Fu Lingyi said she was going down the mountain, and she meant it. Before dawn, her bamboo house was empty, indicating a rushed departure.
Unfortunately, Yue Jin didn’t get to rejoice over her leaving for too long. Yun Lingyue arrived with the morning’s residual light, kicking open the door. “Get up! The sun is high in the sky. Even if you’re not cultivating, don’t sleep in here. It affects other disciples’ practice.”
“Have you lost your mind today?” Yue Jin yawned, her head resting on the pillow. “Why didn’t you wake me up before?”
“Because Senior Sister entrusted you to me. Although she only said to watch you and keep you from wandering off, I can’t just let you indulge yourself.”
Yun Lingyue looked around the room’s furnishings, wrinkling her nose. She felt like it was dusty, so she casually cast a cleaning spell to sweep the room clean, then got onto the bed to pull her up.
“Hey, hey, hey, stop! What are you doing?”
Yue Jin pulled up the blanket, firmly blocking her approach.
Yun Lingyue looked completely justified. “If you don’t come down, I can only come up. Hurry up, if you don’t finish practicing this morning, you won’t get any food. I’ve already locked the herb brewing room.”
“…”
“Practice what?”
A stick of incense later, Yue Jin clutched her clothes tightly, standing at the entrance of the outer disciples’ training ground.
The cold wind whistled. Others had their cultivation bases protecting them and didn’t feel the chill, but she was shivering alone. She asked, “What exactly are we practicing?”
“I see you’re truly indifferent,” Yun Lingyue looked at her disdainfully, her gaze sweeping down to her left leg. “Even if Senior Sister chose you, Master hasn’t agreed yet. If she finds out Senior Sister broke the Path of Emotionless’s restriction to become dao companions with someone, and that person is a mortal, she’ll definitely be so angry she’ll vomit blood on the spot.”
“Of course, the most important thing is, when Master sees you, she’ll find you still have a leg disability…”
Yue Jin returned her gaze, pursing her lips. “What can I do? If you have the capability, go invite someone from the Divine Doctor Medicine King Valley to treat me.”
Yun Lingyue sighed. “You think too highly of me, I can’t invite them. But I have another clever trick that can help your leg recover. I’m not demanding anything else of you, but at least when the dao companion ceremony is held, you should stand beside Senior Sister and not embarrass her.”
Yun Lingyue’s clever trick was to have Yue Jin spar one by one with the newly inducted junior disciples, letting them use her as practice for swordsmanship.
Yue Jin held a sword, hesitating to speak.
First, she didn’t know how to use a sword. She used to prefer fighting bare-handed, using bells to control people’s minds, then striking for a sure kill.
If that didn’t work, she still had a plum blossom dagger as a backup for escape.
As for swords…
Many years ago, she had seen someone dance with a sword before her. Falling leaves swirled and scattered, landing on the sword’s tip, unmoving, like the breath of the wind.
For a time, she had indeed been infatuated with this weapon because of that, even initially refusing to learn physical techniques, which made Yue Yuanqiu lose her temper in front of her for the first time.
Later, learning the sword was buried deep in her heart, and that person was also pushed down, becoming an autumn dream she could never find again.
However, that sword dance movement was still etched in her memory.
Yun Lingyue warned the disciples not to use cultivation methods or infuse spiritual energy into their swords, only to spar with the sword itself, to prevent injuries.
Yue Jin’s right hand started the stance.
As soon as ‘begin’ was called, the first disciple who rushed forward had their long sword flipped away with a bang and fell to the ground.
The next person continued to step forward, but every single one was knocked down and defeated by her, unable to last more than a quarter of an hour.
Yun Lingyue was a bit stunned. She hadn’t expected this person’s swordsmanship to be so good, and she was even using a set of sword techniques she had never seen before.
Yue Jin knew her left leg was inconvenient, so she didn’t move her body at all earlier. She simply unleashed moves with her hands, appearing calm and composed.
It turns out I also have talent in swordsmanship. Anyway, Yue Yuanqiu can’t control me now, I can practice more in the future.
Regaining a trace of her former confidence, she couldn’t help but curl the corner of her mouth, softly uttering, “Continue.”
“When you said ‘continue,’ you really sounded like that demoness.” Yun Lingyue walked onto the training ground, snatched the sword from her hand, and threw it to a disciple nearby. “It’s already noon. You’ve practiced for a long time, and they are young and easily hungry. Rest first. Today, you’ll go to the mess hall with them too.”
“Really?” When Yue Jin heard the words “demoness,” she quickly put away her smile, afraid of being discovered. But after saying that, her face was full of anticipation as she asked if it was true.
The mess hall of the Disciplinary Hall Sword Sect must have a lot of delicious food, definitely better than what she made herself.
Yun Lingyue finally did something human-like.
She nodded. “Naturally, it’s true. However, you must come back after eating, no wandering off. The training isn’t over. Later, you’ll spar with me. I must make you use that leg to stimulate its potential.”
Yue Jin retracted the statement about her doing something human-like just now.
The disciples who had been sparring were already hungry and clustered together, walking ahead. They kept looking back at Yue Jin, their faces full of curiosity.
She unconsciously stepped back, making herself less conspicuous.
Suddenly, a hand tugged at her sleeve, pulling her back slightly.
Yue Jin turned around. A small disciple was hiding behind her. Seeing her look over, she tugged again.
“What is it?”
The disciple didn’t answer her, just put a finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet, then pointed towards the thicket behind the training ground, gesturing for her to follow.
“Where are you taking me?” Yue Jin followed her, cautiously observing her expression. Only when they were about to reach the edge of the barrier did she finally ask.
“That’s a small path down the mountain. You can bypass the barrier by going this way.”
The disciple stopped, pointing to a secluded small path. “At the foot of Disciplinary Hall Mountain is Lin’an City. Thirty li east is a dock, and to the west is a post station. You can rent a carriage or even short-distance paper cranes.”
“Why are you letting me go down the mountain?”
Yue Jin could see the abnormality. Fu Lingyi had just left, and immediately after, someone appeared who wanted to send her down the mountain.
Who knew if Fu Lingyi herself wasn’t hiding nearby, waiting to test her reaction and see if she had the intention to escape.
Unfortunately, this trick has already been used. I won’t fall for it so easily.
The disciple was silent for a moment before raising her head and speaking. “Do you remember me? A few days ago, I and several others came to your residence to see you. My name is Yu Xia.”
Yu Xia, Yue Jin pondered for a bit, she hadn’t heard this name.
“Now that you’ve lost your memory, do you think you can go back to how things were with Senior Sister?”
Yue Jin looked at the person opposite, speaking with a mix of urgency and hesitation, her voice weak. She immediately understood. Another one who likes my Senior Sister.
Then perhaps this isn’t a trap set for me, but a rare and excellent opportunity.
If that’s truly the case, it can be said that heaven is helping me.
“Just let Senior Sister endure short-term pain rather than long-term suffering, can you? Don’t make her live in torment and pain,” Yu Xia saw her remain silent and became increasingly indignant as she spoke, her voice gradually rising. “Do you understand her pain? Do you understand her woes? Leave here, for Senior Sister Fu’s sake, please, loving someone should mean letting go!”
She gasped for breath after saying this, her eyes red.
“If you’ve cared about Senior Sister’s feelings for you during this time…”
“Alright, I understand.”
Yue Jin didn’t hesitate. She had thoroughly observed her surroundings; there was nothing abnormal, no one lying in wait for her. She was certain this was a rare oversight, a loophole.
She walked straight towards the small path, ignoring the astonished look of the person behind her. As she walked, she finished the sentence she hadn’t completed. “You’re right. I should reflect on myself. Farewell.”
She then disappeared into the thicket.
The mountain path wasn’t easy for someone without cultivation like Yue Jin, but she walked incredibly fast.
Fu Lingyi!
She wished she could look up at the sky and laugh loudly.
Finally rid of her!
“You calculated everything, but you didn’t expect to be screwed over by your own junior sister, did you!”
“After acting with this brain-damaged woman for so long, this Venerable One can finally shake you off!”
The words that burst out startled the birds in the forest. Yue Jin let out a long breath, releasing the emotions she had accumulated for days.
Later, after getting down the mountain, I’ll go to the dock in the east, head to Huaijin City, and rendezvous with Wu Bei’s followers.
The resurgence of Qingyuan Palace is within reach.
It’s just that there’s a problem now…
She didn’t have a single spirit stone on her. And after searching all her pockets, besides the wooden hairpin on her head, she only had her jade token left.
The jade token absolutely could not be touched. Yue Jin protected it against her chest, gripping it tightly. Even in the direst circumstances, she wouldn’t pawn it.
The remaining wooden hairpin wasn’t worth anything. If absolutely necessary, she could pawn the outer robe Fu Lingyi gave her. It would be a bit cold, but since she was escaping, she could endure it for a while.
She’s endured for so long, what else can’t she endure?
What could be harder to endure than acting with Fu Lingyi?
Yu Xia stood frozen in place alone, unable to react.
It was that easy? She was convinced?
And here she’d spent several days mentally preparing herself, staying up all night, waiting for Senior Sister Fu to leave before coming to find a chance to speak.
This person indeed isn’t worth Senior Sister’s attention at all!
But it didn’t matter. Since this woman looked so similar to the demoness, she wouldn’t have an easy time down the mountain.
Waiting at the foot of Disciplinary Hall Mountain, it was said, were cultivators from various sects, all there to watch the excitement.
If they saw that face of the demoness…
Yu Xia sneered. She’ll suffer a lot.
At the foot of the mountain, it was indeed bustling. Many cultivators were gathered, discussing animatedly. Some had even guarded for several nights, determined to hear the gossip firsthand.
Song Yin was calm and composed, brandishing her purple-light-flashing Heavenly Secrets Plate as she went around swindling people. “Oh, everyone, the Disciplinary Hall Sword Sect has many restrictions. You’ve come here and can’t go up the mountain, so what news can you get at the foot of the mountain? Why not come to this humble one and get a fortune told? Get one you’re satisfied with before going home. Not much, not much, just three thousand eight spirit stones.”
No one paid her any attention, but she still went around tirelessly, promoting her fortune-telling everywhere.
Someone who couldn’t stand her shouted angrily, “Song Yin, then what are you here for?”
“This humble one?” She shook her Heavenly Secrets Plate. The sphere on the plate rotated, clicking crisply. “This humble one naturally came to see through heavenly secrets and calculated that a fated person will appear here today. I’m specifically here to join the fun.”
“Tch, she’s spouting nonsense again. Fellow Daoist Yuan, why bother with her.”
“Fated person my foot. She just wants to inquire about Fu Lingyi’s dao companion matter so she can get a share of the spoils.”
“No wonder. Everyone says Linghua Pavilion is very poor, and their disciples never appear. Only the Sect Leader goes around performing with the sect’s most precious treasure. I think, maybe there aren’t any disciples at all, just Song Yin alone!”
The surrounding speculative words shifted back to Song Yin, but she didn’t care at all, still smiling brightly as she wandered around, seemingly unaffected by those words.
Her peripheral vision was focused on a narrow gap at the foot of the mountain.
In less than a quarter of an hour, a person emerged from that small exit. There were fallen leaves mixed in her hair, and her clothing looked slightly dirty.
Before Song Yin could even speak, someone in the crowd with sharp eyes spotted her and shouted loudly, attracting everyone’s attention.
“That, that is!”
“The Demoness!”