A crescent moon hung in the sky as the night wind howled. Countless islands, some delicate and some massive, floated in the air. Under the desolate moonlight, the tallest Book Collection Pagoda reflected a pale glow.
Li Fei sat quietly on the Horn of the Rhinoceros, gazing at this long-unseen scenery. The day she left Green Mound, the crescent moon had been just as bleak. And when she departed the Academy, it had been the same deep night.
In the blink of an eye, six or seven years had passed.
Only a few powerful Celestial auras remained in the Academy—likely Zuoqiu Xiansheng and the others. Indeed, this must be the break period before the new disciple selection. Li Fei stared blankly at the Book Collection Pagoda bathed in moonlight, recalling those naive and joyful days from years past. Yet now, she felt not a trace of warmth. The happier the past had been, the colder her heart felt at this moment.
Just as she was about to steer the Horn of the Rhinoceros down the cliff, her vision blurred suddenly. A woman entirely draped in black veils appeared before her, standing atop a black sword. Seeing Li Fei, she seemed slightly surprised but still clasped her fists and said, "Visiting the Academy so late at night—may I ask your purpose?"
If the Black-veiled woman was here, then Hu Jiaping must be around too. Yet he hadn’t come with her? Had he hidden again upon realizing she had come alone to find him?
Li Fei said softly, "I’m looking for Hu Jiaping. Tell him to come out and see me."
The Black-veiled woman hesitated. "Young Master Ping doesn’t wish to see you. You should leave."
"Tell him I know everything now. I have questions for him."
The woman shook her head again. "I won’t act against Young Master Ping’s wishes. If he doesn’t want to see you, he must have his reasons. Please go."
Under normal circumstances, Li Fei might have argued with this stubborn weapon spirit, but she had no patience for idle talk now. With a sudden thought, the Horn of the Rhinoceros forcefully bypassed the woman and shot into the Academy. The Black-veiled woman hurried to pursue, but to her shock, the Horn of the Rhinoceros was far faster—she couldn’t catch up. Suddenly, the woman dissolved into a wisp of black smoke, which then condensed into a black sword. Though its tip was broken, it still gleamed coldly, darting toward Li Fei like a meteor. The blade swept horizontally, aiming to slash at her.
Her intent was only to block, not to harm. Yet Li Fei neither dodged nor avoided it. Instead, she suddenly opened her hand and grasped the blade. The faint orange glow of her Earthen Guardian shimmered in the night. The Black-veiled woman tried to struggle free, but to her astonishment, she couldn’t break free from that slender grip. Shock and dread filled her heart—during the Martial Competition Tournament, this girl had barely approached the third Bottleneck. How had she reached this level now?!
Li Fei smiled faintly, though her eyes held no warmth. "With you here, Hu Jiaping won’t be able to hide for long."
The Black-veiled woman’s surprise deepened. Suddenly, Temper Edge emitted a crisp chime, vibrating violently in Li Fei’s grasp. The glow of the Earthen Guardian swiftly dimmed under its influence. Just as Li Fei was about to summon it again, she heard the rush of wind behind her. She released Temper Edge at once and turned to bow. "Disciple Jiang Li Fei pays respects to Zuoqiu Xiansheng."
Before her stood a Celestial with a white beard reaching past his waist, exuding an otherworldly air as he stood atop a snow-white whisk—none other than Zuoqiu Xiansheng, who had named her and aided her greatly. Seeing her, he chuckled warmly. "Sneaking into the Academy in the dead of night isn’t a good habit. Holding Temper Edge in your hand is an even worse one."Li Fei bowed and said, "This disciple was reckless, but I have urgent matters to discuss with Senior Brother Hu."
Zuoqiu Xiansheng glanced beside her and smiled, "Isn't he already rushing over?"
Li Fei turned her head and indeed saw Hu Jiaping hovering awkwardly on a small white cloud a dozen zhang away. He averted his gaze, avoiding her eyes. Temper Edge flashed in the air before transforming into a woman entirely veiled in black, landing lightly behind him.
Zuoqiu Xiansheng continued, "The Eastern Sea is now in constant turmoil, and calamity approaches. The Academy has temporarily suspended new admissions this year. Young disciples like you should not wander about recklessly. The Ocean Sect has already begun evacuating their disciples. You should return to your sect promptly and avoid adding to the chaos."
Li Fei respectfully acknowledged his words. Zuoqiu Xiansheng studied her for a moment—this child seemed to have changed quite a bit. Was something weighing on her? He smiled faintly, "Since you're looking for Jiaping, you may go now. Jiaping, you've lingered at the Academy for quite some time. If you don't return soon, Guangwei might come demanding you from me. You might as well return to No Moon Court with your junior sister and take Temper Edge along."
Hu Jiaping awkwardly agreed. After Zuoqiu Xiansheng left, he still refused to look at Li Fei, instead crossing his arms and staring at the distant floating islands. Only after a long pause did he sigh and say, "A Mu, could you pack my things for me?"
The black-veiled woman asked no questions and immediately flew away. Hu Jiaping finally turned slowly and glanced at Li Fei. "Alright, come with me."
He flew all the way to the highest Book Collection Pagoda, leaning against the railing of the lotus pond, staring fixedly at the flowers in the water. After a long silence, he asked, "What did you want to ask?"
Li Fei also remained quiet for a while before speaking. "Master has always been preoccupied with matters beyond the sea. After returning from overseas, he stayed in the Sweet Splendor Realm. Why did he suddenly take you as a disciple? Who are you?"
Hu Jiaping gave a bitter smile. "So you really do know everything. How did you find out?"
"You knew all along that Master has been tormented by the Celestials of No Moon Court all these years, yet you could live so happily?"
"What else should I have done?" Hu Jiaping's expression finally turned serious. "Weep for vengeance and get myself killed too? Would it be better if all three of us died for nothing?"
"Would you die so easily?" Li Fei stared at him.
Hu Jiaping frowned slightly. "The old me wouldn't have died so easily, but now it's different. My horn has been severed, and the curse of the Graftwood Seed has vanished with it. My lost memories only began returning recently—I didn't even recognize you before. To me, Master is both a great enemy and the one who gave me rebirth. He gave me new life, and all I can do is cherish it."
Li Fei took a deep breath. "So you really are that Yaksa whose horn was severed.""Back then, Lei Xiuyuan and I were trapped in the Netherworld Great Magic, and time reversed by several hundred years," Hu Jiaping finally confessed everything. "Both of us turned into children, our abilities greatly diminished. After barely managing to break free from the Netherworld Great Magic, Master struck off my Yaksha Horn with a single sword stroke. The curse of the Graftwood Seed on me was instantly severed, and I fled back to the Eastern Sea with Lei Xiuyuan, but we got separated. With my Yaksha Horn cut off, I lost my memory and fell into a deep slumber. When I awoke, the first person I saw was Master. Seeing that I had lost my memory and become a child no different from an ordinary person, he gave me a name, nurtured me with care, and later sent me near the No Moon Court. There, I happened to meet the current Guangwei Zhenren, who, impressed by my exceptional aptitude, took me back to the No Moon Court. That’s how the Hu Jiaping standing before you today came to be. Honestly, I quite like my life now—I never want to return to the days cursed by the Graftwood Seed. Seeing you now, I feel at peace. I prefer this state, at least I’m living like a human being."
Li Fei stared at him in shock. "...What do you mean?"
Hu Jiaping smiled. "When you were still inside the fruit, Master brought you back to the Central Land from the Building Tree, so you don’t even know your own origins. Perhaps it’s better that way—otherwise, you might end up like me, unsure whether to regard Master as an enemy or a benefactor. As for that brat Lei Xiuyuan, I only recognized him later. I don’t know what he went through, but his injuries seemed even worse than mine. He’s still cursed by the Graftwood Seed—no wonder he clung to you since childhood, doing everything he could to stay by your side. The two of you becoming cultivation partners... I don’t know whether to be happy or sigh about it."
Li Fei fell silent. She remembered Ri Yan once telling her that if she wanted to live as an ordinary person, she should ask nothing and simply pretend to be one—because once she knew everything, she could never go back to being ordinary again. In truth, he had cunningly shifted the responsibility—the choice should have been hers all along. Her cowardice made her prefer burying her head in the sand, thinking that ignorance meant nonexistence.
She should have made her choice after knowing everything—only then could she truly understand where her heart lay.
She took a few steps forward, leaning against the railing of the lotus pond just as Hu Jiaping did, standing beside him. Softly, she said, "Tell me more about the curse of the Graftwood Seed."
Hu Jiaping rubbed his nose and chuckled. "Are you sure? I don’t want to be the one to break up a happy couple. If that brat Lei Xiuyuan finds out I’ve been blabbing, it’ll be trouble. Master already took both my horns—I’m no match for him now."
"Please tell me."Hu Jiaping sighed, "This is but an ancient legend among the Yaksa tribe. The Yaksa once stole the fruit from the Building Tree and were thus cursed. From then on, our kin would slaughter each other to obtain the Graftwood Seed. For us, the Graftwood Seed holds an irresistible temptation—it can enhance a Yaksa's power immeasurably, driving us by instinct to seize it for ourselves. Over the years, our clansmen died in the endless strife for the Seed, some had their horns broken and left with lost memories, until only Lei Xiuyuan and I remained to fight for it. Five hundred years ago, when the Building Tree bore no fruit, we followed the Heavenly Thunder Fire Sea of the Sea Fall to the Central Land. The Outlander Tomb at White Edge Cliff, belonging to that immortal sect, sealed an arm bone from a past Graftwood Seed. Who would have thought that instead of obtaining the bone, we’d encounter a Celestial as formidable as Master? Even more unimaginable was that he could travel overseas and bring the newly grown Graftwood Seed to the Central Land. All of this must be fate’s jest—how Heaven toys with mortals."
Noticing Li Fei had remained silent for a long while, her expression unreadable, he gave a bitter smile. "Little girl, we’ve both been given a second life by Master. Whatever decision you make, think it through yourself."
Li Fei asked softly, "What about you? What do you plan to do now?"
Hu Jiaping laughed heartily. "What do you think? I’ve decided to be Hu Jiaping for the rest of my life—free from the curse of the Graftwood Seed, with the woman I love, and as a prodigious disciple of an immortal sect. Such good fortune is beyond my wildest dreams."
Seeing Li Fei still silent, he grew serious. "Little girl, I’ve already embraced my new life. When I first saw you at the Academy seven years ago, fragments of my past began resurfacing. Yet even so, I chose to remain Hu Jiaping. The answer you seek from me—this is my final word."
OpenNovel