Disappear

“My father held no grudge against you, Lord Lin!” Lu Wenhan roared, his voice thick with indignation.

“You wreaked havoc in my Lu Estate, caused my father’s death, and now you resort to such slanderous accusations. Where is your conscience, when heavenly principles are so clear?!”

Lin Langyao’s temper immediately flared, and he was just about to retort when his body suddenly lightened.

The rope suspending him snapped, sending him plummeting to the ground with a resounding thud as his head struck the earth.

Everyone present involuntarily felt a sharp pang of pain in their heads.

Wen Chaoxuan sheathed his sword, lifted Lin Langyao from the ground, and stated succinctly, “Explain.”

Upon hearing that his master actually intended to give him a chance to explain, Lin Langyao instantly brightened, spilling the entire story in a rush.

“That old geezer was never a good person to begin with; I went to the Lu Estate to cause trouble because I was seeking vengeance on someone’s behalf.”

Lin Langyao had an old acquaintance, an artifact cultivator (TL Note: A cultivator who specializes in forging and refining magical artifacts and implements.).

Given his personality, it was difficult for him to have anyone he could even remotely call a friend, yet this acquaintance was someone Lin Langyao had met while constructing the Chaotian Pavilion (TL Note: ‘Chaotian Pavilion’ is the name of a building or structure.).

To be precise, the Chaotian Pavilion was completed by this very artifact cultivator for Lin Langyao.

At that time, Lin Langyao had only just entered the mortal world, and his reputation as the ‘Chaos Demon King’ (TL Note: 混世魔王, ‘hùnshì mówáng,’ a term for a troublemaker or one who creates chaos.) of the cultivation world had yet to spread.

He was racking his brains for ways to complete his building project when he coincidentally encountered an artifact cultivator.

The artifact cultivator needed to acquire a specific refining material from the perilous depths of the Qinling Mountains (TL Note: Qinling Mountains, a major mountain range in China.), but her cultivation was insufficient.

The two immediately hit it off: Lin Langyao would retrieve the item for her, and in return, she would build his house.

Once the transaction was complete, they lost contact, until one day, Lin Langyao noticed that a window in the Chaotian Pavilion felt a bit loose.

He sought out his old acquaintance for repairs, but she was nowhere to be found.

****

That artifact cultivator acquaintance hailed from the Tiangong Pavilion (TL Note: Tiangong Pavilion, a sect specializing in crafting and artifact refinement.), a renowned sect.

Logically, as someone with a sect affiliation, not merely a rogue cultivator from the wilderness, she should have been traceable.

Lin Langyao went to the Tiangong Pavilion to inquire, but received only tight-lipped, evasive responses.

Feeling puzzled and a surge of his usual rebellious streak, Lin Langyao, who never acted by the book, secretly dragged a disciple to the back mountain, beat them up, and forced out the whereabouts of his artifact cultivator friend.

By the time he found his friend, she was barely clinging to her last breath.

“The artifact cultivator said,” Lin Langyao recounted, repeating his acquaintance’s dying words, “‘Old Master Lu of the Jiuyuan Lu Clan (TL Note: Jiuyuan Lu Clan, a prominent family or clan.) caused me to die with grievances.’”

He cast his gaze toward the bronze mirror on the ground.

“I truly don’t know how you could still have the gall to produce this item. Perhaps you only know that the Su Hui Mirror (TL Note: 溯洄镜, ‘sùhuí jìng,’ meaning ‘Mirror of Reversal’ or ‘Mirror of Tracing Back.’) is a fine treasure, but you have no idea who its true owner was, or how they died because of it.”

****

The artifact cultivator was an exceptionally gifted young woman, yet she was not as favored within her sect as her senior and junior brothers.

Fortunately, she did not mind, instead devoting herself wholeheartedly to the path of artifact refinement.

Her sole ambition was to forge a magical artifact that would endure through generations, and to achieve this, she would even go so far as to make all sorts of peculiar deals with various individuals, such as helping a sword cultivator build a house.

The Su Hui Mirror was her masterpiece.

At the final stage of its refinement, only two crucial materials remained elusive.

For these, she sought the assistance of the largest noble family in the Northern Lands.

Old Master Lu had received her then.

Initially, he had paid little heed to the Su Hui Mirror as described by the artifact cultivator, until she, in her desperation, tore off her facial veil to argue with him.

After Old Master Lu clearly saw the artifact cultivator’s face, his attitude suddenly shifted, becoming much more accommodating.

Naive by nature, the artifact cultivator thought nothing of it, believing she had finally grasped at a last straw of hope.

However, a year after she took residence in the Lu Estate, the artifact cultivator was driven out by the Lu family, in a state of apparent madness.

Half a year later, the Tiangong Pavilion, an artifact cultivation sect within the Lu clan’s jurisdiction, rose to prominence for having successfully refined the Su Hui Mirror.

The Lu Estate began to utilize a continuous supply of these mirrors, and the cultivation world poured immense wealth into acquiring a single one.

Behind all this fanfare, no one knew that an unnamed artifact cultivator, with nowhere to turn for help, was left to wander the streets, spitting blood, on the verge of death.

****

When Lin Langyao found her, the artifact cultivator pressed a mirror no larger than a copper coin, which had been hanging around her neck, into his hand, telling him that the contents within it would prove all her efforts and sacrifices.

Lin Langyao then, clutching the mirror, went to the Lu Estate, but before he could react, Old Master Lu snatched the mirror and immediately destroyed it.

Enraged beyond measure, Lin Langyao, unable to contain his fury, pursued the old man and gave him a thorough beating.

****

After Lin Langyao finished speaking, Wen Chaoxuan remained silent, uttering not a word.

Master Lu’s face alternated between green and white as he sharply retorted, “Utter nonsense, Lord Lin! I ask you, do you have any evidence to support these claims?”

Lin Langyao was taken aback, unsure how to answer such a question.

Where could he find evidence now?

The only mirror he had that could prove the artifact cultivator’s words had already been deliberately destroyed by Old Master Lu.

Seeing his inability to answer, Lu Wenhan pressed his advantage.

“You only listened to the artifact cultivator’s one-sided account, yet everyone in my Lu Estate can testify that she behaved improperly, which is why she was expelled.

You believed her words, came to our estate, and severely injured my father, who then passed away days later, filled with resentment, beyond any cure.

This, too, is ironclad proof!”

Lin Langyao bristled with anger.

“What more proof do you need? I am the evidence!

I saw the Su Hui Mirror with my own eyes; that Old Man Lu deceived her and stole her property.

If he had nothing to hide, why would he destroy the mirror?”

Lu Wenhan suddenly smiled.

“Esteemed Sect Masters and Family Heads present, please judge this matter fairly.

My Lu clan is a prominent and influential family, and our conduct has always been upright and proper, praised by the common folk; we have never been slandered in such a manner.

If Lord Lin truly has concrete evidence, we are all willing to confront him and clear our name.

Even without evidence, if he could bring that artifact cultivator here to explain things face-to-face, that would suffice.

Yet, he has nothing; he simply stormed into my Lu Estate empty-handed, and without distinguishing right from wrong, he beat our esteemed Old Master to death.

What kind of tyrannical behavior is this?

If he can enter the Lu clan unopposed today, he can do the same to other sects tomorrow.

Is he relying on his martial prowess to disregard the major sects and families, killing without consequence, truly intending to bring disaster upon the cultivation world and become an enemy of all under heaven?”

These words were truly malicious, directly framing Lin Langyao as an adversary of the entire cultivation world.

The other sect masters and family heads were at a loss for words.

Li Wuwei sighed, “Master Lu, those words are quite serious…”

Lin Langyao had always been poor at verbal disputes, and seeing Lu Wenhan so blatantly twist the facts genuinely infuriated him.

He wanted to retort, ‘So what if I become an enemy of the entire world? If I truly were, you, this rat, would be the first one I’d slay with my sword!’

However, a cold, sharp glare (TL Note: 眼刀子, ‘yǎndāozi,’ literally ‘eye knife,’ referring to a piercing, cold stare.) from Wen Chaoxuan, sent from the side, instantly jolted Lin Langyao back to his senses.

****

Wen Chaoxuan, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke.

“Master Lu, I only have one question for you.

You claim that Lin Langyao had no prior grudge against your father, so why would he suddenly come knocking at your door?”

Lu Wenhan froze, stammering, “Of course, he was bewitched by that artifact cultivator!”

Wen Chaoxuan nodded.

“Then, according to you, Lin Langyao and your father had no deep-seated animosity beforehand.

In that case, could you explain exactly how that artifact cultivator behaved improperly to be expelled from the estate, and why she would then proceed to bewitch and frame others in such a manner?”

“Since things have come to this, I’m no longer afraid of losing face,” Lu Wenhan said, taking a deep breath.

“My mother passed away many years ago, and my father never remarried.

He kindly took in the artifact cultivator, but she, relying on her youth and certain allure, harbored other intentions…”

Master Lu did not finish his sentence.

Instead, everyone saw a blur before their eyes; even Wen Chaoxuan didn’t have time to intervene before Lin Langyao sent Lu Wenhan flying with a kick.

No one was surprised by Lin Langyao’s actions; if anything, it seemed more peculiar that he had managed to restrain himself until now.

****

“Scoundrel!”

Lu Wenhan coughed up a mouthful of blood and scrambled to his feet, only to look up and see Lin Langyao also sent flying across from him.

He immediately burst into laughter, clapping his hands as he addressed Wen Chaoxuan.

“Sword Venerable Wen, with everyone watching at this moment, if you are truly a gentleman of integrity, you must know how to handle this, don’t you?”

Wen Chaoxuan turned his head to glance at him, his icy gaze sending an inexplicable shiver down Lu Wenhan’s spine.

Wen Chaoxuan asked him, “How do you wish to handle it?”

Lu Wenhan, chilled to the bone by his stare, still gritted his teeth and declared, “Whichever hand he used to strike my father, cripple that hand!

Whichever foot he used to kick my father, cripple that foot!”

Wen Chaoxuan turned his head again, observing Li Wuwei and the other sect masters and family heads from the top cultivation sects.

They had witnessed the entire confrontation between the three, and their eyes flickered with complex, indescribable emotions.

While their hatred for Lin Langyao was certainly not as unyielding as Lu Wenhan’s, it was equally impossible to claim they held no resentment for Lin Langyao’s actions.

Wen Chaoxuan’s gaze calmly swept over each person, before he finally turned to face Lin Langyao.

Lin Langyao, having clambered to his feet, sat cross-legged with an air of nonchalant defiance, looking utterly unrepentant, as if he wouldn’t regret anything until facing his own coffin.

Wen Chaoxuan knew exactly what he was thinking: that he was Wen Chaoxuan’s only disciple, and surely Wen Chaoxuan wouldn’t actually kill him.

So, what else could Wen Chaoxuan do to him?

At most, a beating or a scolding, both of which he had long grown accustomed to.

****

Wen Chaoxuan, a peak sword cultivator capable of leveling the four seas with his blade, possessing cultivation nearing the Tribulation Transcension (TL Note: 渡劫期, ‘dùjiéqī,’ a stage in cultivation where one faces heavenly tribulations to ascend to a higher realm.) stage, and able to enter the Heaven’s Veins (TL Note: 天脉, ‘tiānmài,’ referring to a celestial or spiritual energy pathway.) to transcend life and death—a truly powerful and flawless existence—could not help but feel a wave of dizziness and confusion washing over his mind at this moment.

He even began to wonder why he had chosen this reincarnation, this world.

Bearing the destiny of resolving calamities was already exhausting enough; was cleaning up the mess caused by this troublesome disciple also a part of the Heavenly Dao’s trial to temper his mind?

Wen Chaoxuan closed his eyes for a moment.

In truth, a thought had lingered in his mind ever since he returned to Qintian Peak (TL Note: 钦天峰, ‘Qīntiān Fēng,’ the name of a mountain peak.), though he had always hesitated.

He had pondered many times what Lin Langyao’s future path would be.

He had only taught him the way of the sword, but not how to establish himself and live securely in the world.

This was a failing on his part as a master.

When Wen Chaoxuan was no longer present, how would Lin Langyao stand firm in the world, face the mistakes he had made, and silence the endless chatter of public opinion?

The more Wen Chaoxuan thought, the more his blood surged with agitation.

Lin Langyao, unaware of the intense internal struggle his master was undergoing, saw Wen Chaoxuan merely standing silently, and a belated sense of regret finally settled upon him.

He wasn’t afraid if Wen Chaoxuan were to beat or scold him.

He was only afraid when Wen Chaoxuan remained silent, for that signified that Wen Chaoxuan was truly enraged.

Lin Langyao scratched his neck, thinking, ‘Perhaps I should feign cowardice and admit my mistake first.

Once this matter blows over, I’ll go find trouble with that Lu Wenhan again, beat him thoroughly, and then he’ll have no choice but to confess the truth.’

****

The more Lin Langyao considered it, the more feasible it seemed.

Just as he was about to speak, Wen Chaoxuan opened his eyes first, gazing at him calmly, and said, “Summon your sword.”

A sword cultivator’s sword is typically stored within their dantian (TL Note: 丹田, ‘dāntián,’ an energy center in the body, crucial for cultivation.).

Upon Wen Chaoxuan’s command, Lin Langyao subconsciously summoned his sword, his thoughts moving with his will.

A long sword, radiating a faint azure light, appeared in Lin Langyao’s hand.

Lin Langyao did not know what his master intended, yet he felt an extremely ominous sense of unease.

Even Li Wuwei seemed to have sensed something, his lips quivering slightly, his gaze locked onto Wen Chaoxuan.

****

Wen Chaoxuan, the focal point of everyone’s attention, moved his pale lips and spoke to Lin Langyao:

“For all these years, it is my fault that I failed to guide you into becoming a useful person.

But if I could teach you once, I can teach you a second time.”

From a young age, Lin Langyao’s mind had been unconventional, his actions vastly different from ordinary people, and he was even less adept at reading expressions or discerning others’ thoughts.

Yet, at this moment, he miraculously, and perhaps telepathically, grasped the meaning of Wen Chaoxuan’s words before anyone else.

His eyes widened as he watched his master, whom he had admired and feared since childhood, slowly approach.

Wen Chaoxuan’s hand, warm and thick with years of sword calluses, firmly clasped his wrist at the life gate acupoint (TL Note: 命门穴位, ‘mìngmén xuéwèi,’ a vital acupoint often associated with life force or fate.).

Wen Chaoxuan’s intention was quite clear: a sword cultivator’s sword is parasitic within their dantian, and if the cultivator loses their cultivation, the sword will also be destroyed along with the dantian.

That was why Wen Chaoxuan had him summon his sword first.

Vast spiritual energy surged upward against his meridians, like a destructive hurricane that pulverized everything in its path.

Against Wen Chaoxuan, Lin Langyao was utterly powerless; everything he possessed had been taught by Wen Chaoxuan—his sword, his cultivation.

The spiritual energy of both, stemming from the same cultivation technique, was so similar that wherever Wen Chaoxuan acted, Lin Langyao naturally crumbled.

His hands began to tremble; the foremost expert in the cultivation world could no longer hold his own sword.

The Qingyun Sword (TL Note: 青云剑, ‘Qīngyún Jiàn,’ meaning ‘Azure Cloud Sword.’), its azure light flickering weakly, clattered to the ground.

Lin Langyao’s mind went blank, he didn’t even know how to react, only able to stare wide-eyed at Wen Chaoxuan.

In his eyes, Wen Chaoxuan’s countenance was perfect, serene as a brilliant moon, too beautiful to be real.

Before Lin Langyao faintly lost consciousness, the one thought that surfaced was, ‘Master is still alive; this truly isn’t a dream.’

****

Spiritual energy rapidly drained away, accompanied by an uncontrollable chill spreading through his entire body.

A white light shot skyward, piercing through the roof of the building.

Cultivators and demonic beasts near Qintian Peak all sensed the anomaly, turning their heads in alarm towards the distant, towering peak.

This scene was strikingly similar to a day a hundred years ago.

No one knew that from this day forward, the former “foremost expert in the cultivation world” would cease to exist.