Chapter 21 — Traces of the Demonic
劍問蒼天 · Page 2 of 6
"What is that?" Zhang Qingyue was dumbfounded. He had never heard of such a thing, and could not help looking about him; but Tian Lingsu, Du Biyan, and the others looked just as bewildered, and the young disciples of the other peaks nearby seemed scarcely better informed. Yet elders like Qi Hao, Song Dayi, and Wen Pei—those who had entered the sect longer—had gone pale, and on their faces appeared a rare excitement and longing.
Tian Lingsu and the others now noticed that their eldest senior brother and the rest seemed to know something. They edged closer and asked in whispers: "Eldest senior brother, what is the ** Mirror?"
Song Dayi said in a low voice: "The ** Mirror is a treasure handed down by the tenth-generation patriarch of our sect, Wufangzi Zhenren. I have never seen it myself. I only once heard Master say that it is one of the sect's great marvels, possessed of immense power—and stranger still, so long as the wielder's spiritual power is strong enough, the ** Mirror can reflect every attack, and thus one stands invincible."
The others gaped. Du Biyan said: "Then—then wouldn't that make one invincible under heaven?"
Song Dayi shrugged: "What it actually looks like, I couldn't say. But Master wouldn't be wrong about such a thing. This time—" he glanced at Daoyan Zhenren and lowered his voice further—"this time it seems the Sect Leader and Master have paid out a fortune in earnest!"
The others' faces took on strange expressions; most seemed to be secretly swallowing their saliva. It appeared that, with a rare treasure set before them, even cultivators could not keep their worldly hearts entirely still.
Daoyan Zhenren waited a while, smiling as he watched the young disciples chatter. After a moment he said: "Very well, that is the gist of it. Go now and rest. Tomorrow morning, the Seven Peaks Martial Gathering begins."
The Qingyun disciples bowed together and said as one: "Yes, Sect Leader Zhenren."
Daoyan Zhenren nodded: "You may go."
The disciples withdrew one by one, until only the seat-holders of the seven peaks of Canglan Sect and some dozen elders remained in the great hall. Daoyan Zhenren turned back and said with a smile to the elders: "My senior brothers, you too should go and rest early. Beginning tomorrow there will be many bouts, and we shall be relying greatly on your care."
Some of the elders had heads of white hair and faces deeply lined; others looked remarkably young, having mastered the art of preserving their looks. Hearing Daoyan Zhenren's words, they said nothing more, and filed out one by one, until at last in the Yuheng Hall only the seven seat-holders of Canglan Sect remained.
Daoyan Zhenren slowly let the kindly smile he always wore fade from his face. His gaze swept over the other six seated in their chairs, and he said mildly: "Good. Now it is only the seven of us."
Shang Zhenglang, seat-holder of Chaoyang Peak, seated on the right, frowned: "Sect Leader, is there something you wish to say to us?"
Daoyan Zhenren nodded, his face expressionless, and said slowly: "I went to see the Spirit Venerable just now."
At these words, everyone's expression changed.
Descending the steps, the disciples passed the edge of the Blue Water Pool still trembling with fear—only this time the water qilin slept soundly and made no stir at all.
Crossing the Rainbow Bridge and returning to the vast, fairyland-like plaza of the "Sea of Clouds," Lin Jinghong exchanged a few words with Zhang Qingyue and then went off with the disciples of Longfeng Peak. Zhang Qingyue watched him go, then returned to the Dazhu Peak group and listened as Song Dayi explained various precautions and the arrangements for their lodging. As he listened, something suddenly came to him, and he cried out: "Oh no—this is bad!"
The others started in surprise. Tian Lingsu, standing beside him, asked in astonishment: "Xiaofan, what is it?"