After The Death Escape and Ascension, The Male Protagonist of Long Aotian Went Crazy - Chapter 13

Shi Hua had no way to ease Chi Qingxuan’s mind.

This was his inner knot; no one could untie it for him.

In the end, she could only stress one thing: no matter what happened, he must never come to Bixu Palace.

Although Chi Qingxuan didn’t understand, since it was her words, he would still listen.

Meanwhile, Hua Jinning, in order to fulfill her duties as host and repair relations between the two sects, warmly invited them to stay in Ji’an City for a few days.

Ji’an City was plagued by endless wind and sandstorms, but every seven days the skies would clear for three.

Today happened to be such a clear day.

So Hua Jinning took the initiative to offer to show them around Ji’an City.

“Palace Master.”

A disciple of Bixu Palace hurried over and whispered something into her ear.

Hua Jinning’s expression remained unchanged. She turned back to them with an apologetic smile:
“Seems I won’t be able to go. I’ll have my disciple show you around instead.”

“Chang Ying, you will accompany the Immortal Venerable.”

“Yes.”

Chang Ying was Hua Jinning’s second disciple.

Her eldest disciple had died under a dragon’s claw, leaving only Chang Ying at her side. Naturally, Hua Jinning valued her highly.

Shi Hua and Qingxuan weren’t interested in touring Ji’an City, but the younger ones were brimming with enthusiasm. So they pushed the matter aside, letting Chang Ying take them out, while the two of them found a teahouse to sit in for a while.

Chang Ying dared not dissuade Immortal Venerable Shuyu, and so let the two go as they pleased.

The people of Ji’an City always took advantage of these three sunny days to come out.

At this time, the streets were at their liveliest.

Qingxuan released his spiritual sense to probe—the followers who had been trailing them had left, leaving only two guards at the door.

“Huahua, you go. I’ll manage here.”

Shi Hua nodded slightly, closing her eyes to release her spirit, leaving her physical body behind to mask her absence.

Her spiritual projection glanced at Qingxuan.

“Go quickly.”

Qingxuan smiled gently, sipping a mouthful of hot tea.

Hmm, the taste was decent.

The strangeness of Ji’an City—Shi Hua had been on guard ever since the system’s mission reminder appeared.

Hua Jinning behaved far too obediently in front of her, sincerely admitting her mistakes from five hundred years ago and doing her utmost to make amends.

But so long as Shi Hua’s knot about Hua Jinrong remained unresolved, matters would never end.

Yesterday’s shadow confirmed her suspicions.

Yun Yao had met with misfortune.

Shi Hua followed Hua Jinning into Bixu Palace.

With her late-stage Mahayana cultivation, she moved about as if in her own domain.

Hua Jinning noticed nothing, believing she had evaded all eyes and ears as she walked confidently into a hall sealed with a barrier.

On the plaque above were written several characters—Cloudrise Hall.

So, Yun Yao was being confined in her own palace.

Shi Hua didn’t rush in. Instead, she floated up into a tree and lay down, waiting until Hua Jinning had finished before acting.

“This Yun Yao… how does teaching a disciple end with getting herself trapped?”

She vaguely remembered how Yun Yao used to send her letters boasting about her two excellent disciples. But after Hua Jinrong’s death, Yun Yao had collapsed for a century, neglecting Hua Jinning’s guidance—leading her down the path of demonic arts.

The moment Hua Jinning claimed Yun Yao was in seclusion, Shi Hua had sensed something was wrong.

Yun Yao was not the type to pursue power rashly.

“System, are you there?”

【Immortal Venerable, I’ve been here all along.】

Shi Hua tilted her head toward the plaque.
“Can you show me what’s happening inside that hall?”

【Please wait, Immortal Venerable. Such a small matter is well within my ability.】

A moment later, a water-mirror appeared before her. Within, two women overlapped in the image—the figure of Hua Jinning blocking most of the view. Bending over, she appeared to be speaking to someone.

But from the glimpse of yellow fabric below, it was unmistakably Yun Yao.

Inside the hall, Hua Jinning stood over her master.

“Master, what are you doing?”

She sighed softly, as though helpless:
“Master, you know I won’t allow you to ruin my plans.”

“Jinning…”

Yun Yao’s hands were bound. Earlier, she had struggled and fallen from the bed, just in time for Hua Jinning to enter and see her on the ground.

Yet Hua Jinning did not help her up, merely lowered her gaze, watching.

When had Yun Yao ever endured such humiliation? But this was the disciple she cherished most. She couldn’t bear to harm her. That hesitation gave the girl an opening, leading to this situation.

Her goose-yellow robe hung half-open.

Yun Yao forced herself to suppress the restless heat in her chest, trying to talk sense into her disciple.

But the rebel actually seized her chin, preventing her from speaking.

“Mm!”

Yun Yao fumed, wanting to strike!

Rebellious disciple!!!

Hua Jinning ignored her struggle, fingers brushing across the corner of her lips, savoring the softness with greedy longing.

How could one not ache for such a beautiful master?

It had been centuries—yet it was Master who first provoked her.

Hua Jinning’s gaze darkened.

Yun Yao’s features were still girlish, her choice of youthful dresses making her seem more like a maiden than an elder. Before her disciples, she looked nothing like a stern master.

“Master, I don’t want to make things difficult for you. When Elder Sister is revived, we’ll go back to how it was.”

Revived? My ass!

Yun Yao cursed inwardly.

She knew Hua Jinrong’s state all too well.

Back then, she and Shi Hua had guarded the corpse together. Both knew clearly—Hua Jinrong’s soul had already dispersed. She could never be revived.

What infuriated Yun Yao wasn’t her disciple’s obsession with revival, but that the girl harbored improper designs on her own master!

When had her disciple begun thinking this way?!

Huahua, where are you—your friend’s chastity is about to be ruined!

The puppet-paper men Yun Yao had sent out earlier were too clumsy. They failed to find Shi Hua’s room and instead disturbed Wei Shizhou and the others, accidentally sending them into Hua Jinrong’s quarters through a botched array.

Yun Yao knew none of this.

The water-mirror transmitted every detail clearly.

Shi Hua’s spirit froze in shock.

What?! Yun Yao, how did you end up like this with your disciple?!

The scene was too much.

Shi Hua hurriedly ordered the system to close the water-mirror.

She decided she’d best pretend she hadn’t seen anything.

She hadn’t expected Hua Jinning to grow even more deranged over five centuries—daring to offend her superior!

Shi Hua waited in the tree for half an hour, until Hua Jinning finally emerged, face sated.

Judging by that expression… surely nothing really happened?

Shi Hua stayed silent. It seemed her friend’s innocence might truly be in jeopardy.

Shaking her head, Shi Hua tore open a crack in the barrier and slipped inside.

Yun Yao’s clothes were half undone, pale shoulders exposed, her chest heaving, cheeks flushed, eyes dazed.

Shi Hua realized pretending she’d seen nothing wouldn’t cut it.

“Ahem!”

She turned her back.

After half an hour of torment, Yun Yao looked upon her like a savior, bursting into tears, utterly unlike an Immortal Venerable.

“Huahua!”

“Sob… Huahua, save me!”

She couldn’t endure it anymore—Hua Jinning was driving her insane!

Shi Hua waved her hand, breaking the bindings at her wrists, and gave her a sidelong glance:
“Are you… alright?”

“No!!!”

Yun Yao scrambled into her arms, clutching her sleeve and sobbing:
“Huahua, why did you take so long? This rebellious disciple nearly killed me with rage! You don’t know—she’s completely mad!”

Shi Hua thought she wasn’t the only mad one here.

Helping her straighten her clothing, she guessed Hua Jinning hadn’t quite succeeded, though she’d clearly gotten her fill of “benefits.”

After soothing Yun Yao, she finally asked about the real issue.

Upon hearing that her puppet hadn’t found Shi Hua, Yun Yao nearly fainted with shame.

Her puppetry had never failed like this before!

It had to be Hua Jinning’s doing.

As for why Yun Yao was locked here—it was because she had trusted her disciple. Hua Jinning had drugged her food, sealing away her spiritual power.

And Yun Yao still couldn’t break free!

For someone in the Void Refinement stage to be so helpless—it was humiliating.

Shi Hua thought for a moment.
“Could it be Spirit-Scattering Powder?”

It was tasteless and odorless—very hard to detect.

If Yun Yao had stumbled here, it wasn’t surprising.

“Most likely.” Yun Yao steadied herself and revealed her purpose:
“Forget that for now. Huahua, my disciple is on the verge of another frenzy. She’s been fixated on Sister Rong’s body all this time. Lately, I’ve gathered from her words that she’s set her sights on that young man with the immortal bone!”

How Yun Yao learned this, she didn’t say—but Shi Hua could guess.

But why target Wei Shizhou?

Could it be that extracting the immortal bone was linked to reviving Hua Jinrong?

【Ding!】

【Storyline ‘The Wailing of the Royal City’ has been loaded. Please check.】

The system cheered:
【Immortal Venerable, Immortal Venerable, we’ve got new plot!】

Meanwhile, on Ji’an City’s streets—

Chang Ying led them on a leisurely stroll.

Though the royal city wasn’t what it used to be, the people here had found new ways to earn a living. The weathered stones from the desert outside could be polished into trinkets and sold to travelers for profit.

Xie An was thrilled, wanting to buy every pretty ornament he saw to give to Shi Hua.

He had always followed her in cultivation, carefully noting that while Shi Hua didn’t dress herself up much, her hairpins were many—clearly she liked such things.

Perfect! He could buy them as gifts for his master.

Qin Xiyan, however, wasn’t interested in such trinkets.

But someone else was thinking of her.

“Senior Sister.”

Xie Wanmian nervously held out a bracelet:
“Please look—do you like this one?”

Amber-orange beads, with tiny stone pendants attached. Not especially pretty, but it was Ji’an City’s specialty, and a popular style lately.

He had carefully chosen it after much inquiry.

Qin Xiyan didn’t want to hurt her junior’s feelings.

“I like it. Thank you for being so thoughtful.”

Xie Wanmian’s eyes lit with hidden joy, quickly insisting it was no trouble, that he was glad to serve her.

Wei Shizhou, watching from the side, found it dull.

The heroine and second male lead’s storyline was unfolding just like in the novels.

Speaking of novels, Wei Shizhou suddenly noticed an odd movement from the storybook in his spirit bracelet.

Feigning an excuse, he slipped away.

The book was glowing.

He found it strange—ever since he had acquired it, the book had been ordinary, no different from any other text.

Why now?

The book floated in midair, pages flipping on their own, faint golden light flashing until they stopped on one page.

Wei Shizhou looked—and froze.

He had never seen this passage before. It was about Ji’an City!

Could it be the book had updated the storyline about Bixu Palace?

He quickly read on.

But the more he read, the paler his face became, until he nearly collapsed.

Extracting the immortal bone?!