(28) Revenge

"What did you say? She was saved by Han YanLing?" Sitting inside her study room, in front of Wu LiJing stood a woman with pronounced cheeks and thick eyebrows.

Wan Ting nodded. "Yes. She went out of the sect one day and I realized it was because she heard of a miraculous herb that could heal all injuries. This is obviously fake information someone spread within the sect to bait naïve people, but she sneaked out of the sect anyway and went into the Mountain of Beasts. She didn't go in too far, however, her life was still in danger since she no longer has any cultivation. Before I could show myself, she was saved by Han YanLing when a beast attacked her." (a/n: Wan Ting is the personal bodyguard assigned to QiaoHua in case you forgot)

Wu LiJing frowned. "Why didn't you tell me this the night I returned?"

Wan Ting scratched her head. "I apologize, Master. However, you seemed drained from the quick journey and you had a competition the next day. Since nothing major happened, I thought it wouldn't be too late to inform you afterwards."

Wu LiJing sighed and was lost in thought. So that was how they met. "Do you know who spread this information?"

Wan Ting smiled and nodded. "Yes! As I listened in on different conversations, I learned it came from a girl called Cai Qiu."

"Cai Qiu? Who?"

The female bodyguard cleared her throat and proudly presented, "She's an inner disciple who does not have much presence. Oddly enough, it was difficult to find out that this information had originated from this girl at first because for some reason, Cheng Ru, the guy who loves to gossip most, found it hard to remember how he heard it. It was only after some more intense investigation that I learned he had met with a disciple called Cai Qiu before he started to spread this false rumor."

"Have others fallen for the rumor?"

Wan Ting nodded her head. "Yes, as I was guarding Miss QiaoHua, I overheard a few who made excuses to go outside but really planned to go into the Mountain of Beasts. The weird thing was, when they returned, they didn't mention any of the happenings and also started to become more hostile towards one or two of their classmates."

Wu LiJing was silently lost in thought and her eyes narrowed coldly. "When you see this Cai Qiu girl, keep an eye on her." She took out a small box and handed it to Wan Ting.

Wan Ting's small eyes sparkled and she quickly bowed. "Thank you, Master! I shall not let you down!" Ah, all her hard work was worth it in the end! She grinned and then vanished.

Wu LiJing opened her window and looked outside. She looked towards her floral garden for a moment and admired the blooming view. She wanted to stay here and look after Wu QiaoHua, but in order to find the cure for the poison, she has to go back to the east where the Divine Emerald Sect resides. As the wind brushed against her skin, the strands of hair framing her face fluttered towards her eyelashes and she closed her eyes to feel the warmth of the sunshine for a moment.

…

When Wu LiJing saw a bright-looking girl sitting down with braided hair while reading a book in the sect Study Hall, she called to her. "Xin Mei."

Xin Mei jumped up and turned to face Wu LiJing. She quickly saluted and bowed. "Eldest Senior Sister!"

"Do you know where QiaoHua is currently?"

Xin Mei smiled and nodded. "Yes! I believe she went out this morning to meet with one of her friends from another sect."

Wu LiJing paused when she realized who Wu QiaoHua was probably meeting and then nodded. She noticed the slightly dark bags under Xin Mei's eyes. Then her gaze went to the title of the book. It was about poisons.

"Eldest Senior Sister, I heard that your fights, especially with the Dark Hero, were amazing! I really wish I was there to see it!" Xin Mei looked regretful with a sigh.

After a nod, Wu LiJing took out a blue book with a wrapped-up box. She handed it to Xin Mei. "Can you give this to QiaoHua?"

Xin Mei stared at the book cover. "It's a martial arts manual?"

Wu LiJing nodded and then after a moment of silence, she said, "Xin Mei, thank you for being there for QiaoHua. I hope you continue to treat her like a friend." She showed a small smile and left.

Xin Mei blinked a few times, slightly stunned as she watched the dark purple figure disappear, and then sat down again. She became lost in thought for a while and rubbed her eyes a bit, feeling tired from being unable to sleep. Then she picked up her book and placed the things in her hands on the table. When Wu QiaoHua returns, she would give these gifts to her.

Soon, Xin Mei noticed that the sky was getting dark and put her book away. She walked in the direction of the outer disciple's sleeping quarters and knocked on the door to the room that Wu QiaoHua lived in.

One of Wu QiaoHua's roommates opened the door and let her in. "Wu QiaoHua just came back. I think she's taking a walk. Her face didn't look too well."

When Xin Mei found Wu QiaoHua, she was walking with Wei SuSu next to her.

"QiaoHua! SuSu!" She ran over with a smile. "What are you two doing?"

"QiaoHua seems a little down so I'm accompanying her."

Xin Mei nodded and then handed the things in her hands to Wu QiaoHua.

"What's this?" Wu QiaoHua asked as she stared at the blue book and the box.

Xin Mei smiled. "Eldest Senior Sister asked me to give it to you. Isn't it the perfect timing? These are the banana cakes you love most, so cheer up!" The wrapping of the box gave away which shop Wu LiJing had gone to, and it wasn't a hard guess as to what was inside when she had gifted this to Wu QiaoHua many times before.

Wu QiaoHua halted in her steps and both of her friends stared at her, bewildered. Why did her expression suddenly change? Wu QiaoHua looked at the cover of the book and her hand gripped it tightly. "Why is she giving me this book?" she muttered with a hurt expression.

Xin Mei blinked. "It's a martial arts manual," she quickly explained with a hesitant smile. "I only glanced at the cover, but it seems important. You should look at it."

Wei SuSu looked at the book in Wu QiaoHua's hand and nodded. It shouldn't be a normal book if it was given by their Eldest Senior Sister.

Wu QiaoHua glimpsed at the box of cakes and shoved them back to Xin Mei's hands with strong arms. "I don't want it!" Then she ran away towards Wu LiJing's manor with wet eyes.

Xin Mei's pupils expanded and Wei SuSu also stared at Wu QiaoHua's running figure with a slight frown. Wei SuSu sighed and she turned to Xin Mei. "Xin Mei… you can eat the snacks if you want. I think she may be mad at Eldest Senior Sister…" Wei SuSu hesitated and asked in a quiet voice, "Do you think Eldest Senior Sister was the one who did it?"

Currently, there weren't too many good rumors going around about Wu LiJing within their sect since Wu QiaoHua was poisoned. There were many who clearly didn't believe it, but the majority was convinced otherwise, especially those who had experienced being inner disciples with Wu LiJing before she became a direct disciple. Even some of the main disciples of their masters thought so.

Xin Mei frowned and quickly answered with a loud voice, "No! How is that possible?!" The ones close to Wu QiaoHua could obviously see the smile that Wu LiJing only showed towards her cousin as well as how well she treated her. Even if her fiancé broke it off due to Wu QiaoHua, Xin Mei didn't believe their Eldest Senior Sister was that kind of person.

People believed the two's relationship was strained since most did not see the interaction between both cousins and Wu LiJing hasn't visited Wu QiaoHua lately. But it was obvious to her that their Eldest Senior Sister was simply being thoughtful towards Wu QiaoHua's current feelings. She wondered whether Wu QiaoHua was even aware of such things.

Wei SuSu nodded and smiled, relieved she wasn't the only one who thought so. "Then I'll go first." She left Xin Mei alone to her own thoughts. Xin Mei lowered her lids and stared at the box of sweets as her hands gripped onto it tightly.

Wu LiJing was taking a walk in her garden when she heard light footsteps.

"What is it?" She already knew it was Cheng ChengHua.

Cheng ChengHua bowed and was used to Wu LiJing's attitude, knowing her master didn't care much for these formalities as long as she didn't overstep her boundaries, and straightened her back. She took out a book from her sleeves and gave it to Wu LiJing. "Miss QiaoHua came to return this book."

Wu LiJing took the book and frowned at once, recognizing it. Then she stepped out and vanished. She quickly reached Wu QiaoHua who had just walked towards the exit of her courtyard. She appeared in front of her. "QiaoHua."

Wu QiaoHua looked at Wu LiJing with small surprise. She saluted. "Eldest Senior Sister."

Wu LiJing observed her cousin, who was biting her lips and had lowered her eyes. There was a tint of red at the edges of her lids. Why was she angry?

Wu LiJing showed her the book. "Why did you return this, QiaoHua? You should practice the martial arts in here. If it's too difficult, I can find some time to help." Maybe she should postpone her trip and help QiaoHua work on her martial arts first.

Wu QiaoHua slightly frowned and clenched her hands as she stared at the ground. "Eldest Senior Sister, you know this is useless to me! Why do you have to give me something like this?"

Wu LiJing's eyes softened, and she sighed. "This book of martial arts is special, practicing useful moves without the need for inner chi, with the strikes still containing a strong amount of energy. Even if you no longer have inner strength, knowing a few moves can help save your life."

"I don't need to learn such moves when I know it won't help!" Wu QiaoHua said with a higher pitch this time, feeling humiliated, as she pushed the hand giving her the book to the side with all of her strength.

Wu LiJing clenched the book and stared at Wu QiaoHua for a moment. She shoved it lightly to her cousin's chest. "You must practice it," she said. "Losing your inner chi is no excuse to slack off. You still have hope, QiaoHua. Soon…"

Wu QiaoHua bit her lips and looked at the book, interrupting Wu LiJing, "You, who was born talented, wouldn't understand…" she whispered. She grabbed the book roughly, looked at Wu LiJing with moist eyes, and ran off.

Wu LiJing stared at Wu QiaoHua's back with deep eyes, feeling a stabbing pain, and letting out a small sigh.

Wu LiJing had spent a while to obtain that book. If practiced well, it can even be used against a low to high-level Second Tier cultivator. That was why she tried to obtain it for Wu QiaoHua on her way back. Even with no inner chi, as long as one could dodge attacks and was skillful in the martial arts, there was a chance of survival. There is even a well-known martial artist who has a weaker inner core, but is able to beat his stronger opponents through sheer strength and martial art skills.

Wu LiJing looked into the distance where the figure in lavender could no longer be seen. She wouldn't give up on Wu QiaoHua even if she gave up on herself.

She walked back to her room, while lost in thought. She still has not been able to find out who it was that poisoned QiaoHua and caused her cultivation to collapse, losing all her inner chi.

In this world, it is rare to be born with no inner chi, so everyone has a chance at cultivation. However, there is a difference between having a little inner chi and having a big amount. So there are those who choose to lead ordinary lives since they did not have the talent or luck and are usually those with red cores. Also, as one cultivates, one's inner chi can grow and expand. Having a higher rank core makes it smoother in expanding one's inner chi by absorbing energy from nature faster, making it easier for them to rise in the ranks.

In the cultivation world, if one does not know how to fight, they are deemed useless and vulnerable and are usually ridiculed and bullied. That was why Wu LiJing was worried and decided to hire Wan Ting. Since Wu QiaoHua lost her cultivation, she has been down and unwilling to train, which worried Wu LiJing further. It seems she would have to leave her revenge for now and concentrate on her cousin. She might have to hire Wan Ting in the long-term since she was going to leave the Moon Sect again. There were too many books and records in the Divine Emerald Sect that she must cover, so it could possibly take a few years.

Wu LiJing took off her outer robe and sat down by crossing her legs. She put her hands on her lap and closed her eyes, clearing her mind of all things, and then breathed out softly to relax her body. She focused on her inner chi and spread it around her body, feeling a strong warmth. She kept herself in that position for a long time until sweat dripped down her face.

…

Before the second direct disciple of the Moon Sect left, she visited her master to inform him of her plans. The master and disciple pair conversed normally at first, but the topic quickly turned serious and the news Sect Master Wang broke out stunned her, making her feel restless.

"Master, it is too dangerous!" Wu LiJing stood up in alertness.

"That is why it will be even more dangerous for you!" Wang WeiYue said with an unyielding tone. "All these years, I have tried to find a way to seal and control it… in the end, there is no way."

Wu LiJing was silent as she hung her head, feeling depressed. It was her fault. And she wasn't even here when her master needed her…

Wang WeiYue sighed. "But we cannot give up. This power should not continue to exist," he said. "The only people who know that I have obtained it are you, me, your senior brother, and Sect Master Yao."

Wu LiJing understood and nodded. So that was why she had never seen her senior brother. He was always out on missions for this. Her master only sent her on missions to investigate whether there were suspicious movements regarding this power, but she hasn't gotten many clues. She only learned of this problem after her master gave her that secret book more than two years ago.

"There are people after this power. They call themselves The Lightless Crows," Wang WeiYue said in a quiet tone. "Luckily I found that crazy man first and killed him before they did," he muttered. He sat down again and calmly poured himself some tea. "You… do what you need to do. I will probably be out again to investigate where their stronghold is. I am still trying to figure out their motives. When I ask you to investigate, if you deem someone suspicious who covets this power, you must kill them." His voice turned grave as he stared at her with critical eyes.

Wu LiJing nodded. "Master… I probably won't return for a few years. Please take care of yourself." Her voice was soft as she stared at her elegant master, dressed in dark violet robes.

Wang WeiYue smiled and patted her head gently. "You as well. Make sure to concentrate on your cultivation. Since you'll be living in the Divine Emerald Sect for a while, I should ask Yao YuHuan for a few favors so she would give you a few valuable herbs."

Wu LiJing smiled softly. "Mm. Thanks, Master." But within her eyes, there was still a trace of worry.

…

"Change of plans," the lady in dark purple robes said as she sat with a straight back.

"What?" Jin RuiYing blinked. They had just met up inside a private room within a jewelry shop. "What do you mean?"

"I need to be able to defeat the Lightning Clan now."

Jin RuiYing frowned. "So quickly? You've been weakening their power by attacking their bases and getting rid of their important figures. Just wait a little longer and you can aim for their clan directly." She has been working hard to diminish their power due to her one-man power compared to a whole clan that has already started to grow stronger.

Wu LiJing shook her head. "I can't wait any longer." Her master needed her and doing three things at the same time is too taxing and inconvenient. "It is better to get rid of them completely. I've waited long enough and I've obtained something that would help."

"And what is that?" Jin RuiYing asked as he fanned himself, feeling a little anxious as to why his partner was suddenly in a hurry.

Wu LiJing smiled. "An object… the Double Orchid Necklace."

Jin RuiYing's mouth opened and he closed his fan. "What?! So that's your plan? You're going to use the Double Orchid Necklace to double your cultivation so you can get rid of a whole clan by yourself?"

"Why ask if you already know?"

Jin RuiYing rolled his eyes and hit his closed fan on the table as he leaned in closer with rushed words, "When and how did you get this rare object? I heard it was made a long time ago by a genius alchemist who disappeared, and he only made a total of three of them. Once someone activates the necklace, their original power is doubled, but this effect only lasts for two hours. What's amazing though, is that you can use this artifact twice before it becomes useless." He raised two fingers.

"The first time; there is no backlash and your cultivation simply returns to normal due to a protection spell in the necklace. However, when you use it the second time, there is a great backlash, not pertaining to your cultivation, but to the pain of your human body because that protection spell only works once. Your body will feel immense pain once your powers return to normal from the strain of the sudden increase of power and strength that your body is not used to."

Wu LiJing nodded. "Yes, I have that object in my possession."

"And how did you obtain it?" Jin RuiYing asked with bright eyes, his face now even closer to LiJing's.

Wu LiJing pushed his face away and grabbed her cup of water, taking a sip as Jin RuiYing fidgeted in his seat impatiently. "Guess," she said.

Jin RuiYing groaned. "Can you please just tell me already?!"

Wu LiJing smiled and chuckled inside as Jin RuiYing glared at her. "My parents. It was in my mother's possession. At first, I thought it was just a normal necklace. But I got a glimpse of a picture of this artifact while I was looking through various books these past few years and realized my mother's necklace wasn't a normal one."

She sighed. "I don't know how she got it, but I never sold it since my mother loved to wear it. I don't know if she even knew that it was an artifact, actually, since she always wore it so casually." There were a few of her parent's belongings that she found herself unable to sell and this necklace was one of them. "I didn't actually want to use it, but time is of urgence now. After I inserted a small amount of my chi into it, I found out that it was unused."

Jin RuiYing nodded. "I see! So that's it!" His fingers rubbed his chin. "I can't believe such an object was at the hands of a woman who didn't even know what its use was for…" He was very curious as to how it went into Wu LiJing's mother's hands now… should he do some more investigating of his own? He glanced at Wu LiJing, she wouldn't even know anyway…. Right?

"I need to attack when all of them are inside the clan residence. I learned that a few major figures are returning to the clan due to the upcoming birthday banquet held for the great clan leader." Jin RuiYing glanced at the smile on her face and felt chills run through his body.

He rubbed his arms and sighed. While he investigated this Lightning Clan, he learned that they did great deeds in public to appear magnanimous but actually hid deeply in what they really did. Since they weren't really an influential clan, it was easier for them to kidnap adults and children from small villages who had no family and enslave them. They also made unreasonable deals with men who were addicted to gambling in order to buy their daughters and sell them to the brothels they owned themselves. They did a good job of picking small villages for these bases and also keeping things under wraps and abandoning ship should anything seem amiss. Thus, they have been doing disgusting deeds undetected. Wu LiJing has already destroyed more than half of their bases and has been secretly moving to kill the bastards in charge of these operations. This Lightning Clan has been trying to figure out who Wu LiJing was, but under his influence, what can they do?

In fact, if LiJing asked him to help her kill all of them, with his power, he would've been able to easily destroy them when they first learned it was the Lightning Clan who had a part in killing her parents. But revenge was sweeter when one did it themselves. If someone took your candy, it wouldn't be as satisfying watching someone else take their candy than if you did it yourself.

"Are you planning to kill them all?" he asked.

Wu LiJing glanced at him with eyes that seemed blanketed by a wicked fog as her smile widened. "Is that even a question?"

All these years, she learned that no one from the Lightning Clan deserved to live. Everyone has done something disgusting. Well… for the ones who she didn't recognize, she wouldn't mind letting them go. After all, she already memorized the faces of those she's going to kill. It would also take her less effort in annihilating this so-called "Lightning Clan" if she didn't have to care about the unnecessary people. She rubbed her fingers.

"I want a thorough layout of their residence, including whether there are any formations put in place. Also, prepare an outfit for me. A white one." She had to prepare for a huge funeral, fitting at least one hundred people.

Jin RuiYing's eyes beamed. "Of course! And do you want a veil with it?" He was acting as though all that mattered was her request about these new robes he would have to provide. He had long left some spies inside the Lightning Clan to spy on their movements. This request would be a piece of cake. All he had to do was call them back before Wu LiJing attacked.

Wu LiJing looked up and smiled with a nod. She can't have others know of her affiliation with the Moon Sect. Her original plan was to slowly destroy the Lightning Clan and lay out their repulsive deeds to the world to crush their egos and pride before destroying them as she raised her cultivation. But since she cannot do that, then she would walk the easier route - simply obliterate them by surprise in one-go.