Lie Huo Jiao Chou Chapter 21

　　If someone said "I have killed someone", then this person must be a murderer. If he said "I have killed 36 people", then he was not only a murderer, but also the most deranged kind, and would become a case study of legal programs and criminal psychologists. 

　　But if someone says, "I have killed 41,636 people", an average person who heard it wouldn't even have any fear on them, because this was a number that exceeds the category of common sense, and didn't make any sense at all.

　　At first, Xuan Ji blankly said "ah", and then his focus unconsciously deviated: "You forgot who you are, yet remember such a long number?" 

　　Was this devil, in fact, not an emperor, but an ancient accountant?

　　Sheng Lingyuan ignored him. 

　　Xuan Ji thought about it and asked: "Or did you just recall something?" 

   After a while, he heard the man in the sword quite vaguely let out a "hmm". 

　　Xuan Ji suddenly wrang his hands: "I'm lost!" 

　　He felt like he was a high-priced big garlic chive* filling the granary on the eve of the stock market crash. So this was what it's like to step on someone's back! Just then, when he was able to use the devil's brain as a search engine, the devil couldn't remember his own name. Well, OK. But just before he was about to disconnect, that goods actually said that his memory was recovering! 

*retail investors who lose their money to more experienced operators, i.e. they are "harvested" like garlic chives

　　If it weren't for his own secrets, Xuan Ji would like to vomit three liters of blood on the sword. 

　　"Then…Bixia," Xuan Ji turned the evil intentions in his stomach and made use of every second, "You ma.s.sacred everyone during the period of Jiuzhou War. Did you have to count the exact number of people? If one is bad in mathematics, he cannot join your troops?"  

　　Sheng Lingyuan was silent for a while: "It's not a ma.s.sacre during a war." 

　　He did not correct the t.i.tle of "Bixia" and did not deny that he came from that particular period. 

　　"Qingping Division" was established after the end of the Jiuzhou War, and during the establishment of the Great Unification Period. If Sheng Lingyuan could blurt out these two words, then he certainly would not be Emperor Ping. If Xuan Ji had no blind spots in his historical knowledge, after Emperor Ping was buried in the Chiyuan, there was Emperor Wu — Sheng Xiao.

　　Of course, Xuan Ji repeatedly thought about this possibility, and felt that it was not quite likely because only the situation where Sheng Lingyuan was human was considered. 

　　From the hair to the toe of this devil, there was no single thing that resembled a human, and when he opened his mouth, he said "you people" or "you demons". Xuan Ji still did not know what he was. 

　　It was impossible to check now how many races in the world had been wiped out after the great unification during the war period. These races' social customs and habits were different, the productivity growth was uneven, and the educational level was also uneven. The t.i.tle of the leaders was even more strange, there were people who claimed to be "King" or "Something Something Ancestor", and some people who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth even claimed to be "Something Something G.o.d".

　　Therefore, it was not unusual for some non-human races to completely copy the system of the humans at that time. 

　　Xuan Ji quietly asked: "What is this... shaman clan, from which side do they come from during the war?"

　　"Human side," Sheng Lingyuan was lost in thought for a moment and did not pay attention to the little demon who tried to piece the fragmented information, "Shamans have always felt that they are humans… look at the shape of those bones." 

　　Xuan Ji followed his voice, and his eyes fell on the ground. Judging with the naked eye, these white bones were authentic human bones. He could imagine that when these bones were alive, they probably looked like humans in appearance. 

　　Xuan Ji asked: "If it's not to ma.s.sacre a city, what is it then?" 

　　This time, Sheng Lingyuan did not answer. 

　　If the shamans stood on the humans' side, and the devil said he had destroyed the entire shaman clan, then… according to this information, during the war… was this devil a part of anti-humans' side? 

　　It was quite in line with the devil's preferences. 

　　Xuan Ji held the heavy sword and felt a series of cold breath climbing up from the cold iron. He had a second thought in his mind, once again feeling that there was something suspicious about it.

　　First of all, if Sheng Lingyuan was from the anti-human side, why would he learn the imperial system of the human race, and the surname of the human race along the way? 

　　Also, he always felt that the numbers were so specific that it seemed to contain some kind of deep affection.

　　Not to mention the shaman language that Sheng Lingyuan had just taught him. Although he couldn't understand what it meant, Xuan Ji totally felt that the tone was very gentle …... just like a distant visitor from afar, bending over to ask the children playing at the door, "Will it be okay to take me to see your mom and dad?" 

　　"Who were the shamans?" 

　　"The shamans lived in Dongchuan," Sheng Lingyuan said in his own accent, which was quite difficult to understand, but when he spoke like this, his voice was like the wind and frost from the other side of time and s.p.a.ce. It seemed distant, had ups and downs, yet also serene at times. "They believe that the mountains, rivers, land, and all things have spirits. Regardless of whether it's favorable weather or natural disasters over the years, they all live and die in their homeland. Since this clan has always lived like gra.s.ses since ancient times, they think leaving their homeland is the same as leaving their roots and will lead to disasters. They make good use of 'incantations', and the human-face b.u.t.terfly is a kind of incantation. It was their first sacred method of refining, mostly used during the earlier funerals."

　　"The funeral?" 

　　"They believe that the human-face b.u.t.terfly can communicate yin and yang," Sheng Lingyuan replied, "Some of the deceased left in a hurry and sometimes not in peace. The family always thought that they still had something to say, so they invited the Great Sage of the clan — the one who was in charge of the festival of offering sacrifices to the G.o.ds in the new year — he would come to the house, hold a ceremony, then put the human-face b.u.t.terfly into the mouth of the deceased. Within a day, the deceased would open their eyes again, would sit and walk as usual, and would talk to the family. They would speak what they wanted to speak, and then, when the Great Sage took out the human-face b.u.t.terfly, they would see the dead off, burying them in peace."

　　Xuan Ji blankly said: "Ah? We always thought this thing was just a kind of parasite… and it turns out to be a magical thing?"

　　"Of course it is a parasite," Sheng Lingyuan replied coldly. "Since ancient times, funeral condolences are living people's wishful thinking. People die like an extinguished lamp, why are there so many endless lies? It was just a ceremony, even among the shaman's clan, if there were a dispute during the distribution of the property of the dead, it was also handed over to the head of the clan. They wouldn't use the human-face b.u.t.terfly to 'call up' the person."

　　"Dongchuan... Dongchuan was a precious land with fertile soil, abundant resources, and powerful spiritual influence. The climate changed very quickly, sometimes it was cloudy, clear, rainy, and snowy. It could go through four seasons in a day, with the autumn moon illuminating the spring flowers, and there were also marvelous sights of lotus ponds reflecting the snow. Even the water was sweeter than other places. It also gives birth to many exotic treasures that didn't exist outside."

　　One person and one sword followed the swaying goatee guy, and the more he heard it, the more strange Xuan Ji felt — Although Sheng Lingyuan's tone was light, but the words were very considerate. With a precious nostalgic tone, he described it as if it were not an enemy's territory, but rather as his homeland.

　　"So, as expected, it was coveted by people." Sheng Lingyuan said, "Since ancient times, for every single dispute between living creatures, in the end, its ultimate purpose is to get what is growing in the soil.." 

　　This was indeed true. Territory and sovereignty were required, and both were also the concepts of modern times. Back when they were fighting a war during the farming era, for the most part, natural calamities and man-made disasters made it impossible for them to make a living, so they had to turn to other people's lands. 

　　"So they also used the b.u.t.terflies to protect themselves," said Xuan Ji, "Because not only the b.u.t.terfly can 'revive' the dead, it can also parasitize the living things. Can the shaman clan control the b.u.t.terflies, and also make the parasitized thing obedient?" 

　　"Well, the shaman clan has a long history, and the incantations and methods are broad and deep. The human-face b.u.t.terfly is only a small part of it. When the demon clan army crossed Chiyuan, the human race was like wheat seedlings in the ground, lying on their backs, waiting to be harvested and unable to resist. Later, when the demon side was destroyed, they turned the tide. A large part of the reason was because in the most dangerous time, the hidden shamans came forward and offered the secret of their clan about the incantations to the human race… Since they thought they are also human beings, it felt like their duty." 

　　"That's even more strange," Xuan Ji said. "According to what you said, the shamans seem to be national heroes. Not many people from your era were able to read, pa.s.sing on writings would be difficult, so there would only be pa.s.sing on from mouth to mouth. How did they quietly die without leaving any trace?" 

　　Sheng Lingyuan gently laughed: "You little demon, what did you actually eat when you grow up. Aren't all clans partisan?"

　　He didn't wait for Xuan Ji's answer and said thoughtfully: "Well, you are all mixed up now — they felt that they were human beings, but people didn't think they were the same kind." 

　　"Human-face b.u.t.terfly... Mirage b.u.t.terfly, now that you mentioned this, isn't it as if facing a great enemy and trembling in fear? At that time, it was only the tip of the iceberg of the incantations. I ask you, if you were in the same boat, would you believe that the shamans held nothing back? Do you think that the "people" who has this kind of secret power has no ambition and willing to shrink in the corner of Dongchuan, and stand aloof from worldly affairs?"

　　Xuan Ji heard the actual meanings of his words, unbelievably turning his head: "Wait, you don't mean to say that the shamans were exterminated in the war not by the army, but because they were framed by their allies!"

　　Sheng Lingyuan said in a detached tone, "Yes, so while you are stuck here, you have to be careful." 

　　Xuan Ji mind was turning around quickly: "If that is so, you played..." 

　　Before the words "what role" were spoken out, they heard a scream from the goatee guy on the ground. He must've been awakened and found himself "sleepwalking" in this kind of terrible place. His clothes were full of bouncing bones, nearly scaring him to death on the spot. He crazily kicked up and stumbled, crying on one side while throwing the bones away on the other side, his crotch was immediately wet. 

　　Xuan Ji turned his back and wrinkled his nose: "...I said, isn't this little guy suffering from too much internal excessive heat, ah?" 

　　The smell of urine soared. 

　　Sheng Lingyuan said coldy: "Worry about yourself first." 

　　As soon as his voice fell, the ground began to make a small giggling sound. From small to big, Xuan Ji looked down and saw that all the human bones were as if they had been "awakened" by the smell of urine, and the ground shook constantly. Those skulls flipped to one side and turned to Xuan Ji, then opened their mouths. 

　　Xuan Ji: "Ah... I suddenly got so much attention. I am still a bit shy, what should I do?"  

　　His voice fell, and countless small lights flew out of the skull mouths. A charming layer of luminous light floated like a fog on the dense pile of bones, making those lines of the white bones soft and seemingly smiling. 

　　Those were countless of Mirage b.u.t.terflies raising their wings.

　　"f.u.c.k," Xuan Ji cursed, his eyes and hand quickly swooped down, and the fire from his wings swiftly knocked away those awful demonic b.u.t.terflies. He didn't want to grab him with his hand, so he picked up the stinky goatee guy with his heavy sword. 

　　Sheng Lingyuan: "..."

       Outrageous! This little demon has a long life!

　　However, even though those demonic b.u.t.terflies were afraid of fire, they couldn't match their large number. One group was burnt to death and another group came in. The dazzling light was getting brighter and brighter, and the once-dark shamans' burial ground had become as bright as the middle of the day. Xuan Ji wanted to fly up, but he had only flown up twenty meters yet he already found himself at the top! 

　　He didn't know whether this demonic place was a tunnel or a cave, he didn't know where the exit was, and lastly, Mirage b.u.t.terflies were at all sides.

　 Gooseb.u.mps rose up on Xuan Ji's whole body, and suddenly, he looked at a pitch-black place — it was like a cave, and all b.u.t.terflies avoided it, so that dark place was particularly eye-catching.

　　There was not enough time to think, he picked the goatee guy and dived into the cave.