After Qin Zhizhi spoke, the two of them fell into an incredibly awkward silence. Xie Yutai was naturally taciturn, and since she had already laid her cards on the table, it was impossible for him to press any further. Qin Zhizhi quietly picked at the food in her bowl, keeping her eyes fixed on the untouched cilantro fried rice, diligently practicing the art of ignoring her surroundings.
After a long while, she spoke up to explain: “Big Brother Jun and I have had an arranged betrothal since childhood.”
Unable to help herself, she added another line: “Childhood sweethearts, completely innocent.”
Then, she buried her face in her bowl and finished her meal in silence.
Without a word, Xie Yutai raised his hand with a light tap, guiding Qin Zhizhi to mount his sword.
The white silk ribbon tied behind his head fluttered in the wind. Qin Zhizhi quietly stared at the dancing ribbon for a moment before silently shifting her gaze away.
Unlike the winding streams and elegant bamboo groves of the Heguang Sect, the terrain of the Guiyuan Sect was treacherous, proud, and blanketed in frost. The entire sect was built atop towering, precipitous peaks where piles of pristine snow met the star-filled sky. For an ordinary mortal, crossing these mountains would be nothing short of a fantasy. Thus, when the Guiyuan Sect selected its disciples, they first had to climb the thousands of stone steps of this mountain to test their resilience and determination.
Qin Zhizhi was exceptionally familiar with the Guiyuan Sect. It was practically her second home in the cultivation world; she could find her way around its grand halls and various peaks even with her eyes closed.
The world knew Xie Yutai as the eldest disciple of the Guiyuan Sect, but he was not actually the personal disciple of the Sect Master. Instead, he was the sole disciple of Elder Yanchen of Wenjian Peak. Elder Yanchen’s seniority was even higher than that of the current Sect Master. He had once sparred with the ascended sword immortal Xuetang during his cultivation days, after which he dedicated himself entirely to the sword, ignoring all worldly affairs. He neither took disciples nor preached; the only exception he had ever made was for Xie Yutai.
Wenjian Peak possessed the most perilous terrain, guarding the Lietian Rift. Legend had it that an ancient demon was sealed within the rift, one that, if released, would cause the heavens to collapse and bring about an apocalyptic catastrophe.
But those were legends from a very, very long time ago.
Upon sighting the summit of Wenjian Peak, the Hantian Sword beneath Xie Yutai’s feet slowed down, tilting slightly as it flew downward. Before they could even land, a domineering wave of saber qi swept toward them like a soaring dragon, crashing straight toward Xie Yutai’s head!
As the collateral damage of this attack, Qin Zhizhi was left completely disheveled by the violent winds. Her feet slipped, and she tumbled off the Hantian Sword. Fortunately, they were already very close to the ground, so while her fall was rather ungraceful, it did not hurt particularly much.
With a soft groan, before she could even complain, an incredibly arrogant and familiar voice echoed from ahead:
“Xie Yutai! Stop hiding like a coward! Return my junior sister to me!”
The voice carried a touch of brightness and clarity, but the rest of it was filled with absolute haughtiness.
Qin Zhizhi looked up in astonishment. Standing before them was a man who looked very young, under thirty at most. He wore a narrow-sleeved blue robe with cloud patterns, draped in a white cloak, with a crimson and white jade belt around his waist. He possessed bright, expressive eyes and a strikingly handsome, elegant countenance. In his hand, he held a heavy iron saber; the domineering saber qi from moments ago had been unleashed by him with a casual flick of his wrist, deliberately targeting Xie Yutai.
Unlike other cultivators, this man exuded an aura of nobility from head to toe.
Qin Zhizhi’s throat tightened. Who else could the man standing before her be but Fu Xingyun, the Sect Master of the Tiantong Sect?
Fu Xingyun was another rare genius of this generation, possessing a mutant fire spiritual root. As the eldest disciple of the former Sect Master of the Tiantong Sect, he had inherited the complete teachings of her late father, Qin Ming. His cultivation speed was incredibly alarming. After taking over the Tiantong Sect, he had been looked down upon by others due to his young appearance and junior status. When faced with criticism, Fu Xingyun’s typical response was to curse them out, draw his saber, and beat them until they were utterly convinced.
He was the youngest Deity Transformation cultivator in the world, as well as the youngest Sect Master of the three great sects.
He was a hot-tempered, arrogant saber cultivator, and the eldest senior brother who protected Qin Zhizhi most fiercely.
That Qin Zhizhi had been able to successfully complete her mission and marry Xie Yutai in her past life was largely thanks to Fu Xingyun lowering his status to personally visit the Guiyuan Sect. Whether it was through coercion, physical fights, enticement, or negotiation, he had somehow made Xie Yutai propose, fulfilling her wish.
Sometimes, Qin Zhizhi even wondered if she wanted to tear a hole in the heavens, whether Fu Xingyun would charge forward with his saber without a single question.
Xie Yutai descended from the sky. He sheathed the Hantian Sword, his lips pressed into a tight line as he spoke: “Sect Master Fu.”
Seeing the white silk band covering Xie Yutai’s eyes, Fu Xingyun sneered: “What pity are you trying to evoke? Do you think I’ll let you off just because of this?”
There were other disciples on Wenjian Peak, but the pressure of a Deity Transformation cultivator was too heavy for them, so they dared not draw too close. Hearing Fu Xingyun speak so disrespectfully to Xie Yutai, several disciples looked highly indignant.
One brave young disciple with a high ponytail poked his head out and said directly: “Sect Master Fu! Senior Brother Xie already slew Jiang Yuanzhi to avenge Miss Qin! Is that still not enough? What’s more, if it weren’t for slaying Jiang Yuanzhi, Senior Brother Xie’s eyes wouldn’t have been injured!”
They had long since received news from the Heguang Sect that Xie Yutai had gone to the demon realm alone, fought a demon witch above his realm, and slain Jiang Yuanzhi with his own hands, losing his sight as a result.
Yet, upon hearing the young disciple’s words, Fu Xingyun only laughed louder, his voice dripping with mockery: “So what if he killed Jiang Yuanzhi? In my eyes, the person who deserves to die most is standing right here.”
The moment his words fell, a dead silence blanketed the area, as if even the air had stopped flowing.
Qin Zhizhi instinctively held her breath.
Suddenly, Xie Yutai’s robes fluttered despite the lack of wind. He took step after step toward Fu Xingyun, his sword qi overflowing and causing the residual snow beneath his feet to rustle. Surrounded by falling flakes of snow, he stood as the sole, striking figure of absolute beauty in this frozen world.
“I cannot die,” Xie Yutai spoke, his tone even colder than his sword qi. “At least, not now.”
“Who cares whether you live or die!” The moment Fu Xingyun spoke, he lunged forward, swinging his saber toward Xie Yutai.
Xie Yutai met the attack head-on. With a loud metallic clash, a shockwave of energy rippled outward, sweeping away the snow on the ground and exposing patches of dark soil.
Qin Zhizhi’s head buzzed from the shockwave, and she nearly saw stars. Before she could even swallow the metallic taste of blood in her throat, she saw the two of them clashing fiercely. Both men possessed tall, striking figures and extraordinary presences. As their sleeves whipped through the air, the lower-level disciples around them were blown away, scattered across the ground.
“Impossible,” Xie Yutai said, word by word.
Fu Xingyun laughed from extreme anger: “Who do you think you are to tell me it’s impossible? Hand over my junior sister’s body, or I will raze your Wenjian Peak to the ground today!”
…For goodness’ sake, are you two grown men fighting all this time just to snatch a corpse? Qin Zhizhi was utterly speechless. Hearing Fu Xingyun’s tone earlier, she had almost thought the Qin Zhizhi of the Tiantong Sect was still alive, and had wondered why the system told her her old body could no longer be used.
Xie Yutai suddenly raised his head. Behind him, a domain of the Hantian Sword slowly expanded, and a small black-and-gold sword hovered in the air: “She is not dead. I will not let her die.”
“Bullshit! She is dead, she died right in front of you!” Fu Xingyun growled, his eyes rimmed with red. “It’s because of you! It’s all because you failed to.”
Fail to cherish her, fail to respect her, fail to love her.
His junior sister, Qin Zhizhi, had been pampered and loved by thousands since childhood. If not for Xie Yutai.
“Cough, you two.” Qin Zhizhi could no longer help but call out to stop them. She was already seeing stars from the clashes of saber and sword qi. If these two actually unleashed their sword and saber domains to fight, she didn’t know if Xie Yutai would die, but she definitely would.
Well, to be precise, she would die again.
Only then did Fu Xingyun notice Qin Zhizhi, who had fallen to the ground earlier. When his gaze landed on her face, his movements stiffened. Then, as if seeing something utterly unbelievable, his eyes widened as he stared fixedly at her.
Qin Zhizhi: “…”
What was she supposed to do? Should she give Fu Xingyun a smile?
After Qin Zhizhi flashed a stiff and rather impolite smile, Fu Xingyun’s gaze locked onto her. Then, he threw his head back and laughed maniacally, looking almost crazed: “Xie Yutai, in just a few short days, you managed to find someone who looks so much like my junior sister and brought her back to your sect. It turns out what those fools outside said was actually true.”
Qin Zhizhi was baffled: “What did they say?”
It’s only been a few days, what could they possibly have spread?
“Heh,” Fu Xingyun laughed softly but ignored her, turning his gaze back to Xie Yutai, his teeth clenched as he said word by word: “My greatest regret is that I didn’t kill you before my junior sister ever met you.”
Qin Zhizhi: “…”
Senior Brother! Calm down, Eldest Senior Brother! Slaying the protagonist is what villains do!
With those words, Fu Xingyun no longer suppressed his cultivation. Unleashing the full power of his Deity Transformation stage, he swung a fierce, cold strike toward Xie Yutai. The impact numbed Xie Yutai’s hand, sending the Hantian Sword flying from his grip. He retreated several steps rapidly. The moment he stepped back, the soil where he had just stood caved in, utterly blasted apart by Fu Xingyun’s saber qi!
Qin Zhizhi sucked in a breath of cold air. She suddenly realized that in that moment, Fu Xingyun had truly unleashed genuine killing intent toward Xie Yutai.
No matter how strong Xie Yutai was, a Golden Core cultivator fighting a Deity Transformation cultivator was pure folly. Under the suppression of Fu Xingyun’s cultivation, he was inevitably restricted. He fell to one knee, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
With a cold snort, Fu Xingyun walked over to Qin Zhizhi, grabbing her arm directly: “Since you refuse to hand over my junior sister, I’ll be taking this person instead.”
Qin Zhizhi: “???”
Did happiness just arrive this suddenly?
“She’s only at Foundation Establishment.” Fu Xingyun swept his eyes over her. Qin Zhizhi finally realized that, aside from his very first glance, Fu Xingyun had not spared her another look.
Qin Zhizhi felt she could still struggle a bit: “This.”
Fu Xingyun glared at her, his eyes blazing: “What, you dare refuse?”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Qin Zhizhi answered honestly.
Jokes aside, this was the Sect Master of the Tiantong Sect. Furthermore, she really did want to go back.
Fu Xingyun let out a cold snort, pleased with her compliance.
“Don’t go.”
Qin Zhizhi, who had been pulled forward a few steps by Fu Xingyun, turned her head in surprise. She saw Xie Yutai, who had been knocked back earlier, staggering to his feet. His robes were stained with mud, drops of blood dotted his white crane embroidery, and his Hantian Sword lay by his feet.
Xie Yutai raised his hand, wiping the blood from his lips, as he took halting steps toward Qin Zhizhi. He looked incredibly disheveled and covered in frost.
“Don’t go,” he said again. The white silk band covering his eyes looked glaringly stark in the snow.
Qin Zhizhi’s steps hesitated slightly. She whispered: “Is he talking to me?”
Her eyes held a touch of confusion, and her tone carried a trace of disbelief. She instinctively glanced back at Fu Xingyun. Heavens, she really wanted to go back to the Tiantong Sect with him. But… but Xie Yutai was actually telling her not to leave.
How could this be? This was Xie Yutai.
When had the proud and cold Xie Yutai ever spoken such words to keep her?
She had never seen him look so fragile.
“You promised.” Xie Yutai let out a violent cough. Before he could continue, he was cut off by Fu Xingyun.
Fu Xingyun stared at him expressionlessly, his voice calm and completely devoid of emotion: “Even as a stand-in, you don’t deserve her.”
Qin Zhizhi: “…”
She suddenly seemed to understand what those rumors outside were about.