Chapter 17

On the outskirts of the Taichu Realm.

Qing Zhouxue drew the longsword from her waist, gripped it firmly, and lightly leaped onto a grove of bamboo. She balanced on one foot atop a stalk, as supple as a slender reed, swaying slightly before steadying herself.

Mortal eyes could see only the endless sea of green bamboo.

From her elevated perch, Qing Zhouxue spotted a mass of black qi, blatant and unrestrained, demonic aura surging skyward.

Something was approaching, belly pressed to the ground, crawling slowly, making a rustling sound.

Qing Zhouxue stood motionless.

The creature seemed to possess some cultivation and did not rush forward recklessly. It paused abruptly.

Qing Zhouxue stared at the ground, catching a glimpse of a deep green tail.

Her sword tip emanated wisps of cold air, a thin layer of frost forming over it. According to the wanted poster, this demon beast was at the late Golden Core stage, two realms higher than her own.

Actually, it was anyone's guess who was the prey. Better to be cautious.

A tail suddenly lashed across, snapping a wide swath of bamboo. Qing Zhouxue vaulted into the air for an instant, sword tip pointing downward, adding her full weight to the plunge as she stabbed toward the ground.

When the blade sank into the scales at the tail's end, splattering warm blood, Qing Zhouxue was surprised at how easily she had struck.

A serpent head hissed, its forked tongue flicking out. Its vertical pupils fixed on her and widened in terror. It seemed flustered, writhing on the ground like a lively blade of grass, snapping a few bamboo stalks but showing no intention to attack.

"Please spare my life, Immortal Master!"

Perplexed, Qing Zhouxue pulled the sword from its tail. While the "blade of grass" continued to squirm and sob, she pulled out the crumpled wanted poster.

"Massive build, vicious nature, feeds on human flesh, fond of devouring children." Beside it was a crude illustration of a ferocious snake demon with a gaping maw and bared fangs.

Before her was a serpent with a delicate pink tongue slightly protruding, tail curled into a tight ball, its big innocent eyes brimming with fearful tears.

Qing Zhouxue silently tucked the poster back.

Frowning, she raised her sword.

Just as she was about to strike, an excited voice cried out, "Spare the serpent beneath your sword!" A man in white robes descended from the sky, his garments fluttering without wind, exuding an immortal air.

Qing Zhouxue looked at him closely, her expression shifting to surprise as she sheathed her sword. "Elder Zhou, what brings you here?"

Zhou Shannan was Yun Shuchen's junior fellow apprentice, an elder of a peak, and a senior to her. He had few hobbies, but his favorite was raising spirit pets, letting cats and dogs run freely across the mountains.

He hugged the giant serpent with heartache, noticing several glossy scales had been scraped off. In grief and indignation, he said, "What child is this, with no regard for living creatures—huh? Qing, my junior niece."

They stared at each other.

"This elder... is out for a stroll," he said with a dry cough.

Qing Zhouxue held up the wanted poster. "This junior is here to eliminate a demon."

"But that—" Elder Zhou began, then noticed his junior niece look at him with confusion. She said clearly, "It is the one hundred eighty-second rule of the Taichu Sect: no raising such demonic creatures. Could this serpent demon perhaps be..."

"...Junior niece overthinks."

Qing Zhouxue's expression relaxed. She nodded. "Then please step aside a little, Uncle."

She drew her sword again. Zhou Shannan quickly blocked her. "You can't!"

"This elder sees that this serpent demon intends no harm. Why must you insist on killing it?"

"My master lacks money. I wish to claim the bounty."

Yun Shuchen lacks money? Zhou Shannan nearly choked. He suspected this child had been sent by that woman to cause trouble.

This serpent was a lovely dark green, with excellent markings, like a jade bracelet. Zhou Shannan had obtained this serpent ten years ago and had played with it daily, then in his courtyard, and finally, as its size grew too large to handle, he had placed it in this bamboo grove.

The Taichu Realm could accept some gentle-natured demons, like the small cat on Heyi Peak. But serpents, due to their usual cold and cruel temperament and massive size—disciple injuries had once been numerous—had long been categorically banned by the rules.

An elder leading by example in violating sect rules naturally could not be known. Even less could Yun Shuchen find out, or she would likely exploit the situation, extorting even more.

Elder Zhou decided to spend money to ward off disaster. He said kindly, "How much was the bounty for this demon?"

He took the wanted poster and glanced at the reward at the bottom. His kind smile stiffened. Who had posted this bounty?

For a mere late Golden Core demon, even if discovered, was it worth a fifty-thousand-yin note?

"Junior niece Qing," he hesitated, then with a pained expression pulled a thick stack of banknotes from his sleeve. After fumbling, he handed them to her. "It's like this. This elder needs the demon's inner core for some use. I'll pay you the bounty, and the demon goes to your uncle for disposal. How about that?"

Qing Zhouxue hesitated briefly, then nodded.

"And, do not mention this to your master," he stressed.

...

Yun Shuchen lounged in the brothel, listening to a beauty play the pipa all morning. As the chen hour approached, footsteps sounded outside the door. She guessed the person was nearly here.

When Qing Zhouxue entered, her waist pouch was stuffed full of money, neatly arranged.

Seeing this, Yun Shuchen said in surprise, "What is this?"

"I took a bounty," Qing Zhouxue said. She recalled all the uncle's urgent pleas and ultimately did not mention him.

The pouch was handed to her master. Yun Shuchen smiled softly and said tenderly, "Good child. Keep it with you for now."

Qing Zhouxue sat beside her and had her hair ruffled again for no clear reason.

She suddenly felt that her master was in a good mood; her tone carried a certain lightness.

What Qing Zhouxue did not know was that her master had ruthlessly swindled Elder Zhou and dragged someone else into the matter, which was why she was in high spirits.

Yun Shuchen had long known about the demon in the bamboo grove, one that Elder Zhou kept hidden but dearly cherished. On ordinary days, she had never bothered to capture it.

Last night, when she saw her disciple lift her sword and head straight for the bounty board, Yun Shuchen had a thought. She specially drafted and drew a poster, pasting it neatly ahead of her. Late Golden Core stage, high reward, and close by—Qing Zhouxue would have no reason not to choose this bounty.

Yun Shuchen sipped her tea, a smile in her eyes.

Since her master would not take the money, Qing Zhouxue kept it for the time being, planning to save it slowly until it could at least cover the repairs to Heyi Peak, then give it back all at once.

"The weather is fine today. Let's go out for a stroll."

Perhaps Yun Shuchen had grown tired of lying around the brothel and weary of seeing all kinds of beauties. She straightened up, finally willing to step out the door.

Qing Zhouxue followed her all the way.

She had assumed they were just going to Taichu Town, but Yun Shuchen found an open space, borrowed the wind for power, and whisked her disciple away on auspicious clouds.

After drifting in the sky for about half an hour, Qing Zhouxue landed to find a glimmering sea before her.

Penglai in the Eastern Sea, a hundred thousand li from the Taichu Realm.

"Our usual clothing and supplies are quite lacking. It's necessary to acquire a few essentials." Yun Shuchen pointed at the immortal isle in the distance. "Qing'er, let's go."

Yun Shuchen was in a good mood, so her name for her disciple changed on a whim, though it was unintentional.

Qing Zhouxue's fingertips trembled. That endearment, "Qing'er," was so familiar that it sent a faint bitter ripple through her heart.

She had thought she had long forgotten; memories from childhood were vague. Or perhaps she did not want to remember.

So even her not-so-towering father had once addressed her that way.

Yun Shuchen looked back and saw Qing Zhouxue standing frozen. "What's wrong?"

The woman's voice was soft and melodious, and the two words were pronounced beautifully.

Once the sourness in her heart faded, it was gradually replaced by a long-missed warmth, finally dissolving into calm.

Qing Zhouxue shook her head, took a few steps to catch up, and paused before saying, "Nothing, Master."

Penglai was home to many mermaids, and its jewelry and mermaid silk were famed throughout the nine provinces. Merchant ships frequently came and went, making it especially bustling. It was said that the pearls produced here each year, if spread evenly on the ground, could pile up to half a building's height.

Yun Shuchen clearly had a destination in mind. She led Qing Zhouxue to a clothing shop. The store looked extraordinary, extravagantly run. When Qing Zhouxue stepped onto the floor, she felt as if she were walking on money; the greenish tiles were smooth and gleaming, apparently paved with jade.

Yun Shuchen brushed her hand over a piece of cloth embroidered with cloud patterns, then said to the mermaid who had been enthusiastically recommending items, "Pick out something that fits her, have her try it on."

The beautiful mermaid, whose eyes shimmered with scales at the corners, gave Qing Zhouxue a careful once-over before fetching clothes.

Qing Zhouxue frowned. "I don't need any."

"This was meant to buy for you in the first place," Yun Shuchen said, signaling for her to go try it on.

When her master commanded, Qing Zhouxue had no room to resist. She let out a soft sigh. When she walked out in the first outfit, Yun Shuchen stared at her for a long while, then smiled slightly. "Not bad. Change into another."

"Alright, change again."

"Try that smoke-blue one?"

Qing Zhouxue's features were extremely clean and refined, not a trace of allure. They did not hurt the eyes; a glance turned into water that flowed and shaped itself along the banks, touching everything in a way that was perfectly fitting.

Especially in white robes, she surpassed three thousand snows of the mortal world.

But after witnessing her disciple in red, yellow, blue, green, purple, and indigo, Yun Shuchen seemed to think those were fine too. When Qing Zhouxue was slightly sweaty from the toil of changing in and out, Yun Shuchen finally picked out a few pieces.

Qing Zhouxue thought the number was acceptable.

Then Yun Shuchen said a single sentence that set her heart trembling three times: "Except for these few, buy all the rest."

"You must keep records here, right?" Yun Shuchen mused for a moment, then said to her, "There's no need to try any on for me. Just have them made in the same styles as last time, every single one, and send them to Heyi Peak in the Taichu Realm."

The shopkeeper was overjoyed.

The disciple was utterly shocked.

The two were personally escorted out by the shopkeeper, who waved her handkerchief warmly, inviting them to come often, promising good goods for the two big spenders, as reluctant to part as if watching a lover leave.

"Master, is this really enough money?"

"If it's not enough, we'll put it on credit."

Yun Shuchen was very calm. She casually picked up a string of gleaming mermaid pearls from the market stall, with exquisite openwork lotus carvings, her eyes brightening slightly. "These are nice too."

At first, Qing Zhouxue tried to hold her back, but later found it useless. So her heart gradually numbed while watching her master treat money like dirt.

She began silently calculating how long it would take to repay—though her stomach was still not quite used to it, she planned to stop eating three meals a day from now on; cultivators would not starve, so that would save her master money. Also, sleep was unnecessary, and lodging cost money; cultivators would not die from lack of sleep, so that cut another expense.

Yun Shuchen was unaware of her disciple's drastic frugality. She stopped before a dusty shop, far from the flashy ones. It seemed there was nothing to catch her attention there.

She looked back at Qing Zhouxue.

"A beauty like jade, a sword like a rainbow. Perhaps you still lack a fine sword."