Chapter 66

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Chapter 66: Memories of the Sky

When Ming He woke again, it was still night.

The darkness was thick as ink, with moonlight filtering through the pine and bamboo-carved windows, casting a soft halo that shimmered faintly on the wooden floor.

She was still in Qingyun Tower, on the thirteenth floor, in her own room.

The room’s furnishings remained unchanged. Ming He slowly sat up and turned her focus inward, examining her meridians. To her relief, all her previous injuries had healed. The searing pain in her organs was gone, replaced by a smooth, tranquil flow of spiritual energy.

Her left shoulder, too, appeared unscathed—its skin fair and unblemished, as if it had never been injured.

Yet she remembered clearly: before losing consciousness, she had used the Moon Crescent Dagger to cut away the poisoned, rotting flesh. It had been a gruesome sight, soaked in blood.

And her cultivation… she had reached the seventh level of the Xuan Wei realm. She had broken through.

Ming He stared in stunned silence, confirming her current level of cultivation. A wave of shock washed over her.

She lifted her head and scanned the room, her gaze landing on a familiar long sword. Its pure white blade glowed faintly, like snow under moonlight. That sword had saved her life—and it was the same weapon that had severed the shadow’s head. Its owner was someone she could barely consider familiar.

“You’re awake.” A cool, clear voice, much like the night before, came from outside. A woman entered and walked straight to Ming He’s bedside, sitting down without hesitation. “Your injuries should be healed by now, yes?”

“I’m fine,” Ming He replied, looking up to meet the woman’s gaze. The room seemed to brighten with her presence. Dressed in pristine white, the woman had delicate features, black hair, and phoenix eyes. Her slightly parted red lips reflected the pale hue of Ming He’s own, creating an air of distance—a beauty that felt both admirable and unattainable, much like their time at Liu Yun Sect.

“Senior Sister saved me,” Ming He said, her tone matter-of-fact. Yet she found herself at a loss for what to say next.

“Indeed,” Qin Chu Yi replied, her eyes glinting with amusement. “I saved you and healed your wounds. Shouldn’t you repay me?”

As she spoke, the aloofness that usually surrounded her seemed to melt away, leaving Ming He unsure whether she was joking or serious.

This version of Qin Chu Yi was different from the one Ming He remembered at Liu Yun Sect. Gone was the cold detachment; in its place was a warmth and vitality, as if the moonlight had touched the earth. Her charm remained, but now it felt more tangible, more captivating.

It was a kind of brightness that felt within reach.

“What does Sister Qin want in return?” Ming He straightened, a faint smile playing on her lips as she tossed the question back. “A life-saving grace—how could I ever repay it? Shall I offer myself?” Her smile was bright, clearly teasing.

“No need to go that far,” Qin Chu Yi said, standing and turning to gaze out the window at the moonlit night. “Just join the Floating Cloud Sect.”

“I’ve come here on behalf of the Floating Cloud Sect to recruit talent,” Qin Chu Yi continued, her figure tall and graceful, like a cold moon atop a snowy peak. “The top of the Young Tiger List is, without a doubt, an extraordinary genius. I’m here to extend an invitation.”

Recruiting talent.

Ming He understood what this meant. Most cultivators on the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings were disciples of prominent sects and families, but a few were rogue cultivators from humble beginnings—like her, like the shadow.

Such rogue cultivators had no sect to back them. Their achievements were the result of sheer effort. And once they gained fame, they became the most sought-after geniuses in the Eastern Region, with major sects vying to bring them into their fold.

Ming He had known that topping the Young Tiger List would lead to such offers. She had even prepared for how she would respond when the Floating Cloud Sect extended their invitation—how she would repay Elder Zheng for his past actions.

She wasn’t one to endure quietly. She believed in repaying kindness with kindness and vengeance with vengeance. She sought glory that matched her strength, and anyone who trampled on her dignity would face the consequences.

But she hadn’t expected the envoy from the Floating Cloud Sect to be Qin Chu Yi. Now, she found herself at a loss, unsure how to respond. She had never imagined that someone of Qin Chu Yi’s stature would take on such a task.

It didn’t make sense, Ming He thought.

“Are you thinking about Elder Zheng?” Qin Chu Yi asked, as if reading her mind. “I wasn’t there when you visited the Floating Cloud Sect. By the time I learned of it, the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings battle was near. I knew you would participate.” And with her talent, how could she not achieve a high rank?

“Elder Zheng is dead,” Qin Chu Yi said, turning to face Ming He. Her tone was light, but her words carried weight. “I killed him.”

“Why?” Ming He asked after a long pause, struggling to keep her voice steady.

“Because of you, of course,” Qin Chu Yi replied, her gaze lingering on Ming He’s serious expression. A hint of mischief flickered in her eyes. It seemed she wasn’t as cold as she had once appeared; perhaps the cold poison had been holding her back.

“It’s a complicated story,” Qin Chu Yi added, smiling faintly under Ming He’s intense gaze. “But I have plenty of time to explain it to you now.”

Ming He stood up and stood beside her, gazing out at the moonlight that flowed like water. After a while, she heard Qin Chu Yi’s clear voice begin to speak. “Actually, the whole situation revolves around one person. If you want to know why Elder Zheng repeatedly obstructed your entrance into the Floating Cloud Sect and why Master Xu, knowing that he had sabotaged you on the Floating Cloud Ladder, remains silent, you need to understand what happened to him.”

“So what exactly happened to my Master?” Ming He asked, bewildered as to how someone who once shone like a star in the Eastern Region could become a sinner of the human race!

“It’s a very significant matter, likely occurring twenty years ago when I had just been born, and you were even younger,” Qin Chu Yi’s gaze turned distant and sorrowful.

“The invasion of other races on the Tianwu Continent has been a common occurrence for thousands of years. They use sheer numbers to overwhelm human cultivators on the battlefield of the heavens, and beneath the battlefield across the five regions, they corrupt human traitors to attack human cities and hunt down human geniuses.” Qin Chu Yi shifted the topic slightly. “Those shadows yesterday were members of the Black Wind Alliance, aiming to kill off all the geniuses on the Eastern Region’s Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings to fundamentally weaken the human race.”

“After a thousand years of alien invasion, the human race certainly didn’t stand idle. The other races—namely the Demon Race, Mermaid Clan, and others living on the Tianwu Continent—were also under threat. So, the human cultivators sought to unite their strengths to combat the other races.”

“Even if they could not eradicate them completely, they at least wanted to drive the invading aliens out of the Tianwu Continent.”

Qin Chu Yi sighed. “Twenty years ago, human cultivators convened with the leaders of the Demon Race, the Demon Clan, and the Mermaid Clan to discuss an alliance against their enemies. After much deliberation, the specifics of which I’m not privy to, the Demon Race ultimately rejected the human request while the Demon Clan set forth three conditions. Only the Mermaid Clan and some smaller clans agreed, for they too could no longer bear the invasion.”

“And then?” Ming He’s heart sank as she began to suspect what would follow, but how could her Master do such a thing?

“The conditions from the Demon Race were quite harsh, yet the human race completed them after overcoming many obstacles. The agreement was made, and the next step was to discuss when to launch an attack.” Qin Chu Yi’s eyes grew cold. “However, just before the impending war, a significant event occurred that affected the alliance between humans and demons: the fall of the young leader of the Demon Race.”

“Did my Master kill the young leader of the Demon Race?” Ming He asked, struggling to speak.

“Yes,” Qin Chu Yi responded without waiting for Ming He to ask for the reason. “After the death of the young leader, the Demon Race was furious and demanded that the human race hand over the murderer. The humans, in their shock, discovered the culprit: it was the young genius of the Eastern Region, Qu Lingyun, a true disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect. They not only identified the murderer but also uncovered the entire backstory.”

“The cause of the incident was a woman named Wei Rou, who had a past connection with your Master. Your Master once saved her life from the alien race. She had feelings for your Master, but he saw her only as a friend.”

So it’s a heartfelt love story? Ming He felt a mix of emotions.

“Wei Rou cared for your Master and later risked her life to save him as well. To your Master, she was merely a dear friend,” Qin Chu Yi said, her tone calm as if recounting a tale that influenced both the human and demon races.

“What does this have to do with the young leader of the Demon Race? Did he also like Wei Rou?” Ming He speculated, letting her thoughts flow.

“How could the lofty young leader of the Demon Race fall for a human woman?” Qin Chu Yi scoffed lightly. “The young leader was attracted to Wei Rou’s body; she was a pure Yin body, a perfect furnace physique. Anyone—be they human, demon, or other races—who practiced dual cultivation with her would experience a dramatic rise in their cultivation. However, after dual cultivation, Wei Rou would die, suffering extreme pain.” A pure Yin body was akin to a heavenly punishment.

“So the young leader of the Demon Race kidnapped Wei Rou, seeking to dual cultivate with her to enhance his cultivation. Did my Master then go to rescue Wei Rou and kill the young leader during the fight?” Ming He pieced together the development of events.

“Yes,” Qin Chu Yi’s voice softened with a hint of regret. “In fact, prior to the alliance of the two races, the young leader had already targeted Wei Rou, but your Master had always protected her. To your Master, Wei Rou was a close friend, and he owed her his life.”

“Later, after the two races formed an alliance, the young leader of the Demon Race, feeling untouchable due to his status, directly kidnapped Wei Rou, insisting on dual cultivation. This enraged your Master, leading to the subsequent events.”

Ming He pondered thoughtfully. “So Sister Qin is implying that my Master knew exactly what would happen if he killed the young leader of the Demon Race, yet he still chose to kill him?”

“For your Master, his sword bows only to justice; beyond that, nothing else matters. Slaying demons and protecting the weak is the path of his sword. If he showed mercy, then his path would cease to exist.”

Qin Chu Yi’s tone held admiration yet also confusion. “Once everything was clarified, the Demon Race demanded that the human race hand over your Master; otherwise, they would break the alliance and become enemies.”

“The human race had no choice but to hand over my Master?” Ming He’s heart trembled at the thought.

“No,” Qin Chu Yi replied, lowering her gaze. “At that time, within the human race’s strongest, the Lord of the Central Region was the most powerful. Before making a decision, he asked your Master a question. The Lord of the Central Region asked your Master that if the person taken by the young leader of the Demon Race wasn’t Wei Rou, but someone he had never met, would he still step in, even knowing that such actions would lead to his own death?”

Ming He’s eyes shone with determination. “What did my Master say?”

“Facing the overwhelming aura and pressure of the Lord of the Central Region, your Master replied with two words.” Qin Chu Yi’s eyes gleamed.

In the magnificent and towering hall of the Central Region, the young man in white, Qu Lingyun, uttered those two words: “I will.”

“As long as he passed by, as long as he saw, as long as he held his sword and had a heart for justice, he would step in.”

No matter the consequences, he believed that justice outweighed his own life; that was his path. If the path were abandoned, what purpose would living serve?

In that moment, the Lord of the Central Region, who stood at the pinnacle of the human race, glimpsed in the boy’s eyes a radiance brighter than the galaxy. The boy’s gaze was sharp, clear, and brimming with brilliance, embodying the ideal image of a human genius as the Lord had envisioned.

If there were more geniuses like this, even those with ordinary talent would matter less; if there were more youths like him, the absence of the Demon Race’s aid would be inconsequential; if the human race had more individuals like him, the invasion of the Myriad Races would be of no concern!

Thus, in that moment, the Lord of the Central Region made his choice.

“The human race shielded Qu Lingyun, the alliance was shattered, and the human race hastily engaged in battle, only to face defeat. Your Master fought across the five regions, slaying many aliens, but without the Demon Race’s assistance, the human race was still too weak at the time. Later, your Master ventured alone with his sword to confront the Demon Race. No one knows what was discussed, but from that day onward, the alliance was restored. The human and Demon races united to eradicate the aliens who had infiltrated the Tianwu Continent, driving the surviving aliens into hiding. Once again, the human race could walk freely beneath the sun.”

“As a price, your Master’s cultivation was nearly destroyed. From being a true disciple of the Floating Cloud Sect in the First Continent, he became the Sect Master of the Liu Yun Sect in the Ninth Continent. Members of the Floating Cloud Sect were forbidden from meeting him, lest they face pursuit by the Demon Race.

Wei Rou disappeared without a trace, and your Master’s wife gave birth to Qu Yanran alone in the Floating Cloud Sect, raising her until she came of age.

It was only in recent years, when the young leader of the Demon Race was replaced, that the previous leader’s subordinates and influence were suppressed by the new young leader, Ji Wu Xu. This led to reduced surveillance over your Master, allowing your Shishu to visit the Liu Yun Sect.”

“That is the full story of Qu Lingyun,” Qin Chu Yi said, turning to Ming He. “As his disciple, what do you think of your Master’s choice?”

“I don’t know,” Ming He replied, her gaze distant. “I am not him, so I cannot stand in his place. I don’t have the answer.”

“So Elder Zheng, Master Xu, and the others oppose my entry into the Floating Cloud Sect because they believe my Master was wrong?”

“Not entirely,” Qin Chu Yi explained. “Their feelings toward your Master are complex. Some matters cannot be simply judged as right or wrong. The Lord of the Central Region believes your Master was right, hence his protection. Others, however, feel he disregarded the greater good and wish to hand him over. The lines between right and wrong are tangled.”

“Elder Zheng’s disregard for the dignity of the powerful in his treatment of you stems from his hatred for your Master,” Qin Chu Yi said gravely. “Twenty years ago, his wife and brother perished in battle against the aliens. He believes that if not for your Master, the alliance between the two races would not have been broken, and his wife and brother might still be alive. Do you think he is foolish?”

“Foolish, yes, but also understandable, isn’t it?” Ming He mused. The chasm of life and death, the agony of losing loved ones, can transform a person entirely.

Within the human race, there are many who might have once admired Qu Lingyun for wielding his sword to vanquish evil. Yet, as they reflected on how, if not for Qu Lingyun, their loved ones might not have fallen in battle against the aliens, their admiration turned to hatred.

They failed to consider that Qu Lingyun, too, made sacrifices. Instead, they endlessly speculated that without his actions, perhaps some lives might have been spared.

“Elder Zheng blocked my entry into the Floating Cloud Sect out of hatred for my Master. Master Xu remained silent because he believes my Master was wrong?” Ming He murmured. “But Sister Qin, you said he died. He…”

What had he done to warrant Qin Chu Yi personally ending his life? Ming He felt a chill creep into her heart.

“There are two organizations among the aliens on the Tianwu Continent. One is the Alien Race Hunting Hall, composed of aliens who hunt human geniuses. The other is the Black Wind Alliance, made up of traitors who betray the human race to serve the aliens. Elder Zheng joined the Black Wind Alliance,” Qin Chu Yi stated matter-of-factly.

“The Black Wind Alliance?” Ming He’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You find it hard to believe, don’t you?” Qin Chu Yi’s voice was icy. “His loved ones died at the hands of the aliens, yet he aligned himself with them, all to grow strong and seek revenge against Qu Lingyun.”

After a pause, Qin Chu Yi continued, “When I returned to the sect, Xie Dan Chen told me about you. I found it intriguing, so I had Duan Wu investigate Elder Zheng. The results yielded significant information.”

“Why does Sister Qin find my situation interesting?” Ming He asked, her eyes meeting the serene woman in white before her. She couldn’t imagine Qin Chu Yi as someone with idle time to spare.

“Because your situation has always been fascinating!” Qin Chu Yi tilted her head, her eyes glimmering. The moonlight cast a soft glow on her profile, rendering her gentle and warm.