The Unremarkable Little Taoist Master

The middle-aged man laughed audaciously, saying, “To kill one person is a crime, but to kill thousands is a show of strength. Just looking at this twisted middle-aged man before me, I can tell with the slightest thought that he is the master of Six Nations Villa, the historically renowned God of Killing, Bai Qi.

Seeing that bloodthirsty visage, I realized he was not just Bai Qi; he was something more- a demon, a heartless demon who could kill without blinking. Amid his laughter, rolling heads slid down the hillside, and I caught a glimpse of the unwillingness in the eyes of those decapitated. For some reason, I suddenly found myself filled with intense hatred for Bai Qi.

Yet, Bai Qi’s gaze was thick with Blood Fiend Aura as the scene gradually shifted. This time, the protagonist was that middle-aged general from earlier. He was on his knees, clad in tattered clothes, at the feet of a eunuch-like figure. After the eunuch read the imperial decree,

the middle-aged general revealed a sardonic smile and slowly spoke, “I, Bai Qi, have fought for my country all my life, bearing countless scars, even enduring a notoriety that will last for generations. And what do I get in return? Such a pathetic ending. How tragic, how tragic indeed.”

The general’s eyes brimmed with endless sarcasm and sorrow as he drew the sword hanging at his side- the same sword I had seen earlier, but this time the victim was different. He held the sword across his throat, determination gleaming in his eyes, and shouted to the heavens, “If there is a next life, I, Bai Qi, swear I will slaughter this world!” After saying this, he glanced back at Six Nations Villa.

Then, a flicker of resolve appeared in his eyes.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. I knew that this middle-aged general was Bai Qi, a cold-hearted killer, but I had to admit he was indeed a celebrated general. Though his methods were somewhat extreme, he was undeniably a hero of his time.

Seeing such a hero not die on the battlefield but instead fall to the hands of the very emperor he served revealed a poignant sense of a hero in twilight. I felt a chill wash over me. Bai Qi looked upon the Six Nations Villa he had personally established, his face filled with sorrow, and then with a swift motion, he took the blade to himself-still as quick, still as ruthless, except this time it was not aimed at others, but at himself.

Watching the expression of release on Bai Qi’s face, I offered a silent tribute to this legendary general, deeply admiring him. Meanwhile, Six Nations Villa grew increasingly dilapidated; it had endured countless battles yet, much like Bai Qi’s will, still stood proudly here.

At that moment, Bai Qi’s oath echoed from all directions, a promise uttered as if on his deathbed: “In the next life, I will slaughter this world.” I saw Bai Qi, but this time he was not alone; he was leading an endless army of ghost soldiers.

With the Blood Fiend Aura surrounding Bai Qi, I felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. The dense aura permeating the air confirmed that its master was not an ordinary fierce ghost, but the legendary ghost king, comparable to the Jiangshi King.

Bai Qi’s bloodthirsty gaze shifted to the sky, revealing a strange smile, as the ghost king’s maniacal laughter spread across the land.

The Blood Fiend Aura surged skyward, emitting a brilliant glow that tinted the night sky a deep crimson. I felt utterly powerless, aware that the ascending aura affected the entire earth.

In the far west, in a temple, a monk struck a wooden fish and stared at the soaring evil energy with a look of astonishment, mumbling, “Has the ghost king descended?” He then set aside his wooden fish, picked up his Zen staff, donned his robes, and vanished into the night.

To the north, a burly man carried a massive tiger corpse on his shoulders. Upon seeing the sky filled with Blood Fiend Aura, he too looked bewildered. He dropped the tiger’s body, gazed at the ominous energy above, and with a sudden disappearance into the darkness, he left behind the enormous tiger carcass, a testament to his extraordinary presence.

In the far south, an old man watched the Blood Fiend Aura in the sky and began to calculate with his fingers. After a deep sigh, he said, “What is meant to come will surely arrive. You must not come to harm; otherwise, it will be yet another calamity.”

In the east, an ordinary middle-aged man sighed helplessly at the sight of the Blood Fiend Aura. “How are we supposed to live like this? I’m so busy; who dares to block my path? It drives me crazy.” Though he grumbled, his feet did not stop moving as he quickly disappeared into the night.

Such scenes unfolded in countless places, with innumerable people hastening toward my direction under the cover of night. Of course, these happenings were beyond my awareness, as I found myself ensnared in the formidable presence of Bai Qi.

I stood there, dumbfounded, watching Bai Qi unleash his might. I couldn’t help but chuckle helplessly; I didn’t even have the right to carry his shoes. Bai Qi had truly transcended my understanding-how could there be someone so powerful? Compared to him, even someone like Wang-Ge seemed ridiculously weak.

The old daoist priest glanced at the rising evil energy with a look of disbelief on his face. Then, he hurriedly pulled me into the building, his expression grave as frost.

With a stoic demeanor, the old daoist priest looked at me, appearing unconcerned about the chaos outside. He said, “We’re in serious trouble this time. I’m afraid we’ve already caught their attention; escaping will not be easy.”

A look of determination crossed my face as I replied, “To be honest, I should have died a long time ago. It’s nothing.”

Seeing the calmness on the old daoist priest’s face, I silently vowed to myself to force away any fear and face the situation with composure.

So we stayed in the inn. The next morning, the sky remained shrouded in a deep crimson hue, growing even more intense. Countless ordinary citizens wandered about, completely unaware of the impending shadow of death. Instead, they excitedly picked up their cameras, calling friends to take pictures.

Watching the ignorant crowd go about their business so casually, I smiled. It was remarkable-under the shadow of death, the ordinary people did not feel sorrow; instead, they were filled with joy.

Meanwhile, I was all too aware that death was approaching, yet I felt powerless to change anything. This left me feeling utterly dejected and hopeless.

Sometimes, ignorance truly breeds fearlessness. It’s like an overly optimistic person suddenly being told by a hospital that they have a terminal illness; that person would inevitably fall into despair, as no amount of optimism could lift them from that.

I looked up at the blood-red sky that threatened to descend, accepting my fate. Slowly, I closed my eyes, waiting quietly for the inevitable arrival of that crimson specter.

As I felt the dense presence of the Blood Fiend Aura and the breath of death closing in on me, I accepted it all. Just when I thought I was about to die, a booming sound of a Buddhist chant pierced the air, and golden light collided fiercely with the blood-red evil energy.

Looking at the crowd on the ground, who were merely unconscious, the old monk sighed with relief. More and more people began to arrive, various factions gathering at the Six Nations Villa. Suddenly, a loud roar echoed from the horizon: “Evil creature, today marks your demise!”

Gradually, the sound grew louder, and I saw a tattered old monk slowly making his way from afar.

It felt as if the entire world was focused on this old monk; with each step he took, a powerful Buddhist chant seemed to resonate in the air.

The old daoist priest and I quickly turned our attention toward the old monk.

The old daoist priest coldly remarked, “I can’t believe he’s here too.”

I glanced at the old man, puzzled. How did this old fellow know such a powerful figure?

He seemed to sense my confusion but merely gave me a quick glance, showing no desire to explain. I understood and didn’t press the issue further.

After a while, the thickening yin energy in the sky caused the old man’s expression to grow increasingly grim.