For a fleeting instant, Fu Jinyue had assumed he would utter a line like “please behave with self-respect.” Yet, this man merely gazed at her placidly, his expression detached, entirely waveless and unmoving, his heart as still as stagnant water.
The hand that had been interlocked between her fingers slowly withdrew, and Fu Jinyue detected not a single shred of reluctance from him.
Yun Heyin’s line of sight bypassed her shoulder, landing upon the desk. “Fellow Daoist Fu should still prioritize the basic Water Formula. The Source Talisman can wait for future refinement.”
Exceedingly dull.
Fu Jinyue harbored a sense of displeasure akin to landing a punch into thin air on cotton, her face devoid of interest, when she suddenly paused.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the man’s hand concealed beneath his sleeve. His slightly exposed fingertips were actually curling up, lightly touching and rubbing against each other, as if hiddenly reminiscing about the sensation.
For a moment, she found it both amusing and intriguing.
An itch rose within her heart, wanting to provoke him further.
However, Fu Jinyue had always known how to assess the situation, understanding the principle that going too far was as bad as falling short, so she merely watched and let it be. She focused her mind on the lesson. Whether it was spells or talismans, she learned them rapidly, comprehending everything at a single mention, as if born with the knowledge.
Even Yun Heyin, who was constantly referred to as possessing exceptional talent, cast a sidelong glance over.
Fu Jinyue: The eyes hooded by the soup of oblivion have finally opened. Yes, I am a genius. Proud.JPG
Unfortunately, it wasn’t until the next day when she gripped a sword that she learned what it meant to achieve nothing despite utmost effort, and what it meant for Heaven to be fair.
Fu Jinyue’s comprehension when it came to sword techniques was exceptionally dismal.
Within the courtyard, Sinian and Siyan, who were pretending to sweep and clean, frequently cast sidelong glances over. This time, the habitually steady Yun Heyin was forcefully suppressing the veins throbbing at his temples. Watching Fu Jinyue’s messy and chaotic stance, he once again struck it down with his sword.
The wooden sword lacked an edge, yet knocking against her tiger’s mouth still brought a faint ache.
“The tiger’s mouth must press close against the sword guard.” The tip of Yun Heyin’s sword tapped against her hand, knocking it. “The wrist must brace straight to exert force.”
Fu Jinyue herself was holding back a breath. Her coordination wasn’t poor, yet practicing the sword felt as though she were shrouded by a layer of cloth. The cloth over the talismans drifted away at a single touch, while the cloth over the sword techniques felt heavy and ancient.
A block of dead cloth entangled her hands and feet, leaving her unable to open up.
In contrast, Yun Heyin’s demonstration appeared far more elegant and unconstrained. His cleaving sword strokes were sharp, his thrusts swift, and his sword play flowed smoothly like moving clouds and flowing water. His dark hair drifted lightly with the wind behind him, his pure white robes fluttering. Beneath the sunlight, that face resembling carved jade was enveloped by a misty halo, like gold leaf overlaying snow.
Fu Jinyue took it all in, feeling even more indignant.
She tossed the sword aside. “This doesn’t suit me. Senior, is there any other weapon you can teach?”
—I don’t want to learn the sword!
—Mother, why must I learn the sword?
Words from her childhood surfaced abruptly.
No clues could be discerned from Yun Heyin’s expression, his tone calm: “Practicing the sword brooks no impetuosity.”
He retrieved the wooden sword from the ground, reversing its head and tail. Offering the wooden hilt toward Fu Jinyue, he said, “Calm your mind and govern your breath, abandon arrogance and dispel impetuosity. Try again.”
Fu Jinyue genuinely felt the sword was unsuited for her. She hadn’t thought so initially, but the more she practiced, the more certain she became. She feared pain. The moment she thought of the sword edge swinging toward her during sparring, dread would rise within her heart, causing her eyes to shut. This was merely a wooden sword; if they faced one another with real blades and spears, it would claim her life.
She discovered now that she originally preferred weapons that maintained a distance—an inch longer meant an inch stronger—such as a spear or a bow.
Seeing her remain motionless, Yun Heyin let out a sigh. Fu Jinyue assumed he was going to give up, but unexpectedly, the other party executed a wrist flourish to reverse the direction of the wooden sword. Gripping the sword hilt, he loosely enveloped her in his embrace from behind, lifting her hand to stuff the sword into her palm.
Fu Jinyue was loosely held in his embrace. Aside from her wrist, their skin did not touch, save for the occasional alignment of their garments when the wind blew.
Smeared by a clear fragrance laced with a faint bamboo scent, she recalled that hand beneath the sleeve from yesterday which had been hiddenly reminiscing, her interest greatly piqued. Lifting her eyes with amusement, she saw the man’s profile was placid, looking thoroughly detached.
Yun Heyin said, “Focus.”
Putting on a pose, Fu Jinyue grumbled inwardly. Yet she abandoned her arrogance and dispelled her impetuosity, learning with thorough earnestness.
The ambiguous atmosphere dissolved within the rigorous teaching.
Whenever her exertion of force was incorrect, Yun Heyin would guide her hand-in-hand.
His hand wrapped over hers, his palm pressing against the back of her hand, leading her and teaching her how to bend her fingers. Because there were thin calluses on the pads of his fingers, sliding past always brought a fine itch. The words he spoke were coldly plastered beside her ear: “Bring the four fingers together, grip the sword hilt tightly.”
Fu Jinyue didn’t pay attention to the ambiguous posture, focusing on the learning process, primarily because she had suddenly comprehended a bit of insight into sword techniques.
“The sword blade must be vertically upright.”
“The little finger side of the blade faces down, the wrist braces straight to exert force, cleave.”
Her wrist turned, bringing the sword with force, and the steps beneath her feet shifted accordingly.
Executing a closing step forward, the girl suddenly left his embrace, her hair strands rising along with the movement, resembling a downpour of rain, pattering lightly against his cheeks and seeping into his heart. Losing her form from his line of sight all at once, Yun Heyin’s expression darkened, intending to step forward, yet he watched as she gripped the sword in a reverse hold, turning around to smile.
“Senior, how about this time?”
Yun Heyin’s lowered fingertips twitched slightly. “Passable.”
He cast a glance toward the sky, stating in a customary manner, “We shall stop here for today. Upon waking tomorrow morning, cleave five hundred times in the courtyard.”
Fu Jinyue uttered a bewildered “ah.” “But I have things to attend to tomorrow morning. We’ll see, we’ll see.”
Yun Heyin said, “Practicing the sword brooks no negligence.”
Yet Fu Jinyue had already run far away early on, waving her hand as if entirely unable to hear, shouting: “I’m going to see what Sinian and Siyan are up to. Goodbye, Senior!”
Yun Heyin gazed at her silhouette, her hair strands swaying along with her actions, jumping and hooking. He turned his palm open, lowering his eyes to stare fixedly at it, the vague fragrance and warmth seemingly still retaining a few measures.
That smiling tone of voice echoed within his sea of consciousness.
“I pursue the path of balancing Yin and Yang. I practice the Hehuan method and learn the art of dual cultivation. If I join forces with you, Senior…”
Her eyes blinked, the watery sheen rippling, affectionate and enticing, yet this affection…
Was merely a passing glint of light upon a cold spring.
Yun Heyin thought thus, remaining thoroughly clear-headed.
Coveting cultivation…
Indeed, she was merely a shameless scoundrel.
He thought detachedly.
He would resolutely never be shaken again.
The next morning.
Fu Jinyue was munching on a spiritual rice brown sugar mantou she had coaxed from Sinian, muttering back and forth with the system over whether to practice the sword, when she spotted Lu Liuru right before her courtyard gate.
System: “Host, she’s here again.”
Fu Jinyue bit off a piece of the mantou: “Understood. Then I won’t go practice the sword today.”
Growing familiar with Lu Liuru was entirely outside of expectations, yet within the bounds of reason.
They had originally forged a bond when first entering the Sword Sect, and among those who had accidentally learned of the inner secrets, she alone possessed the highest status. The Sword Sect naturally dispatched her to make appearances the most.
Lu Liuru, an inner sect member of the Sword Sect, ranked seventeenth.
She had guided Fu Jinyue’s way, and had stepped forward to take the blame in the matter of the Sword Sect’s neglect. Perhaps out of gratitude for Fu Jinyue not pursuing the matter, Lu Liuru also proactively took over the subsequent management of the spiritual fields and the handover of spiritual plants, carrying out her tasks with meticulous care.
Today, she had come to deliver spiritual stones.
The items Sect Master Yu had boasted and promised had also fallen into place one by one after Fu Jinyue displayed her capabilities.
Fu Jinyue invited the female cultivator at the door into the courtyard.
“Want some?” Fu Jinyue shook the mantou in her hand, indicating she still had more.
“Thank you, Fellow Daoist,” Lu Liuru politely declined. “However, ever since building my foundation, I have only consumed Inedia Pills.”
Fu Jinyue asked, “Is it because the desire for food and drink affects your Dao heart?”
Lu Liuru said, “It is because Inedia Pills are the cheapest.”
What a practical reason.
Lu Liuru said, “The cultivation world cannot compare to the mortal realm. What a cultivator consumes must be cooked using spiritual plants and spiritual meat, otherwise turbid Qi will accumulate within the body, which conversely yields disadvantage. Therefore, the food a cultivator consumes is highly expensive.”
As she spoke the final sentence, she smiled gently, the sharpness of her features diluting all at once.
Lu Liuru: “Although I am an inner sect member, I have never apprenticed under a master, so resources are tight, and I have thus maintained Inedia for many years. Right now, I fear that once the dam breaks, I won’t be able to control it, so I must thank Fellow Daoist Fu for her kind intentions.”
As she spoke, she retrieved something from her cosmos bag. Lu Liuru’s cosmos bag was worn on her hand in the style of a jade bracelet. Rolling up her sleeve, a sachet bag appeared within her other hand in the blink of an eye.
“These are some spiritual stones. Sect Master Yu specifically instructed me, saying she did not know the stewards within the sect were so audaciously bold. She added a bit from her own pocket to express her apologies.”
Fu Jinyue didn’t pierce the guise either, accepting it.
Lu Liuru produced two or three more spiritual plants. “These are what Fellow Daoist instructed to look for a few days ago. They have all been sought out according to their categories and years, without a single one missing.”
Although these spiritual plants were small in size, they were lush and green, clearly showing healthy growth without any illness or disaster.
They were precisely the control sample groups Fu Jinyue had been yearning for.
She accepted them joyfully this time, repeatedly stating her gratitude for the trouble.
Lu Liuru’s smile reined in slightly. “There is one more matter.”
“Fellow Daoist Fu ought to still recall how I initially became acquainted with you.”
Fu Jinyue had just stuffed the spiritual plants into her cosmos bag, and didn’t lift her head upon hearing this: “A pre-planned guide, a shout of an evil cultivator spy, and a…”
She patted the dirt off her hands, raising her eyes, an amused and helpless expression appearing on her face, “And a Truth Talisman that forces one to speak with absolute candor.”
There was no resentment, since it had long since passed. Fu Jinyue said, “You mention this because you have a clue?”
She had cross-checked accounts with Lu Liuru.
The matter of the evil cultivator spy was a terrible misunderstanding; one was framed while the other was misled. Both were indignant, so they naturally fixed their gazes upon the culprit.
Lu Liuru’s cultivation was at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage, her sword attainment passable. As a Sword Sect member, entering and exiting was convenient, and her network of connections was broad; she was the main force responsible for investigating the culprit.
Hearing her ask, Lu Liuru stated directly, “That Cui Zai likely failed to report his true name, or possesses another method to conceal it. In short, the sect’s Name-Tracing Compass failed to locate his position using his name.”
Fu Jinyue munched on her mantou: “In my view, Senior Lu never brings up matters she is not certain of randomly. What’s next?”
Lu Liuru lowered her eyes and said, “That day, after seeing the Sect Master’s token, I immediately turned around to look for this male cultivator. Back then, he had a face full of smiles, and I assumed he was an ordinary rogue cultivator wanting to claim a reward, so I told him to remain here, stating that once the matter was clarified, someone would naturally offer a reward of thanks. Who could have known that perhaps word was leaked, for when I arrived at his quarters to check that day, he had already left the Sword Sect, fleeing far away.”
“Due to the Dao Discussion Banquet, the cultivators entering and exiting the sect recently are countless. A Golden Core stage practitioner stands out, yet placing him at this moment allows him to blend into the masses.” As she spoke, Lu Liuru’s gaze flicked up, revealing a touch of sharpness.
She smiled lightly: “Regrettably, I don’t know whether this person is bold or cowardly. He fled far away, yet conversely never departed. Perhaps feeling safe and worry-free, he was recently spotted by members of my sect in the small town at the foot of the mountain.”
Fu Jinyue bolstered her spirits: “When?”
“Just yesterday.” Lu Liuru looked at her knowingly, offering a smile as the sharp aura from a moment ago vanished completely, returning to her gentle appearance. The female cultivator asked, “Does Fellow Daoist Fu wish to investigate and find out the truth?”
Fu Jinyue didn’t hesitate by half a fraction: “Naturally!”
This Cui Zai deservedly ranked as the top entry in her little notebook. It was all due to this fellow; if he hadn’t reported her behind her back, she wouldn’t have collided with this group of people from the Sword Sect! Leading to encountering Yu Feichen and Yun Heyin… wait, no.
The Sword Sect and the man had now barely transformed into assists, serving a massive purpose. Fu Jinyue didn’t hesitate, starting over—
It was all due to this fellow; if he hadn’t reported her behind her back, she wouldn’t have been victimized into kneeling against the bluestones and knocking her head loudly!
In short, a certain Cui was at fault!
Fu Jinyue was sharpening her blades and preparing to set out. After a brief thought, she asked Lu Liuru again: “Just the two of us?”
If she recalled correctly, Cui Zai seemed to be a Golden Core cultivator.
Could a Qi Refining practitioner and a Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment practitioner defeat a Golden Core stage practitioner?
Lu Liuru said, “Since it is the foot of the Sword Sect mountain, it is also the territory of the Sword Sect. He dares not engage in a struggle of life and death against the two of us.”
With a single call to arms, the entire street would be filled with sword cultivators, let alone the numerous rogue cultivators resting at the foot of the mountain.
Thinking about it, Fu Jinyue felt it made sense. This person ran but didn’t run far, lingering and wandering at the foot of the mountain. Perhaps initially he truly didn’t harbor any malicious intent, likely catching wind of the situation and quickly slipping away upon seeing the reward attempt fail. Given his personality, he probably feared the influence of the Sword Sect, and might truly offer no resistance.
There was indeed no need to fear.
Aiya, looking at it this way, Cui Zai truly lived up to his name; he was about to collide with a debt collector.
Fu Jinyue let out a sinister laugh in her heart.
He truly ought to think hard about how to weep bitter tears to allow her to put the matter to rest.
The author has something to say:
【Highlight the key point】
In this chapter, Male 2 is detached: I will resolutely never be shaken again.
Summary of the next chapter: The flower of the high peaks catches her in the act.