Daoist Master of Qing Xuan

After seeing Shen Lian for the first time in seven years, Ruoxi felt that Shen Lian was strange and familiar at the same time.

She took out an almost-transparent jade bottle which contained a red pill at the bottom of it. It gave off a gleam that was similar to a divine snake, and it was slithering within the bottle. It was undoubtedly a pill that could resurrect a dying person.

Her lotus-white outfit was stained with blood – it was Shen Lian’s blood.

It seemed dirty. A normal girl would have been uncomfortable. However, she directed all of her attention on Shen Lian and did not notice the bloodstain on her clothes.

“Uncle, why don’t you take this elixir? It will make you feel better,” she spoke softly with her clear and melodious voice.

Her eyes were like that of a shallow stream; they were not as innocent as they once were, but there was a hint of determination within them.

Shen Lian stared at the elixir. He did not need to observe closely to know that it was an elixir prepared by Fairy Tianmeng for Young Ruoxi. She was probably worried that she would be caught in an accident. This showed how important Ruoxi was to Fairy Tianmeng.

Bringing Ruoxi away was merely the first step. He knew that Fairy Tianmeng would not leave them alone. However, cultivators often fought against fate and destiny. Even if he had made an enemy out of Taisu, it was merely a small bump on the path of cultivation. As long as he could rise in the face of adversity, these struggles would be nothing.

There was no point in criticising his actions and debating as to whether he was right or in the wrong. He knew that he was not about to ignore the fate of a young girl.

Perhaps this state of mind was exactly what the Sages described as, “where righteousness is concerned, even hundreds and thousands of people could not stop me”.

After his narrow escape from Taisu, he had stepped completely into the state of Powang. He felt as though his heart and soul had just gone through a baptism. Not only that his combat power had increased, there were some changes to his state of mind too. It was sublimated, just like a cobblestone that had been washed by the river for countless years; it finally shone with its luster at a particular moment where it was hit by the flood. This sharp hint of moral nature would be a decisive factor when he was breaking away from whims.

However, he did not have the luxury to think so far ahead yet.

He gently pushed the elixir away. “My injuries are nothing. You should keep the elixir for now. Let’s look for a place to recuperate and I will bring you back to where we should be at,” Shen Lian smiled.

Ruoxi nodded. She was not as cheeky as she once was, and had become more mature now.

With her intelligence, she made a few realizations. She knew that her Master was not as good as she thought her to be. They had joined forces and harmed her uncle. Moreover, there must be a reason why her uncle insisted on bringing her out.

Seeing how she kept her questions to herself, she was a lot more mature than Shen Lian had expected.

Shen Lian rested for a while. He did not want to rush his way back to Qing Xuan, and had decided to look for a place to rest.

Tongtian Skill was especially helpful in the secular mortal world. The disorganized Qi in the secular mortal world was the perfect shield for Shen Lian to conceal himself away from the calculations of others. It would be hard for anyone to predict his whereabouts.

Ten days later at a remote village, Shen Lian had changed Ruoxi into a set of new clothing. Even though he was using the common fabrics found in the mortal world, such as cotton, but Ruoxi’s shapely body was becoming obvious underneath the material. She was modest and looked just like a lotus flower that was waiting to bloom. She caught a lot of eyes.

However, she dealt with the by-passers’ gaze naturally. As she was cultivating The Synchronized Heart Mantra of Taisu, her heart was still as water and was without ripples.

In fact, she had started working on her Dead or Alive point and tried to obtain mana. She began to dabble in the proper state of cultivation.

The inn was nowhere near the standard of Shen Lian’s “An Inn”. However, it had wide windows that allowed plenty of light in. Moreover, Shen Lian was able to observe the streets from his windows. The street was flanked with rows of plane tree on both sides. The streets were clean and neat, and it could be considered as one of the main attraction in the small town.

The night was dark, and Shen Lian was teaching Ruoxi another incantation on the cultivation of Qi. It was the Shenzu Scripture that he used to cultivate. Seeing how Ruoxi’s meridians were all unblocked, it would not be difficult for her to cultivate it.

She was breathing in and out evenly at a long tempo. The Qi of heaven and earth shrouded around her, and she was covered in thin layer of mist as though she was a little fairy.

The night breeze blew in, and the Plane trees swayed in the wind. As though they were making their little nocturne under the moonlight, it was both quiet and peaceful. Shen Lian was thinking hard under the moonlight.

He cocked his head and looked out. A hint of pleasant scent crept in along with the night breeze, and Shen Lian stared beyond the Plane trees leaves and the river-like moonlight.

The person who came walked without making so much as a sound. However, the tempo that interfered with the Qi of heaven and earth surfaced in Shen Lian’s heart. It was not filled with killing vibes at all. It was as though a lotus flower was dancing against the wind. Within moments, Zhao Xiaoyu appeared on the streets.

In a flash, she went the rooftop opposite. Under the moonlight, she was as beautiful and moving as a fairy was.

Her gentle smile was captivating.

Shen Lian shifted slightly and went over to the rooftop opposite. The area was quiet, and there were only the both of them and the full moon hanging high up in the sky. The moonlight streamed down gentle the way mercury would.

“How did you find me?” Shen Lian frowned.

He had hidden his whereabouts, and not even an immortal Zhenren could track him down. How did Zhao Xiaoyu manage this feat?

“Don’t forget, there are a lot of ways to search for someone besides utilizing my supernatural powers. The Nine Lotus Order is more influential than you think in the mortal world. Moreover, you didn’t even bother camouflaging when you are in the mortal world, of course, my believers would be able to recognize you,” Zhao Xiaoyu spoke as she laughed.

Shen Lian thought this would be his mistake. He had been away from the mortal world for too long and had ended up missing some of the details. The power of mortals had an important role to play in crucial moments like this.

However, now that he was aware of this loophole, it would not take much to patch it back up.

Despite that Taiwu Sect being the holy land of the north, its influence would not reach all of the mortals. On the other hand, Nine Lotus Order was able to extend their claws to the roots and made the people as their eyes and ears. In fact, some deities who attained the Shen celestial path were able to know everything there was in the world through their believers.

“I have overlooked this,” Shen Lian replied.

“Dear Chief Shen, you are quite the character aren’t you? To think that you have entered Taisu Sect as though it was a deserted land and even abducted Fairy Tianmeng’s closest direct disciple! With your desperate sword aura and your dauntless bravery, not even the combined power of the Three Elders of Taisu could make you stay. You have made quite a name for yourself,” Zhao Xiaoyu spoke.

“Please don’t tell me that you believed these rumors. The Three Elders of Taisu have been immortal Zhenrens for the longest time and are honored as land immortals. Do you honestly think that I can come out alive if they have joined forces? I’m not Lu Jiuyuan,” Shen Lian smiled.

“I’m just joking. Even knowing that you were going to rescue your niece from Taisu Sect around this time and the description from my sources matches you, I still couldn’t believe that you are the person they described. However, I did not make this rumor up. It is just that no one knows that the person was, in fact, you, Shen Lian. Most have guessed that this was a revenge of a supreme master celestial of sword on Taisu Sect,” Zhao Xiaoyu replied. Seeing how the person described by the rumors was Shen Lian indeed, even if the Three Elders of Taisu did not join forces, she was curious as to how Shen Lian managed to make his way out from Taisu Sect and rescued his niece.