During the upheaval on Pill-Forming Peak, Xiao Ling was following a disciple's lead towards the medical hall where Jing Chongshan was located. A little white bird perched on her shoulder, its feathers fluffed up by the fierce winds caused by the cracking of the barrier.
Xiao Ling cupped the bird in her hands, nearly falling due to the shaking ground, but someone beside her steadied her.
"Are you alright, Senior Sister Xiao?" A clear, melodious voice like a lark's echoed in her ear. Through the eyes of the little white bird, Xiao Ling looked at the young disciple who had helped her.
The disciple's name was Bai Ying, the youngest disciple under Jing Chongshan. Since Jing Chongshan had found a way to treat her, Bai Ying had been the one to fetch her from Bright Sky Peak to the medical hall every day.
The girl was about fourteen or fifteen, like a newly blossomed flower in spring, full of vibrant vitality. When she smiled, her eyes curved like crescents, and her voice was even more melodious than the little white bird in Xiao Ling's hands.
In contrast, Xiao Ling felt like a withered flower, exuding a decaying aura from within.
Bai Ying held her arm, and the bracelet hidden in her sleeve pressed painfully against Xiao Ling's wrist.
This age was when one was most fond of beauty.
The little white bird tilted its head, peeking into the sleeve to see a string of pearls encircling the delicate, fair wrist.
Xiao Ling thought of Nie Yinzhi's wrist. In the mirror, a golden-red cord strung with a variegated white bead was gently tied around it, very beautiful.
She used to practice swordsmanship every day and couldn't wear such ornaments. Her talent wasn't bad; in terms of cultivation progress, she was already among the best. However, as the grand disciple of the sect leader, Xiao Ling had to be even better, the best.
Her first half of life was spent striving to be the best senior sister in everyone's eyes, the best disciple in Sang Wumian's heart.
The existence of Nie Yinzhi made Xiao Ling realize that all her past efforts were a joke. Nie Yinzhi acted recklessly and willfully but received preferential treatment she had never experienced. It turned out that such a person could replace her in their eyes.
If she hadn't returned, Xiao Ling's name would still be a taboo within Cloud Scripture Sect.
How laughable.
"Senior Sister Xiao, it seems to be the commotion on Pill-Forming Peak. Oh no, could it be that Senior Sister Nie is about to come out with that demon?" Bai Ying's voice interrupted her reverie. Xiao Ling was startled by the dark thoughts that had surfaced in her mind, her brows furrowing slightly as she suppressed the turbulent emotions deep within.
She couldn't help but tilt her head slightly to the left, wondering if her own state of mind had been affected.
The ever-present presence behind her seemed to have received some signal, suddenly moving closer and pressing against her.
The pungent, bloodthirsty scent invaded her nostrils, causing goosebumps to rise on her neck. Xiao Ling waved her hand dismissively and growled, "Get away!"
Bai Ying was startled, not understanding what was happening. "Senior Sister Xiao, what's wrong?" She realized she had said something wrong, mentioning the forbidden name, and quickly covered her mouth with her hand, "I'm sorry, Senior Sister Xiao."
Xiao Ling turned to her, a faint smile on her lips, her voice calm and unwavering, "Nie Yinzhi awakened the demon, causing the death of our sect leader and multiple elders, bringing great calamity to Cloud Scripture Sect and the entire cultivation world, making everyone dread the future. Most disciples speak of her with deep loathing, yet you still call her Senior Sister Nie."
Bai Ying widened her eyes, her lashes fluttering like a butterfly's wings, her face quickly losing color. She let go of Xiao Ling's arm and bowed her head in apology, "I'm sorry, Senior Sister Xiao, I just got used to calling her that and forgot to change it."
"Got used to it, huh." Xiao Ling murmured, lightly patting Bai Ying's shoulder, "Get up, it's not your fault."
The barrier's turmoil made everyone nervous. The protective grand array of Cloud Scripture Sect unleashed waves of spiritual energy, finally calming the shaking ground. Countless beams of white light flew towards Bright Sky Peak like daytime fireflies.
Jing Chongshan rushed out, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Xiao Ling. "Lingling, the medicinal pool is ready. Come with me."
He glanced at the turbulent protective array, "There are heavy barriers on Pill-Forming Peak, and many high-level cultivators are guarding it. Don't worry. Your treatment is critical and cannot be interrupted."
Xiao Ling nodded and walked towards the medicinal hall.
Bai Ying, with her head bowed, silently stuck out her tongue, preparing to take her leave.
Jing Chongshan called out to her, "Ying, come with us."
Xiao Ling stiffened and turned around. The little white bird perched on her shoulder, tilting its head to look at the two of them.
Bai Ying looked up in surprise, "Master, am I also going in?" Usually, she would leave after delivering Xiao Ling and return to fetch her later.
"Today, another layer of the barrier was broken. I don't think it can hold that demon."
"Even if it has to be sealed, it shouldn't be within our Cloud Scripture Sect. It should be sealed in the Ten Thousand Demons Cave. I wonder what the elders are thinking."
"Shh, you're bold to talk about the elders like that. Do you think it's easy to force the demon into the Ten Thousand Demons Cave? The sect leader fell under his hands!"
The little white bird left one courtyard and landed on another rooftop, where hushed whispers floated out from the drafty pavilion.
"I heard the sect leader plans to extract Nie Yinzhi's golden core to treat Sister Xiao's injuries. That's why Nie Yinzhi was forced to summon the demon using a forbidden array."
"Extracting the golden core? What's the difference between that and killing her? I would do anything to avoid it."
"Brother Meng's eyes were also blinded by Nie Yinzhi."
"Alas, in the end, it's us innocent disciples who suffer the most. We fought so hard to enter the inner sect of the Cloud Scripture Sect, only to..."
The little white bird flew away with a flock of sparrows, passing through the encroaching twilight, when a complaint drifted from somewhere.
"Why did Xiao Ling have to come back? If she hadn't, this disaster wouldn't have happened."
The little white bird flew into Peach Garden, and the voices around it gradually faded. Xiao Ling sat in the twilight courtyard, enveloped in the shadows of the peach trees.
"Why listen if it makes you unhappy?" a voice came from the void. The dim half-light twisted for a moment, slowly condensing into a figure, which gradually became clear.
It was Sang Wumian, who was long thought to be dead.
Xiao Ling looked up at him, and the little white bird landed on her shoulder.
Sang Wumian leaned down, stared at her for a moment, and understood, "You no longer care for this person."
With that, his figure rippled like water, shrinking suddenly, his waist slender, his features bearing a resemblance to Xiao Ling's. He lifted a hand to adjust his hair, the red cord with white beads on his wrist, "Those who make you unhappy should die."
-
Pill-Forming Peak had a total of seven layers of barriers, and the sword array was already broken, now another layer of barrier shattered. Even so, with the Demon Sealing Cauldron, there were still five layers left, enough to show how much people feared Gu Jiang getting out.
With five layers remaining, Nie Yinzhi never expected Gu Jiang to take the opportunity to break through the barriers and leave. After the tremors subsided, she prepared to go about her business.
Gu Jiang looked up at the barriers for a while and called, "Nie Yinzhi, we need to leave here."
Nie Yinzhi almost thought she had misheard, taking a long time to react, she ran out of the house with her skirt in hand, almost colliding with Gu Jiang.
Gu Jiang took a step back.
Aliali: 674aecfcc4f3f33ac49acb42
Nie Yinzhi stood still, still finding it hard to believe, "Did you just say we need to leave here? Really? Why are you willing to go out now?" She hadn't imposed her thoughts on him during their empathy.
Gu Jiang frowned, speaking weakly, "There's a foul smell outside, and this place will become very annoying."
As soon as he finished speaking, a series of bullet comments flooded into Nie Yinzhi's peripheral vision.
【Ahhhh Zhuyan! Zhuyan! Our daughter finally figured it out! She finally has someone to protect her!】
【Seeing how the people of the Cloud Scripture Sect have become irritable and unstable, I guessed it might be Zhuyan.】
【Four hundred miles to the west, there is a mountain called Xiaoci, rich in white jade on its surface and red copper beneath. There is a beast, shaped like a monkey, with a white head and red feet, named Zhuyan. Its appearance heralds great war—《Classic of Mountains and Seas》】
【In the Deadly Abyss, Zhuyan always took the form of Sang Wumian. Now it's different, showing that the heroine really doesn't care for Sang Wumian anymore.】
【Sang Wumian, what a tragic main character, oh, you're not the main character anymore.】
【But why did Zhuyan turn into a female supporting character?】
【The heroine must have developed an obsession with the substitute.】