Chapter 21

Liuli knelt beside Long Jingxing, her expression grief-stricken. Long Jingxing had fainted, but his hand was still stubbornly clutching Liuli, refusing to let go.

Liuli fell into a reminiscence of the plot for a moment. All she could rely on now were those fragmented memories.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that when she came back to herself, she was already seated on a flying treasure along with the unconscious Long Jingxing. This treasure belonged to Long Jingxing’s master. Seeing Liuli’s dazed appearance, the middle-aged man thought she was excessively grief-stricken.

Thus, he placed his hands behind his back and sighed: “There’s no need to grieve too deeply. This old man will certainly do everything in my power to heal Jingxing.”

Liuli: “…Thank you.”

However, the old Senior’s brow showed not a trace of relaxation. Clearly, he himself had no confidence in his own words.

Liuli turned her head to the side. A pretty face was extremely close.

Liuli: “…You’re here too.”

Ye Zhenzhen looked at her coldly: “Why couldn’t I be?”

Between Ye Zhenzhen’s brows was a worry and anxiety she couldn’t hide, clearly for Long Jingxing. Her gaze was like a knife, each stab aimed at Liuli’s hand.

Liuli pulled. The unconscious Long Jingxing, brow tightly furrowed, groaned in pain. Instead, he gripped even tighter, appearing extremely unsettled.

With no other choice, Liuli silently pried open Long Jingxing’s fingers, and silently pulled over Ye Zhenzhen’s hand to stuff inside.

After stuffing, Liuli opened a pair of wide, innocent eyes and looked at Ye Zhenzhen, as if asking: Are you satisfied?

Ye Zhenzhen was utterly disgusted by this action of hers. She subconsciously wanted to retract her hand, but feeling Long Jingxing’s vulnerability, she couldn’t bear to.

Quietly, the girl’s eyes reddened slightly.

She turned her face away, unwilling to let her distressed appearance be seen by her love rival.

Liuli looked at the boundless sky and similarly let out a sigh.

After sending Long Jingxing back, the two girls with the identity of “love rivals” maintained an odd, eerie calm as they walked back side by side.

Liuli suddenly thought of something, finding joy amidst sorrow: “Your temper’s improved quite a bit recently.”

Ye Zhenzhen: “…Are you asking for a thrashing?”

Liuli laughed loudly: “My cultivation level is higher than yours now. You can’t beat me.”

Ye Zhenzhen pursed her lips, her face darkening as she walked even faster.

Liuli quickly chased after her, gently bumping her shoulder: “Hey, about sneak-attacking you before, sorry about that.”

Her saying that her temper had improved wasn’t just a fabrication. Judging by Ye Zhenzhen’s previous attitude towards Liuli, after Liuli had publicly teased and sneak-attacked her, leaving her pathetically disheveled, if Ye Zhenzhen hadn’t exploded in rage herself, she should have come to explode at Liuli.

But since that exchange, Ye Zhenzhen instead stopped inexplicably picking fights. Occasionally passing by, she just wore a sour face and ignored Liuli.

Liuli actually wasn’t used to her being like this.

Ye Zhenzhen glanced at her. First, she gave a tsundere cold snort, then said: “The battlefield only cares about winning and losing. You won; that means you had the skill. I’m not so petty I can’t afford to lose. No need for you to apologize.”

“Senior Sister really is profoundly wise and righteous.” Liuli raised a thumb.

Ye Zhenzhen: “…Just shut up already!”

The two walked in silence for another stretch. Ye Zhenzhen suddenly asked: “Do you actually like Senior Brother Long or not?”

This was a question many who knew Liuli and Long Jingxing shared. But others wouldn’t openly target Liuli over jealousy the way Ye Zhenzhen did. So, clarifying things in front of Ye Zhenzhen was good, sparing her from continuing to be conflicted.

Liuli smiled: “Maybe the me from before liked him, but the current me no longer has those kinds of feelings. I have no heart for romance; I only pursue the Great Dao single-mindedly. Do you believe me?”

Ye Zhenzhen clearly didn’t believe her: “Just now you were so nervous for him, and you still dare say you don’t like him?”

She couldn’t exactly tell her she panicked because she was nervous about the future plot. Liuli’s dark grape-like, glistening eyes lightly blinked. Her small mouth opened, already beginning to spout nonsense:

“I was nervous for him because his poison acted up while he was fighting me, okay. I was afraid everyone would think I was the one who poisoned him, so I had to put on a good performance. Besides, we’re fellow disciples under the same sect, there has to be a little camaraderie.”

Ye Zhenzhen made a “Tch” sound, disdainfully saying: “The sect isn’t stupid enough to think you were the one who poisoned him.”

Liuli didn’t want to argue with her, so she smiled nonchalantly: “Mm, I’m the stupid one.”

After that, Ye Zhenzhen probably didn’t want to talk to this stupid person anymore. They traveled back to the training ground in silence. The crowd of disciples had already dispersed.

The poison Long Jingxing had been afflicted with was extremely vicious and rare. A fine pillar of the sect having his spiritual root publicly destroyed—this act hadn’t just ruined Long Jingxing alone; it was also slapping the face of the Heavenly Martial Sect with loud, resounding smacks.

This matter absolutely had to be thoroughly investigated, so today’s tournament matches were temporarily suspended.

And for Liuli, amidst misfortune, there was a sliver of luck because Long Jingxing was clearly incapacitated. Thus, Liuli was treated as the victor and advanced to the next round of matches.

This round should also be the final one.

So much had happened today. Liuli felt a weary exhaustion in her heart. After separating from Ye Zhenzhen, her steps hesitated, and she subconsciously turned toward the direction of Parasol Tree Mountain.

She had just taken two steps when an unfamiliar disciple walked up to her hesitantly and gave a deep bow.

Liuli jumped in surprise: “What is it? What’s the matter?”

“Senior Sister,” the unfamiliar disciple was full of sympathy, saying, “Senior Sister, don’t be too heartbroken. Senior Brother Long will definitely get better. If Senior Brother Long woke up and saw Senior Sister like this, he would definitely be heartbroken!”

Heartbroken? Like this?

Like what?

Liuli casually summoned a water mirror. She took a glance into the mirror and instantly gave herself a fright!

She saw a beautiful young maiden looking into the mirror, with a dirty face and disheveled hair, her whole body covered in dark red bloodstains! The corners of her eyes and brows were all drooping, radiating a listless, dejected aura from the inside out.

Bereaved. Too bereaved.

But even so, it couldn’t conceal Liuli’s beauty. Instead, this bedraggled appearance added a touch of disheveled, decadent beauty. Liuli instantly felt profound respect for her own face.

Liuli tossed her hair, dispersed the water mirror, and said to the disciple comforting her: “I’m fine, thank you.”

She had walked an entire road with this venerable countenance, and Ye Zhenzhen hadn’t thought to remind her. It was deliberate, absolutely deliberate!

In the distance, Ye Zhenzhen suddenly sneezed. Rubbing her nose and thinking of something unknown, a fleeting, triumphant smile appeared on her face…

The unfamiliar disciple further tried to console Liuli a bit more, clearly viewing her as a girlfriend worried sick over her beloved. Liuli explained a couple of times, but the other party not only didn’t believe her, but instead said:

“Senior Sister Xue, some conflicts between men and women are inevitable. But now that Senior Brother Long has become like this, you should forgive him just this once.”

Liuli: “…………”

The foundation laid by her original self and Long Jingxing was simply too solid. Liuli felt utterly powerless.

Waving her hand, too lazy to continue explaining, Liuli cast a Cleansing Spell to remove the filth from her body.

Arriving at the foot of Parasol Tree Mountain, Liuli’s mind was chaotic. Not wanting to fly up anymore, she just walked leisurely and slowly up the path.

Parasol Tree Mountain and Peach Blossom Mountain were like two extremes. If Peach Blossom Mountain, full of peach trees, was like a sweet, adorable, and pink young girl, then Parasol Tree Mountain, full of parasol trees, was a deep, tranquil, and elegant woman.

On Peach Blossom Mountain, she would feel like she was really a sixteen-year-old girl, able to enjoy life without worry every day. But in the quiet of the deep night, always, a thread of absurd melancholy would climb into her heart.

She was uneasy, because a great blade that could fall at any moment hung above her head. And now, her unease had reached its peak, because the iron chain she had relied on to block that blade had snapped.

Strolling through Parasol Tree Mountain, the serene forest carried boundless gentleness and acceptance. At times like this, she would feel that she had someone to rely on, that there was a retreat path. Slowly, Liuli’s restless heart temporarily settled.

Until Junior Sister Little Feng blocked her way.

“Senior Sister Liuli, Perfected One she… does not wish to see you.”

Liuli slowly made an “Ah” sound, as if she hadn’t heard clearly, then blinked her somewhat bewildered eyes and asked back: “What do you mean?”

Junior Sister Little Feng’s voice grew smaller and smaller, just as Liuli’s heart sank deeper and deeper.

“Senior Sister Liuli, you… go. Perfected One said, you are not to come here anymore.”

Liuli stood in place without moving. After a moment, she suddenly pulled out a Star Fire Talisman from her storage ring.

Junior Sister Little Feng asked cautiously: “Senior Sister, what are you going to do?”

Liuli smiled a maniacal, unhinged smile:

“Set! The! Mountain! On! Fire!”

Junior Sister Little Feng: “!!!”

“Senior Sister, calm down!”

“Don’t you stop me!!!”

Junior Sister Little Feng miserably wrapped her arms around Liuli’s waist to drag her back. Liuli’s face was twisted with ferocity as she flailed her arms, looking like she intended to fight Feng Xiwu to the death, with neither willing to rest until the other was done for.

“I %￥#@&…”

Liuli rubbed her hands together. The Star Fire Talisman erupted, burning with brilliant, beautiful flames, shooting directly into the high altitude above. In the next second, a myriad of flowing fire erupted like countless stars, slowly descending through the deep blue night curtain.

The Star Fire Talisman, a type of talisman that could be ignited like fireworks, vast in scale and shocking in effect. Aside from being pretty to look at, it was useless and expensive, with no offensive capabilities.

In the vast and beautiful night sky, the meteor-like fireworks slowly fell, drawing the gaze of the people on the ground.

Back Mountain Forbidden Area.

Feng Xiwu raised her head to look in the direction where the star fire had erupted. That direction was Parasol Tree Mountain.

The bright firelight reflected in her pupils, like a world in miniature, boundless, mysterious, and beautiful.

Xue Meiniang looked in the same direction. After a long while, he smiled playfully: “I wonder which disciple has stirred with mortal passions again. Looking at the direction, it seems to be Parasol Tree Mountain. Could it be a disciple from Perfected One Feng’s mountain?”

Feng Xiwu subconsciously rubbed her fingertips, lightly glancing at him without answering.

Some matters, some words, were not sufficient to be shared with outsiders.