Chapter Fifty-Four: Aftermath and Separation

  Ten days passed in a flash. When Xuan Zhen stepped out of Si Fan Valley at midnight, the night wind whistled behind him and surged out of the valley mouth, blowing his blue-white Taoist robe into a rustling sound. The jade belt on his head also fluttered restlessly. Xuan Zhen let out a light sigh, smoothed out the jade belt, took a few steps towards Qing Hua Palace, but suddenly remembered that his master, Tai Qing True Man, was probably already asleep, so he turned back and headed towards Jian Wu Ping instead.

  Tossing and turning on the bed, I didn't sleep well all night, and it wasn't until dawn that I fell into a daze. In my dream, I first arrived at a bustling and prosperous market town, but saw that the streets were filled with lanterns like daytime, and people coming and going like shuttles, many of whom wore masks, as if it were a festive occasion. Among the crowd, I caught a glimpse of a familiar pale purple shirt flashing by, but before I could catch up, the scene had changed. The green grass was like a mat, and the sword shadows were chaotic, and I found myself at the Sword Dance Platform where the disciples of the sect practiced their daily routines. Several people stood on the platform, and from a distance, they seemed to be the figures of Xuán Xiāo and Yún Tiān Qīng, but just as I heard a few scattered sentences of their banter carried away by the wind, I felt a strong light dazzling my eyes, and when I opened them again, I suddenly found myself in a dark and gloomy place. In the darkness, no light was visible, and all I could hear were the sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling. Suddenly, a pair of rotting arms stretched out from under my feet, as if to drag me down, and someone nearby in the thick fog let out bursts of stifled laughter, seemingly taking great pleasure in my misfortune.

  Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but wake up with a start. As he opened his eyes, he felt the cold sweat on his back had already soaked through his undershirt. Just as he was about to sit up, his forehead bumped into something soft and fluffy, causing a patch of skin to itch terribly. He looked up to see that it was the grey rabbit with a rather spiritual aura.

  That wild rabbit was brought by him from Shouyang to Hengshan, and then from Hengshan to Qionghua, which can be considered as not far away. When Xuan Xiao thought of sending it back to Zi Xuan's place, Su Shan had already returned from Shouyang, bringing with her a piece of bad news that was not good.

  That day, Xuanyue brought a message to Su Shuang, entrusting her to send the little girl back to Nanjiang. Su Shuang was originally on good terms with Xuanyue and often liked to go down the mountain to stroll around, so she naturally agreed. The next day, she set out for Zhongyuan. Who knew that when they arrived at the inn in Shouyang, they found that the room where Zi Xuan had been staying was empty? After asking the owner a few more questions, they learned that after Xuanyue left, the little girl also left Shouyang, and even left a letter behind.

  The letter was brought back together with the gifts, and personally delivered to Si Fan Valley. Xuan Zhen unfolded the letter and glanced at a few sentences, immediately becoming speechless with both laughter and tears. Zi Xuan was originally a girl from Nan Jiang, hadn't read many Chinese books, her handwriting was crooked and twisted, not to mention she made a big basket of mistakes, but the words were clear: after coming to Zhongyuan, she didn't plan on returning so soon, wouldn't leave until she had enough fun, and wasn't willing to face her mother-in-law's fierce face again. Previously, she intentionally went along with Xuan Zhen's words to let him feel at ease, but in reality, she had already made up her mind to sneak away secretly. At the end of the letter, she even boldly guaranteed that she could make a name for herself in Jianghu alone and would meet again if fate allowed it.

  Xuan Zhen thought for a moment and somewhat agreed. Although this girl was mischievous, her heart was quite delicate, and she had also learned some extraordinary skills from the southern border. The fact that she didn't provoke others was already a blessing earned from her past life; why fear being bullied by others?

  Let's just drop the matter, but what remains is a great worry in my heart. He also asked indirectly about the matter of the Su Xuan Qing Yu altar, whether there would be any follow-up, but Su Xuan shook her head and said she didn't know, only saying that after their three returned, the master had ordered the disciples to restrain themselves and focus on cultivation, without giving any other instructions.

  Qing Yu Tan... yet unaware of how many villages are now in trouble? Xuan Zhen furrowed his brow, turned over and put on his clothes, the ash rabbit seemed to have a sense of it, raised its head and glanced at him before curling up into a fluffy ball, its movements full of disdain, as if it had long seen through what Xuan Zhen was thinking.

  He raised an eyebrow, his wide sleeves sweeping across the bed, and picked up the ball of fur in his hand. With a hint of a smile, he said, "Little thing, you can come too." As he spoke, he hid his hand and the rabbit in his sleeve and strode quickly towards the door.

  Outside the Qionghua Palace, the disciples guarding the steps saw Xuan Zhen from afar and bowed in unison.

  "Big Brother, since you returned, this is the first time we've seen you." One of them said with a smile, "What a coincidence, just now the Sect Master said that if you came, to let you in, he has something to instruct you about."

  Xuan Zhen nodded and walked up the stone steps into the main hall of the Qinghua Palace.

  Tai Qing Zhen Ren was indeed sitting upright in the main hall, waiting for him. Seeing him enter, he still had an expressionless face and said coldly: "After staying in Si Fan Valley for so many days, have you figured it out?"

  Xuan Zhen was silent and did not speak.

  Tai Qing's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, and after a moment, he suddenly sighed: "Forget it! There is a letter here, take a look." As he spoke, he raised his sleeve, and the paper in his palm floated down gently, hovering motionless in front of Xuan Zhen.

  Xuan Zhen grasped the letter and shook it open, scanning it briefly before his expression changed slightly. He then read it carefully from start to finish. It turned out that this letter was not from elsewhere, but rather a response from Qing Yu Tan's leader, Ling Xuzi, to Tai Qing Zhen Ren. The letter read: "To Brother Tai Qing of the Qiong Hua Sect: I was shocked to hear about the tragic event at the foot of Mount Heng and left my seclusion two days ago. After your disciples investigated, they found that the calamity originated from our sect, which fills me with shame! Fortunately, your disciple is kind-hearted and discovered this matter in time, preventing it from spreading to other areas, which can be considered a great fortune amidst misfortune. The root of this matter lies in an unusual stone brought back by our sect's elder from the southern border decades ago. This stone has the ability to store souls, and one of our novice disciples, Tong Qi, secretly used it to take the villagers' souls and cultivate them for personal gain after being tasked with distributing medicine to the village below. His heart is sinister, and his crime is unforgivable. Tong Qi's powers have been completely abolished, and he is now imprisoned in our sect's forbidden area. After this incident, we will definitely tighten our control over our disciples and prevent such a tragedy from happening again. You don't need to worry anymore, Brother Tai Qing." The letter was signed "Ling Xuzi of Mount Heng's Qing Yu Tan".

  "Finished reading?" Tai Qing asked slowly as he saw Xuan Zhen standing still with the letter in his hand, "Can you rest assured now?"

  Xuan Zhen furrowed his brow and remained silent. He knew that Master Zun had let him see the letter to make him focus on the sect's internal affairs, but Xuan Zhen was unaware of one thing: he had also seen Tong Zhi at the Qing Yu Altar that day. The young disciple looked timid and fearful, especially when he saw Shang Guan Yanhua, like a mouse seeing a cat. How could such a person be capable of plotting to kill thousands? Moreover, if it was a rare treasure within the sect, how could an ordinary new disciple see it so easily? And how could a young man with low cultivation control a mysterious artifact that could absorb the souls of thousands? On the other hand, Shang Guan Yanhua...

  These doubts were intertwined in his mind, but he couldn't reveal them to Master Taiching. Not to mention that Master Taiching was now fully focused on the yin-yang twin swords and Qionghua's thousand-year-old vow in the forbidden land, and had no time to bother with other sects' affairs. Even if he himself had suspicions about Shangguan Xianhua, he had no evidence and couldn't speak out directly. After thinking for a while, Xuanshen looked up at Master Taiching, forced a smile, and bowed: "Since the culprit has been caught, I naturally have nothing to worry about." However, in his heart, he was secretly thinking: Since this matter has alarmed the master of Qingyutai, it's likely that the real culprit will restrain himself. But Shangguan Xianhua seems to be highly valued by Lingxuzi, and he is also a disciple of the master. If one day he becomes the master of Qingyutai... Alas, even if that happens, it would be decades from now, so there's no need to rush. After comforting himself in this way, the heavy stone on his heart seemed to have lightened a bit.

  The Supreme True Man in the above said: "The matter of the Qingyu Altar has already come to an end, and from now on you should focus your mind and not divide your attention to deal with those trivial matters. According to the demon world's descent, there are only six years left, during this period you should work hard and set an example for yourself, it will be beneficial to both you and the Qionghua Sect." After finishing speaking, he waved his sleeve and released a white light, "Now I will give you the heart method of the ninth heavy boundary, go down and understand it well, in a few days I will test you again."

  That white light shot towards Xuanshen's face, he hurriedly raised his palm to grab the light in his hand. His palm hardened and when he flipped it over again, the white light had transformed into a small piece of pure white jade. On the jade were tiny characters densely packed together, inscribed with the highest level of Qinghua Sect's inner skills. Xuanshen put the white jade away in his bosom, knelt down and said: "Thank you, Master. I will not disappoint your intentions."

  Taiqing Zhenren nodded his head and stroked his beard, waving his hand: "Go."

  Returning to Jian Wuping, Xuan Zhen reached into his sleeve and stroked the jade ring, feeling both joy and worry in his heart. He was happy that after practicing the ninth level of Heart Method, his power would naturally rise to another level. However, he was worried that when the day came for the Qinghua Sect to wage a great war against the demon realm, he would have no choice but to lead the charge himself, cutting down those demons with his sword.

  Xuan Zhen, how did your masters and elders teach you? Those demonic creatures are inherently evil and should not exist in the world. Not killing them is no different from letting them harm people wantonly. You take pity on a group of demons that have lost all sense of humanity, abandoning the expectations of your masters and elders. Is this really right?

  Xuan Zhen Zheng suddenly heard a loud shout from ahead: "Shixiong, Dashi Xiong!"

  Looking up, it turned out that on the stone platform in the middle of the courtyard, Su Xiang was beckoning to herself. Beside her stood two women, one facing herself, as beautiful as a peach blossom and as cold as frost - it was actually her junior sister Su Yao. The other woman was dressed similarly to them, but with her back turned this way, her face couldn't be seen, however her figure was quite slender and elegant, and the outline of her back seemed somewhat familiar.

  Xuan Zhen smiled slightly, putting aside his worries for the time being, and stepped towards the stone pedestal. The stone pedestal in the courtyard was surrounded by a circular pool carved out of the ground, with winding water surrounding it, about three feet wide. Xuan Zhen jumped to the edge of the pool, his toes pointing down, and his body turned in mid-air, lightly floating down onto the center of the stone pedestal.

  Su Xuan clapped her hands in excitement, beaming with a smile as she pulled him forward by the sleeve to stand before the other two. "Elder Brother," she said with a grin, "as soon as you returned, Master rushed off to Si Fan Valley. Yun Tian Qing often goes there; I'm sure you're already acquainted. Xuan Tong met him when he delivered pastries last time, but our new little sister here probably hasn't met him yet. Come on, let's introduce them - Su Yu is a beauty, after all!"

  "Su Xiang, how can you speak so lightly and glibly? You don't seem like a lady at all, but rather like Yun Shidi. Su Yao furrowed her brow deeply, "It's really that you don't learn from the good things, but instead learn those things that are not suitable for polite society!"

  Xuan Zhen smiled faintly, turned his head, and exchanged a glance with the woman standing quietly. Her eyebrows were like fine leaves, her eyes like dots of ink, her crimson lips pursed, her jade face dewy, extremely beautiful features with a hint of melancholy, enough to captivate one's heart at first sight. However, Xuan Zhen had long been familiar with this beauty, and his smile grew even brighter as he spoke in a warm voice: "Yu'er... Su Yu, Shifu's sister, it's been a while, are you well?"

  Su Yu pursed her lips and bowed her head, saying: "Su Yu is fine, thank you for your concern, brother." A warm glance flashed across her eyes, but was soon replaced by an endless wave of sorrow.

  Xuan Zhen suddenly remembered what Tai Qing True Man had said, that Yu Er's father only had one year of life left. He felt a pang of shame in his heart and his face turned pale. He forced a smile and didn't say anything else.

  At this embarrassing moment, a strong gust of wind suddenly came from behind, followed by a clear and smiling voice: "Su Yu, Su Yu! Look, what is this?"

  Four people turned around together, and as soon as they saw it, a large piece of bright red, fragrant and overflowing, attracted bees and butterflies. A big bunch of phoenix flowers came out from behind the cloud, and that smiling face of Qingxiu appeared, only to see him getting close to Su Yu, speaking in a flattering tone: "Su Yu, didn't you say your hometown is full of these phoenix flowers? There are many on the back mountain, I just barely avoided Heavy Light Shifu, picked a bunch, take a look, isn't it beautiful?" Looking at his eager appearance, if there was a big tail behind him, he might have wagged it off already.

  Su Yu glanced at it and a layer of melancholy was added to her eyes. After a long time, she said faintly, "It's naturally beautiful."

  "Then, would you like to put it in your room?" Cloud Qingyu didn't notice anything and smiled with a "shake of the head and swing of the tail", "The peony is so beautiful, and you, Su Yu, are also so beautiful. Wouldn't it be lovely when the time comes for the human and flower to reflect each other's beauty?"

  Su Yu, however, was ungrateful and replied coldly, "Thank you, Cloud Master, but it's unnecessary."

  Yuntian Qing's face suddenly darkened, and he was about to persuade again. Beside him, Shu Xiang couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Yuntian Qing, Master Brother and Master Sister are all here, is it that in your monkey eyes, only Shu Yu Master Sister exists?"

  Yun Tianqing only then realized the three people beside him, turned his head and smiled: "Shu Xiang and Shu Yao two masters have a lot of magnanimity, naturally they won't bother with me this little junior brother..." Halfway through speaking, he glanced at Xuanshen, and exclaimed in surprise and delight: "Eh, junior brother, how did you end up here? Were you released from Si Fan Valley?"

  "What nonsense!" Xiangyun's delicate eyebrows inverted, she grasped Yun Tianqing's ear and gave it a forceful twist, her lips still curved in a smile as she said, "This is Master's eldest disciple, our Eldest Martial Brother Xuanshen. He is your junior, so shouldn't I be one head shorter than you?"

  Xuan Zhen couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and glance at Yun Tianqing, when he suddenly felt a movement in his sleeve. The grey rabbit, which had been quiet the whole way, now seemed unwilling to be ignored, poking out its small head and gazing up at the handsome young man opposite with red eyes that seemed to be mocking him as it moved its three small lips.

  Yun Tianqing tilted his head, half of his face twisted in pain and the other half in shock, as if struck by lightning, and shouted: "What?! Eldest Senior Brother?!"

  P.S. Today's second post, someone is in a good mood today~~

  Covering face, I won't tell you guys that the list is almost finished...