Slag Shou Cultivating Manual - Chapter 53

Ao Li had been sent to the deep mountains by his father since childhood, watching the Hunyuan Sect being established and subsequently being confined by it for half his life.

Due to his constitution and his father’s strict upbringing, he never ventured outside, barely understanding even the Pingling Mountain where he resided. As he grew older, he became the infamous demon leader, and to him, the outside world was both desired and feared, making him feel like an outlier in an alien world.

Ao Li’s expression changed several times, and finally, he held his forehead in frustration, seemingly recalling something. His breath became increasingly erratic.

He Lang should have chosen to retreat; it would have been the safest course.

However, he bowed his head, thought for a long time, and then approached, unfurling a blank scroll.

Ao Li looked at him in confusion, but He Lang started to draw without a word.

He began with a majestic and eerie palace, showing a distant golden palace contrasted starkly with a serene courtyard blanketed in snow. Bloodstains on the deep snow hinted at some tragic story.

As the palace scene unfolded on the paper, the atmosphere within the palace changed from gloomy to a grand scene of a coronation ceremony, with officials and military personnel kneeling in honor of the most prestigious event.

Beyond the palace gates were vendors selling candied fruit and craftsmen working with wood, creating a harmonious scene, yet the background was shocking with raging flames.

Seeing this, Ao Li narrowed his eyes, unable to understand why it was so.

After the fire, the scenery that followed astonished him even more.

There were towering buildings reaching into the sky, various wheeled vehicles, and people dressed in strange clothing—women in tight-fitting dresses, men with cloth bands around their necks. The streets were lined with colorful shops, and enormous screens dazzled the eyes.

This was a world Ao Li had never heard of before, everything in the painting was novel and strange, making him question whether it was real or just He Lang’s imagination.

Then, He Lang’s brush shifted to depict a vibrant world with chivalrous figures and a landscape of martial heroes, with Pingling Mountain’s buildings faintly visible, which was one of the Hunyuan Sect’s high towers.

The painting ended with a blank space, and both He Lang and Ao Li stopped and looked at each other.

Ao Li quickly lowered his eyes, scanning the painted scenes as if on a fantastical journey.

“Once, I also stayed within the confines of my home, only able to watch the flowers bloom and wither in the courtyard, living in solitude for ten years…” He Lang’s voice softly echoed, carrying a hint of nostalgia.

“So these are illusions?” Ao Li showed interest.

“Yes and no, I cannot know— but they are all encounters.” He Lang smiled, seeming untroubled by these thoughts.

Through many worlds, He Lang had experienced numerous vexing events, but looking back, he found his mind filled with such vibrant landscapes and incredible events and people, leaving him feeling fulfilled and gratified.

“I just want to tell the sect master that the world is full of wonders. You need to open your heart and willingly embrace them.”

He Lang guessed that Ao Li’s closed-off nature was part of the reason for his gloomy personality. If he could experience more of the human world and normal social interactions, he might change his perspective and break free from his rigid image.

Ao Li’s expression softened slightly as he focused on the still-wet brushstrokes, his fingers twitching as if he wanted to touch the faces in the painting.

His brow relaxed, and his eyes took on a more peaceful look. Seeing that Ao Li seemed to be in a good mood, He Lang gathered his courage and requested permission to descend the mountain.

Disciples of the sect could move freely as long as they reported their whereabouts, but as a protector, He Lang needed special approval from the sect master to leave the sect.

Upon hearing his request, Ao Li stiffened, and the demonic aura behind him surged again.

His face darkened as he easily grasped He Lang’s neck, his mind in turmoil, his voice hoarse, “You want to leave…?”

Ao Li’s expression grew grim, and he lowered his eyes, wondering if his monstrous appearance had made He Lang disgusted with staying in the demon sect and wanting to leave.

He Lang, struggling for breath due to Ao Li’s sudden grip, could only shake his head vigorously.

“I… I need to go down the mountain to buy art supplies.”

He Lang’s pained voice startled Ao Li, who realized his impulsiveness and let him go, turning away with a hint of remorse. After a moment of hesitation, he replied, “Send the errand disciples.”

“They don’t know what kind of art supplies and pigments I need.”

Ao Li paused, unsure if there was a difference, and hesitated before finally conceding, “Just for one day.”

The next day, before leaving, He Lang reported that he would return that night.

Ao Li seemed indifferent, but as He Lang turned to leave, he heard Ao Li’s displeased grunt.

…

For safety reasons, He Lang disguised himself before descending the mountain.

He first inquired about recent events in the martial world and was relieved to find that the pursuit by the righteous sect had subsided.

Currently, the focus was on the Xuan Kong Sword Sect and several other sects attacking the Hunyuan Demon Sect, with their defeat becoming a hot topic of discussion.

Additionally, He Lang specifically looked into another matter—reports suggested that the number of missing children had increased.

Worried, he lost interest in buying art supplies and went to the town with the highest number of missing children.

On the way, he noticed several anomalies.

There were multiple routes to Pingling Mountain, but only one route led to the Hunyuan Sect. The towns where children had gone missing were all along this route.

This led to the assumption that the Hunyuan Sect might be responsible.

Though the villages were not far from the Hunyuan Sect, He Lang learned from local farmers that the Xuan Kong Sword Sect sent scouts daily to survey the terrain of Pingling Mountain for better combat effectiveness. These scouts brought gifts to the villagers as compensation and condemned the actions of the Demon Sect, thus attributing the incidents to the sect.

Given his experience with Ren Bozhong’s schemes, He Lang speculated that the missing children might be related to Ren Bozhong. If they used the pretext of maintaining justice to scout the terrain while secretly abducting children, it would be plausible. He remembered Ren Bozhong’s desire to absorb Ao Li’s power and wondered if he might also want the pure blood of these children.

Moreover, the strict vigilance outside the Demon Sect, with artificial mist obscuring vision, would make it difficult for outsiders to detect any infiltration. Thus, if the Xuan Kong Sword Sect operated secretly, the simple, trusting villagers might not be suspicious, making it easier for them to carry out their plan.

Despite their self-righteous claims, the Xuan Kong Sword Sect’s new recruits were idealistic young people, but Ren Bozhong’s cunning could manipulate them to serve his purpose, creating a justification for their actions.

He Lang inquired about the appearance of the disciples who came to the village. While he did not know all of them, he immediately thought of the disciple Fu Yifei, who was known to collude with Ren Bozhong.

He left, astonished by the amount of information he uncovered, feeling his trip had been worthwhile.

However, as night fell, he hurried back to the central town to purchase art supplies.

Since the mist enveloped Pingling Mountain at night, and traps and poisonous gas were set by the sect, it was not suitable to return, so He Lang found an inn to stay for the night.

The next day, on his way back, he visited the market and bought some miscellaneous items to please Ao Li.

Upon returning to the hall, Ao Li was in his usual position, looking through old paintings, with the left guardian and a graceful woman in red standing by his side.

The woman was unfamiliar to He Lang, who guessed she might be a new arrival. However, her relaxed posture and proximity to Ao Li, coupled with her affectionate demeanor, suggested she might be a senior in the sect.

Seeing He Lang return, the left guardian, with a dumbfounded expression, immediately reprimanded him in his senior capacity, “Do you know your mistake? As a protector, you failed to return on time and didn’t manage the sect affairs properly. Yesterday, the sect master had no one to attend to him!”

Ao Li glanced at the two and then looked away, intending to ignore the situation. The person staying by his side and neglecting their duties deserved scolding.

After the left guardian finished, he looked approvingly at the woman in red, who seemed to handle things well and thus earned his praise.

The woman, pleased by the praise, smiled, her face partly concealed, with a flirtatious look. Her laughter was soft, and the silver bell on her wrist tinkled pleasantly, making her seem like a natural beauty.

When He Lang was sufficiently chastised, Ao Li spoke up, asking, “You still remember to come back?”

He clearly recalled that He Lang had said he would be gone for only one day.

The left guardian thought Ao Li was angry and moved to punish He Lang further, “Indeed! You’ve angered the sect master! What punishment do you deserve?”

Ao Li clicked his tongue, annoyed by the left guardian’s interference. Not wanting He Lang to be further ridiculed, he impatiently dismissed both the left guardian and the woman in red.

The left guardian hesitated, then left reluctantly with the woman in red.

Seeing the opportunity, He Lang immediately stood by Ao Li’s side and admitted his mistake, “I know my mistake.”

**Author’s Note:** He Lang becomes soft in front of the big bad boss~

It seems that except for some university students, everyone has started school…? I wish you all success in your studies and remember to come check out the lonely ears when you have time.