Xie Huaixue put away the third jade slip she had finished reading today, and finally cast her gaze upon Li Jin’an by the window opposite her.
In these past days, the Qingxiao Immortal Venerable had lived a noisy life, something she hadn’t experienced in a long time. After she could use her spiritual energy, she managed to get a good fight out of the Jijin Sovereign, and usually had to endure various rustling sounds around her.
Li Jin’an was gnawing on dried meat, grinding her teeth, and playing with a nine-ring puzzle in her hand. Feeling Xie Huaixue’s gaze on her, she looked up and first glared at her, then said in an ill-tempered voice, “What are you looking at me for?”
The Jijin Sovereign, having lost another fight, was exactly like this. Either she would be sarcastic, or like now, she would look utterly displeased; it was as if the words “I hate you” were written on her face. In short, she wouldn’t speak properly.
Xie Huaixue shook her head slightly, her eyes deep and distant. “Nothing.”
Li Jin’an stared at her suspiciously. She wondered if it was her imagination, she always felt that Xie Huaixue’s gaze was very meaningful. She wasn’t secretly scolding her, was she?
After staring for a while and finding no flaws, Li Jin’an changed her sitting posture and continued to slump. She turned to look at Xie Huaixue, seeing that she had already picked up the fourth jade slip. She couldn’t help but pout. How boring.
When she didn’t come to Qingxiao Peak before, Li Jin’an could find all sorts of ways to badmouth Xie Huaixue on Jijin Peak. Now that they were living together day and night, Xie Huaixue wouldn’t always fight with her or play with her, and she felt restless again.
Just as Li Jin’an was itching to drag Xie Huaixue into another fight, Jiang Fengmian’s small paper crane flew in at the opportune moment. She instantly teleported in front of Xie Huaixue and said eagerly, “Quick, open it and see.”
After Xie Huaixue finished reading, she handed the paper crane to Li Jin’an.
Li Jin’an grumbled, “Can’t you just tell me directly? I have to read it again… Turmoil at the Three Realms Mountain? This isn’t a big deal. Every year, the demonic race gathers their army at the Three Realms Mountain. We haven’t seen them cross the mountains and come to the human realm.”
Three Realms Mountain, as the name suggests, is a massive mountain range that divides the human, demon, and yao realms of the Lancang Continent. It is also the highest mountain on the Lancang Continent, stretching endlessly and towering steeply. Its edges extend into several domains of the human realm. Even the Hundred Thousand Mountains in the human realm are part of the Three Realms Mountain.
Among some small rogue cultivators, it’s said that here, every step yields a spiritual herb, and every three steps a monstrous beast. Heavenly treasures and earthly wonders could be found anywhere, practically a paradise for cultivators. Consequently, countless cultivators went to the Three Realms Mountain every year only to lose their lives in vain.
Not to mention the horrifying incident where Xie Huaixue’s parents and master were besieged by demons in the Three Realms Mountain. From then on, led by the Dao Sect, the Five Sects and Four Clans all established garrisons in the Three Realms Mountain, to prevent untimely rescue and further tragedies.
So, any small skirmishes weren’t worth fearing. No matter how much the demonic race stirred, they couldn’t reach human territory.
Li Jin’an maliciously wiped away Jiang Fengmian’s spiritual imprint on the paper crane, then overlaid it with her own, making the paper crane fly back to Jiang Fengmian. She turned her head and saw Xie Huaixue still in deep thought, and said, perplexed:
“Even if the wounds the Qingxiao Immortal Venerable left on the demon realm have disappeared, you, Xie Huaixue, aren’t dead. If the demonic race truly dared to rampage, just go and rip off the new Demon Lord’s roof and crack their skull open! I guarantee the demonic race would quiet down immediately without a word.”
Xie Huaixue finally deigned to give her a glance. She cast a brief, light glance, then looked away.
For some reason, Li Jin’an perceived an unspeakable meaning in Xie Huaixue’s gaze towards her.
As if she had done something bad to Xie Huaixue at the Three Realms Mountain.
What a joke!
When had she ever gone to the Three Realms Mountain with Xie Huaixue…? Wait, it seems she actually had!
Recalling the past, Li Jin’an’s expression changed drastically. She looked at Xie Huaixue with a mix of surprise and uncertainty, unsure if the other person was taking the opportunity to subtly hint at her.
Xie Huaixue stood up and walked to the bookshelf, accurately finding the jade slip she wanted to read. She stood with her back to Li Jin’an, not saying a word.
Li Jin’an kept staring at her, but from that slender back, she truly couldn’t tell if the other person had remembered past events.
That was a period that, just thinking about it, made her want to stab herself with a sword to make a few holes, to shake out all the excess water in her brain from her youth.
Only when one’s age and height increased, but one’s brain didn’t grow with them, it was easy to have a moment of idiocy and do foolish things. And at that time, Li Jin’an was exactly in this stage.
She could clearly dominate her generation, yet she could never win against one particular person, resulting in the title “second best” being firmly welded to her head. Sometimes even her defeated opponents would taunt her, asking her, ‘You’re so powerful, you can suppress all cultivators of your generation, how is Xie Huaixue still an ‘escaped fish’? Don’t you want to defeat her?’
At that time, Li Jin’an’s “second best” title hadn’t yet been prefixed with “thousand years,” unaware of her tragic future fate, but she had already lost so much she was abnormal, almost mutated!
Before the Three Realms Mountain incident, Li Jin’an tried all sorts of unorthodox methods, slightly discarding her sincere love for the sword dao. She went to harass the Spring Rejuvenation Valley and Divine Mechanism Sect, and instead learned alchemy, artifact refining, talisman drawing, array formations, and so on, attempting to open up a new path to defeat Xie Huaixue.
The discarded pills in the Blazing Stonewood box in Qingxiao Peak’s cave dwelling were products of this period.
Li Jin’an actually wanted to give the pills she refined to Chixin Sword Lord as a memento. Unfortunately, Chixin Sword Lord didn’t have the habit of eating discarded pills and dregs, politely refusing them. There was no choice but to give them to Xie Huaixue.
Just as the Sword Sect decided to bring their promising sword cultivation talent back on track, Li Jin’an whimpered and ran back. Not only did she fail to defeat Xie Huaixue, but she also blew up three or four alchemy furnaces at Spring Rejuvenation Valley, and was scolded by their elders, who were hopping mad, calling her a stubborn rock of sword cultivation, smelly and hard!
What followed were massive bills from Spring Rejuvenation Valley and Divine Mechanism Sect.
Li Jin’an made Chixin Sword Lord pay the debts. Chixin Sword Lord’s master had long since perished, so she couldn’t find her own master to pass the buck to, and so she made the Sword Sect Master, the “unfortunate scapegoat,” pay the debts… According to the Sword Sect’s style, the scapegoat Sect Master definitely wouldn’t pay. After all, one of the Sword Sect Master’s main responsibilities was to destroy the bills accumulated by the sect’s sword cultivators outside. In this day and age, any sect that hasn’t made the Sword Sect incur debts certainly isn’t even a first-rate sect!
Although the bills were written off, Li Jin’an became even more discouraged. She couldn’t win in a fight, and she couldn’t even compare in minor arts like alchemy and artifact refining. After this experience, she completely went mad!
Li Jin’an got inspiration from mortal storybooks—dual cultivation. She didn’t actually want to dual cultivate with Xie Huaixue; she just wanted to use her beauty to seduce and sway Xie Huaixue.
Doing this had two benefits. Firstly, if Li Jin’an were to unleash her divine power and break Xie Huaixue’s Emotionless Dao, then with both of them on the same starting line, it would be hard to say who would win or lose;
Secondly, if Li Jin’an unleashed a lesser divine power, and didn’t break Xie Huaixue’s Emotionless Dao, but still made Xie Huaixue waver, then letting her win once wouldn’t be a big deal, right?
Li Jin’an completely failed to consider the consequences of breaking Xie Huaixue’s Emotionless Dao or making her waver. She didn’t think about how to end it, or even if she would get herself involved. She just charged recklessly towards Xie Huaixue.
For this, Li Jin’an did ample preparatory work. She scoured various storybooks for inspiration, and pestered the few elders, senior sisters, and senior brothers in the Sword Sect who had Dao companions, learning from their advanced experiences.
Li Jin’an seemed to transform back into that clingy little girl she once was, forcefully entering Xie Huaixue’s life, shamelessly asserting her presence, bringing Xie Huaixue to experience her life, and doing all sorts of things, both romantic and absurd.
The “Heart Attack” strategy ended at the Three Realms Mountain.
With the groundwork laid in the early stages, Li Jin’an felt it was time to let Xie Huaixue know her “intentions.” So she dragged the person in the dark to the peak of the mountains of the Lancang Continent, the Three Realms Mountain.
Her senior sister said that the beauty of a sunrise could move even a blockheaded sword cultivator. It was most suitable for expressing one’s feelings.
She even thoughtfully avoided the mountain where Xie Huaixue’s parents had met their misfortune, fearing Xie Huaixue would be moved to sadness by the sight.
On the high mountain, a heavy darkness enveloped them. The demons from the other side of the mountain smelled human aura and swarmed up like mad; densely packed, the entire mountain was covered with swarming demons. Li Jin’an, wanting to show off, stubbornly held Xie Huaixue back, not letting her act.
Fortunately, they were all low-level demons. Li Jin’an could handle them by herself. However, there were too many; even if she eliminated a large swath with one sword strike, Li Jin’an still fought for an entire night. Her red robe inevitably became stained with foul-smelling blood, turning into a black robe.
On the misty mountain peak, the East was already white, the rising sun half-hidden by the mountain. The sun rising from the horizon cast a brilliant crimson-gold light, dispelling the darkness, gradually painting the morning’s blue sky red.
The gate of heaven opened as if by a golden key, and a vast path of clouds hung with a jade rainbow.
Under the rising sun, the molten gold light spilled onto Li Jin’an’s sharp, beautiful face. At her feet were endless demon corpses. She stood, sword in hand, blinking uncomfortably. Carrying a heavy stench of blood, she smiled faintly at Xie Huaixue, facing the sun. The fine down on her face was clearly visible, her features distinct, appearing even more spirited and graceful.
The entire Three Realms Mountain fell silent, as if only the two of them remained between heaven and earth.
Amidst their prolonged, silent gazes, Li Jin’an put away her Blazing Radiance Sword, wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, leaving a long smear of blood, and called out her name with a grin: “Xie Huaixue.”
“Mm.” Xie Huaixue responded.
“Don’t speak first, let me talk,” Li Jin’an took a deep breath, fidgeting with her hands behind her back. Resolute, she closed her eyes and loudly declared, “Look how beautiful this sunrise is, so can you please like me!”
Lest the courage in her heart dissipate, she quickly continued, “Can you let me have first place? I really don’t want to be second anymore! I’m not greedy, just this once…”
In just a few sentences, without even proper setup, her true intentions were exposed.
Before Li Jin’an could finish her plea, Xie Huaixue gave her answer.
“No.” Xie Huaixue’s eyes were serene as she gazed deeply at her, repeating once more, “No.”
At that moment, Li Jin’an still had her eyes closed, her dark lashes trembling. When she opened them, she only saw Xie Huaixue’s turning back and the swiftly vanishing hem of her robes.
This absurd and flawed farce ended there.
…
She had always been unwilling to recall that period of time.
The Sword Sovereign had almost sealed away that memory. If not for the mention of Three Realms Mountain today and that look from Xie Huaixue, she wouldn’t have remembered such an embarrassing past.
Her senior sister, who had given her advice back then, had said with emotion that young people often confuse the lines between jealousy and attraction, using stubborn denial to hide their racing hearts and flushed cheeks, and in their insincere words, countless times measuring the other’s silhouette with their eyes.
Only later did Li Jin’an learn that this senior sister was from an arranged marriage, engaged since childhood by her family elders. She had no experience whatsoever in pursuing someone!
Recalling those absurd years, the Jijin Sword Sovereign had to admit one thing: the Immortal Venerable was someone who could easily stir one’s heart. It was as if just by standing there in the chilly spring, one would instinctively wish for countless interactions with her—good, bad, or neither good nor bad…
Did she really hate Xie Huaixue that much?
Lost in thought, she suddenly recalled the poem she had learned best in her unstudied life, a rare act of rebellion against her general lack of scholarly pursuits.
—Awaken the bright moon of the sky, illuminate my heart full of ice and snow, as a mighty river flows.
Logically, Li Jin’an should have preferred the following line: A whale drinks but has not swallowed the sea, sword qi already spans autumn. This was more in line with her Sword Sovereign’s style and grandeur.
But for some unknown reason, she just found that particular line pleasing.
Perhaps, no matter how much she disliked Xie Huaixue, she had to admit the Immortal Venerable’s noble spirit was entirely worthy of that line.
…
Li Jin’an snapped out of her memories, glaring indignantly at Xie Huaixue’s back, as if trying to bore a hole through it.
A millennium had not passed in vain. Li Jin’an was no longer that rookie sword cultivator. Her momentary daze quickly dissipated, and her composure returned to normal. She paced over to Xie Huaixue, testing the waters with a seemingly calm tone:
“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something you want to tell me?”
The Jijin Sword Sovereign had a nature to stir up trouble even without reason and rarely yielded. Unless she had a guilty conscience, she wouldn’t speak to Xie Huaixue in such a conciliatory tone.
Xie Huaixue tilted her head to look at her, her eyes as usual devoid of emotion.
Just as Li Jin’an thought Xie Huaixue would mention the past, Xie Huaixue handed her a jade slip.
“Huh?”
Xie Huaixue didn’t let her wonder for long. “The location of the anomaly in Three Realms Mountain is where my parents met their accident.”
“Oh.” Li Jin’an honestly took the jade slip, extended her spiritual sense to examine it, and indeed, it was a three-dimensional map of Three Realms Mountain.
Wujiu Mountain was the place of the incident.
“Only…”
Li Jin’an frowned. “This place is too remote. If it weren’t for the jade slip’s marking, I wouldn’t even see it.”
Wujiu Mountain was located near the Demon Realm, surrounded by two tall mountain ranges and one end of a misty forest. A small, inconspicuous mountain, it was frequented by demons.
If not for Yinyue Monarch fighting her way out of there with infant Xie Huaixue, giving the mountain its name, it would still be an nameless peak today.
Xie Huaixue hummed softly, rubbing her brow with a fingertip, and slowly said, “So I suspect the demons from back then have reappeared.”
Li Jin’an froze, then remembered something, gasping, “Your cold poison!”
She had always suspected that Xie Huaixue’s cold poison was not just a poison, but a curse. Ordinary methods could only suppress and alleviate it, not eradicate it. To truly cure it, they had to find the demons who had poisoned and cursed Xie Huaixue.
In Xie Huaixue’s famous battle, she had killed all the high-ranking demons but hadn’t found any near Wujiu Mountain.
From the current perspective, those demons definitely weren’t dead; otherwise, Xie Huaixue’s cold poison symptoms would have lessened.
Li Jin’an’s expression seemed even more excited than Xie Huaixue’s, the one who was poisoned. She asked curiously, “So, are you going to Wujiu Mountain to kill that demon tribe from back then?”
Demons and demon beasts are both diverse races. The specific demon tribe that besieged Xie Huaixue’s parents and Yinyue Monarch in Three Realms Mountain was very mysterious, appearing only once, yet taking away two Integration stage and one Void Refinement stage human grand cultivators. Xie Huaixue even suffered from cold poison. This was far more effective than the diligent former Demon Lord who had their head caved in by Xie Huaixue.
Given her eagerness for a fight, one might think she was the one burdened with a blood feud.
Xie Huaixue’s face was still somewhat pale, the light from outside the window spilling onto it, making her skin almost translucent. She shook her head, her pupils dark and deep. “No, the time isn’t right yet.”
Li Jin’an clicked her tongue in annoyance, feeling that this person was increasingly speaking in riddles. What does ‘not the right time’ mean? What is it that their esteemed sword cultivators aren’t allowed to hear?
The Dao Sect still has too many schemes; they’ve corrupted Xie Huaixue and taught her to be secretive.
But she also knew that if Xie Huaixue didn’t want to say something, she wouldn’t, no matter how much Li Jin’an coaxed or threw a tantrum. She truly had a heart of stone.
Li Jin’an stopped fretting. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck her. She quickly turned and stared intently at Xie Huaixue.
Xie Huaixue looked at her in confusion.
Li Jin’an raised the jade slip in her hand, her brows furrowed. “Why would Jiang Fengmian tell you about the anomaly in Three Realms Mountain? Does she know about Wujiu Mountain and the cold poison? Or are you planning to become the Junior Sect Master of the Dao Sect?”
Such matters were usually handled by the Main Peak; if an Elder or Peak Master’s intervention was truly needed, a separate notification would be sent, unless Xie Huaixue was closely monitoring it herself.
In this moment, she was wondering if she could stage a small rebellion, snatch the Sect Master position from the Sword Sect Master, and finally get the upper hand over Xie Huaixue!
As early as when they were junior cultivators, Jingting Dao Lord had considered making Xie Huaixue the next Sect Master. At that time, Chixin Sword Lord even teased Li Jin’an, asking if she wanted to be the Junior Sect Master of the Sword Sect, otherwise, if she kept fighting Xie Huaixue, their statuses wouldn’t match.
Xie Huaixue refused Jingting Dao Lord, and Li Jin’an fiercely refused Chixin Sword Lord too, telling her not to pass her own unfulfilled aspiration of becoming a Sect Master onto her, but to achieve her own wishes herself.
But this incident still left an impression on Li Jin’an, so much so that she didn’t believe Jiang Fengmian knew about private matters like Wujiu Mountain and the cold poison. Instead, she suspected that Jingting Dao Lord and her disciple had fallen out, leading to Xie Huaixue being pushed into the position.
If it weren’t for the Heavenly Tome, she would still be completely unaware of Xie Huaixue’s secrets.
In the Heavenly Tome, Jiang Fengmian had more screen time than her, but she died even more miserably. How could Jiang Fengmian know things she herself didn’t know before!
Wait!
If Jiang Fengmian knew, then things would get very impolite.
Li Jin’an’s gaze at this moment was extremely oppressive. She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, appearing calm and composed, but in reality, she was ready for a fight.
If her eyes could shoot fire, Xie Huaixue would have been burned to ashes by now.
For a moment, Xie Huaixue couldn’t figure out how Li Jin’an’s three questions were connected, and Li Jin’an gave her no chance to speak, yet she was genuinely angry.
Xie Huaixue said helplessly, “She doesn’t know. I asked her to send any news concerning Three Realms Mountain. Currently, I have no intention of becoming the Junior Sect Master.”
The current Junior Sect Master was doing perfectly fine, and almost got ousted by the Jijin Sword Sovereign without even knowing it.
Li Jin’an lowered her arms, her expression sheepish, but her guilty conscience lasted less than half a second. She quickly became self-righteous again, badmouthing Xie Huaixue to her face. “That’s right, Qingxiao Immortal Venerable’s will is firm. If she doesn’t want to say something, she won’t. If she wants to hide it from someone, she’ll hide it…”
“No.”
Her accusation was cut short by Xie Huaixue.
Li Jin’an looked up in astonishment. Usually, she would annoy Xie Huaixue in many ways, but Xie Huaixue never interrupted her.
Before she could truly get angry, Xie Huaixue said seriously, “I wasn’t hiding it from you.”
—It’s just that you didn’t notice…
Although Xie Huaixue didn’t voice the second half of the sentence, Li Jin’an immediately understood. Her face darkened, and she couldn’t help but raise her voice in defense.
“What nonsense! You weren’t hiding it, but you also didn’t tell me directly! Am I supposed to just guess? Besides, if you fought me more, wouldn’t I have found out? All this fuss, it’s still because you’re too guarded. Hiding things from others is one thing, but you even hide things from me!”
Anyway, no matter what, she could always find a point to refute.
Even if they were sworn enemies, they had been fighting for a thousand years. What couldn’t be said between them? It wasn’t like she would strike when the iron is hot, take advantage of weakness, or fight Xie Huaixue when she was vulnerable… Actually, she probably would.
Forget it, even sworn enemies can act unreasonably.
Xie Huaixue’s eyes shifted, and she said softly, “Do you remember your question just now?”
Of course I remember, I’m not so old that I forget things easily.
Li Jin’an sensed ill intent, her eyes flicked up. “I remember. Why?”
“I was looking at you because I wanted to talk about that year on Three Realms Mountain…”
Xie Huaixue admitted she was talking about that incident!
This time, it was Li Jin’an who bristled and interrupted Xie Huaixue. Her face instantly flushed crimson, and she was in a state of incoherent babbling. “I didn’t even succeed! You rejected me on the spot! What’s there to talk about? You have nothing else to say, do you?!”
She hadn’t even succeeded back then, Xie Huaixue hadn’t agreed to her. Was there any point in bringing up old matters now?!
It was precisely because she hadn’t succeeded that she was so angry at those brats like Ning Zhufeng for foolishly attempting to break the Immortal Venerable’s Dao of Emotionlessness. What even were they?
If the Jijin Sword Sovereign couldn’t obtain it, who else was worthy of even touching it?
Xie Huaixue’s lashes trembled slightly as she quietly watched her.
A flash of insight struck Li Jin’an: “You’re doing this on purpose!”
Xie Huaixue lowered her gaze, neither refuting nor admitting it.
It really was!
To prevent Li Jin’an from harping on whether she had been hidden from and unearthing more old grudges, Xie Huaixue used less than a sentence to make the Jijin Sword Sovereign blush crimson and instantly forget what had just happened.
This person is utterly wicked!
She really wanted to expose Qingxiao Immortal Venerable’s true face to the world. Was this how someone who cared for the greater good and all living beings behaved?
For the first time, Li Jin’an was utterly speechless before Xie Huaixue. She gritted her teeth, swallowing her anger, and said, “I helped you control the Gleaming Radiance Sword the other day, didn’t you owe me a favor? I’m using that favor now: never mention that matter again! Don’t say a single word related to it!”
Some past events are destined to vanish with the wind, leaving not a trace, and are entirely unsuitable for being dug up again.
The idiocy of her youth had finally been drained.
“Mm.”
Qingxiao Immortal Venerable was still quite conscientious; she didn’t press her advantage but knew when to stop.
“What ‘mm’? How am I supposed to know if you’re agreeing or not?” Li Jin’an said irritably.
Xie Huaixue: “I won’t mention that matter again.”
Li Jin’an was now considering secretly eliminating the senior sister who had tried to “help” her so much back then, causing her such humiliation a millennium later, so that the matter would truly be known only to Heaven, Earth, her, and Xie Huaixue…
Or maybe just let the Immortal Venerable fend for herself?
That wicked person didn’t need saving at all!
In that case, she would be the only one who knew about it.
Li Jin’an looked at Xie Huaixue sinisterly, as if contemplating where best to strike.
Xie Huaixue casually pulled a new jade slip from the bookshelf. If Li Jin’an wasn’t mistaken, she distinctly saw a fleeting smile on Xie Huaixue’s face.
That smile successfully infuriated Li Jin’an and made her leave.
Although she feigned composure, a storm was already brewing deep within her. The face-conscious Jijin Sword Sovereign managed to wait until she had exited the cave residence before allowing her face to grow hot.
Her cheeks, ears, and neck were all flushed red. Her fair complexion was now alluringly vibrant. One might think the Immortal Venerable’s cave residence was a giant pot, and she had just emerged after being boiled, given how red she was.
What kind of person! She just had to make her recall that idiotic thing she did in a moment of passion!
Black-hearted.
Where was the Immortal Venerable’s magnanimity?!
Li Jin’an, mortified by her embarrassing memory, felt deflated for several days, holed up in the guest courtyard and not leaving, quiet beyond belief.
But it was impossible for her to simply admit defeat like that; she would never tuck her tail and run back to the Sword Sect.
If she couldn’t handle the big one, couldn’t she at least deal with the small ones?
She transferred her anger onto the three brats.
She called it “enthusiastically helping” to train the Immortal Venerable’s three disciples in swordplay, claiming it was a courtesy exchange. After all, her own three disciples had been “enlightened” by the Immortal Venerable for a few days. As a return favor, she would reluctantly let them witness what it meant to be the foremost in the Sword Dao!
Of course, no one believed this. It was common knowledge that the probability of the Jijin Sword Sovereign being kind to the Qingxiao lineage was equivalent to the Demon Lord being benevolent towards humans—both were lies.
Li Jin’an’s purpose was undisguised: she intended to use sword practice as an excuse to properly discipline these arrogant brats!
They would become mighty figures who could summon wind and rain in the future? Who cared? She was going to beat them anyway.
She wouldn’t even bother if they weren’t future mighty figures.
They couldn’t covet Xie Huaixue, but Xie Huaixue’s trouble should also be borne by them.
Taking advantage of the morning greetings, when everyone was present, Li Jin’an rose early and appeared at their doorstep, sword in hand.
The Sword Sovereign didn’t speak pleasant words, but she certainly had strength.
When Li Jin’an walked in, her Blazing Radiance Sword resting on her shoulder, a mischievous smile on her face, Lan Ci and the other two instantly had a bad feeling. They subconsciously looked up at Xie Huaixue.
Xie Huaixue looked at the Sword Sovereign, whom she hadn’t seen in days, dressed in fiery red like the scorching sun, and nodded lightly. “Greetings, Jijin Sword Sovereign.”
Only then did Lan Ci and the other two reluctantly stand up and bow respectfully to Li Jin’an. “Juniors greet the Jijin Sword Sovereign.”
The Qingxiao Immortal Venerable valued rules above all. So, even though it was common knowledge that the two of them were like fire and water, wherever Li Jin’an was present, Lan Ci and the others had to pay their junior respects perfectly, without missing a single time.
For the past few days, there had been no sign of anyone from Jijin Peak on Qingxiao Peak. Even if they couldn’t have their master all to themselves, Lan Ci and the other two were extremely happy. Even the internal squabbling for favor had decreased, and the entire sect had entered its most peaceful and tranquil phase.
Suddenly seeing the Jijin Sword Sovereign’s stunningly beautiful face, with sharp, aggressive eyes, Lan Ci and the other two had no appreciation for her beauty, only endless resentment.
However, the Qingxiao Immortal Venerable valued propriety the most. Even for their master’s sake, they had to swallow their anger and absolutely not let their master lose face in front of the Jijin Sword Sovereign!
Li Jin’an could pretty much guess the brats’ current psychological state. These few were probably feeling self-pity, thinking about how much they had sacrificed for Xie Huaixue and how much humiliation they had endured…
Since they loved sacrificing so much for Xie Huaixue, they surely wouldn’t complain about being implicated by her.
Li Jin’an snorted coldly. “Rise.”
Lan Ci and the other two, including Ning Zhufeng, who was best at playing pitiful, eagerly straightened their backs, fearing Li Jin’an might say again: So slow. Don’t like standing straight? This Venerable will indulge you then, keep bending…
This wasn’t without precedent. When Qi Lingzi, Tan Yanyi, and Ling Qiu were still on Qingxiao Peak, those three had suffered enough from Li Jin’an’s sudden whims.
Now, the entire Dao Sect knew that the Jijin Sword Sovereign loved to make things difficult for the Qingxiao Immortal Venerable’s disciples right in front of her.
Precisely because they were sworn enemies who had fought for a millennium, in order not to let others say that Qingxiao Immortal Venerable’s disciples were ill-mannered and couldn’t even bow properly, Lan Ci and the other two almost broke their backs before Li Jin’an would lazily tell them to rise.
Seeing their appearance, Li Jin’an scoffed disdainfully. In any case, she hadn’t come today to make an issue out of such small matters.
“Qingxiao Immortal Venerable has helped look after my inferior disciples for a few days, and this Venerable is immensely grateful.” Meeting the varied gazes of the Qingxiao Peak master and three disciples, Li Jin’an smiled brightly and provocatively, staring directly at Xie Huaixue. “To repay the Immortal Venerable’s kindness, and also as a courtesy exchange, this Venerable will reluctantly instruct the Immortal Venerable’s disciples in swordsmanship. How about it?”
She intended to test something.
The words “How about it?” were emphasized, her gaze challenging and flippant. Not only was she clearly up to no good, but it was obvious she couldn’t bully the Immortal Venerable directly, so she targeted the Immortal Venerable’s disciples instead.
Without waiting for anyone to speak, Li Jin’an leaned back in her chair, her face full of feigned innocence. “Surely the Immortal Venerable doesn’t look down on this Venerable’s swordsmanship, does she?”
It was universally known across the Three Realms of the Lancang Continent that the Jijin Sword Sovereign was the foremost in the Sword Dao, her sword intent reaching the heavens, and cross-realm battles were no challenge for her. Who could look down on her, who would dare to?
Before Xie Huaixue could reply, the three disciples of Qingxiao Peak could no longer hold back. Lan Ci proactively stepped forward, saying respectfully, “Sword Sovereign’s swordsmanship is extraordinary. To glimpse even a bit of it would be our great honor. Now that we have this opportunity, we must boldly seek guidance. To refuse would be disrespectful, and to accept would be unworthy. We only hope the Sword Sovereign does not mind our dullness.”
Zhong Fei and Ning Zhufeng also had faces full of indignation, uttering polite phrases one after another without pause.
Since her disciples had already spoken, Xie Huaixue naturally saw no need to object. She merely said indifferently, “I’ll trouble the Sword Sovereign then.”
Those four short words were enough to make Lan Ci and the other two surge with adrenaline. From their perspective, their master’s cold tone when saying that clearly meant she was on their side, standing up for them.
It only took one Jijin Sword Sovereign to make these brats, who would later summon wind and rain and wreak havoc in the cultivation world, reach a consensus, abandon their past grievances, and unite against an external threat.
When faced with a powerful external enemy, an internal group that was previously fighting amongst themselves would quickly unite. Clearly, in the eyes of Lan Ci and the others, the Sword Sovereign was that miraculous external enemy.
Li Jin’an’s phoenix eyes curved upwards in a half-smile, her flippant gaze never leaving Xie Huaixue.
For some reason, she seemed to see a faint, almost imperceptible smile in Xie Huaixue’s eyes.
She always felt Xie Huaixue was getting more mischievous.
Could Xie Huaixue not tell she was doing this on purpose? Impossible!
The Dao Sect’s direct lineage was just full of schemes.
The Immortal Venerable was simply wicked on the inside!
Still, she didn’t contradict her, so she was a good Immortal Venerable.
Li Jin’an looked at Lan Ci and the other two as if bestowing a favor, saying meaningfully, “This Venerable will make you feel right at home, and provide much guidance.”
She then reassured the brats, “Don’t worry, this Venerable will suppress my cultivation to be on par with yours.”
Boldly seeking guidance? Sounds nice, but it’s clearly brazen audacity!
Outside the cave residence, Xie Huaixue slowly followed, standing quietly on the steps.
With their master watching, Lan Ci and the other two became even more excited. If they could defeat the Jijin Sword Sovereign at the same cultivation stage, what glory would that be? Disciples surpassing their master—they wouldn’t let their master lose face!
Their thoughts were grand, but reality was utterly dismal.
Li Jin’an didn’t even use her Blazing Radiance Sword. She casually snapped off a tree branch and used no earth-shattering moves, only basic sword techniques: lift, parry, strike, thrust, point, collapse, press, cleave…
They were the most fundamental techniques, completely lacking the rumored stance of the Jijin Sword Intent, which was said to shatter the heavens, create fiery blossoms, and burn everything.
Soon, in less time than it takes to brew a cup of tea, Li Jin’an, as if in a hurry, went through them one by one. In front of the cave residence appeared three swollen pig heads, their eyelids so puffed they couldn’t open their eyes.
Li Jin’an’s eyes sparkled. She had discovered that a tree branch felt wonderfully good for whipping people. With a little clever force, the brats’ faces were distorted.
Everyone said not to hit someone’s face, but the Jijin Sword Sovereign was different; she specifically whipped faces.
When whipping Ning Zhufeng, she didn’t even use a shred of spiritual energy or physical strength, acting no different from a mortal. Even so, Ning Zhufeng couldn’t get close to her, filling her with utter humiliation.
Most importantly, the marks on the brats’ faces wouldn’t disappear for six or seven days.
The test results were in: she couldn’t directly harm them, but she could leave them bruised and swollen, truly looking like two different people.
Perhaps the Heavenly Dao truly believed that Li Jin’an’s painstaking effort to prevent them from bleeding or breaking skin was actually for the brats’ benefit?
Ning Zhufeng whimpered and fell to the ground. It was supposed to be a carefully designed move—face slightly raised, looking weakly and pitifully at Xie Huaixue, inspiring sympathy. But because her face was so unrecognizable, even if she widened her eyes, they were only slits.
No pity could be seen; only ludicrous absurdity remained.
She had spent so long cultivating on Qingxiao Peak, finally looking a bit better, but it was all for naught. She might as well have worn her previous little beggar disguise.
Lan Ci and Zhong Fei were even more mortified and speechless. In a moment of anger, they didn’t hide their gazes well, staring hatefully at Li Jin’an.
Li Jin’an was unfazed by their hateful stares. She shrugged, shaking her head and sighing as if heartbroken. “Alas, the Immortal Venerable’s disciples are nothing special after all. They possess none of the Immortal Venerable’s grace or even a hint of her aura. Truly, they failed to draw a tiger and ended up with a dog.”
Anyone unaware of the true situation would think she was genuinely heartbroken over Qingxiao Peak’s decline.
But on closer inspection, one could find the thinly veiled sarcasm in her eyes and brows.
She utterly disdained Qingxiao Immortal Venerable’s disciples.
Numb from the whipping, having lost all sensation of pain, the three lay on the ground, using their swollen slit-like eyes to look at Xie Huaixue, afraid their master would be disappointed in them.
“Master, your disciples…”
Xie Huaixue stepped down the stairs, her white robes flowing, embodying the very grace Li Jin’an had spoken of. She was indeed unyielding and awe-inspiring, impossible to bully.
Just as Lan Ci and the other two thought their master was about to comfort them, the Qingxiao Immortal Venerable’s gaze met the Jijin Sword Sovereign’s. She looked intently and stated flatly, “Jijin Sword Sovereign’s swordsmanship is truly unrivaled. Lan Ci and the others have made great progress.”
Li Jin’an’s lips couldn’t help but curve upwards; she couldn’t suppress her smile no matter what. After composing herself, she said, “Just average. I thought the Immortal Venerable’s disciples were more formidable. Who knew they couldn’t even get within three meters? Still too lax, they need to cultivate diligently.”
It was adding insult to injury.
The faint smile that rippled in Xie Huaixue’s eyes vanished in an instant. “The Sword Sovereign’s words, they will keep in mind and not disappoint your expectations.”
As soon as she said this, the three disciples, who had just managed to get up with aching bodies and were now forced to take her words to heart, felt their world collapse. Even if they thought their master was merely being polite, they were truly heartbroken, and the desire to become stronger burned fiercely within them.
Mainly, it was just too humiliating.
Wouldn’t this call for a ‘Don’t bully the young, the half-yao, the demon in poverty’…
As Xie Huaixue dismissed them, they could still hear Li Jin’an’s incessant nagging from behind. “…It’s not that this Venerable is bullying the weak, it’s just that your disciples are useless. They can only show off among their peers, and when it comes to real combat, they lose their nerve. And they still pay respects morning and evening every day? Doing all these useless things is worse than finding a cave and secluding themselves for cultivation…”
She didn’t stop speaking ill of them for a moment, badmouthing Xie Huaixue’s disciples directly to her.
If possible, Li Jin’an would have loved to personally help Xie Huaixue expel her disciples from the sect, never to be readmitted.
The only thing that made them feel not so bad was that their master hadn’t indulged the Jijin Sword Sovereign.
After they left, the “enthusiastic” Sword Sovereign, having spoken for too long by herself, felt a bit tired of talking and poked Xie Huaixue in dissatisfaction.
“Immortal Venerable, aren’t you going to react?”
After all that whipping and talking, Xie Huaixue was just watching the show!
Good 👍
LMAO LI JIN’AN