Chapter 159: Betrayal

It was midday, and the sun was directly overhead.

The four peaks glowed, reflecting the sunlight off the clouds, bright as a celestial realm. Cultivators came and went, riding their swords, diligently repairing the damaged peaks. It was clear that soon, this place would once again be a magnificent scene of vibrant blossoms and soaring cranes.

Nan Cheng sat on a peak-side stone, his eyes closed in repose, drawing in the mountain's spiritual energy to heal his injuries.

"Senior Brother Nan Cheng."

As he completed a full cycle of cultivation, a soft voice spoke beside him. Nan Cheng opened his eyes to see a small, delicate girl. Despite it being the Four Peaks Sword Competition, she had worn a white dress all day, clearly never intending to compete.

The girl spoke softly, "Hello, Senior Brother. My name is Le Rou."

Nan Cheng had been in seclusion on the peak for so long that he had forgotten the names of his junior brothers and sisters. Having just emerged, he was still unaccustomed to social interaction and seemed somewhat reserved. "Junior Sister Le Rou, hello," he began, "may I ask who you are..."

Le Rou bowed respectfully, then said, "Senior Brother's sword display earlier was truly magnificent; I admired it greatly. I was just passing by and happened to see you cultivating, so I came closer to observe."

Although Nan Cheng subtly sensed the girl might have ulterior motives, her innocent and charming appearance dispelled any reservations. He replied, "I still lost in the end, which was rather embarrassing."

Le Rou shook her head. "Senior Brother is already very powerful. Um... actually, there is something I wanted to ask you."

"Hm? What is it?" Nan Cheng asked.

Le Rou hesitated, then said, "Um... if I heard correctly earlier, Senior Brother called Ning Changjiu 'Senior'?"

Nan Cheng nodded. "Yes, Senior has shown me great kindness."

Le Rou asked, puzzled, "When did you meet him?"

Nan Cheng replied, "Why do you ask?"

Le Rou said, "Ning Changjiu and Ning Xiaoling only joined the peak late last year. By seniority, they should be the youngest pair, so why would Senior Brother call him 'Senior'?"

Nan Cheng hadn't known his true identity at first, assuming he was an elder who had undergone rejuvenation on the peak. Only today had he gradually learned more about Ning Changjiu's deeds. He was initially quite surprised to discover that Ning Changjiu was also a disciple, but then he reasoned that a true Senior possessed wisdom beyond his understanding.

Nan Cheng said, "Senior is a good person. Just today, he has done so much for our peak. Given his significant contributions, Junior Sister, you needn't be too concerned about his background."

Le Rou clutched her skirt, somewhat annoyed. "But... what if all he's done is an act? What about Master then?"

Nan Cheng thought for a moment, then said, "The relationship between Senior and Master is indeed unusual."

Le Rou worried aloud, "Master is so naive; won't she be tricked?"

Nan Cheng couldn't help but chuckle, thinking that Master, no matter how naive, was far more perceptive than this young girl. He said, "Don't worry. Master has always been cool and self-possessed. Even if she has some private dealings with Senior, I'm sure they are strictly formal. There's no need to worry too much about her."

"Oh..." Le Rou nodded absently, thinking that Master, being so pure and ethereal, surely wouldn't have anything with Ning Changjiu... hmm, immortals are above worldly desires. She suddenly felt her earlier sordid worries were quite unnecessary. Casually, she asked, "By the way, Senior Brother, do you know where Master went?"

Nan Cheng said, "Master should be discussing matters with the other peak masters right now."

Lu Jiajia clutched the brocade quilt, covering her bare upper body, though her delicate, jade-like shoulders, faintly flushed with pink, remained exposed. The room's light was dim, as if deliberately obscured by her. A layer of faint, smoke-like gauze enveloped her, forming a shallow spatial membrane that muffled her soft gasps.

Ning Changjiu had already moved aside, sitting wearily by the table.

"How do you feel?" Ning Changjiu asked, looking at the woman who was still half-curled.

Lu Jiajia was silent for a moment, steadying her breath, then straightened her cool yet delicate body. "Turn around," she said.

From behind, Ning Changjiu shifted his chair.

Lu Jiajia glanced back. Seeing the white-robed figure with his back to her, she felt her tension ease.

She released the brocade quilt, reached down, and grasped the discarded sword robe. Holding it by both sides, she slid the garment up her body, putting it back on. Then, reaching behind her neck, she drew her black hair out from beneath the robe, letting it cascade over her elegant back. As she silently adjusted the collar, fastened the waist sash, she slowly turned around.

"I feel..." Lu Jiajia, now wearing her translucent, moon-white socks and deerskin boots, perceived the changes within her body. Her sword embryo hummed ceaselessly, as if ready to transform into a real sword and erupt from her spiritual palace.

She stated confidently, "I feel I am only one sword-stroke away from the Purple Court."

However, she still didn't know what the catalyst for that final sword stroke would be.

Ning Changjiu nodded. He took the Golden Crow from his shoulder, slowly stroking its dark golden feathers as he contemplated.

Lu Jiajia said, "You can turn around now."

When Ning Changjiu turned, Lu Jiajia was already fully dressed, looking elegant and composed. The quilt beside her had also been neatly folded and placed at the foot of the bed.

Noticing Ning Changjiu's somewhat pensive expression, she asked, "What's wrong?"

Ning Changjiu suddenly asked, "What kind of person... was your Master?"

"Hm?" Lu Jiajia asked, puzzled. "Master has been dead for many years. Why do you ask?"

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. "I'm just curious what kind of Master could produce such outstanding disciples as you and Lu Yuanbai."

Lu Jiajia thought of Lu Yuanbai, her brows unconsciously furrowing slightly. She said, "I didn't expect him to be the Sect Master's direct disciple. When Master took him in, she had very high hopes for him. But for several years, Lu Yuanbai's cultivation stagnated, and Master eventually stopped inquiring about him. Now that I think about it, all of this must have been the Sect Master's doing."

Ning Changjiu continued, "How did your Master die?"

Lu Jiajia recalled, "Master became ill from overwork. Additionally, when she went mad years ago, the peaks united to suppress her, inflicting severe injuries. Even after healing, she would alternate between periods of madness and lucidity... In the end, she returned to her sword, which was perhaps her destined fate."

Ning Changjiu nodded, not pressing for more details. He reached out, seemingly grasping the air in front of him, then suddenly remarked, "The spiritual energy in Jade Sword Heavenly Sect has become much thinner."

Lu Jiajia explained, "The Peach Curtain was breached today, allowing a significant amount of spiritual energy to escape. Moreover, with the Sect Master carrying half of the sect's destiny and leaving the peak, it's natural for much of the spiritual power to dissipate."

Ning Changjiu rose and walked to the window. He lifted the bamboo blind, pushed open the window, and extended his hand outside. The wind brushed past his fingers, carrying a surprisingly cold, gritty sensation.

"The Sect Master left with half of the sect's destiny..." Ning Changjiu shook his head. "I think it's more than that."

Lu Jiajia frowned. "What are you trying to say?"

Ning Changjiu said, "If I'm not mistaken, he must have taken all the artifacts from the peak's depths, including Ring Waterfall Mountain's finest swords and magical implements."

Lu Jiajia said, "To slay a fierce god like Nine Infants, even Master Hanchi would surely need some magical treasures for protection."

Ning Changjiu asked, "But what if... what if he doesn't come back?"

"What did you say?!" Lu Jiajia rose abruptly. The possibility that flashed through her mind filled her with dread. She quickly asked, "Not come back? If he doesn't return, where could he go?"

"That's what I want to know now as well," Ning Changjiu said.

Lu Jiajia's expression grew solemn.

Ning Changjiu then asked, "Where is the spirit of the Sword Scripture currently confined?"

Lu Jiajia said, "It's in my Peak Master's Hall. It was supposed to be given to the Sect Master, but you then..."

At the time, Ning Changjiu had concealed the truth about the Sword Scripture, attributing Yan Zhou's death to a blood oath. The other peak masters understood his unspoken meaning; they too found it difficult to completely trust this mysteriously appearing Sect Master. Thus, when Ning Changjiu made his claim, they went along with it, neither refuting him nor revealing their true intentions.

Ning Changjiu nodded. "I was just asking casually. This Sword Scripture must be guarded carefully in the future. It's too malevolent; almost no one at the same cultivation level can withstand its one-hit killing blow."

Lu Jiajia nodded gently, then asked, "What's next?"

Ning Changjiu said, "Next, let's go to the library and research the history of Nine Infants, Cultivation Serpent, and... Yayu. Since they've survived from ancient times, they must have left behind quite a few legends."

Lu Jiajia asked, "What about you?"

Ning Changjiu said, "I'll go to Hidden Peak to see if there are any remaining clues."

"Mm, alright," Lu Jiajia nodded.

Just as she was about to leave on her sword, her gaze was suddenly drawn to a painting on the wall. "This painting... why doesn't it have eyes?" she asked.

On the wall hung a painting of a green bird. The colorful brushstrokes flowed freely, almost as if done in a single breath. The ink rendered the feathers like soft down, lifelike, yet the eyes remained blank.

Ning Changjiu smiled. "It's just a casual drawing I did. I started it back in Lotus Field Town and haven't had time to finish it yet."

"Lotus Field Town..." Lu Jiajia murmured the place name, not holding a good impression of it. "If I had come to see you sooner then, you wouldn't have been trapped there for half a month."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. "Don't dwell on these minor things. In another month, the lotus flowers in Lotus Field Town will bloom. We can go see them together then."

As a master, she should have sternly rejected a private invitation from a disciple. But Lu Jiajia, reflecting on the recent events and the weariness pervading her mind and body, thought of the pool of fragrant jade lotuses, and her spirits brightened considerably without her realizing it.

She smiled, nodded, and said, "Alright."

Lu Jiajia quietly departed, riding her sword back to her peak, then heading to the library to research the ancient fierce gods.

Ning Changjiu sat quietly in the room alone for a while.

He calculated the time.

Finally, about a quarter of an hour later, he stood up.

Points of spiritual light appeared around him.

Ning Changjiu activated a reverse teleportation array.

Next, he appeared in the Peak Master's Hall.

It was the teleportation array he had left in the Peak Master's Hall after Bing Rong's assassination attempt.

The Peak Master's Hall was empty, and powerful restrictions were set outside its doors to prevent intrusion.

Ning Changjiu was intimately familiar with the layout of the Peak Master's Hall. In a short time, he located the stone box sealing the spirit of the Sword Scripture. He moved it out, and after much hesitation, finally opened it.

The Sword Scripture spirit, previously dormant inside, instantly awakened. It pushed aside its hair, its glowing, sword-like eyes fixing on the newcomer. After confirming his identity, its expression immediately turned fierce and malevolent.

"You actually dare to come see me again? What exactly do you want? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you with one sword stroke?" The Sword Scripture spirit glared at him ferociously. If it weren't for its current weakness, it would have struck him down instantly.

Ning Changjiu said, "I have an enemy I cannot defeat, and I need your help."

The Sword Scripture spirit was stunned into silence for a long time.

From its very birth, its nature had been malevolent. Its yearning for freedom, coupled with its prolonged confinement in such a small space, had festered into countless resentments and angers deep within its heart. Yet, at this moment, confronted by the very person who had betrayed it, it was left speechless, unable to utter a single curse.

After a moment, it finally managed, "How can there be such a shameless person as you in this world?"

An hour ago, he'd gone back on his word and locked it in this broken coffin, and an hour later, he was pretending nothing had happened and asking for help?

It no longer knew how to curse him.

The Sword Scripture spirit looked at the young man before it, gaining a deeper understanding of human darkness and ugliness. It now truly understood the saying 'don't judge a book by its cover' — the more refined and handsome a person was, the darker their heart.

Ning Changjiu said, "This is your chance to regain freedom. Will you help or not?"

The Sword Scripture spirit gnashed its teeth for a moment, then said with profound anguish, "Fine, I'll help!"

Ning Changjiu said, "You can think it over. I'll come find you later."

The Sword Scripture spirit quickly said, "No need to consider! Just take me away now, and I can forgive your betrayal today!"

Ning Changjiu said, "This is a serious matter; I also need to think about it further."

Then, amidst the Sword Scripture spirit's curses, Ning Changjiu re-covered the coffin and left by activating a formation.

Lu Jiajia quickly located books about the ancient fierce gods. Her keen gaze scanned the pages, swiftly browsing the relevant content.

By the time Ning Changjiu arrived at the library, dozens of books were already piled in front of her.

"Where are the other disciples?" Ning Changjiu scanned his surroundings, finding only the two of them in the vast library.

"I sent them all away," Lu Jiajia said. "This matter is too important; it's best not to be disturbed by others."

Ning Changjiu nodded. "Any clues?"

Lu Jiajia said, "The records in each book vary, and opinions differ, but from what I've seen so far, many things are reliable."

"Tell me," Ning Changjiu said.

Lu Jiajia said, "At the dawn of chaos, living beings vied for the powers scattered by the creator deities in the primordial realm, and these powers gave rise to countless gods. It is said that Nine Infants, Cultivation Serpent, and Yayu were all offspring of an ancient true dragon. That ancient true dragon was born in the Sea of Ruins and wielded supreme authority over space. As descendants of this ancient spatial dragon, each of them inherently controlled a portion of the laws of space."

Ning Changjiu nodded, acknowledging this theory. Nine Infants had already demonstrated its spatial manipulation abilities, and Yayu used paintings as a medium to create one intricate and incredible space after another. As for Cultivation Serpent... its belly was a space far beyond normal perception, like a vast cosmic sleeve, rumored to be able to swallow an entire heaven-reaching mountain.

Ning Changjiu asked, "Are there any records regarding their deaths?"

Lu Jiajia said, "There are many accounts as well, but generally speaking, Nine Infants was repeatedly struck nine times by a golden-armored deity in the ferocious waters of the Southern Wilderness and pinned to death in a deep swamp. Yayu, on the other hand, was imprisoned by another deity within solidified time, dismembered and had its heart removed, its physical body reduced to dust-like particles. As for Cultivation Serpent... the most common saying is that it died from swallowing an elephant, and folk proverbs use 'snake swallowing an elephant' to describe someone who dies from greed."

The story of the Bashe swallowing an elephant is almost universally known, but they knew that this particular account couldn't be true. Given the Bashe's immense power, how could it possibly fail to swallow an elephant?

"Unless that elephant was as big as a mountain," Ning Changjiu said with a chuckle.

Lu Jiajia looked at him with a solemn expression. "There is indeed a similar account in an unofficial history book whose origin is difficult to verify," she said, "stating that when that great elephant was asleep, it was a sprawling mountain range, and when it awoke, it became a mountain-like elephant god."

Too many events from ancient times now seem incredible, and their authenticity can no longer be verified.

Ning Changjiu continued, "How did the Cultivation Serpent die, according to that unofficial history book?"

Lu Jiajia took the book, quickly flipped through it again, and said, "The manner of death doesn't differ much from what's recorded in other books. Either it died from its belly splitting open immediately after swallowing the elephant, or it became unable to move afterwards and was pursued by people from the desolate tribes, who then cut open its body and slew it in the wilderness."

"Died from its belly splitting open?" Ning Changjiu's expression shifted in surprise, as if something had just occurred to him.

Lu Jiajia asked, "What's wrong?"

Ning Changjiu asked, "Are there any illustrated collections? Let me see them."

Lu Jiajia found a few copies and handed them to him.

Ning Changjiu flipped through them, his expression growing increasingly grim.

"What exactly is wrong?" Lu Jiajia asked.

Ning Changjiu said, "Aside from its broken tail, isn't the Cultivation Serpent bone at the bottom of the peak too perfectly preserved?"

"Hm?" Lu Jiajia was puzzled. "Perhaps the records in the books are inaccurate," she suggested.

Ning Changjiu leaned back in his chair, hands clasped. He closed his eyes, pondered for a while, then said, "So that's it... we've all been deceived."

"What?" Lu Jiajia was somewhat bewildered.

"Such a simple thing, yet I only just realized it now," Ning Changjiu sighed, laughing self-deprecatingly. He closed the book in his hand and placed it on the table. "The one at the bottom of the peak isn't a Cultivation Serpent at all! The true Cultivation Serpent is in Lotus Field Town, that large green-headed serpent there. As for the one at the bottom of the peak... if I'm not mistaken, that should be Nine Infants' last missing head."

Lu Jiajia was astonished. She hadn't seen the serpent in Lotus Field Town. If she had, she would have realized that its description perfectly matched the unofficial historical text she held: green head, black body, and a split belly...

"They... what exactly do they want to do?" Lu Jiajia was somewhat flustered.

Ning Changjiu articulated his full theory: "It's not just the Purple Heaven Dao Sect that wants to resurrect Nine Infants. The true mastermind is actually Master Hanchi; he holds Nine Infants' last head. So no matter how hard the Purple Heaven Dao Sect tries, they can't assemble a truly complete Nine Infants. As for Zhang Qieyu... his goal must be to resurrect the legendary Cultivation Serpent. So they formed an alliance and conspired together against the Purple Heaven Dao Sect."

Lu Jiajia felt shivers run down her spine, her back straightening involuntarily.

Ning Changjiu continued, "In this single day, the Purple Heaven Dao Sect lost three Dao Masters, and decades of planning became a stepping stone for others. For the next few centuries, they likely won't have a chance to recover."

"These... are all these Master Hanchi's schemes?" Lu Jiajia recalled the day's events, spotting a flaw. "Was even the matter of Martial Uncle Yan Zhou part of his scheme? Logically, he shouldn't have known about the Sword Scripture."

Ning Changjiu chuckled, shaking his head. "It's precisely because Martial Uncle Yan Zhou was fearless in the face of death that none of our four peak masters perished."

Lu Jiajia's eyes widened, her last shred of hope crushed. "If it weren't for Yan Zhou... then we would have been the ones fighting them to the death? But if we died, wouldn't Jade Sword Heavenly Sect also..."

Ning Changjiu cut her off. "Do you think he cares?"

Lotus Field Town once again descended into the Ghost Festival.

The entire town was connected end-to-end.

Shi Wu stared at the massive monster, which he suspected to be Nine Infants, fear clearly visible in his eyes. He floated backward, summoning his Dao Sword to block in front of him.

Shi San Yuchen was equally tense.

When humans face ancient fierce beasts, the fear of submitting to their oppressive aura is an almost instinctive response.

The black-clad youth clutched his head, screaming in agony. He raised his head, staring at the incredibly huge python. He felt like someone undergoing the death by a thousand cuts, with the executioner placing a clear mirror before him, forcing him to watch as his own flesh was carved off piece by piece.

"No... no! It's not..." The black-clad youth's mouth opened wide, words escaping like cold air. "It's not... it's not Nine Infants!"

"It's the Cultivation Serpent!!" The black-clad youth roared its name. Then his chest seemed to be hammered, his bones cracking, and he violently spat out a large mouthful of blood. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his hair as if to tear himself apart, his expression one of extreme agony.

As the word 'Cultivation Serpent' exploded like a firecracker, the surface of the lotus pond erupted into a storm.

Shi Wu used his Dao Sword to cleave through the water, withdrawing with the others to the side.

When the water curtain fell, Shi Wu was horrified to see that the huge black python's highly distended abdomen had a massive gash, propped open by the white bones within. One of Nine Infants' thick, sharp claws was even extending directly from its lower abdomen.

This wasn't Nine Infants at all... it was the Cultivation Serpent that had swallowed the Nine Infants skeleton they had painstakingly assembled for sixty years!

"You tricked me... you've been tricking me all along!" Shi Wu understood everything and roared in a frenzy.

Originally, he and Zhang Qieyu had agreed that they would assemble the complete Nine Infants. Nine Infants would belong to the Purple Heaven Dao Sect, and the Dao Sect would help Zhang Qieyu invade Jade Sword Heavenly Sect to retrieve the Cultivation Serpent's bones. From then on, the Dao Sect would control Nine Infants, and he would control the Cultivation Serpent, sharing authority over a portion of space, with neither interfering with the other.

Unfortunately, Zhang Qieyu's ambition was far greater than that.

Zhang Qieyu stood on the head of the giant serpent, watching Shi Wu expressionlessly. Beneath him, the Cultivation Serpent had completely swallowed Nine Infants' remains into its belly. Its arched fins on both sides were slowly pressed down by its body, and the iron-hard bones were gradually being digested within its abdomen!

"You made two very simple mistakes," Zhang Qieyu sighed. "The first was not trusting someone who has lived for thousands of years. The second was... realizing you were tricked, yet still clinging to a sliver of hope instead of immediately fleeing."

Halfway through Zhang Qieyu's words, Shi Wu reacted. He exchanged a glance with Shi San Yuchen and rode his sword away in the opposite direction down the street.

Zhang Qieyu didn't pursue them. He looked at the black-clad youth and lifted him into the air.

The black-clad youth had no power to resist whatsoever at this moment.

The Cultivation Serpent opened its gaping maw and swallowed him whole, ending his suffering.

And Shi Wu's head soon appeared before Zhang Qieyu.

The one who killed him was none other than Master Hanchi, who was also riding on the back of a large serpent.

He crushed the head in his hand, his eyes fixed on Zhang Qieyu, who was at his level. "Where is the Nine Infants skeleton you promised?" he demanded.

Zhang Qieyu smiled.

Promises were merely the bones of the trustworthy; betrayal was his secret to surviving for three millennia.

He patted his belly, looking very much like a glutton after a full meal. "It's right here," he said.