Dark Blue Frost - Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Awakening from the Dream
Hua Wuyan closed his folding fan and lunged forward, his movements fierce and ruthless.
Qing Xuan instinctively ducked, hiding entirely behind Qian Se.
But in that moment, he suddenly felt ashamed.
He had always known how to protect himself, avoiding conflict whenever possible. Although he knew that his master would eventually have to step in to either subdue or drive away the fox demon, his instinctive reaction to hide like a coward was embarrassing.
At the very least, he should have made a grand gesture, pretending to fight the fox demon, waiting for his master to scold him and take over.
That way, he could have saved face and not disgraced his sect.
Strangely, as Hua Wuyan charged at them, Qian Se didn’t move or dodge.
In the next moment, Hua Wuyan passed right through them, not even touching the hem of their clothes!
Hua Wuyan stopped in his tracks, realizing that he was only a soul in the dream, without a physical body to harm anyone.
He reluctantly withdrew his hand, glaring at Qing Xuan from a distance of three steps, taking deep breaths to calm his anger and save face. “For the sake of Miss Qian Se, I’ll let you off today, little brat.”
Qing Xuan peeked out from behind Qian Se and stuck out his tongue at Hua Wuyan.
Seeing Hua Wuyan so frustrated, Qian Se raised an eyebrow. She had been entangled with this fox demon for thousands of years, and it was time to put an end to his delusions.
She spoke coldly, “Hua Wuyan, I know you aspire to cultivate immortality, but there are many who could be your dual cultivation partner. Why must you insist on pursuing me?”
“Mortals have a saying: ‘Better to envy lovers than immortals,'” Hua Wuyan immediately regained his charming demeanor, fanning himself leisurely, not hiding his intentions.
“The path to immortality is long and arduous. If I were to casually find someone to cultivate with, wouldn’t that be dull? Naturally, I wish to become immortal with the one I truly love, to be like divine lovers.”
Seeing his frivolous attitude, Qian Se knew his so-called “true love” was nothing but deceitful flattery, aimed at her profound cultivation. She shook her head, her voice as calm as a windless lake.
“Sovereign of Shenxiao, Lord Changsheng has set a rule for the Shenxiao Sect: female disciples may only cultivate with fellow sect members. Your wishes are beyond my power to fulfill.”
She turned away, seemingly done with the conversation, her tone carrying a subtle warning.
“A word of advice: to cultivate immortality, one must be free of desires. If you wish to become immortal yet envy mortal lovers, that is not a good sign.”
Hearing Qian Se use the sect’s rules as an excuse, Hua Wuyan wasn’t angered.
Instead, he smiled charmingly. “I know the Shenxiao Sect’s female disciples may only cultivate with fellow sect members. But if you grant my wish, once I ascend, I will naturally join the Shenxiao sect. Isn’t that the same in the end?”
His eyes gleamed mischievously as he smirked.
“As for being free of desires—if you truly had no desires, why have you worn this bridal red robe for three thousand years? Could it be that deep down, you also yearn for mortal love?”
His words struck a nerve.
Qian Se narrowed her eyes, a cold, sharp light shooting from them, piercing through Hua Wuyan’s very bones.
“Hua Wuyan, shut your mouth!”
“It seems I was right,” Hua Wuyan shook his head, his tone soft and slow, daring to bring up old wounds.
“It’s a pity that back then, you secretly admired someone, only to be publicly rejected, becoming a laughingstock across the six realms. You secluded yourself on Yan Mountain. But in recent years, you’ve taken in a male disciple, hiding him away like a treasure. Could it be, as the rumors say, that you’re raising a handsome, obedient disciple to cultivate with?”
He glanced at Qing Xuan’s extraordinary face, clicking his tongue with a mix of disdain and mockery.
“Tsk tsk tsk—how convenient, and it doesn’t violate your sect’s rules!”
Only then did Qing Xuan realize why his martial uncles had mentioned those absurd rumors. He hadn’t expected that since his master brought him to Yan Mountain, such scandalous rumors about their relationship had spread so widely!
And now, a fox demon dared to insult his master in front of him!?
“You fox demon, if you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll tear your mouth apart!”
In that moment, he suddenly found the courage to step out from behind Qian Se, rolling up his sleeves, ready to charge at Hua Wuyan and fight him!
Qian Se grabbed Qing Xuan by the collar, not as furious as Hua Wuyan had expected, but instead coldly glared at him.
“Since you know he’s my treasure, don’t provoke him again in the future. Otherwise, I’ll ensure you remain a demon forever, with no path to immortality!”
Then, she grabbed Qing Xuan’s arm, leaped into the air, and—
…
As if startled by something, Qing Xuan jolted awake from the dream.
When he first woke, he was drenched in cold sweat. The chilly breeze from the window slit made him shiver, and his arms, numb from being pressed against the desk, felt as if they might break. He shook his arms, groaning in pain.
But the next moment, seeing Qian Se calmly copying scriptures beside him, he was momentarily stunned, disoriented, unsure if he was still dreaming.
“Calm your mind and recite the ‘Taiyi Salvation and Protection Sutra’ I taught you,” Qian Se said coldly, mechanically copying the ‘Northern Dipper Origin Sutra’ but still reminding him.
“You were frightened in your dream, and your soul hasn’t fully returned.”
Qing Xuan sat in meditation, silently reciting the sutra from start to finish, feeling his mind clear.
“Master, were we really just dreaming?”
Thinking back to the vivid dream, he found it hard to believe, wondering if the encounter with the fox demon was real or not.
“You were dreaming, not us,” Qian Se didn’t look up, her icy expression unchanged.
“You fell asleep, so I used a spell to summon Hua Wuyan’s soul into your dream. Now that you’re awake, his soul has returned to his body.”
Qing Xuan nodded, somewhat understanding, and stepped forward to grind ink for Qian Se.
He thought of Hua Wuyan’s arrogant demeanor and mocking words, feeling angry but not wanting to bring it up again, afraid of hurting Qian Se’s feelings.
He had been with his master for years and knew how proud she was.
If what the fox demon said was true—that she had once secretly admired someone, only to be publicly rejected and humiliated—it must have been a heavy blow to her pride.
This would explain why she had rarely left Yan Mountain for so many years.
But he didn’t understand why that person couldn’t have rejected her privately instead of publicly.
To trample on a woman’s feelings like that was truly unkind!
He wouldn’t be foolish enough to ask his master about such a shameful past. If her wounds were still unhealed, wouldn’t that be like rubbing salt in them? He decided that once they returned to Yan Mountain, he would find a way to get to the bottom of it when his martial uncles visited.
As for the rumors about him and his master, he didn’t care much about them now.
Somehow, thinking of the human skin hanging on the bamboo pole, Qing Xuan felt a chill.
“Master, someone else has been drained of their flesh and blood at the dye workshop. I wonder what kind of monster is behind it!”
He wanted to say it might be the fox demon’s doing, but since mentioning “fox demon” was inappropriate, he stopped himself and hummed.
“That human skin has nothing to do with Hua Wuyan. Although he’s a fox demon, he aspires to cultivate immortality. Killing would taint him with evil, leading to divine retribution.”
Qian Se seemed to read his thoughts.
Despite her dislike for Hua Wuyan, she paused her writing, deep in thought.
“If I’m not mistaken, someone must have died unjustly in that dye workshop, their soul unable to move on, their resentment turning them into a Rakshasa Demoness.”
A Rakshasa Demoness is a malevolent spirit formed from the intense resentment of a woman who died unjustly. Often, due to favorable conditions of time, place, and feng shui, they gain powerful abilities, lingering near their place of death, draining people of their flesh and blood.
Even ghost envoys dare not provoke them lightly.
Having read some texts during his idle time on Yan Mountain, Qing Xuan knew what a “Rakshasa Demoness” was and couldn’t help but worry about the simpleton who had been sent back to the Zhao family.
“Master, are we really going back to Yan Mountain tomorrow?”
He nervously ground the ink, testing the waters to see how Qian Se would react.
Qing Xuan remained silent for a while, then finally sighed, putting down her brush and looking at him seriously.
“Qing Xuan, do you want to cultivate immortality?”
When she had learned the “Dream-Entering Technique,” her master had told her that a person’s dreams often reveal what they subconsciously avoid or deeply desire.
Thus, the “Dream-Entering Technique” could glimpse into a person’s inner world, whether hidden secrets or deepest corners.
In Qing Xuan’s dream, the human skin had appeared, showing that he was still concerned about the Zhao family’s simpleton who had been sent away.
All this time, she had only taught Qing Xuan calming sutras, not any practical Taoist techniques, because he had suffered a near-death experience, losing much of his vitality.
His temperament was also unstable, needing careful nurturing.
When her fellow disciples occasionally taught him some basic skills to pass the time, she had turned a blind eye.
Now, with his current abilities, it would be a stretch for him to subdue a “Rakshasa Demoness” alone, but this could also be an opportunity.
“Cultivate immortality?” Qing Xuan scratched his head, blinking in confusion.
“I’ve been under your guidance for years, haven’t I already been cultivating immortality?”
“Being under my guidance means you’ve only been learning Taoist techniques. When faced with life’s inevitable trials, you will still age, fall ill, and die. But if you truly wish to cultivate immortality, I can help you.”
Qian Se shook her head, her black hair fluttering in the night breeze.
Her blood-red robes couldn’t hide her slender figure, and her eyes were as clear and calm as still water.
“First, an immortal cultivator must accumulate virtue by helping others in need, saving them from danger, thus gaining merit to cultivate an immortal body. Only then can one truly embark on the path to immortality.”
Qing Xuan had never really thought about cultivating immortality.
Becoming immortal or living forever didn’t seem to have much impact on him.
But now, hearing his master speak so seriously about the path to immortality for the first time, he found it fascinating, feeling an inexplicable longing.
Seeing his interest, she paused before continuing.
“The appearance of the Rakshasa Demoness stems from the cycle of human karma. Good deeds bring good rewards, evil deeds bring evil retribution. Immortal cultivators should remain detached and not interfere. However, you met the Zhao family’s simpleton in the Weeping Night Forest and helped him escape being devoured by a tree demon, forming a karmic bond. Over the years on Yan Mountain, you’ve absorbed the essence of nature, condensed your qi, and learned some basic skills from your martial uncles. You’ve made some progress. If you can successfully guide the Rakshasa Demoness to the underworld, completing this great merit, cultivating an immortal body shouldn’t be difficult.”
Hearing a hint of flexibility in his master’s words, suggesting they might not have to return to Yan Mountain immediately and could instead handle this matter and gain experience, Qing Xuan’s face lit up.
“First cultivate an immortal body, then cultivate the path to immortality. I understand!”
He paused, then inadvertently added, “Master, have you gone through this too?”
“No,” Qian Se glanced at him, her expression calm, but her deep black eyes held a different meaning.
“You are human, so you need to accumulate virtue to cultivate an immortal body. I am a demon; I only needed to cultivate a human form.”
“What?!” Qing Xuan was shocked, staring at Qian Se.
After a long while, he stammered, “Master… you’re actually… a demon… I mean, what kind of… demon… no, I mean… before you cultivated immortality…”
Seeing Qing Xuan’s flustered state, Qian Se’s lips curled into a rare smile.
“A sparrow demon.”
She didn’t plan to hide anything, looking directly at him, knowingly asking, “What, now that you know I was a demon before cultivating immortality, are you scared?”
She was right.
Before cultivating immortality, she had been a sparrow demon.
“No, I’m just a bit surprised,” Qing Xuan mumbled, lowering his head shyly.
“No wonder that fox demon kept pestering you, wanting to cultivate with you. So it’s because…”
He trailed off, not finishing his speculation, but when he looked up and saw Qian Se’s rare smile, he was momentarily stunned.
Although his master was intimidating when serious, her smile was breathtaking.
The delicate curve of her jaw, the faint blush on her cheeks under the candlelight, made her more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen!
After staring for a while, he snapped out of it, his face turning bright red, but he still mumbled, “Master, you look so beautiful when you smile. You should smile more often.”
He blinked, thinking this was a good time to ask, and tilted his head, speaking with some seriousness.
“Master, do you really want me to cultivate immortality so you can have a handsome, obedient disciple to cultivate with?”
He asked this because earlier, his master had openly admitted to the fox demon that he was her “treasure.”
He had often heard the term “treasure” from his martial uncles, but he didn’t understand.
Strictly speaking, he was only good-looking, with no other outstanding qualities.
Why had his master chosen him?
He didn’t think his master was after his “beauty,” but when he asked the question, he hadn’t thought about what to do if she said yes.
So, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Perhaps not expecting such a question, Qian Se’s smile vanished instantly.
“Rumors are fearsome, and public opinion can melt metal,” she said ambiguously after a moment of silence, lowering her head to continue copying the sutra.
“It’s late. Go to sleep. We’re going to the Zhao family’s dye workshop tomorrow.”
In that moment, like the deepest ocean at its most turbulent, her face was shrouded in a desolate gray, her lashes veiled in a mist no one could penetrate.
