Chapter 10: The Secret of the Scarlet Moon Curse, and the Death of a Shizun

Chu Tianxiong brought Lu Jin to his personal cultivation grounds, a place considered forbidden even to the Sect Elders.

Though Lu Jin was surprised, he knew that the strength he had displayed earlier had undoubtedly drawn Chu Tianxiong’s serious attention.

However, Chu Tianxiong’s first words were completely unexpected.

“Your Shizun truly didn’t lie to me.”

Lu Jin replied: “Sect Master, what do you mean?”

Three years ago, he hadn’t had much interaction with the Sect Master, and even his own Shizun, Xuan Yangzi, rarely communicated with him.

Chu Tianxiong smiled faintly: “Lu Jin, there are some things your Shizun probably never told you. Now that you’ve returned after three years of dormancy, and have indeed become a force to be reckoned with, just as your Shizun predicted, this Master intends to tell you some things about him today.”

Hearing this, Lu Jin’s eyes changed: “My Shizun? The elderly man treated me like his own son, yet I lost all my cultivation when he needed me most, watching helplessly as he departed…”

Thinking of this, a needle-like pain still pierced Lu Jin’s heart.

“It was no use.” Chu Tianxiong sighed: “Even if this Master had personally intervened three years ago, I could not have turned back the tide.”

Chu Tianxiong turned, his deep eyes looking at Lu Jin: “Because there’s a hidden truth behind your Shizun‘s death.”

Lu Jin frowned: “Sect Master, please enlighten me!”

Chu Tianxiong explained: “To be precise, your Shizun died from the Scarlet Moon Curse.”

“The Scarlet Moon Curse?” Lu Jin raised an eyebrow, having never heard of such a thing.

Chu Tianxiong spoke slowly: “The Scarlet Moon Curse is an unsolvable curse placed by the Ancestor of the Scarlet Moon Holy Land!”

“Once cursed, one must forever obey the Scarlet Moon Ancestor.”

“The reason your Shizun suddenly died was precisely because he defied the Scarlet Moon Ancestor’s order, triggering the curse’s backlash.”

Hearing this, Lu Jin was even more incredulous: “Sect Master, was there truly another hidden reason for my Shizun’s death?”

Chu Tianxiong nodded, saying, “This story is long, but now you are qualified to know it.”

“Your Shizun, Xuan Yangzi, and I grew up together in a humble mountain village. But one day, the Scarlet Moon Ancestor suddenly appeared in our village. He devoured people alive, slaughtering every living thing in the entire village!”

“The only reason your Shizun and I survived was because he saw extraordinary martial Dao talent in us.”

“So, he brought us both to the Scarlet Moon Holy Land, implanted the Scarlet Moon Curse, and made us swear eternal allegiance to him.”

“But having witnessed our family devoured alive by him, how could either of us be willing to serve him!”

“For all these years, due to the curse, we could only obey him and endure, searching for an opportunity to avenge that deep-seated, bloody hatred!”

“Alas!”

“Though our cultivation greatly increased over the years, the Scarlet Moon Ancestor’s power became even more terrifying!”

“Three years ago, your Shizun thought he saw an opening and tried to kill him, but he ultimately failed and lost his life because of it.”

“Xuan Yangzi and I were like brothers! Before he died, he told me his plan. Of course, I don’t know exactly what happened to you, but since your Shizun said you would definitely possess the ability to soar into the sky three years from now, this Master believes my brother’s words!”

“Now that you have encountered a great Fortune, this Master won’t press for details. Lu Jin, whatever resources you need for your future cultivation, this Master will strive to provide for you.”

“Furthermore, this is something your Shizun entrusted me to keep for you. Perhaps this is the only clue to uncover your true identity.”

Saying this, Chu Tianxiong handed a jade pendant to Lu Jin.

The white jade was flawless, and the warm, moist touch of it came through. Lu Jin slightly frowned. Receiving all this information at once made his mood complicated, but he still cupped his hands and bowed:

“Thank you for your care, Sect Master!”

“When this disciple achieves Golden Core and steps into the Purple Palace Realm in the future, I will surely seek out the Scarlet Moon Ancestor and avenge my Shifu!”

But when he finished, Chu Tianxiong smiled and shook his head.

“The Purple Palace Realm is still not enough…”

Lu Jin was speechless.

Chu Tianxiong slightly raised his palm, and a ball of spiritual light condensed in his palm. The fluctuation emanating from it clearly surpassed the Golden Core Realm!

“Hm? Sect Master, your cultivation…”

Chu Tianxiong nodded: “This Master stepped into the Purple Palace Realm long ago! But even with this level of cultivation, I cannot contend with the Scarlet Moon Ancestor!”

He sighed, but then suddenly smiled:

“Lu Jin, I won’t encourage you to seek revenge, but I must warn you, you must be careful of anyone who bears the Scarlet Moon Curse mark.”

He then lifted his sleeve, revealing the crescent-shaped curse mark.

“Sect Master…” Lu Jin was astonished.

“All those who bear the Scarlet Moon Curse mark are Blood Emissaries under the Scarlet Moon Ancestor’s command.”

“And these so-called Blood Emissaries are those who seek out blood food for him, puppets who capture people to aid his cultivation!”

“The Scarlet Moon Holy Land is entrenched in Qingzhou, its influence is vast. The Scarlet Moon Ancestor is its strongest leader. Besides the Blood Emissaries, he also has Moon Emissaries. These people outwardly maintain the stability of the entire Qingzhou, but their true purpose is to ensure the populace continues to reproduce, so that they can provide a constant stream of living blood food for the Scarlet Moon Ancestor!”

“This Master has endured for many years. One reason is to avenge our village, and the second is to remove this poisonous tumor for the sake of the common people!”

Chu Tianxiong finished with a faint smile: “What you have learned today, keep it to yourself.”

“Additionally, that Liu Ruyan colludes with Yang Dianfeng, and Yang Dianfeng’s Shizun, Elder Chiyu, has already joined the Blood Emissary alliance. Therefore, you must act with extreme caution.”

“You two have issued a life-and-death challenge today. Ji Yaoyue will surely exert all her effort to help Liu Ruyan break through. What are your plans?”

Lu Jin pondered for a moment, then replied: “Three years ago, this disciple ventured through many perilous lands and knows of a few cultivation secret realms. I plan to go there and enter seclusion to cultivate.”

Chu Tianxiong nodded, then sent a storage ring into Lu Jin’s hand: “A small Qingzhou cannot contain you. Lu Jin, this Master believes in you.”

Lu Jin looked down at the storage ring in his hand. He did not refuse, instead cupping his fist and saying:

“Thank you, Sect Master!”

Chu Tianxiong nodded, then watched Lu Jin depart.

Xuan Yangzi, you must not have been wrong about him…

---

After Lu Jin left, he walked out of the Myriad Sword Sect mountain gate.

As soon as he departed, several figures followed silently, tracking him in the shadows. They were none other than Luo Jiu and several other Elders.

“Peak Master Ji commanded us to eliminate him before the life-and-death match!”

“Elder Luo, with our current strength, we are no match for Lu Jin. The most urgent task is to seek help from other Elders!”

“Heh, don’t worry. Peak Master Ji said that as soon as we find the right moment, we should immediately send a transmission slip, and an expert will come to assist!”

“Keep up!”

---

As Lu Jin exited Myriad Sword Sect, besides Luo Jiu and the others, other cultivators wearing different robes quickly flew over and landed in front of him.

“Who are you?” Lu Jin’s voice was indifferent.

“Brother, to be honest, we’ve been waiting here for quite some time!” A man in a black robe, around thirty years old, cupped his hands in a greeting, his attitude quite modest.

“Waiting for me?” Lu Jin frowned.

“Indeed!” The man did not hide it: “We witnessed your imposing demeanor earlier, and we assume things are not going smoothly for you within the Myriad Sword Sect. With your talent, why not join my Wild Blade Sect? It’s surely better than enduring that garbage treatment in Myriad Sword Sect!”

“Haha, that’s right! My Ziyang Sect has the same intention!”

“If Brother is willing, this Elder will personally recommend you to join my Ziyang Sect’s inner Sect, where you can enjoy massive cultivation resources!”

…Listening to their words, Lu Jin finally understood: they wanted to recruit him.

“Thank you for your kind intentions, everyone, but I have important business to attend to. Please excuse me.” Lu Jin turned to leave.

“Brother, I am Duan Tianchou of the Wild Blade Sect. We shall meet again!”

“Qin Bei of the Ziyang Sect. I look forward to our next meeting!”

As the two spoke, they tossed two Storage rings to Lu Jin.

“I cannot accept a reward without merit.”

Lu Jin was about to refuse, but the two men laughed:

“No need to be polite, Brother. This is just a small token of goodwill. One more brother means one more path. If we meet again in the future, we may be able to look out for each other, don’t you think?”

“A timely help is stronger than a superfluous one. Brother, we value your potential; we have no other intention. If you’re happy, be a friend. If not, we’ll each go our own way!”

Seeing their straightforward manner, Lu Jin’s brows relaxed slightly, and he then gave a faint smile, spitting out two words:

“Lu Jin.”

With that, his figure shot out, a hundred zhang away in the blink of an eye.

“Lu Jin? That name sounds familiar.”

“It’s him! The former number one inner disciple of Myriad Sword Sect!”

“Rumor had it he disappeared three years ago. He’s actually alive?”

“Not only is he alive, but he’s returned with overwhelming power!”

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NOTES

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