vstars Chapter 78 The struggle for the Great Dao, that's all.
Chapter 78 The struggle for the Great Dao, that's all.
Shen Qing looked at Huang Dehou, who was making a complete fool of himself, and felt no pity whatsoever.
When Huang Yuanji plotted against his master, did he ever show the slightest bit of mercy?
When the Huang family forced the Qingyun Sect to "force" him to his death and put him in a coffin, did they ever back down even a little?
He didn't speak, but slowly raised his right hand, his index finger pointing forward in a half-open gesture.
Huang Dehou's pleas for mercy came to an abrupt halt, and a bloody hole silently appeared between his eyebrows.
His eyes held pleading and disbelief as he collapsed to the ground.
The room was completely silent.
After killing two people, the resentment that had been building up in Shen Qing's heart for so long finally dissipated.
Within his dantian, the twelfth-grade flawless Dao platform continued to rotate, and spiritual energy surged ceaselessly through his meridians. If any unforeseen circumstances arose, Shen Qing could draw his sword again at any time.
The Huang clan members, who had just been toasting and drinking, now felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave.
Some people trembled and collapsed to the ground, too weak to even stand up.
Several young children had their mouths tightly covered by their mothers, so they dared not make a sound.
Shen Qing glanced at everyone, her heart unmoved.
This was his first murder.
Before taking action, Shen Qing had imagined this scene countless times.
He thought he would be afraid, his hands would tremble, and he would close his eyes the moment the blood splattered.
However, standing amidst this blood-stained hall, he only felt... that was it?
Yes, what is there to be afraid of?
Did Huang Yuanji's hand tremble when he killed his master? Did Huang Dehou feel any pity when he and his father plotted against Qingyun Mountain?
This world is inherently a matter of life and death; the path of cultivation is never smooth; the struggle for the Great Dao has always involved life and death.
Shen Qing pulled himself out of his thoughts and turned his gaze to the Huang clan members who were huddled together.
A thought quietly emerged: should we nip it in the bud?
These four words are not just empty words in any world; they have preserved the roots of the Huang family, and there is a possibility that they will rise from the ashes in the future.
Although there is no second Foundation Establishment cultivator among the Huang family members, who can guarantee that there won't be one in the future?
Huang Yuanji's father and grandfather also rose from ordinary hunters to where they are today.
Shen Qing could even imagine the worst-case scenario: years later, a descendant of the Huang family would emerge with exceptional talent, hide his identity and cultivate diligently for decades, and one day come knocking to seek revenge.
This kind of story has played out countless times in the world of cultivation.
Thinking of this, Shen Qing twitched his fingertips slightly, and a wisp of sword intent condensed at his fingertips.
A murderous intent surged within him, but Shen Qing suppressed it at the last moment.
This is not because Shen Qing is kind, or rather, not entirely.
Shen Qing's gaze swept over the Huang family members, including direct disciples like Huang Wenyuan, women and children, and even children as young as seven or eight.
Shen Qing suddenly remembered the teachings of the Taoist priest on his first visit to Qingyun Mountain the next day.
"Qing'er, for those who cultivate themselves, the mind and character should be the most important."
The old man's withered finger touched his brow. "Sword cultivation is the same. A sword is a weapon; it can kill or protect. If your heart is filled with killing intent, then you are not cultivating the sword; the sword is cultivating you."
Although my master died at the hands of Huang Yuanji, it is only right to avenge him. However, there are innocent people among the Huang clan.
Shen Qing took a deep breath, dispelled the sword intent at his fingertips, and glanced at everyone before finally settling on the trembling Huang family members.
"Huang Yuanji and Huang Dehou are dead."
Shen Qing picked up where she left off, quickly recalling all the ways Huang Yuanji had plotted against Fushan and coveted Qingyun Mountain.
Do you know why I have come?
There was silence.
Huang Wenyuan stammered, "Senior Mo...we truly know nothing about what the old master did..."
"Whether you know it or not is no longer important."
Shen Qing interrupted him and looked around the room.
"From this day forward, Qingyun Mountain returns to the Qingyun Sect. You are hereby given three days to relocate your entire clan from Qinghe County."
"The Huang family's residence on Qingyun Mountain was built with every brick and tile exchanged for the foundation of my Qingyun Sect, and it must not be moved without permission. They may take 30% of their family property and wealth with them to make a living."
The Huang clan members reacted somewhat subtly to these words.
A flicker of disbelief crossed the eyes of several people, along with a hint of relief at surviving a close call.
Mo Wentian, that fiend, actually didn't kill them?
Huang Wenyuan was also stunned, opening his mouth as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Senior Mo, you..."
I will only say what I say once.
Shen Qing's voice was flat, "Within three days, all members of the Huang clan must leave Qinghe. If anyone harbors any illusions and remains here to plot in secret, Shen..."
He almost let it slip, but quickly corrected himself.
"...Mo's sword will not give anyone a second chance."
Huang Wenyuan knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly: "Thank you so much, Senior Mo, for sparing my life! Thank you so much, Senior Mo!"
Behind him, Huang Taiji and several key members of the clan also knelt down. Immediately afterwards, all the Huang clan members in the hall were as if they had been granted a pardon, kneeling on the ground in a dense mass, kowtowing repeatedly.
Shen Qing didn't look at them anymore, and pointed to the corpses of Huang Yuanji and his son on the ground.
"You can dispose of these two bodies yourselves."
Huang Wenyuan quickly called on several brave clansmen, and together they carried the two corpses to the side.
Huang Wenyuan, being very perceptive, stepped forward and said, "Thank you for your mercy, Senior Mo. Please rest for a while. My father and brothers deserved their punishment for their past actions, and my Huang family is willing to give up all our assets to atone for their sins."
After saying this, Huang Wenyuan gestured for Shen Qing to wait a moment, then went to the back room. A short while later, he returned with a brocade box in his hands and came to Shen Qing.
"Senior Mo, this contains the land deed for my Huang family's ancestral home, the land deed for Qingyun Mountain newly acquired by Lord Zhao, and some cultivation resources accumulated by my Huang family over the past century, to compensate my father and brothers for the losses they caused to the Qingyun Sect."
"Wen Yuan hereby swears to Heaven that the Huang family members will never set foot in Qinghe again."
Shen Qing glanced at Huang Wenyuan but ignored him.
This Master Huang is quite a character; he knows when to yield and when to advance. Shen Qing put his things away and turned to look at the night outside the hall.
He should go.
But just then, his gaze inadvertently swept across a corner of the hall and he saw the few Huang family children.
They huddled behind their mother, tears still streaming down their faces, but they had stopped crying and were now staring at him with terrified eyes.
Shen Qing's heart stirred slightly. "If any of your clansmen are between six and ten years old and unable to leave their hometown, they can be examined by Mr. Sun Wenyuan. Those who pass the examination can stay at the academy to study."
Huang Wenyuan was stunned when he heard this.
Shen Qing didn't bother to explain further; he moved swiftly and flew away on his sword.
Behind him, the Huang residence was first deathly silent, then a suppressed cry and the gasps of relief that followed the ordeal began to rise.
The wind of the snowy night, carrying a chill, rushed into his collar. Shen Qingyu flew low with his Qingyun Sword, the lights of Qinghe County fading into the distance beneath his feet.
The reason he spared the Huang family members went far beyond just being soft-hearted.
The first reason is that he simply cannot bring himself to kill innocent people indiscriminately.
Killing Huang Yuanji was to avenge my master, while killing Huang Dehou was because this fellow had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage and was vicious; keeping him alive would only cause trouble.
But with so many women, children, and infants in the room, he couldn't bring himself to do it. If his master in heaven could see him pointing his sword at unarmed children, he would probably be the first to curse him for being unfilial.
It wasn't that he was indecisive, but rather that it was his nature.
The path of cultivation is long, and Shen Qing was unwilling to let his Dao heart be stained with unnecessary bloodshed from the very beginning.
However, if it were only this, Shen Qing would most likely choose to destroy the spiritual roots of the Huang family members, or even just their dantian meridians, to eliminate any future troubles.