178 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

## Chapter 178: The Temple Fair Huai Ye was still at a loss when she was called away by the sect master. Yu Cang Shan, the sect leader, had never appeared so flustered. On the journey, Li Huai explained with a complex expression that someone had found He He on the wasteland near the Tai Xu Sect and confirmed her identity by using the disciple's waist token she carried. It was then that Huai Ye realized He He hadn't been to the main peak for days, nor had her two other junior sisters from Mo Zhu Peak. For cultivators who often seclude themselves for years, a sudden disappearance wasn't unusual; thus, she had not worried. However, what on earth was He He doing so far away? Could it be that the master had taken her out for an excursion, and something went wrong along the way? The message came directly using He He's waist token. The Wu Ji Hall, discovering the token's resonance immediately, attempted to contact Xiang Shi Yan. However, Mo Zhu Peak was deserted, with no sign of Xiang Shi Yan. As He He was a disciple of the elder, they promptly reported the matter to the sect master, but even Li Huai's communication devices failed to reach Xiang Shi Yan. Fortunately, Yu Ming was still reachable. Yu Cang Shan's two great elder guardians had left without command. They had caused quite a stir in Hua Hai City, though that wasn't the issue right now. The problem was that Xiang Shi Yan had not disclosed her whereabouts to Yu Ming before leaving, disappearing as if she had vanished into thin air. The only person who might know Xiang Shi Yan's current location could be the severely injured and rescued He He. This news was too abrupt, leaving Huai Ye speechless for a moment, her doubts snowballing in her mind. Why had He He suddenly appeared a thousand miles away, reportedly gravely injured? Who had harmed her? And where was Xiang Shi Yan? A vague unease gripped her heart. Whether in seclusion or traveling, her master would never… just vanish without a trace. In Huai Ye’s memory, the only time Xiang Shi Yan had ever been out of contact was when she was ambushed by the yao race in a secret realm, making a temporary escape that left her uncontactable by the sect for over a month. If Xiang Shi Yan had brought He He along, she would not have abandoned the young girl alone. When Huai Ye saw a half-dead He He, her unease reached its peak. He He was found alone in the wasteland near the Tai Xu Sect, where people frequently went to pay respects, close to a bustling black market. A few itinerant cultivators stumbled upon what seemed to be a horrific scene of carnage. A girl lay in a pool of blood, her life hanging by a thread, with several spirit swords piercing through her. The ground was saturated with blood, frozen solid till the moment Li Huai and Huai Ye arrived, clearly marked with residual traces of Xiang Shi Yan’s spiritual energy. He He’s breath was barely detectable when discovered. Recognizing her as a disciple of Yu Cang Shan, the itinerant cultivators saw an opportunity to gain favor and transported her to the city where the Tai Xu Sect was located for treatment, after which the sect took over her care, leading to the scene where the sect master personally came to fetch her. On the sickbed, the unconscious girl remained motionless. Huai Ye stood beside her bed, silently gazing at He He's pallid face for a long time. Finally, she cautiously avoided touching those ghastly wounds and gently picked up her frail junior sister. “Take He He to the flying boat and settle her in,” Li Huai sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. Whether it was the itinerant cultivators who found He He or the people tending to her at the Tai Xu Sect, no one had actually witnessed the battle that had ensnared He He. It was utterly ridiculous—such a conflict, significant enough to cause the disappearance of a peak-stage Dazuo cultivator, had occurred less than a hundred miles from the Tai Xu Sect’s headquarters, yet they claimed to know nothing. If the Tai Xu Sect wasn't lying, then had Xiang Shi Yan been taken by some reclusive power capable of subduing her with ease? It seemed far-fetched. Li Huai conveyed to Huai Ye through sound transmission, "Those itinerant cultivators also found the remains of a male body near He He, currently unidentified. Watch over He He while I investigate further.” Huai Ye carried He He back to the flying boat, laying her in a cabin. She retrieved a Hui Chun pill from her storage pouch, carefully crushing a bit to feed He He. The external alchemy techniques were said to regenerate flesh and bone, and even a low-grade pill could effectively heal wounds left by mundane blades. However, He He was severely wounded by upper-grade spirit swords. The Tai Xu Sect couldn't allow her to die on their grounds and had exerted considerable effort in treating her, yet they were powerless against the lingering spiritual energy in her wounds, cutting away the affected flesh and using pills to regenerate it. The scene beneath the blood-soaked bandages was likely horrifying, but Huai Ye couldn’t bring herself to imagine it. Instead, she lightly pressed her hand over He He’s abdominal wound, surprised by its icy coldness. He He's wounds were chillingly cold, like residual spiritual energy still clinging to them. Huai Ye frowned, noting the holes pierced in He He's abdomen reportedly damaged even her internal organs. She wondered if such injuries might leave lasting damage. As she moved her hand to another wound, feeling for residual foreign energy, He He suddenly coughed. Huai Ye’s gaze sharpened, meeting He He's bleary eyes. "Can you hear me? He He!" “Cough… Master…” He He’s lips quivered, even the movement of her eyes appearing weak. "…Ye..." "I am Huai Ye, it’s all right now. Tell me what happened!" Huai Ye hurriedly stuffed a few soft pillows behind He He’s back to lift her up, hoping to invigorate her. “Qin… Senior Brother… Master she…” Water shimmered in her round eyes as He He struggled to squeeze out syllables, seemingly desperate to explain, “Qin Senior Brother…” Huai Ye was taken aback—what did Qin Miao have to do with all this? But recalling what the sect master mentioned earlier, she couldn't suppress her shock as she asked, “They found a corpse near you—was it…?” He He nodded, piecing together a complete sentence with difficulty, “Cough, Qin Senior Brother he... drugged Master’s… drink.” Huai Ye was less surprised by Qin Miao’s death than she was by his attempt to betray his master. Back in the secret realm, Qin Miao was suspected of conspiring with Zheng Yi Wen to drug her food. Huai Ye could even imagine that he most likely attempted the same vile trick with Xiang Shi Yan. “And Master? Where is she now?” The girl's face showed a bewildered innocence. “Master… is missing?” Disappointment and dread filled Huai Ye as she gently laid He He down after a brief pause, “You were with her before you lost consciousness, weren't you?” “I… Qin Senior Brother took me out of the mountains, then… he brought me to that place…” He He seemed confused, her thoughts scattered. She attempted to sit up, “Master… I saw her. Where is she?” Seeing her wince with pain, Huai Ye hurriedly pressed her shoulder down, “Stay calm for now. We don't know where she went. Rest first and tell us everything once you’ve recovered a bit.” Huai Ye covered He He’s eyes with her hand, guiding the injured girl back to rest. He He’s eyelashes fluttered like little fans in Huai Ye’s palm, though Huai Ye didn’t notice the flicker of surprise in her sister’s dark eyes. He He was curiously thinking: Was Huai Ye, the fool, actually comforting someone? As Huai Ye withdrew her hand, He He resumed a pitiful expression, clutching Huai Ye’s sleeve in fear, “How can Master be missing? Cough, she'll come back soon, right?” A bad premonition gnawed at Huai Ye’s heart, but in front of He He, all she could manage was a forced smile, “Yes, she’ll be back soon.” Huai Ye didn’t linger in the room. Upon sensing the sect master's return, she hurried over, hoping to hear some news about Xiang Shi Yan from Li Huai’s lips. The room fell back into darkness, and soon a faint tremor from below heralded the flying boat’s ascent, heading towards Yu Cang Shan. A nearly invisible trace of water clung to the corner of the wall, eavesdropping on the master and apprentice’s conversation filled with worry and confusion. Witnessing Huai Ye and the others anxiously searching for Xiang Shi Yan, He He had initially thought she might relish the sense of manipulation. Yet, her heart felt weighted as if it carried a jar brimming with water, with every thought carefully tiptoeing, fearful of tipping it over. From the moment her consciousness first surfaced, He He knew she couldn’t hide forever. Still, she held the vain hope of revealing everything after resolving the issues, puzzling even herself as to why she cared so much about Xiang Shi Yan’s opinion. It was likely… mere wishful thinking. The injured He He, supposedly in unbearable pain, spontaneously switched to a more relaxed position, regarding the ceiling in the darkness. Such agony that would be daunting for others did not faze her. Perhaps her high tolerance for pain had led to frequent self-harm as a means to deceive Xiang Shi Yan’s senses. Clearly, that tactic didn’t work every time. Actually… it still hurt a lot. Xiang Shi Yan, no doubt a rare genius of her time, had struck He He three times in their deadly encounter. Two swords pierced her abdomen, and one narrowly missed the dragon essence within her chest. This human facade of hers was essentially her true form; how could it not hurt? In the empty darkness, He He coughed twice, as if trying to catch someone's attention. She stared blankly out the window, feeling a tinge of vulnerability when no response came after a long while. The night gradually descended—it was almost time to go home. He He hunched over, got out of bed, and with one hand supporting her abdomen, staggered towards the window. The flying boat floated high above, the black dragon’s gaze pierced the misty clouds, looking at the towns below where lights began to illuminate the night. The tiny specks of light drifted along the river, clusters of lanterns not making it a mile before being wetted and extinguished by the water. Occasionally, the fireworks shooting into the sky turned into annoying smoke before her eyes, their splendor disappearing in an instant. He He wasn’t unfamiliar with such lively scenes. Even the noisy vendors seemed bathed in a mystical glow, though she knew they were merely mundane trivialities embraced by the crowd. The lights illuminated the streets as brightly as day, spreading with the bustling throngs. Tonight marked the final day of the temple fair. Leaning against the window, the girl gazed at the flowing luminescence, her expression hid in the darkness. Today was the ninth day of the promise between Xiang Shi Yan and He He, yet she wasn't sure whom to blame for the broken agreement. --- **Author's Note:** Thank you to the kind souls who sent me "king tickets" or watered with nutrient solutions during 2022-10-09 35:39:59~2022-10-10 21:31:33~ Nutrient watering angels: Yuan Da Chui 20 bottles; Cheap Chocolate 10 bottles; Thank you all so much for your support, I will continue to work hard! No pop-up ads on this site, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)