webnovel Chapter 273 271: Shang Miaoyan's Plan Against the Jade Pool Saintess
Chapter 273 271: Shang Miaoyan's Plan Against the Jade Pool Saintess
"Holy Daughter, this is the portrait of the Jade Pool Saintess, Lin Qianyan, that you asked me to find. Please take a look."
Fan Ya gently unfurled the ink wash scroll in her hands. The ink on the scroll seemed to come to life, twisting slightly with the flow of Spiritual Qi, gradually coalescing into the image of an elegant and otherworldly Fairy.
The Fairy's face was exquisitely beautiful yet cold. Her eyebrows, like distant mountains, were slender and arched slightly upward. Below a high, straight nose were cherry-red lips, their pale hue reminiscent of newly bloomed cherry blossoms. Even as a mere painting, her beauty was breathtaking.
But—
A faint, almost imperceptible trace of melancholy lingered in this Fairy's eyes, as if her heart was burdened by a sorrow that would not fade.
Shang Miaoyan gazed quietly at the scroll, her deep eyes narrowing slightly.
Her fingers gently caressed the edge of the scroll, her fingertips pausing for a moment on the face of the person in the painting, as if trying to touch a distant memory through the image.
"Fan Ya, do you think they're the same person?"
Fan Ya lowered her head slightly, avoiding Shang Miaoyan's gaze. She pressed her lips together gently, her tone humble and cautious:
"Holy Daughter, this servant is dull-witted. It is truly difficult to judge..."
"Hmph, you're just afraid of upsetting me, so you don't dare to answer. And you still say 'this servant is dull-witted'? If you were truly dull-witted, you wouldn't last long by my side."
Shang Miaoyan lifted her chin slightly, her gaze sharp and scrutinizing as she stared directly at Fan Ya.
"Holy Daughter, please forgive me..."
"Enough! I can't blame you. After all... even I can't see through this Jade Pool Saintess at all."
Her fingertips lingered on the face in the painting for a moment, as if trying to discern a familiar shadow within those elegant, otherworldly features.
Shang Miaoyan had a very deep impression of the "Qianqian" that Xiaohan spoke of.
After all, she had still been young and arrogant back then. Despite being the Saintess of her Sect, she had suffered her first setback with an inexperienced young man like Pei Yuhang.
At that time, when she learned that Pei Yuhang intended to remain chaste as jade for some little village girl, refusing to let her even touch him.
While Shang Miaoyan was furious and exasperated, she also grew intensely curious about the so-called "fiancée" in his heart.
So, she had even sent someone to Lishui Village to record the girl's appearance with a Memory Stone.
After seeing her in person, Shang Miaoyan had been greatly disappointed, feeling that this "fiancée" of Pei Yuhang's wasn't even as beautiful as one of her own jade-like toes. 'How had she made him so devoted?'
"..."
Recalling the past, Shang Miaoyan couldn't help but sigh. She returned her gaze to the scroll in her hand.
She felt that the "Qianqian" Xiaohan had adored in his youth was just a country girl. Although she had the delicate beauty of a girl-next-door, she was a world apart from the Fairy before her, whose beauty was enough to be recorded in the annals of history.
In both appearance and temperament, they were like two different people.
She instinctively didn't believe it, nor did she want to believe that the Fairy in the painting was Xiaohan's first love.
But the biggest problem was... the Fairy in this painting was currently asking people from the Yin Yang Sacred Land about the whereabouts of a Cauldron Slave with the surname "Pei."
As the pure and noble Jade Pool Saintess, why would she be looking for a lowly Cauldron Slave? And she had even specified Xiaohan's surname... Could it really be such a coincidence?
The strange premonition in Shang Miaoyan's heart grew stronger. Last night, she hadn't even dared to let Fan Ya tell Pei Yuhang this crucial, most important piece of information.
She was afraid Pei Yuhang would act on impulse and go find her himself...
Shang Miaoyan sighed softly and closed her eyes in resignation. She didn't want to keep lying to herself anymore.
These two Lin Qianyans were, in fact, the same person.
Pei Yuhang's master had once used a heaven-deceiving Secret Technique to conceal his past destiny, severing his connections with everyone from his past.
She herself had suffered for a hundred years, dazedly holding on to the one thought of never forgetting Pei Yuhang. Only after the Nameless Daoist disappeared into the Endless Sea did she finally break through the Secret Technique's obstruction and successfully reunite with Pei Yuhang.
And now, Lin Qianyan had also achieved this. Although she hadn't fully remembered Xiaohan yet, what would happen if this pair of "old lovers" were to meet?
Shang Miaoyan didn't dare to imagine what would happen.
Shang Miaoyan's head snapped up, a sharp light flashing in her eyes. Her tone was decisive, as if she had made an unshakable resolution:
"No matter what, I absolutely cannot let Lin Qianyan see Pei Yuhang! That woman's power and status are now no less than mine, and her Cultivation is even slightly stronger!
It's safer for Xiaohan to stay tied to Ye Liyuan's side!"
"Fan Ya."
"Here."
Shang Miaoyan's gaze remained fixed on the distance, her voice laced with urgency. "When is that Lin Qianyan arriving at the Xuanyuan Dao Sect?"
"In three days."
Hearing this, Shang Miaoyan's brow furrowed slightly, a cold glint in her eyes. She rose to her feet, her gaze like a torch as she looked at Fan Ya, her tone carrying an unquestionable command.
"Make preparations. When the time comes, go with the people from the Dao Sect to meet her. You must stall her and keep her from coming towards the Cold Palace Sword Mansion!"
Fan Ya: ?
'Your Highness, you're asking me to stall a Void Refining Realm Jade Pool Saintess? If she gets news of Pei Sword Immortal and insists on seeing him, how could this servant possibly stop her?'
Shang Miaoyan seemed to sense Fan Ya's hesitation and fear, and she said resolutely:
"Fan Ya, I will keep Xiaohan from returning to the mansion, while you stall Lin Qianyan and keep her from coming over. This is a small matter, you should be able to handle it, right?
Or would you rather switch places with me? You can keep my Xiaohan busy, and I'll go meet that Lin Qianyan?"
Sensing the ominous aura emanating from the crimson lotus in Shang Miaoyan's eyes, Fan Ya tensed up. Not daring to hesitate for a moment, she immediately accepted the task.
"Yes, Holy Daughter! This servant will do everything in my power. I will not let her come within half a step of the Cold Palace Sword Mansion!"
"I hope so."
Shang Miaoyan nodded slightly. The sharp light in her eyes softened a little, but they still held a trace of unconcealable anxiety.
...
...
「Three days later.」
A colossal Immortal Crane cut through the Cloud Sea, soaring towards a Divine Mountain Gate that pierced the heavens ahead.
On the Immortal Crane's broad back, it carried layers of jade-colored Treasure Pavilions, arranged in an intricate, beautiful pattern. They refracted the sunlight into a multicolored splendor. Fairies of celestial beauty moved among them, playing music, chess, and practicing calligraphy and painting, laughing and frolicking in the clouds.
At the very top of the Treasure Pavilion, Pei Xiaohan stood by the balcony, holding onto the jade railing. She gazed at the distant Divine Mountain Gate, upon which were carved the powerful words "Xuanyuan Dao Sect," and exclaimed in amazement:
"Master, the Dao Sect's entrance is so magnificent!
Why is our Jade Pool Sacred Land so low-key? If we decorated it with all sorts of gems and Spiritual Objects to make it dazzling and colorful, it would definitely be even more magnificent than the Dao Sect's!"
Hearing this, Lin Qianyan just smiled elegantly.
"Xiaopei, a powerful Sacred Land won't be looked down upon just because its facade is humble. True strength lies within."
"Master, you're always talking about inner strength. Don't tell me you're like one of those nuns from the Buddhist Dao, completely unconcerned with outward appearances?
If that's the case, it's no wonder you wouldn't meet the Divine Son of Martial God Mountain when he wanted to see you."
Pei Xiaohan grinned, teasing her, which earned her a scolding from Lin Qianyan: "You're just asking for a spanking."
"But Xiaopei, you got one thing wrong. It's not that I don't care about looks. Your master is a very shallow Fairy, I care about appearances the most! That Divine Son from Martial God Mountain isn't handsome, so I couldn't be bothered to meet him."
Hearing this, Pei Xiaohan's eyes widened as if she were seeing her master for the first time.
'Could such an otherworldly master really be so superficial?'
"Then, Master, who in this world is worthy of your notice? Wait... don't tell me it's still that 'husband' of yours?"
"You should call him 'Father'!"
"..."
Pei Xiaohan was suddenly at a loss for words, her expression turning complicated. She opened her mouth, as if she had a million complaints she wanted to voice but didn't know where to start.
She couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Master, you're looking at that man through some seriously rose-colored glasses...
He clearly just took advantage of the fact that you hadn't started cultivating yet, were inexperienced, young, and naive to trick you into falling for him!"
Hearing this, Lin Qianyan's brows knitted slightly, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes.
"What, you don't believe me? My husband is the most handsome man in the world. If looks could be justice in this world, then my husband would be the ultimate justice!"
She huffed softly, her tone filled with immense pride and conviction.
Seeing this, Pei Xiaohan speechlessly slapped a hand to her forehead, sighing internally. 'Master's rose-colored glasses must be thicker than the heavens themselves!'
'No wonder the senior sisters in the Sect always say that not even the real person can compete with the memory of a dead 'white moonlight'...'
Seeing Pei Xiaohan's exasperated look, Lin Qianyan couldn't help but chuckle. A trace of warmth flashed in her eyes. "Xiaopei, you're still young. You don't understand.
When you meet that special someone one day, you'll naturally understand how your master feels."
'Me, meet him? Wasn't he drained into medicinal dregs by the Witches of the Yin Yang Sacred Land long ago...? If I really met him, wouldn't that mean I'm seeing a ghost?'
Pei Xiaohan complained silently in her heart, but she didn't say the words out loud.
Although her master doted on her and would let many of her jokes slide, it was a different story when it came to that man.
Especially his past of being captured and violated by the Yin Yang Dao Female Cultivators—that was touching Lin Qianyan's reverse scale.
Although Lin Qianyan said she didn't care that the man had been in the Yin Yang Sacred Land.
But as a sensitive woman, how could she truly not mind that her husband had been ruthlessly defiled by those women?
Of course, this didn't mean Lin Qianyan would look down on her husband because of it. Rather, it meant that outsiders were absolutely forbidden from mentioning those past shames. This just went to show the man's status in Lin Qianyan's heart; even in his absence, Lin Qianyan had to protect her husband's dignity!
When Pei Xiaohan thought about how her own place in Lin Qianyan's heart was probably far below that man's, she couldn't help but feel sullen.
In that moment, she actually hoped that the Cauldron Slave with the surname Pei had survived and would succeed in meeting Lin Qianyan.
Perhaps only by seeing the man's current state could Lin Qianyan's regrets be resolved. It might make the Saintess of their Jade Pool Sacred Land finally realize that the man she once adored was actually so ordinary...
...that the gap between them was now as wide as that between the clouds and the mud, making them like strangers.
'Perhaps only then could Lin Qianyan completely sever the karma of her past and finally let go of the husband she could never forget?'
But Pei Xiaohan also knew that was impossible.
After all, the Yin Yang Sacred Land of a hundred years ago was a thoroughgoing Demonic Sect. It was far from having the humanitarian approach to its Cauldron Slaves that it had now. Back then, disciples would line up to take their turn, draining them day and night...
If a Cauldron Slave was particularly handsome, the line of disciples would only be longer. There would even be High Tier female disciples—whose methods could be described as corroding the bones and sucking the marrow—coming to patronize them. When a High Tier Yin Yang Dao cultivator trained, their Cauldron Slave partner would often be sucked into a withered husk, a fate worse than encountering a Fox Spirit that devours Essence Qi.
You could say that the more handsome they were, the sooner they would die young, and the more tragic their end would be!
Under that kind of terrifying depletion, how could a mortal Cauldron Slave possibly have survived until now?