Uncanny Immortal 116

Chapter 116

Xie Qingzheng forgot how she had been brought back by Xie Youke.

She only remembered her master in a white robe, stained with blood, like a red plum blossom withered in the snow. She only remembered that Sect Master Xie had been so angry with her that her face had turned red and then white, and she had pointed her sword at her chest, sneering as she questioned her, “Who have you harmed? Even if you don’t care about your own reputation, you have harmed her! Do you want to ruin her reputation and make it so that she can never hold her head up in the cultivation world again?”

These words had made her heart sink to the bottom.

In an instant, all her anger and emotions had faded, and she had completely calmed down.

Yes, her feelings had not harmed anyone else, but they would harm her master.

If her master also had feelings for her, then they were in love with each other. After they had solved the current troubles, they could very well retire from the jianghu, find a paradise, and cultivate in seclusion, and from then on, not ask about the rights and wrongs of the cultivation world, and not bother anyone.

But all of this was just her own wishful thinking.

Or perhaps, if her master had no name in the cultivation world, then the matter between them would not stir up any waves in the cultivation world. Whether it was incest or immorality, no one would care, and it would not bother anyone either.

But her master was a renowned figure of the immortal sects, a role model of the righteous path. She was as bright as the moon, as white as jade, and untouched by dust. The disciple she had personally taught had disregarded human ethics and had openly violated the ways of the world. How would the world see her?

Before she had made her feelings clear, Xie Qingzheng had still had a trace of the illusion and delusion of mutual affection. She had also, intentionally or not, tested her, and there had been a hazy ambiguity and sweetness.

But after it had been made clear, she could no longer deceive herself and pretend that everything was fine.

Her master could not accept her feelings at all.

Thinking of Mo Jiangxue’s silence at that time, a pang of sadness arose in Xie Qingzheng’s heart.

She really wanted to go and see her master, to see how she was now, but she did not dare to go. She did not even dare to try and fathom her master’s thoughts.

Sect Master Xie also did not let her go and see her.

Xie Youke abided by the rules of etiquette and was the most respectful of her master and the Dao. Knowing that she was in love with her master, and not having killed her with one sword strike, was already a lenient treatment for her.

After she had returned from the stone cave, Xie Qingzheng had been locked in a tent—a tent right next to Xie Youke’s.

Xie Youke still had many military affairs to attend to and had no time to discipline her. She only had Xiao Wangqing go and see her.

Her body was covered in wounds, her left cheek was swollen, and her clothes were soaked with rain. Her whole body was cold and painful.

She was extremely tired, as if all her strength had been drained. Her thoughts were also in a mess. She sat on the edge of the bed, dejected. When she heard the Sect Master come in, she did not get up to salute.

Xie Qingzheng did not dare to look at Xiao Wangqing’s face. She was afraid of seeing the same disappointed and hateful expression on the Sect Master’s face as she had seen on Sect Master Xie’s.

She had always been the most obedient and sensible little junior sister in the sect, yet she had done such a great transgression.

She didn’t know what the Sect Master would say to her, what she would persuade her of, or if she would, like Sect Master Xie, scold her.

She thought to herself, Even if the Sect Master scolds me now, I can only let it go in one ear and out the other.

But she really wanted to know how her master was now. Her master had been taken away by the Sect Master.

Xie Qingzheng gathered her courage and looked at Xiao Wangqing.

Unexpectedly, there was no blame or disappointment. What she met was still a pair of gentle and loving eyes.

Xiao Wangqing walked to Xie Qingzheng’s side, raised her hand to touch her head, and then gently stroked her cheek.

A gentle spiritual energy came over, wiping away the swelling and pain on her left cheek.

“Jiangxue is asleep. The injuries on her body are not serious. I and a few of the sect masters have also helped her to suppress the yin poison in her body.”

Not only did she not scold her, but she had also considerately sensed her thoughts and had taken the initiative to tell her about her master’s condition.

No matter how much she had suspected the Sect Master before, at this moment, hearing the Sect Master speak to her in a gentle and soft voice, her chest warmed, and her nose couldn’t help but tingle, and she felt a wave of warmth.

She said thank you in a low voice.

Xiao Wangqing had someone bring a new set of Daoist robes for her to change into.

Compared to Sect Master Xie’s storm, the Sect Master’s treatment of her was truly a gentle breeze and a light rain.

Xiao Wangqing not only did not criticize her, but she also spoke up for Xie Youke. “Since the Dao Discussion Conference, you have made a great name for yourself in the cultivation world. Sect Master Xie is very pleased. Now that she has suddenly heard that you have done something you shouldn’t have, it is inevitable that her love is deep, and her blame is also deep, and she was a little strict.”

Xie Qingzheng hummed vaguely.

She did not deserve that slap.

She had always been gentle, but when she faced Sect Master Xie, she always had a bit of a reckless air and would not deliberately suppress her anger and emotions. She didn’t know if it was because of her childhood experiences, or because of Xie Fuyun’s residual soul in her body, but she was certain that Sect Master Xie would not harm her.

Moreover, she should not have said something like “I might as well enter the demonic path.”

This was also not something she would say. Could it be that, under Tanluan’s repeated persuasion, her Dao heart had really been disturbed? Had a demonic barrier arisen?

Xie Qingzheng thought of the malevolent qi that had inexplicably risen in her chest at that time.

Or perhaps, Xie Fuyun’s residual soul had affected her?

Xiao Wangqing did not mention the private feelings between her and her master, nor did she persuade her of anything. Seeing that she had no intention of talking, she touched her head and said gently, “Rest well. I’ll have Min’er come and accompany you.”

The companionship of peers was always more comfortable than that between an elder and a junior.

Xie Qingzheng did not wait for Senior Sister Min He to arrive.

After the Sect Master had left, she lay on the bed and fell into a groggy sleep.

When she woke up the next day, she saw that Senior Sister Min He had considerately left a book by her pillow. It was a miscellaneous book, perhaps because she was afraid she would be bored.

Xie Qingzheng casually flipped through it. It was mostly a few short stories. The protagonists of the stories were all children whose parents had died and who had been taken in by an elder. After the children had grown up, they had become infatuated with the elder, but after a few twists and turns, they had suddenly realized that it was not adoration, but that they had lost their parents at a young age and were too reliant on the elder, and had mistaken filial love for romantic love. They had then had a great enlightenment, had overcome the love tribulation, and had attained the Dao and become an immortal…

Xie Qingzheng looked at it with a blank expression and thought to herself, Senior Sister has really put in a lot of effort to prevent me from going astray. She has even found such an unreliable storybook for me. To be able to overcome a love tribulation and attain the Dao just by letting go of one’s feelings—how could it be so easy? Could it be that her senior sister had just made it up?

She put down the book, hesitated for a moment, and left the tent. She had originally thought that she would be stopped, but unexpectedly, no one stopped her.

It seemed that Sect Master Xie had not restricted her freedom, and she could still walk around…

But she was not sure if Tanluan and Yan Ling had completely exposed her private feelings for her master. Did all the righteous path people know?

Xie Qingzheng gathered her courage and walked out with heavy steps.

She was prepared to be despised, ridiculed, and even mocked and cursed. But unexpectedly, when the patrolling cultivators in the tent saw her, they still nodded politely, and there was not a trace of a strange expression on their faces.

Could it be that only Sect Master Xie, the Sect Master, and Senior Sister Min He knew about her private feelings for her master?

Xie Qingzheng’s suspended heart relaxed a little.

If that were the case, then she would not have to worry about ruining her master’s reputation. The three of them, whether for her and her master’s sake, or for the sake of the righteous path’s reputation, would definitely keep their mouths shut.

Xie Qingzheng looked at Mo Jiangxue’s tent, wanting to walk in as usual, but her feet seemed to be shackled, and she did not dare to move.

Don’t go over. Don’t disturb her. It will bring a lot of trouble and embarrassment to her master…

Xie Qingzheng stared at Mo Jiangxue’s tent for a long time before she moved her feet and found the place where the prisoners were being held, and found Tanluan.

Tanluan had been put under a silencing curse, probably by Sect Master Xie to prevent her from talking nonsense. She could not speak, but she could still play music. The music that came out was graceful and gentle, full of an exotic flavor.

The hulusi in her hand was a rare Miao musical instrument in the Central Plains. The few cultivators in charge of guarding her had their arms crossed and were gathered around her, listening with great interest.

“So beautiful.”

“Another one!”

“Is this hard to learn?”

Tanluan put down the hulusi in her hand, shook her head to indicate that it was not hard to learn, and then looked at Xie Qingzheng with a smile.

The few cultivators followed her gaze, and sensing Xie Qingzheng’s arrival, they quickly dispersed and saluted her.

Xie Qingzheng returned the salute with a nod and said, “Please leave for a moment. I have something to say to her.”

She often followed by Sect Master Xie’s side, and the guarding cultivators thought that she was under Sect Master Xie’s orders to interrogate Tanluan. They quickly retreated.

In an instant, only she and Tanluan were left in the tent.

The tent where the prisoners were being held was protected by a barrier. Their conversation could only be heard by Xie Youke. Xie Qingzheng formed a seal and added another layer of a barrier. Now, only the two of them could hear.

She broke Tanluan’s silencing curse and asked, “Did you only tell the three of them?”

Tanluan cleared her throat, smiled, and said, “That’s right. When I was running away with Yan Ling, I ran into Xie Youke, who had brought people to look for you. After Yan Ling was captured, she had originally wanted to expose your private relationship with your master to the public. I was quick and cast a barrier, so that only Xie Youke could hear. At that time, Xiao Wangqing and her disciple were standing by Xie Youke’s side, so they also heard.”

Even though she had been reduced to a prisoner, she was still at ease and did not look wretched at all. Her white robe was still clean.

Xie Qingzheng couldn’t help but think: This person’s carefree and unrestrained air is just like Xie Fuyun’s.

But Tanluan had fallen in love with Mu Ning, and the person Xie Fuyun valued most was Sect Master Xie. A free-spirited person was actually attracted to a person who abided by the rules. It seemed that people were always attracted to what they did not have.

Seeing Xie Qingzheng silent for a long time, Tanluan took the initiative to speak, “Little Fellow Daoist Xie, believe me. Your master also likes you.”

Xie Qingzheng was so startled by the word “like” that her heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t help but think: Really?

The next moment, she came to her senses and looked at Tanluan with cold eyes. “To this day, will I still believe your words? Are you trying to incite me to pester her? I am not like you.”

Tanluan smiled charmingly. “That’s right. You are not like me. If I were you, I would pester her until she admitted it, and then I would run away with her.”

Xie Qingzheng thought of her past of pestering Mu Ning, and to stab her in the heart, she said, “To take a step back, even if she really is moved, but if she is not willing to admit it, but is forced to admit it, she might, like Mu Ning, in the end, still forget and let go of this private feeling. What’s the use?”

Hearing this, Tanluan’s smile indeed faded. She lowered her eyes, her expression dejected. “I shared my past with you because I wanted you to understand me, to remind you, and to be friends with you, not for you to hurt me…”

The person who knew each other’s past the best, knew what each other cared about the most, and could also hurt the most.

Seeing Tanluan lower her brows and eyes like this, Xie Qingzheng actually felt a bit of guilt, feeling that she shouldn’t have used the matter of Mu Ning to hurt her.

Tanluan suddenly laughed loudly and said nonchalantly, “People are like the white clouds in the sky, gathering and dispersing. Love is the same. Little Fellow Daoist Xie, don’t think about being together for a long time. To have had a true feeling for a short period of time is also very beautiful.”

It seemed she had been tricked by her again. Xie Qingzheng turned around, unwilling to talk to her about sad things. “Forget it. I can’t win against you. You’re on your own.”

The moment she turned, Xie Qingzheng’s shoulder was suddenly held tightly. It was Tanluan who had grabbed her shoulder.

Her heart was greatly alarmed. She thought that Tanluan was trying to launch a sneak attack and take her hostage. Just as she was about to draw her sword, she was suddenly hit hard on the back, and then a continuous stream of spiritual energy was poured into her body.

She couldn’t help but kneel on the ground. Her limbs were suddenly sore and weak, and a strange spiritual energy entered her seven meridians and eight vessels, mixing with her original spiritual energy. Her breath was in a mess, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. In a daze, she vaguely saw the people outside, hearing the commotion, rush in.

Before she fainted, she heard Tanluan say to her with a low laugh, “I probably won’t live. I’ll give you ten years of my spiritual energy. Just treat it as the last gift from me to a friend… you have to live well and repair her soul well…”

Her whole body was burning hot, and her brow was especially hot. Her eyelids felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds, and she couldn’t open them no matter what. Her joints were burning with a sharp pain, and her ears were ringing.

It started to rain outside again, and the sound of the rain dripped on the felt tent, making a loud noise.

The wildlands were full of gobi deserts, and it usually didn’t rain. Although she couldn’t open her eyes, she could vaguely hear the cultivators outside the felt tent whispering to each other. They said that it had been raining for two consecutive days, and that this was a good omen, a sign that the demonic cult’s fate was about to end.

A good omen? She hoped so. She hoped that they could annihilate the demonic cult and retrieve the Yuheng Cauldron…

In a daze, she heard a rustling sound at the entrance of the felt tent. Someone lifted her curtain and walked in.

Was it Senior Sister Min He? Or Sect Master Xie?

The person sat by her bed, reached out to feel her forehead, and took her pulse.

The hand was cool, so cold that she shivered.

In an instant, it was as if she had returned to her childhood, to the time when she had just left Wen Family Village. Her heat poison had acted up, and her master… the person who had not yet become her master at that time, had sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at her, her expression indifferent.

She really wished she could turn back time, back to the very beginning. She didn’t want her master to transfer the evil curse on her, and she didn’t want the Xuanji Sect to take her in, let alone embark on the path of immortal cultivation. She would just stay in Wen Family Village, with the ghosts as her neighbors, and her chickens, ducks, and geese as her companions. When the evil curse finally acted up, she would just die, and not be a burden to anyone. Perhaps after she had died and had become a ghost, she could still be with her aunty and the others forever…

Thinking this, her eyes stung, and an urge to cry welled up.

Suddenly, she heard a low sigh from the person beside her.

Master.

She recognized it. It was her master’s voice.

She heard the familiar voice, smelled the faint, cool scent of plum blossoms, and her heart was in a knot, a heart-wrenching pain.

She really wanted to open her eyes and take a look at her, but her eyelids felt as if they were pressed down by a thousand-pound stone, and she couldn’t open them no matter what. She thought of her master sitting by her side, and her eyes grew even more sore. Tears immediately welled up and soaked the hair at her temples.

That ice-cold hand stroked her cheek, wiped the tears from her temples, and then a cool, soft touch pressed against her brow. Someone had pressed their lips to it.

Author’s Note:

Sob, sob, my little red flower is broken again.