Chapter 740 527: Meddling (Part 2)

"I thought so! This face looks so familiar to me, what a coincidence… what a coincidence! So it was you!"

Li Xuanfeng only lowered his gaze in silence, while Qing Jifang burst out laughing, muttering:

"The father, alive, is the Yang; the triple-nine True Talisman; the mother, dead, is the Yin; the Witchcraft Blood Talisman. Well, Jiang Boqing's methods are indeed high."

He bared his snow-white teeth, as if having recovered from that laughter, and called out:

"Bring it here."

His laughter and those cold words instantly drew the attention of the Zifu cultivators in the sky. Li Xuanfeng lifted his brow to glance at him, unmoving.

Qing Jifang fell silent, though he showed no sign of moving, a grey aura about him seemed to struggle with something, emitting clashing metallic sounds. He suddenly arched his brow and looked to the heavens.

He beheld Pu Yu Perfected Person, clad in blue and white robes, nodding with a smile, fingers pinched in a spell. The grey air in Qing Jifang's hand grew even fiercer—yet a purple Immortal Sword was already pointed at him, held by a slender, fair hand. The purple silk cuff draped down, dissolved into purple Qi and vanished.

ZipPei Perfected Person gazed at him coldly. Her vermilion lips parted lightly, as she spoke with no courtesy:

"You may try, if you wish."

Qing Jifang's cultivation was only at the middle stage of Zifu, clearly no match for ZipPei Perfected Person, yet his stance remained unyielding, staring silently. The atmosphere grew taut as drawn blades, so dense it seemed water might drip. Over a dozen breaths passed before Qing Jifang coldly spoke:

"Are you not afraid, senior?"

Li Xuanfeng waited quietly. At last, the golden-robed woman, who had hung unmoving in the sky, gently descended beside him like a passing breeze, cloaked in a haze of lead-colored light.

Her face was veiled behind white gauze, her features unrevealed, and she spoke in a gentle tone:

"On today's matter, my Jin Yu Sect holds the same view. Since Changhuai Shan and Jin Yu are on friendly terms… why not do me this favor?"

Only when she spoke did Qing Jifang's expression finally soften. After all, the star Venus still shone overhead. He could only say:

"Since this is Qiushui Senior's meaning, this magic artifact is then to be handled by Jin Yu…"

Zhang Qiushui was very cautious, not daring to accept the words, and responded with warmth:

"This matters to Chongming. I only wish for a fitting outcome, so that proper rites are not lost."

With Qiushui Perfected Person stepping forward, the confrontation in the heavens finally cooled. Qing Changhuai cast a deep glance at ZipPei Perfected Person, and said in a low voice:

"Perfected Person's breakthrough is nigh; better mind your own life!"

He then pierced into the Great Void and vanished. Zhang Qiushui saw him off, said no more, and produced a crystal-clear Jade Pot.

She tipped it gently, pouring forth radiant wine into the air, which splashed upon the reefs below, drop after drop resounding, a wonderful fragrance of wine wafting forth.

When the pot was emptied, she put it away, her figure gradually fading, vanishing from sight.

For a moment, heaven and earth fell silent. The sound of the spring whispered in mourning, and the Zifu cultivators in the sky said nothing. Yuan Su's xiao melody lingered above the sea, swaying back and forth, stirring sorrow.

That xiao music must have Divine Ability Spell within; fish and shrimp leaping from the waves slumped listless upon the reefs, and faint, grieving cries from the deep sea drifted to their ears—doubtless, some monsters beneath, unable to restrain their emotions after hearing the tune, wept aloud in the ocean depths.

The few remaining Zifu here were all old friends of Yuan Su. In his life, Yuan Su had been cold and sharp-tongued, fond of mockery, and had few true friends—only these few remained.

None of them used Divine Skills to suppress the xiao's influence. Rather, they seemed to indulge in it, allowing the melody to draw out their thoughts, each sunk deep in memory, all in silence.

Li Xuanfeng listened for a time, lowering his countenance in sorrow.

He had followed Yuan Su so long, though in earlier years there had been some coercion, yet later he had personally sought out cultivation techniques and Spirit Armor for him, treated him as a junior spouse—though it was an open design, there was sincerity for sincerity, and he had solved many of Li Xuanfeng's troubles.

In the end, when Yuan Su forced him to slay those cultivators named on the list, Li Xuanfeng understood it was for affairs after his death; and could not truly hate him. He also knew that Yuan Su had entered the Southern Border with his foster uncle Li Chijin, and now, at last, he felt quite lost.

"Hate… whom should one hate… dare one hate anyone… they say everyone has a hidden grief… yet if there is grief, does that make it no crime?"

Now, with that Zifu backer gone, it was impossible there was no sorrow in his heart, yet from that sorrow, he tasted the burning tang of betrayal. When his foster uncle fell, Li Tongya's mournful countenance had hovered before him once more, and Li Xuanfeng bit his lip until it bled.

He knelt on the ground. ZipPei was suddenly beside him, frowning as she spoke:

"Enough—rise… Li Xuanfeng."

In but an instant, all of Li Xuanfeng's emotion was reined in, pressed back to the depths of his heart, congealing into a pose as hard and cold as iron. He quietly rose and said in a respectful voice:

"Greetings to ZipPei Perfected Person!"

Her tone was not the least gentle, only stating:

"Come with me back to Ziyan Sect."

Yuanxiu's expression darkened at once. Pu Yu Perfected Person had to smooth things over and said softly:

"What if… if you two can still trust me, then let this 'Xin You Lu Ze Seal' remain with me. I shall accompany you to Ziyan Sect."

"Senior Yuanxiu can return first to handle affairs and bring back Yuan Su's descendants. The three of us can personally witness the Spiritual Artifact choose its master—this would be fair."

He was rather handsome, with gentle smile as he spoke. Yuanxiu mulled it over, his stern face showing a touch of resignation. He could only drop the matter, waving his sleeve toward ZipPei:

"Kan Xuyu, you… do as you will!"

His form swiftly faded and was gone. ZipPei Perfected Person's countenance remained unchanged. Li Xuanfeng had just risen, still not reacting, only to find that the small seal in his hand had already entered Pu Yu Perfected Person's grasp.

He stood silently atop Cloud Peak, listening to Pu Yu Perfected Person tsk in admiration, examining the seal's engravings, sighing:

"So this is the true likeness of the Feathered Serpent! Only the line of Donghua Perfected Person would know, for the Immortal Mansion's Lord has seen it with their own eyes. Were even their depictions off, then none beneath heaven should be called accurate."

He praised for a while and began to calculate on his fingers. Li Xuanfeng saw bloodstains faintly linger on his hand, yet this Pu Yu Perfected Person was most uncanny, vaporizing the blood into wisps of mana, constantly calculating.

"'Xin You Lu Ze Seal'"

He murmured…

"Killing intent turned to suppression; with two metals' brilliance pushing the Lu Shui—what splendid craft. When this seal is set, Xin You kindles killing intent; the plain turned to Lu Ze. Truly a worthy object with the makings of a Magical Treasure."

He continued his research, and only after a long time did ZipPei Perfected Person reply:

"I see now why your good intentions; roundabout as ever, just to get your hands on the Spiritual Artifact and scrutinize it—such painstaking effort!"

Pu Yu Perfected Person hummed in consent, carefully observing. Soon, the group emerged from the Great Void, swiftly manifesting in a world suffused with purple mist.

They beheld mountains rising high, ridge after ridge. Large and small peaks emerged in the dense purple clouds one after another; the purple Qi coiled and rose like silk, imbued with ethereal Immortal Qi. Pavilions and towers stood resplendent, while cultivators rode clouds back and forth—a glorious scene of the Immortal Sect.

'Ziyan Blessed Land!'

This was naturally the Mountain Gate of Ziyan Sect. Pu Yu Perfected Person quickly raised his head, taking in the sight, praising:

"What a blessed land! In former days, the Perfected Lord Tai Xu attained the Dao here, founding the path of Ziqi. My grandmaster also came to offer congratulations, and even brought back some Morning Glow Purple Qi for my own master, which he used to craft a Magic Artifact."

At this, ZipPei Perfected Person's countenance finally thawed considerably, and she spoke softly:

"How magnificent once were Chongming's six veins. Now to have fallen to such a state… Had the Founder never met with disaster… perhaps it would not be so…"

Pu Yu Perfected Person sighed:

"Tai Yu and Perfected Lord Tai Xu, what a regret… If not for their passing, perhaps the Qing Song Taoist Lineage could have flourished yet again."

"Some simply have no wish to see it so!"

ZipPei Perfected Person replied coldly. The two did not avoid Li Xuanfeng behind them, and, while marveling at the blessed land's scenery, conversed a few words. At last recalling him, ZipPei Perfected Person spoke in a low voice:

"Li Xuanfeng… of which Li Clan are you?"