Chapter 279: Old Friends
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Qin Xi turned to look, but as soon as he did so, a wrinkle slowly formed on his brows. “They’re...”
“People from Yunwu Sect,” Mo Tiange finished his sentence. Looking at their black clothes made Mo Tiange heave a soft sigh.
Those were clothes they were familiar with. Fortunately, the emblem on the clothes was still a pattern of several clouds. It seemed... the matter Liu Yidao talked to her about last time had concluded. Yunwu Sect already took back their monastery and henceforth was no longer bullied by Zixia Sect.
But Mo Tiange didn’t stop because she saw disciples from Yunwu Sect. Rather, it was because the two females in their group looked extremely familiar to her.
“It’s them!” Qin Xi also recognized them.
“En.” Mo Tiange watched them for a while before she turned to Qin Xi. “Senior Martial Brother Shoujing, I—”
“Go if you want. It’s nothing but a couple of Foundation Building cultivators,” Qin Xi said flatly.
After a moment of hesitation, Mo Tiange nodded and said, “Thank you.”
The six people from Yunwu Sect were obviously at a disadvantage, especially since their opponents were all male cultivators who fought while teasing the two females with their foul mouths.
When the two females heard their teasing, one looked indignant while the other surprisingly looked extremely indifferent.
Mo Tiange couldn’t help but remember the time when they were in Miwu Valley and were also harassed by Zixia Sect disciples almost seventy years ago. At that time, the two females were both angry. Now, however, one’s expression was suffused with frustration and shame, while the other seemed to care about absolutely nothing.
With a soft sigh, she released her spiritual aura pressure.
The spiritual aura pressure of a Core Formation cultivator came down upon them. The eleven people on the scene were greatly alarmed. They stopped their fight, one after another. The moment they turned to look, they immediately spotted Mo Tiange standing not too far from them as well as Qin Xi behind her.
At one glance, the five-person group immediately noticed the clothes the two of them were wearing and were thoroughly shocked. They hastily bowed and made their salutations: “So it’s Core Formation seniors from Xuanqing School—greetings to Seniors.”
The people from Yunwu Sect were startled to hear what they said, but they quickly bowed and saluted: “Juniors greet the two Seniors.”
Mo Tiange nodded then directed her attention to the five-person group. “Which cultivation group are you from?”
Shame emerged on the five people’s faces. The leader answered respectfully, “Senior, we were originally disciples of Jingxin Sect.”
Jingxin Sect? She had never heard this name before.
Their leader was extremely quick-witted. The moment he saw the bewilderment on her face, he immediately explained, “Jingxin Sect was only a small cultivation group. Now... it’s been an exterminated group for several dozen years... After the extermination of our group, we became individual cultivators...”
“I see...” The extermination of cultivation groups wasn’t that rare. There were countless small cultivation groups in the Celestial Pole. If the group didn’t have enough talented people or the group provoked a powerful enemy, it could very easily become exterminated overnight. Those who managed to escape but had nowhere to go would become individual cultivators.
Seeing that she was good-natured, the leader became more courageous and said, “Senior, do you perhaps fancy this Crimson Calico Grass? If Senior does, Junior will naturally offer it with both hands.”
Mo Tiange couldn’t help but smirk when she heard what he said. This person was very glib. Although the five of them were much stronger than the six people from Yunwu Sect, it wasn’t like Yunwu Sect had absolutely zero chances of winning. If she fancied this Crimson Calico Grass, all of them naturally wouldn’t have any hopes of obtaining it. By saying what he did, this person was trying to directly take credit for offering the grass to her, ignoring the people from Yunwu Sect—they wouldn’t dare to raise any objections anyway.
The six people from Yunwu Sect could naturally understand the intention behind his words. All of them were glowering at their opponents.
The leader immediately raised his eyebrows. “Could it be that you still want to fight a Core Formation senior for this spiritual plant?”
His question made the people from Yunwu Sect even angrier and also anxious. On one hand, they felt this person was really despicable. With just a few words, he framed them for wanting to fight a Core Formation senior over a spiritual plant. On the other hand, they were also afraid Mo Tiange would really misunderstand them.
Among the six people, only the middle stage Foundation Building female cultivator had a calm expression. At that moment, she bowed and cupped her hands respectfully. “Since the two Seniors want this spiritual plant, Juniors naturally have no reason to fight over it. I hope Senior will not listen to this person as he was trying to set us up.”
Mo Tiange looked at that female cultivator. The female cultivator had a calm expression and a charitable demeanor—she really had the courage to step forward by herself.
Mo Tiange had to heave another sigh. “Senior Martial Sister Wang, long time no see.”
The female cultivator was dumbfounded. The other people on the scene, including the five-person group, also showed blank faces.
Senior Martial Sister Wang. They all heard how Yunwu Sect cultivators called this female cultivator before, and they indeed addressed her as “Senior Martial Sister Wang.”
Who was this Core Formation senior in the end? She actually addressed the female cultivator like this too?!
The two female cultivators from Yunwu Sect stared fixedly at Mo Tiange. All of a sudden, one of them called out in shock, “You... You’re Junior Martial Brother Ye?!”
Mo Tiange smiled and nodded at that person. “Senior Martial Sister Shen.”
These two people were precisely Wang Qianyi and Shen Bing from back then. Shen Bing was now in the early stage of the Foundation Building realm, and her beauty hadn’t decreased even a bit. As for Wang Qianyi, she was already in the middle stage of the Foundation Building realm. Back then, serving as Shen Bing’s foil, she wasn’t very conspicuous. Now, however, she was frosty in demeanor but as beautiful as a flower.
Their years of bitterness automatically surfaced in Mo Tiange’s mind. That year, Shen Bing was forced to be a concubine, and Wang Qianyi had to marry her enemy. More than ten years later, Liu Yidao told her that Shen Bing was free, but Wang Qianyi and that person were still husband and wife—had she escaped that sea of misery? But judging by how they looked now, they didn’t seem to be faring badly.
Upon hearing Shen Bing’s call, Wang Qianyi finally remembered. A hint of astonishment emerged on her cool, calm face. “You... You’re really Junior Martial Brother Ye?”
With a wry smile, Mo Tiange nodded. They hadn’t met for more than sixty years. Unexpectedly, upon meeting again, it was actually in this kind of situation.
The five people in the other small group all had huge changes of expression when they saw what was happening. They never expected this Core Formation to actually be acquainted with the other group. They all looked nervous now, trembling with fear and wondering if this senior would kill them out of anger.
The leader of the other group hesitated for a while but in the end, he still chose to speak. “So these several fellow Daoists turned out to be Senior’s old friends—Juniors must’ve been blind before. Juniors hope Senior won’t take offense.”
His speech eventually ended with a plea.
Mo Tiange indifferently cast them a glance, saying: “That’ll do. I’m not going to make things difficult for you. You may go.”
The five people were extremely delighted. They repeatedly bowed to her and said, “Many thanks to Senior, many thanks to Senior.” They didn’t dare to stay any longer; they all employed their flying magic tools, flying at lightning speed towards a faraway place.
Mo Tiange didn’t pay them any more attention. She smiled at Wang Qianyi and Shen Bing. “It’s true. Senior Martial Sisters really have good memories.”
After obtaining affirmation from her, Wang Qianyi and Shen Bing glanced at each other, sensing that this was too weird. They saw Mo Tiange was now wearing Xuanqing School’s robes, her whole body was covered with a Core Formation cultivator’s spiritual aura pressure, and her every movement was filled with confidence and ease—she wasn’t at all the prudent, smiling and friendly Junior Martial Brother Ye from that year. What made them even more incredulous was despite the fact that Junior Martial Brother Ye back then was an attractive youngster, he didn’t have any female characteristics in the slightest, but Mo Tiange... was exquisite and graceful—her appearance was obviously that of a woman.
A long time later, Wang Qianyi sighed with a bleak expression. “As it turned out, we were really blind back then. Junior Martial Brother Ye, how have you been all these years? You... where did you go in the end?”
Now that they brought up their past, Mo Tiange also sighed. Back when she ran into Liu Yidao at Xuanqing School, they indeed chatted about what happened after they parted, but she also asked him not to divulge her whereabouts to others. Although Liu Yidao was neither too kind nor honest in the matter about Xu Jingzhi, it seemed he still kept her whereabouts a secret.
“About that year... Senior Martial Sisters, when you head back, you can ask Senior Martial Brother Liu.”
“Does Senior Martial Brother Liu know?” Wang Qianyi asked in surprise.
Mo Tiange nodded and dropped this matter. Instead, she asked, “Senior Martial Sisters, why did you come to Demonic Mountain?”
Wang Qianyi sighed. “Junior Martial Brother Ye, you probably don’t know—although we won Yunwu Sect back, the damages we sustained were too disastrous, and we only have a few Core Formation cultivators left. If we kept doing things in conventional ways, I’m afraid we wouldn’t be able to form our Gold Cores, so we just took our chances...”
“I see...” Mo Tiange took a moment to think then said, “For Foundation Building cultivators, this place is very dangerous. You should head back after you take this spiritual plant. After all, obtaining fated chances isn’t as important as preserving as your lives.”
Shen Bing was both surprised and delighted. “Junior Martial Brother Ye, are you saying... we can have this spiritual plant?”
Mo Tiange nodded. She naturally didn’t care about a mere thousand-year-old spiritual plant. After some thought, she took out several jade bottles and talismans from inside her lapels. “This isn’t the time to reminisce about old times. If we’re fated to meet, we’ll talk about what happened after we separated that year once we leave this place. Take these medicinal pills and get out. This place’s extremely dangerous—it really isn’t a place you can handle.”
Wang Qianyi silently accepted the things Mo Tiange handed over then cautiously saluted her. “Thank you.”
Mo Tiange gave them a small smile. Without saying anything further, she turned around and walked towards Qin Xi.
“Junior Martial Brother Ye!” Wang Qianyi called out from behind her. “You... How can we find you in the future?”
Mo Tiange waved her hand. “You can ask Senior Martial Brother Liu. I’m sure we’ll meet again someday.”
Once she finished speaking, Mo Tiange once again curbed her breaths then left suddenly with Qin Xi.
As she watched their figures from behind, the wrinkle on Shen Bing’s brows became increasingly deeper. All of a sudden, she asked, “Junior Martial Sister Wang, take a look... Isn’t he Senior Martial Brother Qin?”
“Senior Martial Brother Qin?” For a moment, Wang Qianyi didn’t understand what Shen Bing meant, but upon recalling how that person looked again, she was also astounded. “He’s that Senior Martial Brother Qin?!”
“He most likely is.” Shen Bing watched their departing silhouettes with a complicated expression. “As it turns out, Junior Martial Brother Ye... is actually a woman, and she became a Xuanqing School disciple along with Senior Martial Brother Qin. I really wonder what they went through...”
The two of them no longer said anything; both were pondering the matter in silence. Mo Tiange’s appearance made them recall many old affairs. Some were extremely joyous memories, but others were extremely sorrowful.
The other four cultivators had been watching in stupefaction all along. Right now, one of them couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “Senior Martial Sisters, why did you call that senior... Junior Martial Brother Ye?”
Wang Qianyi let out a dry laugh. She said, “Sixty-some years ago, she used to be a disciple of our Yunwu Sect. At that time, she must’ve pretended to be a man.”
“What?” The four people were thoroughly shocked. “Sixty-some years ago... Senior Martial Sister, you must’ve not built your foundation yet, right?”
“You’re right.” Wang Qianyi gazed in the direction they left. “Back then... Junior Martial Brother Ye’s cultivation level was still lower than ours. She was only an Aura Refining disciple. We originally thought she ran into an accident or something, but unexpectedly...”
The affairs of the world were impermanent. She couldn’t help but recall this saying. Back then, Junior Martial Brother Ye, Senior Martial Brother Qin, and Senior Martial Brother Jiang disappeared together. Junior Martial Brother Ye was also branded as a traitor by the branch master. Neither she nor Shen Bing believed this, but they were also helpless since they couldn’t find her. Later, they eventually forgot about this matter. They’d really never expected that after more than sixty years, they’d actually meet Junior Martial Brother Ye again and learn that she was actually a woman. Furthermore... she’d also formed her Gold Core.
She suddenly heard Shen Bing say dazedly, “That Senior Martial Brother Qin... seems like he’s also formed his Gold Core. They... were actually this talented?”