The Founder of Diabolism - Chapter 48

Chapter 48 Guile—
Part Three
Yet another rant:
There have been so many people asking about
the raws that it's getting a bit annoying. First of
all. let me be clear—I am using the author's
raws and I am not "changing" it. The
differences between "my version" and the
“author's version" happen because the author
has written three versions: the original version,
the edited version, and the published version.
The original version is no longer obtainable
through "legal” means and can only be found
in txt files.
I do not mean to condemn anyone reading off
txt raws (people have reasons and I
understand), but in support of the author and
in respect to her edits. I have personally
chosen to translate the edited version. Since
the author decided to edit her work despite
knowing that it would overwrite her original
version. I assume that she wants readers to
read the current edited version.
If you are able to read some Chinese and want
to have a taste of what the text is like in its
original language. I would encourage you to
buy the raws on jjwxc.net. If you cannot pay or
really don't want to pay. feel free to find the
raws through means such as Baidu Cloud.
Suddenly. Wei WuXian's hands jerked slightly,
clenched into fists. Lan Wangji's expression
hardened and helped Wei WuXian into his
arms. Holding his face, he saw that, although
Wei WuXian's eyes were still shut, his brows
had knit closely together.
Over at the secret room. Wei WuXian didn't
have to time react at all. Those of the deceased
who held extreme resentment radiated such
hateful energies and projected them onto the
living, mitigating their anger and spreading
their emotions. This was the cause of most
hauntings. In fact, this was also the mechanism
behind Empathy. If Wei WuXian were using his
corporal body, a defense line to his soul,
resentful energy definitely couldn’t touch him
if he didn't want it to. At the moment,
however, he was possessing a flimsy piece of
paper, which significantly impaired his defense
ability. Not only was he close to the head. Nie
Mingjue's resentful energy was also unusually
strong. Wei WuXian was affected within just a
moment of inattention. One second ago he had
been thinking "oh no", and the next he could
already smell the scent of blood.
He hadn't come across such a thick odor in
years. Something buried in his bones
immediately awakened, starting to simmer and
stir. As soon as he had opened his eyes, he
saw before him the glare of a blade, the
shadow of spilled blood, and the head of a
man. soaring across the sky. along with its
fallen body.
The beheaded man wore a robe with the clan
motif of flames and the sun. Wei WuXian
watched 'himself sheath his saber, a low voice
coming out of his mouth. "Go get the head.
Hang it up for the Wen-dogs to see.”
Someone answered from behind him. "Yes!”
Wei WuXian realized who the beheaded man
was.
He was the eldest son of the QishanWen
Sect’s leader Wen RuoHan—Wen Xu. He was
killed by Nie Mingjue in Hejian. His head was
cut off with a single strike and hung up in front
of the troops, in demonstration to the Wen
Sect's cultivators. His corpse was cut into
pieces by the enraged cultivators of the Nie
Sect. then ground up and smeared below the
earth.
Nie Mingjue glanced at the corpse on the
ground and kicked it to the side. Hand on the
hilt of his saber, he looked calmly around.
ChiFeng-Zun was quite tall. When he
Empathized with A-Qing last time. Wei
WuXian’s field of vision was rather short, but
this time it was even taller than his usual view.
Looking down, he saw countless casualties.
Some wore sun-and-flames robes; some had
the QingheNie Sect’s beast-head crest on their
backs; some didn’t dress in any uniforms: each
consisting of around one-third. With such a
dire scene, the scent of blood suffused the air.
He scanned his surroundings as he strode
forward, as though he still wanted to check if
any of the Wen Sect's cultivators still had a
breath of air left in them. Suddenly, a clashing
noise came from a tile-roof house on the side.
With a wave of his saber, a fierce blade of
wind swept over. Hacking open the house's
crude door, it revealed a mother and her
daughter, both panic-stricken. Such a shabby
house held very little possessions, its lack of
hiding places allowing the pair only to take
cover under the table as they held their
breaths. As the young woman's round eyes
caught reflection of Nie Mingjue’s blood-
drenched and murderous appearance, tears
immediately poured out. The girl in her arms
had already opened her mouth, scared
speechless.
As Nie Mingjue saw that it was only an
ordinary mother-and-daughter pair, likely two
commoners who had failed to escape before

battle broke out. his furrowed brows softened
slightly. A subordinate, not knowing what had
happened, approached from behind him. “Sect
leader?"
The mother-and-daughter only knew that a
few gangs of cultivators crashed into their
workaday lives and battled the hell out of one
another. Neither knew which was the good
side and which was the bad. Fearing
whomever that held a blade, they thought that
they'd die for sure, faces distorting with fright.
Nie Mingjue took a look at them and curbed
his killing intent. "It's alright.”
He let down the hand that he held his saber
with and paced to the other side of the room.
The young woman instantly collapsed onto the
ground, still embracing her daughter. After a
moment, she couldn't help but begin to sob.
A few strides later. Nie Mingjue suddenly
stopped, questioning the subordinate behind
him. "Who was the cultivator that kept guard
at the end during the last battlefield clean-up?"
The subordinator hesitated for a second. “Kept
guard at the end? I... don't think I remember."
Nie Mingjue frowned. "Tell me when you
remember."
He continued to walk forward. The cultivator
hurried to ask other people. Not long later, he
caught back up. "Sect Leader! I've asked. The
cultivator who kept guard at the end during the
last battlefield clean-up is called Meng Yao."
Hearing the name. Nie Mingjue raised his
brows, as though finding it somewhat
surprising.
Wei WuXian knew why. Before Jin GuangYao
was accepted into his clan, he was named
Meng Yao. after his mother's last name. This
wasn't a secret at all. In fact, the name used to
be quite “well-known”.
Although not many people saw with their own
eyes how it was when Jin GuangYao. the one
who would later become LianFang-Zun and
stand upon Koi Tower with unequivocal
power, first came upon the tower, the rumors
had already explained things at large. Jin
GuangYao's mother was renowned in one of
Yunmeng's brothels. Back then, she boasted
the reputation of being one of the most
talented prostitutes. It was said that she could
play the guqin well and wrote excellent
calligraphy. She was so well-educated that she
could almost pass as the young mistress of a
wealthy clan. Of course, no matter how great
the resemblance was. in the mouths of the
people, a prostitute was still a prostitute.
When Jin CuangShan happened to visit
Yunmeng once, he definitely dared not miss
such a famous prostitute. He lingered around
the Meng woman for days and returned with
satisfaction after leaving her a keepsake. After
he got back, he naturally behaved the same
way as he had behaved countless times before
this, forgetting all about the amorous woman.
In comparison. Mo XuanYu and his mother
were rather favored. At least Jin CuangShan
still remembered that he had such a son and
brought him back to Koi Tower. Meng Yao. on
the other hand, wasn't as lucky. The son of a
prostitute was far from that of a good family.
Just like Lady Mo. after she had given birth to
one child for Jin CuangShan. she waited with
much devotion for the cultivator to take her
and her child back. She taught Meng Yao with
care, preparing for his future entrance to the
cultivation world. Yet. even when he grew past
the age of ten. there was still no news of his
father, while the Meng woman was already
dangerously ill.
Before she passed away, she had given the
keepsake that Jin CuangShan left her and told
him to find his way out to Koi Tower. And thus.
Meng Yao finished packing his belongings and
left Yunmeng. After an arduous journey, he
arrived in Lanling. When he reached Koi
Tower. Meng Yao wasn't allowed to enter, so
he took out the keepsake and asked for the
sect leader to be notified.

Jin CuangShan's keepsake was a pearl button.
This wasn’t in any way special in the Lanlingjin
Sect-one could find such objects everywhere.
Their most common usage was as gifts to
beautiful women, when Jin CuangShan
traveled out to flirt. He'd pretend as though
such a pretty little thing was a rare treasure,
often in the accompaniment of pledges and
vows as well. He gave and forgot about them
however he pleased.
Meng Yao really did come at a bad time. The
day just happened to be the birthday of Jin
ZiXuan. Jin CuangShan and Madam Jin. along
with various relatives, were celebrating their
darling boy’s special day. Six hours later, it was
already late into the evening. As all of them
were about to set out for the auspicious
ignition of lanterns, the servant finally found a
spare moment to notify them. As Madam Jin
saw the pearl button and remembered Jin j
CuangShan's history, her face darkened at
once. Jin CuangShan hurried to crush the pearl
into dust and chastised the servant loudly,
ordering him to chase away whomever that
was outside in case they bumped into him on
their outing.
And so. Meng Yao was kicked down Koi Tower.
He rolled down the steps, all the way from the
top to the bottom.