Chapter 410: Harboring Solitary Hatred

The bright moon rose high. Pei Ye stood in front of the Immortal Platform's carriage, and the woman was already sitting in the carriage.

The two didn't speak any extra words after returning, nor did they say goodbye lingeringly. Others came to say goodbye to the Ming Ming Jianzhu one after another, and the woman responded to them one by one.

Pei Ye looked at this scene of stars surrounding the moon. He still remembered that when Zhu Gaoyang heard the three words "Ming Qitian" during the escape from Xincang Mountain, he looked like he had met a savior. Many times, this woman was indeed a synonym for strength, and everyone subconsciously treated her as a reliance.

But Pei Ye now felt that she wasn't always an immortal descending to the world, strong and flawless. She was actually being watched by malice that couldn't be imagined, asking for swords alone in the world, danger, pressure, loneliness. And she wasn't as well protected as everyone thought.

Even now, Yunlang Mountain hadn't sent anyone to pick up their Young Mountain Master.

His thoughts drifted until the carriage wheels were about to move, and the curtain of the carriage in front of him was lifted again. Ming Qitian looked at him.

Pei Ye returned a pursed-lip smile, but the woman stretched out a hand and spread it toward him.

Pei Ye was stunned. He stared at the clear eyes in front of him for a long time

Ming Qitian pursed her lips in a smile, took back the Zhanxin Liuli, and handed the three neatly folded, thin letters to him.

"These were sent to you by Li Piaoqing earlier," the woman said.

"."

Pei Ye was stunned for a moment before taking them. The familiar, clear eyes before him looked at him one last time, and before he could ask anything, the woman lowered the curtain, and the carriage moved forward.

Pei Ye lowered his head in a daze. As his hand rubbed the seal, he realized all three had already been opened and read.

"We read them earlier," the black cat leaped onto his shoulder. "They are all about the case; there was nothing that needed a reply, but Ming Qitian still wrote one back to her."

Pei Ye was slightly surprised and tilted his head to look at it.

"How would I know what was written?" the black cat said calmly. "It's their private correspondence. If you wanted to sneak a peek, you should have instructed me beforehand."

". Stop slandering me."

Pei Ye was still protesting, but his hand had already unfolded the first letter.

It was indeed an old letter; the young girl's handwriting seemed to still retain the heavy oppression of that time.

【Qu Zhu. Good, I will find this name within two hours... Pei Ye, don't make up words yourself. Is there anything worth seeing in Kongdong? Write more to me when you write letters. Give my regards to the Ming Ming Jianzhu and the little cat!】

Pei Ye smiled knowingly, then quickly fell silent and unfolded the second letter.

"Besides, Sui Zaihua said this Sword Selection Meeting sent a direct invitation to Li Piaoqing," the black cat continued. "Anyway, you can talk about whatever you want when you meet, so there was no rush for you to reply."

Pei Ye's hand paused: "Piaoqing... is coming to the Prefecture City?"

"I suppose so. Cuiyu really needs this opportunity."

"." His heart gave a heavy thump. Pei Ye didn't know if this feeling was panic or anticipation. Fortunately, the second letter was already unfolded, and he lowered his head to look.

【Pei Ye, I have found this name.

Qu Zhu, of excellent character and conduct. He started as a clerk in the Prefecture Office, and three years later, was promoted to Commandant of Merit. Three years after that, he was transferred to be the Registrar of the Prefecture Office. Another year later, he followed Yu Chaotai to serve in the Shaolong Prefecture Office.

I have already found his former residence. You must, must not rush into danger. I am making progress here. Inspector Wuhe said he has also locked onto a merchant association called 'Jin Yu Zhai' on his end. Once we have results, many of the problems on your end might be solved easily.】

Pei Ye paused for a moment, recalling when this was. At that time, the Kongdong Mountain array had already been raised, and he was busy chasing the demon sword; he truly had no leisure to look for incoming letters.

He opened the third letter.

【Pei Ye, this person Qu Zhu is overflowing with talent.

He is like someone who grew up in the deep mountains, knowing nothing of many things, yet once he comes into contact with them, he can immediately see very deeply and clearly.

There is not much of value in his former residence. The only thing to go by is an old letter from Yu Chaotai, proving that twenty years ago, after Qu Zhu searched the warehouse and found nothing, he asked Yu Chaotai about the news of the Heart Amber. That spring, Yu Chaotai went to Xiangzhou to attend the Spring Auction of the Qiyun Merchant Association and purchased five taels of Heart Amber for two hundred and eighty taels of silver.

Yu Chaotai could not afford this sum and used the Prefecture Office's account. After purchasing it, he placed it in the Prefecture Treasury, and Qu Zhu exchanged it for "Snow Collapse."

I think this is the origin of the "Soul-Snatching Bead."

It has been twenty years, Pei Ye. The way Qu Zhu pierces through things always shocks me. And for such a sharp and wise genius to waste twenty years on one thing... I don't know what he was doing in these twenty years, but that is the most core period of a person's life.

I want to remind you again, again, that you must protect yourself well. What they are plotting might be bolder than anyone imagined.

Next, I am going to find the place where he carved those five taels of Heart Amber.

There must be such a place. This person is proficient in both arrays and artifacts. I think that is an accomplishment accumulated over days and months. In Bowang, I will definitely find the traces of its existence.】

"."

Pei Ye looked at this letterhead in silence for a long time before raising his head to look toward the horizon. Ming Qitian's carriage was now just a star-like speck.

He lowered his head again. The contents of this letter dragged him once more into those dark days. Yes, "I don't know what he was doing in these twenty years, but that is the most core period of a person's life."

What exactly was Qu Zhu seeking for these twenty years?

Even though he had gazed at that face time and time again in 【Zhao You】, and combed through his silence and solitude inch by inch, Pei Ye still had never truly seen through this person.

He was the one forbidden by Heaven from inheriting the "Dao Void Scripture."

Just a few dozen days ago, Qu Zhoufu was still saying to Meng Li, "This is the sheer cliff that blocked him; he spent forty years and couldn't pass it."

It was indeed true; the Sword Talent was such a heaven-sent thing that could not be changed. Even now that things had settled, Pei Ye had not seen the third form of "Snow Collapse" from him.

He wanted to control the West Court Heart. He had low status and was all alone, so he joined the Joyous Huan Si Lou... but could the Joyous Huan Si Lou give him what he wanted?

He had speculated that he had been implanted with Immortal Fire that controlled his life, but such a person, since he joined the Joyous Huan Si Lou voluntarily, how could he put his life in the hands of others?

Even if his life was no longer his own, he didn't seem like someone who would be controlled by anyone for twenty years.

What kind of relationship did he have with the Joyous Huan Si Lou?

Of course, the most reasonable explanation now was right before his eyes: he joined the Joyous Huan Si Lou voluntarily, and no Immortal Fire was planted in him. They were already a group with consistent interests; he was a part of the Joyous Huan Si Lou. So when the Joyous Huan Si Lou controlled the 【West Court Heart】, he naturally achieved his goal. So now that they had failed, Sima was also relieved to hand the 【West Court Heart】 to him.

But... wasn't this a compromise?

Of course, everyone changes, and Pei Ye himself was constantly growing, but that scene in the Valley of Lake Mountain thirty years ago was still vividly branded in his mind.

The snow was white and bright, the sunlight sparse and clear, the shadows of branches intertwined.

The man in white lowered his head to look at a book, his lips pursed into a thin, sharp line, his face wearing an expressionless laziness.

"I do not compromise with anything," he said casually.

Two violently contradictory images intertwined and collided in Pei Ye's mind. He closed his eyes, rubbed his forehead gently, and pulled himself out of the tangled thoughts.

He sighed softly.

Regardless, they had indeed failed, and before him was already the clear moon in the sky.

He didn't think about this matter anymore. The people around him had already started laughing and talking as they walked toward the city. Pei Ye stood on the mountain, looking out at the vast city—starry lights, intertwined figures; who knew how many stories were inside.

This was the place where the winds and clouds of the entire Shaolong intersected, and the Sword Selection Meeting that attracted the attention of the entire Jianghu was about to begin.

Suddenly, a finger poked him, and Qu Xin's cold, icy voice sounded from behind: "Little Duck, can you tell the difference between West and South?"

———

The rain grew heavier, almost turning the day into night.

The Moon-Catching Lake was dim and hazy. The weeping willows on the shore were weighed down by the heavy rain, swaying slowly with the wind.

In a remote, old alley, a paper umbrella passed under a tree. Green boots stepped over the recklessly growing yellow grass, crossed the withered threshold, and entered an old, small courtyard that had everything one needed.

The layout of the courtyard still showed the owner's extraordinary taste, but nothing was intact anymore. They had first been eroded by time, and recently meticulously searched, placed in the courtyard in a messy yet orderly fashion.

Several tall figures in green stood in the courtyard, surveying every inch of land even in such weather.

Li Piaoqing entered the door and raised her umbrella. Several voices rang out cleanly and neatly: "Sect Master!"

"Why did you come yourself? Where is Ji Ji Shijie Shen?" One person immediately stepped forward to take the umbrella handle for her. The young girl freed her hand, took the sword tucked under her arm, and smiled, "I think I should find someone to make me a scabbard; it would be convenient and good-looking."

She stepped forward and said: "The Prefecture Office said there is a very important letter for us. Ji Ji Shijie went to get it first—where is the secret room?"

"Please, this way."

Several disciples stopped their surveying and crowded around the young girl as she walked toward the back door. They exited the small courtyard and arrived at a deserted warehouse in the back.

"Just as you said, this really can't be called a 'secret' room," the disciple holding the umbrella said. "We tried our best to search every nook and cranny of that small courtyard, never expecting that he would openly rent a warehouse in the back to use its cellar."

Li Piaoqing smiled: "Researching arrays and artifacts isn't something shameful. He even specifically asked Master Yu to purchase Heart Amber... I heard from Shen Yao that you dug up hundreds of catties of dirt; whose idea was it?"

"Zhang Shixiong Xu!" Several disciples laughed, imitating his gruff voice:

"If it's not in the room, tear down the wall!"

"If it's not in the wall, dig up the ground!"

"The Mountain Master entrusted this matter to us; even if we have to dig this place down to the foundation—"

"—we have to find it!!"

The oldest man's face turned red. Li Piaoqing laughed: "Zhang Shixiong Xu brings hundreds of catties of sweet plums to the mountain every year. You laughed at him until he got anxious; who will make up for my plums?"

Amidst the laughter, they arrived under the warehouse. This downward staircase had already been cleared, and at the end was a stone wall that had been sealed off.

"We didn't open it without authorization; we wanted to wait for your decision," the disciple holding the umbrella said, putting away the umbrella and restraining his smile.

Li Piaoqing nodded and arrived at the end. This was just the most ordinary kind of stone wall. After a cellar was abandoned and collapsed, some owners would build it up and seal it off to prevent children from entering by mistake.

Moreover, it was often very sturdy because there was always accumulated soil supporting it from behind.

She reached out and pressed gently on the wall surface. Suddenly, a series of hurried, wet footsteps came from outside the warehouse behind her. Li Piaoqing turned her head; she was very familiar with the owner of these footsteps, but she rarely heard them so hurried.

The next moment, it was indeed Shen Yao striding in from outside the warehouse. Her umbrella wasn't even held properly, and her clothes were more than half wet, but her face was filled with irrepressible excitement and agitation: "—Junior Sister!!"

The young girl raised her eyebrows slightly: "What is it, Ji Ji Shijie Shen?"

Shen Yao pushed the disciples out of the warehouse and walked down the steps at high speed to the young girl's side. Her eyes were incomparably bright in the darkness: "Junior Sister, guess what I received?"

She lifted her sleeve to reveal a small, ink-black box wrapped tightly. The shape was exquisite, with two lines of vigorous characters outlined in gold on it.

【Twenty-two】

【Excellent Gift: True Transmission of the Jade Jade Mountain Sword Pulse · Li Piaoqing】

"This is..."

"The Sword Selection Meeting."

"."

Outside the warehouse, the wind and rain were gloomy. In the silence, Li Piaoqing immediately understood the woman's excitement.

No extra words were needed to explain. The "Sword Selection Meeting" was also something Cuiyu had been paying attention to. It was just that last month, Cuiyu was struggling to survive and had no time to spare, and the young girl at the Fifth Life level could hardly have the ability to fight on stage.

But now the Seven Serpents had been broken, and after the young girl returned from Xiangzhou, her progress was almost a thousand miles a day. Shen Yao had already been thinking about this, but she never expected that Cuiyu could actually have a direct invitation in the register.

This was an unimaginably huge surprise and favor. Master Sui handing over this spot was almost a ladder to the heavens for the entire Sword Sect.

With everything waiting to be rebuilt, and the withered wood meeting spring, what they lacked most now was time and resources for growth. Once entering this "Shaolong Sword Path Gold Register," it was almost like having the Imperial Court's protection. The young girl, who did not lack foundation, would soon be able to soar into the sky.

And of course, it also represented the revival of Cuiyu.

Shen Yao suppressed her excitement and said: "Are you leaving tomorrow or the day after? I will go prepare immediately."

However, there was no answer. In the warehouse, there was only the "tap-tap" sound of the young girl's index finger tapping on the box lid.

In fact, from just now until now, there had not been the slightest hint of excitement on the young girl's face. Instead, the layer of clothes she used to joke with the disciples had been stripped away, revealing a plain face.

". Sect Master?"

Li Piaoqing flipped the box in her hand and, without even opening it, exchanged it into Shen Yao's hands: "Help me decline Master Sui. Just say, Cuiyu has more important things to do now."

". Junior Sister?!" Shen Yao almost lost her voice and took a fierce step forward.

Li Piaoqing looked at her.

"We... what matters...?" she said with difficulty.

Li Piaoqing turned her head and tapped the stone wall in front of her gently with the tip of her Shicui sword: "Investigating Qu Zhu, isn't that what everyone has been working hard on for many days?"

". But didn't we just get the complete information from the Prefecture Office?!" Shen Yao looked at her. "They failed, the Joyous Huan Si Lou was broken, the Play Master was captured, and Pei Ye and the others are all safe... It's all over! No matter what tails are left, the Immortal Platform will bite onto them!"

"—We have already invested more than half of the sect's power into this!"

Li Piaoqing just looked at her quietly: "I know, Ji Ji Shijie Shen."

"." Shen Yao looked at the clear eyes before her, her light panting gradually subsiding. She didn't know when, but this Junior Sister had become the one who would always be calm.

"It has never ended, Ji Ji Shijie Shen," Li Piaoqing said in a normal tone. "The Cuiyu Sect's own revenge has never had any reason to rely on others."

"What... revenge?"

"Does Ji Ji Shijie Shen not know what revenge I want to take?" Li Piaoqing turned her head and smiled; it was still as light and beautiful as ever.

She tapped the stone wall in front of her again, and finally, a trace of an unusual sound echoed back. So, she slowly closed her eyes and held her sword horizontally.

"."

"Better to break than to bend; that is how we have walked this path, Ji Ji Shijie Shen." Li Piaoqing's tone grew lighter and lighter, and her whole person sank into calmness bit by bit. "Cuiyu did not compromise with the Seven Serpents, Zhang Shixiong did not hold back against the wicked, and Master did not retreat in front of Qu Zhu... Now, I want Master to see this person's corpse with his own eyes before he passes away."

"I will do it soon... Don't stop me, okay?"

In the silence, a majestic sword light suddenly erupted from the young girl's sword. All the shocking power was firmly grasped and rushed forward. The stone wall collapsed like soft rot, and the flying stones and dirt exploded into a brown flower.

"Snow Collapse," Chapter One.

Li Piaoqing floated backward and, in an instant, "popped" open the paper umbrella in her hand, blocking Shen Yao behind the umbrella.

"Bang bang bang" sounds of impact rang out. It was just that the umbrella surface couldn't cover a standing person completely. Shen Yao had already tilted her head and raised her sleeve to dodge, but after everything settled, her hair was still splashed dirty.

Only then did Li Piaoqing stand up straight from behind her and smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "Anyway, you were already dirty when you ran in from outside."

She shook the umbrella and looked forward. Inside the black hole in front of her was an old, but incomparably neat room.

(End of Chapter)

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