After Escaping From Death, He Went Even Crazier By Criticizing Black Lotus Chapter 31
byChapter 31: The Truth Revealed – So That’s How It Was
The moon, previously hidden by dark clouds, emerged, casting its cold, clear light into the cavern.
Inside the narrow cave, one youth wore a white robe and carried a sword, a few leaves clinging to his white hair. The other youth was far more disheveled, his face smeared with gray dust and bloodstains, his clothes torn into rags.
The transparent figure, pierced by the bright moonlight, hovered over the embracing youths.
Xiao Jianming lowered his gaze, watching the scene, and couldn’t help but turn his head away, his brows slightly furrowed.
If only he hadn’t been uncultivated and hadn’t formed his Golden Core back then, unable to open the restriction on the Jade of All Heavens, he wouldn’t have been so weak.
Ji Buhuan healed little Xiao’s leg. By the time they returned, the sky was already bright.
He asked the children where they wanted to settle, finding good homes for all of them, until only little Xiao remained.
Little Xiao said he wanted to follow him. Ji Buhuan agonized over this for a long time before finally deciding: This boy has good talent; he should go to my cousin’s place.
Thus, little Xiao was half-forced to walk with him toward the Xuanji Sect.
Xiao Jianming had always believed that Ji Buhuan rescued them casually, like a wandering hero saving a fawn on the road, who, after releasing it back into the forest, would dust off his hands and leave gracefully, never understanding the fawn’s admiration and attachment.
Now, seeing it from his perspective, he realized that the underlying truth beneath Ji Buhuan’s grace was sorrow.
Day by day, he was sorrowfully counting down.
Xiao Jianming didn’t know why he was sad, and little Xiao didn’t understand why Ji Buhuan couldn’t let him stay. Pouting, he lagged far behind, so far that he couldn’t even see Ji Buhuan’s shadow.
When Ji Buhuan reappeared, little Xiao thought he had finally come to apologize, but instead, Ji Buhuan smiled and told him, “Sorry, little Xiao, big brother has something urgent and has to break our promise.”
Ji Buhuan took off the lotus petal water jade pendant hanging from his waist and pressed it into little Xiao’s palm, instructing him, “If you don’t want to cultivate at the Xuanji Sect, then don’t go. Here, take this.”
“Remember, if you ever face difficulties in the future, you can use this to seek help from the Xuanji Sect.”
“Big brother is leaving.”
It was sudden and abrupt.
Little Xiao was completely stunned.
At this moment, he fully believed that even if Ji Buhuan harbored some great ambition, he held absolutely no ill will toward him, but it was already too late.
Ji Buhuan turned and left without a hint of reluctance.
Xiao Jianming looked at his younger self, whose face was filled with disbelief, and a rare trace of pity leaked from his dark eyes.
He knew clearly that after Ji Buhuan’s sudden departure, he was initially bewildered and couldn’t believe it. Later, realizing he had truly been abandoned, he couldn’t help but resent him.
When he grew older, reaching the age of first crushes and youthful admiration, the person he thought of was still Ji Buhuan.
He didn’t know when he started to blame himself, wondering why he hadn’t acted more obediently at the start, why he hadn’t called him Big Brother Buhuan like the other children. Would he not have been abandoned then?
Big Brother Buhuan, Big Brother Buhuan… He pressed the lotus petal water jade to his chest, calling out the name in his heart day after day. Unconsciously, it became a habit he could no longer break.
At this moment, the small boy, just like back then, couldn’t catch up to the figure flying away on his sword. He stopped, frustrated, thinking that the other person must be joking and would probably return by dinner time.
Xiao Jianming withdrew his gaze, refusing to look any further, and turned to leave as well.
Ji Buhuan hadn’t actually gone far. He had merely concealed his form, only revealing himself after the boy had walked far away.
It was then that Xiao Jianming, who had been following him, saw a towering figure appear behind Ji Buhuan, standing with his hands clasped behind his back—
“Had enough of your tantrum?”
His crown was straight, his dark robe like ink. He was over nine feet tall, standing as immovable as a mountain. His sword-like brows were lowered, his expression imposing without anger, and his features bore some resemblance to Ji Buhuan’s.
“Go back.”
He spoke only two sentences from beginning to end, not even bothering to glance at the thin child walking away, as if the child was merely an ant his son had casually saved, unworthy of his attention.
The moment the words fell, Xiao Jianming saw the black aura around Ji Buhuan suddenly surge, becoming even denser.
Xiao Jianming was speechless. So, Big Brother Buhuan’s evil ambition originated from this man.
He already had some guesses about what happened next.
But it didn’t matter.
As long as Big Brother Buhuan genuinely cared for him, that was enough.
Ji Buhuan silently followed the man back to the Ji family, a place he had never stepped out of since birth.
When Xiao Jianming sensed what he was thinking, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, yet he also felt it was expected.
It was precisely because Ji Buhuan knew the Ji family was not a good place that he preferred to return alone rather than take him along.
A slight bitterness rose in Xiao Jianming’s heart. The pent-up frustration that had accumulated years ago seemed to finally find a measure of relief at this moment.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Ji Buhuan followed the man to the outside of an exquisite pavilion and pushed the door open.
Ji Buhuan walked inside, and the door behind him slammed shut.
Xiao Jianming followed him. After three turns, he saw a beautiful woman confined deep within the pavilion. Although her clothes were plain, they were expensive. She was restrained on a high platform. A striking vermilion mole stood out between her gentle eyebrows, and her face shape was identical to Ji Buhuan’s.
Sure enough, he heard Ji Buhuan call out, “Mother.”
Layers of flowing sleeves concealed the chains on her delicate wrists, but they couldn’t hide the faint clinking sound. Madam Ji opened her eyes and asked softly, “Why didn’t you escape?”
Ji Buhuan recounted the incident at Changqing Gate, his light eyes filled with apology: “It was my uselessness, I failed to escape far away.”
Madam Ji sighed softly: “Saving people is a good deed. Don’t blame yourself for this.”
The youth leaned his head on his mother’s knee, a slight smile appearing on his face, his eyes shining like stars: “Being able to rescue those children this time wasn’t a wasted effort.”
Madam Ji smiled gently and praised him: “My son did well. Your father has lost his kindness, but you must not be like him. You must become a benevolent person.”
After speaking, she lowered her gaze, covering his eyes, and whispered, “Sleep now. Next time there’s an opportunity, I will find another way to send you out.”
Ji Buhuan’s life returned to peace.
Outside the pavilion, meals were delivered three times a day. The servants were respectful and dared not look around. The food delivered was all of the highest standard, fit for the Patriarch’s wife and the young master, never showing any neglect.
Whenever this happened, Madam Ji would joke with Ji Buhuan, “Look, your father is pretending to be a good person again.”
After eating, she would begin teaching Ji Buhuan various cultivation techniques.
Ji Buhuan didn’t know which sect or school these techniques belonged to, but Xiao Jianming saw clearly that he was learning Xuanji Sect techniques.
His right eyelid twitched several times.
On the day he mastered the techniques, Father Ji came to visit the mother and son.
Madam Ji was not afraid of him, nor did she try to avoid him. She even finished teaching the last technique in front of him, asking calmly, “How is it?”
Father Ji watched Ji Buhuan perform it once, raised an eyebrow, and praised, “You learned well.”
Madam Ji smiled.
Father Ji sat facing her for a while. Just as he was about to finish his tea, he suddenly spoke, “Three days from now is the full moon. I plan to set the date then.”
Madam Ji retracted her smile: “That day is his sixteenth birthday.”
Father Ji paused, then continued, “I divined that the spiritual energy generated from the earth veins that day will be the strongest since the fall of the Divine Venerable.”
Madam Ji’s gaze was clear as water. She asked softly, “He is also your child. Must you send him to his death?”
Father Ji remained silent.
Madam Ji understood, lowering her eyes in mockery: “Ji Heng, you truly have gone mad for that ambition.”
Ji Heng looked into the distance, where a small figure was moving about on the waterside pavilion, diligently practicing techniques. He sighed, “Isn’t it good if sacrificing one person can restore the entire great family to its former glory?”
“Three hundred years ago, the title of the First Family never belonged to the Dongfang or Nangong families… Even now, my Ji clan is the only aristocratic family that has produced a Divine Sovereign.”
“Furthermore, as long as I use heavenly treasures to sustain Huan’er’s life, I can easily save him once I ascend to godhood. At that time, I will compensate Huan’er with everything I have, making him the second most noble Divine Son in the world. Isn’t that good?”
Xiao Jianming stared at the two in astonishment. Suddenly learning this shocking secret, he found it unbelievable.
Since the last Divine Venerable fell, the path to heaven had been severed. The entire cultivation world couldn’t even cultivate Immortals, so how could a new Divine Sovereign be cultivated?
What exactly was going on?
Soon, Madam Ji answered his confusion—
She said plainly, “Since you divined that the thread of destiny for the emergence of a new god falls upon Buhuan, he will naturally achieve the divine position in due time.”
Ji Heng: “That is too slow.”
“I am Huan’er’s closest kin and have already reached the Mahayana stage. I am the most suitable candidate.”
Madam Ji suddenly laughed out loud: “It’s nothing more than you coveting that supreme position yourself.”
She whispered, “Since you cannot persuade me, and I cannot make you give up… then let us rely on our own abilities.”
Ji Heng was silent. After a long while, he rose and left.
Xiao Jianming watched the solitary Madam Ji on the high platform with difficulty.
He could see that Ji Buhuan had not become a god, meaning the heavenly destiny for godhood had likely been seized by Ji Heng.
If this was the truth, then what about the evil ambition that suddenly vanished from Ji Buhuan?
Only those of the Lingxi clan could perceive evil ambition in the world. If it wasn’t a conspiracy targeting the Lingxi clan, then what was the reason?
On the fifteenth day, Madam Ji cooked a bowl of longevity noodles for Ji Buhuan, looking at him tenderly: “May my son have many happy returns and be free from worries every day.”
Halfway through the meal, Ji Heng arrived.
He even showed a rare, fatherly gaze: “Huan’er, eat slowly, be careful not to choke.”
Ji Buhuan knew then that today was the day.
He had always known his father’s plan; they had never avoided him when speaking.
Madam Ji stood up and slowly walked down the high platform to the youth’s side, the faint sound of chains clinking behind her.
Ji Buhuan looked up at her and put down his chopsticks.
Now that the moment had arrived, his emotions were not particularly intense, only a little sadness and confusion in his heart.
Ji Buhuan whispered, “Mother, I’m leaving.”
He paused, feeling a sense of regret: “…I’m sorry, Mother. I promised that when I grew up, I would take you out.”
Madam Ji looked at him, her gaze gentle.
Ji Heng waved his hand and said, “No need to go out. It will happen right here.”
As soon as his voice fell, several powerful cultivators rushed in behind him. The old steward standing at the front carried a tray of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, comforting him with a look of pity: “Young Master, don’t be afraid. You’ll be fine when you wake up.”
The surroundings instantly changed.
The entire pavilion glowed with runes, and a massive formation appeared beneath their feet, covering the entire structure. It gathered all the spiritual energy, channeling it toward the high platform and into Madam Ji’s body.
Ji Buhuan simultaneously collapsed to the ground in pain, his aura surging, the spiritual energy so dense it was almost turning into liquid.
Xiao Jianming’s pupils contracted. He truly hadn’t expected the entire pavilion to be a formation, and the formation’s core was actually Madam Ji.
Ji Buhuan looked at the surging spiritual energy around Madam Ji in shock, murmuring, “…Mother?”
Madam Ji held him on her lap, gently patting his back, her voice soft: “Buhuan, don’t be afraid. Mother is fine.”
Xiao Jianming watched for a while before finally understanding what the formation was about.
The thread of destiny on Ji Buhuan, if it hadn’t reached godhood, was ultimately just a wisp of ethereal fortune, unable to transform into the authority held by a Divine Sovereign.
Ji Heng’s current method was to use the formation to cleanse Ji Buhuan’s physical body through his mother, infusing him with sufficient spiritual power to create the illusion of a naturally born god, thereby deceiving the Heavenly Dao and seizing the divine authority granted to him, allowing Ji Heng to instantly ascend to godhood.
However, with the sea-like spiritual power only flowing in and not out, Ji Buhuan’s body would likely explode before the forced growth could succeed.
Xiao Jianming watched the scene with trepidation.
At this moment, the powerful cultivators behind Ji Heng simultaneously acted, suppressing the surging aura on Ji Buhuan.
Ji Buhuan painfully curled up. Madam Ji held him and looked at Ji Heng, smiling: “I should thank your arrogance, which allowed me to stay on this formation core every day, giving me this opportunity today.”
Ji Heng had never dared to underestimate her. He cautiously checked the formation over and over but found no problems.
It wasn’t until the spiritual energy on Ji Buhuan surged to the Golden Core stage and abruptly stopped that Ji Heng roared in disbelief, “What did you do!”
Madam Ji ignored him, smiling as she sang a lullaby she had composed: “All the evils of the world, ruined my marriage. The immortals pitied my intent, sending this lotus destiny. Leaving this body, never to return…”
On the waterside pavilion, lotus flowers bloomed in response, a beautiful sight.
Ji Buhuan felt the spiritual power in his body rapidly plummet. The spiritual energy in the pool quickly became dense, and he couldn’t help but look at his mother.
Madam Ji traced his eyebrows, smiling gently: “I insisted on naming you Buhuan (Never Return) back then, hoping that even if I couldn’t leave the Ji family, my child would go out and live freely, never returning to this cage… My son, can you do that?”
Ji Buhuan didn’t understand: “…Mother, what are you saying?”
Madam Ji didn’t speak, merely tapping his glabella.
A flash of spiritual light passed, and Ji Buhuan began to feel dizzy. Something rushed out of his body along with the draining spiritual power. He also heard his father raging: “Su Yu! When did you split half of his divine soul?! Are you trying to make him scatter his soul!”
Madam Ji smiled: “With an incomplete divine soul, the infusion of spiritual power cannot be sustained. Your hope is dashed.”
Ji Buhuan looked at her blankly, realizing he could barely hear her words anymore.
Blood slowly flowed from Madam Ji’s seven orifices, yet she smiled calmly.
She said to Ji Heng: “Today, I give my life to grant my son half a soul… Hahaha, you will never find his other half of the divine soul.”
“You lose.”
Ji Heng looked at her deeply, then suddenly smiled.
“A’Yu, A’Yu, do you think I have no recourse even if you do this?”
Ji Heng took out a translucent shard, from which a thick immortal aura emanated.
When Xiao Jianming saw this object, his pupils contracted. It was a fragment of the Unstained Dust!
Ignoring Ji Buhuan’s struggles, Ji Heng abruptly merged the fragment of the immortal artifact into his divine soul.
He slowly began to explain to Madam Ji: “In the past, I never understood why the Lingxi clan, the overlords of the Sea of No Delusion, would treat that old thief Dongfang so favorably…”
“It wasn’t until the Lingxi clan was destroyed that I took the opportunity to investigate the Sea of No Delusion. By chance, I obtained this corner fragment of the immortal artifact, and only then did I learn the secret of the Lingxi clan.”
“It turns out that although the Lingxi clan can perceive the evil ambition in people’s hearts and wield the Law of No Delusion, they are also extremely prone to getting lost in various wicked thoughts. Therefore, they have historically revered the naturally ambitionless as the Seal Spirit, guiding the Lingxi clan away from delusion.”
“And that old thief Dongfang used this object to disguise his son, Dongfang Xu, as a naturally ambitionless person, deceiving the trust of the Lingxi clan and having that boy revered as the Seal Spirit.”
“A’Yu, what does it matter if you split his divine soul in two? Divine souls share the same origin; they will inevitably exhibit the same state of No Delusion.”
“As long as I make Huan’er the Seal Spirit of the Lingxi clan, the other half of his divine soul will be like a bright pearl in the night market to the Lingxi people. With just a glance, they will easily recognize it.”
“Madam, I have won this round by half a move.”
Madam Ji stared fixedly at him, a tear falling from the corner of her eye before she died.
Ji Buhuan cried out in despair, “Mother!”
Ji Heng stepped forward and gently closed his Dao companion’s eyes, a hint of sorrow in his own.
The memory illusion extracted by soul-searching finally ended with that cry of despair.
Xiao Jianming stood rooted to the spot, barely able to remain standing.
So that’s how it was. It was truly so.