Chapter 8: The Cat Official Will Learn Immortal Arts and Defeat You!(2)
Mu Qiandan dismissed Bai Tong, the spiritual light dissipating. They were in an alley, shadows dividing the walls, the noise of the crowd drifting from outside.
“I’m going to a meeting, wait for me outside the hall. I’ll take you to register your discipleship afterwards.”
Shang Shang touched her face, her eyes widening, “You were just about to kill me, and now we’re just going to forget about it?”
Mu Qiandan looked down at her, “When did I try to kill you?”
Shang Shang stamped her foot, “Just now!”
Mu Qiandan said, “I don’t recall.”
“You!”
“Let’s go.”
Shang Shang choked back her words, glaring at the woman’s back, her mind racing, plotting an escape.
Stepping out of the alley, the sunlight was suddenly intense. White walls and black tiles dotted the green hills, people in colorful, elaborate clothes milling about. They all looked young, walking in groups of two or three, their faces full of excitement.
Mu Qiandan thought: This is cultivation? They look more like tourists.
After walking a few steps, she overheard two young men talking. “Tianyu Gate is truly magnificent. Cultivating here must be wonderful.”
The other youth, chewing on a blade of grass, sounded less enthusiastic, “I think it’s nothing special.”
The first one said, “Among the five great sects, not mentioning the White Snake Clan, Tianyu Gate is the most vast and grand, even considered the orthodox blessed land of cultivation. And you say it’s nothing special?”
The youth spat out the grass, “Of course. In my heart, only… deserves to be called orthodox. You know who I’m talking about.”
They exchanged glances, nodding in agreement, then said in unison, “Too bad they’re already gone.”
After sighing, one of them looked at the sky and asked, “When will the meeting end?”
The other replied, “I don’t know.”
He asked again, “The Dragon Clan has been silent for centuries, why have they suddenly reappeared? Do you believe that prophecy?”
“Whether I believe it or not doesn’t matter. Whether it’s true or false has nothing to do with us. The elders will handle it.”
Hearing this, Mu Qiandan vaguely understood the meeting’s topic; it was likely related to the prophecy about the black dragon tearing the sky.
She also understood why there were so many people here—they were probably disciples brought by the elders from various sects to “broaden their horizons.”
As she continued walking, the young men who recognized her were startled, then hurriedly bowed respectfully. While lowering their heads, they stole glances at her, curious to see what the infamous, wicked immortal looked like.
After seeing her clearly, they quickly averted their gaze, their ears turning red.
Mu Qiandan ignored their stares, leading her newly acquired disciple through the crowd with an impassive expression, stopping before a young Tianyu Gate disciple responsible for answering questions. “Do you know where the Sect Leader is? Take me there.”
The Sect Leader was definitely in the Assembly Hall at this time, but Mu Qiandan didn’t know its location. As the long-resident “Yao’e Immortal,” she couldn’t directly ask for directions, so she took a roundabout approach. After all, the original master was a shady character; occasionally missing a meeting wouldn’t be unusual.
The young disciple obeyed, leading the way.
The higher they went, the fewer people they encountered, until they were surrounded by the quiet of the forest. After passing through several swaying shadows, a magnificent, circular golden hall appeared. The young disciple said, “It’s here.”
Mu Qiandan nodded in thanks. Seeing the disciple leave quickly, she took out a rope, preparing to tie up Shang Shang. The girl ducked and dodged, protesting, “No way!”
Mu Qiandan stood there with the rope, considering that pushing the girl too hard wouldn’t be good, so she put it away. “Wait here quietly, don’t go anywhere.”
Shang Shang deliberately ignored her, turning sideways, pulling her messy hair in front of her face and combing it.
With so many people around, the idiot dragon probably wouldn’t cause trouble. Mu Qiandan didn’t press the matter, turning to enter the golden hall.
As it turned out, she had been too optimistic. There was nothing Shang Shang wouldn’t do.
Leaving the girl behind, Mu Qiandan approached the golden hall. Reaching the wall, she looked up, almost blinded by the gleaming gold. Such white and gold buildings were common in the cultivation world, shining brightly like the heavens even in the human realm.
Inside, the hall was also circular, with an open space in the center and seats radiating outwards. The most prestigious sects and clans sat closest to the center, the less known ones further out.
Logically, at such a large gathering, many important characters from the book should be present. It would be beneficial to familiarize herself with them. But Mu Qiandan felt overwhelmed in crowds and had no interest in socializing, so she just wanted to find her seat quickly.
Some people had already noticed her, their expressions displeased, deliberately whispering to each other without lowering their voices, clearly meant for her to hear.
She caught snippets of their conversation: arrogant, disrespectful, late for the meeting, keeping everyone waiting.
Mu Qiandan thought: It’s not my fault, this is all beyond the original plot, how could I have known?
Just then, the woman standing in the center looked up and called out, “Yao’e.”
Her voice was calm and dignified, carrying weight, like a gentle yet powerful wave reaching every corner of the hall, silencing the whispers instantly.
Mu Qiandan followed the voice, seeing a woman who looked about forty, dressed in white robes embroidered with cranes and clouds, a crane-shaped jade crown on her head, simple yet commanding. Her features were sharp and heroic, her lips red and striking, the lines at the corners of her eyes and nose deep, yet not aging her, but adding an air of wisdom accumulated over time.
Li Biyuan said, ‘That’s Sect Leader Pan Xiangyin, Immortal Xi Meng.’
This person was almost two hundred years old? Cultivation truly prolonged life and preserved beauty.
Mu Qiandan stepped forward and bowed, “Greetings, Sect Leader.”
Pan Xiangyin said, “Take your seat.”
Mu Qiandan: “Yes.”
Tianyu Gate’s totem was a crane, so the disciples’ clothes were embroidered with a special circular crane pattern, easily recognizable. Mu Qiandan scanned the hall, finding an empty seat flanked by people who seemed to have some status, which should be appropriate for her identity, so she sat down.
No one corrected her, so she must have chosen correctly. She relaxed slightly.
Pan Xiangyin began speaking. Listening closely, there was no introduction, suggesting the meeting had already started, and she was quite late. No wonder those people were so displeased.
Li Biyuan said, ‘I was worried you would lose your temper and argue with them, good thing you held back.’
Above the center of the hall, a torrent of spiritual energy surged, gradually converging into a giant sphere of light. Mu Qiandan glanced at it casually, “I wasn’t holding back. What’s the point of arguing with nameless cannon fodder?”
Li Biyuan said, ‘…Actually, even characters who only appear once in the book are still living people in this world.’
Mu Qiandan said, ‘So?’
Li Biyuan said, ‘So you could be a little more considerate of them, like you were with the Liu family.’
She originally wanted to mention Shang Shang, but they had just argued about this, so it wasn’t a good time to bring it up. She hinted that Mu Qiandan should treat the characters better, or at least change her perspective slightly.
Mu Qiandan chuckled, ‘Was I considerate of the Liu family? If it wasn’t for their son accidentally discovering the ghost’s identity, and you being unable to find a way for it to cross over, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time and energy on them. I was forced to.’
Li Biyuan seemed exasperated, sighing after a moment, ‘You’re even colder than I imagined.’
A dark shadow gradually appeared within the sphere of light. Mu Qiandan narrowed her eyes, ‘Ridiculous, these paper people’s emotions are all predetermined by the author, they have no soul or personality. It would be strange to empathize with them.’
Li Biyuan wanted to say something, but then stopped, pouring hot water into a paper bowl and slurping her instant noodles.
The shadow within the light sphere became clearer, eventually forming a black dragon soaring through the sky. It opened its mouth, roaring towards the heavens. Its whiskers danced, its eyes like blue crystals, its body twisting and turning, its scales shimmering brightly.
This colossal creature soared through the clouds, leaving trails of lightning, scorching everything below, tearing a huge rift in the sky, a scene of apocalyptic destruction.
So, this was the content of the prophecy, truly terrifying. No wonder so many people from the immortal world had gathered.
If this threat wasn’t eliminated, everyone in the immortal world would be living in fear.
As she watched, Mu Qiandan suddenly felt a gaze fixed on her, so intense it couldn’t be ignored.
Looking around curiously, she saw a young girl sitting among the Tianyu Gate disciples. The girl sat upright, looking about thirteen or fourteen years old, with sharp eyebrows and long eyes, a keen and piercing gaze.
Mu Qiandan studied her carefully. The girl wore a bright blue pleated skirt and a white blouse with a crane pattern, blue ribbons crisscrossing her wrists, two swords and a dark ancient zither on her back. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, giving her a heroic, almost chivalrous air.
She was a striking girl, so young, full of youthful vigor, yet she stared at Mu Qiandan with undisguised hatred.
Since arriving in this world, due to her initial unpopularity, Mu Qiandan had been cursed at openly and behind her back countless times, so she was used to it. But this was the first time she had encountered such blatant, intense hatred, as if the girl wanted to tear her apart.
Intrigued, she asked, ‘Who is that?’
Li Biyuan set down her bowl, clicked her mouse, and said with renewed energy, ‘This… well, do you remember the three most infamous deeds of Yao’e Immortal?’
Mu Qiandan replied, ‘Yes.’
Li Biyuan continued, ‘The third one, the betrayal at Demon-Slaying Mandarin Duck River, is about the original master’s senior sister, Qin Shuang. Many people in the immortal world believe Qin Shuang’s death was caused by you pushing her out as a decoy to save yourself. They say you’re ungrateful and heartless, and this girl firmly believes it. It wouldn’t matter if she were anyone else, but she’s Qin Shuang’s younger sister, Qin He.’
Mu Qiandan said, ‘No wonder she looks at me like that. In her mind, I’m one of her sister’s killers… but did the original master really betray and kill Qin Shuang?’
Li Biyuan replied, ‘It’s not clear, the book doesn’t mention it. But you should be wary of Qin He, because she genuinely wants to kill you. She even played a part in your capture later in the book, so it’s best to avoid her for now.’
Qin He, noticing Mu Qiandan looking at her, gripped the hilt of her sword, her expression fierce, as if she could scare her away with a glare. It only made her otherwise lovely face slightly unapproachable.
‘She’s still too young,’ Mu Qiandan, having seen enough, looked away. ‘At least for now, she shouldn’t be able to hurt me.’
Li Biyuan set down her bowl, wiping her mouth with a tissue, sighing, ‘Since you’ve met her, let’s introduce another one. Opposite you, the girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, see her?’
In the front row opposite them, a girl with light blonde hair and blue eyes sat upright.
She wore white robes, adorned with gold and silver, three red dots beneath each eye. Despite her proper posture, her expression was haughty, with a maturity beyond her years. Her attire and appearance had a foreign air, unlike the locals.
Li Biyuan said, ‘Her name is Fu Li. She’s the young clan leader of the Fu White Snake Clan from the northern Yuanwu Mountains. Her mother is a major antagonist in the later part of the story, fighting against the protagonist’s group, a very powerful figure.’
Mu Qiandan murmured, ‘Protagonist’s group…’
Li Biyuan said, ‘Look to your right.’
Mu Qiandan turned her head as instructed. Not far from her sat a woman in a water-red dress, a veil covering the lower half of her face, her exposed eyes gentle and kind. Her long hair was half-up, half-down, a faint smile on her lips, her demeanor calm and elegant, a picture of gentle beauty.
‘This is Immortal Feng Ling, Jiang Zhouyao. Her younger brother is very important, he’s the male lead of this book, Divine Lord Feng Tian, Jiang Yuanqi.’
Mu Qiandan’s expression turned serious. She glanced back and forth between the two women, her mind racing.
The female protagonist was currently outside the hall, the male lead’s sister was sitting beside her, and the antagonist’s daughter was opposite her. Many important characters and their relatives were present, yet she had to pretend to know nothing, continuing to walk into the flow of fate, watching these people stir up trouble, then suffer the consequences. She couldn’t decide if it was interesting or boring.
Thinking of the protagonist, she glanced at the entrance of the hall, wondering if the girl had obeyed her orders and was waiting patiently. But her hopes were immediately dashed.
The protagonist had snuck in!
And judging by her expression, she was about to cause trouble!
As Mu Qiandan expected, the little girl tiptoed to the edge of the crowd, carefully observing the people in the hall, then suddenly raised her hands and ran towards the center, shouting, “Please, kind elders, can you teach the Cat Official some immortal arts?”
Mu Qiandan: “….” Kind elders??
No one had anticipated this sudden outburst, and everyone froze. Those with quicker reflexes should have stopped her, but seeing she was just a little girl, and with so many people present, they didn’t intervene, simply watching.
So, Shang Shang easily reached the center of the hall, continuing her plea, “The Cat Official’s luck is bad this year, I encountered a villain! I can’t defeat her, and I can’t escape! I need to learn immortal arts to defeat her and go home, please, kind elders, help me!”
Mu Qiandan choked, her hand itching to strike. But the incident was so sudden that she hadn’t reacted in time. By the time she wanted to intervene, the girl had almost reached the center, about to come face to face with Pan Xiangyin.
Just then, Shang Shang, running too fast, tripped and fell forward. Pan Xiangyin swiftly moved, catching her.
“Phew! I didn’t fall!” Shang Shang looked up, about to thank her, when she saw the giant sphere of light above the hall and froze.
The image of the black dragon destroying the heavens, roaring, struggling, and circling in the clouds, was reflected in her eyes, clear and vivid.
Leave a Reply