Chapter 144: A Strange Affair

Beside a small river in Shengyu, Feng Xing and Feng Nuan constructed a stilted cottage.

The lower part was elevated and open, allowing water to flow underneath. The upper part was sealed, illuminated, and well-ventilated, suitable for living.

A wooden ladder led down to a ground paved with a few flagstones, and a sandy path stretched straight toward the vegetable plot.

Nothing was planted in the plot; the soil had merely been turned over. A fence surrounded it to keep out small animals.

This place was a valley, picturesque with clear streams and lush mountains, abundant in resources. Feng Xing had chosen this location for Lian Zi and even dug a pond at the back, where he planted the lotus seeds from her pouch.

Every day, Feng Xing would wake up early, rouse Feng Nuan, and have her tend to the lotus seeds. At the break of dawn, Feng Xing would busy himself before heading into the mountains to forage for food.

Day after day, the house, the vegetable plot, and the yard were completed, yet Lian Zi still had not awakened.

"Brother, it has been five days! What on earth is wrong with Sister Lian Zi?"

Feng Xing stroked Feng Nuan’s head and sat with her beside Lian Zi’s bed. "It seems this medicine is of no use either. Stay here and rest after you eat; I'll take the boat out again to buy some more supplies!"

"What else do you need to buy? You've already brought back so much over the past few days! Is there anything we cannot make ourselves?"

"This concerns Sister Lian Zi's life and safety, how can we be careless? If you hadn't been gluttonous that day, how could your sister have ended up like this?" Seeing Feng Nuan lower her head in silence, consumed by shame and distress, Feng Xing said no more. He stood up and walked to the doorway. "Wait for me here, do not go anywhere. I shall return shortly!"

"Don't you go, I will! You said it was my fault, so I'll go find the herbs myself." Feng Nuan rushed to the door, casting a disgruntled glare at Feng Xing. "You should reflect on yourself. Clearly, you are the one who keeps making mistakes. Why don't you go serve the imperial court now? Doesn't staying here contradict your grand ambitions?"

Hearing this, Feng Xing felt as though a thousand arrows had pierced his heart, and he started in shock.

By the time he came to his senses, Feng Nuan had already vanished. Feng Xing stood at the doorway and sighed.

"What is to be done?"

Feng Xing walked in and then walked back out. Suddenly, seeing Feng Nuan come running back, his heart instantly settled.

"Where did you go? What is that you are holding?"

Feng Nuan bypassed Feng Xing, ignoring him entirely. Feng Xing followed her inside and saw Feng Nuan pouring the contents of a leaf into Lian Zi's mouth. He hurriedly stepped forward to stop her.

"Wait, what are you giving her to drink?"

"None of your business! Get away!"

Feng Xing tried to take the leaf from Feng Nuan, only to notice Lian Zi's fingers twitch. He was struck by boundless astonishment.

"This?" Feng Xing hurriedly sat down, grasped Lian Zi's hand, and nearly wept. "Lian Zi, Lian Zi, have you woken up?"

Feng Nuan watched Lian Zi until she opened her eyes. "Sister, you're awake!"

"What... what did you give me to drink? Why is there spiritual energy in it?"

Feng Xing froze, looking at Feng Nuan in bewilderment and shock. "You? What is the meaning of this?"

"Maybe Sister Lian Zi saved me! Whenever my blood touches withered grass, the grass springs back to life. So, I thought of this method!"

Lian Zi struggled to sit up, and Feng Xing supported her, not daring to let go for even a second.

"Feng Nuan, let me see your wound!"

Lian Zi pulled over the hand Feng Nuan extended and gazed at the faint blue-and-red blood, feeling utterly amazed. "Feng Nuan, you? Your hand..."

Seeing this, Feng Xing was greatly alarmed. "Why is your blood this color? Have you been poisoned?"

Lian Zi looked at Feng Nuan with a smile, coughing twice. "Feng Nuan, it seems you share a deep affinity with the Blue Lake!"

***

The Bridge of Broken Souls.

Xue Ze walked along the bridge, her mind distracted by other thoughts.

"Is Lian Zi living well in the mortal world? How is her health?"

Xue Ze was deeply worried about Lian Zi, yet she had no way to sense or locate her. Xue Ze had just descended from the Snowy Realm and was now crossing the Bridge of Broken Souls to return to the Snowy Bamboo Land.

A cold wind swept across, and the bridge suddenly grew chilly, as if a biting frost had descended. Before she could react, Xue Ze abruptly heard snatches of a fractured melody, accompanied by intermittent, disorienting vibrations.

The tremors on the bridge deck felt like a riot of demons dancing or children jumping about, instantly undulating wildly without a moment of peace.

Xue Ze stood upon the swaying bridge, turned around in puzzlement, but did not see a single soul.

"What is going on here?"

Xue Ze looked around in alarm, casting spells to probe for the presence of outsiders, but discovered nothing at all.

"Look down!"

Hearing this voice, which seemed to emanate from beneath the bridge, Xue Ze was struck with wonder. "How could there be such a sound here?"

Leaning over the edge, Xue Ze saw black mist rising beneath the Bridge of Broken Souls, thicker than usual. "What is happening? Could something be wrong with the Abyss of Broken Souls?"

Careless on the violently shaking bridge, Xue Ze lost her footing. Suddenly, a force struck her from behind, and she instantly plunged beneath the bridge.

The black mist surged up, enveloping Xue Ze. Despite all her profound magic, she found it difficult to escape.

Beneath the Bridge of Broken Souls lay a terrifying, bottomless abyss shrouded in mystery, filled only with gloomy black mist and howling cold winds.

Because the Abyss of Broken Souls was located down here, the atmosphere was chilling and somber, and ordinary people dared not descend.

The Abyss of Broken Souls, true to its name, would shatter a soul and scatter its spiritual essence, ensuring no good end for those who entered. Imprisoned here were the sinners of Mount Tian; some had already lost their cultivation, while others retained no vestige of willpower.

"How did I fall down here?" Xue Ze felt a mixture of doubt and terror; she could not summon a single spell in this place.

Clusters of black mist closed in, surrounding Xue Ze and pinning her in place, rendering her unable to move.

Xue Ze looked around. Her entire field of vision was filled with dense black mist, as if she were about to be swallowed and annihilated by the darkness. She struggled in agony, her strength gradually fading. Amidst her panic, she heard the strains of strange flute music.

Before she could identify the tune, Xue Ze felt waves of pain, as if someone were devouring her blood.

Turning her head, she saw that behind her, the dense crowd of black entities with glowing red eyes had gathered to direct a beam of red light straight at her. The sensation was akin to an electric shock, coupled with the cutting of blades—excruciatingly painful!

"What are these things! Get away!"

Xue Ze closed her eyes, preparing to use her spiritual power to break through the confinement, when she saw a streak of blue light descending from the heavens.

Arriving in an instant and swirling at high speed, a blue-light sword slashed through the horde of dark entities, while blue water embraced Xue Ze and counterattacked the swarming black masses.

No matter how fiercely the surrounding darkness raged, the heroic figure of Lan Shui always shone with brilliance.

Leaning against Lan Shui's embrace, Xue Ze felt much better. Opening her eyes again, she saw that the clusters of black mist radiating red light had vanished.

"Xue Ze, are you alright?"

Xue Ze shook her head and smiled with feigned calmness. "I'm fine. It's rather humiliating that my martial brother had to step in at the crucial moment!"

"What of it?" Lan Shui stroked Xue Ze’s cheek and said gently, "I failed to notice in time; it is your martial brother who should be ashamed!"

Xue Ze smiled awkwardly and changed the subject: "Martial Brother, what were those things just now?"

***

"Those are Red-Eyed Phantoms, once the pets of Heavenly Venerate Jiucang. Having committed grave offenses, they were imprisoned here."

"Oh, no wonder they were so powerful—I couldn't even fight them off!"

"That is because this place is dark and chaotic, a realm you have never experienced or understood, rendering your magic ineffective. Come, I will take you up!"

With that, Lan Shui recalled the blue-light sword and carried Xue Ze back to the Snowy Bamboo Land.

Upon returning to the Snowy Bamboo Land, faced with the sudden rush of pure, crisp air, Xue Ze felt intensely nauseous and promptly fainted.

"Junior Sister!" Lan Shui scooped Xue Ze into his arms and hurried off to find Qian Gui. "Master! Master, where are you?"

Qian Gui walked out of the wine house with a smile, but upon seeing the scene before him, his desire for wine vanished instantly.

Discarding his wine gourd, Qian Gui strode over hurriedly and asked in alarm, "What has happened now? Who has harmed my disciple again?!"

"For some reason, Junior Sister fell off the Bridge of Broken Souls and was almost drained by the Red-Eyed Phantoms!"

Furious, Qian Gui muttered a series of incantations, hurried into the room to treat Xue Ze with magic, and drew the turbid aura from her body into a small vial.

"Jiucang is far too indulgent with his creations; I shall teach him a proper lesson this time!"

"What is this all about? Why is it connected to Heavenly Venerate Jiucang?"

"Jiucang has always been soft-hearted, especially protective of things belonging to him. The Red-Eyed Phantoms should have been put to death, yet he merely imprisoned them, and now they have broken free with the help of outside guidance. A while ago, when asked to severely punish the traitor within, he was unwilling as well! It seems he is determined to reap what he has sown."

Filled with indignation, Lan Shui said with displeasure, "I never expected Heavenly Venerate Jiucang to show such leniency toward wicked people and deeds; I truly overestimated him. Usually so stern and upright, he has now begun to bend the law for personal relations! Master, what do you intend to do?"

"Hmph! Since he is soft-hearted, we shall help him deal with the remnants! Come, you and I will first patrol the Abyss of Broken Souls and exterminate those wretched beasts!"

"However, I went down to investigate only because I heard the Soul-Breaking Tune. Could this have been deliberately orchestrated by someone?"

Qian Gui paused, stunned. "The Soul-Breaking Tune? Aside from Jiucang, who else on Mount Tian knows how to use it to control the Red-Eyed Phantoms?"

Before he could ponder further, Jiucang's homing pigeon flew in. "Another incident has occurred. Jiucang has summoned us to gather at the Hall of Upright Rulers! If we are to descend the mountain this time, he will surely make Xue Ze go!"

"This?" Lan Shui's gaze shifted to the unconscious Xue Ze. "Could someone be targeting Junior Sister?"

Qian Gui stroked his beard and sighed, "It is highly probable! If Bai Yi issues the order, Xue Ze will definitely have to descend the mountain. If she goes down now, she will likely face grave danger..."

"Junior Sister is frail; how can she cope with the chaos of the mortal world? And if Yan Shuo is involved, what then?"

"It seems another bloody storm is brewing..."

Lan Shui was startled. "Master, what did you say?"

"Nothing. Xue Ze is blessed with deep fortune, do not be afraid! However, we must now properly handle the internal chaos on Mount Tian; otherwise, the Snowy Bamboo Land will never know peace!"

"Then what should we do?"

"Never mind that for now; let us first go capture the creatures that caused the injury and investigate thoroughly. You and Ji Lin must remain vigilant against the traitor and give them no further opportunity to harm anyone. For now, stay here in the Snowy Bamboo Land and bring Xue Ze over later. I am going to subdue that wretched beast right now!"

"Master, why won't you let me go?"

"These are Jiucang's possessions after all; I fear he might blame you! Do not worry, I will make sure it has nowhere to hide and fills the air with its wails!"