novelraw Chapter 62 : I Am Ancestor Red Luan
Chapter 62 : I Am Ancestor Red Luan
Chapter 62: I Am Ancestor Red Luan
Lu Changyuan and Xia Lianxue were now facing precisely this situation.
Once Lu Changyuan believed that Ancestor Red Luan was the one he was to marry, Xia Lianxue would be replaced.
And this technique was sinister precisely because of its subtle and imperceptible influence.
The inky rain that had first fallen from the heavens, that seemingly absurd, ridiculous touch—had, in fact, already blended into Ancestor Red Luan’s technique, silently beguiling the minds of those who entered the scroll.
And the three bows of the wedding ceremony were the manifestation of the technique.
The Ink Figures surrounded the two of them, just like the Great Mercy Hand of the Buddha Sect, making them naturally give rise to the thought of bowing to heaven and earth.
But once the three bows were completed—
Lu Changyuan would shift from believing Xia Lianxue to be his wife, to believing the bride of the wedding ceremony was his wife.
Finally, when the veil was lifted, whether or not it was Xia Lianxue beneath it would no longer matter, because he would be ensnared by Ancestor Red Luan’s Illusory Moon Dao, forcibly believing that she was his wife.
From then on, Ancestor Red Luan would complete her act of stealing the sky and changing the sun.
Before the wedding bows, Lu Changyuan had already guessed this trick.
To the current cultivators of the world, it might be novel, but during the days when Daoist Chang’an was killing and killing again, he had seen many such ploys.
By reason, if Lu Changyuan were truly a mortal, or even if he were a cultivator at the Fifth Realm, Jade Balance, or one who was about to glimpse Dawning Sun, he would still be bewildered by this entire scheme.
Unfortunately—
The Supreme Pure-Spirit Forget-Immortal Technique could shatter illusions, and the Illusory Moon Dao could not affect Lu Changyuan.
“I have already lifted the veil once before. This veil—whoever wants to lift it can lift it.”
Lifting the veil was the final stage of the technique, also its killing stroke.
Lu Changyuan had no interest in lifting this veil. Something by his ear was trying to entice him: as long as he lifted this veil, he could marry Ancestor Red Luan.
Ancestor Red Luan was the strongest woman in this world; if he married her, he would never need to worry about anything in the future, and she would even help him find many sects’ saintesses to serve as his bedchamber attendants.
Wasn’t this the “Soft-Rice Dao” you dreamed of? Wealth, companions, techniques, land—all laid before your eyes.
The demonic whispers trickled into his ears, carrying the sticky pull of allurement.
Lu Changyuan wanted to laugh, but he held it back.
The Third Princess carried a birdcage, her tone extremely light: “Then why not let me lift the veil for Young Master Lu instead?”
This was also a novel experience for her.
She had not yet married, and yet she could already experience what it felt like to be the groom lifting the bride’s veil.
Ah.
Even if she married, she would not get to experience this.
Lu Changyuan nodded. “Please.”
Thus, the Third Princess extended her hand and tore the bride’s veil away.
Just as the veil fell, an ink-black long spear appeared in the bride’s hands, and the bride swiftly transformed into a monstrous being whose lower body was filled with strange black hair.
The ink-black long spear thrust straight toward Lu Changyuan.
Before the spear even arrived—
It lost its force, clattering to the ground with a metallic clang, dissolving into ink and vanishing.
A head rolled and rolled until it stopped at their feet.
Lu Changyuan withdrew Severed Thought.
Su Youwan said: “Xian Qingqiu.”
“You know her?”
The Third Highness spoke again: “I saw her once, many years ago. Back then, an elder of the Canglan Sect fell into demonic ways. When I went along with a True Person from the palace to clean up the aftermath, I caught sight of her… I was only ten at the time.”
Lu Changyuan did not pay it much mind, instead looking outside.
Outside, the rain of ink had grown even more violent, accompanied by rolling thunder.
Su Youwan said softly: “Young Master, are you not going to find Miss Xia?”
“Was Third Highness always so talkative?”
“Only when I see Young Master do I like to say a few more words.”
The corners of Su Youwan’s lips curved faintly; her silver hair, like moonlight, emitted a soft glow, exuding a heart-stirring sense of fragility.
She seemed like a porcelain statue, ready to shatter at a single touch.
“Does Young Master Lu know where Miss Xia has gone?”
Lu Changyuan clasped his hands behind his back, looking at the sky with an amused expression.
“Do you know when the Stealing Heaven Body-Substitution Technique backlashes the most severely?”
Su Youwan shook her head. “Does Young Master Lu like answering questions with questions so much? It’s not very likable.”
“Not likable to whom?”
“Not likable to anyone except Young Master himself.”
This Third Highness was also a chatterbox.
Seeing Su Youwan unwilling to continue, Lu Changyuan slowly explained: “The closer the Stealing Heaven Body-Substitution Technique is to success, the greater the price to be paid. At the very moment of success, if the technique is forcibly reversed, it can inflict the heaviest backlash upon the caster.”
The corners of Lu Changyuan’s lips twitched several times, and finally he could not help but laugh.
“It’s better to let her take her revenge herself.”
“Who are you?”
“Xia Lianxue.”
Inside the grand hall of the Jade Palace, two chairs faced one another, and upon them sat two women facing each other.
Both were dressed in red wedding garments, both wearing red bridal veils.
“No, you are not Xia Lianxue.”
“I… am not Xia Lianxue?”
The two red veils were lifted simultaneously; one revealed Xia Lianxue’s face, the other Ancestor Red Luan.
Xia Lianxue felt her thoughts grow hazy.
She heard the other say: “Do you want to ascend?”
Who didn’t want to ascend—ascend above Radiant Jade, become an immortal, live forever, and gaze down upon the mortal world.
So Xia Lianxue answered: “No.”
She only wished to fall into the mortal dust with the one she loved.
Ancestor Red Luan gritted her teeth and asked again: “You established the Immortal Palace, suppressed the Painting Demon, and made an indelible contribution to this world, did you not?”
“No. I never established the Immortal Palace, nor suppressed the Painting Demon.”
The other spoke coaxingly: “You are Seventh Realm, Jade Radiance. When the Immortal Palace was in peril, you bore its burden; it was you who suppressed the Painting Demon.”
Xia Lianxue furrowed her brows, sensing something amiss, yet her thoughts were muddled; she could not pinpoint what was wrong.
She likewise could not see her own face gradually changing, becoming more and more like Ancestor Red Luan’s.
But she could see Ancestor Red Luan’s face turning more and more like her own.
Xia Lianxue asked blankly: “Who are you?”
“Me? I am Xia Lianxue.”
“If you are Xia Lianxue, then who am I?”
The other bared a row of white teeth.
Using Xia Lianxue’s face, Xia Lianxue thought, this looked not beautiful at all—and those teeth were too sharp, not suitable for serving Young Master.
What am I thinking?
The other clearly paused for a moment as well, then her expression turned dark: “You are Ancestor Red Luan.”
Ancestor Red Luan?
I am Ancestor Red Luan.
Xia Lianxue tried to open her mouth to speak, but it was as if her soul had been stolen. She could remember nothing, muttering: “I am Ancestor Red Luan?”
Suddenly, crimson shadows arose all around; each shadow spoke to Xia Lianxue: “You are Ancestor Red Luan.”
Thus, Xia Lianxue seemed to truly believe it.
Her face became that of Ancestor Red Luan, while the other’s became that of Xia Lianxue.
The one opposite her, very satisfied with her reaction, rose to her feet; the red garments on her body turned blood-red, and then she extended her hand.
“You are Ancestor Red Luan. But Ancestor Red Luan has already passed away, so…”
“So, I ought to be dead.”
“Yes. You ought to die.”