Uncanny Immortal 75

Chapter 75

Xie Qingzheng woke up in a timely manner.

She got out of bed and walked to the table to pour herself a cup of tea.

The cool liquid slid down her throat, relieving some of the heat in her body. The warm, soft touch of the embrace in her dream still lingered on her fingertips. She gently shook her hand.

She could vaguely guess what would happen next to the two people in the dream. A few enchanting and ambiguous images flashed in her mind, images of Mo Jiangxue.

Her ears instantly turned completely red, and her cheeks were also burning hot to the touch. Xie Qingzheng raised her hands to cover her face, ashamed.

Stop thinking about it!

She mentally scolded herself to restrain those messy thoughts.

After a while, Xie Qingzheng finally calmed down and went to find Mo Jiangxue to report the content of the dream.

In the flower garden, there were only the two of them, guests from afar. Her master disliked being disturbed by outsiders, and there were no servants here to wait on them. All matters, big and small, were handled by the two of them, master and disciple.

Fortunately, cultivators dined on the wind and drank the dew and did not eat grains, so they did not have to worry about three meals a day. Reading Gu books and refining Gu wine took up most of the day.

Xie Qingzheng pushed open the door and saw Mo Jiangxue sitting under a flower tree in front of the hut, playing the qin.

The tree was full of white flowers, as white as snow, trembling gently in the wind, making the person playing the qin under the tree look even more clear and elegant. The gentle breeze brushed through her thousands of soft strands of hair, bringing the tinkling sound of the qin, like listening to immortal music.

Xie Qingzheng stopped, leaned against another flower tree, and listened quietly.

At first, when she heard these qin sounds, she only found them exceptionally pleasant. Later, she could understand the Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu that her master played, and she understood the melody. She only felt that the qin’s rhyme was peaceful and indifferent, but she did not understand the meaning of the music.

Now, the qin’s rhyme was still indifferent. As she listened, her heart gradually beat faster, and the image of her learning music with her master on Ethereal Peak appeared in her mind—

“The jade qin has seven strings, and music has twelve pitches.”

“The notes, Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu, correspond to the elements, earth, metal, wood, fire, and water.”

“The modes are the slow Jue, the clear Shang, the Gong mode, the slow Gong, and the Ruibin mode.” (Note)

Mo Jiangxue had long sensed Xie Qingzheng’s arrival but did not look up at her. She sat under the flower tree and played the qin, her face like jade, as calm as water.

The qin was the voice of the heart. Whatever images the player was thinking of, the melody that came from her fingertips could make her associate with those images.

Her master was thinking of her when she played the qin…

This realization made her heart beat faster. Her gaze swept over Mo Jiangxue’s ten fingers, moved up, and landed on her red lips. The enchanting thoughts she had just managed to suppress rose in her mind again.

How could this be? Stop thinking about it!

She didn’t dare to look at Mo Jiangxue directly. She saluted, took her leave from Mo Jiangxue, then turned and ran to the side of the pool, splashing a handful of cold water on her face.

Drops of water slid down her cheeks. A bit of annoyance arose in Xie Qingzheng’s heart.

It was all that Tanluan’s fault. Why did she have to put a Gu on her for no reason, making her thoughts impure!

She was being whipped by her inner sense of morality. The sound of the qin over there had already stopped.

Mo Jiangxue transmitted her voice to ask her, “What did you dream of again?”

Xie Qingzheng wiped the water from her face, took a few deep breaths, walked over, and recounted the dream.

“…and then both of them were injured and were hiding in a cave to heal.”

She had remembered every word of each person’s conversation, but she had glossed over the content of Tan Yuan and Mu Ning healing in the cave in a few words.

Mo Jiangxue heard her final words were vague and guessed that they were words that were not convenient to say out loud. She tacitly did not ask any more.

Xie Qingzheng lowered her eyes and said in a low voice, “Next, next, let’s wait for Senior Tanluan to come back and talk about it.”

She silently reminded herself in her heart: I must not enter the dream again to see the romantic past of that ‘flower butterfly’!

She had even secretly given Tanluan a nickname.

However, she still didn’t quite understand why Tanluan wanted to tell her these things. And only she remembered the content of the dream, while her master had no impression at all.

Xie Qingzheng wanted to talk to Mo Jiangxue about this topic again, but then she thought, it was better not to. If they talked too much and it was associated with herself, it would be even more awkward, and she wouldn’t know how to interact with her.

After she had reported the content of the dream, she quickly took her leave, as if to hide.

Mo Jiangxue looked at her hastily retreating back, lightly plucked a string, and with a zheng, as if with a hint of doubt.

Xie Qingzheng ran to find A-Yan to chat. As they were chatting, she asked A-Yan, “Tell me, why would a person tell another person their love history?”

A-Yan was playing with a small green snake in her hand. She let out a cry and gossiped, “Have you fallen in love with someone, and then that person told you their love history?”

Xie Qingzheng shook her head like a rattle-drum. “No! It’s just an acquaintance. She told me her past in great detail.”

A-Yan said casually, “Maybe that acquaintance of yours wants to develop a relationship with you.”

“No, she loves someone else!”

The Miao girl in the dream was clearly in love with Mu Ning to death. How could she possibly like someone else?

Sigh, it didn’t seem impossible. She seemed to have been let down by Mu Ning later on. She had even changed from “Tan Yuan” to “Tanluan”… After so many years, did she still love Mu Ning?

A-Yan, like an experienced person, said with conviction, “Little Immortal Master Xie, let me tell you. If that acquaintance of yours can tell you her love history like a story, it means she has long let it go! If that person has also been hurt by love, for example, if she was the one who was let down, then she is even more trying to win your sympathy! A person like you is always very soft-hearted!”

Xie Qingzheng let out a “tch,” not quite agreeing.

Forget it. A-Yan was not very reliable either. She said her goodbyes to A-Yan and planned to ask Tanluan in person when she returned.

This night, Xie Qingzheng did not plan to sleep. She suppressed her curiosity and sat in meditation to refine her qi.

After the spiritual energy had circulated in her body for several cycles, she suddenly had a lapse in concentration and thought of Tan Yuan and Mu Ning. She wondered what would happen to them.

The moment this thought arose, she immediately came out of her meditative state.

Her heart was not calm. She had distracting thoughts. Practicing like this was counterproductive.

Xie Qingzheng sighed, paced in her room for a few laps, and after a long while of thinking and struggling, she finally decided to enter the dream for a look.

If it was still a very “improper to look at” intimate scene, she would immediately wake up. If not, she would continue the dream.

She really wanted to know what happened next.

Xie Qingzheng felt a comfortable warmth.

In the cave, the bonfire was bright, and the flames crackled. By the firelight, she looked at Mu Ning sitting opposite her.

Mu Ning’s clothes were neat, her face was calm, and she held a tree branch, stirring the bonfire back and forth, her eyes lowered, not meeting hers.

Xie Qingzheng breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, good. It’s not an improper to look at scene.”

She was really afraid that the moment she entered the dream, she would sense the two in the dream doing some intimate act.

She had feelings for her master, but she also respected her. She did not want to profane her in a dream. Even if it was just a dream, even if her master would not remember what had happened in the dream after she woke up.

Mu Ning said, “When my spiritual energy has recovered a little, we will go back to the sect.”

The bright red firelight shone on her face, adding a bit of brightness to her jade-like face. Xie Qingzheng did not dare to look at Mo Jiangxue in the real world directly, but she could, through the uncontrollable dream, boldly gaze at her face.

So beautiful.

Her heart was in a turmoil.

It was her own feeling, and also Tan Yuan’s feeling.

Tan Yuan pressed her lips together. Xie Qingzheng belatedly sensed that her lips were a little numb, a little swollen. She turned to look at Mu Ning and only then did she discover that Mu Ning’s lips were also exceptionally bright.

Xie Qingzheng’s head buzzed. She instantly understood what had happened between the two of them.

They must have… they must have kissed…

Had Mu Ning finally admitted her feelings for Tan Yuan?

Then had they completely broken through the window paper?

Tan Yuan said gently, “A-Ning, what are your plans next?”

Xie Qingzheng let out a “tsk” in her heart. “It’s been two months since we met. I’ve never heard this flower butterfly speak to someone in such a cloying tone. People in love are really different.”

Mu Ning’s lips moved slightly. “We’ll take it one step at a time. Let’s go back to the sect first.”

Tan Yuan asked, “Then will you still avoid me in the future?”

Mu Ning looked up at her, smiled faintly, and shook her head.

These three days in the cave were the happiest three days for Tan Yuan since she had come to the Central Plains. Xie Qingzheng felt the tender affection in her heart, and her heart softened.

So, to be in love with each other was this kind of floating, happy feeling. It was so good.

Three days later, Tan Yuan and Mu Ning’s injuries had improved a lot. The two of them flew back to the Yaoguang sect on their swords.

Before they landed, they saw two opposing groups of people.

The demons of the Ten Directions Domain and the spiritual cultivators of the orthodox Xuanmen.

The moment Tan Yuan landed, she saw a white shadow flash out from the side of the righteous path cultivators. She only heard a soft crack, and then a sharp scream, accompanied by the sound of splashing water. The leading evil cultivator in a white robe with a karmic fire red lotus was thrown into the lake.

Tan Yuan focused her gaze and saw that it was the Sect Master of the Tianshu Sect, Gu Hongying.

With the speed of lightning, she had flashed in front of the leading evil cultivator, broken his wrist, and thrown his whole person into the lake. She had then, with incredible speed, snatched the weapons from the hands of the demonic cult members, broken them all, and finally returned to her original spot, her hands behind her back. The sun was high in the sky, and the sunlight shone on her tall figure, casting a long shadow.

To capture the leader to capture the bandits, to seize the weapons and break the blades—her few rabbit-like movements had happened in a short instant, incredibly fast. Tan Yuan saw it clearly and thought to herself: The old sect master has some skills.

The righteous path cultivators all cheered!

The demonic cult members were also intimidated, and the righteous path cultivators rushed forward with their swords.

Gu Hongying had only shown those two moves and then stood to the side with her hands behind her back, her eyes cold.

She was the head of a sect. Although she hated the demonic cult, she was unwilling to personally use a weapon to slaughter the unarmed.

Xie Qingzheng thought to herself: If the old senior were still alive, I wonder if my master could fight her…

Her thoughts gradually drifted away. When she came to her senses, she saw that the righteous path cultivators had already subdued the group of demonic cult members. The sect master of the Yaoguang sect asked Gu Hongying for guidance, “How should we deal with these demonic cult members?”

Gu Hongying snorted coldly. “Evil demons, everyone has the right to kill them!”

She ordered the people of the Yaoguang sect to execute all the demons and to hang their bodies in a forest in the outskirts as a warning.

Tan Yuan held a white umbrella, took Mu Ning’s hand, and went with her to that forest to watch the excitement.

The cultivators of the Yaoguang sect set up an array around them to suppress the resentment of the dead and to prevent them from turning into corpses.

When they reached a place with people, Mu Ning let go of Tan Yuan’s hand and looked up.

Hundreds of bodies were hanging from the trees. Along the way, all the bodies had their eyes wide open, and they had died with a grievance. The blood on their bodies had not yet dried, and fresh blood flowed from their wounds, dripping onto their white umbrella, gradually dyeing a white umbrella into a red one.

Tan Yuan looked up at the bodies hanging in the forest, her heart filled with pity, and she sighed faintly. “You Han people have a saying, ‘A scholar can be killed but not insulted.’ If you’re going to kill them, then kill them. Why do you have to do this?”

Cruel.

A cultivator setting up an array at the side heard her words and retorted, “To eliminate evil completely! We are acting on behalf of heaven!”

“When dealing with these evil demons, there is no need to talk about benevolence and righteousness!”

“They killed our hall master and left and right envoys a few days ago. They deserve it!”

Mu Ning made a “shh” gesture to Tan Yuan, signaling her not to say any more.

Tan Yuan closed her mouth and thought to herself: They killed three of us, and we killed a hundred of them. And then? Will they come and kill a thousand of us… I wonder when it will end?

She didn’t like killing. Xie Qingzheng thought to herself: I don’t like it either.

Suddenly, another sigh came from behind her. She turned to look, and it was Xie Fuyun.

Xie Fuyun and Xie Youke were walking side by side.

Xie Fuyun looked up at the bodies and sighed, “What a thick resentment.”

Xie Youke did not look sideways and said, “These demons have a heavier resentment than ordinary people even after they die. They are a scourge even after they die.”

She was still young, but she already had the tone of a mature and righteous person.

Xie Fuyun let out a sigh. “Junior Sister, the dead are to be respected. Have some verbal virtue.”

Xie Youke said, “Master said that they cannot be considered human.”

Xie Fuyun laughed at her. “You take Master’s words as a holy decree. Why don’t you listen to your senior sister’s words?”

Xie Youke snorted coldly. “If what you say makes sense, I will naturally listen. But you have too many twisted theories. It’s already very good of me not to tell Master.”

The two of them were not on good terms verbally, but when they walked in the forest, they would cast a spell for each other to block the blood dripping from the bodies on the trees.

Xie Qingzheng suddenly remembered the words she had said to Tanluan:

“There is no greater good than to correct one’s mistakes… a gentleman judges by actions, not by intentions… get rid of that habit, even if your words are a little out of line, I think the righteous path will not be unable to tolerate you…”

Looking back, she had indeed seen the righteous and evil paths too simply.

In their youth, the righteous and evil paths had already been in a state of “either you die or I die.”

And now?

They had been at peace for ten years. Now, ten years later, the demonic cult had made a comeback. Perhaps they would fall into that situation again.

As Xie Qingzheng was thinking, she also let out a sigh in this dream of a different time and space.

The situation between the righteous and evil paths was grim. In the Yaoguang sect, Tan Yuan and Mu Ning had quietly gotten together behind everyone’s backs.

Mu Ning told Tan Yuan that their true relationship needed to be hidden.

During the day, they were inseparable master and disciple. Mu Ning would patiently guide Tan Yuan’s every sword move, and every line of the incantation was explained in detail. At night, they were a devoted Daoist couple. Sometimes they would take a small boat and row to a deserted patch of reeds, chatting and being affectionate under the night sky. Sometimes they would walk side by side in the courtyard corridors, and in a deserted place, they would hold each other’s hands tightly.

Although Tan Yuan listened to Mu Ning, she didn’t quite understand this master-disciple ethic of the Central Plains and would often complain to Mu Ning, “You people of the Central Plains have so many rules. Why do you like to set so many rules for yourselves?”

At this moment, they were in a small boat, hiding in a long and narrow patch of reeds. There was no one around, only the dense reeds swaying in the wind.

Tan Yuan was resting her head on Mu Ning’s lap. Mu Ning reached out, her fingertips calloused, and gently stroked her face.

She turned her head slightly and kissed Mu Ning’s fingertips.

Xie Qingzheng’s heart trembled.

Tan Yuan joked, “Why is it that in the Central Plains, a master and a disciple being together is considered a violation of morality and ethics? You’re just teaching me skills. If you really mind it so much, I’ll go and announce that I’m breaking off our master-disciple relationship.”

Mu Ning’s heart was being tortured and whipped by morality and ethics. She was unwilling to talk to Tan Yuan about this topic.

Tan Yuan didn’t mind at all. She looked at her with a smile, full of hope, and said to her, “Or why don’t you go to the Miao region with me? We Miao people don’t care about these things. If we like someone, we like them. I won’t be the Holy Maiden of the Immortal Cult, and you won’t be the hall master of the Yaoguang sect. We’ll just be an ordinary Daoist couple. What do you say?”

Mu Ning was noncommittal and only said, “Even if I have to leave, I can’t abandon the sect at this time.”

Tan Yuan nodded. “Of course. After this period of time, I’ll take you away.”

“Hmph.”

A cold snort suddenly came from the reeds.

The expression of the two in the boat changed. They both stood up, drew their weapons, and looked around warily.

A boat came out from the dense reeds. On the boat stood two people, one in front and one behind, looking at them with an indescribable expression.

The person standing behind was Mu Ning’s third disciple, his eyes darting away, not daring to look at Mu Ning directly.

The person standing in front raised her hand to undo the barrier spell. Her gaze swept back and forth between Mu Ning and Tan Yuan, and various expressions flashed across her face—astonishment, anger, regret… finally settling on contempt.

A naked look of contempt, like a blazing fire, burned Mu Ning’s self-esteem.

Mu Ning’s face was pale. She sheathed her weapon, stood in front of Tan Yuan, and bowed. “Sect Master, it is my fault. It has nothing to do with Yuan’er.”

The sect master said, “I didn’t quite believe it when he told me. Mu Ning, I thought you could handle this matter. You have disappointed me too much.”

Tan Yuan’s face was full of anger. She formed a seal, controlled her spirit butterfly, and attacked the informer behind the sect master.