MD Ch 1 Part 3

What? Gu Jincheng? He’s not dead?

In my novel, 《Heavenly Demon Tribulation》, Gu Jincheng was Yu Ke’s right-hand man, raised as a warrior by his side since childhood. While other bodyguards came and went, he persevered like a weed in a wasteland, eventually becoming Yu Ke’s most loyal follower.

This man was like he was born for Yu Ke. If Yu Ke wanted a woman, he’d find one. If he wanted a man, he’d find a man. If Yu Ke committed murder or arson, he’d silently clean up the mess. He even died in Yu Ke’s place during the final showdown with Song Qiyuan.

Back then, countless Gu Jincheng fans had flooded the comments section, cursing me for being heartless and cruel for killing off their angelic Jincheng so easily.

I even remember my reply:

 

[There’s no way such a perfect person could exist in the world.]

 

After that, there was a brief silence, followed by a barrage of attacks directed at me. A lot of readers dropped the novel because of that incident, and I remember getting a serious earful from my editor.

Without another word, Gu Jincheng hauled me towards Song Qiyuan, who grabbed my hair and yanked my head up.

Why do I feel betrayed?

The so-called righteous cultivators continued to whisper among themselves as they stared at me, their words so blatant they were embarrassing to hear.

Thud!

Song Qiyuan grabbed my collar and unceremoniously threw me onto what looked like an altar in front of him.

The pain felt as though my internal organs had been twisted, leaving me sprawled on the altar, unable to move, wincing.

After throwing me, Song Qiyuan accepted a handkerchief offered by Gu Jincheng and meticulously wiped his jade-like fingers, one by one, as if plagued by a compulsive need for cleanliness.

D*mn it! Hey, I’m not poisonous! Was I that disgusting?! And you! Gu Jincheng! Aren’t you my bodyguard? Why didn’t you save me and instead…hand him a handkerchief?

Lying face down on the cold stone slab of the altar, I felt a sudden urge to cry. This feeling of being abandoned by the world was truly awful.

I had been thrown onto a spot directly facing the Qingcang Sect’s base. In the distance, I could see the Qingcang Peak, surrounded by lush green mountains, soaring towards the sky like a sharp blade. The main hall, faintly visible through the clouds above, exuded an imposing aura.

The altar I was lying on seemed newly constructed. The stone slab was smooth and incredibly long, exceeding one “zhang” in both length and width. At the two front corners stood towering stone pillars covered in symbols and patterns. Presumably, there were two more pillars behind me as well.

From this angle, I couldn’t see the righteous cultivators standing behind me, the ones who had come to kill me, the ones I had created. It eased my mind a little. Having my ass, which was facing Song Qiyuan—well, it might be like hiding the sun with one’s hand—somehow restored a bit of my dignity.

Being here felt utterly terrible.

“Bring the Vermilion Bird.”

As I was wallowing in my negativity, I heard Song Qiyuan’s low, pleasant voice from behind. He infused his voice with spiritual energy, making it audible to everyone present.

Wait. The Vermilion Bird?

Damn it! The Vermilion Bird? My baby, my Vermilion Bird?

Ignoring the pain racking my body, I struggled to move my limbs, managing to turn half a circle. I straightened my neck and looked behind me, and the sight that greeted me made me vomit bile onto the altar in a fit of rage. The pristine white stone slab was stained crimson. But I had no time to wipe the blood from my lips. Seeing my child covered in wounds, I couldn’t help but sob.

The Vermilion Bird was my most cherished divine beast, and thus, Yu Ke in the story also held deep affection for it.

The Vermilion Bird’s neck and slender legs were bound by black iron chains as thick as a grown man’s arm. Its vibrant red feathers had lost their luster and were sparsely plucked in places. The five-colored markings covering its body had long since faded beneath streaks of blood.

This was definitely the Azure Dragon’s doing. Due to the animosity between Song Qiyuan and Yu Ke, the Azure Dragon and the Vermilion Bird also didn’t get along, always trying to kill each other whenever they met.

Now that Song Qiyuan had the upper hand, it was easy enough for him to take out his frustration on Yu Ke’s mount, the Vermilion Bird.

The markings on the Vermilion Bird’s massive wings were likely a restrictive seal. Its wings dragged on the ground as if they weighed a thousand “jin”, making a scraping sound with each movement.

Even though it was reduced to this sorry state, subjected to the mocking whispers and laughter of the surrounding people, the Vermilion Bird still held its head high. Its ruby-like eyes held a haughty glint, and although its gait seemed labored, its bearing remained dignified.

The Vermilion Bird possessed majesty and arrogance.

As it drew closer, the Vermilion Bird saw me lying like a corpse on the altar and stopped abruptly, its eyes meeting mine. Deep sorrow and rage filled those beautiful eyes.

“Screech—”

The previously silent Vermilion Bird lowered its head pathetically and let out a mournful cry that echoed through the air, defying everyone’s expectations.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I quickly lowered my head, burying my face in the pool of blood on the ground to avoid looking at the Vermilion Bird’s wretched state.

I didn’t want to embarrass myself by crying again in front of these people. I didn’t want to be humiliated any further.

The crowd buzzed with activity, the surrounding spiritual energy fluctuating. Some had already gripped their weapons, ready to strike at any moment.

Song Qiyuan, his expression unchanged, narrowed his eyes and uttered incomprehensible words.

“Do not fear the mere beast of Yu Ke’s subordinate. The real spectacle is about to begin.”

A spectacle? What was he planning?

Before my doubts could linger, Song Qiyuan’s actions startled me.

With a flick of his wrist, a pure white jade box appeared in Song Qiyuan’s hand. He opened the box and retrieved a long leaf emitting black smoke. Its edges were densely lined with saw-like teeth, a sight that would surely horrify anyone with trypophobia.

A sense of foreboding washed over me as soon as he took out the leaf. I felt like I had described it somewhere before, that I should recognize it, but I couldn’t recall what it was or what it was used for.

Grotesque black smoke, a stark contrast to his jade-like hand, rose from the serrated leaf.

Looking at the Vermilion Bird, he formed hand seals, his body rising into the air to meet the bird’s gaze. Then, he drew Cang Jue, his renowned divine sword, known throughout the cultivation world.

As Cang Jue was unsheathed, the air between heaven and earth trembled, the sharp blade reflecting the light. The long, chilling sword light emanating from Song Qiyuan’s spiritual energy seemed to freeze the entire space.

With a flick of his finger, the long leaf shot towards the Vermilion Bird. The flower petal-like sword light of Cang Jue danced in the space between Song Qiyuan and the Vermilion Bird.

Though bound, the Vermilion Bird wouldn’t be easily subdued. Its eyes blazing with fury, it let out a long cry, scattering the clouds in the sky. Crimson flames erupted from its beak. Though small in quantity, the heat was intense.

Despite the crimson flames engulfing him, Song Qiyuan’s expression remained unchanged. I even saw the corners of his lips curl upwards.

An ominous premonition overwhelmed me. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched the scene unfold before me.

As expected, Song Qiyuan easily deflected the Vermilion Bird’s flames with Cang Jue’s sword light and immediately pointed the tip of his sword at the bird.

“Bind!”

With a single word, he controlled the Vermilion Bird’s movements. The black markings on its body grew increasingly vivid, spreading from its wings across its entire form.

My heart sank. The leaf, now fragmented by Cang Jue’s sword light, transformed into a black mist that enveloped the Vermilion Bird.

The mist instantly covered the bird’s body, seeping into its wounds before vanishing without a trace.

The Vermilion Bird thrashed violently, screeching in agony.

With an impassive expression, Song Qiyuan swung his sword again, sending the Vermilion Bird crashing down beside me.

The stone slab cracked, the fissures reaching beneath my body, making my heart race.

A few crimson feathers landed next to me, mirroring the redness in my eyes.

“Activate the formation.”

But regardless, a cold voice sliced through the air. Song Qiyuan had already sheathed Cang Jue and was rapidly forming hand seals in the air.

As if responding to his voice, the patterns carved on the altar’s stone pillars glowed brighter, emitting thousands upon thousands of rays of light. They intertwined in the air above the altar, forming an iron cage that trapped both the Vermilion Bird and me.

After finishing all of this and returning to the ground, Song Qiyuan’s face was etched with a deepening smile, sending chills down my spine. I felt a wave of despair wash over me.

“A cornered beast will kill its master. This is the spectacle I promised you all.”

His words pierced my heart, striking a nerve I thought was resilient.

The resentment laced in his tone, expression, and gaze, along with that condescending smirk…

The chilling sharpness of it all was unfamiliar.

This man was neither the protagonist I created nor the Song Qiyuan I wrote.

Why had he changed so much? Was it because of the plot I had laid out?

The Vermilion Bird, which had been lying beside me, suddenly clamped down on my arm with its sharp beak. Only then did I realize it had awakened. The current situation had long surpassed anything I could have imagined.

I met the Vermilion Bird’s crimson eyes, filled with murderous intent and savagery, but it seemed to have forgotten who I was.

Images swirled chaotically in my mind, gradually piecing together until I finally remembered what that long leaf was.

The Bewitching Soul Grass.

A blade of grass that grows between high cliffs, shrouded in black mist. It grows about an inch every hundred years. The longer the leaf and the more serrated its edges, the stronger its effects.

Song Qiyuan had used a leaf about five inches long, triggering the Vermilion Bird’s bestial nature, clouding its mind, and awakening the savagery hidden within its blood.

The Vermilion Bird’s crimson eyes sharpened, its beak tightening its grip, tearing a large chunk of flesh from my already wounded arm.

Bright red blood flowed freely, and the pain nearly made me faint. My whole body trembled uncontrollably, convulsing. I vividly felt the sensation of flesh tearing away from bone.

D*mn it, that hurts like hell!

Currently, on the altar, there was only me and the crazed Vermilion Bird, intoxicated by the drug and unable to recognize even its own master. And right now, I was its sole target.

The faint light filtering through the iron bars illuminated the righteous cultivators outside, enjoying the spectacle. Their faces were alight with excitement, their cruel gazes reveling in another’s pain. Some even clapped.

I had truly fallen from grace overnight.