Chapter 72: Revenge of the Demon Sect, a World of Sorrow

Only invisible dangers are the most terrifying. (Gu Long)
……
The hand of fate, finally unable to withstand the onslaught of time, made its fated arrangement for Liu Yi under this quiet starry sky. Perhaps this is the eternal helplessness…
Liu Yi lay on the hay, holding the “Sorrowful Dream” sword in his arms, his eyes fixed on the stars in the sky, though his mind seemed to be elsewhere.
The Great Sword King was the same, only he seemed to prefer the “Scorching Sun” sword, constantly stroking it.
Shi Jie Yi and A Jiu went aside, chatting idly, looking relaxed.
No one paid attention to Liu Yi, as they had grown accustomed to his silence over the past few days. Perhaps he was worried about Jili’er—no news of her after so many days, and with the weather getting colder, everyone was concerned about her being out alone.
Suddenly, as Liu Yi was lost in thought, a white light shot toward him. Hearing the warning of the wind, he quickly dodged to the side, stood up swiftly, and looked around—no one in sight.
The Great Sword King also stood up abruptly and shouted, “Who’s there?” But it was very quiet; not a single figure in sight.
Liu Yi bent down to look at the white object—it was a folded piece of paper, deeply embedded in the soil. From the skill required to place it there, it was clear the sender was highly skilled. But why not surrender?
Picking up the white note, Liu Yi unfolded it and saw it filled with dense writing. When he read the content, he stepped back abruptly. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Suddenly, Liu Yi screamed frantically, “No…”
He threw the note aside, mounted his horse, tightened his legs, and with a loud cry, kicked up dust as he disappeared into the night.
The others watched Liu Yi, who had suddenly gone mad, not knowing why. The Great Sword King picked up the note and read it: “As you read this letter, I hope you won’t grieve. Thousands of miles away, in Jiangnan, Liu Fu—1,108 lives have been slain by me, all because my nephew died tragically at your hands against the heavens. Consider this first letter a gift from me. Please wait for the second gift. From the Demon Sect, its protector—Wei Feng, respectfully.”
A Jiu exclaimed, “Oh no! Something’s happened to Liu Yi’s family. Let’s hurry there!” Without further hesitation, the three mounted their horses and rushed after Liu Yi.
To reach Jiangnan from the border, one must pass through the Sword Gate and travel thousands of miles. With fast horses, it might take about three days, but Liu Yi’s horse was just an ordinary one! Yet his anxiety was extreme. He spurred his horse relentlessly, running day and night. After three days and nights without rest, he killed three horses. Finally, on the fourth night, he returned to Jiangnan and arrived at Liu Fu.
The moment he dismounted, Liu Yi felt as if struck by lightning—time stopped. His head was dizzy, and he was too shocked by what he saw to know how to react.

It had been several months since he last returned home. He never expected that goodbye would turn into a forever separation, nor that it would be the last time he saw his father. Everything happened so suddenly. Liu Yi’s heart suddenly felt empty. What was going on? What had happened? At the entrance of Liu Fu’s house, there lay over a dozen corpses, all with their faces covered by white cloth.

Liu Yi stepped toward the door one by one, but suddenly two officials blocked his way, saying, “This is the scene of the crime. Strangers are not allowed in.”

Liu Yi pushed them aside forcefully, tore off the officials’ seals, pushed open the door, and stepped inside… The sight was horrifying—etched deep into his memory. That glance would haunt Liu Yi forever.

The once lush courtyard, shaded by trees and filled with blooming flowers, was now covered in corpses, blood everywhere—blood that had pooled into small streams, slowly flowing to the sides. There were severed limbs and gruesome remains. Liu Yi rushed into the hall, where it was equally filled with corpses and blood…

Liu Yi stopped in his tracks. There, on the ground, lay his father, who had raised him for twenty years. Next to him was his brother, whom he hadn’t seen in years, and his sister, who had returned at some point only to meet with tragedy. In that moment, Liu Yi seemed to go mad. He rushed forward and picked up his father’s cold body.

By now, Liu Yi’s eyes were blood-red. He kept asking himself, “Why? Why?” Holding his father, he went insane and shouted loudly, “Why? Why such cruelty? If Liu Yi has done something wrong, why should it be blamed on others? Why?”

Looking at his father’s cold body, the love and care he had received over twenty years seemed to appear before his eyes once again—the slight strictness was out of concern for his son’s success, the minor punishments stemmed from disappointment, and the smiles were expressions of joy at his progress. What used to be a warm home had now turned icy, filled with corpses and a horrifying sight.

Suddenly, it started to rain, falling on Liu Yi as he continued to hold his father’s body. All he felt was regret and guilt. Twenty years of hard work, acting as both father and mother—twenty years of love and care, yet he hadn’t even enjoyed family happiness before being brought disaster by his unfilial son. Liu Yi cried, tears streaming down as he softly said, “Father, it’s your unfilial son. I’m sorry. Please wake up, Father. As long as you wake up, I won’t be naughty anymore. I won’t run away anymore. I won’t make you angry anymore. Father, please wake up… As long as you wake up, I’ll do whatever you say. I’ll strive for success and bring you a daughter-in-law. Yes, Father, please wake up… You haven’t held a grandchild yet!”

But the body remained cold. No matter how loudly Liu Yi called out, no one answered. Liu Yi suddenly stood up, raised the ‘Sorrowful Dream’ sword in his hand, and shouted at the sky, “You damned heavens! Why treat Liu Yi like this? Why? Do you think it’s funny? Why? Answer me, why…” His voice grew weaker, gradually drowned out by the thunder in the sky, as if that were the answer.

With a thud, Liu Yi knelt down, holding the “Sorrowful Dream” sword and feeling the sorrow of the world. He said nothing more, merely staring at his father’s body, at the bodies of all those under Liu Fu’s rule.
The rain grew heavier, as if reflecting the sky’s sorrow, and the wind grew colder, as if embodying the world’s indifference. After each lightning strike came the sound of thunder, as if warning people that the laws of nature are unchangeable, that fate is predetermined, and no one can defy it…