Chapter 111

Listening to her talk always put Qing Zhouxue at ease. What reached her ears was her master's voice, along with the sound of her own heartbeat, which seemed louder in the stillness.

Within such sounds, once she closed her eyes, she could easily relax and drift off to sleep.

Once she sensed that Qing'er's breathing had evened out, Yun Shuchen quietly withdrew the sleeve that had been pressed beneath her. She watched her serene sleeping face for a moment, then couldn't resist lowering her head.

She pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

Yun Shuchen didn't linger in greed; a brief taste sufficed, and she rose. But in an instant, she stepped out of the small world within the bracelet.

A jade bracelet hung silently before her eyes.

Yun Shuchen slipped the white jade bracelet onto her wrist and headed toward the highest peak of Beiyuan Mountain. She formed a hand seal and rode the wind away.

She passed over countless mountains, and after about half an hour, she sensed that the "water" around her had grown more abundant. Looking down, she saw the silhouette of the Penglai Pavilion standing atop the largest island.

Yun Shuchen landed before the pavilion. In a place lit by bright lights, a woman's shadow slanted across the paper window. Sensing someone's approach, the motionless silhouette shifted slightly.

The woman walked gracefully to open the door. The lamplight from within spilled out, stopping precisely an inch before Yun Shuchen.

It was Pavilion Master Li.

She showed no surprise at seeing Yun Shuchen, as if she had long expected her arrival.

"I've been waiting for some time," Li Chaoyin said warmly.

They entered and sat cross-legged on the floor.

Li Chaoyin poured her a cup of tea and raised her eyes. "How did it go?"

"The Penglai Pavilion's reach truly extends to the heavens," Yun Shuchen said, taking a sip of tea, then sighing softly. "Indeed. Tang Jiaye is dead, and the new Demon Lord, Tang Wuyue, has only recently taken power."

"The Penglai Pavilion's market stretches far and wide, with trade ties even to the Demon Realm. Where there is exchange, there will be leaked information," Li Chaoyin said. "This was not difficult."

"Judging from that little demon girl's attitude," Yun Shuchen said, "they remain irreconcilable with the Liuyun Sect, still remembering the blood feud of yesteryear, eager to eliminate them at the earliest opportunity."

"That's good," Li Chaoyin said with a smile. "Isn't that what you were thinking too? The Taichu Sect's rise has been astonishingly rapid. Within a few years, the Liuyun Sect, following its usual practices, will surely suppress them to consolidate its position as the leading immortal sect. Rather than letting them strike first, it's better for you to make the first move. And conveniently, the Demon Realm harbors a deep hatred for them as well. So... is Immortal Yun considering an alliance?"

Yun Shuchen gazed at her steadily for a moment, then also smiled. "If we share the same enemy, then regardless of the divide between immortal and demon, we are allies. But it cannot be done openly."

"And now is not the time either," Yun Shuchen added with a light sigh. "As for Tang Wuyue... forget it. I could never cooperate with her in this lifetime, nor can I tolerate her properly securing the throne. After all, this is my mother's legacy—how could I allow her to ruin it?"

"As you wish. Then you may have to take it slow."

Li Chaoyin nodded, setting down her teacup. "I'm in no hurry at all, and my demands are modest—the Pavilion has no interest in sect disputes, only in opening up the trade routes west of the Liuyun Sect. This so-called immortal sect, sitting right in the middle and keeping a tight grip on the flow of goods, is rather inconvenient. Better to leave it to me."

Yun Shuchen laughed. "Your demands are anything but modest! The Liuyun Sect is vast and prosperous, with many immortal clans clustered nearby, thriving considerably—it's practically a prime cut of meat."

"My family was poor when I was young; I've always had a fondness for these worldly goods."

Li Chaoyin teased, "If you succeed, just remember to throw a little something to my humble Penglai."

At that moment, the jade bracelet on Yun Shuchen's wrist seemed to tremble, and Pavilion Master Li's vision blurred as a sleepy young woman tumbled out from within, leaning against Yun Shuchen's shoulder.

Yun Shuchen was startled. How was she awake already?

Qing Zhouxue was still groggy, but when she looked up and saw the astonished gaze of Pavilion Master Li across from her, then turned to look at her master, she had no idea where she was.

She quickly sat up straight.

Yun Shuchen cleared her throat. "You've met her—my disciple."

"Of course I remember her," Li Chaoyin said with an involuntary smile. "If I'm not mistaken, that jade bracelet is an artifact that can contain a small world. Do you always carry your disciple with you?"

Yun Shuchen was about to explain, but Qing Zhouxue nodded. She could only cast a sidelong glance at her disciple.

Li Chaoyin seemed to ponder. "...So that's possible. Yes. I spent too little time with Guancang, and I truly couldn't spare the time. Perhaps this is a good way to raise a child."

"..."

*

After bidding farewell to Pavilion Master Li, Yun Shuchen led her disciple out of the Penglai Pavilion. Outside, the sky was already showing faint signs of dawn. A subtle glow of morning light outlined a line of pale white at the horizon.

"Master, why did you suddenly come all the way to the Eastern Sea?"

"I had some business with the Pavilion Master."

The sea before Penglai was wide and open, and a round red sun was peeking a small corner above the distant horizon. Yun Shuchen thought it a happy coincidence—she could take Qing Zhouxue to enjoy a sunrise over the sea.

Not far away, a layer of light spread through the clouds, illuminating the azure waves like countless golden dragons writhing within the ripples of the surf.

Suddenly the sky brightened, and from afar, the sea appeared a joyful, deep blue.

But Qing Zhouxue let out a sigh. "I don't know why, but though Pavilion Master Li is clearly a good person, when I see you sitting with her, I feel a strange discomfort in my heart."

Discomfort?

Hearing this, Yun Shuchen felt quite pleased instead. She hummed in acknowledgment and asked, feigning ignorance, "Tell me, what kind of discomfort is this?"

She teased her as they walked. Qing Zhouxue seemed to be searching for the right words, unconsciously walking ahead, until there was no more path—only the vast blue sea.

Yun Shuchen was in a good mood today. She casually snapped a withered branch, stuck it into the ground, and it quickly began to grow, eventually forming a wooden boat.

Qing Zhouxue watched, momentarily captivated, and her "discomfort" was quickly forgotten. She touched the wooden boat and found it seamless, floating steadily on the water—clearly better than the one she had ridden on the sand mountain back then.

Yun Shuchen lifted a corner of her robe and stepped on, swaying unsteadily. Qing Zhouxue watched with her heart in her throat, reaching out to steady her, fearing that her master, who rarely moved about, would lose her balance and tumble into the sea.

But Yun Shuchen steadied herself and successfully placed her other foot on the boat. She sat down with a gentle curve of her brows, then said to Qing Zhouxue, "Come."

Qing Zhouxue boarded the wooden boat and sat across from her, still wondering what her master intended. Yun Shuchen explained through action—she cast a spell to stir the waves beneath them and pushed toward the shore, and the two set off on the light boat.

"I've grown tired of flying through the sky every day. Let's try this," Yun Shuchen said, squinting at the sea surface, lost in thought.

Qing Zhouxue asked in confusion, "Doesn't Master need to rush back to the Lingxu Sect?"

"No matter," Yun Shuchen said, taking out the dark iron token and handing it to Qing Zhouxue. "If anything comes up there, Yue Changge will contact us, and Xuanchengzi will also send word."

"Besides, this is also heading northward."

Yun Shuchen controlled the water with great ease, guiding the currents beneath the boat and pushing it forward at a rapid pace, leaving a spray of white foam behind.

Before long, Qing Zhouxue's brows and eyes were dotted with water droplets. Through the misty spray, she gripped the edges of the boat, feeling as if she might be flung off at any moment.

But Yun Shuchen seemed to find it quite amusing. The waves pushed the boat from side to side, occasionally spinning it around. Seeing a distant wave approaching, she did not retreat but surged forward—truly riding the wind and breaking the waves.

"Having fun?"

"This—mm!" Qing Zhouxue couldn't open her eyes. Before she finished her sentence, the small boat shot forward like an arrow.

Amid the splashing water, she heard Yun Shuchen's soft laughter—if anyone else witnessed this, they would never guess that beneath that elegant and gentle exterior lay a hint of youthful slyness.

The two sped along for who knows how long, until Yun Shuchen withdrew her spell, and the small boat drifted gently with the current.

Qing Zhouxue wiped the seawater from her lashes. She was soaked through, and when she looked down, she saw—for no apparent reason—an innocent sea fish flopping about in the boat.

The live fish was enveloped in a sphere of seawater by Yun Shuchen, who made it float lazily in the air. She glanced at Qing Zhouxue, twirled her finger, and suddenly sent the water sphere flying right toward her face.

The fish was about to smack her in the face—

Qing Zhouxue instinctively raised her hand to block. A puff of white mist passed by, and a smooth ball of ice landed on her knee.

Trapped inside was a fish with eyes wide open, clearly not dead yet.

Yun Shuchen was laughing at her, half-leaning against one side of the boat. Though she was slightly out of breath, her brows and eyes were light and cheerful. Her long hair was mostly wet, plastered to her arms, shimmering in the sunlight.

In such a state, she looked youthful and radiant, like an eighteen-year-old.

Yun Shuchen had always had a pale complexion, appearing somewhat fragile, as if she might ascend with the wind at any moment. Now, after a bit of exertion, a faint rosy hue showed through.

Her master's constitution was weak. Though still not strong, she was much better than before.

Seeing her like this, Qing Zhouxue felt relieved from the bottom of her heart. She looked her master up and down, thinking she could still be a bit plump, and began pondering how to get her to eat a little more.

Yun Shuchen didn't know her disciple harbored such maternal thoughts. She only noticed that Qing Zhouxue was staring at her almost unblinkingly.

At that moment, both were drenched, and under the sunlight, their clothes were nearly transparent.

Yun Shuchen was silent for a moment, her cheeks growing ever more flushed. She raised her wrist and, little by little, separated the water from their clothes, sending it back into the sea.

She was about to speak to break the stillness when, far away on the sea, a ethereal but high-pitched song rose—

The sound came and went, as if it had hooks to draw out a person's very soul. It tugged at a piece of flesh in the heart, numbing and seductive, slowly pulling it outward.

It was like an ancient demon god humming softly, ethereal and enchanting.

But it hurt the ears.

The sound entered the body through the ears, making the internal organs tremble within, as if they would shatter at any moment. Her dantian also began to feel unusual, and the spiritual energy throughout her body started to churn abnormally.

Qing Zhouxue frowned, enduring the discomfort, and looked toward a cluster of reefs in the distance—there, several silvery-white fishtails leapt from the sea surface, but their forms were blurred, resembling human silhouettes, with long, seaweed-like hair behind them.

Yun Shuchen withdrew her gaze and said lazily, "Bad luck—we've run into mermaids."