Chapter 99: The Show
After transforming into a human, the phrase “a long and arduous journey” had vanished from Bai Jingxue’s vocabulary.
All living things possessed a spirit. Although there was a designated Demon Realm, demons weren’t necessarily banished from the righteous realm. Only those who had succumbed to demonic influence were considered a threat.
To be more precise, demon cultivators were considered a threat because they were unpredictable and destructive. Demons, however, had value. They could be utilized. Some sects specialized in capturing and raising demons, preparing them for future contracts with cultivators.
The more gruesome practices, however, were best left unsaid.
Bai Jingxue, standing on her sword, her gaze fixed on the sect below, her destination approaching, felt a surge of anticipation.
Compared to the Ejian Sect’s grandeur, this sect, hidden within a dense forest, seemed rather shabby. A closer inspection revealed that the paint on their sign was peeling.
But none of that mattered to Bai Jingxue. She landed gracefully, and a moment later, Lü Qingyan joined her.
Lü Qingyan stared at the sect below, a sense of familiarity washing over her. She sniffed the air, recognizing the scent.
She soon realized where they were, but she couldn’t understand why Jingxue had brought her here.
This place held unpleasant memories. This was where Jingxue had nearly been killed by the male lead. If she hadn’t summoned the spirit wolves, she and Jingxue wouldn’t be together in this life.
She didn’t want to trigger any bad memories. She tugged Bai Jingxue’s sleeve, her voice gentle. “There’s nothing interesting here, Jingxue,” she said. “Let’s go.”
Her concern was evident, but Bai Jingxue wasn’t that fragile. She gently removed Lü Qingyan’s hand, then squeezed her ear.
The soft, fluffy texture lifted her spirits. “Don’t worry,” she said, smiling. “I’m not that weak.”
Lü Qingyan allowed Bai Jingxue to pet her. She had retained her ears for this very purpose. But Bai Jingxue, now capable of transforming at will, had chosen to conceal her cat ears and tail. It was a bit disappointing.
She sighed. She knew Jingxue was strong, but she wished Jingxue would allow herself to be vulnerable, to cry when she needed to.
But she hoped Bai Jingxue, in this life, would never have a reason to cry.
Bai Jingxue, excited about her plan, grabbed Lü Qingyan’s hand, and they leaped from their swords, their bodies plummeting towards the ground.
The wind whipped through their hair, their clothes billowing, but their movements remained graceful, controlled by their spiritual energy.
She had often watched those elegant immortals flying through the air on television in her past life. She hadn’t expected to have the opportunity to experience it herself.
Lü Qingyan, as they descended, noticed the smile on Bai Jingxue’s face.
She had rarely seen Bai Jingxue smile in their past life. She had often told jokes, trying to make Bai Jingxue laugh, and Bai Jingxue would occasionally smile.
She had been proud of herself, believing her jokes were funny, but she had eventually realized the truth.
Bai Jingxue had smiled not because the jokes were funny, but because she had known that Lü Qingyan wanted to see her smile. She had been playing along.
Lü Qingyan had been heartbroken, but Bai Jingxue had simply cupped her face, her thumbs gently smoothing away her frown, then she had hugged Lü Qingyan, her voice soft. “But my happiness is real,” she had said. “It’s not because of the jokes. It’s because you care about my happiness.”
Lü Qingyan, remembering that moment, smiled.
As their feet touched the ground, she couldn’t help but ask, her voice filled with excitement, “Isn’t this like bungee jumping?”
Bai Jingxue, ever the pragmatist, considered this for a moment, then said, “No, we didn’t bounce back up. It’s more like skydiving.”
Lü Qingyan, realizing she was right, immediately switched to praise mode. “You’re right, Jingxue! Skydiving is a better analogy!”
Bai Jingxue, in both her past and present lives, had never been a fan of flattery. She shuddered, then sighed.
Unlike the Ejian Sect, with its strict rules and disciplined disciples, this small sect, known as the Beast Control Sect, was rather lax. They didn’t even have a protective formation. There was only a single disciple guarding the entrance, and he was currently napping.
Bai Jingxue could tell he was at the peak of Qi Gathering.
Guarding the entrance to a sect wasn’t a task for the weak. The Ejian Sect’s gatekeepers were so powerful that she couldn’t even sense their cultivation levels.
She wondered how Zhu Chi had dared to provoke the Ejian Sect’s ancestor.
Perhaps the fact that she hadn’t been challenged by the Ejian Sect’s gatekeepers had been a mercy, a way of protecting the Spring Snow Sect Leader’s pride.
But there was no need to worry now. Zhu Chi was completely devoted to that little whale demon, An Ran. She had gradually relinquished control of the sect’s affairs.
Bai Jingxue, realizing that her thoughts had strayed too far, approached the sleeping disciple, her voice gentle. “Little Daoist.”
The disciple, startled awake, rubbed his eyes, his gaze blurry as he stared at Bai Jingxue. He thought he was still dreaming.
He yawned. “Why am I dreaming of a fairy?” he muttered. “I must be tired.”
Bai Jingxue, seeing that he was about to fall asleep again, quickly interrupted him. “Little Daoist, we’re disciples of the Ejian Sect,” she said. “We’re here to see your sect leader.”
The disciple’s eyes flew open. The Ejian Sect? He was wide awake now. He scrambled to his feet, wiping the drool from his mouth, his voice filled with a nervous respect. “Do you have any proof, Immortal?”
Bai Jingxue retrieved her identity token.
The disciple, examining it, his eyes widening in surprise, exclaimed, “You’re guest elders of the Ejian Sect?!”
Bai Jingxue nodded.
The disciple’s gaze turned reverent, his posture stiffening.
He forgot to bow. He turned and dashed towards the sect’s main buildings, his voice echoing through the air. “Elders from the Ejian Sect are here! Sect Leader!”
His frantic reaction amused Bai Jingxue. She exchanged a look with Lü Qingyan, then they both chuckled.
Luo Nianshang had chosen this title carefully. Guest elders weren’t bound by the sect’s rules, but they had access to all its resources.
The Sword Saint was truly kind to them.
Their arrival had shattered the peace of this small sect. The disciple’s shouts startled the birds and beasts, their cries filling the air.
“The Ejian Sect! Why are elders from such a prestigious sect here?”
“Is there a demon cultivator among us?”
“Did Senior Brother Ke offend someone from the Ejian Sect?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! No one from the Ejian Sect would be interested in him!”
The disciples, though curious, only dared to observe from a distance.
In the cultivation world, a single wrong word could lead to the destruction of an entire sect. If a large sect was destroyed, there would be an investigation, but if a small sect like theirs was destroyed, it would simply be forgotten. And if any surviving disciples sought justice, they would most likely be blamed, the crime attributed to demon cultivators.
In the end, those seeking justice would only be met with hypocritical righteous cultivators, their faces filled with a feigned sorrow, their voices chanting, “Those damned demon cultivators!”
Bai Jingxue understood their fear, but she was glad they were keeping their distance. She didn’t want to be surrounded by a crowd of curious onlookers.
The disciple soon returned, dragging an elderly man in gray robes, his hair streaked with white.
Bai Jingxue could tell that he was only at the middle stage of Golden Core. He wasn’t even at Nascent Soul.
The sect leader, seeing the two women, their auras powerful, their beauty intimidating, his legs nearly buckling, greeted them with a trembling voice. “What brings you here, honored immortals?”
Lü Qingyan, hearing his question, turned to Bai Jingxue, her brow furrowed.
Bai Jingxue hadn’t told her why they were here.
Bai Jingxue smiled, her expression gentle and approachable. “Does your sect raise spirit wolves?” she asked.
The sect leader, assuming they were interested in the pack of spirit wolves living on their back mountain, his heart sinking, nodded. Those wolves were their sect’s greatest asset.
They had managed to survive in this cutthroat world thanks to those wolves. They were numerous, ferocious, and venomous. They had protected the sect from countless threats.
But he had no choice. If he refused, his sect might not survive.
He swallowed his pain, his voice respectful. “If you desire those wolves, honored immortals, you may take them.”
Bai Jingxue, amused by his eagerness, shook her head. “That’s not why we’re here,” she said.
She was simply here for revenge.
The alpha wolf, dragged before Bai Jingxue, had no idea what was happening, but his keen sense of smell recognized the two demons.
His pack, sensing his unease, growled, their eyes fixed on Bai Jingxue and Lü Qingyan, their bodies tense.
Bai Jingxue unleashed a wave of pressure, and the wolves instantly submitted, collapsing to the ground.
The sect leader, at Bai Jingxue’s command, instructed his disciples to bring out several iron rings. Bai Jingxue, with a flick of her wrist, levitated the rings, arranging them in a circle, their spacing precise.
She then ignited them with her flames.
She smiled at the alpha wolf, her voice laced with amusement. “I heard your wolves are skilled at jumping through hoops of fire,” she said. “Show me.”
The alpha wolf, unable to resist, led his pack through the hoops, their movements clumsy and awkward.
Bai Jingxue, however, felt like something was missing. She thought for a moment, then transformed into her cat form, her green eyes gleaming with a mischievous light as she watched the wolves struggle.
Her tail twitched, and she leaped into Lü Qingyan’s arms, licking her paws, then settled down to enjoy the show.
Lü Qingyan, wanting to pet her, reached out, but Bai Jingxue swatted her hand away.
Lü Qingyan, unfazed, simply chuckled. “You really hold grudges, don’t you?”
Bai Jingxue snorted, her tail twitching. She was clearly enjoying herself.
The wolves continued their performance until nightfall, their bodies exhausted. Bai Jingxue, satisfied, leaped from Lü Qingyan’s arms, transforming back into her human form as she landed.
She approached the alpha wolf, ignoring his hateful glare, then retrieved a talisman, placing it on his forehead.
The alpha wolf, assuming she was about to kill him, snarled, “We saved your life! You ungrateful wretch!”
Bai Jingxue, unfazed, her voice calm, said, “I’m a cat. You’re a wolf.”
The alpha wolf was speechless. Then he felt a surge of energy coursing through his body. His cultivation was increasing. And a new cultivation technique appeared in his mind.
Bai Jingxue, ignoring his shock, turned and left, Lü Qingyan by her side.
The night air was cool. Lü Qingyan, glancing at the receding scenery, then at Bai Jingxue’s elegant figure, caught up to her. “You gave him a cultivation technique?” she asked.
Bai Jingxue nodded, the moonlight reflected in her eyes, but her gaze was even brighter, the moonlight simply a backdrop.
She smiled. “I’m not an ungrateful cat.”
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