Chapter 87
Night fell, and a commotion arose.
Sheng Ningyu looked at Rong Que in front of her. He stood quietly, his brows seemingly carrying the hazy mist of Jiangnan's rain and the sparseness of distant green mountains. Even though he couldn't see, he was still perfect, without the slightest flaw.
Sheng Ningyu thought that her second senior brother should be like this.
He is a gentleman of noble character, with exquisite appearance and noble virtue, truly deserving of the title "flawless".
But now, that once gentle and indulgent expression has faded, as if a single, soft breath could shatter the jade hairpin, leaving a crack in the flawless jade.
Rong Que is now invisible; his eyes are calm and still, as deep as a block of graphite, devoid of any spirit.
However, the moment she met those eyes, Sheng Ningyu's mind went blank.
The white silk was no longer on Rong Que's eyes, and he had the same expression. In the midst of the uproar, countless memories came rushing back in an instant.
Sheng Ningyu looked at Rong Que and almost uncontrollably took her hand off the sword hilt, letting it hang at her side.
My mind is a jumbled mess, filled with boring old stories from the past.
Bombing the academy, altering talismans, sneaking down the mountain...
Countless people in the world experience laughter, anger, and vengeance.
Sheng Ningyu likes them all.
And then there's the look in my second senior brother's eyes every time I secretly returned to Sword Pavilion.
Sheng Ningyu remembered that every time she did something behind Rong Que's back and he found out, he would stand quietly halfway down the three thousand steps below the entrance to the Sword Pavilion, looking at her.
The Three Thousand Steps is where the Sword Pavilion trials are held, and the Forty-Nine White Jade Steps of Qingyi Academy are derived from this place.
Sheng Ningyu suffered a lot here back then. Even before the trial began, the rules for the three thousand steps were numerous and complex. Demonic energy, evil energy, and ghostly energy were forbidden from entering, and even righteous cultivators were not allowed to use their spiritual power on it...
It's a mess, a bunch of rules.
Sheng Ningyu was extremely impatient with this path, and she would never step into it unless there was absolutely no other way.
Rong Que, on the other hand, is exactly the opposite.
He was most adept at waiting for her to walk right into his trap on this road.
Through the sparse shadows, the night is sparse and desolate.
The dappled moonlight condensed on the jade-like young man and fell on his mottled shadow. For a moment, it seemed that the beautiful jade had a flaw and the full moon had a waning edge.
[Second Brother Pig!]
"Second Senior Brother."
Sheng Ningyu called out almost subconsciously.
She saw Rong Quefang's closed eyes tremble slightly, and when he opened them, they seemed to be curving into a gentle arc again. Before that, he had already raised his hand, just like every time before, to place his palm on her earlobe and tidy her hair.
However, at this moment, Sheng Ningyu lowered her eyes, her gaze fixed on the long flute in his other hand, and slowly said.
His tone was soft, yet his composure was extreme.
Just moments ago, he had been venting his anger on his little girl, but in an instant, all his emotions seemed to have vanished, leaving him as still as a snow sculpture.
He froze himself, and also chilled those around him.
The curtains were lifted by the wind, and the fine rain seemed to be pulling the bright moon down with it. But the moonlight remained unchanged, and the raindrops fell on the gauze curtains, then rolled down the silk into the pond, creating ripples.
Rong Que seemed somewhat stunned, his raised hand freezing half an inch from Sheng Ningyu's earlobe.
Was that previous enthusiastic tone and demeanor just an act to deceive?
No.
Rong Que quickly realized that it wouldn't happen.
The bright moon shines straight in, its intent unfathomable.
Sheng Ningyu was just like that—open and honest, saying whatever came to mind, neither caring nor bothering to hide anything.
Rong Que calmly withdrew his hand, a pleasant smile appearing in his eyes.
He said, "Mingyue has grown up."
However, as his hand fell, it inevitably touched something protruding from Sheng Ningyu's waist.
As the acting head of the Sword Pavilion, Rong Que immediately understood what this meant.
It's the hilt of a sword.
Rong Que curled his fingers slightly.
The touch of the fingertips is not the coldness of icy iron; although it is smooth and delicate, it is also plain and simple.
It is made of wood branches.
The instant he realized this, beneath his wide sleeves, he clenched his five fingers, pressing so hard that his finger bones seemed about to burst through his flesh.
Rong Que remained silent for a long time, which annoyed Sheng Ningyu.
She disliked Rong Que's way of doing things the most.
It's unclear, and unfathomable.
Rong Que couldn't see, but he seemed to be able to sense Sheng Ningyu's impatience. He sighed and said, "Years ago, I told my junior sister that the path of puppetry is not the right one."
And so it is.
That same phrase again.
However, this was not the key point. Sheng Ningyu did not want to dwell on it anymore, and only grasped the key point, saying, "If I can't learn it, can Junior Sister learn it?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Sheng Ningyu felt something was amiss.
She asked the right question, but it sounded too much like she was being coquettish.
Fortunately, Rong Que understood her and didn't misunderstand. He simply smiled and said, "Everyone's circumstances are different. Ning Jiao is not proficient in swordsmanship, but she has more talent in puppet carving."
"The affairs of the Nine Heavens Pavilion are complicated, and I have my own plans. As for the puppet you mentioned earlier..." Rong Que paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly, "That was not made by Ning Jiao, but was an old item of mine. After learning that it had been lost, I quickly destroyed it myself."
Sheng Ningyu frowned, puzzled, and asked, "Why is Second Senior Brother making my wood carving?"
The rain fell softly, like the sound of wind swirling up shattered jade pendants.
Rong Que remained silent for a long while before slowly saying, "I remember you with this in mind."
I see.
Sheng Ningyu didn't realize the profound meaning behind those words; she just felt relieved.
The second senior brother did not deceive anyone, which is consistent with Feng Qingli's statement that "the substitute puppet was made by your second senior brother".
Sheng Ningyu finally felt a little relieved.
There have been too many changes in this world, and she didn't want to see Rong Que fall into the same fate.
Thinking of this, Sheng Ningyu glanced at Rong Que's long flute again, and her words became a little slow: "Second Senior Brother, you should know that such a few words are not enough to convince me."
Rong Que tightened his grip on the flute: "Is Junior Sister blaming me again?"
"Regarding Ning Jiao's matter, you never blamed anyone but me for neglecting to discipline him. As for the wooden doll, you didn't hold any further grudges against Chu Jiye but only blamed me for not teaching him this craft and for letting it fall into disuse."
"My junior sister has such high expectations of me."
Rong Que let out a breathy sound, which seemed to be both a smile and a sigh, but then changed the subject: "Mingyue, is that a wooden sword at your waist? I remember when you first started learning swordsmanship, we often used wooden swords to spar with each other. But later, when you got 'Moon Without Flaws' and liked it so much, you threw those dusty wooden swords into a corner."
At this point, Rong Que paused, then slowly leaned down to Sheng Ningyu's side and picked up a jade hairpin that had somehow fallen into her hair.
The next second, before Sheng Ningyu could retreat, he stepped back first, his fingertips twirling the jade hairpin flower as he asked, "Why is Junior Sister using a wooden sword again now?"
There was nothing wrong with saying this, and Sheng Ningyu didn't find it strange at all. She honestly said, "Back in the Mitian Realm, my sword was destroyed, leaving only scattered fragments." She paused, then placed the white silk she had just torn off on the table.
"Second Senior Brother, there is a reason why I dared not recognize you in Qingyi Academy."
Among those who set up the trap to imprison her, there must be people close to her, and there must be things connected to her by karma.
It could be something she sincerely gave, imbued with a trace of her spiritual power; or something connected to her soul.
Among those who possess these things... Chu Chang'an is one, and among Jian Ge and her friends, at least one person has betrayed her.
At that time, Sheng Ningyu was suspicious and doubted many people. Now it seems that the truth has come to light.
The mastermind behind the Chu family first imprisoned Xie Qianjing, then set up an array to trap her. Feng Jiutian, the patriarch of the Phoenix Clan, knew some of the details, but chose to stand by and watch coldly because his own son had died by her sword.
As for those objects imbued with causal spiritual power, whether it's Chu Jiye or Ning Jiao, or the Qingniao Yiye Hua's Affectionate Flower Forest and Rainbow Pool, or perhaps the old objects that the Phoenix Clan obtained from Feng Xiaosheng, or even many corners of the human world...
Spanning mountains and plains, lingering through the three realms, Sheng Ningyu has been to too many places.
Sheng Ningyu dared not even think about it, yet she couldn't help but feel paranoid.
Just as she said when she first met Yuan Daojun, at that time Sheng Ningyu abandoned all past affections and only cared about hatred and how they would hate her.
Now, Sheng Ningyu has long since lost interest in arguing.
Perhaps many people have abandoned her, but there are also many who love her and miss her.
There were relatives and friends she knew by name, and strangers she didn't know by name. Some had met her in person, while others only knew her from stories passed down through generations.
But they all remember "Sheng Ningyu" and like "Sheng Ningyu" very much, and that's enough.
Sheng Ningyu stroked the sword hilt, thinking of the person who carved the sword. Her eyebrows unconsciously rose, and her tone became cheerful: "Several members of the Chu family are dead, but the puppet barrier has not completely dissipated. Second senior brother, I must have a sword that suits my hand."
Such words, such tone.
She looks exactly like the girl who held his hand a hundred years ago and skipped up and down the three thousand steps.
Rong Que's expression softened slightly.
He raised his right hand slightly, and a string of a zither instantly wrapped around a white silk ribbon, which moved with the wind and then covered his eyes.
Sheng Ningyu glanced at it, then looked out of the curtain.
The moonlight is fading; sunrise is probably just around the corner.
Rong Que raised his hand to smooth out the silk ribbon, his expression full of admiration: "Having gone through so much, Mingyue's temperament remains unchanged, which is truly a good thing."
"But how can a wooden sword be used effectively? I thought Mingyue had already abandoned it."
Sheng Ningyu shook her head: "That's not how it's said." She looked at the white silk covering Rong Que's eyes, lightly, like a thin mist, so that one could no longer see those lifeless eyes.
"Isn't Second Senior Brother the same?"
Sheng Ningyu said, "My second senior brother used to like to spar with me using the wooden swords from the Sword Pavilion. But after he got the Qinggui Sword, he was reluctant to draw it easily."
Rong Que turned his head, white silk fluttering in the wind, and said helplessly, "Now that we've grown up, we can't be the same as when we were young."
Sheng Ningyu looked at him and laughed, "So that's how it is." Sheng Ningyu tilted her head, reached out and took a smaller piece of pastry, then bent one leg back and leaned against the pavilion railing in a very comfortable position.
The tassels hanging from the white jade lotus crown on his head swayed gently with his movements. The jade beads clinked together, producing a clear, crisp sound that was particularly noticeable in the stillness.
Sheng Ningyu chewed on a pastry and said casually, "No wonder I never heard my second senior brother play the zither again, only the sound of the flute."
Sheng Ningyu thought that Rong Que didn't need to make such roundabout accusations.
He implied that she had changed, but hadn't he changed as well?
Sheng Ningyu grew up in the Sword Pavilion. At that time, Rong Que was just a young boy. However, he was gentle and steady, unlike her carefree and impulsive nature. In addition, there were only three disciples under the Guihai Sword Master at that time. As the middle one, Rong Que inevitably took good care of the youngest, Sheng Ningyu.
Over time, the senior and junior disciples developed an extremely close and intimate relationship, sharing everything with each other, almost surpassing that of anyone else.
New junior sisters and brothers have joined the sect.
Sheng Ningyu gradually realized that Rong Que was not special to her; it was just the care of an older person for a younger one.
After Ning Jiaojiao joined the sect, Rong Que took care of her every day, instructed her in swordsmanship, and spoke to her softly and gently.
Because Ning Jiaojiao disliked the sound of the zither, her second senior brother specially learned the long flute.
For a very, very long time, the melodious sound of the zither could no longer be heard in Jian Ge. The once inseparable "senior brother and sister" were still there, but one of them had changed appearance.
Only the faint sound of the flute remained.
Sheng Ningyu then realized something.
It turns out that her second senior brother was kind to her simply because he was a good person.
She was not special in the slightest to her second senior brother.
Do you resent it?
It's mostly because of resentment.
But Sheng Ningyu is unrestrained and carefree. Love and hate are as insignificant as a drop in the ocean to her, not occupying much of her mind.
She traveled across fourteen continents and saw far too much. She was also suddenly imprisoned in a coffin for sixty years after falling from the position of Sword Master, and experienced far too much.
What ordinary people consider extreme love and hate, Sheng Ningyu can simply laugh off.
For example, the Phoenix Clan Chief and Madam Lan, and Chu Chang'an.
Once many things are discussed and resolved, and revenge is taken, they will no longer occupy Sheng Ningyu's mind.
For example, right now.
Sheng Ningyu thought of the past, and as she thought about it, she suddenly felt extremely bored.
She looked at Rong Que, who was dressed in the traditional white robes of the Sword Pavilion with blue patterns. The deep blue cloud patterns on the hem of his robes flowed like a cold spring surging beneath the ice. He was adorned with magical artifacts, which jingled like jade chimes as he moved.
Such elaborate and ornate accessories could easily appear cumbersome, but Rong Que is not overwhelmed in the slightest. On the contrary, compared to the past, Rong Que now possesses a more composed and dignified air due to the passage of time.
Standing before me, it resembles a flawless jade sculpture.
The young master is flawless, with an elegant and charming demeanor.
But after watching for so long, Sheng Ningyu felt no ripples in her heart whatsoever.
How strange, she thought, how really strange.
It was clearly still those two people. In the blink of an eye, she could still see Rong Que holding her hand, walking up the three thousand steps in a phantom image.
How could it change so quickly?
Sheng Ningyu shook her head, clapped her hands, stood up, and said, "Since Senior Brother is unwilling to tell the whole story, I cannot fully believe him either. Let's end our conversation here today."
Her tone was fearless and carefree, just like it always has been.
Rong Que understood that Sheng Ningyu was free-spirited and unrestrained, and she never liked to restrain herself in anything other than swordsmanship.
Don't dwell on things you can't understand, and don't listen to things you don't comprehend.
Although it was said to be today, they all understood that Sheng Ningyu would not stay any longer.
These next few days are her last chance to give Rong Que.
Just as Sheng Ningyu turned around, a soft, misty sigh came from behind her.
"Junior sister, I am also searching for the Sword Master's spiritual bone."
Sheng Ningyu stopped in her tracks, but did not turn around: "Why?"
Rong Que remained silent.
The moonlight shifts, the wind whispers intermittently.
However, just as he was about to speak, several puppets lined up in the distance and knelt down in unison.
"It seems that you have guests, senior brother."
Sheng Ningyu understood: "Let's stop here. I'll say goodbye to my senior brother now."
She turned to leave, but heard Rong Que's voice behind her.
"What if it were him?"
Sheng Ningyu paused in her steps.
“If it’s that person…” Rong Que paused, seemingly letting out a distorted laugh, or perhaps not, which then faded into the vast night.
When he spoke again, his voice was still gentle and warm, without a trace of extra emotion.
"That Demon Lord has some unspeakable difficulties, Mingyue, are you going to press him like this?"
Xie Qianjing?
Sheng Ningyu turned to Rong Que and asked, "How did you hear about him, Senior Brother?"
Rong Que: "From the Immortal Lord of the Bodhi Xie Clan to the Demon Lord who is now gathering the Demon Clan and the Righteous Path to jointly eliminate the Puppet Barrier. In this period of time, I have heard countless rumors.
Sheng Ningyu turned around again: "He is different from the rumors."
Rong Que's voice came faintly from behind: "Junior Sister is unaware of the rumors I have heard."
Sheng Ningyu had already walked forward, but upon hearing this, she turned her head and smiled nonchalantly: "Second Senior Brother, I don't need to know the rumors." Sheng Ningyu paused, as if remembering something, and the corners of her mouth curved upwards even more, almost unable to suppress a soft chuckle.
However, although her tone was relaxed and smiling, Sheng Ningyu's words carried an undeniable certainty.
She gripped the sword hilt and gave Rong Que a deep look.
"Whatever the rumors are, he is much better than they say."
As soon as she finished speaking, Sheng Ningyu turned around again and strode out.
But in that instant, Sheng Ningyu's steps suddenly froze.
Outside the curtain, a light drizzle fell, the moonlight was pale, and the horizon was already faintly tinged with the gray of approaching dawn.
But that's not the point.
Sheng Ningyu's gaze fell on the shore not far away. The dozens of puppet servants who had been standing there had all silently turned into fragments.
Most terrifyingly, these severed torsos lay scattered on the ground, the cuts shockingly smooth, as if some irresistible force had precisely severed the joints in an instant. The once intricately functioning mechanical skeletons now resembled discarded doll parts, twisted and overlapping at various angles. The spiritual threads at the joints hung limply, like severed meridians, from which the remaining spiritual energy was slowly dissipating.
It was terrifyingly precise, and terrifyingly indifferent.
Rong Que was clearly a master at making puppets. Except for the eyes of real people, the other facial features and limbs of these guards were made to look just like real people. Now they were scattered on the ground, just like the limbs of real people, like a bloody catastrophe, which was really terrifying.
Amidst these almost horrifying ruins, only a figure as pure as ice and jade stood atop their remains.
When she looked at him, the man's eyes curved upwards, still as gentle as spring water as ever.
"I've been searching for a long time, but thankfully this time it was the right person." Xie Qianjing stood amidst the severed limbs and remains, staring intently at Sheng Ningyu, and asked gently.
"Ninefold, will you take me away?"
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Author's note: Yay! We've found Xiao Xie!
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