Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Voice Sounds Familiar

As Liu the Half-Immortal activated the magic array, at the very instant it began to glow, Qin Xiaomo leapt out. The red light shot straight into Qiongqi’s body, pinning its two front paws firmly to the ground as if glued, while it furiously scraped the earth with its hind legs to no avail. Seizing the opportunity, Qin Xiaomo raised the Xuanli Blade. Yet at that moment, Qiongqi suddenly grew quiet, as if it recognized the blade, and stared intently at it.

Now was no time for hesitation. Just as Qin Xiaomo was about to drive the blade hard toward Qiongqi’s head, a distant voice called out, “Wait!”

A billowing cloud appeared no more than twenty meters overhead, upon which stood an Immortal Lord holding a horsetail whisk in one hand and a celestial command token in the other. The night was so dark that his face could not be discerned.

Liu the Half-Immortal knelt hurriedly. “Forgive me, Immortal Lord, for failing to greet you properly.”

“No matter. The Qiongqi must not be killed—I must take it with me.”

“But, Immortal Lord, you may not know: this ferocious beast has already claimed four lives, and nearly harmed this young lady as well. If it is spared, I fear it will return to wreak more havoc. It is only subdued now because it’s wounded; once it recovers, it may prove unstoppable…” Liu the Half-Immortal pleaded.

“That wound was dealt by me,” the Immortal Lord replied, his tone unreadable. “I have been pursuing it since last night. I did my utmost to prevent harm, but without my command token, I could not subdue it. That is why I have come today.”

Qin Xiaomo, who had been silent, felt the Immortal Lord’s voice was oddly familiar, though she could not place it. She ventured, “If you encountered it harming mortals, why did you not eliminate it to prevent future tragedies? Why were four people allowed to die before it escaped?”

“The two crushed by the rockery had reached the end of their fates; their time had come. The other two were not destined to die, and as compensation, they have been conscripted by the Underworld as celestial officials, spared from endless cycles of reincarnation—a better fate, I would say,” the Immortal Lord explained.

“Then why must this beast be spared?” Qin Xiaomo voiced the question on everyone’s mind.

The Immortal Lord paused, sighing softly. “That I cannot tell you. I have said all I can. I act on orders from the Celestial Court—do not make things difficult for a lowly immortal like me. Let go.”

“One last question, Immortal Lord.”

“Speak,” he replied with patient kindness.

“Your voice sounds so familiar to me—may I know your true name?” Qin Xiaomo asked. At this, the Immortal Lord drew a sharp breath, though it was unclear why.

“Miss Qin, fate will bring us together again soon. Then, I promise, I will tell you.”

As the Immortal Lord finished speaking, he tossed the celestial command token toward Qiongqi. Instantly, Qiongqi broke free of the immobilizing spell. Taking everyone by surprise, it lunged forward, ramming its horn straight into Qin Xiaomo’s abdomen.

“Aah—!”

Under the token’s power, Qiongqi was swiftly absorbed into it. Meanwhile, a hole the size of an orange gaped in Qin Xiaomo’s belly, blood gushing out in torrents. She looked down in disbelief at the bloody wound.

The Immortal Lord, hovering in midair, could no longer remain aloof. In a flash, he was at her side, supporting her and using celestial power to staunch the bleeding. Under the streetlamp’s glow, Qin Xiaomo finally saw his face clearly and gasped weakly, “Jiang Wei…?”

“Young Madam, I—I was only sent here on a temporary task by the Celestial Court. Please don’t blame me! They forbade me from killing it, who knew it would hurt you? What should I do… The Young Master will surely skin me alive—perhaps even worse! Young Madam, I was wrong!” Jiang Wei’s voice trembled, tears threatening, as he imagined the Young Master’s wrath when he learned his wife had been so gravely injured under his watch.

“Young Madam? Immortal Lord? What…?” Liu the Half-Immortal, Gu Zha, and Qingfeng all stared, wide-eyed and breathless, at Qin Xiaomo and Jiang Wei, desperately seeking an explanation.

“There’s no time now. Hurry and get her somewhere safe and undisturbed!” Jiang Wei urged, nearly frantic.

“Let’s take her to the Golden Pavilion. It’s quiet and secure,” Liu the Half-Immortal suggested. With that, Jiang Wei and Qin Xiaomo vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving the three companions behind, bewildered and buffeted by the wind—or rather, two people and one bird.

Golden Pavilion.

“Jiang Wei, it still hurts so much. Do you have any medicine for the pain?” Qin Xiaomo’s face was ashen with agony.

“Young Madam, I’ve already sent for the Medical Immortal’s medicine. Please hold on a little longer,” Jiang Wei fretted, twisting his robe nervously.

Seeing his anxiety, Qin Xiaomo forced a weak smile and patted his shoulder gently. “Don’t blame yourself. But—how did you come here? And what about the Immortal Lord?”

“After the Young Master took you to the Spring of a Thousand Eyes, I returned to the residence for closed-door cultivation. Do you remember the red celestial fruit you received from Emperor Zhenwu?”

Qin Xiaomo recalled nearly falling into demonic possession before Qian Mubai saved her with the fruit. “You mean the one on the stone table in that dark cave?”

“Yes. The Young Master took two—one for you, and one for me. I went into seclusion for seven days, refining the fruit, and my abilities improved greatly—I broke through to the Celestial Rank. Just as I emerged, reports of strange beasts appeared all over the human realm, so I, as a newly advanced immortal, was called upon to help.” Despite his humility, Jiang Wei could not conceal his delight at his progress.

“Congratulations! Once I recover, I’ll treat you to a proper meal! By the way, I saw the Heavenly Emperor’s procession earlier—were you…?”

“I was indeed. And since you mention a good meal, Young Madam, I thank you in advance, though I may have to return to Heaven to report before I can accept.”

Qin Xiaomo still could not shake her confusion about how this world and theirs were connected. Wasn’t this just a game, or perhaps a parallel universe? How could they break through spatial boundaries?

“Jiang Wei… have you always known I’m from the modern world?”

“Modern world? You mean this era?” Jiang Wei looked puzzled.

“Yes, this era. Did you always know? And… does he know too?” Qin Xiaomo couldn’t help asking about him.

“You mean the Young Master? I only learned after breaking through to the Celestial Rank. The Young Master seemed to have known much earlier—before I arrived, he told me not to let you find out too soon,” Jiang Wei recalled.

“Why not let me know?”

“He never said. Young Madam, so you’ve always lived here? It’s very different from our world. How do you know what happens in our world? And about my background?” Jiang Wei had questions of his own.

“If I told you… you’re all just characters I created in a game, would you… be disappointed?” Qin Xiaomo asked cautiously.

“I don’t quite understand ‘game world,’ but after breaking through to the Celestial Rank, I discovered I could travel between different spaces. There are no real worlds, only spaces—each person, animal, deity, demon, and spirit has their own realm, only the vessels differ. Some vessels are as small as a petal. Compared to others, this blue star is but a speck of dust. So if you call it a game world, it matters not. Once one attains true cultivation, there are no spatial constraints. For those who pursue the path, it is not where one comes from, but where one is going, that matters most,” Jiang Wei said, more profound and philosophical than ever before.

“Even you can now cross between realms. Qian Mubai… can he too?” Qin Xiaomo’s voice grew softer.

“The Young Master, he…” Jiang Wei began, but his mouth suddenly clamped shut, refusing to open no matter how hard he tried.

“What’s wrong?” Qin Xiaomo asked.

“I may have said too much,” Jiang Wei replied nervously, glancing around as if Qian Mubai might appear at any moment.