My Husband’s Ascension C45
Chapter 45 Exposed
Her reply was exactly what he had anticipated.
The moment she recognized him, she would never again look at him with that clear, gentle gaze.
Only like this, like a small creature on alert in the undergrowth, every muscle taut with vigilance, every instinct urging her to retreat further at the slightest motion from him.
That suspicious, guarded look suggested she would never believe he saved her out of love.
“Drink it.” This time, his calm voice carried the chill of the Dao Lord Tianshu she first met, distant and unapproachable. “Do not let your own inexplicable obsession hold everyone else back.”
Zhao Zhao’s eyes flickered, her heart sinking like a stone into a dark, still pool.
Of course.
This was who Dao Lord Tianshu truly was.
Not saving her for her sake, but because he could not afford to have her hinder his affairs.
Mo Lingyun, still supporting Zhao Zhao, was the first to speak, his voice sharp with protest, “What do you mean ‘holding everyone else back’!? If Miss Immortal Tanzhao hadn’t blocked those ice arrows for me, how could I have freed my hands to dismantle the mechanism? Without her, everyone would have returned empty-handed. How can you say such things?”
The onlookers’ gazes flicked between Zhao Zhao and the female Kunwu disciple.
They’d been perfectly cordial when they came, so how did they suddenly look as though they couldn’t bear each other’s presence?
Zhao Zhao lightly tapped Mo Lingyun’s hand to signal him to stop speaking.
She lifted her eyes, fixing them steadily on Dao Lord Tianshu. Within those inscrutable depths swirled emotions she could not read, but she had no desire to untangle them.
“I’ll drink.”
She seized his hand, cold as ice, and bit down with her clean, white teeth like a wild animal, deliberately grinding over the wound he had made.
She wished she could drain every drop of his blood, yet the metallic tang filled her mouth, coiling with pain along her nerves. Her brows knit tightly, not out of hesitation, but as if punishing herself while exacting revenge.
As she choked on the blood, she felt a hand pat her back.
However, before she could see whether it was Mo Lingyun or Dao Lord Tianshu, the hand had already withdrawn.
“I have a rough understanding of Mount Ling’s scheme,” Dao Lord Tianshu began, rising to his feet. He gazed into the cavern’s deep, dark pool. “Most likely, this scheme has been in motion for thousands of years. Among these five, the earliest to ascend was Yi Yuan, Sect Master of the Yin-Yang Sect; the last was Wang Buliuxing, Sect Master of the Divine Farmer Sect. Those from Yi Yuan’s generation have long since turned to dust. If anyone in the world still knows anything of the circumstances surrounding their ascension, it would be none other than Mount Ling, or perhaps the oldest senior of the Divine Farmer Sect.”
The Divine Farmer disciple gasped, almost in disbelief, “But Sect Master Jie Li is still young… he wouldn’t have had much contact with the previous master.”
“I’m aware,” Dao Lord Tianshu said evenly. “When the new and old sect masters of the Divine Farmer Sect transitioned, the most accomplished disciple at the time should have been one named Jue Ming’zi, and he was to inherit the position. Yet Wang Buliuxing*, under the support of Mount Ling, greatly increased his cultivation. A century later, he smoothly ascended as Sect Master.”
(TLN: I like the fact all the daoist names in the Divine Farmer Sect are related to plant seeds lmao, Wang Buliuxing means cowherb seeds)
This tale had long circulated throughout the Cultivation Realm as a celebrated achievement of Mount Ling.
As a result, everyone yearned to become that “chosen one” marked by Mount Ling’s divinations, hoping for a smooth path to ascension and a swift rise to immortality.
Yet now, standing before this pillar that pierced the heavens, all they felt was a bone-deep chill.
If ascension under Mount Ling’s guidance truly brought immortality, how could there be such a human pillar?
“Most likely,” Dao Lord Tianshu continued, “those cultivators destined for ascension were, by some method unknown, transformed into human pillars at the very moment before they could ascend.”
The Divine Farmer disciple’s gaze lingered on the lake that bathed the human pillar.
“When the final Metal Element is gathered, the Five Elements’ spiritual power will infuse the water. Mount Ling, nourished by this lake, could, in just two or three generations, repair the congenital defects of the meridians and provide a body capable of cultivation.”
The water was nourished by five beings with the power to ascend, even lowly lake fish could become yao empowered after prolonged immersion.
Shi Lanyan crossed her arms, rubbing them against the chill, and shot Dao Lord Tianshu a glance. “The most promising Metal Element cultivators in the entire realm are all gathered within Kunwu. Hmph. A mere deceiver like Mount Ling? When Tianshu arrives, that mountain will be leveled without question.”
The others glanced at the female Kunwu disciple, sharing a similar thought.
Though none had expected Mount Ling to carry out such horrifying deeds in secret, no matter their schemes, in the presence of Kunwu’s Dao Lord Tianshu’s absolute strength, they were powerless. Once they returned to inform him of everything, the matter would be resolved.
“Since it's decided,” Zhao Zhao said, “let us depart before the next rotation of guards arrives.”
The mechanism the Moyan Sect had designed for Mount Ling had been unbearably ruthless. Everyone had sustained minor injuries and expended much spiritual power.
Their purpose for this investigation had been fulfilled; it was time to head back.
Yet Dao Lord Tianshu did not move. “You all go back. I will continue forward.”
The others, already gathered near the lake, turned in surprise.
“…Alone?” Shi Lanyan’s voice questioned with disbelief. “How can you go on by yourself? Mount Ling surely has more than one mechanism. Even the rest of us struggle to handle it. You, going alone? Isn’t that suicide?”
What was going on with this Kunwu disciple?
A mere disciple, and yet she acted as if she were some savior of the world.
Only Zhao Zhao knew his true identity.
Just now, amidst the roaring flames, she had watched him stand alone at the forefront. In an instant, that solitary silhouette merged with the memory of the figure who had once guarded her through a night of driving snow.
To her, Dao Lord Tianshu and Xie Lanshu were two entirely different beings.
Yet in moments like these, she could glimpse a trace of the past within him.
Dao Lord Tianshu ignored the others’ protests and extended a hand toward Zhao Zhao. “Hand me Mount Ling’s Jade Token. From this moment, this matter concerns neither you nor them.”
Zhao Zhao’s fingers tightened around the token at her waist until they whitened slightly. She tried to shift it behind her back.
“No. You must return with us,” she insisted.
His gaze flickered. “Why?”
“Because you are alone. I cannot believe you are completely certain of success. Should Mount Ling counterattack, Cloudculm Abode would be the first to suffer.”
His eyes scanned her face, as if seeking the faintest trace of worry behind her impeccable logic.
But no matter how he searched, he could find nothing of the girl who had once, on a (Chinese) New Year’s Eve buried in snow, trodden carefully through the drifts to light incense for him before his journey.
He lowered his gaze slightly, a self-mocking smile curling his lips. “I promise, Cloudculm Abode will not be harmed.”
“And how do you intend to guarantee that?”
“With my life.”
Zhao Zhao had not anticipated that answer; she froze in astonishment.
In that instant, the slender hand withdrew the Jade Token from her grasp.
He rose to his full height, his gaze sweeping from Mo Lingyun’s propping hand to the soiled hem of her skirt. “Your shoes are torn. Remember to change them when you return; pain tends to linger longer than one expects.”
Without warning, Zhao Zhao drew a sharp breath. A familiar feeling, long dormant, surged quietly within her chest.
Before she could reply, Yin Shanji’s voice rang from behind, “The sealing formation will activate in two breaths. Do not linger in idle talk, move!”
Focused entirely on dismantling the seal, Yin Shanji paid no heed to their words. He only knew that the guard rotation was imminent; they had to depart immediately.
Zhao Zhao, hoisted effortlessly by Mo Lingyun, called out, “Wait!”
Snow-white sleeve swept through the air like frost, sending a stream of spiritual energy that gently propelled everyone. In the instant the seal activated, the young cultivators, each with varying expressions, were thrust beneath the forming barrier.
The lake shimmered with golden ripples.
In that final moment before her senses were swallowed by the water, the image seared into her vision was that snow-colored figure, like a white crane, being swallowed by the incoming guards emerging from the rock cave.
…
Zhao Zhao could scarcely recall how she returned to Cloudculm Abode.
The journey had been harrowing, and every one of them was utterly spent. After relaying their findings regarding Mount Ling back to their respective sects, they retired to their rooms to rest.
Shi Lanyan, after a round of inquiries within Cloudculm Abode, could not ascertain Dao Lord Tianshu’s whereabouts. She gave up, assuming he had been called elsewhere to deal with some disturbance.
Before sleep, Shi Lanyan came to check on Zhao Zhao, still tending her injuries.
“That female cultivator… her power is quite formidable. She may not have perished in that cave. Once the sect masters receive word, we can gather reinforcements and storm Mount Ling, perhaps she can be rescued. Don’t worry too much; just close your eyes and rest.”
Zhao Zhao had sustained the gravest injuries among them.
Upon returning, Daoist Ming Jue had set three long-burning flame stoves in her room, warming her body slightly. After examining her, he remarked that, thanks to the few sips of blood from the Dao Lord, she had survived the ordeal. With several days’ rest, her meridians would recover fully.
After Shi Lanyan left, Yao Ling and Rong Yu, previously kept at Moonlit Peak by Li Feng and Xiao Bai, had somehow slipped past their strict watch and collapsed beside Zhao Zhao’s bed, weeping uncontrollably.
“All right, all right. Master isn’t hurt. Why are you crying as if Master’s near death?” Zhao Zhao carefully wiped away their tears.
She felt a bit guilty for thinking it, yet she couldn’t help finding their sobbing genuinely adorable. Rong Yu crying hard enough to blow snot bubbles, and not to mention the always-proud Yao Ling was crying with a red nose.
Yao Ling sniffled. “Master, you can’t make us worry like this again.”
“How much did you worry?”
Yao Ling stretched her arms wide, drawing a giant circle in the air with utmost seriousness. “Thissssss…much worried.”
Zhao Zhao thought for a moment before continuing asking, “But if Master were truly gone…what would you do?”
Rong Yu’s tears, barely held back moments ago, streamed down again in a sudden gush.
Zhao Zhao hurriedly stifled a smile and soothed them. “Master is only teasing, don’t cry. A’Yu, if you keep crying like that, you’ll truly turn into a little crybaby.”
By the time she finished coaxing them, the two children who had not shared her bed for some time crawled beneath the covers once more.
Exhausted from crying, Rong Yu nestled against her and fell asleep.
Yao Ling, however, did not rest. She held onto Zhao Zhao’s arm, her small face flushed, her eyes brimming red with worry. “Master… will you really die one day?”
Zhao Zhao considered her words. “As long as one has not cultivated to immortality, everyone will meet death. No matter how strong they are, even the mightiest will eventually die.”
Yao Ling, having observed the comings and goings within the sect over the past few days, had begun to sense that something big was about to happen.
She hugged Zhao Zhao even tighter. “Then…please, Master, don’t die yet. Wait until I grow a little older, wait until I’m as old as that old man… then you can go, okay?”
A warmth rose in Zhao Zhao’s chest. She placed her hand gently against the little girl’s slender back, patting her again and again until she drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Lying there, Zhao Zhao’s gaze wandered up to the gauzy canopy above her bed.
Even the strongest will one day meet their end—just as the human pillars within Mount Ling had.
However, Zhao Zhao did not believe that Dao Lord Tianshu would die within Mount Ling. If the visions of the prophetic dream remained unchanged, he possessed the strength to destroy Mount Ling by his own hand.
Thus, the troubling premonitions were merely the product of her overthinking.
Closing her eyes, Zhao Zhao drifted into sleep.
In her dreams that night, she found herself once more at Yunmeng Pier, seeing again the last night before Xie Lanshu had vanished from her life.
Beneath the bean-sized glow of the candle, a young man with loose hair and a robe draped casually over his shoulders sat holding an embroidery needle, an object that looked oddly out of place in his hand.
What had once been clumsy stitching had long since been honed to effortless skill, trained by Zhao Zhao’s overly lively nature and her habit of snagging and tearing her clothes. The silver needle slipped back and forth through the embroidered shoe, neatly padding the sole until it was soft and perfectly fitted.
——Don’t I already have so many pairs? Why are you making another one?
Zhao Zhao snatched the shoe from his hand and looped her arms around his neck, settling herself onto his lap.
——You’ve made enough to last me until I turn into an old granny. You really don’t need to make more.
A broad palm came to rest against her lower back, steadying her so she could sit more comfortably.
It was always like this; she was the one who leaned in first, yet somehow she would end up the one being tightly held.
Like a poisonless serpent, coiling around her layer by layer, intent on binding itself to her completely, never to part.
——It’s still not enough.
He repeated the words again.
His voice, gentle and reminiscent of the spring breeze brushed past her ear, carrying with it a trace of sorrow so faint it was almost imperceptible.
——Whether it is shoes, clothing, or anything else, none of it is ever enough. I want to make more… so that you will never forget me.
He tickled her slightly as he spoke, and Zhao Zhao laughed.
——You cling to me every single day, even if I wanted to forget you, I couldn’t.
——Really?
——Really!
You truly won’t forget me?
No matter what happens, no matter how much time passes, no matter if moths gnaw at the embroidery or everything rots away, you won’t…
…
Zhao Zhao jolted awake.
Yao Ling and Rong Yu were still asleep. Zhao Zhao sat on the bed for a long while before fully realizing that it had all been nothing more than a dream.
It was all Dao Lord Tianshu’s fault, saying things he never should have said, stirring up memories that had no business returning.
Zhao Zhao threw back the covers and rose to wash up. Her thoughts were unsettled when, all at once, she caught sight of a white-clad figure riding the clouds toward her from afar.
For a fleeting instant, she thought it was him.
But she quickly realized the newcomer was Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai rarely looked this frantic. The moment he opened his mouth, he said,
“There’s trouble.”
Zhao Zhao’s heart jolted.
Her thoughts stalled for a brief beat, yet her voice remained steady as she asked,
“Is Dao Lord Tianshu dead?”
Xiao Bai froze, then blurted out, “Of course not! How could Dao Lord Tianshu die? It’s the demons! The Demon Realm is massed before the formations at the Jimo Sea. They’re claiming that the Demon Realm’s Successor is here at Cloudculm Abode and if we hand him over, they’ll withdraw immediately and never again disturb the Cultivation Realm!”
Author’s Note: The male lead will die, yes, but not just yet. For now, misfortune awaits someone else.
