The terrace before the Transmission Pavilion was paved in a single unbroken slab of white jade, washed by spiritual energy the year round, so that it was warm and yielding underfoot and not cold in the least.
The outer sect disciple who kept the pavilion had been waiting at the center of the steps for some time, and the moment he saw Chu Qingxue come up in her white robes he bowed with his head down and his back very low.
"I greet the Saintess."
His gaze went quickly across the thoroughly uncomfortable Lin Jin beside her, in his ill-fitting moon-white practice robes, and then hurried away again, his tone deferential.
"Elder Yue instructed me an hour ago to wait here for you, so this must be Junior Brother Lin? If the two of you will follow me — we register the roll in the side hall first, then go on to the spirit-testing platform."
Chu Qingxue's fingertips closed on her sleeve without her meaning it, and a wave of irritation went through her.
Yue Qingshuang truly was a ghost that would not be exorcised. She had only just decided to bring Lin Jin here to be tested, and the woman had already stationed someone in place ahead of her, as though every move she made had been reckoned out in advance and there was not the smallest room left to keep anything to herself.
She pressed the impatience down, and her voice came out cool and flat.
"Where is Elder Yue?"
The disciple's body stiffened slightly. He scratched at the back of his neck, his expression turning awkward, and his answer came out haltingly.
"The Elder said... she had gone to discuss a matter with the Sect Master. Before she left she gave particular instructions that if the Saintess asked after her, I was to tell you that she has gone to negotiate on your behalf, for your sake."
Chu Qingxue had no answer to that, and stood where she was for a long moment without a word, a vein ticking faintly at her temple.
Lin Jin, listening from beside her, was thoroughly lost, and he blinked twice and stole a sideways look at the unhappy face next to him.
It did not take much working out. This Elder Yue was a person Senior Sister had not the slightest patience for.
He took half a step forward, putting himself at Chu Qingxue's flank, and raised his voice to the disciple.
"No need to trouble yourself with guiding us. Senior Sister has her own arrangements. We can see to the registration and the testing ourselves."
The disciple sent to receive them panicked on the spot, standing there at a loss with both hands worrying at his hem, caught between two fires.
"But... but the Elder gave particular instructions, and if I fail to see it done I will hardly escape a reprimand when I go back..."
Chu Qingxue let out the breath she had been holding and cut the tug-of-war short.
"It is nothing. Lead the way as you were told."
The disciple was on the point of answering when a set of calm, light footsteps came from behind them, together with a warm and pleasant man's voice.
"You may withdraw, junior brother. I will accompany Qingxue from here."
Chu Qingxue turned toward the voice.
A man came walking unhurriedly up the steps below, in close-fitting silver-white robes worked with a lightning pattern, his hair bound with a jade pin that set off a mild and even set of features, his carriage upright, every word and movement carrying the courteous modesty peculiar to the son of a great house, with none of the rough belligerence of the ordinary sect cultivator.
Her mind hunted at speed through the memories the original owner had left her.
Lei Wujie. Only son of Lei Luo, Master of Thundercry Peak; first personally taught disciple of that peak; peak Foundation Establishment; one of the two or three finest prodigies of his generation.
Though set beside her own late Golden Core at twenty, he still fell some way short. Five months ago this man had gone out on a mission to hunt down devil cultivators, and had only returned to the sect within the last day or two.
Seeing her look at him and go still, Lei Wujie let a mild, gentle warmth spread behind his eyes, came two steps closer, and spoke in a tone that was almost impossibly tender.
"Qingxue, why do you look at me like that? Has it been so long that you no longer recognize me?"
Chu Qingxue came back to herself, gathered up the disorder in her mind, and spoke mildly, her face still holding that cool and distant cast.
"What brings Senior Brother Lei to the Transmission Pavilion?"
Lei Wujie's gaze drifted lightly across Lin Jin, and for one instant every trace of that warmth drained out of it, leaving something sharp behind that was gone almost before it could be seen; then it settled back on Chu Qingxue's face and the gentle smile was heaped up again.
"I had only just been to the Enforcement Hall to hand in the records from this mission. It has been a long while since I saw you and you have been on my mind. After I came back I heard that four months ago you were ambushed by three Nascent Soul devil cultivators and gravely hurt, and I have not been easy about it since. Today I happened to catch a disciple's message while I was out, and learned you were coming to the Transmission Pavilion, so I came straight over."
As he spoke he took a carved wooden box from his storage pouch and held it out to Chu Qingxue in both hands.
"Inside are several spirit herbs suited to a Golden Core cultivator for strengthening the root and nourishing the meridians. It is purely a gift for your injuries and there is nothing else behind it, so this time do not refuse it again."
Chu Qingxue weighed it privately.
Faced with Lei Wujie, the original owner had always turned him down coldly and would not accept a single object from his hand. And what occupied this body now was Chu Yang, who was a man, and who was awkward to the bottom of his soul about handling a suitor of this kind.
She was on the point of declining when the edge of her vision caught Lei Wujie's gaze fixed hard on Lin Jin again, the pressure of it settling over him like a weight.
Lin Jin's whole body went stiff and the back of his neck tightened.
Any other time he would have stuck his neck out and shot back what are you staring at, never seen a handsome man before? But the man's Foundation Establishment pressure was pressing down on him for real, and even his flesh felt heavy with it.
He quietly shut his mouth, pushed the resentment down, and edged half a step aside, unwilling to add the smallest trouble to Chu Qingxue's day.
Chu Qingxue took all of this in, and a small chill went through her.
Lei Wujie held the Enforcement Hall's authority in his hands. To refuse him outright now would only breed resentment in him, and he would turn around and investigate Lin Jin's origins in private, which introduced more variables than she could afford. Better to accept for the moment, and explain Lin Jin's identity properly, and put out the groundless suspicion at the bottom of the man's mind.
She raised a hand and took the box, her fingertips brushing its side, her tone even and measured.
"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Lei. I will accept the herbs. When Senior Brother comes to the Golden Core barrier in future, I will prepare the appropriate pills in return, and wish you an early breakthrough."
Light burst behind Lei Wujie's eyes on the instant, and the knot he had been carrying the whole way here was swept clean out of him. Even his voice lightened as he waved both hands.
"There is no need, no need at all, Qingxue. That you are willing to accept it is satisfaction enough for me."
Chu Qingxue turned to the side as the moment allowed, gestured toward Lin Jin beside her, and volunteered the explanation.
"This is the man from another world who appeared with the phenomenon at the Jade Pool's spirit spring yesterday. I am bringing him here today to have his spirit root tested; if his aptitude proves adequate, he can be taken in as an outer sect disciple and put to the Ethereal Sword Sect's use."
At that, Lei Wujie let out a long, heavy breath, and the heart that had hung in him the whole way finally came to rest.
Hearing Zhou Cheng at the outer sect lodge inventing that nonsense about someone having privately settled a betrothal with Qingxue had left him carrying a bellyful of fire the whole way. Learning now that it was only an otherworld mortal the sect intended to make use of, the tension went out of his shoulders and back at once, and the smile on his face gained a measure of sincerity.
"A visitor from another world, then. The old records have long held that people of other worlds are unbound by the fetters of this heaven and earth, and that their comprehension in cultivation is often exceptionally blessed. As for the testing, why not let me lead the way, and save the two of you a good deal of trouble."
He raised a hand, drew a small pouch of low-grade spirit stones from his storage pouch, and pressed it into the waiting disciple's hand.
"Thank you for waiting here so long, junior brother. Go back and tell Elder Yue that I will accompany the Saintess from here, and she need not trouble herself over it."
The disciple cradled the spirit stones and bowed hurriedly.
"As Senior Brother Lei instructs. This disciple will go and report."
With that he turned and walked briskly away down the white jade steps.
Only the three of them were left on the terrace. Lei Wujie raised a hand in a gesture of invitation, warmth and a smile in his eyes.
"Shall we, Lady Saintess. Follow me inside."
There was nothing Chu Qingxue could do about it. She could only gather up her hem and walk in through the open vermilion gates into the Transmission Pavilion.
Lin Jin followed behind the pair of them, stealing looks left and right at Lei Wujie's upright back, and muttered inwardly.
This Lei Wujie looks as gentle as a thoroughly nice gentleman, and the look he gave me just now was exactly like a vengeful ghost about to peel a man open and see through him. Genuinely frightening.
He quietly edged a little closer to Chu Qingxue's side, and put several more steps between himself and the prodigy of Thundercry Peak.