Chapter Fifty-Four: The Magic Stone

Nangong Bingyun pursed her lips and stepped forward to Mo Shan’s side.

Mo Shan lay flat on the bed, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. His face was pale, and he was muttering something unintelligible.

With a cold expression, she slowly drew her sword. True energy began to dissipate into the air around her, and the blade emitted a biting, icy blue mist. Her arm trembled slightly as she pointed the tip of the sword at Mo Shan’s chest.

Whether it was because Mo Shan sensed the killing intent or because the pain from his severed left arm flared up, a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead, dampening the bedding.

"I hope you didn't kill my father and sister, otherwise, the sword in my hand will show no mercy! Hmph!" Nangong Bingyun said coldly, devoid of any emotion. She sheathed her sword and turned to leave.

Although she had pointed the blade at him, she was still internally conflicted and could not bring herself to strike. After all, she had not seen her relatives’ bodies with her own eyes. She still clung to the hope that her father, a powerful man, had survived.

The greater deterrent, however, was the presence of Elder Qian. He was an incredibly powerful figure—a Hall Master-level expert, at the very least a grandmaster. Even though she had drawn her sword, she lacked the confidence to kill Mo Shan while he was under the protection of such a man. If she had been truly certain, she would have long since adopted the philosophy that it was better to kill an innocent person by mistake than to let a prime suspect go free.

"Nangong Bingyun remains as cold as ever. She must be heartbroken about returning home to such news," Elder Qian said softly after she had departed.

"Are you going to wake up yet, or do you intend to keep playing dumb?"

At these words, Mo Shan shuddered. His eyes flickered open as if he had just been roused from a deep sleep. He whispered, "It’s not that, Senior. Wouldn't it have been even more awkward if I had woken up then?"

Elder Qian chuckled. Changing the subject, he asked, "Are you truly not afraid that she might have pierced your chest with that sword?" He mimicked Nangong Bingyun’s movements, performing a vivid and lifelike imitation of her threat in front of Mo Shan.

"The Sect Leader of Taiyue promised to ensure my safety, didn't he?" Mo Shan replied, his voice weak and raspy, as if he were forcing the words out.

"Do you think this meeting will lead to your death?" Elder Qian’s voice suddenly deepened, carrying a unique, sorrowful tone.

"Do you want me to die, Elder Qian?" Mo Shan asked, his mood complex.

"Hmph! I went to such great lengths to save you; I won't let you die so easily!" Elder Qian snorted. He turned his gaze toward the hall entrance, stood up, and walked out of the side hall. Mo Shan turned his head to follow his gaze.

Outside the window, the breeze was gentle. The layers of snow-white robes hanging in the distance shimmered like tiny stars under the sunlight—a beautiful sight.

"Since I have come to Wudang Mountain, how could I let myself die the moment I arrived?" Mo Shan remarked calmly, appearing full of confidence. He reached into his pocket, found it empty, and a faint smile played on his lips.

***

On Wudang Mountain, within the Taihe Palace, designed in the ancient style of a monarch's court, Sect Leader Taiyue sat on a throne raised three steps above the floor.

"Sect Leader, what is the purpose of summoning us here?" a middle-aged man stepped into the center of the hall to voice his confusion.

"Do you remember the warning issued yesterday?" Taiyue asked, deliberately emphasizing the word "warning."

"Did the Hall Master of the Criminal Law Hall not go to investigate? Has it not been resolved?"

"Everyone in the town at the foot of the mountain is dead. Lin Feng and Lin Ruoxi are nowhere to be found. Their blood was drained, leaving only skeletons. Furthermore, the Demon Stone sealed beneath the Lin family estate has escaped," Taiyue said heavily, his face grim.

"The Huaxia Federal Headquarters just sent word: energy reserves are exhausted. The Blue Star will soon have no energy left. Geological shifts have occurred, and the Demon Stones that once caused the apocalypse have all taken human form. One such stone is near Wudang Mountain, and it has taken human form—it is currently here on Wudang Mountain. It is the perpetrator behind the massacre in the town!"

"Then there is no need to think! We must kill him immediately!"

"Why keep the culprit who caused the apocalypse? We must execute him!"

"My recommendation is to kill him," the middle-aged man said, his eyes glinting with cold light. "If he committed murder, he deserves to die!"

***

"Well? Have you gained his trust?"

Deep inside a cave at the foot of Wudang Mountain, a soldier casually brushed off his black uniform, letting it fall onto another man lying on the ground. The man on the ground had the exact same facial features as the soldier standing above him.

"That old man was even fussing over me, worrying I was cold, and gave me his own clothes! Hmph, he really knows how to win people over!" The soldier sneered, a cunning smile on his face.

"So, it seems you have succeeded?" A stone floated in the air, questioning the soldier.

"When I take action, success is guaranteed. Do you think my years of infiltrating the human world were in vain? Especially learning their hypocritical ways—that was the easiest part!" the soldier boasted.

"Mo Shan! You won’t escape death this time! The letter from the Huaxia Federal Headquarters carries great weight in their eyes. The apocalypse destroyed countless humans; this is all the sin you have committed. Isn't it time you 'repaid' it? Hahaha!" The stone laughed, its voice sounding as if it emanated from the deepest abyss of hell, chilling to the bone.

"The identity of a trusted aide to General Tang Heng is quite useful, isn't it?" the stone added cryptically after its laughter subsided.

***

Taiyue raised a hand to signal for silence. "What I just mentioned was merely the military's side of the story; it is not the official word from the Huaxia Federal Headquarters."

"Then what is your opinion, Sect Leader?" the middle-aged man asked.

"The person they described is a youth, eleven or twelve years old, with a severed arm. He carries a token—a token representing a debt of gratitude our Founder owed one thousand years ago."

"Hush!"

Even though a thousand years had passed, the ancestral teachings remained etched in their minds. The ancestors of anyone holding that token were great benefactors who had saved the Wudang Sect, and indeed, all of Huaxia.

"Let us bring him here and ask him. After all, the one-sided word of the military is not as important as the descendant of those who saved the Wudang Sect," the Hall Master of the Criminal Law Hall finally revealed the thought he had kept buried deep in his heart.