Chapter 166: The Tribulations of the Mortal World
Yu Linglong sighed softly, her gaze falling on Chunxiang with an irreparable regret: "They say she's fully recovered, but..." Her gaze lingered on Chunxiang's face, "Her voice, her face... I'm afraid she'll be like this for the rest of her life."
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall instantly froze. Everyone was visibly saddened, heads bowed in silence. Chunxiang, however, struggled to her feet, gesturing to the others with a mixture of relief and stubbornness in her eyes: "It's alright! Don't be sad for me." Though the gestures were silent, they clearly conveyed her feelings.
Dongxue's cheeks tightened, her eyes blazing with anger, and she demanded again in a sharp voice, "Who on earth hurt you like this?"
"Yes, who is so cruel? Not only did they ruin your appearance, but they also drained your inner energy?" Ruoyue echoed in a deep voice, her eyes also burning with anger.
A cold glint flashed in Chunxiang's eyes. She took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress the deep-seated hatred within her. She bent down, picked up a piece of white wax from the candlestick beside her, and carefully carved three characters into the cold, smooth floor: Ling Xueyan.
"Ling Xueyan!" Dongxue and Ruoyue uttered the name almost simultaneously, their voices filled with shock and murderous intent.
Zhu Huiqing's expression turned grave as he continued, "Ling Xueyan, a young woman of about twenty years old, is the mistress of Xiyu Manor. She possesses extraordinary skills, capable of absorbing others' inner energy for her own use... This woman is definitely not simple!"
Dongxue gritted her teeth in hatred, she hefted her sword and said, "Who cares what kind of manor lord she is! Such a vicious, ruthless, and inhuman person should be punished on behalf of Heaven and killed as soon as possible! We must avenge Sister Chunxiang!"
Ruoyue frowned upon hearing this. She glanced at Dongxue, then at Yulinglong, before taking a half-step back, her tone both admonishing and warning: "Xue! Be careful what you say! We are both cultivators; we shouldn't get too involved in the grudges of the martial world or the troubles of the mortal realm. Do you also want to follow in Chunxiang's footsteps and face those perilous and unpredictable tribulations of the mortal world?"
"I..." Dongxue was speechless when Ruoyue pointed out her secret. She had nowhere to vent her anger and could only let out a long, unwilling sigh.
Yu Linglong's gaze calmly swept over Chunxiang's eyes, which burned with the flames of revenge, and she shook her head slightly. Her voice remained clear and cold, yet carried a hint of worldly wisdom: "From the day you decided to descend the mountain, I repeatedly warned you that the hardships of the mortal world all stem from the heart. But you insisted on going your own way, forging ahead without hesitation. Now you are trapped in the mire, in such a predicament... What lies ahead is entirely up to you." She paused, her gaze like a mirror, "Will you stay on Tianji Peak, severing worldly ties and cultivating in peace? Or... take up your sword and descend the mountain, settling your grudges and stepping into the vortex of blood feud? The choice is yours."
As soon as she finished speaking, the hall fell silent. All eyes turned to Chunxiang, awaiting her decision. Chunxiang raised her eyes, glancing at Yu Linglong with a complex expression, then sweeping her gaze over the concerned faces of Zhu Huiqing, Dongxue, and Ruoyue. Finally, without hesitation, she bowed deeply and respectfully to Yu Linglong.
Yu Linglong looked at her hunched back and understood. "Alright." Her voice was flat and emotionless, revealing no emotion. "You chose this path yourself, and I won't interfere." She then turned to Dongxue and instructed, "Dongxue, go to the pharmacy and fetch the box of 'White Milk Ointment' that Master left behind. Give it to Chunxiang. Although this ointment cannot completely restore her appearance, it can at least smooth out the scars and prevent her from becoming too ugly."
Upon hearing this, Dongxue finally showed a relieved smile: "Yes! I'll go get it right away!" With a swift movement, she rushed out of the main hall.
Zhu Huiqing, who was standing to the side, watched all of this and thought to himself: "Junior Sister is young, but she is decisive in her actions, uses both kindness and severity, and arranges everything perfectly. She truly has the demeanor of a sect leader! Master... if you are watching from heaven, you would surely be very pleased to see Junior Sister so accomplished!"
With a sigh, she walked up to Yu Linglong and asked with a questioning look and a hint of complex emotion, "Junior Sister, just now I saw you move like a streak of light, arriving in an instant. You must have broken through the bottleneck of the Transformation Realm and reached a higher level!"
Yu Linglong's gaze fell upon the misty sea of clouds and precipitous peaks outside Yuqing Palace, a barely perceptible trace of sorrow flitting across her exquisite face: "Hmm. The Yin energy that has troubled my body for so many years has now been completely condensed and transformed into inner essence. My martial arts cultivation in this life... can be considered to have reached its culmination."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Huiqing's eyes widened in surprise: "The Xiaoyao Lang you met... he... he actually has a rare extreme yang body?! Yin and yang in harmony, water and fire in fusion... you... you two are truly a match made in heaven!" Her tone was filled with genuine amazement and a hint of joy for her junior sister.
However, when she looked up, she saw that Yu Linglong's face was not joyful at all, but rather shrouded in a deeper gloom. Zhu Huiqing then realized that she hadn't seen that always jovial figure since entering the hall. Her heart skipped a beat, and she asked hesitantly, "Right... where is that boy? Where is he?!"
Upon hearing the name "Xiaoyao Lang," Yu Linglong's body trembled almost imperceptibly. She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the surging pain within them. She took a deep breath, as if forcibly suppressing the piercing agony. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with an unfathomable calm, and her tone was as indifferent as the millennia-old ice atop Tianji Peak: "If Senior Sister has no other matters to attend to, I shall take my leave." She did not answer Zhu Huiqing's question. Turning around, her snow-white robes drew a cold arc in the air, and her figure vanished from the Jade Purity Palace.
“I…” Zhu Huiqing stared in the direction she disappeared, stunned for a moment, his mind filled with doubts, but he didn’t know how to ask any more questions.
Yu Linglong appeared in her quiet boudoir. Outside the window, the sea of clouds churned, but inside, all was desolate. She slowly walked to the table, extended her slender fingers, and with utmost care and endless sorrow, gently stroked the three-hole jade flute lying quietly in the brocade box.
The cold touch of the jade could not cool the burning longing and excruciating pain surging within her. Xiaoyao Lang… that figure, that smile, was ultimately a calamity she could never let go of in this life… A single tear silently slid down, landing on the jade flute and spreading a cool, damp stain.
In Ling Xueyan's boudoir in Longyang City, the sword piercing Xiaoyao Lang's abdomen had been pulled out. If it weren't for the dragon soul protecting him, anyone else would have died long ago. Ling Xueyan treasured him and hired the best doctors in the city to treat him. He was stitched up and prescribed medicine, but he lay unconscious on the bed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
