That one light, careless sentence made Chi Yao's heart instantly sink halfway.
No wonder she'd had such an amorous dream last night—so she really had been bold enough to outright demand a kiss from her senior brother.
Chi Yao didn't care whether she'd succeeded last night; she knew Shen Yu would never have given her that chance.
She only cared whether Shen Yu might have detected her shameful thoughts because of it.
If he truly had, then her senior brother would surely despise her for it.
Perhaps even his earlier suggestion to teach her sword practice had been a way of testing her.
Chi Yao's heart had already sunk to the very bottom.
She felt that all her thoughts had been laid bare before Shen Yu, with nowhere to hide. She could already imagine that when she raised her head again, she would inevitably meet Shen Yu's disgusted gaze.
If that were the case…
Chi Yao's lowered eyes gradually turned frenzied, and the hand hanging at her side drifted toward her Storage Pouch.
If it really was so, then right now she would imprison Shen Yu and kiss him fiercely.
Even if she could only hold him captive for a moment, even if she would suffer severe punishment afterward, she no longer cared at all.
Only one thought remained in her mind.
To press her lips against Shen Yu's and kiss them swollen.
Since you already despise me, then despise me thoroughly, senior brother.
Chi Yao's gaze turned resolute, and as she lifted her head, her fingertips drew ever closer to the Storage Pouch.
Yet the moment her eyes met Shen Yu's, she froze.
There was no disgust on Shen Yu's face as she had expected. Instead, the corners of his mouth seemed to hold a faint hint of a smile, and even the way he looked at her seemed tinged with teasing.
As if he were deliberately toying with her…
"Senior brother…"
Chi Yao suddenly felt at a loss, and the hand about to slip into her Storage Pouch froze as well.
"There's no need to be nervous, junior sister. I know you only spoke carelessly because you were drunk. I haven't taken it to heart."
Shen Yu's tone was as flat as ever, as if this were merely some trivial matter not worth his attention.
Chi Yao stared at Shen Yu in disbelief, her gaze sweeping over his features. Only after confirming there wasn't a trace of anger on his face did her heart finally settle.
Thank goodness—her senior brother hadn't noticed.
Of course. A Scion of Heaven's Favor like her senior brother would surely never care about the drunken nonsense she'd spouted.
A flicker of relief rose in Chi Yao, and when she looked at Shen Yu again, a trace of madness flashed through her eyes.
Senior brother, oh senior brother, how careless you are.
Since he hadn't noticed this time, she would continue plotting in secret, until she had the power to imprison her senior brother.
When that day came, he would surely be shocked and furious.
She truly couldn't wait.
The corners of Chi Yao's red lips curled up secretly, but the moment Shen Yu looked over, she quickly composed herself and hurriedly bowed.
"Thank you for your understanding, senior brother."
"The assessment is approaching. Let me accompany you in sword practice now."
Shen Yu's gaze swept over Chi Yao's slightly upturned lips. As he rose, he waved a hand to put away the qin before him, and then a sword appeared in his hand.
It looked as though he intended to spar with Chi Yao right here.
This made Chi Yao somewhat surprised. "Here?"
She had assumed Shen Yu would take her back to Guiyun Peak to practice, since, apart from their master who was currently in seclusion, only she and Shen Yu were on Guiyun Peak. Practicing there would surely be more convenient than here.
"The scenery here is lovely—suitable for playing the qin or practicing the sword alike."
Shen Yu's gaze swept past Chi Yao toward the distant forest, where a flash of dark color flickered.
Chi Yao, however, paid no attention to any of this. Her mind was entirely occupied with the fact that Shen Yu was going to practice swordplay with her.
In the past, when she had secretly watched Shen Yu practice his sword, she had often fantasized about what it would be like to practice alongside him.
She had thought she would never have such a chance in this lifetime, yet the opportunity had come so quickly—and it was Shen Yu who had offered it himself.
The moment she drew her sword, Chi Yao was so excited that her hands trembled slightly.
"Then I'll be in your care, Senior Brother."
Chi Yao struck first, charging toward Shen Yu.
She had some talent in swordsmanship, and from all her time secretly watching Shen Yu, she had picked up quite a few techniques. Now, her moves even carried a faint shadow of Shen Yu's style.
Under Shen Yu's deliberate guidance, the two of them soon fell into a lively back-and-forth exchange.
One figure in white and one in pink entwined and parted, appearing intimately close.
Meanwhile, in the forest, Ji Jiusi—who had left only to return—stood there, soul-lost, watching the two sparring.
He had originally intended to give up, but halfway there, a foolish hope had risen in him, and he wanted to go back and see whether Chi Yao truly would not keep their appointment.
Who knew that the moment he returned, he would witness this blinding scene.
The excitement and exhilaration on Chi Yao's face—Ji Jiusi saw it all too clearly.
He knew that Chi Yao was thoroughly enjoying herself at this moment.
His swordsmanship was inferior to Chi Yao's; sparring with her could never bring her true satisfaction.
But Shen Yu could.
A wave of loss surged up in him, dimming Ji Jiusi's eyes, and his hand resting on the bamboo unconsciously tightened.
The bamboo pole trembled, setting the leaves rustling softly.
At that same moment, Shen Yu, who was sparring with Chi Yao, immediately looked over—and his gaze met Ji Jiusi's directly.
Ji Jiusi felt an inexplicable pang of guilt, while Shen Yu curled his lips into a faintly mocking smile.
The next moment, Shen Yu deliberately left an opening. Chi Yao couldn't rein in her strength in time, and her sword drove straight toward Shen Yu. Despite her desperate effort to control it, the tip of the blade still grazed the back of Shen Yu's hand, leaving a wound.
"Senior Brother!"
Chi Yao completely forgot any concern about offending Shen Yu. She quickly dropped her sword, seized his injured hand, and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood.
"I'm sorry, Senior Brother. I couldn't hold back my strength just now."
Looking at the wound on Shen Yu's hand, Chi Yao's eyes were full of remorse.
Someone as perfect as her Senior Brother should never bear a scar. It was all her fault.
"It's not your fault, Junior Sister. I was distracted just now."
Shen Yu's eyes flicked lightly toward Ji Jiusi in the distance, his gaze carrying undisguised provocation.
Ji Jiusi's face instantly turned deathly pale. Especially upon seeing the concern written all over Chi Yao's face, he felt in that instant that he had lost completely.
He wanted desperately to rush out and tell Chi Yao that her Senior Brother was far less noble than he appeared.
But he knew all too well that he had no right to say any of it.
Chi Yao knew nothing of the undercurrents surging between the two men. She had only heard Shen Yu's words—that it wasn't her fault.
Her heart trembled uncontrollably.
She remembered three years ago, when Shen Yu had given her the Cultivation Technique—he had been just as patient and gentle as he was now.
It had made her heart pound wildly for him.
He had no idea how dangerous the kindness he showed her truly was. By the time he regretted it, everything would already be too late.
The survival rules Chi Yao had learned since childhood told her that anything she set her sights on, she must obtain by any means necessary—even unscrupulous ones.
And someone as perfect and dazzling as Shen Yu was destined not to belong to her, so she could only resort to the filthiest of methods to have him.
Chi Yao's lowered eyes gradually turned obsessive. She fought hard to suppress the impulse to press her lips to that hand.
After wiping the blood from Shen Yu's face, she forced herself to let go of his hand.
"Perhaps we should stop here for today. Let me take you back, senior brother, to treat your wounds?"
When she raised her eyes again, the madness in Chi Yao's gaze had already faded.
Shen Yu glanced at the disheveled figure fleeing through the bamboo forest, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Very well. Thank you, junior sister."
…
Under Shen Yu's guidance during this period, Chi Yao's swordsmanship had improved by leaps and bounds—at times she could even fight him to a draw.
This greatly boosted Chi Yao's confidence, giving her more assurance about the assessment.
On the day of the assessment, Chi Yao rose early and arrived at the plaza where it was to be held.
It was here that Chi Yao finally saw Ji Jiusi again. After several days apart, he seemed to have changed quite a bit. In the past, whenever he saw Chi Yao, he would rush over immediately, but this time he stood far off to the side, occasionally casting glances her way that were somewhat complicated in nature.
As if he wanted to approach, yet had reservations.
"Martial Nephew Ji, I accidentally overslept that day, which is why I was late for our appointment. I hope you won't hold it against me."
When Ji Jiusi looked over again, Chi Yao seized the opportunity to walk over and explain why she had failed to keep their appointment that day.
Ji Jiusi clearly hadn't expected Chi Yao to come to him. He seemed a bit flustered, his gaze evasive.
"S-so that's how it was. I wasn't upset at all—as it happens, I had matters of my own that day."
"That's good to hear. For today's assessment, I hope you'll achieve a fine result, nephew Ji."
Chi Yao could tell that Ji Jiusi seemed to have something weighing on his mind, but she didn't feel it appropriate to pry, so she could only wish him success in the assessment.
Upon hearing Chi Yao's words, Ji Jiusi's eyes instantly brightened, and his gaze grew resolute.
"Rest assured, martial uncle. I will give it my all."
Seeing Ji Jiusi's fighting spirit restored, Chi Yao's heart settled as well.
But in the next moment, she suddenly sensed a gaze fixed upon her.
Chi Yao instinctively looked up—and met Shen Yu's eyes on the high platform.
Chi Yao was momentarily stunned.
Her senior brother had actually come to observe the assessment.
Chi Yao knew that Shen Yu rarely participated in sect activities. Moreover, this disciple assessment was hardly an important occasion—only a few elders had come to preside over it; even the Sect Master had not appeared.
Chi Yao couldn't fathom Shen Yu's thoughts. The only thing she knew for certain was that Shen Yu could not possibly have come because of her.
Equally puzzled were the elders seated on the high platform.
In the past, they had tried and failed to invite Shen Yu, yet this time he had come uninvited—it was truly strange.
Moreover, after arriving, Shen Yu had kept staring in one direction, his expression growing darker and darker, leaving everyone deeply uneasy.
"Im… Immortal Lord, it's about time. Perhaps we should begin the assessment?"
At last, one of the elders mustered the courage to ask Shen Yu.
"Begin."
At these words, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
One of the elders rose and stepped forward, waving a hand toward the disciples below the stage, and immediately the tokens in the disciples' hands lit up one after another.
The assessment was conducted by lottery, with each disciple drawing a different location. They had to enter their assigned place and complete the corresponding task in order to pass the assessment.
The assessment results would be judged based on each disciple's performance.
The moment the tokens lit up, numerous portals appeared in the void.
The disciples all took their tokens and searched for their corresponding portals.
Shen Yu's gaze remained fixed on that flash of pink in the crowd. When he saw Chi Yao take her token and enter one of the portals, his face suddenly darkened.
"Elder Pei, you opened the Linyuan Secret Realm."
Elder Pei, who had just turned back, was startled by Shen Yu's words. Meeting Shen Yu's slightly furious eyes, he instantly felt a pang of guilt.
"Y-yes… Since Chi Yao was able to become Immortal Venerable Yun Yi's disciple, she must have exceptional qualities, so I wanted to test just how strong she really is."
"Of course she has exceptional qualities, but it's not your place to test her." Shen Yu's tone carried undisguised anger.
The Linyuan Secret Realm was the most dangerous of all the realms used in disciple assessments. In hundreds of years, it had only been opened once—during his own assessment.
In all assessments since then, as long as no disciple requested it, the Linyuan Secret Realm would never be opened.
Elder Pei's actions were clearly improper.
Elder Pei had never expected Shen Yu to care so much about this junior sister of his. Facing the already enraged Shen Yu, he stood to the side like a frightened quail, not daring to say another word.
For a moment, the surroundings fell utterly silent. The other elders didn't even dare breathe too loudly.
Shen Yu's eyes swept over everyone before finally settling back on Elder Pei.
"Open the realm's entrance."
This statement stunned everyone, who all looked at Shen Yu in shock.
"Immortal Lord, this is improper! Although the Linyuan Secret Realm is dangerous, if you go in to assist her, wouldn't that destroy the fairness of the assessment?"
One of the elders immediately spoke up to stop him.
But the moment those words left his mouth, Shen Yu's gaze swept over to him.
"My junior sister will naturally win fair and square."
Shen Yu rose directly to his feet and waved a hand to open the entrance to the Linyuan Secret Realm. Before entering, he turned back to look at Elder Pei.
"As for you—I'll settle accounts with you when I return."
As Shen Yu's voice fell, Elder Pei's face gradually turned deathly pale. He looked at the other elders with a mournful expression.
"Strange, though. The Linyuan Secret Realm is dangerous, but it's not lethal. Why would the Immortal Lord be so anxious, and fly into such a rage?"
"No wonder you can't find a dao companion."
At this, an elder who was on good terms with Elder Pei stepped forward and patted his shoulder, and Elder Pei's expression grew even more bewildered.
That elder sighed in exasperation, as if mourning his friend's hopelessness. "The Immortal Lord is so anxious, naturally, because he's in love with his junior sister. In all these hundreds of years, have you ever seen him this anxious over anyone else?"
Elder Pei suddenly understood—but almost immediately, he felt as if the sky had collapsed.
Now the Immortal Lord would surely not let him off when he returned.