Chapter 4412: Bei Xia
Chapter 4412: Bei Xia
The culture of chivalry gave many people a sense of righteousness, encouraging them to eliminate the strong that oppressed the weak. At the same time, it caused many to put on a show of chivalry while secretly committing sinister deeds in the dark.
It was no wonder why Meiran Dan could not understand this culture. There was no Immortal present in this culture, and the people who lived there only had a lifespan of a few hundred years at most. When their lifespan ended, they died. As a result, conflicts did not carry the same significance as they did in the world of cultivators. Since there were no Immortals, human desires were not able to expand without limit.
Such a region had been concealed by Hong Xia all along, remaining completely unknown. Even when Lu Yin had once spread his voice throughout the entire Crimson Starshade Civilization, this place must have been shielded from it.
This was entirely another world. Could it be connected to Hong Xia’s past experiences? The possibility was extremely high.
Lu Yin sat cross-legged outside of the Red Dust region, quietly watching from afar. If this place was the method that the hidden mastermind intended to use to break Hong Xia’s Path of Dispassion, it would be extremely difficult to detect any clues. Otherwise, Hong Xia would have discovered a problem long ago.
This region possessed a unique culture that had developed over the course of countless years. How could it provoke Hong Xia’s hatred toward Rang Yu? Could it be that this place had been created by Hong Xia himself as a memorial to his past?
Time passed slowly. In the blink of an eye, three years had gone by. During those three years, Lu Yin observed nothing unusual, yet he had always known that he would not see anything. Given how much time had passed, if this was truly a part of some scheme, its flaws would never be easily revealed. If this place was not a part of some scheme, then there would naturally be no problem at all.
If Lu Yin just kept waiting as he was, who knew how long it would take.
After some thought, he realized that he could only force the situation. He teleported away from Crimson Starshade and then returned, appearing in outer space. He shouted so that his voice reached the entire megaverse. "Hong Xia, come out!"
A figure stepped forward ahead and calmly looked at Lu Yin, who warily observed the older man. "Grand Clarity."
Those two simple words caused Hong Xia’s expression to change as he stared at Lu Yin.
Lu Yin’s eyes narrowed. "So I guessed correctly. You do have a connection to the Grand Clarity civilization."
Hong Xia said in a low voice, "I do not understand what you mean."
Lu Yin said, "When Obscura initiated the conscription for a war against Miao Zun’s civilization, you fought that creature. With a single sourcebox array, you managed to completely trap them, leaving them unable to even move. Miao Zun was as strong as Lan Meng and was an Immortal. Even if your strength surpassed theirs, it should not have been possible to suppress them so easily with just a sourcebox array. In the end, your sourcebox arrays must come from Grand Clarity. Thus, you are connected to them."
Hong Xia’s eyes flickered. "So Miao Zun truly is in your hands."
Lu Yin did not deny it, and Hong Xia continued to say, "But to claim that I am connected to Grand Clarity on this basis alone is rather far-fetched. Obscura also possesses Grand Clarity’s sourcebox arrays. Have you forgotten that you yourself sealed Gao Tian? Grand Clarity was one of the civilizations that attacked the Nine Ramparts. Obtaining some of their sourcebox arrays during a war against them would be completely normal.
"What I find curious is that you seem to know far more about Grand Clarity than I expected."
Lu Yin actually knew very little about Grand Clarity, but he needed to put on a show of knowing a great deal. He stared at Hong Xia. "The Plume Immortals, Obscura, and Grand Clarity. Just how much more have you managed to keep hidden? Your betrayal of the Nine Ramparts could not have been so simple. Of the various civilizations that attacked back then, who else do you have ties to? Hong Xia, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Hong Xia frowned. This young man overthought everything. Just as he was about to speak, Lu Yin shouted, "Are you planning to join forces with Grand Clarity and those civilizations to destroy the Human Trio?"
Hong Xia’s eyes flickered, but he did not deny it. This young man’s attitude had wavered, yet he no longer seemed quite as resolute in regards to opposing Hong Xia as before. Could he be wary of Grand Clarity?
No, what Lu Yin feared was the greater darkness that Hong Xia had still kept hidden. Because of the Plume Immortals and Grand Clarity, Lu Yin could no longer estimate what else might be hiding behind Hong Xia.
Thinking of this the older man sneered. "Obscura will protect you for 2,000 years. How lucky."
Lu Yin clenched his fists. "You are also human. If humanity is erased from the Aevum Inch, what benefit will that bring you?"
Hong Xia indifferently replied, "That is only your Trio. Do you think that humanity only exists there in the Aevum Inch? At the very least, Crimson Starshade can remain. Go ask them if they would rather die as humans or live as descendants of Hong Xia. Boy, dignity only exists while you are still alive. Once you die, your dignity disappears."
Lu Yin’s gaze flickered as he stared at Hong Xia with an unpleasant expression.
Hong Xia coldly stated, "If you truly wish to drag your Trio into the grave with you, then continue. Let us see who can protect you 2,000 years from now."
Lu Yin took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes. He teleported away to reappear before the Blood Tower, where he bowed low to Jiu Wen.
The man had overheard the entire conversation. Seeing Lu Yin bow, his face turned pale. "You intend to give up?"
Lu Yin’s body trembled. "I am sorry, Senior. I cannot take the risk of gambling with the lives of countless people in the Trio. The Plume Immortals attacked us, and the Trio suffered terrible losses. We have struggled to reach our current point. We truly cannot risk everything again."
Jiu Wen gave a bitter smile as his gaze dimmed. "All our calculations have been undone in a moment. I should have never placed such a burden on you alone. This was my failure."
"I am sorry, Senior. I truly am sorry."
Jiu Wen shook his head. "Enough. This is fate. There is nothing we can do."
As he spoke, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Come with me, Senior. There is no meaning in staying here."
"No, I belong here. I will be fine. Now that you have given up opposing him, he will not trouble me."
Lu Yin wanted to say more, but he could only apologize again, his words filled with helplessness and unwillingness.
Far away, Hong Xia’s eyes narrowed. Had the young man truly abandoned his goal of opposing Hong Xia?
Lu Yin suddenly turned to look at Hong Xia with cold eyes. "From this day forward, the Trio will no longer be your enemy. However, you should also restrain yourself and not harm human civilization. Otherwise, even if we die, we will drag you into the abyss."
After speaking he teleported away.
Hong Xia watched him leave, feeling rather relieved. It was not that he feared Lu Yin. Rather, the idea of having an entire civilization constantly watching and scheming against him was uncomfortable, especially so long as another hidden mastermind was plotting against him.
If he had known that this young man would abandon the fight because of Grand Clarity, he would have revealed that civilization long ago. Now that He Xiao and the others had been rendered useless, Hong Xia needed to find new anchors for his Path of Dispassion to fully recover.
Thinking of this, killing intent flashed in his eyes. You want to threaten me?
Once he recovered, he would never let them go.
He looked toward Jiu Wen. The man seemed to have suddenly aged a decade. He sat in the Blood Tower, cross-legged with his eyes closed.
Hong Xia said, "Now, you stand no chance at all. Green Lotus has sealed himself away with that Plume Immortal, and yet you still think that you can oppose me? Come out now, and I will forget all past grievances."
Xi Shangfeng looked over Jiu Wen, and the man spoke slowly, exhaustion filling his voice. "From the beginning, it was always Green Lotus and I who opposed you. That child is still too young and bears too much pressure. I do not blame him.
"Hong Xia, even if I die, I will tear down your strength." Jiu Wen lifted his head, revealing sharp eyes. "Do not forget that all of us swore an oath! Betray Crimson Starshade, and it will pursue you forever. No matter where you flee in the cosmos, no matter how much time passes or even if life is extinguished, we will hunt you to the end and use your corpse to honor our ancestors."
Hong Xia frowned. "Foolish. That boy is the clever one. He knows that Grand Clarity stands behind me. With their strength, his Trio can be destroyed. Not only that, but the Plume Immortals also hold a grudge against them. How can they resist? Do you truly wish for human civilization to perish because of your ridiculous persistence?"
Jiu Wen laughed loudly. "Life and death are determined by heaven. I never expected to have a good ending."
"You will drag all of human civilization into the grave with you."
"Then we will start again. Life may vanish, but our legacy will endure. Humanity possesses dignity in life and will in death. One day, we will return and will deal with you."
Hong Xia grew furious and turned away. It was impossible to reason with that man.
He also did not fully trust Lu Yin, yet he could not comprehend any purpose behind a performance. Regardless, time would reveal the answer.
Inside the Blood Tower, Xi Shangfeng looked at Jiu Wen. "Hong Xia truly cannot be defeated."
Jiu Wen closed his eyes in exhaustion and said nothing more.
Time passed. One year, two years, ten years. Lu Yin never returned. Hong Xia continued watching the Blood Tower, but Lu Yin did not appear even once during that decade. Of course, a mere ten years was nothing for beings at their level, and that could not prove anything. If 1,000 or 10,000 years passed without Lu Yin returning, then Hong Xia would truly believe that the young man had abandoned the fight.
Ten years meant little to Immortals, but for mortals, it was enough for an entire generation to mature.
In the Crimson Starshade megaverse, a young man rose up within the Red Dust region. He was righteous and courageous, willing to raise his sword against injustice and shed his blood for his homeland. His name was Bei Xia, but because of his chivalry everyone called him Chivalrous Bei.
In a region filled with chivalry, Bei Xia became the idol of an entire generation. Everyone trusted him. His words defined righteousness, and his actions became the model for others. His goals became the goals of the era.
His rise was unbelievable. In only ten years, he had reached such impressive heights. Ten years ago, he had merely been an eight-year-old child.
Although the Red Dust region was not a part of the world of cultivators, eighteen was young even for mortals, and yet Bei Xia had achieved a status that countless people could never even dream of. He was unmatched among mortals in terms of combat and possessed overwhelming prestige. It seemed the age itself should bear his name.
Time continued to pass, and Bei Xia’s fame reached its peak, surpassing all of the Red Dust region’s previous legends. Even people from enemy nations praised him. His bearing impressed everyone.
Nine more years passed. It had been nineteen years since Lu Yin had left Crimson Starshade. That year, Chivalrous Bei turned twenty-seven. He was at the prime of his life and had reached the peak of his existence. The leaders of every major force in the Red Dust region elected him as the Lord of Chivalry. His words defined the meaning of chivalry itself. At the same time. he met the love of his life, and under the admiration and blessings of countless people, knelt before his parents and entered the next stage of his life.
But on that very same day, Bei Xia experienced the greatest tragedy of his life; his beloved and parents were all murdered on the night of his wedding.
Blood flowed from beneath the door, leaving the celebrating guests frozen in shock. When the door opened, a scene appeared that drove him mad. He saw a pair of eyes filled with cunning, mockery, and bloodlust.