Uncanny Immortal 81p1

Chapter 81 p1

The world in the painting was also at night.

There were no stars or moon in the sky. Xie Qingzheng held the hilt of her sword and walked along the empty, long street. Under her feet were green flagstones, and red lanterns on both sides of the street swayed in the wind.

The cold wind on the street made her clothes whip about, and a chill came over her.

This place was cold and deserted, without a trace of life.

The desolate chill blew away the sadness and resentment she felt for Tanluan. She thought: Tanluan just has hatred in her heart. The ones who stood in the way of her and Mu Ning being together back then were the sect master of the Yaoguang sect, her mother, and even more so, that set of ethical principles… She hates those ethical principles, and she hates the righteous path members who abide by them, which is why she wants to force me to do something incestuous and immoral…

Because of the empathy she had felt in the dream, after she came to her senses, she actually understood Tanluan’s hatred a little.

Although she understood, why was she the unlucky one?

If she really did as Tanluan wished, not only would her master-disciple relationship with her master never be the same, but she would also ruin her master’s reputation.

She would not do that.

And how could she not resent that set of ethical principles? She had also imagined countless times, if it weren’t for their master-disciple relationship, could she have openly expressed her feelings? But no matter how much she resented and hated it, she did not want to do something her master disliked.

What she wanted was mutual affection. If the other did not have feelings, then there was no beginning at all. How could there be an obstacle of ethics?

A thousand words turned into a low mumble, “What’s the use of me liking her? She has to like me too for those things to happen, right?”

There was no one around. A light, sweet, and soft fragrance wafted over, just like the acacia incense in Tanluan’s room.

The smells and sounds of the outside world could enter the romantic illusion.

Xie Qingzheng sank her qi into her dantian and used her spiritual energy to neutralize all the fragrance she had inhaled.

There were many beauty paintings hanging in the room. After entering the world of the painting, she did not see a single one. She wondered if those spirits had all been eliminated by her master.

And she wondered where her master was.

She could not consume too much spiritual energy. Today, she had detoxified and had also fought with Tanluan. Xie Qingzheng was a little worried that the yin poison in her body would relapse.

Master.

Master.

All her thoughts were of her. Her picturesque features appeared in her mind, and her thoughts were in a turmoil.

Would she blame her for entering the illusion without permission? She had clearly told her to wait for her to come out…

Xie Qingzheng recalled the low “don’t open your eyes, wait for me to come back” that she had whispered in her ear, and it felt exceptionally gentle.

She rarely spoke to people in such a gentle tone. She was always cool, indifferent, calm, and serious with others.

Because of their master-disciple relationship, without realizing it, she had received a lot of her gentleness, a lot of her favoritism… she dared not ask for more, only to maintain this master-disciple relationship.

Xie Qingzheng’s heart was filled with lingering feelings, a field of softness.

The moment a thought of love arose, the surrounding scenery actually changed with it. The long street, the lanterns, suddenly collapsed, and exquisite houses, magnificent lanterns, fireworks, pear gardens, and music rose from the ground.

Xie Qingzheng was taken aback for a moment, stopped, and looked around in a daze.

Amidst the brilliant lights, she suddenly saw fine wine and delicacies, embroidered seats and veiled curtains, and beauties as numerous as clouds, a scene of bustle and grandeur.

Bustling, coming and going, they were all women, of city-toppling beauty, graceful and understanding. Some were playing the qin, some were playing chess, some were writing poetry, some were painting… they were all beauties of their own kind, some cool and otherworldly, some sharp and proud, some natural and simple, some refined and elegant, some graceful and noble…

Every move, every frown and smile, seemed to be to her liking, flawless.

A bewildering perfection, so perfect it was not real.

Where was this? Were these all the spirits from the painting?

Although they were formed from worldly desires, there was not a trace of sensuality, only a boundless romance, an elegant and lingering feeling.

She was not bewildered for long. Xie Qingzheng clearly remembered the purpose of this trip: to bring her master out safe and sound.

Beauties were as numerous as clouds, but her gaze did not linger on them as it passed, just as it had been back then, she only found them ordinary.

Only when she saw a woman wearing a white veiled hat did her gaze pause for a moment.

The woman’s temperament was a bit like her master’s, but when she got closer, it was not her master.

Xie Qingzheng turned her gaze away and continued to search for Mo Jiangxue’s figure in the crowd.

When she happened to look up, she saw that the plaque on the hall was inscribed with the four characters “Mirror Flower, Water Moon.”

The feeling of a daze instantly dissipated. She found it amusing and thought to herself: This is an illusion in a painting. Isn’t it just a mirror flower, a water moon?

She then thought of what Tanluan had said, that this illusion was a spirit artifact for tempering one’s mind and treating evil thoughts. If one was without emotion or desire, one could quickly withdraw.

Probably at the very beginning, when she had entered the illusion, her mind was free of distracting thoughts, so the illusion was also empty. Later, when she thought of her master, the illusion had changed.

But she only had feelings of love in her heart, not feelings of desire, so the spirits formed by the illusion were not tainted with a trace of sensuality.

Suddenly, someone patted her on the shoulder.

Xie Qingzheng subconsciously drew her sword and took a step back, but she saw Mo Jiangxue standing in front of her, her figure graceful, her long hair as black as ink, her face pale, her light-colored eyes staring at her, and she said to her, “Didn’t I tell you not to come in?”

A familiar, cool, and pleasant voice.

Xie Qingzheng stared at the person, her heart suddenly accelerating. The sword in her hand had not yet been sheathed, but her voice was already lacking in confidence. “Are you… are you real? Or are you a transformation of those demons?”

Mo Jiangxue stared at her, a faint smile on her lips. “After being deceived so many times, you’ve finally become a little more cautious.”

Xie Qingzheng stammered and did not dare to sheathe her sword.

Mo Jiangxue’s faint smile faded. She loosely clenched her fist, held it to her lips, and coughed a few times.

Xie Qingzheng sized up her somewhat pale face and couldn’t help but worry, “Are you… are you alright?”

Mo Jiangxue shook her head. “I’m fine.” She spoke slowly, to prove her authenticity. “Your spirit fox has a very bad temper and often argues with my cranes. When you first learned to fly on a sword, you broke your leg. Your cooking is terrible. You are always insincere. You…”

“Alright, alright, stop. I won’t say anymore. Master, I believe it’s you!” Xie Qingzheng quickly sheathed her sword and said, “You haven’t come out for a long time, so I came in to take a look…”

Mo Jiangxue: “I heard a sound of a bell just now and got lost for a moment.” She looked around, sat down cross-legged, and played a tune. The sound of the qin was tinkling, and the bustling women instantly disappeared.

In the empty room, only the master and disciple were left.

Xie Qingzheng looked around, trying to find an exit.

Mo Jiangxue suddenly asked her, “Have you been moved by emotion?”

Xie Qingzheng’s body stiffened, her breath hitched, and she was instantly in a panic. It was as if she could hear a string in her mind snap.

How was she supposed to answer this? Had her master discovered her unspeakable thoughts?

She didn’t dare to speak, unconsciously rubbing the xiao at her waist, her fingertips pale, just like her face.

Mo Jiangxue, as if nothing had happened, continued, “If you were not moved by emotion, you should have appeared on an empty street. If you were moved by emotion, the illusion would have brought you here. If you had produced…”

She did not say the remaining two words, “desire.”

She asked in a calm tone, “Who is that person?”

“I… I… I…” Her throat seemed to be blocked. Xie Qingzheng stammered several times and could not say a complete sentence.

After a long time, she concealed it, “Master, I have not.”

Mo Jiangxue stared at her, saw her extreme embarrassment, confirmed her guess, and continued to press, “You are not willing to tell me? Are you afraid that I will know? Are you afraid that I will object?”

Xie Qingzheng stood there in a daze, terrified and at a loss.

She didn’t dare to say it. She didn’t know how to explain why she had appeared here, and she didn’t know if her master knew about her feelings for her.

Would she scold her? Would she reprimand her? Or would she expel her from the sect?

She was about to kneel down and beg for forgiveness when she heard Mo Jiangxue turn her gaze away and say in a cold voice, “If you are not willing to say it, then don’t say it. I will not force you. From now on, do not have any more evil thoughts.” She lit a talisman. “When this talisman has burned out, and it is light, we will be able to get out.”

Xie Qingzheng lowered her head, her mind in a mess, not knowing how to face Mo Jiangxue.

A buzzing sound filled her ears, as if she were hearing many voices, chaotic, like a murmur. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but it sounded like a woman’s soft sighs and low hums, filled with a lingering ambiguity.

Xie Qingzheng shook her head, and in a flash, she thought of a question. She looked at Mo Jiangxue, “Th-then, why did you appear here?”

If one was moved by emotion, one would be brought here. Then for her master to appear here, did that mean…

Mo Jiangxue sat cross-legged on the ground, her hand on the qin strings. She looked up at the cinnabar mark between Xie Qingzheng’s brows, her expression cool. “You have a trace of my spiritual energy left between your brows. Wherever you go, I can find you.”

So it was not that she was moved by emotion, but that she had come to find her.

Xie Qingzheng did not dare to look at her again. Her face flushed red, and she lowered her head, asking in a small voice, “Master, then… have you heard any strange sounds?”

Mo Jiangxue withdrew her gaze, focused her mind, and heard a sound of a bell, like a silk thread, continuous.

“Sit down. Focus your mind.” She ordered.

Xie Qingzheng guessed that it was probably Tanluan outside, making trouble. She immediately sat down cross-legged, but her mind was in a mess, and she could not enter a meditative state no matter what.

Mo Jiangxue’s ten fingers plucked the qin strings, and the sound of the qin was sharp, as if in resistance. Xie Qingzheng immediately opened her eyes, untied the jade xiao from her waist, and played in harmony with the qin.

The sound of the qin was gentle, and the sound of the xiao followed. The sound of the qin was sonorous, and the sound of the xiao became impassioned. The sharp sound of the qin, the mournful sound of the xiao, and the tinkling sound of the bell were all mixed together.

The sound of the qin grew higher and higher, with a cadence and a variety of changes. The sound of the xiao gradually could not keep up with her rhythm. Xie Qingzheng’s blood vessels bulged, and the sound of her xiao stagnated. Then she spat out a mouthful of blood.

She wiped the blood from the corner of her lips, pressed the jade xiao to her lips, and was about to play when she heard Mo Jiangxue order her, “You can’t resist. Sit down cross-legged, hold your breath, calm your mind, and focus your will…”

She listened to her master’s incantation, sat cross-legged, and focused her mind.

The sound of the qin by her ear was still fighting with the sound of the bell. Gradually, she could only hear the sound of the qin. When she opened her eyes, the illusion had changed again. It was no longer a spacious hall, but a familiar, elegant room.

Xie Qingzheng saw the familiar paintings and calligraphy, the beauty paintings of all ages, and those enchanting and charming characters.

Had she come out?

She saw her master sitting cross-legged in meditation, the qin strings in front of her. Her face was no longer as pale as paper, but had a strange flush.

“Master.” Xie Qingzheng called out.

Mo Jiangxue’s brow moved slightly. She banished the evil thoughts from her mind, opened her eyes, looked around, and stood up.

Xie Qingzheng followed suit and stood up, wanting to help her, but she was calmly avoided.

Xie Qingzheng stood there in a daze.