A Good-for-Nothing

312. Ending (II)

Translator: Dragon Rider

“Li Zong.”

Another voice called Li Zong’s name. Li Zong’s back stiffened. For the first time ever, he started trembling uncontrollably, his bloodless face becoming even pastier, giving off an aura of decay.

He Zheng was holding Shadow’s hilt, a red light flowing back and forth along the blade of the sword. Veiled in a crimson light, he appeared eerie and horrifying.

He Zheng’s eyes were fixed on Li Zong all along. Li Zong did not swivel his head around. He was behind a barrier of demonic Qi and He Zheng could not see his face clearly, but he could see Li Zong’s rigid back, which struck him as both familiar and unfamiliar.

“Li Zong, turn around and look at me.”

Li Zong did not pivot around. Subduing his intolerable heartache, trying hard to make his voice steady, he said, “Beat it.”

These were the only rude words that Li Zong had ever said to He Zheng since they had made the acquaintance of each other.

Curiously enough, He Zheng, a terribly bad-tempered man, was not angered. Eyes red, he just softened his voice and asked him, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Li Zong, having an inkling that something was wrong, abruptly turned his head around.

There seemed to be a certain distance between him and He Zheng. What with the barrier of demonic Qi, Li Zong was unable to approach He Zheng, but the faint smell of blood had spread to his nostrils. The scent stimulated Xiangshan, and demonic Qi instantly covered more than half of Li Zong’s face. At this moment Li Zong’s well-featured face looked terrible.

During his trip to this place, He Zheng had battled numerous desires, so he looked a little the worse for wear. Slightly hunched, he panted a little. Dan Zhu, the Soul Beast in his forehead, was emitting a faint glow, which was why He Zheng had managed to stay clear-minded when Li Zong was not in sight.

The first hallucination he had seen was about Li Zong dying right in front of him. Ridding his mind of the hallucination to stay cool-headed had been quite an effort. Therefore, when he saw that Li Zong was still alive, He Zheng’s rapid heartbeat gradually returned to normal, his determination solidifying.

“Say you’re sorry.”

Li Zong, in an almost subconscious way, said to He Zheng, “I’m sorry.”

He Zheng promptly chuckled. Looking at Li Zong on the opposite side, he asked in a relaxed tone of voice, “Do you not want to know why I had you apologize?”

Though unable to get a clear view of his face, Li Zong could see in his mind’s eye the smile at the corners of He Zheng’s mouth. After a long moment’s silence, the black gas over his face, surprisingly, ebbed somewhat. He did not walk forward but asked, “Why did you come here?”

“There’s no way I’m leaving you alone in this place,” He Zheng replied, “but you’ve just apologized, so I forgive you for having that asshole Chen Qianlin modify my memories.”

Having noticed that Li Zong was still standing there, He Zheng slowly made towards him.

Li Zong, who had been keeping silent, was startled. “Stop! The demonic Qi will swallow you whole!”

He Zheng, showing a total disregard for his warning, continued walking towards Li Zong, firmly and sure-footedly.

The closer he was to Li Zong, the thicker the black gas around him, and the stronger the influence it had on him. As a result, more negative thoughts flooded into He Zheng’s mind. Demonic Qi was whirling around him. Li Zong was badly distracted, but he stayed where he was. Xiangshan instantly took over his body and was very excited.

“Interesting. This is much more interesting.”

Xiangshan gave a wave of his hand and with that more potent demonic Qi came at He Zheng, who immediately wielded his sword to defend against the attack. With a flash of red light, Fengren materialized in front of He Zheng and fended off the demonic Qi. And then He Zheng cut a narrow gap in the barrier with a slash.

However, He Zheng paid a price for that, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.

Demonic Qi kept attacking He Zheng and he dodged helter-skelter. Xiangshan, having taking possession of Li Zong’s body, enjoyed it very much, and an otherworldly, wicked gleam gradually appeared in his eyes. “Watching him struggle is more enjoyable than I thought. I’ll kill him when he gets close enough. It’d be more interesting that way, wouldn’t it?”

Li Zong, a strong-willed man, trembled momentarily. He Zheng’s sudden appearance had caused Li Zong to lose his cool, which was why Xiangshan had instantly got the upper hand in the standoff. Most of his body had been controlled by Xiangshan, and he was unable to resume progressing.

He Zheng, as though having heard Xiangshan’s words, said in a weary, wheezy, soft voice, “Li Zong, don’t go any further. I’m exhausted.”

A biting coldness swept over him, and the taste of blood in his mouth made He Zheng nauseous. The demonic Qi was invading his body from all directions like a massive army. Xiangshan was determined to kill him. The demonic Qi felt as though it would engulf him. Fengren was still in front of He Zheng, sheltering him. Red light flashed several times on the blade of the sword, deflecting the blows from the demonic Qi.

But it seemed that Fengren would not be able to last long.

“He Zheng, go!” Li Zong’s voice was icy, making He Zheng’s blood freeze, but his heart was burning.

“No!” He Zheng replied firmly and curtly. After saying this, he began to pant heavily again.

Finishing that sentence was the best Li Zong could do. The Demon King, though having only a tiny portion of his original powers left, was still very powerful. In this war of attrition, Li Zong was losing. His mind was being controlled. He was amid thick black mist, as though he were the only one left in the world.

His sentience was disappearing. Countless clouds of black gas surrounded him. The barrier of demonic Qi thickened, separating He Zheng and Li Zong, making it impossible for them to see each other clearly.

He Zheng was also a sorry sight. Standing outside the barrier of demonic Qi, he looked both terrifying and the worse for wear. Demonic Qi was eroding his nerves non-stop, and he gradually lapsed into perplexity.

Black.

What he saw was a boundless black. There was no path in sight. He gradually forgot who he was and what he was trying to do. He just had a strong feeling that he must keep moving forward, that someone was waiting for him somewhere ahead.

He Zheng clenched his teeth as the red light from Shadow dimmed. A forbidding female voice said in his mind, “I’m sorry, He Zheng. This is as far as I can accompany you. You’ll have to finish the rest of the journey alone. Find Li Zong and get him out of here.”

It was Fengren.

He Zheng recalled that this was Fengren’s voice.

He Zheng gave a great shudder as his eyes flew open. The mist seemed to be instantaneously dispersed by his gaze. The red light turned into countless sharp shards and shot towards the barrier of demonic Qi from all directions. The next second, the barrier abruptly shattered like a pane of glass. He Zheng spat out a mouthful of blood as his sword shattered as well. He saw it distinctly that the red light was not a piece of sword-light but Fengren!

Fengren twisted his head around and smiled a watery smile at He Zheng.

He Zheng recalled the many words that Fengren had said to him before their departure. What he remembered the most vividly was the few moments when Fengren, standing with his back to him and looking out of the window, had said, “That person is dead. I know how you feel, so I don’t want you to end up like him.”

He Zheng did not know much about what Fengren had been through. He only knew that he looked exactly the same as Fengren’s original master, but he was not the person Fengren had been looking for.

It was probably yet another tragic story.

But it was not until this moment that He Zheng came to realize what Fengren’s decision was. Fengren had said that he did not expect to return from this trip in one piece.

“Fengren!” He Zheng abruptly slumped to his knees. Shadow had disappeared.

He Zheng lapsed into devastation, tears rolling down from his eyes uncontrollably.

But the last sword stroke had breached the black gas, allowing He Zheng a clear view of Li Zong standing right ahead.

More than half of Li Zong’s face was shrouded in black gas. He looked a little scary, his eyes half open and full of eerie colors.

He Zheng’s eyes slightly widened. After a mere glance of Li Zong, He Zheng’s eyes became scarlet. He clenched his teeth, determined not to let Fengren’s efforts come to nought.

He went into Li Zong’s embrace almost with a single leap. The shadow behind Li Zong started wriggling wildly. An otherworldly glint flitted across Li Zong’s eyes. Controlled by the demon, Li Zong’s hand softly landed on He Zheng’s neck.

He Zheng made no effort to dodge. If Li Zong was to kill him, he would willingly face his death.

“Li Zong.” He Zheng’s voice, heavy with grief, made Li Zong’s heart quiver.

Xiangshan was just about to make his move when he suddenly found that Li Zong’s body was no longer under his control.

Blood was trickling from between Li Zong’s lips constantly, and his eyes had some time ago turned pure black. The time seemed to be long gone when his eyes were an imposing gold.

He Zheng drew Li Zong’s hand to his cheek to let him stroke it. “If you’re to go to the underworld, bring me with you,” he said.

He Zheng’s whole face was covered with tears. On his cheeks was a mixture of tear, dust and blood, and they looked rather dirty. Li Zong, slowly and rigidly, reached out his hands, held He Zheng’s face close to his and kissed it, heedless of the dirt.

Li Zong’s body gradually began to burn up, the black gas around him crackling. Karma Flames rose from Li Zong’s feet like blooming red lotus flowers.

Xiangshan, having an inkling that things were going south, did not dare take it lightly anymore. Demonic Qi enfolded the two of them once again. Li Zong’s eyes were tightly shut, his brow knitted.

He Zheng reached out a hand, stroked Li Zong’s cheek and forehead and suddenly said, “Li Zong, a couple of days ago I dreamt about my master.”

All Li Zong’s muscles were tense, his eyes closed, as though he was enduring agony, but he still asked softly, “What did he say in the dream?”

“He told me to read the last page of The Thirteen Moves of Qingwei,” He Zheng replied. “Do you know what’s on the last page?”

“What is it?”

“It’s a spell the old man left me, one that’s powerful enough to kill this bastard they call Demon King,” He Zheng smiled. “The geriatric must’ve become an immortal. He gave me exactly what I needed.”

Li Zong’s hands balled into fists, and blood began flowing from them, but he seemed as though he could not feel the pain. The corners of his mouth turning up, he said in a voice tinged with delight, “That’s quite likely.”

He Zheng cupped Li Zong’s face in his hands and kissed him. After looking down at him for quite a while, He Zheng still failed to restrain his emotions. His tears dropped into Li Zong’s black eyes and then slid down from the corners of them. He Zheng asked in a slightly choked voice, “Are you afraid?”

“No.”

Tears streamed down from Li Zong’s eyes. His eyes were still black, without whites, but remarkably, He Zheng’s reflection appeared in them.

“The four enlightened realms, the infinite heaven and earth, all gods bow before you, thunder is your servant. Ghosts and demons recoil, monsters and bogeys cower. Lend me your power. Bring evil to its end!”

The rumble of thunder emanated from the horizon, as though in response to the Karma Flames flaring up from Li Zong’s feet.

Smiling, Li Zong tweaked He Zheng’s cheek. “You’re kidding me again. Isn’t this a common lightning spell of yours?”

He Zheng’s eyes were red, but he smiled a sly smile and, propped against Li Zong’s chest, lowered his head to kiss him as his voice trailed off between their tangled tongues and lips. “You’re such a moron. The Thirteen Moves of Qingwei belongs to Qingwei Sect, no matter how powerful the moves in it are. Lightning spells are the ultimate weapon of Qingwei Sect.”

The corners of Li Zong’s mouth turned up. Holding He Zheng, he closed his eyes.

At this moment, those outside the magical barrier saw a scene that they would never forget. A gigantic bolt of purple lightning struck down from the sky and entwined itself with a gargantuan flame inside the domed magical barrier, sending glaring sparks like fireworks into mid-air in succession. It was a spectacular sight.

Chen Qianlin and the others, who had just arrived in haste, buckled at the knees at the sight of it and slumped to the ground. Chen Qianlin, tears trickling down his cheeks, gazing unseeingly ahead, murmured tremulously, “He Zheng, Supt. Li … ”

His voice was drowned out by claps of thunder, which was heard one after another. After about ten minutes which felt like an hour, the rumble of thunder finally died away. The magical barrier began to crack like an enormous overturned glass tank and eventually collapsed to the ground with an almighty crash.

“Is everything over?”

Mount Xiwu looked even bleaker now. The ground was burnt black, and there were even small flames still burning, but the air was not as foul as it had been. There seemed to be no demonic Qi whatsoever on Mount Xiwu.

Chen Qianlin pressed his forehead against the ground and burst into wails. Infected by the crying, all the others’ eyes reddened and they could not bring themselves to look at Chen Qianlin again.

Everything had disappeared, including Li Zong who always looked unapproachable and inviolable, and individualistic He Zheng. They had both vanished amid the elemental energy of the vast sheets of lightning.

When everybody was in grief, Tun Shanhai abruptly yelled, “Look, guys!”

Not far away, a flock of bright-colored birds showed up. They seemed to be flying in a particular direction, twittering joyously as though celebrating something festive.

Above Mount Xiwu, golden dragon Qi mixed with a kind of purple gas was whirling in the sky. A large phoenix was standing on a tall phoenix tree. It seemed to be guarding something. At the sight of the group of people looking in its direction, the phoenix, as though knowing what they were doing, let out a silvery squawk.

They hastened up to the tree, where they got a clearer view of the scene.

They saw two men lying on the ground next to each other, both unconscious. Though comatose, the one on the left, who was taller, was holding the other one tightly in his arms.

The two men were none other than Li Zong and He Zheng.