Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 18: A Thought in the Heart
"There are indeed some rumors. What do you think, Yunlu?" Dugu Po countered with a question.
The White-Clad Woman smiled lightly and said, "Whether you answer or not has become less important. Someone will take action to extract the answer."
"That depends on whether he has the capability," Dugu Po replied as she stood up, starting to arrange her hair and then adjusting her attire.
"You are as vain as ever."
The White-Clad Woman watched Dugu Po fussing in front of the mirror and couldn't help but chuckle. She simply stepped aside, allowing Dugu Po access to the vanity. Dugu Po did not hesitate and confidently moved over.
The White-Clad Woman continued, "You owe me a few drops of Essence Blood, don't you?"
"Counting this time, it's two drops," Dugu Po responded before asking, "I heard that your Yunlu Xian Sect possesses the Essence Blood of all powerful cultivators in the world?"
"Not all powerful cultivators. Three have been exceptions," the White-Clad Woman replied.
"Oh? Which three?" Dugu Po inquired.
"Your Senior Xu and Shishu from Divine Ruins. Additionally, the abbot of Pujue Temple."
"Do you also have the Essence Blood of that Old Ghost?" Dugu Po asked in surprise.
The White-Clad Woman smiled lightly and said, "There are many others you cannot even imagine."
"What do you want to do with this Essence Blood?"
"You know, this matter is related to my Yunlu, and I cannot answer."
After both of them were dressed appropriately, they walked out of the palace, wandering among the suspended pavilions. Occasionally, cranes flew by, lazily calling out. The White-Clad Woman was the one responsible for recording the details and results of the battle between the four young supremes of the Jiuzhou Continent three years ago during the Naganohara agreement.
Her name was Mo Pinglan, from the Yunlu Xian Sect.
Mo Pinglan said, "Your junior disciple trespassed into our forbidden area, drained all the Primordial Water from Azure Moon Bay, and killed three Nine-Tiered Fierce Beasts that we raised. Are you going to settle this account?"
Upon hearing this, Dugu Po revealed a rare smile of delight and said, "My junior disciple can cause such a big commotion?"
"How can you still laugh? If he weren't your junior disciple, our people would have already fed him to the fierce beasts," the White-Clad Woman scolded.
"My junior disciple made a mistake. It is my responsibility as his senior brother for not teaching him well. At most, I will leave a few more drops of Essence Blood," Dugu Po replied with an elegant demeanor.
"For the same person, our clan only requires two drops of Essence Blood at most. More than that is unnecessary."
"Then how do you want me to take responsibility?" Dugu Po asked.
"Leave behind an Ethereal Body," Mo Pinglan replied succinctly.
Upon hearing this, Dugu Po did not rush to respond but instead laughed heartily. Then he said, "Going around in such a big circle just to get her. Can you tell where she comes from?"
Mo Pinglan replied, "Isn't she just an Ethereal Body? What background could she possibly have? However, she is indeed very suitable for cultivating our clan's Holy Art. Let the Primordial Water from Azure Moon Bay serve as her welcome gift."
Dugu Po looked at Mo Pinglan, smiling without saying a word.
Mo Pinglan, feeling annoyed, said, "What are you laughing at? Are you going to keep him or not? If this person cultivates in our clan, his future is limitless. You know that our clan's heritage and history surpasses that of your Divine Ruins."
"Yunlu Xian Sect. It is the only sect in the Jiuzhou Continent that has experienced one End of the Law Era after another, entering into a new era each time."
In the end, Mo Pinglan displayed a proud expression.
Dugu Po nodded and said, "That is indeed true. There will never be another sect in this world as ancient as your Yunlu Xian Sect."
"If this End of the Law Era arrives, your Yunlu Xian Sect will undoubtedly evade disaster once again and enter the next New Era."
"So, have you agreed? You understand it’s for the best. The Ethereal Body joining our clan is her honor. It also leaves a root for your Divine Ruins," Mo Pinglan said with a pleased look.
"I have neither agreed nor disagreed."
"What do you mean? Are you toying with me?"
"Miaomiao is not a Divine Ruins Disciple. I cannot decide everything for her. Even if she were my disciple in Divine Ruins, I still couldn't dictate her choices. Everyone is born free; they can be utilized but should not be controlled."
At this point, Dugu Po looked at Mo Pinglan seriously and said, "I know that after today, my junior brothers and I will owe Essence Blood. There are no free lunches in this world; we are willing to bear the consequences in the future. However, our fate belongs solely to us."
Listening to these words, Mo Pinglan felt a strong and imposing aura emanating from Dugu Po. Yet she remained unafraid and smiled calmly, saying, "Rest assured. Our Yunlu Xian Sect has lasted for tens of thousands of years for a reason."
"According to what you say, if Lin Miaomiao willingly stays, you won’t intervene?"
"Dugu Po" replied, "Of course."
"Will Lin Miaomiao stay?" The answer was certainly no. Dugu Po was confident about this.
"Don't be so sure," Mo Pinglan said. "I have my reasons for saying this. Lin Miaomiao is not an Ethereal Body, yet she possesses the characteristics of one. The Market has vanished, and Shishu is long gone. No one knows her true origins in the Divine Ruins. But we at Yunlu Xian Sect can uncover that."
"We will help her discover her roots, her identity and background. Do you think she won't be moved by that?"
"This..."
Dugu Po uttered a single word but did not continue. This temptation indeed introduced variables into the situation. He had already seen that Lin Miaomiao was not an Ethereal Body.
Dugu Po was certain that Lin Miaomiao was not a true Ethereal Body because he had seen a real one.
And Mo Pinglan knew Lin Miaomiao was not an Ethereal Body because she herself was the true Ethereal Body.
Inside the pavilion, Lin Feng waited for a long time without seeing Mo Xue come out. After days of battle and fleeing, Lin Feng felt utterly exhausted both inside and out. He leaned on the desk and gradually fell asleep.
As he slept, he entered a dream.
A charming young girl dressed in red walked into Lin Feng's dream. Lin Feng looked at the girl and joyfully exclaimed, "Magenta, are you still alive?"
Magenta shook her head and said, "Young Master, I am already dead. I died for you; don't you know?"
"I... know." Lin Feng lowered his head, unable to meet Magenta's gaze.
"Young Master, if we could go back to the past, would you accept Magenta? For one night, would you fulfill Magenta's wish?" Magenta looked at Lin Feng with a pitiful gaze, eagerly awaiting his response.
"I..."
Lin Feng recalled the scene of Magenta dying for him, and a surge of impulse made him want to say 'I will.' But just as the words were about to escape his lips, Miaomiao's figure appeared in his mind.
Miaomiao had always been by his side, never asking for anything in return. Whenever he was unhappy, she would find ways to tease him and lift his spirits. Lin Feng suddenly couldn't pinpoint what was so special about Miaomiao.
Yet there are certain people whom you understand at a glance; no matter how time passes or how people come and go, in the end, there is only one person who will grow old with you.
She may accompany you or quietly stand behind you, but she has never left.
And Miaomiao was that person in Lin Feng's heart. The encounters between people require fate and affection to last until old age.
"I'm sorry. I can't do it," Lin Feng said, feeling guilty yet resolute.
"You've disappointed me greatly. If I could choose again, I would never foolishly stay by your side, wasting my youth and life," Magenta spat bitterly.
Lin Feng's eyes felt dry as he replied, "That's true. I shouldn't have taken you in; I should have driven you away. It was I who blocked your path; it was I who burdened you."
"At least you understand. Lin Feng, since you will never hold me in your heart no matter what, I want you to repay me," Magenta admonished.
Lin Feng paused slightly and asked, "How do you want me to compensate?"
Magenta immediately responded, "What you see of me is not an illusion. It is a fragment of my lingering soul. This fragment will eventually return to my master."
"I have always wanted to see Market. I heard that Market has gone missing. Can you tell me where Market is?"
Lin Feng looked at Magenta, suddenly falling silent.
"Lin Feng, are you unwilling to give me even this small compensation?"
Lin Feng revealed a chilling intent and shouted, "Break."
Then, Lin Feng woke from the dream, and Magenta had vanished. In truth, Lin Feng had not entered a dream but rather a illusion created by Mo Xue.
Lin Feng stared at Mo Xue across from him and said coldly, "Because of Mo Mo, I initially had a good impression of the Yunlu Xian Sect. Because of you, I have changed my mind."
"I can't bear to hear the name Mo Mo mentioned again," Mo Xue retorted angrily.
"You shouldn't have used Magenta to trap me in conversation. You've made me want to kill you," Lin Feng replied with increasing fury.
"In my eyes, you are as weak as an ant."
Mo Xue sneered, then smiled to herself and said, "I would love to know how you figured out that this wasn't a dream."
Lin Feng did not want to answer that question and was even less inclined to continue talking with this person. Instead, he demanded, "Where is Magenta? Give it back to me."
"Here it is. If you weren't a Divine Ruins Disciple, the junior brother of Dugu Po, you would already be dead," Mo Xue said as she produced the corpse of Magenta.
Lin Feng carefully took it and placed it into his Sea of Consciousness. Then he coldly stated, "Today’s favor will be repaid with a drop of Essence Blood. I, Lin Feng, will never go back on my word. What happened today is a transaction; outside of this transaction, there is no friendship."
"Ridiculous. Do you think the Yunlu Xian Sect would befriend you? Just because you ranked first in the Jiuzhou Gathering Conference, don't get too full of yourself. You're just a frog at the bottom of a well, unaware of how vast the world is," Mo Xue mocked.
With no common ground for conversation, Lin Feng turned away, uninterested in engaging with Mo Xue. After all, they were on Yunlu Xian Sect's territory, and his senior brother was being treated by an elder from the sect. Lin Feng didn't want to stir up trouble; he just wanted to wait for his brother to recover so they could leave as soon as possible.
Mo Xue felt even more infuriated when she realized Lin Feng was ignoring her presence. She couldn't understand how her illusion technique had been broken by him.
Lin Feng had managed to see through Mo Xue's illusion technique because he had practiced the Holy Art of Yunlu Xian Sect himself, and also because Magenta was a unique existence. Mo Xue didn't understand Magenta well enough; her tone and attitude revealed many flaws.
Lin Feng had not suspected anything until the topic of the Market came up. It was then that he realized this was an illusion, and that Mo Xue was trying to find out the whereabouts of the Market. Thus, he began to unleash the Holy Art and Divine Ability to break through the illusion. (To be continued...)
Comment 0 Comment Count