Chapter 17

"Are you still unwell?"

Li Ziqing waited for Dan Yao to wake up before coming to Qiwu Palace.

He looked at Dan Yao and saw that his youngest disciple was badly injured, so he asked her a question.

Dan Yao lowered her head: "Master, Dan Yao is much better now."

The surrounding sect pharmacists approached and bowed to Li Ziqing: "Immortal Venerable, regarding Fairy Danyao's injuries..."

"Her spiritual veins are partially damaged, but they can heal in time. However..."

The pharmacist's words were somewhat ambiguous.

"There's no need to hide anything, you can speak frankly."

The pharmacist spoke up: "Your immortal bones are still somewhat broken. You'll probably have to suffer a bit when you cultivate in the future."

Upon hearing this, Dan Yao panicked.

"Am I no longer allowed to cultivate?"

The pharmacist replied, "No, it's just that from now on, Fairy Danyao's cultivation will be more difficult than that of ordinary people."

Upon hearing this, Dan Yao seemed to have suffered a huge blow.

She thought she had fallen off the stage in time and preserved her immortal bones.

Unexpectedly, Chen Meng's final punches still shattered his immortal bones...

Li Ziqing remained silent, for broken immortal bones cannot be repaired by external objects.

Only by constantly tempering their immortal bones during their subsequent cultivation journey can the broken parts be slowly healed.

The difficulties involved are self-evident.

The pharmacist seemed to have something more to say: "While examining Fairy Danyao's body, I discovered something strange..."

"It seems that there is some kind of medicine in Fairy Danyao's body that can temporarily dissipate spiritual power."

Before the pharmacist could finish speaking, several disciples of the Sword Sect spoke up:

"What? A drug that causes spiritual energy to dissipate?"

"Could someone be trying to harm Junior Sister Danyao?"

"I knew it! How could Junior Sister Danyao possibly lose?!"

Dan Yao didn't listen to what these people were saying. After hearing the pharmacist's words, she was worried that her master would find out that she had drugged the medicine.

But in an instant, she had a “brilliant” idea.

Li Ziqing approached the bedside, as if asking, "Danyao, do you know who this medicine came from?"

Dan Yao spoke, seemingly still somewhat frightened:

“Disciple…Disciple has never made any enemies in the sect. I don’t know who would put me in this situation…” He paused for a moment, then continued, “I wonder if that person disliked me and came up with such a vicious plan.”

The word "dislike" was emphasized.

Looking at the injured young disciple, Li Ziqing knew that what she said was true; she had always been quite popular in the sect.

His gaze swept lightly over the Sword Sect disciples in the palace, but he noticed one person with an unusual expression.

"Li Ming".

Li Ming was a disciple sitting next to Dan Yao on the platform, chatting with her.

"Immortal...Venerable..." Li Ming responded directly, as if someone had read his mind, his words stammering.

"Do you know who in the sect would do such a thing?"

"I...I..."

Li Ming glanced at Dan Yao, whose eyes were filled with sorrow and whose face wore an innocent and pitiful expression.

Seeing Dan Yao's pitiful and innocent appearance, he steeled himself and blurted out his inner thoughts!

"Before the sect competition, I saw... Senior Sister Feng... and Junior Sister Dan Yao... had some unpleasantness," Li Ming said.

Dan Yao's eyes flickered, and she was secretly delighted.

[I never expected Li Ming to actually say it.]

What she just said was an attempt to use someone else to say that there was some conflict between her and Feng Yingning, and to shift the blame onto Feng Yingning.

Once she is suspected of harming her fellow disciples, regardless of whether Feng Yingning wins first place in the sect competition, she will only be despised and cursed, and will no longer have a place in the Sword Sect.

"Is what Li Ming said true?" Li Ziqing asked Dan Yao.

He didn't believe Feng Yingning would do such a vicious thing; the bite mark on her shoulder from last night was still clearly imprinted in his mind.

Today, on the field, he charged forward with the ferocity of a wild beast, displaying an unyielding and fearless spirit.

Such a person, with such elegance and free spirit, would likely be someone who seeks revenge for wrongs and avenges wrongs, and probably wouldn't resort to such despicable and vicious methods.

*

After the sect competition ended.

Xi Yunliu then clung to Yingning and followed her on her way back to Qiyang Palace.

"A-Ning, do you have any favorite songs?" Xi Yunliu had long regarded Ying Ning as her possession, and directly called out to A-Ning.

"As for the music," Yingning pondered, "among the sect competitions, my favorite is your 'Cangyi Melody'."

"Oh, why does Aning like that particular piece of music so much?"

Xi Yunliu was surprised; "Memories of the Vast Ocean" was a rather simple piece he had composed during this sect competition.

He had thought that Feng Yingning would enjoy the music of "Azure Sea Tide Technique" when the two were fighting, which was even more beautiful.

"Because your 'Song of Memories' contains a sense of freedom and unrestrained spirit."

Xi Yunliu, who enjoys manipulating fate, dislikes being bound by anything.

In his poem "Song of Memories of the Vast Ocean," people say that he expressed the sorrow of seeing the vast ocean but not seeing his old friends.

But Yingning had a different opinion after hearing it.

Humans are born without feelings; how could they be troubled by the passing of loved ones and scenes?

In his music, it is clear that he has put all living beings and people behind him, and is now alone watching the vast ocean, carefree and happy, enjoying himself immensely.

All living beings are but a play, except for Qingming.

“But everyone says that my music makes people feel as if they are on the vast ocean, reminiscing about old friends and loved ones,” Xi Yunliu said with a smile.

A gentle breeze blew by, brushing against the light veil covering Xi Yunliu's face. The edge of the veil brushed past his ear, and the woman in front of him uttered a few unrestrained words.

"What does missing a departed friend have to do with this scene?"

"If someone is truly affectionate, they would want me to live a carefree and unrestrained life; if someone is unfaithful, why should I remember them?"

Yingning stopped in her tracks when she saw someone walking towards her from not far away.

He spoke again: "All living beings pass before our eyes, and we are all within the realm of karmic connections."

"If you are always struggling to survive amidst the seven emotions and six desires, you might as well face the vast ocean and appreciate the beauty of the world all by yourself."

"What do you think, Ayun?"

The woman's phoenix eyes were unrestrained, yet her gaze was clear and bright. The "A-Yun" in her voice was slightly upturned, making Xi Yunliu feel as if a feather had brushed against her heart.

Xi Yunliu stared at Feng Yingning's profile and found the light in her eyes to be extremely dazzling.

Are there really people in this world who are not bound by the seven emotions and six desires?

Even those who have cultivated to this level cannot escape the six emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, and hate.

A faint, arrogant smile played at the corners of Xi Yunliu's mouth beneath her light veil.

If someone so devoid of desire were to become tainted by it, what color would they become?

However, Xi Yunliu did not realize that his mind was being involuntarily drawn to the stunningly beautiful woman opposite him.

The white-robed disciple opposite stopped and spoke:

"Fifth Senior Sister, His Majesty requests your presence at Qiwu Palace."

Qiwu Palace?

Danyao?

Yingning quickly realized that being summoned to Qiwu Palace at this time must be related to Danyao.

Xi Yunliu suddenly spoke up from the side:

"Fellow Daoist, may I accompany A-Ning?" Xi Yunliu's voice, as melodious as flowing water, was quite friendly to the disciple.

"Fairy Liuyun... should be able to do it too..." The Sword Sect disciple was momentarily stunned by Xi Yunliu's appearance.

The disciple thought to himself, “The Venerable One said he would inform Fifth Senior Sister that she was going to Qiwu Palace, but he did not say that only Fifth Senior Sister should come.”

Fairy Liuyun went together...

That should be possible...

Yingning did not stop Xi Yunliu's actions, and the three of them went to Qiwu Palace together.

They entered the palace.

Then they saw a woman with swollen face lying half-reclined; it was Dan Yao.

There were some disciples and several elders around.

And Li Ziqing