Chapter 427: Chapter 386: [Revised] Jingshan’s Jottings

[Bing Yin, Year of the Tiger, October 9th]

This time I’m truly trapped, but I don’t regret it at all.

Jiang Yuebai is probably cursing me for being foolish right now, or maybe she’s sitting in the valley, touched to tears.

Although I didn’t expect that the wretch Tian Nanxing would even count on me, but I, Xie Jingshan, stick to my word, and protect her safety!

It’s just a pity that Tian Nanxing’s life is so tough, injured by me and still not dead after being trapped by his schemes, what a pity.

At the moment, we are making our way from the north sea area of the Land of Chaos to the Netherworld Sea, and he’s taking me to the Asura Domain.

He planted a kind of unknown orchid on me, sealing my Dantian and monitoring my movements, using Demon Art to alter my aura and appearance, taking most of my belongings, leaving the collared Jixiang to accompany me.

Tian Nanxing said he wouldn’t kill me, he needs something from me, and as long as I cooperate, once he meets Jiang Yuebai, he will naturally let me go.

He said it so easily, yet I feel it won’t be that easy.

I, Xie Jingshan, will never sit and wait to die!

...

[Bing Yin, Year of the Tiger, December 20th]

Alright, I’ve decided to sit and wait to die.

Today we arrived at the Netherworld Sea Wentian Island, there is a shop belonging to the Mountain and Sea Building here, and before I could think of a way to send a message, Tian Nanxing took me directly there.

I found out my grandfather had already headed to the North Sea Outer Sea accompanied by my father, preparing to transcend the Divinity Transformation Tribulation.

Now only my mother is holding down the fort at home, and just the presence of the shop on Wentian Island makes me feel the tense atmosphere, I also saw people from the Feiyan Pavilion secretly protecting the Mountain and Sea Building.

Whether my grandfather succeeds or fails in his Divinity Transformation, the Mountain and Sea Building will lose an important pillar. Even if my father successfully achieves Nascent Soul, it’s hard to ensure that Evil Dao forces wouldn’t take the opportunity to target Mountain and Sea Building’s stock; the Mountain and Sea Building can only join forces with Feiyan Pavilion.

If something happens to me, the family would lose its peace, my grandfather’s Divinity Transformation has been interrupted several times because of me, this time I can’t hinder grandfather anymore, I must ensure that both he and the Mountain and Sea Building successfully get through this ordeal.

Tian Nanxing anticipated this, asking me to write a letter to reassure my family.

Knowing he harbors ill intentions, I can only comply. This is the first time in my life I met someone who makes me gnash my teeth in hatred yet am so helpless against. As it turns out, Jiang Yuebai was right, I’ve always lived in a false yet beautiful world, never seeing the real malice of human hearts.

No, it’s the malice of a demon’s heart.

Damn it!!

...

[Ding Mao, Year of the Rabbit, February 2nd]

I didn’t realize that the Sea Sealing Great Array on the Netherworld Sea had already been made into a sieve; that was a Great Array set up by the joint efforts of three Divinity Transformation Cultivators, and Tian Nanxing just broke through it with me as he liked?

It seems that this Great Array won’t hold for much longer.

The Asura Domain is a place of perpetual darkness, Tian Nanxing evidently has been here before, taking me straight to the deepest part without any difficulty.

Bored on the way, I asked why he insisted on taking Jiang Yuebai’s body.

Tian Nanxing said he promised someone to find a good body to let that person have a new life.

My heart skipped a beat, is it the same old story from the Land of Azure Flame? Reviving some ancient monster from the Ghost Clan? He’s just a Low-Class Orchid Demon (no typo), surely he can’t be in love with someone?

I wanted to ask more, but Tian Nanxing refused to say anything further, only focusing on the journey.

I recall Jiang Yuebai telling me that Lu Nanzhi was cultivating in the Asura Domain.

Forget it, it’s best not to run into her, I’ll try to escape on my own, she already has enough on her plate, I can’t burden her further.

...

[Ding Mao, Year of the Rabbit, June 6th]

Bastard! Bastard! That old Low-Class Orchid bastard!!

He actually dug out my Sword Bone, attempting to replace his main body trunk, and conducted those messy grafting experiments on me, this madman!

If he can’t kill me, I swear to tear him to pieces someday!!

...

[Ding Mao, Year of the Rabbit, December 12th]

Hahaha, that old Low-Class Orchid bastard failed again, watching him smash things in rage is gratifying!

My Sword Bone, is it that easy for him to take away?

The Bone Regeneration Medicine Tian Nanxing provides tastes awful, sometimes I wonder, maybe I should just stop taking the medicine, let him dig out all my Sword Bones, just die like this, it really hurts too much.

Thinking back to when I was a child, just a little scrape would make my grandfather’s eyes fill with love and concern, if he saw me now with barely any bones left, who knows how heartbroken he would be.

Despite being almost thirty, I find myself missing my mother.

But the medicine still must be taken, I can’t just give up, I must stay alive and go back, I can’t let my grandfather worry, leave my mother sonless, Mountain and Sea Building without an heir, or let Jiang Yuebai mock me as just so.

...

[Wu Chen, Year of the Dragon, April 4th]

I’ve kinda gotten used to it, used to staying in the sunless dungeon, used to the wailing cries of a hundred ghosts outside, used to Tian Nanxing’s routine of bone digging and medicine feeding, and also used to the strange things growing on my body.

Poor Jixiang has gotten skinny from hunger with me, and now its attitude towards me has improved a lot, each time after my bones are dug and I’m in too much pain to move, it stays with me, squeaking comfortingly.

It’s probably saying, Jiang Yuebai will definitely come to rescue us.

I know she surely will come, but I don’t want her to, not wanting her to see me in this state.

Today is the day I write to my mother to report my safety again. Last time, I mentioned being fought over by female cultivators from three villages in Baipu Domain. This time, I’ll write about my experience drawing my sword to slay demons.

Tian Nanxing said that the Feiyan Pavilion is in some trouble recently, and my mother is quite distressed, asking me not to play smart in my letters.

Nonsense, I’m really not as clever as he thinks. I just hope my grandfather successfully undergoes Divinity Transformation.

Alas!

...

[Jisi, Snake Year, May 5]

It’s so hard to endure!

Every day is so hard to endure!

I feel like I’m really about to go crazy!

It’s been three years, why hasn’t Jiang Yuebai come yet?

Could it be that she’s really not coming to rescue me? Did I misjudge her?

No, no, no, she’s not a selfish person, she will definitely come! She must be held up by something!

But I’m really scared, scared that I won’t hold on until the day she comes.

I’ve only now realized, the things my grandfather told me were all true. My grandfather said the amount of suffering and happiness in one’s life is predetermined. If you refuse to suffer when you’re young, then hardships will pile up and hit you all at once, overwhelming you.

I must have had it too good before, so the Heavenly Dao has piled up a big tribulation for me.

All the medicine Tian Nanxing gave me, I threw it up. In a few more days, I will be able to escape from this sea of bitterness and start anew, right?

Jiang Yuebai, if you ever come here and see a pile of bones, remember to place my remaining bones on Tian Nanxing’s corpse, and then tell my parents and grandfather,

Your child was unfilial. I’m sorry to you, in the next life if fate allows... if I can even have a next life...

...

[Jisi, Snake Year, June 6]

Jiang Yuebai, thank you, once again, you woke me up.

In the confusion between life and death, I dreamed of that woman with her back to me again. I walked over, and she turned around and slapped me, looking just like Jiang Yuebai.

Opening my eyes, I saw the Jade Ring on my hand, the one I gave Jiang Yuebai when she was seven, at the Yin Mountain Mine, and later she returned it to me. I have worn it all these years.

Back then, Jiang Yuebai was only seven, yet she could endure five years in the man-eating Yin Mountain Mine, and there’s Lu Nanzhi, with the destiny of a furnace cauldron, who avenged her father’s death by falling into a demon.

Song Zhi’ang’s Water and Fire Spirit Roots clashed, he forcibly removed the Water Spirit Root, practicing on the brink of Yama Hall. Ge Yuchan endured for years just for fame in one morning. Yun Shang lost both parents young, surviving alone in Spiritual Beast Valley.

Shen Huaxi also had his wings severed, watched his parents kill each other, controlled by Qing Nangzi for years, bearing shame and burdens.

No one around me has it easy, yet now they’re all cultivating well, seeking survival under the Heavenly Dao.

Why can’t I, Xie Jingshan?

I swore from a young age to be ahead in everything, even if it means suffering, I want to suffer the harshest betrayals!

Even if it means becoming a monster, even if it means crawling, I will crawl out of this hell!

How can flesh and blood pollution matter? My genuine loyalty, my pure Sword Bone, remain untainted by this world’s filth!

Jiang Yuebai, I know you will definitely come.

If you don’t come, I won’t die!

...

[Gengwu, Horse Year, July 7]

The fourth year, even as Tian Nanxing digs bones and feeds medicines, my heart remains calm, handling it with indifference.

With my Dantian sealed, I practice swordsmanship daily in the dungeon, accompanied by Jixiang.

These years allowed more time to reflect, looking back on my life, realizing I’ve never truly matured.

Many times, many things, my actions were too naive, too immature.

What nonsense of Sword Immortal Reincarnation, why must I live as someone else, and not be Xie Jingshan of the Xie Family?

Digging out the red birthmark from my palm, from now on, I am just myself.

Recently, there’s been some gain, fortune comes with misfortune, this hardship is definitely not in vain, what he took from me, I will take back with my own hands! (erased here)

...

[Xinwei, Sheep Year, August 8]

In the fifth year, I’ve often fallen asleep for no reason and forgotten what happened before upon waking, unsure what Tian Nanxing has done to me again.

Today, Tian Nanxing said Jiang Yuebai has left the Demon Clan, heading towards the Asura Domain. It turns out she’s been asleep for five years.

Fortunately, she didn’t arrive too early, allowing me these experiences and growth.

I asked Tian Nanxing if my grandfather succeeded in Divinity Transformation, he says nothing about it, only telling me to prepare well, that I’ll be free once Jiang Yuebai arrives.

There isn’t a single truth from Tian Nanxing’s mouth, all these years he’s been unable to graft my Sword Bone, having put so much effort on me, he definitely won’t easily let me go.

I feel unease in my heart, but I believe Jiang Yuebai is cunning like a fox and will turn misfortune into fortune.

Today’s sword practice, continue!