Chapter Sixty-One: The Origins of Jiang Ping

Yet Yun Shui Lan was a woman of strong will; for her to bow and scrape before Lei Wei was simply impossible. Even as his aura tightly bound her, she forced herself to speak: “Master Lei, I understand your grief at the loss of your beloved disciple, but you cannot vent your anger by arbitrarily blaming others.”

“I haven’t even begun to accuse anyone, yet you’re already trying to defend her. Jiang Ping’s background must be thoroughly investigated. She’s merely a fifth-tier Qi Refiner, but possesses Foundation Establishment-level soul sense, and she’s hidden it all these years. Not long ago, my disciple Ji Mo and Mu Baiyun fought fiercely for their group’s treasure. She clearly had the ability to intervene, but chose to stand by and watch. Just for that alone, she’s highly suspicious!” Lei Wei snorted coldly.

As his words fell, Jiang Ping’s face grew several shades paler. Yun Shui Lan wanted to speak up for her disciple, but even she hadn’t known Jiang Ping’s soul sense was so formidable. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

“Enough, stop arguing. Let’s leave for now and not disturb the others’ trials. Those involved in Ji Mo’s fall into Blue Moon Lake, come with us,” the Sect Leader Leng Fengyang interjected at the right moment.

Once Leng Fengyang departed, only Lei Wei, Yun Shui Lan, and Little Gold remained by the lakeside. Yun Shui Lan cast Lei Wei a chilly glance, snorted, and with a flick of her sleeve vanished as well.

“You are Ji Mo’s companion beast. What is your name?” After Yun Shui Lan left, Lei Wei’s gaze fell upon Little Gold.

“She named me Little Gold,” the Lightning Beast replied gloomily. It had thought that signing a beast contract with Ji Mo was an accident, and being freed from her would be a joy. So why, now, did it feel not the slightest hint of happiness?

“Little Gold, as Ji Mo’s companion beast, can you sense if she is alive or dead?” Lei Wei asked anxiously. Though the records of Moonwatch Sect contained no account of anyone surviving a fall into Blue Moon Lake, he still harbored a sliver of hope. He had placed so many expectations on this disciple.

Ji Mo’s performance had indeed been remarkable. Her talent was extraordinary, yet it took her six months to complete Qi induction, and on the day she succeeded, she triggered Lunar Radiance. Normally, disciples with dual spiritual and physical cultivation progress faster in spiritual cultivation, but her physical training outpaced her spiritual by far.

She was only at the third tier of Qi Refining, her physical cultivation had just reached Transcendence, yet she could rival peak Qi Refiners. Most astonishing to Lei Wei was the White Jade Dragon Whip he had obtained—all his lineage, for centuries, had been unable to wield it, but as soon as it passed to this little girl, the whip recognized her as its master.

All of this gave Lei Wei the feeling that his young disciple was born exceptional; things that had never happened before might well become miracles in her hands.

“I can’t sense her. I don’t know if she’s alive or dead. The water of Blue Moon Lake is different from anywhere else. Once someone falls in, regardless of life or death, no one outside can sense their aura. Go on. I’ll wait here for her for thirty years; if she doesn’t return by then, I’ll leave too.” Little Gold shook its head. Lei Wei asked no further. After a moment of silent contemplation, he too departed from Blue Moon Lake.

Lei Wei went straight to Spirit Sword Peak and, together with Leng Fengyang, used the divine art of Time Reversal. They employed the sect’s treasured Moonwatching Mirror to observe everything that had transpired at the lakeside, yet all they could see was Ji Mo being struck down by a formless force into Blue Moon Lake—they could not trace the origin of that power.

“Strange. Was someone targeting your little disciple, or was it aimed at our Moonwatch Sect? I smell the stench of conspiracy,” Leng Fengyang’s expression grew grim, clearly feeling the weight of the situation.

“I suggest we thoroughly investigate the backgrounds of all disciples present at the time, to see if any clues emerge,” said Lei Wei. There had been over a hundred people present, but for Moonwatch Sect, investigating them all was no difficult task.

“For now, that’s all we can do. I’ll leave the matter in your hands,” Leng Fengyang sighed.

Returning to Thunder Peak, Lei Wei immediately began his inquiry. With the peak master’s decree, Thunder Peak’s efficiency was unmatched; in only three days, the full backgrounds of over a hundred disciples were placed before Lei Wei. He flipped to Jiang Ping’s report, and his thick brows furrowed—a simple, single-page account.

She hailed from a ninth-grade cultivation family in Coldwater County, the granddaughter of village chief Zhao Changhe. Ordinarily, Zhao Changhe’s sister, Zhao Changyue, was just a commoner and unlikely to marry into a cultivation family as the legitimate wife of its direct descendant.

Yet the investigation revealed that the Jiang family’s young master sought Zhao Changyue’s hand because a fortune-teller from the mysteries sect predicted she would bear a genius child who would revitalize the family. Half-believing, the Jiang young master married Zhao Changyue, and, unexpectedly, she gave birth to a daughter with a single spiritual root.

The Jiang family was overjoyed, sending Jiang Ping to Zhao Village in the year 755 of the Cloud Sea Calendar. With her talent, entering Moonwatch Sect was no difficulty. As they had hoped, Jiang Ping not only joined the sect but became the true disciple of Misty Peak’s master.

But coincidentally, the year Jiang Ping arrived at Zhao Village was precisely when Ji Mo’s parents fell ill and died, and Ji Mo became a fool, only recovering three years later.

Was it all mere coincidence? Lei Wei had his doubts. Yet if it was all orchestrated, it seemed unlikely. The investigation showed Ji Mo’s parents were ordinary folk with decent medical skills—such people held little value to cultivators. Of course, perhaps Ji Mo’s parents were of mysterious origin, originally from the cultivation world, hiding in Zhao Village to escape powerful enemies.

This hypothesis could be plausible. If they truly were a couple without spiritual roots, how could they have a child as gifted as Ji Mo? But if they came from the cultivation world, matters grew even more complex. What kind of people could produce a child like Ji Mo?

And if her parents’ origins were truly mysterious, how could a minor ninth-grade cultivation family learn of them, let alone dare to act against them?

The more Lei Wei pondered, the more his head ached, unable to find a satisfactory answer. With only this report in hand, he could not trouble Jiang Ping; not only would Misty Peak’s Yun Shui Lan object, even the sect leader would refuse.

“Forget it. I’ll take things as they come. From now on, I’ll keep an eye on that Jiang Ping. Mo girl, your master cannot yet find the one who harmed you and avenge you, but I believe you will create another miracle and return from Blue Moon Lake.” With a flick of his finger, a wisp of fire burned the report to ashes.

After returning to Misty Peak, Jiang Ping was summoned by Yun Shui Lan. No one knew what was said, but finally Jiang Ping returned to her quarters with a look of wretched sorrow. Yet once she entered her room and closed the door, the sorrow vanished, replaced by a murderous aura. Her fists clenched, knuckles cracking.

“Heh, little girl, endure a while longer. You played a crucial role in striking Ji Mo down into Blue Moon Lake. Once she’s dead, my mission here will be complete. When my soul sense recovers a bit, I’ll help you slaughter Moonwatch Sect. Then all the grievances you’ve suffered these years will be repaid in full.” As her rage threatened to overflow, a voice echoed in her mind.