After going to the cold spring, Tian Yao headed towards Yan Hui's courtyard. He looked inside but didn't plan on going in. He saw Huan Xiao Yan and Zhu Li propped up against Yan Hui's window, looking in.
Zhu Li asked Huan Xiao Yan: "Is your illusion magic working?"
Huan Xiao Yan had already grown into a young, elegant lady. Paired against the young Zhu Li, they looked like childhood sweethearts. Huan Xiao Yan harrumphed when she heard Zhu Li's question: "I'm pretty strong now, alright? I might even be able to confuse your king with my illusions. The illusion I'm casting right now will let Master return to the happiest moment in her life. She'll definitely rest well in her dreams tonight."
"What are you making her dream about?"
When they heard Tian Yao behind them, the pair jumped up in fright from the window. Huan Xiao Yan became a little apprehensive when she saw Tian Yao's solemn face. She subconsciously hid behind Zhu Li: "Um....from a long time ago. It's when Master was being carried back by to Chen Xing Mountian by Zhenren Ling Xiao....They were walking in the forest, and her Head Senior Disciple was walking along with them too..."
Tian Yao was quiet.
"We're going to go now, so we don't disrupt her dream." Saying that, Huan Xiao Yan grabbed Zhu Li, and they instantly ran away.
Tian Yao quietly stood there for a moment. Then he finally took a step, pushed open the door, and walked into Yan Hui's room. He sat by Yan Hui's bed and used the moonlight through the window to see her face. It seemed like something good was happening in her dream. Her lips were curved into a slight smile, and her deathly pale face finally had a healthy flush.
She was really peaceful in her dream.
Tian Yao couldn't help putting his hand over her heart. The Heart Protection Scale and neidan in her heart resonated with him. For that moment, his heartbeat and Yan Hui's heartbeat synced together. Tian Yao closed his eyes, and he suddenly entered Yan Hui's dream.
Ling Xiao was giving Yan Hui a piggyback ride, and she quietly laid on his back. Her head rested on his shoulder as he walked on. Walking by them was a young Zi Chen. Whenever Yan Hui looked over, Zi Chen would warmly smile. "Junior disciple, we're about to reach Chen Xing Mountain."
Yan Hui didn't respond, and Zi Chen didn't hold it against her.
The trio continued to walk on the forest path. It was like they were on a never ending trail. Ahead of them, the green of the trees and the brown of the death paled into a white light. They were walking in a glow of light.
Tian Yao took back his hand and opened his eyes. The setting in his mind immediately vanished. Yan Hui still laid on the bed. There was slight wetness in the corner of her eye, which glittered in the moonlight.
Tian Yao curled his finger and lightly brushed against her eye, rubbing away the tear.
He got up and left the room. He stood alone in the courtyard for awhile. The moonlight illuminated his lonely outline.
When Yan Hui woke up the second day, she saw Huan Xiao Yan propped up against her window. "Master, how was your sleep?"
Yan Hui returned to her senses and realized it was all a dream. She was silent, but then she sat up: "It was a lovely dream."
Huan Xiao Yan happily said, "Then tonight I'll continue to cast an illusion for you, okay? Last night you were so happy in your dream."
Yan Hui thought about it for awhile but then shook her head: "No need."
"Why?" Huan Xiao Yan didn't understand at all. "Before when I wanted to let you dream about your Head Senior Disciple, you also refused. It clearly lets you be at east for a little bit....."
It was because the more beautiful the dream was, the more stark reality feels after waking up. Yan Hui got up from the bed: "I'll recover from it. It'll just take a little time."
Yan Hui had just put on her shoes when Zhu Li's hurried footsteps were heard from outside. "A female disciple from Chen Xing Mountain came looking for you," said Zhu Li. "The one that was captured before for trying to kill you."
Yan Hui was stunned.
Zi Yue.....
Yan Hui never thought she would see Zi Yue in this kind of situation. Zi Yue's figure looked like a mess, and her face revealed she had gone through some kind of difficulty. Zi Yue looked nothing like the conceited senior disciple Yan Hui knew in Chen Xing Mountain. Zi Yue's eyes were much more dull and muddy than before.
Zi Yue didn't smile or yell upon seeing Yan Hui. She merely stared at Yan Hui for a long time. She appraised Yan Hui as Yan Hui did the same to her.
"Why are you here?" asked Yan Hui.
"I know shifu is dead."
Yan Hui's hands tightened into a fist. After a flash of pain in her heart, she guessed why Zi Yue had come. Yan Hui hoarsely said, "I don't care if you believe me or not, but I didn't kill shifu. Tian Yao wasn't involved either. It was...."
"Qing Guang." Zi Yue looked down. "I know."
Yan Hui was stunned. She watched Zi Yue take out a small scroll from within her sleeve. Zi Yue handed it over: "Shifu's death has reached Chen Xing Mountain. When us disciples were clearing out shifu's room, we found this."
Yan Hui silently took the scroll and gently opened it.
"This is when Qing Guang needs large amounts of neidan, 20 years ago to now," said Zi Yue. "At first, I didn't know what this was. I handed it over to Qing Guang when he returned heavily injured, and I nearly lost my life. It was the disciples doing all they could to save me that let me escape Chen Xing Mountain. On the road, Qi Jue Group told me about all of shifu's plans these past 10 years...."
Yan Hui was even more shocked by that: "Qi Jue Group...why would they do that?"
"You haven't been at Chen Xing Mountain, so you don't know that the matter of the higher cultivators of Chen Xing Mountain using demon neidan to cultivate was circulating in the jianghu. Many cultivators were alarmed by that. Even the beginners of cultivation know this is a heretical cultivation technique. It was just that everyone blocked the senior cultivators and didn't dare speak about it in front of them. I once also whole-heartedly believed in the senior cultivators, but now this matter....."
After Ling Xiao's death, Qi Jue Group spread the rumors of what Qing Guang had been doing until everyone knew about it. Such a ruthless method to spread the word....
Rumors and gossip can be blown greatly out of proportion. Compared to the honorable way of announcing the news, this method stealthily leaked out a small amount of information. It made people guess which hurt the person of discussion the most. No mater how strong Zhenren Qing Guang was, he couldn't stop the mouths of everyone.
Even if Qing Guang had heavenly abilities, once the words 'heretical cultivation' took plant, he would become cut off from everyone else....
Yan Hui suddenly realized why Ling Xiao helped Feng Qian Shuo and got invovled in jianghu's matters. Turns out it was all done in preparation to rip off Qing Guang's mask.
Although Ling Xiao had killed demons for past years, he still clung to his own beliefs. From beginning to end, he never once thought demons were evil. He didn't just want to save her but also other disciples. He always cared for the common folk.
"That scroll records when Qing Guang absorbs neidan. I've compared the information on there many times while traveling. For every date written, there was always a mass murder of demons around that time. Before it was two times a year. Now it's every two months." Zi Yue's gaze was heavy. "The next time will be even sooner. Every time Qing Guang absorbs neidan, he has to go into seclusion. That's when he's at his weakest."
Yan Hui raised her head and locked Zi Yue in her eyes: "When do you think will be the next time?"
"A rough estimate, 27th of the next month."
Still about 20 days left.....
Yan Hui rolled up the scroll and walked out the door. She handed the scroll over to Zhu Li: "Assign someone to carefully calculate the dates in this. They have to be accurate. Tell the heir to tighten up the offense. If there are any casualties, do everything to bring the bodies back. Don't let the xian cultivators take the soldiers' neidans."
But thinking about it, the more the news spread about Qing Guang using neidans for heretical cultivation, the less xian cultivators would be willing to take out the soldiers' neidans.
Right now Qing Guang was seriously injured by Ling Xiao. He would need a lot of neidan to regulate and adjust his inner breath. As long as they could control the amount of neidan, then they could delay Qing Guang's recovery so much that it would affect his advancement. Another attack might be the optimal opportunity to get rid of Qing Guang.
Ling Xiao wanted to protect the common people, but he wasn't able to finish that. Therefore, Yan Hui would finish it for him.
Zhu Li remained for stunned for a long time after hearing Yan Hui's words. He finally recovered his senses and left with the scroll.
For a moment, Yan Hui suddenly felt like she didn't have the time to process her feelings. Ling Xiao didn't save her so she could spends her days in dazed grief grieving his death. He sacrificed his life so she could bravely live.
Yan Hui turned to look at Zi Yue: "Senior Disciple, thank you for coming."
Zi Yue was silent for a moment: "Yan Hui, do you know why I didn't like you before?"
Yan Hui remained quiet and waited for Zi Yue to continue.
"Because even though you were kicked out of Chen Xing Mountain in such a humiliating manner, you didn't let the people who disliked you feel a single bit of joy. Shifu saved me that day at the mountain gate. After you left, I complained to him that you were heartless. You lived here for 10 years, yet you didn't even look back." Zi Yue's eyes slightly reddened as she recalled that day, but her mouth curved into a slight smile. "Shifu had always been a man of few words. However that day, he told me that was the attitude that you should have."
Staunch, stubborn, always with a straight back. Even if alone, still able to walk the unknown road to its end.
That was the kind of person Ling Xiao hoped for her to be.
Her heart suddenly tightened. Yan Hui looked down and smiled: "I won't disappoint shifu's wish."
Done talking with Zi Yue, Yan Hui stepped out and took a deep breath in. Huan Xiao Yan bounded over to her side and circled her two times: "Master, you seem more lively now."
Yan Hui nodded: "I'll get more energy back, day by day." She turned and suddenly realized something was missing from her side. She was puzzled for a few moments and then asked Huan Xiao Yan: "Where's Tian Yao?"
Huan Xiao Yan was eating a mantou. She blinked two times at the question: "Tian Yao didn't tell you yesterday?"
"Tell me what?"
"I heard people talking about it today. He went to Qing Qiu's south side to the snake monsters' lair to catch the snake king." Huan Xiao Yan didn't understand Yan Hui's shocked expression. "Tian Yao went into your room yesterday. I saw him sit by your bed for awhile. He didn't wake you up and tell you? Huan Xiao Yan continued to mutter, "I heard the snake king is very powerful. Even Qing Qiu's princes who had cultivated for 500 years couldn't catch it...."
The words were still coming out of Huan Xiao Yan's mouth when Yan Hui used the Propelling Sword technique and left like the wind.
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Gossip and rumors can really cut someone down. Good thing this time it's true.