Chapter 42#

We Shall Meet Again#

High up in the clouds, there were two figures, one in white and one in black. The one in white was Shen Jiankong. He stood on a flying sword and said while looking into the distance: “The little girl’s dance is not bad.”

Shen Juan sat beside him, treading on the clouds with his feet while holding a wine flask. He took a sip of wine and said in a low voice:

“She was someone who shouldn’t have existed in this world. She should have died at birth. Back then, Jiang Shuoyue forcibly saved her but couldn’t cure her constitutional weakness. Practicing martial arts was naturally impossible, so he let her practice dancing to nurture her essence, energy, and spirit.”

“Jiang Shuoyue took care of her for a few years. When the two parted, the little girl said that one day, she would surely shock the world with a dance for Jiang Shuoyue to see. Dancing on Minghua Qingguo today can be considered fulfilling that promise.”

Shen Jiankong didn’t know this past story, but he had experienced too many partings and deaths, and had long since become indifferent to worldly affairs, unable to feel much emotion. He changed the subject: “The apprentice you picked is also not bad.”

“My vision has always been very good,” Shen Juan said with a hint of pride in his tone.

“I suppose so,” Shen Jiankong raised an eyebrow, quite agreeing with this statement.

Shen Juan took another sip of wine, sounding as if he were sighing: “However, the path of this future apprentice of mine should be somewhat bumpy.”

“After all, he’s the last phoenix in the world,” Shen Jiankong said. “Without elders to protect him, the road is naturally a bit difficult.”

“Sounds like you’re talking about some last member of a royal clan,” Shen Juan spoke in a long, drawling tone.

Below the clouds, in the east of Shenjing City, the Heavenly Wind howled. This restaurant, which specialized in business with cultivators, was exceptionally lively.

In an elegant room on the second floor, the three—Qu, Wei, and Mo—along with the other three—Qian, Ma, and Zhao—as well as Shi Tang, sat around a table drinking wine and eating. The Daoist surnamed Zhou did not participate in their celebration feast and was nowhere to be found.

Just after entering the building, Shi Tang waved her hand and ordered the signature and most expensive dishes of Xiaolai Tianfeng. The wine ordered was also aged fine nectar, so the room was filled with a strong fragrance.

Shi Tang toasted the people at the table with tea instead of wine. After sitting down, Qu Hanxing asked: “Miss Shi, there’s something I don’t understand.”

“Go ahead.”

Qu Hanxing looked at her: “Others go up to Minghua Qingguo to gain fame, but you went up, danced, and left. The people below don’t even know your identity or name. This is very different from what I imagined. So I’m very curious, why do you have such a deep obsession with Minghua Qingguo?”

“I… I promised someone before that I would definitely dance for her. She was my savior and also a cultivator. Not long after saving me back then, she left. I didn’t know how to find her, so I came up with this plan,” Shi Tang fell silent for a moment before speaking.

Qian San leaned over: “Then do you think… she saw it?”

Shi Tang smiled: “She likes excitement. She’ll probably come to this festival, so she’ll definitely see it.”

“What does she look like? Which sect is she from? We’ll go find her for you,” Mo Juntian said.

Qu Hanxing also said: “Do you know her name? If we can’t find her in Shenjing City, we’ll help you ask around when we go back!”

“There’s no need for that,” Shi Tang waved her hand with a smile. “Even if she didn’t see it, my heart’s intent has reached her. She also said back then that as long as the heart’s intent is there, it’s enough.”

After speaking, she urged everyone to continue eating.

After a while, the carved door of the elegant room was pushed open. Qu Hanxing thought it was the waiter serving dishes, but when he looked over, his face showed pleasant surprise: “Brother Man!”

Shi Tang stood up: “Xiao Man!”

Xiao Man nodded slightly and greeted everyone.

“Is the errand finished?”

Wei Chuyun pulled out the chair beside him. Xiao Man sat down and said: “It’s finished.”

On the way there, Xiao Man had suppressed his realm back to the original Upper Baoxu Realm, so no one showed a look of surprise. Qian San poured a cup of wine, stood up, and said to Xiao Man:

“Brother Xiao, I toast you. If you hadn’t made the people of Shenjing ‘shut up,’ we might have already lost our lives.”

Ma Wu and Zhao Liu also raised their cups and stood up: “Brother Xiao, I also toast you!”

“I toast too, thanks to Xiao Man!” Shi Tang refilled her tea cup with water. Qu Hanxing and Mo Juntian also picked up their wine cups and joined the toast. Xiao Man lowered his gaze, a look of hesitation appearing: “I don’t know how to drink.”

“This is fruit wine, it’s sweet!” Qu Hanxing said.

Shi Tang added: “Try it, try it…”

Wei Chuyun scanned the group and said softly to Xiao Man: “If you don’t like it, don’t drink it.”

But a look of vacillation clearly appeared on Xiao Man’s face. He stared at the wine flask on the table for a moment, poured less than half a cup into his wine cup, and said: “I’ll try a sip.”

Xiao Man took a small sip, and his expression became very strange.

It was indeed sweet, with a hint of sourness, and within the sourness was a touch of astringency, feeling slightly hot in his throat. In short, it was an indescribable feeling.

Qu Hanxing asked with a smile: “How is it?”

“It’s average,” Xiao Man put down his wine cup, unwilling to taste it again.

Wei Chuyun served a bowl of soup and placed it by Xiao Man’s hand. It was a snow-white and delicate squab soup. The pigeon meat was rich in spiritual energy, the bones were stewed until tender, and a few green scallions were sprinkled on top for decoration. It was exceptionally fresh and fragrant.

Xiao Man thanked him, took a small taste, and put down the spoon.

From the moment he entered, he had been very absent-minded.

That premonition was still in his heart, with the other end connected to Yan Wushu, drifting and uncertain, appearing both empty and real.

To say it’s empty, yet it has an extremely strong presence, allowing him to easily find Yan Wushu by following this subtle connection; to say it’s real, yet it can’t be grasped or touched, as if it’s an invisible strand of spider silk stretching from Yan Wushu’s end, occasionally plucking at his heartstrings.

If only it were real spider silk, then he could draw his sword and cut it.

Xiao Man had heard that only a few couples who were truly in love would develop such a connection. He couldn’t help but find it ridiculous. With a change of thought, he felt that it was probably the Heavenly Dao at work again.

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Man used his hand as a blade, gathered spiritual energy, and made a slashing motion.

The target was naturally that premonition.

Wind rose, hand fell, and spiritual energy was unleashed, but—except for some cups and bowls on the table breaking and a mark being rubbed on the corner of the table, nothing happened.

Xiao Man lowered his gaze. How exactly could it be cut?

“Brother Man, what are you doing?” Qu Hanxing noticed Xiao Man’s situation and asked in surprise.

Xiao Man cast a Cleansing Technique on the table and said solemnly: “Contemplating what I’ve gained today.”

Qu Hanxing’s eyes widened: “There’s no need to be in such a hurry!”

“It was a bit hurried,” Xiao Man smiled. “Don’t mind me, let’s eat first.”

“Oh,” Qu Hanxing turned back.

After finishing this long dinner, the group walked onto the street. The float parade had ended, and the performances on Minghua Qingguo were also coming to a close. But the festival was still ongoing, the various stalls on the street hadn’t closed yet, and there were crowds of tourists and a stream of carriages.

Xiao Man walked a bit slowly, trailing at the end of the group, thinking about the matter hanging in his heart. Wei Chuyun slowed down, came to his side, and said in a low voice: “Is something bothering you, related to the errand you dealt with earlier?”

“No, I’m just contemplating some Daoist techniques,” Xiao Man denied without hesitation.

Wei Chuyun then said: “I’m willing to study them with you.”

Xiao Man didn’t know how to respond to this. Helplessly, he could only smile and say: " I haven’t quite figured out the flavor yet, so I don’t know how to describe it."

The group walked and stopped, touring the entire festival. They were naturally unwilling to return to the post station, so Qian San led everyone to a nearby fine inn to rest.

Nothing happened that night. The next day, there was a light breeze and drizzle, bringing quite a bit of coolness to Shenjing City. Pedestrians on the road opened their umbrellas one after another. Looking down from above, umbrellas of various colors moved slowly along the long street, looking like clusters of flowers blooming.

The wind brushed past the corners of their clothes, hiding the scent of autumn osmanthus. Arriving at the entrance of the post station, Shi Tang bowed to everyone: “Everyone, let’s bid farewell here.”

“Are you sure you don’t need us to send you back?” Qu Hanxing said. “Brother Man can fly on the wind, or we can take Brother Wei’s Cloud Boat. It’ll take no time at all.”

Shi Tang shook her head: “Thank you for the kind offer. I’ve been kept in the family courtyard since I was a child and have never personally been to those places. I want to walk with my own legs.”

Hearing this, Xiao Man didn’t force her and gave a low-voiced reminder: “Be careful on the road. If you encounter trouble, use a transmission talisman to contact us.”

“I will,” Shi Tang opened her umbrella, stepped over the threshold, and waved to everyone with a smile. “May the mountains be high and the waters long, we shall meet again!”

Her pace was light. She spun the umbrella handle from time to time, making the umbrella rotate in circles. Occasionally, when she encountered a puddle, she would lift her skirt and jump over it.

Not long after, she reached the street corner, turned, and stepped onto another path.

Yan Wushu appeared as silently as ever. He stood in front of Shi Tang and handed her a small porcelain bottle: “This medicine is for you. It can prolong your life a bit.”

“There’s no need!” Shi Tang was slightly stunned for a moment, then waved her hand with a smile. “I’m already very satisfied. As for the road ahead, I’ll go as far as I can.”

She refused decisively, her expression firm. Yan Wushu looked at her and said “Alright.” “Is there anything else you need my help with?”

Shi Tang looked up past the edge of her umbrella toward the sky and said to him: “Remember your promise to me, to give Xiao Man and the others an excellent rating for this mission.”

“I will,” Yan Wushu nodded.

“Alright then, nothing else. Goodbye,” Shi Tang said.

Yan Wushu: “Goodbye.”

Shi Tang stepped forward and continued on her way, seemingly with a purpose yet aimlessly.

In Shenjing City, the light rain trickled, and the pedestrians laughed and chatted. She also slowly began to smile.

It was a goodbye, and also a farewell forever.

The road of life finally came to an end. She was dressed in light clothes, joyful and free.

Baihuan Peak of Gushan.

This was originally the nosiest peak among the twelve peaks of Gushan, but now it was exceptionally quiet. The low-level disciples who were noisy all day long had all gone out for training. Only the chirping of birds and the sound of gurgling water remained in the mountain forest.

Xiao Man and his party completed their mission and toured Shenjing City again, so they naturally chose to return. Wei Chuyun stepped off the Cloud Boat, bid farewell to everyone, and said he was going into seclusion. Qu Hanxing and Mo Juntian pulled Xiao Man into their dormitory, and the three of them lay horizontally on the bed together.

“It’s clearly been less than half a month, yet I feel as if several years have passed,” Qu Hanxing held a pillow and yawned slowly, then looked at Xiao Man and added: “Brother Man, you’re finally willing to lie horizontally on a bed with us.”

Xiao Man lay between Qu Hanxing and Mo Juntian, his hands placed on his abdomen in a reserved and proper posture. Recalling what happened in Shenjing City, he also felt moved and said: “Occasionally, this isn’t bad.”

Qu Hanxing stretched his legs: “It seems there are no more training missions for now. We’ll have to stay on Baihua Peak until the Sword Testing Assembly.”

“Isn’t this considered a mission?” Mo Juntian retorted. “The Sword Testing Assembly is the final assessment. Less than thirty percent of our batch of disciples can stay. The situation is quite severe.”

At these words, Qu Hanxing fell silent. He raised the pillow to cover his eyes and asked weakly: “If we pass the Sword Testing, where do you want to go?”

Mo Juntian: “I want to go to Lan Peak.”

Qu Hanxing: “What about Brother Man?”

“Me?” Xiao Man didn’t expect Qu Hanxing to ask him and didn’t know how to answer for a moment.

“You should stay on Xueyi Peak, right?” Qu Hanxing took the pillow away again, his eyes darting around. “You’ve lived on Xueyi Peak for quite a while, and that Senior Wu has also taken good care of you. The master of Xueyi Peak is also the youngest and most high-spirited among the twelve peak masters. Staying there has only advantages and no disadvantages.”

Unexpectedly, Xiao Man shook his head: “I don’t want to go to Xueyi Peak.”

Qu Hanxing was quite surprised. He turned sideways toward Xiao Man and asked: “Then where do you plan to go?”

“I don’t know,” Xiao Man told the truth and then threw the question back. “What about you?”

“Me… Brother Man and Brother Wei will definitely pass the Sword Testing! Xiao Mo, you’re so hardworking, you’ll definitely be able to as well,” Qu Hanxing pondered for a long time. “As for me… maybe… sigh! So it’s useless for me to think about this in advance…”

Hearing him say this, Xiao Man intended to say a few words of encouragement. Mo Juntian was much more direct than him. He stood up with a woosh, went to Qu Hanxing, and pulled him up from the bed: “Stop lying around, go practice your sword.”

Qu Hanxing struggled: “We just got back!”

“Wei Chuyun is the one with the highest realm among us, and he’s already in seclusion. How can we be slack?” Mo Juntian spoke righteously and then asked Xiao Man: “Xiao Man, are you coming?”

“I won’t be practicing the sword these few days. I’ll go for a walk on the back peak,” Xiao Man said.

Qu Hanxing’s expression changed significantly, looking quite shocked: “The back peak with the name ‘Ghost Peak’?”

“Although that place is cold and terrifying, it’s a good place to temper one’s character,” Xiao Man nodded. “Why don’t we go together?”

“No, no, no. Xiao Mo and I will just go to the training ground!” Hearing him say this, Qu Hanxing grabbed Mo Juntian and ran away.

Looking at his retreating figure, almost as if he were escaping, Xiao Man couldn’t help but smile.

After smiling, he stood up, went into the courtyard, and closed the door for them.

The back peak belonged to Baihua Peak and was a mountain peak that suddenly rose up on the northwest side. Although it couldn’t compare to Tingyun Peak, the most isolated and extreme peak of Gushan, it was superior in its danger.

A cold and gloomy aura swirled here all year round. No vegetation could grow, and sunlight couldn’t reach this place. The rocks were strange and jagged, and their placement was also peculiar. At first glance, it was exceptionally gloomy, and few disciples were willing to come here.

The wind blowing through seemed to be wailing and crying, feeling like a knife cut against the face. The higher one went, the fiercer the wind and the heavier the cold. Under the knife cuts, it was also like sharp needles piercing the bones.

Xiao Man’s expression remained unchanged. He walked all the way to the highest point, pushed aside the clouds and mist, found a platform where someone could sit, and sat down after brushing his clothes.

The wind here was very suitable for body tempering and also for tempering the sword.

The premonition couldn’t be cut, probably because the sword wasn’t sharp enough. Therefore, Xiao Man imagined himself as a sword and sat here for three days.

On the back peak during the day, there was no distinction between sunny and cloudy. Except for rain or snow, it was always cloudy here. The back peak at night was even darker and gloomier. Sunlight couldn’t penetrate the clouds and mist here, let alone moonlight.

In the cold dark night, the back peak welcomed its second guest.

It was a woman. Her realm wasn’t low, having reached Guiyuan, yet she didn’t fly on a sword but walked on the mountain path with her own feet. The light here was dim, but it wasn’t difficult to identify this person’s identity. She was Instructor Meng, who had caused trouble for Xiao Man in the array class, and also Elder Meng, who had forced Xiao Man to hand over his inner core on Xueyi Peak years ago.

She was dressed in black, her face slightly darkened. She held a dharma tool and walked and stopped, seemingly looking for something.

Midway, the jade pendant hanging at her waist lit up. Meng Lanshan hurriedly stopped and said in a low voice: “A’Lin?”

A voice was transmitted directly into her sea of consciousness: “After killing him, take his body to Huaman City. It must not be left on Gushan. I will personally send someone to deal with it.”

“Alright,” Meng Lanshan nodded.

The person Meng Lanshan was looking for was exactly Xiao Man.

For Xiao Man’s training this time, Ji Wuji, the peak master of Baihua Peak, gave an extremely high evaluation. He was also in the Upper Baoxu Realm, ranking at the forefront of this batch of low-level disciples. Passing the Sword Testing Assembly was a certainty.

Currently, he and Yan Wushu hadn’t held a soul-binding ceremony and had no status, merely a low-level disciple on Baihua Peak. If he were really favored by some peak master or elder and taken as a disciple, or entered Xueyi Peak legitimately, it wouldn’t be easy to remove him in the future.

Now that Ji Wuji was out on business and there was no supervision on the peak, and she was in the Guiyuan Realm, wouldn’t killing someone in the Upper Baoxu Realm be effortless?

Besides, this was the back peak. Dying here wouldn’t alarm anyone at all.

With this thought, the dharma tool in Meng Lanshan’s hand reacted.

Xiao Man was at the top of the back peak. It was extremely cold here, with thick clouds gathered around him, making it almost impossible to see his form. The dew was very heavy, and his clothes were soaked.

He had stayed here for three days, letting the wind blades hammer his body. With focused concentration and lowered eyes, he had already reached a state of self-forgetfulness. But perhaps the habit inherited from Yan Wushu was too deep; even so, he still kept a trace of his mind outside to guard against danger and unexpected events.

The moment Meng Lanshan stepped onto the back peak, he noticed it. At the same time, he noticed her killing intent, which she deliberately hid yet still leaked inadvertently.

Xiao Man remained still, and Meng Lanshan didn’t stop for a moment.

When she ascended from the bottom to the top of the peak and stepped onto the platform, Xiao Man opened his eyes and grabbed his sword with a backhand.

Xiao Man was never polite to those who wanted to kill him.

Xiao Man no longer suppressed his realm, rising to the Upper Shouyi Realm in an instant. The sword strike was swift. The heavy clouds and thick mist concealed the sword light. This place was truly a good spot for killing.

Meng Lanshan instinctively retreated to avoid it. After avoiding it, she changed from defense to attack, glanced at the person opposite, and slashed her long sword diagonally, “You’ve actually reached the Shouyi Realm?”

Xiao Man didn’t answer.

Suddenly, flames rose from the sword, swinging upward against Meng Lanshan’s sword.

Clang—

Clatter!

Two crisp sounds in a row. The Phoenix True Fire directly melted and broke Meng Lanshan’s sword.

Xiao Man’s sword also couldn’t withstand the scorching True Fire and broke, falling to the ground. Xiao Man discarded the sword hilt without a change in expression, turned his wrist, and struck out with his palm. Carrying the fire in his palm, he slammed it directly into Meng Lanshan’s chest!

The True Fire entered her body. He intentionally left a breath for Meng Lanshan, not letting her be burned to death by the Phoenix True Fire immediately. Meng Lanshan retreated several steps in a row, looked down at the blood hole in her chest, and then looked at Xiao Man in shock, saying in disbelief:

“A mere Shouyi actually…”

“I’m not as easy to bully as you imagine,” Xiao Man looked at her, his tone calm. “Why did Lin Wu want you to kill me?”

“Because you’re in the way, of course!” Meng Lanshan gave a cold smile.

As soon as she spoke, the Phoenix Fire burned directly from her wound to her heart.

A shrill scream echoed through the mountains.

But this was the back peak, the back peak with the name ‘Ghost Peak’, which had always been ignored.

Meng Lanshan’s body fell to the ground. Xiao Man stood a bit further away, his face expressionless.

This wasn’t the first time Xiao Man had killed someone. In Shenjing City, he had already killed several people. But this was the first time he faced the problem of how to deal with a body.

If he used True Fire to burn it, it would actually be a waste of True Fire. But Meng Lanshan was from Qingyun Peak, and there were rumors that she could become an elder once she broke through to the Taixuan Realm. She likely had some backing. Where should the body of such a person be thrown?

Throw it down the mountain to feed the wild beasts? That definitely wouldn’t work.

Ask Tan Wenzhou, the peak master of Xingyun Peak, to borrow a bottle of Corpse-Dissolving Water? That would be actively leaving evidence.

Could it be… dig a hole and bury it? After years, it would surely be a mysterious case.

Better to burn it with True Fire. Xiao Man sighed in his heart. Just as he was about to strike, he saw someone coming through the air.

The newcomer pressed down Xiao Man’s hand and said: “I’ll handle it.”

It was Yan Wushu, still in those black clothes, his tone very indifferent.

Without even asking who the dead person on the ground was, he took out a bottle of Corpse-Dissolving Water and poured it directly on the ground.

“This is Meng Lanshan,” Xiao Man said in a low voice.

Yan Wushu gave a flat “Oh.”

Xiao Man frowned and added: “Someone from Qingyun Peak.”

“So what?” Yan Wushu spoke lightly, completely unconcerned about this person’s identity. “Now it’s just a dead person.”

As he spoke, the body turned into a pool of turbid water, flowing along the slanting stone surface to a lower spot.

Yan Wushu looked up and scanned the surroundings, “This Baihua Peak…”

But he stopped mid-sentence. After a moment, Yan Wushu tilted his head toward Xiao Man and said: “It’s not safe here. Come back to Xueyi Peak with me. Come back when the Sword Testing Assembly starts.”

Xiao Man picked up his broken sword and said: “Thank you for the kind offer, but there’s no need.”