Chapter 98: Ning Ke Collapses
[Congratulations to the host for completing the plot from ten thousand years ago. Total plot completion is now at 65%. The third stage of the main missionāplaying the role of the Demon Monkāhas increased by 30%, currently at 60% completion.]
[Current transmission: Liuyun Sect ruins in the Demon Realm. Host, please continue to complete the mission.]
When Ning Ke woke up again, he was still standing in front of the palace gates.
Xiao Yuanās voice echoed in his mind, asking softly: [Host, are you alright?]
The playful tone was gone, replaced by deep concern.
Even though she was just an executor, watching everything Ning Ke had experienced ten thousand years ago was terrifying.
Bai Wanruās death.
Lou Yunxiaoās death.
AkƩ River City being massacred.
Jiu Yuanās deep sleep, and Ning Ke enduring ten thousand years of loneliness, only to finally wait for Lou Yunxiaoās reincarnation and find that the Demon Lord had also been revived.
Personally killing Bai Wanru, personally killing those Liuyun Sect disciples who were begging him for help, and personally destroying Lou Yunxiaoās cultivation and eyes.
The people who were most important to him ten thousand years ago.
Ten thousand years later, he was the one who cut everything short.
The truth was so tragic that even Xiao Yuan hadn’t expected it.
Anyone else would have probably gone insane by now.
At that thought, Xiao Yuan felt a tremor in her heart.
She suspected that Ning Ke might have already gone mad.
He just wasn’t showing it…
After all, she still remembered Ning Keās desolate smile when the Liuyun Sect was destroyed.
There was no hysteria, only an eerie calmness after utter despair.
[Iām fine.] Ning Ke looked up and forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He replied to Xiao Yuan: [After all, Iāve read An Actor Prepares. I still have this much professional quality.]
As he spoke, he reached out and pushed the door open.
Creekā
The door seemed to catch on something. Under the force of the push, the object was nudged aside and rolled right in front of Ning Ke.
It was a charred human skull.
And next to the skull lay a long sword.
It was the Leiming Sword that Bai Wanru had used…
Ning Keās pupils trembled.
The image of the Fox Fire burning Bai Wanru to death flashed before his eyes again.
In his blurred vision, the skull seemed to come alive, turning into the womanās severely burned face. She looked at him with a distorted expression and asked, “A-Ke… why did you burn your Auntie Bai to death?”
“You killed us mother and son ten thousand years ago, and ten thousand years later, you brought us endless disaster! You cursed star! Meeting you was the greatest misfortune for us!!”
Ning Ke was so stung by these accusing words that his lips turned pale and he staggered back.
the calm he had been forcing just now shattered instantly.
BOOMā
A sound exploded in his ears. Ning Ke saw Lou Yunxiao smiling tragically before turning into a mist of blood in front of him.
He frantically reached out to touch his own face.
It was covered in Lou Yunxiaoās blood…
Ning Ke gasped for air, but he still felt like he couldn’t breathe.
He collapsed to his knees, cold sweat soaking his hair as he gripped the clothes over his chest tighter and tighter.
It hurts…
It hurts too much…
His heart ached, and he couldn’t catch his breath.
Ning Ke curled his body, hugging his arms, his nails digging into his flesh. He began to vomit.
What he spat out was all clotted blood.
[Host!] Xiao Yuan shouted anxiously.
Sure enough, she knew Ning Ke shouldn’t have been that calm!
His current state was a severe stress reaction. If left alone, Ning Keās life would be in danger!
[Host! Don’t overthink it! Itās not your fault! Itās the missionās fault! Host, you have to pull yourself together! Think about it, in the real world, your younger sister is still waiting for you to come home!]
Xiao Yuanās voice was drowned out by the images in Ning Keās mind. He only vaguely heard the words “sister” and “home.”
He fell weak on the ground. The hair he usually kept black to hide his identity turned silver-white, just as it had been ten thousand years ago. It was stained with the filth and blood on the ground, looking miserable and pathetic.
In his unfocused eyes, nothing could be reflected.
Thatās right… outside, it was only a blink of an eye, but he had endured ten thousand years of time. He had almost forgotten everything about the real world…
Sister…
Home…
Yes, his home…
It wasn’t here.
It was that small, cozy rental apartment in the modern world.
He liked staying indoors to binge-watch shows and anime, meeting up with friends for drinks after work, going to karaoke with them, staying up late to scroll through TikTok, and then rushing to work the next day with huge dark circles under his eyes, feeling lucky if he clocked in just a minute before being late…
On weekends, he would drive his sister to go hiking or on outings, or theyād do nothing at all and just laugh at short videos together…
But it was so hard…
He couldn’t go back…
After everything he had been through, with his hands covered in blood…
How could he ever go back?
And how could he face his sister and his friends?
“Sect Guest Ning!”
“Yao Lord?!”
Two voices came from nearby.
It was Wu Gou and the missing Sword Sect Leader, Gao Ze.
Ning Keās fingers twitched, but he didn’t try to hide his true identity anymore.
He thought, itās fine if Gao Ze finds out. It would be best if he killed him right now…
Kill him, this monster who destroyed the Liuyun Sect, and avenge Auntie Bai.
Avenge Lou Yunxiao…
Closing his eyes exhaustedly, Ning Ke allowed himself to lose consciousness.
Wu Gou rushed over and checked Ning Keās body.
Only after realizing he had just fainted from extreme emotional distress did he breathe a sigh of relief.
But Ning Keās current appearance was truly baffling to him.
Could he have been injured by the powerhouse in this palace?
After separating from Ning Ke, Wu Gou had run into Gao Ze while searching for Lou Yunxiao.
He knew Gao Ze was looking for the Liuyun Sect, so he said he knew where it was and volunteered to lead the way.
After all, he was worried that Ning Ke couldn’t handle it alone, and having Gao Ze as a helper would be a good thing.
“Sect Leader Gao, can you sense any other powerful aura in this palace?”
“From what I can see, thereās no trace of any other powerhouseās aura here.” Gao Ze had already checked the palace and frowned. “Did the Yao Lord really tell you that there was a powerhouse at the Dacheng stage here?”
On the way over, Wu Gou had briefly explained his partnership with Ning Ke.
Although Gao Ze was confused by Ning Keās actions, he was still willing to come and investigate.
After all, he didn’t harbor murderous intent toward Ning Ke like the other sect leaders did.
He preferred to believe what he saw with his own eyes.
“Yes.” Wu Gou picked up Ning Ke.
The man who was usually so gorgeous and proud now looked as if he were in immense pain, his brow furrowed as he leaned weakly in his arms.
His lips were moving, as if he were talking in his sleep.
Leaning in closer, Wu Gou could hear faint groans and soft sobbing.
A twinge of pain spread through Wu Gouās heart, causing him to frown deeply.
He said to Gao Ze, “Sect Leader Gao, I beg you to carefully investigate what exactly happened here. I believe the Yao Lord didn’t lie to me.”
Translatorās Note:
Glossary: Dacheng (大ä¹): Great Vehicle stage, a very high cultivation level.
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