Chapter 398: Senior Brother, the Empress Dowager’s Letter
*Dong~ Dong~~*
A midday bell chimed through the Xuan Xing Sect, enveloped in wisps of clouds and mist. The late spring breeze, carrying the heat of early summer, swept across the eighteen mountain peaks that stood like sheer cliffs.
On the thousands of steps leading to the sect’s gate, youths who appeared neither old nor young, whether they hailed from great families or were the sons of unknown rogue cultivators, were all, without exception, advancing towards the peak’s summit gate by their own two feet.
After a lapse of seven years, the Xuan Xing Sect’s disciple selection was finally being held once more.
Whenever a selection was held, some of the older disciples of the Xuan Xing Sect would invariably set up tents along the paths the new disciples had to take, setting up stalls to earn some extra income. They would sell pills and talismans they had refined, some spirit medicines for treating injuries, or even tips and experiences on how to pass the selection.
To these older disciples, the young masters and young ladies from the great families were like plump fish, easily duped into parting with a large sum of spirit stones with just a few words.
“Spirit Gathering Pills~~ Ultra-high quality Spirit Gathering Pills, essential for cultivation~~”
“Roasted chicken~~ Secret recipe roasted chicken~~”
… …
Among the many small stalls, one stood out remarkably. The stall owner had a head of rare silver hair, and wore the light purple sect uniform reserved for high-ranking inner disciples of the Xuan Xing Sect. Hanging from her waist was a top-grade spirit sword that appeared to have been crafted by Mr. Liu of the Sword Pavilion…
Feng Yu Die sat cross-armed on a small stool, appearing like a statue of a Bodhisattva. The young cultivators trekking up the mountain, preparing for the disciple selection, would immediately cup their hands and bow deeply upon seeing her, then quickly scurry away. However, they would only bow and wouldn’t inquire about the prices of the items on her stall.
Just then, a young lady, seemingly from a great family, cautiously approached her stall and bowed: “Greetings, Senior.”
“Hmm… Want to buy magical artifacts or pills… I…” Feng Yu Die hastily tried to solicit customers, but before she could finish, she saw the young girl run away like the wind.
“What is it? I don’t eat people~ Why is everyone running so fast…” Feng Yu Die sighed slightly and then glanced at the two Xuan Xing Sect disciples who were setting up stalls next to her. She noticed that these two had been peeking at her from time to time since she set up her stall. Unable to hold back any longer, she knitted her brows and asked, “And the two of you, you’ve been staring at me since just now, what’s up? Just say what you have to say.”
“Uh…”
The two were startled by her words. They were both outer disciples of the Xuan Xing Sect, and their cultivation was only at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. In fact, most of the vendors on this mountain path were disciples at the Qi Refining Stage, just like them. It was one thing for a Core Formation cultivator to set up a stall here. The main issue was that the items she was selling were truly… indescribable.
One of them mustered the courage to ask, “Martial Aunt, are you that idle? Why are you here setting up a stall…”
Feng Yu Die pouted and retorted, “Is that not allowed?”
“It’s not that it’s not allowed… it’s just that the things you’re selling…”
Feng Yu Die blinked and looked at the items on her stall, which she had previously salvaged from the storage bags of demonic cultivators. “I found these on demonic cultivators before, and they are all high-grade magical artifacts.”
She pointed to a purplish-gold cauldron carved with five poisonous creatures, saying, “This is a Gu vessel used for raising high-level Gu worms…”
Then, she pointed to a blood-colored long whip with thorns: “This is a Blood Heart Whip, nurtured with human blood…”
Finally, she gestured to a glass bottle wrapped in paper placed in the center of the stall: “As for this! Humph~ This is my prized possession, the Que Que of a Deity Transformation cultivator!”
“?”
Seeing the two men’s faces turn ashen, Feng Yu Die gave each of them a sideways glance and ignored them. Since they couldn’t afford anything, she continued to look for buyers.
Just then, a young girl, her face full of fatigue and sweat, climbed up step by step, supporting herself by her knees. Behind her was a maidservant at the Late Foundation Establishment stage… Feng Yu Die glanced at her and felt a sense of familiarity but didn’t think much of it. Seeing that the maidservant’s clothes were of good quality and she had a maidservant with her, she figured she must be wealthy.
So, she waved and shouted, “Little sister~ Want to buy magical artifacts? If you like anything here, I’ll give you a 20% discount…”
The delicate young lady, already breathless from climbing over a thousand steps, had lost the mood to watch where she was going. But upon hearing this voice, she suddenly perked up. She slowly raised her head and looked at Feng Yu Die, then knitted her brows and tilted her head, calling out, “Hmm? Second Aunt?”
?
Feng Yu Die was utterly bewildered. She looked around herself, and there was no one else there. “Hmm? What?”
Seeing Feng Yu Die’s expression, the maid behind the young lady quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Hong Yu greets Senior Feng.”
“Hong Yu…” Feng Yu Die suddenly realized, “Oh! You’re Elder Tong… cough cough… Elder Tong’s maid?”
“Senior Feng remembering me is a great honor,” Hong Yu said with a stiff smile. Then, she gestured to Liang Ating, who was exhausted, and explained, “Elder Tong asked me to escort her here for the Xuan Xing Sect selection.”
“Oh~~ So that’s how it is.” Feng Yu Die nodded blankly and then examined Liang Ating up and down, trying to reconcile the Liang Ating she remembered with the one before her, but it seemed they didn’t match… She hadn’t seen Liang Ating since the incident at Chi Long Mansion. In the blink of an eye, seven years had passed. The little girl who used to follow Junior Sister Pei and Young Master Ye had now grown into a graceful young lady.
Liang Ating also came closer, grabbed Feng Yu Die’s hands, and asked excitedly, “Second Aunt! Where is Uncle? Is he in charge of my selection?”
“Ah… Uncle… You mean Young Master Ye?” Feng Yu Die recalled for a moment and said, “He should be at Tianyun Peak right now…”
“Then Second Aunt, can you take me there? Let Uncle give me some hints, like the written test questions… Ouch!”
*Bang—*
Before Liang Ating could finish, Hong Yu, standing beside her, tapped her on the back of the head: “… Elder Tong asked me to accompany you, not only to escort you but also to prevent you from pestering Young Master Ye for favors.”
Liang Ating pouted unhappily and stuck out her tongue at Hong Yu, “Oh… Hmph~ So fierce…”
Hong Yu sighed helplessly and then glanced at the items on Feng Yu Die’s stall. She blinked, feeling a sudden pang of shame, and no longer wished to linger. She bowed, “Senior Feng, please continue. I’ll take her to register.”
“Oh…”
Feng Yu Die nodded and watched the two of them continue up the mountain. After a long while, she realized, ‘Why did I become Second Aunt?’ And why did she unconsciously think of Young Master Ye when Liang Ating asked about ‘Uncle’? If Young Master Ye was Liang Ating’s Uncle, then she should be an Aunt too…
Upon realizing this, Feng Yu Die quickly waved her hand, “Ating!! I’m not your Second Aunt!! I’m your Uncle!!” Her voice echoed through the mountain path. She didn’t know if Ating heard her, but the others setting up stalls nearby and the new disciples still climbing below certainly heard it and now all looked at her in stunned silence.
… …
—
Xuan Xing Sect, Lei Ming Peak, Wu Yue Lake.
Sunlight dappled the surface of the water, creating shimmering ripples.
*Splash—*
With a gentle splash, a small, snow-white foot dipped into the lake. The colorful koi, which had been motionless by the shore, scattered in fright. However, after a moment, they actively swam back towards the entering foot, as if mistaking the small feet, which looked like slender lotus buds, for bait. They opened their fish mouths and tentatively nibbled at the toes.
“Hee hee…”
Si Xuanji, tickled by this, narrowed her eyes and smiled. Seeing that the fish seemed to like her feet, she simply used them as bait, teasing the fish as they swam left and right.
After playing for a while, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She paused slightly and turned to look. Ye Anping, dressed in the Xuan Xing Sect uniform, emerged from behind a willow tree, holding an oil-paper umbrella. He walked to her and held the umbrella over her head: “Miss Si Xuanji, you are truly fond of playing, to have come to such a place. I almost got lost in this willow forest below.”
Si Xuanji pouted slightly and tilted her head, “Hmm? Young Master Ye, how did you know I was here?”
*Jingling~*
Ye Anping didn’t reply. He took out the Returning Star Bell from his sleeve and lightly jingled it, saying, “I followed the sound. I was going to return it to Senior Qiu earlier, but Senior Qiu said to keep it with me for now.”
“I see…” Si Xuanji’s Yin-yang eyes showed a hint of tenderness, and she asked, “Then, Young Master Ye, what business do you have with me?”
“Nothing special. I just wanted to chat with Miss Si Xuanji for a while, or just sit together and bask in the sun.” Ye Anping placed the oil-paper umbrella on the ground and then slowly squatted down. Looking at Si Xuanji, he hesitated for a moment, then decisively rested the back of his head on her thigh.
?!
Si Xuanji was stunned and said flusteredly, “Young Master Ye, what are you doing?”
“Borrowing Miss Si Xuanji’s leg to rest for a while.” Ye Anping smiled broadly and closed his eyes to relax. “After all, the disciple selection doesn’t concern me, and I’m idle anyway. It’s better to have a charming lady accompany me and pass the time basking in the sun.”
This fellow…
Si Xuanji’s brows furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure in her expression. However, seeing Ye Anping sleeping on her lap, she didn’t want to push him away. She simply raised her hand and gently pinched his nose, “When did you learn to speak such sweet nothings?”
Ye Anping grabbed her hand pinching his nose and opened his eyes to ask, “Don’t you like hearing them?”
“You’re not accompanying your sister, nor your junior sister, and you came to find me?”
“My junior sister is responsible for the sword trials, and Yunluo is with Mr. Qi supervising the new disciple examinations. I could only come to find Miss Si Xuanji to alleviate my boredom. Miss Si Xuanji doesn’t like being with me?”
Si Xuanji replied immediately, “I don’t like it.”
“Then why don’t you push me away?”
“Do you want me to throw you into the lake?”
“No.”
“Then just lie on my lap like this.”
“I feel that Miss Si Xuanji won’t reject it…”
Si Xuanji puffed out her cheeks and tugged at his face. In the end, she seemed to have half-accepted, placing her hands on the ground, relaxing her shoulders, and squinting her eyes to look up at the sun in the sky.
“Alas… Young Master Ye, I told you, I cannot be your cultivation partner, you don’t need to pursue me like this.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you still…”
“As confidantes, can’t we even bask in the sun together?”
“… Fine, have it your way.” Si Xuanji sighed softly, shook her head, and her two fair hands gently smoothed Ye Anping’s bangs.
At this very moment, a flying sword suddenly streaked across the sky, causing Si Xuanji to look up in slight confusion. She saw a little girl in a skirt riding a flying sword, darting around everywhere like a tiger cub.
A moment later, a mournful cry of “Aiyo!” was heard. The little girl crashed directly into a Spirit Wall on the side of Lei Ming Peak and fell from her flying sword.
*Plop—*
Like a depth charge, she landed directly in the lake where she and Ye Anping were. Ye Anping was also startled, sat up, and turned to look. The lake water rippled, accompanied by a series of bubbles. Liang Ating poked her head out of the water, spitting out some water.
“Pfft— Aiyo… Where is this? Why are there walls in the sky at Xuan Xing Sect…”
“…”
Ye Anping looked at Liang Ating, stunned for a long time. ‘Why did this girl come to Xuan Xing Sect?’ ‘Where is Brother Liang?’ ‘Oh, Brother Liang must still be in seclusion, not out yet…’
At this moment, Liang Ating also noticed Ye Anping on the shore. Floating in the center of the lake, she paused and quickly paddled towards him, crawling ashore. Then, she opened her arms and rushed towards Ye Anping: “Uncle!”
Ye Anping was still somewhat dazed. He quickly reached out and pressed her face to prevent her from getting his clothes wet. Si Xuanji also looked on with curiosity, asking, “Young Master Ye, who is this?”
“Hmm…” Ye Anping hesitated for a moment, then leaned close to Si Xuanji’s ear and whispered, “Nangong Yu.”
“…”
Upon hearing the name, Si Xuanji looked back at Liang Ating and immediately understood. This girl was the only remaining descendant of the Nangong family. Liang Ating looked at Ye Anping and Si Xuanji whispering, her eyes wide and shy. She shrunk into herself, her eyes darting around. As if suddenly understanding, she cupped her hands in greeting, “Liang Ating greets Third Aunt!”
?
Si Xuanji was taken aback and turned to look at Ye Anping, as if asking: ‘Did you teach her?’ Ye Anping was bewildered and retorted, “What Third Aunt?”
Liang Ating tilted her head, “Is it Fourth Aunt?”
Ye Anping’s expression turned dark, but after a moment he said as if joking, “Just call me Aunt… Hiss—”
Si Xuanji knitted her brows, pinched his waist, and glared at Ye Anping, saying, “Just call me Sister Xuanji.”
“… Okay!” Liang Ating’s face was full of innocence. She quickly cupped her hands and bowed again, “Ating greets Sister Xuanji!”
“Mmm.” Ye Anping rubbed his waist and then became serious, asking, “Ating, why are you at Xuan Xing Sect?”
“Elder Tong asked me to participate in the Xuan Xing Sect selection, and incidentally, she asked me to bring a letter to Uncle.”
“Hmm…” Liang Ating tilted her head, “Hmm?”
Ye Anping blinked speechlessly and sighed, “Then… where’s the letter?”
“Oh!” Liang Ating nodded and quickly reached into her Storage Bag, rummaged for a while, and pulled out a crumpled letter. She held it in both hands and handed it over, “Uncle, here you go.”
“Hoo…” Ye Anping took the letter, tore open the envelope, spread out the paper, and began to read.
“Young Master Ye, Ating has also reached Foundation Establishment some time ago, so I wish for her to continue her cultivation at Xuan Xing Sect. If possible, I hope you can keep an occasional eye on this girl for me.”
These few sentences were written at the top of the letter, but a large amount of space was left blank below, as if implying something. Ye Anping was not entirely sure, but after thinking for a moment, he concentrated his spiritual energy on his fingertip and swept it across the letter. Just as he expected, after his Sword Finger passed over the paper, lines of text suddenly appeared in the blank space below.
“Some time ago, Tong received a Jade Slip from Yue Xuanming, Commander of Xing Tian Division, stating that after the destruction of the Imperial Sect, Xing Tian Division was driven to the Central Domain’s Eastern Frontier and stationed at the Donghuang Great Wall.
Recently, Tong has heard that demonic cultivators seem to be frequently approaching the Central Domain’s Eastern Frontier, and there are fears of major actions.
Tong knows that she is no longer the Empress of the Imperial Sect, and the Imperial Sect no longer exists. However, there are many upright individuals in the remnants of Xing Tian Division who practice self-discipline.
Therefore, Tong has an impertinent request. I wonder if Young Master Ye could ask Young Master Xiao to petition Immortal Dan Yue to take in the remnants of Xing Tian Division. This should also be beneficial to Xuan Xing Sect.
— Tong Zilan.”
… …
