"Hehe...."

"Immortal, I want to ask you something."

The Glazed Feather Bird smiled sorrowfully.

"You told me that good and evil will be repaid, but does good and evil really get repaid in this world?"

"The two who killed my wife and children, they seem to have no retribution at all."

"They are still living well. I did good deeds, but in the end, my wife and children died. Immortal, can you tell me why this is?"

Li Xuanxiao was silent for a moment.

The Glazed Feather Bird shifted his body. "Immortal, at first I also thought about reporting to the authorities. I even foolishly tried to gather evidence of their wanton slaughter, but it was useless."

Li Xuanxiao gripped his sword.

"........."

"Old man, why am I cultivating this Path of Ruthlessness? It sounds so cold and heartless. I don't want to learn this. Teach me something else. I want to learn the secret arts of the Hehuan Sect."

The old man who was roasting fish cursed without even turning his head: "What secret arts of the Hehuan Sect! You’re just a young lad, always thinking about dirty things."

"In any case, I don’t want to learn it!"

Li Xuanxiao threw the book aside and simply lay flat on the stone.

I've already transmigrated here;

can’t I enjoy myself a bit?

I want to defy the heavens;

I want to rule and dominate.

I want to be emperor!

I want three palaces and six courts. Anyone who offends me will be wiped out.

The old man reined in his smile and said gravely:

"Child, the reason I have you cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness is because it has its unique strengths."

"Is it stronger than other paths?"

"No."

"Then I won’t cultivate it! If it’s so difficult and not even the strongest, why bother cultivating it?"

The old man's voice grew firmer: "Though my path is not the strongest, it is the backbone that upholds heaven and earth.

The Way of Heaven does not tilt the sun and moon for one’s pity, nor does it overturn yin and yang to favor one child.

Between heaven and earth, the Path of Ruthlessness is needed to let everything in the world occur naturally.

If good and evil are not repaid, how can living beings be guided toward good?

Cultivating this Path of Ruthlessness teaches all living beings under heaven to understand:

If you do good, the Way of Heaven will surely assist you.

If you do evil, you will inevitably face karmic retribution because of your evil heart.

Doing good is like planting parasol trees—phoenixes will come of their own accord.

Doing evil is like feeding oneself poison, hurting your own intestines."

Li Xuanxiao sat up, staring blankly at the old man’s back.

"........"

Xuantian Sword Sect.

Chu Feng had already joined the Xuantian Sword Sect.

In just one year, he became an inner disciple.

Chu Feng was twenty-one years old this year.

Recently, he had grown very close to the sect leader’s youngest daughter.

Sometimes, he also thought of Zhao Ying.

She was his former love interest.

But for Chu Feng, that was all in the past.

If he could marry into the family of the sect leader of one of the Five Great Sects, Xuantian Sword Sect, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous boon for the Chu family.

Chu Feng stretched lazily, said goodbye to his good younger sister, and left the Xuantian Sword Sect.

Today, he was going down the mountain to carry out a small mission and would return in three days if all went well.

"..........."

Above the lake surface.

Chu Feng let out a whimpering sound.

"Wuwuwu......"

He turned his head and was stunned to see Zhao Ying, whom he hadn’t seen for many years, also there.

Chu Feng’s eyes widened.

In front of them was a stranger.

The Glazed Feather Bird looked at the two people he longed for day and night. He took deep breaths again and again, telling himself over and over that this was not a dream, this was not a dream.

"Who are you? What do you want? I’m telling you, I’m from the Chu family, a disciple of the Xuantian Sword Sect."

"Why! Why did you kill my family back then!" The Glazed Feather Bird asked angrily.

Chu Feng was taken aback. Family?

"Which one?"

Which enemy had come looking for him?

No, Chu Feng recalled that he had always been someone who bullied the weak and feared the strong.

Where would there be such a powerful enemy among his foes?

Chu Feng only remembered feeling dizzy and then waking up in this place.

Zhao Ying also looked puzzled. "Don’t be impulsive. Who are you?"

"Glazed Feather Bird!"

Glazed Feather Bird?

Zhao Ying and Chu Feng were both confused.

They searched their memories for any enemy or relatives from these years.

Who was it?

Zhao Ying and Chu Feng exchanged glances, both thinking it was the other’s enemy.

The Glazed Feather Bird angrily raised his sharp blade. "Die!"

Blood splattered as Chu Feng let out a wail.

One of his arms was freshly chopped off.

The Glazed Feather Bird raised his blade again.

Blood dripped onto Zhao Ying’s face, making her even more terrified.

"I’ll give you whatever you want! I’ll give it all to you! I’m the daughter of the Zhao family. If you kill me, my father won’t let you off!!"

Zhao Ying shouted.

"My father has a bad temper. If someone glares at me, he’ll gouge out their eyes. If you dare to hurt me, my father will chase you to the ends of the earth and never forgive you!"

"Ah........"

The shouting abruptly stopped and instantly turned into screams.

The Glazed Feather Bird kept raising his blade, striking heavily again and again.

Before his eyes appeared the images of his family, until finally the two wailing people were lifeless, reduced to a puddle of sludge.

Thick blood covered his hands.

At last, he collapsed to the ground, clutching his head.

He laughed and cried at the same time.

He was so close—if only he had been a little different, he wouldn’t have ended like this.

He could have turned human and attained the true fruit of cultivation!!

No! I can still start over now.

I can still start over;

it’s not too late.

I will live on in place of my family.

With the help of the Mount Shushan Immortal, this misfortune is actually a blessing.

This is a trial on my path to immortality...

Thinking this for a long while,

The Glazed Feather Bird supported his injured body and got up again.

He wanted to leave this place.

But a figure blocked the ferry.

The Glazed Feather Bird immediately knelt down.

"Immortal, thank you for avenging me!"

The young Daoist did not speak, only calmly watching him.

The Glazed Feather Bird kept kowtowing, but the other still said nothing.

The Glazed Feather Bird was stunned, raised his head, and met the young Daoist’s eyes.

In an instant, he understood everything.

His body trembled, and he picked up the sharp blade he had just thrown away.

His hands shook uncontrollably, his voice trembling.

"Immortal, I... I was forced onto the evil path. My heart is devoted to good. I was led astray and forced into this. Can you give me one more chance?"

The only response was the sound of wind blowing into the cave.

The Glazed Feather Bird closed his eyes and slowly placed the blade against his neck.

"..........."

Li Xuanxiao swept away all traces of the place with fire and then stepped out of the cave.

Suddenly, he looked up at the sky.

He had just enlightened the Glazed Feather Bird, teaching him that good and evil are repaid.

No sooner had he left than death threatened him.

Was this the Way of Heaven deliberately opposing him? Or was it toying with him?

Li Xuanxiao seemed to hear a faint laugh, but it was also like the sound of wind, like death itself.

The last echo in this world.