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Published at 19th of August 2022 05:11:57 AM


Chapter 20

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Snakes were cold-blooded animals. Pei QianYue was also a cold-hearted kind of person. Feng Ci didn’t even know that he still had the ability to blush and feel bashful. Calling it blushing wasn’t even accurate. His complexion was still fair white. His expression was calm and composed. He looked very normal.

……which made the slightly pink-stained roots of his ears seem even more obvious. 

Feng Ci couldn’t hold back: “Pfft.”

While under the effects of the demon(妖) poison, Pei QianYue had really bluffed Feng Ci. Here he was thinking that Pei QianYue was the same as those other monsters and demons— someone with plenty of experience.

Who would have thought. After being teased briefly by his own disciple, he’d become like this. Did the LangFeng City disciples know that their City Master was actually such a pure and innocent little snake hatchling?

However, this was to be expected. With Pei QianYue’s ice-cold temperament, who’d dare approach him. A lack of experience was normal. 

In addition, he had cultivated in LinWu Mountain for so many years. Most likely, he didn’t even come out to experience the human world.

Maybe Pei QianYue was even less experienced than him.

The Grandmaster QianQiu finally discovered a long-lost sense of superiority in his own family’s snake baby.

The more Pei QianYue acted like this, the more Feng Ci wanted to tease him; a good repayment for yesterday night’s disgraceful mess.

Thinking this, he really did start leaning closer in Pei QianYue’s direction.

With an intent to tease, Feng Ci purposely slowed down his movements by a lot. The distance between them quickly closed to not even half an inch left. So close it was possible to feel each other’s breaths.

Feng Ci stopped here and looked up with amusement in his eyes.

Then he was slightly stunned. 

At this angle, Pei QianYue looked different than usual. The water vapor drenched him completely, softening his entire appearance. Those originally sharp-shaped lips were closed gently. There was even a drop of dew hanging on them, shining and sparkling; they looked very soft.

And a bit cute.

Feng Ci suddenly recalled, during his 3000 years long journey, he had once been to a world where history progressed very slowly.

Under the rule of a ruthless tyrant, the nation was engulfed in endless war and chaos. The people struggled with no ways of survival and all of this was because that ruthless tyrant had an extremely arrogant and willful concubine in his harem. 

When the beauty smiled, the tyrant immediately forgot about everything and focused solely on giving him the entire world.

At that time, Feng Ci only felt this tyrant was really extraordinarily senile and foolish. But looking back now, Feng Ci felt like it wasn’t completely impossible to understand him.

Pei QianYue doesn’t smile, yet Feng Ci still wanted to give him everything and not allow him to suffer the slightest injustice or mistreatment.

If he were in that position, he would probably be even more senile and foolish than that tyrant. 

It can’t be helped. Who let this person be both a great beauty and the hatchling that he raised. Facing this double impact, who can resist.

Feng Ci was somewhat dazed. Suddenly a gust of wind blew in front of him.

The water from the pool splashed in all directions. Feng Ci was pushed back to his original position by this gust of wind. When he looked over once again, the figure of that half snake, half human had already vanished before his eyes.

He turned his head. Pei QianYue stood next to the pool, dressed impeccably with his hair tied up. The water stains on his body had disappeared cleanly. Only the cloth that Feng Ci tied over his eyes remained. The light green fabric became the only bright color on his body. 

He turned back into that lofty and unapproachable, ice-cold City Master once again.

Even his ears stopped being red.

Unsuccessful in his teasing, Feng Ci felt somewhat regrettable. However, he wasn’t too concerned. He leaned against the side of the pool with one arm resting on the shore and said with feigned surprise: “So Shizun was actually awake.”

It’s only been one short day, yet Feng Ci has already accepted this address fairly well. 

Pei QianYue ignored him, however, and turned to leave.

Feng Ci smacked his palm on the shore of the pool and pushed up, leaping out of the water gracefully. In the blink of an eye, he moved to block in front of Pei QianYue.

“Shizun, how come you’re ignoring me?” Feng Ci asked him: “Where are you going?”

He didn’t have time to dry his robes. Water dripped down the ends of his loosened hair and slid into his slightly opened collar. The bottom of his clothes were already ripped. Just now, he had torn off another piece, exposing his bare naked feet. 

Before entering the water, he had taken off his shoes and socks.

Soaked with water, the robes revealed the young man’s slender figure without obstruction, however, Feng Ci didn’t care. He even took half a step forward: “I’m talking to you.”

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Speaking here, Feng Ci remembered the pile of mess they left behind yesterday night and felt a bit worried: “But yesterday you…….”

Yesterday Pei QianYue went into a frenzy in the Endless Valley and injured plenty of people. With Feng Ci’s understanding of those righteous cultivation sects, they definitely wouldn’t let this incident drop. If Pei QianYue returned to LangFeng City right now, he’d probably become the target of public criticism.

But hiding and refusing to show up was just not Pei QianYue’s style. 

Feng Ci thought briefly and asked: “Do you know who altered the magic array and poisoned you?”

Pei QianYue: “I know.”

Before he could continue, Feng Ci interrupted him: “I feel like this is a very long story. I need to sit down to listen.”

This old man was tormented for an entire night. He didn’t have the energy to chat standing up. 

With that said, Feng Ci pushed Pei QianYue back to the edge of the pool. He sat by the shore himself and dipped his legs into the water.

“You find a place to sit too.” Feng Ci informed him.

Pei QianYue: “……”

He didn’t sit down. Instead, he just stood behind Feng Ci and said: “The founder of the Endless Valley inherited his knowledge from LingXiao Gates. The Great Mountain Seal had originally come from LingXiao Gates as well. Besides them, there’s no other possibility.” 

This, Feng Ci had already guessed as well.

Only those extremely familiar with the Great Mountain Seal can alter the magic array. Yet all of the Endless Valley disciples were murdered before the Great Mountain Seal activated. The only possibility remaining was LingXiao Gates, who also knew this magic array.

Feng Ci frowned: “Elder Cheng Chao again.”

Pei QianYue: “Yes.” 

Feng Ci still didn’t understand: “As fellow members of the Six Sects, why does he insist on killing you?”

“Fellow members of the Six Sects?” Pei QianYue seemed to find his statement a bit funny: “In the past hundreds of years, the cultivation world has seen numerous talents and the emergence of countless sects. However, the Six Sects remain prominent without declining. Do you know why?”

Feng Ci has truly never thought about this question: “Because they have the oldest history?”

“No. It’s because the Six Sects control the treasures and mystic texts left behind by Grandmaster QianQiu, the ones hidden inside LinWu Mountain.” 

Feng Ci: “…….”

Here we go again.

Feng Ci did leave some things behind back then, but those really couldn’t be considered treasures.

At that time, Feng Ci wholeheartedly believed he’d never return again. Therefore, he handed over everything he knew and owned to disciples. Those things weren’t born with him and couldn't go with him in death. If they truly were unique treasures, why would he hide them? 

Wait, other people might not know this, but Xiao Hei has been guarding his immortal abode this entire time. How could he not know?

Feng Ci plucked a piece of grass and played with it in his hands. Then he turned his head to look at Pei QianYue and asked thoughtfully: “This narrative…… Don’t tell me it’s something you fabricated?”

Pei QianYue nodded.

“LangFeng City, QingJing School, LingXiao Gates, Shaman Valley, ZiZhu Docks, and WanFa Pavilion. Before the establishment of the Immortal Alliance, these Six Sects have already waned alot.” Pei QianYue said indifferently. 

Shaman Valley and ZiZhu Docks shunned the world. The once prestigious sects of LangFeng City, QingJing School, and LingXiao Gates had also gradually faded in the cultivation world because of the turnover of too many generations, the scarcity of disciples, and all sorts of reasons. Even WanFa Pavilion, which appeared to have been the most well developed, faced a shortage of spirit deposits and resources, in addition to the danger of a lack of proper successors.

This was the Six Sects that Pei QianYue encountered after leaving the mountains.

Pei QianYue said: “The Immortal Alliance has been established for almost 300 years. However, before it was formed, the cultivation world actually rarely placed the Six Sects side by side. In fact, at that time, the term ‘the Six Sects’ barely existed in this world.”

Feng Ci understood: “So in order to preserve the Six Sects, you deliberately disseminated the news of the mystic texts?” 

Pei QianYue: “I also told them that those who obtain the mystic texts and cultivate according to the manuals, can become just like Grandmaster QianQiu—casting away their mortal shackles and ascending to the Heavens, to be reborn as an immortal.”

Feng Ci: “……”

Yet in the past, this guy had said he didn’t believe that Grandmaster QianQiu had cast away his mortal shackles and ascended to the heavens.

Xiao Hei, you really know how to lie through your teeth. 

However, reaching this point in the conversation, Feng Ci has already figured out a rough idea of everything.

Immortality was, undoubtedly, the greatest temptation to all cultivators. However, in the past 3000 years, not one person in the entire cultivation world has successfully ascended except Grandmaster QianQiu. Now Pei QianYue has released the secret to ascension. Naturally, everyone flocked to this wild goose chase.

Using this as a bargaining chip, Pei QianYue united the Six Sects and created the Immortal Alliance. New disciples were recruited and the slowly waning Six Sects were revived back to life.

Feng Ci was even more dissatisfied: “You brought them back personally, and yet they’re still treating you like this?” 

Pei QianYue lowered his head slightly and turned to face Feng Ci.

There was a moment of silence by the pool.

Feng Ci slowly realized: “Oh, the existence of the mystic texts is fake.”

He almost forgot this himself. 

It was simply impossible for Pei QianYue to produce the so-called mystic texts.

“That’s not necessarily correct.” Pei QianYue said: “Since the foundation of the Six Sects, thousands of years have passed. In these thousands of years, both natural and man-made disasters have occurred. The Six Sects experienced too much and most of their inheritances, magic that’s been passed down for generations, were lost in the process. Yet this lost portion has been preserved perfectly inside LinWu mountain.”

Even if it wasn’t the method for ascension that they wanted, these long-lost manuals were still extremely precious to them.

Feng Ci pondered for a moment and then asked tentatively: “Don’t tell me…… you still haven’t given them anything at all? 

Pei QianYue: “Naturally.”

Feng Ci was shocked by his assured tone.

“Is that strange?” Pei QianYue seemed to have sensed his shock and said calmly: “It’s like training a dog. Of course I have to hold onto the bone to entice it. If I play all the cards in my hand at once, how am I supposed to make it obey?”

The sole reason for the Six Sects’ unification and establishment of the Immortal Alliance was mutual interest. As long as that mutual interest existed, the Immortal Alliance would continue to exist. But once they obtained what they each wanted, the existence of the immortal Alliance would be at risk. 

This was why Pei QianYue never fulfilled their wishes.

Feng Ci didn’t even feel like there was anything wrong with Pei QianYue comparing the Six Sects to a dog. He threw away the piece of grass in his hand and heaved a heavy sigh: “But you’ve kept them hanging this entire time, now the dog’s been pushed too far and has turned around to bite you, wanting to bite you to death and then swallow the entire bone alone.”

To clearly know the location of their family’s lost inheritance, yet being unable to see it or obtain it… if it were Feng Ci instead, resentment would also grow in his heart inevitably.

Not to mention, with Pei QianYue’s eccentric temperament, he probably has already offended plenty of people in the cultivation world. 

His family’s little snake hatchling has always been quite an expert at pissing people off.

After learning about the entire development from start to finish, Feng Ci’s thoughts didn’t actually become clearer. On the contrary, he had an even bigger headache.

Just look at the timing right now. That murderer slaughtering the cultivation sects everywhere is still running around free and unfettered. Not even the slightest clue has been found. Yet the Immortal Alliance has already started to play internal strife.

Feng Ci then said: “According to your recount, since LingXiao Gates has wasted such great efforts framing you and poisoning you, they probably wouldn’t give up so easily. They’re most likely going to LangFeng City to cause trouble for you. Do you…… Do you still want to head back to LangFeng City right now?” 

Not answering, Pei QianYue asked instead: “In your opinion, how should this matter be resolved?”

“If I knew, why would I ask you?” Feng Ci hated thinking about these things the most. He leaned back, placing both hands on the grass behind him: “If Endless Valley didn’t happen, everyone might still be able to sit down and have a nice chat. But now…….”

But now, after the chaos Pei QianYue caused in the Endless Valley, the battlegrounds suddenly expanded beyond the Six Sects. Right now, the people who want a proper explanation the most from Pei QianYue were not the Six Sects, but rather other sects of the Immortal Alliance.

If this matter couldn’t be resolved appropriately, the Immortal Alliance can still face the same danger of collapse. 

The Six Sects’ scheme here did not leave any leeway for Pei QianYue, but they also didn’t give themselves any leeway either.

“…….Just for a few lousy books, is it worth all this?” Feng Ci still felt very exasperated.

Just like how he couldn’t understand why the people of the world must place their hope and trust in Grandmaster QianQiu, Feng Ci also couldn’t understand why these successors were fighting madly over the things he left behind.

Aren’t mystic texts written by people? If he could write them, so can others. 

Not to mention, he didn’t actually consider the current Six Sects much worse than the past.

There’s no need to mention how WanFa Pavilion has created many things that didn’t even exist in his era. Even LangFeng City, QingJing School, LingXiao Gates, and these highly prestigious sects… After the passage of so many generations, the cultivation techniques taught within these sects have actually greatly improved from his original teachings.

As for those lost arts, it is indeed regrettable. However, was it really necessary to be so attached to them?

“Lousy books.” Pei QianYue sneered: “But there are indeed people who are trapped in the past, willing to waste their lives for those lousy books.” 

For the time being, Feng Ci didn’t want to discuss this with Pei QianYue.

During these 3000 years, he has seen many different people. Some people have no desires and want for nothing, spending their entire lives in a complete daze. There are also people so obsessive, they spend their entire lives unable to obtain what they want.

He watched all of this from a bystander’s point of view, not wanting to, and also without the rights to make judgment on any of the choices selected.

After all, these things really didn’t have anything to do with him. 

The fact that his successors fought over his mystic texts and schemed endlessly against each other also, in essence, has nothing to do with him.

However, this matter now involved Pei QianYue. For the safety of his family’s baby, he has no choice but to feel a bit more concerned.

Feng Ci asked: “So after this long back and forth discussion, do you have any plans to deal with it or not?”

Pei QianYue still didn’t answer straightforwardly: “The conflict between the Six Sect has already become irreparable. I gave them a chance in the past, but as you can see, the result.” 

He spent an entire 300 years establishing the Immortal Alliance and attempting to restore the relationship between the Six Sects.

Nevertheless, the result was that the Six Sects continued to operate for their own benefits, until today; the Six Sects have finally sent themselves down the path of no return.

“However, there is still one option.” Pei QianYue said abruptly.

Feng Ci looked up at him. 

The sun has already risen up high. Feng Ci needed to narrow his eyes from the blinding light. Pei QianYue was enveloped in this golden light. With the light behind him, it was hard to see his expression clearly.

He said slowly: “Unless Grandmaster QianQiu descends back down into this world.”

Feng Ci was stunned.

But he very quickly realized that Pei QianYue wasn’t wrong. 

The basis for the Six Sects’ endless struggles was Grandmaster QianQiu’s passing and the eventual loss of each Sect’s inheritances. These lost Arts were controlled solely in Pei QianYue’s hands. Thus all of the greed, envy, and resentment were pointed at him alone.

The concept of ‘A man’s wealth is the cause of his ruin by attracting the envy of others’ spoke exactly of this.

However, if they learned that the Grandmaster QianQiu has returned, no matter how Feng Ci decided to deal with these lost manuals, none of the sects would dare to say anything otherwise, at least for a short period of time.

The conflict between the Six Sect would, naturally, be resolved. 

This was only the first reason.

As for the 2nd reason…… Inside the Endless Valley, the only person who remained by Pei QianYue’s side was Feng Ci.

Only he can prove that Pei QianYue didn’t have any time to slaughter the Endless Valley disciples. Only he can prove that the Great Mountain Seal had been altered, and that Pei QianYue had been poisoned inside the array.

The only witness to this entire incident was Feng Ci. 

However, his current identity was only a LangFeng City disciple, Pei QianYue’s newly accepted apprentice.

Regardless of what he said with this identity, it’d be absolutely impossible to convince the masses.

However, if he were Grandmaster QianQiu, it wouldn’t be the same.

If he were Grandmaster QianQiu, he could vouch for Pei QianYue and request the cultivation world to reinvestigate this matter thoroughly. 

For now, there’s probably no better method to resolve this issue.

Within this brief moment, Feng Ci considered many things. However, besides this, he also considered other things. For example, before heading to the Endless Valley, did Pei QianYue really not realize that this was only a trap?

Also for example, did Pei QianYue……really not guess his identity already?




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