Chapter 38: A New Cage in the Northern Frontier

Gu Chang’an released her grip, causing Shen Zhaoqing to stumble and nearly fall. She clung to the table, barely managing to steady herself.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy, a suffocating silence that preceded a storm.

Shen Zhaoqing massaged her wrist, which was now bruised purple. Looking at Gu Chang’an’s icy, unreadable face, she decided to strike first, opting to play the victim.

“Sister, I’m in so much pain…” She pointed pitifully to her wounds. “My bones feel like they’ve cracked. Look, I’ve lost so much blood. Am I going to die?”

Gu Chang’an retrieved a jade vial from her storage ring and tossed it over. “Healing pills. You won’t die.”

“Oh.” Shen Zhaoqing caught the pill bottle, shook out a single pill, and popped it into her mouth. It melted instantly, a warm surge of medicinal energy quickly spreading through her limbs. The throbbing pain in her wounds significantly eased.

She was about to say more, but then she saw Gu Chang’an walk to the window and take out a communication jade talisman.

“Disciple Gu Chang’an pays respects to the Sect Master.” Her voice was calm and even, as if stating something entirely unrelated to herself. “The chaos in Qingzhou Market has been quelled, with Uncle-Master Qingxu personally intervening to suppress it. However, the Demonic Venerable Ling Shuangjue and Yuange, the Princess of the Myriad Beast Nation, both came for Shen Zhaoqing. These two are determined to claim her, rendering the Qingyun Sect no longer a safe haven.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhaoqing’s heart plummeted.

‘No way, she’s already tattling?’ Shen Zhaoqing thought, ‘And why does this report sound so strange?’

Gu Chang’an continued, “Along the Frost Iron Front in the Northern Frontier, the war between humans and demons is locked in a stalemate, and our sect’s elite disciples are about to depart as reinforcements. This disciple respectfully requests the Sect Master’s permission to include Shen Zhaoqing in the reinforcement team, where I can personally watch over her and guide her through the trials. The Northern Frontier is harsh and frigid, brimming with malevolent energy. It is far from the troubles of the Central Plains, and even demons would not dare to easily set foot there. It is the safest course of action.”

“Pfft—”

Shen Zhaoqing, who had just managed to catch her breath, nearly choked to death.

“Go, go to the Northern Frontier?!”

She was only in the Qi Induction Realm! Although she had reached the peak of the Qi Induction Realm during this time and her cultivation technique had greatly improved, a small fry like her going to such a place wouldn’t even be enough to stick in the teeth of a great demon!

“I object!” Shen Zhaoqing blurted out.

Gu Chang’an ended the communication and slowly turned around. “The Sect Master has already granted permission.”

“No… why?!” Shen Zhaoqing was agitated, casting aside all notions of respect and hierarchy. “Senior Sister Gu, please be reasonable! You know my cultivation level better than anyone! Going to the Northern Frontier isn’t ‘training’; it’s sending myself to my death!”

“Besides, the Northern Frontier is a harsh, cold land. Not to mention wine, I hear even hot water is hard to come by.”

“With me there, you will be fine.” Gu Chang’an’s answer was simple and direct.

“But Senior Sister!” Shen Zhaoqing was nearly frantic. “On the battlefield, swords have no eyes! What if you get into a chaotic fight with some great demon? A stray gust of wind could blow me to my death! And besides, I don’t want to go! I just want to stay in the Qingyun Sect, sweep my floors, and drink my wine.”

“Do you think you can still return to that life now?” Gu Chang’an’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Ling Shuangjue’s demonic intent and Yuange’s demonic energy have already latched onto you. For the past year, as soon as you step out, those two will appear, causing unrest for the Qingyun Sect. Remaining in the sect will only draw the flames of war here. Do you wish to see today’s scene at the Hundred Herbs Market play out on Qingyun Mountain?”

Shen Zhaoqing was left speechless by the question.

Of course, she didn’t want that.

But…

“But we still can’t go to the Northern Frontier! That place is too dangerous!” She made one last struggle.

“The most dangerous place is often the safest.” Gu Chang’an walked up to her, looking down with an unyielding persistence that Shen Zhaoqing couldn’t comprehend. “In the Northern Frontier, within my Sword Domain, no one will be able to take you from my side again. Not the Demonic Venerable, nor the demon princess.”

“Senior Sister~” Shen Zhaoqing pleaded, trying one last approach. “Senior Sister is the best, please.”

Gu Chang’an turned her face away, refusing to look at her. “No.”

Shen Zhaoqing gave up the struggle, her entire body feeling as if its bones had been removed. She collapsed onto the chair, utterly despondent.

“When do we leave?” she asked feebly.

“Tomorrow morning.”

Shen Zhaoqing buried her face in her hands, letting out a desperate groan.

Seeing that she had finally stopped resisting, Gu Chang’an’s taut expression softened slightly.

She glanced around the somewhat messy room, then began… to pack Shen Zhaoqing’s luggage?!

There stood the lofty Chief Sword Immortal of the Qingyun Sect, a leading figure among the younger generation of the Three Pure Dao Alliance, naturally walking to Shen Zhaoqing’s bed and picking up her tattered bundle, salvaged from who-knew-where.

Then, she began to place items inside, one by one.

She first picked up Shen Zhaoqing’s wine gourd, which had been casually tossed on the table.

The gourd was still stained with wine and dust from the cellar earlier. Gu Chang’an habitually wiped it clean before walking to the desk, where a stack of Shen Zhaoqing’s self-drawn Breath Concealing Talismans lay.

They were crooked and uneven, purely in the ‘quantity over quality’ style.

“Senior Sister.” Shen Zhaoqing shot up the moment Gu Chang’an picked up the wine gourd. “I can do it myself; no need to trouble Senior Sister.”

Shen Zhaoqing chuckled awkwardly, trying to snatch the items from her hand. Gu Chang’an shot her a glance. “You’re still injured.”

“Stay there.” With that, she casually formed a hand seal, and Shen Zhaoqing found herself unable to move.

She watched, wide-eyed, as Gu Chang’an extended her slender fingers, picking up each talisman, smoothing them out, then neatly stacking them according to size and the clarity of their runes, finally tying them securely with a red string.

After completing this, Gu Chang’an’s gaze fell upon the dressing table.

A few hairpins were scattered there: a broken jade bone hairpin found in the Sword Tomb, a wooden hairpin bought for two copper coins at the market down the mountain, and one that Li Wuxia had given her last time… all in all, just a collection of inexpensive trinkets.

Throughout the entire process, she remained silent, her movements meticulous, her face still bearing that cool, detached expression.

Shen Zhaoqing felt as though she wasn’t going to the Northern Frontier, but being packed off to a mental asylum. And Gu Chang’an, before her, was the attending physician in a white coat, holding a tranquilizer, smiling as she said, “Don’t be afraid, I’m doing this for your own good.”

“Senior Sister…” Shen Zhaoqing’s voice was dry. “I’ll pack myself in a bit.”

Gu Chang’an paused her movements. She looked up at Shen Zhaoqing, saying faintly, “Rest.”

Having said that, she lowered her head again, continuing to organize the junk that Shen Zhaoqing herself was too lazy to even look at.

Shen Zhaoqing was utterly speechless.

She simply watched as Gu Chang’an tidied her dog-kennel of a room into perfect order, packing all her belongings, categorized, into that small bundle.

Finally, Gu Chang’an picked up the bulging bundle, walked over to Shen Zhaoqing, and handed it to her.

“Done.”

Shen Zhaoqing silently took it.

“Get some rest early,” Gu Chang’an gave her one last look, her eyes as deep as the sea. “Tomorrow, there’s a long road ahead.”

With that, she turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Click.

A soft sound, like a lock falling into place.

Shen Zhaoqing sat alone in the empty room. After a long while, she let out a deep sigh.

She looked down at the bundle in her hands, then at the lingering purple finger marks on her wrist.

Northern Frontier.

Frost Iron Front.

A new, larger, and more dangerous cage.

And her jailer was one of the strongest Sword Immortals of the age, and a madwoman who wanted to lock her up at any moment.

Life was truly getting more and more hopeless.