novelraw Chapter 59 : Distinguishing the Clear from the Turbid
Chapter 59 : Distinguishing the Clear from the Turbid
Chapter 59: Distinguishing the Clear from the Turbid
Drip drip drop.
The sound of raindrops.
The rain was crisp and pleasant to the ears.
Lu Changyuan opened his eyes.
Before him was still the Jade Palace, and in his arms was still the beautiful Immortal Fairy.
They seemed to be inside a pavilion, with gauze curtains and a plain bed.
Everything appeared so normal—except for the white skeleton lying in the corner.
“Master?”
Xia Lianxue opened her eyes.
Lu Changyuan gave a soft “Mm,” then walked over to the skeleton and examined it carefully.
Sixth Realm, Dawning Sun.
In life, this skeleton had been of the Sixth Realm, Dawning Sun.
“Master, this is... Senior Sister Han Lian!?”
Xia Lianxue cried out in shock.
She had recognized these remains.
Lu Changyuan turned his head slightly and repeated: “Han Lian?”
He still remembered—just a short while ago in the heavens, Xia Lianxue had said it was Han Lian who had led Han Ze onto the Immortal Path.
“Mm, Master, Senior Sister Han Lian was another disciple of our Master. She entered the Palace about a hundred years before me. When I joined the Palace, Senior Sister was already at the Fifth Realm.”
Han Lian was even older than True Person Hanshui.
Xia Lianxue crouched down, somewhat sorrowful: “It was Senior Sister Han Lian who created that small town with illusion arts back then. Later on, I often bullied her.”
The little Immortal Fairy’s temper had grown rather bad afterward—whenever she lost her patience, she liked to hit people.
Since Han Lian was the one tasked with severing mortal ties, she naturally became the frequent target of beatings.
But about three hundred years ago, Han Lian had suddenly vanished.
It had been so sudden, without the slightest warning.
No one knew where she had gone.
The Jade Palace had searched for years but never found her.
Who would have thought she had disappeared into this painting?
Hearing Xia Lianxue’s digression, Lu Changyuan recalled that such a person did indeed exist: “Her cultivation was... the Illusory Moon Dao?”
“Mm, Senior Sister Han Lian cultivated the Illusory Moon Dao.”
The same Illusory Moon Dao as Ancestor Red Luan?
Suddenly, a burst of suona music rang out, unbearably loud and festive, making their ears ache.
Lu Changyuan and Xia Lianxue exchanged a glance, then opened the pavilion’s door and looked outside.
A fine drizzle was still falling from the sky—the same unpleasant ink-like rain. But what was most bizarre was the surrounding scenery.
Apart from the pavilion they stood in, everything else seemed to have been pulled out from a painting.
The ethereal pavilions were only in black and white, while the grand halls appeared like lumps of solid ink wash.
Heaven and earth were divided only into black and white?
The suona sound drew nearer. From the distance, a streak of red abruptly appeared, and it was from within that red that the music was played.
Looking closer, it turned out to be an entire procession of Ink Figures.
They carried festive red silk ribbons before them, with large paper flowers pinned to their chests.
Was this... a wedding procession?
The suona player walked up to Lu Changyuan in just a few steps and gave a deep bow.
“Master, why are you still here? If you don’t go now, you’ll miss the auspicious hour.”
The auspicious hour?
Lu Changyuan looked amused. He was curious to see what this damned Ancestor Red Luan intended to do: “What auspicious hour?”
The Ink Figure replied: “Today is your wedding day, of course! Why are you still here? Please, follow us quickly.”
“My wedding day? Interesting. I wonder—which lady am I supposed to marry?”
Xia Lianxue clung tightly to Lu Changyuan, blinking her eyes.
She knew their situation was extremely dangerous right now, yet she couldn’t stop her thoughts from wandering.
The Ink Figure quickly said: “Why, it’s Lady Red Luan, of course. The two of you grew up together. Lady Red Luan achieved great success in her cultivation and, rare among cultivators, never forgot her past affection. So now, Lady Red Luan has brought you to the Immortal Palace for the very purpose of marrying you.”
“Lady Red Luan... as in the Ancestor Red Luan of Feather Moon Immortal Palace?”
The Ink Figure nodded repeatedly: “Yes, yes indeed! But Ancestor dislikes being called ‘Ancestor.’ She says it makes her sound old. Please just call her Lady Red Luan.”
Lu Changyuan held the little Immortal Fairy’s hand: “But I already have a wife here. Could it be that your Lady Red Luan wants to become my concubine?”
The Ink Figure replied: “What are you talking about? There’s no one beside you. Come quickly to the wedding hall, or the auspicious hour will be missed.”
These Ink Figures... could they not see Xia Lianxue?
Lu Changyuan couldn’t be bothered to waste more words.
With a single sword strike, he annihilated the entire procession.
The Ink Figures dissolved into ink, and the red silk ribbons turned into blood-like colors, soon diluted away by the falling rain.
Xia Lianxue teased playfully: “Master, you truly have no lack of romantic fortune. First it was the Little Ancestor of Cihang Palace, then the chief True Disciple of the Jade Palace, then the Palace Mistress of the Jade Palace, and now even the Ancestor of Feather Moon Immortal Palace wants to marry you.”
Lu Changyuan rapped her lightly on the head: “What nonsense are you spouting.”
Xia Lianxue hugged his arm: “It wouldn’t be so bad to marry her.”
Perhaps because she was with Lu Changyuan, the little Immortal Fairy had abandoned further thought.
Well, that was fine too.
Lu Changyuan couldn’t help but think so.
Better not tell this little Immortal Fairy that her Ancestor had set her sights on her youthful, beautiful body.
Xia Lianxue smiled gently, as though nothing could frighten her so long as Lu Changyuan was by her side: “Master, I truly don’t mind if you marry several more.”
Lu Changyuan knocked her on the head again.
The suona music began once more.
That wedding procession of Ink Figures appeared before them again.
“Master, come quickly, or the auspicious hour will be missed.”
Lu Changyuan narrowed his eyes, then looked up at the sky.
There was no white scar in this sky—they were most likely inside the painting.
How could they get out?
To cut open the painting with a sword?
That wasn’t realistic.
Why exactly was Ancestor Red Luan doing all of this?
What was the purpose of this wedding?
“Master? Master! Lady Red Luan is waiting.”
“Master, should we perhaps just follow and see?”
Lu Changyuan activated the Supreme Pure-Spirit Forget-Immortal Technique and tapped between Xia Lianxue’s brows with a finger.
Xia Lianxue asked in confusion: “Master?”
“Come, let’s go take a look.”
Jiang Jiayi frowned deeply.
She had already killed Ancestor Red Luan thirteen times, yet each time, the woman revived again.
Too troublesome.
She lifted her gaze.
The rain had stopped, but the entire Jade Palace had become hazy and illusory, as though it was about to vanish.
Above the Jade Palace hung a massive landscape painting.
Each time Jiang Jiayi slew the illusory Ancestor Red Luan, the painting regenerated another one.
The most troublesome part was that this Ancestor Red Luan possessed strength equivalent to the Seventh Realm.
Jiang Jiayi did not find it easy to deal with her.
It took no fewer than five sword strikes to cut her down.
“Using the entire Jade Palace as the price for rebirth, is it?”
Jiang Jiayi gave a cold snort.
She no longer wished to waste time in this tangle.
She raised her suspended sword and aimed it straight at the painting.
From her body rose a sword intent of the purest kind.
Space itself split apart in every direction, the momentum accumulating ceaselessly until it became a terrifying torrent.
Qiu Yuehan stared unblinkingly at the Sword Immortal’s blade, yet her hand rested on her ankle.
There lay a jade anklet of emerald green—the only keepsake left to her by the parents she had never met.
And now, the anklet was so tight it hurt.