Chapter 113: Who, Then, Is the Senior Sister Now?

Yuan Qingling flipped the jade token over and tried to insert the box Ai Fengling had given him, only to find there was already a smaller box inside.

After some thought, Yuan Qingling replaced the smaller box with the new one.

As the original box slid out, the jade token suddenly dimmed.

The dimming of the Longevity Token signified the life or death of a person; the breaking of the token meant the end of their existence.

A cracking sound came from his palm, causing him some panic. Unsure of the outcome, he hurriedly inserted the new box. Fortunately, the jade token lit up again, though the cracks remained.

“What exactly is this box?” Artisans’ creations were exquisitely intricate, often indecipherable even to fellow craftsmen, let alone someone with no knowledge at all.

He quickly stowed the box and hurried out of the Burning Heaven Sect. As he stepped outside, his attention was caught by a single strand of hair lying by the gate, and suddenly he realized he had made a grave mistake.

“Let’s go!” A voice whispered in his ear. “Master Shan, Uncle Shan.”

“Hmm, I’ll handle it.”

“Oh, okay, alright.” Yuan Qingling, still bewildered, returned to Lingxiao Peak, where Ai Fengling was waiting by the mountain gate. “Come help me push this.”

“Alright, alright.”

“There’s another box beneath the Master’s Longevity Token. Uncle, what exactly is this thing?” He handed the box to Ai Fengling. “The Grandmaster said my Master’s life was prolonged. Earlier, I noticed cracks on the Longevity Token; it must have been broken. Has my Master died before?”

“Yes, died saving me.”

“Then…” His voice faltered.

To ask further would be disrespectful to Ai Fengling, who was the victim and perhaps still haunted by it. Yet not asking left a heavy ache in his heart.

“What do you want to ask?” Ai Fengling seemed to see through his hesitation and answered himself. “Why would someone who has died come back to life?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t answer that, because I want to know the answer myself.”

Yuan Qingling: “Is the answer in the four places you mentioned?”

“Yes, find those four places.” He locked eyes with Yuan Qingling and repeated his warning. “The Golden Crow can enter, but you absolutely cannot.”

“Why not?”

“Because you…” He appraised Yuan Qingling from head to toe, “have become a ‘Mang.’ A Mang must submit to their master. The Golden Crow is a creature of utmost yang energy and is barely affected, but you… bear too many blood debts. If you go, you won’t come back.”

“Lame one, are you serious?” The Golden Crow patted its own arm, which was covered in feathers and should not feel cold, yet inexplicably a chill crept into his heart.

“One last question, Uncle—when you say ‘ask the gods,’ are they really gods?” He did not mention that he had seen three groups at the Burning Heaven Sect, the last of whom was Uncle Shan, who had even helped disguise him.

“I don’t know, so it must be verified.”

“And if you get an answer, what then?”

“Just being cheeky,” Ai Fengling laughed, a hint of relief in his smile. “Asking brings peace of mind. We’ll set out at dawn. I heard from Senior Brother Fan that those people have recovered, so you can act as their escort too!”

“Alright.”

No one could have anticipated how troubled the departure the next morning would be.

A Demon-Subduing Order swiftly spread throughout the entire Mystic Sect. This was a special means of communication, capable of instantly connecting all Mystic Sects—akin to a video call in later eras, or like the beacon fires between nations in this world.

The great sects, not just the Xuan Yun Sect, had all suffered to varying degrees from demonic interference during this time.

One sect, called Deepwater Bay, had truly sunk beneath the sea—rumored to be the work of demons.

Another, Firewave Island, was consumed by a great blaze, also caused by demons.

These were two notable sects—although diminished compared to today’s major sects, their ability to invoke the Demon-Subduing Order still granted them standing in the Mystic Sect.

Other sects harmed included the Deer Chase Sect, Thunder Cloud Sect, Clear River Mountain, and Moon-Slaying Gate…

The demons had become increasingly audacious recently. The Xuan Yun Sect was less affected because those demonic cultivators had not entered the sect itself but were exposed on the Wan Zhang Peak—where none escaped the torment of Wen Jing’e.

Besides Wen Jing’e’s disciples, only Fan Zifan knew the truth, but driven by his craving for demonic blood, he would never reveal it.

“The Demon-Subduing Order.” Yuan Qingling sat on the doorstep, staring at the paper in disbelief.

Once, as head of the Moon Embracing Sword Sect, he had sent out paper kites that returned with news of total destruction.

Last night, he had heard Shan Hongxing speak of demons at the Burning Heaven Sect gate, and Ai Fengling speak of asking the gods at Lingxiao Peak. Today, the news of the demons descending the mountains arrived. They are clearing obstacles for that Demon Lord!

“What are you thinking about?” Ai Fengling had skipped the meeting. Sitting in his wheelchair, he gazed at the distant mountain view, often appearing indifferent to everything.

“Just… it feels too sudden.” Yuan Qingling gave a bitter smile. “Uncle, what comes after the Demon-Subduing Order?”

Yuan Qingling was still under seventy, inexperienced compared to the elder Ai Fengling, unfamiliar with the process.

“Most likely, it’s about calling your Master back.”

“Hm?”

“You’ll have to select some capable disciples as the vanguard, probably for a trial. The question is where.”

“The Xuan Yun Sect isn’t suitable as a trial ground. If your Master hadn’t intervened in the Illusory Realm, your group of new disciples would have perished there.”

“The Xuan Yun Sect was once an ancient battlefield of the Demon God War. The bloodshed suppresses the malevolent energy here, but it also nourishes their growth. Who knows what strange things might awaken.”

“You’re how you became young again. That’s why I told you not to go to those four places. They are divine relics, and the god there is also called the Mang Lord. If you go, you’ll become her most loyal servant—an unthinking monster.”

“Is that so…”

“Yes.”

“Then is my Master’s resurrection related to the Mang?”

“Yes.”

“If Master goes there…”

“Sister won’t be affected.”

“Why?”

“Back then, to save me, she sought out that Mang. I lived, but when her life was about to be claimed by the Mang Lord, she killed the Mang Lord.” For a moment, he seemed to return to the past; his voice slowed. “Since then, Sister has been like a different person. Her humanity disappeared then; or perhaps she became a new Mang Lord.”

“But Master…” At least, in Yuan Qingling’s eyes, Wen Jing’e was still humane. “Master wasn’t like that!”

“For fifty years, no one knew what Sister did on the mountain. Even Liang Si was brought back by Master and forced upon Sister to teach. Back then, Sister seemed to be pursuing something.” A meaningful smile curved Ai Fengling’s lips. “Tell me, who is Sister now?”