WBICDPH Chapter 130

Chapter 130: A Broken Axe and a Shattered Will

Long before Jiang Zhenfeng finished assigning everyone their tasks and the sect disciples departed from the assembly hall, Han Ao had already quietly slipped away from the main group.

After leaving, he turned back once and looked toward the mountain gate from afar.

The sky there was buried beneath thick black clouds. Countless dark figures clashed in midair, so many that Han Ao couldn’t even comprehend the scale.

Those were Heavenly Demons, demons, even vicious ghosts—and now he was supposed to fight them with his life on the line.

Han Ao didn’t even dare spar with fellow disciples while holding a sword on the training grounds. Faced with a real battlefield now, all he felt was fear and the urge to run.

He was a coward, a deserter. He accepted every ugly accusation people might throw at him, but he truly could not force himself to point a blade at anything shaped like a human being. Even after steeling himself countless times, he still couldn’t do it.

If bravery meant he had to face killing and being killed, then he would rather choose cowardice. He chose to flee.

So while no one was paying attention, Han Ao quietly left them behind.

He wasn’t familiar with the terrain of Piaomiao Pavilion. The only route he knew was the road back to Autumn Cloud Terrace, but that place was already packed with healers rushing to save the wounded. Going there would only get in the way, and he might even be recognized and dragged into unnecessary trouble.

So Han Ao simply picked a random path and walked. He didn’t know where he was or where he was going, only wandering through the mountains by instinct.

He could constantly hear the distant crashes of spiritual energy colliding.

Later, he also heard several notes from string instruments. The melody seemed capable of shaking one’s mind. The moment he heard it, his vision blurred slightly, and when he stepped forward, he failed to notice the ground beneath him.

His foot slipped.

He tumbled straight down the mountainside.

The slopes of the Penglai Mountains were incredibly steep, and Han Ao had no way to stop himself.

He rarely used spells in the first place. Compared to a cultivator, he was more like an ordinary person. So at a moment like this, he didn’t even have the instinct to protect himself with spiritual energy.

The rocks and splintered wood scraped painfully against his entire body. Finally, after rolling nonstop, he slammed violently into a boulder. Though the impact nearly snapped his waist in half, at least the tumbling finally stopped.

“Fuck…”

Han Ao cursed weakly under his breath. He lay on the ground for a long time before finally managing to climb back to his feet.

His clothes had been torn apart by the rocks, ripped open in countless places. Without even looking, he already knew the skin beneath was covered in bruises.

Han Ao struggled upright and brushed the dirt off himself before instinctively checking whether any bones were broken.

Only after inspecting himself did he realize this body had already undergone body tempering. The chances of breaking bones from a mere fall were extremely low.

That sort of “good fortune” was usually something only someone with a fragile body like Lin Jin needed to worry about.

Thinking of Lin Jin, Han Ao couldn’t help but laugh a little.

But the smile quickly faded.

A trace of worry rose in his heart.

Lin Jin wasn’t like him. He wasn’t the kind of person who would run from battle. At a time like this, that guy was probably already on the front lines helping fight. Han Ao wondered if he was safe.

Still, Lin Jin seemed to have adapted to this world perfectly. Fighting—even killing—probably wasn’t difficult for him anymore.

The thought made Han Ao feel even worse.

Lin Jin was the first—and only—friend he had made since arriving in this world. Sometimes Han Ao felt luckier than all those transmigrators in novels because he had found a true confidant, a genuine companion who understood him.

But at other times, he felt unbearably miserable.

Because now he could only watch helplessly as Lin Jin slowly became part of this world. Lin Jin was becoming more and more like one of its natives, while Han Ao himself increasingly felt like an alien no one could understand.

That was simply the truth.

Being separated halfway through the journey hurt far more than always being alone.

Han Ao sighed inwardly and rubbed the spot on his lower back where he had slammed into the rock earlier. Just as he lowered his gaze in thought, several shadows suddenly swept across the ground.

Instinctively, Han Ao looked up.

His eyes widened.

Flying through the air was actually a group of demons radiating thick, foul energy.

Han Ao’s heart jolted.

He couldn’t understand why demons had appeared here.

Hadn’t the mountain gate of Piaomiao Pavilion still not fallen? Other mountain paths were guarded too, weren’t they? So how had demons managed to break in?

Han Ao immediately sensed something was wrong.

Pressing his lips together, he prayed those monsters wouldn’t notice him while slowly backing away, trying to retreat into the forest. Once the creatures passed by, he planned to send a message to Lin Jin at the front lines warning him about this.

But his luck was truly terrible.

Not only had he slipped and rolled down a mountain earlier, but now, while retreating, he encountered the worst possible situation imaginable—

He accidentally stepped on a dead branch.

Crack.

The branch snapped cleanly in half.

The sound instantly attracted the demons’ attention. Their movements halted, and they immediately turned toward Han Ao’s direction.

Startled, Han Ao didn’t even think before spinning around and bolting.

Every bit of that reaction fell directly into the eyes of the leading demon cultivator, causing him to raise a puzzled brow.

“How is there someone here? Everyone on the southern mountain path should either be dead or gone by now. This sword cultivator’s limbs seem perfectly fine too—he can run and jump just fine. So why is he hiding here alone?”

“Hah.”

The Scarlet Charm Demon behind him sneered.

“Looks like a coward. His fellow disciples are still fighting up ahead while he hides here enjoying himself. Well, now we’ve caught him.”

Those words filled the leading demon cultivator’s eyes with contempt.

He waved dismissively.

“Forget it. Since that’s the case, you handle him. He’s yours. The rest of you, come with me.”

“Yes!”

The Scarlet Charm Demon lowered his head to accept the order, with obvious delight appearing on his face.

The flesh and blood of human cultivators were the greatest nourishment for demons. Consuming them only benefited cultivation. Who would’ve thought he’d get this lucky and stumble onto such an easy prize?

Hopefully, the boy’s cultivation was high enough to improve his strength significantly.

With that thought, the Scarlet Charm Demon immediately chased after Han Ao.

Did the brat think he could escape after being targeted by him? Impossible.

Meanwhile, Han Ao sprinted desperately through the peach forest faster than he had ever in his life.

But before he could run very far, a crimson figure suddenly descended before him.

A young man dressed in red stood with his hands behind his back. His crimson eyes curved with amusement, practically spelling out “ill intentions” across his face.

“You…”

Han Ao skidded to a halt.

Panicked, he looked back and realized only the Scarlet Charm Demon had pursued him. That at least eased his fear slightly.

He drew the crude iron sword from his back and gripped it tightly.

“Don’t come any closer!”

“Little brother, stop shaking. If you looked even slightly calmer, I might actually feel intimidated.”

The Scarlet Charm Demon was utterly unfazed by the threat. He studied Han Ao with interest and slowly stepped closer.

“Come on, let me see. Are you planning to drive me back?”

The way he looked at Han Ao resembled an adult humoring a child throwing a tantrum.

The demon casually lifted a hand and mimed a chopping motion.

“Like this?”

Then he thought for a moment and demonstrated a sideways slash.

“Or maybe this?”

A grin slowly spread across his lips.

“Or perhaps—”

Before he even finished speaking, the Scarlet Charm Demon suddenly flashed directly in front of Han Ao.

Han Ao only saw a streak of red flash past his vision.

The next instant, the person who had been several steps away was already before him.

Han Ao couldn’t react at all.

By the time he realized what was happening, the Scarlet Charm Demon had already swept him away with a brutal kick.

It felt as though a thousand-pound hammer had smashed into his abdomen.

His body flew backward uncontrollably, apparently crashing through a tree along the way, yet even that failed to stop his momentum.

When he finally slammed into the ground, it felt as if all his organs had twisted together. Every inch of him burned with unbearable agony.

He coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The crude iron sword that had looked so utterly harmless also fell from his hand.

“You’re far weaker than I expected. Aren’t you a Golden Core cultivator? How are you this pathetic?”

The Scarlet Charm Demon wrinkled his nose in disgust as he looked down at Han Ao’s miserable state.

A mocking smile curled at his lips.

“Aren’t you a sword cultivator? Then why can’t you even use a sword? Judging by your clothes, you’re from Yanyu Mountain, aren’t you? I never expected Yanyu Mountain to have trash like you—a cultivator who formed a Golden Core yet can’t even wield a sword. I almost thought you were trying to trick me.”

Han Ao’s throat seemed clogged with blood. He couldn’t force out a single word.

“Don’t look at me like that. Relax, it won’t hurt for long. I’ve always heard cultivator flesh tastes amazing. I wonder what it’s actually like…”

The Scarlet Charm Demon unconsciously licked his lips, frenzy flashing in his eyes.

“Don’t worry. I won’t waste any of it.”

…Madman.

Han Ao was terrified beyond belief.

Because he realized the demon cultivator wasn’t joking.

This thing was truly intended to eat him.

Han Ao was genuinely afraid now.

This was probably the closest he had ever come to death.

And he was about to die in the ugliest, most miserable way imaginable.

He would become food for a demon cultivator. Become nourishment for their cultivation.

Han Ao trembled uncontrollably.

And at that exact moment, he suddenly sensed a fluctuation of spiritual energy nearby.

A high-level cultivator!

Han Ao looked up.

Sure enough, he spotted Xiao Yunkong rushing toward this direction through the sky.

At that instant, Xiao Yunkong looked like a god descending from heaven.

Han Ao discarded every prejudice he’d ever held against him. Right now, Xiao Yunkong was his only lifeline.

“Senior brother!!!”

Han Ao saw hope for survival.

Clutching the grass beneath him, he struggled to drag himself forward, hoping Xiao Yunkong would notice him.

He coughed up more blood and screamed with the last strength he had left:

“Senior brother! Help me!! Save me!!!”

Han Ao widened his eyes slightly, desperately watching Xiao Yunkong fly closer on spiritual energy.

He noticed it.

Xiao Yunkong had heard his cries. He looked toward him.

That single glance filled Han Ao with relief.

He thought he was going to survive.

He even began to think perhaps he really had misunderstood him before.

Lin Jin had been right. Words on a page couldn’t define everything. The Xiao Yunkong standing before him truly was an honorable and noble person—

The thought never finished forming.

Because almost immediately, Han Ao realized Xiao Yunkong had no intention of stopping for him.

He merely lowered his gaze, glanced at him briefly, pressed his lips together faintly, then continued forward without slowing even a fraction.

In fact, he seemed to speed up even more.

It felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of freezing water over Han Ao’s head.

That water extinguished every last trace of his desire to live.

“Hahahahaha!”

The Scarlet Charm Demon behind him burst into delighted laughter.

“Little Daoist, was that your senior brother? Your cries for help were so pitiful, so heartbreaking—but why did he just look at you and leave? He had absolutely no intention of saving you!”

The demon laughed harder.

“For a second there, I was actually scared! His cultivation is terrifying—the strongest human I’ve ever seen. Even if he casually summoned a sword and poked me once, I definitely couldn’t survive it! But guess what? He wouldn’t even bother with something as effortless as summoning a sword to save you!”

It was the first time the Scarlet Charm Demon had witnessed something so entertaining.

After laughing enough, he bent down, grabbed Han Ao by the collar, and hauled him into the air.

Blood still streamed from Han Ao’s nose and mouth.

His eyes and expression were equally lifeless.

He lowered his gaze, unable to understand what he had done wrong to end up like this.

He had been abandoned.

He was going to die.

He had only just glimpsed a sliver of hope, only to be kicked straight back into the abyss.

Han Ao was in unbearable despair.

He couldn’t understand why this world was so cruel.

If he chose to wield a sword, others had to die.

If he abandoned the sword, then he himself would become prey beneath another’s claws.

He had thought he could find some balance between the two. Thought he could survive comfortably and safely in this world.

But in the end, he realized it had all been a fantasy.

He had wanted to preserve at least a shred of the conscience he possessed as a normal modern person.

And now he was about to pay a horrific price for it.

Han Ao closed his eyes.

He didn’t understand the rules of this world.

Maybe he never would.

Blood streamed down his arm, gathering at his fingertips before dripping onto the blade of the crude iron sword.

The black sword, like a piece of scrap metal, faintly flashed with crimson light.

He really was about to die here.

But he refused to accept it.

He wanted to go home.

He wanted to see his parents, do homework, go to school.

He wouldn’t even mind early morning classes anymore.

He didn’t want to stay here.

If only he had known earlier…

If he’d known that preserving those tiny scraps of morality would cost him his life, then he should have abandoned all human conscience from the start.

If this world’s law truly were kill or be killed, then he should have followed that rule long ago.

After all, these were just fictional characters in a book.

Whose life could matter more than his own?

And yet now, he had ruined himself for the sake of a bunch of paper people.

The prerequisite to going home was surviving.

Only by surviving this cruel world could he ever return home alive.

Why had he understood that so late?

Han Ao curled his fingers slightly.

He could feel the Scarlet Charm Demon’s filthy aura drawing near.

Disgusting.

Die…

Go die…

What the hell are you?

I’m the protagonist. What are you supposed to be?!

A crimson light flashed through Han Ao’s eyes.

At that same moment, warm liquid splattered across him, accompanied by the nauseating stench of blood that had once haunted his nightmares.

The Scarlet Charm Demon stared wide-eyed at the crude iron sword piercing through his demon core, then looked back at Han Ao in disbelief.

Han Ao formed a simple hand seal and summoned the Boundary-Breaking Sword back into his grasp.

At the same time, the strength in the Scarlet Charm Demon’s grip loosened. Han Ao staggered half a step before steadying himself, watching as the demon collapsed limply to the ground.

Han Ao pressed his lips together faintly.

Without hesitation, he gripped the sword with both hands and drove the blade into the demon’s body once more.

Blood dyed his vision red.

The one who deserves to die is you.

Not me.

I am the blade.

You are the meat.

Several black demonic markings drifted from the Scarlet Charm Demon’s corpse, intertwining with demonic energy before all of it was absorbed into the sword.

At some point, Han Ao suddenly understood.

Understood how laughably naïve and pretentious his old beliefs had been.

If this world truly was so cruel—

If the weak and the prey were destined to be abandoned and trampled—

Then why should he cling to those useless morals and principles any longer?

Better others suffer than himself.

Better that others die than him.

In the end, what did anyone else’s life have to do with him anyway?