As they walked out of the alley, the bright daylight shone down, with brilliant sunlight emanating radiance.
Wei Yunshu walked side-by-side with Luo Lingfeng, neither of them speaking.
Wei Yunshu was still pondering Luo Lingfeng’s last sentence in the alley. Resembling whom? Why did she stop talking? Her probing gaze met only a meaningful smile. Could Luo Lingfeng possibly recognize her? No, impossible. She was indifferent to everything related to herself; how could she detect traces of an old acquaintance from the actions of someone completely different?
Perhaps it was just a common phrase, and there was no need to overthink it.
Wei Yunshu told herself.
“Fellow Daoist Bo, although you claim to be a reclusive scholar from the mountains, if that were truly the case, you wouldn’t have cultivated such pure and righteous spiritual energy. I imagine your master in the past must have been a renowned figure?” Luo Lingfeng suddenly spoke.
Wei Yunshu came back to her senses, and she smiled, saying, “I know nothing of my master’s past. She does not wish for her disciples to mention her name, and as her disciple, I must obey.”
This clearly indicated she was unwilling to discuss her background or lineage. Luo Lingfeng understood her implied meaning and raised her eyebrows with a smile, saying, “It is as it should be.” She was not in a hurry. By the time they encountered fierce demons in the Sunset Burial Mounds, it wouldn’t be as easy as dealing with the old demon in the ravine. Every encounter was a life-or-death struggle, and she didn’t believe the other party wouldn’t reveal their divine abilities. Lowering her gaze to conceal the darkness, she added, “Fellow Daoist Bo, you came looking for the zither. I presume you also have an extraordinary understanding of music?”
Wei Yunshu was startled by this. After a moment, she shook her head and said, “I only know a little.” She recalled the scene of listening to the zither in Cloud City. The wind blew through the forest, and the sounds of pine soughing harmonized with the zither, rising and falling like tides. She had listened to the zither countless times in her life, but the one that was etched into her memory was only that one. It was no longer a zither of kindred spirits playing high mountains and flowing water, but a path to certain death with hidden killing intent. The zither music was bone-chilling, leaving her unable to forget it for a long time.
Luo Lingfeng noticed the fleeting complex emotions on Wei Yunshu’s face. She couldn’t guess the other party’s thoughts, but she smiled and said, “Is it like the superficiality of chess?”
Wei Yunshu sighed, “I truly do not understand the zither.” If she understood music, could she have heard Luo Lingfeng’s strings filled with endless sorrow? Could she have changed that tragic outcome? Luo Lingfeng poured her heart into the zither, and she was not that kindred spirit.
Seeing that Wei Yunshu’s expression did not seem feigned, Luo Lingfeng smiled and said, “Disciples of small sects are busy cultivating the Dao; they don’t have the leisure like disciples of noble families to learn the six arts for the sake of refinement. It’s not a big deal not to understand the zither.”
Wei Yunshu did not respond. Luo Lingfeng’s words made her recall past events. She was a beggar child without a name, and it wasn’t until she met a young Luo Lingfeng that she received her own name. Before being brought to Cloud City by her master, Yun Qingzi, she couldn’t even recognize words, let alone practice skills that sounded like they would “cost a fortune.” Peering at the sun and thinking of pancakes, seeing the moon and thinking of steamed buns – that was what she had to do every day.
After arriving in Cloud City, she found herself out of place in that exquisite and magnificent city. Even when she learned various skills like the disciples of noble families, she couldn’t integrate with those people. The mark of “lowliness” that was cast upon her could not be erased. She became dispirited for a while, but it was during a dangerous situation that she had an epiphany: only the Great Dao was what she sought! Her master had also stood out from her peers through her talent and cultivation, becoming the ruler of Cloud City. She no longer obsessed over using precious chariots and fine horses to accentuate her prestige; cultivation was truly the way to progress by leaps and bounds. Recalling the past, if she had been lost in gold and jade, she would probably have been abandoned by her master long ago.
Sensing a trace of sadness flicker in Wei Yunshu’s eyes, Luo Lingfeng thought she was regretting something. After a moment’s thought, she offered, “If you wish to learn, I can teach you.”
Wei Yunshu looked up at Luo Lingfeng.
At this moment, she was unlike the person by the swirling abyss, nor was she like the detached and distant person in Cloud City. A trace of seemingly genuine warmth and sincerity flowed from her eyes, finally resembling the gentleness she had imagined. But Wei Yunshu dared not believe it; everything was likely constructed from her own one-sided illusions. She lagged a step behind Luo Lingfeng and politely refused, saying, “Thank you, True Monarch, but I truly lack such talent.”
“Then forget it,” Luo Lingfeng flicked her sleeve, and her expression also turned grim. She was not a person with a good temper to begin with. After being refused repeatedly, the fact that she did not lash out in front of the other party was already a form of restraint.
Wei Yunshu sensed Luo Lingfeng’s emotions and did not feel she had done anything wrong. But seeing Luo Lingfeng’s demeanor, she didn’t know when she would erupt. She couldn’t escape and didn’t want to cause more trouble. Suddenly, she glimpsed a treasure pavilion by the roadside with sparse carriages, bearing the words “Desheng Pavilion” above. The red pillars on either side had a couplet: “In a lifetime, how many pairs of shoes can one wear? Long days are only spent with a game of chess.” Disciples of noble families had the leisure to play chess, but in this killing field of the Sunset Burial Mounds, cultivators who came and went had no such leisure time. Occasionally, visitors would come, likely seeking enlightenment through chess. Wei Yunshu thought of that incomplete chess set and had an idea. She greeted Luo Lingfeng, then turned and entered the “Desheng Pavilion.” Before long, she emerged with a new chess set.
Wei Yunshu said earnestly, “Last time I played chess with True Monarch, I noticed the chess pieces were incomplete. Today, passing by, I thought of buying a new chess set to thank True Monarch.” She pretended not to know about Luo Lingfeng’s past dealings with that chess set. In this way, even if Luo Lingfeng harbored the thought of equating her with “Wei Yunshu,” it should dissipate, right?
Luo Lingfeng looked coldly at Wei Yunshu. After a long while, she took the gift and said indifferently, “Fellow Daoist Bo, I appreciate your kindness, but I have always cherished old objects and cherished old memories. If I take it, it will only be for my disciples later.”
Cherish old memories? But how many things had she forgotten? How many old objects had she destroyed? Wei Yunshu met Luo Lingfeng’s gaze impassively. Seeing Luo Lingfeng put the item into her storage pouch, she raised her eyebrows and smiled brightly, “This item has already been given away. How it is disposed of is of no concern to me.”
Luo Lingfeng replied with an “Mm” and finally stopped actively speaking to Wei Yunshu.
On the cliffside of Luoshui Divine Palace’s floating island.
The sound of water roared, and occasionally beastly roars echoed.
There was a mountain-viewing pavilion at the edge of the cliff where two people, a man and a woman, were sitting.
“Someone else is asking where the news about the Taiyi Sword came from.” The male cultivator speaking wore a double-horned headdress, a smile playing on his lips. He had a refined taste. Even when mentioning the “Golden Core realm assassin sent out had perished,” his hand holding the teacup did not tremble, and he poured a cup for Jiang Jiuxiao, who was sitting opposite him.
“Dead?” Jiang Jiuxiao frowned. She didn’t look at Xiang Jun, who was smiling, but cast her gaze toward the vast sky, watching the leisurely drifting clouds for a long time before revealing an extremely subtle smile, “Did my elder sister make a move? The cultivator who inquired about the origin of the rumor inexplicably disappeared. Did this matter truly catch her attention?”
The news about the Taiyi Sword was spread from Luoshui Divine Palace. She actually wasn’t afraid of Luo Lingfeng knowing; she even hoped that Luo Lingfeng, who knew the truth, would come to Luoshui Divine Palace. Unfortunately, the possibility was very small.
Her good sister hated Luoshui Divine Palace to the bone.
“Unfortunately, no,” Xiang Jun shook his head and put down the teacup steaming with water vapor. He gazed at Jiang Jiuxiao and sighed, “In fact, there was no need to do this. Her arrival means she has a great interest in the Taiyi Sword. As for who spread the news, it no longer matters.”
“What do you know?” Jiang Jiuxiao glanced at Xiang Jun, hiding the disdain in her eyes. She said, “My elder sister’s mind is devious. If I don’t do something to stir things up, perhaps she won’t take the bait.”
Xiang Jun countered, “Aren’t the words ‘Cloud Sovereign‘ enough to make her take the bait?”
Jiang Jiuxiao abruptly stood up, sneered, and said, “She has no heart; she cannot love anyone. Do you really think she came for the Taiyi Sword?”
