Chapter 36: An Indifferent Glance Part 2

“In three days, I’ll take the infected disciples to Tianyan Sect,” Guan Du said, accepting tea from Lu Mingyi. “Personally, I’d love for you to come—you’re the only one who contacted demon beast blood without getting infected.

But… Junior Sister Shen will be going too. Infected but asymptomatic, she’ll be a priority for protection and study. Since you two don’t get along, no one can force you if you don’t want to.”

“Priorities matter. The Spirit-Devouring Gu is a crisis for all righteous cultivators.” Lu Mingyi seemed utterly unconcerned. “Besides, seeing your attitude today reassures me. If that Fellow Daoist Shen tries anything, you’ll have my back, right?”

“Absolutely!” Guan Du beamed at Lu Mingyi’s agreement, ready to promise the world.

In just a few encounters, she’d seen this person’s looks, talent, and character were all top-notch—her quick, sharp response to the Gu crisis was exactly what the turbulent righteous path needed!

“I-I’ll help too…” Qi Yinxue murmured softly from the side, cradling her teacup and taking a tiny sip.

Though weakened by the Spirit-Devouring Gu, her eyes burned with resolve.

“Mm… thank you.” Lu Mingyi nodded to Qi Yinxue, hoping her former little junior sister wouldn’t probe her identity so blatantly after this specially steeped tea.

With travel settled, Guan Du decided—since Lu Mingyi and Shen Mingzheng clashed—not to take the immortal boat. She’d personally escort her to Tianyan Sect.

“You sure that’s okay? You’re a team leader.”

“There are others leading! Taiqing Sect’s Five Peaks—five leaders total.”

The wind whistled past their ears, muffling Guan Du’s voice, but Lu Mingyi felt a long-lost thrill.

She hadn’t even activated spiritual energy shielding, letting fleeting clouds brush by and tiny rooftops blur below as the gale whipped her face and body.

It was merely flying on an artifact, but to Lu Mingyi now, it was truly invaluable.

Guan Du glanced again at the weapon beneath Lu Mingyi’s feet and said, “You cultivate spear arts? That’s pretty rare.”

“My mother was a spear cultivator, so when forging my immortal artifact, I chose a spear.”

The day before their departure, Lu Mingyi’s immortal artifact had finally been forged.

This spear, dark blue all over and about nine feet long, was made from merely middling materials. Yet in her hands, it radiated a dazzling blue-gold glow, looking in no way inferior to the heaven-grade immortal sword “Ruofei” under Guan Du’s feet.

The moment she took hold of it, Lu Mingyi felt utterly satisfied and tipped the forging workshop generously.

For someone like her, who had borrowed a corpse to return the soul and transcended normal logic, the spear was aptly named “Billowing Waves.”

“Spears are great too. Sometime tomorrow, if I find a good spear manual, I’ll give it to you!” Guan Du laughed. “Honestly, I watch those sword practitioners on Sword Peak every day, and sometimes I feel like I’ve seen enough—it’s getting boring!”

Hearing Guan Du bring up Taiqing Sect of her own accord, Lu Mingyi chimed in, “Guan Du, you seem so free-spirited and unbound, and you’re from a prestigious family too. Why stay in the sect? And… why take on a disciple like that?”

At this, Guan Du laughed heartily again. “Life in this world—how can everything go the way you want?”

But after the laughter faded, she let out a soft sigh. “Actually, many years ago, something major happened in the sect. One of my junior sisters was pinned with trumped-up charges and unjustly killed right here in Taiqing Sect. Among those who framed her was my own mother.

“After my junior sister died, the Demon Sect attacked Taiqing Sect. My… master and senior sister suffered severe blows, and our once-thriving sect was left crippled overnight.

“All this happened while I was out wandering freely, without lifting a finger. Afterward, I realized I’d shirked the responsibilities I should have shouldered. So from then on, I had to make it up.”

“As for that girl Xie Wenxin…” Guan Du’s brows furrowed as she recalled Xiao Yuxie covered in blood. She closed her eyes with another sigh. “Well, it’s one of those responsibilities. What can I do? I’m on Sword Peak.”

“But don’t worry, I won’t go easy on her just because she’s my disciple. She was wrong, and when I get back, I’ll punish her twice over.”

Listening to Guan Du, Lu Mingyi realized that after her death, Taiqing Sect must have undergone massive upheaval in a short time.

Not just from the Demon Sect, but from internal strife as well.

And their attitude toward Xie Wenxin was oddly inconsistent—intensely concerned one moment, indifferent the next.

But she wanted to figure out exactly how she’d died, so she asked, “Your junior sister… is she the one from that rumor going around, the one who supposedly exploded to death by accident in Taiqing Sect? If she was wronged, why call it an accidental death?”

“This…” Guan Du’s brows knit tighter. She shot Lu Mingyi a quick glance, as if weighing her words, then finally spoke. “There are so many half-truth rumors because after my junior sister died, not even her corpse was left!”

Lu Mingyi: “…”

So she’d died without even a complete corpse?!

She forced herself to show only shock. “What? How could that be?”

“I don’t know.” Guan Du sighed heavily. “When I rushed back to the sect, I only heard the news of her death. I wanted to see her one last time and that’s when I learned. I begged our master to investigate thoroughly, but she… went into seclusion soon after, and the matter was dropped.”

Lu Mingyi’s face darkened completely.

In the Cultivation World, dying without an intact corpse was one of the most wretched ways to go—often tied to pulverizing bones and scattering ashes.

Unless it was an accident, it meant deep-seated hatred, the kind that denied one any chance of reincarnation, leaving not even a body behind!

And she’d died in Taiqing Sect’s Seclusion Chamber—no accident there.

Someone had done this to her!

And after killing her, they’d destroyed her corpse!

Even after two years reborn in a new body, Lu Mingyi couldn’t accept that she’d been treated this way.

Especially since Guan Du said she’d pleaded with Jiang Liuzhao to investigate, and Jiang Liuzhao had dodged it?

Dodged what?!

Lu Mingyi nearly lost control of her emotions. Her mind raced through her past life—misplaced trusts, Jiang Liuzhao’s deceptions and manipulations, and that killing intent—

Who benefited most from my death? Jiang Liuzhao, of course!

Burn my corpse to ashes, and that Five-Colored Stone—whatever it really was—could vanish forever!

Suddenly, Guan Du sensed intense resentment from beside her, chilling her to the spine. She looked over. “Do you feel a bit cold?”

“It’s fine, aren’t we flying too fast?” The woman’s smile was the same as always.

Guan Du felt that near-tangible emotion recede and shook her head in confusion.

Once she’d dispelled Guan Du’s suspicions, Lu Mingyi’s smile vanished entirely, replaced by a deep gloom.

She clenched her fists tight, eyes closed as she breathed heavily. Her nails dug into her palms, the sharp pain barely diverting the overwhelming negativity surging in her heart.

Even with a new body from rebirth, even if I don’t want to tangle with my past anymore… how can they…

“Sigh, we’ve reached Yu Province!”

Guan Du’s sudden joyful voice snapped Lu Mingyi from her violent thoughts.

She looked ahead instinctively and saw massive rock masses blotting out the sky, floating in the air—with buildings constructed atop them!

“These are… Floating Sky Cities?”

Lu Mingyi’s attention shifted instantly. She flew her spear over, seeing how each enormous rock had become a small settlement brimming with life.

Yu Province and Tianfu lay in the southwest of the Nine Provinces, full of mountains and highlands. The varied climate and terrain grew diverse immortal herbs and spirit plants, but the harsh landscape made human settlements hard to develop.

Floating Sky Cities solved that, but they cost a fortune to build and required massive spirit power to maintain. No sect or clan wanted the burden.

Yet now, dozens floated across Yu Province’s skies!

“Exactly!” Guan Du started to explain, but her smile dimmed slightly. “Mm… my senior sister pulled it together. There are twenty-seven in Yu Province and Tianfu combined. Thanks to them, the southwest has boomed, shocking the Nine Provinces with how fast powers here have grown.”

“Xiao Yuxie?” Lu Mingyi’s brows furrowed lightly.

“Mm… yeah.”

Lu Mingyi gazed at Yu Province below, far more prosperous than 180 years ago, surprised but not shocked.

During that century on Sword Peak, Xiao Yuxie often took her to the southwest.

Back then, Xiao Yuxie had shared her vision with Lu Mingyi.

The southwest had such prime herb resources, yet lagged behind the central regions and Jiangnan. Limited space for human development was the biggest issue.

Her greatest wish was to break that bottleneck, letting the Xiao Family reclaim a top spot among clans.

In just 180 years, she’d achieved what so many before couldn’t.

Landing before Yu Province City, eyeing the towering walls, Lu Mingyi slung Billowing Waves behind her back. A phrase flashed in her mind.

But soon, she frowned and snorted coldly. Who knows how Xiao Yuxie roped in the southwest folks with her fake gentle and kind act?

They didn’t linger in Yu Province City long. After a quick rest, they headed straight for the mountains where Tianyan Sect stood.

At the mountain base, Taiqing Sect’s immortal boat had already arrived. From afar, they saw white robes mingling with black.

“Our timing’s good—we synced up with the immortal boat! Otherwise, we’d have to send word for Tianyan Sect to send another pickup.” Guan Du smiled, hurrying Lu Mingyi forward.

Sects across the Nine Provinces with any real foundation had Sect-Protecting Grand Arrays around their territories—outsiders couldn’t enter freely.

Tianyan Sect had issued the invitation, so they’d arranged escorts at the base.

Lu Mingyi followed Guan Du up. A stern woman in black robes with a small golden cauldron crown atop her head was speaking with Taiqing Sect’s leaders. She spared no extra glance for them.

Her voice was somewhat low. “Everyone’s had a hard journey. Tianyan Sect has arranged lodging. The southwest medical clans will arrive over the next seven days. Please, follow me up the mountain. My disciple here will guide you.”

Lu Mingyi vaguely recognized the woman’s crown and face—she was Tianyan Sect’s current Sect Leader, the Taisu Medical Venerable at Cavern Void Early Stage.

As the Taisu Medical Venerable finished, a graceful woman stepped forward from beside her. “Fellow Daoists, please follow me.”

The woman bowed, then straightened slowly. Stray locks brushed her upturned eye corner.

She raised a slender hand to tuck them behind her ear, seemingly casually sweeping her gaze over Lu Mingyi—who lurked at the group’s rear, observing everything—and smiled faintly. “I’m Yun Xu. If you need anything, come find me.”