Chapter 98: The Breeze Sect
This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation.
“Stop! This is sacred ground!”
Two young women blocked Yu Zhao’s path at the entrance of the grand mountain gate, their expressions guarded and wary. Yu Zhao looked at the gate, identical to the one she remembered, and felt a mix of emotions.
When Water Cloud Palace fell, she never imagined that another sect would rise in its place, rebuilding the gate to look exactly the same. It was hard to believe there was no connection between the two.
“May I ask the name of your sect?” Yu Zhao inquired politely.
The two women exchanged a wary glance. “This is the Breeze Sect, Senior,” one of them replied cautiously.
Yu Zhao nodded thoughtfully. “Breeze Sect, huh? Could you please inform your Sect Master that I wish to meet them?”
The two women conferred in hushed tones before one bowed to Yu Zhao. “Please wait here, Senior. I will go inform our leader.” She quickly headed up the mountain, leaving her companion to guard the gate.
With a little coaxing, Yu Zhao managed to glean some information from the remaining young woman. The Breeze Sect was established ten years ago by a late-stage Golden Core cultivator known as Master Ziwei. Many of the Breeze Sect members, including the leader, were former disciples of Water Cloud Palace. After Water Cloud Palace’s downfall, they scattered, only to reunite and form a new sect. The two gatekeepers, being newer members, often faced exclusion and were assigned gate duty.
Yu Zhao felt a flicker of excitement at this news. If the new leader was indeed a former Water Cloud Palace disciple, she might uncover more information about Shui Qing Yue.
Before long, the first woman returned with a group of ten or so female disciples, all marching toward the gate with a serious, almost hostile air. The guard who had stayed behind backed away, fearing a confrontation. The Breeze Sect had received word that an unknown woman was requesting to see their leader, which they found suspicious. The elders decided to investigate first, keeping their leader safe in the main hall.
However, as the group reached the gate and laid eyes on Yu Zhao, they stopped in their tracks, stunned.
“Palace Mistress…?”
“Am I seeing things? She looks just like the Palace Mistress…”
“It’s her! The Palace Mistress is back!”
The once stern group of women was now on the verge of tears, and a few more emotional ones even started crying. They had believed they would never see their Palace Mistress again.
“Palace Mistress, we’ve missed you so much… You’re finally back…” one elder sobbed as she rushed toward Yu Zhao, tears streaming down her face.
The others quickly followed suit, all eager to embrace Yu Zhao.
“Wait, you’re mistaken. I’m not Shui Qing Yue…” Yu Zhao tried to explain, dodging their attempts to hug her. But they were too overwhelmed to listen, desperately trying to cling to the past.
Realizing she couldn’t get through to them, Yu Zhao reluctantly used her spiritual power to calm them down, creating a momentary quiet. The two gatekeepers watched, bewildered. They had expected trouble, not a tearful reunion.
“You’re not the Palace Mistress?” An elder, ethereal and poised, examined Yu Zhao closely, then chuckled softly, “Palace Mistress, you’re still joking with us, I see.”
“Yes, it’s definitely you. We’d recognize you anywhere, even in disguise.”
“Palace Mistress, are you hiding your identity because you’re still in danger?”
Yu Zhao’s head spun as the elders all spoke at once. She pointed to her eyes. “Look closely. Shui Qing Yue had a tear mole at the corner of her eye. I don’t.”
The group fell silent, scrutinizing her face. Suddenly, one elder exclaimed, “Palace Mistress, you must have removed the mole to conceal your identity! How clever!”
The others nodded sympathetically, their expressions filled with concern.
Yu Zhao sighed. “What’s your name?” she asked the elder who had spoken.
The elder blushed, her voice high-pitched with excitement. “Palace Mistress, how could you forget? I’m Qiu Shuang. You used to call me Little Shuang Shuang~”
“Alright, Aunt Shuang,” Yu Zhao said calmly.
Qiu Shuang gasped. “What did you just call me?”
Yu Zhao continued, “Aunt Shuang, and all of you, I’m really not Shui Qing Yue. However, I believe I have a significant connection to her. I’m here to learn more about her, and I would greatly appreciate your help.”
She bowed deeply, showing respect. The elders’ initial joy gave way to a somber realization. After a long pause, someone sighed, “Yu Zhao, you’re so cruel, not even leaving us with a small hope.”
Indeed, they had known all along that this woman wasn’t Shui Qing Yue, their long-lost Palace Mistress. Despite their resemblance, the aura and presence were unmistakably different. They had just wanted to believe otherwise, to pretend Shui Qing Yue was still alive, still with them.
Yu Zhao stood silently. These people had loved Shui Qing Yue dearly, but to her, they were strangers. She was here only to uncover the truth, and a sense of urgency pressed upon her, urging her to make haste.
“Come with us to the main hall,” Qiu Shuang finally said. “The Sect Master is waiting for news.”
Yu Zhao agreed, and they began their ascent to the hall at the mountain’s peak. The air was thick with unspoken emotions, the atmosphere heavy with the elders’ sorrow and yearning. Yu Zhao wondered what kind of woman Shui Qing Yue had been to leave such a deep impression on these elders, each so different yet united in their devotion.
This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation.
Inside the main hall, Sect Master Ziwei was pacing anxiously. Her eyes were filled with fear. The Breeze Sect had always kept a low profile, avoiding trouble at all costs. The sudden appearance of an unknown visitor at their gate had her worried. Could it be the people from twenty years ago, back to finish what they started?
Ziwei’s thoughts raced. Should she flee? She didn’t want to end up like Shui Qing Yue, who had sacrificed herself to protect the sect’s disciples, fighting off countless enemies. Ziwei valued her life too much for that. But it might be too late to escape; the paths up and down the mountain were likely already blocked.
Regret gnawed at her. If only she hadn’t been so greedy for the leadership, she would have never returned to this cursed place. Now, it seemed, there was no turning back.