Chapter 193: Live Another Life
Xiao He surfaced from beneath the water, her serpentine eyes fixed on Song Yan’s expression.
“What is it? Did the pill refinement not go smoothly?”
“…No, that’s not it.”
Song Yan rubbed the top of Xiao He’s head. “Xiao He, our household can’t put food on the table anymore, do you understand?”
Xiao He tilted her head. “What do you mean, can’t put food on the table?”
Song Yan thought for a moment, then said, “It means… we have no money to eat.”
“What’s the big deal about that?”
“You hardly need to eat anyway. As for me, I can always go find little field mice.”
Xiao He flicked her forked tongue.
She had thought it was something truly dire.
“Grandpa always said, when life is poor, there are poor ways of getting by.”
“…”
Song Yan nodded with considerable approval. “You remember Grandpa’s words quite well.”
“Of course.”
Xiao He was not wrong. He had once sustained himself by scavenging refuse at the Fireworks Settlement, and he had survived that well enough.
He turned his thoughts inward.
“The Qi Nourishing Pills refined over these past three months can all be sold.”
“I’ll keep a few bottles of the Yellow Sprout Pills, and hold on to all the Qi Condensing Pills.”
“With the spirit stones from selling pills, I can purchase several Minor Spirit Gathering Formations… Breaking through to the eighth level of Qi Refining should be well within reach.”
Once he broke through the bottleneck, he would go to North Watch Mountain first to find Liang Feng.
If what he had said was true, and she possessed multiple Moon-Supporting Ancient Lotus lotus seeds, then he could go incognito, sell one or two at the black market, and have spirit stones again.
To travel the world, one needed spirit stones for expenses. How could one manage without them?
Song Yan was lost in thought when suddenly his mind stirred.
“…Hmm?”
Outside the courtyard of his cave dwelling, someone had come to visit.
Song Yan stepped out of the warm pool, dissipated the mist, donned a Daoist robe at random, and went out to greet his guest.
Ever since the Sword-Tempering Grand Competition had concluded, many fellow disciples he was not well acquainted with had come to visit.
Some sought his guidance and wished to exchange insights on the Dao. Others came bearing gifts, hoping to build closer relations.
There were even no shortage of subtle hints suggesting dual cultivation.
However, so much time had passed, and he had been sequestered refining pills for so long, that visitors had long since dried up.
“Quite a coincidence that you’ve come on the very day I emerge from seclusion.”
Song Yan stepped out of the cave dwelling and spotted a familiar face outside the courtyard.
“Senior Brother Lin Qing…”
He had rarely interacted with Senior Brother Lin in daily life. During the finals of the Sword-Tempering Competition, Senior Brother Lin had simply forfeited upon facing him, without exchanging a single blow.
“Please come in, Senior Brother Lin.”
Song Yan waved his hand to dispel the restrictive formations and ushered Lin Qing inside.
Lin Qing still wore that same air of effortless composure. “Junior Brother Song, I trust you’ve been well since we parted on the day of the finals. Your bearing remains as impressive as ever.”
“Senior Brother Lin, please don’t flatter me.”
Song Yan waved his hand dismissively. “Let us speak inside the cave dwelling.”
Lin Qing stepped into the cave dwelling, his gaze sweeping almost imperceptibly toward the direction of the pill chamber. A gentle smile rested at the corners of his lips. “I hope I’m not disturbing your cultivation, Junior Brother.”
“You’re too kind, Senior Brother.” Song Yan guided him to a seat and brewed a pot of spirit tea.
This was a gift brought by a junior sister who had visited a few days prior. She hailed from Panning, a region renowned for its spirit tea.
“While I was still an outer disciple, Senior Brother Lin was already most generous in your concern for me. Between the two of us, there is no need for courtesy.”
Lin Qing was momentarily taken aback by these words, a flicker of guilt stirring within.
He had originally only been probing this junior brother. He had never expected the other to interpret it as genuine care.
“I wonder what brings Senior Brother here today? Do you have some instruction for me?”
As the fragrant steam of the tea curled upward, Lin Qing lifted his cup and took a light sip, speaking with an air of nonchalance. “Haha, it’s really nothing of great import.”
“Junior Brother, your performance in the Sword-Tempering Competition was truly extraordinary. I hadn’t yet come to offer my congratulations, so here I am, paying a visit.”
“I appreciate Senior Brother’s concern. My talent is modest at best. That I was able to enter the inner sect was already a stroke of fortune. In the future, I shall naturally cultivate diligently and train hard, so as not to disappoint the sect’s nurturing.”
“Junior Brother, you are far too modest.” Lin Qing chuckled. “Now, everyone in the sect knows your name.”
“By the way, Junior Brother, have you decided to join the Demon Subjugation Peak?”
Hearing this, Song Yan nodded. “Yes, I’ve already decided.”
“It’s just that I’ve been busy with various matters these days and haven’t yet had time to exchange my disciple token.”
“I see.”
Lin Qing seemed to have something to say but did not know how to broach the subject. His fingertip tapped lightly against the rim of his teacup.
“Diligent cultivation and hard training… Junior Brother, the path of immortal cultivation cannot be sustained by toil alone.”
“Resources and patronage—one cannot do without either.”
A hint of puzzlement flickered through Song Yan’s eyes, though he showed nothing on his face. He did not respond, merely listening quietly.
Lin Qing suddenly lowered his voice.
“Junior Brother, you study under Elder Qin Xijun. Tell me, what is your view of the Qin Immortal Clan?”
Song Yan was slightly startled.
Why would this Senior Brother Lin suddenly bring up the Qin Clan?
“The Qin Immortal Clan possesses formidable strength and deep reserves. Naturally, I hold them in high regard.”
Lin Qing detected a subtle nuance in Song Yan’s words.
He had said “high regard,” not “admiration.”
There was a sense of respectful distance.
But Lin Qing did not press the point. He simply continued of his own accord. “To be frank, I have already accepted the Qin Clan’s invitation. Before long, I will visit their clan territory as a guest.”
“Hmm…”
Song Yan’s heart sank.
This Senior Brother Lin of his seemed to have already taken the Qin Clan’s side.
Now, perhaps at the Qin Clan’s instigation, he was making one final attempt to play upon their bond, hoping to win Song Yan over.
However, Song Yan had already been predisposed against the Qin Clan because of Qin Xijun. Furthermore, the inexplicable “surveillance” by Yang Wenxuan before this, he found the Qin Clan’s methods thoroughly distasteful.
“I see. Ah, what a pity. I’m afraid I’ve grown accustomed to a carefree life. I was actually planning to travel the world in a while…”
Song Yan politely declined Lin Qing’s probing.
The implication was clear: there was no need for further persuasion.
Lin Qing nodded.
It seemed this junior brother was indeed at odds with the Qin Clan, just as his own secret investigations had suggested.
This put his mind slightly at ease.
Lin Qing raised his teacup and took a sip.
Song Yan had the distinct feeling that Senior Brother Lin had come today with some matter of great import to discuss. Yet thus far, everything had been indirect, circling the bush with repeated probing.
He could finally restrain himself no longer. “Senior Brother Lin, did you come today because there is some important matter you wish to discuss…”
“Junior Brother Song.”
Lin Qing nodded, set down his teacup, and his gaze grew distant.
“Do you believe that in this world…”
“…there is such a thing as living another life?”
What?!
Song Yan’s entire body went rigid. The teacup in his hand nearly slipped from his grasp.
Lin Qing gazed at him, his thoughts already flying back to before the Flower Morning Festival at North Watch Mountain.
…
Behind Dragon Head Peak, in the forbidden valley.
“Interesting…”
Daoist Lijun studied a small jade figurine in his hands with great interest.
“Living another life? Or merely a golden millet dream…”
“Your disciple… your disciple’s cultivation and insight are too lowly to know.”
Chen Linyuan’s eyes flickered. “I was slain by the demonic path. Eastern Abyss Sect was destroyed.”
“…That sounds incredible.”
Lin Qing dared not say more, listening quietly.
“Seeing as everything you did was for the sect, I shall spare your life.”
Chen Linyuan casually tossed the jade figurine back to Lin Qing.
At the same time, a streak of sword qi erupted from Chen Linyuan’s fingertip, transforming into a beam of golden light that pierced into the space between Lin Qing’s brows.
Everything happened too quickly for him to react.
“Since that is the case, from now on, the task of rooting out the moles within the sect shall be yours.”
Watching the Sect Master maintain that same attitude of casual indifference, as though treating the world as a game, Lin Qing’s heart was filled with bitterness.
He had originally only wished to do his best. Now, with the Sect Master personally overseeing the matter, everything was entirely different.
“Sect Master, your disciple… your disciple’s cultivation is too lowly…”
“If your cultivation is too lowly, can you not improve it?”
Chen Linyuan’s expression was calm, yet his words left Lin Qing unable to muster even a thought of resistance. “Yes… yes.”
“Your disciple will be sure to keep a low profile and uncover the demonic path’s agents within the sect.”
“No, no. How can obscurity do?”
However, Chen Linyuan seemed to have his own ideas.
“If you suspect the Qin Clan, then you should distinguish yourself in the Sword-Tempering Competition. Let them come to win you over. Use that to infiltrate the Qin Clan.”
“…”
“You say that in the previous life, neither Song Yan nor Shao Sichen existed within the sect.”
“Yes.”
“Heh.” Chen Linyuan gave a faint laugh. “I see that you are struggling alone, and your current cultivation is still insufficient to handle matters.”
“How about I arrange an assistant for you?”
“…”
Lin Qing was somewhat confused. He raised his head and looked toward Chen Linyuan.
Daoist Lijun spoke calmly. “This Song Yan—he has a strong character, and he is not one of the demonic path.”
“You may confide everything you have gathered to him. Including your ‘previous life.'”
“Use this to win his trust and enlist his cooperation.”
“Sect Master?! I fear that is…”
Lin Qing was shaken to her core. The secret of her rebirth was the most closely guarded truth she possessed. How could he reveal it so casually to another?
Chen Linyuan let out a derisive chuckle. “What’s the matter? You weren’t afraid to use it to scheme against me, a Core Formation cultivator. Now that I ask you to share it with a mere Qi Refining junior, you’ve lost your nerve?”
Lin Qing’s heart was filled with bleak despair.
He felt as though everything was spiraling beyond his control.
Sect Master Chen was decisive and bold in his methods, utterly at odds with Lin Qing’s own inclinations.
It was as though he were being roasted over an open flame…
Fine.
Things had already reached this point. The larger situation was not something a mere Qi Refining cultivator could influence.
“…Yes.”
…
His thoughts returned to the present.
Lin Qing had been hesitating all along, unable to fathom why the Sect Master would drag an inconsequential nobody into these murky waters.
It was only when Song Yan had shone so brilliantly at the Sword-Tempering Competition that he understood—perhaps the Sect Master had long since perceived the exceptional nature of this individual.
However, why it was Song Yan and not Li Yi, that was something he could not quite grasp.
After much deliberation, Lin Qing had ultimately decided to follow the Sect Master’s directive and join forces with him.
Yet Song Yan had been completely stunned by that single sentence.
Rebirth?
Had he discovered his origins…
What manner of secret art was this?
His heart was in turmoil, but he forced his expression to remain composed. “What does Senior Brother mean by this?”
Lin Qing did not answer immediately. Instead, he produced a jade slip from within his robes and laid down a sound-isolation restriction.
Only after completing these preparations did he speak at length.
“What I am about to tell you may be difficult to believe, but I must ask that Junior Brother hear me out.”
Lin Qing finally laid everything bare.
As his account unfolded, Song Yan’s emotions shifted from shock to confusion, and then to skepticism.
At last, he sank into deep contemplation.
“Demonic invasion, the sect’s destruction…”
At this moment, Song Yan’s mind was reeling.
The sheer volume of information was overwhelming. He wanted to ask questions, yet felt there were too many to even begin.
However, entirely unlike Lin Qing’s concerns, what weighed on Song Yan’s mind was not the authenticity of this “rebirth,” but rather—why had he been told?
Lin Qing’s stated reason was that the “Sect Master” believed Song Yan to be deeply loyal and of pure character.
Yet in Song Yan’s view, this reasoning was far too simplistic.
Moreover, if this were true—if the matter were truly so grave—would two Qi Refining cultivators really be tasked with handling it?
He had the distinct feeling that this Sect Master had not taken the matter seriously at all.
Or perhaps…
It was nothing more than a trivial “test.”
“Whew—”
Song Yan exhaled a long breath.
After a moment of silence, he finally asked his first question.
“Senior Brother Lin, if you tell me all this, are you not afraid that everything will change going forward?”
Lin Qing was somewhat surprised. Was this junior brother not accepting the news of “rebirth” a little too quickly?
He shrugged, a sense of powerlessness washing over him.
“From the moment I discovered that you and Shao Sichen had appeared in the sect, many minor details had already begun to diverge from how they once were.”
“But rest assured, Junior Brother. The many great events that have occurred in the cultivation world thus far remain unchanged.”
“It stands to reason that something as momentous as the demonic invasion would be no different.”
Lin Qing finished speaking, but inwardly he sighed.
This so-called rebirth…
Was it truly so useful?
In the past, he had believed that possessing foreknowledge would surely allow him to walk the path of immortal cultivation with extraordinary treasures at his side, ascending effortlessly.
But in truth, what one’s ability did not merit would never truly belong to them.
What is not meant to be in one’s fate should not be forced…
“I know this is hard to believe.” Lin Qing smiled bitterly. “Were it not for having lived through it myself, I would not believe in rebirth either.”
It was not a matter of belief.
The cultivation world was filled with too many mysterious and wondrous things. To inexplicably live another life was not so strange.
Furthermore, Lin Qing had mentioned that the “Sect Master” believed this might be the “deduction” of some spiritual artifact, rather than a literal rebirth.
Song Yan drew a deep breath and struggled to digest all this information.
If what Lin Qing said was true, then his earlier repeated probing regarding the “Qin Clan” suddenly made sense.
“Senior Brother Lin suspects the Qin Clan?”
Lin Qing first nodded, then shook his head. “I cannot be certain.”
“But the Qin Clan’s rapid rise after the sect’s destruction is far too suspicious.”
So Lin Qing intended to join the Qin Clan’s camp in order to investigate.
Song Yan was silent for a long time.
All of this was too fantastical, yet every detail Lin Qing provided fit together seamlessly, bearing no trace of fabrication.
Moreover, Yang Wenxuan’s earlier visit had already alerted Song Yan to the undercurrents swirling within the sect.
Song Yan looked at the golden mark between Lin Qing’s brows. Now, with his Eye of the Void, he could see the faintly surging sword qi upon it.
It was indeed reminiscent of the spiritual intent contained in the brush-written note given to him on that New Year’s Eve, all those years ago.
It had unmistakably come from the Sect Master’s hand.
“Very well.”
Song Yan finally spoke. “But how are we to proceed?”
At these words, Lin Qing finally let out a breath of relief.
…
The two of them spoke at length within the cave dwelling.
By the time Lin Qing took his leave, the night had grown deep.
Song Yan watched Lin Qing’s figure vanish into the darkness, his heart a tangle of conflicting emotions.
Rebirth, moles, the sect’s impending crisis…
All of it was far too heavy a burden.
The matter of the demonic invasion, in particular—though various signs had long suggested that the demonic sects were poised for a resurgence—it was only upon hearing the confirmation from Lin Qing’s own lips that Song Yan truly felt an unprecedented weight pressing down upon him.
Strength. Strength.
Without sufficient strength, everything else was empty talk.
According to the timeline Lin Qing had described, in three more years, the demonic cultivators would launch a full-scale invasion of the Kingdom of Chu.
In theory, when the sky fell, the tall would bear the weight. It was not his concern to worry about such things.
But if everything Lin Qing prophesied proved true…
Then in a conflict that engulfed the entire cultivation world, it would be impossible to extract himself from the vortex.
The strength of Qi Refining was truly insufficient.
Song Yan steadied his mind, and a flash of determination passed through his eyes.
He turned and walked back into the cave dwelling.