Wearing dark purple clothes with blue patterns.
As Yue Jin stood exposed, knife in hand, under the gaze of the crowd, her peripheral vision caught a flash of blue retreating into the distance.
She remembered the killer’s clothing depicted on the kite – a blue garment.
That person had killed Wu Xi, annihilated the Xuanzhu sect, and hacked the Yaoguang Pavilion elder to death with a sword.
Now, they had used a kite to weave lies, luring her step by step into the abyss.
Then, they had left without a trace.
Even with utmost caution, she had still fallen for it so easily.
Yue Jin lowered her head, not daring to look at Fu Lingyi’s expression in the crowd.
“That’s… Sister Lingyi, look, that’s her!”
Ye Yushuang cried out, pretending to be surprised, pointing from afar at the person in the center.
Fu Lingyi couldn’t hear anything else. She took an uncontrollable step forward: “Yue…”
“Trespassing on our sect’s forbidden grounds, stealing prohibited polluted items,” Ji Peilan raised her voice. She lifted a hand, then brought it down heavily. “We have judged that you colluded with the demonic path. Criminal, do you have a defense?”
Yue Jin remained silent.
The more she said, the more mistakes she would make. More importantly, she didn’t know how to explain.
Seeing her like this, Ye Yushuang coldly scoffed: “Elder Ji, what defense could she possibly have? Someone like her…”
“Qingshu.”
Fu Lingyi interrupted all the commotion, pushed through the crowd, and called out Yue Jin’s name.
“Tell me the truth.”
“Why are you here? Why are you holding that knife?”
“I’ll listen to your explanation, as long as you speak.”
As long as you speak.
Fu Lingyi ignored Ye Yushuang’s clamor beside her, staring intently at Yue Jin, asking questions repeatedly.
Yue Jin threw the knife, letting it clatter to the ground. She raised her gaze, letting it land in Fu Lingyi’s eyes.
Listen to her explanation, as long as she speaks?
She’s probably worried about damaging her reputation and wants to threaten me not to speak carelessly.
This person is still so hypocritical, with their intentions exposed.
Yue Jin felt defeated. This time, she could only chalk it up to bad luck.
“I have nothing to explain.”
“What you saw, what you believe, that’s what it is.”
This defiance provoked the crowd’s anger. Yuan Pei was just about to curse her out when Fu Lingyi stopped her with a swing of her sword.
The sword instantly raised sword energy, dust flew everywhere, and spiritual energy spread across the area, making everyone momentarily unable to resist or speak.
“Fellow Daoist Fu, what is the meaning of this?” Ji Peilan stood firm, her tone displeased.
“I brought her here, and she is also my Dao Companion,” Fu Lingyi raised her head. She no longer looked at Yue Jin, turning instead to face the crowd. “If there is punishment or confession of guilt, it should be the business of my Chongxiang Sword Sect , and has nothing to do with Yaoguang Pavilion.”
Upon seeing her attitude, even the Sect Leader narrowed her eyes. Ye Yushuang was very nervous and quickly tried to smooth things over for her: “Sister Lingyi, don’t be like this, she stole something from our Yaoguang Pavilion…”
“Your things? What things? A murder weapon? Yaoguang Pavilion secretly hid this item without announcing it to the world. Who’s to say there are no remnants of the demonic path among the sect’s members?”
“You!” Yuan Pei was furious. “We kindly hosted you, and this is the face you show, speaking so brazenly…”
“Fellow Daoist Fu is not entirely wrong.”
Ji Peilan cast a silencing spell on Yuan Pei, stopping her from speaking further. “Yaoguang Pavilion did have selfish reasons, but it doesn’t go as far as being involved with the demonic path. Since things have come to this, Fellow Daoist Fu, how do you wish to resolve it?”
Fu Lingyi: “I want to take her back.”
“Sister Lingyi! This person has been deceiving you all along, can’t you see that?” Ye Yushuang’s face was full of disbelief. She didn’t understand why Fu Lingyi would say such a thing. “She uses flowery words, has a heart like a viper, and…”
“Ye Yushuang.”
It was the first time Fu Lingyi called her by her full name. Her eyes were like cold pools, so indifferent they couldn’t stir a single ripple.
“Mind your words and actions. That is my Dao Companion. I will not tolerate anyone slandering her.”
Ye Yushuang’s heart turned half cold.
In her ears, she recalled what Yue Jin had said to her at that time.
“I think, with your ability, you probably can’t do it.”
After much debate, Yaoguang Pavilion was willing to release the person. However, Ye Wenzhen’s emotions were subdued. Facing the sorrow for her beloved daughter, he only left Fu Lingyi with a seemingly light but weighty remark: “Rumors among the populace cannot be stopped. Fellow Daoist, take care of yourself.”
This trip was a complete failure. They gained nothing, and the rumors outside intensified.
Yue Jin didn’t dare speak on the way back. Fu Lingyi flew too fast. Even though she appeared calm on the surface, she couldn’t hide her anxious inner state.
They rushed back to Chongxiang Mountain before dark. Yue Jin jumped off the sword, unsteady for a moment, and staggered twice.
Fu Lingyi didn’t turn her head, walking straight ahead.
Yun Lingyue had received news of their return early and was waiting by the courtyard gate to greet them, but saw that both of them looked unhappy.
Fu Lingyi reached the entrance and suddenly stopped. Her green robes ceased their rapid swaying. Without turning back, she spoke under the gaze of the two: “There are no outsiders now. I will ask you one last time, what exactly were you doing?”
Yue Jin opened her mouth. She wanted to make up a lie, wanted to talk nonsense and muddle through like before.
But she couldn’t make one up, because a strange emotion was gripping her heart.
She felt she was very innocent.
People were talking nonsense, pinning the crime on her, the Demon Lord. The killer was getting away scot-free and even wanted her to take the blame and destroy the murder weapon.
Yue Jin didn’t want to explain, she disdained explaining. In the past, she hadn’t cared; belief or disbelief was up to a person’s whim, and those who weren’t convinced came to no good end.
Why did Fu Lingyi keep asking over and over?
She clearly hated her so much.
She was clearly blaming her.
It was her fault. It was the Demon Lord, scorned by everyone, who had subjected her to humiliation and physical torment. It was even her, by faking amnesia, who was causing trouble for her.
Yue Jin opened her mouth and asked:
“What kind of answer do you want from me?”
She asked this, her voice trembling slightly. She was nervous.
“What I want?” Hearing this, Fu Lingyi turned her face away in anger, raising her voice. “Do you know what you’re saying? If I hadn’t cared just now and let you stay in Yaoguang Pavilion, they would have inflicted all sorts of unbearable tortures on you, making you suffer a thousand times over!”
“It’s not what I want, it’s that I want to hear your explanation!”
Seeing the situation, Yun Lingyue quickly stepped in: “Senior Sister, don’t be angry. What happened? It was just a trip to Yaoguang Pavilion, what exactly is wrong?”
“Explain? Why should I explain something I didn’t do?” Yue Jin raised her head, a look of defiance on her face, her lips tightly pressed together.
“Alright, you didn’t do it. Then where did the knife come from?”
“I picked it up.”
Fu Lingyi sneered: “You told me you were going to rest, and then you went outside and picked up a knife?”
Yue Jin closed her mouth. Sure enough, she wasn’t good at making things up.
She wanted to tell her that she hadn’t lost her memory, and about the kite.
But her rationality remained. If she really said it, the sword at Fu Lingyi’s waist would definitely cleave her neck the next moment.
Seeing Yue Jin silent again, Fu Lingyi took a deep breath.
She just wanted to hear this person tell her herself.
Why wouldn’t she just tell the truth?
Or was she really…
“Lingyue.”
Fu Lingyi’s tone was icy, speaking in a voice without a trace of warmth: “Tell everyone, she is not to be given food or drink, nor is anyone to speak to her. Violators will be punished according to sect rules.”
“Just keep standing here until you’re willing to speak.”
Having said that, she walked into the courtyard. Yun Lingyue stood rooted to the spot, caught between a rock and a hard place. She wanted to go persuade Yue Jin, but was also worried about Fu Lingyi.
“Lingyue, come in.”
She sighed and could only walk in, looking back every few steps.
Yue Jin remained standing there, closing her eyes. Even though no one was watching, she insisted on standing perfectly straight.
A touch of coldness lingered on her nose tip.
She reached up to touch it, but felt it simultaneously landing on the back of her hand.
Fleeting.
Snowflakes danced and fell, piece by piece. Yue Jin lifted her head and saw countless white specks scattering across the sky, sprinkled by the moonlight in the dark night.
Many years ago, it was also a snowy day like this.
At that time, the land was vast and desolate, wars raged everywhere, but only A-Ling’s world was completely unaffected.
Later, Yue Jin learned that they were cultivators, different from mortals. And A-Ling was the daughter of the sect leader of the most prosperous sect on the path of cultivation.
Their wealth was immense, their lives lavish. Even a scrap of cloth thrown away by these people was luxury that Yue Jin had never touched.
Yet, someone like that smiled gently at her everywhere, showing exceptional care and concern.
Yue Jin was just eleven then. A-Ling was five years older than her. She would always hold the small, thin Yue Jin in her arms, humming unknown songs, teaching her to speak and recognize words.
They were traveling by carriage towards Nanyang Prefecture, wanting to return to Chongxiang Sword Sect .
“A-Ling, Xiangxiang zong…” Yue Jin still couldn’t speak fluently. While gnawing on a rice dumpling, her hands covered in grease, she tried to mumble the words.
“Not Xiangxiang zong, it’s Chongxiang Sword Sect . That’s my other home.” A-Ling chuckled softly, wiping away the rice grains from Yue Jin’s face with a handkerchief. She liked wearing purple clothes, adorned with pearls and jewels, looking very noble and luxurious.
Yue Jin nodded vigorously, put down the rice dumpling, and scrambled over, wanting to straighten the hairpin near A-Ling’s forehead.
Seeing her actions, A-Ling raised her eyes in surprise, took out the hairpin from her hair, and handed it to her: “Do you like it? It’s a gift for you.”
“The weather is getting colder, A-Ling. Are you still teaching her to read?” Chongxiang Sword Sect Leader, Fu Qingxian, rode on her horse. She used her sword to lift the carriage curtain, bending down to look inside curiously.
“Cold, cold…” Yue Jin, feeling the wind brought in by the lifted curtain, huddled beside A-Ling.
“She can even say cold now, what a good girl,” Fu Qingxian laughed heartily. She put down her sword, her voice still coming from outside. “She doesn’t seem to have a name yet, does she? When we get back, we’ll test her spiritual root, take her as a disciple, and give her a Daoist name. You usually stay home and cultivate, not interacting with outsiders. Now you finally have a playmate.”
“Even if she doesn’t have a spiritual root, I want to keep her. She can’t survive in the mortal world. Don’t forget, when we found her, she was almost frozen to death.” A-Ling dotingly rubbed Yue Jin’s head. The latter blushed, hugging her waist, burying her face in the soft silk of A-Ling’s clothes.
They traveled onward. The weather grew even colder, and the ground was covered in a layer of frost. Yue Jin hugged a hand warmer, leaning against A-Ling, sound asleep.
Fu Qingxian frowned and asked: “The snow is falling heavily. The road is difficult. Should we tell them to rest?”
The Fu family was a noble family of kings and lords. Fu Qingxian’s mother was an Imperial Prince, who passed away early, leaving behind mountains of gold and silver that couldn’t be spent in several lifetimes. For this trip, they had brought their family members and all their gold, silver, and valuables. The carriages stretched into a long line. Most of the servants were ordinary mortals, without spiritual energy, so they had to carefully consider their physical condition.
“Is there an inn nearby?”
“No, but there is a temple where we can stay.”
That temple wasn’t big. Amidst the fires of war in the mortal realm, only temples could find a place of peace and safety.
Pure white covered the earth, seemingly wanting to hide all the filth and ugliness. The thick snow caused the horses to step into deep pits. For the first time in a snowy season, Yue Jin wasn’t starving or freezing, but playing to her heart’s content. She spun around excitedly in the courtyard, shouting: “A-Ling, A-Ling, come play, come play with me!”
“I’m coming!”
A-Ling smiled, taking off her elaborate headpiece. This time, she had changed into a light purple, wide-sleeved robe. She took a fur coat from inside and draped it over Yue Jin, staying by her side: “What do you want to play?”
Yue Jin scooped up snow, kneading it in her hands, rubbing them red. She pinched out a crooked heart shape and placed it near A-Ling’s hair ends.
“Give… give you, heart, my heart…”
“For me?” A-Ling was very surprised. She picked up the snow heart, looked at it repeatedly, her face full of smiles. “Thank you, I really like it. Let me give you something too. Wait for me under the eaves for a moment.”
Yue Jin nodded obediently. She saw A-Ling return inside to find her sword, stand in the snow, and slowly begin her stance.
A Sword Dance of Snow.
She had never seen anyone perform a sword dance before. The spiritual energy flew from the sword tip, gently holding a fallen leaf without moving it, then swirled the surrounding remnants of snow, sending them flying down like a waterfall.
Yue Jin watched, mesmerized.
She widened her eyes, wanting to remember every detail, and even more so, the person’s fluid, beautiful figure.
Purple became an unforgettable brilliance in her mind.
When the dance finished, A-Ling put away her sword and walked over: “Did you like it? This is a sword technique I created myself. Mother usually doesn’t let me practice it.”
“I liked it!” Yue Jin was very excited. She leaned forward, wanting to see the sword.
“Here,” A-Ling wanted to play a trick. She put the sword back in its sheath and placed it in Yue Jin’s hands. The sword was too heavy, pressing the little person down so she almost fell to the ground. “Hahaha, is it heavy? Do you still like it?”
Yue Jin hugged the sword, touching it gently several times with care. She still insisted: “Like it! Like I like A-Ling, like it!”
“You like the sword as much as you like me? Alright, then you play with the sword. I won’t play with you anymore.”
“No…” She was scared stiff and quickly pulled the sleeve of the person pretending to leave. “I like A-Ling more!”
Seeing the tight grip of her small hand, A-Ling’s heart ached. She reached out and covered it: “I’m just teasing. I won’t leave, I won’t leave you.”
The snow fell lightly, but it pressed heavily on a person’s heartstrings.
“This sword has a name.”
The two sat under the eaves. After playing for a while, they were drinking hot tea, sitting quietly together. A-Ling looked into the distance and said this sentence.
Yue Jin tilted her head to look at her.
“This sword is called Separation. Mother said separation is sad, but I just hope that everyone won’t leave me.”
“You should cultivate too. After reaching the Great Dao, we will all become immortals, and then no one will leave anyone.”
She spoke with glittering eyes, not caring whether Yue Jin understood or not. She seemed happy, and also excited. As if she thought of something, she took a jade token from her clothes.
“This is the jade token that disciples of Chongxiang Sword Sect all have. It represents identity. A person only has one, and it’s never duplicated.” A-Ling touched the jade token. The words “Chongxiang” were engraved on it, and the top left corner was chipped. “I’ll give you mine. When you become a disciple, you give me yours. This way, our karma will be intertwined, and we will never be separated.”
“Karma,” Yue Jin carefully took it. She couldn’t recognize many words yet, so she could only read it slowly. “Chongxiang, Chongxiang, Chongxiang…”
A-Ling observed her expression, curled her lips, and said gently: “Don’t you ever lose it. I only have this one, and Mother won’t make me another. If you lose it, I’ll never talk to you again.”
Yue Jin stared at the jade token, as if wanting to engrave it in her heart. She then carefully put it away inside her clothes near her chest, even patting it twice with seriousness.
Making the other person laugh until she doubled over.
“Far far not separated, with A-Ling far far not separated.”
“It’s forever, forever not separated. Far far means far apart.”
Fu Lingyi sat properly inside the house. Although her eyes were closed, she was still paying attention to the movements outside.
That person’s heart is truly stubborn enough. What if she just hid? It’s so cold, she insists on standing in the snow, not flexible at all.
She was already freezing like that before, how could she not be suffering from the cold now?
The night was deep. The snow fell silently, making no sound. Even that person made no sound.
Fu Lingyi opened her eyes.
Although she had told Yun Lingyue not to care, she actually couldn’t bear to leave her.
She pushed open the house door, repeatedly telling herself.
Just one look, just one look.
Just one look will be enough, I won’t soften.
Everywhere Fu Lingyi looked was snow. Only a small snow mound stood there. Without looking closely, one might have thought it was a snowman piled up.
She walked over and brushed off the snow from the top.
A face frozen deathly pale was revealed. The person’s hair in the snow was completely soaked, and her lips were slightly purple.
Fu Lingyi was frightened. She used a cleansing spell to remove all the water droplets from the person’s body. She scooped up her legs, let her head rest on her shoulder, held her in her arms, returned to the room, and gently placed her on the bed.
“Are you stupid? Why didn’t you move at all?”
She circulated spiritual energy, sending it throughout Yue Jin’s body, hoping to awaken her weak consciousness and warm her up.
Fu Lingyi stared at the face of the person on the bed, murmuring continuously.
“What should I do with you…”
“Yue Jin, why won’t you tell the truth? Even if it’s a lie, at least make up one that’s somewhat believable…”
“Actually, even if you regain your memory, I won’t…”
Yun Lingyue was sent to the main peak storehouse late at night to count the quantity of materials. She was full of frustration and woke up most of the storehouse disciples to count with her.
“Senior Sister Yun, what is this sword?”
A young disciple found a sword in a corner that flowed with light throughout, but it was covered in too much dust, with a thick layer of ash on the outside of its sheath.
“What? Let me see,” Yun Lingyue walked over, picked it up, used a cleansing spell to remove the dust, and examined it for a moment. “This seems to be Senior Sister Lingyi’s old sword from before. I haven’t seen her use it. Don’t touch it randomly, just make a note of it first.”
The young disciple held the pen and thought for a long while before asking: “Senior Sister Yun, how should I note it down? Does this sword have a name?”
“Let me think.”
Yun Lingyue lowered her head in thought, then suddenly slapped her forehead.
“A long time ago, I heard Senior Sister say it when she was drunk.”
“Something like…”
“Separation.”
Nice work 👏