Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Let Them See

Aside from Steward Peak, the liveliest place in the Limitless Sect was Peach Blossom Peak.

Early that morning, Hua Wu Sheng arrived at the foot of the peak and asked the guarding disciple, “Is Junior Sister Xin on the peak?”

Elder Xin’s seniority was extremely high. Very few people in the entire sect could call her Junior Sister. The female disciple’s eyes widened in instant recognition. She bowed deeply. “Reporting to Great Granduncle Master, Great Grandmaster is in.”

Hua Wu Sheng nodded. “Go announce me.”

“Yes.”

A message talisman flew upward. A reply came back almost at once. The guarding disciple reported, “Great Grandmaster is waiting for you on the peak. Great Granduncle Master, please.”

Hua Wu Sheng smiled and started up the stone steps. In the blink of an eye, she vanished into the mist like a streak of light.

But she had lingered long enough for the disciples to notice.

“Who was that? I’ve never seen her before!”

“That’s Great Senior Granduncle Master Hua! The one from Mirror Flower Water Moon!”

“What? I’ve been in the sect for so long and I’ve never seen Great Senior Granduncle Master Hua!”

“Great Senior Granduncle Master Hua hardly ever comes out. Why would she come to Peach Blossom Peak today?”

“Huh… she came specifically to see Great Junior Granduncle Master Xin. Could something big be happening?”

“Who knows? How would we dare ask about the elders’ affairs…”

While the disciples whispered, Hua Wu Sheng had already reached the peak.

Compared to Mirror Flower Water Moon’s quiet, austere style, Peach Blossom Peak was all painted towers and red buildings—delicate and elegant, like a palace set among flowers.

Elder Xin Ting Xue leaned against the Viewing Pavilion and watched Hua Wu Sheng stroll over. Though her seniority was enormous, she looked like a woman in her twenties—bright-eyed, carefree, graceful as a falling petal.

She laughed. “Senior Sister Hua, what a mood. You stay hidden for ages, and the moment you come out, you use me for a show.”

Hua Wu Sheng sat across from her at the tea table. With a flick of her whisk, she smiled. “The new replace the old. Now there are only a few old fossils left in the entire sect. If I don’t come to you, who else would I come to?”

There was sadness tucked into the words, but Xin Ting Xue only poured tea with a smile. “I heard that kid Bu Fei got better, and I didn’t believe it. But now that you’re here, I’m already more than halfway convinced. If he weren’t improving, you wouldn’t have the mood for tricks.”

When elders visited each other, there was no need for formal announcements.

Hua Wu Sheng was doing it today so others would see.

Soon the whole sect would know she had gone to Peach Blossom Peak. Anyone paying attention would start asking why.

“I wouldn’t call it ‘better,’” Hua Wu Sheng said lightly. She lifted her cup and sipped, then praised, “Your tea is still the best.”

“If Senior Sister likes it, take some.” Xin Ting Xue waved a hand. “The girls under me love fiddling with this. They dry so much flower tea we can’t finish it.”

Then she leaned forward, eyes sharper. “Don’t dodge. Is he better or not?”

“It’s complicated.” Hua Wu Sheng didn’t offer more than necessary. “In short, there might be a turning point. We’ll wait a few years and see.”

Xin Ting Xue nodded slowly. “You say ‘wait a few years,’ but you’re already laying the groundwork now. Sounds like you’re confident.”

Hua Wu Sheng only smiled.

Xin Ting Xue narrowed her eyes. “So why come to me? Don’t tell me you want pills.”

“Exactly,” Hua Wu Sheng said. “I’m here for pills.”

Xin Ting Xue was the best at tending spirit herbs, and the finest alchemist in the Limitless Sect.

“Body-tempering pills,” Hua Wu Sheng said. “Make as many as you can. I’ll take them all.”

Xin Ting Xue blinked. Her expression gradually sobered. “So that’s the road you’re taking.”

She looked Hua Wu Sheng up and down. “But his meridians are ruined. Even if you temper his body, if he still can’t draw in spiritual qi, what use is it…?”

Her eyes sharpened. “So Senior Sister already found a way.”

“I don’t know if it will work yet.” Hua Wu Sheng left herself an exit. “Just tell me—will you do it or not?”

Xin Ting Xue drew out a sigh like a lazy cat. “You’ve already asked. How could I say no? As long as I can still afford to feed my disciples, you can have as many as you want.”

Hua Wu Sheng laughed. “That’s more like it.”

She rose. “I’m busy today. I’m going back. We’ll talk later.”

Xin Ting Xue rolled her eyes. “You made such a show for everyone and came just to say a few lines? So you really were using me to fool people.”

Hua Wu Sheng smiled. “If someone comes asking, you know what to say?”

“I’ll tell the truth.” Xin Ting Xue’s smile turned sly. “You asked me for a mountain of pills, and I have no idea what you’re using them for. Maybe you’re treating a dead horse like a live one. Is that good enough?”

Hua Wu Sheng nodded, satisfied. “Junior Sister Xin understands me.”

She tossed a storage bag onto the table. “For you to raise your disciples.”

Then she stepped out of the Viewing Pavilion, turned into a streak of light, and vanished into the sky.

Xin Ting Xue picked up the storage bag. When she saw it packed tight with spirit stones and materials, she muttered, “So formal. Senior Brother Jiang’s request—do I get no share?”

Still, free resources were free resources. With so many disciples, and disciples who had disciples… feeding them all was endless.

*

The Cinnabar Cloud Palace.

As soon as Ning Yan Zhi returned, he was summoned by his master.

“Was this trip smooth?” Cen Mu Liang asked. “I heard you came back injured.”

Cen Mu Liang, the Sect Master of the Cinnabar Cloud Palace, was one of this age’s top sword cultivators. But perhaps because he’d held the seat for so long, he lacked the typical sword cultivator arrogance. He was gentle as jade, like a spring breeze.

“Master, you knew so quickly?” Ning Yan Zhi answered. “It’s only a minor injury. It doesn’t matter.”

Cen Mu Liang nodded. With his most prized disciple, he was at ease. “Tell me what happened.”

“I was just about to report,” Ning Yan Zhi said. “This time I passed through Flowing Moon City…”

Cen Mu Liang’s expression shifted with every sentence, shock deepening into something like disbelief. “Are you certain? The one who cast the shield was truly that Young Sect Master Ling from the Limitless Sect?”

“There’s no mistake,” Ning Yan Zhi said. “If he hadn’t acted in time, Flowing Moon City would have been destroyed by the devil heart’s self-detonation.”

Cen Mu Liang fell silent for a long time, tapping the table with one finger. “I know something about Young Sect Master Ling’s Severed Meridians. By rights, he shouldn’t be able to cast a shield.”

He frowned. “Could it be the Limitless Sect’s treatment these past years has worked? Even if he was badly hurt this time, once there’s a first time, there can be a second. Perhaps he truly can be cured.”

“Master,” Ning Yan Zhi asked carefully, “do you mean the Limitless Sect’s internal balance might change?”

Cen Mu Liang nodded. “Ever since Old Sect Master Jiang passed in meditation, friction has simmered inside the Limitless Sect. The current Sect Master Ling took the seat because everyone compromised.”

He looked thoughtful. “If Young Sect Master Ling recovers, the Limitless Sect will not remain calm.”

Ning Yan Zhi’s brows drew together. “That wouldn’t be a good thing. If the Limitless Sect falls into chaos, the lower sects will be dragged in too.”

Cen Mu Liang’s voice stayed calm. “For us, it might not be bad. But keep an eye on their movements—and on what the lower sects do as well.”

His gaze sharpened. “The Devil-Sealing Barrier is unstable. Chaos is the one thing we can’t allow.”

“Yes, Master.” Ning Yan Zhi bowed.

After they finished, Ning Yan Zhi took his leave.

At the door, he paused as if remembering something that refused to be ignored. “By the way, Master… I met that Miss Bai Martial Uncle Chang Ling mentioned…”