Chapter 126: The Slaughter of the City

Looking at the ruined city, Ye Zheng’s heart still gave a sharp, painful thud.

Hundreds of thousands of lives, not a single survivor—even though this was all a facade he had meticulously staged in advance.

Yet, this treacherous disciple, Yu Zidu, had slaughtered them all. What use was there in keeping such a hot-headed fool? To cause him trouble later on?

"Yu Zidu, do you know your crime? Do you realize what you have done?" The disappointment in Ye Zheng’s eyes landed heavily upon Yu Zidu, who could not help but shiver.

He... he realized he had truly made a mistake.

His senior brother—ha!

For hundreds of years, he, Yu Zidu, had considered himself clever, yet in the end, he had been outwitted by a human. He couldn't even believe it himself. Humans were indeed treacherous and cunning; he, a White Python, was simply no match for human scheming and duplicity.

"Master, this disciple knows his mistake and is willing to accept punishment!" The sorrowful smile gradually faded, and Yu Zidu stood there in a daze. He was wrong; he shouldn't have doubted his parents, nor should he have doubted his master. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world; everyone who approached with initiative had an agenda. Since he had committed such a grave error, he deserved to be punished. Even if it meant paying with his life, he was willing. It was all because he had been too confident, too reckless, and too quick to trust others. Even brothers settle debts clearly—how could he have been so foolish with a senior brother he had only just met?

"Yu Zidu, you have slaughtered a city and taken hundreds of thousands of lives. I ought to have you suffer every torture known to this world, but there is still room to rectify this matter."

"I will spare your life, but your punishment is unavoidable. I strip you of your century of cultivation, force you back into your original form, and banish you to the Northwest to serve your penance."

"Do not feel aggrieved. This is a disaster of your own making, and you must bear the consequences."

"From this day forth, the Yu family is struck from the world, and all assets of the Tianya Pavilion shall be distributed to the victims as compensation."

Ye Zheng sighed deeply, lamenting Yu Zidu’s actions and feeling nothing but contempt for the behavior of Gu Mojian.

"Zidu, today I sever our master-disciple relationship. I hope you find enlightenment in the days to come." As he spoke, Ye Zheng raised his hand, dissolving Yu Zidu’s cultivation. Yu Zidu transformed into a massive white python.

Next, Ye Zheng had other tasks to attend to.

"A-Kun, take Zidu to the small village in the Northwest smelting district. Let him reflect properly!" Unable to bear looking at Yu Zidu any longer, he waved his hand, signaling Bai Kun to take him away.

A sin. In truth, this was all Ye Zheng’s own sin, yet it implicated so many innocent people, forcing them to atone for his transgressions.

Once Bai Kun had left with Yu Zidu, Ye Zheng finally looked back at their retreating figures. In his heart, he was reluctant to see Yu Zidu meet such an end. After all, he was a child he had watched grow up; how could he truly wish him harm? Doing this was merely a way to save his life, hoping that in years to come, he might see this child again.

"Fang He, tell me, how much longer must I endure all this? When the next opportunity arises, I shall take you with me when I leave," Ye Zheng complained helplessly to the person behind the rock. Life was becoming increasingly devoid of hope.

In such moments, anyone would feel a sense of melancholy, and Ye Zheng was no exception. His only consolation now was the "little one." He hoped that when he returned, the little one would still be single, so he might still have a chance to undergo the trial of love.

The trial of life and death had already begun, and the trial of love would surely follow. Everything was progressing smoothly—much faster than expected.

"My Lord, what is so good about ascending? It’s not as if we haven't experienced it before; there's no meaning in that stuff." Fang He waved his hand dismissively. He didn't want to ascend! He still had a daughter in the Lower Three Realms; he still had family. Even if her life might become difficult after these events, with a father as flashy as him, she would certainly not suffer. As for the ascension Ye Zheng spoke of, he really wasn't interested. There wasn't a single familiar face up there; being alone every day was boring to death. Once ascended, life would become endless—unable to even die—what kind of meaning was that?

At Fang He’s decision, Ye Zheng’s face darkened with anger. "Do not refuse. You know full well that your ascension will benefit the girl and the others. Stop being so stubborn, or I’ll strike you down!"

This shameless old man—when he chose to descend with him to undergo the tribulations, that wasn't what he said. Now, he actually had the audacity to say such things.

Meaningless? He knew it was meaningless, too!

Yes, living too long was indeed meaningless. A dry, dull life with only oneself—how could it not be boring?

"My Lord, you are different from an old man like me. When you return, you are surrounded by admirers. Who would even look at a withered old man like me?" *Tch*, old men were so pretentious. What was wrong with just saying it?

Enraged, Ye Zheng flicked an attack toward Fang He, saying with visible disgust, "How dare you speak to me like that? Do you dare say that you aren't the one lingering in fields of flowers, unwilling to return? That you aren't the one obsessed with the comforts of a woman's embrace?"

And he claimed no one looked at him? He was the type to want to pull every woman into his arms, yet he had the nerve to say no one noticed him. With his shameless behavior, others avoided him like the plague, wishing such a shameless person didn't exist in the world at all.

"I can't be bothered with you. Come with me to find Gu Mojian. If I fail this trial again, I will use you as a blood sacrifice to the heavens!" His gaze was cold, devoid of any hint of a joke. Ye Zheng wasn't kidding; he had been tricked by this shameless old man too many times. If he let him trick him again, he wouldn't be Ye Zheng.

"Ha, that’s because you’re too stupid; what does that have to do with me? If you had the ability, you wouldn't care so much about romantic attachments!" A sneer reached Ye Zheng’s ears, and Fang He was immediately kicked flying by Ye Zheng.

This old immortal was truly shameless. Did he really think the "sacrifice to the heavens" was a joke?

"Damn you, Ye Zheng! When we get back, I’m going to tell your old man that you were abusing me!" Fang He watched the retreating Ye Zheng in a rage, then scrambled to catch up. If it weren't for the fact that his own trial was tied to Ye Zheng’s, he would have gone up and finished off this shameless creature first.

Fang He sprinted a few steps to catch up and analyzed the situation: "The Gu family has united with many others. Your odds are indeed not great. You should be able to pass the trial of life and death smoothly and then proceed to a normal reincarnation."

"But as for your affair with the Chu girl, it is truly fated to have no results across all lifetimes. You must prepare yourself." Fang He knew this wasn't easy to hear, but he needed Ye Zheng to see the reality before him. Even if he reincarnated a thousand times, he would always meet Chu Xingran, yet they would always miss each other.

"I know. After the trial, she will also return to the heavens." His expression was pained. For Chu Xingran, everything was an unknown development in her life. But Ye Zheng knew everything clearly, yet he was powerless to change it. Chu Xingran was destined to be the sacrificial lamb in this calamity.