Perhaps it’s time to go out for a walk
Uncle Hu’s grave ought to be visited and tended to.
He hadn’t gone last year, and if he didn’t go again this year, he was afraid someone might take it for an unclaimed grave and simply flatten it next year.
His parents’ graves also needed paying respects.
Someone like him, with no official status—if anyone caught him with the label of “unfilial” and decided to give him trouble, it would be more than he could bear.
“You should go rest now. Your body can’t take this much.”
Li Yuer seemed to have made up her mind. She gazed quietly at Xu Ping’an, watching him so intently that he began to feel uneasy.
“Yu…Yu’er, go and rest.”
Seeing this Princess Royal of the Li family so determined, Xu Ping’an let out a long sigh. He could only try to comfort her for now.
Hearing Xu Ping’an finally relent, Li Yuer’s face immediately bloomed into a bright smile.
“Alright, then sir, please rest well. I’ll take care of everything outside today. You can leave it all to me.” Xu Ping’an nodded and watched as Li Yuer left the room.
He then sat down by the bedside, his gaze falling on the place where Lady often rested.
You little lass… You really never let me have any peace of mind.
From the very first time Lady came to this courtyard, she hadn’t let him be at ease even once.
Now that she was gone, things were still the same.
Her body hadn’t fully recovered.
Even if her memories had returned and her cultivation was back, the hidden injuries in her body couldn’t be neglected.
Thinking things over, now that Pei Qingxuan had regained her memories, at least it meant her cultivation had mostly returned, and her body should be mostly healed too.
“Never expected… the effect of the Innate Alluring Bones would be so remarkable.”
Xu Ping’an thought for a while.
The originally planned three-year course of treatment had been completed in just over a month.
This could only mean that the Chaotic Body and Innate Alluring Bones—those two unique physiques—had synergized.
Otherwise, no matter how much she wanted to leave, if her cultivation hadn’t returned, it would not have been so easy for her to go.
Xu Ping’an let out a long sigh, gazing out the window.
The bright sunshine still couldn’t dispel the gloom in his heart.
What was Lady off to do?
What could have made her leave so suddenly, without a word?
Was it just because her memories had returned?
Recalling Pei Qingxuan’s odd behavior over the past few days, he feared that after he’d gone to the Liu Family and returned, she must have already recovered some of her memories.
But at that time, she hadn’t chosen to leave.
Yesterday her spirit had been unsettled—perhaps because something weighed on her mind, making her sorrowful enough for even the light around her to change.
And leaving without a word today—could she have planned this all along?
Xu Ping’an frowned, lifting the letter in his hand. He hadn’t noticed before, but now he saw a slightly crumpled spot at the bottom of the page.
He lightly brushed it with his tongue and tasted saltiness. Was this…a tear?
“She cried? If she didn’t want to leave, then why did she?”
Xu Ping’an pondered for a moment, then quickly rose to change into a clean set of clothes, tied up his long hair, and left the room.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw Li Yuer sitting in the main hall.
“Sir? Weren’t you going to rest?”
“Yu’er, I want to ask you something.”
“What did that person say yesterday after arriving?”
“This…”
Li Yuer looked puzzled.
“Sir, weren’t you always unwilling to get involved in these matters?”
“Mm. But Qingxuan left without saying goodbye—there’s likely something that forced her hand. I need to find out why she left.”
Zhao Pingzhi stroked his chin suspiciously.
“Could it be… that matter?”
“General Zhao, please speak plainly. What were you referring to just now?”
Seeing Li Yuer nod slightly, Zhao Pingzhi finally spoke:
“Yesterday…Zhou Liangzheng was talking about an internal conflict in Floating Cloud Sect. An Elder Kang was gravely wounded and is not expected to live much longer. Just as we were discussing this, I heard a sound at the door. When I opened it, I saw Lady Xu.”
“Yesterday…”
Xu Ping’an froze, remembering too.
That’s right—right after that, Lady’s mood suddenly changed. Could it really be connected to the Floating Cloud Sect?
“Yu’er, do you know if there’s anyone surnamed Pei in the Floating Cloud Sect who also specializes in sword techniques?” Li Yuer pondered for a moment, but it was the little maid who suddenly cried out.
“Miss, I remember the Sect Master of Floating Cloud Sect is named Pei! I heard he’s a Sword Cultivator. Could it be that Sister Qingxuan…”
“Very possible.”
Li Yuer nodded, her eyes full of surprise.
“Sir, as far as I know, in the entire Floating Cloud Sect, if you’re talking about someone surnamed Pei and a Sword Cultivator, then it could only be the Sect Master. However…because, except for the emperor, members of the royal family are forbidden from cultivating—even as the heir to the Duke of the Southern Border’s Residence, I’ve never seen this Sect Master Pei in person.”
“Then…this Sect Master Pei—how old are they? Male or female? Married?”
“I don’t know… Among cultivators, unless you’re direct imperial blood, most keep their distance. That’s a rule set by Floating Cloud Sect, and it was established by that very Sect Master Pei. Most righteous sects follow Floating Cloud Sect’s lead, so this rule has been in place for many years.”
Li Yuer recalled: “As for age… I only know that this Sect Master Pei joined Floating Cloud Sect a thousand years ago. I don’t know the level of their cultivation. But there is a saying in the demonic path: ‘If you encounter the Nine Phoenix Sword, all else can be abandoned.’”
“Nine Phoenix Sword?”
“Yes, it’s said that the Nine Phoenix Sword is the personal sword of Sect Master Pei…”
Personal sword?
Those words instantly sparked a connection for Xu Ping’an. He rushed back to his room and opened the wardrobe, his gaze searching the hidden compartment.
Sure enough, the secret compartment had been opened.
Its contents had been taken.
And the item inside…was the very sword Pei Qingxuan had once held to his throat.
Since the sword was gone, confirming Pei Qingxuan’s identity would be nearly impossible.
“Does this Sect Master Pei have a family?”
“I’ve never heard of one.”
Xu Ping’an nodded, his mind turning over the possibilities.
Pei Qingxuan’s current identity was very likely tied to this Sect Master.
Either she was the Sect Master herself, or…the next in line.
No matter which it was, it was clear that Pei Qingxuan’s destination was undoubtedly Floating Cloud Sect!
Now that he knew where she had gone, things became much simpler.
With a destination, he wouldn’t have to wander the world searching blindly.
As for Elder Kang, it was likely he had a close relationship with Qingxuan—maybe a senior, or perhaps her master?
Either way, it explained why she left without saying goodbye.
With the sect now in the midst of internal strife, her return would surely throw her straight into the vortex.
Trouble was certain to follow.
Was she trying to avoid dragging him into it?
At this thought, the cloud of gloom left in Xu Ping’an’s heart by Pei Qingxuan’s departure seemed to lighten.
Whether his guess was right or wrong, at least for now, it felt like a good thing.
At the very least, he had a goal now, didn’t he?
But this guess also brought a new problem.
Should he go after her?
Leaving without a word clearly meant she didn’t want to involve him. Should he trust Pei Qingxuan and wait for her to solve her problems and return?
Or…should he go to Floating Cloud Sect himself and help resolve her troubles?
Sometimes, people are like this.
Unimportant matters are decided in an instant.
But when it concerns someone important to your heart, you have to consider things carefully.
“Forget it, forget it… My mood is wrong today. I need to calm down. Even if I wanted to go, I couldn’t set off at once.”
Though he could harness the world’s spiritual energy to set up formations, at heart he was still an ordinary person.
If he wanted to go to Floating Cloud Sect, he’d have to walk.
Where was Floating Cloud Sect?
He was currently in Southern Prefecture.
Between Southern Prefecture and Chao Ge, there was another prefecture—Yi Prefecture.
Past Chao Ge, there was yet another—Shang Prefecture.
Only after Shang Prefecture would he arrive at the location of Floating Cloud Sect: Yuan Prefecture.
In other words, he would have to travel across nearly half of Great Qi to reach his destination.
Back when he sought the path of immortality, it took him eight years to cross seven prefectures.
Of course, back then he stopped in each place for a while in his search, so the journey took longer.
Even so, compared to now, the distance across these four prefectures was no small feat.
He’d have to go from the southeast of Chao Ge, pass through Chao Ge itself, and end up in its far north.
As for taking a straight line? That was out of the question. There were mountains in the way, and even if he had confidence in crossing them and didn’t fear demons or monsters, traveling through those mountains would take far longer than following the official road.
At least the official roads were smooth—he could ride a carriage.
“Qingxuan, Qingxuan, you’ve truly given me a difficult problem.”
The whole day passed, and Xu Ping’an barely had the appetite to eat. Thankfully, with Li Yuer’s coaxing, he managed to eat a little.
By early the next morning,
Li Yuer was still deeply worried.
“Has sir gotten up yet?”
She hadn’t even pulled aside the bed curtains before asking.
“Miss, sir is already up—he’s out in the courtyard practicing tai chi~”
Xiao Jing’er’s face lit up with a smile. Seeing Xu Ping’an back to his usual self, she felt greatly relieved.
“Good, good…he’s up…” The young lady nodded.
“Help me change.”
Xiao Jing’er had already prepared everything.
At her mistress’s words, she came over with the undergarments, dressed Li Yuer neatly, tidied up her long hair, and tied it off with a cloth ribbon at the end.
Once dressed, Li Yuer carefully examined her reflection in the mirror, making sure everything was perfect before entering the small courtyard.
The little maid covered her mouth, giggling.
When had her young mistress ever cared so much about someone before?