Chapter 5: The Enigmatic Girl

To be more precise, this is Chen Lie's Splendid Cloud Cliff cave dwelling in the Taiwei Sect, no wonder the feeling of opening my eyes is both familiar and unfamiliar

Is there a supernatural ability in this world that can completely erase the memories of others

Yet at this moment, another young girl's delicate and charming visage suddenly flashed through Chen Hai's mind

It is indeed strange that the memories of Yao Xing before his exile to the Taiwei Sect have become fragmented. At this moment, Chen Hai can only strive to piece together some very vague impressions, knowing only that Yao Xing committed a grave sin that was intolerable to the Yao clan, but he cannot recall what that grave sin was.

Chen Qing, the daughter of Chen Lie, is exceptionally talented. As a fourth-generation inner disciple of the Taiwei Sect, she has attained the initial realm of Spirit Separation at a young age. She usually stays at the Splashing Cloud Cliff for her cultivation. However, after Yao Xing arrived, Chen Qing, disliking Yao Xing's frivolous nature, seldom came by.

It is somewhat strange to mention that Su Ziling bears a resemblance to the girl in Yao Xing's fragmented memories, with about four or five points of similarity. She is merely a bit more youthful, perhaps even more delicate, yet devoid of the unique charm that characterizes a young girl

... ...

However, as Chen Hai searched through the fragmented memories of Yao Xing, he discovered that the situation was different from what he had imagined

The writing desk shows no signs of rivets; it appears to be carved from a single massive piece of wood, making it hard to imagine that such enormous timber exists in the world. The desk has a dark, muted color and seems rough, yet it exudes an air of antiquity

Chen Liemei, with brows furrowed like mountains, said displeasedly: "Ziling is destined to marry and bear children, and even if Xing'er cannot cultivate in the future, he is still a member of the Yao family. Ziling can give birth to descendants for Xing'er, allowing her to enter the Yao ancestral hall, which would not bring shame upon her."

... ...

It is precisely for this reason that although Yao Xing is merely a small attendant, in the midst of the chaotic relationships within the Taiwei Sect, others can only hold their noses and endure. However, Yao Xing's cultivation has been rendered useless, and he is unable to formally enter the inner sect of the Taiwei Sect for training, let alone become a true disciple.

Xing Er

Su Ziling was dressed in a light blue dress, complementing her snow-like skin. Although she was indoors, the hem of her dress fluttered as if moved by the wind. Her fair, snow-like face was exquisite, beautiful to the point of seeming unearthly.

Could it be that one's own soul consciousness has truly entered another person's body, and that the original owner of this body, Yao Xing, has actually died after falling off the cliff?

Seeing Yao Xing lying straight on the bed, Chen Lie expressed a sense of helplessness mixed with frustration, sighing as he said: "Xing'er, from now on I will have Zi Ling attend to you in your room. You must stop your reckless behavior. If something were to happen to you, how would I explain it to your parents?"

Yao Xing's memories became fragmented after his cultivation was abolished and he was expelled from the Yao clan, and within these fragmented memories, there was not a trace of the Yao clan's profound methods of inheritance, as if they had been forcibly erased by someone, rendering it no longer accurate to describe it merely as amnesia

Chen Hai was somewhat worried; what if Su Ziling was extremely unwilling to marry him? Would she later plot against her husband?

Although these ideas are utterly absurd, they are the only reasonable explanations he can think of at this moment

The bedroom is simply furnished, with a bed and a table, and against the wall stands a large bookshelf, which holds only a few scattered books. Positioned between the bookshelf and the long table is a lamp stand in the form of a kneeling bronze statue of a palace maid.

He opened his eyes and saw the plain blue canopy above him, which felt somewhat familiar, but his mind was in a state of confusion and he could not recall where he was, nor could he identify the source of this familiarity. He opened his mouth to ask: "Where is this?"

Chen Hai stood there in a daze, wondering if the world he had entered was truly a realm where gods and demons roamed freely, and where humans possessed the extraordinary ability to move mountains and drain seas.

Su Ziling saw Chen Hai remain silent for a long time, and her body stiffened as she retreated.

As soon as Chen Lie's voice fell, a girl dressed in a blue skirt rushed in, her expression stern as she attempted to persuade her father to change his mind. She was absolutely unwilling to see her close friend Su Ziling be trampled upon by the shameless Yao Xing.

Chen Hai's mind was filled with too many questions and shock that needed to be sorted out, and for a moment, he did not know how to respond to Chen Lie's concerned inquiries

The flames emanated from the hollow copper pillar held by the palace maid, remarkably bright and gentle, accompanied by a faint fragrance.

Although Chen Hai was captivated by the image of the young girl flashing in his mind, he did not notice the fleeting cold glint in Su Ziling's eyes as she stood at the door

Did the Black Cauldron of the Azure Dragon bring his soul consciousness into this unfamiliar world called Yanzhou, into someone else's body

Aqing! Chen Lie called out several times, but his daughter did not stop. With a helpless sigh, he followed her out of the bedroom

After a long while without seeing Chen Lie and his daughter return, the sky had darkened. Chen Hai struggled to stand up from the bed, unsure of what kind of elixir Chen Lie had given him. His body felt relatively fine, but his head still throbbed painfully, leaving him uncertain whether it was a lingering aftereffect of his recent ordeal.

Chen Hai has immersed himself in antiques for several years, and with a single glance, he can see that the seemingly simple furnishings in the room are by no means ordinary items

Chen Hai felt puzzled and thought to himself, even if Yao Xing's cultivation had been ruined, he should not be interested in such basic introductory cultivation texts if he was considering starting his training anew

Yao Xing was exiled to the various prefectures of Hexi, and Chen Lie arranged for him to be placed in the Taiwei Sect, where he served as a page at Jianyun Cliff, guarding the entrance alongside other family retainers.

Chen Hai woke up again, his head pounding as if thousands of steel needles were viciously stabbing into his brain. He also felt a faint tearing pain throughout his body, yet it was somewhat better than the excruciating pain emanating from his mind

This is the residence of Yao Xing in the Taiwei Sect

Chen Hai lay there in a daze, staring at the bed canopy embroidered with auspicious beasts and spiritual birds, enduring a severe headache. He managed to raise his hand, only to find that the azure dragon mark on his arm had vanished once again, truly a sight to behold.

A tall figure stood in front of the window, with slender shoulders exuding a majestic aura reminiscent of towering mountains. Chen Hai recognized this person as his uncle in Yao Xing's memories, General Chen Lie, the Left Military Commander of the Wuwei Army... a powerful practitioner who had reached the later stage of the Mingqiao realm

Are we going to travel through time again

Father also said that Ziling has quite good cultivation aptitude, so why can't she continue to practice with me at Taiwei Sect

Or should we bring this girl into the house, enjoy ourselves for a while, and then issue a divorce decree?

Chen Hai was lost in thought when suddenly an aging voice resonated directly in his mind; before he could react, he saw a vortex-like invisible fluctuation appear before his eyes, threatening to engulf his consciousness, or rather, his spirit and thoughts once again

It is unacceptable; how could Ziling marry this shameless scoundrel

Dragon Emperor, this is the guardian you have chosen for the temple

The girl, her small face flushed with anger, glared at Chen Hai with resentment before tossing her sleeves and running out.

From what Chen Lie implies, it seems he is determined to have Su Ziling marry him, which leaves no room for regret. However, the key point is that he must not let Chen Lie or Chen Qing discover that he is no longer Yao Xing's secret

Chen Hai paid no attention to what Su Ziling was thinking. He picked up a tattered scroll that was pressed under a dragon-shaped paperweight on the desk. The corners were somewhat damaged, but overall it was still relatively intact. Perhaps it was due to the integration with the original owner of the body, Yao Xing. Chen Hai recognized the six ancient seal characters "Dao Bing Tong Xuan Bu Lu" on the cover of the scroll, and there was also the inscription "Printed by the Cuifeng Mountain Daoist Institute" in one corner of the cover

This is a face that is even more charming and stunning, which emerges in Chen Hai's mind, causing his heart and soul to uncontrollably tremble slightly at the sight of her face

Chen Lie saw Yao Xing wake up and turned around to say: "You fell off the cliff, and I happened to have business to return to the sect, so I directly brought you back to the sect for treatment"

Damn

Chen Hai tossed the "Supplement to the Daoist Military Manual" onto the desk, now unable to comprehend the situation at all, only vaguely aware that Yao Xing had become self-destructive after his cultivation was ruined; in the clearest part of Yao Xing's memory, Chen Hai understood that after Yao Xing's cultivation was destroyed, the desire to cultivate again was even more difficult than for an ordinary person of mediocre talent, and could be said to be utterly hopeless

"Are there any other hidden injuries on you?" Chen Lie asked with concern, observing Chen Hai's extremely painful expression. He had already taken out the best spiritual medicine he had, but he was not entirely confident that it would leave no hidden ailments.

Thinking of this, and then recalling Su Ziling's exquisite beauty, her small face that made one's heart race, Chen Hai felt a surge of warmth rising in his lower abdomen

Before Yao Xing's cultivation was abandoned, he had already reached the late stage of the Spirit Separation Realm. He had memorized countless secret scriptures of profound techniques from the Yao clan since childhood. How could he possibly be interested in such basic texts used by ordinary Daoist soldiers for cultivation?

Chen Hai walked to the side of the desk, picked up the paperweight shaped like a chimeric dragon, which appeared to be made of gold and stone, and felt extremely heavy in his hand. The chimeric dragon carved on the paperweight was fierce and terrifying, as if it were roaring into the sky, exuding an indescribable spirit, unlike any ordinary object

Chen Hai knew that he would have such feelings, all because of the fragmented memories of the original owner of his body, Yao Xing. However, it was strange that the memories of Yao Xing preserved in his mind, particularly those related to the young girl, seemed to have completely shattered, as if only this face remained.

The sect referred to by Chen Lie is the Taiwei Sect, which has its own cave dwelling on Qingxi Peak

Ziling has always been a servant of the Chen clan. No matter how high her aptitude is, she is destined not to be accepted as an inner sect disciple and cannot enter the Upper Seven Peaks of Taiwei Sect for cultivation. I have already made this decision, Aqing, you should not meddle in this matter any further. Although Chen Lie is a loving father, he will not allow his daughter to create a fuss over matters he has firmly decided.

At this moment, Chen Hai recalled the black cauldron shaped like a苍龙, which was less than one foot high yet required four burly men to barely move it. It was likely made of some extremely heavy mysterious metal, just like this chi dragon paperweight.

Chen Lie appeared to be around 40 years old, in the prime of his life. His gaunt face, coupled with eyes as sharp as lightning, exuded a resolute aura, as if countless storms could surge towards him, only to be shattered by his unwavering will

She is a girl of sixteen or seventeen, with a beautiful appearance like jade; she is Su Ziling, who has been a servant in the Chen family since childhood and shares a sisterly bond with Chen Qing.

In addition to Chen Lie and his daughter, as well as many members of the Chen clan who are cultivating in the Taiwei Sect, there is also an elder ancestor of the Chen family, who is a prominent figure at the level of the law enforcement elder in the Taiwei Sect, and simultaneously serves as a patron of the Wuwei Army... He possesses deep-rooted power and influence in both the Taiwei Sect and the Wuwei Army

At this moment, Chen Hai was still suffering from a splitting headache, but the fragrant aroma wafting through the air provided some slight relief. He thought to himself that the scent emitted by the palace maid's bronze lamp had such remarkable effects.

Upon seeing this face, Chen Hai could not help but feel a sense of dependence, yet he knew that this feeling was born from the memories of Yao Xing

Chen Hai was not thinking about cultivating; he had not even thoroughly understood his own situation. Of course, even if he could not make sense of everything, he had no objection to living off the identity of Yao Xing in Taiwei Sect, merely waiting for death.

Do not even mention that stunningly beautiful face in Yao Xing's broken memories that leaves one with a sense of awe; even a girl like Su Ziling, who is slightly less remarkable, would undoubtedly be a rare gem on Earth.

At that moment, a graceful figure just lifted the curtain and walked in from the outer room. She seemed taken aback, probably not expecting Chen Hai to be up, and stood stiffly at the door, unsure whether to enter or retreat.