Chapter 18 The Ups and Downs of a Turbulent World, The Play of Immortality 4: Like a little flower covered in dust...

Xiao Jingze leaned against the stone wall and calculated that Mingying should have returned by now, even if she had just watched a play, but there was no sign of her, so something must have happened.

That cloak was unreliable; he shouldn't have agreed to it. Xiao Jingze's gaze darkened. He fastened the short blade to his waist and calmly walked into the depths of the stone path.

Ahead was a fork in the road, and another guard happened to turn out from the right. He was also dressed in a black robe and had a short blade at his waist. The two met face to face.

The patrolman paused slightly, his gaze sweeping suspiciously over Xiao Jingze. Although it was dark and he couldn't see his face clearly, why did he have no recollection of this person?

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Xiao Jingze didn't stop walking, his posture relaxed. Just as he was about to brush past the patrolman, the patrolman reached out and stopped him, his other hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes sharp: "Who are you? Why have I never seen you before?"

Xiao Jingze raised his chin slightly, his tone calm and even, as if it were just casual conversation between colleagues: "That's normal, I'm new here."

The patrolman brandished his sword and sneered, "New guy, do you think I'm stupid?"

With his short blade drawn, the guard suddenly stepped forward, his momentum decisive and ruthless, aiming straight for the man's ribs!

Seeing this, Xiao Jingze smiled and said, "Well, that's a real pity."

Instead of retreating, he advanced, sidestepping the blade. He grabbed the other man's wrist with his left hand and twisted it hard, sending the short blade flying to the ground. Before the guard could even cry out, he turned and covered his mouth, then grabbed his chin with his right hand and twisted it backward. The guard felt a sharp pain in his neck, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground without even uttering a groan.

With nowhere to hide, Xiao Jingze coldly tossed the man into the shadows and walked toward the right-hand intersection, gripping his short blade.

He walked down the stone steps, where there were lampposts inside, their shafts glowing with a faint blue light, and at the end of the lampposts was a tightly closed bronze door.

Xiao Jingze hid behind a pillar, climbed the rock face using his short blades, and then scaled a narrow stone beam. He peered down to observe the situation, and soon a sentry came running in a panic, banging on the door and shouting, "Sir, sir, something's happened!"

The bronze door opened, and two guards came out first, dragging a disheveled young man behind them. The young man was covered in mud and blood, wearing shackles, lying on his back with his eyes half-open. He glanced in Xiao Jingze's direction. Xiao Jingze held his short blade in his hand, lowered his head, and silently met his gaze until the group disappeared around the corner.

His gaze then turned to the half-open gate. The sentry, used to this, didn't give the men any extra attention, but anxiously paced around the gate.

Two black-robed guards escorted a man wearing a ghost mask out. One of them was pale and beardless with a cold expression, while the other had a long whip at his waist and a fawning smile: "Why should the immortal take action himself? We can punish those who collude with the lowly commoners."

The masked man stood between the two men with one hand behind his back. He was dressed in white and had no weapons. If you ignored the ghost mask on his face, he would look like a weak scholar who had wandered into this place by mistake.

Fengshui Immortal?

Xiao Jingze squatted on the beam, bent his fingers and tapped his fingertips. Was it really such a coincidence?

The sentry stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "My lord, the Thirteen Guards have been attacked and are unconscious. It seems that thieves have broken into this place!"

The masked man remained silent, while the black-robed guard nonchalantly patted the long whip at his waist: "What's the panic? Even if the Heavenly King himself barged in, he wouldn't get out!"

Feng Shui Xianren waved his hand and turned his gaze to the sentry post: "Show me around."

Xiao Jingze narrowed his eyes; the voice sounded familiar.

The four left without a word, with the sentry loyally following behind. Xiao Jingze stepped inside to investigate. Blood remained on the ground, and a faint smell of burning lingered in the air. He frowned and scanned the table. There were no other passages here. Where was Mingying?

——

The wind howled at the edge of the cliff. Mingying staggered back a few steps, biting her lower lip until it bled. Her mind was in a daze, her gaze fixed on the crowd below. Suddenly, she saw a familiar figure. She wiped the blood from her mouth, her eyes regaining their clarity. She gripped her cloak tightly and slid down the side slope.

Two sentries were chatting in the middle, one of them looking at the flames in the center with great interest: "Don't you think this fire is bigger than it was a few days ago?"

Another person glanced at it wearily: "Stop looking. These cultivators have been taking such good care of this ball of fire, but it hasn't made any progress. It's more worthwhile to collect more reward money."

Mingying walked steadily through them, and the sentry felt as if he had been bumped hard. He raised his hand and cursed, "What do you mean by that?!"

The other man, angered by his pointing finger, retorted, "What do you mean now? You don't want to work here anymore, do you?!"

Mingying ignored the vulgarities that suddenly came out from behind her and just watched the figure in front of her run away.

Why is my cousin Zhiyi, who is supposed to be "traveling far away," here?

Shen Zhiyi wiped her hands on the hem of her clothes, pretending to work while secretly taking out a piece of bread hidden in her bosom. She turned her back to the crowd and ate it. These guards were eating big fish and meat while deducting food from the rations of these laborers. They were truly heartless.

Seeing someone huddled in a corner groaning from whip marks, Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but remind them, "These wounds could be fatal if left untreated. Why don't you find the execution guards..."

The man was unimpressed and rolled his eyes at her: "Who do you think you are? What are you talking about life and death here? Aren't you just as pathetic as I am?"

Shen Zhiyi swallowed her anger: "I am a medical cultivator, an executioner of the Guard..."

The man impatiently interrupted her: "It doesn't matter what kind of cultivation you have here. I used to be a sword cultivator! You want me to beg those lackeys? Bah!"

Shen Zhiyi fell silent. Mingying ran towards her and saw that she was thin and pale. She sniffed, took her hand, and whispered in her ear, "Cousin Zhiyi."

Shen Zhiyi was startled: "Who?"

The swordsman looked up at her, and Mingying spoke softly, "I am Mingying, and I am invisible now. Without further ado, tell me what's going on here and how I can help."

Shen Zhiyi remained silent, then grasped her wrist with her other hand. She checked the other's pulse, her expression softening slightly. She released her grip, looked her over from left to right, and while digging in the dirt, asked the sword cultivator beside her, "How did you get captured here?"

The sword cultivator didn't reply to her. Every few days, someone here suddenly goes crazy; this person is probably developing hysteria too.

Shen Zhiyi said to herself, "I originally planned to travel for a month or two. I accidentally overheard outside the study that several cultivators from the Shen family caravan had died for no reason. So I disguised myself and decided to join them to find out what was going on. Wouldn't it be better if there was a healer in the caravan?"

Seeing the swordsman looking at her, she remained expressionless: "But I later discovered that several of the carts transported by the caravan were just a facade. Coincidentally, these transporters all disappeared without a trace. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye. Alas, I was still too young. I directly confronted Shen Yichuan with the evidence, threatening to report to my grandmother. Shen Yichuan said he knew nothing about it..."

The swordsman suddenly pointed behind her: "What's behind you...?"

Shen Zhiyi paused, then, seeing Mingying's figure flash by, quickly pressed her down to block her view, her expression warning: "This is to rescue..."

The sword cultivator shouted excitedly, "Execution Guard! Execution Guard! I want to report her!"

The guard's gaze instantly turned towards her. Shen Zhiyi closed her eyes, pushed her behind her, and shouted, "Run! Shen Yichuan is a madman!"

Mingying didn't turn around. All eyes were on her. She ran around the field, and more guards came down to chase her. One guard swung his whip at her from the front. Mingying narrowly dodged and was a little out of breath.

The executive guard laughed loudly, as if he were catching a chicken struggling in a cage waiting to be slaughtered. Suddenly, Ming Ying pulled out a slingshot, aimed at him, and fired a shot. The executive guard covered his eyes, his expression twisted.

Mingying's head was spinning. She bit her lower lip hard, until it was bloody and raw. She knew she couldn't run for long. While dodging, she looked at the steep slope and wondered if she could climb it.

Seeing that she had lost an eye in the process of catching the traitor, the executioner's face turned ashen. He put away his whip and gave an order to the field: "By order of the immortals, those who capture the traitors will be exempt from five days of hard labor! They will dine at the same table as the executioner!"

The people who had been indifferently watching the chase suddenly lit up with excitement and swarmed towards Mingying. One person tripped her, another stepped on her head and jumped up. Mingying couldn't defend herself against so many people. She dodged one person's attack, but another grabbed her ankle: "I caught her! I caught her!"

Mingying threw it hard, and the slingshot fell to the ground. She propped herself up with one hand and looked back sharply. The person who grabbed her was an old woman with a wrinkled face, her hair and clothes were messy, like a withered leaf.

Every day in Yunchuan, she would see many elderly people of the same age. In Mingshanfang, the staff would carefully help them sit down. A smiling old lady once brought them a basket of fresh green plums.

Hesitating, she was tackled to the ground by the others, unable to even get up. Hearing Shen Zhiyi calling her from behind, Mingying could barely open her eyes; her eyelids were so heavy she could only see a blurry glimmer of light. She gasped for breath, the cold mud choking her nose and mouth, feeling as if she were drowning, her thoughts about to be swallowed by darkness. But no, but…

She moved her fingers, used all her strength to draw her sword and slash open the talisman pasted on her palm, then plunged it into her still-healing wound, her eyes instantly clearing.

Mingying looked up and gasped for breath. She then pulled the sword out again, blood dripping onto the deep red soil. She closed her eyes and stabbed at the hands that were dragging her from behind. The other person let out a scream and released her. She propped herself up on her elbows and slowly moved forward. The withered hands clung to her again. Mingying held the blood-soaked short sword and suddenly felt weak all over.

The guard strode over, cracking his whip. In the distance, a group of people surrounded a white-clad figure wearing a ghost mask. Someone loudly proclaimed, "The Immortal of Fengshui has arrived—"

Mingying lay on the ground, straining her eyes to look ahead. The laborers behind her knelt down and kowtowed in gratitude towards the newcomers.

Feng Shui Xianren, dressed in pristine white, simply waved her sleeve. Two guards cleared a path ahead, and with a flick of her whip, she kicked the old woman clinging to her leg, her words utterly rude: "What are you standing there for! Get to work!"

Mingying quietly watched the figure. Fengshui Immortal picked up the slingshot from the ground, gently pried open her hand and threw the short sword aside. He squatted down, lifted her chin, and looked at her carefully: "Manman, why do you look like this? You look like a dirty little kitten."

Mingying's senses seemed to have dulled; the person in front of her was both familiar and unfamiliar: "...Cousin?"

Feng Shui Immortal helped her up, tidied her disheveled hair, and wiped the blood from her face. His attitude was very amiable, as if he were chatting with her about everyday matters: "Didn't that Prince Xiao come with you?"

Mingying stared at the ghost mask on his face, blood dripping from her fingertips, without answering.

The shackles clanked as Shen Zhiyi stumbled over, shielding her behind him. Staring at Feng Shui Immortal, she said, word by word, "She's just a mortal. Don't touch her. Let her go."

Feng Shui Xianren let out a muffled laugh: "What kind of person does Zhiyi think I am?"

Shen Zhiyi looked at him warily. Mingying put her hand on her shoulder, looked at Feng Shui Xianren, and said in a calm tone, "Cousin, I have something to ask him."

Shen Zhiyi's gaze remained fixed ahead, her voice slightly hoarse: "There's no need. He won't turn back."

Feng Shui Immortal shook his head: "Ah, you all..."

He changed the subject: "Alright, Manman, as long as you tell me where Prince Xiao is, I will let you go."

Mingying looked wary: "Xiao Jingze abandoned me here and ran away. I really don't know where he is now."

Feng Shui Xianren stared at her for a while, then laughed: "Alright, since Manman has gone to so much trouble to find me, I should do my best to be a good host and treat her well."

He raised his hand and waved it, and the guards pulled the two apart. Shen Zhiyi was pushed to the ground. Mingying rushed over to help her up, but was pulled down by the guards. She turned to look at Feng Shui Xianren, her eyes blazing with anger, and coldly questioned, "Zhiyi is your twin sister. What are you doing, cousin?"

Feng Shui Immortal sighed: "Manman, I still prefer your innocent appearance. Why do you have to pry so deeply?"

Mingying's eyes revealed a hint of sarcasm: "I also prefer the way you look when you take off your mask, cousin. You've been the Immortal of Fengshui for so long, do you still know who you are? As a member of the Shen family, do you think your actions are worthy of your grandmother, or of the innocent people?"

Feng Shui Immortal chuckled softly: "You deserve it, of course you deserve it. As Manman has seen, the people of Huaijiang have great respect for Feng Shui Immortal."

Shen Zhiyi's eyebrows furrowed, her eyes blazing with anger: "That's all because of your meddling! The floods in the three prefectures were all caused by you. Do you really think you can get away with such heinous acts? Once Grandmother finds out about this, your pipe dream of becoming an immortal will be... uh..."

Feng Shui Immortal reached out and grabbed her neck, his tone tender and gentle: "Zhiyi, do you know why you're still alive?"

Shen Zhiyi felt the air was thin and she could hardly breathe. She struggled to get up: "You...you let go...brother..."

Feng Shui Immortal suddenly released his grip, and Shen Zhiyi hung his head and retched. He looked down at her and said, "I hate you very much, but since we are twins, we are bound by the same breath... Zhiyi, when I attain immortality, you should be by my side to witness it together."

Shen Zhiyi turned her head away from him. Feng Shui Xianren straightened his sleeves and said, "As for Grandmother, Zhiyi doesn't need to worry too much. Do you remember when we were children, you thought I wrote well and often borrowed my homework to copy? Now it's my turn to copy yours. I will send your letters to you regularly, so Zhiyi can rest assured."

Mingying looked at the two strangers and asked, "Why? Just for the sake of becoming an immortal?"

Feng Shui Immortal pondered her words and laughed out loud: "Just to become an immortal? Manman, look, look—the cultivators of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river, and they are all striving to become immortals. They are clearly a group of incredibly foolish things, yet they are born with spiritual roots and are superior to mortals. How unjust is the way of heaven! I am determined to reverse fate and make all living beings bow down to me!"

A note from the author:

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My cousin initially got the role of the gentle second male lead, but later he felt that the role of the minor villain also suited him well, so he ended up with two identities.