After My Death, the Immortal Venerable Became a Demon for My Sake - Chapter 12

Qianyun Sect. The name of the sect seemed to freeze the blood in Song Wangxiao’s veins. She remembered clearly that in the original novel, this was the sect of the female lead, Jiang Cishuang.

The young girl and the woman she called “Bai Wushuang” were still arguing, completely unaware that the jade pendant had been flung onto the floor.

“Bai Wushuang, give it a rest! Every single time, you use the excuse of ‘it’s for my own good’ to restrict my freedom. This time Master isn’t here, so don’t even think about trapping me again.”

“Junior Sister, calm down. I’m not trying to trap you. It’s just that this place is too unfamiliar to us, and I’m afraid something might happen to you,” Bai Wushuang explained in a futile attempt at reason.

“Um, excuse me.” Seeing that the two were on the verge of escalating their argument right in front of her, Song Wangxiao glanced back at Jiang Cishuang. When she saw that Jiang Cishuang had also raised her head to look at the pair with deep, unreadable eyes, she felt she needed to end this commotion quickly.

She picked up the jade pendant that Yu He had dropped and held it out. “Fellow Daoist, you dropped something.”

Seeing her jade pendant in Song Wangxiao’s hand, Yu He instinctively felt her waist. Finding it empty, she gasped in shock and took the pendant, securing it firmly to her belt. “Many thanks! If I had lost this, my Master would certainly have held me accountable.”

Song Wangxiao smiled faintly. “I only picked it up. If there’s nothing else, then I’ll…”

“You helped me find my jade pendant, so of course I must thank you! Come, I’ll treat you to a meal!” This Yu He seemed to be the type who acted like an old friend immediately, offering a treat before even knowing Song Wangxiao’s name.

Song Wangxiao: “…No, there’s no need.” As she spoke, she instinctively looked back at Jiang Cishuang, only to find that the woman had stood up at some point and was walking toward them.

Yu He finally noticed there was a second person in the room. “Oh, there’s another Daoist here! Then let’s all go eat together; the more the merrier.”

“Junior Sister.” Bai Wushuang sighed deeply, then cupped her hands toward the two. “Apologies. My Junior Sister is a bit reckless, but she means no harm. Please forgive us.” She then firmly pulled the girl away, whispering urgently in her ear as they left.

“They are clearly a couple. Why are you trying to force your way in?”

Song Wangxiao: “…”

Her gaze lingered on the identical jade pendants hanging from the pair’s waists. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke up: “Are you two disciples of the Qianyun Sect?”

Yu He turned around. “Yes, we are! Why do you ask? Do you know our sect?”

Song Wangxiao smiled neutrally. “The Qianyun Sect is famous throughout the Immortal realm; naturally, I’ve heard of it. Are your other fellow disciples resting here as well?”

Yu He was simple-minded. Since the female cultivator in front of her had helped return her jade, she decided she was a good person. Because the question didn’t involve anything that needed to be hidden, she answered openly.

“Only my Senior Sister and I are staying here. I wasn’t comfortable with the accommodations Guanqi Gate arranged, so we found our own place. Many people from our sect have come, but I’m not well-acquainted with most of them; they are mostly disciples led by the Sect Master. Immortal Qinghuai naturally came along as well. My own Master is in seclusion, so they didn’t come.”

Song Wangxiao’s heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained unchanged. “I see. Thank you. Since you two have things to attend to, I won’t keep you any longer.”

“No trouble at all!” Yu He chirped happily. She was about to turn away when she noticed Bai Wushuang had suddenly stopped moving. She looked at her in confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

Bai Wushuang was staring intently at Jiang Cishuang, who was standing beside Song Wangxiao. She felt a nagging sense of familiarity. “Fellow Daoist, have we met somewhere before?”

Jiang Cishuang remained silent. Song Wangxiao stepped forward subtly, positioning herself in front of her to explain.

“My Senior Sister and I have both come down the mountain for the first time. We shouldn’t have met you before.”

Bai Wushuang cupped her hands. “Then I must have been mistaken. Until we meet again, Daoists.” She had just felt that the woman’s eyes looked familiar, but figured it must have been an illusion. She pulled the noisy Yu He away.

“You said they were a couple, so why are they Senior and Junior Sisters?” Yu He’s question was so blunt it made Bai Wushuang’s ears turn slightly red, and she quickened her pace.

Song Wangxiao watched them leave, then shut the door abruptly. Her face was calm, but her heart was racing with shock and lingering fear.

Meeting disciples of the Qianyun Sect was too much of a coincidence. The “Immortal Qinghuai” they mentioned must be the real Jiang Cishuang. She had actually come to the assembly. Remembering the voice that had whispered in her ear that night, Song Wangxiao instinctively didn’t want to run into her—just as much as she wanted to avoid the Xiyi Sect.

She took a moment to compose herself, then saw that Jiang Cishuang had returned to her chair and was sipping tea again. Recalling the conversation between Bai Wushuang and Yu He, and how they had mistaken them for a couple, her ears flushed. But when she looked up, Jiang Cishuang’s expression was indifferent, as if she hadn’t even heard their exchange.

For some reason, she felt a pang of disappointment, and her voice carried a trace of melancholy.

“Have you ever met those Qianyun Sect disciples?”

Jiang Cishuang used one hand to gather her wide sleeve and the other to pour two cups of tea. “If she says she’s seen me, then perhaps she has. I just don’t remember.”

Song Wangxiao thought that made sense; Yin Xiao had amnesia, so how could she remember who she had met? Thinking of this, her slight disappointment was eclipsed by worry. She grew increasingly concerned about how Yin Xiao would manage to fake her way through tomorrow.

“For tomorrow’s assembly, how about you speak as little as possible? Just answer only when someone asks you something directly.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Jiang Cishuang agreed.

Song Wangxiao felt a sense of satisfaction at the praise. She sat beside her and slowly sipped her tea. The way Jiang Cishuang drank tea was so elegant that even the bitterness of the leaves seemed to fade.

Looking at the clothes Jiang Cishuang was wearing, Song Wangxiao thought that one shouldn’t dress so plainly for a Grand Sect Assembly. Moreover, seeing how Yin Xiao had produced twenty thousand spiritual stones without blinking, she clearly had money in her sect. She shouldn’t go in this outfit.

She suggested: “I’ll go to the shops in the city and pick out a few sets of clothes for you. Wait for me here.” She opened the door and headed downstairs under Jiang Cishuang’s gentle gaze.

The moment her figure disappeared, the tenderness in Jiang Cishuang’s eyes vanished, replaced by her original coldness. She looked through the wall toward the room where Yu He and Bai Wushuang were staying, her gaze deepening.

Xue Huaixiu is actually in Guanqi City as well.

By evening, many shops in Guanqi City had set up stalls. Numerous cultivators and locals were drinking together, discussing the current hot topic: the Grand Sect Assembly.

Song Wangxiao selected several outfits from a clothing shop that matched Jiang Cishuang’s temperament. When she left, she paid without batting an eye, leaving the shop owner beaming.

Carrying the packaged clothes, she prepared to return to the Full Moon Tower, her mind drifting to the expression Jiang Cishuang might have when she saw them.

She quickened her pace, but suddenly stopped when she heard some cultivators at a nearby congee stall. They were discussing tomorrow’s assembly. Song Wangxiao thought listening in might yield some information about Immortal Qinghuai.

She sat at a corner of the stall, ordered a bowl of congee, and pricked up her ears.

“For tomorrow’s assembly, guess how many sects are attending?” a cultivator nearby raised his voice intentionally.

“Guanqi Gate sent invitations everywhere. Every famous sect is probably here to get a piece of the action,” another replied dismissively.

“Isn’t that the truth? I know of at least five major sects already, not to mention the smaller ones. Why do you think Guanqi Gate is making such a big scene? To discuss trade with the Demon race? I doubt it.”

“Conflicts between Immortals and Demons have been constant lately. The Demons keep encroaching on human territory. If you really believe Guanqi Gate invited everyone to discuss ‘trade,’ you might as well go home. Yishui City to the southwest has already been occupied by the Demons, and Guanqi City is flooded with refugees. I heard from those fleeing that the Demons will start their second offensive within half a month. Guanqi Gate is the closest sect to the border; inviting everyone now is surely to discuss the Immortal-Demon war.”

“You’ve got a point. Demons are cunning by nature; we need to be prepared. The last Great War was a thousand years ago, and it left the world in ruins. It took the Immortal realm centuries to get back on track. With the Qianyun Sect here, it should be fine, right?” the cultivator asked worriedly.

“Who knows? Isn’t Qianyun Sect the number one sect today? Isn’t Immortal Qinghuai born with great destiny? With her there, things should be alright.”

The two cultivators clinked their cups and moved on to other topics, but Song Wangxiao, sitting behind them, couldn’t calm her heart for a long time.

The war starts in half a month. That means I have half a month until I die.

Song Wangxiao sighed deeply, looking down at the clothes in her hand, and sighed again.

She felt a weight in her heart—not out of fear or despair for her own impending death, but because of Yin Xiao.

She had known Yin Xiao for over a month now and had grown accustomed to every day spent with her. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if she left and woke up to a world without Yin Xiao by her side.

She instinctively tried not to think about it, letting other stray thoughts wrap around her. By the time she snapped out of it, the sky was dark. The cultivators were gone, her food was cold, and the stall owner was packing up. Seeing her move, he finally spoke.

“You’re finally back with us, Immortal.”

Seeing that she was the only one left, Song Wangxiao stood up and apologized, paying extra for the trouble. Amidst the owner’s thanks, she took her things and turned to leave, then froze.

At some point, a slender figure had appeared, standing on the cold street. The breeze fluttered her sleeves, making her look even more ethereal.

She had been watching Song Wangxiao silently for who knows how long. When their eyes met, she offered a slow smile, like ice melting as the world returns to life.

“It’s getting cold. Let’s go back.”

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