Hearing a voice praying to Si Lingqing for the power to bring the dead back to life in the dead of night was indeed quite unsettling.
Mu Yin sat on the bed, lost in thought. She wanted to listen again, but there was no further sound from the other end.
Si Lingqing, naturally, had woken up. She glanced at Mu Yin before lifting her head and asking, “What’s wrong?”
“I forgot to turn off my Telecommunication Mushroom at night. Just now, I heard someone making a wish beneath your stone statue, asking to pass the trial exam and to bring her sister back to life.”
Mu Yin recounted the events of the day exactly as they had happened to Si Lingqing, who then sat up from the bed.
Her dark figure nearly blended into the night. After listening to Mu Yin, she sensed something amiss.
The Five Skandha Sect was the foremost orthodox sect in the Nine Provinces. A request like “bringing the dead back to life,” which clearly sounded like a Forbidden Art, couldn’t possibly be circulating among its disciples.
There was definitely something wrong here.
Si Lingqing glanced at the sky. It was already past midnight, so she took human form and said to Mu Yin, “Wait here in the room. I’ll be back soon.”
Mu Yin was about to stop her when Si Lingqing instantly transformed into a wisp of black smoke and vanished. Left with no choice, Mu Yin withdrew her outstretched hand, hugged her knees, lit the lamp, and waited for Si Lingqing to return.
It took only an instant for Si Lingqing to travel from Mu Yin’s room to the statue in the academy. She turned and surveyed the various “offerings” placed beneath her statue.
There were pastries, fresh flowers, and even Spirit Stones.
These items were piled beneath the statue, making it impossible to tell who had left them.
Si Lingqing scanned the surroundings. Logically, she had come immediately after Mu Yin mentioned the incident, yet there was no one around. The person must have left quickly after making the wish.
Who would come to the academy statue in the middle of the night to pray?
Frowning, Si Lingqing swiftly swept the academy with her spiritual sense but found no trace of any disciples. Extending her search led her to the dormitories of the outer sect disciples, a crowded area not far from the academy.
If the person who came tonight was an outer sect disciple of the Five Skandha Sect, they were likely in the dormitories.
Si Lingqing rose into the air to take a look. The dormitories were quiet in the dead of night, with only a few patrolling disciples on duty. Everyone else was sound asleep in their rooms, and no suspicious figures were wandering outside.
The patrolling disciples were all at their posts, none straying from their positions.
Finding this strange, Si Lingqing inspected the entire outer sect area once more but still found nothing unusual. Reluctantly, she returned.
Mu Yin had been sitting on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees and waiting for a long time. The moment she saw Si Lingqing return, she jumped up and asked urgently, “Did you find the person?”
Si Lingqing shook her head lightly.
Mu Yin sat back down in disappointment and sighed. “If we can’t find them, it’s going to be troublesome. ‘Bringing the dead back to life’ is obviously a Forbidden Art. Should I go tell Father and Mother about it?”
Si Lingqing remained silent. She had always been sparing with words. After a long moment of contemplation, she finally looked at the sky outside and said, “It’s too late tonight. Let’s tell them tomorrow morning.”
There was a slight pause when the word “Father and Mother” left her lips.
She was the Ghost King. Though she retained her memories after returning to her immortal status, having lived for tens of thousands of years, her feelings toward familial bonds like parents had grown exceptionally thin.
The mere thought of that couple made Si Lingqing’s heart sink involuntarily.
In her previous life, to hasten her tribulation and return, Si Lingqing had altered her fate in the Book of Destiny, arranging for herself a frail body that wouldn’t live past twenty.
Upon learning their daughter would die young, Yu Luo didn’t bear another child. Instead, she and Si Muzhou devoted themselves entirely to caring for their only daughter, ensuring she never suffered the slightest hardship. Even after Si Lingqing’s passing, they defied others’ opinions and arranged a marriage for her spoiling her to the extreme.
If not for them, Si Lingqing would never have crossed paths with Mu Yin.
At this thought, Si Lingqing felt a tumult of emotions.
Mu Yin noticed Si Lingqing’s somber mood and guessed she was missing her parents. Tentatively, she asked, “Do you want to come with me to visit them tomorrow? After all, they’re your parents too.”
Si Lingqing glanced at her, then transformed into a cat, leaping onto the bed and curling up in a corner. “Sleep,” she said.
Mu Yin let out an “Oh,” then dawdled as she moved to blow out the candles. With a flick of Si Lingqing’s tail, the candlelight in the room instantly extinguished.
Mu Yin: “…”
Fine. Since Si Lingqing was all-powerful, she might as well just lie down.
Once she made peace with it, drowsiness overtook her, and Mu Yin burrowed under the covers, falling asleep in no time.
The next day, Mu Yin rose early and relayed the matter to Yu Luo, who was equally surprised.
“How could such a thing happen in the Five Skandha Sect?” Yu Luo frowned slightly, eyeing the pitch-black kitten nestled in Mu Yin’s arms. “I’ll arrange for someone to handle this. You needn’t intervene.”
Mu Yin nodded, then asked curiously, “Mother, is the academy holding exams soon?”
The sheer number of prayers yesterday had piqued her interest.
“Yes.”
At this, Yu Luo sat down and explained to Mu Yin, “After spring begins, the Five Skandha Sect holds its annual spring examinations. Outer disciples must pass the trials in the Trial Grounds. Only those who meet the standards will be assigned to one of the other branches for further study.”
Mu Yin understood, it was a placement exam.
After a year of foundational studies, outer disciples took the test, and based on their performance, they could choose among the five branches.
The Five Skandha Sect had five divisions: Sword Sect, Dao Sect, Alchemy Sect, Beast Taming, and Spirit Summoning each with distinct cultivation methods. Thus, the entrance exam was crucial.
After exchanging a few more words, Yu Luo left to attend to her duties. Mu Yin looked down at Si Lingqing, who had been resting quietly in her arms with closed eyes, and whispered, “Your mother’s gone.”
Si Lingqing slowly opened her eyes, her gaze conveying: I know.
Mu Yin stroked Si Lingqing’s soft fur and sighed. “It must be hard, being so close to your family yet unable to reunite with them.”
Si Lingqing closed her eyes again. Mu Yin couldn’t decipher a cat’s expression, but her intuition told her Si Lingqing was grieving.
“It’s alright.” Mu Yin lifted Si Lingqing and said, “From now on, your father is my father, and your mother is my mother. The filial duties you can’t fulfill, I’ll fulfill for you. So you don’t have to be so sad.”
Si Lingqing was nestled in Mu Yin’s embrace, wanting to say something, but when she saw the earnest expression on Mu Yin’s face, she inexplicably felt a warmth in her heart.
The fact that she was a deity, it seemed better not to tell Mu Yin just yet.
Otherwise, how could she continue to enjoy her wife’s doting?
Yu Luo had gone off to attend to her duties, and Mu Yin wasn’t idle either.
She still felt uneasy in her heart and decided to carry Si Lingqing to the academy for a look.
The front mountain of the Five Skandha Sect was quite vast. From their courtyard to the academy, it took about half an hour on foot. Others could fly with their swords, but Mu Yin couldn’t do anything, she certainly couldn’t ride a mushroom, could she?
Mu Yin imagined herself riding a mushroom and concluded that she truly had a Useless Spiritual Root.
How infuriating!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, so Mu Yin quickened her pace toward the academy, determined to see Si Lingqing’s stone statue with her own eyes.
Deep down, Mu Yin knew she wouldn’t uncover anything by going, but she still wanted to see for herself.
However, as soon as she arrived at the academy, she noticed outer sect disciples gathering in groups, each carrying their weapons and discussing something with barely contained excitement.
Puzzled, Mu Yin curiously asked a passing disciple, “Do you know what’s going on here?”
“It’s the entrance exam for new disciples,” the disciple carrying a sword replied. “It’s about to start soon, and everyone’s thrilled.”
“Entrance exam?” Mu Yin frowned. “Why is it happening now?”
The disciple gave her a strange look and said, “Aren’t you an outer sect disciple? The exam schedule was announced long ago. It’s starting any minute now.”
Unlike inner sect disciples, who wore uniforms, outer sect disciples typically wore their own clothes with a wooden token at their waist. Thus, the disciple mistook Mu Yin for an exam candidate and glanced at Si Lingqing in her arms, adding, “Are you studying Beast Taming? Others have such majestic Mystical Beasts, who could your little cat possibly defeat?”
Si Lingqing, inexplicably insulted, lifted her head and glared fiercely at the disciple.
The disciple froze, then awkwardly scratched his head and said to Mu Yin, “Ah, your tamed beast understands human speech? That’s… that’s impressive. You’ll definitely pass the exam. I won’t disturb you further good luck on your entrance test!”
As the disciple walked away, Mu Yin looked down and exchanged a glance with Si Lingqing.
Without a word, both knew exactly what to do.
With a flick of her tail, Si Lingqing conjured a wooden token at Mu Yin’s waist, engraved with the outer sect disciple emblem.
“Let’s go take a look,” Si Lingqing said, leaping onto Mu Yin’s shoulder. “The culprit must be among these exam candidates.”
Mu Yin nervously rubbed the patterns on the token and whispered, “Can I really do this?”
Si Lingqing remained as composed as ever, sitting steadily on Mu Yin’s shoulder while scanning the crowd of disciples.
Soon, the time for the entrance exam arrived.
A golden, rippling Illusion Mirror appeared in the academy square, and a middle-aged man in his forties stepped forward, announcing to the crowd, “The annual entrance exam has begun. Bring your belongings and enter this Illusion Mirror to reach the Trial Grounds. Senior disciples from each branch will be there to greet you.”
“Now,” the person said in a lighthearted tone, “the Five Skandha Sect’s entrance examination officially begins!”
After the brief announcement, the disciples standing in the front row stepped into the Illusion Mirror one by one. Mu Yin quickly estimated that there were about fifty to sixty candidates for this entrance exam.
When it was Mu Yin’s turn, she took a deep breath to steady herself before stepping into the Illusion Mirror with Si Lingqing cradled in her arms.
Shortly after Mu Yin entered, Yu Luo arrived with her entourage. Seeing that the Trial Grounds had already been activated, her expression darkened immediately. She turned to the middle-aged man and said, “Stop the Illusion Mirror at once!”
The examiners, confused by the sudden order, quickly halted the remaining disciples from entering.
“Madam, what is the meaning of this?” the middle-aged man asked, perplexed. “The entrance examination has already begun. Why call for an abrupt stop?”
Yu Luo replied grimly, “There’s a reason, naturally.”
She glanced at the already activated illusionary realm and turned back to ask, “How many have entered just now?”
“Two groups have gone in, totaling thirteen people.”
“I see. Don’t allow anyone else to enter after this,” Yu Luo said with concern. “Let’s hope luck isn’t so poor that it happens within these two groups.”
Meanwhile, Mu Yin traversed the kaleidoscopic space of the Illusion Mirror. When she opened her eyes, she saw a gloomy gray sky and six other disciples standing beside her.
The seven of them exchanged glances, none speaking first.
Soon, they noticed a female disciple dressed in the Five Skandha Sect’s Sword Division uniform approaching. With a faint smile, she stood before the seven and said, “Welcome to the Trial Grounds. I am Ni Miaoyuan, a disciple of the Sword Division and your chief examiner for this entrance examination’s secret realm.”