Zhang Jinglan’s face instantly changed color, and she shot upright! “It’s you!” “Senior Sister, long time no see!” The girl in the yellow dress smiled sweetly, sweeping a strand of dark hair from her temples, and sighed, “That little Daoist priest was utterly useless; he couldn’t even manage Senior Sister!”
Li Muzhan took a look. This girl seemed about seventeen or eighteen, with skin as tender as milk, ready to yield at a squeeze. Her face was delicately ovate, punctuated by faint dimples, and her smile was enchantingly sweet.
Though her looks paled next to Zhang Jinglan’s, the goose-yellow silk gown draped her slender yet curvaceous figure in a distinct, captivating style, enough to drive any man wild.
Zhang Jinglan’s face darkened: “It really is you!”
The girl in yellow nodded with a playful smile: “It is, I lured this little Daoist over, thinking his skills were high enough to kill Senior Sister.”
She glanced at Li Muzhan, smiling, “I didn't expect Senior Sister’s protector to be so formidable!”
With that glance, her eyes swam with liquid light, possessing a power that could steal souls. Yet, Li Muzhan’s mental fortitude, hard as iron and gold, remained unshaken; he merely offered a faint smile.
“Jinglan, this young lady is…” Li Muzhan inquired.
Zhang Jinglan replied, “Lan Mei’er, my junior sister.”
Li Muzhan gave a slight nod: “So it is Miss Lan.”
He was astonished inwardly. He hadn't sensed Lan Mei’er’s approach at all; clearly, she possessed strange skills, especially her movement technique—silent, ghost-like, making her impossible to guard against.
Lan Mei’er pursed her lips and chuckled lightly: “You little monk, you have quite strong composure.”
Li Muzhan smiled: “Did you come here, Miss, to hunt down Jinglan?”
Lan Mei’er nodded cheerfully: “Yes, I was ordered to pursue Senior Sister… But, I must first catch up with her properly. I haven't seen her in so many years; I’ve missed her terribly!”
Li Muzhan smiled faintly: “Then, concerning the grievances between your sect, I, an outsider, shall not interfere. Jinglan, I will call again another day.”
Zhang Jinglan waved her hand: “Yes, you should go first.”
Li Muzhan stood up, turned toward the exit, descended the stairs slowly, and floated back to his own residence.
“Heh heh, he really left!” Lan Mei’er leaned over the window to watch, finding it highly amusing when she saw Li Muzhan vault over the wall. She clapped her hands and sighed, “He certainly knows when to advance and when to retreat!”
Zhang Jinglan seemed not to catch the sarcasm in her tone and stated calmly: “Junior Sister has mastered the Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Demon.”
“Senior Sister overestimates me; I have only mastered the sixth transformation, far from complete!” Lan Mei’er stretched languidly, shaking her head casually.
Zhang Jinglan’s expression shifted slightly. She stared deeply at her for a few moments, then snorted: “Junior Sister’s talent is truly second to none. Master must be very pleased?”
“Master has been deeply melancholic all these years, thinking of Senior Sister,” Lan Mei’er sighed mournfully. “Senior Sister broke her heart back then!”
Zhang Jinglan let out a cold laugh and remained silent.
“Senior Sister, how have you been these past few years?” Lan Mei’er asked in a languid voice.
Zhang Jinglan replied coldly: “Hiding and running, changing my identity constantly—how else could I have lived!”
Lan Mei’er shook her head: “Is that so? Truly disappointing. I thought Senior Sister would have lived a more flamboyant life, enjoying herself!”
Zhang Jinglan sneered: “If our positions were reversed, perhaps Junior Sister would have done so, but I could not!”
Lan Mei’er shook her head and sighed: “A pity, what a shame. I feel sorry for Senior Sister, to be about to meet your end without having truly enjoyed anything.”
Zhang Jinglan said coldly: “Achieving the sixth transformation means you can roam the world freely now?”
“Heh heh, Senior Sister has achieved the fifth transformation, hasn’t she?” Lan Mei’er tittered.
Zhang Jinglan grunted: “Correct!”
Lan Mei’er giggled sweetly: “Then let’s compare, see whose Heavenly Demon Fifth Transformation is stronger, or my Heavenly Demon Sixth Transformation!”
“Hmph!” Zhang Jinglan responded coldly.
Lan Mei’er suddenly slapped her forehead as if remembering something, then stood up: “Senior Sister, wait a moment, I need to step out briefly, hehe.”
Saying this, she floated out the window and landed softly. Zhang Jinglan’s face changed, and she let out a cold snort before slipping out after her. By then, Lan Mei’er had already floated over the courtyard wall and left the Ming residence.
Li Muzhan was seated in a small pavilion where an ancient zither rested on a table. He set down his tea cup and smiled broadly: “Miss Lan, were you looking for me?”
Lan Mei’er covered her mouth and laughed: “Little monk, you truly have the elegant disposition! But alas, your fate is sealed; you’ll have to join Senior Sister below as a pair of destined sparrows!”
As her voice fell, her figure flashed, and she was suddenly before Li Muzhan. With a sweep of her sleeve, surging internal energy rolled towards him, like a howling gale.
Li Muzhan extended his little finger and tapped lightly.
“Chii!” A faint whistle sounded as his finger force pierced the air and struck the flowing sleeve. Instantly, a soft pop echoed, and the fierce wind dissipated. She looked at Li Muzhan in astonishment.
Li Muzhan sat smiling faintly, saying, “Beautiful as a flower, but with a heart like a venomous snake—that is Miss Lan for you!”
“Am I beautiful?” Lan Mei’er chuckled softly.
Li Muzhan shook his head: “Pretty, perhaps. But with a crooked heart and turbid spirit, I find Miss Lan quite ordinary, not even comparable to one of Jinglan’s toes.”
Lan Mei’er’s face immediately darkened, her delicate features turning as cold as deep water: “Little monk, you are deliberately seeking death!”
Li Muzhan laughed: “That’s not necessarily true. Miss Lan should be careful not to capsize in a shallow ditch!”
He suddenly tilted his head, gazing behind Lan Mei’er, and smiled: “Jinglan, you’ve arrived at the perfect time. Look at this zither, what do you think?”
Lan Mei’er quickly turned to look and saw Zhang Jinglan stepping into the pavilion. Zhang Jinglan’s face was grim; without sparing Lan Mei’er a glance, she walked to Li Muzhan’s side.
Lan Mei’er knew her Eldest Sister was furious and ready for a fight, which made her secretly delighted.
…………………………………………………………
What she feared most was Eldest Sister refusing to fight head-on and only trying to escape. Even with her Heavenly Demon Sixth Transformation, if Eldest Sister was determined to flee, she couldn't be stopped.
Initially, seeing Li Muzhan leave, she had felt a pang of anxiety, but she never expected him not to have gone far. This was truly providence; if she could capture him, she wouldn't have to worry about Eldest Sister running away without a battle.
Li Muzhan pushed the ancient zither toward Zhang Jinglan and said with a smile: “In this beautiful setting, why doesn’t Jinglan play a tune to enhance the mood?”
Lan Mei’er chuckled: “Little monk, Senior Sister’s sonic attack techniques won’t work on me.”
Li Muzhan smiled faintly: “Oh?”
Zhang Jinglan glanced at him, seeing the certainty in his expression. She nodded, positioned the zither properly, and began to play. The notes drifted out, slow and unrestrained.
She knew her sonic attack was ineffective against her junior sister, who was also proficient in the art. However, seeing Li Muzhan’s unusual demeanor, she decided to try it just in case.
Lan Mei’er listened with a smile, the corners of her mouth curling slightly in a look that was half mockery, half teasing.
Li Muzhan slightly closed his eyes, lightly tapping his thigh with his right hand, as if keeping time, his face alight with intoxicated pleasure, showing indescribable joy.
The music gradually grew more soaring, possessing the momentum to halt moving clouds, like climbing from a valley to a precipice, rising ever higher, ever steeper, pulling the listeners’ hearts up with it.
The withered lotus leaves on the water surface rose into the air as if swept by a fierce wind. With a crisp pop, they burst into powder, which then sifted down onto the water.
Lan Mei’er giggled sweetly, raising a slender index finger, and wiggled it gently: “Senior Sister, it’s useless. A mere melody like this can’t harm me.”
Zhang Jinglan closed her eyes slightly, her hands moving so fast they became a blur. The music grew increasingly urgent, like relentless rain striking banana leaves, so rapid and continuous that it felt suffocating.
Lan Mei’er smiled placidly, circulating her internal energy according to her cultivation method, resisting the auditory interference and keeping her heartbeat steady, refusing to let the sound accelerate it.
Anyone else listening to this music would find their heart racing faster and faster, blood surging quicker, until they inevitably shattered their heart and died. But since they shared the same lineage, they already had a natural resistance to such sounds; coupled with her deeper cultivation, Lan Mei’er was even more certain she wouldn't be disturbed.
She watched with a smirk as her once revered Eldest Sister played the zither in vain. A feeling of ineffable pleasure washed over her, and she couldn't help but burst into peals of laughter.
“Duo!” A sharp shout suddenly rang out, coinciding exactly with the music reaching its peak.
This single shout acted like an amplifier, pushing the high notes even further, reaching an astonishing height. Lan Mei’er’s laughter abruptly cut off.
Her face changed dramatically, and just as she was about to retaliate, the music surged again, and Li Muzhan followed immediately with another sharp cry: “Duo!”
“De…!” The music intensified, its power overwhelmingly fierce, several times stronger than before. Lan Mei’er’s face shifted again, and she sprang to her feet, intending to strike, but Li Muzhan said sternly, “Don’t mind her, keep playing!”
Even without his instruction, Zhang Jinglan would have done so. She glanced deeply at Li Muzhan, surprised that he possessed such a marvelous skill to amplify her sonic attack technique.
At this level of power, even if her Heavenly Demon Transformation had reached the sixth or even seventh layer, she might not have matched it. This timely shout was wielded with inexplicable mystery.
As the music flowed continuously with unbroken high notes, Li Muzhan uttered a decisive “Duo!” at every critical juncture, boosting the music’s power severalfold.
Lan Mei’er’s delicate body trembled relentlessly. She was pale and unable to rise, collapsing limply onto the table, her bright eyes fixed on the two of them, flickering with unconcealed unwillingness.
Li Muzhan tapped out with his index finger, and a “Chii!” whistled as his force struck Lan Mei’er’s shoulder.
She flew outwards, tumbling twice on the ground before collapsing limply, unable to rise.
“Don’t stop,” Li Muzhan urged.
Zhang Jinglan’s playing did not cease; her hands moved even faster. Li Muzhan intermittently let out a “Duo,” while his fingers simultaneously sent out continuous sharp whistles: “Chii! Chii! Chii!” the sound never fading.
“Pop! Pop! Pop!” Lan Mei’er’s delicate body shook continuously, and splashes of blood erupted. Her shoulders, thighs, and limbs were pierced.
Li Muzhan breathed a long sigh of relief and said gently, “That’s enough.”
The music stopped abruptly. Zhang Jinglan rubbed her fingers and looked down at Lan Mei’er, who was gnashing her teeth and glaring resentfully at the figurine-like person, her face full of refusal.
Li Muzhan smiled: “Miss Lan, being sunk by a shallow ditch—that’s what this is like.”
Lan Mei’er pouted, glancing askance at him, and snorted: “Smelly monk, don’t get smug. Eldest Sister won’t escape anyway, and neither will you!”
“Is that so?” Li Muzhan smiled faintly.
Zhang Jinglan frowned: “Did you send a message to Master?”
Lan Mei’er chuckled lightly: “Yes, I did. Master misses you so much; the moment I found you, I told Master! Master might even be arriving soon!”
She looked exceedingly triumphant and continued, “Eldest Sister, don’t waste your effort. No matter where you hide, we will find you. Why not surrender directly? Master might be lenient and forgive your transgression!”
Zhang Jinglan sneered: “Do you take me for a three-year-old child!—And you don’t need to stall for time. Since Master is arriving soon, I naturally must leave!”
She turned: “Master Monk, I must leave this place.”
Li Muzhan nodded: “Yes, you should hide for a while. Where are you going?”
……………………………………………………
“I haven’t decided yet,” Zhang Jinglan shook her head.
Li Muzhan frowned in thought, then suddenly pulled out a jade talisman from his robes and handed it to Zhang Jinglan: “Take this and go to Jade Dragon Mountain!”
“Jade Dragon Mountain?” Zhang Jinglan was startled, then shook her head: “That is the territory of the Shangqing Temple. Going there would be seeking death!”
Li Muzhan smiled faintly: “Take this, find Daoist Priest Qingxuan, and I will write him a personal letter asking him to find a place for you to hide!”
“You…,” Zhang Jinglan stared blankly at Li Muzhan.
Li Muzhan laughed: “Do you think I’ve gone mad? Relax, Daoist Priest Qingxuan will agree to this favor!”
Zhang Jinglan shook her head with a bitter smile: “That fellow is extremely rigid; the moment he sees me, he’ll surely want to kill me!”
Li Muzhan smiled: “I have my methods. Just follow my instructions for once!”
“…Fine then!” Zhang Jinglan nodded slowly with a wry smile, feeling she was going mad herself to actually seek him out and walk into certain death.
Li Muzhan flashed away into a waterside pavilion and quickly penned a letter. By this time, Lan Mei’er had already fallen unconscious, and her wounds had been bandaged.
“I will take my junior sister with me. You must be careful!” Zhang Jinglan said quietly after taking the letter.
Li Muzhan smiled: “I know my own capabilities. You must be even more cautious. If you face danger, run back here, and we will face the enemy together!”
“Understood,” Zhang Jinglan nodded gently.
She looked deeply at Li Muzhan, then suddenly leaned in and pressed her cherry lips to his forehead before turning and leaving, vanishing beyond the courtyard wall in an instant.
Li Muzhan watched the direction they disappeared, strummed the zither strings lightly, and sighed softly.
Who knew when they would meet again after this parting. With that jade talisman and his letter, Daoist Priest Qingxuan would hardly refuse.
He had written in the letter, using the principle that a gentleman is persuaded by sincerity, instructing Qingxuan to report Zhang Jinglan’s entry into Jade Dragon Mountain to her Master, letting the Master make the final decision.
Li Muzhan trusted that the people of Shangqing Temple would never wish for Zhang Jinglan’s death. Moreover, he was exchanging a life-saving favor for the protection of Zhang Jinglan. Daoist Priest Qingxuan, being a practical man, would certainly not refuse and would protect Zhang Jinglan at all costs.
He floated out of the city, sent a runner to the military camp to request leave, and then followed behind Zhang Jinglan. With his Void Eye, Zhang Jinglan remained completely unaware.
Days turned into more than ten days. Zhang Jinglan traveled day and night with Lan Mei’er toward Jade Dragon Mountain, as if pursued by an unseen force.