劍問蒼天 - 第41章 黑水玄蛇 - 翰墨軒

At that moment, the young woman also caught sight of Zhang Qingyue and Lu Xueling, still unconscious at his side. Plainly she had not expected to find living people down here in the Vale of Death Spirits either; her expression changed, and she gave a start of surprise.

Then she made out Zhang Qingyue's features, paused a beat, and a flicker of astonishment crossed her face, followed by a smile.

"Truly, in life one meets again wherever one goes!" Like a beautiful lily in full bloom, she came toward them gracefully through the darkness.

Zhang Qingyue rose and, deliberately or not, placed himself in front of Lu Xueling. After all, anyone who came down into the Vale of Death Spirits, where yin spirits and demon beasts roamed, was no ordinary person.

As the girl drew near, Zhang Qingyue could finally see clearly: between the slender jade fingers of her right hand she held a small white blossom, and it was actually giving off a faint white glow that lit the ground around her. What strange species it might be, he had no idea.

But he had no leisure just now to wonder about the flower. Though he remained on his guard against this peculiar girl, still — whatever else she was — seeing her here in the dark, lonely Vale of Death Spirits made him feel at once a little closer to her.

"Hello, miss." Zhang Qingyue had meant to offer some polite words of greeting, but when they came out, only those two remained.

The girl glanced at him and smiled. "Aren't you Zhang Qingyue of Canglan Mountain, the young hero? however did you come to this spirit-haunted place? This is no place for the likes of you."

Zhang Qingyue was taken aback. "How do you know I'm of the Canglan sect?"

The girl only smiled and made no answer.

Zhang Qingyue frowned, sensing that this girl was anything but simple. As he was turning it over in his mind, he heard her give a soft laugh. "May I ask, young hero Zhang, how long have you been here? Have you found the Blooddrop Cave yet?"

Zhang Qingyue blanked for a moment. "What Blooddrop Cave?"

The girl gave a cold little sniff, and the smile faded from her face by degrees, though her voice stayed calm. "Young hero Zhang, you play the innocent well — you and all your so-called righteous folk. If not for what lies in the Blooddrop Cave, why would you come to a dark, filthy place like this?"

Zhang Qingyue was thoroughly confused by her words, though he dimly understood that there was a Blooddrop Cave here, and that it likely held something of great importance. Yet before he left the mountain he had never heard his master or the sect leader, his martial uncle, speak of such a thing. But that was not what occupied him now; he had caught the implication in her words, and said gravely, "You say we of the righteous path are hypocrites — then who are you?"

The girl flicked her pale green robe. The blossom caught between her fingers traced an arc through the air with that jade-white hand, and the white light left a lingering trace in the darkness, as though it too were reluctant to leave this dark place; it hung there a long while before slowly fading.

"Me? Why, am I not exactly the demon-cult witch you all loathe with such passion?" Her smile was sweet and lovely.

Zhang Qingyue's heart sank, and for a moment he felt a sense of loss — but the thought flashed past and left no trace, and he gave a cold snort and gathered himself in readiness.

Ever since he had entered the Canglan sect, he had heard from his masters and senior brothers how the demon cult's fiends wrought havoc upon the world, cruel and without principle, and the sect's rules expressly forbade any dealings or friendship with those of the demon path: the two were enemies in life and death, who could not share the same sky.

Yet the girl showed no sign of a hatred deep as the sea or any wish to strike at once. Instead her gaze slid past Zhang Qingyue to what lay behind him; she looked once, then suddenly smiled. "This elder sister of yours looks about to wake."