Chapter 256 — The Spirit Tablet
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 1 of 10
Across the vast land of Shenzhou, through the endless rolling mountains, the fertile heartland of the Central Plains still presented a picture of peace and prosperity, and nothing at all could be sensed of the strange events unfolding in the remote, desolate ranges of the southwestern frontier.
Yet at that very moment, two figures were flying toward Fox Qi Mountain, where the Nether King Sect's former main hall had once stood—none other than Jin Pingyue and Daoist Cang Yan, the pair who had secretly slipped into Cang Lan Mountain earlier and covertly sabotaged the Heaven's Mechanism Locks.
After secretly destroying the Heaven's Mechanism Locks on the four peaks of the Cang Lan Sect, they had, in accordance with the Nether King's earlier instructions, carefully surveyed the area around Cang Lan Mountain, which delayed them several days before they could hurry back. The whole way, Daoist Cang Yan had been taciturn, sometimes going an entire day without managing to speak a single word. Jin Pingyue more or less understood something of his conflicted state of mind, but knowing it was one thing—she was hardly a woman of tender heart, sympathy, or kindness. On the contrary, though her face still wore its ever-present clever smile all day long, in her heart she actually held Daoist Cang Yan in a certain contempt.
On the journey back, once they had entered the hundred-li boundary of Fox Qi Mountain, after a full day's travel the two descended from the sky to the ground and found a quiet valley at random to rest briefly. The valley was not large; among the mountains, a small stream flowed down from upstream, cut through the bottom of the valley, and ran on down the mountain. The stream water was clear, and Jin Pingyue, having traveled all day, had long felt thirsty. She walked to the stream's edge, scooped some water with her hands, and drank it.
The valley stream was icy to the touch, yet wonderfully sweet on the tongue. Jin Pingyue could not resist drinking several more handfuls, then let out a long breath and turned back with a smile. "Daoist," she said, "this stream water is quite fine. Won't you come over and drink a little?"
Daoist Cang Yan sat on a nearby rock and shook his head, his expression rather gloomy—indeed, ever since returning from Cang Lan Mountain, his face had worn that look. Jin Pingyue saw it and laughed inwardly, but could not be bothered to call him out on it. She turned around, scooped up the clear stream water in her hands, and splashed it on her face a few times, then raised her head and shook it off, feeling a coolness on her face penetrate straight to the bottom of her heart—an indescribable refreshment.
Beneath the sunlight, the crystalline water droplets on her fair skin looked like pearls as they slowly slid down. Her chest had been slightly dampened by a few stray splashes, faintly revealing the tender, delicate skin beneath, and she cut a naturally alluring, bewitching figure.
"Miss Jin." Suddenly, Daoist Cang Yan, who had been silent behind her all this while, spoke up and called to her.
Jin Pingyue had not expected that Daoist Cang Yan, who was usually as mute as a gourd, would take the initiative to speak. Finding it rather odd, she turned to look, wore her trademark coquettish smile, and said with a smile, "What is it, Daoist?"
Daoist Cang Yan's eyes were slightly lowered, and he did not look at Jin Pingyue's face—one beautiful enough to turn the world upside down. His brows were faintly furrowed, as though many heavy burdens of worry pressed upon his heart. After a moment's hesitation, Daoist Cang Yan said, "The Nether King ordered us to secretly sabotage the Cang Lan Sect's Heaven's Mechanism Locks. I know the purpose behind it. The Demonic Cult—"