Chapter Ninety-Five: Twisting Open, Twisting Down, Twisting into Emptiness
“An hour earlier?”
“Yes.”
“The talisman?”
“Already used.”
“And the ancestor?”
Wei Lingjiang asked.
Chen Heng tapped his forehead lightly with a finger, remaining silent.
...
The two fell into an unusual silence again.
Behind Wei Lingjiang, Qing Zhi yawned faintly, casting a weary glance at the two. She raised the water jar filled with lotus seed soup above her head and gulped down several mouthfuls vigorously.
“This is a matter not even a stroke of fate has been cast for yet. Miss, why are you so anxious... After dealing with this malevolent Yin Sheng demon, won’t you have to return to the Chi Ming Sect and sit in prison within the ‘Nine Emperors’ Eternal Golden Palace’ realm? We’ll all be locked up together!”
Though murmuring to herself, her mouth kept moving. With each swallow, the lotus seed soup in the jar was nearly drained.
“And Miss’s master must be displeased with little Chen! That old, dull Daoist nun! That heartless, nobody-likes-her, withered old madwoman! When Qing Zhi becomes a Great Sage of the demon clan, she’ll surely capture her to be imprisoned in the Abyss, forcing her to stay in the ocean’s eye every day!”
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but smirk, her face breaking into a grin.
But the next moment, a lotus seed lodged perfectly in her throat, choking her so severely she rolled on the ground, coughing heart-wrenchingly and turning her eyes white.
...
“With that talisman, you’ll be fine. It’s just a celestial demon; it can’t truly harm you,” Wei Lingjiang said, taking a deep breath.
“Actually, I’ve always wanted to ask,” Chen Heng lifted his eyelids slightly and suddenly spoke, “Isn’t it all just too coincidental?”
“Coincidence?”
“All of this, ever since I met Senior Sister—the entirety of it.”
He lowered his voice:
“Don’t you feel… as if every step has been carefully orchestrated? As if someone deliberately led us this way?”
Why did fate insist they meet on the path of the Dao?
Why was Wei Lingjiang able to master the ‘Scattered Shadow Concealment Technique’, and why did it align so perfectly with my ‘Primordial True Qi’?
The talisman ancestor, the golden light talisman, the celestial demon, and the cave master Huaiwu...
“Senior Sister’s trial says you must single-handedly eliminate that malevolent Yin Sheng demon to succeed. But am I not an external force?”
Chen Heng looked at her quietly, then said:
“My True Qi combined with the Scattered Shadow Concealment Technique just happens to deceive the demon’s sensing... You mentioned before leaving the mountain, you were only bestowed a ‘Ten Thousand Miles Revealing Talisman’ transformed by the ancestor, nothing else. It seems not only were you planning to use a borrowed sword to kill, to let an external force slay the celestial demon, but your sect’s elders might have thought the same.
“But the premise of borrowing external help is that the celestial demon must be deceived. If it detects any profound True Qi foundation, it will be cautious and conceal its true form. Then the borrowed sword strategy fails.
“And if you had just randomly sought help from someone with weak True Qi, they wouldn’t be valued by the cave master Huaiwu, nor would they earn a top three ranking in the cave. This method would also be unfeasible.”
Wei Lingjiang looked steadily at him, her lips moving slightly but saying nothing.
“Just coincidence? Isn’t it?” Chen Heng remained silent for a long while, then smiled quietly:
“If you hadn’t met me, if I hadn’t met you, how could a single ‘Ten Thousand Miles Revealing Talisman’ have eliminated the malevolent Yin Sheng demon...?”
It was obviously only a Qi cultivation level, yet it had to rely on an external hand to subdue a celestial demon.
But Wei Lingjiang herself inexplicably possessed the golden light talisman and other means.
All the twists and turns seemed as if...
They were meant to meet.
“Coincidence? It does sound like the usual handiwork of our sect’s Dao Lord Tai Wenmiao,” Wei Lingjiang thought with a tinge of melancholy. She met Chen Heng’s gaze squarely and thought silently:
“There are many ways to repay the favor of the Ai clan’s bestowed method, so why must the malevolent Yin Sheng demon forged by Ai Yuan be eliminated for it to count? Why must it be done without others’ aid, using my spiritual body? What is the Dao Lord’s true intention, and what is that fate...”
After removing the malevolent Yin Sheng demon,
There is a fate that will help her overcome one of the three calamities of pure yang...
“Junior Brother, is that my fate?” Wei Lingjiang said silently to herself.
A lingering, needle-like sting made her eyes flicker, and suddenly she hesitated awkwardly.
“If you find it suspicious, why not leave?”
After a long moment, she finally spoke with a strained voice.
The hot summer air rose like smoke.
Over his shoulder, she saw a pavilion bathed in deep golden shimmering light, like a fragile crystal bubble, dreamy and elusive, yet near enough to touch and shatter with a poke.
“Why don’t you leave like Yuan Yangsheng did? And why do you want to help me?”
Wei Lingjiang hoped for his answer but feared it would not be what she wanted. Instinctively, she lowered her head.
“You could leave if you wanted.”
...
She slowly clenched the slender fingers hanging at the edge of her skirt and tightened the flower branch hidden in her sleeve. Her gaze seemed glued to the ground, staring blankly at the narrow wooden gaps.
It felt like an eternity as time stretched painfully in awkward waiting. Just when Wei Lingjiang thought he would never speak, the light and shadow before her trembled, casting chaotic halos.
The human shadow stretched long upon the corner wall, blurred and indistinct.
“Because I care about you,” he said.
Wei Lingjiang looked up in surprise.
Chen Heng’s expression was one she had never seen before and could hardly describe—half self-mockery, half an inexplicable sarcasm, surging like a tide.
These emotions flashed across his face so quickly that Wei Lingjiang barely caught them. Finally, all vanished, leaving only profound silence.
Just as she doubted if she had misheard and felt panic rising, he spoke again.
“Senior Sister, because I care about you.”
Chen Heng repeated, his eyes quietly fixed on her:
“No one has ever treated me like you have, whether it was true sincerity or a feigned kindness under the internal demon’s influence.
No one has ever treated me like you have...”
His tone was calm and flat, stirring no waves. Yet Wei Lingjiang’s heart suddenly raced, an indescribable feeling pounding as if her chest might be torn open.
“So, there are things I must honestly tell you.”
Chen Heng lowered his gaze and said softly:
“In this life, I only—”
“Don’t say anymore!”
Wei Lingjiang interrupted him, a rare firmness in her voice.
“Senior Sister.”
“Don’t say anymore…”
Chen Heng met her eyes, and Wei Lingjiang’s voice carried a faint plea.
“I don’t know if this is the internal demon or what. Please wait for me. At least, not now... okay?”
Chen Heng’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. Under that nearly desolate silence, his fingers trembled, and he turned his face away, unable to finish what he was about to say.
“Do you know what day it is today?”
After another silence, Wei Lingjiang suddenly spoke.
Chen Heng shook his head.
“It’s the Fengsi Festival, the Tianfeng ceremony. When you return, the lakeside will light the lanterns.”
Wei Lingjiang stubbornly looked at him: “You know the Fengsi Festival?”
After a brief quiet, seeing Chen Heng shake his head again, Wei Lingjiang slowly relaxed her tightly clenched fingers, a smile spreading across her lips.
“When you come back, we’ll all go watch the lanterns together.”
Her eyes blinked, smiling at him with an unyielding tone:
“My name is Wei Lingjiang, the true heir of the Chi Ming Sect, Wei Lingjiang!”
“Chen Heng.”
He stared at her, raised his hand, sighed deeply, and with complex emotions bowed:
“Qi cultivator, Chen Heng.”
...
Footsteps gradually faded, and the fluttering white garment disappeared from sight after a few breaths.
Wei Lingjiang finally relaxed completely, exhaling a long breath, feeling a ridiculous sense of survival like a sly fox stealing a chicken, her fists clenched with excitement.
Only then did she have the leisure to glance at Qing Zhi.
Startled for a moment, she helplessly grabbed her collar, slapping her back to dislodge the lotus seed stuck in her throat.
After a heart-wrenching coughing fit and dry retching, Qing Zhi rolled her eyes, slowly rising with an expressionless gaze toward Wei Lingjiang.
“...”
Wei Lingjiang turned shyly, but Qing Zhi pressed close, eyes unblinking.
“I didn’t do it on purpose—”
“It’s okay. Miss, don’t worry about me. Qing Zhi dying isn’t a problem. You don’t care anyway. Qing Zhi can live well after death like a bird.”
Qing Zhi crooked her mouth:
“Miss, put your heart on him from now on. Qing Zhi will rummage through trash when hungry, dig snow for water when thirsty. Goodbye, Miss. Qing Zhi will take care of herself. Wish you happiness. In days without me, you—”
“When you return to the sect, I’ll let you out of the realm for a month, okay?”
Wei Lingjiang groaned, picking her up: “A month! That’s enough for you to tour the East Sea!”
“Really?!” Qing Zhi’s face lit up as she hugged Wei Lingjiang’s neck, bargaining: “Two months!”
“Absolutely impossible. Then you better stay in.”
Wei Lingjiang shook her head.
Upon hearing this, Qing Zhi’s tall ears drooped miserably.
“But Miss, you just pretended so well, so pitiful... If I wasn’t so familiar with you, I might have been fooled too!”
She sighed long and curiously asked:
“You knew little Chen was about to refuse you outright, but you cleverly played the pitiful card to soften his heart, then switched the topic, agreed on going to watch lanterns, and blocked his mouth so he couldn’t speak further. Well done!
“That tactic of retreating to advance—where did Miss learn that?”
“From you.”
“Me?!”
Qing Zhi was shocked, waving her hands anxiously: “I’m just a little birdling, barely hatched! Don’t slander me and ruin my reputation!”
“From the human stories you treasure. Didn’t expect it to be useful,” Wei Lingjiang shook her head.
“Seems the saying ‘All phenomena are diverse, yet the Dao is unified’ really holds some truth.”
“That sounds like something from the Purple Palace’s secret instructions, about spiritual energy and elemental signs, not this,” Qing Zhi rolled her eyes. “Miss, don’t bully me for being uneducated.”
“He just lied,” Wei Lingjiang pretended not to hear.
Instead, she hugged Qing Zhi happily, her eyes crescent moons, the restrained sorrow from before completely gone.
Two shallow dimples appeared on her bright cheeks as she said:
“The Fengsi Festival is clearly a celebration of the Rong kingdom. He lived there for over ten years! How could he not know about it?”
“...What does that prove?” Qing Zhi scratched her head.
“That his heart is still troubled!”
Wei Lingjiang wrinkled her nose slightly, feeling a small pride.
“That’s not infatuation, it’s softness... Seeing Miss pitiful, almost crying, softened his heart.”
“Shut up!” Wei Lingjiang ignored her.
After a moment of hesitation and pacing, she finally resolved firmly:
“Qing Zhi, I’m taking Chen Heng back to the Chi Ming Sect!”
She said it.
“Miss, are you crazy? Chi Ming Sect is one of the mighty Eight Sects and Six Clans, not some flashy cult you can just enter!”
“I have sixty-four Great Dao techniques, plus the two celestial relics left by Master Yan Xi. Together, they should be enough to exchange for admission to the Lower Institute,” Wei Lingjiang said calmly. “Once he enters the Lower Institute, under my watch, it’s only a matter of time before he officially joins the Chi Ming Sect.”
“You’re going to give away the relics?!” Qing Zhi was genuinely shocked. “What about the Dan Yuan Tournament? If Miss takes artifacts from those relics, she could rank like Jun Yao of the Yu Chen Sect in the tournament, maybe even win first place! If you give them up, what then?”
“Master Yan Xi was the Yin Heavenly Son by fate. Those two celestial relics are the most precious among all. Only someone with the Yin Heavenly Son fate can unlock them.”
Wei Lingjiang was unfazed:
“But Yin Heavenly Sons are so rare. Aunt Ai Yuan and the Ai clan in Shangyu tried to find one for me for a long time, with no trace. This isn’t something that can be rushed.
“Besides, they seem to think I want the Yin Heavenly Son fate to cultivate the sect’s ‘Communion with the Netherworld’ great divine power. That’s completely off.”
Qing Zhi was quiet for a rare long moment, then scratched her chin and shook her head:
“Miss, is it worth it?”
“Worth it!” Wei Lingjiang smiled, her eyes swirling with unspoken words:
“If he seeks immortality, then I, Wei Lingjiang, will give him immortality! Once he’s in the Chi Ming Sect, over time, even a stubborn iron tree like Chen Heng will bloom!”
...
At this moment,
On a river islet at the center of Fuyu Harbor,
Two celestial horses, each about ten feet tall, pulled a covered royal carriage, slowly descending before a grand palace measuring nearly three hundred feet wide and long, with four corner towers each adorned with bronze carvings of the four symbols.
Colorful lights filled the air, shimmering brilliantly.
At the palace center stood a purple-patterned coiling dragon pillar, soaring deeply into the clouds and dense mist, like a divine spear stabilizing the four directions. Its end was impossible to see, awe-inspiring.
After escorting Chen Heng to this immense palace, Chai Zhonghong did not linger, merely bowed with a smile and departed.
Chen Heng watched him leave, swung his sleeve, and decisively strode toward the palace.
Before he could step through the gate, several brightly dressed female attendants standing nearby smiled and bowed respectfully, then guided him deeper into the palace.
Corridors twisted, waterside pavilions, flower pools, jade stairs, lofty towers, golden bridges.
Everywhere he looked was lavishly decorated, dazzling the eyes.
The palace was unexpectedly vast, easily accommodating hundreds. From some distant side hall, the clear, melodious sounds of flutes and zithers floated, enchanting the ear.
After passing through three to five courtyards and circling a floating bridge several times, the attendants suddenly stopped at a southwestern hall, bowing in unison and sweetly saying:
“Please, honored guest, bathe and cleanse yourself first.”
Chen Heng was slightly surprised.
At that moment, the voice of the talisman ancestor echoed again in his mind:
“Don’t worry, this isn’t some beauty trap. It’s that blasted celestial demon beginning its test! It will try to seize your energy, breath, and blood. Don’t stir the grass and scare the snake; don’t let your efforts fail at the last moment!”