Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Is it too late to betray my master and join your sect now?

Sang Nian: “.”

Sang Nian: “Who’s going to die?”

Song Lanfeng: “You.”

Sang Nian: “What’s going to happen to me?”

Song Lanfeng: “You’re going to die.”

Sang Nian slowly typed out a question mark.

Song Lanfeng said: “Do you have a heart condition?”

Sang Nian nodded.

“That’s not a heart condition.” Song Lanfeng said softly, “It’s the Ephemeral Dream.”

Sang Nian was even more confused: “What’s the Ephemeral Dream?”

“A kind of Gu.” Song Lanfeng said, “When it attacks, it will cause one’s blood to freeze and their heart to ache like a thousand needles.”

“Those who are infected with the poisoned by the Gu are like mayflies, living and dying in a day, hence the name Ephemeral Dream.”

“But I’ve lived to be seventeen.” Sang Nian didn’t understand.

Song Lanfeng smiled faintly:

“I’m also wondering why you’ve been able to live this long.”

Sang Nian thought for a moment and said, “I’ve been taking medicine since I can remember, I’ve consumed countless rare herbs and treasures, maybe it’s related to that?”

Song Lanfeng tapped the armrest of the chair with his finger, and said warmly:

“Come here, I’ll check your pulse.”

Sang Nian stood there, not moving.

His long eyelashes drooped, half-covering his eyes, “Nian Nian, I studied under the same master as your mother, Jing Xian, I won’t harm you.”

Sang Nian was startled, remembering what Yan Yuan had said, she quickly asked:

“Jing Xian what kind of person is she?”

Song Lanfeng curved his lips, his gaze fell on the void, as if he had crossed time and returned to many years ago.

His brows and eyes were gentle:

“Jing Xian entered the Xiaoyao sect at the age of twelve, she became my junior sister, and together with Yan Yuan, the three of us were inseparable, we were always together.”

“She was lively, she often played tricks on the elders, but she had an extremely high talent in swordsmanship, she was the most likely disciple in the Xiaoyao sect to ascend in a hundred years.”

“If she hadn’t left the Xiaoyao sect  later, the position of Sect Master wouldn’t have fallen to me.”

Sang Nian asked:

“Why did she leave the Xiaoyao sect?”

Song Lanfeng said:

“She only said that she fell in love with someone and wanted to leave for him, but soon after, her life lamp went out.”

When a person dies, the lamp goes out.

Sang Nian quickly said: “Do you know who killed her?”

Song Lanfeng’s voice was hoarse:

“When we arrived, she had already turned into a handful of ashes, she didn’t leave any clues, no one knows why she died.”

“But”

He paused, Sang Nian held her breath, and then she heard him continue word by word:

“Someone saw her have some connection with a member of the Shura Palace, perhaps her death is related to the Shura Palace.”

“Shura Palace?” Sang Nian had never heard of this name, she curiously asked, “What is it?”

“It’s a notorious organization,” Song Lanfeng had a faint disgust in his eyes, “The members of the palace are all the most evil people in the world.”

“For five hundred years, countless tragedies in the cultivation world have been caused by them.”

Sang Nian silently noted this clue in her heart.

“I’ve been investigating for seventeen years, I still haven’t found out who that person is,” Song Lanfeng clenched his hand, his knuckles turned white, “If I find him…”

Invisible killing intent spread, Sang Nian felt a little out of breath.

Song Lanfeng woke up, waved his sleeve to disperse it, and said apologetically:

“Sorry, I lost my composure.”

Sang Nian waved her hand, “It’s okay, it’s okay, I understand.”

“How have you been growing up all these years?” He looked at her carefully, his voice mixed with a little guilt, “Have you suffered?”

Sang Nian said: “I’ve been doing pretty well, I haven’t suffered.”

Song Lanfeng hesitated for a moment: “Your father is… ?”

Sang Nian scratched her head:

“To be honest, I’m not sure who my dad is now, I’ll tell you when I figure it out.”

Song Lanfeng was startled, and suddenly laughed, “Okay, I’ll wait for you to tell me.”

“But how did you know that Jing Xian is my mother?” Sang Nian asked, “Do I look a lot like her?”

“You do have a few similarities to her in your brows and eyes.” Song Lanfeng said, “The most important thing is, you drew the Scattered Snow Sword.”

Sang Nian honestly said:

“Actually, I couldn’t pull it out at first, but that day, I don’t know what happened, I suddenly pulled it out.”

“That’s Jing Xian’s natal sword, besides her, only those with her bloodline can use it.”

Song Lanfeng explained:

“That day, your blood dripped onto the scabbard, it confirmed your identity, so it appeared to save you.”

So that’s how it is.

Sang Nian had figured out Jing Xian’s matter, she carefully said:

“Then can the Ephemeral Dream on me be cured?”

Song Lanfeng said: “Come here.”

Sang Nian stepped forward, he held her wrist and slowly injected a stream of spiritual energy into her meridians.

She knew he was checking her, she didn’t resist, she relaxed her body and let the spiritual energy flow through her.

Time passed minute by minute, Song Lanfeng’s brows gradually furrowed.

Sang Nian’s heart went to her throat:

“Is it bad?”

He let go of her, patted her hand reassuringly:

“Don’t be afraid, it’s better than I expected.”

Sang Nian: “Then?”

“I saw something in your body,” he said, “I don’t know what it is, but the fact that you’ve lived this long is probably its doing.”

Sang Nian was completely confused.

Song Lanfeng turned his wrist, a small jade bottle appeared in his palm.

“This is the honey brewed from the ten-thousand-year-old jade mulberry flower, a rare heart-protecting holy product, eat a spoonful every day, it can temporarily suppress the poisonous worm.”

Sang Nian: “Can’t it be cured directly?”

Song Lanfeng: “The antidote to Ephemeral Dream is only one in the world, its whereabouts are currently unknown, I will send people to search for it, you don’t have to worry.”

Sang Nian said gratefully: “Thank you.”

“I will take care of you for your mother.”

Song Lanfeng stretched out his hand, his jade-like fingertips fell on her crown, gently brushing away a piece of inconspicuous grass.

His voice was low and slow:

“Don’t be afraid, with me here, no one can hurt you.”

In the empty hall, Sang Nian looked up, blinking her eyes.

What a gentle person.

But why did the original owner get infected with the poisoned?

Did the person who killed Jing Xian do it too?

Just as she was lost in thought, Song Lanfeng used a spell to summon a spirit sword:

“The Scattered Sanxue Sword is your mother’s sword after all, you might not be comfortable using it.”

“Use this sword for now, when you form a golden core and cultivate your natal sword, I’ll find a better one for you.”

Sang Nian felt embarrassed to accept more things from him, she politely declined:

“Thank you for your kindness, Sect Master, my master will prepare one for me.”

Song Lanfeng said:

“It’s his business to prepare one for you, this is a token of my affection as your senior, if you don’t accept it, you’ll be estranged from me.”

Sang Nian had no choice but to accept it.

It was already getting late, she was thinking about her appointment with Xie Chenzhou, she asked Song Lanfeng to leave:

“If the Sect Master has nothing else, the disciple will take her leave.”

Song Lanfeng smiled: “Go ahead.”

Sang Nian slowly walked out of the hall, as soon as she looked up, a figure caught her eye.

She ran over: “Master.”

The young man, who had been standing there for an unknown amount of time, turned around and softly said “Hmm.”

“You’ve been waiting for me here all this time?” Sang Nian said.

Yan Yuan’s gaze swept over the sword in her hand, he didn’t answer but asked:

“The Sect Master gave it to you?”

Sang Nian quickly showed it to him:

“Yes, I’m not comfortable using the Scattered Snow Sword, I’ll use this one for now.”

She looked at his face, “Shouldn’t I have accepted it?”

Yan Yuan flicked the sword lightly with his finger, there was a light ringing sound.

He withdrew his hand, his voice was flat:

“Since he gave it to you, you should keep it.”

Sang Nian put the sword into her storage bag, “Alright.”

“Let’s go.”

Yan Yuan said:

“Back to Guzhu Peak.”

He summoned his flying sword, Sang Nian naturally followed behind him, her hands tightly clutching a piece of his clothes on his back.

Yan Yuan glanced at her, didn’t say anything, and drove the sword.

The sword light soared into the sky, the speed wasn’t very fast, they could clearly see the scenery below.

The Xiaoyao sect was located on Mount Tianyu, it covered a vast area, with towering peaks and jade-like blue water, it was like a fairyland.

Among them, countless pavilions and towers were scattered, the wide martial arts field was surrounded in the center, it was particularly eye-catching.

Sang Nian roughly memorized the map of the Xiaoyao sect, she circled the location of the dining hall, and nodded slightly.

Guzhu Peak arrived soon.

As the name suggests, there was only one bamboo on the peak, it was bald, like a middle-aged math professor.

But that description wasn’t entirely accurate.

Sang Nian stood in front of the only two thatched cottages on the peak, she was silent for a full half minute.

A cold wind blew, it was not clear whether it was the door or the window that creaked, the sound was extremely eerie.

She calmly turned around.

Hey, Sect Master?

Is it too late to betray my master and join your sect now?

I kind of regret rejecting you earlier.