Love & Redemption
Chapter 92 - 49: Fuyu Island (8)

Chapter 92: Chapter 49: Fuyu Island (8)

Two days passed, and the people from Dianjing Valley and Lize Palace arrived too, but there was still no news from Xuanyuan Sect. Unable to set his mind at ease, Dongfang Qingqi sent disciples to deliver a message. They reported back that the Xuanyuan Sect’s gates were tightly shut, the copper tripod at the entrance was full of cold incense ashes, and the locals near South Mountain said they had not seen anyone from the Xuanyuan Sect for several months.

This was naturally not good news. Dongfang Qingqi frowned deeply and, turning back, sighed, "Gentlemen, I have no idea what this could mean."

Valley Master Rong, the Vice Palace Master of Lize Palace, and Chu Lei were sitting opposite, all showing looks of solemnity. Only the Vice Palace Master wore a mask, so his expression could not be seen, but the way he kept fanning himself with his feather fan showed he was pondering something.

"Could it be that Xuanyuan Sect got cold feet after losing last time and dare not participate in the Flower Pinning Conference again?"

The Vice Palace Master cracked a joke that was not the least bit funny, and while no one else laughed, he chuckled to himself.

The others, aware of the Vice Palace Master’s typical demeanor, paid him no mind. After pondering for some time, Valley Master Rong suggested, "I presume something significant must have happened. Why don’t we send a few more disciples to keep watch on-site and report back immediately if there’s any new developments?"

Although Xuanyuan Sect had declined in recent years, it was still one of the major Cultivation Sects in the south. As the saying goes, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse, and Xuanyuan still wielded considerable influence in the south. Should anything happen to it, it would not bode well for the other Four Great Sects.

Thereupon, Valley Master Rong and Dongfang Qingqi each dispatched some disciples to continue monitoring the situation at the Xuanyuan Sect.

Dongfang Qingqi muttered, "Do you think this could be related to the recent issue with the Sea Stabilizing Iron Chain?"

Before he could finish, Valley Master Rong said in a stern voice, "Qingqi! Do not speak of this matter again!"

Everyone fell silent, and finally, Chu Lei said, "Whether related or not, the best course is for each of us to remain on guard. We will meet soldiers with strategy and stem the flow of water with earth."

The weight he put into those last eight words sent a chill through those present, who deeply understood the gravity of the situation.

Unexpectedly, the Vice Palace Master laughed in his peculiar manner and said, "Sect Leader Chu, you worry too much. A few scruffy misfits hardly count as an army. We are, after all, major Cultivation Sects of the human world, and we should not underestimate ourselves. Come, let us settle the names of the competing disciples first."

Understanding that the Vice Palace Master’s words were intended to ease the tension, Chu Lei also smiled and replied, "You’re quite right, Vice Palace Master. Dongfang Island Master and I have already finalized the list. Valley Master Rong, Vice Palace Master, have your Sects decided on their lists yet?"

Both nodded slightly and took out their lists from their sleeves, handing them to Dongfang Qingqi. Valley Master Rong added, "At the last Flower Pinning Conference, Dianjing Valley was utterly disgraced. This time, I personally reviewed the competing disciples to ensure such an incident doesn’t happen again."

They knew Valley Master Rong was referring to Wu Tong. Wu Tong became a disciple of Dianjing Valley halfway through his journey, possessing a peculiar set of skills from possibly another Sect. His master was Elder Jiang of Dianjing Valley, who valued his talent and decided to keep him. But because of his soft heart, he allowed Wu Tong to escape after a grave mistake. Subsequently, Elder Jiang took on the blame, secluding himself beneath the Small Moon Cliff of Dianjing Valley, never to emerge again.

Wu Tong had deliberately injured Chu Lei’s daughter, Chu Xuanji, which made him a major fugitive with a bounty of 500 gold coins offered by the Five Great Sects. The Five Great Sects’ manhunt was swift and severe. They wouldn’t fail to find a person—or even a rabbit—within a month.

But Wu Tong remained uncaptured. After his escape, he vanished without a trace, as if he had evaporated from the human world. The bounty on the Five Great Sects’ wanted posters was renewed every year, and the reward for Wu Tong increased from 500 gold coins to two thousand. With such a high bounty, every Cultivator in the world knew Wu Tong’s name and tried to turn mountains and seas over to find him, yet none succeeded.

As time passed, some speculated that Wu Tong had committed suicide out of guilt, which was why they couldn’t find him. Eventually, the Sect Leaders of the Five Great Sects also came to believe Wu Tong was dead, but they never removed his name from the wanted list, in case of future unforeseen events.

The Flower Pinning Conference, although a competition for the young disciples of the Five Great Sects, carries significant meaning, and important figures from each sect will be in attendance. Thus, it’s inevitable that those with nefarious intents might come to cause trouble. Valley Master Rong had already made up his mind that if Wu Tong dared to come again, this time he would certainly kill the scoundrel with his own hands.

After taking care of official business, the four of them began to chat leisurely in the main hall and spoke of Bengyu finding its master, who was none other than Chu Lei’s younger daughter, Xuanji. Upon hearing this, Valley Master Rong also laughed heartily and stroked his beard saying, "Brother Chu, you only know that Broken Gold and Bengyu are powerful swords, but you have no idea that the materials used to make them are truly formidable."

Upon hearing this, Chu Lei quickly asked, "What do you mean by that? Please enlighten me, Valley Master."

Valley Master Rong sighed and said, "That was a work of my Grandmaster from who-knows-how-many generations ago, who one day was melting new Xuantie Stone he had obtained on the Sword Casting Platform. Suddenly, a brilliant light fell from the sky like a meteor, crashing right at the edge of the platform. You should know that the materials for forging swords, gathered from deep mountains and vast seas, are considered treasures, but they pale in comparison to celestial materials. Celestial materials are a matter of chance, not something one can seek. My Grandmaster thought it was a meteorite that fell and hurried over to see, in the hope that the stone might contain materials suitable for sword making, which could really be used to create a divine sword."

"So you’re saying Broken Gold and Bengyu were actually forged from a heavenly meteorite?" Chu Lei was both shocked and elated, for this was the first time he had heard the origins of the two swords.

Valley Master Rong smiled and shook his head, "They were forged from something that fell from the sky, but it wasn’t a stone. Had this not been recorded in the annals of Dianjing Valley, anyone hearing it today would certainly think it a joke. What fell from the sky wasn’t a stone, but a sword, gigantic in size, dazzling top to bottom in brilliance, emitting a glow too intense for the eyes. The Grandmaster thought it was a weapon dropped by a Heavenly God, and he was overjoyed to recover it. He initially wanted to use the sword himself, but as a mortal, he couldn’t wield it. Reluctant to let go of the Divine Artifact, he searched the five lakes and four seas, famous mountains and rivers, and finally found many superior sword-forging materials. He melted them together with the Divine Artifact on the Sword Casting Platform, and after three years, he forged two swords, which are Broken Gold and Bengyu."

Upon hearing such extraordinary tales, everyone was stunned into silence. Dongfang Qingqi said, "That means... the object that fell from the sky was indeed a weapon used by a Heavenly God? How could mortal fire melt it?"

Valley Master Rong replied, "That’s why it took the Grandmaster three years to forge the two swords. After countless trials, he found that Ice Crystal Jade mined from the base of Kunlun Mountain could fuse with the sword. Overjoyed, he first forged Bengyu. When it came to making Broken Gold, there wasn’t much left of the original sword, so he had to add other materials, fortunately succeeding in creating Broken Gold. After the swords were completed, he himself practiced with them, and Bengyu was almost entirely made of the essence of the Divine Artifact, so naturally he favored it. However, he was unable to use it and eventually sealed Bengyu, using Broken Gold himself. On his deathbed, moved by some epiphany, he left a testament that disciples of our sect must never use these twin swords. As the Grandmaster so decreed, later generations of Sect Leaders also only sealed the twin swords in the Sword Casting Platform. By the time of my generation, the disciples were unaware of Broken Gold and Bengyu’s existence. Seeing that it was a pity for the two swords to be sealed in the platform and no one in the sect was able to use them, I simply took the opportunity of Sect Leader Chu’s joy at having twin daughters and gifted them to him. Unexpectedly, Bengyu, which had remained unused for so many years, came to life in your daughter’s hands. The Grandmaster’s spirit beneath the nine springs should rest in peace."

The crowd praised unanimously, now knowing the extraordinary origins of Broken Gold and Bengyu. However, they couldn’t help but wonder what the Divine Artifact that fell on the platform that day was, and whether it truly was a weapon dropped by a Heavenly God. As cultivators, their life’s goal was cultivation, but as to what a Heavenly God looked like, no one knew, no one had ever seen one. Who would have thought that there were indeed miracles in the world, truly touching one to the core, making one feel that a lifetime’s effort had not been in vain.

As they chatted, suddenly from outside the door came a soft calling of deer, followed by the alarmed yet respectful voices of the disciples guarding the door. "Sect Leader’s Wife! The Sect Leader is currently entertaining distinguished guests... it’s not suitable to enter..."

Before they could finish, that charming and alluring voice rose up, laughing lightheartedly, "What distinguished guests that even I can’t enter? You little disciples really do lack reason."

Dongfang Qingqi frowned slightly, his gaze turning cold. Chu Lei and the others promptly took their cue to rise and take their leave, smiling, "The journey is long, and we are all a bit tired; we’ll have a three hundred cup spree with the Island Master tomorrow!"

He laughed heartily, escorting everyone to the door. There at the entrance stood an exquisite woman in white, accompanied by two little deer vying for pine nuts in her hands. Seeing the group emerge, she smiled gently and bowed slightly, softly saying, "Greetings to all the Sect Leaders."

The wind tossed her fine hair into disheveled tendrils, while her long sleeves billowed and her eyes shimmered like autumn waters—truly a beauty beyond words. Although they knew of her special status and her cunning and ruthless nature, faced with such terrifying beauty, even the typically composed Valley Master Rong felt a tremor in his heart. They all returned her smile with a salute, exchanging no more words and bidding farewell.

Lady Dongfang gracefully approached, the two little deer following her, circling and calling for more pine nuts.

She wrapped her arm around Dongfang Qingqi’s arm with a coquettish voice, "Look at my ears, my lord."

Dongfang Qingqi was taken aback for a while before he finally managed a faint smile, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and looked over at her earlobes, sculpted like white jade, softly asking, "What’s wrong?"

Yet deep down, he sighed coldly. (To be continued... For the continuation of the story, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available, please support the author, support genuine reading!)