CH 142

The Falling Cloud Mountain was a sect as small as one could be.

There were only three people in Li Muxing’s sect: Li Muxing, her shifu, and a disciple that was responsible for cleaning the place. He had been abandoned because he was born deaf and mute, but Li Muxing’s shifu took pity on him and invited him to join the sect. The shifu only taught him a few techniques, so he could only be counted as half of a real disciple of the Falling Cloud Mountain.

Li Muxing was a smart girl. She was able to master the techniques that her shifu explained to her after reading about them a couple times. There were talented people all around the world, but the Falling Cloud Mountain was a remote sect that rarely had any geniuses in it, so the head of the sect thought that Li Muxing was truly outstanding and should not waste her talent in such a small place. So, two years after she had broken through to the Heart Demon realm, when news of the Qianlin Assembly had spread, the sect master shamelessly used his old connections to get an invitation to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa.

That old friend of his had some history with the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, so after asking around for a bit, he naturally managed to obtain an invitation and sent it to the sect master with a goose. As he looked at the glowing golden piece of paper with Li Muxing’s name written beautifully on it, the sect master reminded her repeatedly that she should show off the best side of her at the assembly and must not feel inferior to others just because she had come from a small and weak sect. He was actually passing his unfulfilled dreams onto Li Muxing.

Li Muxing descended the mountains while carrying this responsibility. She headed east, climbed over mountain ranges, crossed rivers, and witnessed the sun rise and fall many times. She also befriended several daoyous during the journey before parting ways with them for various reasons. All these daoyous had different backgrounds: some came from old and well-known sects but they were amiable and easy to approach, while others were geniuses that relied heavily on their background. There were also some who were just like her—they had come from small sects and looked down on themselves for that. Li Muxing felt that she had learned a lot more about the world during the trip compared to what she had comprehended while she was isolated at the Falling Cloud Mountain for cultivation.

All this time, she was on the move. She traversed the mountains, only stopping for a couple of days to cultivate from time to time, before finally arriving at Shangzhou. There, she met new companions—four cultivators from the Twelfth Floor of the White Jade Capital. Three of them were male, and the last one was female. While they all had different temperaments, all four of them were full of youthful arrogance. Despite this, they were still not half as bad as some disciples of prominent clans that would not even spare a glance at others.

Li Muxing was not unwilling to travel alone, but the closer she got to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa, she met even more cultivators who also wanted to participate in the Qianlin Assembly. Her traveling by herself was very conspicuous, so it was hard to avoid being targeted. After all, killing people for treasures was not an uncommon thing. Li Muxing had been traveling through the Jianghu for a long period of time, so she had quite a lot of experience.

She and the four disciples of the Twelfth Floor of the White Jade Capital stopped at a guest house in the middle of Shangzhou. After taking a break, they intended to head straight to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa. The five of them were young, so their spirits were soaring at the thought of participating in a QIanlin Assembly. As they were eating together at a table, they were pouring out all that they had to say about the near future.

“I’ve heard that the Qianlin Assembly this time will be unprecedentedly grand! Not only will there be many fresh talents, but also the elders of each clan will be present. Anyone who has ten wins in a row will be noticed by the clan masters!”

The one who was talking was called Qin Qian. He was the youngest among the four disciples, and their least experienced shidi. That was his first time leaving the mountains, so he was full of vigor and never lagged behind. Whenever something lively happened, he was sure to join in, and was the definition of a gossip.

“Enough, stop shouting, as if you can win ten times in a row. We’re just here to watch the fun and serve as background decorations. After all, the stage belongs to sects like the Celestial Abode Shenxiao and the Wanjian Immortal Clan.”

This was the second shixiong, Lin Wenyu. He was speaking casually and was not at all as hopeful as his shidi, Qin Qian, since he had already been at a Qianlin Assembly several years ago and had achieved nothing significant, which quenched his excitement like a cold shower. At that time, he learned that no matter how strong one was, there was always someone stronger.

“It can’t be that the masters of the clans like the Celestial Abode Shenxiao will also be here? I wonder if Fozuo Shengjue is going to grace the Zhengrong Mountain Villa with his presence. I’ve heard that not only is he powerful, but he is also aloof and detached from mortal affairs and looks like a deity! After a single glance at him, you’ll forget all about our sinful world, I really want to see him!”

This pretty and gentle girl was the third shimei, Chang Yue. She was very eager to travel alongside Li Muxing because she was the only female disciple among the four, and since none of her other companions chatted with her on the road, Li Muxing’s presence filled this emptiness. Her shixiongs and shidi loved her, and had no complaints about Li Muxing who obviously posed no threat.

Even judging by the few words that had been said, one could see that they all were very different.

Li Muxing smiled. She thought that even if she would not shine as brightly at this Qianlin Assembly as her master hoped, everything she had experienced would prove that this was a worthwhile trip. At this moment, Chang Yue suddenly turned her head to look at her.

“Sister Li, have you seen Shengjue?”

Li Muxing shook her head: “I’m just like you, it’s my first time descending the mountains of my sect. I’ve seen some places after leaving, but my knowledge is still lacking. I couldn’t have ever met such illustrious people.”

Their dashixiong, Xia Zheng, had not spoken at all, as if he had not heard any of this.

He was pouring himself tea and looking outside at the same time. When the water had filled his cup, he was not paying attention to it, so it spilled over the edge of the table.

“Daoxiong Xia, your cup!” Li Muxing warned him softly. At this moment, Xia Zheng seemed to have woken up and quickly stood up to brush the water off his robe.

It was strange for him to forget his manners, so Li Muxing looked at the direction he had been looking at and also froze.

There was a man standing at the door.

His figure was illuminated by light from behind his back, and his sleeves were fluttering in the wind. There was also a long sword behind his back.

She could not discern his expression, but could not help but want to see his face. That was probably the reason why Xia Zheng had been distracted too.

The man looked around, as if searching for a place to sit down. Seeing that the tables had all been taken, he turned around to leave.

Chang Yue stood up to stop him: “Daoxiong, please stay! We have a place for one more!”

Li Muxing covered her face, embarrassed on her behalf.

Although their square table was theoretically able to accommodate eight people, two at each side, it was already crowded with the five of them. She and Chang Yue could sit at one side, but if two grown men were to sit together, it would have looked really strange.

Moreover, there was no telling whether the man was a friend or a foe. Asking him to join them was truly reckless.

The man also seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then came closer.

“Thank you very much for the offer, daoyou. This one is Sun Wuxia from the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace. I’ve left my sect for the first time, so please, grace me with your instructions, daoyous.”

When the man approached, Li Muxing was finally able to see his face. She could not help but admire his looks and sneakily glanced at him a couple more times.

The man is truly deserving of his name, the two girls thought simultaneously.

Deserving of his name: Sun Wuxia’s ‘wuxia’ means ‘flawless’

His words were well-spoken, and his manners were uniquely elegant. How was he not flawless?

Chang Yue was a straightforward person: “Daoyou Sun, do you travel alone? Are you also going to the Qianlin Assembly?”

Dashixiong Xie threw her a reprimanding glance.

Sun Wuxia did not mind her bluntness: “Yes. I was going to continue on my journey after a night in Shangzhou, but it seems that I came too late—I can’t find a free guest house now.”

“You’re wrong, daoyou Sun. When cultivators leave their sects, they often have to eat nothing and sleep out in the wild. If there’s no place to rest, it’s fine to just leave in the evening and come to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa a bit earlier to rest there.” As always, the second shixiong, Li Wenyu, started arguing for no reason.

Sun Wuxia answered with a smile: “I’m already travel-worn and tired, and I don’t want to lose the face of my sect. That’s why I wanted to freshen up before going there.”

Chang Yue saw that he did not lose his composure easily and was ready to defend himself, and liked him even more. She wanted to invite him to rest together and turned to Xia Zheng: “Dashixiong, we have four rooms, can’t we give one to daoyou Sun?”

Lin Wenyu could not hold back: “I don’t want to listen to shidi snoring!”

Qin Qian retorted: “Since when do I snore? Disciples who live with me have never complained!”

Lin Wenyu: “Then go torment dashixiong instead of me.”

“That’s enough!” XIe Zheng started having a headache because of his unruly shidis. He turned to Sun Wuxia and cupped his hands politely: “The Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace is a renowned sect, and it is a great honor to meet their disciple. We come from the Twelfth Floor of the White Jade Capital. If you don’t dislike our presence, daoyou, we can cede a room to you.”

He thought that the man would refuse politely, but Sun Wuxia immediately answered: “Thank you very much, daoyous.”

The “Sun Wuxia” in front of them was Jiufang Changming.

The reason why he rushed to accept the invitation was very simple. He was just like Li Muxing—a person who came to a Qianlin Assembly by themselves was always eye-catching, and hiding was only possible if one blended into the crowd. Jiufang Changming did not want anything to influence his impending battle with Luomei.

Except for the simple-minded Chang Yue, everyone thought that this Sun Wuxia was way too amiable. They did not know each other at all, and after talking for a while about nothing, the man quickly left. Lin Menyu could not help but reproach his shimei for inviting unfamiliar people to live together so thoughtlessly.

“Why is this my first time hearing about the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace?” Lin Wenyu mumbled.

Chang Yue curled her lips: “It couldn’t be more obvious that you’re paying no attention to what elder Liu lectures about the power balance in the world nowadays! Even though the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace is not the most famous sect, it’s one of the most outstanding sects.”

Lin Wenyu: “Then why is he alone?”

Chang Yue: “Among us four, only dashixiong received an invitation too.”

Lin Wenyu said nothing.

In theory, only those who had received an invitation with their names could partake in the Qianlin Assembly. However, a participant could also bring along the other disciples of their clan, and they would not be sent away. They would not be able to enter the competition, and could only watch from the sidelines. Among the four of them, Xia Zheng had the highest cultivation level. The rest had entered the sect only several years ago and were not particularly talented, so they were actually not qualified to participate in the assembly. They were only accompanying their shixiong for the purpose of gaining experience.

The Twelfth Floor of the White Jade Capital had a rich history, and for the past two years, several of their disciples had earned fame. Cultivators of the sect were already of great renown, and if Xia Zheng could make no mistakes during this assembly and performed well, the reputation of the White Jade Capital would soar. Perhaps, in the future, they would even be able to compete for glory alongside sects like the Celestial Abode Shenxiao. That was why this time, Xia Zheng had to go about things steadily and hope to be victorious in order to earn glory for his sect and himself.

Jiufang Changming quickly returned. They asked for more beef noodle soups and steamed stuffed buns, and he ate with everyone without ceremony.

Chang Yue kept asking Jiufang Changming about all kinds of things, inquiring what life in the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace was like, what kind of entertainment one could find nearby, why he came alone and so on. She was way more interested in wining and dining than in cultivation.

Li Muxing also wanted to know about the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace, mostly because she had heard her shifu talk about the sect. A shishu of the previous generation of her sect had married someone from the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace and had not visited her sect for quite some years, but this still meant that her sect shared some history with the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace.

Jiufang Changming had seen virtually everything in the world. Although he was not from the Daoist Temple of the Imperial Palace, he could answer most of the questions, so no one doubted him, and they had fun during the dinner. After everyone finished eating, Xia Zheng prepared to pay, but it turned out that Jiufang Changming had left earlier to pay for the rooms and the food. Xia Zheng felt very apologetic and wanted to return the favor, but the man refused adamantly.

“There’s no need for this, daoxiong Xia. We met by chance, and it was your gracious goodwill to cede a room to me that will allow me to rest. This Sun can’t thank you enough. If you don’t allow me to do this much, I have no right to call myself your friend.”

Xia Zheng could only agree: “Then I’ll stop with pleasantries. Daoxiong Sun, your room is next to mine, so call me if you need anything.”

No one disliked generous friends. Not only Xia Zheng, everyone else, Li Muxing included, thought that not only was this person beautiful, but also turned out to be outspoken and generous with money. After eating from someone else’s hands, it would have been impolite to criticize them, so even Lin Wenyu who loved arguing had nothing bad to say about him.

This was the last night before they headed to the Zhengrong Mountain Villa. They did not expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, and everyone was pleasantly surprised by this encounter.

After the sky darkened, everyone went to their rooms. Li Muxing shared a room with Chang Yue. She started meditating, but Chang Yue tossed and turned. So, unable to fall asleep, she dragged Li Muxing into a conversation. Li Muxing could not refuse, so she could only engage in the small talk.

Chang Yue kept gossiping, and everything she said went back to Sun Wuxia who they met today. She had also traveled for a while this time and had seen a lot of different people. Even though Sun Wuxia’s face was not outstanding, his temperament was special: the better they knew him, the more knowledgeable he seemed, and he also had the leisurely aura of an experienced man, which made Chang Yue’s eyes linger on him many times.

In truth, Li Muxing felt the same way, but her Dao heart was more stable, so she would not get distracted as easily as Chang Yue.

“We have just met for the first time and only exchanged a couple of words. Surely, daoyou Sun doesn’t know us, and we don’t know anything about him either. When I was passing through Yinxi, I’ve heard a story of a person who got backstabbed by their good friend and even lost their life in a fight for some treasure.” What Li Muxing was implying was that they could not tell whether this daoyou Sun was a good or a bad man, and she was afraid that Chang Yue, who was still new to the Jianghu, might be easily deceived.

Chang Yue only stared at her with her eyes wide open and suddenly laughed out loud: “Sister Li, you’re thinking too much! I’m just interested in him, do you really think I’d fall for someone I’ve only seen a couple of times? But—”

She stretched out the last word on purpose, as if she was making fun of Li Muxing.

“Will Sister Li help me ask him whether he has a daoist partner?”

Li Muxing actually paled.

Chang Yue laughed mischievously and wanted to tease her roommate more, but Li Muxing suddenly rushed to her and closed Chang Yue’s mouth with her hand, preventing her from making any noise.

“Be quiet!”

A low noise sounded nearby, and Chang Yue, struck with terror, watched a black shadow slip past their room.

Everything had gone silent in the dead of night, and only the moon was shining upon them from high above. The shadow slowly went past their door. Chang Yue shivered and suddenly realized that the reason she could not move was not Li Muxing blocking her acupuncture points, but rather the shadow outside. It was ghastly and terrifying, and even though she could not clearly see its silhouette, it resembled a giant monster with a very potent ghost qi around it. That ghost qi permeated the room through the door and the windows, taking firm control over their breaths with an overwhelming pressure.

At this moment, Li Muxing felt that she could not use any skill she knew, not even the simplest of techniques. She could only cover Chang Yue’s mouth tightly to prevent her from speaking and thus attracting the monster’s attention.

What on earth is this…

Why does it have such a terrifying aura?

The shadow slowly disappeared from their line of sight, but before she could breathe out in relief, she heard a pained and muffled voice.

“Save me…”

The youngest, Qin Qian!

The two of them recognized him almost immediately. Chang Yue sobbed and struggled in an attempt to go to the rescue, but Li Muxing hesitated for a brief moment. When Chang Yue broke away from her and rushed outside, Li Muxing still followed her quickly.

That terrifying aura was even stronger outside their room. Chang Yue supported herself by leaning against the wall and opened the door to the next room forcefully. She would never forget the scene that she caught sight of after opening the door.

Qin Qian was lying on the floor on his stomach, trying to crawl away to save his life, but the enormous shadow had already gobbled up the lower halves of his legs—they had been dried out, robbed of flesh and skin. Seeing the white bones, Chang Yue was both enraged and frightened, and could not help but cry out. The shadow sensed their presence at once and slowly lifted up its head to stare at Chang Yue with its red eyes.

Chang Yue was frozen in place and could not even lift a finger. While panicking, she saw a familiar sword flash past her.

That’s dashixiong’s sword…

However, as soon as the sword reached the shadow, it was engulfed and disappeared from sight. A vortex formed in the air, sucking them inside, and Chang Yue took a step towards it involuntarily. She screamed, her face full of tears, thinking regretfully that her life would be lost in such unclear circumstances.

“What demon dares disrupt the peace!”

As this voice rang out, a white light shone brightly. Everyone felt a warmth embrace them, and the gloomy and icy atmosphere was cleared away.

At this moment, the vortex dispersed, and the shadow rapidly flew away from Qin Qian’s body.

It’s… Daoyou Sun!