The afternoon breeze brushed against the leaves, carrying a rustling sound like distant waves.
The little white cat slept soundly on a tree branch, the snowy fur on its belly rising and falling with each breath.
Suddenly, sharp whistling sounds cut through the air from a clearing not far away. The kitten rolled over, its paw unconsciously rubbing at its cheek before it slowly opened its sapphire-blue eyes.
It stretched lazily and yawned, then poked its head down to look below.
A young man dressed in black stood in the clearing at the forest’s edge, his dark hair tied high as he practiced sword forms.
He was not circulating true qi, merely performing the most basic sword techniques, yet even the crude wooden sword commonly seen among outer Disciples seemed to produce an effect found nowhere else in the world.
For a sword cultivator like Yu Chengyan, whose understanding of the sword had reached a profound level, watching him practice was already a visual pleasure.
The little cat also loved watching Yu Chengyan practice. In this regard, his habits were rather old-fashioned, less like an immortal cultivator and more like the wandering swordsmen from the mortal tales the kitten had read.
In truth, Yu Chengyan had not experienced such simple enjoyment of swordsmanship for a very long time.
He had begun cultivating under Xie Jianbai at the age of six, and from then on had formed the habit of rising before dawn to practice swordplay. Even when Xie Jianbai was absent, Yu Chengyan still rose on time each day, rain or shine.
When he awoke, the sky was still dark. By the time he finished practicing, Yu Wei was usually still asleep. He would prepare breakfast first before going to wake her, though sometimes she would sleep all the way until lunchtime.
Yu Chengyan cherished those childhood days. Whether he rose in darkness to practice swordplay or sat in meditation to cultivate, his heart was steady, because he knew his mother was at home waiting for him.
After the age of sixteen, he was alone.
Although he cultivated far more desperately than before, there was no longer anyone at home waiting for his return.
Now that sense of peace had finally returned to Yu Chengyan’s heart. While Yu Wei slept, he practiced swordplay and waited for her to wake. Such days were truly precious.
After completing the full set of sword forms and sheathing the sword, the young man walked beneath the tree. He lifted his head and met the kitten’s round eyes, so adorable they stirred tenderness in one’s heart.
“Are you hungry?” Yu Chengyan asked gently.
At the mention of food, the little cat instantly perked up.
It sprang to its feet, ears twitching. Instead of climbing down, it backed up to gather momentum and leapt lightly toward Yu Chengyan.
The small white cat was not naturally brave, but the sense of security Yu Chengyan gave it was so strong that it no longer feared the potential dangers around him.
Yu Chengyan caught it steadily and cradled it in his arms, rubbing its head and ears as a matter of course.
When he went to cook, the kitten refused to get down. Instead, it perched on Yu Chengyan’s shoulder to watch up close, its tail occasionally swatting his back and neck.
To this day, Yu Wei still loved the meals he cooked, which greatly gratified Yu Chengyan. In his childhood, he had never known whether his skills had been lacking or whether Yu Wei had simply grown tired of his cooking, but somehow the dishes he made had once been less appealing to her than the crude snacks sold outside.
Now, watching the girl in human form finish every bite of her lunch, Yu Chengyan felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.
After the meal, however, a new tug-of-war began.
Yu Wei’s current cultivation progress was bleak. She could focus for only a short time, losing concentration in less than half an hour. A day’s cultivation had to be broken into small segments, interspersed with temptations of food and storybooks.
Compared to before, the girl was truly trying her best to cooperate, yet the results were nearly nonexistent.
Yu Chengyan felt a headache coming on. He had been too optimistic.
In his memory, Yu Wei had never truly cultivated, yet she had still reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Combined with his own extraordinary talent, he had assumed that Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment could be achieved within a year or two. He had not expected Yu Wei’s aptitude for cultivation to be so limited.
But it was not entirely the kitten’s fault. For ordinary cultivators, even the introductory Qi Refinement stage often took ten or even twenty or thirty years. How could it possibly be easy?
He had been hesitating over whether to let Yu Wei switch to cultivating as a demon, but when he considered the future prospects of the demon race, he found it difficult to decide.
“I’m tired today. I don’t want to cultivate anymore,” Yu Wei complained as she sprawled on the grass, propping up her chin and idly plucking at blades of grass. She muttered, “These past few days of cultivation have left me with no time to groom properly. I really don’t understand why you all are so obsessed with cultivating…”
Yu Chengyan felt helpless at the sight.
He also thought Yu Wei had indeed worked hard these past few days. Though broken up into intervals, she still managed to cultivate for about an hour each day, which would have been nearly impossible for her before.
When he thought of how she was cooperating like this because she feared the sect would “punish” him, warmth filled his heart.
After a moment’s thought, he said, “How about I take you out to have some fun for a few days? The cultivation world happens to be celebrating a festival recently.”
Go out and play?
Yu Wei’s eyes lit up instantly. She had been in the cultivation world for over a year and had not left the sect even once.
Seeing her happiness brought joy to Yu Chengyan as well.
It was a bit rushed for today, so they agreed to leave the next day.
Back in the dormitory, Yu Wei excitedly told Ning Suyi about it. Ning Suyi had no objections and thought it a good idea. With the protection of a Golden Core expert, letting the little cat see more of the cultivation world might even inspire her to stay and cultivate properly.
All evening, Yu Wei was like a child preparing for her first outing. She reorganized her small cloth bag several times.
Ever since they reconciled that day, although Yu Chengyan had not returned the ring to Ning Suyi, he would occasionally give Yu Wei snacks. After having her stash confiscated once, Yu Wei had developed a lingering fear and a habit of secretly hoarding treats.
Now that she was going out, she carefully packed her snacks into her cloth bag as though counting treasured possessions, only to take them out and rearrange them again and again, thoroughly enjoying herself.
Later that night, when everyone had gone to sleep, Ning Suyi woke in the latter half of the night and happened to glance at the bed beside her, only to see the girl’s wide-awake eyes shining in the moonlight.
Ning Suyi could not help but laugh. After washing her hands, she sat by Yu Wei’s bedside, gently covering her eyes and patting her softly until the girl finally drifted off to sleep.
Early the next morning, Yu Wei woke of her own accord for the first time. Brimming with energy, she slung her small cloth bag over her shoulder and went to the shore to find Yu Chengyan, arriving before him for the very first time.
To avoid any misunderstanding of leaving without notice, Yu Chengyan had informed the Xuantian Sect in advance. As he reached the clearing by the forest, he saw a small figure crouching by the stream, waiting obediently.
Was she truly that excited?
His gaze softened unconsciously.
“Ling Xiao, Ling Xiao!” Yu Wei waved enthusiastically the moment she saw him.
“Let’s go,” Yu Chengyan said gently.
“How are we leaving?” Yu Wei asked curiously. “By flying boat? I came here on a flying boat.”
That had been his original plan. Flying boats were a mature means of transportation in the cultivation world. The better ones were like fully equipped mobile caves, with rooms for resting and even cooking, quite suitable for traveling with Yu Wei.
But seeing her wide-eyed, country-kitten innocence, Yu Chengyan swallowed his previous words and asked kindly, “Would you like to try flying by sword?”
The girl nodded eagerly like a pecking chick.
Yu Chengyan’s natal sword had ascended with him to the Celestial Realm and been tempered into an immortal sword. After returning to this era, however, his cultivation and body had reverted to the Golden Core stage, and his natal sword had disappeared as well. Only a few lesser-used swords remained in his storage ring.
After a moment’s thought, he summoned them all. Five long swords of differing colors and attributes hovered in midair.
“Which one do you like?” he asked.
Faced with so many beautiful and dazzling swords, Yu Wei looked at him with newfound awe.
She chose a sword named Frostblade. True to its name, the blade was icy blue and exceedingly beautiful.
Yu Chengyan raised his brows slightly. The sword she had chosen resembled, in his memory, the sword once carried by Xie Jianbai.
Thinking of that person on such a fine day for an outing was rather spoiling the mood. Yu Chengyan quickly dismissed the thought. With a flick of his fingers, the other swords vanished, while Frostblade gradually enlarged to a size suitable for riding.
Before he could speak, the girl had already hopped onto the sword, curiously looking around and touching everything.
“Stand steady. We’re leaving.”
Yu Chengyan wrapped one arm around her waist as Frostblade soared into the sky.
Flying by sword was far more thrilling than riding a flying boat. Along the way, Yu Wei was too fascinated by the view below to speak, yet she showed no fear of heights.
She had woken so early that she had not eaten breakfast. Yu Chengyan planned to leave the Xuantian Immortal Sect first, find an immortal city for her to eat something, and then switch to a flying boat for the journey.
Ordinarily, large immortal cities surrounded sects, with sects protecting the cities and cities supporting the sects.
However, the Xuantian Sect upheld seclusion and austere cultivation. When Xie Jianbai had chosen its location, he had deliberately picked an extremely remote place. Towering mountains surrounded the sect, inaccessible even to mortals, and the nearest immortal city required a long flight by sword.
When Yu Wei finally grew somewhat tired of gazing at the rivers and mountains below, Yu Chengyan placed a hand on her forehead and gently pulled her upper body back from its precarious lean.
“Don’t look down. I’m going to speed up,” he said. Then, thinking she might be tired from standing so long, he added, “Turn back into a cat. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
Yu Wei was indeed a bit tired. She obediently transformed into a cat and leapt into his arms. To keep her from looking down and growing dizzy, he turned her over and held her like a child, producing a strip of dried meat nearly as long as the kitten and stuffing it into her paws to chew.
The little cat was successfully distracted. Hugging the jerky with both paws, it gnawed away. The meat, however, was extremely tough. After a long while of chewing, it had barely managed to taste it, hardly tearing off a single piece.
Just as it was becoming thoroughly absorbed, Yu Chengyan said, “We’re here.”
So soon?
The kitten’s ears twitched. Suddenly, countless noisy sounds surged toward it. It lifted its head and saw before it a grand immortal city teeming with traffic and people.
Cultivators flew in from all directions on swords and magical treasures. On the ground, puppet carts rumbled as they carried goods, and occasionally someone riding a spirit beast galloped past.
So many people!
The little cat was utterly shaken. It was the first time in its life it had witnessed such a grand scene. As Yu Chengyan guided the sword downward, more and more cultivators appeared nearby.
Suddenly, a cultivator sped past them on a sword at astonishing speed. The white kitten trembled, forgot all about its jerky, and rolled within Yu Chengyan’s arms, shoving its head into the crook of his arm until only its tail remained outside, swishing nervously.
Yu Chengyan felt its small paws pushing at him. Though it made no sound, he instinctively understood what it wanted.
He took out its cloth bag. Before he could even steady it, the white kitten slipped into it like liquid, poking its head over the edge to observe cautiously with only its eyes showing.
With no other choice, Yu Chengyan slung the bag over his shoulder.
Thus, the people in the immortal city saw a peerlessly handsome, cold-faced immortal descending from the sky, with a floral-patterned little cloth bag hanging across his chest.