Chapter 212: Key Clue
After departing from the Lotus Sect, Rovel made his way straight to Wang Mountain. The peak, once the proud domain of the Holy Fire Cult, had been reduced to an unrecognizable wasteland of ruins and devastation.
Every trace of the surrounding flora had been entirely carbonized by blistering temperatures. Charred stone walls crumbled at the slightest touch, the earth itself was scorched black, and shattered roof tiles were embedded deep into the hardened ground from the sheer force of the impact. The lingering scent of ash and destruction painted a vivid picture of the catastrophic battle that had torn through the area.
Rovel scoured the desolate peak for a long time, sifting through the wreckage, but he failed to uncover a single useful clue. He figured that in the aftermath of Huodou's slaughter, scavengers from the Lotus Sect had already picked the battlefield clean.
Left with no other options, Rovel descended the mountain and sought out the nearest village clinic. The local physician, an older man with weary eyes, wiped his hands on a rag as he recalled the event.
"Oh, you mean that young girl?" the physician asked, his brow furrowing. "She came sprinting in here in a complete panic, carrying someone on her back. The injured one had a massive, fatal wound—it looked like something had nearly pierced straight through her chest. I did everything in my power to stop the bleeding and save her, but the damage was simply too severe. In the end, her breath just faded away. The girl ended up carrying the body off shortly after."
"Dead?" Rovel latched onto the critical detail in the physician's recounting.
"Yes, I am certain," the older man replied with a solemn nod. "Her pulse had completely stopped, and her breath was entirely gone. There was no life left in her."
Rovel's eyes narrowed slightly as the pieces fell into place. The injuries Red Kite had sustained during the battle were far more catastrophic than he had initially imagined. He had assumed she was merely nursing a severe wound, but he never anticipated that she had actually crossed the threshold of death.
However, his meta-knowledge of the world provided the missing link. The Garuda's Honkai beast genes spliced into her DNA would never allow Red Kite to perish so easily. Her cellular regeneration would kick in, ensuring it wouldn't be long before her life force forcibly reignited.
A chilling thought crossed his mind. 'Does Su Mei already know that Red Kite can return from the dead?'
Rovel rubbed his chin, finally grasping a crucial clue that explained the shifting dynamics on Taixu Mountain.
Having extracted the information he needed, Rovel began the long trek back to Taixu Mountain. Along the way, he encountered scattered groups of the mad—those unfortunate souls corrupted by Honkai energy. He dispatched them with swift, efficient strikes, clearing the roads as he traveled.
Despite knowing the truth of the situation, Rovel had no immediate, practical solution to accelerate Red Kite's recovery. He entertained a wild idea for a moment: could he actually storm into Schicksal headquarters and 'borrow' the Divine Key, the Black Abyss White Flower, directly from Otto?
He weighed the idea in his head. It didn't seem entirely impossible given his current strength. However, explaining exactly how an isolated disciple from Shenzhou knew about Schicksal's most closely guarded artifact would be a logistical nightmare.
"I will just have to leave it at that for now and let Red Kite's body repair itself naturally," Rovel muttered to himself as he ascended the familiar stone steps of Taixu Mountain. "Even though she died once, the revival process doesn't seem to have permanently damaged her martial foundation."
"Senior Brother Fang, why did you venture down the mountain all by yourself and stay away for so many days?"
The sudden voice broke the tranquility of the mountain path. Halfway to the summit, Su Mei materialized from the shade of the bamboo grove, smoothly stepping out to block Rovel's path. A bright, flawless smile adorned her face, though her eyes remained carefully guarded.
Rovel noted the subtle shift in her greeting. By addressing him so formally as 'Senior Brother Fang,' she was quietly drawing a line in the sand. The carefree, innocent dynamic they once shared was gone, likely never to return. In the harsh reality of their world, this distancing could be considered a necessary form of growth.
"My hands were getting a bit itchy, so I took a trip down to clear out some of the mad wandering the countryside," Rovel replied, his tone casual and relaxed. "While I was at it, I also happened to dig up some interesting information regarding our fourth and fifth junior sisters."
"Senior Brother, you truly live up to your fearsome reputation..."
Su Mei's perfectly sculpted eyebrows twitched slightly at his nonchalant admission. During her own recent descent to test her sword skills in the mortal realm, she had heard widespread whispers of Rovel's 'great achievements' echoing across the Divine Realm.
She had never expected that Rovel—a man who appeared so mild-mannered and somewhat old-fashioned on the surface—was actually the disciple who most ruthlessly adhered to the principle of 'slaying the mad on sight.'The commoners had dubbed him the'Butcher of the Demonized.' The mere thought of the bloody trail he left behind was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine. Even their master, Adeptus Red Kite, who had eradicated countless hordes of the mad over the centuries, had never earned such a vicious moniker.
Of course, the primary reason Rovel had acquired such a terrifying title was likely due to the 'famous quotes' he casually dropped during battle—phrases that sounded utterly unhinged and outrageous to the local populace.
"But you mentioned finding out something regarding the fourth and fifth junior sisters. Could you tell me about it?" Su Mei asked, unable to completely mask the genuine curiosity bubbling beneath her polite facade.
"I need to report this directly to Master and let her make the final decision," Rovel said, smoothly sidestepping her to continue his ascent up the mountain. "If you are that interested, you are more than welcome to tag along and listen in."
Su Mei fell into step right behind him. As they walked, she began chattering away, filling the silence with all the mundane, amusing events that had transpired on the mountain during his absence.
She recounted how young Ma Yanqing had accidentally wet the bed, forcing the embarrassed boy to sneak out at the crack of dawn to frantically scrub his sheets in the stream. She laughed while describing how Jiang Wanxi and Jiang Wanru were caught sneaking midnight snacks by the strict Lin Chaoyu. In the ensuing panic, Jiang Wanru had ruthlessly ditched her sister to face the music alone while she slipped away into the shadows.
The most amusing tale involved Cheng Lingshuang. The prodigy had casually mentioned to the others that mastering the Taixu Sword Qi was incredibly easy, a passing comment that had left the two Jiang sisters utterly demoralized and questioning their own talent.
Rovel simply listened to the flowing gossip, offering a nod or a brief hum of acknowledgment to keep the conversation moving.
As they reached the main courtyard, the rhythmic sound of wooden training swords cutting through the air greeted them.
"Second Senior Brother, you're back!" Jiang Wanxi called out, pausing her routine to offer a bright greeting.
"Feeling a bit stiff today, are we?" Rovel stopped and cast a critical eye over her stance. "Just look at your Sword Form practice. Your leading arm is completely crooked, and your center of gravity is entirely off. Did you skip breakfast this morning? You started learning the Sword Form a full year before Lingshuang, yet you are already falling behind her pace..."
He proceeded to ruthlessly dissect her technique, pointing out every minor flaw and misaligned footwork with the precision of a seasoned instructor.
"Senior Brother, I know I was wrong! I will go practice properly right this second!" Jiang Wanxi cried out. Her head throbbed from Rovel's relentless nagging, and with her cheeks burning a bright crimson, she quickly scurried away to the far end of the courtyard to correct her stance.
Rovel then slowly turned his gaze toward Jiang Wanru. The younger girl immediately jumped in fright, her eyes widening like a startled deer.
"Se... Senior Brother, I didn't even say anything!" Jiang Wanru waved her hands frantically in the air, desperately trying to distance herself from her sister's poor performance.
"Go supervise her," Rovel ordered, pointing a firm finger at the fleeing Jiang Wanxi. "I will be personally checking both of your progress tonight. Do not disappoint me."
"Yes, Senior Brother!" Jiang Wanru immediately snapped her spine straight, offering a crisp salute before sprinting across the courtyard to chase after her sister.
"Senior Brother, practice sword with me..."
A soft voice broke his focus. Cheng Lingshuang walked over, her expression as placid as a still lake, and gently tugged on the fabric of his sleeve.
"I have some urgent business to attend to right now. Go practice your forms first, and I will come guide you in a little bit," Rovel said, his stern demeanor melting away as he reached out to gently stroke Cheng Lingshuang's hair.
"Mm." Cheng Lingshuang gave a small, obedient nod and immediately trotted off to a quiet corner to practice her sword strikes in perfect solitude.
Watching her back, Rovel couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Cheng Lingshuang was undoubtedly the most well-behaved of all the disciples. She was always obedient, completely devoted to her training, and never required any coaxing.
It was just a deep pity that she had never truly experienced the complexities of the outside world. Her entire mind was solely focused on the way of the sword. Possessing such a pure, simple mindset with almost zero ability to distinguish the nuances of right and wrong made her incredibly susceptible to manipulation.
He presumed that in the original timeline, Su Mei had ruthlessly exploited this exact trait, tricking the naive prodigy into delivering that fatal, heaven-shattering strike against their master. Otherwise, Rovel truly couldn't fathom a single reason why someone as detached as Cheng Lingshuang would ever take up arms against Red Kite.
"Sixth Junior Sister really does listen to your every word," Su Mei commented from the sidelines. She narrowed her eyes, her expression completely unreadable as she watched the interaction.
"Doesn't little Yanqing listen to you just as well?" Rovel countered nonchalantly, not missing a beat.
It was only natural for Lingshuang to cling to him. After all, Rovel had practically raised the girl himself. From teaching her how to read and write her first characters, to guiding her through the complex breathing techniques of the Sword Heart Mantra and the physical demands of the Sword Form, he had personally overseen every aspect of her development. Their bond was forged through years of quiet, steady companionship.
Leaving the courtyard behind, Rovel and Su Mei entered the quiet sanctuary of the main hall.
"Master, I have returned," Rovel announced, bowing respectfully toward the figure seated at the head of the room.
Red Kite, who had been resting in deep meditation with her eyes closed, slowly lifted her eyelids. Her gaze, ancient and piercing, settled on him.
"Where have you been these past few days?" Red Kite inquired, her voice smooth and devoid of any obvious inflection.
"I traveled to the Lotus Sect and made a trip to Wang Mountain. Along the way, I also took the time to clear out some of the mad that were plaguing the roads," Rovel answered honestly.
"...What did you go to Wang Mountain for?" Red Kite's brow furrowed, the movement so slight it was almost imperceptible.
Standing quietly to the side, Su Mei also shifted her attention to Rovel, a peculiar, calculating glint flashing through her eyes.
"Neither Master nor Junior Sister would speak a word about what truly happened on the mountain that day, so I took it upon myself to investigate the matter," Rovel explained, keeping his posture relaxed but his tone firm. "Through my inquiries, I learned that Master was severely injured during the great battle."
"...I am perfectly fine. This is no great matter, and you need not worry yourself over it," Red Kite replied, her tone remaining unnervingly calm.
Rovel felt a twinge of frustration. She had clearly been pushed to the absolute brink of death—having literally died and revived—yet she still stubbornly claimed it was no big deal. While he knew her primary intention was to shoulder the burden alone and avoid worrying her disciples, this relentless stoicism was exactly what built an impossible wall between her and the rest of the mountain. It distanced her from the very people she was trying to protect.
"It is good to hear that Master is well," Rovel said, his expression turning entirely serious as he met her ancient gaze. "However, the common people of the Divine Realm are still suffering out there. Therefore, while you remain here to properly recover your strength, I am willing to travel the world in your stead and carry out the duty of exorcising these demons."
He laid his intentions bare, offering to take up her heavy mantle.
"..."
Red Kite fell into a deep silence. The quiet of the hall stretched on as she stared at him, leaving his earnest declaration hanging in the air without an answer for a long, heavy time.
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