Chapter 415: The Past of the Fourth Elder and the Valley Master of Seven Emotions Valley

Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii

Shuang Feiyan, the Valley Master of Seven Emotions Valley, is one of the most formidable curse masters in the Desolate Lands, and also one of the people you least want to provoke.

She possesses all kinds of strange and unpredictable curse techniques, leaving no gaps and offering no protection against them. Anyone who crosses her must be ready to face an onslaught of various curses.

Hundreds of years ago, one sect insulted Shuang Feiyan in secret. When she found out, every member of that sect had their genders swapped for half a year before things returned to normal.

To this day, that sect remains a laughingstock throughout the Desolate Lands.

Lu Yang didn’t know much about Shuang Feiyan’s past deeds, but even without knowing the details, it was obvious that provoking a curse master was a terrible idea.

Though Lu Yang knew ancient secrets—especially the dark history of ancient immortals—and would one day be entrusted with great responsibilities, there was no need to face the wrath of one of the most powerful curse masters right now.

Who could possibly withstand that?

“Don’t worry, with me here, no curse can harm you!” declared Everlasting Fairy confidently from within Lu Yang’s mental space.

This only made Lu Yang even more anxious.

Zhao Po was also extremely nervous. Unlike Lu Yang, he knew full well what Valley Master Shuang was capable of. Her reputation was enough to make even the bravest tremble. Even though Corpse-Driving Sect and Seven Emotions Valley shared a long-standing friendship, whether or not that friendship would protect them depended entirely on the Valley Master’s mood.

Fortunately, Valley Master Shuang didn’t seem inclined to take out her anger on her juniors. Her expression shifted several times before she let out a heavy sigh.

“When I first met Xie Shanren, we were about your age.”

“One day, Xie Shanren passed through Mount Cang and heard cries for help. Bandits were causing trouble, and he bravely stepped in to save everyone. That’s how we met.”

Lu Yang nodded to himself. It sounded like a classic “hero saving the beauty” scenario. The Fourth Elder certainly had his fair share of luck in romance.

“I was the leader of the bandits,” Valley Master Shuang continued. “When I saw Xie Shanren—his elegant demeanor, his refined manner of speech—I could tell at once that he was from a prestigious sect or a great family. So, I captured him and made him my husband.”

Lu Yang: “…”

Something seemed off about this story.

“I was a bandit, but I only robbed the rich to give to the poor. I never took money from the impoverished.”

“The reason I became a bandit was that there were too many bandits in the Desolate Lands, and eliminating them all was impossible. So, I figured it would be better to become the bandit myself, grow my power, and squeeze the other bandits out of existence. Wouldn’t that solve the problem?”

She paused briefly, then continued, “Anyway, after I captured Xie Shanren, I wanted to marry him. But, unfortunately, he refused, even at the cost of his life. So, I had no choice but to give up… for the time being.”

Lu Yang thought to himself, I’d heard rumors that arranged kidnappings were a tradition in the Desolate Lands, but I never expected to witness it firsthand.

“Still, I didn’t give up on Xie Shanren. His cultivation was on par with mine, and I only managed to capture him through a sneak attack. To prevent him from escaping, I placed a curse on him.”

“Since he knew he couldn’t break the curse quickly, he stayed with me. I shared my carefully crafted plan for eliminating the bandits with him. After thinking it over, he found it reasonable and agreed to join me in robbing the rich to help the poor. Together, we became famous throughout the martial world as the ‘Twin Bandits.'”

“Of course, during this time, Xie Shanren tried several times to escape and break the curse, but he failed each time.”

“I admired that persistence of his.”

Lu Yang thought that the Fourth Elder must have developed his curse-breaking skills during this time. No wonder he was so proficient at breaking curses but not at casting them—he had been on the receiving end!

“Mount Cang was a great place. We captured some famous cultivators in their youth, including the current Sect Leader of Corpse-Driving Sect and the chief of the Barbarian Tribe. After explaining my plan to them, they agreed it was a good idea, swore a blood oath, and joined my bandit gang, calling me their big sister.”

“With the help of those three, our bandit forces in Mount Cang expanded rapidly. The surrounding bandits all surrendered to us. I gave the defeated bandits two options: be turned into living corpses or be cursed by me. Naturally, they all chose the latter and became my subordinates.”

“We used this method to further expand our influence. Soon, dozens of mountain strongholds were under our control.”

“In the end, we controlled nearly half of the Desolate Lands. Everyone who was part of the underworld knew the name of the Four Dragons of Mount Cang.”

“The biggest bandit leader at the time was someone called Zhen Shanhu. He saw how quickly we were expanding and decided to strike while our wings were still not fully grown, hoping to halt our momentum.”

“Zhen Shanhu had Nascent Soul Peak Stage cultivation. None of us could take him on alone, but with the four of us working together, we managed to defeat him!”

“After Zhen Shanhu was beaten, he fled in panic, but not before throwing out a threat. He claimed that behind him was a Unity Stage rogue cultivator backing him up. He said we’d basically signed our death warrants by crossing him, and that we’d have to wait for death at the hands of that Unity Stage cultivator. I don’t remember his exact words, but it was something along those lines.”

“We knew we couldn’t handle a Unity Stage expert, so we had no choice but to call upon our elders for help.”

“When that Unity Stage rogue cultivator showed up to flaunt his power, the then Valley Master of Seven Emotions Valley, the Grand Elder of Corpse-Driving Sect, and the Grand Elder of the Barbarian Tribe all appeared.”

“That rogue cultivator was terrified and tried to run, but how could he escape from our elders? He was only at the early Unity Stage, while our elders were all at the late Unity Stage. And they had already set up a net, just waiting for him to fall into it.”

Lu Yang imagined the scene and felt a sense of despair. If he were a mere Unity Stage expert helping his subordinates eliminate their rivals, who could have predicted that such powerful figures would show up behind the enemy?

“The Unity Stage rogue cultivator had an incredible escape technique. Knowing he would die if captured, he burned his blood essence to flee from the net.”

“That’s when a child blocked his path—it was your Grandmaster, the Dao Seeking Sect’s Sect Leader at the time. He was the strongest of all the elders present. Once he made his move, even if that Unity Stage rogue cultivator burned through all his life force, he couldn’t escape.”

“After that, we unified the bandit forces of the Desolate Lands, but our elders took us back to our respective sects and locked us away for punishment.”

“Xie Shanren was also supposed to be taken back and put into confinement, but your Grandmaster said that there was no space left in Cliff of Reflection, so he was confined together with me in the punishment room of Seven Emotions Valley.”

Lu Yang had heard of Cliff of Reflection, a place used by Dao Seeking Sect for punishment and reflection. However, he had always been an obedient disciple, so he had never been sent there.

His Eldest Senior Sister had wanted to lock up their misbehaving master in Cliff of Reflection, but their master’s cultivation was too high, and he was sent there so frequently that it had lost its effectiveness. So, they ended up just keeping him at home instead.

“Who was being confined in Cliff of Reflection at the time?” Lu Yang asked.

“Your master and his seven senior brothers and sisters. Apparently, your master led them to wreak havoc in the Imperial City, tormenting the disciples of nobles so badly that they couldn’t stand it. If you ever go to the Imperial City, you better not mention that you’re a disciple of Daoist Non-Speaker.”

Lu Yang: “…”

Other people’s elders always seem to have their backs. But when it comes to me, my elders are the ones creating all the grudges I have to deal with!

(End of the chapter)