Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Straight to the True Heart

As soon as Li Shuang finished speaking, Ye Zhao Zhao stared in disbelief and said: “First Senior Sister, what nonsense are you spouting! That Snow Lotus was picked by me with great effort. Senior Sister, I do not blame you for leaving me behind, but you cannot slander me like this.”

Her eyes reddened as she added: “And I have a Sword Spirit to testify for me!”

She drew the Dragon Roar Sword, and Long Yan appeared on the spot.

Pointing at the blade, Ye Zhao Zhao said: “Senior Sister and the Dragon Roar Sword were together for ten years. That day Long Yan wanted to save me, but Senior Sister refused, so a person and a spirit clashed. Now Senior Sister has even thrown the Dragon Roar Sword away!”

Long Yan bowed and said: “Everything Zhao Zhao says is true. Li Shuang is lying.”

Immortal Ling Xu flicked his sleeve and glared at Li Shuang as he said: “Wicked disciple! With the Sword Spirit as witness, what more do you have to say!”

Keeping her gaze calm, Li Shuang said: “On Ling Xu Peak I am responsible for teaching our Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters the sword. As a Sword Spirit, Long Yan sometimes taught for me when I was busy, so he came and went with Ye Zhao Zhao. I did not know when he began to despise me as his Master and wanted to take Ye Zhao Zhao as his new mistress. On the snowy mountain that day, when I ran out of strength, he controlled the Dragon Roar Sword and stabbed my dantian. In that desperate moment, if I had not grasped the Supreme Emotionless Art, I would have died. I abandoned the Dragon Roar Sword because it was disloyal. Such a disloyal sword, used by Ye Zhao Zhao today, may one day give her the same end it gave me.”

Her voice carried a trace of mockery.

Growing anxious, Long Yan said: “Zhao Zhao, I would never betray you. You know I have no divided heart toward you.”

Li Shuang glanced at him, then said evenly: “Sect Master, did you hear that? From the way Long Yan speaks, the two of them already have a bond. He is loyal to Ye Zhao Zhao and keeps only her in his heart. That means he is disloyal to me. Testimony from a disloyal sword hardly convinces anyone.”

Her words were clear as ice.

Ye Zhao Zhao’s face went a little pale. [Li Shuang was not this hard to deal with before.]

Clarity settled in Li Shuang’s chest. Over the years, Ye Zhao Zhao had slandered her again and again. She had fought to explain herself again and again, but no one believed her. Their doubt tore her up inside and pushed her into endless self blame.

Now she was not the same as before. She no longer thought the people of Ling Xu Peak would believe her. She was not speaking to persuade them.

With the Supreme Emotionless Art turning within, Li Shuang aimed straight at her true heart. From now on, she would seek only one clear thought.

Tears slipping free, Ye Zhao Zhao said: “Long Yan just could not bear what Senior Sister did, that is why he… Senior Sister, why must you smear me like this? I…”

Immortal Ling Xu had seemed a bit shaken, but the moment he saw Ye Zhao Zhao’s tears, his heart ached for her. He stared coldly at Li Shuang as he said: “If we go by what you say, all the fault lies with us? We were biased, and the Sword Spirit is the one who betrayed his Master? Li Shuang! No one is on your side. Shouldn’t you reflect on yourself?”

The corner of Li Shuang’s mouth lifted.

Yes. The old her had eaten herself up from within just like this. She had never known what she did wrong or why no one believed her. She had wondered if she just had not done well enough and that was why she ended up in this mess. [But now, my Heart-Questioning is clean. If the world betrays me, then the world is wrong. We cultivate to be free. Why chain ourselves?]

Speaking each word with care, Li Shuang said: “I am not wrong.”

Immortal Ling Xu flushed with anger and said through his teeth: “Sect Master, you see it too. This stubborn, unteachable disciple shames our sect. Please give the order to expel her!”

“This…” Meng Yi Fei frowned. The next moment, a crisp voice rang out from outside the hall: “Expel her? Ling Xu, old man, where do you plan to drive her! If you don’t want this disciple, I, Lin Qing Ling, want her. I am not as muddle headed and dull as you!”

Luo Ming Yue let out a small breath. [Master is here! If she had not come, I might not have been able to protect Junior Sister today.]

Without any announcement, Lin Qing Ling stormed in and fixed her glare on Meng Yi Fei as she said: “Sect Master! You know my Emotionless Peak has waited many years to finally welcome a disciple who has entered the Supreme Emotionless Art. Now both sides have different stories. On what grounds do you say Li Shuang is guilty? He, Ling Xu, may not want this disciple, but I do!”

Turning to Ling Xu, Lin Qing Ling said: “Matters on your Ling Xu Peak are yours to decide, but the Sword Sect is not only your Ling Xu Peak.”

Face like ice, Immortal Ling Xu said: “Lin Qing Ling! Li Shuang is a viper. If you take her, are you not afraid of being bitten?”

Lin Qing Ling let out a cold laugh and said: “I think you are the foolish one who cannot tell good from bad.”

Immortal Ling Xu’s face tightened. He said coldly: “Since you insist on making a scene, I have nothing more to say.”

Expressionless, he looked at Li Shuang and said: “Li Shuang, step forward.”

Li Shuang stepped forward calmly.

With a gaze sharp as frost, Immortal Ling Xu said: “You are jealous by nature, you fled in battle, and now you twist black and white with slick words. Li Shuang, I could not be more disappointed in you. For the sake of our years as Master and disciple, you will take one palm from me. From this moment, you are no longer a Ling Xu Peak disciple. The bond between us is cut. We will have nothing more to do with each other.”

Furious, Lin Qing Ling said: “Take one palm from you? Do you mean to take her life!”

Immortal Ling Xu said coolly: “I will spare her life. Do my years of teaching not deserve one palm?”

“You…” Lin Qing Ling started to argue, but Li Shuang spoke in a steady voice and said: “All right.”

Lin Qing Ling froze, then snapped her eyes to Li Shuang.

Holding Immortal Ling Xu’s gaze, Li Shuang said: “Disciple Li Shuang will today take one palm from Immortal Ling Xu. From now on, Master and disciple are cut apart. We will have no further ties.”

She took one step forward and waited in silence.

Immortal Ling Xu’s face twisted. [Wretched disciple, truly wretched!] At first he had only wanted an apology. If Li Shuang would apologize to Zhao Zhao, he would punish her and be done. But she refused to apologize and even turned black to white to smear Zhao Zhao.

“Good, good!” A hard light flashed in Immortal Ling Xu’s eyes as he raised his hand and struck.

Lin Qing Ling moved on instinct to block, but when she saw the calm on Li Shuang’s face, she held herself back. [Today, let Li Shuang sever everything with Ling Xu Peak once and for all.]

Sheng Yuan’s eyes trembled as he cried: “Master!”

The force of the palm was fierce. Li Shuang flew through the air, crashed to the ground, and blood burst from her mouth.

“Li Shuang!” Lin Qing Ling and Luo Ming Yue rushed to her at once.

Lin Qing Ling checked her quickly, and anger burned in her eyes as she said: “Ling Xu, how vicious you are! Every meridian severed, the dantian wounded. You mean to cripple her!”

Pressing his lips together, Immortal Ling Xu said evenly: “She wished to leave my Ling Xu Peak and must pay the price. Now that she has taken my palm, our bond is cut. There is nothing more to say.”

He bowed to Meng Yi Fei and said: “Please announce to the whole sect that I have severed the master disciple bond with Li Shuang.”

With that, he turned and left with Sheng Yuan and Ye Zhao Zhao.

Sheng Yuan’s lips trembled. He glanced toward Li Shuang, then clenched his teeth and hurried after them.