Zanxing

Chapter 49 - Meng Ying (1)

A disciple below the stage was already shouting, "Sister Meng Ying, look here! Look here!"

The girl in white turned her head, revealing her face.

Immediately, the new disciples who had never seen such beauty before were all stunned.

Yanxing also couldn't help but silently admire, "So beautiful!"

Unlike Liu Yunxin's delicate and gentle beauty, Meng Ying's beauty, just like the novel described, was a kind of beauty that could only be admired from afar and not approached. A red dot of cinnabar graced her forehead, similar to the woman standing beside her, but without the rigid and stern aura. Meng Ying had a face as flawless as jade, with ethereal grace, standing there like a divine maiden from the heavens. One could hardly find the right words to describe her.

But she wasn't just beautiful; around her waist hung a black long sword, which broke the ethereal aura slightly but added a cold, lethal elegance to her beauty.

Yanxing thought to herself, This must be Meng Ying.

In the original story, Meng Ying was the prized daughter of the Taiyan Sect, groomed as the future leader. But when the male lead Mu Chengxiao shone brilliantly during the sect's trials, he caught the attention of various elders, and even the sect master praised him. Meng Ying initially looked down on him, thinking he had merely been lucky. Later, when they ventured into a secret realm together, and Mu Chengxiao saved her life, her impression of him began to change. As Mu Chengxiao continued to shine in confrontations with rival sects, her disdain slowly turned into admiration, and eventually, she joined his harem.

Compared to the other wives, Meng Ying's romance with Mu Chengxiao was one of the more complete and well-rounded storylines. Even so, Yanxing found it quite unpleasant. Seeing how beautiful Meng Ying was in real life only made it more lamentable — a divine maiden like her, reduced to only one-eighth of a romance, it was truly infuriating!

By her calculations, it wouldn't be long before Meng Ying started to notice Mu Chengxiao. During the upcoming inner sect trials, Mu Chengxiao would once again shine, captivating everyone's attention and that would mark the beginning of Meng Ying's "melting the ice" journey with him.

However, Yanxing glanced at the red marks in her palm and pondered. The storyline was already veering off course. This time, would Mu Chengxiao still make such an impact during the inner sect trials?

"Yanxing, Junior Sister!" A loud voice interrupted her thoughts as Tian Fangfang cheerfully draped his arm over her shoulders. "So this is where you've been... Wow! Who is that fairy-like sister? Amazing!"

Yanxing's shoulder ached from his slap. She removed his arm and looked up, only to meet Meng Ying's gaze.

It might have been her imagination, but Yanxing felt that Meng Ying's look carried a hint of scrutiny. However, Meng Ying quickly averted her gaze and said something to the older woman beside her before the two of them walked away together.

All the new disciples watched them leave, and Tian Fangfang turned to the nearby disciples, asking, "Hey, brothers, who were those two?"

"That was Elder Yueqin and her disciple, Sister Meng Ying," a young disciple replied, blushing, filled with admiration. "Sister Meng Ying must be a fairy! Not even celestial beings are as beautiful as her. Did you see that? I think she looked at me just now..."

"Nonsense! She was looking at me!"

"Look at you? She was glaring at you!"

Yanxing: "..."

She said nothing, but something about Meng Ying's last look unsettled her.

...

Meanwhile, Meng Ying walked alongside Yueqin toward the Frost Moon Hall.

The girl in white spoke softly, "Master, just now, I saw Yang Yanxing."

Yueqin paused and asked, "You mean the disciple who found the Qing'e Nianhua Staff?"

Meng Ying nodded and looked into the distance, her voice ethereal, "After all these years, I've been to the martial arts library many times, but I've never found that staff technique."

"Yingying," Yueqin stopped and looked at her, disapprovingly, "You practice swordsmanship. Even if you found the Qing'e Nianhua Staff, it would not complement your training. You've already reached the Nascent Soul stage, so why remain fixated on this?"

Meng Ying was silent for a moment before she spoke slowly, "Master, the sect leader once told me that the future of the Taiyan Sect would be entrusted to me, and I must work hard."

In the cultivation world of Duzhou, it was widely rumored that Meng Ying would be the future leader of the Taiyan Sect, and this was true. She had been groomed as the successor since childhood.

"The sect leader also said that if Fairy Qinghua hadn't met her unfortunate fate, the position of sect leader would have belonged to her." Meng Ying lowered her gaze, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, her beauty breathtaking. "I think that only by finding the Qing'e Nianhua Staff and earning the recognition of Fairy Qinghua, will I be truly qualified to bear the responsibility of the Taiyan Sect."

"Now..." she sighed, "Fairy Qinghua has chosen Yang Yanxing. It seems that Yang Yanxing is the one who..."

"Impossible." Yueqin interrupted her sharply, then, realizing she had been too harsh, she softened her tone after a pause. "I've spoken to Xuan Lingzi and looked into Yang Yanxing. She may have had a fortuitous encounter, but she didn't start cultivating until she was seventeen. She's already wasted many years, and her recent performance in sect courses has been unremarkable. Fairy Qinghua may have her reasons for choosing her, but you must not doubt yourself because of this."

"Yingying," Yueqin looked at her, "Since the great war between the humans and demons, our Taiyan Sect has been severely weakened. We're no longer what we once were. The sects like Chihua Sect and Yinfeng Sect are eyeing us with hostility... and the sect leader's health is deteriorating... In the end, the future of Taiyan rests on you leading the disciples forward. Your breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage is a great achievement. Given time, you could surpass Fairy Qinghua."

She patted Meng Ying's shoulder. "I know you carry a heavy burden and often overthink things. As your master, I sometimes hope you grasp the gravity of your responsibilities and train hard. But at other times, I wish you could live with a little less pressure and enjoy life more."

Seeing the guilt in her master's eyes, Meng Ying felt ashamed and quickly said, "I will remember your words, Master. I won't belittle myself any longer. After the inner sect trials, I will accompany the junior brothers and sisters to the secret realm in Li'er Country. After the sword trials, I will devote myself to cultivation and strive to make another breakthrough soon."

Yueqin smiled and nodded, but as she looked at the girl in white before her, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of bitterness in her heart.

If the Taiyan Sect were not in its current state, with a disciple as talented as Meng Ying, the major sects would be fighting to recruit her. She would not have to endure this difficult situation.

It all came down to their sect's weakness. They were no longer the glorious sect they had once been.