I Can Add Points Infinitely - Chapter 20
The Ironback Centipede’s massive form kicked up a cloud of dust as it scurried across the ground. From a distance, it appeared like a swiftly moving yellow smoke trail, making it easy for Shen Lian to follow.
After over an hour of pursuit, the centipede finally slowed down and crawled behind a small, desolate mound of dirt. Shen Lian cautiously approached, and under the cover of thorny bushes, he discovered a pitch-black cave entrance where the centipede had disappeared.
He paused briefly, then steeled his resolve and jumped into the hole.
Beneath was a deep passageway, seemingly a naturally formed underground crevice with twisting, maze-like paths reminiscent of karst landscapes from his previous life. Shen Lian channeled his spiritual energy, enhancing his vision to see clearly in the darkness.
Following the centipede’s tracks, Shen Lian pressed forward for about a quarter of an hour until he noticed a faint light ahead. He slowed his pace, stepping lightly as he approached the source.
It was then that he heard faint, muffled voices coming from up ahead.
“It’s injured this badly again. Must’ve run into those damned disciples from Azure Cloud Sect…”
“Ugh, thank goodness the Ironback Centipede’s defense is strong; otherwise, I’d have to go back to Shadow Forest to catch another…”
As Shen Lian moved closer, the voices became clearer.
Rounding a corner at the end of the passage, Shen Lian found himself at the entrance of a massive cavern, spanning dozens of meters. The ground was cluttered with roughly carved stone tables and stools, and torches mounted along the walls cast a dim, yellowish glow.
In the center of the cavern sat a gaunt figure with disheveled white hair, hunched over some herbs. The Ironback Centipede lay obediently beside him, looking docile and calm.
“So this is the one behind the repeated attacks on Chenjia Village?”
Upon seeing the man, Shen Lian immediately understood the situation. Without hiding his presence, he stepped forward into the cavern.
“Who’s there?”
The man jerked up in alarm, turning toward the noise. Upon seeing Shen Lian alone, he relaxed slightly. However, the centipede beside him reacted with terror, curling up tightly as it shivered.
As Shen Lian got a closer look, he noticed the man’s face was scarred by several sword wounds, one of which had blinded his left eye, leaving him with only a single, glaring eye. His right hand was also severed at the wrist, leaving only a stub of an arm.
“You’re a Azure Cloud Sect true disciple,” the man spat, his eye burning with hatred.
“Impressive. You recognize this robe,” Shen Lian responded calmly. “So, knowing that, you still dare to target a village under our sect’s protection? Aren’t you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself?”
“Trouble? Ha! Do you think I care about trouble in my current state?” the man snarled, pointing at the scars that marred his face.
“Did the Azure Cloud Sect do this to you?” Shen Lian asked, his brow furrowing.
“Azure Cloud Sect, huh… Yes, it was one of your disciples who did this to me,” the man replied bitterly. “Feng Jitong, I will never forget him… and that wretched woman, Chen Lin…”
The man’s demeanor shifted as he started rambling, his voice trembling with rage. He spoke with an intensity that suggested Shen Lian’s questions had triggered something deep within him.
It took Shen Lian half a cup of tea’s time to piece together the story.
It all boiled down to a tale as old as time—a tragic love triangle.
This man’s name was Yu Sheng, once a disciple of a minor sect nearby. Before joining the sect, he had been an ordinary resident of Xiangyong Town, where he grew up alongside his childhood sweetheart, Chen Lin. They were on the verge of marriage when Yu Sheng was recruited by the minor sect.
Yu Sheng informed Chen Lin’s family of his new status, and they were thrilled, planning for the couple’s marriage once he completed his training. However, when Yu Sheng returned three years later, he found that everything had changed. His house was gone, his parents were missing, and the Chen family had vanished without a trace.
After painstaking inquiries, Yu Sheng learned that in his absence, a severe drought had struck, leading to a famine in the town. Faced with unbearable taxes, many families, including the Chens, could no longer survive.
The Chens had decided to flee the town to avoid the taxes, but traveling with their entire family required substantial provisions. To secure enough food, the elders of the Chen family had sent Chen Lin, known for her beauty, to bribe Feng Jitong, the Azure Cloud Sect disciple stationed in the town at the time.
Feng Jitong, a true disciple tasked with overseeing Xiangyong Town for a year, saw no harm in letting a few villagers go, especially when accompanied by a beauty. The two parties quickly struck a deal, and the Chen family escaped under the cover of night.
Yu Sheng’s parents, unable to leave with them, eventually starved to death in the famine.
The news hit Yu Sheng like a bolt from the blue. He was furious—not just at Chen Lin for becoming another man’s concubine, but also at the Chen family for abandoning his parents.
Driven by rage, Yu Sheng confronted Feng Jitong at Azure Cloud Sect, demanding answers. But to Feng Jitong, Chen Lin was nothing more than a disposable plaything, quickly forgotten. He had tired of her within months, and whether she had starved or was eking out an existence elsewhere was of no concern to him.
Yu Sheng’s fury erupted, leading to a confrontation with Feng Jitong. But Yu Sheng, a mere three-year novice, was no match for a seasoned inner disciple. The scars on his face, his blinded eye, and his severed hand were all remnants of that battle.
Broken and humiliated, Yu Sheng barely survived. He stumbled upon this cave by chance, discovering remnants left by an unknown cultivator, including pills and beast-taming techniques.
After recovering, Yu Sheng channeled his hatred toward Chenjia Village—the new home of the Chen family. Although his strength was enough to annihilate the entire village in one go, he chose instead to torment them slowly, unleashing beasts to kill a few villagers at a time, spreading fear and dread with each attack.
Shen Lian shook his head as Yu Sheng finished his ramblings. The tale was a grim reminder of the harshness of this world. Ultimately, there was no clear right or wrong—only the reality of weakness and survival. Both Yu Sheng and the Chen family were victims of their frailty.
Feng Jitong might have been the villain in Yu Sheng’s eyes, but to Shen Lian, even Feng Jitong was just another ant, insignificant before true power.
“More villagers died today, didn’t they? Haha… Kill…” Yu Sheng’s tone turned manic, his laughter echoing in the cavern. “I will kill them all eventually. They’ll die slowly, drenched in fear. One day, I’ll storm into Azure Cloud Sect and slaughter every last one of you… haha…”
Shen Lian sighed, recognizing the madness in Yu Sheng’s eyes. His spiritual energy was chaotic, running rampant through his body as if on the verge of tearing him apart. Yu Sheng had clearly lost his mind, his cultivation plagued by demonic deviation.
Swish!
A flash of sword light cut through the air as Shen Lian suddenly struck, his blade slicing cleanly through Yu Sheng’s throat. Blood spurted, cutting off Yu Sheng’s maniacal laughter.
Yu Sheng’s body stiffened, slowly turning to face Shen Lian. For a brief moment, his crazed gaze seemed to clear, a faint, sorrowful smile forming on his lips.
“T-thank… you…” he whispered, his final words laced with a hint of relief. With that, his body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Plop!
Behind him, the Ironback Centipede, which had been curled in a defensive ball, suddenly convulsed, spewing a mouthful of blood before collapsing. The bond between master and beast had caused it to perish alongside Yu Sheng.
“A shared soul… The beast dies when its master falls…” Shen Lian murmured, eyes glinting with insight.
He glanced over at Yu Sheng’s body and noticed a storage pouch partially visible beneath his tattered robes.