After Infusing Love Poison to the Cold Sword Sovereign - Chapter 24.1

The day after Luo Qingyi finished speaking those words, when Wu Ruo opened her eyes, the woman was no longer by her side.

She had left in a hurry without explaining where she was going or when she would return. All she left behind was a paper crane with a message, telling Wu Ruo to contact her if needed.

Aside from that, perhaps fearing Wu Ruo would feel lonely, Luo Qingyi had arranged for a junior sister to keep her company. The girl, named Yue Qinglan, was a younger sect sister of Luo Qingyi’s generation. Though she appeared quite young, her demeanor was surprisingly mature.

No wonder Luo Qingyi had entrusted someone like her to watch over Wu Ruo.

Wu Ruo buried herself in Luo Qingyi’s study, flipping through stacks of ancient texts until she was yawning nonstop from exhaustion.

She had gained a rough understanding of the sect’s current state. The Zhiyuan Immortal Sect spanned vast territories across the land, with hundreds of subsidiary peaks beneath its four main peaks. Its domain was so expansive that the borderlands touching her homeland of Miaojiang were but a tiny fraction of its reach.

Yet, none of the books in Luo Qingyi’s study mentioned the current state of Miaojiang. After more than a decade, she had no idea what had become of her homeland.

Luoxue Peak was bitterly cold, with only the warmth of the library’s brazier offering respite. Setting down the last tattered volume of Miao historical records, she quietly gazed out the window.

The book’s account was vague, it spoke of a demoness who once entered the mortal world, plunging it into chaos before mysteriously vanishing, as though she had never existed.

And this person, it was said, hailed from Miaojiang.

The fragmented records ended there, mentioning only that this individual was connected to a legendary gu, one of immense power. The name of this gu was barely legible, but two characters stood out: “Love Gu.”

Back in the Miao village, Wu Ruo had never come across this figure’s story. She had never cared much for history, only skimming through the tribe’s past when necessary. Her sole ambition had been to become the best, so anything not tested was irrelevant to her.

She had heard of the Love Gu before, one of the long-lost forbidden gu, ranked among the ten most lethal. It was said to make its victim utterly devoted to the caster.

Hmm.

The way her Daoist sister treated her… it was almost as if she had been ensnared by a Love Gu. If only she could actually refine one then she’d surely be the next Holy Maiden, spared from being an exchange student stranded for decades, unable to return home.

Thinking of Luo Qingyi always left Wu Ruo with an indescribable feeling.

To be fair, she didn’t dislike the woman. But there was something excessively cautious about Luo Qingyi’s attitude toward her like a little girl clutching her favorite doll, terrified it might disappear the next moment.

Moreover… she had learned Luo Qingyi’s true identity from the books. The savior who quelled the great upheaval eight years ago, a Mahayana cultivator, the master of the foremost of the four main peaks, and the foremost expert of the Zhiyuan Immortal Sect, Luo Qingyi.

Would someone like that truly be so fixated on an ordinary gu practitioner like her? Even if, as Luo Qingyi claimed, the Miao people’s cultivation methods were now accepted, deep-rooted prejudices would still linger.

For a legendary figure of the cultivation world, the renowned Immortal Luo of Zhiyuan, wouldn’t having a Daoist partner like her invite endless condemnation?

So what exactly did Luo Qingyi see in her? Could she really have been ensnared by a Love Gu? Was that why Luo Qingyi treated her so well?

How absurd. If that were the case, she’d rather undo it set herself free. This suffocation was unbearable.

Wu Ruo couldn’t make sense of it, feeling a knot of frustration lodged in her chest. Sullenly, she wrapped herself in a heavy cloak and stepped outside. Two celestial deer were resting in the warm shelter by the entrance. Since yesterday, when they had returned to their quarters, the deer had settled atop the peak, refusing to leave.

As soon as she emerged, one of them immediately stood up, shaking the dry grass from its fur before trotting eagerly toward her.

“Luoluo?” She couldn’t quite tell them apart and called out the name. Sure enough, the deer excitedly nuzzled against her, its crystalline antlers rubbing affectionately against her palm, its demeanor playful and spirited.

Wu Ruo stroked Luoluo’s head, and the deer responded by affectionately licking her hand. The short, soft fur on its little ears twitched and fluttered in the air.

Xiao Wu yawned nearby, not bothering to approach, its dark, glossy eyes fixated on a hidden mouse on the ground, utterly absorbed.

“Rurururu, like you,” the celestial deer murmured contentedly as it nuzzled her hand, making indistinct sounds. These spiritual beasts had yet to fully develop intelligence, but atop the snow-capped peak, rich with spiritual energy, they had gradually cultivated a rudimentary awareness, capable of uttering simple words.

So adorable… This little deer had taken to her so warmly from the very first meeting. Could it be that she and Luo Qingyi had been very close before?

“It’s quite fond of you.”

A voice suddenly drifted over from a distance. Wu Ruo turned to see Yue Qinglan leisurely fanning herself as she strolled closer. The petite girl was dressed in somber black robes, giving off the initial impression of a transcendent sage though her youthful face betrayed her true age.

“Glowlight celestial deer are among the most spiritual creatures in the world. They only grow close to those with pure and untainted hearts. Their conditions for choosing a master are exceedingly strict, but once they do, it’s a bond for life.”

“Oh.” Wu Ruo absently patted the deer’s head, uninterested in this encyclopedic explanation. “I want to go out for a walk. Staying cooped up here is too boring.”

Yue Qinglan immediately grew wary. “Where do you plan to go? Snowfall Peak has many scenic spots. Perhaps you could ask Senior Sister to accompany.”

“The Sword Debate Tournament,” Wu Ruo cut in. “My friend is competing there. She even said she’d take first place.”

Yue Qinglan looked puzzled. “Who is your friend?”

“Jiang Qingbei,” Wu Ruo replied casually. “We’re very close. She even gave me this Tung Blossom Mirror.” Among the many gifts the young lady had brought yesterday, this had been one of them.

Luo Qingyi had also mentioned yesterday that Ah Xiang had now taken the name Jiang Qingbei and had been ranked among the chief disciples of the same generation as Luo Qingyi.

Wu Ruo didn’t particularly care what identity they had fabricated for this person. But seeing Luo Qingyi cautiously watching her reaction, then sighing in relief when she didn’t raise any objections, gave her a secret thrill as if she held the highest authority.

Noticing Yue Qinglan’s lingering hesitation, Wu Ruo deliberately put on a stern face, wrapped her arms around the deer’s neck, and swung herself onto its back sideways. She patted its head and feigned annoyance. “Luo Qingyi already knows, I told her. Hurry up! If you won’t go, I’ll go by myself!”

There was no other way. She had already tried fishing for information from Yue Qinglan, only to find that the girl had already coordinated with Luo Qingyi. Her answers were airtight, her lips sealed no useful information could be pried from her.

If she wanted to extract secrets, she’d have to turn to the fake Ah Xiang.

Wu Ruo descended the mountain with her arms wrapped around the neck of the celestial deer, while Yue Qinglan followed not far behind, treading upon his longsword. The Falling Snow Peak was perpetually blanketed in snow, and the deer’s hooves left a trail of plum blossom-like prints scattered across the white expanse.

Unnoticed by anyone, a jade-green paper crane flew out from the house and gently alighted on Wu Ruo’s shoulder, emitting a faint flicker of light.

At the heart of the four main peaks lay an expansive basin, encircled by towering mountains. At the very center of this open space stood a massive circular stone platform. Rising from its midpoint was an enormous boulder shaped vaguely like a sword, its surface smooth and sharp carved by the sheer force of sword energy.

Intricate runes surrounded the platform, forming a barrier that separated the dueling grounds from the outside world. The sword energy within would not harm spectators, unleashing its full might only within the confines of the arena.

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