Marry the Demon Sect Girl with No Bride Price-Chapter 344 - 3: Danxia Peak Outer Sect Disciple, Ruo Mei
Qin Gengyun nodded: "At that time, I thought Taoist Friend Si was truly a person of indulgence, but later I realized the bitterness in your heart. Taoist Friend Si, we are already close friends, if you have anything on your mind, you can speak freely, no need to be like this."
Si Minglan was taken aback, her phoenix eyes fixedly gazed at him, and suddenly she adjusted her clothes and sat upright, her voice no longer feigned coquettishness:
"I was saved by my master and started cultivating the Zhenyang Sect’s cultivation technique, progressing by leaps and bounds, but my heart demon was too severe, my foundation unstable, I dared not attempt to achieve the Golden Core."
"So my master gave me this Wine Gourd, found on Red Sound Mountain in the Land of the South Demon, called ’Red Immortal Gourd’. Using it to brew medicine or wine, drinking it over a long period helps stabilize one’s foundation."
"It’s just that my heart demon is difficult to resolve. The foundation might be stable, but it’s useless. Yet your current situation suits it well."
Si Minglan placed the Wine Gourd in front of Qin Gengyun:
"Tonight I will take Yun Xing, Yun Yan, and Yun Yu and leave Xingluo Town, heading to Feiyun Sect. From today’s farewell, perhaps there won’t be another day of meeting. This ’Red Immortal Gourd’, consider it a farewell gift."
Qin Gengyun did not take the rare treasure, just quietly watched Si Minglan.
Si Minglan, usually coquettish and bold, was instead embarrassed and avoided his gaze.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Qin Gengyun sighed, and slowly said:
"If matters become impossible, don’t forget you still have us friends."
The intention of Si Minglan was clear to Qin Gengyun, she was sending Yun Xing and the others to Feiyun Sect, and then delivering Yin Qiaoqin’s Jade Pendant to her junior brother; it was like resolving worldly affairs.
All that remained was revenge.
However, even if she masters the "Nine-tailed Fox Scroll," the West Imperial Dynasty is filled with experts, relying solely on herself to exact vengeance would be nearly impossible.
The ultimate result would likely be her dying in the Western Emperor Palace.
Hence, this departure might be a final farewell.
Si Minglan giving the Red Immortal Gourd to Qin Gengyun was also an intention of farewell.
Upon hearing Qin Gengyun’s words, Si Minglan was taken aback and looked at him fixedly:
"Friend?"
Qin Gengyun nodded: "Since you came to Yunling Town, and with all the events thereafter, I have become increasingly certain; you are different from Ye Xiyue, unlike the ambiguous Zhenyang Sect; you aren’t a lofty Fairy, you are... my friend."
"Friend..."
Si Minglan lowered her brows, silent for a long time, placed the Red Immortal Gourd on the table, and stood up.
At the doorway, she suddenly stopped, turned back to Qin Gengyun, opened her arms, and smiled:
"Since we’re friends, let’s have a proper farewell."
Qin Gengyun looked up at her, a smile appeared on his face, he stood and opened his arms.
Under the swaying light of the Everlasting Lamp, two shadows embraced, yet it was just right, not involving romantic feelings.
Si Minglan rested her chin on Qin Gengyun’s solid shoulder, closed her eyes, then gently pushed him away.
She placed her right hand together on her forehead, her left hand on her abdomen, her legs slightly bent, respectfully bowing—this was the traditional salute of women in the Land of the Western Emperor.
"Si Minglan, daughter of the National Guardian General Si Yuanwu of the West Imperial Dynasty, bids farewell!"
Having said this, she turned and walked out of the room.
Watching her swaying alluring yet decisively back, Qin Gengyun also clasped his hands in salute:
"Qin Gengyun of Narrow Rain Lane, Yunling Town, wishes Miss Si success and safety!"
Qin Gengyun stood in the corridor on the second floor of the inn, moments later, seeing Si Minglan leading Yun Xing, Yun Yan, and Yun Yu out of the inn door.
Yun Wu followed behind, the children’s eyes filled with tears, but like Si Minglan, they were resolute and determined.
One large and three small figures soon disappeared into the night.
Qin Gengyun still stood in the corridor, gazing into the distance:
"People come and go, there’s always a parting... my wife, when can we meet again after this separation?"
...
Zhenyang Sect.
Danxia Peak.
Under the bright moonlight, a female cultivator in a white dress of a Outer Sect disciple walks along steep and remote mountain paths. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Her appearance is delicate with some youthful innocence, seemingly eighteen or nineteen years old.
Yet, she is covered in blood, her hair slightly messy, walking in the night’s darkness, she seemed eerie.
After walking a stretch, pavilions and countless lights appeared ahead.
"Is this the residence of the Danxia Peak disciples?"
The female cultivator muttered to herself, her voice clear and cold, completely out of tune with her appearance.
Two males on night duty came closer, the female cultivator gently brushed her figure, her hair neatly pinned up, the stains disappeared, and she instantly appeared graceful and tidy.
The two disciples noticed her and approached to ask: "Junior Sister, why haven’t you returned to your room so late? If Senior Sister Lin finds out, you’ll be punished!"
The female cultivator’s face showed confusion and fear, she saluted them and said timidly:
"Two Senior Brothers, I am new to Danxia Peak, intended to look around but got lost, please forgive me and don’t tell Senior Sister Liu!"
Her delicate looks and sweet voice were endearing, the two male disciples did not have the heart to distress her; one said:
"So you are the new junior sister, are you a Copper-level disciple? Your residence is in Qiluo Garden, the number on your copper badge corresponds to your room."
"Senior Brother, is it this?" The female cultivator raised a copper badge from her waist with "98" engraved on it, the male disciple said:
"Yes, you should be in Room 98 Copper, the Copper and Silver Level disciples’ residences are in Qiluo Garden. Junior Sister, remember not to mistakenly enter the Silver Level disciples’ residence, or you’ll be punished."
The other male disciple corrected her: "Also, don’t get Senior Sister’s surname wrong, overseeing Copper and Silver Level disciples is Senior Sister Steward Lin Qingchou, not surname Liu."
"Thank you, Senior Brothers, you are indeed kind. As I have just arrived, I am quite ignorant of matters within the sect, please guide me."
The female cultivator feigned ignorance and soon extracted much information from the two male disciples.
For instance, this was indeed one of the six peaks of Zhenyang Sect, Danxia Peak, and the female cultivator named Ruo Mei had arrived as a Outer Sect disciple just half a month ago.
Zhenyang Sect categorizes its disciples into levels, from low to high: Copper, Silver, Golden, Steward, and Commanding.
Copper and Silver are Outer Sect disciples, Golden Level are ordinary Inner Sect disciples.
Above them are Steward disciples; Luo Zhenfeng, killed by Xia Qinglian, was a Steward disciple.
Above Steward is the highest level, Commanding disciple, usually only three per peak. For example, on Xiyue Peak, Senior Sister Ye Xiyue, Second Sister Wei Wan, and Third Sister Si Minglan are Commanding disciples.
Reaching Commanding disciple level offers hope of succeeding as Peak Master after the current one ages, and from there might even compete to become the next Sect Leader.
However, these distances are too vast for ordinary disciples; among Zhenyang Sect’s ten thousand disciples, there are merely eighteen Commanding disciples across the Six Peaks, exemplars among exemplars.
Below them, Steward disciples number only a few hundred, Golden Level disciples over two thousand, the remaining nearly eight thousand are all Outer Sect disciples.
"Thank you, Senior Brothers, I am heading back to my room." The female cultivator thanked the two male disciples and proceeded towards Qiluo Garden where the Outer Sect disciples reside. The bewildered innocence on her face vanished instantly, her eyes cold as ice.
"Junior Sister, what’s your name?"
A male disciple asked from behind.
By this time, clouds began to envelope the moon, the female cultivator stopped, turned, her expression obscured by darkness, only her chilling voice resonated:
"My name is Ruo Mei."
