Chapter 86 Pursue

Su Su knew they wouldn’t start fighting yet, so she started to help Yue Fuya treat his wounds.

Yue Fuya refused to allow Su Su to absorb the devilish Qi for him, so she didn’t force it. A faint green light emitted from her slender fingers, and she hovered over his wounds.

Cen Mixuan watched from the side, and didn’t make any noise to disturb or cause trouble for once.

With unwavering resilience, Yue Fuya pursed his lips, and didn’t make a single sound as she tended to his wounds. His immortal body was eroded by the devilish Qi, which attacked his meridians in waves, causing his face to turn pale.

Seeing this, Zang Hai couldn’t help but ask the person next to him, who was also “eroded by devilish Qi”, “Little Junior Brother, are you alright?”

Tantai Jin didn’t speak. He closed his eyes, and purple devilish Qi visibly flowed out from his body. Zang Hai breathed out a sigh of relief.

After Yue Fuya’s injury was improved, he sat up cross-legged to disperse the devilish Qi and lighten Su Su’s burden.

Although the Devilish Shower was overpowering, it wasn’t a big deal to get through. Four hours¹两个 (liǎng gè) – two; 时辰 (shíchen) – before the introduction of western chronology, one of the 12 two-hour periods of the day (each with the name of one of the 12 Earthly Branches (地支)); double-hour later, the sky became clear again, and everyone secretly sighed in relief.

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“Wwuy?”

“Fldksa Fkpvla, esd’v osaau, R’x qkdl.”

Tlyakdt bkp Kwdksa Jasvbla yzps yexkvvle vbyv Fw Fw oyp ralvvu, Hydt Tyk cltyd plnalvzu pnblxkdt²打小算盘 (eǎ mkǎspwàdrád) – zkv. vs nswdv sd y dyaaso ycynwp (keksx); yde ypjle Fw Fw, “R’x Hydt Tyk qasx Dkysuys Flnv, bso pbswze R yeealpp usw qlzzso kxxsavyzp?” Tl zssjle yxkyczl yde oyp yzoyup pxkzkdt, ps kv oyp byae vs ekpzkjl bkx.

Fw Fw yde vbl svblap lmnbydtle dyxlp okvb bkx.

Xdnl Fw Fw tyhl bla dyxl, Hydt Tyk kxxlekyvlzu elqzyvle. Fbl oyp ynvwyzzu Rxxsavyz Fldksa Cw Dwydgk’p ralnkswp eywtbvla. Tl zssjle yv bkp Kwdksa Jasvbla altalvqwzzu. Tl vbswtbv vbyv kv oyp sjyu qsa vbl svbla ekpnkrzlp sq Dkysuys Flnv vs cl yzsdl qsa vbl alpv sq vblka zkhlp, cwv rlsrzl okvb caktbv rasprlnvp³芝兰玉树 (gbīzáduùpbù) – zkv. sanbkep yde fyel vallp (keksx); qkt. y nbkze okvb przldeke qwvwal rasprlnvp, zkjl bkp Kwdksa Jasvbla, pbswze byhl y ryavdla. Tsolhla, vbl svbla rlapsd oyp vbl eywtbvla sq Tldtuydt Flnv’p Flnv Nlyela, yde oyp kdelle swv sq vblka zlytwl.

Mydvyk Kkd wdelapvsse obyv Hydt Tyk oyp vaukdt vs es yde tyhl bkx y zssj sq oyadkdt.

Hydt Tyk vswnble bkp dspl kd lxcyaayppxldv. Tl jdlo vbyv vbl plnalv alyzx oyp qwzz sq eydtlap, ps bl rwzzle Mydvyk Kkd shla yde cszezu ypjle vs vayhlz okvb Fw Fw yde vbl svblap.

“Kwdksa Fkpvla Nk, esd’v osaau, ol vbl Dkysuys Flnv osd’v pdyvnb vbl srrsavwdkvklp sq svblap. Mbl valypwalp usw qkde yal uswap, yde R, Hydt Tyk, okzz tkhl usw byzq sq vbl valypwalp R qkde.”

Xiaoyao Sect was declining. In Zang Hai’s opinion, there was strength in numbers⁴人多力量大 (rénduō lìliàng dà) – well-known phrase; The more people, the greater power. or Many hands make light work., so it was safer to travel in a group. Otherwise, if there was a wave of something even more powerful than the Devilish Shower, it would be very dangerous. It didn’t matter who they traveled with, so since they’d encountered the disciples of Hengyang Sect, it was accepted as fate.

Tantai Jin’s pupils slightly dilated, but he remained silent.

Su Su thought to herself, Fuya is injured right now, so instead of letting Tantai Jin harm us in the dark, it’s safer for Zang Hai to watch after him.

After thinking it over, she agreed to Zang Hai’s request.

Zang Hai called Tantai Jin, “Junior Brother, let’s go!”

Tantai Jin’s eyes swept over Su Su and Yue Fuya, then he followed Zang Hai. Cen Mixuan bit her lip and followed them too.

With Zang Hai in the group, it suddenly became lively. Cen Mixuan ignored Zang Hai, so he asked Su Su and Fuya, “I wonder what opportunities Junior Sister Li and Junior Brother Yue are looking for?” 

“Fuya’s spiritual sword is damaged, so we want to find materials that can be used to cast a sword. What about Senior Brother Zang Hai?” Su Su asked.

Zang Hai took a sip of wine from his gourd and said, “I’ll follow my fate, but I want to help Little Junior Brother to find a medicinal herb. Master said that Little Junior Brother’s heart meridian was injured, so it would be great if we can find immortal herbs to treat his injury.”

His heart meridian was injured? It must be the Soul Extinguishing Nails, right? Five hundred years have passed, so they must’ve already grown into Tantai Jin’s soul.

Su Su stared at the patterns on the hem of her skirt and didn’t look at Tantai Jin. She didn’t react as strongly as she had the first time she’d seen Tantai Jin at the banquet.

She knew Tantai Jin’s mind was like a demon’s, so she didn’t want him to know that she was Ye Xi Wu. So what if she was Ye Xi Wu? Ye Xi Wu had died five hundred years ago on the city tower, transforming into a handful of ordinary yellow sand.

That past wasn’t a fond memory for her.

Now, whether one lived or died depended entirely on their abilities.

Tantai Jin’s mood was calm, as if what Zang Hai said had nothing to do with him, and he didn’t look like he was in any pain.

They walked off and on, occasionally taking breaks.

Opportunities in the secret realm were inherently uncertain, so they weren’t persistent.

At night, as the moon was hanging in the sky, Su Su was sitting cross-legged to cultivate, but she sensed a gloomy gaze looking at her.

She didn’t need to look to know who it was. Tantai Jin was like a venomous snake lurking in the group, waiting for the chance to strike⁵伺机而动 (sìjī’érdòng) – an idiom; wait for the opportune moment to go into action. What was frightening was that none of them knew what he was plotting.

Under the moonlight,  a snow-white deer-like spirit beast ran out of the pear blossom forest, with fireflies fluttering around its antlers. The deer ran back into the forest, and Zang Hai exclaimed in surprise, “It’s a herb-seeking spirit beast, quickly follow it!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zang Hai went after it. Tantai Jin also didn’t hesitate as he leaped into the air and flew over. Encountering a herb-seeking spirit beast proved that there were immortal herbs nearby.

There was an immortal herb named “Fuxiang”, which could calm a soul and help stabilize a soul possessing a body.

The group followed the spirit beast as it ran out of the pear blossom forest, but saw a steep cliff ahead under the moon, embedded within endless darkness.

On the cliff, there was a bridge made of chains. The spirit beast ran to the bridge and its figure disappeared.

Burning with impatience⁶心急如焚 (xīnjí-rúfén) – an idiom; torn with anxiety, Zang Hai went to follow it by sword, but unexpectedly fell straight down the steep cliff. Yue Fuya had quick reflexes and quickly grabbed him.

As Zang Hai was pulled up, sweating profusely, he said with lingering fear, “You can’t travel by sword or use magic spells on this bridge.”

In other words, they could only walk over it.

However, whether to cross such a wobbly iron chain over a bottomless abyss, with no idea of the consequences of falling, was an extremely difficult decision to make. 

Before anyone else could speak, Tantai Jin already stepped out onto the chain bridge.

“Junior Brother!” Zang Hai shouted.

Tantai Jin looked ahead into the gloomy darkness. He heard Zang Hai’s voice, but didn’t turn back.

“Are you willing to risk your life just for some spiritual herbs!” Zang Hai muttered.

Su Su watched Tantai Jin’s back. Seems like Ye Bing Shang is truly precious in his heart. Once fearful of death and desperate to live, he’d now learned how to move forward without looking back⁷义无反顾 (yìwúfǎngù) – honor does not allow one to glance back (idiom); duty-bound not to turn back; no surrender; to pursue justice with no second thoughts for the sake of his beloved who’d faded away.

Tantai Jin’s figure grew further and further away until it disappeared.

“Senior Sister, wait for me here,” Yue Fuya said. He turned and stepped on the iron chain.

Zang Hai was despondent. Why are the youngsters these days so bold?

Cen Mixuan fearfully took a step back. This is too scary! I don’t want to go over!

Su Su was worried about Yue Fuya. After thinking it over for a while, she decided to go over and have a look. Zang Hai saw that everyone had left, leaving only him and Cen Mixuan to stare at each other without knowing what to do. He touched the back of his head and simply followed them with shaky legs⁸Full: 两股战战, 几欲先走 (liǎng gǔ zhànzhàn, jīyù xiānzǒu) – Gǔ means thigh, zhànzhàn means trembling, jīyù means almost/nearly going to, and zǒu means run. This is Classical Chinese writing from Lin Sihuan (林嗣环). The full meaning of this phrase is: both thighs trembling uncontrollably, and they wanted to flee almost immediately..

The four safely⁹有惊无险 (yǒujīng-wúxiǎn) – to be more scared than hurt (idiom); to get through a daunting experience without mishap made it to the opposite side.

Under the moon was a blue world with fireflies floating around, lighting the path underneath their feet.

Tantai Jin, who had come over first, had long since disappeared without a trace, along with the spirit beast.

All around their feet were only normal spiritual herbs that could be found outside the secret realm, so Su Su didn’t pick them.

After walking for a while, Su Su touched a barrier and walked in.

She passed through the barrier, but unexpectedly returned to the chain again. Under it was still an endless abyss, but there was no moonlight at all.

Thinking it was an illusion¹⁰something like a camouflage or cover up at first, Su Su tried to break it, but surprisingly it wasn’t, as her Heartless Dao techniques had no effect on the scene in front of her.  

She’d returned to the beginning of where she’d come from, and no one was nearby. There was no way back, and the way ahead was bleak.

Pitch-black, pitch-black world……

Instinctively, she quickly touched her left eye. Her immortal body’s eyes were clear and intact. No pain, no suffering, no longer any World Toppling Flower.

The past belonging to Ye Xi Wu had already been buried five hundred years ago.

Su Su looked down at the darkness beneath her feet and lowered her hand. Don’t be afraid…… don’t be afraid anymore, Li Su Su. You can’t always live in the past.

She took a breath and closed her eyes to calm down and concentrate with the help of her Heartless Dao. When she opened her eyes again, she finally saw the path ahead and hurriedly walked over the chain.

The chain seemed to have no end. Su Su walked for a long time. It was deadly silent around her and she couldn’t see anyone. Finally, there was a faint light ahead, and jade-textured steps appeared.

Su Su saw Yue Fuya and dead blue scorpions covering the ground in front of her.

They had been guarding an ice-blue immortal herb.

Yue Fuya saw her too. Their eyes met, and they immediately understood that the situation wasn’t right.

How can it be so quiet beside an immortal herb?

“Senior Sister, quickly leave!”

Su Su turned back, but countless vines suddenly emerged from the steep cliff. They were growing like crazy and rushed towards her and Yue Fuya, intending to drag them down the cliff.

Su Su activated her karmic fire to burn the vines, but they quickly regenerated. She finally realized that there must be something even more terrifying beneath the cliff, something strong enough to support the constant growth of the vines!

The vines waving frantically before her were even more frightening than a python, and Su Su inexplicably found this scene familiar——

Five hundred years ago, in that small town, when the peach tree demon got ahold of the World Toppling Flower, it’d also quickly grown like this, and its height had reached high into the sky.

Could there also be a broken or fallen divine artifact in the wall of this cliff now?

The two fought while they retreated.

Before them was the chain where spiritual power couldn’t be used, and behind them were the terrifying vines.

Su Su was about to walk up the chain when Yue Fuya let out a muffled grunt and was dragged straight down towards the steep cliff.

Su Su grabbed his hand.

“Senior Sister! Let go!” Yue Fuya hurriedly said.

Su Su saw several loops of golden silk threads binding his wrists. She jerked her head around, and sure enough, saw Tantai Jin who’d somehow appeared. He had already picked the immortal herb and was holding the silk threads, watching them. 

Patterns of lightning flickered on the golden threads, and the young man in black raised his narrow eyes. He stood where the vines were growing madly, allowing them to pierce his body, but the vines that touched his blood withered one by one. Even though both sides were suffering losses, he still chose to kill them like this, to snatch Su Su’s spiritual body.  

The vines were too strong, and Su Su kept falling down.

Covered in blood, Tantai Jin walked to the edge of the steep cliff. Realizing that Tantai Jin had other motives, Yue Fuya pursed his lips and said, “I beg you, don’t hurt her!”

Tantai Jin laughed and said, “How touching.”

From the bottom of the cliff, a bright blue light shone towards Su Su and Fuya. Fuya forcibly broke free from the golden threads, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t hesitate to block the blue light shining towards Su Su.

His vision went black and he fainted.

Gritting her teeth, Su Su threw Yue Fuya back on the cliff. From behind, the inescapable vines wrapped around her waist and dragged her down the steep cliff.

She climbed back up the vines, her fingers digging into the stone wall so hard that they bled.

Tantai Jin coldly watched her struggle. When the vines exhausted her spiritual power, he would disperse her three souls¹¹三魂 (sānhún) – three immortal souls in Daoism, representing spirit and intellect; Full: 三魂七魄 (sānhúnqīpò) – three immortal souls and seven mortal forms in Daoism, contrasting the spiritual and carnal side of man and snatch her spiritual body.

As Su Su’s blood dripped onto the stone wall, a creaking sound came from within, and a water-like silver mirror emerged from it and appeared below her.

Is the divine artifact in the cliff wall a fragment of the Past Mirror? Or the Future Mirror?

Su Su lowered her head, and the images in the mirror flashed by.

She saw her memories from five hundred years ago reflected inside. A young girl in a white fox fur coat, raising her head to look at the flying snow.

Back then, Chun Tao was still around, lamenting that the snow this winter in Xia Empire was too heavy. Chun Tao was smiling, and she was smiling too. From Ye Xi Wu’s memories, besides the fluttering snowflakes, there was also a thinly clad young man standing before a horse-drawn carriage. Su Su looked away, instead focusing her gaze on her own wrist in the reflection, and sure enough, she saw the glistening Curved Jade.

However, her younger self didn’t know the taste of sorrow. In the eyes of her mirror image self, everything was so beautiful.

And now, her old friend was gone, and she would never see Curved Jade again.

The grievances in her heart were dull and obscure. Su Su firmly tugged at the vines, and the rims of her eyes slightly red.

Meanwhile, Tantai Jin watched the mirror’s image from above and raised his eyes in disbelief.

H-how could she be her——

Suddenly, the frantic vines seemed to create an endless suction force, dragging the young girl down the steep cliff.

“No! You can’t!”

Tantai Jin had long forgotten about extracting her divine soul. He reached out, trying to grab her. At that moment, all his thoughts became muddled, Ye Xi Wu…… Li Su Su…..

He was covered in blood, like a ferocious Asura, chasing after the vines to reach her. Beneath him was icy-cold wind, and when the vines touched his blood, they fearfully retracted.

Su Su saw countless cold and eerie fingers reaching towards her from the bottom of the cliff, and even mouths filled with a fishy and nauseating odor.

She didn’t know what was at the bottom of the steep cliff but she couldn’t use any strength or immortal techniques. She could only watch as they touched her.

However, in the next moment, a figure suddenly hugged her and turned her around.

Icy-cold nails pierced Tantai Jin’s shoulder, while those filthy rancid mouths bit into his shoulder. He fell into a land full of thorns and white bones, but still tightly hugging the young girl in his arms.

Su Su’s spiritual power was exhausted, and she fainted completely.

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Edited by: Gaze