Chapter 9

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Su Zhen had long since given up asking what cephalosporin was; it was probably something similar to the other two substances mentioned. Cultivators’ bodies are strengthened by spiritual energy, vastly different from ordinary people. Even those of low cultivation levels, after ingesting poison that would instantly kill a mortal, would not truly perish—at worst, they would suffer some hardship. Not to mention those of higher realms; she herself could consume arsenic as if it were powdered sugar.

“But…”

Su Zhen couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him. “Senior, even if you think I’m ignorant and unskilled, I wouldn’t use those things as ingredients, would I?”

“Sorry,” Xiao Yu admitted swiftly. “That was just an exaggeration to say that no matter what you make, I would gladly savor it.”

“My cooking skills are indeed mediocre, and I haven’t used a stove in many years, but it shouldn’t be this bad,” Su Zhen shook her head lightly. “…It’s really been a long time.”

After hundreds of years, she still vaguely remembered a time in her youth when she held a plate out to her mother, who looked at her with a face full of pride and smiled. Her mother ate while stroking her hair, saying, “My Zhen Zhen is smart. She learns by watching the cook just once, and her flavors are spot on. Her future sword cultivation will surely be twice as effective, becoming a great power early on.”

Indeed, before reaching five hundred years old, she ascended to the Golden Immortal realm, a feat few could match across the nine realms, just as her mother predicted.

A sudden wave of melancholy washed over Su Zhen.

“So,” Xiao Yu looked at her with a conflicted expression, “did I just make you recall something painful again?”

“It’s not really painful,” Su Zhen snapped back to reality. “Even if you weren’t here tonight and I were patrolling the mountains alone, I would still find my thoughts wandering. And there are few joyful memories in my mind, so…”

After all, she either thought about matters before death, about those she despised, or about those she longed for but could never see again.

She couldn’t help but think that if only she could return to a hundred years ago, she could see her mother once more—that would be even better.

Xiao Yu was silent for a moment. “Then try to think of more interesting things. When I felt I couldn’t go on, I constantly thought about…” His gaze lingered on her face for a moment before drifting off into the distance. “Imagine how I completed various high-difficulty dungeons in the Demon Realm without any guides, using that to motivate myself, cultivating perseverance and indomitable spirit.”

Su Zhen: “?????”

Besides the two words “Demon Realm,” she didn’t understand a word of the first sentence, and the latter part sounded utterly strange.

After enduring this for a while, she refrained from giving him a dumbfounded look and could only guess at his meaning. “Senior, you’re already this age, so you must be very familiar with the Demon Realm, right?”

“Hm?” Xiao Yu repeated with a complicated expression, “‘I’m already this age’?”

Su Zhen looked at him in confusion. “Ah?”

She meant no offense; exploring the Demon Realm took a lot of time, and the spiritual network there was chaotic, so its time did not align perfectly with the mortal realm’s, causing further delays.

Xiao Yu: “...That’s my problem. Just think of me as having a bit of age anxiety.”

Su Zhen was left bewildered.

At last, she seemed to understand what he meant.

It was the first time she had seen a high-level cultivator dislike mentioning their age. Unless their lifespan was drawing to a close and they couldn’t advance their cultivation to extend it, why would a cultivator care? Especially since saints and immortal lords lived as long as the heavens and shouldn’t worry about such things.

Xiao Yu glanced at her again, and seeing her puzzled expression, he grew even more troubled. “Sigh, I don’t know how to explain it to you. You probably wouldn’t understand.”

Just then, Su Zhen detected a familiar spiritual pressure and faint fluctuations of spiritual energy, like a conflict about to erupt in the distance.

She rolled her eyes inwardly. “My experiences are limited, and my knowledge shallow. Of course, I don’t understand you, senior. I’ll be going—”

“No.” He looked annoyed. “It’s just that I’m clumsy with words. I feared I couldn’t explain clearly and that you wouldn’t understand.”

Su Zhen sighed. “What kind of person do you think I am? There’s no need to explain anything to me.”

Xiao Yu pondered for a moment, then cautiously said, “Sorry. If an apology is needed, it’s my fault. But if you’re just pretending to be angry to get me to leave, you could have just said so.”

While speaking, he turned his head to look toward the dark pine forest beside the mountain path, his gaze seeming to pierce through the dense shadows.

Su Zhen felt a headache coming.

Of course.

How could he not be aware of the commotion over there?

Su Zhen whispered, “It’s just some unruly inner disciples of the peak. I just didn’t want you to see a joke—”

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But then she reconsidered: if this guy wanted to know what was going on, with his cultivation, not only the disturbances in these few peaks, but the entire Eastern Domain, even the mortal realm, or other planes, would be no secret to his perception.

“First, if you want me to leave, then I will,” Xiao Yu said calmly. “But if you’re worried about some joke or embarrassment, you needn’t. I’ve seen enough of these petty matters. After all, I’m already this age.”

Su Zhen was speechless.

She released a bit of her spiritual awareness to sense the situation over there, then said, “I’m tired of pretending to be on good terms with my fellow disciples. I don’t have a good relationship with those two over there…”

“I understand.” Xiao Yu interrupted. “I’ll leave.”

With that, he vanished from sight decisively.

Su Zhen was momentarily stunned.

To be honest, even if he were elsewhere, it would be effortless for him to know what happened here.

So his presence didn’t really make much difference, but instinctively she did not want others to hear about her sect’s troubles, hence her hesitation.

He clearly understood.

After a brief daze, Su Zhen moved forward.

Weiyun Peak was lush with vegetation; to the north, dense green pines and cypresses filled the land, with water channels winding through the forest. Ahead lay a clear stream flowing down the mountain.

By the stream stood a crooked stone bridge and a hexagonal pavilion. Near the pavilion stood cultivators, all appearing as young teenagers, seemingly embroiled in a quarrel.

Two groups faced each other from opposite sides.

Even from a hundred zhang away, Su Zhen could discern their identities: on the left were Zhou Ziheng and Liu Yunyao; on the right were two registered disciples of Elder Ji.

“We just heard that Senior Sister Liu has advanced to the Qi Refining realm…” a cultivator on the right complained, “so we wanted to spar with Senior Sister Liu. Isn’t this a normal matter within the peak? Why is Senior Brother Zhou so aggressive?”

Liu Yunyao was about to speak when Zhou Ziheng snorted coldly and stepped in front of her. “Junior Sister Yao and Junior Brother Chu have already reached the second and third levels of Qi Refining. How dare they challenge my junior sister?”

Another cultivator on the right rolled his eyes. “Senior Brother Zhou is at Nascent Soul realm, didn’t you just spar with Senior Sister Sun at Golden Core?”

Zhou Ziheng snapped angrily, “How is that the same? My junior sister’s body is weak…”

Junior Sister Yao was surprised. “If Senior Sister Liu is willing to teach us, she can fight any of us. If she’s not willing, then she can refuse. We can’t force her. Why did Senior Brother Zhou jump in to insult us then?”

Zhou Ziheng sneered, his anger flaring. “Junior Sister Yao, you’re sharp-tongued, but don’t forget that your Yao family owes its status to our Zhou family. Your family head’s parents back then…”

Junior Sister Yao showed a mocking look. “So Senior Brother Zhou thinks I should kowtow and beg you? Our branch split from the main family two hundred years ago and hasn’t benefited at all. What does the status of the main branch have to do with me?”

She said that and dragged her senior brother away.

Zhou Ziheng watched their retreating backs and instinctively raised his hand but ultimately didn’t act.

Those two were just registered disciples; arguing was no big deal. But if someone got injured, Elder Ji wouldn’t let it slide.

Su Zhen stood in the shade of the trees, watching clearly.

If Zhou Ziheng really wanted to hurt someone, she could intervene in time; patrolling the mountains included this duty.

However, he probably wouldn’t do that.

“Hmph, they wouldn’t dare act like this in front of Su Zhen…” Zhou Ziheng’s gaze darkened as he turned around.

He was a whole cultivation realm stronger and had centuries of experience; he was completely unaware of Su Zhen’s presence.

Zhou Ziheng looked at Liu Yunyao.

She wore a smoky pink brocade robe, delicate and charming, but her brows furrowed in worry as she tugged at his sleeve. “Senior Brother…”

“You should go out less when you’re alone!” Zhou Ziheng snapped irritably. “You haven’t fully mastered any decent sword technique yet, and your body is weak. You’re no match for them. These people see you as the first seat’s disciple and all want to spar with you. I was the same when I joined.”

Su Zhen and Jiang Wang were the same.

Only, those two rarely lost, while Zhou Ziheng had lost a few times, which annoyed him greatly.

“…Fifth Senior Brother.” Liu Yunyao sighed, a hint of reluctance on her face. “For a moment I wanted to accept, but I knew I couldn’t win. I’m really useless and have tarnished our master’s reputation.”

Su Zhen raised an eyebrow.

“Can’t win.”

Those words were worth pondering.

Was she truly unable to defeat them, or would winning mean revealing her demonic bloodline, which she must avoid?

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Zhou Ziheng clearly hadn’t thought much about it. Seeing her like this, he softened his tone.

“It’s not your fault. Hmph, those demonic cultivators are truly evil. If they hadn’t cursed you, causing your weak body and blocked meridians, preventing your spiritual root from being refined, your cultivation would be well beyond the first level of Qi Refining by now.”

As he spoke, his tone shifted. “If Master could borrow the Cold Fragrance Sword for you…”

Liu Yunyao waved her hand. “I just mentioned it casually the day before yesterday. Don’t take it to heart. Master considered it, but Senior Sister wouldn’t agree.”

Zhou Ziheng shook his head. “That sword was buried beneath the Flower Language Plains, where the Demon Realm’s flora is most abundant. The sword spirit developed from the earth’s energy. I heard Master was severely injured several times in youth and relied on Cold Fragrance to repair his meridians and survive crises. If you could get your hands on it, it would surely help greatly.”

Su Zhen no longer wished to stay.

She had long recognized Zhou Ziheng and Liu Yunyao’s spiritual pressures and was originally reluctant to approach them out of annoyance.

But sensing the tension and that a fight might break out, she came to check, fulfilling her patrol duties.

Besides, she had guessed that if the fight didn’t happen and those people left, Zhou Ziheng and Liu Yunyao would have some private conversation.

And there was a good chance it would involve her.

Su Zhen was too bored to listen and was about to leave.

Suddenly, Zhou Ziheng laughed. “That bitch would never lend you Cold Fragrance. She can’t even bond with it herself and fears others might snatch the sword. If Junior Sister wants Cold Fragrance, she’ll have to wait until that woman dies.”

Su Zhen narrowed her eyes slightly.

“…Did Master mention any other methods?”

Zhou Ziheng asked again.

“There are others, but they’re ineffective.”

Su Zhen sneered inwardly.

There were actually several treasures capable of repairing curses and nurturing the body besides Cold Fragrance. In later years, Immortal Lord Yuchen tried several.

But Liu Yunyao always hinted they were inferior to Cold Fragrance.

Perhaps Immortal Lord Yuchen truly believed only Cold Fragrance suited her constitution, or perhaps he suspected she needed that sword for some reason.

Hence, he had been trying to borrow Cold Fragrance from Su Zhen.

“The other day, Master promised to ask Senior Sister…” Liu Yunyao sighed, “But Senior Sister suddenly left without even summoning the sword. I didn’t even get a chance to touch it.”

Zhou Ziheng sneered. “She guessed.”

“Really?” Liu Yunyao took a gentle breath. “Master hadn’t mentioned it, yet she left immediately.”

“Oh, that’s probably her throwing a tantrum again,” Zhou Ziheng sneered. “She’s always narrow-minded. You’re weak, so Master takes care of you more, which makes her jealous. She might hate you for any reason.”

He paused. “Every time I go out these days, I hear people talking about her—because she went to Lingxiao Peak that day…”

Zhou Ziheng gritted his teeth. “She’s only barely a hundred years into the Transformation realm! The senior sisters and brothers on Lingxiao Peak are no better, yet none are so annoying! Every time I hear those words, I just want to…”

He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. “Junior Sister, don’t worry. I have a way to get Cold Fragrance.”

Liu Yunyao looked surprised. “Senior Brother?”

Zhou Ziheng formed a hand seal.

The air around them trembled lightly, and in the shadowed night, a translucent barrier rose from the ground.

This soundproof barrier completely muffled their voices.

Su Zhen’s expression remained unchanged as she formed a hand seal and quietly pressed a hand against the trunk of a nearby pine tree. Spiritual energy flowed down the trunk into the soft, warm soil.

The spiritual energy quickly traveled underground.

Because the soundproof barrier stood in the air and was not rooted underground, the spiritual energy passed beneath it directly, crossing over a hundred zhang in the blink of an eye, reaching near the pavilion.

Su Zhen tilted her head, faint voices reaching her ears.

“…In a while, it will be the Su family head’s 600th birthday. Cultivators do not have short mortal lifespans and do not celebrate birthdays annually, but a centennial is a major milestone. Noble families usually hold grand feasts. Su Zhen’s mother was the previous family head and passed away years ago. Although Su Zhen isn’t very close to her family now, appearances must be kept. She will surely return to Huanhua Prefecture to personally give gifts to her uncle. We can set a trap on the way and capture her.”

A flash of light appeared from Zhou Ziheng’s sleeve. Between his fingers was a pale golden talisman paper inscribed with blood-red incantations. Silver glimmers flowed across the talisman.

The Zhou family was originally a secret talisman clan. Among the young generation, only he was gifted as a sword cultivator and had traveled a thousand miles to apprentice at the Tianyuan Sect.

Though not a talisman cultivator himself, he knew how to activate talismans using his family’s secret methods.

“This is the Heart-Seizing Secret Seal, a priceless top-grade Earth Rank talisman. Anyone below the Upper Seventh Realm can be controlled by this talisman, their mind altered.”

Zhou Ziheng said calmly, “If we can injure her and then use this while she is weak, not only can we force her to hand over the immortal sword, but even make her destroy her primordial spirit in the Demon Realm. No one would be able to trace it back to us.”