Jade Dynasty: I am the master of the Burning Sword, my swordsmanship is unparalleled.

Chapter 43 Blocked Halfway
The mountain moon shines alone, the forest breeze whispers, and the occasional chirping of insects adds a touch of life compared to the past. Faintly, the scent of incense, of unknown origin, permeates the mountain air.

Dressed in red, Tian Ling'er walked ahead with small steps, taking in the sights of the sparsely populated mountain path under the moonlight.

It must be said that the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament was held on a very good day. Every night, the moon shines alone, and tonight, the bright moon hangs high in the sky. Coupled with the mist in the mountains, it has a serene and secluded atmosphere, almost like being in the moon palace.

"Xiao Fan, my mother said that the top four in this Seven Sects Martial Arts Tournament are going down the mountain for training. It seems that the sect leader has a task for you?"

Tian Ling'er gently kicked up a pebble, and then, as if remembering something, suddenly spoke up. Zhang Xiaofan nodded in response.

"I've heard that's true, but don't worry, our sect leader won't give us disciples any overly difficult tasks."

Zhang Xiaofan subconsciously reached out and touched the Biluo Huangquan at his waist. His purpose in descending the mountain this time was to reach Kongsang Mountain, the former sacred site of the Blood Refining Hall of the Demonic Sect.

Inside Mount Kongsang, there is a Dead Spirit Abyss. At the bottom of the Dead Spirit Abyss, adjacent to the Sea of ​​Heartlessness, there is a Blood-Dripping Cave. Inside, there is a scroll of heavenly book, which is the general outline of heavenly book!

"If I could win one more round, then we could go down the mountain together."

Tian Ling'er said with a hint of regret that she had never been down the mountain before, let alone down the mountain with her junior brother.

But when she thought about the round where she advanced from the quarterfinals to the semifinals, her opponent was Lu Xueqi, Tian Ling'er sighed helplessly. She lost that match wholeheartedly, because she was inferior to Lu Xueqi in both cultivation and magic.

"There will be opportunities in the future, senior sister."

Zhang Xiaofan sighed softly and said, "Now that the Demonic Sect has made a comeback, this vast land of China is bound to be in turmoil again."

"Hmm, right, Xiao Fan, isn't the Ancestral Temple just ahead? Let's go in and take a look, and offer some incense to the Ancestral Master while we're at it."

Looking at the candlelight shining through the dense forest not far away, Tian Ling'er said excitedly, and pulled Zhang Xiaofan along as they ran towards the Ancestral Hall.

The ancestral hall was even more serene in the dead of night. The vermilion pillars, illuminated by candlelight, appeared even more solemn and dignified than during the day. The scent of incense mixed with the cool mist gradually calmed people's hearts.

Tian Ling'er slowed her pace, as if afraid of offending the ancestors who were sleeping here.

After entering the door, Tian Ling'er looked around and was surprised to find that the ancestral hall was spotless.

Zhang Xiaofan lit six incense sticks, placed three incense sticks in Tian Ling'er's hand, and the two of them bowed together to the memorial tablets of the ancestral masters.

After offering incense, Tian Ling'er frowned slightly, feeling somewhat uneasy, and quickly pulled Zhang Xiaofan outside.

After the two figures stepped out of the ancestral hall, a sigh that seemed to be both a sigh and a smile came from the shadows.

An old man slowly emerged from the shadows, glanced at the mountain path a few times, and then suddenly let out a low, strange laugh. A strange look flashed in his aged eyes.

After silently tugging at the corners of his mouth, the old man turned back to the incense burner, wiped away the ash from the altar, and then skillfully added two new pairs of candles to the two pairs of candles that were only half full.

After leaving the ancestral hall, Tian Ling'er finally breathed a sigh of relief, gently patted her chest, and exhaled deeply.

"I don't know why, but I always feel that the Ancestral Temple is a bit strange, like..."

Tian Ling'er initially thought it was a bit sinister, but after thinking about it, she kept quiet. That was the ancestral hall of the Qingyun Sect, and as a member of the Qingyun Sect, she couldn't defile the sacred land of Qingyun.

"Oh, right, Xiao Fan, this is for you."

As she spoke, Tian Ling'er took out a string of tassels from her bosom. Among the silk tassels hung a crystal-clear bead, which was none other than the Cool Bead from before.

"Senior sister, um..."

Zhang Xiaofan wanted to say something, but Tian Ling'er forcibly pulled him over, bent down and hung the silk tassel around his waist.

After clapping her hands, Tian Ling'er looked at Zhang Xiaofan with satisfaction and said with a smile.

"Not bad, it's just a pity that your flute already has tassels, otherwise it would look better with these. Or later, you could find a piece of ancient jade and string it on, that would look even better."

As she spoke, Tian Ling'er looked up at Zhang Xiaofan and saw his uncomfortable expression, so she frowned slightly.

Just as she was about to say something, she heard a noise behind her. Tian Ling'er turned around and saw that Lu Xueqi had been standing behind her at some point. Tian Ling'er's face immediately turned red, and she became quite flustered.

Tian Ling'er secretly prayed that Lu Xueqi wouldn't see what just happened, otherwise she would be so embarrassed, and if her parents found out, she would probably get scolded again.

What's most infuriating is that Zhang Xiaofan also lives on Dazhu Peak, so even if Tian Ling'er gets angry and tries to threaten him with eloping, it won't work.

"Senior Sister Lu, what are you doing here? Could it be that your injuries from earlier in the day haven't healed yet?"

In contrast, Zhang Xiaofan was quite calm and took the initiative to greet Lu Xueqi.

Actually, Lu Xueqi was also quite embarrassed. She originally thought that only Zhang Xiaofan was there. Thinking about what happened during the day, she wanted to come up and thank Zhang Xiaofan and say a few words.

But who would have thought that she, who had been cultivating with Master Shuiyue with a pure and desireless heart until now, would witness this scene? This was even more unsettling than when she stumbled upon her senior sister's secret rendezvous with that senior brother from Dazhu Peak late that night.

Fortunately, Lu Xueqi's cultivation was sufficient, and she quickly calmed herself down before replying softly, "No, my injuries are not serious. But Junior Brother Zhang, your injuries are quite severe. Don't let them affect tomorrow's competition."

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister Lu. My injuries have almost fully healed."

Zhang Xiaofan said softly, and then the atmosphere immediately became awkward.

Tian Ling'er wasn't too fond of this Senior Sister Lu, who had the demeanor of Master Shuiyue. Besides, she had been caught having a secret rendezvous late at night, so she was a little afraid to speak.

Lu Xueqi was equally embarrassed and didn't know what to say. Originally, she wanted to say a few more words to Zhang Xiaofan in private, apologize, and explain, but now that Tian Ling'er was here, she didn't know how to start.

In the end, it was Zhang Xiaofan who took the initiative to speak, breaking the strange silence.

"Senior Sister, Senior Sister Lu, it's getting late, let's go back."

Lu Xueqi nodded gently upon hearing this, and Tian Ling'er felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She followed Zhang Xiaofan and walked towards the villa together.

But after walking only a few steps, Zhang Xiaofan, Lu Xueqi, and Tian Ling'er all stopped at the same time.

On the mountain path, Master Shuiyue, Su Ru, and Tian Buyi stood there with cold expressions.

Actually, the main problem was that Master Shuiyue and Tian Buyi were both coldly facing each other, while Su Ru, standing between them, felt more helpless and exhausted.

Master Shuiyue and Tian Buyi have been at odds for a long time, and they never give each other a friendly look when they meet. Now, to make matters worse, there's a disciple to deal with. Su Ru felt like her head was about to explode.

"Xueqi, come here!"

Master Shuiyue looked at Zhang Xiaofan, who was standing between the two, with a complicated expression. Then, his eyes darkened slightly, and his cold voice reached Lu Xueqi's ears.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xueqi subconsciously glanced at Zhang Xiaofan. This glance made Master Shuiyue's expression turn even colder. She didn't say anything, but just gave a soft snort.

Startled awake, Lu Xueqi quickly averted her gaze, her face slightly flushed as she lowered her head and walked behind Master Shuiyue.

Su Ru glanced at Lu Xueqi standing beside Master Shuiyue, then turned to glare at Tian Ling'er, who was hiding behind Zhang Xiaofan, trying to conceal herself. She shook her head helplessly and said...

"Ling'er, what are you still standing there for? Come with Xiao Fan."

Zhang Xiaofan, on the other hand, looked completely at ease and walked over with Tian Ling'er. Su Ru pulled Tian Ling'er over, glared at her, and then scolded her softly.

"You silly girl, you can't get enough of seeing Dazhu Peak every day? You even have to come to the Ancestral Temple in the middle of the night to meet me? Tell me, whose idea was that?"

"Master's wife, it's not my sister's fault, it's all..."

As soon as Zhang Xiaofan opened his mouth, Su Ru gave him a look and immediately shut up, letting out a soft snort.

"Don't I know you guys? This must be your idea, Ling'er. Don't you even know where you are? It's the middle of the night..."

As Su Ru was speaking, she suddenly didn't know how to continue. However, Master Shuiyue, who was standing to the side, snorted and took over the conversation.

"Hmph! Like father, like daughter."

Tian Buyi's expression was initially rather cold, but it softened considerably after seeing Lu Xueqi's reaction. And after seeing Master Shuiyue's reaction, he could barely suppress his smile.

At this moment, Master Shuiyue's words immediately angered Tian Buyi, whose face darkened instantly. Even though Su Ru pulled him aside, his expression remained unpleasant. He snorted coldly and turned away without saying a word.

Master Shuiyue glanced at Tian Buyi, then turned to look at Lu Xueqi and said in a deep voice.

"Xueqi, why did you come to the back mountain instead of resting in the courtyard in the middle of the night? You seem to know this place well, so it doesn't seem like this is your first time here, does it?"

After Zhang Xiaofan's repairs, the path on the back mountain is not difficult to walk, so it is basically impossible to go astray.

Master Shuiyue was just asking casually, trying to trick him, worried that his precious disciple might be deceived by the people of Dazhu Peak, and also giving him a warning to stay away from worldly love.

Human life is inherently tragic, and love is the most painful of all. She worried that her disciple would one day become deeply entangled in it, just like her, unable to extricate herself and suffering agonizingly.

In reality, Master Shuiyue didn't think she could get any information out of her. Judging from her demeanor, it was clear that this was Lu Xueqi's first time accompanying Zhang Xiaofan to the back mountain.

"Reporting to Master, a few days ago, I saw Senior Sister at the outer gate late at night. Out of curiosity, I followed her. This is the second time, including today!"

Lu Xueqi had always respected Master Shuiyue, so she naturally answered truthfully when asked.

　I'd like to read this further, and also some other recommendations.

　　The author has already worked very hard. Although it's only two updates, the word count has reached 6,000, which is equivalent to three updates. However, it wasn't split up just to avoid affecting the reading experience.

　　Considering how hard the author is working, even with their fingers aching from typing, let's give them some support and keep reading! (Waaaaah!)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)