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Chapter 107: The Strange Shadow
Wu Song said with a righteous tone, yet, whenever he brought Yu Luo up, his eyes would sparkle, it would be really strange for Zhu Yao to not notice the thing going between them.
It seemed like these two people, after going back and forth, caught each other’s eyes. They thought of developing feelings beyond that of just friends, however, they did not wish to be caught red-handed by her.
“Don’t worry, big sister isn’t someone who’s not that open-minded.” Zhu Yao patted on his shoulders. Speaking of which, in that dream, Wu Song had a love at first sight with Yu Luo as well. Then, his heart was dead set on her, and it was exactly because of her, he went on the Devil’s path. Although back then, the soul inside Yu Luo’s body was already different, the body was still the same, after all.
Wait a minute! Could it be, the one that what Wu Song liked was not Mu Meiyan herself, rather, he liked Yu Luo’s face?
The hell! As expected, this was a society where looks were important!
But this was good as well. At least, with little radish, this good little disciple of hers, Wu Song would not lean himself to the Devil’s path.
“Sect… Sect Master, there’s really nothing going on, with Miss Yu Luo…” Wu Song weakly defended himself.
Zhu Yao glanced at him. “If there’s nothing going on now, something can still go on in the future, right?”
“Ah! Ah?”
“What do you mean by ‘ah’?” Zhu Yao stared at him, and silently recalled a certain someone who had already ascended. Are you trying to learn from a certain someone, by fleeing right after finishing a meal? Like hell I will let you! “Tomorrow, you shall bring along Yu Luo, and return to Azureflight with her.”
“Ah?” Wasn’t that too quick?
Zhu Yao raised her hand and patted on his head. “I have to leave for a period of time. Yu Luo’s injuries have yet to recover completely, with Sesame around, I will not have to worry. And, her arts are taught by me, after heading to Azureflight, she can give you guys some pointers as well.”
Wu Song’s expression sank, and he only nodded a moment later.
Qi Han of Celestial Indus Sect was really someone who did not cut corners. In the early morning of the second day, Zhu Yao had Yu Luo, Sesame and the rest sent back to Azureflight. Naturally, she only told Zi Mo that Yu Luo was heading down the mountains to gain experience, and had looked for some people she was familiar with. Then, right after returning to Jade Forest Peak, she received Qi Han’s mail.
Following the message’s instructions, Zhu Yao went down the mountain, however, she then saw a celestial ark stopping above the plaza of Main Peak. The ark looked as though it had been carved out from jade, and it looked especially pleasant. Spiritual energy circled around the ark, and with clouds shrouding it, one would know that it wasn’t an ordinary boat with just a single look. Although its rank was much lower than the ones left behind by her master, it won in terms of exterior beauty, and one wouldn’t have to feel embarrassed sitting on it.
Zhu Yao silently threw a glance to Zi Mo who came to send her. Look at this person’s transportation artifact. Compared to the leaves or whatever, it’s basically gazillion times better, alright?
Evidently, Zi Mo did not notice the big problems with his citizens’ quality of life, as he was still standing on the plaza, waving his hands to bade her goodbye with all his might.
Zhu Yao rolled her eyes, and then walked back into the cabin.
Only after she entered the cabin did she find out that it was actually another space within it, as though another small world had been paved out. When she opened the cabin door, it was actually a garden. At the center the garden was a pond, and one could faintly see red and white fish swimming separately and freely in the pond.
Qi Han guided her to a small courtyard, and had her sit by a stone table. There was actually a two-floored manor behind the courtyard as well. In an instant, Zhu Yao felt this ark was simply too mystical, and suddenly had an urge to take out those mystic artifacts her master had left for her and try them all out.
Qi Han glanced at Ru Lu behind him. Then, she went into the manor behind, and came out with a teapot in her hands.
Zhu Yao had been paying a lot of her attention to Ru Lu, whose soul had changed, in the first place. Though, Mu Meiyan was a natural actor. Whenever Zhu Yao made contact with her, she would only see that feeling of excitement a junior would feel when she saw an expert. There was not even a single flaw in her disguise.
“To trouble Sovereign for this matter, this Qi Han expresses his utmost gratitude.” Qi Han, however, gave his sincere thanks.
“For Reverend to care about this sect disciple of yours to this extent, could she be your personal succeeding disciple?” Zhu Yao intentionally asked. As expected, at the side, Mu Meiyan’s expression sank a little. Evidently, she was very bothered by this question as well.
“That’s not the case.” Qi Han answered.
“Oh, then is she a chamber disciple?”
“That’s… not it either.”
“Then that sure is strange.” Usually, when a sect’s Nascent Soul Elder took in disciples, most of them would merely be name-bearing disciples, and would be taught by other specialists in the sect. Only chamber disciples and personal succeeding disciples would be taught mystic arts personally by the Elders themselves. Logically speaking, he wouldn’t come from miles away to look for her and owe her a favour, all for the sake of a regular name-bearing disciple, right?
“Truthfully speaking, although she’s a daughter of my old friend, before I found her, I did not know of her.” Qi Han seemed to have recalled some past events, as he took a deep breath before continuing. “Even the matter of taking her as my disciple, was a decision I made on a whim as well.”
“Oh?” Zhu Yao was a little startled. There’s actually someone who’s so proactive in taking in disciples?
“However, that old friend of mine and I have gotten along for many years. This girl is her only descendant, and now that she has passed away, I shall certainly take care of her daughter.” Qi Han said this with an especially saddened tone, and there seemed to be something intractable concentrated in his eyes.
Zhu Yao felt he was hiding something. But, after all, it was other people’s matters, so it wouldn’t be pleasant for her to get to the very bottom of the matter either. Hence, she gracefully closed her mouth.
When she turned her head, she suddenly bumped into Mu Meiyan, who was lowering her head with a depressed expression at the side. And then, Zhu Yao’s eyes instantly widened.
The hell, so back then, her vision wasn’t blurry at all. There really was a shadow behind her, and looking at its shape, it even looked like the figure of a man. Currently, that shadow was crawling on her shoulder. It leaned its head next to the side of her ear, as though it was whispering something.
A scene like this was similar to seeing a ghost in bright daylight, which freaked Zhu Yao out. She had even almost thrown that cup of tea towards it. Terrifying scenarios which she had watched before on the TV, such as ghosts possessing bodies and vengeful ghosts taking lives, were flashing in her mind.
Fortunately, Qi Han voiced out in the nick of time, following Zhu Yao’s gaze, he looked towards Mu Meiyan who was in a daze at the back. “Ru Lu!”
Mu Meiyan was startled for a moment, as though she had regained her senses from her own thoughts.
“Why are you still standing there? Hurry and pour a cup of tea for the Sovereign.” Qi Han thought she was dissatisfied with the attitude of the people from the sect, and hurriedly reminded her.
Only then did Mu Meiyan walk over, and pour tea into the cup in her hands to the brim. The shadow on her shoulder moved for a moment. Leisurely, it turned its head over, as though it was looking at Zhu Yao.
Zhu Yao’s hand trembled, and cold sweat instantly ran down her face. Though, that shadow’s gaze did not pause on her for too long, as it soon turned its head back, and slowly dissipated.
Zhu Yao had to gulp down a huge mouthful of tea before she could calm down. Mamamia, just what the hell is that?
She once again glanced at Qi Han who did not seem to have noticed anything. Other people couldn’t see it?
When they arrived at Celestial Indus Sect, it was already noon. Although the celestial ark was beautiful, its speed was simply too freaking slow. Initially, if the two of them had flown over while riding on their swords, a journey like this could have been completed within four hours. Yet, they had actually flown for an entire day.
The person who came to welcome them was the Sect Master of Celestial Indus Sect, who looked like a middle-aged man in his forties. As expected, becoming an old man or whatever, was just Zi Mo’s personal hobby.
After flying for such a long time, Zhu Yao did not really have the intention to be courteous with that many people. Wearing her cold and prideful mask, she casually nodded. Qi Han was tactful as well, as he hurriedly arranged for a disciple to bring her over to rest in a guestroom, and planned to bring her over to his so-called disciple tomorrow.
Recalling that shadow clinging behind Mu Meiyan, Zhu Yao simply felt a cold intent was leaking out from the depths of her heart, and she was unsure of why that was so. Since there were deity practitioners in this world, naturally, there would be things like ghosts. However, she was absolutely sure that shadow was not definitely not a ghost. Ghosts were dark beings, and because deity practitioners carry spiritual energy in their bodies, ghosts were unable to approach them. And the aura being faintly emitted out by the shadow, made her feel a little timid.
Just what the hell was that? Why was it with Mu Meiyan? And looking at it, it seemed to be very familiar with Mu Meiyan, and did not seem like it would hurt her.
Zhu Yao felt that shadow was definitely related to Mu Meiyan’s reincarnation and her sudden appearance in little radish’s divine sense. Furthermore, it was definitely the key to eliminating this bug.
After pondering for a moment, Zhu Yao released her divine sense, while carefully hiding her own aura. The entire Celestial Indus Sect was instantly within her vision.
Currently, Mu Meiyan was using the body of the Sect Master’s daughter, and the place she was living in was on another mountain not far away from her own.
She seemed to be training at this hour, as she was sitting in a lotus position on the bed. Right now, she was merely at the second level of Essence, so it was exactly the time she needed to raise her cultivation. Zhu Yao recalled that in her dreams, after her reincarnation, her cultivation rose very quickly. In just mere two hundred years, she had already nourished her Nascent Soul.
Even a ghost wouldn’t believe she did not have a special method in her hands.
As expected, the ice spiritual energy that was initially uniformly entering her body, suddenly increased rapidly in speed. As though they were being attracted, they endlessly poured into her body.
She seemed to be unable to bear the surging amount of spiritual energy, as cold sweat leaked out from her forehead. Her aura became unstable as well, yet, she still did not stop taking in spiritual energy.
An hour later, her expression slowly soothed, and the spiritual energy that were entering her body had calmed down as well. She then took in spiritual energy for a few more moments before finally stopping. Her cultivation had reached the third level of Essence.
Mu Meiyan opened her eyes, and took a deep breath, and only then did a smile surface from the corner of her lips. Her former pitiful-look, for a moment, looked a little seductive and dark.
“Thank you.” She suddenly said.
A black shadow then faintly surfaced behind her. That shadow seemed to have merged together with her, as it wrapped about her body. Its upper half laid on top of her shoulder. Turning its head, it was incidentally near the side of her ear, and seemed to be telling her something.
Unfortunately, Zhu Yao was completely unable to hear it. She speculated that shadow was transmitting its voice directly.
A moment later, Mu Meiyan revealed a happy smile. “I understand, I will definitely change the ending this time.”
She then paused for a moment again, as though it was replying to the shadow.
After a moment, she said again. “But tomorrow… I have to rush there before then.”
She became silent for a moment, then suddenly, her expression turned a little hideous, as she balled up her fists tightly. “Mn. At the very most, in a hundred years, I have to form my Azoth Core. That thing, she shall never ever think of obtaining it.”
What thing? Speak clearly, hey. Zhu Yao frowned. Just when she was thinking of hearing more carefully, suddenly, that shadow that was laying on Mu Meiyan’s shoulder seemed to have sensed something, as it suddenly turned its head over. She simply felt a cold intent driving down to the depths of her heart. Before she could retract her divine sense completely, she was struck ferociously by a force of energy.
She felt a pain in her chest and puked out a mouthful of blood. Her divine sense faintly ached.
In an instant, she was terrified. If she had not retreated in time, it wouldn’t have been as simple as puking out blood. She could have died right there and then.
