The three dark lords that appeared on these lands, each one of them came from my side.
Kong Ling sect's disciples discussed for a long time and finally invited me to a meeting. Tactfully mentioning that they didn't hope for the sect to cultivate another celestial, they only hoped for me not to accept anymore disciples.
I promised them.
Solitarily returning to Kong Ling peak, I deeply felt the pain of being an old person left behind in an empty home.
Because I had so much spare time, I used my fingers to tell my own fortune.
It scared me out of my skin.
Unexpectedly, my first calamity after becoming an immortal was about to befall me.
During the time I suffered the calamity, my celestial energy would weaken quite a lot and mishaps could happen to Kong Ling peak's source of evil energy. There would need to be people to suppress the evil energy instead of me.
Actually, me educating disciples was also to prevent this day from happening. But now, this day has come and not one of my disciples could be counted upon.
I sighed in despair for a long period of time.
Since I had no other choice, I could only trouble the junior sect members.
After discussing with a few white bearded old men, they became even more nervous than me, hurriedly ordering the whole sect to prepare. Seeing them prepare so properly, I immediately relaxed a bit.
Actually, these years Kong Ling sect hadn’t stopped developing. Handing over some matters to the junior members, although they weren't disciples I had raised, could still let one feel reassured.
At ease, I didn't hurry to cultivate anymore. Just this little time to cultivate, it wouldn't make up these decades that I had lost because of travelling anyway.
I simply decided to lie next to the alcohol pond, drink a little wine, bask in the sun every day and remember my former glorious years.
On a clear day, after I had drunk myself a bit tipsy; suddenly, a wave of evil energy blew over. It made the willow branches next to the pond stir like the swaying hips of a maiden.
My fingers swung along with the willow branches.
A voice carrying some disdain and anger sounded next to my ear:
"Heavenly calamity will strike soon and Kong Ling sect has become disorderly like this, but Master is still very carefree. Not even aware that this disciple has returned? Losing guard like this, when the calamity comes, what does Master plan to do?"
I turned my head to look at him. Qian Gu stood next to me, black robe covering the sun.
His expression and manner of speaking exactly like before when he would reproach me for having drunk a little too much.
"For the matter of my calamity Kong Ling sect has tightened their security a lot now. You being able to sneak in secretly like this, it seems like your cultivation has improved a lot."
I answered.
"You coming today, want to take liberties with Master again? This time I haven't been drugged; won't let you take advantage of me."
He became silent for a bit: "The calamity……….…. Will it be able to pass safely?"
I sighed: "During these few decades, I was tormented half to death by you bastards. Who knows whether this heavenly thunder will strike me dead?"
Qian Gu fell silent.
I closed my eyes.
"The evil energy on your body is very heavy. Extremely easy to activate Kong Ling seal's energy detector. If you still harbour any respect towards me, then from now on, don't come to Kong Ling anymore."
I said: "I'm here and nothing has even happened yet, but if during my calamity something goes wrong……… you and your Junior Brother and Junior Sister, don't return to Kong Ling sect. Especially not Kong Ling peak."
These days I never told anyone of my worries, but after drinking some alcohol and since Qian Gu had conveniently appeared, I thought if I didn't say it now, I would have no opportunity afterwards.
After all, this was…..…..the actual situation.
These years my powers weren't like before. If I died during my calamity, the seal containing the source of evil energy would undergo some loosening. Kong Ling sect may be able to stabilize the seal, but if any demons entered, the evil energy would increase and I was afraid Kong Ling sect would not be able to suppress them.
"I have no other demands; I know in your heart you're aware of the appropriate behaviour. "
Qian Gu remained silent for a long while: "I won't let you die."
I chuckled: "Qian Gu, when you were younger I taught you; some things are not for you to decide."
My fingertip produced a spell. Before Qian Gu could react, I stood up, closed in on his chest and a ray of light from my fingertip entered his thorax.
He was startled.
I lightly laughed:" It's for me to decide."
I shoved him once and Qian Gu covered his chest, pain making his face pale, one knee falling to the ground.
"This is the spell of spirits. Qian Gu, remember this suffering. If you simply enter Kong Ling peak again, your body will feel pain even worse than now. Before the calamity I will make a boundary. I'm not worried about your Junior Brother or Sister being able to enter. They don't have the ability to and they will also not want to rush inside. Only you, Qian Gu."
I crouched down.
He raised his head to look at me, hard to be hidden pain visible in his eyes.
I rubbed his head.
"I know my own body, on the day of the big calamity, maybe I will…… Don't come to look for me again. No matter what happens, don't come to look for me again. After those three lashes of the Biting-spirit whip landed on your body, I already wasn't your Master anymore."
He wanted to pull my hand, but only managed to grab my sleeve. Difficult to be hidden pain apparent in his dark eyes.
" I spent……… so much effort, only to be able to stand next to you one day……… shoulder to shoulder. My lifetime's desire is only Master, you……………"
I trembled.
After all these years, I have often heard of talks in the Jiang Hu of his ruthlessness. I knew he was decisive and merciless when killing, but at that moment; seeing his eyes, he seemed like the youth who only wanted to stay by my side again. The youth whose most feared thing was to be driven away by me.
But what I was about to do, was exactly the thing he feared most.
I rubbed his head: "Go."
Qian Gu had joined Mo Dao, but his cultivation was still not on my level. I waved my sleeve and sent him out of Kong Ling peak.
Afterwards, he would never be able to enter again.
I suddenly remembered, many years before; the sun shining and me under a big tree wiping a little kid's face that had been stained with dust and dirt, promising him to protect him for a lifetime.
But in the end, during his lifetime, it was me who hurt him the most.
The day when the heavenly calamity befell me, I was reading in the library. I had just opened a page marked with immature notes, obviously it was young Qian Gu who had written them. Those crooked words made me unconsciously laugh out loud. I turned another page. It was blank, but using crude strokes there was a person drawn on it. It was a picture of me having fallen asleep on the study table.
I used my fingers to trace the paper. One stroke of heavenly lightning suddenly landed on my body. I was fine, but the book in my hand had been burned to ashes.
I was stupefied and raised my head to look. Heavenly lightning had struck a big hole into my hall.
I saw the sky through the hole, covered densely with dark clouds. The second strike was about to fall.
"Not striking sooner, not striking later."
An unexpected wave of fury suddenly rose in me. I waved my sleeve, one deathly strike heading towards the sky.
"You're intentionally making me unhappy."
The celestial energy hit the dark clouds, bumping into the heavenly lightning about to befall me. It made the sky light up brightly.
Outside, the shouts of the disciples who had hurried up the mountain could be heard.
I stepped out of the door. Before the third lightning strike fell down, I let the disciples enter my hall to guard the source of evil energy.
I myself went into Ling Xu cave, making a boundary and waiting for the lightning strikes to fall one after another.
Ling Xu cave's summit, after being struck by heavenly lightning each stronger than the other, was completely blown away.
Finally, the heavenly lightning landed on my body. I was already too lazy to bother with protecting my exterior. I sat down in meditation and closed my eyes, using all my energy and focus to protect my inner core.
The pain that the lightning brought me exceeded being put to death by dismembering the body and scraping the bones.
In my mind though, I was still thinking of the matters of accepting disciples these decades.
Although my three disciples all made me feel stifled, but considering it carefully, they had also brought me quite a lot of happiness.
Among them, the one I thought about the most was still Qian Gu.
In the end he was my first disciple, in the end he was…….
the disciple who liked me, his Master, most.
I suddenly thought of an idea. If I was lucky enough to survive this calamity, maybe I should go look for Qian Gu. Release the spell binding him, take him back to Kong Ling peak, make him convert back to celestial cultivation and let him guard Kong Ling peak alongside me.
I would even be willing to…….
be with him using another identity.
(meaning changing her identity of his Master to e.g. his girlfriend, wife…)
But without waiting for me to think any further, the last strike of heavenly lightning landed on my body and my consciousness faded.
During this time I heard the sound of someone, who had suffered even more pain than me for the sake of coming here, crying hysterically:
"Master! Master! Master……."
I thought I probably…………….. didn't survive the heavenly calamity.