Sighing deeply, Qiao San returned to the Qiao family mansion as dusk approached. If it hadn’t been for the ruffians worrying about their wives and daughters at home, this newly appointed leader wouldn’t have been able to leave so quickly.
Sighing heavily again, Qiao San realized how painful it truly was to be the boss.
“Master San, something’s wrong…” Just then, Niangshi rushed out of the main gate, panic-stricken.
“Twelve, what’s wrong?” Qiao San had a sudden premonition. This time, the feeling wasn’t amusing at all—it was chilling to the core.
“Waaah… Sister… Sister was taken away by a gust of cold wind… Swallowed… Swallowed by it!” Niangshi gasped for breath, terrified and trembling, tears streaming down her face as she stumbled onto the bluestone steps.
“What?! Qing Niang has been taken away?!” Qiao San’s mind exploded with shock, his heart ached, and his vision blurred with sparks. Oh no—he had become a victim too! This wouldn’t do at all!
Damn it! Whoever dares mess with me, whether human or demon, must be tired of living!
Far beyond the human realm, countless myriads of miles away, lay a mysterious land surrounded by a vast, circular ocean. This ocean flowed from ancient chaos, returning to ancient chaos, endlessly cycling, eternal through time.
This was the legendary “Earth Sea,” the home of the three mountains and ten islands of the Immortal Realm.
At the center of this boundless misty expanse, a white jade mountain sparkled with radiant light, piercing through clouds and connecting heaven and earth. This was the “Supreme Xuansheng Stone,” the lifelong dream of earthly cultivators, where Daoist immortals’ names would appear only when they had attained transcendence and ascended to immortality.
Descending from this sacred stone, auspicious vapors rose in thousands of streams, and brilliant rays of light shone in ten thousand directions. There stood the first immortal mountain of the Earth Sea—Zifu Mountain.
That day, suddenly, hundreds of birds sang in unison, and the Xuansheng Stone radiated brilliant light. The Taiyuan Jade Maiden, who had been gazing at the floating clouds in the void, couldn’t help but smile with delight. Her graceful and holy figure immediately flew back to the Zifu Hall.
As soon as the leader of the immortals appeared, a calm and gentle voice echoed at the entrance of the hall where phoenixes circled in the vermilion clouds: “Xuannü pays homage to Master!”
Almost at the same moment the voice sounded, the guardians of the gate, though their eyes hadn’t blurred and their spiritual senses hadn’t wavered, found a real figure silently standing before them.
There was no sound of spiritual energy tearing through space, no sudden flash of appearance. Even the spiritual senses of nearby immortals had detected not the slightest ripple. Just like that, the Holy Maiden of Zifu had already arrived at the entrance of the sacred hall, as if she had been standing there for centuries.
Several young disciples of Zifu, feeling competitive, secretly activated their immortal techniques, but scanning with their spiritual senses revealed nothing, leaving them no choice but to bow in defeat.
Taiyuan saw everything, and the female immortal nearing the realm of a Great Luo Holy Monarch smiled slightly, secretly admiring her student. Indeed, she was worthy of being the inheritor of the “Suyü Manual”—in just twenty short years, Xuannü had already inscribed an immortal name on the Xuansheng Stone that would never fade.
Though this tale seems long, in reality, it was but an instant. Dressed in plain green, Xuannü did not pause even for a moment. Her tall, graceful figure floated past the hall’s entrance, her delicate bare feet untouched by dust, moving into the hall with a rhythm perfectly attuned to heaven and earth.
Her pale, serene face, her calm, deep eyes, and her long flowing hair gave the impression of eternal stillness. Even as she moved, she seemed to be standing still, as if space itself shifted around her, not her pure feet stepping forward.
No joy or anger, no love or hate—seemingly unrelated to all things in the world, she alone stood apart from the mundane.
Xuannü silently approached Taiyuan Jade Maiden. Without waiting for her master’s signal, she sat down on her own. Her quiet presence was as smooth as flowing clouds and water, stirring not the slightest ripple.
Taiyuan Jade Maiden gently nodded, her heart filled with joy as she said, “Xuannü, it seems your ‘Suyü Manual’ cultivation has reached completion!”
“Thank you, Master, for your guidance!” Xuannü’s calm eyes slowly shifted. At the moment their gazes met, the aloof Xuannü suddenly seemed to come alive, as if stars had lit up her eyes, and ethereal energy had entered her immortal body, instantly transforming the icy, sculpted perfection into vibrant life.
She was a peerless jade maiden, naturally exuding grace and holiness.
Unlike the misty charm of Xiaoyou, or the sacred elegance of Taiyuan, she was neither majestic and dignified like the Dragon Mother nor as ever-changing as Niangshi. Yet no matter who stood beside her—even if all beauties gathered—none could diminish her serene beauty in the slightest.
Taiyuan Jade Maiden smiled gently. Her peerless beauty did not fade even in the face of Xuannü’s “stillness.” Her flowing hair slightly stirred as she sighed softly, saying, “You emerged from seclusion just in time. I have a task for you!”
“Master, please speak!” Xuannü slightly lowered her icy face. Though she spoke and moved, the aura of “stillness” around her remained unchanged.
“Yesterday, I received a long-distance spiritual transmission from the underworld. One of your junior disciples has secretly escaped through the Ghost Gate. Normally, I should go myself, but recently, many demons in the mortal realm have been stirring up trouble. After much consideration, you are the most suitable candidate for this mission.”
Taiyuan Jade Maiden then briefly described Xiaoyou’s situation. Finally, she sighed gently and said, “After finding Xiaoyou, bring her back to Zifu Mountain. I must first purify her resentment before she can be reincarnated in the underworld. To prevent any mishaps, you should ride the qingling bird.”
From beginning to end, Xuannü did not speak again. After silently listening to her master’s command, she remained silent, merely offering a quiet bow before “calmly” disappearing from Taiyuan Jade Maiden’s sight.
With the qingling bird’s cry echoing into the sky, the Holy Maiden of Zifu flew toward the human world, carrying away the tranquil aura that had shrouded the three mountains and ten islands.
※※※※※※※※
When things don’t concern oneself, one can remain aloof. But once caught in the whirlpool, Qiao San’s determination to fight demons soared to its peak.
As his mind raced, a sudden idea flashed through his thoughts. Boldly, he couldn’t help but show delight, eagerly grabbing Niangshi’s wrist with infinite hope, urging, “Twelve, you can smell traces, right? Come on, quickly take me to save Qing Niang!”
“But Master San, the entire city is under lockdown. We can’t get out!”
Qiao San hesitated briefly before gritting his teeth and making a firm decision. For Qing Niang’s sake, he couldn’t afford to hesitate anymore. Even if it meant revealing his identity, he had to break through the city gates.
“Twelve, follow me!”
In an instant, the scene shifted. A large group of ruffians gathered at the city gate.
“Hey, soldiers, move aside! We have business outside the city!” Bing and Tiao rushed to the front, followed by twenty or thirty of Qiao San’s close henchmen.
“Yeah, we’re going out!” Dozens of ruffians surged forward together. In no time, they were locked in a tense standoff with over a hundred soldiers, the air thick with the scent of gunpowder near the city gate.
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