Uncanny Immortal 46

Chapter 46

Her eyes were a little swollen and sore from crying. The smell of blood filled her nostrils. Xie Qingzheng raised her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes and gazed at the woman sitting by the stone tablet.

The woman’s hair was disheveled, her ten fingers dripping with blood. Her body was also stained with dust and blood. The difference between her and the high-spirited Manor Lord in the illusion was too great. Her whole person was like something that had been shattered and then crudely stitched back together, devoid of life.

The incomparably sharp Tianquan Saber also lay by the stone tablet, dark and inconspicuous. The hilt was inlaid with seven emeralds, and the scabbard was meticulously carved with a blooming lotus flower.

It was said that this saber did not stain with blood, so it was imbued with a lot of killing intent and the smell of blood, yet there was not a trace of blood on it.

Mo Jiangxue looked at Yun Yi in silence, a trace of pity in her eyes.

Xie Qingzheng’s heart ached.

There were many things she wanted to say in her heart. She wanted to tell the woman before her that she had worked hard all these years, struggling to support a huge manor, to protect the peace of the four corners of the world, yet she was not understood. Because she had harmed the interests of her clan, she was regarded as an enemy by her clan. Because of an ancestor’s prophecy, she was set up as a target, and all her efforts and sacrifices were erased. In the end, the person she loved had died for her.

Xie Qingzheng wanted to call out “Manor Lord Yun,” but then she thought, if she were Yun Yi, at this moment, she would probably hate that family and that identity to death.

So, she said, “Senior.”

Yun Yi slowly raised her head and looked at the master and disciple, her eyes full of blood, her expression a mix of madness and bewilderment. Her ten fingers were still unconsciously rubbing against the stone tablet.

Xie Qingzheng’s throat tightened. She couldn’t help but think: If Miss A-Li saw her like this at this moment, how sad would she be…

Mo Jiangxue squatted down, gently pressed Yun Yi’s wrists, and stopped her movements.

Yun Yi stopped rubbing her fingers, stared at Mo Jiangxue for a while, and as if waking from a dream, she suddenly pulled one hand away, grabbed the Tianquan Saber, and held the blade to Mo Jiangxue’s neck.

“Senior!”

A sudden turn of events! Xie Qingzheng’s pupils shrank. In her panic, almost at the same time, she drew her Shenshang Sword with a swish and also held the blade to Yun Yi’s neck, watching Yun Yi’s movements closely.

What was wrong with her? Was she not in her right mind, taking them for enemies as well?

Xie Qingzheng: “Senior… y-you, quickly put down the saber. We won’t harm you!”

This Shenshang Sword was personally forged by Yun Yi. If she were to harm her with this sword, that would be really…

Mo Jiangxue did not dodge or flinch. She calmly said to Xie Qingzheng, “Sheathe your sword.”

Xie Qingzheng’s gaze was hesitant as she stared at Yun Yi.

“Sheathe your sword.” Mo Jiangxue ordered again.

Xie Qingzheng hesitated, but in the end, she obediently sheathed her sword. She took out a talisman from her bosom and was about to slap it on her.

But she saw that the blade on her neck had moved a little, and was now on Mo Jiangxue’s shoulder. The hand holding the hilt was trembling, as if it were very difficult to hold.

That hand was covered in blood, and blood was still gushing out, like a broken string of pearls, dripping to the ground.

With her master’s cultivation, if she had really felt a strong killing intent, she would have dodged long ago… Xie Qingzheng watched for a while and also put away the talisman.

She untied the Yanyu Xiao from her waist, placed it to her lips, and played the tune of the Heart-Clearing Incantation.

She didn’t know if it would work… Her cultivation was not as high as Yun Yi’s, and she might not be able to shake Yun Yi’s mind.

In any case, she would try playing it first…

The sound of the xiao was mournful. Xie Qingzheng thought of the scene of Yun Yi and Si Li’s parting in life and death, and her heart was filled with infinite sorrow.

Her state of mind was too sad, and the originally clear tune was played with a hint of desolation, and she even played a few wrong notes.

Mo Jiangxue glanced at her.

She wondered if she was disgusted with her for making a fool of herself… Xie Qingzheng steadied herself and tried to hold back her tears.

When the piece ended, the madness and bewilderment in Yun Yi’s eyes had faded a little.

With a clang, the Tianquan Saber suddenly fell to the ground.

Only then did Mo Jiangxue ask Yun Yi, “Are you better?”

Yun Yi let go of her hand and sat leaning against the stone tablet in a daze, looking at Mo Jiangxue and Xie Qingzheng, saying nothing.

In this state, she was clearly not much better.

Mo Jiangxue got straight to the point, “Si Li’s soul is trapped in an illusion. I have a way to save her.”

A glimmer of light suddenly burst forth from those lifeless eyes. Yun Yi’s lips moved, and then she stood up and said hoarsely, “D-do you really have a way?”

She had never been so flustered, speaking to someone in a stammer.

Mo Jiangxue also stood up and said seriously, “I have a way.”

“Then I beg you… save her…” Yun Yi pleaded softly.

In all these years, she had only ever ordered others. It was the first time she had ever begged someone so humbly.

After Si Li had leaped into the sword furnace and died without a whole body, the elders of the Yun clan, fearing that “Yun Yi’s” ghost would come back for revenge or be reborn through body-snatching, had joined forces to cast an illusion, locking her soul in it.

For these past few days, Si Li’s soul had been trapped in the illusion, experiencing the scenes in the illusion over and over again.

Yun Yi had tried many ways but could not pull her out.

“Don’t worry, I will save her.” Mo Jiangxue took Yun Yi’s hand, released her spiritual energy, and began to heal her.

Xie Qingzheng said, “Those people are really vicious.”

Persecuting her in life, and torturing her after death.

Xie Qingzheng put away her xiao and, imitating Mo Jiangxue, began to heal the wounds on Yun Yi’s ten fingers.

She didn’t know if her master really had a way, or if she was just temporarily comforting and coaxing her… It should be real, right? Otherwise, how would she explain it to her later?

Yun Yi looked at the Tianquan Saber on the ground and said nothing.

If the Vermilion Bird Guardian hadn’t stepped in to stop them, those people would have directly scattered Si Li’s soul.

Mo Jiangxue also glanced at the Tianquan Saber and suddenly said, “You have still entered the way of slaughter.”

Xie Qingzheng was taken aback and looked at Mo Jiangxue.

Was she saying that to Yun Yi?

And then she followed Mo Jiangxue’s gaze to the Tianquan Saber on the ground?

Or was she saying it to the Tianquan Saber?

The next moment, a wisp of a ghost floated out from the Tianquan Saber and bowed to Mo Jiangxue. “Immortal, we meet again.”

It was the water ghost from Dutou Village, Jiang Ran.

Unexpectedly seeing her again, Xie Qingzheng asked in surprise, “Miss Jiang, why are you in the Tianquan Saber?”

Jiang Ran said, “I was forged into a saber spirit by Manor Lord Yun.”

After Feng Lan and Qing Luo had brought her back to the manor, they had imprisoned her in the Demon Suppression Hall. The returning Yun Yi had happened to run into her. Seeing that her malevolent qi was extremely heavy, she had forged her living soul into a saber spirit, confining her in the Tianquan Saber to assist in her revenge.

A living soul turned into a saber spirit could never enter the cycle of reincarnation again, but by residing in a famous saber, as long as the saber’s master did not die, the saber spirit could also cultivate with the saber’s master, immortal and indestructible, and even cultivate a physical body.

Jiang Ran added, “I was willing.”

Becoming a saber spirit, it was inevitable to drink blood and kill, which suited her just fine.

She had been suppressed in Dutou Village for too long, and her resentment, anger, and hatred were too heavy. She had long since become a vengeful ghost. Now, having helped Yun Yi kill more than thirty people in the manor and having swallowed more than thirty living souls at once, her yin power had grown stronger, and the malevolent qi between her brows had also grown thicker.

Xie Qingzheng thought to herself: So that’s why the killing method was so similar to the one in Dutou Village. It was you, this ghost, who was helping… No wonder the people of the manor couldn’t find any other wounds on the deceased…

Mo Jiangxue said no more to Jiang Ran and looked at Yun Yi, “I need to borrow the Tianji Jade from the Sect Master of the Xuanji Sect to have a way to help her. Let’s go out first. You need to heal as soon as possible, and those matters will have to be explained.”

Yun Yi lowered her eyes and hummed in acknowledgment.

Jiang Ran returned to the Tianquan Saber.

Yun Yi sheathed the saber, then took out a brocade box, recited an incantation, and put the black fog that Mo Jiangxue had summoned into the brocade box, then carefully placed it in her bosom.

The three of them walked out.

Yun Yi released her spiritual sense to probe and saw that the entire Tianquan Manor, outside the gate, in the corners of the hall, in the back courtyard, and all around, there was not a single green-robed cultivator, only the flicker of yellow robes.

That was the attire of the Tianshu Sect.

“Heh.” Yun Yi suddenly let out a laugh.

The silent graves and stone tablets in the sword mound were like pairs of eyes, staring at her, counting the sins she had committed.

After all this, it had still come to that prophecy. Tianquan Manor was finally buried in her hands.

It was likely that the real mastermind behind the scenes was not the people of the Yun clan at all.

It was just that someone had used her background to stir up internal strife in the manor, so that they could reap the benefits.

The three of them left the sword mound. Xie Qingzheng saw that all the patrols and guards of the manor had been replaced by people from the Tianshu Sect and was taken aback. “What’s going on? Have the people of the Tianshu Sect taken over the manor?”

Mo Jiangxue and Yun Yi said nothing.

With the Yun family’s head “deceased” and the manor’s major masters all dead in one night, Tianquan Manor had naturally become a piece of meat on a chopping block, at the mercy of others.

They walked unimpeded to the council hall and saw a dozen or so sect masters, clan leaders, and elders sitting in order.

The chief seat had always been occupied by Yun Yi, but now sitting there was a woman in a light-colored brocade robe.

The woman had a longsword that glowed with a golden light hanging from her waist. Her robe was embroidered with exquisite orchid patterns in gold thread. Her hair was tied up with a gold ring, and she was adorned with gold ornaments, exuding an air of nobility.

The upper half of her face was covered by a golden mask. The lower half of her face was as white as jade, and her thin lips were tightly pressed together, giving her an air of inviolable dignity.

By her side stood a yellow-robed female cultivator, who, like Xie Qingzheng, had a crimson cinnabar mark on her forehead.

The few closest to the brocade-robed woman’s seat were the mistress of the Kaiyang sect, the palace master of Yuheng Palace, Xiao Wangqing and Mu Qingdai of the Xuanji Sect, and then the sect masters and famous figures of the other sects. Everyone had a solemn expression.

The moment the three of them entered, they immediately became the focus of everyone’s attention.

Everyone was stunned to see Yun Yi appear, and to see her in women’s clothes, and covered in blood.

However, everyone present was of a high cultivation level. After their initial astonishment, they only exchanged a few low words, and no one made a loud noise. Before long, they had calmed down and returned to a solemn atmosphere.

The brocade-robed woman rubbed the white jade thumb ring on her thumb, looked at the blood-covered Yun Yi, and said with an unruffled expression, “Manor Lord Yun has ‘come back from the dead.’ Congratulations. We are discussing the matter of repelling the enemy. Manor Lord Yun, you look seriously injured.”

She was clearly a guest of Tianquan Manor, but her calm and composed air made it seem as if she were the master of this manor.

The yellow-robed female cultivator standing by her side immediately passed on the message, “Someone, please take Manor Lord Yun down to heal.”

As the words fell, a group of yellow-robed medical cultivators came forward to take Yun Yi to a quiet room for treatment.

Yun Yi and Mo Jiangxue looked at each other.

Mo Jiangxue understood that she wanted to talk about Si Li’s soul and said to her, “I will remember what I said.”

Yun Yi smiled faintly and said, “Alright then. I will go with them.”

In truth, she didn’t know if the people of the Tianshu Sect were really going to heal her or if they were going to imprison her.

She had already lost completely. She didn’t care anymore, and she didn’t want to fight for anything anymore.

Mo Jiangxue led Xie Qingzheng to Xiao Wangqing’s side.

The brocade-robed woman glanced at Mo Jiangxue, and someone immediately brought a seat and served tea for Mo Jiangxue.

Xie Qingzheng stood behind Mo Jiangxue.

The brocade-robed woman then looked up and, intentionally or not, met Xie Qingzheng’s eyes.

Xie Qingzheng’s heart suddenly contracted.

The Sect Master of the Tianshu Sect, Xie Youke, her mother’s junior martial sister who had grown up with her. She had finally seen her in person.

She looked at Sect Master Xie, trying to find a trace of her mother in her.

But they were, after all, just junior and senior martial sisters, not biological sisters.

Xie Qingzheng couldn’t sense anything, only vaguely feeling that her face also looked a little familiar.

She wondered if she had seen her when she was a child and had then forgotten.

She really wanted to ask Sect Master Xie, “Do you know what happened to me when I was a child?”

“What kind of person was Xie Fuyun? Did she really commit an unforgivable crime, which was why she was expelled from the sect?”

“And how did Xie Fuyun die?”

But Sect Master Xie had only glanced at her and then withdrawn her gaze, continuing to discuss the strategy for repelling the enemy.

Xie Qingzheng also withdrew her gaze and listened quietly.

Her mother had already been expelled from the Tianshu Sect. She had no right to claim any relationship.

And she was a newcomer, while the other was the head of the Xuanmen, graceful, elegant, and noble. Besides having the same surname, “Xie,” they were essentially strangers.

After discussing from day to night and finalizing the plan, Xie Youke announced the end of the meeting.

Everyone left one by one, leaving only the people of the Xuanji Sect.

Xiao Wangqing sat in her seat, looked at Xie Youke, and hesitated to speak.

Xie Youke took the initiative to speak, “The matter of Manor Lord Yun, and the murder case of Tianquan Manor, we will discuss them after we have repelled the demons of the Ten Directions Domain.”

Xiao Wangqing hesitated for a moment and got straight to the point, “Manor Lord Yun has returned. With her in charge of Tianquan Manor, there won’t be much chaos. The guards of the Tianshu Sect, should they?”

Be withdrawn?

Xie Youke raised her chin and said, “Manor Lord Yun is injured and should not be overly taxed. It’s better to let her rest for a while.”

Her intentions were clear. Xiao Wangqing said no more, cupped her hands, and was about to leave the council hall with the people of the Xuanji Sect. She then glanced at Xie Qingzheng and asked, “Zheng’er, do you want to stay?”

With that, she glanced at Xie Youke.

Before Xie Qingzheng could say anything, Xie Youke, as if to avoid suspicion, blew on the tea in her cup and said, “I still have matters to attend to. I will not see you off.” It was clear she did not want to have any relationship with Xie Qingzheng.

Xie Qingzheng thought to herself: If you don’t want to talk to me, then why should I stay here and beg?

She replied to Xiao Wangqing, “No, I want to go back to the guest room with my master.”

“Mm, today’s lessons have not yet been completed.” Mo Jiangxue raised her hand and gently touched Xie Qingzheng’s head.

Although her expression was blank, Xie Qingzheng felt a sense of comfort and protection.

For such a cold and aloof person as her master to take the initiative to say such a thing in public and to stroke her head like a protective mother, it was already the greatest intimacy her master could show.

Xie Qingzheng’s heart warmed, and she smiled faintly at Mo Jiangxue.

“In that case.” Xiao Wangqing nodded, cupped her hands to Xie Youke, and said warmly, “Sect Master Xie, rest early. We will take our leave.”

After leaving the council hall, the few people from the Xuanji Sect gathered together and chatted about the matter of repelling the enemy tomorrow.

Then, Xiao Wangqing asked Mo Jiangxue what had really happened to Yun Yi.

Mo Jiangxue shook her head. “It’s a long story.”

She was unwilling to say, so Xiao Wangqing naturally would not force her. She just smiled and told her to rest well.

The group dispersed and returned to their respective guest rooms.

When they reached the two adjacent guest rooms, Xie Qingzheng saluted and watched Mo Jiangxue return to her room.

This time, she did not follow her in.

After Mo Jiangxue returned to her room, she untied her long qin, sat at the table, and sorted out her thoughts.

The plague and the seal in Wen Family Village, the words on the Buddha statue in Qingjia Town, the turn of events in Tianquan Manor, the ambition of the Tianshu Sect…

The figures of Xiao Wangqing and Xie Youke flickered in her mind.

As she was thinking, she suddenly realized that the guest room was quiet, as if something was missing.

She tapped her finger on the table twice, and the room finally had two “thump-thump” sounds.

But she still felt that something was missing.

Her gaze, intentionally or not, glanced at the door.

She wanted to see if that door would be knocked on as usual.

Author’s Note:

Manor Lord: I’m done. Whoever wants to be the head of this family can be. As long as my wife can come back, that’s all that matters~~~

Si Li: I’m in a loop.

Little Mo: I’m either saving people or on my way to save people… Why isn’t a certain clingy person coming over tonight?

Little Xie: This person is so pitiful, that person is also so pitiful. Oh no, I’ve fallen for someone I shouldn’t have. I’m also so pitiful (cries).