Chapter 41: What If I Just Kill You?

At the entrance to the Cave District of Qinggu Market.

He Luoyuan stood at the same spot, anxiously watching the crowd coming and going.

The sky above the district was guarded by the market’s grand formation, with this entrance being the only access point. He had been keeping watch here for a full month now, just to make sure Lu Yan didn’t sneak away while he wasn’t paying attention.

As the agreed-upon date drew near, He Luoyuan grew more and more restless.

He realized he had revealed too much in a moment of desperation that day—but there had been no other choice.

That great figure had issued a death order: Lu Yan must be brought back.

The mere thought of what would happen if he failed made He Luoyuan shudder with fear.

He even began to regret ever getting involved with that person.

If the mission succeeded, he would indeed receive great benefits—but if it failed, the price would be unbearable.

At this point, all he could hope for was that Lu Yan hadn’t noticed anything suspicious.

As the sky gradually darkened and another day seemed about to pass without result, He Luoyuan began to lose heart.

But just then, a figure in a green robe stepped out from the Cave District—it was Lu Yan, the one he had waited for all this time.

The young man’s face was handsome, adorned with a warm, approachable smile, exuding a sunshine-like charm that made people subconsciously feel close to him.

Seeing this, He Luoyuan hurried forward to greet him.

But at that moment, the sun dipped below the valley, its final rays vanishing from Qinggu Market—and in that instant, the aura around Lu Yan seemed to plunge into an abyss. The warmth in his eyes was replaced by chilling cold, and within those pitch-black pupils, it was as if countless dead souls were reflected.

He Luoyuan froze in place.

Only when Lu Yan’s voice rang out did he snap out of it.

“He Daoyou?”

He Luoyuan instinctively trembled. When he looked at Lu Yan again, that momentary dread seemed like an illusion.

He noticed Lu Yan’s cultivation had advanced to mid-stage Qi Refining.

“Just mid-stage… mid-stage Qi Refining, that’s all,” he muttered in his heart, trying to calm himself.

Forcing a smile, He Luoyuan greeted, “Lu Daoyou, you really made us wait quite a while!”

Lu Yan returned a polite expression. “Sorry to trouble you, He Daoyou.”

He looked up at the now-setting sun and added calmly:

“Since I’ve wasted so much of your time, why don’t we set out tonight and go meet the ‘friend’ you mentioned?”

For reasons he couldn’t explain, He Luoyuan felt a sudden, instinctive urge to refuse.

But in the end, the immense pressure from that powerful figure won out over instinct. He forced a smile and agreed.

“Alright!”

With that, the two departed from Qinggu Market.

What surprised Lu Yan was that He Luoyuan actually had a low-grade flying magic tool—a flying boat.

Although it was the lowest tier of flying artifact, it was still worth nearly a hundred spirit stones. Lu Yan found it rather satisfying.

Thanks to the boat, they reached their destination in less than an hour.

It was a small courtyard deep in the Wushan Mountains. The surroundings had no spiritual veins, and the spiritual energy here was thin—much weaker than in the market. The courtyard was protected by a concealing formation that obscured any view of what lay within.

Even Lu Yan was slightly puzzled. Why would a cultivator live in such a remote wilderness?

They landed in front of the gate. He Luoyuan’s face turned respectful as he called out:

“He Luoyuan, requesting to see Lord Shen!”

A lazy voice echoed from within: “Come in.”

As the invisible barrier dissolved, a rush of dense spiritual energy surged toward Lu Yan—it was far denser than even mid-tier cave dwellings in Qinggu Market.

Lu Yan stepped in, startled, and immediately caught the thick scent of blood.

In the center of the courtyard stood a tall pillar, and hanging from it were three horrific corpses.

Rusty iron hooks pierced through their clavicles, suspending their mangled bodies midair. Wounds cut so deep that bone showed through; the flesh had rotted, covered in wriggling maggots. Their eye sockets were empty pits of blackness.

Lu Yan’s spiritual sense picked up on it immediately—one of the souls had just recently dissipated. That meant at least one of them had just died after prolonged torture.

Beneath the corpses stood a young man in a crimson robe, embroidered with blood-red lotus flowers. He tossed aside a small blade with an air of disappointment, his oddly handsome face filled with disdain.

“I thought the rumors about the Ten Thousand Beast Banner were just that—rumors. Who would’ve guessed someone actually developed it to this extent?”

“These three claimed to have met the one who crafted it… but they didn’t even know his name. Useless trash.”

Lu Yan’s pupils narrowed ever so slightly.

If what this eerie young man said was true, then these three corpses must be the scavenger team he had met briefly once before.

His gaze swept subtly across the bodies. Though they were unrecognizable, he could vaguely make out that they were the three young men and women who had traded with him. The middle-aged man who had spoken to him wasn’t among them.

The eerie youth flicked his finger, and three blood-colored flames ignited the corpses. The fiery glow consumed them in moments.

After that, the young man finally looked toward Lu Yan and He Luoyuan, his lips curling into a strange smile.

“Do you know why I didn’t just use Soul Search on them, but chose to torture them instead?”

Lu Yan remained silent. A trembling He Luoyuan stammered:

“N-no idea…”

“In the sect, some believe we should plunge the world into chaos, harvesting karma in the turmoil.”

“But I believe… the pain of a single life can generate karma no less potent than the collapse of order.”

“I kept them alive for ten days—ten full days of the most agonizing torture. From terror, to begging, to hatred… all of it accumulated into pure karmic power, released the moment their souls were destroyed.”

He held out his hand, and crimson karmic fire danced on his fingertip.

Then he turned to Lu Yan and asked in a soft, eerie tone:

“You’re the one who killed Steward Mo’s kin and took his storage pouch, aren’t you?”

Lu Yan made no attempt to explain that the man had actually been killed by the shopkeeper—it would only complicate things.

He simply asked, “How did you find out?”

“Spirit talismans may look similar, but different sects use region-specific materials in their crafting.”

“The Red Lotus Demon Sect uses Blood Lotus Leaves. These are incredibly rare in Qingwu Sect territory. Most people wouldn’t notice the difference, but any trained talisman master can spot it instantly.”

The eerie young man seemed willing to offer an explanation this time. Then, with a smile, he added:

“I see you’re cultivating the Red Lotus Karmic Flame Scripture. Reaching your current cultivation in under a year, with spiritual power so pure it shows no signs of pill reliance… you’re quite promising.”

“I’ll give you a chance: open your soul to receive the Karmic Brand, and I’ll take you in as my servant and bring you into the Red Lotus Demon Sect.”

“You’ll gain the full inheritance of the scripture—and I’ll personally handle Steward Mo’s side of the issue.”

Lu Yan looked him straight in the eye. “And if I refuse?”

The smile vanished from the youth’s face, and the pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator came crashing down on Lu Yan without restraint.

“Then you’ll end up just like them—experiencing the most agonizing torment this world has to offer.”

“You have decent talent. Let’s see if you can last longer than those three.”

Just as that oppressive force was about to hit Lu Yan, he finally spoke.

“I believe there’s a third option.”

The Hundred Soul Banner appeared in his hand. As it unfurled, ghostly mist blanketed the sky, engulfing the entire courtyard in a sea of demonic shadow.

Amid the swarm of a hundred ghosts, Lu Yan raised the soul banner, pointed it at the eerie youth, and whispered:

“What if I just kill you?”

(End of Chapter)