novelraw Chapter 275 273: Lin Qianyan Arrives at the Cold Palace Sword Mansion
Chapter 275 273: Lin Qianyan Arrives at the Cold Palace Sword Mansion
Fan Ya was caught off guard by Lin Qianyan's sudden enthusiasm. When she heard that Lin Qianyan wanted to meet her Holy Daughter, her heart skipped a beat, and she almost lost her composure.
'Isn't Lin Qianyan the last person the Holy Daughter wants to see right now?'
Besides, the Holy Daughter's current residence was far too close to the Cold Palace Sword Mansion. There was no guarantee that Lin Qianyan wouldn't run into the Pei Sword Immortal if she went over.
"...Well, I'll need to return and ask for her permission, but I'm sure the Holy Daughter would be delighted to have Saintess Lin as a guest."
"Good. Then I shall await the Business Saintess's good news."
Lin Qianyan smiled elegantly, her beautiful eyes as gentle as ever, but Fan Ya couldn't decipher the thoughts swirling within them.
Clearly, anyone who could stand out from numerous competitors to become a One Sect Saintess was not as simple and easygoing as she appeared.
"Fairy Fan Ya, I have a somewhat impertinent question I was hoping to ask you…"
A moment later, Lin Qianyan spoke up. Her tone was probing, yet it sounded exceptionally sincere.
Her fingers gently stroked the cuff of her sleeve, as if she were carefully choosing her words.
"You're too kind, Saintess Lin. If it's within my power to answer, I naturally will."
Lin Qianyan tilted her head slightly and lowered her voice.
"Fairy Fan Ya, in the past century, has your Sacred Land ever had a Cauldron Slave escape?"
"…"
Fan Ya's expression froze. 'It's finally here,' she sighed to herself.
Her eyes flickered for a moment before she quickly regained her composure. When she spoke again, her tone was calm yet tinged with distance. Her voice was steady, but she spoke a little faster than usual.
"Well... before the Yin Yang Sacred Land joined the Righteous Dao, our management of Cauldron Slaves was always strict."
"Every Cauldron Slave is branded with a Curse Seal. The moment they step beyond a certain perimeter of the Yin Yang Sacred Land, the curse activates, and they die."
Hearing this, Lin Qianyan's brows knitted together. She stared intently at Fan Ya, her voice losing its earlier gentleness and taking on a grave tone.
"Not a single one has ever successfully escaped?"
Fan Ya felt uncomfortable under her gaze and subconsciously looked away. Her voice was a little lower as she said,
"To my knowledge, no."
After she spoke, the silence made the atmosphere feel suddenly oppressive.
Just then, Lin Qianyan let out a soft chuckle.
"What if a Cauldron Slave managed to escape, withstood the activation of the Curse Seal, and survived?"
"Or perhaps he was saved by an expert who erased the Curse Seal, completely restoring his freedom."
"What do you think, Fairy Fan Ya? Does my theory hold water?"
"...While the Yin Yang Sacred Land's systems are comprehensive, they can't be completely without flaws. Saintess Lin is exceptionally intelligent; the scenario you propose might indeed be possible."
"So, it seems Fairy Fan Ya agrees with my point of view. Excellent."
"…"
'This Lin Qianyan is so difficult to handle,' Fan Ya lamented internally. 'The pressure she puts on me is no less than what I feel from Shang Miaoyan.'
She might seem approachable, but anyone who mistook her for an innocent lamb would be in for a rude awakening!
At that moment, Lin Qianyan abruptly changed the subject to something completely unrelated.
"Fairy Fan Ya, who is the most handsome and captivating man you have ever seen?"
Fan Ya froze, a flicker of astonishment in her eyes. She clearly hadn't expected Lin Qianyan to ask such a question.
An image of a figure in white subconsciously surfaced in her mind.
But she quickly snapped out of it. She swallowed, a faint blush creeping onto her usually composed face as she asked hesitantly,
"Saintess Lin… why would you suddenly ask me something like that?"
Lin Qianyan chuckled, the teasing glint in her eyes intensifying.
"Am I shocking you? A member of the Jade Pool Sacred Land, known for our prim and proper demeanor, suddenly wants to talk about men."
"But Fairies are women too, aren't we? I don't think it's a big deal to be a little more open and discuss such things."
She tilted her head, her gaze boring into Fan Ya as if trying to read her mind.
"So, surely you've met a man whose appearance alone made your heart flutter, haven't you, Fairy Fan Ya?"
Fan Ya shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. Being sharp, she naturally understood Lin Qianyan's intent: to pry information from her about the lover who was taken from her all those years ago.
'But of course, I can't tell her that her man became the Holy Daughter's Imperial Cauldron Slave, and that after leaving the Yin Yang Sacred Land, he even became Dao Companions with another woman…'
Just as Fan Ya was trying to figure out how to evade the question,
Lin Qianyan spoke again. "I heard the Dao Sect has a White-clothed Sword Immortal who is hailed as the most handsome man in the world."
"You must have seen him, Fairy Fan Ya. Do you think he's really as handsome as the rumors claim?"
At her words, Fan Ya's heart leaped. She unconsciously clenched her sleeve, her knuckles turning white.
"...I have indeed seen the Pei Sword Immortal in person. He is even more handsome than the portraits of him that circulate."
"Really? I find that hard to believe. After all, I doubt that Pei Sword Immortal, however handsome, could compare to someone I once knew."
"Has Saintess Lin met such a man before—one who moved your heart?"
"Of course. In my heart, no one in this world can surpass him."
At this, a genuine smile touched Lin Qianyan's lips. Her tone was light and resolute. As she recalled the wonderful memories of her time with Brother Pei, her beautiful eyes seemed to shine.
"However, if even Fairy Fan Ya admits the Pei Sword Immortal possesses such legendary good looks, then his reputation must be well-deserved. In that case, I must admit I'm starting to feel a little interested in him."
Fan Ya's heart sank at her words. Alarm bells screamed in her Sea of Consciousness.
The Holy Daughter's warning was still ringing in her ears: "Whatever you do, you must not let Lin Qianyan get near Pei Yuhang!"
'No!'
'Why does this woman suddenly want to meet Pei Yuhang?!'
Fan Ya was frantic, but she forced herself to remain calm and squeezed out a smile.
"You must be joking, Saintess Lin. The Pei Sword Immortal may be handsome, but he has a cold temperament and dislikes socializing. Even when my own Holy Daughter visited, the Pei Sword Immortal showed no hospitality whatsoever."
"Given how reclusive he is, I'm afraid you would only be disappointed, Saintess Lin."
"Is that so…"
Lin Qianyan responded coolly and said no more.
But her vision encompassed more than just Fan Ya; it also held an image of a vast, snow-covered landscape.
Fan Ya did not know that the Lin Qianyan before her was only a "part" of the Jade Pool Saintess.
Among the True Inheritance Secret Techniques of the Jade Pool Saintess, there was a special Magic Technique called "One Qi Transforms the Three Pristine Ones."
This technique allowed the user to split their body into three avatars, each sharing the same vision and memories.
At this very moment, one of Lin Qianyan's avatars was negotiating important matters concerning the Jade Pool Sacred Land with the Daoist Sect Leader. The second avatar—the one before Fan Ya—intended to tour the beautiful landscapes of the Dao Sect.
As for the third avatar, its purpose was to keep an eye on her troublesome disciple.
Pei Xiaohan had mentioned having a friend in the Cold Palace Sword Mansion. To keep her from causing trouble—and also because she had grown curious about the Pei Sword Immortal's identity herself—Lin Qianyan had decided to go with her.
「 」
"Wow, the Cold Attribute Spiritual Qi at this Cold Palace Sword Mansion is so dense! None of the surrounding mountains have any snow, but it's so thick and heavy here."
"Although… it does feel a bit monotonous and bleak."
As Pei Xiaohan spoke, she let out a soft breath. The white vapor quickly condensed into fine ice crystals in the frigid air and dispersed.
She looked around. The dark architecture of the Cold Palace Sword Mansion looked exceptionally solemn under its blanket of snow, and the icicles hanging from the eaves glinted coldly in the sunlight.
Lin Qianyan stood beside her, her gentle gaze fixed on the snow-covered estate before them.
The cold wind lifted her long hair, and a few strands brushed against her cheek, accentuating the jade-like fairness of her neck.
"A little desolation isn't so bad." Lin Qianyan's voice was as soft as a snowflake landing on the ground.
She held out a hand to catch a falling snowflake, watching it slowly melt in her palm. A hint of tenderness flickered in her eyes. "It's covered in pure, flawless white snow. I like it very much."
"It seems the Pei Sword Immortal and his Dao Companion… must be as pure and clean as the snow here. No wonder you want to be friends with his disciple."
Lin Qianyan said to Pei Xiaohan with a smile, but the corners of her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
'Since she was coming to the Cold Palace Sword Mansion to meet a Sword Immortal with the surname Pei, how could she not have looked into Pei Yuhang?'
'As it turned out, this man already had a Dao Companion. They had spent thirty years together, and a year ago, when his companion nearly died during her Celestial Tribulation, the Pei Sword Immortal had remained faithfully by her side.'
'The tale of their unwavering love had even spread beyond the Xuanyuan Dao Sect. When Lin Qianyan learned of it, she had wept silently in the dead of night.'
'She was envious of the couple's beautiful love story, but also… subconsciously terrified.'
'After meticulously piecing together the clues, Lin Qianyan discovered that the time she had become unable to recall Young Master Pei's name or face coincided exactly with Pei Yuhang's arrival at the Xuanyuan Dao Sect.'
'It was too much of a coincidence.'
'Most importantly… Lin Qianyan had recently visited the ruins of Lishui Village.'
'The place had become a barren wasteland, but deep within the forest, she found a grove of tombstones.'
'Though the stone graves were simple, after she brushed away the dust, the inscriptions upon them were still perfectly clear—'
'They had been carved by a sword, and the Sword Intent they contained had not faded despite the wind and rain, looking as if they had been etched just yesterday.'
'Among them, Lin Qianyan found her own grave. It was better maintained than the others. From the looks of it, that person came to pay his respects every single year, mending it annually, as if he hadn't forgotten her for a single moment…'
'In that moment, everything seemed to click into place for Lin Qianyan.'
'The good news: her beloved was indeed still alive, and his Sword Dao Realm was so profound it put hers to shame.'
'The bad news: he was very likely Pei Yuhang of the Cold Palace Sword Mansion, and he already had a Dao Companion…'
But as the Saintess of the Jade Pool Sacred Land, Lin Qianyan's Dao Heart was firm. She would not retreat just because her emotions were in turmoil. She had come here for one reason: to find the truth.
'Is the Cold Sun Sword Immortal, Pei Yuhang, really him?'
'First, find the man. The rest… she would deal with the rest later.'