After Death, I Became My Shijie’s Palm-Sized Birdie – Chapter 20
by Little PandaEvents of the Past, Part 19
If the Immortal Venerable does not like her, then please let her leave
Wen Qiwu woke rather late, so by the time she saw the message and tried to stop Zuo Lan, it was already too late. The Holy Maiden had set out the moment she sent her last letter—and for good measure, she had dragged along Wei Xiheng of Starfall City.
Wei Xiheng was rather skilled at moving people away without anyone noticing. When she had previously heard that Wen Qiwu was in closed-door cultivation, she could only return home first. Now Zuo Lan said Wen Qiwu was in trouble, so she came rushing over without even asking questions.
Zuo Lan figured she would get Wen Qiwu out of that wretched place—the Cliff of Reflection—first and deal with the rest later. Though this would provoke the Immortal Venerable, as long as Yun Heng did not want to openly break with Yuxi Sect, she could not kill her. If that was the case, there was nothing to fear. Besides, Yun Heng did not value Wen Qiwu as much as she had imagined.
She had misjudged someone only twice in her life—once with Lin Shu, and once with Immortal Venerable Yun Heng. Was she cursed to spend her life butting heads with ice blocks and wooden posts?
Perhaps hearing about Wen Qiwu’s plight had reminded Zuo Lan of her own past, and she had charged over on impulse. She had once been isolated and helpless at Qianyue Sword Sect, hoping someone would lend her a hand. Unfortunately…
Zuo Lan pushed down the shadows in her heart, then discussed with Wei Xiheng how to slip into Wenshen Sect undetected. She could not walk through the front door—otherwise her every move would easily catch the Immortal Venerable’s notice. As long as Yun Heng wished it, the entire sect could be under her surveillance. Their operation had to be covert.
But Zuo Lan still underestimated just how “dangerous” she was in the Immortal Venerable’s eyes. Not long after her spiritual energy appeared within Wenshen Sect, Yun Heng detected the two sneaking figures.
Zuo Lan and Wei Xiheng were just one mountain away from sighting the Cliff of Reflection. They were congratulating themselves when a white figure suddenly appeared on their path.
Wei Xiheng was not the only one frightened—even Zuo Lan gave a start when she saw the figure. Especially when she noticed Yun Heng’s hand resting on her sword hilt, the posture looking as though she meant to silence them permanently.
Yun Heng glanced at them expressionlessly, and the two froze in place like quails.
They were “invited” to Wendao Mountain. Though the Immortal Venerable’s tone could be called polite, they knew they had no room to refuse.
At Wendao Mountain, Zuo Lan and Wei Xiheng each held a cup of spirit tea, taking small sips. Yun Heng sat in the host’s seat, casting them a cool glance. Those caught under her gaze all felt a chill run through their hearts.
“What business do the two of you have at Wenshen Sect?” Yun Heng spoke first, breaking the silent and awkward atmosphere.
“We’re here to find Ah Que,” Wei Xiheng explained in a small voice.
This girl didn’t have much guile—straightforward and innocent, answering whatever was asked, and naturally putting others off their guard. Zuo Lan thought it over and did not stop her from speaking.
“Qiwu is not available for visitors at the moment. I am sorry to have made you come all this way for nothing. Please go back,” Yun Heng said, her tone calm.
But those words struck a hidden sore spot in Zuo Lan’s heart. A coldness crept into the Holy Maiden’s brows, and she asked with a dark expression, “Is it that she’s not available for visitors, or that the Immortal Venerable doesn’t wish her to see us?!”
Yun Heng raised her eyes to look at her but did not deny it. She truly did not want her shimei1 to see Zuo Lan. Her shimei had spoken those words—if she herself bore the greater share of the responsibility, then among the remaining lesser share, this Holy Maiden had certainly played no small part!
Zuo Lan was so angry she nearly laughed. She stood up, looking so fierce she seemed ready to fight the Immortal Venerable on the spot. Wei Xiheng was frightened and hastily tugged at her sleeve—if it really came to blows, ten of her wouldn’t be enough to block a single strike from the Immortal Venerable! Calm down! She had to stay calm!
Of course Zuo Lan was not actually going to fight her. She patted Wei Xiheng’s hand to reassure her, then took a few steps forward, squeezing out a smile on her dark expression.
“I know Qiwu has been confined at the Cliff of Reflection by the Immortal Venerable, and I know the Immortal Venerable is troubled by the matter of her feelings. I have a good idea—would the Immortal Venerable care to hear it?”
Yun Heng frowned slightly. Zuo Lan did not wait for her to say whether she wanted to hear it or not and simply launched into her proposal. “This Fellow Daoist Wei Xiheng hails from Starfall City and is the City Master’s sole heir. She has a straightforward character, outstanding integrity, exceptional talent, and a gift for arrays. She and Qiwu are close confidantes who share everything. They are close in age and share the same interests—a match made in heaven.”
“Fellow Daoist Wei happens to be interested, and City Master Wei is open-minded. Why not let Fellow Daoist Wei bring Qiwu to Starfall City to nurture their relationship? If it works out, it would be a beautiful story—and the Immortal Venerable would no longer need to worry over her shimei’s affairs. Would that not be the best of both worlds?”
Wei Xiheng sat there blankly for a moment. Only when Zuo Lan turned her head and signaled her with a look did she instinctively nod and chime in, “R-right! I want to, with Fellow Daoist Wen, form a Dao2… Dao…”
Wei Xiheng’s teeth chattered from the cold—she could not force out that last word: “Companion.”
It was too cold. The Immortal Venerable’s gaze was like she wanted to kill!
Zuo Lan stepped in front of Wei Xiheng, shielding her from Yun Heng’s terrifying expression. She said teasingly, “The Immortal Venerable disagrees?”
“I will not let her join you in this nonsense!” The blade in Yun Heng’s hand emitted a faint hum—it had sensed its master’s killing intent and responded with excitement.
“Nonsense? Qiwu merely loves women—how is that nonsense? If you’re unwilling to accept her feelings, that’s fine. But you can’t stop her from escaping her misery, can you? I know you’re prejudiced against me, but Fellow Daoist Wei is impeccable from family background to character. What reason do you have to stop her?”
“Or perhaps…” Zuo Lan scoffed. “You keep saying you don’t like Qiwu, yet you won’t allow anyone else near her? Immortal Venerable, fooling us is one thing—but don’t fool yourself in the process.”
Yun Heng’s expression was like the sharpest blade of ice. If looks could materialize, Zuo Lan would likely be riddled with holes by now.
Her expression was cold and placid, as though covered in a thick layer of ice—but no one knew whether the emotions hidden beneath that ice were as calm as the surface.
Do not fool yourself, do not fool yourself…
Those words pierced her soul like needles, giving Yun Heng a faint headache.
If her shimei had let go of her, would she… agree to Wei Xiheng’s proposal?
Such a scene surfaced in Yun Heng’s mind, and her hand tightened slightly beyond her control. Meanwhile, Zuo Lan pressed on beneath the increasingly terrifying pressure, enunciating each word: “If the Immortal Venerable does not like her, then please let her leave.”
The Immortal Venerable raised her eyes, and the ferocity in them made Zuo Lan’s heart pound with alarm.
“…” The room fell into an eerie silence. Wei Xiheng instinctively held her breath—she did not dare interject a single word while those two clashed.
“I will not let her continue down this wrong path. The two of you, please leave.” Yun Heng’s tone was no longer as calm as before. She was about to “escort” the two out when a transmission suddenly arrived from Lu Qiaoyi, saying that Qiwu had awakened.
Joy suddenly appeared in her eyes, and she instinctively wanted to rush to the Cliff of Reflection. But after just two steps, Yun Heng’s expression darkened again—because Lu Qiaoyi said that Wen Qiwu wanted to see Zuo Lan and Wei Xiheng.
Qiwu had just woken up—how could she know these two had come? It must have been Lu Qiaoyi… Yun Heng silently blamed her for running her mouth. She did not want her shimei to see these two with their ulterior motives, but… Lu Qiaoyi said the patient had just woken and should not have large emotional swings, so they should try to accommodate her wishes and keep Qiwu in a good mood.
Yun Heng was silent for a long moment before finally agreeing to let the two go over.
She intended to keep an eye on those two, lest they say things they should not. But just then, a distress signal came tearing through the sky. Yun Heng caught it and saw that it was from Tianyu Sect, the sect closest to the Demon Realm. That region had been peaceful for over ten thousand years. The sudden distress signal seemed to carry dense blood energy, and when she tried to re-establish contact, no further message came from the other side.
A sense of unease crept over her heart.
The Demon Realm had been showing frequent disturbances lately—could it be that now…
Yun Heng pulled out a mirror. She tapped the surface, and ripples spread across it. She caught a glimpse of her shimei, who had awakened and was obediently taking medicine propped up in her sickbed. The cold severity at the corners of her eyes softened slightly. It was a pity she could not go see her in person. Then Yun Heng put the mirror away and went to contact the other sects.
When Zuo Lan left Wendao Mountain, her legs suddenly went weak. Fortunately, Wei Xiheng caught her in time. Zuo Lan thought she had truly outdone herself in this life—actually daring to openly mock and covertly needle a True Immortal Realm cultivator to her face, and even managing to hold out under her pressure for that long.
But the price had been worth it—they would at least get to see Wen Qiwu.
Under Lu Qiaoyi’s guidance, the two found the small house on the Cliff of Reflection’s mountain. When Zuo Lan pushed open the door and entered, she never expected to see such a frail patient.
“You…” Zuo Lan stared at Wen Qiwu for a long while, stunned. Wei Xiheng was the same. Wen Qiwu had carried some signs of illness before, but it had never seemed serious. Now she looked like a flower that had already withered—one that could wither away entirely at any moment.
“How did you end up like this?” Zuo Lan felt her heart ache just looking at her. How could Immortal Venerable Yun Heng bear to throw such a sick person onto the Cliff of Reflection? “Are you injured?”
“No, it’s an old affliction,” Wen Qiwu said, shaking her head.
“Could she have forbidden healers from treating you?” Zuo Lan’s eyes widened in disbelief—otherwise, she couldn’t imagine what illness could reduce a Void Refining cultivator to such a state.
“No, no—don’t overthink it. It’s just that my illness may be incurable.” Seeing Zuo Lan jump to the wrong conclusion, Wen Qiwu hurried to explain.
“Incurable? What about the Medical Immortal? Didn’t the Immortal Venerable summon her?” It might be difficult for others to request the Medical Immortal, but Immortal Venerable Yun Heng had a relationship with her—inviting her over should have been easy.
“The Medical Immortal came too.”
“How could there be an illness even the Medical Immortal can’t cure…”
“Spirit-Dispersing Syndrome.”
When Wen Qiwu spoke those words, the room went quiet for a long time. Zuo Lan’s voice stuck in her throat. Hearing the name of that affliction, she felt a buzz ring through her mind.
The Medical Immortal’s only patient she desperately wanted to save but could not—what illness did they have again? Was it… Spirit-Dispersing Syndrome?
The patient herself could still manage a faint smile, while the other two’s eyes immediately reddened.
How could it be such a terminal illness?
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