Chapter Eight: Reappearance

The next day, Bu Jingyun was the first to sense something amiss—Senior Brother was nowhere to be found at the World Assembly. Could it be Xiongba? Meanwhile, Nie Feng, still drowning in the pain of losing Mingyue, also began frantically searching for their Senior Brother’s whereabouts.

The entire World Assembly was in uproar, yet Qin Shuang’s trail was lost without a trace.

Inside the Number One Tower of the World Assembly, Bu Jingyun maintained a calm, expressionless face. “Master, do you know where Senior Brother is?”

“Are you questioning your teacher?” Xiongba first scolded Bu Jingyun sharply, then softened his tone. “Qin Shuang is my eldest disciple; I treat her like my own child. Now that she has vanished silently from the World Assembly, I am deeply pained.”

“Such a vast World Assembly, yet the defenses are so lax—it must be hard on you, Master!” Bu Jingyun clearly detected a lapse in vigilance. With Senior Brother’s martial skills, there was no way she could disappear without a sound unless…

Bu Jingyun cast a sharp glance at Xiongba before turning and leaving.

“You wayward disciple…” Xiongba watched him go, his gaze flickering with uncertainty. Though he deeply wished to eliminate Bu Jingyun and Nie Feng, lacking just cause, how would the world perceive Xiongba?

Meanwhile, as everyone searched for Qin Shuang, where was she?

Gazing upon the majestic Leshan Giant Buddha, Qin Shuang couldn’t help but marvel. Such an engineering marvel, such artistry—a Buddha nearly a hundred meters tall, completed over more than ninety years.

Sometimes, one must admire human creativity and perseverance; generations of effort for a single promise.

Through the Lingyun Plank Road, one could enter the Lingyun Cave, home to countless divine weapons and extraordinary martial feats.

The Mud Bodhisattva had also placed his legacy within Lingyun Cave. Though it lay by the river, the presence of a Fire Qilin inside kept the cave dry and free from dampness.

Stepping into Lingyun Cave, Qin Shuang immediately felt a stifling heat, far more pronounced than the gentle river breeze outside on the plank road.

Following the Mud Bodhisattva’s mnemonic—left three, right four, east seven, north two—Qin Shuang quietly marked the path, sensing the movements within the cave.

Luckily, this wasn’t her past life’s directionally challenged self; otherwise, she might have long been dizzy, let alone distinguish east from west.

At the location the Mud Bodhisattva indicated, Qin Shuang surveyed her surroundings. This was a junction with several corridors, and those unfamiliar with the way would find it nearly impossible to escape.

The passages were identical in size, impossible to distinguish with the naked eye. Qin Shuang was untroubled; martial prowess might not discern paths, but divine arts and spells were plenty for seeking directions.

She pushed aside a hidden door on the stone wall and saw four large characters inscribed: “Nine Calculations Heavenly Scripture.”

Next to it was dense text: “Numbers begin at one, flourish at three, peak at six, and end at nine. Fate is…”

Over a hundred sparse characters, all recognizable individually, but combined, they were perplexing and obscure.

Fortunately, Qin Shuang had the annotated version from the Mud Bodhisattva. This wall carving was the original; the annotations were elsewhere...

She stepped back to look around, smiling wryly. Like dominoes—once she took the translated version and moved the stone, the outer passages collapsed, leaving only the option to delve deeper into Lingyun Cave.

Unfazed, Qin Shuang moved the stone. As expected, she heard the collapse outside but paid no mind. She had spells to handle such minor issues, though some problems were beyond magic.

All things can be relied upon but not clung to. Now, having resolved to study the way of arithmetic, she would follow the Mud Bodhisattva’s plan.

The way of arithmetic, combined with the path of cause and effect, reflected one another. She shouldn’t be trapped here forever. If needed, she could still use spells—Qin Shuang was not so rigid as to imprison herself.

Thus, Qin Shuang devoted herself to learning the Nine Calculations, aiming not only to find an exit but also to uncover the top ten martial arts.

Unfortunately, perhaps the era of those top ten arts had not yet arrived, or her mastery of the Nine Calculations was incomplete, causing unclear causality. After wandering Lingyun Cave for nearly a month, she found nothing.

In the end, she had no choice but to exit according to her calculations. She wondered how those who merely toured Lingyun Cave so casually stumbled upon divine weapons and martial manuals. How fortunate their fate must be.

Perhaps this was the price for cultivating the Nine Calculations Heavenly Scripture: the Heavens displeased with her, thus her destiny was poor, and she found nothing.

Emerging from Lingyun Cave, Qin Shuang didn’t dwell on such thoughts. Surely, the World Assembly must be lively now!

She smiled inexplicably—at last, no longer a tragic supporting player.

Yet before she could rejoice for long, upon learning the situation at the World Assembly through her confidants, Qin Shuang was utterly bewildered.

The recent You Ruo incident had just occurred; the Kong Ci matter had yet to begin. Qin Shuang felt an urge to turn back and re-enter Lingyun Cave.

But she soon understood: without her presence, Xiongba truly could not execute the Kong Ci plan.

This must be a nexus of fate and causality, an event she could not avoid. It also influenced the inner changes of Feng Yun and Qin Shuang, marking the beginning of the World Assembly’s decline.

With clarity of mind, Qin Shuang no longer hesitated and promptly returned to the World Assembly.

…

“Leader Xiongba, Leader Xiongba, great news! Great news!” Wen Chouchou hurried over, holding up his gown and fanning himself.

“Oh? What news?” Xiongba set down his tea leisurely. Recently, he had been scheming how to deal with Feng Yun. With Qin Shuang missing, the World Assembly was unstable, troubling Xiongba greatly.

Qin Shuang was Xiongba’s foremost disciple, known for her broad-mindedness and long regarded by the Assembly disciples as the rightful successor. After all, Xiongba had no children; the eldest disciple’s succession was natural.

As for the absence of Qin Shuang, Bu Jingyun, with his “Death God” reputation, was ill-suited to lead, and Nie Feng, too kind and soft-hearted, was unsuited to the ruthless world of martial arts.

“It’s truly enormous news!” Wen Chouchou teased, trying to whet Xiongba’s appetite. Xiongba’s fierce gaze made Wen Chouchou shiver inwardly.

“Ah, the leader’s eldest disciple has returned!” Wen Chouchou giggled. “Isn’t this the greatest news?”

“Hahaha…” Xiongba laughed, seemingly pleased but with lingering doubts in his eyes. Since she had returned, the flourishing plan could proceed.

“Chouchou, if Shuang’er has returned, why hasn’t she come to the Number One Tower to see me?” Xiongba was puzzled. Though planning to split his disciples, he believed he understood their minds well. Qin Shuang had no reason not to meet him upon her return.

“Leader Shuang said she wanted to tidy up first before seeing you, Master. She wouldn’t want to be rude!” Wen Chouchou smiled, gently fanning himself. Having grown up with Xiongba’s three disciples, Wen Chouchou often helped smooth over many delicate situations for them.