The festival area was divided into three sections: the sacrificial platform at the top, the viewing gallery in the middle, and the observation ground at the bottom.
Around the observation area, a half-man-high iron railing had been set up. Suddenly, three or four figures vaulted over it from the dense crowd. Their faces were all covered by full-face masks carved with blue-black fangs and sharp teeth, looking utterly terrifying.
Lin Qingye recognized them at a glance: they were the Shadow Guards of the Mo Sen Imperial Family.
The Mo Sen Shadow Guards were few in number, yet their exploits echoed across the martial arts world. It was said that wherever they trod, signal fires rose like wolves smoke and rivers of blood flowed. Governed by a uniquely rigorous selection process, every single one of them was a top-tier master.
Her heart tightened. With no time to overthink, she drew her sword and stepped forward to protect Ji Mian.
Lin Qingye also vaulted over the railing, landing alongside Yuhuai, and immediately plunged into close combat with several Shadow Guards.
No one here knew Lin Qingye; they spared her trouble purely out of respect for Yuhuai. However, once the riot subsided, they would inevitably subject her to a thorough inspection.
And Lin Qingye’s identity could not withstand such scrutiny.
Ji Mian leaned against the base of the sacrificial platform, drenched in cold sweat, her vision blurred. Through the flashing blades and clashing swords, she felt too utterly weak even to feel fear.
Amidst the fierce combat, Lin Qingye closed the distance in a few swift strides. Utilizing her lightness kung fu like a nimble fish, she reached out, looped a rope around Ji Mian’s waist, and yanked her close.
Fighting desperately to suppress the chaotic internal energy rampaging within her, Ji Mian trembled as she spoke.
“There is a secret tunnel in the alley behind us that leads out of the city.”
Understanding instantly, Lin Qingye led her away from the chaotic fray.
With her footsteps feeling light and unsubstantial, Ji Mian rested almost her entire weight upon Lin Qingye. After walking a short distance, leaving the sounds of clashing blades far behind, Ji Mian could no longer hold on, collapsing limply to the ground.
The breath in her abdominal cavity was in total disarray, as if she had been battered inside and out. Overwhelmed by a sharp, piercing pain, she turned her head away so as not to stain Lin Qingye’s white robes. Unable to steady herself, she stumbled, and a mouthful of blood spilled out with the fall.
Her lips, usually devoid of color, turned a striking crimson, and blood splattered across her cheeks. Against her pale complexion, it looked like a scattering of red plum blossoms upon snow.
Lin Qingye hastily dropped her sword to support her, then hurriedly checked her pulse. The heartbeat was agonizingly weak. Staring at her in disbelief, Lin Qingye asked,
“Where did your internal energy go?”
With a deep frown, Lin Qingye struggled to make sense of it. Then, her gaze locked onto Ji Mian once more, her expression turning impatient as if exercising immense restraint.
The blood blooming like a flower on Ji Mian’s lips stirred a deep-seated craving. Lin Qingye licked her lips as the pungent scent of rushing blood bloomed at the tip of her nose.
Ji Mian broke into another fit of coughing, tears welling in the corners of her eyes, which finally shocked Lin Qingye back to her senses.
Internal energy was of paramount importance to anyone practicing martial arts; lacking it reduced one to an ordinary person. For a martial arts master to suddenly lose all internal energy was equivalent to becoming a cripple.
After spitting out a mouthful of stagnant blood, Ji Mian’s condition stabilized just enough for her vision to clear. To check her pulse, Lin Qingye had leaned in exceptionally close.
The moment her field of vision cleared, Lin Qingye’s profile abruptly came into focus, so close, so very close, close enough to discern the delicate pores of her skin, close enough to glimpse the fine downy fuzz on her face under the morning light.
Lin Qingye was entirely clad in white, and even the tiny hairs on her face were white. She looked quite beautiful…
Oblivious to this, Lin Qingye simply kept her fingers pressed against Ji Mian’s wrist, gradually increasing the pressure without realizing it, as she muttered to herself,
“Hn, why that expression?”
Wincing in pain, Ji Mian hated seeing the other woman frown; it made her heart ache.
She forced a weak smile.
“Don’t worry, aside from losing my internal energy, I should be fine.”
In truth, Ji Mian wasn’t entirely sure either. She pulled her hand back, noticing that Lin Qingye seemed somewhat distracted.
“Right?”
Lin Qingye didn’t answer immediately. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she glanced at Ji Mian and only replied after a long moment.
“Mn.”
Hearing this, Ji Mian let out a sigh of relief, but Lin Qingye immediately followed up with a merciless piece of bad news.
“However, the toxins in your body have already invaded your internal organs. If you don’t seek treatment soon, your life may be in danger.”
The hand Ji Mian had resting on Lin Qingye suddenly loosened. She pressed her lips together, then couldn’t help biting down on them, turning her pallor a reddish hue.
“Then what should we do?”
Clearly sensing Ji Mian’s rising panic, Lin Qingye pursed her lips, swept her gaze over Ji Mian’s injuries, and made her decision.
“Ji Mian, why don’t you come with me to see my master? Her attainments in medicine are profound; she will surely have a way. At the very least, she can save your life.”
Ji Mian refused. With her identity, going to the Qingxuan Sect would only bring trouble to Lin Qingye.
Ji Mian shook her head, but this time Lin Qingye was unusually forceful.
“Listen to me and come with me.”
“I won’t harm you.”
Seeking Refuge at Qingxuan
Ji Mian was practically carried away by Lin Qingye. Escaping the city via the secret tunnel, they mounted their swords and flew toward the Qingxuan Sect.
Unfortunately, Chen Jing was not currently at the sect.
Coughing violently and growing increasingly delirious, Ji Mian lay in bed, drifting in and out of consciousness.
Lin Qingye sent subordinates down to summon a physician; no matter what, she had to stabilize Ji Mian’s condition first.
It had been the same last month. Ever since Ji Mian had returned from the gates of death, her own behavior had grown increasingly bizarre. Yet, strangely enough, Lin Qingye felt that this person ought to be just like this now.
The Ji Mian of the past hadn’t felt like her true self.
The two rarely spoke. On the few occasions they did, it was when Ji Mian draped a cloak over her during an illness flare-up, only then would this person exhibit a trace of genuine warmth.
It seemed that ever since the other woman nearly died, many things had quietly begun to shift, and she had inexplicably found herself wanting to meddle.
She stared intently at Ji Mian’s face.
Perhaps, she thought, she simply had a slight weakness for beauty.
Lin Qingye poured her a cup of water, a persistent cloud of gloom shadowing her brow.
“These are not peaceful times. Long before the Lisheng Xu made its debut, the friction between the Daoist sects and the imperial family had already intensified. Wars have erupted everywhere, leaving countless dead and wounded. When I was traveling abroad previously, I saw that the borders between those two nations were littered with corpses.”
“I hear that relations between the Demonic Cult and Zhesha have hit a rough patch recently, and they are preparing for war. You must be on your guard. Your current condition is poor; if those people find out and try to exploit your weakness, the Demonic Cult may suffer a catastrophic disaster.”
Ji Mian’s formidable reputation preceded her; the three major sects feared her martial prowess and dared not launch a blind attack.
“Mn.”
“Between the two empresses of Mo Sen and Zhesha…”
Lin Qingye weighed her phrasing, uncertain how to present those gossipy rumors and groundless whispers in a proper, dignified manner.
“There are some anecdotes.”
“Although they haven’t formed an official alliance, the two of them act almost as one.”
Therefore, this move was likely the precursor to a declaration of war.
Having taken her medicine and feeling somewhat better, Ji Mian got up, preparing to leave.
“Where are you going?”
Turning her head, she saw Lin Qingye gripping her wrist with considerable force.
“I still have to go back and stabilize the situation.”
Lin Qingye slackened her grip slightly, only to suddenly pull her right back.
“Your injuries, I will apply the medicine for you first. Several of them have affected your tendons and bones; you cannot delay this any longer.”
A sudden flash of inspiration struck Ji Mian.
“Do you want me to stay?”
Lin Qingye remained silent, merely taking up the bottle of medicinal powder and applying it to her wounds.
“Why?”
This time, Ji Mian genuinely felt a spark of joy.
“Why?”
Ignoring her completely, Lin Qingye finished applying the ointment and coldly drove her away.
“Get out.”
The Council of Leaders
Following this farce, Ji Mian returned from the Qingxuan Sect. To project stability, she suppressed her weakness, walked the sacrificial platform, and showed herself to the public to prove she was fine, allowing the festival to proceed as scheduled.
Once the festival cleanup was mostly finished, four leaders held a meeting inside the council pavilion.
None of their expressions looked particularly good.
Chen Que, in particular, seeing that everyone else remained stubbornly silent, directed her ire at Cui Li first.
“Could Palace Master Cui have some grievance against me? Why else would you pick this exact moment to sour relations with the other side?”
Wars nowadays always required a pretext, yet Zhesha had been left searching for an excuse. It was said that Cui Li had engaged in a fierce quarrel with the Empress of Zhesha while negotiating peace within Zhesha’s own borders. As for what exactly transpired behind closed doors, no outsider knew.
Though Chen Que lacked martial prowess, none of the factions dared to offend her. After all, she was notorious for her foul temper and her equally infamous pettiness. Coupled with what some people had witnessed firsthand inside her chambers, her fearsome reputation preceded her.
Narrowing her pretty eyes, Chen Que flashed a cunning gleam in her heterochromatic gaze. Arching an eyebrow, she forced Cui Li to respond.
“Cui did not mean it that way. It’s just that Zhesha’s borders neighbor my Demonic Cult, and there have been many frictions over the years. I hear the imperial court of Zhesha has been quite turbulent lately; perhaps someone simply planned to strike first.”
With those slick words, she cleanly washed her hands of the whole affair.
Chen Que had zero interest in these troublesome, winding political plots.
“I have only one demand: bring back the person who ruined my plans, and I will personally entertain her properly.”
“And, Palace Master Cui, I am keeping a tally of this one.”
Throwing a light, breezy smile at Cui Li, Chen Que flicked her sleeves and left, showing no intention of discussing anything further with them.
Ji Mian had been sitting for too long, and her complexion turned poor. Her body was hollowed out, and her physical stamina was abysmal; merely sitting upright made her break out in a sweat all over.
“Zhesha’s war notice will arrive shortly, Sect Master. Shall we dispatch troops?”
Jiang Xiyan had just returned from patrolling the city. The military exercise had only just concluded, and she was still clad in heavy armor. The room felt rather stuffy, and beads of sweat had already broken out across her forehead during the exchange.
“Go make the preparations.”
After discussing logistical matters such as provisions and military pay, and arranging for Ji Mian to oversee the campaign, the group finally adjourned the meeting.
Supported by Yuhuai who was waiting outside the door, Ji Mian made her way back. Lying down on her comfortable little bed, her whole body ached with a soreness akin to being pricked by needles. Unable to sleep soundly, she got up during the night and happened to run into Yuhuai coming to find her, carrying a bowl of medicine once more.
“What is this?”
“This was sent over by Palace Master Chen, who says it can help stabilize the Master’s internal energy.”
Hesitating slightly, Ji Mian looked at the unidentifiable concoction and sniffed it. Its scent differed from what she usually drank, making her wonder if there was poison inside…
“Your subordinate has already tested it. The medicinal formula is fine.”
As if reading Ji Mian’s hesitation, Yuhuai added another sentence.
“Alright.”
The instruction was clear enough. Under Yuhuai’s watchful gaze, Ji Mian had no way to refuse. She tilted her head back, drank it down, and finally enjoyed a peaceful night’s sleep.