Under the inky black sky, the vast majority of the Miaoshou Sect disciples returned to the sect. The green color all over the mountains was stained with dust and mist, and was no longer bright.
Yun Xian was beside Li Jianye and was slightly startled to see that her expression had not changed at all.
"As expected of the Sect Leader," Qiao Lingshan said admiringly, "True, he remains calm even when faced with a mountain collapsing before him."
"Yeah." Feng Ye was so angry that his chest hurt when he thought about himself being one of those medical practitioners. "Why don't they have any expression at all? Those people really don't have enough lives to spend..."
Li Jianye said: "I can hear it."
Two people: "!"
Because Sect Leader Li always looks frail, people often overlook the fact that her cultivation level is actually quite high.
"Master Li." Yun Xian glanced sideways and said, "I wonder where Brother Xue has gone to."
Li Jianye said, "No problem."
On a normal night like this, the disciples would have already returned to their rooms to wash up. But now, the hall was ablaze with lights, and all the disciples gathered there, their expressions varied.
In the main hall, the three sect leaders sat in the main seats, while Grandma Li and Li Yuan were in the corner.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Li Yuan didn't know what was going on, but he knew that a storm was coming, so he didn't dare to say anything.
Li Batu spoke first, saying, "Call back all the disciples of the Miaoshou Sect. From today on, they will not leave the sect anymore."
"What? Recall them all?" Li Pei frowned slightly and said, "But if there are no disciples to guard them, what will happen to the elderly, the weak, women and children? We can still stop them now..."
"Third Sect Leader, don't you understand? This can't be stopped in advance." Li Batu said coldly, "Good words won't persuade you, damned devil. Have you forgotten the ancestral teachings of the Miaoshou Sect? We are medical practitioners, not bald donkeys. We charge for treating illnesses. We don't have the energy to act like a Buddha!"
Qi Zhiye: “…”
Yun Xian said, "Fellow Daoist Qi, just admit it."
"Those people just now were indeed very ruthless. I admit it!" Li Pei stood up and said, "But how many people are there in Nancheng? How many people were there at the Dou Lantern Festival? Can those people represent the entire Southern Realm?! We can only hear their voices because they are the only ones who jump high and shout loudly, but that doesn't mean they are all the people! The people from the Chamber of Commerce originally wanted to peel a piece of skin off us, but it's understandable that a dog's mouth can't spit out ivory. But, how many people are still hesitating, or how many people are still unaware!"
"No, you didn't understand what I meant." Li Batu said, "Even if my Miaoshou Sect assigned a disciple to each person today to protect their safety, and killed every demon they saw, it would be useless! Those who need to eat will still eat, and those who seek death will still die. Can you control everyone? Do people need you to control them? After all, we are a sect, not a charity. We have done our best to stop them in the early stages!"
Li Pei said, "So what you mean is to just stand by and watch?"
"The best thing to do is to stand by and watch." Li Batu said, "It's been said before, we won't give up until we reach the Yellow River, and we won't cry until we see the coffin. We have done a lot, there is no need to do more, and we can't do more."
"But in the end, the victims are all innocent people..." Li Pei said at a loss: "Do we really have to wait until the day of the explosion?"
Li Batu said, "How can there be such a thing as an innocent person?! Didn't he buy this thing himself, didn't he eat it himself, and someone forced him to swallow it with a knife?!"
"If you are so biased, then everyone in the world who has done wrong deserves death!" Li Pei took a deep breath and said, "After this incident, how are we supposed to cope with the future?"
"... Third sister, why on earth have you developed such a temper?" Li Batu snorted coldly, "What are you talking about? How are you going to cope in the future? Isn't the Miaoshou Sect often criticized enough? The Buddhist Sect is also criticized to pieces, and the words are like knives. Do you expect the world to be grateful to you? You are in a high position. If you do well, it's just what you deserve. If there is any dissatisfaction, you deserve to die. Since everything you do will be criticized, why bother?"
"Second sister," Li Pei said angrily, "You're too radical. People have good and bad sides, and not all of them are stupid. You can't just see black and white. Isn't that too unfair to others?!"
“…”
The two people had conflicting ideas and started arguing in the hall.
Grandma Li, who normally would have something to say even when she had nothing to say, was now completely silent, her face visibly strained. It seemed that despite her usual demeanor, she knew her limits in important situations. Li Yuan had never witnessed such a heated argument between the sect leaders, and now he was completely bewildered.
Not only was the palace arguing, but His Highness was also busy. The disciples of the Miaoshou Sect were also divided, each arguing with their own opinions. They had already returned angry, and now the rage was exacerbated. After just a few words, they were shouting at the top of their lungs.
The usually quiet Miaoshou Sect was now abuzz with noise. Yun Xian had no idea what Sect Leader Li was thinking. She felt her head starting to hurt, especially since Su Chi whispered in her ear, "Someone's talking in my ear."
Yun Xian: "Who? That female voice again? What did she say?"
"Yeah." Su Chi said, "She said, 'Let me out, boy.'"
Yun Xian: “…”
I hope she's not overthinking it. But if that's the case, she remembers that the only sword immortal who ascended from the four realms was also Su Chi's former master, and it was rumored that she was a woman.
While he was thinking, the elegant fragrance of bamboo and wood wafted over, and Xue Lingxiu stood beside the crowd without saying a word.
Yun Xian saw that the narrow wound on his right hand had closed, but the scar had not yet disappeared, and it looked like a fresh wound. He asked, "Where have you been?"
"That perennial runner-up just now," Xue Lingxiu said calmly, "I was worried he'd commit suicide, but he went off to take some immortality powder and even threw a bottle at me, swearing at me like, 'Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you,' and saying he didn't need my help."
Such a familiar scene, Qi Zhiye instantly tensed up, and asked with rare concern: "Are you okay?"
"What's wrong with me? I'm not a bald donkey." Xue Lingxiu said with a gloomy face, "I thought he was already miserable enough, so a few scoldings were nothing. But halfway through the journey, I got angrier and angrier, so I went back and beat him up. Now I'm in a good mood, so don't worry."
Everyone: “…” So this is why he was so late.
Indeed. You said this trick works for Buddhist disciples, and it certainly does. But it depends on the target. It's well known that Xue Lingxiu is a petty person to begin with, and if he uses this trick, isn't that just asking for trouble?
As everyone spoke, the quarrel intensified, with some even engaging in gentle shoving. The troops were in disarray, too impatient to wait for the final decision. Finally, the previously silent Li Jianye spoke up, "Quiet."
The huge front hall fell silent in an instant.
Li Pei said: "Master..."
"If we don't stop now, it will never stop." Li Batu crossed his arms and said, "Master, you can see for yourself."
Li Jianye didn't say anything for a long while, then just sighed deeply.
Can't make out the meaning.
"Starting tomorrow, all disciples of the Miaoshou Sect will withdraw to the sect to reinforce the sect's formations. Summon all the elders to return. Except for those who are necessary to guard the medical clinic, no one else will leave the sect. This must be completed within three days."
The disciple in charge said, "Yes!"
Li Pei was shocked: "Master?!"
"I am the head of the Miaoshou Sect, and I dare not forget my ancestors' teachings. In times of dilemma, I must prioritize protecting my disciples."
Li Jianye said coldly, "I am issuing the final ban. For one day, anyone who believes in my Miaoshou Sect and comes to my sect now will be temporarily accommodated. From tomorrow on, anyone who has used the Chengxian Powder will not only be banned from entering the business, but will also be banned from setting foot in the Miaoshou Sect. From now on, no medical clinics under my sect will provide any medical treatment for them. If any of my disciples violates this ban, no matter who they break it for, they will also be expelled from the sect!"
"When it comes to watching people die, no one is better than a doctor. Knowingly committing a crime is the end of it."
Business and medicine are banned, everything is cut off completely, as cold and hard as iron, with no room for maneuver.
Everyone was silent.
Only Li Pei couldn't bear it and said, "There will still be sacrifices..."
Li Jianye remained noncommittal and said, "This is a necessary sacrifice."
Developing an antidote to Chengxian Powder was incredibly difficult. But simply identifying who had taken it was a piece of cake for her. Like saving someone or killing them, it was a matter of a thought.
Thunder and lightning struck, a white light flashed across the sky, and muffled thunder rumbled.
Although he couldn't see anything at all, Li Yuan still tried to open his eyes wide, as if he could see the white raindrops like sharp blades chiseling into the ground in an instant.
She stretched out her hand, thinking, a violent storm is coming.
But, what should I do about the entrance examination this year?
When the ban was first issued, anyone with a common sense would know that Miaoshoumen was determined this time.
You know, even during the citywide plague, the ban issued by the Miaoshou Sect had never used such strong words. "Forbidden," "Absolutely not," "At your own risk"—South City was a place steeped in literary values, so how could they not recognize such a meaning?
But once the ban was in place, the other affiliated chambers of commerce and clinics followed suit, almost ready to challenge the Miaoshou Sect. While the Miaoshou Sect banned merchants, the other chambers welcomed them, while banning medical treatment meant that other clinics, though smaller, could still provide treatment.
When the two poles confront each other, something big is going to happen.
Many people had received help from the Miaoshou Sect in the past, and those with good connections had already brought their families to the Miaoshou Sect. Fortunately, the Miaoshou Sect had a large area, so having more people living there wouldn't be a problem.
Yun Xian looked at the chaotic people outside the city with an incomprehensible expression.
Qiao Lingshan's habit of getting nervous before big events came back. She paced back and forth in the room, but eventually, unable to hold her breath, she asked Yun Xian, "What should we do now?"
"Let it go." Yun Xian said, "We can only wait—before that, I have to find out the force that developed that medicinal pill."
Feng Ye stood aside holding his zither, and suddenly sighed: "Yun Xian, have you noticed that wherever we go, something big happens."
"..." What about the dead elementary school student? Yun Xian stopped him seriously: "The cause and effect are reversed! Isn't it true that wherever we go, something big happens? Isn't it because something happened that we rushed here?"
Qi Zhiye rarely spoke a sensible word: "Jimo Shu is right. In this situation, the right thing to do is to stay put."
"Yes." Yun Xian said, "Brother Qi is more experienced in this regard."
Qi Zhiye angrily knocked her head. There was a loud bang.
In fact, the only one who should be worried is probably Xue Lingxiu. Xue Lingxiu has been missing recently.
Yun Xian couldn't say he knew Brother Xue particularly well, but he did have some understanding. He had only superficially adhered to the ancestral precepts of the Miaoshou Sect. Treatments required payment, but this principle could be broken at any time.
Yun Xian had heard people say before that no matter how bizarre the precautions of a place were, it was best to follow them, because behind every precaution, there would definitely be a painful lesson - wasn't this also the case with the ancestral precepts of the Miaoshou Sect?
Su Chi appeared at the door and said, "Yun Xian."
Yun Xian got off Jiang Shan's belly, picked up Tai Ping from the corner, and said without asking, "Let's go."
The senior brothers and sisters disappeared in a flash.
There was a moment of silence in the room.
Qi Zhiye: "...what are they going to do?"
Feng Ye was bewildered: "I don't know."
Outside the sect, there was a joyous scene. Yun Xian looked over and saw that the streets and alleys were filled with a happy atmosphere.
It had only been half a month, but the South City was already moving at 800 times the speed of the past. Every day brought new good news, and people were constantly telling each other:
"The dividing line between the South City and the North City has been redrawn! We'll score another point!"
"The foundation of the disciples of the Sunflower Sect has grown! Our Southern Realm has been suffering from military weakness for a long time, and we will definitely win the championship in the next Four-way War!"
"We won! We won! We won again!!"
Yun Xian was just passing by and couldn't help but say, "Champion? He can get it even in the Eastern Realm, why are you in such a hurry?"
Su Chi: “.”
An old lady opened the door, poured a bucket of water outside, and said angrily, "Are you sick?! You're always yelling outside. Who cares about your nonsense?!"
The door opposite also opened, and he retorted: "I just like to listen, what's wrong? If you don't like to listen, just close your ears!"
This person's face was glowing with a strange red light, and he looked extremely weak.
In reality, there weren't that many happy events, nor were they that joyful. Most people wanted to hear this news simply to comfort themselves and to calm their uneasy hearts caused by the Miaoshou Sect's silence.
Yun Xian had already run for more than ten miles before he finally remembered to ask, "Big Brother, you called me out because you found the person who developed the elixir, or are you taking me somewhere?"
Su Chi said, "All of them."
In fact, there's no need to look for them. Just think about it and you'll know. The Lingxu Sect's leader has become a local specialty. Who else could possibly collude with the demons to pull off such a scheme? Besides Yang Rushang and his group, who else could possibly be responsible? They've always controlled the waterways, preparing themselves for the future. After earning this wave of unscrupulous spirit stones, they fled South City, leaving the mess to the Miaoshou Sect to handle, free from worry.
"It's him indeed." Yun Xian asked, "How is he?"
Su Chi: "When I found them, they were packing their belongings and preparing to flee."
They were all about to escape, so it looked like it would happen in the next few days. Yun Xian asked, "They? And then?"
"..." Su Chi hesitated for a moment: "Do you want to see it?"
Yun Xian: "No. No need. I understand. Big Brother, you've worked so hard."
Judging from the tone, it seems to have become a South City local product co-branded gift box. It's better not to look at it.
Su Chi took her all the way to an extremely remote place with high mountains and far waters, and it was deserted and uninhabited. Yun Xian followed her and came to a cave that looked extremely wild and natural. It seemed that it had not been opened by anyone, and one had to bend down and lower his head to enter.
But behind the narrow road, there is another world.
In the center of the cave, there is a stone platform that is not damaged at all. Although it is surrounded by dust, it is as bright as new.
Yun Xian: "Where is this?"
Su Chi said, "The place where I advanced."
Yun Xian began to search around to find out where he had inserted himself. Unfortunately, he couldn't find it.
Su Chi stepped forward and rummaged through the pile of rocks, turning out a strangely shaped stone which he placed on the stone platform.
"That man kept saying to me, 'Let me out, kid,' all day long." Su Chi's cold eyebrows moved, it seemed that the voice was indeed quite noisy. He said, "But I never did that. It suddenly occurred to me yesterday when I was cleaning the stone platform and swept the stones to the ground."
Yun Xian looked closely and found that the stone seemed to have the vague outline of a person holding a sword.
Even in her childhood, she hadn't been able to understand why a Sword God had ascended to the heavens in the Eastern Realm. He was the only cultivator in the Four Realms to have ascended—or, rather, the one closest to it. After all, he vanished without a trace after transcending the tribulation, leaving no one to know whether he ascended, died, or reincarnated. But why, while the other three realms each had their own ancestor to worship and revere, the Sword God, the foremost of the Four Seas and Eight Desolations, was so rarely mentioned?
Later I heard Xiao Wu explain the reason.
The founders of other sects at least had some well-known stories of struggle and adventurous journeys, inspiring admiration. While I don't know their true personalities, at least the stories passed down by word of mouth all hint at their extraordinary qualities. But the Sword God, firstly, worshipping her was pointless. After all, no one would want to be taught cultivation tips by a peerless genius who achieved a golden elixir at age eight and left their body at fifteen. They would only be pissed off and die. Secondly, countless founders have personally testified in the records that this person has an extremely mischievous personality, constantly teasing cats and dogs, disliking study and work, and particularly enjoying teasing others. She once made the Sword Saint wait for her on a mountaintop for ten days and nights for a decisive battle, only to go enjoy the flowers and completely forget about the incident.
It would be fine if it was some rare and precious flower, but what's so great about these rape flowers?!
But it was this man who finally rode on his horse to suppress Chi You, and disappeared after ascending to heaven.
Oh, and also, riding on a battle horse, holding Su Chi...why does it sound so weird.
Su Chi brought the person over, but he remained silent and continued to sit down to practice. His method of practice was to stick the Burning Moon into the ground.
Last time, Yun Xian thought he knew he was a sword, but now it seems he doesn't know. Never mind, whether he knows or not is not important, what matters now is -
"Sword God." Yun Xian said softly, "It's you."
As soon as the words fell, a wind blew from the sky, stirring up a cloud of dust!
The stone statue did not move.
Su Chi stood up and silently took out a few incense sticks and a small incense burner from his storage ring.
"..." He had forgotten that the Sword God had been dead for who knows how many years, so he definitely couldn't talk to him like an ordinary person. Yun Xian felt a little embarrassed and took over. "Big Brother, what do you carry an incense burner with you for? Barbecue?"
Su Chi: "You are using it now."
Yun Xian was speechless.
After all, she was the founder of the sect, so Yun Xian lit the incense stick with great respect. Smoke curled up, sometimes forming the character "笨" (stupid), sometimes the character "蛋" (egg). Yun Xian had been patient, but she wanted to change it again, and the last change was the character "嘎" (ga).
Ga!
Judging from her appearance, she must be just a remnant soul attached to her natal sword, and her real body has long disappeared.
Some things don't need to be said out loud, and it's better to know them in your heart.
"You can type like this, can't you say something more useful?" Yun Xian hated being called stupid the most. "For example, is there a way to defeat Chi You?"
"have".
Yun Xian: "What?"
"powerful!".
Yun Xian: “…”
What a load of crap literature.
Yun Xian still had some respect for the Grandmaster, so she didn't complain. Instead, she slowly said, "Ever since that book 'Pure Love Witch Hot', I've felt something was amiss. The last time I went to Jimo Shu's room, her storybook only confirmed what I was thinking."
Su Chi's blinking frequency suddenly increased.
Um?
What is pure love...what is hot?
"I have it, she has it, so Zhong Changyao must have it too. The luck of the Eastern Realm converged on him. I was wondering who came first and who came later, but it seems he came later. He was a pawn in Chi You's plan, a carrier, and was supposed to be devoured by it, but for some reason, Zhong Changyao slipped out of its control. Chi You realized that it couldn't devour him directly, so it was forced to take a roundabout way and let Jimo Shu control him indirectly." Yun Xian said, "I suspect that the story was not the work of the demons, and certainly not yours. It's more likely to come from the Third World. This is an abnormal product that shouldn't appear in these four realms."
The incense sticks burned straight.
Yun Xian said: "However, the essence of what Jimo Shu and I said is different from his."
The story she and Jimo Shu wrote is more like a modified version of Zhong Changyao's story, but it contains far less information than Zhong Changyao's. What happened to Zhong Changyao after his ascension? What was the final outcome? Who was the force that destroyed the Jiange Sect? It's not that they leave holes unfilled, but rather that the author of the story may not know. To use an analogy, it's like trying to copy answers from the person sitting next to you on an exam, but the person sitting next to you is only partially covering them. No matter how hard you try, you can only get half the answer, or even less. The details in between are left blank, or filled in with your own improvisations.
"I originally thought that this storybook was given to me so that I could save myself and reverse the fate of Jiange's annihilation. Now it seems that my vision is too narrow." Yun Xian raised his eyes and said, "During the four-way war, I made several good friends. Starting from the Eastern Realm, Tang Lingguo made me understand the situation of losing luck; then to the Western Realm, the incident of the Smiling Buddha gave me a glimpse of Chi You's conspiracy; then to the Northern Realm, the first official confrontation; and finally to the Southern Realm, now that my true body is here, this opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"Guiding me, guiding our people..." Yun Xian paused, then asked calmly, "Is it you, or the so-called 'Heavenly Way'?"
The law of heaven is reincarnation, and it holds the balance. The fortunes of the four realms are in turmoil. If heaven has a spirit, it will never let this happen.
It's no wonder Yun Xian overthinks. After eliminating all other options, the most implausible answer is also the correct one—who else could plagiarize Zhong Changyao's storybook and quietly propel his group to this point?
The incense stick did not move for a long while before he slowly uttered a word.
"back".
Everything is clear.
Yun Xian: “…”
"Junior sister." Su Chi asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Yun Xian sighed, "Brother, I've truly become the chosen one. Do you know what that means? There are so many people in the Four Realms, but I'm the only one. I can't even win ten spirit stones when I buy a lottery ticket!"
Su Chi didn't understand, but he didn't say anything.
"Let's get down to business." The incense sticks were about to burn out, so Yun Xian replaced them and lit three more. "Right now, the Demon Cult hasn't joined the game yet, so we can only wait until that day. I know the secrets can't be revealed, but could you please help me? Do you have any reference answers?"
The incense sticks curled up, and suddenly the situation changed. A few words were carved on the stone slab.
"Heaven and earth are constant, but man is not."
The strokes of this character are wonderful, completely different from the handwriting created by incense sticks.
Yun Xian lowered his eyes and looked at the words, as if he understood something, "Thank you."
Having asked all the questions, it was time to leave. The light of the stone statue began to flicker. Yun Xian saw that Su Chi was almost unable to hold back his questions, so he sat down cross-legged in front of the stone platform again.
"Two last questions." Yun Xian calmly held up two fingers, "Just two."
"First," Yun Xian asked, "Am I the one who can ultimately resolve this matter?"
The incense stick transforms into: “non”.
Yun Xian: "I understand. It has to be me."
Stone statue: “?”
"Second," Yun Xian continued to ask solemnly, "Can we kill Chi You after this battle?"
Incense transformed: "No."
Yun Xian: "I understand. It's not impossible!"
Stone statue: “…”
Su Chi was helpless: "... Stop playing, let's go back."
Before he could finish his words, at the last moment when the stone statue was extinguished, a piece of stone flew out with a whoosh and hit her directly on the forehead with a loud bang.
Yun Xian fell to the ground.
Su Chi: “…Junior Sister!!”
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