After Being Reborn, He And Senior Sister Qingleng He - Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Heaven’s Derivation (V) – What If I Insist on Defying Heaven’s Will?
Too much happened today. The three had not reached the teleportation array before dark, so Song Qingtang decided to camp outside for the night.
“Senior Sister, you should rest first. I will take the night watch tonight,” Chi Wanyin said, adding wood to the lit bonfire.
Song Qingtang nodded slightly. She was indeed tired after all the day’s events. Cultivators didn’t need sleep, but they did need to sit in meditation to recover their energy.
Seeing her close her eyes and begin meditating, Chi Wanyin walked toward Yin Xuechan. She took out the peachwood sword and lightly tapped it with her fingertip.
A scene materialized: a spring pond and a flourishing peach tree. Chi Wanyin sat on the tree, looking down from above.
“Do you know Lin Anzhi?” Chi Wanyin asked. Her voice was ethereal in this enclosed space, ensuring it wouldn’t be heard outside—the safest option.
Upon hearing the name, Yin Xuechan’s eyelashes trembled, a very subtle reaction, but Chi Wanyin did not miss it.
“I do not know her,” Yin Xuechan replied.
Chi Wanyin chuckled softly, “Don’t you want to know where she is?”
Yin Xuechan felt that Chi Wanyin seemed to know something, so she had no choice but to stop concealing it, “Where is she?”
Chi Wanyin’s smile remained gentle, “I don’t know. I was testing you.”
“You…” Yin Xuechan was exasperated, but being young, she couldn’t think of any harsh words at the moment.
Chi Wanyin crossed her arms and looked at her, “Is she your Senior Sister?”
When Chi Wanyin got to know Lin Anzhi in her past life, she was already somewhat well-known among the demonic cultivators.
As for Lin Anzhi, she was also very famous, but for a different kind of “fame.” It was said that everyone who came into contact with her died; she was an ominous person.
However, Chi Wanyin didn’t care about these things and still befriended Lin Anzhi.
Yin Xuechan nodded, “Lin… Anzhi was the Head Senior Sister of Silver Moon Valley, but later she betrayed the sect.”
“The reason?” Chi Wanyin asked. Yin Xuechan was currently her hostage. If she dared to lie, Chi Wanyin wouldn’t mind killing her right now.
She shook her head, “I don’t know.”
Seeing that her expression didn’t seem feigned, Chi Wanyin remained skeptical. However, since her Senior Sister was still outside, she dispelled the Sword Realm. The next moment, the two were back in the wilderness, next to the meditating Song Qingtang and the bonfire.
After resting for the night, the three set off again towards the teleportation array. Yin Xuechan no longer bothered Chi Wanyin; she simply kept her head down, frowning, lost in thought.
Upon reaching the teleportation array, Song Qingtang reminded the distracted Yin Xuechan, “Fellow Daoist Yin, we have arrived at the teleportation array.”
Yin Xuechan finally looked up, “It was truly pleasant to spend time with you two, but it’s time to part. I look forward to our next meeting.”
The Heaven’s Derivation Sect had no right to punish a disciple of Silver Moon Valley, but the Immortal Alliance did. Song Qingtang had already reported the matter to her sect. As soon as Yin Xuechan stepped onto the teleportation array, she would be escorted to the Immortal Alliance’s prison.
Standing on the teleportation array, Yin Xuechan’s expression showed no fear.
After the person left, Chi Wanyin finally said, “Senior Sister, she will definitely come back for revenge in the future.” She had certainly witnessed how troublesome the Nascent Soul stage Yin Xuechan was.
Song Qingtang sighed, “Silver Moon Valley is not an evil cultivation sect, after all.”
Chi Wanyin shook her head. Her Senior Sister was always so soft-hearted, but to hold the position of a sect master, one must be decisive in killing.
“In the future, if there is something Senior Sister cannot bring herself to do, let me do it,” Chi Wanyin said.
Anyway, in her last life, she was a demonic cultivator whom everyone wanted to kill. Doing these things for her Senior Sister was nothing.
Song Qingtang merely placed her hand on Chi Wanyin’s head, “No, you don’t need to do these things for me.”
“Junior Sister, Senior Sister just wants you to be happy and not have to bear so much,” Song Qingtang said sincerely.
Memories from the previous life suddenly rushed back. Chi Wanyin looked at the person standing half a head taller than her. Was she truly thinking that?
Then why did she kill her with the Time-Wasting Sword?
Chi Wanyin couldn’t understand.
She simply lowered her eyes and quietly replied, “Okay.”
When they returned to the Heaven’s Derivation Sect, Liu Qianhe had already been waiting for a long time. Seeing that the two were safe and sound, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, “Did you get the sword?”
Song Qingtang drew the Time-Wasting Sword; the blade flowed with light, gathering frost.
“A fine sword,” Liu Qianhe praised, even though she was not a sword cultivator.
Chi Wanyin then took out the peachwood sword. Liu Qianhe was even more excited than when she saw the Time-Wasting Sword, “Such rich spiritual energy!”
Although the sword’s body was ordinary, a point of green light glowed at the tip, seemingly containing countless pure wood-attribute spiritual energies.
Song Qingtang helplessly looked at the bright-eyed Liu Qianhe, “Don’t cling to Junior Sister yet. Obtaining the sword was not easy this time. Let her go back and rest first.”
Because of Song Qingtang’s words, Liu Qianhe finally let Chi Wanyin go. After she left, the two continued their conversation.
“You and I both know it was just a matter of retrieving a sword. Did something unexpected happen midway?” Liu Qianhe asked. As longtime friends, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t concerned.
Song Qingtang was silent for a moment before saying, “Something unexpected did happen, but it wasn’t a major issue. I’m just worried about Junior Sister… her temperament is still unstable. If this continues, I’m afraid she could easily stray onto the wrong path.”
Liu Qianhe was startled. In her eyes, Chi Wanyin was still like a child. How could it have reached such a serious point?
“Wouldn’t that be too serious a statement?” Liu Qianhe hesitated to say.
Song Qingtang shook her head, “I hope I’m just worrying unnecessarily. In a few days, when I go to the mortal city, I will take her with me.”
Besides eliminating demons and monsters, cultivators would also go to resolve issues like drought and plague when they occurred in mortal cities. As the Head Senior Sister, Song Qingtang was naturally obligated.
Liu Qianhe nodded upon hearing this. It seemed Song Qingtang intended to keep the child by her side, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
After they finished their discussion, Liu Qianhe was still uneasy and personally went to find Chi Wanyin. Chi Wanyin was not resting but was sitting in front of the bamboo house in a daze. Liu Qianhe assumed she was still frightened.
“Little Junior Sister, have you finished your pill?” Liu Qianhe asked.
Chi Wanyin finally returned to her senses, “No.”
Seeing that she seemed troubled, Liu Qianhe tried to ease her mind, “In a few days, you’ll go down the mountain with your Senior Sister.”
In her last life, when Senior Sister went down the mountain, she didn’t bring her along. Had she discovered something?
However, Chi Wanyin only nodded, “Okay,” her expression docile and flawless.
Liu Qianhe carefully examined her obedient Junior Sister. She couldn’t see any sign of her straying onto the wrong path. Perhaps Song Qingtang was truly overthinking things.
On the day they descended the mountain, Song Qingtang and Chi Wanyin traveled together.
After walking down three thousand steps, and for convenience, Song Qingtang did not take a flying boat with her but flew on her sword. Chi Wanyin could not fly on a sword, so the two stood together on the Time-Wasting Sword.
Song Qingtang focused on controlling the sword, but thinking it might be her Junior Sister’s first time on a flying sword, she reassured her without turning her head, “You can hold on to me if you feel scared.”
Chi Wanyin, however, found the sensation quite novel. The Time-Wasting Sword traveled above the sea of clouds, and other creatures lurked within the clouds. Only when they occasionally surfaced for air could she glimpse the corner of a fish’s tail.
Flying on the sword like this, they finally reached the mortal city at dusk. This mortal city was not large. As soon as the two landed, they were surrounded by people.
Leading them was a portly, middle-aged man in luxurious attire, who looked respectable enough. However, Chi Wanyin frowned, thinking that she had heard the area had been suffering from a continuous drought, turning a thousand miles into scorched earth.
The middle-aged man spoke, “Immortals, we hope the Immortals can protect us.”
Looking at the man, Chi Wanyin was reminded of the richly-dressed young master who bullied her in her past life—both were people who took advantage of their status and disregarded the lives of others. So, she quietly tugged on Song Qingtang’s sleeve.
Song Qingtang squeezed her hand back, signaling her to be patient, and addressed the rich man with a smile, “I see you are still safe and sound. What protection are you talking about?”
Then she asked a person nearby, “Where are the refugees outside the city settled?”
After receiving directions, Song Qingtang thanked them and took Chi Wanyin out of the city.
Outside the city was a completely different scene from inside. While the people inside were still dressed respectably, the refugees were ragged, living in makeshift straw huts, or without any shelter, forced to sleep on the ground.
If it weren’t for Senior Sister, perhaps I would be one of them, Chi Wanyin thought.
When those ragged people saw the two standing on the flying sword, they couldn’t stop bowing and kneeling, “Immortals, please, save us.”
Song Qingtang stepped down from the flying sword and helped the old man, who was nothing but skin and bones, stand up, “Elder, please get up quickly. You don’t need to kneel to us. We have come on this journey precisely to resolve this drought.”
Song Qingtang took out spiritual rice and spiritual seeds from her storage bag, “These are spiritual seeds. They can yield spiritual rice without water, but the quantity is limited and can probably only get you through the drought. Once the drought eases, you will need to cultivate your own land.”
The crowd was naturally overjoyed. Song Qingtang and Chi Wanyin busied themselves distributing the spiritual seeds and rice until the moon was high in the sky. Only then did the two return to the city to rest.
As Chi Wanyin stepped onto the roof, she saw her Senior Sister propping up her chin, seemingly lost in thought.
Song Qingtang, as the Head Senior Sister, never showed her emotions. Chi Wanyin couldn’t remember how many years it had been since she had acted this way.
“Senior Sister,” Chi Wanyin called out softly.
Song Qingtang focused her gaze on her Junior Sister. She seemed to have grown a little taller. Since arriving at the Heaven’s Derivation Sect, Chi Wanyin’s body had shot up like a growing shoot.
“I am thinking, if I hadn’t cultivated, would I also have been just an ordinary mortal,” Song Qingtang said, looking into the distance at the high mountains and the twilight.
Chi Wanyin shook her head, “Senior Sister, you are not ordinary. Even as a mortal, you could save many people.”
“Is that so?” Song Qingtang countered.
Chi Wanyin nodded. Before she could continue, Song Qingtang’s smile held a hint of helplessness, “I’m actually being comforted by Junior Sister. Master often taught us to stabilize our temperament when cultivating, but I know I am not that kind of person. If we cultivators don’t strive to be the best, what’s the point?”
As Song Qingtang spoke these words, the first ray of dawn light in the distance fell upon her, making her dazzling to look at.
Song Qingtang took Chi Wanyin’s hand and leaped down from the rooftop. Then, Chi Wanyin immediately saw the tiny, bright golden flowers in the flowerbed.
They were so inconspicuous, perhaps just common wildflowers found anywhere on the roadside, yet they grew so vigorously.
On the last day of disaster relief, Song Qingtang performed the Cloud Movement and Rain-Making Art, summoning the long-awaited sweet rain for the mortal city. Raindrops fell on the people, but they were oblivious, filled only with joy.
When they left, the people naturally saw them off. The children placed woven wreaths on Song Qingtang’s and Chi Wanyin’s heads, made from the bright golden flowers Chi Wanyin had seen by the roadside that day.
The two left the city. Since the disaster had been alleviated, they should naturally return to the sect to report, but Song Qingtang was in no hurry. She still held Chi Wanyin’s hand. Instead of flying on her sword, the two walked on the road like ordinary mortals.
Chi Wanyin felt the warmth of her Senior Sister’s palm and asked, “Senior Sister, is this the only extent of what we can do?”
Song Qingtang looked at her. The attire of the Heaven’s Derivation Sect was simple, but the bright golden color was like the morning sun she had seen that day, dazzling the eye.
She sighed and said, “Yes. The Way of Heaven dictates that cultivators should not involve themselves too much in the mortal world. We can only do this much.”
Chi Wanyin was silent. After a while, her voice was slow but firm, “What if I insist on defying Heaven’s will?”
“Extreme wisdom leads to harm,” Song Qingtang shook her head.
Chi Wanyin lowered her eyes. She had experienced the price of that in her past life, but how could she resign herself to it?