Transmigrating as the Heart Demon of the Ruthless Sword Venerable – Chapter 28
by Little PandaEvil Cultivator, Demon Seed (Part 5)
Bashfulness
Yu Zhaoming drew her sword back. She turned her head and glanced at the way they had come.
The mist was vast and growing denser, as if deliberately blocking her line of sight.
Yu Zhaoming lowered her eyes. Cangfeng lightly flicked the belt of the fallen Wuji Sect disciple before her, and she slipped his waist token into her storage bag. “Not this one either.”
“You’ve killed three Wuji Sect disciples now. Aren’t you afraid? Aren’t you worried? That’s the Wuji Sect!”
A voice came from all directions. Yu Zhaoming paid it no mind and simply walked forward.
The surroundings fell quiet. Yu Zhaoming remained entirely undisturbed, advancing slowly. She observed the landscape around her, then suddenly frowned and came to a halt—several figures had appeared before her. They were sinister and gloomy. As Yu Zhaoming raised her head, they revealed pale, skeletal teeth and terrifying smiles.
And this time, what appeared was not just Wuji Sect disciples, but also…
“Mortals.”
Yu Zhaoming’s eyes narrowed.
These mortals were not like the Wuji Sect disciples, who had been fully converted into puppets. Their eyes brimmed with tears, and though they held weapons, they still wept and cried out, “Please, please, immortal! We don’t want to die!”
Yu Zhaoming’s grip on Cangfeng tightened.
Smug laughter echoed from all sides: “Isn’t your Sword Sect duty-bound to protect mortals? Come then! Let’s see whether you die or they do!”
As the words fell, these mortals were manipulated by their limbs and lunged at Yu Zhaoming, interspersed with people’s screams and pleas for mercy, as well as that vile, raucous laughter.
“Hahaha!! Kill, kill!”
Each shout of “kill” caused Yu Zhaoming’s mind to falter for an instant, but she quickly regained her clarity—only her expression grew even colder. She twisted her wrist, showing no mercy, even amidst the mortals’ wailing.
“Yes, yes, no matter how righteous the facade, in the end you only think of yourself.”
“Noisy!” Yu Zhaoming’s cold expression hardened as she rotated the sword hilt, suddenly calling out: “Primordial Shatter1!”
In an instant, a swath of white light swept past, and the white mist was torn open into a massive hole. The puppets collapsed haphazardly on the ground. The puppet threads were severed entirely, drifting down across the earth. The mortals wailed loudly, then patted themselves down, and realizing they were unharmed, let out sighs of relief. They scrambled to their feet and were about to bow to Yu Zhaoming.
“No need. Leave here as quickly as you can,” Yu Zhaoming said, turning to depart.
A sudden gust of wind came from behind. Yu Zhaoming spun around, her sword plunging into the body of her attacker. It was one of the mortals—the person’s eyes were wide open, streaming with tears, but from their mouth came a voice that did not belong to them.
“Hehe, how does it feel to kill a mortal with your own hands?”
Yu Zhaoming’s expression remained unchanged. With a flick of her wrist, she withdrew the blade. She looked down at the still-twitching body, watching as not a single drop of blood flowed from the pierced wound. The person convulsed, their eyes revealing a desperate will to survive, yet their mouth spoke words beyond their control.
“The Emotionless Dao is truly emotionless. As expected of the Sword Sect’s Eldest Senior Sister—how boring. I just wonder if your fellow disciples are as heartless as you.”
Yu Zhaoming’s expression tightened. She was about to turn away, but the people who had been freed from the puppet threads suddenly lunged at her.
Seeing this, Yu Zhaoming understood that the puppet threads must have burrowed deep into these people’s eyes. She raised two fingers and softly chanted a Rebirth Incantation2: “By the supreme command, I deliver your orphaned souls. All ghosts and spirits, may all forms of life receive grace… I command the salvation of all such beings—swiftly pass on to rebirth…”
As the words fell, silver light flashed violently. Everyone present was cleaved in half, their bodies instantly frozen solid by overwhelming Ice Spiritual Power3. Their eyes still held tears, now crystallized into ice, staring fixedly at Yu Zhaoming as if in condemnation.
Why didn’t you save them?
Why?
Yu Zhaoming pressed her lips tightly together, turned around, and quickened her pace.
Meanwhile, Tang Wenchun was locked in bitter combat. She thrust her sword forward, only to see her own panicked reflection in the equally terrified eyes of her opponent. The opponent was a puppet, but the opponent was also a person!
Tang Wenchun yanked her sword back violently, the force sending her stumbling several steps. Bian Man hurriedly steadied her, asking, “Are you alright?”
Tang Wenchun shook her head and coughed. The blood and qi in her chest were churning—if not for this body being manifested from illusion, she would have coughed up blood long ago. She gripped the sword hilt and coldly surveyed the encroaching puppets, cursing under her breath.
“What… what do we do?”
Bian Man asked in a small voice.
What to do? Tang Wenchun wanted to know too. But… she looked at the surrounding Sword Sect disciples. Every single one of their expressions was pained, and every one of their eyes was lost and bewildered. Clearly, they were just as confused and helpless.
In the past, at times like this, as long as Yu Zhaoming was present, she could propose a reliable plan and shield them behind her. Without realizing it, whether it was Tang Wenchun or anyone else, they had all grown accustomed to relying on Yu Zhaoming.
But now, Yu Zhaoming wasn’t here. The person they could rely on…
The person they could rely on…
Tang Wenchun smiled bitterly. The one they could rely on was actually herself.
“I really regret this to death,” Tang Wenchun muttered. Bian Man gave her a puzzled look. Tang Wenchun had already pulled free of Bian Man’s support and stood up. Even though she was a salted fish4 who lay flat and knew nothing worthwhile—
But there were still so many people behind her, watching her. They were weaker than she was. If she didn’t step forward now, who would?
It was absolutely ridiculous. She was a heart demon, a proper villain—how could she be doing something like this?
Tang Wenchun forced a bitter smile and raised Luoze, aiming it at the monsters before her that still retained their mortal consciousness. At this point, there didn’t seem to be any good choices left. The moment she made her decision, a flash of dark crimson light flickered in her eyes.
In that brief instant, she detected something amiss and glanced toward a spot not far away.
That, too, was a puppet—mingling among the other mortals, a child. Unlike the others, who bore wounds from being driven back by the Sword Sect disciples’ swords, the young child was conspicuously pitiful, without a single scratch. When the child met Tang Wenchun’s gaze, those eyes seemed to hold confusion and fear—typical of a child.
But it could deceive others; it couldn’t deceive her.
No matter how well-hidden, that faint, lurking aura was still perceptible to one of her own kind—though this aura was somewhat different from that of a pure heart demon. Tang Wenchun had no time to investigate further.
“Divine Prison Piercing the Firmament5!”
The long sword’s radiance surged like thunder, trapping the puppets within. No matter how they thrashed and charged, they could not break free. Tang Wenchun gripped the sword and thrust fiercely toward the young puppet. Seeing this, the puppet let out a wailing cry: “Sister! Please, don’t kill me! I’m so young, I want to live!”
Tang Wenchun’s long sword had already descended to the child’s eyes, but her sword tip trembled slightly. Meeting the child’s tearful, terrified gaze, she ultimately could not bring herself to thrust down.
Why couldn’t she strike?
She knew full well the other party was a demon creature.
She knew full well she was no longer human herself, didn’t she?
Tang Wenchun asked herself this, her lips trembling slightly. Even though she had transmigrated, even though she was no longer human—the part of her shaped by twenty years of growing up in a peaceful, stable society still influenced her, still defined her.
Tang Wenchun smiled bitterly. She couldn’t strike.
When the child raised its head and smiled at her, Tang Wenchun’s heart seized with alarm. She scrambled backward, but a sudden pain lanced through her back. She twisted around—only to see Bian Man raising her sword, driving it toward her.
Bian Man’s expression was filled with terror, and around her wrists, thread-like silken strands had already bound her.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I don’t want to either. I…” Bian Man said frantically, but her hand moved beyond her control, striking at Tang Wenchun.
“It’s not your fault.”
The one to blame was herself. It was because of her own misplaced compassion that the people beside her had been hurt. Fortunately, she was a heart demon, and fortunately, she still had a way to remedy this!!
Tang Wenchun grabbed Bian Man’s sword with one hand, preventing her from pulling it free. She twisted her wrist—in that instant, Luoze reversed, and the long sword pierced straight through the child’s forehead. The little wretch let out a piercing shriek, violently tearing open the body it had been hiding in, revealing a green-robed figure that lunged fiercely at Tang Wenchun.
“Die!”
Tang Wenchun narrowed her eyes at that familiar-looking face, hating that she didn’t have a spare hand to crush him outright.
To think she wouldn’t die at Yu Zhaoming’s hands, but would instead perish at the hands of this minor demon? She just wondered—after she died, would she revive again in Yu Zhaoming’s Sea of Consciousness?
Still… she wasn’t willing to accept it.
Very, very unwilling!
Watching that foul-smelling palm drawing closer and closer, about to slam into her face, the crimson light in Tang Wenchun’s eyes blazed.
A soft puh sounded. A long sword had pierced through that figure’s skull. Without even a chance to resist, the figure crumpled softly to the ground. Yu Zhaoming descended in a flash, her sword qi blazing all around her. Bian Man couldn’t help but stumble back several steps—only then did she suddenly realize she had been freed.
“Eldest Senior Sister! Fellow Daoist Tang, she…” Bian Man hurriedly spoke up.
“I know. The prime culprit has been eliminated. Stay where you are and don’t move.” Yu Zhaoming said. She scooped Tang Wenchun up and headed deep into the dense forest.
“El—Eldest Senior Sister, where are you going?!” Bian Man called out anxiously from behind.
“To treat her. Don’t follow.”
Yu Zhaoming vanished quickly, only her voice carrying back. Bian Man was left behind, anxiously biting her finger. “Is she going to be okay…”
Yu Zhaoming walked swiftly. She looked at the heart demon in her arms, then set her down. “Does it hurt?”
“It hurts like hell.” Tang Wenchun’s eyes glistened with tears, as if she had suffered a terrible grievance. But then her eyes suddenly brightened. “But I protected them well.”
“I saw.” Yu Zhaoming said, her voice growing softer. She reached out and placed her hand on Tang Wenchun’s head, patting it somewhat awkwardly. “You did well. Thank you.”
What—what was going on! The Emotionless Dao Sword Venerable was patting her head like this, and why was there light in her eyes when she looked at her?! And her voice was so, so…
No, no, no—the problem was, Tang Wenchun realized in horror that she was having her head rubbed by a seventeen-year-old girl, and she was actually feeling a little bashful.
She—she—she felt bashful, my ass!
The author has something to say:
Tang Wenchun: I actually feel bashful! I actually think Yu Zhaoming is handsome? She’s only seventeen! I can’t be a beast!
If at this time Tang Wenchun doesn’t know about the Sea of Consciousness situation, and is inside Yu Zhaoming’s Sea of Consciousness—
Question: What are Yu Zhaoming’s thoughts?
Note: “By the supreme command, I deliver your orphaned souls. All ghosts and spirits, may all forms of life receive grace” is from the Daoist Rebirth Incantation6.
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Footnotes
- 鸿蒙一破 (Hongmeng Yi Po): A sword technique that cleaves through mist and severs puppet control threads with a sweeping discharge of white light.
- 往生咒 (Wangsheng Zhou): Daoist incantation recited to purify and liberate corrupted mortal souls, guiding them toward reincarnation.
- 冰灵力 (Bing Lingli): Concentrated ice-attribute spiritual energy channeled by Ice Spirit Root cultivators.
- 咸鱼 (xianyu): Chinese internet slang for a slacker or couch potato lacking ambition, literally 'salted fish.'
- 神狱排霄 (Shenyu Paixiao): A sword technique that unleashes thunderous sword light to trap and contain puppet constructs.
- 往生咒 (Wangsheng Zhou): Daoist incantation recited to purify and liberate corrupted mortal souls, guiding them toward reincarnation.
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