ATLAS TRANSLATES

When it came to matters concerning herself, Xing Shuishui wasn’t indifferent.

Should she make another trip to Huayu Tower?

The best approach would be to grab one of Shangguan Houyue’s confidants and question them, or directly threaten the young master to tell the truth. Counting on Lingshan? They were most interested in capturing Shangguan Houyue and taking him back to Lingshan.

Any interrogation would happen back at Lingshan anyway.

After careful consideration, Xing Shuishui made up her mind. She had already thought of an excuse — looking for her nonexistent grandfather!

After the incident, discussions about Huayu Tower never ceased in the inn, making the whole affair increasingly mysterious.

“Since Huayu Tower caught fire, what about the matchmaking event? Will it still be held? Give us a definite answer!”

“Didn’t the Tower Master already say? There’s no major damage. The Qitong Spirit Blade is still intact. The culprit should be found soon. The matchmaking will continue.”

“But do you have any news about Du Dizhu? Now that Xue Jiuling’s spiritual weapon has appeared, shouldn’t he have come to tear down Huayu Tower first? Why hasn’t there been any news yet?”

“Maybe last night’s incident was Du Dizhu’s doing!”

Xing Shuishui glanced at He Liansheng. Despite the huge commotion last night, he didn’t seem to care at all. His Taoyuan sword lay beside him as he tapped the table, still refusing to eat and taking his unpalatable fasting pills instead.

She couldn’t understand him.

Back in their room, Xing Shuishui untied the red rope from her wrist and said to him, “He Liansheng, I want to go downstairs for a walk.”

He Liansheng glanced at the rope trailing on the ground, his tone emotionless: “Do you want to get caught by Huayu Tower and be sacrificed to the blade?”

Xing Shuishui looked up: “I won’t wander off. I just want to ask around about my grandfather’s whereabouts. Besides, they don’t know it was us, and they don’t know the spirit threads have been broken.”

Before He Liansheng could speak, she grabbed her veil hat and put it on: “I’ll be back early.”

She closed the door and ran off in a flash.

He Liansheng naturally didn’t believe she was going to look for her “grandfather.” Just as he was about to set a tracking talisman, there was a knock at the door. It was Li Guanyu.

Li Guanyu had just greeted Xing Shuishui. Upon seeing He Liansheng, his gentle expression immediately vanished. He said quietly, “Don’t be hasty. This is a serious matter that could have far-reaching consequences. I just spoke with Master about Senior Shangguan’s situation. Master also warned you not to underestimate the situation. Since it involves the Shangguan family, mishandling it could lead to internal conflicts within Lingshan. The Sect Leader wants you to go explain the situation now. Several senior elders are also present to discuss and make a decision.”

He Liansheng’s gaze barely lingered on him, instead staring past him in the direction Xing Shuishui had disappeared, looking somewhat impatient. Finally, he followed Li Guanyu and the others into the formation.

On Xing Shuishui’s side, the street market was bustling, largely unaffected.

She held the brim of her hat, looking back several times without seeing He Liansheng, and sighed slightly in relief. Thank goodness. He Liansheng hadn’t grown suspicious. Otherwise, it would have been trouble.

Having been to Huayu Tower once before, the second visit was much smoother. After the previous break-in, Huayu Tower had clearly learned its lesson. Protective formations appeared one after another, the Heart-Devouring River churned with waves, and crossbows were cleverly positioned under the eaves. Sunlight glinted off the slightly exposed arrows like divine bows shooting at the sun, exuding a deadly aura.

Below, the female attendants stood proudly, their shoulders aligned with the setting sun, ready to strike at the slightest movement.

But this was nothing to Xing Shuishui. Only the Guan family from several hundred years ago had truly been inescapable.

She made a hand seal and transformed into a peach blossom, floating into Huayu Tower on the breeze before returning to human form.

The interior was very dark and the air damp. Xing Shuishui’s fingers touched silver threads. As the mechanisms activated, the separation fire traveled along the threads into the cores of numerous mechanisms, directly disabling the entire system, though the silver threads remained intact.

She looked at the flame on her fingertip, suddenly understanding why everyone had feared this separation fire hundreds of years ago. She tilted her head with a smile and extinguished it.

Footsteps sounded from below. Xing Shuishui pressed herself into the gap between cabinets without making a sound.

“Stay alert. If there’s any flaw in the master’s plan, none of you will live.”

The voice was deep and hoarse, filled with contempt, as if viewing those being addressed as mere ants.

Xing Shuishui peered down. It was the elderly man who had been by Shangguan Houyue’s side. His appearance was different from when she had seen him before — older and uglier. His fingers and body were withered, age spots dense, with a hairy mole beside his nose. He looked like a dried corpse that had been alive for many years.

It seemed he had worn a human skin mask before. She pondered for a while — though he didn’t need it to be unrecognizable!

After scolding them, the old man turned to go upstairs. The tower’s attendants responded in unison: “Yes, Elder Baicang.”

Elder Baicang? Suddenly Xing Shuishui remembered — she had heard this name before!

A reclusive master known for his Baicang internal arts. Years ago, when Lingshan came asking for his techniques to expand their library, he had mercilessly told them to “get lost.” He didn’t belong to any sect in the cultivation world, nor was he under anyone’s control. He had lived in seclusion in the mountains for many years — how had he ended up working with Shangguan Houyue? And as a subordinate?

Xing Shuishui found it increasingly absurd.

Seeing Elder Baicang about to return to his room, she slipped in first.

Elder Baicang paused at the doorway, narrowing his eyes as killing intent surged.

After a long silence, the door creaked open. The wooden door swayed, with only dim candlelight inside. He sneered at this person’s audacity. As he closed the door, he placed his hand on it to set up a formation. Purple light flashed as intense pressure spread in all directions.

“Ignorant youngster. Earlier, it was only because I held back my power that you were able to escape. Did you really think you had the ability? Ridiculous.”

Before he could finish speaking, someone kicked him to the ground.

Elder Baicang ignored the pain and turned his head. In the dim candlelight, he saw a young woman in light pink robes standing on him, black eyes gleaming with mirth, lips curved like a blade. Her hand gripped floating gauze as her hair slowly came loose.

“Old man, what do you think? Who will walk out of this room alive today?” she said.

A short blade hovered before his eyes as the surging firelight illuminated Xing Shuishui’s features, clearly showing her playful expression.

Elder Baicang recognized her immediately, his pupils contracting: “Separation Fire! Xue Jiuling! You really didn’t die!”

He had planned to trap a turtle in a jar. Who knew the isolation formation he had just set would become his death warrant!

The Qitong blade spun in her hand, all his techniques dissolved by the separation fire.

Xing Shuishui said: “It’s really unfortunate. I can’t die even if you do.”

Elder Baicang’s expression darkened: “What do you want?”

Xing Shuishui smiled and said: “I should be asking what you all want. Using a fake to lure so many fools to Qingcheng. Why didn’t you ask for my opinion?”

“And I seem to remember you used to despise Lingshan too. What happened? Meeting again only to find you’ve become Shangguan Houyue’s lapdog?”

“What else do you know!” he raged.

The Qitong blade pressed against his neck. Xing Shuishui’s expression grew serious: “I’m the one asking questions here, old man.”

Elder Baicang laughed loudly: “Some things don’t matter if you know, since you won’t leave Qingzhou anyway. This matchmaking event was aimed at you!”

“When you were struck by heavenly punishment years ago, my master suspected you weren’t completely dead. This was all deliberately planned to draw you out and kill you. No matter whose body you possessed, your spiritual weapon couldn’t have followed you. If you heard the news, you would definitely appear to seize it, right? I’d heard Xue Zhuangxin’s sister was willful — you really couldn’t control yourself!”

All these schemes were just coincidence to Xing Shuishui; she hadn’t come for the spirit blade at all.

Shangguan Houyue not only had no grudge against her, but they shared a common enemy in Du Dizhu. Why care so much about whether she lived or died? Could it be… not Shangguan Houyue? Did he have another master?

Xing Shuishui asked coldly: “Who is your master really?”

Elder Baicang said: “You’re not worthy of knowing!”

The Qitong blade pierced his eye socket, blood flowing out. But Elder Baicang showed no fear, instead speaking meaningfully: “Rather than caring about this, you should worry about those foolish cultivators who came because of you outside. Do you think you’re the only one who won’t leave Qingzhou? What a pity — my master wants all of you buried here!”

She looked at him with pity: “So you’ve fallen this far.”

It seemed she wouldn’t get anything valuable from Elder Baicang’s mouth. The Qitong blade turned and stabbed into his neck. The old man’s eyes filled with blood, his neck twisted, the core in his chest burning. He wanted to burn his core and perish together with her.

Xing Shuishui glanced at him, using separation fire to forcefully suppress the core’s fire, watching him slowly die from blood loss.

At first, he mocked her: “The once-proud Xue Jiuling, who looked down on everyone, has also stooped to possessing others’ bodies. You say I’ve fallen? You’re no better! Even after being reborn, aren’t you still hunted by everyone?”

Seeing the separation fire cover his soul, preventing him from existing in this world a second time, he finally grew afraid.

In his last second, he said emotionally: “Spare me, I’ll tell you everything.”

Too late.

Xing Shuishui extinguished the flames, surveying the mess. She was suddenly very curious about who his master was. Someone who could make such a reclusive master serve them in his twilight years. What role did Shangguan Houyue play in all this?

She wanted to continue searching for clues.

Someone knocked on the door outside. It was Shangguan Houyue’s voice, respectful: “Elder Baicang, are you in there? He wants you to go over now.”

Xing Shuishui looked out the window. The sunset had disappeared below the horizon. Under the black starry river was the brightly lit small city of Qingzhou, crowds flowing endlessly.

Oh no! Didn’t she tell He Liansheng she’d be back early? He wouldn’t be searching for her across Qingzhou with an angry face, would he?

She shuddered and gave up for now. Shangguan Houyue pushed open the door. The window was wide open, she was gone from the room, and Elder Baicang lay in a pool of blood, eyes open in death. From the marks, there had been barely any fight — he had been completely overpowered.

Shangguan Houyue’s expression changed.

A female attendant walked forward and bowed: “Tower Master, there seems to be a letter here!”

But when the letter was opened, there wasn’t a single word on it, only a hastily drawn turtle in the center. Shangguan Houyue burned it on the spot.

The attendant carefully asked: “Tower Master, what should we do now?”

Shangguan Houyue looked at her and sneered: “It wasn’t my person who died, why are you asking me what to do? So lacking in judgment.”

The attendant’s face instantly went pale as she knelt on the ground.

Shangguan Houyue clasped his hands behind his back and said coldly: “Go tell that person his man is dead. Clean this up properly, don’t dirty my tower.”