I Got Together with the Goddess [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 21

Si Xuansu led Jiang Yiqing to the famous capital landmark, “Mount Yanyue.” On the mountain sat the “Flying Cloud Pavilion.” Legend had it that an immortal once descended from the heavens and landed upon this pavilion, making it exceptionally famous. The area was perpetually shrouded in white mist, with surging seas of clouds. There, one could admire the strange pines and grotesque cypresses, view stone inscriptions by famous scholars, and taste the renowned “Quest for Immortality Wine” brewed personally by Daoist Master Ling yi. It offered an ethereal experience akin to attaining enlightenment and ascending to divinity.

Si Xuansu tied the Cloud-Scale horse to a pine tree at the foot of the mountain. She gave a small tip to a young attendant to look after the beast and then took Jiang Yiqing’s hand to begin the accent.

Although Jiang Yiqing was not afraid of hiking, Mount Yanyue was extraordinarily high. Looking up, she could not even see the summit, and she couldn’t help but worry whether her physical strength would be enough to reach the top.

Si Xuansu only smiled without speaking, tightening her grip on Jiang Yiqing’s hand.

The stone steps stretched on endlessly, and the mountain path twisted sharply. At first, Jiang Yiqing had the leisure to chat with Si Xuansu, but as they climbed higher, she gradually lost her strength.

Leaning against the railing, she looked down and realized they had only reached the halfway point.

Better not look; just keep climbing! I’ll make it eventually, Jiang Yiqing sighed inwardly.

Si Xuansu suggested, “Let me carry you on my back, Yiqing.”

“No… no need.”

To prove she could still climb, she hiked up a few more steps, then turned back to take Si Xuansu’s hand.

“Are you not tired?” Si Xuansu asked.

“I’m alright.” Though her legs felt sore, it wasn’t unbearable. Besides, she could always buy a “Stamina Pill” from the system mall to get her to the top.

“Really?”

“I want to step onto the summit using my own two feet alongside you,” Jiang Yiqing said.

She knew how hard Si Xuansu had worked throughout her journey. Unlike herself, who could rely on the system to “cheat,” Si Xuansu’s life up to this point in this feudal society had been a result of her own strength and step-by-step effort.

“Yiqing, how can there be a woman like you in this world? It seems my life, Si Xuansu’s life, has not been lived in vain,” Si Xuansu sighed, clutching her hand tightly.

After walking a bit further, they saw a waterfall cascading down.

“It truly is ‘as if the Silver River has fallen from the ninth heaven!'” Jiang Yiqing shouted excitedly.

Mist sprayed around them, and the two women, looking like goddesses descended to earth, embraced each other tightly.

Jiang Yiqing felt a surge of energy the further she climbed. When she finally stepped onto the last stone stair, she saw a pavilion. Leaning against the railing and looking into the distance, the entire scenery of the capital lay beneath them.

Jiang Yiqing shouted at the top of her lungs, “Jiang Yiqing will love Si Xuansu forever!”

Si Xuansu smiled refinedly. As the two drew close, eyes met and about to share a kiss, the sound of a young boy coughing came from nearby.

It turned out that two young attendants from the Sanqing Temple had come out to greet them. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Jiang Yiqing entered the temple with Si Xuansu.

Walking inside, they saw a kind-looking Daoist priest chatting with a young boy under a tree.

Jiang Yiqing figured this must be the master of the Sanqing Temple, Daoist Master Ling yi.

Both Daoist Master Ling yi and Daoist Master Yuanyi had the character “Yi” (One) in their names. In the Kingdom of Yi, Daoist priests with the word “One” in their titles possessed imperial credentials, which was a symbol of great honor. Jiang Yiqing had heard that Master Yuanyi and Master Ling yi were fellow disciples under the same master.

Master Ling yi invited the two to sit in the Flying Cloud Pavilion and presented the “Quest for Immortality Wine.”

The capital’s famous scenery lived up to its reputation. Taking a sip of the wine in this pavilion, Jiang Yiqing found it pure and mellow with a sweet aftertaste. Glancing at Si Xuansu’s peerless beauty and then at the vast, churning sea of clouds outside the pavilion, Jiang Yiqing felt as though she were about to transcend mortality.

Seeing her look so relaxed, Si Xuansu felt at peace herself. She smilingly poured several cups of wine for her, all which Jiang Yiqing drank. The people of Sanqing Temple were also quite amazed by this “celestial couple.”

Master Ling yi sat with them, but he appeared to be hesitating to speak. Si Xuansu pulled back her smile and said solemnly, “Master Lingyi, you live in seclusion on this mountain and do not concern yourself with worldly affairs. Is there something weighing on your heart?”

Seeing that she had noticed, Master Lingyi stopped hiding it and let out a sigh.

“To tell you the truth, it is the matter of Yuanyi that I cannot set my mind at ease about.”

“How so?”

“We studied under the same master. After leaving our master’s side, Yuanyi wandered the four seas while I established this Sanqing Temple. Half a year ago, he returned to the capital and began associating with the powerful and wealthy. If he were simply encouraging them toward the Dao, that would be well and fine, but I have heard that he…” Master Ling yi suddenly stopped, appearing as if the words were too difficult to utter.

Si Xuansu did not rush him, saying, “I once saw Daoist Master Yuanyi at the Peony Banquet of the Ningyang Marquis’s estate. He seemed to be a favorite of the Marchioness.”

“Indeed,” Master Ling yi said with another sigh. “And the Ningyang Marquis is hardly a simple character. Yuanyi… he must not assist the wicked in their tyranny.”

These words left both Si Xuansu and Jiang Yiqing startled and suspicious. Master Lingyi seemed to know something, but he was afraid of a slip of the tongue and dared not speak directly.

“Master, whatever it is you wish to say, please speak plainly. The Si family has been the pillar of the state for generations, known for their loyalty and courage. Do you not trust us?” Jiang Yiqing said.

Upon hearing this, Master Ling yi froze. After a moment, as if having made a final decision, he said, “Very well. If there is anyone left today who can stop this disaster, it is only you two.”

Jiang Yiqing thought he was finally going to speak, but instead, he had an attendant bring paper and ink and began to draw a picture.

Jiang Yiqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, thinking to herself that Daoist priests were truly strange.

However, she and Si Xuansu waited patiently. Jiang Yiqing recalled the secret conversation she had witnessed between the Huaiyi Marquis and Master Yuanyi, feeling certain there was a conspiracy involved.

A moment later, Master Ling yi finished the drawing and handed it to Si Xuansu, saying, “General Si, it is inconvenient for this poor Daoist to interfere with matters below the mountain. I entrust everything to you.”

Si Xuansu nodded slightly and took the drawing to look at it with Jiang Yiqing.

Jiang Yiqing saw that he had drawn a helmet used by soldiers, but the helmet was turned upside down.

What does this mean? While Jiang Yiqing was still pondering, Si Xuansu’s expression suddenly changed.

“I will discuss this matter with my father. If the situation is as suggested, we will prepare,” Si Xuansu said to Master Lingyi.

Master Lingyi cupped his hands toward her and said, “I leave it in your hands, General Si.”

Seeing how solemn their expressions were, Jiang Yiqing knew the secret was hidden in this helmet. Was there another name for a helmet? Right—in ancient times, a helmet was also called a Mou. The helmet was upside down, or Fan. The realization flashed through her mind—

Mou Fan? (Helmet Overturned)

No, it was Mou Fan (Treason/Rebellion)!

It appeared that Daoist Master Yuanyi intended to rebel. But he couldn’t do it alone—was the Ningyang Marquis rebelling with him? It seemed the Huaiyi Marquis was also inextricably linked to this matter.

No wonder Si Xuansu’s face had changed so drastically. Jiang Yiqing pulled on her sleeve and said, “There’s no time to lose. Let’s head down the mountain immediately.”

Si Xuansu nodded and descended the mountain with her. Along the way, Jiang Yiqing told Si Xuansu about the secret meeting she had seen between Master Yuanyi and the Huaiyi Marquis.

Si Xuansu said, “If they are indeed in league, then as Master Lingyi said, a great disaster is about to occur.”

“But the pill Master Yuanyi gave the Huaiyi Marquis didn’t seem intended to help him; it seemed meant to harm him. Because someone with insufficient spiritual power would explode and die upon taking such a pill.”

“Perhaps he wants to use the Huaiyi Marquis and then discard him later,” Si Xuansu mused.

“That makes sense,” Jiang Yiqing agreed.

After reaching the foot of the mountain, Si Xuansu took her on the horse and galloped away. However, they slowed down once they reached crowded areas. Passersby saw the “Son-in-law Jiang” being held in General Si’s arms again, looking so frail and weak that it was almost worrying.

Si Xuansu was usually such a reserved person, yet now she was displaying such public intimacy. It was clear she doted on her husband to the extreme. Someone teased, “General Si, you be careful now! Don’t go breaking your husband’s thin, weak waist!”

“…” Jiang Yiqing felt her young soul had been wounded.

Si Xuansu was noble and beyond reproach, but that was fine—Jiang Yiqing wasn’t a pushover either.

“I wouldn’t have the heart to,” Si Xuansu whispered into Jiang Yiqing’s ear. After speaking, she tightened her arm around Jiang Yiqing’s slender waist and laughed softly.

Jiang Yiqing felt as though that smile held a deeper meaning. All the strength seemed to drain from her body; if it weren’t for Si Xuansu’s hand circling her waist, she felt she might fall off the horse at any moment.