CH 53

This morning outside of GuangLing City, it was unusually lively and rowdy.

The civilians crowded the riverbank three layers inside and three layers outside and enclosed the flying ship anchored by the river so tightly that not even a drop of water could trickle through. 

“Don’t squeeze!”

“Be careful!”

AD

The Immortal Alliance had laws against using magic on ordinary mortals. Therefore, the LangFeng City disciples could only maintain order to the best of their abilities by the riverside.

“Xiao-Shidi, is the City Master still not here?!” 

Xiao Que stood at the front of the deck. On the ground below, someone squeezed out of the crowd with difficulties and called out loudly to him.

It was Lin ChangAn.

Lin ChangAn has been directing a group of disciples to maintain order for quite a long time already. Even the disciple’s uniform that he was wearing had unknowingly been tugged into a state of dishevel in the process.

These civilians weren’t completely to blame for this.

People always love to get involved in the excitement. Not to mention, cultivators were extremely prevalent in the JiangNan district. The common people were naturally very curious and interested in the cultivation sects and their various magic items.

A ship that can fly in the air— This was definitely something novel and refreshing that couldn’t be seen regularly.

When Xiao Que received Pei QianYue’s message yesterday, he immediately summoned the disciples and sailed the flying ship here. Originally, he planned to meet up with the City Master and then leave. Unexpectedly, this shortstop lasted for an entire night.

AD

Now that the sun has risen in the east, the number of observers and bystanders has also increased. 

Xiao Que didn’t show it on his face, but he was extremely panicked as he gazed off into the distance.

A short while later, a small ferry finally appeared on the river.

It was Pei QianYue and Feng Ci.

“The City Master is here. Lower the ramp.” Xiao Que hastily instructed. 

The wooden ramp slowly descended from the side of the flying ship. The magic-driven ferry very quickly stopped next to the ramp. Xiao Que walked a few swift steps and arrived next to the ferry, but there was no activity from inside the ferry.

Xiao Que didn’t dare to step forth without permission and tentatively said: “This disciple, Xiao Que, welcome the City Master.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard an extremely quiet, almost suppressed sounding moan.

Xiao Que: “?” 

A moment later, the curtain finally lifted, and Pei QianYue walked out holding Feng Ci.

The person in Pei QianYue’s arms was so wrapped up in thick white coats that it was hard to see him clearly. Only a pair of bright sulky eyes, which were for some unknown reason watery and misty, could be visible within the pile of soft fur.

Xiao Que only took one glance. Not daring to look any longer, he hastily lowered his head and retreated to the side.

Pei QianYue paid him no mind and carried Feng Ci onto the flying ship in large strides. 

The bulk of the flying ship was round, divided into three stratums.

The bottommost layer was piled with miscellaneous items. The middle layer and deck provided lodging for the disciples. Meanwhile, the topmost layer was a meticulously and luxuriously furnished little room. This was Pei QianYue’s resting area.

There was only a soft couch in the inner area of the room. A thick layer of fleece blankets was placed on top of the couch.

Pei QianYue put Feng Ci down on the soft couch. He raised his hand, planning to unravel the fur coats around Feng Ci, but Feng Ci grabbed his hand. 

Pei QianYue halted: “What’s the matter?”

The brim of Feng Ci’s eyes somewhat reddened. He opened his mouth and panted twice first before saying: “……. you asshole.”

Pei QianYue raised his eyebrow slightly and did something. Feng Ci groaned once again and instantly lost strength in his hands.

“You let…… let go.” After a long while, Feng Ci finally started speaking again. 

If it weren’t for the fact that he couldn’t move his body, he probably would have already curled himself up into a tight ball right now. Feng Ci endured that unspeakably embarrassing sensation and really wanted to beat himself up for talking nonsense an incense stick of time ago.

Everything was fine, so why did he have to court disasters?

Feng Ci originally had thought that Pei QianYue definitely wouldn’t dare to do anything to him with how heavily injured he was right now. That’s why he let his mouth run a bit recklessly.

But who’d have known, this asshole would actually create a little magic snake to torment him. 

Really quite inhumane.

Pei QianYue smiled faintly and was just about to say something when suddenly there was a knock on the door outside.

It was Xiao Que.

“City Master, are we returning to LangFeng City right now?” Xiao Que asked outside the door. 

Previously, Pei QianYue had sent word rather hastily. The message only said that they had encountered an enemy around GuangLing City, Feng Ci was heavily injured, and Xiao Que needed to come immediately to provide support. Xiao Que didn’t know what they had encountered or whether they needed disciples to assist them, but he knew that not far from GuangLing City was Broken Sword Manor.

The entire cultivation world knew of Broken Sword Manor’s resolute and determined declaration of war on the murderer slaughtering the cultivation sects. That’s where Feng Ci got injured so it’s really unlikely these two weren’t related.

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“Shh, careful someone hears you.” Pei QianYue stooped down and said in a low, suppressed voice: “Bear with it. I’ll be back very quickly.”

Feng Ci looked incredulously at him and almost thought he heard wrong.

What did this person mean? Was he thinking…… 

Pei QianYue only gave him a brief smile, gently pulled off Feng Ci’s hand, and then turned to walk outside.

Without removing the spell.

Disgruntled, Feng Ci clenched his teeth so hard, he almost broke them.

The door opened with a creak and then closed. Pei QianYue’s deep voice could be heard through the door crack. 

At the beginning, Feng Ci was still able to focus his attention and listen to what Pei QianYue and Xiao Que were saying. It was nothing but what they had discussed previously— about pretending that the Broken Sword Manor was ambushed, resulting in the destruction of the entire sect; and that Lin ChangAn needs to bring disciples over there to ‘investigate’.

But as that mischief-making little snake behaved more and more outrageously, by the end, Feng Ci was incapable of feeling concerned about the conversation outside.

……

After Pei QianYue finished his instructions and returned to the room, Feng Ci had already been tormented into a muddled haze, sweating all over. 

Already groggy from the low-grade fever, his mind became even more chaotic. Feeling a slightly cold body pressing against him, Feng Ci turned his head and said, words gnashing through his teeth: “……Are you even human?”

Pei QianYue: “Never was one.”

Even Feng Ci’s fingers were trembling as he mumbled vaguely: “Can’t take it anymore……”

Pei QianYue possessed a wickedness in his bones that was unique to demons(妖). Seeing Feng Ci in such agony, on the contrary, he actually felt somewhat delighted: “Still going to talk nonsense?” 

Feng Ci obediently yielded: “No no……”

Pei QianYue lifted his hand slightly and withdrew his magic.

The little snake instantly vanished, and the constricted area was released subsequently. Feng Ci only felt a flash of white in his head before waves of darkness flooded his vision.

During that time previously inside the illusion, Pei QianYue only wanted to make him feel good and behaved thoughtfully and meticulously in all aspects. All in all, it was a pretty enjoyable experience. But this time, Feng Ci had been tormented for too long so ultimately, this experience was much more titillating than the other time inside the illusion. 

During the change of seasons from Autumn and Winter, the mornings were clearly supposed to be cool and refreshing, but Feng Ci felt completely drenched like someone who had been dragged out of the water. Sweat poured down his temples. Pei QianYue thoughtfully helped him take off his coat and then casted a spell to clean him up before changing him into a dry new shirt.

After doing all this, Feng Ci gradually caught his breath again.

Pei QianYue bent down and pulled Feng Ci into his arms again. He reached out with a hand, wanting to test the temperature of Feng Ci’s forehead, but Feng Ci evaded him: “Get lost.”

“Angry?” Pei QianYue sounded innocent: “But Master clearly enjoyed it very much just now.” 

That really…… wasn’t a lie.

It was how it should be. The more unbearable it was in the beginning, the more enjoyable it was in the end.

But Feng Ci definitely couldn’t admit it.

He simply closed his eyes and refused to answer, pretending that he didn’t hear anything. Pei QianYue lowered his head and used his forehead to test Feng Ci’s temperature. He said: “Your fever went down.” 

And he sounded rather smug about it.

Only he could come up with such… a unique method to reduce fevers.

Feng Ci ground his teeth softly, unable to figure out where this little snake learned such a terrible trick.

Soon afterwards, Feng Ci felt a slight vibration from the flying ship and figured that it had finally taken off. 

Not long after that, Xiao Que’s voice could be heard outside the door again: “City Master.”

Pei QianYue: “Come in.”

Xiao Que pushed the door open and entered.

“This disciple has already sent Lin-Shixiong and the other disciples off the flying ship. According to your instructions, City Master, they are heading to Broken Sword Manor to conduct investigations.” Xiao Que said. 

Feng Ci finally knew what Pei QianYue had instructed outside a moment ago.

Now, there was nothing wrong with what he did. Broken Sword Manor has already made all the preparations. There was no worry of accidentally revealing the truth. Sending LangFeng City disciples over to investigate and then spreading the news of the sect’s ‘destruction’ this way made it easier to convince others.

It’s only that… for Pei QianYue to order everyone on the flying ship, besides Xiao Que, to head to Broken Sword Manor at this critical junction, it more or less indicated that he had sent them away deliberately.

Feng Ci found it rather intriguing, but didn’t say anything. 

Pei QianYue said: “Come here.”

Saying this, he picked up one of Feng Ci’s wrist and put it on a small table next to the soft couch.

Xiao Que stepped forth to check his pulse.

But the more he checked Feng Ci’s pulse, the graver his expression became. 

Pei QianYue asked: “Can he still be treated?”

Xiao Que released Feng Ci’s wrist and said with a sigh: “Due to excessive and forceful exertion of spiritual powers, the Saint Sovereign had pretty much damaged all of the meridians inside this body. The damaged meridians can be reconnected, so restoration is not an issue, but……”

Pei QianYue: “Speak frankly.”

Xiao Que fell silent for a moment and said: “Even if they’re healed, he won’t be able to use any spiritual powers or Sword Arts rashly lest risking his life.” 

In fact, if that battle in Broken Sword Manor lasted a little while longer, Feng Ci’s current physical body probably would have collapsed completely already.

So Feng Ci didn’t feel very surprised or strange to hear Xiao Que’s words.

Feng Ci frowned: “So the only choice I have is to find a new physical body?”

If finding a physical body were that easy, Feng Ci would have done it already. 

Right now, it wasn’t as simple as when he was traveling through the other worlds. If it was traveling in another world, there were so many mortals everywhere. With some patience, he’d eventually find a body that matched his soul sooner or later.

But right now, what he needed was not only a body that matched his soul.

He still had things he must complete. He required a body that possessed cultivation and spiritual roots; it can’t be too low in level, and it needed to withstand the might of his spiritual powers.

Thinking about it from this perspective, it’s actually rather serendipitous that he was able to use Lu JingMing’s body for so long. 

Lu JingMing’s appearance…… Was it purely a coincidence?

Why so opportune? He had just returned to this world and this orphan from the TianXuan Sect coincidentally arrived in LingWu Mountain right at the same time.

In the past, he didn’t know that the Heavenly Principles had instigated this matter. Also at that time, there were no clues that pointed in this direction, so Feng Ci didn’t think too much about it.

But now that he knew everything, the perfect timing of Lu JingMing’s appearance became much more thought-provoking. 

Feng Ci pondered for a moment. Then he suddenly heard Pei QianYue say: “Actually, it shouldn’t be completely hopeless. Am I right, Xiao Que?”

Stunned briefly, Xiao Que’s expression turned somewhat strange.

He didn’t reply.

Feng Ci blinked and asked with a smile: “What riddle are you guys saying?” 

“It’s nothing.” Pei QianYue said: “It’s just that if Xiao Que is without a plan, we just need to find someone with higher medical expertise.”

Feng Ci asked: “There’s such a person?”

The Shaman Valley’s first manuals on medicine were originally inherited from Feng Ci.

However back then, Feng Ci had only transcribed the knowledge instilled in his head by the Heavenly Principles and passed them down to the later generations. As for himself personally, he didn’t actually learn the Art of Healing very well and only had some superficial understanding of the subject. 

Yet despite this, he was still able to tell that Xiao Que’s medicinal skills were already considered top-notch.

At first he was even questioning, why would such a talented individual leave the Shaman Valley to become an ordinary disciple in LangFeng City.

“Yes.” The one who answered him was Xiao Que.

Xiao Que lowered his head slightly and said with an emotionless expression: “The current Master of Shaman Valley is extremely skilled in medicine. He has the ability to bring life back to the dead and regrow flesh on white bones. If it’s him…… he should be able to save you, Saint Sovereign.” 

That sounded about right.

The Shaman Valley specialized in medicine and poison. Even Xiao Que, who had left the sect a long time ago, possessed such superb medical skills; the Master of Shaman Valley naturally should be even more impressive.

However……

What’s going on with Xiao Que’s tone? 

Feng Ci chuckled: “Does the Master of Shaman Valley eat human flesh or something, to make you so afraid of him?”

Xiao Que: “No, that’s not the case.”

It was actually Pei QianYue who explained: “The Master of Shaman Valley is named Xiao Guo.”

Xiao Guo. Xiao Que. 

Feng Ci blinked and realized something. He looked towards Xiao Que: “You guys are……”

Xiao Que said quietly: “The Master of Shaman Valley, Xiao Guo, is my elder brother.”

Amongst the Six Sects, the Shaman Valley was the most unique. During the establishment of the Immortal Alliance, the Shaman Valley was also the last of the Six Sects to agree to join.

The reason was because their original founder had been expelled from the Central Plains by the cultivation world. 

When the founder of Shaman Valley received his legacy from Grandmaster QianQiu, he originally should have practiced medicine to serve the common people and save lives. Yet that founder had a crooked heart and loved to play around with all sorts of poison. Over time, he transformed from a sage healer to a master at creating poison.

To test the effects of his poison, that person even kidnapped others to test his poison and refine drugs. Within a short period of time, he amassed a huge following in the Central Plains.

During those days, not too long after Grandmaster QianQiu left the world, the establishment of the Shaman Cult was the biggest scourge that threatened the safety of the cultivation world in the Central Plains.

In the end, of course, he was expelled to the Southern borders, LingNan, by the combined forces of his fellow sect brothers. 

The Shaman Cult that formed originally slowly transformed into Shaman Valley.

3000 years later, Shaman Valley has long stopped committing crimes and evil. However, the descendants still didn’t have a very favorable impression of Central Plains. In addition, the Southern region of LingNan has a humid climate that’s best suited for the habitation of various snakes, insects, rats, and ants. They were extremely helpful in the study of medicine and poison.

Thus, in the past 3000 years, the Shaman Valley has never planned to return to the Central Plains.

Other than this, the Shaman Valley had another unique practice. 

And this was: To prevent the sacred texts of Shaman Valley from spreading to outsiders, the core medicinal secrets that were been passed down for generations within the Shaman Valley has always been given to only one person per generation.

“…… Every once in a while, the Shaman Valley would select talented children in the tribes to groom as successors. When the kids are all grown and receive their hair crown, the valley holds a competition. Only the winner can inherit the position of Valley Master.”

Xiao Que said: “I was the youngest child amongst the participants that year. My elder brother and I entered the final stage together, but in the end, I lost to him.”

Feng Ci frowned: “Shaman Valley expelled you because you lost the competition?” 

Xiao Que fell silent.

Pei QianYue said: “The consequence of losing the competition… is not expulsion.”

Feng Ci observed Xiao Que’s expression and slowly understood: “The consequence of defeat…… is death?”

Xiao Que nodded softly. 

“That competition was a death match. The winner is the only sole survivor of the competition.”

Feng Ci still didn’t understand: “Then why are you……”

“Perhaps Elder Brother had changed the poison he gave me into a fake poison at the last moment.” Xiao Que squeezed his eyes closed and said quietly: “When I woke up, I had already left Shaman Valley.”

So it was like that. 

No wonder Xiao Que was so skilled in medicine, yet had no choice but to leave Shaman Valley.

Feng Ci said: “But doesn’t this mean your elder brother treats you pretty well?”

Xiao Que wanted to speak but hesitated. He stopped replying.

After he calmed down somewhat, he bowed towards the two of them: “If City Master has decided to head to Shaman Valley, this disciple will change the flying ship’s route now.” 

Pei QianYue nodded: “Go ahead.”

Feng Ci finally realized: “So you had already made plans from the start. If Xiao-Shixiong couldn’t treat me, we’d immediately change route to Shaman Valley?”

No wonder he had sent away all the other disciples before departing.

Pei QianYue helped Feng Ci lay back down on the soft couch and acknowledged it with a quiet ‘En’. 

Feng Ci had nothing else to say.

He was maneuvered to lay on Pei QianYue’s leg. Those slightly cold hands gently stroked through his long hair and then squeezed his face. Feng Ci couldn’t move very well right now and had no choice but to allow Pei QianYue to play however he desired.

Xiao Que originally wanted to leave. Seeing these two people’s affectionate and sticky interactions and posture, he halted again.

Thinking about something unknown, his ears turned slightly red. 

Pei QianYue said without even looking up: “Is there something else?”

Xiao Que: “……Yes.”

Pei QianYue played with Feng Ci’s hair and said concisely: “Speak.”

Xiao Que flushed red from the tip of his ears to his neck, but the ethics of a doctor made him unable to sit idle and do nothing. 

He took a deep breath and said boldly: “The Saint Sovereign’s body is heavily injured at the moment. He can’t withstand…… withstand that kind of activity. I hope the City Master will exercise more restraint in the future. Even if you really want to do something, you shouldn’t use the physical body directly. It’s best to interact via soul exchange.”

Pei QianYue: “……”

Feng Ci: “?”

What exchange???