Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Snowflakes fluttered down.

The land was cloaked in silver and white.

Zhou Yuantong had specially sewn two blue cloaks, and the two of them held hands as they strolled along a mountain path through the falling snow.

CRUNCH... CRUNCH...

Their footsteps made a distinct, rhythmic sound on the accumulated snow.

”Qii Yao told me it rarely snows in Wind Moon Valley. The last time was ten years ago.” Zhou Yuantong looked up, letting the snowflakes land on her cheeks. They collected on her long eyelashes, melting and trickling down her face like tears.

”What happened to Leng Xing is my fault.”

”Xiao Chengzai once had the chance to become my cultivation partner, but I refused him because I didn’t think we were a good match. After you became my Furnace Tripod, he came to despise you, and his resentment implicated Leng Xing, who was associated with us.”

”It’s not your fault.” Zhu Ju paced with his hands clasped behind his back.

”When someone else does wrong, there’s no need to blame yourself. We’ve just done a great disservice to Leng Xing.”

”Did he have any descendants?”

”No.” Zhou Yuantong shook her head.

”But back in Leping County, Leng Xing, Wan Jing, and a few others became sworn brothers. The others have descendants.”

Leng Xing, Wan Jing, Hex Leshan, Hua Wenhua...

The names, familiar yet distant, made Zhu Ju unconsciously slow his pace.

”Although I didn’t dare support Leng Xing openly, I did have Qii Yao secretly ask about his situation.”

Zhou Yuantong continued,

”Back when Leping County was destroyed by the Blood Flood Dragon Bandits, Leng Xing joined the Joyful Sect, while the others each had their own fortunate encounters.”

”Wan Jing took a Martial Artist at Acquired Perfection as his master and married his daughter.”

”The others settled down in the Capital City.”

”Leng Xing would sometimes accept missions that took him out of Wind Moon Valley, and he’d usually bring some things for them.”

Zhu Ju nodded slowly.

As an Outer Sect Disciple of the Joyful Sect, Leng Xing’s status in Wind Moon Valley was extremely low. But he had, after all, reached the Innate realm. Outside the sect, he would be considered a master in his own right, more than capable of protecting the descendants of his friends.

He must have been suffering terribly in Wind Moon Valley. The chance to see friends and family while on missions was probably the only thing he had to look forward to.

In truth, it was the same for disciples of the Righteous Sects.

Many couldn’t endure the hardship and eventually returned to the Mortal World to enjoy its earthly pleasures. Unfortunately, there was no way out of the Joyful Sect.

”We should go see them when we have the time.”

”Mm.”

As they spoke, Qii Yao came rushing over with some news.

”Shuu Ying is dead!”

Hmm?

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow.

Disciples often died in Wind Moon Valley for all sorts of reasons. In fact, you could say not a single day passed without someone dying.

But for two people he knew to die in quick succession... that was rather rare.

”Shuu Ying is dead?”

Zhou Yuantong looked bewildered.

”Shuu Ying was well-connected in the Sect and even had ties to a few True Inheritance disciples. Who would move against her?”

”Come on, let’s go take a look.”

Zhu Ju nodded.

’Someone like Shuu Ying, who was so good at managing relationships, could thrive anywhere.’

”I heard...” Qii Yao began, lowering her voice conspiratorially.

”It was a mole from one of the Righteous Sects. Her body was already stiff when they found her, so no one knows how long she’s been dead.”

”A mole?” Zhou Yuantong raised an eyebrow.

”There’s actually a Righteous Dao mole in Wind Moon Valley?”

”What’s so strange about that?” Qii Yao shrugged.

”It’s common practice for the Righteous Dao and the Demon Sects to plant moles in each other’s territory. It’s just surprising that one would be exposed over Shuu Ying.”

”It is strange, though.”

As they spoke, the three of them arrived near Shuu Ying’s Cave Mansion.

A large number of Joyful Sect disciples had already gathered there, a testament to Shuu Ying’s extensive social network.

”A sect senior came by. Said she was hit with some strange poison, so they probably won’t be able to find out much.”

”That foolish girl. Why did she have to provoke someone from the Profound Clarity Sect?”

”The Profound Clarity Sect?”

”Shhh...”

Thanks to Zhou Yuantong’s status as a Core Disciple, the three of them were able to enter the Cave Mansion and see Shuu Ying’s body.

She had died a horrible death; her entire body had been reduced to a desiccated corpse.

And it wasn’t just her.

Every Furnace Tripod within the Cave Mansion was dead. Not a single one had been spared.

”Senior Sister,” an Inner Sect Disciple handling the scene said, ”these two dead men over here were disciples from the Profound Clarity Sect, a Righteous Sect. They both had Innate Two Acupoints Cultivation. Senior Sister Shuu bought them to be Furnace Tripods to aid her Cultivation, and as a result, she was targeted for revenge by their sect.”

”Sigh!”

”Two cultivators at Innate Two Acupoints for only five Great Merits... you’d have to be a fool not to realize something was wrong. But Senior Sister Shuu just had to buy them.”

”The Profound Clarity Sect may be part of the Righteous Dao, but they’re infamous for being vengeful over the slightest grievance. Even we do our best not to provoke them.”

”Mm.” Zhou Yuantong nodded and pointed toward Shuu Ying’s corpse.

”Can I have her hairpin?”

”Ah...” The Inner Sect Disciple was taken aback for a moment, but she quickly picked up the hairpin and handed it over.

”Of course.”

”But... it’s just a mundane item. Senior Sister, what do you want it for...? My apologies, I’ve misspoken.”

Once they were outside the Cave Mansion, Zhu Ju looked at the hairpin in Zhou Yuantong’s hand.

”Why did you ask for that?”

”The previous owner of Shuu Ying’s Cave Mansion was someone I knew well. She was a good person,” Zhou Yuantong sighed.

”That senior sister fell in love with her Furnace Tripod. She couldn’t bear to kill him, so in the end, they both committed suicide by taking poison.”

”This hairpin was hers.”

”My husband.”

She turned, her expression complex.

”Don’t you have anything to say?”

”About the senior sister who died for love?” Zhu Ju thought for a moment, then said,

”It’s better to forget one another in the Martial World than to struggle together to survive.”

...

「The Artifact Refining Chamber」

Ding Gui knelt on the ground, her sturdy frame trembling slightly. Beads of sweat dripped unceasingly from her forehead.

”We’ve figured it out.”

A Dao Foundation Cultivator with white hair but a youthful face stood before her, hands clasped behind his back. He spoke slowly.

”Shuu Ying died of Flesh-Sloughing Poison. This poison can be applied to a Weapon, where it will slowly vaporize over time, killing its victim invisibly. And as it happens, she commissioned you to forge a Weapon for her not long ago.”

”Senior!” Ding Gui was terrified and began to kowtow frantically.

”This has nothing to do with me! I swear, it has nothing to do with me!”