Storm Approaches

"Long time no see, Immortal Master."

Shen Fang started waving and greeting her from far away.

By the time he rode up to the village entrance, Liu Shuyue finally said coldly, "I recall drawing a line for you. If you dared cross it, I wouldn't show mercy."

"Wait... times have changed. I'm sure the Immortal Master has heard that envoys aren't executed between warring armies. Envoys aren't executed!" Shen Fang hurriedly explained, utterly lacking the bearing of a Prefect he once had.

"You? An envoy?" Liu Shuyue asked in surprise.

"Precisely. His Majesty takes your matter very seriously. He specially wrote a letter and ordered me to deliver it into your hands." With that, he dismounted and took out a rolled paper tube from his saddlebag.

She didn't take it. "So you're here to persuade me to surrender?"

"I'm only here to convey His Majesty's intentions. I have no other purpose."

Liu Shuyue turned to look at Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan thought for a moment, then gave her a slight nod.

Only then did she step forward and take the paper roll. "Have those guards stay outside. You alone will come with us."

There weren't many proper buildings in Mala Village. Most villagers lived in caves beneath the stone pillars, let alone having a dedicated hall or reception room. Even so, Shen Fang was stunned by the vibrant life here, his eyes never resting for a moment.

"Well? What do you think of this village?" Chen Xuan asked teasingly.

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it." Shen Fang seemed to have been waiting for this topic and immediately launched into an impassioned speech. "Everyone says the Myriad Mountain Great Wilderness is a deadly land where demons roam and corpses blanket the ground. Who could have imagined it possessed such pleasant scenery... and such abundant resources?" He pointed at the drying racks beside the lake, laden with dried fish, and sighed. "To go from never having enough to eat to having storehouses full of meat—what a miracle! I thought the refugees who fled here would suffer terribly, perhaps with fewer than one in ten surviving. It seems I still underestimated the Immortal Master's capabilities."

When he finished, he looked at Chen Xuan. "May I ask how I should address you, sir? Are you also a practitioner of the Lotus Cloud Sect?"

"My surname is Chen, given name Xuan. As for my origins..."

"He's a fellow practitioner of mine," Liu Shuyue interjected. "Though he doesn't belong to the Lotus Cloud Sect, he and I share the same goal on the path of cultivation."

"But as far as I know, aside from their own Cultivators, the Lotus Cloud Sect is hostile toward all other practitioners..."

"That only applies to practitioners on this continent. Chen Xuan comes from beyond the Abyssal Sea."

Shen Fang wore an enlightened expression. "I see. When I saw this young man that day, I knew he was someone extraordinary. If the opportunity arises, I hope Brother Chen will tell me about the lands beyond the sea."

Chen Xuan smiled but didn't answer, merely giving a slight nod.

Liu Shuyue was clearly making things up. All he had to do was play along.

They chose an open space beside the lake at the edge of the mountains for the reception. Other than a long table and several chairs, there was nothing else.

"The village is still under construction, so we truly have nowhere better to receive you. I hope you won't take offense at any lack of courtesy." Liu Shuyue's words sounded apologetic, but there wasn't the slightest hint of apology on her face.

"Not at all, not at all. I think this place is quite nice." The Prefect waved his hands repeatedly. "The light is clear, the breeze brushes one's face; heaven and earth are our chamber, mountains and waters our mirror. It suits the occasion perfectly."

Liu Shuyue stared at him for a moment before sighing. "I thought you were stubborn and arrogant. Turns out you're actually quite adaptable."

Shen Fang only gave a bitter smile in response to the jab and said nothing.

She couldn't be bothered with further pleasantries and directly opened the "secret letter" in her hand.

After only skimming a few lines, Liu Shuyue's delicate brows furrowed. When she finished, she angrily slapped the paper roll onto the table. "Outrageous!"

"What does it say?" Chen Xuan asked curiously.

"Read it yourself." She pushed it toward him.

By rights, this thing was meant for Liu Shuyue alone, but Shen Fang tacitly looked away, pretending not to have seen the Immortal Master's action.

The letter's contents were straightforward. The first half was an accusation and condemnation of Liu Shuyue—The King of Qi's anger at her betrayal practically seeped from every word. He had treated her sincerely for five years, only for her to insist on going her own way. Even so, he was willing to give Liu Shuyue a chance to make amends. As long as she returned to the Royal City within two months of receiving the letter, confessed her crimes, and pledged submission to him, he would spare her from the punishment of extermination to the ninth degree of kinship.

Chen Xuan wasn't surprised by this at all. Besides, the letter hadn't even mentioned the dragon-slaying yet. Once the King of Qi learned that the dragon symbolizing royal authority had been killed, skinned, and carved up by the Immortal Master, and that its precious blood had all gone to nourish the refugees, his lungs would probably burst from rage.

But the second half of the letter was rather absurd.

It was a naked threat—if Liu Shuyue failed to return by the deadline, the King of Qi would execute her entire clan, along with all the residents of her birthplace. And that wasn't all. He would gather an army and independent cultivators from among the common folk to raze the refugees' hiding place and grind to dust every person who dared resist!

Such wild words, treating the lives of the people under his rule as worthless, were no wonder enough to enrage Liu Shuyue.

"Where is your family now?" Chen Xuan asked after reading it.

"I'm a disciple of the Lotus Cloud Sect. What family could I possibly have?" she said indignantly. "Ever since I can remember, I've been in the sect's cultivation chambers. Not just me—it's the same for the other disciples. I've never heard any of them mention family or life in the mortal world. The King of Qi is threatening me with things that don't even exist!"

"Huh? Was the Immortal Master born within the sect?" Shen Fang asked in surprise. "I thought the Lotus Cloud Sect secretly sought out exceptionally gifted children, adopted them, and raised them into practitioners..."

"That's merely a false rumor spread throughout the world." Liu Shuyue immediately denied it. "The sect only opens its mountain gate once every hundred years. Where would it find the manpower to gather children from among the people? It's nothing more than rogue cultivators and wicked cultivators using the Lotus Cloud Sect's name to swindle people, leading everyone to believe such things!"

A completely closed-off sect? They had no desires for the outside world, so why did they still interfere in mortal affairs...? Chen Xuan found it somewhat troubling. "Then who are the members of the Liu Family mentioned in the letter?"

"I know that. The Yunzhou Liu Family is a great clan," Shen Fang immediately replied. "But... Immortal Master, are you certain you have no connection to the Liu Family?"

"Wouldn't I know my own origins!?" Liu Shuyue shot back.

"I'm not doubting you, but..." The Prefect hesitated. "They not only claim to be blood relatives of the Auxiliary State Immortal Master, but also to have close ties with the Lotus Cloud Sect. At the same time, they can recount your background in great detail. For example, they say you have a younger sister in the clan named Liu Qing—"

"Absurd!" She couldn't help cutting him off. "This Liu Family has gone completely mad!"

"They probably wanted to ride the fame of an immortal sect disciple, so they fabricated such detailed lies." Chen Xuan rubbed his forehead. "Well, now they've ridden that fame straight onto the road to death with their whole family."

Liu Shuyue suddenly fell silent.

After a long while, she spoke again. "I assume the Prefect has already guessed what was written in the letter."

"More or less." Shen Fang spoke modestly. "This affair has shaken the court. Even in Qingzhou, I could sense His Majesty's killing intent. The fact that he wrote to you first instead of immediately sending troops to suppress you means he's already exercised considerable restraint."

"Restraint?" Liu Shuyue sneered. "He casually uses the lives of an entire region's people as bargaining chips... He isn't fit to rule this country at all!"

Shen Fang coughed awkwardly.

"I won't write a reply. You can relay my words directly." She spoke each word distinctly. "I will never submit to such a tyrant!"

"Um... I understand your meaning. When the time comes, I'll convey it appropriately." Shen Fang nodded.

The two escorted the Prefect to the village entrance. As he was about to leave, he said, "Immortal Master, are you still gathering refugees here to seek shelter?"

"That's right," Liu Shuyue admitted. "Why?"

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance to the Immortal Master."

"What do you mean?"

"As you can see, Zhang Wei is the gateway for moving north into Qingzhou. Those fleeing famine will inevitably gather in Zhang Wei. I can send people to escort them safely here. That way, the Immortal Master can save herself much travel."

Liu Shuyue paused slightly. "Why? Don't you care about their lives?"

Shen Fang's expression remained unchanged. "As the official responsible for Zhang Wei, whether I protect those within the city first or those outside it has never been a choice for me. It's merely choosing the lesser of two evils. But if there's a chance to save the refugees' lives, why should I become the sinner cursed by Qingzhou's people?"

After they looked at each other for a moment, Liu Shuyue cupped her hands to him. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Prefect."

She had once again used an honorific.

Shen Fang also raised his hands in a sincere return salute. "I hope that when we meet again, this place will have become a true refuge from the world."