Minglong

Chapter 205 This must be my apprentice.

The silver moon is in the sky.

Xie Jinhuan was carried by the breeze, traversing thousands of mountains and fields, with coal balls flying beside him. All around him were black mountains and a lonely moon, and in front of him was a beautiful woman with snow-white hair and an ethereal aura. The scene could be described as carefree and joyful.

It would be even better if the white-haired fairy in front of us could be a little more normal...

Wow! This tree has grown so big!

The Immortal Qixia, with a red umbrella hanging from her waist, rode the wind. Whether influenced by the demonic triad of 'unrestrained desires, devouring the heart, and transforming into a demon,' or simply being a lively and adorable little fairy herself, she drifted aimlessly across the mountains and fields, glancing at large rocks or old pine trees, and enthusiastically recounting historical anecdotes to him:

"When I was fourteen, I was ordered to patrol this mountain. I went to gather medicinal herbs alone and encountered a wild boar. None of my uncles or masters were around. I only had a magic sword in my hand. It took a lot of effort to cut the meat, but it smelled delicious when roasted..."

"Guji?"

The coal ball was stunned.

Xie Jinhuan listened with trepidation. After all, the white-haired fairy in front of him was mostly alright, but she had a sinister nature that could destroy anyone she caught. He was really afraid that this lady would lose control and turn around and blow him to pieces with a single finger.

Although the white-haired Taoist nun was plump and graceful, her tea-green Taoist robe was also very appropriate. The belt and skirt outlined a very taut curve, and her full head of snow-white hair added a unique fairy-like aura.

But Xie Jinhuan was truly at peace at this moment. He wanted to call on his ghost wife for help, but the ghost only said:
“My sister has to ‘induces hallucination’ before she can talk to people. Her cultivation is too high. Right now, she’s suppressing her mind to prevent being influenced by demonic forces. My sister can’t make her hallucinate and see me. Just coax her and don’t let her go crazy. Once she remembers me and lets down her guard, I’ll persuade her to go back.”

Xie Jinhuan knew the principle behind the appearance of ghosts, and could only offer words of comfort at that moment:
"The senior's health is unstable, should we go and come back quickly?"

"It's alright, I know what I'm doing."

Master Qixia looked around at Zihui Mountain, where he had lived for many years, and asked after some thought:
"How many top-tier cultivators does Zihui Mountain have now? Who is the sect leader? Has anyone entered the Soul Integration Realm?"

The seven realms of Taoism are: Qi Control, Divine Radiance, Spiritual Tranquility, Heavenly Secrets, Soul Harmony, Primordial Chaos, and Immortal Tribulation.

The Soul Integration Realm is one of the five realms of Taoism. According to Xie Jinhuan's estimation, Lu Wuzhen should have reached this realm. As for Fairy Nangong...

"Hmm... The current head of Zihui Mountain is Nangong Ye, a highly accomplished disciple of our senior. He accepted disciples on behalf of our master, and he is now the strongest first-rank disciple in the Great Qian Dynasty. He is upright, honest, and of exceptional character, and enjoys a very high reputation in the martial arts world..."

"The strongest... Rank One?!"

The white-haired Taoist nun slowed her movements and approached his side, her oval face displaying a bewildered expression of 'How novel!'

"In this world, even someone of the first rank can become the head of Ziwei Mountain? What about someone of the highest rank?"

The ancestral home of the Dan Ding Sect is the Taiyin Palace. Later, it split into two branches: Zihui Mountain and Xuanhu Temple. All the sect leaders in the past came from these three families. The sect leader must be of the highest rank. Due to the pressure of the Wujiao Rebellion, they spared no expense in investing resources and even produced two officially conferred 'True Persons', Ziyang and Qixia.

As for the position of a first-rank sect leader, even if we disregard the chaos of the Witchcraft Cult, it would still be a position of great importance to Bao Xiaolin in the martial arts world today. It is indeed a bit strange that he became the sect leader of Zihui Mountain.

Xie Jinhuan explained, "The reason why Sect Leader Nangong's cultivation is low is because he is young and lives in a time of peace, so he has few opportunities. But in terms of reputation, almost everyone inside and outside the pass knows him."

Master Qixia didn't think that a first-rank Daoist sect could have such a great reputation that it was known to everyone inside and outside the pass. After a little thought:
"Is she very beautiful?"

Xie Jinhuan felt that his disciple's fame based on his good looks sounded a bit...unpleasant, but he couldn't lie and say he was ugly, so he thought for a moment and replied:

"Sect Leader Nangong is a righteous and chivalrous person with impeccable character, but wandering people in the martial arts world like to call her 'the most beautiful woman in the Taoist sect'."

Master Qixia's motto was "I want to be a fairy," and his unwavering resolve in the Dao was unyielding. He was genuinely curious when he discovered that his disciple, whom he had never met, possessed only meager cultivation but was renowned throughout the world for her beauty.

Is she on Zihui Mountain?

"Sect Leader Nangong seemed to have returned some time ago, but I don't know about now..."

Seeing this, Master Qixia said nothing more and raised his hand to cast the Ten Thousand Mile Divine Travel Spell.

huh~
Before Xie Jinhuan could finish speaking, he noticed that the mountains and rivers below had shifted and the remaining clouds in the sky had retreated. In the blink of an eye, he was above Zihui Mountain.

The buildings on the mountain are scattered like stars, and there are also some buildings on the surrounding peaks. From the sky, it looks like a Bagua diagram.

"Guji?!"

When Coal Ball saw this magical technique, its big eyes widened in astonishment.

Xie Jinhuan wanted to say a few words of praise, but out of the corner of his eye he saw a century-old osmanthus tree beside the cliff of the main peak.

Beneath the old osmanthus tree was a chessboard, and two women stood beneath it, their figures ethereal and graceful. Though their faces were not visible, their voluptuous and alluring curves revealed their identities—Bing Tuotuo and Senior Sister Hua…

Master Qixia looked towards his small courtyard and, upon seeing those two stunningly beautiful women, his eyes lit up:
"These two are both my disciples, right? The one with the butterfly hair clip must be the sect leader. Look at that pure yang energy, his demeanor, his face—he's practically a carbon copy of me! And that icy guy on the side, I bet he's my uncle from the Discipline Hall. He looks really fierce..."

"Uh……"

Xie Jinhuan was completely bewildered. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed that the White-Haired Fairy had already rushed down...
-
The Zihui Mountain stretches for over 700 miles, and the sect's residence on the main peak is actually quite far from the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum.

Although there was a great commotion deep in the mountains, the red umbrella concealed the truth, and no one outside noticed anything unusual. Everything inside the mountain gate remained normal.

Beside the cliff on the back mountain, a century-old osmanthus tree sways gently in the autumn wind.

Dressed in a black dress and carrying a sword, Nangong Ye stood beside the chessboard, gazing at the endless mountains with a hint of doubt in her eyes.

Bu Yuehua, dressed in a light blue dress and carrying a long sword, stood to one side. Her face was veiled by a green gauze, revealing only a pair of peach blossom eyes. Her long, jet-black hair was styled in a bun and tied back with a purple-blue butterfly hair clip. She looked quite like a righteous fairy, and asked in a bewildered manner:

"Xie Jinhuan ran off to the mountains?"

"I'm not sure. Are you sure he came?"

"They should be here..."

……

As evening fell, Bu Yuehua went to the ship to find Xie Jinhuan, intending to discuss the arena competition the next day. However, she saw Xie Jinhuan running alone upstream on the Huai River.

Out of curiosity, she followed behind. Because the river was too vast and she would be easily spotted, she followed for about seven or eight miles, using the coal balls in the sky to determine her direction.

Unexpectedly, this kid went out for a stroll at night and ended up walking a hundred miles without stopping. He cleared paths through mountains and crossed rivers along the way, speeding along an almost straight route, heading straight for Zihui Mountain in the north of Danzhou!
When Bu Yuehua saw Xie Jinhuan running towards Zihui Mountain at the risk of her life, she naturally realized that something serious had happened. She had been engaged in a series of battles during the day, and her Qi Sea was completely exhausted. She had also been watching the competition outside and had not been able to fully replenish her Qi through meditation. She thought that she might not be able to deal with the strong enemy if she ran there, so she quickly turned back and brought Nangong Ye from her place of residence on Zihui Mountain.

Upon hearing the news, Nangong Ye assumed that the sect was short-handed and had been slaughtered by the evil Taoists. He was so frightened that he grabbed the demoness and flew back.

But when they returned to the main peak, they found that everything at the mountain gate was normal and there was nothing unusual. Danyang City outside the mountain was also peaceful.

That rascal, did he run off to the mountains...?

What was he rushing off to do?
Filled with doubt, Nangong Ye was about to enter the deep mountains with the demoness to search when he suddenly heard a voice behind him:
squeak~
The sound of the door being blown open by the wind.

The two sensed something was wrong and turned around almost simultaneously, looking at the main house a few feet away.

But the door was wide open, and the room was lit up, the light illuminating the painting hanging in the central hall.

The painting depicts a spirited woman dressed in a tea-green Taoist robe, carrying a magic sword on her back and an umbrella hanging at her waist. Her lively eyes seem to be alive as she gazes at the endless mountains outside the door.

Below the painting, a woman with an extraordinary aura suddenly appeared, dressed in a tea-green Taoist robe, carrying the Zhenglun Sword on her back, with a red umbrella hanging at her waist, her bright eyes gazing out the door...

Exactly the same!
? !
Bu Yuehua's eyes widened slightly, thinking she was under an illusion, and she cautiously looked around.

Nangong Ye also suspected that someone was secretly causing trouble, but it looked more like the ancestral master appearing. Since he had never experienced anything like this before, he stood there stunned, not knowing how to react.

Although Master Qixia is a true ancestor, he rose to power too quickly through the chaos of the Witch Cult and then slept in the Demon-Suppressing Coffin. In the blink of an eye, he had arrived at the present moment. In reality, he had not spent as much time traveling the world as these two beautiful women outside the door. In fact, he was somewhat unsuitable for the status of an elder.

Even if you've never eaten pork, you've at least seen pigs run...

Imagining how Master Qixia had met Master Ziyang years ago, she stood with one hand behind her back and the left hand in front, gazing at Bu Yuehua with an air of otherworldly grace and a touch of elder's benevolence.

"So you are Nangong Ye? Truly, the younger generation surpasses the older, and new talents replace the old. I had thought that after a hundred years, no one would be able to shoulder the burden of the Dan Ding Sect, but seeing you today, my heart is finally at ease..."

???

Bu Yuehua straightened up a bit, feeling that if she were to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Dan Ding Sect, what would happen to the Gu Du Sect...? Nangong Ye, who in previous years had spent every day at Zi Hui Mountain offering incense and wiping tables for his master, naturally darkened his expression upon discovering that this person had mistaken the demoness for her, and said coldly:
"What kind of demon is playing tricks here?!"

"Holy crap?! No, no..."

No sooner had the words been spoken than a sharp explosion resounded from the sky!
Nangong Ye's imposing aura was immediately shattered, and he shrank back in fright, looking up at the sky.

Bu Yuehua looked up at the same time.

But instead, they saw a young man in white robes floating high in the sky, gesturing wildly as he tried to descend, but he couldn't. Coal Ball was even helping to pull him down by holding onto his robes...

“Gujiguji…”

An eerie silence fell over the cliffside...

rustling...

The autumn wind sweeps across the century-old osmanthus tree, and the fragrance of osmanthus is mixed with the soft rustling of leaves.

Master Qixia maintained his dignified and otherworldly demeanor as a teacher, but was immediately scolded upon his first move, causing his expression to slightly freeze.

However, considering that she was her own disciple, she didn't get angry. After all, how could the elder of the Discipline Hall manage his disciples if he didn't have a temper?

The sect leader is truly composed. Look at her calm and elegant demeanor, so graceful and refined—the more I look at her, the more pleasing she becomes…

……

Bu Yuehua wasn't exactly unfazed by the situation; she simply didn't understand what was going on.

Nangong Ye was the same. He originally wanted to rebuke the evil spirits, but when he saw the blond-haired man in front of him, he was afraid that his identity would be exposed, so he immediately shut up and just looked up at him.

Xie Jinhuan was afraid that Bing Tuozi had a bad temper and would drive this crazy old lady crazy, so he could only remind her from afar:

"This is Master Qixia, please don't offend her. Senior, they are not your disciples, but my friends, from the Qingming Sword Manor..."

"..."

Nangong Ye was shocked and looked at the white-haired Taoist nun again, almost kneeling down on the spot.

But if he kneels down, wouldn't that expose everything...?

Bu Yuehua was still somewhat incredulous that the patriarch of the Great Qian Dao Sect, whose name she had heard so much about since childhood, was actually standing alive before her. However, considering the painting, it seemed to be genuine, so she quickly cupped her hands in greeting.
"This junior pays his respects to the venerable one."

Master Qixia was greatly disappointed to discover that these two stunningly beautiful women, naturally alluring and aloof, were not his disciples. He turned to look at his courtyard:
Why are you two young ladies standing here in the middle of the night?

Xie Jinhuan was also a little suspicious:

"Yeah, what are you doing here?"

Seeing that Nangong Ye remained silent, Bu Yuehua responded:
"Just now at the confluence of the three rivers, I wanted to chat with Xie Jinhuan about the arena competition, but then I saw him heading upstream. I thought he was here to slay demons, so I... and she came to check it out..."

Nangong Ye was completely stunned. With his master in front of him and Xie Jinhuan above him, if she didn't admit it, it would be considered betraying her master and ancestors; if she did admit it, it would be considered violating moral principles. Either way, she would die.
Why did this brat suddenly appear with his master, who has been in seclusion for years and whose whereabouts have been unknown...?

How to do how to do……

Master Qixia was no fool. Seeing the Ice Queen's frightened and helpless appearance, he knew something was wrong. After a moment's consideration, he raised his hand and lightly beckoned:

Sa——

Xie Jinhuan, who was observing, vanished instantly from above, leaving only a rapidly fading sound:

"Gurgle~~~~"

Upon discovering that Xie Jinhuan had left, Nangong Ye dared not delay for even a moment and immediately knelt on the ground, bowing respectfully.
"Disciple...Disciple Nangong Ye greets Master."

Master Qixia felt that there seemed to be a serious problem with his disciple, so he slowly stepped forward to help him up, intending to ask him some questions.

To her surprise, she discovered that this apprentice was a head taller than her, with fair skin, a beautiful face, a large bust, and a round bottom. She also possessed an ethereal, aloof air, making her exactly the fairy she had always dreamed of...

Is this a case of "like teacher, like student"...?

Master Qixia was quite satisfied with his disciple's appearance and demeanor, but had some doubts:
"You didn't tell Xie Jinhuan your identity?"

Nangong Ye was very nervous: "Um...yes, I secretly protected him, afraid that he would lower his guard because he had something to rely on, so..."

"Protect the Way?"

Master Qixia looked him up and down, utterly bewildered.
"You, a first-rank Daoist, are protecting a first-rank martial artist?"

Bu Yuehua couldn't hold back her anger upon hearing this, but to prevent Nangong Ye from having her master punish her, she still spoke gently:
"If it weren't for Sister Nangong protecting her these past few days, Xie Jinhuan wouldn't have been able to reach the first rank so quickly. I've been watching over her with her."

Nangong Ye was caught in a dilemma, and at this point he could only be grateful to the enchantress:

“That’s right, this child still needs time to grow. It’s inappropriate to tell him his identity now, which is why he offended his master just now…”

Master Qixia turned to look at Bu Yuehua:
"So who is this girl?"

Bu Yuehua bowed slightly: "This junior is Bu Yuehua, the master of Queyue Manor. She and Sister Nangong are sworn sisters. In the past, when she was traveling in the Southern Frontier, she stayed at my house..."

?

Nangong Ye really wanted to chase away this enchanting woman who was trying to establish a connection with him, but the woman would explode if she told Xie Jinhuan her true identity. So he reluctantly nodded.

The Crescent Moon Manor was founded when the Witchcraft Sect was exiled to the southern border, which is only a hundred years ago. Even the Celestial Qixia had never heard of it. She was really confused about the current situation. Asking questions would damage her image as a fairy. After a little consideration, she felt that she should first take a look at the sect's history!

Oh, and we can also discuss it with Sister Ghost...

Thinking of this, Master Qixia smiled and said:

"Please wait here for a moment. I will be back soon after my trip. I have some things to take care of first. I will be back in a short while."

Sa~
As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished without a trace.

Nangong Ye was taken aback by the white-haired little master's cultivation level. After confirming that the person had left, he still wanted to search for Xie Jinhuan's whereabouts.

But the old ancestor told her to wait, so she dared not run around and could only wait in the courtyard.

Bu Yuehua wasn't sure if the Dan Ding Sect's patriarch was nearby, so she didn't dare ask any questions. She simply placed her hands on her waist and searched carefully...

Meanwhile, amidst towering mountains and deep valleys.

Xie Jinhuan, carrying coal briquettes on his shoulder, looked around at the desolate, uninhabited mountains, his eyes filled with bewilderment:

"Where did this come from for me?"

"Gooji!"

Coal Ball was also a little puzzled. It spread its wings, flew into the sky to investigate, and then flew towards Zihui Mountain.

Xie Jinhuan, fearing the white-haired fairy had gone mad, rushed past, shouting along the way:
"A ghost wife? Hello?"

There was no response from the surrounding area.

?

Xie Jinhuan was taken aback. He looked around and realized that the Zheng Lun Sword hanging at his waist had been taken by the White-Haired Fairy and used as a decoration...

……

(End of this chapter)