Chapter 1223: Quiet Aftermath
Peacock Land was still very quiet. The day came and went with no one daring to enter. They were afraid of the Peacock Tree's wrath and another terrible blood refinement.
Li Qiye also enjoyed the calm and peace during this period of time.
In fact, many people had shifted their attention to the wars for territories and resources. The majority of the sects and kingdoms were busy waging battles in the Teeming Fish's marine regions. They didn't have the time or energy to enter Peacock Land. At the same time, the Teeming Fish became a dog with a dead owner overnight; they were ganged up on by almost everyone.
The breeze gently blew under the Peacock Tree. At this time, it looked completely different with verdant leaves. It emitted an exuberant aura after the replenishment. It was clear that it would be able to live for a long time.
Li Qiye's harvest was quite sizable as well. He was able to devour the heavens' punishment, giving him the ability to solve the problem of the Life Origination.
He was quite content with his gains since he was only missing one out of the four mysteries of the fate palace. Currently in his possession were the Ancient Void Rune, the Heavenly Dao's Primal Chapter, and the Life Origination. If he could gather the final piece, it would be nearly complete for him.
He eventually opened his eyes after a while, feeling quite comfortable with a strange sensation due to the great vitality, similar to a rebirth. While glancing around, he noticed an exquisite jade table in front of him and a stove with smoke curling out of it.
There was also the sound of burning wood. On top of the table was boiling spring water at just the right temperature. The water was heated right when he woke up.
A pair of gentle porcelain hands were preparing tea with a pot and cup. All the movements were quite smooth and natural, showing great mastery.
Li Qiye took note of the master of these hands. It was a charming beauty. Even though she was still a maiden, she already had the sexiness of a mature woman like a ripe peach that others couldn't help but want a taste of.
Who could it be besides the schoolmaster of the Sacred Spring School, Zhuo Jianshi?
She sat in a proper position while pouring tea for Li Qiye. This gentle and docile demeanor made her look like a newlywed bride.
He only smiled and took the jade cup, taking his time to sip the tea without saying anything.
After he finished, she poured another cup for him with the same grace. At this time, Kong Qinru appeared on the peak and stood there quietly.
Zhuo Jianshi noticed her arrival and put down the teapot then quietly left. She didn't say a word from start to finish.
Kong Qinru came forward and kneeled before Li Qiye. Being the valley lord didn't diminish the respect she showed him.
She looked at him and said: "Young Noble, I'm afraid I have to go back. The sect has summoned me."
Li Qiye smiled and replied: "Go, a feast is about to begin. Many lands have lost their master with continuous wars being waged. The Exquisite Valley requires you to preside over these matters, so of course you will have to leave."
She added: "If there is more news about the person you are trying to find, the valley will let you know right away."
He only nodded without saying anything else.
Eventually, she asked: "When will we meet again?" She knew that he was only passing through the Heaven Spirit World. There was nothing here that could make him feel sentimental.
"We will meet again if it is meant to be." He smiled: "You have a great ambition, a drive for change. Keep on trying, one can only be successful through perseverance. Dreams alone will not accomplish anything."
She responded in all seriousness: "I will engrave your guidance in my heart."
He nodded again and continued to drink his tea. The steam coming out from the cup seemed to be covering his face, causing Kong Qinru to stare at him in a daze. It was as if he was hiding in the mist; no one could see through his unfathomable self.
Eventually, he looked at her and asked: "Anything else?"
She hesitated for a moment before answering: "Schoolmaster Zhuo is quite exceptional. The Sacred Spring School was initially in a marriage pact with our Exquisite Valley. The schoolmaster's fiancee was my first brother. Unfortunately, he died from misfortune before the two of them could marry. Schoolmaster Zhuo has been living as a widow for his sake. This can only be praised as having great loyalty and virtue…"
"What are you doing?" Li Qiye couldn't help but laugh before shaking his head: "Are you trying to find a wife or a concubine for me? Or perhaps a bedwarming maid?"
"I wouldn't dare." She said in a serious manner: "I was only afraid that you might have misunderstood."
Li Qiye gently waved his sleeve and said: "Don't worry, nothing can elude my gaze or trick my mind."
She took a deep breath and respectfully bade farewell: "Young Noble, I hope that we can meet again. I will not let you down in the future."
With that, she drifted away and disappeared.
Li Qiye looked down to continue drinking his tea. After a good while, Zhuo Jianshi eventually returned to the side. She poured more tea for him in the same natural manner.
Inside the tea's mist, he looked at her and leisurely smiled: "Is this your own will, or is it the hope of the old geezers from your three schools?"
She only quietly sat there. It seemed that she would always be incredibly elegant and mature. This kind of noble grace made her even more attractive.
"If I can follow Young Noble, it will be our three schools' honor." Her soft voice was especially pleasant.
He smiled and said: "What do you want? Or rather, what does your Sacred Spring School want? A whale rider or an imperial seed?"
She pondered for a bit before softly answering: "Young Noble, what are you willing to give us?"
He leisurely responded: "I don't need to leave behind anything for your three schools. In fact, I don't owe you anything, it is the other way around."
The truth was that Li Qiye simply didn't want to care about these matters in this generation. Even though he was friends with Immortal Emperor Wu Gou, he didn't need to protect the Void Imperfect Three Schools and definitely didn't need to leave anything behind for them.
After hearing this, she gently sighed with a slight frown on her beautiful face. Even this expression had its own charm. Others couldn't help but want to make her happy again.
Li Qiye continued to sip on his tea. In his eyes, all of this was as ephemeral as the wind and clouds.
Eventually, he suggested: "If, say, I want you to warm my bed since the only thing I want from your school is you, will you agree?"
She contemplated for a bit before looking straight at him while giving a sincere response: "Young Noble, if you fancy me, it would be my honor."
Li Qiye laughed and shook his head: "I am not someone who likes to force others."
"She might be unwilling, but I'm not." A coquettish voice came about at this time: "I want to follow you and stay by your side, Young Noble!"
This voice was particularly enchanting and could steal someone's soul away. Just by hearing it, one would imagine that it was a very charming woman.
A woman fluttered closer with the wind. Before even seeing her appearance, one would already be enraptured by her. Each of her steps was quite graceful, like a willow leaf amidst the breeze. Her ethereal bearing would draw countless uncontrollable gazes.
She stood before Li Qiye while dressed in a black robe that couldn't hide her peerlessly beautiful posture. Her willow-like waist was apparent through the thin, silky cloth. Her bottom half had perfectly round buttocks that were accentuated even more by the black cotton yarn.
A dark gossamer top hid her well-rounded breasts, very few brushes could capture their soul-stirring gorgeousness. It was indeed a difficult endeavor to describe them with words.
In particular, they would sway in an astonishing manner with each of her steps. This was truly not for the faint of heart. She came before Li Qiye and deeply bowed: "My name is Liu Ruyan, nice to meet you, Young Noble."
She was very close to him. An intoxicatingly pleasant smell was carried by the wind. In this close proximity, one would suddenly have the illusion that they were embracing her while basking in her delightful fragrance.
Chapter 1224: Liu Ruyan
The woman ahead had her face hidden behind a black veil. Regardless, just by looking at her graceful and slender figure that was accentuated by magnificent curves on top of her barely visible valley was more than enough to fill the heart with euphoria.
Zhuo Jianshi slightly frowned while sitting at the table after seeing this woman. However, she still maintained her elegance and calmness before speaking: "Little Sister Liu, do the elders know that you are here?"
Liu Ruyan let out a charming smile capable of inciting lust. She didn't mind Zhuo Jianshi's question: "Who among the elders doesn't know that I love to interfere with your business? It wouldn't be good if they knew I was here."
Zhuo Jianshi had expected this answer, so what else could she say?
Li Qiye was still hidden behind the curling steam rising from his teacup as he looked at her and chuckled: "The descendants of the Liu Clan are all femme fatales. It looks like you have also inherited your ancestors' bewitching abilities. This is indeed a great disaster for all living beings. Moreover, it looks like your Evil Devourer Graceful Law is not bad either. Your clan is a bit interesting to have this variation of the Heaven Devourer Evil Physique." 1
"Young Noble, you speak as if only our Liu Clan specializes in seduction. Many people in the Heaven Spirit World call the women of our clan vixens." She chuckled while staring at him in a bold and direct fashion. 2
Li Qiye laughed after hearing this: "Well, the women from your clan are indeed vixens, including your progenitor. Even though people say that she was a grand completion Immortal Physique user, she couldn't complete the Heaven Devourer Evil Physique and instead ended up with this type of seductive physique. She was a beautiful temptress of the nine worlds that drove countless men crazy."
"I am honored to hear such praise from you, Young Noble." She covered her mouth while laughing. Despite being covered by a veil, her eyes could pass on amorous feelings. When she stared at Li Qiye, they were luminous with autumn ripples. 3
Li Qiye shook his head and smiled: "Girl, there is still a long way to go if you want to seduce me. Try again after you reach grand completion with your physique. With the skill you have right now, you are only embarrassing yourself."
Liu Ruyan wasn't offended at all. She gave a charming smile and said: "Since you say so, when I reach grand completion, I'll try to see if I can get you into my red curtains." 4
"Take me into your red curtains?" Li Qiye was quite amused: "You can almost qualify to be mine alone, but for me to marry you… Don't dwell on this idea."
"So you are saying that I still have a chance?" She flirted with a seductive chuckle. It was just as Li Qiye had said, this woman was definitely a vixen.
Zhuo Jianshi was still calmly sitting nearby despite Liu Ruyan's flirtatious behavior. Her mature and elegant charm would make others palpitate in a different manner.
Li Qiye only smiled back at Liu Ruyan. He looked over at Zhuo Jianshi and asked: "Who is in charge of the Void Imperfection Three Schools right now?"
So it turned out that Liu Ruyan was the current schoolmaster of the Evil Devourer School. However, the Evil Devourer School and the Sacred Spring School had a very interesting relationship due to the intricate relationship between their two physique laws.
The physique law of the Sacred Spring School was the Surging Golden Spring Law while the Evil Devourer School's law was the Evil Devourer Graceful Law. One cultivated into the Sacred Spring Physique while the other the Heaven Devourer Evil Physique.
The schools had three Immortal Physique laws. In addition to the two previously mentioned, the third was the Void Imperfection Physique Law.
Originally, these three should have nothing to do with each other. The Void Imperfection Physique was from the word "Pure" in the Physique Scripture. The Sacred Spring Physique originated from the word "Soft" while the Heaven Devourer Evil Physique came from the word "Yin".
However, Immortal Emperor Wu Gou couldn't obtain the Physique Scripture, thus his physique law was taught to him by a predecessor. In the end, he created the Void Imperfection Windchase Law.
This physique law created by the emperor was naturally weaker than the one in the scripture. Because of this, it also included some other things.
Inside this Windchase Physique Law were essences of pureness and softness. From this, future descendants had different interpretations. During the era of the Sacred Spring School's progenitor, this person was able to understand the mysteries of the Windchase Law's softness to create the Surging Golden Spring Law.
Furthermore, because pureness originated from softness, it meant that softness also carried the Yin affinity. 5
In order to make this Immortal Physique law even purer to avoid qi deviation during cultivation, the Sacred Spring Progenitor forcefully changed this physique law and removed the softness within the Yin affinity.
It was precisely this need for constant correction in order to successfully train the Surging Golden Spring Law that gave birth to the Evil Devourer Graceful Law later on.
It started with a female disciple. She was a femme fatale level beauty with a rebellious nature. She looked down on this correction, so she chose to go in the opposite direction of the Surging Golden Spring Law.
Her aptitude was very scary. Her reverse derivation of the Immortal Physique law had even surpassed her predecessors. She understood the word Yin and created the Evil Devourer Graceful Law.
Because the graceful law was derived from the golden spring law, the future Sacred Spring and Evil Devourer Schools would often mess with each other.
The Sacred Spring School believed that the graceful law came from the surging spring law, so their law was stronger. On the other hand, the Evil Devourer School believed that their graceful law was the result of surpassing the limit of the surging spring law, so their law could replace the former.
Of course, there was no result to this competition because the two schools had never produced another person that could reach grand completion, let alone one for each physique at the same time.
However, they saw hope in this generation with Zhuo Jianshi and Liu Ruyan. They were both extremely talented and cultivated their respective physique laws. The Void Imperfection Three Schools felt that they could finally see two grand completion Immortal Physique users in this generation. If this was the case, then the Sacred Spring School and Evil Devourer School could have a chance to see which was stronger.
Therefore, when the two girls were only ordinary disciples, they often clashed. And the competition didn't end after they became schoolmasters. Whenever they were together, a fight would surely break out.
One could say that this was their fate, the reason for their continuous struggle until their final showdown at grand completion. Of course, it was not a life and death fight for these two. After all, they were still sisters from the same sect.
She revealed a lovable smile and said: "Though Sister Zhuo is older than me by half a generation, if we are talking about the leader of the Void Imperfection Three Schools, then it can't be anyone but me."
Zhuo Jianshi calmly answered: "The current leader of the three schools is First Brother."
The First Brother Zhuo Jianshi mentioned was the schoolmaster of the Void Imperfection branch because he was the oldest in their generation and had joined the sect the earliest. In the school, many of the disciples had been taught by him before. Thus, he was not only their First Brother, but also their master of sorts.
Liu Ruyan chuckled in response: "Sister Zhuo, First Brother has been talking about stepping down so the role will fall onto one of our shoulders in the future, but I feel that I am much more suitable than you."
Her claim was not because she wanted to seize power and take control of the Void Imperfection Three Schools, it was because the two of them had grown accustomed to competing with each other since the early days. It was not a good thing for the two to meet since it would always end with either Zhuo Jianshi challenging Liu Ruyan or the other way around.
Zhuo Jianshi sat there, neither supporting nor retorting to Liu Ruyan's claim. Her demure and mature aura were truly special.
Li Qiye asked after finishing another cup: "What are you here for?" Zhuo Jianshi poured another cup for him, as if this had always been the case.
Liu Ruyan smiled coquettishly in response: "To steal Sister Zhuo's man. I heard the ancestors have high hopes for her and I feel that I am not lesser in any way, so why can't I vie for her lover as well?"
Such provocative words were let out in an incredibly trivial manner. Liu Ruyan had no semblance of a bashful girl.
"Oh?" Li Qiye looked at her and smilingly replied: "That's not necessarily the case. Perhaps I prefer gentle and virtuous women."
"I have never claimed otherwise." Liu Ruyan sat down next to him with a soul-stealing allurement: "These are two different matters. Young Noble, you can like virtuous women and taste a seductive beauty. These two things aren't mutually exclusive, right?"
"A little interesting, you are indeed a descendant of the Liu Clan." Li Qiye was not shaken by her bewitching. 6
"This is indeed a great disaster for all living beings" — I'm not sure if this makes that much sense for English readers, but it is a very common phrase to describe a beauty that can bewitch everyone. ↩ I know I used vixen in the past for the Storm God, but this is a different word. A direct translation would be fox demon/spirit. It just means a really attractive girl that will steal your man away or someone who uses their beauty as a tool. It probably comes from folklore where these fox spirits will actually seduce males for various reasons. ↩ Luminous with autumn ripples just means amorous/flirty glance. ↩ The issue here is that they are using literary idioms that are meant to be seductive without being crude. During marriage/wedding night, the bed would be decorated with red linen/curtains. So here, she is talking about sex/marriage, but in a literary manner. It sounds better in Chinese for sure since I'm having a hard time coming up with an equivalent way to ask for sex that contains the same character exposition and intent. Some of the descriptions about women or flirting can be lost in the translation since our author likes to keep it classy and literary. If he did so in a modern style, then it would be much easier to translate these passages. ↩ This is probably based on fengshui or some old daoist scriptures, but since the author isn't explaining the relationships, just take it for what it is. Even Chinese philosophers who dedicate their whole life to learning the Book of Changes and similar pieces of literature don't understand these esoteric texts completely, let alone Bao who can't reach the apex. ↩ One last note, I've been moving away from some awkward phrasing with honorifics since it is too awkward to repeat it continuously in some cases. But of course, with this, we are trading off some of the tones and intents. For example, Liu Ruyan might seems a little abrasive here with her cockiness, but she is speaking politely towards Zhuo Jianshi and Li Qiye by calling herself Little Sister, addressing Zhuo Jianshi as Big Sister, and Li Qiye as Young Noble. ↩