By the time Yun Xian had gone to get her sword, the brother and sister were already leading their horses and preparing to leave. She wanted to know more about the altar and was hesitating whether to approach them when she saw the brother suddenly say to her without warning, "I'm sorry."
He said sorry, but there was a wicked smile on his face, and then he left.
Yun Xian: “?”
What's wrong? Why the sudden apology? Did he finally see through his mask, his undeniable chivalrous aura, and feel like he'd been blinded by his own flaws...that didn't make sense.
Just as she was about to ask back, she noticed an ice sculpture sitting not far away.
Su Chi sat there quietly, just as he had when she had left him, his right hand resting on the table, motionless. However, whereas he would normally glance up at her whenever she approached, his gaze now seemed to be lost in the air.
Yun Xian: “???”
What happened? What happened? How did the eldest brother lose his luster in just a short while?
"Big Brother." Yun Xian placed the hilt of his sword on the table, making a gentle tap, trying to wake him up. "Aren't we supposed to practice swordplay? Where are we going?"
Su Chi: “…”
For the first time, Yun Xian noticed he was avoiding her gaze. She'd been feeling a bit worried for the past few days, after all. Su Chi hadn't understood the situation, constantly acting inappropriately and speaking without restraint. He'd been saying things like, "I want to stay with you," "As long as you're happy," and then just wiped her mouth. It wasn't like she had no hands. She was so old, why did she need someone to wipe her mouth? She was just looking for paper!
"Nothing." Su Chi said.
Yun Xian paused for a moment: "I don't think I asked you if you were okay..."
"Nothing." Su Chi reiterated briefly, finally standing up and picking up the nameless iron sword. "Let's go."
Ever since he acquired the black iron sword, Zhuo Yue had been shelved. He had never used it again. It seemed this sword was his most proficient weapon. Yun Xian suppressed his doubts for the moment and followed him, heading out into the open field. After walking for a while, Su Chi remained silent. He was already bored, and now it was even more strangely boring. Yun Xian, completely bored, suddenly had an idea and asked, "Big Brother, have you given this sword a name?"
Su Chi paused slightly, lowered his eyes and said, "Not yet."
"That's such a shame! This sword looks so sharp, we can't just call it a 'sword'." Yun Xian's usual wooden head made her quickly forget Su Chi's strangeness and said excitedly, "Then let me help you pick it up. I see that it's pitch black, shiny, and incredibly sharp. Why not just call it Big Black..."
Taiping suddenly said, "Can you please stop causing trouble for others?"
Yun Xian: "What are you talking about, Xiaohong."
Taiping: “Get lost!!”
“…”
Yun Xian was chattering away, and he was able to entertain himself even without anyone interrupting him. In between responding, Su Chi glanced sideways at the black iron sword in his hand.
In fact, he had already named the sword earlier.
...The name is Tingyun.
He didn't feel anything was wrong at the time, he just felt that the sword was heavy, yet the sword force was elegant and unpredictable like clouds, so he named it with these two words.
But now it seems that I can just call her Ruyun.
Su Chi's cold face froze for a moment. If he thought about it further, he would probably find out more, but he shouldn't and didn't dare to think about it any further at the moment.
This is the fellow disciple whom Master asked him to take care of...
"Big Brother, you've gone too far." Rough fingertips hooked around his knuckles, and Yun Xian's hand, which was a circle smaller than his, pulled over. "Aren't we practicing here?"
The moment their fingers touched, Su Chi immediately withdrew his hand, and Yun Xian was stunned because he got nothing.
Su Chi didn't look at her and said, "Since we're here, let's get started. We'll practice for an hour today, and you can go back after you're done."
Respect yourself.
It’s not Yun Xian’s fault. Junior Sister is so young and innocent. How could she understand these things?
Therefore, he must learn to respect himself.
Yun Xian returned to the inn in a state of confusion. Qiao Lingshan had just woken up and asked drowsily, "Why didn't you call me?"
"I'm going to have breakfast without you." Yun Xian said, "I'm just kidding. It's still early, and there's nothing serious going on. It's okay to sleep in a little longer."
At this time, everyone else should have woken up long ago. I don’t know where they are and there is no one in sight.
Yun Xian was waiting in the lobby of the inn with her legs crossed, and she took out the book "Love, Hate and Hate in Ancient Times" that Master Li gave her to read.
Even though this book is in such tatters, it still contains some real information. However, some of the things written in it are not well known. If they are revealed now, they will most likely be regarded as nonsense.
Even a sect as powerful as the Sword Sect was constrained by the Body Tempering Sect and could only act rashly. Even attacking the weakest Eastern Realm required a cautious and measured approach. Clearly, it was impossible for a single sect to completely subjugate the four realms, a fact currently held by the people of the four realms. However, the book did describe a period when a single sect single-handedly ruled the four realms—even if it was a brief one. It was still incredible enough.
This sect is neither Jiange nor Daozong, but Xingyanzong in the Northern Realm.
Yun Xian had met the leader of the Xingyan Sect in the Sifang Secret Realm. He was a male cultivator named Yao Xing. He had a gentle and soft personality, spoke a lot of dirty words, and had a rich reserve of idioms. However, kind people are often bullied, and he was often oppressed by Liu Shi. Nine out of ten times, the power of his formation was used to help others.
In reality, his own cultivation wasn't weak, but the current Xingyan Sect gave off the impression of a gold-medal support, unable to survive independently of the larger entity. This wasn't about cultivation level, but rather the mechanics of the technique. If the Xingyan Sect had truly flourished, why had it declined so much now? If the technique had always been like this, the Xingyan Sect would never have reached such heights. What happened along the way?
The cause is unknown.
It got to the point that Yun Xian almost took out a brush to make a mark on it, but when he got to the point, he stopped himself and almost broke into a sweat from fright.
The book someone lent her is not a good painting!
After flipping through the book for a while, Yun Xian discovered another blind spot.
Every sect that wants to establish itself must have a brilliant figure. The Sword Pavilion has its Sword God, the Qinfang has its Qin Immortal, the Miaoshou Sect has its Medical God...but the Xingyan Sect seems to be missing a representative figure, a blank.
"Yun Xian." Xue Lingxiu knocked on the door and said, "Let's get ready to leave."
Yun Xian replied, "Okay," and put the book back into his storage ring. Qiao Lingshan still had half of her hair uncombed, and while she was waiting, she couldn't help but poke it. Qiao Lingshan knew her character well, so out of sight, out of mind. She quickly tied her hair back in place, grabbed her sword, and said, "Let's go."
In the morning, Xue Lingxiu and Qi Zhiye took a walk around the town. Donglai Town was truly small, and one could explore it all in a single morning. Qi Zhiye had been busy until now, only just getting to eat. He held a steamed bun between his pointed teeth, chewing it vigorously, and he looked downcast.
"You guys have met him too, haven't you?" Xue Lingxiu said thoughtfully. "This town doesn't have abundant spiritual energy resources. It's mostly populated by the elderly and children. The young cultivators walking on the street now are mostly from the outside world who have come to the Eastern Realm. I couldn't hear whether they were talking about 'altar' or 'holy altar'."
"Yes, it sounds like some kind of secret place? Ruins?" Yun Xian glanced at Qi Zhiye and whispered, "What is he doing? Is he in a bad mood?"
"Has his face ever looked better?" Xue Lingxiu pursed her lips, trying to suppress a smile as she slowly said, "He asked the bun shop owner for four vegetable buns. The owner saw that he looked good, and fearing that he was from a poor family and couldn't afford meat, he took the initiative to replace them with two meat buns. He didn't notice, and took one bite and almost made a fool of himself. His face turned green... But he meant well and couldn't get angry, so he could only sulk on himself, hahahahahahahaha!"
Qi Zhiye said firmly: "I'm not angry!"
Yun Xian: “…”
Qiao Lingshan: “…”
What should I do? I want to laugh, but I hold it back.
Who told Qi Zhiye to care so much about his image? Even if he had to use a disguise, he would use the best-looking one. He doesn't wear a cassock yet. Unless someone has opened their third eye, no one can tell that he is a monk.
"Practice." Yun Xian smiled lovingly and stroked his head. "Now you know the benefits of being bald, right?"
Qi Zhiye: “Annoying!”
“…”
To continue their search for information about the "altar" others had mentioned, the group decided not to board the pleasure boat and instead tried to find a place where they could speak to people from Donglai Town. However, Yun Xian had clearly underestimated the town's aging population. The roads were deserted, and the only carriage capable of carrying passengers sat desolately parked. The driver, with his temples already gray, greeted them enthusiastically, "Come, come!"
Yun Xian stood there and asked tentatively, "Sir, can you carry so many people?"
"What era is this? Are you still using manpower?" The old man said cheerfully, "There's a formation on top. All you have to do is pour spiritual energy into it!"
"Ah?" Xue Lingxiu hesitated, "Then..."
"I'll take charge. Where are you guys going?" This old man didn't look like he was here to earn spirit stones. He just looked like he wanted to chat. "Come on! Get in! It's okay. There's room for everyone if you squeeze in!"
This coincides with Yun Xian's purpose.
She exchanged a glance with Qiao Lingshan and finally said, "Let's go up."
The carriage doesn't look big from the outside, but it can actually hold a lot of people. It can just fit a few people together. However, Su Chi broke with his usual habit this time and sat diagonally opposite Yun Xian.
Everyone: “…”
This is what to do.
These two brothers and sisters were incredibly difficult to understand. Is this a turn-based system? What stage is it at now? It wouldn't really take another ten years to begin, would it? How would their stake be calculated? Would selling Feng Ye really net them five thousand spirit stones?
"Hold on tight!" The carriage slowly started moving, and the old man in front asked energetically, "Where are we going?"
"Let's go to another town. Tianyi Town, is that possible?"
"no problem!"
The group wants to go all the way from Donglai Town to Jiange in the snow-capped mountains of the east border, and this route is the right one to follow.
The carriage was shaking. Yun Xian knew that his ability to get people to talk wasn't very good and would easily arouse suspicion, so he said openly in the middle of the voice transmission array, "Brother Xue, it's your turn."
Xue Lingxiu: “…”
It must be said that Xue Lingxiu was a real talker. With just a few pleasantries, he closed the distance, causing the old man to talk eloquently. A few more words brought the topic back to the so-called altar that everyone had been talking about.
"You don't know?" The old man didn't suspect anything and continued rambling, "My granddaughter seems to have gone there too, saying she wants to gain some experience. I don't know where this news came from. However, anyone from the East Realm should have some impression of her. Haven't you heard Ai Xi Niang's bedtime stories?"
Yun Xian and Qiao Lingshan looked at each other.
The two of them had indeed never heard of it. Yun Xian had spent his childhood roaming the mountains, never stopping. He'd fall asleep immediately at night, his sleep quality incredibly good. Did he even need his parents to tell him a bedtime story? It was a good thing she didn't! Qiao Lingshan was a bit more pitiful. The Sixth Elder could tell stories, but they were usually all success stories. The one he heard most was the story of weaving straw sandals while climbing the mountains. For a long time, straw sandals were all he dreamed of.
Su Chi directly ruled it out, he didn't need to sleep.
"I have a slight impression..." Qiao Lingshan said stubbornly, "But I'm already this old now, I've almost forgotten it."
"So that's how it is," the old man said. "Nothing serious. I see the other two don't look like people from the East Realm either. So I'll tell you my story again."
Childhood is a time of innocence and vulnerability. To protect children from various perspectives, folk tales have evolved. For example, the well-known "Night Crying Boy" is a relatively mild story, read several times to passersby in the hope that it will stop their children from crying. The legend of the "Sad and Joyful Mother" told by old men aims to instill in children, who are still unable to protect themselves, the fear of walking alone at night and the need to reach home before dark.
Legend has it that Aixi Niang's predecessor was a young woman who died unjustly. Her resentment lingers on the quiet streets at night. If you walk down the street late at night, even if no one is around, you'll still hear the clacking of embroidered shoes against the curb: clacking, clacking, clacking...
At this time, you should keep your head down and run forward as fast as possible, and avoid taking the side roads. "She" will be waiting for you there. But not everyone is so lucky. If you feel someone patting you from behind, don't close your eyes or turn your head, because when you open your eyes again, you will see a face.
If it's a smiling, warm and gentle face, "she" will take you home by the hand. If it's a bloody, crazy, twisted, ugly and abnormal crying face...
"That's right," the old man smacked his lips and said, "Kids these days are all afraid of this. It works every time. I, an old man, always thought it was just a legend to trick children. But now the altar suddenly claims to be left by Ai Xi Niang. I don't know if it's true."
The group of people at the back listened and pondered for a while.
Ji Rongxue is not here, the only person who is afraid of ghosts is gone, and the rest are not afraid of ghosts.
In the sound transmission array, Xue Lingxiu asked: "Spiritual body?"
"That's not right." Qi Zhiye said solemnly, "No matter how powerful a spirit is, it can only be confined to one area. Let alone the entire Eastern Realm, even half of Donglai Town is barely enough."
Qiao Lingshan: "It's not a spirit, nor a demon. Could it be a demon?"
"I can't deny this possibility for now." Yun Xian touched his chin and said, "But I think the possibility of it being a demon is very low. It's not that I have a problem with the demons... well, I do have a problem with demons. They're not demons, but they're all Jimo Shu. Most demons don't want to let others take advantage of them after destroying something, so how could they possibly leave an altar alone?"
If we infer based on the premise that "the predecessor of this legend really existed", then there was indeed a person called "Ai Xi Niang" for a period of time. Because of her strange behavior, she scared countless children. Later, she passed away, leaving behind this altar that suddenly appeared now.
But honestly, Yun Xian felt that this legend was definitely exaggerated. Only children would believe it. If seeing a crying face meant death, then why would anyone see a crying face and spread it widely? The logic didn't make sense.
"So, where exactly is this altar?" Yun Xian thought about it and realized it wasn't a difficult question. "Just follow this group of people. I see they're having a lot of fun, just like going to a market."
"Do you want to go for a walk?" Yun Xian asked.
Naturally, no one had any other opinions. Yun Xian looked at Su Chi, who then came to his senses and said, "Yeah."
"..." Yun Xian had already caught his wandering gaze. Unbelievable that the senior brother would actually be absent-minded, she said, "Senior brother, do you know what I was saying just now?"
Su Chi: “…”
Yun Xian: "Hmm?"
"Sorry." Su Chi pursed his lips and said, "I didn't listen."
Yun Xian: "I just said 'hmm' without listening to you! Whatever, you will go with me anyway. Is your injury better?"
A smile appeared on Su Chi's lips: "Much better."
The plan was set for the time being, as the carriage continued to roll forward. As expected of being driven by spiritual energy, the speed was fast. Yun Xian heard a lot of wind whistling outside the carriage window, as if there were fellow travelers hurrying on their way. It sounded like there were quite a few people, and their voices were so clear that they seemed to be ringing in his ears:
"Look! How about my Yunxian battle robe!!"
"Why does it look so worn out and dirty? Did you wear this to a fight? Isn't it a bit too extravagant?"
"You don't understand at first glance. This is a distressed effect, which is very popular nowadays. If it's too new and clean, won't it lose its charm? Think about it, when have you ever seen Yun Xian's portraits look clean?"
"But I feel like yours looks like a women's style... For the same price, why don't you buy the same style as Su Chi? The merchant displayed it and I realized that the price of what he was wearing wasn't as expensive as I thought."
"Do I have to humiliate myself like this? A person's heart is in the way of the sword, and I am shameless. A person should know himself."
It was such a clear crosstalk. Yun Xian secretly lifted the curtain and looked out. The two people were indeed wearing the clothes she had worn before, but they were battle-damaged versions, colorful and covered with all kinds of things.
Yun Xian stretched out her hand to create a spiritual barrier between the carriage and the front, blocking out the sound. She had to speak out loud to feel comfortable: "...What misunderstanding do they have about me?"
"There's no misunderstanding." Xue Lingxiu said ruthlessly, "You don't really look clean very often. You renovate about once every three months."
After so long, he also admired himself and developed the art of forbearance. As long as he could not see it, or it was not dirty, he could still endure it.
"No, then why let the second-hand middlemen make the difference?" Yun Xian was heartbroken. This money was actually being taken away by unscrupulous merchants. "Can't you just buy it from me? I can clean it and sell it to him. It doesn't matter if it's not cleaned!"
Su Chi: "No."
What the hell is going on? Qi Xingye: "Can you think of something more reliable?"
It seemed that imitating Yun Xian had become a trend in the Eastern Realm, practically forming a whole industry chain. A closer look revealed the reasons. First, his initial victory was enough to bring honor to the Eastern Realm, not to mention the subsequent events. Yun Xian, as a leader of the younger generation, was also relatively approachable and unassuming. His nickname, in particular, had a certain wild charm, which naturally endeared him to the younger cultivators.
Just knowing it is one thing, but when Yun Xian saw a bunch of people wearing similar clothes and holding red swords, he thought, your sect leader is about to faint from crying in the hall. They are so ignorant. How can they go out to play without wearing their school uniforms?
"Something seems wrong, Yun Xian."
Qiao Lingshan had been leaning against the window, peering out, her delicate brows furrowing. "Look, along the way, we've met people from all sorts of sects. It's not a matter of how far we've traveled. The Qingzhu Sect is just a small sect near the foot of Jiange Mountain, and they've got disciples rushing here for the altar. So why haven't we seen a single Jiange disciple so far?"
After the Four-way War, Yun Lang understood that in the current situation, seclusion from the world was no longer suitable for the four realms. Therefore, he no longer forced his disciples to stay in Jiange, and began to gradually extend an olive branch to the other scattered forces in the Eastern Realm.
Therefore, there is no reason why people from Jiange cannot come.
"But maybe I spoke too early," Qiao Lingshan said, "maybe it was just a coincidence that we didn't see them, or maybe they were in another direction."
The carriage stopped and arrived at the destination. The coachman did not take the spirit stones and left in a flash.
There is a stone tablet engraved with the three words "Tianyi Town" in front of you. There is no need for any contract or letter of commitment to enter this place from Donglai Town. This town is much more lively than Donglai Town at first glance. The streets are full of various monks who come here to rest temporarily.
It was still early, so there was no rush to find a place to stay. Yun Xian remembered what Qiao Lingshan had just said and searched the crowd for familiar blue and white clothes, but still found nothing.
Unexpectedly, as I passed a dark corner, a goose-like cry suddenly came from inside: "Don't come over here!!"
Yun Xian's ears moved, and he exchanged a quick glance with Qiao Lingshan.
This voice sounds so familiar!
Without saying a word, the two of them tapped the ground with their toes and quickly rushed deep into the alley. Sure enough, a familiar fellow disciple was blocked by several people against the wall and was already injured.
Just as Yun Xian was about to draw his sword, he heard the man's powerful voice: "Don't mess with me! If you mess with me, you're messing with my Junior Senior Sister Yun Xian, your Senior Brother Su Chi, the entire Jiange, and the entire Eastern Realm! By the way, my Junior Senior Sister Yun Xian has more friends than you can count on your ten fingers! They're spread across the Four Realms, enough to circle the Snow Mountain! If you dare mess with me, you're messing with the entire Four Realms! I'm warning you for the last time, don't come over here!!"
Yun Xian choked: "..."
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