Fusang Sword Heart Diagram

Flying Feather Mountain, Autumn Frost Sword Sect.

The woman looked haggard, yet she was still stunningly beautiful, with a face like jade and eyes like autumn water.

Several disciples of the Autumn Frost Sword Sect standing in front of the mountain gate looked at Li Jinzhen, occasionally turning back to look at the mountain path, whispering among themselves.

"Why would Fairy Li from the Southern Star Sword Sect come to our Flying Feather Mountain?"

"It looks like she hasn't slept or rested for many days. Something's wrong with her."

"Even so, Fairy Li was still graceful and incredibly beautiful."

"Alas, it's a pity that Fairy Li has a fiancé, who is still a mortal."

"Fairy Li has been waiting here for so long, has the messenger delivered the message yet?"

As they were talking, a sword light descended from the mountaintop. The man was dressed in brocade robes and wore a jade crown. He had long eyebrows that reached his temples and an extraordinary air about him.

The disciples immediately fell silent and bowed in greeting.

Li Jinzhen gave a sword salute, remained silent for a long time, and his voice was a little hoarse. "I have come uninvited and have disturbed Sect Leader Lu. Please forgive me. However, I do have something I would like to ask Sect Leader Lu."

Lu Zhuo waved his hand, showing no airs: "Nephew Jinzhen, please speak freely. If I can answer your questions, I will not hold back."

Li Jinzhen raised her eyes, took a breath, and asked coldly, "During the time at Tianchi, did any of the people from the Autumn Frost Sword Sect have contact with Wei Shaoqing?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhuo's expression stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment, then he smiled frankly and said, "As an elder of the sect, I did indeed visit Nephew Wei in private."

As I've already said, the Autumn Frost Sword Sect plays open and aboveboard games; there's nothing to hide.

Li Jinzhen asked, "May I ask to see that elder?"

Lu Zhuo's expression hardened slightly, his brows furrowed, and he asked, "Has something happened to Nephew Wei?"

Otherwise, why would Li Jinzhen come to the Autumn Frost Sword Sect to see Lu Hong?
He didn't instruct Lu Hong to do anything else.

Li Jinzhen knew that her request was somewhat unreasonable, even rude, but she had no other choice.

That elder had met Wei Shaoqing and might know something; Li Jinzhen didn't want to let go of even the slightest clue.

"Wei Shaoqing has gone missing."

“The Lingzhou Immortal Sect has only connections with the Qiushuang Sword Sect, so I have taken the liberty of coming to the Qiushuang Sword Sect to disturb you.”

The vast, boundless snowfields, with snow hundreds of feet deep, made it impossible for Li Jinzhen to search them thoroughly. If an avalanche buried someone, it would be virtually impossible to find them again.

Li Jinzhen dared not even consider this possibility.

Lu Zhuo looked Li Jinzhen up and down. No wonder she looked haggard and had a chill about her. She must have been looking for Wei Shaoqing for several days at Tianchi Snow Mountain.

“Nephew Jinzhen, my Qiushuang Sword Sect sincerely wishes to bring about a happy marriage between you and Nephew Shaoqing. His disappearance has nothing to do with my Qiushuang Sword Sect. However, since you wish to see Elder Lu Hong, how could I refuse?”

He recruited a disciple and sent him up the mountain to deliver a message.

"Go and see what Elder Lu Hong is doing. If he has time, ask him to come to the mountain gate."

Lu Zhuo turned to Li Jinzhen and said, "Nephew, please wait a moment."

"Thank you, Sect Leader Lu."

Although Lu Zhuo kept calling him "nephew," Li Jinzhen remained polite and distant, never addressing him as "Uncle Lu."

The relationship between the two factions is by no means that good.

Lu Zhuo wasn't particularly concerned; he was just wondering where Wei Shaoqing had gone. Could it be that he was interested in Li Jinzhen and had left on his own?
When Wei Shaoqing was at the Autumn Frost Sword Sect, he often expressed that he only wanted to see if Li Jinzhen was doing well. If she was doing well, he didn't need to bother her.

But Lu Zhuo quickly dismissed the idea.

That's Heavenly Lake. How could a mortal possibly leave on his own, unless he's suicidal?

Before long, Lu Hong came down the mountain. Lu Zhuo briefly explained the situation to him, and Lu Hong immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Wei Shaoqing is gone?"

Li Jinzhen carefully observed the other person's expression. The surprise didn't seem fake, and her heart sank even further.

Realizing his loss of composure, Lu Hong composed himself and said to Li Jinzhen, "Fairy Li, I did indeed meet with Wei Shaoqing and even advised him to live in seclusion with you. But we only exchanged a few words, and I know nothing about what happened after that."

"However, I can assure you that Wei Shaoqing's disappearance has nothing to do with me."

Why would he target a mere mortal for no reason? If Wei Shaoqing weren't Li Jinzhen's fiancé, in their eyes, what difference would such a mortal be from an ant?

Mayflies are creatures that live only a day and die in the evening.

Li Jinzhen's face was ashen as she asked softly, "Elder Lu, when did you see him?"

"Before the 'Mirror Flower, Water Moon' begins."

With everyone's attention focused on the illusion, no one paid any attention to Wei Shaoqing.

"Thank you for informing me, senior. I will take my leave now."

The two had no reason to lie to her; Li Jinzhen could tell the difference between the truth and lies.

"It seems that Brother Shaoqing's disappearance is indeed unrelated to the Autumn Frost Sword Sect. However, apart from the Autumn Frost Sword Sect, Brother Shaoqing has no connection with any other immortal sects. Where could he have gone?" Li Jinzhen thought to himself with a sense of melancholy.

Lu Zhuo and Lu Hong watched the sword light disappear into the distance, their brows still furrowed.

"Could it be that Wei Shaoqing didn't want to implicate Li Jinzhen, so he committed suicide?" Lu Hong speculated.

“If he wanted to die, he wouldn’t have made Li Jinzhen search for him all over Tianchi…” Lu Zhuo said, then suddenly paused, his gaze turning to the mountains behind him.

"Is something on your mind, Sect Leader?" Lu Hong asked, noticing his troubled expression.

Lu Zhuo shook his head. "It's nothing."

He was just guessing; it might not be true. Why say it out loud and cause trouble?

Lu Zhuo said gently, "Elder Lu, you've had a hard time making this trip. Elder Lu, please go back and rest."

He put his hands behind his back and headed up the mountain path, but instead of returning to his own palace, he turned a corner at a secluded spot and walked towards another magnificent palace.

The snowflakes, like cotton wool, fluttered and fell on the orange-red maple leaves, as if they were covered with a layer of white sugar.

Lu Ningxiang slightly lifted her eyelids, her voice clear and cold, echoing in the hall: "What brings Father here?"

Lu Zhuo snorted: "Where in Feiling Mountain can't I go?"

He didn't have time for small talk with Lu Ningxiang and went straight to the point: "Have you been involved in Wei Shaoqing's affairs?"

No one knows a daughter better than her father, so it's not surprising that Lu Zhuo would suspect her.

Lu Ningxiang said calmly, "He's dead."

His voice was completely flat, as if it were nothing important.

Lu Zhuo's eyes widened, as if he was furious, and his tone was slightly sharp: "You killed Wei Shaoqing? Lu Ningxiang! I think you're becoming more and more despicable. Didn't I say that Wei Shaoqing was still a useful pawn?"

Lu Ningxiang didn't even get up. "It's just a chess piece. If it's ruined, it's ruined. Why should Father be angry?"

"Besides, I said before that I don't agree with using Wei Shaoqing as a pawn."

"When did Father ever listen to my words?" Her gaze was calm, composed and elegant compared to Lu Zhuo's furious outburst. "Father made a foolish move, and as his daughter, I am merely trying to correct his mistake."

"I will defeat Li Jinzhen, not through such despicable means."

Lu Ningxiang also possessed her own pride. (End of Chapter)