Chapter 1614 – Doubts
“Shut up!” Elder Huo Ling snapped, her expression changing. She shot Pei Mianman an angry look, saying. “You’re not allowed to bring that up again; otherwise, don’t blame your master for becoming angry!”
Pei Mianman stuck out her tongue. She was the only one in all of Jadefall Palace who dared to speak to her master in such a way. Normally, no one would dare to breathe even a word of the subject in front of Elder Huo Ling for fear of being torn apart.
Even though Elder Huo Ling was still quite good-looking, she was so fierce that people rarely paid any attention to her appearance. Still, in her youth, she had been one of Jadefall Palace’s flowers. Back then, she and Wan Tongtian had been known as a golden couple.
By then, Jadefall Palace had already fallen. However, they finally produced two talented geniuses, and thus naturally had to raise them carefully.
Both disciples had begun to develop some mutual admiration after being around each other for so long. Eventually, all those who knew them expected them to get married and have a child. However, they belonged to different peaks, and thus carried the glory of each peak on their shoulders. Thus, they had often been forced to fight each other to gain resources for their respective peaks.
At first, the two of them had held back a bit because of their feelings. However, as time passed and their masters urged them further on, they gradually stopped doing so. The two were both proud, and neither one believed that they were weaker than the other. In each of their minds, even though they had held back in the past, their opponent simply disregarded that and crossed the line. As such, their friendly rivalry eventually turned into real anger.
It was quite strange, however. Both of them were talented, and their cultivation speed and ranks were similar. Even after using all of their abilities, they still couldn't win against each other. Still, the longer that went on, the more they both wanted to find out who would come out on top.
Just like that, several decades passed. They clearly liked each other, but because of their personalities, neither one of them wanted to lose to the other. They both wanted to win properly against the other before expressing their real feelings. And yet, even after decades of fighting, neither one of them could decide the winner.
Later, when the position of palace lord opened up, some misunderstandings occurred between them. As such, their relationship became more and more strained. In the end, they became two old rivals who couldn't stand each other.
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As they grew older, however, the matter of Wan Tongtian’s marriage couldn’t remain under his own control. After all, it was related to the prosperity of the entire sect.
Ever since then, Elder Huo Ling’s temper had grown worse and worse, leaving the rest of Jadefall Palace frustrated and annoyed. Eventually, even those from Haze Peak began to gradually disperse. Many people had left because they couldn't stand her.
However, Elder Huo Ling had never really cared. In her opinion, it didn’t really matter if those with ordinary talent left. She didn’t feel bad about that at all. Only one concern always gnawed at the back of her mind, which was that she didn’t really have an inheritor. In time, as Wan Guiyi grew older and displayed his talent, she felt more and more anxious.
She had never once lost to Wan Tongtian. Could it be that her disciple would lose to his descendant? And that descendant was that woman’s son, no less? Just the thought of that practically drove her mad. As such, she searched the entire world for good saplings to raise. However, even though there were many with outstanding cultivation, none of them were to her liking.
Fortunately, the heavens pitied her, and she had eventually stumbled upon Pei Mianman by chance. She had been overjoyed, concluding that this was the descendant fate had ordained for her.
At the time, Pei Mianman just happened to have been worried that Chu Chuyan would only continue to widen the gap between them after joining the White Jade Sect, leaving her quite depressed. She had accepted Elder Huo Ling’s invitation, and they had quickly hit it off. The lively Pei Mianman’s arrival brought a touch of new beauty to the once gloomy and depressing Haze Peak.
Thus, a hint of consolation had appeared in Elder Huo Ling’s sealed and overcast heart. Because she had never gotten married and could only watch as Wan Tongtian and Wan Guiyi enjoyed the love between father and son, the frustration she felt had grown day by day. However, Pei Mianman was lively and likable, so Elder Huo Ling couldn't help but begin to treat her like a daughter.
As such, Elder Huo Ling naturally put her heart and soul into teaching Pei Mianman over the years. This time, she had even brought her disciple to join the Nine Sects Great Competition to reveal her to the world. At the same time, it was to show those who had mocked and pitied her that she wasn’t inferior to anyone else in this world, so her disciple wouldn’t lose to anyone else’s disciple either.
When she saw her master get angry, Pei Mianman sighed and didn’t dare to push the issue anymore. In truth, the situation between her master and the palace lord was too pitiful. They clearly could have become wonderful partners, and yet they just had to have ended up as enemies like this.
I definitely won’t be like master and let my competitive feelings ruin my chances at a lifetime of happiness.
But honestly, what is wrong with the palace lord? He’s a grown man; couldn’t he have been a bit nicer with his words? If he had been like Ah Zu, he would already have had many kids with master.
A hint of gentleness appeared on her face when she thought of Ah Zu. It had already been a long time since she saw him. She wondered where he was now. Even after getting a rare opportunity to leave Jadefall Palace, she lacked the opportunity to look for him. Perhaps that skirt-chaser was spending his time happily with some vixen somewhere.
…
Achoo!
Just then, as Zu An’s group happened to arrive at the foot of Violet Mountain, he suddenly couldn't help but sneeze.
“Did big brother Zu catch a cold?” Xie Daoyun asked out of concern. At the same time, she found it a bit strange. The bodies of cultivators were special; it was rare for them to get any common illness.
“I didn’t. It might be that someone is thinking about me,” Zu An said, rubbing his nose. He looked at the majestic Violet Mountain, thinking it had to be at least a few thousand meters tall; it seemed comparable to Mt. Everest. In his previous world, a place like this would practically be devoid of human life; in this world of cultivation, however, it was such a normal place to be.
Zu An gave the nearby Wang Bolin an order. “General Wang, we might disturb the State Teacher’s place of cultivation if we all head up the mountain. Stay with the rest here at the foot of the mountain, but be ready to head up after I give you the signal.” Then, he had Zhang Zijiang choose some of his personal guards to accompany him up the mountain.
“Understood!” Wang Bolin replied, secretly feeling happy. It seems that, in the eyes of Sir Zu, I’m worth trusting after all! He handed such an important task to me and not that bootlicker.
Zhang Zijiang was also really happy. It seems my bootlicking really worked! That stupid Wang is doing all the hard work, and yet he’s keeping me at his side.
…
Zu An had no idea what they were thinking. The group, now smaller, thus proceeded up the mountain. A refreshing feeling swept over them as soon as they started climbing.
Zu An couldn't help but say, “This Violet Mountain really is a cultivation paradise.”
Zhang Zijiang remarked, “I heard that whenever the sun rises, the sunlight covers the mountain in gold. At the same time, the peak produces violet ki, which is really good stuff for cultivation! Sir Zu should give it a try if you ever have the chance.”
Zu An nodded. He thought to himself, This violet ki might be richer than ordinary ki, but as someone who has even used primordial ki, can this violet ki really compare?
It was clearly winter, and yet the pine and cypress trees were green, and the wild flowers were rich with color. Peaches and apricots rested among jade trees, and even medicinal herbs grew in innumerable quantities. From time to time, the cries of red-crowned cranes emerged from the clouds, making the place feel like a mystical land.
Zu An thought, Should they really be holding construction projects in this kind of place? It almost feels as if they’re ruining this place’s original beauty. However, as they went higher and higher, he discovered that there were more and more people around. He couldn't help but feel a bit strange. Were there always so many people on Violet Mountain?
Soon afterward, the group arrived at the mountain gate and saw some of the Righteous Sun Sect disciples looking absent-minded, as if something had stolen their very souls.
“Which sect are you from? Right now, the nine daoist sects are holding their great competition, so unrelated people shouldn’t come to cause trouble,” A disciple with a sword at his waist said, shooing them away.
Zu An’s group didn’t look like daoists at all, and the one in the lead didn’t even have any ki aura, seeming to be an ordinary person. The general next to him was the only one who seemed to have some skill. They figured that it was just some noble son who had gone on a trip to admire Violet Mountain. Such things had often happened before.
If it were an ordinary sect, they wouldn’t dare to show these soldiers negligence. However, the leader of their Righteous Sun Sect was the empire’s State Teacher, so they naturally didn’t have to fear any court officials.
Zu An was a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected the Great Sects Competition to be at Violet Mountain! Zhao Han had decided to hold his Fengshan ceremony here, while the nine sects had gathered all of their experts to hold a great competition. Was it really just a coincidence?