Chapter 4 Weapons: Eyes are weapons. Mouths are ornaments.
The system disappeared.
Xu Qingning seemed to be used to the sound. She looked at the wall, where there was a map.
The Eastern Continent stood proudly in the east, its towering mountains and rushing streams filling the valleys. Above the celestial realm's cloud-covered peaks, the Central and Southern Continents surrounded it. Beneath a single gate, the various races of the mortal realm were also trapped, like prisoners, surrounding the ravaged Eastern Continent.
*
Dongzhou is divided into five parts (geographical units).
The palaces and temples of Tianji Gate are located in the Tianning Division, which is in the center of the Five Divisions.
The Tianji Mountains are located here.
Beneath the azure sky, one can see thousands of peaks vying for prominence, and countless ravines soaring into the distance. These ten peaks belong to the Tianji Gate.
However, ten years ago, the Xu family was almost wiped out after a great disaster, leaving only Xu Qingning and his uncle Xu Lechuan, the head of the family, with many mountain peaks now empty.
Xu Qingning thus possessed the right to dispose of half of the mountain peaks. One of them was called Bingjian Peak, where he spent half of his childhood. Ten years ago, he was wrongly expelled from the immortal sect. After meeting Zhou Fuling, who accompanied him back to Tianji Sect, he allocated this place to Zhou Fuling to live in.
Xu Qingning also lived here most of the time—before he and Zhou Fuling broke up.
Zhou Fuling stepped onto the mountain steps and gazed into the distance.
All that could be seen was the frozen clouds surrounding Ice Mirror Peak, its foothills majestic, the ice sky and mountains connected, gleaming with the cold, frosty light, and the barrier radiating a deafening aura of cold swords.
Crows alight on ancient trees, and beside a clear spring in the deep forest, there is a winding ancient path. The path leads straight to an altar halfway up the mountain, next to which stand rows of somber stone tablets, like a forest of death.
When Zhou Fuling and the other cultivators passed by, they all stopped and remained silent.
This is the grave of the people from Tianji Gate and the Xu family who died ten years ago.
Ten years ago, it was also a great calamity for the entire Eastern Continent.
Back then, the Tianji Sect went to Chenshijian, another of the Twelve Absolute Ravines, to slay a demon, but everyone was trapped inside. In the end, only Xu Qingning escaped.
Faced with the massacre of his entire family, Zhongzhou and Nanzhou claimed that Xu Qingning had colluded with demon cultivators. As a result, Xu Qingning was imprisoned in the Cold Prison for ten years and even had his sword bones stripped away.
However, the events of that year have been proven to be a miscarriage of justice. Xu Qingning later found his surviving uncle, made a powerful comeback, and regained control of Dongzhou.
But so what?
This matter has never been fully resolved, and its shadow still looms over the skies of Dongzhou.
The group passed by the stone tablet.
Shu Mingjian fell silent for a moment.
In matters like this, no one dares to show a frivolous attitude.
This chilling atmosphere gradually dissipated as they ascended to the summit of Bingjian Peak, giving way to a vibrant and lively atmosphere.
Zhou Fuling's boots stepped on a flower petal, and she looked up.
She saw a branch extending from the corner of the wall, and she stared at the bright gardenia on its tip.
A jarring complaint suddenly pierced her ears.
"I really shouldn't have left."
Shu Mingjian followed Zhou Fuling, while the other officers were still some distance away from them.
Seeing that no one else was around, he muttered to himself, "If it weren't for the young sect leader, I don't know how things would have ended today."
"..." Zhou Fuling remained silent.
Shu Mingjian was still dissatisfied.
The young monk curled his lip.
He thought that, as a cultivator, although he couldn't do anything to Zhou Fuling, he could express his dissatisfaction with Zhou Fuling, a troublemaker with no cultivation.
Young Master Xu probably won't do anything to him; he's just saying it.
Punishing a fourth-rank cultivator for someone without cultivation is illogical anywhere.
...Oh, no, that makes sense from the perspective of Han Kuo-yu's faction.
But how much of the Han faction's arrogance remains today?
Shu Mingjian snorted coldly.
Just as he thought Zhou Fuling was about to object again, she suddenly said softly, "By the way, cultivator, my senior brother just told me to give you the 'Frost Spirit Talisman.' He said you've been taking good care of me lately and asked me to thank you."
The girl pursed her lips, as if she felt pressured by Shu Mingjian's harsh attitude, and handed a sky-blue amulet to Shu Mingjian.
She lowered her eyes, her expression very obedient.
Shu Mingjian was taken aback and froze: "The Cold Spirit Amulet? Young Master Xu asked me to give it to you?"
"But wasn't this... previously only given to cultivators who were to receive the reward?"
Zhou Fuling said, "I don't know what Senior Brother means. He instructed me today that even if a magic cultivator doesn't have merit, they still have hard work. He asked me to deliver this talisman so that I could show some respect to magic cultivators."
Shu Mingjian frowned.
This is a protective spirit talisman only available to the sect leader. It's not unusual to receive it normally, but recently, Xu Qingning bestowed several of them. Apart from Zhou Fuling, all those who received them have been promoted, which means they are being valued.
Shu Mingjian suddenly felt dizzy, but a surge of joy rose in his heart.
He did not suspect anything.
Firstly, Xu Qingning has always been strict with Zhou Fuling's moral standards, requiring her to respect other cultivators.
Secondly, in order to help Zhou Fuling win over various parties, Xu Qingning often instructed Zhou Fuling to bring back good things to reward the cultivators from all sides.
...The young sect leader really has nothing to say about her! Shu Mingjian felt a pang of sadness, but then he felt joyful again when he thought of the talisman.
"Hey, Fuling...why didn't you say so earlier!" Shuming took the sword casually, and was much more polite to Zhou Fuling along the way.
Touching the talisman, the young sect leader's pure and powerful spiritual energy patterns surged forth from it. Shu Mingjian was overjoyed and hung it on his waist.
The two continued walking forward.
At the summit of Bingjian Peak, in the Yuhu Courtyard, lies Zhou Fuling's residence, a garden-like setting.
Beneath the barrier, this place enjoys eternal spring.
Magnolias, daylilies, and hibiscus climb the stone foundations and wooden pillars in a lively manner, making the garden very bustling. In addition, the greenery has also washed over the main hall, with green vines and cassia bushes hanging like curtains in front of the hall. Spring is in the air, and the fragrance is carried by the breeze.
After passing through the garden, the first thing that catches the eye is a delicate little pavilion, filled with many exquisite trinkets. This is Zhou Fuling's residence.
Opposite was a solemn palace, but vibrant green vines hung from its snow-white walls; it was Xu Qingning's residence.
However, he hasn't been back for a long time.
Zhou Fuling stared at the green vine, speechless.
She could still remember the last time Xu Qingning stood there, his handsome face showing a hint of anger.
Xu Qingning stared at her for a long time without saying a word before finally saying, "I'm going to the main peak to handle sect affairs these days. Calm down."
He's gone.
A cold wind blew, and Zhou Fuling's thoughts returned.
Upon seeing Zhou Fuling, the cultivators of Bingjian Peak rushed over.
However, she was not without a position. Zhou Fuling held the position of Sixth-Rank Shaofu Zhi, an official post that managed the finances of this peak and did not require cultivation.
On the surface, she has jurisdiction over Xu Qingning Yifeng's finances.
In fact, Xu Qingning had secretly transferred half of his property to Zhou Fuling. But fearing she would be targeted, he forbade her to tell anyone, only allowing her to contact a few people he trusted.
That's getting off-topic.
In short, Zhou Fuling did a good job managing the accounts.
This didn't involve cultivation; she acted meticulously and steadily, and was generally well-liked.
When the cultivators saw Zhou Fuling return today with a bunch of pills and talismans, looking sullen, and without any sign of Sect Leader Xu behind her, they knew that she had once again run into a snub with Sect Leader Xu, and they all offered their own words of comfort to her.
Shu Mingjian stood behind Zhou Fuling with his hands behind his back, looking somewhat impatient.
I really don't know what's so great about her. She's just someone who did the young sect leader a favor. These sycophants...
A cultivator suddenly said, "Spellcaster, what's that talisman on your waist? Ah, it's a Frost Spirit Amulet!"
Shu Mingjian immediately became elated and chuckled, "This is all thanks to Miss Fuling. I protected Miss Fuling today, so this is a reward from the young sect leader. However, it can't compare to the eleventh prize that the lucky Miss Fuling received!"
"Hey, congratulations!" The cultivators exchanged glances, but continued to exclaim in surprise, "I heard that the person who got this talisman last time was promoted to the fourth-rank inspector, which is a very lucrative position!"
"No, no."
“But isn’t it said that Lan Huzhi is more senior and should be promoted?” someone muttered, seemingly oblivious to the situation.
The cultivator from Ice Mirror Peak suddenly grabbed the other cultivator and told him to shut up.
Everyone turned around.
A female cultivator in green robes stood on the pavilion, her face ashen, holding a golden book.
In the Immortal Sect, there are two ranks: Executive Officers and Assistant Officers. Executive Officers are in charge of external affairs of a continent, while Assistant Officers are in charge of internal affairs of the sect. The one who came was none other than Executive Officer Lan.
With a mature and composed demeanor, she bowed to Zhou Fuling, snorted coldly, glared at Shu Mingjian, and turned to leave.
Zhou Fuling smiled and waved her fan.
...
For the next few days, Zhou Fuling rested and delegated the work to others, especially Shu Mingjian. After returning from that trip, Shu Mingjian also became very proactive.
Time flies, and three days later...
early morning.
attic.
The fragrance of osmanthus blossoms wafts from beneath the window.
Zhou Fuling is feeding the birds.
The fragrance of flowers lingered around her yellow pleated skirt, while blue silk and soft strands of hair hung down her back.
Her fingertips were holding a berry, feeding a white thrush in a golden cage.
The golden cage shimmered in the sunlight. And Zhou Fuling's painted eyebrow was different from the others.
Its snow-white feathers gave the thrush a somewhat aloof air. She also added a few jade ornaments to the thrush.
Today, Zhou Fuling hung two small jade pendants on Huamei's body.
The bird's head trembled slightly as it was touched by the cold jade, as if it were too cold and needed to be carved again.
Cold fingers suddenly gripped the bird's beak.
The bird's wings were also stuck on the edge of the cage.
Zhou Fuling was smiling.
But beneath the blue silk ribbon, her eyes seemed to have changed completely, as if they were filled with the shadows of hell.
She spoke again, her voice hoarse and deep. It was an accent almost no one in the Eastern Continent knew, a chilling accent that seemed to come from underground.
[A disobedient bird should have its wings clipped.]
She touched the bird's head; [its eyes are weapons. Its beak is an ornament.]
...
The morning light was a little dazzling, and with the wind, shadows fell on the window.
Zhou Fuling suddenly remembered something from a long time ago.
Many years ago, in the seventeenth year of the Hunting Era.
A dark lair, foul-smelling rocks, and icy spring water.
The handsome and aloof young man leaned against the edge of the pool, his hands convulsing, coughing up blood, and glaring angrily at her.
“The eyes are weapons. The lips,” she stroked his lips as well, “are ornaments.”
...
After a while.
When the official from Bingjian Peak rang the bell and went up to the pavilion, he saw Zhou Fuling sitting by the window.
The girl's almond-shaped eyes were bright, and her snow-white hand supported her chin as she gazed tenderly at the gardens of Bingjian Peak.
The thrush stood meekly at her elbow in its cage.
The officer sighed and said, "Xiao Ling, something has happened to Shu Mingjian!"
Zhou Fuling turned around, as if she hadn't quite grasped the situation, "...What?"
"Shu Mingjian was deliberately sent to kill wild fox demons at Kanghuangzhai near Zishijian, but the intelligence was wrong. He encountered a powerful demon and fled the battlefield... This is a serious crime!"
Zhou Fuling suddenly stood up, her face pale. "How was it handled?"
"Alas, he was whipped fifty times, his spiritual power was ruined. He was thrown into the snowy mountains near Zishijian to do hard labor."
"What? Zishijian?" It sounded like a terrifying name, and everyone present, including Zhou Fuling, trembled.
In the silence, Zhou Fuling sighed, "We're fellow disciples after all. I'll allocate one hundred high-grade spirit stones from my own account to help Senior Brother Shu out."
“Fuling, you’re too kind-hearted,” the cultivator couldn’t help but say. “You don’t know how awful those magic cultivators were talking about you behind your back…”
Zhou Fuling opened her mouth again, shaking her head incredulously: "What?"
...
In the Eastern Continent, beneath heavy clouds, mountains rise in clusters.
All the valleys flowed towards the southwest.
There stood a snow-capped mountain, encircling a deep valley. This mountain range covered two hundred thousand acres; beneath the snow, the soil was a blood-red color. Even ordinary leather boots would be corroded by its sheen. A demonic cry, as if having found its target, echoed from afar, sending shivers down the spines of almost every cultivator who heard it.
Hiss—
Hiss—
A prison cart sped along amidst eerie wails, finally coming to a stop at a sentry post deep in the snow-capped mountains. Shu Mingjian tumbled off the cart, his chapped fingers burying themselves in the snow.
His body, with its spiritual veins severed, was unable to resist warmth. In his body, which had completely reverted to that of a mortal and was devoid of spiritual power, he felt the pain of his wounds and was whipped by the cold at will.
His lips trembled.
One thought can lead to heaven, another to hell.
"This was given to you by Junior Sister Zhou Fuling of Ice Mirror Peak." A celestial official handed a rabbit skin pouch to Shu Mingjian. Looking at the wind and snow and the terrifying Midnight Ravine, his eyes held a hint of sorrow; those who went in probably wouldn't come out.
"She told you to take good care of yourself."
"I, I..." Shu Mingjian's hands, stained with blood, trembled, and tears of regret streamed down his previously triumphant face. "I wronged Junior Sister Fuling before... but only she still remembers me!"
In the wind, those seeing them off could hardly say a word.
The celestial official sent by Zhou Fuling made some arrangements, but it only allowed Shu Mingjian to rest a little longer.
After a while, Shu Mingjian was escorted into the snow mountain in a humiliating manner.
Feeling the cold wind, Shu Mingjian's tears welled up in his eyes.
He still can't believe what happened.
how so.
Seven days ago, he was a respected guard.
However, that disgusting Lan Zhiguan, who was in charge of dispatching cultivators to exorcise demons, insisted on taking him along to Nan Village near Zishijian to deal with the disaster.
She and he were scheming against each other, and the information they gave each other was wrong. When they encountered the monster, they were no match for it and had to run away.
However, they inadvertently led the young sect leader to the village that had just been built to protect the boundary, destroying the boundary and attracting demons.
The next morning, the village chief saw Shu Mingjian being brought in, and with trembling hands, he struck him hard with his cane.
Amidst the devastation, the village chief said, "We, all of us mortals, have suffered so much since the Han Party disappeared... As someone under the young sect leader, didn't you know? Look at what you've brought us?"
"The protective barrier that the young sect leader was only allowed to build after many negotiations was destroyed. Most people could only hide under the ruins, watching in despair as their lives were just starting to improve before they were swallowed up."
"You two bastards!"
The cane struck Shu Mingjian's face, knocking out his teeth.
His face turned bright red. He trembled and couldn't speak.
He also paid the price. The young sect leader ordered his immortal bones to be stripped away and him exiled to the most terrifying Midnight Snow Mountain.
The cold wind was like a knife, causing Shu Mingjian to cry out in pain. Tears and snot streamed down his face.
Back then, when he was young, he left the Shu family, betrayed his mother and father, betrayed his brothers and sisters, and abandoned his family's legacy. He was full of pride and self-satisfaction. He thought he would never regret it.
But now...
I regret it!
I regret it!
He cried out in his heart.
As Shu Mingjian stepped onto the frozen ground, his whole body trembled. What was most terrifying was the demonic horn that echoed continuously from the snow-capped mountains at midnight, a harbinger of a demonic calamity.
A calamity caused by demons.
From the moment cultivators ascended the first level of the gate, and from the moment the Evil King opened the Well of the Netherworld, it has been troubling cultivators, constantly pulling them to the brink of life and death.
In the celestial realm, there are eight levels of demonic calamities: Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui.
The upper trigram Qian represents difficulty, while the lower trigram Dui represents ease.
As everyone knows, the twelve Heavenly Gorges, with Zi Shi Jian as the head, are the twelve major demon-sealing sites where demon disasters are constantly occurring.
Demon blood flows, demonic energy lingers, and if one is not careful, demonic spirits can devour the land. The hometown where I grew up for many years has become a place I can never return to.
Therefore, starting thousands of years ago, whenever the Heavenly Desolation Gorge was plagued by demonic calamities, cultivators from both the immortal and mortal realms would rush in, one after another, sacrificing their lives and blood to prevent the calamities from spreading.
Except for the young master and the current master, everyone in the Xu family, the young master and the current master, died in the great demonic transformation at Chenshijian thirty years ago.
In fact, both of Master Xu's two major troubles were related to the Twelve Heavenly Abyss.
Shu Mingjian forced a sullen smile.
As a sinner, he was left to fend for himself in the snow-capped mountains, and he had to obey the local celestial officials to gather firewood, living a life as lowly as a slave.
Walking outside the snow-capped mountains in the biting cold wind, Shu Mingjian, who originally dared not leave his post, was rudely driven inside.
Meanwhile, his fellow criminals, who looked like vagrants, were mocked by many.
"Cowardly, I heard it used to be part of Ice Mirror Peak," they said.
Shu Mingjian blushed, staring at the Heavenly Abyss, trembling: "Aren't you afraid? You must know, this is the Heavenly Abyss! Even the young sect leader almost lost his life here back then!"
“Why bring up something from a hundred years ago?” one of the bearded men spat. “Besides, that monster is already dead.”
“But it’s only a possibility. Isn’t the young sect leader also afraid of that monster’s emergence? I’m from Ice Mirror Peak, and I know that even after the young sect leader returned, he’s still sending people to investigate the movements under the Heavenly Abyss in the snowy mountains!” Shu Mingjian said.
"It's just a precaution. The former sect leader said that monster was already dead," said the bearded man in hemp clothing. "Ahem—"
He spat, "Young Master Xu will never forget it, probably because it was one of his two infamous tribulations. Back then, the Young Master was trapped by that monster for two years, and his mind was almost ruined."
They spat, as if their feelings for Xu Qingning were very complicated.
As a prisoner, he wanted to express his contempt for something, but out of respect, he refrained from using foul language.
"Yes, I heard that when Young Master Xu Qingning fell into this ravine, that monster captured him, imprisoned him, humiliated him, and even killed all the junior brothers and sisters who were with him. How could the Young Master not hate it?"
"..." Shu Mingjian nodded; he had also heard about this. The cold wind made him shiver.
"That monster is Snake Wa, a level-one demon, the most ferocious kind," someone nearby said. "However, calling it a 'monster' might not be accurate. To be precise, the one who harmed the young sect leader wasn't a demon, but a demon cultivator. The one who released the demon as the guardian of the stream."
Several people remained silent; that was a topic forbidden to be discussed by the Immortal Sect.
Those who control demons are the demon cultivators of this world.
The reason for this silence is quite simple: because immortals, demons, and cultivators share the same origin.
Thousands of years ago, faced with a great demonic transformation, the Immortal Sect took a risk and used human bodies to cultivate demonic forms.
Send these people back to the demon lands to become guardians of the stream.
However, the demon blood seemed to affect people's will, and the guardians of the stream almost collectively rebelled.
They were demon cultivators, but they were all killed thousands of years ago.
But in the last hundred years, a few guardians of the stream suddenly appeared, moving about from time to time, appearing and disappearing like dragons, which made people fearful.
"Alright, this place has been deserted for a long time, and that monster is probably dead by now. Let's not go any deeper. Let's get back to the outpost before dark, and if we don't encounter any wild demons, we still have a chance... to get out."
The person who spoke had a very weak voice.
As everyone knows, those who are banished or driven to this Midnight Snow Mountain are people who have committed serious crimes.
Very few people manage to walk out alive.
In the past hundred years, it seems that only Master Xu Shao has ever done this.
Ancient trees and crows cawing incessantly filled Shu Mingjian with dread. He dragged his ailing body, slowly following the others forward. While the others chopped wood, he stayed at a distance.
What was that sound?
The bearded man suddenly looked up.
Amidst the howling wind, an echo seemed to reverberate from the valley. It sounded as if a woman sighed.
Shu Mingjian felt his wound being torn open, and something hitting the top of his head.
"A monster? Is it a monster?!"
Heaven have mercy, they are now just mortals, utterly powerless against the monster.
Shu Mingjian trembled as he stepped on the ground. An old woman blocked his way, but he pushed her aside and fled in panic.
In the dense forest, a huge snake tail, as thick as a vat, slowly moved forward.
Blood red, yet also bluish-green, the scales' color resembled a forest at sunset. The abdomen and ribs moved in harmony, meandering forward.
As if summoned by some force, the small, hissing, emerald-green snakes crawled out of the blood-red soil and rushed toward the hill where Shu Mingjian had fled.
Shu Mingjian went berserk, roaring and falling until his face was bruised and swollen, his wounds torn open, but he dared not stop.
However, he suddenly crashed into a cloud of blood.
...
"Mingjian".
"Mingjian".
"My family is a family of artifact cultivators. Do you really want to give up artifact cultivation and go on to cultivate magic techniques?"
Beneath the green roof, the wind and rain raged. Shu Mingjian knelt under the tree and said to his mother, "Learning to craft artifacts is a low-class pursuit. Nowadays, the immortal sects all say that if a person cultivates metal arts, they can destroy these artifacts without lifting a finger."
Why waste your energy repairing the weapon?
His mother was disappointed and told him to leave.
The blood mist was suddenly torn apart.
[So, do you regret it? Among the Southern Continent practitioners, are you the most miserable?]
[Your cousin will stay here to accompany your mother in your place. Although they obey the Yun Ning Sect, they are also cultivators who benefit the local area.]
[You have accomplished nothing. You have brought shame upon the art of sorcery.]
Shu Mingjian opened his eyes and saw the blood-red, surging snake tail, its cold scales reflecting the blood-red light. He roared, "Monster, you want to destroy my soul! Don't even think about it!"
However, he suddenly froze.
After the swirling snake tail, a human face appeared.
To be precise, it wasn't a human face. It protruded from snake scales. Surging, blood-red eyes, a beautiful face, smiling at him.
"Long time no see, hello. Sorcerer." The girl's gentle voice came. Just like the one from Ice Mirror Peak before.
Zhou Fuling.
...How come this monster looks exactly like Zhou Fuling?!
"You, you..."
At that moment, Shu Mingjian almost stopped breathing. He felt as if something was tearing his soul apart, and terror gripping his throat.
A faint, shocked, incoherent roar burst from his neck.
"Who are you?"
"I am the guardian of Zishijian."
"You're the young sect leader's... Qiu..."
He hadn't finished speaking.
Zhou Fuling smiled at him.
"Anyone who sees my true face will not survive."
Zhou Fuling smiled kindly at him, "Alright, I won't waste any more time with you. The art of crafting artifacts is renowned throughout the world. I need the artifact manuals in your sea of consciousness."
The snake's tail, like a whip and lightning, pierced the fragile head of the sinful cultivator.
That is like the ribbon in the little girl's hand.
"Sizzle".
Shu Mingjian's brain was shattered, and his soul was shattered as well.
Blood bursts into beautiful fireworks on the snowfield, reflecting the rosy hues of the sunset.
A note from the author:
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