Chapter Thirteen: Sword Command to Banish Immortals

I thought to myself, Lord Yunxiao truly has endless tricks—first suppressing immortal powers, then casting illusions, and now there’s this so-called Immortal Maze.

“Hurry up!” the Landlady urged me again.

“Stop pushing me. I can’t walk anymore. This is the Immortal Maze, you know? So many immortals are trapped here; neither of us can get out. Let’s just rest.” I found a stone and sat down, my sprained foot swollen like a bear’s paw.

“You naive youngster, this is no Immortal Maze,” the Landlady said, her face full of smugness.

“Then what is it?” I asked offhandedly.

“See, you’re not as knowledgeable as this old lady,” she said, her wrinkled face creasing into a smile.

I decided not to question her further; whatever she said, so be it.

“Aren’t you curious?” she pressed.

“Not at all.” Since arriving at Kunlun Xu, I’ve been lost the whole time; let it be as chaotic as it wants. I was far more concerned about my foot.

Noticing my attention on my injury, the Landlady took out a small flower-shaped box, saying it was ointment for external wounds, and applied it to my ankle without waiting for my consent.

Surprisingly, after using her ointment, the pain in my foot vanished, but the rest of my body started aching instead.

“What did you really put on me?” I felt like she’d tricked me once again.

“Something good,” she replied mysteriously.

“If it’s so good, why does my whole body hurt?” I demanded.

“There’s no such thing as a free gift. To gain something good, pain is inevitable,” she replied, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

“And yet you still want to take advantage of me—coveting my hair ribbon,” I retorted with a snort.

She glared at me, “Coveting? It’s mine to begin with!”

I guessed the Landlady feared I wouldn’t give her the ribbon, so she rubbed something like bee venom on me and would withhold the antidote unless I handed it over.

“Please, stop tormenting me and just give me the antidote. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely give you the ribbon,” I said, thoroughly out of patience.

“What antidote? There’s none. The effects will pass on their own,” she insisted.

Sitting on the stone, I struggled with my hair for an age and finally unfastened the ribbon. The Landlady sat nearby, watching me closely. I tossed the ribbon to her, snapped off a jade bamboo branch from the grove to use as a new hairpin, and arranged my hair again.

She observed, as if surprised I’d genuinely returned her “treasure.” I ignored her.

She then smiled and asked, “Little Immortal Lord, are you married yet?”

The Landlady’s shamelessness was truly unmatched. I said nothing and hobbled off with my cane to greet some other immortals, asking if they’d seen Bai Hao or Dongfang Mo. After asking around, some ignored me, some said they hadn’t seen them, and some outright accused me of joking.

The Landlady edged closer, grinning, “Looking for someone, are you? What’s their name? What do they look like? Maybe this old lady has seen them.”

I didn’t believe her, but seeing her so eager after getting her small prize, I figured since she was the Landlady, she might know something. It couldn’t hurt to ask.

“I’m searching for someone a bit older than me, with clear features, handsome and heroic, but calm and steady in speech and action…” I tried to describe Bai Hao.

“Mm! Mm!” The Landlady listened intently. “What’s his name? Which sect?”

“He’s called Bai Hao, here to seek a master,” I replied.

“Bai Hao, huh… How did you meet him?” she pressed.

“Met him on the way; he wanted to jump off a cliff. But he’s fine now,” I said.

“Jump off a cliff? What cliff…” The Landlady muttered suspiciously, her eccentric manner quite amusing.

“There are many who lose hope when they can’t find a master,” I explained.

She grinned, “True. With all these disciples, I can’t even sell enough protective pills, heh heh.”

This Landlady would make a profit out of anything.

“So, have you seen him or not?” I asked.

“Nope. But I do have beauty pills, interested? They’re especially good.” The Landlady tried to do business.

“No thanks, I’m afraid they’ll ruin my looks.” That ointment for my foot had made my whole body ache; who knows what poison her beauty pills might contain.

“Ruin your looks? Look at yourself, dark and small. If my pills ruined your face, it would be an improvement! Plenty beg for them but can’t get any,” she grumbled.

“Better that than smelling like cheap perfume all over,” I retorted, nearly dizzy from her scent.

“You’ve no taste! This is nectar refined from the stamens of the first blossom of a hundred-thousand-year-old flower tree in spring. Unique in heaven and earth! You just don’t appreciate it!” She rolled her eyes at me.

“A hundred kinds of flowers? Just a jumble. Better to love a single blossom,” I scoffed.

She sized me up again, poked my arm with a grin, “Hey, I asked earlier—are you married?”

“Perhaps you should worry about your own daughters waiting to wed. If we’re trapped here for days, they’ll never marry.” Truthfully, I was worried that being stuck would delay my testimony for Dongfang Mo.

She leaned in and whispered, “Those fools don’t know anything. This isn’t the Immortal Maze—it’s the Slaughtering Immortals Array.”

Though I’d never seen it, I knew its infamous name. As the title implies, once triggered, the array kills or maims any immortals trapped within, one of the ten ancient deadly arrays. The Slaughtering Immortals Array has eighty-one possible formations, ever-changing; ordinary immortals can neither set nor break it, nor even recognize it.

“How do you know it’s the Slaughtering Immortals Array? Don’t scare people with wild guesses,” I said, half doubting.

“I’m the Landlady—what haven’t I seen?” she replied confidently.

“Facing death and you’re still cheerful!” I exclaimed.

“No worries, when the array activates, I can burrow underground and take you with me.”

“What about everyone else?” I asked.

“Who cares? If a few die or get hurt, I can sell more medicine,” she said, not worried at all, even seeming gleeful.

Inwardly, I cursed Lord Yunxiao as truly mad—ruthless to the core. Making disciples risk their lives, treating the lives of young immortals as mere grass!

Among the immortals, some sharp-eyed ones recognized the Slaughtering Immortals Array and cried out, causing an uproar.

“Are you sure burrowing can escape?” I couldn’t help feeling it wouldn’t be so simple.

“I think… it should work.”

As expected, the Landlady’s words were never certain.

If the array activated, my crippled leg and suppressed powers meant I’d surely perish. What to do? I hadn’t even mastered Bai Hao’s sword technique—could I defend myself with a stick?

Some immortals explained that only by finding the Gate of Life could one survive. Someone needed to scout ahead; if they stumbled upon the Gate of Death, a life must be sacrificed to block it, preventing the array from triggering. The one blocking the Death Gate would suffer a thousand swords through the heart—a gruesome fate.

Nobody wanted to risk their life, so some suggested drawing lots.

After discussion, they decided to vote by raising hands. Unfortunately, the Landlady and I, isolated and weak, were included. Originally, I wasn’t chosen, but the Landlady, eager, grabbed my hand and raised it, volunteering me. The other two selected were frail young immortals—one pale and weak, the other feverish. Together, we formed the classic “old, weak, sick, and disabled” crew. These immortals really knew how to bully the vulnerable.

“Don’t worry, if it triggers, I’ll take you with me,” the Landlady winked at me reassuringly. But I had a bad feeling—she seemed to be setting me up.

This rabble wasted no time, and soon enough, herded us straight into the Death Gate. The Landlady, quick as lightning, grabbed the other two and fled, not forgetting to give me a solid kick from behind, sending me into the Death Gate.

The jade-like bamboo leaves instantly transformed into countless swords of blue light, stabbing toward me. With no way out, I had to fight! I sat cross-legged, summoned all my immortal power, focused on Bai Hao’s teachings, and formed the sword technique hand seals, trying to control the Slaughtering Immortals Swords. Suddenly, a cold light flashed, illuminating the night like lightning. Around me appeared a thousand gleaming swords, shielding me from the array’s attacks.

Was I dreaming? I could actually command swords—and not just one, but an entire sword formation! I kept forming the hand seals; the incoming swords multiplied. My powers were suppressed by eighty percent, and though I broke through a bit in desperation, I soon grew exhausted. I tried to use Bai Hao’s Wandering Sword technique to dodge, but my sprained foot made movement impossible. Distracted, a sword broke through my defenses and grazed my arm, causing my sword formation to falter. Another cut my shoulder and back. Out of power and wounded, I could no longer hold out; the sword formation collapsed, and ten thousand swords stabbed toward me.

I closed my eyes…

A bout of dizziness, then… apart from my earlier wounds, I felt no further pain.

Was dying in the Slaughtering Immortals Array really so swift?

I slowly opened my eyes, only to find myself lying in the arms of an immortal. In the moonlight, his features were clear and handsome, gazing at me with tenderness as soft as water…

Bai Hao! It was Bai Hao!

He leaned in, his nose almost touching my cheek. I raised my hand and caressed his face; we looked like lovers reuniting after years apart…

Suddenly, Bai Hao’s expression twisted, and he tossed me aside, clutching his face and shouting, “Why did you pinch me!”

“Be grateful I didn’t strangle you! Damned Landlady!” I snapped.

His throw made my wounds hurt even more. If I had strength left, I’d tear off his shameless face!

“I am Bai Hao!” the Landlady, disguised as Bai Hao, insisted.

“Pah! What illusion did you use? You think I can’t tell because my powers are weak? Who else reeks of cheap perfume? You kicked me into the Death Gate and nearly got me killed!” I lashed out.

The fake Bai Hao, played by the Landlady, gave a wicked smile, waved his hand, and transformed into a stunningly handsome Immortal Lord in purple robes…

Bai Xi! The Landlady was actually him in disguise! I watched him warily, trying to rise, but my sword wounds throbbed painfully.

Bai Xi swooped closer, pressing me down, face to face, his words gentle yet threatening, “Little Crow, enemies meet on narrow paths. You called me a dead old lady—I can let that go. But ruining my image today—how will you pay for that?”

His right cheek was indeed red from my pinch, but his looks were truly striking: black hair like velvet draped over his shoulders, a delicate plum blossom hairpin holding up a topknot, bright eyes, long lashes, elegant nose and lips. On closer inspection, he even resembled Bai Hao a bit…

But no matter how attractive, I couldn’t forgive him for tricking me!

“Damned Bai Xi! Using sorcery to disguise yourself as some handsome man again!” I shouted.

Bai Xi’s eyes lit up, “You admit I’m handsome?”

“I meant the person you impersonated! Damned Bai Xi!”

“This is my true form. Since you’re so eloquent, I’ll let you off.” He tapped my nose.

I tried desperately to knock away his annoying hand, but he pinned my arm to the ground. I cried out as pain shot through my wounded shoulder.

“What are you two doing?” Suddenly, a voice nearby…

Both Bai Xi and I turned to see the speaker.

It was Bai Hao!