Chapter 557: It

A soft voice drifted down from the sky, echoing in all directions accompanied by a low chant.

"Clouds in the sky are like mountain peaks, the stone in my heart is higher than the earth!"

Xu Qing was stunned, the Captain looked surprised, and Wu Jianwu suddenly raised his head from behind, looking at the woman in mid-air, his eyebrows arching as he spoke indifferently.

"Green mountains do not hear of the black lacquer's vastness, where does the moonlight fall, who knows?"

"It was my rudeness; you may call me Yun Xiazi." The middle-aged woman clearly understood Wu Jianwu's poem and spoke softly upon hearing it.

This time, it was Wu Jianwu's turn to be stunned.

It was noon, and a gentle breeze blew, causing the grass on the hills to sway. The clouds in the sky seemed to move faster in the wind, blowing everyone's hair and tugging at Wu Jianwu's heartstrings.

He had not expected that there would be someone in this world who could understand his poetry and appreciate his talent. The sudden appearance of this person caught him very much by surprise.

One must know that ever since he began imitating the Profound Heaven Ancient Emperor, everyone he had met in this life had been full of misunderstandings about him, even his own Master.

But he had always persisted in his own philosophy, always keeping the Ancient Emperor's legacy in mind. Having walked this path until now, he had long since grown accustomed to the vulgarity of the world and to not being recognized.

Until this moment...

A sharp glint appeared in Wu Jianwu's eyes. He raised his head with his hands behind his back, the wind blowing his hair and making his robes rustle.

But he didn't care about any of that. He looked at the middle-aged woman in mid-air and spoke in a low voice.

"The mountains and seas of the Nine Provinces are high, is the vast, hazy cloud a bridge of Dao?"

The woman was moved. She descended from mid-air and stood before Wu Jianwu.

The sunlight shone upon her, giving her simple Daoist robes a seven-colored luster, and her somewhat attractive face looked even more ethereal due to the light in her eyes.

She nodded gently.

"Young Master guessed correctly; I am the Sect Master of this Yin-Yang Flower Southern Sect."

Wu Jianwu's eyes lit up with a strange brilliance, and he spoke again.

"Yesterday the star-wind came a few times, who knows if the Heavenly River dropped dogs and cats?"

The woman smiled.

"I understand." As she spoke, she turned and waved her hand. Immediately, a gap opened in the sect's light barrier, spreading rapidly to both sides, and three bell tolls echoed from the mountain peak.

This level of courtesy was not insignificant.

Xu Qing and the Captain were completely dumbfounded, and Xiang Ningyan was also stunned, his mind in a daze.

He looked at Wu Jianwu, then at the Sect Master, feeling that one of these two must have a serious mental illness.

It wasn't just Xiang Ningyan who thought so; the three disciples guarding the mountain gate were also in a state of chaos. They couldn't understand a single word of Wu Jianwu's poetry, yet their own Sect Master seemed to have truly grasped its meaning.

This couldn't help but remind them of the rumors within the sect about their Sect Master—it was said that the Sect Master most admired the human Profound Heaven Ancient Emperor and loved talented people, even occasionally composing poetry herself.

Regardless, all three of them were now extremely respectful, quickly clearing the way while secretly observing Wu Jianwu.

"Young Master, please!"

The middle-aged woman said softly, showing no disdain for the gap in cultivation between Wu Jianwu and herself. In her eyes, there were many with higher cultivation, but those in this world with such talent were few and far between.

Therefore, in her eyes, Xu Qing and the Captain were merely foils.

Wu Jianwu was in high spirits, head held high and chest out, walking forward with clouds and mist accompanying him, receiving great courtesy.

The two were in front, and after Xu Qing and the Captain exchanged glances, they followed obediently. Just as Xiang Ningyan was about to follow, Wu Jianwu stopped in his tracks and spoke calmly.

"Half a piece, one piece, two or three pieces, even a short dog must bow its head to see!"

Upon hearing this, Yun Xiazi turned to look at Xiang Ningyan.

Xiang Ningyan shivered, and before he could speak, a light barrier formed instantly in front of him, blocking him outside.

"What is this? Even this can be understood? Impossible!" Xiang Ningyan was dumbfounded. He knew Wu Jianwu was petty, and although he was furious inside, he dared not show it, only watching helplessly as Xu Qing and the others walked away.

Just like that, they entered the Yin-Yang Flower Sect. Along the way, he saw swarms of tiger-headed butterflies dancing in mid-air, their numbers far greater than in the wild.

Seen from afar, they looked like a colorful mist, winding between the two mountain peaks.

This struck Xu Qing as strange. He had seen these butterflies several times along the way, but this was the most he had ever seen. As his gaze fell upon them, he, who was following behind Wu Jianwu, suddenly felt his vision blur, and everything around him appeared to overlap.

Xu Qing paused, but the next instant, everything returned to normal.

The Captain, who was in front, turned and glanced at Xu Qing, his eyes filled with inquiry.

Xu Qing shook his head. He appeared normal, but deep inside, a strong sense of vigilance arose. He knew his body was fine, so the previous dizziness and blurring were somewhat eerie.

However, this was not the time to talk. Xu Qing lowered his head and continued to follow until, an incense stick's time later, they were brought to the sect's guest quarters and settled in.

The Sect Master watched Wu Jianwu and the others enter the guest quarters before turning and leaving.

As she walked through the sect, a large number of butterflies flew over, circling her, and two figures manifested in the void beside her.

One of the figures spoke in a low voice.

"Sect Master, these people suddenly appeared in Yingniu City ten days ago. They hadn't arrived before that. They first went to the Spirit Soup Pavilion, and everything was normal."

"Then they left, headed into the Weiyang Mountain Range, and lost their tracks."

"Their purpose in coming to our sect is unknown."

"As for their status as disciples, it is genuine; they are from the Western Sect."

The other figure also spoke in a low voice.

"As for that talented Young Master, he doesn't hold a high position among their group, but there were no signs of him being held hostage; he should be accompanying them voluntarily."

"Moreover, all of them carry a sense of curse; it is unlikely they are from the Outer Domains. Especially one of them, whose internal curse is extremely deep, to the point where it could erupt at any time."

Listening to the words of those beside her, Yun Xiazi nodded.

"Keep an eye on them for now. If they are truly just here to stay and harbor no ill intent toward our sect, there is no need to pay them any mind."

"And if..." the figure on the side hesitated.

"If they truly harbor ill intent..." Yun Xiazi paused and spoke indifferently.

"Slaughter them and feed them to the dancing butterflies. As for that Young Master, give him a grand burial."

"By your decree!" The two bowed and acknowledged, their figures blurring and disappearing.

Time passed slowly, and soon seven days went by.

Xu Qing and the others lived there peacefully, without any untoward behavior. They were honest, and although they occasionally went out, they never probed for secrets.

They also knew that their sudden arrival must have attracted attention, and although the sudden situation with Wu Jianwu had eased things somewhat,

they were ultimately not disciples of this sect, so they could only live below the halfway point of the first mountain peak.

They could not go to other places at will, and even if the Sect Master admired Wu Jianwu, she would not break the rules for him.

But being able to live here was already the first step in Xu Qing and the others'

plan.

Because the spirit pool in the back mountain was open to all disciples; as long as they paid a certain amount of spirit stones, they could go.

Xu Qing and the Captain had been there twice, sitting silently in the spirit pool, each practicing their breathing techniques to suppress the curse in their bodies as much as possible.

This curse was the excuse they had thought of on the way here.

To tell a lie, one must have a real event in place; only then can one hide the false within the true and create confusion.

Although the spirit pool did not have the ability to directly affect the curse, it could nourish the physical body, and thus indirectly have some effect.

In the Jiyue Great Domain, there were actually many such places, which was also one of the reasons for the formation of the Tianniu Alliance.

During this period, Xu Qing experienced another moment of dizziness and blurring, each time occurring when the tiger-headed butterflies appeared in large numbers. He had also learned the name of these butterflies.

They were called Dancing Butterflies, a strange life form that the Yin-Yang Flower Sect needed to equip for their identity as ritual dancers.

Regarding his own dizziness, Xu Qing had secretly informed the Captain, who took it very seriously and analyzed it with him for a long time, but they found no real answer.

Xu Qing vaguely felt that this matter was very wrong, so he didn't say much, but deep down, he had already placed high importance on it.

And during these seven days, Xu Qing and the Captain also felt the variables in their plan.

That was that this Sect Master named Yun Xiazi was actually often at the spirit pool.

With her there, even though Xu Qing and the Captain's plan to set up a trap for the Youjing was very clever, and under the Captain's direction, it wouldn't emit any fluctuations, it was ultimately under the other party's nose.

In this way, it was impossible not to be noticed.

And the day for the Youjing to come for the baptism was less than a month away.

This made the Captain anxious. Although he and Xu Qing had backup plans, in the current situation, it was clear that if Wu Jianwu exerted his influence, the effect would be better.

So on the eighth day, the Captain found Wu Jianwu, put his arm around his shoulder, and spoke in a low voice.

"Brother Big Sword, we can't go on like this."

Wu Jianwu glanced at the Captain sideways without speaking. He had been living quite well these past few days and already had a large draft of poems in his heart.

The Captain coughed and instigated him.

"Big Little Little Jianjian, go seduce that Sect Master and lure her away from the spirit pool..."

Wu Jianwu sneered. Since arriving at this sect, his status among the three had changed. At this moment, he proudly waved his hand, took out his offspring parrot, and placed it on his head.

He didn't speak; the parrot raised its chin and spoke on behalf of its father.

"What kind of bullshit method is that? Too childish. Sect Master Yun Xiazi isn't a fool. Once my father goes to seduce her, she will definitely have suspicions in her heart."

"At that time, she only needs to sense the spirit pool, and she will catch you red-handed!"

"If you want to die, that's your business. My father and we will absolutely not participate!"

Xu Qing glanced at the parrot. The bird held its head high as it spoke, like a stick, looking at people through its nostrils under its feathers.

The Captain's expression was surprised.

"I didn't say we were going to the spirit pool to set things up after your father lured Yun Xiazi away."

"We do the opposite. Your father goes to seduce her, Yun Xiazi will be suspicious and then check, but she will find everything normal."

"Every time it's like this, repeating until dozens of times later, she naturally won't be so suspicious."

"Don't you think so?"

The parrot was stunned, and Wu Jianwu's expression also became more serious.

"It will take some time for me to set up in the world fragment, and as for placing it in the spirit pool and forming a concealment array, three hours is enough."

The parrot lowered its head and secretly looked at its father. Wu Jianwu's eyes were filled with hesitation, but the Captain knew Wu Jianwu too well. He went up and persuaded him, and just as Wu Jianwu was becoming increasingly shaken, the Captain delivered the final word.

"My past life body, at worst I won't have it. I have other backup methods, but the five volumes of ancient books of the Profound Heaven Ancient Emperor, sigh, you won't be able to get them."

"They recount many things about the Ancient Emperor, including the Ancient Emperor's early ambitions, and were left in the form of poetry..."

"I still remember a remnant poem inside; let me recite it for you."

"The Heavenly Dao bows its head, the sun and moon shine with heavy light, clearing the imperial soil to unify the eight wildernesses!"

The Captain spoke softly, and as soon as these words were spoken, an indescribable momentum arose.

Hearing this, Wu Jianwu trembled all over, his eyes filled with yearning. Finally, he grabbed the parrot on his head, put it away, took a deep breath, and nodded heavily.

"Let's do it!"

His gaze was firm, and the two words he spoke carried determination and decisiveness, his heart filled with resolve.

Seeing this, the Captain's eyes showed appreciation, looking as if he greatly admired Wu Jianwu's state, and stepped forward to discuss the plan with him.

Xu Qing watched all this from the side, sighed in his heart, walked outside the door of the room, and while acting as their guard, looked at the night in the distance.

The world that should have been pitch black was dotted with fireflies.

Those were the tiger-headed butterflies. This kind of dancing butterfly unique to the Yin-Yang Flower Sect not only emitted a curse and possessed deadly poison, but could also emit light at night.

"The disciples of this sect possess methods to detoxify, so they don't have to care about the poison of these dancing butterflies."

"However, what was the reason for my two previous moments of dizziness?"

Xu Qing pondered, feeling the divine finger of Ding Yisaner in his body, and found that she was sleeping very peacefully...

"Could it be some subsequent hidden danger formed by receiving the life tribulation during the chaos of heaven and earth?"

Xu Qing frowned, analyzing in his heart.

Soon, the night passed.

Under the Captain's planning, when the morning sunlight arrived from the distant heaven and earth, Wu Jianwu's gaze was deep, his expression indifferent, and he walked out of the room with his hands behind his back.

He was going to complete the task arranged by the Captain: seduce Yun Xiazi!

This task was arduous, and because the harvest upon completion concerned his dreams, it became sacred in his heart. Until the moment he walked out the door, with the sunlight falling on Wu Jianwu, he couldn't help but turn to look at the Captain and Xu Qing.

The Captain raised his arm and gave a cheering gesture.

"You can definitely do it!"

Wu Jianwu raised his chin, nodded indifferently, turned, flickered, and headed straight into the distance.

The Captain watched him go. A few breaths later, when Wu Jianwu's figure disappeared at the end, he immediately took out an eye, squatted in a corner, and beckoned to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing was not surprised. He didn't believe that with the Captain's curiosity, he wouldn't go to peek; he might even be recording it.

"Haha, this Big Little Little Jianjian guy, he's worth dealing with!" The Captain was triumphant, looking at the eye in front of him, and casually took out a recording jade slip to start recording.

Xu Qing didn't speak, his gaze falling on the eye, which reflected Wu Jianwu's figure.

Wu Jianwu walked through the Yin-Yang Flower Sect, his heart filled with trepidation, constantly cheering himself on, until he reached a pavilion. He took a deep breath and took out a jade slip to transmit his voice to Yun Xiazi.

"Birds in the sky leave no shadow, fated to meet in this pavilion, today a good immortal!"

When the other party sent them off that day, she had left a jade slip with him. Now that the transmission was finished,

Wu Jianwu stood with his hands behind his back, head held high, looking into the sky.

The wind blew, lifting his hair, and as it fluttered like heartstrings, a gentle voice filled with laughter came from behind him.

"Young Master calls for me?"

Wu Jianwu didn't turn around, speaking proudly.

"Cloud light in the sky forks the water flow, earth's rosy colors accompany the chanting tour."

Yun Xiazi's eyes rippled. She walked to Wu Jianwu's side, looked at his profile, and suddenly spoke.

"The ancient moon has spirit reflecting the morning spring, this life has no traces to wash the heart's waves."

Wu Jianwu's body shook. He turned to look at Yun Xiazi beside him, his eyes filled with strange brilliance.

He had thought the other party only understood him, and his invitation to recite poetry was just a casual remark, but he hadn't expected this Yun Xiazi to actually be able to recite.

Thus, his interest grew, and he spoke in a low voice.

"The black wind doesn't roar, who comes to sing? The green water is still rippling!"

Sunlight shone on Yun Xiazi's face, and a faint rosy glow rose. She looked at the horizon and spoke softly.

"Green mountains do not grow old, letting heaven sway; life is like a dream, who climbs high?"

Wu Jianwu was silent. After a long while, he still didn't give up and spoke again.

"The green plums are already ripe and shimmering with purple light; who will boil the wine to ask the way home!"

Yun Xiazi wanted to speak but stopped. As her thoughts fluctuated, her voice echoed softly.

"Meeting with a smile, following the wind, you and I still talk of Zen principles."

Wu Jianwu's mood was a bit low, but he still cheered himself up and smiled.

Yun Xiazi also smiled. The two walked down from the pavilion and headed into the distance.

The wind accompanied them, the light shone on the path ahead, and the dancing butterflies circled around them. In the haze, it actually revealed an indescribable beauty.

Only, for some reason, this beautiful scene always carried some sadness.

"What are they saying from beginning to end?" The Captain knew how to ruin the scenery. At this moment, he looked at Xu Qing in a daze and said another sentence.

"Why do I feel like they are speaking in code?"

Xu Qing was also confused. Wu Jianwu's poetry—the only person who could understand it so far seemed to be Yun Xiazi.

After a long while, the two looked at each other and continued to watch Wu Jianwu.

A day passed. At dusk, Wu Jianwu came over, his expression bitter, filled with complexity and emotion. After returning, he didn't say a word, just sat in a chair and stared blankly.

Seeing this, the Captain went over to comfort him, trying to ask questions, but Wu Jianwu shook his head and finally sighed.

"This life has no hundred-year flowers, stars separate the other shore, no gauze to be seen."

The Captain frowned and looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing's gaze was cold, and he spoke indifferently.

"Speak properly!"

Wu Jianwu's face was tearful. He took out the parrot and placed it on his head. The parrot sighed and spoke in a low voice.

"My father was rejected."

"It's fine, women are all like that. They always have to be reserved first so you can't get them easily. Big Little Little Jianjian, I'll teach you a few tricks, they'll definitely work!" Hearing this, the Captain immediately put his arm around Wu Jianwu's neck and continued to discuss.

Just like that, when morning came again, Wu Jianwu regrouped, went out again, and continued to invite her.

Time passed slowly, and soon twenty days went by. It was less than seven days until the Youjing arrived.

During these days, although Xu Qing and the Captain occasionally went to the spirit pool, they didn't make any small moves. As for Wu Jianwu, he had made some progress.

He went to see Yun Xiazi almost every day. Sometimes they went on outings together, sometimes they recited poetry together, and a few times they even sat and talked, praising the Ancient Emperor's talent together. Unknowingly, they had become intimate.

During this period, the movements of Xu Qing and the Captain were also reported to Yun Xiazi every day. After everything remained normal, Yun Xiazi's doubts about the two gradually faded.

Until three days before the Youjing arrived, Xu Qing and the Captain decided to act. They came to the spirit pool as usual, soaked in it, and sat cross-legged.

But the Captain separated one of his toes from his main body in the spirit pool, turning it into a small insect that slowly crawled under the water.

After silently crawling around the entire spirit pool, it turned into a lump of mud at the very center and stuck firmly to the bottom of the spirit pool.

Xu Qing closed his eyes, absorbing the nourishing power in the spirit pool without revealing any flaws. But just as the Captain was about to finish, a group of dancing butterflies flew over in the sky.

As they drifted in mid-air, fluctuations arose in Xu Qing's heart. The moment he opened his eyes to look, that feeling of dizziness and haze appeared before his eyes again.

The entire world seemed to overlap intensely at this moment. The mountains and rocks, the spirit pool, and everyone here all appeared as double images—only the Captain was clear!

Even waves of sharp pain in his brain were born at this moment, turning into dizziness, as if the whole world was rotating toward one direction with himself as the center.

This feeling forced Xu Qing to instinctively close his eyes. While barely relieving it, waves of weakness and nausea persisted, and he didn't know when his forehead had broken out in a large amount of cold sweat.

Even soaking in this warm pool water couldn't stop the coldness radiating from the inside out. Every sound in his ears seemed to be separated by the void, becoming weak.

This time, the duration was longer than before. After more than ten breaths, Xu Qing finally recovered.

The moment he opened his eyes again, Xu Qing's breathing was rapid, his face pale without any blood. He instinctively pressed against the pool rock beside him. When he looked at the Captain, the Captain looked at him with concern and supported his swaying body.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Big Brother, are you hiding something from me?" Xu Qing looked at the Captain and spoke in a low voice.

The Captain was silent. He didn't answer the question but smiled, his eyes showing sincerity, and said softly.

"Little Ah Qing, just trust me."

Xu Qing was silent. After a long while, he nodded without pursuing the matter.

They soon got up, left the place, and returned to the room.

There were no abnormal changes throughout the whole process, which made Xu Qing instinctively feel that everything was too smooth, as if everything was proceeding exactly as they had imagined.

Wu Jianwu had successfully established an intimate relationship with Yun Xiazi, preventing the other party from noticing their actions.

Consequently, the arrangements in the plan were completed smoothly, just waiting for the Youjing to arrive.

But Xu Qing didn't voice this doubt. In silence, he left the Yin-Yang Flower Sect the next day with the Captain and Wu Jianwu.

When leaving, Wu Jianwu was clearly still reluctant, but for the sake of the great cause, he gritted his teeth and walked away without looking back under Yun Xiazi's gaze.

Three days after they left, the Youjing appeared.

From afar, a large group of people arrived on the horizon in a grand procession, with maids scattering flowers and music drifting. The Youjing's figure was among them, approaching gracefully.

Only, no one noticed that the moment she arrived, a pair of ancient eyes slowly opened inside the Twin Peaks, looking over with deep meaning.

"Interesting." ===== CHAPTER 558 =====