Chapter 16

After Tingyu dropped her off at the Book Collection Pavilion, the crane didn’t leave right away. Lu Mingyi thought it was waiting for the “reward” she’d mentioned earlier. “Do you want me to wait a bit? I’ll catch you some fish once I find the book, or do you want me to groom your feathers?”

The beautiful immortal crane gazed silently at her for a moment, then raised its neck and flapped its wings before flying away.

Lu Mingyi stood there, somehow sensing a hint of “speechlessness” in the bird’s eyes.

She shook her head with a smile, thinking she’d been getting a bit paranoid lately, imagining threats everywhere.

Once inside the Book Collection Pavilion, Lu Mingyi headed straight to the first floor’s “Taiqing Sect Overview” section and pulled out the Taiqing Sect Registry.

The Taiqing Sect had extremely stringent requirements for accepting disciples. Whether it was the sect elders or new recruits, everyone had strict identity records. The personal disciples of each peak lord had even more detailed information.

Soon, she found a name in the Beast Peak registry—Xie Shiji.

From the Xie Family in the southwest, name containing “Shiji,” exceptional talent, entered the sect in the same batch as Xiao Yuxie to become a personal disciple, deceased years ago…

With a “snap,” Lu Mingyi closed the registry.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence? The “Shiji” my senior sister mentioned might not be this one…

The smile that had lingered on her lips vanished completely, her fingertips gripping the book’s spine turning white from the pressure.

But with the facts laid out before her, she no longer had time to avoid the issue.

Once all these anomalies were explained, Lu Mingyi’s first thought was that she had to hurry to Lingxiao Mansion.

Those voices weren’t baseless rumors.

Today, she’d heard that voice from Ji Xuyun, pointing to her as the one deliberately spreading the Sect Leader’s prophecy—Ji Xuyun was the Demon Sect spy!

With Ji Xuyun’s status as merely the top inner disciple, she couldn’t have possibly contacted the Sect Leader recently. This meant there were even more Demon Sect spies within the Taiqing Sect, and in higher positions.

To think that the mighty Taiqing Sect had already been infiltrated so deeply.

Lu Mingyi turned and quickened her pace out of the Book Collection Pavilion. But when her gaze fell upon the blood-red remnants of the setting sun, another thought flashed through her mind:

So Ji Junior Sister is from the Demon Sect. All these years, she’s been confiding in a Demon Sect member, even returning to Jiangxia together to pay respects to our mothers…

Lu Mingyi lowered her eyes to her own hands.

These hands—how many times have they clasped with Ji Xuyun’s?

In the secret realm, amid countless perils, how many times had she entrusted her back to her?

And then there were all those voices from other people…

The massive, crimson sun blended with the ethereal clouds, painting the heavens and earth. Emerging from the Book Collection Pavilion led to an extremely wide platform.

Yet amid this vast world, Lu Mingyi’s mind went blank for a moment, unsure where she should even go.

She took a few small breaths, suppressing those stray thoughts.

Regardless of anything else, the clue about Ji Xuyun had to be reported to Jiang Liuzhao as soon as possible.

But just as Lu Mingyi took out her Identity Token to send a message to Jiang Liuzhao, she suddenly felt a massive force shoving her from behind, accompanied by an exploding pain. After a brief loss of consciousness, she realized she’d fallen into the Taiqing Abyss beside the pavilion.

The icy lake water stung her body, aggravating the chill she’d accumulated from Contemplation Cliff. In an instant, intense pain radiated from her Dantian.

The burning pain on her back was impossible to ignore even in the water. She realized she’d been ambushed.

On the shore, she could vaguely make out several figures. Even from afar, Wang Ting’s tall, upright silhouette was unmistakable, along with the malicious sneer on her face.

“Wasn’t Junior Sister Lu so smug this afternoon? How’d she end up tumbling so pathetically into the Taiqing Abyss?” Wang Ting sneered sarcastically to those around her.

“That was just Senior Sister Wang giving her face this afternoon. Who knew she’d be so ungrateful! Clinging to the Shen Family like that—does she really think she’s one of them?” someone chimed in.

“Don’t try to pressure me with the Shen Family! What does Lu Mingyi have to do with them? The Shen Family Head personally visited Yao Ye Zhenren because all the Shen Family disciples are under Pill Peak! Who’s on Sword Peak?” Wang Ting scoffed disdainfully, then added with near-venomous spite, “Junior Sister Lu, you should climb up quick! Beast Peak just caught a Millennium Black Flood Dragon not long ago, and it’s suppressed right under the Taiqing Abyss. Don’t disturb its rest!”

Lu Mingyi listened to the laughter from the shore as the lake currents carried her along.

The Taiqing Abyss was called an “abyss” because of its extreme depth. It did house quite a few ferocious spirit beasts, but most had been tamed by Beast Peak. The few untamed ones were suppressed by formations.

Wang Ting had brought up the Black Flood Dragon deliberately just to scare her, to see her panic.

Lu Mingyi’s hair tie had snapped earlier, and now her long hair fanned out with the water flow, a few strands sticking to her face.

Drifting on the lake’s surface like this, there was no trace of panic on her face—in fact, she even looked somewhat leisurely and at ease. The sunset’s glow shimmered on the water, casting rippling reflections that enveloped her in a serene, almost sacred aura.

Wang Ting on the shore looked down at the figure in the water, a thought flashing through her mind: Chen Qinghe has a gloomy temper, but her taste in looks isn’t bad.

But in the blink of an eye, the person floating on the lake vanished, leaving only a brilliant rainbow trail.

“Lu…” Wang Ting’s expression changed as she instinctively stepped closer to search for Lu Mingyi.

But then, a piercing whoosh cut through the air. Wang Ting’s heart sank as two screams rang in her ears:

“Ah!” “Ouch!”

Two shadows flashed by, and Wang Ting’s two lackeys were hurled into the Taiqing Abyss.

Wang Ting was shocked. She herself was at Golden Core Mid-Stage—not to mention her lackeys at peak Foundation Establishment. How could they not withstand a single move from Lu Mingyi, who was only at Foundation Establishment Third Layer?

Spiritual energy surged rapidly in her Dantian, forming a subtle pressure barrier for protection. No matter what move she uses, I’m a whole major realm above her. This spiritual shield will keep her at bay. Once she pulls out talismans…

However, before Wang Ting could even reach into her Storage Ring, agony exploded from her waist. The next second, she lost her balance, watching helplessly as she soared into the air and plunged into the water.

Lu Mingyi landed gracefully, her sword Gu Li still sheathed at her back. Crimson-golden spiritual light rose around her, tracing a beautiful arc in the air.

—Crimson Sky Sword Art, First Form: Chixia Lingyun.

The world-renowned Crimson Sky Sword Art was Jiang Liuzhao’s self-created sword technique.

When Jiang Liuzhao wielded it, it was stern and decisive. But when Lu Mingyi used it, it always carried a touch more fluidity and whimsy.

After executing the first form of the Crimson Sky Sword Art, Lu Mingyi felt her Dantian rapidly withering.

The Dantian that had ached faintly since leaving Contemplation Cliff finally presented its “consequences”—her cultivation plummeted from Foundation Establishment Third Layer straight to Qi Refining Great Perfection, dropping an entire major realm.

Her right hand, which had just used the technique, trembled faintly. Lu Mingyi resheathed Gu Li on her back and glanced indifferently at the three in the Taiqing Abyss. “Senior Sister Wang, the Taiqing Abyss has nice water quality. Don’t make me the only one enjoying it.”

“You… Lu Mingyi!”

Watching Lu Mingyi’s departing figure, Wang Ting’s eyes nearly split with rage.

As a talisman cultivator, her physical constitution was only average. Even though Lu Mingyi hadn’t used even a tenth of the Crimson Sky Sword Art’s power—and hadn’t even drawn her sword—the flat of the blade slamming her waist had sapped her strength. Floating on the surface now was all she could manage.

Lu Mingyi didn’t want to waste more time.

Even as the pain from her Dantian and the chill from the lake water slowed her steps, she forced herself to perk up.

She took out her Identity Token, infused it with spiritual power, and sent a message to Jiang Liuzhao, stating she had urgent matters to report.

But after waiting a while with no reply, it seemed she had to go to Lingxiao Mansion in person.

Lu Mingyi had never realized so profoundly how poor her reputation had become. In the past at the Taiqing Sect, one call from her brought a hundred responses. Even after her cultivation dropped, while some attitudes shifted, most fellow disciples would still offer a helping hand out of old ties.

But now, with the Sect Leader’s prophecy circulating, people in the sect either harbored hostility toward her or avoided her like the plague. Asking for help from others was next to impossible.

This was the first time she’d realized how many people truly believed in that so-called “prophecy.”

With no time for concerns like convenience, and since the Identity Token hadn’t worked, Lu Mingyi decided to head to Youlan Pavilion and ask Xiao Yuxie to imperial sword her to Lingxiao Mansion.

Even if Xiao Yuxie saw her as a stand-in for Senior Sister Xie Shiji, she still showed care on a daily basis.

But is that care for the deceased, for their century of sisterhood, or for some more utilitarian purpose?

Perhaps her physical frailty scattered her focus. Even though she was anxious to see Jiang Liuzhao, she couldn’t help dwelling on those voices she’d heard while en route.

The distance from the Book Collection Pavilion to Youlan Pavilion wasn’t far, but with her injuries, by the time Lu Mingyi arrived, night had fully fallen.

She knocked on Youlan Pavilion’s door, but it wasn’t Xiao Yuxie who answered.

“Miss Lu?” The woman was a servant of the Xiao Family and recognized her at once. “Are you here for the family head? She’s not in the pavilion right now.”

Talk about when it rains, it pours.

Lu Mingyi’s brows furrowed slightly, but she still offered a faint smile in greeting. “Yes, I have some business with Senior Sister. About when will she return?”

The servant thought for a moment. Considering Lu Mingyi had visited the Xiao Family main branch several times with Xiao Yuxie, she shared the truth. “The family head is meeting with the young ladies from the Zhao and Lin Families to discuss southwest regional matters. She probably won’t be back early.”

The Zhao and Lin Families were major clans in the southwest, with several direct descendants cultivating at the Taiqing Sect. Lu Mingyi had met them before.

Back then, Xiao Yuxie never excluded her, even bringing her along to those family meetings.

Lu Mingyi lowered her gaze briefly, then raised a smile again. “Sorry to bother you, fellow Daoist. I’ll come back when Senior Sister returns.”

“Understood.” The servant responded, her eyes subtly scanning Lu Mingyi once more. “Miss Lu, your complexion doesn’t look good. Why not come in for some hot tea before you go?”

“Thanks, but no need.” Lu Mingyi shook her head and turned decisively to leave.

In the enveloping night, Lu Mingyi gazed at the scattered lights in the distance, feeling a chill of desolation for the first time.

She looked toward the brightest mansion over the ridge, but after her spat with Shen Mingzheng earlier that day, given her temper, sending a message now would surely go unanswered.

With no other options, Lu Mingyi closed her eyes and called out softly, “Shu Yi, could you come out for a moment?”

As soon as she spoke, the space a short distance ahead warped slightly, and an exceedingly slender figure appeared before Lu Mingyi.

Perhaps due to some spell, though the woman wore a pale red robe emblazoned with the Shen Family crest, she wasn’t conspicuous—almost blending into the night.

Shu Yi simply met Lu Mingyi’s gaze calmly, waiting for her to speak.

“Shu Yi, could you help me with something?” Lu Mingyi’s voice softened, not just from the pain in her body, but from the guilt of troubling her.

Shen Pianchen had sent her to protect her safety, yet here she was, asking her to “ferry” her somewhere.

“Can you take me to Lingxiao Mansion? I have something very important.”

“Of course.” Shu Yi agreed promptly.

She hadn’t appeared earlier outside the Book Collection Pavilion because she’d seen that Wang Ting and her group were just bullying Lu Mingyi, not intending real harm.

As a Xiao Family guard, unless Lu Mingyi called for help, Shu Yi wouldn’t intervene in such minor matters for her sake.

But now that Lu Mingyi had asked personally, Shu Yi would naturally comply.

As a sword cultivator herself, Shu Yi also used the Imperial Sword Technique.

With a Soul Transformation Stage cultivator’s power, it wouldn’t take long from mid-mountain to Sword Peak’s summit.

But Lu Mingyi noticed they stopped midway.

“Shu Yi?” she asked in confusion.

“Miss Lu, the Young Miss has something for you. Please check your Identity Token first,” Shu Yi said, her voice still devoid of emotion.

Shen Mingzheng?

Lu Mingyi’s heart clenched suddenly. She hadn’t expected Shen Mingzheng to reach out to her so quickly. Unsure whether it was joy, excitement, or something else churning inside her, she hurriedly pulled out her Identity Token to view the message.

It was indeed from Shen Mingzheng, but the content stated that the Shen Family had an emergency. Shen Pianchen and Xia Huan needed to rush back, and she was asked to come to Jin Que Pavilion once more.

This message was most likely dictated by Shen Pianchen through Shen Mingzheng—the wording was extremely concise, bluntly conveying that the other party “didn’t want to say more to you right now.”

Lu Mingyi let out a wry laugh. This scenario felt all too familiar.

But just as the corners of her mouth lifted, she recalled those words she’d overheard:

[Heh, already at Foundation Establishment Third Layer? Looks like the day you turn into a cripple isn’t far off.]

[Hypocrite! Becoming the Child of Prophecy must have you thrilled to death inside, right? Do you think you’re about to return to those days of being the center of attention, the number one genius in the world?]

Her smile froze on her face, twisting into a strange expression.

Lu Mingyi sighed inwardly. Shen Mingzheng must have some major misunderstanding about me. Once the Demon Sect matter is resolved, I’ll have a proper talk with her.

Just as she prepared to reply to Shen Mingzheng that she’d head over after finishing things here, her Identity Token received another transmission:

[Sword Peak Direct Disciple Lu Mingyi:

The Enforcement Hall has received reports that at the Shen hour today, you were wandering near Taiqing Abyss, triggering the Black Flood Dragon’s restriction and causing it to rampage. This has brought serious consequences to the sect. Upon receiving this message, proceed immediately to the Enforcement Hall on Main Peak for interrogation.]