Immortality by Merit and Sin Coins

Chapter 104: Chapter 86: Become the Mountain Master, or Become Food

"Are you alright?"

Lin Shu was silent for a few moments, then released her arm.

The two of them had fought their way out of Black Water City together.

No matter how badly he needed merit points, he hadn’t lost his mind to the point of trading in Gu Nanzhi.

’At the very least, I need to figure out what’s going on first.’

Gu Nanzhi’s arm hung limp, but it was as if she could no longer feel the pain.

Instead, upon hearing the young man’s voice, a flicker of light finally returned to her vacant eyes.

She stared blankly, turning her head to fixate on his handsome face.

Bloody tears slid from the corners of Gu Nanzhi’s eyes, and her shoulders began to tremble slightly.

Perhaps because Lin Shu had left such a deep impression on her back at the banks of the Black River, the County Captain actually regained her senses for a moment. Her voice was barely a whisper as she sobbed, "Let me go, please? I’m begging you."

"First, tell me what happened."

Lin Shu frowned slightly and recalled his Soul-Splitting to stand guard outside the inn.

He wasn’t the type to meddle in others’ affairs.

But this matter was simply too bizarre; it was hard not to overthink it.

"I..."

Gu Nanzhi seemed to be lost in recollection, her expression growing ever more fearful. "I returned to Anren Prefecture to find my Master. He granted me an audience and told me that hostile energy had invaded my heart, that my future was hopeless."

Lin Shu listened quietly.

’That much wasn’t wrong.’

Gu Nanzhi and Yan Jin came from the same master and were both trapped in Black Water City, so their situations seemed similar.

But this County Captain had sustained a hidden injury from forcing her way through the Black River. It had persisted for ten long years and had long since damaged her foundation.

Even if she was cured with the Dragon Bone Plum, she likely couldn’t compare to other Cultivators.

Since arriving at Yongzhou Pass, Lin Shu had gradually discovered something. To the Immortal Descendants, ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators were little more than tools for earning merit points, not precious at all.

They valued talent far more than they valued strength.

Besides, Gu Nanzhi’s master wasn’t some young Immortal Descendant, but a full-grown one whose power was comparable to the Core Formation stage.

’But even so, at worst she would just be overlooked. How could she have turned into a Demon?’

"He had me follow a senior brother, saying there was something to be done in a few days."

"The thing my Master spoke of... was Alchemy... and I was to be an Auxiliary Medicine..."

Gu Nanzhi’s eyes widened, shot through with blood. "I used the Immortal Talisman you gave me to ambush that senior brother. Then I fled for my life. The Chen Family’s eyes are all over Yongzhou, so I could only escape beyond the pass."

"I just wanted to come in here to find some food and water! I didn’t mean any harm! I’m not a Demon! I’m really not a Demon!"

She shook her head desperately. "I implore you, Daoist Brother Lin, please grant me a path to live."

"..."

Lin Shu’s eyelid twitched.

’A disciple with no future gets used directly for alchemy?’

’This wasn’t taking on a disciple; this was clearly just raising pigs for slaughter.’

For some reason, he was suddenly reminded of his own body, tempered by the Body Tempering Technique, and the heart palpitations he’d felt back then.

With that thought, Lin Shu reached out and placed his hand on Gu Nanzhi’s shoulder again.

Her Dao Foundation was empty, on the verge of being completely depleted.

’No wonder a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was this weak.’

Her barging into the inn was no coincidence.

It was because in all of Shihu City, this was the only place that looked like it might have food.

"Let’s let her go," Yu Sheng said timidly, stunned by what she had heard.

Though she wasn’t very fond of this woman, seeing her in such a state brought a look of sympathy to her small face.

"..."

Lin Shu glanced at the little girl.

’Outside the city are nothing but Signal Towers. Not a single disciple would let a walking thousand merit points get away.’

"Wait, I think I have a way!"

Yu Sheng suddenly remembered something and began to earnestly process the Inheritance Spiritual Light in her mind.

A moment later, she stood up in pleasant surprise. "The reason others can tell she’s a Demon is because of her Master. He caused the Immortal Flavor in her body to change."

The little girl extended a finger and summoned a wisp of Immortal Aura. "But I can temporarily give her the scent of the Yu Family. It’s just that this method can’t be used repeatedly, and it won’t last more than a few days."

"At least it can let her rest for a bit."

Yu Sheng quickly pressed the wisp of Cyan Qi into the spot between Gu Nanzhi’s eyebrows.

As the cyan light sank into her.

Sure enough, the Demon Fiend’s aura in the air instantly settled back to normal.

"I..."

Gu Nanzhi looked at the two of them gratefully. "I won’t cause you any trouble. I’ll just rest for a little while, then I’ll leave immediately."

She knew full well what a grievous sin it was for an Immortal Disciple to harbor a Demon Fiend.

"Whether or not I make it past the Border Region, I will never forget the great kindness you two have shown me."

"Go upstairs and recuperate first. We’ll talk about the rest later."

Lin Shu rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling that this was also quite a thorny problem.

He took out a few bottles of Qi Replenishing Pills, poured them into his palm, and fed them to the woman.

Although these pills had little effect on Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it was better than nothing.

’After all, she is a Daoist friend with whom I’ve been through life and death.’

’Killing her is out of the question.’

’But keeping her here is not a good option either.’

’Never mind the trouble this would bring upon myself.’

’With so many Immortal Sect Disciples in Shihu City, the moment the aura Yu Sheng infused into her disappears, there wouldn’t be enough of her left to go around for that crowd of Immortal Descendants.’

’If she can hold out until the next border defense, perhaps I can figure something out.’

"I’ll go to the kitchen and get you something to eat." Yu Sheng nimbly scrambled up and ran toward the inn’s backyard.

"Thank you, Little Immortal Family. Thank you, Daoist Brother Lin..."

Gu Nanzhi struggled to her feet, her voice choked with sobs.

The Immortal Sect she trusted most wanted to devour her, yet a Daoist friend she had only met a few times had saved her again and again.

Even after being trapped in the city for so many years, she had always held onto a sliver of hope.

But now, this County Captain who had once diligently protected the people of Black Water City was having an emotional breakdown, her heart filled with confusion.

Bolstered by the Qi Replenishing Pills, she supported herself and headed upstairs.

"Hooo."

Lin Shu sat at the table, rubbing the bridge of his nose for a second time.

As he was deep in thought, he suddenly glanced upstairs, an intense, cold light glinting in his eyes.

His Soul-Splitting shot back, seeping into the Ink Flood Dragon Sword Bracelet.

The very instant Gu Nanzhi passed the corner of the stairs, her aura vanished into thin air!

...

Outside the inn.

An old man and a young woman stood side by side.

The young woman’s face was cold. She wore a black short shirt, her five fingers resting on the hilt of the sword at her waist. "Elder Xu, there’s only one human and one immortal. Both have Foundation Establishment Cultivation. Do we make a move now?"

The old man’s left arm was missing, as if it had been severed at the shoulder by a sharp object. He had only his right arm, but it was thicker and more muscular than a normal person’s.

He looked at this Earth City with a hint of nostalgia.

It was as if he was recalling his own past.

’Working together with my martial brothers, defending the Signal Towers, guarding the mines.’

’Excitedly counting merit points every day, calculating how many more years it would take to exchange them for a Magical Artifact.’

’It was a bitter life, but one full of hope.’

’Until that sharp sword chopped down from behind me, its wielder shouting, "Die, you fiend!"’

’If I remember correctly, that Mid Grade Immortal Sword my junior brother used even had two thousand of my own merit points invested in it.’

At this thought, the old man couldn’t help but smile.

He looked toward the inn.

A touch of wistful emotion appeared in his eyes.

’If only the people I encountered back then could have shown even a little of the camaraderie this young man has. How wonderful that would have been.’

"There’s no need to make a move. They are rare... good kids."

Elder Xu shook his head. With a wave of his arm, he pulled a figure down from the second floor. A coarse cloth Magical Artifact flew out, wrapped around her, and landed in the young woman’s hands.

"Don’t struggle. We’re here to save you," the young woman said softly, comforting Gu Nanzhi as she held her.

When she heard that a Little Demon had fled here, she had immediately contacted Elder Xu, hoping to rescue them.

"It’s a bit rude to leave without saying goodbye."

Elder Xu turned around and sent a message into the inn using his Demon Power.

"Thank you for taking care of her, little friend. You need not worry about this young lady; we will see to her recovery."

"However, you two are no longer on the same path. For your own good, and for hers, it is best to part ways here."

"This old one’s surname is Xu. If there’s a chance in the future, I will repay this debt of gratitude on this young lady’s behalf."

...

Inside the inn.

Lin Shu’s eyes narrowed. He was using his Soul-Splitting to search with all his might and had finally detected a clue.

Suddenly, an old voice echoed in his mind.

"Not on the same path? What path are you on?" Lin Shu slowly rose to his feet.

There was a long silence from the other side before a hearty laugh rang out. "You walk the grand Immortal Path. We, naturally, walk the Demon Path."

"For the sake of those Qi Replenishing Pills, I will offer you one more piece of advice, little friend."

The old voice sighed slowly, then suddenly grew much more serious.

"If you do not become a Mountain Master, you will end up as food!"

"I hope your Immortal Path is a smooth one, little friend, and that you do not fall to the same fate as us."

After speaking, the old man added with a hint of helplessness, "Oh, and you can stop aiming that Sword Bracelet at this old one. We have no intention of fighting you... Strange. You’re a Yu Family Disciple, so how do you know the Qi Family’s techniques? To nearly see through my Concealing Technique at the Foundation Establishment Stage... that’s quite frightening."

He said this, but his tone was gentle, not as if he felt truly threatened.

As his voice faded, the surroundings quickly fell silent, as if nothing had ever happened.

Yu Sheng, holding a plate of leftover ribs, looked around in a daze.

Lin Shu stood rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on the world outside the inn.

He didn’t think the man was trying to deceive him.

There was no need.

Even with the enhancement of the Soul-Splitting Silk Thread Guide divine technique, he could barely even catch a trace of the old man. The aura was faint and erratic, making it impossible to truly lock onto a target.

If the man hadn’t spoken up, he could have taken Gu Nanzhi away without a single trace.

He could have even... done something much worse!

’If you do not become a Mountain Master, you will end up as food, and fall to become a Demon?’

He took the Demon Slaying Book from his Storage Bag. As he looked again at the scarlet names on it, he suddenly had a different feeling.

He had thought Gu Nanzhi was framed with the stigma of being a Demon because she had defied her master’s orders.

But after carefully considering that sentence...

Lin Shu’s fingertips, holding the book, tightened slightly.

’Could it be that among these Demons, there are many more in the same situation as Gu Nanzhi?’

’That would explain why the Immortal Descendants have a fear of Demons carved into their inheritance.’

’They try to use their disciples for alchemy, but one carelessly escapes. Once that disciple recovers and gathers a group, wouldn’t they hunt down the Immortal Descendants with mad vengeance?’

"Lin Shu, are you okay?" Yu Sheng stood on her tiptoes, holding out the plate of ribs.

"Let me think."

Lin Shu shook his head, quickly organizing his thoughts.

’Clearly, this Group of Demons was able to arrive so quickly because they have spies in the city.’

’The old man who spoke just now was at least a Demon General at the Core Formation Stage.’

’But the Border Region has the Mountain God Mirror, which can easily slay Demon Generals. And there are numerous Immortal Families stationed here. For them to dare to move about here, they must be incredibly familiar with Yongzhou Pass.’

’That kind of "familiarity" is rather thought-provoking.’

’Besides, setting aside the matter of the Demons... this Immortal Sect has been a real eye-opener.’

A mocking smile touched the corner of Lin Shu’s lips.

He hadn’t held much hope for the Immortal Sects to begin with, but he never thought they could sink even lower in his estimation.

Especially how, after Gu Nanzhi arrived injured, Demons immediately came to get her, risking discovery by the Mountain God Mirror and the Immortal Families.

In contrast, there was Yu Qing. Eight of his disciples had died, yet all he cared about were the merit points.

The comparison made the sense of absurdity in Lin Shu’s heart grow even stronger!

When he had just arrived at Yongzhou Pass, he had witnessed the Red Cloud Demon General being slain with his own eyes.

That, combined with Gu Nanzhi’s tragic state, had made Lin Shu understand just how difficult the Demon Path was.

But this so-called grand Immortal Path wasn’t so smooth either. The slightest misstep, and one would become a disposable resource.

The Old Demon’s final words were filled with regret and emotion, as if he had already pointed out the only path to survival.

Becoming a Mountain Master Disciple was the most stable way to survive in Yongzhou.

’When all is said and done, it’s still a matter of insufficient strength.’

Lin Shu stared at the top two names on the Demon Slaying Book.

Yuan Yuan, Su Xin.

’Regardless of whether they were framed or not... even if they are true Demon Kings, with their names hung high by the Demon-slaying Bureau, aren’t they still able to roam freely across Yongzhou? What can the Immortal Families do about them?’

Lin Shu had never thought about becoming a Demon.

’But to live in this world, one must be like that. Only then can it be considered truly liberating!’