Though I felt so hot that I could hardly bear my spring robes, the rain falling on me brought no hint of coolness. Instead, that sourceless rage and hatred only intensified. To me, the gentle spring rain, fine as ox-hair, felt like a thousand needles pricking my skin—a numbing, piercing ache that bored into my very marrow. Cowering, I pleaded with my senior brothers and sisters, "Please, give me an umbrella..."
Two umbrellas opened instantly; one was promptly furled, while the other tilted over my head. The rain no longer touched me. Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, I felt three or four hands stroking my forehead and cheeks. What should have felt tender and sweet instead filled me with a sudden loathing for being touched. I couldn't help but flinch away. They began to murmur, "A-Zhi seems unwell. Should we let her return to her room to rest?"
Fearing they would discover something was wrong with me, I immediately tried to prove my lucidity. "I'm fine. I just don't like getting wet. We cannot be impolite on an occasion like today. Let’s hurry; it will be better once we’re indoors."
After uttering those logically sound sentences, I seemed to convince even myself that I was alright. I followed them with my usual composure into the Tianshu Hall, the main seat of the Lingxian Pavilion.
Inside the hall, a row of long chairs was laid out. Of the twelve First Seats, five had actually appeared, and even Sect Leader Lyu Hongshu was present in person, his demeanor kind and approachable. This came as a great surprise. Usually, for a Sutra Verification, the elders sent by the Wujing Sect were mostly pedants who spent their lives buried in old scrolls, or various Perfected Ones whose cultivation was related to the texts and who sought inspiration or breakthroughs. It was truly peculiar for these First Seats of alchemy and tool-refining to show up.
Most absurd of all was the arrival of the renowned Master Cang Jiang. Contrary to what one might imagine, she was a slender, bony beauty, appearing almost too fragile to withstand a gust of wind. Looking at her outward appearance, who would have thought she was the decisive authority of the Shenxiao Hall, with countless demons and vengeful spirits fallen beneath her blade?
Some of the disciples of these Perfected Ones had also come as part of their masters' ceremonial retinue. Wei Qingmin was among them. Due to her ambiguous status, she did not stand behind anyone in particular, but simply stood at the end of the line, her hands lowered in a respectful, solemn posture.
As soon as I entered the cool interior, my mind felt somewhat clearer, and the restless agitation began to fade. However, the moment I caught sight of Wei Qingmin, a surge of intense resentment came roaring back, ten times stronger than before. It felt almost like the sensation of touching the Vengeful Heart Blood. I seemed to... I was actually... hating her?
My heart ached terribly. I had no time to listen to what the masters or my seniors were saying. While I still possessed a shred of reason, I entered the Illumination Realm on the spot, forcibly suppressing those malevolent thoughts. Lu Kaifeng and the others knew I was not in a good state today, so they did not expect me to speak during the verification. I passed the morning in a daze. When the proceedings concluded, the various Perfected Ones were the first to depart, dispersing one by one.
I was still immersed in meditation when I saw Cang Jiang walk toward me with the grace of a swaying willow. She extended a finger and tapped the center of my forehead. "Child, if you are unwell, seek medical attention."
Zhu Yixin was both panicked and starstruck, awed by the woman's beauty and aura at such close range. Seeing that I remained silent, she thanked her on my behalf. That single tap cleared my mind significantly. As expected of a powerhouse nearing the Star-Plucking Realm, her effect was even better than mine, despite me being a successor of illusions specializing in mental manipulation. I regained some clarity and smiled as I voiced my thanks.
Cang Jiang gave a faint smile, turned, and drifted away.
My brothers and sisters crowded around with concern. Having been touched by Cang Jiang, I felt a sudden sense of physical comfort and told them I was fine. My eyes searched the room and saw that Wei Qingmin had been called away by the Sect Leader. Her jade-green Daoist robe looked exceptionally fresh and bright amidst the sea of grey and blue worn by the white-bearded old men, but she vanished in a flash, without a chance to look back at me.
I forcibly brushed aside the disappointment in my heart and followed my seniors out.
There was another presentation ceremony in the afternoon. Lu Kaifeng made the decision to insist I stay in the courtyard to recover, assigning two maidservants to look after me. The rain grew heavier, sounding like a crashing tide across the mountains. To my ears, it was a deafening, world-shaking roar that filled me with unbearable irritation. I stood up abruptly and walked toward the door. The maidservants blocked my path. "Miss Su, you should rest in your room."
I did my best to appear calm and unbothered, offering a soft smile. "I feel a bit stifled. I want to go see a friend and then find my senior brothers and sisters for dinner."
As I was a guest, they couldn't very well stop me. Seeing that I didn't appear to be in any discomfort and that my speech was clear, they had no choice but to let me go.
I walked out slowly for half a mile, then suddenly broke into a wild sprint against the torrential rain, running all the way to the main martial field. It sat at the foot of Tianshan like a massive, silent circular mirror. The heavy rain struck the exquisite and costly green jade tiles, producing a crisp, rhythmic sound. Yet, I felt every sound was too piercing. In a fit of rage, I drew my sword and began to practice the twenty-four forms of the Wind-Hidden Sword at random.
In such foul weather, there was no one in the martial field except for a few scattered martial lunatics training hard for the Tianshan Meet. I swung my sword with wide, sweeping motions, dancing with such intensity that it felt as if my limbs were about to detach from my torso. Meanwhile, fragments of images and voices became increasingly clear in my mind:
A woman in a pool of blood, staggering to her feet, cursing through gritted teeth: "...Heaven, I want you dead... I will kill you... I want your disciples and descendants to all..."
Then, it was a young Daoist in a lotus crown and green robes, his face blurred, thrusting a sword straight at me while calling out in a sorrowful voice: "...Yu..."
His expression was one of grief and helplessness, his gaze still carrying a hint of compassion. His tone was somewhat tender and lingering, enough to make one want to weep along with him.
A thousand emotions flooded my mind, chaotic and clashing, until I clutched my head and let out a cry of pain. Someone ran over in a hurry, asking kind questions, but I forced them away with a sword strike. In my fury, I spat out a mouthful of blood and lost consciousness.
When I woke, it was already the next day. Outside the window, the rain continued in a steady drizzle, and the sky was dim. The first person I saw was Guan Shanping. Seeing me awake, he stood up excitedly and hurried to my side. "Are you feeling better?"
I frowned, wanting to say something, but found my body devoid of strength and my throat parched. Guan Shanping poured me a cup of water and hurried out to call for others. Zhu Yixin came running in, her skirts fluttering, and pulled me into an embrace, tears already shimmering in her eyes.
I questioned her with my eyes, and she said, "A-Zhi, you fainted at the martial field yesterday. Senior Brother Guan brought you back. We quickly invited Uncle-Master Tancun, an elder from the Changchun Hall of the Wujing Sect, to examine you. He said you're fine now. He said it was... an agitation of your demon bloodline, coupled with some inner demons being triggered simultaneously. With regular medicine, you'll be fine in two or three days."
Agitation of the demon bloodline... Indeed, in that memory that had inexplicably forced its way into my mind, that woman had been a high-ranking demon of noble blood.
I turned my head away, not wanting to look at Guan Shanping's eager posture. The worry and care in his eyes were real, and I was morally grateful to him for saving me, but I truly did not like the man. I even felt a sense of loathing at the thought that he might have touched me while saving me.
I thought again: inner demons... did that refer to my obsession with her? Was this the so-called "Love Tribulation"? Compared to the earth-shattering love and hate I had read about in storybooks, it didn't seem quite that heavy, did it?
After drinking some water, I managed to move my throat, but I still couldn't speak. My body was as limp and weak as a puddle of mud. With Zhu Yixin's help, I collapsed back onto the pillow, a tear involuntarily escaping the corner of my eye from the discomfort. Then, I saw her in the courtyard outside the door. On the dark green jade tiles, Wei Qingmin stood there, holding an umbrella.
She did not fear the rain, of course, but it would be unseemly for the rain to dampen her clothes or hair. So she stood there with elegant poise, holding her umbrella as she came to see me. Yet she did not enter. She simply stood there, staring at the people in the room—not at me, but at... Guan Shanping.
I was filled with both anxiety and anger. As luck would have it, Guan Shanping stood up again to speak to me. Seeing this, Wei Qingmin immediately turned and left. My anger surged, and I cried out in a hoarse, raspy voice, "Qingmin... don't go..."
The first two words were barely a breath, weak and dry, blurred into two short gasps. Only "don't go" was clear. Both Zhu Yixin and Guan Shanping were stunned. Guan Shanping, thinking his movements had caused a misunderstanding, hurriedly explained, "I'm not going, I'm not going."
I was so angry I wanted to beat the bed, but my hands had no strength; they only trembled. Exhausted and panting, I kept saying, "No, no... not you..." They couldn't hear me clearly and only thought I was becoming agitated again. My fifth sister, her heart breaking, wept like rain as she held me in her arms and stroked me for a long time. I drifted back into a deep sleep.
I remained ill for three days, with my brothers and sisters taking turns to watch over me. Once I was able to speak, the first thing I said was that if Guan Shanping came to visit again, they should not let him in—thanking him on my behalf was enough. Zhu Yixin thought my fainting had something to do with him, but I clarified, saying only that it was awkward to see him and that I didn't like his character. She didn't like him much either, though she had seen his sincerity and was somewhat moved by it.
Yu Niannian, Yan Xiangjun, and others all came to visit. One wave of visitors followed another; even Feng Baili and Anchid Nalung came, but Wei Qingmin never appeared again. My heart felt wretched. Our relationship had clearly begun to thaw that day in the library, yet this inexplicable inner demon had caused things to go so terribly awry.
By the time I could get out of bed, the wind and rain had ceased. The weather was bright and beautiful; spring had truly arrived and would not leave.
The first thing I did was find Lu Kaifeng. I said directly, "Eldest Brother, don't you think there's something strange about this illness?"
He looked up at me, his expression solemn but not surprised.
"There don't seem to be any demons within the Wujing Sect," I said. "Even spiritual pets and beasts are confined to specific areas, guarded—or rather, separated—by high-level arrays. Demon slaves are almost never seen, and those that are carry their masters' insignias, which act as protective seals. This place where we are staying is the furthest from Tianshan. Although the climate here is the warmest, which could be seen as a courtesy to us Southerners... that day, the carriage of King Anchid's young daughter, drawn by beasts of noble and pure blood, went mad for no reason as soon as it approached the mountain-protecting array..."
"Yes," Lu Kaifeng said. "Perhaps the sect is indeed unsuitable for demons to reside in for long."
He reached out to pat my head and sighed. "It might be better if we return early. A-Zhi, you are clever; you surely understand that it is best not to pry into the secrets of a great sect."
I lowered my head and smiled, unfastening a piece of jade pendant from my waist. "There's no need. When Uncle-Master Tancun treated me, he gave me this treasure. As long as I have it on me, my mind will remain clear."
I looked up at the beautiful Tianshan in the distance. The secret lay right there, upon that mountain.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 证经日 | Sutra Verification Day | A formal event for certifying or discussing scriptures. |
| 灵宪阁 | Lingxian Pavilion | A location within the Wujing Sect. |
| 天枢殿 | Tianshu Hall | The main hall of the Lingxian Pavilion. |
| 吕鸿枢 | Lyu Hongshu | The Sect Leader of the Wujing Sect. |
| 苍绛真人 | Master Cang Jiang | A powerful female cultivator, head of Shenxiao Hall. |
| 神霄殿 | Shenxiao Hall | A hall within the Wujing Sect associated with Master Cang Jiang. |
| 探存 | Tancun | An elder/Uncle-Master from the Changchun Hall. |
| 长春殿 | Changchun Hall | A hall within the Wujing Sect, likely focused on healing/medicine. |
| 妖族血统躁异 | Demon bloodline agitation | A condition where a character's demon heritage becomes unstable. |
| 风隐剑 | Wind-Hidden Sword | A sword technique or style. |
| 情劫 | Love Tribulation | A trial of the heart or romantic fate, often in a spiritual context. |
| 摘星境 | Star-Plucking Realm | A high level of cultivation. |
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