Chapter 34
The “live broadcast” from the Great Wind Clan on the Chaos Mirror abruptly cut off, throwing Danxue Mountain into a frenzy. They had no idea what Da Feng Li had said, so they could only assume the worst. They immediately contacted the guards stationed at their various mines, instructing them to be extra vigilant, while also keeping a close eye on Dong’e Mountain. When Feng Chiyue and Ming Jian Su didn’t return for a long time, the immortals of Danxue Mountain grew increasingly uneasy.
“We don’t know where they’ll investigate next. Perhaps we should proactively expose one of our mines?” Not all mines were equal. For instance, the Red Jade Cave in Chongxuan Mountain was of paramount importance and absolutely couldn’t be discovered by Ming Jian Su and Feng Chiyue.
“How could they possibly find it just by searching?” someone objected.
“But don’t you think Feng Chiyue is a bit too lucky? Besides, the Phoenixes know about some of our mines. They might tell her. In that case, it’s better to offer up a mine ourselves.”
“They’re investigating people, not mountains. Some of those mountains rightfully belong to us. So what if she finds out? As for the workers, we can simply compensate their clans for their losses.”
“But will we still be able to find laborers to mine for us in the future?”
“Do they really know about every single Feather Clan member? If she knows about the Great Wind Clan, we’ll just hand over those two. But first, we need to transfer them to one of the less important mines.”
“We can always register them with the Celestial Feather Ministry later. Let’s just appease them for now.”
In the Celestial Feather Ministry.
Que Chen Yi, in her Dust-Rejecting Clothes, had been diligently working and was rewarded with a promotion. She replaced Bi Feng, who had vanished without a trace, jumping from an obscure clerk position to the role of Assistant Ministry Head, becoming the second most authoritative figure in the Ministry. When she heard that immortals from Danxue Mountain had arrived, she assumed they were here to cause trouble while Feng Chiyue and Ming Jian Su were away. To her surprise, they produced a register with utmost sincerity. Que Chen Yi glanced at it. It was a roster of names, including Da Feng Zhi and Da Feng Ting, who hadn’t been registered, as well as unregistered Feather Clan immortals from other factions.
The Vermilion Bird chuckled. “They came to Danxue Mountain themselves to sign up for crystal mining. We assumed they were already registered with the Ministry. Imagine our surprise when we realized they weren’t. You and Ministry Head Feng have gone through so much trouble for them.”
Que Chen Yi didn’t believe a word of it. It wasn’t just large factions like the Vermilion Bird. Even smaller factions would keep “unregistered laborers” in their private mines to reduce costs. As for “not knowing,” who were they trying to fool? But understanding was one thing. She wouldn’t use her insignificant position to challenge a behemoth like the Danxue Mountain lineage.
She handed the register to a puppet standing nearby, instructing it to transcribe the data, then smiled politely at the Vermilion Bird immortal. “These mountains haven’t been registered before, have they? According to the regulations, the Ministry is entitled to a one percent tax. When can we expect you to pay that, fellow Daoist?”
This was one of the main reasons why some large factions concealed their private assets. Once they were disclosed, they would have to pay taxes to the Heavenly Court. They could get away with fudging the numbers when dealing with the Four Seas, but the Feather Clan was different. After that great upheaval, the Danxue Mountain lineage was tied to the Heavenly Court and couldn’t act independently like the Four Seas or the Qingqiu Kingdom.
Since the Vermilion Bird had already decided to sacrifice some “small profits,” they wouldn’t give them any excuse to find fault. The mines they had chosen were relatively resource-poor and had already been mostly depleted. They wouldn’t be able to extract much more in the future. He looked at Que Chen Yi for a moment, then said with a sigh, “Assistant Ministry Head Que is truly dedicated to her duty.” He took out several Qiankun bags and tossed them onto the table, then raised his chin. “Please do the honors of counting them, Assistant Ministry Head.”
Que Chen Yi smiled. She didn’t summon any officials or clerks. Instead, with a flick of her sleeve, she produced another faceless puppet. These puppets were much more efficient than those lazy and indolent officials. Although commissioning Chang Huai to create these puppets had almost wiped out her savings, Feng Chiyue had said that she could receive multiple salaries for doing multiple jobs. It wouldn’t be long before she recouped her investment.
The Vermilion Bird’s gaze turned frosty. A small Silver-Tailed Tit dared to show off in front of a Vermilion Bird? She was only relying on Feng Chiyue’s backing. Once Feng Chiyue fell, she would see how long her arrogance lasted. He snorted coldly, then turned and left. Que Chen Yi didn’t bother seeing him off. She took out the Chaos Mirror and sent a message to Feng Chiyue.
“The Vermilion Bird lineage has reported some hidden ‘unregistered laborers’ and exposed a few private mines.” Ming Jian Su, holding Feng Chiyue’s Chaos Mirror, pondered silently. The Danxue Mountain lineage was taking a step back, hoping to resolve the matter peacefully? Were they using those mines as a distraction to cover up something more sinister?
Feng Chiyue, now a small bird, couldn’t be bothered to speak. She chirped twice, emphasizing the words “mine, mine” before curling into a ball and ignoring Ming Jian Su.
Ming Jian Su nodded. “I know.” Although Feng Chiyue had pecked her numerous times, leaving red marks on the back of her hand, she still couldn’t resist picking her up and petting her. She realized now that there was a silver lining to Feng Chiyue’s vanity. At least she would rather transform into a beautiful bird than an ugly human.
Feng Chiyue’s eyes glazed over. She had given up on resisting Ming Jian Su. The outcome was always the same anyway. She nestled in Ming Jian Su’s hand, occasionally rubbing her head against her fingers. Ming Jian Su’s smile deepened. “Since the Danxue Mountain lineage has shown such goodwill,” she said after a moment, “we should respond in kind.” She channeled her consciousness into the Chaos Mirror and, using her memories, created an illusion of herself and Feng Chiyue touring scenic mountains and rivers, which she then released into the Chaos Mirror.
Why wasn’t she in Dong’e Mountain? Because she was traveling with her junior sister, of course.
The Vermilion Birds, who had been closely monitoring Ming Jian Su and Feng Chiyue’s movements, remained vigilant. What if this was just a smokescreen? Mountains and rivers were often treasure troves. Who knew what they might “accidentally” stumble upon? However, for several days after the incident with the Great Wind Clan, Ming Jian Su and Feng Chiyue were nowhere to be seen within the territories controlled by the Vermilion Bird’s allies. The only evidence of their existence was the stream of scenic images appearing on the Chaos Mirror.
Some disgruntled immortal officials complained to the Heavenly Emperor, accusing Ming Jian Su of neglecting her duties and abusing her power. However, before the Heavenly Emperor could respond, Ming Yu Heng intervened, saying, “The East Abode Master has served the Heavenly Court diligently for many years. It’s only natural for her to take a vacation.”
The Heavenly Emperor readily agreed. Previously, he had been forced to distance himself from the Celestial Mother for political reasons, but deep down, he didn’t want any upheavals in the Heavenly Court. If Ming Jian Su and Feng Chiyue could stay out of trouble for eight hundred years, that would be ideal. At least the Celestial Feather Ministry could remain as it was, and he wouldn’t have all sorts of birds chirping and squawking in his ears.
As the rumors and speculations swirled, Feng Chiyue and Ming Jian Su, still indulging in their scenic tour, arrived twenty miles outside of Chongxuan Mountain.
Twilight approached. Ahead of them lay a frosty forest shrouded in mist, resembling a white ribbon stretched across the landscape. The hazy mist drifted outwards, merging with the distant mountains. The towering peaks, like jade shoots emerging from the clouds, appeared serene and desolate.
“There’s a formation,” Ming Jian Su said, stopping in her tracks. She had sensed a shift in the earth’s energy. The Red Jade Cave was hidden within the mountain, and concealing its presence wouldn’t be easy. The formation here was vast. Forcing it open would affect a radius of a hundred miles and alert the Danxue Mountain lineage. However, she wasn’t skilled in deciphering formations. She could only rely on brute force to break through. “Junior Sister?” Ming Jian Su lifted her veil and glanced at Feng Chiyue, who was perched on her shoulder.
Feng Chiyue: “…” She pecked Ming Jian Su and sent her a lazy message. “Can you shatter the formation with one sword strike and kill everything inside?”
Ming Jian Su hesitated for a moment, her tone uncertain. “That might harm innocent beings. Besides, Red Agate is precious and fragile. It might be destroyed by your sword.” Seeing that Feng Chiyue remained silent, she added awkwardly, “Let me think of another way.”
Feng Chiyue puffed up with anger. “Are you planning to start learning formations right now?” She had thought she wouldn’t have to worry about anything with her Elder Sister around! After a moment of internal debate, she said, “You’ll have to compensate me after this.”
Ming Jian Su was already accustomed to Feng Chiyue’s way of speaking and readily agreed. “Compensation” was just a word. She would do it regardless. Satisfied with Ming Jian Su’s promise, Feng Chiyue settled down. She hopped from Ming Jian Su’s shoulder to her arms and snuggled against her, continuing their conversation through mental messages.
This formation was based on the mountain’s natural energy flow, self-contained and harmonized with the surrounding environment. To break it, she would need to shatter the entire formation in one go. A small breach would simply repair itself as the energy flow adjusted. While formations like this were resilient, they also had a small flaw: their inclusiveness made them complex. Anyone who could match their energy rhythm to the formation would be considered a part of it, free to enter and exit at will.
Ming Jian Su’s comprehension was exceptional. Although her understanding of formations wasn’t that advanced, she didn’t need to start from scratch. Listening to Feng Chiyue’s lazy instructions, she quickly integrated herself into the formation and stepped into the frosty forest.
Within Chongxuan Mountain.
Despite the transfer of some Feather Clan members due to the Celestial Feather Ministry’s investigation, the mountain wasn’t deserted. The sound of hammering echoed from within the mountain, punctuated by curses.
“They transferred some workers, but the quota for Red Agate hasn’t decreased.”
“Damn those immortals! They spend their days lounging in the Heavenly Court, clueless about the difficulty of mining Red Agate. Do they think it’s tofu? Easy to just dig up?”
“There’s a strange energy in the mountain. Several people have been injured already. The records I’ve read about Red Agate didn’t mention anything like this.”
“Who knows? Maybe the methods changed when the ownership changed?”
“Did I ascend to this realm just to slave away in a mine for someone else?”
…
Apart from the Feather Clan Heavenly Immortals “offered” by various factions, there were also Human Immortals who had ascended to the upper realm, as well as other beings who had cultivated into human forms. Once they were brought to the mines and became “unregistered laborers,” there were only two possible outcomes: death or continued servitude.
Ming Jian Su didn’t pay much attention to these “unregistered laborers.” She infiltrated Chongxuan Mountain, found a secluded spot, and started pondering how to transport the entire Red Agate vein back to Dong’e Mountain. “If only there were a mine spirit,” she muttered. If the Red Agate vein had birthed a sentient being, she could simply capture it, and taking it would be equivalent to taking the entire vein. But if there really were a mine spirit, would the Danxue Mountain lineage need to go through all this trouble to mine it?
Feng Chiyue didn’t respond. She wiggled out of Ming Jian Su’s arms and flew to the rock wall, looking at her expectantly.
Ming Jian Su knew what she meant. She channeled her sword intent, slicing away a large chunk of rock. Fiery red crystals, radiating a dazzling light, were revealed. Feng Chiyue hopped closer to the Red Agate and pecked at it a few times. The pure energy within the crystal was absorbed into her body, leaving behind only crumbling dust. Feng Chiyue narrowed her eyes and sighed contentedly. “Mine.”
Ming Jian Su nodded, her gaze sweeping over their surroundings. Chongxuan Mountain belonged to the Vermilion Bird lineage, but the Red Jade Cave had been transferred from Danxue Mountain. In any case, it didn’t belong to them. If they wanted to take the Red Agate without being discovered, they might have to resort to killing everyone involved. As this thought crossed her mind, a glint of murderous intent flashed in Ming Jian Su’s eyes. She had fought her way to where she was. Killing wasn’t a burden to her. “Do you have a way to take the Red Agate, Junior Sister?” she asked.
Feng Chiyue nodded.
With a surge of primal energy, she transformed back into her human form and pressed her hand against the wall where the Red Agate had been exposed. A faint red glow emanated from her palm, growing increasingly brighter and more dazzling.
Ming Jian Su’s eyelids twitched, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. “This isn’t good,” she thought. The ground trembled violently, the entire mountain shaking. She extended her divine sense and saw countless red lines of energy converging towards Feng Chiyue’s palm like rivers flowing into the sea. The primal energy fluctuated wildly, sending out ripples as chaotic power surged outwards, shattering the mountain and creating an earth-shattering roar. However, the formation encompassing Chongxuan Mountain contained the energy, preventing it from spreading further.
Ming Jian Su: “…” So she did have a way. A world-shaking, earth-shattering way, completely different from the discreet plan she had in mind.
As the mountain shook violently, rocks and debris rained down. The immortals mining Red Agate in the cave lost their footing. Ignoring their supervisor’s shouts, they scrambled out of the mine. The officials in the nearby pavilion were also alerted and rushed out, confused and enraged.
As long as those officials from the Danxue Mountain lineage weren’t completely incompetent, they would eventually discover what had happened here.
Ming Jian Su drew her sword, prepared to fight. Suddenly, a blinding light erupted from the heart of Chongxuan Mountain. A sharp sword cry pierced the air, almost drowning out the thunderous rumbling of the collapsing mountain.
“Stop it,” Ming Jian Su said, assuming it was Undefeated and Eternal Sword causing trouble. But as soon as the words left her lips, she realized something was wrong. She focused a sliver of her consciousness towards the source of the commotion and saw countless sword beams shooting towards the sky, brilliant and dazzling like stars scattered across the heavens. The commotion from their side was completely overshadowed.
There was a divine sword of unparalleled power over there.
Ming Jian Su’s heart raced with excitement. Unable to resist, she tore her gaze away from Feng Chiyue and took another look.
“This mountain is ours, the Red Agate is yours, and that sword is mine, right?” she murmured.
Feng Chiyue agreed readily. “Yes.” When the last traces of red light faded, she removed her hand from the wall. Like Ming Jian Su, her gaze was fixated on the sword.
The sword radiated a brilliant and dazzling light, as if forged from the most precious treasures in the world. Its sharp and powerful sword intent swept through its surroundings, instantly shattering the formation encompassing Chongxuan Mountain. The energy that had been suppressed within the mountain surged outwards like a flood, unleashing a tempest of wind and lightning, turning the heavens and earth upside down.
The officials from the Danxue Mountain lineage assumed that the sword was responsible for everything happening in the mountain. They were currently leading their forces in a desperate struggle against its sword intent. The timing of this sword’s appearance was perfect. With it as a distraction, no one would suspect them of taking the Red Agate. Compared to a sword… her junior sister’s Red Agate was far more important. Ming Jian Su tore her gaze away from the sword with reluctance, her mind made up. “Let’s go,” she said, grabbing Feng Chiyue and flying out of the mountain.
“But that sword—”
“It doesn’t matter.”
…
When the Vermilion Bird elders from Danxue Mountain arrived, Chongxuan Mountain was in ruins. Amidst the devastation, there was no sign of the Red Agate. As for the “culprit,” they eventually subdued it, binding it with special chains and sealing it within a stone casket after casting numerous spells on it.
The Vermilion Bird elders were furious. How could a sword suddenly appear in Chongxuan Mountain? They had been so focused on guarding against Feng Chiyue that they hadn’t considered the possibility of trouble arising from within the mountain itself.
The officials, their bodies covered in wounds inflicted by the sword intent, were in a sorry state. They couldn’t even stop the bleeding. They prostrated themselves on the ground and reported fearfully, “There’s an inscription on the sword: ‘Zhenyu.’” They had never heard of this sword before.
There had been no such sword in Chongxuan Mountain before. They hadn’t seen it when they transferred the Red Agate vein. How did it appear? When did it appear? If it had been born from the world’s spiritual energy, there would have been signs. But it had remained dormant for so many years, suggesting it was placed there by someone.
The sword that terrified the Vermilion Birds also captivated Ming Jian Su.
Even after returning to Dong’e Mountain and secretly planting the Red Agate in her own mountain, Ming Jian Su couldn’t get that fleeting glimpse out of her mind.
She glanced at Undefeated and Eternal Sword, then turned to Feng Chiyue. “Junior Sister, don’t you think my sword collection is a bit lacking?”
Feng Chiyue narrowed her eyes. She had already been persuaded by Ming Jian Su. Ignoring Undefeated and Eternal Sword’s protests, she nodded seriously. “Yes.” The sword had most likely been subdued by the Vermilion Birds. Should they go to Danxue Mountain and steal it for her Elder Sister? They saw it first, so it was rightfully theirs.
“How could a sword suddenly appear in Chongxuan Mountain?” Ming Jian Su was also puzzled. She took out the Chaos Mirror and saw that the Danxue Mountain lineage was searching for information related to the “Zhenyu Sword.” So that was its name. Like Eternal Sword, it had a two-character inscription. They would make a perfect pair.
Feng Chiyue leaned against Ming Jian Su, her chin resting on her shoulder as she glanced at the Chaos Mirror. “Zhenyu Sword? Never heard of it,” she said, shaking her head.
Ming Jian Su glanced at her, thinking, even if you had, you wouldn’t remember it anyway. A single sword wasn’t enough to justify such a frantic search. They were furious about the destruction of the Red Agate and wanted to find the sword’s owner to exact revenge. Of course, they wouldn’t dare to mention “Red Agate” explicitly. After all, it wouldn’t be easy to explain to the Heavenly Emperor how something that had been reported as destroyed could suddenly reappear.
The Danxue Mountain lineage was sparing no expense. They were offering a reward for any information related to the Zhenyu Sword, regardless of its usefulness. While speculating about their motives, other immortals shared any information they could find, flooding the Chaos Mirror with scrolling text.
Immortals often shared the same name, let alone swords.
In the past, there had been countless swords named “Undefeated.” However, they hadn’t lived up to such a grand name and had either broken or been renamed. Now, whenever “Undefeated” was mentioned in the Heavenly Court, it only brought Ming Jian Su to mind.
But “Zhenyu(Jade Guardian)” wasn’t as fortunate.
Ming Jian Su’s sharp eyes caught a message amidst the overwhelming flood of information.
“In the one hundred and first year of the Heavenly Emperor’s reign, a Daoist friend forged a sword for the Suxin Sword Master. Its inscription was ‘Zhenyu.’”
Many had overlooked this message. After all, the Suxin Sword Master had fallen many years ago, and the whereabouts of her sword were unknown.
However, the Vermilion Birds in Danxue Mountain were alarmed.
Even those who hadn’t lived through that era knew that the Suxin Sword Master had single-handedly stormed into the Demon Realm and beheaded the previous Demon Lord, Ming Ji.
There were many speculations about her motives. Some said she couldn’t stand the Demon Clan’s arrogance. Others said she had a personal grudge against the Demon Realm. Some even speculated that she was avenging the Phoenix Sovereign. Although no one knew for sure, some elders from the Feather Clan remembered that the Phoenix Sovereign had been close to a human wandering immortal, and the Suxin Sword Master was likely one of them.
As the Vermilion Bird elders contacted the person who had posted the message to inquire about the appearance of the Suxin Sword Master’s “Zhenyu Sword,” Ming Jian Su, also driven by curiosity, reached out to the wandering immortal for information. The wandering immortal was quite straightforward. He drew a picture of the Zhenyu Sword and sent it to her. Ming Jian Su examined it carefully. It was indeed identical to the sword she had seen in Chongxuan Mountain.
“So it really is the Suxin Sword Master’s sword,” Ming Jian Su said with a sigh, then pointed at Eternal Sword. “It’s a sign. All of this proves that I have a deep connection with the Suxin Sword Master. It seems I’m on the right path by following in her footsteps. How can a swordsman only have one sword?”
In Danxue Mountain.
The Vermilion Bird elders compared the drawing to the sword in the casket. Their faces darkened.
If the Zhenyu Sword belonged to the Suxin Sword Master, who could they possibly seek justice from? Had it passed on to a new owner after her death? Questions piled up, weighing heavily on their minds. The Vermilion Bird elders carefully reviewed recent events in Chongxuan Mountain and finally noticed a discrepancy.
Since the four hundredth year of the Heavenly Emperor’s reign, extracting Red Agate from Chongxuan Mountain had become increasingly difficult.
They had moved the vein there after the Fall of the Phoenix. They had assumed that after two hundred years of mining, the easily accessible resources had been depleted, leaving only the deep and inaccessible parts of the mountain. But now, after discovering the Zhenyu Sword, they had a new theory. Could it be that the Suxin Sword Master had placed the Zhenyu Sword in the mountain without their knowledge, using its sword intent to suppress the Red Agate vein? If she had killed the Demon Lord to avenge the Phoenix Sovereign, then the current Danxue Mountain lineage were also her enemies, weren’t they? This possibility filled the elders with dread.
After a long silence, someone spoke softly, “But she’s dead.”
“We can’t rule out the possibility of the Zhenyu Sword having a new owner.”
The Swan Goose Elder suggested, “Why don’t we auction it off on the Chaos Mirror? If it still has an owner, they wouldn’t just stand by and watch it fall into someone else’s hands, would they?”
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