Chapter 1528: Karmic Ties of Old 

Chapter 1528: Karmic Ties of Old 

"That place..." True Person Rong's expression shifted slightly. "Fāngcùn Mountain?"

Bai Qingcheng nodded.

True Person Rong frowned. "At a time like this, what business do you have at Fāngcùn Mountain?"

Bai Qingcheng's expression was somewhat somber. She sighed. "From Fāngcùn Mountain... someone sent me word earlier, saying that Sister Qing... she's afraid..."

Bai Qingcheng's expression shifted, and she couldn't bring herself to continue.

When True Person Rong heard Bai Qingcheng mention "Sister Qing," her expression also turned grave.

Bai Qingcheng sighed. "Back then, when I was cultivating in Kun Province, I became acquainted with Sister Qing. Our temperaments were the most compatible. After we grew up, we went our separate ways, but we never ceased our correspondence..."

"She inherited the Dao Lineage of Fāngcùn Mountain, cultivating the Heterodox Path Divine Art. Her talent was exceptional... but things of that nature have always been the most dangerous."

"Back then, I warned her, one who often walks by the river will eventually wet their shoes. Don't delve too deep, and don't get entangled in those great karmic events..."

Bai Qingcheng gritted her teeth, with the look of one frustrated at a child who won't listen. "But that stubborn girl, her heart was too straightforward. When danger came, she'd throw herself at it like a moth to a flame."

"About ten-odd years ago, she sent word to me, saying she was going to face a great tribulation, and the road ahead was uncertain. The Ancestor had even passed down the Three Pure Bells to her for protection..."

True Person Rong's expression changed slightly. "...What great tribulation?"

Bai Qingcheng shook her head. "I asked her, but she couldn't speak of it. She said the cause and effect could not be divulged, if certain great and terrifying existences learned of it, all her efforts would be in vain. She only told me, her elder sister, before she left, because she was afraid..."

Afraid that if something went wrong, they would be separated by life and death, never to see each other again...

Bai Qingcheng pressed her lips tightly together, her heart aching.

True Person Rong said, "And then?"

Bai Qingcheng shook her head. "I don't know. I only managed to glean information from Fāngcùn Mountain, that Sister Qingyin and her group of Heterodox Path masters had, in the unseen, quelled the great calamity of the evil tide. But each of them had suffered severe injuries, and some had even fallen unconscious, their karma worsening..."

"Since then, I've had no news of Sister Qing at all."

"Until recently, when someone suddenly sent me word, saying..."

Bai Qingcheng suppressed the unease in her heart, her gaze turning cold. "...Saying that Sister Qingyin had suffered Karmic Corruption, and her life hung by a thread..."

Upon hearing this, True Person Rong's gaze grew heavy, and her expression became increasingly solemn.

Karmic Corruption, life hanging by a thread.

These simple seven characters... the danger they contained might be far more than just 'death.'

Bai Qingcheng said, "I truly couldn't set my mind at ease. Thinking of our past bond, I couldn't eat or sleep. And just then, I happened to hear Zixi's idle chatter, saying..."

Saying that Zixi was keeping a wild man...

Bai Qingcheng sighed inwardly. "...So I thought I'd come and take a look as well..."

True Person Rong frowned. "But... with the rules of Fāngcùn Mountain, you won't be able to get in."

Bai Qingcheng also sighed, deeply worried. "That's exactly the problem. Secluded sects have their own ancestral rules—outsiders cannot enter."

"And I can't very well just smash down their mountain gate..."

True Person Rong was taken aback, then thought of this Great-Aunt of the Bai Clan's past "accomplishments," and her brow twitched. She said:

"Don't go causing trouble. This is Kun Province, not Qian Province. And Fāngcùn Mountain is not like other places..."

Bai Qingcheng sighed. "I know..."

True Person Rong was still uneasy. She asked, "Then what do you plan to do?"

Bai Qingcheng shook her head. "This matter... it's difficult. I can only think of ways—find some eminent figures in Kun Province to pass messages in, and see if Fāngcùn Mountain might make an exception..."

"I can't just ignore Sister Qing's matter. After all, what if..."

Bai Qingcheng fell silent.

True Person Rong looked at Bai Qingcheng, and for a moment, felt a shared sorrow.

When one cultivates to their age, many former sectmates and fellow cultivators... have already passed away one by one.

Some were stuck at bottlenecks, their lifespans exhausted, dying in depression.

Some had offended powerful enemies, dying in sieges or assassinations.

Others encountered unexpected karma and died suddenly...

Those old friends and fellow cultivators who were still alive, still able to speak with—were growing fewer and fewer...

In the end, cultivation often leaves one utterly alone, fighting against the long loneliness and solitude, with no one to confide in one's bitterness and sorrow.

It was precisely for this reason that having a sister of compatible temperament, bound by sworn sisterhood, was all the more precious.

True Person Rong sighed.

Bai Qingcheng was silent for a moment as well.

After a while, True Person Rong suddenly thought of something and said, "Mo Hua... he also wants to go to Fāngcùn Mountain..."

"Mo Hua?" Bai Qingcheng was slightly startled. "What is he going to Fāngcùn Mountain for?"

True Person Rong shook her head. "Not clear. He must have heard some news about Fāngcùn Mountain from somewhere—like a cat that's caught the scent of fish. I imagine he's curious and wants to go take a look."

Bai Qingcheng sighed, thinking to herself that this Martial Nephew of hers was curious about everything.

Curiosity kills the cat.

Bai Qingcheng's mind stirred: She should get Mo Hua to settle down sooner, establish a career and a family, and live a good life. That would be the proper path...

...

In the days that followed, Bai Qingcheng did not remain at the minor blessed land of Little Luan Mountain. No one knew what she was doing.

Because of Bai Qingcheng's arrival, Mo Hua and Bai Zixi, as senior and junior fellow disciples, seemed to have developed a kind of "barrier" between them and rarely met.

Those old days when the two of them would sit together, chatting and studying formations, seemed gone forever.

Until one day, while Mo Hua was drawing a Formation in his room, he suddenly heard a voice transmission at his ear, saying:

"Mo Hua, come here."

Mo Hua could tell that this was the voice of Martial Aunt Bai.

It was a Divine-Sense Thought transmission at the level of a Feather Ascension True Person.

Mo Hua walked out of his room and arrived at the small courtyard, where the first person he saw was Little Senior Sister.

Though only a few days had passed, it felt as if an eternity had gone by. When their eyes met, both harbored unspeakably complex emotions, and then each averted their gaze, their attitudes noticeably more distant.

Bai Qingcheng watched the two of them like this and felt somewhat relieved, but for some reason, a faint ache stirred within her as well.

The taste of loving without being loved in return was extremely bitter.

How could she not know this?

It was just that, in this world, no one—most of the time—could do exactly as they pleased.

Those with low cultivation had their own helplessness.

Those with high cultivation had their own frustrations.

Even Bai Qingcheng, as a Feather Ascension True Person, was no exception.

Throughout the entire small courtyard, the happiest one was none other than Xiao Ju.

She was still young and did not understand the sorrows of the human world. In other words, she was a bit carefree and simple-minded.

With her mouth stuffed full of the tangerines Bai Qingcheng had fed her, she looked up at the beautiful True Person Bai and called out affectionately, "Aunt Bai."

Bai Qingcheng treated outsiders with a cold expression and an aloof attitude, holding herself high above others.

But toward those she was familiar with, she was actually quite kind.

She was also very good to Xiao Ju. Though her expression remained faint, her gaze toward Xiao Ju was gentle.

Yet within that gentle gaze was hidden a trace of pity that ordinary people would not notice.

Mo Hua keenly sensed this subtle anomaly and found it somewhat strange.

Just then, Bai Qingcheng turned to look at Mo Hua and said, "Come with me on a trip. I need to go see some people."

"See some people?" Mo Hua's gaze flickered with slight surprise.

"Yes," Bai Qingcheng said. "Some elders, so to speak."

Mo Hua nodded lightly.

"Let's go," Bai Qingcheng said. As she finished speaking, her figure drifted, her feet barely touching the ground, as she made her way out of the minor blessed land.

Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zixi.

The two looked at each other in silence.

After a moment of quiet, Mo Hua turned around and followed Bai Qingcheng away.

...

Bai Qingcheng led Mo Hua aboard a luxurious carriage and went directly to the Lu Clan.

Mo Hua was somewhat taken aback. He had guessed that Martial Aunt Bai would take him visiting, but he had not expected that the visit would be to the Lu Clan.

Thus, when he stepped down from the carriage, a faint look of surprise appeared on Mo Hua's face.

Bai Qingcheng looked at Mo Hua and asked, "Have you been to the Lu Clan before?"

Mo Hua nodded. "The head of the Lu Clan invited me to a meal."

Bai Qingcheng was also somewhat surprised, then nodded. "That works out well."

Afterward, Bai Qingcheng led Mo Hua directly into the inner courtyard of the Lu Clan.

Last time Mo Hua had come, he had been to the outer courtyard—the place where the Lu Clan received guests, held banquets, and conducted business.

It was also where the vast majority of Lu Clan disciples cultivated and resided.

The inner courtyard was entirely different.

The inner courtyard of a great clan was somewhat similar to the "inner sect" of a sect.

Those who resided in the inner courtyard were all true direct-line descendants of the clan, and some of the direct-line female members also lived deep within the inner courtyard.

Generally, outsiders—even those of noble status—would not easily be permitted to enter the Lu Clan's inner courtyard.

But Bai Qingcheng was clearly no ordinary person.

In the Lu Clan's system of evaluation, Mo Hua had originally been merely 'ordinary,' but now, following Bai Qingcheng, he was clearly no longer ordinary either.

After entering the inner courtyard, everything was resplendent and magnificent, white jade steps, ornate towers with golden eaves.

Mo Hua did not look too closely. He knew with his eyes closed that everywhere he looked, there was 'money.'

Everything luxurious and extravagant in this world was, without exception, built with money.

And the Lu Clan, evidently, had never been short of money.

Mo Hua was very short of money right now, so he was instinctively sensitive to such things.

After entering the inner courtyard, he had not walked more than a few steps when suddenly a fragrant scent assailed his nose, the rustle of silk garments sounded, interspersed with the tinkling of jade ornaments.

Mo Hua looked up and saw a group of noble ladies, each with faces as radiant as the bright moon, elegant and dignified, hurrying over to greet his Martial Aunt Bai.

When they reached them, the noble ladies all bent their knees in salute and said respectfully:

"We welcome True Person Bai."

Bai Qingcheng gave a slight nod and said softly, "No need for such formality."

Only then did these elegant noble ladies breathe a sigh of relief, and smiles appeared on their previously tense faces.

"True Person Bai's gracious presence truly brings honor to our Lu Clan..."

"Sister Bai's bearing as a True Person is indeed ethereal and transcendent, with unparalleled grace, we sisters admire you so..."

"Sister Bai..."

These noble ladies were sincere in their praise, their flattery flowing endlessly.

After a while, the topic turned to Mo Hua, and one lady exclaimed in admiration:

"Oh my, which family does this young master belong to? What a handsome lad..."

"This is... Golden Core? Reaching Golden Core at such a young age, boundless prospects..."

"Look at those eyes, bright and spirited. Those brows, like mountains in a painting. That countenance, fair as jade... Every feature, as if an immortal had painted them stroke by stroke with a brush. Truly striking..."

"Even if a celestial descended from the heavens, this is surely what they would look like..."

"Who's to say otherwise..."

...

Even Mo Hua, who had weathered storms and waves, found himself somewhat overwhelmed, soaking in these ladies' honeyed words.

His cheeks flushed from the praise, his whole body felt uncomfortable, as if ants were crawling over him.

Bai Qingcheng shot Mo Hua a glance, gave a slight shake of her head, and smiled lightly.

"Alright, enough idle chatter..."

Only then did the noble ladies stop, still savoring the moment.

Those words just now had indeed contained some flattery, but a portion of them were sincere.

They truly hadn't expected that the young nephew brought by True-Person Bai would possess such a breathtaking face.

Bai Qingcheng said, "Go gather in the garden first."

"Yes..."

The group of noble ladies bowed gracefully once more, then took their leave of Bai Qingcheng.

Only one woman remained, a palace-robed lady of exquisite beauty, her face round and fair as a full moon.

Bai Qingcheng introduced her to Mo Hua. "This is Madam Lu."

Mo Hua didn't know which Madam Lu this was, but he still bowed politely and said:

"Greetings, Madam Lu."

Madam Lu returned the bow, then looked Mo Hua up and down. The more she looked, the more striking she found him, and the more surprised she became. "So you're that Mo Hua?"

Mo Hua was taken aback. "Madam Lu knows of me as well?"

Madam Lu smiled. "Zhenlong often mentions you to me..."

"Zhenlong?" Mo Hua paused. "You are..."

Madam Lu nodded with a smile. "I am Zhenlong's mother."

Mo Hua suddenly understood.

No wonder... He had felt a certain familiarity with this woman before him, an indescribable sense of recognition woven into the threads of cause and effect.

So she was Lu Zhenlong's mother.

But...

Mo Hua didn't quite understand and asked, "Lu Zhenlong... what did she say about me?"

She says that in the Sword Debate Grand Tournament, you hit her in the face with a Fireball Technique, and she wishes she could tie you up in ropes, chop you into pieces, and roast you over a stove...

Madam Lu thought silently to herself.

Of course, such words could not be spoken in front of True-Person Bai.

So Madam Lu smiled and said, "Zhenlong says that in the Sword Debate Grand Tournament, you were mighty and awe-inspiring, cutting down foes on all sides. She was deeply impressed."

Mo Hua frowned.

Could those words really come out of Lu Zhenlong's mouth?

Bai Qingcheng also glanced at Mo Hua with some surprise, thinking that the rumors must be true, Mo Hua truly had shone brilliantly at the Qianxue Sword Debate Grand Tournament.

It was just... how had an ordinary cultivator with an Intermediate-Lower Grade Spiritual Root managed to shine at the Qianxue Grand Tournament, where prodigies gathered like clouds? It was genuinely puzzling.

Bai Qingcheng shook her head and said to Madam Lu, "Let the younger ones go play on their own."

Madam Lu's gaze was somewhat complicated, but she could only nod and say, "Young Master Mo, please follow me."

Mo Hua's expression was strange as he followed Madam Lu deeper into the inner courtyard.

They had barely taken a few steps when a young master came walking toward them from the opposite direction. He wore a luxurious robe of gold and jade, and his features were handsome and refined.

When Mo Hua saw this young master, his pupils contracted slightly.

The gold-robed young master, upon suddenly seeing Mo Hua, was likewise startled at first, then his expression shifted drastically, his gaze turning venomous with killing intent.

But that killing intent was interrupted by Madam Lu.

Madam Lu scolded, "Zhenming! Do not be rude!"

Her voice was gentle yet carried a mother's authority.

The gold-robed young master dared not defy her, but resentment rose in his heart. He frowned and said, "Mother, why did you bring this person into our home..."

"What do you mean 'this person'..." Madam Lu said with displeasure. "This is Young Master Mo, the nephew of True-Person Bai. Mind your manners..."

With that, Madam Lu gestured to the gold-robed young master and said to Mo Hua with an apologetic tone:

"Young Master Mo, this is my third son, Lu Zhenming. He's used to being spoiled and willful. Please don't take offense..."

Lu Zhenming...

Mo Hua's gaze sharpened slightly.

This gold-robed young master named "Lu Zhenming" was none other than one of the Four Great Direct Heirs of Kun Province, the one who, at the Flower Queen's Banquet that day, had presented an Ice-Jade Cicada-Silk Robe to court the favor of the Flower Queen, Yu Nujiao.

Rumor had it that his cultivation talent was exceptional, and he was also the strongest contender for the next head of the Lu Clan...

Mo Hua hadn't expected the two of them to meet in such a setting.

And Lu Zhenming, for his part, was staring at Mo Hua with an equally cold gaze.

Clearly, he still harbored a deep grudge against Mo Hua.

(End of Chapter)