No Choice But to Act Part 2

Seeing that Feng Rugu really wanted to get up after seeing the token, Chang Boning tried to stop him, "Your body hasn't recovered yet, you still have a fever, don't move rashly."

Feng Rugu said, "After taking the medicine, my spirit is a bit better. Senior Brother, you don't need to come with me. Have Fuchun and the others brew you some tea to moisten your throat. Although the Sinking Water is cold, it makes excellent tea."

"But you..."

Feng Rugu got up to get dressed, "I'm not an ordinary person. I am Lord Yunzhong. Getting a fever and having to stay in bed just from falling into cold water... how embarrassing.Senior Brother, where is my belt?"

Chang Boning took his light-colored belt and tied it for him, "But you are no longer the you of the past..."

"Senior Brother." Feng Rugu interrupted the words Chang Boning was about to say, "I must be."

"Rugu!" Chang Boning was anxious and heartbroken. He unintentionally tightened the belt he was tying, making Feng Rugu's already slender waist jut forward, "Do you care so little about yourself? How long will you keep up this madness?"

Feng Rugu tied his long hair up high and looked around for a hair tie. Hearing this, he gathered his hair with both hands and thought for a moment before saying with a smile, "Naturally, until I die."

Chang Boning turned his head, feeling wretched in his heart.

A person's life is like a tree full of flowers. Everyone hopes for a splendid life, but doesn't allow the flowers to fall with the wind and wither away.

If a hero, it's best to live out his full life; if a beauty, it's best to die young.

Feng Rugu was a talented youth, the envy of many. Now that he had fallen into the mortal world with his spiritual power sealed within his body, he was almost like a cripple.

If this news were to be known by those in the Dao Sect, there would be those who lament and those who gloat.

And the countless enemies Feng Rugu had made in the Demon Sect in the past would swarm like flies.

At that time, he would have to hide in Fengling Mountain for the rest of his life, relying on others and being pitied.

But for Rugu, this was already the best outcome.

Once the Seven Flowers Seal was completely destroyed and the demonic energy intertwined with his spiritual power lost its balance, Rugu's only path would be to fall into demonhood.

At that time, Fengling could still protect him for life, but the small Dao sects that had long been eager to act and had lofty ambitions would likely take the opportunity to make things difficult. They would no longer respect Fengling as the orthodox sect and might even raise the anti-demon banner, forcing the disciples of Fengling to leave the Dao registry.

If it came to that, as the current Sect Leader of Fengling...

Feng Rugu couldn't find a hair tie, so he simply left his hair unbound.

When he went out, he happened to run into Luo Fuchun who was holding ice water and a towel.

Luo Fuchun couldn't stop him in time. Seeing Feng Rugu leave with big strides, he asked Chang Boning in surprise, "Martial Uncle, where is Master going?"

Chang Boning obediently answered, "Someone is looking for him."

Hearing this, Luo Fuchun stomped his foot anxiously, "Martial Uncle! Aren't you going to do something about Master?"

Luo Fuchun had always been quick-mouthed. Moreover, he had witnessed Feng Rugu fall into the water twice when the bridge collapsed and was quite frightened. Under the accumulation of heavy pressure, he vented it all out on the good-tempered Chang Boning, "Over the years, you've indulged Master in everything, spoiling him to do as he pleases without any regard for himself. Luojiu and I are his disciples. Bound by the hierarchy of heaven, earth, monarch, kin, and teacher, we can't do anything about him. But Martial Uncle, you..."

Chang Boning smiled apologetically, "But I can't give him more. Freedom is the best thing I can give him."

Seeing Luo Fuchun at a loss for words, Chang Boning leaned against the door and gazed at the distant figure of Feng Rugu in his Daoist robes. He had already made up his mind.

In Chang Boning's view, so-called freedom was nothing more than staying at home, watching him leave and return, allowing him to be willful.

When he was tired and weary, he would be here, a home for him to rest in.

If in the future this home could no longer protect him...

His master had personally handed Fengling to him, certainly not hoping for Fengling to decline in his hands.

Fortunately, Junior Sister Yan still didn't know about the past events.

If the time truly came when things were beyond saving, he would confess to the Dao Ancestor the sin of concealing from him, hand Fengling over to Junior Sister to manage, hang up his Daoist hat and leave, going with Rugu to experience the mortal world he had yet to see.

With you by my side, it won't be an escape, but a journey.

...

The ice bridge was originally forged by the power of the great masters. Someone took advantage of the situation, embedded a foreign spiritual power within the bridge, and detonated it. The bridge has now been temporarily repaired by the disciples of Qingshuang Sect, who have infused it with spiritual power.

Above the sunken water, there are still floating ice floes, glittering in the sunlight, vaguely revealing the chaos at the time of the incident.

Feng Rugu had just crossed the ice bridge when he met Sa Si. Sa Si lifted the green veil covering his face and said solemnly, "...Something has happened."

Feng Rugu knew that Sa Si had come to Jianchuan to find him suddenly, instead of sending a letter through Jing Sanchai, so he had already guessed that Sa Si had something important to tell him. Therefore, he was not very surprised: "...Is it the Bushi Sect?"

Sa Si: "After I finished the task you assigned to me, I returned to the headquarters and issued the Yunhai Order, ordering the disciples to return. Upon inspection, three disciples were missing. I searched for them one by one and found that the last places these three disciples appeared were exactly where several Daoist priests from your Daoist sect were found dead."

Feng Rugu: "Why did they disappear? Have you found out?"

"In theory, most of the Bushi Sect members have families living at the headquarters, so it's unlikely they would easily defect," Sa Si said. "I sent people to search and have found the corpses of two disciples. The third one... can no longer be called a corpse, only remnant bones remain."

Sa Si did not describe in detail the horrific state of the corpses when they were discovered, but Feng Rugu could imagine the scene.

For a living person to be corroded nearly to the bone, with their flesh melting, blood oozing, and tendons charred to a silvery-red state, they must have been injured by a vicious poisonous technique.

Sa Si said, "He already knows about this matter. He wants to see you."

Feng Rugu's face suddenly changed: "...Lin Xuejing?"

Sa Si looked into his eyes: "Yes."

"...Has it really come to this?"

Sa Si: "He once said that he would leave all the affairs of the Bushi Sect to me. But if the time comes when he must act, he will appear. At that time, he will ask you to repay the favor you owe him in the 'Forgotten World'."

Feng Rugu placed his hand on his lower back, tracing the wound through his clothes with his fingertips, as well as the petals of the red lotus.

In the Forgotten World, Lin Xuejing had once saved him and his fellow Daoist priests.

From the first day he met him, Feng Rugu knew that he had the ambition to become famous throughout the world.

The Bushi Sect was his means to achieve fame.

Now, the Bushi Sect has had three members killed in succession, with cruel methods. It must be targeted by powerful figures. At this difficult time, it should be the time for Feng Rugu to find a way to help...

But two and a half petals of his flower have already bloomed.

Even if his senior brother heals him this time, he will have to use spiritual power to deal with such opponents.

...The Tang saber swordsman's purpose seemed clear: first, tempt Lian Ruxin into attacking; then, force him into the sunken water to use the Guixu sword technique; and finally, send the Jade of Testing Love to involve him with the Bushi Sect. Wasn't this all designed to make him use his spiritual power multiple times, ultimately breaking the Seven Flowers Seal and forcing him down the demonic path?

Why must Feng Rugu dance to his tune?

Feng Rugu thought of Chang Boning, who was still waiting for him in Jianchuan, and Ruyi, who hated demons like enemies. He lowered his hand and said, "Sorry, it can't be now."

With that, he turned to leave.

Sa Si said behind him, "The killer's methods are very peculiar, belonging to the Blood Sect of the demonic path. You may know him."

Feng Rugu stopped in his tracks.

Sa Si spoke the person's name: "Ding You."

Feng Rugu was greatly shaken in his heart. He raised his hand to touch his right eye, which was slightly lighter in color than his left eye. His voice remained unchanged and even contained a hint of laughter: "...He's not dead yet."

Ding You, the mastermind behind the Forgotten World catastrophe.

He was the culprit responsible for the disappearance of Han Jing, the serious injury of Jing Sanchai, and the heavy casualties among the Daoist priests. He was also the real murderer who carved one hundred and eighty cuts on Feng Rugu's body and destroyed one of his eyes during the fifty-eight days.

To deal with Feng Rugu himself, the Tang saber swordsman used a surprisingly direct scheme.

Publicly, Ding You was a demon that everyone should execute.

Privately, the person with whom he had a deep grudge was now a target, yet he still had to repay his favor to the Bushi Sect.

So, how would Feng Rugu choose?

To this, Feng Rugu gave his answer.

He turned around to face Sa Si directly: "Where were the corpses discovered?"

Sa Si replied, "Qinggang, Ghost City, Rugao."

Feng Rugu flicked his sleeve: "Uncle Sa Si, see you in Qinggang in three days."