Chapter 27 p2
In Dong’e Mountain.
Zhu Wan was frantically searching for Feng Chiyue. With so many enemies, her late return was a cause for concern. She might be in danger. The Phoenixes had relented and agreed to help search, but after two hours, there was still no sign of her. Where could she have gone? Should they ask the Heavenly Court for help?
“What are you looking for?”
As Zhu Wan turned around, a familiar voice reached her ears, and she almost burst into tears of joy.
“Where have you been? Why are you back so late?” She had been afraid that the next day, the Heavenly Court would summon her to identify a body. If that happened, how could she face her Master?
Feng Chiyue’s lips moved, and two words came out: “Romantic encounter.”
Zhu Wan’s face froze. She studied Feng Chiyue from head to toe. “Are you joking?” she asked tentatively. As far as she knew, no one, except her Master, could catch Feng Chiyue’s eye. This one even dared to scold the Heavenly Emperor. What kind of beauty could earn the word “romantic” from her? Could it be that after causing so much trouble for Dong’e Mountain, she was planning to run away?! The thought filled Zhu Wan with horror. Feng Chiyue had no bottom line. She wouldn’t be surprised by anything.
Feng Chiyue didn’t care what Zhu Wan thought. She flicked her sleeve and returned to the Dharma Hall, reclining on her couch and channeling some magical power into the black box. Hearing Ming Jian Su’s voice, she closed her eyes, her body relaxing. She couldn’t be bothered to be angry. Compared to the past, the present was far more important. Ming Jian Su was back. She could be carefree and irresponsible again.
A breeze rustled the leaves of the peach tree, its shadow swaying gently.
Zhu Wan stood under the tree, staring at the fallen blossoms, her heart heavy with sorrow.
Ming Jian Su, upon returning, saw Zhu Wan lost in her own world. “What are you doing here?” she asked curiously.
Hearing the familiar voice, Zhu Wan thought it was coming from the black box in the hall. But then, she realized something was wrong. The voice from the black box wouldn’t be so calm and peaceful. It would be filled with longing and desire. She snapped out of her daze and looked up, her neck cracking as she did so.
Zhu Wan: “…”
Ming Jian Su gently adjusted her neck and said softly, “Go back and rest.”
“Yes, Master,” Zhu Wan mumbled, her body stiff. She walked away, her steps awkward, her mind still hazy. Her Master had returned from the dead, but she spoke so casually, as if she had just returned from a day of work.
Had her Master leaving Dong’e Mountain been a hallucination? She looked back and saw her Master standing tall, her gaze fixed on the Dharma Hall, her expression unreadable. Why wasn’t she going in? Had something really happened to her? Was this just her soul or a phantom? Was she afraid of upsetting Feng Chiyue? Zhu Wan’s mind raced with wild thoughts. She didn’t dare approach Ming Jian Su again.
Whether it was real or not, if she dared to cry out or hug her Master’s leg, Feng Chiyue would definitely throw her out of Dong’e Mountain.
Ming Jian Su was unaware that in Zhu Wan’s eyes, she looked like a wandering soul.
With her cultivation, she could easily hear the sounds coming from the hall.
She actually regretted giving Understanding to Feng Chiyue because she hadn’t anticipated what Feng Chiyue would do with it. Her intention had been to provide some entertainment for Feng Chiyue while she was away on official business. However, Feng Chiyue had come up with other ideas, using Understanding at inappropriate times, claiming it was for “flirting.”
Didn’t she, Ming Jian Su, have any shame?!
If she entered the hall now… she didn’t even need to think about what would happen.
Inside the hall.
Feng Chiyue knew Ming Jian Su was outside. She didn’t call out to her, but instead, took out a brush and paper and muttered to herself, “Only hearing the voice but not seeing the person is not perfect. Elder Sister almost stepped out of the painting before, but Undefeated ruined it. Now’s the perfect opportunity. I can have as many Elder Sisters as I want.”
Ming Jian Su: “?” For someone as lazy as Feng Chiyue to actually do this, it meant she was serious. She was right outside, and Feng Chiyue wanted to summon a painting spirit that looked exactly like her for entertainment? That was unacceptable! Ming Jian Su didn’t hesitate. She took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and strode into the hall.
The brush touched the paper, and wisps of spiritual energy swirled around it. A fake Ming Jian Su was about to emerge from the painting. Ming Jian Su panicked. She rushed forward and slammed her hand onto the painting, suppressing the gathering spiritual energy. A painting spirit? Fine, but it would stay trapped in the painting forever.
Feng Chiyue glanced at her sideways.
Ming Jian Su sighed softly, surrendering immediately. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have run away in anger. I shouldn’t have hidden in Asura City for so long. I should have come back the moment you were bullied. But–” she quickly added, aren’t you also at fault, Junior Sister? You hid things from me. I actually thought you were weak and helpless.”
Feng Chiyue shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, I was wrong. So what? Kill me.”
Ming Jian Su: “…” Heaven and earth could bear witness! Apart from accidentally injuring Feng Chiyue during their sparring sessions in the past, she had never hit her, okay? How had it escalated to “kill”?
Feng Chiyue fiddled with Understanding and said slowly, “I understand. You left your weak and vulnerable Junior Sister alone in the Heavenly Court, facing all those hardships, just to train her, to make her dance on the edge of death a few times, so she could understand your good intentions.”
Ming Jian Su felt a pang of guilt.
But she quickly recovered. Dance on the edge of death? Whose death? Even if Feng Chiyue was truly weak, she had left behind enough protection for her—although now it seemed completely unnecessary.
Ming Jian Su wisely changed the subject. “Your Grand Unity Fiery Light is quite impressive, Junior Sister.” It was a technique she had forcefully obtained from Phoenix Mountain, a move that had further strained the already tense relationship between Dong’e Mountain and Phoenix Mountain. But she didn’t regret it. Her junior sister was a Phoenix. What was wrong with her cultivating the Grand Unity Fiery Light? Those guys from Phoenix Mountain were too stingy.
Feng Chiyue blinked. “It’s not as good as your Heavenly Dao Sword Stance, Elder Sister.”
Ming Jian Su couldn’t tell if it was genuine praise or sarcasm. Based on past experience, the best solution was to shut Feng Chiyue up.
But she still voiced her small request. “Junior Sister, can you put Understanding away?”
She didn’t want to hear her own voice whispering sweet nothings from Understanding at a crucial moment.
Feng Chiyue pondered for a moment, then agreed. After all, they had argued about this before. Compared to Ming Jian Su disappearing again, putting Understanding away was clearly the better option.
—
In Danxue Mountain.
The disappearance of twenty to thirty immortals, including Bi Feng, was unusual. When the various lineages checked their life flames and discovered that they had all been extinguished, they were horrified and couldn’t sleep.
In such a short time, dozens of immortals had died silently! They tried to use divination techniques to retrace Bi Feng and the others’ final moments, but all they saw was a vast emptiness, devoid of any clues. The elders of Danxue Mountain gathered for a meeting, even summoning Chang Li. Apart from the calamity a thousand years ago, they had never suffered such a large-scale loss.
“According to the Chaos Mirror, that little immortal from Dong’e Mountain is looking for Feng Chiyue. Could she be responsible?” Most of the deceased were officials who had been dismissed from the Celestial Feather Ministry and held deep grudges against Feng Chiyue. However, the idea that Feng Chiyue alone could wipe out a group of feathered immortals was too far-fetched.
“Does she have the ability?” someone retorted. It wasn’t that they wanted to defend Feng Chiyue, but among the deceased, some, like Bi Feng, were quite capable.
“Perhaps Feng Chiyue alone couldn’t do it, but what about with Phoenix Mountain’s help?” an elder suggested, a cold smile on his lips. If something major happened in Danxue Mountain, those from Phoenix Mountain would surely be delighted.
“But Feng Chiyue doesn’t seem to be close to Phoenix Mountain.” After all, after she became the Celestial Feather Minister, the Phoenixes hadn’t benefited at all. Instead, they had been harshly suppressed.
“Perhaps it’s just a facade,” the Vermilion Bird elder said. He turned to Chang Li, who had remained silent, and asked, “What are your thoughts?”
Chang Li massaged her forehead, her brow furrowed. Recommending Feng Chiyue as a gate emissary had been a mistake. They had underestimated her. Who could have imagined that she would be so cunning and ruthless? Her face hardened. “Let the Celestial Pivot Department handle this,” she said coldly. The Celestial Pivot Department was in charge of justice and punishment in the Heavenly Court. All major cases were handled by them.
The next day.
The elders of Danxue Mountain went to the Celestial Pivot Department to file a complaint.
Among the three major departments, the Celestial Pivot Department was considered a relatively idle one. Many matters were resolved privately among immortals and never reached their ears, preventing unnecessary gossip. As usual, Dao Ling Star Monarch, the head of the Celestial Pivot Department, didn’t show his face. The elders were greeted by his deputy, Junior Monarch Yun Ze. Yun Ze appeared relaxed and indifferent, but after hearing the elders’ description, his expression changed drastically. He immediately dispatched officials to Phoenix Mountain and Dong’e Mountain to apprehend the suspects.
In Dong’e Mountain.
Feng Chiyue was in a good mood. She woke up with her arms no longer empty, and the inexplicable melancholy that often plagued her had vanished as she embraced Ming Jian Su. She poked Ming Jian Su’s cheek, waking her from her sweet dreams. “You obtained a new sword called Eternal Calamity, right?” she asked.
Ming Jian Su mumbled a response, her eyelids heavy with sleep. Although that embarrassing artifact, Understanding, was gone, Feng Chiyue always found other ways to torment her. In her daze, she had agreed to try a dual cultivation technique that involved intertwining their consciousnesses. The result… they were both addicted. Their cultivation had improved, but their bodies were exhausted, lacking any energy.
Feng Chiyue frowned and popped an elixir into Ming Jian Su’s mouth.
Ming Jian Su swallowed it without resistance. She opened her sleepy eyes and asked hoarsely, “What kind of elixir is this?”
“Tonic,” Feng Chiyue replied succinctly. She fed her another elixir. Before Ming Jian Su could ask, she explained, “For your throat.”
A hoarse voice was unpleasant.
After Ming Jian Su absorbed the medicinal power, Feng Chiyue pulled her up and draped a robe over her shoulders.
Ming Jian Su looked at Feng Chiyue suspiciously. In the past, she was always the one attending to Feng Chiyue. Why was Feng Chiyue dressing her now? Something was amiss. What was she planning? Could it be that in broad daylight—no, she couldn’t agree to that. She had been hiding for so long and still had to report to the Heavenly Emperor.
Feng Chiyue didn’t beat around the bush. “I saw the phoenix feathers on the sword’s hilt. Where did you get them?” If she remembered correctly, Ming Jian Su had tried to steal her feathers several times. Could it be that unable to obtain them from her, she had taken them from another Phoenix? Unacceptable! She wouldn’t allow a second Phoenix to appear in Dong’e Mountain!
Ming Jian Su, relieved that it wasn’t what she had feared, replied, “They were already on the sword.”
Feng Chiyue stared at her. “Then why did you keep them?”
Ming Jian Su explained helplessly, “I tried to remove them, but they’re integrated with the sword. If the feathers are damaged, the sword will be destroyed.”
Feng Chiyue didn’t think Ming Jian Su would lie about this. She thought for a moment and said, “Don’t you already have Undefeated? Why do you need another sword, Eternal Calamity? How many life-bound swords do you have?” Before Ming Jian Su could answer, she glared at her, her voice filled with accusation. “You’re two-timing!”
Ming Jian Su: “…” After encountering Eternal Calamity, she had realized that she couldn’t resist the allure of a good sword. She had only had one before because she hadn’t found any others worthy of her attention.
“Junior Sister, let me explain.” Ming Jian Su’s mind worked quickly. She had learned about Undefeated’s miserable experience handling documents and felt no sympathy, instead using it as an excuse. “We can train Eternal Calamity to be as powerful as Undefeated. It can do many things for you, Junior Sister,” she said earnestly.
“Hiring attendants requires paying them Cinnabar Jade, elixirs, and robes. But a sword doesn’t need any of that.”
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