It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 158

 

ITOTIABSAM | The Immortal on Liuyun Mountain | 158

Daoist companions, seeking revenge.

As soon as these two key words were mentioned, Lin Yao, who had just been smiling brightly, suddenly froze, completely forgetting how to respond.

After all, no matter what, Shen Qingshu and Qin Ji were both brought by their Qingfeng Sect. But this young ancestor in front of them, according to the divination from the coins cast by their senior brother, was at least several realms higher than Shen Qingshu, who was only in the out-of-body stage. It nearly shattered the five emperor coins they used for divination.

Should they offer help? Or pretend not to know anything?

Nervously lowering her eyes, Lin Yao glanced around anxiously with her peripheral vision. Inadvertently, she suddenly caught sight of the hands held by the young man and another person, which caused her to hesitate for a moment before another question emerged in her mind:

Daoist companion?

Then who is the person he is holding hands with now?

With the intention of seeking the corpse of an old love while accompanied by a new lover, are these venerable immortals really playing such games?!

Her pupils shook, and Lin Yao wanted to retract her gaze, but she couldn't help but look again. In the end, it was Lin Xuan, as the senior brother, who took the initiative to speak up: "I wonder who the senior's Daoist companion is..."

Although his cultivation was low, he had quite a talent in formations and divination. If he could help in a friendly manner, it might be an opportunity for the Qingfeng Sect.

Unexpectedly, the senior's answer caught everyone off guard.

With his lips lightly parted, Xie Ye uttered a name that had been causing quite a stir in the cultivation world recently: "Song He."

As soon as the words fell, Lin Yao keenly noticed that the senior's fingertips, mostly concealed by his sleeve, seemed to be comforting as he gently held the hand of the young man beside him.

This made her even more certain of her earlier guess.

The drama between new love and old flames in the midst of a battlefield would definitely sell like hotcakes if it were turned into a script for the mortal world's teahouses.

"Hiss."

"This..."

The focus of attention completely shifted, to the point where Lin Yao only remembered who Song He was when she heard the low gasps from her fellow sect members. He was the pride of the heavens, afflicted with wandering soul syndrome, the poor fellow who was rumored to have been abducted by an otherworldly being. Or rather, the unlucky golden egg.

After all, the Song Family in the Northern Territory was indeed wealthy.

But why hadn't she heard that Song He had a Daoist companion, let alone one who could shake the world with just a stomp? And a corpse? Was Song He already dead? Because of Shen Qingshu?

Then what was the Song Family up to? Was the soul lamp still burning?

Despite being close to the action, Lin Yao quickly pushed aside her fear and looked at Xie Ye with eyes full of curiosity, brimming with a deep desire for exploration.

“Ahem,” fearing that his junior sister might blurt out something sensational or even provocative, Lin Xuan calmly shifted his position to block her view, covering her gaze with half of his body, "Song Fellow Daoist's recent disappearance has caused quite a stir in the cultivation world. If you have doubts, it might be better to go and ask him directly."

"Both Qin and Shen, our fellow Daoists, are currently in the Ma Family Village."

Xie Ye interjected casually, "But they have already left."

That's why he had the leisure to engage in idle chatter here.

Considering Qin Ji's character, there was no way he would leave Shen Qingshu in danger. 

However, their sudden departure without a fight might make the protagonist team feel uneasy. 

Yesterday, they were swearing to stay in the Ma Family Village to exterminate demons, but today they were nowhere to be found. Coupled with Xie Ye's formidable vendetta coming knocking at the door, all these "coincidences" added up. In the eyes of outsiders, the actions of Shen Qingshu and Qin Ji somewhat hinted at a sense of fleeing in disarray.

The Qingfeng Sect was small and couldn't afford to offend many powerful figures. Considering the pros and cons, Lin Xuan proactively changed the subject, "As a humble junior, I haven't had the honor of asking for the senior's esteemed name and background. May I inquire about your name and which sect you are affiliated with?"

Lin Yao immediately perked up her ears:

For nearly ten thousand years, the cultivation world had seen few prospects for ascension and there were few old immortals above the Tribulation stage. They could be counted on one hand. Yet, despite her efforts, she couldn't figure out which sect had hidden their trump card so well.

Unexpectedly, the young man's response to such a simple question once again took everyone by surprise, causing jaws to drop all around:

"I am from the Liuyun Mountain, Xie Ye."

For a moment, Lin Yao thought there was something wrong with her ears.

There was no way around it. Liuyun Mountain and Xie Ye—these five words had frequently appeared in the bedtime stories of her childhood. Who hadn't heard of the name of the legendary Immortal?

In just a few breaths, all the silent, eerie nights, the imagined monsters, and the fears that used to drive her into her mother's arms seemed to materialize, silently gathering behind the young man, oppressing her.

But before Lin Yao could nervously grasp her sword, those two hands, which had been discreetly clasped under the sleeves, pulled her back to reality once again.

Come on, which story's Immortal would come down from the mountain and keep a lover?

Even if the other party were truly an Immortal, and even if they were swayed by human emotions, it meant they had weaknesses.

As the breeze brushed past her, gradually clearing her mind, Lin Yao realized that the monsters that had scared her half to death just moments ago were like a watercolor painting washed away by water, their colors fading until they vanished into thin air.

The voices of people around her returned to her ears.

"Elder, you must be joking. It's common for there to be people by the same name in the cultivation world," Lin Xuan, ever rational, took the words of Xie Ye as a jest and remained unaffected. "If Elder seeks justice, now is the perfect opportunity, with all the major sects gathered here, including where Shen Qingshu is from, the Wuliang Sword Sect."

Even though he had known this news early on, Xie Ye still politely nodded. "Thank you."

"Does the elder see any evil spirits or demons in this Ma family village?" Seeing how accommodating Xie Ye was, Lin Yao grew bolder. "I've searched for a long time but haven't found any trace."

"If you're referring to the demons Shen Qingshu was searching for, that would likely be me," Xie Ye admitted candidly. "I left behind a life-saving token earlier that almost endangered the lives of some children."

Following the young man's gaze outside, Lin Yao finally noticed a boy standing in the corner from afar. Upon closer inspection, wasn't he the child that Shen Qingshu had questioned so much about yesterday?

The child obviously recognized Xie Ye. Despite suddenly being stared at by a large group of people, he didn't show any fear. Instead, he politely called out, "Mr. Xie."

— Compared to his attitude towards Shen Qingshu, it was like night and day.

As their patience for pleasantries was running out and the steps were laid out, Xie Ye took the opportunity to break away from Lin Yao and her group.

Meanwhile, Gu Cong used his free hand to pat Ma Shitou's head. "You're quite clever." He completely forgot that he had been a bit jealous of him last night.

Sensing that there was a closer bond between Mr. Xie and Brother Gu than before, Ma Shitou couldn't understand it and simply said, "Mr. Xie, you're injured. You should rest well."

"It's fine," Xie Ye shook his head and lowered his gaze, asking, "What about you? What do you plan to do?"

With his involvement with him as the villain, as the plot approached its conclusion, Ma Shitou, and even the entire Ma family village, might not be safe. 

Normally, Ma Shitou wouldn't even need to think about this question. He would brazenly seek some insights into cultivating immortality. 

However, after last night, he realized that these so-called immortal cultivators, when angered, were no different from ordinary people. They unjustly thought of him as a demon and even wanted to chop off his arm.

He may be illiterate, but he knows that even in the secular world, there are laws to follow. However, in the world of cultivation, it seemed more like a jungle where the law of the jungle prevailed, with the strong preying on the weak, displayed vividly.

With his lifelong aspirations suddenly shaken, Ma Shitou felt a sudden sense of fear.

Allowing the boy to grapple with his own thoughts, Xie Ye neither offered guidance nor urged him on. After all, the path of cultivation was like sailing against the current. Many fantasized about performing miracles and joining prestigious sects, but how many could truly endure to the end?

"If you want to heal the sick and save lives, I can send you to the city to study medicine," Xie Ye spoke softly as they reached the end of the road.

"I'll come back tomorrow morning,"

 Ma Shitou responded heavily.

Gu Cong, who was usually outgoing, remained silent this time, simply accompanying Xie Ye quietly. It was only when the boy, carrying a bamboo basket as usual to gather herbs on the mountain, glanced over with a hint of confusion that he smiled, "It's nothing."

It was just another confirmation that Xie Ye was a very gentle person. Even though he bore the title of a villain from a different realm, looking aloof and cold, once you got to know him, prejudices would dissipate.

But there was one thing he couldn't keep to himself: "Song He, how did he become Master's Dao companion?"

"Other than a Dao companion with a soul connection, what else is worth an immortal descending from the mountain?" Xie Ye intentionally pretended not to understand, explaining leisurely, "To be moved by love, what a wonderful script."

Gu Cong muttered, "I'm determined to snatch back that body."

One couldn't let an empty vessel without a soul take up Xie Ye's Dao companion position for no reason.

Two flowers bloomed, each showing its own beauty.

Just as Ma Shitou vaguely glimpsed, in a certain sense, the connection between the cultivation world and the mundane world was quite extensive. Within a few days, the gossip about "Shen Qingshu of the Wuliang Sword Sect and the rogue cultivator Qin Ji conspiring to capture and harm Song He, prompting the latter's Dao companion to come looking for trouble" spread throughout the major sects.

"Absurd, absurd," the old patriarch of the Wuliang Sword Sect, his hair all white, raised his hand, stroking his beard, shaking his head, "Qingshu has always been on good terms with Young Master Song, how could he do such a treacherous thing?"

"You can't judge a person by their appearance." The family head of the Song family, whose beloved only son had been missing for months, held back his anger, speaking with veiled threats.

The young girl in pink on the side couldn't help but defend her senior brother, "If that's the case, may I ask Senior Song if Song He truly has a Dao companion?"

The head of the Song family was momentarily speechless.

"I knew it, Song He clearly likes..."

"Yao'er!" The solemn expression of the old patriarch, who was also the master of both individuals, interrupted the girl in pink in time, "This rumor is suspicious. Moreover, with that person bearing the name of the immortal Xie Ye, and with disturbances on Mount Liuyun, while all fellow cultivators are gathered here, we should seriously discuss this matter."

Liuyun Mountain's thunder tribulation, as passed down through generations, was said to be related to ascension. Therefore, the higher one's cultivation, the more concerned they were about it.

But before the representatives of other sects could respond, a Daoist disciple with a Taiji bun rushed in from outside, gasping for breath, "Master! Someone has bypassed the mountain protection formation and reached Haoran Peak!"

Haoran Peak was where the main hall of the Wuliang Sword Sect was located.

Boom!

As if echoing the panic of the young Daoist disciple, in an instant, the earth shook and the mountains trembled. At the same time, the main hall was cleanly split open, revealing a figure in white, standing amidst the wind, with a clear and melodious voice that sounded like thunder piercing through the sky:

"Shen Qingshu."

"Come out."

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Author's note:

Gu Cong: Dao companion! Dao companion! I'm determined to snatch back Song He's body.

Xie Ye: Alright, I'll do the snatching.