Editor: chestnutwhale
The main palace of Peng Lai sect.
Enveloped in green and holding a pure white whisk, Zhou Zhengping said to the person beside him, “Yun-shidi sent word that he would return today, which coincides with your departure. You can go into seclusion without worrying…”
Jiang Yinghe, “He arrives today?”
Zhou Zhengping knew what he was thinking about and comforted him, “The only reason Xiao1小 – another way to express affection for younger people. It’s not part of his name Yun-shidi confessed to you before was due to being cursed by a demonic cultivator. Rest assured, now that he has reached the Primordial God stage, he should not be affected by such a thing anymore.”
Jiang Yinghe had forgotten about that incident several centuries ago, but now that he was reminded of it by Zhangmen-shixiong he felt a chill run down his spine. Before he could reply, he sensed a wave of light heading towards them.
The bright white light seemed to shift and dove into Jiang Yinghe’s embrace.
“Shixiong! I’m back, I’m back! I came as soon as I could to see you!”
Jiang Yinghe expressionlessly peeled his little shidi off and held him at arms-length by the collar of his shirt. He lightly inquired, “Is your foundation stable?”
“Yep yep, no problems here! Shixiong, I’ve missed you~”
This person was still the same as he was before his centuries of seclusion. He took full advantage of his status as Jiang Yinghe’s shidi, nuzzling into the crevice of his neck, “Shixiong, you smell so nice ah…”
Zhou Zhengping was unable to look on at such a shameless sight. He coughed and was just about to reprimand him until he caught the rapidly cooling expression of Jiang Yinghe.
He quickly said, “Have…”
Boom!
The white figure that was just cuddling with Jiang-shidi was thrown out of the room in a graceful and powerful arc, crashing headfirst into the outer palace courtyard. Only a deep crater several meters deep was left after the dust cleared.
Zhou Zhengping, “…Have mercy.”
Jiang Yinghe remained unaffected with not even a single hair out of place. “Zhangmen-shixiong.” he said.
Zhou Zhengping replied with a weary face, “That was quite the technique. It’s fine if Xiao Yun-shidi breaks a few bones, but don’t go so far as to harm the cultivation progress he just made during seclusion.”
Jiang Yinghe took a sip of tea, “He’s pretending.”
“Huh? Pretending?”
Jiang Yinghe did not reply. He directed his gaze to the floor in front of him and returned his cup to the table.
A clear sound from the cup’s base emanated throughout the room.
At the same time, the floor of the palace hall suddenly burst open and a white streak accompanied by a sword light charged out. Dazzling rays illuminated the room before condensing onto a single point that cut towards the occupants.
In the blink of an eye, the screech of ice meeting metal was heard. The sharp and serrated edge was deftly deflected by a snow-white sword. Before the sound dispersed, Yun Buxiu had been knocked several meters away by Wangchen, half-kneeling in front of its master.
His appearance remained unruffled. Cupping his hands, he saluted, “Thanking Shixiong for his guidance.”
The ripples on the surface of the teacup beside Jiang Yinghe stilled. All was silent.
Wangchen appeared for only an instant before being withdrawn by Jiang Yinghe. But Yun Buxiu caught sight of the spiritually pure mirror stone attached to its hilt.
“A sword pendant?” Yun Buxiu asked as he got up and approached, “Did Shixiong find a cultivation partner?”
Zhou Zhengping was not a sword cultivator, so he had no idea what ‘guidance’ was actually imparted in that exchange. He explained, “That was a present from one of Jiang-shidi’s disciples to commemorate their master-disciple relationship. Much more significant than just a gift from a partner, wouldn’t you say?”
Yun Buxiu nodded, then jolted to a stop, “Did you just say disciple?”
Jiang Yinghe, “I am counting on you to look after them on my behalf during my seclusion in the Frozen Plains.”
Yun Buxiu took a seat next to them and casually agreed, “Sure, I’ll babysit your kids for you.”
Jiang Yinghe thought about his disciples. They both came from troubled backgrounds, but they were also hardworking and good children. He inclined his head in thanks.
Zhou Zhengping, “…Kids that can cut mountains when arguing.”
Yun Buxiu froze, “Cut what?”
Just as Jiang Yinghe wanted to say something in their defense, he heard Zhangmen-shixiong continue glumly from beside him, “If you go they’ll cut you too.”
Yun Buxiu, “……”
—-
No one noticed Jiang Yinghe’s departure from Peng Lai except for Li Huanhan.
He could sense the mirror stone was getting further away.
When Li Huanhan opened his eyes, it was raining outside. The scent he had left on the pendant was becoming faint.
Qing Jing Peak contained many residences. Jiang Yinghe resided in the White Crane Jade Manor, named after the crane spirit beasts living there. Li Huanhan and Qin Jun also had their own rooms.
Li Huanhan sat on his bed and laid down a sound array. Then he stared at his palm. A thick stream of demonic energy exited the area and condensed into a thin red gash. The flesh of his palm then split open to reveal a bloodshot eyeball that spun around erratically.
When the eyes saw him, it let out a high-pitched scream, “AH!! Let me go! Let me go! Xuehe Demon Lord! Why am I still here…Why aren’t you dead?!”
Li Huanhan’s expression was cold. He had no reaction to the hysterical screeching of the creature. “Find a person for this lord.”
The bloody eye quieted down and spun several more times, eventually saying in a coy voice, “Who does master want to find? This blood shadow will require a new body to do so…”
It suddenly stopped speaking and began blinking out of fear as Li Huanhan’s other hand approached, intending to gouge it out.
“Ahhhhh! Xuehe! You can’t do this! Nonono! I’m a part of you! I was originally a part of you! Ahhhhh Li Huanhan!”
Just as Li Huanhan’s finger pierced the eyeball, it let out a blood-curdling scream, “I don’t need anything! I’ll do it for free! Who in the world are you trying to find?!”
“Xuan Wei Xianjun,” Li Huanhan said calmly, “Jiang Yinghe.”
The eye gave him a plaintive glance before closing. After some time, it reopened and said, “He’s in the far north region. His destination seems to be…the Frozen Plains?”
“The Frozen Plains…” Li Huanhan’s gaze shifted as he pondered this new information. Then he began withdrawing his demonic energy.
“Quickly go back to the Blood Pond! Quickly!” The blood shadow continued, “That Xianjun or whatever is perfectly suited to become a furnace to further your cultivation! His constitution is pure, so Junshang will definitely be able to ascend this time…”
Without fuel to sustain itself, the eyeball disappeared from Li Huanhan’s palm with a shriek.
He turned and dispelled the sound array. Glancing at one of the neighbouring rooftops, he sneered, “Still planning to hide there?”
A previously flat section of the roof opened up and the gray-haired Qin Jun emerged. His silver sword, Zhanyun, was on his lap. Leaning his head on his hand, he said, “Eyeballs can grow from your hand. Wow. Let me think…what did it just call you?”
Li Huanhan gave him a warning glance. His palm tingled. For the first time, he smiled at someone other than Jiang Yinghe, but it was a chilling sight.
“Qin Jun,” he said, “I think it would be best if you left the sect soon.”
Qin Jun’s eyes narrowed with mirth, “I was just about to say the same to you.”
Li Huanhan reached out to grasp his red longsword. A potent killing aura emanated from his body. The target of his bloodlust, however, offhandedly cracked his knuckles in response.
The wraith licked his lips, baring his long-hidden incisors in a grotesque grin.
—-
Jiang Yinghe left Peng Lai the first day Yun Buxiu got back. That same day, he came to Qing Jing Peak to ‘babysit the kids’.
The spirit cranes outside the main manor were all dozing in the light rain. The atmosphere here was wonderfully calm, and it was impossible to tell that this area had once been reduced to a barren wasteland.
Yun Buxiu stood at the summit and took a deep breath while surveying Peng Lai. He was very pleased. Just as he was about to take a good look at Jiang-shixiong’s disciples, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble.
Yun Buxiu: “……?”
A blood-coloured light flashed by, and Qing Jing’s mountain top was once again severed.
Yun Buxiu: !!!
Xiao Yun-shidi was caught in the resulting rockslide, and he barely managed to escape by turning into his light form in midair. After landing in a nearby valley, he looked up to see a youth surrounded by miasma deflect the sword light that had torn through where he stood using his own longsword. An ominous laugh escaped his lips.
“Haven’t you disciplined me enough, Shi~Xiong~?”
The word shixiong was enunciated deliberately and slowly. It was obviously meant as a provocation and was dripping in hubris.
“Discipline?” The other person was dark from head to toe with a cruel and violent air about him. His gleaming red sword seemed to have rivulets of fluid surrounding it. “You are not worthy of being disciplined by me.”
One side was deadly sinister and the other was overwhelmingly demonic. The rest of Peng Lai should have been alarmed by all the ruckus they’ve caused, but some array nearby must have prevented detection except at point-blank range.
He blankly stared at the scene before him, absentmindedly brushed off nonexistent dust from his sleeves. He had not yet recovered from his shock when the man in black turned to pin him with those eyes that seemed to swirl like a whirlpool of blood.
The atmosphere became strange.
“What should we do?” Qin Jun suddenly asked.
Li Huanhan looked away, “Kill him.”
Qin Jun rubbed his chin with a considering look, “But how would you explain it to Shizun when he gets back? Let’s just erase his memories.”
Li Huanhan narrowed his eyes in disgust, “Then you do it.”
Yun Buxiu: “……”
What kind of disciples has my Shixiong been collecting?!!
Author’s Corner
Yun Buxiu: It’s too dangerous here, let me go back into seclusion…
