CHAPTER 10 - DESOLATION
Translation Notes: 姐姐 (jiejie) is older sister. Ling Xi calls Xue Ran as jiejie, which is comparatively more intimate than shijie. It doesn't necessarily have to be blood-relation, but usually is. Sorry this chapter took so long, it was hard for me... I think after this chapter you will either hate Ling Xi or hate Cang Yu.
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The reason that the barrier Qing Kui shixiong had set up for her would shatter and disappear under the attack of that flock of Muo entities must've been either that those Muo entities were truly too powerful or it was because Qing Kui shixiong was already unable to support it. If it was the latter, then he could be in grave danger.
Among such a large commotion on Di Mai Peak, which she could see clearly from up in the air right now, she could only see disciples from the other peaks escorting Di Mai Peak's disciples elsewhere. She did not see Zhangmen or the other zhanglaos go down from the mountain to deal with that flock of Muo entities. It could be that the attacks might not be limited to Di Mai Peak.
“Second Shixiong is over there!”
From far in the distance, Ling Xi could already see Qing Kui was trapped in the center of a clearing. His pale blue robe had bloodstains on it, unknown whether it was his own blood or others. His hair which was neatly pulled back before he left had broken free, tossed around by the night wind. The wine jug that he carried around had already grew to twice his height, suspended in mid-air. However it was just dangling in the air besides him, appearing to be at a loss of what to do.
What was surrounding Qing Kui was not Muo entities from outside, but Di Mai Peak's disciples!
She could only see the ring of disciples with long swords in hand, their expressions fierce. They were moving into an array formation, without even a second of hesitation they unleashed their offensive strike directly at Qing Kui.
Qing Kui, obviously minding that his attackers' were his shidis and shimeis, only used defensive and not offensive.
Ling Xi once heard Qing Kui mention the Great Xian-Muo War that happened sixty years ago.
Muo, is born of the the heretic thoughts of the six realms. They say, with one thought one could become a buddha, but with the next thought turn into a Muo. No matter how pure someone is, they would still have some attachments and desires. There is no exception, not even for a Xian, who ultimately is not made of wood, cold and without feelings. Some of these 'attachments' if they are too deep, they become obsessions. With obsessions, one could be easily be harassed by heretic influences, breeding heretic thoughts until eventually they become a Muo themselves.
That is why during the Great Xian-Muo War, the Muo entities were not great in number, but was able to repeatedly overpower them, nearly pushing Cang Jia Shan to the brink of destruction. It is simply because they are able to exploit those weaknesses, taint the human heart and entice them to become Muo. From there on, they would have lost all grip on their inherent nature.
Those Cang Jia disciples that were attacking Qing Kui at that moment, afraid they are exactly as feared, their hearts and minds have been completely devoured by Muo influences.
“You go rescue Qing Kui shixiong out of there!” Ling Xi stopped at the mouth of a cave. “He must've been affected in the mind too, or else he wouldn't have been trapped for so long, unable to escape!”
Those disciples that had him surrounded are ultimately new disciples that have just started their cultivation. Even if they outnumbered him by even more than now, they could not possibly be his match, yet he was trapped in the center without any resolve!
The little black turtle that was now an eagle gave Ling Xi a glance. Ling Xi could slightly understand the meaning in it's gaze, blinking as she assured “I can protect myself, as long as you go fast and come back fast.”
As she said this, she formed a seal with one hand, stretching it out into a barrier. It flickered faintly with silver light. To her comfort, it actually had some thickness to it.
Ironically this time around, little black turtle was being quite obedient. It too one look at the barrier, touching it with its beak. After seeing it thicken some more, it spread its wings and took off towards Qing Kui.
As soon as little black turtle left, Ling xi heard what sounded almost like the sound of a girl's sobbing faintly drifting over from inside the cave. Taking a few steps back, sure enough she could see a girl wearing a pale blue dress curled up behind a boulder, trembling.
“Jiejie...” Ling Xi called out to her, “Jiejie over there, do you want to come in here with me?”
Ling Xi thought inside her head, since her spiritual power is enough to bloom ten thousand snow lotuses, perhaps the defensive strength of the barrier she had formed should not be that bad. At least it beats hiding behind a big rock.
The girl that was hiding behind the rock moved, stopped crying and carefully stuck out her head.
Once her face came into Ling Xi's sight, her eyes widened, “You...are...?”
When the girl saw Ling Xi, she also froze with wide eyes. Forgetting to even wipe her tears and, as if trying to recall, after a while asked, “Ling Xi?”
Inside Ling Xi's mind at this moment, finally a few images fluttered through, but still she could not remember who this girl was at all, only feeling a familiarity as if she had seen that face somewhere before.
“Ling Xi, you don't remember me?” The girl wiped away her tears, standing up. After tidying up her messy hair, revealing her entire face, she continued, “Two and a half years ago, at the foot of the mountain...”
“You are Qing Nian shixiong's...”
Ling's memory isn't good, there are a lot of things in the past that she only recalls a shadow of. However that incident two and a half years ago, perhaps as long as she lived in Cang Jia Shan, she will never be able to forget it.
At that time she had only been on the mountain for half a year. She had spent half a year's time hitting those qingrong leaves, without understanding Feng Shu's intention. Also because she missed her gege so much, she always had a feeling that maybe he was still in that village at the foot of the mountain waiting for her. Hence, on one random night when the moon was hiding and the wind was blowing, she sneaked down from Tian Mai Peak by herself.
She couldn't remember the way, neither did she know how to use any Xian spells. Tian Mai Peak was full of steep and rugged terrain, along the way it even started to rain heavily. Even if she wanted to go back, she couldn't find her own footsteps, she could only convince herself to continue down the slope. The sky was dark and the path was dangerous, when she lost her footing and slid down, if it wasn't for Qing Nian shixiong suddenly appearing out of nowhere and saving her, she might've fallen to her death right then and there.
That night Qing Nian was gliding overhead on his sword, his face anxious. After saving her, he did not say a word, immediately rushing down the mountain. He set her down, threw a barrier over her and went off only telling her to wait for him to return.
That night was just like this night, a flock of Muo was causing havoc. The only difference was that time it was happening in the mortal realm. Moreover, gege was the only thought going through her head at the time so she easily fell under those Muo's influences. She ran out of the barrier, sabotaged Cang Jia Shan's large-scale plan to eradicate the Muo and caused the death of over a hundred Cang Jia disciples.
That night Qing Nian shixiong had rushed down the mountain, the reason was to rescue someone that was still in the mortal realm... the girl that was before her right now.
“Yes, I'm...” The girl was a little shy, leaning in closer to Ling Xi, “My name is Xue Ran. Qing Nian said I'm his... jiejie.”
Ling Xi stared at her in shock. Sure, from a glance she did look to be older than her, but... how is it possible that she is even older than Qing Nian. Qing Nian had been on Cang Jia Shan for at least three hundred years.
“Do... do you already have an immortal body?” Ling Xi's mind could only come up with this one explanation. However, why would someone who already has an immortal body need to resort to hiding back here...
“I don't.” Xue Ran shook her head furiously, in a hushed voice added, “Qing Nian said, three hundred years ago I was his jiejie. The present me right now, is her reincarnation.”
Ling Xi nodded as if caught in a trance. The person who has passed through reincarnation, is she still the same person from before?
Ling Xi and Xue Ran huddled together inside that barrier, for a moment they were speechless. This night was particularly long, giving one the illusion that the sun may never rise again.
If Ling Xi was standing by the cave entrance, she might've still been able to catch a vague glimpse of what was happening over where Qing Kui was, but in order to avoid being seen by those Muo entities, she and Xue Ran was curled up in the very corner of the cave. However as time stretched on, she started to get worried.
Outside, the clamor of the Muo have started to get weaker, the screams of Cang Jia Shan disciples have also started to dissipate, but Ling Xi was getting more and more uneasy. Little black turtle hadn't come back. Qing Kui shixiong hadn't come back. Da Shixiong, Zhangmen and the zhanglaos, none of them have appeared...
“Ling Xi, should we go outside?” Ling Xi had been holding it in the whole time, however it was Xue Ran that first spoke. “I'm worried... worried that Qing Nian...”
It's true, that year when the Muo realm attacked the mortal realm, Qing Nian was still able to feel the danger that Xue Ran was in and rush to her rescue. Today in the midst of such commotion, why had he not appeared once even?
“Jiejie, if we go outside... wouldn't we become a burden?” Ling Xi's heart was still seared from the memory of what happened last time due to her brashness.
“If I don't go out, that flock of Muo...” Xue Ran's delicate eyebrows creased together slightly, worry apparent in her voice, “If Qing Nian doesn't find me, he could fall into their influences...”
“I understand.” Ling Xi asked, “Jiejie, do you know how to glide on a sword?”
Xue Ran nodded.
Ling Xi felt that, after hearing Xue Ran's worries, it seems like her previous suspicions had been answered.
Xue Ran had been cultivating for no longer than two years at most, her natural endowments towards cultivation were only average. Her sword gliding skills had not been honed to its best, so she had some difficulty gliding with Ling Xi in tow. Fortunately when the two exited, it did not play out as they had imagined, with countless Muo entities giving chase. Rather it was the opposite, calm to the point where is was unnerving.
“Xue Ran jiejie, why... why is there not even one person?” Ling Xi's arms were tightly wrapped around Xue Ran's waist. Cold and sinister wind blew at them, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.
“I don't know...” Xue Ran answered equally anxious, “You look around. While I'm controlling the sword, I can't divert my focus.”
Ling Xi took in a couple deep breaths, calming her nerves before lifting her eyes to survey their surroundings.
All around them it was just a stretch of black, occasionally when she saw something, it would always turn out to be a corpse. The only sounds she could here was limited only to the blowing wind. The two were silent for a long time. Xue Ran's sword suddenly tipped upwards, Ling Xi questioned in alarm, “Xue Ran jiejie, what's happening?“
”We can't see anything here, maybe it's because where not flying high enough.” Xue Ran said full of certainty, “If we go up higher, we'll see something for sure.”
“Right!”
Xue Ran's sword was pointed almost vertically, Ling Xi's face was scraped by the fierce wind so much that she could barely keep her eyes open. From between her eyelids, she glimpsed some light and anxiously shouted, “Xue Ran jiejie, on the left!”
On the left just happens to be the Sword Trial platform from this morning. Xue Ran's sword changed direction, also slowing down. This way, Ling Xi was able to clearly see what was going on ahead.
The most apparent to the eye was the white of Feng Shu's robe.
A tremor of joy washed over Ling Xi's heart. Not only was Da Shixiong there, Zhangmen, the seven zhanglaos and Qing Kui were also there!
However, while everyone else had retreated to one side, only Feng Shu stood there, his white robe fluttering in the wind around him as he unleashed the spells.
The silver light illuminated the entire Sword Trial platform. Chains of light hurled out from under Feng Shu's hands, one after the other. The chains formed into rings, ensnaring the person at the center of the Sword Trial platform, immediately starting to tighten.
“Qing Nian!” Xue Ran's cry rang out loudly.
At that moment, Ling Xi finally realized that the person in the center that was surrounded by everyone was actually Qing Nian shixiong!
However, Qing Nian's usually translucent eyes were now threaded by blood veins. His usually pale face seemed to be shrouded by a dense black haze. His head whipped around. As soon as that pair of eyes fell on Xue Ran, it was as if they were engulfed in flames. With a loud cry, the crimson glow radiating from his entire body brightened tenfold. Those silver chains that had him trapped a moment ago shattered, unable to hold him anymore. He charged towards them at rapid speed.
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