IVYSCP - Chapter 57
Chapter 57
"Senior Sister!"
Ling Qingyue instinctively wanted to stand, but Pei Yin beside her pressed down on her hand.
Pei Yin withdrew the pressure she had been exerting on Cui Heng and simultaneously dispelled the disguise. Lou Wudu had come and directly pointed out her identity; there was no longer any need to keep up the pretense.
Yue Shouming looked astonished. "Immortal Venerable?"
After transmitting her message, Nie Wenxiao had already flashed over to the grand formation. When she saw the person standing outside the barrier with hands clasped behind her back, her expression darkened. Why had Lou Wudu suddenly come?
The person was already here. Regardless of the reason, there was absolutely no justification for barring her at the door. Nie Wenxiao opened the barrier and raised her hand in salute. "Sword Venerable."
Lou Wudu looked down at her from a lofty vantage, then her figure flickered, and she went directly to the guest residence of the Yue family.
Nie Wenxiao pressed her lips together, her back straight. As expected, Cui Heng had received the Sword Venerable's true teachings, whether in swordsmanship or anything else.
The two arrived at the guest residence one after the other. Seeing Lou Wudu arrive, Cui Heng curled her lips in a cold smile and, after saluting, withdrew to the side.
Yue Shouming also rose. "Senior Sister Lou."
Lou Wudu nodded slightly to her, her expression softening a fraction. "Are you well?"
Yue Shouming smiled in reply. "Well enough."
Lou Wudu then turned her gaze to the two other people in the room. After looking past Pei Yin, she fixed her eyes on the person beside her. This person was not old, with eyes clearly defined in black and white and exceptionally bright. Now she was staring at her in a daze, as if frightened.
Lou Wudu tugged the corner of her mouth without any discernible change in expression, her eyes cold. "When did Immortal Venerable emerge from seclusion?" She swept aside the hem of her robe and sat down opposite the two.
Pei Yin had been holding Ling Qingyue's hand and could feel the faint trembling running through her. While stroking the back of Ling Qingyue's hand with her fingertips, she answered Lou Wudu, "Not long ago."
Ling Qingyue's eyes had not left Lou Wudu. This was the senior sister who had watched her grow up. Was this her senior sister?
The senior sister in her memory had always worn moon-hua robes like their master, garments that were not pure white but a hazy moonlight, ethereal as an immortal. Her senior sister had been a true exemplar for the immortal sects. Disciples of Shangtianqiong and other immortal sects alike had wholeheartedly called her Senior Sister Lou. The elders had praised her endlessly, saying she was unmoved by favor or disgrace, restrained by ritual, her Dao heart unwavering. When she had been punished for transgressions, their master had often told her, why can't you learn more from your senior sister?
But was the person before her now her senior sister?
The woman's brows were sharp and high-set, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible contempt and disdain when she looked at people. Over the moon-hua robes she wore a gossamer-thin black outer garment that flowed like shifting sand, vaguely revealing crescent-shaped emblems upon it, like an insignia.
Ling Qingyue lowered her head, her eye sockets rimmed red. She clung tightly to Pei Yin's hand to keep from losing her composure. If it were possession, who could possess her senior sister, given her cultivation? She seemed to have some inkling of why Cui Heng had turned out this way. She wanted so badly to ask, to ask why she had become like this, to ask why she had turned Shangtianqiong into something everyone now feared and loathed.
"Immortal Venerable, and this is?" Lou Wudu suddenly asked.
Pei Yin felt the hand in her palm stiffen. She moved her fingers, interlacing their hands, and introduced her. "Ah Xi, Guest Elder of Piaomiao Sect, and my Dao companion."
Lou Wudu raised an eyebrow in surprise. "The Immortal Venerable has formed a Dao bond? I had not heard."
Pei Yin's expression remained as cold as ever. "A Dao bond is a matter between two people. There is no need for the world to know."
Lou Wudu nodded, letting out a small laugh. "That is also true. Then congratulations to the Immortal Venerable."
Pei Yin inclined her head, accepting the well-wishes.
The room fell silent. No one spoke. When Su Lan arrived with Yue Xian and saw the situation in the room, she quietly retreated to Yue Shouming's side. Su Lan straightened Yue Shouming's cloak, checked the warmth of the hand warmer, and after seeing to everything with attentive care, stood quietly to the side.
Yue Xian was a young woman of seventeen or eighteen. She stared wide-eyed at the people in the room without any restraint. She tugged at Su Lan's clothes and whispered, "Aunt Su, why has the Sword Venerable come too?" Her voice was not loud, yet everyone present could hear.
Su Lan turned to look at her and raised a finger to her lips to signal silence. Yue Xian also realized she probably should not have spoken and hastily covered her mouth.
"I heard that a few days ago, Piaomiao Sect demanded... a toll fee from Shangtianqiong?" Lou Wudu wore a smile when she spoke, but the smile was deeply cold. Anyone could tell this was a settling of accounts.
The hand hanging at Nie Wenxiao's side trembled. She raised her eyes towards the Immortal Venerable.
"That's right."
The one who spoke was not the Immortal Venerable, but the person beside her, Ling Qingyue. Ling Qingyue had recovered herself. She raised her eyes and looked directly at Lou Wudu. "I demanded it."
Lou Wudu shifted her jaw slightly, biting the flesh inside her cheek, and narrowed her eyes. She seemed not to have expected a direct admission, spoken with such fearlessness.
"The toll fee was paid by Hidden Moon Lord. Three uses of the Heavenly Divination Art. Since the Sword Venerable has come, I will not collect this toll from Hidden Moon Lord." Ling Qingyue stretched out her hand to the person opposite. "The Sword Venerable will pay."
Nie Wenxiao drew in a sharp breath. Extorting a toll fee from her and Cui Heng was one thing, but how dare she directly extend her hand to the Sword Venerable?
Lou Wudu lowered her gaze to the hand. It was slender and fair, without the slightest callus. Not a hand that gripped a sword.
Seeing her silence, Ling Qingyue gave a cold snort. "Surely the Sword Venerable cannot be unable to pay even a toll fee?"
Lou Wudu let out a cold laugh and looked directly at her. "What do you want?"
Looking into those eyes that held no trace of their former warmth, Ling Qingyue enunciated each word. "I want Sun-Chasing."
This time even Pei Yin glanced at her with mild surprise. Sun-Chasing was a divine artifact. There was absolutely no way Lou Wudu would give it. Ling Qingyue knew this, of course. Yet she wanted the person before her to grow angry. She wanted her senior sister to be unable to maintain this current appearance, which was so utterly alien to her.
Unfortunately, it did not happen. Lou Wudu only raised an eyebrow and refused outright. "Sun-Chasing is not possible."
Out of the corner of her eye, Ling Qingyue glanced at Cui Heng to the side. Cui Heng noticed her gaze, furrowed her brow, and was instantly on guard, her intuition telling her nothing good was coming.
"Not giving Sun-Chasing is also fine." Ling Qingyue used a tone of settling for second best. "Then let the Sword Venerable expel Cui Heng from her tutelage and from Shangtianqiong."
This time more people were sharply drawing breath: Nie Wenxiao and the three from the Yue family. Cui Heng fixed Ling Qingyue with a look of murderous intent but did not speak. Ling Qingyue was rather surprised by this rare and precious display of obedience. It seemed that before Lou Wudu, Cui Heng dared not run wild. If Lou Wudu were not here, Cui Heng's sword would probably already be cleaving down on her head.
"Not possible."
Lou Wudu refused again, just as unequivocally as she had refused to give Sun-Chasing. At the side, Cui Heng curled her lip, as if she had long known this would be the answer. Ling Qingyue's heart sank. If her senior sister had hesitated even briefly, she would have thought, perhaps Senior Sister also knew Cui Heng's character was lacking. Perhaps she had also considered expelling her. But her senior sister had not.
Lou Wudu said, unhurried, "Xiao Heng's temper is somewhat large. She did something inappropriate some time ago. I have already punished her. Upon returning to Shangtianqiong after the Ancient Yao Forest Realm, she will face punishment. I know Piaomiao Sect bears resentment towards her, but I am the one who accepted her as a disciple. Her fate should also be decided by me."
Temper somewhat large... The outrageous things Cui Heng had done, and it was only a somewhat large temper?
Ling Qingyue drew a deep breath, her smile strained. "This won't do, that won't do. Surely the Sword Venerable will not refuse me a third time."
Lou Wudu gave a faint smile, curious to hear what other outrageous thing she might say. "Speak."
"I heard Shangtianqiong has a sword, Jiuge. I want it." Ling Qingyue had tried to recall the Jiuge sword, but had failed time and again. She wondered if some restriction had trapped Jiuge. After her death, Jiuge must be in the Sword Pavilion. In asking for Jiuge, Ling Qingyue also wanted to probe her senior sister, to see if she would remember her, if she would recognize her.
The first to speak was Yue Shouming, her tone urgent. "Elder Ah Xi, Jiuge... you cannot." It was the sword of her friend. Even if its master had fallen, she could not bear to see Jiuge given away as some kind of toll fee.
Nie Wenxiao, in contrast, lowered her eyes thoughtfully. She already harbored suspicions about Ah Xi, and now she wanted the Jiuge sword...
Lou Wudu refused a third time. "Not possible."
Before Ling Qingyue could even consider the reason for the refusal, she heard her continue. "In two months, Shangtianqiong will hold the Heavenly Secrets Assembly. Jiuge will be the reward for the top rank. If Elder Ah Xi truly wants Jiuge, you may come participate in the Heavenly Secrets Assembly then."
Ling Qingyue's face went white. She looked at her in disbelief. "What did you say?"
"Senior Sister Lou!" Yue Shouming also lost some of her composure, saying in bewilderment, "You, why would you use Jiuge as a prize? It is Qingyue's sword!"
Lou Wudu lowered her eyes, her expression unreadable. "Junior Sister has been fallen for a hundred years. Jiuge has a spirit. It should not gather dust in the Sword Pavilion."
Yue Shouming wanted to say more. "But... cough, cough..." She coughed violently in her agitation, her face going from pale to red. Her body swayed and staggered. Su Lan and Yue Xian rushed to support her.
Lou Wudu listened and furrowed her brows.
"Senior Sister Lou..."
Lou Wudu's tone brooked no argument. "My decision is made. There is no need to speak further."
Yue Shouming's lips trembled. Finally, she lowered her head and tugged the corner of her mouth in a bitter smile. "Very well."
Lou Wudu shifted her gaze to Nie Wenxiao. "Piaomiao Sect has withdrawn from the Immortal Alliance, but the Heavenly Secrets Assembly does not invite only sects within the Immortal Alliance. I recall that the invitation has already been delivered to Sect Leader Nie. If Piaomiao Sect wishes to come, I will make arrangements in advance."
Nie Wenxiao inclined her head in acknowledgment.
"Let's go." Ling Qingyue tugged at Pei Yin's hand. Pei Yin nodded, then said to Lou Wudu, "We take our leave."
Lou Wudu reminded her, "Do you not want the toll fee?"
Ling Qingyue rose, her back to her, her voice somewhat hoarse. "I will give careful thought to what I want and have word sent to the Sword Venerable in due course."
Lou Wudu smiled briefly. "That is acceptable."
Nie Wenxiao also took her leave after the two of them.
After everyone had left, Cui Heng had Su Lan take Yue Xian away. Only three remained in the room: Lou Wudu, Yue Shouming, and Cui Heng.
"Xiao Yue." Lou Wudu came before Yue Shouming, looking down at her with heavy eyes. "Someone told me that a few months ago, Pei Yin went to the Yue family. Is that true?"
Yue Shouming looked bewildered. "What? The Immortal Venerable? Why would she come to the Yue family?" Her reaction did not seem feigned. Lou Wudu reached out towards her brow. Yue Shouming's meridians were half-ruined, but she could still feel spiritual energy. She asked nervously, "Senior Sister Lou, is something the matter?"
Lou Wudu withdrew her hand, a faint anger visible in her eyes. Someone had been able to erase Yue Shouming's memories right under her nose.
"Xiao Yue, it may be that you need to stay at Shangtianqiong for a short while."
Yue Shouming smiled at this. "Alright." Over the years, she had often stayed at Shangtianqiong. It had nearly become a second home.
"Senior Sister Lou." Yue Shouming hesitated, seeming to want to speak but holding back. Lou Wudu knew what she wanted to say. "Still thinking about Jiuge?"
Yue Shouming nodded, frowning. "Are you really going to give Jiuge away?"
A dark glint flickered through Lou Wudu's eyes. "Jiuge will await its true master."
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