Chapter 47

Lady Lanxi is a woman that the Phoenix Lord brought back from the human world.

Just like her name, Lanxi, meaning orchid in a secluded valley, calming cold hearts. Yet, the Phoenix Lord loved her dearly, this woman who had once been surrounded by countless beauties. For Lady Lanxi, he dismissed all the celestial maidens, keeping only her.

Lady Lanxi, on the other hand, was without desires and rarely showed herself. Even if the Phoenix Lord piled all the treasures in the world in front of her, it would be difficult to make her smile.

But there is one person who can do it.

That day, Lady Lanxi was elegantly enjoying tea atop the Star Gazing Tower, surrounded by her maids. Some were mixing incense, some were brewing tea for her, and some were gently fanning her with flowing light, creating a scene of perfect beauty.

Suddenly a commotion arose below, followed by a sharp, piercing cry of a crane.

"Quick! Grab Big Yellow first!"

"A mischievous devil raising a mischievous crane? You two really are family!"

Lady Lanxi's calm and unwavering gaze flickered and fell upon the area below.

She, who had been silent all along, finally parted her red lips slightly.

Who is below?

Before the Phoenix Clan maid could finish speaking, almost instantly, a burst of spiritual energy exploded!

"The Lady of the Guard!"

"Spirit Activation Array!"

What was originally a picturesque scene of immortals enjoying the scenery was turned into chaos, with people and horses falling over.

It's no different from the human world.

Seeing the maids' frantic expressions, everyone noticed that the beautiful woman, who had been sitting upright on the high platform like a pretty clay doll, suddenly curled her lips slightly, like an orchid whose delicate petals were gently fluttered by the wings of a passing butterfly.

Lady Lanxi smiled.

Facing the spiritual power rushing towards her, Lady Lanxi not only did not dodge, but also did not take out the phoenix feather given to her by the Phoenix Lord.

However, she was not injured.

"Ten Thousand Swords Formation!"

As the flock of cranes attacked, countless illusory sword lights blocked Lady Lanxi's path.

Lady Lanxi didn't look at the still-shaken guards. Instead, she curiously touched the faintly glowing blue sword shadow. The sword seemed to have a feeling, and in an instant, it turned into a rain of flower petals, scattering around her.

It's very beautiful, even more beautiful than the mermaid tears that Feng Jun gave her.

Lady Lanxi walked out of the crowd and came to the outside of the pavilion and waterside terrace.

"Mother!"

Seeing Feng Shiwen's anxious and worried expression, Lady Lanxi gently shook her head without saying a word, but raised her lips to the disciple who was being glared at by him.

"You are a disciple of the Sword Pavilion."

Before she could answer, her senior brother, who had rushed over, blocked her path.

The young man, who looked like an immortal, wore a jade crown and had sleeves that flowed like clouds; he exuded an air of serene elegance.

He said apologetically, "I am Rong Que, a disciple of the Sword Pavilion. My junior sister offended you, Madam. I hope you will forgive her."

He appeared polite, but in reality, he didn't take her seriously at all.

The smile on Lady Lanxi's lips faded.

She knew what they were thinking.

Everyone in the cultivation world, including the Phoenix Clan, looked down on her. They looked down on her for being a useless person with only a pretty face, yet she was favored by the Phoenix Lord and possessed rare and precious treasures that others did not have, but she still made no progress in cultivation.

She was a delicate dodder vine that could only cling to others; without the Phoenix King, she was nothing.

They're all the same.

Lady Lanxi turned around listlessly, but suddenly heard a lively voice behind her.

"Fairy sister, my name is Sheng Ningyu!"

Feng Shiwen flew into a rage: "Sheng Mingyue, who are you calling! She is my mother! Mother!"

Lady Lanxi turned around and saw the immortal who had just been so otherworldly rubbing his temples. Behind him, a girl was pulling on his clothes with one hand, jumping up and down to dodge Feng Shiwen's attacks, while tightly gripping the neck of the crane in her arms with the other hand. She also turned around and winked at her.

"Sheng! Ning! Yu!"

Seeing that Feng Shiwen had truly gone to great lengths, Feng Xiaosheng, who was standing to the side, could no longer contain his dissatisfaction and retorted, "Guests are guests, why must you be so ruthless, brother?"

Rong Que flicked his sleeves, pulled Sheng Ningyu back a few steps, and used the strings of his zither to create a barrier to block Feng Shiwen's attack. He said gently, "Mingyue is still young and inexperienced. Your Highness need not bother with her."

Those who are biased have nowhere to be seen.

Feng Shiwen couldn't stand this insult, and just as the group was about to start arguing again, a powerful spiritual force separated them.

Feng Jun was already familiar with the place. He glanced around the room and was about to say something as usual when he heard a very soft laugh.

He looked up and saw Lady Lanxi, surrounded by her maids, covering her mouth and chuckling softly.

Sparks of sword light and spiritual energy danced around her, swaying gently, which made her brows relax and bring her joy.

The little girl knows she's made a mistake, but she knows how to coax people.

Feng Jun paused in his reprimand, and when he spoke again, he offered no punishment, only a brief scolding, and that was it.

This matter was taken very seriously, but then easily dismissed.

Privately, Feng Jun once told Sheng Ningyu, "Your Aunt Lanxi has a cold personality, but she's not a bad person. She likes you more than the younger generation of the Phoenix Clan. If you come, you can go and see her."

Sheng Ningyu readily agreed.

But at that time she was constantly on the move, there were too many places to go and too many things to do, so she didn't go to the Phoenix Clan very often.

"You have no taste." The girl rolled her eyes and muttered, "Our dog, Dahuang, can fight and yell, it can cause trouble at school and blow up the study. What's wrong with it? You're all birds, why do you look down on it?"

Even Feng Xiaosheng couldn't bear to hear this: "We are the dignified Phoenix Clan, and you're comparing us to an ordinary crane?"

“How is it ordinary? Big Yellow is my crane. In my heart, it is far more noble than those unfamiliar phoenixes!”

Feng Xiaosheng was so angry that she turned around and left.

Lady Lanxi laughed out loud again.

Sheng Ningyu looked up and chuckled at her: "Does Madam agree with what I said?"

She stroked the crane in Sheng Ningyu's arms, nodded, and said in a clear, melodious voice, "Mingyue is right."

Sometimes, Sheng Ningyu felt that Lady Lanxi was like a crane.

A crane trapped in the Phoenix Clan.

She was out of place with everything around her, but that didn't mean she wasn't good enough; she was just different from everyone else.

But later...

Sheng Ningyu dared not see her again.

Why doesn't the Immortal Lord answer?

Lady Lanxi stared coldly at Sheng Ningyu, the curve of her lips widening, but this smile was different from the pure one of yesteryear; it was now full of thorns.

"I thought that since the Immortal Lord could be so ruthless to Wen'er, he wouldn't show any mercy to her mother either? Could it be that he deliberately left me alone in this world to suffer endless torment, so that he could quell the hatred in his heart?"

The surrounding fairy attendants had quietly left the room, leaving Lady Xiang outside the first door.

Lady Lanxi knew this, but she didn't care. She pointed to the door, her lips curving upwards, but her eyes were filled with sorrow.

She smiled and said, "It's wonderful, Sheng Ningyu, that you always have so many people around you."

"So many people love you, so many people protect you."

Sheng Ningyu lowered her eyes and remained silent.

After laughing for a while, Lady Lanxi fell silent. She glared at Sheng Ningyu with such hatred that her eyes seemed to drip blood.

After saying that, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength, collapsed to the ground, and coughed violently.

Sheng Ningyu tried to help her up, but she was pushed away abruptly.

Lady Lanxi stared intently at her: "You clearly saw back then that someone had also placed demonic energy within me, didn't you? Why didn't you kill me! Why!"

Sheng Ningyu: "You did nothing wrong."

Lady Lanxi: "What did Wen'er do wrong this time? He was so good to you all back in the academy, and he always talked about you when he came back. That child is stubborn but soft-hearted, he..."

Lady Lanxi closed her eyes, her lower lip bleeding from being bitten so hard.

"He went to search for the demon seed for my sake."

Lady Lanxi always had the aura of a demon, and later she almost faintly emitted the aura of a demon seed.

The fact that a living person could be born with demonic energy shows how much hatred they harbor.

At that time, Feng Shiwen searched through ancient books and finally found a method.

If he could create a true demonic seed, he could make a deal with it to extract the demonic energy from his mother's body, thereby changing her fate of dying.

A demon seed is a being formed within the body of a powerful cultivator or a mortal with an extremely strong obsession, who died a violent death with immense resentment or unfulfilled grievances.

To create a demonic seed, one must make others experience those hardships.

Lady Lanxi: "What's wrong with a child wanting his mother to live?"

Sheng Ningyu had no way to argue with Lady Lanxi about whether Feng Shiwen was right or wrong.

She withdrew her hand, and facing Lady Lanxi's questioning, she quietly said, "Feng Shiwen shouldn't have done that."

"Shouldn't? What shouldn't be done?" Lady Lanxi laughed, almost shedding tears of blood. "They're just a few mortals who live only a day, yet you insist on attacking your old friend of many years for the sake of these unrelated people... Sheng Ningyu! I ask you, if one day your dearest loved one is trapped in such a predicament, can you still use the excuse of saving the world to ignore his suffering, disregard his pain, and righteously point your sword at him?!"

Sheng Ningyu's pupils suddenly dilated.

For some reason, the image of her sword strike against Xie Qianjing at the Chu family flashed through her mind, but it also seemed to be something else entirely.

The scene was blurry and indistinct, with figures moving about, and the view was a chaotic blur, so much so that even she couldn't see clearly.

Sheng Ningyu straightened up and said in a calm voice, "I will make the sword faster."

Lady Lanxi suddenly opened her eyes wide, her gaze filled with disbelief.

She looked up at the monk in front of her.

She was still the same as before, her face unchanged, only her lively eyes, reflected in the dim candlelight, held an even deeper, more unsettling stillness.

If the Sheng Ningyu of yesteryear was flamboyant and unrestrained, like a bright moon that carelessly showered the world with its light, the Sheng Ningyu of today is more like a bright moon quietly hanging high in the night.

Regardless of the hustle and bustle of the mortal world, the troubles of human life, or the loves and hates that arise in the world of cultivation.

The bright moon remains the same.

Is such a person truly kind-hearted and compassionate?

Lady Lanxi suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness rising from the bottom of her heart.

“Bright Moon… Sheng Mingyue, what a fine Sword Master Mingyue.”

She braced herself against the dressing table beside her, stood up unsteadily, and said softly, "I have nothing more to say to you, Sword Master. You must have other important matters to attend to, so there's no need for you to waste your time here."

Sheng Ningyu did not move.

The candlelight flickered in the room; it was a flame formed by Feng Jun with his divine power, and it would never go out as long as Feng Jun lived.

Since Feng Shiwen left, Lady Lanxi has been burning candles day and night, as if in this way she can live forever in the daytime and never have to experience that dark night.

"Feel sorry."

Lady Lanxi's hand suddenly stopped, burned by the candle flame ignited by divine power.

"Sword Master did nothing wrong, so why apologize?"

She remained still, and Sheng Ningyu could only see her back.

The white robe embroidered with orchids draped over her body made her appear even more frail and thin.

Her Aunt Lanxi no longer has any demonic energy.

But she probably won't live much longer.

Sheng Ningyu looked at her and suddenly remembered those old stories.

In fact, she rarely thought about Feng Shiwen.

He is Feng Xiaosheng's elder brother and the most beloved offspring of the Feng King. He was born noble and extraordinary, and even Feng Xiaosheng was not taken seriously by him because of his white feathers.

Sheng Ningyu once fought with him and even verbally sparred with him. Feng Xiaosheng had also argued with him several times, so their relationship seemed to be nothing more than ordinary.

But Sheng Ningyu knew that was not the case.

Feng Shiwen would use Feng Xiaosheng's white feathers to ridicule her, and would get angry and distance himself from her because of his father's doting on her. However, Feng Xiaosheng was able to establish herself in the clan after her parents passed away, which was not only due to Feng Jun's favor, but also because of Feng Shiwen's tacit approval.

Blood is thicker than water.

Those past joys and laughter seem like a distant dream. Sheng Ningyu personally killed one of them, and many more will die because of her decision.

Sheng Ningyu lowered her eyes: "It's something that the Sword Master should do."

"...Now is what I should do."

It is that girl who, relying on Lady Lanxi's favoritism, used to run around the Phoenix Clan with the Sword Pavilion Crane, that should apologize to her aunt.

Lady Lanxi turned around abruptly, her intense emotions flickering in the candlelight, like venom that could pierce the heart: "Do you think a flimsy apology can dispel the hatred in my heart?"

Sheng Ningyu loosened her grip on her right hand.

My palm was covered in blood.

She set up a spiritual barrier in front of Madam Xiang and said, "You may do as you please, Madam."

Lady Lanxi stepped forward abruptly and pulled out a hairpin from her dressing table. It wasn't that Lady Xiang couldn't break through Sheng Ningyu's spiritual power, but she didn't want to go against Sheng Ningyu's wishes. Just as she was getting anxious, a faint voice came from behind her.

"Xie Lanxi".

Lady Lanxi's raised hand froze in place.

She turned her head in disbelief, inch by inch, and then, as if she had seen something extremely terrifying, the hairpin in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".

A figure floated, and snow-white robes fell from the air, ethereal as a fairy.

Sheng Ningyu instinctively supported Madam Lanxi, and this time the other woman did not refuse, but instead gripped her arm tightly, trembling.

Sheng Ningyu and Xie Qianjing exchanged glances, and the other person smiled and said softly.

"If we're talking about seniority, the person next to you is my aunt."

Every time Xie Qianjing spoke a word, Lady Lanxi would tremble.

In the whole world, there is only one person who would call her "aunt".

She said in a trembling voice, "You...you, you are the Bodhi Immortal Lord?"

Upon hearing this address, Xie Qianjing chuckled: "Aunt, how do you think the demonic energy within you dissipated?"

"Is Auntie surprised?"

Xie Qianjing seemed to have seen something very interesting. He said softly, "My aunt hated the Xie family so much that she didn't hesitate to feed herself to the demon, trade with the demon seed, and collude with others to turn the Xie family into scorched earth. She then hid within the Phoenix Clan... These past years, I've really had to look for her."

Xiang Bieyun, who also entered through the door, paused for a moment. Recalling the information gathered by Banbi Sect, she asked, "Xie Lanxi... is Madam the Miss Xie who was once separated from her family?"

It was just another misplaced love.

That year, a member of a collateral branch of the Xie family met an ordinary woman, but it was ultimately just a fleeting romance. The woman had no family background and raised her daughter with great difficulty, only to die alone in the snow.

Madam Lanxi was so provoked that she couldn't control her voice and shouted, "Miss Xie? No, the entire Xie family has never treated me as 'Miss Xie'!"

Madam Xiang sighed, "It was your father who concealed your existence."

He felt it was too shameful for a child without talent, so after confirming the situation, he did not bring Xie Lanxi and her mother back to the Xie family.

He watched helplessly as Xie Lanxi's mother died.

Almost instantly, Sheng Ningyu figured something out.

Why did the Xie family's downfall happen so quietly back then? Why didn't Feng Jun, who seemed to know the Xie family head, offer any help...?

All of this was because of the person beside her.

Xie Lanxi.

She harbored a deep-seated hatred for the Xie family.

Xie Qianjing didn't speak again. He looked at Sheng Ningyu and reached out his hand to her.

"Come over?"

Sheng Ningyu nodded.

Of course she's going there.

But before that, there was one more thing she had to do.

A surge of spiritual energy gathered in her palm, and to Madam Xiang's astonishment, she picked up a hairpin from the side. Feng Xiaosheng, who had rushed over, didn't even have time to stop her before Sheng Ningyu fiercely stabbed the hairpin into her own chest!

Sheng Ningyu's idea was very simple.

She owes Lady Lanxi a sword; it's time to settle the score.

Since Xie Qianjing interrupted Madam Lanxi, then she can continue on her own.

Feng Xiaosheng's pupils contracted: "Sheng Ningyu!"

However, the blood that everyone expected did not appear.

When the golden hairpin fell into Sheng Ningyu's chest, it scattered into a sky full of flowing light; when it landed on the ground, it bloomed into a field of orchids.

Even Xie Qianjing was taken aback.

He understood Sheng Ningyu's plan, and the red thread in his hand tightened again and again, but he still did not stop her.

But to my surprise, Xie Lanxi didn't want to hurt her either.

Xie Qianjing looked at Madam Lanxi, but saw that she was no longer looking at him, and her body was no longer trembling with fear. Instead, she raised her hand and gently touched Sheng Ningyu's cheek.

She seemed to have suddenly become completely calm.

"That's great."

Lady Lanxi tilted her head, her hair falling in front of her, making her look like a ghost.

She was neither the mysterious and sickly Lady Lanxi, nor a mother whose child had been murdered; at this moment, she was simply a woman on the high platform who found everything uninteresting.

The world is boring, all things are boring, all living beings are boring.

Then, a crane's cry will be heard.

Bathed in the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Lady Lanxi laughed easily. She brushed aside the strands of hair that had fallen beside Sheng Ningyu's ear and laughed like an innocent and ignorant child.

“We’ve all changed over the years, but you’re still the same person you were back then.”

Open and honest, the bright moon remains unchanged.

The disciples of the Sword Pavilion once gave her a sword dance, which Lady Lanxi remembered for a long time.

She was a useless person with no talent for cultivation, and her birth mother was an ominous figure despised by everyone. Later, she was even possessed by demonic energy, and everything she received was a gift from others.

It seems that nothing in this world truly belongs to her.

So Lady Lanxi consulted many ancient books and scrolls and made this little thing.

"I was going to give this to you a while ago, but you haven't come to see me for a long time, so I've kept it until now."

That's great.

She is still alive and willing to come and see her one last time.

Lady Lanxi wanted to do something more, but a red silk thread tightly wrapped around her wrist.

Xie Qianjing stood beside Sheng Ningyu and looked up, saying, "Aunt."

Lady Lanxi looked at the two people with their fingers intertwined, slightly taken aback, then seemed to understand something, her eyes sparkling.

"I see."

That year, the demon seed amplified the hatred in her heart, and she vowed to destroy the Xie family. She stopped Feng Jun from taking action, but occasionally when she dreamed of it, she was also in great pain.

In the years after being taken back by the Xie family, there was not only hatred.

The young girl who was once respectfully tied to the high platform by everyone also bowed to her in a proper manner and called her "aunt".

Lady Lanxi released her grip, closed her eyes briefly, and her mind became clear.

She gathered her sleeves and bowed deeply to Xie Qianjing.

"Thank you, Immortal Lord, for removing the demonic energy from my body."

Years of grudges, love, and hate.

She needs to find out who is taking advantage of her suffering.

...

Xie Lanxi said that he encountered the demon seed when he was stranded near the East China Sea.

She said she could publicly testify about what happened back then if needed.

All the accusations pointed to the Chu family.

On the return journey, Feng Xiaosheng glanced at Sheng Ningyu and said, "You're avoiding me because of this."

Sheng Ningyu leaned against the railing of the flying boat and raised an eyebrow at her: "What, you also want to throw me off the flying boat?"

Feng Xiaosheng gave a deliberately cold laugh, put on a stern face, and adopted the arrogant demeanor of Young Master Feng: "Are you sure I won't make a move?"

Sheng Ningyu wasn't afraid at all. She grabbed her hand and said, "Come on, if you've got the guts, stab me again!"

Feng Jiutian, who was passing by, couldn't help but hiss.

No wonder I heard the elders sighing and lamenting a few days ago, saying things like "arrogance due to favor" and "femme fatale"!

He looked at Sheng Ningyu with admiration and said furtively, "You can still talk to the young lord like this?"

Feng Pianpian swiftly pulled him away, her face expressionless: "You only have one chance."

On the other side, Feng Xiaosheng deliberately put on a stern face, stared at Sheng Ningyu for a few seconds, and finally laughed to himself.

She said, "I'll let it go this time, but not again."

She knew that Sheng Ningyu didn't want to put her in a difficult position regarding this matter, and she also understood that Sheng Ningyu needed an outlet for her emotions.

Feng Shiwen...

He was his elder brother, and also an old friend who used to play around with Sheng Ningyu.

The "that guy" that Feng Xiaosheng was referring to could only be Xie Qianjing.

Sheng Ningyu: "Oh, because of him... His feelings for you and me are different. He is a cold and aloof person by nature, and his emotions are indifferent. I think even if he were here, if he saw Lady Lanxi being angry with me, he wouldn't have acted directly like you did."

Feng Xiaosheng paused for a moment, then looked up with some confusion: "When you say 'naturally aloof and indifferent,' do you mean that he exposed Lady Lanxi's identity without any mercy, leaving her stunned for a long time?"

Feng Xiaosheng knew everything that happened that day.

Now it was Sheng Ningyu's turn to remain silent.

On the flying phoenix, the wind whistled, and she decided to change the subject: "Xie Qianjing said that his cooperation with you went smoothly before, but you seem to dislike him?"

Why don't you like it?

Feng Xiaosheng gazed at the white clouds swirling around the flying phoenix and suddenly remembered her conversation with Feng Qingxing.

"Why is the young lord troubled?"

Feng Xiaosheng put down the spiritual scroll in his hand, rubbed his temples, and said, "That Xie Qianjing is really annoying."

Feng Qingxing: "I thought Your Highness's cooperation with the Demon Lord was going smoothly?"

Feng Xiaosheng thought for a moment, then reluctantly nodded: "Compared to those demonic cultivators, he's still quite clear-headed."

More than clear.

Despite being a demonic cultivator, she was able to remain unaffected by her inner demons, making every judgment and decision with composure and restraint. She also dealt with many puppet-related disturbances, helping her to successfully take over more power within the Phoenix Clan.

Even the proud Feng Xiaosheng once sighed that if the Xie family had not been destroyed, this Bodhi Immortal Lord would surely be a giant in the cultivation world today.

Feng Qingxing didn't quite understand Feng Xiaosheng's doubts and the anger that arose from them.

He had no memory, his face was completely disfigured, and he stayed by Feng Xiaosheng's side from the moment he regained consciousness.

He put himself in Xie Qianjing's shoes and understood what Xie Qianjing was doing.

"It's perfectly normal to feel affection and want to stay by someone's side all the time."

He caught Feng Xiaosheng's weary body, carefully placed him on his shoulder, and whispered, "Just like my beloved Princess Xinyue."

Thinking about it that way, Feng Xiaosheng could accept it.

It's not that she's not a good friend, but rather that the two of them are simply not on the same page.

But here's the problem.

"Xie Qianjing is the Demon Lord."

Feng Xiaosheng reminded him, "His identity can't be hidden for long. I don't think he intends to hide it at all. It will definitely cause a huge uproar in the Fourteen Continents."

Sheng Ningyu replied casually, "I understand."

Feng Xiaosheng paused, but couldn't help but ask, "Although you two are known as Daoist partners, why do I feel that you treat him as a very good friend?"

That's the problem.

Feng Xiaosheng thought to herself, "We're clearly not from the same field, yet this person insists on taking my place."

Sheng Ningyu paused for a moment, then, facing the swaying wind, declared righteously, "The spirit bones have not yet been fully found, and the demonic seed has not yet been released. I have no interest in love!"

Feng Xiaosheng held back for a long time, but finally couldn't take it anymore: "...Shut up!"

As she remained silent, Madam Xiang and Yuan Bushu arrived.

Yuan Bushu got straight to the point: "A letter from Qingniao Yiyehua says that the sect leader is willing to personally apologize at Qingyi Academy."

Feng Xiaosheng said, "Feng Qingli had expressed this intention before, but I refused. In recent years, he has become increasingly erratic and his attitude is unclear. As for the two boys from the Chu family, I did not sign a spirit contract with them, but only left a unique Phoenix Clan token. Normally, unless someone reminds them, they would hardly think of you. However, if someone asks them repeatedly, they probably won't be able to hold on."

"It should be safe inside the academy, but still... be extra careful."

Sheng Ningyu nodded: "I understand."

As the current head of Qingyi Academy, Feng Xiaosheng still had many things to handle. After she left, Xie Qianjing quietly landed inside the room.

When she caught a whiff of the faint fragrance, Lady Xiang was slightly taken aback.

Back in the Phoenix Clan, things were still unclear, and Lady Xiang hadn't had a chance to investigate further. But now, with that familiar fragrance lingering around her nose, she suddenly remembered something.

The snow-white clothes were cool and refreshing, and a subtle fragrance wafted in the air.

Lady Xiang raised her delicate eyebrows and thought to herself, "It seems that this is probably the 'fool' that Little Immortal Lord used to yearn for."

Although she didn't understand why it wasn't the head of the Chu family, Madam Xiang wouldn't bring it up intentionally.

Xie Qianjing stood beside Sheng Ningyu and nodded slightly to Yuan Bushu: "The Ghost Cang Tower will open soon, and it happens to be near the East Sea. At that time, I am willing to go with the Palace Master."

Yuan Bushu naturally wouldn't refuse. Madam Xiang said, "I won't go. After I get to Qingyi Academy, I'll return to Linghuanwu."

She looked at Sheng Ningyu, her eyes filled with worry.

"Without the wooden bracelet, will you be in danger at the academy?"

Sheng Ningyu didn't care at all: "Don't worry, Sister Ayan. Chu Chang'an is tied up with the matter in Donghai. Whether he comes or not for the time being, Feng Qingli has already tested me. Given his personality, he probably won't really come to the academy in person for such a small matter."

Other matters can be discussed after she retrieves the spirit bones from the Ghost Cang Tower.

After Yuan Bushu and Madam Xiang left, Sheng Ningyu even started to plan: "Xie Qianjing, do you think it's possible that after I get back the spirit bone from Gui Canglou, I can also take the spirit bone from 'Mingyue Xin' and then blow up that damn Mingyue Tower on the sea?"

She had truly harbored resentment about this for a long time.

Xie Qianjing looked at her and said softly, "Do you need me to help?"

Sheng Ningyu: "No, no, no, Xie Qianjing, we each have to settle our own scores for this grudge!"

"In the academy, unless absolutely necessary, you should be patient during this period to avoid alerting the enemy if you use demonic energy."

Ever since she retrieved that piece of spiritual bone, Sheng Ningyu has taken a particular liking to using spiritual power, as if she were trying to make up for something.

When she was out, she would not use the Phoenix Cry Sword unless necessary, but using other swords always had its limitations, so Sheng Ningyu simply used her spiritual power to create swords and wielded them as she pleased.

Xie Qianjing smiled gently. With a flick of his finger, he conjured a red thread that firmly bound the small sword. With a gentle tug, he hooked her finger.

Their fingers intertwined, and he said gently, "Because I still have one last demon to overcome."

Xie Qianjing smiled and followed her words, saying, "He might be an acquaintance."

acquaintance?

Before Sheng Ningyu could extract Feng Qingxing's identity from him, she encountered an "acquaintance" as soon as she disembarked from the flying boat.

It wasn't Chu Chang'an, nor Feng Qingli, nor even Rong Que and Ning Jiao.

It was a crane!

Grass!

It's rhubarb!!!

Sheng Ningyu was fearless, but she had been slapped countless times by this crane.

These are no ordinary cranes; they are cranes from Jiange!

The memory, almost ingrained in her bones, kicked in, and she pushed through the crowd and ran away.

Behind them followed the shouts of countless Sword Pavilion disciples!

"Elder He! Elder He, please slow down!"

Sheng Ningyu: "..."

Elder Crane?

After all these years, Da Huang's seniority has increased so much?

But why do we still chase after her even though we've all grown old?!

Just as she was panting and about to collapse from exhaustion, a figure blocked her path and stopped Da Huang's actions.

"This young friend from Yunwang Palace."

A stiff, old-fashioned voice rang out: "Would you mind having a chat at the Tianjiao Pavilion during the summer season?"

Sheng Ningyu's heart sank, and she slowly raised her head.

The newcomer was young, dressed in a blue robe, wearing a long star crown, with long ribbons hanging down on both sides, embroidered with yin-yang talismans.

The disciples beside him sheathed their swords and bowed, saying, "Elder Yang."

He was her junior brother, Yang Xiuzhu.

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Author's Note: Big Yellow: My wings are a little itchy, I want to gently brush against your face~ [dove]