Chapter 987: Baiyang

"Infested by malevolence?!" Scholar Lu looked around at the chaos caused by the malevolent aura, and at the villagers whose temperaments had all drastically changed because of it.

The thought that this could happen to his wife and his friends sent cold sweat trickling down his entire body.

Overwhelmed with anxiety, Scholar Lu disregarded everything else. He immediately took hold of the carriage and rushed back the way he came, heading towards Ox-Heart Village.

The journey out had been quick, but the return was slow. Scholar Lu didn't know if he would make it, so he pushed himself as hard as he could.

To hasten his return, he threw all the props and luggage from the carriage, keeping only an old man and a young boy with him.

As they sped along the dirt road, Scholar Lu spotted a person by the left roadside. The person looked like an ordinary farmer, but his current appearance was anything but normal.

He was holding a cleaver, and his mouth and body were covered in blood; whether it was his own or someone else's was unclear.

Standing by the road, he glared at Scholar Lu with malevolence in his eyes. Clearly, empowered by the malevolent aura, he had done things he previously wouldn't dare.

Though the carriage quickly sped past him, that man's gaze was deeply etched into Scholar Lu's mind.

He understood that this was not an isolated incident; it was happening everywhere in Daliang. The entire realm had gone mad!

"Gao Zhijian, what exactly are you doing?! Open your eyes! What kind of things are these?! You're a tyrant! A tyrant!"

"Faster! Faster!!" Scholar Lu, screaming inwardly, relentlessly whipped the horse's rump, not stopping even when the pulling horse foamed at the mouth.

He couldn't deal with other matters, but he *had* to help Ox-Heart Village! Those were his friends!

After a frantic rush, Scholar Lu finally arrived at Ox-Heart Village just before dawn. The horse collapsed to the ground, exhausted, and died.

Yet, looking at the village shrouded in distant morning mist, Scholar Lu hesitated at the village entrance, afraid to proceed. He feared seeing the scene he dreaded most, afraid that what had happened in that small town would be replayed in Ox-Heart Village.

His face pale, he eventually forced himself to calm down and stepped into the morning mist.

But as he felt faint traces of malevolence gradually seeping out from within the morning mist, Scholar Lu's heart sank repeatedly. "No... no, no, no...!"

Growing increasingly frantic, Scholar Lu could no longer care about anything else. He rushed indiscriminately into Ox-Heart Village.

Finally, as he broke through the morning mist, he froze upon seeing what lay within: a massive *modao* sword, glowing with an oppressive red light, radiating intense malevolence in all directions.

However, the *modao* had not entered Ox-Heart Village; it was quietly embedded in the ground beside Bai Lingmiao.

Dressed in white, Bai Lingmiao sat quietly on a stone, legs together, a stark contrast to the red *modao*. She silently watched Ox-Heart Village gradually awaken with the sound of roosters.

Bai Lingmiao explained softly, "It's fine. I knew it was today, so I came to stop them."

After speaking, Bai Lingmiao lowered her head slightly, her expression becoming deeply conflicted. "By all rights, I shouldn't have done this. All White Lotus followers have been tainted by malevolence under my call, yet I used personal influence to let my fellow disciples avoid this ordeal..."

"I should have been selfless, but I truly couldn't bear to see everyone turn into 'soldiers' and ultimately be sacrificed. Even if we lose, I want everyone to live longer. I truly couldn't bear it..."

Scholar Lu stepped forward and said, "Aunt-Master, I don't know what others will say, but I only know that you did the right thing."

"Why worry so much about right and wrong in the grand scheme of things? When the sky falls, there are taller people to hold it up. In the face of great catastrophe, our first priority is to ensure our loved ones are safe, and then think about other things."

Bai Lingmiao tilted her head, sensing Scholar Lu before her. "Is that so? But what if *you* are that taller person?"

Scholar Lu had no answer, standing there momentarily at a loss for words.

Bai Lingmiao stood up. The Two Deities emerged from behind her, reaching out to grasp the red *modao* directly, wrapping it tightly with a white sleeve.

Seeing Bai Lingmiao about to leave, Scholar Lu quickly followed. But he hadn't gone far before his wife excitedly rushed and embraced him. "I knew you couldn't bear to leave me! I knew it!"

Bai Lingmiao paid no attention to what was happening behind her. She strolled leisurely through the place where she had lived since childhood. It had been a long time since she returned, and the once sparsely populated Ox-Heart Village was now full of people, as if the bustling Ox-Heart Village of the past had returned.

As she walked, Bai Lingmiao arrived at the Bai family ancestral hall again. Looking at the wall full of ancestral tablets, she took three incense sticks from the altar table, carefully lit them, and performed three bows and nine kowtows towards the tablets.

Kneeling on a prayer cushion, she gazed at the ancestral tablets before her for a long time. Then, she reached out and took the *modao* wrapped in white silk.

"I can have selfish motives and let my fellow disciples escape this calamity, but I cannot ask those who trust me to do something I myself am unwilling to do. That would be too shameless."

The white silk was slowly unwrapped, and the surging malevolence caused the ancestral tablets on the wall to sway violently. "And my heart is too soft. But if I want to avenge Suisui, I cannot be soft-hearted."

As Bai Lingmiao grasped the *modao* with both hands, the conflict and sorrow vanished from her face. A malevolent aura began to coalesce on her features.

When malevolence gathered on Bai Lingmiao's face, the Two Deities' expressions began to soften. However, as four hands simultaneously gripped the *modao*, malevolence coalesced on both their faces.

Both faces simultaneously curved upwards, revealing a cruel smile.

The massive *modao* was gripped by two right hands and swung powerfully. Its sharp blade sliced through a candlewick, and the wax mixed with candle water fell onto the incense sticks.

Once the incense caught fire, flames began to ignite the altar table, and the burning altar table in turn set the entire wall of ancestral tablets ablaze. By the time Bai Lingmiao walked out of the ancestral hall, thick smoke was billowing from within.

"Fire! Quick, help put out the fire!! There's so much grain stored underneath, enough for us to eat for decades!!" Gouwa, frantic, jumped up and down, leading the other villagers of Ox-Heart Village to fight the fire.

As Bai Lingmiao emerged from Ox-Heart Village, White Lotus followers bearing white donkey tattoos, along with various other individuals and aged lamas bearing the same symbol, gradually gathered behind her, growing in number, forming a vast and imposing crowd.

Bai Lingmiao held the red *modao* with two right hands. With one left hand, she picked up a drum from her waist, and with her last hand, she took a spine sword – Li Huowang's spine sword, which he no longer needed.

Bai Lingmiao sensed the spine sword in her hand, which connected Daqi and Daliang. Both mouths simultaneously declared, "Have our disciples prepare! We must ensure that the entire state of Tianchen is infused with malevolence as quickly as possible!"

"Tianchen is currently without a ruler. We must help the Unborn Old Mother reclaim her True Empty Homeland!"

"As you command, Saintess! When the Red Sun calamity ends, the White Sun shall rise!" The white donkeys responded in unison.