IVYSCP - Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Lu Yao had just collected a dharma sword from the Arms Chamber when she received a message from the Sect Leader, instructing her to go to Medicine Peak and escort two honored guests to the Water Cloud Dwelling.

She flew the whole way by sword. Still not fully attuned to the new dharma sword she had been issued, her flight path wobbled unsteadily.

Spotting two figures at the foot of Medicine Peak from a distance, Lu Yao hurried to descend. Only when she drew near did she see that both of them looked utterly exhausted, each carrying a medicine packet.

Hiss…

Lu Yao's expression twisted at the sight of those medicine packets, a bitter taste flooding the root of her tongue.

The Little Medical Immortal was a guest elder of Piaomiao Sect. She would occasionally help them regulate their bodies. When she was in a good mood, she gave medicinal pills. When she was not, she gave these medicine packets, which were not only time-consuming and labor-intensive to brew but also so bitter they made your head go numb.

"Did you two seniors offend the Little Medical Immortal?" Lu Yao stepped closer and asked quietly.

Ling Qingyue glanced at the person beside her and rubbed her ear.

Pei Si remained perfectly composed. "That woman is petty beyond belief. I merely remarked that her medical skills were unrefined, and she threw us out."

Ling Qingyue could not help laughing at the sight of her speaking ill of someone with such a straight face.

Lu Yao: "…"

A senior is a senior, alright. She really dares to say anything.

Afraid those words might be overheard by the one still up on the mountain, Lu Yao hurriedly led them away.

On the way, Lu Yao could not suppress her curiosity. "Senior Ah Xi, what kind of lightning tribulation was that you underwent on the skyship? It was so fierce."

Ling Qingyue tilted her chin slightly and gave her a look.

Lu Yao immediately understood. "I knew it. It could not have been a Foundation Establishment tribulation. My knowledge is just too shallow. I could not tell what it was."

Pei Si let out a soft laugh. Ling Qingyue caught her hand and squeezed it.

Pei Si squeezed back and tilted her head to look at her. "Senior Ah Xi is very formidable."

Fooling Lu Yao was one thing, but Pei Si knew full well and was still teasing her! She herself was a great senior, yet she was calling her senior.

She was doing it on purpose!

Overcome with embarrassment, Ling Qingyue wobbled and nearly plummeted. Pei Si swiftly reached out and pulled her close by the waist.

Lu Yao silently averted her gaze.

She brought the two of them to the Water Cloud Dwelling, paid her respects to Nie Wenxiao, and then took her leave.

The Water Cloud Dwelling was built atop a mountain peak, ringed by peaks on all sides with mist and clouds drifting about. Compared to the liveliness of the other peaks in Piaomiao Sect, this place was profoundly quiet. The occasional cry of an immortal crane flying past could be heard.

"This place was once where Qingtang and I carried out our secluded cultivation. No one will disturb you. I have situated Qingtang in the east courtyard. You two may stay in the west courtyard."

Nie Wenxiao led the two of them to the west courtyard.

There was a pond in the courtyard, and beside it stood a table and chairs. Vegetation dotted the surroundings, and with the high clouds and mist, it felt more like a hermit's retreat.

"Sect Leader Nie." Pei Si suddenly spoke.

Nie Wenxiao halted. Inwardly, she guessed that she wanted to ask about the Little Medical Immortal.

Sure enough—

"Why is that person on Medicine Peak here at Piaomiao Sect? If I recall correctly, she was expelled from her master's tutelage."

The woman's tone was neither cold nor warm, like a casual question. Nie Wenxiao could not gauge whether she was pleased or displeased, so she answered carefully while observing her. "After Qingtang's soul lamp went out, my spirit was unsettled for a time. During one outing to search for traces of Qingtang, I fell into grave danger and nearly lost my life. She saved me, so I kept her at Piaomiao Sect as a guest elder."

"Then do you know why she was expelled from her master's tutelage?"

Nie Wenxiao sighed inwardly and answered, "I do."

After hesitating, Nie Wenxiao still wanted to put in a few good words for Gu Huai. "She was indeed unrestrained in her past actions, but ever since coming to Piaomiao Sect, she no longer touches those things. She spends her days on Medicine Peak planting medicinal herbs and helping the sect's cultivators make medicine and treat injuries."

Seeing that Nie Wenxiao was somewhat nervous, Pei Si did not press further.

Ling Qingyue tugged at her sleeve and asked quietly, "Are you acquainted with that Little Medical Immortal?"

She did not think she had ever seen Pei Si speak ill of anyone before, but just now she had said the Little Medical Immortal's skills were unrefined and called her petty, as if there were bad blood between them.

"I do not know her." Pei Si knew she still had questions, so she satisfied her curiosity. "Her name is Gu Huai. She once studied medicine under the Medicine King. Later, she was expelled for her obsessive study of evil objects and became a cast-out disciple, shunned by many immortal sects."

That was why she had been somewhat surprised to see Gu Huai at Piaomiao Sect.

"So it is her!" Ling Qingyue had some recollection of this person.

That had been back when the Demon Race was running rampant and causing chaos. She had heard it from others, that the Medicine King had a disciple who was mixed up with the Demon Race and had kept a Blood Demon in secret.

At that time, people were in a state of panic. The Demon Race had the Formless Demon Lord and the Twelve Blood Demons, and their influence was at its peak. Any immortal sect cultivator entangled with the Demon Race was regarded as a deviant.

Recalling Gu Huai's turbid and impure spiritual energy, Ling Qingyue felt there was an explanation.

Immortals and demons had always been irreconcilable. Staying too long with a demon would inevitably lead to being affected.

A demon…

Ling Qingyue's hands and feet abruptly turned cold. She had nearly forgotten—she was now a demon herself.

The matter of Gu Huai was from a hundred years ago. No one from the Mortal Realm could possibly know such things.

Nie Wenxiao thought to herself that this Ah Xi was likely hiding her true identity as well. That lightning tribulation today was not something an ordinary person could attract.

Nie Wenxiao lifted her eyes and met the Immortal Venerable's cool gaze. Those unaffectionate eyes looked at her, then at the courtyard gate, and then back again.

Nie Wenxiao understood. It meant she should take her leave.

"This is a Piaomiao Sect jade token. If you two need anything, you may directly send word to Lu Yao. I have important matters to attend to. Farewell."

Pei Si accepted the jade token, glanced at the visibly shaken Ling Qingyue, and led her by the hand toward the main house.

Once the door was shut and only the two of them remained in the room, Ling Qingyue, her face pale, raised her head to look at her.

"Pei Si…"

"Mm."

Pei Si answered softly. She took a cup from the table and poured tea for her. The teapot was a magical artifact. Sustained by spiritual energy, it could keep the tea warm at all times.

"During the tribulation, you saw it, did you not?"

She had not only seen it—she had also touched it. Ling Qingyue remembered her reaching out to touch that half of her face, the half covered in demonic markings.

"I saw it."

The immortal realm always turned pale at the mention of demons. Ling Qingyue dared not imagine what the consequences would be if her half-demon-marked face were made public. She was afraid, but what she feared even more now was Pei Si's situation. If Pei Si stayed with her too long, would she be affected like Gu Huai?

"Pei Si, I… I was not a demon before. You have to believe me. I do not know why I turned out like this either." Ling Qingyue hurried to explain. "Tomorrow—no, once you are better, once you are better we will go to Shangtianqiong and find my master and senior sisters. They will definitely have a way to rebuild a physical body for me. Then I can shed this body, and I will not be a demon anymore."

Pei Si held her trembling hand and brought her other hand up to rest against Ling Qingyue's cheek. Two hours ago, this half of her face had been crawling with hideous, terrifying demonic markings.

"Ling Qingyue, look at me."

Ling Qingyue abruptly looked up, stunned. "You! You know I am…"

"Yes, I know." Pei Si soothed her gently. "I know you are Ling Qingyue."

"But I must first apologize to you. Without your knowledge, I entered your spiritual platform and saw your soul."

"Your soul was in a pitiful state at the time. I helped you repair it somewhat. That was when I found out."

Ling Qingyue recalled the two times she had tried to separate from this body and failed both times. Although her soul had been severely injured, it had recovered quickly. So it had been Pei Si helping her in secret.

Then she thought of the Personal Biography of Ling Qingyue she had written earlier, and her face instantly flushed. She had practically bragged herself to the heavens in it.

Not only that, she had spoken many good things about herself. This person had seen all of her self-praise and boasting.

"You knew and you never said anything?!" Mortified, Ling Qingyue lifted her leg and bumped Pei Si's knee.

Pei Si smiled slightly. "It seemed to me you were not very keen on letting me know."

Ling Qingyue calmed down a little. She shifted her body so she was not directly facing Pei Si. "I… I have died once already. My soul lamp is extinguished. I was afraid you would suspect I had carried out a possession. I was planning to tell you after we returned to Shangtianqiong."

"Ling Qingyue is the most upright and pure, with a heart of innocent sincerity. How could she ever resort to possession?"

Upright and pure. A heart of innocent sincerity.

Smoke was practically rising from Ling Qingyue's head. Those were words she had written herself.

From the corner of her eye, she caught Pei Si smiling. Completely mortified, Ling Qingyue got up and covered Pei Si's eyes and mouth, her voice angry and embarrassed. "Stop laughing, Pei Si. How can you be so awful?"

Deliberately saying things she could not bear to hear, watching her flounder and blush, wishing she could find a crack to crawl into and hide.

The soft laughter stopped abruptly. Ling Qingyue's hand was pulled down. She saw that the arcs of Pei Si's brows and the corners of her mouth had flattened into a straight line.

"Do you not like me like this?"

A single question, and Ling Qingyue detected a hint of wariness in it.

Had her words just now been a bit too harsh?

Ling Qingyue reflected inwardly for a moment. She had not missed the flicker of desolation that had passed through Pei Si's eyes just now.

"No."

Ling Qingyue bent down and hugged her, burying her face in the crook of Pei Si's neck. Her voice came out muffled. "It is not that I do not like it. I just…"

"You are always teasing me. I get embarrassed. But I like seeing you smile."

After she finished, she heard Pei Si laugh again. That clear, cold voice sounded right by her ear. "So, you do like it?"

"I like you no matter what you are like."

After Ling Qingyue spoke, in a place she could not see, the smile at Pei Si's lips faded away.

No matter what you are like. If you knew I am Pei Yin, would you still like me?

After holding each other for a while, Ling Qingyue let go and sat back down, her ears still red.

"You recognized my soul. Does that mean you knew me long ago, that you were secretly paying attention to me?"

Ling Qingyue felt a bit of pride in her heart. A great senior who roamed the world knew of her, even knew what she looked like.

Pei Si nodded and admitted it. "I have been paying attention to you for a long time. But you likely did not know."

Ling Qingyue felt another surge of delight, and then began to wonder whether she had ever done anything unbecoming before.

Mm… probably not.

"Then, then why did you say you disliked me before?" Ling Qingyue started digging up old accounts.

"When did I ever say I dislike Ling Qingyue?" Pei Si refused to admit it.

She had only said it in her heart.

Ling Qingyue paused and tried to recall.

It seemed… she really had not.

Ling Qingyue: "Well, you said she was nothing special!"

Pei Si: "That was what the book said."

Ling Qingyue: "…"

She could not recall exactly how it had been worded at the time. She could not out-argue Pei Si, so Ling Qingyue switched to a different question. "You paid attention to me. Did you want to take me as your disciple?"

That was the only reason that seemed somewhat reasonable. If it were anything else… well, the image of a great senior would be somewhat shattered.

Pei Si: "…"

Who exactly does she think I am?

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