531: Chapter 531 The Split of Qingmu Cliff

In the east of Fusang Main City, a secluded little courtyard was separated from the bustling street by only a single wall.

Inside the courtyard, two figures sat facing each other with a stone table in between.

Sect Master An Suxin wore a deep cyan dress with wide sleeves, her dark hair held up by a celadon jade hairpin, her gaze peaceful.

The figure sitting opposite her, though significantly taller than her, was still a head shorter than the average member of the Giant Clan. Sitting there, she did not force Sect Master An Suxin to strain her neck to look up, allowing them to meet each other's gaze at eye level.

The person opposite her had a gentle and delicate face, with a softness in her brows and eyes. Her light amber-gold pupils shimmered with fine luster under the light, and the corners of her lips were naturally slightly upturned.

Her long hair was braided into a thick plait that hung over her shoulder, with a silver bell tied at the end. She wore a moon-white cross-collared robe covered by a light cyan gauze shirt, and a waist ornament made of East Sea pearls hung at her waist. The luster of the pearls was gentle and warm, complementing her light amber-gold pupils.

Primarily, her physique was slender and supple, a rare lightness among the Giant Clan. Among ordinary people, she would be considered slightly superior, but among her own kin, she appeared petite—perhaps a "loli" within the Giant Clan?

"So that's how it was?" Ju Yunluo set down her teacup, her face full of sympathy. "Sect Master An Suxin, you have really suffered."

Sect Master An Suxin picked up her teacup and took a sip. There was not much formality between the two.

They had forged a friendship back when they fought side by side against the True Demon Army on the Tanggu Kingdom plains. At that time, Ju Yunluo was not yet an Elder, and Sect Master An Suxin was not yet a Sect Master. Both sides had saved each other's lives on the battlefield, and this bond was far thicker than ordinary interactions between Sects.

Just now, Sect Master An Suxin had briefly recounted the events surrounding her departure from Qingmu Cliff.

Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui had originally planned to announce the removal of her position as Sect Master in front of the Golden Crow Saintess, but since Saintess Yan Xueyuan refused to witness it, she had to execute it within the Sect instead.

On the very day Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui gathered the entire Sect to take action, Sect Master An Suxin publicly took out the two Mahayana sword Talismans gifted by Ling Hao and activated one of them.

The Sword Intent soared into the sky, slicing off half the peak of Qingmu Cliff's main summit, shocking the entire Sect.

Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui was forced to stop, not daring to force a confrontation.

Sect Master An Suxin set down her teacup and sighed. "Even so, Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui refused to let it go. She said that since I 'colluded with outside aid and split the Sect,' I was no longer fit to remain at Qingmu Cliff. She gave me two choices—either cripple my own cultivation and remain within the Sect's territory as a Mortal, or leave with those who are willing to follow me."

Ju Yunluo nodded. "Obviously, you chose the latter."

Sect Master An Suxin nodded slightly. Some Elders and Disciples of the Sect Master faction left with her, while many others chose to stay, and some left Qingmu Cliff entirely.

From then on, Qingmu Cliff was officially split. Her lineage had been expelled from the Sect, but Supreme Elder Jin Qiushui's side did not consider this a split, but merely "purging the poisonous blood."

"However," Ju Yunluo picked up the teapot to refill Sect Master An Suxin's cup, "you are still quite lucky."

Sect Master An Suxin looked at her and did not deny it. "Yes, quite lucky."

She knew very well that if it weren't for her daughter bringing him back and exchanging the zhen cauldron for the sword Talismans, she would have had absolutely no room for a comeback when faced with the reality of herself and her daughter being crippled.

Those two sword Talismans were her only trump card and the entire basis for her still being able to sit here and drink tea safely today.

Ju Yunluo set down the teapot and asked curiously, "How do you have two Mahayana sword Talismans in your possession? How did you get them?"

"They were just gifted by a kind-hearted Senior who happened to be passing by."

"Who is so generous as to give them away so casually?"

Sect Master An Suxin was silent for a moment, then picked up her teacup to cover half her face, not answering.

Seeing this, Ju Yunluo knew she had asked too much.

She smiled. "Apologies, I asked too much. You should stay here for now; the nearby small courtyards are all available. This is property of my Giant Clan, and very few outsiders come here."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and gestured toward the end of the alley. "This whole area is."

Sect Master An Suxin frowned. "Wouldn't that be too much of an intrusion?"

Ju Yunluo shook her head. "It's empty anyway. Being able to befriend a Cultivator who is about to become a Tribulation Transcendence Heavenly Venerable is worth it."

She spoke casually, but hidden in her heart was another thought.

That mysterious Cultivator who gave Sect Master An Suxin the two Mahayana sword Talismans—to be able to casually produce Talismans of such power, their Realm must be at least the Mahayana Stage, and their attainments in the Dao of Talismans must be quite high. There are almost no Cultivators in Fusang Province who meet these conditions.

Sect Master An Suxin has nowhere else to go; since she came to Tanggu Kingdom, she must be looking for him, right? That is to say, that mysterious Mahayana Supreme might just be near Fusang Main City.

If she could make contact with that mysterious Mahayana Supreme through Sect Master An Suxin...

In the current war between Fusang Province and the True Demon Realm, the Mahayana Stage is the truly decisive power. This favor would certainly not be a loss, no matter how one calculates it.

Ju Yunluo stood up and patted Sect Master An Suxin's shoulder. "Also, if my Giant Clan faces trouble on the Tanggu Kingdom plains, it would be good if you could lend a hand."

Sect Master An Suxin looked up at her and nodded solemnly. "Definitely."

Ju Yunluo lowered her hand, as if remembering something else, and gestured with her chin toward the isolated courtyard in the deepest part of the alley. "Right, don't go to the largest courtyard on the far east side. That was arranged by the Clan Chief for an honored guest, though it's not certain if that honored guest will come."

Sect Master An Suxin glanced in the direction she pointed. "An honored guest?"

"Yes, an honored guest, though I don't know who it is either. But judging by the Clan Chief's tone, they should be very important."

...

The sun was at its zenith, by the water pavilion deep in the peach forest.

Yue Xinlan sat on a bamboo chair under the corridor, her layered dark brown dress spread over her knees, and her silver ornaments shimmered with fine light in the midday sun.

Yu Zhaohua sat not far away, her long silver-white hair hanging to her waist, her ice-blue eyes gazing at the water in the distance, her snow-white, cloud-patterned wide-sleeved robe gently fluttering in the breeze.

The two sat quietly like this, neither speaking.

Yu Zhaohua was naturally cold and reticent, while Yue Xinlan held herself with poise and was unwilling to speak first.

In the water pavilion, there was only the sound of the wind, the occasional peach blossom petal falling onto the water, and the faint chirping of birds in the distance.

When Ling Hao walked over from the other end of the corridor, he saw Yue Xinlan first.

Today, she was not wearing that intricate crescent moon silver crown; the bluebird-holding-a-pearl hair accessory was pinned askew in her dark hair.

This hair accessory was exactly what Ling Hao had won at the auction and gifted to her. At this moment, it was pinned quietly in her hair, unexpectedly suiting her porcelain doll-like face.

Ling Hao smiled at her. Yue Xinlan met his gaze, only gave a light hmph, and turned her face away.

Ling Hao felt a bit strange. Last night, he had deliberately set up a sound-insulation Formation inside the pavilion, so no sound should have traveled far. Logically, it shouldn't have disturbed her.

Yet, looking at her appearance, it was clear she seemed to be holding back some anger.

In fact, Yue Xinlan had lain on the bed for a long time last night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She pricked up her ears to listen for a while, but it was quiet—there was no sound at all.

She had wanted to hear some movement, but ended up hearing nothing—then she suddenly realized, was she wanting to hear the sounds of their affairs?

When did she pick up such a habit?

This discovery left her stunned for a long while, then, as if scalded, she pulled the quilt over her head, wrapped herself into a ball, and glared at the ceiling in shame and annoyance for a long time.

What bothered her even more was another matter.

Waking up this morning, she discovered that her Reincarnation body seemed to have experienced its first tide.

That warm, unfamiliar feeling left her dazed for a long time, and a complicated, indescribable emotion welled up in her heart.

Ling Hao shook his head, too lazy to bother with Yue Xinlan. With the time spent pondering her thoughts, it would be better to...

He turned his head and met the gaze of the other figure by the water pavilion.