Zanxing (Retranslated)

Extra 19 - The Sound of the Flute (1) — Qinghua x Gu Caiyu

Before meeting Gu Caiyu, Qinghua was always alone.

In the Taiyan Sect, her cultivation level, along with Shaoyang Zhenren, was the highest.

Unfortunately, the two disciples taken in by Sage Yushan were both as cold and indifferent as could be. Qinghua did not enjoy being close to others, and she spent most of her time in seclusion while in the sect. Even when she descended the mountain to train, she usually went alone. After all, her cultivation level was high, and most of the time, she could solve any predicament or problem on her own.

But after meeting Gu Caiyu, everything changed.

She originally thought it was just a fleeting encounter, a brief chance meeting never to be repeated. Yet, time and time again, they unexpectedly crossed paths. Although Gu Caiyu had a glib tongue, he wasn’t a bad person. They had even spent some time together in the secret realm of Li’er Country. So, when Qinghua received a distress message from Gu Caiyu from Heishi City, she stormed into the Demon Realm alone to rescue him.

Who would have guessed she would uncover Gu Caiyu’s true cultivation level?

This man’s cultivation was not inferior to hers, yet he pretended to be weak and needed her protection, even making her charge into the Demon Realm to save him. He could have easily dealt with those demons on his own, so wasn’t he just making a fool of her?

Qinghua, who had always been indifferent, earned a reputation in the cultivation world along with Shaoyang Zhenren as “two cold stones, wasting a good appearance.” She rarely experienced emotional fluctuations, but this time, Gu Caiyu made her furious.

She was filled with rage and wanted to sever ties with this scoundrel of a rogue cultivator. But no matter what, he clung to her like a piece of stubborn gum—impossible to shake off. Whenever Qinghua went down the mountain to train and seek opportunities, he’d trail behind, lurking at a distance. If he wasn’t so handsome, he might have been mistaken for a stalker.

Qinghua stopped and suppressed her anger, looking at the man trailing behind her. “What exactly do you want by following me?”

Gu Caiyu touched his nose, looking innocent. “I’m not following you, Fairy. Be reasonable—this road doesn’t belong to your family. Just because you’re walking on it doesn’t mean others can’t.” He then muttered quietly, “We’re all cultivators, after all. When you’re out in the world, it’s only right to help each other. If you run into danger, I can even protect you.”

Qinghua sneered. “Who asked for your protection?” This man had such thick skin, so why wasn’t he pretending to be weak now?

However, Gu Caiyu had a face that women liked, and he was particularly skilled at playing the pitiful, innocent type. Onlookers, seeing them argue, couldn’t help but speak up for him. “That’s right, Fairy. This road doesn’t belong to your family, so why can’t this Immortal walk it too?”

“This Fairy is so beautiful, but she’s too fierce.”

“Poor Immortal.”

Qinghua glared at him and walked away. Gu Caiyu, unbothered, smiled at the crowd and followed her again.

Qinghua thought Gu Caiyu was a scoundrel. First, he deceived her and led her into the Demon Realm. Now, he was following her everywhere. With such scheming, he was likely after something she had. After all, she was the disciple of Sage Yushan, from the Taiyan Sect. Although she didn’t care about the power struggles within the sect, it didn’t mean she was unaware of them.

However, before she left the mountain this time, she hadn’t brought anything valuable. This man was bound to end up empty-handed.

Fairy Qinghua was investigating a case. Recently, many innocent children had gone missing in Douzhou, causing widespread panic among the people. Households with young children kept their doors tightly shut, yet the disappearances continued.

The locations where these cases occurred varied, but the methods were exactly the same, indicating they were likely the work of the same person. To abduct so many children in such a short time and leave no trace was beyond the abilities of ordinary people. The culprit was most likely a cultivator.

Initially, there was suspicion that the demons were responsible. However, the Demon King had issued an order years ago forbidding the harming of children. Moreover, this meticulous method of covering all tracks was completely different from the demons’ usual high-profile behavior, where they would kill someone and almost announce it to the world. This approach was more reminiscent of techniques used by sects.

Qinghua had come to investigate this matter.

Although she was somewhat dull when it came to human interactions, her intuition and observational skills were astounding when it came to serious matters. Within just a few days, she uncovered the truth behind the case.

The culprit behind this case was the leader of a small sect in Douzhou. This man, driven by greed for power, grew impatient with the slow progress of his cultivation and sought a breakthrough through unscrupulous means. He had learned some dark arts from an unknown source, using the souls of young children for cultivation, committing numerous atrocities. Now, he had captured many more children, hiding them in the secret chamber of his sect.

A leader of a so-called righteous sect, outwardly appearing noble and upright, was in fact committing such horrific, unforgivable crimes. Without hesitation, Qinghua stormed into the sect to confront him.

It was a small sect and could not compare to the Taiyan Sect. Fairy Qinghua could easily kill the sect leader on her own.

However, she had not anticipated that everyone in this sect had been practicing the same dark arts from top to bottom. All the disciples in the sect had become puppets of the sect leader. The news had not yet reached the Taiyan Sect, but Qinghua could not wait. Every moment wasted could mean the death of another innocent child at the hands of these evil cultivators. Qinghua stormed into the sect alone, and just as she was surrounded by its members, Gu Caiyu finally arrived.

He held a purple flute in his hand, his robes immaculate, and his smile warm, as if he were not here for a fight but simply paying a friendly visit. He said, “Fairy, why didn’t you tell me you were coming here? I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

He spoke as though they were very close.

Qinghua ignored him, sword in hand, as she charged at the man whose eyes were bloodshot and had long since lost any trace of humanity.

The battle was troublesome.

It wasn’t that the sect leader’s strength had become overwhelming after practicing the dark arts, but rather that he was cunning. He constantly used the innocent children as human shields. The young children, terrified and confused, cried loudly. Qinghua couldn’t harm them, yet she also had to deal with the swarming puppet disciples of the sect, making the situation quite complicated.

Fortunately, Gu Caiyu was there to help.

Putting aside Gu Caiyu’s cultivation level, his ability to provoke his opponents’ anger was unmatched. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have driven that beautiful demon woman to the point where she forgot her manners and tried to kill him. With just a few sarcastic remarks, he successfully enraged the sect leader, redirecting his attention entirely toward Gu Caiyu, which relieved a great deal of pressure on Qinghua.

In the end, Qinghua and Gu Caiyu worked together to eradicate the evil cultivators within the sect.

The news would take some time to reach the sect, and since this was a renowned sect in the cultivation world, the handling of the aftermath would have to be discussed with the other sect leaders. Considering the gravity of the sect leader’s crimes, a punishment by lightning at the Wulei Platform was inevitable. As for the disciples who had also practiced dark arts, they would certainly not escape justice.

However…

The sound of dozens of terrified children crying drifted into Qinghua’s ears from the courtyard, and she couldn’t help but frown slightly.

What would become of these children?