433 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

### Chapter 433: Performing Rituals on the Island In the depths of Shadow Isle, beneath the dense canopy of shadow trees that resonate with lingering souls, time seems to stand still. Qin Weiyu's spirit rests in a serene slumber under the secluded forested grounds, exuding tranquility. Not far away stands a grass hut, the dwelling of Qi Zhuang. This place is an ideal sanctuary for spirits but unsuitable for cultivators to advance their practice. Over the years, Qi Zhuang's cultivation has seen no progress, but she remains unbothered, her demeanor becoming increasingly serene and composed. Her focus is solely on accompanying Qin Weiyu to nurture his spirit, while occasionally practicing the "Mixed Yuan Sword Tomb" to occupy her mind. Given her unique sword box constitution, it is challenging for Qi Zhuang to find suitable sword technique methods. Powerful sword formations are hard to handle alone, as they often require sets of flying swords, which are difficult to obtain and expensive. However, the Mixed Yuan Sword Tomb makes no demands on flying swords and is a formation method with virtually no limit on the number of swords. This aligns perfectly with Qi Zhuang's innate talents, such as the "Sword Box with Thousands of Swords" and "Thousands of Swords to the Heart." The gift and reconciliation gesture from the Black Hand Organization to Qi Xiu many years ago seems exceptionally well-chosen now. After more than a decade immersed in this art, Qi Zhuang has reached an exceptionally high level of proficiency, discovering many ingenious applications. Suddenly, the illusion array cloaking the island subtly fluctuated. A pure white magpie bird manifested within the array, calling out audibly in an odd accent, "Come out, there is a message for you!" Qi Xiu’s method for sending communications involved first relaying messages to the Qi clan in Cloud State, who would then employ their messenger spirit bird to deliver it here. Until now, this method had never been used. Beneath the sea, shadows of a swimming school of fish, seemingly sentient, reacted immediately to the bird's call, breaking off a piece that darted out of the water. Suspended in mid-air before the bird, it was, astonishingly, a tattered black flying sword with half its guard missing. The Qi family’s bird, typically haughty, was startled by the ragged flying sword aimed threateningly at its beak. Hastily, it retrieved a small scroll from its feathers and dropped it, quickly retreating. The tattered flying sword whisked the scroll away in an instant before depositing it into Qi Zhuang’s hands. “Miao Qing? Karma? Has she followed me here?” Qi Zhuang contemplated this with a sense of helplessness akin to Qi Xiu's. When she first met Miao Qing, they were amicable enough friends, but once she sensed Miao Qing’s intention to lead her down the Buddhist path, she wished to distance herself. Conveniently, a great disaster befell the sect, which she used as an excuse to have Miao Qing take her to meet Long Yueyun. That encounter led to their estrangement, which certainly was unjust, but what of the notion of karma? Where did that come from? Yet now that Miao Qing had pursued her here, hesitation was no longer an option. After a few parting words to Qin Weiyu's spirit, Qi Zhuang followed Qi Xiu’s instructions to leave the island to meet the Ming family, ensuring Miao Qing would not find the Shadow Isle. As she departed the illusion array, an array of flying swords of various shapes and sizes, like birds returning to the nest, rose from the water and forest, all funneling into the sword chest cradled by the spirit fox on Qi Zhuang’s shoulder. … Qi Zhuang had visited this Ming family island only once, during the initial conquest many years ago. During those years following Qi Xiu's retrieval of Qin Weiyu’s fragmented soul in front of her, her thoughts were entirely preoccupied with her husband, leaving no impression of this island or her disciple Ming Zhen, who had not been instructed for some time. But this time... She quickly sensed Miao Qing’s presence. “Amitabha, Qi Zhuang, you’ve finally come out!” Miao Qing appeared to have changed completely, meeting Qi Zhuang in the sky with a demeanor of solemn righteousness. “I heard you were looking for me?” Qi Zhuang inquired, simultaneously scanning the surroundings. On the island, a massive pit dug in the ground was filled with layer upon layer of white bones, suggesting nearly ten thousand souls. Ming Zhen and Ming Xinyuan, along with other cultivation practitioners of the Ming family, were kneeling by the pit, each with large sheets of white paper before them, seemingly transcribing confessional scriptures. “What is going on here?” Qi Zhuang’s expression turned icy as she questioned Miao Qing. “Your disciples have committed atrocities! Occupied without rightful ownership, slaughtering nearly ten thousand innocent island dwellers. Fortunately, I came by; otherwise, uninformed observers might still praise this place's owner as a paragon of harmonious living!” Upon setting foot on the island, Miao Qing uncovered the Ming family's massacre and burial of the previous inhabitants’ mass grave after their conquest. As a member of the righteous Buddhist sect, she was furious, detaining Ming Zhen and others, forcing them to transcribe repentance scriptures, and preparing an extensive ritual to appease the innocent souls. “Well…” Qi Zhuang had left handling the mundane affairs to the Ming family after her conquest, vaguely aware of how they would handle things. The limited space, coupled with the nature of the rogue cultivator family, made the treatment of others clear: those without family ties or shared bloodlines were either driven out or killed. The inevitable consequences of letting those wronged and banished harbor hatred are too numerous to count. Caught in a fault by someone, Qi Zhuang found it difficult to deny. “This is indeed the Ming family’s wrongdoing, but…” “Do you have a ‘but’?” Miao Qing’s disdain was palpable. “Regrettably, I misjudged you back then, believing you had immense wisdom and affinity for Buddhism, never realizing you were a deceitful, venomous woman!” Confronted with these accusations, Qi Zhuang’s face turned grave. Given her husband’s healing on Shadow Isle, these matters scarcely troubled her anymore. She had no interest in arguing with Miao Qing. Boldly, she replied, “I won’t say much more. You mentioned finding me to settle karma; I now stand before you. How do you wish to proceed? As for the slaughter of innocents by the Ming family, I do not dispute their guilt. Do propose how to address it.” Their high-pitched exchange echoed clearly below. Ming Xinyuan, dismissing his calligraphy brush, crawled forward to entreat passionately, “Our actions were misguided and driven by survival instincts, engaging in such savage acts. We are willing to accept punishment. Yet upon our arrival, we were told this was how things operate in the Outer Seas; hence, our conscience faltered as we followed the flow. Forgive us, grant us pardon!” “The Outer Sea operates in such a beastly manner?” Miao Qing was perplexed. “Who taught you that?” “Uh…” Ming Xinyuan cast a furtive glance, ignoring Ming Zhen’s frantic signals, and responded, “It was Director Chu Qin’s client, Gu Tan, who taught us. He is a local, so his word on customs was all we had.” “I’m speaking to someone! Why does an insignificant offspring interrupt with excuses?” Furious, Qi Zhuang prepared to unleash a blow on Ming Xinyuan, Miao Qing promptly raising her hands, a beam of Buddhist light warding off the strike. “Amitabha, genuine or otherwise, my Buddhist methods shall discern.” With a mocking smile on her delicate face, she added, “Something I learned after you fooled me last time.” “Hmph!” Embarrassed by her own conscience, Qi Zhuang could only snort coldly, withdrawing her raised hand, awkwardly frozen in mid-air. “Very well, once I’ve completed the ritual, I will settle karma with you!” With Qi Zhuang in such an awkward position, Miao Qing was delighted. Whatever she decreed, Qi Zhuang would have to comply, all while tending to her disciple Ming Zhen. “Master!” Ming Zhen rushed into her arms, tearfully lamenting, “I missed you dearly during your decade-plus of seclusion!” Complying with Miao Qing’s directives, the Ming family followed suit. As the grand Buddhist ritual proceeded, the karmic entanglement unsettling Qi Zhuang seemed to wane, thanks to her victorious moral stance. “Could it be that Qi Zhuang was merely a catalyst, and it is Buddha’s guidance that completes the redemption of so many lost souls?” Contemplating the possibility, Miao Qing once again uttered a Buddhist prayer, “Amitabha!” (To be continued)