Chapter 207: Master Witnesses Chu Xiu's Darkening Process

Chapter 207: Master Witnesses Chu Xiu's Darkening Process

The banks of the Wangchuan River were bustling with activity.

More than sixty great saints.

Hundreds of lesser saints.

And tens of thousands of individuals endowed with magical powers.

They instantly noticed Chu Xiu, who was asleep on a black stone tablet, slowly drifting forward.

"Stop him!"

"We must seize the stone tablet."

A great saint from the demon clan exclaimed.

But just as he spoke, all movement ceased.

A white mist rose from the river, enveloping everyone in their own memories, rendering them motionless.

Qi Mengdie's vision blurred, and when she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a dilapidated temple. Her figure appeared translucent, and her eyebrows were knit together in concern.

"What is this place?"

"Hey, there are people here."

Five figures came into view. One was painfully familiar—it was the traitor. However, he no longer carried the air of confidence he once did; he now appeared defeated and disheveled.

His face was bruised and bloody...

He was sprawled over an elderly man while the other three were attacking them.

Chu Xiu coughed up blood, tears streaming down his face as he pleaded.

"Don't hit him. I'll give you money, just please, don't hurt him, he's too old..."

"He's too old; he can't take it and will die... Hit me instead, just hit me."

"This old man interfered in our business; let's teach him a lesson," one of the attackers mocked.

"I enjoy seeing this kid beg."

The laughter of the attackers filled the air.

The man with the shoe-horn face grinned maliciously.

Despite Qi Mengdie's attempts to intervene, she was powerless; the attackers could not see her.

"Is this the memory of the traitor? Why am I witnessing his memories?"

Unable to affect the outcome, she stood to the side, her hand subconsciously caressing her lower abdomen. It was crucial to note that the scene she witnessed was not what Chu Xiu was currently experiencing, but rather a memory of his past.

The attackers eventually grew tired. The man with the shoe-horn face rummaged through Chu Xiu's clothing and extracted a handful of copper coins.

"Pathetic, just a dozen copper coins."

"The old man doesn't even have one."

With that, the three left, their laughter echoing behind them. Qi Mengdie watched silently, her heart aching.

It was hard to imagine that this young man, once so powerful and revered, had endured such hardship and loneliness.

As the sun rose and set, Chu Xiu slowly regained consciousness.

"It hurts..." he murmured, struggling to his feet. He discovered Old Man Xu lying motionless on the ground, which caused his expression to darken. His hands trembled as he checked for a pulse, and then he burst into tears.

"Old Xu..."

This old man had been like a grandfather to him, the only person in this world who had shown him kindness. Unable to accept this loss, he collapsed in grief and eventually passed out from the sheer emotional toll.

Qi Mengdie, observing silently, sighed deeply.

Another day passed. Chu Xiu, battered and bruised, managed to carry Old Man Xu's body to a hill for burial. He lingered by the grave until dusk.

Then, without looking back, he left the small town behind. Clutching a bamboo pole and facing the sunset, he limped forward without a clear destination. When thirst or hunger struck, he survived on puddle water or wild fruits, or even tree bark and leaves when nothing else was available.

He also tried hunting, but in this world, even the rabbits were stronger than him, and he couldn't catch them at all.

Qi Mengdie followed him in silence, witnessing his struggles. She felt a mix of anger, amusement, and pity. In her eyes, Chu Xiu was too innocent and kind at this time. He was trusting and often went out of his way to assist others. But what he received in return was usually deception and pain.

Time passed—perhaps a year, or maybe two and a half years.

Qi Mengdie followed Chu Xiu to a place known as Xijian Villa in Dongzhou, which was now in ruins. Black smoke billowed from the scattered debris, hinting at its former splendor.

In these ruins, Chu Xiu encountered a little girl in red. From their conversation, Qi Mengdie learned that the girl's name was Liu Hongyi, the eldest daughter of Xijian Villa. She had escaped the massacre of her family because she had secretly gone out to play.

Qi Mengdie observed the girl, who looked to be about eleven or twelve years old. She was Liu Hongyi, known as the innate sword body. She had assassinated the Great Sage Elder and rebelled against the Red Dust Sword Sect to avenge the traitor. Qi Mengdie had never seen her before, but she was well aware of her reputation.

Liu Hongyi had a delicate oval face, red lips, white teeth, and her eyes resembled those in paintings. Even at her young age, it was clear she would grow into a great beauty.

Together, they buried the bodies of the Xijian Villa residents.

"You bury my family for me, so now you are my family, okay?"

"Okay, we will be family from now on."

Under a blood-stained sunset, they stood in front of countless graves on the hill and made a vow.

They set off together. Although Liu Hongyi was younger, she was more experienced. With her guidance, their journey was no longer aimless. They reached a relatively large city, settled down, and Chu Xiu found a job as a helper in a restaurant, temporarily saying goodbye to their precarious life.

Time passed, but happiness was fleeting.

One day, enemies of the restaurant owner's son, Old Lin, stormed in. They were all monks. Despite knowing some martial arts, Old Lin was no match for them. He was brutally killed, his body torn apart by five horses, and his head was displayed on a bamboo pole through the streets.

Chu Xiu and Liu Hongyi witnessed this with their own eyes. They were powerless to intervene and could only watch. Old Lin had been kind to them, and now he was gone.

They decided to collect his body, but during this act, they were captured by the monks who wanted to use them to navigate a dangerous area.

Chu Xiu pleaded for Liu Hongyi's release, and in return, he was severely beaten. To these monks, mortals were insignificant, and if not for some luck, Chu Xiu would have been killed on the spot.

Seeing his desperate eyes, Qi Mengdie felt as if her heart was being squeezed, and tears welled in her eyes.

Having witnessed all of his memories, she now understood the current Chu Xiu. He had become hardened, cunning, and profit-driven, traits forced upon him by his circumstances.

"He used to be a good man."

"But he was forced to become a madman."

"It seems that the whole world is against him."

"Even the slightest bit of happiness is cruelly snatched away."

The memory scene froze.

Chu Xiu, covered in wounds and with a fierce expression, vowed to become stronger and not let anyone bully them again.

Boom—

The image shattered.

On the bank of the Wangchuan River, all the monks trapped in their own memories woke up at that moment.

Regaining clarity, they immediately focused on Chu Xiu in the river.

"Don't let Chu Xiu escape."