Chapter 3

Since her rebirth, Xu Manman has been filled with joy, even considering giving her disciples a surprise by returning from the dead. However, upon seeing the haggard and sorrowful Ning Xi and the bloodied Lang Yin returning, she realized that the past seven days had been like hell for those who truly cared about her.

Her eyes warmed, almost bringing her to tears, and she wished to reunite with them immediately.

Immortal Lang Yin slightly raised his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd. When Ao Xiu appeared, Ning Xi had already secretly activated the sound transmission array to warn and seek help from Lang Yin. Amidst the bloody and fiery battlefield, Lang Yin listened indifferently to the distant turmoil, decapitated the evil cultivator with one strike, and then immediately activated the teleportation array, returning to Xianyun Hall.

“Sea Emperor Ao Xiu,” his gaze briefly rested before moving away, “Feather Emperor Li Ying, Young Master Li Que of the Di Luan Clan…” Lang Yin’s voice turned cold, a mocking smile curling his lips.

“All rare visitors who never came before. Isn’t it a bit late to come recognize Kin today?”

Ao Xiu composed himself, reclaiming the pride and dignity of the Sea Emperor, and said loudly, “What does Immortal Lang Yin mean by this? There is nothing to speak of between this emperor and Lian Yue Daozun, and there is no reason to lie. She showed me kindness, and I have feelings for her.”

Lang Yin looked at Ao Xiu and sneered, “Do you know how many people she has saved?”

Ao Xiu was taken aback.

Lang Yin continued, “The Siyi Sect has 867 inner disciples today, all of whom she saved. If everyone were to repay her with their bodies, it wouldn’t be your turn.”

Ao Xiu responded, “But she accepted my dragon scale.”

Lang Yin said, “The Siyi Sect has three halls just for storing gifts from those repaying kindness. Have Ning Xi take you to look for it later. If it’s not there, then it’s lost.”

Unrelenting, Ao Xiu said, “She also gave me a lock of her hair.”

Lang Yin replied, “She found her hair too long and inconvenient, trimming it every hundred days. If she had intentions, she wouldn’t dismiss you with such a trivial thing.”

Ao Xiu gritted his teeth.

“My feelings for her are sincere…”

Lang Yin interrupted, “She was born ugly. If someone was kind to her, she wouldn’t think it meant anything special. The Sea Emperor is just being one-sided.”

Ao Xiu: “…”

Xu Manman: “…”

Ao Xiu was very displeased, and so was Xu Manman.

Xu Manman had always known she was ordinary-looking. The cultivation world was full of handsome men and beautiful women, while her cultivation talent and appearance were mediocre—not strikingly ugly, but unremarkable enough to be forgettable among a crowd. On the day she formed her Golden Core, Lang Yin crafted an artifact for her, the Lian Yue Crown. It shimmered with the brilliance of the sun and moon, making her the most eye-catching presence when worn. Her Daoist title, “Lian Yue,” was also given by the immortal Lang Yin.

Everyone who knew this was now gone.

Xu Manman didn’t mind her plain appearance, but hearing Lang Yin’s words still made her a bit unhappy.

After refuting Ao Xiu, Lang Yin turned his gaze to Li Que, frowning, “Young Master Li Que claims that Lian Yue Daozun took your Primodial True Feather. Why didn’t you come to confront her sooner?”

Li Que said, “Back then, I was pursued by enemies and gravely injured. On the brink of death, I was forced to undergo nirvana, losing my memory. Fortunately, Lian Yue Daozun saved me, though she never revealed her true identity. I’ve searched for her for a century, and today, seeing this Lian Yue Crown, I finally know her real identity.”

Lang Yin sneered, “You know nothing about her. You’ve searched for her for a century, yet she never mentioned you. Clearly, there was no deep connection or affection between you. Why bother to be sentimental and keep your chastity for her?”

Li Que replied righteously, “Immortal Lang Yin is mistaken. As a man, I must honor my wife. She may abandon me after having an affair, but I must remain loyal until death.”

Lang Yin, seeing Li Que’s chaste look, felt a surge of frustration. His grip on his sword tightened, veins bulged in his hand, and his voice deepened. “Young Master Li Que, you may not know that Lian Yue Daozun already has a Daoist partner. She was unaware of the customs of the Di Luan Clan, which led to her mistake in taking your Primodial True Feather. It was merely a misunderstanding.”

Li Que was shocked.

“She has a Daoist partner? Who?” His doubtful and disdainful gaze flicked toward Ao Xiu.

Lang Yin said calmly, “That would be me.”

Xu Manman gasped.

Ning Xi took a step back.

The four sect leaders exchanged glances.

Xu Manman was completely stunned. She stared at Lang Yin, reasonably suspecting—had he been possessed by the Blood Sect?

In the over three hundred years she had known Lang Yin, she couldn’t recall any behavior or words suggesting they were Daoist partners. Why would he tarnish her name like this, just to deter Li Que?

Li Que was silent for a moment before slowly saying, “No wonder she avoided me. It’s because of you…”

Li Ying thoughtfully stroked his chin. “No wonder she’s been the most esteemed female Daozun in the Dao Alliance for the past three thousand years, admired by heroes everywhere; even Immortal Lang Yin bows before her.”

Xu Manman: No, I’m not; I didn’t. Immortal Lang Yin, let me explain!

Li Ying patted Li Que’s shoulder and sighed, “Since Immortal Lang Yin is Lian Yue Daozun’s partner…”

“Then you should call him brother,” Li Ying said matter-of-factly.

Immortal Lang Yin: ???

Li Que obediently bowed to Lang Yin.

“Brother.”

Lang Yin staggered—for the first time after fighting in the Blood Sect’s Burning Heaven Division for seven days, he staggered.

Li Ying continued, “Li Que may have a noble status, but being a concubine to a Daozun is not beneath him.”

Qun Yu Fangzun: “I’ve heard that in the Feather Clan, females are revered, and it’s common to have multiple husbands, even for the young master of the Di Luan Clan…”

Qian Luo Yaozun: “I thought I was attending a funeral…”

Xie Zhenliu Jianzun: “Now I need to prepare several gifts…”

Ya Sheng Xingzun: “I am greatly shocked…”

Xu Manman suddenly felt that death was a beautiful thing, sparing her from facing such a terrifying situation. That’s right, Lian Yue Daozun is already dead; her promiscuity and abandonment have nothing to do with Xu Manman. She was just a passerby who took the wrong turn…

She no longer wanted to come back to life. This body was fine; she needed to leave immediately!

As Xu Manman thought this, her body instinctively turned towards the door, but Sea Emperor Ao Xiu blocked her way.

Dong—Dong—Dong—

Deep, distant chimes echoed from outside. Ning Xi, regaining her composure, choked out to Lang Yin, “Immortal master, it’s time.”

Lang Yin closed his tired eyes and said hoarsely, “Take her to the place of inheritance.”

He only hoped this farce would end quickly.

Ning Xi nodded through her tears, raised her hand to signal, and sixteen personal disciples lifted the heavy, cold jade coffin and walked out. The crowd parted to make way to the door, standing up to see her off, heads bowed in mourning.

However, as the cold jade coffin reached the door, a sudden change occurred. An overwhelming force arose out of nowhere. The cultivators below the Dharma aspect level couldn’t withstand it and stumbled. The sixteen coffin bearers bore the brunt, spitting blood and collapsing as the cold jade coffin tilted and fell. At the same time, several beams of light with various intentions shot towards the cold jade coffin from different directions.

“Watch out!”

“Enemy attack!”

“Master!”

“Move away!”

Voices rang out from all sides as forces pulled the cold jade coffin in different directions. These were the powers of Dharma Aspect level experts, and the coffin couldn’t withstand them. In an instant, it shattered into pieces, and a white shadow fell from the coffin.

Xu Manman lunged forward, crying out, “My body!”

A silver beam struck Xu Manman. She instinctively raised her hand to block, but occupying someone else’s body, she couldn’t muster even a tenth of her original strength. The silver beam hit her shoulder, sending her flying back, crashing into the wall, and coughing up blood.

By then, the mysterious force had withdrawn. Amidst the chaos, everyone saw a woman pounce towards the corpse that fell from the coffin, only to be struck away by Lang Yin. All eyes focused on the woman, or rather, on the corpse she was holding.

No, it wasn’t a corpse, but a Daoist robe that Lian Yue Daozun used to wear!

Ning Xi rushed forward, her face filled with panic, confusion, and anger. She trembled.

“Where is Master’s body? What is going on?”

Xu Manman looked bewildered.

She wanted to ask: Where is my body?

The four sect leaders had serious expressions. Ya Sheng Xingzun said, “The force that just attacked the coffin had a bloodthirsty and ferocious aura; it must be related to the Blood Sect.”

Xie Zhenliu frowned, “Could the Blood Sect have stolen the Daozun’s body in the chaos?”

Qun Yu Fangzun said, “The Blood Sect is adept at corpse refining. If the body falls into their hands, it’s unimaginable what might happen.”

Qian Luo Yaozun agreed, “Fangzun is right!”

Ao Xiu cast a suspicious glance at Xu Manman.

“This person is very suspicious. Just now, she lunged towards Daozun’s body, shouting… ‘My body’?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Xu Manman, filled with suspicion, hatred, and scrutiny, as if they wanted to peel off her skin.

Ning Xi snatched Lian Yue Daozun’s robe from Xu Manman’s arms and coldly questioned, “Who are you? I noticed you earlier; you’ve been trying to get close to the cold jade coffin. Were you sent by the Blood Sect to steal my master’s body?”

Xu Manman, struck in the chest by Lang Yin, felt a surge of blood and couldn’t speak, which only made her look more guilty.

Lang Yin stepped forward slowly, his eyes heavy, as he stared at Xu Manman. Suddenly, he raised his hand, and a gust of wind blew towards Xu Manman’s face, lifting her veil without harming her.

What appeared before everyone was a beautiful, stunning face; even paleness couldn’t hide her beauty. Her brows furrowed slightly in pain, her long eyelashes glistening with tiny droplets, like an orchid coated in frost and dew. Her usually bright, clear eyes were misty, making people want to get lost in them. Her bloodless lips pressed together, as if in complaint or coquetry, making even the coldest of men feel a bit of tenderness towards her.

This kind of beauty wasn’t inferior even to Qun Yu Fangzun, the number one beauty under heaven. Anyone who saw her once wouldn’t forget her, yet no one present had seen her before.

Lang Yin looked at Xu Manman with a complex expression and asked hoarsely, “Who are you? Why… do you know the Suixin Ruyi technique?”

Ning Xi was shocked.

“That’s my master’s exclusive technique! She never even taught it to me!”

According to Lian Yue Daozun, this technique was something she had tinkered with in her youth. It was flashy but impractical, so she never taught it to her disciples.

Xu Manman forced a laugh. She hadn’t expected just one encounter would reveal her technique to Lang Yin. It made sense, since he had helped her create it.

“Who exactly are you?” Lang Yin ’s voice trembled slightly with urgency.

“Hahaha…” Xu Manman laughed, clutching her shoulder, “At this point, I can only tell the truth…”

“In reality, I am Lian Yue Daozun’s…”

“True partner.”

Lang Yin : “…”

The four sect leaders: Somehow, we’re not that surprised anymore…

Xu Manman said, “Lian Yue Daozun saved my life. I lost my memory and forgot my past, so she gave me a name, Yan Yue, to match hers.”

Xu Manman continued, “She taught me her techniques and practiced dual cultivation with me.”

Xu Manman went on, “She worried that a relationship between two women wouldn’t be accepted and that it would hurt me, so she kept it a secret from you all.”

Xu Manman added, “I know you suspect me, but I am the person who loves and understands Lian Yue Daozun the most in this world. I can prove my identity!”

Xu Manman detailed, “Lian Yue Daozun’s real name is Xu Manman. Her favorite disciple is Ning Xi. Her favorite pastime is daydreaming. Her favorite food is roasted mountain chicken. She hates eating fish but likes the cheek meat. She sleeps on her right side and loves singing while bathing. She has a birthmark on her chest…”

“Enough!” Lang Yin interrupted Xu Manman’s rambling, plunging the hall into an awkward silence.

Everyone exchanged glances, suddenly feeling that this woman who called herself Yan Yue might indeed be Lian Yue Daozun’s true love, as she knew so much. Even Ning Xi was looking at Xu Manman differently now.

Ning Xi, stepping forward uncertainly, asked, “Do you really know my master?”

Xu Manman looked at Ning Xi, her face softening into a kind smile, and said gently, “Ning Xi, you should call me Mistress…”

Ning Xi recalled Xu Manman’s previous hesitations and her vehement denials when Ao Xiu and Li Que claimed to have old ties with Daozun. Now everything made sense.

So that’s how it was…

She felt she had found the truth.

Lang Yin, struggling to stand, angrily said, “Nonsense!”

He turned to the crowd and said, “There has been a disturbance in Xianyun Hall, and the Daozun’s body is missing, likely due to the Blood Sect. I ask everyone to stay at Siyi Sect and help us investigate this matter!”

Everyone quickly agreed, “Of course.”

“Ning Xi, close the mountain gate immediately, arrange lodging for our guests, and thoroughly investigate today’s events.”

Xu Manman, leaning against the wall, gasped, “Ning Xi, I, I…”

Lang Yin looked at Xu Manman with a complex expression.

Xu Manman said, “I want to stay in the Purple Bamboo Pavilion…”

Ning Xi instinctively agreed, but the coldness emanating from Lang Yin snapped her out of it.

Wait, this isn’t Mistress. The truth hasn’t been uncovered yet…

Ning Xi, lost in thought, walked out of the hall, her mind a mess from the day’s bizarre events. Who had caused trouble in Xianyun Hall? Who stole her master’s body? Who was her master’s partner…

Distracted, she nearly collided with a man hurrying towards her.

The man, dressed in elegant green robes, was the belatedly arrived leader of the Shenxiao Sect, Ming Xiao Fazun.

Ming Xiao Fazun, looking urgent, said, “Ning Xi, I have something extremely important to announce…”

Ning Xi’s face paled.

“Don’t tell me you’re also my master’s partner?”

Ming Xiao Fazun: “???”