Chapter 35: No Warmth Under the Blade of the Water-Cutting Blade.
The second area is a mountain forest adjacent to a lake.
The wind whistled through the gaps in the trees, carrying a chilling sound. A female cultivator in black, carrying a knife, ran through the forest, her body already soaked in blood. Her face was deathly pale, yet she still tried her best to regulate her breathing. After turning around to confirm that no one was following her, and then holding her breath to sense her surroundings with her spiritual power, she finally stopped behind a giant tree and quickly began to heal her wounds.
The wounds were extremely fine, as if they had been cut by thousands of sharp blades. The fabric and flesh were stuck together, so she simply used her spiritual power to burn it away with two flames, sealing the wounds at the same time.
"Damn it..."
Duan Shuyu spat out a mouthful of blood, fear lingering in her heart, causing her body to tremble uncontrollably. She remained highly alert, constantly watching for any approaching sword energy within her surroundings.
The incident occurred two days ago.
The refugee ship arrived at its destination the next day. Seeing that their enemies had not caught up, Duan Shuyu disembarked with the monk and helped the women on board clear land, clean abandoned houses, and build a habitable place. Recent conflicts, including constant warfare, frequent border clashes, and tensions among the three races, have caused widespread unease.
"I hope that chaos will never break out again." Duan Shuyu put down the last piece of wood, used a cleansing spell to remove the dirt from her body, and sat down next to the white-clad woman who was reading a book.
"Calamity has always existed, only differing in strength," Si Liuhua said gently.
At this moment, the boy who had been following Si Liuhua came over and said, "Master, now that many things have been accomplished and the children have been settled, there is an abandoned temple there that we may use."
Si Liuhua nodded, got up, and followed the boy in another direction. Duan Shuyu, thinking she had nothing else to do, also went with them.
On the way, she couldn't help but ask Si Liuhua where he came from, what his name was, and why he wore a mask that covered half of his face, despite his gentle appearance. Wu Zhuyue, who was standing next to her, frowned and looked over when she heard her questions. Duan Shuyu felt guilty and quickly explained that she just thought her fellow Daoist was kind and a good person, and wanted to know more about him.
Si Liuhua gently placed her hand on Wu Zhuyue's head, patting it soothingly, and then answered one by one: "I am a rogue cultivator without a master, and I have just returned from the Third Domain. Fellow Daoist, you may call me Wang Shu. I was seriously injured on my face, and I covered it up so as not to frighten others."
The three exchanged a few words on the way and soon arrived at the abandoned temple. There were more than a dozen children inside. They were very excited to see Si Liuhua. One of them shouted, "When will Master Wangshu teach us cultivation and help us enter the immortal sect?"
Another child chimed in, "Master Wangshu taught my mother during the day how to better till the soil, cultivate the land, and care for the crops. He also left behind magical talismans that can ward off famine. I wonder what he'll teach her tonight?"
Si Liuhua raised his hand and stroked the tops of their rough hair. "Cultivating immortality is bad, don't cultivate immortality. I'll teach you to read and cultivate your character."
The group of children immediately deflated, their hopes dashed, and they couldn't help but look aggrieved. As if by magic, Si Liuhua produced a jar of candied fruit from her hand, distributed it to them one by one, and patiently arranged the seating order.
Wu Zhuyue also took a piece, took a small bite, and savored it. Si Liuhua treated her very well along the way. Whenever they encountered snacks like candied hawthorn or rice wine dumplings, he would ask Wu Zhuyue if she wanted some. He also chose a hearty meal of meat, eggs, and dairy, as if he was worried that her nutrition wouldn't keep up with her growth rate.
Compared to the previous dry, hard steamed buns and cold water, Wu Zhuyue finished all her food cleanly every time, feeling even more grateful to her master for giving her a second life. She was a slow eater, and this was no different when it came to snacks, as if the first half of her short life of just over ten years had been too bitter, and she had to savor every bit of sweetness that followed.
As she was biting into a candied fruit, Si Liuhua suddenly put his arm around her shoulder and gently pushed her forward, saying, "Xiao Wu, you can listen too, as if you're reviewing your lessons."
The firelight was dim, the sound of reading filled the air, and laughter echoed all around. As mealtime approached, the warmth of the place grew palpable. The young man walked through the desolate area, and the lively atmosphere made the place feel much more welcoming.
Duan Shuyu thought everything was normal. After helping Wang Shu, she fulfilled her promise and took her back to the sect to visit the strange sight of the lake in the Broken Water Sect where the sword energy had been cut off—the so-called "drawing a sword to cut water only makes it flow more".
Unexpectedly, they brought back a jinx.
That moon-white mask was no ordinary object; it was a magical artifact that could conceal one's aura, hide one's appearance, and alter one's voice. Until the other party drew his sword and sealed the throat of the sect's elder with blood, she thought everything was safe and sound. Now, the arrival of the righteous warrior was an even greater joy.
This person's cultivation level must be at least at the Nascent Soul stage, otherwise how could the elders have been so powerless to resist? Next came the True Persons of the same generation. The sect leader and the elders lined up to deal with them, and she broke through them one by one. The process was like peeling back layers of an onion, and the cultivators' blood flowed into a cruel stream, staining the hall red.
Everything happened in an instant. If she hadn't kept a life-saving artifact and if Si Liuhua hadn't restrained himself, she probably wouldn't be in this forest now, but would have already lost her head along with the others.
Clad in white robes and wielding a long sword, with a jade-like face concealed, she slaughtered sects, using blood sacrifices and evil magic. The souls of the slain cultivators were all extracted from her, forbidden from reincarnation, and collected into a pitch-black disc.
She finally remembered the name she had heard from her elders—Liu Hua. Liu Hua Sword Master.
Duan Shuyu lowered her head, silently letting the tears in her eyes fall onto her hands. In this hot weather, they felt as cold as ice, like sticky blood, impossible to dry no matter how much she tried to steam them, leaving a dampness for the rest of her life.
He only regretted that he had led her into the Broken Water Sect.
He only regretted that he was not strong enough, and that he could only run away at this moment, unable to fight back.
The remaining spiritual energy quickly repaired her body. She gritted her teeth, stood up straight, and continued searching for direction. The message for help had been sent, and the special teleportation array should have arrived in an instant. For some reason, no one had come yet. Perhaps fate was against Duan Shui, but she was unwilling to accept it. The power of a Nascent Soul cultivator was unimaginable; every move they made was breathtaking. Duan Shuyu walked lightly over leaves, fearing that even the slightest sound would reveal her location.
Passing through the mountains and forests, a vast lake comes into view. An invisible airflow divides the lake from the center, causing it to flow endlessly and produce a magnificent sound.
A young man stood before the lake, crouching down and cupping water in his hands. His tied-up black hair fluttered in the wind, as if he had stepped out of a painting. Duan Shuyu, seeing his leisurely demeanor, was filled with rage, biting her lip until it bled slightly.
Wu Zhuyue, naturally curious about the lake where the sword's energy could sever water, saw the powerful currents before her, yet still teeming with fish. She reached out to sense the surging thoughts of her ancestors within them. Concentrating on her comprehension, she didn't notice Duan Shuyu quietly approaching. Her long sword was silently drawn, aiming for the young man's neck.
Warm liquid splashed out, and Wu Zhuyue felt a burning sensation on her neck. Confused, she turned around, her pupils suddenly contracting as a strong smell of blood assaulted her senses.
The female cultivator, wrenched in pain, collapsed to the ground, blood gushing out and staining the grass beneath her with an eerie, vibrant color. Her severed arm flew several feet with the blade. She desperately tried to reach for it, her eyes bloodshot, but the sound of footsteps behind her stopped her in her tracks. Her eyes burned with hatred, tears mingling with sweat, the source of the salty liquid indistinguishable from its source.
"Fellow Daoist, I've been looking for you for a long time." A gentle voice rang out, and a person dressed in white, as pure as a cloud, appeared from the mountains and forests and slowly walked to Duan Shuyu's side.
With too much blood leaving her body and her spiritual energy dissipating, Duan Shuyu's face gradually paled. As Si Liuhua lowered her head, her lips trembled, and she finally uttered a low voice: "You... will eventually..."
Before the words were fully uttered, the sword was already at her neck, swiftly bringing everything to an end. Si Liuhua extracted her soul and placed it into the star chart, then sheathed his sword and walked to Wu Zhuyue's side.
Seeing her approach, the boy involuntarily took two steps back, his gaze darting away, not daring to meet her dark eyes. Seeing this, Si Liuhua smiled and said, "Little Five, weren't you just pondering something? Was there anything you didn't understand?"
Wu Zhuyue turned her head to look at the corpse on the ground. The blood was still warm, but the body, devoid of its soul, was now dull and lifeless, the unclosed eyes becoming empty black holes. Her lips trembled, her tongue defying her will, and she struggled to utter a single word for a long time. Si Liuhua didn't step forward, so she kept retreating, taking another step when there was nowhere left to retreat. Before she could even react, she slipped into the lake. The icy cold instantly enveloped her, pulling the boy down with it.
She had just reached the Qi Refining stage, and in this respect her body was no different from ordinary people. However, her whole body was tense and unprepared. After choking on several mouthfuls of lake water, her vision blurred and her consciousness gradually became hazy.
Fate is unpredictable; perhaps it's best to stop here.
Even if she hadn't drowned in the lake, her master would have certainly killed him for witnessing her kill. She finally understood why she always felt bloodstains on Si Liuhua's white robes, and she finally understood why her master had sent her away.
Having been rescued only to face death soon after, the sixteen-year-old boy was inevitably filled with fear. Before losing consciousness, besides saying "I'm sorry," a murmur escaped his lips—
I don't want to die.
As if in response, a pair of warm hands lifted the boy up and carefully carried him ashore. The lake water receded, and the sunlight shone brightly, casting a warm glow.
Si Liuhua's wet hair hung down over his youthful face, a faint white light emanating from his fingertips. His spiritual energy circulated, forcing out the lake water from Wu Zhuyue's body and warming her soaked clothes. The light fell upon her brows and eyes, making them appear as if countless pearls had rolled and shimmered within them.
She called softly, "Chasing the Moon."
Even if she didn't want to wake up, dreams eventually come to an end. Hearing the familiar voice, Wu Zhuyue bit her lower lip, a myriad of thoughts tangled in her chest, forming an unsolvable knot. The warmth emanating from Si Liuhua's hands, supporting her, seeped through the fabric, making her even more incredulous.
Such a warm-hearted person.
She felt a sense of satisfaction when she killed the human trafficker a few days ago, seeing it as punishing evil and promoting good. Now that innocent cultivators and the entire sect have been killed, how should she view this?
However, what made Wu Zhuyue despair was not that the person she thought was her master was actually the executioner, but that after weighing the options, she still wanted to stand by Si Liuhua's side.
She acted as if other people's lives were worthless, and she was a cold-blooded person who treated everyone indiscriminately.
"Zhu Yue." Seeing her eyelashes tremble, Si Liuhua called out softly again, "I know you can't accept it. If you want to leave, I will respect your choice."
The boy was held in her arms, his eyes stinging and burning.
"Master, do people's good and evil really matter?"
"Everyone has their own standard for measuring this matter, and Zhu Yue certainly has one as well. Whether it is important or not depends on your own heart."
"What if I consider someone who is good to me to be good, even if their hands are covered in blood; and someone who is bad to me to be evil, even if they are innocent?"
"Just follow your heart."
The boy suddenly opened his eyes, his expression resolute. "I will listen to Master and I want to continue following Master."
Water droplets gathered into a thin stream, dripping from Si Liuhua's hair, the coolness seeping into her clothes, as if trying to penetrate Wu Zhuyue's heart. Her eyes, as black as ink, remained deep and calm. Hearing the boy's words, she simply put him down carefully, checked that he was unharmed, and then wiped the water off her body.
After cleaning up the mess, the two walked back along the road into the mountains. Wu Zhuyue followed behind Si Liuhua as usual, as if nothing had happened.
Her master did not lay a hand on her; perhaps she was one of those who had been favored, just like the other women who had been helped—she was special.
But Wu Zhuyue never understood that, for Si Liuhua, there were no exceptions to anything in the world, and all beings were equal.
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Author's Note: The main and side plots are intertwined!
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