IVYSCP - Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Nie Wenxiao nodded in agreement. "The Heavenly Gate records have always been kept with the Immortal Alliance. Only someone from the Immortal Alliance could have erased them so quickly."
Ling Qingyue gave a cold snort. "Is the Immortal Alliance above all law now?"
In the past, elite disciples from every sect joined the Immortal Alliance to stand against the Demon Race. Now they were tampering with everything, even erasing the records of passage between the two realms through the Heavenly Gate.
Nie Wenxiao sighed, her tone carrying a veiled meaning. "It is not the Immortal Alliance that considers itself above the law."
Ling Qingyue caught the implication beneath her words but did not know who she meant.
"What does Sect Leader Nie mean?"
Nie Wenxiao could not tell whether she truly did not understand or was only pretending. After all, it was common knowledge that the Immortal Alliance was subordinate to Shangtianqiong. Though the alliance had disciples from many sects, once they entered, their conduct invariably aligned with Shangtianqiong. The four great immortal sects had once stood as equals, but now Shangtianqiong alone dominated.
"Is Immortal Friend Ah Xi unfamiliar with the current state of the Immortal Realm?"
The probing intent in that question was far too obvious. Ling Qingyue had no desire to circle around it with her and replied with a trace of impatience, "Sect Leader Nie, if you have something to say, speak plainly."
Sect Leader Nie looked toward the trembling Lu Yao beside her and softened her voice. "Lu Yao, take these two to Medicine Peak first, with your senior sister."
"Yes." Lu Yao cupped her hands in salute.
Once only the three of them remained in the hall, Nie Wenxiao continued the earlier conversation. "You two have rendered our Piaomiao Sect a kindness. I should not assume such an attitude, but unless certain matters are made clear, it is difficult to determine who the real target is behind the Linshui Town incident."
Nie Wenxiao guided the two of them to the low table in the side chamber.
Ling Qingyue did not sit as properly as the other two. She leaned toward Pei Si, one hand propped on the table, the other resting in her lap, and said bluntly, "Sect Leader Nie suspects the person behind this may also be targeting me?"
Ling Qingyue did not know why Nie Wenxiao had such a suspicion, but at this moment she had doubts of her own. After all, the body she had been revived in was so unique. Perhaps it really was connected to her.
Nie Wenxiao nodded.
Ling Qingyue glanced at Pei Si. Sensing it, Pei Si's hand at her side moved, directly covering Ling Qingyue's hand in her lap.
Holding hands right in front of Nie Wenxiao like that, Ling Qingyue's heart skipped a beat. She sighed inwardly at how utterly unconcerned this great senior was.
Nie Wenxiao: "......"
Nie Wenxiao simply pretended not to see.
"Immortal Friend Ah Xi hails from Shangtianqiong?" Nie Wenxiao took a light sip of tea. Seeing the other party's gaze pause, she added, "I can see that Lu Yao is quite fond of you and trusts you both, but she grew up in Piaomiao Sect. If I ask, she will not hide it. Do not blame her."
Ling Qingyue figured it out immediately. It was Lu Yao. She just had not expected the girl to talk so quickly.
"Yes, and what of it? Does Sect Leader Nie intend to drive us away?" Ling Qingyue naturally bound herself together with Pei Si. They would stay together or leave together.
Nie Wenxiao laughed. "No. I was merely curious. Since Immortal Friend Ah Xi is from Shangtianqiong, why did she not leave with Cui Heng when the Immortal Alliance came to Linshui Town? As fellow sect members, why treat her with such hostility?"
Ling Qingyue toyed with one of Pei Si's fingers, a flash of disgust in her eyes. "That kind of overbearing and unreasonable person, who would want to be in the same sect as her?"
And what kind of eyes did her senior sister have, choosing someone like that as an immortal envoy?
"What does this have to do with the matter at hand?" Ling Qingyue did not understand.
Nie Wenxiao said, "I suspect the Soul Searching was not limited to that one child. They may have come for Qingtang's matter, or they may have come to learn which sect or school Ah Xi belongs to, in order to exact deliberate revenge."
Ling Qingyue was stunned. "Revenge? Just because we refused to go with them?"
That was unbelievably petty.
Nie Wenxiao nodded. Cui Heng had lost face here at Piaomiao Sect and was subsequently rebuffed by these two. Given her vengeful nature, she would settle that score sooner or later. She might not dare to move against Piaomiao Sect, but Ah Xi and Pei Si, who appeared to have no backing, she could bully at will.
"If she's that arrogant, what about Shangtianqiong's sect rules? They just let her run rampant like that?" Ling Qingyue was so enraged she nearly slammed the table and stood up. Pei Si patted her hand to keep her still.
Nie Wenxiao gave a soft scoff, tinged with a faint, barely detectable disdain. "Sect rules? With her master around, what need does she have for sect rules?"
Ling Qingyue pressed curiously, "Who is her master?"
Even if her master were some elder of Shangtianqiong, she could not be so utterly above everyone else. Besides, Shangtianqiong did not tolerate such things. Anyone who broke the sect rules was treated the same.
Nie Wenxiao looked at her in surprise. "You do not know?"
Her expression seemed to say: you are from Shangtianqiong and you do not know who her master is?
Ling Qingyue turned her head and found an excuse for herself. "I have wandered abroad for many years. I do not know what Shangtianqiong is like now."
No wonder she is unaware of the Immortal Realm's current situation, Nie Wenxiao thought.
"Her master is the current sect leader of Shangtianqiong, who is also the leader of the Immortal Alliance. Lou Wudu."
Ling Qingyue froze. Then her face filled with disbelief. "Impossible!"
Senior Sister would never accept someone like that as a disciple.
She turned to look at Pei Si and saw her nod gently at her.
Ling Qingyue bit her lower lip, unable to accept it in her heart.
She was quiet for a moment, then drew a deep breath and slammed her hand on the table.
The gesture was truly rude, but she had no other outlet for the fury inside her.
After striking the table, Ling Qingyue schooled her expression and apologized to Nie Wenxiao. "Forgive me. I lost my composure."
Nie Wenxiao shook her head. "No matter. Many do not understand why the Sword Venerable would take such a disciple. But it is said the Sword Venerable accepted her because her temperament closely resembles that of the Sword Venerable's fallen junior sister. Hence the indulgence."
Ling Qingyue: "......"
She nearly cursed out loud. Pei Si's timely squeeze kept the rising fury bottled in her chest.
Resembles who? Resembles her?
Ling Qingyue almost laughed from sheer anger. Since when had she ever been that arrogant and rude?
"Cui Heng likely would not dare to use Soul Searching on mortals. But as for who the target is, that is difficult to say."
Pei Si exchanged a glance with Ling Qingyue. They understood that they were thinking the same thing.
"Whether it is Ah Xi or Liu Qingtang, both are now in Piaomiao Sect. Since they could strike at Linshui Town, they will not simply wait passively." Pei Si spoke to Nie Wenxiao. "I need a layout map of Piaomiao Sect, as detailed as possible, as well as the cultivation levels and techniques of every sect elder."
Nie Wenxiao understood at once. The Immortal Venerable was preparing to fulfill her earlier promise and set up the Sect Grand Formation.
"Very well."
After the three of them left the assembly hall, Ling Qingyue wanted to go to Medicine Peak to see Lin Zhao and Xue Zizai.
They had been dragged into this innocently. They should not have had to suffer this.
When they reached the foot of Medicine Peak, that bright green snake poked its head out again. This time it opened its mouth, looking fierce, as if it did not welcome them.
Ling Qingyue curled her lip. "So petty. A couple of comments and now we're not even allowed up the mountain."
If they were not welcome, they could not force their way up. Who knew what bugs might spring out halfway.
Back at Water Cloud Dwelling, Lu Yao had already prepared tea and pastries, along with two bowls of medicine kept warm with spiritual energy.
Ling Qingyue saw the pitch-black medicinal brew and instinctively stepped back, her shoulder bumping into Pei Si.
Pei Si laughed at her. "You really are afraid, aren't you?"
Ling Qingyue turned her head aside. "I'm not. What's there to be afraid of with medicine?"
Pei Si raised an eyebrow.
As if to prove herself, Ling Qingyue picked up her bowl of medicine and drained it in one go, holding her breath as she looked at Pei Si.
Pei Si saw her ears turn red and could not help but want to laugh. She walked over and slipped something into her mouth.
Ling Qingyue's composure broke. The bitterness made her brows knit together. She instinctively held the thing Pei Si had given her in her mouth. A thread of sweetness spread across her tongue, and her eyes lit up. Then she swallowed the whole thing straight from Pei Si's hand. When her lips closed, they brushed against a cool, soft sensation.
Pei Si's fingers.
Ling Qingyue held the candy in her mouth. Amid the sweet peach flavor, she detected something that belonged to Pei Si.
"Is it sweet?"
Ling Qingyue knew she was asking whether the candy was sweet, but what her heart inexplicably thought of were the fingertips her lips had just touched.
She glanced at Pei Si. "Sweet. Very sweet."
After she said it, Pei Si began drinking her medicine as well. Ling Qingyue looked around and realized the candy had been placed together with the tea pastries.
Lu Yao was quite thoughtful, knowing the medicine was bitter and preparing candy for them.
When Pei Si finished her medicine, Ling Qingyue popped a candy into her mouth the same way Pei Si had fed her. At the last moment, she mischievously grazed the woman's lips.
Cool and soft.
Pei Si blinked slowly, then pursed her lips. The tip of her tongue licked the spot Ling Qingyue had grazed.
Ling Qingyue watched and blushed first.
Why was she sticking out her tongue and licking herself!
For a moment, Ling Qingyue wished it had been her own tongue that licked there.
She jerked her head away and stopped looking. Why was it that when Pei Si fed her, she was the one who got shy, and when she fed Pei Si, she was still the one who got shy!
Pei Si watched her sudden awkwardness and silently curved her lips.
Sitting down, once the heat had faded, Ling Qingyue finally asked what she had been wanting to ask all along. "My senior sister took over my master's position. Then what about my master?"
Given her master's temperament, if Senior Sister had accepted Cui Heng as a disciple, she would not have stood by and done nothing.
Ling Qingyue's hand gripped the edge of the table. An inexplicable panic stirred in her heart.
"She is in Secluded Cultivation, recovering from her injuries."
Hearing Pei Si say this, Ling Qingyue tensed at once. "Recovering from injuries in seclusion? Were the injuries that serious?"
Pei Si took her hand, her voice gentle. "In the Immortal-Demon War back then, Senior Wang and the Formless Demon Lord both sustained wounds. Then, upon hearing of your... passing, the grief damaged her heart and spirit. All these years, your senior sister has been searching for divine treasures to treat Senior Wang's injuries."
Ling Qingyue's eyes reddened. At this moment, she desperately wanted to return to Shangtianqiong.
"She will certainly be happy to see you return," Pei Si consoled.
Ling Qingyue sniffled, her voice somewhat muffled. "Mm."
"Someone is coming." Pei Si patted Ling Qingyue's hand lightly as a reminder.
The two of them dropped the subject.
A moment later, Lu Yao arrived with several people, two of whom were carried inside.
Ling Qingyue rose and went over to look.
Lin Zhao and Xue Zizai.
Ling Qingyue looked at Lu Yao with pleasant surprise. "Lu Yao, you understand me so well now. You knew I wanted to check on their injuries but could not get up Medicine Peak, so you just brought them here."
Lu Yao's expression was somewhat troubled. She said quietly, "The Little Medical Immortal heard that they had some connection to you two seniors and refused to let them recover on Medicine Peak."
Pei Si: "......"
Ling Qingyue: "......"
How could a person be this petty!
Comments
Post a Comment