Chapter 177 The Secret of the Thousand Feathers Sec

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It was Xiaoyue who had cast the stroke. Xiao Chen glared at her, his eyes bloodshot with rage and his face filled with hate. There were so many questions he needed answers for. He needed to know where Xiao Ning was, and did he had the chance to meet his Teacher again? But the death of Patriarch Guanshan had dashed all his hopes of seeking answers. "HOW DARE YOU!" He snarled at the callous prodigy of the Thousand Feathers Sect.

Without waiting for any response, he instantly smote with his fists, sending a wave of force that crushed and buffeted the broken tiles on the ground, rushing in Xiaoyue's direction. But just when everyone was still stunned by the sudden turn of events, Master Xuanji leaped into the path of the projectile and immediately used his Golden Bell Shield technique.

The collision of the force with Master Xuanji's shield caused a deafening bang that sounded like the peals of a huge bell. Even with his prowess, Master Xuanji could not fully nullify Xiao Chen's angered stroke; the force threw him backward that he reeled for a few steps before he could keep himself steady. Drops of blood could be seen escaping the edges of his lips. "Amitabha, Master Xiao," said the venerable monk, "Please remain calm. For all we know, that was merely a lie or a ruse by the man earlier. There's no way of knowing if he was speaking the truth."

Everyone rushed forward and urged, "That's true. We cannot trust what he said. You have helped vanquished the terror of the Eastern Continent, Young Master Xiao. This is a blessing upon us. There is no need to strain our relationships just because of a few simple words of a dying monster." Everyone was afraid that he might suddenly run amok, speaking to him with faltering meekness.

Xiaoyue stood motionless in the rain, her hair drenched by the water. But her heart was still racing fast. She had truly felt Xiao Chen's intent to murder her earlier. It was only by Master Xuanji's opportune intervention that she was saved, she realized.

"Xiao Chen! Do you think you are the only one here who wishes to know what happened thousands of years ago? Are you indeed a fool to not notice that the Patriarch was trying to confuse you and induce you to lose control? Yet you wished me dead?! I too, want to know what happened so many years ago! I can help you, if so you wish! But if I were to have wronged you, my life is yours! Otherwise..."

In a fit of anger and indignance, she spluttered a flurry of incensed words that her voice trailed off in the end as she went out of breath. It was clear to everyone present that Xiao Chen, for that very moment, had indeed wished to kill her. A few members of the crowd came to her side and consoled her.

"Hahahaha..." Xiao Chen threw his head back, beginning to laugh in a maniacal manner. Tears flowed out of his eyes and became lost in the rain. Have you not wronged me enough, you of the Thousand Feathers Sect? I would never have had my Nascent Soul destroyed and Weiyang would never have died if Qianyu Nishang did not conspire with others against me... Teacher would never have been lost in her attempts to save me...

But the rain only grew stronger with his laughter. Everyone looked at him. No one knew what he experienced in the past. But only a man who had suffered a most agonizing sorrow and pain would behave in such a pitiable manner. They shook their heads, wearing a morose and somber look on their face as if they were infected by Xiao Chen's anguish.

In the midst of the falling deluge and the noises of whispering murmurs lost by the din of the torrent, Xiao Chen's eyes wandered to the minute engravings on Xiaoyue's Autumn Water. Those were their names, his and Qianyu Nishang, carved upon the blade by their own hands, during a moment so far away when everything was still sweet and blissful. He emitted another roar of laughter and more tears flowed down his cheeks.

Why! Why, Qianyu Nishang! Why is the Autumn Water now an heirloom of your students! Did you foresee a day where I would return for vengeance? Were you trying to stir the memories of our distant past when we were still kind to each other? Impossible! I will find you! I will scour every corner of the realms of Earth and even Heaven to find you! And even if you have become an Immortal King, I will not give up! With my own hands, I will slaughter you!"

With another carillon of wretched laughter, he transformed into a bolt of light and flitted through the crowd, returning to the Coalesced Colors Hall.

The crowd that remained standing in the rain shook their heads and sighed with dejection and pity. Murong Xian'er had been crying so badly when she witnessed Xiao Chen's unbalanced state, although no one knew if she was frightened to tears or she had felt and shared Xiao Chen's sadness.

Li Muxue was on the verge of tears herself, her eyes red and moist. She walked towards Xiaoyue. "You saw it, did you?" She croaked to Xiaoyue, "He cried. He cried, but he did you no further harm. He is such a person; a person who keeps all sorrows and pain to himself. He'd have hurt himself, and he'll never hurt others. And because of this, he's always been on the edge of breaking down... He..."

She could go on no further. She felt something rolling down her cheeks as she stifled a sob. Not far away was Ouyang Yu, who was watching her with soreness in his heart.

There came a brief moment of silence. Li Muxue wiped the tears off her eyes. "These matters. They must be important to him," she said again, "Please, Lady Xiaoyue. Can you tell me if you really know anything..."

Touched by her, Xiaoyue was struggling with her swelling emotions herself. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Miss Mu," she admitted, "I'm afraid I myself did not know what happened thousands of years ago... All I can say, is that the Thousand Feathers Sect is absolutely in no way how Patriarch Guanshan had described us to be..."

Luo Shangyan came over. "But Lady Xiaoyue," she remarked suddenly, "During our expedition to the Wuwang Wind Cloud City, the man called Mu Luo did mention that the Thousand Feathers Sect has sealed a person who has been dead for thousands of years. Can you tell me who that person is?"

It was a revelation that many heard the first time. Spurts of surprised gasps and curious mutterings rose from the crowd. "Is this true, Lady Xiaoyue?" Master Xuanji asked immediately.

"Indeed," Xiaoyue admitted. There was no way this could be kept under wraps any longer.

More cries of exclamation and amazement rang. "You all have heard of the battle between Immortals and Devils thousands of years ago, no?" Xiaoyue continued, "It was a bloody and terrible battle with disastrous losses on both sides, not to mention the damages to the fabric of the Realms. The Realm of the Demons collapsed and the Devils were all driven into the Realm of Boundless Purgatory. Hence the blood-red moon phenomenon which occurs each century. That happens when the Realm of Boundless Purgatory and the Realm of Mortals are aligned together."

The crowd heaved a long and heavy breath. It was no secret to everyone that the race of Devils have always had their eyes on the affluent abundance of the Mortal Realm that especially in most recent years, there has been news that they were stirring, readying themselves for another invasion. "All I know," Xiaoyue went on, "Is that the person now sealed by the Thousand Feathers Sect will once again bring hell to Earth if the person were to be allowed to walk free once more.

"Ah..." Some murmured. Some even yelped with fright. "But how could the Thousand Feather Sect had kept such a grave matter secret from everyone?" Master Xuanji lamented, frowning hard.

Xiaoyue shook her head in denial, her face wearing a somber and troubled expression. "As you say, this is a grave matter. We cannot risk the information being discovered by any Devils of the Boundless Purgatory. The stakes are simply too high. I implore everyone here to keep this a secret too," she said.

Everyone nodded. So the Thousand Feathers Sect were the keepers of a millennia-long secret that held the key to the Mortal Realm's existence. However, only Luo Shangyan continued eyeing Xiaoyue warily with doubt and hesitation in her eyes.

Three days passed uneventfully. Xiao Chen had returned the powers to the Jade Qing Seven. He stood atop a precipitous cliff, overlooking the ruins and rubbles of the square where his gritting battle against the Patriarch had taken place just days before. Everything around him, the calmness, the peace, and serenity, seemed too surreal to him as he could still almost feel the exhilaration and adrenaline of the fight. In just three days, tales of his heroics had spread far and wide into other continents. But nothing seemed different, save for the absence of Liu Fenghuang whom he sorely missed.

Yu Yifeng appeared suddenly, moving beside him. He beheld the sight of the demolished square below them. "They say phoenixes die and reborn again," he muttered, "Maybe one day, Miss Liu will come back to life. After all, she is still alive in you."

Xiao Chen said nothing, merely giving a smile. Liu Fenghuang had given her wings to him. There was no way she would come back and this was merely a way his Brother Yifeng was trying to console him. He did not know why she gave up all her powers. But it mattered no more. Liu Fenghuang was no more.

"So, what are you going to do next?"

"I'm going to the Middle Continent," Xiao Chen murmured, his eyes looking far into the sky. Patriarch Guanshan had told him that his Teacher was last seen in the Middle Continent. It was there that he had finally decided to travel to. Lies or not, Xiao Chen would go there to look for any signs of his Teacher himself.

Yu Yifeng looked up and his eyes caught a cloud drifting lazily in the sky. "We humans are puny beings in the vastness of this world. There is only so much that one can do," he sighed, "You have to learn to live and let live. Only then you'll feel better."

Xiao Chen could hear that Yu Yifeng was trying to persuade him. But how could he rest well when the mysteries of the Mystic Cyan Sect's downfall and the disappearance of his Teacher were still unanswered?

"Nevertheless, I could see that you have made up your mind. But remember to speak to Miss Lee and the others personally."

Xiao Chen nodded. One hour later, he came to Li Muxue's cottage.

At the lawn in front of her cottage, Perfected Immortal Yanluo was there. She was holding a glittering emerald-green bead. "This is a bead that has absorbed all energies and auras of Nature from the hidden springs at the south of Lake Baikal where the strongest of trees can be found, the Pearl of the Mystic Springs," she explained to Li Muxue, "Keep this with you, Muxue."

"B-but... You've saved me so many years ago, Lady Yanluo," Li Muxue tried to decline, "How can I accept such a valuable gift again..."

"A gift is only valuable if it is useful to the right person," said Yanluo, "Otherwise it is only but a poor waste."

Yanluo squeezed the pearl into her hands. "Your destiny is one that I have not witnessed before," she warned, "Many years ago, I was able to use the fragments of a Blood Jade to help extend your life. Still, it has done nothing to improve your Destiny. This Pearl would be able to keep you safe for another three years, I hope..."

Li Muxue's shoulders shuddered suddenly at the woeful tidings. "I see... Only three years..." she murmured softly. There was a forlorn sullenness in her eyes that quickly turned into a cheerful chuckle. "I'm fine. The years have been kind to me; Father treats me well, and I've even met Xiao Chen. That's enough for me. Really."

But a distinct ring of crimson-red began to form around her eyes before she heard the patters of footstep coming in. She hastily wiped her eyes. Xiao Chen came in and saw Yanluo. "Greetings to you, Senior Yanluo," he said quickly, bowing to her.

Yanluo smiled at him in acknowledgment before she promptly left. Xiao Chen came in as soon as she walked out and noticed the redness around Li Muxue's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she denied with a jovial smile, "How are things with Senior Huashang? Has she agreed to help you break the curse?"

Xiao Chen shook his head. "No matter," he remarked with a smile of his own, "I can break the spell on my own when I reach the Core Forming Realm." There came suddenly an uneasy silence, before he confessed to her his decision to go to the Middle Continent.

"Let me come with you then," she said confidently as if she had expected his decision.

"No," Xiao Chen declined, "It's better that you stay with Senior Yanluo. She is a powerful person, you can learn much by staying with her."

Li Muxue fell silent. Not wishing to be a hindrance to Xiao Chen, she nodded, "All right. When will you be leaving then?"

"Tomorrow, I guess. I have yet to speak to Senior Sister Luo and Xian'er about my decision."

Xiao Chen stayed with her until it was night. He then left to speak to Luo Shangyan and Murong Xian'er. By staying at the Jade Qing Sect and learning from Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, Luo Shangyan would improve greatly in a short time.

But there was no stopping Murong Xian'er. She adamantly insisted to go to the Middle Continent with him. Then again, Xiao Chen could understand her behavior; she knew full well that there were many secrets about herself that she did not know. She too wanted to find out what happened to her thousands of years ago, and more importantly, her own identity.