Chapter 85: Misery Loves Company
Ji Xiao thought that when it came to Meng Xueli’s past, he still knew far too little—less, even, than that peacock.
Little did he know that Meng Xueli had the same thought, believing his understanding of Ji Xiao was still not as thorough as Hu Si’s.
Under Meng Xueli’s guidance, the group weaved through palace halls and corridors, moving among flowers and willows. Amidst the bloom, they found a stone-engraved formation.
The formation was not large, slightly smaller than a normal teleportation array. At most, four or five people could stand on it at once. With only two people, it seemed spacious, almost like a double-person array.
But around the stone formation, wild grass grew thick and flowers flourished; vines clung to the stone surface, and the formation’s runes were nearly invisible.
The group circled the stone formation. One formation master stepped forward to examine it closely. “Can this still work?”
Liu Jing gave it a try. “It can, but someone needs to activate it.”
Song Qianyi thought for a moment. “Elder Meng, this is a formation set up by Sword Sovereign. Your aura resonates with his; you should be able to trigger it! Just like last time!” Before Jing Di’s team came to the arena, Meng Xueli had once demonstrated his prowess, splitting two formations with a single sword strike.
Whenever something could not be explained, there was always one universal reason: Meng Xueli was Ji Xiao’s Dao companion.
Meng Xueli hesitated. “This…”
He felt conflicted. Last time he had destroyed a teleportation formation, it had been pure luck—he could not explain it himself. Instinctively, he glanced at Xiao Tingyun.
He suddenly heard Xiao Tingyun’s voice transmitted into his mind: “There’s a teleportation formation in the underground palace leading to the Changchun Peak pond. I’ll take you there later.”
Meng Xueli froze for a moment. He thought, Xiao Tingyun must have left Changchun Peak through the pond formation under the pretext of seclusion. He had faced the pond every day and yet had never noticed the hidden mechanism.
Liu Jing said, “Elder Meng, you can do it. Just a light touch this time will work!”
The young disciples instinctively stepped back, their eyes gleaming as they watched him.
Faced with everyone’s expectations, Meng Xueli felt trapped, but he summoned Hundred Generations of Time and forced himself forward. “I’ll give it a try. If not, there will be other ways…”
He thought, Where’s this “resonance of aura”? Ji Xiao and I are fake Dao companions—am I about to expose it today?
At the same time, he silently prayed: “Lord Sword Sovereign, if you truly see me, please help me one more time!”
Ji Xiao followed the group as they stepped back, his expression calm. As Meng Xueli raised his sword, Ji Xiao’s hand, hidden in his sleeve, twitched slightly. His middle and thumb fingers curved together, then he flicked them lightly, like an orchid blooming silently.
Helping a Dao partner companion—once was practice, twice was familiarity.
Meng Xueli struck with his sword. The stone formation suddenly came alive. A faint blue light pillar shot straight into the sky, mingling with the evening glow. Everyone watched in astonishment.
“Elder Meng and Sword Sovereign truly share a fused aura—your essence within mine, mine within yours, indistinguishable from each other!”
“Yes, Endless Sky, Hundred Generations of Time—they are perfectly matched.”
The light in Meng Xueli’s eyes outshone the formation itself, and he nearly shed tears of joy.
Seeing everyone marvel, Ji Xiao lightly cleared his throat. “This formation has long fallen into disrepair. We should pass through quickly.”
Several formation masters stepped forward to inspect. “Indeed, it can’t last long. Let’s go!”
Though the young disciples came from different sects, the past two days had forged camaraderie. As their secret realm journey neared its end, they felt a wave of emotion.
“Green mountains remain, flowing waters endure—until we meet again!”
“If fate allows, even a thousand miles apart, we will meet again!”
They formed a line like during the arena battle, no one pushing ahead. Lower-level disciples stood at the front; higher-level ones fell toward the rear.
Amid the formation’s glow and blooming flowers, the young disciples gradually disappeared. Meng Xueli felt relieved, the heavy burden on his shoulders finally lifted.
Cui Jing, a few Han Shan disciples, and Jing Di’s team were at the very end.
Ji Xiao said to Cui Jing, “Take care of your master.”
Cui Jing felt inexplicably puzzled but had no time to ask, as he was immediately transported away.
Jing Di and the others stepped onto the stone formation, still teasing Cui Jing. “Haha, Junior Brother Xiao really knows how to take advantage of people!”
The formation’s light gradually dimmed. Liu Jing’s face changed. “Not good! Come quickly!”
Xu Sanshan and Zheng Mu rode on the tiger to save space. “Everyone squeeze together!”
Meng Xueli, however, smiled and waved to them.
Jing Di urged, “Xueli, aren’t you coming with us?”
Song Qianyi, “It’s safest if you leave with us.”
She had assumed that gathering everyone to leave together was Meng Xueli’s solution to the predicament. With so many eyes watching, any scheme would fail.
Meng Xueli shook his head and stepped back two paces.
Spring wind blew, scattering fallen petals. The formation’s glow vanished. Except for Xiao Tingyun and Meng Xueli, all competing disciples had departed.
By the creek, Que Xianming was roasting fish with demon fire, leaving a mess of bones around him. Seeing the formation light flare, he knew things were nearly over.
The peacock, riding the warm evening breeze and bathed in sunset colors, gracefully flew down and landed before Meng Xueli and Xiao Tingyun.
Que Xianming, “All done?”
Meng Xueli nodded, feeling good.
Que Xianming lightly punched him. “Good. Now let’s have a proper talk!”
Meng Xueli, “Wait!”
He worried that Que Xianming might say something shocking and scare his disciple, so he quickly glanced at Xiao Tingyun’s face, feeling slightly embarrassed. “I know your senses are sharp, but this time…”
Ji Xiao watched his little Dao companion, who seemed eager to whisper something to a friend, and found him lively and endearing. His expression softened, and he smiled gently. “Go ahead. I won’t listen.”
Meng Xueli felt a warm sense of comfort. How thoughtful, he thought. Having such a fine companion, what more could he ask for? He walked away with the peacock and said, “Now you can speak.”
“I was originally going to tell you that Spirit Mountain King was ruthless and violent, stirring resentment across the demon realm. His subjects’ hearts were restless. Of his five major demon generals, two have now raised the banner of rebellion and declared themselves kings. He was even planning to convene a ‘Ten Thousand Demons Assembly’ in Fengyue City. That would have been the perfect opportunity for us to avenge ourselves. I came to bring you back to the demon realm so we could join the two rebellious kings and strike at the Spirit Mountain King by surprise! But now there’s an even better, safer way, so those old plans don’t matter…” Que Xianming placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping far from Xiao Tingyun, and whispered, “Everything we’ve thought about is the same!”
Meng Xueli listened to the tales of old grudges and past strife in the demon realm. They felt like another lifetime. He asked, “What do you think?”
Que Xianming said, “Think? How else should I think? You think I’m stupid?”
Meng Xueli: “Hmm?”
They walked out of the garden as the sun dipped, black-gold in the west. Across the wasteland, broken walls and ruined structures stood like sentinels, and the wind moaned through them.
Unaware of the Mirror of Reflection, Que Xianming let his imagination run freely:
“Saving these disciples is just the first step toward our grand ambitions! When the secret realm ends, your reputation will soar, your prestige at its peak, and having inherited ‘Endless Sky’ from Ji Xiao, your position in the Han Shan Sword Sect will be unmatched, nearly on par with the sect leader. The disciples you’ve guided and helped today will thank you. When they grow and hold influence in their respective sects, we can leverage the power of the Han Shan Sword Sect, unite the human cultivation world, and strike back at the demon realm to avenge our grievances! We will become kings of both the human and demon realms!
“This plan is solid. Following it step by step, it’s only a matter of time. Then, when you raise your arm, the world will respond. We two brothers will be more formidable than ever. Even the thirty thousand little demons under Spirit Mountain King will serve us tea and keep our feet warm! Am I right?”
Meng Xueli thought, serpents are naturally cold-blooded; they can’t warm anyone’s feet.
Que Xianming’s expression radiated excitement. Meng Xueli could not bear to see it. “I saved them because this secret realm was opened by Ji Xiao. Now that he is gone, I must take responsibility for changes in the secret realm. When someone violates the rules, I ensure the safety of those who follow them. It’s not about using them to ‘raise influence.’ All that stuff you said—I never thought about it. I have my own matters to attend to.”
When the secret realm had opened, Hu Si had called him to the cloud ship, claiming his purpose in the Hanhai Secret Realm wasn’t pure. In a sense, it wasn’t entirely unjust.
Que Xianming’s smile gradually stiffened. He stared at Meng Xueli’s face, as if seeing this friend for the first time.
On the day of Ji Xiao’s great mourning, Meng Xueli had said he did not wish to return to the demon realm. Que Xianming had heard him but only listened superficially; subconsciously, he still believed the Snow Mountain King would return.
“Do you mean it? What are you going to do?”
Meng Xueli explained quietly, “In the underground palace of the secret realm, there’s a teleportation formation leading to the ‘Outside Realm’ and the Changchun Peak pond. Once I send Tingyun off, I can rest easy. As for myself… I actually think Ji Xiao isn’t dead. Perhaps he’s still in the Outside Realm, waiting for me to rescue him. Even if I can’t find him, I can find clues, and come closer to the truth.”
Que Xianming furrowed his brow in disbelief. “He’s dead! What’s the point of doing all that? You’re even willing to abandon your demon realm ambitions to go to the ‘Outside Realm’? It’s not worth it!”
Meng Xueli’s expression turned cold. “Now that I hold his sword, whether it’s worth it is for me to decide!”
All Que Xianming’s beautiful visions shattered instantly, and his anger surged.
“I came thousands of miles to bring you back, and you don’t even appreciate it! Ha, have you fallen for him? You’re in love with a dead man and have lost your mind for him!”
Meng Xueli said lightly, “It’s not love. It’s because Ji Xiao didn’t deserve this ending. Humanity wronged him; the demon realm harmed me. That’s all—sympathy born of shared suffering.”
“Shared suffering? The Snow Mountain King I know is bold and discerning, full of emotion and loyalty. He dared to storm the Ghost Gate, could ascend to the Lingxiao Hall—he’s nothing like you!”
Que Xianming, still fuming, spat out harsh words freely: “You said it yourself, ‘One demon ruling is not true rulership; only when ten thousand demons bow is one king. I want to rule the entire demon realm and be the supreme demon king!’ How imposing you were then! Did Ji Xiao feed you some potion that fried your brain?”
Meng Xueli looked at him like a mischievous child and said seriously, “Ah Que, being a king isn’t about showing off.”
Que Xianming flung him aside and howled to the sky.
A sharp cry rang out, piercing the horizon and echoing across the wasteland.
Que Xianming transformed into his demon form, wings whipping up a hurricane. Ignoring Meng Xueli’s calls, he shot into the sky.
His long tail feathers vanished into the clouds in an instant, leaving only a streak of blue-green light slashing across the dark-red sky.
In the west, the setting sun burned like blood.
The peacock flew southeast, never looking back.
Author’s note: Next chapter, secrets revealed!
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
