Uncanny Immortal 48

Chapter 48

Having secretly made up her mind, Xie Qingzheng closed the window, sat cross-legged, and practiced her internal energy for a while.

In the dead of night, she suddenly heard the sound of the window next door opening. Xie Qingzheng opened her eyes.

After a moment’s hesitation, she still went over, opened the window as well, and asked, “Master, why are you still not resting?”

Mo Jiangxue said, “There is the sound of weapons clashing to the northeast.”

Xie Qingzheng closed her eyes and listened intently, but she couldn’t hear anything.

A master with extremely profound cultivation had cast a barrier, and their cultivation was likely on par with her master’s—someone with this level of strength was either a figure like a chief guardian or the head of a sect or family.

Xie Qingzheng opened her eyes and said, “Should we go and take a look?”

Could it be that something had happened to Yun Yi?

Mo Jiangxue picked up her qin. “Let’s go and take a look.”

Xie Qingzheng followed with her personal sword and xiao.

One could not fly on a sword within the entire Xinye City. Mo Jiangxue used her lightness skill, her steps light, as if treading on snow without leaving a trace.

In order to keep up with her, Xie Qingzheng subconsciously used the Myriad Manifestations Steps. Her figure flickered left and right, erratic, and she was actually able to keep up with her.

Following the sound of clashing weapons, they went all the way to the northeast corner of the manor and arrived at a courtyard.

Mo Jiangxue leaped onto the roof and looked down.

The courtyard was brightly lit. Xie Youke, with her golden hooks and precious sash, sat in an armchair covered in brocade, as if she were leisurely watching a play. The small table in front of her was also covered in brocade, with tea and expensive pastries. She held a teacup in her right hand and took a sip. The teacup, of some unknown jade, looked extremely white, almost merging with the color of her hand.

By her side still stood a yellow-robed female cultivator with a cinnabar mark between her brows, pouring tea for her.

In the center of the courtyard, three brocade-robed cultivators were surrounding and attacking Yun Yi. Yun Yi held the Tianquan Saber, its blade flashing. She was fighting one against three and had the upper hand.

The courtyard was also filled with brocade-robed cultivators with personal swords hanging from their waists. The clothes of these cultivators were all embroidered with orchid patterns in gold thread. They were clearly all from the Tianshu Sect, and their rank was much higher than that of the yellow-robed cultivators.

They held torches, and the qi from their blades overflowed. The sound of weapons filled the courtyard but was blocked by a transparent barrier. The flames on the torches were stirred by the qi and swayed from side to side. The firelight flickered across Xie Youke’s face, now bright, now dark.

Suddenly, the courtyard went dark. All the flames were extinguished by the qi from the Tianquan Saber. With a few clangs, the blades fell to the ground.

The three brocade-robed cultivators all fell to the ground, leaving only Yun Yi standing in the center of the courtyard with her saber.

With two claps, Xie Youke put down her teacup, clapped her hands, and said with sincere praise, “The Yun family’s secret technique, the ‘Xie Yan Style,’ truly lives up to its name.”

The torches in the courtyard were lit again. Someone dragged away the three fallen cultivators.

Yun Yi smiled at herself: The swallows of the Wang and Xie families’ halls of old have flown into the homes of ordinary people. It’s not a very good name.”

Xie Youke said, “What Wang family, Xie family, Yun family? What great family can escape the day of being scattered by the wind? Manor Lord Yun need not be sad.”

With that, she beckoned, and another brocade-robed cultivator surrounded her, his longsword extended.

Yun Yi held her saber horizontally to block. The saber and sword clashed, and the man circled around her like a revolving lantern. She guarded her position tightly.

But this time, she no longer had the upper hand.

Xie Youke suddenly turned her head to look at the roof and said, “You two, please come down for a cup of tea.”

Xie Qingzheng met that clear gaze, and her heart was moved.

Mo Jiangxue held her qin and casually plucked the strings a few times. The qin’s waves broke through the barrier, and a diluted qin rhyme, like a natural, gentle force, repelled the attack of the brocade-robed cultivator.

The man was taken aback. He looked up at her, then at Xie Youke.

Xie Youke waved her hand, dismissed her subordinates, and also had someone take Yun Yi away.

In an instant, only Xie Youke was left in the entire courtyard.

Mo Jiangxue took Xie Qingzheng’s hand and leaped down from the roof.

She didn’t want to use force, only hoping that these few qin waves could lead to a calm conversation.

She came before Xie Youke, and Xie Youke personally poured her a cup of tea.

Mo Jiangxue sat down and got straight to the point, “Sect Master Xie, I will be taking Yun Yi away tomorrow.”

Xie Youke said, “Lady Yunshao is a reclusive person. There are some things you need not get too involved in.”

Mo Jiangxue said coolly, “She is my friend. No matter what, I will protect her life.”

Xie Youke was silent for a moment, noncommittal. She looked at Xie Qingzheng behind Mo Jiangxue and asked her, “Does the Xuanji Sect treat you well?”

Xie Qingzheng was stunned and did not answer Xie Youke, but looked at Mo Jiangxue.

Mo Jiangxue gestured for her to answer, and only then did she politely reply, “To the Sect Master, my master and senior sisters treat me very well.”

A few days ago, in front of Sect Master Xiao, Sect Master Xie had clearly been unwilling to acknowledge her. Why was she willing to condescend to talk to her tonight?

Xie Youke: “By seniority, you should call me—” She stopped, changed the subject, and added, “And Sect Master Xiao? Does she treat you well?”

Xie Qingzheng: “The Sect Master is also good to me. When I was alone and helpless, she took me in and cared for me. I will never forget her kindness.”

Xie Youke asked, “Do you blame me for not taking you to the Tianshu Sect?”

Xie Qingzheng shook her head and said, “To the Sect Master, Qingzheng would not dare.”

But in her heart, she thought: You and my mother grew up together. In terms of closeness, I should be closer to you. Why did you have me stay at the Xuanji Sect back then? Could it be that because my mother was expelled from the sect, I am also not qualified to go to the Tianshu Sect?

Although she thought this, she did not have much resentment. If that were the case, she also felt it was fine.

After all, she didn’t know this Sect Master Xie, and the senior sisters of the Xuanji Sect were indeed good to her. And Mo Jiangxue was also in the Xuanji Sect.

She was rather glad that she had stayed at the Xuanji Sect, to have the fate to become Mo Jiangxue’s disciple.

It was just that the deaths of her mother and the people of Wen Family Village, and her own background, often made her feel bewildered.

Xie Youke said, “How could you not dare? You have been good at saying one thing and thinking another since you were a child.”

Hearing this, Mo Jiangxue smiled faintly and did not come to her defense this time.

Xie Qingzheng was astonished. “Sect Master Xie, you… you’ve seen me as a child?”

Xie Youke was noncommittal and asked, “Do you not remember anything from your childhood?”

Xie Qingzheng nodded.

Xie Youke: “And you’ve forgotten all the techniques you’ve learned?”

Xie Qingzheng: “I can still use one or two moves occasionally.”

Xie Youke hummed in acknowledgment, no longer looking at her, but at Mo Jiangxue, bringing the topic back. “Lady Yunshao, you are a straightforward person, so I will not beat around the bush with you. For the sake of you taking her as your disciple, you can take Yun Yi away, but the Tianquan Saber must stay.”

Mo Jiangxue said, “I cannot make the decision for the Tianquan Saber.”

The Tianquan Saber was the treasured artifact of Tianquan Manor, the token of the successive heads of the family. To hand over the Tianquan Saber was to hand over Tianquan Manor.

Xie Youke said, “I believe she will agree.”

With that, she had someone bring Yun Yi out.

Yun Yi was still holding the Tianquan Saber. Although her face was weary, she had not lost her modest demeanor. She was not angry and asked Xie Youke, “Sect Master Xie, how many people do you want me to fight this time?”

Xie Youke was amiable. “No need to fight anymore. Manor Lord Yun, I actually admire you very much.” She glanced at Mo Jiangxue again. “No wonder Lady Yunshao also admires you so much. If it weren’t for the Yun clan’s fate being exhausted, Tianquan Manor might not have been able to surpass my Tianshu Sect in the future.”

She was like a beautiful jade, warm and crystalline on the outside, but tough and resilient on the inside. Although she was a modest and elegant person, she did not lack a thunderous touch in her dealings.

Such a person, if she could be used by her, would be her, Xie Youke’s, great honor. If she could not be used, then she had to ensure that the other would no longer have the power to contend with her.

Yun Yi said, “Sect Master Xie praises me too much.”

Xie Youke: “As the saying goes, united we stand, divided we fall. The righteous and demonic paths have been entangled for hundreds of years. Among the righteous path, there are too many sects like your manor, with open and secret strife, and internal killing, so we can never concentrate our efforts to deal with the demonic cult. I, Xie Youke, have no ambition to annex the other four sects. I just want everyone to unite and jointly deal with the demonic cult of the wildlands. Manor Lord Yun, from now on, you can continue to be your Manor Lord, but you must obey the orders of my Tianshu Sect.”

She wore a half-golden mask, making it difficult to see her facial expression, but the light in her eyes revealed a bit of the power and majesty of a superior.

Yun Yi said, “Sect Master Xie, you think too highly of my magnanimity. For your own selfish desires, you designed to stir up internal strife in the manor and indirectly killed my wife. How could I possibly be at your disposal? You want the seven sects to merge, you want to be the leader of the righteous path, you want to eliminate the Ten Directions Domain—that is all your business. I just want to retire to the jianghu with my wife and not ask about worldly affairs.”

Xie Youke sneered, “Don’t make baseless accusations. How can you blame me for your own internal killing? Yun Yi, as the head of the family, with constant strife within the family, not only did you fail to stop it early on, but it intensified, leading to the death of innocent people. After one person died, you lost your composure and slaughtered more than thirty masters of the Yun family in one day, leading to the decline of the Yun clan. Now, because of these things, you have chosen private feelings over the greater good, disregarding the bonds of fellow disciples and the righteousness of the same path, abandoning yourself, letting the demonic cult harm the innocent, and giving up the responsibility you should have fulfilled. Don’t you think you are very derelict in your duty?”

These words were all meant to strike at the heart. Yun Yi’s face was ashen, and her hands unconsciously tightened on the hilt of the Tianquan Saber, her knuckles turning white from the force. After a long time, she finally murmured, “What righteous path, what demonic path, what private feelings, what greater good? I only see the struggle for fame and profit, and the exclusion of dissidents.”

She was tired of this life. She was tired of these people…

Xie Qingzheng looked at Mo Jiangxue anxiously. She was a junior and could not interrupt. She was on Yun Yi’s side from the bottom of her heart and hoped that her master could say a word or two to help.

Mo Jiangxue said, “Sect Master Xie, it is clearly the same person, but just because she has refused your request, you have given two completely opposite evaluations. Why rub salt in her wounds and say such heart-striking things? Why not just state your intentions directly?”

Xie Youke glanced at the master and disciple, then at Yun Yi, and said, “Manor Lord Yun, whether you believe it or not, in short, I just want the various sects to unite and concentrate on fighting the demonic cult, and I have no intention of harming anyone. If you are no longer willing to be this Manor Lord, then leave the Tianquan Saber behind and let someone who is willing to take on this responsibility take charge of Tianquan Manor.”

Yun Yi was silent, a look of hesitation on her face, as if she were weighing her options.

Xie Youke took out a fingernail-sized, red-glowing pearl from her bosom, placed it on the table, and said to Yun Yi, “This is a Soul-Calming Pearl. Only one has ever been refined in this world. With this, you don’t have to travel a thousand li back to the Xuanji Sect to borrow the Tianji Jade. You can also rescue Si Li’s soul from the illusion, and it can also nourish her soul.”

Yun Yi naturally hoped to see Si Li’s soul as soon as possible. She no longer hesitated, handed over the Tianquan Saber, took the Soul-Calming Pearl, and looked at Mo Jiangxue.

Xie Youke also looked at Mo Jiangxue, a look of triumph in her eyes, as if to say, “See, I told you she would agree to hand over the Tianquan Saber.”

Xie Qingzheng sighed softly and thought to herself: If it were me, I would also rather hand over the Tianquan Saber in exchange for this pearl… I wonder what Master would choose. Anyway, if it were Sect Master Xie, she would definitely choose the saber over the person…

But then she thought: The Tianquan Saber has fallen into the hands of Sect Master Xie. Won’t it be even more difficult for me to gather the seven spirit weapons in the future? But at least I know the Tianquan Saber is in her hands, which is better than the spirit weapons whose whereabouts are unknown…

She wanted to take the opportunity to ask Sect Master Xie about Wen Family Village and Xie Fuyun, but the three of them began to discuss setting up an array, planning to join forces to pull Miss Si Li out of the illusion.

Xie Qingzheng asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Yun Yi untied the wind chime from her waist and handed it to her. “The Yun family’s bell can summon souls. You can just help me ring the bell.”

A circular array was drawn on the ground. The three of them sat cross-legged in a tripod formation. The Soul-Calming Pearl floated above the array. Yun Yi took out the brocade box from her bosom and released the black fog.

The black fog floated in the center of the array. The Soul-Calming Pearl emitted a soft red light, as if it were purifying the black fog.

The three of them in the array each closed their eyes and focused, their hands quickly forming seals, continuously infusing their own spiritual energy into the Soul-Calming Pearl. The Soul-Calming Pearl emitted a glow in the air, intertwining with the spiritual energy of the three.

“Ding-ling, ding-ling.” Xie Qingzheng lightly flicked her wrist, and the wind chime emitted a distant and ethereal sound.

The red light of the Soul-Calming Pearl grew brighter and brighter, and the black fog gradually condensed in the air, turning into a hazy ghost.

Perhaps because she had been in the illusion for a few days, Si Li’s soul had become very weak, as if it could be blown away by the wind. She couldn’t speak at all, not even opening her eyes.

Yun Yi stared at the weak soul, and two lines of clear tears flowed down her cheeks, her eyes filled with an indescribable sorrow.

The three of them withdrew their seals. Yun Yi quickly grabbed the Soul-Calming Pearl and took Si Li’s soul into the pearl to nourish it.

Xie Youke stood up and said, “After being nourished in the Soul-Calming Pearl for forty-nine days, her soul will return to normal. Yun Yi, from now on, I don’t want to hear your name again.”

Yun Yi carefully held the pearl and said, “Don’t worry. I will change my name from now on. From now on, there will be no such person as ‘Yun Yi.’”

Xie Youke stood with her hands behind her back, rubbing the white jade thumb ring on her thumb, and asked Yun Yi in a cold voice, “Is it worth it for a dead person?”

Yun Yi’s gaze finally moved from the pearl. She looked at Xie Youke, her gaze gentle, her voice tinged with a smile. “Sect Master Xie, why do you carry a Soul-Calming Pearl with you all year round? I heard that a Soul-Calming Pearl has to be refined with the heart’s blood of a living person. You gouged out your own heart’s blood and went through a thousand hardships to refine this pearl. Who did you want to use it for? Whose soul did you want to nourish? Has that person’s soul been scattered? Did they not even leave a wisp of a residual soul for you? Is it worth it for a dead person?”

These were also heart-striking words.

Xie Youke snorted coldly, said nothing, and left with a flick of her sleeve.

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Xie Qingzheng and Mo Jiangxue saw Yun Yi, Feng Lan, and Qing Luo out of the city gate of Xinye.

Feng Lan and Qing Luo had left the manor and planned to follow Yun Yi, never to leave her.

Mo Jiangxue asked, “Where do you plan to go?”

Xie Qingzheng was about to say, “Why don’t you travel with us, master and disciple,” but then she thought: Forget it. We still have to look for clues about Wen Family Village, and I still want to find the whereabouts of the other spirit weapons. What if Yun Yi and the others get involved and run into danger again…

Yun Yi said, “A-Li always said in her life that she wanted to travel the four corners of the earth. I was not able to accompany her. Now we will just be wandering Daoists.”

She then sincerely warned Mo Jiangxue, “You are a reclusive person. This is a place of fame and profit, a place of right and wrong. It is not suitable for you to stay for long. It is better to leave as soon as possible.”

Mo Jiangxue nodded and said, “Thank you. Take care.”

Yun Yi also nodded and said, “Take care. We will meet again if fate allows.”

She had handed over the Tianquan Saber, had taken off the green robes with the lotus pattern of Tianquan Manor, and had also untied the wind chime. She was only wearing a green robe, with an ordinary long saber at her waist. She took Si Li’s soul, and her two beloved disciples, Feng Lan and Qing Luo, and walked further and further away.

Xie Qingzheng watched their backs as they left. “I wonder if we will ever see each other again… I hope that the next time I see them, I can have a few words with Miss A-Li.”

She really liked that mischievous Miss A-Li.

Mo Jiangxue said, “Gatherings and partings are up to fate.”

If it were the past, Xie Qingzheng would have followed up with a few words to reveal her heart, such as “I won’t be up to fate with you” or “I want to be by your side for a lifetime.” But now, she just nodded and said, “Mm, up to fate.”

Mo Jiangxue glanced at her, said nothing, and walked towards the city.

Xie Qingzheng followed behind her.

There was a candy figure artist in the city. Xie Qingzheng stopped and had the artist make two candy figures in the general likeness of herself and her master.

Walking on the street, she held the two candy figures in her hand, not eating them, just playing house with them. One moment she would hold up her master’s candy figure and imitate her master’s tone, “You must listen to your master for your entire life.” The next moment she would hold up her own candy figure and say, “Disciple will of course listen to you for her entire life.”

Mo Jiangxue turned her head and glanced at her, not knowing if she found her childish or playful, and said, “If you don’t eat them soon, they’ll melt in the sun.”

Xie Qingzheng then put the two candy figures together, hand in hand, arm in arm, and her heart was filled with a wistful feeling. She thought to herself: It’s also good if they melt into one… My master and I can’t be together. At least my two candy figures can be together…

As Mo Jiangxue was walking, she suddenly stopped. Her face became extremely pale, and her hands trembled uncontrollably, as if she were extremely cold.

Author’s Note:

Yun Yi: My wife is back. I have more confidence when I speak.

Xie: The boomerang has hit me. My defenses are broken. I’m leaving.

Xie & Mo: Watching the show, sighing.