After Infusing Love Poison to the Cold Sword Sovereign - Chapter 51

“Demonic cultivators sealing the mountain?” Wu Ruo couldn’t tell. They hadn’t even reached the foot of the mountain yet, and everything before them appeared no different from usual. Nearby residents gathered in small groups, presenting a scene of peace and tranquility.

“Who cares? Let’s go check it out!” Jiang Qingbei darted ahead. “That woman accusing me of being a demonic cultivator really pissed me off. I’m not one! I want to see what a demonic cultivator actually looks like!”

“Qingbei, calm down,” Luo Qingyi coldly stopped her, making a silencing gesture. “Conceal your presence and aura. If we encounter any stragglers, then…”

“Got it. Question them first. If they don’t talk, kill them. Demonic cultivators don’t deserve sympathy,” Jiang Qingbei said.

The three continued forward when suddenly, they spotted a desiccated corpse by the roadside, drained of blood. Judging by its appearance, the victim had likely been killed and drained by a demonic cultivator not long ago.

It was a male rogue cultivator thin, frail, and weak in cultivation, an easy target for demonic cultivators seeking prey.

Luo Qingyi folded a paper crane, which circled the victim’s body before flying off into the distance to seek out the deceased’s kin.

After finishing this, she warned, “There’s a demonic cultivator’s aura nearby. The killer hasn’t gone far.”

A little further ahead, a burly, shirtless man with intricate tattoos was relieving himself by the roadside, his behavior bizarre and out of place.

Jiang Qingbei was the first to lose her patience. She muttered a curse under her breath, rolled her eyes, made a gagging expression, and even let out a vivid “yuck.”

Wu Ruo exchanged a glance with her, then helplessly mimicked a dry heave before whispering, “If I recall correctly, this behavior is prohibited by city regulations.”

“Prohibited?” Jiang Qingbei caught on. “So this disgusting thing isn’t a local resident, he must be a demonic cultivator in disguise! There’s still some red liquid on his lips, probably blood. He must’ve killed that cultivator earlier!”

Luo Qingyi observed, “This man has numerous tattoos, likely marking him as a minor leader among demonic cultivators. There are no other traces of demonic cultivators nearby, he must’ve left his group alone. I’ll go.”

“Senior Sister, let me handle it. I have a plan.”

Before Luo Qingyi could finish, Jiang Qingbei had already pinched her nose and stomped over with a look of disgust. Her long boots, reinforced with leather heels, thudded loudly against the ground.

“Hey!” She stopped several meters away, keeping her gaze averted to avoid seeing anything revolting, and shouted, “Which household are you from? What do you think you’re doing peeing here?”

The demonic cultivator had heard her footsteps but hadn’t moved. Upon hearing a young woman’s voice, he turned his head eagerly to look.

But the moment he saw Jiang Qingbei’s face, he hastily pulled up his pants, too terrified to even breathe. His feet slipped, and he fell to his knees with a thud. “My lord!”

“My lord?”

Jiang Qingbei realized something. She had originally planned to throw money at him to extract information after all, money was omnipotent. But now, that wasn’t necessary. She could use a new identity.

“I asked you a question. Do you know the consequences of leaving your group without permission?”

“I know, I know! My lord, please have mercy, spare me this once. I just stepped out to relieve myself. I was about to return.”

“Heh heh heh, you’ve got quite the nerve!” Jiang Qingbei was playing the role of a demonic cultivator for the first time, and it felt strangely exhilarating. She clasped her hands behind her back, unexpectedly finding the posture quite comfortable, it gave her the air of a leader. “Then tell me, what’s our purpose here?”

“My lord, I truly don’t know! I only knew to follow the team and seal off the Red Temple. If anyone dared disturb your great affairs, we were to kill the troublemakers!”

“You really don’t know?”

“I really don’t, my lord. You once said this Red Temple belongs to the Supreme One. Could it be that we’re planning to move this place to our headquarters using a spatial translocation array.”

The demonic cultivator squad leader knelt on the ground, not daring to lift his head. Before he could finish speaking, the sound of a blade being drawn rang in his ears. Jiang Qingbei struck with a swift, overwhelming force, beheading him in a single stroke.

“Disgusting vermin,” Jiang Qingbei cursed. “I hope every last demonic cultivator dies out.”

She didn’t receive any agreement from her companions. Wu Ruo merely gave a perfunctory response, and when she glanced at Luo Qingyi, she noticed the other woman’s expression was unusually grave.

Wu Ruo said, “Ah Xiang is probably doing well in the demon realm.”

It wasn’t a question but a statement of certainty.

“My lady,” Luo Qingyi shook her head. “The demonic sect has one Supreme, two Envoys, four Guardians, and five Banner Leaders. Only these ranks are addressed as ‘my lord.'”

“…” Wu Ruo also sighed. “I have a rather unpleasant thought.”

“Let’s not go,” Luo Qingyi said. “I’ve already concluded the matter of Lu Linhao’s death. Just like the corpse we saw earlier, it’s highly likely he was killed by demonic cultivators. We should stop investigating. Consider the Red Temple mission complete.”

Luo Qingyi paused, deliberately avoiding any mention of Ah Xiang, and asked with concern, “Ah Ruo, what’s next? Should we search for Chuncao and invite her to rebuild our homeland?”

“What? What do you mean?” Jiang Qingbei didn’t understand. She couldn’t resist stomping on the demonic cultivator’s corpse a couple more times, her eyes filled with confusion.

“Well, something like that.”

Wu Ruo gave a bitter smile. Her insistence on coming to the Red Temple had been partly driven by the hope of reuniting with an old friend. One more ally would mean one more hope for rebuilding their homeland.

Her only wish now was to find her scattered kin and rebuild their home. Yet, upon hearing news of a long-lost friend, she was more excited than anyone yet also more composed than anyone else.

She and Ah Xiang had been separated for far too many years. The world had changed. She had originally thought Lan Ting’s words made no mention of Ah Xiang because Ah Xiang was trapped by circumstances. But now she realized. Ah Xiang might no longer acknowledge her former kin.

Or perhaps, would the Ah Xiang she remembered even want to see her again?

Her longing for her old friend couldn’t dispel the doubts in her heart. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes.

Miaojiang had fallen. Lan Ting had been forced to turn to demonic cultivation. Chuncao was missing. And Ah Xiang had become a high-ranking figure among the demonic cultivators.

Was there really any point in rebuilding this homeland?

The cultivation world was vast. Could she truly find Chuncao, or her scattered kin? And even if she did, what if they were as distant as Ah Xiang or as trapped as Lan Ting? She…

“Ah Ruo!”

Luo Qingyi was the first to notice her distress. She immediately stepped forward and gripped Wu Ruo’s shoulders tightly. “Ah Ruo, you, you…”

The other person pressed their lips together, opening and closing them several times, countless words brewing in their throat before finally being spoken aloud.

“Don’t be sad. Your people there must be someone waiting for you. If you wish it, they will return.”

“I’m sorry. Before, because of my own selfishness, I made you lose your past memories. But the fall of Miaojiang back then wasn’t your fault. Every survivor holds onto hope, longing for the day they can reunite with their families.”

“The you from before was the Holy Maiden of Miaojiang, the best person I’ve ever known. In the Miao village, everyone adored you, trusted you. Even if Miaojiang is gone, they will surely be waiting waiting for the day you gather them together again.”

“Anuo, don’t grieve, don’t give up. This is your goal, not some fleeting wish. As long as you’re willing, as long as you desire it. I will stay by your side, accompany you to find every survivor, help you rebuild your home.”

As if unaccustomed to speaking so much in one breath, Luo Qingyi’s voice wavered slightly, yet every word remained brimming with sincerity.

She watched Wu Ruo’s eyes with concern, carefully adjusting her tone in response to the other’s subtle expressions growing softer yet more solemn with each word.

Immortal Master Luo’s word was her bond, unbreakable as a chariot drawn by four horses. What she promised, she would fulfill.

Jiang Qingbei, who had been restless earlier, now stood quietly, waiting for Luo Qingyi to finish.

“Hey, Wu Ruo.”

Jiang Qingbei pursed her lips awkwardly, her gaze flickering over before quickly darting away, feigning nonchalance as she spoke. “Anyway, I don’t want to stay in the same sect as my mother anymore. If you don’t want to be alone, I’ll just join you, I guess.”

At this, her face flushed red first, then she glanced around before finally turning her head away and muttering, “I’ll reluctantly be that friend of yours. Hmph, I’ll grudgingly allow you to think of me as her.”

“What are you talking about?” Wu Ruo burst into laughter through her tears. “Your mother would hate me to death if she found out.”

“Who cares about her!” The mere mention of her mother made Jiang Qingbei furious. “She was the one who said it first called me useless, said raising me was worse than raising a dog. I’ve already cut ties with her!”

“Alright, alright, let’s not talk about her.”

The oppressive mood had unknowingly lifted, the atmosphere clearing like skies after rain. Wu Ruo smiled softly, surrounded by the chattering Jiang Qingbei and the earnest Luo Qingyi.

Jiang Qingbei, no longer mentioning her mother, began boasting again, thumping her chest as she declared she would cover all the expenses for Wu Ruo’s future home reconstruction. She even went as far as saying she’d move out completely, severing all ties with her mother to become the founding elder of the new Miaojiang.

Luo Qingyi, despite being a peak master of an immortal sect, didn’t stop her at all, merely listening quietly to Jiang Qingbei’s nonsense while occasionally glancing at Wu Ruo’s expression.

She looked relaxed, just like the way Luo Qingyi had seen her long, long ago. Back then, while recuperating in the Miao village, on the day she regained her memories and prepared to leave, she had witnessed the most unforgettable fireworks of her life.

The smile of the one she loved had always been this beautiful.

Jiang Qingbei clamored about being the founding elder and insisted on following Wu Ruo wherever she went.

Luo Qingyi subtly nudged aside this tactless junior sister, sending her off to deal with the demonic cultivator’s corpse while she herself stayed by Wu Ruo’s side, unfurling a map of the cultivation world with a flick of spiritual energy.

“North of Miaojiang, apart from the Zhiyuan Immortal Sect, there are the medical practitioners of Xinglin Sect and the alchemists of Lieyan Pavilion. When I visited Xinglin Sect earlier, I encountered a woman didn’t get a clear look at her face but the timing of her entry matched that of Chuncao. It might have been her.”

She recalled her memories Chuncao hadn’t acknowledged her, which was rather odd. But at this point, she couldn’t pile any more pressure onto Wu Ruo.

“Really?” Wu Ruo’s eyes lit up. “Then let’s head to Xinglin Sect first.”

The three returned to the inn and finalized their next steps. However, while checking out, they noticed a group dressed in light green robes embroidered with bamboo patterns registering for a stay.

Jiang Qingbei tossed two spirit stone fragments, and the waiter eagerly answered, grinning from ear to ear, “They’re the medical immortals from Xinglin Sect. They’re really kind they even help diagnose our ailments!”

“Did they just arrive?”

“That’s right, just arrived. Heard they’re here to investigate some strange mission. The one leading them is said to be a personal disciple of one of their elders even she came along!”

Following the waiter’s pointing finger, Wu Ruo caught sight of a faint figure ascending the stairs. The silhouette seemed familiar her posture was upright, her back straight, and the hem of her robe neat and pristine, without a single crease.

Support