309: Chapter 89 Li Qiushui

Outside Lingjiu Palace, in a hidden corner.

Li Qiu Shui was a bit stunned when she heard the Old Woman of Tian Shan's reply.

What was going on?

Tong Piaoyun knew she had arrived, yet instead of hiding, she responded to her telepathic message with a challenge.

Had she miscalculated the date?

Suspicious, Li Qiu Shui quickly recalculated twice and found she was correct. Today was the day the Old Woman of Tian Shan began reverting to childhood to re-Cultivate her power, a process lasting ninety days.

For every day she Cultivated afterward, she would recover one year of Internal Skill, growing stronger until she returned to her Peak.

In other words, today was the time the Old Woman of Tian Shan was weakest, having lost all her power, and was even weaker than an ordinary person due to her small body.

Li Qiu Shui had specifically timed her arrival for this day.

Originally, she thought the Old Woman of Tian Shan would definitely find a place to hide and try to endure this period of weakness.

She had already prepared for a search and a game of cat and mouse.

But now, not only had the Old Woman of Tian Shan not hidden, but she even dared to respond to her provocation.

This abnormal behavior made Li Qiu Shui suspect a trick.

Could it be that Tong Piaoyun had found a way to resolve it and had not entered the period of weakness?

As soon as this suspicion arose, Li Qiu Shui dismissed it.

Because she remembered that Carefree Child had personally said that the flaw caused to the Old Woman of Tian Shan by The Supreme Skill of the Eight Desolations and Six Combinations could only be remedied when the Cultivation Technique first reached Major Achievement, and there was only this one chance.

Besides that, there was no other way.

This was the conclusion Carefree Child reached after extensive research; even if the Old Woman of Tian Shan was incredibly powerful, she could not overturn it.

Had she found an ally?

The second possibility popped up, but Li Qiu Shui quickly ruled it out.

She understood the Old Woman of Tian Shan very well; her nature was arrogant and perverse, and very few people could enter her sight or befriend her.

Most importantly, after Li Qiu Shui became the Imperial Concubine of Western Xia, she indirectly controlled the Yipin Hall and had knowledge of all the Martial Arts masters in the Martial Forest, believing few could match her.

Then it could only be an empty stratagem of feigning composure!

Thinking of this possibility, Li Qiu Shui felt greatly relieved, secretly sneered, and activated her Lightness Skill, flying toward the main hall where the Old Woman of Tian Shan was located.

Meanwhile, inside the main hall of Lingjiu Palace.

After responding to Li Qiu Shui, the Old Woman of Tian Shan sat calmly in her seat awaiting Li Qiu Shui's arrival.

Wang Yu Yan, hidden behind the wall, felt greatly confused.

"Husband, who was Granny just talking to?" she whispered to Meng Li.

Just as Meng Li was about to answer, Wu Ya Zi spoke first: "Your maternal grandmother, Li Qiu Shui."

Then, he further explained: "She has arrived. Just now, she used the 'Sound Transmission Soul Searching Great Technique' to send a message to Senior Sister.

The Sound Transmission Soul Searching Great Technique is a unique secret art of the Xiaoyao Sect. It can transmit sound over long distances into secrets, and only those possessing the True Qi of Xiaoyao Sect Internal Skill can hear it."

"You and your husband do not Cultivate Xiaoyao Sect Internal Skill, so you cannot hear it."

Meng Li wanted to say that he had switched to Cultivating Carefree Wandering Wind and could hear it, but after thinking about it, he decided not to mention it.

Afterward, Wu Ya Zi added: "The Sound Transmission Soul Searching Great Technique can not only be used for sound transmission but also to confirm the location through the recipient's response."

"When Cultivated to a profound level, it can also interfere with and bewitch a person's mind."

Wang Yu Yan finally understood.

Li Qingluo beside her felt she had gained knowledge, but then became somewhat nervous because Li Qiu Shui had arrived.

Li Qiu Shui was wearing a silk robe of black base with white patterns and a metal coronet on her head, her hair falling loosely.

Her pair of Phoenix Eyes had upturned outer corners, giving her an aura that blended seductiveness and charm with sharp authority.

Her face looked at most in her early thirties, completely unlike someone who was already a grandmother.

Wang Yu Yan and Li Qingluo were greatly astonished upon seeing her.

They knew that reaching a high level in Martial Arts could delay aging, but given the appearance of the Old Woman of Tian Shan and Wu Ya Zi, their expectations weren't high.

Seeing Li Qiu Shui now, the two realized they were wrong.

Judging by Li Qiu Shui's condition, this wasn't merely delaying aging; it was eternal youth!

For a moment, the two felt their motivation to Cultivate increase tremendously.

If for no other reason, it was to emulate their mother/maternal grandmother, remaining young even at eighty or ninety.

Meng Li's attention, however, was focused on Li Qiu Shui's attire.

He noticed that Li Qiu Shui's dress was very similar to the uniforms of the Lingjiu Palace members.

This was likely not Li Qiu Shui intentionally imitating them, but rather being imitated.

In other words, the Old Woman of Tian Shan had deliberately made her subordinates' uniforms match Li Qiu Shui's style.

This way, when she commanded and scolded them, it was equivalent to commanding and scolding Li Qiu Shui, her romantic rival and enemy, in a sense.

Meng Li mentally gave this a nine out of ten, because it was a complete reversal.

At this moment, Li Qiu Shui spoke.

She looked at the Old Woman of Tian Shan and smiled sweetly: "I was wondering how Senior Sister had the confidence to let me see you; turns out you found an ally."

After speaking, Li Qiu Shui looked toward the location where Li Qingluo was: "Since Your Excellency is willing to be Senior Sister's helper, why not show yourself?"

Li Qingluo's expression stiffened.

Wu Ya Zi sighed softly and walked out.

Li Qingluo bit her lip and quickly followed.

Then came Meng Li and Wang Yu Yan.

After the few of them appeared, Li Qiu Shui froze on the spot, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Senior Brother?!"

"Little Sister?"

In an instant, she stared at Wang Yu Yan and denied it: "No, my Little Sister has been gone for a long time. You absolutely cannot be her. Who are you?"

Wang Yu Yan replied: "Maternal Grandmother, my surname is Wang, and my name is Wang Yu Yan."

Maternal Grandmother?

Hearing Wang Yu Yan's address for her, Li Qiu Shui was completely bewildered.

Immediately afterward, Wang Yu Yan pointed at Li Qingluo and said to Li Qiu Shui: "This is my mother, Li Qingluo. Maternal Grandmother, don't you recognize her?"

"A'Luo?" Li Qiu Shui murmured softly, looking at Li Qingluo, and the image of a young girl surfaced in her mind.

The image of the latter was somewhat blurry, and quite different from the former, but she could vaguely match them.

Li Qingluo heard Li Qiu Shui call her by her childhood name, bit her red lip, and shyly called out: "Mother."

When Li Qiu Shui abandoned her, she was still young.

Afterward, the two never met again, so naturally, there was no affection between them to this day.

Moreover, Li Qiu Shui looked about the same age as Li Qingluo, or even slightly younger.

Under these circumstances, it was truly difficult for Li Qingluo to openly call the other 'Mother' with ease.

Li Qiu Shui had never paid much attention to Li Qingluo to begin with, and seeing this, she didn't mind, instead asking: "Why are you all here?"

"Naturally, I called them here," the Old Woman of Tian Shan immediately interjected, then smiled sweetly: "Junior Sister, isn't this grand gift I'm giving you a big surprise?"

Li Qiu Shui frowned: "A grand gift for me? Does that mean you plan to concede, Senior Sister?"

The Old Woman of Tian Shan scoffed: "Concede what? I've already won; you're the one who lost. Don't believe me? Ask Junior Brother who he prefers between the two of us."

Li Qiu Shui opened her mouth but dared not ask, even slightly afraid to look at Wu Ya Zi.

Li Qiu Shui loved Wu Ya Zi; she loved him deeply.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have harmed the Old Woman of Tian Shan against the bond of fellow disciples for his sake, nor would she have married him and borne him a daughter.

But precisely because she loved him so deeply, she could not tolerate Wu Ya Zi suddenly transferring his affections to a jade statue after marrying her and having a daughter, ceasing to love the living her.

Even though that jade statue looked like her.

What's more, Wu Ya Zi was hopelessly infatuated with the jade statue.

Li Qiu Shui reached her limit; eventually, love turned to hate.

To anger Wu Ya Zi and to prove she was superior to that jade statue, she behaved wildly and did many absurd things.

She hoped this behavior would attract Wu Ya Zi and make him realize his error, redirecting the affection he had transferred to the jade statue back to her.

But Wu Ya Zi did not.

Li Qiu Shui had to escalate her actions.

When she finally managed to provoke Wu Ya Zi through Ding Chunqiu, the situation was already beyond saving.

Driven by the resentment born from extreme love and the fear of being unable to reverse things, Li Qiu Shui and Ding Chunqiu pushed Wu Ya Zi off the cliff.

When she did this, her heart was filled with resentment and fear. Afterward, at first, she only felt a great weight lifted from her heart, immensely satisfying.

But later on, she felt remorse, regret, and guilt, becoming uneasy day and night.

To alleviate these emotions, Li Qiu Shui left Langhuan Blessed Land, where she lived in seclusion with Wu Ya Zi, and moved to Suzhou with Ding Chunqiu and Li Qingluo.

However, this could not bring her complete peace of mind.

Because both Ding Chunqiu and Li Qingluo had connections to Wu Ya Zi, seeing them would involuntarily remind her of pushing Wu Ya Zi off the cliff, leaving her uneasy.

Therefore, she soon grew tired of Ding Chunqiu and Li Qingluo.

To escape further, she resolutely abandoned the two and ran off alone to a place where no one knew her to start anew.

By chance, Li Qiu Shui arrived in Western Xia and, relying on her beauty and seductive skills, became the favorite concubine of the Western Xia Emperor at the time, enjoying immense favor and wealth.

Who knew the good times wouldn't last long? Not long after, the Old Woman of Tian Shan came to Western Xia, found her, and ruined her appearance.

Thus, she began fighting with the Old Woman of Tian Shan again, becoming entangled in the obsession over who Wu Ya Zi loved more.

Originally, Li Qiu Shui would not have fought over this.

Wu Ya Zi had married her and had a daughter with her; how could he not love her and instead love the Old Woman of Tian Shan?

But Wu Ya Zi's later infatuation with the jade statue made her waver, causing her to begin doubting Wu Ya Zi's feelings for her.

Yet, she dared not ask Wu Ya Zi directly.

In the end, she could only fight with the Old Woman of Tian Shan, just as in the days when the outcome was undecided, while also seeking revenge for the disfigurement.

However, Li Qiu Shui never expected to see Wu Ya Zi in Lingjiu Palace.

Regarding Wu Ya Zi, she currently felt a complex mix of love, grievance, hatred, and fear, making her momentarily unsure how to face him.

This was why she had just skipped over him and turned the topic to Wang Yu Yan, who also surprised her.

Unexpectedly, the Old Woman of Tian Shan dragged the conversation back to him.

Now, even if Li Qiu Shui wanted to evade it, it was hard to do so.

But then, another thought occurred to her: "Are you really my Senior Brother Wu Ya Zi?"