Simultaneous Transmigration: From Japanese Anime to American Comics

Chapter 156: Journey to Nanzhao! The Vanishing Bai Yue!

Inside the Ancestral Master's Hall, the elders looked at one another, unsure whether to support or oppose the proposal.

The Sword Saint turned to Qingwei and said, "You yourself have said that the boy is bound to ascend to immortality. If he doesn't take up the role of Sect Leader, should we let ourselves—who hardly stand a chance—waste away in that position instead?"

Qingwei's expression shifted slightly before he slowly nodded.

The Sword Saint smiled. "Let the young ones decide the future of Shu Mountain. As for us, it's better we focus on staying alive a bit longer."

Qingwei was momentarily stunned, then burst into hearty laughter.

In all the decades he'd known the Sword Saint, it was the first time he'd seen him crack a joke.

The elders chatted animatedly for quite a while and finally agreed to hold a sect unification ceremony, inviting the righteous sects from all over the land to attend.

As the discussion grew more enthusiastic, the Drunken Sword Immortal suddenly interjected, "Shouldn't we deal with the Nanzhao matter first? Otherwise, those youngsters probably won't have the heart for any ceremony—especially Nephew Chu Yang. With how much he hates evil, this must be eating away at him."

Qingwei gave a slight nod and stroked his beard solemnly. "Junior Brother Mo is right. The descendants of Nüwa have greatly aided Shu Mountain—we cannot sit by and do nothing."

The Sword Saint's eyes turned cold as he sneered, "Leave this to me. For Bai Yue to dare ambush Shu Mountain alongside the Evil Sword Immortal... if he's waded into these murky waters, then he shouldn't blame me for being ruthless."

The Drunken Sword Immortal chuckled. The man before him was the Sword Saint he truly knew. Despite putting on a refined and scholarly air these past years and engaging in philosophical debates at the drop of a hat, at his core, he remained as fierce and hot-blooded as ever.

Bai Yue was no match for the Sword Saint, but the real danger was if Bai Yue, pushed to desperation, used some dark technique to awaken the sealed Water Demon Beast—that would be a nightmare.

Just as that thought crossed the Drunken Sword Immortal's mind, the Sword Saint's voice suddenly rang in his ear.

"Junior Brother Mo, you're coming down the mountain with me!"

Cough cough cough!

Caught completely off guard, the Drunken Sword Immortal choked on his wine, coughing violently. He wiped his mouth and chuckled awkwardly, "Senior Brother, please spare me. It's such a long journey—far too exhausting. Li Xiaoyao's cultivation has advanced rapidly. He'll be more than enough by your side!"

The Sword Saint narrowed his eyes in displeasure. "I'm not bringing you to clean up after me—I'm bringing you to clean up after yourself!"

The Drunken Sword Immortal's scalp went numb. He could only mutter meekly, looking for all the world like a student caught sneaking out to play all night and getting busted by his parents the next morning.

The others all turned their gaze toward the Drunken Sword Immortal, their eyes full of questions. For the Sword Saint to be this angry—it was clearly no minor matter.

The Drunken Sword Immortal simply shut his eyes and flopped to the ground, pretending to be drunk.

The next day.

The planned sect merger was kept confidential for now. Qingwei and the others summoned Chu Yang and the others to the sect's main hall, informing them that the Sword Saint would personally step forward to eradicate the Lunar Sect Cult.

Li Xiaoyao jumped with joy, the others likewise beaming with delight.

Xu Changqing, Zixuan, Jingtian, and Tang Xuejian weren't present—they had departed the previous night for the Thunderbolt Hall in Deyang to confront Luo Rulie and avenge Old Master Tang.

"We shouldn't delay. Let's head down the mountain and share the good news with Elder Shi and the others," Chu Yang said, clapping Li Xiaoyao on the shoulder.

"Right, Big Brother Chu!" Li Xiaoyao grinned from ear to ear. After bowing to Qingwei and the others, he dashed off at full speed down the mountain.

"Sect Leader, Master, I'll take the others to Nanzhao first to wipe out Bai Yue's forces. Once Bai Yue himself appears, Uncle Sword Saint can step in."

With his swordsmanship having reached the realm of unity with the heavens, and considering Shu Mountain and Nanzhao were both located in the southwest, it wouldn't take the Sword Saint long at all to fly there.

The Sword Saint said, "No matter. I have my own plans. But my junior brother will go with you."

The Drunken Sword Immortal stepped out of the hall, looking utterly dejected, swinging his arms as if he were heading to the gallows.

Not long after.

Chu Yang and Lin Yueru arrived at Drunken Immortal Inn and saw a crowd gathered in the main hall.

Tang Yu, Anu, Elder Shi, Zhao Ling'er, and Liu Jinyuan.

They had long been packed and ready to return to Nanzhao at a moment's notice.

Lin Yueru tried to persuade Liu Jinyuan to stay in Yuzhou, but he was adamant. He hadn't been of much help in collecting the Five Spirit Pearls—this time, he insisted on joining the battle against Bai Yue.

To everyone's surprise, Elder Shi spoke up in Liu Jinyuan's defense, saying that his wisdom and strategic thinking would be invaluable in the fight against the Lunar Sect Cult.

During their time in Yuzhou, the two scholars had often spent their days deep in conversation and had become close friends despite the age gap.

Zhao Ling'er, Tang Yu, and Anu had also been charmed by Liu Jinyuan's intellect and regarded him as a dear companion, so they all chimed in on his behalf.

Outnumbered and outargued, Lin Yueru reluctantly agreed to let Liu Jinyuan come along.

With Shu Mountain supporting them and the Drunken Sword Immortal accompanying the party, everyone felt far more relaxed on this second journey compared to the first.

Smiles began to return to Zhao Ling'er's face.

Even Shi Gonghu had stopped scowling.

Ironically, the most miserable of the bunch was the Drunken Sword Immortal. Anu loved clinging to him, but the moment he saw her, he couldn't stop the tears from welling up.

Halfway through the journey, he couldn't take it anymore. He decided to fly ahead alone to Nanzhao.

Ignoring Anu's protests, he soared into the sky, heading southwest.

Whatever happened, he had to find Ming Yuanqing first and have the spell removed.

After he left, Anu looked disheartened. Even though they hadn't officially acknowledged each other, she held a deep affection for the Drunken Sword Immortal—surpassing even what she'd felt for her once-beloved Uncle Bai Yue.

And it was precisely due to the Drunken Sword Immortal's advice that she had severed all ties with Bai Yue.

The party continued onward, and half a month later, they arrived in Nanzhao.

Anu led them to the White Miao tribe's stronghold, a place Chu Yang had already visited once and knew well.

There, they found Xu Changqing and Zixuan waiting—they had returned to Shu Mountain after dealing with Luo Rulie, then flown to Nanzhao.

Traveling by sword was far faster than going on foot, so they had arrived days ahead of the others.

The Drunken Sword Immortal was also there, exchanging flirty glances with Ming Yuanqing, and the strange condition that made him cry uncontrollably had cleared up on its own.

Ming Yuanqing welcomed everyone inside and began explaining the current state of affairs in Nanzhao.

Thanks to years of Lunar Sect Cult's poisonous influence, the people of Nanzhao had become devout followers of Bai Yue. A few individuals alone couldn't just expose Bai Yue's true nature and expect the populace to turn against him.

This blind faith had even reached into the military ranks. Other than General Nanman and Elder Shi's trusted subordinates, the rest of the army now stood in open opposition.

The Witch King had been completely sidelined and was now nothing more than a puppet. Things had gotten even worse since Shi Gonghu's departure.

In other words, fighting the Lunar Sect Cult now was tantamount to fighting the entire nation of Nanzhao.

While dealing with the army and Bai Yue's cultists could be done through open combat, the real problem was how to handle the innocent civilians.

They couldn't just slaughter them all.

If they tried to protect the people, they'd always be one step behind Bai Yue. On the battlefield, that kind of hesitation would turn Zhao Ling'er and the entire White Miao tribe into passive targets.

"If you ask me, the best plan is to find Bai Yue and take him out. Cut off the head, and there's no need to make enemies of the whole country," said Li Xiaoyao, making a throat-slitting gesture.

No one paid him any attention. The Drunken Sword Immortal gave him a look like he was a complete idiot.

"Brother Xiaoyao, we're in this mess because we don't know where Bai Yue is," Zhao Ling'er whispered.

Realizing a little too late, Li Xiaoyao scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.

"You really are an idiot! If you don't understand, just shut up and let others speak, will you?" Lin Yueru scolded, glaring at him.

"Mind your own damn business, you vicious woman! I told you not to come—you're nothing but a nag!"

Li Xiaoyao snapped back without hesitation.

"Enough of this bickering. Can't you two grow up a little?" Xu Changqing said sternly, putting on the demeanor of a true senior disciple. Before, they hadn't been official Shu Mountain members, so he'd turned a blind eye—but now that they were about to formally join, he couldn't let things slide.

Li Xiaoyao immediately zipped his mouth shut. He now saw Xu Changqing the way a mouse sees a cat.

It wasn't just that Xu Changqing would soon be his senior brother—the real kicker was the generational gap between them. Frankly, it was a miracle he wasn't calling him "grandpa."

Once they quieted down, Shi Gonghu spoke up, "Her Highness is right. The biggest issue now is that Bai Yue has vanished without a trace since his attack on Shu Mountain."

The Drunken Sword Immortal added, "He might still be with the Evil Sword Immortal—who knows what they're plotting."

Everyone in the room began speculating loudly about where Bai Yue could've gone.

Chu Yang, annoyed by the noise, quietly slipped out. It was already night, the moon high above. He sat down on a stone bench outside, closed his eyes, and began to meditate while waiting for the others to come to a conclusion.

In truth, Chu Yang personally favored using military force to suppress the civilians brainwashed by the Lunar Sect Cult. As the saying goes, better a short pain than prolonged suffering.

Once the sect was gone, Bai Yue alone wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble.

But someone like Zhao Ling'er would never agree to such a solution.

So where had Bai Yue gone?

Recalling the entire plot of Chinese Paladin, there was almost no room left for Bai Yue to maneuver. The Five Spirit Pearls had been taken by Chonglou, and he had no way to break the Water Demon Beast's seal.

"No... I should be thinking about this differently."

"If he doesn't have the Five Spirit Pearls, what else could he use to break the seal?"

"All he has is the Evil Sword Immortal..."

"Dark thoughts..."

"Resentment…"

"The Ten-Thousand Mountain Range!"

Chu Yang suddenly stood up. He remembered that Bai Yue was of the Black Miao tribe—he would definitely know that legend. With no other options left, there was a high chance Bai Yue had gone deep into the Ten-Thousand Mountain Range to try and unseal the Beast God.

Bai Yue's goal had always been to destroy the world. As long as he could achieve that end, the method didn't matter.

Whether he used the Water Demon Beast or the Beast God—the result would be the same!

Convinced, Chu Yang rushed back inside and shared his theory.

Only Zixuan and Ming Yuanqing understood the legend—so they looked the most disturbed.

The Drunken Sword Immortal said, "If that Beast God is really as terrifying as you say, then he's even worse than the Evil Sword Immortal. We have to stop this before it happens."

Ming Yuanqing shook her head. "You don't understand what the Ten-Thousand Mountain Range is like. That place might as well be a different world. Don't think high cultivation means anything—you could be a Shu Mountain Sect Leader and still be killed by a random venomous insect you've never seen before."

"On top of that, the terrain and environment are unimaginably complex, and there's always the threat of ambushes from the barbarian tribes and monsters. The Ten-Thousand Great Mountains are practically a living hell on earth."

Seeing how grave her tone was, the Drunken Sword Immortal stopped insisting. Frowning, he said, "If they really do enter the Ten-Thousand Mountains and we don't follow them, then isn't there nothing we can do at this point?"

Chu Yang turned to Zhao Ling'er. "If the chaos in Nanzhao Kingdom isn't resolved quickly, and the Beast God truly emerges, the situation will only spiral further out of control. As a princess, you must make a decision."

Zhao Ling'er bit her lip, her expression filled with turmoil.

"Think carefully about this yourself."

Chu Yang left the room. The others gradually filed out too, giving Zhao Ling'er space to think alone. In the end, only Li Xiaoyao stayed behind to be with her.

The immense pressure brought Zhao Ling'er to tears, and Li Xiaoyao simply held her tightly. The two leaned into each other, becoming the firmest support each had in the world.

The night passed.

Zhao Ling'er ultimately decided she couldn't harm the people of Nanzhao Kingdom. That meant they would be entering a situation where they were at a severe disadvantage.

But everyone understood her decision.

Chu Yang nodded. "Since that's the case, let's start by wiping out the Lunar Sect Cultists and taking back control of Nanzhao's military."

Liu Jinyuan suddenly said, "As for the army, why don't Elder Shi and I handle that?"

Chu Yang patted his shoulder. "If you're confident, then go. Just make sure you stay safe."

So, aside from Liu Jinyuan and Shi Gonghu, the rest of the group set off together for the Lunar Sect Cult's location.

Chu Yang went alone to the Water Demon Beast's sealing grounds.

Even if Bai Yue had most likely headed for the Ten-Thousand Mountains, the threat of the Water Demon Beast couldn't be ignored.

Compared to the Beast God's seal, the Water Demon Beast's was much easier to break. Who knew what might be hidden within those mountains? If Bai Yue just happened to stumble upon something that could undo the Water Demon Beast's seal…

A sense of unease gnawed at Chu Yang.

The lake where the Witch Queen had sealed the Water Demon Beast was very well-known in the area. After asking around briefly, Chu Yang easily learned its location.

When he arrived, the entire area was eerily quiet—so quiet it was as if someone had pressed mute on the world.

The animals seemed to have sensed danger and fled beforehand. The more he saw, the more convinced Chu Yang became that Bai Yue was nearby.

In his line of sight, the statue of the Witch Queen's incarnation gradually came into view.

At the same time, another figure appeared, smiling as he looked straight at Chu Yang.

Bai Yue.

"Was I wrong?"

Chu Yang muttered inwardly as he slowly walked toward him.

"Brother Ayang, we meet again. It's a shame it had to be under these circumstances. I had truly hoped you would join the Lunar Sect Cult and help realize our great vision."

Bai Yue looked genuinely disappointed, his gaze sincere.

"There are already too many scientists working with me—you just didn't make the cut. I gave you a chance, but you refused to believe in the bond between Tang Yu and A'nu."

Chu Yang activated his True Origin Martial Form and charged straight at Bai Yue.

Bai Yue smiled faintly and flicked a blood-red orb, no bigger than a marble, from his fingertip into the lake.

Moments later, the lake erupted into a storm of churning waves and howling winds.