Chapter 34:

Jinghuagu.

Gao Qiumin gently knocked on the door of Su Ningzhen’s room. After receiving a response, she cautiously entered.

Su Ningzhen had been gravely injured by a palm strike from Sang Qi and had not fully recovered despite several days of meditation. Currently, Gao Qiumin temporarily managed the affairs of the sect. Everyone in Jinghuagu respectfully addressed Gao Qiumin as “Senior Disciple,” knowing well that one day she would inherit “Fushi’s Dust,” the supreme magical artifact symbolizing the position of the leader of Jinghuagu.

“Master, the defensive formations throughout the sect have been inspected and are functioning normally,” Gao Qiumin humbly reported beside Su Ningzhen.

Su Ningzhen slowly opened her eyes and nodded. “Good. Qiumin, there is something I must tell you. Listen carefully.”

A sense of unease stirred in Gao Qiumin’s heart. She clenched her fists and murmured, “Your disciple is ready to obey.”

“Sang Qi will not spare Jinghuagu. I am prepared to fight to the death. You must protect the other disciples and avoid unnecessary sacrifices. I will not allow the tragedy of Mingyuezhuang to be repeated here in Jinghuagu,” Su Ningzhen said solemnly.

With tears in her eyes, Gao Qiumin knelt. “Master, Sang Qi is too strong. Don’t confront him directly! Master Xie can stop him!”

Su Ningzhen’s face was pale as she sighed and looked at Gao Qiumin. “Qiu’er, you don’t understand…”

Su Ningzhen had always been strict and harsh, rarely showing tenderness even to Gao Qiumin, whom she loved and trusted the most. In Gao Qiumin’s memory, it seemed that only when she was very young had Su Ningzhen ever held her, gently stroked her head, and called her “Qiu’er.”

“Sang Qi will not kill you. As long as you live, you can protect the people of Jinghuagu, and there will be hope for Jinghuagu to rise again,” Su Ningzhen said, as if giving final instructions. “In the past, I was strict with you because I had great expectations. You have extraordinary talent. If you apply yourself to cultivation, you will surely achieve the Dharma Form, but your heart is too preoccupied with Master Xie. In the past, I also hoped that you would become his Dao companion, but perhaps he is not the right match for you. For cultivators, worldly love is like poison in the gut. He will only cloud your Dao heart and hinder your cultivation. I will no longer be here to remind you, and I don’t know if you will remember my words…”

Gao Qiumin’s eyes reddened, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed, “Master, you are the only family I have left in this world. Please don’t leave me…”

Su Ningzhen sighed deeply and gently patted Gao Qiumin’s back.

She was the child of her elder sister, Gao Fengxu…

Su Ningzhen had no certainty whether Sang Qi’s heart held more love or hate, whether he would insist on killing Gao Qiumin or spare her out of regard for Su Ningxi. But she could only gamble…

Jinghuagu was heavily guarded, with all defensive formations activated. Every five paces stood a guard, every ten paces a sentinel. Every moment and every inch of the area was under watch.

Sang Qi was at a critical juncture in his cultivation. He dispatched Mu Xuanling along with a dozen elite demon soldiers to covertly infiltrate Jinghuagu under the cover of night. Their mission was to locate Su Ningxi’s burial site without alerting the enemy.

Mu Xuanling found the request somewhat odd but complied with Sang Qi’s order, dispatching a lust demon along with several high-level demon soldiers to infiltrate Jinghuagu. However, Su Ningzhen had already made preparations, foreseeing Sang Qi’s deep-seated hatred for Jinghuagu, which resulted in an impenetrable defense.

Jinghuagu was mainly composed of female cultivators and was the weakest among the Five Great Sects. The current leader, Su Ningzhen, was the weakest among the Dharma Form cultivators. Originally, the previous leader had intended Su Ningxi as her successor, but Su Ningxi died early, and the position fell to Su Ningzhen. Her cultivation was insufficient to command respect, and many were dissatisfied when she inherited “Fushi’s Dust” from the previous leader. However, her strictness and ruthlessness kept them in check.

Jinghuagu had at least three Dharma Form elders. Su Ningzhen was still recovering from serious injuries, and the other two Dharma Form elders were stationed at the rear. If they did not intervene, Mu Xuanling might have a chance to maneuver, but if they did, she would have to retreat immediately.

Fortunately, Sang Qi lived up to his title as Grand Priest, employing covert and unpredictable methods, including magical artifacts capable of masking demonic and sinister auras. This allowed Mu Xuanling and her group to slip past the barrier undetected—just as he had once infiltrated Yongxue City.

“High Priestess, Xingchengu is located deep within Jinghuagu. How shall we proceed?” the Lust Demon whispered.

Mu Xuanling recalled the map drawn by Sang Qi, frowning slightly. Xingchengu was where the cultivators of Jinghuagu rested in death, including the past leaders and elders, making it the place Sang Qi most suspected. In fact, seven years ago, after emerging from retreat and destroying Mingyuezhuang, Sang Qi had wanted to strike at Jinghuagu, but at the time, he was only the Grand Priest and lacked a suitable pretext to mobilize sufficient forces. Over the years, he had bided his time, cultivated patience, and focused on the unfinished task—searching for Su Ningxi’s remains.

Xingchengu lay deep within Jinghuagu, and although its defenses were not tight—after all, it was merely a burial ground with no people or treasures—reaching it required crossing the entire valley, making it difficult to avoid detection.

“All demon soldiers merge into the shadows and seek suitable hosts to possess. Then I will change into the attire of a female disciple from here, allowing them to conceal my approach to Starfrost Valley.”

The night was the battleground of demons. With a flick of her hand, the demonic soldiers dissolved into the shadows on the ground like ink, searching for suitable hosts.

Night was the best camouflage for demons, and possession often occurred silently. Soon, the Lust Demon successfully took control of a female disciple and approached Mu Xuanling, beginning to undress.

“High Priestess, take my clothes,” whispered the demon of desire, now wearing the face of the female disciple.

Mu Xuanling raised her hand to stop him, repulsed. “No need. What will you wear if you give them to me?”

At that moment, several possessed female disciples approached, carrying an unconscious female disciple whose figure was about the same size as Mu Xuanling’s. Perfect, they stripped her outer garments and handed them to Mu Xuanling.

I noticed that the patrol teams here are made up of five people. I’ll divide us into three groups. One group will stay at the valley entrance as backup, while the other group will follow me closely to provide mutual support. If anyone questions us, say you spotted suspicious demonic creatures and are reporting to the Senior Disciple. As she spoke, three Jade-Eyed Snow Rabbits jumped out of her pouch and scattered to join the two teams.

The Emerald-Eyed Jade Rabbits were half-beast, half-demon creatures, distinct from ordinary rabbits in that their eyes were a stunning jade-green, with vision nearly as sharp as a Dharma Form cultivator’s. These Emerald-Eyed Jade Rabbits possessed roughly a hundred years of cultivation and had mastered demonic techniques. They could speak human language and wielded formidable combat power, though their adorable appearance often deceived their enemies.

After arranging everything, Mu Xuanling led one group toward Xingchengu. They encountered a couple of other cultivators along the way but were not detected.

They reached the palace complex smoothly. Mu Xuanling took a detour around the side halls. Passing through the back garden, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

“The master has already retired. You don’t need to serve her tonight,” Gao Qiumin coldly told the other disciples.

“Yes, Senior Disciple,” another voice sounded familiar. Mu Xuanling suddenly recalled it was the round-faced female disciple she had seen in Xiaocheng.

The round-faced disciple spoke sweetly yet flatteringly as she walked beside Gao Qiumin. “Senior Disciple, the master truly trusts and favors you more and more.”

Gao Qiumin seemed lost in thought and gave a distracted hum, her attitude dismissive.

“I heard the master even entrusted you with the core defensive formation of Jinghuagu,” the round-faced disciple continued with a smile. “That’s a power only the leader should have. Could it be that the master intends to retreat into seclusion and pass the leadership to you?”

“Nonsense! I’m merely a Golden Core cultivator. What virtue or ability do I have to bear such a heavy responsibility?” Gao Qiumin scolded unhappily. “The master is still in her prime, with a thousand years of life ahead. She won’t pass the position now.”

The round-faced disciple, unsure why Gao Qiumin suddenly became angry, quickly nodded in apology, trying to appease her.

Mu Xuanling watched the two figures recede into the distance, puzzled. From what she knew, Gao Qiumin was not usually like this. Born with nine orifices, Gao Qiumin had exceptional talent and was doted upon in Mingyuezhuang. Although Mingyuezhuang was later destroyed, she was adopted by Su Ningzhen as her favored senior disciple, enjoying a unique status in Jinghuagu without suffering any hardship. Gao Qiumin had always been proud and arrogant, enjoying flattery, yet now she appeared burdened and gloomy.

Though puzzled, Mu Xuanling had no time to dwell. Seeing Gao Qiumin walk away, she immediately led her group toward Xingchengu.

After leaving the palace complex, patrols became sparse. The closer they approached Xingchengu, the more desolate it became. After all, it was a burial ground, and few dared to come at night.

After crossing a bridge, they saw a valley glowing faintly green. A closer look revealed countless fireflies. Jinghuagu was spring-like all year round, warm and humid, filled with spiritual energy, ideal for growing medicinal herbs, and thus many disciples were skilled in healing. Although Xingchengu was a burial ground, it was also filled with rare flowers and grass, exuding a faint fragrance.

Walking a little further ahead, they saw rows of tombstones. The white stones bore the names of cultivators, but those on the periphery were mostly ordinary disciples. Mu Xuanling merely glanced before proceeding deeper.

In Xingchengu stood a massive tree with dense branches and lush leaves, its age unknown but likely thousands of years old. At its center lay the graves of past leaders and elders, many of whom were Dharma Form cultivators. Their bodies remained incorruptible for centuries, even transforming into spiritual energy that nourished the land, making the surrounding vegetation more vibrant and the spiritual energy more abundant.

“Search carefully,” Mu Xuanling ordered the group solemnly.

She felt that this matter was not so simple. There were doubts about Su Ningxi’s empty grave. Did Gao Fengxu know? If Gao Fengxu knew, why would he allow the remains to be taken away? If Gao Fengxu didn’t know, who dared to steal the wife of the Mingyuezhuang leader’s remains? And for what purpose?

Whether the former or the latter, Su Ningxi’s remains were unlikely to be openly buried in Jinghuagu.

Mu Xuanling felt that Sang Qi must have realized this, and this trip was likely in vain. But if Sang Qi had arranged it this way, there must be his reasons, though he had not revealed them.

Mu Xuanling slowly approached the ancient tree, placing her palm on its trunk to sense its spiritual energy. Generally, such ancient trees growing in blessed lands might develop tree spirits or tree demons.

However, as her palm touched the tree, an unusual ripple of spiritual energy spread from beneath her feet, like a stone dropped into water, creating waves.

Startled, Mu Xuanling quickly turned around and saw a familiar white-clothed figure standing not far behind, gazing at her with deep eyes.

If Xie Xuechen wished to conceal his presence, no one in the world could detect him.

— Was he waiting for her? Did he know she would come?

A flicker of panic crossed Mu Xuanling’s mind, but she gripped Duannian and flew backward, increasing the distance between them, which gave her a slight sense of security.

Xie Xuechen did not immediately chase her as she had expected. He was unhurried, as if certain she could not escape.

At that moment, the spiritual energy beneath their feet surged even more intensely, and the resonant chanting of Buddhist scriptures reverberated in her mind. It was the Prajna Heart Sutra, the most dreaded scripture by demonic beings. Though Mu Xuanling felt no fear, a wave of unease washed over her. Glancing around, she saw the possessed female disciples clutching their heads and collapsing to the ground, while the demon soldiers scattered in all directions, vanishing into thin air.

A young monk stood in the distance. His features were handsome, his eyes bright like scattered stars and a suspended moon. His lips were red, his teeth white, his beauty extraordinary. He bore a resemblance to Nan Xuyue, evoking a sense of closeness, yet carried an air of untouchable sanctity and nobility. Ordinary people would instinctively kneel in reverence. Now, he held a string of sandalwood prayer beads. As he chanted, the power of the Prajna Heart Sutra grew stronger, keeping the demons at bay.

Mu Xuanling’s heart sank. She had not expected Xie Xuechen to be here, nor had she anticipated that Jinghuagu had sought help from Xuantiansi. This person alone could chant the Prajna Heart Sutra with such power. Even if not a Dharma Form cultivator, he must be at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

Wasn’t Xie Xuechen supposed to be at Liangjieshan, restraining Sang Qi?

Could it be that Su Ningzhen had summoned him?

Mu Xuanling had no time to ponder further. She had to escape from Xie Xuechen before the monk acted. She dared not hold back, channeling her spiritual energy into Duannian. The weapon suddenly emitted a faint purple glow, pulsing like breath, then darted forward like a serpent, attacking Xie Xuechen.

Xie Xuechen had countless ways to capture her, but as he raised Jun Tian Sword, he hesitated.

— If he did this, she would be injured.

Xie Xuechen restrained his spiritual energy, but the swift and ghostlike Duannian relentlessly lashed at the white-clothed figure. Although the Dharma Form body was indestructible, the pristine white robes bore faint marks.

Through the storm of whips, he looked at Mu Xuanling in the distance. Her cold, emotionless eyes reminded him of a recent memory—she had stood before him like this, her beautiful eyes veiled with a faint mist, hurt and angry, saying, “You only rely on my affection for you, knowing I won’t hurt you!”

She could have injured him then, but she held back, refraining from using demonic techniques.

She had said, “You’re so badly injured and lack protective spiritual energy. You can’t withstand my demonic powers.”

So now, although he could injure her and capture her, he also held back…

He knew—it was because he couldn’t bear to hurt her.

Because he liked her, he restrained himself.

But she didn’t. She attacked coldly, only wanting to escape, just as he had once tried to flee from her.

And now, he had finally gotten what he wished for.

A sudden pain in his heart made his hand falter. The clever whip seized the opening, striking his chest with a fierce blow. Filled with spiritual energy, the whip was harder than iron. Although he had a Dharma Form body, he had restrained his spiritual energy and thus suffered the blow directly. His robe tore, his chest surged with blood, and his face turned pale.

A faint, crisp sound rang out inappropriately, like a jade piece breaking, clear and pleasant.

Xie Xuechen froze. Mu Xuanling could have taken the opportunity to escape, but she didn’t, because her gaze and Xie Xuechen’s both fell upon the same spot.

The jade hairpin, now broken into two pieces, lay on the ground.

She remembered that snowy night, leaning blissfully in his embrace, dreaming of becoming his enchanting slave and staying by his side every day—a longing she had harbored seven years ago.

But now, recalling it, there were only pale images, no trace of affection.

“Why is it here?” she blurted out, already knowing the answer.

Of course, he must have gone back to redeem it from the shopkeeper afterward.

He hadn’t kept it in his pouch but had hidden it close to his body, perhaps often unconsciously holding it in his hand.

What was he thinking?

Xie Xuechen bent down to pick up the broken hairpin, his knuckles trembling with restrained emotion.

That crack seemed to split through his heart, spreading into countless tiny, sharp pains.

In that moment of distraction, he miscalculated. Darkness enveloped his consciousness, dragging him into the demonic domain.

Not far away, Mu Xuanling cursed under her breath, “You fool, Demon of Desire! The Greedy Prison is useless against Xie Xuechen!”