Chapter 394: Empress, the Pretense Revealed
The Yin-yang heteromorphic eyes swept over the scroll painting in Sun Juehu’s hand.
Si Xuanji, feeling a lack of interest, ignored it and walked to the Starwood chair at the main seat of the grand hall, took a seat, crossed her legs, and snapped her fingers.
*Snap—*
Two Inner disciples of the Xuan Xing Sect emerged from behind the screen, carrying a tray and approaching Sun Juehu. They bowed in respect, one offering her a cup of tea, while the other placed the tray before her.
Si Xuanji, quite impatient, gave a perfunctory nod.
“I’ve received it. Is there anything else?”
Sun Juehu’s eyebrows twitched slightly, clearly displeased with Si Xuanji’s perfunctory hospitality, but she maintained a smile.
She had previously heard from the Snow-clothed Guard in Tianfeng Immortal City that Ye Anping and Si Xuanji’s daughter, Xiao Yunluo, were already cultivation partners and had indeed engaged in dual cultivation.
—Did Xiao Yunluo go to great lengths to deceive everyone, associating with him behind Si Xuanji’s back?
Sun Juehu found it unlikely.
If a cultivator with Heavenly Spiritual Roots formed a Heavenly Dao Golden Core, it wasn’t something particularly astonishing.
However, Ye Anping had formed a Heavenly Dao Golden Core with dual spiritual roots and had also obtained the Snow Jade Myriad Spirit Sword from the Yun Jian Shang Xian’s inheritance.
She didn’t believe Ye Anping had no backing from Si Xuanji.
Coupled with Si Xuanji’s sudden loss of composure at the Taibai Sect earlier, and that shout of “Idiot!!!”…
Therefore, Sun Juehu felt:
—Ye Anping must possess some trait that she highly valued, or perhaps a certain ability that made her wary…
Sun Juehu’s purpose in visiting Si Xuanji at the Xuan Xing Sect this time was to confirm this.
She had been searching for Si Xuanji’s “weakness” for a thousand years, but had found nothing.
However, her intuition told her that her Imperial Preceptor’s divination techniques were somewhat useful:
—”Your Majesty, I divined some time ago that there might be a trace of spiritual opportunity in Tianfeng Immortal City. If Your Majesty is interested, you could take a trip to Tianfeng Immortal City and perhaps find a good fortune.”
It was precisely because Chen Yin told her this that she disguised herself as her maid and went incognito to Tianfeng Immortal City to deliver commendation letters to the Xu sisters…
And it was also because she went to Tianfeng Immortal City that she met a young man named Ye Anping.
The only thing that disappointed her was that before the snake could be struck, the young man named Ye Anping suddenly and inexplicably fled with her wheelchair and cultivation partner…
Sun Juehu smiled, but did not place the scroll painting in her hand onto the tray held by the Xuan Xing Sect disciple. Instead, she stood up and slowly walked towards Si Xuanji.
Si Xuanji naturally narrowed her eyes, a hint of vigilance appearing on her face.
“Hmm?”
“My dear sister is here today just to show filial piety to Elder Sister Dianyue, simply to give a gift and, incidentally, to ease the feelings between Elder Sister Dianyue and me.”
Sun Juehu walked to the side of Si Xuanji’s Starwood chair, her ample backside directly landing on the armrest, and leaned over, reaching out to massage Si Xuanji’s shoulders.
“Elder Sister Dianyue, you see, we sisters have known each other for so many years, with deep bonds. In the past, although some unpleasant things happened, like when Elder Sister Dianyue accidentally… my Master…”
“… …”
“Ahem—” Sun Juehu stopped, waving her hand. “Let’s not talk about the past. Elder Sister Dianyue, can we let bygones be bygones? You see, I’ve prepared a gift for you, and you’ll definitely like it. Would you like to take a look?”
Si Xuanji’s brow furrowed. She didn’t believe this old woman would genuinely let bygones be bygones and shifted her gaze back to the scroll painting in her hand.
Sun Juehu’s insistence on her looking at this scroll painting must have a reason.
And most likely, it would be something that would make her very uncomfortable.
But what could it be?
Sweet words leading to death?
For example, one moment they were chatting and laughing, wanting to offer congratulations, but the next moment they were presenting the heads of one’s cultivation partner or offspring in a box…
Or was it a revelation of hidden intentions?
But what was Sun Juehu’s “dagger”? Could the scroll painting actually hide a broken sword?
Si Xuanji fell silent for a moment, and then the image of the handsome young man sleeping peacefully beneath her in the small cave dwelling in the back of the Hundred Lotus Sect two years ago flashed in her mind, a hint of worry surfacing.
But she suppressed the worry and replied expressionlessly, “I’m not interested in calligraphy or paintings.”
“My dear sister naturally knows this.”
Sun Juehu, holding Si Xuanji’s shoulder, flicked her hand slightly, and the scroll painting floated in front of Si Xuanji, slowly unfurling…
At the same time, Sun Juehu leaned her lips close to Si Xuanji’s cheek and whispered, “It’s like this, my dear sister knows that Elder Sister Dianyue, unlike me, doesn’t have a harem of three thousand and has been alone for thousands of years without a cultivation partner. So, I specially found a good-looking young man to offer to you, Elder Sister.”
At this point, the scroll painting was half unfurled, revealing four lines of poetry:
“Leaves stir, startling exquisite brushstrokes,
How could one avoid the interplay of clouds and moon?
How many days are there in a lifetime?
Success and failure shared in one Golden Core.”
Then, an exquisitely painted portrait of a handsome young man followed.
Si Xuanji’s childlike face and her Yin-yang eyes showed no change, but her fair, tender left hand subtly clenched the armrest of her chair.
However, Sun Juehu noticed the slight movement of her left hand and had already reached her conclusion.
—This young man named Ye Anping is the key to her revenge against Dianyue.
Seeing her Elder Sister Dianyue anxious was more pleasing to Sun Juehu than anything else. She was overjoyed, having not encountered such happiness in a thousand years.
“Hehe, Elder Sister Dianyue, do you like it? Isn’t he handsome? And he’s a beautiful young man, perfectly suited for Elder Sister Dianyue. I encountered him by chance.”
Si Xuanji glanced at her. “Not interested.”
Upon hearing this, Sun Juehu shook her head slightly and sighed.
“What a pity. Doesn’t Elder Sister Dianyue want to experience the joy of dual cultivation? I’ve tested this young man, and he’s quite ‘moist,’ and very capable. I guarantee he can satisfy Elder Sister Dianyue.”
Si Xuanji’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and she calmly retorted, “When did you start associating with that old hag from the Hehuan Sect?”
“Oh, how could that be? Elder Sister Dianyue, please don’t insult me. I am a celestial cultivator, how could I associate with demonic cultivators?”
“… …”
“My dear sister is just thinking, Elder Sister Dianyue, you’ve lived for so many years and tasted everything in the world, yet you’ve never experienced the joy of dual cultivation and the pleasure of love. Isn’t this helping Elder Sister fill that regret? It’s out of kindness.”
“Not interested.”
Sun Juehu could barely contain her smile, but she feigned a look of distress and said, “Then let’s just say my alarmist fears were misplaced, and I misunderstood Elder Sister’s preferences. However, Elder Sister, you really don’t want him? This young master is quite ‘moist,’ I’ve already tasted him for you.”
“No need.”
“Then forget it…”
Sun Juehu sighed. The scroll, which had not been entirely unfurled, began to roll up again, revealing the corner of a golden-hilted dagger.
She reached out and took the dagger, then drew a silver arc across the center of the scroll, along Ye Anping’s portrait.
*Whoosh—*
The scroll floating in front of Si Xuanji instantly split in two, then was ignited by a spiritual fire, dissolving into ashes before it even hit the ground.
Afterward, Sun Juehu moved her backside from the armrest and took a few steps back.
“Since the gift is not to Elder Sister Dianyue’s satisfaction, it’s not appropriate for me to linger and admire the autumn flowers of the Western Regions with Elder Sister. When I find a gift that Elder Sister likes next time, I’ll come to accompany Elder Sister for flower viewing and chatting. I’ll take my leave now.”
Sun Juehu turned and walked towards the exit, but paused after a step, as if remembering something.
“Oh, right. I’ve also prepared ten pounds of Cold Moon melon seeds for Elder Sister. These are a specialty of the Northern Region. Elder Sister surely won’t refuse this gift, will she? Elder Sister loves snacking on melon seeds the most, I know.”
Saying this, she made a sword finger gesture and pulled out a burlap sack from her storage bag, placing it lightly on the tray of the Xuan Xing Sect disciple.
Although it didn’t look heavy, when the burlap sack landed on the tray, the Core Formation Stage Xuan Xing Sect disciple felt the tray suddenly weigh several hundred pounds, almost causing him to drop it.
Fortunately, he reacted quickly and reinforced it with spiritual energy, preventing the burlap sack from falling to the ground.
Sun Juehu was somewhat disappointed. She had intentionally added a slight trick when placing the burlap sack, thinking the disciple wouldn’t be able to hold it and the melon seeds would spill everywhere.
It seemed she used too little force…
However, she was happy now.
“Junior Brother, hold it tight and don’t spill it. These Cold Moon melon seeds are your Sect Master’s favorite.”
The Xuan Xing Sect disciple broke out in a cold sweat, not daring to say anything, and nodded his head.
“I’m leaving. Elder Sister Dianyue, if you have time, come visit the Northern Region. I’ll host a grand banquet for Elder Sister then.”
With that, Sun Juehu directly pulled open the hall door and walked out.
Outside the hall door, the elders of the Xuan Xing Sect were still waiting. Seeing Sun Juehu emerge, they all shifted their gaze to Mr. Qi’s right hand, waiting for his signal.
Mr. Qi glanced into the hall at Si Xuanji seated at the main seat, then looked at Ah Ying, who was standing on his shoulder.
Others might not know, but Mr. Qi did.
After all, Ah Ying was the most intelligent, perceptive, and beautiful parrot he had chosen from thousands of golden-feathered parrots to give to Si Xuanji.
In other words, if Ah Ying dared not act playful, it meant Si Xuanji’s mood had reached an extreme low.
Thus, Mr. Qi slightly raised his index finger and gestured, reminding the other elders, “Do not bow to see her off!”
Sun Juehu walked to Mr. Qi’s side and smiled.
“Mr. Qi, would you like to come to the Hantian Kingdom as a guest?”
“I am the head of the academy, and I still have classes to teach. I don’t have time to go to the Northern Region…”
“Then forget it. Perhaps next time. I won’t linger! Farewell…”
Sun Juehu nodded slightly at Mr. Qi with respect, but Mr. Qi straightened his old back and lifted his head slightly.
However, Sun Juehu didn’t mind. Her figure transformed into an ice-blue arc of light and she fled from the hall, disappearing into the sea of clouds to the north.
After a while, a Nascent Soul Stage elder wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and sighed with emotion.
“Hoo…”
However, Lei Wanjun, standing beside him, immediately cast him a glance.
“Old Man Wu, what are you sighing about? If a fight broke out, with so many of us here, even if Sun Juehu is powerful, she definitely wouldn’t have the advantage. And this is the Xuan Xing Sect; it’s our territory.”
“That’s what they say… And I’m not scared either…” Elder Wu sighed with emotion. “It’s just… there are so many disciples in the sect. If the Sect Master and she really fought, what would happen to those Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining Stage young disciples?”
Qin Ruyi, an elder from Tianyun Peak, was very calm.
“Didn’t we already have the Foundation Establishment disciples retreat to the back mountain of the Xuan Xing Sect? If a fight were to break out, at most, we’d just be renovating the attics of the three peaks of the Xuan Xing Sect. Some old structures would even save us the trouble of dismantling them ourselves.”
“Yes, yes, Elder Qin is right.” Lei Wanjun quickly agreed. “Anyway, I’m not afraid of that surnamed Sun. If she wants to fight, let’s fight!! I’d like to see what it feels like to use my Raging Thunder Divine Ability on a Void Refinement Stage cultivator! Hah!!”
The elder from Moon Spring Peak, with two heavy dark circles under his eyes, looked at Lei Wanjun’s demeanor.
“Grand Elder Lei, has the wind stopped and the rain ceased, and you feel capable again? Just now, when Sun Juehu arrived, your back was bent the whole time.”
“Get lost… That was out of respect for her as a Void Realm senior. Do you understand the principle of ‘first courtesy, then force’? I hadn’t even revealed my strength, and she ran off, didn’t she?”
The elders chatted nonsensically, and the atmosphere was clearly no longer so tense.
After a while, Mr. Qi called out, “Sect Master!” and the other elders immediately became solemn, cupping their hands in salute towards the hall door.
Si Xuanji walked out, barefoot, stepping over the threshold. She swept her gaze expressionlessly over the elders at the door, her eyes finally settling on Lei Wanjun.
“Lei Wanjun.”
“Yes… your disciple is here.”
Si Xuanji’s tone relaxed slightly and she asked, “Is your voice always so loud? When she came, why didn’t you shout her away? If you had shouted, wouldn’t she have tucked her tail and run?”
“Ah, this…”
Lei Wanjun instantly broke out in a cold sweat, already wondering where he would be sent for manual labor this time. The previous experience of breeding Qingshui Jiao was simply…
Fortunately, Mr. Qi stepped forward to help him. “Sect Master, why did she come?”
“She brought ten pounds of melon seeds.” Si Xuanji replied nonchalantly, then asked, “This old woman is going back to sleep, Ah Ying.”
She raised her hand, and Ah Ying hastened from Mr. Qi’s shoulder to her, obediently lowering its head for her to stroke the golden crown on its head.
Then, the figures of bird and person transformed into starlight and vanished before everyone’s eyes.
The elders simultaneously said, “Farewell, Sect Master!”
They then returned to their respective cave dwellings, bringing back the disciples previously sent to the back mountain to their respective peaks.
The initially stunned Xuan Xing Sect soon regained its former vitality, with disciples practicing swords, farming, and the sound of cheerful reading resonating from the academy…
However, above Zhongfeng Peak, in the immortal mansion existing in an environment of perpetual daylight.
*Boom—!*
As soon as Si Xuanji’s figure appeared, she took a few steps forward and punched a beam forged from Meteorite Profound Iron, startling Ah Ying on her shoulder, which hastily lowered its head, shaking the entire immortal palace built on the floating stone.
After the punch, her mind had calmed down considerably. She now concluded that Sun Juehu had merely intended to disgust her and had lied.
If the young Ye had truly been captured by her, why wouldn’t the bell she gave Ye Anping have rung at all?
The Northern Region, having once had the moon fall, was a place where stars converged. She disliked going to the Northern Region because the cold, heavenly energy and star essence there were too scarce, making her star-divination techniques only approximate.
Si Xuanji took a deep breath, calmed her emotions, took a crystal bell from her waist, shook it twice, and asked the bell with a doting smile, “How will you compensate me? I’ve rarely been so worried about someone.”
Seeing that Si Xuanji seemed to have calmed down, Ah Ying preened its tongue and clicked its beak, “Punt him to death!! Punt him to death!!”
Si Xuanji sighed heavily but inevitably clutched her collar, feeling a sense of confusion in her heart.
—Who is Ye Anping to me?
—I always thought he was just a sword that could help me achieve my grand aspirations, but now…
Ah Ying seemed to guess Si Xuanji’s thoughts at this moment, tilting its head.
“Not enough punting? Not enough punting?”
Si Xuanji’s Yin-yang heteromorphic eyes met its for two breaths, then she stopped thinking about it and headed straight towards the stargazing platform behind the immortal palace.
—Perhaps it truly was just an unfulfilled desire.
A few more times, and when she got tired of it, it would probably be alright…
She couldn’t be Ye Anping’s cultivation partner. For a thousand years, she had witnessed too many friends reaching the end of their lifespans and leaving her.
Li Feng, Grand Void True Person, Hu Yuan Daoist, Bai Shi Shanren, Yue Ming Ji…
Too many to count; just listing their names would take her three days and three nights…
And each time she witnessed it, it made her uncomfortable. So, every time a friend’s lifespan was nearing its end, she would avoid them.
After a dream, Qiu Shui Rou would come to tell her that so-and-so had passed away…
Although it was a little better than seeing them leave with her own eyes, it was still quite uncomfortable…
When friends left, she felt very uncomfortable.
Then, if her cultivation partner left before her in the future…
What level of discomfort would that be?
She didn’t want to experience it.
Arriving at the stargazing platform, Si Xuanji sat cross-legged in the center of the platform, gazing up at the endless starry sky above, countless stars reflecting their faint glow in her Yin-yang colored heteromorphic eyes.
“Shui Rou!”
*Tap tap…*
Footsteps sounded from behind. Qiu Shui Rou had already arrived here and prepared for her.
“Little Master, the star-divination formation is ready…”
“I didn’t say I wanted to divine the stars earlier, how did you know?”
“Having followed Little Master for so many years, your servant can guess. Does Little Master want to eat pear blossom cake? Your servant has also prepared some.”
“Hmph~ You guessed wrong. I want to try roasted chicken.”
Qiu Shui Rou sighed with some helplessness.
“Alas… your servant will go make it now… Salty or sweet?”
“Hmm… bring both. I’ll try them first.”
“Alright.”
Qiu Shui Rou bowed and lifted her arm, allowing Ah Ying to alight from Si Xuanji’s shoulder back onto her arm, so as not to disturb Si Xuanji’s stargazing. Then, carrying Ah Ying, she descended the steps from the stargazing platform and headed towards the immortal palace’s kitchen.
… …
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Ps: Good news, everyone! The audiobook for this book has been released.
It sounds quite fun. The voice actor for the Junior Sister is particularly good and very expressive, sounding cute and adorable.
Feng Yu Die and Xiao Tian are also great. Later, there will be Feng Yu Die publicly imitating a dog, barking “Woof woof woof,” Brother Liang’s gender-neutral god-like voice, and… Si Xuanji and Ah Ying.
I’m curious how the voice actor will portray Ah Ying…
Feel free to listen when you have time. You can read the book while listening, which greatly enhances the sense of imagery and immersion.
