Chapter 40: Ji Qianlin Reflecting at Siguo Cliff

Emerald bamboo, a mountain cave, a stone table, and a wine jar.

A young woman lay sprawled across the stone table, her chest pressed and flattened against the surface.

Her fair fingers gripped a porcelain bowl, and her pale face was flushed crimson from the wine.

The tear mole under her left eye was clearly visible, and her foxy eyes were filled with gloom.

She was none other than the First Disciple of the Xishan Sect and a guest teacher at Nanyang Academy, Ji Qianlin.

Ever since she had angered Ji Lanruo the last time, Ji Qianlin had been confined to this cave by her own mother, with only a wine jar for company every day.

‘How many years has it been since I was last confined?’

Ji Lanruo had always doted on her.

The last time she was confined, it was because she had been young and reckless, venturing out into the world regardless of her own safety.

At that time, she hadn’t known how treacherous the martial world was and was obsessed with romance novels about wind, flowers, and the moon.

Thinking back, she had only been in her 20s then.

Now, she was already 400 years old.

She served as a guest teacher at Nanyang Academy, acting as the link between the academy and the Xishan Sect, while also handling the affairs of the sect’s First Disciple.

She was no longer innocent and naive, nor did she believe in those trashy novels that weren’t even worth discussing.

Time flies like an arrow, and the years pass like a shuttle.

She remembered studying at her mother’s knee and listening to anecdotes of the outside world while held in her arms.

Her mother loved her.

It was precisely because of this that the more Ji Qianlin thought about it, the angrier she became.

That man could actually provoke her mother to such fury that Ji Lanruo would actually confine her!

Ji Lanruo had been the one who taught her not to indulge in male beauty and not to easily believe others’ words, so why had her mother become like this today?

Originally, Ji Qianlin mostly felt admiration for Ding Nan.

After all, seedlings with such extraordinary comprehension like Ding Nan were rare.

He understood things instantly, learned everything immediately, and could focus on his studies without being tempted by external things — he was essentially a perfect researcher.

Nanyang Academy was a sanctuary for rogue cultivators and did not care if people stayed or left.

Based on this open philosophy, many small sect alliances had formed a loose coalition around Nanyang Academy.

Although the Xishan Sect had a cultivator at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, it was not a large or prominent sect.

The entire sect only had about 200-odd people and was included among these small sects.

Ji Qianlin had intended to recruit Ding Nan.

She had planned to invite him to join the Xishan Sect when he went to study at Nanyang Academy.

But now, Ji Qianlin had to reconsider.

She was starting to feel that this boy might be the result of a Possession by some powerful being, perhaps something like an Extraterrestrial Demon.

Otherwise, how could her mother, who had always loved her, be so infatuated with this detestable man?

She was determined not to let that lecherous bastard Ding Nan enter the Xishan Sect!

But she had neither the power nor the authority in front of her mother, the Sect Master.

“What should she do?”

glug, glug, glug!

Ji Qianlin gulped down the wine, her pale cheeks turning a deep red as her heart felt heavy with frustration.

“First Disciple, here are your ingredients for today.”

A female disciple from Cuizhu Peak climbed up to Siguo Cliff, panting while carrying a vegetable basket in both hands.

She was petite, with a chest that had not yet developed at all.

Once sent to Siguo Cliff, regardless of who it was, they had to cook for themselves.

If the confinement lasted a long time, they even had to grow their own vegetables, raise spirit beasts for food, and accept ideological education from the sect Elders.

This rule had been established by the ancestor of the Xishan Sect, who had said something about “reform through labor” and other such nonsensical terms.

However, Ji Qianlin felt that this rule was specifically aimed at her mother, who loved to eat but was terrible at cooking.

“Just put it over there,” Ji Qianlin said, pointing her thumb toward a cluster of emerald bamboo near the stairs.

“Yes, First Disciple!” The female disciple carefully hung the raw vegetables and meat on the bamboo branches.

“Has anything happened recently?” Ji Qianlin asked, hugging the wine jar.

She looked up drunkenly at the disciple who was wiping away sweat.

Siguo Cliff was not very high; it was just an unremarkable cliff less than 1,000 meters tall.

Even the weakest cultivator could easily climb it.

However, there were restrictions and formations set up around Siguo Cliff.

Among them was a pressure formation.

Every step a disciple took up the stairs would add a layer of pressure to their body.

The higher the cultivation realm, the greater the pressure.

This was quite beneficial for cultivators who had not yet reached the Golden Core Stage, so it was used to fill the gaps in the delivery disciples’ cultivation.

Therefore, even when no one was confined at Siguo Cliff, there were still disciples who attempted to climb it.

The female disciple nodded while panting, unable to answer immediately.

She was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, still quite a distance from the Golden Core.

“Oh? What happened? Tell me about it.”

Ji Qianlin straightened her back, her delicately sculpted fingertips tapping lightly on the stone table.

“Come, sit here.”

With that, Ji Qianlin raised her index finger, controlling a ceramic bowl and a kettle to fly over.

Ji Qianlin poured water for her junior sister.

Why didn’t she pour wine?

That was naturally because her junior sister was not yet of age to drink.

She was only 12 this year, a cute little girl.

“Thank you, First Disciple.”

The junior sister held the ceramic bowl with both hands and took two sips of water.

After slowly setting it down, she finally caught her breath.

Ji Qianlin propped her pointed chin on the back of her jade-like hand.

The flush on her face, her narrowed eyes, and her concerned smile gave her a somewhat bewitching appearance.

The junior sister saw the inquiry in her eyes and hurriedly recounted what she had heard.

“I heard that Fairy Jade Frost traveled to Qingquan City in a Flying Shuttle,” the junior sister said slowly, clutching her small chest as her breathing leveled out.

“Hmm?” In an instant, Ji Qianlin’s drunkenness vanished.

‘Is she going to see Ding Nan?’

The junior sister nodded. “That’s right.”

Ji Qianlin was puzzled.

Why would Fairy Jade Frost go looking for Ding Nan?

“The Sect Master sent someone to ask Fairy Jade Frost about her intentions. Elder Xihe said she went for a medical consultation.”

“A consultation? For whom?”

‘Was it to look into the problem of Ding Nan’s lost cultivation, or to see if he was an evil cultivator?’

“Supposedly, it’s to see that genius boy who lost his cultivation. Fairy Jade Frost became interested after learning that many previous Spirit Transformation experts couldn’t find the source of the problem.”

“Hmm…” Ji Qianlin felt something was off.

This reason didn’t seem to fit Lin Yue’er’s personality.

“What about my mother? How is she?”

“She was furious after hearing about Fairy Jade Frost’s actions,” the junior sister said.

Ji Qianlin suddenly understood why it felt strange.

Given Fairy Jade Frost’s cold temperament, even if it were a difficult medical case, was it necessary to take a Flying Shuttle to Qingquan City?

Couldn’t she have just taken a Flying Boat and gone there slowly?

A terrifying thought suddenly flashed through Ji Qianlin’s mind:

‘No way, it can’t be… Is Fairy Jade Frost charmed by that Ding Nan too?’

On second thought, she dismissed it.

Fairy Jade Frost didn’t even know Ding Nan.

Her mother only treated Ding Nan as a substitute for her lover.

It was impossible for Ding Nan to also have the face of someone Fairy Jade Frost loved, right?

“Could there be so many coincidences in this world?”

Besides, if Lin Yue’er were her mother’s love rival, how could the two of them have lived in peace for so many years?

After this line of reasoning, Ji Qianlin was more inclined to believe the woman was simply acting out of a healer’s compassion.

“Then, a few days ago, news suddenly broke out about the fall of a Tribulation Transcendence expert. Based on the reports, it is likely that Fairy Jade Frost has perished,” the junior sister said.

“What?” Ji Qianlin’s brain buzzed.

To kill someone at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, one would need to be at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Stage at the very least.

But given Fairy Jade Frost’s strength at the middle Tribulation Transcendence Stage and her profound knowledge of the human body, someone had actually managed to kill her.

“The rumors say that Xuanbing appeared.”

“Xuanbing…” Ji Qianlin’s gaze turned dark.

“That Weapon Puppet?”

“Yes.”

Ji Qianlin felt that things were getting serious.

Her mother seemed to be on Xuanbing’s hit list.

It would frequently wait for an opportunity to strike whenever her mother went out, which was why her mother never dared to take her outside.

Years ago, when she needed to go out for experience, she had to be accompanied by two sect Elders.

For many years, Xuanbing had been a thorn in the side of her mother and the entire Xishan Sect.

They had been investigating the location of Xuanbing’s master.

However, Xuanbing was powerful, and while the enemy remained in the shadows, they were in the light.

Even after many years, the Xishan Sect had not found Xuanbing’s master.

“Did the master of Xuanbing show up?”

The junior sister shook her head.

“The fight was very short. Fairy Jade Frost lost after only a few rounds against Xuanbing. Afterward, the bamboo forest near Qingquan City was frozen solid. No cultivator dares to step into Fairy Jade Frost’s Ice Domain, and the domain has blocked everyone’s perception and sight.”

Ji Qianlin sighed.

“Is that so? What a pity.”

Quickly, Ji Qianlin asked instead, “What does my mother think about this?”

“Uh, she is even more enraged than when she heard Fairy Jade Frost had gone to Qingquan City.”

‘It’s over…’ Ji Qianlin massaged her forehead.

She had been single for 400 years, and though she hadn’t been in love, she had seen plenty of entanglement between couples and read many brain-dead romance novels.

Combining that with her understanding of her mother…

‘My mother definitely thinks Fairy Jade Frost is her love rival!’ Ji Qianlin thought.

‘Could he really be my father’s reincarnation?’

Ji Qianlin stroked her chin, murmuring, ‘No! Absolutely impossible!’

“First Disciple? What are you saying?”

“Nothing.”

If one loses their memory, are they still themselves? Or rather, why would one want to lose their memory?

For most experts, losing their memories and having their knowledge wiped away to become a blank slate was dangerous in this seemingly peaceful but internally turbulent Cultivation World.

Moreover, what about the Heavenly Immortal Path?

After losing one’s memory, one would truly become nothing more than a lost soul.

Ji Qianlin crushed the immature thought in her mind.

“By the way, what has my mother been doing lately?”

“Lately, she’s been supervising the brothers and sisters in the Artisan Hall to make wedding clothes.”

“…”

Ji Qianlin’s face instantly turned mournful.

With a terrible mood, she downed a bowl of wine.

“First Disciple?”

“Wahhh…”

Ji Qianlin hugged the wine jar.

“Uh… First Disciple?”

glug, glug, glug! Ji Qianlin held the wine jar and poured it into her stomach.

“P-please take care of yourself, First Disciple.”

Seeing that she couldn’t be persuaded, the junior sister could only bow and leave, letting Ji Qianlin be alone in her silence.