Chapter 14: Even Celestials Get Scolded
Mingyan returned to his room and found Huang Feiyan standing by the window, gazing at the moonlit night sky, just as she had when he first brought her back.
She truly embodied the word “celestial.” She was far superior to Yun Ling. Her red dress under the moonlight, her ethereal aura, her beautiful profile… Even the Phoenix itself couldn’t compare…
Was that blasphemous?
Speaking of which, Celestial Sister’s surname was Huang, which meant “phoenix.” Perhaps… she had some connection to the mythical bird?
If dragons existed, perhaps phoenixes did too?
“Celestial Sister, are you missing your family?” This time, Mingyan chose to break the silence.
“Yes, I miss my mother and my aunt. I’ve been away from home for half a month…” Huang Feiyan turned to face him. With her divine sense and the mark she had placed on him, she had sensed his approach. She smiled. “My mother will arrive tomorrow… So? Have you made your decision? Are you willing to come to the Huang family with me?”
“Celestial Sister, are you sure my blood can replace dragon blood?” Mingyan asked after a moment of thought.
“I’m not sure, but your blood has the strongest Yang energy I’ve ever encountered… To save my aunt, my mother collected numerous samples of supposedly ‘Yang-rich’ blood, but none could replace dragon blood. Compared to yours, the Yang energy in those samples is far weaker. I’ve never seen true dragon blood, but I imagine your blood isn’t much inferior. If you’re willing to help, my mother can examine it when she arrives tomorrow. She might know if it can be a substitute.” Huang Feiyan wasn’t certain, but she knew that at least Mingyan’s blood could neutralize the Yin toxin from the Yin Dragon Soul born from the dragon corpse…
Did this mean Mingyan’s blood possessed even stronger Yang energy than dragon blood?
This puzzled her. It was rare for human blood to even match the Yang energy of dragon blood, let alone surpass it. She had never heard of such a constitution…
Mingyan was silent for a moment, then said, “I’m willing to help, but I don’t know if I can truly be of assistance. If my blood can’t replace dragon blood, please don’t be too disappointed, Celestial Sister. Please don’t get your hopes up.”
“I understand. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.” Huang Feiyan smiled, but her smile was tinged with bitterness. Mingyan looked down, understanding her unspoken words. Both Huang Feiyan and her mother had clearly made great efforts to awaken her aunt, but to no avail. Celestial Sister understood this truth even better than he did.
The night passed in silence.
The next morning, Mingyan awoke from his meditation.
The decrease in Rain Terrace Mountain’s spiritual energy was palpable. Perhaps he should ask Celestial Sister for help in finding a new location for the sect… This place was no longer suitable as a Blessed Land.
He looked around. Huang Feiyan, who had been meditating by the window, was gone. He stood up and left the room.
Rain Terrace Mountain was bustling with activity again. Disciples filled the stone paths. Mingyan greeted them and headed towards the Hall of Affairs, the elders’ temporary residence.
Inside, he found Huang Feiyan and Yue Qingying.
Huang Feiyan greeted him, and Yue Qingying nodded slightly, her face still veiled.
“Celestial Sister, has the Sect Leader woken up?” Mingyan nodded back at Yue Qingying and asked.
“Sect Leader Xia woke up last night… He was asking for you just now,” Huang Feiyan chuckled. “He probably has something to discuss with you.”
“Is that so?” Mingyan scratched his head and entered Xia Yanming’s room. The other elders were also present, seemingly discussing something.
“Sect Leader, Elders.” Mingyan bowed. Xia Yanming gestured for the elders to leave. “Mingyan, come closer.”
Mingyan approached. Xia Yanming had several external injuries, his complexion pale and his lips slightly blue. He didn’t look well. “Sect Leader, are you alright?”
“Just a drop in cultivation…” Xia Yanming shook his head, then said, “Elder Liu told me last night that Celestial Huang asked you for a favor?”
Mingyan nodded. “What do you think, Sect Leader?”
“You should go, of course. A good deed should be seen through to the end. This will benefit both you and Rain Terrace Blessed Land.” Xia Yanming’s answer was immediate. He seemed to have already made up his mind.
“…I apologize, Sect Leader. I caused trouble for the Blessed Land.” Mingyan said after a moment of silence.
“Why do you say that?”
“After learning about Celestial Sister’s identity, I shouldn’t have let her stay.”
“Could you have sent her away?” Xia Yanming chuckled. “If you had, we would have truly invited disaster… Only then, it wouldn’t have been Celestial Huang’s enemies seeking trouble, but her family…”
Mingyan opened his mouth, realizing Xia Yanming was right…
“So, don’t blame yourself for causing trouble. When you saved Celestial Huang, you didn’t know who she was or what problems she might bring. After bringing her back, you had no choice. Ultimately, we were too weak.” Xia Yanming shook his head.
Mingyan pursed his lips. Yes, ultimately, they were too weak.
“Also, I heard from Elder Qi that the female cultivator and the cultivator who injured me are still being held here. Do you know what Celestial Huang intends to do with them?”
Mingyan was about to bring this up himself. “Celestial Sister left the decision regarding Yun Ling, the cultivator who pursued her, to me. I believe this requires your input, Sect Leader, as it concerns not only me and Celestial Sister but also you and the entire Blessed Land.”
“And what does Celestial Huang think?”
“She didn’t say.” Mingyan shook his head.
Xia Yanming frowned deeply, looking at Mingyan. “Whether to kill or release them, make your own decision. I believe you understand the consequences of each choice.”
Mingyan was speechless that Xia Yanming had placed the decision back in his hands…
“Then… kill her?” Mingyan recalled Yue Qingying’s words last night. He wondered if that was Celestial Sister’s true intention…
“Kill her then. Whether we kill or release them, they’ll likely cause trouble for us later. But I believe Celestial Huang will handle it…” Xia Yanming didn’t care much about their fate and held no grudge against the cultivator who nearly killed him. Although he seemed to be the biggest victim, he didn’t have much choice in the matter. That was the reality of being weak…
Mingyan understood this… Only by becoming stronger… would their opinions matter…
“Understood.” Mingyan nodded.
“Alright, go accompany Celestial Huang. Entertain her on my behalf. I need to rest… Then I’ll pay my respects to Holy Master Yue Ying…” Xia Yanming sighed. “I’ll see if I can send you to the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sacred Land.”
Sacred Land… After leaving Xia Yanming’s room, Mingyan kept thinking about this term.
A cultivation Sacred Land was vastly different from a Blessed Land… Perhaps he was considered a genius in Rain Terrace Blessed Land, highly valued, but in a Sacred Land, his talent might be unremarkable…
Mingyan shook his head. He couldn’t belittle himself like that. It would erode his confidence. His eyes hardened with resolve. No matter what, he needed to climb higher. Only by increasing his cultivation and status would he have a better chance of finding her.
He left the Hall of Affairs and asked around, quickly learning that Huang Feiyan and Yue Qingying had been seen near the mountainside, which was now below the new summit.
The current summit was restricted, but Mingyan had access.
The two women were quite conspicuous within the Blessed Land. Huang Feiyan’s beauty and aura were captivating, and although Yue Qingying’s face was veiled, her ethereal presence attracted attention. Therefore, it was easy to find them.
Mingyan reached the summit. It was bare, a smooth, flat surface where the mountain had been sliced off. Rain Terrace Blessed Land now resembled a giant tree stump…
Huang Feiyan, Yue Qingying, and a hazy figure, likely Holy Master Yue Ying, were there.
Yun Ling and the unnamed Rotating Core Realm cultivator were bound. Both were awake. The cultivator glared warily at Holy Master Yue Ying, while Yun Ling glared angrily at Mingyan. She glanced at Holy Master Yue Ying, but dared not speak, only biting her lip in frustration.
Mingyan bowed to the hazy figure. “Holy Master.”
“Rise.” Her voice was cold and indifferent, but the fact that she acknowledged him made Mingyan feel slightly honored.
“Mingyan.” Huang Feiyan smiled at him. Her smile was even more captivating than usual, her crescent-shaped eyes sparkling.
“Celestial Sister, I’ve decided how to deal with these two.”
“How…” Huang Feiyan’s smile remained as she was about to ask, but she suddenly turned towards the horizon.
Yue Qingying also looked up. Following their gaze, Mingyan saw nothing at first, but then a woman in palace attire appeared in the distance. With each step she took, the scenery shifted, as if space itself was bending beneath her feet! In the blink of an eye, she appeared on the summit!
Unlike Holy Master Yue Ying, the woman’s figure was clear, but her face, like the Holy Master’s, was blurred, as if obscured by mist. Her red palace attire, adorned with intricate runes and gold trim, exuded regality. Her hair was elegantly styled with golden hairpins and a crown.
Mingyan was awestruck. Although he had heard of techniques that could shrink distance, witnessing it firsthand was a different experience.
“Mother!” Huang Feiyan knelt on one knee. “I’ve been unfilial and caused you worry.”
The woman glanced at her, then looked at the bound Yun Ling and the Rotating Core Realm cultivator. She raised a finger, and a golden beam shot out. Yun Ling’s face contorted in panic as she tried to speak, but the beam pierced her forehead, killing her instantly. She collapsed to the ground.
The Rotating Core Realm cultivator was shocked and enraged. “Huang Junru! You dare kill the young mistress! Aren’t you afraid of our revenge?!”
“Silence.” The woman’s voice was emotionless, even colder than Holy Master Yue Ying’s. If the Holy Master’s voice was like a snow lotus, cold and pure, then this woman’s voice was like glacial ice, frigid to the extreme. She raised a finger again, and another golden beam pierced the cultivator’s forehead. He didn’t even have time to react before collapsing. Seven beams of light emerged from his body, flying off in different directions. The woman raised her hand and clenched it into a fist. The fleeing beams of light were pulled back uncontrollably, converging and then shattering into fragments.
The clear sky suddenly darkened with storm clouds, and mournful cries echoed through the air, as if lamenting the cultivator’s death. But the woman waved her hand, and the clouds dispersed, revealing the clear blue sky once more…
Mingyan was speechless, awestruck by what he had just witnessed, even though he didn’t fully understand it.
The woman, Huang Junru, Huang Feiyan’s mother, lowered her hand and turned to Holy Master Yue Ying. “Thank you for your assistance, Fellow Daoist. The Huang family will repay your kindness.”
Her voice was slightly gentler when addressing Holy Master Yue Ying, but still cold.
“There’s no need. My disciple is a close friend of Celestial Huang. Besides, it wasn’t I who saved her, but this young friend and Rain Terrace Blessed Land.” Holy Master Yue Ying’s voice was also gentler than before. Although both their voices were cold, there was a distinct difference. The Holy Master’s coldness was a pure, aloof coldness, while Huang Junru’s exuded an icy aura, as if it were an inherent part of her being.
Huang Junru looked at Mingyan and nodded slightly. “Thank you as well, young friend.”
Mingyan, feeling honored, quickly shook his head. “You’re welcome… I only did what I thought was right…”
“Mother, Mingyan, he…” Huang Feiyan started to explain Mingyan’s unique qualities and wanted Huang Junru to examine him, but her mother glared at her. “Silence, you disobedient child! Leaving home without permission! Nearly dying! I haven’t even settled the score with you yet!”
Huang Feiyan lowered her head. “I’m willing to accept any punishment…”
So, even Celestial Sister… could be humbled like this… Mingyan maintained a neutral expression, pretending not to notice, even feeling the urge to flee. Witnessing this scene didn’t seem like a good omen…
Leave a Reply