Chapter 1078: Human Feelings

According to Monk Wangchen's previous statement, he entered the Immortal's Descent Cave over three hundred years ago. With so many years having passed, it was not surprising that cultivators might have discovered the whereabouts of the Six Pure Bamboos.

Wang Ruyan took out a red jade flute and began to play.

As a rapid flute melody rang out, Monk Wangchen's nascent soul contorted in pain.

"A misunderstanding, fellow cultivators, it's a misunderstanding! Every word I've spoken is true," he cried.

"Hmph, a misunderstanding?" Wang Changsheng scoffed. "We fought our way through the Soul-Lost Forest and finally reached the place you described, only to find no Six Pure Bamboos whatsoever. Instead, we encountered a mid-fourth-tier tiger eagle and nearly lost our lives! When we passed Immortal's Fall Cliff, a swarm of human-faced scorpions appeared, led by a mid-fourth-tier scorpion king. My spirit beast, which I had cultivated for hundreds of years, died at their hands, and my dao companion nearly perished. And you dare tell me this is a misunderstanding?"

Wang Changsheng spoke with a cold face, his expression filled with fury, as if he had suffered an immense injustice.

Inside the Immortal's Descent Cave, there was indeed a group of human-faced scorpions, incredibly venomous, with a mid-fourth-tier scorpion king whose lair was near Immortal's Fall Cliff. All these details had been shared with Wang Changsheng by Dai Ren; Monk Wangchen had not mentioned any of them.

The flute melody became even more rapid. The miniature nascent soul clutched its head, its face contorted in agony, and it cried out, "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! Fellow cultivator, stop! I entered the Immortal's Descent Cave over three hundred years ago. Perhaps the Six Pure Bamboos have already been taken by someone else; I wasn't trying to deceive you."

"Wife, stop," Wang Changsheng said with a grim expression. "Let's trust him one more time for now. If similar situations with demonic beasts occur again, we will immediately eliminate him."

Wang Changsheng spoke with a grim expression, and the flute melody immediately stopped.

Monk Wangchen let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes darting around. "How do I know you're not trying to deceive me?" he asked. "You say I'm deceiving you, but I think you're deceiving me! Who knows if you're just trying to trick information out of me?"

After all, having lived for several hundred years, Monk Wangchen was not so easily deceived.

"Hmph, if we hadn't entered the Immortal's Descent Cave," Wang Changsheng said coldly, "how would we know about Immortal's Fall Cliff? How would we know about the human-faced scorpions, the tiger eagles, and the Soul-Lost Forest? You never told us about any of these things. If we hadn't entered the Immortal's Descent Cave, how would we possibly know?"

Wang Changsheng spoke with a cold face, a chill glinting in his eyes.

"Hmph, if you obtained the relics of cultivators who entered the Immortal's Descent Cave, or inquired with those who have been there, you would naturally know," Monk Wangchen retorted. "If you want me to believe you, it's actually quite simple: take me outside to see for yourselves. If we arrive at the place I mentioned and there are no Six Pure Bamboos, then I can tell you other information."

"Did you really enter the Immortal's Descent Cave?" Wang Ruyan's expression turned cold. "You can only go in when the gale-force winds weaken. Now the winds have grown stronger; if we enter at this time, we'll most likely perish. Do you take us for fools? Or perhaps you've never entered the Immortal's Descent Cave at all, and this is just a lie you fabricated."

Wang Ruyan's expression turned cold, and she was about to play a tune to torment Monk Wangchen.

Monk Wangchen quickly interjected, "Fellow cultivators, wait! I have another method. Swear an oath to your inner demons that everything you've just said is true. If you violate it, your cultivation will stagnate, and you will have no descendants. I myself swore such an oath and violated it, otherwise I wouldn't still be stuck at the early Nascent Soul stage. If what you say is true, then this oath shouldn't be difficult for you."

Shrewd from age, he was not so easily fooled.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan frowned deeply. They hadn't expected Monk Wangchen to be so wary. Since their story was fabricated, they naturally dared not swear such a vicious oath to their inner demons, one that promised cultivation stagnation and a lack of descendants.

When Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan remained silent, Monk Wangchen immediately understood and sneered, "Hmph, just as I expected. If this little trick of yours could fool me, then I've lived these five hundred years for nothing. Kill me if you want; either way, I'll die. Why should I make things easy for you?"

Monk Wangchen's cunning exceeded Wang Changsheng's expectations. This was the first time he had faced such a tough nut to crack; soul-searching techniques were ineffective, and deception had also failed.

Wang Ruyan put away her red jade flute and began playing a different instrument. Since deception had failed, they could only resort to torture to extract information. After all, his nascent soul couldn't self-destruct.

A mellow zither melody suddenly began to play. Monk Wangchen closed his eyes and started chanting Buddhist scriptures, and waves of Sanskrit sounds resonated within the room.

He intended to use Buddhist scriptures to counter Wang Ruyan's illusory music, though he had no idea how long he could resist.

Three days quickly passed.

In a quiet courtyard, Madam Mu set up an altar. A spirit tablet rested on the offering table, and on the wall hung a portrait of a delicate, yellow-robed young woman.

Dai Ren stood to the side, his expression solemn.

Not long after, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan walked in. Wang Ruyan looked a bit haggard.

She had used her musical attacks to create illusions and confronted Monk Wangchen for three days, but only managed to extract a few place names without learning the complete route. There was no other way; Monk Wangchen's willpower was firm, and illusions were useless against him. After revealing a few place names, he refused to speak further.

"Madam Mu," Wang Changsheng said, "this is Monk Wangchen's nascent soul. It's yours now."

Wang Changsheng took out a golden jade box and handed it to Madam Mu.

Madam Mu bowed respectfully to Wang Changsheng and said gratefully, "Thank you, Fellow Cultivator Wang."

She placed the jade box on the offering table and solemnly declared, "Junior Sister Li, if it hadn't been for you that day, I would have perished as well. I swore a blood oath that I would kill this person within my lifetime."

She opened the jade box and took out Monk Wangchen's nascent soul.

The nascent soul had been tormented by Wang Ruyan for three days. It was listless and on the verge of dispersing, yet still recognizable as Monk Wangchen.

"Lustful monk, you have met your day!" Madam Mu's face twisted into a snarl. "Today, I will offer you as a sacrifice to the wronged soul of Junior Sister Li!"

Madam Mu's face twisted into a snarl. With a flick of her finger, a finger-thick stream of purple flame shot out, striking Monk Wangchen's nascent soul precisely. A pained scream rang out, and the nascent soul vanished into thin air.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan were slightly taken aback. They had expected Madam Mu to severely torment Monk Wangchen's nascent soul, but she had extinguished it so easily.

"If it weren't for the sake of Fellow Cultivator Wang," Madam Mu explained, "I would have tormented it thoroughly before destroying it."

Madam Mu offered an explanation. Wang Changsheng understood that she had destroyed Monk Wangchen in their presence because the monk likely knew secrets about him and Wang Ruyan. Madam Mu, not wanting to cause any misunderstanding with the Azure Lotus Immortal Couple, had simply extinguished the nascent soul to resolve the matter.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan released their spiritual senses, scanning the entire courtyard several times. Only after confirming there was no trace of Monk Wangchen's aura did they breathe a sigh of relief.

"Madam Mu," Dai Ren sighed, "Monk Wangchen is dead. If Immortal Li knows in the afterlife, she will surely be comforted."

Dai Ren lightly sighed and said in a deep voice.

Madam Mu nodded and said gratefully, "I am truly indebted to Fellow Cultivator Dai for his help. To be able to avenge Junior Sister Li this time, I owe both Fellow Cultivator Dai and Fellow Cultivator Wang a favor. In the future, if you ever need my assistance, please do not hesitate to ask. Of course, I am just myself; Ten Thousand Flames Palace is Ten Thousand Flames Palace. I cannot make decisions regarding the sect's policies."

"Madam Mu, you're too kind," Wang Changsheng replied. "I had a chance to know Immortal Li, and I also wished to avenge her. You're overstating my contribution."

Madam Mu shook her head. "That's not how it is," she said. "In any case, I owe you both a favor. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now. We shall meet again if fate allows."

She put away the portrait and spirit tablet, then left.

"Fellow Cultivator Wang, Madam Wang, please come this way," Dai Ren said. "I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Dai Ren made a welcoming gesture and invited Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan into a nearby blue pavilion.