Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 138 Impure Love Leads to Regret

"The poison of the horse-headed poison, the scorpion's tail hook—I never imagined that you, Zhang Lingyu, would be so trapped in lust that you can't get out."

The jet-black scorpion's tail, wielding its multicolored venomous hook, transformed into a series of afterimages as it shot swiftly toward Lü Qian opposite him, its angle shifting in the void like a black ribbon.

Lu Qian waved his wooden sword, deflecting all the poison needles that flew through the air. He stepped forward and said, "Judging from how deeply poisonous you are, the scorpion demon is probably just the surface."

"Let me use my methods again to reveal your true nature."

As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, turning the silver mirror hanging from the back of the peach wood sword towards Zhang Lingyu, who was lying on the ground, head bowed in silence.

"Don't!"

Zhang Lingyu, who had been silent on the ground, seemed to be struck by lightning. He quickly came to his senses and hurriedly rolled to the side, dodging the silver light shot from Lü Qian's hand.

"Why are you being so aggressive, Fellow Daoist Lü!"

Zhang Lingyu glared angrily at Lü Qian, whose once clean and tidy white Taoist robe was now covered in dust and mud, his belt loose and his hair disheveled, no longer possessing the refined and handsome appearance he once had.

Over the years, he has always regarded what happened between him and Xia He as a moment of poor judgment on his part.

After that incident, Zhang Lingyu felt that having lost his primordial yang and no longer being able to practice Yang Five Thunder Techniques, he was incomplete and no longer perfect.

So over the years, he has been trying to cover up and make up for his shortcomings and imperfections, and he has kept that matter deep in his heart.

Now, Lü Qian is continuing the [Three Corpses] in public, revealing his inner "imperfection" to everyone.

Normally, Zhang Lingyu would conceal his anger and instead feign relief, even thanking Lü Qian for his guidance.

But things are different now. He has been afflicted by the "Three Corpses" and is unable to control his emotions. Coupled with the various gazes around him, Zhang Lingyu feels as if he has been stripped naked.

The anger in his heart was like a raging fire being doused with boiling oil again and again, constantly rising and erupting.

On the high platform, the old Celestial Master looked at Zhang Lingyu, who was now showing anger, and laughed twice. "That's right. Cry when you should cry, laugh when you should laugh. If you keep it all bottled up all day, you'll really turn yourself into a fool."

"Although Zhu Bajie was bound by the 'Bajie' (八戒) rule on his journey to the West, he also freed himself and recognized his true nature within those constraints."

"A pig is a pig; no amount of hiding can conceal its fat head and big ears."

As Zhang Lingyu's anger gradually rose, the dark mist surrounding him solidified, turning into a pool of dark, viscous liquid.

The liquid seemed to possess a spirit, flowing along Zhang Lingyu's body and transforming into a rapidly surging mass of black water, trapping Zhang Lingyu within it from which she could not extricate herself.

As the black water surged, droplets flowed along the scorpion's tail toward its venomous stinger, which became even more vibrant under the sunlight.

The scorpion's powerful tail twisted like a dragon or snake, and the afterimages in the void flickered even more rapidly. Its poisonous hook danced, bringing with it gusts of dull wind.

"I am a kind-hearted person and cannot bear to see Brother Lingyu suffer."

Lu Qian blocked the scorpion's attack with his sword, his face still calm. His movements were graceful and free, and the wooden sword danced in the air, with a faint golden glow dissipating in the void as the wooden sword was swung.

"This is my own tribulation, and I will handle it myself. There is no need for you to trouble yourself, fellow Daoist."

Zhang Lingyu watched as Lü Qian drew closer, trying to suppress the turmoil of emotions churning within her.

But those emotions were like a flowing river, impossible to restrain, and instead surged even more violently.

Zhang Lingyu, his face contorted in rage, clutched his chest and tried to stand up, but the surging black water around him acted like a heavy shackle, dragging him back to the ground.

"Thump!"

This sudden attack seemed to utterly destroy Zhang Lingyu's last remaining handsome features, as the surging black water transformed into a tidal wave that engulfed him.

"Brother Lingyu, don't be anxious. I'll add fuel to the fire for you."

As he spoke, Lü Qian turned his head to dodge the scorpion's tail, and with a flick of his wrist, a silver light shot out from under the wooden sword in his hand, shining directly at Zhang Lingyu not far away.

"Let this humble Taoist see, and let Brother Lingyu see for himself, what your true nature is."

The silver light shone on the churning water on the ground, like moonlight falling on the rolling waves of the sea. As the silver light fell, the black water surged even more violently, as if the Milky Way had opened its gates.

"roar!"

In the pitch-black water, a pair of red eyes lit up. Then, a naked, fat-headed body condensed from the black water. As the body formed, drops of black water slid off its body and fell into the black water on the ground.

The body had a head, but its face was completely disfigured, with a long snout and fangs. Its features looked as if it had been stung by bees, with its mouth and face swollen. On its tail, the scorpion's barbs became even more ferocious.

"It really is this pig that got stung by the poison from the horse."

On the high platform, the old Celestial Master nodded without surprise. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he lowered his hand from stroking his beard and asked, "Where's my phone?"

"Found it, let me see, the camera is here."

A click sounded, and the old master smiled as he put his phone back into his sleeve. "Young man Lu, you were the one who called out 'pig,' so it's your turn to press it back."

"Brother Lingyu, have you truly seen yourself?"

"roar!"

The body, its crimson eyes blazing, seemed to be blinded by rage as it roared and charged toward Lü Qian.

Lu Qian stood not far away, his brows furrowed, his right hand holding the wooden sword horizontally in front of him. "A beginning should be followed by an end. Now that I've summoned you, it's time to send you back."

He raised his left index and middle fingers together, forming a sword finger. He then stroked the wooden sword with the sword finger, and a dazzling golden light overflowed from the sword, transforming it into a brilliant and powerful weapon.

Lu Qian pointed his sword diagonally at the ground, and the sharp golden light transformed into sword energy, drawing clear sword marks on the ground with its fierce sword aura.

"You wretched creature, step back!"

He met the charging faceless body head-on, spun around to dodge the long, sharp fangs, and with a flick of his wrist, a sharp golden light flashed through the air, severing the opponent's long, sharp fangs.

"This sword will sever your greed."

As his robes fluttered and his hair danced in the wind, Lü Qian's serene demeanor made his handsome face appear even more carefree and relaxed.

"This sword will rid you of your hatred."

Lu Qian spun around and stood still. After slashing with his sword, he arrived behind his opponent. He then used the golden light in his hand to transform into a golden stream of light and sprinkle it on his opponent.

The sword-shaped golden light transformed into clouds and flowing water in the blink of an eye, formless and intangible, wandering over the opponent's dark body.

Amidst the churning black water, a faint golden radiance flowed within, the black water unable to extinguish the brilliance of the gold.

"what!"

As the dazzling golden light gradually spread, the body seemed to be in pain and roared to the sky.

"This sword will reveal your true form."

Golden light flowed from Lü Qian's right hand, and the sword finger formed by his index and middle fingers was as fast as a meteor and lightning, instantly piercing the back of the body's head.

The moment they made contact, a burst of golden light erupted, rising from between them and obscuring their figures.

The golden light vanished in the blink of an eye, and the arena returned to normal. The audience looked back at the arena.

"Thump!"

Zhang Lingyu, dressed in rags, was now naked, with her hair disheveled and covered in dust. She lay unconscious on the ground with her eyes closed.

Behind him, Lü Qian withdrew his right sword finger, twisted his left wrist to put the wooden sword behind his back, and turned to shout towards the high platform.

"Have you found out anything about the senior brothers from the Celestial Master's Mansion?"

"Lü Qiansheng!"

As the voice of the Taoist priest from the Celestial Master's Mansion resounded throughout the competition venue, the previously silent audience suddenly erupted in loud cheers.

"We won! We won! That fat bastard Canglong is going to lose everything this time, hahaha..."

"A month's allowance has turned into a year's allowance. This Canglong is truly generous. I'll treat him to a meal later."

"Use the winnings to pay?"

"nature!"

……

On the high platform, the old Celestial Master watched as Lü Qian shook his head at him. He didn't frown, but instead smiled and nodded at Lü Qian, saying, "There is no way to escape calamity; one must save oneself."

"Although your three sword strikes only temporarily cut off your troubles and did not sever the impure roots of your emotions, it is already very good."

After all, as his master, he couldn't get involved, because that would only cause Zhang Lingyu to sink deeper into trouble.

Zhang Lingyu's fellow disciples on Longhu Mountain were too familiar with him to be suitable to enlighten him.

Lu Qian's three sword strikes were a start; the rest of the journey is up to Zhang Lingyu.