Uncanny Immortal 79p2

Chapter 79 p2

The sun was setting, and all around were towering ancient trees. The slanting sun shone, and the forest was dark. Tanluan sat in the grass shed, waiting for the master and disciple to arrive. The sunlight shone on her, making her face half-bright and half-dark.

On the table, besides two bowls of herbal soup, there were also a few small dishes, a pot of wine, a pot of tea, and three sets of bowls and chopsticks. It seemed she was going to treat them to a meal.

Tanluan said, “If you two fellow Daoists do not like to drink wine, you can have tea instead.”

Xie Qingzheng looked at the two bowls of herbal soup on the table and asked, “The medicine to break the Gu? You’re not going to put another Gu on me, are you?”

Tanluan smiled, and she drank a cup of all the herbal soup, wine, tea, and dishes on the table, and ate a bite, to show that they were not poisonous.

Mo Jiangxue then checked the wine pot, teapot, and cups again and found nothing unusual.

Xie Qingzheng drank the herbal soup to break the Gu, then tentatively twisted her own arm. Tanluan let out a “hiss” and rubbed her own arm. “So painful. Why did you twist so hard?”

Xie Qingzheng was angry. “You—”

Tanluan immediately let go and smiled charmingly. “I’m just teasing you. I don’t feel anything anymore. Come, sit down, and let’s eat, drink, and chat. After we’ve eaten, we’ll fight if we have to, and we’ll part if we have to. After all, there is no banquet in the world that does not end.”

Tanluan poured a cup of wine for the two of them, then drank a cup herself, and said frankly, “You want the Yaoguang Bell in my hand, right?”

Mo Jiangxue nodded. “I do need it.”

Tanluan smiled. “Then it depends on whether you have the ability to take it. If you win, the Yaoguang Bell is yours. If you lose, the Tianxuan Sword is mine.”

Xie Qingzheng was not a good drinker and did not dare to drink much. She drank a cup for show and then switched to tea. She then asked Tanluan, “What do you want the Tianxuan Sword for?”

Tanluan asked in return, “Everyone on the righteous and evil paths wants it. Why can’t I?”

Mo Jiangxue did not touch the wine and dishes on the table, only taking a sip of tea.

Xie Qingzheng then asked Tanluan, “After Mu Ning died, Senior, why did you go to the Ten Directions Domain?”

Tanluan said frankly, “Because I hate you people of the righteous path. The Yaoguang sect was just following the orders of the Tianshu Sect back then. Later, when the people of the Ten Directions Domain retaliated against the Yaoguang sect, the Tianshu Sect refused to send support. Afterwards, they even asked the remnants of the Yaoguang sect if they were willing to merge into the Tianshu Sect. How hypocritical.”

Xie Qingzheng: “Perhaps the people of the Ten Directions Domain also sent people to attack the Tianshu Sect back then, and they didn’t have time to send support.”

Tanluan shook her head. “No. Gu Hongying of the Tianshu Sect was just using the Ten Directions Domain to wear down the strength of the Yaoguang, Tianxuan, and Tianji sects, so that she could reap the benefits. But in the end, she didn’t succeed. The Tianxuan sect produced a Xiao Wangqing, who persuaded the three sects to merge. Xiao Wangqing is a capable person, but she is not a good person now either. And Xie Youke, that little old fogey is just like her master, that old old fogey. They are both thinking of annexing the other sects to strengthen the Tianshu Sect.”

Mo Jiangxue glanced at her.

Xie Qingzheng put down her chopsticks. “Senior, watch your words.”

Tanluan: “Oh, that’s right. She is still your Sect Master. If I speak ill of her in front of you, that would be sowing discord.”

Xie Qingzheng: “You don’t like the people of the Tianshu Sect, and you don’t like the people of the Xuanji Sect. According to you, there are no good people in the righteous path. Could it be that all the good people have gone to the Ten Directions Domain?”

Tanluan let out a chuckle. “Not at all. The ‘Ten Directions Domain’ is called the ‘demonic cult’ by you righteous path members, and for a reason. There are indeed many evil heretics in the cult who kill the innocent. Even I can’t stand them and don’t want to have much to do with them. There are still more good people on your righteous path. Xie Fuyun is a good person, and your master is also a good person. That former Manor Lord of Tianquan Manor is also a good person. When she saw me, she never shouted to kill me, and would even greet me politely and persuade me to turn from the dark to the light.”

Mo Jiangxue, who had been evaluated as a “good person,” asked Tanluan, “When did you meet Manor Lord Yun?”

Tanluan sighed. “It was many years ago. It’s a pity that good people don’t live long.”

Mo Jiangxue’s brow furrowed slightly.

Was she cursing her?

Xie Qingzheng had thought it was a recent event and wanted to inquire about their whereabouts. Hearing this, she gave up the thought and instead asked, “Then Senior, you stayed in the Ten Directions Domain because you wanted to take revenge on the Tianshu Sect?”

Tanluan shook her head. “I just don’t like you people of the righteous path. I don’t intend to dirty my hands. There are so many fun things and beautiful people in this world. I can’t even see them all. How can I waste my time on those people?”

Mo Jiangxue said to Xie Qingzheng, “You see, she is just enjoying it.”

Tanluan said, “That’s right. There are no rules of the righteous path here in the Ten Directions Domain. I can do whatever I want. No one controls me. I enjoy it.”

Xie Qingzheng thought for a moment and said, “The rules of the righteous path are not that many.”

It just advocated for everyone to slay demons and eliminate evil, to protect all living things, and then to respect one’s master and the Dao.

Tanluan said calmly, “You are in it, so you naturally don’t feel it’s much. And your master treats you well, so you don’t feel any rules restraining you.” With that, she said to Mo Jiangxue, “Little White Fellow Daoist, why are you so distrustful of me? You haven’t touched a single bite of this food.”

Mo Jiangxue stared at her for a while, saw nothing unusual, and casually took a bite.

Xie Qingzheng first tentatively ate a little. After a while, seeing that there was nothing unusual with her body, she ate a lot in one go.

Mo Jiangxue did not speak much and did not eat much. That way, even if there was any poison in the food, with her cultivation, she could completely neutralize it.

Tanluan continued to talk eloquently. Mo Jiangxue suddenly asked her, “Did Mu Ning really get reincarnated and ascend to become an immortal?”

Tanluan was silent for a long while. She poured herself a cup of wine and, after drinking it in one gulp, said, “In these years, I have been pondering the ethics, benevolence, and morality of your Central Plains righteous path, and also the etiquette of seniority. Don’t you think that those are all rules established by the superiors, shackles that the superiors use to restrain and limit the subordinates, so that the subordinates will revere and obey the superiors, and the superiors can better discipline the subordinates…”

She had drunk a lot tonight, and her face was flushed red, as if she were drunk, and she was rambling on and on.

Xie Qingzheng sighed and persuaded, “Senior, that’s enough. You should rest for a night.”

They would fight tomorrow.

Tanluan asked, “Why don’t you take advantage of my being so drunk and steal the Yaoguang Bell from me?”

Xie Qingzheng, following her words, joked, “Probably because we are bound by the shackles you spoke of.”

A gentleman does what he should and does not do what he shouldn’t.

Mo Jiangxue said honestly, “A spirit artifact recognizes its master.”

Since the Yaoguang Bell had willingly acknowledged Tanluan as its master, then even if they stole it, they would not be able to use it normally, unless Tanluan willingly gave it up, or it was re-forged with a Guiyuan Stone and a great deal of spiritual energy.

Tanluan let out a laugh.

Xie Qingzheng asked, “Where are you resting tonight? Are you going back to the main altar with us?”

Tanluan shook her head. “I’m not going back. I’ve already bought a residence in the city. Little Fellow Daoist Xie, you don’t really think I sleep in the wilderness every day, do you? I’m not an ascetic.”

Xie Qingzheng: “…”

It’s good to be rich.

Tanluan leaned in close to Xie Qingzheng and asked, “Did you used to sleep in the wilderness? What kind of hard life did you live with your master? Why don’t you come with me—”

Mo Jiangxue pulled Xie Qingzheng away from Tanluan.

Xie Qingzheng waved her hand. “A cultivator of the Dao should be content with poverty and devoted to the Dao. Senior, you don’t understand. You should go back to your residence to rest. We’ve had our fill of wine and food. Thank you for your hospitality. We should also be going back. We will meet again tomorrow.”

Tanluan said meaningfully, “Perhaps after tomorrow, we will no longer be friends.”

Xie Qingzheng was a little wistful. “It seems you don’t lack a friend like me.”

Tanluan said, “Then the more friends, the better. And the more beauties—”

Xie Qingzheng interrupted, “Stop—do not speak of what is improper.”

She didn’t want to hear any more of her twisted theories.

The three of them said their goodbyes and walked in opposite directions.

After walking for some distance, she suddenly saw Tanluan’s spirit butterfly, dragging a book, its body bobbing up and down, flying towards Xie Qingzheng.

It was really persistent, insisting on giving that “gift.”

Mo Jiangxue’s expression tightened. She reached out and stopped it, snatched the book, and did not let Xie Qingzheng see it. She opened it and smelled a faint fragrance in the book, like the scent on Tanluan.

She held her breath and looked. She saw that the content of the book was no different from the one from the day. She immediately infused spiritual energy into her hand and crushed the entire book to dust.

Xie Qingzheng looked at the scattering powder, sniffed the fragrance in the powder, and said, “Master, you secretly looked at it yourself, and you won’t even let me see what it is?”

Mo Jiangxue shot her a look. “Don’t be too curious.”

As her words fell, Mo Jiangxue’s body swayed slightly, her steps unsteady, and she suddenly fell forward.

Xie Qingzheng was startled and quickly rushed forward to help her. “What’s wrong? Has the yin poison acted up?”

Mo Jiangxue held her hand and shook her head. “No, I’m suddenly a little dizzy.”

Xie Qingzheng immediately suspected Tanluan. “Could it be that she has poisoned us again? I ate the same things as you. How come I don’t feel anything?”

Mo Jiangxue thought of the book just now, turned over her palm, and looked at her hand. Her palm was an abnormal red.

She tried to circulate her qi to force out the poison in her body, but it had no effect. She made a decisive decision and said, “Let’s go back.”

In the grass shed, Tanluan was still sitting in her original spot, drinking wine and eating in the clear breeze and bright moon. Seeing the master and disciple return, she smiled. “What, you can’t bear to leave me?”

Xie Qingzheng went forward and questioned, “Why did you poison us again?”

Tanluan seemed puzzled. “Who said I poisoned you? Look, you’re fine, aren’t you? And all my wine and food are detoxifying. It’s your master who was unwilling to eat more.”

Mo Jiangxue did not say much to her and took out her qin.

Tanluan formed a hand seal, summoned her spirit butterfly, and said with regret, “Are we going to fight now? Are you two going to fight one?”

Mo Jiangxue said to Xie Qingzheng, “You don’t make a move.”

The qin’s light in the forest was bright, and the sound of the qin was sharp. Tanluan dodged left and right and reminded with a smile, “Lady Yunshao, the more you circulate your qi, the faster the poison in your body will spread.”

Hearing this, Mo Jiangxue looked inside her dantian and immediately felt her body slowly heat up.

She put away her qin and switched to her sword. With a flick of her wrist, her longsword was extended, its light flashing like a rainbow, as graceful as the wind, and unusually fast.

With just a little spiritual energy, she had suppressed Tanluan with her sharp sword moves. Tanluan, while dodging, smiled and said, “Good sword technique! Good sword technique! It makes me want to become your disciple too!”

Without warning, with a chi, a piece of her right robe was cut off. If Mo Jiangxue had not intentionally slowed down a move, that sword strike could have directly cut off her right arm.

Tanluan said, “Lady Yunshao, are you trying to cut off your robe and sever our ties? I have no relationship with you. I just have an affinity with your disciple!”

Xie Qingzheng’s heart pounded. Fearing that her master’s yin poison would act up, she quickly said, “Senior, you should quickly hand over the antidote!”

Tanluan said while fighting, “I said the antidote was in the wine and food just now. She was unwilling to eat more. What can I do? I’ve already eaten it all. I can’t just spit it out, can I?”

Xie Qingzheng: “Don’t you have any antidote on you?”

Tanluan: “No, I put it all in the wine and food!”

Xie Qingzheng: “Why are you teasing us again for no reason?”

Tanluan: “I have my own arrangements. Little Fellow Daoist Xie, just you wait!”

Xie Qingzheng: “If you continue like this, I’ll have to join forces with my master!”

Tanluan said, “Two against one? Then you’re really disregarding the code of the jianghu!”

After a pause, she added, “Little Fellow Daoist Xie, your master won’t let you make a move, and you’re just standing to the side, trying to distract me with your words. To be so scheming at such a young age is not good!”

Xie Qingzheng, her thoughts exposed, blushed and asked, “What kind of poison did you use this time?”

Tanluan still said the same thing, “I have my own arrangements. Little Fellow Daoist Xie, just you wait!”

After saying this, Mo Jiangxue had already held her sword to her neck and asked her, “Are you injured?”

By rights, Tanluan’s cultivation was not inferior to hers. She shouldn’t have lost to her in such a short period of time.

Tanluan coughed a few times and pretended to be weak. “That’s right. I had a fight with someone in the Ten Directions Domain a few days ago, and my injuries haven’t healed. Lady Yunshao, you have won unfairly.”

Mo Jiangxue said coldly, “Hand over the antidote.”

Tanluan said, “I really don’t have any on me. I’ve eaten all the wine and food. But I still have some at home. Do you want to go with me to get it?”

Author’s Note:

Xie: What little tricks are you up to again?

Tan: To make your master your wife.