Uncanny Immortal 103

Chapter 103

After Xie Youke jumped in through the window, Black General leaped onto the windowsill and squatted, its pupils reflecting the two people in the room, who were looking at each other in silence. It was both sticking out its tongue and wagging its tail, its mood seemingly quite cheerful.

Xie Qingzheng’s gaze flickered. She looked at the two of them, who had reconciled, and couldn’t help but think: In this situation, with this kind of atmosphere, why don’t you two hug?

If it were her and her master, she would have shamelessly gone over and wrapped her arms around her neck. It was a pity that not only did these two not hug, but after looking at each other for a few moments, they even jumped into the courtyard, drew their swords, and had another spar.

With a clang, Xie Fuyun suddenly used the move that Xie Youke had used yesterday. Xie Youke’s tiger’s mouth trembled, and her longsword was knocked to the ground.

Xie Fuyun threw her head back and laughed, in a very good mood.

Xie Youke looked at the fallen sword, then turned her head to look at Xie Fuyun, her beautiful brows raised. “You’ve learned this move?”

Xie Fuyun smiled and shook her head, then smiled and nodded. “I just learned it from you yesterday.”

The expression on Xie Youke’s face was truly wonderful.

This move, she had learned it from her master for half a month before she had mastered it…

It turned out that Xie Fuyun was a genius, exceptionally intelligent. Yesterday, she had seen Xie Youke use this move, and today, she could learn it exactly as it was, and even use it a little better than Xie Youke.

This feeling was like someone who had studied hard for decades before finally passing the imperial examinations, while this person had only studied for a day and had become the top scholar.

Xie Qingzheng considered herself a fast learner, but she could never compare to Xie Fuyun’s ability to remember things after seeing them once.

This outstanding talent, even she felt a little jealous, and she secretly thought: Senior Fuyun, why didn’t this cleverness get passed down to me through my bloodline… If I had this ability, in less than ten years, I would be walking sideways in the cultivation world…

The evaluation she had received from her master was “outstanding talent, reasonably intelligent.” It seemed that only a figure like Xie Fuyun could be considered a genius, just like her master.

And Xie Fuyun’s state of mind was quite free and easy. After just one night of thought, she had let go of her obsession with the position of sect master and had decided to willingly assist her junior sister in the future.

With this state of mind and talent, it was only a matter of time before she reached the top of the righteous path. By rights, it should also be very easy for her to ascend. How could she have gone astray?

Xie Qingzheng’s ear suddenly echoed with Xie Fuyun’s words, “I will be your subordinate and will assist you for a lifetime.” She then thought of the current Sect Master Xie, who was in charge of the Tianshu Sect all alone, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

The relationship between these two in their youth was clearly very good. How could there have been so many rumors later on, saying that they had had a falling out because they were competing for the position of sect master?

But it was undeniable that this person, Xie Fuyun, had good talent, strong cultivation, many friends, and a particularly good personality. She was too dazzling, like the sun, making everyone else seem dim in comparison.

To be by the side of such a person, the pressure was indeed not small.

Xie Qingzheng thought with a playful smile, “No wonder the current Sect Master Xie doesn’t interact much with my master. Could it be that the shadow her senior sister left her is too great…”

Fortunately, Sect Master Xie was also exceptionally talented in another matter—archery.

At the Langhuan Dao Discussion Conference, all the major sects gathered. In the entertainment session after the conference, they competed in archery.

Xie Fuyun led the little black dog and watched the cold-faced young lady on the field take three arrows, draw her bow, and shoot them one by one, all hitting the bullseye. She quickly applauded and cheered.

In the end, Xie Youke naturally took first place.

But the second place was a bit of a surprise. It was not Xie Fuyun, but Pei Shuxue.

The Vice Sect Master Pei in Xie Qingzheng’s impression was timid and weak, with a lingering melancholy between her brows, a sickly appearance, a completely different person from the high-spirited her at this time.

She carried a quiver of arrows and a longsword on her back, and held a longbow in her hand. She stood in front of Xie Fuyun and Xie Youke, chatting and laughing with Xie Fuyun. Xie Youke led the dog, and out of boredom, she plucked the bowstring, wanting to leave, but she was held by the wrist by Xie Fuyun and was not allowed to go.

Pei Shuxue invited the two of them to go out to exorcise evil spirits together after the Dao Discussion Conference. Xie Youke refused directly, “I’m not going.”

The smile on Pei Shuxue’s face froze for a moment. “Senior Sister Xie is really a straightforward person.”

Xie Fuyun explained, “It’s not that my junior sister doesn’t want to go, but that she can’t. My master has asked her to stay in the sect to assist with internal affairs.”

Pei Shuxue nodded. “I see. Then let’s go and ask Wangqing!”

With that, she pestered Xie Fuyun to go and find Xiao Wangqing.

Xie Qingzheng was a little curious. What would Sect Master Wangqing be like at this time? Were her eyebrows black or white?

But after she saw her, Xie Qingzheng was even more surprised.

At this time, Xiao Wangqing’s eyebrows were still dark. She was beautiful, with a hint of heroic spirit. But at this time, she was not at all like the gentle and elegant, sophisticated grandmaster in her memory, but like a hard-working and resentful punching bag. In the main hall, she was submissive, serving tea to people. Any junior in the hall could scold her at will.

Those people seemed to dislike her very much.

But she was not a handyman of the immortal sect. She was wearing the attire of an inner sect disciple of the Tianxuan sect, with a jade xiao and a longsword at her waist. She was clearly also a famous sect cultivator.

She came out with a tea tray and was walking with her head lowered when she ran into Pei Shuxue and the other two.

Pei Shuxue snatched the tea tray from her hand. “Why are they making you do this again?”

Seeing the three of them, a smile appeared on Xiao Wangqing’s face. Hearing what Pei Shuxue said, she opened her mouth, as if a little embarrassed. In the end, she forced a smile, took back the tea tray from Pei Shuxue’s hand, and said gently, “It’s just serving tea. It’s nothing I can’t do. Do you want some tea? Go inside and wait. I’ll go and pour it for you.”

She carried the tea tray and passed the three of them. Seeing this, the three of them walked into the hall and heard the people inside laughing, “Hahaha, what’s so great about being the sect master’s disciple? She still has to serve us tea.”

“Hah, she’s just a disciple in name. She’s not like the head senior sister and the second senior brother, who are really the sect master’s personal disciples.”

The former sect master of the Tianxuan sect, Xiao Daizong, had taken more than thirty personal disciples, half of whom were disciples in name only, whom he had taken but not taught. Xiao Wangqing happened to be one of them, the least favored one, who did not get to speak to the sect master all year round.

“Even if she’s just a disciple in name, for the people of your sect to treat her like this, does Sect Master Xiao have no opinion?”

“What opinion can the Sect Master have? Her background is so lowly. Her mother was originally from the Tianxuan sect, but was later expelled. Who knows who she had this wretched child with? The daughter of a sect outcast. It’s already good that the Sect Master didn’t beat her to death. If it were the Tianshu Sect, she wouldn’t even have the qualification to enter the sect!”

Hearing this, Xie Qingzheng had a thought: So Sect Master Wangqing has such a background… No wonder, no wonder back then, she had wanted me to hide my identity as the daughter of a sect outcast and to say that I was just from an ordinary family. She was probably worried that I, like her back then, would be ostracized by my fellow disciples. Sigh…

“Then how did she get into the Tianxuan sect?”

“Her mother died after she was born, and she was adopted by a farmer’s family. The sect master of the Tianji sect, Pei, and her mother were old friends. Back then, when she saw her selling straw sandals on the road, she brought her back to the Tianji sect and then sent her to the Tianxuan sect. Sect Master Xiao took her as a disciple for the sake of Sect Master Pei.”

Xie Qingzheng was in a daze. No wonder after the sect master had merged the three sects to form the Xuanji Sect, she would always pick up some destitute and helpless orphan girls and bring them back to the mountain. No wonder the sect master had been so determined to establish a sect that did not look at one’s background.

The daughter of a sect outcast, orphaned at a young age, adopted by a farmer’s family, and then taken in by her mother’s old friend… such a background and experience were so similar to hers. It was just that she had ended up staying at the Xuanji Sect and had not been sent to the Tianshu Sect. Besides Elder Jin and Elder Lan who had said a few harsh words to her, she had not suffered any excessive ostracism.

All of this, besides her master’s protection, was also due to Sect Master Wangqing’s protection.

“Hahahaha, she is lowly enough. Even as the sect master’s disciple, she is only fit to serve us tea. Just treat it as her atoning for her mother’s sins. Hahaha!”

“I think she’s trying her best to be subservient, probably to win sympathy from others!”

As the words fell, a fierce barking sound suddenly came from the hall, followed by the sound of teacups crashing to the ground, and a chorus of screams:

“Who, who, whose dog! Get it on a leash! It’s biting people!”

“Draw your swords, draw your swords! Quickly stab this mad dog to death!”

Black General had intimidated everyone in the hall. A sharp whistle cut through the air, and it returned to Xie Fuyun’s side.

The hall was in a mess. The three of them, led by Xie Fuyun, stood at the entrance of the hall, their hands on the hilts of their swords, and looked at the group of cultivators in the hall with cold eyes.

Xie Fuyun sneered. “If I hear you gossiping behind my back again, I’ll pull out all your tongues!”

Most of the people in the hall were cultivators of the Tianxuan sect. Seeing Xie Fuyun and Xie Youke appear, these famous sect disciples quickly sheathed their swords.

There was no need to compete. They were all old friends. They had been beaten by Xie Fuyun since they were children.

When Xiao Wangqing came over with the tea, she saw the mess in the hall, then looked at the three of them, and let out an almost inaudible sigh.

Pei Shuxue snatched the tea tray from her hand again, placed it heavily on the table, took Xiao Wangqing’s hand, and said, “You come with us! Don’t mind them!”

The four of them, in pairs, one after the other, walked for a long time and came to a lakeside.

Xie Fuyun held the dog and flew to a boat in the lake, saying, “You all come over. I’ve hidden some good things here!”

Xie Youke leaped over the lake and landed lightly in the boat. Pei Shuxue took Xiao Wangqing’s hand, and with a tap of her toes, she flew to the boat and asked, “What good things have you hidden?”

“Huadiao wine!” Xie Fuyun broke the seal of the wine jar, and a clear aroma of wine spread. “I specially brought it from Gusu to drink with you.”

Xie Youke said, “Master said that we cannot drink when we are out.”

Xie Fuyun laughed. “Junior Sister, don’t be a spoilsport. Shuxue, Wangqing, you two pour her a mouthful first!”

Pei Shuxue and Xiao Wangqing looked at each other with a smile, joined forces to hold Xie Youke down, and poured a large mouthful into her. Only then did she stop saying such spoilsport words.

Under the moonlight, the four of them floated on the lake, drinking and chatting. Xie Fuyun lay in the boat, looked up at the moon in the sky, and said with a half-smile, “In the future, my junior sister will be the Sect Master of the Tianshu Sect, Shuxue, you will be the sect master of the Tianji sect, and then the three of us will support Wangqing to be the sect master of the Tianxuan sect. Perfect!”

Xiao Wangqing was noncommittal and asked gently, “Fuyun, what about you?”

Xie Fuyun, with drunken eyes, said drunkenly, “I have you three sect masters as my close friends, to look after me and protect me. I will naturally walk sideways in the cultivation world. In the future, no one will dare to bully me anymore.”

In truth, when had she ever been bullied? These words were just to comfort Xiao Wangqing.

Xiao Wangqing was so meticulous. She naturally also understood the hidden meaning in Xie Fuyun’s words. She blinked, and her eyes were faintly filled with tears.

Xie Qingzheng’s heart was moved. Sometimes, she felt that her way of speaking was really very similar to Xie Fuyun’s. For example, the phrase “walk sideways in the cultivation world,” she had also thought of it in her heart. And sometimes, she felt that she was very similar to Xie Youke in some aspects, for example, abiding by the rules, being serious, and being obedient to her master.

She was always obedient on the surface but would complain in her heart, as if she were a mix of these two people’s characteristics.

It seemed that she had indeed been raised by them when she was a child…

The little black dog lay on the roof of the boat, its gaze soft as it looked at Xie Fuyun.

Under the moonlight, the young girl lying in the boat was soft and bright, her cheeks flushed red, a wanton smile on her lips, and a hazy drunkenness at the corners of her eyes and brows. As Xie Qingzheng looked, a pang of sadness suddenly arose in her heart.

Xie Fuyun, oh Xie Fuyun, why are you always standing up for others and thinking about their future? Do you not know that you will end up with your soul scattered in the end? The three of them, none of them protected you…

Thinking of this, a strong hatred suddenly rose in Xie Qingzheng’s heart.

This hatred was very unfamiliar and was definitely not hers, but it was clearly branded in her heart, as if another person were living in her body.

Xie Qingzheng was startled. What’s going on?