Chapter Sixty: Farewell to the Azure

Xia Tan’s estate was originally the suburban villa where Zhang Xiao once lived, but it had since been transformed into a manor. Ni Weilan sat dazedly in the pavilion, gazing at the surroundings that were both familiar and strange, her heart filled with countless reflections.

Back then, she was nothing more than a novice, barely reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. According to her master at the time, without the Shengsheng Pill to repair her foundation, she would never have been able to advance beyond the late Foundation Establishment stage in her lifetime, let alone reach the late Golden Core stage as she had now.

Her current cultivation level was entirely thanks to that fateful day, when she and Xiaofang entered this manor that changed her destiny and met the man she could never forget. Now, as she stepped into the manor again, carrying the notorious title of Kunlun renegade, she wondered if this place could still alter her fate.

A faint smile curved her lips—was it a bitter smile, self-mockery, or sweetness? Only Ni Weilan knew.

“Weilan! Why are you sitting here again?” Xia Cheng approached from the side. Seeing Ni Weilan alone in the pavilion, he felt a pang of sympathy.

He had lost count of how many times this had happened. Though Xia Cheng did not know what memories this pavilion held for Ni Weilan, every time he saw her sitting here, unease stirred deep within him. Ni Weilan merely nodded faintly at Xia Cheng, without saying a word.

Perhaps it was the unique aura of the Kunlun sect, or perhaps Ni Weilan’s already cold heart that enhanced her ethereal presence, like a celestial maiden descended from the heavens—admired from afar but untouchable. Whenever Xia Cheng saw her this way, he kept his distance, only stealing occasional glances.

“Master Cheng, Master Cheng…” Just as Xia Cheng was lost in thought, a young outer disciple in a purple robe hurried over, calling out Xia Cheng’s nickname.

Before the disciple could speak, Xia Cheng spun around and slapped him sharply. “What master Cheng? Can’t you speak properly? I am the deputy sect master, not your master!”

The disciple looked puzzled. Usually, Xia Cheng seemed pleased to be called “Master Cheng.” Why the sudden change today?

Ni Weilan frowned slightly at Xia Cheng’s interruption of her memories and rose to leave. The disciple quickly called out, “Fairy, please wait! The sect leader asked me to invite you to the main hall—an old acquaintance has come to visit.”

At the mention of an old acquaintance, Ni Weilan’s heart stirred. Could it be him? But then she shook her head, doubting such coincidence. Xia Cheng, upon hearing it was his elder brother and that an old acquaintance had come along, was also curious.

“An old acquaintance? Did they say who?” Xia Cheng asked.

The disciple, still recovering from the slap, replied hurriedly, “No name was given. The sect leader said he wanted you, the deputy sect master, to come as well. It seems you should recognize this old acquaintance.”

“I recognize them too!” At this, Xia Cheng and Ni Weilan exchanged a glance. The only two old acquaintances they both knew were Zhao Xiaofang and Zhang Xiao. Zhao Xiaofang was unlikely to be here, so could it be Zhang Xiao? Without hesitation, Ni Weilan dashed toward the main hall, her expression tense. Xia Cheng, troubled by her anxiety, clenched his teeth and followed briskly.

When they arrived, they saw Xia Tan sitting with a rugged middle-aged man dressed in animal pelts. Even though Ni Weilan had braced herself, disappointment washed over her. Xia Cheng, however, felt a heavy burden lift from his shoulders upon seeing the rough-faced man beside his elder brother. Relief flooded him.

“Sect Leader Xia, you called me here to meet an old acquaintance? Could it be this person?” Ni Weilan’s tone was stiff, despite Xia Tan having once saved her life. Xia Tan smiled wryly and looked at Zhang Xiao beside him. “Heh, Ni sister, you may not recognize my face, but do you remember my voice?”

At Zhang Xiao’s voice, Ni Weilan shuddered, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked at the rugged man. Zhang Xiao peeled off a thin, almost translucent human skin mask from his face, revealing his true appearance.

“Brother Zhang!” Overcome with surprise and emotion, Ni Weilan cried out. The ethereal fairy who had seemed so aloof now turned into a weeping child, burying her face in Zhang Xiao’s chest. It was no wonder she lost control—though sheltered in the manor, the pressure she faced was unimaginable. Zhang Xiao gently patted her shoulder, harboring no inappropriate thoughts, always seeing her simply as a good friend and kind sister. He did not mind her tears.

This scene stirred pangs of jealousy in Xia Cheng’s heart, but any spark of envy was extinguished by the stark reality of the gap between him and Zhang Xiao. After a while, Ni Weilan pulled herself together and rose from Zhang Xiao’s embrace.

“Brother Zhang, please don’t go to Kunlun. Xiaofang told me she never agreed to anything. It was all Zhang Yifan’s deliberate propaganda,” Ni Weilan said earnestly.

Though Zhang Xiao knew Zhao Xiaofang would never betray them as she did before his rebirth, hearing the news still left him unsettled. If he claimed relief, it would be a lie.

Ni Weilan then recounted everything in detail. Fate had been cruel. Ever since the Nine Sect Competition, where Zhang Xiao, aided by Zhang Yifan’s Heavenly Thunder Body Refinement, had defeated the direct disciples of the nine major sects to seize the Five-Colored Cloud Banner, Zhang Xiao had become an indelible scar in Zhang Yifan’s heart.

Due to this, Bai Yu Zhenren of Kunlun nearly stripped Zhang Yifan of his direct disciple status. If not for other elders’ pleas, Zhang Yifan might have lost control of Kunlun long ago. His hatred for Zhang Xiao was implacable.

Though Zhao Xiaofang and Ni Weilan had advanced to inner disciples, they had missed the Nine Sect Competition due to timing. When they later learned Zhang Xiao single-handedly surpassed the direct disciples of the nine major sects, their hearts soared with joy.

But they also sensed Kunlun’s hostility toward Zhang Xiao and kept a low profile within the sect. They had even spoken of their relationship with Zhang Xiao to some disciples, but there is no wall without cracks.

The incident’s origin lay with an outer disciple named Bai Cailing, who had once been the most promising candidate to enter Kunlun’s inner sect. However, because of Zhang Xiao, Zhao Xiaofang and Ni Weilan, with their solid foundations, had advanced first, squeezing Bai Cailing out. She bore intense hatred toward them.

After the Nine Sect Competition and Kunlun’s defeat, all outer disciples felt ashamed. Soon, much information about Zhang Xiao spread, with some Maoshan disciples even taking pride in him, circulating his portrait.

When Bai Cailing saw Zhang Xiao’s portrait, jealousy consumed her. She had carefully observed Zhang Xiao’s silver-threaded Bagua Dao robe when he parted ways with Zhao Xiaofang and Ni Weilan at Kunlun’s branch, which was why she scrutinized his appearance so closely.

More than two years later, Bai Cailing entered the inner sect with mid-stage Golden Core strength. Upon learning that Zhao Xiaofang and Ni Weilan had become key protégés of the sect with plans to support their breakthrough to Nascent Soul, she devised a poisonous scheme.

She intended to report a collusion between Zhang Xiao, Zhao Xiaofang, and Ni Weilan to Zhang Yifan, hoping to frame them as traitors and vent her anger.

But when Zhang Yifan heard this, he devised a cruel trap: using Zhao Xiaofang as bait to lure Zhang Xiao into Kunlun’s net. Ni Weilan, upon learning this, fled secretly but was immediately wanted by Kunlun. If not for encountering Xia Tan, she would have been captured by now.

After hearing the whole story, Zhang Xiao fell silent. Zhang Yifan’s schemes were always thorough, and this trap was surely no exception. Zhang Xiao began to ponder how to rescue Xiaofang from Kunlun without alerting anyone.

“Brother Zhang, don’t go. You’re simply no match for the whole Kunlun sect,” Ni Weilan urged, well aware of Kunlun’s terrifying growth after the Heavenly Change.

Though Kunlun had fewer Nascent Soul experts than Maoshan and the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, they still had at least a dozen, especially their sect leader Zhang Yifan, who had advanced rapidly to the late Nascent Soul stage, just one step from the legendary Spirit Refinement stage, supported by all Kunlun’s resources.

Despite Ni Weilan’s warning, Zhang Xiao smiled faintly. “Since the Heavenly Change, I’ve always climbed over others’ heads to get where I am. One more time won’t make a difference.”

He then turned to Xia Tan and said with a smile, “Brother, there are still some days left. May I use your seclusion chamber?”

With about twenty days remaining, Zhang Xiao planned to strengthen his cultivation as much as possible during that time.

Xia Tan was silent for a moment before saying, “Brother, I can’t help you with this matter, but the least I can do is give you this set of robes.”

He handed Zhang Xiao a set of inner sect disciple robes recently issued along with a decree, requiring Xia Tan to report immediately to the inner sect. By giving Zhang Xiao these robes, Xia Tan was enabling him to infiltrate Kunlun by posing as an inner sect disciple of Maoshan.

Very well. I know this chapter will be met with criticism once released—after all, emotional scenes and literary style have always been my weak points. But I had no choice but to write this chapter to lay the groundwork for the story ahead. If I could have skipped it, I would have.

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