116 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

Chapter 116 - The Daily Life of Reincarnated Evil Senior Sister GL This was the first time Jiu Ying had heard of the Lantern Festival, and thus she wasn't aware that Fu Ling's invitation held another layer of meaning. Without pondering too much, she nodded and accepted the request. "Alright." Upon hearing this response, Fu Ling's smile widened, transforming her back into that carefree and ingenuous junior sister from before. Her pupils sparkled slightly, a mesmerizing beauty that was hard to avert one's gaze from. A mere inadvertent glance from Jiu Ying caused her heart to flutter. Such was the Fu Ling now—remarkably unfamiliar to her. She couldn't find even a shadow that resembled herself anymore. Though her heart was surprised, her expression remained visibly calm. When she lifted her gaze, she met the young girl's eyes, brimming with hope and anticipation, causing her heart to momentarily become chaotic. Those honest and unabashed eyes, full of admiration, were too conspicuous. She lowered her gaze, compelling herself to ignore the ardent stare, then slowly regained composure. The atmosphere was pleasant. All around were tall bamboo groves, and when the wind passed through, it carried the soft rustle of bamboo leaves. This intermittent sound wasn't noisy but instead added a sense of tranquility and leisure to the desolate night. It was already April, and the weather was gradually warming, well past the chilly nighttime. Fu Ling didn't feel cold; perhaps due to her recent heart ailment, her cheeks showed a slight flush, giving her a fragile appearance. Noticing her unusual demeanor, Jiu Ying frowned slightly, but before she could inquire, the girl stepped closer with a smile, closing the distance between them again. Her soft and gentle voice was pleasing to the ear, even more so when it reached the heart. "Senior Sister, you must have rescued Miss Yuan, right?" Jiu Ying knew Fu Ling was staring at her, yet she could only pretend not to notice the intense gaze. After a silent moment, she answered, "Yes, she's already safe, but Lin Yu Miao got injured while saving her, which is why he didn't come with me this time." "Brother Lin got hurt?" Hearing about Lin Yu Miao's injury, the smile in Fu Ling's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by concern. Just as she had once told Jiang Bei Qing, calling Lin Yu Miao 'brother' meant she truly regarded him as one. Lin Yu Miao was highly skilled—a mere flesh wound wouldn't affect him much. For it to prevent him from even leaving the house, it must have been a severe internal injury. "Is it serious?" Among the disciples of the four sects, Fu Ling had the closest relationship with Fang Yuan Qing, and next in line was Lin Yu Miao, something Jiu Ying was well aware of. She was pleased that Fu Ling was willing to devote herself sincerely to these friendships, but recalling the next thing she had to say brought a tinge of reluctance. "His right hand was gravely injured; it'll take at least ten years for him to be able to handle a sword again." Ten years?! Fu Ling was taken aback by the response. For a sword cultivator to be unable to wield a sword for ten years was akin to losing his cultivation altogether. She remembered how this quiet and steady young man had patiently taught her swordsmanship at the Si family residence. Since transcending with Jiu Ying to subdue demons, she believed she had already experienced many terrifying events. Barely escaping death at the hands of a demoness in the Misty Forest, hundreds of villagers perishing overnight in Dongshan Prefecture, and the dangerous duel with Si Xiao, each event further dismantled her once beautiful impressions of the world. Now, Lin Yu Miao's injured right hand seemed like a warning—telling her that if she did not find a way to prevent the impending war between demons, monsters, and human cultivators, she would lose even more friends, family, and perhaps those she admired. As a friend, she wanted to do something for Lin Yu Miao, but lacking medical expertise, she couldn't heal his injury. After a long time of deep thought, her anger quietly subdued, but she resolved in her heart, vowing to kill the demon clan's leader and avenge Lin Yu Miao! "Senior Sister, I will work harder on my cultivation from now on." Out of the blue, she said something seemingly unrelated. Jiu Ying was momentarily confused but quickly realized that Fu Ling had recognized her own inadequacy. Life is often full of helpless moments. From the original resistance to cultivation, Fu Ling had gradually promised, time and again, to take her training seriously, a transformation that made Jiu Ying feel both comforted and sorrowful. She always wished to grant Fu Ling freedom, to let her do only what she desired, yet eventually, she still led Fu Ling onto the path of cultivation. Although this was her initial intention, seeing Fu Ling's yearning for strength in her eyes made her uneasy. Her concern for Fu Ling softened her heart. Jiu Ying's eyebrows twitched as emotions fluctuated in her gaze. She didn't know how much time passed until the moonlight began to fade when her thin red lips finally moved, whispering a single word— "Alright." But this time, she uncharacteristically refrained from offering any words of encouragement. Her journey to the human world had another purpose aside from missing Fu Ling. After everyone else had gone to sleep, Jiu Ying quietly knocked on Jiang Bei Qing's room door, asking her to step outside quietly. Jiang Bei Qing had already learned from Fang Yuan Qing that Yuan Xi Shuang was still alive, and upon hearing "Soul-Separation Array," her expression changed almost imperceptibly. "The Soul-Separation Array is an ancient powerful forbidden formation I've only heard of, but never actually encountered. I need to return to the sect and consult the library to learn more." Jiang Bei Qing shook her head, her eyes showing faint traces of concern. Just like Jiang Bei Qing, Jiu Ying had only heard of the Soul-Separation Array in passing. Understanding that Jiang Bei Qing didn't know more, she didn't press further and brought up another issue. "The demoness mentioned Miss Yuan has a special constitution that can rescue the demon dragon. Do you know what kind of miraculous constitution she possesses?" Jiang Bei Qing initially intended to shake her head but then nodded as if recalling something, saying, "I don't know either, but our sect has a secret record that likely explains it." "Master Heng Lian excels at divination, and when anyone from the Eight Clans has a child, the family head will send the newborn's birth details to him for fortune-telling, determining which child possesses greater blessings and fortune to potentially be the next family heir. Following past traditions, Miss Yuan's birth details were certainly divined and recorded in the Eight Clans' secret record." "This secret record is kept in the sect's ancestral shrine, and only Master Heng Lian is qualified to view it. If we want to access its contents, we might need your assistance." It was clear that Jiang Bei Qing was willing to help with this task. Jiu Ying nodded, having already thought of a good plan. With the demon leader subdued, everyone relaxed. Being in the human realm, unburdened by bothersome demons and creatures to fight, Fu Ling fell in love with life here. Every day, if she wasn't practicing Taoist arts with Gao Tian Lian, she sparred swordsmanship with He Yu Hen or was occasionally called aside by Fang Si Jian to be taught grand ideals of pacifying the world and uniting the three races—a truly leisurely life. One day, after Jiu Ying was called by Gao Tian Lian for Taoist instruction, Fang Si Jian noticed Fu Ling practicing her sword skills alone and called her to a secluded spot, starting to elaborate on his "unite the three races" philosophy. Unite the three races? Fu Ling had never considered this possibility. Seeing Fang Si Jian earnestly sharing his vision, she couldn't help but smile softly. "Mr. Fang, humans, demons, and magical creatures are fundamentally different species. The enmity between them has lasted for millennia. Even if I wanted to become their leader, they wouldn't truly submit." With only the two of them there, Fang Si Jian no longer concealed his ambitions. He looked down at the delicate girl before him, noticing the smile lingering at her eyes. Clearly, she hadn't taken his words seriously, yet he remained unfazed, continuing, "Submission isn't about being of the same species. The current demon leader is Ping Tian. If you could ever manage to kill him and extract a dragon bone from within him, I guarantee every demon would bow to you." "As for the magical race, if you can defeat Ping Tian, what magic creature would dare to challenge your authority? Whether human, demon, or magical, the world reveres and fears power the most. With enough strength, who says a human cultivator can't unite the demons and magical creatures?" "Though it hasn't happened in the past centuries, that doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. Don't you want to try?" Try? Hearing these two words, Fu Ling realized Fang Si Jian wasn't joking. Killing Ping Tian and extracting a dragon bone would allow one to rule the three clans, but what about the humans? With the complicated entanglements of interests among the four sects and eight clans, how would they willingly relinquish power? Pondering this, she glanced at Fang Si Jian, though she didn't voice her concerns, he had seemingly already guessed her thoughts. One cannot deny that Fang Si Jian was indeed a person of deep scheming and sharp intellect. He turned to look at Gao Tian Lian, Jiang Bei Qing, and others in the distance, and when he spoke again, his voice was much lower— "The current leaders of the Four Sects adhere to a policy of self-preservation and have long forgotten their original promises. While they cannot be relied upon, the next generation of successors within the Four Sects are different. Lin Yu Miao, Jiang Bei Qing, and Fang Yuan Qing are people who uphold justice. If they know you have the ambition to quell chaos, I'm sure they'll support you. At the very least, the Xuanming Sect will stand by you in the future." "As for the Eight Clans, the Si family leads them. Once you absorb the Si family's power, the other clans will be easy to manage. You need not worry about that; as long as you are willing, I have the means to accomplish it." Fang Si Jian's talk of unifying the three races was already shocking enough. Now, hearing him elaborate on reclaiming the power from the Four Sects and Eight Clans left Fu Ling both shocked and alarmed. She was only eighteen years old and had never heard anyone speak to her in such a way before. Facing Fang Si Jian's expectant gaze, she found herself at a loss for how to respond. Clutching her curved blade tightly, she turned away, unwilling to dwell on the matter any longer. After a moment of silence, she calmed herself and asked, "Mr. Fang, did you learn something?" If he hadn't learned about her celestial cultivation, why would he tell her such things? She vaguely guessed that the jade wall in Dongshan Prefecture must have revealed her true identity to Fang Si Jian. With a slight lift of her curved blade, a faintly threatening aura lingered in the air. Fang Si Jian noticed the blade's movement. However, he wasn't afraid; he knew Fu Ling wouldn't kill him. He parted his lips, his eyes flickering with an indistinct light. "I know nothing of what you do not wish for me to know." His response clearly indicated that he had long known Fu Ling's identity but was willing to keep it secret for her. Fu Ling lowered her blade and turned to him with a piercing, cold gaze. "What do you want?" ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ I've sent out red envelopes to everyone who commented on the last chapter! Hopefully, I didn't miss anyone! Thank you all for your support along the way~ Kisses! Thank you to all the little angels who cast their overwhelming votes or nurtured me with nutrient fluids between 2020-11-27 22:54:49 and 2020-11-28 22:24:35~ Thank you to the little angels who cast landmines: Hahaha, 3 times; Naihe Qingfeng, Lala, 1 time each; Thank you to the little angels who donated nutrient fluids: Luminous, Wind Rising, Zhou Xuan, Wu Yu's River, 5 bottles; Love Everyone You See, 2 bottles; Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!