Chapter Seventy-Five: Qingqiu (Part One)

The disciples of the Way of One Qi escorted Long San and his companions away, then turned to see Wu Ming sitting quietly at the bedside, lost in thought. Everyone understood how complicated Wu Ming’s feelings were at that moment.

“Senior Sister, you’re here too? And Yin Yue?” Wu Ming suddenly spoke, startling everyone.

Ling Mei and Yin Yue exchanged glances, sensing something amiss.

“Senior Sister, Yin Yue, Senior Brother, there’s no need to be surprised. I recognized your scent… that’s how I knew,” Wu Ming smiled gently. “Even though I can no longer see or hear, my nose still works.”

Bao Long, ever quick to pipe up, interjected, “That’s right, even if you can’t see or hear, being able to smell is good enough. Dogs—” He didn’t finish before Xiao Mei stomped on his foot with all her might.

Yin Yue shook her head. “The blind hear well, the deaf see keenly, and our Sect Master excels at scent… But—” Everyone understood her meaning, and sighed.

Ling Mei, still carrying the responsibility of acting Sect Master, called everyone to order. “The Sect Master’s injuries are under control for now, but we don’t know if they’ll worsen. We must find a solution. Those two scoundrels can’t be trusted; exchanging hostages is the last resort. Right now, we need to seek out the Nine-Tailed Fox and obtain its blood…”

“Senior Sister, how are we supposed to enter the Spirit Realm from here? Don’t we need the Sect Master’s Mountain-Sea Mirror? But he…” Yin Yue began to hesitate, already doubting the Sect Master’s chances.

“True, we can’t even exchange hostages, because we don’t have any!” Bao Long butted in. Everyone shot him annoyed glares.

“Let’s bring the Sect Master along. Even if he can’t see, he can still feel. While he still has his sense of touch, we can write messages on his palm—he’ll understand.” It seemed Xiao Mei was the resourceful one. Without further delay, Ling Mei took Wu Ming’s hand and wrote “Go to Spirit Realm” on his palm.

Wu Ming nodded, then reached for the Mountain-Sea Mirror at his chest and began muttering an incantation that even he probably couldn’t recall. The mirror emitted a strange light, different from before. In an instant, a beam of black light enveloped them all, and they vanished.

“Oh heavens, what’s happening? Help!” Bao Long was dizzy from the journey—this trip felt all wrong. Yin Yue clung desperately to Ling Mei’s waist, unwilling to let go, while Xiao Mei closed her eyes and stayed silent, clearly overwhelmed. This passage felt like a rollercoaster—plunging and soaring, fast then slow—nearly unbearable.

Ling Mei, at least, managed to maintain a calm face, eyes closed, though inwardly she was on the verge of collapse. “A proxy Sect Master must carry herself with dignity. Hold on… just hold on…”

At last, the five of them landed heavily on the ground. Bao Long crashed onto a boulder, Wu Ming hugged the mirror as he fell onto the sand, Xiao Mei was thrown into a patch of grass, while only Ling Mei and Yin Yue landed unscathed.

“Ow… Who’s on top of me?” Wu Ming cried out in pain, then looked up to see Ling Mei and Yin Yue had fallen on top of him. “Senior Sister, please, get off… my back…”

Ling Mei and Yin Yue hurriedly got up, embarrassed. “Sorry, Sect Master… we didn’t mean to,” Yin Yue said with a giggle.

“Is everyone all right?” Ling Mei asked, scanning the group. She saw Bao Long sprawled on the rock and Xiao Mei already standing. “If everyone’s fine, let’s prepare to find Qingqiu.”

Bao Long, looking dejected, groaned, “I’m not fine… I need a doctor… my tooth!” He covered his mouth, holding out a tooth that had been knocked loose.

“Sorry, Senior Brother, I didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t know what happened—the mirror just brought us here…” Wu Ming took Bao Long’s hand, trying to comfort him.

Everyone except Ling Mei stared in astonishment. “Sect Master, you can see and hear again! You’re all right!” Bao Long threw his arms around Wu Ming like a true brother.

“Hmph… Pig brain! Is this so shocking? In the Spirit Realm we don’t need our physical bodies. The Sect Master is seeing and hearing with his soul! How did you even get into the Way of One Qi?” Ling Mei scoffed at Bao Long, while Xiao Mei and Yin Yue just shook their heads.

“Can’t you at least praise me for once?” Bao Long shouted in frustration. But before he could say more, Wu Ming, Ling Mei, and the others had already walked a dozen meters ahead.

“If you want to stay here and be eaten by monsters, suit yourself. We’re going to find Qingqiu.” Xiao Mei called back, showing some concern for Bao Long.

“Wait for me!” At the mention of monsters, Bao Long forgot his complaints and hurried after them.

…

The Spirit Realm, a primeval relic of the ancient world, was the final refuge for spirits, demons, and monsters after the world’s collapse. Its vastness spanned the scale of galaxies, merging the Mountain-Sea World, Demon Realm, Monster Realm, and Spirit Realm—a chaotic confluence of all beings.

“Senior Sister, where exactly is Qingqiu? All I see are barren plains—where’s Qingqiu?” Wu Ming rubbed his head, casting a flirtatious glance at Ling Mei, who, having no time to change, still wore her camisole nightgown. The outfit, accentuating her already alluring figure, made her even more striking.

“I don’t know…” Ling Mei replied, but seeing Wu Ming’s expression, she slapped him hard. “Pervert! If you keep staring, you’ll really lose your sight for good!”

Yin Yue, startled, hid behind Xiao Mei and whispered, “What’s been wrong with Ling Mei lately? She’s so irritable…”

Xiao Mei remained calm. “Women’s menopause.” But before she finished, Ling Mei had heard her.

“Say that again and I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

“Seductress, am I wrong? You’re not exactly young, so stop pretending to be a maiden!” Xiao Mei shot back, ready to fight.

“That’s it. Today I’m definitely tearing your mouth apart!” Ling Mei brandished her whip, preparing to brawl with Xiao Mei. “I’ve had it with you. The Sect Master’s poisoning must be your doing!”

“Seductress, watch your words! Do you have any proof?”

Wu Ming hurried to intervene. “Ladies… please, I beg you, stop arguing. It’s my fault…”

“Hmph…”

“Hmph… Fine, for the Sect Master’s sake, I won’t say more.” Ling Mei turned away and kept walking.

After passing through a gloomy forest, the group was greeted by a paradise.

In the sky, there was no sun—only a giant silver jade disc, cold yet radiant. The world unfolded in endless, undulating spirit mountains and winding rivers, their curves as graceful as a maiden’s silhouette. Between the mountains sprawled an endless sea of peach blossoms. Snow capped the distant peaks, sparkling under the moon’s silvery light. In a low-lying plain between the mountains, a turquoise lake shimmered, covered with countless lotus blossoms. By the lakeside stood tiers of elegant pavilions, far surpassing any royal garden.

A poem bears witness:

Ten thousand miles of Qingqiu reflect the moon so cold,
Nine-tailed spirit foxes hidden in heaven’s fold.
Millennial snows shroud the peaks above,
Jade Lake floats with lotuses, a scene to love.

“Senior Sister, is this… could this really be Qingqiu?” Wu Ming asked, his voice trembling with excitement—he had never seen such beauty.

Ling Mei nodded. It had been many years since her last visit, and Qingqiu was now a different world.

“Longing smiles, love hard to sever—who does not envy the immortals? Who among the living finds a worthy companion? Ying Long…” Tears shimmered in Ling Mei’s eyes as she spoke.