Several days later, the Shamans launched their fifth offensive. This battle was largely comparable to the fourth, though the Shamans had prepared a large supply of black-water leather balls as weapons to assault the redoubts.
The tactic proved effective. When dozens of leather balls rained down, a small redoubt would be utterly pulverized, leaving no survivors among the garrison inside.
Fortunately, the leather balls were not difficult to intercept. Out of ten hurled by the Shamans, only one or two managed to hit the ground, and Wei Yuan poured all his might into bombarding the behemoths that threw them.
Over the course of the engagement, the Shamans exhausted their supply of black-water leather balls after destroying twenty-odd small redoubts, and the conflict reverted to traditional warfare. The two sides ultimately engaged in a bloody battle, with the Shamans leaving behind two hundred thousand corpses while the humans suffered sixty thousand dead.
After enduring so many clashes, the people had grown somewhat numb in the aftermath. Wei Yuan dispatched numerous messengers to crowded areas such as cities, mines, and workshops, announcing that the Shamans were at the end of their tether and would soon be driven back.
Because human casualties had been kept under control in both the fourth and fifth battles and the rear had suffered no harassment, many chose to believe the news and regained their confidence.
A few days after the battle, on a dark, windy night, two furtive figures met at the boundary of the domain. The mysterious black-robed figure moved with practiced familiarity, descending straight into a hidden valley and slipping into a natural cavern.
The cavern was deep and winding, with a faint light burning in its depths, invisible from the entrance.
The lamplight looked quite warm, lending a touch of comfort to the otherwise cold, damp cave. But the black-robed figure held nothing but disgust for the light. Shrinking back into the shadows, he said impatiently, "Why light a lamp for no reason? Where are the goods? Did you bring them?"
The person opposite produced a box, lifting it on Daoist power and floating it across. "Everything is inside. The recipe for the new gunpowder, and a distribution map of the training camps in the rear."
"What do we want this distribution map for?"
The human replied, "All the refugees have to train in these camps before going to the battlefield. If you can successfully raid them, Qingming's force of over a hundred thousand troops will be wiped out. Shouldn't that count as a great service?"
The mysterious black-robed figure snapped angrily, "What kind of great service is that? Who cares whether those lowly wretches live or die? They're nothing more than crawling vermin! Lord Hongye's safety is what matters most. I told you to gather information on that magical treasure, yet you know nothing. What good are you?"
"I have information on the magical treasure as well. I managed to get a bit of the leftover materials from its refining, and they're all inside the box."
The black-robed figure was overjoyed. "If that's true, you'll be credited with a major merit! Let me see..."
Unable to contain his eagerness, he flipped open the lid. A sudden burst of blinding radiance erupted from within, instantly searing his eyes! Screaming in shock, he realized something was terribly wrong and bolted for the cavern entrance.
Through blurred vision, he saw a petite figure appear ahead, blocking his escape path before casually throwing a soft, floating punch.
"Courting death!" the black-robed Shaman roared, throwing his entire weight forward with every shred of strength he possessed!
The girl raised her small hand and slapped him back with a sharp crack.
The black-robed Shaman felt like nothing more than a frail chick struck by a passing Vajra. Nearly every bone in his body felt on the verge of shattering from that single blow.
He stumbled back several paces before his legs abruptly gave way, almost sending him sprawling. Only then did he sense something amiss. Turning to look at the lamp, the truth dawned on him: the flame was poisoned!
Mustering all his strength, he leaped forward, lunging toward the human traitor to strangle them.
Yet a tall figure suddenly materialized before him, easily catching him in his grip. An insurmountable might surged from that hand alongside a deluge of Daoist power, unleashing countless techniques that instantly overwhelmed his defenses and bound him firmly from within and without.
The black-robed Shaman collapsed to the ground with a thud. Above his head appeared a two-headed jade-green serpent, but it was wound about with dense chains and completely immobilized.
Wei Yuan stepped forward and let out a sigh of relief. "Fortunately we had Martial Uncle Sun's medicinal incense, or this would have been far more troublesome."
The human traitor removed their cloak, revealing their true appearance—a bright, sweet-looking young woman. It was Fei Yutong of Water Moon Hall.
Feng Tingyu walked over and cast a glance at Fei Yutong, a faint trace of pity showing on her face.
Wei Yuan hoisted the black-robed Shaman up by the collar. "Capturing this fellow also counts as a contribution. Come, accompany me to see the Patriarch."
A short while later, in Wei Yuan's residence on the Main Peak, Patriarch Xuanyue sat at the head of the main hall, flanked by Lanhua and another Perfected Person of Water Moon Hall. Both Perfected Persons wore deeply grim expressions, tinged with reluctance and sorrow.
Fei Yutong knelt upon the floor, her voice carrying both calm and release. "...Ever since I came of age, I have always felt that the cultivation resources I received were far less than those given to disciples of other halls, barely sufficient to sustain normal training. Yet among my classmates in centralized instruction, many could advance by leaps and bounds. I believed my talent and intellect were in no way inferior to theirs, yet a gap steadily opened between us in cultivation.
"Later, I heard that all the resources of both Azure Sky Hall and Water Moon Hall had been gathered to supply Senior Brother Wei alone, leaving everyone else short of materials and struggling to practice normally. Even though Senior Brother Wei is indeed a peerless genius who made a name across the realm at a young age and secured the Qingming Domain, it was inevitable that we disciples of the two halls would harbor resentment in private.
"Only when I arrived in Qingming did I learn that senior brothers and sisters like Senior Brother Ren had also stalled before the hurdle of the dharma idol realm, unable to break through for lack of resources..."
True Monarch Xuanyue slammed his hand onto the armrest and barked, "Nonsense! I know every disciple of both halls well. They have stalled until now purely because of inadequate accumulation and unstable Dao hearts, fearing the heavenly tribulations that might arise when forming a dharma idol! What does that have to do with resources?"
Fei Yutong remained composed, displaying a maturity wholly mismatched with her years. "You just said yourself that several senior brothers lacked adequate accumulation—is that not resources? As for the dharma idol heavenly tribulation, among the younger disciples, who wouldn't fear it aside from Senior Brother Wei and myself? Even if the senior brothers possessed stable Dao hearts, if their dharma bodies lacked sufficient strength, they would still perish amidst the tribulation."
A flash of anger crossed True Monarch Xuanyue's face. "Even so, that is no excuse for betraying the human race and deceiving your master and ancestors!"
"I know that compared to what I have done, all of this is mere excuse. But the grievance held by several generations of disciples is real. For an entire decade, everyone's progress was slow and everything was scarce, with rare herbs to aid breakthroughs nearly impossible to obtain. Though our debt to our masters is as great as a mountain and disciples dare not complain, an entire decade of our prime training years was squandered merely to support Senior Brother Wei alone. Some resentment in our hearts was unavoidable."
Both Perfected Persons of Water Moon Hall looked upon her with deep sorrow. True Monarch Xuanyue's face was heavy, and he remained silent.
Fei Yutong continued, "In my class for centralized instruction, I was originally supposed to be first, but gradually I slipped out of the top ten. Back then, I often faced mockery to my face and behind my back from a few rivals. Later, the Shamans suddenly approached me, offering the treasure to enhance innate bone and aptitude that I had always yearned for yet knew I would never obtain. My constitution had a slight flaw; if I delayed any longer, it would become impossible to mend. That has always been the thorn in my heart. The Shamans offered the exact remedy, and I failed to restrain myself."
Perfected Person Lanhua spoke up abruptly. "Child, why didn't you mention such an important matter? As your master, I still had some savings. At worst, I could have gathered contributions from others to exchange for a treasure for you."
"Master already had it hard enough; I couldn't bear to ask. The Shamans appeared at just the right time, and I... I was momentarily blinded by temptation, so I agreed. That Shaman claimed he merely wanted to cast some minor curses on Senior Brother Wei. I thought that with Senior Brother Wei's foundations, he would have no cause to fear a Shaman curse, and so I committed the deed. Later, when I discovered it was actually the Karma Great Curse, everything was already too late.
"That is the whole truth. I know my crimes are beyond forgiveness. But after witnessing the Karma Great Curse, I suffered in torment day and night. Now that I have confessed everything, I feel far more at ease."
The other Perfected Person of Water Moon Hall sighed. "You... how could you be so muddled! Ah, how could you place your trust in the words of those Shamans?"
Perfected Person Lanhua rose, bowed, and said, "Teacher, though this child committed a grave error, she came to me of her own accord this time to confess her deeds, which should warrant a reduced sentence. Furthermore, capturing that Shaman dharma idol expert is also a contribution. Water Moon Hall has produced only this one fine disciple in recent years, and we have indeed wronged her over the past decade..."
True Monarch Xuanyue raised a hand to cut Lanhua off. "No matter how extenuating the circumstances, they cannot undo what she has done. Had Yuan'er not possessed extraordinary karmic luck, both he and Zhang Sheng would have perished this time, and Qingming would have shattered! Such a colossal calamity—how could it possibly be offset?!"
Perfected Person Lanhua gave a deep sigh and fell silent.
True Monarch Xuanyue turned his gaze. "Yuan'er, this matter concerns you most directly, and you are now the Domain Lord. You decide."
Wei Yuan had already given the matter careful thought, and so he said, "The circumstances evoke sympathy, but the crime is unforgivable, and no amount of merit can wash away such guilt. Therefore, my thought is to send Junior Sister into reincarnation to cultivate anew."
Perfected Person Lanhua rose abruptly, only to slowly sit back down.
Chapter 522