Ch61 – The heart-piercing lotus

Translator: Abo Dammen

The closer they got, the more they could feel the mysterious force emanating from the Ancient Lotus. It wasn’t something sacred or holy. It carried endless greed, suffering, and desire. The red lotus pod churned with blood-like hues, like a beating heart. 

Jing Liansheng and Bai Qing stopped on a lotus leaf closest to the Ancient Lotus.

The two of them landed lightly on the tip of the lotus leaf, their figures as weightless as dewdrops.

Jing Liansheng turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on the heart of the lotus.

As if sensing him, the Ancient Lotus emitted a whisper only Jing Liansheng could comprehend. It didn’t sound like human speech, more like the murmur of wind or flowing water, decipherable only by souls chosen by the Ancient Lotus. 

The voice echoed in Jing Liansheng’s ears. “Mortal, what is your wish?”

Jing Liansheng’s eyes flickered faintly, and the corners of his lips pressed together lightly, as if pondering, yet also weighing his options.

Bai Qing stood to the side. Because he possessed the ability to communicate with the Ancient Lotus, he could also hear these words clearly. His gaze lowered slightly, quietly fixed on Jing Liansheng.

Make a wish, make a wish. 

The Ancient Lotus was always concerned with people’s wishes. Just like all those who anxiously waited for the Ancient Lotus to bloom, what they cared about was also wishing.

With just one sentence, one could have their desire fulfilled. Such temptation, how immense it was. Especially since the Ancient Lotus selected souls filled with obsession. Or rather, only those souls with deep-seated obsession could stir the appetite of the Ancient Lotus.

For Jing Liansheng, a wisp of a lonely soul lingering in the human world for a millennium, transforming into a powerful and fierce ghost, the depth of his obsession was naturally rarely seen in this world. This was precisely what attracted the Ancient Lotus.

That his tomb was opened, that he was invited to cultivate the Ancient Lotus, was almost inevitable. 

The Ancient Lotus’s crimson heart pulsed, nearly greedily sensing the scent of Jing Liansheng’s obsession, just waiting for him to make a wish, so it could harvest his soul. Whatever wish Jing Liansheng made, the Ancient Lotus didn’t care. As long as Jing Liansheng made a wish, his soul would be within the Ancient Lotus’s grasp, a feast laid out on its plate.

Bai Qing, however, silently lowered his gaze. Though the Ancient Lotus is vastly powerful, it ultimately is not human and does not understand the human heart.

If the Ancient Lotus were a clever person, it should know that, since a thousand years ago, even when pushed to the brink of despair, Jing Liansheng never surrendered to the Lotus Sect. Then today, he could not possibly trade with the Ancient Lotus for his own selfish desire.

If Jing Liansheng truly has any obsession… 

Bai Qing glanced sideways at Jing Liansheng’s ghostly face, pale as death under the moonlight. It should be—

Jing Liansheng’s figure suddenly moved! His ghostly claws shot straight for the heart of the Ancient Lotus, swift and fierce as lightning!

The Ancient Lotus seemed to sense it. The lotus heart suddenly trembled, churning with bloody hues. A tremendous force erupted abruptly, transforming into countless crimson vines that coiled toward Jing Liansheng like venomous snakes.

“Woo woo—” The Ancient Lotus emitted a low, urgent whistle like the wind. Others might not understand, but Bai Qing understood clearly. The Ancient Lotus was calling for Ying Zhili. 

The exposed lotus heart was when the Ancient Lotus was at its most vulnerable. The Lotus Sect’s ancient texts recorded that when the Ancient Lotus bloomed, the lotus heart would be exposed. The lotus heart was the lifeline of the Ancient Lotus.

Presumably, Jing Liansheng had also read these ancient texts.

He had pretended all along that he wished to make a wish,but his true intention was to wait for the Ancient Lotus to bloom so he could strike with a single blow. And Bai Qing, having regained his memories, naturally also understood Jing Liansheng’s intention.

On the plane, the two of them had a tacit understanding, never voicing their plan aloud, because the Ancient Lotus was vastly powerful and must have been keeping a close watch on its prey. If they spoke it out, it would likely be heard. 

This also explained why Jing Liansheng never wanted to tell Bai Qing his true wish.

But the Ancient Lotus wasn’t completely without precautions.

It still had Ying Zhili.

Ying Zhili moved at the sound. His figure soared like a swallow, skimming the water’s surface as he dashed forward. As his sleeves fluttered, the soft sword in his hand lashed out like a nimble serpent, its shadow swift as lightning, heading straight for Jing Liansheng. 

However, just as the sword was about to reach Jing Liansheng, a figure suddenly blocked Ying Zhili’s path.

Bai Qing, holding a peachwood sword, his gaze cold and steady, said calmly, “This path is closed.”

Ying Zhili smiled faintly. His soft sword trembled, its shadow like a serpent, striking straight at Bai Qing’s face. Bai Qing shifted his stance slightly. His peachwood sword lifted gently. Blades clashed, stirring ripples across the water’s surface.

At the same time, Jing Liansheng was already engaged in a direct confrontation with the Ancient Lotus. 

Blood-colored vines surged like a tide. Jing Liansheng, however, showed no fear. As his ghostly claws swept through, the vines shattered one after another, dissolving into bloody mist. With the vines destroyed, Jing Liansheng lunged straight for the lotus heart.

But at that moment, the lotus leaves on the pond began to move as if alive.

The lotus leaves, sharp as blades, suddenly rose, transforming into countless sharp-edged foliage that swept toward Jing Liansheng.

Jing Liansheng’s figure flashed, his ghostly claws like wind, shattering the oncoming leaves one by one. 

The Ancient Lotus was not a creature skilled in combat. Its roots were deeply anchored in the earth, making movement difficult. If Jing Liansheng injured the lotus heart, it would likely lose all vitality.

The Ancient Lotus emitted an even more urgent wind-like whistle, as if urging Ying Zhili to hurry and come to its rescue.

However, Ying Zhili was blocked by Bai Qing, unable to break away.

His brows furrowed slightly, a rare look of anxiety appearing on his face. The attacks from his soft sword grew increasingly fierce. 

Yet, Bai Qing remained unhurried and composed. The peachwood sword shimmered with golden light, deflecting each of Ying Zhili’s assaults one by one.

“Move aside!” Ying Zhili shouted coldly, a hint of impatience in his tone.

This tone took Bai Qing somewhat by surprise. He hadn’t heard Ying Zhili speak so urgently before.

Bai Qing, however, smiled faintly, growing even more composed. “I said, this path is closed.” 

Jing Liansheng paid no heed to the duel between the two. His goal remained fixed on the heart of the Ancient Lotus. His claws danced wildly, shattering all the flying lotus leaves, finally closing in on the lotus heart.

His ghostly claw suddenly thrust forward, piercing directly into the heart of the lotus!

At that very moment, the Ancient Lotus erupted with a violent surge of crimson light, like a dying beast roaring its final defiance. Blood-red radiance surged forth like a tide, carrying world-destroying power, pressing directly toward Jing Liansheng.

He was staggered back by the force. The bloody energy surging on his ghostly claws was dispersed. His face instantly turned pale. The blood-red light was as sharp as blades. It was overwhelmingly fierce, almost tearing Jing Liansheng’s ghostly form apart. 

Just as Jing Liansheng was about to be shattered, a white figure darted forward like lightning.

Bai Qing leapt into the air without hesitation, extending both arms to pull Jing Liansheng into an embrace. The peachwood sword was held horizontally across his chest, its golden light blazing brilliantly, clashing head-on with the Ancient Lotus’s bloody radiance.

Jing Liansheng and Bai Qing stood side by side, clenching their teeth, their eyes filled with resolve.

Bloody energy churned around Jing Liansheng’s ghostly claws, his fingertips trembling violently, veins bulging at his temples. Clearly he had reached his limit. Bai Qing’s arms were also trembling fiercely, his face pale as paper. Both could feel that world-destroying power gradually eroding their defenses, threatening to tear their bodies apart. 

“Hold on!” Bai Qing exclaimed in a low voice.

His gaze met Jing Liansheng’s. No words were needed. In perfect tacit understanding, they exerted their strength simultaneously.

Jing Liansheng gritted his teeth, and his icy-cold hands suddenly closed around Bai Qing’s. The chill from his palms was piercing, but to Bai Qing, it felt infinitely warm.

Bai Qing stared blankly for a moment before clasping back tightly. 

The two of them, one corpse, one ghost, the Twin Fiends, actually held the demon-repelling peachwood sword together.

At that instant, the opposing forces in their hands merged into one. Yin and yang fused, unleashing astonishing power.

The golden light of the peachwood sword intertwined with Jing Liansheng’s bloody energy, forming a dazzling column of light that shot straight into the sky.

“Now!” Jing Liansheng shouted coldly. 

Bai Qing nodded. The two of them exerted their strength simultaneously. The peachwood sword shot forth like a bolt of lightning, piercing straight into the lotus heart. The moment the sword tip touched the lotus heart, the world suddenly fell silent. Immediately after, a blinding burst of blood-red light erupted, dyeing the entire pond a crimson hue.

Moonlight pierced through the bloody glow, casting silvery-white brilliance that intertwined with the scarlet, creating a scene both eerie and magnificent, dazzling yet lonely. Before their eyes, everything turned abruptly white. Time was seized by an invisible hand, coming to a sudden halt.

Then, everything began to flow backward at an incredible speed.

The blood-red light receded like a tide. Jing Liansheng and Bai Qing were pulled along, swept into a river of time flowing in reverse. The surroundings receded swiftly. The dark clouds in the sky scattered and gathered again. Moonlight shifted from bright to dim, then rose anew. The ripples in the pond flowed backward. Splashing droplets hung suspended in mid-air before slowly falling back onto the water’s surface. 

The wind-like whistling shifted from mournful to urgent, then gradually faded, as if nothing had ever happened…

A thousand years ago, deep in the desolate Gobi Desert, the Jing Clan rose.

They had no protection from heavenly deities, nor any external support. Relying solely on the bravery and wisdom of their clan members, they forged a realm of their own in this barren land. After generations of effort, the Jing Clan grew from a small tribe into the establishment of the Kingdom of Lian.

Surrounded by powerful rivals and facing threats on all sides, the Kingdom of Lian experienced several cycles of prosperity and decline in the long river of history, yet remained standing unshaken, like a resilient cactus rooted in the desert, growing tenaciously. 

The current emperor was a diligent ruler focused on preserving what had been achieved.

He was born into hardship, deeply aware of how hard-won the kingdom’s fortune was. Therefore, he was exceptionally diligent in governance, toiling day and night, not daring to slacken in the slightest. He and the empress shared a deep affection, harmonious as zither and harp. Though they had only one son, it was enough to bring them contentment.

Crown Prince Liansheng was exceptionally intelligent and remarkably brave and skilled from a young age, so he was crowned heir apparent early.

Jing Liansheng also lived up to expectations, studying and training diligently, excelling in both civil and military arts, earning deep respect from all. 

At the Kingdom of Lian’s triennial martial arts tournament, Jing Liansheng fought his way to the finals with ease.

This year, the person he faced at the peak was surprisingly a young master adorned in fine silks.

“That’s the son of the wealthiest merchant, surnamed Bai,” a eunuch whispered, lowering his voice. “Doesn’t look like much of a formidable martial artist.”

“Right. This is a martial contest. Why dress like that?” another eunuch chimed in, his voice soft but unable to hide the lack of understanding and approval in his words. 

Jing Liansheng stood on one side of the arena, listening to the two eunuchs’ muttered complaints, his brow slightly furrowed. His gaze fell upon the opponent whose back was turned to him.

Even just the back view was worth a fortune.