500: Chapter 500 Saying One Thing and Meaning Another

Meeting Hall.

Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui paused for a moment, then bowed slightly:

"Since that is the case, I will not disturb the Saintess's cultivation."

The frosty white sunlight outside the hall fell upon the bluestone steps. Junior Sister Tang Yuanxiang was waiting with her hands at her sides under the veranda. Seeing Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui emerge, she glanced quietly at her Revered Master's expression.

It was as cold as an icicle; nothing could be discerned. She opened her mouth, then wisely closed it, not daring to ask.

Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui walked to her side, her pace unceasing, only saying two words faintly:

"Let us go."

Junior Sister Tang Yuanxiang hurriedly followed, obediently falling half a step behind.

Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui pondered as she walked.

News had just arrived from the Fusang Land in Tanggu Kingdom; the Golden Crow Holy Son needed strength to search for the remnants of the Linglong Blessed Land.

There were also disturbances in the Chihuazhu Rift, and all parties were re-evaluating the defensive strength of the Fusang Land.

Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui immediately had a new idea.

It did not matter if there was no Saintess to witness it; the things that needed to be done must still be done!

After returning to the Immortal Cave, Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui stood still before the stone platform, her back to Junior Sister Tang Yuanxiang.

"Go contact the Grand Elder. In the name of Qingmu Cliff, issue invitations to all Sects under our jurisdiction ranked four and above—say that because of the disturbances in the Chihuazhu Rift, Qingmu Cliff needs to select elite Cultivators to reinforce the Fusang Land defensive line, and request all parties to gather at Qingmu Cliff in one month to discuss defense matters."

Junior Sister Tang Yuanxiang hesitated for a moment,

"Revered Master... matters regarding the reception of these Sects are usually handled by the Sect Master. Should we not let—"

Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui turned her head, her light gray eyes sweeping over her faintly.

That glance was not heavy, but it made Junior Sister Tang Yuanxiang's back turn cold, and she immediately changed her words:

"Yes, this disciple will go handle it according to Revered Master's instructions."

...

Inside the guest room in the back courtyard of Yingxian Peak.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan sat back down before her vanity mirror, facing the bronze mirror to remove the red gold hairpins from her hair. She did not turn back, her voice faint:

"Are you satisfied?"

Ling Hao leaned against the window frame, arms crossed: "It's alright. But you refused her mainly because of me, right?"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan's movements in removing the hairpin paused for a moment, then continued:

"Don't flatter yourself. I simply couldn't be bothered to deal with their messy affairs."

Ling Hao let out a laugh, walked behind her, and looked at her face in the bronze mirror. The mirror reflected her long dress, a blend of fiery red and snow white, her dark hair slightly messy, a few strands hanging by her ears, making her look much softer than her usual cold and arrogant posture.

"I am going to the Fire Turtle Kingdom next. The East Sea Chamber of Commerce is holding an auction there, and the Kan Tripod should be there. Do you want to go together?"

Before Saintess Yan Xueyuan could speak, Gan Yiyi on the side quietly chimed in:

"This servant will listen to the Revered Master..."

Saintess Yan Xueyuan glared at her through the mirror. Gan Yiyi immediately shrank her neck, but the corners of her mouth curled up quietly.

After spending these few days together, her fear of Ling Hao had turned into liking, liking him immensely.

A Mahayana Stage powerhouse was always so gentle to a Nascent Soul weakling like her, making her feel sublimated every time.

She was even a bit bolder now. Of course, she was also very clear about her own positioning: she was there to say the words that her Revered Master wanted to say but wouldn't.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan looked at herself in the mirror again, remaining silent for a moment.

She raised her hand to pull out that red gold hairpin completely, tossed it into the vanity box, making a crisp ding sound, and said coldly:

"You already have those two by your side, what do you need us for?"

Those two naturally referred to Yue Xinlan and Yu Lingshuang.

"They are them, and you are you."

Saintess Yan Xueyuan hummed lightly, stood up, her fiery red skirt sweeping across the edge of the vanity:

"I still want to go to more places to play. This place, Qingmu Cliff, is incredibly boring. I plan to head west next; I heard there is a sea of peach blossoms there, and they are in bloom this season. I have no time to accompany you to find whatever tripod."

Gan Yiyi was stunned for a moment. Her Revered Master had clearly been saying yesterday that she didn't know where to go next...

Ling Hao did not speak. He watched Saintess Yan Xueyuan's back, hearing the subtext in her words.

She said she wanted to "go to more places to play" and go to the "peach blossom sea"—these places were not in the direction of the Fire Turtle Kingdom.

She said she had "no time"—but she had clearly said that she was escaping to stall for time, and had no destination to begin with.

What she really meant was that she was the Golden Crow Saintess, and her target was too large. The Golden Crow Holy Son's people were watching her at all times. If she appeared in the Fire Turtle Kingdom with him, it would be equivalent to directly exposing his whereabouts and identity to the Golden Crow Holy Land. If he still didn't want to attract attention or expose his identity, he shouldn't bring her along.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan walked to the window, her back to Ling Hao, and said as if casually:

"You are going to the Fusang Land in the end, right? The Tanggu Kingdom Fusang Land, the Golden Crow Holy Son wants to hold the Dingding Ceremony there, so he will go there sooner or later. I will go there too once I've had enough fun. We can meet there then."

Ling Hao looked at her back. The fiery red and snow-white dress was exceptionally bright in the window light. Her posture was straight, as if she were talking about an insignificant trifle. But her fingers were unconsciously gripping the edge of the window frame, her knuckles slightly pale.

After not hearing Ling Hao's reply for a long time, Saintess Yan Xueyuan added another sentence, her tone somewhat impatient:

"What are you looking at? Are you going to the Fire Turtle Kingdom or not? If you are leaving, go quickly; don't delay my sightseeing."

Ling Hao walked behind her and reached out to press gently on the fingers she was gripping the window frame with. Her hands were very cold; her fingertips trembled when touched, but she did not pull away.

"Alright," he said, "We will meet at the Fusang Land then."

The Golden Crow Holy Son would only make a move against her when they were at the Fusang Land; before that, the Golden Crow Holy Son still had to protect her well.

Ling Hao took three Talismans from his sleeve and handed them to Saintess Yan Xueyuan:

"These are Moonshadow Sect teleportation Talismans. You have been authenticated by the chaos yin-yang mirror, so you can use them."

Saintess Yan Xueyuan pulled her fingers back from his hand and took the three Talismans.

She looked down at them and hummed in a low voice: "Consider it you having a conscience. Hurry up and go, don't be an eyesore."

Gan Yiyi watched quietly from the side. She had served Saintess Yan Xueyuan for so many years and had never seen her Revered Master speak to anyone in this tone.

It was clearly chasing someone away, yet her voice was soft, the ending note slightly raised, like a bowstring that had been pulled taut and then released.

Before Ling Hao turned to leave, he nodded at Gan Yiyi. Gan Yiyi hurriedly bowed and said in a low voice:

"Revered Master, rest assured, this servant will take good care of the Mistress."

Ling Hao's figure disappeared outside the door.

The guest room quieted down. The sunlight outside the window spread diagonally across the floor, stretching Saintess Yan Xueyuan's figure long and thin.

She stood by the window, gazing in the direction he had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.

Gan Yiyi carefully approached:

"Mistress... is the peach blossom sea really in the west? This servant remembers it seems to be in the northeast direction—"

"Shut up. I think your skin is itching."

"This servant is indeed itching, and aren't you, Mistress? If this servant were to say, you should be bold and tell the Revered Master, you could even do it before leaving..."

"This servant was wrong!"

Seeing Saintess Yan Xueyuan's expression growing increasingly gloomy, Gan Yiyi immediately shut her mouth sensibly.

If she continued, her Revered Master might really take action.

She really couldn't understand her Revered Master; she clearly wanted to, so why not say it clearly!