Pursuit of the Truth

It was an incredibly cold and beautiful woman with violet hair. The woman looked to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven years of age. She was tall and dressed in purple robes. There was a white whip tied to her waist, causing her waist to curve in beautifully before the lines curved out in an exaggerated fashion to show off her posterior and her long legs.

Her long hair danced in the wind as she moved. It would not be an exaggeration to compare her to ice due to the chilling look in her eyes and the aloof look on her petite face. The woman’s beautiful face especially gave her a unique, cold beauty when paired with her indifference.

Su Ming laughed wryly in his heart, though no one could see any hint of it since he had his mask on his face. He knew this woman… or more accurately speaking, he’d seen this woman when she was naked before…

That woman was the one from the God of Shamans Temple which Progenitor Hong Luo had met when he was in control of Su Ming’s body, and because the woman did not have enough aura of Yin, he did not cast the Art of the Dragon Subject, Yin Simurgh, on her.

‘Hong Luo… why did you say you were Su Ming..?’

Su Ming laughed even more wryly in his heart and felt a massive headache in his head. When he saw this woman, a feeling as if he was falsely accused formed in his heart, and he could say nothing about it.

When he had woken up, he had seen everything that happened when Hong Luo controlled his body. He even had a feeling that he was Hong Luo himself. With that feeling around, he could remember clearly that this woman had looked at him with eyes burning with hatred.

‘If she learns that I am… me… Hah…’ Su Ming forced down the torn feeling in his heart and looked at the woman walking over with a calm look on his face.

Nan Gong Hen was originally smiling by the side, but when he saw the woman, his smile froze as well. And just like Su Ming’s, it was then replaced with a wry one.

Nan Gong Hen let out a fake cough and asked that cold woman, ”Sis, are you going out?”

”So you’re not dead yet?” The woman who was as cold as ice remarked coolly when she was ten feet away from Nan Gong Hen and Su Ming. If anyone ignored that chill in her voice, they would find that it was actually very pleasant to the ears.

Nan Gong Hen fake-coughed again, choking for a moment due to the woman’s words, then as he laughed wryly, he shook his head.

”Sis, how could you say that to your elder brother? Oh well, let me introduce to you, this is…”

”Not interested,” the woman said coldly, and without even casting a glance at Su Ming, she walked past through them.

Nan Gong Hen quickly made way for her. Su Ming sighed and moved out of the way as well. The woman walked through and out of the city gate.

”Who is that?” Su Ming hesitated for a moment, but still asked. He had to know of her identity so that he could think of ways to avoid her in the future.

”That’s my little sister, Nan Gong Shan. Ha… she’s been becoming more and more indifferent because of the cultivation method she’s practicing. I know it’s not a big matter, but one year ago, when she was in isolation, something happened, causing her aura of Yin to become even thicker, and now she has become like this…” Nan Gong Hen said with a wry laugh. He walked through the tunnel with Su Ming and entered Shaman City.

Sounds of a bustle entered their ears, and they could see that the city itself was very lively. There were a large number of Shamans inside, and when they stood there, they had a feeling as if they had forgotten that they were in the World of Nine Yin.

When Su Ming heard Nan Gong Hen speaking about the accident a year ago, he felt a little guilty, and he sighed in his heart. He did not expect that Nan Gong Hen, whom he met on the way here, would be this woman’s big brother.

”I didn’t expect that she would be here. Brother Mo, I hope you don’t mind my sister’s cold attitude. Ha… speaking of that accident, did you hear about that unrivaled Shaman who suddenly appeared one year ago in our land?” Nan Gong Hen shook his head, and once he explained his sister’s attitude to Su Ming, he started chatting casually with him.

Su Ming laughed even more wryly in his heart. He cast a look at Nan Gong Hen, and when he saw that Nan Gong Hen was just talking about him casually and not pointing fingers at him, Su Ming shook his head.

”I have been in isolation for many years. I’ve heard others mentioning the incident a year ago, but I don’t know much about it.”

Nan Gong Hen sighed, then led Su Ming and the other three youths through the streets of Shaman City. It was very lively on both sides of the street. There were all sorts of shops there, and most of them sold some of the Shamans’ necessities. Besides these, there were also shops selling unique items that could only be found in the World of Nine Yin.

Compared to the perils outside, this place was an incredibly relaxing place, and it looked peaceful here.

”Speaking of a year ago, a Shaman so powerful he was unrivaled appeared in our land. That person’s level of cultivation was so high that he had actually surpassed an End Shaman!” When Nan Gong Hen said those words, respect and yearning appeared on his face.

”He actually possesses power that surpasses an End Shaman. I wonder how he did it. When he appeared, in a few days, he challenged multiple powerful Shamans, and every single time those who fought against him lost, he would use a special method and absorb half of their power!

”Most of the people believe that he is evil, but I don’t think so!” A hint of excitement appeared in Nan Gong Hen’s voice, making it clear that he was not at all calm when he spoke of this person.

Su Ming blinked and did not say anything.

”I know that he thinks that these so called ‘powerful’ Shamans aren’t worthy of having any power born out of cultivation, which is why he didn’t take their lives but took away a large part of their power. This is him telling those losers without saying a single word that if they can surpass him some day, they can go find him and retrieve that power he took!

”I know it, I understand him, I get him!

”This is a great sentiment showed by that person. This is the true quality of a powerful warrior. All those who lose must give up their power, and this is also a way to motivate them!

”I always believed that he’s a Shaman, or else why would he show such compassion to those so called ‘powerful’ Shamans’? He’s doing this to urge them on in their training, he’s personally motivating them to improve!” Nan Gong Hen said agitatedly.

Su Ming… was stunned.

”Brother Mo, I’m telling you the truth. I’m not the only one who feels this way. There are quite a few of those who lost who have similar feelings. I asked them before.” Respect appeared in Nan Gong Hen’s eyes.

”I respect this unparalleled Shaman from the bottom of my heart. He actually… went out his way to motivate even those ferocious beasts! Just how great must he be to be able to do even this?

”During those few days, there were plenty of ferocious beasts who had great luck and ran into him, and their minds were all stimulated. Perhaps one of them will turn into a sacred beast!”

Su Ming was rendered completely speechless. He instinctively raised his hand to touch his nose, but ended up touching his mask instead. His lips under the mask were curled up into a wry smile.

Lan Lan and Ahu’s eyes were shining brilliantly when they heard Nan Gong Hen’s voice. Their hearts were filled with excitement, and they looked thrilled. Even the aloof boy with the withered right arm was filled with respect and zeal.

”Then… Just how strong is he?” Lan Lan could not help but ask.

”How strong? Heh heh, with just one flick of his hand, Sir Zong Ze from Autumn Sea Tribe was sealed in the sky and could not move. All the tribe members of Autumn Sea Tribe were immobilized when he pressed down on the ground. They were all sealed and could not move an inch, and could only watch… as he descended and went to their Sacred Lady’s side, hugged her, and flew away with her…

”This is a great love story. I’m really envious of it.” Nan Gong Hen let out a long sigh.

Su Ming could not help but let out a few dry coughs. The story sounded off when he heard it from other people’s mouths, because he knew that… the truth was in no way what Nan Gong Hen had just said.

When Lan Lan heard his words, her eyes shone, and when Ahu saw how Lan Lan reacted, he made a decision in his heart.

”The Sacred Lady of Autumn Sea Tribe returned a few days later with the blood dragon he gave her. Now, besides the sacred mackerel pike, Autumn Sea Tribe has another sacred beast…

”Hah, honestly, my little sister isn’t too bad either, why didn’t he choose her..?” Nan Gong Hen shook his head. When he looked at Su Ming, he felt that there was something strange about Su Ming’s current demeanor.

”Brother Mo, what’s wrong?”

”It’s nothing, I’m just really moved… by this person’s actions…” Su Ming sighed.

”Honestly, my little sister also met that person, but… they just weren’t fated to be. It’s also because of that encounter that my sister started harboring unrequited feelings for him and became bitter, that’s why she’s even more indifferent now.” Nan Gong Hen brought Su Ming and the others across several streets and sighed as he walked.

”Where is he now? What is his name?” Ahu could not help but ask.

”He went missing. I suspect that he felt that there was no longer anyone left in the land of the Shamans for him to motivate, that’s why he chose to leave… His name… is Su Ming!

”The red-haired Su Ming!” When Nan Gong Hen said that name, excitement and idolization appeared on his face once again.

Su Ming froze for a moment and could only laugh wryly in his heart. That was the only thing he could do, to laugh wryly. He was originally prepared for this, but when he heard about it with his own ears, that feeling was still a little different from what he had expected.

Su Ming let out a fake cough and was just about to change the topic when Ahu suddenly sprang a question behind him.

”Red hair? His hair is red?”

”That’s right. It doesn’t matter whether it’s from other people’s accounts or from what I saw, we all know that he has long red hair, purple lips, and the mark of a peach blossom at the center of his brows. Those are his greatest characteristics. If you ever have a chance to run into this person, you must bow down to worship him, because his greatness is not something the people can understand, but I do!

”I know what he’s doing, I can comprehend his deeds, I understand him…” Nan Gong Hen said softly.

”Red hair, pale face, purple lips… the mark of a peach blossom…” Lan Lan mumbled. She had a vague feeling that she had seen a person with such a description before, and when she lifted her head and saw Su Ming turning over to look at her, her expression drastically changed.

She just remembered. A year ago, a person with such an appearance appeared above their tribe, and a year later, this person was standing before her with a mask over his face.

Since she was behind Nan Gong Hen, he could not see her change of expression, and Su Ming’s gaze at the moment caused Lan Lan’s heart to tremble. She quickly lowered her head, and her heart was filled with anxiety, along with shock.

Ahu’s face was stark white, but when he saw Su Ming’s face, his expression immediately turned normal, as if nothing had happened. He held Lan Lan’s hand, but his back was already covered in cold sweat.

Su Ming cast a flat look at Lan Lan and Ahu before he averted his gaze and looked towards Nan Gong Hen.

”You saw him before?”