Chapter 16: The Southern Fairyland (1)

Following the advice of the Supreme Master (Taishang Xiaojun) to seek help from Mieying, Hua Sheng felt somewhat hesitant.

Since the Heavenly Eye Trial, Hua Sheng had barely spoken to Mieying. He had only occasionally seen her at the Academy in the form of her elder sister, Master Qingmiao, discussing immortal arts with disciples; he had not seen her in the form of Xiaoqi since. Thus, today was the first time he had seen Xiaoqi since the trial. Perhaps because the Academy was currently in a state of crisis, Mieying Xiaoqi had been displaying a carefree, boisterous demeanor.

He did not know if she had been avoiding him previously or if he had simply been assuming too much—perhaps Mieying Xiaoqi had never truly paid him any mind at all. But now, he felt different; he felt a newfound sense of confidence. Perhaps it was because of the Ruyi Jingu Bang by his side? Yet, his personality and appearance had not undergone any earth-shattering changes. If he went to find her alone, would she slap him again as she had before?

Hua Sheng mocked himself, yet he had no choice but to seek her out. According to the plan they had just devised, once they reached the Biannu Heavenly Prison, the Supreme Master would be responsible for stalling Yang Jian. As for Hua Sheng, he had to secure enough time to find Dao Ling Xingjun. They also needed a companion, and that companion had to be highly skilled in immortal arts.

Mieying possessed the constitution of "Nine Souls in One." Most of the nine sisters within her were powerful immortals. Furthermore, Mieying wielded the dharma treasure of the Fire Wheel Heavenly King, Nezha, which was a boon no less valuable than having an extra Ruyi Jingu Bang. If Tianjizi were to accompany them, there was a chance they might coincidentally encounter a "Visiting Day" at the Biannu Heavenly Prison, or that the immortal arrays might malfunction, allowing them unobstructed access to Dao Ling Xingjun—all of which were possible. However, as the Supreme Master had said, Tianjizi would certainly not help them. Not only would he refuse, but he might also stir up trouble, alert the enemy, and prevent him and the Supreme Master from even setting out.

Thus, after weighing his options, Mieying was the most reliable choice. Moreover, if they could convince her, Master Qingmiao might even help handle the issue of his missed classes and roll calls, sparing them much unnecessary trouble.

Good fortune arrived quickly. Before long, Hua Sheng found Mieying—or rather, Master Qingmiao—at the Academy. He felt fortunate that he had waited at the Qixian Pavilion, her usual lecture hall, for her class to end.

Upon hearing Hua Sheng’s request, Master Qingmiao appeared shocked. "You wish to visit the imprisoned Dao Ling Xingjun?"

Seeing the astonishment on her face, Hua Sheng immediately cupped his hands in a formal salute and explained with the utmost sincerity, "I hope you can lend us a hand, Master. Please allow Mieying and her sisters to accompany me and the Supreme Master. My only goal is to protect the Academy; I hope to find the owner of that purple-gold thread and clear the Academy’s name!"

Master Qingmiao said with concern, "But is the Biannu Heavenly Prison a place for children to play?"

Hua Sheng quickly relayed the connection between the Supreme Master and Yang Jian. Master Qingmiao remarked, "You are truly playing with fire. If Erlang Shen were the type to favor distant relatives, the Biannu Heavenly Prison would be more crowded than a marketplace."

"That is exactly why I implore you for your help. You must have noticed that comparing the purple-gold threads one by one is not only time-consuming and laborious, but the probability of finding the thief within three days is very low. We three will act separately from the others; even if we fail, the Academy will not be lacking for manpower."

Master Qingmiao hesitated for a moment before saying, "I mistakenly trusted Mingyou and brought her into the Academy of Immortal Arts. I do not know how many sins that act has caused, yet no one has held me accountable. Conversely, Dao Ling Xingjun, who saved billions of lives, has accumulated immense merit only to end up in a dungeon. I regret this deeply. What a sin, what a sin!"

Hua Sheng felt the same. "Master, do not dwell on it. At the Daqian Zen Temple, I heard Master Ruokong say that over a thousand years ago, when the Holy Peace and Tranquility (Shengpingning) faced life or death, Dao Ling Xingjun insisted on preserving this place. In doing so, he offended some... I do not know how to put it, perhaps some powerful factions. Given the Xingjun's merits and power, managing a mere academy is beneath him. It is no wonder that after the incident with the Qiankun Guards, they used it as a pretext to hold him accountable."

Hua Sheng added, "Besides, Mingyou Weiyu’s power is far beyond current levels. No one would have guessed her purpose in entering the Academy. Even if Dao Ling Xingjun himself had been present, he could not have seen through her, so you truly cannot be blamed, Master."

Master Qingmiao sighed softly. "Very well. My sisters and I will accompany you. With me present, I shall consider it my duty to protect the two of you as you travel."

Hua Sheng was thrilled by her agreement. "Shall we depart then?"

"Give me a moment to prepare. Wait for me here; I shall return in the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn."

"Master, while we are away, could you please excuse me and the Supreme Master from our修行 (cultivation) roll calls?"

"You students are truly... Very well, I understand." With that, Master Qingmiao flicked her Daoist robes and flew away gracefully.

The time for a stick of incense was not long, so Hua Sheng found a stone platform beneath the Qixian Pavilion, used his hands as a pillow, and lay down to stare blankly.

Returning to the Academy for this half-day felt like a dream. Conversely, the scenes in the hospital felt real; the pain of his broken leg remained vivid. The old hospital, the desk in the ward, the sheets, the pillows... every detail of the air was perfectly clear. Yet, the hundred days he had spent at the Daqian Zen Temple since leaving the hospital felt somewhat blurry. People often say that memory can be compressed; when you do the same thing every day, memory shortens. But when you experience short yet shocking or novel events, that brief time becomes long in your memory.

What happened in the hospital was but "in a single thought."

But it seemed a long time had passed. After being reminded by the doctor there, his memories of Weiyu began to clarify. It was as if those memories had been sealed away—the image of Weiyu in her Daoist robes versus her hospital gown, and the sight of Mieying sitting on the hospital bed, having to rely on heavy doses of sleeping pills to fall asleep each night.

Was all of this the curse brought by the Star Veil? It could not only disrupt the laws of space-time but also trample the laws of memory.

Where did the Star Veil come from? If the moment he destroyed it was a glimpse of the future, then who gave the Star Veil to Weiyu? And why did that person know where the Star Veil was?

Hua Sheng suddenly remembered what the female mage had said about the lost Star Thread of the Klin Magic School. The Star Veil came from the future, which meant that perhaps the Star Veil did not yet exist in the world. The Star Thread and the Energy Strings were likely the two critical materials for creating the Star Veil. Thus, the disappearance of the Star Thread was very likely related to the origin of the Star Veil.

Perhaps due to the recent disputes, Hua Sheng felt exhausted after lying down. Just as his eyelids were about to close, he felt a kick in his calf. A sharp, sour pain shot through him, and he tumbled off the stone platform.

"Who kicked me!"

"You dare take a nap when you see me? Tell me, don't you deserve a kick!"

Hearing that voice, all of Hua Sheng’s sleepiness vanished. It was Mieying Xiaoqi! He scrambled up and turned to see Mieying, with her golden-brown curly hair, tilting her head and glaring at him. It seemed Master Qingmiao had intentionally allowed Xiaoqi to appear.

Just like the Mieying he had seen earlier, she was flamboyant and full of energy—completely different from the hollow-eyed Mieying he remembered from the hospital. Not only that, but that Mieying had been a boy, while the person before him was clearly a girl. Hua Sheng wondered, Mieying was supposed to be a girl... right?

He asked, "So... are you the one accompanying us?"

"Are you dissatisfied or something!"

"No, no, no! I’m very satisfied," Hua Sheng said hurriedly.

Mieying seemed quite smug at the answer. "That’s more like it! My sisters are usually worked to the bone; having me, Xiaoqi, handle your trivial matters is more than enough. Why bother them?"

Hua Sheng said, "Shall we depart then? I’ve never been to the Biannu region in the south of Shengpingning..."

"As if you’re familiar with the Eastern Lingzhou, Northern Yezhou, Western Baizhou, or Central Hanzhou," Mieying retorted, her tongue as sharp as ever.

Hua Sheng scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "The Supreme Master told me to rely on the Ruihua Mirror for navigation, but I would feel more at ease if you could point out the route. I really am not familiar with it."

"I knew I was the one you’d have to rely on," Mieying said. "The Biannu Heavenly Prison is not in the central region south of the Shengpingning Immortal Realm. The Red Region is divided into north and south sections. The northern part is a rainforest, where tropical plants grow abnormally lush. Beyond that lies the desert."

"A desert? Isn't Shengpingning supposed to be a landscape of flowing water and fragrant flowers, like the south of the Yangtze River?"

"Of course not. The five regions of Shengpingning concentrate all the various landscapes of this world. Naturally, there are deserts filled with flying sand and stones. A desert doesn't mean there’s nothing there; some immortal spirits adapted to desert environments live there. For example, camels, cacti, and chameleons."

"I never imagined the variety of immortal spirits was so detailed..."

Mieying said, "It is a thousand miles away. We must pass through the rainforest and the desert to reach the Biannu Heavenly Prison."

"Then I must trouble you, Lady Mieying... no, Your Ladyship."

Mieying rested her chin on her hand. "As disciples of the Academy, being outside during study hours and visiting a prisoner in a jail that doesn't allow visitors... if we get caught, we’ll be in trouble."

Hua Sheng realized she was right. Shengpingning had security patrols; if they saw Academy disciples wandering outside alone, they would naturally ask questions. If it were discovered they were heading to a prison, it would cause even more trouble.

"What do you suggest?"

Mieying said, "I think that when we ride the clouds, we should try not to go above the cloud layer. Although you can fly at high speeds there, the Heavenly Soldiers set up checkpoints to conduct random inspections from time to time..."

"Don't take the highway? If we fly below the cloud layer, wouldn't we be closer to the ground? Although the chance of encountering Heavenly Soldiers isn't high, wouldn't we be quite conspicuous from the ground?"

"Below the cloud layer won't work either."

"So neither above nor below? Only flying through the middle of the clouds? But wouldn't it be all mist and fog, making visibility poor and dangerous if we fly too fast?"

"I’ll fly in front; we’ll just control our speed."

Hua Sheng thought that letting a girl take the lead while flying through thick clouds was not his style, so he said, "I’ll do it. If you’re in front and happen to run into some immortal or spirit in the clouds, it would be too dangerous."

Mieying found this reasonable. "Alright then... it wouldn't be worth it if I scratched my pretty face. But if you’re in front, Hua Sheng, who’s going to give you directions?"

"I have navigation!"