After Lingyunzi left, Lu Qingran continued wiping her bonded weapon, the Frost-Touched Sword.
When the blade was clean, she found a book. She turned several pages at random, but irritation stirred in her heart.
Lu Qingran knew her illness was returning.
She took the medicine Martial Uncle Chiguzi had prepared from a box and swallowed two pills.
Her slender fingers traced the white porcelain bottle as she smiled bitterly.
“Even a medicine-refining genius like Martial Uncle Chiguzi can make only pills that ease it?”
Three years had passed since the talisman cultivator injured her. At first, she had noticed nothing unusual. More than a year later, the hidden damage left by the strange markings finally emerged.
One of the sect’s most learned scholars spent two years studying the problem and reached a limited conclusion: the markings could affect a person’s state of mind.
Ever since, Lu Qingran had suffered attacks from time to time, making her emotions difficult to control.
She put away the medicine and sat down to cultivate.
The moment her eyes closed, an image entered her mind: a young woman driving a sword through her chest.
Lu Qingran’s eyes flew open. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her heart pounded painfully fast. Pressing one hand to her chest, she took several deep breaths and ordered herself not to think any further.
“It’s all right. That is over now.”
As long as she stayed inside the Clearcloud Sect and remained in this secluded but peaceful courtyard, no one else would be hurt.
“All I need is to live quietly by myself.”
After regaining her composure, Lu Qingran summoned the Frost-Touched Sword and went into the courtyard to practice.
Perhaps Martial Uncle Chiguzi’s medicine was gradually losing its ability to suppress the poison. Her thoughts would not settle today, and she could not concentrate.
The Frost-Touched Sword seemed to sense its master’s mood. It gave a clear ring, escaped her grip, and hovered in midair.
“Do you want me to stand on you and fly for a while?”
Years ago, she had chosen this sword blank in the Sword Tomb. Only after absorbing her spiritual energy and blood essence had it become her bonded weapon.
Unlike most swords, this one sometimes behaved almost like a person. Lu Qingran had wondered whether it had developed sentience and formed a sword spirit.
She once took it to a martial uncle from the Myriad Artifacts Hall. He told her that the blade had neither awakened sentience nor produced a sword spirit. Its unusual behavior probably came from its exceptional compatibility with Lu Qingran and the many years it had spent inside the Sword Tomb.
Simply put, it had absorbed more spiritual essence than other sword blanks.
Her martial uncle also explained that no one had ever managed to carry this blank or an entirely black one out of the Sword Tomb. Both had existed even before the Clearcloud Sect established the tomb.
Martial Uncle Qiqizi stroked his beard and chuckled. “Those two sword blanks are far older than old men like us. Martial Niece, you were very fortunate to be chosen by one of them.”
Lu Qingran accepted his explanation and stopped finding the Frost-Touched Sword’s behavior strange.
The blade floated beside her and tapped the top of her foot with its hilt.
Lu Qingran smiled helplessly and stepped onto it.
The Frost-Touched Sword was a slender blade, narrower than most. Knowing it would be difficult for its master to balance, it enlarged itself.
Ice-blue light surrounded the silver-white weapon. When the light faded, the sword was nearly the size of a small tree.
“Very well. Show me where you want to go.”
The Frost-Touched Sword carried Lu Qingran high into the sky and flew in a particular direction.
Watching the scenery change below, she soon guessed its destination. She did not stop the willful sword because part of her wanted to go as well.
She wanted to see how that child had grown. She wanted to know whether the girl had passed the first trial.
Lu Qingran had deceived her master and herself. Only the Frost-Touched Sword saw the truth.
Martial Uncle Qiqizi had said that the sword might see through people’s hearts, especially that of the sword master bound to it.
It carried her to the entrance of the Crimsoncloud Immortal Realm. Looking down, Lu Qingran saw the applicants waiting below.
She searched from the front of the line to the rear and found Mu Yunran. Another girl clung to her arm. The girl’s pale face gradually regained its color, and a smile appeared, clearly because Mu Yunran had comforted her.
“This is good. You should make more friends besides me.”
Loneliness entered Lu Qingran’s expression as she spoke. Her little girl had grown. She would meet more and more people. Lu Qingran would no longer be the most special person in her life, nor could she remain beside Mu Yunran and help her.
She planned to watch from afar for only a moment, then leave.
But as she turned to go, the accident occurred.
Mu Yunran fell from the cloud stairway. Shock struck Lu Qingran, and her body moved before her thoughts. Riding the sword, she dove.
The boy falling beside Mu Yunran blocked her path. Lu Qingran caught his collar without slowing and tossed him upward to a fellow disciple flying toward them.
The slower Clearcloud disciple cried out as a person suddenly landed in his arms.
For a moment, Mu Yunran could only stare at Lu Qingran.
She had imagined many reasons why Lu Qingran never returned. If she had not known that Lu Qingran was the heroine, she might have believed something terrible had happened—that Lu Qingran was already dead.
Only when Lu Qingran caught her and pulled her into an embrace did the moment feel real.
Lu Qingran was safe. She had come to save Mu Yunran. Just as she had three years ago, Big Sister had sensed her presence, known she was in danger, and reached her in time.
Holding Mu Yunran close, Lu Qingran repeatedly patted her back.
“You’re safe, Yunran. Big Sister is here.”
When Mu Yunran did not respond, Lu Qingran feared she had been frightened senseless. She hurriedly cupped the girl’s face.
“What’s wrong? Are you still afraid? Yunran, look at me.”
Mu Yunran blinked, then gave her a carefree grin.
“Big Sister, you care about me that much?”
Lu Qingran froze. When she realized Mu Yunran still had the nerve to tease her, she laughed in exasperation.
“Your friend seems very worried about you.”
She pointed. Mu Yunran looked back and found Shi Wan watching with open concern.
For no clear reason, Mu Yunran felt guilty. She understood now that Big Sister Qingran had seen everything she did near the entrance.
“Big Sister, take me back to the steps. My friend is afraid of heights. I need to hold her hand while she crosses.”
Seeing that Mu Yunran was behaving honestly again, Lu Qingran carried her back to the stairway. Then, without another word, she left.
The boy whom Lu Qingran had thrown into a Clearcloud disciple’s arms gazed dreamily after the departing woman in white.
“Many thanks for saving my life, Immortal Maiden!” he shouted.
The male disciple holding him said nothing.
*Tsk. Why does it feel as if Senior Sister Lu has attracted more trouble?*
