Chapter 136: Yanqing, Do You Know the High-Cloud Quintet?
"Oh?" Yanqing's brows rose, his posture straightening as his interest was clearly piqued.
"...Therefore, the conclusion of your 'Sword Melody' always feels somewhat incomplete," Jingliu stated, her words cutting straight to the core of the issue. "It lacks a final, unifying harmony."
"It seems zither melodies and swordsmanship truly do share much in common," Yanqing mused, his expression turning thoughtful. "The General has said something similar, that my sword-intent is too flamboyant and sharp. He told me that if I want to claim the title of 'Sword Master,' I still need the maturity that only comes with time."
As he spoke the title, his eyes burned with an undisguised longing, a fighting spirit so pure and bright it was almost tangible.
"Sword Master..." Jingliu repeated, her voice a low murmur. The crown that had once been hers now sounded like a relic from another lifetime. "I remember. That is a title only those whose swordsmanship has reached the absolute pinnacle among the Cloud Knights can obtain."
She paused, and a nearly imperceptible sigh escaped her lips. "It's too far away."
"Yeah..." Yanqing also sighed, his tone colored by the untainted passion of youth.
However, the "too far away" they both spoke of occupied entirely different points in the river of time.
For Jingliu, it was the past—the era when she was the Sword Master of the Xianzhou Luofu, a time that had long since faded into memory.
For Yanqing, "far away" was the future—the day he would finally become the Sword Master of the Xianzhou Luofu.
"Since the Calamity of the Abominable Sound, the position of Sword Master on the Luofu has remained vacant," Yanqing declared, his voice ringing with absolute confidence. "But when the main fleet of the Cloud Knights returns from The Hunt and the Martial Arts Ceremony is held once more, that title... I am determined to win it."
"The martial arts within the Cloud Knights each have their own distinct lineage," Jingliu asked, her tone carefully indifferent, as if making a passing observation. "Little brother, from whom did you learn your swordsmanship?"
'You're asking something you already know,' Leon thought, a smirk playing on his lips that went unseen.
"Since you are someone who understands and appreciates the sword, sister, I see no need to keep you in suspense," Yanqing said with refreshing frankness. "I learned from none other than the General of the Luofu, Jing Yuan."
"The General..." Jingliu murmured. Those two simple words felt like stones cast into the placid lake of her heart, sending out ripples of complex and indescribable emotions. Once upon a time, that position had been her goal, her entire direction in life.
Now...
"Even if you haven't returned to the Luofu for a long time, sister, you must have heard of General Jing Yuan's prestige among the stars," Yanqing explained, misinterpreting the subtle shift in her expression as unfamiliarity. "The General always says he isn't good with the sword and that his memory is rusty, but every time he gives me pointers, he's always so enthusiastic and particularly energetic."
"Young Yanqing..." Leon, who had been silent for some time, suddenly spoke. His voice carried the light trace of a smile, yet for some reason, it made Jingliu's heart tighten. "Since you mentioned the 'Calamity of the Abominable Sound'... do you know what actually happened?"
The Calamity of the Abominable Sound.
The name was like a needle of ice, stabbing abruptly into the lake of Jingliu's heart, which she was struggling to keep calm. The air around her seemed to congeal for a fraction of a second.
'This guy...'she thought, her gaze locking onto Leon.'Why did he suddenly bring this up? What is he planning?'
"The Calamity of the Abominable Sound is a forbidden part of the Luofu's history," Yanqing answered truthfully, shaking his head. "I... don't know much about it."
"Then do you know of the High-Cloud Quintet?" Leon pressed, his gaze seeming to drift casually toward Jingliu.
"I know very little..." Yanqing's brow furrowed slightly. A flicker of wariness mixed with curiosity sparked in his eyes at Leon's pointed questioning. "I only vaguely know that General Jing Yuan... seemed to have been one of them."
"Correct. General Jing Yuan was indeed one of the High-Cloud Quintet." An ambiguous, knowing smile touched Leon's lips as he began to narrate, his tone like that of a storyteller recounting a distant and obscure legend.
"Legend has it that one day, the High-Cloud Quintet encountered a fortune teller. The man observed their countenances and said to them, one by one: 'Of the five of you, one's life is nearing its end...'"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the now-focused Yanqing.
"Yingxing smiled bitterly. He was a Short-Lived species. Compared to his four long-lived companions, his life was indeed as fleeting as morning dew."
"One shall cycle endlessly, with life never ceasing... Dan Feng remained silent. As the Imbibitor Lunae of the Luofu, the Vidyadhara High Elder, his cycle of rebirth through molting meant he was, in a sense, permanent."
"One shall travel far from the Alliance to hunt across the sea of stars... Jing Yuan's eyes filled with expectation." Leon turned his gaze to Yanqing.
"Jing Yuan? General Jing Yuan?" Hearing the story, Yanqing was stunned.
"That's right, General Jing Yuan," Leon confirmed with a light chuckle. "Jing Yuan's dream was once to become a Galaxy Ranger. Hearing the fortune teller's words, he was naturally delighted."
"But..." Yanqing's confusion was plain on his face. 'That isn't right. The one who became General later was Jing Yuan, wasn't it?'
"Little brother," a cold, almost hollow voice interrupted his thoughts. "Let him... continue."
Yanqing's head snapped to the side.
He saw that Jingliu had lowered her head at some point. Several strands of her silver hair drifted across her forehead, moving without any wind. The warmth in the air seemed to have been instantly drained away, replaced by a stifling, chaotic aura that seeped from her body in thin, coiling threads.
At some unknown moment, her blindfold had been removed, revealing eyes that glowed with a crimson light.
The expression on Jingliu's face was no longer calm. It was twisted into a manic, chilling smile.
Alarm bells screamed in Yanqing's mind. 'Oh no! This is... a sign of the Mara-Struck onset!'
Leon seemed utterly unaware of the almost tangible coldness and killing intent radiating from her. He continued to speak in that same steady tone, but his gaze now fell directly on Jingliu, whose aura had warped into something terrifying.
"One shall rise to the rank of Arbiter-General to guard and shield the Xianzhou... and all shall congratulate Jingliu." Leon's light smile remained as he looked right at her.
The oppressive aura around Jingliu grew stronger, heavier.
"Jingliu?!" Hearing the name, Yanqing's eyes widened in shock. 'That wasn't this big sister's name...'
In truth, Yanqing had long sensed that something was amiss with Leon and Jingliu. He had intended to quietly escort them back to the Shackling Prison for interrogation. He had never expected... that this woman was actually one of the legendary High-Cloud Quintet.
"Correct. Jingliu is Jing Yuan's master," Leon stated calmly. "If nothing had gone wrong, she should have been the one promoted to General."
"Wh...?!" Yanqing felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. His eyes were wide, his face a mask of shock and disbelief. "General Jing Yuan's... master?!"
If she was truly General Jing Yuan's master... then wouldn't that make him... her grand-disciple?
"That's right..." Jingliu slowly raised her head, fixing Yanqing with that chilling smile. "In the past... I was indeed Jing Yuan's master..."
The unstable, terrifying power around her surged, rising with terrifying speed, as if waiting only for Leon to speak his final words before it would completely explode and consume everything in its path.
Leon, seemingly incapable of feeling the crushing pressure, continued. "The last one shall step onto the Astral Express to travel far and wide... and Bai Heng shall be overjoyed."
He let the words hang in the air.
"Because when Bai Heng was alive, what she looked forward to most was boarding the Astral Express to become a Trailblazer."
His gaze slowly swept over Jingliu, whose body was now trembling, her aura a raging storm contained within the eye of a hurricane, threatening to break free at any second.
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