Chapter Forty: The Sword Tomb

This picture looks strangely familiar, as if I’ve seen it somewhere before. Yet no matter how hard I try, I just can’t recall where, though I’m certain it’s somewhere in the Qingyun Mountain Scenic Area. It seems I’ll have to wait for a cloudy day to search properly. Still, at least I now have a new clue.

The next day…

At the break of dawn, I was already awake. Standing at the window, I gazed at the bustling crowds on the street below. Why are all these people up so early? While I puzzled over this, Feng Zimo climbed out of bed. Seeing me lost in thought at the window, he came over.

“What are you staring at?” Feng Zimo poked his head out and asked.

Just as I was about to say it was nothing, Feng Zimo suddenly cried out, “Damn, so many little demons! What, are they holding a demon gathering?”

His words startled me. “What? You mean all those people down there are demons?”

Feng Zimo nodded, “Yeah, can’t you tell?”

I cursed inwardly—if I could, would I have needed you to point it out?

At that moment, Lin Wei Yan appeared before us in a flash. She looked anxious as she spoke, “Something’s wrong—Xiao Ling is missing.”

What? Xiao Ling is gone?

“When did this happen?” I asked urgently.

Lin Wei Yan replied, “I don’t know. When I woke up, she was already gone.”

“Could she have just wandered off to play?” Feng Zimo suggested.

Lin Wei Yan shook her head, “Impossible. Xiao Ling never goes off on her own. Even if she wants to go out, she always tells me first.”

Suddenly, I realized something serious: could Xiao Ling have been taken by someone? I remembered Wu Xin saying last night that many practitioners from the Mystical Sect had arrived here. If that’s true, Xiao Ling could be in real danger. And whoever took her must be stronger than us, otherwise we would’ve sensed something. Why did they target Xiao Ling specifically? What is their purpose?

Seeing Lin Wei Yan so anxious, I tried to comfort her.

“It’ll be alright. Don’t worry, Xiao Ling won’t be harmed. Let’s split up and search for her.”

With that, we left the inn, not caring anymore about the sudden influx of demons on the street.

We searched all morning, scouring every alley and corner, but found no trace of Xiao Ling. It was as if she had vanished from the face of the earth. We were beside ourselves with worry, especially Lin Wei Yan, who kept blaming herself for failing to protect Xiao Ling. Seeing her like this, Feng Zimo and I didn’t know how to comfort her—after all, the bond between Lin Wei Yan and Xiao Ling was something we couldn’t truly understand.

As we stood helpless, I spotted Wu Xin. I hurried over to call him, thinking he was an expert at finding things, so surely finding a person wouldn’t be too difficult for him.

“Brother Wu Xin, can you help me find someone?”

Wu Xin frowned. “You mean the little girl who was with you yesterday?”

I was surprised—so he knew. “Do you know where she is?”

Wu Xin nodded, “I do, but I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?” I asked.

Wu Xin sighed, “Just don’t ask. It’s for your own good.”

His words angered me. What did he mean, ‘for our own good’? Xiao Ling is our companion—she once saved my life from the Illusory Demon. Even if it’s a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den, I’ll do whatever it takes to rescue her unharmed.

So I changed my address to “Brother Wu,” hoping it would sound more familiar.

“Brother Wu, please tell me—I’m begging you.”

I could tell Wu Xin was not a bad person. If he had truly wanted to hide the truth, he would have simply claimed ignorance from the start.

After I pleaded for a while, Wu Xin finally revealed what he knew. He said that at midnight last night, a mysterious figure arrived at Qingyun Mountain—a person of extraordinary cultivation. Xiao Ling was taken by this person to be sacrificed for a sword.

I couldn’t understand—why, with so many little demons at Qingyun Mountain, did they choose Xiao Ling? I voiced my doubts to Wu Xin.

Wu Xin shook his head and said he didn’t know either. But he did know that nearly half the crowd on the street were not human, but little demons brought by the mysterious figure.

So that’s why there are so many demons this morning—they’re all connected to that mysterious person. Clearly, this mysterious figure is not ordinary.

But even if that’s true, does it mean I have to give up on Xiao Ling? Honestly, I couldn’t do that.

Even if it costs my life, I will rescue Xiao Ling.

Later, Wu Xin told me the mysterious figure would enter the Immortal’s Tomb at midnight tonight to retrieve the Qingyun Sword. Wu Xin admitted he was no match for the mysterious figure and planned to report the situation to his master.

Watching Wu Xin’s departing back, I called out to him.

“Brother Wu, can you wait until after the cloudy day? Maybe I can help you get the Qingyun Sword.”

Wu Xin glanced back at me, “Alright! For your sake, I’ll go with you tonight.”

After Wu Xin walked off, Feng Zimo and Lin Wei Yan remained silent.

Back at the inn, Lin Wei Yan bit her lip and said to me, “Brother Chu Yun, let me go rescue Xiao Ling alone.”

I knew Lin Wei Yan didn’t want to implicate us, and I understood her feelings were genuine.

So I said, “What are you talking about? Have you forgotten Old Jiang’s dying wish? He asked me to protect you.”

“But…”

Lin Wei Yan tried to protest, but I cut her off.

“Enough, no more buts. We’re family.”

Hearing this, Feng Zimo chimed in, “That’s right—one family. Whatever the difficulty, we face it together.”

And so, the three of us waited in the inn until nearly midnight. Throughout the afternoon, we devised several rescue plans, but none seemed reliable. In the end, we agreed to improvise when the time came.

Thanks to the mysterious figure’s presence, finding the entrance to the Immortal’s Tomb was no longer difficult. Wu Xin joined us as promised at the tomb’s entrance.

As for the entrance itself—it was remarkable. Located at the Azure Dragon Pool waterfall, you only had to pass through the cascade to enter the Immortal’s Tomb.

Since I still couldn’t fly, Lin Wei Yan carried me inside. Wu Xin, far more skilled, leapt in with ease.

Once we all entered the tomb, the sight before us left us stunned. It was a cave soaring dozens of meters high, winding and undulating, its walls covered in all kinds of celestial herbs.

Following the path, we pressed onward and soon arrived at a massive stone gate. The gate was immense, weighing thousands of pounds.

On it were carved two bold characters: “Sword Mound.”