Chapter 9: Three Worlds In Exchange For An Access Pass (1)

Qian Siyu squatted down against the side of the cave, a broom in her hands and a miserable grimace on her face.

This was not at all what she had envisioned when she willingly and peaceably followed the disciples of Moon Valley Sect back to their lair a week ago.

Hong Shan, one of the junior disciples of the allegedly infamous and terrorising unorthodox sect, continued sweeping the dust as she urged: "Don't slack off, Xue-guniang. We'll get punished if someone sees you like this."

Standing up with a loud grunt, Qian Siyu pointed to the ground with the broom. "What is there to sweep up when there's nothing in this barren place. This whole place is just made up of rocks and caves. Trees can't even grow here because there's no sunlight!"

"We have to do our duty everyday to keep this place spick and span," Hong Shan said in an undertone, her shoulders raising slightly in a shrug.

At that moment, two guards with a menacing aura appeared. Their eyes swept round the dark cave before landing on Qian Siyu. Eyes narrowing, the female guard thundered: "The Valley Master has summoned you. Please follow us, Xue-guniang."

"The-the Valley Master wants to see me?" Qian Siyu echoed, somewhat unable to belief her ears. She stared at them with a surprised look on her face, feeling her heart beat with trepidation and eagerness.

The female guard blinked, as if equally surprised to see Qian Siyu's excitement. Turning around, she started to walk off. "Let us make haste."

Tossing aside the broom, Qian Siyu hurriedly skipped after the guards. She was finally able to meet the elusive antagonist of Snow Path! Ever since she was brought to the Moon Valley Sect, she had been trying to get an audience with the Valley Master—except that he seemed to be in no haste to meet her despite having given the order to abduct Xue Qianyu. She was only told to wait to be summoned and to follow Hong Shan's directions in the meantime. Just as she was fretting over how she would ever be able to carry out her plans, she was finally given the opportunity to meet with him.

The Master of Moon Valley, Huan Yi.

After navigating what felt like a massive labyrinth of caverns and passageways, Qian Siyu was led into a large chamber. There were two groups of people who stood silently on either side of the room, creating a clear path in the middle which paved the way towards a stone throne on elevated rocks. And on that throne sat a man dressed in dark blue robes with silver and light blue cloud patterns embroidered on it.

Seeing her walk down the aisle to stand before him, the Valley Master straightened himself. Qian Siyu stared boldly at the mask which covered half of Huan Yi's face to show only his dark eyes and red lips.

Was there something that he was trying to hide? A scar, perhaps? Or, maybe his beauty?

"Valley Master, we've brought Xue-guniang as per your request." The guards who had led her to stand before Huan Yi bowed slightly to greet their leader, their right hands placed over their left chests.

Huan Yi cleared his throat and nodded. "You're dismissed."

Qian Siyu blinked, uncertain if her eyes were playing tricks on her. Did she just see the corner of his lips curve up faintly?

"Xue-guniang, do you know why you're here?" Huan Yi asked.

Clasping her hands together, Qian Siyu started to shake her head; but when she saw Huan Yi shift his weight in his seat impatiently, she quickly spoke up: "Most esteemed Valley Master, I know not why you have summoned me here today, but I am deeply honoured to be able to stand here in your presence. You are someone that I have deeply admired for a long time now and it has always been my wish to serve a great leader like you."

Confession before a mass of people? Checked.

"Oh?" Huan Yi's lips curved up in amusement. "Shouldn't you be terrified of me, like your kinsmen?"

"Why should I be afraid of you?" Qian Siyu crossed her arms, stuck one feet out from beneath her dress and scoffed. "Those people are scared of you before they do not know you—unlike me."

Her eyes moved back and forth calmly, as she watched Huan Yi rested an elbow upon an armrest, propping up his right fist on which his head leaned lazily against. Through the eyeholes in the mask which obscured his appearance, Qian Siyu saw his eyes gleam with mischief. The smile on her face grew wider.

"Well then," the Valley Master said with a casual sweeping motion to straighten out his left sleeves. "Since you so wish to serve me, from today onwards you'll be my personal servant. Let us see if you can still confidently say that you know me."

Qian Siyu brought her right hand and placed it near her heart and curtsied. "This disciple obeys the Valley Master."

With her head inclined to face the ground, Qian Siyu's smiling expression was shielded from the Valley Master's view. However, it was precisely because her gaze was averted towards the ground that she did not notice the even broader smile that was on his face, unobscured by the iron mask.

Huan Yi stood up from the throne and descended down the steps. Before him, the elders, disciples and Qian Siyu, all had their heads bowed as their upper bodies bended slightly in reverence towards their sect leader who was about to take his leave.

Brushing past Qian Siyu, he paused.

"Aren't you coming?" He glanced over his shoulders at her unmoving figure.

Hearing him, Qian Siyu straightened up and turned around cheerily. "Yes, Valley Master!"

*** ***

A hundred and fifty years ago, on a cloudy grey morning, Moon Valley Sect was visited by a mysterious mask-wearing young man who wielded extraordinary power. In the blink of an eye, he had defeated the gatekeeper disciples and stormed through the sect's defences, leaving Moon Valley Sect's disciples falling left and right in his wake. Effortlessly, he came all the way to stand before the tyrannous previous sect leader. Before the original Valley Master even had a chance to open his mouth, the intruder had turned him into fine dust particles with a simple flick of his wrist.

Usurping the position of Valley Master, the young man proclaimed himself the new leader of Moon Valley Sect and even called himself Huan Yi—the name of the previous sect leader who he had destroyed just moments earlier.

Confused and fearful of the strange and powerful figure who had almost annihilated the entire sect, the few remaining disciples of Moon Valley Sect swore their loyalties to their new leader. When a young outer disciple dared to raise a question to Huan Yi the Usurper to inquire about his reasons for destroying the sect, Huan Yi smiled shallowly and answered with a voice so gentle and sincere that it shook the hearts of the remnants of the sect even greater: "If I said that it was to create a utopia, would you believe me?"

In the next century and a half, that young outer disciple grew up to become Huan Yi's trusted and reliable right-hand man, Wending. He was a stoic and silent young man who followed Huan Yi everywhere he went that it was as if the both of them were joined at the hip. This made Qian Siyu frustrated on the multiple occasions when she tried to get some alone time together with Huan Yi so that she could carry out her own schemes. Unfortunately, despite being his personal maidservant for almost half a year now, Qian Siyu had barely the opportunity to touch the tip of Huan Yi's robes.

"Hong Shan, do you know if Wending has any weaknesses?" Qian Siyu visited her friend with desserts stolen from Huan Yi's afternoon tea.

Accustomed to Qian Siyu's method of offering snacks with unknown origins in exchange for information about the sect, the Valley Master and those who work closely with him, Hong Shan simply took the snow cakes wrapped delicately in a handkerchief and stuffed a piece inside her mouth.

"Not really," she answered with her mouth full and words muffled. "Most of us either joined the sect or were born here only in the past few decades, so we aren't familiar with the older generation of cultivators. I know that Wending was part of the old Moon Valley Sect and has been the current Valley Master's follower since he was a young boy, but as you are also aware, he's quite a private and elusive person. Most of us are afraid of him."

Qian Siyu pouted as disappointment surfaced on her face. What she needed was information that she could use to form a plan to forge a friendship with Wending so that he was be less distrustful of her. In the worst case scenario, she would use his weakness against him by blackmailing him or something.

"There's one thing I've heard about Wending though," Hong Shan supplemented and beckoned her to move closer. "It's just a rumour but I've heard that the reason why Wending doesn't touch alcohol is not because of his sense of duty, but because a single drop of alcohol can knock him unconscious."

Qian Siyu was stunned momentarily. Really? Someone so intimidating and powerful like him was allergic to alcohol? But, there was no smoke without a fire, right?

Smiling enigmatically, she reached into her sleeves to fish out another handkerchief full of lotus pastries. Unwrapping the silk cloth, she held out the delightful cakes under Hong Shan's eyes.

"Do you know where I can get some alcohol?"

***

A/N: There are only 2 more chapters left till the end of this side story!