Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 681 - 612: Suan Ni

Li Ang fell silent for a moment, puzzled. "Fifty years... Can anyone still be alive?"

"Yes. The common people gathered in the few remaining forts and the Royal City, relying on strong walls and high barriers to fend off the creeping vines. The few farmlands could still yield crops, while the poultry and livestock contaminated by demons developed grotesque, fast-growing tumors all over their bodies."

Mountain Master wore a strange expression. "However, people have changed," he said.

"The newborns have never seen clean drinking water or healthy animals, so to them, a ’normal person’ should have extra arms, legs, or even multiple heads.

"To them, the humans in the remaining books and paintings—with one head, two arms, and skin without scales, horns, or shells—are the abnormal ones."

...

Li Ang narrowed his eyes. Taihao Mountain had named this collective physical deviation from humanity distortion, or demonization. If a demonization event occurred in a certain area, it would mean that the land had been contaminated by demons and had to be immediately purged with intense fire. In the most radical days of Taihao Mountain, the Judgement Court would slaughter all the villages nearby due to a single case of demonization, then burn everything to prevent future issues. Thus, when they discovered that the Desert People living within the Ten Thousand Desolate Mountains never underwent distortion or demonization, and also didn’t spread it to others, they were shocked and bewildered, only able to claim that the Desert People might be the sole exception in the world.

Mountain Master spoke slowly, "Once a large-scale demonization begins, it cannot be reversed. On this point, the Academic Palace and Taihao Mountain agree. If such a situation were to occur in today’s Yu Country, Yu Country would also take drastic measures to resolve it."

Li Ang instantly caught the key point in his words, "If?"

Mountain Master said, "Even in such an environment, there are fools who make futile resistance.

"All books were soaked and rotted by moisture, and no one produced paper anymore. So, they inscribed words on stones, engraving the classics of Li Country onto steles.

"They fashioned rudimentary newspapers from animal hide and tree bark, filled them with news, and distributed them to every household.

"They also ventured into the forests, evading poisonous insects and wild beasts, to eventually steal honey. Then, half-coaxing and half-deceiving, they persuaded those children with multiple heads and arms to sit in classrooms and learn to read."

Mountain Master paused, then said calmly, "If it were you who first discovered Li Country, what would you do?"

GURGLE. GURGLE.

The hot water in the teapot boiled, sending steam to push against the lid.

Li Ang’s teacup in his hand was no longer warm, with a few tea leaves semi-floating in the water.

"...This student doesn’t know."

He pondered for a long time and spoke truthfully, "This student just feels that making every possible effort to retain humanity is far better than those who are merely wearing human skin, leading beasts to devour humans."

"Is that so."

Mountain Master offered neither praise nor disapproval but continued, "The Cultivator who first discovered Li Country used his Supreme Power to shatter tree roots buried thousands of meters underground, killed the Tree Demon, and brought the living people of Li Country out of the dense forest to an island in the Endless Sea."

"Then they are now..."

"All dead."

Mountain Master said indifferently, "Without the Tree Demon, distorted bodies could not endure. After two or three generations, the clan could no longer produce healthy newborns. Li Country became extinct and only left behind steles on the island recording their history."

With that, he took out a baby’s skull the size of a palm from his sleeve and gently placed it on the table.

The inside of the skull was covered with dense bone spurs, and a long, narrow fissure split between the eyebrows.

...

Li Ang wanted to speak but stopped short.

"Not every story holds its meaning; the tragedy that occurred in Li Country was merely a fragment in the long river of history since the dawn of mankind.

Heaven and earth are not kind; they regard all beings as straw dogs."

Mountain Master pressed his hand on the skull and looked up at the ceiling as if trying to see through the wood and stone, to gaze upon the eternal silence of the starry sky.

DANG DANG DANG—

The sound of the Haotian Bell echoed throughout the Academic Palace.

Mountain Master snapped back to reality, his indifferent expression suddenly softened, and he smiled warmly, "Starting from tomorrow, report to Dongjun Tower. I’ll have Ati prepare a training ground for you."

Li Ang held his teacup, looking completely bewildered. "Huh?"

Mountain Master spoke in a relaxed tone, "The garrison has noticed you, haven’t they? In case of war in the future, you’ll have to learn to fight cultivators from enemy states without using the threads in your body, and even stronger opponents."

Last year, Zhou Kingdom and Jing Country issued declarations, accusing Yu Country of harboring evil and nurturing demons, provocatively stirring up trouble and creating an atmosphere for war. Clearly, Taihao Mountain was behind this. Li Ang was very aware of his situation, and he also knew that many within Yu Country did not look forward to war—for they feared losing existing advantages and were afraid of Taihao Mountain, which had yet to truly enter the fray. If Mo Si’s existence was exposed, he would immediately become a target for all.

"Yes."

Li Ang set aside his doubts and questions, placed the teacup back on the tea table, bowed, exited the study, and closed the wooden door from the outside.

CREAK.

The study returned to silence as the evening breeze lifted the curtains, casting shifting shadows on the wall.

Mountain Master, from beneath his wide sleeves, extended a scarred, charred right hand and gently picked up the baby’s skull, calmly meeting the hollow gaze of the skull’s sockets.

The wind that blew into the room passed over the skull, producing a faint, whimpering sound, like a whisper.

In the following period, the entire Academic Palace and Yu Country were mobilized.

A large amount of building materials were transported to the coastal areas for constructing breakwaters and city walls.

The shipyard worked day and night, building vessels capable of sailing into the Endless Sea.

The villages closest to the sea were relocated to neighboring towns to reduce the defensive pressure.