My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult

Chapter 175: Chapter 175 First Meeting in the Small Town of Ping County

The pain was all-consuming, filling every nerve in An Jing’s body, and it was continuous, without pause.

“Could this be because of the cultivation of the ‘Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture’?”

An Jing quickly sat down cross-legged, his qi mechanism surging wildly within him, resisting the black flames.

Two major mental methods of the Mystical Sect frantically circulated within his body, a great amount of qi mechanism condensed inside him, yet the black flames not only became panicked, but surged even more violently.

“Boom!”

When the qi mechanism of the Mystical Sect’s mental method flowed into the black flames, it directly turned into a surging black qi mechanism. Although the black qi mechanism was very small, its momentum suddenly erupted.

The qi mechanism condensed by the Mystical Sect was white, completely incompatible with the black qi mechanism.

An Jing’s face twisted with the piercing burning pain, and he frantically drove the qi mechanism within his body, continuously resisting the destructive force of the black qi mechanism.

Although he already knew the potency of the ‘Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture’s mental method, he was still taken aback by the qi mechanism derived from it at this moment.

Both the ‘Daluo Heart Method’ and ‘Ghost Valley Heart Method’ are derived from the ‘Jade Emperor Scripture’ of Mystical Sect martial arts, and are definitely incompatible with the ‘Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture’.

“Huff, huff…”

Intense panting sounds continuously came from An Jing’s mouth as streams of crimson blood seeped out from his pores.

It looked extremely terrifying and chilling.

However, as soon as the blood appeared, it solidified into shackles, firmly sticking to his skin, making An Jing look as if he was wearing blood-red armor.

At this moment, An Jing was hovering between losing himself under the impact of the two qi mechanisms.

Indescribable severe pain emanated from every part of An Jing’s body, a pain so intense it almost drove one mad, yet An Jing’s eyes were bloodshot as he stubbornly held on with sheer willpower.

The qi mechanism inside An Jing’s body immediately rushed fearlessly towards the black qi mechanism, then forcibly enveloped it, following the Mystical Sect mental method’s pathway as it began to circulate!

Faced with the refinement of the Mystical Sect mental method, the black qi mechanism seemed to sense something and began to struggle violently.

After all, the two qi mechanisms fundamentally differed and were completely incompatible.

The repulsive force of the black qi mechanism was too strong, the white qi mechanism couldn’t bear it at all. The powerful repulsive force spread throughout every part of his body, and also filled his dantian. These repulsive forces, unable to be expelled, would sooner or later burn An Jing from the inside out.

An Jing’s mind became somewhat dazed in an instant and he almost lost his defense.

If he lost his defense, allowing the black qi mechanism to rampage within his body, then he wouldn’t be far from a bodily explosion.

“Embrace the primordial unity, the heart opens divine clarity…”

An Jing silently recited the incantation in his mouth, his mind seemingly emptying of everything, as if he had reached a state of selflessness.

The black qi mechanism roiled within An Jing’s body like an angry dragon, eventually all converging into his dantian.

The dantian trembled as it faced the sudden intrusion of the black qi mechanism.

Black and white qi mechanisms stood off against each other, a terrifying and frightening power spread out.

It seemed like a life-and-death struggle.

Once these two Qi mechanisms collided and converged, the resulting storm within his body would be enough to deal him severe damage.

An Jing’s awareness snapped back, and he immediately began to circulate the “Daluo Heart Method” and the “Ghost Valley Heart Method” in one hand, while channeling the “Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture” in the other.

If it were someone with average aptitude, they simply wouldn’t be capable of cultivating these three heart methods at the same time, especially since the “Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture” was a martial art of the Heavenly Martial’s level.

In an instant, the black and white Qi mechanisms were guided to interact with each other and started to settle down.

The previously tense atmosphere also became much more tranquil.

“Sigh…”

An Jing felt the condition inside his body and then let out a heavy sigh of relief.

At this moment, the black and white Qi mechanisms nestled within his Dantian, clearly demarcated from each other, with the middle resembling a Thunder Pool, where neither would dare to overstep even half a step.

“Hmm?”

An Jing opened his eyes and then discovered that the Earth Book indicated the “Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture” had actually been cultivated to the Fourth Layer.

One must understand that the “Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture” is among the top martial arts in the current age; every level is exceptionally difficult to advance, especially since An Jing had only been cultivating it for a few short days, without any research and pondering.

Seeing this, An Jing couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “This ‘Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture’ is a martial art that only the Sect Hierarch of the Demon Sect can cultivate. Does this mean I could also become the Sect Hierarch of the Demon Sect?”

A great man, living between heaven and earth, should not languish beneath others for long; occasionally standing above others is also acceptable.

He quickly dismissed this ‘impractical’ thought from his mind.

An Jing muttered to himself, “Forget it, it is still most important to enhance my own strength for now.”

Although he had been continuously studying and pondering the Four Symbols Sword Ancestor’s sword scrolls these past few days, his progress in Sword Dao cultivation had actually slowed down. The barrier between the Fifth and Sixth Realms was indeed a massive threshold.

Throughout history, many top swordsmen have been trapped within this realm.

Therefore, advancing to the Sixth Realm is not something that can be achieved overnight.

“The threshold from a Half-step Master to a Grandmaster is also there, but if one accumulates enough Heaven and Earth Spirit Essence, there might still be a chance,” he said.

An Jing muttered to himself, then took out the Holy Essence Gu he had been carrying in his bosom, “I almost forgot this precious thing.”

At this moment, the Holy Essence Gu was no longer smooth and translucent like before; it seemed extremely famished, and its body had shriveled up considerably. Not to mention condensing Heaven and Earth Spirit Essence, it was questionable whether it could even continue to live.

An Jing originally obtained this Holy Essence Gu through a stroke of blue luck. Even a master like Lou Xiangzhen was greatly tempted by it. And somehow, Lou Xiangzhen had managed to hatch it, allowing it to nourish a significant amount of Heaven and Earth Spirit Essence upon birth.

Most of it had been used by Lou Xiangzhen to advance to the Three Qi Realm, but a small part had been left behind, allowing An Jing to break through to the Master Cultivation of a Half-step Grandmaster.

Having not been fed for so long, the Holy Essence Gu appeared to be on its last breath.

An Jing took a deep breath. “But I need to find a way to make it release the Heaven and Earth Spirit Essence. When the old man Lou left, he mentioned this thing likes to eat various rare jades. I’ll buy some jade to feed the Holy Essence Gu when I go to Ping County.”

After safely storing the Holy Essence Gu, An Jing didn’t hesitate any further and immediately landed on the back of the Black Flood Dragon.

“Roar!”

The Black Flood Dragon, though currently very timid, was extremely perceptive and fully understood An Jing’s instructions. Nodding and shaking its head, it leapt into the air and flew swiftly toward the distance.

Heavenly Gate City was aptly named, as it was the gateway to Yujing City. Ping County belonged to the jurisdiction of Yujing City. Once past the Heavenly Gate City, one would enter the outskirts of Yujing City.

An Jing had the Black Flood Dragon hide in the midst of the mountains before he entered Ping County.

Ping County was neither large nor small, situated between Yujing City and Youfeng Valley, serving as a vital path that connected the eastern side with Yujing City. Due to its proximity to Yujing City, this place was also bustling with activity.

Originally, An Jing thought he would be extremely excited upon arriving here, but at this moment, he was overcome with a complex and subtle array of emotions.

“Candied hawthorns for sale! Four copper coins per skewer.”

“Selling rice, come and have a look!”

“Stinky tofu, smells bad but tastes delicious, everyone come have a look.”

…….

The streets were crowded, with a constant stream of people coming and going, and the vendors’ cries from the stalls on both sides were incessant. There were also a few stalls including a fortune teller with a signboard.

On the golden sign was written: The ancient art of divination passed down by immortals, surpassing the stars and better than the Purple Forbidden enclosure.

As An Jing walked on the streets, looking at the bustling scenes before him, he couldn’t help but become slightly distracted.

The fortune teller looked up and said with a smile, “Sir, would you like to have your palm read?”

“Can you really tell the future?”

An Jing glanced at the fortune teller and asked.

“That depends on whether you believe it will come true or not.”

The fortune teller grinned and said, “Come on, let me tell you your fortune. I’m very accurate.”

“No, thanks.”

An Jing glanced at the fortune teller’s palm and shook his head.

The fortune teller had a strong scent of blood on him, and though his palms seemed free of calluses, there was a sharp qi mechanism about him that suggested he was not so much a fortune teller as a life taker.

The fortune teller smiled and said no more.

“My lord, you must have traveled from afar. I can show you the way,” said a clever-looking youth who approached at that moment.

In every region, there were ‘informers’ who were clever and had a sharp eye, specialized in guiding people, finding others or objects, and gathering information in exchange for some silver.

The youth could tell from An Jing’s unfamiliar face, the robe covering his features, and the ancient longsword in his hand, that he was an outsider, a traveler of the Jianghu.

“How long have you been in Ping County?”

An Jing gave the youth a glance and inquired.

The youth eagerly replied, “My lord, I was born and raised here; you could say I’m quite familiar with every blade of grass and tree in Ping County.”

“Here’s some silver.”

An Jing took out a tael of silver upon hearing this. “I only have one question.”

“Please, my lord, ask away,” the youth said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

A tael of silver!

That was a whole tael of silver!

It was rare for someone to offer such a substantial consultation fee.

Those around who saw it all showed a hint of envy.

After a long pause, An Jing finally asked, “Does Ping County have a prominent family with the surname Zhao?”

“I’ve lived here over ten years and know only of the Zhang Family and the Zuo Family,” the youth said, shaking his head.

An Jing nodded, letting out a deep breath, but then his mood became overcast once more.

Although he had already known this outcome, now that the fact was right before his eyes, he still couldn’t quite react.

An Jing, how could you be so foolish!

The lady’s demeanor of a noble daughter is fake, it’s her ruthlessness that might be real.

But why did Zhao Qingmei marry me in the first place?

An Jing was puzzled and bewildered.

Seeing An Jing lost in thought, the youth stood by respectfully, not uttering a word.

Many things suddenly seemed to become clear.

For example, the sudden attempt on his life by Jiang Ye – logically speaking, he shouldn’t have known An Jing’s true identity, and An Jing had never had any trouble with such a powerful figure before, so why would such a man seek to kill him?

Thus, it must be because of his wife that Jiang Ye had attacked him so ruthlessly.

Moreover, Zhao Qingmei had left for so long, she had said she would return to Yu State City in two months, and by now she must have learned of ‘An Jing’s’ death, so naturally, there was no need for her to return to Yu State City anymore.

“Huh…” An Jing exhaled deeply.

Seeking out Zhao Qingmei directly would be restricted by the Earth Book, preventing him from revealing his identity and instead leading him to clash swords with the Demon Sect.

Since his wife was safe, he felt no need to be overly concerned.

“In the Jianghu, strength is the most important. I need to improve my own strength. Also, I need to infiltrate the Demon Sect. On one hand, it allows me to slowly enhance my power; on the other hand, it lets me uncover my wife’s schemes against me,” An Jing reasoned.

“So, the plan now is to find that old fellow Li Fuzhou, then submit my declaration of allegiance to infiltrate the Demon Sect,” An Jing quickly formulated his current path and strategy as his mind raced.

In short, infiltrating the Demon Sect was the best course of action.

Li Fuzhou seemed to be around Yujing City, and so was Tan Yun, who had managed to become a Guardian in the Demon Sect thanks to the mentor-disciple relationship with Li Fuzhou. It would be exceedingly difficult for An Jing to locate them.

Thinking back to his previous encounter with Li Fuzhou at Five Poison Mountain, An Jing couldn’t help but sigh, “If only I hadn’t been so absolute in rejecting Li Fuzhou’s offer to join him back then…”

Many things are only realized to be regrettable after they have passed.

Even if I found Li Fuzhou now, I doubt it would be easy to make him trust me.

Li Fuzhou is a complete fox, very tricky; if I suddenly changed my tune and said I wanted to join the Demon Sect, he would definitely become very suspicious.

Could I enter the Demon Sect through Tan Yun and thereby obtain more information about my wife?

An Jing mused inwardly, “However, before heading to Yujing City, I should first retrieve the Evil Suppressing Sword’s split form from Xu King Mountain, as gaining even a bit more strength is still an increase in strength.”

“My lord…”

The young boy next to him, seeing An Jing standing in place lost in thought for a long time, said somewhat anxiously.

An Jing came back to his senses, took out another two taels of silver, and threw it to the boy, saying, “Take this to my jade shop.”

“Yes, my lord, right this way.”

The boy, seeing An Jing’s generous tip, was extremely excited.

…..

Capital Road, Qinghe Village.

Inside the village, there was a square courtyard with flickering lights.

A square table was placed inside, with three sets of teaware.

A beautiful and delicate girl stood by the side, listening intently to the conversation of those present.

This girl was none other than Tan Yun.

The ones sitting at the table were the heads of the Demon Sect’s Human Sect—Li Fuzhou, the head of the Azure Dragon Sect—Lin Tianhai, and a master of the Earth Sect—Luo Zixiang.

“This Ghost Swordsman has gone too far, showing no regard for our Demon Sect.”

Lin Tianhai’s old face darkened as he started to bitterly complain to Li Fuzhou and Luo Zixiang.

It had been a close call; the Ghost Swordsman almost castrated him, and to say Lin Tianhai wasn’t scared at the time would be impossible.

Thinking back on it now, his heart still filled with both shock and fear.

Although he had aged, his heart had not… his once vigorous spirit was still present.

That day at the Four Symbols Sect, if not for the Ghost Swordsman’s interference, how could Xi Yuanjun and Jia Shiwu have been a match for him, Lin Tianhai?

After all, those two were at the Half-step Master level, while he, Lin Tianhai, had already reached the Grandmaster Realm.

“This Ghost Swordsman is indeed a bit peculiar.”

Li Fuzhou nodded his head and said in a deep voice, “Back when I was on Three Temple Mountain, I hadn’t said a single word and he attacked to kill me; at that time I thought he had some grudge with our Demon Sect.”

But Luo Zixiang’s brow was furrowed tightly. “However, last time in Huangyao Town, the Ghost Swordsman personally saved Tan Yun.”

Tan Yun nodded again and again by the side, saying anxiously, “Yes, if not for the Ghost Swordsman’s appearance, I might have fallen into the hands of the Xuanyi Guard. There might be some misunderstanding here.”

As Tan Yun was a person of low profile and high emotional expressiveness, the three others present seemed as if they hadn’t heard a word she said.

She was so anxious that she was sweating profusely.

All three of them were frowning tightly, silently contemplating; the Ghost Swordsman was not only elusive in his whereabouts but even his motives were just as unpredictable.

At this moment, Li Fuzhou took out a piece of white paper and placed it on the table, saying, “Sect Master Yu has sent a secret letter, stating that we should try to capture the Ghost Swordsman alive.”

When Lin Tianhai heard this, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly, “Even the old Qingfeng was slain by this Ghost Swordsman; let alone capturing him alive, it would be a tremendous fortune if we could simply defeat him.”

The old Qingfeng was a master who had reached the One Qi realm of the Grandmasters, and he was well-known for a long time; even he fell at the hands of the Ghost Swordsman, how could the people present be a match for the Ghost Swordsman.

Luo Zixiang’s face was full of shock and uncertainty, “Even the Zhenyi Sect in the Great Yan did not manage to capture him alive; I’m afraid we might….”

The Ghost Swordsman was no longer just the Ghost Swordsman of Yu State City; with countless martial arts experts’ lives under his belt, his reputation had long been established.

Tan Yun, standing beside, had a face full of worry, but at this moment there was simply no place for her to speak.

Li Fuzhou shook his head, “The strength of the Ghost Swordsman is profound and unpredictable; it is certain that we have very little chance of defeating him, but we can make use of others instead.”

“Oh?”

Upon hearing Li Fuzhou say this, Lin Tianhai’s eyebrows shot up.

Narrowing his eyes, Li Fuzhou said, “It’s known throughout Jianghu that Lou Xiangzhen favors the Ghost Swordsman; and it’s an indisputable fact that Lou Xiangzhen was once defeated by the Sword God of the Yu Heng Sword Sect, which left him desolate for decades. Now, Lin Yiyang is one of the six great Sword Immortals, and the Ghost Swordsman is also among these six. This grudge has yet to be settled; we can exploit this fact….”

Lin Tianhai, being a sly fox himself, promptly asked, “Are you suggesting, Sect Master Li, that we should propagate this matter widely, and then spread the rumor that the Ghost Swordsman has challenged Lin Yiyang, letting them fight each other while we reap the benefits as the third party?”

Li Fuzhou nodded, “Exactly, according to the intelligence obtained by our Human Sect, Lin Yiyang is already in Yujing City.”

In Jianghu, the Zhenyi Sect holds an extraordinary status, not needing to find support from any power within the temples, and even the Second Prince has to curry favor with the Zhenyi Sect, exerting all his effort to make an alliance with it.

Other powers, even as strong as the Yu Heng Sword Sect, also need to find a patron within the temples.

Lin Yiyang is an arrogant and haughty man, deeming no one worth his attention; naturally, he has very few friends, but among these few is none other than the Crown Prince Zhao Chongyin.

Every time Lin Yiyang visits Yujing City, he has only one purpose.

And that is to visit this old friend.

On the side, Luo Zixiang asked, “What if the Ghost Swordsman and Lin Yiyang don’t fall for this obvious plot? Keep in mind that the Ghost Swordsman seems to also have a relationship with the Crown Prince…”

Back then at the Four Symbols Sect, the Ghost Swordsman had taken action, otherwise, with Lin Tianhai’s strength, it would only be a matter of time before Xi Yuanjun and Jia Shiwu were defeated.

“If the Ghost Swordsman is confident enough, there are two definite reasons why he must challenge Lin Yiyang.”

Li Fuzhou pondered for a moment and then said, “Firstly, it’s true that Lou Xiangzhen was indeed harmed using a petty scheme by the Sword God back in the day; secondly, Lin Yiyang’s character is so arrogant that if he knew the Ghost Swordsman was challenging him, whether it is true or false, he would scoff at it internally. Who in Jianghu does not fight for fame and profit? Unless the Ghost Swordsman is willing to be a shrinking turtle.”

Tan Yun finally found an opportunity to speak up on the side, “But this Ghost Swordsman is like a shrinking turtle; Master, how about we try a different strategy, say, a beauty trap….”

Towards the end, her voice trailed off as if she lacked the courage to continue.

Luo Zixiang looked down, Lin Tianhai drank water, and Li Fuzhou simply turned a deaf ear.

With a faint smile, Li Fuzhou said, “There’s no one in Jianghu who doesn’t value their reputation. When this matter escalates continuously, both parties will find themselves at the eye of the storm. With the tide of events, they can only proceed out of necessity. Do you remember what happened to Lou Xiangzhen back then?”

After Jiang Sanjia was framed, Lou Xiangzhen chose to stay in seclusion, indifferent to the situation. This matter had indeed sparked intense debates in Jianghu at the time.

Those wandering in Jianghu usually take loyalty and brotherhood very seriously.

Li Fuzhou shook his head and said, “Of course, if the Ghost Swordsman really is that patient and we can’t outsmart him, then we’ll have no choice but to force our hand.”

“Force our hand?”

Lin Tianhai glanced at Li Fuzhou.

Could they really take on the Ghost Swordsman by force?

Li Fuzhou said indifferently, “When this old man returns from Yujing City, I’ll meet with him personally.”

Lin Tianhai and Luo Zixiang didn’t speak, their expressions turning gravely serious.

Li Fuzhou had been in seclusion for decades, so much so that people had forgotten that he was once a prodigy, a genius that even Jiang Shang couldn’t help but admire inwardly.

Tan Yun bit her lip, her mind racing as she pondered how to stop these three men in front of her or to relay the message to the Ghost Swordsman, telling him to leave quickly to avoid the cunning plots of these old foxes.

……..

In Ping County, outside the Jade Shop.

The youth pointed ahead to the shop and said, “Sir, that’s the Jade Shop right there.”

“Good, thank you,” said An Jing, gesturing with his hand.

“You go on with your business.”

The youth rubbed his hands together and said, “Sir, if you have any other instructions, I’ll just wait nearby.”

This gentleman before him was very generous, and the youth couldn’t miss this excellent opportunity.

An Jing nodded and then entered the Jade Shop.

“Hmm?!”

As soon as he entered, he saw an old Buddhist monk with a compassionate and benign countenance standing to the side, seemingly waiting patiently for something.

The old monk also sensed someone entering and joined his hands together in front of his chest, saying, “Benefactor, we meet again.”

“I didn’t expect to see the master here.”

An Jing was a bit surprised and said with a smile, “Indeed, life is full of unexpected reunions.”

The old monk before him was none other than Universal Benefit Bodhisattva, a grandmaster of the Zen Sect.

Somehow, seeing this monk gave An Jing an inexplicable sense of familiarity, possibly because the old monk reminded him of past events in Yu State City.

“Indeed, I did not expect it either,” said Universal Benefit Bodhisattva with a sigh, then he asked, “May I know what business brings the benefactor here today?”

“I came here searching for someone.”

“By the looks of it, it seems the benefactor has not found them.”

“I have found them, yet I have not,” An Jing let out a melancholic sigh and said, “Master, why aren’t you spreading the Buddhist teachings but instead in this small city?”

The Buddhist institutions had started to expand widely across Great Yan, showing significant success recently, and in a few years, the Great Yan Martial World might see an increase in Buddhist disciples.

Given the current trend, Buddhism is flourishing everywhere, significantly affecting the direct interests of the Zhenyi Sect and compounding their previous severe losses and injuries.

Xiao Qianqiu above Abyss Lake also failed to maintain the prestige of the Zhenyi Sect as the National Religion, making the sect now seem like a wounded tiger.

But a wounded tiger is the most dangerous and aggressive.

If the conflicts with the Ghost Swordsman only involved succession disputes, then the struggle with Buddhism was a matter of life and death. @@novelbin@@

With the rise of Buddhism, the Zhenyi Sect would undoubtedly decline.

As the National Religion of Great Yan, the Zhenyi Sect would surely respond.

Currently, in the martial world of Great Yan, only Universal Benefit Bodhisattva, who had just entered the Grandmaster Realm, was clearly no match for the Zhenyi Sect.

Rumors in Jianghu suggested that a Buddhist Vajra had crossed the ocean to the ancient temple of Dragon Spring in Yujing City.

Vajra’s Furious Eyes, exorcising evil and subduing demons, the Bodhisattva with lowered brows, extending salvation to all sentient beings.

Both Vajra and Bodhisattva are esteemed titles in Buddhism, with the distinction that Bodhisattvas, although grandmasters, are not fond of battle, whereas Vajras are known for their ferocity, practicing the lethal martial arts of Buddhism, ranking top among experts of the same realm.

In the war that eliminated Buddhism, when Buddhist Vajras emerged, they fought bloody battles on all sides, leaving corpses for miles, a horror still vivid in the minds of many experts.

However, whether Dragon Spring Temple truly harbors a Buddhist Vajra is unknown.

Universal Benefit Bodhisattva said, “This humble monk is entrusted to ensure someone’s safety.”

“Oh?”

Upon hearing this, An Jing’s brows slightly raised in curiosity as to who could compel a Buddhist grandmaster to serve as a protector, surely someone with an extraordinary background.

Who exactly could this person be?

“Old monk, what do you think of carving a jade Buddha from this prime Dushan jade?”

Just then, a voice rang out.

The voice was melodious, bright and clear yet soft and melodious, like an oriole singing, distinct in its beauty.

What a beautiful young woman.

An Jing instinctively looked up to see a woman in a white dress, shining like the blossoming flowers around her, no more than seventeen or eighteen, with skin fairer than snow and breathtaking beauty, almost too radiant to look directly at.

To An Jing, the beauty of women should not be compared by ranking.

Every woman had her own unique charm and grace, like Zhao Qingmei, with her gentle and demure nature, like willows in the breeze, softly alluring and full of tender passion.

Dai Ling, with her ice-pure jade-like aura, was coldly aristocratic, seemingly a fairy banished to the mortal realm, intimidating people from getting too close.

Tan Yun might not be the most stunning, but she was nevertheless a rare beauty, with a curvaceous figure, a playful and lively demeanor in her brows, exuding innocence and natural appeal, difficult not to like.

The woman before him exuded an aura of ethereal beauty, her phoenix eyes like pools of crystal-clear water with electric arcs that strike directly into a man’s heart, especially with the faint smile curling at the corner of her mouth, perfect as a crescent moon.

At that moment, the woman holding an ancient jade slowly descended the stairs.