Uncanny Immortal 27

Chapter 27

The great fire on Green Pine Peak had been extinguished, but the smell of smoke and fire lingered in the air.

Xie Qingzheng stood in the center of the square, holding her sword, her robes whipping in the wind.

The cultivators watching from the side saw that the junior sister, who was usually as graceful as an orchid and as refined as a scholar, had taken on a solemn and dignified air when facing the enemy. They couldn’t help but sigh, “As expected of Elder Mo’s first disciple!”

“A great master produces a great disciple!”

Mu Zifu, held hostage by the Ten Directions Domain, looked at the two people she hated most on the field, rolled her eyes, her expression a mix of disgust and despair. It was as if she had already foreseen the final result. She cursed one and then the other in her heart: “One a lackey! The other a good-for-nothing!”

“This time, I’m afraid I’ll be dragged to my death by her!”

“Damn lackey! A thousand cuts wouldn’t be enough to vent the hatred in my heart!”

A portion of the cultivators frowned, secretly worrying that the second round of the competition would be repeated.

An even larger portion of the cultivators didn’t trust her, thinking: “It’s over, it’s over. Elder Mo is going to be taken to the wildlands!”

The opponent Mo Jiangxue had chosen for Xie Qingzheng was Li Chongdou.

Li Chongdou was still wearing the inner sect uniform of the Xuanji Sect. He was the head disciple of Green Pine Peak, and his cultivation was far superior to Mu Zifu’s, and naturally, also superior to Xie Qingzheng’s.

However, in the chaotic battle just now, he had been ganged up on by the people of the Xuanji Sect. His face was bruised, and his body was injured, so his combat effectiveness had been reduced.

Yan Ling, at the side, lightly fanned her folding fan and said to Xie Qingzheng, “In this third match, if you lose, your master will have to go back to the wildlands with me.”

Xie Qingzheng’s sword tip trembled slightly, but she did not reply.

She looked at Li Chongdou.

Her internal cultivation was not as good as his, but he was the opponent her master had chosen. If her master thought she could defeat him, then she had the confidence to defeat him.

Just as she was steeling herself for a fight to the death, a cool and severe voice came to her ear: “Just do your best.”

Xie Qingzheng turned her eyes to Mo Jiangxue.

Mo Jiangxue stood at the forefront of the Xuanji Sect crowd, in a white robe with a long qin, as graceful as a crane, as ethereal as an immortal. She looked at her impassively, the white gauze of her hat swaying slightly in the wind.

Xie Qingzheng thought to herself: Alright, I’ll just give it my all. No matter the result, I will always follow my master.

In the final match, except for a few masters with profound cultivation and calm minds, everyone’s heart was in their throat.

The cultivators of Green Pine Peak, seeing Li Chongdou take the stage, threw all sorts of harsh words at him, such as “a thousand cuts” and “worse than a pig or a dog.”

Mo Jiangxue found it too noisy, waved her hand to restrain them, and stopped the curses.

Li Chongdou had once been the respected and admired senior brother of everyone on Green Pine Peak. Hearing these curses, he closed his eyes, as if in great pain. Then he opened them again, pointed his sword at Xie Qingzheng, and said, “Let’s begin.”

As his words fell, his figure flashed, and he attacked Xie Qingzheng with his sword, his speed astonishing.

Xie Qingzheng didn’t dare to be careless. She raised her sword to block, circulating the spiritual energy in her body, and clashed with Li Chongdou’s attack.

The sword light was like a weave, and the clash of blades was incessant.

Li Chongdou used the Mu family’s sword techniques, taught by Mu Qingdai. The moves were sharp and swift, just like Mu Zifu’s sword moves in the Sword Discussion Assembly years ago.

But Xie Qingzheng was no longer the little junior sister from three years ago who only defended and took advantage of opportunities to win. She moved east and west with her sword, sometimes dodging, sometimes using the opponent’s force against them, neutralizing Li Chongdou’s attacks one by one.

The two of them exchanged blows, locked in a fierce battle.

Xie Qingzheng used the Xiaoxiang Sword Technique she had just learned before she left the mountain, the first form, “As if Joining a Tally.”

According to her master, the ancestral master who had created this set of sword techniques was of unknown name, with the Daoist title ‘Thousand Autumns.’ She was born into the imperial family, later entered the Xuanmen, and cultivated in seclusion.

The first form, “As if Joining a Tally,” referred to the time when the ancestral master was still in the imperial court and met a woman of similar interests. The two became close friends, and their friendship was like two halves of a tally that fit together perfectly.

The sword moves of the first form were also named after words such as “First Meeting at the Broken Bridge,” “Feasting and Traveling Together,” “Becoming Close Friends,” and “A Bond Like Gold and Orchid,” covering the process of their acquaintance.

The second form, “The Xiaoxiang River is Severed,” referred to the unfortunate death of that woman. In her grief, the ancestral master entered the Xuanmen and cultivated in seclusion.

The third form, “A Startled Swan Casts a Shadow,” referred to a hundred years later, when things had changed. The ancestral master, all alone, went to pay her respects at the lonely grave of her old friend. When she reached the broken bridge, she vaguely recalled that a startled swan had once cast its shadow here.

The fourth form, “A Great Dream of Three Lives,” referred to the ancestral master’s final great enlightenment, seeing through the mortal world. Everything in the mortal world was like a dream, like a phantom, like dew, like lightning, and should be viewed as such.

This set of sword techniques was in harmony with the ancestral master’s inner journey, so its execution depended heavily on one’s state of mind.

If one’s state of mind was not there, the sword techniques would have form but no spirit, and their power would be greatly reduced.

If one’s state of mind was there, and one comprehended the sword intent of the fourth form, “A Great Dream of Three Lives,” then attaining the Dao and ascending would be just around the corner.

Mo Jiangxue had only taught Xie Qingzheng the first form, and Xie Qingzheng could barely comprehend the sword intent of the first form.

When she executed “First Meeting at the Broken Bridge,” she thought of the startling glance under the peach tree four years ago, during the Awakening of Insects, after she had regained her sight.

When she executed “A Bond Like Gold and Orchid,” she thought of the exhilarating feeling of her xiao and her master’s qin playing in harmony, of her qin and sword as one, of the sound of the xiao and the qin merging, of the qin’s music and the sword’s intent becoming one.

Compared to the urgent and ruthless moves of the Mu family’s sword techniques, the sword techniques Xie Qingzheng executed were graceful, agile, and unpredictable, with a bit of an ethereal and leisurely air. The cultivators watching the dangerous exchange of blows were both terrified and dazzled.

Many cultivators cheered in unison, “Little Junior Sister’s sword technique is so exquisite! I’ve never seen it before!”

“It must have been taught by Elder Mo!”

“I never thought that Elder Mo, who is so outstanding with the qin and xiao, would also be so brilliant with the sword!”

The cultivators who had been worried about the disparity in strength and had not trusted her also gradually relaxed, thinking: She is, after all, a disciple taught by Elder Mo. She can’t be that bad! Her weakness before was probably just her hiding her true strength…

Although it was Xie Qingzheng who was fighting, the cultivators of the Xuanji Sect’s admiration for Mo Jiangxue grew even more steadfast.

Mu Zifu saw that Xie Qingzheng was fighting with ease. The disgust on her face lessened a little, but another twisted thought arose: If my big sister hadn’t been injured by you, would you have had the chance to show off today?!

As the sword light danced, the two had already exchanged over two hundred moves. Li Chongdou, seeing that her sword technique was exquisite and he couldn’t gain an advantage, leaped back, sheathed his sword, and untied his flute, fighting back with the sound of the flute.

The music played by a music cultivator could disturb one’s mind. The higher the cultivation, the stronger the interference.

Xie Qingzheng’s mind was slightly disturbed, and her sword intent stagnated. The sword qi she sent out clashed with the sound waves of the flute and dissipated.

She circulated her sect’s heart method to resist the flute’s interference and maintain a clear mind. At the same time, she also sheathed her sword and switched to the xiao, stepping on the seven-star square steps, and fighting back with the sound of the xiao.

But her cultivation was shallower, and the sound of her xiao was not as high-pitched as the sound of the flute.

If this continued, it wouldn’t be long before her sound and rhythm broke, and her mind was disturbed, and she would be defeated.

Just then, Ruan Nanxing, who was watching from the side, suddenly asked, “Senior Brother, Green Pine Peak has not treated you poorly, and the junior sisters and brothers respect you. Why did you betray the sect? Is there some hidden difficulty? Or were you coerced by the demonic cult?”

Her tone was not as aggressive as when she was cursing before. It was like a junior sister sincerely asking her senior brother a question, filled with doubt, confusion, and a hint of regret and pity.

Li Chongdou glanced at Ruan Nanxing, and the sound of his flute faltered slightly. His mind was clearly disturbed.

The people of Green Pine Peak exchanged glances and all shouted in unison, “Senior Brother!”

With this interruption, the sound of the flute became shrill and stagnant, as if it were struggling. The sound of the xiao instantly overpowered it.

Yan Ling quickly shouted, “Li Chongdou! You have no way back!” She then cursed the cultivators of Green Pine Peak, “To think you are a righteous sect, using such interference tactics. Despicable, vile, and shameless!”

A music cultivator fights with sound waves and disturbs the opponent’s mind with music. If one’s own mind is not calm, not only will it be used by the opponent to aggravate the defeat, but one is also prone to backlash.

The cultivators of the Xuanji Sect cursed back, “When dealing with you evil demons, why should we be open and aboveboard?”

Yan Ling said in a loud voice, “Li Chongdou, did you hear that? You’ve also become an evil demon! The Xuanji Sect has no place for you!”

The sound of the flute on the field grew more and more shrill, and the sound of the xiao grew clearer and clearer.

They were at a stalemate for the time of an incense stick. Another sound wave struck. Xie Qingzheng dodged, condensed her qi in her xiao, and the sound of the xiao turned into several sound waves, attacking in succession, forcing Li Chongdou back step by step.

With his cultivation, he could have avoided it, but he suddenly froze in place and was sent flying several zhang by a sound wave. With a bang, he fell to the ground, and his flute also fell to the ground, breaking in two.

At this, everyone was stunned.

However, a moment later, no one was surprised anymore, because they saw a familiar green-robed figure in the sky above Green Pine Peak.

That green-robed figure was as straight and proud as a pine or a bamboo. She landed in the center of the square on her sword, looked down on everyone, and finally let her gaze fall on Mu Zifu.

The crowd immediately erupted, “Elder Mu!”

“Peak Master Mu is out of seclusion!”

“Master! You’re finally out!”

A look of joy appeared on Mu Zifu’s face. She was instantly radiant, wishing she could immediately get up and throw herself into her arms and pour out all her grievances.

Xie Qingzheng held her xiao and retreated to Mo Jiangxue’s side.

Of the ten greatest masters of the age, the Xuanji Sect had two.

Mu Qingdai had become famous earlier than Mo Jiangxue. In the past, on the battlefields between the righteous and demonic paths, she had swept through all opposition with her “Sorrow-Seeing Flute,” as if entering an unmanned realm, earning her the name “Sorrow-Seeing Ghost.”

With Mo Jiangxue holding the fort, the demons of the Ten Directions Domain had already failed to gain any advantage. Now, with the arrival of the “Sorrow-Seeing Ghost,” the situation was reversed. Whether it was to destroy Green Pine Peak in one fell swoop or to fight to a mutual destruction, it was no longer possible.

Yan Ling fanned her folding fan vigorously, her face looking very ugly.

The cultivators of the Xuanji Sect said, “You demoness! You’ve lost!”

“Elder Mo doesn’t have to go to the wildlands!”

“You demoness, you can’t set foot in the Central Plains from now on!”

Yan Ling closed her folding fan and said to Mo Jiangxue, “It seems that winning or losing is not important. Immortal Master Mo, you were just trying to stall for time for her to come out of seclusion, right? It’s my first time in the Central Plains, and I’ve already witnessed the cunning of you orthodox Xuanmen. I’m truly impressed!”

The cultivators of the Xuanji Sect shouted, “What do you mean, not important!”

“You demoness, a bet is a bet! Let her go! And scram!”

Xie Qingzheng had thought that Mo Jiangxue would ignore Yan Ling’s provocative words, but unexpectedly, she heard a calm and unruffled voice:

“Miss Yan is young. It is indeed good to see more of the world.”

Yan Ling suppressed her anger and smiled. “I’ve been taught a lesson! Immortal Master Mo, if you come to the wildlands in the future, I will surely welcome you with open arms!”

She glanced at Xie Qingzheng and said, “Immortal Master Mo, I like you, but I don’t like the one beside you. You don’t have to bring this one.”

Xie Qingzheng frowned and said angrily, “Neither my master nor I care for your affection! And whether my master brings me or not is none of your business!”

Mo Jiangxue spoke again, “She is my disciple. Where I go, she goes.”

Her words were direct.

Xie Qingzheng’s heart pounded. She stared at Mo Jiangxue, not expecting her to say such a thing to defend her. Joy immediately appeared on her face, and her eyes shimmered, as if with a thousand tender feelings.

The master and disciple, in a call and response, left Yan Ling speechless.

Yan Ling’s peripheral vision caught Xie Qingzheng’s gaze. Her eyes flowed, her expression full of affection, not like that between a master and disciple.

She had seen a clue and was about to humiliate the master and disciple again, but she heard the cultivators of the Xuanji Sect still cursing, telling the evil demons of the Ten Directions Domain to scram.

She snorted and said in a loud voice to the cultivators of the Xuanji Sect, “Don’t always shout about fighting and killing. We are the demonic cult, and you are the righteous immortal masters. It is because there are people as vicious and ruthless as us that your righteousness and nobility can be highlighted. Without us, what demons would you exorcise? What Dao would you defend? Don’t end up killing yourselves!”

This twisted logic aroused an even greater round of curses.

Xie Qingzheng said nothing, listening in a slight daze. She thought of the line in the Tao Te Ching, “When the world knows beauty as beauty, ugliness arises. When the world knows good as good, evil arises.”

She vaguely felt that the demoness’s twisted logic seemed to have a point… The righteous and the evil, good and bad, are both in opposition and in coexistence…

While they were bickering and cursing here, Mu Qingdai had already flashed to Mu Zifu’s side while Mo Jiangxue and Yan Ling were talking, rescued her from the demons of the Ten Directions Domain, and untied the immortal-binding rope and the silencing spell on her.

Mu Zifu threw herself into Mu Qingdai’s arms and wailed, crying “Big Sister, Big Sister” over and over.

Mu Qingdai cursed her as usual, “Good-for-nothing! Idiot! No improvement at all! When will you ever be obedient and sensible?!” But she did not push her away. Instead, she patted her on the shoulder heavily and let her cry in her arms.

Xie Qingzheng looked at the two sisters sideways. She didn’t find it particularly touching. She just suddenly understood that the two sentences her master had just said were probably to distract Yan Ling so that Mu Qingdai could rescue her…

Her master usually never said such things, like “Where I go, she goes.”

Only Xie Qingzheng would say such things…

She couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed and mind it, as if her feelings had been deceived…

But before she could think more, she heard the sound of Yan Ling and her members retreating, and then she heard Mu Qingdai sneer and say mockingly, “What unweaned brat? You think you can just come and go as you please? You wish!”

With Mu Qingdai in the lead, the two sides once again fell into a chaotic battle. On Green Pine Peak, the sound of swords, flutes, xiaos, and qins echoed through the clouds.

The Xuanji Sect captured a large number of the demons of the Ten Directions Domain and locked them in the dungeon in the back mountain. Yan Ling, under the protection of a portion of the masters, escaped from Green Pine Peak.

With the demonic cult gone, only the people of the Xuanji Sect were left to clean up the battlefield.

Mu Qingdai turned her eyes to Mo Jiangxue and Xie Qingzheng and gave an arrogant order to leave. “Have you seen enough of the excitement? I won’t be keeping you two for tea.”

Her hostile attitude towards them had not eased in the slightest with the passage of time and the joint resistance against the demonic cult, nor had it worsened because of the Sword Discussion Assembly. The look in her eyes was still sinister, and her face carried the same arrogance and harshness.

Mo Jiangxue said, “Farewell,” and took Xie Qingzheng to fly towards Ethereal Peak.

In mid-air, Xie Qingzheng looked back at Mu Qingdai and saw her holding her short flute, standing alone in the center of the square, looking at the dead and injured disciples around her, at the palaces and pavilions destroyed by the great fire. On that face full of arrogance and harshness, there was a hint of bewilderment and sorrow.

After three years of seclusion, what greeted her was not the ecstatic joy of her disciples, not a happy reunion, but ruined walls, and the parting of life and death.

Xie Qingzheng didn’t want to see such a proud person show such a dejected look. She withdrew her gaze and sighed heavily.

“Master, with so much having happened, are we still going to Wen Family Village tomorrow? Or should we stay in the sect to help?” she asked Mo Jiangxue.

Mo Jiangxue shot her a look and asked, “Will you help treat the injured? Or will you help build the pavilions?”

Xie Qingzheng: “…”

She could do neither.

All she could do now was fight!

Mo Jiangxue said, “The Sect Master will be back today. We will go back to Wen Family Village tomorrow.”

With such major events having occurred in the sect, Xiao Wangqing would be back today upon hearing the news. With her holding the fort in the Xuanji Sect and handling the aftermath, it didn’t matter whether the people of Ethereal Peak were there or not.

Xie Qingzheng nodded, said, “Oh,” and then asked for guidance, “Master, why did that demoness say before that we didn’t care about ethics and etiquette? Did I do something wrong?”

She clearly respected her master very much and abided by the etiquette between a master and disciple, never disobeying her.

Mo Jiangxue was silent for a moment and said coolly, “She was talking nonsense. Why do you take it to heart?”

Xie Qingzheng said, “I was just a little curious… I saw that Elder Jin was very angry and even glared at me, as if I had really been very disrespectful to you…”

Mo Jiangxue was silent for another moment and said, “In the future, you don’t need to remember such nonsense.”

Xie Qingzheng nodded. “Alright.”

Mo Jiangxue seemed to have suddenly remembered something and said, “You go back to Ethereal Peak first. I’m going to ask Yan Ling a question.”

Xie Qingzheng suddenly realized that her master would no longer just leave her behind without a word, but would tell her what she was going to do. But—

“Master, what do you want to ask that demoness?”