Chapter Thirty-One

  A strange scene appeared in the training hall of Xuanxin Zhengzong. A beautiful little girl wearing a red skirt sat on the steps with her elbow propped up and her brow furrowed, looking worried. Not far from her stood a handsome young man dressed in white clothes.

  This scene is so sweet... no matter how I look at it, it's full of love!

  Siman Sangniang has always known that the Xuanxin Aomiao Jue is the most powerful technique of the Xuanxin Orthodox School, but at the same time it is also an unfinished Daoist mental method.

  Yes! The Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue is an incomplete and imperfect Taoist mental discipline, but everyone who cultivates the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue cannot end well; almost no one can live beyond twenty-five years old.

  Cultivating the mysterious and subtle mind is not a gift from heaven, nor can it be cultivated by those who are not gifted. Similarly, when a person cultivates the mysterious and subtle mind to a higher level, it also means that they are approaching death.

  The reason why the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue is so formidable is that it squanders the cultivator's own essence, energy and spirit; this is also why anyone who has cultivated the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue will not live to a ripe old age.

  At first, Sima San Niang was delighted that her daughter had been chosen to cultivate the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue. After all, in the ancestral will of the Xuan Xin Zheng Zong, there is an unwritten rule: the cultivators of the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue have a special status within the Xuan Xin Zheng Zong; they hold a lofty position that surpasses even the Sect Master of the Xuan Xin Zheng Zong.

  One day, Sima San Niang inadvertently overheard the conversation between Yan Chixia and Chi Songzi, two master-disciple pairs. Only then did she realize that the mysterious technique of Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue was actually incomplete and flawed. All those who successfully cultivated Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue in the Xuan Xin Sect would not live past twenty-five years old.

  Damn it!

  Upon learning this news, Sima San Niang almost fainted; because when she heard Yan Chixia and Chi Songzi's conversation, Sima San Niang had originally planned to come over and share some good news with her husband.

  Yan Hongye's talent was indeed very abnormal, many people need to spend several years to cultivate the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue and have some small achievements; while Yan Hongye has only been in it for more than a year and has already entered the strange world of Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue.

  But the profound and subtle key of Xuan Xin has another major characteristic, that is, once you have truly entered the door and achieved success in your cultivation; you cannot stop and must cultivate every day, otherwise you will go crazy and die.

  After learning of this fact, Sima Sanniang almost went crazy; Sima Sanniang and Yan Chixia were a couple who had been married for many years and had finally given birth to their precious daughter, Yan Hongye. Especially since Sima Sanniang was injured during childbirth, she would not have another child besides Yan Hongye in this lifetime.

  At first, Sima Sanniang thought that Yan Chixia was also unaware of the consequences of practicing the Xuanxin Aomiao Jue, just like herself; but then she overheard the conversation between Yan Chixia and Chi Songzi, which completely shattered the last shred of hope in her heart.

  Originally, Yan Chixia had known that practicing the Xuanxin Aomiao Jue would have such consequences. However, because of a sentence from her master, Chi Songzi, saying that Yan Hongye was the most promising person in this generation of Xuanxin Orthodox Sect to practice the Xuanxin Aomiao Jue, Yan Chixia disregarded the consequences and allowed Yan Hongye to practice it.

  Siman Sangniang had always known that in her husband's heart, the Xuanxin Zhengzong was more important than anything else; she just didn't expect Yan Chixia to actually abandon his own daughter for the sake of the Xuanxin Zhengzong.

  Especially, Yan Hongye himself had long known the consequences of cultivating the Xuanxin Aomiao Jue, but Yan Hongye actually listened to Yan Chixia's words. In order to deal with the future seven-life grievances and the Yin Yue Imperial Court, Yan Hongye willingly cultivated the Xuanxin Aomiao Jue; this was the reason why Sima Sanniang was most heartbroken.

  After Sima Sanniang learned the truth, Yan Chixia and Sima Sanniang, who were originally a loving couple, became a pair of quarrelsome lovers, with small arguments every three days and big ones every five days.

  Jin Guang used to envy Yan Hongye, envying her ability to cultivate the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue; however, when he saw that Yan Hongye's family had ended up in this state because of the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue, Jin Guang felt that being himself was not bad either. Having low-level magic could be slowly cultivated, but if one knew they would only live to be twenty-five years old, then what use were those profound magical abilities?

  Jin Guang sometimes really didn't understand what was going on in his little Shifu's mind.

  "Little Red Leaf, may I ask you a question?" Jin Guang walked over and sat down beside Yan Hong Ye.

  "Little Shifu, are you asking Hong Ye why he knew that practicing the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue would not live past 25 years old, yet still agreed to practice it with Father and Master?"

  At this moment, Yan Hongye turned back into her usual intelligent and astute self. As soon as she saw Jin Guang's expression, she knew what question he wanted to ask.

  Jin Guang felt a pang of regret for Yan Hongye's cleverness, what a pity for such a delicate and transparent little girl: "Little Red Leaf, have you ever really not regretted cultivating the Xuanxin Aomiao Jue? Little Red Leaf, do you know that once you cultivate the Xuanxin Aomiao Jue, you are destined to not live past twenty-five years old; don't you really regret it?"

  Yan Hongye thought for a moment with a serious face, then gently shook her head: "Young Master Shifu, whether Red Leaf will regret it in the future, Red Leaf cannot guarantee; but at least now Red Leaf does not regret cultivating the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue."

  "Why?"

  Jin Guang felt very curious, what was the reason that made his little Shidi infatuated and unrepentant?

  "Red Leaf wants Father to be happy." Yan Hongye looked up at her small face and smiled sincerely at Jin Guangyan.

  The original intention of Yan Hongye's cultivation of the mysterious and subtle technique was actually for Yan Chixia. The matter of the seven generations' resentment had always been a regret in Yan Chixia's heart; if it weren't for his own carelessness back then in Red River Village, the matter of the seven generations' resentment would never have occurred.

  It was for this reason that Yan Hongye thought of practicing the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue; planning to wait until the day when the Tian Mo Chong Qi Sha really arrived, can eliminate demons and protect the righteousness of the world; in this way, it can also alleviate the guilt in his father's heart.

  Yan Hongye looked at Jin Guang's bewildered face and immediately told her why she was practicing the Xuan Xin Ao Miao Jue.

  "Red Leaf, my poor daughter!" A deafening cry suddenly came from behind Yan Hongye and Jin Guang.

  It's all over!

  Yan Hongye quietly muttered "oh no" and then looked at Jin Guang with an apologetic expression: "Young Master, my mother has arrived; you'd better leave quickly! Otherwise, when I turn around, my mother will blame you together with me."

  Jin Guang naturally knew the character of his master's wife, Sima San Niang. Normally, she was fine, but as soon as his younger apprentice brother was involved, she would transform into a crazy woman, especially when it came to her own disciples like Yan Chixia; they were definitely the first to suffer.

  "Little Red Leaf, you be careful too; Little Shifu is leaving first."

  Jin Guang listened to the cries getting closer and closer, not daring to hesitate; he hastily entrusted Yan Hongye with a sentence, then hurriedly flashed away without leaving a shadow.

  Yan Hongye stood up and looked at her mother, Sima San Niang, who rushed over like a gust of wind, with tears still streaming down her beautiful face.

  "Mom, did you and dad have another fight?" Yan Hongye asked with a slight headache.

  She knew that her mother, Sima San Niang, loved herself very much, precisely because of this love; therefore, she would always be angry with her father, Yan Chixia, about the mysterious and subtle things, and it was also for this reason. So every time Sima San Niang quarreled with Yan Chixia, Yan Hongye would feel unbearable headaches.

  "Red leaves, wooo..."

  Siman Sangniang was only just over thirty years old, originally with a beautiful and extraordinary appearance; due to the cultivation of magic, she looked even more exceptionally beautiful.

  At this moment, Sima's third daughter is crying so much that her tears are like pear blossoms in the rain!

  "Mother, don't cry anymore. What happened? You have to tell your daughter." Yan Hongye stretched out her hand and hugged Sima San Niang because of her young age; Yan Hongye's current height was only up to Sima San Niang's elbow, so this scene looked a bit incongruous.

  But no matter how Yan Hongye asked, Sima San Niang refused to speak out the reason.

  Since she couldn't ask the reason out, Yan Hongye could only stand by helplessly; thinking that after her mother cried herself to exhaustion, she would find another time to carefully ask again.

  "Red Leaf, are you willing to leave with your mother?" Suddenly, Sima San Niang wiped away her own tears and said to Yan Hong Ye.

  "Leave?"

  Yan Hongye didn't quite understand what Sima San Niang meant, her pretty face scrunched up: "Mother wants to take Hongye where? Is it out the door to catch ghosts and demons? How long will we be out? Will Mother bring Hongye back by next month for Shifu's birthday?"

  Although she didn't quite understand what Sima San Niang meant by saying that, Yan Hong Ye had already vaguely guessed some of the reasons, which was why she asked Sima San Niang several whys in a row.

  Simu's three daughters stared at their beautiful, lovely and intelligent daughter, the tears that had originally stopped falling from her cheeks again; Wuu... Her poor daughter! It was all because of that damned Yan Chixia. People say a tiger does not eat its own son; this damned man actually let his own daughter walk on a path of no return for the sake of so-called justice.

  Simma San Niang's heart suddenly reached the highest point of resentment towards Yan Chixia, that damned Yan Chixia; I'll take my poor Hongye and leave this place, never letting him have another chance to harm my Hongye. Soon, Simma San Niang had made up her mind.

  However, for now the most important thing is to take Yan Hongye away from Xuanxin Zhengzong first. Sima Sanniang knew very well that her daughter admired Yan Chixia too much, so it's better to take Yan Hongye away from Xuanxin Zhengzong and make other plans later.

  "Red Leaf, why don't you accompany Mother out for a walk to clear her mind?" Sima San Niang used the tactic of showing weakness to Yan Hong Ye, and said with a gentle tone: "Mother doesn't want to see your father for the time being."

  When mentioning Yan Chixia, Sima Sanniang's voice had a hint of gritted teeth; it seemed that Sima Sanniang had a deep knot in her heart towards Yan Chixia, and it wasn't something that could be explained clearly with just a few words.