Zanxing

Chapter 30 - Flowers in the Mirror, Moon in the Water (2)

The woman stood on the dueling platform, her disheveled appearance revealed as the glowing light faded away. Her gray robe was covered in blood from the lash marks, and her hair was a mess. She looked more battered than the person who had actually lost the duel.

Yet her gaze was calm, unwavering.

Duang Xiangrao, who had been knocked off the platform by Yanxing's blow, lay on the ground for a moment, unable to get up. After a while, some fellow disciples helped her to her feet. She looked at Yanxing with disbelief, "How is this possible?"

How could she, with her late Foundation Establishment cultivation, be defeated by Yanxing?

"The match is over," Yanxing said as she looked at her. "I am the inner disciple."

The competition had been unfair from the start, and the system wasn't all that reasonable. The draw was based purely on luck. Normally, someone of Duang Xiangrao's level would have easily made it into the top thirty, but she happened to be matched against Yanxing. When two strong opponents are paired together, only one can emerge victorious, leaving the other with nothing but regret.

But in the path of cultivation, it's not just about training the heart and mind—fate also plays a role. Sometimes, just a slight difference in timing can lead to a missed opportunity.

Despite Duang Xiangrao's reluctance, the assessment was over.

The list of thirty inner disciples was announced. Tian Fangfang came to support Yanxing as she walked down from the platform. Once off the stage, Yanxing realized her back was soaked with blood.

Zi Luo gave instructions for what was to happen next, including the redistribution of lodging. Of the 120 new disciples, only 30 became inner disciples. The remaining 90 had to vacate their previous accommodations.

When Yanxing returned, Duang Xiangrao had already packed up her belongings and was preparing to leave. Seeing Yanxing limping in, she said nothing, only casting a venomous, resentful glance before walking past her without a word.

Duang Xiangrao had tried everything to enter the Taiyan Sect, all for the sake of advancing her cultivation. To be stopped here was naturally hard to accept. But there was nothing Yanxing could do.

Tian Fangfang helped Yanxing prepare hot water in the room. Yanxing undressed and immersed herself completely in the bath.

The mountain spring water, infused with spiritual energy, wasn't quite a medicinal bath but still had healing properties for her injured body. It was the first time in her life Yanxing had ever been beaten, and only now did she feel the full extent of the pain from the lashes on her back. The sharp sting made her gasp.

The room felt emptier with one less person. Yanxing rested her arms on the edge of the wooden tub, leaning against it with a heavy sigh.

She had now become a deviation in the plot of Beyond the Nine Heavens. The original story would do everything it could to eliminate her. Yet, as she touched the spot over her heart, she knew that the male protagonist's golden finger, the Xiao Yuan Pearl, would instinctively protect her.

That's how she had been able to break through consecutively under its protection, how it had guided her to the Qing'e Nianhua Staff, and how she had so quickly comprehended Mirage of the Moon and Flowers. It was all thanks to the Xiao Yuan Pearl.

The pearl instinctively protects its master, whether that's Mu Chengxiao or Yang Yanxing. But because the original story resented this protection, it would try even harder to erase her.

It was an unsolvable paradox.

Suddenly, Yanxing recalled something and glanced at her palm. During lunch earlier that day, a red mark had appeared on her palm. Looking at it again now, it seemed even deeper.

What was this?

She rubbed at it forcefully, but it wouldn't come off. There was something about the mark that made her uneasy.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Yanxing got up, wrapped herself in a robe, and went to open it. Outside stood Zi Luo, holding a stack of clothing.

"Sister Yanxing," Zi Luo said as she placed the clothes on the table, smiling, "now that you're an inner disciple, you no longer need to wear the gray outer disciple robes. These are for you. If you don't like them, you can buy something else in Pingyang Town below the mountain using spirit stones. There are also new class schedules for inner disciples, which you can look at if you have time."

Yanxing thanked Zi Luo and then asked, "Sister Zi Luo, about the scars on my face..."

"I asked the master about that. The demonic energy from the beast 'Yu' is particularly strong and different from other monsters. Ordinary high-grade spiritual medicine may not be able to heal it." Seeing Yanxing's surprise, Zi Luo added, "Don't worry. I came here today to tell you about this. Change into your new clothes, and I'll take you to see someone."

"Alright," Yanxing replied.

The inner disciple robes were indeed different. The gray outer disciple robes had already been soft, but these new ones were almost weightless. The fabric was even finer, in a delicate light green with a hint of gray, giving it a dreamy, ethereal feel.

In short, it had a very minimalist style.

The embroidery on the robes still featured phoenix birds, and the matching hairband had a few more delicate pearls attached, making it look even more refined.

Once Yanxing was dressed, she left with Zi Luo.

The autumn night was cool, and the mountain of Gu Feng was shrouded in mist. The fragrance of osmanthus trees filled the air, making the evening stroll a pleasant one, even without the need for meditation.

As they walked, Zi Luo explained to Yanxing, "Our Taiyan Sect has seven disciples under the sect master, who we refer to as our uncles. The one you saw earlier, Master Yueguang, is one of them. You'll meet the others during your lessons. Right now, we're going to see the fourth uncle."

After passing through the outer courtyard, they arrived at a small hall.

The hall wasn't very large, and a plaque above the entrance bore the single character "Dan" (Pill) in bright red. Two small furnaces stood at the entrance, with flames dancing beneath them. As soon as they entered the courtyard, it felt noticeably warmer.

A young boy wearing a hat saw Zi Luo and quickly shouted, "Master! Sister Zi Luo is here!"

"Come in—" a hoarse voice called from inside.

Yanxing and Zi Luo entered the hall. It was sparsely furnished, with not even a table or chair, looking rather pitifully bare. In the center of the hall stood a giant pill furnace as tall as a person, billowing smoke, with a lively fire burning beneath it.

Sitting cross-legged in front of the furnace was a man in a yellow robe, wearing a black silk hat with a round Taiji symbol embroidered in the center. His face was blotched with black and purple, as if scorched by fire. He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, his white hair tied in a small braid behind him, and he was chewing on a piece of grass while casually tossing spiritual fruits into the furnace.

As he refined his pills, he hummed a song, swaying so energetically that Yanxing worried he might fall into the fire.

"Sister Yanxing, this is our fourth uncle," Zi Luo said.

This was Li Danshu, the fourth disciple of Master Shaoyang, known for his skill in alchemy.