Yun Zhen
The little fox ran off.
...
Earlier, Yan Jue had been lying on the floor, sleeping soundly and feeling perfectly at ease.
Then, all at once, she sensed someone watching her; a chill ran down her spine.
She opened her eyes and looked up, only to find Qi Xianqing sitting at the desk, reading.
The girl’s expression was blank as she turned the pages. She said nothing, but the pressure around her was impossible to ignore.
Yan Jue stared at Qi Xianqing for a long moment, then suddenly felt a surge of spiritual energy rising within her, like a roaring spring so full it was about to spill over.
Her gaze drifted to the piece of wood Qi Xianqing had set on the table.
It was the same wood she had been gnawing on with Little Pig just now.
Qi Xianqing looked down at her and gave a light cough. “Is the wood tasty?”
The little fox sat up and tilted her head, not really understanding.
Qi Xianqing: “Didn’t I tell you not to touch my things without permission?”
The little fox’s eyes flew wide open. She only looked more confused.
Qi Xianqing then picked up the remaining half of the wood from the table and set it on top of the little fox’s head.
Yan Jue went stiff all over and sat perfectly still on the floor, not daring to move.
Qi Xianqing tapped the fox’s damp nose, then leaned back in the chair with her arms folded, smiling faintly as she looked at her. “Keep it balanced. Don’t move.”
“If I didn’t say move, then you’re not allowed to move.”
In the quiet room, the little fox sat upright, her back straight as a ramrod, not daring to budge.
The piece of wood on her head, of course, was as steady as a mountain.
After about the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, Qi Xianqing stood up and went outside to fetch water and wash her face.
Seeing her leave, Yan Jue immediately put the wood back on the table and fled in a panic.
...
Yan Jue returned to the dormitory and slept for only three shichen.
Before dawn had fully broken, she was already making another trip down the mountain.
She had been far too busy lately. With the crucial plot point drawing near, there was still so much she needed to prepare.
At night, being with Qi Xianqing was probably the only happy moment she got amid all that urgency.
Yan Jue put on her daoist robe and quickly headed down the mountain.
Her destination was very clear: Drunken Spring Pavilion in Qingye Town.
Drunken Spring Pavilion was in the red-light district, and it was the largest brothel in Qingye Town.
Yan Jue was rather fond of Drunken Spring Pavilion. After all, this had been the first place she came to after transmigrating into this book and coming down the mountain to train.
Back then, she had only been a waste at the early Foundation Establishment Realm; now she was already a junior disciple at the Fusion Realm, able to stand alongside Lord Meng Heng.
Haha.
Compared with a year ago, Drunken Spring Pavilion really was much livelier and more prosperous.
It was already close to dinner time at dusk; the main hall was crowded with people coming and going, noisy and bustling.
The madam obviously still remembered her. She hurried out to greet her. “Immortal Lord, what brings you here? Do you need something?”
Yan Jue: “I’m looking for Rou Yi.”
The madam froze for a moment, then broke into a knowing smile. “Of course. This old woman will go call her right away, Immortal Lord. Please wait a moment.”
Yan Jue stood in the main hall and waited quite a while.
Just like last time, she drew a lot of attention.
Men and women alike.
Fortunately, this time she had brought her breath-concealing cloak.
The loose cloak covered her head, and the veil hanging down obscured her features so they couldn’t be seen clearly. At first glance, she really did look like a young daoist swordsman.
That saved her a lot of trouble.
After about half a cup of tea, a slender figure came down the stairs.
Rou Yi was wearing a pale pink skirt embroidered with gold butterflies. Her sleeves fluttered as she came down with quick, light steps. When she saw Yan Jue, her face immediately turned red.
A little awkwardly, she asked, “May I ask what the Immortal Lord needs from Rou Yi?”
Yan Jue: “Last time, Miss Rou Yi said that if I wanted to learn charm techniques, I could come to you.”
A few days ago, Yan Jue had turned that over in her mind again and again before finally making the connection.
Some things had long since become linked in her mind.
She remembered that when she first transmigrated here, she had come to Drunken Spring Pavilion to catch the murderer killing women.
At the time, Rou Yi had thanked her and mentioned Lady Yu Mian to her.
That worked out well for her; she could go straight to Lady Yu Mian through Rou Yi instead of wandering around the mountains by herself.
Charm techniques?
Rou Yi blinked. She had only said it casually last time.
Looking at this immortal lord, she seemed like the very image of a righteous female hero. Why would she actively want to learn charm techniques?
Still, hearing Yan Jue say that, Rou Yi gladly replied, “This one did indeed learn charm techniques from Lady Yu Mian in Spring Blossom Cave. If the Immortal Lord needs it, I can take you there...”
Yan Jue cupped her hands. “Then I’ll trouble you.”
Rou Yi led Yan Jue out of the city, and before long, they were climbing a small mountain.
Yan Jue walked along while silently observing the scenery around them.
Rou Yi: “This is Little Spring Mountain. I wonder if the Immortal Lord has been here before?”
Yan Jue: “No. Not once.”
After a pause, she looked at the green trees lining the road and couldn’t help hesitating a little. “This Lady Yu Mian you mentioned—what kind of person is she? Does she teach charm techniques for free?”
Rou Yi: “Lady Yu Mian has a kind heart; she’s truly a good person... She taught Rou Yi charm techniques and never once took money.”
“Does the Immortal Lord know? Lady Yu Mian often teaches my sisters her charm arts and divine abilities. More or less every top courtesan in Qingye Town has received some of her true instruction.”
Yan Jue: “She really never mentioned any conditions?”
Rou Yi: “Conditions... there were some.”
Yan Jue asked, “Oh? What conditions?”
Rou Yi gave Yan Jue a timid glance. “Every time we receive guests, we absorb a small portion of the man’s yang energy and offer it to Lady Yu Mian.”
Yang energy was something men were born with; fresh yang energy would arise every day.
If they only absorbed a little, it wouldn’t be harmful.
Yan Jue frowned.
Logically speaking, Lady Yu Mian had never harmed anyone in ordinary times. So why would she suddenly lose her mind and go after Old Master Li?
And even make Old Master Li suffer that badly.
Didn’t she know that going too far would attract cultivators?
If Yan Jue hadn’t stepped in to save that white fox by using it, it would probably already have been doomed under Yun Jie’s talisman soldiers.
Maybe if she hadn’t gone after Old Master Li, she wouldn’t have met the male lead, and there wouldn’t have been any later plot. So the original author had deliberately arranged it this way. Yan Jue couldn’t help complaining inwardly.
The mountain path twisted and turned, and Yan Jue and Rou Yi chatted idly as they went.
About an hour later, the sky had already begun to darken.
Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of a cave dwelling.
It was a cave naturally connected to the mountain itself; the entrance was quite clean.
Yan Jue took a deep breath and could smell the dampness of water.
There was also a faint trace of demonic qi.
Rou Yi looked around the cave entrance for a moment, then went up to the wall and gently knocked three times with her right hand.
Three breaths passed, and nothing happened.
Rou Yi: “Ah, she’s not home today either? The past few months I came looking for her, and she wasn’t home...”
Yan Jue: “It’s fine. I’ll come again in a few days.”
Rou Yi raised her eyes, looking at Yan Jue with a soft, seductive gaze. “Would the Immortal Lord be willing to come to Drunken Spring Pavilion for a bite to eat? This one can treat you.”
That self-reference of “this one,” “this one” sounded strangely similar to that white fox...
Yan Jue couldn’t help getting goosebumps and quickly said, “Thank you for your kindness, Miss, but there’s no need.”
-
After parting ways with Rou Yi, Yan Jue headed back up the mountain once more.
She returned to her room, sat on the bed, and fell into thought, beginning to sort through the plot again.
Although she had basically stopped reading the latter half of the book, she still remembered the earlier plot very clearly.
Now the story had deviated far too much from the original, but the general course of events would not change.
Heavenly Dao had given her a red fox bloodline, given her spiritual root and talent, and also given her the full yin essence of a Pure Yin Physique.
Since she couldn’t walk away, then she would have to face everything bravely.
Yan Jue lowered her head and took out the various pills she had bought a few days ago from Myriad Demons Pavilion.
It was very possible that on the eve of the Five-Dragon Summit, about a month from now, she would face one of the greatest disasters of her life.
Whether she could survive depended on whether this last struggle she was making now would succeed!
-
With the Five-Dragon Summit approaching, the sect had fallen into a state of extreme busyness.
For a time, it seemed as though everyone was cultivating.
During the day, there were almost no people on the roads of Five Dragons Mountain; even Du Ying had gone into seclusion.
Yan Jue sat at the desk and continued expanding her Divine Sense.
True experts could spread Divine Sense to within ten li, and the Divine Sense of a mighty figure at the eighth realm could even cover an entire county town.
Wherever Divine Sense reached, no living thing could escape.
Yan Jue felt she didn’t need to aim so high just yet; covering a radius of three li would be enough for now.
Ever since that heavenly tribulation, the weather had been sunny. On this quiet early-summer afternoon, sitting on the bed, she could faintly hear the sound of cicadas.
Yan Jue sat cross-legged, then suddenly opened her eyes and let out a long breath.
Her Divine Sense expansion was complete.
Just then, she heard the flutter of wings by the bedside.
Yan Jue turned and saw that, at some point, a snow-white Immortal Crane had landed by the window.
The crane silently watched her, and there was something in the basket hanging from its neck.
Yan Jue’s heart gave a small jolt. She hurried to her feet, bowed to the Immortal Crane, and only then took the item out of the flower basket.
It was a short note.
Qi Xianqing: Weishi, Cold Pool.
The two characters “Qi Xianqing” stabbed hard at Yan Jue’s eyes.
She immediately felt a little uncomfortable and slowly set the note back on the table.
Besides the times she transformed into a little fox and got along very happily with Qi Xianqing, Yan Jue hadn’t seen Qi Xianqing in human form for quite some time.
There was nothing she could do about it; lately she had been healing injuries and getting tangled up in plot matters.
What did Qi Xianqing want with her at Cold Pool? Could she be going to teach her martial arts...
Yan Jue sat at the desk staring at the note for a while. Her curiosity began to itch, and she turned the note over with her fingertips. Then she froze.
There was writing on the back too.
Martial arts.
Yan Jue: “..."
Fine. She’d go.
-
Yan Jue arrived at Cold Pool right on time in the hour of Weishi, and Qi Xianqing was already waiting there.
Yan Jue stepped forward, cupped her hands toward Qi Xianqing, and gave a bright smile. “Senior Sister.”
Qi Xianqing looked up at her, her expression faint. “Why haven’t you been coming to learn martial arts lately?”
Yan Jue: “I was in seclusion recently, reviewing what I’d learned before, so I didn’t look for Senior Sister. Thank you for thinking of me.”
Today, Yan Jue was still wearing the standard Watercloud Sect disciple daoist robe, with narrow sleeves and bound legs; her black hair was tied high, neat and crisp.
Qi Xianqing looked at her for a while and suddenly thought of the Yan Jue she had seen a month ago at the foot of the mountain, looking downcast like a puppy.
Now Yan Jue had completely returned to her former self.
There was youthful energy in her smile.
Seeing her get back on her feet made Qi Xianqing feel much more at ease as well.
Qi Xianqing: “If that’s the case, then show me the martial arts you’ve learned.”
Standing by the Cold Pool, Yan Jue raised her hand and formed a seal. An ice pillar burst up from the water; her palms flipped and spun, and more than ten ice pillars erupted in succession—or rather, ice spikes. Each shard of ice was sharp enough to kill.
Qi Xianqing looked slightly surprised.
Yan Jue flashed by in a blur, using Flying Swallow Steps, Drifting Snow, and Instant Thousand Miles in quick succession; in midair, she turned into a strange streak of afterimage.
However, because her old injuries still hadn’t fully healed, her footwork was inevitably a little sluggish.
Yan Jue could only muddle through for the moment. Once she landed, the golden collar around her neck instantly slipped free and transformed in midair into a sharp flying sword that shot straight at Qi Xianqing.
Qi Xianqing sidestepped to avoid it.
Yan Jue immediately followed up, reaching out to seize Qi Xianqing’s left hand. Qi Xianqing cooperated very well and let herself be caught; Yan Jue then suddenly drove power through her waist, executing a beautiful Shuaituo throw.
...
After Yan Jue finished demonstrating all of her martial arts, a thin sheen of sweat had formed on her fair forehead, and she was already breathing a little hard.
She looked up at Qi Xianqing and asked, “Senior Sister, was there anything wrong with what I just did?”
Looking at her, Qi Xianqing suddenly felt a little gratified.
So this was what it felt like to teach a disciple, especially... when one had taken in a disciple with outstanding talent in every respect.
Qi Xianqing’s expression remained calm. Her gaze fell on the golden collar around Yan Jue’s neck. “You’ve already fully mastered the Soul-Linking Art?”
Yan Jue: “I can turn a magic tool into a flying sword.”
Then she formed a seal; the golden collar around her neck instantly dropped away and became a tiny sword glittering with gold light.
Qi Xianqing considered it for a moment. “Then this time, I’ll teach you Myriad Sword Art.”
Yan Jue’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Senior Sister.”
Then she thought of something and hesitated a little. “But Myriad Sword Art is a type of divine ability...”
It was a major taboo for Five Dragons disciples to privately pass on divine abilities and immortal arts. Yan Jue was a little worried Qi Xianqing would be punished by the sect.
Qi Xianqing: “It’s fine. The other day, when I went to see my master, I already asked permission on your behalf. From now on, I can teach you divine abilities on my own.”
Yan Jue’s heart started pounding. That worry was replaced by boundless joy, and the awkwardness she had felt at the start of seeing Qi Xianqing was instantly flung far, far away. “Thank you, Senior Sister.”
Qi Xianqing gave her a light look, a hint of amusement in her tone. “What, no formal apprenticeship?”
Yan Jue then knelt on the ground just as she had the last time she took a master, bowing lightly toward Qi Xianqing.
Someone suddenly grabbed her arm.
Yan Jue froze, her whole body instinctively tensing.
When she was in fox form, Qi Xianqing really liked to grab both of her paws and lift her up.
Her two arms were also injured and not very easy to raise. Qi Xianqing grabbed both of her arms, and Yan Jue’s mind went completely blank. A sharp pain made her suck in a breath.
Qi Xianqing’s gaze shifted slightly. “Junior Sister is injured?”
“And I think your steps were a little off just now.”
The blood in Yan Jue’s body seemed to turn cold. “I got hurt a few days ago..."
Qi Xianqing looked at her for a while; fortunately, she didn’t keep dwelling on the topic and simply looked away.
Then Qi Xianqing passed the incantation to Yan Jue.
The so-called Myriad Sword Art meant dividing a trace of a magic tool’s divine thought into ten thousand parts.
For example, after Yan Jue’s Northern Sea profound iron transformed into a flying sword, it originally existed as only one sword.
But through Myriad Sword Art, that one sword could be divided into countless small swords, creating a powerful continuous attack effect.
Yan Jue frowned and immediately activated the Northern Sea profound iron.
The golden collar instantly transformed into countless small swords in the air.
Yan Jue formed hand seals with both hands, and the innumerable little swords struck the surface of the lake together.
The still water instantly rippled.
Yan Jue once again activated the Northern Sea profound iron. “Qiankun one breath, seven who nurture me, haste!”
The Northern Sea profound iron instantly split in midair into countless tiny flying swords. Yan Jue controlled them, trying different attack angles from the front and back.
The small swords in the sky flew around chaotically like flies, with fierce wind whipping wherever they passed. The power was great, but the sword formation was a little scattered and disorganized.
Yan Jue frowned slightly and stood by the lake in thought.
Something wasn’t right...
She always felt there was something different between her Myriad Sword Art and Qi Xianqing’s Myriad Sword Art.
Qi Xianqing’s Myriad Sword Art, the azure light split from Zhuying, was like a winding dragon; it had a very clear order to it.
It was like a huge ceremonial guard, with every small sword playing its own role.
But her Myriad Sword Art had all the swords swirling about like headless flies.
No.
Yan Jue suddenly remembered something and immediately activated the Northern Sea profound iron again, shouting, “Qiankun one breath, seven who nurture me, haste!”
The Northern Sea profound iron instantly transformed into countless little flying swords in midair. Yan Jue concentrated her Divine Sense into a single point and swept her right hand through the air. Instantly, the countless little swords in the sky arranged themselves into a neat, human-shaped formation.
Yan Jue pointed again, and the little swords formed a single line.
Yan Jue gave a soft cry. “Go.”
The neatly arranged little swords shot out at once and slammed into the lake.
The placid surface of the water was instantly blasted into a water column three people high. Along with the earth-shaking boom, the scene was especially spectacular.
Qi Xianqing, watching from behind, paused slightly.
Why did it feel like...
Yan Jue’s ability to learn divine abilities was becoming more and more terrifying.
When she first taught Yan Jue martial arts, it had taken her seven or eight days, even a full month, to comprehend them.
Now this not-so-simple Myriad Sword Art had actually been successfully attempted in only three tries.
“..."
Yan Jue turned around and looked at Qi Xianqing. “Please give me your guidance, Senior Sister.”
Qi Xianqing was silent for a long while before speaking a little stiffly. “What does Junior Sister think of Myriad Sword Art?”
Yan Jue considered it and said, “I think divine abilities like Myriad Sword Art shouldn’t just pursue ‘more.’ Using swords to bombard the enemy to death is certainly a good choice. But whether the sword is flexible, and whether the split ‘myriad swords’ remain unified, is what truly makes Myriad Sword Art powerful.”
“When practicing Myriad Sword Art, having actual ‘myriad swords’ is secondary. As long as each sword does its own job well and attacks the opponent from different angles, then even if there are only a hundred swords, the power still can’t be underestimated.”
Qi Xianqing was just about to speak when she suddenly heard applause coming from behind.
Her eyes sharpened, and she turned to look.
In the blue sky not far away, Immortal Lady Yun Zhen was flying over on the wind.
In the sunlight, her robes fluttered gracefully; her bearing was captivating, truly a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, like an immortal descending from heaven.
Yun Zhen landed nearby and looked at Yan Jue with great interest, smiling. “No wonder the disciple my disciple has taken a liking to is so striking. Your understanding of Myriad Sword Art is quite unique as well.”
Yan Jue looked at Yun Zhen and her pupils shrank slightly.
The qi she was revealing was terrifying...
At the very least, she had to be at the eighth realm.
And within Five Dragons Mountain, with eighth-realm cultivation and such peerless beauty, there could be no one else besides Qi Xianqing’s master, Immortal Lady Yun Zhen!
Yan Jue’s expression tightened. She immediately knelt before Yun Zhen. “Disciple greets Senior Yun Zhen.”
At the same time, Yun Zhen lowered her gaze and studied the person before her carefully.
The girl wore a pale jade daoist robe. Around her neck hung a golden collar, with three little golden bells dangling from the end. She had clearly looked very gentle, yet those narrow phoenix eyes added a trace of eeriness to her refined face, giving her a kind of innate, alluring quality.
This was interesting.
She actually couldn’t see the qi of this young girl.
Yun Zhen quickly understood: this lovely little girl before her had cultivated a Breath-Concealing Art.
Yun Zhen had lived for so long that she fancied she’d seen every kind of person there was.
Cultivators in this world, afraid others wouldn’t know how powerful they were, never hid their qi; most of the time they were just making fools of themselves.
Out of a hundred people, only one would usually cultivate a Breath-Concealing Art.
Interesting. Very interesting.
The air fell silent for a moment.
Immortal Lady Yun Zhen: “So cute! I didn’t expect Five Dragons Sect to have such a cute little girl, hah?”
“Oh dear, you must be under a lot of pressure at Five Dragons Sect all the time. Look how serious you are.” Yun Zhen laughed. “Don’t be afraid. When you’re talking to me, it’s the same as talking to Xianqing. Whether it’s me or Xianqing, we’re both very easy to get along with.”
Yan Jue: “..."
Yun Zhen was truly an enthusiastic person; she pinched Yan Jue’s face and rubbed it hard.
Yan Jue hurriedly took a step back, only to be squashed into a lump by Yun Zhen anyway.
Qi Xianqing coughed and said softly, “Master. You’ll scare her.”
Only then did Yun Zhen reluctantly let go of Yan Jue. “What’s your name, little girl?”
Yan Jue: “This one is from Watercloud Sect, Yan—”
Qi Xianqing suddenly said, “Her name is Li Hong.”
Yan Jue: “..."
Yan Jue gave an awkward laugh. “Disciple Yan Jue, using the alias Li Hong.”
Please, how could she dare hide her true identity in front of Immortal Lady Yun Zhen?
Looking at Qi Xianqing’s expressionless face, Yun Zhen suddenly found this even more interesting.
Before coming here, Yun Zhen had specifically asked about the identity of this junior disciple who had caught Qi Xianqing’s eye. She knew that she was a Watercloud Sect disciple named Yan Jue.
One had to know that Qi Xianqing was famous in their Thunderflame Sect for being wooden and never even joking in ordinary times; yet she was actually joking in front of this little girl.
Yun Zhen had always been excellent with words, and she chatted with Yan Jue for a couple of sentences on the spot.
“Are you planning to take part in the Five-Dragon Summit two months from now?”
Yan Jue gave an awkward laugh. “I probably will. Isn’t every disciple supposed to participate?”
Whether she could live that long was still uncertain.
Yun Zhen: “Not every disciple has to participate, but the ones with ambition all do. As cultivators, we have to be brave enough to try. How would we know whether we can win if we don’t?”
“Xianqing, when she was little, was never proactive about anything; she didn’t even participate in competitions. Luckily, I forced her to participate back then...”
Qi Xianqing had been standing quietly to the side all along.
Yun Zhen: “You can come find me at Thunderflame Sect in the future. What I teach is much better than what Xianqing teaches.”
Yan Jue’s eyes lit up. “Yes!”
Really? If she could go learn martial arts from Immortal Lady Yun Zhen, then she’d have one more connection in Five Dragons Sect from now on!
And the martial arts taught by an eighth-realm mighty figure would be completely different.
...
Immortal Lady Yun Zhen flew away in a swirl of immortal grace.
Yan Jue stared at her receding figure, then suddenly remembered Qi Xianqing, who had been left standing to the side for quite some time.
Yan Jue turned around, just about to speak. “Se—”
Qi Xianqing pressed her lips together, staring at Yun Zhen’s retreating figure. Then she lowered her eyes and said in a low voice, “Not allowed to go.”
TL Note:
three shichen (三个时辰) = about six hours.
Weishi (未时) = traditional term: about 1–3 p.m.