190: Chapter 190 Guerrilla Maneuvering (Part 8)

Northwest, Rift Zone, early morning.

The traces of the night raid remained. Half of the mine entrance had collapsed, and black Devilish Qi seeped from the cracks in the rubble, faint, like dying cooking smoke. Over two hundred devil soldiers were mostly dead or wounded, the rest having fled deep into The Rift. Two devil generals had been converted and had left. This once-largest Devilish Qi supply point was now useless.

Lu Mingyuan sat on a rock by the mine entrance, his eyes closed. His True Qi had not yet recovered; his body was still weak, his face still pale. But he was resting, recuperating, waiting. Once rested, he would go to the next place.

Bai Ze perched on his shoulder, unfurling the bai ze map. Golden light shimmered, a map appearing in the air. The terrain of the Rift Zone—villages, passages, mines—were all marked. Green dots indicated areas already secured, red dots indicated areas still in danger, and yellow dots indicated areas undergoing change.

"Bai Ze, what are those yellow dots?" Lu Mingyuan asked.

"People corrupted by Devilish Qi," Bai Ze's voice was somewhat heavy. "Not devil soldiers, but Cultivators, Mortals. They've been corrupted, but haven't fully turned into devils. They're still struggling, still resisting, still wanting to come back. But they won't hold on much longer. If not saved soon, they'll turn completely."

"How many?"

"Thirty-seven. Scattered all over the Rift Zone. Some hide in ruins, some in caves, some wander the wilderness. Their cultivation isn't high, mostly Foundation Establishment, Golden Core. But their hearts are still there, still beating, still thinking, still fearing."

"Can they be saved?"

"Yes. But it's difficult. Harder than saving villagers, harder than fighting devil generals, harder than setting up barriers. Because they are no longer fully human, half-human, half-devil. They cannot trust themselves, cannot trust others, cannot trust anything. They are afraid—afraid they will kill, afraid they will become devils, afraid they cannot turn back."

Lu Mingyuan stood up. His body was still weak, but his heart was not. That small tree was growing—twenty-six zhang, twenty-seven zhang. Growing in the darkness, growing amidst resentment, growing amidst despair. Keep growing, and it could hold up a larger piece of the sky.

"Take me to find them."

---

The first one, a derelict Earth Deity Temple.

Not far from the mine, three li away. The temple was small: one main hall, two side rooms. Half the roof had collapsed, the deity statue lay on the ground, the incense burner rusted into a lump of iron. A person huddled behind the statue, trembling all over. His clothes were torn, his hair disheveled, his face darkened. But his eyes were not red; they were brown. Within the brown was a glimmer of light, very faint, weak like a candle about to go out.

Lu Mingyuan entered the temple. The man looked up at him, his eyes full of fear.

"Don't come closer!" the man shouted. "I'll kill you! I can't control myself! The Devilish Qi is in my body, it's screaming for me to kill! Go! Get away!"

Lu Mingyuan did not leave. He walked over, crouched down, and looked into the man's eyes.

"What's your name?"

"My name is... what's my name?" The man was stunned. He couldn't remember. The Devilish Qi had eroded his memory, wiped away his name, his past, his identity. He didn't know who he was, where he came from, or where he was going.

"What is your name?" Lu Mingyuan asked again, his tone very gentle, as if asking a child.

"My name is... my name is..." The glimmer in the man's eyes flickered. It struggled, it tried, it remembered. "My name is... Zhao... Zhao... Zhao Tiesheng. Yes, Zhao Tiesheng. I'm a Loose Cultivator, I've Cultivated for a hundred and twenty years. My home is... in..." He couldn't remember again.

"Where home is doesn't matter. As long as you know who you are. Zhao Tiesheng, you are not a devil. You are human. Devilish Qi is in your body, but the Devilish Qi is not you. You are Zhao Tiesheng, a Loose Cultivator, a person who has Cultivated for a hundred and twenty years. Your heart is still beating, still thinking, still fearing. Fear is right. Fear means you are still alive. Alive, you can come back."

"Can I still come back?" Zhao Tiesheng's tears flowed. The tears were black, stained by Devilish Qi. But within that blackness was something, that "I want to come back" thing.

"Yes. As long as you want to come back, you can. The path is beneath your feet; just walk it."

Lu Mingyuan reached out and placed his hand on Zhao Tiesheng's head. Wanxiang True Qi surged forth, golden light, very faint, very soft, very gentle. That light was not for confrontation, but for listening. He listened to Zhao Tiesheng's heart, to his fear, his regret, his struggle.

Zhao Tiesheng's heart was saying—I don't want to kill. But the Devilish Qi forces me to. I killed three devil soldiers because I couldn't control myself. But I also killed a person, a Mortal, an innocent person. I can't forget his eyes; when he died, he looked at me, his eyes full of fear. I didn't mean to. I truly didn't mean to.

Lu Mingyuan listened, and listened. He did not interrupt, did not comfort, did not persuade. He just listened, and listened. Heard him finish his fear, heard him finish his regret, heard him voice his struggle completely.

As he spoke, that fear lightened. As he cried, that regret faded. As he shouted, that struggle weakened. Not suppressed, but heard. Once heard, it lightened. Lightened, it faded. Faded, it scattered.

The blackness in Zhao Tiesheng's eyes receded. Strand by strand, bit by bit, inch by inch. As it receded, the brown returned. The brown returned, the light returned. The light returned, and he returned.

"I... I am Zhao Tiesheng," he said. "I am human. Not a devil."

"Right. You are human. Not a devil."

Zhao Tiesheng knelt on the ground, crying like a child. Lu Mingyuan did not help him up. Let him cry. Once finished crying, he would be alright. Alright, he could leave. Leave, he could live. Live, he could continue to Cultivate, continue to seal The Rift, continue to save the people.

"Bai Ze."

"Here."

"Take him to a safe place. Give him food, drink, medicine. Let him recuperate. If he wishes to stay, have him join us. If he does not wish to stay, send him home."

"Alright."

---

The second one, a derelict relay station.

The station was by the roadside: three earthen rooms, a stable. Once a resting place for merchant caravans, with tea, food, people. Now there was nothing, only wind, only dust, only one person. A woman, a young woman, wearing a Daoist robe, the robe covered in black blood. Her eyes were red, red like blood. But within that red was something, that "I don't want to be red" thing.

Lu Mingyuan entered the station. The woman looked up, her red eyes fixed on him. In her hand she held a sword, the sword covered in black blood.

"Don't come closer," her voice was cold, cold as ice. "I'll kill you. I've already killed four. Four devil soldiers. But I also killed a Cultivator. He was my Senior Brother. He came looking for me, wanting to save me. But I lost control, I killed him. I killed my Senior Brother."

Her hand trembled, the sword trembled, her whole body trembled. She was afraid, afraid of herself, afraid she would kill again, afraid she would become a complete devil.

"What's your name?" Lu Mingyuan asked.

"My name is... my name is..." Her red eyes flickered. That light struggled, tried, remembered. "My name is... Liu... Liu Rushi. Yes, Liu Rushi. I am a Disciple of the Qingcheng Sect. My Master is Immortal Master Qingxuan. My Senior Brother's name is... is..." She couldn't remember again, tears flowing. The tears were red, red like blood.

"Your Senior Brother's name is not important. As long as you know who you are. Liu Rushi, you are not a devil. You are human. You are a Disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, a Disciple of Immortal Master Qingxuan. Your sword is still here, your heart is still here, your Dao is still here."

"Is my Dao still here?" Liu Rushi looked at him, her red eyes full of confusion. "I killed someone, killed my Senior Brother. Do I still have the Dao?"

"Yes. The Dao is not about never making mistakes; it's about knowing you can change after making a mistake. You know you were wrong, know you killed someone, know you shouldn't have killed. This is the Dao. As long as the Dao exists, the person exists. As long as the person exists, you can come back."

Lu Mingyuan reached out and placed his hand on her head. Wanxiang True Qi surged forth, golden light, very faint, very soft, very gentle. He listened to her heart, to her regret, her pain, her confusion.

Liu Rushi's heart was saying—I Cultivated for three hundred years, finally reaching Golden Core with great difficulty. I wanted to protect the people, seal The Rift, Mending the Heavens. But I didn't protect myself well, got corrupted by Devilish Qi. I didn't protect my Senior Brother well, killed him. I can't do anything right; what use is my life?

Lu Mingyuan listened, and listened. He heard her regret, her pain, her confusion. He did not say "your life has use," did not say "your Senior Brother wouldn't blame you," did not say "you didn't mean to." He just listened, and listened. Heard her finish her regret, heard her finish her pain, heard her voice her confusion completely.

As she spoke, that regret lightened. As she cried, that pain faded. As she shouted, that confusion scattered. Not comforted, but heard. Once heard, it lightened. Lightened, it faded. Faded, it scattered.

The redness in Liu Rushi's eyes receded. Strand by strand, bit by bit, inch by inch. As it receded, the brown returned. The brown returned, the light returned. The light returned, and she returned.

"I... I am Liu Rushi," she said. "I am human. Not a devil."

"Right. You are human. Not a devil."

Liu Rushi knelt on the ground, crying like a child. Lu Mingyuan did not help her up. Let her cry. Once finished crying, she would be alright. Alright, she could leave. Leave, she could live. Live, she could continue to Cultivate, continue to seal The Rift, continue to save the people.

"Bai Ze."

"Here."

"Take her to a safe place. Give her food, drink, medicine. Let her recuperate. If she wishes to stay, have her join us. If she does not wish to stay, send her back to Qingcheng."

"Alright."

---

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

In one day, Lu Mingyuan saved nine people. Nine people corrupted by Devilish Qi, nine half-human, half-devil people, nine people who thought they couldn't turn back. He found them one by one, listened to them one by one, guided them one by one. Not guided by cultivation, but guided by heart. Listened to them speak, listened to them cry, listened to them shout. Once finished listening, they lightened. Lightened, they faded. Faded, they scattered. Scattered, and the person returned.

Nine, not many. But nine is still a number. Saving nine a day, that's three thousand two hundred eighty-five a year. Keep saving, and the numbers grow. Grown, they become stronger. Stronger, they can save more. Save more, the devils weaken. Devils weaken, and the sky can brighten.

Evening. Lu Mingyuan sat on a hilltop, watching the sun set. His True Qi was empty again, his body weak again, his face pale again. But his heart was full, full like the moon on the fifteenth, full like an autumn rice field, full like a freshly filled wine cup.

Bai Ze landed on his shoulder. "Saved nine today."

"Nine."

"Added to the previous seventy-two, that makes eighty-one people now."

"Eighty-one. Not many, but not few either."

"What do you plan for them to do?"

"Have them go save more people. Not saving for me, but saving for themselves. They've been corrupted by Devilish Qi, they know that taste. Know that fear, that regret, that pain. Them saving people like them is more useful than me saving them. Because those people will trust them. Trust them, and they can be saved. Saved, and they can come back. Come back, and they can go save more people. More people, can save more. Keep saving, and the numbers grow. Grown, they become stronger. Stronger, the devils weaken. Devils weaken, and the sky can brighten."

Bai Ze did not speak. It just perched on his shoulder, watching the sun set, watching the stars light up. The stars lit up one by one, very slowly, slow as a snail's crawl. But they were lighting up, lighting in the darkness, lighting in despair, lighting in everyone's hearts.

"Bai Ze."

"Hmm."

"Do you think, those people I saved, will they hate me?"

"Hate you? Why hate you?"

"Because I made them come back. Coming back means facing things they don't want to face. Killed someone, must admit it. Made a mistake, must correct it. Owed a debt, must repay it. Coming back is harder than not coming back. Not coming back, being a devil, you don't need to think about anything, face anything. Coming back, being human, you have to think about everything, face everything. I made them come back, but I also gave them pain."

Bai Ze was silent for a moment. "But living is painful by nature. Pain means you're still alive. No pain, that's death, that's being a devil, that's being gone. You gave them pain, but you also gave them life. Life, there is hope. Have hope, and you can wait for the dawn. Wait for the dawn, and the pain will pass. Once passed, it's a clear sky."

Lu Mingyuan smiled. Smiled very lightly, very faintly, very truly.

"Let's go," he stood up.

"Where to?"

"To save the tenth."

The sky darkened, the stars brightened. Lu Mingyuan walked in the darkness, walked on the earth, walked among those corrupted by Devilish Qi. On him was a light, golden light, very weak, weak as a firefly. But that light did not extinguish, no matter how strong the wind, no matter how deep the darkness, no matter how heavy the despair.