First Immortal of the Sword - Chapter 2302 - The Wind Rises
Chapter 2302 – The Wind Rises
Beneath the dome of heaven, far from the Zhong Family Estate, a little flat boat hovered in the sky, hidden amidst the white clouds.
Su Yi stood on board, one hand behind his back, the other holding a gourd of wine as he watched everything that happened in the Zhong Family.
After a while, he looked away and said, “Thank you for your help, Ol’ Wan.”
Wan Zitian smiled and shook his head. “A trivial matter. Donghua Sword Pavilion didn’t dare to offend you, so they had no choice but to compromise.”
A long, long time ago, Wan Zitian and Ancestor Xingyi of Donghua Sword Pavilion had been close. When Wan Zitian sought her out to discuss Zhong Xinlan, Ancestor Xingyi immediately took responsibility for solving the problem.
But Wan Zitian knew that Ancestor Xingyi wasn’t just honoring their old friendship. She also didn’t want to offend Su Yi over something as trivial as a marriage between juniors!
That was the real crux of the matter.
“Are you happy with this result, Brother Fuyou?” Wan Zitian asked with a smile.
Su Yi inclined his head. “This is quite good. Later, when I get the opportunity, I’ll naturally arrange a glorious future for Zhong Xinlan. Only then will I have adequately honored Zhong Youqi for his sacrifice.”
Wan Zitian sighed ruefully. “It’s only right.”
“Come on, then. Let’s go to the Ruins of Supreme Emergence.” Su Yi steered the boat, and the two of them soared through the clouds.
……
The Western Paradise Spirit Mountains.
The banks of a lotus pond, beneath the swaying leaves of the trees.
“There’s surely… a problem with Lu Qingmei,” whispered the Dipankara Buddha. There was no need for guessing or consideration. When word of the incident at the Severed Heavens Demon Court reached his ears, the answer was obvious.
“If all goes as I expect, Gu Huaxian will resolve this problem.” The Dipankara Buddha pondered briefly before guessing how she’d handle this.
However, he couldn’t say for sure that Su Yi would make the same mistake as Yi Daoxuan.
“Founder, our disciples have finished their preparations for this trip to the Ruins of Supreme Emergence. Do you have any further orders?” A gaunt, middle-aged man walked over and asked.
The Dipankara Buddha pondered briefly, then said, “Cancel the expedition.”
The middle-aged monk was stunned. “But Founder, why?”
“The opening of the Ruins of Supreme Emergence has drawn the attention of the entire God Domain. All of the top factions are rubbing their hands together with anticipation. They’re eager to sweep in and claim the ruins’ good fortune,” said the Dipankara Buddha, his gaze heavy and deep. “But that means that wind and waves will arise on all sides. Catastrophes will be inevitable and frequent. Who knows how much bloodshed will arise? Better to stay out of it.”
“Understood.” The middle-aged man nodded and left.
The Dipankara Buddha took out a blue-green bodhi leaf, then used his divine sense to write a line of characters.
“If I’m not mistaken, Su Yi is sure to appear at the Ruins of Supreme Emergence. Whether or not you can seize the Blade of Heaven’s Loathing will depend on you, Fellow Daoist.”
Kcch!
The bodhi leaf caught ablaze, then scattered into ash.
The Dipankara Buddha, meanwhile, slowly shut his eyes and sat in silent meditation.
……
“The Ruins of Supreme Emergence, huh…?” A one-armed old man in a bamboo hat walked through the gates of an unassuming little city in the Southern Flame Divine Continent.
He was big-boned, and his hair and beard were scraggly. His clothes were in tatters, and he was so tall that ordinary people barely reached his belly button.
Most striking of all, he carried a black coffin on his back.
Strangely, even as he walked through the crowded city streets, no one seemed to notice him.
In the blink of an eye, the one-armed man and his coffin had vanished into thin air.
……
The Spirit Firmament Divine Continent.
Atop a mountain separate from the outside world.
Just like last time, when Lu Qingmei returned, she knelt in silence before the tightly shut palace doors.
No voice emanated from inside. All was silent save for the wailing of the mountain winds.
This was what Yu Xun saw when he returned, but he was in no mood to admire his kneeling senior apprentice sister’s ample curves.
“You traitor! How dare you kneel there like that after what you did? I’m going to put you to death in front of our master!” Yu Xun roared in fury and charged, but just as he was about to attack…
“Kneel!” A cold, indifferent voice emanated from beyond the tightly shut doors.
Yu Xun stiffened, then shouted, “But Master, Senior Apprentice Sister…”
Whap!
A silver chain of the natural order smacked him like a whip. He shuddered, then fell limply to the ground.
“Kneel properly.”
The palace doors silently opened, and Gu Huaxian emerged.
Yu Xun struggled to get back up, then knelt. He said in a low voice, “Master, your disciple doesn’t understand. Why won’t you punish Senior Apprentice Sister even now?”
Whap!
That gray chain of the natural order rose, then struck him ruthlessly once more, tearing open the flesh of his back. His defensive power wasn’t enough to block it, and blood splattered on impact.
Yu Xun grimaced, struggling to endure the bone-piercing pain. He no longer dared to speak.
But who could have imagined that the chain would whip him repeatedly anyway? In the end, it struck him over one hundred times!
By the time it finished, his physical body was on the brink of collapse, blood pooled beneath him, and he curled up in a ball, as unmoving as a blood statue.
Throughout this process, neither Lu Qingmei nor Gu Huaxian said a word.
Yu Xun, meanwhile, dared not say anything.
Finally, Gu Huaxian spoke. “Do you understand what you’ve done wrong?”
Yu Xun quivered from head to toe, then said hoarsely, “I… I truly don’t understand what I’ve done to anger you so deeply.”
Gu Huaxian frowned, but in the end, she didn’t strike him again. Instead, she said coldly, “That’s your senior apprentice sister! Even if she erred, it’s my responsibility to punish her, but look at you! You chose to join forces with outsiders, almost killing her in the process!”
Yu Xun fell silent. Only now did he realize that his master wasn’t angry about his senior apprentice sister’s betrayal, but rather, that he’d worked with others to defeat her!
In doing so, he’d undoubtedly crossed his master’s bottom line! “I…I understand what I’ve done wrong…” Yu Xun slumped, his voice bitter.
“Qingmei, I’ve gotten justice for you. Are you happy now?” Gu Huaxian asked.
Lu Qingmei said softly, “Thank you, Master!”
After a moment’s silence, Gu Huaxian said, “Why haven’t you explained what happened between you and Su Yi?”
Lu Qingmei kept her head lowered. “Nothing I’ve done has eluded your notice, Master. When it comes to how I’ve handled Su Yi, I have no guilty conscience. If you suspect that I’ve betrayed you, you’re welcome to take my life here and now!”
Gu Huaxian’s eyes flashed. She gazed intently at Lu Qingmei for a moment before saying, “Get up.”
But Lu Qingmei didn’t move. “Master, if you just let Junior Apprentice Brother go, I’m afraid I won’t be able to get closer to Su Yi like you commanded. This time, he exposed me. I won’t be able to lie low in the Severed Heavens Demon Court any longer.
“Worse, the Dipankara Buddha has realized what I’m doing. I’m afraid… that approaching Su Yi has become far more difficult.”
Yu Xun’s mind went blank. “Master, you mean you told Senior Apprentice Sister to get close to Su Yi!?”
Gu Huaxian ignored him. She just sighed and personally helped Lu Qingmei to her feet. “You were indeed wronged this time, but rest assured. Your junior apprentice brother won’t dare to interfere with your affairs in the future.”
Only then did Lu Qingmei say, “Thank you, Master.”
“Qingmei, this path will be difficult to walk. Su Yi was bitten once. Earning his trust again will be unquestionably difficult,” said Gu Huaxian. “But I trust your capabilities, and I’m sure you can do it. Right?”
Lu Qingmei pursed her lips. “I’ll do everything in my power! I won’t disappoint you, Master!”
Gu Huaxian nodded in satisfaction. “If you run into trouble, you can always contact me.”
“Understood!” Lu Qingmei nodded.
“Go. Act in accordance with our original plans,” said Gu Huaxian.
In other words, “Leave.”
But then, Lu Qingmei said suddenly, “Master, I hope that no matter what happens after this… your trust in me won’t waver.”
Gu Huaxian nodded.
Only then did Lu Qingmei bid farewell and leave.
Not long after she left, Yu Xun couldn’t help but ask, “Master, just what are you and Senior Apprentice Sister doing?”
“There’s no need for you to know,” Gu Huaxian said calmly. “All you need to do is remember that if your senior apprentice sister betrays us, I’ll be the one to kill her. All you need to do is serve as my eyes and watch everything she does.”
Yu Xun’s spirits soared. “You don’t fully trust Senior Apprentice Sister, do you, Master?”
Gu Huaxian said, “Your senior apprentice sister was brought to me while still a swaddled infant. I raised her myself. How could I not trust her? We’ll just have to wait and see. Time will tell if she’s really working on my behalf.”
She took out a talisman, then passed it to Yu Xun. “This is emblazoned with a wisp of your senior apprentice sister’s natal divine blood. Take it, and find someone for me.”
“Who?” Lu Xun was startled. Why would I need Senior Apprentice Sister’s natal divine blood just to find someone? Unless… they’re a blood relative of hers!
“Lu Zhanxuan, an inheritor of the Severed Heavens Demon Court, as well as your senior apprentice sister’s adopted son,” said Gu Huaxian.
She paused, then said slowly and clearly, “Remember, once you’ve found him, you’re to bring him back to me secretly, and you’re not to hurt a hair on his head!”
Yu Xun solemnly assented. “Yes, Master!”
