Chapter 5: The Limitless Sword Sect

“Jianzun; Ah Yan thinks it’s delicious.”

Sui Ning smiled.

“Ahwooo.”

[Master, I want to eat.]

Xie Changshou looked helpless and gently rubbed Ah Yan’s small head.

He looked at Sui Ning and nodded slightly. “Thank you, Miss Ningning.”

“Jianzun, you’re too polite.”

Xie Changshou picked up the shiny, white, and soft pastry and put it in his mouth. The fluffy pastry melted in his mouth, releasing a burst of sweetness on his tongue.

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Dkl Ubydtgbsw yhskele bla tygl yv vbl cltkddkdt yde pswdele y ckv wdlypu: “Ykpp Lkdtdkdt’p nssjkdt kp hlau tsse.”

Gb Zyd kd bkp yaxp clnyxl ydmkswp, nsdpvydvzu cyajkdt yde pnayvnbkdt bkx okvb kvp pbyar nzyop.

Lkdtdkdt wdelapvsse yde rknjle wr y pxyzz rypvau, bydekdt kv vs Gb Zyd. “Mau vbkp, Gb Zyd.”

Gb Zyd vbswtbv vs kvplzq, “Mlynbyczl uswdtzkdt kdelle; pbl’p vbl sdl obs vyjlp nyal sq xl.”

Xie Changzhou’s cold gaze fell on Ningning. She was squatting in front of him, and he could see her long eyelashes and delicate, fair skin from his angle. Under the moonlight, she looked even more radiant and as white as jade.

He quickly averted his gaze, feeling his ears burning.

Xie Changzhou stood up and handed Ah Yan to Ningning, his tone gentle but distant. “It’s late, Miss Ningning, you should go back.”

Ningning had completed the task assigned by the system and had no intention of staying. She nodded in agreement.

“Okay, Jianzun, you should rest early too.”

“Okay.”

System: “Hey, can’t you stay a little longer?”

Ah Yan: “!”

It still hasn’t had enough of her pastries!

On the peak of Wenjian Peak, mist swirled around.

Sui Ning sat under a pear tree, diligently practicing her martial arts.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. Even before the person arrived at the door, a clear and bright voice rang out.

“Sui Ning, I’m here!”

Tang Tang was dressed in a blue disciple robe, her black hair tied into a ponytail and swinging behind her as she walked. Her facial features were stunning, and she wore a bright smile on her face.

She held a chicken in her hand, and Sui Ning could immediately tell her intention.

She had come to mooch off her food.

 Ah Yan’s round little eyes lit up: “Awooo-awooo-awoo!”

Sui Ning: “Well, if you’re here, you might as well come in.Why bring something?”

It would just mean that Sui Ning would have to cook for her.

Tang Tang smiled sheepishly and said, “Sui Ning, you don’t know how terrible the food is in the cafeteria. It’s not even one-tenth as good as yours.”

“I happened to go down the mountain with Senior Brother today and bought a chicken to bring to you.”

Sui Ning looked at her with amusement. “Are you sure it’s for me?”

Tang Tang said, “Then can I just have a chicken leg?”

Sui Ning rolled her eyes at her and took the chicken to prepare the ingredients.

Half an hour later, the two humans and one beast, who had finally managed to grill the meat, looked at the barbecue in front of them with satisfaction and anticipation.

Tang Tang rarely came to Wenjian Peak on a regular basis. Ever since her request to be accepted as a disciple was rejected, she didn’t want to see Xie Changzhou anymore. Since she learned that White Jade, the Sword Saint, had accepted a female disciple, she has felt uneasy. Who could possibly compare to her?

She couldn’t help but sneak into Wejian Peak while Xie Changzhou was away, and she felt disdainful when she saw Sui Ning. A golden-core cultivator was worthy of being a disciple of the Sword Saint?

But she didn’t expect Sui Ning to have such a unique side to her. Her grilled meat was just too delicious. Was this the reason why White Jade valued her?

Tang Tang, who is a foodie, accepted her defeat to Sui Ning with grace and didn’t seem to mind at all. The last time, White Jade didn’t punish her for sneaking into the Wenjian Peak to grill meat with Sui Ning, nor did he expressly forbid her from coming in.

Once bitten, twice shy, and when she heard the news that White Jade was leaving the sect today, she immediately followed her senior brother down the mountain and bought a chicken, then rushed to Wenjian Peak. Swords may not need to be practiced, but food cannot be neglected!

Food should not be wasted!

Tang Tang looked at Sui Ning with increasingly moving eyes. She had encountered some kind of genius.

Sui Ning turned her head and happened to see the green-eyed gaze from Tang Tang.

Sui Ning: “…”

The two of them ate the grilled meat, and Sui Ning occasionally picked some for Ah Yan.

Tang Tang suddenly spoke up, “By the way, Ningning, why didn’t you follow Jianzun when he went down the mountain?”

Sui Ning: “He went down the mountain?”

“Yeah, don’t you know?”

Sui Ning really didn’t know. She hadn’t seen Xie Changzhou for three days. Yesterday, she went to find him with some pastries, but he wasn’t in the courtyard. Sui Ning thought he was busy with something else.

She didn’t expect him to have gone down the mountain.

“Do you know why Jianzun went down the mountain?”

Tang Tang casually replied, “I’m not sure, but I heard he’s looking for some soul plate or something else. I vaguely heard it while passing by the inner hall. He’s looking for something.”

The system came back online at this point.

[The Soul Seal Plate is a divine artifact that can trace the rare and precious spirit herbs.]

Sui Ning was puzzled and asked in her mind, “What is Xie Changzhou looking for?”

The system replied, [I don’t know, but you can’t separate from him; you still have a mission. ]

Sui Ning confidently said, “I know, don’t worry, he will definitely bring me along.”

The system asked, [Why?]

Sui Ning shrugged and replied, “Xie Changzhou’s personality cannot tolerate any factors that harm the common people. He has been suspicious of me, but he can’t bring himself to kill me since I haven’t done anything wrong.He’s bringing me along for two reasons: to put his mind at ease and to test me.” Sui Ning took a bite of meat from her bowl and mumbled, “If I dare to have any sinister intentions, he will not hesitate to kill me. I can’t beat him, and he could easily kill me.”

The system commented, [Actually, you are quite smart sometimes.]

Sui Ning proudly said, “Good to know.”

Sui Ning’s guess was correct, and Xie Changzhou came to find her on the evening he returned. He changed into a simple white silk robe, which was plain in style but complemented his gentle and clear demeanor.

Unlike the lofty White Jade Sword Saint, he looked more like an ordinary young man from a prominent family.

Sui Ning poured a cup of tea for Xie Changzhou, while Ah Yan jumped into his lap.

“Jianzun, why did you arrive so late?” Sui Ning’s tone was filled with confusion, her expression suggesting that she had no idea about Xie Changzhou’s purpose for being there.

Xie Changzhou took a sip of tea and remained silent for a while before speaking: “Miss Ningning, I’m going to find some things. Would you like to come with me?”

Sui Ning was confused. “What are you looking for, Jianzun? Do you need me to do something?”

Xie Changzhou’s gentle voice echoed,”The Solidifying Spirit Grass, Phoenix Tail Flower, and Revival Branch.”

The system suddenly realized, [Ah, he’s looking for a cure for his cold poison.]

Seeing Sui Ning’s confusion, the system continued to explain to her.

[When Xie Changzhou was 100 years old and had achieved the divine stage, he was assassinated by his enemies and poisoned. The spirit grass, phoenix tail flower, and revival branch, made into medicine with the help of the circulating array, can cure him.]

“Why didn’t he go look for the medicine earlier?” Sui Ning asked.

Besides the revival branch, which grows on the top of Cangwu Mountain, the other two spirit herbs have not been seen for thousands of years. They may have already gone extinct. Besides, the circulating array is extremely dangerous. Even a small mistake could result in complete loss of power and, in serious cases, death.]

Sui Ning fell silent, suddenly thinking of something. She asked the system in her mind, “What about the original book? How did Xie Changshou’s poison get cured in the original book?”

The system replied, [Your time point in the book is earlier. Xie Changshou appears for the first time a hundred years later, and he is already healthy by then. Presumably, he had already been cured, but the book does not describe how, so I don’t know where to find the herbs.]

“So we have to find them ourselves?”

“Yes.”

While Sui Ning was deep in thought, Xie Changshou spoke again.

His face was gentle and calm as he whispered, “If Miss Sui Ning doesn’t want to go…”

“I don’t mind.” Sui Ning quickly interrupted him. “I’m just wondering—with so many people in the Limitless Sword Sect, why does Jianzun want to take me with him?”

She recalled the melodramas she had watched, trying to regulate her expression.

At this moment, she looked four parts puzzled, three parts touched, and three parts shy.

The system said, [Please begin your performance.]

Xie Changshou’s face was somewhat awkward. He avoided Sui Ning’s gaze, and his crow-like long eyelashes drooped, concealing the emotions in his eyes.

“Miss Ningning is so clever, I’m sure you already knew that I was poisoned,” he said in a confident tone, not looking at Sui Ning.

Ningning replied softly, “I knew when I saved Jianzun last time.”

Xie Changzhou smiled, his tone still gentle: “I was poisoned by my enemy’s cold poison when I achieved the divine realm. Every full moon, my spiritual energy would stagnate. I went to look for these three spirit herbs to cure the poison.”

“Miss Ningning, you are one of the few people who know about my poisoning.”

He looked at Sui Ning with a gentle expression.

“This journey is dangerous. If something happens to me, I will use my heart blood to form a congealing array and send Miss Ningning back. Please inform the Limitless Sword Sect as soon as possible about my demise, so they can prepare and cultivate the next Sword Saint.”

Sui Ning’s dark eyes stared closely at Xie Changzhou, her thoughts racing.

She knew that Xie Changzhou took her along as a reason to deal with her if she was found out to bring harm to common people, but these words were sincere. He had truly taken care of his own affairs.

Xie Changzhou stood up, his slender and tall figure standing in the courtyard. With a wave of his hand, a water screen appeared in front of them.

Sui Ning looked up, and her expression froze with horror and shock.

There were corpses scattered all over the ground, with severed limbs and emaciated wild dogs feasting on the dead bodies.

The scene shifted to a collapsed and burning house, where several cultivators were fiercely resisting the demons in front of them. Behind them were two old people who were supporting each other with a look of despair.

As Sui Ning watched scene after scene of human tragedies through the water curtain, the final image almost stopped her heart.

It was a child crying and pushing his already fallen mother while a demon wielding a large knife advanced towards him.

The scene abruptly ended as Sui Ning shouted out, “No!”

Xie Changzhou lowered his eyes, his gentle and compassionate gaze filled with reluctance, as he spoke with a low voice full of guilt.

“I cannot save him. This is just an image transmitted by the wandering butterfly. I cannot teleport thousands of miles.”

“In fact, he is not the only one I cannot save.”

Sui Ning was stunned, staring blankly at Xie Changzhou’s upright figure still standing in the courtyard.

“Jianzun…”

Xie Changzhou turned around, his gentle and compassionate gaze falling on the stunned face of Sui Ning. Their eyes met, and Sui Ning’s mind shook.

She heard Xie Changzhou’s clear and melodious voice, carrying his usual compassion.

“Miss Ningning, the demons are burning, killing, and plundering outside. Countless people are suffering. I must quickly become stronger in order to save more lives.”

Sui Ning looked at Xie Changzhou with a complex expression. After a long time, she finally spoke in a very soft voice, “Okay, I’m willing.”

The two looked at each other, neither speaking. Ah Yan also crouched silently at Xie Changzhou’s feet, and the surroundings were silent.

T/N: i wrongly translate the The Solidifying Spirit Grass and spirit grass only..my bad.. anyway fix that already.. so after this the spirit grass will be known as The Solidifying Spirit Grass.