Realms In The Firmament

After a while, Jun Yinglian had a few thoughts. [There are two possible explanations of why she would do this. First, maybe she thinks I am her good friend, so she doesn’t need to disguise herself. It is just like the relationship between Bing Xinyue and me. Or… she doesn’t plan to let me walk away!]

[She wants me to die here!]

[Secrets are safe in death!]

[To show a dead person her true face won’t change the fact that nobody ever saw her real face!]

Thinking about that, Jun Yinglian was alerted. She started to operate her full spiritual power and got ready to have a tough fight!

Before this… she had never met Xuan Bing at all. They had no relationship!

In other words, the first possible explanation was impossible!

That meant there was only one possibility left!

[She wants to kill me!]

[But why would she kill me?]

Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to think more about it since Xuan Bing had already approached.

It might be difficult to defend herself from a super powerful cultivator like Xuan Bing when she was entirely concentrated. If she kept being lost in thoughts, she would very likely die!

She took a deep breath and spoke in a deep voice, ”Great Elder Xuan, why is it that you want to stop in my way? I am Jun Yinglian!”

Then she raised up her head to look at Xuan Bing!

It was always essential to keep one’s aura on full power in a fight between two upper-level cultivators. Even though she knew she was weaker than Xuan Bing, she wouldn’t lose before the fight started. If she acted defeated, she already submitted. There would be no chance to survive!

When she was looking at Xuan Bing, Xuan Bing was looking back at her.

It was indeed the first time these two ladies met each other.

However, when they saw each other’s face, they both had the same thought in the head. [There is actually such a beautiful woman in the world!]

[She fascinates at first sight!]

[Every man would be lost in such beauty!]

They praised each other in the head.

”I don’t have any particular reason…” Xuan Bing was showing a big smile on the face, warm and comfortable as the spring wind. It surprised Jun Yinglian. When she looked into Xuan Bing’s eyes, there were only curiosity and warmth…

It seemed Xuan Bing was intentionally getting close to her.

Jun Yinglian even suspected that there must be something wrong with her head! [What is going on?]

She even started to ask, [Is this lady… Xuan Bing?]

[Does she need to be so kind to me? She is in such a high position in the world.]

[Shouldn’t she be standing high, domineering, looking down upon all, showing the status of a dominant figure?]

”There are not many women in the world that I could allow to be in my sight. However, I heard about you a long time ago. With such a good fortune, you and I met each other here. Why don’t we try to make friends with each other? It would be a shame in my life not to be a friend of yours…”

What Xuan Bing said confirmed her identity. However, Jun Yinglian had more suspicions now.

[Did she just say she wanted to make friends with me?]

[She came here because she wants me to accept her as my friend?]

[She heard about me a long time ago?]

[And is it real that it would be her life regret not to become a friend of mine?]

[Isn’t it flattering me too much?]

The ’breaking news’ nearly knocked her out.

Since when did the world’s Demonic Lady, Great Elder Xuan Bing, send a friend request to others?

It was… against all living beings’ recognition of Xuan Bing!

”Gr… Great Elder, you are being too humble…” Jun Yinglian didn’t loosen her alert though.

[It is said one who is unaccountably solicitous must be hiding evil intentions!]

[Elder Xuan Bing behaves so humbly to me. She must want something big from me!]

[She must be after something!]

[I don’t know what she wants yet, but I have to be careful. I can’t be reckless.]

Even though she stayed alert, she knew she would be defeated if the fight was started!

Although it was the first time she met Xuan Bing, she already sensed the ultimate power of Xuan Bing. She knew Xuan Bing was so powerful that she could only look up at her in the area of cultivation! She could never reach the same height!

Xuan Bing showed a sour expression and said, ”Younger Sister Jun, what do you think if we go down and sit together? Let’s drink and talk. What do you think?”

Jun Yinglian nodded. ”Okay!”

It seemed Xuan Bing was asking for her opinion, but in fact, she had decided it. Jun Yinglian had to say yes unless she wanted to offend Xuan Bing first. Besides, she wanted to see what Xuan Bing was precisely doing after all!

- Shoot! - They both got down from the sky, like two bolts of lightning. They were on top of a mountain. Xuan Bing waved a sleeve, and a flat terrace appeared.

After that, a set of white-jade, well-refined table and chairs slowly fall onto the terrace. A set of purple-crystal pot and teacups were put on the table.

Jun Yinglian was shocked. [This is not a coincidence! She is waiting for me here!]

[Otherwise, why would she prepare it so well in advance?]

[I don’t think such an influential cultivator would bring table and chairs with her all the time…]

Xuan Bing sat down first and looked at Jun Yinglian smilingly. ”Younger sister, have a seat. Let’s have a nice talk.”

Jun Yinglian was more confused.

[I genuinely have no idea what she is thinking about. She keeps calling me younger sister for no reason since we met… How do you know you are older? Why do you have to call me younger sister…]

[She sounds like I would fight her for being the older one…]

She sat down blandly and stared at Xuan Bing. She couldn’t understand it. She just felt numb in the head.

[What is happening?]

”Many years ago, I heard about your story.” Xuan Bing was soft like a warm jade. She waved one hand in the air. The pure spiritual qi in the sky suddenly started to gather water and pour into the purple-crystal teapot.

After that, a flowing heat flow was rising up below the teapot.

It was boiling the water.

Xuan Bing took a purple-crystal bottle from inside her clothes and spoke smilingly, ”I planted a Pure Heart Tree in the most spiritual place of Misty Cloud Palace, where we use to plant Regeneration Ink Lotus. Every year, this tree provides no more than fifty gram of tea leaves. Usually, I will keep them to myself…”

”Today, it is such a pleasure to meet you, younger sister, I am happy. I should share the taste with you. I want you to know that my tea is not bad, younger sister.” She smiled.

”I am going to taste the tea that is planted by Elder Xuan Bing.” Jun Yinglian gently smiled.

She tried not to mention the word sister.

Xuan Bing’s eyes flashed. She certainly had noticed that Jun Yinglian was avoiding something, but she didn’t say anything. She sighed and said, ”In fact, I have been thinking a lot in the past few years. Recently, I have been thinking more and more…”

Jun Yinglian smiled and said, ”I wonder what is it that you have been thinking about, Great Elder?”

Xuan Bing made a light sigh and said, ”I am thinking about… women. I am thinking… how many women in the world can reach the height where we are?”

Jun Yinglian didn’t want what Xuan Bing wanted from her, but such a topic reminded her of something in her heart.

No matter whether it was Jun Yinglian or Xuan Bing, they were both top cultivators in the world. They were not only the best among women, but also the best of all people in Qing-Yun Realm!

However, even if one of them became the world’s best, none of them could change one fact. The world was in the hands of men!

This world was a patriarchal world!

No matter how strong a woman was, she was still a woman!

Nobody could change the fact.

Xuan Bing blandly said, ”I believe you have the same trouble in your heart. How difficult it is for a woman to dominate the world!”

Jun Yinglian slowly nodded.

As Xuan Bing said, it was the biggest concern in Jun Yinglian’s heart.

”Especially when a beautiful woman wants to surpass others in Qing-Yun Realm…” Xuan Bing looked up at the mountains under the clouds and mist with flurry eyes. She sounded blank, ”Beauty of women is always the source of disaster!”

”That’s true. Beauty is the source of evil. The more beautiful a woman is, the more dangers and evils will be around her.” Jun Yinglian nodded and made a deep sigh.

”That is why I keep covering my face under masks. I never let others see my real face.” Xuan Bing blandly smiled and said, ”I guess even you, my beautiful younger sister, can’t deny that I have a face the will only bring pride to ladies, right?”

Jun Yinglian honestly said, ”Not only that. Sister Xuan Bing, you are also gorgeous and elegant. You are like the fairy in the heavens. You are the only beauty among human beings. I am ashamed. I don’t deserve the flattery, sister!”

Xuan Bing spoke in a low voice, ”We know how beautiful we are. Don’t be too modest. Luckily, we are both strong enough to ignore the fact that beauty is the source of evil.”

Jun Yinglian nodded to agree. ”That’s right. There may still be men who dare to pursue us in the world, but definitely not many.”

They were not talking nonsense. What they said was the absolute law in the world!

If there was a man who knew who they were but still dared to pursue them…

That man would very likely end up dead with his soul vanishing into nothing!

Nobody but fools would have that stupid idea!

Even Wu Fa didn’t dare!

”I don’t remember when…” Xuan Bing smiled and said, ”I realized as a woman, I am kind of lonely. I wonder if you have the same feeling, sister…”

”Lonely…” Jun Yinglian kept thinking about it.

”Yes. Lonely.” Xuan Bing nodded. ”Normal women are never as powerful as we are. They will spend their lives to assist their husbands and teach their sons. They will spend their lives in house works. However, they always have a few close friends who are also women. They can tell each other about their secrets, or their grievance. Their friends know what they are thinking, what they are worried about, what they are yearning for… We don’t. We have nothing they do. Maybe it is the price to become stronger than most men…”

Jun Yinglian made a long sigh. ”True. We can’t have that kind of life. We do have lots of sister disciples in the sect though. However, they are always awed by us. They are never close to us.”

”We have many things that we need to talk to somebody. Things that all women will have in the heart.”

Xuan Bing shared the same feeling.

”So I think we need friends. I do, and you do.” Xuan Bing looked at Jun Yinglian and said, ”Maybe you are thinking this isn’t Xuan Bing. At least not the lady that is known to people… However, you should understand my heart, my loneliness, my solitariness.”

”Because we are the same, aren’t we?” Xuan Bing said.

”Yes. We are the same. We are lonely.” Jun Yinglian looked upset. She said, ”The women in the world who can reach the same level as we do are all lonely. Who isn’t? The loneliness of a loner; loner of the lonely world!”

”Loneliness of a loner; loner of the lonely world! Why men can sit together drinking and eating, messing with each other when they are drunk, fighting somebody, going crazy, but not women?” Xuan Bing spoke like she was asking a question.

However, she had the answer.

Jun Yinglian took a breath and felt hot in her hands. She said, ”Why can’t we? Of course, we can!”

”Tea!” Xuan Bing raised the teacup.

Jun YInglian looked at the teacup, and her eyes were flashing. She spoke in a low voice, ”Why do we women always just drink tea? Why can’t we just drink like men?”

Xuan Bing was surprised and then laughed loudly.

She waved a hand, and several liquor jars appeared on the floor. - Clang! - Two big liquor bowl appeared on the table. ”In this case, we should drink!”

”Right!”

- Bang! -

Xuan Bing slapped on the seal of the jar and poured the red liquor into the bowls. Xuan Bing’s liquor was never ordinary.

The forest on the mountain was suddenly filled with the wonderful scent of the liquor.

Did anybody know why a gorgeous beauty, the excellent Elder Xuan Bing, would bring liquors with her?

”Good liquor! It’s worths spending the good night for!” Jun Yinglian was pretending. She just raised the bowl and drank up!

”Good! Come on again!” Xuan Bing wiped the mouth. Her eyes were lighting up.

”Drink!”

Two beautiful women, on top of a mountain, facing the sky and the clouds, below the splendid stars, raised their bowls and drank wildly! They were like two men drinking heroically!

The moon as a candle, a glimpse of a world was in the ladies’ talk!

The mountain as the food, a bowl of red liquor was the sincerity in women’s hearts!

…