After Faking Her Death and Fleeing, the Emotionless Daoist Master Regretted It - Chapter 33.1

Chapter 33.1: A Drunken Kiss – The Jealous Shizun

Ling Yunyue received a voice transmission from the Sect Master saying there was an important matter to discuss. Feeling annoyed by her disciple’s distant behavior, she took the opportunity to return to the auspicious clouds.

“Why did Senior Sister send for me?”

Rong Jiangzhu continued the voice transmission: “Does Junior Sister Ling still remember the divination result concerning Beast Taming Peak?”

This matter was a sect secret, known only to the two of them in the entire Tianyan Sect. Therefore, Ling Yunyue also refrained from speaking aloud and replied via voice transmission: “I remember, of course. Why do you suddenly bring this up, Senior Sister?”

“The divination result indicated a potential betrayal from the Beast Taming Peak lineage in the future, but this outcome is not absolute. If a variable appears, this incident will not occur. Without surprises, the position of Beast Taming Peak Master will be inherited by Xu Miaoluo. Junior Sister Qin just told me that Miaoluo is interested in Lingqing…”

Hearing this, Ling Yunyue’s hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched again.

She remembered the situation that day when Xu Miaoluo brought Lingqing to Wangyue Terrace without permission.

That night, she returned to her cave dwelling and was about to enter meditation to cultivate, but a sudden, instinctual feeling arising from her heart prompted her to check on her disciple again.

She walked out of the cave dwelling, released her divine sense unique to the Mahayana Realm, covering the entire peak, and indeed found that Lingqing was not in her cave dwelling halfway up the mountain.

She knew that given Lingqing’s personality, she would never leave Xuantian Peak alone late at night. Moreover, there was a restriction personally placed by her around the cave dwelling, which no one could force their way through. Thus, only one possibility remained: someone had appeared and lured her disciple away to another place.

In that instant, a monstrous rage surged in her heart.

She couldn’t describe her emotions at the time, but if she had to, it was like her most cherished existence was being coveted by someone else.

She immediately moved, leaving Xuantian Peak, searching everywhere for Lingqing’s whereabouts.

Tianyan Sect had nine hundred and ninety-nine peaks. Without a clear location, finding one person could not be done in a moment.

The longer the time dragged on, the angrier she became. At the same time, an indescribable panic also arose… She worried that something had happened to Lingqing.

She had always known that many people in the sect wanted to take her as their Master. Her bringing Lingqing back to the sect would, more or less, invite resentment towards her.

She had been careless. She thought placing a restriction around the cave dwelling and reminding Lingqing not to trust fellow disciples would protect her, but she didn’t realize there were many in the sect who were skilled at manipulating hearts. Lingqing was inexperienced. Even with caution, she could still be easily deceived.

Just as she was feeling extremely anxious, she found Lingqing.

At that time, the girl’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes slightly closed, and she was intimately held in Xu Miaoluo’s arms.

After confirming that Lingqing was not injured, but merely drunk and asleep from drinking a thousand-year spiritual brew, she quickly moved forward. It took the greatest self-control she had ever exercised to suppress the urge to strike Xu Miaoluo. She carefully took her sleeping disciple from the woman’s arms.

Xu Miaoluo’s strength was vastly different from hers. Even without striking, the unintentional Mahayana Realm pressure she exuded was enough to make the woman difficult to resist, turning her face pale.

She wanted to take her disciple back to Xuantian Peak as quickly as possible. Before leaving, she warned the woman to stay away from Lingqing in the future, warning her that if she saw her intentionally getting close to Lingqing again, she would not be lightly pardoned.

She hadn’t expected Xu Miaoluo to question her in return, asking if she still remembered that she was cultivating the ruthless path. Not only that, but she also told her to stay away from Lingqing, saying she shouldn’t harm her.

She did not respond directly, ignoring the woman’s words.

She thought to herself: Of course, she hadn’t forgotten the fact that she was cultivating the ruthless path. She only regarded Lingqing as her disciple.

The night was deep then. To be cautious, she carried Lingqing back to her own cultivation cave dwelling.

The drunk girl was like a kitten, unusually docile.

Of course, Lingqing was also very well-behaved in front of her when sober, but the two states gave her a different feeling.

The drunk Lingqing was less restrained.

She knew Lingqing cared a lot about her, but too much of anything was harmful. The excessive care made Lingqing unable to fully relax in front of her and show her complete, true self.

The thousand-year peach blossom wine was intoxicating. At that moment, a phrase came to mind: ‘In wine, there is truth.’ She suddenly wanted to know what kind of image she held in Lingqing’s heart.

She cast a spell to dissipate a trace of the alcohol’s potency, keeping her disciple in a semi-awake state.

This way, whatever she asked, Lingqing wouldn’t remember it when she woke up.

She always remembered that when she first met Lingqing, she asked her if she was willing to take her as a Master. Lingqing hadn’t responded immediately then.

She thought she was unwilling, so she deliberately restrained her usual cold aura, displaying a gentleness she had never shown before, and finally successfully ‘deceived’ the girl into taking her as Master.

Now that she had a rare opportunity, she asked the first related question.

Lingqing’s answer at that time surprised her.

Lingqing said she couldn’t imagine such good fortune falling upon her. She thought she had misheard and didn’t dare to respond immediately.

She then asked what kind of person she, her Shizun, was in her heart.

Lingqing’s response left her stunned for a long time.

She said she was the goddess in her heart, forever perfect and flawless, the only salvation in her past darkest life.

The girl’s face was full of piety when she said this.

At that moment, she was somewhat afraid to face Lingqing. She thought to herself: she was far from as good as Lingqing imagined. Her going to Fantasy Moon Mountain to find her was guided by a subtle force, and she had a certain purpose.

If one day Lingqing knew the truth, the image of the perfect and flawless goddess in her heart would probably shatter completely…

She felt a little sad at that moment.

Although Lingqing was still drunk, she seemed to sense her low mood and began to try every way to comfort her.

She watched the bleary-eyed girl rub her delicate face slowly against the back of her hand like a kitten. The fleeting touch gradually caused an indescribable feeling to arise in her heart.

It was also at that instant that the words Xu Miaoluo had said at Wangyue Terrace suddenly floated into her mind.

She thought to herself: perhaps, facing Lingqing, she had truly forgotten the path she was cultivating. She suppressed the inexplicable feeling in her heart, took out a jade couch, and carried the girl to the couch.

She had an Ice Spiritual Root, and all the furnishings in her cave dwelling were made of ten-thousand-year profound ice, which was not conducive to the wood-spiritual-rooted Lingqing’s recuperation. The jade couch, however, was made of warm jade, which could resist severe cold.

She wanted Lingqing to have a good sleep. When she woke up, she could eat some spirit fruit to counteract the alcohol, which would completely dissolve the potency of the thousand-year peach blossom wine.

She hadn’t expected that the moment she placed the girl on the couch, she would be hugged back.

Before she could react, a kiss with the fragrance of peach blossoms landed on her lips.

The touch was extremely soft, fleeting…

A trace of longing arose in her heart. She liked Lingqing kissing her like this.

The moment this thought appeared, she immediately snapped back and, for the first time, had the idea of escaping.

However, the girl tightly clutched her sleeve, and she truly couldn’t bear to shake her off.

Ultimately, she slowly convinced herself, on the pretext that Lingqing was drunk and needed care, to sleep beside the girl…

Returning from her memories, Ling Yunyue put away the complex thoughts in her heart and continued the voice transmission: “Senior Sister means that the variable indicated by the divination is Lingqing?”

Seeing Rong Jiangzhu nod, she pursed her lips.

“This is merely Senior Sister’s speculation. What is your intention in bringing it up now?”

“With Junior Sister’s intelligence, can you not guess what I want to say?”

Ling Yunyue slightly lowered her eyes, her voice suddenly much colder.

“Senior Sister should know that Lingqing is my disciple, and she will cultivate the ruthless path in the future.”

Rong Jiangzhu gazed deeply at her. “Xuantian Peak has never mandated the cultivation of the ruthless path. Lingqing’s personality is somewhat sensitive. Junior Sister should know that the ruthless path is most averse to excessive emotional fluctuations. Her temperament is not suitable for cultivating this path.”

“Without trying, how do you know it’s not suitable?”

“Junior Sister, you are being unreasonable.”

“If Senior Sister thinks so, then so be it. Regardless, I hope Senior Sister quickly puts aside any related thoughts. I cannot agree to Lingqing and Xu Miaoluo being together.”

“Has Junior Sister considered what if, in the future, they genuinely fall in love? Will Junior Sister insist on tearing them apart?”

Hearing this, Ling Yunyue’s hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched again. Due to the extreme force, her knuckles turned white, and the veins on the back of her originally jade-like hands slightly protruded, the lines fine and clear.

“What Senior Sister speaks of is absolutely impossible to happen!”

“Junior Sister is not Lingqing. How do you know her thoughts? And why are you so certain?”

“As early as the Treasure Pavilion, when Lingqing first saw Xu Miaoluo, I warned her not to become closely acquainted with her.”

Rong Jiangzhu raised her delicate eyebrows: “Did Junior Sister tell Lingqing about the divination result?”

Ling Yunyue replied faintly: “I did not.”

“Since you haven’t told her, then in Lingqing’s eyes, what Junior Sister said only represents personal likes and dislikes, and there is no reason for her to strictly obey.”

“I trust Lingqing. She will not defy my words.”

“What if a situation arises? If she truly gets together with Xu Miaoluo, what will Junior Sister do?”

“There is no such contingency!”

Seeing the chilling aura emanating from the woman grow more intense, Rong Jiangzhu knew she would not get an answer and promptly stopped the topic.

On Yanwu Peak, Su Lingqing’s heart plummeted when she saw Shizun leave without a word.

However, the current situation did not allow her to dwell on it, as the results of the ninth round of lot-drawing had been announced, and she needed to enter the arena for the trial.

She had already angered Shizun; she absolutely could not lose the competition now.

The ninth round was also the last round for slot contention. As long as she won, she would enter the top one hundred and twenty.

Su Lingqing suppressed all the thoughts in her heart and slowly walked onto the arena.

Her opponent this round, Qiu Ying, was from Wenhui Peak (Cultural Drawing Peak), a Qi Refining Level Ten cultivator, wearing a light gray scholar’s robe, her dark hair tied up only with a snow-white silk ribbon.

Su Lingqing looked at this Senior Sister, whom she had never met, and for some reason, she was reminded of the couple of women who committed suicide for love that her mother had told her about in her childhood.

One taught in the school, and the other was her student.

They could also be called Master and disciple. They fell in love during their daily interactions but, due to societal intolerance, committed suicide hand in hand.

During her fourteen years on Fantasy Moon Mountain, she had also seen the female tutors from the school. Their attire and demeanor were very similar to this Senior Sister in front of her, exuding a scholarly aura.

Wenhui Peak, as its name suggested, gathered disciples who entered the Dao through literature and calligraphy.

The brushes and ink in their hands could be used for composing poetry and painting on a normal day, but during combat, they were weapons for both offense and defense.

Qiu Ying stepped onto the arena and took out an exquisite ink brush made of wolf hair.

As the trial began, the ink brush moved by itself with her wrist, and her spiritual energy rapidly circulated, instantly outlining a landscape ink painting in the air.

Su Lingqing knew very little about this path. To be cautious, she temporarily chose to focus on defense.

A moment later, the condensed ink painting suddenly changed.

A lifelike, ink-colored sparrow flew out from the scroll, reaching the girl in an instant.

Su Lingqing attacked with her sword. The sparrow exploded with a boom, disintegrating into a cloud of thick ink.

Most of the ink splattered and fell to the ground, but a small amount landed on the Flowing Light Sword.

It was also at this instant that Su Lingqing noticed something amiss. The moment the thick ink landed on the sword body, the speed of her spiritual energy consumption suddenly accelerated significantly.

The ink had the effect of absorbing the cultivator’s spiritual energy.

This meant the longer the fight dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for her.

She stopped defending and switched to offense.

In addition to the defense-oriented Jade Sea Tidal Heavens sword technique, the four sword sets—Fleeting Light, Shadow-like Sweep, Illusory Shadow Trace, Silent Moonfall, and Limitless Cloud-Water—were successively executed, continuously attacking Qiu Ying.

The ink painting suspended in mid-air underwent another change at this moment.

The condensed mountains and rivers flew out, transforming into tens of thousands of ink dots, meeting the incoming sword lights.

At this moment, the entire arena was stained with thick ink, turning pitch black.

The spectators’ vision was obstructed, and they began to discuss in low voices.

“We rarely see Senior Sisters from Wenhui Peak participate in trials. We thought that those who enter the Dao through literature and calligraphy would be relatively weak in combat, but it turns out the opposite is true.”

“There are three thousand Great Daos, but all roads lead to the same destination. No matter which path one takes, the combat power will not be weak once cultivated to a certain extent.”

“But even so, I still favor Senior Sister Su.”

……

On the arena, the thick ink dispersed into tens of thousands of droplets. The moment it erupted, Su Lingqing’s vision instantly went dark.

With the light obscured, she could only rely on her divine sense to continue the trial.

To decide the winner as soon as possible, she utilized her sword qi.

A fierce sword light instantly broke through the existing darkness. A sound of clashing metal suddenly rang out. The Flowing Light Sword struck the ink brush held by Qiu Ying.

This artifact was also of the highest quality. With the two clashing, it was hard to determine the victor for a moment.

Su Lingqing’s sword followed her body’s rotation. She retreated half a step and then executed the Illusory Shadow Trace sword technique, instantly circling behind Qiu Ying. Seizing the moment the thick ink dispersed and her opponent’s defense was weak, she placed the long sword she held against the woman’s neck.

Her spiritual intuition flashed a warning. Qiu Ying realized her defeat, instantly put away her artifact, and conceded.

Su Lingqing simultaneously withdrew the Flowing Light Sword, and the trial thus ended.

The thick ink around the arena completely dissipated. When the spectators saw the situation above, Qiu Ying was already walking off the arena.

“Did any Senior Sister see who won clearly?”

“No need to ask. It must be Senior Sister Su, but Senior Sister Qiu is also very strong. She could go toe-to-toe with Senior Sister Su.”

“Look! The results of the trial are already on the light screen of the pavilion. Senior Sister Su did indeed win!”

“The one hundred and twenty slots in the sect have been decided. Next will be the trials against the Heavenly Fire Sect to determine the final candidates for the secret realm trip.”

“Do any Senior Sisters know when the trial against the Heavenly Fire Sect will be held?”

“The Sect Master seems not to have announced it yet. News should be coming in the next couple of days.”

“Speaking of which, something I’ve always been curious about: the Heavenly Fire Sect from the Scarlet Flame Continent visited a couple of days ago and went to Yingdao Peak. Are those seniors still on the peak?”

“Of course not. How can other forces be stationed permanently within the sect’s sphere of influence? The people from the Heavenly Fire Sect left that same night after discussing the secret realm slots.”

“So, the competition between the two sects…”

“That is not for us to worry about. The Sect Master and the others will make their own decisions.”

Su Lingqing walked off the arena, listening to the discussions of her fellow disciples, but her mind was not on them. The trial was now over, and in principle, she could return to Xuantian Peak.

It was sunset. She looked up at the clouds. The condensed, auspicious clouds still shrouded the entire Yanwu Peak.

She couldn’t clearly see the figures above the auspicious clouds, but she could sense that Shizun was still there.

Shizun hadn’t left. Should she, her disciple, also remain on Yanwu Peak?

Just as Su Lingqing was indecisive, Qiu Ying, who had just fought with her, slowly walked towards her.

“Junior Sister Su, the trial slots are out. Although the time for the trial against the Heavenly Fire Sect has not been announced, it shouldn’t be today. It’s getting late, and it’s time for dinner. Would Junior Sister be willing to go to Dinner Peak with me?”

“I…”

Seeing the girl’s hesitant expression, Qiu Ying smiled warmly.

“If Junior Sister is unwilling, then let’s pretend I didn’t mention it.”

The woman turned to leave. Su Lingqing looked up at the clouds. There was still no movement there. At this instant, she suddenly wanted to know if Shizun still cared about her.

She decided to be willful for once, so she stepped forward and caught up with Qiu Ying.

“Senior Sister Qiu, I’ll go with you.”

Seeing the girl follow her, a smile reappeared on Qiu Ying’s face.

The two walked side by side, heading towards Dinner Peak together.

Above the auspicious clouds, Ling Yunyue watched the girl’s gradually receding back, her lips tightly pursed. In the next moment, her figure flashed, disappearing from her original spot in the blink of an eye.

Rong Jiangzhu, who was standing beside her, sighed softly, shaking her head.

“They say the word ‘love’ is the hardest to understand. Junior Sister is already deeply immersed in it, yet is unaware…”

Beside her, Qin Su seemed to sense something and pondered: “Did the Sect Master use the voice transmission to discuss an important matter with Senior Sister Ling just now to test Senior Sister’s reaction?”

Rong Jiangzhu nodded: “You could say that, but I also had another plan. Now it seems Junior Sister will not agree, so that plan can only fall through.”

Qin Su did not know the specifics of the voice transmission but could guess it was related to Xu Miaoluo, as the Sect Master had only sent the voice transmission to Senior Sister Ling after she mentioned the woman.

As an elder of a peak, she naturally knew that matters involving voice transmission often involved some secrets, so she wisely refrained from asking further. Instead, she changed the subject to Senior Sister’s Dao path.

“Since the establishment of Tianyan Sect, there has never been a successful ascension to the Dao through the ruthless path. Does the Sect Master believe that Senior Sister Ling…”

“For someone at Junior Sister’s level of strength, if one path doesn’t work, she can choose another. A girl on Yanwu Peak said it very well earlier: there are three thousand Great Daos, but all roads lead to the same destination. As long as she chooses correctly, any Dao path can lead to Great Accomplishment. The prerequisite is that Junior Sister Ling herself must gain clarity. If she walks into a dead end and becomes overly stubborn, that would be unfortunate.”

Qin Su hesitated and asked: “Has the Sect Master ever considered directly reminding Senior Sister?”

Ling Yunyue’s prestige in the sect was extremely high. Not to mention ordinary disciples, even they, the elders, respected and feared Senior Sister. When meeting her in private, they fundamentally dared not say much.