15. Identity Exposed ×1

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What kind of problem is this?

Sheng Ningyu froze for a moment. Xie Qianjing’s gaze settled on her face. “What are you thinking about, Fellow Daoist Sheng?”

Sheng Ningyu was deep in thought and, without paying attention, answered offhandedly, “Nothing. I just have the feeling I’ve heard those words somewhere before…”

The instant she finished speaking, the expression on Xie Qianjing’s beautiful face grew several shades colder.

If she continued, she truly might not be able to appease him.

Sheng Ningyu immediately stopped and said helplessly, “I’ll save you. I definitely will.”

“Definitely save me?” Xie Qianjing repeated, the corner of his lips curling with even greater irony. “Bright Moon Daoist Friend, your answer was so decisive that it fills me with trepidation.”

Sheng Ningyu looked at him in confusion. “What is there to fear? People naturally have those who are closer and those who are more distant. Compared with people I’ve met only a few times, of course I’d choose a friend who has accompanied me for several days—after all, we met in adversity. You could even say we share the same misfortune, couldn’t you?”

[I’m lying to you, Xie Qianjing. You already knew what the answer was, didn’t you?]

[I would never choose you! Never!]

[You know I have plenty of friends, Xie Qianjing. You will never be the only person beside me. Look—after just a few days, hasn’t the young master of the Yuan family already been taking excellent care of me? Even the disciples of the Cloud-Viewing Palace like me.]

[Do it now, Xie Qianjing. While I still haven’t recognized Chu Chang’an, while I haven’t found my old friends, while there is still no one around me… Kill me now!]

[Instead of going to the Great Wilderness Mountain to find a way to suppress me, why not settle everything once and for all… Kill me! This is your only chance to control me and dispel your inner demon!]

“All right.”

Xie Qianjing agreed with a smile, but the smile looked strange to Sheng Ningyu no matter how she viewed it.

“You—”

Before he could say anything else, Sheng Ningyu spoke first. “Hold out your hand.”

Xie Qianjing paused. The red haze in his eyes deepened, but he still extended his right hand as instructed.

His fingers were long and slender, his palm turned upward. As his sleeve slipped down, several faintly raised blue veins appeared on his forearm, standing out clearly against his jade-white skin and making the sight even more striking.

Sheng Ningyu admired it in her heart for several seconds before taking something out. “Here. This is yours.”

Xie Qianjing lowered his gaze. For the first time, a trace of astonishment crossed his usually tranquil face.

The instant Sheng Ningyu had asked him to extend his hand, Xie Qianjing had thought of many things.

A sharp sword. Lies. Deception. Blood.

He had never imagined it would be a pear blossom.

“This pear blossom drifted down from the tree beside us when you drew your sword earlier. I thought it was pretty, so I caught two.” Remembering what Xie Qianjing had said before, Sheng Ningyu added, “The one I gave the little girl from the Cloud-Viewing Palace was slightly crumpled, so it wasn’t as pretty as yours. I kept the best one for you.”

Light as a feather, yet weightier than a thousand pieces of gold.

His right hand slowly closed. Xie Qianjing stared silently at the pear blossom in his palm for a long while. When he finally spoke, his voice was slightly hoarse and so soft it sounded almost like a murmur to himself.

“Chu Jiye didn’t have one either.”

Sheng Ningyu: “?”

After thinking it over, she laughed. “You must have remembered the wrong person. The young man from the Chu family is named Chu Le.”

Xie Qianjing raised his eyes to the person beside him. It was as though, for one fleeting instant, a patch of snow that had never melted through the years had finally thawed.

He smiled softly. “Yes. I remembered incorrectly.”

His jade-like fingertips brushed against the petals. Watching him, Sheng Ningyu could not decide which was more beautiful.

She thought to herself that beauty truly was a dangerous thing.

His fingers slid from the soft petals into the flower’s heart, twisting a thread of fragrance between them. He kneaded the stamens over and over until they were nearly crushed. Only then did Xie Qianjing curve his eyes in satisfaction and look up at Sheng Ningyu.

“Why didn’t you give it to me earlier?”

He could have this much fun with a single flower.

Sheng Ningyu shook her head and yawned, lazily leaning against the tree. “It’s not anything valuable. I was afraid you’d laugh at me for bringing it out. I wasn’t even going to give it to you, but you seemed to be in a bad mood just now. I thought about it and decided to take it out after all.”

Sheng Ningyu’s thoughts wandered aimlessly. This trick of hers was originally meant to coax children.

Who would have thought it would work so well on him too?

The red haze in Xie Qianjing’s eyes finally dissipated.

After a moment of silence, he said, “Thank you. I like it very much.”

He tucked the pear blossom into his robes, then said to Sheng Ningyu, “The bandage on your right hand has come loose. Let me fix it for you.”

Sheng Ningyu raised her hand and looked at it. She did not think there was anything wrong with it. But then she remembered the comforting warmth of Xie Qianjing’s body and nodded without hesitation.

“Then thank you.”

…

Compared with the smooth journey of Sheng Ningyu’s group, the Chu family’s route had been extraordinarily treacherous.

Perhaps it was only her imagination, but ever since they had parted from the people of the Cloud-Viewing Palace in the small woods, the puppet barriers they encountered along the way had become increasingly difficult to deal with.

Even with Chu Jiye, the family head, who had already reached the Sky Pivot Realm, Chu Le found himself growing quite irritated whenever they ran into such obstacles.

It was not that they could not deal with them. There were simply too many people in the group, and with all sorts mixed together, the puppet barriers could slip through the cracks whenever anyone was careless.

“What are you hesitating over?”

Chu Le was startled and nearly became entangled in the puppet threads before him. Fortunately, something sliced through the troublesome threads first.

The object was about the size of a folding fan, shimmering with multicolored light. One glance was enough to tell that it was no ordinary thing.

The moment it appeared, the commotion among the people present subsided considerably. Their eyes kept drifting toward it, and even Chu Le could not help taking several more looks.

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This object was called the Yin-Yang Mirror. It was the Chu family’s supreme treasure, and only the family head of each generation was permitted to use it.

As its name suggested, the Yin-Yang Mirror could connect the realms of the living and the dead, trace the flow of time, and reveal the true forms of any demons or ghosts. It protected its master from all sinister energies and kept every kind of evil spirit at a distance.

In addition, it was said to possess the miraculous ability to nourish the soul and halt even severe wounds. For several generations, the Chu family heads had never allowed it to leave their sides.

Chu Jiye withdrew the Yin-Yang Mirror and said evenly, “Chu Le.”

“Yes!”

“I will not intervene again. Deal with these things within the time it takes an incense stick to burn.”

Chu Le looked up in astonishment. “That quickly? But those sword cultivators and stewards—”

If they managed to suppress the threat within that time, Chu Le could survive under his protection. But those sword cultivators likely would not hold out!

Chu Jiye said, “If you cannot even deal with this, then you have no need to return to the Chu family.”

“But Uncle, they—”

“That boy from the Yuan family can protect his own people.” Chu Jiye lowered his hand behind his back and said coldly, “You can see whether you are capable of doing the same.”

Chu Le lowered his head and gripped his sword tightly.

“…Yes.”

After enduring several incidents like this, by the time they returned to the Chu family, their numbers had already been reduced by nearly half.

Everyone who had been contaminated by the puppet barrier was cut down by Chu Jiye with a single stroke of his sword.

“Why are you putting on the manner of a grieving child?” Chu Jiye shook the blood from his sword tip and said indifferently. “If these people were to fall into the mortal world, their fear of the cold would only grow worse.”

Chu Le bit his lip and said nothing.

These puppet barriers were utterly unlike those they had encountered before. Each one was ferocious, and whenever they appeared, red mist nearly blotted out the sky and earth. Once someone was invaded by it, there was no chance of rescue.

“Why didn’t Uncle save them sooner?” Chu Le asked cautiously.

He was not the only one. Everyone behind him was trembling with fear.

Who did not know that the head of the Chu family was notoriously protective of his own? Why was his killing intent so severe today? Had he truly decided to stand by and watch them die?

In theory, everyone present could be considered a retainer of the Chu family.

“If I had not come, this would have been their fate.”

“You must understand.” Chu Jiye paused. A trace of softness flickered across his face, swift as moonlight breaking through a rainy sky. “Evil must be eradicated to the very end.”

These were words his senior sister, Bright Moon, had once spoken to him in his youth.

At the thought of Sheng Ningyu, the killing intent around Chu Jiye suddenly dissipated.

Chu Le was still young, however, and the incident had left him feeling deeply dejected. Thus, when he asked Chu Jiye for the sword cultivators before being sent to the confinement chamber, Chu Jiye merely glanced at him and nodded without objection.

“Do as you wish.”

With that, he rose into the air and left. The group immediately bowed.

“We respectfully see the family head off.”

When they looked up again, Chu Jiye had vanished.

Chu Le could not help but sigh in relief, though a trace of melancholy soon followed.

“Is Uncle going to the Sea Moon Tower again? Alone?”

Over the years, Chu Jiye had hardly ever stayed at the Chu family residence. He remained at the Sea Moon Tower instead.

Yet he allowed no one else to live there, not even Chu Le.

Chu Qing sighed. “The family head must be in a bad mood.”

He had left carrying such great hopes. Then, upon seeing that not one of those sword cultivators could withstand the puppet barriers, he had been equally disappointed.

It was like falling from the clouds straight into the depths of the earth.

Chu Qing said, “I hope the family head can see things clearly.”

He turned around and looked at Chu Le with a fond expression.

“What does the young master want these sword cultivators for?”

While Chu Jiye was occupied, Chu Le had always been cared for by the family retainers and servants. Chu Qing also checked on him from time to time, lest the family head ask about Chu Le and he have no answer to give.

Chu Le pouted. “I want them to practice with their swords, then use the tips to spin flowers over to me! At the very least, they must master the move before I leave confinement and go to Qingyi Academy!”

Chu Le’s thinking was simple.

That ugly fellow had managed to do it with a wooden branch. There was no reason they could not do it with swords!

Besides, although that person had left with Yuan Shuhe, Yuan Shuhe was about the same age as Chu Le. If Qingyi Academy truly reopened, the two of them might meet there.

Though Qingyi Academy was called an academy, it was actually a gathering place for the various sects and great families.

Resources were shared, and knowledge was exchanged.

Some harmless techniques could be learned from one another. Likewise, sparring was permitted.

Chu Le thought resentfully that when the time came, he would call over seventeen or eighteen people and have them perform the move together in front of Yuan Shuhe and that ugly fellow. Then he would see how they could continue acting so smug!

He was the dignified young master of the Chu family. He certainly was not short of a single flower!

Chu Qing did not really understand. He merely assumed it was childish whimsy, one passing fancy after another, and did not take it seriously. He simply committed the matter to memory, intending to bring it up as an amusing anecdote when the family head was in a better mood.

He beckoned to the sword cultivators and instructed them condescendingly, “The fact that you are able to enter the Chu family is already a great fortune. From this moment on, you will obey the young master in all things and must not disobey. Those who perform well will naturally be rewarded.”

The sword cultivators standing there had come precisely in the hope of obtaining elixirs and treasures and rising to greatness in a single bound. Upon hearing this, they grew even more delighted and answered in unison.

“We await the young master’s orders.”

…

After parting from Xie Qianjing, Sheng Ningyu arrived at the Cloud-Viewing Palace together with Yuan Shuhe and the others.

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The Cloud-Viewing Palace stood amid the wilderness, surrounded by dense forests and clear streams. One had to follow a winding path on foot. At first glance, the path seemed utterly ordinary, like a country road in some remote village. Yet the farther one went, the more clearly those with profound cultivation could sense that something about it was different.

The scent of spiritual herbs filled the air, permeating the lungs and heart.

At the entrance stood a massive stone inscribed with the three words “Cloud-Viewing Palace.” The calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, but aside from being ancient and simple, the stone itself offered little else to praise.

Yao Youling said, “This is our Cloud-Viewing Palace. Is it anything like you imagined, Fellow Daoist Ning?”

Sheng Ningyu replied, “If all the disciples inside are as easy to get along with as you are, then it is exactly as I imagined.”

Everyone laughed. Yuan Shuhe made an inviting gesture.

“Fellow Daoist Ning, please.”

Because the people of the Cloud-Viewing Palace had taken a great liking to Sheng Ningyu, Yuan Shuhe truly arranged for her to stay next door to Ji Qingwu after asking for her opinion.

After taking Sheng Ningyu’s pulse, however, Yuan Shuhe drew his brows tightly together. He only said that he would find a way to help her, left behind a bottle of Foundation-Strengthening and Meridian-Renewing Pills for her to take first, and then hurried away toward the library.

Sheng Ningyu was broad-minded. As she had said earlier, she followed Ji Qingwu’s guidance and attended the daily lessons alongside the disciples of the Cloud-Viewing Palace. Within only a few days, she had become familiar with everyone.

Then she received some news.

“The palace master and Old Master Yuan are coming back!”

The disciples of the Cloud-Viewing Palace were all overjoyed.

As she listened to their conversation, Sheng Ningyu lifted her veil and calmly took a bite of pastry.

Excellent. It seemed she could now find a way to draw Yuan Daojun’s attention.

“Speaking of which, why do I feel that Miss Ning’s features look familiar?”

The female disciple who spoke paused. She happened to catch sight of Sheng Ningyu lifting her veil, and her entire body seemed to be struck by lightning.

“I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before…”

Someone immediately laughed at her. “Give it a rest. Whenever you meet a handsome and attractive cultivator, you claim you’ve seen him before!”

“What are you talking about?” The female disciple flushed. “I really have seen her!”

“Then where?”

“In… in… in the portrait in Madam Xiang’s room?”

Once the words left her mouth, even the speaker herself seemed unconvinced. Her voice ended on a note of hesitation.

Even so, the room fell silent.

Sheng Ningyu remained composed.

The moment she had chosen to come to Spirit-Girdle Haven, she had already prepared herself to acknowledge that old man Yuan Daojun.

The only reason she had yet to act was that she was looking for a way to bypass Yuan Bushu and meet Yuan Daojun directly.

As for whether she resembled someone or not, that was a minor matter.

Sixty years had passed. Whatever ought to have been forgotten had long since faded, and whatever had not been forgotten would not easily be encountered in this wilderness.

Thus, Sheng Ningyu remained perfectly calm.

Before she could casually steer everyone away from the subject, however, the disciples exploded into an uproar.

“Is it that portrait?!”

“Yes! That one!”

“I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard the disciples say that Madam treasures the painting immensely. Even the palace master is not allowed to touch it casually!”

“Now that you mention it, she really does look incredibly similar!”

“No wonder I felt that Miss Ning looked so familiar and approachable the moment I saw her in the woods!”

“But that portrait…”

“Isn’t it a portrait of the Sword Venerable Bright Moon?!”

The words were followed by another silence.

After staring at one another for several seconds, the disciples all turned toward the corner.

Sheng Ningyu, who had just been reaching eagerly for her fifth pastry, fell silent.

In the blink of an eye, everything had been turned upside down.

Her identity had been exposed so suddenly that she had not had the slightest warning.

With a flick of her wrist, Sheng Ningyu lifted the plate and placed it before everyone. She blinked.

“Why don’t you eat first?”

“Eat? Who can eat at a time like this?” Yao Youling snatched the plate away and stared fervently at Sheng Ningyu. “No wonder I thought you looked familiar the moment I saw you that day. Fellow Daoist Ning, what exactly is your relationship with the Sword Venerable?”

Ji Qingwu shielded Sheng Ningyu and said fiercely, “So what if they look alike? There are countless similar-looking people in the world! You are not allowed to ask any more questions!”

Yao Youling looked aggrieved. “But they look far too similar. They are practically identical—ouch, stop pinching my arm! I’m only curious!”

Sheng Ningyu picked up a pastry and stuffed it into her mouth. Speaking indistinctly, she said, “That’s a long story. Let me finish eating first.”

Give her a moment to think about how, exactly, she was supposed to make this up.