Chapter 24

Half a month passed quickly.

Below Yunwang Palace, there were about a dozen disciples dressed in blue robes, standing silently with their heads bowed.

Yuan Daojun stood alone on the high building, hands behind his back, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance: "...You must all remember this well: never abuse your power to bully others, treat all things with benevolence, and do not be hasty or impatient..."

Dozens of Yunwang Palace disciples bowed their heads and obeyed the order: "Yes."

Having finished speaking his heartfelt words, Yuan Daojun was about to fly away when he glanced at him.

Among the quiet disciples below the stage, there was one person who was clearly distracted.

She was dressed in the same blue robe, with a cold and aloof demeanor like the bright moon, yet she had a lazy expression. When he looked at her, she nodded at him with a nonchalant air and then popped a candied fruit into her mouth.

Yuan Daojun's face twitched violently.

"...This time, the son of an old friend of mine will accompany you."

Yuan Daojun glared at Sheng Ningyu, deliberately emphasizing his tone.

"After you go to Qingyi Academy, do not misbehave!"

After saying this, Yuan Daojun turned around and disappeared without a trace with a flick of his sleeve, leaving many disciples puzzled by his words.

Sheng Ningyu chewed on a candied fruit, casually handing out a few pieces to the disciples around her, and mumbled, "Who knows? Maybe I'm getting old and my memory is getting a little blurry."

At this age, young people are often restless and eager to rebel against their teachers and elders.

Doesn't he seem like he's getting senile?

One disciple whispered, "How could our Cloud View Palace lack spiritual herbs!"

"It's not like when the demons used to invade. Now the demons have all calmed down. At most, we'll encounter a puppet barrier. Why would we have so many troubles to deal with?"

"The old patriarch is overthinking things."

"Fellow Daoist Mingyue, what are you saying!"

"It's all the fault of those petty people who are so harsh on you, fellow Daoist. Don't be afraid, fellow Daoist, there will definitely be no such people in Qingyi Academy."

“But Fellow Daoist Mingyue is right. It seems that the old palace master’s thoughts are not without merit.”

"It seems we still need to practice more diligently."

"Good child," Sheng Ningyu exclaimed, which is why she liked the medical practitioners at Yunwang Palace the most.

They were all young people in the prime of their lives, and they would give their hearts away if you said a few nice words. Even Yuan Shuhe, the oldest of them, had been immersed in seclusion and cultivation for many years and was not yet mature.

Thinking of Yuan Shuhe, Sheng Ningyu scanned the crowd and noticed that he had glanced at her several times, his expression complex, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Sheng Ningyu: "?"

This was the first time Sheng Ningyu had seen Yuan Shuhe since arriving at Yunwang Palace.

She suspected that Yuan Daojun and Yuan Shuhe had said something, but she also felt it was impossible.

Even if Yuan Daojun wanted to reveal her identity, he should have told Yuan Bushu, who was teaching at Qingyi Academy, not Yuan Shu and such an immature boy.

Sheng Ningyu took a few steps toward Yuan Shuhe, and was about to speak when she heard a cold snort from behind her.

The crowd parted automatically, and the glittering young master Jin Xianyao stepped in from behind. He walked up to Sheng Ningyu, lowered his voice, and said through gritted teeth, "I'm warning you, no matter how many seductive tricks you have, you're not allowed to use them on my sister, do you hear me!"

Oh, it seems my adorable little brother has just been released from confinement and doesn't know what happened yet.

Sheng Ningyu raised her eyebrows slightly, about to say something, but then her gaze shifted.

"I've taken note of what Fellow Daoist Jin said." Sheng Ningyu smiled gently and said slowly, "But what should I do since Sister Ayan likes me?"

Provocation! This is outright provocation!

He was so focused on Sheng Ningyu that he didn't notice the disciples around him covering their faces, their expressions showing that they couldn't bear to look at her.

Yao Youling shrugged, giving up on saving him.

Sheng Ningyu sighed and said wistfully, "Whether it's talent or aptitude, I know I'm no match for the Palace Master. However, there's one thing the Palace Master can't match in."

Jin Xianyao almost jumped up: "What does my brother-in-law lack compared to you?"

Sheng Ningyu pursed her lips, lowered her eyes, and smiled shyly: "I'm young, and Sister Ayan likes young people."

"Jin Xianyao".

Madam Xiang appeared behind them at some point, blocking their way, but her usual gentle smile was gone.

Sheng Ningyu stepped forward and leaned into Madam Xiang's arms, saying in a melodious voice, "Sister Ayan, don't be angry because of me, or I will be sad too."

Seeing her like this, Xiang Bieyun knew that she was deliberately teasing her, but she was still worried about Jin Xianyao, and her face showed a rare sternness.

“Jin Xianyao, if you cause any more trouble and show no respect for your fellow disciples, then you should not go to Qingyi Academy.”

"Sister, I understand," Jin Xianyao said sullenly, catching a glimpse of the affected woman out of the corner of her eye. She gritted her teeth inwardly and couldn't help but glare back at her.

Ha, just wait until you get to the academy, you'll be in for a surprise!

Sheng Ningyu nestled against Xiang Bieyun's shoulder, inwardly laughing so hard she almost fell over.

Yao Youling finally couldn't stand it anymore: "Jin Xianyao, Fellow Daoist Wang is your sister's younger sister. By all accounts, you should call her 'sister'!"

Kim Hyun-yo, who had been staring at her, gradually widened her eyes: "Huh?"

"Really?" he asked doubtfully. "Are you trying to fool me again?"

"How could it be fake?"

"Why didn't you say so sooner?!"

"Heh, I wish I had said so sooner, but you, Young Master Jin, slapped me away."

Xiang Bieyun watched the children's playful figures with a smile as a cold voice said, "Is it her?"

“It’s her.” Xiang Bieyun murmured her husband’s name. “Yes or no, you must treat her well.”

He followed his wife's gaze and looked at the crowd.

He spotted the little girl immediately.

A gentle breeze and a bright moon; his features are faintly visible, as if he were an old friend.

This young girl was gentle and submissive; when bullied, she could only lean on her wife's shoulder, lacking the unrestrained and carefree nature of that man from back then.

His Daoist partner said, "The old patriarch has already told you... She has suffered a lot, hasn't she? Could you please take good care of her for me?"

His father said, "Your wife must have already told you, right? Her, alas, it was all a tragic fate. If I were to conceal her appearance any further, people would notice something amiss. You should take good care of her along the way; it won't be in vain... it was all just a chance encounter."

He didn't want to be silent, but he could see that his partner and father were sad and didn't want to say anything more. So he used his intelligence to investigate.

He carefully wrote down the younger man's name.

This is an insult to his friend, and also an insult to the Sword Master.

Perhaps the Ghost Cang Tower does indeed contain the spirit bones of a Sword Master, but it is by no means the whole thing.

However, Yan Ruchao was always the kind of person who would sleep until the fourth even if the King of Hell wanted him to die at dawn. No one could disrupt his plans, not even himself.

So, despite my best efforts, I received no response to any of my inquiries.

Yuan Bushu said, "Don't worry, Madam."

When he came over, he saw from afar that the girl was leaning against his wife's chest, looking extremely docile.

Yuan Bushu thought that he had also witnessed the Sword Master's years in the academy. No matter what this Miss Wang Mingyue was like, could she possibly be comparable to that Sword Master Mingyue?

"This disciple greets the Palace Master."

"This disciple greets the Palace Master!"

With a series of greetings, Yuan Bushu rose and hovered above the crowd. He flipped his hand and threw out an object, which was initially only the size of a walnut. It continued to expand in the air and eventually became a huge spirit boat.

"Is this our spirit boat?"

"How impressive!"

Hearing the exclamations of her disciples, Sheng Ningyu was also filled with emotion.

She had seen this spirit boat before, on her last trip to Qingyi Academy.

Sheng Ningyu boarded the spirit boat with the other disciples, and sure enough, she saw the familiar engravings on both sides.

The sea of ​​suffering is boundless; a small boat is all I can cross.

All living beings have an end, but the Way, benevolence, and righteousness will endure forever.

Sheng Ningyu habitually touched the character "苦" (bitter), but then heard a voice behind her.

"What are you doing?"

Sheng Ningyu turned around, and the person who came was none other than Yuan Bushu.

This palace master clearly wielded considerable power, and the disciples fell silent, too terrified to utter a word.

Looking at Yuan Bushu's expression, Sheng Ningyu blinked, and a guess suddenly popped into her mind.

Sheng Ningyu's eyebrows twitched slightly: "Reporting to the Palace Master, I found the plum blossoms engraved on the flying boat so beautiful that I couldn't help but reach out and touch them. I was momentarily distracted and forgot myself. Please forgive me, Palace Master."

Yuan Bushu: "It's alright." He glanced at Sheng Ningyu again and couldn't help but be slightly lost in thought.

They look so alike.

No, it shouldn't be like this.

Thinking this way is unfair to both the Sword Master and his sister-in-law.

Yuan Bushu withdrew his gaze and swept it over the disciples who were bowing their heads and not daring to say a word. "Since this is your first time boarding the flying ship, it is inevitable that you will be distracted. After an incense stick has burned, you will all return to your rooms to cultivate."

After saying that, Yuan Bushu turned and left without even saying goodbye to Yuan Shuhe.

Sheng Ningyu raised her eyebrows this time.

No one knows what Old Man Yuan did, but Yuan Bushu really didn't recognize her?

As soon as Yuan Bushu left, the disciples scattered like birds and beasts. Ji Qingwu breathed a sigh of relief. Yao Youling sidled up to Sheng Ningyu and said admiringly, "I thought the Palace Master was going to punish me. I didn't even dare to breathe. Fellow Daoist Mingyue, you actually dared to speak up. That's amazing!" As he spoke, he gave Sheng Ningyu a thumbs up.

“The former palace master was not that kind of person.”

“My brother is not that kind of person.”

Two voices rang out at the same time, and Sheng Ningyu turned her head to meet Yuan Shuhe's face.

The young boy was eager to defend his brother, his face flushed slightly. Sheng Ningyu smiled, walked over to his side, and lowered her voice, saying, "Young Master Yuan seems to have something to say to me?"

Yuan Shuhe's expression became extremely conflicted again. He stood there thinking for a while before finally saying, "When we get to the academy, I... I'll talk to you in detail."

To the academy?

That will be soon.

This academy was initiated by Feng Xiaosheng, the most renowned young clan leader of the Phoenix Clan. However, for some reason, she did not choose to build it next to her own Silver Bamboo City, nor did she choose to build it on the old site near the Sword Pavilion. Instead, she chose to build it at the junction of the Sword Pavilion and Silver Bamboo City.

"Look! That's our academy!"

"Let me see! Let me see!"

Mount Ling is majestic, with purple clouds appearing and disappearing.

The golden palace and jade tower are adorned with flying dragons and phoenixes, green tiles and vermilion eaves. At the very center, the four large characters "Qingyi Academy" are inscribed. The characters are ethereal yet powerful, displaying a magnificent and awe-inspiring presence.

The disciples were still exclaiming in amazement as they disembarked from the spirit boat.

Sheng Ningyu stretched lazily.

Yuan Bushu was representing Yunwang Palace to enter the names into the roster. They were placed in the square outside the main hall of Qingyi Academy. The disciples chattered among themselves, and Sheng Ningyu was also among them.

"Silver Bamboo City has many good things. It is located here and has convenient access in all directions. In the future, it will be convenient for us to find some excitement to watch."

“Silver Bamboo City?” The Yunwang Palace disciple was taken aback for a moment, then scratched his head and chuckled, “Fellow Daoist Wang, you mean ‘Chasing the Moon City’? When I first heard this old name, I almost didn’t recognize it.”

Moon Chaser City?

Sheng Ningyu was taken aback, but before she could speak, she heard a voice coming from behind her.

“…Sister Ningyu.”

Chu Jiye stared blankly at the figure, and almost instantly, a feeling of joy at regaining what he had lost swept over him.

Dressed in plain clothes and a light blue gauze, with a youthful face.

But he knew it had to be her.

She was the bright moon that haunted his dreams, and Ningyu, the sister he longed for day and night.

Chu Jiye had originally planned to go to Linghuanwu long ago, but he was turned away. The old master Yuan used the excuse of "making more preparations for the reopening of Qingyi Academy" to partially close Yunwang Palace.

But he did not give up; he chose to wait beneath the Qingyi Academy.

fortunately.

Chu Jiye thought to himself, thankfully, he had waited for this moment.

unlucky!

Sheng Ningyu cursed under her breath and turned to leave, but the person behind her wouldn't let her go.

"Sister Ningyu..."

Without the presence of elders like Chu Qing, the other retainers dared not speak ill of their patriarch. So Chu Jiye stepped forward and grabbed Sheng Ningyu's sleeve. Even after making this move, he seemed still dazed, muttering as if in a dream, "Why are you ignoring me? Why didn't you come looking for me?"

"But it's alright...it's alright." His voice was as fleeting as the light on the sea. "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

This is the head of the Chu family!

What's he doing here? And why is he getting into a scuffle with Fellow Daoist Wang from their Cloud Gazing Palace?!

The disciples of Yunwang Palace all stared wide-eyed. Some tried to stop them, but were all stopped by the Chu family's retainers.

Seeing that things were not going well, Yuan Shuhe secretly made a hand seal and sent a message to his elder brother.

Not only them, but also disciples from other sects were eager to see what had happened.

Surrounded by the gazes of the crowd, Sheng Ningyu's expression turned completely cold.

This is the disadvantage of not having a complete spiritual bone and being devoid of spiritual power. If it were before, who would dare disobey her if she swung her sword?

Sheng Ningyu used all her strength to pull out the cuff, but still couldn't get it right. Her tone grew colder and colder: "What is Patriarch Chu trying to do?"

A simple sentence, yet it completely stirred up Chu Jiye's emotions.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he no longer remembered his identity, nor the boundless respect and glory he possessed at that moment. He only felt that he had nothing, as if he were still that insignificant Chu family scion from back then.

Dull pain in the heart.

Chu Jiye's eyes were red, just like every time he made a mistake 60 years ago. He gripped the cloth in his hand tightly, almost self-torturing, and used the spiritual power in his palm to stab himself. In an instant, his hand was covered in blood.

In the past, whenever he did this, Sister Ningyu would always soften her heart.

She couldn't bear to see him sad.

"Patriarch Chu, you flatter me." Sheng Ningyu tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I have never met Patriarch Chu before, so I am very sorry to hear you say these words."

These words were utterly merciless, causing everyone familiar with the temperament of the Chu family patriarch to feel a chill run down their spines. However, to everyone's surprise, this renowned and unpredictable patriarch of the Chu family showed no signs of anger whatsoever this time.

I know you're angry with me.

She chose him from among a group of people; she was the one who reached out to him first.

How could she ignore him? How could she discard him like a worn-out shoe?

Yao Youling gasped, stammering, "Is he really the Chu family head we met that day?"

Could it be that he has been possessed?

Chu Jiye could certainly sense those menacing gazes, and he knew how this would lead to malicious speculation, but he didn't care.

Everything else is like dust, only the bright moon shines, and we are fortunate to meet.

OK?

That's a good size.

As she got closer, Sheng Ningyu's right hand started to hurt again.

The moment Chu Chang'an grabbed her sleeve, his spiritual power and blood flowed out, and she felt her spiritual bones.

It's so close.

Unfortunately, as the master, when the spirit bone is very close to her, Sheng Ningyu can not only feel the spirit bone, but also relive the pain of the day her bones were dissected.

At first, I felt a throbbing pain in my finger bones, and then it spread to my right wrist.

The pain was so intense that her palms were sweating profusely. Sheng Ningyu had no time to retort, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would be gasping for breath.

To dissect bones raw.

……pain.

It hurts so much.

Sheng Ningyu tugged at the corners of her mouth, tensed the back of her hand, and her knuckles made a teeth-grinding cracking sound as she moved slightly. She was in pain, yet she still had time to think idly.

The next step is to find a way to retrieve the spirit bone without anyone noticing.

Seeing that the person in front of him was silent, Chu Jiye's heart was filled with joy again. He reached out to cover her hand, but was suddenly pierced by a spiritual force!

This spiritual energy, like a sword light, suddenly attacked from behind, as fast as a snow shadow, but its power was not weak. It had no purity like the white snow, but was as cold as ice, carrying a killing intent that wanted to kill.

This is only a wisp of spiritual energy.

Even though Chu Jiye had reached the Tianquan Realm, he was still shocked by this.

Chu Jiye had no choice but to release Sheng Ningyu's sleeve, turn around to dodge, and land in a vast expanse of azure robes. He put away his previous grievances and looked grimly at the source of the spiritual energy.

Without him needing to speak, members of the Chu family angrily shouted, "How dare you launch a sneak attack on our Chu family patriarch from behind! Who is so arrogant?"

Before they could say anything more, in the next instant, a figure in snow-white robes, as graceful as jade, landed.

The familiar fragrance enveloped her from her side, and Sheng Ningyu slowly opened her eyes.

My right hand seems to be hurting less.

So she turned her head, raised the corner of her mouth, and smiled at the person who came.

This was the first different expression she had shown since the beginning.

But he was smiling at others.

Chu Jiye was consumed by jealousy, his face growing increasingly gloomy. He made no attempt to conceal his disgust and hostility, unleashing an overwhelming spiritual power that swept towards the person in the snow-white clothes!

Chu Jiye asked coldly, "Who are you?"

Those around were terrified, and some even started trembling.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd and the aura of the spirit, their robes fluttered like snow in broad daylight.

Xie Qianjing took another step forward, getting even closer to Sheng Ningyu. He took her hand and smiled slightly at the increasingly terrifying and sinister-looking head of the Chu family.

“I am her Daoist partner.”

A note from the author:

----------------------

Yes, it hurts when touched by someone who possesses their own spiritual bones.

So, every time Xiao Xie did it before... but it's okay, he did it willingly.

And thank you all for your support! After dragging on for over 16,000 words, I've finally decided to make this a paid chapter tomorrow morning! I hope to see you all in the comments of the next chapter! [Let me see!]