Jiang Xidai was determined to go, and Yan Huirou’s attempts to dissuade her were useless. She looked at the woman’s proud, solitary figure—unable to do anything, she could only brace herself and follow.
As they walked, Lanyue Pavilion was like her own home; no one came out to block their path.
The few patrolling disciples they occasionally saw would all freeze in place or retreat a great distance upon seeing that red figure. No one dared to step forward and challenge her.
Yan Huirou gently tugged on Jiang Xidai’s sleeve. “Your wound—”
“Yan Huirou.”
Jiang Xidai suddenly stopped and turned around.
Yan Huirou’s hand stung as it was flung away. She let out a muffled groan and quickly pulled her arm back.
However, in the next moment, Yan Huirou froze.
A furious red sword was pressed against her neck.
The distance between them suddenly closed in.
Yan Huirou stared at Jiang Xidai in astonishment, forced to tilt her head up, her pale neck grazing the sharp edge of the sword. With a small swallow, the tip of the sword, which had been resting lightly against her, also moved.
“You’d best put away your pointless concern. What does my wound have to do with you?”
Jiang Xidai said, “You keep getting in my way, nagging incessantly, it’s annoying. Do you really think I won’t kill you?”
Those peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, as if she were truly angry.
Ever since Jiang Xidai had entered Lanyue Pavilion, her mood had seemed to be rather poor. In fact, it was very poor, unlike on their journey here.
Yan Huirou noticed that the area around her wound would unconsciously tense up. It was a subtle emotional change, as if just stepping on this land would re-open a wound that had not yet healed.
That was why she had advised Jiang Xidai several times not to come here. She felt that in her current state, she was not fit to fight again.
But Jiang Xidai had ignored her, not listening to a single word.
Yan Huirou lowered her hands and looked at her quietly. Helplessly, Jiang Xidai still couldn’t see any fear in those clear, calm eyes. Perhaps the only emotion there was pity. She was like a clear water mirror, gently reflecting Jiang Xidai’s own image.
“Alright,” Yan Huirou said. “I won’t say any more. As for these words of concern, just take them as me being afraid that something will happen to the Sect Master and I’ll lose my place of refuge.”
She blinked. “I have no cultivation, I’m just a mortal. I can’t survive on my own.”
Just take them as?
Which meant that wasn’t her original intention. Her tone was as if she were coaxing a child. But Yan Huirou’s voice was very gentle, with a comforting quality that made it impossible to get angry at her.
Jiang Xidai lowered her eyes and stared at her coldly. She touched Yan Huirou’s neck with the blade of her sword again.
“Rest assured. If I die one day, I will be sure to send you to the west with a single sword strike before I go.”
“A companion on the road to the underworld.” Yan Huirou smiled faintly. “Perhaps we’ll even meet in the next life. Does the Sect Master love me so much?”
Jiang Xidai: “…”
Yan Huirou heard the woman let out another cold humph. Her killing intent had subsided considerably, but she still seemed to be sulking. It seemed her words were not as sharp as hers, and she didn’t know what to say.
Yan Huirou watched as the sword by her neck was lowered.
For some reason, she really did think Sect Master Jiang was quite cute. Although her appearance was stunning, underneath it all, she seemed to be a willful little girl. The moment she took a dislike to someone, she would threaten to chop them up. Her neck had a distinguished record, having had Jiang Xidai’s sword at it at least three times, but in reality, the most severe punishment had been kneeling in front of the hall… and that angry slap after being kissed awake.
However, this perception was a bit too niche in the current cultivation world.
Jiang Xidai opened her umbrella, seeming too lazy to even spare her a glance, and shielded Yan Huirou behind her.
Yan Huirou followed behind her, her gaze falling on the umbrella that struck fear into the hearts of the cultivation world. The white silk surface, with the alluringly blooming hibiscus flowers, was a perfect match for her red dress.
The two of them walked up the mountain unimpeded, but Jiang Xidai searched for a while and found nothing.
The treasure hall at the highest point of Lanyue Pavilion had already collapsed.
The remaining ruins had not yet been repaired by the disciples. At this time, a small group of people were left, engaged in moving debris.
Jiang Xidai watched quietly from the side. Her clothes were a flamboyant color, and she herself was exceptionally outstanding. How could the people around not see her?
But it was too late to run from the demoness. It was better to play dumb and beg for their lives.
The disciples moving the rubble were like a noisy flock of birds. They dropped what they were doing and all gathered together, nervously looking back at the woman. But once they had stopped, no one made another sound, as if they were all trying to reduce the chances of attracting her attention.
“Where is your Pavilion Lord?”
In the gentle breeze, Jiang Xidai spoke.
A disciple in charge knelt down, trembling, and answered fearfully, “…The Pavilion Lord has gone to the Haoran Sect. She is not here.”
Jiang Xidai sensed for a moment and indeed did not detect any trace of that person’s aura.
“Is that so?” She couldn’t help but frown, then she relaxed and smiled, her lips curving. “Then I’ll have to trouble you all to stay here for now. I’ll go to the Haoran Sect. If I don’t see her, don’t blame me for taking your lives.”
The red-robed woman’s smile was beautiful, like a peach blossom blooming in the spring breeze, but the disciples around her trembled even more upon seeing it.
Jiang Xidai raised her hand and placed a restriction, like drawing a prison on the ground, enclosing this small area of Lanyue Pavilion.
Then she decisively grabbed Yan Huirou and, treading on the wind, headed towards the Haoran Sect.
The Haoran Sect was also a force to be reckoned with in the current cultivation world. It had been established for a relatively short time, only a little earlier than the Shasheng Sect, so its qualifications were still new.
Sect Master Xie Minting was a very capable person. In just a few decades, she had managed to develop the sect to its current state, ranking among the four great righteous sects.
Although they were divided into four great righteous sects, it was normal for the Haoran Sect’s master and the Lanyue Pavilion’s lord to have some private dealings.
They were all people of the righteous Immortal Alliance, after all.
Yan Huirou had been carried around so much that she had gradually been able to open her eyes in the strong wind in the sky and get used to it. She saw that Jiang Xidai was still stubbornly turning back to the Haoran Sect to look for someone. “Are you really going to—”
Her voice was drowned out by the wind.
Jiang Xidai silently recited a sentence, sealing the girl’s mouth.
Yan Huirou struggled to pull on her sleeve, and once she had a grip, she didn’t let go.
Jiang Xidai felt her sleeve being pulled tighter and tighter, her arm aching from the strain, as if the fabric were about to be torn apart.
“What on earth do you want?”
Yan Huirou was finally able to speak. She coughed a few times. “I just wanted to ask…”
“Are you planning to go and fight again with your injuries?”
“What if you win, and what if you lose?”
“Can you win back what the Sect Master truly wants in her heart?”
Yan Huirou’s tone was unusually tight, perhaps because she was afraid Jiang Xidai would seal her mouth again, so she spoke quickly. “Or perhaps, you’re going to kill her this time to avenge yourself?”
Hearing the words “kill her,” those peach blossom eyes faltered for a moment and looked over.
This scene, Jiang Xidai had imagined many times.
Perhaps she had indeed had the thought of killing her.
But after calming down, it was not her true intention. There was always a sour feeling deep in her heart.
She was not a likable person to begin with.
With this one sword strike—
It was as if in the vast, dusty world, the slivers of gentleness hidden deep in her memory would have nothing left.
Yan Huirou tilted her head and asked, “So you’re planning to confront her face to face?”
“Do you have something to ask her? Will you be content after you’ve asked?”
“…Not really,” Jiang Xidai’s dark hair was blown up by the wind. She frowned and looked ahead, but a sense of aimless emptiness filled her heart.
Her coming to Lanyue Pavilion was inseparable from the factor of “Li Xinghe.”
Just on this matter, it had little to do with Zhan Ke.
But Jiang Xidai had come, only to find no one, and then she had learned that she had gone to the Haoran Sect.
This unnecessary matter had turned into a dead knot, stuck in her heart. Instead, a feeling of—I must go and find her—emerged.
She was going to—
Yan Huirou had really stumped her.
“…”
Jiang Xidai didn’t know.
If she didn’t go to see her, she would still be bothered by being plotted against again and again, and being stabbed. There was hatred in her heart.
If she went to take revenge and kill her, she didn’t think it would be very satisfying to fight Zhan Ke.
And if she went to question her, what could she say? It seemed like everything had already been said.
She really didn’t know.
Jiang Xidai’s cultivation was unparalleled, and perhaps that was both her strength and her weakness. She always acted without regard for rules, entirely according to her heart. To put it another way, she rarely thought deeply about anything.
“I just want to go. What does my business have to do with you?”
Jiang Xidai’s face was a little pale. She didn’t know if the wound on her chest had been agitated again.
She gradually slowed down, hovering above the Haoran Sect, her beautiful brows furrowed, as if she found the place too hot to touch, unable to find a place to land.
By her ear, that soft voice fell, like a white feather. “So are you going to see her, or your own obsession—”
Jiang Xidai performed a spell and suddenly sealed her mouth again.
Inside the Haoran Sect’s hall, Sect Master Xie Minting was playing chess with Zhan Ke.
Zhan Ke held a black piece. “You, I’m afraid you’re going to lose again.”
Xie Minting showed no embarrassment on her face. Seeing that she seemed to be intentionally letting her win, she held her hand and said seriously, “That’s not necessary.”
“It’s just one piece.” Zhan Ke still placed it in its original position, her voice tinged with emotion. “Still, I have to thank you for letting me stay at the Haoran Sect for a while, to recuperate and avoid the trouble.”
“Otherwise,” Zhan Ke lowered her eyes, her eyes suddenly welling up. She forced a smile. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been so lucky and would have ended up like the one from the Qingxu Sect. It’s a pity about that diligent Sect Master. I worked with him for many years, and now…”
“It’s fine. We’ve known each other for a long time. It was just a small favor.”
Seeing her eyes welling with tears and seeming very sad, Xie Minting comforted her, “Zhan Ke, the Qingxu Sect Master lived a righteous life and sacrificed himself to slay the demon. It is our undeniable responsibility. I’m sure his spirit in heaven will be gratified. You don’t need to be too sad.”
“Mm,” Zhan Ke said. “The most important thing now is to get rid of that demoness. Otherwise, the consequences will be endless.”
Pavilion Lord Zhan let out a light sigh and leaned back in her chair, the tears in her eyes having already been wiped away.
She looked at Xie Minting and said in a low voice, “But it’s a little difficult. The first time, the four great sects combined couldn’t take her down. And this time, I took advantage of her distraction and stabbed her, but unfortunately, I was still one step behind and only injured her heart, not killing her on the spot.”
Xie Minting, however, frowned slightly. “Speaking of the first two times, the demoness is certainly detestable. But I don’t know if I should say something—”
“It’s fine. Go ahead,” Zhan Ke said gently.
“I don’t think it’s very appropriate to use emotional tactics against her. As righteous people, when we slay a demon, we should do so with evidence of their crimes… there’s no need to deceive,” Xie Minting said.
Pavilion Lord Zhan: “Deceive? When did I ever deceive her? The first time, I invited her to Lingxi Mountain and didn’t say what it was for. The second time, I just said a few words, and she was the one who got distracted.”
She lowered her head and toyed with the jade bracelet on her wrist. “Minting, I’m just going with the flow. This cultivation world needs to be cleaned up. It can’t accommodate a bloodthirsty and unrestrained demoness.”
Zhan Ke’s tone was calm, but a little too nonchalant.
Xie Minting certainly detested Jiang Xidai—because Jiang Xidai had slaughtered the entire Lingshan Sect, causing a major sect to be wiped out in an instant. This was wrong, both emotionally and rationally. Besides, she had no dealings with Jiang Xidai.
But she knew that Zhan Ke and Jiang Xidai had once been very close friends. Xie Minting was a person who valued relationships and was used to judging others by her own standards. Therefore, she couldn’t quite understand why Zhan Ke was so calm. She felt a little confused, but she couldn’t make much sense of it rationally.
“You’ve done well, you’ve worried yourself sick for the world.” Sect Master Xie sighed lightly. “But I heard that you and she were once… almost about to be wed. I was thinking, whether doing this for you is…”
“How could that be.”
Zhan Ke took a sip of tea. She frowned slightly. “You’ve misunderstood. There’s nothing between me and her.”
Xie Minting asked, “Could the rumors be false?”
“Just outside rumors. How can outsiders see the truth of the matter?” The woman let out a light breath. “When we were at the Lingshan Sect, she was the one who pestered me, causing many misunderstandings. You know, her cultivation is so much higher than mine. Even if I wanted to refuse, I couldn’t.”
“She forced you?” Xie Minting frowned.
“If it were you, and your bed partner was a madwoman who could draw her sword and kill you at any moment, and you couldn’t even sleep peacefully at night, I… how could I fall in love with her?” Zhan Ke’s tone softened. “It was just a matter of expediency. To stay alive, there was no other way at the time.”
Xie Minting’s expression softened slightly. She said seriously, “No wonder you’re like this.”
“It’s fine. It’s all in the past.”
“The Qingxu Sect Master is gone, and the Immortal Alliance is furious. I’m thinking, if we release the news that the demoness is injured, there will naturally be righteous people who will go and crusader her.”
After Zhan Ke finished speaking, she picked up another black piece. She held it in her palm and sighed lightly. “For a while, I want to rest first.”
But the black piece was picked up and had not yet landed on the chessboard.
Zhan Ke’s hand paused.
Xie Minting picked up the sword beside her. “Someone was here just now.”
Zhan Ke frowned. The fluctuating aura just now was very familiar, making her heart palpitate. “…It’s her, Jiang Xidai? I’m afraid she’s here for me.”
“We didn’t go looking for trouble with her, yet she dares to barge into the territory of the Haoran Sect.”
Xie Minting stood up with a cold face, her sharp blade drawn. Her sword was heavy, with a crimson-gold edge, a completely different style from Jiang Xidai’s light and unpredictable swordsmanship.
She drew her sword with great momentum and slashed towards the direction where the aura had fluctuated outside the hall.
That direction wavered for a moment, then disappeared without a trace like a ripple in water.
Zhan Ke followed from behind. The two of them stood where they were, both with grave expressions.
But that aura seemed to have gone far away, not at all like Jiang Xidai’s style.
Zhan Ke hesitated for a moment. “Was it really her?”
“She was indeed here.” Xie Minting bent down, searched around, and picked up a piece of soft red silk from the ground.
She twisted the thin cloth and looked at it carefully. It was stained with a few specks of blood, fresh blood.
Xie Minting was slightly surprised. She had only slashed out a warning sword, more for show than for actual combat. How did she manage to hit her?
That demoness had come and gone freely during the siege by the four great sects. Logically speaking, she shouldn’t have been unable to dodge this sword strike, right?
“Our conversation just now was probably overheard.”
Zhan Ke took the red silk. The familiar soft fragrance was still there. But she frowned and tossed it aside. “Minting, I’m worried she’ll retaliate.”
The red silk fell lightly to the ground.
At the same time, Xie Minting’s hand was held by Zhan Ke, as if she had been unconsciously squeezed.
But Sect Master Xie’s expression was stern, and she was still on guard against any movement around her, so she didn’t pay attention to these details.
The mountains were quiet, with only birds flying.
She sheathed her heavy sword, her voice calming down. “Rest assured. I’ve already said, since we are all fellow Daoists of the Immortal Alliance, and you are a guest here, now that you are in the territory of my Haoran Sect, I will do my best to protect you. Besides, it hasn’t been easy for you all these years.”
“I knew it,” the other woman smiled, her brow relaxing. “You would understand me.”
“…”
Xie Minting hummed in agreement, not knowing how to answer.
“In that case, how about you play another game of chess with me?”
The voices gradually faded away.
