Chapter Fifty-Five: The Four Sages of the Pavilion of Dao and Confucianism

Sigh...

As she reached this point, she couldn’t help but sigh again, her delicate brows unconsciously knitting together, as if some unhappy memory had crossed her mind.

“What happened afterward?”

Bai Mu, caught up in the tale, was left hanging as Ling Yan suddenly fell silent. His curiosity, just piqued, felt abruptly snuffed out, and he couldn’t help but press her to continue.

“And then…?”

Ling Yan let out a strange, cold laugh. “The proud Highness Xuanqiu, second only to the Demon Lord among the demons—how could she tolerate her own crushing defeat, even at the hands of someone she loved? Pride would not allow it.”

“So she secluded herself alone for a hundred years in the depths of Cangwu’s wilds, hoping that when she finally emerged, she could wash away her shame.”

“But fate is ever capricious. When she finally left her seclusion a century later, on her way to Mount Floating Jade, she encountered the equally beautiful and radiant Fairy Liuli.”

“At that time, she didn’t recognize Fairy Liuli’s true strength, thinking her just another ordinary cultivator, and so she insulted her…”

“Wait a minute!” Bai Mu suddenly raised a hand to interrupt. “Fairy Liuli—what’s her story? You’ve mentioned her twice now!”

“She’s the guardian deity of the Kunlun Secret Realm, and also the war goddess of the Wilds! In terms of cultivation, she might not even be beneath the Immortal Brahma himself!”

“What!” Bai Mu exclaimed in shock, his mind whirring. “So she’s that formidable? Why are there so many powerful women in the Wilds? First Ling Yan, then Xi Yan, now this proud Xuanqiu and the war goddess Liuli.”

“Especially this Fairy Liuli of the Kunlun Secret Realm—her title alone sounds extraordinary.”

“Why can’t women be powerful?” Ling Yan snapped, clearly displeased. “From White Deer Valley onward, haven’t you relied on women for protection, making it safely here to Mount Floating Jade?”

“All right, all right!” Bai Mu quickly conceded, not wanting her to get hung up on the point. “I was wrong, okay? Now hurry and tell me about the battle between Fairy Liuli and the demoness Xuanqiu!”

Ling Yan nodded, satisfied, and continued her tale: “Back then, Xuanqiu’s arrogance knew no bounds; she didn’t regard anyone in the world as her equal. And as a woman, she naturally resented any who could rival her beauty.”

“So when she first saw Fairy Liuli, she immediately went over to provoke her, even threatening to destroy Liuli’s looks.”

“Oh…” Bai Mu gasped quietly. “That’s going too far—does she think she alone is allowed to be beautiful? Can’t bear anyone else having such unrivaled beauty?”

“It’s utterly unreasonable!”

“What reason is there to be had?” Ling Yan murmured indifferently. “If she were reasonable, she wouldn’t be the demoness Xuanqiu.”

“Fair enough,” Bai Mu sighed, feeling a strange kinship, and pressed on, “So what happened next? Did she really manage to mar Fairy Liuli’s face?”

“She certainly wished to!” Ling Yan scoffed. “But Fairy Liuli is the guardian of the Kunlun Secret Realm—more precisely, the guardian of the Ancestral God. After the Ancestral God ascended, his mortal remains were left in Kunlun, with Liuli in charge of their safekeeping.”

“A war goddess of the Wilds, the illustrious Fairy Liuli—why would she fear a mere princess Xuanqiu?”

“So the demoness Xuanqiu got what was coming to her?” Bai Mu asked with undisguised delight.

“What else?” Ling Yan said. “Liuli didn’t want to fight her, but even a clay figurine has its temper. Under Xuanqiu’s relentless taunts, Fairy Liuli had no choice but to teach her a harsh lesson, beating her soundly and driving her back to the wilds of Cangwu!”

“Women of the Wilds are so fierce…” This thought flashed unbidden through Bai Mu’s mind.

“What are you muttering about?” Ling Yan asked, her curiosity piqued.

“N-nothing,” Bai Mu deflected hastily. “After Xuanqiu was sent back to Cangwu by Liuli, did she ever reappear in the Wilds?”

“No. Suffering two devastating defeats, the proud Highness Xuanqiu was utterly crushed, especially losing in her final battle to another woman of equal beauty—this was even less bearable than losing to the Immortal Brahma. She retreated to the abyss of Cangwu to immerse herself in demonic cultivation, and gradually, no word of her was heard in the Wilds again.”

“Such a beautiful and clever soul, to wither away in those depths… what a pity,” Bai Mu whispered.

Then, as if his thoughts had turned, he gazed at the sword pavilion before him, its carved beams and painted rafters, and asked in surprise, “Why are there so many treasures in the Sword Pavilion?”

“Do you want to know the reason?” Ling Yan replied, a glint of intrigue in her eyes.

“I do!” Bai Mu nodded eagerly.

“Very well!” Ling Yan’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she said, “Since there’s no one guarding the rear mountain, why don’t I take you into the Sword Pavilion and let you witness it for yourself?”

“No, no!” Bai Mu waved his hands in refusal. “There’s no need for that—this is the forbidden ground behind the Sanctuary of Return to Ruins, after all, and we’ve entered the mountain without permission. If anyone discovers we’ve snuck into the Sword Pavilion, it will cause a huge uproar!”

“Besides, we already have a tangled enmity with the Sanctuary. I don’t want to make things worse.”

“As you wish,” Ling Yan shrugged nonchalantly. “But you should know, getting into this unguarded Sword Pavilion is no easy feat. It may look deserted, but it’s the most perilous place on Floating Jade Mountain—the mechanisms are endless, the dangers beyond your wildest imagination!”

“Especially the barrier set by the war god Brahma outside the pavilion. It may appear formless and intangible, but it can take your life in an instant!”

“If you’re not interested in seeing it for yourself, then I won’t bother. Otherwise, it would take quite some effort to get in.”

“There’s no need to enter,” Bai Mu said seriously. “Just stand outside and tell me the glorious history of this Sword Pavilion.”

“No problem.” Ling Yan gave him a charming smile, then sat down on the steps and, glancing sidelong at Bai Mu, said with quiet meaning, “Come, sit beside me. Let us slowly recount this ancient and distant legend.”

In the Sanctuary of Return to Ruins, within the Hall of Dao and Confucianism.

The four holy sons sat at the four cardinal points—east, south, west, and north. Each wore an expression cold as frost, as though an intolerable outrage had taken place.

And outside the hall doors, two young men knelt in devout supplication.

One of them was tall and powerfully built, clad in a robe of watery blue, his face broad and intimidating, exuding an aura of authority even in stillness.