Chapter 123 - Bone Taoist

Knock knock knock~ Knock knock knock.The sound of knocking arose.

“Who’s there?”

Bai Lian opened the door and at first only saw a pair of sclerae.

She blinked, then managed to extract herself from the whiteness.

“Elder Two, to what do I owe the honor?”

“Cannot I pay a visit to the Saintess without a reason?” Elder Two chuckled, the smile on his aged face should have seemed benevolent, but due to the fact that only the whites of his eyes remained, it appeared extremely sinister: “The Saintess has improved her cultivation significantly, truly the fortune of our Bone Tao.”

“Oh, not at all.

It is you, Elder, who are like a towering pillar of white jade and a beam of purple gold that spans the seas for our sect.”

“Hahaha.

Aren’t you going to invite me to sit inside?”

“This…” Bai Lian displayed a look of difficulty: “After all, I am but a young lady, wouldn’t it be inappropriate?”

“I’ve watched you grow up since you were a child, you’re like a daughter to me, what inconvenience could there be?” Elder Two said, as he squeezed into the room.

He looked around, and seemingly without intention, asked, “Why does the Saintess still wear a veil in her own room within the sect?”

Bai Lian blinked: “Born with stunning beauty, I must keep a low profile.”

“Hahahaha…” Elder Two laughed heartily, but then his laughter abruptly ceased: “Ouyang has already returned, I can smell his scent.”

“That’s good news!

It wasn’t in vain that we sacrificed so many hidden agents to shield him along the way.

Why hasn’t the First Elder shown himself yet?”

“Who can guess his thoughts?”

“If even you can’t guess, I sure don’t know.”

“Is it that you don’t know, or you don’t want to know?”

“I don’t need to know,” Bai Lian said with a charming laugh: “The matters of the sect should be decided by the elders.

I simply wait for news.”

Elder Two looked deeply at her, then rose and walked towards the door.

Stopping just before leaving the room, he suddenly asked, “Why is the Saintess so amiable today?”

Bai Lian gave a giggle: “What are you talking about?

When have I ever been difficult?

Even if I occasionally show some temper, isn’t it all for the good of the sect?”

Elder Two finally departed, and the oppressive feeling that had enveloped the room seemed to be cut off by the door.

“Perhaps this was the final test.”

Bai Lian muttered softly.

She sat in silence for a while, making sure no one else would come to disturb her.

Only then did she put down an Array Plate, opened the wardrobe, dragged out Jiang Wang—who had his eyes tightly shut—and threw him onto the bed.

At this moment, Jiang Wang was under a Five Senses Seal, which was the only way to evade detection by those pair of eyes with only sclerae showing.

Bai Lian formed a hand seal, releasing the Five Senses Seal.

Jiang Wang abruptly sat up, looking at Bai Lian, his hand resting on his sword, remaining silent.

Although he had been under the Five Senses Seal all along and couldn’t hear the conversation between Bai Lian and Elder Two, by emptying his five senses and calming his mind, he too had been contemplating today’s events over and over.

“Ask whatever you want to,” said Bai Lian as she walked over to the table and took a seat.

“You saved me again,” Jiang Wang’s voice sounded strained.

Bai Lian smiled: “It’s nothing worth mentioning.”

“This is the stronghold of Bone Tao, are you with Bone Tao?” Jiang Wang asked.

“We are all people of Taoist Sects,” Bai Lian said.

Knowing that arguing about whether Bone Tao is part of the main Taoist sects was pointless, Jiang Wang repeated, “I’m just asking you, are you with Bone Tao?”

“Not I,” Bai Lian extended her jade finger, tapping Jiang Wang, “but us.”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t intend to tell you so soon, as your ‘Metamorphosis’ is not yet complete,” Bai Lian sighed, then asked, “But since you’ve appeared here today, you wouldn’t relent without an answer, right?”

Jiang Wang didn’t respond to her question but instead asked, “So today’s visit by Fang Helling to Niutou Mountain was a trap?

Aimed at whom?”

“A casual move by Bone Messenger, not aimed at anyone in particular.

Just that tonight, whoever followed Fang Helling would die here.

Anyway, we’ll soon abandon this place.

You and that undercover agent of the Procuratorate just happened to be here.”

Bone Tao would soon leave Niutou Mountain.

Jiang Wang keenly caught this piece of information but put it aside and instead asked, “What does Metamorphosis mean?

What’s this ‘you us’?”

“The white bone lotus on your back, the sudden mastery of the technique to revive flesh and soul…

Aren’t these clues enough to make you think?”

“You’ve always known a lot about me; these could all be part of your scheme.

The white bone lotus could have been tattooed by you when I was unconscious, and the technique to revive the flesh and soul something you transmitted to me by some method…

I couldn’t possibly be related to Bone Tao!”

“I don’t possess Divine Skills like altering memories,” Bai Lian suddenly laughed: “But indeed, I have always been attentive to you, ever since you were a beggar…”

Jiang Wang was startled!

To evade Fang Pengju’s pursuit, he had transformed into a beggar and struggled for survival at Huanzhen View—that was before he had even opened his channels.

Bai Lian had been observing him since then?

Bai Lian quickly explained, “The choice of your group of beggars to settle in Huanzhen View was guided by us.”

Her voice was haunting, “Huanzhen View is a place of great significance, a place chosen by the respected gods.

Ever since the battle where Zuo Guanglie died, I wondered why out of all the beggars, only you didn’t die.

Was it merely a coincidence?

Why did your cultivation progress by leaps and bounds immediately after you returned to the Taoist Institution?

You must have noticed it, too?”

“After opening your channels, your cultivation speed far surpassed ordinary people.”

“Most importantly, you could devour the Bone Tao seeds, you could perfectly adapt to the Bone Tao’s Secret Techniques, you knew the technique of flesh restoration!

You are not ordinary, you are the child of the Bone Tao!”

Bai Lian finally said, “Later, I realized that your appearance in Huanzhen View was the arrangement of the respected gods.”

“No, that’s not right!” Jiang Wang shook his head.

He believed that his cultivation came from the Taixu Illusion Realm, which had nothing to do with being a child of the Bone Tao.

However, the Taixu Illusion Realm was his biggest secret, and he could not reveal it to defend himself.

“Fear that you deny it with your mouth, yet you are weeping in your heart.”

“What child of Tao!” Jiang Wang stepped back, “I’ve said it before, I could never forgive what the Bone Tao has done.

I can’t be associated with you, we are not the same kind of people!”

“That’s because you have not yet seen the true nature of this world, you haven’t completely erased your hypocrisy, and you haven’t found your True Self.”

“I know very well who I am; I don’t need your reminder.” Jiang Wang tried to control his emotions, to calm down and think.

“What is this Bone Tao seed you speak of?” he asked.

“It’s a precious thing, I only have one.

It can absorb the nutrients of the host to grow and ultimately control the host perfectly.

But unexpectedly, you devoured it… So you see, the seeds obviously won’t affect the child of Tao!”

Jiang Wang looked at her coldly, “You tried to parasitize me?”

There was a rare hint of apology in Bai Lian’s eyes, “At that time, we were not familiar…”

“We’re not familiar now, you make me feel very strange!” Jiang Wang said coldly, “No need to say more!

I will never believe that I am any child of Bone Tao, and even if it were true, I wouldn’t associate myself with you heartless monsters!”

A single “even if” contained determination, but also indicated doubt.

Bai Lian was not in a hurry to argue this point, but instead retorted, “Is it heartless to breed Fierce Beasts, disregarding the lives of the people, or is it heartless to extract the lifeline of the Water Race to refine Channel-Opening Pills?”

“Don’t think your words can shake my resolve!” Jiang Wang’s voice was resolute, as if he needed that firmness to resist the pressure he was facing.

He struggled to breathe evenly, affirming his decision, “Bai Lian, since our paths diverge, then let’s part ways here.

I’ve said it before, my life was saved by you, and now you can take it back.”

Bai Lian’s eyes were very beautiful, seemingly reproachful, her gaze soft and filled with emotion as she looked at Jiang Wang.

“How could I bear to kill you?” Her voice softened, and she said gently, “However, if you cooperate, I can erase your memory of tonight.

Pretend nothing has happened.

When you truly awaken, you will remember the events of tonight.”

“Are you pretending to be deaf to the bell?”

“No, it’s just not the right time.”

Bai Lian stood up and leaned forward.

Before Jiang Wang could react, she had pushed him down to sit on the bed.

“Look into my eyes,” she said.

“I do not have the Divine Skill to manipulate memories.

I am using a secret technique to temporarily seal this small section of your memory, so you must relax and fully cooperate.

If something goes wrong, at best you’ll suffer a mental breakdown; at worst, your soul will disintegrate.”

Jiang Wang knew full well that this was the best choice.

He should have died after accidentally entering Niu Tou Mountain and stepping into the den of thieves tonight.

Bai Lian was obscuring the truth to save his life.

However, no matter what, he would not be allowed to take the secrets of the Bone Tao back to Fenglin City.

And he would rather die than succumb to the Bone Tao.

Now, he could delay the decision he had to face without dying.

Jiang Wang opened his heart completely, allowing his consciousness to be submerged by countless lotus petals.

He felt warmth and acceptance, as well as affection.

Then, in this boundless sea of lotus petals, he saw a lotus bud drifting towards him.

It grew taller and taller until it was level with Jiang Wang’s gaze.

Then the lotus bloomed, and at the very center of the bloom, instead of a pistil or seeds,

There was… a black candle!

PS: The book will officially launch at noon tomorrow.

I’ve already talked about the launch in the previous week, so I won’t repeat it.

In a word, please support the subscription.

The first subscription is extremely important for this book; it might as well be the last opportunity for it.

If the subscription does well, there may be recommendations.

Whether this book can continue with quality and quantity depends not only on my effort but also on everyone’s support!

Please, I ask for your support!

On the launch day, I will update five chapters, totaling over 10,000 words as a thank you to everyone, from noon until 10 p.m., with one new chapter every two hours!

After launching, I will do my best to maintain updates of two chapters every day.

Let’s do our best!

Wishing everyone well!