Transcending the Nine Heavens

“I see,” said Tang Wufang, chuckling. He thought to himself: This Extraterrestrial Demon is just a means to deal with those people… Even I myself believe in none of it. But it actually tricked a lot of people…

If he could successfully trick this one in front of him, wouldn’t it be a great help? However, how much of what he said was true?

Jian Kongling stood there desolately. He asked, “Are these all followers of the Extraterritorial Demon?”

Tang Wufang said, “Indeed. They are about to be escorted to the headquarters for trial.”

Jian Kongling replied with an “oh”, uninterestedly. A gust of night wind blew and his black robe fluttered. He seemed to shudder a little. He spoke, “These people… May I see them?”

Tang Wufang answered a bit awkwardly, “Brother, these people are all serious offenders…”

Jian Kongling nodded knowingly and said, “Yes, sorry that I appeared so suddenly. It’s only natural that you wouldn’t trust me…”

He stood for a while, as if in a trance. Then he smiled bitterly and said, “Since that’s the case, we shall meet again in the future. I’ll return when there is news of the Extraterritorial Demon sometime.”

Tang Wufang had no word to reply.

Jian Kongling the man in black smiled casually, nodded slightly, and then his body floated up. With a slight sound, he was already more than a hundred feet away.

Only Xiao Se’s long sigh was left in the air.

He left pretty quickly, and one could see that he really didn’t want to stay here anymore.

Watching his figure turn into a small black dot that was about to disappear from his view, Tang Wufang’s eyes flickered. This person seemed to be a true hermit! He was not an enemy. Besides, he had a mild temper and was easily fooled… It’d be quite a pity to let someone like this leave. So he raised his voice and said, “Wait for a moment, Brother!”

Jian Kongling’s figure had already disappeared. Only a sigh came: “That won’t be necessary.”

Tang Wufang raised his voice again and said, “Does Brother not want to know the news of the Extraterrestrial Demon?”

No sound came from the other side.

Tang Wufang knew that the other paused his footsteps upon hearing this sentence. Though he didn’t look back, his mind was already hesitating. He followed up and said, “Don’t you want to ascertain the identity of the enemy who killed your Teacher? Don’t you want to know whether the enemy who exterminated your clan is really an Extraterrestrial Demon?”

The shadow of a person flashed, and that Jian Kongling approached from the distance. When he came in front of Tang Wufang, he shook his head and smiled bitterly. “You are an interesting person. I asked to see them earlier and you won’t let me. Now that I was leaving, you hurried to call me back…”

Tang Wufang chuckled. “Nowadays, the martial world is complicated and it’s hard to discern enemy from friends… Please understand, Brother.”

Jian Kongling said desolately, “Is the mistrust already so deep? The martial world these days… Sigh.”

Tang Wufang laughed and said, “But those who deserve trust still have to be trusted.”

Jian Kongling nodded heavily. “I would like to interrogate them.”

Tang Wufang replied, “Please suit yourself, Brother.”

With that said, he waved a hand and a path opened among the escorting troops. Jian Kongling’s hands were placed behind his back, and he walked over lightly. Everyone watched his footsteps move and only felt that every step he took contained bitterness and sorrow, and every movement he made showed solitary and desolation.

Everyone couldn’t help but pity him: what kind of painful experience he must have had, how much loneliness must he have endured to make such out-of-the-ordinary temperament?

He drifted to the front of Han Xiaoran and asked, “You are the follower of Extraterritorial Demon?”

Han Xiaoran responded indifferently, “Is there really an Extraterritorial Demon in the world?”

Jian Kongling laughed softly. “No matter what, the conclusion can only be made after a thorough investigation.”

Han Xiaoran snorted. “But how many innocent people have to be killed in this process of thorough investigation?”

Jian Kongling said calmly, “This won’t be a problem. I’ve traversed the martial world for 1200 years…” He paused a bit here and said, “…And killing is inevitable. But I take note of each of my killings on a book of conscience: what he was guilty of, why he was killed, all of that is clear. Even after the killing is done, I have to investigate. In the 1200 years, I’ve never made a wrong kill!”

Han Xiaoran’s eyes brightened as he looked at Jian Kongling. He said, “Are you serious?”

Jian Kongling smiled calmly. “My conscience is clear!”

Han Xiaoran’s breath was heavy, and complicated light shone in his eyes. He said, “I admire you. With such an environment of the martial world, a character like yours will definitely make you suffer. It’d be better for you to leave and return to the mountains and forests.”

Jian Kongling smiled casually. “When there is righteousness, life and death are less important.”

This conversation between the two was exactly the same as what Han Xiaoran had said the first time he met Chu Yang, word by word.

By saying it at this moment, Chu Yang was saying: Don’t be impulsive, don’t be resistant during the action later, cooperate with me for everything!

Han Xiaoran was no fool. Upon hearing this, he immediately knew that the person in front of him was none other than his own little brother.

The shock in his heart was truly unparalleled.

He had been a law-enforcement officer for thousands of years, and he had a great many friends and acquaintances, yet when he was arrested this time, all those people pretended not to know about him, not daring to even stand up and say a fair word for him!

Yet this little brother actually came here to rescue him, putting his own life in danger!

The comparison made Han Xiaoran really emotional.

Tang Wufang naturally didn’t understand the intricacies in this very ordinary conversation. He clapped his hands and said, “Indeed! Brother Jian came in seek of revenge, return to the mountains and forests? Haha, law-enforcement master Han, is this how you persuade people to be cowardly and fear death?”

Jian Kongling laughed, turned around and said, “Brother Tang, the cultivation of these people is not actually sealed. You’re escorting them like this, if the Extraterritorial Demon came, wouldn’t it cause big trouble?”

Tang Wufang chuckled. “It’s alright. We keep their cultivation for the convenience of traveling. There is poison in these people’s bodies, and they have to take the antidote every three hours. Even if they escape, they can’t escape the end of dying from the effects of poison.”

“I see!” said Jian Kongling, “Though it is somewhat inhumane… it’s indeed the most effective way.”

Tang Wufang and others felt a bit of contempt inside. This guy seems to have gone silly from seclusion. He actually calls such methods inhumane…

However, he was a righteous man, and they could make use of this. Who was better than a gentleman to deceive?

Jian Kongling’s black robe fluttered. He walked to Sha Xinliang’s side and said, “This bald head is really bright. Baldhead, let me ask you, how does that Extraterritorial Demon Chu Yang look like?”

Sha Xinliang spat and cursed, “F*ck your grandma! Extraterritorial Demon your head!”

Old Sha was very bold. He knew that there was no way he could survive this. Even if the Dharma Supreme was right in front of him, he’d dare to spit him on the face.

He was dying anyway, what was he afraid of?”

Jian Kongling frowned and said, “You are a hopeless dead-head indeed. Even Nine-Heavens Jade-Ichor won’t be able to make your head clear… The evidence is clear and solid, yet you are actually still arguing! If not because I don’t like to use torture, I’d make you die a million times with the move of a finger, like a bad doctor treating chronic illnesses!”

Sha Xinliang yelled, “Holy f*ck!”

Nine-Heavens Jade-Ichor, bad doctor treating chronic illnesses. These were the words that Chu Yang used to scare Sha Xinliang and Qin Baoshan back then, when the two were almost half-dead from the shock. How could they have forgotten?

Having said that, there was really no way that Sha Xinliang would not be able to know who the person in front of him was. Not only him, but Qin Baoshan also understood.

So Sha Xinliang couldn’t help but shout “holy f*ck!”, two brief words which contained immense shock.

Yet after having shouted that, he felt wrong, and hurried to add, “…Holy f*ck, you actually dare to use torture on me? If I even frown, I’m not a good man!”

Jian Kongling frowned and said, “I’m only asking you about this matter. I don’t want to torture you.”

Sha Xinliang said, “That’s because you don’t dare to!”

Jian Kongling’s eyes focused and murderous aura raged all over his body. Suddenly, he snorted loudly, turned back and said, “Brother Tang, that Extraterritorial Demon will probably come to rescue these guys, right?”

Tang Wufang had no way of knowing that in these very moments, some things that he had never imagined in his wildest dreams were actually happening right under his eyes? He smiled and said, “That’s right. This is a trap! If they dare to come to rescue them, we’ll ensure that they never return.”

Jian Kongling looked around and smiled slightly. “These powers… doesn’t seem too strong.” There was disdain in his voice.

Tang Wufang said, “Rest assured, Brother Jian, we still have two fifth-grade professionals hiding in the dark. This is foolproof.”

Jian Kongling’s eyes brightened. “So it’s actually two lines, one in the light, one in the dark… I admire you! Brother Tang… I’d like to question this bald guy.”

Tang Wufang joked. “Brother Jian must have never been cursed like this during your days in seclusion, right? Haha…”

Jian Kongling smiled, embarrassed. “Brother Tang knows me well indeed.”

Tang Wufang laughed out loud, waved generously and said, “Anyway, they are people who are sure to die. Brother Jian can deal with them any way you want.”

Jian Kongling nodded with restraint. “I won’t embarrass you, Brother Tang!” He looked at Tang Wufang sincerely and said, “After the matter of Extraterritorial Demon is settled, if I can fulfill my wish, I’ll be sure to develop our friendship properly. It’s hard to find a friend who understands you well in the world.”

Tang Wufang’s eyes brightened and said, “I’d be more than happy.”

Jian Kongling chuckled and said, “Please don’t laugh at me, Brother Tang.”

Tang Wufang knew that he was about to start fighting, he said, “I’m just ready to see your ways, Brother Jian.”

Jian Kongling said deeply, “I use Jian as my name, the best method is using a sword.”

As he spoke, his palm stretched flatly, and with a clang, a longsword shining with cold light laid sideways in his hand. In the depth of the night, it had the coldness of autumn rivers. A chilly aura emerged from it suddenly.

“Good sword!” Tang Wufang, having the intention to foster friendship with the other, exclaimed loudly.

“This sword of mine is far beyond good,” Jian Kongling smiled arrogantly. “Please look here, Brother Tang!” With that said, he inclined the sword, letting starlight shine on one side of the sword.

Tang Wufang’s eyes focused as he bowed his head to look. He muttered, “This sword…”

“This… is the goodness of this sword.” Jian Kongling smiled gently. Suddenly, he shook the longsword abruptly. The sword moved like a dragon. With light flashing on it and the sound of a “puff”, a head flew up into the air.

The head in mid-air belonged just to Tang Wufang who had stretched his neck to look at the amazing sword a moment ago!

…