My Shijie Seems Intent on Destroying the World – Chapter 28
by Little PandaQuestioning the Heart
What Play Is This Again?
The moment Ling Qiansu announced her identity, Qi Zhi couldn’t help but feel her legs go somewhat weak.
Mount Baopu, Guizhen Sect, disciple of the Sword Venerable…
She’d heard that after that battle five hundred years ago, the Sword Venerable had sealed the mountain gates and withdrawn with all his disciples to live in seclusion.
Though the Tiandao Sect affair had indeed alarmed the Guizhen Sect, even if the Sword Venerable had sent someone to investigate, they should have gone to Tiandao Sect, shouldn’t they? How had this person ended up here—and seen through Mu Qingshi’s identity at a glance?
Could it be that what happened that day had already been exposed, and someone had tracked them all the way here?
If even outsiders already knew, would her shixiong and shijie come here to capture them next?!
Qi Zhi’s heart raced with panic, and she unconsciously gripped Mu Qingshi’s sleeve tight.
Mu Qingshi gave a soft laugh and patted her trembling hand, then rose and replied calmly, “Indeed.”
As if she hadn’t expected such a straightforward answer, Ling Qiansu paused briefly, then her eyes lit up with delight. “I was right! I didn’t recognize the wrong person!”
She stepped forward two paces, leaned into another bow, and openly explained her purpose.
The Daoist Venerable had perished, the demonic sword had vanished, and Tiandao Sect—once the head of the immortal sects—had suffered annihilation overnight. Upon hearing the news, every major immortal sect was thrown into panic.
Because the Four Spiritual Veins resonated with one another, the Sword Venerable had immediately perceived the black moon phenomenon, warning that if its root cause could not be found soon, disaster would befall the entire Mortal Realm.
Even though the Guizhen Sect had long lived in seclusion, if a true catastrophe loomed over the mortal world, they could not stand idly by, even at the cost of their lives.
Ling Qiansu’s journey this time was undertaken on her master’s orders, leaving the mountain to investigate the situation.
Along the way, she had learned that the mortal world was far from peaceful lately. Not only had Tiandao Sect been massacred by demonic cultivators, but demonic qi was also disrupting the minds of demons in Muxue Valley.
Shen Zhuxing of Tiandao Sect had further told her that a fox demon had been secretly practicing forbidden arts for years, hunting immortal sect cultivators and harvesting their primal spirits to refine pills for a demonic patron. If the destination of those pills could be traced, the demonic entity hidden in the world might be found.
Upon hearing this, Ling Qiansu had originally planned to help Tiandao Sect disperse the residual demonic qi, then head to Muxue Valley to investigate after securing the other seal. But along the way, she heard an intriguing tale.
“What tale?” Ah Yun sat hugging her knees to one side, so bored she’d started eating the sugar cake from Qi Zhi’s hand.
“East of Sui City, on a barren mountain about a hundred li away, there is a Mingyue Villa that ordinary people cannot see,” Ling Qiansu said earnestly. “Some say a demon dwells in the villa, but others say there is a fairy living there.”
“Whether fairy or demon, just send a few cultivators to take a look—wouldn’t that settle it?” Mu Qingshi said mildly.
“That’s exactly the strange part!” Ling Qiansu shook her head. “Those who say there’s a demon in the villa are mostly ordinary folk who know of this matter, while those who claim there’s a fairy are mostly cultivators from immortal sects.”
She said that long ago, someone had paid handsomely to hire cultivators to go up the mountain and investigate, and it had happened far more than once.
But after these cultivators returned from the mountain, their accounts were strikingly unanimous. Every single one said the villa’s owner was not a demon, but a fairy living in seclusion—not only breathtakingly beautiful, but exceedingly kindhearted as well.
Qi Zhi: “Then why do the ordinary folk say she’s a demon?”
Ling Qiansu: “Because the villa’s owner hosts a Mingyue Banquet every so often. And this banquet only ever invites ten people each time—you need a Mingyue Token to attend.”
“They say the Mingyue Banquet is an unparalleled experience in the mortal world. Many who attend once lose their senses, spending their entire fortunes just to go again. And some who enter the villa never come back out… Because of this, many people say there must be a fox spirit inside, stealing souls.” She rested her chin in her hands, looking slightly perplexed. “But despite all that, there are still plenty of people convinced there’s a fairy in the mountain, dead set on going to see for themselves.”
“I’ve heard that the distribution of Mingyue Tokens follows no discernible pattern—status and position don’t matter. And if a token holder chooses to sell their token, the villa’s owner doesn’t intervene. So it’s not just Sui City—across all of Yun Province, a full twelve cities, people everywhere are offering fortunes to buy a Mingyue Token.”
“The whole affair sounds suspicious. Cultivators shouldn’t meddle in mortal affairs, yet if it were a demon, no cultivator has been able to see through it.” Ling Qiansu frowned slightly. “The fox refining pills with forbidden arts, the entity that destroyed Mount Qiongju—neither was discovered before the fact…”
“You mean to say that perhaps they all share some special method of concealing themselves, allowing them to commit evil in secret and amass hidden power.” Mu Qingshi thought for a moment, then frowned and asked, “You think Mingyue Villa, being so peculiar, might be connected to that fox, or even to the entity that destroyed Tiandao Sect?”
Ling Qiansu nodded. “Exactly!”
Mu Qingshi: “And if it isn’t?”
“Yeah!” Ah Yun chimed in. “So many cultivators have already gone and looked, and they all said there’s no problem. If it turns out to be unrelated, wouldn’t you be making a trip for nothing?”
Ling Qiansu pondered for a moment, then shook her head. “How would it be for nothing? Even if this has nothing to do with the demonic entity, it’s still disrupting the order of the mortal world. Now that I know about it, how can I just ignore it?”
She said she had been investigating the matter these past few days.
Here in Sui City, there happened to be a wealthy household that had obtained a Mingyue Token a few months ago.
Just yesterday, she had been at that grand manor, listening to several women weeping and lamenting.
Their master had visited Mingyue Villa years ago, and ever since his return, he’d been in a daze, obsessing over everything in the villa and seeking everywhere to buy another Mingyue Token.
After a few years, he finally seemed to have moved past it—but then a few months ago, he somehow got his hands on another token.
And that was that. He went cheerfully, and never came back.
At this point, Ling Qiansu paused and looked at Ah Yun. “Which is why yesterday, when I sensed a faint trace of demon qi outside that manor, I thought the villa’s demon had slipped up and left a trail. So I followed it secretly all the way here…”
Ah Yun’s innocent eyes went wide. She pointed at herself and tilted her head. “Me?”
Mu Qingshi: “Ah Yun is my spirit beast. She’s been with me since she was young. She only recently took human form and her cultivation is low, so she naturally carries some residual demon qi. But her temperament is good.”
Only recently took human form, low cultivation, huh?
Qi Zhi opened her mouth, blinked at Ah Yun, and said nothing.
Ling Qiansu gave an awkward smile, glancing somewhat sheepishly at Mu Qingshi. “I never expected to fail at tracking a demon but run into Miss Mu instead… When I heard what happened to Tiandao Sect, I feared Miss Mu might have also…”
“I just happened to leave the mountain and got lucky enough to escape with my life.” Mu Qingshi shook her head with soft self-deprecation. “My spiritual root was destroyed five hundred years ago. I never imagined anyone could still recognize me…”
“Miss Mu’s bearing was extraordinary in those days. At the Immortal Alliance Assembly, with one person and one sword, no one could stand against you.” Ling Qiansu spoke softly, lowering her lashes. “Qiansu once had the honor of witnessing it—how could I forget?”
Mu Qingshi said evenly, “But the person I am now is no longer worth anyone’s remembrance.”
“No, that’s not true!” Ling Qiansu shook her head hastily. “Miss Mu, you’ve slain countless demons, and your spiritual root was destroyed while slaying demons. There must be many people in the world who still remember you!”
Mu Qingshi lowered her gaze and said nothing.
Ling Qiansu fell silent for a moment, seeming to realize she had spoken out of turn, and unconsciously gripped the sword at her side. “I was too forward today, and I’ve spoiled Miss Mu’s mood. Just knowing you’re still in this world is joy enough! It’s getting late, so I won’t intrude any longer…”
With that, she rose to leave.
A moment of silence passed. Then Mu Qingshi suddenly stood up. Qi Zhi startled and scrambled to her feet as well.
Mu Qingshi: “Miss Ling, wait.”
Ling Qiansu’s steps faltered. She turned back to look at her.
Mu Qingshi: “Since this matter may be connected to Tiandao Sect, would you be willing to bring me along when you investigate?”
A flash of surprise crossed Ling Qiansu’s eyes.
Qi Zhi’s eyes went wide too as she looked up at Mu Qingshi—good heavens, what play was this again?
“I understand your concerns—whether the Mu Qingshi of today can still face these demonic entities.” As Mu Qingshi spoke, a glimmer of spiritual light bloomed in her palm, and the sword Chunsheng was already in her hand. “Though my cultivation has fallen, I haven’t lost the ability to fight. If this truly concerns Tiandao Sect, I ought to get to the bottom of it!”
Ling Qiansu: “But what if it’s only my speculation…”
Mu Qingshi smiled. “Then as you said yourself—someone is disrupting the order of things. Now that I know, how can I turn a blind eye?”
Ling Qiansu stood stunned for a long moment, then a smile crept to her lips. “Good! With Miss Mu’s help, no matter what that person’s identity, we will expose them!”
Mu Qingshi: “Mm.”
Ling Qiansu: “Miss Mu, if you’re free, would you come with me to the Liang Family Manor to hear the full story?”
Mu Qingshi: “Naturally.”
Ling Qiansu was overjoyed. “Wonderful!”
Qi Zhi looked at Mu Qingshi, then at Ling Qiansu, her eyes full of wonder.
If she didn’t know what had really happened at Tiandao Sect that day, seeing this scene before her, she’d probably have been dazzled senseless by the blinding light of righteousness radiating from the two of them!
Night had deepened, and the temple fair’s lanterns were thinning out.
Mu Qingshi and Ling Qiansu walked ahead, chatting about this and that—demons, evil spirits, swords, formations.
Qi Zhi tugged at Mu Qingshi’s sleeve, following behind and listening for ages without understanding much. She finally let go of the sleeve, slowed her pace, and fell back to walk with Ah Yun.
Ah Yun’s gaze kept darting toward her, several times.
Qi Zhi sensed something was off and couldn’t help asking in a hushed voice, “Why do you keep looking at me like that?”
Ah Yun went “Oh,” flicked a finger, and raised a sound-isolating barrier. She raised her eyebrows with a grin. “I was just thinking—someone had quite the guilty conscience earlier. Did she almost spill everything on her own?”
Qi Zhi: “I—I did not!”
Ah Yun: “It couldn’t have been more obvious!”
Qi Zhi: “…” Was it really that obvious?
Even if it was, she couldn’t entirely blame herself!
Anyone who spent every day following someone who carried a demonic sword, was suspected of being the Demon Venerable, and had in fact slaughtered an entire immortal mountain would inevitably develop a guilty conscience, wouldn’t they?
Sure, she was timid—but on something like this, even a braver person wouldn’t fare any differently…
Ah Yun saw Qi Zhi’s head ducked low, eyes darting every which way, and couldn’t resist teasing her. “I’m just saying, Zhi-zhi—we’re all in the same boat now. If it capsizes, we all sink together!”
Qi Zhi shrank her neck at that.
Ah Yun: “And if the boat does capsize, this little bird can fly away. But you, little blade of grass? Not necessarily!”
Qi Zhi: “…”
Ling Qiansu suddenly glanced back with suspicion—why were those two young girls behind her talking behind a sound-isolating barrier?
Mu Qingshi frowned and turned to look as well. “Ah Yun, what are you doing?”
Ah Yun hastily dropped the barrier and curved her eyes into a grin. “Nothing! The things you were talking about were too boring, so Zhi-zhi and I were just whispering secrets.”
Mu Qingshi: “If you have something to say, say it plainly. Using a spell for soundproofing—what will others think?”
Ah Yun: “Oh!”
Ling Qiansu paused, then waved her hands quickly. “It’s fine, it’s fine! They’re young—what could they possibly say that’s bad?”
Ah Yun: “Exactly!”
Qi Zhi: “…” You can get away with that?
Ah Yun delivered her lines with absolute confidence, and Mu Qingshi delivered her scolding with perfect seriousness. Working in tandem like that, they somehow left Ling Qiansu without a single thread of suspicion.
Qi Zhi couldn’t help but think that Mu Qingshi’s sudden decision to tag along today must be part of some plan.
But what exactly that plan was, what Mu Qingshi was truly after—even she, a fellow “passenger on the same boat,” had no way of knowing.
It wasn’t her fault she’d boarded the boat late and was prone to guilty consciences. If there were some grand scheme afoot, telling a stray dog on the street would be safer than telling her.
In any case, it probably wasn’t anything good—
Then again, the fact that this mass murderer who wiped out Tiandao Sect could spin lies so effortlessly was one thing—but the reason others were so easily deceived was at least partly because she was Mu Qingshi, wasn’t it?
The same words from someone else might not have had the same effect.
Tiandao Sect. Mu Qingshi. Her Second Senior Sister.
Truly someone deeply admired by so many.
The thought that many more people might yet be so swept up in their admiration that Mu Qingshi could smile sweetly and deceive them so thoroughly they wouldn’t know up from down sent an involuntary shiver down Qi Zhi’s spine.
Terrifying—
A World-Destroying Demon who hid daggers behind smiles was truly terrifying!
The author has something to say:
Qi Zhi: 🥺 Good thing I’ve already been conscripted.
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