Chapter 45 - 45 45 Tianxi Sword Sect

45: Chapter 45: Tianxi Sword Sect 45: Chapter 45: Tianxi Sword Sect Young Master Meng clearly had a high reputation among this group of people. At Baili An’s mere mention of a sentence, it incited a collective uproar among the crowd. All it took was a slight gesture from Young Master Meng, and the noisy voices immediately ceased. He looked at Baili An, his eyes showing no indication of annoyance, as gentle as a spring breeze, his gaze was influential and easily disarmed one’s defenses. He smiled slightly and said, “Although we are strangers, you remind me of an old friend, which gives me a very kind and cordial feeling.” Baili An’s expression remained unchanged as he asked, “So where is this old friend now?” Young Master Meng’s tone grew slightly heavy as he said, “Central Netherworld.” As these four words slowly flowed from his lips, the cultivators who had thronged around him suddenly all paused, not daring to breathe too heavily. Baili An had heard the term Central Netherworld from Jin Sheng, but he did not understand what kind of existence it was. Now, seeing the expressions of the others, he suddenly understood a bit more. After Young Master Meng stopped his meditative breathing, perhaps out of a long-formed habit, the empty hand began to subconsciously stroke the tail of his horsetail whisk as if caressing the long soft hair of a beloved woman. “Young brother may not be aware, but due to the anomaly in Demon Cave, Kongcang Mountain has become unsettled, and the appearance of creatures like Fishwife Crow in the Endless Sea was unexpected. With your current level of cultivation, you wouldn’t be able to leave this mountain range. It might be better to stay here and recover properly. Once our injuries have healed, we could perhaps leave together,” Young Master Meng sincerely suggested. Fishwife Crow is an extremely rare kind of sea demon, partially withered, half-human, half-fish. In Baili An’s memory, such a demon resided in the Western Seas, incredibly scarce and a major scourge in the seas. It differs from mermaids like Lin Yuan; Lin Yuan was part of the Merfolk from the sea, whereas Fishwife Crow belonged to the demonic kind. The Merfolk are beautiful and charismatic by nature, with peerless beauty that could bring any city to its knees, shedding tears that become pearls, their upper bodies human and lower parts fish, truly marvelous and powerful creatures. Fishwife Crow, however, was a formidable enemy to the Merfolk. Brought forth by the wind from the north, born from the great waters and springs, snakes transformed into fish, thus became the Fishwife Crow. The appearance of the Fishwife is eerie and fearsome – half-human, half-fish, each side distinct. Originally a kind of sea serpent, it often devours the corpses and grudges of those buried at sea, transforming into a kind of Fish Demon. Fishwife Crows possess extraordinary vitality and combat power, lacking a heart and weaknesses. To defeat them, one must turn them into ashes, leaving not a single piece of flesh behind. And now, the Fishwife Crow that has always lived in the Western Seas… had surprisingly appeared in the northern Endless Sea. It was truly inexplicable. Demon Cave naturally bred anomalies, but Baili An had not encountered any so-called Yin Crow attacks when Li Jiujiu flew him out of the Endless Sea with her Sword Control. There must be a cause for this effect. Moreover, Baili An always remembered the words Li Jiujiu told him. His current strength was too weak, and his identity as a corpse demon was special; it was unsuitable for him to get involved in the human world. The most sensible approach before he grew stronger was to stay away from the crowds. Especially cultivators. “This man cannot leave!” Contrary to Young Master Meng’s tone, the voice carried an obvious oppressive tone. Baili An looked towards the speaker. He wore a half-metal mask that completely covered the lower half of his face. Above the mask were a pair of bright eyes exuding a fierce Sword Intent, clad in a black and red robe with a Sword Emblem headpiece and a Longsword on his back. Who this Sword Cultivator was remained unknown. Beside him stood another person dressed just like him. Searᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The aura of both individuals was obscured by the sharp and deadly Sword Intent, making it difficult to discern their true nature. Although their faces were hidden by masks, one could vaguely sense their innate pride through their eyes. These two were the only ones among the many who did not show respect to Young Master Meng. Rather than saying so, even Young Master Meng himself couldn’t help but occasionally show a look of admiration and reverence when his gaze fell on them. These two did not come to the mountains from the Demon Cave outside the Endless Sea, instead, their encounter was by chance, escaping to this Mountain Realm together after being attacked by the Fishwife Crow. The two who didn’t experience the hardships alongside Young Master Meng naturally didn’t feel much admiration for him. “Who are you?” Baili An asked with a frown. Simultaneously under the two masks, jeers of disdain echoed. The crowd looked at Baili An as if they were looking at a fool, their eyes mixed with pity. The two said haughtily and as if they were above all, “Xijian Sect, Disciple of the Demon Observation Hall, Yang Zhao.” “Xijian Sect, Disciple of the Demon Observation Hall, Huang Kang.” Baili An immediately understood; Jin Sheng had once said that the most outstanding three sects in the world were Xijian Sect, Taixuan Sect, and Cangwu Palace, which together ruled over the Dynasty. Since these two came from Xijian Sect, they naturally had extraordinary pride. However, Baili An couldn’t comprehend when he had offended them, as their hostility was so apparent. The one who initially refused to let him leave was named Yang Zhao. At this moment, his gaze was locked onto Baili An, as he said coldly, “I’ve seen this person in the mountains.” Baili An calmly replied, “But I haven’t seen you.” Yang Zhao scoffed, “That’s because you wouldn’t have been able to notice me with your level of cultivation. I was driving away demons for practice in the mountains; half a month ago, I saw you enter a hunter’s house halfway up the western mountain. But after one night, I discovered the hunter’s thatched cottage burnt to ashes. And beside the clear well in the backyard’s soil lay sixteen buried bodies from the Immortal Sect. Boy, do you dare to claim this wasn’t your doing?!” His gaze was as sharp as lightning, bearing down on Baili An with intense scrutiny. “What? This kid looks clean and innocent, but he’s capable of such cruel methods!” “Murder and burial! This mere cultivator, how did he manage to kill sixteen cultivators alone? Could he be a remnant of the Demon Sect?!” “Heaven’s wrath! Absolutely abhorrent! He must not be allowed to leave and continue to wreak havoc!” The crowd immediately became furious, verbally condemning him. Baili An’s gaze was indifferent as he glanced at Wen Yu and Qi Yang, who were smiling coldly among the crowd, and then withdrew his gaze, “You accuse me of murder, but where is the evidence?” Huang Kang said coldly, “The words of a disciple from Xijian Sect are evidence enough!” Indeed, no one would doubt the words of a disciple from the illustrious righteous Xijian Sect. Their declarations had weight, and in their quest for justice, they were tasked with upholding righteousness. The Sect Master was known for his stern and vehement nature, his reputation spreading across the Four Seas and beyond. If it was about prestige, Xijian Sect’s good name even surpassed Taixuan Sect and Cangwu Palace. Five hundred years ago, during the great war between the righteous and the demonic forces, their Sect Master played an indispensable role. As the adage goes, ‘As above, so below,’ the conditions for joining Xijian Sect as a Disciple are exceptionally strict. If one is not of upright character, they won’t even qualify to be an Outer Disciple, let alone be selected for the Demon Observation Hall aimed at roaming the world for rescue and exorcism. Therefore, the words spoken by these two today were weighty; the guilt was settled without the need for proof. Even without giving Baili An a chance to defend himself, some were eager to show themselves in front of the Xijian Sect disciples. Opportunities to befriend disciples of Xijian Sect did not come by often. “You vile beast, you have slaughtered the living! Die!”