Chapter 9: Departure

The incident of Shi Luoyi’s duel with Zhang Xiangyang wasn’t a secret for long—it quickly spread throughout the sect.

Fortunately, this time the rumors weren’t about how useless Shi Luoyi was. Instead, everyone was speculating about where Zhang Xiangyang had obtained the spirit-gathering pills that boosted his cultivation and why he had specifically targeted Shi Luoyi.

As the head of the Pill Pavilion, Hanshu needed to give Shi Luoyi an explanation. She paid her a visit and said solemnly, “Zhang Xiangyang still refuses to speak. I’ve checked—the spirit-gathering pills in the Pill Pavilion haven’t gone missing. If his pills didn’t come from some external source during his training in the mortal realm, then there must be someone within the sect capable of refining spirit-gathering pills who hasn’t reported it.”

Shi Luoyi frowned, finding it strange. “From what I know, aside from you, Elder Hanshu, aren’t there only four vice masters in the sect capable of refining spirit-gathering pills?”

“Yes,” Hanshu replied. “I’ve already spoken with them, and none of them recognize Zhang Xiangyang.”

“Could it be possible that there are other disciples in the Pill Pavilion who can refine spirit-gathering pills?”

“Impossible!” Hanshu immediately dismissed the idea. “Refining spirit-gathering pills requires at least a Soul Separation stage cultivation level. Most alchemists spend the majority of their time refining pills, so their cultivation progresses slowly. I haven’t even taught any of my disciples how to refine spirit-gathering pills yet.”

Shi Luoyi couldn’t help but furrow her brows. If Hanshu hadn’t taught anyone, how could Bian Qingxuan have refined the pills? Could it be that she obtained them as a result of some opportunity during her training and failed to report them to the sect?

“What do you suspect?” Hanshu asked.

“I initially thought it was Bian Qingxuan, but after hearing what you said, I no longer think so. She shouldn’t be capable of refining spirit-gathering pills.”

Hearing Bian Qingxuan’s name, Hanshu’s expression shifted slightly. Her feelings toward this disciple were complicated.

Hanshu valued talent, and she acknowledged Bian Qingxuan’s strength and admired her natural aptitude. Bian Qingxuan was one of the rare geniuses capable of excelling in both alchemy and swordsmanship—a once-in-a-thousand-years prodigy.

However, though this disciple appeared pure and kind, Hanshu always detected a hint of mockery in her eyes. Whenever tasked with refining pills, Bian Qingxuan treated the assignments with disdain.

Her lack of seriousness and reverence toward alchemy frustrated Hanshu immensely. Yet every time Hanshu reprimanded her, Bian Qingxuan would become tearfully pitiful, leaving Hanshu with a headache.

Shi Luoyi’s suggestion left Hanshu deep in thought.

Though she knew it was unlikely, she couldn’t explain Bian Qingxuan’s anomalies. But could there truly be a genius in this world capable of defying the laws of alchemy?

Hanshu could only tell Shi Luoyi, “I’ll keep an eye on recent developments in the Pill Pavilion and investigate the matter with Zhang Xiangyang. You should also be more cautious.”

After bidding farewell to Hanshu, Shi Luoyi stopped obsessing over the matter. Having witnessed countless strange occurrences in her past life, she had once suspected that she was the only incompetent one while Bian Qingxuan was the true genius.

But later, even after falling into demonic ways, she continued to follow her father’s teachings and practiced diligently. She realized that most people’s aptitudes were inferior to hers. Daojun Shihuan had also said that she was an outstanding blade cultivator.

Since that was the case, if she couldn’t compare herself to Bian Qingxuan, she would simply compare herself to her past self.

In her previous life, her emotions had been disturbed, and it took her a full sixty years to reach the Nascent Soul stage. In this life, she believed that if she kept up her current pace, she could break through in just ten years.

One advantage of being a blade cultivator was having a broad-minded outlook.

If others had fallen into demonic ways, their inner demons would likely haunt them for life. However, even during her time as a demon cultivator in her past life, Shi Luoyi had never completely given up on herself. She had always tried to resist her inner demons and refused to become a puppet of slaughter.

This time around, she was more vigilant. Every day, she practiced cultivation techniques, aware that her inner demons could resurface at any moment—but she absolutely could not fall into demonic ways again!

She had to find a way to rid herself of her inner demons.

________________________________________

A month passed, and the snow continued to fall heavily. The outer disciples now had the additional chore of clearing snow as part of their daily routine.

The disciples grew weary of such mundane tasks and grumbled while carrying their brooms. They began discussing a recent odd occurrence.

“A few days ago, disciples from the Chuan Yun Sect arrived. No one knows what happened.”

“Chuan Yun Sect?”

“Yes, a small sect in the south—far inferior to our Hengwu Sect. It’s normal if you haven’t heard of them.” One disciple explained, “But they’ve always kept to themselves, not even participating in the sect-wide competitions held every fifty years. This time, they sent someone to Hengwu Sect—who knows what happened.”

Little Ding Bai had listened to enough gossip outside the door and dashed back inside.

This month, Bian Lingyu had been recovering from his injuries, leaving Ding Bai with nothing to do. He decided to volunteer and relay everything he had heard to Bian Lingyu.

He didn’t know exactly what Bian Lingyu wanted to hear, so he recounted everything he had seen and heard.

Most of what he shared were trivial matters—like which male disciple had given a magical artifact to a female cultivator or how the disciples of East Garden had fought with those of West Garden over a spiritual herb. All sorts of things piled up, often prompting Bian Lingyu to impatiently comment on how noisy Ding Bai was.

But Ding Bai found it amusing and didn’t mind Bian Lingyu’s coldness or lack of interest.

However, when Ding Bai mentioned today’s news, Bian Lingyu raised his eyes thoughtfully. “Chuan Yun Sect…”

“Master, do you know about the Chuan Yun Sect?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Ding Bai scratched the back of his head. Visitors from other sects naturally piqued the curiosity of a child like him. He had hoped Bian Lingyu would enlighten him about the origins of the Chuan Yun Sect, but it seemed Bian Lingyu had no intention of conversing with him.

Fortunately, Bian Qingxuan arrived in the afternoon.

Ding Bai happily greeted her, “Senior Sister!”

Bian Qingxuan handed him a bottle of pills as payment for taking care of Bian Lingyu. Ding Bai carefully tucked it away. The young boy was planning ahead—these were all assets he was saving up for his future marriage prospects!

“Ding Bai, close the door.”

Bian Qingxuan entered the courtyard, knowing Bian Lingyu disliked small talk, and got straight to the point. “Something has happened in Qingshui Village in the mortal realm.”

Her expression turned grave as she informed Bian Lingyu of the purpose of the Chuan Yun Sect’s visit.

It turned out that three months ago, in a village called “Qingshui Village” at the foot of the Chuan Yun Sect’s mountain, something strange had occurred. For over ten consecutive days, no one had emerged from the village.

This wasn’t particularly unusual. After all, compared to the bustling cities, small villages had fewer inhabitants, and ordinary mortals moved slowly by cart or horseback. Unless there was a major event, they rarely ventured outside the village.

But what was strange was that a family in Qingshui Village was supposed to marry off their daughter. Early one morning, the groom from another village arrived with his wedding procession. By nightfall, however, they hadn’t returned with the bride.

The villagers from neighboring areas sensed something was amiss and went to investigate. But Qingshui Village was like a giant maw, hungrily devouring all who entered. One by one, the villagers who went in never came out.

Everyone finally realized something was amiss—this was likely the work of malevolent forces. In a panic, they sought help from the immortals of the Chuan Yun Sect.

At first, the Chuan Yun Sect didn’t think this was a serious matter. Encounters with demonic creatures were common for cultivators. However, this was only the beginning: all disciples who entered Qingshui Village, just like the ordinary villagers, disappeared without a trace.

Among the missing group was even the son of the Chuan Yun Sect’s leader. Fearing further losses, the sect’s cultivators no longer dared to enter recklessly and instead humbly sought assistance from the Hengwu Sect.

After hearing Bian Qingxuan explain everything, Bian Lingyu’s expression turned grave. “You suspect it’s the Immortal Toad ?”

Bian Qingxuan nodded, her tone laced with sarcasm. “If it really is the Immortal Toad, sending Hengwu Sect disciples would be nothing more than a suicide mission. Yet those fools don’t understand the danger and have already agreed to investigate Qingshui Village and rescue the missing Chuan Yun Sect disciples.”

Bian Lingyu fell silent.

Bian Qingxuan asked him directly, “Are you going?”

“Prepare as many Soul-Cleansing Pills as you can for me.”

Hearing this, Bian Qingxuan knew he had already decided to go. She wasn’t surprised. She understood that these last few breaths of his were being sustained solely to exterminate such abominations. If the Immortal Toad were allowed to grow stronger, it would spell disaster for everyone.

When it came to serious matters, Bian Lingyu didn’t bother being annoyed with her. “While I’m away in Qingshui Village, you’ll need to explain things to the Hengwu Sect.”

“Alright.”

“You also need to do one more thing.”

Bian Qingxuan looked at him, waiting for his instructions. He said coldly, “No matter what, ensure that Shi Luoyi doesn’t go.”

“Alright,” she replied with a faint smile, readily agreeing. Bian Qingxuan didn’t want them interacting either. Now that Bian Lingyu seemed on the verge of giving up, it was best to keep them apart as much as possible.

By the time he returned from Qingshui Village, he would only grow weaker, and perhaps then he would truly let go.

But Shi Luoyi absolutely had to go to Qingshui Village.

Others might not know the full extent of the danger, but she did. The Chuan Yun Sect disciples trapped in Qingshui Village were likely already dead.

In her past life, Shi Luoyi had barely escaped Qingshui Village alive, only then learning that the monstrous entity was called the Immortal Toad. That incident had cost the lives of countless disciples, including Elder Hanshu, who had remained there forever.

Since she was determined to change her fate, she had to go—she would save as many as she could and bring Hanshu back safely. While Bian Qingxuan cared little about Hanshu’s life or death, Shi Luoyi did.

The third outbreak of the inner demon would result in complete demonic possession. Whether she could suppress the inner demon and prevent it from resurfacing depended heavily on the events in Qingshui Village.

Thus, on the second day after the Chuan Yun Sect disciples arrived, she went to seek out the sect leader.

________________________________________

The sect leader sat high above, his gaze inscrutable. “Luoyi, why do you wish to go? Didn’t you previously say you didn’t want to undertake missions with your fellow disciples?”

Shi Luoyi replied confidently, “Senior Brother Changyuan will definitely go, and if he goes, Bian Qingxuan will probably follow. I need to go and watch over him!”

Her tone was matter-of-fact, consistent with her personality, and the sect leader harbored no doubts.

The sect leader sighed with a wry smile. “You, of all people… Very well. Since that’s the case, you may accompany the group. But remember, you must listen to both Changyuan and Hanshu while you’re there.”

“Understood, thank you, Sect Leader.”

She left the hall, using the same reasoning she had employed in her previous life. Back then, the sect leader had agreed without hesitation. Shi Luoyi inwardly mused that the sect leader likely wished for her to take on more missions, encounter more accidents, and die prematurely if possible.

But it didn’t matter. She would live longer than him, surviving until the day her father awakened—and perhaps even long enough to see the hypocritical old turtle die of frustration.

No sooner had Shi Luoyi left than Bian Qingxuan arrived to speak with the sect leader. However, the sect leader had his own plans, and she returned empty-handed.

Though her outward demeanor remained respectful and smiling, inside, Bian Qingxuan seethed with anger toward the despicable old man. But as just another disciple, she couldn’t defy the leader of the Hengwu Sect and had no choice but to accept the outcome.

A sense of unease began to creep into her heart. The journey to Qingshui Village was long, and what might happen along the way was far beyond her control.

Thinking of Bian Lingyu, her fists clenched slightly.

The Chuan Yun Sect disciples were already growing increasingly anxious. Thus, the very next day, everyone set off with them.

Shi Luoyi refused Huixiang’s offer to accompany her. Knowing she wasn’t well-liked, she shouldered her Divine Ruin blade and quietly took her place at the rear of the group.

From where she stood, Shi Luoyi immediately spotted Bian Qingxuan and Bian Lingyu at the front.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise—it wasn’t a mistake. There stood Bian Lingyu, upright and steady!

Bian Lingyu’s jet-black hair framed his cold eyes, his complexion still pale, as he frowned while speaking with Hanshu.

Shi Luoyi had always thought him frail, but now she realized that wasn’t the case at all. He was tall—Bian Qingxuan was already considered exceptionally tall among female cultivators, standing half a head taller than Shi Luoyi herself, yet she barely reached the tip of his shoulder.

Measuring him with her gaze, Shi Luoyi was astonished to realize that Bian Lingyu was even slightly taller than Wei Changyuan.

Standing upright, Bian Lingyu didn’t appear weak at all. If not for the absence of a sword and the lack of the overwhelming aura typical of cultivators, he might have passed for an upright sword cultivator.

Had Bian Lingyu gone to Qingshui Village in her past life?

She vaguely remembered that he had, but at the time, her inner demons had been raging, filling her with restlessness, hatred, and fear. Desperate to rid herself of the inner demons and terrified of committing murder, she had avoided confronting her mistakes and paid him no attention.

Shi Luoyi thought to herself, What does a mortal like him think he’s doing coming along? Bian Qingxuan had always cherished her older brother deeply—how could she allow him to come along, knowing the dangers?

Perhaps her gaze had been too direct, because Bian Lingyu paused mid-conversation and turned to look at her.

A month had passed since the poisoning incident, and this was their first meeting.

Their eyes met briefly, and she recalled the icy touch of his fingers that night and the pain of him pinching her cheeks.

Yet he merely glanced at her indifferently, betraying no emotion. It made Shi Luoyi feel oddly self-conscious.

And indeed, she was self-conscious. This was the first time she’d encountered a mortal who showed no remorse for poisoning her. Though Shi Luoyi’s nature was forgiving—if she hadn’t dwelled on something at the time, she wouldn’t hold a grudge afterward. Even though Bian Lingyu had forced the poison into her while she was injured, she accepted his actions as part of his revenge.

Everyone kept their distance from Shi Luoyi. At that moment, one male disciple muttered a complaint to his companion: “Why is she here? Won’t she just drag us into trouble?”

Shi Luoyi: “….” What an accurate prophecy—one she couldn’t refute.

“Luoyi,” Wei Changyuan shot a cold glare at the complaining disciple and beckoned her to his side. “Come stand with me.”

Although he hadn’t said anything when Shi Luoyi explained herself earlier, he had silently taken note of the incident. Hearing his junior disciple speak ill of her stirred a wave of anger within him.

Even if Shi Luoyi wasn’t the same as before, she was still the little sister he had raised since childhood—the woman formally betrothed to him.

Bian Qingxuan bit her lip. With Bian Lingyu nearby, she remained silent, appearing obedient and well-behaved.

Shi Luoyi looked at Wei Changyuan. This concern was once something she had desperately yearned for.

In her past life, traveling with them, Wei Changyuan had rarely paid attention to her condition. She had watched him interact with Bian Qingxuan, her heart wracked with anguish, nearly bringing tears to her eyes.

Yet her pride had stopped her from pulling him away from Bian Qingxuan in public. Even in her distress, she had remembered that subduing demons was their priority.

Now, however, this belated concern was no longer something she desperately needed. She shook her head and calmly said, “Senior Brother, you lead the group. I’ll simply follow along.”

Having resolved to step aside and let him pursue the life he desired, she wouldn’t delay him any longer or cling to the hope of integrating herself into his life.

Wei Changyuan frowned.

Hanshu spoke up: “Let’s depart.”

Just as Shi Luoyi was about to follow, she felt a strange sensation and turned her gaze in one direction, locking eyes with Bian Lingyu.

He stared at her coldly, as if he had been watching her for some time.

It was strange, but Shi Luoyi inexplicably felt that he was displeased again. She couldn’t help but wonder—what had she done to provoke him just now?

But she had been speaking with Senior Brother Changyuan, hadn’t she? She hadn’t done anything to him.

Yet when she looked again, Bian Lingyu had already averted his gaze.