117 – I’m Going Too

  Shui Yun’er tilted the watering can in her hand .

  Water sprinkled down from the watering can, fell on the lush flower bed like spring rain, made rustling sounds as it knocked against green leaves and colorful petals, and finally infiltrated into the soft soil emitting a fragrance .

  Since moving into Snow-facing Abode, she took it upon herself to take care of the plants in the courtyard .

  In fact, it can be regarded as a revival of a past habit .

  The “courtyard house” where she used to live was also filled with flowers and plants, and there was even more variety than there is here . While living there, the girl tried to take care of the plants and developed the corresponding habit over the years .

  Speaking of which, the watering can in her hand was specially ordered by Xue Qilin from a craftsman . This novel tool is much more convenient than the scoop she used in the past . Reportedly, it was designed by Xue Qilin herself . Regarding this, Shui Yun’er is grateful and moved, and feels valued and cared for .

  This work was supposed to be carried out in the afternoon, but because she was dragged away by Xue Qilin to do shopping, she had to postpone it until now .

  As the weight of the can decreases gradually, the water droplets reflect the silver moonlight .

  Spacing out, Shui Yun’er is staring at the flowers and plants uneasily .

  She is concerned .

  Why isn’t Young Teacher back yet? Did she ran into troubles? Ever since she separated from the lass and returned to Snow-facing Abode, Shui Yun’er has been thinking about Xue Qilin going after the martial demon .

  Xue Qilin is a Heaven Realm master, and she’s even stronger than ordinary Heaven Realm masters to a certain extent . Besides, she’s accompanied by Phecda, who complements the lass’s lack of close combat experience . Shui Yun’er knows that there are only a handful of people in the world who can handle this pair, but she still cannot help worrying . And this worry is getting increasingly more intense after the sun set .

  There is no reason for this . It’s much like when parents always worry about their children .

  Shui Yun’er wants to go look for Xue Qilin . But she knows that even if she found the other party, she might not be able to help much . After all is said and done, she’s still too week .

  She also thought about telling Qi Qiqi about it . To send someone to look after the lass, or to quietly wait for the lass to come back – the other party should know better what to do than herself . However, Qi Qiqi seems to be in a meeting . Since the situation isn’t clear yet, Shui Yun’er cannot bring herself to disturb the other party at the moment, and so she has to worry by herself .

  “Alas……”


  I’m really useless…… Shui Yun’er couldn’t help but sigh .

  “Is the can empty?”


  Accompanied by a delicate jasmine fragrance, a bright voice suddenly burst into her ears .

  “Ah!”


  Startled, Shui Yun’er shrunk back and dropped the watering can that has become empty at some point .

  Before the watering can could fall on the ground, it was caught by Qi Qiqi .

  “Ah, Older Sister Qi, thank you . ”


  Shui Yun’er took back the watering can from Qi Qiqi and hugged it .

  “Did I scare you?”


  Qi Qiqi asked, embarrassed .

  Shui Yun’er spoke teasingly: “It’s your fault for making no sound while walking, Senior Sister Qi . ”


  “Hey? I just walked over normally, I didn’t mean to scare you . ”


  Seeing Qi Qiqi take her joke seriously, Shui Yun’er couldn’t help laughing .

  “It’s just a little joke…… I was a bit distracted just now and didn’t notice you . ”


  “Oh, is that so?”


  Blinking her eyes, Qi Qiqi asked with concern: “Young Sister Shui, do you have a load on your mind?”


  “No…… there’s just something that I’m a little mindful about . ”


  “Um? If you want, you can tell me . Although I may not necessarily be of help . But as the saying goes, two heads are better than one . I can come up with some ideas . ”


  “This……”


  Shui Yun’er smiled embarrassedly .

  Rather than saying that she doesn’t know whether or not she should tell the other party about her concerns, it’s more appropriate to say that she’s a bit bashful . For some reason, Shui Yun’er feels that it’s embarrassing to talk about Xue Qilin in front of Qi Qiqi .

  “Is it something you can’t tell me? Then there’s no helping it……”


  Qi Qiqi showed a slightly disappointed expression, and then smiled .

  “Well, it’s true that everyone has something that they cannot speak of . It may be rude of me . But if you really need help, you can just tell me . ”


  Shui Yun’er couldn’t help but move her gaze away from that unreasonably pretty face .

  Both Older Sister Qi and Young Teacher are kind people…… Shui Yun’er sighed secretly, feeling that it’s her good fortune to have met them .

  How many times in your life can you meet someone who is willing to care about you and take care of you? People are selfish, with only a few people being willing to give without asking anything in return . Perhaps there is no one who knows this better than Shui Yun’er .

  So she’s really glad that she met Xue Qilin .

  Confronted with such a sincere concern, who can resist opening their heart?

  “.…… Oh, by the way, Younger Sister Shui, you know of Martial Demon Realm, don’t you?”


  Martial Demon Realm is located in a large forest on the western border of Hua Dynasty . It’s a fairly sealed off natural environment that is a paradise, a gathering place for martial demons whom humans view as an eyesore .

  This place can be said to be famous all over the world, and Shui Yun’er naturally knows of it .

  But why suddenly mention Martial Demon Realm? Is it possible that – when she thought until here, Shui Yun’er asked probingly: “Is it related to ‘Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire’?”


  Shui Yun’er’s sharp mind exceeded Qi Qiqi’s expectation, and the latter looked at the former with surprise .

  Then Merak Temple’s Temple Master slumped her shoulders and exhaled .

  “Qilin didn’t speak wrongly……”


  She murmured unwillingly .

  What did Young Master say? Wondering what Xue Qilin said, Shui Yun’er asked about it .

  “.…… It’s, it’s nothing . ”


  For some reason, Qi Qiqi shook her head in a panic, and her gaze wandered about . The guilty look on her face makes her look very much like a mischievous kid who was caught red-handed .

  Noticing Shui Yun’er’s puzzled look, Qi Qiqi put her fist in front of her mouth and coughed twice, awkward .

  “Okay, okay, let’s not talk about this . ”


  That’s really suspicious .

  Although she is full of doubts and curiosity, Shui Yun’er still pressed it all down, not showing anything on her face .

  “Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire will be held soon . ”


  Qi Qiqi’s expression is complex, there is self-blame, unwillingness, loss, frustration, and even more so awkwardness .

  Shui Yun’er didn’t notice that . Her mind is occupied by the words “Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire” .

  Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire .

  If there is anything else in the world that can match martial practitioners, then that would only be “martial demons” .

  Because martial demons are the only existence that can compete with martial practitioners, there is Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire . In fact, to put it bluntly, Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire serves for martial practitioners to accumulate experience and increase their strength by fighting martial demons .

  However, following the heavy blow that the “Martial Disaster” [1] has dealt to the Five Great Sects, in order to recuperate and stay under Imperial Court’s radar, many activities and events in Martial World were suspended .

  Among the events that were suspended, the most famous are Martial World Assembly and Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire .

  However, after five years of hardening, the turbulent aftermath created by the Martial Disaster has gradually subsided . Perhaps it is because of this that the unwilling to remain out of the limelight, long since restless Martial World finally wants to hold a series of activities and events again and return the vibrant Demimonde to the world

  Regarding the world, this may be the right attitude, but it also heralds the arrival of troubled times .

  This is not something I should concern myself about…… Shui Yun’er sighed secretly .

  Having said that, Qi Qiqi mentioned Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire, which means……

  “We will also send people to participate?”


  Qi Qiqi nodded slowly .

  “Although Merak Temple is not as strong as before, but it is still part of the Five Great Sects . According to reason, we cannot be absent from this event . ”


  It is said that with the exception of Spirit Moon Valley, the first trial by fire of Martial World was a meeting held by the other four sects of the Five Great Sects under the leadership of One Dao Church [2], and the later Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire was conducted in the same fashion before eventually becoming a custom .

  In view of this, Merak Temple as one of the organizers naturally cannot be absent .

  “Older Sister Qi, did you select me to participate in the trial by fire?”


  To be honest, Shui Yun’er doesn’t like this trial by fire .

  No matter how you spin it, or how you call it, the essence is still – killing .

  It’s just like hunting, cruel and merciless .

  “Yes, this is Uncle Teacher Ye – that is, vice-Temple Master Ye’s idea . After all, you are a disciple of the Young Ancestor . After taking your circumstances into account, I think that you fulfill the requirements, and so I agreed . ”


  It seems that my identity has taken care of things . Shui Yun’er instantly understood why Ye Zhen gave her a slot in the trial by fire .

  In Martial World where strength is everything, there is nothing that martial practitioners yearn more than power . They try to improve their strength and advance their realm any way they can in order to gain formidable power and the corresponding benefits that come with it .

  To crush the void and live as long as the Heavens, this is something too remote, too indistinct . There aren’t many martial practitioners who work hard towards this goal, as most people know that it is just wishful thinking .

  In this way, for martial practitioners for whom strength is the only truth, Martial Demon Trial by Fire is a godsend . The experience it brings to martial practitioners is unparalleled – there is no better way to improve your strength than experiencing life and death battles .

  However, resources are forever limited, and the number of Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire slots allocated to each sect is also limited .

  As the deeper part of Martial Demon Realm is still an unknown and is regarded as a danger zone, you cannot enter it rashly . Therefore, the trial by fire can only be carried out on its periphery . In this way, whether it is the scope of activity, or the density of martial demons, they are all very small . In order to avoid overcrowding, there is a strict restriction on the number of people who can enter Martial Demon Realm at a time, with a maximum of only 200 people . Although Merak Temple is part of the Five Great Sects, but their quota is only 20 slots .

  This illustrates how precious Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire qualification is .

  In this way, when allocating slots, the first consideration is the qualification of the candidates, followed by other factors .

  The reason why Ye Zhen gave Shui Yun’er such a precious slot was probably to give Xue Qilin face .

  Of course, Shui Yun’er must at least meet the basic requirements . Otherwise, even if she got the green light from Ye Zhen, Qi Qiqi who is conscientious about everything would never consent .

  “What do you think? Do you want to participate?”


  Qi Qiqi peered closely into Shui Yun’er’s eyes .

  When she saw Shui Yun’er hesitate for a moment, she exhaled in relief as if a big stone was lifted from her chest . Shui Yun’er who is caught in her thoughts of course didn’t notice this almost undetectable reaction .

  “.……Um, if I can, I’ll go . ”


  Although she isn’t interested in Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire, and, she who once lost everything, is even disgusted by the essence of the trial by fire . However, Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire is a rare opportunity for her who is pursuing strength . In addition, it represents the kindness of Merak Temple’s Temple Master and vice-Temple Master . Since she has brought trouble to Merak Temple, she really is in no position to refuse . If she does refuse, she will be an ingrate .

  Therefore she still chose to participate in Martial Demon Realm Trial by Fire .

  After receiving a reply, Qi Qiqi smiled and nodded slowly .

  “Okay, I will add your name, Younger Sister Shui . We’ll set off three days from now . Don’t forget to make preparations . ”


  Then……

  “.…… I’m going too . ”


  A monotone voice came from what appears to be far away .

  Qi Qiqi and Shui Yun’er looked at each other, and then at the same time turned to look in the direction of the voice .

  Next their eyes widened at the same time, struck dumb .

  A petite outline emerged from the shadows of the corridor revolving around Snow-facing Abode .

  “Martial Demon Realm…… I’m going too . ”


  There is a majesty that makes it impossible to refuse the speaker in the plain tone .

  Underneath the silver moon that looks like a giant disk stands a petite girl covered in blood .

  Her charming face is hidden in the shadows, with only her bright yellow eyes shining .

  [1] – Martial Disaster (灭武之难) seems to be the name of the event that occurred 5 years ago that led to the decline of Merak Temple

  [2] – One Dao Church is one of the Five Great Sects