Chapter 42: Fulfilling Promises and Turning Against

  Night gradually shrouded the valley where the black sorcerers dwelled, and slowly seeped into this small hall. In the darkness, only the girl's gaze towards the sky was so bright, clear with a hint of melancholy. This girl, who had been pampered by the white sorcerers since childhood, seemed to have truly understood some worldly matters from that day on, and grew up rapidly.

  Xuan Zhen withdrew his gaze, he came to Nanjiang only to retrieve memories, but never thought it would drag out this past. Li Qianhe... He stroked the wooden knife where the woman's name was faintly engraved with a floral pattern, and couldn't help feeling some regret in his heart.

  After a long time, someone in the dimly lit house let out a sigh first.

  Only Zi Xuan softly asked: "Xuan Zhen brother, you... today the dead man's words, did they help you remember something that had not been recalled?"

  Xuan Zhen shook his head and said gloomily: "Still can't think of anything."

  "Alas, what can be done?" Zi Xuan said with a hint of despair. After a moment, she seemed to remember something and suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, I've got it! Brother Xuán Zhèn, since this concerns your memories, I asked the dead man's face a few more questions. He said that when he killed that evil person, E Lì, it was in a mountain outside a city. On the other side of that city, there is a very large lake. The dead man's face and his companions saw the lake from above and thought its shape resembled a bird's nest, quite peculiar, so they had some impression... Why don't we go find that lake? Maybe we can find some clues there!"

  Xuan Zhen was taken aback, never expecting that a girl he had only known for two or three days would do so much for him. He felt a surge of gratitude in his heart and was about to express his thanks when suddenly a flash of insight struck him. He remembered the county town where he had stayed overnight near Huangshan, Shouyang City, which was located northwest of the mountain. Although he had not been to the eastern part, he had heard from a shopkeeper that there was a Xiang Lake... Xiang Lake, could it be that the lake shaped like a bird's nest referred to this one?

  At this point, he couldn't help but lift his spirits, and the corners of his mouth curled up naturally with a smile, sweeping away the previous gloom. He said lightly: "Zi Xuan, thank you so much. Alright, let's leave Nanzang tomorrow and go take a look at that lake."

  "Huh, Niao Lake? Has Brother Xuan Zhen already figured out where the place is that the dead man's face mentioned?" Zi Xuan was taken aback for a moment, then immediately shared his joy, "That's great! We'll go together tomorrow!"

  Xuan Zhen heard the word "we" and his brow furrowed, he asked in surprise: "You want to go too?" He felt the petite figure beside him move as if wanting to say something. Afraid that this clever and quick-witted girl would leave him speechless again, he hastily said first, "No way. You're just a young girl, so small and from a faraway place in the Central Plains, and you even ran away from home secretly. How could I take you to such a distant place without permission? Wouldn't that make your mother-in-law worry for nothing?"

  "Zi Xuan said discontentedly: 'Why can't I go? Hmph, I know it already. You think I won't be able to keep up with you because I don't know how to fly and will hold you back. But others have helped you so much - they rescued you from the poisonous swamp, took you to find the Black Sorcerer's tribe, and even helped you gather information on many things. Now that you don't need me anymore, you won't take me with you to play. You people from the Central Plains are truly cunning; your words can't be trusted!' After pouting for a while, she still wasn't satisfied, so she jumped up from her chair and stomped her foot, causing Xuan Zhen to shake his head in exasperation."

  It's easy to coax this little girl back, Xuan Zhen sighed: "I just refused once, and you said so much, isn't your mouth dry? Moreover, when did I ever promise to take you to the Central Plains, how can you say that I'm not keeping my word?"

  Who would have thought that Zi Xuan, upon hearing this, became even more confident and harrumphed: "You say you didn't agree? Then do you still remember the one thing you promised me before?"

  Xuan Zhen was taken aback at first, but in an instant he recalled the promise he made a few days ago. He was suddenly speechless, and how could he have expected that his casual agreement back then would become Zi Xuan's tool to manipulate him? All he could do was sigh inwardly, women of this world were indeed cunning and clever, even a small barbarian girl from Nanjiang couldn't be underestimated.

  Zi Xuan saw his tongue-tied appearance, and her small head held even higher, her nostrils pointing to the sky as she said: "What else do you have to say?" As she spoke, a hint of complacency flashed in her large watery eyes.

  Xuan Zhen could only nod his head in resignation, though he knew in his heart that this was a terrible idea. He had no choice but to let Zi Xuan have her way. Looking at Zi Xuan, the little girl had managed to get him to agree to take her on a trip to Zhongyuan with just a few words, and she was overjoyed, skipping out of the door with a trail of silvery laughter behind her. The sigh of resignation that followed was probably just carried away by the wind as far as she was concerned.

  That night, Xuán Zhèn and Zǐ Xuān stayed at Lì Qiān Guà's home. The next morning, Xuán Zhèn bid farewell to Lì Qiān Guà, but the great witch doctor of the Black Witch tribe did not try to retain him. However, when he learned that Zǐ Xuān was also going to the Central Plains, his expression changed and his gaze filled with disapproval. Since he had promised earlier, Xuán Zhèn could only pretend not to see the cold glare from the great witch doctor.

  They traveled day and night, and in just three or four days, they left the southern border. Zi Xuan's cultivation method was a secret technique of the southern border, although it had not reached the level of controlling objects, but it could be said that she was as light as a swallow. As such, standing on the spring water did not feel cumbersome at all. Xuan Zhen also intermittently pointed out to her some methods for maintaining balance in mid-air and calming one's mind, Zi Xuan was indeed clever and quick-witted, listening while simultaneously understanding and grasping the techniques. After just a few hours, she no longer needed to rely on Xuan Zhen's power to stand stably on the sword. Later on, she didn't even need to deliberately concentrate her mind under her feet, and could even take the time to chat and laugh with Xuan Zhen, relieving the monotony of their journey. As for whether the person controlling the sword would forget to focus and cause them both to fall down, Zi Xuan did not think about it at all.

  At first, Xuan Zhen only heard her muttering to herself nonstop, occasionally responding with one or two sentences. It wasn't until later when Zi Xuan casually mentioned the southern tribes that he started paying attention. He listened as Zi Xuan seemed to have some understanding of those tribes, yet didn't seem to have the same reservations as other southerners when speaking to outsiders. Unable to resist, he asked: "You said the tribes are all descendants of Nüwa, so why did they eventually split into so many different clans with so little interaction between them?"

  Zixuan tilted her head, thought for a moment, and frowned: "The legend of Nüwa has been passed down from ancient times to the present, but some tribes have left behind stories that are completely different from what we've heard. So, everyone's understanding of Nüwa's will is also completely different. The puppet granny said that we, the descendants of Nüwa, remain on this earth because Nüwa wants us to inherit her will and protect the living creatures on its surface. But I overheard some people from other tribes at the witch conference saying something else."

  A gentle breeze blew, rustling her purple clothes. Zi Xuan brushed aside the hair covering her face and said with a hint of melancholy: "They say... that all descendants of the witch tribe have the spiritual power of Nüwa in their blood, it's just that the strength varies depending on individual talent. That's why they only worship Nüwa, not her later generations... I think maybe because of this reason, everyone gradually developed differences, and with more and more differences, it was impossible to gather together again. After thousands of years, hundreds of years passed, everyone slowly got used to the current situation."

  "I once met an old man from the southern border who claimed to be a spirit witch, and he also said something similar. But listening to him, it seems that their tribe is not connected with the outside world at all, what's the reason for this?" Xuan Zhen asked again, recalling the calamity maker he had seen before.

  Zi Xuan's delicate eyebrows slightly raised, and she exclaimed in surprise: "Xuan Zhen brother, you actually met someone from the Ling Wu tribe! This is truly rare! The Ling Wu tribe is the most reclusive of all the tribes among us Nu Wa descendants. Grandma said that their branch has been living in a secret valley in the southern wilderness since ancient times, guarding that land and never leaving, not even we people from the southern wilderness can easily meet someone from this tribe. I didn't expect you to actually see him, and even spoke with him!" There was even a hint of admiration in her words.

  Xuan Zhen smiled and said: "It was probably just a good day for me that day."

  Zi Xuan chuckled and said with a smile, "You were very lucky to have met me that day, weren't you?" After laughing for a while, she continued, "As for the Wumeng Ling Valley you mentioned, except for the Lingwu tribe themselves, no one knows where it is. Even an old woman like Puppet Granny who has lived for many years couldn't figure out their secrets. But I have a feeling that they are hiding there to protect something."

  "What thing?" Xuan Zhenqi said.

  Zi Xuan furrowed her brow: "I don't know either. That feeling is vague, it seems to have appeared in my mind since the moment I heard about the Lingwu tribe. I think that thing must be very important, maybe it's related to Nüwa Niangniang, and those people from the Lingwu tribe are probably so mysterious because of this reason."

  She said this, her small face unconsciously sank, and her expression also became very solemn. Xuan Zhen saw it in his eyes, and he was even more puzzled in his heart, secretly guessing that perhaps this was the difference between Nuwa's descendants and others?

  Zi Xuan sank into thought for a moment, then after a while she lifted her head and instructed, "Xuan Zhen brother, these matters the puppet granny doesn't allow me to say or ask much about. Today's events I've only told you alone, so please don't ever mention it outside."

  Involved in the secrets of other tribes, Xuan Zhen naturally agreed. But deep down, he was half-believing and half-doubting. As a cultivator, he naturally believed in the Nine Heavens God Buddha, but the gods worshipped by Nanjiang were completely different from those of the Qionghua Sect. The legend of Nüwa sounded like a somewhat mysterious story to him. As for the mystery of Nüwa's descendants and the Lingwu tribe, it seemed to him that they might be just a means for these southern tribes to make themselves seem more mysterious, so as to prevent outsiders from offending them lightly.

  The two of them had worries in their hearts and unknowingly fell silent. White clouds floated by, the spring water sword flashed across the sky, purple robes fluttered, white robes rustled, the sky was vast and boundless. Suddenly, the spring water slightly shook, pulling Xuan Zhen's mind out of his thoughts. It turned out that a bird had flown up from below, startling Zi Xuan so much that she almost jumped off her sword.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the girl in front of her still had a slightly frightened smile on her face. Xuan Zhen withdrew his gaze from the girl's face behind him without leaving any trace, shook his head lightly and thought to himself: No matter how you look at it, she's just an ordinary girl.

  The author has something to say: Thank you for the comments from Lulu and lazy Philogi! Yesterday, I tried to leave a message for my favorite article, but JJ's little chrysanthemum kept spinning around and wouldn't spit out the comment... QAQ... To those who have been leaving me messages all along, are you guys my true loves? Give me a hug~

  P.S. Recently, a certain grass also found that this article was so slow that it couldn't bear it itself. If it goes on like this, when will the boss appear? When can Brother Xiao reunite with Big Brother again? After painful consideration, I have decided to speed up the pace from the next chapter onwards and promote the foundation as soon as possible!