novelraw Chapter 45 : Yuehan Comprehends the Sword
Chapter 45 : Yuehan Comprehends the Sword
Chapter 45: Yuehan Comprehends the Sword
The moonlight flowed gently like water, veiling the darkness.
“I no longer remember the Palace Mistress’s appearance, not even her name.”
At a corner of the Jade Palace Palace, someone spoke so.
Looking closely, that person wore the Jade Palace Daoist robe, with lotus flowers embroidered at the hem, and held a horsetail whisk in hand.
This was True Person Han Yi.
She said: “When I entered the palace, the Palace Mistress already no longer cared about palace affairs, and Hanshui had taken the position of acting Palace Mistress.”
“Your Palace Mistress has been in seclusion for a hundred years. In this world, no one else has secluded themselves for so long.”
In front of True Person Han Yi was a kindly old man, leaning on a cane. He was none other than True Person Zhu Lu of the Canglan Sect.
True Person Zhu Lu said calmly: “Your Palace Mistress sought to break through above Jade Radiance, closing herself off for a century. Yet now, even a True Person such as you no longer remembers her name.”
True Person Han Yi’s expression did not change: “Yes, so the Palace Mistress has very likely already passed away. I have already gone to the forbidden grounds to check. There was no one inside. The Palace Mistress disappeared without a trace, so Hanshui grew anxious and entered a death-seclusion. But as her talent was insufficient from the start, she naturally could not achieve Jade Radiance.”
True Person Zhu Lu added: “Jade Radiance can connect heaven and earth, but a hundred years is too long. In this time, your Palace Mistress never once revealed herself. It is highly likely she was devoured by the backlash of the Dao, losing both her name and appearance.”
Those who break the Dao must endure the Dao’s backlash.
The Jade Palace Palace Mistress had not appeared in a century, and now had even lost her name and appearance. Naturally, people began to suspect she had already passed away.
With one Jade Radiance and three Kaiyang, the palace could have secured its seat among the Nine Sects and Twelve Palaces.
But now, with the Palace Mistress’s life or death uncertain, it was only natural that some would harbor ill intent.
True Person Zhu Lu seemed to recall something: “Didn’t Feng Xianlong once have a personal disciple? What was her name… where did she go later?”
“No need to worry about her. Han Lian disappeared three hundred years ago.”
Han Lian was one of the disciples Lu Changyuan once mentioned, who had no chance to ascend to Jade Radiance.
True Person Zhu Lu nodded, then tapped the ground with his cane. But the cane was suddenly bounced back.
Looking closely, a faint layer of runes covered the spot he tapped, slowly rippling outward.
True Person Han Yi said: “This is the Mountain-Protection Array. If one tries to attack by force, even a Sixth Realm Kaiyang would suffer losses.”
The Feather Moon Immortal Palace and the Jade Palace Palace had stood upon this land for thousands of years. One could glimpse a fraction of their heritage from this array.
True Person Zhu Lu withdrew his cane. After the Canglan Sect members entered the Jade Palace Palace, True Person Han Ze closed the array once more.
“Have you obtained the Sword Seal?”
True Person Han Yi shook her head: “No. Hanshui gave the Sword Seal to Han Ze, and Han Ze guards it too closely. Not only that, she spends day and night inspecting the array’s stability. From what I know, she even modified the array, though I do not know what changes she made.”
True Person Han Yi extended her hand, waving the whisk lightly. Before True Person Zhu Lu, a tiny crack suddenly appeared on the thin membrane of the array.
“This is the array’s weak point. Han Ze has not discovered it yet. When the time comes, by linking to the array with Jade Palace methods, one can temporarily open a gap.”
Only then did True Person Zhu Lu nod, saying: “Good.”
True Person Han Yi’s voice grew chilling, like ice congealed from a frozen celestial pool: “What you promised me—return him to me.”
“When the matter is done, he will naturally be given to you.”
“At least let me see his condition now!”
Their auras suddenly clashed sharply. After a long moment, True Person Zhu Lu finally nodded: “You know well, he only recently replaced his lower body. He cannot remain in the outside world for too long.”
With a casual wave, a coffin appeared beneath the moonlight.
This coffin was already old, the wood beginning to rot, and the engraved characters upon it blurred beyond recognition.
But upon seeing this coffin, True Person Han Yi’s breath quickened uncontrollably.
She stroked the coffin greedily, crying out: “Lin Lang… Lin Lang.”
Slowly, she shifted the coffin slightly aside. A pale man’s face gradually emerged with it. It was an exceedingly ordinary face, somewhat swollen from never seeing the sun.
The man opened his eyes, rasping: “Ruoyi.”
Just that one faint word made True Person Han Yi’s eyes flush red. She reached out, wanting to touch the man’s cheek, but True Person Zhu Lu immediately put away the coffin: “When the matter is done, he will naturally be given to you.”
True Person Han Yi gritted her teeth, glaring fiercely at True Person Zhu Lu.
True Person Han Yi of the Jade Palace Palace, who had cultivated for two hundred and ninety-six years, was extraordinarily gifted, and a century ago had broken through the Kaiyang barrier, stepping into the Sixth Realm.
But before entering the Jade Palace Palace, she had once had a mortal husband, named Lin Yi. The two were deeply in love, their bond unshakable. If not for True Person Hanshui severing Han Yi’s mortal ties, they would have been a pair of celestial lovers.
True Person Han Yi turned, vanishing into the night.
She had never regarded the Jade Palace Palace as her home, but hated this sect to the extreme, and hated True Person Hanshui even more. Thus, everything Hanshui left behind, she wanted to destroy—including Xia Lianxue!
Not long after.
When another breeze blew past, long after True Person Zhu Lu and True Person Han Yi had both departed, someone quietly sighed within the night.
The wind swept through the night, erasing all traces.
“Gaze upon emptiness, and emptiness too is void.”
Qiu Yuehan quietly recited a scripture, finally calming her heart.
She reached to touch the demon mark upon her shoulder. Warmth slowly flowed through her body. The Immortal Fairy slipped off her little shoes, sitting upon the bed, curling her feet slightly, her smooth white toes clenching and curling.
“Hu.”
Qiu Yuehan told herself inwardly to stay calm. Tomorrow was the Dao Debate. She had to calm herself in advance to face it.
Her Junior Sister would also ascend the mountain tomorrow, and there were still many matters ahead.
But the more she thought so, the less calm she became.
So annoying.
Right now, Qiu Yuehan’s mind was completely filled with Lu Changyuan.
How could she have let her Junior Sister see her throwing herself into a man’s embrace!? Where was the dignity of the Jade Palace Palace’s chief True Disciple!?
“Hm?”
She murmured softly.
The warmth gathered again, just as it had on that day upon the immortal crane, finally condensing into a cultivation manual.
One Sword from the West
Wasn’t this the very sword technique she had just overheard?
The old monster said this sword suited her.
Qiu Yuehan then carefully savored the essence of this sword.
Just like the Supreme Pure-Spirit Forget-Immortal Technique, this sword art was directly transmitted to her by Lu Changyuan through the demon mark—along with it came the unstoppable sword intent he wielded when using One Sword from the West.
Such a powerful sword art.
Qiu Yuehan murmured: “A sword that advances unstoppably, One Sword from the West… Junior Sister, is this how you were slowly corrupted as well?”
She could not help recalling how Xia Lianxue had just now been willing to fight her for Lu Changyuan.
That was… jealousy?
Her Junior Sister had already been reshaped in that old monster’s image. And what about herself?
Qiu Yuehan contemplated One Sword from the West, yet it was as though she were staring into an abyss.
If she learned it, how would she face that old monster in the future?
Qiu Yuehan clenched her fists.
But after a long moment, her strength drained away.