Chapter 29
Sheng Ningyu has an excellent attitude.
Just as she and Yuan Bushu had said, she never intended to keep it a secret for long.
Moreover, Sheng Ningyu had already written to Ling Huanwu to inquire about the restoration of the spirit bones.
Yuan Daojun provided two options.
One method involves Sheng Ningyu simply cutting open the flesh on her wrist and grasping the spiritual bone, which will restore it.
This method is simple and convenient, but the cost is that it will hurt and can easily cause fluctuations in spiritual energy.
The other one was much more complicated, requiring both rare and precious materials and the setting up of formations. Sheng Ningyu burned the letter without even looking at it.
She would of course choose the first option.
Today's class also gave her the opportunity to observe Chu Chang'an closely.
She had no idea where he had hidden her piece of spiritual bone.
Sheng Ningyu's thoughts were racing, but her pen was writing furiously, attracting the attention of many disciples around her.
Since they were all cultivators, their teachers mostly used the method of transmitting messages via spiritual slips when giving lessons. Even a cold and unapproachable person like Chu Jiye would not insist that his disciples use ordinary paper and pen.
Such a grand entrance to the academy naturally drew disapproval from some. One disciple even mocked, "What era are we living in? People still use paper and pen? They've been mortals for too long, they've become vulgar and unbearable."
Sheng Ningyu remained very calm.
However, the disciple of Qingniao Yiyehua objected first: "What business is it of yours what other people use? I think your bamboo flute is really just pretentious. It doesn't even have the courage to fight, and it even secretly made some fighting marks on it. Tsk, it's really vulgar."
The Yunwang Palace disciple immediately followed up: "This fellow Daoist cares so much about others, which shows that his mind is not at peace. He should focus on himself and spend more time in the meditation room to gain enlightenment."
Seeing that the two sides were getting increasingly angry, Sheng Ningyu repeatedly advised, "Let it go, let it go. They are all disciples of the academy, don't take it to heart."
She's not good at using sword techniques right now, and she doesn't have any talismans to protect her, so this fight probably won't be very comfortable for her.
"Keep quiet."
As the voice of knowledge appeared, immense spiritual power suddenly spread out, the Yin-Yang Mirror passed down from the Chu family hung high above their heads, and the surrounding curtains were stirred by the spiritual energy, fluttering outwards.
Chu Jiye glanced around at the crowd below and called out the names of several disciples. Whenever he called out a name, the Yin-Yang Mirror would float above that person's head.
Finally, it fell on Sheng Ningyu.
"...and Wang Jiu."
"Disrespecting teachers and elders, disrupting the class, copying the school rules a hundred times."
"Complete copying it within one month." The head of the Chu family on the stage stretched out his hand, and the peerless treasure floated into his palm.
"If you can't finish copying it, then don't bother with removing obstacles afterward, and don't bother participating in the Thousand Mountains Trial."
These words made the already frightened disciples even more tense and anxious.
A thousand mountains overlap, a crane travels ten thousand miles to find its way home.
It's important to know that the Thousand Mountains Trial is the most crucial part of the Qingyi Academy.
Back then, the Sword Master of Bright Moon cleaved the Floating Moon during the Trial of a Thousand Mountains, splashing up a snow-capped wave, and from then on, he became famous with one sword and was known as "Bright Moon Immortal".
However, Qingyi Academy was destroyed in that catastrophe, and it was no longer possible to gather all eleven sects to jointly open the Thousand Mountains Trial, nor to gather so many disciples to become "Thousand Mountains Cranes".
More than a hundred years have passed since the last trial began.
The disciples immediately expressed their support, their emotions running high. Sheng Ningyu also stood up and responded nodding, "Yes."
The more obedient she was, the more irritated Chu Jime became.
A hint of doubt arose in his heart.
Chu Jiye had been preoccupied with this face and was almost certain that this disciple named "Wang Jiu" was Sister Ningyu, but after getting to know her, he began to have doubts.
This proves that her appearance is real, without any concealment.
Secondly, Wang Jiu's identity is almost flawless, with her mark found everywhere from her former sect to ordinary villages.
Chu Jiye did not believe that those few ignorant country folk would dare to deceive the cultivators under his command.
However, this means that Wang Jiu's birth year and youthful appearance do not match the days when Sister Ningyu was trapped in the Mitian Secret Realm.
Even the idea of reincarnation is untenable.
not to mention……
Chu Jiye held one of the thousands of spirit scrolls in his hand, his brows furrowed.
This is the homework that Wang Jiu handed in.
Even if any one of them were extremely bad, Chu Jiye wouldn't be this displeased, but there was none.
Who in this world can be "ordinary"? But Sheng Ningyu cannot.
Good is good, and bad is bad. Her joys, sorrows, loves, and hates are all so vivid and intense that Chu Jiye never dared to associate the word "ordinary" with her.
Chu Jiye remained motionless for a long time, and a retainer stepped forward tremblingly.
"Master, a report has come from the East Sea that the Puppet Barrier has suddenly appeared and enveloped the area, and it seems... it seems..." The retainer swallowed hard, his back drenched in cold sweat, and trembled as he said, "It seems... the Demon Seed has reappeared."
Chu Jiye's face was as cold as ice.
They wanted him to return as soon as possible to guard the Chu family.
But Chu Jiye also found Wang Jiu a difficult case.
It just so happens to be Qingyi Academy.
If he really causes trouble at the academy, Feng Xiaosheng won't even need to intervene; plenty of people will step in.
Chu Jiye was not afraid.
However, he also did not want to take action at Qingyi Academy.
This place also holds many memories for him, and Chu Jiye also remembers that first meeting.
That day, after being scolded by his elder brother, he left all his retainers and walked alone in the academy, feeling sullen, when he saw someone practicing swordsmanship.
Braving the wind and waves, graceful as a startled swan, the sword's edge points out, its radiance flowing like the bright moon over the river.
Chu Jiye watched as she leaped up, caught the falling flower with the blade of her sword, and with a gentle flick, sent it before someone else's eyes...
He was like a sinister creature that couldn't stand the light of day, secretly watching the moon ahead.
The bright moon need not lower its gaze, for its light has already fallen upon the young man.
After they left, Chu Jiye secretly picked up the fallen flower.
For the first time in his life, the pampered and carefree young boy harbored ambitions for things other than treasures and cultivation techniques.
He wanted the moon's gaze to fall solely on him.
...
Like Chu Jiye, who was tossing and turning at night, Sheng Ningyu had also been somewhat worried these past few days.
As luck would have it, on the very day the commotion began, she finally found her own spirit bone.
It was on Chu Chang'an's Yin-Yang Mirror.
Now Sheng Ningyu was in a real predicament.
If the spirit bone is to be separated, even if she can endure the pain, she must at least touch the Yin-Yang Mirror.
But who in the world doesn't know that the Yin-Yang Mirror is the Chu family's most precious treasure? How could she dare to get close to it so easily?
"Don't be hasty," Yuan Bushu said. "We don't know how much Chu Jiye knows about what happened back then, so we can't act rashly. After some time, I will borrow the Yunwang Palace under the pretext of removing obstacles and test the waters."
Sheng Ningyu: "Okay, I'll listen to Senior Brother Fei Fou."
Yeah, right.
She couldn't wait that long.
Yuan Bushu would not believe that she was so obedient, but these things could be put on hold for later.
He became serious and said, "I've already spoken with Shuhe."
Sheng Ningyu immediately sat up straight: "How is it?"
Yuan Bushu pursed his thin lips, looked at Sheng Ningyu for a few moments, and said to her, "Give me your hand."
Sheng Ningyu obediently reached out her hand.
Yuan Bushu used his natal magic weapon to condense spiritual power, which circulated through Sheng Ningyu's body, causing his brows to furrow deeper and deeper.
Indeed, as Shuhe said, his body was riddled with flaws.
Yuan Bushu was more familiar with Sheng Ningyu, so he knew that not only was her cultivation almost gone and the pain of having her spiritual bones forcibly removed, but this experience was also a significant blow to her Dao heart.
Only after being extremely cautious and testing the waters repeatedly will one finally lower one's guard.
Even her father probably never checked her pulse.
After sitting quietly for a long time, Yuan Bushu said slowly, "Apart from reclaiming your spiritual bones, your body still needs to be nourished with spiritual herbs."
As he was concentrating, Sheng Ningyu was already at the table, writing furiously without looking up: "Hmm."
Yuan Bushu: "In addition to the pills that Shuhe gave you, I will also prepare a medicine bag for you to nourish your soul. You must wear it every day and never leave it behind."
Sheng Ningyu kept writing with her pen, saying, "Mmm."
Yuan Bushu: "I know the matter of the spirit bone is important, but don't be impatient, I will find a way."
Sheng Ningyu nodded haphazardly: "Yes, yes, I'll listen to whatever you say, Senior Brother."
She obediently agreed to every single one of them, but little did she know that she didn't take any of them seriously.
He suddenly asked, "Whose half of your spirit bone did you steal?"
She suddenly raised her head: "You're saying that the spiritual bone inside me belongs to someone else?"
Yuan Bushu turned his head away: "Otherwise?"
Sheng Ningyu put down her pen completely, turned to face Yuan Bushu, and said, "I thought it was mine."
Yuan Bushu's lips twitched slightly: "Why don't you say you're an eight-legged spider with a spirit bone on each limb?"
Sheng Ningyu: "Hey, that's not impossible!"
After the joke, the atmosphere relaxed a bit. Yuan Bushu rubbed his temples and asked her, "You really don't remember?"
"I can't remember."
Sheng Ningyu pointed to her brain, "After I woke up, my brain told me that I was born with two spiritual bones."
Yuan Bushu: "Absolutely impossible."
Back in the academy, whenever Sheng Ningyu got into trouble, he and his friend Yan Ruchao would clean up the mess. Later, Yan Ruchao betrayed Jian Ge and joined Gui Cang Lou, leaving only him.
He has examined her spiritual veins and treated her injuries countless times. If she has two spiritual bones, she can hide it from others, but she can't hide it from him.
Sheng Ningyu blinked: "So Yuan Xiaoer is afraid to come see me because of this?"
Yuan Bushu said, "He considers you a friend and is unwilling to betray you. He is also afraid of misunderstanding you, so he dares not make this public. He can only search through medical books all night, but he can't find any precedents of having two spiritual bones. He is almost worried to death."
Sheng Ningyu chuckled, then tilted her head and looked at Yuan Bushu with a smile: "What about Senior Brother Fei Fou? Aren't you worried that I might actually steal someone else's spirit bone?"
Yuan Bushu replied without hesitation, "I'm not worried."
Sheng Ningyu smiled.
That's hard to say.
She thought, if she didn't forcibly take this spirit bone, could it have been a gift from someone else?
What kind of fool in the world would be willing to throw away their own life?
"I have one more thing to say."
The two spoke at the same time, with Sheng Ningyu speaking first: "I was punished by that bastard Chu Chang'an to copy the palace rules a hundred times. I've been pretending to be mediocre these past few days, which probably made him furious. But that's why I have no choice but to copy the palace rules."
If she dares to defy the power of the Chu family head, wouldn't that mean she isn't as timid and cowardly as she appears?
However, these palace rules were heavily constrained, and no matter how much Sheng Ningyu tried to break them, she couldn't do it; it was quite bizarre.
The only way is to transform spiritual power into pen and ink, like mortals, and copy it into the manual again and again.
Yuan Bushu: "...Why do you think I would help you copy palace rules?"
Sheng Ningyu was taken aback: "Didn't you and my second senior brother always help me copy these before?"
Yuan Bushu gave Sheng Ningyu a look that was hard to put into words.
He now truly believes that Sheng Mingyue's brain was indeed damaged from being suffocated in the coffin.
“Once or twice is fine.” Yuan Bushu frowned, clearly unable to accept even these words. “The things you did in the past, such as reciting the palace rules five hundred times, were mostly checked by me. How could I help you falsify things?”
Seeing his expression, Sheng Ningyu knew that her memory was malfunctioning again. She paused for a moment, then casually changed the subject: "Speaking of which, I've always been curious about how you and Sister Ayan met. Was it in the Ghost Cang Tower?"
When his wife was mentioned, Yuan Bushu's brows relaxed and his face softened slightly: "I didn't meet her at Gui Canglou, but at Shan Hai Never Sleeps City, where she saved me."
It turns out the damsel in distress saved the hero.
Sheng Ningyu smiled, genuinely happy for her former friend.
Yuan Bushu shook his head: "He doesn't care about these things, and there's no need to hide them. Let nature take its course."
Sheng Ningyu raised an eyebrow and teased, "It's rare to see you like this." She then added casually, "After all, Sister Ayan is a demon. Although you have drawn your spiritual power to lend to her, there are undercurrents now, and it's hard to guarantee that Sister Ayan's identity will be exposed one day."
Yuan Bushu: "So what?" He glanced at Sheng Ningyu and said indifferently, "You don't need to test me. I will not betray her."
If Bie Yun hadn't chosen not to cause trouble, Yuan Bushu wouldn't have cared at all about her demonic identity being made public.
What about demons and ghosts? What about their past?
His wife, whom he had not forgiven, did not need anyone else's judgment.
Sheng Ningyu looked at Yuan Bushu's appearance and clicked her tongue in amazement.
Unexpectedly, the person who was always the most law-abiding would be so bold in his first transgression.
She was happy, but also a little envious, and couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother Fei, what exactly does it feel like to 'like someone'?"
Yuan Bushu thought for a moment, "I am a medical cultivator, and my purpose is to help people all over the world. I hate killing people the most. But I also like it when she kills people."
Besides that, there is only worry and pity.
But there's no need to say these things to Sheng Mingyue, that reckless guy.
Sheng Ningyu said, "That's wonderful."
Sheng Ningyu leaped up like a carp and landed in front of Yuan Bushu, reaching out to stop him.
"Senior brother, do you remember that about a hundred years ago, there was a prominent family named Xie in the cultivation world?"
Yuan Bushu nodded: "The Xie family was later destroyed because they harbored a demonic seed."
Seeing that he indeed remembered, Sheng Ningyu stared even more intently at Yuan Bushu's face, not missing a single change in his expression.
She originally wanted to investigate this matter privately, but with Chu Chang'an present, Sheng Ningyu dared not act rashly.
"Does Senior Brother still remember the name of Xie Bodhi, the exceptionally talented and prodigy of the heavens?"
What is your name?
I won't forgive you for one meal.
“…Xie Qianjing.”
Yuan Bushu said softly, "His name is Xie Qianjing."
He looked at Sheng Ningyu and said, word by word, "Also, Shuhe told me today that his father asked him to treat this Young Master Xie's body. He unexpectedly discovered that this Young Master Xie only has half a spiritual bone."
This is the real reason why Yuan Shu was so distressed.
In his heart, Sheng Ningyu and Xie Qianjing were a loving couple, but the matter of the spirit bone was really strange. He was afraid that he would expose some secret, but he was also afraid that there would be some misunderstanding. Therefore, he did not dare to see Sheng Ningyu at all, and only hoped to get some information out of Xie Qianjing.
I had intended to bring this up earlier, but Sheng Ningyu almost interrupted me.
Sheng Ningyu remained silent for a long time.
She had suspected it all along, but when the truth was finally revealed, besides the feeling that everything was settled, Sheng Ningyu also felt a subtle sense of being controlled, displeasure, and suspicion.
Everything happened so smoothly, as if someone was guiding her to uncover the truth.
The atmosphere was somewhat tense when a soft knocking sound came from outside the dormitory door.
The room was divided into two sections, each undisturbed by the other. Ji Qingwu was on the left, and Sheng Ningyu on the right. But Ji Qingwu was already fast asleep; who else could be coming back at this hour?
Could it be that Chu Jiye noticed something was wrong? Or did Feng Xiaosheng arrive ahead of time? Or perhaps it was an elder from another sect...?
Yuan Bushu had many suspicions in his mind, but he slipped away and opened the door.
The wooden door creaked open, and the person outside finally revealed their true appearance.
Her features were exquisite, her lips were pale, and she had a slightly sickly appearance, yet her radiant beauty remained undiminished.
Dressed in white like flowing moonlight, she exuded a cool and aloof aura, like a Bodhi seed within a lotus.
It was the same person they had been discussing earlier.
Yuan Bushu felt a little ashamed for talking about others behind their backs, so he hesitated to speak for a moment, and Xie Qianjing beat him to it.
He smiled, but his eyes were cold: "I'm afraid it's inappropriate for the Palace Master to visit his disciple's quarters so late at night."
Yuan Buqi: "..."
He said, "I have come to see my disciple because I have something to discuss. On the contrary, Young Master Xie, coming here so late at night seems to violate the academy's curfew."
Xie Qianjing's smile grew even brighter: "Of course I'm different, I'm her Daoist partner."
...That's even more wrong.
Yuan Bushu knew Sheng Ningyu's identity, and also knew Xie Qianjing's identity.
Sheng Ningyu, his junior sister, was once the Bright Moon Sword Master. She had a world-renowned marriage agreement with Chu Jiye, the head of the Chu family. Now, only half of her spirit bone remains, belonging to someone whose identity is unknown.
Xie Qianjing, the son of his father's old friend, was once the Bodhi Immortal Lord. He received a prophecy from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and always covered his face with a veil when he was out in public. He now only has half a spiritual bone left.
And now, this Bodhi Immortal Lord keeps saying that he is Sheng Mingyue's Daoist partner.
Yuan Buqi: "..."
He silently turned around and stared intently at Sheng Ningyu, who had appeared out of nowhere, for a moment.
Xie Qianjing also turned his gaze in that direction, and gave a very slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Sheng Ningyu was almost traumatized by his laughter. Before she could even process what was happening, she shoved Yuan Bushu away, grabbed Xie Qianjing, and slammed the door shut.
This commotion caused crows to caw, and many birds fluttered their wings and took flight, creating another burst of sound as they faced the spring breeze.
Yuan Buqi: "..."
The night was chilly, and the spring breeze was biting, scattering snow-like blossoms across the pear tree.
Yuan Bushu, with his white hair and expressionless face, transmitted his voice: "Disrespecting teachers and elders, add fifty repetitions of the palace rules."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Madam Xiang (smiling gently): I heard that my husband punished Xiaomingyue by making her copy the palace rules?
I do not forgive: ...no.
I don't mean it, it couldn't be that she plagiarized.
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