He Qing Qing wanted Chen Hong Zhu to come up, but Chen Hong Zhu wanted He Qing Qing to come down.
The Sound of Immortals disciples found Chen Hong Zhu strange and silently searched for any ambush ahead.
Otherwise, since she had come, why weren’t any junior Hua Wei Sect disciples following her?
Could she alone block He Qing Qing if she wanted to leave?
While both sides were at a standstill and the atmosphere was silent, suddenly a figure flew out from behind the carriage, riding a sword to block Chen Hong Zhu:
“Junior Sister, stop making trouble! Either come back to Hua Wei Sect with us or get out of the way. If you delay the treatment of Master, don’t blame me for being merciless!”
It was Yuan Qing Shi. He hadn’t been sitting in the carriage but was following on the other side.
Chen Hong Zhu glanced at him and then looked away. Firstly, she recalled how her father, senior brother, and the various peak masters and elders of Hua Wei had once doted on her, but later repeatedly obstructed, threatened, and harmed her, sighing at how things and people change, and how sad the world is.
Secondly, she was angry that Yuan Qing Shi lacked backbone, now showing such attentiveness to He Qing Qing, just as he had previously done with Miao Yan. This kind of affection comes quickly and goes even faster, seeming touching but without any sincerity.
Chen Hong Zhu sneered: “I’m afraid that if I go back, I’ll never come out again. I won’t go with you, and I won’t get out of the way either.”
Yuan Qing Shi lost face, and his peripheral vision caught the figure in the carriage: “Chen Hong Zhu, I don’t want to fight with you. I advise you not to be obstinate.”
“How dare you!” Chen Hong Zhu shouted sharply. “I am the legitimate heir of Hua Wei, recognized by the ‘Hua Wei Seal’ by the mandate of heaven, earth, and ancestors! Even Xu Yun must bow to the ancestral tablets in the sect temple when he sees me! Who are you? I am speaking with the head of the Sound of Immortals Sect. What right do you have to speak?!”
In the darkness, the Hua Wei Seal was illuminated, accompanied by the sound of a sword ringing.
“Hundred Flowers Killer” had been bloodied at the feast years ago, and after accompanying its master through many battles over the years, it had become increasingly sharp, no longer just an “embroidery sword.”
Yuan Qing Shi was caught off guard, facing the sword’s direct impact like a heavy punch, his ears ringing, and he was even more incredulous. Rage burned within him: “You, how could you…”
“Enough. I will say a few words to Immortal Maiden Chen. You all step back first.” The cold female voice sounded again.
Slender fingers lightly lifted the green gauze curtain, revealing a lotus-like face at the window.
She still hadn’t stepped down from the carriage but showed her face voluntarily.
Yuan Qing Shi wanted to say something more, but He Qing Qing glanced at him lightly, silently stopping him.
The night sky quieted down, and finally, only He Qing Qing and Chen Hong Zhu locked eyes.
They weren’t familiar with each other. Since parting at Dying Water Bridge, they hadn’t met again, but both had made their mark in the cultivation world, so they inevitably heard news of each other.
Not everyone who has watched the same moonlight and fireworks with you is your friend.
Chen Hong Zhu said: “Sect Master He, you are in great danger now. I want to advise you to be careful and not take a misstep.”
He Qing Qing said indifferently: “I am now the only head of the Sound of Immortals Sect, and also the ‘Acting Alliance Leader’ of the righteous alliance. With thousands paving the way and building bridges for me, even dangerous paths can be walked as if on level ground.”
“I know something of what you’ve done in the alliance.”
“Is that so?” He Qing Qing didn’t care much.
Chen Hong Zhu slowly said: “After becoming the ‘Acting Alliance Leader,’ you did three things. First, you established rules and ranks within the alliance, promoting a batch of people from various sects to serve as protectors, helmsmen, and altar masters. You said these positions could be competed for—the higher the position, the greater the power in the alliance, and the more Ascension Pills they could obtain. With Ascension Pills in your hand, those people naturally scrambled to show loyalty to you. But you didn’t want them to unite, so among positions of the same rank, you placed cultivators who didn’t have good relationships with their fellow sect members, making everyone wary of each other. This was to establish authority.”
He Qing Qing became somewhat interested: “Continue.”
Chen Hong Zhu: “Then you made everyone abandon their titles and generational ranks within their sects, uniformly addressing each other by their alliance positions. Those without positions were called ‘Alliance Friends.’ When speaking, they must refer to ‘our alliance’ rather than their sects. Whoever disobeyed the rules would have their Ascension Pills withheld, while those willing to openly share their sect’s manuals and techniques were rewarded. Those who rendered service to the alliance could exchange their merits for techniques or Ascension Pills. This was to wield both carrot and stick.”
He Qing Qing nodded: “And the third thing?”
Chen Hong Zhu’s tone suddenly became severe: “The alliance is not short of proud and arrogant individuals. You are young with little experience, yet you want to control everyone. Your Ascension Pills are both medicine and poison. Once taken for a long time, they’re certainly hard to quit!”
He Qing Qing laughed lightly: “You say my pills have issues, but do you have evidence? Being unable to quit is just human nature. Once someone has taken a shortcut, who still wants to climb mountains and cross ridges?”
Chen Hong Zhu didn’t argue with her: “I guess your next step is to break up the various sects and then mix them, making the entire alliance into one entity. All sect manuals will be stored within the alliance, and the sect leaders will exist in name only, all following your orders as Alliance Leader. Those who submit to you will have power within the alliance. Those who refuse to obey, you will eliminate them, killing the chicken to scare the monkey.”
Beyond He Qing Qing’s expectations, Chen Hong Zhu had come to analyze the situation with her, not to appeal to emotions or reminisce.
“Your guess is correct, but you’ve guessed too little. The alliance is just a starting point. The cultivation world only needs one leader, and that’s enough.”
Chen Hong Zhu hadn’t expected He Qing Qing to admit it directly; she thought the other wouldn’t be so “frank.”
Yet He Qing Qing was talented, ambitious, with grand plans.
Chen Hong Zhu couldn’t help but frown: “Have you considered that each sect has its territory, its traditions? If you extinguish their spiritual heritage, the cultivation world will decline from then on. Your Ascension Pills are just a shortcut to hell. If you want to rule people’s hearts through power, fear, and greed, you are destined to fail.”
He Qing Qing raised her eyebrows high: “I am destined to fail? Just because you cannot do something, do you think others cannot do it either? Chen Hong Zhu, look at yourself first. You have a home but dare not return, you have power but dare not seize it; you have broken with your father but dare not truly kill him. You hold good cards but are burdened by reputation. Your compassion, in my view, is merely weakness and hypocrisy!”
She spoke faster and faster, her tone rising higher and higher. Sitting upright in the carriage, she had an aggressive stance:
“There are too many things you don’t dare to do, cannot accomplish. What I have achieved is far beyond the three things you mentioned. I have plenty of methods and means.”
With that, she waved her hand, lowering the green gauze curtain before her eyes.
Chen Hong Zhu wasn’t angry at all.
Her gaze flickered slightly, as if through the swaying green gauze before her, she saw the white-dressed girl with a veil at the steps of Song Academy.
“Miss He, I didn’t come here today to argue superiority or debate victory with you. I just don’t want to see you walk down a path of no return, dragging half the cultivation world into a quagmire, while you fall into an abyss.”
Before Chen Hong Zhu finished speaking, He Qing Qing laughed loudly: “What gives you the right to say your path is correct and mine is crooked? Is it just because you are Chen Hong Zhu, and I am He Qing Qing? You were born in the Carefree Palace in the heavens—what do you know about the abyss? Have you ever seen an abyss?”
“Miss He,” Chen Hong Zhu again used the wrong title, but didn’t correct herself, “being born in the heavens is not necessarily a good thing.”
Hearing this, He Qing Qing laughed with extreme anger: “Is that so? You took the spirit stones, techniques, and treasured swords your father gave you and established the junior Hua Wei Sect. Later, when you lacked ‘legitimate’ status, ‘that person’ also provided it to you. Do you think you’ve had it tough? Have you ever been called a monster, or been spat upon? Have you ever been pushed into a mine shaft? Have you ever tasted the feeling of your face being cut into a thousand pieces?”
Chen Hong Zhu remained silent.
He Qing Qing tapped the carriage wall, and Sound of Immortals disciples swarmed from all sides.
Yuan Qing Shi was the first to stand in front of the carriage, like a driver.
The black gold carriage started again with a rumbling sound.
He Qing Qing: “I’m not afraid to tell you, I’ve seen my fate on the Three Lives Stone. I will be able to gain the upper hand at every step. What others can do, I can also do. What others cannot do, I can still accomplish. The future of this world will be under my control. I am just this ‘obstinate and unrepentant, with no regrets even after a hundred deaths.’ If you have nothing more to say, don’t block my way!”
Chen Hong Zhu stepped back, saying softly: “One last thing… On Dying Water Bridge years ago, I owe you a word of thanks.”
Before her words faded, the black gold carriage vanished like smoke and clouds, leaving only a brilliant crimson glow behind.
Chen Hong Zhu manipulated Hundred Flowers Killer and turned back.
The treasured sword dimmed, the long night was desolate, and the Milky Way was silent.
But a voice fell from the distant night sky:
“I never regretted helping you back then. If we become enemies in the future, I won’t show mercy either—”
The crimson glow in the sky dissipated. No more fragrant breeze, no more sound of string and bamboo music.
Chen Hong Zhu gazed toward Thousand Channels in the distance.
The evening breeze blew gently, pushing a bright moon out from the clouds.
Tomorrow would be another sunny day.
In Thousand Channels’ summer, sunny days were always more common.
…
…
When the “Breaking Illusions Sword” split open the besieging storm of wind and snow, Song Qian Ji opened his eyes and finally saw the bright moon again.
Why was this night so long, with the moon setting more slowly than before?
Having adapted to the coldness of the sword in his hand, he no longer felt the surrounding wind and snow to be cold.
“Well done, young man! The Breaking Illusions Sword has been mastered by you!” Xian Jian Chen exclaimed in wonder. “How did you suddenly figure it out?”
Song Qian Ji deliberately spoke in reverse: “It’s all thanks to your good teaching. Good master, follow me as we break through this snow formation!”
Xian Jian Chen thought for a moment, suddenly realizing: “You used the ‘Snow Blade’ in Blood River Valley, didn’t you? Breaking Illusions Sword is made of the same material, so you have experience.”
Song Qian Ji retorted: “Do you think everyone is as friendless as you?”
Xian Jian Chen shook his head: “This master feels that you should have been like me.”
Song Qian Ji couldn’t be bothered to argue. The Breaking Illusions Sword in his hand traced arcs of cold light, like flying ice crystals.
The power of the besieging wind and snow gradually weakened until it completely collapsed.
The two successfully broke through the encirclement. As their vision cleared, they saw the disciples covered in wounds, as if being flayed alive.
Flowing blood soaked the snow, dyeing the ground opposite them into a sea of red!
Even though Song Qian Ji had seen much, he was still shaken by this eerie and cruel scene before him.
The orderly chanting suddenly changed, transforming into a kind of singing.
Xian Jian Chen: “They’re coming again?! Retreat!”
Song Qian Ji immediately grabbed his opportunistic master and flew onto the Shadowless Sword.
Before they could steady themselves, the snow where they had been standing exploded, revealing a scripture pillar.
The pillar was carved from ice, with clearly distinguishable patterns.
In an instant, countless octagonal Buddhist pagodas and lotus scripture pillars rose from the ground, each as tall as a small mountain.
The earth shook and mountains trembled. These ice sculptures varied in form, stretching over an area of ten miles, majestic yet extremely sinister.
Song Qian Ji held the Breaking Illusions Sword, cutting through thorns and thickets.
Behind the line of disciples, people continuously fell and died, yet no one stopped.
“Have they lost feeling?” Song Qian Ji couldn’t believe it.
“No, they can feel the pain. But the power of faith can transcend pain and make people give up their lives,” Xian Jian Chen sighed. “To win this battle, you cannot feel pain for them.”
Song Qian Ji calmed his heart, finding the “Breaking Illusions Sword” increasingly easier to use.
He gradually felt as if he was separated from his surroundings by a transparent barrier. Those disciples who were sacrificing themselves with extremely tragic expressions could no longer move him in the slightest.
At the same time, his emotions rapidly vanished, with intense love, hatred, and anger all covered by a layer of ice and snow.
If Xian Jian Chen wanted to argue with him now, he probably wouldn’t even talk back.
He couldn’t help but wonder if this was how Zi Ye Wen Shu perceived the world.
Within the killing formation, crises arose one after another. Amid his busy state, Song Qian Ji had a fleeting thought:
The moon is so bright tonight. I wonder what Zi Ye Wen Shu is doing?
When he sees what’s in the box, he should understand my meaning.
But is he willing to accept such an arrangement?
Suddenly, he heard Xian Jian Chen cry out in shock, cursing loudly: “Are you kidding me? You’re distracted at a time like this?! Do you want this master’s life?!”