Chapter 51
Sheng Ningyu met his gaze for three seconds, then calmly said, "This disciple greets Elder Yang."
Just then, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the testing platform.
Sheng Ningyu looked back and saw that the disciples were surrounding Chu Le with excited expressions. Even the Qingniao Yiyehua disciple who had just fought against him was smiling and admiringly said, "Young Master Chu has extraordinary composure. I was one step behind."
He had expected the arrogant young master of the Chu family to ridicule him, but to his surprise, the boy shook his head, touched his nose, and said rather awkwardly, "We are all disciples of the academy, so there is no need to discuss those worldly titles."
The disciple, Qingniao Yiyehua, was taken aback for a moment, then exchanged glances with his companions and smiled again.
This time, their smiles were much more genuine.
"Since Fellow Daoist Chu puts it that way, we won't stand on ceremony."
They were young and didn't have any major grudges, so the boys became familiar with each other in just a few words.
However, during the conversation, Chu Le frequently looked outside, and when he finally caught sight of someone, his eyes lit up.
"The sword... did you see it?"
Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Chu Le leaped down from the high platform and ran towards Sheng Ningyu. When he looked up, the boy's eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.
Chu Le's cheeks were flushed, and his eyes still held the fierce, desperate look that hadn't faded from his stage presence. Yet, at this moment, he was also smiling without a trace of gloom. This contradiction made this once aloof young master seem a bit more worldly and endearing.
Like a vicious dog that has caught its prey, wagging its tail and showing off to its owner.
Sheng Ningyu couldn't help but pat his head and praise him, "Well done!"
Yao Youling followed over and watched Chu Le with a smug look on her face. She said sarcastically, "Why didn't you do this earlier? You had to fight us before you knew how to back down."
Before Chu Le could retort, Jin Xianyao couldn't sit still any longer. He raised his eyebrows, extremely dissatisfied: "Yao Youling! What nonsense are you spouting now!"
Yuan Shu and his head were throbbing from the noise, and he said helplessly, "Please stop talking for now."
"Hey, Fellow Daoist Wang." The disciple of Qingniao Yiyehua seized the opportunity to sidle up to Sheng Ningyu. "What did you say to that brat Chu Le earlier? My move always works, so why doesn't it work on him?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Can't you see Fellow Daoist Wang has a headache?"
The disciple of Nine Heavens Pavilion pushed aside the disciple of Azure Bird and One Leaf Flower and said hesitantly, "Fellow Daoist Wang, are you feeling better?"
Chu Yanshu reached out to stop the curious people: "Don't push around."
The disciple of Qingniao Yiyehua carefully reached out and slipped something into Sheng Ningyu's hand, stammering, "What happened before was... well, this is our apology!"
"Hey! Why won't you let me ask? Aren't you curious about what just happened...?"
Years have passed, and time flies like water.
The beautiful scenery and pleasant weather remain.
Sheng Ningyu looked at the laughing and joking disciples, her gaze shifting, and noticed that Xie Qianjing had disappeared from her side at some point.
The area under the shade of the trees, where fallen flowers and weeping willows once stood, was now empty and deserted, with only the shadows of the trees swaying in the breeze.
He inexplicably showed a hint of loneliness.
Sheng Ningyu lowered her gaze and extended a wisp of her spiritual sense into the storage bag handed over by the disciple Qingniao Yiyehua.
It was an ordinary storage bag, containing only five jars of wine.
"It's what I promised you before." The disciple of Qingniao Yiyehua leaned closer and whispered furtively, "It's our 'Full House of Flowers,' so hide it well! Don't let them find out!"
The room is full of flowers.
Amidst a cacophony of sounds, Sheng Ningyu's lips curled into a smile, just like everyone else's, yet her heart felt desolate and empty.
The hall is filled with flowers, intoxicating three thousand guests.
Once upon a time, she, Feng Xiaosheng, Li Qingfeng, Yu Hanyi, and her second senior brother... many of them, also chased and fought each other in Qingyi Academy, laughing and joking.
Even the junior sister who shouldn't have left the Sword Pavilion was secretly lured away by her and spent the night at the Qingyi Academy.
"Is this Qingyi Academy? Is that where Senior Sister usually cultivates? Is that the trial ground? It seems to be a bit smaller than Sword Pavilion... Hey, what's that tallest palace? It's really beautiful."
She rarely comes out, and she excitedly looks around, much like a fish that has been poured from a fish tank into a stream, finally free and happily swimming around.
Sheng Ningyu rubbed her head.
"That tallest one is the main hall of Qingyi Academy... Hmm, what's the main hall? It's where your senior sister always gets punished!"
Seeing Sheng Ningyu's feigned distress, Ning Jiao immediately felt sorry for her and decisively said, "That place is not nice, I don't want to look!"
At that time, Li Qingfeng, who had not yet changed his name, came over with a smile and teased Feng Xiaosheng a few times, which made Feng Xiaosheng chuckle softly.
The phoenix princess proudly raised her head, disdainful of associating with them. "You bunch of people, you wouldn't even fool a child."
Yu Hanyi, who was the daughter of the Nine Heavens Pavilion Master back then, smiled gently and generously. She was not in good health and coughed a few times. Sheng Ningyu quickly helped her catch her breath, and then heard Yu Hanyi speak softly in front of her.
"Junior Sister Sheng, did you discuss this with Immortal Master Yan?"
Sheng Ningyu put her hands behind her back and said with a smile, "Of course I didn't say anything. If that day really comes, I hope Sister Hanyi can plead for me."
A slight blush rose on Yu Hanyi's pale face as she lowered her head. "What can I plead for?" She pushed Sheng Ningyu away and sat up straight. "Your senior brother spoils you the most."
Even so, the pipa playing in Yu Hanyi's hands paused for a moment, and when it started again, the notes were slightly disordered.
Ning Jiao nestled trustingly next to Sheng Ningyu, tilted her head back, and said in a clear voice, "If Senior Sister thinks it's strange, then it must be strange."
She always favored her senior sister the most, so naturally, whatever she said was right.
Sheng Ningyu became even more smug after receiving the affirmation. Her beautiful golden jade crown swayed back and forth as she swiftly snatched the last piece of Bodhi Honey Flower Cake and stuffed it into her junior sister's hand.
In the corner, the dark hem of the garment disappeared, but a white, floor-length crane cloak appeared instead.
The fragrance of hosta flowers wafted through the air, wafting into my nose.
The fragrance is not strong, yet it permeates the air quietly, subtly influencing everything.
Sheng Ningyu didn't care about any of that.
She pulled out a wheelchair from somewhere, lay down on it, and sat side by side with Yang Xiuzhu, looking lazy and extremely comfortable.
Sheng Ningyu clinked glasses with Yang Xiuzhu beside her, then turned her head jokingly: "Second Senior Brother, look, even Junior Sister thinks I'm right!"
A helpless chuckle came from the corner.
The elegant immortal finally revealed his true form, strolling in with a divine and lofty bearing, like a jade tree in a jeweled forest.
He said, "Junior sister, don't play with Junior Brother Yang's wheelchair."
Yang Xiuzhu said slowly, "It's alright, Second Senior Brother, I'm willing."
But no one present believed him.
Rong Que sighed, walked to Sheng Ningyu's side, raised his hand and gently tapped the top of Sheng Ningyu's head, his voice both amused and authoritative.
"audacious in the extreme."
Ning Jiao looked a little scared, and her eating of the pastries slowed down. She shrank back behind Sheng Ningyu anxiously.
Sheng Ningyu glared at her second senior brother with dissatisfaction, raised her hand and used her spiritual power to pour him a cup of spiritual tea, which she then held in front of Rong Que, blocking his path.
"Yes, yes, yes! Then let our elegant and unparalleled First Young Master choose whether to collude with us or arrest us now?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Xiaosheng objected.
She frowned slightly, put down her wine cup, and turned around with an air of arrogance and haughtiness: "The Sword Pavilion has no right to interfere with us Phoenix Clan members, does it?"
Yu Hanyi put down her pipa and said gently, "Brother Yan from the Sword Pavilion will not be coming to inspect today."
Even the most obedient Yang Xiuzhu raised his head from his wheelchair and pleaded earnestly, "Second Senior Brother, don't take Senior Sister Sheng back."
His tone was slow, yet extremely solemn.
Li Qingfeng remained silent, but also looked at Rong Que.
People from other sects present also openly and secretly sized up Rong Que.
Rong Que was never afraid of being stared at.
The more they acted this way, the more composed he became. This young immortal, who was highly praised by the outside world, lowered his head, calmly took a sip of tea, and then his brows furrowed slightly.
Sheng Ningyu laughed heartily: "There's wine in the tea, it's 'Full House of Flowers' that Li Qingfeng specially brought." She tugged at Rong Que's sleeve, raising her eyebrows triumphantly, "How does it taste, Second Senior Brother?"
"Ah." Yang Xiuzhu seemed to have suddenly triggered some mechanism, and slowly said, "Drinking alcohol is not allowed in the academy."
“Yes.” Sheng Ningyu raised an eyebrow and drawled, “Senior Brother Rong, you have also violated the sect rules.”
Some people couldn't help but look directly at Rong Que, only to see this usually gentle and refined immortal pursing his lips, his smile elegant and reserved.
He looked at his junior sister, and a hint of laughter condensed in his eyes, like a sky full of stars and the moon.
"Junior sister, it seems you haven't given me a choice."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, looked at each other, and then suddenly burst into laughter, frolicking and playing under the pear tree.
What grudges did we hold against each other back then? The biggest grudge was probably that you surpassed me on the trial stage today, and that during that competition, you secretly teamed up with someone else when I wasn't paying attention.
Sheng Ningyu thought that even Chu Chang'an had mentioned that the biggest blow he suffered at that time was being scolded by his elder brother for being perfunctory and careless in his cultivation.
A dream arises from delusion, a dream is turned upside down; the scenery of the four seasons gives rise to the buildings of the four seasons.
In this scene of four seasons, all four seasons can coexist, and the grudges of ancestors can seemingly be temporarily set aside.
This contains countless wonderful and unbelievable moments that she would recall in the future. At times, Sheng Ningyu almost felt that those moments were just a dream she had many years ago.
Springtime is endless, and youth is wonderful in a thousand ways.
Sheng Ningyu.
Sheng Ningyu.
As the sun began to set, casting countless shadows, she watched the boys skipping and frolicking in front of her and thought to herself, "You really shouldn't be thinking about this."
That shouldn't be the case.
He repeatedly rubbed his left hand against the wound on his right hand, as if trying to reopen the old scar.
Sheng Ningyu knew what she had to do.
Perhaps from that time on, Chu Le will become the next "Feng Qingli", or the next junior brother.
Yang Xiuzhu.
Sheng Ningyu did not want him to know her identity. Besides the fact that she was unaware of the affairs of the Sword Pavilion and did not want to expose her identity, she also did not know how to face Yang Xiuzhu.
I feel guilty.
The once fearless Sheng Ningyu always got to the bottom of things and wanted to find out the truth when she encountered injustice.
Until that one time.
Yu Hanyi is the only bloodline left by Han Rusu, the wife of Yu Tanqiu, the master of Jiuxiao Pavilion. However, Han Rusu was poisoned by the Hehuan Sect's strange poison "Mo Xiang Cui". This poison would make a person's appearance beautiful day by day, but would also make them weaker day by day. In the end, there was no cure and she died.
Yu Hanyi also carried this poison from the womb.
This time, for the sake of his daughter, the Pavilion Master of Nine Heavens Pavilion finally turned to his old rival, Yuan Daojun, for help. Fortunately, the poison in Yu Hanyi's body was much weaker than that of Madam Han back then, and with Yuan Daojun present, it could at least be suppressed for the time being.
However, one day, Yu Tanqiu suddenly stopped sending Yu Han clothes.
He said he had discovered a new method.
Yu Hanyi's health improved day by day. Yu Tanqiu even made some wild remarks while drunk, looking contemptuously at Yang Xiuzhu in the wheelchair and asking him, "Do you want to get your legs healed?"
Sheng Ningyu could see it clearly; her junior brother Yang's eyes became extremely bright in that instant.
She found it extremely strange.
Back then, I was young and time flew by. I always had to get to the bottom of things I didn't understand.
Relying on her talent, Sheng Ningyu remembered that she happened to meet someone who was also exploring this matter, so she joined that person, and the answer they finally found was incredibly shocking.
The poison of the Hehuan Sect, "Mo Xiang Cui," is only in the hands of high-ranking elders within the sect. The only antidote is to replace this poison with the flesh and blood of a blood relative.
Yu Tanqiu used the Love Flower of the Hehuan Sect as a trap to lure several female cultivators into giving birth to their children, in order to exchange their flesh and blood with Yu Hanyi.
However, the fetus was too small, and Yu Qinqiu couldn't make it too obvious, so it could only be made into the size of a pill, placed under Yu Han's clothes. This is why it couldn't completely replace "Mo Xiangcui" inside Yu Han's body.
That year, Sheng Ningyu was young and impetuous, never compromising, and caused a great commotion. Even Feng Qingli, who grew up in Hehuan City, was almost burned to death on a high-rise building.
Sheng Ningyu revealed the truth.
But at the same time, she ruined Yu Hanyi's relationship with her father.
Although Yu Hanyi appears gentle and kind, she possesses an inner strength and resilience. Unwilling to use methods that betray others to cure her poison, her relationship with Pavilion Master Yu soured, and she was confined to the Nine Heavens Pavilion by Yu Tanqiu to recuperate. Her senior brother, Yan Ruchao, betrayed the Sword Pavilion and joined the Ghost Cang Tower. Guihai Sword Master publicly declared that from then on, the Sword Pavilion "had no more senior brothers."
At the same time, Sheng Ningyu also destroyed Yang Xiuzhu's hope of rising again.
What did she say to Yang Xiuzhu back then?
Sheng Ningyu couldn't quite remember, but she did remember that Yang Xiuzhu looked calm and collected at the time, and his daily sword practice was still slow and deliberate. In reality, his mental state was unstable, and his cultivation level kept dropping. When the other disciples discovered this, they ridiculed him.
The boy sat in his wheelchair, the wheels rolled by, and he stopped under the pear tree.
The wind howled and the rain fell; the pear blossoms on the ground were crushed by the wheels of vehicles, leaving a scene of utter devastation.
The boy was slow to act, but he cried very quickly.
A string of tears mingled with the rain, making it impossible to tell which fell faster.
Yang Xiuzhu failed to muster any spiritual power; her clothes were soaked by the rain, and pear blossom petals clung to them, resembling the frost that would soon cover a dying person.
Sheng Ningyu found it strange and went up to ask questions. After a long discussion, she finally understood that the other party was worried that she would be kicked out of the house.
What's there to worry about? Sheng Ningyu didn't understand.
If Ning Guihai really could do such a thing, not to mention anyone else, Sheng Ningyu would be the first to confront him.
She didn't take good care of the apprentices she had taken in. The apprentices usually treated her with great respect, but she felt that their talents were no longer good enough, so she banished them down the mountain.
There's no such logic in the world!
But Sheng Ningyu also knew that she couldn't say this to Yang Xiuzhu.
What did she say?
"You are my only junior brother, who can take your place?"
Sheng Ningyu took out a wheelchair from her Star River Pouch, sat down in it, and then pulled out a beautiful Flowing Bright Snow Umbrella. Several beautiful ice crystals and glass beads were hanging from each corner of the umbrella. When it was opened, it looked as if moonlight was falling through the snow.
She placed the umbrella in Yang Xiuzhu's hand, making him hold it up over their heads, and then leaned back, thoroughly enjoying the view.
"Besides you, who else would hold an umbrella for me like this?"
Without Yang Xiuzhu, who else can she play wheelchair racing with?
With that thought, Sheng Ningyu's tone became even more resolute as she said, "Junior Brother Yang, don't worry. Even if you are expelled from the sect in the future, as long as you are still willing to acknowledge me, I, your senior sister, will definitely protect you!"
After Guihai Sword Master left, she promised Yang Xiuzhu that she would dedicate her life to finding a way to restore his legs, thus giving Yang Xiuzhu hope once again.
I traveled across mountains and seas, but my old friend was unreliable.
Sheng Ningyu scoffed.
She knew perfectly well how much Yang Xiuzhu wanted to stand up, and she also knew perfectly well how much Yang Xiuzhu loved practicing swordsmanship.
fraud.
She lied to Yang Xiuzhu.
Now, without her, the other party has become an indispensable pillar of the Sword Pavilion and is doing very well.
Therefore, she should appear later.
The slower the better.
...
The students were playing around, but their gazes, both openly and secretly, were always fixed on one person.
Xie Qianjing stood with a smile, his body motionless, yet the murderous aura surrounding him made people dare not underestimate him in the slightest.
"What business does Elder Yang have with me?"
Yang Xiuzhu withdrew his gaze from the distance: "Are you perhaps the Demon Clan Venerable who has recently gained fame?"
Xie Qianjing chuckled lightly: "I cannot accept Elder Yang's words."
Yang Xiuzhu was never one to talk much. After thinking for a moment, he asked directly, "Is she my senior sister?"
Above the setting sun, clouds and rosy hues filled the sky.
Xie Qianjing asked indifferently, "Who?"
Yang Xiuzhu: "Your Daoist partner."
Perhaps finding it unbelievable, he thought for a moment and added, "Reincarnation, you could say that too."
Yang Xiuzhu never believed in reincarnation; he considered it foolish and pedantic, merely a way for worldly people to deceive themselves and others.
But at this moment.
He is the most ignorant and pedantic person in the world.
Yang Xiuzhu felt like she was probably going crazy.
He knew the chances were slim, yet he still uttered these crazy words.
He thought it had been bottled up inside him for far too long.
To the outside world, he was the Sword Pavilion Elder, whose mind was unyielding; to the inside world, he was Elder Yang, whom the Sword Pavilion disciples looked up to.
In the bright and clear hall, he is the pillar of the Sword Pavilion, whom no one in the cultivation world dares to provoke. In the midst of the three religions and nine schools of thought, he is a lame man who is lamented by everyone and is unable to walk properly.
He remained composed, calm, and suppressed his emotions without changing his expression.
That bright moon is not there.
He hasn't done "Yang Xiuzhu" for too long.
Yang Xiuzhu thought the Demon Lord wouldn't pay any attention to his nonsensical ramblings, and might even find him a nuisance and attack him directly. Unexpectedly, he didn't know which word pleased the Demon Lord in front of him, but the person who was originally full of cold killing intent suddenly softened.
He said gently, "Even the Ghost Canglou says that the dead cannot be brought back to life, Elder Yang."
Beneath the weeping willows, the figure hidden in the shadows had a moment of blankness in his eyes.
A lofty platform stands tall and upright, a sword within a stone, a slender bamboo.
Everyone knows that Elder Yang Xiuzhu of the Sword Pavilion is as steadfast as a rock, firmly adhering to his principles and never wavering.
"...but they are wrong."
Xie Qianjing said calmly, "All living beings are like this, lost in their own way. But with Elder Yang's character, he shouldn't be unable to see through it."
Instead of gazing at the lively scene of the disciples gathering in the distance, Yang Xiuzhu spoke to the Demon Lord who stood silently beside him: "Actually, my Dao heart is not that firm."
He watched the sunset slowly descend and calmly said, "I don't have one either. I really like swords."
Xie Qianjing asked casually, "Why is Elder Na Yang carrying a sword?"
Why?
Perhaps it was because that year was full of unpredictable changes and twists of fate, and everyone was rushing through the dust and turmoil because of the tricks of fate. The laughter of the past was like a mirage, easily shattered.
In those years, many people and many things met and parted, and the regret was all too fleeting.
Yang Xiuzhu thought that his senior sister was the most powerful sword cultivator in the world, the most beautiful moon in the world. She must see many people in her eyes and have many things in her heart.
Sword Pavilion is very large, and has many disciples.
But she saw him.
"Because at that time she stood with her sword in hand, and when she looked at me, she was the same as all living beings."
...equal to all living beings.
yes.
She has always been like this.
Xie Qianjing smiled silently.
The missing half of the spirit bone caused a fine, dense pain. A crimson color flashed across the pupil for a moment, gradually spreading until it almost completely dyed the whites of the eyes blood red.
Xie Qianjing thought that although he possessed half a spiritual bone and refused to become a demon, he was ultimately base by nature and a dark demon who could only live off the evil desires of others.
It is the same as all living beings.
If that's the case, it's better to kill her as soon as possible.
But unfortunately, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"The idea of reincarnation is nonsense."
Xie Qianjing gave a mocking smirk. He felt a tearing pain in his heart, as if he had returned to that day when the raging fire never died. He was once again locked in a cage by the Soul-Sealing Nails, and every part of his body was wracked with rapid and intense pain.
No more falling flowers or snowflakes could be heard; all that remained were the mocking voices of my inner demons.
Amidst such pain, he suddenly smiled softly.
"I once heard her mention that in the past, she doted on her junior brothers and sisters the most."
This statement came out of nowhere, and the topic suddenly changed. Yang Xiuzhu pondered for a while, puzzled, before her eyes widened suddenly.
The suspended wheelchair spun around on the ground, kicking up a fallen pear blossom petal.
However, the man in white who was standing there had vanished without a trace.
He was clearly the most terrifying demon in the world, but Yang Xiuzhu felt that this demon lord was more like a fairy in the snow.
He glanced indifferently at the world, then vanished without a trace.
Only a faint voice remained, blank and devoid of any emotion, as if cleansed by ice and snow, yet something seemed to pour out from his words.
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Author's Note: This is how our little Bodhi Lotus is.
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