Chapter 537: Chapter 197: Who Is Zhenyang, Really?
"My dear, this is how it happened. The Celestial Phoenix Race hasn’t done anything evil."
"I repaid her in kind, making her forever beholden to me and allowing the Celestial Phoenix Mountain to be used for our purposes. This should assist with your plans, shouldn’t it?"
Qin Gengyun held Qiu Zhihe’s hand, speaking the last sentence to her through a transmitted message.
Qiu Zhihe’s delicate body stiffened slightly, and she turned to look at Qin Gengyun, her beautiful eyes filled with surprise and emotion.
Soon after, it turned into worry.
My husband always considers how to help me in everything he does.
But, husband, what I least want is for you to help me.
I can’t drag you down.
Qiu Zhihe lowered her head, and when she raised it again, her face had returned to being cold. She said calmly:
"Let’s head to the Celestial Phoenix Mountain first."
Zhu Lin bowed slightly to the three: "Fairies, please follow me."
The Celestial Phoenix Maiden was still somewhat unwilling but had no other choice and could only silently follow beside Zhu Lin, taking Qin Gengyun and the three women up Celestial Phoenix Mountain.
By this time, the male disciples of Zhenyang Sect had woken up. Seeing the group appear, they exclaimed in surprise:
"Senior Sister Ye! Junior Sister Ruo, why are you here?"
Jian Yue’s expression was cold as she said indifferently, "Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers, are we interrupting your fun?"
During the climb, Qin Gengyun had already described in detail to the three women the ridiculous scene of the Zhenyang Sect male disciples vying to be drained.
Upon hearing her words, the male disciples blushed with shame, and Chun Ningzhi hurriedly said:
"Junior Sister Ye, don’t misunderstand. I share a clean relationship with this Taoist Friend Zhu. She only absorbed a small bit of my essence, and I did nothing that would betray you!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Lin glanced at Jian Yue in surprise.
She already knew that this cool and overwhelmingly beautiful woman was the renowned Fairy Ye Xiyue, but had never heard that Ye Xiyue had a partner.
Thus, Zhu Lin also helped Chun Ningzhi explain to Ye Xiyue: "Fairy Ye, what Taoist Friend Chun says is the truth. He is an upright gentleman, and there was no impropriety between us."
However, Ye Xiyue didn’t even glance at Chun Ningzhi, walking straight past him.
Chun Ningzhi stared dumbly at that elegantly beautiful silhouette, muttering softly:
"Xiyue must be upset, after all, she still cares about me in her heart."
Zhu Lin hesitated for a moment before softly reminding, "Taoist Friend Chun, it seems Fairy Ye didn’t hear what you said."
After inspecting, just as Qin Gengyun had said, the male disciples of the Zhenyang Sect weren’t harmed. On the contrary, as soon as they woke up, their eyes were fervently fixed on the women of the Celestial Phoenix Race.
They wished someone would come to drain them a few more times.
The poison in the male disciples’ bodies had not been completely purged yet, making it temporarily unsuitable for them to move. After some discussion, they decided to stay on Celestial Phoenix Mountain for the night.
At this time, the people of the Celestial Phoenix Race were still perplexed about the current situation, not understanding why the Phoenix Maiden and Sister Zhu Lin were so polite to those who had destroyed the Guardian Array.
Seeing the once proud Phoenix Maiden silently following behind that robust man, they couldn’t help but whisper:
"Isn’t there a saying that absorbing the essence of her fated one is very dangerous for the Phoenix Maiden? Why is that man all right?"
"Could it be because he is too strong and his essence too abundant, that the Phoenix Maiden couldn’t exhaust him and instead got subdued herself?"
"Very likely! This man is indeed magnificent and truly charming!"
The Celestial Phoenix Maiden naturally heard her people’s gossip but didn’t know how to face it.
Should she tell them that their noble Phoenix Maiden failed to absorb essence and instead became someone else’s plaything?
Zhu Lin said, "Honored guests, may I first take you to rest?"
"Husband, about that statue in the Divine Temple, I want to see it."
Qiu Zhihe said to Qin Gengyun, and Zhu Lin hesitated a little. The Divine Temple is the holy ground of Celestial Phoenix Mountain, and usually, outsiders aren’t allowed in.
Qin Gengyun looked at Zhu Lin: "Taoist Friend Zhu, my wife wants to see it, is that a problem?"
Zhu Lin reluctantly said, "Since it is the command of Taoist Friend He, we must comply."
She had already sworn a blood oath; Celestial Phoenix Mountain was to be used by Qin Gengyun, and the Celestial Phoenix Maiden had become his person. With his request, Zhu Lin could not refuse.
The Celestial Phoenix Maiden pouted, "I am going to cultivate!"
With that, she spread her wings and quickly flew away.
Zhu Lin apologized to the pair, "Little Huang has a proud nature and cannot accept it at the moment, please don’t blame her."
Qin Gengyun waved it off, "No worries. This matter has faults on both sides, and as things stand, if she can’t figure it out, then it’s destiny."
Zhu Lin gave a bittersweet smile.
Can’t figure it out?
If she can’t figure it out, she’s doomed. Can we risk that?
Qiu Zhihe thought for a moment and addressed Jian Yue and Little Hammer: "You should come along too."
Jian Yue naturally agreed, and though Little Hammer was displeased that she hadn’t been able to hit anyone, she still joined them.
The group soon arrived at the Divine Temple at the mountain peak. Upon seeing the statue of the man riding a Divine Phoenix, Qiu Zhihe reacted the same as Qin Gengyun:
"Zhenyang?"
Jian Yue shook her head, "First Lady, that man isn’t Zhenyang."
"Not Zhenyang?" Qin Gengyun and Qiu Zhihe exchanged a glance, quickly asking:
"Why are you so sure he isn’t Zhenyang?"
Jian Yue said, "The sect’s texts record the founding patriarch, and one of the books has his portrait, which is utterly different from the man in the statue."
Qiu Zhihe asked Little Hammer, "Su Hongling, have you seen Zhenyang’s portrait?"
Little Hammer scratched her head; in her smaller form, she could almost be considered a different person, but she still retained Su Hongling’s memories. After thinking for a while, she finally said:
"This man is not Zhenyang."
Evidently, she had seen Zhenyang’s portrait as well.
Qin Gengyun and Qiu Zhihe fell silent.
They had both seen Zhenyang in the imagery from Sheng Tanglian’s remains, whether during the first encounter with Sheng Tanglian in Qiushui Town, deceiving Sheng Tanglian at Cloud Pattern Mountain, or ambushing Sheng Tanglian at the Cyan Lotus Sect’s Relic. Zhenyang’s appearance had not changed.
He looked exactly like the man in this statue.
Yet the portraits of Zhenyang preserved in the Zhenyang Sect and Thunder Sword Sect depicted another man entirely.
Did they not see the real Zhenyang in the imagery from the remains, or is the real Zhenyang someone else entirely?
Qin Gengyun and Qiu Zhihe exchanged looks, an unspoken understanding passing between them.
It seems they need to enter the very core of the Zhenyang Sect to possibly uncover the hidden truths.
Evening.
The disciples of the Zhenyang Sect were all arranged to rest in the accommodations at the rear mountainside.
All the male disciples were indoors practicing to expel their poisons; Jian Yue and Little Hammer had disappeared somewhere, while Qin Gengyun and Qiu Zhihe were sharing a room.
During this southern journey, the two had to maintain a distance before the members of the Zhenyang Sect, which was a hardship for Qin Gengyun.
Now, finally able to be alone with his wife, he couldn’t hold back anymore, stepping forward to embrace her.
Bam!
Only to be kicked away.
"My dear?"
Qin Gengyun was puzzled.
Qiu Zhihe looked at him coldly, "Does the Phoenix Maiden look beautiful?"
Qin Gengyun quickly replied, "She looks decent, but not as beautiful as you, my dear!"
"Really?"
Qiu Zhihe stepped toward him, her eyes cold:
"But her figure is better than mine, isn’t it? Husband probably prefers that, right? Otherwise, why would you consume the Phoenix Blood and give it back to her? Husband, you really do love and cherish the fairer sex!"
