Chapter 82: The Photograph Shocks Taihui! The Junior Sister Hands Her Diary to Her Senior Sister...
Most demonic energy cannot exist outside a host's body for long, unless it is a place like the Demon Realm where the air is permeated with it.
Following the route the man had indicated, the two explored several more locations. Most Qi Refining stage cultivators were unharmed, but those at the Foundation Establishment stage remained unscathed. Fortunately, the illness hadn't penetrated deeply, and they would recover in two days.
After settling the students in, Shen Lixia stopped on the road. "Senior Sister, I need to go to Jingzhe Peak."
Tang Huairou realized what she was about to do almost instantly. Before she could hesitate for a moment, the young man had already stepped onto his longsword and headed towards Jingzhe Peak. She sighed, but in the end, she followed him on her own sword.
Although she knew she would be fine, it was still better to be safe than sorry. Ruan Luoying had also instructed her to take good care of her two junior sisters.
Although she had never seen Yan Xueya emerge from seclusion, she knew that the elders had been like brothers in their youth, and the sword in her hand was a gift from Yan Xueya to Ruan Luoying. These disciples and their master, despite having no blood relation, had long been like family.
Two figures, one after the other, hurried towards Jingzhe Peak. Shen Lixia traveled very fast, nearly colliding with Tu Sheng, who was heading towards Wanjian Peak, several times along the way. Even after apologizing, she didn't slow down. Tang Huairou could tell that Shen Lixia had changed quite a bit since returning from this mission; she was more mindful of time than impatient.
Upon reaching the vicinity of her destination, Shen Lixia leaped down, the Flowing Fire sword clutched in her hand, its blade gleaming a cold, crimson red in the bright sunlight, as if it had just slashed someone's throat. She walked to a small house. The house had no protective barrier, as if the owner was certain no one would dare harm it; the doorposts on either side were ostentatiously painted vermilion.
Tang Huairou followed behind her, about to ask what to do next, when she saw Shen Lixia take a step back and then kick the door.
With a loud bang, the door and its pillar flew into the house, engulfed in flames. It collided with the inside, creating a deafening explosion. Shen Lixia kicked the door open and walked inside. Tang Huairou, watching from the side, instinctively covered her mouth, gasping for breath. She thought that since the courtyard was secluded anyway, demolishing it wouldn't matter. After repeatedly convincing herself, she followed.
The burning furniture inside finally drew the attention of the person in the quiet room. It stormed out, sword in hand, and before it could even see who it was, the cold blade was aimed straight at its face. It dodged to the side, but the young man leaped forward, closing in relentlessly. In no time, the sword was against its neck, leaving no room for further struggle.
The man said in a deep voice, "My master and I..."
Before she could finish speaking, a sharp pain shot through her hand, and two fingers were severed from her palm. Shen Lixia asked coolly, "Where is the plague village you passed through earlier?"
It gasped for breath and cried out in pain, "In the...Fifth Domain...Yingzhou."
Seeing its eyes still darting around, Shen Lixia knew what it was up to and didn't rush to interrogate it, simply waiting silently for it to continue. The room suddenly fell silent, save for the dripping sound of blood. The man struggled, his cultivation aura suddenly becoming more powerful; in the blink of an eye, he had broken through a minor realm, reaching the late Foundation Establishment stage. Thick, black, turbid energy surged from his body, and a sinister smile appeared on his distorted face. It then raised its hand, directing the turbid energy to pierce towards Shen Lixia.
The word "fool" was almost uttered, but it caught in its throat as a burst of fierce flames instantly burned away the stagnant air. Panic gripped it, and it plopped down on the ground, stumbling back several steps, screaming, "My lord... my lord, save me... save me!"
Shen Lixia swiftly severed its head with his sword, and before the fire could ignite, he snatched the storage bag from its body to examine its contents.
She soon came across a strange map stained with a few drops of black, inky blood. While it couldn't be confirmed that it was related to the plague village, it was still a clue. In addition, there was another unexpected discovery.
Those were pills packaged in a jade box. Shen Lixia recognized their types; they were Foundation Establishment Pills needed for Qi Refining cultivators to establish their foundation, as well as various pills to nourish and stabilize their cultivation.
Perhaps it was intended as a reward for his subordinates. It's better to give something at the right time than to take a lot; since it was exactly what he needed, Shen Lixia accepted it.
As she left the hut, flames erupted immediately after her steps, like a vibrant feather slowly engulfing the entire area. Having lived in such a monstrous place, it was better to burn it down and rebuild, thus reducing the bad luck.
As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Tang Huairou wiping away cold sweat. Her icy expression melted away in the blink of an eye, and she smiled and said, "Senior sister, is it too hot? Let's hurry up and go. Junior sister has something to ask senior sister for help with."
...Have you ever seen her like this before, Junior Sister Qiao?
Tang Huairou dared not think about it. Tang Huairou stopped thinking about it.
She followed Shen Lixia to the valley where the spiritual herbs were planted and entered the house. The old man lying on the bed was breathing very lightly and looked like he was on the verge of death. The wrinkles that had been etched with the marks of time but still showed a lot of vitality were covered by demonic energy, lost their original warmth, and rose and fell with his difficult breathing, looking extremely pale.
Shen Lixia pursed her lips, suppressing the bitterness, and took a deep breath to calm her mind. The two sat on either side of the bed as before, one helping to keep an eye on things, while the other held the old man's slightly cold hand and slowly transferred spiritual energy to him.
The Foundation Establishment Pill was also given to Tang Huairou. Shen Lixia instructed her to feed it to the old woman when the time was right. Originally, she didn't understand why she should do this, but now she saw that Ji Yun had been deeply corrupted to the point of being terminal, and it was probably impossible for even divine fire to eradicate it completely. But if she could break through to the next realm, the chances would be greater, and perhaps she could use this opportunity to completely eliminate the demonic energy.
A method reminiscent of Shen Shimei's style.
The divine fire burned, and the illness gradually subsided, though a lingering melancholy remained between the old man's brows. The room became slightly warmer, just enough to dispel the chill brought by the demonic energy. After a while, sweat began to trickle down Shen Lixia's face. Seeing this, Tang Huairou took Ji Yun's other hand, taking her pulse while channeling gentle spiritual energy into her.
After an unknown amount of time, the old woman suddenly coughed. Tang Huairou helped her sit up against the headboard, and then heard her cough up a mouthful of blood. The blood was a dark, almost black color, and something could be vaguely seen moving within it. Shen Lixia raised her hand and burned the blood away, whispering, "Feed her the Foundation Establishment Pill!"
Upon hearing this, Tang Huairou fed the old man the pill she had been holding in her palm, and then transferred a lot of gentle spiritual energy to him. Ji Yun was a cultivator with the same spiritual root as her, so accepting this spiritual energy was not difficult for her, and soon the long-dormant shackles began to loosen.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and the aura of tribulation lightning approached. After nine bolts of heavenly lightning struck, the room was instantly brightened, and the oppressive atmosphere dissipated.
The old woman at the center of the lightning tribulation stood up, looking remarkably energetic, a far cry from her previous sickly state. Before she could even smooth out the wrinkles in her clothes, the young man rushed over and embraced her tightly. Only then did Shen Lixia finally relax, no longer tense, muttering incessantly, "You scared me to death, you scared me to death... Grandma, you can't get hurt... May you live a long and healthy life."
In his nonsensical conversation, all the tension from the journey was released. Tang Huairou, who was standing next to him, sighed softly. She felt as if she had seen that familiar boy again, and the feeling of unfamiliarity was finally replaced by his original liveliness. She sincerely hoped that Shen Lixia would not become too rigid, otherwise, when the group was together, they would be four taciturn people looking at each other, and she didn't know how boring that would be.
That's absolutely unacceptable.
Oh, speaking of which, those two new junior female students...
Lost in thought, she was suddenly pulled close by Shen Lixia. The three of them pressed together, a small glass bead floating before them. Shen Lixia softly uttered a "crack," and the sound of the jade filled the air, leaving behind this scene.
She never had a single photograph taken with Simmons, and to avoid any regrets, she absolutely could not forget it. Those moments of extreme joy should all be recorded.
It's not just about existing in memory, but about truly leaving a trace. That way, no matter how many times you look at it, there will never be a single blur.
-
The snow fell heavily, and in the cold wind, someone drew their sword and cleaved through the snow. The chilling sword energy, like a rainbow, cut a gap in the snow curtain, revealing a complete and clean sky.
Qiao Yanshen sheathed her sword. In the blink of an eye, the snow that had been suspended in mid-air fell again, covering her completely. Her hair and shoulders were enveloped in a chill, but it was nothing compared to the chill she felt in the deep sea; it only allowed her to breathe in the soft and clean scent of snow. She raised her hand to brush away the half-melted snow clinging to her eyelashes and slowly walked up the mountain.
Once she began cultivating, she focused on one's inner self, free from distractions. Yet, the moment the sword left her hand, she couldn't help but think of other things. The boy's image lingered, his usual cheerful footsteps and clear, melodious voice echoing in her ears, melting away the biting wind and snow in an instant, like a young beast gnawing at her chest, tearing her calm heart into disarray. The snowy owl flew in again, not the previous one; its clear yellow eyes were like the bright, moist color of a persimmon in late autumn.
Those familiar golden eyes were the same color, even brighter. When they moistened, a trembling light shone in their depths, making them look so fragile and soft, so inviting to kiss. A thought that crossed the line quietly surfaced, startling Qiao Yanshen. He quickly suppressed his jumbled emotions and quickened his pace.
She returned to Yan Xueya's palace and saw a woman dressed in simple white sitting at the table, flipping through documents. The minor competition was imminent, followed by the Flowing Fire Festival—originally, this should have been handled by the elders or disciples, but since the two had been away for four years, their arrival coincided with the event, and Yan Xueya had a sudden urge to participate. Beside the documents were folded letters with bird drawings on them, clearly indicating their authorship.
Qiao Yanshen walked over and sat down on the other side of the table. Yan Xueya looked up and gestured for her to take the letter, "It's for you."
As Qiao Yanshen picked up the letter, she suddenly chuckled and narrowed her eyes, saying, "How could you bear to leave her behind and come to Frostblade Peak to practice your swordsmanship?"
“Master…” Qiao Yan knew that Yan Xueya usually didn’t make such jokes, so she must have seen that Yan Xueya’s feelings for Shen Lixia had changed. Her tone suddenly lost some of its calmness, and she felt guilty for no reason. “Don’t make fun of your disciple.”
Yan Xueya shook her head, noticing the spiritual energy emanating from Qiao Yanshen and flowing across his white robes. She put down the scroll in her hand and asked, "Have you decided to break through tonight?"
This tribulation is likely to be even more dangerous than before. Chi Yueying has already confessed to her the lie she told before and revealed the true divination result. "Unity"—what kind of unity is this? She pondered this, noticing that Qiao Yanshen seemed like a different person upon his return, and began to suspect something.
It's a secret. She was hurt, not just physically, but also emotionally.
"Yes." Qiao Yanshen nodded. She had suppressed it for too long, and now her spiritual power was overflowing her meridians, her cultivation was advancing rapidly, and it was no longer easy to suppress. That wisp of dark blue aura gradually merged into her spiritual power, without any sense of evil.
She finally realized it was something Luo Yang had left behind, and readily accepted it. Luo Yang said she wished her to be herself.
And she truly did choose, from the bottom of her heart, to reconnect with her past. Power is authority, and authority is the foundation upon which she can protect everything around her.
She opened the letter; inside were two separate sheets of paper. One contained Shen Lixia's account of what had happened that day, and the other...
Qiao Yanshen picked up the tightly folded paper with the words "Don't let Master see it" written on it. He covered it with his sleeve before opening it and saw the obviously unfamiliar soft-pen calligraphy on it, as well as the words "Notes 1" and "Notes 2" at the top of the page. He couldn't help but laugh.
Shen Lixia actually handed over her his diary.
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Author's Note: Senior Sister: *Thinking* *Bubbling* *Unconsciously wanting to eat the little bird in one bite*
It's actually a mutual crush between the two of them! That's not easy.
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