Ch-4 - The World is Vast, But Where Can I Call Home?

Leave? Of course he had to leave.

But he had to wait until his injuries were healed.

Compared to Yun Zhan's injuries, Bai Fanlu was only afflicted with a superficial wound, and with Ling Qingzi’s help earlier, he recovered completely after an hour in the Spiritual Spring.

His body felt buoyant, and robust streams of spiritual energy flowed smoothly within him. And so Bai Fanlu left Yun Zhan behind, without saying a word, he was gone in an instant.

Bai Fanlu had long intended to find a place to live in seclusion, but was delayed by the demonic creature’s appearance. Now, after the scene with Yun Zhan, the white-eyed wolf, Bai Fanlu made up his mind that it was better to leave earlier than later. In fact, it was most ideal to leave immediately and delay no further.

When he returned to his room, Bai Fanlu rummaged through the only small cupboard which stood beside his bed and found a bundle.

Inside the bundle, there was a grey robe just like those worn by minor role actors, there were also several silver pieces and a bottle of medicinal powder, coincidentally they were meant for flesh wounds and he could put them to good use. Just as he tied the bundle back neatly and was about to slip away, another ruckus could be heard outside.

Bai Fanlu quickly hid the bundle in his enchanted pouch, and heard the young disciple at his door reporting, "Shixiong, the spy for the demonic creature has been caught, and second Shixiong said that both Shizun and the Sect Leader Shidi are not available, so we should request Shixiong to preside over this matter."

Bai Fanlu followed him and saw that the other disciples had already gathered, encircling the traitor, leaving no way for him to escape. But as soon as Bai Fanlu arrived, the disciples opened up a path for him.

Walking in, he saw that it was a young disciple in the middle. He was rolling on the ground and clutching his head, seemingly in an unusual kind of agony. There was a twisting mist-like black aura around him, but other than that, he appeared to be no different from any average disciple.

Wang Chongyu was holding a sword in his left hand, and on his right, Bing Zhui had been transformed into a short blade and floated on his palm. When he saw Bai Fanlu, he asked, "Shixiong, we caught the demon spy, should we kill it immediately?"

This was in the original plot, and there did not seem to be another choice, so Bai Fanlu nodded his head.

He remembered that in some immortal-related novels, it was a standard for the blood of humans and immortals to appear red, symbolising purity. On the contrary, the blood of demons was always black, befitting of their corrupted and impure natures. However, there was no such mention in this book he was now in.

As Bai Fanlu pondered over this, a cold breeze brushed past his ears, and the spy who was rolling on the ground was struck by Bing Zhui. The sound of blood gushing out and the flesh being ripped apart soon followed and accompanied by the man’s agonising howls.

When an immortal is injured by an immortal weapon, it is undoubtedly painful, but when a demon is injured by an immortal weapon, the pain is multiplied.

Just imagine, two completely opposing streams of Qi fighting in one body until one completely engulfs the other. This was a long and unbearable process that would bring extreme pain and despair to the victim.

The book’s Bai Fanlu had been wounded by Yun Zhan's Bi Luo, and by his Shizun's Bing Zhui, and by the Immortal Realm’s Demon Extermination Formation. Each injury struck more pain deep within him.   

Bai Fanlu lowered his head and quietly placed his hands behind his back. Then, an angry roar emerged from the bout of howls.

"Bai Fanlu!"

Bai Fanlu's heart trembled violently and he could not help but raise his eyes to look.

The man was now kneeling on the ground, there was bright red blood gurgling from the wound on his chest, staining his white robes red, his eyes were wide open and filled with hatred.

"You hypocrites, you call yourselves the righteous of the world, but behind closed doors, you plunder and slaughter. Some day, every single one of you will meet your wretched demise!"

"How dare you!"

Wang Chongyu raised his right hand and slammed into Bing Zhui which then tore through the man’s bones, and pierced cleanly through his back.

Bai Fanlu stood watch as the young man drew his final breath, before collapsing onto the ground like a pile of blood-soaked rags. His eyes remained grudgingly open.

The pure white jade steps of the Immortal Realm were now stained with blood splatters.

For some reason, Ling Qingzi's blood-stained lips flashed past Bai Fanlu’s mind.

While Bai Fanlu was dazed, Wang Chongyu quickly cast a purification spell to cleanse the area where the corpse lay.

"Shixiong?"

"Oh," Bai Fanlu returned to his senses, "It's nothing."

Wang Chongyu looked at him worriedly, "That demon was out of line, we shouldn’t have given him an easy death."

Easy death? In the novel, Bai Fanlu ended up surrounded by thousands of fellow immortal cultivators and he bled to death within a formation. It was very much similar to this scene.

Back in his room, despite shutting his eyes, Bai Fanlu could still see the indignance and hatred in that young man’s eyes when their gaze met. He was also shaken by those terrifying last words.

The true identity of Bai Fanlu as the young master of the Demon Clan was still a secret. This was known only to the Demon Elders and his trusted guards.

The current Bai Fanlu could not understand what it was like to be a real demon. And what it felt for a demon to witness the slaughter of his own kind.

But no matter what, having a life snuffed out in front of his eyes was an extremely traumatic event, and even more so for an ordinary person like Bai Fanlu.

This strife between the immortals and the demons was even more violent and bloody in experience than what he had imagined, and it had only just begun.

Bai Fanlu paced back and forth in his room before finally making a decision. With a flick of his finger, a paper talisman appeared in the air, and with just his thoughts, inked strokes were gradually drawn on that paper.

"Shizun, after this incident, this disciple knows that he is lacking in cultivation. I feel guilty and would like to descend to the mortal realm to further my training and return to the Sect only after achieving something significant. When I am gone, please do not think of me. This disciple is not worthy of Shizun’s thoughts. Sincerely, Bai Mo."

Bai Mo was the original name of Bai Fanlu, it was later changed to Fanlu by Ling Qingzi. The new name meant ‘The path of the compassionate is pure, the teaching of Buddha nourishes the land’.

Strangely enough, although Ling Qingzi personally gave this new name to his disciple, he never addressed him by it.

The book’s Bai Fanlu always referred to himself as ‘Bai Mo’ to his Shizun. Bai Fanlu had an impression of this, so he paid special attention to his signoff when he left the note.

According to the story, Immortal Ling Qingzi was aloof and kept people at arm’s length. He was only ever fond of his foremost disciple whom he brought back from the mortal realm four hundred and eighty years ago, and raised him with great care and discipline.

Such a relationship was never seen between a master and a disciple in the Immortal Realm and so, there were rumours that Bai Fanlu was the illegitimate son of Ling Qingzi, who he fathered in the mortal realm.

Of course, that was only a rumour, because Ling Qingzi had cultivated a formidable purification technique much earlier on. This technique requires practitioners to sever their mortal lust. In other words, he could not have intercouse with men or women. Therefore, those rumours were gradually dispelled within a few years.

However, it is true that Ling Qingzi treated his foremost disciple exceptionally well.

Thinking back, when he was attacked by the demonic creature, Ling Qingzi protected him twice with his magical weapon meant for his personal protection. Bai Fanlu was still grateful for his actions. And given how much trust Ling Qingzi had in Bai Fanlu, he was confident that he should be able to live in seclusion for a long while with this note.

Well, let's do this and find a place far from the main protagonist to live in seclusion!

Bai Fanlu took another glance at the talisman in his hand, and after confirming that there were no mistakes, he closed his five fingers and the floating talisman turned into a crystal powder. With this, he knew that the note would have already appeared on Ling Qingzi's table, and that he would see it tomorrow.

Having completed his task, Bai Fanlu lowered his head, spun around and disappeared from the room.

As the spell dissipated, the air in the room stirred for a brief moment, then became still. Silence returned once more.

After a long while, a figure slowly emerged from behind the translucent window pane. With silent steps, he walked and stopped in front of the door.

A gentle breeze swept in as the door was slowly pushed open, and from the finger-width gap, a corner of blue clothing could be seen.

"I must have upset him after all…”

---

When his feet came into contact with solid ground again, Bai Fanlu was hit with the realisation that he had really left the Immortal Realm.

He knew because...he reached out and touched a duck, which was right above his head, and the bird’s large flippers moved vigorously in shock, slapping him continuously on the forehead and blocking half of his vision.

Bai Fanlu’s birth characters were probably in conflict with water, given that he ended up drenched in a water body once again, this time from his teleportation spell.

Fortunately, the river was shallow and only reached his waist, so he had no trouble getting up. He picked up the quacking duck on his head and released it back into the river.

As soon as it was free, the little grey feathered-creature fluttered its red flippers and frantically swam away, looking terrified.

Bai Fanlu glanced around his surroundings and only saw the small river he was in. No one else was there, otherwise, the duck would not be the only creature to be frightened.

He climbed up the riverbank, dried his clothes and put away his sword. When he looked back at his reflection on the water surface, he felt that he had transformed into a handsome young master.

However…this appearance did not seem to be appropriate for a life of seclusion.

Should he use illusion art to change his appearance? The book’s Bai Fanlu had not used it before, and now, he did not dare to try it, fearing that if anything went wrong, he might turn into some strange creature and not be able to transform back.

At this point, he hated the author's point of view even more. His transmigration to this book did not allow him to live comfortably like a god. Instead, he had to be fearful and constantly scramble for survival. Why should he be a villain? He would rather play a minor role.

Speaking of minor roles, Bai Fanlu suddenly scratched his chin. I got it!

How could he have forgotten about the clothing? He retrieved the bundle from his enchanted pouch, put on the grey outer robe over his white robe, and then he slung the bundle over his shoulder.

Oh yes, and the hairstyle. He tied up all of his long hair because he thought that the flowing hair made him look too effeminate.

In the blink of an eye, the dapper gentleman transformed into a seasoned wanderer. Clothes really do make a man!

Bai Fanlu walked along the riverbank and thought that the mortal realm was much different from the immortal realm. One could easily tell the time and season through observation. For instance, the sun was hanging up high right now, telling him that it was  midday, and the grass was lush green and had tender shoots growing, so with that, he knew that it was early spring.

Not far away, smoke curled up into the skies, hinting to Bai Fanlu of a human settlement nearby.

He quickened his pace in that direction, feeling happier and more confident with every step. The Immortal Realm was a wonderful place, but nothing compared to the lively atmosphere and the hustle and bustle in the mortal realm.

A short while later, Bai Fanlu saw a wooden plaque hung up high ahead, with the name ‘He Guan Town’ carved into it.

There was no such name in the book, perhaps it was an insignificant place that was not well known?

When Bai Fanlu teleported, he had no clear indication of where he was going, so he thought in his mind to be transported to a small village with beautiful mountains and kind villagers, and this looked like it fitted the bill.

Di di! A sound came into his head...

[Congratulations, the hidden map of 'He Guan Town' has been uncovered, rewarding you with this: 'Reader's Brain Fragment’.]

Only then did Bai Fanlu suddenly remember...what the hell was this 'Reader's Brain Fragment’? The system had said it was a reward right after he arrived, but he was so focused on how to get home that he had completely forgotten about it.

Di di: [The ‘Reader's Brain' Fragment’ is a fragment of energy scattered throughout this world, and can be obtained by completing special tasks or uncovering hidden maps."]

Bai Fanlu asked in his head, “What does it do?”

Di di: [When a certain number of fragments are collected, a mystery chapter will be unlocked, it will not only allow you to experience a different plotline, you will also get a chance to obtain a divine weapon.]

Bai Fanlu scoffed, [I'm going to live in seclusion like a salted fish, what do I need a divine weapon for? Admire it by myself?]

He was answered by a moment of silence, probably because the system felt humiliated by its failed sales pitch.

Bai Fanlu strolled under the wooden plaque and entered the boundaries of the so-called hidden map, ‘He Guan Town’.

He was wary at first, but soon found the place to be just an ordinary mortal town. It had ancient architecture, sprawling and wide shop fronts and the occasional cries of hawkers could be heard, all of which were new to Bai Fanlu.

Feeling emotional, he walked up to a hawker selling steamed buns. As soon as the owner saw him, he hurriedly lifted the lower steam drawer, revealing an entire tray of neatly arranged big, white and round meat buns. They waved to Bai Fanlu like cute little dollsNot literally....

"They smell so good!"

Bai Fanlu was famished, he had eaten some bread the night before he transmigrated, but after all the action earlier, his stomach had long begun to growl. Although it is said that immortals abstain from food, he has a mortal heart, so how can he not eat anything?

Bai Fanlu bought two large meat buns in a paper bag and nibbled on them as he walked around.

As he nibbled, he thought of a question. He had forgotten all about food abstinence of the immortals but when he frustratedly asked Yun Zhan to eat less on those steps to the spiritual spring earlier, how come Yun Zhan didn't suspect him at all and even replied affirmatively?

Or was he already suspicious of him? And replied to him on purpose?

Bai Fanlu's mind stirred. Forget it, whether he was being suspected or not, he was already on the run and he could do whatever he wanted.

For now, let him enjoy the blissful goodness from another bite of the meat bun.

Howl! Followed by the sound of a bite.

Huh? Why was there the sound of someone else howling and eating behind him? And it seemed to be getting louder and closer...

Who is so—

Bai Fanlu was about to turn around when he was suddenly brought down to his knees. An old man carrying a shoulder pole threw it down and ran, the pole smashed against Bai Fanlu's feet. As the old man ran, he was followed by more and more people who started running, crying, screaming and shouting.

"Run! The demons are coming! Run!"

Demons? What demons?

Bai Fanlu stood up in the middle of the road, and before he could react, he was knocked down once again. The meat bun in his hand was knocked, rolling far away and then stepped on twice by the rampaging crowd.

At that moment a little beggar noticed and ran against the crowd, and just as he was about to pick up the meat bun, he was hit hard by a man running from behind him. The man kicked him hard to the side of the road.

Bai Fanlu frowned, using his consciousness, he discreetly moved his palm and activated a spell to enable the little beggar to land gently, without hitting his head.

Then, Bai Fanlu sensed an invisible oppressive force and turned back to look, only to hear a loud boom. The restaurant which he passed by and recognised from a swaying banner, was now crushed to the ground by a huge object.

As dust and debris settled, a demon's face was revealed.

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