Is the Pavilion Master and Young Master Fang going to become Dao companions?
Xia Chan explained, “The Pavilion Master gave me a transcript of Immortal Venerable Shuangyu’s manuscripts to study, so I am technically half a disciple of Immortal Venerable Shuangyu.”
Xia Chan’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he said excitedly as if he had just thought of something, “I learned Immortal Venerable Shuangyu’s arrays before you did. Doesn’t that make me your ‘half-senior’ brother?”
He looked incredibly happy after saying this; one would have thought he was the one who had just won the match.
This kid is simple-minded and actually quite likeable, Shi Qing thought.
Shi Qing gave a mischievous grin, then straightened his expression and said solemnly, “Wrong. Clearly, I am the one who received the inheritance; I am the legitimate successor. Since you are studying the arrays of my sect, strictly speaking, I should be your ‘half-master.'”
“Ah? This? That’s not right, is it?” Xia Chan frowned, wanting to retort.
Unexpectedly, Shi Qing added, “I also know many of Immortal Venerable Shuangyu’s complex arrays. For the sake of being your half-master, I could teach you.”
Upon hearing this, Xia Chan’s thirst for knowledge was instantly piqued. He was about to shout his agreement on the spot when he caught a glimpse of something behind Shi Qing. The unspoken words died in his throat, and his face turned pale with alarm.
Shi Qing was laughing, but seeing this, he turned around. Xie Ciyou had appeared behind him at the edge of the martial arts arena at some unknown point. Shi Qing blanked for a moment, then smiled. “Immortal Venerable, you’re back so soon?”
It was indeed fast. The medicinal herbs were scattered across various remote secret realms, yet Xie Ciyou had managed to rush back so quickly.
Shi Qing felt a warmth envelop him. He turned his gaze back to find Xie Ciyou already standing right in front of him, looking down as he helped tie the ribbons of Shi Qing’s cloak.
“It is getting late. Are you still fighting?” Xie Ciyou asked tonelessly.
Shi Qing looked up; the sky was already approaching dusk.
“No more fighting.” Shi Qing turned to the still-guilty-looking Xia Chan and said, “Let’s call it a day.”
“Okay,” Xia Chan replied immediately, stealing a glance at his own Pavilion Master.
Xie Ciyou suddenly said, “If you want to learn, then learn.”
Shi Qing was stunned, only then realizing Xie Ciyou was speaking to Xia Chan. Xia Chan realized it too and hurriedly said, “I want to! But, I am a disciple of the Morning Mist Pavilion, so do I really have to call him?”
Xie Ciyou said, “The Morning Mist Pavilion is not constrained by such things.”
“Great! Little Master! You’re not allowed to back out; remember to teach me!” Xia Chan said happily.
Everything happened too fast; Shi Qing hadn’t even had the chance to say it was all just a joke.
Except, “Why ‘Little Master’?”
“‘Half-master’ doesn’t sound good. You are about the same age as me, so ‘Little Master’ is perfect.” After saying this, he gave a flattering smile and prepared to bow to Shi Qing. Shi Qing quickly stepped aside and said, “The whole ‘master’ thing was just a joke; don’t take it seriously.”
Shi Qing was just being mischievous for a moment; he didn’t actually intend to take a disciple. The weight of a master-disciple relationship was too heavy, and currently, he didn’t want to get too deeply involved with anyone, whether it was Xia Chan or Xie Ciyou.
But Xia Chan was stubborn and insisted on the title, leaving Shi Qing at a loss. He could only say helplessly, “Fine, I’ll teach you, but stop calling me Little Master.”
“Fantastic!” Xia Chan leaped with joy. “But why won’t you let me call you that? I think what you said makes sense. I was already half a disciple of Immortal Venerable Shuangyu. Since the old gentleman is gone and you are here, calling you Little Master is also a way of showing respect to the old gentleman.”
The “old gentleman” Shi Qing looked utterly speechless; this Xia Chan talked even more than he did back in the day.
Beside them, Xie Ciyou interrupted Xia Chan’s rambling and said to Shi Qing, “Let’s go back.”
“Mm!” Shi Qing hurriedly followed Xie Ciyou, and Xia Chan, hearing this, obediently shut his mouth and retreated.
The two walked one after the other. Xie Ciyou walked very slowly, and Shi Qing followed quietly behind. The wind whistled lowly, and the occasional crisp sound of ice cracking made the emptiness even more apparent. The person in front paused, and Shi Qing also stopped and looked up. Xie Ciyou turned around and said, “I will carry you up.”
It was already the hour of You (5 PM to 7 PM); the sun was setting, and the afterglow dyed the snow. The rosy light of the clouds merged with the color of the snow. Xie Ciyou stood silently amidst it, looking like another touch of peerless beauty.
Shi Qing did not yet know how to fly a sword, nor did he have a sword. At their current pace, it would indeed take until midnight to climb back up.
Shi Qing nodded. Immediately, his waist tightened and his body felt light.
The wind whistled past his ears, but it was all blocked firmly by Xie Ciyou. However, Shi Qing caught a faint, flickering scent of blood. He stole a glance at Xie Ciyou’s robes; they were clearly under a Cleansing Charm. The fabric was pristine and free of dust, let alone bloodstains.
That meant the scent of blood was coming from within him. He was injured.
In a mere moment, they reached the door of the room. After Shi Qing landed steadily, Xie Ciyou silently pulled back a few steps and said, “I am returning to the Sword Pavilion to handle some affairs.”
“Wait,” Shi Qing called out to him. “Is the Immortal Venerable injured?”
“It is of no great concern,” Xie Ciyou said, turning to leave without a hint of hesitation.
Xie Ciyou’s figure vanished, but that bloody scent continued to linger in his nostrils.
He hesitated to return to his room, pacing back and forth at the door. Ultimately, he decided to go to the Sword Pavilion to check on the situation.
Inside the Sword Pavilion, layers of light gauze were rolled up. Zhong Ling strode in, but his expression immediately turned grave. “Is the Pavilion Master injured?”
Xie Ciyou said calmly, “Flesh wounds. There is just some residual toxin making the wounds difficult to heal. Where is the item?”
Zhong Ling presented a jade box. “Pavilion Master, I have retrieved this object according to your instructions.”
Xie Ciyou took the jade box and opened it. With just one glance, he saw a white feather inside, similar to the Immortal Sect Order. He said tonelessly, “Did the Elder say anything?”
Zhong Ling spoke, “Master said that the disciples of the Morning Mist Pavilion all follow the Pavilion Master’s orders. Whatever the Pavilion Master wants, we will naturally give. He only asked me to convey a message.”
He paused and, after carefully observing Xie Ciyou’s expression, continued, “Although the old Pavilion Master is doing well now, he hopes the Pavilion Master will keep the pavilion’s principles in mind and not repeat the same mistakes.”
Xie Ciyou lowered his eyes, his gaze falling once more on the jade box. He said softly, “Back then, Master forcibly ended his secluded meditation to save me, which caused his cultivation to regress. All these years, the Elder has worked hard staying by Master’s side and serving him devotedly.”
Xie Ciyou added, “Since I have agreed to shoulder the position of Pavilion Master of the Morning Mist Pavilion, I will certainly not fail their expectations.”
Zhong Ling moved his gaze to the jade box. After hesitating repeatedly, he finally asked, “What does the Pavilion Master intend to do with this?”
“This item is precious, but it serves only one purpose. Did the Elder not tell you?” Though it was a question, his tone was certain.
He had indeed been told, which was why he was worried. Zhong Ling said uncertainly, “This item can be used to forge a connection with the Immortal Sect Order and plant a contract. But currently, the Immortal Sect Order is within Young Master Fang. Does the Pavilion Master intend to plant a contract with Young Master Fang?”
“Mm.” Xie Ciyou closed the jade box, his expression indifferent.
Zhong Ling had only been guessing, but hearing it confirmed with his own ears still left him astonished. This brand was similar to a marriage contract, but its power was far stronger and more overbearing.
A marriage contract can be dissolved as long as both parties agree. But this item uses the Immortal Sect Order, an embodiment of the Heavenly Dao, as the link. Once it is struck, the rules of the Heavenly Dao are established, and the connection between the two souls becomes extremely strong. Even if one party’s physical body perishes, as long as a wisp of the soul remains, the other can sense it. Even through reincarnation, they would be guided to each other’s side by the soul’s direction.
This wasn’t just a marriage contract; it was an unbreakable bond for lifetimes to come.
But hadn’t the two just met? Why would the Pavilion Master suddenly choose this?
He recalled how the Pavilion Master spared no effort to plant the pavilion’s supreme treasure, the Immortal Sect Order, into Young Master Fang, brought him back to the pavilion for careful care, and was now running all over the place to collect medicinal herbs for him. At the time, he thought Young Master Fang must have some special identity and that the Pavilion Master’s actions surely had deep meaning. It turned out that the deep meaning was romantic intent.
Zhong Ling hesitated, which was rare for him. “Is the Pavilion Master and Young Master Fang going to become Dao companions?”
Xie Ciyou pursed his lips and said flatly, “He is unwilling.”
Zhong Ling was puzzled. He is unwilling, which means the Pavilion Master is willing! Could it be that the Pavilion Master is suffering from unrequited love?
A look of surprise appeared on Zhong Ling’s usually steady face. “Young Master Fang is unwilling? Then how will the contract be planted?”
Did the Pavilion Master intend to use force? Zhong Ling finally understood why his Master looked so solemn when handing him the item and why he gave those words of warning.
Xie Ciyou remained calm. “He doesn’t know.”
“I only told him that I would use the Immortal Sect Order to forge a soul contract and that I would remove the Immortal Sect Order within three months.”
There was technically nothing wrong with those words, but Zhong Ling quickly realized the trick. The Pavilion Master emphasized the Immortal Sect Order and said it would be removed, making the other person believe the contract was linked to the Order and that once removed, the contract would be void.
Zhong Ling took a moment to process this, his voice lacking confidence. “So, Young Master Fang doesn’t know this contract is permanent?”
This development was far beyond Zhong Ling’s understanding. It turned out his Pavilion Master was the one hoodwinking a young man from a good family.
He had originally felt uneasy about how quickly the Pavilion Master had fallen for him and worried that Young Master Fang might be problematic. He never imagined that the “victim” was actually Young Master Fang. What should be done now?
“Have you ever heard of a human being able to take over a body?” Xie Ciyou ignored Zhong Ling’s hesitant expression and changed the subject.
Though he felt the Pavilion Master was dodging the topic, Zhong Ling regained his composure and replied seriously, “A human cannot possess another. This is a rule established since the beginning of the Heavenly Dao’s operation.”
Due to differences in constitution and physical structure, humans cannot perform possession.
Although the Heavenly Dao is currently silent and the world’s rules and order are starting to fall into chaos, the idea of a human being able to possess another is unheard of.
Xie Ciyou slowly tapped the jade box with his fingertip. “Not a demon, and a human cannot do it. What if it were the Heavenly Dao?”
This was something Zhong Ling had never considered. “The Heavenly Dao’s messenger, Chaowu, is dead. The pavilion’s means of communicating with the Heavenly Dao were completely severed a thousand years ago. Now, only the Immortal Sect Order and the South-Pointing Needle can receive instructions, and those are limited to the Demon Race. The content of those instructions is also becoming increasingly blurred and unclear.”
This was exactly the evidence that the Heavenly Dao, and this world, were moving toward extinction.
The Heavenly Dao can barely protect itself; would it suddenly emerge to break the rules and allow someone to possess a body?
Xie Ciyou remained noncommittal. Barely protect itself? Indeed, it wouldn’t do anything useless. But what if the Heavenly Dao was doing this precisely for self-preservation? Shi Qing, the Demon God, the Heavenly Dao.
The look in Xie Ciyou’s eyes shifted. Whether it was human, demon, or even the Heavenly Dao itself, no one would take the person away from under his nose again.
Shi Qing ran to the outside of the Sword Pavilion. From a distance, he saw Zhong Ling coming out of the hall. Zhong Ling saw him as well and bowed to him.
He walked quickly to Zhong Ling and asked while looking at the closed doors, “Is there some urgent matter?”
Zhong Ling looked at the youth before him. After a few days, the sickly look was gone, though his face was still slightly pale. He was clearly just a youth with some lingering boyishness, about the same age as Xia Chan. His heart felt complicated.
“There are indeed new clues that require the Pavilion Master’s decision.” Zhong Ling was wondering how to answer if the other party probed further, but unexpectedly, the youth changed the subject.
“Is your Pavilion Master injured?”
Though the youth’s words were calm, there was a trace of hidden worry between his brows. Zhong Ling paused slightly and replied truthfully, “The Pavilion Master is indeed injured.”
“Is it serious?”
He should have realized it sooner; those medicinal herbs were extremely dangerous. He shouldn’t have assumed that just because it was Xie Ciyou, he could return unscathed.
Having incurred such a debt of gratitude and causing someone to get hurt, Shi Qing couldn’t help but feel guilty.
Zhong Ling pondered for a moment before saying hesitantly, “I haven’t seen the Pavilion Master suffer such heavy injuries in a long time. However, the Pavilion Master dislikes having people near him. He should be inside the hall tending to his wounds right now.”
“If you are worried, Young Master, why don’t you go in and look after the Pavilion Master for me? That way, I can leave to fulfill my orders with peace of mind.”
The gravity in Zhong Ling’s expression did not escape him; it must be very serious. Shi Qing’s face turned a shade paler. He hurriedly bowed, bypassed Zhong Ling, and pushed the doors open.
It wasn’t until the youth had pushed the doors and entered, and the doors had closed again, that Zhong Ling looked thoughtful and slowly walked away.