"This doesn't make any sense. We should be nearing the gates of Chrysanthemum City, but instead, we've landed in a place oddly close to the Nameless Sword Mountain. I don't understand, how did we get here?" Staring at the shadow of the tall mountain rising in the distance, Dong Ling's eyes blinked in disbelief.
One second, the girls were striding towards Chrysanthemum City's gates, the next, the scenery changed, bringing them all the way to Nameless Sword Mountain's vicinity. Truth be told, Nameless Sword Mountain was within a walking distance of Chrysanthemum city. Still, that wasn't their destination.
The snakegirl glanced left and right, seeking the source of this change. Her sisters also looked confused. The Zhi-Zhu twins, Yan Le, the Li initiates, and even Chun Xu, couldn't make sense of this geographic change.
"Two possibilities: First, we've been tricked. Someone altered our perceptions to lead us to this place. Second, unbeknown to us, we suffered a spell in Nameless City, got disoriented, and landed here by mistake. The spell dispelled now, enabling us to realize that we've drifted off orbit." Chun Xu analyzed the situation—wondering if the Daji, Xiao Hu and Zhiji Jing trio, was not to blame for this.
This wasn't a random place. A notorious forest stretched nearby, with a brume that became legendary for all the experts that vanished trying to get to the other side of it. The luckiest managed to return to the forest's entrance, and never again dared to set foot inside.
The girls stood dangerously close to that forest, and having barely escaped the jaws of death on Nameless City, Chun Xu didn't have the heart to endanger them again.
"What's the point of saying that now? Regardless, we have to try and leave this pla—" Dong Ling had barely started her confrontational response that, a pair of pedestrians walked by, chitchatting without a care in the world.
"Hey, have you heard? The White Immortal Sect has been destroyed."
"How can I have not heard? It's the only thing people are talking about nowadays."
"Hehehe, those White Immortal Sect disciples have always been arrogant, acting as if all across Dongli belonged to them."
"Well, that is not fair. Only the disciples of the Shui, Rong and other local noble clans behaved that way. The Dong and Zi typically didn't bother anyone. How often did the White Immortal Sect exterminate evils for the common people? The eldest disciple, Zi Zuixian alone, slaughtered many heretical clans and sects."
"Bah, that was all before he turned to wine. In recent years, the White Immortal Sect has gotten complacent and no longer cares to enforce justice on behalf of heaven. The Sword Fairy aside, who among the junior generation has done anything for us? Yet they take our tributes, take our taxes, and still dare to look down on us?! Serves them right!"
"What about the Sword Freak of Jiangbei?"
"..."
"Anyway, word is that Elder Xinzi and Zi Zuixian weren't there. The survivors can rally around those two and rebuild the sect."
"Humph! The youngest elder and eldest disciple? They better crawl into the ground and hide for a lifetime! Otherwise, the Shui royal clan, Albizia Court, Nameless Sword Mountain, and even experts of the Dark Moon Cult, will hunt them down to the end of the world!"
The milder of the two pedestrians was about to form a rebuttal when a mesmerizing kick flew by his face, stomping his pal's face.
"Aaaaaargh!" The poor commoner flew back, but the footprint had barely formed on his face that a pair of vicious hands grabbed his neck, hoisting up in the air.
"Shut up, who gave you the right to scream? How dare you slander my sect and curse us with destruction? See how this young lady smacks those junk words out of your filthy mouth!" Dong Ling lost her composure, her eyes turned red, and she raised her hand, eager to smack the teeth out of the foul-mouthed commoner.
At that time, his friend chimed in.
"Huh...young lady, your lavender and purple eyes remind of the...illustrious Zi clan, so I assume you belong to the White Immortal Sect.
Fortunately for you, you must have been away on some sect mission and missed the tragedy but...my friend isn't making anything up. By now, everyone across the seven states of Yanzhou knows...that the White Immortal Sect is gone." The mild commoner carefully weighed his words, and seeing Dong Ling's trembling hands halt in the air, he fell to his knees, kowtowing for mercy.
"According to the rumors, they offended a patriarch of the demonic path, who singlehandedly put them to death. You can check your headquarters—only ruins remain. Please forgive my friend for his foul mouth, ever since the drugs Paradise and Ignition have flooded Xihai, we commoners have been facing harsh times, leading to many of us venting our frustration on the fallen White Immortal Sect. My apologies...for offending you!" Following the mild commoner's apology, a dreary silence settled on the scene. A'Zhi and A'Zhu stepped forward, stroking Dong Ling's shoulders.
"No...it is I who is sorry." Biting her lips to restrain her tears, Dong Ling lowered the foul-mouthed commoners and tossed two regenerative pills onto the ground. Though not a treasure to cultivators, these pills could cure all mortal ailments, and extend their lives by a decade.
Taking it as their cue to get lost, the pair grabbed the pills and bolted into the distance. But interestingly, the farther they went, the faster they became. Before long, they were out of the girls' reach. Here they paused to glance at one another, and their forms shifted, revealing Xinzi and the Armored Lion King.
"Boss, you are so evil, why did you make me play the ruffian role? You knew I was going to get kicked!"
"Shut up, this is all so you can accumulate merit! How else can you reach the quota for your next Diabolic Shard? Your boss was doing this for your own good!"
"Oh boss, I'm so sorry! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to get kicked! In the future, I will never hesitate to receive beatings for you!"
"Good Lion King. Boss is counting on you!" Boss and goon hugged here, enjoying brotherly warmth.
...
Meanwhile, Dong Ling and Chun Xu stared absentmindedly at the sky, too dazed and confused to react to the news they'd just heard. Unlike the Zhi-Zhu twins and Yan Le, both possessed a strong sense of belonging to the White Immortal Sect. Chun Xu had been raised there and Dong Ling was born there.
All their memories and relatives were tied to that place, how could the news not strike them hard. Dong Ling, especially, didn't know how to react. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and the image of her father appeared in the sky—staring down at her.
"Actually, this doesn't mean that the sect masters are dead. With their cultivation and methods, I'm sure that they found a way to escape." Yan Le, who understood the pain of losing her loved one at nine, set aside her grudge and comforted Dong Ling. Here, Chun Xu silenced the pain, putting up a front of composure.
"We can't go to Chrysanthemum City anymore."
"Why?" Following a moment of silence, Dong Ling asked.
"Xinzi's legal ownership of the Dark Chamber of Commerce and your father's influence were the only reasons why it was a safe place. Now that the White Immortal Sect has fallen, who can guarantee that we're not heading straight into an ambush?"
"Then where do we go?
The Albizia Court? No, because Zi Huamei, that slut of an aunt, would never let go of the opportunity to torture us to death.
The royal palace in the capital? No, because without the White Immortal Sect, the Shui royal clan will be the first to make a power move and try to establish a centralized government to position themselves as the true rulers of Dongli.
The Clear Heart Monastery? No, because as much as he dotes on Xinzi, Abbot Qingxin wants nothing to do with the struggles of the cultivation world. We are not Xinzi. Who is to say that, even after reaching the capital, he won't just turn us away?" Dong Ling's train of thought wasn't incorrect. However, she underestimated Abbot Qingxin's love for his disciple. For Xinzi's sake, Qingxin wouldn't hesitate to give the girls refuge. But neither Dong Ling nor Chun Xu could bet on uncertainty, so Qingxin wasn't an option.
"Let's hide in the forest. We camp as close to the brume as possible without ever setting foot inside. That place is a Forbidden Land, no one dares to get close to it, making it the safest place for us right now. Once settled, we can start making plans, and consider countermeasures," Chun Xu said, and without delay, the girls followed her lead, heading as close to the brume as they could afford to. Little did they know that a surprise awaited there.
