Wayfarer

Chapter 766: The Discussion Breaks Down

Xiao Nanfeng frowned at Lou Yujing. "Is that what you've come to talk about today?"

"I merely wanted you to know that the grudge you bear against me is but a misunderstanding. I came to resolve it."

"Resolve that misunderstanding? This easily?" Xiao Nanfeng sneered.

"And why not? If you were me, you would have done the same thing."

Xiao Nanfeng was rapidly growing tired of this conversation. "Why have you come?"

Lou Yujing smiled. "Upon studying your history of cultivation, it's clear to me that you're no idle cultivator. Your assistance in helping me take down the saint proves it. You're the most outstanding cultivator of the era save myself."

Xiao Nanfeng chuckled dryly. "You mean that we're the only two legends of the era?"

"Indeed. No one else deserves that title," Lou Yujing said proudly and confidently.

"You must be crazy. What about the various Immortal Emperors all over the world? What about the Heavenly Emperor, Yu Fuli?"

"They're just corpses who haven't yet stopped moving," Lou Yujing said dismissively.

"Oh?"

"The calamity of the era looms. Even Yu Fuli will be unable to survive its onslaught. He might look strong now, but so what? No cultivator can take on the heavens."

"And what about you?"

"I'm different. I'm going to be a new saint, and the calamity will exclude me. I'll enter the next era as its hegemon," Lou Yujing declared.

"Is that why you schemed against Saint Chi Hai?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

"Indeed. The saints are akin to administrators chosen by the heavens. With Yu Fuli ruling over this era, however, the saints have been forcibly displaced from their positions. The next era will be different. When all is destroyed to be rebuilt anew, only the saints will survive calamity. Now that I'm a saint myself, a glorious future awaits me."

"You really plan for the long term, don't you?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

"It won't be much longer before the calamity. I came to inform you that the grudge between us is nothing but a joke. The calamity will destroy the entirety of the Taiqing Immortal Sect. Why continue feuding with each other over such an obvious conclusion? You should value the fact that I think highly of you instead."

"Oh?"

"There are multiple saints across the world. Don't you want to claim another saint's charm of heavenly law and become a new saint, just as I did?"

"Is that the point of this conversation?"

"Of course. With my assistance, you'll easily succeed in your goal. Yu Fuli trusts you implicitly, and you can even get the help of the Imperial Court."

"Why choose me?"

"As I said, we're the only two cultivators of our era who deserve to be called legends. The others don't deserve such an invitation."

"And your subordinates? Don't you care about their lives?"

"None but saints may survive a calamity. If you're worried about your subordinates, you should make them all into cursed effigies. It's not difficult, and you should be able to do it on your own. Of course, if you can't, I'll assist you. They'll die and revive in the next era."

"How thoughtful of you," Xiao Nanfeng said coolly.

"Well? Are you satisfied with this opportunity?" Lou Yujing laughed.

Xiao Nanfeng's expression was ice-cold. "I'm afraid our objectives are different. If this is all you came to talk about, please leave."

"I'm sharing this opportunity with you only because I think highly of you. Do you intend to refuse my courtesy?" Lou Yujing's face turned cold.

"You think too highly of yourself. Do you really think the heavens won't investigate what happened? Do you really think that you can become a saint so easily, that you won't be punished for your involvement?"

"What are you trying to say?" Lou Yujing demanded.

"You should know what I mean better than I do. Without the heavens' permission, you could never become a new saint. You're trying to drag me and others down with you so that you can have more company when it comes time for the heavens' judgment. Do you really think we wouldn't be punished? You're nothing more than a pitiful dog hoping for the heavens' pity."

"You—" Lou Yujing's eyes flashed with frost.

"You look down on Yu Fuli, do you? And yet Yu Fuli's preparing to take on the heavens in a final showdown. Whether he wins or loses, he will be hailed as a hero who dared to challenge the final frontier against all odds, to protect the world and all its inhabitants. The world owes him its respect. As for you, you intend to recruit me not for my own sake, but because you know that Yu Fuli thinks highly of me, and you want to take advantage of his resources. You're even going to use me to take him down, aren't you? You think it'll make you look good in the eyes of the heavens, so that they'll permit you to officially take Chi Hai's place as saint."

"You dare look down on me? I offer you a chance at survival, and you denigrate and insult me instead."

"Have I insulted you? I merely told the truth. Your goodwill is more than I can bear, and your supposed opportunity is but a poisoned gift. I don't intend to bow down to the heavens."

"You'll regret it once the time comes," Lou Yujing sneered. "Just you wait for the calamity to descend!"

"I won't. Just like countless sages before me, I'd rather live with honor than become a slave. The heavens are merciless; even if you kneel before them and beg, they won't go easy on you. I suggest you give up on your unrealistic dream," Xiao Nanfeng said coolly.

"How would you know without giving it a try?" Lou Yujing demanded.

"Give it a try? Ha! Lou Yujing, I thought you were a legend of the era despite the fact that you destroyed the Taiqing Immortal Sect, despite the fact that you were rumored to have betrayed the sect out of pettiness. From what you've related, though, it's clear that I was mistaken. You're nothing but a cowardly and merciless man."

"How dare you!" Lou Yujing shouted.

"Am I wrong? You tried to embellish your actions, but that doesn't mean you're in the right. Leaving aside the question of whether the Taiqing Immortal Sect is really an avatar farm as you claim, so what if it's true? I can't imagine there are many of these guardians left. You claim to have killed the majority of the sect just to get rid of them? Is that your so-called loyalty? How laughable!"

"The guardians are hidden among ordinary Taiqing disciples. They can't be rooted out by ordinary means alone. This was the only method to take them down," Lou Yujing hissed.

"Ridiculous! Does that give you the right to kill just about everyone in the sect? Would you kill all the people in a city if there were some demons hiding among their number? How much more shameless can you get?"

"You—"

"So what if there are these supposed guardians? The rest of the disciples are innocent victims like you! Did you show them any mercy when you killed them—your senior brothers, sisters, uncles, masters? They fought alongside you to establish the divine empire of Hongyue, but you chose to kill them all just because you couldn't ascertain their identity!"

"Even if I hadn't made a move, the saint would have," Lou Yujing replied coldly.

"Enough with your nonsense. If you had told the entire sect to hide, the saint would never have gotten everyone. If you had informed Yu Fuli, he would never have ignored your petition. If you had done your best to save the Taiqing Immortal Sect, surely you could have gotten at least half the disciples to safety. You chose not to do so. It's clear what your goal is: to take advantage of the saint to kill whoever can threaten you. You'd rather kill hundreds, even thousands of innocents to save yourself, then take advantage of the opportunity to get on good terms with the saint in preparation for killing him far into the future. You only think about yourself—everything is for your goal of becoming the heavens' lapdog!"

"You—"

"You did sacrifice a lot for the Taiqing Immortal Sect, but didn't it do the same for you? Think about how many resources it funneled your way. Where would you be now if not for the Taiqing Immortal Sect? Perhaps you'd be nothing more than a skeleton! You're ungrateful and cold-blooded, and you even delight in it! You have no right to discuss ethics with me. All who know you ought to disdain you. I shall never forgive you for what you did to the Taiqing Immortal Sect. Your life is forfeit!" Xiao Nanfeng declared coldly.

"Xiao Nanfeng, you know nothing!" Lou Yujing thundered.

Xiao Nanfeng scoffed. "I will never be in cahoots with the likes of you. I am a Taiqing disciple first and foremost, and I was granted the protection of the Taiqing Immortal Sect in a time of personal crisis. I was granted access to sect techniques, and for that I am grateful. These guardians you mention, I may well turn against, but I will never forget what Taiqing has given me, and I will repay kindness with kindness. You are a traitor to Taiqing, and I have you in my sights. Lou Yujing, face me if you dare! I will avenge the innocent Taiqing dead with your head," Xiao Nanfeng declared.