Mistaken Era – Chapter 10
Cui Xiaoxiao couldn’t really explain it clearly to her two senior martial brothers, but she took the opportunity to describe it in detail to her second senior martial sister when they were alone picking wild vegetables.
After listening, Jiang Nanmu widened her eyes slightly and said, “You mean Qin Lingxiao not only helped dispel the poison for you, but also wants to marry you because of that?”
Cui Xiaoxiao was picking wild vegetables by the road with her old dog Jixiang. Upon hearing this, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, “Although the Nine Profound Sword Sect has a decent reputation, a traitorous disciple who could kill their own master can hardly be a righteous person. Although his cultivation is high, he is far inferior to our master in terms of being a decent human being! I once made a vow to our master to turn over a new leaf and help further develop our sect. How could I defile the honor of our sect by submitting myself to some lowly major sect just because I was coerced?”
Jiang Nanmu pondered for a moment. Ever since their master passed away, this Cui Xiaoxiao did indeed seem to have changed, no longer misanthropic, and her temper had improved considerably.
She couldn’t help but wonder what had happened during those three days and nights when the master took Cui Xiaoxiao into seclusion in the mountain cave before his passing. Why did the master seem to have expended all his energy after coming out of seclusion, rapidly withering before his eventual demise, while Cui Xiaoxiao appeared to have become a completely different person, no longer stubborn in character?
When Jiang Nanmu tentatively asked about it, Cui Xiaoxiao pressed her lips together and said softly, “Have you heard of the Tracing Back the Light technique?”
Jiang Nanmu shook her head. She had never heard of such a thing before.
Cui Xiaoxiao gave a bitter smile, no longer speaking, her hands gradually slowing down as she picked the wild vegetables, unable to stop reminiscing about those final moments she spent with her master…
Only she knew that Master Tang Youshu had exhausted all of his lifelong cultivation to invoke the Tracing Back the Light technique, just to allow her to re-witness that most unforgettable scene from her nightmares.
She had always thought that her mother had heartlessly sold her daughter because she disliked her ill-fated destiny and wanted to send the ominous star far away.
When little Xiaoxiao stood by the carriage, she saw with her own eyes that after the carriage carrying the tearful little girl left, her thin, haggard-looking mother emerged trembling from the dilapidated courtyard.
Her mother was also covered in tears, gazing at the departing carriage.
Her uncle was still complaining to her mother, “When others sell their daughters, even if it’s just an indenture, it’s at least ten taels of silver! You only got three taels, and then you gave that three taels to the carriage driver—what sense does that make! Sister, have you gone mad from illness?”
Her mother’s gaze turned cold as she said softly, “Even without the physician saying so, I know this illness of mine won’t last much longer. You all believed that itinerant practitioner’s words that if I’m gone, you won’t be able to keep my little Xiaoxiao either. If that’s the case, it’s better to find her a place where she can be clothed and fed. That tooth-puller is a local villager, a fairly reliable person. I took less silver so that he would take good care to arrange for Xiaoxiao to become a maid in a good household, giving her a secure position. I gave the carriage driver money in the hopes that he would take care of Xiaoxiao along the way… I sold a ten-year indenture contract, so after ten years when Xiaoxiao grows up, she can redeem herself and pursue her own path. As her mother, I’m incapable, so this is the last thing I can do for Xiaoxiao…”
Towards the end, her mother’s words became choked in her throat as she gazed vacantly at the departing carriage, full of reluctance to let go.
Meanwhile, the grown-up Xiaoxiao who stood by simply froze there in a daze.
At that moment, the boulder of cynicism and misanthropy that had accumulated in her heart from being abandoned by her mother seemed to have been moved aside.
It turned out her mother didn’t dislike her ill-fated destiny, but was terminally ill and unable to take care of her. Knowing her uncle’s family was unreliable, she could only make arrangements for Xiaoxiao’s future before her demise…
At that moment, shards of those deliberately forgotten past events came flooding back into her mind.
Ah, her dear mother had doted on her deeply since childhood. Although the family was poor and she couldn’t attend a private school, her literate mother had personally taught her to read and write…
On the night before she was sold, her mother had hugged her tightly as they slept. When she woke up the next morning, she found the hair by her mother’s face damp with moisture.
Little Xiaoxiao had wanted to call out “Mother,” but it seemed the word was stuck in her throat, only silent tears streaming down her cheeks.
When she tried to move her feet, the familiar family doors and loved ones had dissipated like smoke and clouds.
Tang Youshu used an extraordinary technique to briefly trace back through time, replaying past scenes.
Cui Xiaoxiao could only observe, like a spectator unable to speak to those from the past or truly reunite with her mother.
The master had once regretfully said that there were even more exquisite ancient techniques than tracing back time that could actually reverse the flow of time, freely traversing past and present.
Rather than his method that simply expended his lifelong cultivation to briefly manifest past scenes that quickly faded, without truly letting one be present within them.
However, such an exquisite method that defied the heavenly laws, even for those at the immortal ranks, could not be used frivolously lest they receive divine retribution.
Tang Youshu had expended his cultivation to restore the truth of when Cui Xiaoxiao was sold as a child, resolving the knot in this unruly girl’s heart.
He knew his own destiny was fulfilled, coupled with expending his cultivation which further depleted his Yang vitality. But if it allowed Cui Xiaoxiao to untie her heart knot and turn toward kindness, then his bitter efforts would not have been in vain.
Recalling her master’s parting words before his demise, Cui Xiaoxiao let out a long sigh.
The master did not consider her to have an ill-fated “Ten Injuries” destiny. On the contrary, such an extremely Yin destiny that severed mundane attachments could, with the right opportunity, manifest as an extraordinarily rare and capable talent.
Cui Xiaoxiao was originally fated for a short life, yet had lived to this age—evidence enough that this seemingly wretched destiny was in fact a crack in the heavenly mandate.
So-called “destiny” may be decreed by heaven, but it has the word “human” above it, meaning that although destiny is mandated by heaven, it is not immutable by human effort.
It’s just that the true study of destiny and symbolic arts have been too neglected by the world, giving rise to fallacies until the point of having the preposterous notion that one’s entire life is determined by destiny.
For the first time since she was cognizant, Cui Xiaoxiao heard someone say her Eight Characters were actually auspicious.
At the time, she doubted Tang Youshu was talking nonsense, only asking what if he had mistaken the plague god for a treasure due to his failing eyesight.
In Cui Xiaoxiao’s view, ever since her adopted father Tang Youshu had forcibly “bought” her, his physical condition had deteriorated day by day—clear evidence of her formidable ability to harm others.
However, Tang Youshu merely gave a faint smile: “My longevity was already depleted, what does it have to do with you, little girl? As for your path thereafter, it is entirely up to you. Although I told your senior martial brothers that you could bring glory to our sect, I was merely indulging them. This Lingshan Symbol Sect of ours is but a minor school I painstakingly established with my own blood and effort, without any great sectarian glory. In any case, I’m leaving our sect in your hands. Do with it as you wish, just don’t let your senior martial brothers starve, and my parting instructions will not have been in vain…Take them all down the mountain to experience the world. You…will undergo great transformation.”
And so the begging bowl of the Lingshan Symbol Sect was passed down into the hands of the young Cui Xiaoxiao.
Recalling her master’s earnest entreaty for her to revive their sect, Cui Xiaoxiao quickened the motions of her hands, no longer dwelling on the past but single-mindedly focused on digging up wild vegetables—at the very least she had to feed her fellow disciples for now.
Seeing Cui Xiaoxiao speak a bunch of disjointed words without answering her question, Jiang Nanmu sighed and no longer asked, joining Cui Xiaoxiao in digging instead.
They had now arrived at a place called Crimson Creek State, with streams winding everywhere. Their senior martial brother had utilized symbol spells to control the water, even catching a few plump fish from the streams.
With the plump fish and wild vegetables, tonight’s dinner became rather luxurious. Not only was there a fish head and vegetable stew, but also grilled plump fish to go with the flatbread they brought from Fei County, allowing the few of them to eat quite heartily.
The senior martial brother, who usually berated Cui Xiaoxiao harshly, was even amicable during dinner, personally helping himself to give Cui Xiaoxiao two extra servings of fish.
Before Cui Xiaoxiao could feel touched, Ji Wuqi spoke bluntly that she likely did not have many days left to live. He was simply being sympathetic to someone about to die.
When the day came for her demonic possession, he hoped she would not blame him, as the senior martial brother, for having to severely subdue her, a righteous extinction of evil kin.
There was no alternative, for exorcising demons and safeguarding the righteous path was the duty of a chivalrous hero. Even with her lofty position as sect leader, it would not matter.
Cui Xiaoxiao glanced at the somewhat evasive eyes of her second senior martial sister and junior martial brother, whose implied meaning was likely the same.
In truth, Cui Xiaoxiao was also very worried about being tainted by the malicious demon pearl’s possession, but after so long a period, besides the mark appearing on her wrist, there were no other abnormalities.
Hearing her senior brother’s words, she stated that even if she did become demonically possessed, she would likely be quite weak. After all, the demon pearl required attaching itself to someone harboring deep resentment in order to fully manifest its demonic nature.
However, if her senior brother kept constantly berating her with such harsh language, it would be easy for her to develop deep grievances. So he had better not blame her if she only went after Ji Wuqi to bite him when the time came!
Seeing that she still had the heart to joke around, Ji Wuqi glared at her fiercely once more before lowering his head to continue drinking the soup and eating the fish.
During the meal, Ayi took another look at the map and discovered that Cui Xiaoxiao had led them down the wrong path, adding quite a detour from their destination of Phoenix Pool in the Qilao Mountains.
Not quite believing it, Cui Xiaoxiao took the map and saw that it was indeed true! It seemed that yesterday at a fork in the road, after wavering for a bit, she had taken the wrong turn. Fortunately, it wasn’t too much of a detour. They just needed to backtrack in the morning to find the right path again.
After eating, it was time for their nightly cultivation practice.
Although the Symbol Sect focused primarily on talisman refinement, circulating true qi in the dantian was still required to catalyze the activation of spiritual talismans by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.
Therefore, night meditation was almost a mandatory path for any cultivator.
Compared to her three fellow disciples, Cui Xiaoxiao lacked any foundation in meditation, inevitably prone to the mistakes of a beginner. Before long, her lower back started aching and she wanted to move around a bit.
When she half-opened her eyes, the other three disciples remained steadily focused in meditation. However, her old dog Jixiang who had been laying by her feet was nowhere to be seen.
She looked around and saw Jixiang following the stream, heading towards some dense bushes. She quickly got up to chase after him, but as she walked, a heavy fog gradually arose around her and the stream beneath her feet had inexplicably become viscous.
Cui Xiaoxiao abruptly stopped in her tracks and called out loudly for Jixiang.
In the empty space around her, there was no sign of the old dog. At that moment, a pitch-black mountain cave eerily materialized in front of Cui Xiaoxiao’s eyes. The sudden appearance of this cave was jarring, its shape monstrous, resembling a leering skull.
Cui Xiaoxiao scrutinized it briefly before turning to flee. She valued her life dearly and had no curiosity that would compel her to enter a cave of such sinister semblance!
But just as she turned, a tremendous suction force emerged from behind, instantly pulling her slender body in.
