Chapter 71: Disciple and Wife
Upon returning to the sect, after much coaxing and cajoling, Cen Dianshuang finally managed to settle Tao Ning in the Ice Cavern. She was immediately intercepted by Lizhu.
Lizhu, her smile strained, said, “I’ve been staring at this communication jade for days, waiting for a response, and now I finally catch you.”
Cen Dianshuang, avoiding her senior sister’s gaze, mumbled, “I…”
She had completely forgotten to reply.
Coughing into her sleeve, she asked, “What can I do for you, Senior Sister?”
Lizhu chuckled, her smile widening as she grabbed Cen Dianshuang’s arm, pulling her along. “Can’t I just talk to you without a reason? I missed you…”
Cen Dianshuang’s face paled, a shiver running down her spine.
The disciples trailing behind them shared her apprehension.
Sect Leader Lizhu, always smiling and cheerful, spending her days sipping tea and soaking in hot springs, seemed like a gentle, health-conscious elder. In reality, she had once been a force to be reckoned with, her temper legendary.
The previous Sect Leader had constantly reminded her to control her temper, to cultivate inner peace. She had taken the advice to heart.
The result was a more… controlled… anger, but its intensity, when unleashed, was even more formidable, often reducing even Cen Dianshuang to a trembling mess.
Thus, everyone in the Hanshan Sect knew that a cheerful, smiling Sect Leader was a good sign. A warm, gentle smile, however, was a warning, a sign of impending doom.
Lizhu chuckled again. “I missed you helping me prepare for the disciple competition.”
Cen Dianshuang, relieved, let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, finally remembering. “The disciple competition? Is it that time already?”
Lizhu, her hands tucked into her sleeves, replied, “As you know, your Senior Brother Yaodan is in seclusion again. Apparently, one of his disciples’ soul lamps went out, and he sent his first disciple to investigate… But that’s not important. It’s our turn to host the competition this year, and I’m short-handed. You can’t escape your duties.”
Cen Dianshuang attempted to deflect the responsibility. “What about Senior Sister Qianlian…?”
Lizhu gave her a pointed look. “You know Qianlian’s temper. You’re the only one who can help me.”
The sudden burden of responsibility was heavy.
Cen Dianshuang wanted to say she was no better than Elder Qianlian.
Her disciple was in the Ice Cavern, surrounded by ice and snow. She had intended to check on her…
But Lizhu had asked for her help. She couldn’t refuse.
Lizhu, studying her for a moment, asked, “You weren’t coming from the sect, were you? Where were you?”
Cen Dianshuang didn’t bother lying. “The Ice Cavern.”
Lizhu’s brow furrowed. “What were you doing there? Are you experiencing a heart demon?”
Cen Dianshuang’s expression turned serious. “Senior Sister, do you remember mentioning the Wanhun Cauldron? I went to Shadow City. It… happened to emerge while I was there. So I brought it back.”
Lizhu: “Your attempts at changing the subject are… clumsy. You brought back more than just the cauldron.”
She was torn between exasperation – Such a significant event, and you didn’t inform me? – and a strange sense of pride – My little junior sister is finally taking initiative.
Her expression, however, resembled that of a disappointed parent, their carefully nurtured child having gone astray.
Cen Dianshuang, sensing her senior sister’s disapproval, silently retrieved a pouch, deciding that actions spoke louder than words.
Lizhu extended her hand. “I thought I needed to find you something to do, but it seems you’ve kept yourself busy. I almost became the villain.”
Cen Dianshuang, not daring to speak, placed the pouch in Lizhu’s hand.
Lizhu, looking at the small, embroidered pouch, frowned. “Why are you giving me a scented pouch?”
Cen Dianshuang tapped it. “It’s inside.”
Lizhu, sensing no trace of a concealing formation or a divine artifact’s aura, frowned. “…What?” She squeezed the soft pouch, her voice filled with disbelief. “It’s… in here?”
Those who had seen the Wanhun Cauldron were all dead. Lizhu had only heard stories, never witnessing the artifact that terrified the three realms.
She had expected something… more imposing, its arrival heralded by storms and bloodshed, requiring utmost caution.
Being casually carried around in a low-grade pouch seemed… anticlimactic.
The weight in her hand, though light, felt heavy with significance.
Cen Dianshuang, anticipating a lecture, quickly said, “It’s in there. I suddenly remembered something I need to do. I’ll be going now.”
With that, she vanished in a flash of white, the sect’s spirit birds taking flight, their cries echoing after her.
“Wait! Am I really that annoying?”
After she was gone, Lizhu’s smile faded, her gaze fixed on the pouch in her hand, her expression thoughtful.
She gave it to me so easily? Perhaps it’s not…
Her disciples watched as she stared at the pouch, then tucked it into her sleeve, shaking her head with a sigh. “A simple trip, and now I have a major problem. A divine artifact… Where am I supposed to keep it?”
The Ice Cavern was where Hanshan Sect disciples were sent for punishment or solitary cultivation.
A frozen wasteland, perpetually covered in snow, separated from the rest of the sect by a frozen river, its icy depths teeming with spirit beasts.
A place of punishment wouldn’t be comfortable. The biting cold frosted Tao Ning’s eyebrows, making her resemble an ice sculpture.
The Ice Cavern, however, was effective. After just a day, not only had the Wanhun Cauldron’s lingering resentment faded, but Tao Ning’s own worldly desires had also vanished, her mind as clear and empty as a Buddhist monk’s.
As she was gently reassuring the cauldron’s spirit, urging it to remain calm, a soft sound startled her. The sound of falling snow.
She opened her eyes to see a white bird landing on a snow-covered branch outside the cave.
Tao Ning felt a flicker of… something… a return of worldly desires.
The bird tilted its head, its dark eyes reflecting Tao Ning’s frost-covered form.
Tao Ning remained seated, observing the adult Shangxi bird.
Legends claimed that an adult Shangxi’s wings could blot out the sun, carry the moon on its back. This one, barely half an arm’s length, must have used a spell to shrink its size.
Unlike its fluffy, round, chick form, the adult Shangxi was elegant and slender, its long wings and tail feathers like delicate brushstrokes of white against the snow, a creature of ethereal beauty.
It shifted its claws, sensing… something… in Tao Ning’s gaze, considering leaving.
It had practiced its new, mature demeanor before venturing out, ensuring it was no longer recognizable.
As if sensing its intention, Tao Ning spoke. “Are you a spirit bird native to the Ice Cavern? I’ve never seen one before.”
The Shangxi bird paused, folding its wings, settling back onto the branch.
She didn’t recognize me, it thought, relieved. That was close.
From Tao Ning’s perspective, the bird, about to leave, suddenly adopted a calm, almost regal demeanor, its feathers practically screaming, Yes, I’m a rare Ice Cavern bird. You guessed correctly.
If 520 knew what the bird was thinking, it would have said, You’re treating her like a Disney princess! Not every bird is going to engage in friendly conversation! You’ve only ever interacted with one bird!
Tao Ning, perhaps feeling bored, continued, “I have some dried Silverfish. Would you like some?”
The Shangxi bird: …No, I’ve had plenty.
It took flight, shaking the snow from the branch, landing gracefully a short distance from Tao Ning.
But it had been a while. A small snack wouldn’t hurt.
Tao Ning, no longer teasing, retrieved a handful of dried fish, placing them on a nearby rock.
The familiar aroma reminded the Shangxi bird of its previous visits, a sudden wave of… nostalgia… washing over it.
Lowering its head, it began to eat, its beak delicately picking up the small, dried fish.
The sight always amused Tao Ning.
As a human, Cen Dianshuang was righteous and unwavering, her sword a force to be reckoned with. In her true form, however, she shed her inhibitions, her temper flaring, her fondness for snacks undeniable.
The two personas were so different, so seemingly incompatible, that anyone unaware of her true nature would never connect them. But Tao Ning found Cen Dianshuang’s… duality… endearing.
Only humans struggled with controlling their desires.
The sound of flapping wings startled Tao Ning from her reverie. “I have more, if you want some,” she said, retrieving another handful of fish.
The casual offer made the Shangxi bird freeze. It had almost forgotten its new, mature form, instinctively responding to the familiar offer.
Tao Ning’s tone and gestures were too familiar, echoing countless previous encounters.
It wasn’t worried about Tao Ning feeding other birds – she had only ever interacted with it – but about being recognized. The last time its name had been spoken, it had nearly exploded.
But it couldn’t resist seeing her.
As Tao Ning placed the new offering on a jade plate, she gave the bird a curious look. “Why are you staring at me?”
The Shangxi bird quickly lowered its head and resumed eating.
Tao Ning’s fingers twitched, wanting to touch the soft, white feathers, but she resisted, afraid of startling the bird away.
So she resorted to conversation instead. “Is it good?”
The Shangxi bird, its beak full, didn’t answer.
Tao Ning shifted her position, resting her chin on her hands. “My master insists I stay in the Ice Cavern for three months, to cleanse myself of the resentment. But I’m so bored…”
The Shangxi bird’s eating paused for a fraction of a second, then resumed, as if nothing had happened.
It didn’t realize Tao Ning had noticed.
Changing the subject, Tao Ning smiled at the bird. “I actually have more Silverfish. I was saving them for another little bird, but it hasn’t visited in a while. Will you come back tomorrow? I’ll give them to you.”
The Shangxi bird tilted its head, its beady eyes fixed on Tao Ning.
Another bird? The one whose feather dust you always complain about?
Unfortunately, Tao Ning couldn’t read avian expressions. She simply looked back, puzzled.
“Will you come back? I promise I’ll have more.”
With that promise, the Shangxi bird became a regular visitor.
Cen Dianshuang, however, was busy, her responsibilities piling up.
During the day, she assisted her senior sister with the preparations for the disciple competition, occasionally responding to Tao Ning’s messages. At night, without fail, she transformed into her bird form and flew to the Ice Cavern.
Thankfully, Tao Ning had stopped humming that annoying “bird anthem,” which always triggered an involuntary chirp. She didn’t want to explain why the Ice Cavern’s perpetual snowfall had turned into sleet.
520, watching the Shangxi bird fly away, then Tao Ning immediately sending a message to Cen Dianshuang, expressing her longing and affection, simply shook its head, suppressing the urge to say, You’re playing with fire, Host.
Another night, Tao Ning finished her meditation, her eyes opening to see the familiar white bird perched on a nearby cushion.
Looking at its pristine white plumage, she felt a sudden urge to… do something… but resisted, shaking her head. “No, that would be too much.”
The Shangxi bird tilted its head, its expression innocent.
The gesture was too cute to resist. Her fingers twitched.
She couldn’t recall ever having a pet in her previous life. She had always been indifferent to such things. But now, she found herself comparing every bird she saw to this perfect specimen of whiteness.
A soft, warm weight on her hand, and she looked down to see the Shangxi bird, having hopped off the cushion, nuzzling its head against her hand.
As if saying, Fine, if you want to pet me that badly, go ahead.
Tao Ning: “…”
Something exploded within her.
Her heart, overwhelmed by cuteness.
Leave a Reply