Chapter 788: Exploring Karma Again

Chapter 788: Revisiting Cause and Effect

Zhao Changhe naturally could not know what had transpired at Hangu Pass; his eyes could not see that far.

After dual cultivation with Yue Hongling, his injuries had slightly recovered, but he still had a mountain of tasks to attend to.

When he awoke, Yue Hongling was asleep—not from being overwhelmed, but because the battle and the dual cultivation had stirred something within her, sending her into a deep meditative trance. Zhao Changhe did not disturb her, instead taking stock of his own condition.

His injuries were far from healed, but the ceiling of his cultivation was rising.

Battle had always been the ultimate tempering, especially for someone like him who cultivated blood and slaughter. Even though he had moved beyond the stage of nurturing slaughter to advance, such a great battle still yielded immense gains. Moreover, this place was a divine realm forged by the Eternal Heavenly God for his own revival, complete with a well-constructed spirit-gathering formation. The vast, unmatched energy formed by the surrounding faith power was now masterless. Others could not use it, but after studying the Book of Qi Meridians, Zhao Changhe found it extremely convenient to channel—no different from soaking in a spiritual spring.

From this single session of dual cultivation and healing, the benefits he reaped were incalculable. Yue Hongling had even gone into seclusion as a result.

He could continue cultivating here for a while, perhaps even bring San Niang along to absorb the accumulated faith energy...

He took out the newly acquired Book of Reality and Illusion and pondered it. To his surprise, the Blind Girl still had not appeared... Normally, whenever he obtained a Celestial Book, her reaction was quite noticeable. This time, her silence was so profound that Zhao Changhe felt a bit unaccustomed. He tried calling out twice, but there was no response... He did not dwell on it and simply began reading the book.

This page of the Book of Reality and Illusion... strictly speaking, it was called "Existence and Non-Existence." In terms of metaphysical profundity, it might not necessarily surpass the previous page of the Book of Cause and Effect. However, combined with the page on Qi Meridians and with some guidance from the Blind Girl, it at least allowed one to see a thread of causality... Even if seeing it did not enable one to do anything, or even necessarily discern what that causality represented, at least there was something "visible." As long as it was visible, it gave a sense of solidity, a feeling that one could grasp it sooner or later.

This in itself was the significance brought by "Existence"—making things visible and cognizable.

This page on Existence and Non-Existence, however, left one completely baffled. There was nothing to see at all, let alone any VR-like demonstrations as with the earlier pages. It was purely abstract.

Existence and Non-Existence—this proposition first relied on definition. For example, an empty pocket: ask whether there is something inside. First, one must define what "something" means. What does "something" refer to? Money and items are absent, but there is air, dust, and particles yet to be recognized or observed. Without a clear definition, arguing about existence and non-existence could go on until the end of time.

In this page, if one asked whether there was a bellyband, the answer was definitely no. So what was there? There was a law.

By analogy, the existence and non-existence pointed to by this law must refer to a clearly defined target. For instance, a specific Dragon Sparrow at a specific time and place—if it was here, it existed; if not, it did not. If it was not here but could be seen, that was illusion. If it was here but could not be seen, that was concealment.

The transformation between existence and non-existence was unlikely to be cultivable, at least not at the current level. At this stage, the most one could gain from it was an experience of truth versus illusion, of emptiness versus reality. Even the Blind Girl dared not call this page the Book of Existence and Non-Existence; she only dared to call it the Book of Reality and Illusion.

No wonder the Eternal Heavenly God had held onto it for so long without learning much, and Lie had simply discarded it, saying, "It doesn't suit my path."

But for Papiyas, this Celestial Book could at least allow him to push his illusion techniques to their peak with ease... though it felt like using a cannon to kill a mosquito—using such a divine object merely for illusion techniques...

As for what the Blind Girl and the Nine Abysses might gain from it... for instance, could it create a physical body for the Blind Girl out of nothing? It was not impossible. Theoretically, as long as something could be defined under the laws of this Heaven, relying on this Celestial Book, it should be possible to create it from nothing. That would truly deserve the name "law"... It might even be the core page that formed the entire world.

Zhao Changhe similarly had no desire to use this thing to learn illusion techniques; at most, he would learn to break illusions.

What he truly wanted to learn was emptiness and reality. The concepts of emptiness versus reality and truth versus illusion were not identical, but their essence was similar. The prerequisite was the ability to discern truth—the power to see through to the essence.

For example... Zhao Changhe focused his eyes, channeling his power, and took a serious look at the thread of causality between himself and Yue Hongling.

Did causality exist? It certainly did. But it was invisible, a concept of emptiness. Yet since it existed, it could manifest as reality.

Combined with the art of observing qi, looking at causality only allowed one to see that there were threads connected, but not what those threads represented. But at this moment, integrating this page of the Celestial Book, Zhao Changhe could clearly discern the actual concepts behind the threads between himself and Yue Hongling.

The starting point—that was gratitude.

Yue Hongling had saved his life; that grace was the cause of all subsequent effects, the beginning of all their karmic ties.

Under this beginning, many threads would have branched out. For instance, there might have been a thread of master-disciple relationship; he had once wanted to learn martial arts from Yue Hongling, but that thread had already been severed. The continuing thread was admiration—"That is the martial world in my heart," "I want to become someone like her." This thread followed after the grace and righteousness, intertwined with another thread of a man's natural desire for a beautiful woman, spiraling together into an increasingly thick thread.

This thread bore new fruit at the moment of the "bandit's wife" incident in Beimang... Zhao Changhe's face flushed slightly, because he realized that at that time, he already harbored love for Hongling. So he had fallen for her back then... If he had not seen it so clearly, he would never have dared to admit it.

And one cause influenced many effects. For example, the possibilities of "bandit" or "evil-doing" that might have existed in him were directly severed by the cause of Yue Hongling's grace and his love for her. Even though he was in a den of bandits, he walked the path of a chivalrous hero—a path that had surprised even Wan Zhuang at the very beginning. All of this stemmed from that.

All cause and effect were laid out clearly.

The concept of emptiness transformed into a tangible presentation, fully visible at a glance.

This was tracing the past causes, relatively simple... Looking forward to the future, the threads were no longer convergent but began to branch again.

The thickest and smoothest thread was one of growing old together, with children and grandchildren. This was the most likely outcome given their mutual feelings and personalities. Threads like "change of heart" or "abandonment" simply did not exist, which made Zhao Changhe quite satisfied with himself.

But there were also "if" branches. For example, the possibility of either of them dying a violent death, or a strange possibility of being separated and unable to meet. This was normal. What was so surprising about people like him, who lived on the edge of a blade, dying? He had nearly died just yesterday... The most likely outcome was merely one possibility; whether it became reality depended on one's own efforts. That was only right.

However, if someone skilled in manipulating such things were to meddle, whether it would lead to an undesirable outcome was unknown to anyone.

At least it could be seen... At least no one could secretly tamper with the fate of him and Hongling.

But the relationship with Hongling was relatively simple; seeing through it was not strange. There were more complex matters. For instance... Zhao Changhe tried not to look at his relationship with Yue Hongling but instead focused solely on his own future. The result was a myriad of threads, blurry and tangled, impossible to sort out. He did not have the ability.

As the Blind Girl had said, she could not even see her own fruit... To reach such a level, one could only imagine what kind of realm that would be.

In fact, Zhao Changhe felt that if he tried to see the causality between himself and the Blind Girl, it would not be as simple and clear as with Hongling. Their relationship was far more complicated, likely too chaotic for him to sort out. He wondered if the Blind Girl could manage it.

In any case, being able to see through causality not only gave him confidence but could also be applied to martial arts...

Just as one could sever qi meridians, one could also sever causality.

This would be the direction of his next blade strike. It seemed beneficial for dealing with Yangyang's reincarnation situation, as well as for the potential threat of being possessed by Lie that lurked for him and Old Xue... If he could master it to the peak, perhaps he could kill someone without a trace—erase the very cause of their existence, and would that mean instant death?

In the end, his injuries were not yet healed. After studying to this point, his head began to spin. Zhao Changhe let out a long breath, shook his head, put away the Celestial Book, and rose to leave the secret realm.

There was still much to do; he could not just stay here pondering martial arts. For instance, Li Shentong's injuries were waiting for him to regain some strength before he could treat him again.

...

Originally, Li Shentong had been unconscious, and Zhao Changhe himself had been too weak to do anything. He had left him in the care of the Blood God Cult followers, who had applied medicine and bandages. But when he went out to ask, Xue Canghai told him that Li Shentong had already left.

"Left?" Zhao Changhe asked in surprise. "How is that possible? With such severe injuries..."

"Situ Xiao came to take his master away. He said they were returning to the sect's secret grounds, which would be more effective for such injuries. Also, the Spirit Clan is nearby; they could ask them for some blood-related treasures that would be more suitable for the condition."

"That makes sense, but can anyone tell me how Situ Xiao got here in one night? Can he fly too?"

Xue Canghai looked at him for a long moment, then said helplessly, "My dear Saint, it's already the morning of the third day."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

He had only studied the Celestial Book for a short while at most, meaning he had slept for two and a half days?

The Blood God Cult followers were quite impressed. Zhao Changhe's achievements in slaying gods and demons did not have as much impact on the men as this. To be able to go at it for two and a half days—what kind of stamina was that? Although the core followers of the Blood God Cult, like those of the Divine Firmament Sect, had little interest in women, that did not mean they did not admire a man's prowess, right?

"Ahem." Xue Canghai coughed dryly, trying to steer the conversation back to business: "The Saint previously sent word to the grasslands, summoning them to the Holy Mountain for an audience. Now, some small tribes from Eastern Desert have come to pay homage—oh, those are the tribes we passed during our march that were hidden by the Reality and Illusion technique. Their elites were already decimated by our divine punishment, so they had no choice but to come."

Zhao Changhe also shamelessly went along with the change of subject: "We'll talk about that later. I want to know if Situ Xiao left any message."

"Only that you should visit Bashu when you have time, or send someone reliable, like Tang Wanzhuang, to take over." Xue Canghai's expression was not too pleasant: "The implication is that he still doesn't trust the Four Symbols Sect and our Blood God Sect to manage Bashu properly."

Zhao Changhe was not bothered by that: "What I want to know is whether there are any gods or demons behind them that we need to deal with. With Li Shentong in this state, I'm worried something might happen to them."

"He didn't say anything about that. If he didn't mention it, then there probably isn't." Xue Canghai said, "Not every lineage has a dead god or demon lurking behind it. Take the Four Symbols Sect, for example. They supposedly had a Night Emperor, but it seems he died long ago."

If the Blind Girl heard this example, she might slap him even if she was in a good mood. But the logic was not wrong; not every powerful lineage necessarily had an undead god or demon behind it. Many had indeed died off.

The most typical example was Old Xia. Although there were traces of the Blind Girl behind him, his lineage was not hers. The various fortuitous encounters he had during his rise were likely masterless. Given that the Divine Firmament Sect's tradition focused on body forging, the original owner was far more likely to have died in the great cataclysm than someone who focused on the soul. But whether the original owner might revive under certain circumstances, like Lie, was anyone's guess.

In fact, the Sword Emperor was still lying in his tomb, also related to this difference in body forging. He had not caught the wave of divine and demonic awakenings in recent times, mainly because his focus was on the sword body. Unlike the Blind Girl, who could even discard her physical body and use a Celestial Book as a vessel without concern.

Zhao Changhe felt that Yue Hongling still wanted to leave this time. Unlike before, when she wanted to roam the world, this time she had a clear destination—she wanted to visit the Sword Emperor's tomb.

Given her current cultivation, if she wanted to go, she did not necessarily have to drag Zhao Changhe along... They could arrange the timing based on everyone's schedules. This matter really should be put on the agenda; otherwise, it would always be a ticking time bomb.

Since the Divine Firmament Sect had indicated there were no gods or demons to fight, Zhao Changhe set aside his worries. He could visit them after finishing things here. So he picked up the previous topic: "You said the Eastern Desert tribes have come to pay homage. What about the other regions?"

"Some from other regions have also come, but their sincerity is far less. For example, those from Eastern Desert brought cattle, sheep, and treasures. The others just sent an envoy to express submission. What good is that? We're all from the martial world; do they think we're fools?"

"Of course, they still think we can't control them." Zhao Changhe asked, "Any news from the Vermilion Bird Venerable these past few days?"

"...You still call her the Vermilion Bird Venerable?"

"I'm saying it for your sake, so you don't get beaten for calling her the wrong thing."

"...Much obliged." Xue Canghai clasped his hands and said, "The Venerable has no news for now. However, an envoy from General Huangfu reported that they have broken the royal court and captured all its people. They are now sweeping across the land, mainly searching for the whereabouts of major tribes like the Vulture Tribe. He has already slaughtered two tribes, but he hasn't found where the Vulture Tribe has gone. I have to say, Huangfu Yongxian is ruthless enough. With this sweep, it will take at least twenty or thirty years for the grasslands to recover."

"Why do you sound a bit envious... Aren't you afraid of being possessed by Lie?"

“To be honest, the moment the Blood God appeared, I was terrified, because I knew if he wanted to seize my body, he could do it casually—I was nothing but a vessel prepared for him… That feeling is horrifying, but to give up like Old Sun did… I can’t bear it… After all, I’ve trained this thing all the way to the Secret Treasury, and now to abandon it…”

Zhao Changhe understood Xue Canghai’s dilemma well—he himself had long known the Blood Fiend power was problematic, yet back then he had no choice but to keep training… And back then, his “Blood Fiend was impure,” so turning back was easy; but Xue Canghai, who had specialized in Blood Fiend all the way to the Secret Treasury, would find it hard to turn back now—he could only walk this path to the end.

“I think Lie should be fine; his mind doesn’t seem to be on this…” Zhao Changhe thought for a moment. “Keep training for now. I’ll see what happens after I contact him next time.”

“Fine.” Xue Canghai gave a faint smile. “To put it bluntly, we’re all following you now… We’ll just take your lead.”

“I do know where the Vulture Tribe is.” Zhao Changhe patted his shoulder. “You rest. I’ll be back soon.”

Xue Canghai: “?”

Just as he was about to ask, Zhao Changhe had already vanished.

This movement technique was growing more and more uncanny. Xue Canghai rubbed his eyes for a long time, yet still couldn’t discern Zhao Changhe’s trajectory—where exactly had he disappeared from?

Riding the wind, riding the light, divine descent… Ye Wuzong’s movement technique, Snow Owl’s movement technique… The more he dabbled in, the more his cultivation and insight grew, the more he could improvise and apply. Now Zhao Changhe’s movement technique was utterly free and unrestrained. Even the Nine Nether couldn’t catch that fleeting shadow of his in that instant, let alone Xue Canghai.

Zhao Changhe was also increasingly understanding Xia Longyuan… When he hadn’t yet formed his own unique martial art, he always thought about what cool name to give it once he had one. But when he actually got it, he couldn’t be bothered to think of a name. If he didn’t plan to pass it down to posterity, there was no need to deliberately name it.

His direction was straight northwest… Now that he had conquered the Divine Mountain and grasped all its mysteries, he could see the flow of the grassland’s faith power and the changes in the energy veins. Zhao Changhe could detect where faith power stubbornly continued to pour into the Eternal Heaven, where it was fading, and even where a portion had transferred to himself.

Among it, some faith had originally been on him—that could only come from Huangfu Qing’s army, the Night Emperor faith of the Four Symbols Sect.

What was peculiar was that Huangfu Qing herself, as the Vermilion Bird Venerable, didn’t believe…

Who would believe in that guy? She was out there fighting for her life, and the moment she turned her back, that guy went off to the bridal chamber.

Couldn’t you at least wait until I was far away? So infuriating!

Huangfu Qing sat in her military tent, spreading out a map with a sulky expression. She had no heart to curse the man; her delicate brows were tightly furrowed. Huangfu Shaozong and the other generals sat silently to the side, all somewhat embarrassed.

Without Zhao Changhe’s guidance, they had been out sweeping for three days and hadn’t found a single tribe. Sisi’s eagle tamers had been useless here too—whether the nomads had moved on or they had fallen into another illusion, no one knew.

What was more awkward was that morale had collapsed. After breaking Mount Langjuxu, from top to bottom, everyone had grown slack. Damn it, they hadn’t even held the victory feast yet, and they were already out on a punitive expedition. If they had found people, it would be one thing, but after days of no gains, the spirit naturally dissipated. So when Huangfu Qing summoned the generals to discuss the next move, no one answered for a long time.

Huangfu Qing frowned, lifted her head, and cast a glance, her phoenix eyes sharp with menace: “What’s this, all struck dumb? Before, during the march, you all had plenty to say, each wanting to take charge for me, didn’t you?”

“Ah…” The generals forced smiles. “That was when we were ignorant. Now that we know Your Excellency’s plans never fail, we naturally dare not speak out of turn.”

“Save that act.” Huangfu Qing fixed her gaze on her own brother. “You? Dumb too?”

Huangfu Shaozong could only say: “Father’s messenger reports that they can’t find the Vulture Tribe either… I reckon that since they’re called Vultures, they must excel at moving and scouting.”

“The more obvious mark of a vulture is scavenging.” Huangfu Qing sneered. “We’re not just looking for the Vulture Tribe—if we find Vulture Hunter’s Tooth, we’re very likely to find Temur. Because Vulture Hunter’s Tooth wants to find Temur even more than we do, and he has more experience. If I’m not mistaken, they might have already made contact.”

The generals said nothing, inwardly agreeing with the commander’s judgment. But what could they do? They had brought captives to help, even important shamans from the temple, and even they couldn’t find anything—what ideas could they offer?

Huangfu Qing glanced at the shamans sitting idly in the tent and sneered. Whether they truly couldn’t find them or were slacking off was hard to say.

But if they could find them without their help and win a brilliant annihilation battle, it could basically be said that the hearts of the grassland people would be settled in every way.

Unfortunately, the commander had to admit that she couldn’t accomplish it alone in the short term… The northern desert was too vast. The guides Batu had sent only knew the way to the Sacred Mountain and the Royal Court—how much did they know of other places? The war judgments that had seemed divinely inspired before were indeed divinely inspired—his name was Zhao Changhe.

“So infuriating.” Huangfu Qing ground her teeth secretly. “Was he that hungry? The moment he stopped, he had to go to the bridal chamber… If he helped me finish the job, couldn’t I keep him company? If he has the guts, come here now—I’ll keep you company in the commander’s tent…”

Just as she thought this, a figure flickered before her eyes, and Zhao Changhe appeared in the tent.

Huangfu Qing: “…”