The sect recruitment proceeded as scheduled. Shi Che left behind the words “See you at Xuanqing Sect,” bid farewell to Xue Zhun, and vanished without a trace.
Rumors spread that on the very first day of Xuanqing Sect’s recruitment, a prodigious female cultivator arrived, ascending the ninety-nine steps in just two strides, astonishing everyone.
One group remarked, “She’s impressive, but still not as good as the Young Lord.”
Another countered, “She’s almost on par with him. Who’s to say she won’t surpass him in the future?”
The discussion quickly escalated into an argument, nearly turning into a fight. However, with the literary and painting attendants dispatched by the Starry Sky Pavilion watching closely and ready to report, they refrained from coming to blows.
Otherwise, those unscrupulous tabloids would once again claim that Xuanqing Sect was plagued by internal discord and frequent brawls, and they’d have a hard time explaining themselves to their masters back home.
New disciples underwent unified training for the time being, without specialization. Both the Carefree and Ruthless Sword Paths sent representatives to persuade Xue Zhun to join their respective factions.
Xue Zhun handled them diplomatically, but his eyes lit up when he caught sight of a familiar figure in his peripheral vision. “Young Lord!” he exclaimed excitedly, rushing over to strike up a conversation. The disciples from the Carefree Sword Path who had been surrounding him felt their hearts sink halfway.
Great, another admirer of Shi Li. Judging by this enthusiasm, this one would likely choose the Ruthless Sword Path.
Shi Li paused and waited for him, though he held little hope. He asked perfunctorily, “Interested in the Ruthless Sword?”
Xue Zhun scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. “I’d really like to learn, but I studied a bit of everything when I was younger, so it’s hard to switch now.”
Shi Li replied, “Understood.”
He had already determined that this was a Carefree Sword cultivator trained from childhood, though he didn’t know which Sword Master had taught him.
Xue Zhun still wanted to chat more and shifted his focus to Shi Li’s attire, flattering him, “Even though it’s the same sect uniform, the Young Lord stands out in a crowd. I remember reading an issue of the Starry Sky Pavilion tabloid that said it’s because of the Young Lord’s transcendent aura even a mass-produced sect uniform looks like something ordinary people can’t afford when he wears it, making him shine brighter than anyone else.”
Shi Li’s lips curved slightly.
In truth, this set of clothes was indeed something ordinary people couldn’t afford.
When Shi Li first received the sect uniform, he replaced the fabric from head to toe. All the materials and accessories were swapped with the rarest mermaid silk and expensive jade iron. Though it looked identical to the standard uniform, once worn and compared, the subtle, undeniable effect was unmatched.
The brilliance they saw wasn’t due to the Young Lord’s transcendent aura it was because such expensive materials were meant to shine.
“By the way, Young Lord, have you heard from Brother Che? It’s been days since I last saw him. I wonder if he’s made it up the mountain.”
Shi Li didn’t want anyone to know he was pulling strings behind the scenes.
“Shi Che has some matters to attend to recently. He’ll be here before the recruitment ends.”
The recruitment lasted nearly ten days.
On the final day, after the busy schedule concluded, Shi Li returned home.
He lived in a secluded estate within Xuanqing Sect. The property was spacious, with an open courtyard, empty on all sides. In the center stood a stone table, and a few wildflowers grew in the corners. Looking up, one could see the stars and moon shining brightly together.
In his room, there was a pot of pure white tree peonies. Every night when he returned home, he would first move the flowers outside and place them on the stone table in the courtyard to bask in the moonlight.
Back then, he didn’t yet have the phantom demon to keep him company. Sometimes, when he didn’t feel like sleeping, he would stand in the courtyard, feeling the cool breeze, and confide in the moon and flowers all night long.
His words were casual, touching on everything like how he was stepped on and cursed as a child, which made him particularly fond of stepping on others as an adult, or how if anyone dared to stew his little turtle, he wouldn’t hesitate to chop off their fingers.
The older he grew, the more he felt that the entire star realm was filled with useless trash. He wanted to trample everyone except his master underfoot, to stand higher than the Chaotic Snow Peak and look down on them, just as he had as a child, crouching in the corner of the courtyard watching ants, holding a bowl of water in his hand life and death, reward and punishment, all at the whim of a single thought.
When he poured water into the ant nest, he would imagine a great flood submerging the entire estate, washing away all the laughter, noise, curses, and insults, along with the pungent scent of cosmetics and the thick, milky odor.
The thought made him dizzy, even nauseous. How could there be so many of them? Pale, plump, noisy as children, crying every day, then growing up one by one, becoming filthy, malicious tiny hands that couldn’t even hold a spoon yet had already learned to slap others.
Their father sat in the head of the family’s seat, surrounded by a crowd of flattering, voluptuous women, like an insatiable male dog.
As a child, Shi Li often wondered: if this man clearly preferred such women, liked them baring their chests and breasts, kneeling and begging for mercy, why had he forced himself to endure and live with a strong, dominant woman in the first place?
It wasn’t until he grew older that he understood some people were born as worthless mud, and if they wanted to rise, they could only cling to someone cleaner and nobler than themselves.
Once they succeeded in turning their fortunes, their former benefactor became their enemy, because her existence constantly reminded them that they had once been worthless mud, and every past act of kneeling and flattery became a thorn rooted deep in their hearts.
Shi Li was also a thorn first the fruit of their love, then the object of their shared disgust.
In the estate, a dozen or so concubines found him an eyesore, and his father didn’t even want to see him. Sometimes, he couldn’t tell which was more terrifying the malicious younger siblings or the clinging little demon ghosts.
He went to the dungeon, where his mother used the iron chains binding her wrists to strangle his neck, roughly wiping away his tears, telling him not to be afraid. In this estate, people were ghosts, and the way you killed ghosts was the same way you killed people.
But he didn’t dare kill ghosts, much less people. He was terrified, hiding under tables, inside clothing chests no matter where he went, he was always found and dragged out.
Sharp laughter echoed in his ears, countless blurred, grotesque faces swam before his eyes, and once again, he couldn’t tell whether the beings before him were human or ghost.
Shi Li felt a slight headache and didn’t want to speak anymore. Staring at the pot of tree peony, he decided on his own that it had soaked up enough moonlight and picked it up to return to his room. Suddenly, a voice sounded beside his ear.
“I think,” Shi Che stood next to him, “you should talk less to the flowers. It makes you seem like a lunatic. Aren’t you afraid the flowers might grow ears and hear everything about you?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the head of the tree peony trembled almost imperceptibly.
“They’ve already heard everything. A few more words won’t make a difference.” Shi Li picked up the flowerpot and walked toward his room without looking back, asking Shi Che, who followed behind, “Who gave you permission to slack off?”
“I’ve been working for you all day. Can’t I come out for some fresh air?”
“No.” Shi Li dragged him to the door and pushed him inside. “Finish your work first.”
Shi Che stepped into the room, cluttered with messy scrolls and documents, then looked back at the silver-robed young lord standing gracefully outside, holding the flower. Helplessly, he said, “With so much official business, not only do you not help when you return, but you don’t even leave me an assistant. I’m really exhausted.”
For the past few days, Shi Li had hidden the phantom demon, leaving him to work alone.
Shi Che planned to take the backdoor route, bypassing the sect’s recruitment process, yet seamlessly blending in with the new disciples. The best method was to first stay at Shi Li’s place and then slip him in when the time was ripe.
Shi Li didn’t let him stay for free. Coincidentally, right after the sect’s recruitment ended, the Sword Fate Exchange Conference was about to begin. Every notable sect in the Star Realm would send representatives, and all the documents and records had piled up at Shi Li’s place, leaving him swamped with work.
“No choice,” Shi Li said, leaning against the doorframe with a potted plant in his arms, as there was no space left to step inside. “I don’t dare leave the two of you alone at home, so I’m afraid you’ll have to manage on your own.”
Shi Che cleared a small patch of space on the table and began stacking the scrolls from the floor onto it. “Don’t you trust me?”
Shi Li shot him a glance. “Are you trustworthy?”
Shi Che chuckled. “What’s there to worry about? The moment you leave, I’ll pin him to the table and kiss him. Once he learns, he’ll be ready to practice with you when you return.”
The topic seemed to energize him. He set down the scrolls, walked to the doorframe, and fixed his gaze on Shi Li’s lips from behind his mask, his voice lowering slightly. “Have you two kissed yet?”
Annoyed by the sudden intrusion, Shi Li held the plant between them. “What’s it to you?”
“If he kisses you and even slips his tongue in, don’t doubt it I taught him that.”
Shi Li glared coldly. “Do you have a death wish?”
“I’m tired,” Shi Che said. “I need someone to recharge me. Call him out and let him kiss me.”
“Impossible.”
“If he’s not here, you’ll do.” Shi Che reluctantly leaned forward, one hand propped against the doorframe, as if he really intended to kiss him.
Shi Li knew he was just venting his frustration and likely wouldn’t actually go through with it. He tilted his head slightly, letting the warm breath brush against his face, and was about to suggest they work together inside when hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside.
Shi Li shoved the potted plant into Shi Che’s arms, pushed him into the room, and swiftly closed the door behind him.
Just then, the main door swung open, and someone stepped inside. “Senior Brother!”
Shi Li frowned. “Zhong Ling, stop right there.”
Zhong Ling had already taken three steps into the courtyard. Hearing this, he leaped back outside the gate, clinging to the doorframe in a panic. “There’s no time, Senior Brother! Is your Spirit Talisman broken? I just received a message from Master she said she couldn’t reach you and wants you to enter the trial realm with the top hundred new disciples. It’s almost midnight, and the realm is about to close!”
From the moment Zhong Ling mentioned the Spirit Talisman, Shi Li’s eyes quickly scanned his face. After listening, he replied calmly, “Understood.”
“But.” Zhong Ling, seeing his lack of urgency, was on the verge of tears. “If we run now, we can still make it. Senior Brother, the realm is about to close ”
Shi Li cut him off. “Go rest, or head to Inquiry Island to practice your sword. Now, disappear from my sight.”
Zhong Ling fell silent, shrinking back halfway and quietly closing the main door.
At the same time, the door behind Shi Li opened, and Shi Che stepped out, sighing. “Just as I thought. Even telling you to replace your Spirit Talisman in advance was useless it still broke when it was meant to.”
Shi Li was already checking the Spirit Talisman, a communication tool bound to his consciousness, visible only to him.
It was indeed broken, even though it had been fine before he returned home.
On the very first day Shi Che moved in, he had warned Shi Li that the sect’s recruitment period would be turbulent and that this was only the beginning of a streak of misfortunes.
Back then, he had said, “There’s someone you need to watch out for.”
Shi Li had pressed for details but got no answer. Only now did he realize Shi Che had been referring to Zhong Ling.
“So, Master didn’t actually order me to go to the trial realm.”
“Right,” Shi Che leaned against the doorframe, looking up at the sky with a hint of melancholy. “Going there brings bad luck. If I could do it over, I definitely wouldn’t go.”
“Let’s go.” Shi Li grabbed his wrist.
Shi Che was dragged out of the room. “You’re going?”
“I’m curious about who’s scheming against me and what kind of scheme could bring me such misfortune,” Shi Li glanced back at him, “misfortune that you’ve been dwelling on for so many years.”
Shi Che was reluctant but didn’t resist, letting himself be pulled along. His tone was listless. “Isn’t this just asking for trouble?”
“Aren’t you here with me?”
“You trust me that much? What if I can’t help you?”
“You can.”
Shi Che laughed. “Alright, consider this you asking for my help. You’ll have to repay me afterward.”
Shi Li: “Anything but kissing.”
Shi Che: “I want a kiss.”
They spoke almost simultaneously.
Shi Li said seriously, “I can’t possibly offer him as a reward just to ask for your help. That would be no different from a beast.”
“It’s not that serious. He’d clearly be happy about it.”
Shi Li sneered. “That makes it even worse.”
The more willing the illusion spirit was, the more he had to guard against it. That silly radish couldn’t tell their souls apart and was equally affectionate toward both of them. With Shi Che being so improper, he didn’t even dare imagine what might happen if he left them alone together.
Taking a shortcut, the two slipped into the realm just before it closed.