didn't harm anyone; instead, it aided "ultimate joy."

Lekong Zhengji Gong and Jile Xianfa were both orthodox cultivation methods, following a grand and upright path, not evil cauldron methods—those that directly harvested yin to supplement yang, or harvested yang to supplement yin, or directly swallowed people's lives through pleasure, might cultivate faster, but they deviated from the fundamental principle of heaven and earth's yin-yang rotation, making it difficult to seek the great Dao.

Lekong Butong was the unity of compassion and wisdom.

As the second-ranked existence among the seven great Tianxiang Meiren, Bian Qiong's cultivation had long been second only to Ye Lan'er.

Although Mei Yue surpassed her later, she was also on the verge of the Dongzhen realm, capable of breaking through at any time, only concealing and hiding for the sake of secrecy.

At this moment, her life merit was full. Her flesh was still nailed to the Sanhunshaling Sword, suspended in front of Zhongshan Weisun's fist. Her Yuanshen, however, rose high, wearing colorful clothes, holding a red sword, and confronting the enemy with a single thought.

Heaven and earth, dragon and tiger, converged in this sound:

"Affliction is Bodhi, desire is also the Dao!"

Jile Yuanshen, Weimo Jie Sword!

As this sword emerged, countless thoughts spontaneously flew out from Zhongshan Weisun, each one of them transforming into various forms of ultimate desire, resembling a dance of demons.

Attack against attack, exchanging life and death!

If Zhongshan Weisun's fist didn't stop, she would immediately strangle his Yuanshen.

But this completely sublimated Jile Yuanshen, the beauty of Bian Qiong, just as the sword pointed at Zhongshan Weisun's brow, suddenly froze in mid-air!

Outside the colorful clothes of the Yuanshen, the eighty-eight fragments of the ritual box embedded in Bian Qiong's flesh were unexpectedly also embedded in this Jile Yuanshen, even imprisoning and locking it!

Zhongshan Weisun didn't even bother to release his Yuanshen. He just brushed past the Jile Yuanshen like that, his fist continuing forward... one punch blasting Bian Qiong's flesh!

How many people wanted to get close to her beauty but couldn't. Bor Jigin Wudu, Wanyan Du, Yuwen Duo, these grassland nobles bowed at her feet, yet never truly gained her favor... and then there was no opportunity.

The red powder beauty, in fact, became red mud and white stamens.

Zhongshan Weisun quietly glanced at the pool of blood, turned and walked away. He used a square towel to wipe his hands, then slowly walked back, walking to the Jile Yuanshen suspended in mid-air:

"Tsk, this is just a warm-up. I prepared this for tormenting a Zhenren. If you don't show a Zhenren's combat power, won't my preparation be in vain?"

He raised his head and looked at Bian Qiong, still with that unconcealed appreciation, just like when they first met at the banquet:

"Let me continue to introduce for you—"

He pointed at the ritual box fragments that had imprisoned Bian Qiong and eloquently said:

"They originate from the performance armor created by my ancestor to slay soldiers and demons. It is a method that strengthens oneself. I invented a new way to play with it, reversing this technique to put it on a demon instead. The result is a very useful cage—it can follow you wherever you go, from flesh to Yuanshen... As long as I don't die, it will follow you for a lifetime."

"Actually, the hardest part was how to get it on you. But as a core member of Sanfenxianglou, how dare you be so careless after Chen Suan's death and accept my gift?"

"Your Yuanshen is now imprisoned in a demon cage."

"It's also simple to escape," he chuckled softly.

"I've already told you the method."

He then said considerately:

"But your flesh has been destroyed, and your Yuanshen is without roots and will gradually weaken. You will only become weaker and weaker. How about struggling a bit more? Perhaps after a while, you won't even have a chance to fight desperately or perish together."

From heaven to the underworld, it was just the time of a single date.

Bian Qiong was left with only her Jile Yuanshen. She was suspended in the air, her expression sorrowful, looking miserable, yet somehow more beautiful.

"Actually, I can't understand your hatred towards me," she said.

"Yes, I am indeed a member of Sanfenxianglou. But I have never harmed you."

"Not yet," Zhongshan Weisun corrected.

Bian Qiong continued:

"I don't know about Chen Suan's death, and I didn't kill Longbo Ji."

She looked at Zhongshan Weisun:

"The person who killed Longbo Ji is Mei Yue, who was formerly the first Heart Fragrance and is now the seventh Tianxiang Meiren—do you want to know about her?"

Zhongshan Weisun clapped his hands and praised:

"I like how you don't give up like this, I like you seeking life for yourself. I like your effortful appearance."

He lifted his eyes:

"Feel free to tell me about Mei Yue. Also, tell me how Chen Suan died."

"How can you guarantee my safety?" Bian Qiong asked.

"It seems you don't recognize your situation," Zhongshan Weisun reached out and grabbed the neck of this Jile Yuanshen, pulling her down—

Instantly, dark clouds swallowed the moon, and the bright light was obscured. After the cry of an owl, this place was already different.

The sky was dark red, a blood-colored moon hidden behind thin, veil-like clouds and fog.

On the overgrown land stood an ancient cross-shaped pillar topped with an owl's head. The wood was of poor quality but not its color, which was dark brown with blood.

Bian Qiong was just standing there with her hands spread wide, tied here.

"Is this your Diyu Jing?"

"According to the intelligence, this is a divine ability specifically targeting the spirit soul and Yuanshen. It can inflict infinite torment and endless pain on people—"

She looked expressionlessly at the still graceful Zhongshan Weisun: "Young Master Zhongshan. I'm curious how you became Sang Xianshou."

"The main punishment isn't me," Zhongshan Weisun calmly met her gaze: "Do you know Yanxiao?"

Bian Qiong said:

"When a Yanxiao cries, it must eat a hundred heads. Born in extreme evil, it achieves in extreme evil. There was one in the former Hell Without Doors, I don't know how it unified the chaotic spirits. Later, it was converted by Dizang Wang Bodhisattva, entered the underworld, became King Biancheng, one of the Yama kings, and I heard he has a very close relationship with Zhenhe Zhenjun—"

"Enough!" Zhongshan Weisun interrupted her recitation of intelligence:

"Sanfenxianglou is indeed a place rich in information. You must be able to give me a detailed answer regarding Chen Suan's death."

Bian Qiong said mournfully:

"With King Biancheng presiding over the underworld, no second Yanxiao can grow; they all just become his food."

Zhongshan Weisun casually brushed off her malicious provocation, not commenting:

"He is from the Senhai Yuan World, and I am from the present world."

Bian Qiong was slightly sarcastic:

"You are not evil enough."

Zhongshan Weisun simply said:

"Initially, I acted rashly and implicated my ancestor in advancing his Dao, thus forever cutting off his path to transcendence."

"I felt I had no face to see people, so I shut myself in here, testing its methods and tempering my divine soul."

"Instead of becoming much stronger myself, I gained a true understanding of the Diyu Jing."

"Thereafter, the divine souls that collapse within the Diyu Jing can serve as my nourishment."

"I've already practiced on many death row prisoners..."

A blood swallow without a tail flew from the blood moon and landed precisely on his shoulder.

He just looked at Bian Qiong like this:

"No Yuanshen has collapsed here yet."

Zhongshan Weisun might not be evil enough, but he could be so ruthless to himself, and he wouldn't be soft-handed towards others. This was to tell Bian Qiong that she shouldn't have any illusions and should quickly use whatever methods she had. For example, some soul-burning secret techniques, for example, driving those ministers she had hooked under her skirt, for example, seeking help from other Tianxiang Meiren.

Without enough reinforcement, how could she match this painstaking siege?

Bian Qiong looked at that blood-colored Yanxiao... The moment this monster landed, her head already ached as if it would split!

The sorrow of the three souls that had originally faded spread wildly again like autumn grass. It felt as if a thousand, ten thousand blood ants were gnawing at her heart, making her body and soul want to shatter.

And she was nailed there, unable to even twist and struggle to slightly ease the pain.

She trembled, yet her words were clear:

"Perhaps I cannot endure the torment. But before I collapse, I will definitely destroy the intelligence I know and extinguish the related memories."

This woman laughed miserably:

"Even if you extract and dry my memories, you definitely won't see what you want."

Having reached her realm, destroying her own memories required only a single thought, and indeed, no one could intercept it.

"It doesn't matter," Zhongshan Weisun said.

"I will remain patient with you as always. Perhaps in a while, you will have a different answer."

The blood owl on his shoulder spread its wings and rose, directly pouncing towards Bian Qiong.

Bian Qiong was in pain but calm, calmly looking into Zhongshan Weisun's eyes.

The colorful clothes on the body of this Jile Yuanshen faded little by little...

The blood moon in the high sky of this Diyu Jing, hidden behind the thin, veil-like clouds and fog, suddenly became colorful!