Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Li Yuebai manipulated the timeline, quickly setting it to three years later.
“Master, the Immortal Lord actually… actually listened to slander and is extremely wary of you, it’s really…” Jiang Shaoying stood in the study, his face full of resentment and helplessness.
He still looked like a young man, but his expression was no longer as lively and spirited as before, instead filled with helplessness.
Mu Qingning was bent over his desk, slowly writing with his pen, without even a sigh.
Madam Ji resented Mu Qingning for not recalling Yu Tianliu back then, but instead recommending Yu Tianji as the Immortal Lord, even refusing to let Yu Tianliu enter the mountain gate… If it weren’t for that, how could she have married Yu Tianji, whom she didn’t love? After becoming the Immortal Lord’s wife, she also resented Yu Tianji for relying too much on Mu Qingning, to the point that Mu Qingning held too much power, even threatening the status of the Ji family. Therefore, she often spoke to Yu Tianji and slandered Mu Qingning in every way. No matter how much Yu Tianji trusted Mu Qingning, after hearing it so much, he inevitably developed resentment.
“Shaoying, stop talking. Take this letter to the Immortal Lord.” Mu Qingning wrote a letter and handed it to her disciple, speaking gently.
“It’s no use. The Immortal Lord won’t read it. He won’t even open your letter.” Jiang Shaoying said angrily, but dared not disobey his master’s order, so he took the letter and left.
“Jiang Shaoying is the male lead of this work.” The system finally announced a fact.
“Huh?” Li Yuebai was still immersed in the heavy plot. Hearing this, he was stunned. “System, why are you only telling me this now?”
“Because it’s not important. Your character and the male lead are just ordinary teacher and student.” The system explained, “Mu Qingning has always been Jiang Shaoying’s white moonlight. Even after many years of traveling the world, Jiang Shaoying never met someone as good as Mu Qingning again.”
“What is the role of the character Yu Tianji in the whole work?”
“Just a minor character.” The system replied.
“…”
During the time when Yu Tianji listened to slander and distanced himself from Mu Qingning, Yu Tianliu, with the help of Su Xu, actually found a way to attack Kunlun again.
Yu Tianliu was unable to attack Kunlun because he lacked sufficient cultivators. The Jiuli region was also desolate, making it impossible to recruit new followers. Unexpectedly, fate presented him with a golden opportunity— a marriage alliance.
In the east lay the Juling Immortal Mountain, the Immortal Lord Wei had always maintained good relations with the Kunlun Yu clan. Moreover, the Wei Immortal Lord considered Yu Tianliu impulsive and cruel, unworthy of close friendship, while favoring the timid and kind-hearted Yu Tianji. After Yu Tianji ascended to the position of Immortal Lord and repelled the Demonic Sect, the Wei Immortal Lord even publicly expressed his support and recognition of Yu Tianji.
The Wei Immortal Lord was old and passed away less than two years later. His third son, Wei Jingyao, assassinated his elder brother and usurped the position of Immortal Lord. Wei Jingyao was ambitious and harbored a desire to annex Kunlun, but lacking a legitimate reason, he dared not act.
At this time, Yu Tianliu sent someone to discuss cooperation. The two hit it off immediately and secretly made an alliance. Wei Jingyao married his daughter to Yu Tianliu, acknowledged Yu Tianliu as the Immortal Lord of Kunlun Immortal Mountain, and assigned many of his cultivators to Yu Tianliu to help him reclaim Kunlun Immortal Mountain.
When Yu Tianliu led a mighty army of 20,000 cultivators to approach Kunlun Immortal Mountain, the mountain itself was already in turmoil.
Yu Tianji was already weak and sickly, and his cultivation was extremely poor. One day, he discovered that Lady Ji was secretly communicating with Yu Tianliu. He was so angry that he fell ill and was bedridden. Lady Ji, fearing that the matter would be exposed, dismissed all the servants and took care of her husband herself, secretly resolving to go all the way.
Meanwhile, Mu Qingning had all his authority revoked and could no longer meet with Yu Tianji. Yu Tianliu’s slogan was— only kill usurpers, not the Kunlun cultivators who obeyed him. Therefore, the Kunlun cultivators didn’t even have the will to resist.
Three years after the Demonic Sect was defeated, Yu Tianliu once again surrounded Kunlun Immortal Mountain.
“Master… is there really no way out?” Jiang Shaoying clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, drawing blood.
“The only people Yu Tianliu wants to kill are Yu Tianji and me,” Mu Qingning smiled. “I can’t let tens of thousands of people in Kunlun risk their lives to protect me.”
“So you’re just going to sit and wait to die?” Jiang Shaoying roared.
Mu Qingning didn’t answer.
But Li Yuebai could guess his answer— this ending was inevitable, unchangeable, and since it couldn’t be changed, why cause more casualties?
A few days later, Wan Guangliu secretly led several trusted disciples to open the mountain gates and welcome Yu Tianliu into the city.
Yu Tianliu regained his position as Immortal Lord without bloodshed, and Yu Tianji, on the very night Yu Tianliu entered the city, was secretly strangled to death in his bed by Madam Ji, who publicly declared that he had died due to illness.
Mu Qingning only had time to send his beloved disciples away, urging them to flee far away to avoid being implicated, but he himself could not escape.
Even Yu Tianliu hesitated for a moment when faced with the question of how to deal with Mu Qingning.
“Mu Qingning once led Kunlun to defeat the Demonic Sect,” Yu Tianliu said. “If I kill him, how can I convince the people?”
“Immortal Lord, you are unaware,” Su Xu smiled. “The difference between a savior and a traitor lies in your single thought. You are the Immortal Lord; with just a few words, you can turn day and night upside down, let alone a person’s reputation.”
“Will people really believe it?” Yu Tianliu still frowned.
“Does the Immortal Lord believe that the character and temperament of cultivators are no different from those of mortals?” Su Xu said. “What does telling a lie matter when one’s life and future are at stake? As long as the Immortal Lord promises great rewards, there will surely be people who obey the Immortal Lord’s orders and portray Mu Qingning as utterly wicked. And as long as the story is compelling enough, they will have no choice but to believe it.”
From the moment Yu Tianliu ascended to the position of Immortal Lord, Su Xu, under his instructions, devoted himself to distorting the truth.
First, he burned the historical records— Kunlun Immortal Mountain had many cultivators who specialized in recording important events, their records were numerous and piled up in different pavilions. Modifying them would be extremely troublesome, so Su Xu simply burned all the historical records from the past few years and imprisoned all the recorders. Everything Mu Qingning had done became merely oral tradition, without any historical evidence.
Then, he gathered a group of sycophantic cultivators to rewrite history, deliberately exaggerating Yu Tianliu’s expedition to Jiuli, making it seem like a mythical feat, as if he were an unparalleled hero. As for the resistance against the Demonic Sect, it was written that Mu Qingning usurped power during Kunlun’s crisis, elevating Yu Tianji to the position of Immortal Lord, deliberately failing to send anyone to inform Yu Tianliu to return and reinforce the sect, thus claiming all the credit.
The youths on Kunlun Immortal Mountain, who had previously studied various immortal scriptures with their respective teachers, were quickly subjected to Yu Tianliu’s abuse of his status as Immortal Lord. He incorporated the newly compiled history into the curriculum, strictly requiring them to recite it repeatedly, and demanding an exam on its contents to graduate.
Under this comprehensive implementation, the tide soon turned, and rumors spread like wildfire.
“Lord Tianli’s expedition to Jiuli was a resounding success; indeed, only he deserves the title of Immortal Lord… And Mu Qingning actually plotted to usurp the throne— how despicable!”
“Yes, those who loyally support Lord Tianliu are the truly virtuous and talented Immortal Masters. Mu Qingning and his ilk are nothing but clowns.”
“Yes, what’s most laughable is that his plot to usurp the throne made absolutely no progress. Three years of scheming ended in utter defeat. This man must be incredibly foolish and incompetent; otherwise, how could he have suffered such a crushing defeat?”
“The so-called defeat of the Demonic Sect has probably nothing to do with him. If it were His Majesty the Immortal Lord in command, the Demonic Sect would have been wiped out long ago!”
“I’m from the Ji family. Since Mu Qingning seized power, he’s relentlessly suppressed our family. Fortunately, he fell from power quickly, otherwise, who knows what he would have done to us!”
“Mu Qingning supported Yu Tianji as a puppet, commanding Kunlun and causing the Yu family to fight amongst themselves. It’s truly despicable.”
“Hey, have you heard? Mu Qingning had an affair with his female disciple! Later, to cover it up, he secretly killed her during the battle against the Demonic Sect! Then he framed Peak Master Wan Guangliu, saying it was a command error… How laughable! Peak Master Wan is wise, brave, and unparalleled in loyalty. How could he do such a thing?”
“Tsk tsk, so naive. How could Mu Qingning only have an affair with one female disciple? I’ve heard he has no fewer than a hundred beautiful male and female immortal disciples under his command, and he practices the art of sexual cultivation with them every day…”
“But even if Mu Qingning is despicable and shameless, his military strategies and formation techniques still have some merit, don’t they?” a cultivator asked timidly.
“Formation techniques? The Immortal Lord has already said that his are all evil arts! Fabricated nonsense! Utterly useless!” someone immediately scoffed. “Moreover, I’ve also heard that Mu Qingning slandered and defamed the old Immortal Lord’s formation techniques in his writings, saying that the old Immortal Lord’s formation techniques were wrong.”
The former Immortal Lord of Kunlun Immortal Mountain once made a mistake in his formation, which Mu Qingning pointed out. The old Immortal Lord then realized the error and praised Mu Qingning highly. This incident had now become one of the pieces of evidence against Mu Qingning.
Rumors deliberately spread by those in power were more terrifying than a murderous blade.
Li Yuebai couldn’t stand it anymore and changed his observation location, going to Mu Qingning’s study.
Yu Tianliu did not imprison Mu Qingning, but only placed him under house arrest in his study, forbidding him from leaving.
Mu Qingning appeared as usual, unperturbed by praise or blame, sitting alone at his desk. Despite knowing he was doomed, he continued writing on the scrolls with his remaining ink and brush.
Li Yuebai leaned closer to look and saw that what was being written was poetry, not military strategy or maps.
The poem was lighthearted, cheerful, and spirited, brimming with youthful vigor.
Recalling the portrait he had seen when he first transmigrated— a portrait of Mu Qingning and several like-minded fellow disciples, all smiling happily, though the others had all died later… Li Yuebai felt a tightness in his chest, almost as if he were about to vomit blood again.
He floated quietly behind Mu Qingning, watching him copy poem after poem, secretly hoping this moment would never end.
However, even this moment of tranquility was soon shattered.
The study door was kicked open, and dozens of young cultivators dressed in white robes, long swords at their waists, rushed in.
“Mu Qingning?” the leader asked menacingly.
Mu Qingning looked up at the young man.
A faint smile still lingered on his lips, too late to retract.
“I’m asking you, are you Mu Qingning!” The young man blushed slightly, then quickly gathered his thoughts, realizing why he was there, and roared.
“…” Mu Qingning’s expression returned to calm. He didn’t speak, lowered his head, and continued writing.
“We’re looking for you.” The young man’s anger almost burst from his chest: “You’re the one who usurped Immortal Tianliu’s position as Immortal Lord? You’re the one who committed those beastly acts?”
“It’s him, no doubt. My brother was his student; he recognizes him.” Another young man roared, “The Immortal Lord is truly benevolent; he didn’t even have you torn to pieces!”
“Kunlun has gradually declined in recent years, ridiculed by other sects, all because of this despicable and shameless liar!” A young man drew his longsword from his waist with a trembling right hand: “I… I wish I could kill him…”
He viciously threw the longsword without regard for anything else, the blade slicing through Mu Qingning’s arm, blood gushing out.
Seeing the bright red blood before them, the youths were momentarily at a loss.
“…This…the Immortal Lord didn’t order him killed, isn’t this a bit inappropriate?” one said weakly.
“Cowards, what are you afraid of? The Immortal Lord has already said that this kind of damned traitor deserves no punishment whatsoever,” the leader of the youths scoffed. “A little bloodshed is good, let him know the consequences of usurping the throne!”
The smell of blood stirred a primal urge within the youths; they looked at each other and drew their swords as well.
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