“Since you have found the disciple you were looking for, she will be under your supervision from now on and need not follow the outer sect’s arrangements,” Gu Guangming said with a faint smile. “When you have time, bring her to the main peak for me to see. I am rather curious about what kind of person your opportunity is.”
Yu Chengyan had no desire for Yu Wei to attract attention. He wanted nothing more than to hide her away carefully, guarding her like a dragon protecting its treasure, keeping anyone from drawing near.
Yet meeting Gu Guangming was unavoidable. Maintaining a respectful exterior, he said, “Because of her identity, she has been bullied quite a bit and has become rather sensitive and wary. Once my relationship with her has improved, I will bring her to see Sect Master at once.”
Gu Guangming nodded and did not press further.
If Yu Wei had possessed remarkable talent, he might have taken greater interest. But upon hearing that she was an unremarkable outer sect disciple of mixed blood, he could not help but look down on her somewhat and lost much of his curiosity.
After a long and busy day, Yu Chengyan returned to the outer sect mountain near dusk. At their agreed meeting place, he did not see Yu Wei. Instead, he found Ning Suyi.
She stood quietly beneath a tree, her back straight. From afar, she carried the resilient and tranquil air of bamboo.
Her features were gentle by nature, yet she possessed a pair of phoenix eyes that lent her beauty a sharp brilliance. Among the outer sect, where most disciples were of ordinary background and aptitude, her appearance was indeed rare. It was no wonder the silly cat was so fond of her.
When Yu Chengyan approached, he cupped his fists in greeting. “Miss Ning.”
Ning Suyi had waited here intending to speak with him privately.
She knew that the sect would entrust Yu Wei entirely to this prodigy before her. But Yu Wei was not like ordinary girls. She was far too simple and naïve. The thought of her suddenly spending her days in close proximity to a man naturally worried Ning Suyi.
Moreover, she had long regarded the little cat demon as her own younger sister. For the past year she had indulged and doted on her. No one understood Yu Wei’s spoiled laziness better than Ning Suyi.
The girl was straightforward. When she was happy, she was happy. When she disliked something, she said so. She had no guile whatsoever and spoke her mind regardless of who stood before her. Ning Suyi feared that she might offend this prodigy with careless words.
She had intended to offer a few polite requests in private, asking Yu Chengyan to be more accommodating. Yet each time he met her, his attitude was exceedingly courteous, even bordering on overly respectful, nothing like a Daojun on the verge of reaching the Nascent Soul stage.
Seeing how polite he was, the flattering words she had prepared became useless. She hesitated before saying, “You are too courteous. I have a few words I would like to entrust to Daojun…”
“Miss Ning, there is no need for such modesty,” Yu Chengyan replied gently. “I understand your concerns. Yu Wei is the opportunity for my breakthrough. I will naturally treat her well. I have raised spirit cats before and know they can be willful. You need not worry about that.”
Before Ning Suyi could respond, he added decisively, “I swear upon the Heavenly Dao and my cultivation that I will treat Yu Wei as family. If I harbor any improper or harmful intentions toward her, may I be struck by lightning and meet a wretched end.”
His words caught Ning Suyi off guard.
Cultivators rarely swore oaths lightly. In the unseen workings of heaven and earth, such vows carried binding force. To mortals who lived brief lives, it might not matter, but for cultivators it could truly affect their path.
The more gifted the cultivator, the more cautious they were with their words, lest they jeopardize their Great Dao. For Yu Chengyan to swear so cleanly and without hesitation meant he truly had nothing to hide and left himself no retreat.
This sincerity left even the normally distrustful Ning Suyi at a loss for words. She assumed he was simply eager for his breakthrough, but regardless, his oath eased her heart.
“Then I will trouble Daojun in the future,” she sighed. “I hope you successfully advance to the Nascent Soul stage.”
“Miss Ning, you need not be so formal. Just call me Ling Xiao.”
Whenever Yu Chengyan saw her behaving so respectfully, a chill crept up his spine. By seniority, Ning Suyi had been his mother’s close friend. When he was very young, he had even acknowledged her as a godmother.
Moreover… After Yu Wei’s death, it had been Ning Suyi who handled her funeral arrangements personally.
The sudden surge of memory left him unsettled. Yu Chengyan closed his eyes briefly, forcing down the turbulent emotions before saying, “Miss Ning, why don’t the three of us gather for dinner tonight? I grew up living in seclusion in the mountains and am quite skilled at cooking.”
Ning Suyi had no reason to refuse.
After parting with Yu Chengyan, she walked back deep in thought.
She could not trust him completely at once, yet she had begun to realize that this young man seemed different from the aristocratic heirs and prodigies she had known. He had no airs, was well-mannered and polite, and showed not the slightest trace of hypocrisy.
Ning Suyi was not someone who trusted easily, least of all a male cultivator who would soon grow close to Yu Wei. And yet, for reasons she could not explain, she found herself wanting to believe Yu Chengyan.
How strange.
Before speaking privately with Yu Chengyan, she had asked Yu Wei to wait beneath a massive tree where they often rested. Located halfway up the mountain, it had been cleared by outer sect disciples as a resting spot, with benches arranged in a circle beneath the tree.
When Ning Suyi returned, she did not see the girl below.
She approached the tree and looked up. Sure enough, nestled among the branches was a small snow-white cat, its tail swishing unhappily. Its bright blue eyes gazed down at her with what seemed like faint resentment.
Seeing the little creature, Ning Suyi could not help but smile. “Xiao Wei, still angry?”
“Meow!” the white cat called unhappily.
Unable to speak human words in cat form, she transformed back into a girl.
The branch had been wide enough for a small animal, but once the cat became a young woman, it looked dangerously cramped, making Ning Suyi’s heart jump.
“Xiao Wei, come down and talk. Be good.”
“I am not coming down. I do not want to cultivate!” Yu Wei lay draped over the branch, her cheek pressed against the trunk as she sulked. “I do not like that guy anymore. I do not want to see him!”
When they first met, Yu Wei had actually felt a bit favorable toward the strange fellow. After all, Yu Chengyan was handsome and smelled quite agreeable to her senses. But now that goodwill had vanished.
He had conspired with Ah Ning to harm the poor little cat, stripping her of her right to slack off. He was simply too bad.
“Xiao Wei.” Ning Suyi sighed helplessly. “Do not speak of Ling Xiao like that. He is even inviting you to dinner.”
At the mention of food, Yu Wei’s ears twitched. Then she let out a huff and turned her head away, refusing to look at Ning Suyi.
Though she knew Yu Wei was genuinely upset, the sight of her still made Ning Suyi want to laugh.
Cats came in all temperaments. In the past, Yu Wei had been clingy and greedy for food, but she had a good temper. Though spoiled, she had never been aggressive and rarely grew angry.
This was the first time she had shown such willful feline pride.
What to do? She seemed even cuter now.
Changing the subject, Ning Suyi said, “By the way, did I not tell you not to reveal your cat form in the sect? You are quite bold. People come and go here. What if someone sees you?”
The guileless little cat was easily distracted as always. She immediately turned back and replied with complete justification, “That strange fellow said the sect rules do not forbid me from returning to my original form.”
Ning Suyi felt even more helpless.
When told to cultivate, she would not listen. When told she could turn into a cat, she took it to heart at once. The silly cat truly never missed a chance to take advantage of what pleased her.
Though Yu Wei was sulking, she was no match for Ning Suyi. After a few gentle words, Ning Suyi coaxed her down from the tree and followed the directions Yu Chengyan had left on the jade token.
According to the token, they made their way to a small stream. Coincidentally, the place Yu Chengyan had chosen was the very secret resting spot Yu Wei and Ning Suyi frequented.
There was a water source, a small clearing, and woods behind it. The scenery was pleasant and quiet.
Yu Wei’s nose was keen. From a distance she caught the aroma of meat, fresh and rich and irresistibly fragrant. Her steps quickened at once.
Passing through the trees, they lifted their heads and froze.
The once-empty clearing by the water now held a blazing campfire with a pot suspended above it, something simmering within, its scent filling the air. Skewers of meat roasted nearby.
Beside the rustic fire stood a table, evidently a culinary artifact. With his back to them, Yu Chengyan worked deftly over a wok, tossing it with practiced ease.
Yu Wei nearly fainted from craving, completely forgetting their previous “grievances.” She skipped to his side and coaxed sweetly, “Good friend, what are you making?”
As she spoke, her hand stealthily reached toward the chopped raw meat on the table.
Though Yu Chengyan’s attention was on the wok, he seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. Without looking, he lightly smacked away her wandering hand and smoothly handed her a plate of cut fruit instead.
Yu Wei was not picky. Cradling the plate, she stood obediently to the side and began eating, causing no further trouble.
The young man turned slightly. The flames beneath the wok illuminated his handsome features. When he looked at Yu Wei, the dancing firelight seemed to melt the perennial frost in his eyes.
His gaze was focused and gentle, with a hint of indulgence beneath that gentleness. Yet his voice remained cool and magnetic. “Good friend, my name is Ling Xiao.”
He could tell at a glance that his mother had not remembered his name at all.
Mouth full of fruit, Yu Wei gave a muffled response.
Yu Chengyan knew she still had not remembered. Worried that oil might splatter on her, he lowered the flame and said, “Go sit and eat. It will be ready soon.”
Yu Wei was always most obedient when being fed. Holding her plate, she went to sit beside Ning Suyi.
Ning Suyi’s expression was complicated.
With a sword in hand, Yu Chengyan seemed like an immortal descended from the heavens, aloof and unattainable. Who could have imagined he also possessed such a domestic and down-to-earth side?
Even stranger was the inexplicable harmony between him and Yu Wei, almost… too harmonious.
Ning Suyi could not help recalling the earlier scene. The handsome young man and the beautiful, naïve girl had formed a picture so pleasing to the eye.
Her brows drew together as an absurd yet oddly reasonable thought surfaced in her mind.
Could it be… that Xiao Wei was Daojun’s illegitimate daughter?