IVYSCP - Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Cui Heng shot a glance at the three immortal sects standing by watching the spectacle, knowing this was deliberately aimed at Shangtianqiong Sect.

Ling Qingyue followed her gaze and, to her surprise, spotted two familiar faces.

Chi Que and Ying Ying. Both had shed the immaturity of those earlier years, their bearing far steadier now. Chi Que was studying her as well, a trace of puzzlement in her expression.

Ling Qingyue had no attention to spare for them. Her eyes shifted back to Cui Heng.

Cui Heng gave a cold snort, worked her jaw slightly, and bit down on the inside of her cheek. The taste of blood met her tongue.

Seeing her so provoked put Ling Qingyue in a fine mood. She drew her sword and said indifferently, "The Sword Venerable's chief disciple is truly gifted. Thunder-Fire Whipping and Cold Water Cave punishment, yet recovered in a matter of days, right as rain. Tsk…"

"Could it be she was never punished at all? That would hardly be impartial of the Sword Venerable. She is both Sword Venerable and Immortal Alliance Leader. Showing such favoritism to her own disciple…"

"Enough!" Cui Heng barked, fury brewing in her eyes. "What are you, to have any right to speak of her!"

Ling Qingyue showed no reaction. Behind her, however, Pei Si narrowed her eyes and tapped out a thread of spiritual energy from her fingertip.

The entire Piaomiao Sect Grand Formation shuddered into motion. Hundreds of formations coordinated the flow of spiritual qi, and in the space of a breath, a rain of golden swords coalesced in midair, bearing down on Cui Heng before the formation barrier.

Cui Heng startled. She had not expected Piaomiao Sect to strike so directly. She retreated a step and, together with the Shangtianqiong Sect disciples behind her, raised a sword formation to defend.

The great formation's sudden activation drew the attention of every immortal sect already within Piaomiao Sect's grounds. Within the span of a breath, over a dozen immortal sects had gathered inside and outside the formation.

Piaomiao Sect had outright confronted Shangtianqiong Sect, stopping them at the gate and demanding a passage fee.

That was what Nie Wenxiao heard when she hurried over. The woman beside her smiled with captivating fox-like eyes. "I never knew Sect Leader Nie conducted affairs with such swaggering audacity."

Nie Wenxiao opened her mouth, then closed it, and finally let out a sigh.

The two of them arrived before the grand formation. Seeing the pair standing shoulder to shoulder, Nie Wenxiao felt a headache coming on, even though she had already guessed.

Shen Qi had seen them too, and with a sidelong glance at Nie Wenxiao, she said, "I had no idea the Sect Leader had acquired such formidable people under her command."

Nie Wenxiao replied, "These two are honored guests of my Piaomiao Sect."

"Oh? Honored guests?" Shen Qi rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "What sort of honored guests can bypass you, the sect leader, and use Piaomiao Sect's hand to openly offend Shangtianqiong Sect?"

Nie Wenxiao pressed her lips together. "It was Shangtianqiong Sect's lack of virtue that came first. If we speak of offense, they offended Piaomiao Sect first."

Shen Qi laughed. "That is true enough."

The crowd assumed the farce would end now that Nie Wenxiao had arrived. As a sect leader, she would surely prioritize the bigger picture and not allow these two to run wild.

But they watched Nie Wenxiao touch down, glance at Shangtianqiong Sect outside the barrier, then step forward with her long legs and turn aside toward the nearby Wushi Sect and Lingxu Immortal Palace.

Chi Que and Ying Ying were inwardly shocked as well. They exchanged glances even as they offered salutations.

Ying Ying blinked at Chi Que. What does Nie Wenxiao mean by this?

Chi Que looked back at her. No idea.

The Linglong Pavilion disciples beside them bowed in unison. "Greetings, Pavilion Master. Greetings, Sect Leader Nie."

Nie Wenxiao nodded to them, then turned to Chi Que and Ying Ying. "It has been a long time, you two."

Ying Ying watched her composed manner and forced a smile, inwardly itching with curiosity. What does she mean? What exactly does she mean?!

Chi Que glanced to the side, then said to Nie Wenxiao, "It has been a long time. Is Sect Leader Nie not going to intervene?"

Ying Ying shot her a deeply gratified look.

Everyone nearby pricked up their ears. They were just as curious about what Nie Wenxiao meant!

Nie Wenxiao smiled, then looked out beyond the formation and said lazily, "Ah, only just noticed."

Ying Ying: "…"

Chi Que: "…"

Shen Qi let out a snort of laughter. Watching Nie Wenxiao play dumb was increasingly endearing.

Nie Wenxiao knew she could not keep up the act, so she walked over and asked quietly, "What is all this?"

How had things nearly erupted into a fight the moment she looked away?

Ling Qingyue smiled, perfectly self-assured. "Collecting a passage fee."

Nie Wenxiao had clearly never heard of such a thing either. She paused, then nodded, and stood to the side without further action.

Nothing else? Just a nod and nothing else?

Nie Wenxiao's attitude left the crowd even more bewildered. A thought crept into every mind: Piaomiao Sect was not even bothering with surface courtesy anymore. They truly meant to go head-to-head with Shangtianqiong Sect from now on.

"Senior Sister, I can't hold on!"

"Senior Sister, me too!"

"Senior Sister!"

Apart from Cui Heng, every remaining Shangtianqiong disciple had been forced to their knees by the rain of swords pressing down from above.

Cui Heng watched the willfully indifferent Nie Wenxiao, and a cold smirk curved her lips. What a fine Piaomiao Sect. What a fine Sect Leader Nie.

No matter what, Shangtianqiong Sect would never bow its head to Piaomiao Sect!

Cui Heng reached for the jade token at her waist, her gaze dark.

Just as the two sides reached an impasse, the rain of swords halted abruptly. The offensive formations within the sect's grand formation slowly receded, restoring themselves into a sturdy, harmless barrier enveloping Piaomiao Sect.

The Shangtianqiong Sect disciples all let out a breath of relief.

"The Yue Family has arrived," Pei Si whispered, explaining her sudden withdrawal of the formation.

Ling Qingyue's eyelid twitched. The Yue Family. Yue Shouming.

A streak of light flashed before her eyes. Ling Qingyue watched as the Shangtianqiong Sect disciples parted on their own to make way for the Yue Family members. Their attitude toward the Yue Family was nothing short of respectful.

Even Cui Heng, who looked down on everyone, eased her expression somewhat and turned to face the newcomers.

The woman walking in front had a serene expression, a spring-warm smile at the corners of her lips. She wore a crescent-white dharma robe that set off her gentle, refined bearing. Her frame was slight and thin, her face bearing the pallor of someone who had not seen sunlight for a long time.

Ling Qingyue almost could not recognize her. This was Yue Shouming?! Had Yue Shouming's elder sister not already fallen long ago, she would have thought the newcomer was her sister Yue Zhiwei.

Yue Zhiwei and Yue Shouming already shared six or seven parts resemblance in appearance, and now Yue Shouming, no longer the restless, boisterous person she once was, had the restrained, steady presence of her sister.

"Xiao Heng, what is going on here?" Yue Shouming tilted her head toward Cui Heng and asked softly.

Ling Qingyue frowned at the words. Xiao Heng? Such familiarity?

Cui Heng gave a cold snort and said nothing. She signaled with her eyes to a Shangtianqiong disciple beside her, who stepped forward and laid out everything that had just happened in painstaking detail.

"Senior Sister brought us to Piaomiao Sect to rendezvous with the Seventy-Two Sects, but Piaomiao Sect blocked us outside their barrier and demanded a passage fee, and only from us. Not only that, they spoke insolently of our sect leader. When Senior Sister defended her with a few words, they activated the grand formation's killing moves against us."

Everything said was fact, yet it sounded as though Shangtianqiong Sect had suffered a grievous injustice.

Ling Qingyue let out a cold scoff, her mood thoroughly soured. She had thought only Cui Heng had this insufferable disposition. She had not expected all of Shangtianqiong Sect's disciples to share this character now. So much so that even her own senior sister and Yue Shouming were grating on her nerves and breeding resentment.

"Passage fee?" Yue Shouming seemed to chuckle lightly.

Regarding Yue Shouming, Ling Qingyue felt mostly astonishment. She did not understand why the person had changed so much. She had seen the others from the past, Nie Wenxiao, Chi Que, Ying Ying. Though they were no longer the same, traces of their former selves still lingered. But on Yue Shouming, she saw nothing of that bright, spirited youth who had loved food, fun, and writing stories.

"Xiao Heng can be somewhat willful. It is not that the Sword Venerable did not punish her for what happened before. It is only that the Ancient Yao Forest Realm is about to open, and the Sword Venerable's intent was to carry out the punishment after the realm closes." Yue Shouming raised her hand and bowed slightly toward those within the barrier. "I apologize to everyone on Xiao Heng's behalf."

The Yue Family members behind her also bowed in unison with their family head.

Cui Heng frowned deeply. She reached out to take Yue Shouming's arm as if to pull her upright, her voice cold and hard but threaded with hidden tenderness. "You don't need to do this."

Yue Shouming shook her head gently at her, straightened, and continued, "If it is a passage fee you require, Piaomiao Sect may ask one divination from the Yue Family. Is that acceptable?"

A collective gasp rose from inside and outside the barrier. That passage fee was far too much!

Cui Heng's face filled with displeasure. "Hidden Moon Lord!"

Ling Qingyue drew a deep breath, thoroughly infuriated. Damn you, Yue Shouming. Are you blind? Cui Heng, of all people, is worth the Yue Family's protection?!

"No. Once is not enough." Ling Qingyue raised three fingers. "Three times."

It was outright extortion. Even Nie Wenxiao beside her was finding it hard to watch.

Cui Heng glared over. "Don't push your luck!"

Ling Qingyue raised an eyebrow and said carelessly, "The Hidden Moon Lord herself hasn't objected. What are you so worked up about?"

"That is acceptable," Yue Shouming nodded agreeably.

Ling Qingyue was not pleased. Yue Shouming should not be like this. She should be cursing her shamelessness across the barrier, not greeting her with a smiling face while cleaning up Cui Heng's mess.

"Then let the Hidden Moon Lord personally perform the Heavenly Divination Art once, right now. Calculate when exactly Cui Heng will be expelled from her sect."

The words came too fast. Even Pei Si had no time to react and stop her.

Nie Wenxiao's face went white beside her. "…" My forebear! What are you saying?!

Cui Heng's gaze toward Ling Qingyue was thick with killing intent. The long sword at her waist trembled unceasingly.

Silence fell all around. The crowd stared at Ling Qingyue dumbstruck. Outside the barrier, the Yue Family members glared at her as though they wished they could rush in and tear her apart.

Ying Ying's eyes went wide. She leaned closer to Chi Que and whispered, "The Yue Family's attitude was perfectly good, and she deliberately spoke words to stab them in the heart. Piaomiao Sect is set on offending Shangtianqiong Sect beyond all mending."

Who did not know that the current Hidden Moon Lord of the Yue Family no longer had the ability to use the Heavenly Divination Art? Because of the previous Hidden Moon Lord's relationship with the Sword Venerable, Shangtianqiong Sect had extended much care to the Yue Family. Though the Yue Family was no longer as glorious as before, every sect still treated them with respect.

Now this person wanted the Hidden Moon Lord to perform the Heavenly Divination Art in front of so many people. If that was not deliberately stirring trouble, what was it? She had offended not only the Yue Family but likely the Sword Venerable as well. The Sword Venerable was exceedingly protective of Yue Shouming, the younger sister of her fallen Dao Companion.

Pei Si brushed Ling Qingyue's hand.

Ling Qingyue looked back at her, asking with her eyes: What is it?

Pei Si was about to tell her when Yue Shouming spoke. Her tone was mild and even, without the slightest trace of anger. "Then I fear I must disappoint this immortal friend."

She raised a hand and touched her own eyes, her voice bland. "These eyes of mine can no longer perform the Heavenly Divination Art. The matter this immortal friend inquires about can be divined by a Yue Family disciple on my behalf."

Ling Qingyue froze on the spot, staring at her blankly. "What…?"

She took two steps forward and looked through the barrier at Yue Shouming's eyes. Only then did she see clearly that a white-gauze dharma artifact was covering them, blocking any outside gaze from peering at her sight.

Her gaze slowly shifted to Yue Shouming's forehead. There, a blood-red line, absent from her memories, marked the sealing of the Heavenly Divination Art.

Warmth prickled at Ling Qingyue's eyes. She inhaled deeply, forced the emotion down, turned, and returned to Pei Si's side.

"Let them in."

Get instant access to all chapters now.

Previous Table of Contents Next