NOVEL NEXT Ch. 5
Chapter 5: A Fairy as Gentle as the Spring Breeze
With the crisp sound of a bell.
As though a breeze had smoothed the wrinkles on the lake’s surface, a woman’s voice drifted over: “Does the Blood Demon Palace intend to go to war with my Jade Palace?”
The shadow by the tree slowly condensed from illusion to solid form, revealing a female immortal.
Her snow-white robe concealed her delicate figure; beneath her long brows was a pair of eyes as clear as they were gentle, like the warmth of spring.
Unfortunately, the immortal face below was hidden behind a veil whiter than snow, leaving others to imagine the beauty beneath.
True Disciple of Jade Palace, Fourth Realm Heavenly Authority Stage—Xia Lianxue.
If Qiu Yuehan’s sword was a chilling arrogance that sought to freeze everything, then Xia Lianxue’s sword was like the breeze, carrying the gentleness that soothed all.
A flicker of disappointment passed through Qiu Yuehan’s eyes—she had wanted to see what ability Lu Changyuan truly possessed.
Lu Changyuan noticed.
He tossed the sword back to Qiu Yuehan: “Very disappointed?”
He studied her carefully, yet failed to see the relief of one who had narrowly escaped death in her eyes.
The Blood Demon Palace cultivator gave a cold snort, speaking with disdain: “Xia Lianxue? You truly mean to stop us?”
The veiled immortal replied: “And why should I not stop you?”
“Kill her, and you’ll be the next Palace Mistress of Jade Palace...”
“Silence!”
Xia Lianxue’s sword moved swiftly—an instant later, a finger dropped to the ground, its foul stench corroding the earth and leaving behind a pit.
The black-robed man clutched his hand: “Xia Lianxue, you will regret this!”
The two were swept away by blood mist and stinking wind.
Only then did Xia Lianxue turn back: “Senior Sister, were you harmed? I received your transmission and rushed here—fortunately, I was not too late.”
If she had truly come to save Qiu Yuehan, she naturally would not have pursued the Blood Demon Palace members further—an injured ally was more important than the enemy.
Qiu Yuehan shook her head: “Junior Sister, you came in time.”
“That is good.”
Xia Lianxue smiled gently.
Her waterfall-like black hair was pinned up with only a single white jade hairpin, forming elegant clouds at her temples.
Her brows and eyes were as soft as willow branches: “I will bring Senior Sister back to the Palace.”
“Thank you, Junior Sister.”
What a fine display of fellow disciples aiding each other.
Lu Changyuan glanced at Qiu Yuehan’s delicate face, then at Xia Lianxue’s gentle brows.
By all appearances, the two were bound by deep sisterly affection.
Was someone lying?
Xia Lianxue shifted her lotus-like steps, supporting Qiu Yuehan by the shoulder.
In a moment, she had taken out a fragrant pill and fed it into Qiu Yuehan’s mouth, then frowned slightly and asked softly: “Senior Sister, do you know why the Blood Demon Palace wanted to kill you?”
Qiu Yuehan shook her head, coughing up blood: “I do not know. The demonic path acts in unpredictable ways. They have wanted me dead for a long time.”
“Very well. I will first escort Senior Sister back to the Palace, then we can investigate further.” Xia Lianxue turned her head: “And this person is?”
Qiu Yuehan’s expression remained unchanged: “My lifesaving benefactor. He said he wishes to join the Immortal Palace. I intend to bring him back with us.”
“So it is.”
The wheels of the carriage rumbled along.
Qiu Yuehan slightly tightened the white lotus sash at her waist.
Her black hair cascaded down her straight back, forming a graceful curve. Then she beckoned to Lu Changyuan: “Come closer.”
Lu Changyuan sighed helplessly, moving over until his shoulder served as the immortal’s pillow.
Qiu Yuehan’s injuries were far too severe.
After twice overtaxing her body, and since Xia Lianxue had not yet reached the Fifth Realm, they had no choice but to seek a carriage.
“Senior Sister, let us go to the Branch Sect first.”
Qiu Yuehan nodded, eyes closed, leaning against Lu Changyuan’s shoulder as though about to drift into sleep: “It will take me at least three days to recover the strength for a single sword strike. If the Blood Demon Palace comes to pursue again, I must rely on you, Junior Sister.”
Xia Lianxue sat inside the carriage.
Her soft hips pressed against her snowy thighs, her small feet clad in embroidered white shoes peeking out.
Her graceful curves swayed with the carriage: “Of course I will protect Senior Sister... after all, Senior Sister is the next Palace Mistress.”
The faint scent of Qiu Yuehan reached Lu Changyuan’s nose.
He paid it no mind, instead carefully analyzing Xia Lianxue’s words—yet no matter how he thought, he could not discern any emotion within them.
These Immortal Palace fairies acted so well, one could hardly tell what was real or not.
A wicked thought suddenly crossed Lu Changyuan’s mind.
He wanted to see Qiu Yuehan and Xia Lianxue fight.
Women fighting was the best thing to watch.
“It was merely the nonsense of a True Person.”
Xia Lianxue said: “If True Person Hanshui said so, then so it is.”
Lu Changyuan interjected: “And who is this True Person Hanshui?”
Jade Palace originated from Feather Moon Immortal Palace.
When young, the Jade Palace’s Palace Mistress had entered the Feather Moon Immortal Palace.
At that time, she, Qiu Yuehan, and Xia Lianxue were all nothing more than fledgling girls.
True Person Hanshui was among the last who still remembered the Palace Mistress of Jade Palace as that fledgling girl.
She was also the last female immortal of Feather Moon Immortal Palace apart from the Palace Mistress herself.
A year ago, True Person Hanshui emerged from seclusion, realizing her lifespan was at its end.
With no hope of breaking through to Jade Radiance, she gathered Jade Palace’s talented disciples, intending before her passing to demonstrate the Jade Palace’s Thirteen Swords one final time.
When Xia Lianxue and Qiu Yuehan entered the martial arena side by side, True Person Hanshui stared at Qiu Yuehan for a long while.
Then she said:
“You resemble the Palace Mistress in her youth... far too much.”
Jade Palace was thrown into an uproar.
From then on, it was whispered that compared to Xia Lianxue, Qiu Yuehan possessed the higher talent and was more likely to become the next Palace Mistress.
Indeed, it seemed to be the truth.
At last year’s sect competition, Qiu Yuehan defeated Xia Lianxue by half a move.
No one knew what Xia Lianxue thought.
The day after the competition, she stepped out of her room still wearing the same gentle smile, as though nothing had changed.
Only from that day onward, Xia Lianxue wore a veil, hiding her face from others.
Lu Changyuan could not help but laugh aloud.
Both fairies turned their gaze on him.
Xia Lianxue placed her slender hands, overlapped, upon her knees: “What is so funny?”
Lu Changyuan could only reply: “As Jade Palace’s elder, why would True Person Hanshui, before passing away, leave behind such a statement that would so easily incite internal strife?”
The two fell silent.
After a long while, Xia Lianxue spoke: “We do not know either.”
Lu Changyuan clearly saw Xia Lianxue’s hand clench into a fist.
So he said: “Do you think it possible, merely possible... that True Person Hanshui was simply senile?”
“......”
“......”
Though Xia Lianxue wore a veil, one could see the unmistakable disappointment in her eyes.
She raised her hand, and the carriage came to an abrupt halt.
Qiu Yuehan looked at Xia Lianxue in puzzlement: “Junior Sister?”
Xia Lianxue only said: “There is a stream nearby. I will fetch some water.”
Lu Changyuan suddenly spoke up: “I will go too. The two of you fairies do not require food or drink, but as a mortal body I cannot endure without. I will gather some fruit to fill my stomach.”
Qiu Yuehan seemed about to say something, but Lu Changyuan had already stepped down from the carriage.
After a long pause.
She let out a soft sigh.
Looking inward, Qiu Yuehan once more brushed her hand over that demon mark.
The weaker one was, the more likely one was to overthink.
Thus, when severely injured, cultivators were easily tainted by the Desire Demon. Yet strangely, that demon mark was guarding her thoughts, keeping them clear and free from distraction.
Not only that—the qi from the mark was untangling her chaotic meridians.
Her life was in another’s hands, yet now it seemed she had gained an advantage instead.
Qiu Yuehan murmured to herself: “Just what sort of person are you...”