Chapter 546 - The Scum Is Depressed

Jing Kang and Jing Rui blankly stared at the food before them while Jing Kang is hugging the porcelain containing his father's remains. Ho Yue told them that Jing Fu turned himself as Ho Yue's spirit servant and made Ho Yue burn his corpse. Jing Fu's spirit servants followed him to his homeland and returned to Jing Kang's side. No one noticed that he wasn't a human anymore when he returned. Not even his son.

Unfortunately, his wife already died. He grieved, and almost lost his sanity but then he remembered that he still have his son. Thus, he continued to live for his son and fulfilled his duty as a father in the end of his life.

…

"Cheng Sheng is in a coma?" Ho Yue was surprised. "I see… it's really as he said." He heaved a sigh.

"So you are aware of the current affairs in Zhongyang." Zheng Fu Gong spoke.

Ho Yue nodded. "They are really from our land." He confirmed. "And… I know them." He spoke in a low voice.

Nobody showed a surprised expression, since they have already expected it.

Ho Yue sighed as he rubbed his temples. "I already said that Ting-er and I have found Jing Fu in the shore… I and Ting-er lived by the sea. Because we left what you called 'sect'." he spoke.

Now, they are surprised. "A sect…" they muttered.

Ho Yue nodded. "I and Ting-er left because they killed Ting-er's parents. It was due to Ting-er's mother, my sister-in-law, who bought us time to escape." He continued. "I was still young at that time… weak… helpless… I couldn't help my brother or his wife… I could only carry a small child in my small hands, and bear the hardships of raising him and surviving on my thin shoulders." He sighed.

They all fell silent. They didn't expect that Ho Yue would have a story like this. He was transparent in their sect and not many people know him. Only a few more have heard of him as one of those people who fought on the frontline during the battle five years ago.

Anything than that… there's no more. They don't even know how Ho Yue looks like. Worse, they don't even know he is someone from Shanliangde Sect. This makes one sigh.

"Of course, I and Ting-er have gotten over it when we've become older." Ho Yue spoke after seeing their sympathetic expressions. "How can the two of us win against them all? We're just two kids who had just come of age that time." He said.

They all nodded in agreement. They can just bid their time first and become stronger before going back to take revenge.

"We studied day by day the learning materials my brother left Ting-er and I." Ho Yue continued. "Then, Jing Fu arrived. I and Ting-er discovered a new land… and might change our life." He said as he lowered his gaze. "After Jing Fu left, I and Ting-er's hope rekindled. We might be able to become stronger if we explored this land… so, I left not only to find Jing Fu and check his condition. I also…" he didn't continue.

They can guess. Ho Yue was planning to learn their land's cultivation techniques and return to avenge Ho Ting's parents. Yet…

"Wu Ran happened." Ho Yue heavily sighed.

They didn't speak. Ho Yue's plans were disrupted.

"Now, you should already know the Shanliangde Sect's techniques." Sun Yu spoke. "We trust that you won't steal the other sect's techniques. Of course, it's up to them if they would share their cultivation techniques to you." He told Ho Yue.

Ho Yue nodded in understanding. "In fact, I and Ting-er have already grown up. Naturally, we knows what's right and wrong." He spoke. "Since we've already grown up, we should have already gotten stronger." He said.

Everyone nodded in agreement. They have seen Ho Yue's strength five years ago. To think such a person was deeply hidden in the Shanliangde Sect… His strength is comparable to Fan Wen's.

"Since I and Ting-er have never slacked off with our practice, our strength should be enough to deal with them." Ho Yue spoke. "Even if we…" he said. Die, was what he wanted to say. But, his voice suddenly stopped when he felt a hand held his hand tight. He turned and met Gong Xian's gaze.

"I'll go with you." Gong Xian told him. "Wherever you go is wherever I go." He told him.

Ho Yue smiled. "Thank you." He said. But, I don't need to drag him to this. This is his and Ho Ting's problem.

"But, if your enemies are the ones attacking the Zhongyang, then wouldn't that make them our enemies, too?" Qian Shan spoke.

Tang Teng spoke. "Yes. Since they dared to invade our land and harm us and the citizens…" he said.

"We'll defeat them together!" Li Nanzi told Ho Yue.

Ho Yue's eyes widened and he felt they turned hot and misty because of tears. "Thank you. Everyone." He said as he clenched his fists.

"Then, since everything's out now, do you know about this parasitic masks?" Xie Lan asked when he remembered the new problem that occurred recently.

"'parasitic masks'?" Ho Yue turned to him.

"It was found worn by a spirit servant that attacked sect leader He's son." Xie Lan explained.

He Run nodded. "Shun-er… Shun-er almost died. His mind and spirit…" he said.

"A parasitic mask… I don't know of this. Can you tell me more?" Ho Yue asked. His expression urgent.

"Ah Sheng wore the same expression." Chen Han spoke. "Alarm. Ill foreboding." He said as he looked at Ho Yue's expression. "This parasitic mask should be a bad news, right?" he asked.

Ho Yue didn't answer. "I… feel that this is beyond all of us." he nervously gulped. "How did Cheng Sheng solve this?" he asked.

"He refined that parasitic mask… well, it's just a parasite." Sun Yi answered. "He separated its soul from its body to slowly lessen its attack on He Shun until he fully refined its soul, dissolving its connection from He Shun." He explained.

"Wait! You said, it's a parasite?!" Ho Yue exclaimed.

"Yeah. It's actually a parasite that looked like a mask." Jiang Cheng answered.

"A parasite… mask…" Ho Yue muttered. "It's attacking spiritually and mentally?" he asked them.

"That's right." Qian Tian nodded.

Ho Yue frowned. "I seem to hear about this before…" his brows furrowed. "Is there any other detail?" he asked.

"There is." Wu Yuan answered. "Cheng Sheng said that the corpse of the spirit servant that wore it was eaten by it overnight." He told him.

Ho Yue's pupils shrank. "What?!" he exclaimed.

"Did it ring a bell?" Pai Lie asked.

"It did!" Ho Yue answered as he turned to them. "This… this parasite mask… it's the sign of degeneration." He said.

"'degeneration'?" they asked.

"It's similar to qi deviation in cultivators. But, the degeneration happens to the spirit servants." Ho Yue explained. "Why would degenerate spirit servants appear here?" he muttered to himself.

"Not to mention sword spirits possessing a human." Zheng Yi shook his head when he remembered what happened to Ho Ting.

"No… since it possessed Ting-er, shouldn't it have demonic qi?" Ho Yue told them.

They all fell silent. "Right… it still harmed Ho Ting despite it should have been a pure being as a sword spirit." They muttered when they realized it. "Why didn't it have a demonic qi?" they asked.

Xie Lan frowned. "We're taking things backwards here." He spoke. "It should be a pure being first as a sword spirit. But, it started to possess Ho Ting, which should make it evil." He looked at them. "Yet, we didn't find any demonic qi from it, nor in Ho Ting's body. There's something wrong here." He said.

"Xiao Sheng… should know this, right?" Fan Wen asked, unsure.

They all fell silent when they thought of something. Cheng Sheng… is he hiding something from us again? They thought.

"But I really didn't see any demonic qi from that expelled spirit nor in Ho Ting…" Ling Yun said.

Ho Yue looked at them all. "I think I know why." He spoke.

They all looked at him. Yes… that's right! The techniques for spirit servants came from Ho Yue's land after all so he should know what's wrong! They thought.

"Cheng Sheng didn't mislead you. But, he did hide things from you." Ho Yue told them.

"What?!" they exclaimed. As expected, Cheng Sheng did it again!

"But, he did it… to not make you all panic." Ho Yue said.

"What?! Panic? Why?" they asked.

"Didn't you all already see it? There was no demonic qi despite that sword spirit was evil." Ho Yue spoke.

"Then, why did it have no demonic qi?" they asked.

"Because it can dispel demonic qi." Ho Yue answered.

"Huh?"

"It knows how to dispel demonic qi, thus it can appear not evil." Ho Yue expelled. Seeing their eyes slowly widened in horror when they realized it, he sighed for the nth time. "And this is why Cheng Sheng didn't tell you this." He muttered. Sorry, Cheng Sheng. But, they all deserve to know. He thought. The fate of your land lies not only in your hands, but everyone's.. He thought, though he felt depressed since things looked bleaker now than before.