Chapter 42: Qingyun (8)
What did he say just now?
Oh, that he imagined Xie Shiyi in the book.
No wonder Xie Shiyi used that kind of tone when calling his “little Shidi.”
Yan Qing: “…”
Thankfully, Wangqing Sect’s noon bell tolled, heavy and turbulent as it rippled through all three hundred plus peaks. Yan Qing was thunderstruck; his scalp was numb, and a smoke steamed from the crown of his head. Unwilling to spend another second in this suffocating place, his hand pressed down onto the windowsill, and he simply flipped over and out of the window.
The remaining disciples in the classroom were like rigid statues, at a loss as to what to do even after class had already concluded.
After Xie Shiyi’s appearance, Budezhi warily hid itself within Yan Qing’s sleeve. Only now, after being brought out by Yan Qing, did it breathe a sigh of relief, leisurely flapped its wings, and flew to perch atop Yan Qing’s shoulder, curiously rolling its eyes. “What’s up with you?”
Yan Qing woodenly asked, “Do you have any pills that can erase someone’s memory?”
Budezhi said, “What? You want to take it yourself?”
Yan Qing said, “No, I want to make Xie Shiyi take it.”
In the entirety of both his two lifetimes added up, he had never been so stupidly embarrassed! Yan Qing wanted to smash his head against the ground at the mere thought of having to face Xie Shiyi tonight in Yuqing Peak!
He entered the depths of the bamboo forest and ended up colliding with some other fellow disciples from the Tianjie Classroom who had also finished classes. Ming Ze spotted him at once from within the group, and his eyes sparkled. After bidding his classmates farewell, he happily bounded up to him.
“Yan-Xiong!”
Yan Qing saw him and sized him up a bit from head to toe, before asking, “Fellow Daoist Ming Ze? You weren’t injured upon returning from Nan City, right?”
Ming Ze shook his head like a rattle drum, and bashfully said, “No, no, I wasn’t injured. But, Yan-Xiong, nothing happened after you were kidnapped by that demonseed, right?”
Yan Qing faintly mumbled, “Nothing happened.”
Nothing happened that night, but something huge happened today.
Ming Ze sheepishly scratched his head. With a smile, he said, “I originally wanted to go with you and Xie-Shixiong, but that Qianbei from the Immortal Alliance said that the demonseed cast a spell on me and that I needed to return to the sect earlier to rest, so I went back first.”
Yan Qing couldn’t resist giving him a look and laughed, “Why are you giving me an explanation? Come to think of it, that day I was the one who burdened you.”
Ming Ze replied, “No, no, no, if I hadn’t fallen into the demon’s hands, then you wouldn’t have been kidnapped.” His gaze fell onto Budezhi, and he curiously asked, “Say, Yan-Xiong, what exactly is your spiritual pet? It kind of looks like a bat, but upon closer look, it more resembles a bird. Does it have a name?”
Yan Qing glanced at Budezhi. When Budezhi heard its name was being asked, it suddenly became agitated. However, Yan Qing had cast a spell on it that prevented it from speaking in front of others, so it could only sulk—was only a single person destined to know its prestigious name “Great Black Bat of World-Ending Thunder”?
Yan Qing smiled and said, “I also don’t know what it is. It has a name, though, it’s called Budezhi.”
Ming Ze: “What? Budezhi?”
…As in, depressingly unfulfilled ambitions1? Why would any master give their spiritual pet this name?
Yan Qing said with profundity, “This name, eh, it has some history behind it.”
The history was that this bat was too good at arguing. Someone who was this good at arguing definitely must have lived a terribly bitter life, thus “as if lamenting a lifetime of unfulfilled ambition.”
“It’s a long story, it’s a long story.”
Ming Ze was dumbfounded. It’s a long story? However, after processing the meaning, he was bowled over by a sense of deep veneration. He looked toward Budezhi, his eyes harboring unfathomable complexities. His impression of Budezhi transformed from “a malevolent, sinister bird” to a “malevolent, sinister bird carrying great burdens from a heavy past.”
His eyes sighed with sorrow, deeply moved. Budezhi, budezhi.
Life is filled with love, hate, and unfulfilled ambitions.
What kind of rough, bumpy life, filled with struggle, homelessness, and misery, must one have experienced in order to bear such a name?
Budezhi: “?”
Budezhi: “Why is this person looking at this lord with such strange eyes?”
Yan Qing gave a low laugh and said, “They were probably shocked by your name.”
Ming Ze spoke again, “Yan-Xiong, I have to make a visit to Jingnu2 Peak later. Would you like to come with me?”
Yan Qing paused. “Jingnu Peak?”
Ming Ze said, “Yes, my Shizu3 emerged from seclusion a few days earlier, and just learned of Zi Xiao-Qianbei’s passing. He entrusted me to deliver something to Jingnu Peak.”
Yan Qing nodded. It seemed that Jingnu Peak was where Zi Xiao resided in Wangqing Sect.
“Alright.”
Although Zi Xiao was a Great Elder, he led a solitary life, accepting no disciples or servants. Thus, Jingnu Peak, his residence, was merely an outer peak.
Jingnu Peak had no formations set up at all, and, unlike Xie Shiyi’s Yuqing Peak, it also lacked frost and snow that made it difficult for birds to fly.
The first thing one saw upon entering was that endless green maple forest. Amidst the brilliant splendor of springtime, a thick layer of leaves had piled up atop one another.
Ming Ze took out a tiny paper crane and had it lead the way. As he was walking, he curiously asked, “Zi Xiao-Qianbei had an irritable temper, despising evil with a fervor. I can’t understand why he would plant this many green maples outside of his residence.”
Yan Qing was silent for a moment before softly saying, “Perhaps it’s because, among the common people, green maples represent yearning.”
Ming Ze: “Ah?”
Yan Qing reached his hand out, and a maple leaf wistfully drifted to land in his palm. He said, “They also represent reluctance to part.”
The cracked leaf in his palm was blown away by the wind.
The maple leaf took the shape of unfurled wings, freely soaring into the sky. Yet the maple trees took root in their native soil, upright and silent, as if peacefully urging it to stay.
Yan Qing had seen his life in the Void Comprehension Secret Realm, and walking through the maple forest did not feel all that foreign to him.
He saw many familiar places. He saw the stone table and stone chairs, covered in dust and withered leaves; he saw the aged and worn three-layer limestone steps; and he saw the house wings and winding corridors modeled after his previous home from the old days.
Zi Xiao’s residence was located in the depths of the maple forest.
It was here that Jing Ruyu knelt in the rain, it was here she covered her face while crying, it was here that she helplessly reached her hand out, the scarlet lacquer on her nails leaving behind trails the color of blood. It was also here that, step by step, she changed from a disregarded young girl, replacing her sister to become the respected, peerless Sect Master of Fuhua Sect.
After their grudges and grievances were settled, their final parting was the young girl in the blue skirt looking back amidst the wind, embodying a deceased spirit from the Yellow Springs4 as she softly said, “Brother, I’ve forgiven you.”
At the time, perhaps Zi Xiao nearly descended into the fires of demonhood and went insane.
Yan Qing, not without an air of mockery, scoffed.
Ming Ze didn’t dare enter and merely stood outside the door, quietly saying, “I hear my Shizu say, Elder Zi Xiao had a reputation among the sect as being an extremely eccentric person. He was a Great Elder, yet he always carried the Shidui5 Blade, traveling all four corners of the world to punish evil and exterminate wickedness. He seldom appeared before others.”
Yan Qing said, “He seldom appeared before others? Then how does your Shizu know him?”
Ming Ze said, “I don’t know. I only know that my Shizu was indebted to Elder Zi Xiao.”
Yan Qing said, “Given that they were indebted to him, why didn’t your Shizu themself come visit?”
Ming Ze was quite embarrassed. “Because, afterwards, Shizu had a falling out with Elder Zi Xiao. In fact, Elder Zi Xiao’s personality was quite blunt, and he had quite a few enemies in the Upper Heaven.”
Yan Qing laughed.
Ming Ze continued, “Yan-Xiong, do you know why this peak is called Jingnu Peak?”
Yan Qing asked, “Why?”
Ming Ze said, “I hear my Shixiongs say that this was originally called Guanxia Peak6. It was only after Zi Xiao entered the sect and the Sect Master bestowed him this peak that its name was changed. Jingnu, jingnu. In a way, it was also the Sect Master’s earnest advice to Zi Xiao.”
Yan Qing said, “The advice makes a lot of sense.”
He had gotten a glimpse at the kind of person Zi Xiao was from the Void Comprehension Secret Realm. Reclusive, fierce, irritable, easily angered. Yan Qing still remembered even now, the first scene from the Secret Realm, that black-robed youth with one injured eye, a scar covering his entire face, carrying a blade as he walked the rural road leading to his home, the fury in his eyes almost seeming to scorch his very soul.
Later on, rivers of blood flowed. The memory cut deep, unfolding under boundless rain. The worried eyes of two elderly people at death’s door, the young girl’s wails as she threw herself over and cried, Brother.
All the events of the past, transformed into the green maple forest on Jingnu Peak today, blanketing the home he would never be able to return to.
Ming Ze pulled out a box from his sleeve and opened it. Inside was a cup of wine.
Carrying out his Shizu’s command, he poured the cup of wine onto the ground in offering. It could be considered his final farewell.
After placing the wine cup on the ground, Ming Ze said, “Yan-Xiong, let us leave.”
Yan Qing nodded.
Ming Ze pensively looked out at the green maple forest and said, “I’ve heard a rumor before, that said Elder Zi Xiao slaughtered his family to establish his Dao. It was only after he entered Jingnu Peak that I learned the truth. Elder Zi Xiao was deceived by a villain. The villain had set up an illusion to confuse him, causing Elder Zi Xiao to believe that his family had been slaughtered at the hands of demons. Moreover, the demons had even taken the appearance of his father and mother, and were waiting at his house to ambush and kill him.”
“Elder carried his blade on that rainy night as he returned home, exterminating the demons and exacting his bloody revenge. It was only after his head cleared that he realized the deceased weren’t demons, but his father, mother, and little sister.”
Yan Qing had long realized this and thus said nothing.
Ming Ze scratched his cheeks, utterly uncomprehending. “Yan-Xiong, say, how could he slaughter them by mistake? When Elder Zi Xiao acted, did his father and mother not call out his name? If they shared the same flesh and blood, how could he not distinguish reality from illusion?”
Yan Qing recalled a scene from the Void Comprehension Secret Realm and quietly said, “Perhaps at the time his judgment was clouded by anger.”
The maple forest echoed with rustling, and the maple leaves lightly fell.
*
A leaf fell into a pair of elegant, fair hands and was subsequently shredded into dust by a force of inner strength. Jing Ruyu finished cultivating and opened her eyes, and emerged from Xuanji Peak’s Wosong7 Rock. As she walked out, the new maid beside her deferentially approached and said, “Sect Master, the third young master of the Qin Family has been waiting for you in Xuanji Palace for a long while.”
On the path from the rear of the mountain to Xuanji Palace, palace servants and imperial guards alike knelt in a row along the promenade, silently bowed, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Jing Ruyu asked the maid, “How long has it been since Qi Changxi arrived?”
The maid didn’t dare to directly speak the name of the Qin Family’s third young master, and her voice wavered as she said, “Answering Sect Master, he arrived a few shichen ago.”
Xuanji Palace was Fuhua Sect’s Main Palace and was used to discuss official business. Unauthorized persons were not permitted to enter. The maid respectfully and humbly waited outside the door as Jing Ruyu walked in. Qin Changxi did not sit in his seat, but instead had his head raised, examining the sect plaque above Xuanji Palace. Xuanji Palace’s namesake had its origin in the stars, and its adornments were similarly among the most luxurious the human realm had to offer. The sect plaque was crafted with the utmost care. The words “Xuanji” were personally penned by the sect master before the previous sect master and were imbued with boundless Soul Formation spiritual energy. Liuli decorated the surroundings in the shape of the Big Dipper, the stars glittering in harmony.
Qin Changxi wore a silver mask and was dressed head-to-toe in red robes. Seeing her enter, he performatively paid his respects. “Greetings to the Sect Master.”
Jing Ruyu gave a slight smile. “Between you and me, there’s no need for formalities.” With an even tone, she said, “I wonder what Mister Qin was looking at just now?”
Qin Changxi laughed and held a folding fan as he said, “I was looking at the pearl beneath the sect plaque.”
Jing Ruyu furrowed her brows. “The pearl?”
Qing Changxi replied, “Yes. That pearl looks completely ordinary, yet it carries infinite fortune. When I think about it, it should be made from green jade liuli, no?”
Jing Ruyu’s slight smile remained unchanged as she said, “Mister Qin has a great eye.”
Qin Changxi didn’t have many dealings with Jing Ruyu, and their relationship couldn’t be considered close. However, he knew that this current Sect Master of Fuhua Sect was not by any means a patient person. After exchanging pleasantries, he got straight to the main topic. “Actually, today I paid a visit because I wanted to ask the Sect Master, where has Fuhua Sect set up the arena for the upcoming Qingyun Conference?”
Jing Ruyu’s red lips hooked faintly, and she gave an almost-smile. With a tone of jest, she asked, “Mister Qin, you’re asking me about the Qingyun Conference?”
Although the Qingyun Conference was spoken of as a grand occasion that only occurred once every hundred years, it was only seen as “grand” in the eyes of sect disciples and rogue cultivators. Newly recruited sect disciples would scarcely even catch the eye of an elder, let alone a sect master.
Thus, to people of their status, the Qingyun Conference was mere child’s play. The Qingyun Rankings that the rest of the world discussed with exceptional enthusiasm also represented nothing more than a good opportunity for young people to make a name for themselves. The only thing about the Qingyun Conference that Jing Ruyu cared about was that the Nine Great Sects would convene for this event.
Jing Ruyu carelessly said, “I entrusted my sect’s Cangqing Elder to handle all matters regarding the Qingyun Conference. I’m also unaware of the details.”
Qin Changxi’s smile carried a hidden meaning with it as he said, “Sect Master, I suggest that you arrange matters personally this time.”
Jing Ruyu said, “Oh? What do you mean by this?”
Qin Changxi said, “The Sect Master already saw Xie Ying earlier, correct?”
Jing Ruyu’s face instantly chilled once she heard this name. She fixed him with a hard stare, and her tone was as icy as frost. “I saw him. You told me that a hundred years ago, Xie Ying shattered his Path of Heartlessness. Was that truth or fiction? I saw that—”
Qin Changxi said, “You saw that he returned to the apex of Soul Formation, just as before?”
Jing Ruyu was silent.
Qin Changxi stroked the openwork plum blossom at the edge of his folding fan with his fingers. “What did Xie Ying say to you?”
Jing Ruyu coldly sneered. “He asked me to take a good guess as to what he was up to during his hundred years of seclusion.”
Qin Changxi cast a smile towards her and good-naturedly placated, “Don’t be angry, Sect Master. Shattering one’s path and recultivating is not such a simple matter. Since he dared to shatter his Path of Heartlessness, his dantian certainly suffered heavy internal injuries, and after a hundred years, its abilities would naturally deteriorate.”
Jing Ruyu maintained her frigid sneer. “Deteriorate? After he emerged from seclusion, he slaughtered six people in succession from the Qin, Xiao, and Yin families. This looks like deterioration to you?”
Qin Changxi didn’t answer her directly. He laughed and said, “Sect Master Jing, currently Xie Ying is not at Xiaoyu Palace.”
Jing Ruyu slightly stilled. “He’s not at Xiaoyu Palace?”
Qin Changxi nodded. “Correct. Previously, I went with Sect Master Yin to visit him, but we didn’t even catch a glimpse of him. Only a hummingbird was left behind there—at the moment, Xie Ying is at Wangqing Sect.”
Jing Ruyu frowned.
Ever since Xie Ying took control of Xiaoyu Palace, he had seldom appeared in Nanze Province. The Giant Demon Slaying Formation was covered in thousands of layers of wind and frost, and each time they went to pay their respects, they could only glimpse a distant hand from above, a hand holding only a brush. With a few light strokes, the brush would write down a name in red ink, sealing their life or death.
“What is he doing returning to Wangqing Sect?”
Qin Changxi smirked. “I heard from the Liuguang Sect that Xie Ying has gained a Dao companion.”