Chapter 103
Sheng Ningyu led Ning Jiao through the raging flames.
When Ning Jiao asked that question, something flashed through Sheng Ningyu's mind.
The Chu family, demons and ghosts, the dungeon of Hehuan City, raging fire and flying snow...
All sorts of messy people and things were mixed together, like a tangled mess, and Sheng Ningyu had no time to unravel them.
Sheng Ningyu wanted to get away from the fire, but she didn't know how she ran away; it was as if she couldn't avoid this place.
Spinning around in place.
Even though Sheng Ningyu's memory is incomplete, she could still vaguely recognize her.
Sheng Ningyu turned her head: "Junior sister, how did we get trapped here?"
Ning Jiao wiped away the tears from her eyes and said, "Senior Sister, do you still remember the Hehuan City in your memory? It has now been renamed the Mountain and Sea Never Sleeps City?"
Seeing Sheng Ningyu nod, Ning Jiao smiled through her tears: "Senior Sister remembers."
Sheng Ningyu found it strange and asked in return, "How could I forget what you just said?"
Ning Jiao shook her head: "That's not necessarily true." Before Sheng Ningyu could refute, Ning Jiao continued on her own: "Senior Sister came here at the invitation of the City Lord of the Mountain and Sea Never Sleeps City to attend his marriage ceremony with his wife."
"Unexpectedly, something went wrong. The demonic energy erupted, causing demonic obstacles to arise in the city and the seeds of demons to sprout. My senior sister was in danger because she was trying to save others."
At this point, Ning Jiao glanced at Sheng Ningyu, her voice soft and slightly playful at the end: "If I'm not mistaken, Senior Sister came here because of the unsolved mystery beneath Hehuan City back then, right?"
She spoke in the same way that Sheng Ningyu remembered "Ning Jiaojiao".
Sheng Ningyu raised an eyebrow and smiled, pondered for a few seconds, and nodded in agreement: "That should be it."
Ning Jiao puffed out her cheeks, seemingly unsurprised, but then complained, "Senior Sister is always so kind to others, she doesn't even care about her own safety."
Sheng Ningyu placed her hand on her waist, then smiled and drawled out the last syllable, saying in a rather irreverent tone, "It seems that Junior Sister has a very high opinion of me!"
No.
Sheng Ningyu calmly realized that she was not as selfless and inconsiderate as Ning Jiao described.
On the contrary, apart from having some patience for sword practice, Sheng Ningyu's interest in other things always came and went quickly.
There are so many injustices in the world, and she can only do her best to help, but she will never let any one thing weigh on her mind.
unless……
Sheng Ningyu asked again, "Did I really rescue Li Qingfeng?"
Ning Jiao frowned: "Why does Senior Sister always ask about him? He's doing just fine! Now that he's the sect leader of Qingniao Yiyehua, couldn't he be happier!"
Sheng Ningyu pretended not to see the annoyance on Ning Jiao's face: "I wanted to ask earlier, what kind of sect is this 'Bluebird One Leaf Flower'?"
Ning Jiao: "It is the 'Hehuan Sect' that my senior sister remembers. It has changed its name and surname and yearns for the righteous path. But in the end, it is just a dog that is not a tiger."
Sensing the sarcasm in Ning Jiao's words, Sheng Ningyu paused and then asked, "Who is the current city lord of the Mountain and Sea Never Sleeps City? Did I come alone?"
Ning Jiao: "Senior Sister didn't want to come. She was provoked by someone at the inn and came alone. As for the current city lord of Shanhai Never Sleeps City... he is the former master of Cangqiu Sword, Senior Qi Baiya."
It was him?
Sheng Ningyu could vaguely remember this person.
He possessed remarkable cultivation and was deeply in love with his wife, making them a renowned divine couple in the cultivation world.
Sheng Ningyu asked curiously, "Didn't Qi Baiya already form a bond with Madam? Why hold another bond-forming ceremony?"
Ning Jiao immediately fell silent.
The fire crackled and popped beside her ears. Sheng Ningyu turned her head in surprise, only to see Ning Jiao staring straight at her again.
That gaze seemed to hold both resentment and love, and for a fleeting moment it appeared to be intense hatred, but in the blink of an eye, it returned to its previous gentle and obedient state.
Even though she already knew that Ning Jiao was not the person she remembered, Sheng Ningyu was still startled.
She immediately asked, "Junior sister, why are you here? Did Qi Baiya and his partner bully you?"
Ning Jiao paused for a moment, as if she had heard something. She glanced to her right, then quickly lowered her eyes and let out a short laugh.
There seemed to be something buzzing in her ears, but before Sheng Ningyu could hear it clearly, a thunderous sound suddenly rang out!
Suddenly, a loud bang was heard, and the surrounding fire grew even larger, almost surging forward!
"Senior Sister!"
[Sheng Ningyu.]
[...Ninefold Child.]
Two shouts rang out at the same moment. The last thing Sheng Ningyu saw was the sudden terror in Ning Jiao's eyes and her hand reaching out to her.
The next second, the ground beneath her feet collapsed with a deafening roar. The feeling of weightlessness engulfed her like an icy tide, and endless darkness swept her down at breakneck speed.
She fell into a cold, sticky mass. The chill was biting, and the air was thick with the stench of earth and decay.
"Who?!" A hoarse but still undeniably youthful voice rang out, tinged with wariness and weak panting.
Sheng Ningyu struggled to stand still, wiped the cold dampness from her face, and made a hand seal with her fingertips, condensing a tiny glimmer of light.
The light illuminated a young boy.
He was dressed in dark blue clothes, sitting curled up not far away, his face pale yet exceptionally delicate.
Sheng Ningyu looked at him and felt that he looked vaguely familiar.
She placed her hand on her waist, making sure the wooden sword was still there, before taking a few steps forward: "Are you also trapped in this formation?"
Even Sheng Ningyu herself found this action somewhat amusing.
Why is she being so cautious now?
They were just like those stubborn old men in Qingyi Academy.
Not far away, a boy in dark blue clothes was struggling to support a companion who was unconscious and pale as paper. Hearing Sheng Ningyu's question, he turned around.
The boy's eyes were blank, then suddenly lit up with a faint light, before turning puzzled again: "You...have I seen you before, senior??"
Sheng Ningyu didn't recognize this "junior," but the more she looked at the boy's face, the more familiar it seemed.
“I don’t remember you.” Sheng Ningyu answered the question cleverly. She looked the other person up and down, her gaze focusing on the patterns on the hem of the other person’s clothes.
"You are... a member of the Chu family of Donghai?"
It's strange. There are so many prestigious families in the world, why does she have such a deep impression of the Chu family of Donghai?
"Yes, I come from the Chu family of Donghai, and my given name is Le."
Sheng Ningyu felt a sudden tightness in her heart.
She asked, "What's your companion's name? How did you get here?"
Chu Le replied, "I only remember his name is Jin Xianyao, and the rest... we've been here since I woke up."
Jin Xianyao, Chu Le.
Sheng Ningyu repeatedly murmured the two names, feeling a vague sense of familiarity in her heart.
She crouched down to examine it.
Jin Xianyao lay on the ground, her breath faint, a deathly aura lingering between her brows. Though she had no memory, she felt a familiar pang of sorrow.
Sheng Ningyu probed Jin Xianyao's body with a stream of spiritual energy. The next moment, a faint but stable spiritual energy suddenly emanated from between Jin Xianyao's eyebrows.
It was this spiritual energy that barely managed to hold back his dissipating soul.
However, Sheng Ningyu always felt that this aura was somewhat subtle.
It's like spiritual energy, but it doesn't seem to be.
She turned her head to the side: "Who left this?"
“It was left behind by a white-robed cultivator wearing a veil,” Chu Le said in a low voice, his face filled with lingering fear and gratitude. “He appeared suddenly, left this behind, and then disappeared… We don’t even know his name.”
A white-robed monk wearing a veil.
Sheng Ningyu's heart skipped a beat, the blurry shadow bringing a sharp pain and inexplicable panic. She pressed her hand to her chest, forcing herself to calm down.
"Senior?" Chu Le called out worriedly when he saw her pale face, his clear eyes filled with confusion.
Sheng Ningyu shook her head and turned her gaze back to Jin Xianyao, who was lying on the ground with a weak breath.
Chu Le suddenly raised his head, gazing into the void of darkness. His clear, youthful voice was filled with confusion and resentment: "Senior, why is the path of cultivation so difficult? You and I may cultivate for thousands of years, yet we may not even glimpse a glimpse of the Great Dao. But those who fall into the demonic path often gain power overnight, their cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds..."
Is the way of Heaven truly just or unjust?
Sheng Ningyu remained silent for a moment.
The light illuminated the profile of her face, and she suddenly chuckled.
The laughter was unrestrained and wild, as carefree as the wind rushing through the world.
Pei Le was suddenly jolted awake from her daze. She looked up and saw Sheng Ningyu raising the corners of her lips, her voice clear and bright.
“Cultivating immortality is like rowing against the current, every step is a tempering of one’s true heart. What you and I seek is to be in harmony with the Great Dao and to distinguish truth from falsehood. But cultivating demonic cultivation is like cooking oil over a raging fire, driven by desire, with love and hate reversed, and most of them cannot hold on to their original intentions. Although their cultivation improves quickly, in the end they can only become monsters dominated by slaughter.”
Chu Le listened intently, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Sheng Ningyu smiled and sighed. She looked at Chu Le's still childish eyes and said, "It's like in the mortal world, do you think it's faster to start from scratch and earn money, or to burn, kill, plunder, and directly seize other people's treasures?"
Chu Le frowned: "The latter is faster, but it shouldn't be like this."
“That’s right.” Sheng Ningyu looked at Pei Le with a smile. “But if it were to plunder the treasures of those corrupt officials and evil merchants, would you feel less burdened?”
Chu Le raised his head, somewhat confused: "That's true, so demon cultivators..."
“They will pay the price,” Sheng Ningyu said. “The way of Heaven is that there are both cultivators of immortality and cultivators of demonic arts, which proves that the Great Dao can be followed in countless ways.”
Chu Le: "If that's the case, why not choose the faster one?"
"Little Immortal Chu, you must remember that no matter which road you take, you must pay a toll when you reach the end."
Sheng Ningyu smiled and sighed. She stood up and looked at Chu Le, "There are three thousand great paths, and all beings can aspire to them. Since you have chosen the path, do not easily abandon it, otherwise, your path will also be saddened."
Why destroy your original heart and embark on an unknown path?
Regardless of whether things go smoothly or not, the unknown path may not be as smooth as one might imagine.
The boy, who had been confused because of his companion, paused, then a look of sudden realization flashed in his eyes: "I misunderstood for a moment. Thank you for your guidance, senior."
Sheng Ningyu: "What kind of guidance is this? I should thank you. You've made things clear to me."
Seeing that the young man insisted on bowing to express his gratitude, she waved her hand without any modesty: "Once we leave this place, come to Sword Pavilion and exchange a few blows with me. That would be true instruction."
As Sheng Ningyu spoke, she seemed quite relaxed, but she was wary and looked around, searching for any flaws in her demeanor.
Such a formation, and it collapsed so abruptly...
However, this person didn't seem to have any ill intentions towards her; rather, he seemed to be trying to remind her of something.
The place was quiet, cold, and pitch black. Sheng Ningyu felt something in her heart as she looked around, and then she suddenly saw that the young man had beautiful and delicate features.
Suddenly, a name flashed through Sheng Ningyu's mind.
She asked, "Your name is Chu Le, Chu Le... what is your relationship with Chu Jiye?"
Chu Le replied, "He is my uncle."
Chu Le looked at her and shook her head: "My uncle didn't bring me here. Senior, my uncle is already dead."
"Dead?!" Sheng Ningyu was shocked.
In her memory, although she was not familiar with the Chu family, she seemed to have seen this young man a few times.
She was timid and always hid behind her brother to watch her.
The reason Sheng Ningyu noticed him was because Chu Jiye's occasional expressions bore a resemblance to her junior sister's.
She pressed, "How did he die? Who killed him?"
How did he die?
Something suddenly exploded in Chu Le's mind. He was in so much pain that he squatted down and hugged her.
"It was...it was Sword Master who killed him..."
"Bright Moon...Bright Moon Sword Master!"
Bright Moon Sword Master...
Bright moon...
In an instant, a strong wind suddenly arose, and the world spun around!
In an instant, a fierce wind suddenly rushed in from all directions without warning, carrying a piercing shriek!
Caught in the raging torrent, Sheng Ningyu gripped the sword at her waist without hesitation for the first time and closed her eyes tightly.
Yet, amidst the raging storm, someone persistently called out her name.
[Sheng Ningyu.]
【Ninefold Child, wake up.】
"Senior Sister!"
Sheng Ningyu suddenly opened her eyes!
The scorching heat and blinding flames enveloped her once more, as if the cold, dark fall just moments before was merely a fleeting and absurd dream.
The tinnitus persisted, mingling with the crackling of the burning fire, but what was clearer was the sound of a sword being drawn not far away, along with that familiar cry of alarm.
Ning Jiao staggered backward, her hair disheveled, her beautiful dress torn in several places by the sword energy, and a short sword had already flown out of her hand.
Before her, a long sword, carrying immense force and undisguised killing intent, was slashing straight down towards her crown!
Sheng Ningyu didn't think; her body reacted before her mind could process it.
The clear, resonant sound of a sword pierced the roar of the fire.
A wooden sword, appearing from nowhere, steadily blocked the Zhu Hui sword, which was powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks.
The sword rang out, and in the flash of light, it illuminated Sheng Ningyu's taut profile and sharp eyes.
Yan Wurong was not surprised that her offensive was thwarted.
“Sheng Ningyu,” she said, “or, at this moment, may I address you as ‘Sword Master Mingyue’?”
Sheng Ningyu blocked the panicked Ning Jiao behind her, used a wisp of spiritual power to push her back a few meters, and then calmly met Yan Wurong's scrutinizing gaze.
Sheng Ningyu's gaze lingered on Yan Wurong's face, which was covered with sword marks.
Her fragmented memories now tell her that she was Jin Xianyao's adoptive mother.
Sheng Ningyu pursed her lips and spoke quickly and clearly: "Jin Xianyao is trapped here, but fortunately he has not been dispersed. He is now with Chu Le, a member of the Chu family."
Not far away, Ning Jiao shouted, "Senior Sister! Kill her! She's trying to kill me!"
A sudden, intense shock flashed across Yan Wurong's eyes. Her killing intent receded like a tide, and she narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Sheng Ningyu, as if trying to discern the truth from every subtle expression on her face.
Time seemed to stand still.
The fire was still burning all around.
A few seconds later, Yan Wurong took one last deep look at Sheng Ningyu.
"I believe in the Sword Master of Bright Moon."
Without hesitation, she sheathed her sword and turned around, her figure retreating rapidly like a ghost, disappearing behind the raging fire and ruins in a few leaps.
They actually abandoned Ning Jiao and went after that faint news.
With the crisis temporarily averted, Sheng Ningyu lowered her sword-wielding hand slightly, but did not relax her grip. She slowly exhaled a hot breath and turned around.
Ning Jiao remained standing there, her delicate face streaked with tears. She rushed forward, her voice trembling with sobs, and cried, "Senior Sister..."
Sheng Ningyu did not move.
Ning Jiao seemed to sense something. She stopped and looked at Sheng Ningyu with a strange, almost scrutinizing gaze.
A few seconds later, the panic on her beautiful face vanished instantly.
“…Senior Sister.” Ning Jiao’s voice was very soft, with a barely perceptible tremor, as she asked, word by word, “You remember everything, don’t you?”
Sheng Ningyu did not answer immediately.
Flames leaped between them, and waves of heat distorted the air.
Countless fragments of memories surged forth.
The pear blossoms of Jian Ge, the crane sculptures by the Cold Jade Pool in Qiutang, the hundred-step path of Wangxingtai, the fourteen continents she once measured step by step... and the last sixty years etched in her heart in the coffin.
Many things rushed into her mind. Although Sheng Ningyu knew there were still things she hadn't remembered, the shackles in her mind had been broken.
Restoring memories and recalling everything is just a matter of time.
Sheng Ningyu raised her hand, pressed her fingertips against her still throbbing temples, and looked up at Ning Jiao.
Ning Jiao could clearly see the firelight burning in Sheng Ningyu's pupils.
It was so hot it seemed to burn away all the sins of the world.
“I remember now, I was trapped in a coffin for sixty years.” Sheng Ningyu’s voice was a little hoarse, but she was absolutely certain. “Ning Jiao, you were partly responsible for that, weren’t you?”
Ning Jiao's lips twitched slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she could only manage a bleak smile.
“Yes, Senior Sister,” she said. “You’ve sent me so many mortal items, each time accompanied by your spiritual power… Senior Sister, it would be so easy for me to harm you.”
In the distance, another burning beam collapsed with a deafening roar that echoed through the sea of fire, sending flames flying everywhere.
"Ning Jiao." Sheng Ningyu frowned, trying hard not to make her expression too frightening. "Stop immediately, before things get any worse!"
In Sheng Ningyu's eyes, Ning Jiao will always be the same as before.
That little child, so innocent and naive, would stumble and run towards her at her mere call.
Sheng Ningyu was overjoyed with her newfound knowledge and always ordered Ning Jiao around. Many disciples said that the Sword Master's new disciple was not like a disciple, but rather like Senior Sister Mingyue's "companion beast".
However, this period was very short.
In the end, Sheng Ningyu was given a joint scolding by Guihai Sword Master and her second senior brother Rong Que, and she never did it again.
"Senior sister, you always treat me like a child."
Ning Jiao chuckled softly, her laughter growing louder and louder until finally, she collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.
"You pamper me and coax me, but it's just like with them, treating me as a pretty ornament. But deep down, you all look down on me, seeing me as a useless piece of trash who can't do anything."
"I've never thought of you that way."
Ning Jiao suddenly raised her head, and the jade pendants on her body jingled as she did so.
She looked up at Sheng Ningyu in a daze, and suddenly said, "Senior Sister was forced to stay in a coffin for sixty years because of me. Now that you have the chance, why don't you kill me?"
Sheng Ningyu was speechless.
She didn't recall all the memories from inside the coffin; they were directly very painful.
The pain was unforgettable.
But no amount of pain was worth sacrificing her junior sister's life for.
Of all living beings, she cherished Sword Pavilion the most.
Sheng Ningyu lowered her eyes and looked at Ning Jiao for a long time before taking a deep breath: "Stop the fire first, I'll take you out, and we'll talk outside."
Ning Jiao did not reach out to shake Sheng Ningyu's hand; instead, she shrank back.
She raised her head and staggered to her feet: "You're not going to kill me, but take me away instead. Sheng Ningyu, how will you explain this to the world?"
Her clothes were disheveled, and her body was covered in bruises.
Sheng Ningyu felt uncomfortable watching this, and a surge of anger welled up inside her. She said stiffly, "I don't need to explain myself to them."
them……
Ning Jiao chewed on the word repeatedly, and a strange sense of pleasure arose in his heart.
"What about the sect leader of the other half? What about Yan Wurong..."
Sheng Ningyu wondered, who are these people?
Oh, she's Kim Heon-yo's adoptive mother.
She corrected, "I remember that Senior Yan is now the acting sect leader of Half Sect."
Upon seeing Sheng Ningyu's expression, Ning Jiao knew that Sheng Ningyu had not yet thought of Madam Xiang.
Is that so?
very nice.
The more people she thinks of, the less important she becomes.
"Alright, it's the acting sect leader."
Ning Jiao suddenly laughed lightly. She tiptoed, walking as if she were leaping. With a twirl of her skirt, she turned in front of Sheng Ningyu, the hem of her skirt billowing in the air in a beautiful arc.
"The one who saved me, the acting sect leader of Half-Site Sect..." Ning Jiao murmured softly, "Senior Sister, how will you explain this to her?"
Sheng Ningyu wanted to say that she and Yan Wurong did not know each other, but Yan Wurong's expression just now seemed to suggest otherwise.
Moreover, in the matter of Qi Baiya, it was the junior sister who was at fault first.
An explanation is due.
Sheng Ningyu thought about it from all angles, and the more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became.
“I’ll take you straight back to Sword Pavilion,” Sheng Ningyu said. “If they’re dissatisfied, they’ll naturally come looking for me.”
Ning Jiao was stunned: "Is that all?"
Sheng Ningyu thought that it was more than that.
In her current memory, Ning Jiao's evil deeds were twofold: first, he caused her to lie in a coffin for sixty years; second, he ruined the marriage between Qi Baiya and Yan Wurong.
Leaving aside the former, let's talk about the latter...
It seems that Qi Baiya's problem is more significant.
As for Ning Jiao...
Not only should she apologize, but if Senior Yan Wurong's face is truly related to Ning Jiao, then if she wants revenge, Sheng Ningyu won't be able to stop her.
It's time to teach the junior sister a lesson.
But Sheng Ningyu would never allow anyone to harm Ning Jiao's life, nor would she let Ning Jiao go unpunished.
There are so many herbs in the cultivation world... At worst, she can go to the depths of the Endless Sea to find the legendary Meng Po Light, which can "heal the dead and restore flesh to bones," and she'll be able to bring her junior sister back to health.
Sheng Ningyu vaguely remembered that before she entered the coffin, she was looking for Meng Po Guang and had almost found it.
These words...
Sheng Ningyu looked at Ning Jiao's pale face and shook her head inwardly.
That's not how you say it.
My junior sister is timid and likes to overthink things. If she told the truth, she would probably be terrified.
Never mind.
If the junior sister behaves this way, then the Sword Pavilion also bears responsibility for improper discipline.
If it were Senior Yan's face, then really... we should just push Senior Brother or Second Senior Brother out to take the blame. Anyway, they both have handsome faces, so it should be quite satisfying to ruin them.
Sheng Ningyu was lost in thought.
As for the junior sister, it's best not to ruin her face.
She watched as she copied the "Qingxin Jue" tens of millions of times, hoping it would cure her overthinking problem.
Ning Jiao: "Senior sister, do you regret it?"
"Regret what?"
Ning Jiao stared at Sheng Ningyu's profile and said, "I regret promising to take me out, and I regret not knowing how to explain this to the world."
"To answer to the people of the world? That would be best."
Sheng Ningyu turned around, shrugged like a rogue, and said to Ning Jiao, "I have been the Sword Master for so many years, and I should be punishing evil and helping the weak... Ah, I remember now, I should have done enough to eliminate the puppets and remove the miasma."
"In addition, thanks to you, I was sealed in a coffin by those people for sixty years... Ning Jiao, do you know, I knew at a glance that Senior Yan is a good person." Sheng Ningyu said nonchalantly, "Good people are the most soft-hearted. Since they are soft-hearted, they will definitely pity me and won't hold it against me too much."
"So, they will eventually let you go."
This is why Sheng Ningyu never considered becoming a Sword Master.
The Sword Master, the supreme master of swords in the world, should set an example by bearing this title.
Every move must be carefully considered; even resorting to dishonest means is no longer an option.
Ning Jiao listened quietly, but finally said, "Isn't Senior Sister a good person?"
Good people are all soft-hearted.
When you saw Yan Wurong's injuries, didn't you feel sad and soft-hearted?
Sheng Ningyu was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Ning Jiao for a long time before turning her head away again and saying vaguely, "What do you mean it's hard to recognize a good person? Even the best person has selfish motives."
Ning Jiao looked at Sheng Ningyu.
Her senior sister has a pair of extremely beautiful eyes.
It is beautiful enough to encompass all things in heaven and earth.
She was just one of millions among them.
Ning Jiao asked, "Senior sister, if I weren't Master's bloodline, would you still protect me?"
The fire gradually died down.
Sheng Ningyu remained silent for a moment, then turned around and asked, "Junior sister, where did you hear these rumors from?"
Ning Jiao said to herself, "Senior Sister, do you still remember that Flowing Light Sword? It was forged by Master Qingxuan of the Phoenix Clan and has been passed down for thousands of years. I know that Senior Sister begged Master for that sword for a long time, but I couldn't learn swordsmanship and couldn't even learn the basic sword techniques. But Master still gave me the Flowing Light Sword in the end."
Sheng Ningyu shook her head: "It's just a sword."
She forgot again.
My master died long ago.
"Senior sister."
Ning Jiao interrupted Sheng Ningyu, knowing that Sheng Ningyu hadn't remembered everything yet, but she still looked directly at Sheng Ningyu and asked, "Will you protect me?"
Sheng Ningyu pursed her lips.
Many, many sounds rang in her ears.
There were cries and screams, and someone was murmuring something to her.
Sheng Ningyu did not listen to any of it.
She said, "Yes."
"It's because I've seen you practice swordsmanship."
Ning Jiao suddenly looked up.
It was a little embarrassing to say this, so Sheng Ningyu coughed lightly and didn't dare to look at Ning Jiao: "When you first started, you were so small, you walked with a wobbly gait, and you followed me around every day calling me senior sister in a soft voice, begging me to teach you swordsmanship."
“But I can’t teach you the sword skills I learned. I can only watch you… You are very skilled and persistent. Even though you were injured by the puppets so many times in the training ground, you never changed.”
Ning Jiao almost pressed Sheng Ningyu's words, urgently asking, "Where is Senior Sister?"
Sheng Ningyu said, "It's the sword training ground at the end of the corridor halfway up Jian Ge Mountain, the one with many pear trees outside. I like to stay in the pear trees; the scenery is beautiful, and the view is clear..."
Even if identities are reversed and memories are erased within the Yin-Yang Blood Array, the events and trajectories that are crucial to the individual will remain unchanged.
This is something they have to do, something ingrained in their very being.
When Ning Jiao first noticed Sheng Ningyu on the pear tree in the Yin-Yang Blood Array, he had a guess, but he didn't dare to confirm it.
It turns out it was true.
It turns out that every time she felt isolated and helpless back then, there was someone hiding in the pear tree, secretly watching her.
Ning Jiao looked both crying and laughing: "Why didn't Senior Sister tell me?"
"What do you want me to tell you?"
Whenever Sheng Ningyu thinks back to those days, she finds her junior sister really adorable: "You were so competitive that even when an outer disciple beat you, you would hold a grudge for a long time, so angry that you almost gritted your teeth and wished you could cast a spell on that outer disciple."
"If I saw this attitude, I don't know how long I would stay angry."
"...Jiaojiao?"
Sheng Ningyu's rambling finally stopped when she looked up.
Sheng Ningyu looked at Ning Jiaojiao, who was now further away from her, and asked hesitantly, "Are you crying?"
Ning Jiao looked at Sheng Ningyu and suddenly remembered their conversation in the palace that day.
At that time, she pressed Elder Qin for answers, speaking with great conviction, saying that the Sword Master was not someone who couldn't distinguish right from wrong, that the Sword Master was not someone who didn't remember old friendships, and that the Sword Master was a good person.
Ning Jiao spoke beautiful but hypocritical words back then because she wanted to use morality to force Sheng Ningyu to let her go.
But Ning Jiao never expected that, without her pressing him, the saintly Sword Master Mingyue had already planned to make an exception for her.
It turns out that one of the weaknesses of a good person is herself.
"Jiaojiao?"
The flames beside her suddenly burst into flames. Not daring to upset Ning Jiao, Sheng Ningyu carefully moved closer to her. "Are you alright?"
Ning Jiao looked at Sheng Ningyu, her face seemingly both crying and not crying, her eyelashes drooping, as if they were about to be stained with blood and tears in the flames.
"Think about it again, think about it again..."
Think about the things you've forgotten, think about the people you haven't remembered.
Think about it... is it worth it?
Ironically, Ning Jiao clearly hoped that Sheng Ningyu would never remember, never remember the evil deeds she had committed, and never remember the people who had caused estrangement between them.
She hopes that in her senior's heart, "Junior Sister Ning Jiaojiao" will always be that clean and well-behaved girl.
But...
But people are always insatiable.
She hoped that Sheng Ningyu would remember.
She knew that her senior sister had traveled through the three realms over the years, doing many things and saving many people.
Her senior sister is not only her senior sister, but also the bright moon in the hearts of many people.
This time, could we let the moonlight fall only on her?
"Senior sister, do you remember now?"
Ning Jiao looked at Sheng Ningyu, and suddenly all her strength dissipated, causing her to collapse softly to the ground. Her face was tilted back, and the firelight danced in her once bright eyes, reflecting only an almost frenzied emptiness.
"Then, stay, stay with me..."
"The Yin-Yang Blood Array awakens Yin and Yang... Illusion becomes reality, obsession becomes the boundary..."
The surrounding flames seemed to freeze for a moment eerily in response to Ning Jiao's words.
Sheng Ningyu didn't know what she was doing, but instinctively shouted, "Ning Jiaojiao! Stop right there!"
Before he finished speaking, everything around him suddenly receded rapidly.
A soft rustling sound came from above.
Amidst the pure white snow, a touch of coolness landed on Sheng Ningyu's nose.
She looked up, and more pure white snowflakes began to fall.
A slender figure, bathed in the soft light and drifting snow, slowly emerged from not far away. She wore simple, elegant clothes, her face gentle, and her eyes calm as an ancient well.
Her gaze fell on Sheng Ningyu, and a gentle smile, as if she had been waiting for a very long time, spread across her face. She parted her lips slightly and said, "Mingyue..."
Sheng Ningyu looked at her, having no memory of her, yet a strange familiarity welled up within her: "You know me? Who are you?"
"The fragrance is different from the charm, it is also like demons, ghosts, flowers, willows and smoke." The woman said softly.
It's all too familiar.
“I should have been in the Yin-Yang Blood Array, dissipating along with the resentment of those demons and ghosts. It was... Immortal Lord Xie who hid me here.”
Sheng Ningyu: "Thank you, Immortal Lord?"
Xiang Bieyun seemed taken aback, and frowned slightly: "Xie Qianjing, doesn't Mingyue remember?"
This name is like a key, suddenly unlocking the deepest curse in my memory.
"...Sister Yan!"
I see!
Sheng Ningyu suddenly opened her eyes, this time her eyes were clear.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward and tried to pull Xiang Bieyun along: "Sister Ayan, come with me!"
Xiang Bieyun stood still and quietly shook her head.
She reached out and caught a few falling snowflakes, watching them melt into a slightly damp mark on her palm.
"Thanks to the blessings of the Great Dao, I have been away for long enough."
She looked up, and the resentment of the surrounding demons seemed to sense her presence and nuzzled against her.
Xiang Bieyun smiled slightly, her voice as soft as a sigh yet as heavy as a vow: "If I leave, the demonic energy that shares the same origin and coexists with this place will lose its last restraint and completely scatter and flow... Those who have just been rescued in the city outside, and even the creatures further away, will likely suffer annihilation."
She was saved by chance in the past, and was grateful for it.
Now, it is out of gratitude for those days that she is willing to give up everything and come here alone.
Her purpose in returning to the City That Never Sleeps was to take away the souls of those who died unjustly in the dungeon, so that they would not become puppets of others after their deaths.
Having achieved her goal, she had no further desires.
The days when she became "Xiang Bieyun" were the happiest days of her life.
Snowflakes fell on Xiang Bieyun's hair and shoulders, but she seemed not to feel the cold. She just looked deeply at Sheng Ningyu, but changed the way she addressed her.
"Sword Master, take those children outside and leave quickly."
Yin and Yang have their own principles.
The path of demons, ghosts, flowers, willows, and smoke has come to this point.
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Author's note: Today is Christmas Eve, may everyone be safe and sound!
Chapter 81 contains a dialogue between Elder Qin and Ning Jiao.
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