Chapter 384: Kill Until I Die

“The Patriarch and all the Elders actually agreed to this…?”

“Elder Dan Xunzi said this isn’t compromise or surrender, nor is it forgetting our hatred—it’s for the sake of humanity, the great righteousness of our Dan Sect.”

“But they agreed too readily—the Patriarch didn’t speak a single word the whole time.”

Behind the Tianji Hall of the Dan Sect, along the nine-turn corridor of Changfeng Forest.

A group of Dan Sect disciples returning from the Patriarch’s quarters had gathered here, discussing the Patriarch’s swift acceptance of the Five Immortal Sects’ request.

Their confusion wasn’t because the Patriarch agreed—it was because he agreed so easily.

Honestly, they’d expected the Dan Sect to demand those Immortal Sect disciples kneel before the Martyrs’ Stele and confess their sins before even considering the Ancients’ Sacred Ground.

In truth, the Five Immortal Sects had sent such a large delegation precisely hoping to quell the Dan Sect’s rage—but they never imagined the Patriarch would make no demands at all.

Even during the entire meeting in the Patriarch’s quarters, the Patriarch said nothing; all decisions were announced by Elder Dan Xunzi.

All these details left the disciples in the corridor buzzing with speculation.

Meanwhile, Ji You sat in a tea pavilion on Beishan, gazing out at the lush, green mountains.

This was the peak where he had fought Elder Chen Ke of the Chen Clan over a year ago; the steep slope facing outward still bore the deep gashes carved by sword qi, reinforced with ropes but never filled in.

He, too, was somewhat surprised by the Dan Sect’s swift response.

He had prepared for the possibility that the Dan Sect would demand the Five Immortal Sects’ disciples confess, and that they would refuse, sparking a minor conflict.

Yet everything proceeded smoothly—settled in just half an hour of discussion within the Patriarch’s quarters.

Though unexpected, he didn’t believe the Dan Sect had done wrong.

The Five Immortal Sects wouldn’t yield further, and the Dan Sect still lacked the strength to protect itself; they also had to worry whether the Ancients’ Sacred Ground, once repaired, might invite retaliation from the Immortal Sects.

Still, even without demanding conditions, waiting a few days wouldn’t be excessive.

To receive a reply the very next day was something he hadn’t anticipated.

Dan Yangzi had once said the Dan Sect remembered its suffering—and this response clearly didn’t match their nature.

As Ji You pondered, footsteps suddenly rose from the path below.

Ji You turned and rose from his seat upon seeing the visitor.

“The matter of the Ancients’ Sacred Ground has occupied me and our Elders for days; I apologize for not visiting you sooner, Young Master.”

“Patriarch, you flatter me. After the Five Immortal Sects besieged Danshan, the Dan Sect reopening its gates has already granted me more than enough face.”

Ji You replied, and as he spoke, Yuan Li ascended the mountain and entered the pavilion.

The Dan Sect’s medicinal pool slows human aging, so Yuan Li didn’t appear old in physique—but his demeanor bore the marks of time.

Rumor had it this Dan Sect Patriarch had spent his entire life laboring for the sect, only having Yuan Caimei and Yuan Chen late in life.

Perhaps because of this, the gap between Yuan Li and Yuan Chen ran so deep that his own cheap brother-in-law constantly sought to flee downhill, rejecting the life his father had planned for him.

Yuan Li sat in the pavilion, pondered for a long while, then spoke: “Elder Yang reported to me after meeting you yesterday. He said you played a crucial role in resolving the human catastrophe—indeed, you’re practically a benefactor to the Immortal Sects.”

“Let’s skip the title ‘Enlightened Benefactor to the Immortal Sects.’ It makes me uncomfortable.”

“So you clearly harbor ill will toward the Immortal Sects.”

Ji You didn’t know Yuan Li’s purpose, but sensed his desire to speak, so he poured tea and offered it: “Excessive power destabilizes this world and stifles its growth. A thousand years ago, the sages existed to secure humanity’s fate—but the Immortal Sects were never meant to exist.”

Yuan Li couldn’t help speaking: “Have you ever heard of the Chu family?”

“The Chu family?”

“The old tale of how the Chu family’s Seven Orifices Linglong Body drew the Immortal Sects’ greed.”

Ji You realized what he meant and nodded: “I’ve heard it. I even heard a folk tale claiming the Chu ancestor, used as a test subject, was dissected alive.”

Yuan Li was slightly startled—he hadn’t expected Ji You to know about the live dissection.

That incident was ancient, long before the current generation of mortals had even been born.

And Youzhou lay under the control of the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion; few dared mention it. Even the Chu family’s clan records dared not write it plainly—only those who lived through it or were close to the Chu family knew the truth.

Yet now that he knew Ji You understood the Chu ancestor’s live dissection, he grew even more curious about Ji You’s sword.

“Since you know this, did you hesitate when you drew your sword at the Celestial Altar?”

“Why would I hesitate?”

“Because the Chu family also sought revenge—for centuries of humiliation.”

“That wasn’t revenge.”

“?”

Ji You lifted his teacup: “If the Chu family’s actions count as revenge, then their vengeance is complete—but who will avenge the people they killed?”

Yuan Li fell silent for a long while: “So you’re of the ‘revenge begets revenge’ school?”

“No. I’m of the ‘revenge must be paid’ school—but true revenge is direct, not piled upon innocent lives, not masquerading as slaying a dragon while becoming one.”

“Then what would you do if you were in the Chu family’s place?”

Ji You looked up at Yuan Li: “If you can’t kill the Patriarch, kill his disciples. If you can’t kill the disciples, kill the Elders. If you can’t kill the Elders, kill their descendants.”

Yuan Li gripped his teacup: “But the Sacred Artifact suppresses Qingyun—this kind of revenge ends in death.”

“Then my revenge is to kill until I die.”

Yuan Li’s eyes trembled instantly upon hearing Ji You, then he fell into stunned silence.

Since last night, he’d been pondering whether the Chu family’s actions truly counted as revenge.

This mattered deeply to him—if it was revenge, he might feel his own blood guilt wasn’t so heavy.

But now, he understood: the Chu family’s deeds were not revenge.

True revenge has only two outcomes: he dies, or you die—not replacement, not countless innocent souls sacrificed.

Then, this Dan Sect Patriarch began to understand his father.

His father had secretly aided the Chu family’s founding because the weak should pity the equally weak—not use the banner of revenge to arbitrarily strip the lives of the even weaker.

“In the matter of the human catastrophe, does Patriarch Yuan seem to sympathize more with the Chu family?”

“It’s because the Dan Sect once endured its own dark turmoil; when I recall the Chu family’s past, I feel a pang of shared sorrow.”

Yuan Li sensed Ji You had noticed something, so after explaining, he changed the subject: “Did you rest well on Danshan yesterday?”

Ji You choked on his tea.

He hadn’t expected Yuan Li to shift topics so abruptly—or to ask this.

It was a routine greeting, common between host and guest, often signaling the end of a topic, carrying no real weight.

But the problem was: Ji You had slept in the daughter’s chamber yesterday—and had terrified her into sobbing all night. To be asked this now was terrifying, and he had no answer.

Yuan Li suddenly remembered the disciple’s report that Ji You hadn’t rested in the Yuheng Courtyard, and his eyelid twitched as his face darkened.

But he quickly composed himself and said to Ji You: “I’m certain you won’t let Caimei fall into danger.”

“Of course not.”

“Then please, for Caimei’s sake, protect Yuan Chen.”

“Yuan Chen has called me ‘brother-in-law’ for five years—I won’t let him come to harm.”

Ji You nodded in agreement, yet his brow furrowed slightly—he felt Yuan Li’s words carried a hint of entrusting his child, though he couldn’t tell if it was his imagination.

In truth, Yuan Li still worried about the involvement of the thousand-year clans in the calamity.

He still didn’t know who had taken his daughter, lured his son downhill, or where the man who came to the Dan Sect with Chu Xiong was now.

No wall is truly sound, and those who knew the truth still hide among the living; his fear of exposure was natural—and that hint of entrusting his child came from this.

Long before Ji You slew the five Wujiang on Danshan, Yuan Li knew his daughter and son had found protection—especially after Ji You forcibly tore open the Celestial Altar and slew Chu Xian, the former Sacred Son of Xuan Yuan, in the miasma.

Having finished his tea, Yuan Li rose from the pavilion.

Opening the Ancients’ Sacred Ground was beyond one person’s power; repairing its cracks was even harder.

So he must mobilize troops and hasten departure, to end the tail end of the thousand-year clans’ calamity as soon as possible.

Watching Yuan Li depart, Ji You poured the tea into the ditch, packed his tea set, and descended the mountain.

His purpose in coming to Danshan wasn’t only to ask the Dan Sect to repair the Ancients’ Sacred Ground—he also intended to use the Dan Sect’s medicinal pool to break through his realm.

As his physical realm advanced, his need for spiritual energy grew ever larger—ordinary places could no longer satisfy him.