Chapter 978: It’s Called Fenghua Xueyue

Cherished Flower Scroll was the cultivation method Immortal Lord Taohua created. Ye Wenxin had once been fortunate enough to obtain Flower Burial from it. That alone had earned her the title of strongest in the world.

Her effortless demonstration of Fenghua Xueyue, derived from the same source, renewed Han Shanxue’s suspicion.

But from another perspective, if Ye Wenxin had acquired Immortal Lord Taohua’s memory mask, her potential would be no less than that of the immortal herself.

The only problem now was how to talk her way out of this.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help keep this from Master—Master? Why are you here?” Fei Chai hadn’t even finished vowing secrecy before turning around and spotting Han Shanxue.

Her cold expression scared him.

Han Shanxue bypassed Fei Chai and pulled Ye Wenxin away in a hurry.

Ye Wenxin inwardly groaned and quickly explained her reason for using Fenghua Xueyue.

“Miss Han, I didn’t use your technique on purpose.”

“Is there a flower on your back?” asked Han Shanxue, her hands moving.

Ye Wenxin grew flustered but quickly remembered that she had swapped bodies with Long Qingyue. There wouldn’t be a tattoo on her back.

She allowed Han Shanxue to remove her outer robe, exposing her back for inspection. Han Shanxue’s glacial gaze lingered a while before she finally helped Ye Wenxin put her clothes back on.

Ye Wenxin let out a breath, troubled by the lie. A lie only begets more lies to cover it up. However, judging from Han Shanxue’s ability to use a Cherished Flower Scroll technique, there must be more to her relationship with Immortal Lord Taohua a thousand years ago.

Had she known Han Shanxue also possessed a cultivation method from the Cherished Flower Scroll, Ye Wenxin wouldn’t have refused her so quickly. She pondered how to coax the contents of the Cherished Flower Scroll out of her.

Meanwhile, Han Shanxue realized the impropriety of her earlier actions and wondered how to apologize to Ye Wenxin.

Long Qingyue’s mind-reading proved itself useful again. Ye Wenxin steered the conversation back to the main point.

“Miss Han, what cultivation technique were you using? It’s truly exquisite.”

Han Shanxue lifted her head slightly, surprised at her interest in the technique.

“The technique is not part of my main cultivation school. It is called Fenghua Xueyue.”

“A fine name. When ice meets fire, either the ice melts or the flame goes out—truly Fenghua Xueyue.” Ye Wenxin quickly offered praise, testing whether she might obtain some opportunity from Han Shanxue.

Her earlier display had been a lucky guess. To master it, she would have to start from the basics.

Han Shanxue’s expression showed a trace of emotion, and Ye Wenxin heard her thoughts.

‘That person said the same thing.’

A chill crept down Ye Wenxin’s back. Either Han Shanxue was mistaking her for Immortal Lord Taohua’s descendant or, worse, the immortal herself. But if she were Immortal Lord Taohua, how could she be living so miserably? She didn’t have the harem she desired, only a daily front-row seat to shura fields.

Ye Wenxin interrupted Han Shanxue’s train of thought and continued her questioning. “Who created this technique? Would it be possible for me to learn it?”

Han Shanxue remained silent. If not for the mind-reading, Ye Wenxin would have figured her question too abrupt, even offensive.

Han Shanxue’s hesitation had nothing to do with teaching the technique but how to refer to Immortal Lord Taohua.

‘That person could be considered my master’s wife. Yet, she was also an accomplice in killing my master. I don’t wish for Miss Ye to know this part of my past.’

Han Shanxue’s mind was so pure that it was almost frightening. Ye Wenxin suspected that Han Shanxue had remained obscure in the Martial World likely because she had never encountered the wider world in the first place.

The purer one’s heart, the less likely one would fall into Qi Deviation.

Perhaps realizing she had been silent too long, Han Shanxue finally spoke. “It is possible, but you must formally become my disciple.”

Ye Wenxin immediately kneeled on the ground. “Disciple Ye Wenxin greets Master.”

‘She agreed that quickly?’

Han Shanxue’s expression was as cold as ever, but her thought revealed her surprise.

She couldn’t have known Ye Wenxin had been coveting the Cherished Flower Scroll for quite some time. Now that this opportunity had appeared, Ye Wenxin would not let it slip by.

She had already lost count of how many masters she now had, so what was one more?

“You already belong to a sect, so I can only accept you as a registered disciple,” Han Shanxue reminded her.

She didn’t have a profound understanding of Fenghua Xueyue and could only say she had reached a bottleneck. Since Ye Wenxin seemed fated with the technique, Han Shanxue hoped she could achieve something with it.

“But Master, didn’t you say this technique belongs to someone else? Is it alright for me to learn it like this?”

“It’s fine. She’ll be dead before long,” Han Shanxue replied coldly, then took out a book from her bag of holding.

The book had worn with age. It was most likely a manual Han Shanxue had hidden before her death.

Ye Wenxin curiously opened the manual, flipping through it casually. As expected, this technique bore some resemblance to Flower Burial. However, while Flower Burial had immense offensive power, it required blood essence to activate and was difficult to control.

In contrast, Fenghua Xueyue balanced offense and defense, and offered strong elemental manipulation. In addition to ice, fire, and lightning, the practitioner could also mix and match other elements. While it didn’t boast high damage, it was a versatile and well-rounded cultivation method.

Most importantly, no one would associate it with Flower Burial, making it ideal for Ye Wenxin’s everyday use.

The body swap had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Without Long Qingyue’s body, she would never have known this technique was part of the Cherished Flower Scroll or hope of obtaining it.

“Master, I will go make some preparations before we start training.”

Ye Wenxin didn’t want to waste effort cultivating while in Long Qingyue’s body. She planned to visit the Cozy Pavilion and instruct Xiao Zhang to inform Long Qingyue that she needed her body back.

Ye Wenxin left quickly. Han Shanxue stared at her departing figure, memories of her former master Feng Jiu and Immortal Lord Taohua resurfacing. Her fists clenched tightly, her aura losing control and freezing everything around her. Standing amid the frost, Han Shanxue looked like a frozen beauty.

The ice shattered in the next instant. Han Shanxue swiftly returned to her room, absorbing spirit stones with all her might to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, which she should have reached long ago.

Ye Wenxin had no idea how deep Han Shanxue’s hatred for Immortal Lord Taohua ran. After leaving the Fang residence, she relied on her memory of the marketplace to find her way to the Cozy Pavilion.

The Cozy Pavilion sold three main things: pills, medicinal cuisine, and spirit wine. However, the Golden Age Dynasty’s imperial capital had relatively few cultivators, so business was usually slow.

Yet, Ye Wenxin saw nothing like what she had imagined upon her arrival. People packed the premises, and it was bustling with noise and excitement.