Torsten Hewson
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v5c57: The Truth Laid Bare Part 2
🕑 Added 2024-10-18 03:17:22 +0000 UTCZang Shenhe thought that she was stronger than this, as she wobbled on her feet. She thought that she had conquered the feeling of despair that crawled into her guts long ago. She thought she had mastered her own feelings of weakness, for she had been hardened against it at an early age.
She had been insulted, belittled, scoffed at, and ignored. Her ability, her loyalty, her identity itself had been in question, all because of the actions of another. Her aunt, Zang Wen. The traitor. The weakling, who had been beguiled by a fox.
“Strength Above All: To Protect What We Love!” Zang Yong roared as he went into battle. His smile was wide and his steps were fearless.
Everything about the woman was placed onto Shenhe. They said she was exactly like her, and so Shenhe had based her entire existence around proving that she wasn’t. She hardened her heart. She bore every insult. She strove to prove herself the best and most loyal member the Sect had ever seen in all its years of existence.
She had been the fiercest hunter. She had been a powerful cultivator. Her actions had always been beyond reproach.
Lightning punched through Yong and Nezuhua’s backs.
She told herself that every moment that she had endured had bettered her. And at the end of her road, she would be the best. She would know peace. Somehow, someway, she would defeat the shadow her aunt had cast and stand triumphant.
She thought that nothing could shake her. She thought that no matter what came, she would follow her path unflinchingly—for she was a member of the righteous Shrouded Mountain Sect, guardians of the Howling Fang Mountains, and she would follow their words
Strength Above All.
“We can still make use of its stunted fruit,” the Inquisitors said as they consigned generations of a loyal family to death.
It all started to come tumbling down.
Everything she had done, everything she had dedicated herself to, was a lie. She watched as a man she trusted betrayed his oaths, betrayed his people, betrayed his kin. She watched as a slaughter was perpetuated—a slaughter she herself had taken part in.
She saw her aunt be tortured, broken, for learning the truth— only to be saved by their greatest enemies
Blood filled her mouth and spilled past her lips. Her cultivation’s foundation trembled, barely holding together. Her ears were ringing with the Patriarch’s insidious words and whispers.
At that moment, Shenhe realised she would never wash away the stain. She could never. She was not a person to the Patriarch. She was a useful sword to be used and abandoned as necessary—or she would simply be killed, if the Patriarch had thought her a threat.
Worst of all was the fact that she could not refute what she was seeing. The Lightning Qi within was almost gentle as it caressed her own. It told nothing but the truth. But even without it… even without it, Shenhe knew. Shenhe knew it was true. The pauses in conversation when she asked certain questions. The casualty figures of the Che clan. All the little things that she had purposefully ignored, or told herself that she didn’t have all the details about.
The vision ended with the Patriarch ordering another promising individual killed for getting too close to the truth.
Shenhe fell to her knees. Her lightning sparked feebly around her. She dimly heard the shouts of outrage from the disciples, their cries demanding answers about this secret conspiracy.
Or rather… perhaps not so secret a conspiracy. She turned to her fellow Elder. Zeng had a grimace on his face, but there was no true surprise in his eyes.
She spat out the blood that was in her mouth, focusing entirely on Zeng.
“You knew,” she snarled. The other man looked at her. The man who had so often been the source of her woes. He was clearly deciding on what to say to her… but he evidently decided that lying in the presence of Lord Shen Yu was foolhardy.
“Some,” he stated simply. “Not all. I knew of the origins of the Sect, and about the Che clan.”
The words were damning. He had known. She wanted to scream and rage and tear the crippled bastard in two.
He had known that what they did was based on a lie and yet…
“...Why?” she whispered.
“Why what?” the other man asked.
“Why did you do nothing?!” Shenhe demanded.
The Shrouded Mountain Sect was a righteous sect, defenders of the Howling Fang Mountains against the foxes. They were above others because of their actions.
“And do what?” Zeng asked derisively. “Go openly against the Patriarch and die? Make amends to beasts? Admit we were wrong to people who would see us destroyed? Did you forget the war? The Foxes have as much blood on their hands as we do. So what if it was a lie? The Shrouded Mountain Sect was strong. Mighty. We had the best resources and the most power in the province. Should we give it all up, everything our family has achieved, for a war won in the Age of Heroes? Strength Above All. Those are our words.”
The words were cynical. They were words that she had heard hundreds of times. And she supposed the words were the end point of their Sect’s abbreviated mantra.
Strength above all, no matter what.
“So that's it? In the end all that you are is a greedy coward, just like your entire line’s sire,” Shenhe snarled.
Zeng’s entire body tensed and rage filled his eyes at the comparison. “I am no coward!” he roared. “I did not flinch from my end! In fact, I would be glad for it now rather than hearing this, seeing this. Our Sect is destroyed—my sons are likely all dead. Neither of us have anything any more. We shall be swallowed up by others who envied our position. The last fading glow from a bolt of lightning.”
His words were bitter. Shenhe heard the worried muttering from the disciples. That they were arguing in front of their subordinates like this was shameful. Doubly so since the Cloudy Sword Sect was watching them. All the humans and all the animals were here. It was all out in the open—a scene better suited for thundering rain was instead lit by the bright light of the early winter sun.
All of their disciples had fought so hard and lost so much, only to continue losing everything. They looked lost. Most of them still bore the wounds of their battle, and now… they were being told it was hopeless.
The fire and the hate burned out of Shenhe’s stomach. Her Qi still roiled and sparked.
“Is your sect destroyed?” Bi De asked. His voice made them all startle. The red-haired man had his arms crossed. “Last I saw, Chongyun and most of the Elders had declared for Elder Shenhe—and though we fought once… I don’t think Sheng would be killed by something like this. The Shrouded Mountain Sect stands… but at the precipice. There is still time to save it, if you believe it is worth saving. You should make your choices—for the decision you make now will come to define you.”
With those words, the members of the Cloudy Sword Sect quietly left, leaving them to ponder the revelations they had been given.
=============================
Shenhe wandered about in a daze. She had asked Lady Meiling if they were confined to the fortress, but the woman had shaken her head and just told her to stay away from the house.
No others had taken her up on the offer. They were too injured, too weak, and too shaken. Most just wanted food, sleep, and to wake up for this to all have been a bad dream.
Something Shenhe herself desired.
Yet it was a hopeless dream.
She trudged slowly through the snow in a circuit. Followed and watched, of course, but she didn’t care. She had nothing to hide. Her cultivation was too unstable to do any damage even if she wanted to at this point.
A lifetime of work, all for a lie. It was honestly funny in some ways.
A choked sob found itself coming from her throat. The sun ascended in the sky, and she slowly found herself wandering back towards the fortress.
She paused on a hill overlooking the fortress. Lord Shen Yu was seated with a babe in his lap, looking at a single corpse they had pulled from the pile. Most of the other Cloudy Sword Sect members were around it and seemed to be preparing a formation at the direction of Lord Rou.
Bi De stood on one side of the pile, and the orange-haired girl on the other.
“Alright! Test five! The Moon and Ghost Hunting! Bi De, Tigu’er, are you ready?” The man received affirmatives. “Wa Shi, count us in!” Lord Rou shouted.
Bi De and the orange one—Tigu— clapped their hands together. Purest silver emanated from Bi De, flowing into the corpse, which simultaneously caught fire with ghostly green flames that came from Tigu. The two energies mixed, swirled… and then combined, producing glowing silver and black flames. The demonic body seemed to writhe, even in death, as the hungry fires consumed it, eating away at the body and impurities.
They kept their Qi burning for thirty seconds, and then both of them backed off.
“Alright, let's check the burns and purification. How were your abilities working together? Can you keep it up?” Lord Rou began questioning the two of them while the dragon recorded the corpse with a recording crystal and Lady Meiling walked around it with Ri Zu, examining the mostly-destroyed body.
The pink-haired woman then tallied whatever results they were getting on a graph.
They worked together, united by a common goal. One of the disciples said something, and Master Rou paused, obviously considering the man’s words, before he nodded and praised the man for whatever he had brought up.
Shenhe’s stomach churned. How unlike her Sect.
She trudged off again, not really caring where she was going. Another hour passed. Her Qi deviation was getting worse. She could feel her foundation cracking.
Shenhe idly wondered if it would kill her.
But fate… had another plan.
Shenhe ran into the person sher least wanted to see, the one that made her guts clench with guilt.
“Oh, it's you,” the man said. His tone was one of half curiosity and half fear. Yun Ren was sitting there in the forest. The rocks were covered in a riot of colours, and in his hands was the remainder of the fox’s core. The fox that had taken a blow for her and was in this state because of her.
She stared at the core in his hands.
“Is he…?” she whispered.
The man grimaced and shrugged.
“I swear I will save your uncle!” Shenhe remembered swearing and picking up Summer’s Sky.
“He's there, but, well… I need something,” the man was frustrated and grieving.
Even if she had lost everything… Zang Shenhe refused to be an oathbreaker.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.
His head jerked up once more to look at her. He stared into her eyes. Summer’s Sky beside him trattled. His body language softened and, after a moment, he nodded.
Zang Shenhe walked over and sat beside Yun Ren. Sowly, after a moment’s hesitation, she held her hand over the core. Carefully, very carefully, she started feeding what Qi she had into the cracked shard of a core. She forcefully calmed her spasming Qi—at least for the moment. Afterwards? She didn’t know.
Zang Shenhe willingly started giving her power to save a fox.
“Thank you,” Yun Ren said after a moment.
“I swore an oath,” Shenhe replied, and that was that.
They sat together in the snow for several moments. Yun Ren let out a breath.
“You have any idea on what you’re going to do?” he asked.
“No,” Shenhe replied. Other than die, maybe.
“I spent half a year in your sect. I have to say, I didn’t entirely enjoy myself,” he was attempting a joke, but judging from his grimace he regretted it as soon as it left his mouth. He huffed and scratched the back of his neck… and then he sat up straighter and turned to look at her. “There are people who count on it, who need it. Despite everything… it did a lot of good.”
Shenhe turned in surprise to the man. “But you’re a fox.”
“Until recently, I wasn’t. Didn’t know about the whole war thing till a year ago. Honestly, I still feel like an outsider in a lot of ways… but maybe that just lets me see what's going on unclouded. And I think that Uncle thought the same thing when he pushed you out of the way. That this… this all has to stop. He bet his life on it, Zang Shenhe.”
His words were a hammerblow. “What?”
“You hate it, don’t you? Now that you know the truth. You despise it. It makes your skin crawl, and I saw you vomiting blood.”
She grit her teeth. “Yes,” she whispered. She loathed Zeng Sheng’s legacy with every fiber of her being.
“You probably don’t want anything to do with your sect, I wouldn’t either. But the only thing it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. You have a chance. Maybe we have a chance. To end the war that's been going on since the Age of Heroes. The only question is… what are you going to do? There is no medicine for the scars of the past—only a balm that may make them eventually fade.”
Shenhe realised that she was being called upon. Called to action once more. It was, in some ways, like the call that the Patriarch gave, whenever he wanted her to prove her loyalty.
And yet, for the first time she had ever remembered… it was given in good faith.
For the first time, the person challenging her actually wanted her to succeed.
The fox stared into her eyes.
She had accused Zeng of being a coward, of taking the easy way. Would she do the same? Wander aimlessly, abandon everything, and stop caring?
She remembered Zang Yong’s smile as the man advanced.
Strength Above All: To Protect What We Love.
It would be the toil of a lifetime.
“...your words are profound,” she whispered to him.
Yun Ren smiled awkwardly. “I stole half of them,” the young man admitted shamelessly.
Shenhe didn’t stop the large, amused smile spreading across her face. Her Qi started to settle and regain its charge. It jolted down her arm before she could stop it and into the core of Nezan.
There was a shudder, a pop—and then a small white fox was curled between Shenhe’s palms.
The small creature twitched, opening one red eye. He glanced down at his position, then back up at her.
“Dear, if you wanted to touch me so badly, you only needed to ask,” Nezan said with a saucy wink… before Yun Ren grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and hugged him.
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Zang Yong's Heroic Willpower lives on.... as does Nezan
Edited by: BargleNawdleZouss, Massgamer,
Comments
Alex Ingraham
@Len OMG! Nezen would abuse the SHIT out of that! 😂
Alex Ingraham
Thanks for the correction!
Often Irrelephant
I also think it's hilarious every time we turn around, grandpa has made off with him again.
Alex Ingraham
I know, right!?!? It's been SOOO long since we got a Zhuye centric bit! A full chapter might be too much (for now), but I'd love some fun anecdotes CF!!
Samantha Kuhn
A Zhuye POV would be very interesting! He already recognizes people by smell (at least cultivators) and has definite opinions about how roosters should sound and which hair tastes better, lol! I wonder how growing up connected to Tianlan will affect his growth? Even Gramps thought just growing up on the Qi-rich grounds of Fa Ram was a huge boon, not to mention eating ALL Qi-enriched food from birth! Add in his mother's bloodline and a connection to Tianlan ON TOP of all this, and the kid is going to run them ragged as an OP toddler!
Lanter
The first thing Nezan does when coming back from the dead is rizz lmao
Truedragon5374
what would a sword on plow duel even look like?
Isak Mark
I wonder what Shenhe will say when Summer Sky starts a post battle lesson with his juniour Su Ne
D J Meigs
That would be adorable. I hope we get a baby pov one of these days.
Mark Greenberg
Or maybe they'll go back to their original name, the Lightning Brigade, when they go back to their original battle cry "Strength above all, to protect what we love".
Mark Greenberg
It's Zeng, not Zang. His full name is Zang Zeng while Shenhe's full name is Zang Shenhe.
Mark Greenberg
Yes, that's how it was written previously. Possibly CF will edit the earlier chapters on publication to give him a two-part name (like Lu Ri's fiancee Xaio Su Ge who is Elder Xaio Ge's granddaughter). That might make more sense of the fact that Zeng and Sheng were named after him, so they were each given one of his names rather than half of his full name. Or he'll consider this the mistake and change it back to Zengsheng. We'll see.
Mark Greenberg
"Previous Emperor" makes it seem like a fairly recent thing. I'd say "an ancient Emperor" since he ruled millennia ago during the Age of Heroes. Also, he was only the Emperor of the pocket realm known as the Azure Mountains, he didn't rule the entire Crimson Phoenix Empire. And while he may have ruled one of the pocket dimensions I don't think he was nearly powerful enough to create them all. I believe that was done by Shennong in an attempt to prevent the entire world from falling to the demons at once.
Mark Greenberg
While I would like to see the Foxes and Shenhe's sect share the mountain and work together, I don't see many foxes joining the sect if for no other reason than that very few of them are even cultivators any more.
Truedragon5374
I'm not saying he didn't appreciate it, i'm sure he found it very nice and surprising, I'm just saying that isn't why her gave her Anti-Ghost/Demon fire. Plus, Zhong Xui is a millennia old god, not a hot blooded teen. And he his legend doesn't really describe a guy hung up on his looks. My grandfather was NOT a handsome man, and granny sure didn't marry him for his looks. She married him because he was a badass who fought in WW2 and Korea and she knew he would do anything to keep her safe. Neither of them cared about what he looked like. And believe me you had to EARN that man's respect. I'd like to thing Zhong Xui is cut from the same cloth.
Often Irrelephant
OMG - just remembered the baby can crawl - and the house just gained the cutest fox plushie ever. Little D is sooo going to try and chew Nezan's face off and bawl when his new teething toy runs away.
Often Irrelephant
She was only *mostly* dead - or even less, since I think he basically told her she wasn't nearly dead enough to be there
Truedragon5374
Also Agreed. And remember that all the sects in the Azure say they owe a debt to Bi De. I hope that when he meets with them, he will ask that they keep their secrets, but add their knowledge and philosophical writings to the archives. He can even point to how Meiling has already done so with her Demon Chi Extraction formation. That way every sect in the Azure, and beyond benefits. And i have the feeling that the Azure as a whole is on the rise. It will certainly be getting Imperial level attention soon at least. So i hope the Cloudy Sword will see the Azure sects doing thing, will follow their example, and so set an example to the rest of the sects of the Empire. Pie in the sky hopes i know. And i know many sects won't add anything and will just try to take from the archives. But the nice thing about spreading information far is that it becomes impossible to suppress or destroy, so nothing will be lost, and all sects, good and bad will benefit equally. (eventually, it would take armies of scribes to copy and spread all this, which is another reason I hope Jin invents the printing press and gives it to the Voice).
Old Dog
As always, thank you for the chapter. Nice to sit, relax and read this after fighting with plumbing for the better part of the day.
Samantha Kuhn
Hell's yeah! And considering how few Shrouded Moutain Sect members may be left, that wouldn't be such a stretch! However, having a Spirit Beast be the Elder of any sect might be one step too far. I can see Nezan nominating his new heir, Yun Ren, for the position during negotiations, lol!
Antony Claughton
I liked her since she was the only one who had supported the weak son (who got taken over) and mourned his loss. And was suspicious of the usurper.
Antony Claughton
I read it as she’s descended from the Emperor who created all the pockets of protection from the demons. Unless the Verdant Hill’s Emperor (pre or post rebellion) was descended from that line then it’s not the previous Emperor.
Akki
Make Shenhe the Matriarch and Nezan an Elder of the new Sect that rises from the ashes of the Shrouded Mountain Sect. Bring the foxes back into the mountain as new Sect members. Make an Oath to the Heavens for integration and mutual support of the Foxes and the original Lightning Brigade families as the price for reparation.
Sean Ulrich
The Archives are actually a good example of this. The spreading and sharing of knowledge, in the long run, helped Shen Yu defeat an Imperial level enemy. If he hadn’t had the demonic gunk drained… chances are good he would have lost that fight.
Jo
Omg yes agreed!
Laura Hemly
Every description of Zhong Kui I've seen says he's really ugly, though. Tigu regards handsomeness as based on physique, not face. So of course, since he's muscular, she's going to find Zhong Kui handsome, which I'm sure he enjoyed. Like Handsome Man had a complete personality makeover from Tigu calling him that name one single time -- the right words have real power at the right time to the right person!
Laura Hemly
Even more, @Truedragon, when she sees him washing the dishes!
Samantha Kuhn
It's great that Nezan's back, but I KNEW he had to return--the way he kept saying in such a blase manner that he was going off to die now right before the fight made me convinced that he still had a piece of his core hidden somewhere, just in case. Although dying while fighting alongside Shenhe, who was being controlled by the spirit of his beloved Wen through Summer's Sky, would have been a fitting end for him. But then we wouldn't get to see him put the screws to The Shrouded Mountain Sect for reparations to the foxes, and he is in a PRIME position to do that now! Can't wait to see him get what the foxes want/need/deserve in his fabulous Nezan way!!
Drewbrewich
Its always tough logistically to give every story line its due attention. I kinda feel like some of this can solved off stage and then re addressed later? I guess I would like things to refocus.
Raraki Kraken
Correction, It was Nezshit
Len
https://media1.tenor.com/m/7Zo8R5_QW_QAAAAC/perrito-cute-eyes.gif
Pierce Hodges
Yup, probably mei ling's uncle. He mentioned that his mom was from Pale Moon Lake City slums and was mad, plus constellation freckles. Mei Ling's grandmother also from Pale Moon Lake City slums and crazy with freckles.
Truedragon5374
Agreed. The problem is most sects don't see the difference between secrets, knowledge and wisdom. They just horde all of it in one big pile. Sure secrets are only steong if they are kept but knowledge only grows stronger as it is spread and built upon by others, and wisdom helps to stabilize the lives of those that accept it. I'm hoping Jin ans Bowu introduce the Printing Press and that the Teachings of the Founders becomes something like the Gutenberg Bible, spreading all over the Empire
Alex Ingraham
He probably should do that, but would probably need to get CSS' permission to share that stuff. Sects aren't known for their love of sharing info. Which is especially sad, now that I think about it, in CSS' case. They've got some good philosophies that would significantly improve parts of the Empire if they disseminated even some of their more mundane teachings (see Lu Ri's success with his organization).
Alex Ingraham
Nah, I read the description of him "opening one red eye" as indicating that he's still doing badly. He's merely incorrigible and will make suggestive jokes in any situation. Especially to Wen look-alike Shenhe lol
Alex Ingraham
That would be such a fun conversation to sit in on xD
Alex Ingraham
Shitzen!! Gotta love his childhood nickname 😏
Truedragon5374
Hey! Didn't Lu Re give Jin a copy of the Teachings of the Founders of the Cloudy Sword? Maybe he could give that to Shenhi. Her sect only has the teachings of a backstabbing kin slayer. Maybe they need some new wisdom as well as new leadership? I mean, they did wonders for a group of cutthroats, maybe they can work for a bunch of reforming racist assholes.
Alex Ingraham
How about, "Jin jokingly 'SOB stole my line!' ... *sniff* 'I'm so proud of you!' *pulls Yun Ren into a manly hug*" lol
Justin
Well I guess I should have said cloudy sword sect proper? I enjoyed ya'll correctly calling me out.
Mark
That’s what I thought, Mei Mei is the descendant of the previous Emperor.
Truedragon5374
Kinda hard not too, since apparently 3/4 of the people in the Howling Fang Mountains have a fox ancestor if to go back far enough.
Truedragon5374
Once she gets over her shock, you know she will be floored all over again when she sees the dragon cooking 😂
Truedragon5374
It's more than a simple gesture. She stood before the god of Demon/Ghost asskicking and he asked her if she wanted power. She replied "Nah, I want to get back to the Demon/Ghost asskicking." This showed humility (rare in Xianxia) and a diehard dedication to Zhong Xui's whole purpose. The complement to his looks was gravy at that point.
matthew gilley
He's a real magic girl now
David Murphy
It's nice to know nezan is OK but I kinda feel like the ending of this chapter was too sudden. Like rather that popping back as the instant saucy horny-bard with nothing much wrong. It feels just a bit too easy. He should at the very least be more broken after the previous chapters made clear how much he's mostly-dead. It would also fit better with the theme of ancient cracked/damaged spirits the story had going on.
CUI13
Mei Mei isn't the descendants of a fox, Gou Ren and Yun Ren's Maternal line is descended from Foxes. Mei Mei, I think it has been implied, is descended from the previous Emperor, right?
Beggar of Freedom
Divines bless your kind heart!
NightmareChild92
I just realized that soon Mei Meis family, all descendents of foxes, are going to be to or passing through the farm all looking like foxes
Fluffy druid
Or "So proud of you."
WarStrider72
Jin after Yun Ren's words: SOB stole my line!
Fluffy druid
She wasn't actually dead. But yeah, this might be a thank you simply for the compliment and entertainment.
Guber
I think she is just in a daze, and overwhelmed, and her brain is just going, "well of course that is a thing." First off, her entire long existence, (remember she is a cultivator and I don't think we know her actual age, but it could be many mortal life times) she has spent suffering for what she just learned is a lie. She has been told since she was little that she was born with shame, with little to no chance of wiping it away. She had been 100% committed to becoming cold and hardened enough to not care about the suffering, to only find out she never had a chance, and that the shame was a lie. She is super messed up right now. Secondly, there is the huge and overwhelming shock that is caused by Far Ram being Fa Ram to outsiders. They just gave her what a lot of cultivators would recognize as a absolute ridiculous amount of resources in medicine and food. Like, almost showing off amount. They use high tier cultivation resources (7 fragrance jewel herbs, aka lowly spirit herbs) has spices for gold grade rice, that she realized already had dragon Qi in it! Combine this with the fact that this is one of the most powerful cultivators in the world's grandson's home, it makes sense for her to not take a second glance when she saw the dragon that infused its Qi into the rice.
mag28
Meiling is an honor ally and her whole family is to so it's basically true.
FuschiaKnight
In fairness, she should already know that the Farm crew have access to a consistent source of draconic qi with the medicine and the draconic qi imfused stuff they’ve gotten.
ENK
Yeah, she's probably quite dazed from the revelation, plus she has seen so much strange already on Fa Ram. I mean, what is a dragon or two? The Cloudy Sword Sect is just built different after all. Would be funny if she did a double-take a bit later after calming down: "A WHAT was recording the corpse earlier?!" Or perhaps she was introduced off-camera before they started questioning Zeng
John D Jones
@ Longhaul I think foxes are basically cats in canine bodies.
John D Jones
@ Truedragon5374 and Just A Dude True, but yeah, Tigu is also now kinda-sorta a paladin of Zhong Kui. Tigu's an awesome cat girl who wants to kill demons and thought Zhong Kui was "hawt." Of course he resurrected her and blessed her with extra demon/ghost destroying mojo. That said, Zhong Kui doesn't seem like a god who meddles in his followers' lives or drops quests/tasks on them. As long as you're righteous and killing the fuck out of demons and ghosts, you're good with him.
Just A Dude
TLM is a great example of someone doing it right. He wants to be given honor, respect, and adulation... but he's actually going out and earning it with word and deed, rather than demanding it as his due.
Just A Dude
She's a cat. They're already sensitive to ghosts and spirits. This is just a refinement to take it to the next level.
PickledTink
---- She grit her teeth. “Yes,” she whispered. She loathed Zeng Sheng’s legacy with every fiber of her being. ---- Wasn't it Zang Zengsheng? (Pulling from v4C68)
Fluffy druid
To trattle should be a thing. I kind of like the sound.
Catherine
If they do get together I hope that’s not why they do
Jonathan Applewhaite
Which, ironically, she had been trying to do for most of her life
Kasinki
Mascot Nezan woohoooo!!! Thank you for the chapter, CF.
Mark Greenberg
I hope Yun Ren gives Shenhe another session with Summer's Sky. Not for keeps, but just so she can commune with Aunt Wen's spirit now that she knows she was a hero rather than a traitor.
Mark Greenberg
Don't forget that the Inquisitors KNEW about Yun Ren's ancestry. He's decended from both foxes and SMS ancestors, but they weren't worried because so were many people in the province. It was just so weak due to being so far in the past they didn't care. Of course now that he's awakened his ancient bloodlines he's a whole new kettle of fish!
Angua de Blubb
I think it was said sometime way back that he left the sect, but he is still the sworn brother of Elders Ge and Ran.
Mark Greenberg
I'd like to see what success Meimei has purging demonic corruption from Ge and Minyan (remember they were infected at the same time Shen Yu was, during the invasion of the demonic realm). Ge should have had some work done on him already since the CSS has Meimei's formation, but to the best of my knowledge Minyan has been left to heal on her own. I'm also eager to see how Meimei (and Jin) react to Gramps' girlfriend showing up!
Angua de Blubb
*Can probably not have both when you are so concerned about face that you consciously see it as a thing divorced from honor ...
Catherine
Nezan’s alive!! Woohoo! Awesome news, he’s one of my favourites and I was worried we’d have to wait awhile to find out what would happen
Catherine
I have no idea if it’s the cards but it would be nice if shenhe and zianghua can talk as they both have the goal of rebuilding and improving their sects
Truedragon5374
Ooh, I like that one. I mean the mountain isn't Shrouded with all the mist gone, so yeah!
Nick
I kinda thought Shenhe would react more to a dragon? Could be she's already dazed and confused and not cognisant of Washi. But thought now she just wanders on past him...
Truedragon5374
Only by my little brother.
Truedragon5374
Light isn't lightning. Though he seems to have both now. Light, darkness, mist and lightning. Honestly his cultivation is a bit of a mess right now.
Truedragon5374
Jin will think of it, Meiling will sew it, and Gou will force him to wear it.
Truedragon5374
Anyone else notice that Tigu has Anti-Demon/Ghost fire now? Is she a Paladin of Zhong Kui now?
Truedragon5374
Just wait until Jin explains the Chibi concept to him
Truedragon5374
Any bets on whether Shenhe will get it on with Nezan to seal the peace, as well as put one in the first Patriarch's eye?
Truedragon5374
This was tragically beautiful. I find the crystal interesting. I guess Gramps must have been able to shove the memory mist/lightning into a recording crystal he had in one of his spacial rings. If Shenhi succeeds, I think this crystal will become a Sect treasure. A reminder that says "Never Again."
Truedragon5374
There are different kinds of courage. Zang has alot of physical courage, he does not fear death or danger. But he lacks moral courage completely
Truedragon5374
Sometimes the easiest way to be good, is to look at someone bad, and do the opposite.
Desert Yeti
There's a big difference between face and honor, and you can't have both.
Clifton Thrasher
Great work again
Bluebag
This chapter was very surprising! Shenhe is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. Somehow she managed to be a decent person despite all the sect conditioning.
Often Irrelephant
Right? Chibi Nezan, ftw!
Trevor Mergen
Thanks!
Zachary Bender
Thank god!!!
Eli Pomerantz
This episode is so amazing. First I cried tears of pathos, then I cried tears of happiness. The character arc for Shenhe is iconic of xianxia tropes, yet evokes a holistic verisimilitude & importance to the moment that will have me rereading her arc a dozen more times
Fluffy druid
Let's leave that to Biyu?
Angela Roberts
You did Shenshe justice. All those emotions and memories, roiling around, and still she recognizes the value she can add. And, Nezan is alive! Yay!! And Zang is a greedy coward.
Jon Dough
Thank you for the chapter!!
Tsorov
Well, techhically Shen Ju is still an external elder (at least I think so). That would make his disciple automatically also a member?
BelligerentGnu
WAHOO!
Anzer'ke
"There are many ways that a man can be brave, courage in the face of danger is but the least of them." Zeng's willingness to seek an honourable death in battle makes him better than his ancestor, but he's not much less of a coward. Not brave enough to stand against the patriarch, nor to plot against him, nor to try and make things better, nor to face the facts of the war honestly, nor even to openly love a son who might not have reflected well on him. I just want to say Casual, I really really like how you portray the different tiers of Sect. So many stories just have them all be the same but with different numbers, and the comparison to this story shows how hollow an approach that is. The top Sects here all feel qualitatively different, just as the Imperial cultivators do. They feel dauntless. Whether it's Shen Yu, Minyan, or even Quiet Voice. They all feel like people whose response to impossible challenges and endless barriers is to keep pushing. Like if they ascended and found themselves Divine Initiates with the whole mountain to climb again, they'd get right to it. I think it's a key aspect to this story's core as a genuine cultivation tale. It appreciates that core appeal of being able to push endlessly against the world and have a hope of actually winning. Thanks for writing this story Casual. It's really great.
Angel
You handled this complex emotional minefield with your usual keen awareness of emotions, relationships, trauma, social conditioning, and compassion. Well done! And I’m so freaking happy Nezan is back, yay!!!
Anime Problem
Being a little shit is the great calling of our resident uncle fox.
Lochlan Yone
One life per tail?
Nick
Tftc
Andrew Carter
Those onion ninjas are menaces.
Timothy Dana
Is there fox pictures in our future?
D J Meigs
Nezan! I’m so glad he’s alive, I’ve missed the old fox!
Justin
Awesome. Really enjoyed Shenhe's perspective. And it was all done without Jin. It will be fun to see how they react when they figure out there's no cloudy sect present currently.
Longhaul
We sure Nezan is not a cat? Because that lucky bastard must yave 9 lives lol!
Featherweight
What you’ve never been trattled?
TempestK
Yun Ren's light illusions seem to be what bridges the gap.
TwoRavens
Goddamn onion ninjas sneaking in at the end there...
Featherweight
Lil guy Nezan is best Nezan
Matsc
I mean, Nezan was Chibi sized back during the Tournament arc too (or at least, the fragment of him hanging out with Yun Ren was)
Civer
chibi fox is neat and would do fine for a plush toy if there was one made for the story as merchandise. but its a abit late in the story as this is what book 5 or so for the chibi fox, we have earlier merchandise that has presence in the story as a collectable namely the dolls of Lanlan and Tig'er form the Dueling peaks Tournament story arch.
Trish Brown
Loved this chapter x
Theonewhospeaks (WRC)
You bet me too it I just thought that ,😁
taukid
Here's to the new Illuminated Mountain Sect led by Matriarch Shenhe
Jo
Chibi uncle confirmed! Loved this Shenhe POV and so excited to see more demonic cleansing. Hoping to see another Gramps healing session- maybe when CSS medicine elder comes he will be surprised at the state of Shen Yu and demand to work with Meimei and Rizu!
Aki_Iokua18
Hmph, I was hoping for a chapter right on the date of my birth, but two chapters directly before and after are acceptable. I shall allow it. ;-p Okay, I get Zeng’s “pragmatism”, hard to argue with someone with a massively bigger gun than you, but it’s the acceptance of kin-slaying plus the callous murder by inaction of the Che clan that really gets to me. It’s just so stupid and actively weakening the sect. I mean, I get it, Strength dictates everything, the Head commands and the Body must follow, yada yada yada. But just thinking of the possible talent the Sect threw away ON PURPOSE, is just not really computing in my brain. Probably me hitting up against the Eastern vs Western values. Glad Nezan is awake, and hopefully the steps forward for both the foxes and the exSMS can now come a little bit easier. Cycles of hatred always need to be broken.
Antony Claughton
Fantastic chapter
Antony Claughton
sher ==> she trattled ==> rattled
Sal
Your ability to draw out the emotions of your reader is incredible. And annoying. Thank you!
Sean Ulrich
Honestly… a cosplay art theme would be cool. Could see Gou as Wukong, Mei as a witch, and I can only imagine Bowu as a train conductor for some reason… Also Halloween is coming up, so it’s on brand…
Really_Big
Beautiful
Dylan Dry
It'll probably be related to cultivation level. I'd bet having 2/3 of his core die dropped him out of the Earth realm. Maybe all the way back to the Profound realm. Having access to the dead bits of his core and his old body will probably speed things up but he'll probably have to recultivate back to where he was.
C
Now that! That's a good chapter.
Laura Hemly
I do believe we have another convert to the ways of Fa Ram, which can help heal the Shrouded Mountain Sect. And Shenhe's first step in this new path of cooperation rather than competition? Bringing a fox back!
CringeWorthyStudios
I’ll one up that with Yun Ren in a magical girl dress, with Nezan in a dapper waistcoat (made by Biyu, of course) as his familiar. …Actually, I originally meant that as a joke but by the divines now I really want to see that done by Tsuu.
litalmexy
Good character growth but my mind is on the group experiment and uncle fox flirting as soon as he recovered
StarBat
It would be just perfect if fox illusions and lightning techniques had a symbiotic relationship. More proof that the war they were fighting was stupid and counter productive.
SilasDrekken
Nezan still Nezan, no matter the container. Glad he’s well enough to make jokes.
Patanahi
Thanks for the chapter cf
Emily Gurnavage
Mei has made lots of clothes for herself and the baby, so im sure she can whip up some tiny fox outfits =D
Patanahi
Teeny fox = good
Emily Gurnavage
Omg lol is he stuck mini?? Or just a quick thing since he was a crystal? Idk enough about how the shape-shifting works. I could kinda see this story doin one of those bits where Nezan is stuck teeny tiny for a chunk of time. And it fits his character. But im not entirely sure if that's what happened yet or if hes gonna return to full size with a flex of his strength next scene.
Matsc
Yeaaaaaa! Chibi confirmed!
Randall Norman Pick
I still have no idea what's going to happen to SMS, but here's some good from Shenhe from it.
Rune Shadow
Yay best uncle is back. Really heartfelt chapter here will be interesting how this develops Would be interested to see more of Grandpa's or Meiling's POV before the reinforcements arrive
James Faulkner
Nezan is back baby!!
Red Viking
Yes!
Npad11111
He lives!! Alleluia!
Seaspike
Nice
Duke of Coffee
Nezan being the fox he is~
Caithdean SValerient
Thanks for the update!
Lily of the Mountains
<3 <3 <3
lockx
Even returning from the brink of death, Nezan can't help himself hahaha
K1NG_CHIMP
LET'S GO, NEZAN!
nogare321
Through the truth you can move forward, though sometimes it feels too painful to push through...
Seiden Kyoukai
IT'S ALIIIVE!
Sean Ulrich
Art of Nezan in tiny fox form, on hind legs, in a dapper waistcoat made by Biyu. Please.
Patanahi
Hell yea !
BargleNawdleZouss
The truth hurts.
Raraki Kraken
Finally
