Uncanny Immortal 30p2

Chapter 30 p2

After a busy afternoon, Xie Qingzheng had built a simple little bamboo coop and said to the spirit fox, “From now on, they are in your care. You are the boss of the house. I may have to go on a long trip with my master. When I’m not here, you have to take good care of them and guide them in their cultivation.”

The spirit fox yipped a few times, as if to say it had heard. Its small, round eyes were still fixed on the chickens, ducks, and geese, drooling.

Xie Qingzheng pinched the fox’s ear, leaned in close, and emphasized heavily, “You are not allowed to eat them!”

After returning from Wen Family Village, Mo Jiangxue sent an invitation to Xiao Wangqing to come to Ethereal Peak for tea.

At that time, Xie Qingzheng was practicing her sword in the plum grove. Mo Jiangxue sat to the side, admiring the plum blossoms and pouring tea while waiting for the Sect Master to arrive, and also admiring her disciple’s graceful, fluttering figure, occasionally offering a word or two of guidance.

Xie Qingzheng’s gaze, intentionally or not, also fell on Mo Jiangxue.

However, after looking for a while, she would restrain herself and look away.

If she looked a few more times, she would feel it was a kind of blasphemy.

But she was always being watched by Mo Jiangxue, and she was a little distracted. She sheathed her sword, and with a few leaps, she flew deep into the plum grove, away from Mo Jiangxue’s sight.

Mo Jiangxue was a little puzzled and transmitted her voice to ask her, “Why did you run so far?”

Xie Qingzheng said, “The plum blossoms here are more beautiful. I want to practice my sword here.”

Mo Jiangxue pondered for a long while and said, “The guest has arrived. Come back and pour tea.”

Xie Qingzheng, with a few more leaps, obediently returned.

It was not only Xiao Wangqing who had come, but also Pei Shuxue, wrapped in a crane-feather cloak and holding a hand warmer.

Ethereal Peak was bitingly cold. Xiao Wangqing flicked her horsetail whisk and cast a spell to set up a barrier around the tea table. The temperature inside the barrier was higher than outside.

Pei Shuxue coughed a few times and smiled. “The last time I came to Ethereal Peak to brew tea and admire the plum blossoms was four years ago.”

In these four years, Mo Jiangxue had always been in seclusion, and Xiao Wangqing had also been too busy. The three of them had not gathered for a long time.

After saluting, Xie Qingzheng poured tea for the three elders and stood quietly to the side, listening to their conversation.

Mo Jiangxue said, “In these chaotic times, there are many evil spirits. I will be taking her down the mountain for training in a couple of days.”

Xiao Wangqing smiled warmly. “When will you be back?”

Mo Jiangxue did not give a specific time, only saying, “You can send me a message whenever you need me.”

Xiao Wangqing said, “I received news recently that the Sect Master of the Tianshu Sect intends to form an alliance to fight against the demonic cult.”

Pei Shuxue said, “An alliance to fight against the demonic cult, that is a good thing… A single sect is weak. Although there are many masters in the righteous path, if they are a scattered sand, it is easy for them to be defeated one by one by the demonic cult… It’s just that…”

She coughed a few times, took a sip of tea, and said meaningfully, “Sect Master Xie is an ambitious person…”

Xiao Wangqing sighed. “That is what I am worried about as well.”

The three of them exchanged glances, understanding each other. But Xie Qingzheng at the side was confused.

Sect Master Xie was an ambitious person, and then what? What ambition?

Xiao Wangqing seemed to see Xie Qingzheng’s confusion and teased with a smile, “Zheng’er, you really should go down the mountain for more training.”

Pei Shuxue also smiled and asked Xie Qingzheng, “Do you still remember the origins of the Tianshu Sect, Tianquan Manor, Yuheng Palace, and Kaiyang Sect… these major sects?”

Xie Qingzheng nodded and, from memory, recited fluently, “Eight hundred years ago, a reclusive cultivator from Penglai entered the world for training and took seven direct disciples, giving them the Daoist titles ‘Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, Yaoguang.’ The seven were known as the ‘Seven Sons of the North Star.’ They were determined to spread the Dao and help the world, to slay demons and eliminate evil. They founded seven cultivation sects with their respective Daoist titles, accepting disciples without discrimination. The seven sects were of the same lineage, of one breath and one branch…”

The predecessor of the Xuanji Sect was the three sects, Tianxuan, Tianji, and Yaoguang.

In the past, the Tianji and Yaoguang sects had declined and were almost wiped out by the demonic cult. Xiao Wangqing, then the Sect Master of the Tianxuan sect, had taken in the disciples of the other two sects, and the three sects had merged to form the Xuanji Sect.

“Xuanji” took one character from “Tianxuan” and “Tianji,” and the sect’s attire retained the black and white tradition of the Yaoguang sect.

Pei Shuxue said bluntly, “Sect Master Xie’s ambition is to have our major sects all merge into the Tianshu Sect…”

Xiao Wangqing frowned slightly, looked at Pei Shuxue, and shook her head. “Shuxue…”

Some things could only be understood, not said.

Pei Shuxue smiled palely. “What are you afraid of? There are no outsiders here…” She looked at Xie Qingzheng. “Even if Zheng’er’s surname is Xie… she is now a person of our Xuanji Sect…”

Xie Qingzheng had never met that Sect Master Xie, but she had heard her mentioned several times.

What was that Sect Master Xie’s name? It seemed to be… Xie Youke.

And her mother’s name was Xie Fuyun.

Fuyun was another name for bamboo, and Youke referred to orchids. Bamboo, orchids—it did sound like a pair of close senior and junior martial sisters.

Vice Sect Master Pei said that Sect Master Xie had the ambition to annex the other sects. Xie Qingzheng didn’t know how to respond, so she remained silent and looked at Mo Jiangxue.

Mo Jiangxue also said nothing, just took a sip of tea and asked Xiao Wangqing, “Four years ago, besides you, me, and Shuxue, who else knew that I had been to Wen Family Village?”

Xiao Wangqing recalled for a moment and said, “Zheng’er has deep ties to the Xie clan of Tianshu. The day you brought her back, I sent a message to Sect Master Xie, telling her everything, to see if she wanted to take her back. Why?”

Mo Jiangxue looked at Xiao Wangqing and said calmly, “Someone has been to Wen Family Village and cleaned up all the malevolent qi and the poison corpses in the vicinity.”

Xiao Wangqing said, “Perhaps some other cultivator saw it and cleaned it up.”

Mo Jiangxue nodded. “Mm, cleaned it up very thoroughly.”

Pei Shuxue asked them, “You two, master and disciple, when you went back to the village this time… did you discover anything?”

Xie Qingzheng was about to talk about going to Jinyang, but she glanced at Mo Jiangxue and, seeing that she was about to speak, she fell silent and let her master speak first.

Mo Jiangxue said, “Nothing. It’s just that she’s grown up, so I took her back for a look.”

Xiao Wangqing looked at Xie Qingzheng and said warmly, “As you should. To cultivate the way of immortals, one must first cultivate the way of man. As a person, one must not forget the kindness of being raised.” With that, she reached out and lightly tapped the cinnabar mark between Xie Qingzheng’s brows. “If only Fuyun could have seen you grow up with her own eyes, how wonderful that would be.”

The touch of her fingertip was warm, and Xie Qingzheng’s heart also warmed.

Pei Shuxue also thought of Xie Fuyun and sighed deeply. Then, as if remembering something, she said, “If the seven sects could merge, there would be one great good thing, right?”

Xiao Wangqing smiled wryly. “Shuxue, tell me, what great good thing could there be?”

Pei Shuxue said, “If the seven sects merge, the seven treasured artifacts of the sects will also have a chance to merge… If they are combined into the Seven Star Soul-Gathering Lamp, then the curse on Jiangxue can be easily solved…”

Hearing the word “curse,” Xie Qingzheng instantly perked up. “Soul-Gathering Lamp?”

Xiao Wangqing said, “The Soul-Gathering Lamp is an ancient immortal artifact. It has the effect of extending life and bringing the dead back to life. Naturally, breaking an ancient forbidden curse is not a problem. Back then, the Ancestral Master divided the Soul-Gathering Lamp into seven parts and forged seven spirit weapons, which were passed down to her seven disciples. Later, they became the treasured artifacts of the seven major sects. Eight hundred years have passed, and the treasured artifacts of the major sects have either been lost or sealed… Perhaps, only when the seven sects merge can the seven artifacts be combined back into the Seven Star Soul-Gathering Lamp.”

Mo Jiangxue said coolly, “The seven sects have developed separately for hundreds of years. If they could have merged, they would have done so long ago.”

Xiao Wangqing nodded. “That’s right. Although the seven sects were of the same lineage, after eight hundred years, the cultivation methods of the various sects are already different. The reason our three sects could merge back then was because our three sects were close, we were all persecuted by the demonic cult, and we were all music cultivators…”

Xie Qingzheng didn’t care about the merging of the seven sects. She just firmly remembered that besides finding the caster of the curse, there was another way to break it—the Seven Star Soul-Gathering Lamp.

Before she left the mountain, Xie Qingzheng ran to Mo Jiangxue’s room and asked repeatedly, “Master, is there anything you need to bring?”

Mo Jiangxue was as sparing with her words as gold and replied, “Person, sword, xiao.”

Xie Qingzheng: “Is there really nothing else? Is it really okay to go on a long trip empty-handed?”

Mo Jiangxue sat in front of the mirror, preparing to tie up her hair. Hearing this, she said coolly, “Nothing. It’s okay.”

Xie Qingzheng walked behind her and said with a charming smile, “How about disciple combs your hair for you?”

Mo Jiangxue looked at her, raised an eyebrow slightly, and then handed her the comb in her hand.

A disciple serving their master in washing and dressing was a natural duty.

Xie Qingzheng took the comb with a smile and gently combed her hair, stroke by stroke.

Her waterfall-like dark hair was cool to the touch and smooth from head to waist.

She had no accessories on her, nor did she wear any makeup. Her expression was indifferent, yet she was so cold and beautiful that one could never forget her after just one look.

As Xie Qingzheng combed and looked, for some reason, her thoughts suddenly became incredibly soft.

Her heart was in a turmoil, yet an inexplicable desire arose. She really wanted to get close to her, lower her head, and touch that cool hair with her lips…

She rehearsed the scene in her mind, and the hand combing her hair couldn’t help but pause. Then she came to her senses, took the white veiled hat, put it on for her, and even lowered the white gauze, completely concealing her face.

After doing all this, Xie Qingzheng finally breathed a sigh of relief, saluted, and took her leave. “Disciple will go back to her room to get her sword and xiao and will be right back.”

After she walked out, she realized that her ears were inexplicably hot, and her heart was beating a little faster.

Recalling the audacious thought she had just had, she punished herself by pinching her left wrist hard, then walked into the wind and snow, not circulating her qi to resist, letting the cold wind and fine snow whip against her face.

The cold instantly seeped into her limbs and bones. She looked up, her expression a mix of bewilderment and guilt…

How could she have had such a disrespectful thought about her master?